SPORTS

US Open TENNIIS, 2014, FLUSHING MEADOWS, NY August 25 - September 8, 2014 US Open Schedule for Day 2: Tuesday, August 26, 2014 Revised - Not Before Time Added MEN'S DOUBLES ALTERNATE SIGN-IN CLOSES AT 11:00 AM LUCKY LOSER AND ALTERNATE SIGN-INS ARE LOCATED IN PLAYER REGISTRATION THE 1ST MATCH ON ARMSTRONG STADIUM, GRANDSTAND, COURT 5, COURT 11, COURT 13 AND COURT 17 WILL BE CALLED AT 10 10:50 AM MEN'S AND WOMEN'S LUCKY LOSER SIGN-INS CLOSE AT 10:30 AM Arthur Ashe Stadium 11:00am Start Time 1. Women's Singles - Round 1 Alison Riske (USA) vs. Ana Ivanovic (SRB)[8] Not Before: 1:00pm 2. Men's Singles - Round 1 Marcos Giron (USA) vs. John Isner (USA)[13] 3. Women's Singles - Round 1 Petra Kvitova (CZE)[3] vs. Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) Arthur Ashe Stadium 7:00pm Start Time 1. Men's Singles - Round 1 Marinko Matosevic (AUS) vs. Roger Federer (SUI)[2] 2. Women's Singles - Round 1 Serena Williams (USA)[1] vs. Taylor Townsend (USA) Louis Armstrong Stadium 11:00am Start Time 1. Men's Singles - Round 1 Maximo Gonzalez (ARG) vs. Sam Querrey (USA) 2. Women's Singles - Round 1 Olga Govortsova (BLR) vs. Eugenie Bouchard (CAN)[7] 3. Men's Singles - Round 1 Damir Dzumhur (BIH) vs. David Ferrer (ESP)[4] 4. Women's Singles - Round 1 Jarmila Gajdosova (AUS) vs. Madison Keys (USA)[27] Grandstand 11:00am Start Time 1. Women's Singles - Round 1 Samantha Stosur (AUS)[24] vs. Lauren Davis (USA) 2. Men's Singles - Round 1 Pablo Andujar (ESP) vs. Jack Sock (USA) Not Before: 3:00pm 3. Women's Singles - Round 1 Misaki Doi (JPN) vs. Victoria Azarenka (BLR)[16] Not Before: 5:00pm 4. Men's Singles - Round 1 Gael Monfils (FRA)[20] vs. Jared Donaldson (USA) Court 4 11:00am Start Time 1. Men's Singles - Round 1 Ivo Karlovic (CRO)[25] vs. Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) 2. Women's Singles - Round 1 Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE)[3v0s]. Ashleigh Barty (AUS) 3. Women's Singles - Round 1 Chanelle Scheepers (RSA) vs. Christina McHale (USA) 4. Men's Singles - Round 1 Alejandro Gonzalez (COL) vs. Dmitry Tursunov (RUS) Court 5 11:00am Start Time 1. Women's Singles - Round 1 Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS)[20] vs. Marina Erakovic (NZL) 2. Women's Singles - Round 1 Flavia Pennetta (ITA)[11] vs. Julia Goerges (GER) 3. Men's Singles - Round 1 Filip Krajinovic (SRB) vs. Tim Smyczek (USA) 4. Men's Singles - Round 1 Bernard Tomic (AUS) vs. Dustin Brown (GER) Court 6 11:00am Start Time 1. Men's Singles - Round 1 Yen-Hsun Lu (TPE) vs. Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP)[28] 2. Men's Singles - Round 1 Victor Estrella Burgos (DOM) vs. Igor Sijsling (NED) 3. Women's Singles - Round 1 Dominika Cibulkova (SVK)[12] vs. Catherine Bellis (USA) 4. Women's Singles - Round 1 Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS) vs. Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP)[15] Court 7 11:00am Start Time 1. Women's Singles - Round 1 Varvara Lepchenko (USA) vs. Alison Van Uytvanck (BEL) 2. Women's Singles - Round 1 Shelby Rogers (USA) vs. Maryna Zanevska (UKR) 3. Men's Singles - Round 1 Andreas Haider-Maurer (AUT) vs. Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP)[17] 4. Women's Singles - Round 1 Teliana Pereira (BRA) vs. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS)[23] 5. Men's Doubles - Round 1 Chase Buchanan (USA) vs. Mate Pavic (CRO) Tennys Sandgren (USA) Andre Sa (BRA) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WORLD CUP UPDATE World Cup Live Standings 2014 FIFA World Cup™ World Cup 2014: Lawro's predictions - final & play-off BBC Sport's football expert Mark Lawrenson is predicting the outcome of every game at the 2014 Fifa World Cup. Lawro was correct when he thought Argentina, who were his pre-tournament pick to win the World Cup, would get through their semi-final but he wrongly backed Brazil to beat Germany and join them in Sunday's final. Instead, the hosts will play the Netherlands in the third-place play-off in Brasilia on Saturday. He chose the winner in three of the four quarter-finals, and all of the eight last-16 ties. Lawro enjoyed a 50% success record in the group stage, correctly guessing the outcome in 24 of the 48 games. The only group he failed to get a single correct result in was Group D, which was surprisingly won by Costa Rica as England finished bottom. Before the tournament, Lawro chose 11 out of the 16 teams that went through to the knockout stage. Lawro was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan in Rio de Janeiro. LAWRO'S PREDICTIONS Games Score Lawro's prediction THIRD-PLACE PLAY-OFF Saturday, 12 July Brazil v Netherlands x-x 2-0 WORLD CUP FINAL Sunday, 13 July Germany v Argentina x-x 2-1 Saturday, 12 July Brazil v Netherlands (21:00 BST) Brazil and Netherlands flags This is the game nobody wants and I completely understand why Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal has complained about having to play it. I do not really see how the likes of Arjen Robben, Robin van Persie and Wesley Sneijder can be expected to take part, because they were out on their feet in Wednesday's semi-final. I would also question whether Brazil's top players will be involved. Luiz Felipe Scolari is surely finished as Brazil's manager anyway after their humiliation in the semi-finals. Yes, I can understand Scolari wanting to win this game and get rid of the sour taste in everybody's mouth about that 7-1 defeat but is he really going to play Thiago Silva and the people who faced Germany? I do not understand why people would buy a ticket for this fixture because it is such a non-event, but there will be a lot of Brazil fans there. They will want to win, but I don't think the Dutch will be bothered. Lawro's prediction: 2-0 Sunday, 13 July Germany v Argentina (20:00 BST) Germany and Argentina flags I have to make Germany favourites straight away because Argentina played their semi-final a day later, and went through extra-time and penalties. Germany, in contrast, only had to play for 30 minutes against Brazil, then just cruised through the rest of the game. There will be massive Argentina support, and they will love the fact this final is at the Maracana. But I just think Germany will have too much for them. What this German team is good at is probing your weakness and, once they spot it, boy do they give you an examination. We still do not know exactly how good Joachim Low's side is, because Brazil played like seven year olds in the playground in their semi-final. They were embarrassingly bad. Argentina have a strong spine and are dogged - they will not collapse in the way Brazil did - but they have still disappointed me. The two best teams in the tournament? Other teams have played better football than Germany and Argentina at this World Cup but you have to argue these are the two best teams in the competition because they keep winning. There is not a single team at this World Cup without a weakness, though. Obviously some were weaker than others, but this is a tournament that will remembered for its outstanding individuals, not its outstanding teams. I picked Argentina to win the World Cup before the tournament but I thought they would be better than they have been, and we are yet to see a stand-out performance from them. They are in the final because of some moments of magic from Lionel Messi, and bundles of character elsewhere in the team. Germany will be too well-drilled for them, and they will find a way through in the end. Lawro's prediction: 2-1 LAWRO'S SEMI-FINAL PREDICTIONS Games Score Lawro's prediction Tuesday, 8 July Brazil v Germany 1-7 1-0 Saturday, 5 July Netherlands v Argentina 0-0 (2-4 pens) 1-2 LAWRO'S QUARTER-FINAL PREDICTIONS Games Score Lawro's prediction Friday, 4 July France v Germany 0-1 0-2 Brazil v Colombia 2-1 2-0 Saturday, 5 July Argentina v Belgium 1-0 0-2 Netherlands v Costa Rica 0-0 (4-3 pens) 2-0 LAWRO'S LAST 16 PREDICTIONS Games Score Lawro's prediction * Belgium to win on penalties Saturday, 28 June Brazil v Chile 1-1 (3-2 pens) 2-0 Colombia v Uruguay 2-0 2-1 Sunday, 29 June Netherlands v Mexico 2-1 1-0 Costa Rica v Greece 1-1 (5-3 pens) 2-0 Monday, 30 June France v Nigeria 2-0 2-1 Germany v Algeria 2-1 (aet) 2-0 Tuesday, 1 July Argentina v Switzerland 1-0 (aet) 2-0 Belgium v United States 2-1 (aet) 1-1* Also related to this story Germany and Argentina set for final 12 Jul 2014 World Cup 2014 Germany can dominate for years - Low 12 Jul 2014 World Cup 2014 Meet the finalists: Germany and Argentina 11 Jul 2014 World Cup 2014 Messi has disappointed me at World Cup - Lineker 12 Jul 2014 World Cup 2014 The World Cup final penalties dossier 10 Jul 2014 World Cup 2014 'The nation is certain - Germany will win the World Cup' 11 Jul 2014 World Cup 2014 The 'little boss' comes to Argentina's rescue 12 Jul 2014 World Cup 2014 Italian to referee World Cup final 11 Jul 2014 World Cup 2014 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- World Cup 2014 U.S. soccer beats Ghana in World Cup thriller on John Brooks goal U.S. soccer fans celebrated in Brazil after Team USA defeated Ghana 2-1 in their first game of the 2014 World Cup. Ghana defeated the U.S. at the World Cup in 2006 and 2010. (  / AP) By Steven Goff June 16 at 8:19 PM  NATAL, Brazil — The U.S. national soccer team waited four years for this moment, to measure its progress since the last World Cup, to avenge losses against a two-time nemesis and to implement Jurgen Klinsmann’s grand plan. On an evening of extraordinary turns, of bloodied noses, strained hamstrings and both early and late goals, the Americans claimed a 2-1 victory over Ghana in their Group G opener Monday. Amid bedlam at Arena das Dunas, substitute John Brooks, 21, scored in the 86th minute — just four minutes after Andre Ayew had canceled out Clint Dempsey’s goal, which came 29 seconds into the match. Brooks, a 6-foot-4 German American defender who replaced injured Matt Besler at halftime, stung an eight-yard downward header from Graham Zusi’s corner kick past goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey. He celebrated for a moment, then, perhaps not believing what he had done in just his fifth U.S. appearance, lay on his stomach with his face buried in his arms and the grass for an extended period. Two days earlier, “I had a dream. I told some teammates I dreamed I scored in the 80th minute and we win the game,” he said. “Now it was the 86th minute, and we won.” In the dream, he said, “I also scored on a header. . . . It was my first dream [about scoring]. Hopefully not the last.” The Americans endured hamstring injuries to Jozy Altidore and Besler before halftime, a glaring lack of possession and constant duress to take a considerable step toward the knockout stage. Two teams from the so-called Group of Death will advance to the round of 16, and the Americans will need at least another point from games against Portugal and Germany to remain in the hunt. “We know we’ve got a big challenge ahead of us, but it’s a big step,” goalkeeper Tim Howard said. “We put ourselves into a really good position to get through the group.” Ghana had eliminated the United States in 2006 and 2010, both by 2-1 margins. Soccer dawned early on this northeast city. Several days of biblical rain gave way to sunshine, drawing streams of visitors to Ponta Negra beach. Vendors opened kiosks on the strand, while push-cart merchants peddled coconuts, crepes and straw hats on the sand. Surfers, joggers, sunbathers and soccer players staked their territory. See where most World Cup players compete during the rest of the year. Despite the city’s remoteness, Natal turned into Little USA. Thousands of supporters began arriving two days ago. Flags hung from seaside hotel balconies, and groups gathered at open-air cafes. It looked more like Fourth of July weekend at Ocean City than the buildup to a soccer game. Long before departing the hotel, the U.S. squad watched Portugal’s 4-0 implosion against group favorite Germany — a thunderous result that opened the door to the Americans or Ghanaians to advance. The Americans exposed Ghana’s vulnerability in a flash. DaMarcus Beasley played the ball along the sideline to Jermaine Jones, who one-touched to Dempsey rushing through a channel. He toyed with defender John Boye, cutting inside to find a clear path before beating goalkeeper Kwarasey to the far post from eight yards. In 2010, the Americans had gotten into the terrible habit of conceding early goals. Now it was their turn. Dempsey scored for the third consecutive World Cup, adding to his tallies against Ghana in 2006 and England four years later. He also became the fifth-fastest goal scorer in World Cup history; at 11 seconds, Turkey’s Hakan Sukur set the mark in the 2002 third-place match. “In some ways, getting the goal so early throws the game into a tailspin,” midfielder Michael Bradley said. “It’s natural that we start to get drawn back and they start to control a little of the game.” The Black Stars controlled most of the game but wasted several quality opportunities. Altidore departed midway through the half with an injury that might sideline him for the rest of the tournament. He will be evaluated upon the squad’s return to its base in Sao Paulo. With the Americans unable to sustain meaningful possession, the Black Stars continued to mount pressure. They also continued to inflict pain: Dempsey’s nose was bloodied by Boye’s high kick. The U.S. captain believed his nose was broken. “I was coughing up blood a little bit,” said Dempsey, who played all 90 minutes. “Hopefully I will be able to start breathing through my nose again before the next game.” U.S. giveaways in the midfield allowed Ghana to continue the attacking assault. With adjustments needed, halftime could not arrive soon enough. Just before the whistle, Ghana squandered a golden chance when Jordan Ayew scuffed a clear shot from the heart of the box. “We gave them too much of the game,” Klinsmann said. After the break, Brooks replaced Besler, whose injury was not as serious as Altidore’s. Sulley Muntari whistled a distant shot past a top corner, and Asamoah Gyan’s clear header missed. Pressure paid off in the 82nd minute when Andre Ayew collected Gyan’s back heel, beat Fabian Johnson and spun a 12-yard shot into the near corner. Brooks, however, had the final say. “I was still convinced we were going to win this game even after the equalizer,” Klinsmann said. “I had the feeling that another two, three opportunities would come. And we just need to use one of those.” ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ALL ROADS LEAD TO BRAZIL, ARGENTINA FOR THE 2014 WORLD CUP News WORLD CUP: JUNE 12 - JULY 13 2014. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Wimbledon: June 29 - July 12, 2015 | London, England Eugenie Bouchard is heading to her first Grand Slam final after beating No. 3 seed Simona Halep in straight sets, 7-6 (5), 6-2, in the 2014 Wimbledon semifinals. Halep and Bouchard are two of the most promising players on the WTA Tour. The 22-year-old Romanian reached the final of the French Open before falling to Maria Sharapova, while the 20-year-old Canadian has reached the semifinals in all three majors so far this season. Although there are plenty of high-profile meetings in their future, this marked just the second clash between the rising stars. They played earlier this year at Indian Wells, a match won by Halep after a close third set. Vivienne Christie of Wimbledon's official site passed along comments prior to the semifinals from Bouchard, who said she definitely learned some things in that match: “ We had a good match at Indian Wells. I felt like I had chances, was really close, and just lost that one. I learned, you know, a little bit about her game. I think she's playing really well. So I'm going to be ready for that—really just try to go for it and take my chances. You know, leave it all out on the court. It's the semis, so I'm going to expect the toughest match ever. ” One thing that's always a question mark when it comes to young players and a huge stage like the Wimbledon semifinals is nerves. Neither player seemed to get overwhelmed by the situation early on. Their success in majors earlier in the year likely helped in that regard. As expected, the match was very much nip-and-tuck early on. They traded holds and then traded breaks with neither player gaining any type of serious advantage. The first notable moment came when Halep attempted to slide on the grass and instead got stuck, which caused her to roll an ankle. Wimbledon provided a look at the worrisome incident, which caused an immediate call for the trainer: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Andy Murray loses to Grigor Dimitrov in Wimbledon quarters By Piers Newbery BBC Sport at Wimbledon Comments (386) Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov outplayed Andy Murray on Centre Court to end the Briton's Wimbledon title defence. Dimitrov, 23, played superbly to win 6-1 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 in two hours and one minute and reach his first Grand Slam semi-final. Murray had been on a 17-match winning streak at Wimbledon and was looking to reach his sixth consecutive semi-final. However, Dimitrov's big serve, variety of shots and athletic defence proved too much for Murray. The atmosphere on Centre Court was in marked contrast to 12 months ago, when 15,000 thrilled spectators watched Murray become the first Briton since Fred Perry in 1936 to win the men's singles. In the year that followed, Murray had back surgery in September and lost the services of coach Ivan Lendl in March, with Frenchwoman Amelie Mauresmo stepping into the role on the eve of Wimbledon. But only four men in the open era - Bjorn Borg, Boris Becker, Pete Sampras and Roger Federer - had returned after their first Wimbledon victory to defend the title, and despite impressing in the earlier rounds, Murray fell well short against 11th seed Dimitrov. "My start to the match was poor," said Murray. "I started the match badly and I think that gave him confidence. "I should have done a better job at the beginning of the match of making it tougher for him, and I didn't manage to do that. "Also, when I got back into the second set, that was my opportunity there." The 27-year-old Scot, whose winning run at SW19 included his 2012 Olympic gold and last year's Wimbledon triumph, could not convert a break point in a tight opening game, and Dimitrov grew in confidence from the opening four-minute test. He had little trouble returning the Murray serve and, unlike the Briton's previous opponents, was able to dictate in the longer exchanges. Pinned way behind the baseline, Murray began to make errors, and it was an ambitious backhand when forced out wide that saw the Scot drop serve in game four. If that drew a murmur from the afternoon crowd on Centre Court, there were a few gasps when Dimitrov broke to love for a 5-1 lead and served out the set confidently after just 25 minutes. Dimitrov celebrates Dimitrov took four years to break into the world's top 50 and another 12 months to reach the top 25 With his mix of pace and spin, the backhand slice proving especially effective, Dimitrov was moving his man all over the court and pushing hard for the crucial second break. Murray looked to his box in disbelief after a poor smash into the net at 3-3 made it 18 errors to just five from Dimitrov, and the pressure told when he sliced a backhand wide to fall behind again. The match was now slipping away from the champion and he finally reacted, taking advantage of the first signs of edginess from his opponent to convert from 0-30 and get back on level terms. Murray was still on the back foot, however, gasping for breath and urging the crowd to get behind him after winning a pulsating 31-stroke rally at 4-4, 30-30, and then fending off two break points at 5-5. Reaching the tie-break might have felt like a minor victory for Murray, but Dimitrov was undeterred and again dominated the key moments, coming up with a backhand pass, a drop volley, and a terrific lunging backhand volley from 4-4. Murray had recovered from two sets down at the same stage last year, but Dimitrov was a tougher proposition than Fernando Verdasco. There was a sense of inevitability when the Briton double-faulted to drop serve in game six of the third set, and another double fault brought up two match points for Dimitrov two games later. Murray saw off the first with the kind of forehand winner he had been searching for all afternoon, but he could only find the net moments later and his reign as champion was over. "Today was one of those days when I was pretty steady for the whole match and came out the winner," said Dimitrov. "It's tough when you know the person well outside the court and you have to face them. I have hopefully two more matches left and I am just focusing on that and trying not to get carried away." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wimbledon 2014 Tennis Schedule • June 23 - July 6, 2014 Competition Courts Mon 23 June Men's and Ladies' Singles 1st Round CC, C1, C2, Outside Courts Tues 24 June Men's and Ladies' Singles 1st Round CC, C1, C2, Outside Courts Wed 25 June Men's and Ladies' Singles 2nd Round CC, C1, C2, Outside Courts Thur 26 June Men's and Ladies' Singles 2nd Round CC, C1, C2, Outside Courts Fri 27 June Men's and Ladies' Singles 3rd Round CC, C1, C2, Outside Courts Sat 28 June Men's and Ladies' Singles 3rd Round CC, C1, C2, Outside Courts Sun 29 June No play Mon 30 June Men's and Ladies' Singles 4th Round CC, C1, C2, Outside Courts Tues 1 July Ladies' Singles Quarter-Finals Centre Court & No.1 Court Wed 2 July Men's Singles Quarter-Finals Centre Court & No.1 Court Thur 3 July Ladies' Singles Semi-Finals Centre Court Fri 4 July Men's Singles Semi-Finals Centre Court Sat 5 July Ladies' Singles Final Men's Doubles Final Ladies' Doubles Final Centre Court Sun 6 July Men's Singles Final Mixed Doubles Final Centre Court On the last three days on No.1 Court there will be a full programme of play, it will comprise juniors' and veterans' matches with the possibility of Championship Doubles Semi-Finals. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Maria Sharapova loses to Angelique Kerber at Wimbledon By Piers Newbery BBC Sport at Wimbledon Wimbledon 2014 Venue: All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet ClubDate: 23 June to 6 July Coverage: Live on BBC TV, HD, Red Button, Radio 5 live, 5 live sports extra, online, mobile, the BBC Sport app and Connected TV. German ninth seed Angelique Kerber held her nerve to end Maria Sharapova's hopes of winning a second Wimbledon title in the fourth round. Kerber came through a tense final set to convert her seventh match point and win 7-6 (7-4) 4-6 6-4 on Centre Court. She goes on to face Canada's Eugenie Bouchard in the last eight. Sharapova, 27, won her only Wimbledon title 10 years ago, but has made the quarter-finals just once in her last eight visits to the All England Club. Play mediaWimbledon 2014: Simona Halep eases past Zarina Diyas Watch five best points from Halep v Diyas In a wayward performance she made 43 unforced errors to 11 from Kerber, whose defensive skills kept making the Russian play one more ball. Sharapova's competitive spirit made for a thrilling finish as she fought off six break points, but Kerber earned a deserved victory when the Russian finally succumbed with another error after two hours and 24 minutes. She joins Serena Williams, Li Na and Agnieszka Radwanska among the leading names to fall before the latter stages - only third seed Simona Halep remains of the top five seeds. "I always consider myself one of the favourites because I've won Grand Slams before, been number one in the world," said Sharapova. "It's absolutely normal for people to have high expectations of me doing well in Grand Slam stages. I certainly do, as well. Today could have gone either way, and it didn't go my way." Sharapova looked to have seen off the early danger when she broke back to force a tie-break in the first set, but three backhand errors in a row saw her give it away. Match stats Kerber Sharapova Match time: 2hrs 24mins 5 Aces 2 5 Double faults 2 67% 1st serve % 70% 63% 1st serve win % 63% 59% 2nd serve win % 63% 27 Winners 53 11 Errors 43 3/5 Break points 4/10 The same shot finally clicked into gear as successive winners helped her get the crucial break in the second set, and with 11 three-set wins already this year, she was a strong favourite to prevail in the decider. Kerber remained resolute, however, breaking straight away and fighting off two break points at 4-2 as the Russian launched another assault. The German failed to convert her first match point on the Sharapova serve, and the nerves then gripped her when she had the chance to serve it out. A double fault and a 70mph second serve gave Sharapova a lifeline, but even her remarkable powers of recovery could not come to the rescue in the following game. She came back from 0-40 and saw off another two match points, but could only send the ball long over the baseline at the seventh time of asking. "It's unbelievable," Kerber told BBC Sport. "It was such a tough match, playing to a high level, and it was so close. Former Wimbledon champion Lindsay Davenport on Maria Sharapova's defeat: "Sharapova was the favourite to win the title after Serena Williams lost, but as the match progressed it was clear that Kerber was going to be a huge challenge. "What surprised me was how well Kerber was able to manage her service games. She was only broken three times in the entire match over long sets and she moved so well around the court. "Apart from her run to the final in 2011, Sharapova has not played so well here in the last few years, so it was not a huge shock to see her lose." "I'm so happy. She's a great player on grass, but I was just focusing on myself and I'm so happy to be in the quarters." Sharapova added: "I had a really slow start in the third. She rode with that confidence. It was just a few points in the end of that. "Maybe things would have been different if I won that game, but in the end I didn't." Rain delays on Saturday and Monday had disrupted the schedule and left three fourth-round matches to play on Tuesday, traditionally reserved for the women's quarter-finals. Romania's Halep did her best to make up for lost time, cruising into her third Grand Slam quarter-final of the year as she saw off Kazakhstan's world number 72, Zarina Diyas, 6-3 6-0. The 22-year-old Romanian is the highest seed left in the women's draw, and came into Wimbledon on the back of reaching the French Open final last month. She will next face grass-court specialist Sabine Lisicki, who beat another Kazakh, Yaroslava Shvedova, 6-3 3-6 6-4 despite getting treatment for a shoulder problem when facing break point. "The timing was very unfortunate," said the German. "But I tried to play a few more points. That's what I did." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Serena Williams loses to Alize Cornet at Wimbledon By Piers Newbery BBC Sport at Wimbledon Five-time champion Serena Williams suffered her earliest Wimbledon defeat since 2005 as she lost to France's Alize Cornet in the third round. Cornet, ranked 24th, won 1-6 6-3 6-4 on Court One to claim her second victory of the year over the world number one. It is only the third time in 15 visits to Wimbledon that Williams has lost so early, and she has not been past the fourth round of a Grand Slam in 2014. Cornet, 24, had never before beaten a top-20 player at a Grand Slam. Alize Cornet Cornet has only reached the fourth round at a Grand Slam once before, in Australia five years ago "I just cannot believe it," she told BBC Sport. "Three years ago I couldn't play on grass, I was so bad, but now I have beaten Serena, the world number one on her own court. "I have to get used to it and focus on the next match because the tournament is not over for me. I am not sure how I did it but just with the heart and the help from the crowd." Williams said: "She kept her unforced errors really low. I think I made a few errors too many. She was going for her shots. She played really well today." Cornet did have a confidence-boosting win over Williams in Dubai earlier this year to call upon, but it still came as a major shock to see her grab the initiative and dominate the closing stages. Williams, 32, had looked edgy in the opening exchanges, making five errors and two double faults before the rain came at 1-1 to force the players off for several hours. A run of five straight games on the resumption suggested the American had overcome whatever had been troubling her earlier, but the feisty Cornet came battling back. After failing to serve out the set at 5-1, she converted at the second attempt and was pushing hard at the start of the third against an uncertain Williams. Martina Navratilova "What a performance from Cornet. She believed she could do it and she brings down the champion. This was a shock, particular after the rain delay. Serena was very nervous but when they came out again she was all guns blazing. But something switched on in Cornet and it all changed. I thought 6-1 6-2, but Cornet obviously had a game plan and stuck to it." Four break points slipped by in the opening game, but Cornet was having plenty of joy on the Williams second serve and moved to within two points of victory on serve at 5-2. Williams has already lost in the fourth round of the Australian Open and the second round of the French Open this year, and was not about to give up on another chance at an 18th major title. Alize Cornet factfile •Age: 24 •World ranking: 24 •WTA singles titles: 4 •Career prize money £1.87m •Career win/loss record 291 - 220 •Career high ranking: 11 (Feb 2009) She heaped the pressure on Cornet with a break of serve, but two games later a wayward forehand and a poor volley gave the Frenchwoman match point, and Williams could only steer a backhand into the net. Cornet celebrated the win of her career, adding: "It is the biggest shock of the tournament because she is the world number one and I still can't believe I did it, me! I am loving it here in London." Williams will get her next chance to add to her haul of major titles when she defends her US Open crown in August, but she said the competition was getting tougher. "It's difficult," said the American. "If I'm not playing a great, great match, these girls when they play me, they play as if they're on the ATP Tour, and then they play other girls completely different. "It's never easy, you know, being in my shoes. But you've got to be ready." Wimbledon women forced to go bra-less due to all-white rule clampdown Wimbledon women forced to go bra-less due to all-white rule clampdown Naomi Broady has not worn a bra this week Pat Cash, the former Wimbledon champion, has claimed that women players at this year's tournament have been forced to play bra-less following a clamp down on the all-white rule. In a letter sent to players, tournament referee Andrew Jarrett, also said: "Undergarments that either are or can be visible during play (including due to perspiration) must also be completely white and contain no more than 1cm of coloured trim." Players are said to have reacted angrily to the new rules and in an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live Cash said: "Some of the girls have been told to go back and change their bras and tops because they had slight colour on them. "I believe some of the girls didn’t have suitable sports bras and had to go without them. It has absolutely gone ridiculous." He later pulled out of the tournament - where he was due to play in the master's competition - in protest at the new rules after his own training shoes fell foul of the new regulations. He said that last time he played without the specially adapted shoes, he suffered an injury. "It's archaic thinking," he said. Cash added: "One of the players was called into the referees’ office because he had blue underwear that showed through when he got sweaty so he was told not to wear dark underwear." Although some players have reacted angrily, Venus Williams said she approved of the new rule. In an interview after her win on Wednesday, the usually flamboyant player said: " I think it's a nice change. I think everyone just kind of glows in white. Obviously not all year, because anything every day is boring. But during these two weeks, it's nice." Naomi Broady, the British tennis player who lost in the second round on Wednesday, has not worn a bra this week. It is not known why not. A spokesman for the All England Lawn Tennis Club said it would not comment on the bra issue. - See more at: http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/wimbledon-women-forced-to-go-braless-due-to-allwhite-rule-clampdown-30389015.html#sthash.QPQjAYAv.dpuf -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ROLAND GARROS, PARIS, FRANCE • Name: Roland Garros • Category: Grand Slam • Place: Paris, France • Date: 25.05.2014-08.06.2014 • Draw Size: S-128 D-64 • Surface: Clay • Prize Money: € TBD • Ticket Hotline: +33/8 2665 0000 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- French Open 2014 order of play French Open | Roland Garros, Paris, France Thursday, 29 May 2014 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Maria Sharapova beats Simona Halep to win French Open By Piers Newbery BBC Sport at Roland Garros Maria Sharapova drew on her fighting spirit once again to beat Simona Halep in a dramatic final and win her second French Open title. The Russian came through 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 in three hours and two minutes at Roland Garros. 'Feisty Sharapova' Image of Russell Fuller Russell Fuller BBC tennis correspondent "Halep will have gained so much from this experience, and there should be no recriminations about the way the final two games unfolded. "Sharapova had produced her best tennis of the fortnight in the first set and a half and her emotion in victory soon became apparent. Recurrent shoulder problems cast another dark shadow over her career just last year and she's now won a second Grand Slam title on a surface she feared she would never master." It was the fourth match in a row that saw Sharapova clinch victory in a final set. She has now won five Grand Slam titles, taking her to joint-11th on the all-time list alongside Martina Hingis. "This is the toughest Grand Slam final I have ever played and all respect to Simona, she played an unbelievable match today," said Sharapova. Halep, 22, might have been playing in her first Grand Slam final but she pushed the 2012 champion to the limit. Sharapova had been a study in intensity throughout the fortnight in Paris, happy to take on the mantle of favourite after Serena Williams' early exit, and in the end her will to win pulled her through as much as her ability. Maria Sharapova Sharapova is the first Russian to win the same Grand Slam title twice Five games in a row put her in control of a high-quality first set that lasted 57 minutes, as her weight of shot just held the balance of power over Halep's speed of foot. But the Romanian fourth seed was fighting back in the latter stages and did so again in the second set, the pace and angles she created keeping Sharapova off balance. Halep won a stunning rally at 4-4, deuce, that had the crowd chanting "Simona! Simona!" - not for the last time - but she was broken straight back thanks to a cruel net cord and it came down to a tie-break. It looked as though the experience of Sharapova, playing in her ninth Grand Slam final, was about to tell when she moved 5-3 ahead, but under constant pressure from Halep she produced four errors in a row. For the first time since 2001, the French Open women's final would require a final set, and the Court Philippe Chatrier erupted as they played on into a third hour. Play mediaJump media playerMedia player helpOut of media player. Press enter to return or tab to continue.Advertisement French Open: Sharapova reflects on 'most emotional victory' There was a time violation for Sharapova early in the decider as her fragile serve became an ever-lengthier process, and she let a lead slip for the second time in the set with a double fault at 4-3. Halep might have felt it was her moment, but Sharapova has learnt to move on swiftly from such errors. She played a brilliant return game, backhand and forehand winners taking her 5-4 in front, and as the match time passed three hours dug deep to at last find a clinical service game. The Russian thumped away a drive volley to earn three match points and then sent down a serve that Halep could only return into the tramlines, as Sharapova willed it to drop wide ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Maria Sharapova will face Simona Halep in French Open final By Piers Newbery BBC Sport at Roland Garros Maria Sharapova needed all her battling qualities to beat Eugenie Bouchard and reach a third successive French Open final. The Russian came through 4-6 7-5 6-2 against the 20-year-old Canadian in two hours and 27 minutes. She will face Romanian fourth seed Simona Halep in Saturday's final. Halep beat Germany's Andrea Petkovic 6-2 7-6 (7-4) to reach her first Grand Slam final. Sharapova had the more testing afternoon, recovering from a set down for the third match in a row. "I don't feel that I played my best tennis today," she said. "I felt my opponent played extremely well, exceptional tennis, and I didn't feel that I was playing my best. Match stats Sharapova Bouchard Match time: 2 hr 27 mins "I fought, I scrambled, and I found a way to win. I'm happy and proud about that." Sam Stosur and Garbine Muguruza had been seen off in three sets by Sharapova in the previous two rounds, and rising star Bouchard went the same way despite a similarly impressive start. The Canadian's powerful, flat hitting off both wings had Sharapova scrambling from side to side and she broke for the second time at 4-4 on her way to clinching the opening set. When Bouchard came back from 5-2 down to level in the second, after an extraordinary ninth game that saw Sharapova double-fault on two of three set points, a maiden Grand Slam final was within reach. But while Sharapova's tennis might not always have hit the heights at Roland Garros this year, her renowned fighting spirit has been ever present. The vulnerable serve improved sufficiently to take the pressure off and the Russian hammered away with her forehand to break at 6-5, forcing a decider. Sharapova had dropped one game in her previous two final sets, and she set about this one in similar fashion, coming back from 40-0 down to break at 3-1. Bouchard has shown her mettle by reaching two Grand Slam semi-finals this year and gamely saw off four match points on serve, but Sharapova simply would not be denied and converted her fifth with a forehand that clipped the baseline. "I'm always disappointed with a loss," said Bouchard. "I expect a lot from myself. I felt like I was close today and just came up a bit short." Simona Halep Halep continued her hugely impressive form in the second semi-final to reach her first major final without dropping a set. The 22-year-old has won seven WTA titles since losing in the first round at Roland Garros last year as the world number 57. She raced through the first set in 28 minutes against Petkovic, the 28th seed also playing her first Grand Slam semi-final. The second set was a much more competitive affair as Petkovic broke early and had two points for 4-1, only to hand the advantage back with a double-fault and two errors. Halep was under pressure serving second in the set but held her nerve before edging a nervous tie-break from both players. "It's incredible to be in the final here in Paris," she said. "I think I was a little bit stronger in the end, I tried everything to win this match. "I have a lot of confidence in myself now, I played really good here, but the next round with Maria will be really tough. She's a great champion." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Men's Singles draw Other draws - Women's Singles Men's Singles | French Open | Roland Garros, Paris, France Quarter-final Seed Player Player Seed 7 Murray (GB) bt Monfils (Fra) 23 2 Djokovic (Ser) bt Raonic (Can) 8 1 Nadal (Spa) bt Ferrer (Spa) 5 18 Gulbis (Lat) bt Berdych (Cze) 6 Semi-final Seed Player Player Seed 1 Nadal (Spa) v Murray (GB) 7 18 Gulbis (Lat) v Djokovic (Ser) 2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ French Open: Maria Sharapova & Novak Djokovic into quarter-finals Former champion Maria Sharapova kept her hopes of a second French Open title alive with a three-set victory over Australian Sam Stosur. The 27-year-old Russian, victorious in Paris in 2012, won nine games in succession to wrap up a 3-6 6-4 6-0 victory and reach the last eight. In the men's draw, Novak Djokovic brushed aside Jo-Wilfred Tsonga 6-1 6-4 6-1 to reach the quarter-finals. The second seed will next play Milos Raonic, who beat Marcel Granollers. Tomas Berdych is also into the last eight after a comfortable 6-4 6-4 6-4 win over John Isner. He meets Ernests Gulbis, who beat Roger Federer. Two men's third-round matches were carried over from Saturday, with Fernando Verdasco seeing off Richard Gasquet 6-4 6-4 6-4 to set up a last-16 tie against Britain's Andy Murray, who beat Philip Kohlschreiber. Eugenie Bouchard joined Sharapova in the women's singles quarter-finals by beating Angelique Kerber 6-1 6-2 in 52 minutes. Bouchard, 20, will now play clay-court specialist Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain, who beat Croatia's Ajla Tomljanovic 6-3 6-3. Court Philippe Chatrier Eugenie Bouchard E Bouchard (Can) (18) beat A Kerber (Ger) (8) 6-1 6-2 "I'm confident, and I really believe in my skills. I believe I can play with the best girls out there," said Bouchard. "She's top 10, so I respect her. She can play some really good tennis. I was really mentally prepared for anything, for a battle." F Verdasco (Spa) (24) beat R Gasquet (Fra) (12) 6-3 6-2 6-3 "My objective right now is to rest and prepare the best I can to play this match against Murray," said Verdasco. "I have nothing to lose. He is favourite because of his ranking." E Gulbis (Lat) (18) beat R Federer (Swi) 6-7 (5-7) 7-6 6-2 4-6 6-3 Full report Novak Djokovic N Djokovic (Ser) (2) beat J-W Tsonga (Fra) (13) 6-1 6-4 6-1 "With the support Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has on home soil, I needed to start with a high intensity, good movements and try to get as close to baseline as possible," said Djokovic. "I prepared well with my team and executed very well. The scoreline was perfect for me and I'm very happy with that performance." G Muguruza (Spa) beat P Parmentier (Fra) 6-4 6-2 Muguruza said: "I didn't know I was playing against Maria until the guy went to the court and asked me, 'You're playing against Maria Sharapova next round.' I thought, 'OK, it's a tough match again.' Nothing to lose; everything to win." Court Suzanne Lenglen T Berdych (Cze) (6) beat J Isner (US) (10) 6-4 6-4 6-4 "I think it's a good thing to avoid playing the tie-breaks with him," said Berdych. "That was one of my plans in the beginning, and I'm really glad that it was working pretty good." A Murray (GB) (7) beat P Kohlschreiber (Ger) (28) 3-6 6-3 6-3 4-6 12-10 Full report C Suarez Navarro (Spa) (14) beat A Tomljanovic (Cro) 6-3 6-3 "I don't have a ready explanation," said Suarez Navarro about the big names to fall in Paris. "I simply believe that the women's circuit is more and more consistent. We've got to be careful. Everybody plays well nowadays." Carla Suarez Navarro M Raonic (Can) (8) beat M Granollers (Spa) 6-3 6-3 6-3 "There was a few moments where I'd be up quite handily on my serve, and I'd sort of drift away for a little bit," said Raonic. "But when I came down to the wire I was playing those moments well." M Sharapova (Rus) (7) beat S Stosur (Aus) (19) 3-6 6-3 6-0 "She uses her quick serve extremely well to start and set up the point," said Sharapova. "The slice, especially in the conditions that we played in tonight, it was very effective. It stays very low. But with that said, I still was able to win nine games in a row. So, you know, I'm quite pleased about that." Stosur said: "I was a set all, 40 all, and missed a return in the top of the tape. I mean, I was right there to win it. I actually can't believe from that moment I didn't win another game. How quickly things can turn." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Philippe Chatrier (10:00 UK start) Seed Player Player Seed Competition 6 Jankovic (Ser) v Nara (Jpn) Women's Singles 1 Nadal (Spa) v Thiem (Aut) Men's Singles 12 Gasquet (Fra) v Berlocq (Arg) Men's Singles Svitolina (Ukr) v Ivanovic (Ser) 11 Women's Singles Suzanne Lenglen (10:00 UK start) Seed Player Player Seed Competition Bolelli (Ita) v Ferrer (Spa) 5 Men's Singles Riske (US) v Mladenovic (Fra) Women's Singles 5 Kvitova (Cze) v Erakovic (NZ) Women's Singles 23 Monfils (Fra) v Struff (Ger) Men's Singles Court 1 (10:00 UK start) Seed Player Player Seed Competition 15 Stephens (US) v Hercog (Slo) Women's Singles Garcia-Lopez (Spa) v Mannarino (Fra) Men's Singles Matosevic (Aus) v Murray (GB) 7 Men's Singles Watson (GB) v Halep (Rom) 4 Women's Singles Court 2 (10:00 UK start) Seed Player Player Seed Competition Giorgi (Ita) v Kuznetsova (Rus) 27 Women's Singles 10 Pfizenmaier (Ger) v Errani (Ita) 10 Women's Singles Cuevas (Uru) v Verdasco (Spa) 24 Men's Singles Bellucci (Brz) v Fognini (Ita) 14 Men's Singles Court 3 (10:00 UK start) Seed Player Player Seed Competition Young (US) v Lopez (Spa) 26 Men's Singles 32 Seppi (Ita) v Monaco (Arg) Men's Singles Pereira (Brz) v Cirstea (Rom) 26 Women's Singles Court 4 (11:00 UK start) Seed Player Player Seed Competition Torro-Flor (Spa) v Rybarikova (Svk) Women's Singles Buryachok (Ukr) Uhlirova (Cze) v Coin (Fra) Parmentier (Fra) Women's Doubles 8 Goerges (Ger) Groenefeld (Ger) v Cibulkova (Svk) Flipkens (Bel) Women's Doubles Mirza (Ind) Tecau (Rom) v Peschke (Cze) Matkowski (Pol) 4 Mixed Doubles -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Novak Djokovic & Roger Federer through plus quotes of the day Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer cruised into the third round of the French Open with straight set wins. Djokovic, who needs to win the French Open to complete a career Grand Slam, took just over 90 minutes to beat Jeremy Chardy 6-1 6-4 6-2. It was Djokovic's ninth win in as many meetings against the world number 42, who has never taken a set off the Serb. Federer, the 2009 French Open champion, beat qualifier Diego Sebastian Schwartzman 6-3 6-4 6-4. The Swiss will play Russian 31st seed Dmitry Tursunov in the next round for a place in the last 16. Djokovic next faces 25th seed Marin Cilic of Croatia, who beat Germany's Tobias Kamke 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-0. Court Philippe Chatrier A Schmiedlova (Svk) beat V Williams (US) (29) 2-6 6-3 6-4 Since losing in the fourth round of Wimbledon in 2011, Williams, 32, has lost in the first or second round of every Grand Slam she has taken part in, except for the 2013 Australian Open, where she reached the third round. N Djokovic (Srb) (2) beat J Chardy (Fra) 6-1 6-4 6-2 "I managed to make him play an extra shot," said Djokovic. "I managed to stay solid from the baseline, and I think that forced him to make a lot of unforced errors, which definitely helped me to win in straight sets." J-W Tsonga (Fra) (13) beat J Melzer (Aut)6-2 6-3 6-4 "Last year I had not set myself any objectives," said Tsonga. "I simply tried to take the rounds as they came. I'm going to do the same this year, and I just hope it's going to work out and take me as far into the tournament." M Sharapova (Rus) (7) beat T Pironkova (Bul) 7-5 6-2 Sharapova looked in danger of following the top seed out of the tournament at 4-2 down in the first set, but the 2012 champion fought back to take her clay-court record for 2014 to 14-1. Court Suzanne Lenglen G Simon (Fra) (29) beat A Gonzalez (Col) 6-4 6-0 6-2 G Muguruza (Spa) beat S Williams (US) (1) 6-2 6-2 "I don't think anything worked for me today," said Williams, after her shock defeat. "It was just one of those days, you can't be on (your game) every day. It's not the end of the world, there's always next year." R Federer (Sui) (4) beat D Schwartzman (Arg) 6-3 6-4 6-4 Federer, who has not reached a Grand Slam final since winning his 17th major title at Wimbledon in 2012, said "I think it was kind of tough all the way through. "I didn't feel relaxed for the entire match. I can see why he's ranked where he is and why he probably is going to move up in the rankings." T Townsend (US) beat A Cornet (Fra) (20) 6-4 4-6 6-4 Townsend, 18, made a major impact on her Grand Slam debut by knocking out French number one Cornet on Court Suzanne Lenglen with some huge hitting. The world number 205 only qualified by virtue of winning the USTA's wildcard challenge competition. Andy Murray on Twitter: "How good is Taylor Townsend! #talent And she has a great smile! Gutsy win." Outside courts - selected results A Radwanska (Pol) (3) beat K Pliskova (Cze) 6-3 6-4 T Berdych (Cze) (6) beat A Nedovyesov (Kaz) 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 7-5 6-3 A Kerber (Ger) (8) beat V Lepchenko (US) 6-2 7-5 M Raonic (Can) (8) beat J Vesely (Cze) 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 6-1 Who wants to coach a Wimbledon champion? There have been enough names circulated to fill the most generous of player boxes, but the identity of Andy Murray's next coach remains a mystery. Former Wimbledon and Australian Open champion Amelie Mauresmo was among those mentioned in despatches, and discussed on BBC 5 live on Friday. However, BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller caught up with her and, employing his finest French conversational skills, was told there have been no talks with the Murray camp. Mauresmo's presence on Court Suzanne Lenglen during Murray's match on Tuesday was apparently just part of her role covering the tournament for TV. Where this one goes next is anyone's guess. Quotes of the day Garbine Muguruza Garbine Muguruza on making it big in Paris: "I never played on such a big court before, I never won any match in a Slam against her, so that was totally new. Before I felt very small, but today I thought, I'm not going to feel very small." Venus Williams is asked if there is anything wrong with her sister. "Even if I had anything to say, I wouldn't say it here." Serena Williams describes her 2014: "I haven't gotten past the fourth round of a Grand Slam this year. I have a couple words to describe it, but I think that would be really inappropriate so I'm going to leave it at that." Novak Djokovic is asked how he copes with the effects of clay on his socks: "Luckily where I'm staying there is a washing machine, so I'm washing my socks every day." Canada's Eugenie Bouchard confirms that she and twin sister Beatrice were named after the Duke and Duchess of York's children. "My mom is right over there. She was probably a little bit royal obsessed, so yeah." Serena Williams Serena's exit - dissecting defeat The early departure of Serena Williams is the shock of the tournament so far, and her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, has been discussing the defeat. "The only thing that I can say is most of the time she's able to play her aggressive game, hit a lot of winners, but today there were not the amount of winners she usually makes," he said. "On the other hand, Muguruza played a very good match. She was aggressive, she took the ball early and she served well. As I've always said it can happen to any player to have a bad day, and to play someone who has the best day of her career. It's the only explanation I can give today. "There is no physical problem, she's fine. Age is not a factor. She's still in really, really good shape and very competitive." Serena Williams knocked out of French Open in second round By Piers Newbery BBC Sport at Roland Garros Defending champion Serena Williams followed sister Venus out of the French Open on a dramatic fourth day. Serena lost 6-2 6-2 to Spain's Garbine Muguruza after Venus had been beaten 2-6 6-3 6-4 by Slovakian Anna Schmiedlova at Roland Garros. It is the first time in her career that Serena has failed to reach the second week of a Grand Slam as the top seed. It means a projected third-round clash between the Williams sisters will now feature Muguruza and Schmiedlova. Who will win the women's title? "The tag of favourite may be a curse, but Maria Sharapova's form on clay over the past four years means she fully deserves that title (whether she likes it or not). Of those seeded above her at Roland Garros, 22-year-old Simona Halep looks the best bet - although this year's Australian Open was the first time she had reached a Grand Slam quarter-final. If you prefer to back a former Grand Slam champion, then Ana Ivanovic and Samantha Stosur are worth keeping an eye on." Muguruza, 20, took full advantage of a very out-of-sorts Williams on a cool and breezy Court Suzanne Lenglen. The 32-year-old American made 29 errors and just eight winners in a 64-minute defeat that means she will not add to her 17 Grand Slam titles this fortnight. "It was one of those days," said the 2002 and 2013 champion. "You can't be on every day, and, gosh, I hate to be off during a Grand Slam. It happens, you know. It's not the end of the world. It is what it is. "I think she played really well and she played really smart. "You know, it's great, because I'm going to go home and work five times as hard to make sure I never lose again." She looked inexplicably underpowered as her usually mighty serve failed to win enough free points and the rest of her game disintegrated. Williams' double defeat •Serena and Venus Williams last lost on the same day at a Grand Slam at Wimbledon in 2011 •Serena's 6-2 6-2 defeat is her worst in terms of scoreline in her 16-year Grand Slam career There was a brief moment of hope for coach Patrick Mouratoglou in the stands when his charge got a break back at 3-1 down in the second set, but a dreadful service game followed as she was broken for the fourth time to love. The world number one looked as bemused as those watching, shaking her head and looking to the sky, while Muguruza remained impressively calm at the other end of the court. The Venezuelan-born Barcelona resident recovered from 0-40 to move 5-1 ahead, as dark clouds gathered, before coolly serving out her first ever win over a top-five player to love. Muguruza said: "I was thinking I have a chance. I have to play really good to win. "There was a moment in the last games of the match, I was like, 'Oh, my God, I'm winning the set,' and then 4 1 or something like this. "I was nervous, but I said, 'OK, be calm. She's also nervous. I have the opportunity, so I have to continue like this to win.'" Serena said: "I just can't serve. I mean, my serve hasn't been good yet. I can't say this whole tournament, because my tournament didn't last long, but just in general." Who is Muguruza? Garbine Muguruza turned pro in 2011 and is making only her sixth Grand Slam appearance. The world number 35 reached the fourth round of this year's Australian Open, her best Grand Slam performance to date. Asked to describe her year, she added: "My first few months I don't think have been great at all. I haven't got past the fourth round of a Grand Slam this year. "I have a couple of words to describe it, but I think that would be really inappropriate so I'm going to leave it at that." Venus Williams, 33, had earlier made a strong start before losing eight of nine games on her way to defeat against 19-year-old Schmiedlova on Court Philippe Chatrier. "I felt like this was a match that I was most likely going to win," said Venus. "I don't know how Serena felt, but I'm sure she feels like that every time she goes on the court. "So I think our expectation was to play in the next round." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2014 Australian Open Schedule of Play Jan 13 - 26, 2014 | Melbourne, Australia Name: Australian OpenCategory: Grand SlamPlace: Melbourne, AustraliaDate: 13.01.2014-26.01.2014Draw Size: S-128 D-64Surface: HardPrize Money: A$ 16,000,000Ticket Hotline: +61 3 9039 9407 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Australian Open 2014: Stanislas Wawrinka beats Nadal in final By Piers Newbery BBC Sport at Melbourne Park Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka won his first Grand Slam title with victory over an injury-hit Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open final. Wawrinka withstood a fightback from the world number one, who was struggling with a back problem, to come through 6-3 6-2 3-6 6-3. The 28-year-old becomes only the second Swiss man to win a Grand Slam singles title after 17-time champion Roger Federer. 'Fantastic gutsy effort from both' Pat Cash Former Wimbledon champion on BBC Radio 5 live "Nadal could have easily walked off court but he didn't and it added to the match. I was impressed at how Wawrinka had the mental capacity to finish off the match. For a while it looked like he was getting nervous, tired, missing easy shots and screaming at his team. It is hard to beat an injured player, especially an injured Rafa. To beat a Rafa at 60% is not easy. It was a fantastic gutsy effort from both of them." And he is the first man outside the 'big four' of Nadal, Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray to win a Grand Slam since Juan Martin Del Potro at the 2009 US Open. Fortunes fluctuated wildly over the course of two hours and 21 minutes as Wawrinka opened in scintillating form before a tearful Nadal appeared close to quitting at two sets down, only to stage a remarkable recovery in the third. The Spaniard, 27, showed great spirit to hit back once again from a break down in the fourth, but a forehand winner gave Wawrinka the decisive break at 5-3 and he served out the biggest win of his life with a love game. "I still think that I'm dreaming," said Wawrinka. "It's a strange feeling. I saw so many finals. I always try to watch the finals of Grand Slams because that's where the best players are playing. "Before today, for me it wasn't a dream. I never expected to play a final. I never expected to win a Grand Slam. And right now I just did it." Nadal, who revealed he felt the back problem in the warm-up, said: "It is a tournament that I really had some troubles physically in my career and is something that is painful for me. Wawrinka's champion form •Wawrinka is the first man to beat the number one and two seeds at a Grand Slam since Sergi Bruguera at 1993 French Open. Bruguera beat Pete Sampras and Jim Courier on his way to victory •Wawrinka, who beat defending champion Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals, will move up to third in the rankings on Monday, ahead of David Ferrer and Andy Murray "But that's part of life. That's part of sport. It's not the end of the world. Is just another tough moment." "The last thing that I wanted to do was retire. No, I hate to do that, especially in a final. "It's not the moment to talk about that. It's the moment to congratulate Stan. He's playing unbelievable. He really deserved to win that title." Wawrinka had never won a set, let alone a match, in 12 previous attempts against Nadal, and was making his Grand Slam final debut against a man in his 19th. But Nadal's travails in the second half of the match should not overshadow what was a magnificent performance from Wawrinka for much of the contest. He coped brilliantly with the Spaniard's fizzing forehand in the early stages, using his backhand to return the fire, and 12 winners almost helped him to a 5-1 lead. Some nerves were finally revealed when he tried to close out a set against Nadal for the first time, failing to make a first serve as he fell 0-40 down, but the 2009 champion could not get a return in play as Wawrinka hit back to seal it with an ace. Three sweeping forehands helped the Swiss break at the start of the second on a run of 12 straight points, and it was when serving at 2-0 down that Nadal first appeared to feel the problem with his back. After leaving the court for treatment, to the annoyance of Wawrinka and boos from some sections of the crowd, Nadal returned unable to serve at anything like full speed, and at one stage was close to tears. Wawrinka's new-found belief Russell Fuller BBC tennis correspondent "Wawrinka's first-set performance was of such a high quality that we may have been deprived of a classic duel - and who is to say that the man who took out Djokovic wouldn't also have been able to take out a fully fit Nadal. The world number one at half speed was a more perplexing conundrum, but when given the chance to serve for the title, Wawrinka illustrated the self-belief that has underpinned his surge up the rankings." Another visit from the physio followed after game five, and when Wawrinka took the second set almost unopposed, the 13-time Grand Slam champion appeared close to calling it quits on a long walk back to his chair. What followed was remarkable, with Nadal staging the unlikeliest of fightbacks - possibly as the pain killers kicked in - while Wawrinka completely lost his rhythm with victory apparently his for the taking. The Swiss made 19 unforced errors and, despite still not moving freely, Nadal managed to increase his service speed just enough to keep the misfiring Wawrinka at bay and clinch the third set. It now appeared to be a test of Wawrinka's nerve as much as Nadal's fitness, because the Spaniard was clearly not about about to give up, and he clung on magnificently. Two break points were saved at the start of the fourth, and a break recovered at 4-2 down, but Wawrinka made the decisive move with a brilliant forehand into the corner to break for 5-3 and raced through the final game. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stanislas Wawrinka is the 'real deal' says Pete Sampras Stanislas Wawrinka beat an injury-hit Rafael Nadal to win the first Grand Slam of his career in the Australian Open final in Melbourne on Sunday. The Swiss, 28, won the opening set and was a break up in the second when Nadal took an injury timeout. Wawrinka grew frustrated and lost his concentration as the Spaniard returned to court to win the third set. But the 28-year-old regained his composure to become only the second Swiss man to win a Grand Slam singles title after 17-time champion Roger Federer. BBC Sport speaks to the experts to assess the new world number three's performance in Melbourne - and his prospects of consolidating his position in the rankings. Wawrinka is only the second Swiss man to win a Grand Slam, the other being Roger Federer - with 17 Pete Sampras, 14-time Grand Slam champion "Wawrinka was moving well, wasn't nervous and was pretty relaxed. He had a great rhythm and was hitting his backhand so smoothly. Record breaker Stanislas Wawrinka's Australian Open victory makes him the first man to defeat the number one and two seeds at a Grand Slam since Sergi Bruguera beat top seed Pete Sampras (quarter-finals) and second seed Jim Courier (final) at the 1993 French Open. It has previously happened only eight times in the Open era. "He was outplaying Nadal and was up a set and a break when the back issue came up. It was an uncomfortable moment for the Spaniard and I thought he would stop but he continued to play. "This will hopefully be the beginning for Wawrinka. The win over Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals was a big moment. He got through it, he's now a Grand Slam champion and is on his way. "I think the right person won. He played great. He's got a big serve, moves well and has a good touch at the net - he's the real deal. "I'm not sure he's quite up there with Nadal or Djokovic yet as they have been winning majors for years, but now he is over the hurdle of winning a Grand Slam, if he keeps it up, he'll be up in that category and deservedly so." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE END OF THE 2014 AUSTRALIAN TENNIS OPEN [SUMMARY]: Wawrinka overcomes Nadal to win maiden major Stanislas Wawrinka claimed his first Grand Slam title with a dramatic 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 victory over World No.1 Rafael Nadal. The No.8 seeded Swiss, conqueror of reigning champion Novak Djokovic in the last eight, had not taken a set from Nadal in 12 previous meetings but was in top form from the beginning in his first major singles final. Wawrinka broke in the fourth game by forcing Nadal into an error with a crosscourt forehand and the 28 year-old former Olympic doubles champion confidently maintained the advantage to lead 5-3. Serving for the set in the ninth game Nadal fired two forehand winners to setup three break points but Wawrinka coolly reeled off five straight points to take the advantage. The Swiss began the second set with an emphatic break to love, sealed by an angled backhand return winner, and held for 2-0. In the 3rd game Nadal pulled up in pain after netting a forehand and, after holding serve, the Spaniard went off court for treatment. Upon his return to the court Nadal was visibly affected by the back injury and Wawrinka was able to take advantage with a second break of serve and he claimed the set 6-2. 2009 champion Nadal fended off two break points to start the 3rd set and then proceeded to break Wawrinka a game later. Despite looking well below par, Nadal preserved the lead and survived two break points when serving for the set as he reduced the deficit to two sets to one. In a tight fourth set Wawrinka made the first breakthrough and broke with a forehand winner down the line for 4-2. Nadal’s immediate response was to break back to love in the following game. The momentum swung back to the Swiss a game later as Wawrinka broke to 15 with another forehand winner down the line to lead 5-3. Serving for the title Wawrinka set up three championship points and completed the biggest win of his career by dispatching a short ball with a forehand winner after two hours and 21 minutes of play on the Rod Laver Arena. Stat Attack – Wawrinka Wawrinka is only the third player after Roger Federer (twice) and Novak Djokovic (three times) to defeat Nadal in a Grand Slam final Wawrinka had lost the first meeting between the pair 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 in the 3rd round in Melbourne seven years ago and also only won six games in the 2013 French Open quarter finals The only players seeded lower than eight to have won the Australian Open in the Open Era were Thomas Johansson (16) in 2002 and Yevgeny Kafelnikov (10) in 1999 (Brian Teacher was also seeded 8th in 1980) Stat Attack – Nadal Had Nadal won he would have equalled Pete Sampras with 14 Grand Slam titles and would have been younger than both Sampras and Federer when they achieved the feat The final was the Spaniard’s 799th career singles match – he holds a 669-130 win/loss record Li conquers Melbourne in third final Chinese No.1 Li Na added the Australian Open title to her 2011 French Open crown after a 7-6(3), 6-0 victory over 20th seeded Dominika Cibulkova. Two-time finalist Li, champion this year in Shenzhen, made the faster start this time by breaking in the first game when Slovakian Cibulkova double faulted. However the diminutive Cibulkova, conqueror of Maria Sharapova and Agnieszka Radwanska, fended off two further break points in the third game and broke back in the sixth game to level at 3-3. The Slovak nudged ahead and at 5-4 was three points from taking the opening set. Li held and broke a game later to serve for the set at 6-5. Cibulkova saved a set point when Li struck a backhand wide and the lower ranked player broke back to force a tie-break. Li, who survived a match point against Lucie Safarova in the third round, raced ahead 5-1 and clinched the set after 70 minutes when Cibulkova netted a backhand. The World No.4 won the first two games of the second set from love-30 and proceeded to dominate with some aggressive tennis. Li broke in the fourth game and created two championship points with Cibulkova serving at 0-5. The Chinese player sent a forehand over the baseline on the first but a final forehand error from Cibulkova gave Li her second Grand Slam title after an hour and 37 minutes. Stat Attack – Li First woman since Navotna (Wimbledon 1998) to win a Grand Slam title having twice previously lost in the final Li joins Tracy Austin, Victoria Azarenka, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Amelie Mauresmo and Mary Pierce as two-time Grand Slam champions in the Open Era Li is the 4th woman after Monica Seles (1991), Jennifer Capriati (2002) and Serena Williams (2003 and 2005) to win the Australian Open in the Open Era having saved a match point Stat Attack – Cibulkova The Slovakian vaults up nine places to 13th in the new rankings, one place shy of her career high achieved in July 2009 The 24 year-old reached her first major semi-final at the 2009 French Open – the 4.5 year gap is the longest between Grand Slam semi-finals since Mary Pierce’s 5 year gap between 2000 and 2005 French Open semi-finals Errani and Vinci battle back to retain Doubles crown Top seeds Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci defended their Australian Open title by coming from the brink of defeat to overcome Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina. The Italians hit back from a 2-5 double break deficit in the deciding set to win 6-4, 3-5, 7-5 for their fourth Grand Slam title together. Vesnina would have taken the World No.1 ranking had the Russians prevailed. In a final between two new teams Robert Lindstedt and Lukasz Kubot won the Men’s doubles title with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Eric Butorac and Raven Klaasen. Unseeded Butorac and Klaasen had defeated the Bryan twins and Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic but could not maintain that form in the final as 14th seeds Lindstedt and Kubot secured their first Grand Slam title. Lindstedt had three times been a finalist at Wimbledon with former partner Horia Tecau. Kristina Mladenovic and Daniel Nestor added the Australian Open Mixed Doubles title to their Wimbledon crown with a 6-3, 6-2 defeat of Sania Mirza and Horia Tecau. The unseeded French/Canadian pairing did not drop a set throughout the fortnight. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Andy Murray loses to Roger Federer in Australian Open By Piers Newbery The Swiss, 32, won 6-3 6-4 6-7 (6-8) 6-3 in three hours and 20 minutes to set up a semi-final against world number one Rafael Nadal. Federer had been on the verge of wrapping up a faultless three-set performance but failed to serve out the match, and then missed two match points in the tie-break. Match analysis Russell Fuller BBC tennis correspondent "Murray appreciates he has come a long way in four months, but not even the pain endured on the training courts of Miami could prepare him for Federer - who is doing a very passable impression of a man in his prime. The strain of saving 13 break points, six of them in one 19 minute game, took its toll - even if Murray was a little passive at the start and didn't return as well as he expects. "Switching to the clay for next week's Davis Cup tie is not ideal, but with more training and high profile events in Indian Wells and Miami to follow, Murray is building towards what he hopes will be another successful summer." Murray was fighting to stay alive in only his second tournament since back surgery, and saved six break points in a marathon 19-minute game early in the fourth set. But the Scot was constantly playing catch-up and eventually he could no longer hang on, as Federer brought his man into the net at 4-3 and flipped a backhand past the 26-year-old for the decisive break. "I was proud of the way I fought," said Murray. "I changed my tactics a little bit, started playing a little bit more aggressive, and that was maybe my undoing a little bit at the end, because I really started going for my shots to get myself back into the match. "Then when I got broken in that fourth set, I went for three balls. Maybe one or two of them weren't there to be hit." Federer was relieved to come through to clinch an 11th consecutive Australian Open semi-final place. "Andy played well and put the pressure on me so I'm happy to get the win," he said. "I probably miss more break points than other guys but I kept my composure and kept the poker face and tonight it worked." The first two sets saw Federer pick up where he had left off against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Monday, serving magnificently and moving forward at every opportunity. Murray didn't expect Aussie Open win Playing with a larger, more powerful racquet this year, and under the guidance of six-time Grand Slam champion Stefan Edberg, his game was simply too strong for Murray. By the time he closed out the second set, after only 80 minutes, he had been taken to deuce just once on serve. Murray was unable to dominate from his home turf of the baseline and could not get his return game going when second serves came his way - and his evening looked as good as over when two errors saw him drop serve at 4-4 in the third. Federer had not faced a break point all evening but, when the moment arrived to close out the match, the 17-time major winner looked more like the fragile player that had slipped down the rankings last year. Peerless Federer •Federer has reached the Australian Open semi-finals for the 11th consecutive year •Friday's match against Nadal will be a record 34th Grand Slam semi-final for Federer •The last time Federer went out before the semis in Melbourne was in 2003 when he lost to David Nalbandian in the fourth round •Federer is looking to become the second man in history to win five Australian Open men's singles titles (Roy Emerson won six) •Federer's last Grand Slam title came at Wimbledon in 2012 when he beat Murray After smashing away a first break point he fired long on the second, and the crowd came alive as Murray yelled in delight at his unexpected second life. They headed into a tie-break and again Federer took charge, but once again Murray refused to buckle. Swinging freely from 6-4 down, the Wimbledon champion forced two errors from Federer on match points before powering through to take the set. The night session on Rod Laver Arena was suddenly electrified as one-way traffic turned into a dogfight, and Murray's battling qualities made for an absorbing fourth set, but it was Federer's attacking instincts that eventually prevailed. A loud "Come on!" echoed around the stadium when the Swiss finally converted his 10th break point of the set and, given a second chance to serve out the match, he did not blink. Semi-final line-up •Thursday: Tomas Berdych (Cze) [7] v Stanislas Wawrinka (Swi) [8] •Friday: Rafael Nadal (Spa) [1] v Roger Federer (Swi) [6] Federer fired a thunderous ace out wide to seal victory, and a real chance to win an unprecedented 18th Grand Slam title. "It's really a big pleasure for me being back in the semi-finals," added Federer. "I think I've played semis here all the way since 2004. "For me it's an amazing result again to be in the semis. This one feels different because of the tougher times I've had in Slams, Wimbledon, at the US Open. "It's nice to be back in the semis and defend my points from last year. Not that it matters at my age." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Australian Open 2014: Defending champion Victoria Azarenka loses Two-time defending champion Victoria Azarenka is out of the Australian Open after she was beaten in a thrilling quarter-final by Agnieszka Radwanska. The second seed had won her previous 12 sets against Radwanska but the Pole started superbly, racing into a 5-0 lead before taking the first set. Azarenka responded to claim the second but the fifth seed hit top form again in the decider to win 6-1 5-7 6-0. Dominika Cibulkova awaits in the semi-finals after she thrashed Simona Halep. Rod Laver Arena A Radwanska (Pol) [5] beat Azarenka (Blr) [2] 6-1 5-7 6-0 Azarenka's defeat - the end of an 18-match winning run at Melbourne Park dating back to 2012 - means the top three seeds are out of the women's draw after Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova were beaten earlier in the tournament. Radwanska has suffered defeats in the quarter-finals of this event in the last three years, but she set about overturning the odds in style, producing some of the best tennis of her career to dominate from the outset. Radwanska reached the semi-finals in Melbourne for the first time She looked to have the match in her control when she went a break up midway through the second set, but Azarenka showed all her battling qualities to hit back immediately before breaking decisively as her opponent served to stay in the set. The momentum seemed to have shifted towards the Belarusian, but Radwanska rediscovered her first-set form, producing a series of jaw-dropping winners to reach the last four. Did you know? Victoria Azarenka's exit came a day after Novak Djokovic lost to Stanislas Wawrinka, meaning both defending Australian Open champions were beaten in the quarter-finals for the first time in the Open era "She was getting to every ball," said Azarenka. "She guessed so many of my shots and I felt like at one point I was being too predictable. "She definitely took advantage of that. She was solid from the baseline, she came in when she needed to, she served well in the important moments. She was just doing everything a little bit better than me. "I was just watching. I was like a spectator a little bit." Radwanska commented: "I'm so happy and pleased, especially that I beat one of the best players in the world. "It was not an easy draw and not an easy quarter-final. I'm very happy that I made my first semi-final here. "There were a lot of good rallies, amazing points, running forward, backwards, side to side so many times. I was really feeling good on court - I was feeling I could really do everything, trying and fighting for every point, every ball." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Stanislas Wawrinka beats Novak Djokovic in Australian Open By Piers Newbery The Swiss eighth seed won 2-6 6-4 6-2 3-6 9-7 to set up a semi-final against Tomas Berdych, and gain revenge for an epic five-set defeat by Djokovic in the fourth round last year. My best wasn't good enough - Djokovic It was the first loss for Djokovic under the guidance of new coach Boris Becker, and brings to an end a winning streak of 28 matches on tour - and 25 matches over three years in Melbourne. His last defeat in the Australian Open - which he also won in 2008 - was back in 2010 when he was ill and lost in the quarter-finals to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. "He's an amazing champion, he never gives up. I'm really, really happy," said 28-year-old Wawrinka. "I was really focused point after point. I had to stay aggressive, and not give up. I was tired, I was cramping a bit, and I was nervous too. But now I'm going to have an ice bath for a very long time." Djokovic said: "He deserved this win. I congratulate him absolutely. There is nothing I can say. "You know, I gave it my best. I gave it all. I tried to come out as the winner. I tried to fight until the last point as I did in a very similar match we did last year in the fourth round, same court, but it wasn't to be this time." Match analysis Russell Fuller BBC tennis correspondent "To see Djokovic make four unforced forehand errors to immediately give back the serve he had broken early in the fifth set must have given Wawrinka enormous self-belief - assuming he still needs it, that is. "The Swiss showed great tenacity and patience throughout the final set, having been the superior player in the second and third. "Was Djokovic's decision to serve and volley when match point down inspired by his new coach? Either way, the four-time champion will wish he'd stayed on the baseline." A 15th consecutive Grand Slam semi-final had looked there for the taking when the Serb rolled through the first set thanks to some loose errors from Wawrinka in game six, but a moment of brilliance turned the match. Wawrinka won a breathtaking rally with a flowing backhand down the line to break at 3-3 on his way to taking the second set, and the winners kept coming. Djokovic, 26, threw a few frustrated looks towards Becker in the stands as Wawrinka powered through the third set to take a grip on the match, but finishing the job remained another matter entirely. There were signs of fragility on Wawrinka's more suspect forehand swing in a tight fourth set, and Djokovic came storming back from 40-0 down to break at 4-3. After closing it out in a tense game with an ace, the champion let out a huge roar and Becker got to his feet to urge his man on. Keeping it away from the Wawrinka backhand whenever possible, Djokovic made what seemed to be the decisive move with a break in game three of the decider, only to hand it straight back with four forehand errors in a woeful service game. Champion run comes to an end •Djokovic was bidding to follow Roy Emerson in winning four or more titles in a row at the Australian Open •He was also seeking to win his fifth Australian Open (only Emerson has five or more) •His last defeat was in the 2013 US Open final against Rafael Nadal •He had won his last 13 matches against top-10 opposition •The Serb had not dropped a set in reaching the last eight •Djokovic was seeking to reach his 15th consecutive Grand Slam semi-final •Wawrinka's last win over Djokovic was back in 2006 A packed crowd on Rod Laver Arena was now reaching fever pitch as the match clock ticked past three hours, and as serve began to dominate it headed towards a fourth. A re-run of last year's 22-game final set did not seem out of the question. That match had lasted five hours and finished at 01:41 local time, but Wawrinka was determined to avoid a repeat and his pressure finally told. Serving to stay in the match for the fourth time, Djokovic found himself match point down when a mishit Wawrinka return dropped in and, in the style of his coach, the Serb gambled on following his serve into the net at the crucial moment - only to steer a forehand volley into the tramlines. After exactly four hours, Wawrinka had reached his second major semi-final and ended an eight-year, 14-match losing streak against Djokovic. "It's a really great feeling," said the Swiss. "There were some special moments which went well together in this match, making it for the first time here to the semis, winning my first match on Rod Laver after all these years. It's been a very special match to me." In Wednesday's quarter-finals, world number one Rafael Nadal takes on Grigor Dimitrov and Britain's Andy Murray plays Roger Federer. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Australian Open 2014: Novak Djokovic into round four Novak Djokovic continued his impressive progress at the Australian Open with a straight-sets win over Denis Istomin. The Serb, who has won the past three titles in Melbourne, won 6-3 6-3 7-5 and plays Fabio Fognini in round four. Serena Williams won a tournament-record 61st singles match by beating Daniela Hantuchova 6-3 6-3 in round three. Ana Ivanovic, who beat Australia's Sam Stosur 6-7 (8-10) 6-4 6-2, is next for top seed Williams, while China's Li Na beat Lucie Safarova 1-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-3. Third seed David Ferrer beat 29th seed Jeremy Chardy in straight sets and 15th-ranked Fognini saw off the challenge of Sam Querrey 7-5 6-4 6-4. Spain's Tommy Robredo, the number 17 seed, beat France's ninth seed Richard Gasquet 2-6 7-5 6-4 7-6 (8-6). The conditions continued to be an issue for players, with the temperature reaching a high of 41.4C a day after matches were suspended on Thursday because of 43.3C heat, Rod Laver Arena S Williams (US) [1] beat Hantuchova (Svk) [31] 6-3 6-3 Five-time champion Williams was not at her best and appeared to be struggling with the heat, though she still proved too strong for Hantuchova. The world number one raced into a 5-3 lead but had to save two break points to hold serve before clinching the first set. Williams, who has yet to drop a set in the tournament, broke early in the second but her opponent was in battling mood and responded to level at 3-3. Williams broke Margaret Court's record for the most singles wins by a woman at the Australian Open Hantuchova's hopes were short-lived, however, as Williams seized the initiative in the Slovakian's next service game and served out for the victory, sealing it with a powerful forehand winner on her fourth match point. "It was a tough match," said Williams. "Daniela is a great opponent so I'm really happy to come out with the win. It was hot but you have to play, you have to be ready and prepare yourself mentally. I'm excited to get through." Serena and sister Venus Williams later withdrew from the doubles shortly before their first-round match because of an injury to Venus's left leg. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Australian Open Day 5 matches to watch: Serena kicks off third round Australian Open | No. MELBOURNE, Australia — The third round of the Australian Open starts Friday. That means seeds will finally begin to clash. Both favorites will be in action: No. 1 Serena Williams meets No. 31 Daniela Hantuchova, while three-time defending champion Novak Djokovic draws Denis Istomin (second night match, Rod Laver Arena). Serena Williams [1] vs. Daniela Hantuchova [31] (first match, Rod Laver Arena): A victory would give Williams a record 61 victories at the Australian Open. The five-time champion has lost just six games through her first two matches. Serena is 8-1 against Hantuchova, a 2008 semifinalist. Hantuchova’s one win came at the 2006 Australian Open. Samantha Stosur [17] vs. Ana Ivanovic [14] (first night match, Rod Laver Arena): On paper, this is the most anticipated and probably the most hotly contested match of the day, with two former Grand Slam champions trying to regain their top form. Stosur leads the head-to-head 4-3, including three victories in their last four matches. But Ivanovic won their most recent clash, a 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 victory at the WTA Tournament of Champions in October. The winner will likely face Williams in the fourth round. Li Na [4] vs. Lucie Safarova [26] (second match, Hisense Arena): Li has looked very good through her first two rounds but she’s still had her wobbles, most notably against Belinda Bencic, who forced her into a second-set tiebreaker in the second round. Li is 6-1 against Safarova and hasn’t lost since 2005. Sam Querrey vs. Fabio Fognini [15] (night match, Margaret Court Arena): A second-round win over Ernests Gulbis was a huge confidence boost for Querrey, who is seeking his first fourth-round appearance at a major since the 2010 U.S. Open. This will be his first match against Fognini, the talented but inconsistent Italian who has already achieved a career-best result in Melbourne. Tommy Robredo [17] vs. Richard Gasquet [9] (night match, Hisense Arena): One-handed backhands will be on display under the lights. Robredo has won two of their three-hard court meetings, but they haven’t played since 2010. The winner gets Stanislas Wawrinka in the fourth round. Wawrinka got a walkover after Vasek Pospisil withdrew with a back injury. Eugenie Bouchard [30] vs. Lauren Davis (second match, Show Court 3): Set the head-to-head records and rankings aside when two players of the same generation who faced each other in the junior ranks meet. There’s a completely different psychology involved in these matches, with the underdog (Davis, in this case) keen on proving a point. Casey Dellacqua vs. Zheng Jie (third match, Rod Laver Arena): This is a winnable match for Dellacqua, an Australian wild card ranked No. 120, who knocked out Kirsten Flipkens in the second round. The first singles match between Dellacqua and Zheng, a 2010 semifinalist, should be competitive. Upset special: Florian Mayer vs. Jerzy Janowicz [20] (first match, Show Court 3): Janowicz has been scraping by on an injured foot through two rounds. Mayer has the type of unconventional game to make the hot-tempered Pole lose his head in the Aussie heat. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tennis: Williams, Djokovic into 3rd round at Aussie Open 6:31 AM Thursday Jan 16, 2014 Serena Williams wore a fitted pink blazer into her second-round match at the Australian Open, giving the impression she wasn't feeling the heat. And after her 6-1, 6-2 win over Vesna Dolonc on Wednesday, the second consecutive scorching day at the season's first major, Williams said she could remember hotter matches. By improving her career mark to 60-8 at Melbourne Park, she equaled Margaret Court's record 60 match wins at the Australian Open in the Open era. On day three at Melbourne Park, the center court at Rod Laver Arena was - at least according to the two fans holding up a sign - "Serena's Arena." The heat topped 40 Celsius (104F) during the 63-minute match, and peaked at just under 42 C (108 F) later during Novak Djokovic's 6-0, 6-4, 6-4 win over Leonardo Mayer. Second-seeded Djokovic, aiming to be the first man in the Open era to win four consecutive Australian Open titles, didn't face a break point. Williams fended off the only break point she faced with an ace, one of her 10 in the match. She hit 24 winners, sticking to the ideal strategy of keeping the points short on a hot day and extended her winning streak to 24 matches. She said didn't even go outside Tuesday because conditions "were a little bit extreme," adding that the prospect of the scorching temperatures had even interrupted her sleep. "I kept waking up in the middle of the night last night just paranoid. I just wanted to stay hydrated," she said. "The last thing I want to do is to cramp in this weather. It can happen so easy." Williams next meets No. 31-seeded Daniela Hantuchova, who was on court for 3 hours, 13 minutes in her 6-3, 3-6, 12-10 win over Karolina Pliskova. Temperatures topped 42 Celsius (108F) on Tuesday, and there were a total of nine retirements in the first round, equaling a Grand Slam record. It wasn't quite as stifling Wednesday, but the forecast is for the heat wave to continue until Friday. Li Na, the 2011 French Open champion and a two-time finalist at Melbourne Park, had a 6-0, 7-6 (5) win over 16-year-old Belinda Bencic and will next play No. 26 Lucie Safarova in the third round. No. 9 Angelique Kerber advanced and will next meet American Alison Riske, who trounced Yanina Wickmayer 6-1, 6-1. Australian wild-card entry Casey Dellacqua upset No. 18 Kirsten Flipkens 6-3, 6-0. No. 17 Sam Stosur is through to the third round of her home Grand Slam for the first time in three years after a 6-2, 6-0 win over Tsvetana Pironkova. No. 30 Eugenie Bouchard of Canada beat Virginie Razzano 6-2, 7-6 (10) and Zheng Jie defeated American Madison Keys 7-6 (5), 1-6, 7-5. Stosur will face former French Open champion Ana Ivanovic in the third round after the Serbian player beat Annika Beck of Germany 6-1, 6-2. The Stosur-Ivanovic winner could face Williams in the round of 16. The tournament's heat rule went into effect in the first match on Margaret Court Arena, giving No. 15-seeded Sabine Lisicki and Monica Niculescu a 10-minute break after the second set. Niculescu won 2-6, 6-2, 6-2 and will next play No. 22 Ekaterina Makarova, who followed up her win over Venus Williams with a 6-2, 7-5 victory over American Irina Falconi. Djokovic had a brief scare while serving at 3-0 in the first set when he turned over on his left ankle, tumbling to the court. "It was just I slipped a little bit," Djokovic said. "It was an instant discomfort, but it was OK after." No. 3 David Ferrer beat Adrian Mannarino of France 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-0, 6-3 to advance along with No. 7 Tomas Berdych and No. 9 Richard Gasquet, No. 17 Tommy Robredo, No. 20 Jerzy Janowicz and No. 29 Jeremy Chardy. In late-finishing matches, eighth-seeded Stanislas Wawrinka beat Alejandro Falla of Colombia 6-3, 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-4, No. 15 Fabio Fognini beat Jarkko Nieminen 7-5, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 and No. 28 Vasek Pospisil of Canada overcame a back injury with the help of painkillers during the match to beat Australia's Matt Ebden 3-6, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (9), 6-1. Florian Mayer beat No. 14 Mikhail Youzhny, Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin defeated No. 30 Dmitry Tursunov and Bosnian qualifier Damir Dzumhur advanced when No. 32-seeded Ivan Dodig retired with cramps while leading in the fourth set. Sam Querrey fired 19 aces, saying he had "one of the best service days of my life" in a 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 upset win over No. 23 Ernests Gulbis. - AP -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Australian Open 2014: Novak Djokovic & Serena Williams win Defending champion Novak Djokovic made light of the intense Melbourne heat to ease into the third round of the Australian Open. The Serb overcame an early fall and a temperature of 41.5C to beat Leonardo Mayer 6-0 6-4 6-4. Top seed Serena Williams took just 63 minutes to thrash Vesna Dolonc 6-1 6-2. Fourth seed Li Naended the hopes of 16-year-old Belinda Bencic in straight sets, while home favourite Sam Stosur beat Tsvetana Pironkova 6-2 6-0. The hot weather again caused problems for the players, with Croatia's Ivan Dodig forced to retire during his match against Damir Dzumhur, while Pat Rafter's return and Bernard Tomic's first-round retirement also captured the headlines on day three -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Serena Williams can win all four Slams in 2014, feels Patrick Mouratoglou Mouratoglou further said that it would be an exceptional achievement, and is certainly possible for Serena Serena Williams 12 Jan 2014 - 07:23 / by Vishal Gajaria / world number one Serena Williams can win all the four Grand Slams in 2014, says her coach Patrick Mouratoglou. In an interview with the BBC Sport, Mouratoglou said: "It would be an exceptional achievement. With Serena, everything is possible. Look at the level she plays at at the moment. She's beaten all the top players many times, so you can aim that high. He added: "Of course it would be exceptional because it's crazy to do that. It's happened just a few times in the history of tennis - but she can do it and the goal is to do the best possible in all four Grand Slams. So why not?" Serena, who has got the top billing for the Australian Open 2014, will open her campaign against Australian teen Ashleigh Barty. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Men's Singles draw Other draws - Women's Singles - Men's Doubles - Women's Doubles - Mixed Doubles Men's Singles | Australian Open | Melbourne, Australia Round 1 Seed Player Player Seed 1 Nadal (Spa) bt Tomic (Aus) 25 Monfils (Fra) bt Harrison (US) 24 Seppi (Ita) bt Hewitt (Aus) 5 Del Potro (Arg) bt Williams (US) 4 Murray (GB) bt Soeda (Jpn) 10 Tsonga (Fra) bt Volandri (Ita) 6 Federer (Swi) bt Duckworth (Aus) 7 Berdych (Cze) bt Nedovyesov (Kaz) 20 Janowicz (Pol) bt Thompson (Aus) 3 Ferrer (Spa) bt Gonzalez (Col) 8 Wawrinka (Swi) bt Golubev (Kaz) Istomin (Uzb) bt Baghdatis (Cyp) 2 Djokovic (Ser) bt Lacko (Svk) 16 Nishikori (Jpn) bt Matosevic (Aus) 31 Verdasco (Spa) bt Zhang (Chn) Ebden (Aus) bt Mahut (Fra) 28 Pospisil (Can) bt Groth (Aus) Kokkinakis (Aus) bt Sijsling (Ned) Kyrgios (Aus) bt Becker (Ger) Garcia-Lopez (Spa) bt Haas (Ger) 12 9 Gasquet (Fra) bt Guez (Fra) Berrer (Ger) bt Llodra (Fra) Przysiezny (Pol) bt Zeballos (Arg) Thiem (Aut) bt Sousa (Por) Roger-Vasselin (Fra) bt Berlocq (Arg) 27 Paire (Fra) bt Dancevic (Can) Klizan (Svk) bt Isner (US) 13 Dolgopolov (Ukr) bt Berankis (Ltu) 23 Gulbis (Lat) bt Monaco (Arg) 21 Robert (Fra) bt Bedene (Slo) 18 Simon (Fra) bt Brands (Ger) 15 Fognini (Ita) bt Bogomolov Jr. (Rus) Nieminen (Fin) bt Sela (Isr) 11 Raonic (Can) bt Gimeno-Traver (Spa) Cilic (Cro) bt Granollers (Spa) De Schepper (Fra) bt Wu (Chn) Querrey (US) bt Giraldo (Col) Bautista-Agut (Spa) bt Smyczek (US) Rola (Slo) bt Del Bonis (Arg) Dzumhur (Bih) bt Hajek (Cze) Mayer (Arg) bt Montanes (Spa) Lu (Tpe) bt Wang (Tpe) Gabashvili (Rus) bt Stakhovsky (Ukr) Falla (Col) bt Kukushkin (Kaz) Davydenko (Rus) bt Kubot (Pol) Young (US) bt Haase (Ned) Kavcic (Slo) bt Stepanek (Cze) 32 Dodig (Cro) bt Karlovic (Cro) 17 Robredo (Spa) bt Rosol (Cze) Sock (US) bt Kamke (Ger) Mannarino (Fra) bt Johnson (US) 30 Tursunov (Rus) bt Russell (US) 22 Dimitrov (Bul) bt Klahn (US) 26 Lopez (Spa) bt Devvarman (Ind) 19 Anderson (SA) bt Vesely (Cze) Andujar (Spa) bt Ramos (Spa) Lajovic (Ser) bt Pouille (Fra) Bellucci (Brz) bt Reister (Ger) 14 Youzhny (Rus) bt Struff (Ger) Benneteau (Fra) bt Carreno-Busta (Spa) Hanescu (Rom) bt Gojowczyk (Ger) Millot (Fra) bt Odesnik (US) Mayer (Ger) bt Kudla (US) 29 Chardy (Fra) bt Huta Galung (Ned) Round 2 Seed Player Player Seed 1 Nadal (Spa) v Kokkinakis (Aus) Sock (US) v Monfils (Fra) 25 24 Seppi (Ita) v Young (US) Lajovic (Ser) v Nishikori (Jpn) 16 11 Raonic (Can) v Hanescu (Rom) Lu (Tpe) v Dimitrov (Bul) 22 27 Paire (Fra) v Kyrgios (Aus) Bautista-Agut (Spa) v Del Potro (Arg) 5 4 Murray (GB) v Millot (Fra) Berrer (Ger) v Lopez (Spa) 26 Robert (Fra) v Przysiezny (Pol) Rola (Slo) v Klizan (Svk) 10 Tsonga (Fra) v Bellucci (Brz) Cilic (Cro) v Simon (Fra) 18 31 Verdasco (Spa) v Gabashvili (Rus) Kavcic (Slo) v Federer (Swi) 6 7 Berdych (Cze) v De Schepper (Fra) Dzumhur (Bih) v Dodig (Cro) 32 19 Anderson (SA) v Thiem (Aut) Roger-Vasselin (Fra) v Garcia-Lopez (Spa) 14 Youzhny (Rus) v Mayer (Ger) Andujar (Spa) v Janowicz (Pol) 20 29 Chardy (Fra) v Dolgopolov (Ukr) Mannarino (Fra) v Ferrer (Spa) 3 8 Wawrinka (Swi) v Falla (Col) Ebden (Aus) v Pospisil (Can) 28 17 Robredo (Spa) v Benneteau (Fra) Davydenko (Rus) v Gasquet (Fra) 9 15 Fognini (Ita) v Nieminen (Fin) Querrey (US) v Gulbis (Lat) 23 30 Tursunov (Rus) v Istomin (Uzb) Mayer (Arg) v Djokovic (Ser) 2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Australian Open 2014: Dancevic complains of 'inhumane' treatment Australian Open organisers have been criticised for forcing players to compete in intense heat as temperatures hit 42C in Melbourne. Canada's Frank Dancevic required medical attention after fainting in his first-round match and said it was "inhumane" to allow players to compete in such testing conditions. Australian Open 2014: 42C heat causes havoc Britain's Andy Murray says the incident may damage the event's reputation. "It doesn't look good for the sport when people are collapsing," he said. "Most of the players are conditioned well enough to last in that weather but doing it for three or four hours is tough to recover from." The fourth seed, who recorded a straight-sets win over Japan's Go Soeda in his first match of the tournament, added: "At 3pm, the conditions were very, very tough. "Whether it's safe, I don't know, but there have been issues in other sports with players collapsing and you don't want to see anything bad happen to anyone." Maria Sharapova uses a necklace of ice to keep cool The high temperatures resulted in a number of incidents at Melbourne Park on Tuesday: •Former women's world number one Caroline Wozniacki's plastic water bottle melted on court •Defending women's champion Victoria Azarenka described the heat like "dancing in a frying pan" •2008 finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga's shoes softened in the high temperatures •Ballboys and ballgirls have their shifts reduced from 1hr to 45mins to stop them overheating •Serbia's Jelena Jankovic, who won the Wimbledon mixed doubles title in 2007, burnt her backside on an uncovered seat Dancevic passed out during the second set of his first-round defeat to France's Benoit Paire on the uncovered court six. Analysis Russell Fuller BBC tennis correspondent "Tuesday's winners are forecast to face 40-degree heat when they return to the fray on Thursday, which could transform the second week from a tennis tournament into an Ironman contest. "Football and long-distance running are potentially more hazardous, but perhaps a suspension of play would be advisable on the very rare times tennis is played in extreme conditions." "Until somebody dies, they just keep going on with it and putting matches on in this heat," Dancevic, 29, said. "It's inhumane, I don't think it's fair to anybody. "I've played five-set matches all my life and being out there for a set and a half and passing out with heat-stroke is not normal," he said. A ball boy collapsed and needed medical support during Milos Raonic's four-set victory over Daniel Gimeno-Traver on court eight, while former women's world number one Caroline Wozniacki said the heat melted a plastic water bottle during her straight-sets win over Lourdes Dominguez Lino. "I put the bottle down on the court and it started melting a little bit underneath, the plastic, so you knew it was warm," Wozniacki said. "It felt like I was playing in a sauna." American John Isner, who retired from his first-round match with a right ankle injury, added: "It was like an oven - when I open the oven and the potatoes are done. That's what it's like." Ice vests are prepared for players at the Australian Open during the Melbourne heat wave Players draped bags of ice around their necks and retreated into the shade at the back of the courts between points, while some spectators queued in front of large electric fans that blasted water at their faces. "It felt pretty hot, like you're dancing in a frying pan or something like that," defending women's champion Victoria Azarenka said. "I don't think anybody wants to go outdoors right now." Chinese player Chan Hao-ching improvises with a novel method of keeping chilled "I don't know how to say it in English, but it's not good for our shoes when it's hot like this," 2008 Australian Open finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga said after his straight-sets win over Filippo Volandri. Serbia's Jelena Jankovic burned her backside and hamstrings on an uncovered seat during her victory over Japan's Misaki Doi, and the former world number one believes there should be a set temperature where play is suspended. "For the health of the players they should have a temperature where you don't play," she said. "It doesn't matter how good a player you are sometimes your body can't cope with this. It's not easy and you can't enjoy playing when you are ready to explode and are red in the face." However, the tournament's chief medical officer, Tim Wood, insists that the risk to players' health in the extreme heat was minimal. "The majority of matches today were completed without any court calls from the medical team," Wood said. "Of course there were a few players who experienced heat-related illness or discomfort, but none required significant medical intervention after they had completed their match." Tournament officials have not invoked emergency heat rules which allow them to halt play and close the roofs on the centre and second court, although they have allowed a 10-minute break between the second and third sets for women's singles and junior singles matches. Even Australian Lleyton Hewitt found the temperatures hard to deal with The day's peak temperature of 42.2C was short of Melbourne's January record of 45.6C, which came during the notorious Black Friday bushfires of 1936. High temperatures are expected for the rest of the week. Organisers use the Wet Bulb Global Temperature composite, which also gauges humidity and wind, rather than the temperature alone when assessing extreme heat conditions. The Wet Bulb Global Temperature reading Australian Open organisers use a combination of air temperature, humidity and wind speed (the Wet Bulb Global Temperature reading, or WBGT) - rather than just air temperature - to decide whether conditions are suitable for play. There is no set number for the WBGT that triggers a halt in play, but a combination of high temperature and high humidity are the conditions that most affect players, spectators and personnel. When the WBGT reading reaches 26, ice vests are sent to all courts and a reading of 30.1 sees a 10-minute break introduced to women's singles matches, but only at one set all. The decision on whether to stop matches at the tournament is now at the discretion of tournament director Wayne McKewen, following a change in the tournament rules this year. "While conditions were hot and uncomfortable, the relatively low level of humidity ensured that conditions never deteriorated to a point where it was necessary to invoke the extreme heat policy," McKewen said. Speaking before Dancevic's collapse, former world number one Roger Federer felt conditions were not dangerous, adding: "It's just a mental thing. "If you've trained hard enough your entire life or the last few weeks and you believe you can do it and come through it, there's no reason. If you can't deal with it, you throw in the towel." Greg Whyte, a former Olympian and professor of applied sport and exercise science, believes spectators rather than players are at most risk from the extreme heat. "The crowd invariably are at greatest risk, specifically because they are not acclimatised to the heat," he said. A tennis fan keeps cool at Melbourne Park "What you have to remember is that athletes, particularly tennis players, play all over the world. "They are very well acclimatised and incredibly well looked after. They hydrate themselves well on court and there are expert teams around them who are deciding if it is potentially dangerous. "If we were taking unacclimatised individuals and putting them in these extreme environment then I would be more concerned." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Roger Rasheed backs Serena Williams to win Australian Open 2014 Veteran coach Roger Rasheed further said that Maria Sharapova is the only one who could beat Serena Williams Tennis Stories 25 Dec 2013 - 05:57 / by Vishal Gajaria Roger Rasheed believes Serena Williams could clinch the women's singles title at the 2014 Australian Open, if she remains 100 per cent fit for the tournament. "It's awfully hard to go past Serena if she's firing and 100 per cent fit," Rasheed told the Sydney Morning Herald, when asked about his prediction. "She has a lot of assets the other women don't have, especially on that stage." Rasheed, who has been currently working with Maria Sharapova's boyfriend Grigor Dimitrov, said that the former is the only player who can cause trouble for the top-ranked American. "The only one who can beat Serena at the Australian Open is Maria Sharapova," he added. "Maria has also got some weapons that can hurt Serena; the big thing will be whether she's had enough match play. She's been out with her shoulder injury and we'll see how it holds up. "That's the only other legitimate challenger for the women's event." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Andy Murray hopes to win Australian Open 2014 World No. 4 Andy Murray said that he will try his best to excel at the upcoming Australian Open 2014 Tennis Interviews 24 Dec 2013 - 08:10 / by Vishal Gajaria Reigning Wimbledon Champion Andy Murray is targeting more success in his tennis' career. After a successful 2013, the Brit is hoping for a better season in 2014, which, he believes, can be initiated through the Australian Open. In an interview with the Sky Sports, Murray said: "I want to try and win as much as I can. I lost enough times in big matches to not want to do that." "I don't want to lose four slam finals in a row again; that was horrible. But I also know how hard it is to win those tournaments," he continued further. "It may never happen again, I might not win another one but I just want to give myself the best chance to do that and that's why we do the work over here and train and prepare as best as we can. "Hopefully I'll give myself an opportunity to win another one." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- U.S OPEN TENNIS, NEW YORK, NY August 26 - September 9 The 2013 US Open runs from Monday, Aug. 26, through Monday, Sept. 9. The schedule of play for the 2013 US Open Qualifying Tournament – which takes place from Tuesday, Aug. 20, through Friday, Aug. 23 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Arthur Ashe Stadium 5:00 pm Men's Singles - Final Novak Djokovic (SRB) [1] vs. Rafael Nadal (ESP) [2] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- September 9, 2013 Nadal Beats Djokovic to Win U.S. Open By CHRISTOPHER CLAREY It was early afternoon on Monday at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center and Rafael Nadal’s father, Sebastian, and other members of the Nadal clan were wandering through the United States Open Court of Champions snapping photographs of the plaques honoring inductees past. There was a time, not so long ago, when Nadal looked like a long shot for a place on that wall. He was a clay-court champion first and foremost, then a grass-court champion. But he is among the greats on all the Grand Slam surfaces now and on Monday he put an exclamation point on the most astonishing hardcourt season of his career by beating his new archrival, Novak Djokovic, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1, to win the United States Open championship. “For a few things, this season is probably the most emotional one in my career,” said Nadal, a 27-year-old from the Spanish island of Majorca. “I felt I did everything right to have my chance here. You play one match against one of the best players in the history in Novak and No. 1 in the world on probably his favorite surface. I knew I had to be almost perfect to win.” Watching him with no tape on his left leg and no ball seemingly too far out of reach, it was frankly difficult to believe that he had seriously considered skipping hardcourt tournaments altogether earlier this season to protect himself from a recurrence of the knee problems that had kept him off the tour for seven months. But Nadal, perhaps the most relentless competitor in the sport’s long and talent-rich history, is nothing if not resilient; nothing if not competitive. He plays, by his own confession, not just to win titles but for the puritanical pleasure of working for each and every point. “I am a positive player, not a negative player,” Nadal said. It is the process more than the destination for Nadal, but he still looked more than satisfied when he had finally finished off Djokovic on a night with a sliver of moon visible in the sky and more than a few tears visible in his eyes and the eyes of those closest to him. “Grande, grande, grande, grande, grande,” came the shouts from his camp after he had picked himself up off the court and eventually jogged to the edge of the court to commune with them. This victory, more grueling than the score line would suggest, gave Nadal a second United States Open title to go with the first he won in 2010 with another four-set victory over Djokovic. It also gave him a 13th Grand Slam singles title that seemed anything but unlucky. “Thirteen is an amazing number,” Nadal said. But perhaps the most remarkable statistic after a victory that generated a mother lode was that it preserved Nadal’s perfect record on hardcourts this season. He is 22-0, a figure that would have seemed unthinkable in the years when Nadal’s most emblematic rival, Roger Federer, was winning five straight titles at the Open. For now, Federer remains the career leader with 17 Grand Slam singles titles, but Monday’s victory thrusts Nadal ever more into the conversation about who deserves to be called the greatest player of this era. “Let me enjoy today,” Nadal said with a grin, resisting the place-in-history questions. “For me is much more than what I ever thought, what I ever dreamed. I said that when I had a few Slams less, but is true.” Nadal has won eight French Opens, two Wimbledons, two United States Opens and one Australian Open. He also holds a winning record over every one of his major rivals, Federer of course included. Djokovic, a 26-year-old Serb, has given him plenty of trouble: never more than in 2011 and early 2012 when he reeled off seven straight victories against the Spaniard and seemed to have extinguished some of Nadal’s self-belief and competitive fire. But Nadal, a great tennis player as well as athlete and fighter, has now won six of the last seven. By the epic standards of their nearly six-hour final at the 2012 Australian Open, Monday’s match was a sprint at 3 hours 21 minutes. It also gave Nadal a huge payday: $2.6 million in prize money and an additional $1 million for winning the U.S. Open Series. “Thirteen Grand Slams for a guy who is 27 years old is incredible,” Djokovic said. “Whatever he achieved so far in his career is something that everybody should respect, no question about it. I was saying before, he’s definitely one of the best tennis players ever to play the game.” Djokovic, who has faced him 37 times and trails, 15-22, is particularly well placed to know his strengths and weaknesses. They have played more than any men in the Open era, though less than rivals from earlier eras like Rod Laver and Ken Rosewall, the Australians who played more than 100 times. Laver, the only man to complete two Grand Slams by winning all four major titles in a calendar year, was on hand to flip the coin before the start of the match. Nadal concurred that he had rarely played better than he did in the opening set, breaking Djokovic twice and striking the ball with consistent venom and precision. When it ended after 42 minutes, Nadal said he went to his chair and thought that the match was beginning “now” because he believed there was no chance of sustaining that level and that edge for two more sets in a row. That proved true, as Djokovic began taking greater risks with his forehand in the second set and pushing Nadal back from the baseline to a position more familiar to those who watched Nadal play on quick hardcourts in the early years of his career. Djokovic finally broke Nadal’s serve in the sixth game to take a 4-2 lead, although it required him to win a 54-shot rally. “I played especially against Rafa on different surfaces and different occasions points like this where you feel that there is the last drop of energy you need to use in order to win the point,” Djokovic said. “Sometimes, I was winning those points; sometimes him. It’s what we do when play against each other, always pushing each other to the limit. That’s the beauty of our matches and our rivalry, I guess, in the end.” It should thus have come as no surprise that Nadal, instead of letting his shoulders slump, came right out and broke him back in the next game. As Djokovic sat in his chair on the changeover, he screamed in frustration and anger, his lean body shaking. He then slapped himself on both thighs and proceeded to go back out himself and take the next two games and even the match at one set apiece. That could have been the cue for another marathon final, but Nadal had too many answers this time, and although Djokovic carried his momentum into the third set, taking a 3-1 lead and a 0-40 lead in the next game on Nadal’s serve, the Spaniard willed and hustled his way free. A set that looked as if it belonged to Djokovic was soon repossessed by Nadal. The No. 1 ranking presumably will come next later this year. But numbers are not the heart of the matter with Nadal. “During the match, the thought that kept coming to my mind was that I was watching a genius,” said Wojtek Fibak, the former Polish player hired by Djokovic as a coaching consultant. “It’s like Chopin who was born to compose music. Nadal was born to win tennis matches.” The Court of Champions awaits. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Match of the Day presented by Emirates Airline by McCarton Ackerman Sunday, September 8, 2013 In of the most competitive US Open women’s singles finals in the Open era and the longest since 1980, No. 1 seed and defending champion Serena Williams prevailed, pulling three a nearly three-hour encounter with No. 2 seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, 7-5, 6-7, 6-1. "I definitely felt the love out there today," said Williams. "Victoria played so well. Vika is such a great opponent and fighter, and that's why she's won multiple Grand Slams. That's why it was never over until match point." Williams had a dominant 12-3 head-to-head record going into the US Open women’s single final against Azarenka, but the Belarusian powerhouse had been righting the ship in 2013. Azarenka had won two out of three matches against Williams this year, both of which came on hard courts and in three sets. But while Azarenka’s close victories this year clearly showed that she was prepared to handle a long battle today, nobody in the women’s game can match the world No. 1 when fighting through tough moments in big matches. Competing in her 21st Grand Slam singles final today, Williams had a 6-0 record in three sets matches in Grand Slam finals and 14-0 record in Grand Slam finals where she won the first set. Handling the windy conditions better than Williams in the early stages of the match, it seemed that Azarenka was on a good track. She came within two points of taking the opening set on numerous occasions, but Williams fought back. The 10-minute tenth game of the first set featured some of the best rallies of the match, proving to be the turning point in the contest. Once Williams held serve with an ace to level things at 5-5, she began to compose herself and find the range on her powerful ground strokes to close out the set. However, Azarenka continued to scramble and showed impressive defensive skills throughout the nervy second set, fighting back from a 1-4 deficit and two opportunities that Williams had to serve out the match at 5-4 and 6-5. The Belarusian had two set points in the tiebreaker that the world No. 1 managed to stave off and level things at 6-6, but she sent one final ground stroke long on Azarenka’s third set point to level it at one set apiece. Williams summoned all of her mental fortitude. She bounced back brilliantly, dominanting Azarenka in the final set and celebrating jubilantly after converting on her second match point. With this win, Williams takes her Grand Slam singles tally up to 17 titles, putting her at sixth on the all-time list and fourth in the Open era behind Germany's Stefanie Graf with 22, and fellow Americans Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova at 18. Also, having won the Emirates Airline US Open Series this summer, she also earned a $1 million bonus, making her $3.6 million winner’s check the largest payout in US Open history. Despite the loss, there are positives from Azarenka to take from this tournament. She reached the US Open women’s singles final for the second consecutive year and once again established herself as the only player on the women’s tour who can consistently challenge Williams. "I gave it my all again," said Azarenka. "We showed our hearts and we showed everything we've got." Serena defends US Open title Serena Williams wins her fifth US Open title after defeating Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 7-5 6-7(6) 6-1. Last Modified: 09 Sep 2013 02:14 Top seed Serena collected the $2.6m top prize as she won her 17th career grand slam singles title [Reuters] Serena Williams has won her fifth US Open title after defeating Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 7-5 6-7(6) 6-1 in a windblown final in Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York. Williams bounded in a series of jumping jack leaps after Azarenka's backhand sailed long on the second match point of the thrilling, two-hour 45-minute final. In winning the title rematch against second-seeded Azarenka, world number one Williams claimed her fifth US Open crown and 17th career grand slam singles title. The big-hitting American, who turns 32 later this month, became the oldest US Open women's winner since tennis turned professional 45 years ago, eclipsing Australian Margaret Court, who was 31 years and 55 days when she won the title in 1973. The triumph moved Williams to within one grand slam singles crown of Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova for a tie for fourth place on the all-time list behind Court (24), Steffi Graf (22) and Helen Wills Moody (19). It had looked like it was going to be plain sailing for Williams after she won the first set, boosted by a late break in the 11th game for a 6-5 lead and then served out a love game. Williams, who earlier looked confounded by the gusty wind that affected service tosses and the direction of bounces off groundstrokes and was muttering to herself between points, finally settled into a rhythm in the second set. She surged to a 4-1 lead after Azarenka double-faulted three times in the fifth and her US Open repeat looked undeniable as she had begun to find the range on her imposing service game that saw her serve broken only twice in six previous matches. Great match But the Belarusian showed her fight and took advantage of a string of Williams errors to break right back for 4-2 and rode that momentum. Twice Williams served for the match, at 5-4 and again at 6-5, but Azarenka rose up to defeat the American's serve and force a tiebreaker. Williams raced to a 3-1 lead in the decider, but Azarenka won five of the next six points to seize a 6-4 lead and send the championship match to a third set when Williams belted a backhand long to lose it 8-6. What a great match and what a great person. Vika is such a great opponent, she's such a great fighter. It was never over until match point Serena Williams, US Open winner The third set stayed on serve until the fourth game when another double fault, her seventh of the match, sank Azarenka and handed Williams a 3-1 lead. With the stadium crowd roaring their support for home-country favorite Williams, the American broke Azarenka two games later for good measure to make it 5-1 and then claimed victory when the Belarusian sent a backhand long on the second match point. "Victoria, you played unbelievable," said Williams at the trophy ceremony. "What a great match and what a great person. Vika is such a great opponent, she's such a great fighter. It was never over until match point," added Williams. The top seed collected the $2.6m top prize and pocketed an addition $1m bonus for having won the US Open run-up series of tournaments. Azarenka said she had been beaten by the better player. "It is a tough loss. But the best player deserves the win today. I gave it all again this year," said Azarenka, who lost 7-5 in the third set to Williams in last year's final. "We gave it everything we got." Source: Reuters -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Day 13 - Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs. Stanislas Wawrinka (SWI)Novak Djokovic SerbiaStanislas Wawrinka SwitzerlandHead-to-headThe Serbian sensation owns a 12-2 advantage over Wawrinka dating back to 2006, a lopsided record that includes wins in their last 11 meetings. He has never lost to Wawrinka at a Grand Slam. The Swiss may have come up short against Djokovic at the 2013 Australian Open, but he impressed by pushing the world No. 1, 1-6, 7-5, 6-4, 6-7, 12-10, in the fourth round. It was a match that showed Wawrinka he can hang with the big boys. Will win if...If he continues to dance on the the Arthur Ashe Stadium cement with what has to be considered the best footwork in the game. With the possible exception Rafael Nadal, no one is moving on the hard courts as balletically as Djokovic, a baseline-to-baseline force who can turn defense to offense on a dime. He hangs on to his newfound confidence and keeps going for (and believing in) his considerable groundies. He painted the lines in shutting down defending champ Andy Murray in the quarterfinals, and he’ll need to do the same to beat Djokovic and earn a spot in his first-ever Slam final. Heading in...The Djoker has lost only one set (to Mikhail Youzhny in the quarters) and has hung four 6-Love sets on his opponents. This is his 14th consecutive Slam semi, putting him behind only Roger Federer (23). Stan the Man has taken down pair of Top 5 opponents (No. 5 seed Tomas Berdych and No. 3 Andy Murray) en route to reaching the first Grand Slam semifinal of his 11-year pro career. Look out for...Which player the fans gets behind. Djokovic knows good and well that just because he's the world No. 1 doesn't mean the New Yorkers will always have his back. And crowd support can be a big factor. How well Wawrinka strikes the ball from the service stripe. He didn’t give reigning Wimbledon titlist Murray a look at even one break-point opportunity in the quarterfinals, a 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 thrashing. Know this statThe Serb is 23-2 in majors this year, having picked up his sixth Slam trophy at the Australian Open in January. The Swiss has a career-high seven Top 10 wins in 2013 and now trails only Rafael Nadal (15) and Djokovic (10) in that category. X-factorYou can't underrate Djokovic's ability to deliver in big moments. He's reached the final here the past three years, winning it all in 2011. Wawrinka’s sweeping, one-handed backhand is one of the most gorgeous (and dangerous) shots in the game. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- US Open 2013: Victoria Azarenka into semis with straight-sets win Second seed Victoria Azarenka remains on course for a return to the US Open final after beating Daniela Hantuchova in the last eight at Flushing Meadows. The 2012 runner-up needed only an hour and 16 minutes to win 6-2 6-3 and set up a semi-final meeting with Italy's Flavia Pennetta. French eighth seed Richard Gasquet earlier held his nerve to beat fourth seed David Ferrer over five sets. He will face second seed Rafael Nadal who thrashed Tommy Robredo 6-0 6-2 6-2. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In Summary ■Murray 6-7 (5-7) 6-1 6-4 6-4 Istomin ■Listen on BBC Radio 5 live ■Williams thrashes Suarez Navarro 6-0 6-0 ■Djokovic beats Granollers 6-3 6-0 6-0 ■Youzhny through to quarter-finals ■Azarenka beats Ivanovic 4-6 6-3 6-4 ■------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Serena Williams in semis after rout -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NEW YORK -- From an ace on the first point to a stinging return on the last, Serena Williams was close to perfect in the US Open quarterfinals. The score said it all Tuesday night: 6-0, 6-0. Serena Williams didn't drop a game in blowing away Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro in Tuesday night's quarterfinal, Melissa Isaacson writes. Story Second-seeded Victoria Azarenka claimed the final spot in the quarterfinals with a three-set win over Ana Ivanovic, but again at this year's US Open she wasn't up to her usual standards, writes Jane McManus. Story Yes, Williams is looking better and better with each match at the year's last Grand Slam tournament. With two more wins -- no matter the exact scores -- she'll earn a fifth title at Flushing Meadows and 17th major championship overall. The No. 1-ranked and No. 1-seeded Williams shut out 18th-seeded Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain, the first "double bagel" in a quarterfinal at Flushing Meadows since 1989, when 18-time major title winner Martina Navratilova did it to Manuela Maleeva. Williams won 53 of 71 points and dominated pretty much every statistical category. The first set took all of 19 minutes. The second was slower, lasting 33 minutes, but no less lopsided. "When you play against Serena," Suarez Navarro said, "you know these things can happen." In Friday's semifinals, Williams will play 2011 French Open champion Li Na of China. Asked in an on-court interview if her game is peaking, Williams replied: "No. Not yet. I hope not. I'm just trying to do the best that I can." Well, that just happens to be rather good. Through five matches, Williams has dropped a total of 13 games so far. For comparison's sake, know this: Suarez Navarro lost more games than that in her previous match alone, 15, while eliminating No. 8 Angelique Kerber. That victory, and her seeding, should have demonstrated that Suarez Navarro is quite capable of playing well, too. But not on this evening. Not against Williams, who is 65-4 with eight titles in 2013. Going back to the start of Wimbledon last year, the 31-year-old American is 96-5 with 13 trophies, including from three of the past five Grand Slam tournaments plus the London Olympics. Victoria Azarenka started slow, but rallied to advance to the US Open quarterfinals. "The conditions were so tough, so it definitely was not her best tennis today," Williams said about Suarez Navarro, who was playing in her third career major quarterfinal Tuesday, which happened to be her 25th birthday. Tough conditions, huh? That swirling wind in Arthur Ashe Stadium sure did not appear to bother Williams one bit. She wound up with a 20-3 edge in winners. She made fewer unforced errors, 12-9. She won 23 of 26 points on first serves. "I've been playing here for, like, 50 years," Williams said with a laugh. "I've kind of gotten used to the conditions. Even though it's difficult to play each year, I'm getting a little bit better with it." When Williams did face a break point for the first time, 42 minutes and 11 games into the match, she came up with a big serve and raced forward for a simple putaway that she punctuated with a yell. Moments later came a second break chance, but even with Williams stumbling to the court, Suarez Navarro dumped the ball into the net. It was that kind of night. "She's the best player in the sport," Suarez Navarro said. "When you look at the draw, you don't want to see Serena there." Earlier Tuesday, the fifth-seeded Li needed nearly 2½ hours to get past 24th-seeded Ekaterina Makarova of Russia 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-2. On three occasions, Li went up a break in the second set, nearing eventual victory each time, but could not finish things. She then was up 3-0 in the tiebreaker before faltering. Still, she recovered well and closed the match by taking the last four games, then joked that she would grab a bag of chips and enjoy watching Williams against Suarez Navarro. Regardless of who she'd face next, Li made the point that what would be important is to focus on herself. "I mean, if you only think about what (your) opponent (is) doing, of course you already lose the match before you come to the court," Li said. "For tennis you have to figure out what you have to do on the court, what you should do." Li has only won one of nine career matches against Williams heading into Friday. "Tough, tough opponent," Li said. "But is (a) good challenge to play against her." The quarterfinals on the other half of the draw are Wednesday: second-seeded Victoria Azarenka of Belarus against 48th-ranked Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia, and 10th-seeded Roberta Vinci against 83rd-ranked Flavia Pennetta in a matchup between two Italians in their 30s. While the other women in that section all advanced Monday, Azarenka's fourth-round match against 2008 French Open champion Ana Ivanovic was postponed until Tuesday at 11 a.m. because of rain. Azarenka got off to a slow start, but eventually got going and beat the 13th-seeded Ivanovic 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in a topsy-turvy match with a combined 16 service breaks and 17 double-faults. "I think," two-time Australian Open champion Azarenka said, "we're just great returners." Lamented Ivanovic: "I felt like I could break her, but it was very frustrating that I was losing my serve constantly." Azarenka, the two-time Australian Open champ, insisted she's not concerned by two straight slow starts. She also lost the first set in the third round to 26th-seeded Alize Cornet before rallying for a 6-7 (2), 6-3, 6-2 win. She's gotten into it with the chair umpire in two straight matches as well. On Tuesday, it was over Ivanovic being awarded a winner, instead of the two replaying the point, after a delayed out call was overturned in the first set. Azarenka looked sluggish after a late-morning start and didn't make her first winner until the sixth game. But Ivanovic has often wilted under pressure since her lone Grand Slam title more than five years ago; she hasn't been back to a major semifinal since. Azarenka started winning points on drop shots -- she said she's always had that in her repertoire but just hadn't need them much before. There were five straight breaks to open the second set. After Ivanovic double-faulted on break point for the second straight service game, Azarenka finally held to lead 4-2. The start of the third set was much of the same. Azarenka held in the first game, then there were four straight breaks. It took 2 hours, 10 minutes, but the 2012 US Open runner-up wasn't going to fret about her uneven play. "If I have to fight and dig deep to find a way not playing at your best against a player who was playing that good," Azarenka said, "I think it's pretty remarkable to walk off the court with a win." Information from The Associated Press was used in this report. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- US Open 2013: Victoria Azarenka into semis with straight-sets win Second seed Victoria Azarenka remains on course for a return to the US Open final after beating Daniela Hantuchova in the last eight at Flushing Meadows. The 2012 runner-up needed only an hour and 16 minutes to win 6-2 6-3 and set up a semi-final meeting with Italy's Flavia Pennetta. French eighth seed Richard Gasquet earlier held his nerve to beat fourth seed David Ferrer over five sets. He will face second seed Rafael Nadal who thrashed Tommy Robredo 6-0 6-2 6-2. Arthur Ashe Stadium Flavia Pennetta (Ita) bt Roberta Vinci (Ita) [10] 6-4 6-1 Pennetta followed up her second-round win over fourth seed Sara Errani by knocking out another fellow seeded Italian in 30-year-old Vinci, and did it in some style. Ranked down at 83 after struggling with back and wrist injuries last year, the former doubles world number one has beaten Maria Sharapova and Vera Zvonareva at Flushing Meadows in previous years. "It's amazing, I'm really happy and I cannot believe it," said Pennetta. "It was really tough to play against Roberta. It's not easy to play with one of your best friends on the tour. I think this is the first week where I feel better [after wrist surgery]. I feel myself and maybe a little bit of a better player as well." Richard Gasquet (Fra) [8] bt David Ferrer (Spa) [4] 6-3 6-1 4-6 2-6 6-3 Gasquet adds steel to style Piers Newbery BBC Sport at Flushing Meadows From the moment Richard Gasquet dropped serve at the start of the third set against David Ferrer, there was a sense of inevitability around Arthur Ashe Stadium. The Frenchman has appeared as fragile as he is talented over the years, and despite the flow of beautiful backhand winners (21 in total) it was the Spaniard who was now winning the key points. When it came to a fifth set, Gasquet's 6-12 record in deciders did not match up too well against Ferrer's 19-9 form. And yet it was the 27-year-old from Beziers who proved the stronger, with Ferrer giving up his serve by double-faulting and Gasquet closing out with two impressive service games. Whatever happens in the semi-final, Gasquet has laid a few ghosts. Gasquet won back-to-back five-set matches for the first time in his career, following up his fourth-round victory over Milos Raonic with an even more impressive effort against the tireless Ferrer. He moves on to a Grand Slam semi-final for only the second time in his career, and six years after he lost to Roger Federer at the same stage at Wimbledon. "It was a big match for me," said Gasquet. "I started very well and I thought he was a little bit nervous with the wind, but he is a big fighter. "I think I have experience of five sets, I played them a lot in my life, and I knew I had to serve well in the fifth. It's a big match for me, a big, big victory. It means a lot. I'm 27, the last time I did it I was 21. I practised hard for it, it's wonderful for me." Victoria Azarenka (Blr) [2] bt Daniela Hantuchova (Svk) 6-2 6-3 Azarenka had looked below her best in the opening four rounds and began nervously once again, but got the better of three early breaks on her way to taking the first set. The second set suggested the two-time Australian Open champion was still some way off top form as she slipped 2-0 behind, and then failed to serve out the match after a run of five straight games. Hantuchova simply could not protect her serve, however, and Azarenka clinched victory with her seventh break of the night. At 24 years old, she will be the only one of the four semi-finalists not in her 30s. "It's amazing to see such great players in the semi-finals," said Azarenka. "Flavia has been through so much in her career and I can't wait to play her." Rafael Nadal (Spa) [2] bt Tommy Robredo (Spa) [19] 6-0 6-2 6-2 Rafael Nadal destroyed fellow Spaniard Tommy Robredo for the loss of just four games as he powered into the semi-finals. The 2010 champion, seeded second, won 6-0 6-2 6-2 on Arthur Ashe Stadium against the man who had knocked out Roger Federer in the previous round. Nadal, 27, said of his performance: "I'm happy. I think I played my best match of the US Open. I'm playing a little bit better every day and it's a great year. "I'm very happy to be in the semi-finals. I want to enjoy every moment." Britwatch Ivan Dodig (Cro) & Marcelo Melo (Bra) [10] bt Dom Inglot (GB) & Treat Huey (Phi) [16] 7-5 6-3 Britain's last hope in the men's doubles departed as Inglot and partner Huey lost a tight first set on the Louis Armstrong Stadium, and then failed to complete a comeback from 5-1 down in the second. Colin Fleming and Jonny Marray went out at the same quarter-final stage on Monday, before Jamie Murray and Australian John Peers followed on Tuesday. Katie Boulter (GB) bt Elise Mertens (Bel) [8] 6-3 6-2 - girls' singles Jasmine Paolini (Ita) bt Katy Dunne (GB) [13] 6-4 7-6 (8-6) - girls' singles Quotes of the day Rafael Nadal might be in stunning form, but he is not about to look past Richard Gasquet in the semi-finals. "Do you think Djokovic will be in the final?" he asks. "I don't know if I will be, so I hope to be ready to play a good match against Richard. If I don't play great match against Richard, I will see the final on TV." "I don't know the way he felt, but obviously I felt that he was doing pretty good out there." Tommy Robredo got a first-hand view of just how well Nadal is playing as he only took four games off the 2010 champion. "I beat him one time in my life when I was 13." Richard Gasquet admits the prospect of facing Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals is a little daunting as he has a 0-10 professional record against the Spaniard. Victoria Azarenka says she has found it hard to get a look at how Serena Williams has been playing. "Sometimes I watch, but I don't really watch a lot of TV. Plus, she played too quick all the matches." Sixteen-year-old junior Borna Coric could theoretically face Andy Murray in the Davis Cup next week after being called up to the Croatian squad for the first time. "No, I don't think I can win," he says. "Only if he injures himself! But it would be a huge experience." Andy Murray beaten by Stanislas Wawrinka at US Open By Piers Newbery Andy Murray's US Open title defence ended tamely as Swiss ninth seed Stanislas Wawrinka outplayed him in the quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows. The Briton, seeded third, failed to earn a single break point in a 6-4 6-3 6-2 defeat on Arthur Ashe Stadium. Murray has struggled to find his best form since winning Wimbledon two months ago and his frustration was clear when he was given a code violation for racquet abuse. "It was a tough day for me," Murray told BBC Radio 5 live. "He played exceptional tennis and served very, very well. He hit a lot of lines on big points, went for his shots and they all went in today. He played too well." In a match many had predicted would go to five sets, it took only two hours and 15 minutes for Wawrinka's brilliant attacking game to prevail on a hot and blustery afternoon in New York. The 28-year-old moves on to his first Grand Slam semi-final, where he will face world number one Novak Djokovic who beat 21st seed Mikhail Youzhny 6-3 6-2 3-6 6-0 in the night session. Murray, 26, won his first major title at last year's US Open, but even the return of Sir Sean Connery to watch his fellow Scot could not inspire a similar level of performance. Wawrinka was the last man to beat Murray in the first week of a Grand Slam, at the 2010 US Open, and he inflicted another painful defeat on the British number one. The conditions caused both players problems in the early stages, with Murray netting a straightforward volley before Wawrinka played an air shot on his usually brilliant backhand. It was the Swiss who looked the more threatening though, with Murray failing to find any potency on serve and barely winning more than half of the points in his service games. The making of Stan the Man Wawrinka employed Swedish coach Magnus Norman in April and the former world number two set about trying to give the Swiss a killer instinct on court. "It's not easy but I knew that he has it," Norman told BBC Radio 5 live. "He's shown in the past, on and off, that he has it. It's a little bit a matter of self-belief and having a good team around him that he believes can take him to the next level. "Then of course it's a lot of hard work. Day in and day out you have to speak about these things, because it still doesn't come naturally to Stan. He still doesn't really believe in himself 100% all the time. "We are playing in an era with guys who are probably some of the best that ever played tennis, so it's a big challenge but it also makes it very interesting. They are tough but they are not unbeatable." He was made to pay in game 10 when he let a 40-0 lead slip with three errors, and after a 16-minute tussle Wawrinka converted his sixth set point thanks to a loose Murray forehand. That prompted the champion to smash his racquet in anger and he was quickly in trouble in the second set, but came up with a second-serve ace down the middle to stay on terms. Wawrinka spoke before the match of how he had become a more confident player in recent months and the belief flowed through him as he took a grip on the match with successive love games. A rasping backhand winner got him the break and a 4-2 lead - but it came after Murray had offered up three errors, and the Briton looked a dejected figure heading into the third set. Murray's record from two sets down is impressive but there was no sign of a comeback this time, and a double fault gave Wawrinka the lead at 2-1 before another terrific pass all but sealed victory for the Swiss with a double break. Wawrinka held his nerve from 0-30 to serve out one of the biggest wins of his career, and ensure Murray would not be defending his title in the final on Monday evening. "I was playing well enough to get to the quarters," added Murray. "It's not an easy thing to do - there's only eight guys in the tournament who have been able to do that. "I've played my best tennis at the Slams the last three years. It wasn't maybe my best day today, but the last three years have been great for me and especially the last year." Wawrinka said: "It's amazing for me to be in the first semi-final in a Grand Slam, especially after beating Andy Murray, defending champion. He just won Wimbledon, too. He's a great champion." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SEMIFINAL SCHEDULE: WOMEN - Serena Williams (USA) [1] Na Li (CHN) [5] Flavia Pennetta (ITA) Victoria Azarenka (BLR) [2] MEN: QUARTERFINAL - Novak Djokovic (SRB) [1] Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) [21] Andy Murray (GBR) [3] Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) [9] Richard Gasquet (FRA) [8] 6 6 4 2 6 Match Statistics David Ferrer (ESP) [4] 3 1 6 6 3 R.GasquetTommy Robredo (ESP) [19] 0 2 2 Match Statistics Rafael Nadal (ESP) [2] 6 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- US Open 2013: Roger Federer beaten by Tommy Robredo By Piers Newbery Venue: Flushing Meadows, New YorkDate: 26 August - 9 September Roger Federer's hopes of winning a sixth US Open title ended with a shock fourth-round defeat by Spain's Tommy Robredo in New York. The 32-year-old Swiss, who lost in the second round of Wimbledon two months ago, went down 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 6-4 on the Louis Armstrong Stadium. Federer converted just two of 16 break points and made 43 unforced errors - 20 on his favoured forehand side - as he lost in two hours and 24 minutes. Continue reading the main story “Roger is the best player of all times. To beat him in a huge stadium like the US Open and in a Grand Slam, a match of five sets, it's like a dream ” Tommy Robredo It means a much-anticipated first meeting between Federer and Rafael Nadal at Flushing Meadows will not happen as Robredo progresses to the quarter-finals. "I kind of feel like I beat myself, without taking any credit away from Tommy," said Federer. "I kind of self destructed, which is very disappointing, especially on a quicker court. Your serve helps you out. You're going to make the difference somewhere. I just couldn't do it. It was a frustrating performance today." It is the first year that Federer has failed to reach a Grand Slam final since 2002, but he remains determined to regain the form that made him world number one as recently as last year. "I've definitely got to go back to work and come back stronger, get rid of this loss now as quick as I can, forget about it, because that's not how I want to play from here on," he said. "I want to play better. I know I can. I showed it the last few weeks, that there is that level, so today was pretty frustrating." A rain delay of more than four hours meant the last-16 match was moved to the second show court, and a huge queue formed outside the stadium when news broke that the 17-time Grand Slam champion would be heading there for the first time since 2006. Federer has struggled with his form and a back problem for much of the year but his early performances in New York had suggested he might be ready to challenge once again. Robredo, 31, had been taken to four punishing sets by Britain's Dan Evans in the previous round, and a 0-10 head-to-head record against Federer did not exactly instil confidence. However, the Spaniard twice led by a break in the opening set and, after failing to serve it out, raised the prospect of an upset by dominating the tie-break. A woeful Federer service game that included three forehand errors gave up the break at 4-3 in the second set, and two more break points went begging as Robredo served it out, thanks in part to one spectacular forehand winner. The comeback simply would not come in the third set as Federer failed to convert six more break points, and was once again broken to love at 3-3. Robredo had won just three sets in their 10 previous matches but held his nerve to serve out the match, and condemn Federer to his earliest US Open exit in 10 years. The Swiss played down the late change of venue, saying he had practised on Armstrong during the week. "That should not be the issue," he said. "I've waited for so many matches throughout my career. That's definitely the last excuse you could find." Robredo said: "It's amazing. For me, Roger for the moment is the best player of all times. And to beat him in a huge stadium like the US Open and in a Grand Slam, a match of five sets, it's like a dream." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tennis: Serena downs Stephens to reach US Open quarters . Published on Sep 02, 2013 7:53 AM YORK (AFP) - Top-ranked defending champion Serena Williams defeated US 15th seed Sloane Stephens 6-4, 6-1 on Sunday to reach the US Open quarter-finals, avenging a loss that ousted her from the 2013 Australian Open. Williams won eight of the last nine games to advance after 87 minutes to a last-eight matchup against Spanish 18th seed Carla Suarez Navarro, who upset German eighth seed Angelique Kerber 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/3). "It will be a tough match," Williams said. Williams, who at 31 could become the oldest US Open women's champion, and Stephens had not played since the 20-year-old prodigy beat the four-time US Open champion 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 in an Australian Open quarter-final last January. "It definitely felt like a bigger match because Sloane is such a great player, but I had to stay focused in the moment," Williams said. "I just tried the whole time to do what I wanted to, stay calm and stay relaxed." Serena WilliamsAn interview with: SERENA WILLIAMS Sunday, September 1, 2013 . Big win today for Nike over Under Armour. Will Phil Knight be giving you a call congratulating you? SERENA WILLIAMS: Wow. I don't know. Yeah, I guess big win for Nike. Q. Talk about your feelings going into the match. Take us through the first and second set, winning that first set. The 5-4 game turned out to be huge. SERENA WILLIAMS: Yes. Well, you know, going into the match I definitely wanted to be focused the whole time. That's all I wanted to do. Whether I was going to win or lose, I just wanted to play my game and do well. Q. Was it a high quality match from both players? Did you feel that way out there? SERENA WILLIAMS: I definitely think it was a high quality match. I don't think either of us had an overwhelming amount of unforced errors. But I think, you know, we both came out today to play. Q. There were reports that when Venus went vegan to manage her Sjogren's, you initially supported the diet to be supportive. Have you kept that diet up? SERENA WILLIAMS: You know, I've never been vegan, but I eat a lot less meat. I never really ate beef anyway. I never ate beef since the '90s, or I haven't eaten pork in basically in my whole life. So I was a little healthier. You couldn't tell body wise, but I was a little healthier eater than her originally, so it wasn't that difficult to adapt. Q. You're very supportive of the other young American players, particularly Sloane, yet you have to go out and play them and beat them. Is that a tough thing for you to do? SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, it's definitely difficult, especially playing people that you like, that you always want to see do well. But you have to go out there and kind of put that to the side and realize, I want to do well myself and take every point as it comes. Q. Can you remember the last time you had back to back double faults to get broken? SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I think I double faulted a lot in Cincinnati. Just last week. I have to stop that. Q. You really made her move around a lot. Talk about your movement, your defense. SERENA WILLIAMS: I think that my defense was good. I generally have been playing better defense this year, moving better, and just trying to be faster. Q. Did you feel like you had to hang in there a little bit longer to get some errors from her, as well? SERENA WILLIAMS: Probably, yeah, for sure. Maybe I had to. I honestly wasn't thinking about that. I wasn't thinking about, I have to get a lot of balls back or I have to do this. I was just thinking about playing. That's all I thought about. Q. There are reports you're looking to relaunching your Aneras line. Can you talk about where you are in that stage? SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I'm actually relaunching Aneras. We're launching it online, so it's going to be aneras.com. We're going to start with ready to wear and swimsuits. Obviously, I'm one of the investors. It's been a great process and I'm having a blast with it. Q. Growing up with your parents as your coaches, what advice do you have to parents of young players that are trying to get them to the place you're at in your career? SERENA WILLIAMS: Wow. I've always said if you work hard, you're diligent, you have fun, there's nothing that can stop you. I'll continue to say that because I think it's very true. Q. Great record since you started working with Patrick. What are the one or two things he's brought to you? SERENA WILLIAMS: I think more than anything I would say, you know, just consistency and getting up for every match. Doesn't matter if it's a Grand Slam or if it's a small tournament, just really wanting it. Just to do that, knowing that I can do that. Q. With all the hype that came around this match, do you think there will be any problem for a possible letdown in the next round? SERENA WILLIAMS: Absolutely not. I mean, I've been at this for a long time, so for me in my career, there are no letdowns. I think tomorrow playing the doubles will definitely help me continue to try to stay in this tournament. Q. When you talk about your focus, did it feel more than a fourth round match to you? SERENA WILLIAMS: I think so. I mean, the quality of the tennis was great. Sloane's a great player. So I think it definitely felt like that. But at the end of the day it was a fourth round match, so... You know, it definitely had feelings more of a quarterfinal or a semifinal match. Q. The one thing Sloane has to work on to get to the next level, what do you think it is? SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't think she has to work on anything. I think she is at the next level. Q. Do you go out there with the idea in your mind that you're not going to upstage me on a big stage again? You're a fierce competitor. SERENA WILLIAMS: Thank you, I guess. But no (smiling). You know, when I'm playing, I don't go out there thinking like that. I'm literally going out there to play. I'm not thinking about being a star. I just want to play tennis and I want to do really good at it. It's not about the stage for me; it's just about getting that ball in. Q. You had a brief exchange at the end of the match at the net with Sloane. What was that about? SERENA WILLIAMS: I just said, Good job. Q. That was a very big celebration for you for a fourth round match in a slam. Why? SERENA WILLIAMS: Uhm, maybe I was at a different match, but I didn't see a big celebration. I just pumped my fist, I was down, and then I walked to the net. Q. To the box, when you pirouetted. SERENA WILLIAMS: Well because I kept kind of falling over my pirouette, so I was trying to get the right semi half circle. I couldn't quite get it right. I think I was just off balance on that one. Q. Roger and Rafa have never played here before. SERENA WILLIAMS: Really? Q. Against each other (laughter). SERENA WILLIAMS: Wow. Gosh, that's weird. Q. If you had to say which one is greater, Roger with his 17 slams or Rafa who has a 21-10 advantage over Roger, can you pick? SERENA WILLIAMS: No. I think it's impossible to say which one is greater. I mean, I think Roger is a great player. I mean, he's done so much for the game and the sport. He's just an unbelievable athlete and unbelievable player. He's been playing for a long time in his career. Obviously it was longer. Rafael, on the other hand, started younger, starting winning Grand Slams really young, and he's a great, great player as well. If you're going by numbers, Roger still has more Grand Slams than Rafa, so you have to go with that. Q. If you can't beat the guy in your era... It's a hard choice to make. If you were dominated by somebody, it would be hard to say you were the best player of your era. SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't think so. I think still right now, I go by numbers. I don't think I'm the greatest because Steffi has way more Grand Slams than me. I just go by what's written down. Q. Outside the Williams family, who do you think is the best of all time in the women's game? SERENA WILLIAMS: Can you elaborate? I would not put me in the greatest. I still think you have like Steffi and all those other women that have way more Grand Slams than me. Q. Who among the others are the best, would you say? SERENA WILLIAMS: In terms of now? Q. The best of all time. SERENA WILLIAMS: Oh, Steffi. I go by numbers. Q. If your when you have kids, will they be tennis players? SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't I hope not. Q. Why? SERENA WILLIAMS: You know, it would be tough, I guess. I never thought about that. Whatever they like, it will be fun. Q. 46 percent of your serves were unreturned. In Cincinnati you were struggling a little bit. What do you make of that stat? SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know. Today I was really trying to get my serve in. I just tried to be positive a lot on my serve. I really think the doubles has really helped me. I think that made a big difference. Q. You said that Sloane is already at the next level. Can you define 'next level' for you? Is that Top 5? SERENA WILLIAMS: She's already beaten a couple top players, Top 5 already, so I can't define it. Sometimes you need a win against top players. She's beaten me, she's beaten other players, so she's there. She's playing really well. An interview with: SLOANE STEPHENS Sunday, September 1, 2013 Q. How do you feel about your play? SLOANE STEPHENS: I thought I played good. There were times I played some really good tennis. Yeah, I thought I played pretty solid. Second set got away from me a little bit, but overall I thought I played great. Q. What was the difference in your mind? SLOANE STEPHENS: I mean, obviously she's No. 1 in the world for a reason. I thought she played really well herself. Obviously it didn't go how I wanted. The second set got away from me a little bit. All in all I thought I competed well and played well. That's all you can do really. Q. What do you think you need to do to get to the next level? SLOANE STEPHENS: Just keep improving, keep getting better, working hard. Obviously I'm at a pretty good point right now. Obviously I want to keep getting better. Just little things I can do to keep improving to get to the next level. Q. Do you feel you need to be or want to be any stronger? SLOANE STEPHENS: Stronger as in like? Q. Physically. SLOANE STEPHENS: No, not really. I think I'm pretty strong as it is. I think when I lift too much or try to add on too much weight I feel heavy, so not so good for me. Q. Were you impressed by her defense particularly? SLOANE STEPHENS: I thought she did a lot of things really well. Like I said, she's No. 1 in the world for a reason. All in all I thought she played great. Q. There is your rivalry, but let's talk about the real rivalry: Nike versus Under Armour. You're probably Under Armour's highest profile athlete. Did Nike make an attempt to sign you? SLOANE STEPHENS: I mean, no. I've been with Under Armour for a while now. I mean, I love Under Armour. Tom Brady is probably the highest profile athlete they have (laughter). Q. Phil Knight didn't say, Sloane, come on over and join us? SLOANE STEPHENS: I don't know. I've been with Under Armour for a long time. I love them. I don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon. Q. Can you assess where you were last year and how your game has changed. SLOANE STEPHENS: This time last year I lost third round to Ivanovic. I couldn't play the rest of the season. So this tournament until December of last year, I played no tournaments. I had done nothing. This year, I plan on playing four more tournaments. I'm going to try and break the top 10 at the end of this season. I think that's a big jump from where I was last year kind of around 40 and kind of lingering. I think this year has been a pretty good year for me. I'm going to try to end it with a bang. Q. You looked incredibly calm, almost detached out there. Is that something you work on? Is it difficult to keep that really cool, poised attitude? SLOANE STEPHENS: No. I think that's just how I kind of learn to process things. When I'm on the court I don't want to get too up or too down. I want to stay cool. Sometimes it's really good; sometimes it's not so good, because you need that extra little bump. I think it's just something that I've learned how to deal with my emotions like that and it helps me. Q. Can you see yourself fist pumping or screaming at some point? SLOANE STEPHENS: I mean maybe. I mean, things happen. I don't know. Maybe one day. Q. You said you're going for the top 10. Do you feel you also need a certain amount of patience to develop in due time? You're only 20. SLOANE STEPHENS: Yeah, definitely. But I have a chance to break the top 10 at the end of the year. I'm 200 points away from it. I have no points to defend. I'm playing five tournaments. I think I have a pretty good shot. If I don't make that, then shame on me. All's I can do is give 100%. As time goes on, you develop. Everything happens in its own time. I never rush anything in my career. Now I have a goal, and I want to reach that. Q. You're the youngest in the 16 that were left. Does that mean anything to you? SLOANE STEPHENS: No, not really. There's a lot of things. You're the youngest person left in the draw, you're the oldest, whatever. There's going to be someone before me and there's going to be someone after me. You know, it's nice but we move on. Q. You've been talked about as the heir apparent to Serena. What is your reaction to that? SLOANE STEPHENS: I embrace it. I think it's tough because there's a lot of us. I think just because I'm top 20 now, I mean, next year there could be three other American girls in the top 20. It just depends. Right now I'm carrying the little torch. But I'm okay with it. I embrace it for now. Q. In the entire first set and a half, the intensity and confidence and focus that you had with Serena was matched like 100%. Did you notice the moment that intensity changed? Seemed like right at 3 1 Serena relaxed a little. I didn't know if that changed your focus towards the game. Did you feel it? Did it affect you, that intensity change? SLOANE STEPHENS: No. I think when you get broken at 2-1 to go down 3-1 and the person is serving to go up 4-1, I think they're going to be pretty relaxed. I think she had some bomb first serves. I lost serve. That kind of threw me off. But I think having Serena serve at 3-1 up in the second is not ideal. I think when you give her that opportunity, you know, to take that step forward, she definitely makes her move. Unfortunately today she made her move. I just couldn't get back in the second. Q. Is there any part of you that wishes you could be on the opposite side of the draw from her in a major, that you weren't constantly placed as such in draws where there she is? SLOANE STEPHENS: Yeah, it's tough. But everyone has their time to shine. I think she's obviously No. 1 in the world for a reason. She's earned every opportunity she's gotten. I think she makes the most out of every time she's on the court. Maybe one day when she's not playing people would be, Maybe I wish I wasn't on the same side as Sloane. Things happen in their time. It's an honor to be able to play on the court with one of the greatest tennis players of all time. Q. A year from now when you come back to the US Open, where do you want to be? Where do you want to be a year from now? SLOANE STEPHENS: I'm taking one step at a time. I'm worried about the next four tournaments of the year. At the end of the year I'll assess and see, I want to do this, I want to do that, I want to do the next thing. Until then, I know that I want to keep improving and I want to keep getting better. But I'm just going to, you know, take little steps and see how it goes. I want to finish out this year strong and regroup. Q. You always show up at the slams, but not at the smaller tournaments. Would you agree with that statement? SLOANE STEPHENS: Like I said, there's no formula to playing great at a slam. It happens. I mean, I don't have a reason. I don't know. But I'd rather be able to play great tennis at a slam than make eight finals of little tournaments and then lose first round of a slam. That doesn't sound too good. Q. Are you going to play mixed doubles with Jack Sock? You two were simply adorable. SLOANE STEPHENS: Uhm, I messed it up so badly. I played so bad (smiling). But maybe. I don't know. We'll try and play in Australia and we'll see from there. I messed that one up, so... Q. Are you interested in watching this match again? Would you watch a replay of this match to pick up something? Once the match is over, do you move on? SLOANE STEPHENS: I definitely will watch it again. When I'm sitting at home in the off season and I don't have anything to do I watch tennis on my computer. It's kind of boring. It's something to do. You learn the most from your losses, so I'll definitely watch it again. Q. Coming in here you were a little bit worried. Now that you've been through it, what's your takeaway? SLOANE STEPHENS: It wasn't that bad. I thought it would be really stressful, really overwhelming, uncomfortable. It wasn't. It was fun. I had a lot of fun. I enjoyed myself. I got to play on Ashe three times. I thought that was pretty amazing. I think when you just relax and have fun everything's enjoyable. I had a really good week and a little bit here in New York. I wouldn't trade this week for anything. Q. Do you and Sock share an agent? He's a big American Express guy, too. SLOANE STEPHENS: You have had the most random questions. No, we don't. But we're on the same American Express campaign, but, no, we don't. Q. Off topic, the U.S. postal office just issued a commemorative stamp for Althea Gibson. As a black tennis player, do you still face stigma? SLOANE STEPHENS: No comment. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Duval the latest teen to create buzz at U.S. Open Victoria Duval won her first Grand Slam match Tuesday, upsetting 2011 U.S. Open champ Sam Stosur. Timothy Clary/AFP/ NEW YORK -- On a rainy Wednesday, the kind of day that intensifies our anticipation of a covered court at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, the talk of the U.S. Open still spun around Victoria Duval, the irresistible 17-year-old who knocked off 2011 champion Sam Stosur on Tuesday. For Duval, this was a tremendous victory. But for all the adults on the scene -- the marketers, the media, the sponsors, the agents, the coaches and, not least, the USTA -- this was a dream result as well. NGUYEN: Duval stuns 2011 champ Stosur in first round An ascendant player arrives on the big stage. She has the requisite "backstory," the term of art to describe the ability to tell a larger narrative through this athlete. (Surely you've heard about her kidnapping as a 7-year-old and her father's remarkable survival during the 2010 Haitian earthquake.) That Duval speaks flawless (if impossibly high-pitched) English and is able to address the crowd here in her native tongue doesn't hurt. Nor does the fact that she is (sort of) a product of the much-embattled USTA. Tennis tends to eat its young. And that's after assaulting them in other ways: drowning them in hype, peppering them with requests and burdening them with expectation. The compendium of upstart players who rode a wave after a successful tournament only to crash ashore is a vast one. Duval had barely finished giving her endearing postmatch interview on Tuesday -- winning over still more fans -- when she was being compared to other prospects at her age. To Venus Williams, who broke through in 1997, when she made the final as an unseeded player in her U.S. Open debut. And to Melanie Oudin, the cautionary tale, who reached the quarterfinals here in 2009 and has seldom been heard from again. DAILY BAGEL: Get to know Victoria Duval To hype or not to hype is a vexing question. On its face, it seems distasteful. These are teenagers, seduced by bright lights -- Duval appeared on Good Morning America on Wednesday -- and attention. Unlike team sports, there is no infrastructure to handle requests and shield the player from the cameras, microphones and glad-handers. The interest of agents, usually a membrane of protection, militates against a measured approach. (You represent Duval? It would be a dereliction of duty not to try to cash in on this surge.) Pity the kid. And, some would say, LEAVE HER ALONE! But these calls of "Give her space" and "Give her time" also seem a bit disingenuous. Part of the pleasure of being a sports fan entails finding the Next Big Thing. Whether it's watching the NFL draft or trying to steal a fantasy-league bargain, spotting future stars is part of the drill. There's an expression in tennis, "If you play, you're fit. If you're fit, you play." It applies to injuries, but could apply to hype as well. If you're out there, you've inherently agreed to a certain level of scrutiny. If you're not ready for the acclaim that comes with winning, don't turn pro. Don't tag Duval the Next Big Thing? Fine. But declining to express admiration for her performance against Stosur and (measured) excitement over her prospects? That's naive. The good news here: If Duval's play on the court is an indication, her factory setting is "poised." Part of what made her first-round win so sweet is that it was Duval who had the superior will and served out the match at 5-4 in the third set against a veteran opponent. You'd like to think that an athlete capable of handling that pressure can deal with what comes next. Whatever that might be. Mailbag Anyone else notice Victoria Duval wearing a dress from Venus Williams' EleVen clothing line? -- Adam Hyland, New York • Yup. We might say that Venus already has a material impact on Duval's career. Sorry. Seriously, we also noticed 18-year-old American Sachia Vickery saying that Venus gave her tips before her first-round match that helped her defeat Mirjana Lucic Baroni. Take note, haters. GALLERY: Fashion at the U.S. Open Given the havoc created by early rain in some years, why do they persist in stringing out the men's first-round matches for three days? Who benefits? They don't do it with the women, after all. -- Gavin Spencer, New York • To borrow from Sarah Vaughan, whatever TV wants, TV gets. I loved Francesca Schiavone's hug with the ball kid during her first-round match against Serena Williams. Who doesn't need a shoulder while getting a beatdown in front of millions of people? I wondered if what she did was against the rules, though. Could she have received a code violation? Just curious. -- Adam, Wisconsin • I'm sure there's a zealous attorney out there who'd make the case that Schiavone's gesture constituted impermissible physical contact with an official. But this is why the chair umpire needs some "spirit of the rules" discretion. It was lovely moment -- one of the few for Schiavone that night -- and what a shame it would have been to have invoked the code. Kudos to Donald Young for winning his first-round match. He has had an up-and-down career, sometimes self-inflicted. However, he got into the main draw by playing the qualifying tournament and played a strong first round. -- R. Clark, Jackson, Miss. • I confess I saw little of Young's 6-1, 6-0, 6-1 victory over Martin Klizan on Tuesday. The social media traffic seemed to indicate that this was as much about Klizan's non-effort as Young's channeling his inner Rod Laver. Still, give Young the credit. He's struggled mightily over the last few years, taken hits from all corners (some deserved, some not) and burned through his ration of wild cards. He had to qualify for this main draw -- i.e., earn it -- and it seems to have served him well. Perhaps there's a larger lesson in there. Jerzy Janowicz = Ernest Gulbis? Talented but erratic ... -- John, Elysian Fields, Texas • Janowicz was visibly injured in his first-round loss, his lower back wrapped in enough tape to cover an HVAC system. Gulbis is in another class. Varvara Lepchenko-Alexandra Dulgheru, Christina McHale-Julia Goerges, a Venus blowout of Kirsten Flipkens -- I blew off work to watch this??? No thanks, guys, I've got plenty of Law & Order reruns to watch. -- Paul R., Easton, Mass. • Look at it this way: At least you didn't work, come home to relax by watching tennis only to see Serena defeat Schiavone 6-0, 6-1 and Victoria Azarenka beat Dinah Pfizenmaier 6-0, 6-0. Seriously, tennis tournaments are like Gumpian boxes of chocolate. Some matches you get stinkers. Some matches you get Victoria Duval. All part of the appeal. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- US Open 2013: Sam Stosur stunned by Victoria Duval US OPEN Venue: Flushing Meadows, New YorkDate: 26 August - 9 September Former champion Sam Stosur became the most high-profile casualty of the US Open first round with a shock defeat by American teenager Victoria Duval. Number 11 seed Stosur, the 2011 winner, led by a set and 4-2 but 17-year-old qualifier Duval came through 5-7 6-4 6-4 on a stunned Louis Armstrong Stadium. Elsewhere, world number one Novak Djokovic and five-time champion Roger Federer advanced in straight sets. Caroline Wozniacki and Petra Kvitova also booked their places in round two. Arthur Ashe Stadium Petra Kvitova (Cze) [7] bt Misaki Doi (Jpn) 6-2 3-6 6-1 "I like big matches on the big stadium, but the people - it's too much crowds for myself, I think," said Kvitova, the 2011 Wimbledon champion. Caroline Wozniacki (Den [6] bt Ying-Ying Duan (Chn) 6-2 7-5 Former world number one Woznicaki, whose boyfriend Rory McIlroy was in the crowd in support, won the first set in 35 minutes and recovered from 5-2 down in the second set. Djokovic has reached the last three US Open finals, winning the title in 2011 The 2009 runner-up said: "It's not about being pretty. It's about just getting the job done. I did that, so I'm happy." Roger Federer (Sui) [7] bt Grega Zemlja (Slo) 6-3 6-2 7-5 Federer, the 17-time Grand Slam champion whose seeding of seventh is his lowest since 2002, hit 12 aces and 35 winners in beating Zemlja. The 32-year-old looked untroubled by a recent back injury in a 93-minute win. Novak Djokovic (Srb) [1] bt Ricardas Berankis (Ltu) 6-1 6-2 6-2 Djokovic started his quest for a fourth consecutive US Open final by seeing off 112th-ranked Berankis with the help of 10 aces and 28 winners. "I managed to make a lot of breaks at the beginning and take over control," said the top seed. "That's what I wanted to do. I wanted to play every point like it's match point and I'm happy with the performance." Victoria Azarenka (Blr) [2] bt Dinah Pfizenmaier (Ger) 6-0 6-0 Any hopes of a more competitive encounter in the second night-session match were dashed as last year's runner-up Azarenka demolished her German opponent in an hour and five minutes. Louis Armstrong Milos Raonic (Can) [10] bt Thomas Fabbiano (Ita) 6-3 7-6 (8-6) 6-3 Duval's only previous Grand Slam match ended in defeat by Kim Clijsters at the 2012 US Open Sam Querrey (USA) bt Guido Pella 7-6 (7-3) 4-6 6-1 6-2 Sara Errani (Ita) [4] bt Olivia Rogowska (Aus) 6-0 6-0 Errani recorded the tournament's second "double bagel" as she outclassed Rogowska in just 51 minutes. Victoria Duval (USA) bt Sam Stosur (Aus) [11] 5-7 6-4 6-4 Duval's only previous Grand Slam appearance came as a wildcard at the 2012 US Open, where she lost to Kim Clijsters in the first round, and she came through qualifying to reach the main draw this time round. The daughter of Haitian parents and ranked 296th in the world, Duval claimed her first win against a top-20 player in two hours and 39 minutes. "I know she didn't play her best today, and this is the best I've played in my career, so I'm really excited,'' said Duval. Stosur, who made 56 unforced errors to her opponent's 35, said: "I let every single opportunity slip away and made too many errors - it really cost me. I'm not going to be a sore loser and say she didn't do anything but I certainly helped her out there, that's for sure." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sharapova Withdraws From U.S. Open NEW YORK -- Maria Sharapova pulled out of the US Open on Wednesday because of a right shoulder injury. Maria Sharapova's withdrawal from the US Open was foretold by a mysterious series of chaotic coaching changes and a lack of playing time this summer, writes Kamakshi Tandon. Story The U.S. Tennis Association announced the 2006 champion's withdrawal. Sharapova has played only one match on tour since her second-round loss at Wimbledon in June. Seeded Players Men's RankingsRankPlayer1 Novak Djokovic RND 1 Novak Djokovic vs. Ricardas Berankis 2 Rafael Nadal RND 1 Rafael Nadal vs. Ryan Harrison 3 Andy Murray RND 1 Andy Murray vs. Michael Llodra 4 David Ferrer RND 1 David Ferrer vs. Qualifier 5 Tomas Berdych RND 1 Tomas Berdych vs. Paolo Lorenzi 6 Juan Martin Del Potro RND 1 Juan Martin Del Potro vs. Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 7 Roger Federer RND 1 Roger Federer vs. Grega Zemlja 8 Richard Gasquet RND 1 Richard Gasquet vs. Michael Russell 9 Stanislas Wawrinka RND 1 Stanislas Wawrinka vs. Radek Stepanek 10 Milos Raonic RND 1 Milos Raonic vs. Qualifier All Men's Seeds >Women's RankingsRankPlayer1 Serena Williams RND 1 Serena Williams vs. Francesca Schiavone 2 Victoria Azarenka RND 1 Victoria Azarenka vs. Dinah Pfizenmaier 3 Agnieszka Radwanska RND 1 Agnieszka Radwanska vs. Silvia Soler-Espinosa 4 Sara Errani RND 1 Sara Errani vs. Ayumi Morita 5 Na Li RND 1 Na Li vs. Olga Govortsova 6 Caroline Wozniacki RND 1 Caroline Wozniacki vs. Qualifier 7 Petra Kvitova RND 1 Petra Kvitova vs. Misaki Doi 8 Angelique Kerber RND 1 Angelique Kerber vs. Lucie Hradecka 9 Jelena Jankovic RND 1 Jelena Jankovic vs. Madison Keys 10 Roberta Vinci RND 1 Roberta Vinci vs. Timea Babos -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wimbledon 2013 Tennis Schedule • June 24 - July 7, 2013 . Wimbledon - Bartoli wins maiden Slam against tearful Lisicki Marion Bartoli crushed a tearful Sabine Lisicki 6-1 6-4 to win the Wimbledon title, her first Grand Slam. By Reda Maher - Eurosport - Marion Bartoli of France celebrates winning Wimbledon (Reuters) ....In a battle of the underdogs Bartoli, ranked 15th, kept her composure as world number 24 Lisicki fell to pieces on Centre Court, the occasion clearly too much for the German, who wept during the second set. It was an unusual finish to a bizarre women’s tournament at Wimbledon, with the likes of defending champion Serena Williams and third seed Maria Sharapova dumped out, while Victoria Azarenka was among a rash of players injured by the slippery grass in the early stages. The fall of the giants saw Bartoli, 29, and Lisicki, 23, come through to contest a final with both women searching for their maiden Major titles. It was a scrappy affair, low on quality and ultimately determined by Bartoli’s ability to keep relatively calm as Lisicki imploded from her first service ball. Indeed, Bartoli’s signature double-handed backhands and forehands were close to their best, while Lisicki’s power, accuracy and trusted serve all deserted her on a sunny afternoon in South West London. There was a late fightback from Lisicki, but it was too late as she was already two breaks down, meaning Bartoli was able to serve out the match at the second time of asking. "I never imagined in my wildest dreams that I would win Wimbledon, but even so maybe with a backhand winner - not an ace!" Bartoli, a beaten finalist in 2007, joked on court. "I have been practising my serves for so long," she added before tearfully thanking her father, who was previously her long-standing coach but now a mere spectator in the stands. Lisicki acknowledged that she had failed to manage the pressure of her first Grand Slam final. "I think I was just overwhelmed by this whole situation, but credit to Marion she has been in this situation before and handled it so well," Lisicki said afterwards. "She has been around for so long and deserves it, and I hope I will get the chance again," she added, having regained her composure before bursting into tears again. A strange first set saw both women show nerves from the outset as the first two games saw breaks of serve. The unorthodox Bartoli’s deliveries are not one of her strengths, but back-to-back double faults gave the German an early advantage; Lisicki traditionally is an excellent server, so it was odd that she would follow by double-faulting to a break of her own. While the more experienced Bartoli steadied her ship, Lisicki continued to struggle, making repeated errors from all over the court as she flopped with her groundstrokes, volleys, returns and even serves. The set was over in a flash, Lisicki running off court for an early toilet break after losing it 6-1 in half an hour. Perhaps she was able to regain her composure in the loos, because the 23-year-old was much better at the start of the second stanza, holding with ease before giving Bartoli a stern test on serve. But, in a 10-minute game, the Frenchwoman managed to save six break points to hold, seemingly knocking the stuffing out of Lisicki, who was broken immediately afterwards. It would be unfair to solely apportion it to Lisicki’s now fragile mental state – the opening point in that game was a fabulous rally won by a glorious Bartoli pass off the line – but the Frenchwoman was clearly more adept at handling the pressure than her younger adversary. Bartoli is also notoriously laid-back which, coupled with her reportedly genius-level intelligence, more than compensates for a lack of physical prowess and technical accomplishment. Lisicki, meanwhile, was a shadow of the player who beat Williams, Sam Stosur and Agnieszka Radwanska, double-faulting at will although occasionally pulling out some of her brutal winners. Facing down another break point in the second, the German had to wipe away tears as she threatened to fully implode. She saved that one, but fell to another with one of what were frequent shanks off the side of her racquet, followed by an unforced error off the forehand. It was embarrassing to watch but, after facing down and saving three match points at 5-1, Lisicki suddenly clicked into gear, holding and following with a superb break of serve. But Bartoli still had another chance to serve for the championship, doing so with aplomb as Lisicki failed to get a point, the final touch a flashing ace. It is likely to be the crowning glory of Bartoli’s career – she had hitherto only won seven WTA Tour titles – but for Lisicki there is time and hope for another Slam chance. Wimbledon 2013: Lisicki wins three-set semi-final thriller 5 July 2013 Last updated at 14:56 GMT -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wimbledon - Djokovic beats Del Potro in epic to reach final In the end, an exhausted, sweat-soaked Djokovic could not stop himself from joining 15,000 hollering fans in giving Argentine warrior Del Potro a standing ovation after an epic display of courage and endurance. Reuters – 21 hours ago . Wimbledon - Inspired Murray ousts Janowicz to set up Djokovic showdown Eurosport - 23 hours ago Wimbledon - Djokovic and Del Potro break new ground with longest semi Eurosport - Fri, Jul 5, 2013 17:31 BST ....A contest that many feared would last only a few minutes after Del Potro damaged his knee so badly that he came close to quitting two days ago, went into surreal territory as Djokovic relied on his survival instincts to reach the final with a rousing 7-5 4-6 7-6(2) 6-7(6) 6-3 win. At four hours 43 minutes, it was the longest semi-final ever played at the All England Club and while the scoreline showed that the Serbian world number one had set up a final date with Andy Murray, for all those lucky enough to on Centre Court, there were no losers. "It was one of my best matches I've been a part of, one of the most exciting. It was so close," the 2011 champion said after being stretched to his fifth five-hour marathon within the space of 18 months. "I could not separate us. That was one of the best matches I've played here, it was at such a high level. I'm just privileged to be the winner of this match." Del Potro's gutsy display won him a new legion of global fans but that was little consolation for the eighth seed as for the second time in less than a year, he suffered a heartbreak of epic proportions on Centre Court. Eleven months after falling to Roger Federer in the Olympic semi-final, which ended 19-17 in the third set after four hours 26 minutes, Del Potro was again left deflated. "It was unbelievable to watch but, of course, I'm sad because I lost and I was close to beating him," said the man nicknamed as the Tower of Tandil. A man who lay on the famous green turf writhing in pain just five points into his quarter-final against David Ferrer seemed to have emerged with a bionic left knee on Friday, albeit heavily strapped. If Djokovic had hoped to inflict more pain on Del Potro and quickly deliver the killer blow in the semi-final, he was in for a rude shock. Instead, it was Djokovic who was left with battered knees, sore elbows and a bruised stomach as Del Potro's brutal forehand sent him diving and lunging around court - often in vain. So monstrous was Del Potro's forehand that it often produced a murderous thud as it flew off his racket. If there was a speed gun around to measuring the velocity of his forehand, it would probably have been off the radar. The sixth game gave a taster of what was to come as it featured a scorching 24-shot rally, five deuces, two double faults, one break point before the Argentine answered a booming cry of "Come on Del Boy" to hold on. Djokovic finally broke in the 12th game of the first set to win it 7-5 after 55 nerve-jangling minutes. When the Argentine called on the trainer while trailing 3-2 in the second set, alarm bells started to ring, and they got even louder in the next game as he fell 15-40 behind. But the Serb fluffed his lines as he wasted four break points and astonishingly got broken to love in the next game as Del Potro nosed 4-3 ahead. That allowed him to level the match and if the first two sets were not dramatic enough the crowd demanded more. After seeing a "Mr Serious" Del Potro in the first set, and a "Mr Cool" Del Potro in the second, it was time for "Mr Funny" Del Potro to take charge in the third. He ran on top of the side barriers and, arms flailing, threatened to fall into the lap of a bemused female fan as he took a breather following one gruelling exchange. It was no laughing matter, though, when Djokovic, after watching three set points vanish at 6-5, romped through the tiebreak and took it 7-2 by clubbing a backhand winner. In a battle featuring one sinew-stretching rally after another, the top seed broke in the seventh game of the fourth set but Del Potro broke straight back to extend it into a tiebreak. At 5.04 pm local time, with the help of an astonishing reflex volley winner, Djokovic earned two match points at 6-4 in the breaker. But Del Potro survived a heart-pumping 25-shot rally and waving his arms above his head, he shooed out Djokovic's final lob over the baseline. When a screaming forehand winner made it 6-6, the crowd erupted and two points later they could be heard all around the southwest London when a backhand error from Djokovic made it two sets all. A match that was supposed to be a curtain-raiser for the second semi-final between home hope Murray and Poland's Jerzy Janowicz was now a Wimbledon classic and the fans were on the edge of the seats waiting to see how the fifth act would play out. Djokovic finally ended Del Potro's brave resistance by breaking for a 5-3 lead and was a hugely relieved man when he clinched victory with a searing backhand winner. Among those giving the players a prolonged standing ovation was twice former champion Stefan Edberg, who holds the record of winning the longest ever Grand Slam semi-final, a five hour 26 minute duel against Michael Chang at the 1992 U.S. Open. "I know I was pushed to the limit today," said Djokovic, who is unlikely to forget the 22 aces and 80 winners he produced during the most thrilling match of the 2013 championships. ..Wimbledon - Murray ready to learn from last year's Wimbledon final loss Andy Murray insists he is better prepared than 12 months ago to end a 77-year wait for a British men's winner at Wimbledon. Sportsbeat – 21 hours ago Britain's Andy Murray during his semi-final at Wimbledon against Jerzy Janowicz (AFP) ....Murray was beaten in straight sets by Roger Federer in last year's final and now takes on top seed Novak Djokovic on Sunday brimming with confidence. And he insists the experience of his last final on Centre Court, when he beat Federer to win Olympic gold at London 2012, is also driving him on to make history. "I learned a lot from last year's Wimbledon and the one thing that really stands out is I now know how I need to play to win the big matches," said Murray, who followed up on Olympic success by claiming his maiden Grand Slam title, beating Djokovic in the US Open final a few weeks later. "I didn't come away from that (Wimbledon) final against Federer doubting myself, I didn't have any regrets. "However, I think I'll be in a better place mentally than last year because I've been here before and now I've won a Grand Slam, so I would hope to be a lot calmer. "Winning Wimbledon would be a huge achievement for any tennis player. Winning my first Slam, after failing a lot of times, I don't think anything will top the relief I felt after that match but winning here is the pinnacle of the sport. "I still don't think I will have ever feelings like I had after winning the Olympics. I will never get the opportunity to do that again and I don't think I'll ever top it. But I don't think it brings less or more pressure on Sunday." Murray and Djokovic have played 17 times with the record 11-7 in the Serbian's favour. Sunday will be their fourth Grand Slam final meeting, with Djokovic winning at the 2011 and 2013 Australian Open and losing in a titanic five-hour five set tussle at Flushing Meadows last September. Murray is just a week older than the world number one and he famously won their first-ever match on the junior circuit. He also has the advantage of winning their only ever match on grass - a semi-final victory on the way to gold at London 2012. "Novak and I have a professional friendship, we've spent a lot of time discussing various issues within tennis but it's not more than that right now," he added. "I would hope, when we finish playing, it will be different but it's hard to play in big, big matches, with lots on the line, and still be the best of friends." Murray was made to fight before progressing past world number 24 Jerzy Janowicz 6-7, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3, turning the match around by winning five consecutive third set games to finally break his Polish rival's stubborn resolve. Janowicz had advanced through the tournament dropping just four service games but Murray played him at his own game. The Scot boomed down 20 aces to his rival's nine, he made just one double fault, in comparison to the Pole's 11. "I'm disappointed, I didn't play my best tennis and that is such a shame," said Janowicz, who was appearing in only the fifth Grand Slam tournament of what looks a promising career. "I was struggling with my serve and just collapsed when I was 4-1 up in the third set. Deep down I should be happy, it's my first Grand Slam semi-final and tomorrow I'm sure I will be okay. "I don't feel like losing against the runner-up, so I wish Andy good luck in the final." Murray had expressed annoyance when the players were called off the court at the end of the third set due to fading light. He had just taken a 2-1 lead after winning five straight games and thought there was enough light to complete the match. Despite this, he went on to win the fourth set under the roof in just 35 minutes. "I don't know what the ruling is but I feel Wimbledon is an outdoor event and you should play outdoors until it is not possible to do that anymore but it worked out okay in the end," he added. "I had all the momentum, it was still very light. It was only 8.40pm, so there was still 45 minutes to an hour of light available. "Once I got back on the court, I wasn't angry. It was frustrating at that moment but I still had a job to do and thankfully I did it." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wimbledon 2013: Sabine Lisicki to face Marion Bartoli in final By Piers Newbery WIMBLEDON 2013: WOMEN'S FINAL Venue: All England Club, LondonDate: Saturday, 6 JulyTime: 14:00 BST Wimbledon will have a new women's champion on Saturday as Germany's Sabine Lisicki takes on Marion Bartoli of France in a surprise final line-up. The pair will meet on Centre Court at 14:00 BST, with the prize of a first Grand Slam title on offer for both players. Lisicki, the 23rd seed, is through to her first major final after upsetting five-time champion Serena Williams in the fourth round, and beating fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska in a dramatic semi-final. Number 15 seed Bartoli hopes to go one step further than in 2007, when she reached the final only to come up short against Venus Williams. Lisicki, 23, has won three of their four previous matches, with a victory apiece at Wimbledon, and is the first German to reach the final since seven-time champion Steffi Graf in 1999. £1,925,79 Career prize money £5,684,790 "I don't remember it, unfortunately, but it's just an amazing feeling," said Lisicki. "She wished me luck before the [semi-final]. She told me to go for it, and I'm just so happy." Playing on grass suits Lisicki's powerful game and Wimbledon has been by far the German's happiest hunting ground among the four Grand Slams, with two quarter-finals and one semi-final before this year. She described the prospect of winning the title as "a dream coming true", adding: "I've been dreaming about that since I was a little girl. "That's why I said it's the best place to play my first Grand Slam final. I couldn't imagine any better place. I just can't wait to play on Saturday." Bartoli has come through the bottom half of the draw in the absence of second and third seeds Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova, who succumbed to injury and defeat, and feels better prepared than in 2007. "The last time I was so young," the 28-year-old said. "I was always the underdog coming out on the court and this time it was totally the opposite. "I think I've been able to deal with the pressure really well and keep improving throughout the Championships and keep playing better." The Frenchwoman's father, Walter, will be on Centre Court for the final, having been absent for the rest of the tournament after the pair ended their coaching relationship earlier this year. Bartoli's game suffered amid the upheaval away from the court, and she came into Wimbledon with no form to speak of and having struggled with an ankle injury and a virus in recent weeks. "I've been having some tough moments ‑ more out of the court than on the court, to be honest with you," she said. And spectators will again see the eccentric routine that Bartoli goes through between points that involves aggressive practice swings, jumps and split steps while facing away from the court. "I've been doing that forever," she said. "I have some tapes of myself when I was seven years old or six years old, and I was still doing the same. It's just part of me. "It's not like I want to annoy my opponent. It's really me trying to be ready for the point that is coming up." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Andy Murray will have to deal with the biggest serve in the tournament when he takes on 6ft 8in Jerzy Janowicz in Friday's semi-finals at Wimbledon. The world number two, hoping to become Britain's first male champion since 1936, plays the Polish 24th seed in the second match on Centre Court at approximately 16:00 BST. They will follow the first semi-final between top seed Novak Djokovic of Serbia and Argentine eighth seed Juan Martin del Potro at 13:00. Play media Andy Murray's Wimbledon journey Janowicz, 22, heads the serving charts with 94 aces and a top speed of 140mph, and he has been broken just four times in the tournament. Poland's first male Grand Slam semi-finalist also has a win over Murray, having saved a match point on his way to beating the Scot at the Paris Masters in November. Murray, the second seed, believes his return will be key to his chances of reaching the final. "That's always been one of the strengths of my game," Murray said in his BBC Sport column. "I have to take every chance that comes my way. Janowicz might be a big guy with a big serve, but I won't be intimidated by him." While the power of Janowicz's game is the obvious threat, Murray says there is more than just the serve and the forehand to worry about. The stats •Murray is through to his fifth Wimbledon semi-final in a row •He has hit 60 aces and 10 double faults, with a top speed of 133mph, in five matches •Jerzy Janowicz tops the standings with 94 aces and a top speed of 140mph •Murray's first serve percentage for the tournament is 63% •He has won 82% of points behind his first serve and 55% behind his second serve •Murray has won more points (115) returning second serves than any other player •He is top of the standings for breaks of serve, having done so 24 times in five matches "He also has pretty good touch," said the world number two. "He likes to hit drop shots. He doesn't just whack every single shot as hard as he can. It will be a very tough match." Murray, 26, needed five sets to get past Fernando Verdasco in the previous round, and he is looking for the Centre Court crowd to help him once again. "When I went behind, the crowd definitely got right behind me and made a huge, huge difference," he said. "If they can be like that from the first point to the last in all of the matches, it makes a huge difference." Janowicz insisted he was not concerned by the prospect of having 15,000 spectators cheering for his opponent, saying: "For sure the crowd will not really help me, but we'll see how it's going to be. "This is my first semi-final ever, so I don't know what to expect. I hope Andy will feel some kind of pressure. "I'm sure he feels some kind of pressure because Great Britain is waiting for the champion in Wimbledon." Djokovic, the 2011 champion, has yet to drop a set but will face Del Potro on the same court where he lost to the Argentine in last year's Olympic bronze medal match. "That was a close match also, 'Delpo' is a great player," said the world number one, 26. "I have a great respect for him. He's a Grand Slam winner. "He struggled with injuries in last few years, but every time he comes back he comes back very strong because he just has this talent and qualities as a player." Del Potro is through to his first Wimbledon semi-final despite struggling with a knee injury that was not helped by a bad fall in his quarter-final win over David Ferrer. "I will need to be 100% or 110% against [Djokovic]," said the Argentine. "He's the number one, he's a former champion here. "But if I'm OK, if I do everything good to be ready for my next match, I will be excited to play against him. I remember the match during the Olympic last year on the same surface." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Germany's Sabine Lisicki came through a dramatic Wimbledon semi-final and will play Marion Bartoli of France for the title on Saturday. Lisicki, who beat top seed Serena Williams in round four, came back from 3-0 down in the final set to see off Polish fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4 2-6 9-7. The 23-year-old becomes the first German to reach the Wimbledon final since seven-time champion Steffi Graf in 1999. Bartoli, the 15th seed, earlier swept past Belgian Kirsten Flipkens 6-1 6-2 to reach her second Wimbledon final, six years after losing out to Venus Williams. If that match was a one-sided affair, the second semi-final on Centre Court was a dramatic match of wildly fluctuating fortunes. Lisicki, the 23rd seed, did not face a single break point in the first set against Radwanska and broke at the start of the second, but the errors then began to flow. Radwanska remained as solid as ever, vulnerable on her second serve but able to dictate once into the rallies, and Lisicki's serve became less and less reliable as the match wore on. Two double faults in a desperately nervous eighth game handed over the set and the error count of 17 to 3 showed just how Lisicki's game had crumbled. Radwanska moved 3-0 clear with her sixth game in succession, but there was another power surge from Lisicki and the German earned her chance to serve for the match at 5-4. Outgunned in terms of power but seemingly steadier of nerve, Radwanska held on by saving two break points at 6-6 and another at 7-7, but she finally prodded a volley over the baseline. Given a second chance to serve for the win, Lisicki made no mistake, firing a forehand winner down the line on her second match point and falling back in celebration. "It was unbelievable, the last few games were so exciting," she told BBC Sport. "Agnieszka played so well, it was a battle and I'm so happy to have won it. "I didn't know how it would end. I fought with all my heart but I believed I could win no matter what the score was." Bartoli, 28, had looked similarly thrilled a couple of hours earlier when she completed a far more comprehensive win over Flipkens. The Belgian 20th seed struggled to find any rhythm and dropped serve immediately, finally getting on the board with a hold after 16 minutes to trail 3-1. Bartoli was well and truly in command though, and she broke once again with a terrific game that included a winning lob, a pass down the line and a thumping drive volley. An ace out wide wrapped up the set in just 27 minutes and the Frenchwoman's dream start continued with a stunning lob to break at the start of the second. When the rampant Bartoli broke once again for 3-0, Flipkens called for the trainer and took a medical timeout for a knee problem. There was a flicker of hope for the Belgian on the resumption as she got one of the breaks back, but a spectacular return winner and a seventh successful lob put Bartoli 4-1 in front. With a second Wimbledon final in sight, she held her nerve impressively to put away a smash on match point after just 62 minutes. "I just cannot believe it, I played so well," Bartoli told BBC Sport. "I think she was a bit injured. She deserves a lot of credit, but it must be hard to be injured in the semi-final at Wimbledon. "I saw the ball like a football. I hit it cleanly from the start. To play so well in the semi-final at Wimbledon is an amazing feeling." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Grigor Dimitrov brushes off Sharapova-Serena questions WIMBLEDON 2013 Venue: All England Club, LondonDate: 24 June - 7 July Play media Wimbledon 2013: Laura Robson wins in straight sets against Duque-Marino 28 June 2013 Last updated at 13:55 GMT Men's rankings ATP singles rankings as of 24 June 2013: 1. Novak Djokovic (Ser) 2. Andy Murray (GB) 3. Roger Federer (Swi) 4. David Ferrer (Spa) 5. Rafael Nadal (Spa) 6. Tomas Berdych (Cze) 7. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (Fra) 8. Juan Martin Del Potro (Arg) 9. Richard Gasquet (Fra) 10. Stanislas Wawrinka (Swi) 11. Kei Nishikori (Jpn) 12. Marin Cilic (Cro) 13. Tommy Haas (Ger) 14. Janko Tipsarevic (Ser) 15. Milos Raonic (Can) 16. Nicolas Almagro (Spa) 17. Gilles Simon (Fra) 18. Philipp Kohlschreiber (Ger) 19. Sam Querrey (US) 20. Juan Monaco (Arg) Women's rankings WTA singles rankings as of 24 June 2013: 1. Serena Williams (US) 2. Victoria Azarenka (Blr) 3. Maria Sharapova (Rus) 4. Agnieszka Radwanska (Pol) 5. Sara Errani (Ita) 6. Li Na (Chn) 7. Angelique Kerber (Ger) 8. Petra Kvitova (Cze) 9. Caroline Wozniacki (Den) 10. Maria Kirilenko (Rus) 11. Roberta Vinci (Ita) 12. Ana Ivanovic (Ser) 13. Samantha Stosur (Aus) 14. Jelena Jankovic (Ser) 15. Marion Bartoli (Fra) 16. Nadia Petrova (Rus) 17. Sloane Stephens (US) 18. Carla Suarez Navarro (Rus) 19. Dominika Cibulkova (Svk) 20. Kirsten Flipkens (Bel) Laura Robson makes Wimbledon 2013 third round By Mike Henson BBC Sport at Wimbledon Comments (238) WIMBLEDON 2013 Venue: All England Club, LondonDate: 24 June - 7 July British number one Laura Robson is into the third round of Wimbledon for the first time thanks to a comfortable 6-4 6-1 win over Mariana Duque-Marino. Robson's serve was fragile at times but her attacking game proved too much for the Colombian to contain in the opener. The 19-year-old broke at the first opportunity in the second and completed victory in an hour and 13 minutes under the Centre Court roof. Analysis Sam Smith Former British number one "If we're getting excited today can you imagine what it's going to be like in the rest of the tournament. She's a very normal 19-year-old with an extraordinary talent, but what was important about today was the handling of the match." Robson plays New Zealand's world number 71 Marina Erakovic in the last 32. "It's a big win for me. Any match on Centre Court is a big one and it was a great atmosphere out there," Robson told BBC Sport. "I didn't think I played my best, my timing was a bit off, but I just had to accept that and try to control it," she said. "I was feeling nervous but then thought she was probably more nervous than I was." The teenager's win over Maria Kirilenko in the first round added to a list of high-profile career victories that already includes Li Na, Kim Clijsters and Venus Williams. Robson, whose best display in a Grand Slam is reaching the fourth round at the 2012 US Open, was due to play Duque-Marino on Court Two on Thursday but the match was postponed because of rain. Ranked 162 in the world and more comfortable on clay, Duque-Marino is a far less celebrated name, but the 23-year-old broke first as Robson's groundstrokes initially strayed. The British number one, ranked 38 in the world, soon found her range and her powerful ball-striking had Duque-Marino chasing in vain as she took a 4-2 lead in the sixth game. Service jitters undermined Robson's efforts, with double faults offering up two break-back points, before Marino-Duque 's defensive slices took her back on serve at 5-4. But Duque-Marino's own serve lacked venom and she surrendered the set in the next game. A superb dipping forehand pass from Robson flummoxed Duque-Marino and gave the Briton a second break point in the second game of the second set and she barely looked back. Duque-Marino's defences were undone again in the penultimate game as Robson advanced in impressive fashion, with possible meetings with Agnieszka Radwanska and Serena Williams ahead if she wins her match with Erakovic. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Grigor Dimitrov refused to discuss his private life after his five-set Wimbledon defeat by Grega Zemlja. The 29th seed, partner of women's world number three Maria Sharapova, is thought to be who Serena Williams was referring to when she used the phrase "the man with the black heart". Asked about it, he said: "You guys tell me what kind of heart I have. I don't think we should talk about that." Sharapova-Serena-Dimitrov row Serena (on a rival player, believed to be Sharapova): "If she wants to be with the guy with a black heart, go for it." Sharapova: "If she wants to talk about something personal, maybe she should talk about her relationship and her boyfriend that was married and is getting a divorce and has kids." Dimitrov: "You guys [the media] tell me what kind of heart I have." Zemlja next faces Juan Martin del Potro after a 3-6 7-6 (7-4) 3-6 6-4 11-9 win. Williams gave an interview to Rolling Stone magazine in which she said of a rival player, believed to be Sharapova: "She begins every interview with 'I'm so happy. I'm so lucky.' It's so boring. And, hey, if she wants to be with the guy with a black heart, go for it." The Russian was in attendance when Dimitrov and world number 55 Zemlja, forced off court by rain on Thursday, eventually resumed after another delay on Friday. There was drizzle falling when they arrived on Court Three but play began with Zemlja 9-8 ahead in the deciding set and, at 30-30, Dimitrov slipped on the turf to hand 26-year-old Zemlja match point. The 22-year-old Bulgarian's response was to walk straight to his chair and the players sat for 10 minutes as the rain fell. Sharapova, 26, had endured rather more publicised problems with the Wimbledon surface during her second-round exit to world number 131 Michelle Larcher de Brito, but she did little to enhance her partner's claims of unsuitable weather by sporting designer sunglasses. When play resumed, Dimitrov saw off the match point, before spurning a break chance of his own in the next. As Zemlja won the game, Dimitrov gesticulated about one ball slowing down as it bounced off the grass. Play media Williams issues Sharapova apology It was dry now, though, and Zemlja broke in the next to seal victory in four hours and four minutes and become the first Slovenian to make the third round at Wimbledon. "It started raining during the warm-up. I kind of thought the umpire would say something," said Dimitrov, a former Wimbledon boys champion. "When I slipped, I fell down, I hurt my hip. I told him, 'I'm not serving'." However, sections of the media appeared more interested in the unseemly row between Sharapova and world number one Williams, 31. Dimitrov added: "I am here to talk about the slippery courts, how many injuries we had, pull-outs. I don't think we should be talking about that. I think that's in the past and that's getting old." Competition Courts Mon 24 June Men's and Ladies' Singles 1st Round CC, C1, C2, Outside Courts Tues 25 June Men's and Ladies' Singles 1st Round CC, C1, C2, Outside Courts Wed 26 June Men's and Ladies' Singles 2nd Round CC, C1, C2, Outside Courts Thur 27 June Men's and Ladies' Singles 2nd Round CC, C1, C2, Outside Courts Fri 28 June Men's and Ladies' Singles 3rd Round CC, C1, C2, Outside Courts Sat 29 June Men's and Ladies' Singles 3rd Round CC, C1, C2, Outside Courts Sun 30 June No play Mon 1 July Men's and Ladies' Singles 4th Round CC, C1, C2, Outside Courts Tues 2 July Ladies' Singles Quarter-Finals Centre Court & No.1 Court Wed 3 July Men's Singles Quarter-Finals Centre Court & No.1 Court Thur 4 July Ladies' Singles Semi-Finals Centre Court Fri 5 July Men's Singles Semi-Finals Centre Court Sat 6 July Ladies' Singles Final Men's Doubles Final Ladies' Doubles Final Centre Court Sun 7 July Men's Singles Final Mixed Doubles Final Centre Court On the last three days on No.1 Court there will be a full programme of play, it will comprise juniors' and veterans' matches with the possibility of Championship Doubles Semi-Finals. Serena advances to third round Updated: June 27, 2013, 11:21 AM ETESPN.com news services Serena Williams Keeps Rolling Serena Williams discusses her straight-set win against Caroline Garcia and her next matchup. Serena Williams beat Caroline Garcia 6-3, 6-2 to advance to the third round of Wimbledon.Tags: Tennis, Wimbledon, Serena Williams, Caroline Garcia Serena Williams Keeps RollingSerena Williams Keeps RollingSerena Williams discusses her straight-set win against Caroline Garcia and her next matchup.Tags: Tennis, Wimbledon, Serena Williams, Caroline Garcia Serena: Playing Murray Would Be FunSerena: Playing Murray Would Be FunSerena Williams discusses the prospect of playing a match against Andy Murray.Nine For IX: Venus Vs. The VaultNine For IX: Venus Vs. The VaultPam Shriver talks about Venus and Serena Williams and their legacy to women's tennis. Nine For IX Venus Vs. premieres July 2nd 8pm ET on ESPN.Tags: ESPN Films, Nine For IX, The Vault, ESPNW, Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Wimbledon, Equal Pay, Venus Vs. LONDON -- Five-time champion Serena Williams avoided the kind of early upset that has sent many top players tumbling out of Wimbledon, beating Caroline Garcia 6-3, 6-2 on Thursday to reach the third round. Sailing Along Using a serve that topped out at 123 mph, Serena Williams easily dispatched Caroline Garcia to improve to 76-3 since the beginning of 2012 and 26-1 at Wimbledon since 2009. She also moved into 17th place all-time for single-season win streaks in the Open era with 33. Notable Single-Season Streaks Open Era Rk Year Player Streak 1 1984 Martina Navratilova 74 5 1988 Steffi Graf 46 13 2000 Venus Williams 35 17 2013 Serena Williams 33 18 1994 Steffi Graf 32 Source: ESPN Stats & Information A day after Roger Federer led the list of big names to exit in the second round, the top-ranked Williams never looked in danger against the 100th-ranked French qualifier. Williams broke twice in each set to set up a match with Japan's Kimiko Date-Krumm, who at 42 became the oldest woman to reach the third round at Wimbledon in the Open era. Date-Krumm beat Alexandra Cadantu of Romania 6-4, 7-5 to reach the third round for the first time since 1996, when she went to the semifinals. "She's incredibly inspiring," the 31-year-old Williams said. "She's so fit. She's done so well. I've never played her before. I watched her play when I was super young, growing up." Date-Krumm is the second-oldest woman to win a match at Wimbledon after Martina Navratilova, who was 47 when she reached the second round in 2004. Date-Krumm took a 12-year break from tennis before returning in 2008. "I don't know how she's able to do so well," Williams said. Whether Williams can keep playing for another decade remains to be seen, but she certainly doesn't show any sign of slowing down in her 30s. The defending champion is looking for a sixth Wimbledon title and saw her two main rivals -- Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka -- eliminated Wednesday. The 19-year-old Garcia is seen as a potential future star, with a game especially suited for grass. But she couldn't force a single break point against the American's strong serve on Court 1. "She's incredibly promising. She does everything well," Williams said. "Her serve is amazing, so I knew it would be a good match on the grass." After that wild Wednesday, with seven players retiring or withdrawing with injuries, a sense of normalcy returned to the All England Club. Sixth-seeded Li Na of China did look in trouble for a while before overcoming a poor second set to beat Simona Halep of Romania 6-2, 1-6, 6-0. Halep's lower back was treated after the first set, but she still dominated the second. Li, the former French Open champ, found her stride again in the third. "Welcome to the crazy women's tennis tour," Li said. American teenager Madison Keys reached the third round in her Wimbledon debut by beating 30th-seeded Mona Barthel of Germany 6-4, 6-2. Keys, an 18-year-old who was born in Rock Island, Ill., saved the only break point she faced while converting 3 of 10 on Barthel's serve. The 52nd-ranked Keys also defeated Barthel on grass in a tuneup tournament at Birmingham, England, two weeks ago. It's the second time in the past three Grand Slam tournaments that Keys has made it to the third round. She lost at that stage at the Australian Open in January. Bidding to reach the round of 16 for the first time at a major championship, Keys will face either 2012 Wimbledon runner-up Agnieszka Radwanska, who is seeded fourth, or Mathilde Johansson. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report. --------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------- ROLAND GARROS FRENCH OPEN TENNIS 2013 MAY 21 - JUNE 9 PARIS, FRANCE Rafael Nadal beats David Ferrer to win eighth French Open title By Piers Newbery BBC Sport at Roland Garros Rafael Nadal coped with an on-court intruder and the Paris rain to beat fellow Spaniard David Ferrer and win a record eighth French Open title. Nadal, 27, came through 6-3 6-2 6-3 to reaffirm his dominance on clay, and further elevate himself among the greats of the sport. Most wins at a Grand Slam Titles Tournament Rafael Nadal 8 French Open Richard Sears 7 US C'ships William Renshaw 7 Wimbledon Bill Larned 7 US C'ships Bill Tilden 7 US C'ships Pete Sampras 7 Wimbledon Roger Federer 7 Wimbledon "I'm very happy, very emotional," he said. "It's a very important victory for me." However, the final was interrupted by a brief protest high in the stands during the second set that was quickly followed by an intruder leaping onto the court while brandishing a flare. Security guards managed to bundle the man to the ground as he approached Nadal, and the player even took care to shake an official's hand before returning to the action. "Just can I say thank you very much to all the security guys," he said afterwards. "They did just amazing work. "They were very quick, and they were very courageous about what they did in the first moment." Nadal dropped his serve immediately after the incident, but within an hour he had wrapped up the victory that makes him the first man to win a Grand Slam singles tournament eight times. His 59th match win also takes him past Roger Federer and Guillermo Vilas at Roland Garros, while his 12th major title moves him above Bjorn Borg and Rod Laver on the all-time list. Play media The moment Rafael Nadal made tennis history at French Open Ferrer, playing in his first major final at the age of 31, was a worthy adversary and pushed his compatriot harder than the score might suggest, but he never threatened an upset. Both men appeared edgy in the early stages, with breaks of serve exchanged in games three and four, but Nadal fired a brilliant cross-court backhand winner to move ahead again at 4-3 and took the set with a third break. Ferrer was making his illustrious compatriot work for his service games and missed an early chance in the second set, before Nadal made him pay with a forehand winner for 2-0. A routine afternoon looked on the cards, but the calm was shattered by chanting from protesters with a banner in the upper tier of the stands during the sixth game of the set. The players paused while the incident was dealt with only for another, potentially more serious, disturbance to follow before the next game when a shirtless man wearing a mask vaulted the flower bed surrounding the court, waving a burning flare above his head. When play resumed, two unsurprisingly distracted service games followed, but Nadal moved two sets clear and looked razor sharp again when a volley put him 2-0 ahead in the third. The increasingly heavy rain now appeared the biggest threat to his ambitions, but Ferrer was not done and got back on level terms before blowing an opportunity to move ahead with a backhand error at 3-3. It was to be Ferrer's last chance as a double-fault gave up his serve for the seventh time. Nadal moved to match point and cracked a magnificent forehand winner before falling back onto the clay in celebration for an incredible eighth time at Roland Garros. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- French Open: Serena Williams beats Maria Sharapova to win title By Piers Newbery BBC Sport at Roland Garros World number one Serena Williams won a second French Open title 11 years after her first with a convincing win over defending champion Maria Sharapova. The American, 31, was pushed at times but took control midway through the first set, winning 6-4 6-4 in one hour and 46 minutes. Williams has now claimed 16 Grand Slam singles titles, moving her to within two of Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert, who have 18 each. And with an unbeaten run that stands at 31 matches, she will be strongly favoured to add to that tally at Wimbledon next month. Analysis Pat Cash BBC Sport We were hoping it wouldn't be too one-sided. Maria played really well. Her serve was really good, but Serena was that little bit better and managed to get a couple of breaks. I'm in awe of Serena's strength, her ability, her agility and the way she competes. "Today, when I won, I was trying to win the French Open; I wasn't trying to get to number 16," said Williams. "I think it's really special. I feel like I definitely want to continue my journey." Sharapova had come into Saturday's final promising to "try something different" after failing to beat Williams in their last 12 matches, stretching back to 2004. Key to the Russian's hopes was defending a serve that has been plagued by double faults in recent times. At 0-40 in the opening game, things already looked bleak for Sharapova, but she dug in and fired down an ace and one terrific second serve as she saw off four break points. The second seed took that momentum into the following game to break the mighty Williams serve, and looked well set in the next at 40-15 - before Williams sparked into life. A heavy forehand winner helped her back into the game and when she thumped away a smash on break point, the American let out a "come on!" that was the equal of Sharapova's early efforts. Four games in a row put Williams in command at 4-2, but Sharapova showed the grit that has taken her to four Grand Slam titles as she battled her way back to 4-4 in some fierce baseline exchanges. With the pressure on, Williams raised her intensity still further and produced the kind of hitting that even Sharapova cannot live with, forcing the Russian into a forehand error in game nine before serving out the set after 51 minutes. That was five minutes longer than Sara Errani had managed to delay Williams in their entire semi-final, and Sharapova continued to cling on gamely. She saved five break points in a gripping first game of the second set but, unable to trouble the American's serve, she found herself under pressure again moments later. Williams proved just how much she has improved her movement on clay as she slid out wide for one defensive backhand on the way to breaking in game three, and she would not relinquish the advantage. The 15,000 spectators in the main Chatrier stadium cheered Sharapova as she held serve from 30-30 with defeat looming, but she was not about to be given a reprieve by her opponent. Williams demonstrated once again that her serve is the best shot in the game, firing down an ace to secure the title and dropping to her knees in celebration. Sharapova said: "She played a great match. She played strong, she played deep, served really good; served better than I did. She took her chances." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ French Open: Serena Williams admits serve eased her nerves By Piers Newbery BBC Sport at Roland Garros Serena Williams relied on her superb serve to win a second French Open title as nerves took hold in the closing stages against Maria Sharapova. The American, 31, topped the serving charts in Paris during the fortnight, and came out on top in the final. Williams fired down three aces in the final game to win 6-4 6-4 and claim her 16th Grand Slam singles title. "At that point I was just so nervous," she said. "I thought: 'I'm not going to be able to hit groundstrokes.'" She added: "As you see, the one groundstroke I did hit went like 100 feet out. I thought to myself: 'Look, Serena, you've just got to hit aces. That's your only choice.' "I wouldn't have been able to hit a forehand or a backhand or any shot, for that matter." Longest winning streaks •35: Venus Williams (2000) •32: Justine Henin (2007-08) •31: Serena Williams (2013) •26: Victoria Azarenka (2012) Asked how she was able to serve so much better than the taller Sharapova, Williams added: "I'm a lot smaller then Maria, so I don't know how I'm able to serve so big. "I think growing up with Venus, she's serving so big I was like: 'I want to serve big.'" Williams is the oldest winner at Roland Garros since the Open era began in 1969, and she moves to within two of Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert in the list of Grand Slam singles titles. "I'm just trying to go up and up," she said. "Today, when I won, I was trying to win the French Open; I wasn't trying to get to number 16. "I feel like I definitely want to continue my journey. If it means I stop at 16 or if it means I have more, I definitely want to continue my journey to get a few more." And the American had a special word for Paris, where she has an apartment and trains with French coach Patrick Mouratoglou. "I have always had a wonderful relationship here in Paris," she said. "I feel great. I guess you can say I really do feel like myself. I feel really relaxed here. I feel like I can just live a normal life here." Sharapova had gone into the final as an outsider against an opponent who had lost just three matches in a year. "I'm a competitor and I'm a fighter and I don't train to lose," the Russian said. "Nobody does, so of course I'm disappointed about that. Serena's two good Serena Williams has become only the fourth woman in the Open era (since 1969) to win each Grand Slam singles title at least twice, following Chris Evert, Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova. "But that's the feeling that ultimately will make you work harder and make you think a little bit." Sharapova was left to reflect on her 13th successive loss to Williams, a run stretching back to 2004. "I thought I earned my position to be in the final," said the 26-year-old. "I did put up a fight obviously today against her; it was not enough. "But she's been playing really great tennis. That's certainly not an excuse, but she is playing extremely well." And the world number two admitted she could do nothing about the American "serving harder than David Ferrer when he gets to the final of Roland Garros", despite knowing what was in store. "We know she's going to be able to hit a big serve," said Sharapova. "I mean, I think if I was built like Serena, I hope I'd be able to hit a big serve like that, too." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rafael Nadal seeks history against David Ferrer at French Open By Piers Newbery BBC Sport at Roland Garros French Open final Venue: Roland Garros, ParisDate: Sunday, 9 June ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Serena Williams fights back to reach French Open semis French Open Venue: Roland Garros, ParisDate: 26 May to 9 June Top seed Serena Williams survived a major scare from former champion Svetlana Kuznetsova before reaching the French Open semi-finals. The American, whose only Roland Garros win came back in 2002, won the first set with ease before being pushed all the way by the unseeded Russian on the way to a 6-1 3-6 6-3 triumph in Paris. Next up will be Sara Errani in the last four following the fifth seed's victory over Poland's Agnieszka Radwanksa. The Italian won 6-4 7-6 (8-6). Court Philippe Chatrier Sara Errani (Ita) [5] beat Agnieszka Radwanksa (Pol) [4] 6-4 7-6 (8-6) Errani continued her fine form at Roland Garros after emerging the victor from a scrappy match where the second set alone featured eight breaks of serve. It was the 26-year-old's 81st match this year - almost double that of anyone else in the top 10 - and her first ever win over a top-five player. "There was a lot of pressure because I have a lot of (ranking) points to defend, so that's a new experience for me," admitted Errani, who was a finalist in Paris last year. Court Suzanne Lenglen Serena Williams (USA) [1] beat Svetlana Kuznetsova (Rus) 6-1 3-6 6-3 Williams was forced to dig deep after coming from behind in the third set to reach the last four at Roland Garros for the first time since 2003. She had looked on course for a swift and straightforward victory after dropping just a solitary game in the opening set, yet Kuznetsova, the 2009 champion, rallied thereafter and, after levelling the contest, raced into a 2-0 lead in the decider. However, the American, beaten the last four times she had reached the Paris quarter-finals, found an extra gear and reeled off five consecutive games before eventually sealing the win with a forehand winner. "It was very difficult and I am very tired," said Williams, who is the first American woman since Jennifer Capriati in 2004 to reach the last four. "Svetlana played very well. She has won this tournament before so I am happy to get through such a tough match. Against Sara, it will be another tough match, she's a great fighter." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Novak Djokovic fights back to reach French Open quarters By Piers Newbery BBC Sport at Roland Garros French Open Venue: Roland Garros, ParisDate: 26 May to 9 June Top seed Novak Djokovic faltered for the first time at this year's French Open before beating Philipp Kohlschreiber to reach the last eight. The Serb, seeking the title that would complete his Grand Slam set, won 4-6 6-3 6-4 6-4 on Court Philippe Chatrier. He later spoke about how he had coped over the last two days since learning that his childhood coach, Jelena Gencic, had died aged 77 in Serbia on Sunday. "It hasn't been easy, but this is life," said Djokovic. "You know, life gives you things, takes away close people in your life, and Jelena was my first coach, like my second mother. "We were very close throughout my whole life, and she taught me a lot of things that are part of me, part of my character today, and I have the nicest memories of her." Djokovic will play 12th seed Tommy Haas in the quarter-finals after the German's 6-1 6-1 6-3 demolition of Russia's Mikhail Youzhny. On the same side of the draw, seven-time champion Rafael Nadal celebrated his 27th birthday with his best performance of the tournament so far as he beat Japan's Kei Nishikori 6-4 6-1 6-3. "I played much better today than the first three matches, no doubt about that," said the Spaniard. "If you told me two days ago, 'You will play like this today,' I will say,'Give me the paper and I will sign,' because I'm happy the way I improved my game today." An unconvincing first hour in particular will have given Djokovic's rivals hope after he had begun the tournament in clinical style. Rafael Nadal in 2013 •Nadal has won 35 of his 37 matches on clay since making his comeback from a serious knee injury in Vina del Mar in February. •His two defeats came to Horacio Zaballos in the final in Vina del Mar and to Novak Djokovic in the final in Monte Carlo. Kohlschreiber, trying to repeat his 2009 win over Djokovic at Roland Garros, broke first with a fine return game at 2-2 but would pay for not breaking again until it was too late, despite a host of opportunities. Djokovic was out of sorts, swiping his racquet in disgust at one stage, and saw a late charge to try to rescue the opening set foiled when Kohlschreiber took it with an unplayable net cord. The turning point came during a second set in which the German converted none of his six chances to break, while Djokovic took his only opportunity in game four. It was far from vintage stuff from the six-time Grand Slam champion and his serve was continually under threat, but his ability to get out of jail took him all the way to the finish line. Djokovic again took his only opportunity of the third set and broke twice more in the fourth. By the time Kohlschreiber finally capitalised on a break point - for only the second time in 13 opportunities - he was already 5-2 down, and Djokovic sealed a scrappy win at the second time of asking. "Conditions were very difficult to handle both for me and him, but he adjusted better," said Djokovic. "In the start he was more aggressive. I was still trying to find the rhythm on the court, and the first set was gone. "Obviously I needed to step it up, and I've done that. You know, all four sets were quite close." --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 30 May 2013 Last updated at 18:55 GMT Novak Djokovic sweeps into French Open third round By Piers Newbery BBC Sport at Roland Garros French Open Venue: Roland Garros, ParisDate: 26 May to 9 June Novak Djokovic overcame Argentina's Guido Pella on a rainy Paris day to set up an intriguing third-round clash against Grigor Dimitrov at the French Open. The world number one took to Court Philippe Chatrier later than scheduled at 16:00 local time after the predicted bad weather interrupted play. Seven-time champion Rafael Nadal did not make it on to court and will have to return on Friday to take on Slovakia's Martin Klizan. Djokovic was held up once again by the rain in the second set but, when on court, wasted no time in seeing off world number 83 Pella 6-2 6-0 6-2, to reach the last 32. "It's like deja vu from two days ago, you know, coming in and out and warming up five times," said Djokovic. "But it is the way it is, it's weather. You can't affect the nature. I'm just glad that I finished the match today." He will next meet Dimitrov, the Bulgarian 26th seed, who beat Djokovic on the Madrid clay earlier this month. Dimitrov made it through around a couple of rain delays with a comprehensive 6-1 7-6 (7-4) 6-1 win over France's Lucas Pouille on Court Suzanne Lenglen, and Djokovic was clearly determined not to hang about on Chatrier. Moving Pella around with his characteristically precise groundstrokes he opened up a space to thump away a smash and break for 4-2, and a run of 11 straight games either side of the rain delay as good as ended the contest. When the sun briefly shone as he was closing on victory, Djokovic gestured to the sky to clear, much to the shivering crowd's delight. Who is Grigor Dimitrov? •Age: 22 •Birthplace: Haskovo, Bulgaria •World ranking: 28 •Strongest surfaces: Hard court & grass •Career highlights: 7 May beat world number one Novak Djokovic at World Tour Masters 1000 in Madrid; reached final in January of ATP World Tour event in Brisbane but lost to Andy Murray •Nickname: Baby Federer, G-Force, Dimi, PT (Prime Time) •Inspiration: Pete Sampras •In his own words: "I feel good on the big courts and playing against good players" He will face Dimitrov on Saturday, weather permitting, in a match that is already the talk of Roland Garros. "We played a few times, and the last one was in Madrid, a tough match," said Djokovic. "But he definitely played great there. I think he got more confident as he was getting big wins in last few months, and so he's a tough player to beat now, definitely. "And even though maybe his style of the game could be better on the hard court or faster surfaces, he's showing that he can play equally well on clay. He pushed Nadal to a tough three sets in Monaco. He beat me in Madrid. "It's going to be a tough one for both of us, definitely. I need to be on top of my game." Dimitrov admitted: "It's different when you play a Masters event, best of three sets, and then you come to a Grand Slam. Your mindset, everything you set up in a different way. "I feel I'm playing good. I know I can bring a bit more steam into the game. I think I might need that in the next round." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 26 May 2013 Last updated at 14:33 GMT Serena Williams & Roger Federer into French Open second round By Piers Newbery BBC Sport at Roland Garros French Open Venue: Roland Garros, ParisDate: 26 May to 9 June Serena Williams laid the ghost of Roland Garros 2012 in emphatic style by powering through this year's opening match against Anna Tatishvili. The world number one needed just 51 minutes to beat the Georgian, ranked 83rd, 6-0 6-1 on an autumnal Court Philippe Chatrier. She was followed onto the stadium court by Roger Federer, who swept aside Spanish Grand Slam debutant Pablo Carreno-Busta 6-2 6-2 6-3. The 21-year-old qualifier went into the match on the back of seven titles this year on the satellite ITF Tour, five of them on clay, but he found the 17-time Grand Slam champion an altogether different test. Federer raced into a 4-0 lead and was broken just once as he began his bid for a second French Open title with victory in one hour and 20 minutes. "I thought it was a good match for me," said Federer, who will play India's Somdev Devvarman in the second round. "He's played that many matches and won a lot this year - that really helps your confidence - and he's played a lot of matches on clay, in comparison with me. "I knew it could be tricky if I don't sustain a certain level of play and certain aggressiveness, get caught up maybe in long rallies, maybe what he's looking for." Williams suffered her only first-round defeat at a Grand Slam when she lost to world number 111 Virginie Razzano 12 months ago and was in no mood to suffer a repeat performance. The American, 31, has admitted that loss was a huge blow which sparked a stunning run of form as she won Wimbledon, the Olympics, the US Open and this year has racked up a career-best winning run of 25 matches. Tatishvili became the latest victim in the most brutal fashion, taking 33 minutes to get on the scoreboard as Williams dominated in all areas. A screaming backhand winner gave Williams an eighth straight game and the fist pump that followed showed just how much winning a second French Open title, 11 years after her first, is motivating her. Tatishvili, who has won just two matches in 2013, did at least slow the top seed's progress in the second set but Williams completed the job well short of the hour mark. Moving superbly and still unbeaten on the clay this year, the 15-time Grand Slam champion then impressed the crowd with her French in the post-match interview - rarely has she looked so comfortable in Paris. "I was definitely nervous," she said afterwards. "I have to say I'm always a little nervous going into first-round matches at Slams, but this time I wasn't as nervous as I was previously or in other Grand Slams. "But for the most part I felt pretty safe and felt good about my game, and that if I can just do what I do in practice, I'll be OK." Williams next plays 19-year-old Caroline Garcia of France, described by Andy Murray as a future world number one after he watched her take a set off Maria Sharapova at the 2011 French Open. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Serena Williams beats Maria Sharapova in Madrid Open final World number one Serena Williams beat Maria Sharapova in the Madrid Open final to win her 50th career singles title. A Sharapova victory would have seen the world number two replace the American at the top of the rankings. But the defending champion won 6-1 6-4, seeing out the match in a little over one and a quarter hours. Williams, 31, leads their head-to-head 13-2, with the 26-year-old Russian not having beaten Williams since 2004. She becomes only the 10th woman in history to reach the 50 singles tour title milestone. It was Williams's first final on red clay in over 10 years, her last being at the 2002 French Open when she beat sister Venus for her only title at Roland Garros. She fell to a shock first-round defeat to Virginie Razzano there last year, and after Sunday's win she said: "I feel pressure every day. I think it's a good thing a little bit because it means I'm still really hungry. "Every time I play I really relish it more." Referring to the injury that sidelined her for 11 months between 2010 and 2011, Williams added: "I don't know if it's because of what I went through. I just feel like I'm so fortunate to be out there and healthy and to have an opportunity to play something and be really good at it." Women to reach 50 singles titles •Martina Navratilova - 167 •Chris Evert - 157 •Steffi Graff - 107 •Margaret Court - 92 •Evonne Goolagong-Cawley - 68 •Billie-Jean King - 67 •Lindsay Davenport - 55 •Virginia Wade - 55 •Monica Seles - 53 •Serena Williams - 50 Williams, who had dropped just one set in the last seven meetings between the two, was dominant from the off as she pounced on the Sharapova serve at every opportunity to race into a 4-0 lead, before taking the first set 6-1. Sharapova did react at the start of the second as she broke in the first game and backed it up with two solid service games of her own to lead 3-1. But Williams broke back to level at 3-3 and then, after both players saved break points in their next service games, moved to within a game of victory with a comfortable hold. A Sharapova double fault brought up three match points and Williams converted on the first. "Thank you to everyone for being so supportive in every single match," said Sharapova. "It was quite special and I wish I could have gone an extra round but there are many more years for me. "Congratulations to Serena for an excellent match and her excellent week as well." In two weeks' time, Sharapova will attempt to defend her French Open title in the climax to the clay-court season. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ......Sloane Stephens rips Serena Williams in latest interview . .By Shane Bacon ..By Shane Bacon | Busted Racquet – Mon, May 6, 2013 12:05 PM EDT Sloane Stephens — Getty ImagesRemember a few months back when Sloane Stephens went up against Serena Williams in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open and stories upon stories were made about how the student was finally getting to face her mentor? Well, apparently that wasn't so much the case. In an interview with ESPN the Magazine, Stephens held nothing back in how she feels about Williams, basically tearing apart any semblance of a relationship the two American tennis players might have had. [Also: Tiger Woods and Lindsey Vonn hit the red carpet in NYC] Here is a part of the story that comes out on May 13 ... “She’s not said one word to me, not spoken to me, not said hi, not looked my way, not been in the same room with me since I played her in Australia,” Stephens says emphatically. “And that should tell everyone something, how she went from saying all these nice things about me to unfollowing me on Twitter.” Her mom tries to slow her down, but Sloane is insistent. “Like, seriously! People should know. They think she’s so friendly and she’s so this and she’s so that — no, that’s not reality! You don’t unfollow someone on Twitter, delete them off of BlackBerry Messenger. I mean, what for? Why?” Stephens went on to pound on any rumor that Williams was the person she looked up to as she was becoming the tennis player she is today. Sloane mentioned the infamous poster of Serena that she had on her wall, saying she waited three hours as a 12-year-old for Williams to sign it, but both Serena and sister Venus walked by without so much as an autograph. And speaking of all that mentor stuff? Listen to what Stephens said about who she really loved to watch as a child. “I’ve always said Kim Clijsters is my favorite player, so it’s kind of weird,” she says. [Also: Senator makes hole-in-one while golfing with President Obama] It's rare to see an athlete like Stephens really let loose on a fellow competitor, but it seemed Sloane had an agenda with this interview with Marin Cogan and that was to let the world know she isn't a huge fan of Serena in any capacity. The French Open kicks off on May 21. I'm assuming if these two meet again, the stories will take on a completely different tone than when the tour was in Australia. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2013 AUSTRALIAN TENNIS OPEN - JANUARY 14-27, MELBOURNE AUSTRALIA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ..Azarenka beats Li, defends Australian Open title By JOHN PYE (AP Sports Writer) | The Associated Press ......MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- Victoria Azarenka had the bulk of the crowd against her. The fireworks were fizzling out, and when she looked over the net she saw Li Na crashing to the court and almost knocking herself out. Considering the cascading criticism she'd encountered after her previous win, Azarenka didn't need the focus of the Australian Open final to be on another medical timeout. So after defending her title with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory over the sixth-seeded Li in one of the most unusual finals ever at Melbourne Park, Azarenka understandably dropped her racket and cried tears of relief late Saturday night. She heaved as she sobbed into a towel beside the court, before regaining her composure to collect the trophy. ''It isn't easy, that's for sure, but I knew what I had to do,'' the 23-year-old Belarusian said. ''I had to stay calm. I had to stay positive. I just had to deal with the things that came onto me.'' There were a lot of those things squeezed into the 2-hour, 40-minute match. Li, who was playing her second Australian Open final in three years, twisted her ankle and tumbled to the court in the second and third sets. The second time was on the point immediately after a 10-minute delay for the Australia Day fireworks - a familiar fixture in downtown Melbourne on Jan. 26, but not usually coinciding with a final. Li had been sitting in her chair during the break, while Azarenka jogged and swung her racket around before leaving the court to rub some liniment into her legs to keep warm. The 30-year-old Chinese player had tumbled to the court after twisting her left ankle and had it taped after falling in the fifth game of the second set. Immediately after the fireworks ceased, and with smoke still in the air, she twisted the ankle again, fell and hit the back of her head on the hard court. The 2011 French Open champion was treated immediately by a tournament doctor and assessed for a concussion in another medical timeout before resuming the match. ''I think I was a little bit worried when I was falling,'' Li said, in her humorous, self-deprecating fashion. ''Because two seconds I couldn't really see anything. It was totally black. ''So when the physio come, she was like, 'Focus on my finger.' I was laughing. I was thinking, 'This is tennis court, not like hospital.''' Li's injury was obvious and attracted even more support for her from the 15,000-strong crowd. Azarenka had generated some bad PR by taking a medical timeout after wasting five match points on her own serve in her semifinal win over American teenager Sloane Stephens on Thursday. She came back after the break and finished off Stephens in the next game, later telling an on-court interviewer that she ''almost did the choke of the year.'' She was accused of gamesmanship and manipulating the rules to get time to regain her composure against Stephens, but defended herself by saying she actually was having difficulty breathing because of a rib injury that needed to be fixed. That explanation didn't convince everybody. So when she walked onto Rod Laver Arena on Saturday, there were some people who booed, and others who heckled her or mimicked the distinctive hooting sound she makes when she hits the ball. ''Unfortunately, you have to go through some rough patches to achieve great things,'' she said. ''That's what makes it so special for me. I went through that, and I'm still able to kiss that beautiful trophy.'' She didn't hold a grudge. ''I was expecting way worse, to be honest. What can you do? You just have to go out there and try to play tennis in the end of the day,'' she said. ''It's a tennis match, tennis battle, final of the Australian Open. I was there to play that. ''The things what happened in the past, I did the best thing I could to explain, and it was left behind me already.'' The match contained plenty of nervy moments and tension, and 16 service breaks - nine for Li. But it also produced plenty of winners and bravery on big points. Azarenka will retain the No. 1 ranking she's mostly held since her first Grand Slam win in Melbourne last year. Li moved into the top five and is heartened by a recent trend of Australian runner-ups winning the French Open. She accomplished that in 2011, as did Ana Ivanovic (2008) and Maria Sharapova (2012). ''I wish I can do the same this year, as well,'' Li said. Later Saturday, Bob and Mike Bryan won their record 13th Grand Slam men's doubles title, defeating the Dutch team of Robin Haase and Igor Sijsling 6-3, 6-4. Sunday's men's final features two-time defending champion Novak Djokovic and U.S. Open winner Andy Murray. Djokovic is seeking to become the first man in the Open era to win three titles in a row in Australia. Azarenka was planning a night of partying to celebrate her second major title, with her friend Redfoo and the Party Rock crew, and was hopeful of scoring some tickets to the men's final. She said she needed to let her hair down after a draining two weeks and hoped that by being more open and frank in recent times she was clearing up any misconceptions the public had of her. ''When I came first on the tour I kind of was lost a little bit,'' he said. ''I didn't know how to open up my personality. It's very difficult when you're alone. I was independent since I was, you know, 10 years old. It was a little bit scary and I wouldn't show my personality. ''So the (last) couple of years I learned how to open up to people and to share the moments. I wasn't really good before. I hope I got better. It's your judgment.'' ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ..Djokovic vs. Murray at Australian Open final By JOCELYN GECKER (Associated Press) | ......MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- Novak Djokovic remembers when he was about 11 and meeting a boy his age named Andy Murray. The young Murray from Dunblane, Scotland, was ''quite pale,'' recalled the Serbian, known as ''The Joker'' for his wisecracks. Back then, they were playing on the juniors' circuit ''just trying to play tennis and enjoy the game,'' Djokovic said. Little did either know that later in life they would keep running into each other on tennis' biggest stages. On Sunday, Djokovic and Murray meet for their third Grand Slam final at the Australian Open. It is the latest rematch in a rivalry that Djokovic describes as unique because they've known each other since childhood. ''It's nice to see somebody that you grew up with doing so well,'' the 25-year-old Serbian player said Saturday. ''We know each other since we were 11, 12 years old. I guess that adds something special to our rivalry.'' Djokovic rose to stardom first, winning the 2008 Australian Open at the age of 20. Now, the No. 1-ranked player owns five Grand Slam trophies and is aiming to be the first man in the Open era to win three in a row at Melbourne. The third-ranked Murray is the latest addition to the so-called Big Four of men's tennis, which also includes No. 2 Roger Federer and 11-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal. The group has combined to win 33 of the last 34 Grand Slams. Murray is striving for his second Grand Slam title after winning at the U.S. Open, where he beat Djokovic in the final to end a 76-year drought for British men at the majors. Murray's road to the final in Melbourne included one of the tournament's highlights - a five-set win in the semifinals over Federer, a 17-time Grand Slam winner. It was Murray's first victory against Federer at a Grand Slam event and so physically draining that Murray was too exhausted afterward to crack a smile. ''It (was) a long, long match. It's a very late finish. I'm tired,'' said Murray, when asked why he seemed so subdued. During the intensely tactical and physical match, Murray served a stunning 21 aces against the Swiss star. ''I don't want to be wasting any energy, because I'll need all of it if I want to win against Novak on Saturday,'' he said, adding that despite his lack of emotion he was pleased. ''Obviously, I was happy. It was a tough match.'' Murray reached the Australian Open semifinals last year, losing to Djokovic. He has made the Melbourne finals on two previous occasions, losing to Federer in 2010 and Djokovic in 2011. Before arriving in Melbourne last year, Murray teamed up with tennis great Ivan Lendl whose coaching has helped produce a new aggressiveness in Murray and a willingness to take chances on court. It was under Lendl's tutelage that Murray made his breakthrough, winning a career-changing gold medal for singles at the London Olympics and then riding a wave of confidence to win his first major at the U.S. Open. He expects a long, tough fight from Djokovic, who soundly beat No. 4-seeded David Ferrer in a Thursday semifinal, which gave the Serbian an extra day to rest and recover for the final. ''Every time we play each other it's normally a very physical match,'' Murray said. ''I'll need to be ready for the pain. I hope it's a painful match - that'll mean it's a good one.'' Djokovic agreed. ''Every time we played ... It was always long matches, physically very demanding,'' said Djokovic, who shrugged off the idea that his extra day for recovery would be a factor in the final. ''He's considered one of the physically strongest and fittest guys around. So I'm sure he's going to be fit,'' said Djokvic, who played one of the tournament's other thrillers in the fourth round, when he needed five hours to beat another inspired Swiss player, Stanislas Wawrinka, in five sets. Another tennis great, Andre Agassi, thinks otherwise. Agassi, an eight-time Grand Slam winner, was in Melbourne on his first trip back to the tournament since his loss to Roger Federer in the quarterfinals in 2005. He will be taking part in the men's pre-final ceremony. During a news conference ahead of the Murray-Federer match, Agassi correctly forecast that Murray would win. He went on to predict that the No. 1-ranked Djokovic had the physical advantage going into the final. ''Two days off, going into it fresh, going into it ready is a big difference,'' said Agassi. ''I probably give the edge to Djokovic in the finals.'' Asked how he would have tried to beat a player like Djokovic, Agassi joked: ''I would have probably gotten in a fight with him in the locker room before the match. I might have had a chance.'' ... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Murray outlasts Federer, reaches Australian Open final CBSSports.com wire reports Jan. 25, 2013 7:48 AM ET MELBOURNE, Australia -- Andy Murray has finally beaten Roger Federer at a Grand Slam. The U.S. Open champion beat 17-time major winner Federer 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-7 (2), 6-2 Friday at the Australian Open, calling it a massive confidence boost as he attempts to win his second consecutive major. Murray, who missed his chance to serve out the match at 6-5 in the fourth set, will play defending champion and top-seeded Novak Djokovic in Sunday's final. Djokovic cruised past David Ferrer in straight sets in just under 90 minutes -- 2 ½ hours less than Murray's semifinal. Advantage Djokovic. More on 2013 Australian Open Aussie Open: Live scores | Schedule Brackets: Men's and women's draws Past champs: Men | Women Rankings: ATP | WTA There was some controversy in that 12th game of the fourth set when Federer appeared to glare and say something to Murray when the Scotsman stopped momentarily behind the baseline during the rally. Murray ignored it after winning the point, but conceded serve in that game and lost the ensuing tiebreaker before regrouping in the fifth set. "I mean, it wasn't a big deal," Federer said. "We just looked at each other one time. That's OK, I think. We were just checking each other out for bit. That wasn't a big deal for me -- I hope not for him." While Murray came into the match with a 10-9 career advantage, Murray had never beaten Federer in their three previous meetings at a major - the finals of the 2008 U.S. Open, 2010 Australian Open and last year at Wimbledon. "It's always tough against him, when he plays in Slams is when he plays his best tennis," Murray said. "When his back was against the wall at 6-5 and I was serving, he came up with some unbelievable shots. I just had to keep fighting." Federer outplayed Murray at stages of the match, but the 25-year-old Scotsman appeared to have the legs and stamina over the 31-year-old Federer in the fifth set, including a service break to clinch the tense match. "It's big. I never beat Roger in a Slam before. It definitely will help with the confidence," Murray said. "Just knowing you can win against those guys in big matches definitely helps." Federer said he was playing catch-up all night. "Definitely it was more of a chase," Federer said. "I think I had my chances a little bit. Obviously, you're going to go through a five-setter with some regrets. But overall, I think Andy was a bit better than I was tonight." With a capacity crowd of 15,000 at Rod Laver Arena watching, including the Australian legend Laver himself, Federer opened the match serving and was in trouble early, losing a 28-rally point to set up break point for Murray. But Federer held the game with a stunning cross-court forehand that just looped over the net from the baseline. Murray, who had not lost a set through five rounds at Melbourne Park this year, had the first service break - on his fourth break point - to lead 2-1. It came in unusually cool summer conditions in Melbourne - breezy and temperatures of only 60 degrees during most of the match. The crowd was initially evenly split between Federer and Murray supporters - and at times, they were competing to be heard. At one point in the second set, a group of Murray fans wearing white shirts with blue letters spelling his nickname "Muzza" stood to chant Murray's name, while a group of Federer supporters with Swiss flags on their cheeks and shirts chanted Federer's name. Earlier Friday, top-seeded Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci of Italy won the first title of 2013 at Melbourne Park, beating the unseeded Australian pair of Ashleigh Barty and Casey Dellacqua 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 for the women's doubles championship. The 16-year-old Barty was attempting to become the youngest Grand Slam champion since Martina Hingis won the Australian Open singles title in 1997. On Saturday, defending champion Victoria Azarenka plays sixth-seeded Li Na of China for the women's singles title. Li lost the Australian Open final to Kim Clijsters in 2011 two months before winning her first and only Grand Slam at the French Open. "Last time was more exciting, (more) nervous because it was my first time to be in a final," Li said. "But I think this time (I'm) more calmed down, more cool." Azarenka leads 5-4 in career matches, including the last four times they've played. "I'm really hungry to defend my title," said Azarenka, who needs to beat Li to retain her No. 1 ranking. "I've put myself in the position to give it the best shot." If Li win, Serena Williams will regain the No. 1 ranking. Also on Saturday, American brothers Bob and Mike Bryan will play their fifth consecutive Australian Open doubles final and attempt to win their record 13th Grand Slam doubles championship. They'll play the Dutch pair of Robin Haase and Igor Sijsling. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Victoria Azarenka in Aussie final January 24, 2013, 10:56 AM ET Azarenka Tops Stephens In Straight Sets Victoria Azarenka advances to Australian Open finals to face Li Na. Tags: Tennis, Victoria Azarenka, Sloan StephensAzarenka Tops Stephens In Straight Sets NEXT VIDEO Azarenka Tops Stephens In Straight SetsAzarenka Tops Stephens In Straight SetsVictoria Azarenka advances to Australian Open finals to face Li Na.Tags: Tennis, Victoria Azarenka, Sloan Stephens Victoria Azarenka On Wins Over Sloane StephensVictoria Azarenka On Wins Over Sloane StephensVictoria Azarenka advances to Australian Open finals.Tags: Tennis, Victoria AzarenkaLi Na Defeats Maria SharapovaLi Na Defeats Maria SharapovaLi Na advances to Australian Open Final with straight set win over Maria Sharapova.Tags: Li Na, Australian Open Li Na Advances To FinalLi Na Advances To FinalLi Na after defeating Maria Sharapova to advance to Australian Open final.Tags: Li Na, Maria Sharapova MELBOURNE, Australia -- Victoria Azarenka overcame some anxiety, a sore left knee and a slew of frustrating forehand errors before fending off American teenager Sloane Stephens to reach the Australian Open final against Li Na. For the second time in two days, the 19-year-old Stephens sat patiently in a courtside chair late in the second set while an experienced, older player took a medical timeout. On Thursday, the top-seeded Azarenka asked for a medical timeout after wasting five match points with a sequence of forehand errors, but returned to quickly finish off a 6-1, 6-4 win on her sixth match point. The outcome was different Wednesday, when Stephens rallied from a set and a break down to beat an injured Serena Williams in three sets. Ford: Win, but controversy for Azarenka It's not certain why Victoria Azarenka left the court for so long in a controversial win over Sloane Stephens. But it smells like gamesmanship, Bonnie D. Ford writes. Story After dropping serve in the ninth game of the second set, Azarenka went to the locker room for treatment -- the tournament confirmed later it was for left knee and rib injuries -- and then returned to break the 29th-seeded Stephens' serve to finish off the match. "Well, I almost did the choke of the year right now at 5-3, having so many chances, I couldn't close it out," Azarenka said in an on-court TV interview. "I just felt a little bit overwhelmed. I realized I'm one step away from the final, and nerves got into me for sure." The crowd had tried to get Stephens back into the match in the second set. Fans yelled encouragement after almost every point, and a few in the crowd heckled Azarenka by mocking the noise she makes when she hits the ball. Azarenka started to lose her composure when she hit a forehand way beyond the baseline on her third match point, her hooting sound elevating to a louder, high-pitched shriek. After Stephens saved the match points, the crowd gave her a huge round of applause and a few people jumped out of their seats. Azarenka got tepid applause after clinching the match. The 23-year-old Azarenka later said she'd had difficulty breathing. "I couldn't breathe. I had chest pains," she said. "It was like I was getting a heart attack. "After that it wasn't my best, but it's important to overcome this little bit of a struggle and win the match." Stephens said the timing of the medical break didn't affect the match. "It's happened before. Last match, match before, I've had people going for medical breaks, going to the bathroom," she said. "Didn't affect me. Just another something else that happens." The temperature hit 97 degrees during the second women's semifinal, slightly hotter than it had been when Li Na beat No. 2-ranked Maria Sharapova 6-2, 6-2 to reach the Australian Open final for the second time in three years. Sharapova was the heavy favorite after conceding only nine games in her first five matches, a record at the Australian Open. But the semifinal started badly for the 25-year-old Russian, who served double faults to lose the first two points and conceded a break in the first game. Complete results Need the scores from any match played in the Australian Open? Results Li was the first Chinese player to reach a Grand Slam final when she lost to Kim Clijsters at Melbourne Park in 2011. She had her breakthrough a few months later when she won the French Open, beating Sharapova in the semifinals along the way. The crowd got behind Li early in the match, yelling, "Come on, Li Na!" and others yelling, "Jia You!" which is "Come on" in Chinese. After she broke Sharapova to take a 5-2 lead, the Chinese fans in the crowd shook Chinese flags and shouted again, "Jia You!" "I don't know what happened (but) I always play well here, so thanks, guys," said Li, who was playing her third Australian Open semifinal in four years. "I just came to the court feeling like, 'OK, just do it.'" The heat and the speed of the court surface suited Li's game. She broke Sharapova in the third game of the second set and served an ace to move within a point of a 4-2 lead but lost the next three points to give her opponent a break opportunity. Two big second serves took Sharapova by surprise, and Li fended off the challenge. Li's coach, Carlos Rodriguez -- who worked with retired seven-time major winner Justine Henin -- pumped his fist over his heart after Li won the game. Sharapova had control in her next service game, but Li scrambled from side to side and pushed the reigning French Open champion to go for the lines, getting a series of unforced errors and another break. The sixth-seeded Li has been working since August with Rodriguez and credits him with reviving her career with a renewed emphasis on condition. "I'm happy. I know I have a tough coach, a tough physio," Li said, looking across to the stands and adding: "You don't need to push me anymore. I will push myself." Sharapova, who lost the 2012 Australian final in straight sets to Azarenka, admitted it was hard to get into the match against Li. "She was certainly much more aggressive than I was, dictating the play. I was always on the defense," said Sharapova, who could have gained the No. 1 ranking by reaching the Australian final. "When I had my opportunities and break points in games that went to deuce, I don't think any of them really went my way." The composition of the women's semifinals was somewhat unexpected. Stephens produced the upset of the tournament to advance to a Grand Slam semifinal for the first time with her 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 victory over 15-time major winner Serena Williams on Wednesday. Williams, who had been bidding for a third consecutive Grand Slam title, hurt her back in the second set and, after leading by a set and a break, ended a 20-match winning streak. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By JOHN PYE | Associated Press – ....MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Sloane Stephens wiped away tears as she thought about hanging a poster of herself on a wall in the place of her childhood hero. The 19-year-old American seemed to be in shock, barely able to compute how she'd produced the upset of the Australian Open by beating 15-time major winner Serena Williams in the quarterfinals Wednesday. It was her first trip that far in seven Grand Slam tournaments. A poster of Williams had adorned the wall on Stephens' bedroom as a child. Now, in her view, they're peers. "This is so crazy," Stephens said in a post-match TV interview after rallying from a set and a break down against an injured and angry Williams. "Oh my goodness. I think I'll put a poster of myself (up) now." The 29th-seeded Stephens won 3-6, 7-5, 6-4. She calmed the nerves and started swinging harder and lifting her tempo at 4-3 in the second. That's when Williams jarred her back trying to pull up before the net as she chased down a drop shot. Williams let out a loud scream and hopped away. Stephens had a look back over the net, seemingly in concern. Williams started taking time between points, limping, and trying to stay in the shade at the back of the court. Williams later called for the trainer between games. She had a three-minute medical timeout and came back serving at a pace well below her usual speed. "Well, at that point you just have to pretend like nothing's wrong," Williams said. "You think of worst case scenarios. You know, I just thought, Ok, just pretend nothing's wrong and just try your best." Stephen's surprise win did instant wonders for her celebrity. Before the match, Stephens said she had about 17,000 followers on Twitter. A few hours after reaching her first Grand Slam semifinal, she had more than 40,000. And she sounded like an excited schoolgirl as she gushed about receiving a congratulatory tweet from American singer John Legend. "I want John Legend to sing at my wedding!" she said. "I was like, 'Oh my God. He tweeted me. What can I do?'" She re-tweeted the sentiments from Legend: "Just found out her dad is John Stephens from the Pats. (that's my real name) I had his football card when I was a kid. I was so proud, ha ha." Stephens' father, former New England Patriots player, died in 2009. Retired basketball star Shaquille O'Neal sent a message that read: "When u defeat a legend you become a legend." The Dallas Mavericks' Dirk Nowitzki wrote, "Wow. What a win for Sloane. Some amazing defense. She gets every ball back." Stephens checked her phone during her post-match news conference and said there were 213 text messages waiting for her. Like many a teenager, her first concern was about how high her phone bill might be. "I thought it was free to receive text messages, but someone told me otherwise," she said. Her mother "is going to be like, 'The money you were going to buy yourself something nice with, you're going to pay your phone bill.'" She's set for her biggest payday, regardless of the result in Thursday's semifinal against defending champion Victoria Azarenka, who beat two-time major winner Svetlana Kuznetsova 7-5, 6-1 in the previous match in Rod Laver Arena. The semifinal losers earn $525,000, double what the quarterfinal losers receive. For Williams, there's a further $1,500 deduction after she was fined for racket abuse. Stephens had practiced with Williams for the Fed Cup, but had played her only once, a straight sets loss at the Brisbane International earlier this month. "Brisbane helped me because I got the first time we played out of the way," she said. "First time is always tough. Definitely I was glad that I got it there ... it helped me raise my level." She'll need to maintain that level within 24 hours to play the top-ranked Azarenka on Thursday. That will follow the semifinal between No. 2-ranked Maria Sharapova and No. 6 Li Na, the 2011 French Open champion. The makeup of the men's semifinals was as expected, although all but one of the four players had some difficulties getting there. Top-ranked Novak Djokovic will continue his bid for a third consecutive Australian title Thursday when he takes on No. 4 David Ferrer. No. 2 Roger Federer and No. 3 Andy Murray will meet Friday. Djokovic had to get through a five-hour five-setter against No. 15 Stanislas Wawrinka in the fourth round. Ferrer had trouble in his quarterfinal against fellow Spaniard Nicolas Almagro, who served for the match in the third and fourth sets before losing in five. Federer, a 17-time Grand Slam champion, hadn't dropped serve in the tournament until the first set against 2008 finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Wednesday. He ended up with a struggle on his hands before advancing to his 10th consecutive Australian Open semifinal with a 7-6 (4), 4-6, 7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-3 win in 3 hours, 34 minutes. "I thought he played very aggressive," Federer said. "I love those four-set or five-set thrillers, and I was part of one tonight." Murray beat Jeremy Chardy of France 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 earlier Wednesday and hasn't dropped a set this tournament. Stephens' previous best run at a major tournament was at last year's French Open, where she was the first American teenager to reach the fourth round since Williams in 2001. She was the youngest player in the year-end top 50 despite missing the last six weeks of the season with an abdominal injury. "I took a lot of time off just kind of being a normal kid, doing whatever," she said. That means shopping, social networking and other things teens do. Stephens was under real pressure early, and it showed. She double-faulted to give Williams triple break point in the eighth game, but could save only two. Williams started pumping her fist and yelling, "Come On." Williams broke her serve again in the opening game of the second set. "From then on, I got aggressive, started coming to the net more and just got a lot more comfortable," Stephens said. That paid off when she broke back in the fourth game. Williams had injured her ankle in her first-round win, and the back injury compounded her problems in what she said later was her worst major tournament in a long time. The five-time Australian champion shanked a forehand to fall behind 2-1 in the third, then smashed her racket into the court, twice, flinging it toward the courtside chairs. She picked up her service speed and was called for a foot fault, further annoying her. Williams got the first break of the set and seemed to be back on track for victory, but Stephens answered immediately. Serving to stay in the match, Williams hit an attempted passing shot long and looked up to the sky, muttering to herself. She hit backhands into the net on the next two points, and her winning streak had ended. Williams walked around the net post to shake Stephens' hand. The quick turnaround between matches makes it difficult for Stephens' family to make it to Australia for her semifinal. "I'm kind of upset my mom's not here, and my brother," she said. "I know definitely everyone's watching back home and is very proud of me, so (I'll) just do my best and make them happy." ... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Djoke's on Berd Tuesday, 22 January, 2013 By Alexandra Willis It was the battle of the high street fashion brands. Novak Djokovic in Uniqlo taking on Tomas Berdych in H&M. But the shared ethos behind the top seed and fifth seed’s clothing was about all there was in common between Djokovic and Berdych on Tuesday night, with the defending champion progressing to his 11th consecutive Grand Slam semifinal with a 6-1 4-6 6-1 6-4 victory. Djokovic, who had less than 48 hours to recover from his five hour and two minute survival against Stanislas Wawrinka, practically sprinted through the early exchanges on Rod Laver Arena, breaking the big Berdych serve three times to win the first set in just 28 minutes. “In the situations where you play a Grand Slam where you have to be ready for five-hour matches, and then of course if you go through those matches you have to be ready to recover in just a day and a half time,” Djokovic said. “I have a great team of people around me that are doing the best they can in their expertise to make me feel ready physically, mentally, emotionally, every match, every challenge.” With Berdych looking as blank as his new white shirt, there seemed to be no danger that Djokovic would be on the court for even a fraction as long as he was on Sunday night. “I tried to get the work done as fast and efficient as possible,” Djokovic said. “I was very happy with the way I started the match.” But Berdych, a 2012 Davis Cup champion, did not upset Roger Federer at Wimbledon in 2010 by fluke. Taking advantage of a lull in Djokovic’s energy, the Czech fashioned a break of his own, and even had two points for a double break and a 4-1 lead in the second set. The Serb staved them off, and, as Berdych served for the set at 5-3, Djokovic threatened to do just what he had done against Wawrinka and snatch it from under the Czech’s white cap. Turning defence into attack in the manner for which he has become so revered, Djokovic made life distinctly uncomfortable for the fifth seed, but Berdych clung on. Losing the second set was like putting a booster in Djokovic’s engine. The No.1 seed, in no mood to hang about, roared into a 5-0 lead in the third set, and, despite one of the rallies of the match, served it out by the same scoreline as the first. “One set was not enough,” said Berdych despondently. “I didn’t quite come up with my best game and that’s what was deciding today. I was not able to be aggressive enough.” With his eye firmly on bedtime by midnight, Djokovic forced the Berdych errors on forehand and backhand to break in the third game of the fourth set, and didn’t let go. The Czech saved three match points, Djokovic missing two backhands and Berdych finding a forehand winner, but it was immaterial in the end. Sending his 10th ace down the T, the three-time champion raised his arms to the Melbourne sky in a less emphatic display of celebration than his shirt-ripping on Sunday. With the win, not only does Djokovic keep alive his dream of becoming the first man to win three successive titles at Melbourne Park, he also ensures that whether he wins or loses to David Ferrer in Thursday’s semifinal, he will remain as the world No.1 when this tournament concludes. He certainly played like the top dog tonight. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ferrer outfoxes Almagro Tuesday, 22 January, 2013 By Matt Cronin Share this David Ferrer has stated time and time again that the key to his success is his constant fight, and once again he proved that to be true when he wore down fellow Spaniard Nicolas Almagro 4-6 4-6 7-5 7-6(4) 6-2 to reach the Australian Open 2013 semifinals. In an exhausting three hour and 44 minute contest under a bright sun, Ferrer broke Almagro three times when his Davis Cup teammate served for the match, and continued his remarkable record against the world No. 11, running his head-to-head edge over the man from Murcia to 13-0. In his on-court interview, he called the win a miracle. “I try to fight every point, every game,” Ferrer said. “I know all the players, in important moments, we are nervous. I know that. Today I was close to lost, sure. But finally I come back, no?” Almagro came out flying, powering his under-rated first serve to the corners, striking his hard one-handed backhand beautifully and consistently moving inside the court, forcing Ferrer onto his heels. He looked just as good in the second set, for much as Ferrer tried to string him out in rallies, Almagro handily took care of every short ball. But serving for the match at 5-4 in the third set, the less experienced player lost control. He fought off two break points with an ace and forehand volley, but he was unable to gain a match point. The fourth-seeded Ferrer finally broke him with an inside-out forehand winner. Ferrer then held and easily ran out the set. But Almagro didn't fold, and gave himself another opportunity in the fourth set when he served for the match at 5-4, but once again he couldn't earn a match point. He did manage to fight off two break points, but was broken when he plunked a backhand into the net. Once again Almagro would break Ferrer to edge ahead 6-5, but he was broken to 6-6 when he flew a forehand way long. After that, the momentum swung entirely in Ferrer’s favor. Former Australian semifinalist Ferrer snagged the tiebreaker 7-4 when he forced his foe into a forehand error, and then while Almagro dealt with an adductor issue and appeared to lose speed, Ferrer raced away with the fifth set and ended the contest with a brilliant forehand pass. Almagro claimed that he began to feel pain in his adductor in the first set. “I think I tried to play my best tennis today,” Almagro said. “I say few days ago with my last press conference I will try to play aggressive, I will try to play my best tennis, and I think I did today. Is not enough to beat David. But we'll see what happen in the future. “I don't want think that it's a mentality problem. If I have mentality problem, I think I didn't win the first two sets.” Ferrer will play the winner of Tuesday night’s match between No. 1 Novak Djokovic and Czech Tomas Berdych. Djokovic is coming off a five-hour plus win over Stanislas Wawrinka in the fourth round. “Novak, I think now he's recovery, sure, because his physic is unbelievable,” Ferrer said. “He's the best, I think. You know, every day is different: the weather, the conditions.” Ferrer then added with a smile: “I don't know what is going to be tonight with Tomas Berdych, but I hope it will be a long match.” Rod Laver Arena - Men's Singles - QuarterfinalPts12345D. Ferrer (ESP) [4] 447776 N.Almagro (ESP) [10] 665642 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | 66° F - Monday's scheduleDay 7 combined day/night attendance: 62,812 Singles Round Rod Laver Arena | Complete N.Djokovic [1] 1766512 S.Wawrinka [15] 6547710 Novak survives steely Stan S unday, 20 January, 2013 By Matt Cronin Leave it to Novak Djokovic to be involved in another dramatic spectacle. In one of the most thrilling contests played at Melbourne Park in the past decade, the two-time defending champion edged an inspired Stanislas Wawrinka 1-6 7-5 6-4 6-7(5) 12-10 in a five hour and two minute marathon to move into the quarterfinals. It was a heroic effort by both men in front of a packed Rod Laver Arena that ended at 1.41am on Monday morning. The top seed managed to repel the pumped-up Swiss, who dictated play for much of the match with brilliant shot-making. But while Wawrinka wowed the spectators with his wondrous one-handed backhand, booming serves and rolling topspin forehands, it was Djokovic who once again dug deep on the court where he has had the most success. “Well, I'm just pleased to be part of that era, just pleased to be part of those matches where you push yourself up to the last drop of your energy,” Djokovic said. “I'm very glad to be a winner of another marathon.” In winning his third Australian Open last year, the strong-legged Serbian won back-to-back five-setters in the semifinals over Andy Murray and in the final over Rafael Nadal. But those were against two of his primary rivals in the sport, and not against a man who has tried so hard to transform himself into an elite player. On Sunday night and Monday morning in Melbourne, Wawrinka was that elite player, and deserved just as much attention as his more famous countryman, Roger Federer. “I always knew he has a quality,” Djokovic said. “He has ability to beat the best players in the world, and he has proven that on several occasions on different surfaces. He's using that power and the serve. He's really moving well over the court. He's reading the game. So he came up with great tactics today.” Even though he played a brilliant first set, Wawrinka could not consolidate a 5-2 lead in the second set and keep his foot on Djokovic’s throat. But he did not collapse after losing five straight games to drop the second set and then when he lost the third. Wawrinka, who held a 2-11 record against the Serbian entering the match, punched his way into the fourth set tiebreaker, and even though Djokovic came hard when down 3-6 by ripping two forehand winners, Wawrinka stood tall and won it with a whipping forehand of his own down the line. The two knew going into the fifth set that they would have to push their bodies to the limits and beyond, and they did so. Wawrinka cramped on and off throughout the set and had an opportunity when he was ahead 4-3 and held four break points, but Djokovic pulled off a sweet drop shot, Wawrinka made two groundstroke errors and the Serbian then put away a backhand volley. There would be no more break points after that until the 16-point final game, when Wawrinka fought off two match points, the first with a 200km/h ace and the second with an incredible backhand down the line when it looked like he was barely moving. But on the final point, Wawrinka pushed Djokovic all over the court and looked like he was going to win the point when he forced Djokovic to stab back two backhands, but after he hit a low slice approach shot, Djokovic somehow scooped it up and flipped a backhand crosscourt pass to win the contest. The final set alone lasted an hour and 44 minutes. “I think it's by far my best match I ever play, especially in five sets against the No. 1 player,” said the 15th-seeded Wawrinka. “Especially I was dealing with myself all the five hours, trying to always find solutions, trying to always fight against me and against him to stay with him. At the end I was really, really close. For sure I'm really sad. But I think there is more positive than negative.” The two warmly embraced at the net before Djokovic tore his shirt off and roared to his box, just like he did when he bested Nadal last year in their five hour and 53 minute classic. “I just had flashback of 2012 in the finals,” Djokovic said. “It was maybe 45 minutes less this match than the one 12 months ago, but still it was still as exciting. I tried to perform my best, enjoy the moment, be in the present, and couldn't ask for more. What a match point. Unbelievable.” Djokovic will play fifth-seeded Czech Tomas Berdych in the quarterfinals, and believes he’s in good enough shape to make another title run. “I’ve been in those situations before,” he said. “I remember when I won against Murray in the semis after five hours, and then played against Rafa almost six hours. I know I can recover. I know I have it in me.” Rod Laver Arena - Men's Singles - 4th RoundPts12345 Novak Djokovic (SRB) [1] 1766512 Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) [15] 6547710 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Serena’s double focus Sunday, 20 January, 2013 By Alexandra Willis As Serena Williams went over on her right ankle in her first singles match of the year’s first Grand Slam, worried glances ricocheting around Australian Open high command, it was assumed that her spill would put paid to her doubles campaign with sister Venus. Much as Jeremy Chardy was practically vilified on Twitter for playing a doubles match the day after reaching the fourth round of the Australian Open, and, heaven forbid, risking himself an injury, doubles was viewed as an expendable outing for the No.3 seed. But the game’s lower-profile discipline has an importance to Serena that the 15-time major singles champion has no hesitation in admitting to. Alongside Venus, Serena has never lost a Grand Slam doubles final, winning 13 of them, and three Olympic gold medals too. What’s more, in those 13 finals, they only dropped a set four times. “They mean a lot to me,” Serena said about her doubles titles. “They count at Grand Slams. I’m really excited that I’ve been able to win so many doubles titles.” Much of it comes down to the fact that, in Venus, Serena has the perfect partner. The pair complement each other perfectly; they have the natural chemistry on the court that the Bryan brothers do. And, at the end of it, they are sisters, doing it for each other. You only had to look at the way Serena leaned her head on her older sister’s shoulder during the Olympic gold medal ceremony, or adjusted Venus’s skirt during their straight sets win over Nadia Petrova and Katarina Srebotnik on Sunday afternoon. Serena and Venus won 90 per cent of points on their first serves, produced 39 winners and just 12 unforced errors. They are a well-oiled machine. Serena has put the secret of their success perfectly in the past. “They’ll hit all the balls to Venus and I’ll relax,” she said. “That’s the mistake.” And so Serena and her ankle did not take a break instead of playing doubles. She competed, they won, won again, and won again. Three matches later, they are in the quarterfinals, top seeds Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci their next opponents. Vinci and Errani, like Williams and Williams, are exceptions to the rule in that they are managing both disciplines rather well. The world No.1s are both ranked inside the singles top 20. But that’s a rarity. Today’s tennis requires that, especially in men’s, players focus on one or the other. It’s very difficult to do both. And Serena knows that. “I mean, people that are winning a lot of singles titles, nowadays, in the past decade or two decades, usually don’t win as many in doubles,” she said. “So I’m almost even with my singles and doubles. I think that’s really cool. It shows that I’m a really all-around player.” Thus, while there is no doubt that the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup is the pot at the end of the rainbow for Serena this fortnight, the women’s doubles trophy would do pretty nicely too. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Australian Open Day Six: As it happened Updated January 20, 2013, 1:13 am Look back Grandstand's coverage of day six of the Australian Open as the third round continued in both the men's and women's singles: Evening session: Gilles Simon def. Gael Monfils 6-4, 6-4, 4-6, 1-6, 8-6 Milos Raonic def. Philipp Kohlschreiber 7-6, 6-3, 6-4 Earlier highlights: Gilles Simon (14) 6 6 4 1 8 Gael Monfils 4 4 6 6 6 12.32pm: After almost four and three-quarter hours, Gilles Simon won his service game to love to beat Gael Monfils 6-4, 6-4, 4-6, 1-6, 8-6. Simon looks like he was about to pass out when sitting on his chair. He got through it though. "I was almost dying after the second set," Simon said with typical understatement. And that's where we'll leave tonight's live coverage. Thanks for enduring it with us. See you bright and early tomorrow. 12.26pm: Simon has broken Monfils and will now serve for the match once more. First though, he will receive another massage to his left thigh. 12:23pm: Simon levels at 6-6. No tie-break of course. At the end of one epic rally Simon held his chest as if he was going to collapse. He didn't. 12:17pm: Monfils is 6-5 up and the trainer is out for, by my estimation, the 27th time in this match. 12.08pm: Monfils wins his second break point on Simon's serve, who was serving for the game at 5-4 up. This game has still got legs. Ironically neither player has anything left in their own. 12.01pm: We're now locked at 2-2 in sets, 4-4 in games and 40-40. All to play for. 11.37pm: Monfils has broken back to make it 3-3. It is now deuce and there was just a 47-shot rally. I didn't want to sleep tonight anyway. 11.28pm: Simon has broken Monfils again. Surely he'll go on and win the set now. If only it was that straight forward... 11.21pm: Monfils has lost his serve. Unbelievable! And not in a good way. Simon now serving to level up the match at 2-2 in sets and games. 11.16pm: You haven't missed much. Just a marathon Simon service game where he alternated between holding his left leg and right wrist each time he lost a point. Monfils eventually broke him and is 2-0 up in the fifth. 10.55pm: Monfils takes the fourth set 6-1. It's amazing how this match has turned. Can Simon turn the tide in the deciding fifth? 10.41pm: A Simon double fault gives Monfils a 3-1 lead in the third set. 10.27pm: Monfils wins the third set 6-4. Simon is struggling with his left leg, Monfils doesn't look in great fitness himself....This could, quite literally, be a last man standing match. 10.17pm: "We're turning into the Fed-Nadal rivalry," Sloane Stephens said about her and Laura Robson at the press conference. Mmmm.... She was joking. We hope. 10:04pm: The All-France third-round clash is going with serve in the third. Simon, who is two sets to the good, is 3-2 up but now having treatment on his left thigh. 9:52pm: Tomic in press conference: "Full credit to him, he is the best player and greatest of all time." Maybe he should have been saying that before the match... 9:38pm: Simon saves a break point and then holds onto his serve and a brilliant lob forces a set point and he wins a lengthy rally to go two sets up on Monfils. 9:34pm: Jovanovski wins a second set tie-break to end the run of the tournament's elder stateswoman, Date-Krumm, winning 6-2, 7-6. Quite a contrast in her next foe: She plays teenager Sloane Stephens. 9:26pm: In the women's singles, Bojana Jovanovski won the first set against Kimiko Date-Krumm 6-2. The second set is in a tie-break. Can the 42-year-old force the match into a third set? 9:16pm: Back on court, Gilles Simon won the first set against Gael Monfils 6-4. It is currently 3-3 in the second. Roger Federer (2) 6 7 6 Bernard Tomic 4 6 1 9:08pm: Federer wins with an ace to take the match 6-4, 7-6 (7-5), 6-1 and seal his 250th grand slam match victory. The first man to hit this milestone. 9:06pm: Federer breaks Tomic again to go 5-1 up. Once more, it's going to take someone at the top of their game to beat the Swiss ace this year. 9:00pm: An ace-ace finish sees Federer take his service game to love. 4-1 up. Only a matter of time now. 8:58pm: Tomic holds his serve to stay in the game at 3-1 down. 8:50pm: Tomic did not play badly on his serve but Federer pulled out three consecutive fantastic points to break the Aussie. Federer 2-0 up in sets and in the third. 8:44pm: Two fantastic winners give Tomic a break point but Federer wins three straight points to take the game. Federer 2-0 up in sets and 1-0 in the third. 8:40pm: Raonic has beaten Kohlschreiber in straight sets 7-6, 6-3, 6-4. The winner meets Federer or Tomic. 8:37pm: Federer wins four points on the trot to win the second set. 8:35pm: Federer shows great defence to stay in a point on Tomic's serve and bring the scores back to 5-4 - in-effect back to level pegging. 8:34pm: Back to 4-3 now. Tomic may just get one chance here. 8:33pm: Tomic now 4-1 up. Easily held onto his two service points. Pressure on Fed. 8:32pm: Tomic is 2-0 up in the tie-break. He won his service point then answered a ferocious Federer forehand with one of his own that the Swiss maestro on the run could only put into the net. 8:30pm: And we have a tie-break. Federer famously has a superb record in these. The level of play is increasing all the time. 8:26pm: Tomic seals the game with an ace. 6-5 up in the second set now. Can he deny Fed a two-set lead? 8:25pm: Federer ends a superb rally with a backhand winner on the run to set up a break, but a hammered forehand from Tomic brings it back to deuce. 8:22pm: Pressure? What pressure. Federer holds to love, ending with a referred out call that was overruled an ace. 5-5. 8:19pm: This is such high quality tennis. Tomic saves three break points and holds to put pressure on Federer. Tomic 5-4 up in the second set. 8:10pm: Federer holds to level at 4-4. The players are level at 13 unforced errors apiece. The game has an even feel. It goes without saying this is a set Tomic has to win. 8:00pm: After having to save break points in his first two service games of the second set, Tomic goes 3-2 up winning a game to love, capped off by two aces. 7:57pm: Raonic is two sets up on Kohlschreiber (7-6, 6-3), with the score at 2-1 with serve in the third. 7.53pm: Federer easily holds on to his serve, sealed with an ace. Simon and Monfils are also underway in a match where the winner faces Andy Murray. It is 1-1 there in the first set. 7.50pm: Tomic survives a break point to hold on to his serve in the first game of the second set. 7:43pm: Federer takes the first set 6-4 with a minimum of fuss. 7:38pm: Tomic survived three set points and held onto his serve to ensure Fed is made to serve out to take the set. 5-4 Federer. 7:35pm: Again Tomic forces a deuce on Federer's serve but once more the Swiss ace responds with consecutive points. He leads 5-3. Elsewhere, Sloane Stephens has sealed a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Laura Robson. 7:28pm: Most encouraging returning game so far for Tomic. A sublime forehand brought the scores to deuce, but Federer hit a brilliant cross-court backhand winner and then an ace to seal the game. 4-2. 7:24pm: Federer still too good on his own serve. 3-1 up. Long odds on him not taking a one-set lead. 7:18pm: Better in his second service game from Tomic. Comfortably holding. Now can he make an impression on Federer's serve? 7.11pm: Fairly ominous start you'd have to say: Tomic broken in his first service game. 7:04pm: Four-time champion Roger Federer and Australia's number one Bernard Tomic are on court and hitting up. We are moments away... 6:53pm: Caroline Wozniacki survived a break point in the final game before serving out to complete a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Lesia Tsurenko. 6:45pm: Milos Raonic and Phillip Kohlschreiber are underway on Court 3. The match is 3-2 and going with serve. Must say I'm relieved this had an early start. I have a feeling it could be a long one. The winner of this plays Roger Federer or Bernard Tomic which begins shortly. 6:44pm: Commentator's or blogger's curse, whatever you want to call it - it's happened. Stephens broke Robson's serve and has taken the first set 7-5. 6:41pm: Laura Robson has made an incredible recovery in the first set against Sloane Stephens. From 4-0 down she has pulled it back to 6-5 on serve. 6:30pm: Caroline Wozniacki looks well on her way to the fourth round having won the first set 6-3 and 4-2 up in the second against Lesia Tsurenko. 6:16pm: We are less than an hour away from the match we have been waiting for this tournament. How is Roger Federer shaping up ahead of his clash with Bernard Tomic? Fortunately we spoke to his hitting partner Luke Saville: 6:11pm: Sam Stosur has not been able to find any solace for her singles woes in the doubles, with her and Julia Goerges going out to Vavara Lepchenko/Saisai Zheng 7-5, 3-6, 7-5. Ashleigh Barty and Jack Sock have been eliminated from the mixed doubles by Su-Wei Hsieh and Rohan Bopanna 6-3, 6-3. 6:00pm: Sloane Stephens has started off like a rocket against Australian-born Brit Laura Robson, leading 4-0 in the first set. 5:48pm: Tsurenko broke Wozniacki's serve to take a lead but the Dane restored parity in the following game. 5:38pm: Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki is now on court at Hisense Arena facing Lesia Tsurenko. The two split the opening games of the match on serve. 5:32pm: So the men's singles action is now on hiatus until Bernard Tomic and Roger Federer do battle, but we will keep an eye on the doubles action where Sam Stosur and Ashleigh Barty are, separately, on court. Stosur playing with Julia Georges is one-all in sets and 3-2 down in the deciding third, to Vavara Lepchenko and Saisai Zheng. Barty is also not fairing great - in the mixed doubles she and the fantastically named Jack Sock from America are 6-3, 1-0 down to Su-Wei Hsieh and Rohan Bopanna. 5:27pm: One more piece of business to take care of in the men's draw, there was a fourth match that finished almost simultaneously and it was a minor upset of sorts, with 21st seed Italian Andreas Seppi beating 12th seed Marin Cilic 6-7, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2. Andy Murray (3) 6 6 7 Ricardas Berankis 3 4 5 5:23pm: And Murray has completed a straight sets victory over Lithuania's favourite son, Ricardas Berankis, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5. He will play the winner of Gilles Simon and Gael Monfils in a fourth round that has a particular French flavour to it. 5:21pm: Andy Murray has broken straight back and is once more serving for a straight sets victory at 6-5 up in the third set. 5:19pm: And Chardy's compatriot Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is also through to the fourth round, he beat Blaz Kavcic 6-2, 6-1, 6-4. Juan del Potro (6) 3 3 7 6 3 Jeremy Chardy 6 6 6 3 6 5:17pm: But one result is in...and its the biggest shock of the torunament so far. Sixth seed Juan del Potro is out, Jeremy Chardy has beaten him 6-3, 6-3, 6-7, 3-6, 6-3. 5:15pm: Just when we thought it was over....it's not. When serving for the match Murray was broken by Berankis. The score now lies at 5-5 in the third set. 5:10pm: On that note I will hand over to Ciaran Baynes and Luke Pentony to take you through the rest of day six, including the marquee matchup of Tomic v Federer. This is Andrew McGarry signing off. 5:08pm: Everything seems to be coming to a crunch right now, with four matches potentially a few games away from finishing. Murray is serving at 4-3 against Berankis, Chardy and Del Potro are on serve in the fifth, Kavcic has broken back against Tsonga and has levelled the third set at 4-4 and Seppi has a break and is serving at 3-2 in the fifth against Cilic. 4:59pm: Tsonga is headed for victory, up a break at 4-1 in the third against Kavcic. 4:56pm: Andy Murray has broken again and leads 3-1 in the third set against Ricardas Berankis. Juan Martin del Potro and Jeremy Chardy are 2-2 in the deciding set, while Andreas Seppi and Marin Cilic are also on serve in the fifth after the Italian took the fourth set 6-4. 4:44pm: On Margaret Court Arena, Tsonga has gone two sets up over Kavcic, after winning the second set 6-1. 4:43pm: Murray isn't setting the world on fire, but he has taken the second set 6-4 against Berankis and a spot in the fourth round against Gael Monfils or Gilles Simon now beckons for the third seed. 4:35pm: Normal service is being resumed, with Andy Murray going on a run of games to lead 5-4 after being down 4-2 in the second set against Ricardas Berankis, while Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is 4-1 up in the second set over Blaz Kavcic. 4:32pm: Beware the wounded Argentinian, it seems - Juan Martin del Potro, despite talking to trainers during a change of ends in the fourth set, has now levelled his match at two sets all against Jeremy Chardy. 4:26pm: Some good news from the juniors, and a good start to a big day for the Tomic family. Bernard's younger sister Sara has beaten Gabriela Pantuckova of the Czech Republic in three sets, 2-6, 6-2, 6-4. A reminder, if one were needed, that Bernard Tomic is due on court later this evening to face Roger Federer in one of the most high-profile matches of the tournament. 4:21pm: Ricardas Berankis is not going anywhere - the Lithuanian has broken Andy Murray to lead 4-2 in the second set. Juan Martin del Potro and Jeremy Chardy are 3-3 in the fourth set, while Jo Wilfried-Tsonga has taken the opening set 6-2 against Blaz Kavcic. 4:04pm: On show court 2, Marin Cilic has taken the third set 6-2 to lead Andreas Seppi by two sets to one. On Margaret Court Arena, play is under way between France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Blaz Kavcic, with the seventh seed Tsonga making an early break to lead 2-1. 4:00pm: Good news for Scottish tennis fans, with Andy Murray winning the first set 6-3 against Ricardas Berankis. 3:58pm: The sixth seed is hanging tough on Hisense Arena. Juan Martin del Potro held his serve to take the third set to a tie-break against Jeremy Chardy, then he convincingly won the breaker 7-3. On to a fourth set we go! 3:40pm: Games are on serve at 5-5 in the third set between Jeremy Chardy and Juan Martin del Potro. If the sixth seed has a comeback in mind, he'd better fire up right now. Meanwhile women's 16th seed Roberta Vinci of Italy has been knocked out by Hobart international winner Elena Vesnina of Russia in three sets, 4-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4. Richard Gasquet bt Ivan Dodig 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-2), 6-0 (2 hr 25 min) 3:34pm: France's Richard Gasquet has sealed a spot in the fourth round, the ninth seed winning in four sets over Croatia's Ivan Dodig 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-2), 6-0 in two hours 25 minutes. He will now play the winner of Jo Wilfried-Tsonga and Blaz Kavcic in the next round. 3:26pm: Play is under way on Rod Laver Arena between Britain's Andy Murray and Lithuania's Ricardas Berankis. Murray has started well and is serving with a break at 3-1. 3:20pm: Some results from day one of the junior boys and girls singles competitions involving Australian juniors - Jacob Grills has lost to Duck Hee Lee of South Korea 6-4, 7-6 (7-4), Priscilla Hon has gone out in three sets to China's Ziyue Sun 6-4, 1-6, 0-6, Akira Santillan has opened his Open account with a win over Egypt's Mazen Osama 6-1, 6-2, Lizette Cabrera has been defeated 6-2, 6-2, by Slovakian Natalia Vajdova and Jay Andrijic has been beaten in straight sets by Italy's Filippo Baldi 6-4, 6-2. 3:08pm: Quickly back to Hisense Arena, where a non-plussed Juan Martin del Potro has meekly given his hard-earned break straight back to Jeremy Chardy. Chardy has never been past the third round in a grand slam, but the chances are he will rectify that stat this afternoon. 3:06pm: In other matches, Richard Gasquet has taken a third set tie-break by 7-2 against Ivan Dodig, and the Frenchman is now closing in on victory at 3-0 in the fourth set. Andreas Seppi has broken and leads 4-2 in the second set, although he is a set down to Marin Cilic. And on Margaret Court Arena, it is one set all between 16th seed Roberta Vinci of Italy and Russian Elena Vesnina. 3:01pm: Juan Martin del Potro is in deep trouble on Hisense Arena, losing the second set 6-3 to Jeremy Chardy. The sixth seed, sensing a need to strike, has grabbed a break in the opening game of the third set, but he has a long way home from here. Serena Williams bt Ayumi Morita 6-1, 6-3 (1 hr 6 min) 2:55pm: Well, Serena Williams has closed it out, breaking Ayumi Morita to win 6-1, 6-3 in one hour and six minutes. That was impressive, apart from a brief lapse at the start of the second set. She will now play Russia's Maria Kirilenko in the next round. 2:43pm: Serena Williams has turned things right around against Ayumi Morita, winning four straight games from 0-3 down to be up a break at 4-3. 2:40pm: Marin Cilic has battled back from a break down to take the first set against Andreas Seppi to a tie-break. Cilic has gone on with the job, taking the breaker 7-2. 2:37pm: On Hisense Arena, there is an upset in the wind, with France's Jeremy Chardy a break up at 3-2 in the second set, having won the opening set 6-3 over Juan Martin del Potro. 2:34pm: Japan's Ayumi Morita has had a strong start to the second set, breaking Williams and is serving at 3-1. However she has dropped the opening three points to give Serena a sniff of a break back, and Williams only needed one break point to take the score to 2-3 on serve. 2:17pm: Elsewhere, men's ninth seed Richard Gasquet of France and Croatian Ivan Dodig are one set all on show court 3, while Italian 21st seed Andreas Seppi has a break in the opening set and leads Croatian 12th seed Marin Cilic 5-3. On Rod Laver Arena, Serena Williams has just dropped the hammer with a 207 kmh serve on the way to clinching the first set 6-1 against Ayumi Morita. 2:09pm: Let's go around the grounds for a minute to tell you about what is happening on various courts. On Rod Laver Arena, Serena Williams is apparently cruising at 4-1 in the first set against Japan's Ayumi Morita. There has been an interesting start to the match on Hisense Arena, with Argentinian sixth seed Juan Martin del Potro behind against France's Jeremy Chardy after losing the first set 6-3. 1:53pm: Women's number one seed Victoria Azarenka has prevailed in a tight three-set match over gutsy American Jamie Hampton, who pushed the Belarusian star all the way despite a back injury: Hampton, who has a history of back trouble, took a five-minute timeout late in the second set for treatment on her lower back. Still in obvious pain, the world number 63 was able to clinch the second set before world number one Azarenka steadied to win 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 in a match which lasted for two hours and nine minutes. Hampton, 22, was also treated for cramp in her legs during the third set to the annoyance of her Belarussian opponent. The American's last chance came in the seventh game of the final set when she got to 0-40 on Azarenka's serve, only for the top seed to win five straight points and hold for 5-2. Victoria Azarenka bt Jamie Hampton 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 (2 hr 9 min) 1:23pm: It looks like the end for Hampton, who had three break points in the seventh game only for Azarenka to hold for 5-2. The Belarusian races to 0-40, and converts her first match point to win 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 after two hours nine minutes. The crowd gives a standing ovation to both players. 1:14pm: An update from the other courts - 14th seed Maria Kirilenko of Russia has won her match against Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium on Hisense Arena, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3. On show court 2, Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro and Svetlana Kuznetsova are locked at one set all, with Kuznetsova up 5-3 in the decider. 1:08pm: Hampton nets a return and Azarenka gets the break back for 2-2. 1:04pm: This. Is. Amazing. Jamie Hampton can hardly move on court, but she has held her own serve and then broken Victoria Azarenka to lead 2-1 in the deciding set. The crowd is on their feet at Rod Laver Arena, and the number one seed is in grave danger here. 12:58pm: Jamie Hampton has just levelled things up at one set all, but she is in a lot of pain on Rod Laver Arena, and it looks uncertain whether she can physically last through a draining third set. The American appears to be hurting every time she hits the ball. This is a brave effort, but I expect we may see a retirement shortly. 12:49pm: Hampton has returned to the court after having treatment on her back - she seems somewhat constrained in her play, but she has set up two set points at 40-15, and the American has sent down a tough first serve which Azarenka skied wide cross-court to give Hampton the second set 6-4. Game on! 12:43pm: Not good news for Jamie Hampton - the American failed to convert two break points to take the set in the ninth game, allowing Azarenka to get back to 4-5. Before she could try to hold serve for the set, however, Hampton has called out the trainer at the change of ends and has now left the court to get treatment on an unidentified injury. 12:34pm: The Australian Open Twitter traffic continues apace, with the players posting a variety of messages. Men's eighth seed Janko Tipsarevic has sent a shout-out to fellow Serbian Nikola Milojevic, who begins his junior boys' campaign today against Jurence Zosimo Mendoza of the Phillipines. South Africa's Kevin Anderson has thanked the public for their support after his five set win over Spain's 22nd seed Fernando Verdasco, and Switzerland's Stanislaus Wawrinka has simply said hello: @TipsarevicJanko Juniors start today...That brings back memories.C'mon NIkola @kevinanderson18 Thank you for all the support and messages, it means a lot! It was a great experience playing yesterday in #Hisense arena @australianopen @stanwarinka Good morning Melbourne .... 12:28pm: Women's 14th seed Maria Kirilenko has taken the first set 7-6 (7-4) against Yanina Wickmayer after 64 minutes on Hisense Arena. Meanwhile things have stabilised on Rod Laver Arena, with Jamie Hampton still a break up on Victoria Azarenka at 4-3 in the second set. 12:18pm: As a partial explanation for all the breaks, it is difficult to hold serve when both players are winning roughly 20 per cent of their second serves. However, Jamie Hampton has now managed the feat, holding for a 3-1 lead in the second set. 12:14pm: On Hisense Arena, the match between Yanina Wickmayer and Maria Kirilenko has gone to a first set tie-break after just under an hour's play. 12:12pm: What is happening here? Hampton has now broken Azarenka to make it three breaks of serve in as many games at the start of the second set. She leads 2-1. 12:08pm: Azarenka has now been broken in the opening game of the second set, but Hampton is struggling on her own service and the Belarusian has levelled at 1-1. 12:04pm: Oh dear, it's catching. Hampton has just double-faulted on set-point to give the opener to Azarenka 6-4 in 47 minutes. It has to be said, however that the number one seed is looking a little shaky here - whoever can keep their composure will win through to the fourth round. 11:57am: Now wait a minute, things are changing on Rod Laver Arena. Jamie Hampton is finding her feet and is hitting some powerful groundstrokes that Victoria Azarenka is struggling with. Azarenka has just served her fifth double fault and the American has broken back again to trail 4-5 with her serve to come. 11:49am: Things are going pear-shaped for the young American on Rod Laver Arena, as Jamie Hampton has been broken again in the sixth game of the opening set. Victoria Azarenka is serving for the set at 5-1, but whether it's nerves or something else, the Belarusian world number one throws in three double faults and eventually concedes the game. So Hampton has one break back, but she still trails 2-5. 11:31am: Azarenka has the first break of the match against Hampton - she leads 3-1 in the opening set. On Hisense Arena, Belgian 20th seed Yanina Wickmayer has exchanged breaks with Maria Kirilenko. The Belgian leads 2-1. 11:28am: Looking past the Australian challenge on day six, there are are a number of top seeds in the men's and women's singles draws who are appearing on the main courts during the day session. Getting things started on Rod Laver Arena is number one seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, who is playing American Jamie Hampton. Azarenka has dropped all of six games in the first two rounds combined, and she has started off strongly on serve for 2-1. Second up in the main stadium is third seed Serena Williams, who has been in deadly form despite concerns over an ankle injury. She takes on Japan's Ayumi Morita. Then men's number three seed Andy Murray, who will play Lithuania's Ricardas Berankis - the conqueror of Germany's 25th seed Florian Mayer in round two. On Hisense Arena, we start with women's 14th seed Russia's Maria Kirilenko v 20th seed Yanina Wickmayer, before Argentinian men's sixth seed Juan Martin Del Potro takes on France's Jeremy Chardy. Later, women's 10th seed Caroline Wozniacki will play Ukraine's Lesia Tsurenko. On Margaret Court Arena, men's seventh seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga - who fancies his chances of taking the scheduled spot in the semi-finals for absent Big Four member Rafael Nadal - will be third match on against Slovenia's Blaz Kavcic, the man who put paid to Australian James Duckworth's Open campaign in five hot draining sets the other day. 11:10am: There are a number of Australians in action today, mostly in men's, women's and mixed doubles. The obvious highlight, of course, is a certain young man who is still undefeated in 2013 coming up against perhaps the greatest player in the history of the game. Umm ... no pressure, though, Bernard Tomic - you can take on Roger "17 Slams" Federer tonight at 7:00pm on Rod Laver Arena. For the rest of the schedule look below to see who's playing who, when and where. aus Gajdosova/Ebden v Lisicki/Nielsen Show Court 3 after 11:00am aus Goerges/Stosur v Lepchenko/Zheng Show Court 3 not before 12:00pm aus Barton/Millman v Anderson/Ehrlich Court 6 after 11:00am aus Barty/Sock v Hsieh/Bopanna Court 6 after 12:00pm aus Black/Rodionova v Aoyama/Falconi Margaret Court Arena after 7:00pm aus Bernard Tomic v Roger Federer Rod Laver Arena after 7:00pm aus Dellacqua/Smith v Hlavackova/Bracciali Rod Laver Arena after 7:00pm There are also a string of young Australians hitting the courts for the start of the junior boys' and girls' singles. Check below for courts and times. aus Jacob Grills v Duck Hee Lee Court 5 after 11:00am aus Akira Santillan v Mazen Osama Court 5 after 11:00am aus Naiktha Bains v Olga Fridman Court 5 after 11:00am aus Marc Polmans v Nicolas Jarry Court 5 after 11:00am aus Sara Tomic v Gabriela Pantuckova Court 8 after 11:00am aus Oliver Anderson v Brayden Schnur Court 11 after 11:00am aus Stefani Stojic v Shilin Xu Court 11 after 11:00am aus Jake Delaney v Hyeon Chung Court 11 after 11:00am aus Priscilla Hon v Ziyue Sun Court 15 after 11:00am aus Lizette Cabrera v Natalie Vajdova Court 15 after 11:00am aus Ellen Perez v Ana Konjuh Court 15 after 11:00am aus Jay Andrijic v Filippo Baldi Court 20 after 11:00am aus Brooke Rischbieth v Carol Zhao Court 22 after 11:00am 11:05am: Good morning tennis fans and welcome to the sixth day of the first grand slam of the year. Things move fast at Melbourne Park, we are nearing the end of week one and the top seeds all appear to be in fine form. Aside from women's number eight seed Petra Kvitova, who exited the Open on night four at the hands of Britain's Laura Robson, big upsets have been about as rare as the dodo. Time will tell us whether that will change on day six. As always, you can keep in touch with us via or , where we'll be asking for your thoughts on the tennis as the day goes on. Matches: Jan 18, 2013 Matches: Jan 18, 2013 Jan 13 | Jan 14 | Jan 15 | Jan 16 | Jan 17 | Jan 18 | Jan 19 | Jan 20 | Jan 21 | Jan 22 | Jan 23 Friday, Jan 18 Australian Open Australian Open Melbourne, Australia Type: Men's Surface: Hard Third Round Andy Murray (3) vs. Richard Berankis pre-game Richard Gasquet (9) vs. Ivan Dodig pre-game Juan Martin del Potro (6) vs. Jeremy Chardy pre-game Kei Nishikori (16) vs. Evgeny Donskoy 7-6 (7-3), 6-2, 6-3 final Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (7) vs. Blaz Kavcic pre-game David Ferrer (4) vs. Marcos Baghdatis (28) 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 final Tomas Berdych (5) vs. Jurgen Melzer (26) 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 final Marin Cilic (12) vs. Andreas Seppi (21) pre-game Stanislas Wawrinka (15) vs. Sam Querrey (20) 7-6 (8-6), 7-5, 6-4 final Australian Open Australian Open Melbourne, Australia Type: Men's Surface: Hard Third Round Sloane Stephens (29) vs. Laura Robson pre-game Victoria Azarenka (1) vs. Jamie Hampton pre-game Valeria Savinykh vs. Kirsten Flipkens 2-6, 6-4, 3-6 final Caroline Wozniacki (10) vs. Lesia Tsurenko pre-game Roberta Vinci (16) vs. Elena Vesnina pre-game Svetlana Kuznetsova vs. Carla Suarez Navarro pre-game Serena Williams (3) vs. Ayumi Morita pre-game Maria Sharapova (2) vs. Venus Williams (25) 6-1, 6-3 final Maria Kirilenko (14) vs. Yanina Wickmayer (20) pre-game ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ..Australian Open, Day 5: Maria Sharapova takes out Venus Williams By Shane Bacon | Busted Racquet – 2 hours 20 minutes ago It's not often we get such a high profile match this early in a Grand Slam week, but that's what happens when Venus Williams' ranking drops to 25. The seven-time Slam winner hasn't made a quarterfinals in one of the big four events since the 2010 U.S. Open, but that doesn't stop Venus going up against Maria Sharapova from being a lot of fun in the first week in Melbourne. Sharapova entered her third round match having not dropped a single game, and while this match looked exciting on paper, it was pretty one-sided in the Russian's favor. Sharapova won the opening set 6-1, followed that up with a second set win of 6-3 and the match lasted just 1 hour and 19 minutes. If you're looking at possible favorites in the second week of the Australian Open in the women's side, you'd be hard-pressed to find someone hitting the ball as well as Sharapova is right now. Sure, she had just 17 winners in the two-set win over Venus, but she sure seems to be seeing the ball incredibly well early on in this major and if she keeps pounding it from the baseline like this it would be surprising not to see her in her second straight Australian Open final. American men are done in Australia -- With John Isner pulling out of the Aussie Open before it kicked off, it didn't seem likely that we'd see a lot of red, white and blue into the late rounds of this Grand Slam. The best hope seemed to be Sam Querrey, who was looking to make it past the third round for the first time in his career in Melbourne. That didn't happen, as Querrey met up against Stanislas Wawrinka and after dropping the opening set tiebreaker 7-6 (8-6), lost in straight sets to the 15th ranked player in the field. The loss by Querrey means there are no American men left in the Australian Open with still half the third round yet to be played, a disappointing but not surprising fact in 2013. Radek Stepanek keeps the Djokovic win interesting -- The fact is that Novak Djokovic won his third round match against Radek Stepanek 6-4, 6-3, 7-5. What the scores don't tell you is how much fun it was watching Stepanek run down lobs and drop shots by Novak all evening, getting the crowd involved during his inevitable defeat. You can tell the two enjoy playing against each other, and even as Djokovic was serving for the match, Stepanek hit an incredible over-the-shoulder shot that forced Novak to hit a soft volley that turned into a point won by Radek and him giving the crowd one more finger point and run around the court. After the match the two smiled and hugged at the net and while the two-time defending champion moved on easily, it wasn't without a little fun for the fans. ..--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date Session START TIME Public Gates Opening Time Provisional Feature Matches Rod Laver Arena Hisense Arena Outside courts Wed 9 10.00am 9.30am Thu 10 10.00am 9.30am Fri 11 10.00am 9.30am Sat 12 12.00pm 9.30am Sun 13 no play n/a Mon 14 Day 11.00am 11.00am 11.00am 10.00am 1st singles round Night 7.00 pm 5.00pm Tue 15 Day 11.00am 11.00am 11.00am 10.00am 1st singles round Night 7.00 pm 5.00pm Wed 16 Day 11.00am 11.00am 11.00am 10.00am 2nd singles round Night 7.00 pm 5.00pm Thu 17 Day 11.00am 11.00am 11.00am 10.00am 2nd singles round Night 7.00 pm 5.00pm Fri 18 Day 11.00am 11.00am 11.00am 10.00am 3rd singles round Night 7.00 pm 7.00 pm 5.00pm Sat 19 Day 11.00am 11.00am 11.00am 10.00am 3rd singles round Night 7.00 pm 7.00 pm 5.00pm Sun 20 Day 11.00am 11am 11.00am 10.00am 4th singles round Night 7.00 pm 5.00pm Mon 21 Day 11.00am 11am 11.00am 10.00am 4th singles round Night 7.30 pm 5.00pm Tue 22 Day 11.00am no play 11.00am 10.00am Quarterfinal Singles Night 7.30 pm 5.00pm Wed 23 Day 11.00am no play 11.00am 10.00am Quarterfinal Singles Night 7.30 pm Thu 24 Day 11.00am no play 11.00am 10.00am (Match TBA) not before 1.30pm 2 x Women’s Singles Semifinal Night 7.30 pm 5.00pm 1 x Men’s Singles Semifinal followed by "Magic Moments" exhibition match Fri 25 Twilight 3.00pm no play 3.00pm 2.00pm Mixed Doubles Semifinal not before 4.00pm Women’s Doubles Final not before 7.30pm 1 x Men’s Singles Semifinal Sat 26 Twilight 1.00pm no play 1.00pm 12.00pm Girl’s Singles Final followed by Boy’s Singles Final (subject toGS Final completion by 4pm) 7.00pm* (*Australia Day Ceremony) 7.30pm Women’s Singles Final followed by Men's Doubles Final Sun 27 Twilight 4.00pm no play no play 3.00pm Mixed Doubles Final 7.00pm* (* Pre-Final Entertainment) 7.30pm Men’s Singles Final This schedule & format is provisional and is subject to alteration without notice (eg. the starting time may change if extreme heat is forecast, or the tournament is behind schedule). Junior matches on outside courts Sun 19 Jan onwards - may start up to one hour earlier than above stated outside court start time. Singles events quarter final matches are proposed to be scheduled on Tue 22 and Wed 23 Jan. Night session RLA Doors will not be opened for patron access before 6.30pm for 7pm sessions, and 7pm for 7.30pm sessions, or less than 30 minutes after the conclusion of the Day session, whichever is later. Public gate opening times may be altered if required for safety or other reasons. It is intended to schedule four (4) matches at Hisense Arena Mon 14 - Thurs 17 Jan, and Sun 20 - Mon 21 Jan. It is intended to schedule three (3) Day session matches and two (2) Night session matches at Hisense Arena Fri 18 and Sat 19 Jan. The last match on Margaret Court Arena Mon 14 - Sat 19 Jan, will be scheduled not before 7.00pm. Completed Matches - Day 3 Home > Scores > Completed MatchesAll EventsMen's SinglesWomen's SinglesMen's DoublesWomen's DoublesMen's Qualifying SinglesWomen's Qualifying SinglesExhibition QualifyingTournament1Wednesday, 09 January2Thursday, 10 January3Friday, 11 January4Saturday, 12 January 1Monday, 14 January2Tuesday, 15 January3Wednesday, 16 January4 Thursday, 17 January5 Friday, 18 January6 Saturday, 19 January7 Sunday, 20 January8 Monday, 21 January9 Tuesday, 22 January10 Wednesday, 23 January11 Thursday, 24 January12 Friday, 25 January13 Saturday, 26 January14 Sunday, 27 JanuaryRod Laver Arena - Women's Singles - 2nd RoundPts12345Irina-Camelia Begu (ROU) 33Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) [4]66Match StatsRod Laver Arena - Men's Singles - 2nd RoundPts12345Guillaume Rufin (FRA) 224Tomas Berdych (CZE) [5]666Match StatsRod Laver Arena - Women's Singles - 2nd RoundPts12345Jie Zheng (CHN) 617Samantha Stosur (AUS) [9]465Match StatsRod Laver Arena - Women's Singles - 2nd RoundPts12345Venus Williams (USA) [25]66Alize Cornet (FRA) 33Match StatsRod Laver Arena - Men's Singles - 2nd RoundPts12345Novak Djokovic (SRB) [1]666Ryan Harrison (USA) 123Match StatsHisense Arena - Men's Singles - 2nd RoundPts12345Nicolas Almagro (ESP) [10]666Daniel Gimeno-Traver (ESP) 412Match StatsHisense Arena - Women's Singles - 2nd RoundPts12345Na Li (CHN) [6]67Olga Govortsova (BLR) 25Match StatsHisense Arena - Men's Singles - 2nd RoundPts12345Tatsuma Ito (JPN) 6322Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) [28]3666Match StatsHisense Arena - Women's Singles - 2nd RoundPts12345Misaki Doi (JPN) 00Maria Sharapova (RUS) [2]66Match StatsMargaret Court Arena - Women's Singles - 2nd RoundPts12345Angelique Kerber (GER) [5]66Lucie Hradecka (CZE) 31Match StatsMargaret Court Arena - Women's Singles - 2nd RoundPts12345Julia Goerges (GER) [18]66Romina Oprandi (SUI) 32Match StatsMargaret Court Arena - Men's Singles - 2nd RoundPts12345David Ferrer (ESP) [4]6746Tim Smyczek (USA) 0563Match StatsMargaret Court Arena - Women's Singles - 2nd RoundPts12345Ana Ivanovic (SRB) [13]716Yung-Jan Chan (TPE) 564Match StatsMargaret Court Arena - Men's Singles - 2nd RoundPts12345Xavier Malisse (BEL) 132Fernando Verdasco (ESP) [22]666Match StatsShow Court 2 - Women's Singles - 2nd RoundPts12345Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) [15]664Valeria Savinykh (RUS) 786Match StatsRetiredShow Court 2 - Men's Singles - 2nd RoundPts12345Tobias Kamke (GER) 364Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) [15]677Match StatsShow Court 2 - Women's Singles - 2nd RoundPts12345Maria Joao Koehler (POR) 6652Jelena Jankovic (SRB) [22]2776Match StatsShow Court 2 - Men's Singles - 2nd RoundPts12345Lukas Lacko (SVK) 34665Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) [8]66347Match StatsShow Court 3 - Men's Singles - 2nd RoundPts12345Carlos Berlocq (ARG) 6441Kei Nishikori (JPN) [16]7766Match StatsShow Court 3 - Women's Singles - 2nd RoundPts12345Madison Keys (USA) 66Tamira Paszek (AUT) [30]21Match StatsShow Court 3 - Women's Singles - 2nd RoundPts12345Vesna Dolonc (SRB) 50Marion Bartoli (FRA) [11]76Match StatsShow Court 3 - Men's Singles - 2nd RoundPts12345Feliciano Lopez (ESP) 224Radek Stepanek (CZE) [31]666Match StatsCourt 5 - Women's Doubles - 1st RoundPts12345Kimiko Date-Krumm (JPN) Arantxa Parra Santonja (ESP) 466Lara Arruabarrena-Vecino (ESP) Lourdes Dominguez Lino (ESP) 632Match StatsRetiredCourt 5 - Men's Doubles - 1st RoundPts12345Robert Lindstedt (SWE) [7] Nenad Zimonjic (SRB) [7]37Michael Llodra (FRA) Nicolas Mahut (FRA) 65Match StatsCourt 5 - Men's Doubles - 1st RoundPts12345Michael Kohlmann (GER) Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) 77Colin Fleming (GBR) Jamie Murray (GBR) 55Match StatsCourt 5 - Men's Doubles - 1st RoundPts12345Lukas Rosol (CZE) Viktor Troicki (SRB) 34Flavio Cipolla (ITA) Andreas Seppi (ITA) 66Match StatsCourt 5 - Men's Doubles - 1st RoundPts12345Jeremy Chardy (FRA) Lukasz Kubot (POL) 66Frantisek Cermak (CZE) [15] Michal Mertinak (SVK) [15]42Match StatsCourt 6 - Women's Singles - 2nd RoundPts12345Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) 66Klara Zakopalova (CZE) [23]10Match StatsRetiredCourt 6 - Men's Singles - 2nd RoundPts12345Sam Querrey (USA) [20]30621Brian Baker (USA) 30771Match StatsCourt 6 - Women's Singles - 2nd RoundPts12345Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) [19]66Stephanie Foretz Gacon (FRA) 33Match StatsCourt 6 - Men's Singles - 2nd RoundPts12345Julien Benneteau (FRA) [32]477777Edouard Roger-Vasselin (FRA) 656565Match StatsCourt 7 - Women's Doubles - 1st RoundPts12345Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) [10] Sania Mirza (IND) [10]643Silvia Soler-Espinosa (ESP) Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) 776Match StatsCourt 7 - Women's Doubles - 1st RoundPts12345Polona Hercog (SLO) Francesca Schiavone (ITA) 24Ashleigh Barty (AUS) Casey Dellacqua (AUS) 66Match StatsCourt 7 - Men's Doubles - 1st RoundPts12345Santiago Gonzalez (MEX) [13] Scott Lipsky (USA) [13]45Eric Butorac (USA) Paul Hanley (AUS) 67Match StatsCourt 7 - Women's Doubles - 1st RoundPts12345Jarmila Gajdosova (AUS) Klara Zakopalova (CZE) 14Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE) [15] Shuai Peng (CHN) [15]66Match StatsCourt 7 - Men's Doubles - 1st RoundPts12345James Duckworth (AUS) Chris Guccione (AUS) 37765Samuel Groth (AUS) Matt Reid (AUS) 66177Match StatsCourt 8 - Men's Singles - 2nd RoundPts12345Somdev Devvarman (IND) 7126105Jerzy Janowicz (POL) [24]6103667Match StatsCourt 8 - Women's Singles - 2nd RoundPts12345Ksenia Pervak (KAZ) 6672Heather Watson (GBR) 4796Match StatsCourt 8 - Men's Singles - 2nd RoundPts12345Andrey Kuznetsov (RUS) 154Kevin Anderson (RSA) 676Match StatsCourt 10 - Women's Doubles - 1st RoundPts12345Melinda Czink (HUN) Bojana Jovanovski (SRB) 4677Simona Halep (ROU) Arantxa Rus (NED) 6262Match StatsCourt 10 - Men's Doubles - 1st RoundPts12345Yen-Hsun Lu (TPE) Go Soeda (JPN) 47106Julian Knowle (AUT) [14] Filip Polasek (SVK) [14]6683Match StatsCourt 10 - Women's Doubles - 1st RoundPts12345Eleni Daniilidou (GRE) Christina McHale (USA) 43Andrea Hlavackova (CZE) [2] Lucie Hradecka (CZE) [2]66Match StatsCourt 10 - Men's Doubles - 1st RoundPts12345Paolo Lorenzi (ITA) Potito Starace (ITA) 776Benjamin Becker (GER) Frank Moser (GER) 603Match StatsCourt 11 - Women's Doubles - 1st RoundPts12345Rika Fujiwara (JPN) Mervana Jugic-Salkic (BIH) 14Jill Craybas (USA) Chanelle Scheepers (RSA) 66Match StatsCourt 11 - Women's Doubles - 1st RoundPts12345Mathilde Johansson (FRA) Pauline Parmentier (FRA) 7947Kiki Bertens (NED) Tatjana Malek (GER) 6765Match StatsCourt 11 - Men's Doubles - 1st RoundPts12345Ivan Dodig (CRO) [10] Marcelo Melo (BRA) [10]57765Daniele Bracciali (ITA) Lukas Dlouhy (CZE) 76177Match StatsCourt 11 - Women's Doubles - 1st RoundPts12345Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) 626Annika Beck (GER) Liga Dekmeijere (LAT) 161Match StatsCourt 13 - Women's Doubles - 1st RoundPts12345Alicja Rosolska (POL) Tamarine Tanasugarn (THA) 264Maria Kirilenko (RUS) [3] Lisa Raymond (USA) [3]616Match StatsCourt 13 - Men's Singles - 2nd RoundPts12345Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) [23]664263Evgeny Donskoy (RUS) 377636Match StatsCourt 13 - Men's Doubles - 1st RoundPts12345Mike Bryan (USA) [1] Bob Bryan (USA) [1]76Oliver Marach (AUT) Horacio Zeballos (ARG) 53Match StatsCourt 13 - Men's Doubles - 1st RoundPts12345Rohan Bopanna (IND) [12] Rajeev Ram (USA) [12]66Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS) Nick Kyrgios (AUS) 24Match StatsCourt 15 - Men's Doubles - 1st RoundPts12345Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi (PAK) [6] Jean-Julien Rojer (NED) [6]66David Goffin (BEL) Simon Stadler (GER) 31Match StatsCourt 15 - Men's Doubles - 1st RoundPts12345Alex Bolt (AUS) Greg Jones (AUS) 3677Alejandro Falla (COL) Santiago Giraldo (COL) 6265Match StatsCourt 15 - Men's Doubles - 1st RoundPts12345Dustin Brown (GER) Christopher Kas (GER) 2667Marcel Granollers (ESP) [3] Marc Lopez (ESP) [3]6379Match StatsCourt 15 - Men's Doubles - 1st RoundPts12345Pablo Andujar (ESP) Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) 24Mahesh Bhupathi (IND) [5] Daniel Nestor (CAN) [5]66Match StatsCourt 19 - Men's Doubles - 1st RoundPts12345Simone Bolelli (ITA) Fabio Fognini (ITA) 66Johan Brunstrom (SWE) Frederik Nielsen (DEN) 33Match StatsCourt 19 - Men's Singles - 2nd RoundPts12345Jurgen Melzer (AUT) [26]6466366Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) 7737732Match StatsCourt 19 - Women's Singles - 2nd RoundPts12345Kristyna Pliskova (CZE) 632Sorana Cirstea (ROU) [27]166Match StatsCourt 19 - Women's Doubles - 1st RoundPts12345Natalie Grandin (RSA) [14] Vladimira Uhlirova (CZE) [14]66Viktorija Rajicic (AUS) Storm Sanders (AUS) 44Match StatsCourt 20 - Women's Doubles - 1st RoundPts12345Alla Kudryavtseva (RUS) Shahar Peer (ISR) 03Darija Jurak (CRO) Katalin Marosi (HUN) 66Match StatsCourt 20 - Women's Doubles - 1st RoundPts12345Shuko Aoyama (JPN) Irina Falconi (USA) 6577Vania King (USA) [11] Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ) [11]3762Match StatsCourt 20 - Women's Doubles - 1st RoundPts12345Sara Errani (ITA) [1] Roberta Vinci (ITA) [1]776Sofia Arvidsson (SWE) Johanna Larsson (SWE) 632Match StatsCourt 20 - Men's Doubles - 1st RoundPts12345Leonardo Mayer (ARG) Albert Ramos (ESP) 637866Robin Haase (NED) Igor Sijsling (NED) 776678Match StatsCourt 22 - Women's Doubles - 1st RoundPts12345Petra Martic (CRO) Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) 6468Mandy Minella (LUX) Megan Moulton-Levy (USA) 26710Match StatsCourt 22 - Women's Doubles - 1st RoundPts12345Andreja Klepac (SLO) Anna Tatishvili (GEO) 6655Xinyun Han (CHN) Yi-Miao Zhou (CHN) 1777Match StatsCourt 22 - Women's Doubles - 1st RoundPts12345Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) Lucie Safarova (CZE) 66Timea Babos (HUN) Laura Robson (GBR) 24Match Stats AOTV Australian Open TV Live Coverage Night Session Highlights: Day Thr... Novak Djokovic Press Conference Highlights: Djokovic v Harrison Latest NewsWatson back from the brink 16 JAN: British No.1 Heather Watson saves three match points in the second set and rallies to beat Ksenia Pervak 4-6 7-6(7) 6-2 on Wednesday. 0 comments•Nishikori knows how to serve it up •Ferrer rock solid against lucky loser •New coach, new game and new Li •Goerges safely through to third round --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- U. S. OPEN TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS AUGUST 27 - SEPTEMBER 9, 2012 Tournament ScheduleHome > Schedule > Tournament Schedule SessionDayDateTime (ET)Match Schedule Tuesday8/21 11:00 AM Qualifying Tournament Wednesday8/22 11:00 AM Qualifying Tournament Thursday8/23 11:00 AM Qualifying Tournament Friday8/24 11:00 AM Qualifying Tournament Saturday8/25 9:30 AM Arthur Ashe Kids' Day1 Monday8/27Day11:00 AM Men's & Women's 1st Round2 Night7:00 PM Men's & Women's 1st Round3 Tuesday8/28Day11:00 AM Men's & Women's 1st Round4 Night7:00 PM Men's & Women's 1st Round5 Australian Open 2013 Australian OpenJanuary 16-27, 2013 2012 Winners Men's Singles: Novak Djokovic Women's Singles: Victoria Azarenka ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wednesday8/29Day11:00 AM Men's 1st Round/Women's 2nd Round6 Night7:00 PM Men's & Women's 2nd Round7 Thursday8/30Day11:00 AM Men's & Women's 2nd Round8 Night7:00 PM Men's & Women's 2nd Round9Friday8/31Day11:00 AMMen's 2nd Round/Women's 3rd Round10 Night7:00 PM Men's 2nd Round/Women's 3rd Round11 Saturday9/1Day11:00 AM Men's & Women's 3rd Round12 Night7:00 PMMen's & Women's 3rd Round13 Sunday9/2Day11:00 AM Men's 3rd Round/Women’s Round of 1614 Night7:00 PM Men's 3rd Round/Women’s Round of 1615 Monday9/3Day11:00 AM Men's & Women’s Round of 1616 Night7:00 PM Men's & Women’s Round of 1617 Tuesday9/4Day11:00 AM Men's Round of 16/Women's Quarterfinals18 Night7:00 PM Men's Round of 16/Women's Quarterfinals19 Wednesday9/5Day11:00 AM Men's and/or Women's Quarterfinals20 Night7:00 PM Men's and/or Women's Quarterfinals21 Thursday9/6Day11:00 AM Men's Quarterfinals/Mixed Doubles Final22 Night7:00 PM Men's Quarterfinals23 Friday9/7Day11:00 AM Men’s Doubles Final/Women’s Semifinals24 Saturday9/8Day11:00 AM Men's Semifinals25 Night7:00 PM Women’s Final/Pre-Match Ceremony26 Sunday9/9Day12:00 PM Women’s Doubles Final/Men’s Final *Schedule subject to change. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- London Games ..Tennis: Serena Williams storms to golden slam By Kylie MacLellan | Reuters – 4 hours ago ...LONDON (Reuters) - Serena Williams demolished Russia's Maria Sharapova 6-0 6-1 to grab Olympic tennis singles gold on Saturday, becoming the first player in the sport to win all four grand slams and an Olympic title in both singles and doubles. Having completed the career "golden slam", the unstoppable American, who dropped just 17 games in her six Olympics singles matches, is now making plans away from tennis. "I've won everything. Now I can go to Disneyworld," said the 30-year old, laughing. "I did something nobody's done. So I'm really excited about it. I haven't even had time to think about it." Williams, who won her fifth Wimbledon singles title on the same court less than a month ago, took just over an hour to wrap up her win over number three seed Sharapova, securing the victory with a powerful ace. It was the most one-sided women's singles final in Olympic tennis history, beating the previous record for the fewest games set by France's Suzanne Lenglen when she defeated Britain's Dorothy Holman 6-3 6-0 in Antwerp in 1920. "I never played better," Williams said. "I don't feel anything invincible. I don't feel anything. I just feel good about my game and I practiced so hard and it was time." Sharapova, making her Olympic debut, was happy just to go home with a medal. "She was just too quick and too powerful today," said the Russian, who had also been bidding to complete the rare singles golden slam, a feat only achieved by Steffi Graf, Andre Agassi and Rafa Nadal. "To leave with a silver is an amazing accomplishment. Obviously, it's always disappointing to lose in the finals, but it's great to get a medal, that's for sure," she said. Earlier her team mate Maria Kirilenko lost out on the bronze to world number one Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, who defeated the Russian 6-3 6-4 to win the country's first ever tennis medal. Serena and sister Venus are hoping to break another record by becoming the first tennis players to win four Olympic gold medals. They take on Russia's Kirilenko and Nadia Petrova in the women's doubles semi-finals later. "I just love more," said Serena. "I'm greedy and that's what keeps me motivated." (Editing by Matt Falloon) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- London Olympics 2012: Competition Schedule and Results U.S. Men Set Scoring Record In Basketball Rout Of Nigeria U.S. guard Russell Westbrook goes for a dunk over Nigeria's Richard… (Christian Petersen, Getty…)August 02, 2012|By MIKE BRESNAHAN, Tribune Newspapers, The Hartford Courant LONDON — — Carmelo Anthony couldn't miss. Neither could the U.S., once again. Team USA set a record for most points in an Olympic basketball game to win a third consecutive blowout, this one a 156-73 victory over Nigeria on Thursday. Anthony made nine of 11 three-point attempts and had 37 points in 14 minutes, 29 seconds as the U.S. blew past the old record set of 138 points set by Brazil in 1988 against Egypt. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Schedule Sport: Serena Williams in action at Wimbledon Serena Williams of the United States returns a shot against Russia's Vera Zvonareva in their third round match. The USA player, seeded fourth, needed only 51 minutes to cruise through under the Centre Court roof against the bronze medallist from Beijing 2008. Williams already has two gold medals to her name in women's Doubles with sister Venus. If she matches that in Singles she will join Steffi Graf in winning all four grand slam titles and taking Olympic gold in her career. In the last eight Williams will meet either eighth seed Caroline Wozniacki or Slovakia's Daniela Hantuchova. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tennis: Djokovic survives battle with Hewitt By Kylie MacLellan | Reuters LONDON (Reuters) - Men's number two seed Novak Djokovic struggled into the Olympic quarter-finals on Wednesday with a hardfought 4-6 7-5 6-1 win over world number 158 Australia's Lleyton Hewitt. World number one Roger Federer also faced a shaky moment against Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin, saving three break points at 5-5 in the first set before securing his spot in the final eight with a 7-5 6-3 win. In the women's, Serena Williams ploughed to a 6-1 6-0 win over Russia's Vera Zvonareva, who left the court in tears after the 51 minute annihilation, soon to be joined by teammate Nadia Petrova after her 7-6 6-4 loss to Belarusian top seed Victoria Azarenka. Returning to Centre Court after a half-hour rain delay, Beijing bronze medalist Djokovic gifted Hewitt a break at 4-4 in the first set after ploughing a backhand into the net at the end of a long baseline rally. Hewitt, who won Wimbledon in 2002 but has since been plagued by injury, quickly wrapped up the set to take the lead against the Serbian five-times grand slam winner. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Venus Williams' hopes of becoming the first tennis player to win four Olympic gold medals will have to rest on the doubles after she was knocked out of the singles in a 7-6 7-6 third-round defeat to Germany's Angelique Kerber. Beligum's Kim Clijsters, who plans to retire for the second time after the U.S. Open in September, moved one step closer to winning a medal at her first and last Olympics with a 6-3 6-4 win over 11th seeded Serbian Ana Ivanovic. "I feel like I've been playing some really good tennis in the first three matches here, it's just a matter of trying to keep that up and before every match I need to refocus and stay on target," 29-year-old Clijsters told reporters. "When things go tough, fight each shot and that's all you can do when things are tougher; keep fighting and give it your all." (Editing by Alison Williams) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Time Sport Event 28 Jul 08:15 (EDT+5) Shooting 10m Air Rifle Women's Qualification 28 Jul 08:30 (EDT+5) Badminton Mixed Doubles Group Play Stage - Group C Indonesia - India 28 Jul 08:30 (EDT+5) Badminton Mixed Doubles Group Play Stage - Group B Japan - Poland 28 Jul 08:30 (EDT+5) Badminton Women's Singles Group Play Stage - Group B Korea - Malaysia -------------------------------------------------------------- WIMBLEDON, England -- Serena Williams advanced to the second round at the Olympics on Saturday on the same Wimbledon court where she won her 14th Grand Slam title a few weeks ago. U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama watched from the front row of Williams' box as the fourth-seeded American beat former No. 1 Jelena Jankovic of Serbia 6-3, 6-1 on Centre Court. Williams is aiming for her first gold medal in Olympic singles; she has won two gold medals in doubles with big sister Venus. --------------------------------------- WIMBLEDON 2012: Dates: June 25-July 8, 2012 Venue: All-England Club, London, England Surface: Grass Serena Williams wins her 5th Wimbledon singles title American Serena Williams beat Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland to win her fifth Wimbledon singles title. By The Washington Post and The Associated Press JULIAN FINNEY / GETTY IMAGES High-five: Serena Williams rises while holding the trophy after winning her fifth Wimbledon singles title. 2012, 2010, 2009, 2003, 2002 Years Serena Williams has won the Wimbledon women's singles final WIMBLEDON, England — The youngest of five girls, American Serena Williams has long reveled in playing the role of spoiled baby sister. But after winning her fifth Wimbledon singles championship Saturday to snap a two-year drought of major titles, Williams clambered up the Centre Court stands to her guest box to share the triumph with the loved ones she said had made it possible. Williams' voice quivered with emotion as she thanked her parents, sisters, trainer and hitting partner once again during the on-court interview after her 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 victory over Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland. Having missed nearly a year of competition after a series of setbacks that included two foot surgeries and a pulmonary embolism, Williams proved in winning her 14th Grand Slam tournament title that she remains the most formidable player in women's tennis. What is different after her return to action is Williams' appreciation for this Wimbledon title and understanding she could not have done it alone. "Those people that were in that box were all with me when I went through everything I went through, and I just felt like I don't say 'thank you' enough," Williams told a small group of reporters afterward. "I didn't think I would play tennis again at one point. "I just wanted to make it out of the hospital. Making it out of that moment, that's when you realize you have perspective about life and your career." With Saturday's victory, Williams equaled her sister Venus' five Wimbledon championships. All told, the sisters from Compton, Calif., coached by their parents outside the traditional structure of junior tennis, have won 10 of the last 13 Wimbledon titles. "Growing up, I copied Venus — everything she did," Williams said of her 32-year-old sister and doubles partner, who has cheered her since childhood. "So when she started winning, I wanted it so bad. When she became number one, I had to be number one. I had to work harder; I had to do everything in my power to get there." Later Saturday, Serena and Venus combined to win their fifth Wimbledon doubles title, defeating Czechs Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka 7-5, 6-4. At 30, Serena Williams was the oldest player to win Wimbledon since 1990, when Martina Navratilova claimed her ninth singles title at age 33. Saturday's championship was marked by dramatic swings of momentum. Radwanska, 23, wasn't remotely up to the challenge in the early going, overwhelmed by Williams' power and big-match experience. The 2005 Wimbledon girls champion, Radwanska has climbed to No. 3 in the world by minimizing errors and compensating for any lack of power with speed and craftiness. But she doesn't have a single shot superior to those in Williams' arsenal. So it was imperative she start strong, disrupt Williams' rhythm and hope her opponent's run of brilliant serving came to an end. None of that happened in the opening set, in which Williams easily handled Radwanska's thinly veiled drop shots and never faced a break point. With Radwanska looking listless, three-time Wimbledon champion John McEnroe, commentating for the BBC, called out on her behalf, "Espresso to Centre Court!" After a 23-minute rain delay, the potential rout turned into compelling theater. "I was a little bit nervous in the beginning," said Radwanska, who had never advanced beyond the quarterfinals of a major. "When I was going on the court the second time, I just felt like a normal match." Radwanska won the second set. "Maybe I wanted it so bad that I got tight," Williams said. "I started making errors. I was negative." But as she had all tournament, Williams put her faith in her serve. She blasted four successive aces to win the fourth game. Then she pulled off a masterful drop shot to break Radwanska again. With 17 aces, Williams brought her tournament total to 102 — a Wimbledon record for women. Asked what more she could want, Williams enumerated. "The U.S. Open, the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon 2013," she replied. Note • Jonathan Marray of England and Frederik Nielsen of Denmark beat Robert Lindstedt of Sweden and Horia Tecau of Romania 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5), 6-7 (5-7), 6-3 in the men's doubles final. Marray is the first British man to win a men's doubles title at Wimbledon in 76 years. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Roger Federer wins 7th Wimbledon title By CHRIS LEHOURITES (AP Sports Writer) | The Associated Press – 1 hour 6 minutes ago ..Roger Federer of Switzerland reacts during the men's final match against Andy Murray of Britain at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon, … ..Roger Federer of Switzerland plays a shot to Andy Murray of Britain during the men's singles final match at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships at … ..Roger Federer of Switzerland celebrates with the trophy after winning the men's singles final against Andy Murray of Britain at the All England Lawn Tennis … ..Andy Murray of Britain, right, congratulates Roger Federer of Switzerland, as he poses with his trophy following the men's singles final match at the All … ..Andy Murray of Britain reacts as he speaks to spectators after his defeat to Roger Federer of Switzerland in the men's singles final match at the All England … ... AdChoices...WIMBLEDON, England (AP) -- Once the Centre Court roof was closed, nothing could stop Roger Federer from winning his record-tying seventh Wimbledon title. The 30-year-old Federer finally equaled Pete Sampras' record at the All England Club, and won his 17th Grand Slam title overall, by beating Andy Murray 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 Sunday. ''It has worked out so many times over the years here at Wimbledon that I play my best in the semis and the finals,'' Federer said. ''I couldn't be more happy. It feels great being back here as the winner.'' Once Murray's forehand landed wide on match point, Federer collapsed to the grass with tears welling in his eyes. He got up quickly and shook hands with Murray at the net. Up in the players' box, Federer's wife and twin daughters cheered and smiled as he took his seat to await yet another Wimbledon trophy presentation. ''When the roof closed, he played unbelievable tennis,'' Murray said. Federer is now 17-7 in Grand Slam finals, including 7-1 at Wimbledon. Murray dropped to 0-4 in major finals, with three of those losses coming against Federer. ''It's amazing. It equals me with Pete Sampras, who's my hero,'' said Federer, who lost in the quarterfinals at the All England Club in 2010 and '11. ''It just feels amazing.'' Besides Sampras, 1880s player William Renshaw also won seven Wimbledon titles, but he did it at a time when the defending champion was given a bye into the following year's final. Sunday's match was the first Wimbledon singles final to be played with the roof closed. The roof was first used on Centre Court in 2009. Britain has been waiting 76 years for a homegrown men's champion at the All England Club, and the expectations on Murray were huge. Thousands of fans watched the match on a huge screen on ''Murray Mount,'' but left the grounds still waiting for a British winner. Inside the stadium, Prince William's wife, Kate, sat in the Royal Box along with David Beckham, British Prime Minister David Cameron and a slew of former Wimbledon champions. Many of them left a bit disappointed as well. ''Everybody always talks about the pressure of playing at Wimbledon, how tough it is,'' said Murray, who held back tears while speaking in front of the crowd. ''It's not the people watching. They make it so much easier to play. The support has been incredible, so thank you.'' With his victory, Federer regained the No. 1 ranking from Novak Djokovic, allowing him to equal Sampras' record of 286 weeks as the top-ranked player. ''I never stopped believing. I started playing more, even though I have a family,'' Federer said. ''It all worked out. I got great momentum, great confidence and it all came together. So it's a magical moment for me.'' Murray is coached by eight-time Grand Slam champion Ivan Lendl, the only other man who lost his first four major finals. But after going 0-9 in sets in those previous three, Murray finally won a set. ''I played better this time in the final, and that's the main thing,'' Murray said. ''It's not an easy tournament for British players in many ways, but I think I dealt with all of the extra things away from the tournament pretty well, better than maybe I had done in the past.'' At the start of the match, Murray was the one dictating play and winning the tough points. He broke Federer in the first game of the first set, and then broke again late before serving it out. The second set was much more even, and both had early break points that they couldn't convert. Federer, however, finally got it done in the final game of the set, hitting a backhand drop volley that Murray couldn't get to. Both held easily to start the third set, but then the rain started abruptly, suspending play for 40 minutes. Shortly after they returned, it turned into a one-man show. With Federer leading 3-2, they played a 26-point, 20-minute game in which Federer finally converted his sixth break point - after Murray had slipped on the grass three times. Federer lost only five points on his serve in that set. ''When we came out after the break, he was more aggressive on my serve,'' Murray said. ''He has excellent timing, so when there's no wind or anything under the roof, he times the ball very, very well.'' ... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- WIMBLEDON, England (AP) -- While watching Serena Williams come from behind at Wimbledon, older sister Venus sat in the front row stifling a yawn. Nothing to worry about. Venus was correct - barely. Serena hit a Wimbledon-record 23 aces, held every service game and escaped an upset bid by Zheng Jie, winning 6-7 (5), 6-2, 9-7 in the third round Saturday. Williams, who erased all six break points she faced, served three times to stay in the match and held each time at love. She was pushed to deuce serving in the final game but closed out the victory with a volley winner, then hopped in glee on the Centre Court grass. ''I just wanted to get through that match,'' Williams said. ''The last thing I wanted to do was lose.'' ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ..Down 2 sets, Federer comes back, wins at Wimbledon By MATTIAS KAREN (AP Sports Writer) | The Associated Press – 12 hours ago WIMBLEDON, England (AP) -- When Roger Federer found himself down two sets and staring at an early exit from Wimbledon, the crowd at Centre Court thought back to the stunning upset that took place there a day earlier and wondered if it was witnessing a repeat. Federer was thinking back, too, but his flashbacks had nothing to do with Rafael Nadal. It was the scenario Federer remembered, though, that ended up repeating itself. ''Having been there so often, down two sets to love, knowing how to handle the situation (was key),'' Federer said. He proved that again, as the six-time Wimbledon champion overcame a two-set hole for the eighth-time, beating Julien Benneteau of France 4-6, 6-7 (3), 6-2, 7-6 (6), 6-1 Friday in the third round. With the comeback, he narrowly avoided following Nadal out of Wimbledon after the Spanish two-time winner was stunned by 100th-ranked Lukas Rosol on Thursday. Just like he had against 2009 U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro in the French Open quarterfinals 3 1/2 weeks ago, Federer found a way to wrest back the initiative and fight back. ''The thing, when you're down two sets to love, is to stay calm, even though it's hard, because people are freaking out, people are worried for you,'' Federer said. ''You don't have, obviously, many lives left out there. You just try to play tough and focus point for point. Sounds so boring, but it's the right thing to do out there.'' Benneteau said he played perhaps the best match of his life, dictating play for much of the first two sets. Even that, though, proved insufficient against the 16-time Grand Slam winner. ''Mentally, he's a rock. He's two sets down and he doesn't show anything. And after that, if your level is a little bit lower - right here, right now, he takes the opportunity,'' said Benneteau, whose cramping thighs were massaged by a trainer during two final-set changeovers. ''At the beginning of the third set, I was not as good as I was in the first two sets, and in five minutes, it's 4-0.'' Like Federer and Nadal, Novak Djokovic fell behind against someone he was expected to beat easily: The Serb ceded the first set, getting broken at love by No. 28 Radek Stepanek, Rosol's Davis Cup teammate for the Czech Republic. But quick as can be, Djokovic turned things around, breaking Stepanek to begin each of the next three sets for a 4-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 victory that moved him closer to a semifinal showdown against Federer. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ..Rosol stuns crowd by beating Nadal at Wimbledon By MATTIAS KAREN (AP Sports Writer=) | The Associated Press – 2 hours 59 minutes ago ...WIMBLEDON, England (AP) -- - It was Lukas Rosol and not Rafael Nadal who looked like a two-time Wimbledon champion used to pummeling opponents into submission on tennis' biggest stage. It was Rosol, and not Nadal, who sprinted to and from his chair during changeovers like he had a never-ending supply of energy, pumped his fist and shouted to his entourage in the player's box. And it was the 100th-ranked, little-known Czech player making his first Wimbledon appearance - and not the 11-time Grand Slam winner - who got better and stronger as the second-round match on Centre Court progressed into the night. He hit ace after ace to complete one of the biggest upsets tennis has seen in years. As surprising as Rosol's five-set victory over Nadal was, the manner in which he completed it Thursday was perhaps equally stunning. ''In the fifth set he played more than unbelievable,'' Nadal said. He wasn't the only one who struggled to believe what they were seeing. Rosol, who had lost in qualifying for Wimbledon in each of the last five years, simply outclassed Nadal with his powerful serving and booming ground strokes. He hit cross-court backhand winners that measured 99 mph, he stepped up to whip scorching forehand returns, and he served so well that Nadal hardly tried to get to them by the final game. The last one he hit was his 22nd, and it wrapped up a 6-7 (9), 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 victory that no one had seen coming. Least of all Rosol himself. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ..Wimbledon engulfed by cheating, sexism storm By Dave James | AFP – Thu, Jun 28, 2012 2:40 PM EDT .... Britain's Andy Murray plays a double-handed backhand shot during his second round men's singles match against Croatia's Ivo Karlovic on day four of the … ..Croatia's Ivo Karlovic celebrates taking the second set during his second round men's singles match against Britain's Andy Murray on day four of the 2012 … ..US player Serena Williams walks off court after her second round women's singles victory over Hungary's Melinda Czink on day four of the 2012 Wimbledon … ..Russia's Maria Sharapova serves during her second round women's singles victory over Bulgaria's Tsvetana Pironkova on day four of the 2012 Wimbledon Championships … ...AdChoices ...Wimbledon was engulfed by scandal Thursday with Ivo Karlovic accusing officials of cheating him out of victory against home hope Andy Murray and Gilles Simon refusing to back down in the equal prize money row. Croat giant Karlovic was called for 11 foot faults in his 7-5, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2, 7-6 (7/4) loss and accused All England Club line judges of deliberately attempting to ease the British player's path through the tournament. "I feel cheated. On a Grand Slam, Centre Court," said 33-year-old Karlovic. "It was outrageous. It's Wimbledon and they do this. This is bull(expletive). "In my whole life, ever since I was eight years old, I didn't do this many foot faults. It was like 11. "The whole credibility of this tournament went down for me. I'm angry about it, a little bit pissed, because I don't expect it here. Even though it is against an English guy who they always want to win." Murray, the fourth seed, admitted he was surprised to see so many foot faults called against the big-serving Croat. "If he wasn't foot faulting then he has a right to be upset, because there was a lot of them. But if he was, then you can't do it. It's not allowed," said the Scot, who has been a semi-finalist in the last three years. Murray will tackle Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus for a place in the last 16. Meanwhile, Simon defended his controversial views on equal prize money which he opposes, claiming the men's game is more attractive than the women's and is more popular with the fans. And he believes that the men's locker room supports him but players are afraid to speak out. "The 128 male players here think like me," said Simon, who was knocked out of the tournament by Xavier Malisse in the second round. "Maybe they can't say it; maybe they won't; maybe they will lose $2 million on the contracts. In the conversation in the locker room, for sure they agree with me. Trust me." Simon, who has never got beyond the quarter-finals of any Grand Slam, was lambasted by Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams, two of the women's game's superstars, after they had secured their places in the last 32. Top seed Sharapova, the 2004 champion, had to dig deep to clinch a gritty 7-6 (7/3), 6-7 (3/7), 6-0 victory over Bulgaria's Tsvetana Pironkova, a semi-finalist in 2010 and quarter-finalist last year. She will next face Taiwan's Hsieh Su-Wei as last year's runner-up tries to reach the Wimbledon final for the third time. Four-time champion Williams reached the third round with a 6-1, 6-4 demolition of Hungarian qualifier Melinda Czink and next faces Chinese 25th seed Zheng Jie, who she beat in the 2008 semi-finals, for a place in the last 16. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE SCHEDULE Mon, June 25: Singles first round Tues, June 26: Singles first round Wed, June 27: Singles second round; doubles events begin Thurs, June 28: Singles second round Fri, June 29: Singles third round Sat, June 30: Singles third round; junior events begin Mon, July 2: Singles fourth round Tues, July 3: Women’s quarter-finals Wed, July 4: Men’s quarter-finals Thurs, July 5: Women’s semi-finals Fri, July 6: Men’s semi-finals Sat, July 7: Women’s Final; men’s doubles final; mixed doubles final Sun, July 8: Men’s Final; women’s doubles final Williams was ousted in the opening round of Wimbledon for the first time since 1997, losing to Elena Vesnina 6-1, 6-3. It was Williams' worst loss at the tournament and only her fourth first-round loss in her Grand Slam career. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- French Open 2012 French Open 2012 Tournament Info Men's Champion: Rafael Nadal Women's Champion: Maria Sharapova Venue: Stade Roland Garros - Paris, France ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Daily Summary Day 9: Monday, June 4, 2012 Headlines Li stunned, Sharapova survives, Kanepi and Kvitova impress Defending champion Li Na was stunned by Yaroslava Shvedova, while Maria Sharapova took more than three hours to down Klara Zakopalova. Samantha Stosur: I wore the same dress, the same socks, the same hat A finalist here in 2010, Sam Stosur is looking strong again this year. In our quest to get to know her better, we asked the world no.6 some revealing questions. Masterful Murray moves into quarters Andy Murray waited out a perfect storm of a first set by his opponent Richard Gasquet before taking the match by the scruff of the neck to win 1-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-2. Going for Gold In 2012, we are spoilt, with the tennis tournament at the summer Olympic Games being held on the hallowed turf at Wimbledon, and the results here at Roland Garros have helped decide who gets to play... Stunning Nadal through, Ferrer, Almagro, Tsonga and Del Potro too Rafael Nadal was simply awesome, and David Ferrer, Nicolas Almagro, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Juan Martin Del Potro impressed too in sealing their spots in the last eight. All harbour hopes of going further... Monday 4 June: As it happened Nadal, Tsonga, Ferrer, Del Potro, Sharapova, Murray, Kvitova, Kanepi and Almagro are through to the quarter-finals but defending women's champion Na Li has crashed out. Richard Gasquet (FRA) (17) v Andy Murray (GBR) (4) As soon as the draw for the men's tournament was made, this likely match-up between the No.4 and No.17 seeds was a stand-out prospect to start the second week. --------------------- Day 4: Wednesday, May 30, 2012 Headlines Federer made to work but keeps cool to progress A charged-up Roger Federer won his record 234th Grand Slam match in the second round, taking a 6-3 6-2 6-7 (9) 6-3 victory over Adrian Ungur. > Drew Lilley takes a facetious look at some of the numbers set to make the headlines at Roland Garros this year. > Up close and personal with Petra Kvitova Despite winning Wimbledon and being ranked world no.4, Petra Kvitova isn’t yet a household name in Paris. Is that a problem for her? Not at all! To prove it, the Czech player answered our questions. > Djokovic through against spirited Kavcic No.1 seed Novak Djokovic found himself tested by Lleyton Hewitt’s first round conqueror Blaz Kavcic, before winning 6-0, 6-4, 6-4 > Wednesday 30 May: As it happened Federer, Azarenka, Djokovic, Simon and Aga Radwanksa all went through, Bartoli and Venus Williams were knocked out while Tsonga was struggling when rain put an end to the day. Relive all the action here. > ------------------------------- Dominant Radwanska trounces Venus to reach third round Dominant Radwanska trounces Venus to reach third round Wednesday, May 30, 2012 By Kate Battersby Seven-time Slam winner Venus Williams was no match for Agnieszka Radwanksa, as the no.3 seed won through to the third round 6-2, 6-3. Sometimes at a Grand Slam, a first or second round match comes out of the hat that looks positively entrancing. That was how it seemed when Venus Williams was drawn to play Agnieszka Radwanska in the second round here, but the match which materialised scarcely merited the description. The seven-time Slam champion was never in it, and Radwanska won 6-2, 6-3 in exactly one hour. So clearly signposted was the victory, it negated the fact that this was the first time Venus had progressed further than Serena in a Slam since the older sister beat the younger at Wimbledon four years ago. Venus lacked her usual focus today though, and in contrast Radwanska – who could mathematically end this fortnight as the world no.1 – appeared utterly unselfconscious. There was a breezy certainty about her, as if having not yet been to the top she had not yet learned what it was like to be on the way down. You might describe it as the fearlessness of youth, were it not for the fact that Radwanska is all of 23 - in tennis years, no longer the first flush. Broken in the first game, Venus was immediately on the back foot. Radwanska easily outplayed her to break again, and the first set was over, 6-2 in 28 minutes. Early in the second it looked as if the match would be over in 40 minutes, with Radwanska quickly racking up two breaks. The Pole was scampering enthusiastically about the court, reaching this and retrieving that, whereas Venus was listless, possibly affected by Sjogren’s Syndrome, a disease that has periodically left her drained of energy since she was diagnosed at the last US Open. But at 0-4 a break point came her way and she punched home a backhand volley as of old. Minutes later she had three break points for 3-5 and got there when Radwanska dumped the ball in the net. There was to be no great comeback. The 33 unforced errors Venus amassed were too much for that. On Radwanska’s first match point in the very next game, the American drove her backhand long. Elsewhere among the women on day four, Petra Martic broke French hearts by defeating the 2007 Wimbledon finalist and no.8 seed Marion Bartoli 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. It was some compensation to the home crowd that Mathilde Johansson beat the no.24 seed Petra Cetkovska. Also out is the no.31 seed Jie Zheng, beaten by Canada’s Alexandra Wozniak 6-2, 6-4. But there were no other casualties among the women’s seeds. Safely through are the no.1 seed Victoria Azarenka, who saw off Dinah Pfizenmaier 6-1, 6-1, and the US Open champion Samantha Stosur who beat Irina Falconi 6-1, 6-4. 2012 French Open: Doubles red, white and blue May 30, 2012 11:12 AM Follow the results of your favorite American stars competing in the men's doubles, women's doubles and mixed doubles events at the 2012 French Open. 2012 French Open: Singles red, white and blue May 30, 2012 10:58 AM Follow the results of your favorite American stars competing in the men's and women's singles draws at the 2012 French Open. Djokovic, Azarenka reach 3rd round at French Open May 30, 2012 08:22 AM The top-seeded players had early starts at the French Open on Wednesday, and both Novak Djokovic and Victoria Azarenka made it to the third round without a problem. Read More Serena falls but pledges to move ahead Serena falls but pledges to move ahead May 29, 2012 05:42 PM Serena Williams shows her frustration during her first-round loss to Virginie Razzano. © Mike Hewitt/Getty Images By Matt Cronin, special to USTA.com PARIS -- The United States' leading lady, Serena Williams, is out of the Roland Garros draw. So what next? After an incredible two days of tennis by the U.S. women, where they won 10 consecutive matches, America experienced a terrible Tuesday, with young Jamie Hampton retiring in the second set against Arantxa Rus with an injury, and then, shock of all shocks, the best player of her generation and certainly a top-three player in U.S. history went down, 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3, to veteran Frenchwoman Virginie Razzano on Court Philippe Chatrier, Roland Garros' center court. It certainly was not the worst-looking loss of Williams' storied career, but it was the most surprising one at a major, as she came into the tournament on a roll, having won 17 straight matches on clay and having munched on the world's top two of Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova in winning Madrid. But while Serena has had great wins in France and loves Paris - she owns an apartment there -- she has also taken some harrowing defeats at Roland Garros. She missed last year's event, but in 2009 and 2010, she could not find her inner reserve in hard-fought losses to Svetlana Kuznetsova and Samantha Stosur. While she is a very good red-clay player and at times can be a great one, there are days when she cannot get her footing, doesn’t trust her shot selection and cannot dictate the way she likes to. So when Serena got out to a 5-1 lead in the second-set tiebreaker against Razzano, she admittedly got a little nervous, made some mental errors, lost her way and eventually found herself down 5-0 in the third set. Of course she fought back, made it close and forced Razzano to use eight match points to win the contest. But unlike the Serena of a few years ago, who would seize every opportunity by the jugular, she is still rebuilding her confidence and game after suffering a pulmonary embolism in February 2011 that nearly took her life. "I tried," she said. "I kept going for my shots, which always works for me. It didn't work out today. I made so many errors today, which isn't the game that I've been playing in the past. You know, that's it. That's life." Williams was not angry after the defeat, which for those who have followed Serena over the years, know has been pretty unusual at the majors. But she is a 30-year-old now, and after winning 2010 Wimbledon and then cutting her feet up at a restaurant shortly afterward, which took her off the tour for 11 months, she has softened. She still competes like hell, still hates to lose and still can play with the best in the world, but she does not see losing matches -- even first-round ones -- as reasons to slap herself upside her head. If that loss had taken place five years ago, she would have crucified herself. This time, she accepted the defeat and looked ahead. And why not? Not only has she had health issues, but so has her sister, Venus, who has been battling an autoimmune disease for at least the past year. She will and can move on and said she is looking forward to winning her first mixed-doubles match with fellow American Bob Bryan. "It's life," Serena said. "Things could be a lot worse. I haven't had the easiest past six months. Nothing I can't deal with. I'm not happy, by no means. I just always think things can be worse." There are still 10 U.S. women left in the draw, including Venus, so Roland Garros still must be given serious attention. While Serena has not won a major since 2010 Wimbledon, do not expect her to drop though the favorites floor when the All-England Club opens its doors next month. Yes, her confidence has been shaken. But she has been there before and will recover. Wimbledon is ahead and there, there will be no slippery red clay to get all over her clothes and into her head. "I've just got to figure out what I did wrong and not do it again, you know, learn from it," she said. "I think that's the best thing I can do." May 29, 2012 05:42 PM After an incredible two days of tennis by U.S. women, where they won 10 consecutive matches, America experienced a terrible Tuesday, with Serena Williams, the best player of her generation and certainly a top-three player in U.S. history, going down, 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3, to veteran Frenchwoman Virginie Razzano. Read More Serena stunned; Nadal, Sharapova cruise in openers Serena Williams lost in the first round of a major tournament for the first time in her career, falling to Virginie Razzano of France 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3 Tuesday at the French Open. Nadal advances in quest for 7th French Open title May 29, 2012 12:22 PM Rafael Nadal began his quest for a record seventh French Open title in style, beating Simone Bolelli 6-2, 6-2, 6-1. Maria Sharapova won by a score that couldn't be better, a 6-0, 6-0 "double bagel'' victory over Romania's Alexandra Cadantu. Petra Kvitova also won. Sharapova wins 6-0, 6-0 in French Open 1st round May 29, 2012 08:41 AM Maria Sharapova won by a score that couldn't be better - a 6-0, 6-0 "double bagel'' romp Tuesday in the first round of the French Open and a step toward a possible career Grand Slam. Read More Baker wins 1st French Open main-draw match May 28, 2012 06:51 PM Probably would have been hard to imagine back when Brian Baker reached the 2003 junior final at the French Open that it would take him nearly a decade to make it to the men's tournament. Read More U.S. women rolling at Roland Garros, eyeing larger goals May 28, 2012 05:26 PM 18-year-old Lauren Davis and a group of rising American women are making a statement with each win at Roland Garros, writes Matt Cronin. Read More American women 10 for 10 at French Open so far May 28, 2012 03:41 PM American women are 10 for 10 so far at the French Open, giving the country its most representatives in the Grand Slam tournament's second round since 11 made it in 2003. Read More --------------- FRENCH OPEN TENNIS TOURNAMENT - ROLAND GARROS - MAY 22 - JUNE 10, 2012 COMEBACK FOR UPDATES: 2012 TOURNAMENT DRAWS: Roland Garros 2012 Men's Singles Championship Champion: DJOKOVIC, Novak SRB [1] STARACE, Potito ITA KAVCIC, Blaz SLO HEWITT, Lleyton AUS (W) KRAJINOVIC, Filip SRB (Q) DEVILDER, Nicolas FRA (Q) BERRER, Michael GER (Q) MELZER, Jurgen AUT [30] SEPPI, Andreas ITA [22] DAVYDENKO, Nikolay RUS KUKUSHKIN, Mikhail KAZ GULBIS, Ernests LAT SIJSLING, Igor NED (Q) MULLER, Gilles LUX DARCIS, Steve BEL VERDASCO, Fernando ESP [14] SIMON, Gilles FRA [11] HARRISON, Ryan USA MALISSE, Xavier BEL BAKER, Brian USA (W) ANDUJAR, Pablo ESP HANESCU, Victor ROU CIPOLLA, Flavio ITA WAWRINKA, Stanislas SUI [18] TROICKI, Viktor SRB [28] BELLUCCI, Thomaz BRA FOGNINI, Fabio ITA MANNARINO, Adrian FRA (W) STEBE, Cedrik-Marcel GER SOUZA, Joao BRA KUZNETSOV, Andrey RUS (Q) TSONGA, Jo-Wilfried FRA [5] FEDERER, Roger SUI [3] KAMKE, Tobias GER UNGUR, Adrian ROU NALBANDIAN, David ARG DANCEVIC, Frank CAN KLIZAN, Martin SVK MAHUT, Nicolas FRA RODDICK, Andy USA [26] STEPANEK, Radek CZE [23] GOFFIN, David BEL (L) CLEMENT, Arnaud FRA (W) BOGOMOLOV JR., Alex RUS BECK, Karol SVK KUBOT, Lukasz POL SERRA, Florent FRA (Q) LOPEZ, Feliciano ESP [15] DEL POTRO, Juan Martin ARG [9] MONTANES, Albert ESP ROGER-VASSELIN, Edouard FRA POSPISIL, Vasek CAN FERRERO, Juan Carlos ESP DASNIERES DE VEIGY, Jonathan FRA (W) MUNOZ-DE LA NAVA, Daniel ESP (Q) CILIC, Marin CRO [21] ANDERSON, Kevin RSA [31] MACHADO, Rui POR PRODON, Eric FRA (W) ZEBALLOS, Horacio ARG (Q) LLODRA, Michael FRA GARCIA-LOPEZ, Guillermo ESP SELA, Dudi ISR BERDYCH, Tomas CZE [7] Roland Garros 2012 Women's Singles Championship Champion: AZARENKA, Victoria BLR [1] BRIANTI, Alberta ITA GARCIA, Caroline FRA (W) PFIZENMAIER, Dinah GER (Q) EL TABAKH, Heidi CAN (Q) WOZNIAK, Aleksandra CAN CORNET, Alize FRA ZHENG, Jie CHN [31] SAFAROVA, Lucie CZE [20] YAKIMOVA, Anastasiya BLR MARTINEZ SANCHEZ, Maria Jose ESP BIRNEROVA, Eva CZE (Q) KING, Vania USA VOSKOBOEVA, Galina KAZ MLADENOVIC, Kristina FRA (W) CIBULKOVA, Dominika SVK [15] LISICKI, Sabine GER [12] MATTEK-SANDS, Bethanie USA MAKAROVA, Ekaterina RUS STEPHENS, Sloane USA JOHANSSON, Mathilde FRA RODIONOVA, Anastasia AUS HALEP, Simona ROU CETKOVSKA, Petra CZE [24] PETROVA, Nadia RUS [27] BENESOVA, Iveta CZE POUS-TIO, Laura ESP SCHEEPERS, Chanelle RSA FALCONI, Irina USA GALLOVITS-HALL, Edina ROU BALTACHA, Elena GBR STOSUR, Samantha AUS [6] RADWANSKA, Agnieszka POL [3] JOVANOVSKI, Bojana SRB WILLIAMS, Venus USA ORMAECHEA, Paula ARG CHAN, Yung-Jan TPE (Q) BONDARENKO, Kateryna UKR LUCIC, Mirjana CRO KUZNETSOVA, Svetlana RUS [26] ERRANI, Sara ITA [21] DELLACQUA, Casey AUS OUDIN, Melanie USA (W) LARSSON, Johanna SWE DUBOIS, Stephanie CAN PEER, Shahar ISR ARRUABARRENA-VECINO, Lara ESP (Q) IVANOVIC, Ana SRB [13] KERBER, Angelique GER [10] ZHANG, Shuai CHN (Q) OPRANDI, Romina SUI GOVORTSOVA, Olga BLR TATISHVILI, Anna GEO GLATCH, Alexa USA (Q) HSIEH, Su-Wei TPE PENNETTA, Flavia ITA [18] MEDINA GARRIGUES, Anabel ESP [29] SOLER-ESPINOSA, Silvia ESP CHANG, Kai-Chen TPE PAVLOVIC, Irena FRA (W) MARTIC, Petra CRO KRAJICEK, Michaella NED PLISKOVA, Karolina CZE (Q) BARTOLI, Marion FRA [8] ----------------------------- Scheduled Tournaments DATE TOURNAMENT LOCATION Apr 30 - May 6 ATP BMW Open Munich, Germany Apr 30 - May 6 ATP Estoril Open Estoril, Portugal Apr 30 - May 6 ATP Serbia Open Belgrade, Serbia May 4 - May 13 ATP Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open Madrid, Spain May 14 - May 20 ATP Internazionali BNL d'Italia Rome, Italy May 21 - May 27 ATP Power Horse World Team Cup Berlin, Germany May 21 - May 27 ATP Open de Nice Cote d' Azur Nice, France May 28 - Jun 10 French Open View Bracket » Roland Garros, Paris, France Jun 11 - Jun 17 ATP Gerry Weber Open Halle, Germany Jun 11 - Jun 17 ATP AEGON Championships London, England Jun 18 - Jun 24 ATP UNICEF Open 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands Jun 18 - Jun 24 ATP AEGON International Eastbourne, England Jun 25 - Jul 8 Wimbledon View Bracket » Wimbledon, England Jul 9 - Jul 15 ATP Campbell's Hall of Fame Tennis Championships Newport, Rhode Island, USA Jul 9 - Jul 15 ATP Studena Croatia Open Umag Umag, Croatia Jul 9 - Jul 15 ATP Mercedes Cup Stuttgart, Germany Jul 9 - Jul 15 ATP SkiStar Swedish Open Bastad, Sweden Jul 16 - Jul 22 ATP Credit Agricole Suisse Open Gstaad Gstaad, Switzerland Jul 16 - Jul 22 ATP Atlanta Tennis Championships Atlanta, Georgia, USA Jul 16 - Jul 22 ATP bet-at-home Open Hamburg, Germany Jul 23 - Jul 29 ATP Bet-At-Home Cup Kitzbuhel Kitzbuhel, Austria Jul 23 - Jul 29 ATP Farmers Classic Los Angeles, California, USA Jul 30 - Aug 5 ATP Legg Mason Tennis Classic Washington D.C, USA Aug 6 - Aug 12 ATP Rogers Cup Montreal, Canada Aug 13 - Aug 19 ATP Western & Southern Open Cincinnati, Ohio, USA Aug 20 - Aug 26 ATP Winston-Salem Open North Carolina, USA Aug 27 - Sep 9 US Open View Bracket » Flushing Meadows, New York, USA Sep 17 - Sep 23 ATP Tour Open de Moselle Metz, France Sep 17 - Sep 23 ATP Tour St. Petersburg Open St Petersburg, Russia Sep 24 - Sep 30 ATP PTT Thailand Open Bangkok, Thailand Sep 24 - Sep 30 ATP Malaysian Open, Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Oct 1 - Oct 7 ATP Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships Tokyo, Japan Oct 1 - Oct 7 ATP China Open Beijing, China Oct 8 - Oct 14 Shanghai Rolex Masters Shanghai, China Oct 15 - Oct 21 ATP Erste Bank Open Vienna, Austria Oct 15 - Oct 21 ATP Kremlin Cup Moscow, Russia Oct 15 - Oct 21 ATP Tour if...Stockholm Open Stockholm, Sweden Oct 22 - Oct 28 ATP Swiss Indoors Basel Basel, Switzerland Oct 22 - Oct 28 ATP Valencia Open 500 Valencia, Spain Oct 29 - Nov 4 ATP BNP Paribas Masters Paris, France Nov 5 - Nov 11 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals O2 Arena, London, England -------------------------- GOLF PAST CHAMPIONS YEAR PLAYER 2011 Rory McIlroy 2010 Graeme McDowell 2009 Lucas Glover 2008 Tiger Woods 2007 Angel Cabrera 2006 Geoff Ogilvy 2005 Michael Campbell 2004 Retief Goosen 2003 Jim Furyk 2012 The Masters Apr 5-8 - Augusta National - Augusta, Georgia, United States - Purse: $8,000,000 Playoff - Final R1 R2 R3 R4 Total PO 1 Bubba Watson -3 -1 -2 -4 -10 8 2 Louis Oosthuizen -4 E -3 -3 -10 9 Leaderboard Thru T3 Phil Mickelson +2 -4 -6 E -8 F T3 Lee Westwood -5 +1 E -4 -8 F T3 Matt Kuchar -1 -2 -2 -3 -8 F Watson Wins Masters in Playoff Long-hitting left-hander tops 2010 British Open champion with stunning shot from the straw Oosthuizen Accepts Runner-Up Finish On a day when he made a historic double eagle to seize the Masters lead, only to lose in a playoff, the South African is gracious in defeat Slow Start Hampers Hanson Third-round leader waits until No. 15 to make first birdie of the day Mickelson Has Fun Despite Falling Short Early triple bogey puts former champion in hole he could not escape Kuchar, Still Smiling, Makes Valiant Try His third-place finish is his best showing at the Masters Simpson Diary: Tough Day, Great Week For the Masters rookie, priceless lessons learned and memories made Watson Wins Masters on 2nd Playoff Hole American beats South African with recovery shot on No. 10 McIlroy's Struggles Continue on Sunday After finishing among leaders on Friday, U.S. Open champion suffers through weekend Woods' Woeful Week Ends With Hope Four-time champion shoots final-round 74 but closes frustrating Masters with a birdie Cantlay Wins Low Amateur The world's top-ranked amateur, a sophomore at UCLA, edges Matsuyama by two strokes