Showing posts with label Novak Djokovic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Novak Djokovic. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Monday, June 1, 2009
One-on-one with Robin Soderling
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| Robin Soderling pulled off one of the biggest upsets in Grand Slam history on Sunday when he blew away reigning champion Rafael Nadal in four sets. Intriguingly, the hard-hitting Swede has a reputation for putting his peers’ backs up at times, but it does not seem to bother him in the slightest. “If people don’t like me, there’s nothing I can do about it. I just concentrate on my game. I’m here to play tennis, not to make friends. I don’t care about being famous.” says the current world No25, who broke into the top 20 for the first time in his career in February 2009. His rematch with Nadal had been given extra spice by the cheek the Swede showed during their third-round encounter at Wimbledon in 2007. At the beginning of the fifth set, Magnus Norman’s protégé imitated the Spaniard by adjusting his underwear before every game. A lot of fuss about nothing "Quite frankly, that was a lot of fuss about nothing. I’m disappointed that Nadal complained to the press without talking to me about it directly. Personally, if I have a problem with a player I go and talk to him face-to-face.” So has Soderling got any friends on the tour, apart from the ever-loyal Jarkko Nieminen? "Not many. I used to hang around with the other Swedes, but there are fewer on the circuit now,” says the softly-spoken Scandinavian, who toppled No14 David Ferrer in the third round. Evidently, that lack of company does not weigh on him too heavily. Following an injury to his left wrist which kept him away from the tour between August 2007 and February 2008, Soderling had his best season ever in 2008, chalking up a win in Lyon, two finals and a place in the top 20. After a difficult start to the 2009 season, the Swede is finally enjoying the fruits of his consistency which, according to the man himself, failed him in the past. Aiming for the top 10 "Now I feel that I can show my potential and accomplish great things. I want to get into the top 10 and the only way to do that is through being consistent. A handful of good results is not enough. All the guys in the top 30 dream of breaking into the top 10 and can make it happen. If I stay fit I know I can do it.” | |
Saturday, May 30, 2009
No worries for Ivanovic
Reigning champion Ana Ivanovic continued her ruthless streak, thrashing of Iveta Benesova in the third round today.
The Serbian's 6-0 6-2 win over the Czech, ranked 35 in the world, means she has yet to drop a set at this year's Roland Garros.
Indeed since her hard-fought triumph against Sara Errani in the first round, the eighth seed has conceded only five games.
Her first set today lasted a mere 23 minutes, Ivanovic - who continues to wear protective strapping on the front of her right knee - breaking in the second, fourth and sixth games, clinching the set at the first time of asking when Benesova sent a backhand long.
The pair traded early breaks in the second set but Ivanovic made the move in the sixth set, grabbing her fifth break of the match at the end of a long game to close in on victory.
That was clinched when she brought up match point with a wonderful sliced drop-shot and sealed it with an unreturnable forehand.
Ivanovic, who clobbered Tamarine Tanasugarn 6-1 6-2 in round two, will play ninth seed Victoria Azarenka or 22nd seed Carla Suarez Navarro next.
Easy progress for Murray
Andy Murray was given an easy ride into the French Open fourth round after opponent Janko Tipsarevic retired injured.
The Scot had just taken the second set to grab a 7/6 (7/3) 6-3 lead when Tipsarevic gestured the match was over, strode to the net and shook hands with his opponent on the Suzanne Lenglen court.
Murray therefore progresses to the last-16 stage for the first time at Roland Garros, where he will play 13th seed Marin Cilic.
The players started off in the baking heat and Murray struggled early on.
He was broken for the first time in the fifth game when he sliced a backhand into the net on the second on Tipsarevic's break points.
The Scot wasted two break-back opportunities in the next and then found himself 5-2 down when the Serbian flashed a forehand past him, after a poor Murray approach shot, to break again in game seven.
Tipsarevic then got sloppy as Murray broke and then held, forcing the Serb to serve out the set. He had two chances to do so but he wasted both of them, and a sloppy forehand long handed Murray another break to make it 5-5.
The pair were both then broken again to take the set it a tie-break.
Murray went 5-3 up and after Tipsarevic sent a backhand wide, Murray emerged triumphant from a lengthy rally on set point to take it 7-3.
Tipsarevic received treatment on his left thigh on the first changeover in the second set, after Murray had broken to go 1-0 up.
The Serb continued - and even went on to break back immediately - but it was clear he was not moving freely by that early stage.
The medics came out again after Tipsarevic had smashed a forehand wide to gift a second break to Murray.
The Scot was now full of confidence and was taking advantage of his opponent's lack of movement, a clever drop-shot putting him 4-2 up.
Tipsarevic, 24, was grimacing at the end of each rally and although he was refusing to give in, Murray was comfortably in charge.
Serving 3-5 down, the world number 24 saw a backhand flash past him to lose the set. He quit immediately, ushering Murray into round four.
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