Federer One Match From Borg Record; Sharapova Shocked
Posted on June 18, 2006
American Jackson Shocks Sharapova at WTA BirminghamUnheralded American Jamea Jackson caused the upset of the young grasscourt season Saturday, upending former Wimbledon champ Maria Sharapova 6-4, 6-4 to reach the final at the ATP stop in Birmingham.
"Jamea was on top of her game," said Sharapova who was far from her ball-striking best. "She served well, kept making me hit an extra ball and took the initiative from the beginning, breaking my service and shooting into the lead, which set the tone for the match...I was a little bit flat and didn't seem able to put more than two or three points together. I wasn't playing my game because Jamea just didn't allow me to."
The 19-year-old Jackson punished the Sharapova serve with consistent returns.
"I really am stunned," said Jackson, who was 0-2 versus Sharapova entering the match. "She's a great player and she'd won here the past two years. So for me, this is huge, by far the biggest win of my career. I played extremely aggressive because I knew I had to. You can't fall behind on grass and once I got ahead I believed in myself and this was the key."
It was only the fourth career loss on grass for Sharapova.
In the all-unseeded final Jackson will face Russian former Top 10er Vera Zvonareva, who came from a set down to defeat American qualifier Meilen Tu 5-7, 6-4, 6-3.
"It's a great feeling to be in a final again. I'm so excited," Zvonareva said. "Tu is an unbelievable player, and I was very lucky to escape in the second set, but I think she got tired after playing six games here."
Blake Beats Roddick to Gain Hewitt Match-Up at Queens
It has been a year of firsts for James Blake, who Saturday took a big step in overtaking Andy Roddick to become the No. 1-ranked American by the end of Wimbledon.
Blake recorded his first-ever win over Roddick Saturday in the semifinals at Queen's in seven attempts, defeating the three-time defending champion 7-5, 6-4.
The No. 5-seeded Blake sputtered serving for the first set at 5-4, committing a string of nervous unforced errors to drop serve at love before immediately breaking Roddick in the next game and serving it out at 7-5. Serving at 5-4 in the second it appeared Blake might go for the throat-clutcher again, serving up a double fault on his first match point, but on the next point punctuating a rally with a backhand winner down the line to record the historic win.
Blake is finally making headway against the top players on tour, earlier this year beating Lleyton Hewitt for the first time in the final of The Tennis Channel Open in Las Vegas.
In the final Blake will face the No. 8-seeded Hewitt, who outlasted unseeded Brit Tim Henman who had a mental meltdown in the third set of a 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 loss.
Leading by a break at 2-1 in the third, Henman was robbed at game point when a subsequent replay showed the ball had caught the back of the line. Henman's arguing and audible obscenity failed to change the chair umpire's mind, and the upset Brit promptly dropped the next five games to hand Hewitt the match.
Blake had lost his first six meetings against the former Wimbledon champ Hewitt before breaking through in the Las Vegas final, with this their first meeting on grass.
Federer Works to Reach Final at ATP Halle
World No. 1 Roger Federer was tested yet again on grass Saturday in the semifinals at the ATP stop in Halle, his third consecutive three-set win in dispatching of former No. 2-ranked German Tommy Haas 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-3 to gain the final at the Gerry Weber Open.
"It's quite exceptional I think," said Federer, appearing in his 15th consecutive tournament final dating to his semifinal loss to Rafael Nadal at the 2005 French Open. "I told my girlfriend, my manager, coach and everybody that after I made the finals in Paris, I only have finals and wins to defend. That's kind of tough, but I'm happy I keep that streak up."
In the final the Swiss, whose grasscourt streak is now at 40 consecutive matches, one shy of Bjorn Borg's record, will face No. 5 Tomas Berdych who eased past No. 8 Kristof Vliegen 6-3, 6-2.
Federer has beaten the Czech in their last two meetings on clay, but lost in their first encounter on hardcourts at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
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TENNIS-X NEWS, NOTES, QUOTES AND BARB
Jelena Dokic received a wildcard into the Wimbledon qualifying (ouch) while the No. 170-plus-ranked Mark Philippoussis received a main draw wildcard...Goran Ivanisevic reminiscing to The Guardian on his Wimbledon win: "Oh, I remember every day, those 15 beautiful days. I still cannot believe I won. I don't know why or how. I was 125 in the world. I was a wildcard. I play really bad, so bad that three days before Wimbledon I change my racket. I thought I cannot play worse. I can play better or the same, but not worse. Why I started to play good on that Monday, what happened, I don't know."...Maria Sharapova after her Birmingham loss: "I'll head to London and start preparing for Wimbledon. I just need to practice a few things and keep working hard next week and I'll look forward to playing my favorite grand slam. No doubt I'm disappointed to lose, but I'll be fine tomorrow, and in particular once I start practicing on the Wimbledon courts. This is by no means a complete disaster. I've played four matches in four days, and they're a good reality check."...Andy Murray has taken a wildcard at Nottingham...Fernando Gonzalez blogging for the ATP: "Believe it or not, I have a ticket to watch the final of the World Cup! The bad thing is that the World Cup final is in the same day as the Wimbledon final. Thus I am not quite sure if I want to be able to go the World Cup final! I would prefer still be playing at Wimbledon..."...From Alix Ramsay writing for The Scotsman: "[Andy] Roddick is in dire need of a decent run of form. He has been scratching around the globe, looking either lost or petulant, for the past 18 months. In fact, from the moment he sacked Brad Gilbert as his coach at the end of 2004, he has been going backwards. Gilbert had persuaded Roddick to concentrate and to focus on his own strengths. With a simple game plan, a terrifying serve and walloping forehand, and his confidence sky high, there was no stopping A-Rod (as he likes to be called). The only trouble was that Gilbert never stops talking and Roddick, after a time, got bored with listening. The relationship went sour and Gilbert was given his marching orders. Although Roddick currently enjoys the position of No. 5 in the world, he has not managed to win four consecutive matches at any event since last October when he was on his way to the title in Lyon, the last piece of silverware he added to his collection."