Thursday, November 12, 2015
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Monday, November 09, 2015
Sunday, November 08, 2015
Saturday, November 07, 2015
Roger Federer out of Paris Masters courtesy of John Isner
Roger Federer knew he would have his hands full against John Isner on Court Central. Sure, he was 5-1 against the altitudinous American, his only defeat coming in a Davis Cup clash on clay in 2012. But the Swiss was well aware of Isner’s record on the indoor courts of Paris, where the 6-foot-10 power server was 7-6 and had reached the semi-finals in 2011. With a serve like his, anything can happen.
“When I saw the draw and I saw I had a possibility of playing him in the second round,” Federer observed, “it's the kind of draw I don't really like to see.”
“I know it's not going to be easy,” said Federer prior to the match. “I need to make sure I focus on my own game and see what I can do on his serve. There are only so many opportunities. I'm aware of that. He goes through a lot of close matches. He's used to that kind of stuff. We're not used to that many tie-breakers and 7‑6s in the third.”
Prescient words from Federer, as Thursday’s Round-of-16 match-up would indeed come down to a third-set tie-break, Isner emerging victorious behind 27 aces 7-6(3), 3-6, 7-6(5).
As he showed at the BNP Paribas Masters, with no sun, no wind, no game-changing elements to affect his toss, Isner’s weapon of choice is as lethal as they come.
“I think he serves consistent throughout the year,” said Federer, who despite the loss registered 13 of his own aces and was never broken. “I think with him it's more can he serve big when he really needs it the most? Does indoors maybe help him there a little bit? Potentially. He's got the size, got the power, got the angles. I thought he did very well today when he needed it. The breakers, he served great. Those are the ones he needed. That was the difference."
On Wednesday, Federer needed just 47 minutes to dispatch Italian Andreas Seppi 6-1, 6-1. There would be no such brevity against the former collegiate standout, the three-set match lasting some two hours and 16 minutes.
Did his title run last week in Basel (d. Rafael Nadal 6-3, 5-7, 6-3) take a toll on his body?
“Maybe the eye was a thousandth of a second slower,” quipped the 34-year-old, who said he “played without pain” despite a mid-match visit from a trainer to check his arm. “I mean, what do you want me to tell you? I was definitely not tired from last night. I was ready to go today.”
Next up for Federer is the Nov. 15-22 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, where he has had his share of success in the past. In fact, the World No. 2 has held the trophy at the year-end showdown on no less than six occasions.
“I have been there since 2002,” he said. “It's one of the tournaments that I’ve enjoyed most and that I’ve had a lot of pleasure winning. I'm happy I'm qualified. We'll see the groups, the round robins. I'm very eager to go to London and get prepared as well as I can. I'm in good shape. I'm healthy, so I want that tournament to start.”
atpworldtour.com
“When I saw the draw and I saw I had a possibility of playing him in the second round,” Federer observed, “it's the kind of draw I don't really like to see.”
“I know it's not going to be easy,” said Federer prior to the match. “I need to make sure I focus on my own game and see what I can do on his serve. There are only so many opportunities. I'm aware of that. He goes through a lot of close matches. He's used to that kind of stuff. We're not used to that many tie-breakers and 7‑6s in the third.”
Prescient words from Federer, as Thursday’s Round-of-16 match-up would indeed come down to a third-set tie-break, Isner emerging victorious behind 27 aces 7-6(3), 3-6, 7-6(5).
As he showed at the BNP Paribas Masters, with no sun, no wind, no game-changing elements to affect his toss, Isner’s weapon of choice is as lethal as they come.
“I think he serves consistent throughout the year,” said Federer, who despite the loss registered 13 of his own aces and was never broken. “I think with him it's more can he serve big when he really needs it the most? Does indoors maybe help him there a little bit? Potentially. He's got the size, got the power, got the angles. I thought he did very well today when he needed it. The breakers, he served great. Those are the ones he needed. That was the difference."
On Wednesday, Federer needed just 47 minutes to dispatch Italian Andreas Seppi 6-1, 6-1. There would be no such brevity against the former collegiate standout, the three-set match lasting some two hours and 16 minutes.
Did his title run last week in Basel (d. Rafael Nadal 6-3, 5-7, 6-3) take a toll on his body?
“Maybe the eye was a thousandth of a second slower,” quipped the 34-year-old, who said he “played without pain” despite a mid-match visit from a trainer to check his arm. “I mean, what do you want me to tell you? I was definitely not tired from last night. I was ready to go today.”
Next up for Federer is the Nov. 15-22 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, where he has had his share of success in the past. In fact, the World No. 2 has held the trophy at the year-end showdown on no less than six occasions.
“I have been there since 2002,” he said. “It's one of the tournaments that I’ve enjoyed most and that I’ve had a lot of pleasure winning. I'm happy I'm qualified. We'll see the groups, the round robins. I'm very eager to go to London and get prepared as well as I can. I'm in good shape. I'm healthy, so I want that tournament to start.”
atpworldtour.com
Friday, November 06, 2015
Martina Hingis earns 50th career doubles title in Singapore
SINGAPORE - 20-time Grand Slam champion Martina Hingis truly made her 2015 season one to remember. The Swiss Miss not only clinched the Year-End No.1 - and the WTA Year-End World No.1 Doubles Team Award presented by Dubai Duty Free alongside partner Sania Mirza - but by winning the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global against Garbiñe Muguruza and Carla Suárez Navarro, she also won her 50th career doubles title, becoming the 16th woman in WTA history to amass such a total.
Hingis joins an elite group that includes some of the best doubles players to have ever played the game, including Martina Navratilova, Rosie Casals, Pam Shriver, Billie Jean King, Natasha Zvereva,Lisa Raymond, Jana Novotna, Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario, Gigi Fernández, Helena Sukova, Larisa Neiland, Cara Black, Rennae Stubbs, Wendy Turnbull and Liezel Huber.
"I'm enjoying [tennis] in a different way," she said before the tournament began. "I'm also 35 now, so I think you take a lot more credit for what you're able to do and enjoy the moment, live in the moment.
"Especially when we were able to win Wimbledon this year, I mean, you could see the joy on the court already that we had to win the title. That was definitely more of a relief and joy at the same time."
With 10 titles under her belt - nine with Mirza, one with former coaching mentee Sabine Lisicki - Hingis enjoyed her best year on the doubles court since 1998, when she won nine titles but, most impressively, captured the Calendar Year Grand Slam with two different partners (Mirjana Lucic-Baroni at the Australian Open, and fellow 50+ doubles titlist Novotna at the remaining three). After winningWimbledon with Mirza, Hingis went on to take the US Open as well, and finish the season on a still-unbeaten 22-match win streak that dates back to the Western & Southern Open.
The two first considered pairing up before the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, though the two admitted it wasn't the most auspicious of starts.
"It was the worst practice in the world. It was windy and stormy in Doha and we got our ass kicked," Hingis recalled after winning their semifinal against Chan Hao-Ching and Chan Yung-Jan.
"We just had that one practice and then we went to Indian Wells and we practiced a couple days. It got better because it couldn't get worse after that practice!" Mirza added.
Better is an understatement. The team, who later became known as "Santina," began their official partnership with three sraight titles in Indian Wells, the Miami Open, and the Family Circle Cup. Reflecting on that time, Hingis thought they played far better tennis to finish the season than to start.
"Obviously the first three months, first three tournaments, we were already like amazing. But I think it's just like knowing one another. The understanding of each other grew even more. We were already winning from the beginning, but after that was even more and more. But I think you have to work on that. I mean, doesn't fall from heaven, and we didn't have always perfect moments."
Resolved to remain together through the start of the 2016 season, Hingis and Mirza will have some time apart during the off-season before reconvening ahead of the Australian summer hardcourt swing - with title No.51 already on her mind.
"I don't think if we don't play together for two months it's going to really change anything. The goal is to be prepared for Australian Open. We're going to play a couple weeks before that. You know, maybe come in earlier a little bit into Australia and try and train."
Hingis joins an elite group that includes some of the best doubles players to have ever played the game, including Martina Navratilova, Rosie Casals, Pam Shriver, Billie Jean King, Natasha Zvereva,Lisa Raymond, Jana Novotna, Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario, Gigi Fernández, Helena Sukova, Larisa Neiland, Cara Black, Rennae Stubbs, Wendy Turnbull and Liezel Huber.
"I'm enjoying [tennis] in a different way," she said before the tournament began. "I'm also 35 now, so I think you take a lot more credit for what you're able to do and enjoy the moment, live in the moment.
"Especially when we were able to win Wimbledon this year, I mean, you could see the joy on the court already that we had to win the title. That was definitely more of a relief and joy at the same time."
With 10 titles under her belt - nine with Mirza, one with former coaching mentee Sabine Lisicki - Hingis enjoyed her best year on the doubles court since 1998, when she won nine titles but, most impressively, captured the Calendar Year Grand Slam with two different partners (Mirjana Lucic-Baroni at the Australian Open, and fellow 50+ doubles titlist Novotna at the remaining three). After winningWimbledon with Mirza, Hingis went on to take the US Open as well, and finish the season on a still-unbeaten 22-match win streak that dates back to the Western & Southern Open.
The two first considered pairing up before the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, though the two admitted it wasn't the most auspicious of starts.
"It was the worst practice in the world. It was windy and stormy in Doha and we got our ass kicked," Hingis recalled after winning their semifinal against Chan Hao-Ching and Chan Yung-Jan.
"We just had that one practice and then we went to Indian Wells and we practiced a couple days. It got better because it couldn't get worse after that practice!" Mirza added.
Better is an understatement. The team, who later became known as "Santina," began their official partnership with three sraight titles in Indian Wells, the Miami Open, and the Family Circle Cup. Reflecting on that time, Hingis thought they played far better tennis to finish the season than to start.
"Obviously the first three months, first three tournaments, we were already like amazing. But I think it's just like knowing one another. The understanding of each other grew even more. We were already winning from the beginning, but after that was even more and more. But I think you have to work on that. I mean, doesn't fall from heaven, and we didn't have always perfect moments."
Resolved to remain together through the start of the 2016 season, Hingis and Mirza will have some time apart during the off-season before reconvening ahead of the Australian summer hardcourt swing - with title No.51 already on her mind.
"I don't think if we don't play together for two months it's going to really change anything. The goal is to be prepared for Australian Open. We're going to play a couple weeks before that. You know, maybe come in earlier a little bit into Australia and try and train."
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