Nadal Out of Paris; Federer, Sharapova Win Titles
Posted on October 30, 2006
Nadal Pulls From Paris with Abdominal InjuryWorld No. 2 Rafael Nadal's second half of the season went from bad to worse on Sunday when the Spaniard pulled from the Masters Series-Paris, the last regular-season event of the year, with an abdominal injury.
In his five events since reaching the Wimbledon final Nadal has failed to advance past the quarterfinal round.
A medical scan revealed a small abdominal tear on Saturday after he felt pain during practice earlier in the week according to MS-Paris organizers.
"Everything was going well until I started trying to serve. That's when I felt pain," said Nadal as reported by the French tennis federation's website. "I trained on Friday, but the pain got worse."
Since Wimbledon the Spaniard has endured losses to Tomas Berdych (twice), Juan Carlos Ferrero, Mikhail Youzhny and Joachim Johansson.
"I was practicing hard to get ready," Nadal said. "But they told me I must rest one week, so I cannot play here. I was really looking forward to taking part, especially since I missed the last two years."
Ivan Ljubicic, Andy Roddick, Marcos Baghdatis and David Nalbandian have also pulled out of the event citing injury or illness, with MS-Paris organizers the usual victim of the long season.
Nadal will have a little more than two weeks to heal-up before the Masters Cup in Shanghai on Nov. 13, where he will be seeded second behind rival Roger Federer.
Untouchable Federer Tops Gonzo for Basel Title
Basel native Roger Federer finally won his home tournament in his seventh try, Sunday defeating defending champion Fernando Gonzalez of Chile in a final for the second straight week 6-3, 6-2, 7-6(5).
Federer beat the Chilean at the ATP Masters Series event in Madrid last Sunday, and now has a 9-0 edge in their rivalry, and has won his last 24 straight matches included four consecutive titles.
"It's quite incredible," Federer said. "You come back from Tokyo, and you have the indoor season coming along, and you hope it will go well. Winning Madrid and Basel back-to-back is so hard to do -- especially winning Basel, my home tournament. It's one of those moments I'll never forget."
Federer has now won 11 titles this year, matching his totals for each of the past two years, and more than doubling James Blake and Nadal, who are tied for second with five. Federer is the first player in Open Era history to record double-digit numbers in titles for three consecutive years.
"In tennis, we have so many opportunities to win in different countries," Federer said. "Each title has a different meaning. That's why it's so easy for me to stay motivated. Every time I enter an event it's because I want to play before these people."
Gonzalez, 26, was playing in his third straight final, joining him with Federer and Nadal as the only players to accomplish that feat this year. Gonzalez was runner-up in Madrid last week (l. to Federer) and in Vienna two weeks ago (l. to Ljubicic).
"Federer was playing great tennis again today," said Gonzo who drops to 7-8 career in finals. "His form is great for tennis, but not so great for his opponents."
Gasquet Breezes Through All-French Final for Lyon Title
In an all-French final, Richard Gasquet beat Marc Gicquel 6-3, 6-1 Sunday for his third title of the year to win in Lyon.
"I am very happy to win such a prestigious tournament here in France," Gasquet said. "It is my first title in my home country, and it means a lot."
The 20-year-old Gasquet has won 26 of his last 34 matches since mid-June, including titles at Nottingham, Gstaad and now Lyon.
Gasquet becomes the youngest player with three ATP titles this year; he is 3-1 in finals this year and 4-3 for his career. He was runner-up to Roger Federer at the ATP Masters Series event in Toronto in August.
"I want to enjoy this victory a little bit, but I quickly need to put all my energy into next week at Paris-Bercy," added Gasquet. "It's the last tournament of the season, and I never won a match there. I think I am playing great, have a lot confidence and I hope I can do well."
Gasquet and Federer are the only ATP players to have reached finals on all four surfaces this year: hardcourts, clay, grass and indoor carpet.
Gicquel, 29, was playing in the first final of his career.
"I can only congratulate him, because he played unbelievable, and I couldn't do anything against him today," Gicquel said. "I'll never forget this week here in Lyon. It's been amazing. I reached my first ATP final and played the best tennis of my life."
St. Pete Title Brings Ancic Closer to Masters Cup
Mario Ancic of Croatia defeated defending champion Thomas Johansson of Sweden 7-5, 7-6(2) Sunday at St. Petersburg, earning his second title of the year and keeping alive his chances to qualify for the Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai next month.
"It is difficult to play against a friend like Thomas," Ancic said. "He is one of my best friends on tour. I hope we can play more finals against each other. It was my first time in Russia and I really felt great here. It is a great experience."
With Sunday's victory, Ancic claimed the No. 10 spot in the race for himself ahead of the injured Marcos Baghdatis. Ancic has 387 points, leaving him only 23 behind No. 8 Tommy Robredo. Ancic will earn 25 points if he can make it to the quarterfinals at the ATP Masters Series event in Paris this coming week. And he may meet Fernando Gonzalez, No. 9 in the race, in the third round there.
"I am still in the race to qualify for Shanghai's Masters Cup, and next week it is all going to be decided," added Ancic. "I am sure it will be an exciting week."
In his match Sunday, Ancic broke Johansson twice, while the Swede could return the favor only once. Ancic was able to capture 31 points on Johansson's serve, while the Swede was only able to win 13 against the Croat's big delivery.
Ancic, 22, has won 13 of 17 matches since coming back last month from back and knee injuries that sidelined him for most of the summer. This was his first time playing in St. Petersburg.
"I want to congratulate my friend Mario for the great match he played today," Johansson said. "I think he deserved it. It was great to be here again, where everyone knows I like to play."
Johansson was playing his first final since winning the St. Petersburg Open last year and slipped to 9-4 in career finals. He also won St. Peter event in 1997.
Clijsters Back This Week at Belgian Event
HASSELT, Belgium -- Despite missing the last two months with a nagging wrist injury, Kim Clijsters' season could still end on a high note. Playing in front of a home crowd this week at the Gaz de France Stars, the Belgian is aiming to defend her title and gain match experience for the Sony Ericsson Championships next week at Madrid Arena.
"I can truly say now that I'll be ready on Wednesday for my first match," top-seeded Clijsters said. "And playing before my home audience, that's always a great pleasure. I increased speed and intensity in my workouts last week and wasn't hindered by my wrist."
Her left wrist became a problem in August at the Rogers Cup in Montreal when she retired in her first match. She withdrew from Luxembourg, Stuttgart and Moscow and looks for a successful comeback at this Tier III event. Clijsters had a perfect week here last year, not dropping a set in five matches, while improving her record to 7-1. Her first opponent this year is a qualifier.
No.2 seed Francesca Schiavone hopes for a re-match with Clijsters this week. The Italian was swept off the court, 62 63, by the former world No.1 in the final last year, but enters this week with some momentum. Just last month, she made her eighth Tour final at Luxembourg and claimed the doubles title (with Kveta Peschke), which helped her qualify for the Sony Ericsson Championships next month. Schiavone's first opponent this week is Meghann Shaughnessy.
Rounding out the seeds are Ana Ivanovic (No.3), Anna-Lena Groenefeld (No.4), Ai Sugiyama (No.5), Vera Zvonareva (No.6), Samantha Stosur (No.7) and Mara Santangelo (No.8).
This is the third staging of the Gaz de France Stars. Elena Dementieva hoisted the trophy here two years ago. The winner this year takes home $28,000, while the finalist will pocket $14,650.
-- WTA
Jankovic Top-Seeded at Quebec City
QUEBEC CITY, Canada -- Top seed Jelena Jankovic will try to crown her superb season with her first Sony Ericsson WTA Tour title this week at the Challenge Bell, one of two Tier III hardcourt events before winter break.
The Serb surged into the spotlight this year by staging one of the most impressive season turnarounds. After starting the year on a 10-match losing streak, she regrouped this summer by reaching her first Tour singles final of the year at Los Angeles. She followed up with a run to the US Open semifinals, upsetting a pair of Top 10 stars along the way. The 21-year-old has made it to the quarterfinals or further at five of her last six events. Milagros Sequera, a 2003 Quebec City finalist, awaits here in the first round.
No.2 seed Marion Bartoli also posted some impressive hardcourt results this season. The Frenchwoman won her first event of the season at Auckland and returned to best form in the fall, reaching the Bali final and winning Tokyo. Bartoli reached the semis here last year and retired against Sofia Arvidsson due to dizziness. Her first opponent this week is Galina Voskoboeva.
Rounding out the seeds are Arvidsson (No.3), Severine Br˜Dnd (No.4), Sybille Bammer (No.5), Shenay Perry (No.6), Jamea Jackson (No.7) and Olga Poutchkova (No.8). Unseeded Vania King could be a serious threat for Jankovic in the second round. The American teen captured her first Tour singles title this month at the PTT Bangkok Open.
This is the 14th staging of the Challenge Bell. Former champions include Amy Frazier (2005), Martina Sucha (2004), Maria Sharapova (2003), Elena Bovina (2002), Meghann Shaughnessy (2001), Chanda Rubin (2000) and Jennifer Capriati (1999). The winner this year earns $28,000, while the finalist takes home $14,650.
-- WTA
Sharapova Wins 3rd Straight Title at Linz
LINZ, Austria -- Throughout her week at the Generali Ladies Linz, Maria Sharapova faced stern opposition but always managed to earn victory in straight sets, no matter what kind of tight situation she was in. And the story was much the same in Sunday afternoon's championship final against Nadia Petrova. The Russian teenager battled back from a 5-3 first set deficit and took complete control in the second set to prevail over her compatriot, 75 62, capturing an impressive fifth Sony Ericsson WTA Tour singles title of the year, and the 15th of her career.
It was the eighth time this season that the top two seeds would battle for a title; and for just the third time it was the favorite who downed the No.2 seed, as an inspired Sharapova battled back from 40-15 and double set point while trailing 5-3 in the opening set, reeling off four straight games to complete the mini-comeback. After staying relatively even through the first five games of the second set it was again the youngster who took charge, losing just one more point from 3-2 in winning the last three games and ultimately the match. She is now 5-1 against Petrova.
"I'm playing with more confidence because I'm playing more," Sharapova said. "I'm more fit. I feel as I play more matches, I'm getting better and better. I'm excited that at this point in my career I'm fit to win three tournaments in a row."
Sharapova's three-tournament streak began at the US Open, where she claimed her second major title, and continued through Zurich last week and now Linz this week. She has won 16 matches in a row, one shy of Justine Henin-Hardenne's season-best, and is now tied with Petrova and the Belgian in 2006 titles won.
"It's been an incredible year," said Sharapova, who won her first two titles of the year at Indian Wells and San Diego. "Winning another major has been great. It's been a really cool year, I've been consistent and have had some great results."
The eventual champion did not drop a set all week, but it was by no means easy. She broke away after a service break-less first 10 games with Eleni Daniilidou in her opening round to win, 75 61; she played clutch tie-break tennis and held off a late-match surge from fellow teen Ana Ivanovic in the quarters, 76(3) 75; and in the semifinals she played Patty Schnyder, who was fighting valiantly for one of the remaining season-ending berths, and posted a 75 75 victory.
Petrova also compiled a solid week, notching easy straight set wins over Shahar Peer, Samantha Stosur and Nicole Vaidisova on the way to her 12th career final. She is now 6-6 in those, and 5-2 this season.
It was the 10th all-Russian singles final in Tour history; Sharapova is now 2-1 in her three such finals. She is projected to rise from No.3 to No.2 on the new Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Singles Rankings, marking the first time in over a year she'll be ranked among the Top 2.
The new Linz champion now looks to continue her fall form at the upcoming Sony Ericsson Championships, which begin in just over a week in Madrid.
"I'm looking forward to it. This is the road to that, and that's the important one."
Raymond and Stosur continue fall resurgence with doubles title
The world's top-ranked team continued their return to winning form with an easy championship victory over a first-time pairing. The top-seeded duo trounced the unseeded American-Slovenian tandem of Corina Morariu and Katarina Srebotnik, 63 60, for its Sony Ericsson WTA Tour-leading eighth title of the season.
Raymond and Stosur claimed titles earlier in the season at Tokyo [Pan Pacific], Memphis, Indian Wells, Miami, Charleston and Roland Garros, but failed to claim another through the grass court season and the US Open Series, which are likely some of their strongest seasons. But, they have returned to the winner's circle twice already this fall, winning in Stuttgart and now here in Linz.
Raymond and Stosur now own 13 titles together. Since joining forces early last summer, the American-Australian tandem holds an 80-19 record. Their next match will mark their 100th as a team.
-- WTA
Davydenko Qualifies for Masters Cup; 7 Vie for 3 Spots
From Press Release
Shanghai, China -- The tightly contested Race to the Tennis Masters Cup comes down to the wire this week at the BNP Paribas Masters, the ninth ATP Masters Series event of the season. Paris provides the sole stage for three more players to earn a spot in the prestigious circuit finale in Shanghai.
Russian Nikolay Davydenko, No. 5 in the INDESIT ATP 2006 Race, secured his second consecutive qualification in the Tennis Masters Cup on Sunday. Davydenko is assured of his circuit finale berth as four players cannot surpass him in the Race standings at the BNP Paribas Masters. This week's winner will add 100 Race points to his 2006 total ahead of the Tennis Masters Cup to be held at Shanghai's Qi Zhong Stadium from November 12-19.
The 25-year-old Davydenko reached the semifinals in his Tennis Masters Cup debut last year, going a perfect 3-0 in round robin action before falling to eventual champion David Nalbandian, who currently stands at No. 6 in the Race standings with 439 points. Davydenko joins Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Ivan Ljubicic and Andy Roddick as players who have already qualified for the Tennis Masters Cup.
Davydenko captured a career-high four ATP titles in six finals this season, titling in Poertschach, Sopot, New Haven and Moscow. The top Russian eclipsed the 60-win mark for the first time by winning the Moscow title, which also marked the 14th time in 2006 that he had reached the quarterfinals or better. Davydenko turned in a personal-best finish at the US Open by advancing to the semifinals and also reached the quarterfinals at the Australian Open and Roland Garros to propel him to his second straight Top 10 finish.
Chilean Fernando Gonzalez and Croat Mario Ancic, respectively No. 9 and No. 10 in the INDESIT ATP 2006 Race, take their heated Tennis Masters Cup pursuit to Paris this week, and are seeded to face off in a third round meeting that will end one contender's Shanghai bid. The two have split their previous four encounters, with Ancic claiming the last two.
Gonzalez moved to within eight points of No. 8 Tommy Robredo in the Race standings and nine points of No. 7 James Blake following his appearance in the Davidoff Swiss Indoors Basel final on Sunday, his third consecutive runner-up finish. The Chilean has added 122 Race points to his season total over the past three weeks, putting him within reach of his second appearance in Shanghai. Last year, Gonzalez went 1-1 in round robin action as an alternate.
"I have a good chance to qualify for Shanghai, which I don't want to miss," said Gonzalez on the eve of the BNP Paribas Masters. "It would be great to qualify for the Masters Cup."
Meanwhile, the 22-year-old Ancic moved ahead of Marcos Baghdatis (out of Paris with an injury, and therefore out of contention for a Tennis Masters Cup berth) to No. 10 in the Race standings and closed the gap on the final Shanghai spot to 23 points by winning the St. Petersburg Open title. Ancic will earn 25 points should he advance to the Paris quarterfinals. He said: "I am still in the race to qualify for Shanghai's Masters Cup, and next week it is all going to be decided. I am sure it will be an exciting week."
Another intriguing potential third round match in Paris will pit Tennis Masters Cup contenders Blake and Tommy Haas, No. 12 in the standings, against each other for the third time. Haas never has defeated Blake, and will need to do so to maintain his outside shot of qualifying for Shanghai. Both Haas and No. 13 Tomas Berdych, the defending BNP Paribas Masters champion, will need to win the Paris title to have any chance of making their first appearance in the circuit finale. Berdych upset five seeded players en route to his first ATP Masters Series title last year.
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TENNIS-X NEWS, NOTES, QUOTES AND BARBS
Roger Federer celebrated his 11th title of the season at Basel by serving pizza to ballkids at the event where he once served as a ballboy. Federer says he will decide today whether to play in Paris, with Rafael Nadal already out with injury: "I'll wait until Monday, I've got to give myself a day of thought. I've played a lot, this is my 92nd match of the season."...Brad Gilbert speaking to The Times Online in Paris on charge Andy Murray: "I never worried about what anyone said. I found out for myself that he is a good kid, who's a hard worker, who isn't satisfied, who wants to get better and so that is what we will strive to do. The psychological aspect is the most intense part of the relationship. There you are, two guys travelling in close proximity, eating meals together, hitting tennis balls together. The coach works for the player but has to be able to demand a lot from the player and demand it fearlessly. The vibe has to be exactly right...I don't think any of the stuff around him will change [referring to the media attention]. There are a lot of things that happen that a 19-year-old would prefer not to have to worry about, but he knows he just has to deal with them. He has a pretty good head on his shoulders, I've discovered that. He knows that at the top of the rankings, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have put a lot of distance between themselves and the rest and that there are a lot of young guys out here like (Richard) Gasquet, (Tomas) Berdych and (Novak) Djokovic, who are desperate to close the gap, as well."...Ivan Lendl's $25 million home has been on the market almost 600 days...Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram are the first Israeli team to qualify for the Masters Cup doubles...Roger Federer has won his last four events, while Fernando Gonzalez has lost in the finals in his last three...Maria Sharapova has won 16 straight matches and not lost since before the US Open...Highlights Monday at the MS-Paris are Safin vs. Mahut, (1) Bryan/Bryan vs. Spaniards Robredo/Verdasco, and Ginepri vs. (Q) Max "The Beast" Mirnyi.