Djokovic tops Nishikori for 8th US Open final

Novak Djokovic reached his eighth U.S. Open final by beating Kei Nishikori 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.

Djokovic is bidding for his third title at Flushing Meadows and 14th Grand Slam trophy overall.

The No. 6-seeded Djokovic missed last year’s tournament with an injured right elbow.


He will face Juan Martin del Potro in Sunday’s final. Del Potro advanced when Rafael Nadal retired after the second set with a knee injury.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Nadal credits passion and overcoming injuries for success

BEIJING — Passion, and overcoming injuries, are the key to Rafael Nadal’s recent success.

The top-ranked Spaniard won the French Open and the U.S. Open this year, and reclaimed the No. 1 spot from Andy Murray. His next event is the China Open.

“I had some injuries, but good thing is I keep having the passion for the game and the love for what I am doing and the spirit of overcome tough situations in terms of physical issues,” the Spaniard said. “Of course, the spirit of improvement: every day when I wake up, going on court with the goal of doing something better than what I was doing.”

Nadal will open against Lucas Pouille on Tuesday at the China Open. The Frenchman beat Nadal in their previous meeting last year.

Nadal is 56-9 this season. He leads the tour with five ATP singles titles and will be trying to add this year’s China Open title to the one he took home as a teenager in 2005.

Nadal has made the tournament’s final in three of his six earlier appearances and has a 20-5 record in Beijing.

In the first round on Monday, top-ranked Garbine Muguruza retired from her opening match with a cold.
Muguruza dropped the first set 6-2 and was trailing 2-0 against Barbora Strycova when she decided to stop.

“I couldn’t perform today,” said the Spaniard, who said she picked up a virus at the Wuhan Open last week but wanted to try to play despite her illness. “I don’t want to retire before the tournament starts for me.”

Also, U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens was beaten by Christina McHale 6-3, 6-0.

“It was a tough day,” Stephens said. “There’s not really much to say about. Obviously not a great match, so just forget about it and try to move on.”

In other women’s matches, former No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-2, 6-2, while Peng Shuai, Elena Vesnina, Elise Mertens, Coco Vandeweghe and Alize Cornet also won.

Men’s winners included fifth-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut, Mischa Zverev, Steve Darcis, Fabio Fognini and Aljaz Bedene.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Williams wins at US Open to stay in No. 1 hunt; Konta out

NEW YORK — Venus Williams stayed in the crowded hunt for the No. 1 ranking — even though she had no idea that she has a shot at that spot.


Johanna Konta, a Wimbledon semifinalist just last month, dropped out of that chase with a first-round exit as the U.S. Open got started Monday.

The No. 9-seeded Williams overcame a mid-match lapse to pick up a 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 victory in Arthur Ashe Stadium against Viktoria Kuzmova of Slovakia, a 19-year-old qualifier who is ranked 135th.

It was the first tour-level, main-draw match of Kuzmova’s career, and the 967th for Williams, who won the title at Flushing Meadows in 2000 and 2001, in addition to her five Wimbledon championships. Williams is in her 19th U.S. Open; she reached the final in her 1997 debut, about eight months before Kuzmova was born.

“I had no idea what she looked like, who she was, anything. But she played amazing. She played well, served well, competed well. Definitely a match I had to earn,” said Williams, who at 37 is the oldest woman in the field. “I definitely wasn’t expecting or planning on dropping sets today. But things happen. That’s why we play the match, because you have to win the match. So it’s just all about regrouping. It’s the first round. You figure out what’s going on.”

She was up a set, plus a break in the second at 2-0, when she faltered. Kuzmova broke for 2-1, then pulled at even at 3-all before taking three games in a row to force a third set. But Williams righted herself there, breaking for a 2-0 lead, then digging out of a love-40 hole with five consecutive points for 3-0 and was on her way.

Williams entered the U.S. Open as one of eight women with a chance to rise atop the WTA rankings by tournament’s end.

Not that it was foremost on her mind. Indeed, she said she was unaware of that possibility.

“I just want to win, and if you get the win, you get the ranking,” said Williams, who was already at No. 1 in 2002.

Before the American’s match was over, that number of ranking contenders was reduced to seven, because the No. 7-seeded Konta was bounced by 78th-ranked Aleksandra Krunic of Serbia 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

“I don’t take anything for granted,” said Konta, who was a semifinalist at Wimbledon just last month. “I think it would be quite obnoxious of me to come in here expecting I have a right to be in second week.”

Konta, who lost to Williams in the Wimbledon semifinals, figured to be Britain’s best chance for a deep run these two weeks, because the country’s top male player, Andy Murray, withdrew on Saturday with an injured hip.

Instead, she was among a crop of seeded players on the way out the door at a tournament already missing several top names, including the biggest in women’s tennis: Williams’ older sister Serena, who is expecting a baby.

“We always coach each other, pretty much,” Williams said.

While the most anticipated matchup of Day 1 was scheduled for Monday night — five-time major champion Maria Sharapova’s first Grand Slam action since her doping suspension, against No. 2 seed Simona Halep — the afternoon was filled with quite a few seeded players joining Konta on the way out.

For every victory by someone such as Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza or 2014 U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic, there was a surprise or two.

The men’s seeded losers included No. 21 David Ferrer, who was the runner-up at the 2013 French Open, No. 25 Karen Khachanov and No. 32 Robin Hasse. On the women’s side, there as No. 21 Ana Konjuh, No. 24 Kiki Bertens and No. 32 Lauren Davis.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Del Potro, Kyrgios advance, Raonic withdraws in Cincinnati

Juan Martin del Potro and Nick Kyrgios took positive steps in their U.S. Open preparation by ousting seeded opponents to reach the second round of the Cincinnati Open on Tuesday.

Former U.S. Open champion del Potro beat 10th-seeded Czech Tomas Berdych 3-6 7-6(1) 6-0, while Kyrgios opened with a 6-2 6-3 dismissal of ninth seed David Goffin of Belgium in the Cincinnati heat.

Earlier in the day, sixth-seeded Canadian Milos Raonic announced his withdrawal from the tournament due to a lingering left wrist injury.

The talented non-seeded winners, who have both battled injuries this season, excelled on serve.

Del Potro powered in 17 aces in overcoming Berdych after a listless opening set.

The Argentine, who was last week ousted in the second round in Montreal by Canadian teenager Denis Shapovalov, upped the aggression in the second set and found his range with his big forehand to force a tiebreak.

He raced to a 5-0 lead in the tiebreak, which he claimed 7-1 before blanking Berdych in the third set.

"I think I played really good tennis in the second and the third set. I think my game improved after a big effort in the second set," Del Potro told the Tennis Channel.

"I think I can be better, can play much better. I'm having a tougher draw in all tournaments, but I like just to play tennis after all my injuries and I'm so happy to have the chance."

Del Potro, who has a history of wrist problems and had a groin injury this season, next plays American qualifier Mitchell Krueger.

Kyrgios cracked 10 aces in a one-sided victory over Goffin.

"He doesn’t have the biggest of weapons and I kind of caught a good rhythm against him," said the 22-year-old Australian, who retired from three tournaments in a row with hip and shoulder injuries this season.

"He’s by far better than me from the back of the court. He loves playing from the ground so I tried not to give him much rhythm. I just hit two first serves every point, pretty much.”

Asked about his hip injury, Kyrgios said: "I can still feel it. It’s always tough to play and try to build some strength."

Kyrgios will next meet Aleksandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine, who came through 6-4 7-6(6) against big-serving South African Kevin Anderson, who hit 24 aces. — Reuters

Foul-mouthed Tomic in US Open fan controversy

Fiery Australian star Bernard Tomic was at the centre of a foul-mouthed US Open controversy on Tuesday when he became embroiled in a lewd exchange with a heckler.

The 23-year-old slumped to a 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7/0) loss to Damir Dzumhur of Bosnia on the old Grandstand court.

But before he lost the first round match, he also spectacularly misplaced his composure, angrily hitting back at a spectator he accused of deliberately trying to get under his skin.

Courtside microphones picked up Tomic telling the fan: “I will put my balls in your mouth” followed moments later by “I will give you some money to make you feel good”.

Tomic apologized for the incident, suggesting his Croatian roots may have been a factor in the clash against his Bosnian opponent.

“I apologized for what I said. I think when the guy left after the first set, the crowd got happy because he was a bit annoying,” said Tomic who was unable to recall what was said to him.

“He was just sort of saying negative stuff. I didn’t know who it was because I was just focusing on the court.

“It was tough to figure out in the background. It’s passed and I don’t really care who this guy is. He definitely baited me.

“I had problems on the other end, as well, with a few people in the corner. They were saying some negative stuff to me, in my language of Serbian-Croatian. The microphones didn’t pick that up. But I obviously caught the blame for that.”

Tuesday’s controversy was the latest to hit Tomic.

At Wimbledon, he was forced to apologize for using the word “retard” in a press conference.

That outburst came after he had been widely condemned for his boorish behavior in Madrid when he turned his racquet the wrong way to face a match point against Fabio Fognini.

Tomic later told reporters: “I don’t care about that match point. Would you care if you were 23 and worth over $10 million?”

In July last year, he was arrested in Miami after a wild party in a hotel penthouse suite.

He was then dropped from the Australian Davis Cup team and subsequently opted out of the Rio Olympics.

Tomic, seeded 17 for the tournament, committed 78 unforced errors in his tame defeat to Dzumhur who goes on to face either Illya Marchenko of Ukraine or Croatia’s Ivan Dodig.

Dzhumur, who lost to Tomic in New York at the same stage last year, said he didn’t hear what was said to the Australian.

“Everyone has their own fans and some can go over the limit,” said the Bosnian.

“I have had these kind of problems in the past. But if you listen to the fans too much, it’s not good for you.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Djokovic and Serena Williams named ITF players of the year

LONDON - Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams were named men's and women's world champions for 2015 by the International Tennis Federation on Tuesday.

The Serb ended the year as men's world number one for the fourth time after taking three majors - the Australian, Wimbledon and US Open, as well as finishing runner-up to Stan Wawrinka in the French.

Williams also narrowly missed a calendar-year grand slam, winning the Australian, French and Wimbledon and reaching the her home US Open semi-final.

Martina Hingis, of Switzerland, and India's Sania Mirza were named women's doubles world champions, with Jean-Julien Rojer, of the Netherlands, and Romania's Horia Tecau taking the men's award.

Hingis thus became an ITF world champion again 15 years after being crowned singles champion.

Dalma Galfi, of Hungary, and USA's Taylor Fritz were named ITF junior champions. — Reuters

Djokovic, Williams head elite fields for US Open

Wimbledon champions and world number ones Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams head the field for the men's and women's events at this year's U.S. Open, the United States Tennis Association announced on Wednesday.

Djokovic, who has reached the U.S. Open final five times and won the title in 2011, tops an elite list that includes other former champions in Roger Federer (2004-08), Rafa Nadal (2010, 2013), Andy Murray (2012) and last year's winner Marin Cilic.

Serbian Djokovic will be aiming to land his third grand slam crown this year, having triumphed at the Australian Open in February before beating Federer in four sets in the Wimbledon final earlier this month.

The U.S. Open will be played from Aug. 31 to Sept. 13 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, New York.

Serena Williams will command much of the spotlight over that fortnight as she bids to become only the third woman to win the "calendar year" grand slam in the professional era.

Aged 33, she outclassed Spaniard Garbine Muguruza 6-4 6-4 in the Wimbledon final earlier this month.

It was a sixth Wimbledon title and a 21st grand slam crown for Williams and, unless she suffers a dip in form, it seems unlikely anyone can stop her march into the history books at Flushing Meadows where she is unbeaten since 2011.

She won her sixth U.S. Open last year, and has since landed the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon titles this season.

Joining Williams will be Russian world number two Maria Sharapova, the 2006 U.S. Open champion; third-ranked Simona Halep of Romania and fourth-ranked Czech Petra Kvitova, the 2011 and 2014 Wimbledon champion.  — Reuters