Tennis News

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FEDERER STILL THE TOP DOG

From Nadal's knees to Safin's swansong, the 2009 ATP season was packed full of drama and talking points.

While Roger Federer continued to smash records throughout the season, there were also plenty of new faces who announced themselves as major contenders for years to come.

The Swiss rolled past Pete Sampras' record 14 Grand Slam title haul, while Andy Murray's wait for a major title continues into 2010.

Two big names also bowed out of the professional tennis arena - Marat Safin and Fabrice Santoro both making emotional exits from the sport.

2009 started as 2008 ended, world number one Rafael Nadal maintaining his fine record against Federer, but this time on the hardcourts in Melbourne.

In what was a contender for match of the year, the Spaniard edged a marathon five-set Australian Open final to win his sixth Grand Slam and first on the surface.

British number one Murray started the year promisingly with a fourth-round run Down Under, the Scot falling to another major player during the 2009 season - Fernando Verdasco.

Nadal continued his blistering start to the campaign in Indian Wells with a comprehensive victory over Murray in the final. The victory for the Mallorcan was sweet revenge after the Scot had prevailed in their last meeting in the final of the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam.

Fellow top-10 players Andy Roddick (Memphis), Novak Djokovic (Dubai) and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (Marseille) also tasted silverware in the early stages of what was shaping up to be another hugely-competitive season.

Murray bounced back from his Indian Wells disappointment in some style to clinch his 11th ATP Tour title in Miami. The Scot flew in to Florida and saw off Verdasco, Juan Martin Del Potro and Djokovic en route to glory.

The claycourt season got into full swing in Monte Carlo and unsurprisingly a certain Spaniard found this period especially fruitful. Nadal claimed consecutive titles in Monte Carlo - his fifth on the spin - Barcelona and Rome.

After fighting off a niggling back injury, Federer ended Nadal's dominance in Madrid to claim his first title of 2009. This victory sparked a run of 21 consecutive wins for the Swiss.

The 2009 French Open got under way at Roland Garros on May 24 - Nadal heavy favourite to reign for a fifth successive year. However, a mixture of Robin Soderling and severe knee tendinitis was to prove his undoing in round four.

The Spaniard's loss was Federer's gain as he made history with victory over Soderling as he became just the sixth man in history to complete a career Grand Slam. The title was also a record-equalling 14th Grand Slam, putting him level with American legend Sampras.

Soderling's run was to mark a breakthrough season for the Swede, who went on to qualify for the ATP World Tour Finals. Murray also caught the eye in Paris, progressing to the quarter-finals at Roland Garros for the first time.

And the Scot maintained his impressive form as the players made the switch to grass ahead of Wimbledon. Murray became the first British winner at Queen's since 1938 when he defeated James Blake in the final.

Naturally that saw 'Murray Mania' reach fever pitch ahead of Wimbledon, however there was one notable absentee from the famous event. Champion Nadal was unable to defend the title he won so spectacularly in 2008 due to his knee problems.

With all eyes on Federer as he attempted to become the most successful player in tennis history, local hope Murray also carried the expectations of the nation on his shoulders as he progressed to the semi-finals.

But grasscourt supremo Roddick proved too strong for the Scot - A-Rod edging a tight four-set battle to set up a final with Federer. And, in a final that matched the drama of the previous year, Federer made history with an epic 5-7 7-6 (8/6) 7-6 (7/5) 3-6 16-14 victory in 256 memorable minutes.

Federer's winning run came to an end in Montreal, Murray warming up for his favoured US Open in style with Rogers Cup glory. But it was a victory the week before for powerful Argentine Del Potro in Washington that was a sign of things to come in New York.

Talking of signs, Russia's Nikolay Davydenko, who had missed the opening four months of the season with a heel injury, was making up for lost time with a storming back end to the season. The diminutive right-hander claimed two titles in July, in Hamburg and Umag respectively, as he set off on a blistering charge towards the end-of-season showpiece in London.

The 2009 US Open will be forever remembered as the Grand Slam the 'Tandil Tower' Del Potro announced himself as a major force on the ATP Tour. He had shown flashes of his potential throughout the season but what unfolded in New York was quite sensational.

After powering his way through the first week, the 21-year-old dismantled the returning Nadal in the semi-finals with a brutal array of groundstrokes. His victory set up a final with Federer, and, despite falling two-sets-to-one down, Del Potro rallied to claim his first ever Grand Slam title.

Attention then switched to the Far East as players battled it out for much-needed ranking points. There was no stopping Davydenko at this point, the Russian prevailing at the Malaysia Open and Shanghai Masters.

Federer, Nadal, Murray, Djokovic, Del Potro and Roddick already had their places at the O2 Arena assured, but a host of players travelled to the Paris Masters for the final qualifying event searching for points.

Davydenko, Verdasco and Soderling finished as the next highest ranked players, and all three lined up in London after a knee injury accounted for Roddick.

The Paris Masters also saw tour veterans Safin and Santoro bow out in emotional style.

The revamped O2 Arena played host to the ATP World Tour finals for the first of five scheduled years. Serbia's Djokovic came into the event as favourite having leapfrogged Murray as the world number three with storming victories in Beijing, Basel and Paris.

Murray was once again the star attraction in front of his home fans, however he failed to progress past the group stages in what was very much a tournament of shocks. 10/1 pre event outsider Davydenko capped a fine year with victory, seeing off Del Potro 6-3 6-4 in the final.

American doubles stars Bob and Mike Bryan were crowned doubles champions for a fifth time with victory over Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic.

Player of the Year

Who else could it be but Roger Federer? Grand Slam glory at Roland Garros and then Wimbledon saw the Swiss superstar overtake Pete Sampras with 15 major titles. His victory in Paris also saw him become only the sixth player to win all four Grand Slams. Oh, and he even squeezed in the time to become a father halfway through.

Most Improved Player

Robin Soderling, far from a household name at the start of the season, reached a career-high ranking of ninth in the world in 2009, a year which ultimately resulted in his debut appearance at the ATP World Tour Finals.Comeback of the Year

A heel injury ruled Nikolay Davydenko out of the first four months of the 2009, however his comeback from injury was nothing short of sensational.

Davydenko stormed back on court to land five Tour titles, the last of which coming at the ATP Tour World Finals in London.

Performance of the Year

Andy Roddick's battling display at Wimbledon is certainly worth a mention, however Juan Martin Del Potro scoops this award for going one better and topping Federer in the final at Flushing Meadows. After a brutal demolition of Rafael Nadal in the semi-final, the Argentine silenced those who doubted his mental strength by fighting back from one set down to defeat the world number one in New York. Simply superb.

Lowlight of the Year

Another one of sport's great characters left the tennis arena in November when Marat Safin bowed out at the Paris Masters. The fiery Russian has provided us with some golden moments during his 12-year career - not least his extraordinary dismantling of Pete Sampras in the 2000 US Open final. He will be missed.


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SERENA REIGNS BUT WOZ THE STORY

2009 was another highly-competitive year on the WTA Tour, the battle for the number one ranking between Serena Williams and Dinara Safina keeping tennis fans on their toes for the entire season.

The returning Kim Clijsters threatened to steal Serena's thunder with a sensational comeback win in New York and the season of 2010 promises to be something special after another former number one Justine Henin announced her return to the tour.

The four Grand Slams of the season were shared between three players, Serena reigning in Melbourne and London, Svetlana Kuznetsova prevailing in Paris and Clijsters achieving the unthinkable in New York.

Emerging talents Victoria Azarenka and Caroline Wozniacki also announced themselves as contenders for major honours with three titles in 09, the latter reaching her first Grand Slam final at Flushing Meadows.

One player who will not be returning to the WTA Tour next season is Amelie Mauresmo, the former Australian Open and Wimbledon winner calling time on her career in December this year.

Russian Elena Dementieva made a blistering start to the 2009 campaign by clinching her 12th and 13th Tour titles in the Australian Open warm-up events at Auckland and Sydney.

Her title victory in Sydney was even more impressive as she overcame both Serena (semi-final) and then Safina in the final to scoop the title. Serena got her revenge at the Australian Open, defeating the Russian to set-up a final date with Safina, which she won emphatically 6-0 6-3.

Venus Williams claimed only two singles titles in 2009 - both of which came in February - in Dubai and Acapulco respectively.

Vera Zvonareva saw off a strong field, which included the returning Maria Sharapova, at Indian Wells, doubles partner Azarenka an equally impressive winner in Miami one week later.

The claycourt season began in April as Jelena Jankovic scooped her 10th Tour title in Marbella. Promising Dane Wozniacki also revelled on the red stuff with a fourth career title at Ponte Vedra Beach and final appearance in Charleston.

World number one Safina lost her third final in Stuttgart to in-form Kuznetsova, however the feisty Russian gained revenge on her compatriot in Rome and warmed up for the French Open with further success in Madrid.

Those back-to-back victories saw Safina head to Roland Garros seemingly destined to end her wait for Grand Slam glory, and she had little trouble progressing to the final.

However, as has been the story of her career to date, Safina failed to get over the finishing line, Kuznetsova dashing her dreams to claim her maiden French Open title with a 6-4 6-2 success.

Attention then turned to the grasscourts as the players departed to England and Holland for their respective warm-up events ahead of Wimbledon. Wozniacki stepped up to land her second title of the year at Eastbourne - a victory which saw her seeded ninth for Wimbledon.

All eyes were once again on the Williams sisters at the All England Club - Serena vying for title number three and Venus searching for a remarkable sixth. And, perhaps predictably, the pair clashed in the 123rd Wimbledon final.

Venus had produced the more destructive tennis en route to the final, however her younger sister proved too strong on the day - prevailing 7-6 6-2 in the final. The pair combined later the same day to win the doubles title for a fourth year.

Play then returned to the clay in July - Flavia Pennetta (Palermo), Sybille Bammer (Prague) and Safina (Slovenia) all prevailing on the red stuff.

Across the pond in America, competition was as fierce as ever as the women searched for form ahead of the final Grand Slam of the year at Flushing Meadows. Jankovic (Cincinnati), Dementieva (Toronto) and Wozniacki (New Haven) shared the warm-up events ahead of the New York showpiece.

There was also a familiar name on show in Cincinnati, Clijsters returning to the court and marking it with an impressive run to the quarter-finals.

That was a sign of things to come for the Belgian who stormed to glory with a scintillating run at Flushing Meadows. The 20/1 outsider returned to somewhere near her best to claim her second US Open title and in the process became the first mother to win a Grand Slam for 29 years.

A rather quiet September finished with Sharapova winning her first Tour title for over a year in Tokyo. After storming her way to the final, the Russian was handed victory when opponent Jankovic was forced to retire in the first set with an arm injury.

Despite winning two Grand Slams to Safina's none over the course of the season, Serena had to wait until October to claim the number one ranking.

She questioned the rankings system as Safina found herself on top of the pile for the majority of the campaign despite failing to win a single Grand Slam.

However, Serena settled the argument in November with victory at the season-ending WTA Sony Ericsson Championships in Doha.

Player of the year

I can see the Serena Williams fans spluttering their coffee all over the computer as they read this, but Caroline Wozniacki gets my vote. The 19-year-old from Denmark reached eight finals in 2009 - more than any other player - winning three and losing five. Her three titles came on three different surfaces (at Ponte Vedra Beach, Eastbourne and New Haven), and a breakthrough season was capped off with a maiden Grand Slam final appearance in New York.

Rising Star

Guernsey-born teenager Heather Watson became the first British winner of the US Open girls' event in September, and the promising right-hander looks destined for success at the highest level. With Laura Robson also making significant strides, the future looks bright for British tennis.

Most Improved Player

Born and bred in Belgium, seemingly a hotbed of talent for female tennis players, Yanina Wickmayer has leapt from a 221 to 16 on the world rankings in the last two years. She capped a consistent 2009 campaign with title joy at Estoril and Linz and a semi-final appearance at Flushing Meadows.

Comeback of the Year

A nasty shoulder injury virtually ruled Maria Sharapova out of action until the French Open in May. As a result of her inactivity, Sharapova slipped out of the top 100 for the first time in six years. Eager to return to winning ways, the 22-year-old responded with title joy in Tokyo before finishing the year ranked 14th.

Performance of the Year

After two years in the wilderness, Kim Clijsters spectacularly re-announced herself on the WTA Tour with a breathtaking run at Flushing Meadows. Victories over Venus and then Serena Williams saw the wildcard power into the final, which she won in style with a straight-sets demolition of Wozniacki.

Lowlight of the Year

The only blemish in another year to remember for Serena Williams was her raging outburst at a line judge during her US Open semi-final defeat to Clijsters. Trailing 5-6, 15-30 in the final set, a line judge called a foot fault on Serena, who lost her temper in quite some fashion. Her intimidating verbal assault on the line judge resulted in a penalty point, and gifted the Belgium the match. Serena was later handed a record fine for her rant.



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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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FEDERER, SERENA ON TOP OF THE WORLD

Roger Federer and Serena Williams have been named as the 2009 world champions by the International Tennis Federation.

Federer claims the honour for the fifth time, while Williams wins it for the second.

The award caps a memorable year for Federer, who during it won the French Open and Wimbledon titles - completing a career Grand Slam and surpassing Pete Sampras' record of Grand Slam singles titles in the process.

The Swiss, who was also runner-up at the Australian and US Opens, said: "It is an honour for me to be named ITF world champion for a fifth time.

"It was an incredible year for me both on and off the court. To win my first Roland Garros title, break the all-time Grand Slam record and regain the number one ranking is amazing. It means a lot to me to finish the year again at the top."

Meanwhile, women's world number one Williams adds the title to the one she claimed in 2002.

She won the Australian Open and Wimbledon crowns during the year, as well capturing the season-ending Sony Ericsson Championships in Qatar.

In fact there was double delight for Williams who was also named as world doubles champion, alongside her sister, Venus.

The siblings won three of the four Grand Slam titles in 2009, missing out only at the French Open, taking their career total to 10 Grand Slam doubles triumphs

Serena becomes the first player since Martina Hingis in 1999 to win both the singles and doubles world champion awards.

American twins Bob and Mike Bryan were named men's doubles world champions for a record sixth time, while Swede Daniel Berta and France's Kristina Mladenovic claimed the junior awards.

ITF president Francesco Ricci Bitti said: "This has been another memorable year for tennis, with some outstanding performances by our world champions. Roger Federer has truly earned his place in the history books, while the Williams sisters remain the strongest competitors on the women's tour."

The awards will be handed out at the ITF World Champions Dinner, which takes place in Paris on June 1 during the French Open.



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HENIN TO PLAY IN SYDNEY


Former world number one Justine Henin has received a wild card to the Medibank International in Sydney.

The Belgian, who won seven Grand Slams and 41 titles overall before retiring at the top of her game in May last year, will join a top-class women's field which features nine of the world's top 10 players including Serena Williams, Dinara Safina, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Caroline Wozniacki and Elena Dementieva in a tournament which runs from January 10-16.

Henin, who held the number one ranking for 117 weeks, announced her comeback to professional tennis in September after 15 months on the sidelines.

Her first tournament will be in Brisbane in the first week of January.

She was also granted one of four discretionary wild cards to the Australian Open at Melbourne Park next month.

"The women's draw is very impressive and it will be great to get some tough, competitive matches at the Medibank International Sydney before heading to Melbourne," said Henin, a three-time winner in Sydney in 2004, 2006 and 2008.

Tournament director Craig Watson could not hide his delight to have the 27-year-old in the line-up.

"We are thrilled to have Justine returning to the Medibank International Sydney," Watson said.

"She has always been a very popular figure in Sydney and as a three-time champion of the event, she will certainly be a crowd favourite in January.

"To have a wild card of Justine's calibre and quality in the field is very exciting and I am sure most of the top women will be wary of coming up against her. She has a definite chance for a fourth title in Sydney."

Henin won the French Open on four occasions (2003, 2005, 2006, 2007), the US Open twice (2003, 2007) and the Australian Open in 2004.

She was also a finalist at Wimbledon in 2001 and 2006.

The Belgian has also won the year-ending Sony Ericsson Championships twice and the singles gold medal at the 2004 Olympic Games.

Most recently Henin played an exhibition event in Charleroi, defeating countrywoman Kristen Flipkens and world number 12 Flavia Pennetta. A week later Henin beat world number 20 Nadia Petrova in an exhibition match in Cairo.



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NO TIME TO REST

World number two Rafael Nadal has admitted the busy ATP schedule makes it difficult for the top players to achieve their targets.

Nadal had a relatively disappointing 2009 in which he lost the world number one ranking to Roger Federer and struggled to overcome a persistent knee injury.

Having helped Spain win the Davis Cup earlier this month, Nadal is now training for the new season which gets under way in the new year.

He told Spanish newspaper AS: "I have been training for some time. You could say I have not really stopped working because this year there was no possibility to stop.

"I'm happy with the work we are doing ahead of the new season."

Nadal, who will start his season in Abu Dhabi at an exhibition event before focusing on the defence of his Australian Open crown, admits the authorities need to look at reducing the workload on players.

He added: "The players and the ATP are working hard to try to establish more marked guidelines for players to have a little more flexibility and relaxation.

"Especially at the end of the year, no matter what happened to those who have played the final of the Davis Cup, you just do not have time to rest.

"We will succeed and if not for our generation, for those that follow. We have a schedule that forces you to play from the first week of January until December, making it very difficult to achieve your goals."




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KEOTHAVONG NAMED IN FED CUP TEAM

Anne Keothavong has been included in Great Britain's Fed Cup team for the Europe/Africa Zone event in Lisbon in February.

The 26-year-old has been out of action since damaging knee ligaments during a doubles match in California in July but had targeted the Fed Cup for her return.

And Keothavong, who will be joined by Elena Baltacha, Katie O'Brien and doubles specialist Sarah Borwell in Portugal, is pleased her recovery is on schedule.

"I'm absolutely delighted to be included in the AEGON GB Fed Cup squad," she said. "It's a team event and one that is really important to me.

"To make my comeback from injury at the Fed Cup will be tough but hopefully we can perform well and move GB into the World Group."

Captain Nigel Sears added: "For Anne it is a magnificent effort in itself to have made selection after her major knee surgery in the summer."

Britain narrowly missed out on promotion to World Group II this year, losing to Poland in a play-off, but should stand a good chance in February.

Baltacha and O'Brien both finished the season ranked in the world's top 100 for the first time, the Scot claiming the British number one position after climbing to 84th.

O'Brien is only four places behind while Keothavong, who broke into the top 50 earlier this year, is currently 100th.

Sears added: "This team is a reflection of the progress that the girls have made again this year. We are going to Lisbon with our strongest team and I feel good about our chances of promotion.

"We came so close last year but I fully understand how tough this group is to get out of."




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MATCHES OF THE YEAR - MEN

It would be unfair to describe the ATP World Tour as simply the 'Roger and Rafa show' but those two have done more than most to draw in the fans in recent years.

That was certainly the case again in 2009, with the pair involved in nearly all the men's game's big stories and top matches.

Let's start with Federer, for it was surely his year. Again.

Twelve months ago there were many who felt the Swiss was on the way out. 'When' he would beat Pete Sampras' record of 14 Grand Slam singles titles was being replaced by 'if'.

The response was emphatic. Two more Slams - taking him past Sampras - and two more runners-up trophies.

However, those who said the Swiss is on the slide, to be fair, had a point, albeit a minor one. His dominance was not as it once was, but that only helped to produce some enthralling contests.

Take Federer's French Open fourth-round clash with Tommy Haas, for example.

Vintage Fed would surely have swotted aside the German. Instead he was pushed the distance before managing to keep his career Grand Slam dream alive.

Having suddenly become the hot title favourite in the wake of Nadal's shock defeat to Robin Soderling the previous day (more on that later), Federer's nervy display looked set to cost him dear.

But as Haas moved to the brink of becoming the ultimate party-pooper, Federer cracked a forehand onto the line to save break point and the match turned.

Federer was left breathing a huge sigh of relief and it was a similar tale a few days later when he was involved in better match against Juan Martin Del Potro at the last-four stage.

Unable to cope with Del Potro's awesome serving, Federer looked on his way out when he fell two sets to one down.

With the tension rising on Court Philippe Chatrier, he finally found a way to break in the fourth and, in true champion style, managed to turn things around.

Doubtless Federer will look back on this contest in years to come and realise just how important it was in his legacy.

Del Potro will probably do the same with regards their rematch in the US Open final - another cracker, but one Federer was unable to prevail in this time.

Clearly Federer's Wimbledon final against Andy Roddick also deserves a mention in this column, although really this was one for the statisticians rather than the purists.

16-14 in the deciding set is some scoreline but in truth the quality was a long way short of the 2008 final. Still, for those who like their drama, this took things to the limit.

Moving on to Nadal, his French Open clash with Soderling was something special. Certainly it qualified as shock of the year.

Soderling played some spectacular tennis that day and although we later found out just how much Nadal's knees had been bothering him, it would be unfair to say the Spaniard lost this match. Soderling certainly won it.

Try as he might, Nadal was just outplayed by the Swede in the form of his life.

Perhaps the signs of Nadal's Roland Garros reign had already emerged - we had just chosen to ignore them.

For in Madrid a few weeks before his Soderling loss, Nadal had been pushed to the limit in a classic claycourt contest with Novak Djokovic.

But Nadal's unbending will to win saw him through, their three sets of tennis having taken four hours and three minutes.

"I'm very disappointed I can play this well and still not win a match," said Djokovic with great understatement. His on-court expressions to his near miss showed how much defeat really hurt.

Since his return from his enforced summer break, Nadal has struggled against the game's elite but what bodes well for 2010 is that his determination to win remains as strong as ever.

He showed that recently in Paris when he found himself in big trouble against Nicolas Almagro but toughed it out once more.

While the standard of play was not that great, this was a match of great drama.

Almagro missed five match points in the second set yet still had the mental strength to move 5-3 up in the decider. However, at that point physical strength deserted him. Cramping up, he could not serve out and Nadal made him pay in full. At three hours and 14 minutes, this was just a light workout for the 'Pearl of Manacor'.

Remember he'd also played for five hours and 14 minutes against Fernando Verdasco in the Australian Open semis - another powerhouse of a match which saw Nadal pushed to the brink only to again survive.

As Soderling did at Roland Garros, Verdasco played the match of his life - hitting 95 winners in the process - yet still he lost.

So if Federer and Nadal were involved in many of the year's best matches, what happened when the two collided?

Answer: Fireworks.

OK, their meeting in Madrid the day ater Nadal's epic with Djokovic was understandably low key, but the pair's other meeting of 2009 deserves to go down as one of the great matches of recent times.

Time has a habit of erasing memories, but you'd be a fool to remember the Australian Open final as anything but a classic.

Coming just six months after that Wimbledon final - labelled by many, including myself, as the best tennis match they'd ever seen - it was hard to believe such a standard could be matched.

Yet for four sets the rallies arguably surpassed what had occurred in SW19, the Plexicushion surface allowing longer points, which regularly ended with a spectacular winner.

Some of the angles Nadal, in particular, found were simply astonishing.

Sadly the final set proved a disappointment. No 9-7 in the gathering gloom this time; rather Nadal ran away with it as Federer surprisingly wilted.

Many people have lauded the quality on show at the season-ending World Tour Finals in London which did produce some excellent matches, but for me it was this contest which produced the best tennis of the year; an incredible showdown.

We can only hope for more like it in 2010.




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FIRST TOUR TITLE FOR SEVASTOVA


Latvia's Anastasija Sevastova claimed a first WTA Tour title with victory in the Estoril Open final.

Sevastova was a 6-2 7-5 winner over Arantxa Parra Santonja of Spain in one hour 10 minutes in Portugal.

The unseeded duo had advanced with victories over seeded rivals.

Parra Santonja, the world number 81, beat second seed Sorana Cirstea, while Sevastova had to rally from a set down against seventh seed Shuai Peng.

But it was Sevastova who prevailed today to claim the biggest win of her career after seven International Tennis Federation wins.


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MARTINEZ SANCHEZ WINS IN ROME

Unseeded Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez won the Italian Open with a straight sets victory over Jelena Jankovic in Rome.

The left-handed Spaniard won 7-6 (7/5) 7-5 in two-and-a-half hours to win only the third singles title of her career and make sure her earlier defeats of Ana Ivanovic and Caroline Wozniacki were not in vain.

Martinez Sanchez led almost throughout the final, and despite a few nervous moments in either set, always seemed to have the better of her opponent - who was looking for her third Rome title and 13th on the circuit.

However, defeats of Serena and Venus Williams in the space of less than 24 hours had appeared to take their toll and Jankovic had no response to her opponent's mix of serve-and-volley and outrageous sliced drop shots.

Martinez Sanchez broke early to lead 3-1 but at 5-3 she suffered an attack of nerves and allowed the Serb to break her back as her service faltered.

Jankovic added a second break and served for the set herself, but this time it was the number seven seed's turn to wilt, netting a forehand on set point.

After a see-saw tie-break full of points won against service, 26th-ranked Martinez Sanchez got lucky. At 6-5 the line judge called her second service out but chair umpire Eva Asderaki overruled. The Spaniard's "third" service was strong, and a volley later she was a set to the good.

Martinez Sanchez broke in the opening game of the second set and again had a chance to serve out, but she double-faulted at 15-40 to allow Jankovic to level matters at 5-5.

The Serb had a point for a 6-5 lead but Martinez Sanchez hit a sliced drop from behind the baseline, carving out a break point with the flattest of backhands then pouncing on a second service.

She did not let the second chance go begging, and served out to take the second set 7-5 and with it the match.

Martinez Sanchez became the first Spaniard to win the women's title since Conchita Martinez won the last of her four consecutive titles in 1996 - and could find herself in the top 20 of the singles rankings on Monday.



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SERBIA SUCCESS FOR SAM QUERREY

Sam Querrey came from a set down to beat fellow American and some-time doubles partner John Isner 3-6 7-6 (7/4) 6-4 in the final of the Serbia Open.

Isner, in his first clay court final, surged to victory in the first set, but lost the second on a tie-break and did not have enough left in the third - despite earning a match point late on.

Querrey, the first American to win on clay in Europe since 2003, told atptour.com: "I feel great. It would feel better if I didn't have to beat my buddy out there and it was someone else. But it's still exciting,

"He's got the biggest serve in the game so it can be frustrating at times. But you just have to not let it bother you when you get aced and just walk to the other side to be ready for the next point.

"It's a game of inches, as they say."




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YOUZHNY WINS BMW OPEN TITLE Grand Slam Specials

Mikhail Youzhny won a tense final against Marin Cilic in Munich to claim the BMW Open title at the third attempt.

Having lost the final twice in the last three years, Youzhny was nervy as Cilic stormed back at him in the second set but he held on for a 6-3 4-6 6-4 win in a little under three hours.

Both players showed signs of nerves in the opening set, as Cilic struggled to control his serve but Youzhny could do little to take advantage.

He needed seven break points to claim his single break, but that proved to be all he needed.

Cilic was 3-1 up in the second but the Russian broke back, then held for 3-3.

However, Cilic broke again to level things up at one set all.

The Croatian's service woes returned in the third set however, and he handed the set to Youzhny as one break again proved enough.





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ALBERT MONTANES WINS AGAIN

Albert Montanes successfully defended his Estoril Open title after edging out Frederico Gil in three tight sets.

The fourth seed eventually prevailed 6-2 6-7 (4/7) 7-5 after two hours and 34 minutes of hard toil on a slow clay court.

Gil, the Portuguese number two, led 3-0 in the decider but Montanes, who beat world number one Roger Federer in the semi-finals, hit back to record his 10th straight win in Estoril.

Despite the defeat, Gil was satisfied with his efforts this week. He said: "I'm really happy to have reached the final.

"It was a great match, I was leading 3-0 in the third set but I couldn't maintain the level to the end. He is a very experienced player and he got the title.

"I want to compliment Montanes, who stayed there all the time and forced me to play my best tennis. He never stopped running and that is why he is ranked in the 30s and I'm at number 134."





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MARTINEZ SANCHEZ SPARKS SPANISH HOPE


When Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez won the prestigious Internazionali BNG d'Italia title in Rome last week it ought to have gone down as another successful chapter for one of Europe's most dominant nations.

Since 2002 Spain has got its collective hands on eight Grand Slam singles titles. But the fact is that all of them were won by men - and six of those were the sole property of the all-conquering Rafael Nadal.

The title won in some style by Martinez Sanchez, who defeated former world number one Jelena Jankovic in the final, will go down as the biggest claimed by a Spanish woman since Conchita Martinez won in Berlin in 2000.

Martinez and Arantxa Sanchez Vicario were at the forefront of a surge by Spanish women in the game that eclipsed even the men's Nadal-led charge at the turn of the century.

Sanchez-Vicario won four Grand Slam titles and Martinez her famous one over Martina Navratilova at Wimbledon in 1994. Together, they teamed up to win Fed Cup titles five times in eight years between 1991 and 1998.

But once Martinez followed Sanchez Vicario into retirement, there were no Spanish women to take their places at the top of the sport. With the rise of Nadal, attention shifted firmly to the men.

The late career surge by Martinez Sanchez has lifted her to 19 in the rankings, which is no mean achievement but at the age of 27 hardly marks her out as a potential challenger for any of the year's remaining Grand Slam titles.

"I worked so hard to get here," admitted Martinez Sanchez.

"This is a very important moment, and even if this goes down in history it hasn't sunk in yet. The key is to fight until the end and not set a limit for yourself."

There have been moments of promise. Most famously in the post-Arantxa and Conchita world, Virginia Ruano Pascual stunned defending champion Martina Hingis in the first round of Wimbledon in 2001.

In 2008, hard-hitting teenager Carla Suarez Navarro arrived on the scene, reaching the quarter-finals of the French Open on her debut in a Grand Slam main draw, beating Amelie Mauresmo along the way.

When Suarez Navarro bettered that feat in the 2009 Australian Open, with a superb second round win over Venus Williams, it seemed Spain finally had a new female star on its hands.

But despite reaching a career-high world ranking of 22 last year, the progress of Suarez Navarro has stalled. She dropped back to a current ranking of 40, still second best among the current group of Spanish women.

Success is still to be found in doubles, where Martinez Sanchez and Nuria Llagosteera Vives are both ranked in the world's top 10, and in which Ruano Pascual has claimed a total of 10 Grand Slam titles.

But Spain recalls the triumphs of Sanchez Vicario fondly and requires another female player to step up to the plate alongside Nadal.

The nation must hope the win for Martinez Sanchez will spark inspiration among the next generation of prospects.




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LAURA ROBSON: PARTICIPATION IS THE KEY

Laura Robson believes greater grass-roots participation is the key to long-term improvement in British tennis.

The 16-year-old has had to deal with the pressure of expectation since lifting the Junior Wimbledon title two years ago.

Along with Andy Murray, she is considered Britain's brightest hope of ending a grand slam singles drought that stretches back to Virginia Wade's Wimbledon victory in 1977.

Fred Perry was famously the last British man to win a major singles title at the US Open back in 1936 and the Lawn Tennis Association have come under increasing pressure to produce results to match the significant investment in the sport.

Only world number four Murray is ranked in the world's top 150 men but the British women have shown improvement, with both Anne Keothavong and Elena Baltacha breaking into the top 100 in the last couple of years.

Robson, who at 257 in the world is the British number six, is hopeful the summer grass-court season can bring improved results but feels there are simply not enough people playing the game.

She told Press Association Sport: "The girls are doing really well. The boys could be better but we've still got Andy doing extremely well as usual. I'm sure everyone will start to do a bit better, particularly as most of them love playing on grass.

"But I think more people playing would be the main thing (to improve British tennis). At the moment you don't really see that many people on public courts, you mostly see them playing football. Football is a good sport but so is tennis."

Robson herself does not spend a lot of time training in Britain having chosen to base herself at the Mouratoglou academy in Paris with coach Martijn Bok rather than the National Tennis Centre in London.

She said: "I train at both. I've been at the NTC for the last week and I'm there this week too but in Paris they've got all the different surfaces. It's a good base to have when I'm travelling round Italy and France and places like that."

Having excelled at junior level, the 16-year-old is now starting to make significant progress in the senior ranks.

Robson has just returned from a month in America playing on the ITF Tour, the level below the elite WTA Tour. The Wimbledon resident's best performance was in Dothan, where she came through qualifying before going on to reach the semi-finals.

"It's so far so good," added Robson, was was at Wimbledon as part of the celebrations for the 75th anniversary of Robinson's at SW19.

"I've just played four senior tournaments in America that went quite well and I've got a few more clay tournaments coming up and then the grass season.

"It's getting better and my ranking's getting better. I'm going to start getting into senior tournaments on my own ranking now rather than needing wild cards so that's going to help a lot. I've been enjoying it."




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SHOULD RODDICK FOLLOW LENDL'S LEAD?


Andy Roddick will return to action this week in Madrid but one suspects he'd rather be somewhere else.

The slow claycourts of Europe are not Roddick's domain, his fearsome serve blunted by the red dirt.

Instead he must wish he could fast forward to June and the lush grasscourts of Queen's Club and Wimbledon, the venue where last year he came so close to claiming the title he so desires.

For four and a quarter hours last July, Roddick relentlessly held serve against Roger Federer only to finally crack in the 30th game of an epic final set. Expect his serve to be broken rather more quickly this week.

Every year you suspect Roddick reaches May and wishes for that time travel machine (it's still not invented), but in 2010 the craving will be greater than ever.

The American was in fine form before his recent break from the ATP World Tour, reaching the final in Indian Wells before going to to secure the title in Miami where Rafael Nadal was among his victims.

Roddick's serve was particularly impressive; it meant he rarely faced break points in either tournament and when he did he had an uncanny ability to produce a 130mph-plus delivery to save the situation.

Unfortunately for Roddick, on the day he lifted the trophy in Miami the next Grand Slam he had a realistic chance of winning was still almost three months from even starting.

In between stood trips to Madrid and Paris for the French Open, a tournament in which he has never been beyond the last 16.

Confidence will suffer a knock or two in the coming weeks and although the 'A-Rod' should be expected to quickly find the groove again when he walks onto the grass, he would doubtless tell you he'd rather go straight from the hardcourts to the green stuff.

It has always been this way for Roddick - but perhaps it doesn't have to be.

Just maybe he could take a leaf out of Ivan Lendl's book.

Twenty years ago Lendl had won everything there is to win in the game, bar one title - Wimbledon.

It had become the Czech's obsession, so much so that he sacrificed the chance of another Grand Slam success to focus entirely on winning the one which had got away.

He took the decision to skip the entire claycourt season and simply did not play from early April until June, instsead using his renowned tunnel vision to prepare, week after week, for the grasscourt challenge that lay ahead.

The decision was greeted in two ways by tennis followers.

One group were baffled that the world number one could give up the chance of winning another Slam - after all he would have started the French Open among the favourites as a three-time winner.

Instead one-hit wonder Andres Gomez would claim the title at Roland Garros.

The other group, of which I was part, could understand exactly where he was coming from. At that stage, the career Grand Slam had to be his main goal.

However, it wasn't to be. While Lendl won at Queen's Club without losing a set, eventual champion Stefan Edberg proved too good in the semi-finals in SW19 and the dream died.

It would prove to be Lendl's final chance to join the likes of Laver and Perry in the game's pantheon. Never again would he reach even the quarter-finals at Wimbledon, while he would not improve on his tally of eight major titles.

While you can argue Roddick does not need to drill the grasscourt skills into his body - unlike Lendl, the grass is an almost natural surface to him - you have to wonder what hours of grasscourt practice would do for his preparation as opposed to the thankless task of being given the runaround on clay by the dirtballers who, on other surfaces, are far from his equal.

Imagine him locked away somewhere with Larry Stefanki and, perhaps a specialist grasscourt coach (Pete Sampras doesn't seem to be up to much these days) for a month or more honing every last skill you need to win at Wimbledon.

That could just be the difference between losing 16-14 in the fifth to Federer. Who knows?

At least, for now, time is on Roddick's side.

He's only 27. Lendl was 30 by the time he took his decision to skip the clay.

I just wonder, as time goes on, that Roddick's desperation to succeed on the famous Centre Court might finally drive him down the same road.



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SERENA STUNNED BY PETROVA

Top seed Serena Williams was the big casualty as she lost her third round match 4-6 6-2 6-3 to 16th seed Nadia Petrova.

Williams said: "I wasn't moving my fastest, but all I could was try and do the best I could.

"I don't know, I definitely wasn't at my best."

Serena was still in the mood to celebrate though after her sister Venus beat 15th seed Francesca Schiavone 3-6 6-1 6-2 to ensure both a quarter-final berth and also that she will climb to second in the world rankings - the first time in seven years she has held a top-two spot.

Serena said: "I think it's a great feat to be back at world number one and number two. It's so amazing."

In the two other women's matches today, seventh seed Jelena Jankovic defeated fellow Serbian Ana Ivanovic 4-6 6-4 6-1 to go through to the third round and she was joined by Arantxa Parra Santanja, who also recovered from a set down to beat fellow wildcard Shuai Peng 1-6 7-6 (7/1) 6-3.



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STOMACH VIRUS FORCES RODDICK OUT

World number eight Andy Roddick has withdrawn from the Madrid Open due to illness.

The American, who was seeded fifth in the Spanish capital and had received a bye in the first round, had been due to play his second-round match against Feliciano Lopez on Wednesday.

Roddick played his opening doubles match with Jurgen Melzer yesterday, losing a lengthy contest against Marcel Granollers and Victor Troicki 6-2 3-6 12-10, but decided to pull out of the singles today.

"I guess I've got a stomach virus," said the 27-year-old. "I got here and on Sunday night through Monday evening I was up for 24 hours vomiting, sweating, the whole deal.

"I played doubles yesterday but I felt I was late to the party on everything.

"I woke up this morning thinking I would be able to play, but after practice I felt I couldn't see the ball very well and I think if I can't focus on the tennis ball very well I can't compete."

Roddick, who has won titles in Miami and Brisbane this year, admits the timing could hardly have been worse with the French Open coming up later this month.

"It's very bad timing. I would've taken this virus any time in the last five weeks instead of now, but I guess that's the way it goes sometimes," he said.

Regarding his plans ahead of Roland Garros, the 2003 US Open winner and last year's Wimbledon runner-up said: "All this has just happened in the last hour and I don't know what's going to happen.

"It's going to be tough for me to predict what will happen.

"A lot of things depend on how long this thing lasts. This is obviously far from perfect heading into Paris, but you have to play the hand you're dealt. Playing well in Paris isn't totally out of the question."

Roddick had his best-ever French Open last year when he reached the fourth round.

Lopez will now face fellow Spaniard Oscar Hernandez, who lost to Christophe Rochus in the final qualifying round.




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FEDERER PROGRESSES IN MADRID

World number one and reigning champion Roger Federer booked his spot in the third round of the Madrid Open after easing past Benjamin Becker, but the casualties continued to stack up in the women's event.

Federer looked to be cruising to victory but was then taken to a second set tie-break before seeing off his German opponent 6-2 7-6 (7/4) in one hour and 21 minutes.

The Swiss ace, hoping to bounce back from his shock semi-final defeat to Albert Montanes in Estoril and second round exit in Rome, was pleased with his overall performance but felt there were areas he needed to work on.

"I served solidly, I returned great and that combination is tough for the opponent," said the 28-year-old, who has failed to reach a final since winning the Australian Open in January.

"I could have made it a bit easier for myself in the second set, I had some chances but that's the sort of stuff I've got to get through and it was important for me to win the break and close it out.

"I've lost many tight matches lately and you try everything out there and just sometimes it's not working the way you want it to work.

"I'm happy with the way I reacted after all the stuff that has happened in the last weeks and months. That's exactly the kind of stuff I need right now in my game."

Federer could next face countryman and Olympic gold-medal winning doubles partner Stanislas Wawrinka in the third round after the 15th seed defeated Spanish wildcard Marcel Granollers 6-4 6-4 today. Wawrinka must first meet Leonardo Mayer in the second round.

With most of the top seeds still to play in the men's event, there have been few chances for upsets.

But it is a different story in the women's tournament.

Yesterday third seed and defending champion Dinara Safina joined the likes of Svetlana Kuznetsova, Maria Sharapova and Justine Henin in bidding an early farewell, and today it was the turn of second seed Caroline Wozniacki to suffer a surprise loss.

Wozniacki, the runner-up last year, lost her second round match to Alona Bondarenko 6-2 6-3.

Bondarenko, who will now play 13th seed Li Na after the Chinese number one defeated Dominika Cibulkova 6-2 3-6 7-5 today, said of Wozniacki: "I don't think it was her best day. She made a lot of mistakes.

"I know her game well and she always play without mistakes."

Wozniacki was not the only women's seed to fall today, with number six seed Elena Dementieva, Agnieszka Radwanska (nine), Marion Bartoli (12) and Flavia Pannetta (14) all losing to unseeded opponents in second round matches.

The successful players, respectively, were Alexandra Dulgheru, Patty Schnyder, Anabel Medina Garrigues and Andrea Petkovic.

Aside from Li, two other seeds joined the already-qualified Williams sisters Serena and Venus, plus number 15 Francesca Schiavone in the third round.

They were number eight Samantha Stosur, a 7-6 (7/2) 6-4 victor over Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, and number 16 Nadia Petrova, who defeated Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-2 7-5 to set up a showdown with top seed Serena Williams in the next round.

Czech qualifier Klara Zakopalova, having claimed the scalp of Safina yesterday, was beaten by Aravane Rezai 6-3 7-5.

In the men's event, Spanish sixth seed Fernando Verdasco won the only other second round match today apart from the Federer-Becker tie when he eased past giant Croatian Ivo Karlovic 7-6 (7/5) 6-3.

In first round matches, seeded players Mikhail Youzhny (10), John Isner (13) and Thomaz Bellucci (16) all progressed.

Not all the men's seeds advanced, however.

American Sam Querrey followed up his win at the Serbia Open last weekend with a shock first round exit here at the hands of Spanish qualifier Daniel Munoz-De La Nava, going down 6-7 (3/7) 6-3 7-5.

Meanwhile, 11th seed Tomas Berdych also said farewell to the tournament after his first round match with David Nalbandian was cancelled due to injuries for both players.




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SERENA WILLIAMS BATTLES THROUGH

World number one Serena Williams survived a huge scare before progressing to the third round of the Madrid Open at the expense of Vera Dushevina.

However, it was not such a good day for third seed and defending champion Dinara Safina, who became the latest big name to tumble out of the women's tournament.

Williams lost the first set and also saved a match point against Dushevina before eventually seeing off her Russian opponent 6-7 (2/7) 7-6 (7/5) 7-6 (7/5) in three hours and 26 minutes.

It was the longest match of Williams' career but ensured the top seed, who needed treatment for a thigh problem, got back to winning ways after the disappointment of losing to Jelena Jankovic in the semi-finals in Rome last week.

Williams, who held a match point in the deciding set against Jankovic, said: "I felt really bad about losing last time when I had match point and I just wanted to hang in there today.

"I feel really proud because I definitely wasn't playing my best tennis. I was far off from playing well.

"Also, after playing a match for three hours, at that point I was determined to win."

Looking ahead to the rest of the tournament at La Caja Magica, Williams added: "I just plan to play better.

"I was a little off today, but it's all about looking to the future."

Venus Williams, the fourth seed, had a much easier time of it, seeing off another Russian, Vera Zvonareva, 7-5 6-3 in the second round.

Francesca Schiavone also had a comfortable victory as she beat Sybille Bammer 6-2 6-1.

The big casualty was Safina, who has only recently returned to action following a back injury.

Safina lost to Czech qualifier Klara Zakopalova 7-6 (7/1) 7-6 (7/3) to join Svetlana Kuznetsova, Maria Sharapova and Justine Henin in making an early exit.

The only other seed to fall today was number 10 Victoria Azarenka, who was 3-0 down to wildcard Shuai Peng in the first set when she retired.

Number two and last year's runner-up Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark was one of a host of seeds to progress after she beat Petra Kvitova 6-4 6-2.

Also victorious were number eight seed Samantha Stosur, Flavia Pennetta (14) and Nadia Petrova (16).

Chinese number one and 13th seed Li Na, who will donate all her prize money from Madrid to the relief effort following the recent earthquakes in her home country, was also victorious.

In the men's event, 12th seed Gael Monfils enjoyed a straight-sets victory on his comeback from almost two months out with a hand injury, defeating fellow Frenchman Stephane Robert 6-2 7-5.

However, former world number one Carlos Moya, also playing his first tournament in two months after a foot injury, was thumped 6-0 6-2 by Benjamin Becker, whose reward will be a second-round showdown with reigning champion and top seed Roger Federer on Tuesday.

Moya's fellow Spaniard Feliciano Lopez did make it through to the next round after the Madrid-born left-hander eased past Lukasz Kubot 6-3 6-3 to set up a meeting with fifth seed Andy Roddick.

Second seed Rafael Nadal's first opponent will be Ukrainian qualifier Alexandr Dolgopolov, who defeated Andreas Seppi 6-3 6-4.

Also booking their spots in the second round were Nicolas Almagro, Leonardo Mayer, Jurgen Melzer and qualifier Santiago Giraldo.





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