A win by Federer is tomorrow’s final will vault him into the #2 position.

Roger Federer will play Tomas Berdych in Sunday’s Mutua Madrid Open final. The Swiss will win this event for the third time if he sees off the Czech, having eased past Janko Tipsarevic. A 6-2 6-3 victory took Federer into his 104th career final, while Berdych edged out 10th seed Juan Martin del Potro 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/6) in the other semi-final. Federer, a winner of this event in 2006 and 2009, has benefited from the early exits of both Rafael Nadal and top-ranked Novak Djokovic on the blue clay which has attracted criticism for being slippery. And he had few problems today, wrapping up victory in 67 minutes and hitting 25 winners and eight aces in the process. The Swiss excelled in his service games and took control of the first set in the fourth game when he broke Tipsarevic and wrapped up the set when he repeated the feat two games later. And the end was in sight for the man who knocked out Djokovic when he was broken in the fourth game of the second set, giving Federer the incentive he needed to close out the contest.

Another success inthe final against sixth seed Berdych will see Federer replace Nadal at number two in the ATP Rankings.

“In 2013, if they play on blue [clay], they can have their own tournament but I am not coming for sure,” says Djokovic!

Novak Djokovic again criticised the blue clay court as he was knocked out of the Madrid Open. Djokovic lost 7-6 (7-2) 6-3 to fellow Serb Janko Tipsarevic and vowed not to play in the competition next year if the controversial surface is retained. “In 2013, if they play on blue [clay], they can have their own tournament but I am not coming for sure,” he said. “It is simple – no blue clay for me. The test has failed.” Djokovic has been frustrated by the slippery blue courts all week and Rafael Nadal, who was beaten by compatriot Fernando Verdasco on Thursday, had similar complaints after his defeat. “I want to forget this week as soon as possible and move on to the real clay courts,” Djokovic said. “Here you can’t predict the ball bounce or movement. “I want to perform my best but, if I cannot move and am putting pressure all the time on muscles and my body, and I am worried about not getting injured because the court is unpredictable, then what is the sense in playing here?”

Djokovic was also critical of the ATP and says players must be consulted in future before new initiatives are introduced. “They made a decision without the players agreeing on it so this is a rule that has to be changed immediately,” he said. “The fault is from the people who gave them permission to do these things. This is just a clear example of how our system does not work in favour of players.” Djokovic was particularly critical of former ATP chief executive Adam Helfant, who took the decision to allow Madrid to switch to blue clay in order to make it easier for television viewers to follow the yellow balls. Earlier on Friday, Helfant said he gave Madrid the green light only after receiving assurances the blue courts would play the same as the traditional red surfaces. He said he consulted the players and tournament officials and, realising they could not agree, made the decision himself. Also on Friday, tournament chief Ion Tiriac apologised for the slippery courts but defended the colour switch, which he said had nothing to do with the problems with the court surface. Tiriac explained that the courts, which have to be built from scratch six weeks before the tournament, had been pressed too much, which meant the clay was unable to penetrate the hard base. “The players are right when they say it is too slippery and I apologise,” he said.

There were no problems for Roger Federer, who was a 6-4 6-4 winner against Spain’s David Ferrer, although the Swiss player said he understood the frustrations of Djokovic and Nadal. “It is a pity we are talking about a surface rather than a great shot or a great match,” he said. “After the tournament we will have to sit down and see what happens next year.”

Federer survives a scare from Milos Raonic.

Milos Raonic pushed Roger Federer to the brink of elimination in the second round of the Madrid Open. But the hard-hitting native of Thornhill, Ont., couldn’t complete the upset as the third-seeded Federer survived two tiebreakers en route to a 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (4) win Wednesday. Raonic did what he could against the Swiss star, firing 21 aces in a match that lasted two hours 13 minutes. But he also missed plenty of opportunities by converting just one of eight break point chances. The 21-year-old last lost to Federer in three sets at the third round at Indian Wells in March, but had hoped to build on his win over No. 4 Andy Murray two weeks ago in Barcelona. “I felt I played really well the whole time doing what I wanted to do,” said Raonic. “I was dictating on my serve. I had a lot of looks on his serve, I came up a bit short today though. “I was there the whole match and doing the right things. It was good, and I’ll probably be more happy in a few days about the outcome.”

Federer, who hasn’t been eliminated from a tournament in the second round since the 2010 Rome Masters, will face France’s Richard Gasquet in the third round. Rafael Nadal had an easier time in his first match on the blue clay as he beat Nikolay Davydenko 6-2, 6-2.

 

Andy Roddick produced the shock of the Sony Ericsson Open by knocking Roger Federer out with a 7-6 (7-4) 1-6 6-4 win.

It was just Roddick’s third win in 24 career meetings against Federer and it ended the Swiss’ run of 16 straight victories. The win was all the more remarkable given Federer seemed to have found his best form in the second set after losing a first-set tie-break. He broke Roddick three times in the second and was on course to do so again in the start of the fourth, but the American saved four break points before going on to take the set. And Roddick admitted: “The game that I played for the break in the third set was one of the best return games I’ve ever played. I think I hit four forehand winners. “I played well tonight and served really well there at the end.”

Federer, though, believes his recent run of matches have taken their toll on him. “I came out a bit flat today, I was a bit tired, I guess, but it was more mental than physical,” Federer said. “That’s maybe 30 matches for the season. I am just feeling like it’s taken its toll a bit, which is normal. “But I’ve played more tired in the past, so this was not the most tired I have ever been, but you just start to feel it a bit. I didn’t just get the lucky break today that I got in Indian Wells.”

Meanwhile there were also wins for Juan Martin Del Potro and Juan Monaco.

John Isner’s memorable run continued as he stunned world No.1 Novak Djokovic to book an Indian Wells final showdown with world No.3 Roger Federer.

Isner fired his 20th ace of the match to topple the top seed and defending champion 7-6(7) 3-6 7-6(5) on Saturday. Federer then unleashed an ace on match point to seal a 6-3 6-4 victory over world No.2 Rafael Nadal as the two renewed their epic rivalry with their first meeting at the Indian Wells Masters.

Isner’s first victory over a world No.1 ensures he will move into the top 10 for the first time on Monday. “Not many people can say they’ve ever beaten the No.1 player in the world,” said the 26-year-old American. “I’ll always be able to say that. “I’m just going to keep on riding this wave I’m on and see how far it can take me.” For Djokovic, 24, it marked a second straight semi-final defeat after he fell at the same stage in Dubai to Andy Murray. The reigning Australian, US and Wimbledon champion is 14-2 in 2012. “It’s frustrating when somebody serves over 70 per cent of the first serves in and with that angle and with that speed and accuracy,” Djokovic said. Djokovic saved a match point in the 12th game of the third set and two more on his own serve in the deciding tiebreaker before Isner closed it out after two hours, eight minutes.

One of the sport’s great rivalries was on display in the second semi-final between 16-time grand slam winner Federer and reigning French Open champ Nadal which started three and a half hours late and was played in difficult windy and rainy conditions. “I had a good day. It was a great match in tough conditions,” Federer said. “It was so difficult but, man, I couldn’t be more happy. I played amazing. “We both expected rain, and it did rain a few times.” Federer even had a few extra minutes to think about what turned out to be his final ace after officials pulled the players off the court because of rain just as he held match point leading 5-4 and 40-30. He returned a few moments later and hammered the final nail in the coffin – a 201km ace that ended the one-hour, 31-minute match. “I thought about going down the ‘T’ but, when I was tossing the ball in the air, I thought I would go the other way,” he said.

Nadal and Federer had met 27 times previously but never before on the hardcourts at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

 

 

 

Rafa will need to step up his game if he expects to win against Roger.

Roger Federer will play Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals of the BNP Paribas Open after the pair posted contrasting wins on Friday in Indian Wells. Federer made light work of Juan Martin Del Potro to book his place in the last four, but Nadal came within two points of defeat against David Nalbandian before winning in three. Third seed Federer raced to a 6-3 6-2 win in just 69 minutes. The Swiss broke three times and did not drop his serve once on his way to a straightforward victory. Federer, who saved the three break points he faced, hit 13 aces compared to his Argentinian opponent’s none and won 80 per cent of points on his first serve. Federer looked forward to renewing his rivalry with Nadal, telling the tournament’s official website: “He’s got a great work ethic, and obviously he’s one of the great players of all time. “I have had some great matches with him all around the world by now.”

Nadal had life much tougher as he dropped his first set of the tournament against David Nalbandian, but kept his composure win 4-6 7-5 6-4. Nadal, who has won 18 of his previous 27 matches with Federer, said on the ATP World Tour’s official website: “They’re always special matches, especially because they’re always are in very important matches for both of us. “That always makes the match very special. But even if it’s not the final, being in the semi-finals is an important match. “Playing against Roger always means a little bit more than against the rest of the opponents because I am playing probably against the best of the history, and because I played probably the most important matches of my career against him and probably him against me.”

World No.1 Novak Djokovic and American John Isner will face off in Saturday’s other semi-final.

Surprise guest joins in the fun at MSG on Monday!

Four of tennis’ biggest names took the court at Madison Square Garden on Monday for the mix of playfulness and intense play that comes with exhibitions. With Wozniacki a game away from losing 6-3, 6-4 to Sharapova, she invited her boyfriend onto the court a day after the golfer won the Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., to ascend to No. 1 in the world for the first time.

“He wasn’t too pleased with me,” Wozniacki said later. In jeans and a sweater, McIlroy showed off a one-handed backhand, and Sharapova hit his lob wide. Asked if he was surprised to win the point, McIlroy said with a smile: “I’ve won a few off Caroline.”

Early in Roddick’s 7-5, 7-6 (7) win over Federer, some smart-aleck fans yelled, “Let’s go, Rafa!” So Roddick played along by pushing up his sleeves and switching his racket to his left hand. He wound up playing the point right-handed, but grunted with every shot and celebrated winning the point with an exuberant fist pump that would have made Nadal proud. Roddick, a self-described “massive” sports fan, was playing in the Garden for the first time during the BNP Paribas Showdown. He remembers Michael Jordan’s big games there, Reggie Miller trash-talking with Spike Lee. “To be able to play here where so much history has happened, so many events have happened in every area of entertainment, it was a real special experience for me,” he said. Coming back from a right hamstring and right ankle injury, Roddick has fallen to No. 31 in the world. “It was a great atmosphere,” he said. “I really enjoyed myself and that led to me playing well. Hopefully I can use this a little bit.”

When Roddick failed to match Federer’s between-the-legs shot on one point, he threw his racket then winced when it almost hit a ball girl. Roddick was 2-21 in his career against Federer. “I heard Andy was struggling a little bit so it’s good see him play so well and hopefully make a run again into the top 10,” the third-ranked Federer said.

Wozniacki has been ranked No. 1 for 67 weeks in her career, though she’s currently down to No. 4. McIlroy knows he’ll need to stay on top for “another couple of years” to catch his girlfriend in that stat. In between taking photos with fans after the match, McIlroy said, “It’s nice to take a little break from golf.” The couple plans to meet up in Miami before he plays a World Golf Championship event there and she heads to Indian Wells, Calif. McIlroy stopped signing autographs for a moment to listen to Wozniacki’s on-court interview. “He’s 100 percent against Maria,” she told the crowd. Asked earlier Monday whether she sent him flowers after his win Sunday, Wozniacki said, “Well, I don’t want his head to become too big, so, um, no.” Sharapova and Wozniacki got into the spirit of the exhibition at times: exchanging smiles after a well-played rally, surrendering a point to make up for a missed call, dancing with fans before the final game. The second-ranked Sharapova wasn’t conserving energy, though. After breaking back to 4-4 in the second set, she chased down a drop shot and then a lob, throwing her hands up in frustration when her shot ricocheted off the scoreboard.

 

Roger Federer continued his impressive run of form with victory over Andy Murray in the final of the Dubai Championships.

The 30-year-old, with 16 Grand Slam titles to his name, triumphed 7-5 6-4 in one hour and 30 minutes to claim his fifth Dubai title and 72nd in all. Federer dropped serve for the only time all week as Murray fought back in the second set, but the Swiss held firm. “Winning is the best, it solves everything,” said Federer.

After taking his winning streak to 10 matches on the back of titles in Rotterdam and now Dubai, he added: “I’m really happy, it went so well.” Federer had looked impregnable on serve all week, coming through a tight semi-final in two tie-breaks against Juan Martin del Potro on Friday after Murray’s defeat of world number Novak Djokovic had grabbed the headlines. The Briton, who had served impressively himself in defeating Djokovic, fashioned the first opportunity in the final when he earned two break points in game six. However, a loose backhand error followed by a netted forehand under pressure saw the moment pass, and Murray would regret that fleeting opportunity when Federer made the breakthrough at 5-5. The 24-year-old Scot fought back valiantly from 0-40 and saw Federer blaze a forehand wide on his fourth break point, but the Swiss made no mistake when presented with a fifth chance as a heavy backhand proved too much for Murray at the net.

Murray looked flat in comparison with Friday’s semi-final and was not helping himself with a first-serve percentage that rarely moved above 50%, allowing Federer to attack his second serve.

Dubai semifinals set: Federer v. Del Potro, Djokovic v. Murray.

Roger Federer powered to a 12th consecutive victory over Mikhail Youzhny, a result which seals the four-time champion’s place in the semi-finals of the Dubai Championships. The Swiss world No 3, who has not won the ATP 500 event since 2007, moved within two wins of a fifth title after posting an impressive 6-3 6-4 victory over the Russian. A solitary break of serve in each set was good enough for Federer, who improved his head-to-head record over Youzhny to a remarkable 12-0 without fending off a single break point. Speaking after the win, Federer said: “I thought Mikhail was making a lot of chances. It just didn’t go his way. “I just played well on my service games and I think the speed of the courts here helps with that. “I think I also have a good focus this week. So I have to keep it up if I want to win the title.”

Federer will face eighth seed Juan Martin del Potro in the last four after the Argentinian defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 7-6 6-2. Del Potro defeated Tsonga on his way to the Open 13 title in Marseille last week and had little trouble completing a second win in quick succession against the Frenchman. Although the first set was a closely-fought affair, Del Potro was clearly a class above in the second and eventually eased to a comfortable win. Del Potro holds a 2-9 mark versus Federer, having lost their past three meetings. “All the matches are different, all tournaments are different, [so] I’m trying to find a way to beat again him,” del Potro said. “His game is really difficult for me. He plays slices, dropshots, and he’s one of the best in history. So I just want to be ready for fight and to see how I’m going to play against him.”

Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic recorded a first straight-sets victory over good friend Janko Tipsarevic to book a last-four date with Briton Andy Murray, who put out Tomas Berdych. The world No 1 won the all-Serbian quarter-final 6-1 7-6 (8-6). The Serb powered his way through the opening set before staving off a set point to edge Jankovic, who coughed up two double faults, in the tie-breaker. “I thought I started really well,” Djokovic told the ATP Tour website. “He was missing first serves, didn’t have a high percentage. “Then in the second set, whenever I had a break ball he served well. So he was very close to take that second set. Then who knows what could have happened. We both got a little bit nervous towards the end, I guess, and it was just luck to prevail.” As for his clash with Murray, he said: “Every time you play, especially top four, it’s a big challenge for both of us. “Especially after that Australian Open thrilling match that lasted for five hours. It’s going to be a good match. We both look forward to that. We always try to win against each other and it’s a great rivalry.”

 

 

Federer will meet DelPotro in Sunday’s ABN Amro final in Rotterdam.

Roger Federer reached the ABN Amro World Tennis final with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Nikolay Davydenko on Saturday. Federer, playing in Rotterdam for the first time since capturing the 2005 title, will play for the championship Sunday against Juan Martin del Potro. The third-seeded Argentine downed second-seeded Tomas Berdych 6-3, 6-1 in the other semifinal. Del Potro, making his first Rotterdam appearance, will be seeking his first title since last May at Estoril. He has beaten Federer only twice in 10 matches and lost to the Swiss star in the Australian Open quarterfinals. Davydenko made a strong start, breaking Federer in the ninth game before holding his serve to claim the first set. The Russian forced another break in the third game of the second set but Federer broke back at 2-3 to take control. Federer still had to overcome three break points while trailing Davydenko 4-3 in the final set. “It’s good to see Davydenko back at this playing level,” Federer said. “Fortunately for me, he wasn’t good enough to knock me out.”

Del Potro broke his Czech opponent in the opening game before making another break at 5-3 to take the first set. In the one-sided second set, the Argentine took a 5-0 lead, then surrendered a game and completed the rout on his ninth ace of the match.