Category: Tennis (Page 11 of 27)

      Furyk capitalizes on Tiger’s absence, wins Chevron World Challenge

      December 6, 2009 /

      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      Dealing with the destruction of his image, Tiger Woods was unable to attend his own tournament, the Chevron World Challenge. Although no one really noticed, golf fans were treated to some interesting action. Shooting a five-under 67, Jim Furyk captured the title and its $1.35-million prize.

      Jim Furyk capped a five-under 67 with the winning birdie on the 18th hole today to capture the Chevron World Challenge by one shot over Graeme McDowell.

      McDowell, of Northern Ireland, was the last-minute addition to the 18-player field when Woods withdrew amid the growing publicity about his personal problems, which became a media sensation after Thanksgiving.

      Lee Westwood and Padraig Harrington finished at 11 under par, two shots behind Furyk, and four players were at nine under: Zach Johnson, Stewart Cink, Sean O’Hair and Ian Poulter.

      South Korean Y.E. Yang, who shared the lead with McDowell after three rounds, ballooned to a 74 today and finished eight under par.

      A trio of golfers, meanwhile, achieved a rare feat at the tournament: holing out long fairway shots.

      Steve Stricker holed his second shot on the par-four 10th for an eagle two and Cink, playing in the twosome behind Stricker, did the exact same thing when he played the 10th hole.

      Camilo Villegas then did them one better, holing out his second shot from the fairway on the par-five 13th hole for a double eagle two.

      Stricker, who was second in the tournament last year behind winner Vijay Singh, used his eagle to score another rarity today: a 29 on the back nine holes. That gave him a 65 for the day and he also finished the event at seven under par.

      Furyk actually led this tournament last year until he struggled during the final nine holes. It’s been a while since he’s made a dent in the game as his last win came at the Canadian Open in 2007. With Tiger in hiding, it will be interesting to watch which players succeed.

      Tennis

      Spain captures second straight Davis Cup

      December 5, 2009 /

      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      Feliciano López and Fernando Verdasco of Spain defeated Radek Stepanek and Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic in doubles to defend the Davis Cup trophy for their country. This is Spain’s fourth title overall, each of which have come in the new millennium. The United States holds the record for most Davis Cup championships with 32.

      Stepanek netted a shot on match point to hand Spain the title at the same venue where it took its first title nine years ago. Lopez threw his wrist band to Crown Prince Felipe after the team bench emptied to chants of “campeones” (champions) at Palau Sant Jordi.

      “We didn’t expect to win it this quickly,” captain Albert Costa said. “The key to this team has been its unity.”

      Spain took advantage of Berdych’s shaky serve for three of its four breaks. Verdasco overcame early jitters to help clinch the title for the second straight year by scoring two key breaks, including in the 14th game of the second set. The ninth-ranked player won the deciding singles match in Argentina last year.

      Czech captain Jaroslav Navratil selected Berdych and Stepanek — who were 5-0 in Davis Cup doubles coming into the match — despite both players losing their singles matches Friday. The original picks were Lukas Dlouhyand Jan Hajek

      Berdych lost to Rafael Nadal, and Stepanek blew a two-set advantage in a four-hour defeat to David Ferrer.

      Spain is unbeaten on clay in 20 straight series and has not lost at home since 1999 — a run of 18 opponents. It is only the fourth team to retain its title since the format changed in 1972.

      It feels like ages ago since we heard something positive about Rafael Nadal. His performance in this tournament was essential to Spain’s success and I hope this experience boosts his confidence. Nadal is in his prime and still the most exciting player to watch in all of tennis. I’m ready to see some more showdowns between him and Federer.

      Tennis

      Nikolay Davydenko wins ATP finals

      November 29, 2009 /

      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      Nikolay Davydenko defeated Juan Martin del Potro in straight sets at the ATP World Tour Finals to capture the first big championship of his career. Davydenko overcame world No. 1 Roger Federer in the semifinals before facing del Potro.

      Del Potro had three chances to break Davydenko, but the Russian saved them all to complete a sweep of all three of this year’s Grand Slam champions at the season-ending tournament.

      “For me it was amazing,” Davydenko said. “Coming here as No. 7 and winning the tournament, it was surprising for myself.”

      Davydenko lost in the final of last year’s season-ending tournament for the top eight players in the world, falling to Novak Djokovic in Shanghai.

      The Russian finished the match with 25 winners and only 15 unforced errors, while Del Potro had 20 winners and 19 unforced errors at the O2 Arena.

      Davydenko had a miraculous run at this tournament. After losing his opening match to Novak Djokovic, Davydenko would go on to beat some of the world’s greats. He followed his loss to Djokovic with wins against Rafael Nadal, Robin Soderling, and Federer. This streak reached its peak in the finals against del Potro, where Davydenko outplayed the U.S. Open champion in front of the London crowd.

      Tennis

      Decade Debate: 6 Greatest Sports Rivalries

      November 23, 2009 /

      The word rivalry is defined as “competition for the same objective or superiority in the same field.” Rivalries exist in all facets of life, but they are no more apparent than in the world of sport. With the end of the decade looming, here are the six most intense rivalries of the last ten years.

      6. Tiger Woods vs. Phil Mickelson

      Competition between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson may not produce the mystique that Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus once did, but their rivalry has been exciting nonetheless. Without Tiger Woods, professional golf’s popularity would be a mere morsel of what it is today. The man has won 14 majors, holds his own tournament (the AT&T National), designed two beautiful courses, is the only golfer with his own video game, and garners public intrigue on the same level as world leaders. Still, his status as figurehead of professional golf wouldn’t have any merit without some stiff competition. Enter Phil Mickelson, Tiger’s only adversary with any staying power. When Mickelson won the 2000 Buick Invitational, he also officially ended Tiger’s streak of consecutive tournament wins at six. Over the years, Mickelson would hire Butch Harmon, Tiger’s former coach, and joke about Tiger’s use of “inferior equipment.” Still, their rivalry always remained amicable, even as Phil won his first major in ’04 (The Masters), the PGA Championship in ’05 another Green Jacket in ’06. During this year’s Masters, Tiger and Mickelson were finally paired together in a major event. Trudging down the final back nine at Augusta, the two golfers put on a show that thankfully lived up to the hype. –- Christopher Glotfelty

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      Agassi admits in new autobiography that he used crystal meth

      October 28, 2009 /

      According to a report by ESPN.com, eight-time Grand Slam champion Andre Agassi admits to using crystal meth in 1997 in his upcoming autobiography. He also admits that he lied to tennis authorities when he failed a drug test, saying that he “unwittingly” took the substance.

      According to an excerpt of the autobiography published Wednesday in The Times of London, the eight-time Grand Slam champion writes that he sent a letter to the ATP tour to explain the positive test, saying he accidentally drank from a soda spiked with meth by his assistant “Slim.”

      “Then I come to the central lie of the letter,” Agassi writes. “I say that recently I drank accidentally from one of Slim’s spiked sodas, unwittingly ingesting his drugs. I ask for understanding and leniency and hastily sign it: Sincerely.

      “I feel ashamed, of course. I promise myself that this lie is the end of it.”

      According to the Times of London, Agassi writes in his book that “Slim” was the person who introduced him to crystal meth, dumping a small pile of powder on the coffee table.

      “I snort some. I ease back on the couch and consider the Rubicon I’ve just crossed,” Agassi writes.

      “There is a moment of regret, followed by vast sadness. Then comes a tidal wave of euphoria that sweeps away every negative thought in my head. I’ve never felt so alive, so hopeful — and I’ve never felt such energy.”

      “I’m seized by a desperate desire to clean. I go tearing around my house, cleaning it from top to bottom. I dust the furniture. I scour the tub. I make the beds.”

      I always find it interesting how athletes and celebrities are so willing at times to share the skeletons in their closet in order to sell their books. Here’s a guy that is one of the more popular stars to every play tennis and he outs himself as a crystal meth user in order to drum up some sales. It’s amazing, although not entirely dumb if you want people to flock to the stores to buy your book.

      Tennis

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