Roger Federer hoping for better start to 2nd half of season with Halle warm-up

HALLE, Germany (AP) -- It's nearly mid-June and Roger Federer is still without a title in 2013. Back on grass in one of his favorite tournaments, Federer is confident his best is yet to come.

Federer is the top-seeded player in Halle, one of the grass-court warm-up tournaments for Wimbledon. Four of his Wimbledon titles came after Federer also won in Halle.

"Halle is one of my favorite places on the tour, and being successful there makes it even more likable,'' said Federer, who will be seeking his sixth title in the cozy event, where players step on court practically from their hotel rooms.

Federer is coming off a quarterfinal loss to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at the French Open last week.

"Paris has little to do with Halle or Wimbledon, but looking back I am really disappointed with my match against Tsonga,'' Federer said. "There are days like that, but fortunately there haven't been so many in my career, and I hope there won't be that many to come.''

Federer reached 10 straight Grand Slam finals from 2005-07, winning eight titles. He also appeared in eight major finals from 2008-10, winning four. But since that run ended, Federer has played in just two of the last 13 Grand Slam title matches, winning one at Wimbledon last year.

At 31, the winner of a record 17 major titles could be slowing down. He has also nursed a back injury during the first half of the year.

"I didn't really expect to necessarily win a lot of titles, and I thought I played well in Rome and Paris, until the match with Tsonga,'' Federer said Monday at the start of the Halle tournament.

He lost the Rome final in two quick sets to Rafael Nadal, who pulled out of the Halle event to rest after his eighth French Open title.

"I now feel that the best time for me is still to come in the second half of the year. It's a very important phase of the year, leading to Wimbledon and the North American swing with the U.S. Open,'' Federer said.

"To win here (in Halle) would be a good buildup for Wimbledon,'' he said.

Federer will also play doubles, teaming with German veteran Tommy Haas, who beat him in last year's Halle final. Federer hasn't played doubles for two years.

But since arriving in Halle from Paris on Friday and practicing for three days, Federer felt he could get in some doubles matches as well, since he won't be scheduled to play singles before Wednesday.

"I've seldom played doubles on the tour. There is always that threat of injury; it just wasn't as much fun. But now I am in the mood to play some doubles, change it up a little. Hopefully, it may even help me in the singles,'' Federer said.

It was a brief run, however. Federer and Haas lost 7-6 (3), 6-4 to Jurgen Melzer and Philipp Petzschner, who are two-time Grand Slam doubles champions.

The singles field also includes second-seeded Richard Gasquet, third-seeded Haas and No. 4 Kei Nishikori.

In the opening singles Monday, qualifier Jan Hernych defeated Daniel Brands 6-4, 6-2, Mikhail Youzhny beat Daniel Gimeno-Traver 6-1, 6-2 and eighth-seeded Florian Mayer swept past qualifier Martin Fischer 6-2, 6-2.

Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/tennis/news/20130610/roger-federer-second-half-expectations.ap/#ixzz2Vw4cMS8Q

Martina Hingis/Lindsay Davenport win another Legends doubles at French Open

hingis.ch forums

Happy 30th Birthday Kim Clijsters!

With a disarming smile and an effortless charm, Kim Antonie Lode Clijsters was the epitome of exuberance in women’s tennis. She was one of those amazing fighters who could swish her racquet fiercely on the court, and the very next moment make the smooth transition to a vivacious and effervescent girl, and later on, a doting mother we couldn’t help loving.

Clijsters’ career was divided into two parts, where her second innings after motherhood simply overshadowed the first one and her romance with Australian star Lleyton Hewitt had been one of the talking points of her first career. Born to Leo, a successful Belgian footballer and Els, a national gymnast, Kim was a precocious talent. She was a prolific junior player who won two Grand Slam doubles titles and was one of those spirited and zealous youngsters who made a noteworthy appearance on the senior circuit pretty soon. She started making waves right from her breakthrough year in 1999 and deservedly remains the only Belgian till date to have won the WTA Most Impressive Newcomer award.

In an age which saw the emergence of power tennis, Kim Clijsters, with her repertoire of impeccable shots, carved out a niche for herself. Known for her incredible athleticism, tremendous speed, footwork and sliding, Clijsters didn’t take much time to announce she was here to stay. Possessing a game replete with variety and finesse, untiring defense and superb offense, the Belgian reached her first Grand Slam final in 2001 at the French Open and was involved in a dazzling match against Jennifer Capriati which saw the longest third set at a women’s final in Roland Garros.

It was a golden time for Belgian tennis as her compatriot, Justine Henin, another amazing talent, soon reached the Wimbledon final that year. Together, the intrepid Belgian girls, with their versatility, continued to thwart the Williams hegemony of the elite events in women’s tennis.

The next few years saw the meteoric rise of the Bilzen-born girl to the pinnacle of world rankings. She etched her name in the history books as the first Belgian to hold the numero uno ranking in 2003. Not just in singles, she continued to soar even in doubles, becoming one of the very few to be ranked No. 1 in both singles and doubles simultaneously. 

The wonderful year also saw her reach another two Grand Slam finals but she lost them both to Henin. With a third loss to her compatriot at the Australian Open next year, Clijsters’ mental stamina started getting questioned time and again. After an injury-ravaged 2004, Kim silenced her detractors with a wondrous comeback in 2005.

In a magical year which saw her smash almost every obstacle that came her way, the Belgian finally broke her Grand Slam duck by capturing the US Open that summer. Years of perseverance and dedication had finally been rewarded as Kim said, “All the hard work and everything, it’s paid off. That’s more satisfying to me.”

In spite of reaching the zenith of her career, Clijsters unfortunately couldn’t continue to shine for a long time. Her wrist injury flared up once again and her impending retirement had to be brought forward to 2007. Kim, who had already broken off her engagement with former World No. 1 Hewitt, looked forward to a life of bliss with Brian Lynch, a former basketball pro. As Clijsters embarked on a new journey of marriage and motherhood, the tennis world continued to feel the void created by her absence. The world started truly missing the ebullient girl with her silky strokes and jaunty smile. It seemed that 23 was too premature an age to bid adieu and she definitely had more to offer.

Clijsters answered that call in 2009. After a 28-month sabbatical, the 26-year-old decided to focus once again on her unfinished tennis career. It was preparation for the inauguration ceremony of the roof on the Wimbledon Centre Court which instilled the fighting spirit, awoke the champion’s mind and urged Clijsters to immerse herself in the searing competition once again.

What transpired after that was truly fairytale stuff and the world was left spellbound! Much had changed in her life but her tremendous love and unwavering motivation had remained unaltered. Clijsters didn’t need a lot of time to give a testament of that. Her first two tournaments exhibited that Clijsters had never been away!

It all culminated in an unbelievable US Open performance that summer as she defeated both Venus Williams and Serena Williams en route to becoming the first woman since Evonne Goolagong in 1980 to clinch a major as a mother. When her lovely and innocent daughter, Jada, joined her in the on-court celebrations, it was a priceless picture of heart-melting warmth, and Clijsters’ comeback was complete.

With the continuous support of her family and their unconditional love, the ever affable Clijsters was now in a much more stable and secure situation mentally and it very much reflected in her game. With the wealth of her experience, she continued to surge on the WTA circuit, handling the teens with consummate ease and reminding her peers that she was indeed back.

After being bestowed with the WTA Comeback Player of the Year award, Clijsters showed amazing self-assurance and superb equanimity to come back next year to successfully defend her US Open crown. It was a far cry from the faltering Clijsters who stumbled in the first four of her major finals. At the Aussie Open next year, Kim was truly rechristened ‘Aussie Kim’ as she conquered the Aussie hearts to get her fourth Grand Slam title at the Melbourne Park and subsequently ascended to the summit of the world rankings.

As Clijsters became the first mother ever to become the top-ranked player, she had become a true inspiration for working mothers all over the globe. When she eventually retired for a second time by bowing out to Laura Robson in her final singles match at the US Open, it seemed that it was apt that a fledgling talent and a future star had to draw the curtains on a glittering career that saw the accumulation of 41 singles titles.

Clijsters, with her pleasing persona and geniality, will always be adored and revered by tennis aficionados all over the world. She exemplified that it is possible to simultaneously balance a remarkable professional career and a successful family life and emerge triumphant on both fronts. Today, as Kim Clijsters celebrates her 30th birthday and goes through another emotional phase of her life, awaiting the birth of her second child, here’s wishing her all the very best for the future.

sportskeeda.com

WTA celebrates 40 years of independence

All the famous ladies past & present :)

PARIS — It was a good payday for Victoria Azarenka. She earned $496,725 (in Euros) as a losing semifinalist in the 2013 French Open women’s championships. Her paycheck symbolized the success of the women’s movement in tennis, an achievement that was celebrated immediately after her match on Thursday against Maria Sharapova.

More than a dozen women players from several decades walked onto Court Philippe Chatrier through a corridor of flowers held by ball boys and ball girls. As the crowd cheered and waved, they were handed thick bouquets of flowers and saluted by the French Tennis Federation. It was a celebration of 40 years of women’s independence in tennis.

Images flashed on two giant video screens of Billie Jean King and the dozen or more women, most of them Americans, who rebelled against tournament organizers in 1973 to form their own international tour, initially financed by a tobacco company. In that era, women still received much less prize money than men. Parity began to emerge only in recent years. Still, paychecks grew enormously for the top players.

In a broadcast booth above the stadium, Amelie Mauresmo of France smiled and waved back at the crowd as her image appeared on screen. Mauresmo won the Wimbledon and Australian Open titles and earned nearly $15 million in a 15-year playing career.

Downstairs, Azarenka said, “It’s an incredible thing, what happened 40 years ago to start something from scratch and look where we are here today, you know, with one of the biggest women’s sport in the world.”

Sharapova, who was guaranteed $993,450 for reaching the final, said, “I’m really proud to be part of it.”

Largely unrecognized by spectators, Selima Sfar, 36, a retired Tunisian player who lives in Paris, carried her bouquet off the court and told a reporter who apologized for asking her name, “No, you should not recognize me; I’m not that big.” Sfar earned more than $800,000 in prize money in 12 years, reaching 75th in the world in 2001, according to WTA records.

“In the other Arab countries, I hope this is going to be something new, something more for them to inspire them to play tennis and play at a good level,” she said.

As the second women’s semifinal got underway between Serena Williams and Sara Errani of Italy, Sfar was interviewed by French television. Afterward, she turned to a reporter and said: “I think it’s a huge thing what Billie Jean King has been doing for the women’s tennis, for WTA, equal prize money, Grand Slams, the big tournaments. It’s something nobody before thought was possible or feasible.”

Soon, after her semifinal victory, Williams praised the WTA and the sport. “I think tennis empowers women,” she said. “I think that’s the perfect way to say it. I think it’s a great sport. Honestly, it’s the best sport for a female to play and to be a part of.”

Boosted by increases adopted by the French Open organizers and the French Tennis Federation in recent months, the 64 first-round losers, men and women, earned $27,816 each. After Saturday’s women’s final and Sunday’s men’s final, the winners will receive $1,986,900 each and the losers $993,450 — big paydays for athletes of both genders.

nytimes.com

Tsonga ousts Roger Federer out of the quarters at French Open

PARIS — A point from losing the first set of his French Open quarter-final, Roger Federer shanked a routine forehand, sending the ball 10 feet beyond the opposite baseline.

The Court Philippe Chatrier crowd roared with approval, then loudly chanted the last name of Federer's opponent, Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

That shot was a clear indication that Federer was hardly Federesque on this day. There were plenty of others: He argued with the chair umpire about a call. He dumped overhead smashes into the net. 

And in a truly rare ungraceful moment, he failed to put a racquet to — or get out of the way of — a backhand flip by a sliding Tsonga, instead getting hit on the back.

All in all, Federer looked lost out there Tuesday against the sixth-seeded Tsonga, who pounded his way to a 7-5, 6-3, 6-3 victory over the 17-time Grand Slam champion in a 1-hour, 51-minute mismatch remarkable for its lopsidedness and brevity.

"I struggled a little bit everywhere. To be honest, personally, I'm pretty sad about the match and the way I played. But that's how it goes. I tried to figure things out, but it was difficult. And Jo does a good job keeping the pressure on," Federer said.

"He was just ... better in all areas," continued Federer, whose lone French Open title, in 2009, allowed him to equal Pete Sampras' then-record of 14 major championships. "He returned better than I did. Served better than I did. I struggled to find my rhythm."

Federer hadn't lost in straight sets before the semifinals at any Grand Slam tournament since a third-round defeat against Gustavo Kuerten in the 2004 French Open.

Starting a month later, when he won Wimbledon, Federer began a stretch of nearly eight full years in which he was unbeaten in Grand Slam quarter-finals, reaching the semifinals at a record 23 major tournaments in a row. Since that run ended, though, quarter-final exits are becoming a regular occurrence: He has lost at that stage in five of the past 13 Slams, twice to Tsonga, who was the runner-up at the 2008 Australian Open and is trying to give France its first men's champion at Roland Garros since Yannick Noah 30 years ago.

"Everybody's expecting a lot from me," Tsonga said.

The other quarter-final setback against Tsonga came at Wimbledon in 2011, when Federer lost for the first time in 179 matches after taking the opening two sets.

"He's got a big game. He takes time away from you," Federer said. "He can change defence to offence very quickly. Similar traits to what I have, I guess, really."

Quite a compliment.

This is someone who reached 10 straight Grand Slam finals from 2005-07, winning eight titles. He also appeared in eight major finals from 2008-10, winning four. But since that run ended, Federer has played in two of the last 13 Slam title matches, winning one, Wimbledon last year.

He actually began well Tuesday, leading 4-2. But that's where he got broken for the first of six times by Tsonga, who let four match points slip away in a quarter-final loss to Novak Djokovic at Roland Garros in 2012.

"Give him credit: He's playing in his home Grand Slam, in the quarter-finals, against ... the all-time great, and was a break down at the start of the first set. And then was able to stick with it," said Roger Rasheed, who began coaching Tsonga last October.

Federer struggled in the fourth round Sunday against another Frenchman, 15th-seeded Gilles Simon, taking an awkward tumble and falling behind 2-1 in sets. But Federer said after Tuesday's loss he was fine physically.

His game was not fine, not at all, on this day. And Tsonga took full advantage.

Federer had won nine of their previous 12 matches. When they met at the net for a handshake after this one, Tsonga kiddingly thanked Federer for letting him win this time, and both men chuckled.

"Sports, it's beautiful, because you can always do something. Even if you play, you know, the best player in the world ... you have a chance," Tsonga said. "Because the guy in front of you (has) two legs, two arms, one head."

These days, Federer sure does seem more human on a tennis court than he used to.

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/tennis/Roger+Federer+pretty+struggles+French+Open+loss+homer+hero/8476774/story.html#ixzz2VIwNpKKM

I think the article pretty much says it all, on to Wimbledon we go.

Roger Federer and family at Madrid Zoo

menstennisforums.com

Roger Federer survives scare to reach another quarter-final at French Open

For a while, it looked as though Gilles Simon had not read the script on Sunday evening in Paris. But Roger Federer fought back from two-sets-to-one down to beat the Frenchman 6-1, 4-6, 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 to record his 900th tour-level match win and set a Roland Garros quarter-final clash withJo-Wilfried Tsonga.

In becoming the fourth player in the Open Era to reach the 900 wins milestone, 17-time Grand Slam champion Federer reached his 36th consecutive Grand Slam quarter-final. Federer has not lost prior to the quarter-finals of a major since 2004 Roland Garros, when he was beaten in the third round by Gustavo Kuerten.

Federer goes into the clash with Tsonga with a 9-3 lead in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series. He has won their past five meetings, but did lose to the Frenchman in the 2011 Wimbledonquarter-finals. The 31-year-old Federer is looking to lift the trophy atRoland Garros for the second time, following victory in 2009 (d. Soderling), when he completed the career Grand Slam.

For the first 40 minutes or so, Federer looked as though he would comfortably secure his fourth win in six meetings with Simon. The Swiss made a strong start to the match, racing to a 5-1 lead. He won a lengthy seventh game to clinch the opening set, but Simon was not cowed. The resilient Frenchman stayed with Federer in the early stages of the second set and made a significant breakthrough in the seventh game. Federer suffered a fall on the baseline, which appeared to rattle the Swiss as he lost his forehand rhythm. Simon capitalised for a 4-3 lead and went on to level the match.

Buoyed by his success, Simon maintained his high level and took advantage of an increasing number of uncharacteristic errors from Federer in the third set, breaking in the fifth and seventh games to take the lead in the match.

Federer fired himself up in the fourth set, reined in the errors, and broke through Simon’s defences in the sixth game, meeting with a roar of approval from the unpartisan Philippe Chatrier crowd. He continued to chip away at Simon and clinched the set with another service break in the eighth game.

Federer capitalised on his momentum and gained a crucial break of serve in the second game of the decider as Simon went long with a forehand. The Swiss then served out victory in the ninth game, not without one final piece of drama as he saved two break points, prevailing on his second match point in one minute shy of three hours.

Simon was bidding to reach his second Grand Slam quarter-final and first at Roland Garros, having reached the last eight at the 2009 Australian Open (l. to Nadal). He had won two five-set matches to reach the round of 16, rallying from two sets down to beat Lleyton Hewitt in the first round and going the distance against Sam Querrey in the third round.

atpworldtour.com

Well it was his 900th win so of course it had to be dramatic!. These kinds of mini-heart attacks is what I love and hate about this sport.  

Perhaps Federer needed this little scare to prepare him for what's ahead. Tsonga will not be a walk in the park (and I really do hope Federer's ankle is not injured in any way).  

It only gets tougher from here, I would have preferred a much more comfortable win but this was a good test that will hopefully help him in the quarters.  Should be another nail biter for sure!.