Tennis News

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Murray faces Del Potro in opener

Andy Murray will play US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro in the opening singles match at the ATP World Tour Finals in London on Sunday.
The British number one is in Group A of the eight-man event with Argentine Del Potro, Spaniard Fernando Verdasco and Swiss world number one Roger Federer.
Federer faces Verdasco on Sunday evening in the O2 Arena.
Monday's Group B action sees Rafael Nadal take on Robin Soderling before Novak Djokovic meets Nikolay Davydenko. The match between Serbian world number three Djokovic and seventh-ranked Russian Davydenko is a repeat of last year's World Tour singles final - then called the Tennis Masters Cup - in Shanghai which the former won 6-1 7-5.
Murray, 22, reached the semi-final on his first appearance at the end-of-season event last year.
The Scot has won four out of his five matches against world number five Del Potro, including their last meeting in the Montreal Masters final in August.
In October, Del Potro was forced to retire from his Shanghai Masters second-round match against Jurgen Melzer while trailing 5-7 1-2 because of a wrist problem.
Murray is looking to win the title on home soil while Federer and Nadal are battling it out for the right to finish the season as world number one.
The tournament is being held in London for the first time after moving from Shanghai and the winner will take home nearly £1m if they win all their matches.
The matches in London are all best of three tie-break sets with two players from each group going through to the semi-finals.
The final is scheduled for Sunday, 29 November.

 

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SAFIN LEAVES MEMORABLE MARK

Whether it be the cool precision of Roger Federer, the swashbuckling style of Rafael Nadal or the heart-on-sleeve approach favoured by Andy Murray, top-level tennis is not doing too badly for characters these days.

Where the crucial issue of personality is concerned, the top men have stood up to be counted after too many years where many sports fans might have struggled to name the bunch battling it out in the mighty Swiss one's shadow.

Throughout those dark days, however, there were always chinks of light, and most were provided by the ever-entertaining Marat Safin, who was making his farewell stop at the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris this week.

Just as Goran Ivanisevic's departure robbed the game of a true individual, so Safin's retirement will not only be mourned by young ladies but by all those who love their tennis players to be audaciously talented and ebullient in equal measure.

Throughout a career which took him to the world number one spot and two Grand Slam titles but never, like Ivanisevic before him, led him quite to the level he was capable of, Safin was a headline act.

There was the inspired, almost unbeatable Safin, evident at the 2000 US Open when he swatted Pete Sampras in straight sets to claim his first major title in a style which suggested there were many more to come.

And in the 2005 Australian Open when, injuries having hampered his early promise, he hit back, saving match points to beat Federer in the semi-final before overcoming home boy Lleyton Hewitt to belatedly win his second Slam.

There was the moody, surly, inconsistent Safin who often seemed to find the demons inside his head a more challenging opponent than whoever was facing him on the other side of the net.

After his early Wimbledon exit to compatriot Dmitry Tursunov in 2004, Safin shrugged: "I don't like to play on this surface. After a while, I get bored. I completely lost motivation, and I gave up.

"I give up on Wimbledon. It is definitely not the tournament for me. I hate this, I have to admit it. I don't think I will be coming back here again. I love tennis, but I just don't like grass."

And having said that, there was the Safin who slouched into Wimbledon in 2008 with his ranking plummeting and presumably little hope of reversing that trend, who sailed all the way through to the semi-finals.

There was the Safin who said, after a match in Canada in 2004 when he was asked about his inner demons, responded by going off at a lengthy tangent about hippos, zebras and monkeys.

The Safin who celebrated winning a nifty point in a French Open marathon against Felix Mantilla by dropping his shorts, and then railed 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."

One senses even the officials Safin always claimed to so despise will be a little sad to see the back of the big Russian. Certainly, he is the kind of character the modern sport can ill afford to do without.


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MOLIK SET FOR HOBART

Australia's Alicia Molik will return to the WTA Tour as a wild card at the Moorilla Hobart International in January, Tennis Australia announced.

The 28-year-old former world number eight retired from the sport in September 2008 because of nagging injury problems but reversed her decision a year later and has played in a number of ITF events.

Molik won the bronze medal at the Athens Olympics in 2004 and then reached the quarter-finals at the Australian Open in 2005 before an inner-ear condition forced her to take an extended break.

She returned in 2006 but struggled to climb back up the rankings and decided to call it a day after being dogged by leg and elbow problems.

Molik, who also won doubles titles at the Australian and French Opens, told www.tennis.com.au: "I think it's an incredible opportunity for me to be given another chance to go to Hobart and play again.

"That's where it all started for me back in 2003 when I won the title so it's just fantastic to be going back and I can't wait to be there.

"The last few months have been fantastic playing on the Pro Tour but I'm really looking forward to having another step up to an even more challenging level, that's where January will be very important for me... I hope to hit Hobart with a bang in the second week and set myself up for the Australian Open."



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MATCHES OF THE YEAR - WOMEN

The year-long debate about the 'real' number one on the WTA Tour proved a little tiresome but also helped highlighted lack of quality at the top of the women's game.

That's not to say that the tour did not throw up some fascinating stories in 2009, more that those tales did not involve the players supposedly leading the way.

The year began wih Jelena Dokic's re-emergence at the Australian Open where few could ever have predicted she would reach the quarter-finals.

But that she did, with Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena witnessing a night of high drama when she took on Alisa Kleybanova in the fourth round.

Dokic had already caused a stir at the tournament so not surprisingly there was not a seat in the house when she returned in a bid to claim a last-eight spot.

Creating an electric atmosphere, the home fans surely played their part in helping Dokic to her 7-5 5-7 8-6 victory, the former teenage prodigy having looked on the brink of retirement at one stage due to an ankle injury.

As well as the match itself, Dokic's tearful post-match interview will live long in the memory.

There was no doubting the terrific nature of the Dokic story which unfolded back in January, but when the US Open arrived it was certainly eclipsed - arguably twice.

Melanie Oudin's name became a household one across the United States with her heroics, with her best moment coming against Maria Sharapova.

She'd already beaten Elena Dementieva in the previous round - a better result on paper - but it was a strange day for the fourth seed who had looked in command early on.

If Dementieva had aided Oudin, there's no doubt Sharapova did the same two days later - but it created a match of great drama.

Few could believe some of the errors Sharapova produced - they included a whopping 21 double faults - but the New York fans didn't care.

Again an amazing atmosphere resulted, with Oudin digging deep to claim a remarkable 3-6 6-4 7-5 win. The former champion had been dispatched by a 17-year-old.

However, days later Oudin was out and largely forgotten - at least by the rest of the world.

That was due to the remarkable feats of comeback queen Kim Clijsters, who went on to become the champion at Flushing Meadows in what was just her third tournament since coming out of retirement.

The belief for her trophy triumph was really generated by her match with Venus Williams in the last 16.

It had the added element of being a real see-saw affair, as reflected by the 6-0 0-6 6-4 scoreline.

Two love sets often suggest a lack of quality, but that was not the case here.

Clijsters started like a train and with her awesome off-forehand firing to perfection, the first set saw her play her best tennis of the tournament.

Never one to go down without a fight, Venus stormed back in the second with some superb shots of her own and in the decider both players finally managed to hit the heights at the same time.

There was certainly tension in that final set but Clijsters showed that her mental game - often a failing in what she describes as her 'first career' - was also in fine working order.

Having edged a break ahead, she fended off everything Venus threw at her to claim a thrilling victory.

That was certainly a contender for our match of the year award, just like the French Open quarter-final between Serena Williams and Svetlana Kuznetsova.

The pair produced some cracking claycourt tennis before Kuznetsova edged home 7-5 in the third, having shown great mental resolve - she'd served for a straight-sets win and had also blown two match points when leading 5-4 in the decider.

Another match of note was the dramatic contest between Caroline Wozniacki and Vera Zvonareva at the season-ending Sony Ericsson Championships.

It had everything - a big lead blown, match points missed, injuries to both players.

Wozniacki seemed set to wrap things up in little more than an hour when she led 6-0 5-2 but match points were missed in that second set as Zvonareva hit back to level.

But still the weary Wozniacki, who had come into the tournament nursing a hamstring tweak, somehow got over the line, despite cramping badly and collapsing to the court in the final stages of her 6-0 6-7 (3/7) 6-4 victory.

It may have just been a group match, but you suspect the way she fought will do Wozniacki the world of good in the long run, not just in her own mind but those of the fans too.

The Wimbledon fourth-round clash between Dinara Safina and Amelie Mauresmo is also worth a mention.

It will be remembered in years to come as the first competitive match ever to be played under the new Centre Court roof but what the history books won't say is that it was a cracker with Mauresmo playing some fine grasscourt tennis in pushing the world number one all the way.

Not only Mauresmo's fans would have been glad to witness what may well turn out to be the former champion's last match on such a stage.

However, it is another Wimbledon match which claims our top award for 2009, namely the semi-final meeting between Serena Williams and Elena Dementieva.

The match of the year usually requires the combatants to be playing at the top of their game and that was certainly the case here.

Indeed many feel this is the best match Dementieva has ever played - yet Serena's will to win, and not inconsiderable talent, just about saw her through 6-7 (4/7) 7-5 8-6.

A set down, the American looked on the ropes in the latter stages of the second set but found a way to survive and notably broke her opponent with a challenge to Hawk-eye.

A final set the crowd so badly wanted was forthcoming but many feared Dementieva's chance was gone - the Russian's mental side had never been her strongest element and surely she'd fold now.

Far from it. Her superb groundstrokes continued to trouble Serena and she actually forged 3-1 ahead.

Williams retrieved the break but still found herself match point down soon after only to come up with a volley which brushed the net on its way over.

Dementieva could not believe it. Serena produced her trademark roar, her face contorted in delight.

Minutes later the longest semi-final in Wimbledon history - two hours and 49 minutes of pure gold - was over.

When she lifted the trophy two days later, Serena could look back and know no-one - not even her sister - had been able to push her to the extent Dementieva did.

It was some match.


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GORAN RELIVES HIS GREATEST MOMENT

Roger and Rafa's moonlit battle may have had the edge in quality. But for sheer sense-of-occasion sporting drama, there will never be another Wimbledon final quite like the Third Monday epic of 2001.

It was the year Goran Ivanisevic, tormented by countless near-misses and seemingly set on ending his career without that elusive All England Club crown, waded through the SW19 gates for one last wild-card shot.

Two weeks later, with the tournament having stretched into an extra day, allowing the Centre Court stands to be crammed with those who cared enough to have braved all-night queues, Ivanisevic eyeballed his destiny.

Across the net, in an extraordinary twist of fortune, stood arguably the global game's second most popular figure of the time, the engaging Australian Pat Rafter, also looking for his first Wimbledon crown.

After five sets of remarkable, up-and-down intensity, Ivanisevic finally had his chance. As only Goran could, he fluffed his first two match points with double faults. The third, Rafter saved with an inch-perfect lob.

When, take four, Ivanisevic flapped down an unreturnable serve, he slumped to the court in sheer jubilation. Small wonder that eight years on he still wakes up and has to pinch himself to make sure it wasn't all just a dream.

Ivanisevic will come face to face with Rafter again in London at the AEGON Masters, which begin on December 1 at the Royal Albert Hall. It will be their first capital meeting since the epic final.

Ivanisevic admits: "I still don't know how I won. I still don't know why I won. That day was so strange - Monday, 12 o'clock final.

"I was so happy that it was all going to be over and, after that last point, when I held the trophy, when I came back home, it was all like a dream.

"Even now, when I look back at the tape, I still think I am going to lose! But when I look back, it's the greatest sporting moment of my life."

The trials and tribulations of that encounter did not change the immense respect Ivanisevic and Rafter - always two of the most respected players on the circuit - continue to have for each other.

"Pat is a great guy, a good friend, and we had an unbelievable final on that Monday at Wimbledon," added Ivanisevic.

"I don't think anyone who likes tennis will ever forget that match. This is a new match but people are always going to remember that match."



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NADAL TO LEAD SPAIN'S CUP BID

Rafael Nadal has been named in Spain's squad for next month's Davis Cup final.

Nadal's selection marks his return to the team for the first time since the defending champions' first-round tie against Serbia in March.

Injuries saw him miss both the quarter- and semi-final wins but the world number two will be available for captain Albert Costa for the Barcelona showdown against the Czech Republic.

Nadal leads a Spanish side which also includes world number eight Fernando Verdasco, David Ferrer and Feliciano Lopez.

Nadal missed last season's final victory over Argentina - a tie in which Lopez and Verdasco both starred. Ferrer also played during the 3-1 win.

Meanwhile, the Czechs will be unchanged from their semi-final triumph over Croatia.

Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek are set to play singles, with Jan Hajek and doubles specialist Lukas Dlouhy providing other options.

The tie will take place on an indoor claycourt in the Palau Sant Jordi - venue for the gymnastics events at the 1992 Olympics - from December 4-6.




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SMITH: VICTORY WAS LIKE YESTERDAY

The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals will begin a new chapter on Sunday as the tournament enters its 40th year. Yet for the inaugural winner, Stan Smith, it seems like only yesterday that he was lifting the title.

Many of the great names of the men's game have had their hands on the season-ending trophy over the decades, but as the competition takes a new direction by making home at London's O2 Arena until at least 2012, Smith is among those eagerly anticipating the action.

The American won the tournament - then known as the Masters Grand Prix - back in 1970 to kick-start a glorious few years of grand slam and Davis Cup success.

As for the competition itself, its prestige continued to grow, and that legacy will continue this week as the world's top eight singles players and top eight doubles teams go head to head until November 29.

The first season-ending championships were played in Tokyo and followed a similar round-robin format to that which is still used. The only difference was that the top six players in the world were involved in one group, and all the players played against one another.

For Smith, his defining moment came in the fourth match-up, as he and Ken Rosewall went head to head for the chance to be crowned champion.

"There's three things that I remember most about that day (December 14)," Smith said. "One, it was my birthday and Jack Kramer came out and orchestrated 10,000 Japanese spectators to sing 'Happy Birthday' to me.

"The second thing was that on the morning of the match with Rosewall I got my final [army] draft notice through the post saying I had to report on December 16 in Los Angeles.

"And finally, it was a very tight match and at the end of it the court was coming up a bit. I think I was up 5-4 and serving for the match, but we had to stop as Rosewall wouldn't play until the court was repaired. After a 10 or 15-minute wait, I returned and had to try to serve it out, which thankfully I was able to do."

Clearly, times have changed, but reflecting on his historic win Smith credits that as the catalyst for the incredible success he enjoyed in subsequent years, which saw him win the US Open (1971) and Wimbledon (1972), as well as enjoying multiple successes in the Davis Cup with the USA.

"Winning the Masters was definitely a big turning point in my career," Smih, now 62, continued.

"It made me realise I could compete against the best players and winning in Tokyo made me feel as though I had a reasonable chance going into any of the grand slams after that. It also showed the best players in the world that I was going to be competitive from then on."

Smith's triumph sees him head a list of tennis greats, and he has subsequently been joined by the likes of Ilie Nastase, John McEnroe, Ivan Lendl, Bjorn Borg, Jimmy Connors, Boris Becker, Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras and Roger Federer, to name but a few.

Such a collection of stars is formidable and, unsurprisingly, Smith feels a certain amount of pride at being amongst that pantheon of greats.

"It was 40 years ago for me, but I know what the guys will feel like," he added. "I think it's a great event to have as the culmination to the year and I know the players really look forward to it. It has become a special event and the players see it as one of the top five tournaments on the circuit.

"Every match will be a great match and I'll be watching again this year. I can't wait."



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SODERLING REPLACES INJURED RODDICK

Swede Robin Soderling will make his debut at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London next week after Andy Roddick tonight withdrew through injury.

The Wimbledon runner-up had qualified for the prestigious season-ending tournament for the seventh consecutive year but injured his left knee in Shanghai last month and has not competed since.

Roddick said: "I am really disappointed to miss the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. 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."

Soderling was the first reserve for the eight-man event at the O2 Arena and will join Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Juan Martin del Potro, Nikolay Davydenko and Fernando Verdasco on the banks of the Thames.

Soderling hit the big time in spectacular fashion at the French Open this summer, when he became the first player to beat Nadal at Roland Garros before finally losing to Federer in the final.

The 25-year-old took the momentum from his surprise run, winning the Swedish Open on home soil in Bastad and then reaching the quarter-finals of the US Open before climbing into the world's top 10 for the first time last month.

The big-hitter will be the first Swede to play at the season finale since former Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson in 2002.

The draw for the two round-robin groups will be made on Wednesday morning, with France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga now first reserve.



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BELGIAN PAIR CONTEST BANS


Belgian duo Yanina Wickmayer and Xavier Malisse have appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against one-year bans for breaching anti-doping rules.

US Open semi-finalist Wickmayer received the suspension earlier this month from a Flemish anti-doping tribunal after failing three times to report her whereabouts for drug testing.

Malisse twice failed to report his whereabouts and also missed a test when he was unavailable for testing at an address he had provided.

A decision from CAS will be made within four months.



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MURRAY TO FACE FEDERER IN LONDON

Andy Murray will play Roger Federer in the group stages of the ATP World Tour Finals, which get under way in London on Sunday.

Murray, seeded four, was placed in the same group as the Wimbledon champion at Wednesday's draw ceremony at the London Eye.

Murray will also take on US Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro and Fernando Verdasco in Group A at the O2 Arena.

The group will therefore also feature a rematch of the US Open final between Del Potro and Federer, a four-time winner of the season-ending tournament. That is providing the Argentine is fit enough to play - he has been suffering with an abdominal strain.

"It's going to be great," said Murray, who helped conduct the draw a the famous landmark.

"Obviously I'm looking forward to it. It's a new tournament for London. To get a chance to play against Federer, maybe (Rafael) Nadal here, the crowd is going to be great with over 250,000 tickets sold so I'm really looking forward to it.

"It's a great group of players, probably the strongest we've had in quite a few years."

Murray holds a 6-3 win-loss record against Federer on the tour, a record which includes a thrilling win over the Swiss in the group stages of last year's tournament, then known as the Masters Cup. However, the Scot lost the pair's last meeting in Cincinnati in August.

Murray, who needs to finish in the top two in the group to qualify for the semi-finals, also holds a 4-1 record against Del Potro and a 7-1 head-to-head against Verdasco, although the Spaniard was the man responsible for his Australian Open exit back in January.

"Whoever you draw is going to be tough," said Murray, who reached the semi-finals when the event was held in Shanghai last year.

"Obviously I look forward to playing Roger. I've played Juan a few times on the tour recently and also had a close match recently with Verdasco indoors in Valencia. It's a tough group but if I play well I think I have a good chance of qualifying.

"At the end of your career you're remembered for grand slams, but to win something like this, you have to beat five of the best players in the world in consecutive matches if you want to lift the trophy, which is a very difficult thing to do.

"You might even have to beat a Federer or a Nadal twice, so it's a very tough thing to win."

Group B will be headed by second seed and Australian Open champion Nadal, a player who could yet deny Federer the year-end world number one ranking with a good display in London.

However, he will face a tough challenge from last year's winner Novak Djokovic, a player who beat him last week en route to the Paris Masters title.

Russia's Nikolay Davydenko and Swede Robin Soderling, a late replacement for the injured Andy Roddick, make up Group B.

The final will take place on Sunday November 29. A champion who wins all five matches will take home US$1.6million.




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MURRAY TO OPEN TOUR FINALS

Home star Andy Murray will open the ATP World Tour Finals on Sunday by taking on US Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro in the first match in London.

Murray and Del Potro will take to the court not before 1415 GMT on Sunday for the first singles match of the season-ending event.

Murray leads their head-to-head record 4-1, although they have yet to face each other on an indoor hardcourt.

World number one Roger Federer will tackle Fernando Verdasco in the second Group A match later in the day at the O2 Arena.

Organisers have also announced the order of play for Monday's action, which will see the players in Group B enter the fray.

Rafael Nadal will take on Robin Soderling in the afternoon before title favourite Novak Djokovic faces Nikolay Davydenko.

Nadal will be seeking his 400th career win on the ATP Tour against a player who stunned the tennis world by beating him in the last 16 of this year's French Open.

Djokovic is much fancied for the title having won back-to-back tournaments this month in Basle and Paris, beating both Federer and Nadal in the process.

Group A will continue on Tuesday and Thursday, with Group B matches on Wednesday and Friday.

The top two in each group qualify for Saturday's semi-finals with the final on Sunday, November 29.





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KUZNETSOVA WILL PLAY IN SYDNEY Australian Open 2010 Women's Outright


French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova has become the fifth player currently in the world's top 10 to confirm she will play at the Sydney International.

The event, which takes place from January 10-16, is the ideal warm-up for the Australian Open, which gets under way in Melbourne the following week.

"I have had some really great results there in the past and I am looking forward to having a great tournament in Sydney before the Australian Open," said the Russian.

The 24-year-old joins Serena Williams, Elena Dementieva, Caroline Wozniacki and Victoria Azarenka in the main draw for the event.




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DEL POTRO HOPES TO REIGN AT QUEEN'S Murray, A 4/9 Del Potro, JM 7/4


Juan Martin Del Potro has committed to play at the AEGON Championships at Queen's Club for the next three years

The US Open champion, who is currently preparing for his opening match against Andy Murray at the ATP World Tour Finals in London, has a modest record on grass having been knocked out of Wimbledon in the second round for the past three years.

Del Potro, however, insists he hopes to improve his game on all surfaces as he bids to add to his maiden Grand Slam title at Flushing Meadows.

"I am determined to do well on grass in my career and this is the perfect opportunity for me to improve my game on the surface,'' the Argentinian said.




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AGASSI CASE IS CLOSED - ATP

ATP chairman Adam Helfant has confirmed the governing body will not be reinvestigating Andre Agassi's positive drugs test in 1997 and cannot impose retrospective sanctions.

The American stunned the tennis world with the revelation in his recent autobiography he failed a test for crystal meth and then lied about how it came to be in his body to avoid a ban.

The reaction from within the game has been mixed, with Andy Murray and Andy Roddick supporting their boyhood idol but Marat Safin calling for Agassi to give back his titles and prize money.

The ATP have also come in for criticism, including from the World Anti-Doping Agency, and Helfant, who revealed he had had a "very frank conversation" with the former world number one, admitted the episode has been "regrettable".

Speaking ahead of the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, which begin at the O2 in London on Sunday, he said: "The ATP's policy is we don't comment on doping matters unless a doping violation is found and that will continue to be our policy but I thought some perspective was in order.

"I asked an outside law firm to go through the records from 1997 so I had all the facts. Andre Agassi has admitted he failed a drugs test in 1997 and regrettably he then lied about it. Even more regrettably he got away with it.

"In compliance with the ATP's anti-doping policy, no disclosure was made. If we had revealed that test it would have been in contravention of the rules at the time.

"There has been a lot of speculation about whether the ATP would reopen the case but we cannot do that because he's no longer playing on the tour. We have responded to WADA but what was said will remain between us and will not be made public."

The ATP's current drugs policy has come under fire from the top players, notably Murray and Rafael Nadal, who feel WADA's 'whereabouts' rule - where athletes must make themselves available for testing every day throughout the year - is unfair.

The issue has hit the headlines again in the last week, with Belgian pair Xavier Malisse and Yanina Wickmayer being handed one-year bans after failing foul of the rule.

Helfant acknowledged there are issues and revealed the ATP are in discussions with WADA.

He said: "The whereabouts programme was originally meant for out-of-competition testing and it's a programme that's one size fits all.

"So the question is how should it be applied to a sport that's in competition nearly all the year? We are in conversation with WADA about the technical issues."

The length of the season also continues to be a major issue and the even later staging of this year's Tour Finals - being held in London for the first time - means the top players will have almost no time off before they begin training for the start of the new season in January.

British number one Murray will head out to his winter training base in Miami on December 6 while Nadal - the most outspoken critic of the tight schedule - is representing Spain in the Davis Cup final in two weeks' time.

"Everybody thinks the same," said the world number two. "We finish the year December 6 and then start the next season on January 1. That's the calendar and right now we are suffering.

"The ATP and the players are talking and we have got to work hard. Maybe not for us but for the next generations we can change things."

Helfant admitted there is no likelihood of the calendar changing radically in the near future.

"It's a nice problem to have but I'm definitely sympathetic to the view that our season is too long," he said. "We'll continue to talk to the players and see what we can do but I don't promise that there's an easy solution."




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MURRAY SET FOR LONDON SHOWCASE

Andy Murray heads into the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals insisting 2009 has been the best year of his career - but admitting the pressure is growing to break his grand slam duck.

The British number one has won six tournaments this year - more than anyone else on the ATP Tour - but his failure to triumph at one of the four majors continues to hang over him.

Expectations were sky high after his US Open final appearance last year but a semi-final defeat by Andy Roddick at Wimbledon was the best he could manage this season.

And Murray, who will take on Juan Martin del Potro in Sunday's opener at the O2 Arena in London, knows victory in the prestigious season-ending tournament would be a big step towards winning on the biggest stage of all.

The 22-year-old said: "This tournament is just behind the grand slams, because you have to win five matches or four matches against the top players in the world.

"You might even have to beat the number one or number two in the world twice to win the event so it's not quite the same as a grand slam but it's a huge, huge tournament.

"Everyone views it a little bit differently but I still believe that I have a few chances, maybe one or two more chances, to win a grand slam.

"For me, the year's been a successful one. For some people grand slams are the be-all and end-all. I want to win one, I'm trying my best to win one and I'll work as hard as I can.

"I feel like I'm getting closer than I was a couple of years ago. I feel I'm a better player than last year. I had a few problems at the grand slams this year. The ones I didn't do so well in, hopefully next year I'll feel great going into all of them.

"My consistency this year has been superb. Physically I've felt like I've been a lot better this year.

"I've not had any real let-downs in any tournaments except in Rome - I've lost one first round the whole year, which is better than previous years.

"I've got a better record against all the top players this year so it's been my best year on tour without question and hopefully next year will be better."

Murray has been drawn in the same group as US Open champion Del Potro, world number one Roger Federer and Fernando Verdasco for the round-robin event, with Rafael Nadal, defending champion Novak Djokovic, Nikolay Davydenko and Robin Soderling in Group B.

The Scot only returned to action this month after six weeks out with a wrist injury and, although the joint is no longer giving him problems, he admits he goes into the event unsure of his chances.

"I'm not putting too much pressure on myself this week," he continued.

"I'm not expecting to go out there and play great. I might go out and do well because of that.

"Obviously I haven't played too much in the last two or three months so I don't know exactly what to expect. Mentally I feel fresh and that's going to be important."

Nadal's season was interrupted by a two-month break with knee problems, which prevented him defending his Wimbledon title.

Question marks remain over his fitness and he goes into the end-of-season tournament looking for his first title since the spring.

The Spaniard, though, is buoyant about his form, saying: "I've had the best end of season in my career, it's been almost perfect.

"I'm very close to my best and it's been a lot better than I expected when I (returned to the Tour) in Montreal."

A jackpot of more than US dollars 1.6million is available to an unbeaten champion but, with Federer and Murray having had time away from the Tour recently, Nadal not at his strongest on indoor courts and Djokovic having played almost 100 matches this season, picking a winner looks a difficult task.

And Federer, for one, is expecting a close tournament.

"I think the groups are even," he said. "The top eight guys have been very consistent and this year it's a bit more open than in the past."



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FED DISMISSES TALK OF RAFA DEMISE

Roger Federer insists reports of Rafael Nadal's demise are premature - but has warned the Spaniard he will not give up his number one ranking again without a fight as the pair prepare to do battle at the Barclays ATP Tour World Finals.

In a complete reversal of fortune from last season, when Nadal took over as the best player in the world and all the talk was of Federer's decline, the Swiss has enjoyed one of the best campaigns of his career while his rival has been dogged by injuries.

As Federer was completing his set of grand slam titles at the French Open and then winning a world record 15th major crown at Wimbledon, Nadal was battling ongoing knee problems.

Doubts have often been expressed about the 23-year-old's longevity, given his history of tendinitis and his physical style of play, and he has not won a title since returning to the Tour in August.

Nadal has consistently reached at least the last four of tournaments, though, at a stage of the season when he does not traditionally do well, and can pip Federer to top spot in London at this week's prestigious end-of-season event.

The world number one said of his great rival: "I don't think we should exaggerate. The guy has had the most incredible first five months of the year.

"Okay he missed Wimbledon and couldn't defend (his title) but other than that he's seemed okay. He won the Australian Open, he played some incredible matches and he's still got a chance to finish number one in the world. To me that doesn't seem like a horrible scenario to have."

Realistically, Nadal needs to win the title to usurp Federer, and their respective records make that outcome unlikely, with the Spaniard never having reached the final before while Federer won four titles from five successive finals between 2003 and 2007.

In addition, the 28-year-old can become only the second man since Ivan Lendl 20 years ago to regain the year-end number one ranking, and he said: "I'm aware of it. I'd be lying if I said I'm just here to play well.

"I'm here to win the tournament and try to stay number one in the world. Competition's really stiff so it's not going to be an easy task for me or Rafa if he wants to get it but it's fun that it's on the line for the last tournament of the season."

Nadal, though, insists returning to the top of the pile is not his main priority.

"If I win the tournament it doesn't matter if I'm number 10," he said. "The ranking is important, yes, but not the most important thing."

Federer faces Fernando Verdasco in Group A on Sunday evening after home favourite Andy Murray has taken on US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro, while Nadal meets Robin Soderling on Monday and Nikolay Davydenko faces defending champion Novak Djokovic in Group B.

The tournament has come to London's O2 Arena after four years in Shanghai, with 250,000 spectators set to make it the biggest indoor event in history.

Federer added: "Coming here and seeing how much excitement there is around this event and knowing how crazy this part of the world is for tennis, we're very excited. And having a huge stadium, I'm sure it's going to be a great end to the season."



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CHAMP DJOKOVIC READY FOR PRESSURE

Novak Djokovic is hoping he will deal better with the pressure of defending a big title than he did the first time around when he takes to the court at London's O2 Arena in the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals this week.

The Serbian had the tennis world at his feet when he won the Australian Open last January at the age of 20 but, instead of lifting a weight off his shoulders, Djokovic spent 18 months struggling to live up to his own and others' expectations.

Indeed, his victory at last year's end-of-season showpiece came as something of a surprise and it is only in the last couple of months Djokovic has rediscovered the form that made him the Tour's most exciting young player.

The defence of his title in Melbourne ended in retirement against a rejuvenated Andy Roddick in the quarter-finals but he feels he is now better placed to deal with the situation.

The 22-year-old said: "This year I have tasted, in Australia, for the first time the role of defending a major title and it wasn't really a fun time. I was mentally very frustrated at times and unfortunately I finished in the quarter-finals the way I finished.

"But, on the bright side, I've learned a lot of things and I've tried to take the best out of it. I rate the World Tour Finals alongside grand slams as the biggest event in our sport so being a title defender is obviously a big responsibility.

"At the start of the year, even though I had the best clay-court season in my whole career up to Roland Garros, I was going through tough times because I made some major changes with my racquet.

"It's a big change to make and I took the responsibility. It kind of affected me on the court and I was maybe paying too much attention to some things off the court, I maybe kept my focus out of tennis too much.

"But I stabilised the last two months and matured more, and I know what I want to do on the court. I'm happy."

By beating Roger Federer in the final of the world number one's hometown tournament in Basle then lifting the trophy at the Paris Masters, Djokovic has established himself as arguably the man to beat in London this week.

The Serb opens his campaign in the round-robin event against Nikolay Davydenko on Monday, while Rafael Nadal faces Robin Soderling in the other Group B match.

The draw means Djokovic will renew his rivalry with world number two Nadal, who he demolished in the semi-finals in Paris.

And the Spaniard does not hold out much hope of reversing the result, saying: "He played very well. If I played my best tennis and he played like he did, it's going to be almost impossible to beat him. He's definitely the player who arrives playing best."

Djokovic's run of success means he also arrives in London as the player who has spent the most time on court recently and, at the end of a long season in which he has played almost 100 matches, that may yet take its toll.

The world number three, though, is optimistic he can hold it together for one more week.

"I think it's a very mental game and generally a lot of things come from your head and, even though you're running out of physical energy, you can still motivate your body to do well on the court," he added.


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ANDY MURRAY REFUSES TO CHANGE TACK

Andy Murray insists he will not change his approach at this week's Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London even if it jeopardises his chances of winning the prestigious title on home soil.

The British number one qualified for the eight-man end-of-season tournament for the first time last season and won all his three round-robin matches.

However, he had already qualified for the semi-finals before he faced Roger Federer and he admitted the effort he put in to beat the 15-time grand slam champion meant he was not at his best in his last-four defeat by Nikolay Davydenko.

Murray left little doubt about his intentions, though, when he declared: "I'd do the same thing again."

The Scot added: "I thought it was a good decision. A lot of people say, 'you focus too much on results and winning all the time', but obviously winning against Federer is one of the best wins of the year for me and one of the biggest competitions.

"Unfortunately it didn't go well for me the next day but winning against Federer six times and losing three times, I can keep that with me for my career.

"It's not always just about winning tournaments all the time, sometimes it's nice to beat the big players in epic matches and unfortunately sometimes that takes it out of you a little bit."

The scenario could repeat itself this year, with Murray set to play Federer on Tuesday or Thursday, but first up for the 22-year-old is Juan Martin del Potro in the opening singles match in Group A at the O2 Arena on Sunday afternoon, with Federer facing Fernando Verdasco in the late match.

The big-hitting Argentinian produced one of the biggest stories of the year when he twice came from a set down to defeat Federer in the final of the US Open.

Murray, though, was not surprised to see the 21-year-old break his grand slam duck.

"He's been in the top five in the world for about a year and a half now so it's not like he came out of nowhere," said the world number four.

"He'd been having a very good year; he very nearly beat Federer in the semis at the French Open, made the quarters at the Australian and he's won quite a few tournaments."

Del Potro's record since that spectacular New York triumph has been distinctly underwhelming, though, with only two victories to his name, and he admits he has struggled with his new-found fame.

The world number five said: "It was very difficult because I had a lot going on but that's going to happen when you win a big tournament like the US Open. Now everything is normal again and I'm happy to be quiet.

"I feel the pressure. When I play, everyone in Argentina is watching my matches but it's beautiful, it's part of the game. All of us are superstars in our countries and I'll have to learn this situation."

Murray has won four of their five previous meetings and Del Potro knows he must find his best form quickly if he is to beat his rival on his home patch.

"We have played many, many tournaments right from juniors; I know his game, he knows my game so it will be very tough," said the Argentinian. "I know I have to play my best to beat him. If I play 80%, I will lose.

"Maybe 200 people are cheering for me, I don't know, but it's lovely to be here at the Masters with this crowd."

Tennis in Britain is invariably associated with Wimbledon in the summer but, with more than 250,000 tickets sold, this week's tournament will be the biggest indoor event in history.

Murray is confident it will be a big success and is looking forward to the setting, which promises to be somewhat different to the All England Club.

"Indoors you always get the best atmosphere," he said. "It feels different and at the O2 they're used to putting on concerts so you get music into it and you've got the big screens. I think it does make a difference so I'm hoping it's going to be a great atmosphere."

As well as ranking points and prestige at stake, there is the cool matter of more than $1.6million for an undefeated champion - the biggest pay day in tennis.

Murray, though, insists that is not a major motivation, saying: "When you're playing the matches that doesn't cross your mind at all. That's not what gets the nerves going, I guess it's just something that comes with winning and you've got to take care of that part first."



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FED DISMISSES TALK OF RAFA DEMISE

Roger Federer insists reports of Rafael Nadal's demise are premature - but has warned the Spaniard he will not give up his number one ranking again without a fight as the pair prepare to do battle at the Barclays ATP Tour World Finals.

In a complete reversal of fortune from last season, when Nadal took over as the best player in the world and all the talk was of Federer's decline, the Swiss has enjoyed one of the best campaigns of his career while his rival has been dogged by injuries.

As Federer was completing his set of grand slam titles at the French Open and then winning a world record 15th major crown at Wimbledon, Nadal was battling ongoing knee problems.

Doubts have often been expressed about the 23-year-old's longevity, given his history of tendinitis and his physical style of play, and he has not won a title since returning to the Tour in August.

Nadal has consistently reached at least the last four of tournaments, though, at a stage of the season when he does not traditionally do well, and can pip Federer to top spot in London at this week's prestigious end-of-season event.

The world number one said of his great rival: "I don't think we should exaggerate. The guy has had the most incredible first five months of the year.

"Okay he missed Wimbledon and couldn't defend (his title) but other than that he's seemed okay. He won the Australian Open, he played some incredible matches and he's still got a chance to finish number one in the world. To me that doesn't seem like a horrible scenario to have."

Realistically, Nadal needs to win the title to usurp Federer, and their respective records make that outcome unlikely, with the Spaniard never having reached the final before while Federer won four titles from five successive finals between 2003 and 2007.

In addition, the 28-year-old can become only the second man since Ivan Lendl 20 years ago to regain the year-end number one ranking, and he said: "I'm aware of it. I'd be lying if I said I'm just here to play well.

"I'm here to win the tournament and try to stay number one in the world. Competition's really stiff so it's not going to be an easy task for me or Rafa if he wants to get it but it's fun that it's on the line for the last tournament of the season."

Nadal, though, insists returning to the top of the pile is not his main priority.

"If I win the tournament it doesn't matter if I'm number 10," he said. "The ranking is important, yes, but not the most important thing."

Federer faces Fernando Verdasco in Group A on Sunday evening after home favourite Andy Murray has taken on US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro, while Nadal meets Robin Soderling on Monday and Nikolay Davydenko faces defending champion Novak Djokovic in Group B.

The tournament has come to London's O2 Arena after four years in Shanghai, with 250,000 spectators set to make it the biggest indoor event in history.

Federer added: "Coming here and seeing how much excitement there is around this event and knowing how crazy this part of the world is for tennis, we're very excited. And having a huge stadium, I'm sure it's going to be a great end to the season."



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The second Group A clash of the day featured world number one Federer and

dangerous Spaniard Fernando Verdasco, and it was the top seed who came through - but only after a big scare.

Verdasco had not so much as taken a set off Federer in three previous meetings but four points into the match he was a break up.

That proved enough for the world number eight to take the first set as the top seed struggled to find his rhythm and range, and the match was effectively decided in a high-quality second set.

Verdasco finally came unstuck in the 12th game, Federer levelling the match on his first break point. And the decider was one-way traffic as a by-now supremely confident Swiss served out a 4-6 7-5 6-1 victory.

After his terrible start, Federer admitted it was key to the outcome that he took his chance when it came in the second set.

He said: "The whole first set I was struggling to really put normal returns into play. And that can happen at times. I thought he did a good job of mixing it up and playing aggressive at times.

"My first break points came for set points and it was a crucial moment for me because I knew the longer the match went, the more my belief was going up and his was going down. Then in the third, I was able to play more freely."

Verdasco highlighted the 11th game of the second set, when the Spaniard had Federer at 0-30 but an attempted winner missed by inches, as the moment when the match slipped from his grasp.

"This passing shot going out for nothing, tennis is like that," said the world number eight. "After that, my fitness, it started going down. He also got confidence and the match changed."

The second Group A clash of the day featured world number one Federer and dangerous Spaniard Fernando Verdasco, and it was the top seed who came through - but only after a big scare.

Verdasco had not so much as taken a set off Federer in three previous meetings but four points into the match he was a break up.

That proved enough for the world number eight to take the first set as the top seed struggled to find his rhythm and range, and the match was effectively decided in a high-quality second set.

Verdasco finally came unstuck in the 12th game, Federer levelling the match on his first break point. And the decider was one-way traffic as a by-now supremely confident Swiss served out a 4-6 7-5 6-1 victory.

After his terrible start, Federer admitted it was key to the outcome that he took his chance when it came in the second set.

He said: "The whole first set I was struggling to really put normal returns into play. And that can happen at times. I thought he did a good job of mixing it up and playing aggressive at times.

"My first break points came for set points and it was a crucial moment for me because I knew the longer the match went, the more my belief was going up and his was going down. Then in the third, I was able to play more freely."

Verdasco highlighted the 11th game of the second set, when the Spaniard had Federer at 0-30 but an attempted winner missed by inches, as the moment when the match slipped from his grasp.

"This passing shot going out for nothing, tennis is like that," said the world number eight. "After that, my fitness, it started going down. He also got confidence and the match changed."


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