Federer Wins Slam, Slams Djokovic Impressions
Posted on September 10, 2007
Federer Wins Slam No 12, Defeats Djokovic for US Open Crown
One took another step toward becoming the undisputed greatest player ever. The other showed he is a champion in the making, but mentally needs a little more time in the oven.
World No. 1 Roger Federer won his 12th Grand Slam title Sunday at the US Open, overcoming some lackluster play and an opponent who failed to take advantage of numerous opportunities in each set.
Federer defeated world No. 3-ranked Serb Novak Djokovic 7-6(4), 7-6(2), 6-4, with the Serb failing to convert on five set points in the first, and two set points in the second.
"I think one of the reasons, one of the biggest reasons for me being mentally weaker in that important moments and for me rushing in that important moments was that pressure, I can say, or that new experience I got, the Grand Slam finals," Djokovic said. "I had a lot of, lot of, lot of break points. Sometimes I was risking too much. Sometimes I was, you know, playing safe. And he used his opportunities, of course."
Djokovic had supporter Maria Sharapova in his player's box.
"No, let's not go too much with Maria," Djokovic said. "It's just a friendship we have. It was nice from her to come and support me. As well, Robert, he was yesterday on the match, and today. I mean, it's amazing feeling to see such a successful people, you know, in my box supporting me, playing with me I can say, living every emotional moment."
Federer showed a champion's game playing through some bad patches, but said Djokovic had something to do with that.
"I thought I played well when I had to," Federer said. "I've played better matches in the past, no doubt. But, you know, it's a big moment, a lot of pressure for both of us. It was a bit windy again today. Yeah, I mean, also the opponent plays a role in how good you can play. He made it hard to me in the beginning."
Federer becomes the first man in the Open Era to win four consecutive US Open titles, is the first player to win Wimbledon and the US Open back-to-back for four years, and his 12 Grand Slam titles are second to Pete Sampras' 14.
"I think about [the Grand Slam record] a lot now, honestly," Federer said. "In the beginning I felt put under pressure about the situation because you don't win Slams just like that, it's just too tough. But to come so close already at my age is fantastic, and I really hope to break it."
Davenport Makes Comeback at WTA Bali
BALI, Indonesia -- Seven of the world's Top 50, including Jelena Jankovic, Daniela Hantuchova and Patty Schnyder, will head for the idyllic Indonesian island of Bali this week for the seventh staging of the Commonwealth Bank Tennis Classic and all of them will be hoping to kick off this year's Asian swing in style. Another notable name in the draw is 2005 champion Lindsay Davenport, who has chosen the $225,000, Tier III event as the location for her eagerly anticipated singles comeback after nearly a year away from the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour.
Serbian star Jankovic is top seed in Bali and she will be hoping to add the hardcourt title to her burgeoning trophy cabinet. The 22-year-old from Belgrade has enjoyed a magnificent season to date, securing four Tour titles -- including the Tier I events in Charleston and Rome - and rising to a career-high ranking of No.3. In her only previous visit to the Grand Hyatt Bali, Jankovic made an ignominious first-round exit and she will be eager to improve on this when she gets her campaign underway against either Casey Dellacqua or Caroline Wozniacki.
Slovakia's Daniela Hantuchova will be the event's No.2 seed and after capturing one hardcourt title this year -- at Indian Wells -- she will be confident of repeating the trick in South East Asia. The 24-year-old world No.12 will be making her second appearance at the tournament and, like Jankovic, has a point to prove having fallen at the first hurdle on her previous visit 12 months ago.
Switzerland's Patty Schnyder is a two-time losing semifinalist in Indonesia and she will be desperate to go at least one better this time around. The 28-year-old from Basel has enjoyed success on hardcourts already this summer -- finishing runner-up to Maria Sharapova in San Diego -- and will fancy her chances of adding to her 20 victories on the surface this season. Schnyder currently sits at No.13 in the world rankings and will get her campaign underway with a first-round clash against Chinese teenager Shuai Zhang.
The remaining seeds are comprised tenacious Spaniard Anabel Medina Garrigues (No.4), Greece's in-from Eleni Daniilidou (No.5), Germany's Martina Muller (No.6), Japan's Aiko Nakamura (No.7) and Russia's Yaroslava Shvedova (No.8).
There are also several dark horses lurking in the draw with the ability to cause an upset or two and none more so than three-time Grand Slam winner, Lindsay Davenport. The 31-year-old American made her first appearance on Tour since September 2006 in the doubles at New Haven at the end of August, but this week will see her return to the fray in singles as well. It is a mere three months since Davenport gave birth to her first child, Jagger Jonathan Leach Davenport, a fact which makes her swift comeback all the more impressive.
In 2006 Svetlana Kuznetsova captured her third title in Bali, but after a grueling schedule this season the Russian has elected not to defend her title. The other two players to triumph at the picturesque venue are Elena Dementieva in 2003 and Angelique Widjaja in 2001. This year's winner will receive a cheque for $32,340, while the losing finalist will take home $17,560.
-- WTA
Davydenko, Gonzo Headline China Open: ATP Preview
Russian Nikolay Davydenko, the Energizer Bunny of the ATP also currently under investigation for betting match irregularities, jets from the US Open semifinals to the China Open this week headlining a field containing three Top 10 players at the time of entry.
Davydenko is joined by fellow Top 10ers Fernando "Gonzo" Gonzalez of Chile and Spain's Tommy Robredo.
Other seeded players are Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia, Cyprus' popular Marcos Baghdatis, Korean Hyung-Taik Lee, France's Jo-Wilfred Tsonga, and Russian Igor Kunitsyn. While Davydenko, Gonzalez, Robredo, Ljubicic and Baghdatis comprise Top 20-ranked players, the seeding drop off from there as Kunitsyn barely maintains a ranking inside the Top 100.
Wildcards for the event went to German Nicolas Kiefer, and China's Xin-Yuan Yu and Peng Sun.
Davydenko opens against American Zach Fleishman, and standouts in the field include Croatian junior comer Marin Cilic, and former Top 10er Rainer Schuettler.
In last year's final No. 3 seed Baghdatis steamrolled No. 4 Mario Ancic 6-4, 6-0.
Lack of Star Power on Clay at Bucharest: ATP Preview
The ATP powers that be are hoping to rein in the discombobulated tennis calendar in 2008. In the meantime, the week following the US Open illustrates the lack of continuity as players return to red clay at the BCR Open Romania in Bucharest, a tour-level event with a minor-league challenger-level field featuring players outside the Top 25 on the ATP Rankings.
Nicolas Almagro of Spain is the top seed, while fellow Spaniard Albert Montanes, almost ranked outside the Top 50, sneaks in as the No. 8 seed.
Other seeds are Italy's Filippo Volandri and Potito Starace, Austrian Jurgen Melzer, Russian Igor Andreev, and Frances Gilles Simon and Fabrice Santoro.
Wildcards went to Santoro and Romanians Victor Hanescu and Andrei Pavel.
In last year's final unseeded Jurgen Melzer of Austria beat No. 5 seed Filippo Volandri of Italy 6-1, 7-5 for the title.
TENNIS-X NEWS, NOTES, QUOTES AND BARBS
Lindsay Davenport is playing doubles with Daniela Hantuchova this week in Bali where she makes her return in singles...Roger Federer on the antics of Novak Djokovic: "Well, in the locker room he's always very respectful toward me, you know. He's pretty quiet. I only hear stuff. I didn't see the stuff he did on court the other day. I didn't see what apparently he did in the locker room either. For me, these things, you know, I only hear. But people don't really talk about it. I know some guys weren't happy. I know some guys might think it's funny...He's walking a tightrope, for sure."...From SI.com's Jon Wertheim: "So, easily a dozen of you wrote to me (and, for that matter, to NBC's Web site) complaining about the J-Block. I had always assumed this was a harmless cheering section of Connecticut Brahmins, adding some energy to James Blake's matches. I checked out the "block" for myself and, at the risk of sounding like Claude Raines, I was shocked by what I saw and heard. "Cheers" included "lock-and-load on him, James." Fabrice Santoro was told that "France sucks." Santoro was also asked: "Where were you during the war?" Tommy Haas was treated to a quick countdown as he prepared to serve. A fan in a neighboring box accurately yelled, "You guys are acting like bullies." Hey, we're all for more volume and enthusiastic cheering. We're all for "beering up" a gin-and-tonic crowd. But yelling "France sucks?" Yeesh. Especially given that decorum is Blake's stock-in-trade, it was surprising that his cheering section seems to have so little of it."...Mark Philippoussis is targeting the 2008 Australian Open for his main tour return.