Tennis

Spain win at a canter

2012-02-11T19:34:00.000-08:00

OVIEDO, SPAIN: Defending Davis Cup by BNP Paribas champion Spain proved that they can exist without their leading lights, Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer, as Alex Corretja’s team swept to a 3-0 victory over Kazakhstan to reach the 2012 quarterfinals.

“Our first goal was to win three points, we got them already on Saturday, so that means on Sunday we can go more relaxed and just enjoying the situation, but obviously it is nice to start like that,” Corretja said.

“I learn a lot of things, especially that we have a lot of players to choose [from], lots of players that are capable and ready to play, and they are very enthusiastic to show that they are also good players.”

After a sensational win for Juan Carlos Ferrero and an accomplished performance from Nicolas Almagro put the home side 2-0 up overnight, Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez returned to finish the job, defeating Yuriy Schukin and Evgeny Korolev 62 63 61.

Granollers and Lopez have only two Davis Cup ties between them, the younger having won one and lost one doubles, and Lopez, Nadal’s favoured doubles partner, making his debut here in Oviedo. But their lack of experience in Davis Cup did not hamper them in front of a boisterous home crowd.

“When you need to choose a team you need to see what’s best for you, and we do believe a lot in Marcel and in Marc as well, and I think they played amazing doubles together,” Corretja said. “They communicate each other very well, you can see the way they move, the way they act, the way they behave on the court which is fantastic and I’m very happy for them.”

Since pairing up on the ATP World Tour last year, Granollers and Lopez have reached two tournament finals and the last 16 at the US Open, a symmetry which showed as they broke serve to begin. Breaking again in the fifth game as Korolev, long-sleeved to survive the cold conditions, double-faulted, Lopez served out the set 62 after 32 minutes.

The red-shirted pair looked like they’d begin the second set in similar fashion with a break point on the Korolev serve. But the Kazakh held firm, and he and Schukin, who have only ever played together in Davis Cup, raised their level enough to keep their noses in front for the early stages of the second set.

They couldn’t maintain it though, Granollers and Lopez breaking in the often telling seventh game to lead 4-3, and the Spanish marching band trumpeting their players on to take the second set 63, courtesy of another Korolev double fault.

Flying along in the third, it was the Schukin serve this time that fell prey to the Spanish attack, the duo racing into a 3-0 lead which soon became 5-0 as Korolev too failed to hold serve.

With Granollers tasked with serving Spain into the quarterfinals, the young Spaniard didn’t blink, putting away a smash in emphatic fashion.

“We are very happy how we play, I think we play a very good match, was difficult, but I think everything was good, was perfect,” said Granollers.

“I’m very happy is my first time with Spanish team, for me is a dream, I’m very happy for that, I play very well today, Marcel also, and I’m so happy,” said Lopez.

The Spanish triumph was particularly apt on a day when the President of the Spanish Tennis Federation, Jose Luis Escanuela, and the President of the Spanish Olympic Committee, Alejandro Blanco, confirmed that they will work together to bring action against Canal Plus after the French TV station last week released a controversial video linking Spanish athletes to doping.

Spain will advance to a quarterfinal against either Russia or Austria in April, while Kazakhstan will play-off to stay in the World Group in September.

“It’s a pity for us that we’re losing 3-0, but we should try next day to show more,” said Kazakhstan captain Yegor Shaldunov. “The main plan is that we should stay in the World Group, doesn’t care what team it will be, and our Federation will make preparation for this, and will show the result, I hope.”

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France ahead with doubles win

2012-02-11T19:32:00.000-08:00

VANCOUVER, CANADA: France is on the verge of advancing to the quarter-finals of the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas after a straight sets victory over Canada in Saturday’s doubles. Michael Llodra and Julien Benneteau prevailed in tie-breakers in each of the first two sets and rolled to a 76(1), 76(2), 6-3 victory over Milos Raonic and Daniel Nestor to take a 2-1 lead heading to Sunday’s reverse singles.

Neither side budged early in the match as both teams held serve in each of the first two sets, but the French rose to the challenge winning both tie breakers handily. And despite the urging of a boisterous crowd, Canada was unable to mount a challenge in the third set. France broke Nestor’s serve to grab a 2-1 lead and later broke Raonic to close out the match.

“It was a difficult match even if it was three sets to love,” Michael Llodra said. “We played better in the tie breaks and it helps a lot to play good at the good moments. Me and Julien were like a family on the court and we fought for the country.”

Raonic was a surprise insertion into the doubles match by Canadian captain Martin Laurendeau . At Thursday’s draw, Vasek Pospisil had originally been announced as Nestor’s partner. But with a split in Friday’s singles, Canada sensed an opportunity to take a 2-1 lead to Sunday and apply pressure on the heavily-favoured French squad with a victory in the doubles. That strategy, however, did not work. Llodra and Benneteau demonstrated great teamwork throughout the match and dashed the Canadian hopes of taking a lead to the final day of competition.

“We felt like we were doing an okay job – we weren’t playing poorly, but we weren’t doing anything special – and I think they played really well and maintained it the whole time,” said Raonic. “I obviously said on Thursday that if I was needed I would be ready to play on Saturday and that was the decision we made and we stuck to it.”

Sunday, Raonic will face world number six Jo-Wilfried Tsonga needing a victory to keep Canada’s hopes alive. Tsonga was on form in a straight sets victory over Pospisil in the opening match of this tie on Friday. There is still some mystery surrounding the final rubber of the weekend. Gael Monfils was replaced by Benneteau on Friday and dropped a three-set decision to Raonic. French captain Guy Forget has insisted all week that Monfils remains an option to play despite nursing a sore knee. So it will either be Monfils or Benneteau facing Pospisil in a match that may not mean anything depending on the outcome of the early singles match on Sunday.

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Stunning triumph keeps Swedish hopes alive

2012-02-11T19:30:00.000-08:00

NIS, SERBIA: Sweden kept alive their hopes of pulling off what would be a shock first round win over Davis Cup by BNP Paribas 2010 winners Serbia after Johan Brunstrom and Robert Lindstedt won an enthralling doubles contest against home crowd favourites Nenad Zimonjic and Janko Tipsarevic 36 63 76(4) 67(3) 108 on Saturday.

The outcome will in all likelihood force a tense finale on Sunday, when Tipsarevic takes on Michael Ryderstedt and Viktor Troicki meets Filip Prpic in the reverse singles.

The rollercoaster which lasted four hours nine minutes swung one way and then the other before the Scandinavians silenced the vociferous 4,000 home fans in the Cair Hall after Lindstedt buried an ace, Sweden’s 27th of the match, which will long be remembered after it produced a barrage of breathtaking winners, spectacular volleys as well as 161 unforced errors.

Serbia seemed to be cruising for an unassailable 3-0 lead in the tie after Tipsarevic and Zimonjic saved a triple break point on the latter’s serve in the opening set, but their resilient opponents did the same in the opening game of the second as Lindstedt started to nail one ace after another to keep the Swedes afloat.

The visitors took control in the second set when they broke Tipsarevic’s serve to lead 3-1 and although the Serbs broke back to cut the deficit to 4-3, they couldn’t keep up their momentum.

The titanic tussle produced tie breaks in each of the next two sets, the Swedes taking the third after romping to an early 3-0 lead in the decisive game while Serbia recovered from a 2-0 deficit in the fourth set tie-breaker to get back on level terms.

The fervent home crowd roared on their men as victory in the tie seemed to be beckoning, but Sweden always looked the more likely winners of Saturday’s marathon doubles as fatigue crept into Zimonjic and notably Tipsarevic, who got Serbia underway with a straight-sets win over Filip Prpic in Friday’s opening singles.

The hosts clawed their way out of trouble several times in the final set, having saved a double break point at 5-5 and overcame three successive 0-30 deficits on their serve before they were broken for the first time as Sweden nosed ahead 8-7. Serbia broke straight back but Lindstedt and Brunstrom were not to be denied a well-deserved win in the knife-edged contest.

“We can only congratulate Sweden and try to recuperate for the reverse singles,” Serbia team captain Bogdan Obradovic said in a courtside interview. “They served well and deserved their win. Tipsarevic now faces a tough psychological battle against Ryderstedt but I am sure he will come out with a winner’s mentality and hopefully seal the tie before the final singles rubber,” he added.

Sweden conjured a total of 99 winners against Serbia’s 54, cancelling out the 100 unforced errors they made compared to Serbia’s 61. Their high-risk game paid off as they also hit 27 aces against Serbia’s 15 and won 81 percent of the points on their first serve.

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USA oust Fed-led Swiss

2012-02-11T19:28:00.000-08:00

FRIBOURG, SWITZERLAND: One of the biggest shocks in recent Davis Cup by BNP Paribas history was completed on Saturday afternoon when the US doubles team of Mike Bryan and Mardy Fish beat Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka in four sets to see the Americans through to April’s quarterfinals.

The reverberations from John Isner’s stunning win over Federer on Friday night carried through to the doubles, which followed a very similar pattern to the Isner-Federer singles. The Swiss won the opening set and looked reasonably comfortable for a set and a half, but once the Americans had broken, the balance of power shifted, and Federer in particular fell away at the end as the US pair won 46 63 63 63 in 2 hours 18 minutes.

Because so much was made of Federer’s return to the Davis Cup first round for the first time in eight years, it’s easy to see this result as a disaster for the Swiss. A disappointment it certainly is, but to view it as a disaster would be to take too much credit away from an American team that seems finally to have lost its fear of away clay.

Isner said after his match against Federer that clay suits his game, Fish has done well on the red stuff as his career has progressed, and the French Open was the first of the Bryan twins’ Grand Slam titles. Add to that a team captain in Jim Courier who is the only American to have won the French Open twice, and maybe one shouldn’t be too surprised to see the Americans triumph.

It’s also payback time for Fish, who suffered two heartbreaking losses in marathon matches in last year’s quarterfinal in Austin, when Spain’s Feliciano Lopez and David Ferrer played outstanding matches against him. The 30-year-old from Tampa has now won his singles and doubles in successive days to see the US through to an away quarterfinal against either Canada or France.

“It feels pretty good to win these,” he said immediately after the victory. “I certainly know what it’s like to lose, and it’s not a great feeling. This guy [Mike Bryan] is the greatest doubles player of all time, and I’m just trying to play my part.”

The doubles began well for the Swiss, though the difficulty with which they broke Fish in the opening game of the match when the American threw in two double faults and some loose volleys was perhaps ominous. The break sufficed to win the opening set, but the Swiss pair never looked totally comfortable, and Wawrinka looked an uncertain presence at the net, certainly not the confident figure he cut at the Beijing Olympics four years ago when he and Federer won the doubles gold medal.

Once Wawrinka was broken in the sixth game of second set, a game in which he too served two double faults, the momentum began to shift, and after 66 minutes the score was identical to that after two sets of the Federer-Isner match. But if that went to a third set tiebreak, this one went more quickly the Americans’ way once Wawrinka was broken in the seventh game of third set. The Swiss got to 0-30 on the Fish serve in the next game but couldn’t return well enough to complete the break.

Indeed the Swiss just couldn’t break serve after the first game of the match. Once Wawrinka had been broken for the third time for the Americans to take a 3-1 lead in the fourth set, the Swiss had to break. They had the sniff of a chance as Bryan served for the match at 5-3, but three backhand errors from Federer – including one air shot at 30-30 – thwarted any chance of a revival, and a netted backhand by Wawrinka saw the Americans home.

Federer was magnanimous in defeat. “I thought we actually played pretty well,” he said, “it was again a high standard of match from both sides, with not much between us. We had our chances but maybe they were a touch better than us, and that shows in the score. We played well for a long time, but we had a couple of games when we struggled a bit too much. But they did well and got the victory they deserved over the weekend.”

Federer was asked whether this defeat affected his commitment to Davis Cup. “No,” he said, “I’m still taking things round by round, and our next round is in September. In principle I’m in, but we’ll have to see what happens between now and then.”

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Doubles delight as Argentina seal victory

2012-02-11T19:25:00.000-08:00

BAMBERG, GERMANY: Argentina stormed back from two sets down for a magical five-set win over Germany in Saturday’s doubles rubber to complete a 3-0 victory in the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas World Group tie.

Argentines Eduardo Schwank and David Nalbandian fell behind two sets in Bamberg but beat Philipp Petzschner and Tommy Haas 36 46 64 63 64, finishing off the match after 3 hours 30 minutes when Petzschner hit a forehand into the net.

“We feel very happy. It was a very tough match. The last two and a half sets they really played unbelievable tennis,” said Argentina captain Martin Jaite, whose team will face either Croatia or Japan in the quarter-finals at home.

“It’s difficult to believe that we lost the match. It was a couple of points here and there. Nalbandian really carried Schwank in the third and fourth sets. Argentina were the strong team we expected and they displayed why they are number three in the world,” said German captain Patrik Kuhnen, who was hoping for a better present on his 46th birthday.

In the opening set Argentina came up with a break in Haas’ first service game before Nalbandian held to give the South Americans a 3-1 lead. Germany, however, reclaimed the break by converting their first opportunity on Schwank’s serve to pull even at 3-3.

Petzschner confirmed the break and then the Germans picked up another break, this time against Nalbandian, also on the first attempt, for a 5-3 advantage. Haas then finished off the first set in style sending the German crowd into hysterics.

Haas and Nalbandian both fended off break points on their opening service games in the second set but Germany then collected their break thanks to a Schwank double fault. Haas and Petzschner served out the rest of the set for a 6-4 frame.

The third set remained on serve without a single break point until Petzschner’s serve in the 10th game with Germany trailing 5-4. Argentina jumped at the chance to finally take a set and with it keep their hopes of finishing the tie alive.

“We knew that if we stayed aggressive that the match would change,” said Nalbandian, who stormed back from one set down against Mayer in Friday’s singles to win in four sets.

And a break in the third set put that change in motion. Germany had a break opportunity in the first game of the fourth set but Petzschner sank a backhand into the net. Argentina broke Haas’ serve in the very next game and Schwank served to love to pull out a 3-0 lead.

Germany broke back to pull within 4-3 but Petzschner this time double-faulted to hand the break right back and Argentina forced the match into a fifth and final set.

In the decisive frame, Haas fended off two break points in the first game. But he could not keep Schwank from hitting a screaming forehand down the line to snatch the break in the fifth game for a 3-2 lead.

Nalbandian did not allow Germany a chance for a break, serving to love and then neither could Germany break Schwank to extend the match – and the tie.

“We thought we would bring it home but it was not the case. We lost a couple points here or there and that was the difference. It’s very disappointing. But that’s sports,” said Haas.

Argentina improved to 6-2 against Germany in their history, which dates back to 1936, including being undefeated on clay. Argentina now await the winner of Japan and Croatia in the quarterfinals, as they bid to reach the Davis Cup Final for the second year in a row. Four times the nation has attempted to win the title, but to no avail, and the trophy remains its most treasured - yet most elusive - prize.

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SPAIN, SERBIA, ARGENTINA TAKE 2-0 LEADS,JAPAN EQUALS CROATIA

2012-02-10T21:10:00.000-08:00

A round-up of the eight Davis Cup by BNP Paribas World Group first-round ties on Friday.

SPAIN 2, KAZAKHSTAN 0Clay, Indoors - Oviedo, Spain

Nicolas Almagro defeatedAndrey Golubev 6-3, 4-6, 6-1, 6-1 to put defending champion Spain ahead of Kazakhstan 2-0. Almagro won 48 per cent of his return points, breaking Golubev eight times to claim the two hour and 23 minute victory.

Juan Carlos Ferrero battled past Mikhail Kukushkin 6-1, 4-6, 7-6(2), 4-6, 6-4 in the opening rubber. Ferrero was down a break in the fifth set, before winning four of the final five games to clinch the win in four hours and 28 minutes. "These kind of matches are very tough," Ferrero said. "Since the beginning, I was playing good tennis. But I had to fight until the end. It was very close the entire match."

SERBIA 2, SWEDEN 0Hard, Indoor - Nis, Serbia

Viktor Troivci put Serbia ahead of Sweden 2-0 following his 6-4, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 win against Michael Ryderstedt in just over two and a half hours. Troicki won 87 per cent of his first serve points, firing 23 aces.

In the opening rubber, World No. 9 Janko Tipsarevic made light work of Swede Filip Prpic in a 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 victory at a capacity Cair Hall, clinching his fourth match point after two hours and six minutes of play.

Tipsarevic and Nenad Zimonjic will aim to clinch the tie when they square off against Johan Brunstrom and Robert Lindstedt on Saturday.

JAPAN 1, CROATIA 1Bourbon Beans Dome, Hyogo, Japan

Go Soeda handed Japan, back in the World Group for the first time since 1985, the lead in its tie against Croatia. Soeda fought back from two sets down for the first time in his career to beat Ivan Dodig 6-7(3), 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-5 in four hours and five minutes. They had previously met at theAircel Chennai Open in the first week of the 2012 ATP World Tour season.

Ivo Karlovic hit back for 2005 champion Croatia when he struck 18 aces and 40 winners past Kei Nishikori, currently No. 20 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings, for a 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 win in one hour and 49 minutes.

Tatsuma Ito and Yuichi Sugita will face Karlovic and Lovro Zovko in Saturday's doubles rubber, although nominations may be changed one hour before play starts. Japan is bidding to win its first tie at this level since 1921, when the nation reached the final on its competition debut.

GERMANY 0, ARGENTINA 2Clay, Indoor - Bamberg, Germany

After dropping the first set, David Nalbandian took command of his rubber against Florian Mayer, defeating the World No. 21 2-6, 6-0, 6-1, 7-6(5) to extend Argentina's lead over Germany to a 2-0 advantage.

Earlier, Juan Monaco recorded his sixth singles win in 13 rubbers for Argentina when he beat Germany's Philipp Petzschner 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 in two hours and three minutes. Monaco committed just 15 unforced errors to hand the 2011 finalist an early lead.

Petzschner is due to team with Tommy Haas in Saturday's doubles rubber against Eduardo Schwank and Juan Ignacio Chela.

ISNER SHOCKS FEDERER TO PUT USA IN FRONT 2-0

2012-02-10T21:05:00.000-08:00

A round-up of the eight Davis Cup by BNP Paribas World Group first-round ties on Friday.

SWITZERLAND 0, UNITED STATES 2Clay, Indoor - Fribourg, Switzerland

John Isner stunned World No. 3 Roger Federer 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-2 to give the visiting United States a 2-0 lead against Switzerland. "It's the biggest win of my life," declared Isner. "But what it means to me, is our team is up 2-0. Hats off to Mardy for winning the first [rubber]. It took a lot of pressure off of me."

After winning the third set in a tie-break, Isner pulled away from the home favourite, breaking the Swiss twice in the fourth set to notch his first win in three meetings against Federer. "I shouldn't take the court if I don't believe I can go out and win this match," said Isner. "I owe a lot to captain Courier. He was on me in practise all week. He told me to do all the right things. The way I played today, that's how I need to play in all of my matches."

Isner's win ended Federer's 15-match Davis Cup singles win streak. "I thought I played at a high level, with John," Federer said. "It's a tough loss. because we're down 2-0, but we're not down and out."

In the opening rubber, World No. 8 Mardy Fish rallied to edge Stanislas Wawrinka 6-2, 4-6, 4-6, 6-1, 9-7. "It was a great feeling to win the match after losing two [like this] in Austin last year and those hurt so bad," said Fish. "I thought for a second there I wasn't going to win, but snuck it out luckily."

Fish fired 15 aces, and struck 34 forehand winners to defeat Wawrinka in four hours and 26 minutes, evening his Davis Cup singles record to a 7-7 mark.

Mike Bryan and Ryan Harrison will attempt to give the Americans an unassailable advantage when they face Federer and Wawrinka in the doubles rubber Saturday.

AUSTRIA 2, RUSSIA 0Hard, Indoors - Wiener Neustadt, Austria

Jurgen Melzer topped Igor Kunitsyn 6-2, 6-7(3), 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 in four hours and four minutes to put Austria ahead of Russia 1-0. Melzer cracked 23 aces and converted seven of his 23 break point opportunities against Kunitsyn.

Andreas Haider-Maurer spoiled Alex Bogomolov Jr.'s Davis Cup debut, defeating the top-ranked Russian 6-1, 6-4, 6-7(1), 6-2 to extend the Austrian’s lead.

Nikolay Davydenko and Mikhail Youzhny will aim to keep the Russian's hopes alive when they face Oliver Marach and Alexander Peya Saturday.

CZECH REPUBLIC 2, ITALY 0Hard, Indoors - Ostrava, Czech Republic

World No. 7 Tomas Berdych gave the Czech Republic a 2-0 advantage over visiting Italy after beating Simone Bolelli 6-3, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2. Berdych hit 17 aces, winning 90 per cent of his first serve points to seal the win in two hours and 46 minutes.

Radek Stepanek won the first rubber, topping Andreas Seppi 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in three hours and 50 minutes. With the win, Stepanek improved to a 11-8 singles record in Davis Cup play.

Frantisek Cermak and Lukas Rosol will look to clinch the tie for the Czechs on Saturday when they square off against Daniele Bracciali andPotito Starace.

CANADA 1, FRANCE 1Hard, Indoors –Vancouver, Canada

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga got his team off to a flying start, dismissing Vasek Pospisil 6-1, 6-3, 6-3 in one hour and 52 minutes to give France a 1-0 lead over Canada. The sixth-ranked Tsonga did not drop serve, and broke Pospisil five times in his 11 break point opportunities.

Canadian No. 1 Milos Raonic levelled the tie with a 6-2, 6-4, 7-5 win overJulien Benneteau. Raonic fired 24 aces, winning 89 per cent of his first serve points in the two hour and 17 minute victory.

Benneteau will join forces with Michael Llodra, taking on Pospisil and doubles standout Daniel Nestor in Saturday’s doubles rubber.

BERDYCH BEATS MONFILS FOR MONTPELLIER TITLE

2012-02-06T04:33:00.000-08:00

Top seed Tomas Berdych defeated third-seeded Gael Monfils 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 in two hours and five minutes to win the Open Sud de France title in Montpellier Sunday.

Berdych broke Monfils twice to take the opening set in 37 minutes, but Monfils converted the only break of serve in the fifth game of the second set, and went on to level the clash at a set apiece. Each player held their nerve until the eighth game of the final set, when Monfils tossed in his sixth double fault to give Berdych a 5-3 advantage. The Czech subsequently served out the match to beat Monfils for the second time. "I expected a tough final. I felt he was the best player on the other side of the draw," Berdych said.

"It was a close match, decided by one or two points. I'm happy that I was the one to become the champion and get the last break and finish it with my serve."

The seventh-ranked Berdych improved his final record to 7-6, winning his first indoor title since lifting the BNP Paribas Masters trophy in 2005. "It was a great week. It's a nice place to play tennis," said Berdych. "I was surprised to come to an indoor tournament with such a high level!

Monfils, the 2010 champion, fell to a 4-13 mark in title matches, losing his second final of the year after finishing runner-up to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha to begin the season. "I was really close today, maybe Tomas was a bit more successful at the end," assessed Monfils. "He really went for it more than I did and it worked.

"To me, overall it was a great week. I played solid tennis in all my matches, even today I am very happy with the way I played. It was great to be in the final here again, and play in front of my mom, aunt and friends. It is a great tournament, which I enjoy a lot, and I will come back to try to win the title again."

YOUZHNY ENDS TITLE DROUGHT; WINS ZAGREB DOUBLE IN ZAGREB

2012-02-06T04:31:00.000-08:00

Third seed Mikhail Youzhny captured his eighth title on Sunday, dismissing first-time ATP World Tour finalist Lukas Lacko 6-2, 6-3 in the PBZ Zagreb Indoors final. He followed up his singles victory by partnering Marcos Baghdatis to the doubles crown to become the first double winner this season.

The Russian did not face a break point in the match, winning 75 per cent of his service points. He broke the 97th-ranked Lacko three times, and served out the match at love to end a 16-month title drought dating back to his Kuala Lumpur triumph in 2010. "It feels really good, as it was my best match of the tournament, and that’s why I won today," said Youzhny. "It’s tough to compare my level today with previous years, it’s impossible. But for sure today was my best tennis of the week."

With the win, Youzhny remained undefeated against the Slovakian, defeating the 24 year old for the fourth time. He is now 8-10 in title matches, with four of his final victories coming on indoor hard courts. "I don’t want to think about my ranking. If I keep playing well, my ranking will come," stated Youzhny. "I’m just enjoying my game at the moment, that’s it. It’s a nice atmosphere in Zagreb, I feel comfortable here and really enjoy this tournament."

Lacko was bidding to beat his fourth straight seeded opponent, having knocked off No. 2 seed Alex Bogomolov Jr., seventh seed Robin Haaseand No. 6 seed and 2007 champion Baghdatis en route to the final. "I was down 1-2 in the first set. I had an easy forehand winner down the line, and I missed it," recalls Lacko. "It was a crucial moment as he broke me that game, and he started to play too good. He was reading me well, so I didn't have control in the [match]."

Added Lacko, "I wasn't nervous. I didn't play my best. He was just too good today. If I take my four matches before, I was the one applying pressure, attacking most of the shots. Today was the opposite. I was under pressure."

In the doubles final, Youzhny and Baghdatis rolled past wild cards Ivan Dodig and Mate Pavic 6-2, 6-2 in just 52 minutes. The Cypriot and Russian won 24 of their 26 first serve points, and broke the Croatians twice in each set to seal the victory.

Baghdatis takes home his first doubles trophy in his second title match, while Youzhny celebrates his ninth win in 12 finals. Both Dodig and Pavic were contesting their first doubles final. "It's been a pleasure to come back here to play this week," said Baghdatis. "I was last here in 2007 and it's been great to be back. Thanks to everyone for making it a great week, and Mischa for playing with me. Congrats to him on a great tournament."

Prior to Youzhny, the last player to win both the singles and doubles events at an ATP World Tour event was Andy Murray, who pulled off the feat at the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships in 2011, partnering his brother Jamie Murray.

MONACO ENDS DROUGHT WITH FOURTH TITLE IN VINA DEL MAR

2012-02-06T04:28:00.000-08:00

Top seed Juan Monaco ended a five-year title drought on Sunday at the VTR Open as he defeated first-time finalist Carlos Berlocq6-3, 6-7(1), 6-1 in an all-Argentine final in Vina del Mar.

The 27-year-old Monaco improved to a 4-8 record in ATP World Tour finals, with his three previous titles all coming in 2007 at the Copa Claro in Buenos Aires (d. Di Mauro), Poertschach (d. Monfils) and thebet-at-home Cup Kitzbühel (d. Starace). Since then he had recorded seven runner-up finishes, including twice at the VTR Openin 2008 (l. to F. Gonzalez) and 2010 (l. to Bellucci).

"Third time is lucky they say, so this time it’s true," joked Monaco. "I’m very happy to be champion again. I lost the last seven finals, so this is a very special moment for me. I’m very happy because I fought a lot, I practised a lot and I was thinking a lot about winning a tournament again. [It gives me] confidence and motivation."

In the first all-Argentine final on the ATP World Tour in four years, Monaco made a strong start, racing to a 4-1 lead before wrapping up the first set. He looked to be in command of the match as he established a 4-2 lead in the second set, but Berlocq fought back and levelled the match after dominating the tie-break. Monaco regrouped quickly, though, and broke serve twice in the decider to claim victory in two hours and 46 minutes.

"It was a hard final," assessed Monaco. "At the beginning I felt I was playing very well. Then in the second set I started playing a little bit nervous and he came back, fought a lot, and at that time played really well. I tried to be very focussed, tried to fight for every point like it was the last one and I started playing better every game."

Monaco had come into the VTR Open having played just one match in 2012, suffering a five-set first-round loss to Philipp Kohlschreiber at the Australian Open. He improved to a 4-1 match record on the year.

Berlocq, who celebrated his 29th birthday on Friday, had only dropped one set en route to his first ATP World Tour final, including victory over second seed Juan Ignacio Chela in the semi-finals. The right-hander was also later denied silverware in the doubles final as he and Spanish partner Pablo Andujar were beaten by Frederico Gil and Daniel Gimeno-Traver 1-6, 7-5, 12-10.

"I felt very good," said Berlocq. "I was very calm and I enjoyed it a lot. I think I did things well and played the match very well tactically. I think that if I continue this way I can continue achieving good results. Now I have to continue working and trying to reach this level of performance as many times as possible each year.

"It gives me a lot of confidence to be able to play at this level. It also gives me peace of mind and confidence to be able to play with the players at an equal level. All the players here are of good quality and even though I reached a final this week, every week is different and I have to continue being focussed and working hard."

BERDYCH, SIMON, MONFILS ADVANCE TO MONTPELLIER SFS

2012-02-04T07:26:00.000-08:00

Top-seeded Czech Tomas Berdychovercame Nicolas Mahut of France 6-3, 6-4 on Friday for a place in the Open Sud de France semi-finals in Montpellier.

Berdych recovered from a 0-3 deficit in the second set to win five straight games. He hit 14 aces and won 38 of his 47 service points to record his third successive win over Mahut in 74 minutes. Mahut, 30, is now 3-22 against Top 10 opponents.

"So far everything’s going pretty well," said Berdych. "I have a second match under my belt. The very important thing in my game is serve. It was working pretty well, [except] for one game where I lost maybe a bit of concentration and lost that game, but finally was able to finish it in straight sets, so happy for that."

Last week, World No. 7 Berdych reached the Australian Open quarter-finals (l. to Nadal) for the second year running.

The Czech will next play German seventh seed Philipp Kohlschreiber, whom he has beaten in six of their previous seven meetings. "It’s going to be another semi-final, which is a solid week so far, but I don’t want to end up with that, so try my best and try to go through," said Berdych.

Kohlschreiber struck 18 aces and capitalised on three of his six break points to defeat No. 4 seed Richard Gasquet of France 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.

"I came out with a good start. I had the right tactic," said the German. "Maybe he was not 100 per cent in the match in the beginning, so I felt I had a little bit of chance. I put a lot of pressure, I played very, very high quality tennis, and overall I served very well. It was a very good match for me."

Second seed Gilles Simon advanced to his second ATP World Tour semi-final of the season with a 7-6(5), 6-7(2), 6-2 victory over fellow Frenchman and wild card Guillaume Rufin in two hours and 53 minutes.

There were four straight breaks of serve in the deciding set, before the World No. 12 won the last four games. He is looking to lift his 10th ATP World Tour title and third on French soil (2007-Marseille, 2010-Metz).

Simon will next face 2010 champion Gael Monfils, who is currently No. 13 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings. Third seed Monfils hit nine aces and lost six points on serve in a convincing 6-3, 6-3 victory overJarkko Nieminen of Finland in just 54 minutes.

Monfils reached the Qatar ExxonMobil Open final (l. to Tsonga) in the first week of the 2012 ATP World Tour season. Nieminen dropped to an 8-3 season record, which includes lifting his second ATP World Tour title at the Apia International Sydney (d. Benneteau) last month.

YOUZHNY BATTLES PAST KARLOVIC IN ZAGREB; BAGHDATIS OUSTS DODIG

2012-02-04T07:20:00.000-08:00

Third seed Mikhail Youzhnyearned a hard-fought win over eight-seeded Croatian Ivo Karlovic, prevailing 7-6(10), 3-6, 7-6(6) after two hours and 42 minutes on Friday at the PBZ Zagreb Indoors.

Youzhny won 10 less points than Karlovic, but survived 22 aces and edged the home favourite in the tie-breaks to reach the Zagreb semi-finals for the second time. He improved to a 3-0 FedEx ATP Head2Head record against his opponent, including a win at Doha earlier this season.

"It was a very close match, very tough match for both," said the Russian. "I think I was a bit lucky. When you win in two tie-break sets, two points difference, you have to have luck on your side."

Youzhny next faces German Michael Berrer, who stayed on course to reach his third straight final at this ATP World Tour 250 tournament after rallying past former World No. 8 Jurgen Melzer of Austria 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 in two hours and three minutes.

"I knew it’d be a very difficult match and I’d have to play on top," said Berrer. "In the beginning I was 1-4 down and I felt like, I’m playing not bad, but he’s just too good. But then I got a little bit more offensive, tried to get him away from the baseline, pushed him back a little bit, and then I went to chip and charge returns. I was able to put him down a little bit."

The 105th-ranked Berrer is making his first tour-level appearance since last October in St. Petersburg.

Sixth seed Marcos Baghdatis ensured a Croatian player would not lift the Zagreb trophy for a fifth time in seven years after he knocked out defending champion and No. 4 seed Ivan Dodig 6-4, 7-5 in the last match Friday. The Cypriot, who won the Zagreb title in 2007, improves to an 8-0 record at this tournament.

Baghdatis is through to his second semi-final of the 2012 season, also advancing to this stage in Sydney (l. to Benneteau), and will be attempting to reach his 12th tour-level final.

Slovakian Lukas Lacko booked a place in his first ATP World Tour semi-final on Friday after he beat seventh seed Robin Haase of the Netherlands 6-4, 6-4 in 70 minutes.

Lacko, 24, is full of confidence after reaching the Australian Open third round (l. to Nadal) as a qualifier last month. The World No. 97 played in five quarter-finals in 2010 (at Chennai, Zagreb, Memphis, Halle and Atlanta).

MONACO, CHELA FINISH STRONG TO REACH VINA SFS

2012-02-04T06:40:00.000-08:00

Top seed Juan Monaco bounced back to defeat No. 5 seed Albert Montanes 3-6, 6-1, 6-1 in quarter-final action Friday at theVTR Open in Vina del Mar.

Monaco looked in danger of dropping to an 0-3 FedEx ATP Head2Head record against the Spaniard, including a loss at this tournament six years ago, but came back strong after the first set. He converted all three of his break points in the second set and went two for five on his chances in the third to seal the win in just under two hours.

The 29-year-old Argentine, a finalist at this ATP World Tour 250 tournament in 2008 and '10, will next play Frenchman Jeremy Chardy, who secured his place in the final four with a 6-2, 7-6(5) win over Portugal's Frederico Gil. Chardy is making his Vina del Mar debut this week.

Argentine Juan Ignacio Chela, the No. 2 seed, needed three hours to get by Brazilian Joao Souza 5-7, 7-6(6), 6-1 in his quarter-final match. World No. 25 Chela took better advantage of his opportunities, converting four of his eight break points, while the 108th-ranked Souza managed to capitalise on three of his 13.

Chela advances to the semi-finals at this clay-court tournament for the first time in nine appearances; he had bowed out in the quarter-finals in 2009 and '11.

Seventh-seeded Argentine Carlos Berlocq celebrated his 29th birthday by reaching a tour-level semi-final for the second time (2007 Bucharest). Berlocq, a Vina del Mar quarter-finalist in 2007 and '08, defeated countryman and qualifier Federico Delbonis 6-3, 6-4 in one hour and 32 minutes.

DODIG, BAGHDATIS TO MEET IN ZAGREB QFS; BOGOMOLOV FALLS

2012-02-03T01:17:00.000-08:00

Defending champion and No. 4 seed Ivan Dodig prevailed against Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 after two hours and 37 minutes in the PBZ Zagreb Indoors second round Thursday. Dodig prevented Garcia-Lopez from drawing level at 5-all in the decisive set, saving a break point.

The two players had previously met last year in the Zagreb semi-finals, a match the Croatian had also come back to win in a 6-4 third set. He went on to capture his first ATP World Tour title with victory over German Michael Berrer in the final.

Read Determined Dodig In DEUCE

Dodig next meets another former Zagreb champion, sixth seed Marcos Baghdatis, who hit six aces past Poland's Lukasz Kubot in a 6-4, 6-2 win over 77 minutes.

"I can say in the first round I started very well; Rosol played very well in the middle of the first set," said Baghdatis. "So I cannot say if I played better or not, but today I kept the momentum and I kept the way I started against Rosol and that made the win a bit easier.

"I’m feeling good now. I’m happy. I’m playing good and I think my ranking will go up slowly."

The Cypriot is through to his third ATP World Tour quarter-final (or better) this year, having reached the same stage at the Brisbane International(l. to Murray) and the semi-finals at the Apia International Sydney (l. to Benneteau).

Second-seeded Russian Alex Bogomolov Jr. fell to World No. 97 Lukas Lacko 6-0, 6-7(1), 6-1 in one hour and 55 minutes in his second-round match. Slovak Lacko, who will next meet seventh seed Robin Haase of the Netherlands, led by one set and 3-0.

Bogomolov's compatriot, third seed Mikhail Youzhny, lost just 10 points on serve to defeat Slovenia's Grega Zemlja 6-1, 6-3 in 76 minutes. Youzhny reached the 2007 Zagreb semi-finals (l. to Ljubicic).

The former World No. 8 will take a 2-0 FedEx ATP Head2Head record into his next match against No. 8 seed Ivo Karlovic, including a win in Doha in the opening week of the 2012 season.

The 6'10" Croat defeated 5'9" Dudi Sela of Israel 6-3, 6-2 in 66 minutes to reach the Zagreb quarter-finals for the third time.

BERDYCH, MONFILS REACH MONTPELLIER QFS

2012-02-03T01:14:00.000-08:00

World No. 7 Tomas Berdychrequired just 56 minutes to beat No. 142-ranked Florent Serra 6-0, 6-2 on Thursday for a place in the Open Sud de Francequarter-finals.

Berdych dropped 12 points on serve - saving all three break points he faced - and hit nine aces. It was his first match since reaching the Australian Openquarter-finals (l. to Nadal).

The Czech will next challenge France's Nicolas Mahut, who knocked out sixth seed Florian Mayer of Germany 7-6(3), 6-3 in 83 minutes. It was their first meeting in almost three years, since the 2008Sony Ericsson Open in Miami.

Returning champion Gael Monfils, the No. 3 seed, fired 17 aces and won 84 per cent of points behind his first serve to close out a 6-3, 6-3 win over American Michael Russell.

The Frenchman won this ATP World Tour 250 tournament in October 2010 in its inaugural year in Montpellier (d. Ljubicic).

Monfils will play eighth seed Jarkko Nieminen for a place in the semi-finals after the Finn defeated French wild card Paul-Henri Mathieu 7-6(4), 6-1. Nieminen claimed his second ATP World Tour title last month in Sydney (d. Benneteau).

DELBONIS OUSTS PAST CHAMPION BELLUCCI IN VINA

2012-02-03T01:11:00.000-08:00

Argentine qualifier Federico Delbonis knocked out No. 3 seed and 2010 championThomaz Bellucci 6-2, 7-5 on Thursday at the VTR Open to reach the quarter-finals for a second time at an ATP World Tour event.

The 21 year old, who opened with a win over Vina del Mar-native Nicolas Massu, broke Bellucci four times from five opportunities and dropped serve just once to claim the win in one hour and 31 minutes.

He will attempt to match his best tour-level result, a semi-final run as a qualifier last year in Stuttgart (l. to Ferrero), when he next plays seventh-seeded countryman Carlos Berlocq. The 28 year old dismissed another Argentine qualifier, Diego Junqueira, 6-1, 6-0 in 62 minutes.

Brazil’s Joao Souza curtailed Chilean wild card Fernando Gonzalez’s comeback, beating the four-time former champion 6-3, 7-6(6). The No. 108-ranked Souza converted five of his eight break point chances to clinch victory in one hour and 47 minutes. The 31-year-old Gonzalez has been hampered with a knee injury over the past year and was playing his first tournament since a Challenger event in Sacramento last October.

"That's how tennis works," said Gonzalez. "You never feel the same every day. Today I didn't feel comfortable on court and also Souza played very well and took almost all the chances he had."

The 23-year-old Souza, who is through to his fourth career ATP World Tour quarter-final, goes onto face second-seeded Argentine Juan Ignacio Chela, who was a 6-4, 7-6(2) victor over countryman Horacio Zeballos.

The 32-year-old Chela, who reached the third round at the Australian Open (l. to Ferrer), is through to his third quarter-final on Chilean soil in the past four years (2009, ’11). He is bidding to reach his first ATP World Tour semi-final since September, when he reached the last four in Bucharest (l. to Andujar).

BOB BRYAN WELCOMES BABY DAUGHTER

2012-02-03T01:06:00.000-08:00

The Bryans welcomed its newest generation Tuesday in Florida, with Bob Bryan and wife Michelle celebrating the birth of daughter Micaela Brooke Bryan at 7:31 p.m. She weighed in at seven pounds, two ounces, and measured 20.8 inches.

“Micaela Bryan was born last night, January 31, during the most amazing experience of my life,” Bob shared Wednesday, posting a photo of him holding his daughter. “She is sooo beautiful just like her mother. Both my girls are doing great! Thanks for all your nice messages. We can't thank you enough for your love and support!”

Mike Bryan, who was in California at the time, broke the news on Twitter shortly after the birth. “So excited to be an uncle,” he tweeted. “Baby Micaela and mommy are both doing fantastic. Congrats @Bryanbros and @MIAlva for their beautiful daughter!”

He shared two additional photos of his niece Wednesday, while en route to Florida:
* Off to Miami to see baby Micaela Bryan. Can't wait!http://t.co/DK4FxwPQ
* Love the wifi on AA flights! Another baby pic from 30,000 ft.http://t.co/4FSoxy2x

Bob had shared with ATPWorldTour.com, back in December, that they had chosen the name Micaela because it was the middle name of his wife’s grandmother and also similar to Michelle and Michael.

Mike joked at the time, “The name, Micaela, is a derivative of Mike, which is kind of cool. If I have a girl, I might now have to name her ‘Bobette’ or ‘Bobina’, haha.”

Congratulatory messages poured in for the happy new family on Twitter, including one from Mahesh Bhupathi, whose daughter was born 11 days earlier. “bobby B big congrats to you and MB .. Very happy, get ready for the long nights bro :)”, wrote the new father.

Meanwhile, Justin Gimelstob looked farther into the future. “congrats 2 @Bryanbros @Mialva on the birth of their daughter Michaela, 1/2 of future greatest women's doubles team of all-time was just born!”

DJOKOVIC WINS EPIC CONTEST TO RETAIN MELBOURNE CROWN

2012-01-29T07:44:00.000-08:00

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic captured his fifth Grand Slam championship title as he defeated No. 2 Rafael Nadal 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-5 in an epic final contest at theAustralian Open on Sunday night in Melbourne.

At five hours and 53 minutes, it was the longest-ever match at the Australian Openand the longest men's Grand Slam final on record, surpassing the previous record of four hours and 54 minutes when Mats Wilander defeated Ivan Lendl at the 1988US Open.

In his acceptance speech, Djokovic said, "Rafa, you're one of the best players ever, one of the most respected players on tour. We made history tonight; unfortunately there couldn't be two winners tonight. I wish you all the best for this season and I hope that we will have many more finals like this."

It was the third successive Grand Slam final that Djokovic and Nadal have contested, and saw the Serb extend his winning streak over Nadal to seven straight matches. The pair clashed in six finals last season, with Djokovic prevailing in each one, including at Wimbledon and the US Open.

The 24 year old Serb won his first major title at the Australian Open in 2008, defeating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, and reclaimed the trophy at Melbourne Park last year with victory over Andy Murray. Last year’s victory proved to be the catalyst for one of the greatest seasons tennis has ever seen. The Serb went on to compile a 70-6 match record, taking in a career-best 10 titles, and finished as the year-end World No. 1 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings.

In a pulsating contest on Rod Laver Arena, Djokovic rallied from a 2-4 deficit in the fifth set, to fight back and claim a dramatic victory. He continued to narrow the gap in his FedEx ATP Head2Head series with the Spaniard to 14-16. Nadal had never previously lost a Grand Slam final after winning the first set.

Djokovic now has a 5-2 record in Grand Slam finals, with his two defeats coming against Roger Federer in the 2007 US Open final and against Nadal in the 2010 US Open final. He is just the fifth man in the Open Era to win three successive Grand Slam titles, joining Pete Sampras, Rod Laver, Federer and Nadal.

The Belgrade native had come through a marathon semi-final clash at Melbourne Park on Friday night, edging Andy Murray 7-5 in the fifth set after four hours and 50 minutes to notch his 400th tour-level win. He improved to a 32-5 event record.

Top seed and defending champion Novak Djokovic won his fifth Grand Slam championship title with a 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-5 victory over second seed and 2009 titlistRafael Nadal in the Australian Open final on Sunday.

It was the pair's 30th meeting and the longest in the tournament's history. Here is a set-by-set breakdown of the

The 25-year-old Nadal was bidding to win his 11th major title and his second trophy at the Australian Open, having beaten Federer in the 2009 final. He has also won a record-equalling six Roland Garros trophies, twoWimbledon crowns, and completed the career Grand Slam when he defeated Djokovic in the 2010 US Open final.

The Mallorcan, who had defeated his long-time rival Federer in four sets in the semi-finals on Thursday night, dropped to a 10-5 mark in major finals.

"Good morning everybody," joked Nadal as he started his runner-up speech at 1:50am. "Congratulations to Novak and his team, they deserve it, they are doing something fantastic, so congratulations. To start the season here and play this fantastic match against Novak is, I believe, a fantastic start."

MATTEK-SANDS & TECAU CAPTURE MIXED CROWN

2012-01-29T07:40:00.000-08:00

Eighth seeds Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Horia Tecau captured the Australian Open mixed doubles crown on Sunday in Melbourne, defeating Leander Paes and Elena Vesnina 6-3, 5-7, 10-3 in the final.

"It's great to break the ice and have the first Grand Slam title," said Tecau. "It's an amazing feeling. It's very hard to win those. I played two finals before, and really happy to break through and get my first one.

"Leander and Elena, they are two good players. They had to change it up in the second set because they saw that we have the momentum and things weren't going well for them. They had to do some changes, and that's how they got back into the match. So it's a good feeling to win it like this, the hard way."

The American-Romanian duo made a fast start to the match, surrendering an early break advantage, but regaining it in the fourth game for a 3-1 lead. After missing a 0/40 opportunity on Paes’ serve in the sixth game, Tecau and Mattek-Sands served out the opening set in the ninth game.

Mattek-Sands and Tecau built on their lead by breaking Vesnina’s serve in the second game of the second set. However, they missed the chance for a double break lead as Paes rallied to hold from a 0/40 deficit in the third game, and were made to pay as their Indian-Russian opponents broke back in the eighth game after a short rain delay.

Paes and Vesnina then won three of the next four games to clinch the second set and level the match. In the deciding Match Tie-break, Mattek-Sands inspired the eighth seeds on the first point with a forehand winner on the run, and she and Tecau then surged into a 9-3 lead. They converted their first match point as Tecau punched away a volley after one hour and 42 minutes.

The 38-year-old Paes was bidding for his second trophy at this year’sAustralian Open, having completed the career Grand Slam by winning the men’s doubles title a day earlier with Radek Stepanek, defeating Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan.

PAES-STEPANEK BEAT BRYANS FOR FIRST MAJOR TITLE

2012-01-28T06:43:00.000-08:00

Playing in just their fourth tour-level event together, India’sLeander Paes and Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic won their first major team title as they defeated five-timeAustralian Open champions Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan 7-6(1), 6-2 in Saturday’s final in Melbourne.

Paes and Stepanek joined forces for the 2012 ATP World Tour season having only played together twice previously, and were beaten in the quarter-finals of the Apia International Sydney by the Bryans two weeks ago.

Victory sees the 38-year-old Paes complete the career Grand Slam by winning the Australian Open crown for the first time. He had previously won six major trophies, triumphing at 1999 Roland Garros, 1999Wimbledon and 2001 Roland Garros with Mahesh Bhupathi, the 2006 US Open (w/ Damm), and at Roland Garros and the US Open in 2009 withLukas Dlouhy.

The 33-year-old Stepanek captured his first Grand Slam doubles crown, having finished runner-up with countryman Jiri Novak at the 2002 US Open (l. to Bhupathi-Mirnyi).

Paes and Stepanek came through the draw unseeded and became the first team in the Open Era to defeat the top three seeds at the Australian Open, having beaten No. 3 Michael Llodra and Nenad Zimonjic in the third round before topping No. 2 Max Mirnyi and Daniel Nestor in the semi-finals.

A tight first set in the final saw neither team able to engineer a break of serve. In the ensuing tie-break, Paes and Stepanek stepped up and clinched the opener by a 7-1 margin. The Indian-Czech duo capitalised on their momentum at the start of the second set, breaking Bob Bryan’s serve for a 2-0 lead.

The Bryans had one chance to get back into the match in the seventh game after Bob Bryan wore down Stepanek at the net to earn break point. However, Paes produced a clutch backhand volley off his shoe laces to deny the American twins. After holding for a 5-2 lead, Paes and Stepanek then went up 15/40 on Mike Bryan’s serve, and converted their second match point after 84 minutes as the American double faulted.

"It was tight early," assessed Bob Bryan. "I thought we were playing okay. Then played a couple of little bit sloppy points in the breaker, and they capitalised and got some momentum. It kind of changed the tone of the match a little bit.

"But I've got to tip my hat to them. They played pretty well. They're going to be a tough team this year. They will be a top four team, and we will probably be playing them a lot more in big matches."

The 33-year-old Bryans were bidding to win their 12th major title and equal the all-time Grand Slam doubles teams titles record set by John Newcombe and Tony Roche in a partnership spanning both the amateur era and Open Era.

The twins were contesting the Australian Open final for the eighth time in nine years, and lifted the trophy in 2006 (d. Paes-Damm), 2007 (d. Bjorkman-Mirnyi), 2009 (d. Bhupathi-Knowles), 2010 (d. Nestor-Zimonjic) and 2011 (d. Bhupathi/Paes).

DJOKOVIC EDGES MURRAY IN PULSATING CONTEST

2012-01-27T06:15:00.000-08:00

World No. 1 and defending champion Novak Djokovic reached the Australian Open final for the third time on Friday night after edging two-time runner-up Andy Murray 6-3, 3-6, 6-7(4), 6-1, 7-5 in a pulsating semi-final clash in Melbourne.

The Serbian also defeated Murray in the final at Melbourne Park last year, and improved to a 7-4 lead in their FedEx ATP Head2Head standing.

In Sunday’s final Djokovic will face World No. 2 Rafael Nadal, whom he defeated in all six of their meetings last year, including in the finals at Wimbledon and the US Open. The Serbian is bidding to win his fifth Grand Slam championship, having also won the 2008 (d. Tsonga) and 2011 Australian Open crowns.

Djokovic had Murray under pressure early in the pair’s 11th meeting, with the Scot needing to rescue a 15/40 situation in the second game of the match. With the longer rallies favouring the Dunblane native in the early exchanges, Murray then had his chance to break Djokovic in the third game, but netted a second serve return. Three successive service breaks followed. Murray surrendered his serve in the fourth game with a costly double fault, but was immediately reprieved and broke back in the fifth game. Equity was not restored for long, though, as Djokovic regained his advantage with a service break to love and went on to clinch the opener in 47 minutes.

The tide looked to be firmly in Djokovic’s favour as the Serb broke for a 2-0 lead at the start of the second set, benefitting from a spate of Murray errors, and had the chance for a double break lead, but failed to convert. The reprieve proved to be the catalyst for Murray, who reeled off six of the next seven games to draw level, working Djokovic hard in long exchanges around the baseline and reaping the rewards as his Serbian opponent struggled to match him. The No. 4-ranked Murray held his nerve serving to level the match, rallying from 15/40 down to hold on and win the 65-minute second set.

Murray had chances aplenty to break Djokovic at the start of the third set and was denied on seven chances before breaking through in the third game with a smash winner. A loose game from the 24 year old immediately allowed Djokovic to draw level, though, and the Scot missed the chance to regain the advantage in the fifth game as Djokovic held on for a 3-2 lead.

The drama continued on a riveted Rod Laver Arena as Murray saved three set points in the 10th game, before breaking Djokovic in the following game, exhibiting great defensive skills for a 6-5 lead. However, the Scot failed to find the range on his forehand when serving for the set, and Djokovic hit back to force a tie-break. Murray broke decisively in the tie-break as Djokovic sliced a backhand long and converted his second set point opportunity at 6-4 with an unreturned serve to close out the 88-minute set.

Murray was unable to capitalise on his momentum at the start of the fourth set. Indeed, a significant lull in the Scot’s intensity and play allowed Djokovic to hit back straightaway. The four-time Grand Slam champion demonstrated his mental strength as he dismissed the disappointment of the third set and raced to a commanding 4-0 lead. A third break of serve saw him clinch the 25-minute set and force a decider.

Djokovic was quick to press Murray in the fifth set and broke through in the sixth game, pushing the Scot back before hitting a forehand winner past him to lead 4-2. The Serb stretched out his lead to 5-2 and served for the match in the ninth game, before Murray made one final push. The right-hander showed his fighting spirit to break Djokovic back to love and then level at 5-5. In the 12th game Murray appeared on the verge of the ultimate comeback as he engineered three break points, but he was denied by the resilient Djokovic, who held on for 6-5. The defending champion then upped the ante in the final game and attacked Murray for a service break to 15 to seal the dramatic victory in four hours and 50 minutes.

Murray was bidding to reach the Australian Open final for the third year in a row, having finished runner-up to Roger Federer in 2010 and against Djokovic last year. The Scot came into the tournament on the back of winning his 22nd ATP World Tour title at the Brisbane International (d. Dolgopolov) and was contesting his fifth successive major semi-final.

NADAL BEATS FEDERER, REACHES SECOND AUSTRALIAN OPEN FINAL

2012-01-27T06:13:00.000-08:00

World No. 2 Rafael Nadal reached theAustralian Open final for the second time on Thursday night in Melbourne as he defeated long-time rival Roger Federer 6-7(5), 6-2, 7-6(5), 6-4.

It was only the seventh time in their 27 meetings that the player who did not win the first set went on to clinch the match. It saw Nadal extend his FedEx ATP Head2Head lead over Federer to 18-9.

"I am very happy about my results these two weeks," said Nadal. "I did much better than I thought [I would, than] what I dreamed [about] three weeks ago. So [I'm] very happy for everything. It's a fantastic victory for me. [I'm] very, very happy playing against the greatest [player] in [tennis] history in semi-finals. It's one of the victories that's going to stay in my mind forever. It's a fantastic way to start the season."

The 25-year-old Nadal is through to his fourth successive major final, and 15th overall, and is bidding for his 11th Grand Slam championship. He won the Australian Open trophy in 2009, defeating Federer in the final. His last major title came at 2011 Roland Garros, where he triumphed for a record-equalling sixth time with victory over Federer. He then followed with runner-up showings at Wimbledon and the US Open, falling toNovak Djokovic on both occasions.

In the final, Nadal will face either World No. 1 and defending champion Djokovic, or two-time runner-up Andy Murray. The second semi-final will be decided on Friday night on Rod Laver Arena.

In their 27th meeting, it was Federer who made the faster start, punishing Nadal with his forehand and he was quick to close out the points at the net. He was rewarded with an early service break and quickly opened up a 4-1 lead. Nadal responded, though, imposing himself from the baseline and hurting Federer with high forehands into the Swiss’ one-handed backhand. He drew level in the eighth game and forced the set into a tie-break. Federer took an early lead in the tie-break and did not relinquish it. Nadal saved two set points at 3-6, but Federer converted his third chance as the Spaniard over hit a backhand long after 56 minutes.

"I think he started playing aggressively," said Nadal afterwards. "[A] very, very high level at the beginning of the match. But I really felt that when he plays like that, it's almost impossible to rise there to that level. But after the first three games I started to have the chance to hit balls, to play with a little bit [of] my rhythm, so I started to hit a few good forehands. After that moment I felt that the level started to be closer and closer."

Federer looked to be taking charge of the match as he capitalised on his momentum by breaking Nadal to love in the opening game of the second set. Nadal’s response was immediate, though, breaking Federer straight back to love for 1-1. "After the [first game of the second set], I think I started to play aggressively," said Nadal. "I started to play my game finally. I had the chance to move him [around] a little bit more. Open the court [up] from his forehand after changing to his backhand."

Federer squandered a break point chance in the fifth game as he framed a forehand long, and rued his missed opportunity when Nadal went up 0/40 in the following game, converting the break on his third chance with a forehand passing shot back behind Federer. There was a 10-minute break after Nadal opened up a 5-2 lead, as Melbourne celebrated Australia Day with a firework display. It was the Spaniard who responded better at the resumption, breaking Federer to love to clinch the set and level the match.

Federer would lose 11 straight points after the break for the fireworks, and as such found himself 0-1, 0/40 down at the start of the third set. The 16-time Grand Slam champion produced clutch tennis to hold serve, though, and went on to break Nadal in a seventh game lasting more than eight minutes, converting his fourth break point chance to lead 4-3. However, for the third time in the match, Federer was unable to hold on to his break advantage, and immediately surrendered serve as Nadal levelled at 4-4. Federer saved a set point on serve in the 12th game to force a tie-break, but quickly fell behind 6-1 to Nadal, who capitalised on forehand errors that had troubled Federer for much of the set. The Basel native rallied from 1-6 to 5-6, but Nadal clinched the set on his fifth opportunity after 67 minutes as Federer netted a forehand under pressure.

Federer was threatened early in the fourth set as Nadal looked to impose his momentum quickly. The 30 year old fended off break point in the third game, and rallied from a 15/40 deficit in the fifth game to hold for 3-2. He then missed a break point chance of his own in the eighth game, teeing up on a short forehand, but missing the court by millimetres. Nadal made his breakthrough in the ninth game, converting as Federer hooked a backhand wide. The Spaniard then served out a nervy final game, saving two break points before triumphing on his second match point as Federer hit a forehand long after three hours and 42 minutes.

When asked whether he plays his best tennis against Federer, Nadal admitted, "I think sometimes. I play my best tennis against him when I am ready to play my best tennis. I don't play my best tennis because it's Roger.

"It's true I played a lot of good matches against him during my career, so [it] is something fantastic. But I believe that he played a few fantastic matches against me too during his career, during our rivalry. I enjoy playing against him. It's always a special feeling because our matches always have been special, and especially today."

It was the 10th time the pair had clashed at a Grand Slam championship, and the first time in a major semi-final since 2005Roland Garros, when Nadal won in four sets.

"I thought Rafa played well from start to finish, really," said Federer. "I started really well myself. It was obviously a big set for me to win, and [I] missed obviously the opportunities in some of all the sets maybe. But Rafa did well to hang in there. At the end [I] was a bit better. It was a tough match physically as well, but [it's] only beginning of the season. I'm feeling all right, so it's okay."

World No. 3 Federer was contesting an Open Era record ninth consecutive Australian Open semi-final and was bidding to reach the final at Melbourne Park for the sixth time. He won four titles in 2004 (d. Safin), 2006 (d. Baghdatis), 2007 (d. Gonzalez) and 2010 (d. Murray), and was runner-up to Nadal in 2009. He also fell at the semi-final stage last year against Djokovic.

Federer finished the 2011 ATP World Tour season as the form player, clinching titles at the Swiss Indoors Basel (d. Nishikori), the BNP Paribas Masters (d. Tsonga) and the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals (d. Tsonga). He came into Melbourne bidding to win his 17th Grand Slam championship.

DJOKOVIC TO FACE MURRAY IN REPEAT OF 2010 FINAL

2012-01-25T04:11:00.000-08:00

Top seed and defending champion Novak Djokovic defeated fifth seed David Ferrer of Spain 6-4, 7-6(4), 6-1 on Wednesday to set up an Australian Open semi-final against fourth-seeded Scot Andy Murray, which will be a repeat of last year's title match.

Djokovic, who has reached his seventh straight Grand Slam championship semi-final, is now one victory shy of 400 career wins (399-111 overall).

The World No. 1 broke Ferrer's serve in the fifth game and maintained the lead to clinch the 58-minute opener on his second set point opportunity.

The Serbian's greater groundstroke power meant he was quick to take a 2-0 lead in the second set, but Ferrer won the next three games as Djokovic struggled with a hamstring injury and breathing difficulties. Djokovic broke serve in the 11th game at 30/40, when Ferrer hit a forehand into the net. Ferrer bounced back immediately when Djokovic hit a forehand long at 15/40 in the next game.

Ferrer won the first two points of the tie-break and opened up a 4-2 lead, before he made two forehand errors. Djokovic grew in confidence and fired two successive forehand winners to wrap up the 76-minute set.

In the third set, Djokovic raised his game by wearing down Ferrer in lengthy baseline rallies to lead 3-0. He broke Ferrer's serve for a second time at 1-4, 30/40, when Djokovic hit a forehand winner down the line. Minutes later Djokovic held serve for his 30th match win at Melbourne Park (30-5 record).

Djokovic now leads Ferrer 7-5 in their FedEx ATP Head 2 Head series, having avenged his round robin loss to the 29-year-old Spaniard at theBarclays ATP World Tour Finals in November. The 24-year-old Djokovic has won 28 tour-level titles and four major championship trophies.

Ferrer, who reached the Australian Open semi-finals (l. to Murray) last year, lifted his 12th ATP World Tour title at the Heineken Open (d. O. Rochus) two weeks ago.

MURRAY ENDS NISHIKORI'S HISTORIC RUN

2012-01-25T03:43:00.000-08:00

World No. 4 Andy Murrayended Kei Nishikori's historic run at the Australian Open as he defeated the Japanese No. 24 seed 6-3, 6-3, 6- 1 on Wednesday for a place in the semi-finals.

Murray will attempt to reach the final at Melbourne Park for a third straight year when he next faces the winner between top seed Novak Djokovic and No. 5 seed David Ferrer. Last year, Murray defeated Ferrer in the semi-finals before falling to Djokovic in the title match.

"I was just a little bit more solid today and probably had a little bit more in the tank than he did," said Murray. "He played three long matches. With the way that he plays, he needs to play a lot of long rallies. That was to my advantage today.

"I was hitting the ball better today. I could have served better, that's for sure. I'll need to serve better in the next match. But I was returning good, hitting the ball clean from the back of the court [and] moved forward well."

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Murray broke Nishikori in the second game of the match and saved two break points in the following game to get off to a 3-0 start. He came under pressure at 4-2, falling to 0/40, but won five straight points to maintain his lead.

The second set began with three consecutive breaks, with Murray again seizing the early advantage. The 24 year old broke Nishikori again in the final game of the set.

Nishikori had battled from two sets down in his second round match against Matthew Ebden, but was unable to replicate the feat against the fourth seed.

Murray, who has now reached his fifth consecutive Grand Slam championship semi-final, hit 36 winners and four aces. He won 21 of his 25 approached to the net and dropped eight points on first serve. Nishikori committed 39 unforced errors and could only convert two of 10 break point opportunities.

Murray is the first player to reach 10 match wins in 2012, after opening the season with an ATP World Tour 250 title at the Brisbane International(d. Dolgopolov).

"Of course I wanted to win today," said Nishikori, who had made history by becoming the first Japanese man to reach the Australian Openquarter-finals in the Open Era. "I was really excited before the match and even yesterday. But I wasn't good enough physically, mentally, [and] even tennis. He's really improving I think his serve now... and he has great defence. It's not easy to play against him."

NADAL SETS UP FEDERER SEMI-FINAL

2012-01-24T05:35:00.000-08:00

Second seed and 2009 champion Rafael Nadal has set up a blockbuster Australian Open semi-final against his great rival, third seed and four-time former titlist Roger Federer of Switzerland.

Nadal beat seventh seed Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic 6-7(5), 7-6(6), 6-4, 6-3, in four hours and 13 minutes, on Tuesday night. It was the Spaniard's 10th straight win over Berdych.

Nadal managed to save four set points from 0/40 at 5-6 in the first set, which was decided on a tie-break. Berdych's forehand let him down in the early stages of the tie-break, but he recovered from 4-5 to win the 75-minute opener.

Nadal began to hussle early in the second set by seizing control of long rallies and hitting winners off any short balls. The Spaniard took a 3-1 lead after breaking Berdych to 30 and went onto serve for the set at 5-3. But Berdych regained his composure and reeled off a number of groundstroke winners to break serve at 30/40 and hit a forehand volley winner.

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Berdych saved one set point at 5-6, 30/40 with another volley winner. In the tie-break, Nadal squandered a 4-1 lead. Berdych could not convert a set point opportunity at 6-5 and he then made two straight forehand errors to conclude the 71-minute set.

When Berdych took a 2-0 lead in the third set, the Rod Laver Arena crowd expected another morning finish, but Nadal fought back to win four games in a row. Having added extra weight on his racquet this season, Nadal's serve began to fizz down; his topspin forehand began to jam-up Berdych's backhand in long rallies, and his forays to the net were well conceived.

At 3-5, Berdych saved one set point with a 108 miles per hour kicker. The Czech eventually held serve to force Nadal to close out the 53-minute set, which he did to 15 with an athletic smash winner.

Berdych was brought to a standstill at the start of the fourth set, when Nadal sprinted from the deuce court to the opposite corner to hit a running forehand winner down the line at break point. It brought the capacity crowd to its feet.

Berdych kept fighting. He saved three break points at 1-3, which gave him confidence as in the next game, Berdych hit heavier groundstrokes to leave Nadal at 15/40. But both break points were saved with forehand winners down the line. At 2-4, Berdych came through another tough service hold. But two games later, Nadal broke serve for the fourth time to wrap up victory.

Nadal is now 549-117 lifetime. He has a 17-9 FedEx ATP Head 2 Head record against Federer, who Nadal beat in the Australian Open final three years ago.

FEDERER BEATS DEL POTRO IN 1000TH TOUR-LEVEL MATCH

2012-01-24T05:26:00.000-08:00

Roger Federer, playing his 1000th tour-level match, reached his 30th Grand Slam championship semi-final on Tuesday.

Federer At 1000

The third-seeded Swiss defeated No. 11 seed Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 at the Australian Open to advance to the last four at Melbourne Park for the ninth straight year. He improves to an 814-186 lifetime match record.

"I wish it was 1000 wins, but I'm happy with 1000 matches in total, too. It's nice to win this one. I do not remember my 500, and that was the [2005] US Open final against [Andre] Agassi. It's a lot of matches and a lot tennis. Either I have been around for a long time or I'm extremely fit."

Federer took a 3-0 lead in nine minutes, before del Potro fought back. The Argentinean fell to 15/40 at 4-5 and hit a double fault to conclude the 43-minute opener.

Former World No. 4 del Potro came under pressure again in the fourth game of the second set, when he saved one break point, but he hit a backhand wide on Federer's second opportunity to gift the Swiss a 3-1 lead.

At 5-3, Federer saved four break points to clinch the set and went onto take a 2-0 lead in the third set. Del Potro hit a forehand into the net, at 30/40, 2-4, to give Federer the initiative. Minutes later he became the first man aged 30 or over to reach the Australian Open semi-finals sinceAndre Agassi in 2004 (33 years, 278 days).

"I really knew how important that game [at 5-3 in the third set] was for me," said Federer. "But I was able to come through and it was big.

"I'm moving well. I'm serving well. I'm hitting the ball clean. Today, I thought it was a very hot day with fast conditions. From now on basically it's only night sessions, so it's going to change now. It's going to be more athletic and tougher. I'm ready for that."

Federer hit 38 winners and hit five aces in the pair's 10th meeting (Federer 8-2), which lasted just under two hours on Rod Laver Arena. The 23-year-old del Potro, who also lost to Federer in the 2009 quarter-finals, committed 27 unforced errors and converted one of his six break point opportunities.

Federer is bidding to become the second man in tournament history to win five Australian Open singles titles. Roy Emerson lifted his sixth trophy in 1967. Federer tasted silverware in 2004 (d. Safin), 2006 (d. Baghdatis), 2007 (d. Gonzalez) and 2010 (d. Murray).

He will next play either second seed and 2009 champion Rafael Nadal, his great rival from Spain, or No. 7 seed Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic.

NISHIKORI STUNS TSONGA TO MAKE HISTORY; MURRAY UP NEXT

2012-01-24T05:19:00.000-08:00

No. 24 seed Kei Nishikori made history in Melbourne Monday, becoming the first Japanese man in the Open Era to reach theAustralian Open quarter-finals after ousting sixth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 2-6, 6-2, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3.

Battling it out in hot conditions, the fourth-round encounter was a rollercoaster featuring 10 breaks of serve. After losing the third and fourth sets, Nishikori grabbed the momentum in the fifth set, breaking Tsonga for the sixth time to take a 3-1 lead. Tsonga had an opportunity to get the set back on serve when trailing 4-2, but Nishikori wiped away two break points to deny the Frenchman. He went on to close out the upset in three and a half hours to defeat Tsonga for the second time in two meetings.

"This is first quarter-final for me," said Nishikori. "My best result was 2008US Open round of 16. That was a couple of years ago. And I played well end of last year, and now it's like this. So I feel I'm stepping up.

"It was tough [to close it out] because he was still playing well in the fifth. I was having trouble with making returns. I started getting nervous. I was tired, too. It was tough to finish. But still I was playing aggressive on important points. I was making good serves. So that helped me to get the games."

By virtue of his victory, Nishikori will break into the Top 20 following the conclusion of the tournament. The 22 year old will look to extend his best Grand Slam event run when he squares off against two-time defending finalist Andy Murray.

Looking ahead to the clash with Murray, Nishikori said, "Weplayed last year, end of last year. He kind of destroyed me. But I have no pressure now. He's one of the players I have to play like him. I learn a lot of things from him. It's going to be tough, but I try to do my best tennis."

World No. 4 Murray defeated Mikhail Kukushkin to advance. Murray led 6-1, 6-1, 1-0 before the Kazak retired with a left hip flexor injury.

Murray took control of the match with his return game, winning 27 of 33 first return points. He converted seven breaks of serve to advance in 49 minutes following Kukushkin’s retirement from the match early in the third set. "I think each match, [I've] got better," said Murray.

"Today's match, I don't really know. Didn't do much. But I thought each round I played a little bit better. I didn't feel good at all in my first match. I managed to get through, and then started serving better, started moving better. That's good. I'll definitely be fresh for the next few rounds hopefully. Just need to make sure I do the right things the next couple days to get ready for the quarters."

The Scot is into the final eight at Melbourne Park for the third straight year, having finished runner-up in 2011 (l. to Djokovic) and 2010 (l. to Federer). Kukushkin was appearing in the round of 16 at a major for the first time.

DJOKOVIC ENDS HEWITT BID; IN-FORM FERRER DISMISSES GASQUET

2012-01-24T05:15:00.000-08:00

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic ended Lleyton Hewitt's Australian Open campaign on Monday night, beating the 2005 runner-up 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 to reach the quarter-finals in Melbourne.

The 30-year-old Hewitt failed to hold serve until the fifth game of the second set, as Djokovic raced to a 6-1, 3-2 lead. The Serbian then broke serve again in the ninth game to clinch a two-set lead. However, Hewitt fought back from an early break deficit in the third set and delighted theRod Laver Arena crowd as he broke Djokovic's serve again in the ninth game. He went onto serve out the set on his fourth set point opportunity.

Djokovic was forced to save a break point in the third game of the fourth set, and it proved to be Hewitt's last chance. Defending champion Djokovic broke decisively in the sixth game and went on to close out victory in four minutes shy of three hours.

"I played some loose points [in the third set] and got him back into the match," said Djokovic. "But credit to him as well for being competitive, for not giving up. This is something you can expect from Lleyton who is very well known for his fighting spirit. I should have closed it out earlier."

Hewitt was competing at the Australian Open for the 16th time after recovering from a foot injury that ruled him out of the majority of the 2011 ATP World Tour season. The two-time Grand Slam champion had knocked out Canadian No. 23 seed Milos Raonic in the third round. Hewitt will now switch to a television commentary role for Channel Seven, the host broadcaster.

The 24-year-old Djokovic is through to the quarter-finals at Melbourne Park for the fifth straight year. He won his first of four Grand Slam titles at the Australian Open in 2008 (d. Tsonga), and added to his tally in a banner 2011 season that saw him triumph in Melbourne (d. Murray),Wimbledon (d. Nadal) and the US Open (d. Nadal).

For a place in the semi-finals, Djokovic will face World No. 5 David Ferrer, who reached the Australian Open quarter-finals for the third time earlier in the day as he dismissed No. 18-ranked Richard Gasquet 6-4, 6-4, 6-1.

The Spaniard fired 36 winners and benefitted from 27 unforced errors from Gasquet as he broke serve seven times to claim victory in one hour and 47 minutes. Ferrer achieved his best result in Melbourne last year when he reached the semi-finals, defeating Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals before falling to Andy Murray; he also reached the last eight in 2008 (l. to Djokovic).

The 29-year-old Ferrer is on an eight-match winning streak, having opened his 2012 ATP World Tour campaign by winning his 12th ATP World Tour title at the Heineken Open in Auckland (d. O. Rochus).

Australian Open 4r results

2012-01-21T20:46:00.000-08:00

Defending champion Novak Djokovicstormed into the fourth round of theAustralian Open with a 6-0, 6-1, 6-1 dismissal of birthday boy Nicolas Mahut on Saturday afternoon in Melbourne. The World No. 1 needed just 74 minutes to defeat Mahut, breaking the Frenchman eight times.

"He could not get into a rally [over] two, three strokes," said Djokovic, acknowledging Mahut's struggles with a knee injury. "I think most of the people expected him to just retire [from] the match and walk [off] the court, but he managed to stay, so all the credit for him and happy birthday."

Djokovic has spent just under four-and-a-half hours on court through his first three matches, conceding a total of 10 games. He has now won 24 straight sets at the Australian Open, last dropping a set in his 2011 second-round match against Ivan Dodig.

"Looking just [at] my game, [it went] really well, really fantastic from serve, the return, all the shots, going to the net," analysed Djokovic. "I'm happy with the way my first week went here in Australia, and hopefully I can continue the same way in the second one."

The 24-year-old Serbian, who is chasing his third straight Grand Slam title, will look to reach the Australian Open quarter-finals for a fifth straight year when he next confronts Lleyton Hewitt.

With his birthday Saturday, Mahut joined seven other men aged 30 and over to reach the third round of this year’s Australian Open, the most since the introduction of the 128-player draw 30 years ago. The Frenchman was bidding to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time.

Former World No. 1 Hewitt came from a set down to defeat Canadian No. 23 seed Milos Raonic 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(5), 6-3 in three hours and six minutes in the Rod Laver Arena night session.

The 30-year-old Hewitt is through to the fourth round in Melbourne for the seventh time; he achieved his best result in 2005 when he went on to reach the final, finishing runner-up to Marat Safin. The Australian has dropped to World No. 181 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings after playing a limited schedule due to injury in 2011. He has lost his past four meetings with Djokovic.

"Obviously a couple of months ago, I didn't know if I'd be able to play," admitted Hewitt. "I didn't play much tennis last year. I always wanted to play this tournament. I've done a lot of hard work. It's only my close friends and team that know what we've done to get here. That's probably why it's very satisfying."

Looking ahead to the clash with Djokovic, Hewitt said, "I'll prepare as well as possible again. I'll do all the right things. He's the No. 1 player in the world for a reason at the moment. I'm going to enjoy going out there and having a crack."

World No. 6 and former finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga opened the action Saturday at theAustralian Open with a comfortable 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 win over Frederico Gil, the first Portuguese man to appear in the third round of a major.

Tsonga saved all six break points faced on serve and capitalised on six of his seven opportunities during the 91-minute match to notch his 20th win in Melbourne (20-5 record). It also extended his winning streak to eight straight matches, inclusive of his successful title campaign in Doha in the first week of the 2012 ATP World Tour season (d. Monfils).

"Every year and every tournament it's a bit the same story for me. I play better and better every match," he said. "Today I played well and didn't spend a lot of time on court, and it's good for the rest of the tournament. I'm confident."

The 26 year old will look to reach the Australian Open quarter-finals for the fourth time in five years when he next faces No. 24 seed Kei Nishikoriof Japan, who defeated Frenchman Julien Benneteau 4-6 7-6(3) 7-6(4) 6-3.

Nishikori is the first Japanese player to reach the fourth-round at theAustralian Open after winning 68 per cent of first serves to advance in three hours and 25 minutes. The result equalled his best Grand Slam performance, achieved at the 2008 US Open (l. del Potro). "I’m excited to get through here," said World No. 26 Nishikori. "That's my best result right now in Grand Slam. I want to win [the] next one."

Richard Gasquet, the No. 17 seed, joined his countryman, Tsonga, in the fourth round after taking one hour and 37 minutes to knock out World No. 9 Janko Tipsarevic 6-3, 6-3, 6-1. It marked his third win against a Top 10 player in Grand Slam competition.

Gasquet, who also advanced to the last 16 in 2007 and '08, will bid to reach the quarter-finals for the first time in Melbourne when he next comes up against 2011 semi-finalist David Ferrer. The Spaniard leads Gasquet 5-1 in the FedEx ATP Head2Head, but this will be their first encounter since the 2009 Shanghai Rolex Masters.

World No. 5 Ferrer lost his opening service game against No. 27 seedJuan Ignacio Chela in his third-round match, but regrouped for a 7-5, 6-2, 6-1 victory. Like Tsonga, Ferrer began his 2012 season with a title, successfully defending his Heineken Open crown.

Benneteau captures Sydney Title

2012-01-15T05:41:00.000-08:00

Jarkko Nieminen ended a six-year title drought on Sunday, defeating Julien Benneteau 6-2, 7-5 in an all 30-over final at the Apia International Sydney to win his second career trophy. "I tried to focus and win every point I could. I think I managed to do that pretty well," said Nieminen.

"I don't have a good record in finals, but I don't think I've done anything wrong in the ones I've played. Today I felt I had a really good chance to take the title as I had the game to do it. It's been many years since that first title and I had many finals after that, but I'm pretty good at believing in myself."

After Benneteau broke the Finn in the first game, the match belonged to Nieminen. He converted four breaks of serve, and won 74 per cent of his first serve points to improve his undefeated record against the Frenchman to a 5-0 mark. "I had one of the best off-seasons," revealed Nieminen. "I stayed healthy and felt I was playing really good the whole of December, and practising hard. Maybe I'm more relaxed and experienced now, and don't have anything to prove with myself."

Nieminen is the first qualifier to win an ATP World Tour title since Sergiy Stakhovsky lifted the St. Petersburg crown in 2009. Nieminen’s previous triumph came at the Heineken Open in 2006, and this week’s ATP World Tour 250 event in Sydney was the 147th tournament he competed in since winning his first title in Auckland. He is now 2-10 in title matches.

Benneteau was bidding to win his first title, and fell to a 0-6 final record with the loss. He was aiming to become the first player over 30 to capture his first ATP World Tour title in nearly seven years, since Australian Wayne Arthurs, 33, won at Scottsdale in 2005. "It was a good week, but not the finish I wanted, as I hoped today I would win," Benneteau said. "Jarkko played very well, but I could have done better. It's a good start to the year. My goal is to win a tournament and to be a better player."

The two were contesting the first all 30-over final since 2007, when 30-year-old Carlos Moya topped 33-year-old Andrei Pavel to win the Umag trophy.

Nieminen later finished runner-up with Matthew Ebden in the doubles final to World No. 1 pairing Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan. The American twins won 6-1, 6-4.

FERRER BEATS ROCHUS TO WIN THIRD AUCKLAND TITLE

2012-01-14T05:35:00.000-08:00

World No. 5 David Ferrer successfully defended his Heineken Open title on Saturday, defeating Olivier Rochus 6-3, 6-4 to win his 12th ATP World Tour trophy. "It was a pretty tough match," said Ferrer. "I think in the second set, we played good tennis. I think the key was the difference with my first serve and his."

Ferrer lost serve just once, winning 83 per cent of his first serve points. He broke Rochus three times in his four break opportunities to win a record-tying third title at the event in one hour and 36 minutes. The Spaniard joins Onny Parun(1973, ’75-76) and Roy Emerson (1960, ‘65-67) as the only three-time champions. "I love to play here," Ferrer said. "To me, winning today was more special than the other times because players are more difficult and I'm older now."

With the victory, Ferrer improved to a 6-2 record against the 68th-ranked Belgian. Ferrer has won 52 of his past 53 matches against players ranked outside the Top 50, with his lone loss during the stretch coming to then-No. 239 Ivo Karlovic at the BNP Paribas Open last year.

Rochus was bidding to end a title drought dating back to 2006, when he triumphed in Munich to win his second crown. He drops to a 2-8 final record. Ferrer is now 12-14 in title matches. "I played a good final and I think the level was great," assessed Rochus. "It was very tough physically. There were a lot of long rallies. I'm happy with how I played today and throughout the week... He was just better than me in the crucial moments."

RAFA, ROGER COULD MEET IN AUSTRALIAN OPEN SFS

2012-01-13T06:32:00.000-08:00

There will be no repeat of the 2011Australian Open men’s final, as defending champion Novak Djokovic and the man he defeated in last year’s championship, Andy Murray, are in the top half of the draw for the first major tournament of the 2012 season. Rafael Nadal and Roger Federerare in the same half of a Grand Slam event draw for the first time since Roland Garrosin 2005.

World No. 1 Djokovic will begin his quest for a third crown in Melbourne against Paolo Lorenzi. Fifth-ranked David Ferrer, is the featured seed in the Serbian's quarter of the draw. Ferrer will face Portugual's Rui Machado in the first round. The Spaniard, a semi-finalist last year, defeated Djokovic in their most recent meeting at the 2011 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.

Also in Djokovic’s section is home favourite Lleyton Hewitt. If Hewitt, a wild card this year, gets past Cedrik-Marcel Stebe in the first round, his potential second-round opponent is long-time foe Andy Roddick. The 15th-seeded Roddick, a four-time semi-finalist, plays Robin Haase in his opener. No. 25 seed Milos Raonic, the Aircel Chennai Open champion, could also play Djokovic in the fourth round. Possible threats to Ferrer include No. 9 seed Janko Tipsarevic and 17th seed Richard Gasquet.

World No. 4 Murray, the finalist two years running, starts his campaign for a first major title against 19-year-old American Ryan Harrison. The Scot triumphed in his 2012 tournament debut, winning the Brisbane International over Alexandr Dolgopolov.

Looming in Murray's quarter of the draw is Qatar ExxonMobil Open tilistJo-Wilfried Tsonga, the sixth seed. Tsonga upset Murray in the first round four years ago en route to reaching his first Grand Slam final, where he finished runner-up to Djokovic. Tsonga plays Denis Istomin in his opener.

Two other Frenchman will look to challenge Murray and Tsonga. Gael Monfils, the No. 14 seed, is a possible fourth-round opponent for Murray, while 12th-seeded Gilles Simon could meet his countryman Tsonga in the round of 16.

Four-time champion Federer is seeded third. Riding a 20-match win streak entering the event, Federer’s opponent is yet to be determined, as he will square off against a qualifier. The Swiss could meet top-ranked American Mardy Fish in the final eight. Fish has a tricky first-round match against Gilles Muller.

Juan Martin del Potro is Fish’s biggest obstacle in his path to the quarter-finals. Should both get through their first three rounds, they will face off in a fourth-round clash. Alexandr Dolgopolov, the 13th seed, will look to play spoiler again should he meet Federer in a round four encounter. Dolgopolov knocked off Robin Soderling and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga last year to reach the quarter-finals.

At the bottom of the draw is World No. 2 Nadal. The Spaniard lifted the trophy in 2009 and like Federer, will play a qualifier to start his tournament. The highest seed in his quarter of the draw is Czech Tomas Berdych. Seeded seventh, Berdych faces Albert Ramos in the first round.

John Isner, the 16th seed, is a potential fourth-round opponent for Nadal. The American pushed Nadal to five sets at Roland Garros in 2011. Other players to watch include 10th seed Nicolas Almagro, 2006 finalistMarcos Baghdatis, and three veterans who enter the event unseeded – David Nalbandian, Nikolay Davydenko and Tommy Haas.

NIEMINEN INTO FINAL; BENNETEAU UPSETS BAGHDATIS

2012-01-13T06:24:00.000-08:00

Finnish left-hander Jarkko Nieminen prevailed in the battle of the qualifiers on Friday at theApia International Sydney, surviving a marathon first-set tie-break to prevail over Denis Istomin from Uzbekistan 7-6(12), 6-3 in the semi-finals. Levelling the tie-break at 12-12, Istomin went wide on an inside out forehand to give Nieminen the mini-break. He duly served out to claim the set before closing out the match in one hour and 44 minutes.

The 30-year-old Nieminen is into the Sydney final for the second time after finishing runner-up to David Nalbandian in 2009. "I’m feeling really good," said the Finn, who will contest his 12th ATP World Tour Final. "It's just great that I started the year like this. I struggled in the beginning of last year, and this is a really, really great confidence boost for me. I had [a] very good off season, so I'm very happy that it's paying off already now."

Shortly after his singles victory, Nieminen took to the court with Australian Matthew Ebden to defeat Colin Ebelthite and Marinko Matosevic 6-3, 7-6(4) in the doubles semi-finals. He is the first player to reach the singles and doubles finals in the same year in Sydney sinceLleyton Hewitt in 2000 (w/ Stolle). The last player to win both the singles and doubles titles in Sydney was Emilio Sanchez in 1992 (w/ Casal).

In Saturday’s final he will face fellow qualifier Julien Benneteau from France, who defeated 2010 winner Marcos Baghdatis from Cyprus 6-4, 6-4. World No. 49 Benneteau, won four of eight break points to advance in one hour and 56 minutes and extend his lead over Baghdatis to 4-2 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head. The Frenchman, a semi-finalist in 2010 (l. Gasquet), is into his sixth ATP World Tour final and remains the only player this week not to drop a set.

"When I think about that, I'm confident," said the Frenchman, looking ahead to the final. "Also, I think I never beat him on the tour. Each time it was very tough matches, very tight, three sets, long matches. He's a good player. He has some confidence, of course, because he won a lot [of] matches this week. But also he can be a little bit tired. Now it depends on me, how I can manage to find a way to win the first title of my career."

Baghdatis, who opened his 2012 campaign with a quarter-final showing in Brisbane last week (l. Murray), was looking to advance to his 12th tour-level final. However, he admitted he had no answer for his 30-year-old French opponent. "Benneteau played very well today," said the Cypriot. "He was really feeling the ball very well. I was a bit tight again. I wasn't so aggressive. I tried, but my shots were not heavy enough. I had my chances. I didn't take them; he did. Basically that's it."

Ferrer vs Rochus in Heineken Open finals

2012-01-13T06:20:00.000-08:00

World No. 5 David Ferrer is one win away from retaining theHeineken Open title after beating fellow SpaniardFernando Verdasco 6-3, 6-4 on Friday in Auckland. Both players had won their quarter-final matches earlier in the day, after rain wreaked havoc on Thursday’s schedule.

Playing Verdasco for the 13th time, the top-seeded Ferrer created 12 break point opportunities and was able to convert one in each set to claim victory in 89 minutes.

The 29-year-old Ferrer defeated David Nalbandian in last year’s Auckland final to win the title for the second time, having also triumphed in 2007 with victory over Tommy Robredo. He is bidding to win his 12th ATP World Tour title.

In the final, Ferrer will face World No. 68 Olivier Rochus, who ousted 2008 champion Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-7(4), 6-1, 6-4. The Belgian converted six of his nine break point opportunities against Kohlschreiber to take the semi-final clash in two hours and 28 minutes. With the win, Rochus evened his FedEx ATP Head 2 Head record with the German to a 2-2 mark.

"I almost didn't go on court against [Tobias] Kamke in the first round as I was feeling really bad with the flu, and five days later I'm in the final. I cannot believe it," exclaimed Rochus. "It's the magic of this game. I almost feel I'm playing the best tennis of my career!"

Rochus advanced to his 10th career final, and is bidding to win his third ATP World Tour title. His last triumph came in 2006, when he lifted the trophy at the BMW Open in Munich. He finished runner-up to John Isnerat the Campbell’s Hall Of Fame Tennis Championships in Newport last year.

“I'll just try and enjoy the final and go for it,” said Rochus. “There's no pressure for me; I will play against one of the best players in the world in a final of an ATP event. This is why we practise, to get the chance to play these kinds of matches."

Kohlschreiber dropped to a 19-6 tournament record and was appearing in his third semi-final at the ATP World Tour 250 event.

Sydney Open quarter finals results

2012-01-12T07:31:00.000-08:00

Marcos Baghdatis closed on a second appearance in the Apia International Sydney final on Thursday night as he ousted top seed Juan Martin del Potro 7-6(7), 6-4 in the quarter-finals. The Cypriot won his fourth ATP World Tour title in Sydney in 2010 (d. Gasquet).

"I played some great tennis today," said Baghdatis. "[I'm] happy the way I'm playing. It's a great victory for me. I know I can beat anybody. I've beaten the best before. I think if I continue working on this aggressive play and the way I played today, I'm going to win more matches and [beat] bigger opponents."

Former World No. 4 del Potro served for the first set at 5-4, and held two set points at 6-4 in the ensuing tie-break but failed to convert. After fighting back to clinch the opener, Baghdatis broke del Potro in the seventh game of the second set to claim victory in one hour and 40 minutes.

"I think Marcos played really well in important moments, and I had a chance in the first set and I didn't take it," said del Potro. "When you lose every chance and the opponent is like Marcos, you will lose. At the end of the match, he was completely confident with his game and made a lot of winners with the backhand and forehand. [It] was really tough."

The 26-year-old Baghdatis opened his 2012 campaign with a quarter-final effort at the Brisbane International (l. to Murray) last week. He is bidding to reach his first ATP World Tour final since finishing runner-up at the Malaysian Open, Kuala Lumpur last September (l. to Tipsarevic).

In the semi-finals Baghdatis will face Frenchman Julien Benneteau, who converted five of 13 break point opportunities to record a late-night 6-2, 6-4 victory over Alex Bogomolov Jr. of Russia.

Qualifier Denis Istomin extended his impressive run in Sydney, knocking out third seed and 2010 runner-up Richard Gasquet 6-4, 7-6(4). The Uzbekistani has only dropped one set in his six matches this week. He broke serve three times from eight opportunities as he dispatched the No. 18-ranked Gasquet in one hour and 51 minutes. The 25 year old is through to his first ATP World Tour semi-final since October 2010, when he reached the last four at the Kremlin Cup in Moscow (l. to Baghdatis).

For a place in his second ATP World Tour final, World No. 67 Istomin will face qualifier Jarkko Nieminen after the Finn beat another qualifier, Bobby Reynolds, 6-3, 6-3 in 67 minutes. Former World No. 13 Nieminen reached the Sydney final three years ago, defeating then-World No. 3 Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals before falling to David Nalbandian.