Roddick Pulls with Ankle Injury, Federer in Rotterdam Final
Posted on February 20, 2005
Roddick Out of ATP Memphis with Ankle InjuryAndy Roddick withdrew from the semifinals of the ATP stop in Memphis Saturday with a sprained ankle, sustained in his Friday quarterfinal win over countryman Robby Ginepri.
Roddick tried jogging and hitting a couple balls before making his decision early Saturday.
"The first really kind of significant move I made I just knew that it wasn't going to happen for me," Roddick said, electing to rehabilitate the ankle in time for the U.S.'s Davis Cup match against Croatia in two weeks. "The repercussions of this injury wouldn't just affect me. It would affect my teammates and playing for my country as well."
The walkover win gives Dane Kenneth Carlsen his first berth in a final since a win at Tokyo in 2002. Carlsen is 2-4 in career finals, and has never finished the year in the Top 50 on the ATP Rankings in 15 years of ranked competition.
Memphis organizers, hoping for a blockbuster final between Roddick and former No. 2 Tommy Haas, will instead make the best of Carlsen and No. 8 seed Max "The Beast" Mirnyi, who upset the No. 2-seeded Haas 7-5, 6-3.
It was the first win for The Beast from Belarus in eight meetings with the German.
Carlsen beat The Beast in three sets in their only previous encounter at 2003 Milan.
In the doubles semis the top-seeded team of Mike and Bob Bryan earned a fifth consecutive trip to the Memphis final, advanced with a 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(6) victory over Aussies Wayne Arthurs and Paul Hanley, saving a match point en route.
The Bryans will face No. 4 seeds Simon Asperlin and Todd Perry, who ousted No. 2 seeds Jonas Bjorkman and The Beast 7-5(5), 6-3.
Federer on Croatian Tear at ATP Rotterdam
Roger Federer beat one Croat Saturday, with another one now standing between him and the ATP Rotterdam title.
The world No. 1 Swiss subdued unseeded Mario "Baby Goran" Ancic Saturday, defusing the Croatians big serve with a 7-5, 6-3 win.
"Last time I played him was in 2002 so that's quite a long time ago now," Federer said. "I'm very happy with my performance. I never lost serve and really stayed focused throughout the whole match. I think I needed a performance like this to beat Mario today."
In the championship match awaits another big-serving Croat in the form of Ivan Ljubicic, who edged former Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson 7-6(4), 7-5.
"Obviously I want to win tomorrow," Ljubicic said. "It's a big event and it would be unbelievable to win this one. If I win tomorrow, I will buy everyone in the crowd a drink."
It is already the third final this year for Ljubicic, who lost to Federer in the Doha championship and to Joachim "The Jackhammer" Johansson at Marseille.
The doubles final will be (3) Suk/Vizner (d. (1) Knowles/Nestor in the semifinals) versus (4) Erlich/Ram (d. (2) Black/Ullyett).
Nadal Wins Second Career Title at ATP Costa Do Sauipe
Spaniard Rafael "The Prodigy" Nadal began fulfilling his 2005 promise Saturday at the ATP stop in Costa Do Sauipe, rolling countryman Al Martin 6-0, 6-7(2), 6-1 for his second career title.
Nadal led 6-0, 3-0 before the wheels came off, but regained his composure in the third set.
"I was leading easily doing simple things and playing well," the 18-year-old Nadal said. "I even thought it was too easy, and in a final, things can turn around really quickly. I got a little tense and he managed to come back...It gives me a lot of confidence and tells me that I am doing the right things. I wanted to get a certain number of points during this clay swing and I have achieved this goal."
Martin admitted nerves did him in against the rising star.
"I was very, very nervous at the beginning and he played well," Martin said. "I was thinking too much about the match, the final and put too much pressure on myself."
The doubles title was claimed by No. 3-seeded Czechs Frantisek Cermak and Leos Friedl, who defeated the unseeded Argentine tandem of Jose Acasuso and Ignacio Gonzalez King 6-4, 6-4 for their tour-leading second title of 2005.
Venus Joneses for Diamond Racquet Against Mauresmo in WTA Antwerp Final
Top seed Amelie Mauresmo defeated Alicia Molik 6-3, 7-6(2) Saturday to reach her second final in two weeks.
Molik cracked serving at 2-3 in the first with a double fault and a handful of unforced errors to hand Mauresmo the break.
"There was great intensity in the match," Mauresmo said. "I was extremely happy with my service."
Both players held serve throughout the second set until the tiebreak, where the Frenchwoman easily rolled through to the victory.
In the final Mauresmo will face No. 3 seed Venus Williams, who outlasted No. 2 Anatasia Myskina 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.
With a win in the final Williams would be awarded the 1 million Euro (US $1.3 million) Diamond Games gem-covered racquet, given to the player who wins Antwerp three times in a five-year span.
"Would it be nice to win it?" Venus said. "Well of course, but no drama if I don't. The thought of the final will not prevent me sleeping well, for sure. Do I know where I would put it in my home? Oh, several places could be nice."
Zuluaga Reign Ends at WTA Bogota
Spanish qualifier Lourdes Dominguez Lino ended the reign of top-seeded Fabiola Zuluaga Saturday at the WTA claycourt stop in Bogota, edging the three-time defending champion 7-6(7), 7-6(3).
In the final Dominguez Lino will try to extent her run against No. 2 seed Flavia Pennetta, who ended another Cinderella run, that or Argentine wildcard Clarisa Fernandez 6-4, 6-2.
It is the first WTA final for the 5'4" Dominguez Lino, who spent the majority of last year on the minor-league ITF circuit, and was a qualifier at the US Open.
The final will be the first meeting between the Argentine and Italian.
Off-court during the weekend in Bogota, the Colombian army captured 10 smugglers and seized four tons of cocaine in a haul worth more than US $100 million. According to the smugglers the drugs were planned to be carried to a Caribbean country, then transported to the U.S.
Zvonareva Beats Shaughnessy for 2nd Consecutive WTA Memphis Title
No. 3 seed Meghann Shaughnessy led 3-0 with a break point for 4-0 Saturday in the final at the WTA stop in Memphis, but it was top-seeded Vera Zvonareva fighting back for a 7-6(3) 6-2 win for her second consecutive Memphis title.
"I was just trying to find my game," Zvonareva said. "She was playing really well and attacking my serve right away...Once I hit a couple of good shots, I was OK."
The Russian did not lose a set in five matches during the week.
"When I was on the court, I wasn't really thinking I was the defending champ," Zvonareva said. "I was trying to play my best."
Shaughnessy was disappointed with her letdown after being a point away from going up two breaks in the first set.
"I lost a little intensity," Shaughnessy said. "It was a good week. I really feel like I played some good tennis. I'm disappointed I didn't keep it together for the finals."
In the doubles final, Japanese qualifiers Miho Saekim and Yuka Yoshida stunned No. 3-seeded Americans Laura Granville and Abagail Spears 6-3, 6-4.
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