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Juan Martin Del Potro Wins US Open
Posted by: David on Tuesday, September 15, 2009 - 12:51 AM
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Always so cool, so consistent, so in control of his emotions and his matches, Roger Federer amazingly let the U.S. Open championship slip from his grasp.
Two points from victory against inexperienced, unheralded Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina, two points from a sixth consecutive title at Flushing Meadows and a record-extending 16th Grand Slam title overall, Federer, quite simply, fell apart Monday.
He railed at the chair umpire. His legs grew weary. His double-faults mounted. He could not figure out a way to stop the 6-foot-6 del Potro from pounding forehand after forehand past him. In a result as shocking for who lost as how it happened, the sixth-seeded del Potro came back to win his first Grand Slam title by upsetting the No. 1-seeded Federer 3-6, 7-6 (5), 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2.
“Maybe I look back and have some regrets about it,” said Federer, never before beaten by anyone other than Rafael Nadal in a major final. “But, you know, you can’t have them all and can’t always play your best.”
He had won 40 consecutive matches at Flushing Meadows. He had won 33 of his previous 34 Grand Slam matches. And he has made the final at 17 of the past 18 Grand Slam tournaments, 21 overall.
Del Potro? This was the 20-year-old’s first Grand Slam final, and he was 0-6 against Federer until now. But after handing Nadal the most lopsided loss of his Grand Slam career in the semifinals Sunday, del Potro came back the next day and rattled Federer.
“I would like to congratulate Juan Martin on an unbelievable tournament. I had a great one myself, too,” Federer said, “but he was the best.”
That’s some compliment.
Somehow, del Potro never seemed intimidated by the setting or the man many consider the greatest tennis player in history.
The usually unflappable Federer argued with chair umpire Jake Garner during a changeover, using a profanity and saying, “Don’t tell me to be quiet, OK? When I want to talk, I talk.”
He also got steamed while up a set and serving at 5-4 in the second. Del Potro tried a forehand passing shot that was called wide, but he challenged, and the replay system showed he was right. Federer kept glancing at the mark the shot left on the blue court, even into the next game, and del Potro wound up stealing the set.
“That one cost me the match, eventually,” Federer said.
Del Potro, meanwhile, managed to have the time of his young life, high-fiving front-row fans after winning one point, and reveling in the soccer-style serenades of “Ole!” ringing through the stadium.
“When I would have a dream, it was to win the U.S. Open, and the other one is to be like Roger. One is done,” del Potro said during the on-court ceremony.
Then, addressing Federer directly, del Potro added: “I need to improve a lot to be like you. I’d like to congratulate you for fighting ‘til the last point.”
The 4-hour, 6-minute match was the first U.S. Open final to go five sets since 1999, and there were no early signs to indicate it would be this competitive—much less end with del Potro down on his back, chest heaving, tears welling, a Grand Slam trophy soon to be in his arms. He is the fifth-youngest U.S. Open champion and the first man from Argentina to win the event since Guillermo Vilas in 1977.
Vilas was in the stands Monday, sitting one row behind Jack Nicklaus.
One simple indication of the difference in age and status of the two finalists: The 28-year-old Federer’s guest box was full, with pals such as rock-star couple Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale and Vogue editor Anna Wintour seated alongside Federer’s parents, wife and agent. Only three of the 15 available seats were occupied in del Potro’s box.
Federer took a 3-0 lead in 15 minutes, winning one point by racing about 5 feet wide of the doubles alley for a defensive backhand, then sprinting the other way for a cross-court forehand passing winner that he celebrated by yelling and shaking his fists.
He even took time to watch a replay on a stadium video screen. Not quite the “Did he really just do that?!” sort of trick shot Federer pulled off against Novak Djokovic in the semifinals—a back-to-the-net, between-the-legs, cross-court passing winner to get to match point—but pretty spectacular, nonetheless.
But del Potro eventually got going, swinging more freely and taking full advantage of Federer’s serving woes: 11 double-faults and a first-serve percentage of only 50.
Used to traveling without a full-time coach, Federer generally is quite adept at making mid-match adjustments and dealing with opponents’ switches in strategy. But it was del Potro who realized he needed to put full belief in the strength of his 100 mph forehands and not worry about too much else.
That tactic worked, and Federer never found a way to counter it, losing leads in the second set and the fourth set. He was up 5-4 in the fourth, and at 15-30 on del Potro’s serve, Federer needed only two more points to become the first man since Bill Tilden in 1920-25 to win the American Grand Slam tournament six years in a row.
Del Potro held steady there, and Federer would never come that close again.
While hardly a household name, del Potro was not an unknown in the tennis world. He burst onto the scene a year ago with a 23-match winning streak and four tournament titles in a row on hard courts, the surface used at Flushing Meadows. There also was a bit of a harbinger for this back when del Potro presented problems for Federer in the French Open semifinals in June, taking a 2-1 lead in sets before frittering that away.
Federer went on to win the title at Roland Garros, his first there, to complete a career Grand Slam and tie Pete Sampras’ career record of 14 major championships. Federer then broke that mark by collecting No. 15 at Wimbledon.
Thanks to del Potro, Federer will have to wait for No. 16.
From mid-May until Monday, Federer had been 32-1 with four titles from five tournaments. Aside from the on-court success, Federer’s 2009 included getting married and becoming a father—of twins, no less.
Quite a year. Still, one can’t help but ponder this: No man has won even three straight major tournaments in a season—much less all four—since Rod Laver’s true Grand Slam in 1969. Federer came close this year, his French Open and Wimbledon titles bookended by a five-set loss to Nadal in the Australian Open final and a five-set loss to del Potro in the U.S. Open final.
This U.S. Open was Federer’s first Grand Slam event since his daughters were born, and he spoke proudly of quickly learning to change diapers and getting used to sleeping less.
“Right now, I’m just tired,” he said after his loss. “I want to get a rest.”
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Kim Clijsters Wins US Open
Posted by: David on Monday, September 14, 2009 - 12:35 AM
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Kim Clijsters cradled the baby in one hand, the trophy in the other.
The joy of motherhood. The joy of winning the U.S. Open.
Clijsters made history Sunday night, capping a comeback from two years out of tennis to become the first unseeded woman to win the Open—and the first mom to win a major since 1980—with a 7-5, 6-3 victory over No. 9 Caroline Wozniacki.
When it was over, Clijsters collapsed to the ground and started crying— tears of joy, probably mixed in with a little bit of shock, too. Her 18-month-old daughter, Jada, watched from a suite with a pacifier in her mouth, but later came down to the court to take part in the celebration.
Guess what mommy got for you, sweetie! A Grand Slam title.
“It was not really our plan,” Clijsters said. “I just wanted to start these three tournaments and get back into the rhythm of playing tennis and get used to the surroundings again.”
Talk about your quick transitions.
It was all quite a different scene from the night before, when Clijsters’ semifinal win over Serena Williams was decided on a point penalty, and the 26-year-old Belgian stood behind the baseline, looking bewildered as Williams ran over to shake her hand.
Williams’ tirade may have been the talk of the U.S. Open. But Clijsters was the winner. This was her second U.S. Open title, the other coming in 2005—her last appearance at Flushing Meadows and before a spate of nagging injuries eventually drove her out of the sport and led her to start a family.
Some might have called this the mother of all upsets, but by the time she reached the final, against the resilient but still-learning 19-year-old from Denmark, it was hard to view it that way.
Clijsters beat both Williams sisters and two players seeded in the teens. She matched Venus and Serena power shot for power shot and showed she could play Wozniacki’s patient game—and play it better.
This one was nothing like the Williams match—before it turned sour—which was filled with short, hard-hitting rallies in which Clijsters moved one of tennis’ best players at will and made her hit shots from places she normally doesn’t.
Instead, it was a waiting game, and when Clijsters fell behind 4-2 in the first set, she showed she was willing to play it.
A 29-shot rally here, a 25-shot rally there. Drop shots and lobs. Clijsters did that. Went for more, too, and finished with two more winners than unforced errors (36-34)—a good ratio on any day—and 26 more winners than Wozniacki.
After getting back on serve, Clijsters held off two break points at 5-5, then broke Wozniacki for the fourth time to win the first set. The second set was easier and before they knew it, Jada was on the court posing for photographers.
Clijsters didn’t even have a ranking coming into this tournament because she hadn’t played enough tournaments to get on the list. She’ll come in at around No. 20 when the new rankings are released this week, but probably won’t try to improve on that right away.
“It’s the greatest feeling in the world being a mother,” she said. “I just can’t wait to spend next the few weeks with her and have her routine schedule at home again.”
Her victory came over the first Danish player to reach a Grand Slam final, though Wozniacki’s greater claim to fame is that she has won more matches on tour this year than anyone.
She played like a winner over two weeks in Flushing Meadows, including that 6-2, 6-2 victory that ended the magical run of 17-year-old Melanie Oudin, whose rapid rise was the story of the tournament for the first 10 days.
Oudin left, then the Williams imbroglio took over.
Clijsters made her headlines, too. The mother-on-a-comeback story was a winner all the way.
Beneath the surface of all these stories might also be a referendum on the state of women’s tennis. If an unseeded mother who has been away from the game for two years can beat five top-20 players and win the U.S. Open, maybe the talent pool isn’t so deep.
In fact, stories circulated recently that former No. 1 Justine Henin might be making a comeback, too.
Could Evonne Goolagong Cawley be far behind? She was the last mother to win one of these Grand Slams, back in 1980 at Wimbledon.
Clijsters last major title isn’t that sort of ancient history. It was only four years ago that she climbed into the stands and tightrope-walked across the railings to celebrate her first U.S. Open title.
Same scene this time but with a few new players. There was her husband, American Brian Lynch, with whom she shared a long, sweet kiss. Then there was Jada, clapping her hands with that binky in her mouth.
“We tried to plan her nap time a little later today so she could be here,” Clijsters said.
Looks like she’s getting the hang of that motherhood thing, too.
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Roger Federer Wins 2009 Wimbledon, Tops Andy Roddick 16-14 in Fifth Set
Posted by: David on Sunday, July 05, 2009 - 03:00 PM
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Roger Federer won his record 15th Grand Slam title Sunday, outlasting Andy Roddick for his sixth Wimbledon championship in a marathon match that went to 16-14 in the fifth set.
Federer served a career-high 50 aces and overcame the resilient American 5-7, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5), 3-6, 16-14 to break the record of major titles he shared with Pete Sampras and enhance his reputation as perhaps the greatest player in history.
The match finally ended after more than four hours when Federer broke for the first time all day, with Roddick hitting an errant forehand.
Federer jumped high in celebration, punched the air and whacked the net with his racket. Roddick tossed his racket to the side and the two men shared a hug at the net. Federer held up the trophy, kissed it and brought it close to his chest.
Watching from the front row of the Royal Box was Sampras, a seven-time Wimbledon champion who flew in from California, his first appearance at the All England Club since playing on this court for the last time in 2002. Also on hand were Bjorn Borg and Rod Laver.
“It’s not really one of those goals you set as a little boy, but man, it’s been quite a career and quite a month,” Federer said. “It feels amazing, but this is not why I’m playing tennis to break all sort of different records. But it’s definitely one of the greatest ones to have.”
Turning to Sampras, Federer said: “Thanks very much for coming. I know it’s a long way, but you’re a member, man, we like to see you here. It’s such a pleasure to play in front of such greats legends.”
Roddick said: “Sorry, Pete, I tried to hold him off.”
Federer also reclaimed the No. 1 ranking he lost last year to Rafael Nadal, the man who beat him in the epic 2008 final but missed this year’s tournament because of knee problems.
Federer is the third player to win six Wimbledon championships—Sampras and William Renshaw each won seven.
This was the longest men’s Grand Slam final in history at 77 games— breaking the previous record of 71 from 1927 in Australia. It was also the longest fifth set in a men’s Grand Slam final in history, surpassing the 20 games from 1927 in France.
“It was a crazy match with an unbelievable end and my head’s still spinning,” Federer said. “But it’s an unbelievable moment in my career.”
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Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic Wins Wimbledon Doubles Title
Posted by: David on Sunday, July 05, 2009 - 01:45 PM
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Daniel Nestor of Canada and Nenad Zimonjic of Serbia won their second straight Wimbledon men’s doubles title Saturday, beating top-seeded American twins Bob and Mike Bryan 7-6 (7), 6-7 (3), 7-6 (3), 6-3.
“It’s a great accomplishment,” Nestor said. “One of the first things I noticed was our name on the board, on the big plaque. Now we get it twice. It’s obviously going to be special to come back next year and see that.”
Nestor and Zimonjic were playing in their third Grand Slam final together. Besides winning the Wimbledon title last year, they lost in the 2008 French Open final.
This year’s final was the first time that Nestor and Zimonjic have played the Bryan brothers in a Grand Slam tournament.
“It’s great to be able to play them on a big stage and be able to beat them,” Nestor said.
The Bryan brothers, who have won seven major titles together, entered the match on Centre Court without having dropped a set at the All England Club this year. Despite holding serve throughout the first three sets, the brothers were broken in the second game of the fourth set and Nestor and Zimonjic held the rest of the way.
“I haven’t lost serve in doubles or mixed in probably 2 1/2 years,” Bob Bryan said. “I didn’t make my first serves and they made some good returns. But you can’t make any excuses.”
The difference was the way Nestor and Zimonjic held serve, Bob Bryan said.
“It’s a game of inches and when you’re playing two guys who are serving close to 130 (mph), and you’re not getting a lot of sniffs on your return, it’s a dice roll,” Bob Bryan said. “They were the better team today and I have to give them a lot of credit.”
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Serena Williams Wins Wimbledon
Posted by: David on Sunday, July 05, 2009 - 01:40 PM
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Serena Williams continued to add to her world's-best Grand Slam tally Saturday, beating Venus Williams in straight sets, 76(3) 62, in the Wimbledon final for the 11th major singles title of her career.
The first set went completely on serve through the tie-break, with the No.3-seeded Venus the only one coming close to a break, holding double break point in No.2 seed Serena's fourth service game. In the tie-break it was Serena who came through though, racing out to a 6-2 lead and after barely missing a forehand winner on her first set point, pulling off a spectacular backhand lob winner on her second to tuck the opening set away, 7-3.
The first four games of the second set went to the server too but from there an inspired Serena went on a tear while Venus seemed to lose her way, and the younger one reeled off four games in a row - including two breaks of serve, and an entertaining final game in which Venus saved three match points before succumbing - to win Grand Slam singles title No.11, her third Wimbledon.
"It feels so amazing. I feel so blessed," Serena said to Sue Barker in her on-court interview. "I can't believe I'm holding this trophy. It's named for Venus. It hasn't settled in that I won yet. I'm so excited. Thanks to everyone for their support. I'm honored to be out here. I'm already looking forward to the doubles."
"Today she was too good, she had an answer for everything. She played the best tennis today," Venus said. "I'm still smiling though, I don't think the loss has set in yet! I've had so many great times here. I love what I do and most of all I love playing these finals. I'll see you all again next year, of course."
Serena becomes the first player in women's tennis history to save match point en route to a Grand Slam singles title three times, having done so at the 2003 Australian Open (against Kim Clijsters in the semifinals), the 2005 Australian Open (against Maria Sharapova in the semifinals) and right here at 2009 Wimbledon (saving a match point down 5-4 in the third set en route to a 67(4) 75 86 win over Elena Dementieva in the semifinals).
Serena and Venus were both playing in their 14th Grand Slam singles finals, with Serena improving to 11-3 and Venus falling to 7-7. Venus had won 34 consecutive sets at Wimbledon, a stretch dating back to her 62 36 75 win over Japan's Akiko Morigami in the third round in 2007. Venus has won Wimbledon five times before, in 2000, 2001, 2005 and the last two years; Serena has the 2002, 2003 and 2009 titles. The only other players in the last 10 years to win here are Maria Sharapova (2004) and Amélie Mauresmo (2006).
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