Bautista Agut Batters Finals Rookie Medvedev for ATP Chennai Crown
Posted by Staff on January 8th, 2017 @ 5:57 pm
Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut continued his January success of late, winning a title in the first week of 2017 by topping 20-year-old Russian Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 6-4 in the Aircel Chennai Open final on Sunday in India.
Last year the Spaniard won Auckland in January, one of two titles during 2016 in addition to Sofia.
“It’s my fifth time in a row coming here,” Bautista Agut said. “This tournament has helped …
Dimitrov Beats Nishikori to Break 2-1/2 Year Title Drought
Posted by Jeremy Davis on January 8th, 2017 @ 5:38 pm
Grigor Dimitrov a few years ago saw the “Baby Fed” nickname drop away because:
a) He didn’t like it.
b) Roger Federer didn’t like it.
c) Maria Sharapova didn’t like dating babies.
d) He didn’t deserve it because he stopped winning titles.
e) All of the above.
A new nickname may be in order after the first week of the 2017 season as the Bulgarian looked dominant over seven days in winning his first title in …
Novak Djokovic Defends Doha Title, Beats Rival Andy Murray In 3 Set Thriller
Posted by Staff on January 8th, 2017 @ 1:00 am
Novak Djokovic got back in the win column for the first time in six months and he did it by beating main rival Andy Murray 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 in the final of the Doha.
Djokovic, who won the Doha title last year, had to save five match points in a comeback win Friday to beat Fernando Verdasco in the semifinals.
But in the final, Djokovic showed no early signs of sloppiness playing …
Thiem, ‘C’-Level Marquee Players at ATP Sydney, Auckland; Previews
Posted by Staff on January 7th, 2017 @ 10:17 pm
APIA INTERNATIONAL SYDNEY
Sydney, Australia; surface: hard
Seeds: Dominic Thiem, Pablo Cuevas, Viktor Troicki, Pablo Carreno Busta, Philipp Kohlschreiber, Gilles Muller, Martin Klizan, Marcel Granollers
Floaters: Fernando “Hot Sauce” Verdasco, Fabio Fognini, Alexandr Dolgopolov, Nicolas Mahut
Notes: Only one Top 10er in Thiem…The Top 4 seeds receive opening-round byes…(8) Granollers starts against Hot Sauce, (5) Kohlschreiber vs. Fognini, and (6) Muller vs. Dolgopolov…(2) Cuevas looking at a tough encounter with Mahut 2nd rd…Wildcards were …
WTA Previews: Kerber, 6 of Top 10 in Sydney; Ho-Hum in Hobart
Posted by Staff on January 7th, 2017 @ 9:24 pm
APIA INTERNATIONAL SYDNEY
Sydney, Australia; surface: hard
Seeds: Angelique Kerber, Agnieszka Radwanska, Dominika Cibulkova, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Johanna Konta, Elina Svitolina, Elena Vesnina, Roberta Vinci
Floaters: Laura Siegemund, Sam Stosur, Irina-Camelia Begu, Monica Puig, Belinda Bencic, Sloane Stephens, CoCo Vandeweghe, Caroline Wozniacki
Notes: Six of the Top 10 in attendance…Lots of unseeded floaters including a former No. 1 and a Slam winner…Tough starts for (3) Cibulkova vs. last year’s breakout player Siegemund, (5) Kuznetsova vs. …
Dimitrov Downs Raonic, Will Face Nishikori For Brisbane Title
Posted by Staff on January 7th, 2017 @ 5:43 pm
Grigor Dimitrov rolled past defending champion Milos Raonic 7-6, 6-2 to advance to a Brisbane final showdown against Kei Nishikori.
“It’s just one of those matches that you just need to be ready,” Dimitrov said. “Milos is one of the biggest servers out there. I mean, I knew what to expect, so I just had to execute the right way.
“I felt everything went pretty well in the first set for me. …
Novak Djokovic Can’t Wait To Get Back Into His Hyperbaric Chamber Egg!
Posted by Tom Gainey on January 7th, 2017 @ 5:09 pm
Following his second straight title in Doha where he beat rival Andy Murray in three sets, Novak Djokovic talked about his use of the hyperbaric chamber, or egg, to help improve his performance and his recovery. He admitted, he still uses them so he explained why.
“We breathe in 20% normally, and under pressurized conditions you breathe in 100% oxygen, again, which of course does many different beneficial things for your …
Novak Djokovic: Beating Murray To Win Doha Is The Best Scenario I Could Have Asked For
Posted by Tom Gainey on January 7th, 2017 @ 4:55 pm
Novak Djokovic is all smiles today after collecting his first title since Canada in beating rival Andy Murray 63, 57, 64 to win his second straight Doha title.
“Best scenario I could ask for for beginning of the season,” Djokvoic said. “Playing all five matches in this tournament and then three hours against No. 1 of the world, biggest rival, and winning in a thrilling marathon match is something that definitely …
Andy Murray: It’s Disappointing To Lose To Novak, But It Doesn’t Change My Chances At The Australian Open
Posted by Tom Gainey on January 7th, 2017 @ 4:47 pm
Andy Murray 28-match win streak came to and end today at the hand of rival Novak Djokovic who beat the Scot in a thrilling Doha final 63, 57, 64.
The loss was Murray’s first since losing to Juan Martin del Potro in the Davis Cup semifinals back in September. But, Murray says, it won’t hurt his chances of finally winning an Australian Open title.
“I still think I have a chance of …
American Lauren Davis Dismantles Konjuh for 1st Career WTA Title
Posted by Special on January 7th, 2017 @ 10:46 am
The first week of WTA tour play meant a first-ever title for diminutive American Lauren Davis, the No. 8 seed, who in the final defeated former world No. 1 junior Ana Konjuh 6-3, 6-1 for the ASB Classic crown in Auckland, New Zealand.
The 5-foot-2 Davis came out slugging, while the 19-year-old Konjuh’s game was plagued by unforced errors and double faults.
The two had met two years ago in Auckland, where …
US Open Finalist Pliskova Wins 1st 2017 Title at WTA Brisbane
Posted by Staff on January 7th, 2017 @ 9:47 am
Defending US Open finalist Karolina Pliskova took off where she started late last season, winning a title in the first week of 2017, rolling over France’s Alize Cornet 6-0, 6-3 in the Brisbane International final.
“I didn’t miss almost the whole set in the first set,” Pliskova said. “I was feeling pretty good today.”
Last year Pliskova was a two-time title winner, raising trophies at Nottingham and Cincinnati, where she denied …
My 2017 Top 10: Is It Novak Djokovic Or Andy Murray, And Can They Hold Off The Next Wave?
Posted by Sean Randall on January 6th, 2017 @ 6:54 pm
With Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal “playing out the string”, and the young guns still a year or so away from taking over, the 2017 No. 1 race is going to come down to the current Top 2: Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic.
So how will it look at the very end? Here’s my Top 10:
10. Juan Martin Del Potro
Very unfortunate that he’s missing Australia, but I think if he can …
Rafael Nadal Says You Cannot Predict Anything Off The First Few Weeks Of The Season
Posted by Sean Randall on January 6th, 2017 @ 5:36 pm
Rafael Nadal tells it like it is. After losing earlier today to Milos Raonic in Brisbane, Nadal warned that his 5-1 start to the season (including his exo Abu Dhabi title), doesn’t mean diddly.
“Last year I felt that I was ready, played great in Abu Dhabi, played great in Doha, I had a good week of practice in Melbourne, and then I lost in the first round,” Nadal said. …
Raonic Beats Nadal To Reach Brisbane SFs; Nishikori v Wawrinka Saturday
Posted by Sean Randall on January 6th, 2017 @ 5:23 pm
There not just good tennis in Doha tomorrow, it’s also happening in Australia where in Brisbane we have a very solid men’s semifinal line-up.
Much earlier today, defending champion Milos Raonic knocked out Rafael Nadal from a set down 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 to set up a showdown with Grigor Dimitrov, who was a 3-set winner over Dominic Thiem.
So far I’ve only been able to watch the first set of Nadal-Raonic …
Djokovic Saves 5 MPs Against Verdasco, Will Meet Murray In Doha Final; Who’s The Pick?
Posted by Sean Randall on January 6th, 2017 @ 4:56 pm
We are not even a week into 2017 tennis season and already we are treated to a blockbuster final on the men’s tour! Once again, it’s Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic, this time in the Doha final tomorrow.
But it almost didn’t happen. In fact, it probably shouldn’t have. But thank you Fernando Verdasco!
Djokovic took the court first today in the semifinals and after jumping out to a 4-2 lead in …