After the game, Djokovic said: ”Rafa, thank you for allowing me to win it once. I couldn’t ask for a better start to the clay season.”

The win was especially poignant for Novak Djokovic, who lost his grandfather in the middle of Monte Carlo play last year.

Nadal, for his part, has been a dominate force at Monte Carlo, having won his last 46 previous matches for eight title wins in a row. Last year it was Nadal who defeated Djokovic during the same finals round.

The last time Nadal lost at the Monte Carlo Masters was 10 years ago during play against Guillermo Coria. Nadal missed the 2004 tournament with an injury.

Djokovic added: ”I cannot be happier than I am in this moment knowing what I’ve been through the whole week, actually two weeks. If somebody told me 10 days ago I’d be winning the trophy, I wouldn’t think it’s so realistic, to be honest.”

Nadal said of his own play: ”I think he played a little bit better than me, especially in the first set. I felt that I was playing really well the second set and I was having more chances than him.”

Nadal suffered a knee injury in February but seems to have recuperated with five consecutive finals appearances for which he won three. The win at Monte Carlo, in the meantime, hands Novac Djokovic his third title of the year and his 37th overall tournament win.

The two men may have a chance to repeat their finals match in five weeks when they play in the French Open at Roland Garros.

[Image via Tiberiu Stan / Shutterstock.com]

Novac Djokovic Defeats Rafael Nadal, Wins Monte Carlo Masters is a post from: The Inquisitr

In November the ATP cracked down on the time players are allowed to spend between points in an effort to speed up the game and provide more uniformity against the somewhat arbitrary nature of rule enforcement in the past. Repeated violations now come with relaxed penalties, but with much stricter enforcement.

Players who take more than 25 seconds between points are now issued a warning, and subsequent violations bring a “fault” penalty for the player.

The rule may not be aimed specifically at Rafael Nadal, but he will certainly be affected more than others. Known in tennis as a slow player, Nadal often takes 30 seconds or more between points.

In a recent win over Ryan Harrison, Nadal abided by the new ATP rules and played much quicker.

Playing on a hard court for the first time in more than a year after suffering an injury last year, Nadal made easy work of Harrison, winning 7-6 (3), 6-2.

Though Nadal was able to play under the new rules, his match with Harrison was played in dry and cool conditions.

In the heat of the summer the rule will have a big impact on matches, Rafael Nadal said.

“I am [playing faster] because somebody very smart puts a new rule that is a disaster, in my opinion,” Nadal told reporters. “Not in places like here that is dry, not very humid place, but is completely disaster when we are playing in tournaments like Acapulco, Brazil or Chile.”

Nadal complained that the new ATP rule will make it much harder for players to sustain the long rallies that make the sport popular with its fans. He noted that after some of the 30-plus shot rallies in his career he and his opponent spent 30 to 40 seconds to recover.

“The rules go against the great points of tennis,” Nadal said. “Because if you see the highlights of the end of the season, I didn’t see not one highlight, the best points of the season, I did not see not one ace. The best points of the season are long rallies and amazing points. With this 25 seconds, you play a long rally and you think you can play another long rally next point? No. So go against the good tennis.

“The guy who really accepted this rule was not very smart, in my opinion,” Rafael Nadal added.

Rafael Nadal Attacks ATP Rule Change Meant To Speed Up Matches is a post from: The Inquisitr

Who would you pick for your Tennis teammate? Ben Stiller or a little girl? If you watched the exhibition match last night between Rafael Nadal and Juan Martin Del Portro you’d probably end up choosing the little girl.

Stiller was sitting courtside on Monday night during an exhibition tennis match between Nadal and Del Potro. With nothing on the line, the two tennis stars decided to have a little fun and bring some people from the crowd out onto the court.

Nadal chose Stiller as his teammate while Del Potro decided to grab a young girl from the crowd.

Potro got some applause for picking his teammate and the little girl got some applause when she proved to be the third best tennis player on the court. Granted, Nadal was serving up some pretty easy shots but the little girl was doing her part and stuffing them back in Stiller’s face.

We have to give Stiller some credit, though. He did pick a wedgie while standing on the court to mock Nadal and he did score the first point of the match. After that, however, it was all team Del Potro and anonymous little girl.

Stiller gave a little excuse after the match, saying that his knee was bothering him, but ended up tipping his hat to the little girl.

Still coming back from Knee injury (mine, not Rafa’s).Hats off to the little girl who dominated.bit.ly/gp50oq

— Ben Stiller (@RedHourBen) March 5, 2013

Here’s the video of Ben Stiller, Rafael Nadal, Juan Martin Del Portro and the little girl playing tennis.

It was a little surprising to see Stiller so timid on the court. After all, the last time he was set up for an easy spike this happened.

Ben Stiller Gets Beat By Little Girl During Tennis Exhibition [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Rafael Nadal showed he is literally back in the swing of things Sunday by winning the Brazil Open — his first tournament title since returning from a seven-month layoff to treat his left knee.

Along with the win, Nadal’s 51st on the ATP Tour, the 26-year-old Spaniard collected a prize of $82,300 (£53,000) and thanked the public for “the great ­support” he received.

”Brazil will always be in my heart,” said Nadal, who beat David Nalbandian 6-2, 6-3 in the final of the Brazil Open. ”Big things started to happen after I won here in 2005 and hopefully this is the start of something good again.”

Following the match, Nadal, considered the most dominant clay-court player of his generation, admitted the level of the competition in Brazil was not as high as in other tournaments but said it wasn’t bad either, giving him the perfect opportunity to test his knee.

“Yesterday [during the semi-final] the knee hurt. Today it’s better, rather bearable. I am happy to win in Brazil for the second time,” said Nadal, who now has 37 claycourt titles in a 51-trophy career haul.

When asked whether he is ready enough to compete against the worlds top three (Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray), he responded:

“I don’t have any problem playing against better rivals because I accept that I can lose. Losing is not a problem for me. I just need time to continue improving and return to a more competitive level.”

The 11-time Grand Slam champion will play another clay-court tournament in Mexico in two weeks. You can watch highlights from Rafael Nadal’s Brazil Open finals match in the video below:

via Fox News Latino
Image: Shutterstock

Rafael Nadal Wins Brazil Open, First Title Since Return From Injury [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

After not playing tennis for seven months, super star Rafael Nadal can feel his confidence coming back.

In Nadal’s first tennis action in over half a year, the former number one player in the world has made it to the semi-finals of the VTP Open in Chile.

During his recovery from knee injuries, Nadal had to withdraw from the London Olymics, and more recently had to pull out of an event in Abu Dhabi due a stomach illness.

Now back at full health, CNN reports that Nadal can feel his confidence coming back after advancing to the semi-finals. He says:

“Today I had more confidence than the other days. That is positive. It gives me confidence, and reasons to believe that I’m on the right way. I’m happy to win in singles against a tough opponent like Dani and to reach the semifinals after seven months.”

On Friday he defeated seventh seeded Daniel Gimeno-Traver, a fellow Spaniard.

Overall, Nadal says he has felt very good about the VTP Open:

“In this tournament I had a good feeling. The crowd gave me their support all the time. It helps a lot when you come with a bad feeling.”

In his last open appearance, Nadal lost at Wimbledon to Roger Federer. From then to now his world ranking has dropped from first to fifth.

According to The Telegraph, Nadal’s next opponent, Frenchman Jeremy Chardy, “breezed” through his last opponent and won 89 percent of his first-serve points.

How do you think Rafael Nadal will do against Chardy, now that his confidence is back?

[image via Neale Cousland / Shutterstock.com]

Rafael Nadal’s Confidence ‘Coming Back’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal’s long awaited comeback from knee injury is now being postponed due to an illness.

According to Fox News, Nadal was scheduled to make his return to tennis at an exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi Thursday, but he’s now stating a stomach virus will delay his return to competition.

“I am very disappointed that I will not be able to compete this year in Abu Dhabi,” Nadal said Tuesday via his Facebook page. “Everything had been prepared. I was really excited about returning to play and I always have a wonderful experience at the event and this is the first time I will miss the tournament.”

Nadal, who was planning on using the event as part of his rehabilitation, said the decision to skip the tourney was ultimately made by doctors.

”My rehab has gone well, my knee feels good and I was looking forward to competing. Unfortunately doctors have informed me that my body needs to rest in order to fight this stomach virus. I would like to say sorry to all my fans in the United Arab Emirates and around the world, but I hope to play and win in Abu Dhabi again next year.“

Yahoo! Sports notes that Nadal, 26, hasn’t played since June, when he lost to 100th-ranked Lukas Rosol in the second round at Wimbledon.

The injury prevented Nadal from defending his singles gold at the Olympics in London, where he was supposed to be Spain’s flag bearer at the opening ceremony. He also had to pull out of the US Open and Spain’s Davis Cup final against the Czech Republic.

The 11-time Grand Slam winner is now expected to make his return at the Qatar Open, which begins on December 31.

Rafael Nadal: Illness Forces Tennis Star Out Of Abu Dhabi Event is a post from: The Inquisitr

In 2008 Rafael Nadal won the gold medal in Beijing. This year, however, the defending champion will be watching from the stands.

Nadal announced today that he would not be competing in the 2012 London Olympics. The former Tennis champ said that making the decision was one of the “saddest moments” of his life.

Nadal said:

“I am not in condition to compete in the London Olympics and therefore will not travel as planned with the Spanish delegation to take part in the games. I have to think about my companions, I can’t be selfish and I have to think of what’s best for Spanish sport, especially tennis and Spanish players and give fellow sportsmen with better preparation the chance to compete. (This)  is one of the saddest days of my career as one of my biggest ambitions, that of being Spain’s flag bearer in the opening ceremony of the games in London, cannot be. You can imagine how difficult it was to take this decision.”

MSNBC reports that Nadal may have pulled out of the Olympic Games due to a knee injury. Nadal didn’t mention any specific injury in his statement but the tennis player did cancel a charity match in Madrid at the beginning of the month due to a knee injury.

Nadal has not played since he suffered a surprising lost at Wimbledon this year to 100th ranked Lukas Rosol in the second round.

Do you think Rafael Nadal made the right decision to pull out of the Olympics?

Rafael Nadal Withdraws From London Olympics is a post from: The Inquisitr

Rafael Nadal fell apart during match play at Wimbledon on Thursday, first falling into a net, then arguing with the umpire before bumping opponent Lukas Rosol during a changeover. When all was said and done however Rosol had the last laugh as the Czech player defeated Nadal 6-7 (9), 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.

The win for Rosol was the first time since 2005 that Rafael Nadal was forced to exit a match in the 2nd round.

After the match Rafael had nothing bad to say about his fellow opponent:

 ”In the fifth set he played more than unbelievable. Before, first three sets, I didn’t play well.”

Speaking about the “bump” situation during a crossover Rosol said:

“He wanted to take my concentration. That’s OK. I knew he would try something, but I was concentrating.”

The victory was a big one for Rosol who was playing in Wimbledon’s main draw for the first time in his career.

Ranked No. 100, Rosol is the lowest ranked player to ever defeat Rafael Nadal in a Grand Slam tournament.

Many observers of the match were shocked by the outcome, especially Rosol who after the match proclaimed:

“I’m not just surprised; it’s like a miracle for me. I never expected something like this.”

When asked what annoyed him about the match Nadal refused to give specific, instead noting:

“Anything that I will say now will sound against me. It’s not the right moment for me to say what happened out there, because it’s going to sound like an excuse.”

To which Rosol countered:

“I was concentrating on myself. I don’t know what he was complaining about.”

Rafael Nadal Loses In Wimbledon 2nd Round Match, Falls To Lukas Rosol is a post from: The Inquisitr

Rafael Nadal must be breathing a huge sigh of relief right now. We reported yesterday how the tennis star lost a €300,000 ($380,000) watch just hours after his record-breaking French Open victory, but now the missing timepiece has been found.

French police believe the watch was stolen from Nadal’s Paris hotel room, and a barman has now been arrested in connection with the theft.

Nadal’s relief will be all the greater because the watch didn’t actually belong to him. Rather, it was a loan from luxury watchmaker Richard Mille, who lent the Spanish tennis champion the watch for the duration of the French Open. It vanished sometime late Monday to early Tuesday (French time).

Speaking anonymously, a police source revealed that the watch was found on Tuesday night, in a grassy spot by a railway track in the southern Paris suburb of Evry. The suspect in the case, a 39-year-old barman who worked at the five-star luxury hotel in Paris’ 8th district, took detectives to the watch.

Police reportedly suspected an inside job, as there was no sign of forced entry in or around the hotel suite, with Nadal’s family and girlfriend having had access.

The suspect was identified via his magnetic key card, which was used to access the room in which Nadal stayed.

After that, police received a confession from the hotel employee, who said he let himself in and took the luxury watch. The spot where he hid the watch was near his home in the Essonne area south of Paris.

Rafael Nadal’s Watch Found, Hotel Barman Arrested is a post from: The Inquisitr

This week should have been one of the happiest of Rafael Nadal’s life, but the Spanish tennis star’s fortunes have taken a drastic turn for the worse. Just hours after winning his seventh French Open singles title, a new record in men’s tennis, Nadal had to report his €300,000 ($380,000) watch as LOST.

The watch, a distinctive Richard Mille model, was lent to the tennis player for use throughout the French Open. Yet when Nadal woke up on Tuesday, the day after clinching his latest grand slam title, the timepiece was missing. Pictures of the Spaniard lifting the hefty French Open trophy show the watch still on Nadal’s wrist, leaving a timeframe of only a few hours for it to go missing in.

The player and his relatives are now working with the French police, with one police source stating, “Nobody broke into the hotel room.”

Rafael Nadal defeated Novak Djokovic on Monday for his record-setting win at Roland Garros. His victory came a day after the two men were forced to call it a day on Sunday, with rain causing the clay court to crumble.

Nadal won the final in four sets, with a final score of 6-4, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5, taking his career record at the French Open to a staggering 52-1.

If Rafa is worried about his lost watch, he can always take comfort in his prize money for winning the tournament: a cool €1,250,000 ($1,560,000). That should just about cover it.

Rafael Nadal Loses $380,000 Watch is a post from: The Inquisitr

Rafael Nadal has defeated Novak Djokovic to claim his record-setting 7th Grand Slam win at Roland Garros. Nadal claimed the French Open championship on Monday after the two men were forced to call it a day on Sunday when rain led to a crumbling clay court.

Nadal ended the tournament in four sets with a final score of  6-4, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5.

Monday’s continuation of play was met by a brief rain delay in the fourth set and the match ended on a double-fault by Djokovic.

By winning at Roland Garros Rafael Nadal has beaten Bjorn Borg’s record for French Open wins while racking up an astonishing 52-1 record. The win also breaks Novak’s three straight Grand Slam wins against Nadal.

Speaking after the match Rafael told reporters:

”This tournament is, for me, the most special tournament of the world.”

While adding:

”It was a very difficult match against the best player in the world. I lost three Grand Slam finals – Wimbledon, the U.S. Open last year, and the Australian Open this year. I’m very happy, very emotional.”

Djokovic definitely was not at the top of his game, serving four double-faults throughout the match.

The win also gave Nadal his 11th overall Grand Slam title, tying Borg and Rod Laver on the all-time list.

After the match Djokovic added:

”I’m not going back, saying it’s your fault and your fault because I lost. It’s unfortunate because I was playing better, feeling better on the court in the third set yesterday. Today, he started strong. I started slower. I was a little bit unfortunate in that first game and things turned around.”

Rafael Nadal Wins Record 7th French Open is a post from: The Inquisitr

Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic will have to wait until Monday to see who will claim the 2012 French Open title at Roland Garros after a rain delay left Nadal in the lead with a current score of 6-4, 6-3, 2-6, 1-2.

Nadal’s win would give him a record seventh French Open title, while Djokovic could become the first man in 43 years to win four straight grand slam titles.

The French Open final was met with a 34-minute interruption in the second set as the men played under a light drizzle for most of their match.

The match was delayed after both men were forced to beat the waterlogged clay out of their shoes after almost every single point.

It was Nadal tossing a soaked ball to the chair umpire that ultimately led to the rain delay decision.

6-4, 6-3, 2-6, 1-2 The delay will mark the first time since 1973 that the match won’t end on a Tuesday. That match ended on a Tuesday when Ilie Nastase defeated Nikki Pilic.

The Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic match could head into a Tuesday playoff should intermittent rain on Monday turn to more severe weather.

In the meantime Sunday’s rain appeared to shift the momentum away from Nadal who is considered a master of clay courts. Djokovic was down two sets and 2-0 in the third but eventually turned things around as rain continued to fall.

Game play will resume on Monday morning if weather permits.

Do you think Nadal will pull off the record-setting win or will Djokovic finally end his clay court reign.
 

2012 French Open Rain Delay: Men’s Final To Resume On Monday is a post from: The Inquisitr

Rafael Nadal is no stranger to French Open victories, the star tennis ace has won the tournament six times and on Wednesday he edged ever closer to a seventh victory. Nadal faced off against 12th-seeded Nicolas Almagro in the grand slam tournaments quarterfinals where he pulled out a victory in straight sets.

Nadal who has won all 15 sets he has played at Roland Garros this year defeated the 12th-seeded Almagro with a final score of 7-6 (4), 6-2, 6-3.

The only tennis player to ever win the French Open championships six times is Bjorn Borg and with a victory at Roland Garros he will claim his 11th Grand Slam trophy which would also tie Borg and Rod Laver for the fourth-most Grand Slam win.

Since taking on the French Open for his very first time the star tennis player has only lost once, that loss came in the fourth round of the 2009 tournament while playing against Robin Soderling.

To advanced to the French Open finals Rafael Nadal will now need to defeat either No. 4 Andy Murray or No. 6 David Ferrer, both of whom are still playing out their quarterfinal match.

The No. 2 seeded Rafael Nadal will turn to the clay court on Friday when Semifinal play begins.

With a 50-1 victory at the French Open it is hard to bet against Nadal on a clay court where he is most comfortable. Will you be cheering for Nadal as he rounds the finishing stretch for what would be a historical run at the French Open Grand Slam?

Rafael Nadal Wins Quarterfinal Match, Heads Closer To Seventh French Open Title is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Italian player called for the trainer after falling behind 3-0. She had her wrist re-taped, but the pain ended up being too much and she was forced to concede during the fifth game after 28 minutes of play.

“For me it was good because I have played every day and I haven’t had a day off,” said Williams, who won Italy’s clay-court tournament 10 years ago. “I hope she is feeling better.”

The victory extended Williams’ winning streak to 17 matches following titles in Charleston and Madrid. She also has two victories in Fed Cup.

Williams’ next opponent will be French Open champion Li Na, who eliminated fourteenth-seeded Dominika Cibulkova 6-1, 7-6 (4).

Older sister Venus Williams plays defending champion Maria Sharapova later Friday.

On men’s side, No. 3 ranked Rafael Nadal got the upper hand against Tomas Berdych, grinding out a 6-4, 7-5 entertaining victory to seal his place in the semi-finals of a Rome Masters event which he is seeking a sixth title.

“I played one of my best matches of the year today,” Nadal told a news conference following the match. “Tomas is a player with a lot of confidence and playing very well, so I am very happy with how I played.

“I did one fantastic thing, in my opinion. I stepped inside the court a lot, with my forehand and my movements were fantastic.”

Next up for Nadal will be sixth-seeded David Ferrer, who beat Richard Gasquet 7-6 (4), 6-3.

Top-ranked Novak Djokovic will play No. 5 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga later today and Federer will be up against Andreas Seppi of Italy.

via USA Today
[img]

Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal Reach Italian Open Semifinals is a post from: The Inquisitr

Rafael Nadal made history today afterbeating David Ferrer 7-6, 7-5 during the Barcelona Open Final. It is the 7th time that Nadal has one the Barcelona Open and marks the first time in the Open Era that a player has won two tournaments seven times.

Nadal, who won his 8th Monte Carlo last week, said:

“This is the hardest match I had on clay court this season, David always takes you to the limit. A bit of it was lottery, luck fell on my side today… I think that David more than deserved to win this title and I really wish him the best for the rest of his career.”

The BBC notes that Nadal’s victory today, which was his 21st consecutive victory on clay and earned him his 48th title of his career, came exactly 10 years after his first match on the main tour. On April 29th, 2002, Nadal beat Ramon Delgado 6-4 6-4 in Mallorca.

The Times of India reports that Ferrer has fallen to Nadal in all but four of their 18 meetings. Ferrer said:

“Rafa is Rafa and he is very good. I have lost four times to him here in the final now but I know I have lost to one of the greats. He is a very good player and as a person even better.”

Here’s a video of Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer from the Barcelona Open.

Rafael Nadal Beats David Ferrer For 7th Barcelona Open Title is a post from: The Inquisitr

Rafael Nadal won the Monte Carlo Masters today with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Novak Djokovic.

The Associated Press reports that Nadal, who has won 42 straight matches at Monte Carlo, claimed his 47th title of his career.

Nadal said:

“I always loved this tournament since I was a kid. One of my dreams was play here. It’s a historic tournament [where] you see all your idols when you are a kid playing here.”

CBS reports that Nadal now has a 17-14 record against Djokovic. His win this weekend was his first against the Serbian since the 2010 ATP Finals in London.

Nadal said:

“Winning against Novak in [the] final after losing a few ones is important for me. My level of tennis was high during the last four matches.”

After the match, Djokovic said that he didn’t have the emotional energy to compete at his highest level during the Monte Carlo final. Djokovik’s grandfather passed away last week and was buried in Serbia on Saturday.

Djokovic said:

“I definitely don’t want to take away anything from Rafa’s win. He was a better player… But it’s a fact that I just didn’t have any emotional energy left in me.  I’ve never been caught up in this kind of emotional situation before. I’m just happy to reach the finals really under the circumstances. It’s been a very difficult week for me to go through mentally.”

Nadal Beats Djokovic, Wins Monte Carlo Masters is a post from: The Inquisitr

Novak Djokovic may have won the Australian Open this week but his match against Rafael Nadal might be remembers for a different reason, it was the longest Grand Slam single final in the history of professional tennis.

When all was said and done Djokovic toppled Nadal with a final score of 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7 (5), 7-5, good enough for the tennis star to grab his third Australian Open title.

The two men battled well into the night with the final shot being delivered at 1:37am local time. The win also put Djokovic in a special class as he became just the fifth men’s tennis player since 1968 to win three straight Grand Slam final

In celebration of his victory Djokovic tore off his shirt and ran around in celebration of his dramatic victory before heading to the side of the arena to celebrate with his fans.

The victory was likely hard on Nadal who has now lost seven straight finals to Djokovic extending back to March of last year. Nadal nearly managed to pull off the victory, having come from 5-3 down he won the fourth-set tiebreaker and was up 4-2 in the fifth set against a tiring Djokovic.

Novak would eventually respond in kind and break for a 6-5 lead and saved a break point before claiming the championship.

Before these two men met the longest major singles final was between Mats Wilanders and Ivan Lendl during the 1988 US Open, that match was four hours, 54 minutes.

Did you catch the Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal grand slam final round? Let us know what you thought.

Novak Djokovic Edges Out Rafael Nadal For Australian Open Victory is a post from: The Inquisitr

Thursday’s Australian Open match between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal was exciting to watch but what might have been more exciting was something that happened after a particular single point.

The ballboy to the left of the screen is hit a fast ball and his fast hands manage to pluck it out of the air extremely quickly.

The coolest part? The ballboy was back on the line just as fast as he had made the play.

Here’s the video so you can judge the ballboys skills for yourself:

Notice how the young kid didn’t even pivot off his left foot to ensure he could stay on his mark and allow play to resume just as fast as it had ended.

Ballboy Makes Amazing Catch During Federer-Nadal Match is a post from: The Inquisitr

Rafael Nadal cruised into the third round of the Australian Open after a routine win over veteran Tommy Haas.

The 25-year-old Spaniard, a champion here in 2009, came into the Haas match with speculation over his fitness ringing in his ears. However, a 6-4 6-3 6-4 victory over an outgunned Haas suggested Nadal’s right knee, which he injured before the tournament, isn’t holding him back. After the match, Nadal told reporters:

“I’m very happy about how it improves, I’m able to play without a problem.”

In the women’s tournament, defending champ Kim Clijsters made easy work of her second round match against Stephanie Foretz Gacon of France. Clijsters dismantled her opponent 6-0 6-1 in a 47-minute display of poise and power, then rounded the day off by getnig the Rod Laver Arena crowd to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to her younger sister.

Like Nadal, Clijsters arrived in Melbourne beset by rumors that she lacked full fitness – in her case, she retired with a hip problem at a warm-up tournament two weeks ago. However, she also showed no signs of strain.

Elsewhere in the Aussie Open, Roger Federer advanced with a walkover after his opponent Andreas Beck withdrew through injury, women’s top seed Caroline Wozniacki notched a 6-1 7-6 win over Anna Tatishvili of Georgia, and 11th seed Juan Martin del Potro looked comfortable while beating Blaz Kavcic 6-4 7-5 6-3.

We’ve also had our first bona fide upset of the event, with eighth seed and American number one Mardy Fish getting beat in straight sets by the unseeded Alejandro Falla. Falla won a tough match 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 7-6 (8-6).

Rafael Nadal, Kim Clijsters Through to Australian Open Third Round is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Rafael Nadal-Roger Federer rivalry is far from nasty – indeed, the two are never less than utterly respectful to one another. However, a small rift has appeared between the pair on the eve of the 2012 Australian Open.

The subject that divided them is not a new topic: the demands placed on players by tennis and its governing bodies. For some time now, top players such as Nadal, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic have openly argued that the ATP calendar is overcrowded. This, they claim, increases injuries and exhaustion, potentially damaging players’ health in the long-term.

Yet if Federer feels the same way, we’ll never know. At the weekend, the Swiss said he dislikes players airing complaints publicly, as he feels it tarnishes tennis’ image.

This in turn brought a backlash from Nadal, who on Sunday said Federer was adopting his silent position to reinforce his image as a tennis gent. In comments translated from Spanish, the world number two said:

“I totally disagree. [For Roger] it’s good to say nothing. Everything positive. ‘It’s all well and good for me, I look like a gentleman,’ and the rest can burn themselves. Everyone is entitled to have their own opinions.”

The way Nadal sees it, only small changes need to be made to tennis to make things safer and more manageable. He also suggested that the unpopularity of Federer’s view may be telling:

“The vast majority of players have this same opinion. [Roger has] a different opinion. If the vast majority have one opinion, and a small minority think differently, maybe it’s them who are wrong.”

Does he have a point, readers? Are tennis players worked too hard? And does the amount of money they earn mean they lose the right to complain?

Rift Between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer as Aussie Open Begins is a post from: The Inquisitr

Rafael Nadal is keeping his cool under pressure from an Argentina team that he and his fellow players from Spain will play during the Davis Cup final this weekend.

Speaking to The Herald Sun Nadal revealed:

“We’re under the same pressure as they are, we have to win the Davis Cup.”

Nadal has a good chance of bringing home a victory to Spain, he has lost just one singles rubber in the Davis Cup since he made his debut in 2004.

In the meantime Spain has experience on their side, having won four of the last 10 Davis Cup championships while Argentina over the same 10 year time span has finished in the runner-up position three times, never once winning the top prize.

Among his fellow teammates are 24th-ranked Fernando Verdasco, 20th-ranked Feliciano Lopez and number 5 ranked David Ferrer. If that lineup seems familiar it’s the same team that brought home int e2009 Davis Cup against the Czech Republic.

Also sounding cool and collected was Spain captain Alberta Costa who said:

“The Cup stays here” and “It’s hard to say who has the greater percentage chance of winning between the teams. I don’t like giving figures. If we do things well than we’ll have a chance.”

“One thing that’s sure is that all the matches will be long and tough.”

In the meantime Argentina captain Tito Vazquez says of his teams chances:

“They are favourites with (Rafael) Nadal and (David) Ferrer, but anything can happen, we could lose 1-4 or win 4-1.”

Who do you think will win the 2011 Davis Cup?

[Image via Neale Cousland / Shutterstock.com]

Rafael Nadal Keeps His Cool Under Pressure From Argentina Team is a post from: The Inquisitr

Novak Djokovic was nearly flawless on Monday night as he toppled Rafael Nadal in four sets  6-2, 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-1.

Following a nearly perfect season the No. 1-ranked Djokovic improved his season to 64-2 with 10 titles after brilliantly hitting the ball from all angles, dominating his opponent at every turn during the 2011 U.S. Open.

The win gives Djokovic his third Grand Slam trophy of 2011.

Speaking after the match Novak told the press:

“In big matches, the winner is decided by small margins, a couple points,” while adding, “I guess the winner is the one who believes in victory more. I’ve had an amazing year, and it keeps going.”

The win also gives Djokovic a 6-0 record against No. 2 Nadal, all wins coming in finals. Among his wins against Nadal were three hard court victories, two clay wins and one grass victory at Wimbledon. Unlike his win at Wimbledon Novak didn’t celebrate this victory by eating part of the court as he did Wimbledon’s famous grass.

Taking a moment to reflect on his loss Nadal said of Djokovic:

“I’m disappointed, but you know what—this guy is doing is unbelievable.”

Can anyone stop Djokovic and his dominating play? What do you think about Novak Djokovic’s unbelievable record on the season?

Novak Djokovic Topples Rafael Nadal To Win First U.S. Open Title is a post from: The Inquisitr

After passing Pete Sampras’ record by winning his 15th grand slam tennis title, the question is being asked about whether Roger Federer can now be considered the greatest tennis player of all time.

There are two serious contenders for this title – not considering the likes of John McEnroe or Bjorn Borg, who were not as consistent over as long a period. Sampras and Rod Laver are the others who can be placed alongside Federer in this conversation. Federer now has 15 grand slams among 60 career titles in ATP tour events, compared to Sampras with 14 slams and 64 titles and Laver with 11 slams and 27 ATP titles.

The complication with going on pure statistics is that Laver spent much of the glory years of his career outside the ATP tour, as his run coincided with the advent of the open era. He played as an amateur until 1962, winning six of his slams including a Grand Slam in the calendar year of 1962 before turning professional, which disqualified him from the still-amateur ATP tour. It was not until 1968 that the open era began and he was allowed to return to the ATP tour, after which he completed a second calendar year Grand Slam in 1969 as a professional at the age of 31.

There are arguments either way. Three of the four slam tournaments that Laver played in were on grass, whereas Sampras and Federer have had to win on synthetic surfaces as well. On the other hand, Laver is the only one of the three to have won more than one French Open. You could argue that Sampras may have had the greatest array of opponents facing him, with the likes of Ivan Lendl and Andre Agassi where Laver’s main rival was Ken Rosewall and Federer has struggled mightily with his nemesis in Rafael Nadal.

In fact, it is Nadal who stands in the way of Federer’s claims. Federer did not have to play the Spaniard in either of the last two Slams and it was Nadal who had beaten him in the final of three of the previous four slam tournaments. Federer’s 7-13 record against Nadal, including 2-6 in slams, is the greatest flaw in his record.

Personally, being an Aussie, I realise I am biased in thinking Laver would have the wood over the American and the Swiss champions. However, the six-year hole in his ATP record is only a potential for slam tournaments so we will never know if he could have reached 20 or more. Federer could still get somewhere near there… but only if Nadal stays injured.

Is Roger Federer the greatest tennis player ever? is a post from: The Inquisitr

Defending champion Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from Wimbledon after failing to recover from injury.

Nadal has been suffering from chronic tendinitis, a condition that gives him aching knees and forced him out of the Queen’s Club tournament leading up to Wimbledon. The injury is also believed to have played a role in his shock fourth round loss to Robin Soderling at the French Open.

Nadal’s withdrawal makes the top seeds for the event Roger Federer and Englishman Andy Murray.

Rafael Nadal withdraws from Wimbledon due to Injury is a post from: The Inquisitr