TENNIS in DEPTH.

Feliciano Lopez clinched his first title in over five years with victory at the SA Tennis Open in Johannesburg.

The world No.39, who toppled top seed Gael Monfils in the semi-finals, eased past Stephane Robert 7-5 6-1.

Lopez saw eight break point opportunities come and go before finally breaking No.8 seed Robert’s resistance in the late stages of a 49-minute first set.

With the momentum firmly on Lopez’s side, first-time finalist Robert managed only 11 points in the second, giving the Spaniard his second career title after claiming the Vienna title in 2004.

“I had everything to lose and Stephane had nothing to lose so it is a great feeling to succeed,” Lopez said after the match.

“Some missed opportunities in the first set angered me, but it all came together in the end,” he added. “The support for me here, so many thousands of kilometres from home, was amazing.”

Related Posts:

• Both top seeds lose in SA.
• Next up for Roddick is Fernando Gonzalez.
• Nadal, Ferrer, Verdasco & Lopez win the Cup for Spain.

Bookmark It

Feliciano Lopez and Stephane Robert will meet in the SA Tennis Open final after stunning the top two seeds at Montecasino on Sunday.

Arguably the bigger upset came in Saturday’s first semi-final when Robert eased past 18th-ranked David Ferrer 7-5 6-4, while Lopez battled hard to beat world number 13 Gael Monfils in three sets – 3-6 6-1 7-6 (7/1).

Ferrer, a semi-finalist last year, struggled to settle against the base-line play of a man ranked 82 places below him at 100.

Robert was particularly impressive on his first serve in the opening set, winning 19 out of 24 points.

He then wore down his second-seeded opponent in the second set with two breaks of serve to one, which helped him close out the win in one hour 36 minutes.

Top seed Monfils would have been expecting an all-French final after cruising to victory in the first set – 11 aces clearly aiding his cause.

But Lopez had other ideas and started the second set in dominant style, dropping just one game.

The final set went on serve right through to the tie-break.

And Monfils, who had previously not lost a set all week in Johannesburg, looked out of it from the outset. He won just a single point as Lopez stormed into the final.

Related Posts:

• Last eight taking shape in Rotterdam.
• Lopez wins for the first time in 5 years!
• Next up for Roddick is Fernando Gonzalez.

Bookmark It

In a  three-and-a-half hour contest, the American seventh seed proved the more consistent to register a 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3) win on Rod Laver Arena.

Roddick, who is now 8-0 for the new season after his lead-up Brisbane tournament victory, will now play Chilean 11th seed Gonzalez, who was beaten here in the 2007 final by Roger Federer.

Gonzalez came through a tough five-setter 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 against Kazak Evgeny Korolev.

Roddick, a four-time Australian Open semi-finalist, was relieved to get through to the round of 16 after dropping the opening set in a tiebreaker.

“I felt like I was real close to getting on top of the match and turning it into a little bit more comfortable. I just didn’t quite get there,” he said.

“But the only thing that matters, you’re just trying to get through a day, and that happened, so no complaints.”

In a tight match, the American earned three service breaks and left-handed Lopez just one as both players probed away in patient long rallies.

But it was Roddick’s greater groundstroke consistency that won through as the 46th-ranked Lopez committed 60 unforced errors to the American’s 21.

Related Posts:

• Please let your wife do the modelling….she’s so much better…
• Is age catching up to Andy Roddick?
• Roddick moves on past Blake.

Bookmark It

Nadal had the important role of being Spain’s cheerleader-in-chief at Barcelona’s Palau Sant Jordi, with the world No 2 loudly celebrating every point that Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez won on the way to defeating Radek Stepanek and Tomas Berdych in the Davis Cup final, meaning the home nation retained the trophy they won in Argentina last season.

All four of Spain’s Davis Cup successes have come during the Noughties. It was here in this stadium, in 2000, that Spain won the Davis Cup for the first time. On that occasion, Nadal’s involvement was to carry Spain’s flag during the on-court ceremonies. And the Spanish keep on winning ‘La Ensaladera’, their affectionate name for the salad bowl-shaped trophy.

If the grand slam nations of Great Britain, the United States, France and Australia dominated this team competition during the twentieth century, there can be little doubt which country has been the superpower in the opening decade of the twenty-first century.

Spain needed just two days of the three-day tie here on the Montjuic Hill to become the first country since Sweden in 1998 to successfully defend the trophy.

While Nadal had some difficulties in the middle of the season, when he had his first defeat at the French Open and he had to withdraw from Wimbledon because of injury, the beginning and end of his year have been successful.

At Melbourne Park in February, Nadal beat Roger Federer in the Australian Open final to win his first hard-court grand slam title, and now this in December.

Nadal had done his bit on the clay when he demolished Berdych in the opening singles rubber on Friday afternoon, and yesterday he watched as Verdasco and Lopez saved one set point in the opening set tiebreak, and then went on to achieve a 7-6, 7-5, 6-2 victory.

Between points, the only man who was getting more attention from the television cameras than Nadal was Spain’s Crown Prince Felipe.

Related Posts:

• Spain’s Davis Cup quartet.
• rafa’s ready to defend the davis cup.
• Spain’s chances would be better without these two!

Bookmark It

Rafael Nadal and Fernando Verdasco have returned to the Spain side for next month’s Davis Cup final against Czech Republic, captain Albert Costa said on Monday.

David Ferrer and Feliciano Lopez complete the four-man team for the December 4-6 tie in Barcelona where Spain will seek a fourth title in 10 years.

Nadal has not played for his country since the first-round tie against Serbia in March and missed both the quarter-final against Germany in July and September’s last-four clash against Israel due to injury.

Verdasco, ranked eight, was also sidelined for the Israel tie, but has returned to clinch a place at the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals at the end of this month.

The final will take place on Spain’s favoured clay surface at the indoor Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona, scene of the first of Spain’s three Davis Cup triumphs in 2000 when a team featuring Costa defeated Lleyton Hewitt’s Australia.

They followed up with a win against the United States in Seville in 2004 and victory over Argentina in Mar del Plata last year.

“The Davis Cup is my main objective remaining for the year,” Nadal, who also missed the 2008 final due to injury, said in an interview  on Sunday.

“To play in the Palau Sant Jordi, where I carried the team flag in 2000, and experience that now as a player and not a spectator will be a marvellous experience.”

The Spanish have a deep pool of tennis talent, with 11 players in the top 100, while the Czechs rely on the two-man show of former top-10 players Radek Stepanek and Tomas Berdych, now ranked 12 and 20 respectively.

Spain are attempting to become the first team to retain the Davis Cup since Sweden in 1998 and are undefeated at home in 17 ties. They have not lost on clay in 19.

Related Posts:

• Nadal, Ferrer, Verdasco & Lopez win the Cup for Spain.
• rafa’s ready to defend the davis cup.
• Spain’s chances would be better without these two!

Bookmark It

Nikolay Davydenko produced a fine comeback to stun second seed Novak Djokovic and will face Rafael Nadal in the Shanghai Masters final.

Serbian Djokovic was made to work hard to take the first set, and Davydenko fought back confidently to level their match.

The Russian sixth seed hung in during the third set to reach a tie-break which he won with some fine play to seal a 4-6 6-4 7-6 (7/1) victory in a shade over three hours.

Top seed Nadal advanced when Feliciano Lopez withdrew from their semi-final midway through the second set.

In the first semi, Djokovic saved a break point in game three and again in game nine as Davydenko probed his opponent.

But the Serbian showed his class to put pressure on the Davydenko serve, racing to 0-40 before converting to claim the first set.

However, Davydenko was unfazed, breaking in game seven of the second set as Djokovic pushed a forehand long – and that proved enough to level.

After both players spurned break opportunities – including Davydenko coming from 0-40 down in game six – Davydenko served to stay in the match at 5-4 and 6-5 ahead to take the third set into a tie-breaker.

The sixth seed secured an immediate mini-break, then raced into a 5-0 lead with a sublime passing shot as Djokovic crumbled.

Djokovic won back one of the mini-breaks but netted to give his opponent five match points.

And a stylish crosscourt forehand sent Davydenko into the final.

“He played too good,” Djokovic told www.atpworldtour.com. “I’m disappointed, because I think I played a great match.”

Nadal was barely tested as he strode into the championship game when Lopez withdrew with the score at 6-1 3-0 to the world number two.

Nadal drew first blood when he broke in game three following a poor Lopez forehand.

And the errors continued from the 28-year-old as he surrendered a second break and Nadal held with ease to leave his opponent serving to stay in the first set.

Lopez appeared to sustain an injury as he handed Nadal another break to give the Spaniard the first set inside 30 minutes.

He called for the trainer, who strapped up his right foot.

Lopez conceded another break at the start of the second set, and decided he could not continue after another service hold for Nadal.

It was the second day in a row Nadal had advanced thanks to the withdrawal of an opponent after Ivan Ljubicic pulled out of yesterday’s quarter-final with the score level at 1-1 after the second set.

Nadal told Sky Sports 3: “I was a little bit lucky yesterday. Today I was winning but it’s never nice to win like this, especially against a close friend like Feliciano.

“I just wish both players a speedy recovery.

“I’m just happy to be in the final – my first after the injury comeback.”

Nadal predicted a tough day’s work against Davydenko.

He said: “He’s playing really well. He played a great match today against Novak. He’s another level, I’m going to have a really difficult match. I’m going to try to be aggressive.”

Related Posts:

• rafa’s ready to defend the davis cup.
• Davydenko joins the injured list as he withdraws from Dubai.
• Djokovic, Murray move up…Nadal down to 4th.

Bookmark It

Wild card Joachim Johansson eliminated Lleyton Hewitt 7-6 (7), 6-3 Tuesday in the first round of the Malaysian Open.

Neither managed a break in the first set, but Johansson opened up a 4-1 lead in the second after Hewitt double-faulted on break point.

The Australian struggled to hold serve in the fourth and sixth games. He forced Johansson to save four break points to maintain his advantage.

“I worked very hard to hold that service game,” said Johansson, ranked 446th.

Mikhail Youzhny of Russia also advanced, beating seventh-seeded David Ferrer of Spain 7-6 (3), 6-2.

Ferrer broke his opponent in the second game to take a 2-0 lead but Youzhny won three consecutive games, eventually taking the set to a tiebreaker. The Russian, ranked 52nd, held the serve to take the set.

Youzhny broke serve in the third and eighth games of the second set.

“I have been in Kuala Lumpur a few days, and I think it helps me that I am more used to the conditions,” Youzhny said.

Indian qualifier Rohan Bopanna defeated Jose Acasuso of Argentina 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic got by Igor Kunitsyn of Russia 6-1, 3-6, 6-2.

Also, Martin Vassallo Arguello of Argentina defeated Feliciano Lopez of Spain 6-3, 6-3, and Karol Beck of Slovakia defeated Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan 1-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3.

Related Posts:

• Nadal, Ferrer, Verdasco & Lopez win the Cup for Spain.
• Spain’s Davis Cup quartet.
• rafa’s ready to defend the davis cup.

Bookmark It