World Tennis Blog - Tennis News And Comment

US Open 2010 Winners

2010-09-16T02:00:00.000-07:00

Rafael Nadal has always been considered a clay court specialist and rightly so. However, it should be remembered that he is world number 1 for a reason. When you can play as well as Nadal then you are a force to be reckoned with on any court surface. A year ago people were queuing up to write the Spaniard off. He has responded by working on his game and making improvements to his serving. He is now a more complete player and the result of those endeavours makes some impressive reading.

In 2010 Nadal has now won grand slam titles galore. The list includes French Open, Wimbledon and now the US Open. The best player in the world just got even better and he is still only 24 years of age. In the US Open final, Djokovic played some great tennis to take the 2nd set. However, no matter what he threw at his opponent Nadal was equal to it winning comfortably in the end. He has now won all the 4 grand slam titles and will add more to his collection in the future.

In the women’s tournament, defending champion Kim Clijsters overcame Vera Zvonareva 6-2, 6-1 in a distinctly one-sided affair. Unfortunately, the Russian did not rise to the occasion and there remain question marks over her ability to handle the biggest stages. Even the usual helping of double faults from the Belgian was not enough to give the audience a 3 set encounter they were hoping for. In her defence, Clijsters was ruthless and too powerful on the day.

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Wimbledon 2010 Preview

2010-06-21T00:46:00.000-07:00

After his absence due to injury from the 2009 tournament, Rafa Nadal will be looking to recapture the Wimbledon men’s title he won in 2008. On clay, Nadal is just about unstoppable. However, on the grass courts defending champion Roger Federer will fancy his chances assuming they both make it to yet another final. It is clear that Rafa and Fed are still the men to beat

For the home fans, the focus will once again be on Andy Murray. After losing to Andy Roddick in last years semi-final, the Scot will be keen to make it to his first Wimbledon final. Murray will surely bag a grand slam title eventually but it will be an uphill struggle to achieve that objective at this years Wimbledon.

In the women’s game, Justine Henin has returned to action after coming out of retirement. This can only be a good thing for women’s tennis. It should also lessen the chances of another singles final featuring Venus and Serena Williams. Kim Clijsters will also be keen to lay down a marker on her return to grass court tennis.

Whoever comes out on top, we can look forward to some great tennis during the next 2 weeks.

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Del Potro Triumph Is Good For Tennis

2009-09-19T03:51:00.000-07:00

The vast majority of people expected another US Open title for Roger Federer’s collection. His opponent in the final Del Potro enjoyed a great tournament but was not given much of a chance before the match. The Argentinean fully deserved his win but respect must go to Federer who once again accepted the defeat with the grace we have come to expect.

Every grand slam that Federer has played in recent years has been an epic battle. These encounters could go either way and the US Open was no exception. Overall, last year belonged to Nadal while this season Federer has been rejuvenated in the Spaniards absence through injury.

After reaching second place in the men’s rankings, Andy Murray was tipped to do well in his favourite tournament but was sent packing early doors. His season has faded alarmingly although progress has still been made this year.

It made a refreshing change to see a player other than Federer or Nadal lift a grand slam trophy. This bodes well for the future of men’s tennis and makes the sport more competitive and entertaining.

Where Del Potro goes from here remains to be seen. He has often looked dangerous without demonstrating a high level of consistency. This is to be expected with a young player. His immediate aim should be to fight it out with messrs Murray and Djokovic in the World rankings.

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Federer Wins A Classic Wimbledon Final

2009-07-06T11:23:00.000-07:00

This years Wimbledon was blessed with some fine weather and unusually hardly any rain. The roof on centre court cost millions to construct but was only used on the one occasion. The lack of rain gave the tournament a strange feel but normal service will probably be resumed next year.

There was no real surprise with the women’s final featuring Venus and Serena although it was not the tight contest everyone expected. There were times during the match that Venus looked completely disinterested. Serena brought matters to a speedy conclusion coming out on top in straight sets.

The men’s final featuring Federer and Roddick did live up to expectations. As five setters go this could not have been closer. Roddick is the powerful server although Fed simply oozes class. These two players were like a couple of heavyweight boxers slugging it out. It was not until the final game that Federer managed to break Roddick and secure the gold trophy.

This triumph allowed Federer to break the Pete Sampras record for grand slam tournament wins. The fact that Fed is still only 27 years old suggests his own record may stand for much longer. The way he is playing this year few would bet against him adding to his tally at the US Open.

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Mike Sharman’s Tennis Trading System

2009-06-24T10:05:00.000-07:00

The global recession has been hitting many people in the pocket for several months. The chance of earning extra cash from a second income is a very attractive prospect. It is a great idea in theory but the only problem is how to go about it. A wise man once said stick to what you know. With that in mind, I have attempted to use my tennis knowledge and passion for the sport to generate an additional income stream.

Mike Sharman’s Tennis Trading System is a complete guide to the Betfair tennis markets. The book contains various bet trading techniques that are designed for a particular type of match or scenario.

After reading the book, I conclude the £30 cost is a reasonable price for something that will make money. The system does contain plenty of trading strategies and food for thought. The only problem I had initially was deciding on which one to use. I was somewhat spoilt for choice with so many techniques to choose from.

I found the ebook quite interesting and should appeal to anyone with a passion for tennis. You are trading the markets instead of betting on them. This means it does not even feel like gambling. I had never bothered much in the past with tennis betting but after reading Mike Sharman’s system I am becoming something of a regular Betfair user.

The obvious question is how much can be made using the information. This depends on several things such as the size of your stakes and the extent of your trading sessions. The methods seem to work as described so that is good enough for me.

I have started off with a relatively small bank of £120 and after three and a half weeks it now stands at £217 and counting. That may not be as impressive as the professionals but I am more than happy with my current rate of progress. I plan on increasing my stakes at regular intervals. Hopefully that will have a positive effect on profits.

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Wimbledon Gets Underway Without Nadal

2009-06-22T11:43:00.001-07:00

The Wimbledon tennis championship got underway today complete with a new roof on centre court. The 2008 men’s champion Rafael Nadal will not be defending his title after injury forced him to withdraw from this year’s tournament. His absence will make the draw more attractive for the trio of Federer, Murray and Djokovic.

Federer was always going to provide the main challenge to Nadal. Now the Spaniard is out of the way some people are already favouring a Federer triumph. This could work against the former champion. If he subconsciously believes the tournament is a mere formality then he could be in for a shock.

If Federer is to add to his collection of Wimbledon titles then he will need to produce something like his best tennis. There are plenty of opponents who would enjoy progressing at his expense. Murray, Djokovic and Roddick are just three players who will benefit just as much from the absence of the current champion. There are plenty of others who also lay in wait.

There is no doubt that the smart money is going to be on Federer. At this stage of his career, a grand slam with no Nadal is a welcome bonus. Even so the title will not be handed to him on a plate.

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Federer Wins French Open At Last

2009-06-09T09:48:00.000-07:00

By his own high standards 2008 was not the best year for Roger Federer. This year he is faring much better and seems to have recaptured the habit of winning tournaments. His first success at the French Open puts him up there with Pete Sampras on 14 grand slam wins. Federer has been around for years and people sometimes forget he is only 27 years of age. Only a fool would bet against him claiming more grand slams.

Federer has hit some good form at just the right time of the year with Wimbledon just around the corner. The grass of centre court is one of Federers favourite surfaces and he will be eager to add to his title haul. The current World number 1 Rafael Nadal has injury concerns although it is hoped he will be fit in time for Wimbledon. If he does make it the injury is hardly the ideal preparation needed to defend his title.

The smart money will once again be on a Federer versus Nadal final. All tennis fans will welcome yet another epic battle between two of the greatest modern day players. After his recent tournament wins Federer is obviously hungry for more success. He will fancy his chances of winning Wimbledon for the sixth time. Both Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic will be looking to stake their claims especially if Nadal is not fit to play.

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Nadal Unstoppable On Clay

2009-04-26T12:37:00.000-07:00

Rafael Nadal has continued his dominance by winning the Barcelona Open for the fifth consecutive time. To say he dominates this event is something of an understatement. You have to go back to 2003 for the last time he was beaten in the tournament. He was defeated by Alex Corretja although he was just sixteen years of age at the time.

People are now complaining about how tedious some clay court tennis events are becoming because of Nadal’s superiority. All sports have their outstanding players and tennis is no different. Rafa is not yet at the peak of his powers which is a sobering thought but has still set the standard for others to follow. It is up to the rest of the players to raise their game and mount a challenge against the world number one.

As Federer approaches the end of his career, the obvious challengers to Nadal will be Murray and Djokovic. The problem for them is Nadal is so good on clay court surfaces that competing with him and winning the match are two different things. The biggest threat to Nadal may come from another clay court specialist.

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Player Challenge System

2009-03-18T15:46:00.000-07:00

Tennis was one of the first sports that embraced the use of technology by introducing the challenge system. Not everyone was in favour of the system initially but over time it has definitely been a success in many people’s eyes. Not all the players are in favour of using challenges with Roger Federer the notable exception who has been critical of how the onus has shifted towards players to correct some decisions.

Ironically John McEnroe is one former player who would have benefited more than most from using replays. He was renowned for his volatile temper and altercations with umpires but like many former players he is in favour of the challenge system and believes it has been a positive move for tennis.

There are no longer heated exchanges between players and umpires over whether a ball was in or out although there is still the odd heated exchange. There are occasions when the system is not used by players perhaps for tactical reasons. This usually occurs early in a set for fear of using their allocation up prematurely.

What is clear is that when the challenge system is used it arrives at the correct decision. The actual challenge is not particularly time consuming so the verdict tends to be arrived at quite quickly. Eliminating any error by the umpire is surely a good thing for the players concerned and the sport itself.

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Power Players Triumph In Melbourne

2009-02-02T05:09:00.000-08:00

A five set contest was expected and neither Nadal nor Federer disappointed in yet another thrilling match between the two. Both men had their moments as the match swung back and forth in the first three sets. The main advantage Nadal has over Federer is his sheer power and athleticism. This pulls him through during periods of a match when he is not playing particularly well. Federer on the other hand sometimes tends to lose his cool when things are not going according to plan.

Federer faded badly towards the end of the final set as his touch deserted him at the worst possible time. He had his moments in this game which demonstrated he can win another grand slam. The defending champion will be fancied to retain his French Open and Wimbledon titles so Federer will have his work cut out in those tournaments. That said there will not be many people betting against him winning the US Open once again later this year.

This victory means there is no question about whether or not Nadal is the top dog. He has answered all questions and developed to such an extent that he is now undoubtedly the world’s best player. If the brilliance of Federer continues to fade then the Spaniard will dominate the men’s scene for years to come.

After winning the Australian Open women’s singles title Serena Williams is set to replace Jelena Jankovic as the world number one. Serena was always likely to win her battle with Dinara Safina. Her strength and speed left her opponent grasping at thin air on several occasions. Safina is a young player who will benefit from the experience but Williams and to an extent her sister Venus have dominated women’s tennis for some years now and that looks set to continue.

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Another Epic Battle In Store

2009-01-31T21:13:00.000-08:00

We are in for another instalment of the battle for supremacy between Federer and Nadal. This will be the umpteenth time these two have met and to say it is too close to call is an understatement. Predicting the winner would be like tossing a coin and another five set match is surely in store.

Both players were expected to win their respective semi-final matches but the Nadal match was a corker. The fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco pushed Nadal all the way in a game that lasted for over five hours and 14 minutes. That smashed the record which had stood since 1991in a game involving Boris Becker and Omar Camporese.

Federer will be out to win yet another grand slam tournament but he will also be keen to stamp his authority on proceedings after last season. The last thing he will want is Nadal to repeat his successes of 2008 so this will be the perfect opportunity for him to show he is still a force on the ultimate stage.

After his injury problems towards the end of last season, Nadal will be looking to pick up where he left off. This game will be another thriller between these two fantastic players. Whatever the outcome, we have witnessed some great tennis in the Australian Open and the men’s final will deliver even more.

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Favourite Out Of Australian Open

2009-01-26T05:59:00.000-08:00

There will probably be a wry smile on the faces of one or two players after Andy Murray was knocked out of the Australian Open. Murray made a blistering start to the season but the fact he was made the favourite did not go down particularly well with the other top players such as Federer and Djokovic.

The early part of the tennis season can be somewhat misleading because there are players who take a while to get going. That is taking nothing away from Murray who was undoubtedly the outstanding performer for the first couple of weeks. Installing him as favourite was perhaps a little generous considering he has yet to win a grand slam tournament.

Strangely there have not been many upsets in this event. Of the remaining competitors, there are some interesting clashes in prospect at the quarterfinal stage. All things being equal the tournament is now looks set to be won by one of Federer, Nadal or defending champion Djokovic.

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Murray Off To A Good Start

2009-01-03T19:01:00.000-08:00

Andy Murray made a perfect start to his 2009 season by winning the Abu Dhabi exhibition tournament and the useful $250,000 winner takes all prize. Murray really came of age in the 2008 season so this tournament win is significant even though many people regard it as mere warming up for the proper season which starts next week.

The match itself was a classic with both players producing some entertaining tennis. Murray was the deserved winner though and took the match 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 with an impressive performance. He has made his intentions clear by beating both Nadal and Federer in this tournament. Many people have tipped him to win his first grand slam this year and even if he does not quite manage it you can bet he will be closer than he was last year.

Murray is already looking ahead to the Australian Open where we will see if his development has continued. As for Nadal, he will be reasonably happy with his form even if he did not win the event outright. His main concern going into the new season will undoubtedly be his fitness in particular his troublesome knee which brought last season to a premature end.

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Pioline Wins Blackrock Masters

2008-12-10T07:15:00.000-08:00

The 2008 Blackrock Masters was won by Cedric Pioline who defeated Greg Rusedski by the narrowest of margins. Pioline won the match 6-7, 7-6, 11-9 (courtesy of the champions tie break). The game could have gone either way and it was a shame it had to have a loser as both players gave it everything.

As the week progressed it was quickly looking like a three horse race between Pioline, Rusedski and Pete Sampras. The progress of Sampras was halted after his encounter with Pioline.

The Blackrock Masters is a fascinating tournament and a fitting way to bring the curtain down on the tennis season. It is good to see familiar faces return and display the old skills. Although some would say that they are not as graceful and athletic as they once were.

Compared to the ATP circuit Champions tour tennis may well be regarded as light entertainment. The players involved would beg to differ. All of them take this tour seriously and strive to deliver some excellent tennis for the many spectators that come to watch.

As sporting venues go, the Royal Albert Hall has to be one of the best places to play tennis. Both the spectators and players would agree. Nearly 35,000 tickets were sold for the event which is an improvement on the 2007 total.

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A Strong Finish For Djokovic

2008-11-17T19:20:00.000-08:00

The year has ended on a similar note to how it started for Novak Djokovic after his Shanghai Masters Cup triumph. The Serb defeated Nikolay Davydenko 6-1, 7-5 to land a cheque for $625,000 and a Mercedes.

Djokovic remains world number three but this win brings him closer to second placed Roger Federer. He compared the tournament win to that of a grand slam because of the fact the top eight players in the world are competing for the title.

Overall it has been another year of progress for Djokovic with his first grand slam coming in the Australian Open way back in January. Some people may have expected him to progress further after that triumph and put even more pressure on Nadal and Federer.

Next year will see him be a major player at all the grand slam events as he attempts to continue improving and ultimately break the stranglehold of Nadal and Federer by moving into the top two.

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Shanghai Masters Cup Semi Finals Take Shape

2008-11-13T17:51:00.000-08:00

The semi finals of Shanghai Masters Cup appear to be taking shape with Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Nikolay Davydenko all securing their places this week. The one semi final spot left will be filled by either Roger Federer or Gilles Simon. It is all or nothing for Federer in his next match against Murray. If he wins he goes through but if he loses then Simon progresses into the last four.

This tournament has seen the early departures of both Rafael Nadal and Andy Roddick through injury. Regular knee pain is something that Nadal learns to live with but this injury appears to be more than his usual knee trouble. This setback also looks like forcing him out of the Spanish Davis cup team and bringing the curtain down on what has been a very successful season for him.

The withdrawl of Andy Roddick was more of a surprise with the American pulling out due to a sprained right ankle. Roddick has questioned the amount of professional tennis in a typical season that lasts for 11 months of the year.

From 2009, the leading players will be expected to compete in eight out of nine Masters 1000 events. Apart from odd isolated spells throughout the year tennis players only have the month off in December. It is a tough job being a highly paid, globe trotting sportsman but hey someone has got to do it.

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Murray Retains St Petersburg Title

2008-10-26T15:04:00.000-07:00

Fresh from his success in winning the Madrid Masters last week Andy Murray became the first Briton since Mark Cox in 1975 to win two titles in a row.

As tournaments go this was not quite on a par with his achievement last week but it is another tournament win nevertheless and confirms that Murray has well and truly established himself on the Men's tour.

Murray was actually the top seed having won this tournament last year and played great tennis all week without losing a single set. In the final against Andrey Golubev who is the leading tennis player from Kazakhstan the Scot dropped just two games with an impressive 6-1, 6-1 scoreline.

The end of the tennis season may be on the horizon but Murray will probably not want the year to end because of how much his game has developed in recent months and the impact he has made which has made everyone in world tennis sit up and take notice.

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Murray Wins Madrid Masters

2008-10-19T08:46:00.000-07:00

Just when it was starting to look like we were going to end up with a Roger Federer versus Rafael Nadal final both players suffered shock defeats which left Andy Murray ans Gilles Simon to contest the Madrid Masters final.

This is the tournament that is famous for hiring stunningly beautiful local models to act as ballgirls and this year was no exception and it has to be said their ball skills were faultless throughout the event.

Murray was the strong favourite going into this final and duly took the first set 6-4 without too much trouble but the second set was a different matter with Simon putting up some fierce resistance although the Scot did eventually prevail winning 7-6.

This has been a tremendous year for Murray with several tournament wins and more importantly a consistently high level of performance against the top players in the men's game.

The only question mark against Murray relates to is his injury record so if he can stay fit then 2009 promises to be an even better year with a grand slam tournament win being the ultimate objective.

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Jankovic Gets World Number One Ranking

2008-10-07T07:40:00.000-07:00

Jelena Jankovic has regained the women's world number one ranking that she held briefly in August after defeating Russian Nadia Petrova 6-4, 6-3 in the final of the Porsche grand prix held in Stuttgart. As the winner of this prestigious tournament, Jankovic was also awarded a Porsche 911 convertible. She briefly took her prize for a spin in front of the army of waiting snappers.

Jankovic seems to be in red hot form of late with this latest triumph making it two titles in as many weeks and she was assured of returning to the number one spot after close rival Serena Williams lost her opening match in the same tournament.

The women's number one ranking has been something of a hot potato this year with several players holding the position at one time or another without ever being able to truly stamp their authority on the sport.

The position was something of a poisoned chalice for former number one Ana Ivanovic whose own game has fell away dramatically after she won the French Open earlier this year in doing so reaching the pinnacle of women's tennis.

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Federer Wins His Fifth US Open Title

2008-09-08T16:50:00.000-07:00

Roger Federer is back with a bang after a polished performance put paid to the challenge of Andy Murray in straight sets 6-2, 7-5, 6-2 giving him his fifth straight US Open title.

After losing his world number one ranking to long time number two Nadal there were questions as to whether this was a player on the way out but Federer has answered those questions in the best way possible firstly by winning a medal at the Olympics and now by winning another grand slam which puts some gloss on his year.

After reaching his first grand slam final with a brilliant display against Nadal in the semi Murray played his part in this final with some excellent shots but Federer was a formidable opponent on the day and proved too strong for Murray to live with although his time will no doubt come in the not too distant future now he has closed the gap on the top three of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic.

In the Women's singles Serena Williams won her third US Open beating Serb and number two seed Jelena Jankovich 6-4, 7-5 a victory which also gives her the World number one ranking.

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Nadal Or Murray To Play Federer In Final

2008-09-07T09:21:00.000-07:00

The men's semi-final between Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray was another casualty of hurricane Katrina as play was interrupted during the third set with Nadal 3-2 up and looking to force his way back into the match.

Murray had played some of his best tennis to deservedly win the first two sets 6-2, 7-6 and looked a much stronger proposition than the player who Nadal swept aside during this years Wimbledon.

Many times players have come back from a two set deficit to triumph so it will be a brave man who bets against Nadal although regardless of who eventually triumphs this match has five sets written all over it.

Waiting patiently for the eventual winner is Roger Federer who defeated Novak Djokovic 6-3, 5-7, 7-5, 6-2 in the other semi-final to reach his fifth straight US Open final which is an astonishing feat in itself and his last few matches have seen a return to form for the reigning champion who seems to have got stronger as the tournament has progressed.

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US Open First Week Highlights

2008-08-31T09:22:00.000-07:00

The final grand slam of the year is underway and one of the tournaments biggest talking points so far has been the performances of Kei Nishikori the 18year old from Japan who has progressed to round four after defeating number four seed David Ferrer in an epic five set match 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 2-6, 7-5 making him the first Japanese player to ever reach the last 16 at the US Open.

Elsewhere in the Men's game Nadal has so far looked his usual powerful self while Roger Federer after his uplifting Olympic experience also looks to be in some good form as he attempts to check Nadal's winning run.

In the Women's tournament the biggest shock was undoubtedly the early departure of world number one Ana Ivanovic who was knocked out by outsider Julie Coin losing 6-3 4-6 6-3 to the 25 year old Coin who was ranked 188th in the world.

Since winning the French Open earlier this year Ivanovic has been somewhat of a disappointment since flattering to deceive at Wimbledon pulling out of the Olympics and now a premature exit from the US Open.

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Olympic Tennis Winners

2008-08-24T04:29:00.000-07:00

Coming round only once every four years no one can deny that the Olympic games is a truly special sporting event and the Olympics Tennis Event 2008 hosted by Beijing was undoubtedly highly successful.

Spain's Rafael Nadal continued his habit of winning just about anything of note he enters these days by deservedly winning the Olympic gold in the Men's singles tournament by beating Fernando Gonzalez 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 in two hours and 22 minutes so if Nadal who will start the US Open as World number one wins that particular tournament to add to this triumph as well as the French Open and Wimbledon his year will have surpassed his wildest expectations.

In the Women's game another epic match saw Elena Dementieva beat her compatriot Safina Dinara coming back from a set down to win 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 in 2 hours and 34 minutes this was the second career Olympic medal for Dementieva who had won silver eight years ago in Sydney losing to Venus Williams in the final.

After both missing out in the singles quarter-finals the powerful Williams sisters were always going to make their mark somehow and took Olympic gold in the women's doubles with a dominant display to beat Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual 6-2, 6-0.

After having a difficult time in recent months it was nice to see Roger Federer win a gold medal along with Stanislas Wawrinka in the Men's doubles beating Simon Aspelin and Thomas Johansson 6-3, 6-4, 6-7, 6-3 which finally gives Federer a medal at the third attempt.

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Murray Wins First Major Title

2008-08-04T07:54:00.000-07:00

Andy Murray continues his development after securing his first major title by winning the Cincinnati Masters defeating Serb Novak Djokovic 7-6, 7-6 in a thrilling match that could have gone either way.

It may not be a grand slam but nevertheless winning one of these tournaments is surely a natural progression to go on and taste success in one of the major's and now that 21 year old Murray has had a taste it will be intriguing to see how he fares at the US Open.

This was a great tournament for Murray but it also saw world number one Roger Federer lose his ranking and finally be overtaken at the top of the pile by long time time adversary and number two Rafael Nadal and only time will tell if the Frenchman continues to fade or will bounce back at the US Open but there is certainly a downturn in his performances of late.

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Nadal Starting To Dominate

2008-07-27T16:09:00.000-07:00

Rafael Nadal has won yet another tournament following hot on the heels of recent wins at the French Open and Wimbledon winning his twelfth ATP Masters Series shield at the Rogers Cup in Toronto on Sunday defeating Nicolas Kiefer 6-3, 6-2.

This year has been very productive for Nadal and he now seems to be close to replacing Roger Federer at the top of the ATP Rankings with plenty of time still left in the season.

The US Open will be fascinating if Nadal and Federer come up against each other as the Spaniard has certainly closed the gap on the world number 1 and there must be question marks over whether or not Federer at this stage of his career is able to respond to the challenge and improve enough to retain his current status.

Most observers acknowledge that it is only a matter of time before Nadal reigns supreme at the top of the Men's game however Nadal who has been world number 2 for 157 weeks could become the new number 1 next week if he wins the title at the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters and Federer suffers an early exit.

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