Tennis News

[mukhtiyar]

Federer eases into home-town quarter-finals

BASEL: World number one Roger Federer eased into the quarter-finals of the Swiss Indoors, his home-town tournament, with an easy win over Italy's Andreas Seppi on Wednesday.


Federer, aiming for a fourth successive title at the event, needed 61 minutes to overcome his 51st-ranked opponent 6-3 6-3 in a second-round match.

Seppi held his own for much of the match but was outgunned on the key points.

Fourth seed Marin Cilic, attempting to win his third ATP title of the season, beat Germany's Philipp Petzschner 6-4 6-4 in a first-round meeting of two big servers.

The Croat blasted 14 aces to set up a second round meeting with Viktor Troicki of Serbia on Thursday

 

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Suspension unlikely, but Serena could get large fine

REGGIO CALABRIA, Italy (AP)—Top-ranked Serena Williams will most likely receive a “significant” fine but no suspension for her U.S. Open tirade, the president of the International Tennis Federation said.
Grand Slam administrator Bill Babcock is expected to give his recommendation to the Grand Slam committee, which probably will announce the sanction Monday or Tuesday.
“I don’t think (an Australian Open ban) would make much sense, because it would penalize the people handing out the punishment,” Francesco Ricci Bitti told The Associated Press on Saturday. “For the Grand Slam committee to exclude her from a Grand Slam doesn’t seem likely.”
The Grand Slam committee is composed of Ricci Bitti and the four Grand Slam presidents.
Williams was fined $10,000 after her profanity-laced outburst at a lineswoman during her semifinal loss to Kim Clijsters in September. A fine from the ITF could be much greater.
“A significant financial penalty makes much more sense. But it has to be significant enough for the fans (to appreciate) it,” Ricci Bitti said. “Of course it may not be significant for Serena Williams, who earns tens of millions.”
By winning the season-ending tour championship last weekend, Williams set the record for single-season prize money in women’s tennis by topping $6.5 million in 2009. Her career prize money is a record $28.5 million.
Ricci Bitti spoke at the Fed Cup final between the United States in Italy. Serena and Venus Williams decided not to play in the Fed Cup final after meeting in the final of the season-ending championship last weekend in Doha, Qatar.
The ITF president is also involved in a request by the World Anti-Doping Agency to investigate Andre Agassi’s recent admission that he took crystal meth in 1997.
Agassi wrote in his soon-to-be-released autobiography “Open” that he ingested the drug and then lied to the ATP to avoid a suspension after failing a doping test.
Ricci Bitti is also a member of WADA’s executive committee.
“The WADA code is our reference point and in every doping case the rules are quite clear. There is an eight-year period for sanctions to apply,” Ricci Bitti said. “In terms of the regulations, there is nothing that can be done because we’re past the eight-year period. It’s more upsetting than anything else — for our sport and for the players.”
Still, Ricci Bitti noted that the ATP should have a dossier on the case.
“We’ll see what happens,” he said.
In another drug-related case, the ITF confirmed a one-year suspension for Belgian tennis players Yanina Wickmayer and Xavier Malisse on Saturday. The duo was suspended by a Belgian tribunal this week for failing to report their whereabouts to anti-doping officials three times during 2009.
“This reminds me of the cases of Italian players involved in betting a little while ago,” Ricci Bitti said. “These players need to be aware of their responsibilities. If they don’t know, this is the result.
“These cases create discussion because they’re not reliant on positive tests, but there are rules to respect,” Ricci Bitti added. “We’re awaiting the details from the Belgian federation. These kids need to wake up. They’re professionals and they earn a lot of money. They don’t need to merely know the rules, they should also respect them.”

 

[mukhtiyar]

Djokovic (barely) and Federer make Basel final

BASEL, Switzerland (AP)—Roger Federer will play Novak Djokovic in the Swiss Indoors final in a bid for a fourth straight title in his hometown tournament.
Federer defeated childhood friend Marco Chiudinelli 7-6 (7), 6-3 in one semifinal. Earlier, Djokovic saved three match points in rallying to beat Radek Stepanek 6-7 (4), 7-5, 6-2.
On Sunday, Djokovic will face Federer in the arena where the Swiss great was once a ballboy.
“Obviously, the home crowd will be behind him,” Djokovic said.
They’ve split four matches this year, with Federer winning their last meeting in straight sets in the U.S. Open semifinals.
“I’m ready for a tough match. Novak’s played solid tennis during the week,” said Federer, who has a 9-4 career record against Djokovic.
Federer has not lost serve in four matches, though Djokovic will be his first seeded opponent. Djokovic, ranked No. 3, won for the 70th time this year, tops on the ATP Tour. This will be the Serb’s ninth final, also a tour best. He is 3-5 in title matches in 2009.
Chiudinelli had a set point in a first-set tiebreaker. But Federer struck a backhand crosscourt winner as his opponent advanced to the net, then took the next two points. Federer broke serve early in the second set and quickly closed the match.
Chiudinelli was playing in the first semifinal of his injury-plagued career, and earned a place in the main draw of next week’s Paris Masters. Ranked No. 884 a year ago, Chiudinelli will be near the top 50 in Monday’s new rankings.
Djokovic had beaten Stepanek easily in the round of 16 at the U.S. Open in September. This match, however, was far was more testing. He trailed his 14th-ranked Czech opponent 5-4 in the second set and was 0-40 down before reeling off five straight points to win the game.
“I wouldn’t say necessarily it was my good shots that prevented the loss. It was luck only,” Djokovic said. “I just tried to get some first serves in and at least get that advantage. On this (hard-court) surface, it’s crucial.”
Djokovic’s first serves faltered in the second set, and a double-fault gave Stepanek three match points. Djokovic responded with heavy serves and ground strokes, and needed just one set point on his next service game. He converted it with a forehand winner. In the deciding set, Djokovic broke in the first and seventh games

 

[mukhtiyar]

Safin starts final event with win

Marat Safin began the final tournament of his career in dramatic style by saving three match points as he beat Thierry Ascione at the Paris Masters.
The Russian, 29, announced in January his intention to retire at the end of the season and received a wildcard to play in Paris as a former champion.
Safin began with a 6-4 4-6 7-6 (7-3) win over Frenchman Ascione, ranked 168.
Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray are among a strong field in Paris.
It is the final tournament of the regular season, with only the ATP World Tour Finals for the top eight in the world to follow in London later in the month.
Safin, a former world number one and US and Australian Open champion, has guaranteed himself at least one more high-profile match as he will face fifth seed and US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro in round two.

The Russian is not exactly confident though, saying: "Do you really believe that I am going to beat him? I think the level he is playing at the moment that I have no chance, but I will try and give him a good match."
The three-time Paris champion, ranked 65 in the world, eased a set and a break up on Ascione before the loose play that has marked his game in recent years took hold.
Ascione levelled the match and soon found himself with three match points in the final set, but Safin saved each one with an ace and dominated the decisive tie-break.
"This time I know I have no pretensions to the title," Safin said afterwards. "I am just here to finish on a good note and to say goodbye to everybody.
"It has become increasingly more difficult to pack my bags and leave home this season."
Britain's fourth seed Andy Murray is in the same quarter of the draw and will take on American James Blake in his opening match.
The top 16 seeds have byes in the first round, with Federer to open against Julien Benneteau or Philipp Petzschner and Nadal up against Marco Chiudinelli or Nicolas Almagro.
Much of the interest will centre on the two remaining places up for grabs at the Tour Finals, with Nikolay Davydenko and Fernando Verdasco in pole position to secure spots at the O2 Arena.
Other winners on Monday were John Isner, Albert Montanes, Viktor Troicki, Andreas Seppi, Ivo Karlovic, Tomas Berdych, Lukasz Kubot and Ivan Ljubicic.

 

[mukhtiyar]

Italy win Fed Cup in 3-0 sweep of US

Reggio Calabria: Flavia Pennetta sealed a second Fed Cup title for Italy 3-0 Sunday as she claimed the winning point of the weekend 7-5, 6-2 over American Melanie Oudin in the final.

Pennetta, first Italian woman to crack the world top 10, wrapped up the second championship for the host in three years after a title in Belgium in 2006.

Italy was playing in a third final in the worldwide women's competition, the nation's first at home.

Oudin, a US Open quarter-finalist, was overwhelmed on the day in less than 90 minutes, with the Pennetta breaking on three of four occasions and striking 12 winners. Oudin committed 15 unforced errors.

The overjoyed Italians immediately began celebrating, Francesca Schiavone drenching anyone in distance with water.

The US was without both Williams sisters, with Serena withdrawing just hours after winning the Sony Ericsson Championships last week in Doha.

 

[mukhtiyar]

Murray brushes aside Youzhny to win Valencia final

VALENCIA: Top seed Andy Murray dismissed unseeded Russian Mikhail Youzhny 6-3 6-2 in the final of the Valencia Open on Sunday to clinch a sixth title of the year on his return from injury.

The 22-year-old world number four, who before this week had not played on the ATP tour since September's U.S. Open due to a wrist problem, was easily able to dictate the rhythm of the match on the hard court in the cathedral-like Agora arena.

Using his sliced backhand to excellent effect, he broke 23rd-ranked Youzhny to love to take a 3-1 lead and served for the opening set at 5-1 before the Russian hit back with a break of his own.

Some accurate serving gave Murray three set points two games later and he converted the second with his sixth ace.

The match followed a similar pattern in the second set, with Murray controlling the pace with ease and Youzhny committing far too many unforced errors.

The Scot went 4-0 ahead with two more breaks of serve and sealed victory with an eighth ace after one hour eight minutes of play.

"I expected a difficult match as he has been playing well recently but I served well and played smart and I'm happy to have won in two sets," Murray said in a television interview.

He said his back and groin were feeling a bit stiff after Saturday's three-set semi-final against Fernando Verdasco.

"My body is hurting but the whole week was great as I haven't played in a long time," he added.

Murray's next event is the Paris Masters, the final tournament before the season-ending World Tour Finals in London from Nov. 22-29.

 

[mukhtiyar]

Magician Santoro produces final disappearing act

PARIS: Frenchman Fabrice Santoro brought down the curtain on a remarkable and atypical career by losing to American James Blake in the first round of the Paris Masters on Sunday.

The oldest player on the men's circuit, Santoro, who will turn 37 next month, confirmed after a 6-4 6-3 defeat that he was now retiring.

"I've had lots of fun but now it is time to take a break," he said after his 15th and final Paris Masters appearance.

The pocket-sized Santoro, once nicknamed "the magician" by Pete Sampras for his habit of mystifying bigger, stronger opponents, had earlier suggested he might play the Australian Open in January before bowing out.

"It was a good match played in a great atmosphere and that's what I wanted," said Santoro, who traded shirts with Blake and was hugged by the American after match point.

"I don't feel sad, I even feel relieved in a way," added the Frenchman, who played a record 69 grand slam tournaments, won six titles in a career spanning over 20 years and took part in France's Davis Cup-winning campaigns in 1991 and 2001.

The Tahiti-born player, whose plans include working as a radio pundit and taking over the management of the Metz ATP tournament, peaked at number 17 in the rankings in 2001 and retires as world number 53.

"It's been great but I was finding it more and more difficult to train," he said. "What I'm really proud of is that I did the very best I could given my potential."

The only major player on the men's circuit to hit both shots double-handed, Santoro has won many admirers over the years for his finesse and sense of strategy.

"It's sad to see him go," Blake said. "He's a classy guy, a great competitor. He's had unbelievable success and is respected a lot by the rest of the tour.

"If my body has not fallen apart at 36, I'll be surprised," added the American, who will turn 30 next month. "His longevity has a lot do with his style. It's unique. He's a very smart player. For a guy his size, what he has achieved is really impressive."

 

[mukhtiyar]

Tearful Bartoli quits Bali tennis final with injury

Bali: Tearful top seed Marion Bartoli was forced to quit the final of the Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions Sunday with a thigh injury, giving French compatriot Aravane Rezai her third title of the season.

Number 12 Bartoli was in line for a number 10 finish, had she claimed the trophy. But that dream ended for the 22-year-old as she had to quit in pain, trailing 7-5, after a double-fault which ended the 62-minute encounter at this tropical resort.

"I'm crying right now, but I'm so happy to be here," said Bartoli, who was runner-up at Bali three years ago against Svetlana Kuznetsova when it was part of the regular WTA Tour.

"My leg was hurting. I tried my best to carry on, but it was too much pain. I'm sorry I wasn't able to finish today. Aravane had a wonderful week and played some great tennis," she said.

Bartoli missed out on her third title of the season.

The victory gave 44th-ranked Rezai a sweep this week at the year-end event after coming to Bali following consecutive first-round losses in Beijing, Linz and Luxembourg.

The 22-year-old turned her luck around with two group wins and a semi-final defeat of Spain's Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez.

"It's a great feeling to be here in the final, I'm very sorry for Marion that this happened," said Rezai, winner of a career-best $200,000 and now over the million-dollar mark in prize money.

"I'd prefer to win in a different way, but it's tennis, a lot of different things happen. I was really motivated to win here."

Rezai stands 2-2 in career finals after finishing runner-up at 2007 Istanbul and 2008 Auckland. She is projected to reach the Top 30.

 

[sky star 2]

MURRAY EYEING GLORY IN LONDON


Andy Murray is hoping a decent run in Paris this week will help him hit top form in time for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London later this month.

The prestigious end-of-season tournament at the O2 has been one of the world number four's prime targets for the season but a wrist injury that forced him out of action for more than six weeks looked to have put his chances of success on home soil in jeopardy.

He returned to action in Valencia last week and improved throughout the week before beating Mikhail Youzhny in the final on Sunday to win his sixth title of the year.

He arrived in the French capital on Tuesday for the final Masters Series event of the season, where he will play James Blake in the second round on Wednesday.

Regarding his unscheduled break, Murray told tennistv.com: "That wasn't the plan. I wanted to play some matches to get ready for Paris and London and try and finish the year as well as possible.

"But with each match back you gain a little bit of confidence and once you get to the latter stages of the tournament you start to believe you've got a chance of winning.

"I want to try and play as many matches as possible (in Paris) so I'm match tight going into London. Last week was a great start and I'll try to play a few more here."

The 22-year-old picked up the left wrist injury before the US Open in September and aggravated it in Great Britain's Davis Cup defeat against Poland, where he played three matches in three days.

But, after missing tournaments in Japan and China, Murray is confident the problem is now behind him.

"I practised for about a week before Valencia and I didn't have any problems then I played five matches there, which was good, and it's not been too bad in any of the matches that I've played," he said.

"I've been icing it and seeing the physio every day and it's getting a lot better."


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[sky star 2]

GASQUET ATTENDS CAS HEARING


Richard Gasquet attended a hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland on Tuesday to decide whether he must serve a longer ban following his positive drugs test earlier this year.

The 23-year-old Frenchman failed a test for cocaine in March and served a two-and-a-half-month suspension.

He was then cleared in July after the International Tennis Federation's disciplinary panel accepted his explanation the drug got into his system after he kissed a woman at a nightclub.

However, the ITF, along with the World Anti-Doping Agency, appealed against the decision of their own panel and are seeking a ban of up to two years.

Gasquet, who is known for his elegant game, achieved a career-high ranking of number seven in 2007 after reaching the Wimbledon semi-finals but is now outside the top 50.

CAS are expected to announce their decision later this month.



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[sky star 2]

SAFIN BLASTS 'GUILTY' AGASSI


Former world number one Marat Safin has suggested Andre Agassi could ease his guilt about his drug-use admissions by handing back his prize money and titles.

Safin blasted the American following revelations in his autobiography 'Open' that he used and tested positive for crystal meth in 1997 but lied to ATP investigators to escape punishment.

Agassi has since claimed remorse over his actions, but Safin believes if he is serious about coming clean he should forfeit the titles and money he won over the course of his long and renowned career.

"He feels guilty? So let him just give back his titles, money, his grand slams!" Safin told the French sports daily L'Equipe.

"If he is so fair play, he should go all the way. You know, ATP have a bank account, he can refund if he wants to."

Safin, who will retire from the sport after the Paris Masters, also queried Agassi's motives for admitting his past drug use and expressed concern about the way in which he confessed.

"I won't write my biography. I do not need any money. The question is: why did he do it?" said Safin.

"What's done is done. He hopes to sell more books. But he is completely stupid.

"I do not defend the ATP but what he said put them in a bad position. ATP allowed him to win a lot of tournaments, to make a lot of money.

"They kept his secret so why be so cruel with them? There are times you need to be able to shut up."

It was announced by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) earlier this month that they are investigating whether to lay fresh charges against Agassi.




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[sky star 2]

SAFIN NOT DONE YET

Marat Safin staved off retirement a little longer as he saved three match points en route to a first-round victory in the Paris Masters on Monday.

The former world number one, playing his final tournament before calling time on his playing days, held his nerve to progress to the second round with a 6-4 4-6 7-6 (7/3) over Frenchman Thierry Ascione.

He had found himself in deep trouble when serving at 4-5 in the final set.

At 15-40 he saved two match points with aces, but the Frenchman soon managed to force another.

However, again Safin came up with a big serve to save it with an ace.

And once the set went into a tie-break, Safin took control to claim victory and set up a mouthwatering clash with US Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro.

That match will give Safin, the winner in Flushing Meadows in 2000, a chance for one last hurrah in his glittering career which has now brought him 422 wins on the ATP Tour.

Meanwhile, Ivo Karlovic cruised into the second round by seeing off the challenge of Uruguay's Pablo Cuevas.

The giant Croatian was typically dominant on serve with Cuevas failing to gain a single break point.

Karlovic took the first set on a tie-break before completing a 7-6 (7/3) 6-4 triumph to set up a meeting with Swedish ninth seed Robin Soderling.

There was disappointment for the home crowd in Bercy as Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu was forced to retire from his match against Viktor Troicki when 7-6 (7/4) 3-0 down.

And in the day's late game, veteran Sebastien Grosjean went down 7-6 (7/2) 6-4 to in-form Croatian Ivan Ljubicic.

Andreas Seppi proved too strong for Phillip Kohlschreiber, winning 6-3 6-3, while Tomas Berdych edged out qualifier Vincent Millot 6-3 7-6 (7/4).

Another qualifier, Lukasz Kubot, fared better, however, beating Andreas Beck 6-4 3-6 6-4.

American John Isner came from behind to see off qualifier Alejandro Falla 4-6 7-6 (12/10) 7-5, as did Spain's Albert Montanes in beating Victor Hanescu 3-6 6-3 7-6 (7/3).



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[mukhtiyar]

Murray survives late-night battle

Andy Murray was pushed all the way before beating James Blake 6-3 6-7 (5-7) 7-6 (7-4) in the early hours of Thursday in the Paris Masters.
Murray won a cagey first set with a fine drop-shot before a very close second set, without any breaks of serve, which Blake won on a tie-break.
There was never any sign of a break in the third set either and it was no shock when it too went to a tie-break.
Murray took it 7-4 to set up a third round clash with Radek Stepanek. After the drama of world number one Roger Federer losing earlier in the day, and world number two Rafael Nadal narrowly avoiding a similar fate, whatever came next could only have a sense of anti-climax.
Blake and Murray did not start playing until 2330 local time, in front of a small crowd, and right from the start it was a very tight match with hardly anything between the pair.
Murray drew first blood when he broke the American in the fourth game, only for Blake to return the compliment immediately to make it 3-2 in his favour.
But crucially the Scot managed to break Blake again in the following game and then rattled off the next three games to clinch the set with a delightful drop-shot.
The second set was break-free, but Murray seemed to have a problem with his hip.
He slipped and fell heavily at the net when trailing 6-4 in the tie-break, so it was no surprise that Blake won the next point which he needed to level the match.
There was no let-up in the third set, with both players holding serve the whole way through, and when the tie-break came, even that was a closely-fought affair.
Murray was the first to open up any sort of gap at 5-3, but he could not hold his serve, allowing Blake another chance.
But on Murray's second match point, Blake hit the ball long, bringing to an end a gruelling two-and-a-quarter hour match.
Murray is due back in action later on Thursday, against Stepanek, who had a much shorter and more straight-forward match against Viktor Troicki, winning 6-4 6-0.

 

[mukhtiyar]

Benneteau stuns Federer in Paris

Julien Benneteau caused a huge upset at the Paris Masters as he beat top seed Roger Federer 3-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-4.
The world number one began in his usual imperious form but his game began to unravel as errors crept in.
Backed by an enthusiastic home crowd Benneteau seized on his opponent's weakness, set up match point with a superb backhand and won it with an ace.
Earlier Rafael Nadal had to save five match points to beat fellow Spaniard Nicolas Almagro 3-6 7-6 (7-2) 7-5. Almagro took the first set 6-3 and had five chances to win it in the second, but Nadal showed tremendous mental strength to stay in the match.
He won the tie-break 7-2, before Almagro succumbed to cramp in the third to allow Nadal to win the decider 7-5.
Nadal, who has never won the Paris Masters and who has not won a tournament since May, looked decidedly rusty in the first set, which Almagro took comfortably.
The unseeded Almagro, who had never won a set against Nadal in four previous meetings, saved a set point at 4-5 in the second before breaking Nadal in the next game.
But after going 40-0 down, Nadal produced some brilliant winners to save five match points and break back, before running away with the tie-break.
The pair traded breaks in the third set, and Almagro served for the match at 5-3, but was broken.
Almagro, who had required treatment for cramp at 3-3, could barely move from that point on and Nadal managed the telling break in the 11th game.
"I played great tennis in only one moment, but in the rest of the match I didn't play well," admitted Nadal aftewards.
"I am very lucky to be in the (next) round. That's the truth. I played bad but I won, which is the one positive thing."
His next round opponent is another fellow Spaniard Tommy Robredo after the 14th seed saw off Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic 6-4 6-4.
Third seed Novak Djokovic of Serbia advanced to the third round by beating Juan Monaco of Argentina 6-3 7-5.
And ninth-seeded Swede Robin Soderling beat Ivo Karlovic of Croatia 6-4 7-6 (7-6) to keep alive his slim hopes of qualifying for the eight-man ATP World Tour Finals later this month.
US Open champion and fifth seed Juan Martin del Potro beat Russia's Marat Safin, playing in his last tournament, 6-4 5-7 6-4.
Arnauld Clement of France defeated 16th seed Tommy Haas of Germany 5-7 6-3 7-6 (8-6), and 10th-seed Fernando Gonzalez of Chile beat American John Isner 7-5 7-6 (7-3).
Andy Murray brings proceedings to a close with his match against James Blake, fresh from lifting his sixth trophy of the season in Valencia on Sunday.
"I want to play as many matches as possible so I'm match tight going into (the end of season Tour Finals in) London," said Murray.
Valencia was Murray's first tournament following a six-week injury lay-off, and he is confident the problem with his left wrist is now behind him.
"I practised for about a week before Valencia and I didn't have any problems then I played five matches there, which was good, and it's not been too bad in any of the matches that I've played," he stated.
"I've been icing it and seeing the physio every day and it's getting a lot better."
If Murray can get past Blake, who he beat in the Queen's final earlier this year, he could then face Radek Stepanek before a possible quarter-final against Del Potro.

 

[mukhtiyar]

Russia's Marat Safin bowed out of tennis with a defeat at the hands of Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro in the second round of the Paris Masters.


Despite a capacity crowd pulling for the two-time major winner, Safin lost 6-4 5-7 6-4 to the US Open champion.
Safin beat Pete Sampras in straight sets to win the 2000 US Open title before injuries stunted his progress.
But the 29-year-old fought his way back to the top and beat Lleyton Hewitt in the final of the 2005 Australian Open. "Today I will put all my memories, all my wins and losses in a small box," said Safin, who was presented with a special trophy after the game.
"Today a door is closed, hopefully another one will open."
"This is where it all started and this where it finishes," added Safin, who burst into the limelight as a teenage qualifier at the 1998 French Open, posting wins over Andre Agassi and Gustavo Kuerten. "There was no better place to do this."
Safin, who saved three match points to squeeze past French qualifier Thierry Ascione in the first round on Monday, fought bravely against the Argentine world number five.
Showing glimpses of his old form, the world number 65, who had not won a title since the 2005 Australian Open, won a tight second set but was broken in the third game of the decider.
Safin, who held the number one spot for several weeks in 2000 and 2001 and is a three-time winner of the Paris event, saved a match point at 5-3 down, but Del Potro then served out for the match.

The gifted but erratic Russian was once regarded as one of the world's most spectacular players and will also be remembered for his rebellious spirit and dry humour.
After his early Wimbledon exit to compatriot Dmitry Tursunov in 2004, Safin said: "I don't like to play on this surface. After a while, I get bored. I completely lost motivation, and I gave up. I love tennis, but I just don't like grass."
However, the mercurial Safin, his ranking plummeting, made the semi-finals of Wimbledon in 2008.
After a match in Canada in 2004, when he was asked about his inner demons, Safin responded by going off at a lengthy tangent about hippos, zebras and monkeys.
And he also celebrated winning a point in a French Open marathon against Felix Mantilla by dropping his shorts, before railing against tournament officials who penalised him a point.
"All of the people who run the sport, they have no clue," said Safin. "It is a pity that tennis is really going down the drain. Every year it's getting worse and worse. There has to be radical change, and I hope it will happen soon."
Despite his regular brushes with the sport's officials, Safin was always tremendously popular with fans and fellow players alike, as illustrated by the standing ovation he received after his final game and the hugs and handshakes of a host of current and former rivals.
Safin won 15 titles in a career spanning 12 years, reached the final of the 2002 and 2004 Australian Open and the semi-finals of the French Open in 2002, as well as leading his country to Davis Cup glory in 2002 and 2006.
"I've lived my life the way I wanted to, whether scaling the mountains, partying long into the night or having fun playing soccer," he said recently.
"As for my tennis career, I probably could have won a few more [titles] but if it was up to me I wouldn't change a thing."

 

[gune_ayya]

Davydenko books World Finals spot

Russia's Nikolay Davydenko booked his place at the World Tour Finals in London despite losing to Robin Soderling at the Paris Masters.

Soderling remains hopeful of qualifying after the 6-3 3-6 6-4 win, earning a quarter-final against Novak Djokovic.

But Fernando Verdasco's defeat by Marin Cilic put Davydenko through.

Rafael Nadal is moving in on the world's top spot again after surviving match point against Tommy Robredo to edge into the quarter-finals in France.

Following Roger Federer's defeat on Wednesday, second-seeded Nadal, now 305 points adrift of his arch rival, overcame Robredo serving for victory at 5-4 in the deciding set before finally coming through 6-3 3-6 7-5.

The Spaniard will now face Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga for a semi-final berth.

Tsonga, along with Verdasco, Soderling and Fernando Gonzalez, are all fighting for the final place at the season-ending London event.
Verdasco will take it if Soderling and Gonzalez do not make the Paris Masters final this week, and Tsonga fails to defend his title.

While Tsonga brushed aside fellow Frenchman Gilles Simon 6-2 6-3 to reach the quarters, Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro progressed in unusual circumstances after a leg injury forced Gonzalez's exit at one set all.

Gonzalez had match points after taking the first set on a tie-break but after being edged out in a second tie-break the Chilean, with legs strapped, walked off the court to deny the crowd a final set decider.

Del Potro will now play Radek Stepanek after the Czech's surprise three-set win over Andy Murray.

Third seed Djokovic cruised into the final eight with a 6-2 6-2 victory over French qualifier Arnaud Clement.

Julien Benneteau failed to hit the heights he reached in Wednesday's stunning win over top seed Federer as he lost 6-4 6-3 to Gael Monfils.

Monfils meets Cilic in the last eight after the Croat's 3-6 6-3 6-4 win over Verdasco.

 

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Stepanek knocks out tired Murray

A sluggish Andy Murray was knocked out of the Paris Masters third round after losing to Radek Stepanek 6-1 3-6 4-6.


Despite his late-night efforts 16 hours before against James Blake, Murray took just 20 minutes to take the first set against the tentative 13th seed.
But Stepanek hit back to level the match and took advantage of the tiring Scot to secure a hard-earned victory.
Stepanek faces the winner of Fernando Gonzalez and US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro, who play later on. With Murray's laboured win over Blake finishing in the early hours of Thursday, the world number four admitted he was beaten by the better man on the day.
"I said last night it was going to be difficult to come back and feel 100%. It's obviously limited recovery after a long match," the 22-year-old said.
"But you still come out and you try to give it your best shot. It wasn't good enough."
However, the Scot looked far from jaded in the opening exchanges of this third-round clash and showed no sign of the hip problems he seemed to be suffering against Blake.
Stepanek had never taken a set off Murray over three winless encounters before this clash and he started like a man determined not to break the poor run, unable to respond to his opponent's lively movement from the back and dominant serve.
The Czech continued to make too many errors and the first set was over quickly, rounded off beautifully with a Murray cross-court chip over the net.
How quickly the match soon turned around.
Perhaps Murray had started to think too early about his evening off in Paris, or his aching limbs were tightening up, but Stepanek came out firing on all cylinders in the second set and raced to a 4-1 lead.
As in his second-round clash with Blake, Murray was guilty of taking his foot off the gas after a bright start and with a little more trickery, aided by an often-used drop-shot weapon, Stepanek eased to take the second set.
Murray's legs will not have been thanking him, but a deciding set was nothing short of deserved for his re-energised opponent.
As the Briton's serve weakened, Stepanek piled on the pressure and broke immediately at the start of the deciding set after winning a mammoth rally at deuce and his domination did not let up.
Murray had a glimmer of hope with a break to make it 5-3 and then won his serve to get within one, but Stepanek made no mistake to serve out for an impressive victory.

 

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World number three Novak Djokovic survived a stunning fightback from Frenchman Gael Monfils to claim victory at the Paris Masters 6-2 5-7 7-6 (7-3).
The Serb broke twice to win the first set and then raced into a 3-0 lead in the second with some flawless tennis.
But home favourite Monfils showed great spirit to hit back and when he levelled at one-set each the crowd came alive.
They traded breaks in the decider and it took a tie-breaker to separate them as Djokovic eventually won it 7-3.
The win was Djokovic's fifth of the year and continues his brilliant recent run which also saw him win the Swiss Indoor final against Roger Federer last week.

"It was incredibly tough," said the 22-year-old. "Winning back-to-back titles at this level is a huge achievement for me, and adding to that, beating the world number one and number two.
"I really feel that I'm in great form right now.
"The support of the crowd was probably one of the crucial things of today's match in his favour, so that makes my success even bigger."
Monfils can take heart from a gutsy performance in his first Masters final and he caused Djokovic - who thrashed Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals on Saturday - all kinds of problems.
The Paris-born world number 16 struggled in the early stages and was broken in only his second service game.
Despite having the advantage of the partisan home crowd, the 15th seed could find no answer and Djokovic took the opening set when Monfils doubled faulted on set point.
A flying Djokovic raced into an early lead in the second set before suddenly Monfils hit back, holding a tricky service game before breaking back to send the crowd into raptures.
When Monfils held it was 3-3 and it looked like going to a tie-breaker, until Monfils broke the Djokovic serve at 6-5 to get the crowd off their feet and he then held to stun the Serb and take it to a deciding set.
Djokovic once again got off to a flier and after a stunning rally that had both players gasping for breath he broke to lead 2-0 and then 4-1, but Monfils would not go away and he showed amazing resilience to peg it back to 4-4.
It went to a tie-breaker and Djokovic held his nerve to deny Monfils victory on his home turf.

 

[mukhtiyar]

World number two Rafael Nadal has been included in Spain's squad for the Davis Cup final against the Czech Republic.
The 23-year-old has not played for the defending champions since the first-round win over Serbia in March, and missed last year's final with injury.
World number eight Fernando Verdasco, David Ferrer and Feliciano Lopez make up the rest of the squad for the final, which begins in Spain on 4 December.
Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek will lead the Czech challenge. Jan Hajek and Lukas Dlouhy have also been named by captain Jaroslav Navratil in an unchanged squad from the line-up that stunned Croatia in the semi-finals.
The Czechs, who have not won the trophy since 1980 when Ivan Lendl led them to victory, have also beaten France and Argentina on their way to the final.
Spain, who have 11 players in the world's top 75, are attempting to win their fourth Davis Cup title in 10 years.
The final will take place on indoor clay at the Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona, scene of the first of Spain's three Davis Cup triumphs in 2000.
Nadal was sidelined for two months with knee tendonitis earlier this year, and has not won a title since his return in August.
Verdasco, who has qualified for the end-of-season World Tour Finals in London for the first time, missed Spain's semi-final win over Israel with an injury.

 

[mukhtiyar]

Soderling replaces Roddick in ATP finals

London: Andy Roddick withdrew from the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals due to a knee injury he suffered six weeks ago. The US player is being replaced in the eight-man draw by Swede Robin Soderling.


Roddick limped out of the Shanghai Masters with the injury last month. He had earned a berth at the season finale for a seventh straight year - the second-longest active streak after number one Roger Federer's eight consecutive invitations.

Three-time Wimbledon finalist Roddick played the semi-finals in 2003 and 2004 in Houston and 2007 at Shanghai.

Soderling who beat Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros was the first alternate for the tournament, which begins Sunday at The O2 arena in London. Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga now becomes first alternate.

Soderling is the first Swede to play the season wrap-up since Thomas Johansson in 2002.

Roddick resumed light practice this week but said that he would not be fully fit for the tournament.

"I'm really disappointed to miss the World Tour Finals," Roddick said. "I love playing in London, and I've heard so many good things about the venue. However I have not fully recovered from my knee injury, and I won't be able to compete. One of my goals in 2010 will be to qualify for this event again."

The line-up features Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, Juan Del Potro, Nikolay Davydenko, Fernando Verdasco and Soderling.

The draw will be made on Wednesday, with the eight players drawn to play a minimum of three round-robin matches to determine which four players advance to the knockout semi-finals Saturday.