Tennis Season 2013

[hugo]

GO NADAL!!!

[android]

It is going to be a long night What a great match sport at its best.

[shirley]

Congrats to Novak. I'm not a fan of either player but that was some final, especially the final set.

[hugo]

That was intense

[Eamon]

Nadal threw it away!

[android]

Two gladiators who went toe to toe, a 5 hour 53 minute epic just wonderful, breathtaking tennis.

[Formusic]

What a match !!! a bit sad for Nadal, he was trying to do his best, i now think he could beat Djokovic, it seems like Nadal just got over his recent defeats against him.

[oasisbobo]

Amazing final!

[Formusic]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis ... assic.html



The bare facts are that Djokovic won the Australian Open 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7, 7-5 in a match that lasted 5hr 53min. A marathon match for sure, except that this went far beyond that, into Iron Man territory.
One could only marvel at the players’ endurance and athleticism. Remember that Djokovic had invested 4?hr 50?min in the tricky business of subduing Andy Murray on Friday night. To go back to the well after less than 48 hours’ rest was a mind-boggling achievement. Goodness knows what his feet look like this morning.
Just because a match is long, it does not necessarily follow that the quality has to be high. The John Isner-Nicolas Mahut epic at Wimbledon two years ago was unfailingly one-dimensional.
But yesterday’s final was full of pulsating points, including one breathless 32-stroke rally, at 5-4 in the final set, that drew a standing ovation from the crowd.
What will linger in the mind is the courage and the commitment of these two men. They are the masters of the anti-choke — that rare and admirable ability to strike the most penetrating shots when on the verge of defeat.

This explains why their past two Grand Slam encounters have been so bewilderingly changeable. The US Open final last September was a minor classic, running to 4?hr 10?min. But you could take the drama of that night at Flushing Meadows, square it, and still not come close to what we saw here.
The first set was the least memorable of the five. Djokovic did not quite have his forehand calibrated in those early exchanges, allowing Nadal to break him twice. Still, as they sat down to prepare for the second set, the match clock was already ticking round towards the 82?min that it took Victoria Azarenka to win the women’s final on Saturday. The argument for equal pay has rarely looked so shaky.
In the second and third sets, Djokovic showed why he had beaten Nadal in their previous six meetings. He found his rhythm, and his peerless service return. The serve sits up higher on Melbourne’s Plexicushion courts than it does anywhere else, and no one is better at ramming it back at his opponent’s feet than Djokovic. Time and again, Nadal was forced to take his second shot on the half-volley.
“His return probably is one of the best in history,” said a disbelieving Nadal after the match. “[He makes it] almost every time.”
Djokovic cruised through the second and third sets, then moved to 4-3 in the fourth. He was bestriding the court, striking one shot in three from within the baseline, whereas the equivalent figure for Nadal — who was being forced so far back that the line-judges needed steel toecaps — was one in 20.
But the narrative had more twists left in it. At 0-40 down and facing three break points – effectively championship points — Nadal seemed to find a red button somewhere deep inside his psyche. He pressed it and went into overdrive, forsaking all caution and ripping winner after winner with that haymaker of a forehand. The meek figure of the previous two sets evaporated, and he began swinging his big left arm like a 500lb gorilla.
Djokovic’s break points were quickly swept away, and Nadal snatched the ensuing tie-break to set up a final set. As he went down on his knees to celebrate, the Australian Open was already half-an-hour into its third week. Babysitters across Melbourne must have been holding their employers to ransom.
At this late phase, the players could have been forgiven for shanking a few shots, or declining to chase the wide balls. Instead they were producing Hollywood tennis, each stroke so powerful and well-aimed that television viewers must have wondered if there was CGI trickery at work.
The only sign of strain was the grimace etched on Nadal’s face. Djokovic remained outwardly calm, although he could not help collapsing to the ground after losing that 32-shot rally late in the final set. He was cheered on by a vocal group of patriots, who held up an oil painting — done in the style of the Serbian Orthodox Church — of their hero as a saint.
Would Djokovic’s nerve crack? Hardly, for it must be made of titanium. He lost his serve to concede a 4-2 lead, then broke straight back when Nadal did the unthinkable, missing an easy backhand putaway down the line.
This is the frightening thing about playing Djokovic: miss just one opportunity and you know he will make you pay. Here is a man who has no technical weaknesses, makes hardly any errors and will never back down mentally. The challenge is stark: play a perfect game, or expect to lose.
And Nadal did lose, as Djokovic broke him again, then served out the match, staving off one final break point with a huge inside-out forehand. The champion had defended his title, and he ripped his shirt off and clenched his biceps like a weightlifter on Muscle Beach.
All that was left was an excruciatingly prolonged awards ceremony, in which the sponsors droned on so long that someone thoughtfully produced a pair of chairs for the players halfway through.
Djokovic sat half-slumped, his features blank and his eyes staring glassily into the distance. It was the face of a man who had exhausted all his inner reserves.
But inside you knew he was satisfied. He had just delivered one of the greatest sporting performances of the age.
Djokovic’s grand slams
2008 Australian Open
Beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 4–6, 6–4, 6–3, 7–6 (7–2). First grand slam final since 2005 Australian that did not feature Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal.
2011 Australian Open
Destroyed Andy Murray 6–4, 6–2, 6–3 in final.
2011 Wimbledon
By reaching final he took world No 1 ranking off Nadal, who he beat 6–4, 6–1, 1–6, 6–3.
2011 US Open
Beat defending champion Nadal 6-2, 6–4, 6–7 (3–7), 6–1 in final. It was Djokovic’s third grand slam of the year, only missing out on the French Open.
2012 Australian Open
Beat Nadal 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7 (5-7), 7-5 in longest grand slam final in history. Djokovic is 12th equal on list of most grand slams in open era. Federer is first with 16, Nadal fourth with 10.

[Formusic]

[Formusic]

ATP Rankings

Rank, Name & Nationality Points Week Change Tourn Played

1 Djokovic, Novak (SRB) 13,630 0 19
2 Nadal, Rafael (ESP) 10,435 0 20
3 Federer, Roger (SUI) 8,010 0 19
4 Murray, Andy (GBR) 6,900 0 20
5 Ferrer, David (ESP) 4,565 0 23
6 Tsonga, Jo-Wilfried (FRA) 4,425 0 25
7 Berdych, Tomas (CZE) 3,700 0 23
8 Fish, Mardy (USA) 2,965 0 23
9 Tipsarevic, Janko (SRB) 2,700 0 28
10 Del Potro, Juan Martin (ARG) 2,630 1 22


WTA Rankings

1 3 Azarenka, Victoria 31/07/89 BLR 8585 21
2 2 Kvitova, Petra 08/03/90 CZE 7690 19
3 4 Sharapova, Maria 19/04/87 RUS 7560 14
4 1 Wozniacki, Caroline 11/07/90 DEN 7085 22
5 5 Stosur, Samantha 30/03/84 AUS 5430 21
6 8 Radwanska, Agnieszka 06/03/89 POL 5330 21
7 9 Bartoli, Marion 02/10/84 FRA 4770 28
8 7 Zvonareva, Vera 07/09/84 RUS 4695 22
9 6 Li, Na 26/02/82 CHN 4450 18
10 10 Petkovic, Andrea 09/09/87 GER 4000 19

[cidermaster]

I still find it hard to stomach that the women get the same prize money as men!!!!!!!!!!!

[android]

I still find it hard to stomach that the women get the same prize money as men!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't mind, however I think in the grand slams the women should play 5 set matches like the men.

[cooldeepak]

maria sharapova win olymic

[billoby]

I don't think there's anyone on here with k sport brakes though.
youth sport shirts

[Formusic]

http://espn.go.com/tennis/story/_/id/76 ... mpionships

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Roger Federer edged Andy Murray 7-5, 6-4 Saturday to win his fifth Dubai Championships title.

The second-seeded Federer didn't drop a set all week and kept Murray off balance much of the match. The win was Federer's fifth title in seven tournaments and his 72nd overall.


"This is perfect. This is great. Any title is a good one, I'll tell you that," Federer said. "I have a losing record against Murray."

The 16-time Grand Slam champion improved to 7-8 against Murray, outplaying the 24-year-old from Scotland with a mix of powerful groundstrokes, drop shots and the occasional serve-and-volley.

Murray, who was coming off a semifinal win against top-ranked Novak Djokovic, struggled with his backhand and serve. He won 85 percent of his first service points against Djokovic, but only 48 percent against Federer.

"For sure I made a few too many mistakes in the second, and he was playing a lot more aggressive than in the first set," Murray said. "Sets can come down to just a couple points. You get a lucky shot here or one great shot and you can break the set wide open."

Federer saved two break points when down 3-2 in the first set at the Aviation Club. He saved the first when Murray hit a forehand long and won the second with a backhand volley.

Federer broke Murray to go up 6-5 and took the first set when Murray hit a forehand wide.

The two players traded breaks early in the second set before Federer broke decisively to make it 5-4. Murray saved one match point before the Swiss star hit a forehand winner into the corner.

"The match was close, I think in both sets, I just gave myself more opportunities than Andy did overall," said Federer, who used the fast surface to his advantage.

Murray insisted his win over Djokovic was not on his mind when he took the court against Federer.

"It was a good win yesterday, good win the day before, tough match today," Murray said. "So I'm just happy with the week, because at this stage last year I was in a very different position, different frame of mind."

Despite losing, Murray said his performance this week will help him at upcoming tournaments in the United States.

"I was happy I managed to adjust to the court," Murray said. "The conditions over in Indian Wells (and) Miami are going to be very, very different to here. Much slower court, which hopefully will suit my game a little bit better."

The 30-year-old Federer heads to New York, where he will play an exhibition match Monday at Madison Square Garden against Andy Roddick.

"There is no substitute to confidence," Federer said. "I've played great."


Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press

[Formusic]

Welcome to the Hotel California

[Formusic]

Murray & Kvitova = OUT!!

[Formusic]

http://www.usta.com/Pro-Tennis/djokovic ... ian_wells/



INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) -- Top-ranked Novak Djokovic and No. 3 Roger Federer each needed three sets to reach the quarterfinals of the BNP Paribas Open on Wednesday, while No. 1 Victoria Azarenka improved to 21-0 on the season with a straight-sets win on the women's side.

Second-ranked Rafael Nadal beat 21st-seeded Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine 6-3, 6-2 to set up a quarterfinal against David Nalbandian, who upset sixth-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 3-6, 7-5, 6-3.

"The match started the perfect way for me, with a break, so that give me confidence,'' said Nadal, who played doubles at night. "I felt confident with my serve during all the first set. Just in the last set I had trouble. He had more mistakes than usual at the beginning.''

Djokovic, the two-time defending champion, beat Pablo Andujar 6-0, 6-7 (5), 6-2, racing through the first set in 27 minutes before Andujar picked up his game. The Spaniard, who had lost his previous meeting against Djokovic in straight sets, held at love to even the second set 1-1, drawing encouraging cheers from the crowd at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

Federer got by lefty Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in a fourth-round match that finished under the lights and completed a parade of the world's highest-ranked players. It was Federer's 12th straight win, making him 19-2 on the year. It was also his 74th consecutive victory against a player outside the top 20, and he has won 36 of 38 matches since the U.S. Open.

"I struggled early on making the transition from day to night,'' said Federer, a three-time champion here whose cold has kept him from practicing much during the tournament. "I thought I would see quicker improvements, but still hurting a bit. But at least I don't have sort of a massive headache and aches and pains anymore.''

Federer used a big serve to go up 5-4 in the third set then won on his second match point when Bellucci committed his second straight forehand error.

``These are the wins that sort of almost feel better, to be quite honest, because when you're playing great, it's simple, it's easy, right?'' Federer said. ``But when it's not going your way and things are difficult, that's kind of the good wins.''

Azarenka routed fifth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska 6-0, 6-2 in just over an hour to tie Serena Williams' 2003 record of 21-0 to start a season. The Belarusian has already won three titles this year, and now has her sights on Martina Hingis' record 37-0 start to the 1997 season.

"I was executing my shots brilliantly,'' said Azarenka, who next plays 18th-seeded Angelique Kerber of Germany, a 6-4, 6-2 upset winner over No. 8 Li Na.

Against Djokovic, Andujar held at 6-all to force a tiebreaker, which he won 7-5 as the Serb committed a slew of errors. Djokovic broke to open the third, then again to lead 5-2. He served out the match at 40-love, winning when Andujar's forehand service return sailed wide.

"He surprised me with his aggressive approach. He was taking the ball early and was playing well,'' Djokovic said. "Second set, I start playing a little bit more defensive, and that allowed him to come back to the match. All the credit for him to play the way he played. The second set I could have won, but I managed to stay calm mentally and just find my rhythm again.''

Andujar fell to 1-8 against top-10 players, although he hung in for a stretch against Djokovic, keeping him on the run at the baseline with deep shots. The friendship between Djokovic and the 26-year-old Spaniard dates to when they played each other in an under-16 match in Belgium.

"I had six match points, and I lost that match 7-6 in the third set,'' Djokovic said. "We joke around a bit at the times when we were growing up.''

Radwanska won two of the final three games in the quarterfinal match to avoid a shutout in falling to 1-5 in her career against a No. 1-ranked player.

"I was (ticked), yeah, in the first set especially losing 6-love is not fun,'' she said. "Especially when you expect that you're at this kind of level that you can beat anyone. But then I was seeing that she was playing just too good.''

All four of Radwanska's losses this year have been to Azarenka, including a straight-sets defeat last month in Doha when Azarenka injured her ankle.

She kept playing, but appeared to be in pain and was visibly distraught. Radwanska later said she "lost a lot of respect'' for Azarenka because her behavior wasn't a good image for women's tennis.

"I hope I was a good example of women's tennis,'' Azarenka said Wednesday.

She had said earlier that she never had a problem with Radwanska, and the two women briefly clasped hands at the end of their latest match before walking away.

"It was the past, and now is a new tournament, new match,'' Radwanska said. "You know, everything from the beginning.''

Azarenka also insisted there was no carryover from the situation in Doha.

"I have to play a very good match and show excellent tennis to beat her, so that's what I was mainly focused on,'' she said.

"She's the same person, same great player as she was before, and I have tons of respect to her game.''

Other winners were: No. 11 seed John Isner, who defeated Aussie Matthew Ebden 6-4, 7-5; and No. 12 Nicolas Almagro, who defeated No. 7 Tomas Berdych 6-4, 6-0. No. 13 Gilles Simon outlasted young American Ryan Harrison 7-5, 5-7, 6-1 to set up a quarterfinal against Isner.

The top-ranked American doubles duo of twins Bob and Mike Bryan withdrew from their quarterfinal match when Mike fell ill. A viral illness sweeping the Coachella Valley has forced a number of players out of the two-week tournament.

[Lorenzo]

Watching NADAL-NALBANDIAN match.
Nalbandian won the first set.

[Formusic]

http://essentialtennis.com/tournews/201 ... t-federer/

http://football.uk.reuters.com/leagues/ ... 33923B.php

INDIAN WELLS, California (Reuters) - Three-times champion Roger Federer and twice winner Rafa Nadal won their quarter-final matches at the Indian Wells ATP tournament on Friday to set up an enticing last four showdown.

Federer booked his place in the semi-finals with a ruthless 6-3 6-2 victory over big-serving Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina before Nadal fought back to beat David Nalbandian, also of Argentina 4-6 7-5 6-4.

Saturday's other semi-final will pit Serbian world number one Novak Djokovic against 11th-seeded American John Isner, both players having advanced on Thursday.

Second seed Nadal was delighted to scrape through, having saved two break points in a gripping 10th game of the third set before sealing victory with a forehand drop shot to end an absorbing baseline rally.

Nalbandian, on the run, sent his attempted backhand return well wide and Nadal punched the air with his left fist in delight as the stadium court erupted to applaud both players for a riveting encounter lasting two hours, 39 minutes.

"It was a very difficult match for me," the second-seeded Spaniard said in a courtside interview after racing into a 5-2 lead in the final set before losing the next two games.

"I started a little bit more nervous than usual against a tough player like David. He's beaten me a few times in the past so it was a very important victory for me.

"I am very excited to be back here," added left-hander Nadal, who has reached the semi-finals in his last seven attempts at Indian Wells.

Nadal will face Federer for a 28th time in Saturday's semi-finals, but it will be their first ever meeting at Indian Wells.

CAREER ADVANTAGE

"It's something not very strange," said the Spaniard, who holds an 18-9 career advantage over the Swiss.

Nalbandian, whose last victory over Nadal came at the 2007 Masters Series event in Paris, broke the Spaniard in the 10th game of the match when he hit a searing forehand winner down the line to take the opening set.

It was the first set Nadal had dropped in the tournament, having breezed through his first three matches for the loss of just 14 games at the hardcourt venue.

The second set went with serve until Nalbandian was broken in the 11th game after netting an attempted backhand drop shot to trail 30-40 and then double-faulting. Nadal comfortably held serve to level the match.

The Spaniard seized control in the third set, breaking the Argentinian in the first and seventh games to lead 5-2. Nadal was then broken while serving for the match in the eighth, squandered a match point in the ninth and finally sealed victory on his second opportunity after an absorbing 10th game.

Swiss world number three Federer broke ninth seed Del Potro once in the opening set and twice in the second to wrap up his win in just over an hour at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

Federer, who powered down 13 aces in a one-sided match, completed his fifth successive straight-sets victory over the tall Argentinian when his opponent netted a forehand service return.

"This was for me a really good match against a great player," the 16-times grand slam champion told reporters after beating Del Potro for the fourth time this season.

"I'm happy I was happy to maintain the great streak I've got going against him this year. He's a top-10 player, a very dangerous player.

"I sort of expected myself to come out and play a good match today after the struggle I had against (Thomaz) Bellucci," said the Swiss, referring to his 3-6 6-3 6-4 win over the Brazilian in the previous round.

Federer, who had battled flu and a temperature to beat his first three opponents at Indian Wells, has won 37 of his 39 matches since last year's U.S. Open.

(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes; Editing by John O'Brien)

[Formusic]

http://businessmirror.com.ph/home/sport ... dian-wells


Isner upsets Djokovic, Federer boots out Nadal at Indian Wells
SUNDAY, 18 MARCH 2012 19:34 BILL DWYRE / LOS ANGELES TIMES


INDIAN WELLS, California—Saturday was a day in the desert when the tennis was as quirky as the weather. Quirky, of course, isn’t always bad.
It was expected to be a day at the BNP Paribas Open that would showcase the top three players in the world and celebrate the first Indian Wells match in the celebrated rivalry between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. In life and tennis, things don’t always go according to plan.

The most celebrated of the day turned out to be a tall guy with legs like stilts and a baseball cap turned backward. Federer and Nadal were supposed to turn the tennis world on its ear here, but it was John Isner who did that.

In an opening men’s semifinal match, played under mostly sunny skies and in front of a boisterous, pro-American crowd announced at 16,581 in a stadium that lists its capacity as 16,100, Isner beat the No. 1 player in the world, Novak Djokovic, 7-6 (7), 3-6, 7-6 (5).

The six-foot-nine University of Georgia graduate battled the usually impenetrable Serbian for two hours and 45 minutes. In the third-set tiebreaker, he got to his second match point with a 144-mph serve that, stunningly, Djokovic managed to get his racket on. Then, on his fourth match point, Isner finished it with a 135-mph ace, one of his 20.

Djokovic, who had frequently looked to the heavens in search of help in handling the rocket serves, admitted afterward that he sometimes also took a peek at the scoreboard to see Isner’s service speed.

“Sometimes just to admire,” Djokovic said, “because I will never get there.”

Moments after Isner had walked to the center of the court and acknowledged the fans who, he said, pulled him through, raindrops started falling. Instead of Federer and Nadal playing around 2:30 p.m., they would begin at 5:30. The mostly sunny day in the desert turned cold and ugly, Indian Wells suddenly more like Indianapolis.

The historic Federer-Nadal match was its own kind of quirky, even with Federer winning in what appeared to be an easy 6-3, 6-4. Nadal was seeded second and is usually favored these days against everybody but Djokovic. He had played Federer 27 times, winning 18.

But from the start, the 30-year-old Swiss swinger with the record 16 Grand-Slam tournament titles was clearly superior. It didn’t look like Nadal wanted to be out there, and it didn’t look like Federer wanted to be anywhere else.

The wind swirled and the fans who had sat comfortably in the sun four hours earlier now huddled in warm coats and blankets. Federer pounded Nadal’s backhand, floated around the court like a 25-year-old Federer had, and oozed confidence.

“He started the match playing more than unbelievable,” Nadal said.

As the match progressed, the wind got worse and bothered Nadal more. But, while admitting that, he also said, “The wind is not the excuse. The real excuse is that he played better than me.”

Twice the match was stopped when enough rain had fallen to make the court slippery. Both times, the players were sent back out after a short delay. But the second time may rank high on the all-time tennis drama meter.

Federer had served for the match at 5-2 and was broken. He had gotten to within two points of the match on Nadal’s serve at 3-5. Then, serving for the match again at 5-4, he got to match point after a long baseline exchange.

But before Federer could serve, the chair umpire stopped play again and had the ball kids wiping off the lines with towels. It took only three or four minutes, but one can only imagine what was going through Federer’s mind as he sat, bundled in a towel.

Actually, TV courtside announcer Pam Shriver asked him that, just moments after he had shed the towel, stepped to the service line and cranked a grand-finale 125-mph ace.

During the delay, were you plotting where you were going to serve, Shriver asked.

“I was thinking of hitting it up the T [middle of the court],” Federer said, “but then I got to the toss and decided to take it wide.”

Even with the Federer-Nadal history and drama, Isner stole the day. His victory was the first by a US player over a world No. 1 since James Blake beat Federer in the Beijing Olympics quarterfinals in 2008. If Isner beats Federer in Sunday’s final, it will be the first men’s singles title at Indian Wells by a US player since Andre Agassi in 2001.

Isner not only hit 20 aces, but he got his first serve in 74 percent of the time and had zero double faults. In the seventh game of the final set, when he faced a break point, he hit consecutive serves of 143, 143 and 139.

“It’s frustrating,” Djokovic said, “when somebody serves over 70 percent, and with that angles and speed and accuracy.”

Isner said, “As long as I was playing aggressively...whether I win or lose, I was going to be happy with the result.”

The weather forecast for Sunday is for warmer temperatures and reduced chances of rain and wind.

The forecast for the tennis—with Federer playing like the Federer of old, and Isner hitting serves that threaten to break the speed gun—is for heated competition.

___________________________

http://sports.inquirer.net/38155/azaren ... ream-final



INDIAN WELLS, California – The top two women in the world reached the Indian Wells final Friday as Victoria Azarenka eased through in straight sets while Maria Sharapova advanced when her opponent retired with an injury.
World number one Azarenka extended her season-long match win streak to 22-0 by beating German Angelique Kerber 6-4, 6-3 in a semi-final match on centre court.
Russia’s world number two Sharapova, who won the 2006 Indian Wells title, advanced to Sunday’s final when a distraught Ana Ivanovic retired from the other semi-final with a hip injury.
They meet in the first final involving the top two ranked women in the world since 2008, when No. 1 Justine Henin played No. 2 Svetlana Kuznetsova.
“She (Azarenka) is the one to beat right now and is playing some amazing tennis and is full of confidence,” Sharapova said. “I hope I go out Sunday and just play some good tennis.”
Reigning Australian Open champion Azarenka has three titles already this year and has now reached the final of her last six tournaments.
“I am so excited because this is the first time for me to be in the final. I love to play here,” she said.
Azarenka’s win streak is the longest on the WTA Tour since 1997, when Martina Hingis won 37 in a row. Serena Williams had a 21-match win streak in 2003.
Friday’s night matches on centre court were played in cool and windy conditions as forecasters are predicting rain showers on Saturday when the men are scheduled to play their semi-finals.
“It made it a little more interesting,” Azarenka said of the wind. “A little adversity and a challenge for us.”
Azarenka, who won 70 percent of her first-serve points, needed 88 minutes to beat Kerber. She broke Kerber’s serve in the final game of the match and on match point Azarenka hammered a cross-court forehand that Kerber returned long.
Kerber had five double faults, held her serve just four times and was broken six times in the match.
“I had some chances,” Kerber said. “I didn’t get it done. But she’s a great player and she plays very good in these moments.
“I did everything I could today. But she was better.”
Azarenka pulled out of last year’s Indian Wells tournament after getting injured in her quarter-final against Caroline Wozniacki.
She suffered the hip injury just 10 minutes into the match while stretching to try and return a shot.
This year it was Ivanovic who was forced to retire with a sore hip. Sharapova was leading 6-4, 0-1 when Ivanovic told the chair umpire she couldn’t continue.
“It is very disappointing to finish it this way,” Ivanovic said. “In the end it just wasn’t about tennis, it is sad.”
Ivanovic called for an injury timeout late in the first set with Sharapova leading 5-4. The 15th seeded Serb left the court with a trainer to get treatment and returned for Sharapova’s final service game.
“I didn’t notice anything was wrong until she called the medical timeout,” Sharapova said. “I would have loved to have finished the match in the right way.”
Ivanovic served to win the first game of the second set but then stopped after they had played just two points of second game.



Azarenka, Sharapova set for Indian Wells’ dream final

[Lorenzo]

Nadal Lost.
I wonder if he can win rolland garros again.

[Formusic]

^ who knows, Roland Garros is "special" for Nadal

http://www.sportsnet.ca/tennis/2012/03/ ... ian_wells/

March 18, 2012, 4:25 pm
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. -- Roger Federer defeated John Isner 7-6 (7), 6-3 to win his record fourth BNP Paribas Open title Sunday, avenging a loss to the American who beat him in Davis Cup play.

Victoria Azarenka routed Maria Sharapova 6-2, 6-3 for the women's title in the WTA Tour's first final between the No. 1 and No. 2 players since 2008.

Federer and Azarenka each earned $1 million, the richest winner's checks in the tournament's history. The runners-up earned $500,000 each.

Federer improved to 39-2 since last year's U.S. Open, with his only losses to No. 2 Rafael Nadal in the semifinals of the Australian Open and the 11th-ranked Isner, who won on the Swiss star's home turf last month.

Federer, ranked third, avenged both those defeats in consecutive days at Indian Wells, putting away Nadal in the rain-delayed semifinals Saturday and then Isner.

Federer's victory tied him with Nadal for most ATP World Tour Masters 1000 career titles at 19. Federer won three straight titles here from 2004-06 and his fourth snapped a tie with Jimmy Connors and Michael Chang.

Isner had a breakthrough two weeks in the desert, beating top-ranked Novak Djokovic in the semifinals to reach his first Masters 1000 final. That assured him of entering the top 10 for the first time at No. 10 when the latest rankings come out Monday.

"I'm going to remember this one for a long time, so getting into the top 10 is nice," Isner said. "The hard thing now is staying inside of the top 10. That's what I've got to work on."

The big-serving American actually had three fewer aces than Federer's seven, with his fastest serve clocked at 135 mph, slower than the 135-143 mph he was hitting against Djokovic. Federer broke him on Isner's netted backhand volley to go up 4-3 in the second. He closed out the match on Isner's forehand that landed in the net.

"I served pretty well," Isner said. "I don't think I lost the match because I didn't serve as well. He was on top of me and his forehand was way too good."

In the tiebreaker, Isner was serving at 7-all when Federer managed a backhand lob over his 6-foot-9 opponent and Isner let it go, with the ball landing on the baseline. Federer won that point and the next to take the set.

"A little bit unlucky there," Isner said. "I'm not complaining. I had a lot of things go my way this week."

Azarenka broke Sharapova six times in improving her record to 23-0 this year, the best start to a season since Martina Hingis went 37-0 to open 1997. The top-ranked Belarusian won her Tour-leading fourth title of the year.

"It's important to stay humble and to know that what I have been doing is working," Azarenka said. "Don't forget those little details, and being disciplined, professional off the court is as important as being determined and really hard working on the court."

The women's final was a rematch of the Australian Open final, which Azarenka won 6-3, 6-0 in January to keep Sharapova from regaining the No. 1 ranking. This time, Sharapova was error-prone during the 1 1/2-hour match on an unusually cold, windy day in the desert. The second-ranked Russian kept hitting close to the lines and missing.

"She's extremely solid and she makes you work for every point," Sharapova said. "Maybe she forces you to want to do a little bit more than either you should or would want to. She's really fit, playing with a lot of confidence, and you can definitely sense that when she's moving around the court and hitting the ball. I just made too many unforced errors at the wrong time and wasn't solid enough."

Azarenka broke Sharapova in the final game, when the Russian double-faulted then shanked a forehand to set up Azarenka's first match point. She won after forcing Sharapova into a desperation defensive shot that sailed beyond the baseline. Azarenka dropped her racket, pumped her right arm and broke into a brief dance while smiling broadly.

She joked that the best thing about being No. 1 is "you don't really have to find yourself in the draw anymore. It's the first one."

It was yet another dominant performance by Azarenka, who improved to 5-3 against Sharapova, including 4-0 in finals. Sharapova hasn't beaten Azarenka in a completed match since 2009; she won last year in Rome when Azarenka retired in the second set with a right elbow injury.

"What was important for me was to try to put as much pressure on her, not to really let her into the match because when she has a little window open she always going to take the opportunity and she's going to fight no matter what the score is," Azarenka said.

Sharapova twice had aces to hold serve in the first set, but her groundstrokes were inconsistent. Azarenka led 4-1 in the second set when Sharapova won two straight games to get to 4-3, capped by a swinging forehand volley winner. But Sharapova won just two points in the final two games to fall to 13-3 on the year.

"I still don't think I was as aggressive as I should be," Sharapova said. "But it's OK. We're going to play against each other a few more times, so I'll have time to change that."

[Formusic]

Key Biscayne - Miami