TENNIS in DEPTH.

Gael Monfils overcame the challenge of French compatriot Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to claim his place in the final of the Open Sud de France.

Third seed Monfils edged the opening set on a tie-break, but Tsonga came back strongly in the second to level matters.

That took the match into a closely-fought decider, but Monfils claimed the crucial break to seal a 7-6 (7/2) 2-6 6-4 victory over the second seed.

Monfils will now face Ivan Ljubicic in Sunday’s final in Montpellier.

The fourth-seeded Croatian was also made to work in his semi-final by Spain’s Albert Montanes, eventually beating the sixth seed 6-3 7-6 (7/4).

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Novak Djokovic advanced to the third round of the Shanghai Masters with a 6-3 6-3 win over Croatia’s Ivan Ljubicic. The second seeded Serb, who defended the China Open in Beijing on Monday, wrapped up his victory in 80 minutes. Sweden’s Robin Soderling progressed in straight sets as he overcame the serve of Janko Tipsarevic 6-3 7-6 (7-5).

Tenth seed Andy Roddick retired hurt when leading 6-3 2-3 against Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain. The American suffered a groin strain and was unable to continue. Serbia’s Marin Cilic was another seed to fall as the tournament’s number 14 went down 6-2 6-2 to Andreas Seppi of Italy.

Ljubicic, who upset Britain’s Andy Murray on his way to the semi-finals in Beijing last week, proved far less of an obstacle to Djokovic who always had control of the contest. Djokovic has taken a narrow 410-point lead over Roger Federer in the world rankings with the Swiss yet to play since losing to the 23-year-old in the US Open semi-finals. The winner in Shanghai will earn 1,000 ranking points, although Federer missed the event last year while Djokovic reached the semi-finals. Djokovic is confident that a busy playing schedule will not catch up with him as the season nears an end. “I’m playing well, moving well, motivated mentally and full of energy. I’m hoping that it’s going to stay that way,” said Djokovic. “I didn’t spend that much energy in Beijing. I won without dropping a set in the whole tournament.”

In other matches Richard Gasquet of France overcame Latvia’s Ernests Gulbis 6-1 6-4, while Austrian 13th seed Jurgen Melzer beat Spain’s Daniel Gimeno-Taylor 6-3 7-6 (7-2).

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Andy Murray has crashed out of the China Open in Beijing after losing in straight sets to Ivan Ljubicic. The British number one had not dropped a set in reaching the quarter-finals but Ljubicic powered to a 6-3 6-2 victory in just 67 minutes. Murray had already needed to save one break point in the fourth game before he was broken in the sixth, and the 23-year-old saved a set point in his next service game as well with an ace. Ljubicic was having no such problems on his serve, the 31-year-old Croatian not facing a single break point throughout the set and calmly serving out to take it 6-3 with his sixth ace. Murray’s hopes of mounting a comeback suffered an immediate blow when he lost his serve again at the start of the second set, but the Scot did get to 0-30 on Ljubicic’s serve in the sixth game.

However, the world number 17 responded in stunning fashion with four aces in succession to get out of trouble and emphatically break Murray’s spirit. Murray, the second seed, was unsurprisingly broken again in the next game and Ljubicic served out to seal a comprehensive win and book his place in the semi-finals

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Ivan Ljubicic suffered a shock defeat to Xavier Malisse in round two of the Open de Moselle in Metz.

The third seed was routed 7-5 6-2 inside 80 minutes despite raining down 12 aces on his Belgian opponent. Ljubicic made just 50% of first serves and was broken three times as he became the notable scalp of the day.

Top seed Marin Cilic had no such problems, dispatching Lukas Lacko in straight sets – although both were closely-fought affairs.

A late break, the only one of the match, earned Ljubicic’s compatriot the first set and he prevailed in a second-set tie-break to round out at 7-5 7-6 (7/3) win.

Eighth seed Gilles Simon also advanced after beating Holland’s Igor Sijsling in three sets.

The Frenchman powered through the opener and, though Sijsling held his nerve in a second-set tie-break to delay the inevitable, he completed a 6-1 6-7 (5/7) 6-3 win in an hour and 53 minutes.

In the day’s other matches, Jarkko Nieminen beat Kristof Vliegen 6-4 6-1 and Mischa Zverev saw off Nicolas Mahut 6-4 6-2.

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Ivan Ljubicic followed fellow seed Tomas Berdych out of the opening round of the US Open.

Croatian Ljubicic was beaten in four sets by 18-year-old American qualifier Ryan Harrison in searing heat.

“The weather was my biggest enemy today,” admitted 31-year-old Ljubicic.

“Throughout my career I struggled with the heat. I’m not really coping really well with that, and I tried all kind of different tactics to deal with it. I never find the right one.

“Today was no different. Then everything else just comes together. I was not returning well, serving well, and Ryan was on top of his game. When everything gets together, it was a pretty comfortable win for him.

“We saw some players struggling big time. There are comments saying it’s the same thing for everybody, but really it’s not. Somebody is struggling more than others, and I think it’s just not fun.

“I think people out there are coming to see good tennis, and on days like this it’s all about everything except tennis. It’s just trying to hang in there and hit some balls more on the court than the other guy or other girl, whoever plays.

“A break doesn’t really help. In Australia they have a pretty good rule. When it’s too hot, you just don’t play. Hard courts definitely make it worse. The concrete, it’s just brutal. You get heat not only from the sky, but also from the bottom.”

A delighted Harrison said: “It’s definitely the biggest one of my career so far. To win on this stage here and to take out a top 20 player in the world is the biggest win of my career.

“I’ve always believed in myself. I have always had confidence in myself, so obviously I’m extremely excited and really pleased with what happened.

“But by the same token, I’m really going to look forward to trying to get back into my routines on the day off and looking forward to trying to get ready for the second round.”

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Gael Monfils was forced to withdraw from the Estoril Open on Thursday due to sickness caused by eating bad food.

“I have been sick overnight as a result of eating some bad food,” said Monfils, the World No. 18.

“I don’t have any energy, my head feels heavy, my nose is blocked up and I was sick three or four times. I probably got about one hour’s sleep last night.”

Monfils has been sidelined due to a hand injury since competing at the BNP Paribas Masters in Indian Wells.

“The past couple of months have been more than bad luck. All journalists know I like playing on clay courts and wanted to have good preparation for Roland Garros. I hope I’ll be back on the court soon.”

Monfils hopes to be fit to play at next week’s Mutua Madrilena Masters Madrid, an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 clay-court tournament.

Monfils’ withdrawal came less than 24 hours after Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia announced he was pulling out.

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 Ivan Ljubicic – winner of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells on Sunday – was forced to retire against Benjamin Becker with a back injury. Ljubicic was leading the German 6-4, 1-0 with a break in the second set when he had to quit the match.

Rafael Nadal opened his 2010 Sony Ericsson Open campaign on Friday night with a 6-4 6-3 win over Taylor Dent.

Playing Dent for the first time, the former World No. 1 won all four break points he held on the American’s serve, which also delivered six aces and six double faults. By comparison Nadal’s serving stats were less dramatic, serving only two aces and no double faults.

Nadal is seeking his first singles title since early May 2009 (Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome), having gone winless in his last 12 Tour events.

The Spaniard’s best results in Miami have been a pair of runner-up finishes, in 2005 (l. to Federer in five sets) and 2008 (l. to Davydenko).

In the third round Nadal meets a resurgent David Nalbandian, on the comeback trail after hip surgery last year. The Argentinian wild card defeated No. 30 seed Viktor Troici, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.

In the men’s night match Andy Roddick did what he needed to in his first match of the 2010 Sony Ericsson Open, defeating Russian Igor Andreev, 6-4, 6-4. Roddick blasted 12 aces and saved the only break point he faced in the one-hour, 20-minute encounter.

“I played okay,” said Roddick. “I think the second set was better than the first. Conditions are so much different here than Palm Springs; you’re in 90% humidity. All of a sudden the ball is not really jumping or going anywhere.

In another late match No. 8 seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga served 15 aces in his defeat of Spain’s Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, 6-4, 6-3.

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Ivan Lubicic, a player that considered retirement a year ago, played the best tennis of his career to win the 2010 Indian Wells tournament with a masterful victory over Andy Roddick. To get to the final he defeated Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. Even the most ardent Roddick fan must have felt heart warmed to see the display of brilliant tennis that Lubicic provided, the likes of which has been missing from the ATP tour for too long.

Lubicic did everything right, he may never repeat today’s feat, so for those of us who were privilged to see the match and the absolute perfection of a tennis match we must be thankful.

He will move up to be within the top 15 in the rankings(he was once #3), but whatever his number it really doesn’t matter because he has established himself as one of the best players to ever pick up a racquet.

I for one look forward to watching him compete again.

“It was really a mind game,” Ljubicic said.

“When you have two big serves, not a lot of rallies happening, it’s a very mental match. I was fortunate enough to be more relaxed by the end.”

Roddick was trying to become the first American man to win at Indian Wells since 2001, but he trailed in both tie-breakers.

He had beaten Ljubicic seven times in 10 meetings, winning their last match at Indian Wells in two tie-breakers in 2007.

“I felt like I was winning my fair share of the rallies once we got into them,” he said. “I just ran into a guy who served great on the big points. Unfortunately that’s probably the one thing that I don’t have control over out there.”

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