Tag: Rafael Nadal (Page 3 of 6)

      Davydenko captures Qatar Open title

      January 10, 2010 /

      Following his straight-set victory against Roger Federer, Nicolay Davydenko overcame early struggles to defeat Rafael Nadal 0-6, 7-6 (8), 6-4 in the Qatar Open final.

      From FOXSports.com:

      Davydenko led 4-1 in the second-set tiebreaker but unforced errors allowed Nadal to twice serve for the match. However, the Spaniard sprayed his returns wide, and Davydenko broke two times to Nadal’s one in the third set to close it out.

      The sixth-ranked Russian’s third straight victory over Nadal improved his overall record to 5-4.

      “I did not come here expecting to win. I am surprised that I have won,” Davydenko said. “It is an amazing feeling to have won here. I have played semifinals and finals here but never won.”

      It was a second consecutive title for Davydenko after winning the London World Tour Finals on Nov. 29. He also beat Nadal and Roger Federer in that event.

      David Nalbandian of Argentina is the only other player to beat Federer and Nadal in the same tournament on two occasions — at the Madrid Masters and Paris Masters in 2007.

      Players rarely beat both Nadal and Federer in the same tournament, but now Davydenko has done it twice. That’s quite a feat. However, the 28-year-old is yet to win a Grand Slam, which is his main criticism. Given Davydenko’s unpredictable success in Qatar, he could finally get his due in less than two weeks at the Australian Open.

      Tennis

      Nadal prevails in Abu Dhabi

      January 2, 2010 /

      Rafael Nadal is showing signs of returning to form. In the final of the Capitala exhibition tournament, Nadal defeated Robin Soderling 7-6 (3), 7-5 to kick off the new season and prove he’s tired of the criticism.

      From FOXSports.com:

      Both players held serve throughout the first set before the second-ranked Spaniard won the tiebreaker. Nadal then broke decisively in the sixth game of the second set at Zayed Sports City.

      Soderling ended Nadal’s 31-game unbeaten run on clay at the French Open last year and beat him again at the season-sending ATP Tour World Finals in London.

      Roger Federer defeated David Ferrer of Spain 6-1, 7-5 for third place.

      Nadal said overtaking Federer was not his main focus for 2010.

      “Everybody wants the No. 1 ranking, but, believe me, for me it is not my goal for this year,” the Spaniard said. “To play competitively throughout and win as many tournaments as I can, that is my goal. To be happy playing, to be healthy and to play like I have played over the last two days.”

      Nadal will play in next week’s Qatar Open, the Australian Open beginning Jan. 18 and the ABN AMRO starting Feb. 8 in the Netherlands before taking a break. He injured both knees and his abdomen last season, missing Wimbledon among other tournaments.

      While Roger Federer’s dominance last year was exciting, Nadal’s struggles hurt the sport. If he can learn to take care of his knees, Nadal will prolong his career and break plenty of notable records.

      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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      Rafael Nadal gets smooched, advances

      September 12, 2009 /

      I didn’t say it was from a woman! How scary would it be to see some rambunctious fan storming at you, knowing what’s previously happened to Monica Seles? Still, once Nadal sensed the fan’s innocent yet homoerotic intentions, the talented Spaniard welcomed him with open arms. I heard these guys on the radio the other day — I forget which program — comparing Rafael Nadal to Alex Rodriguez, saying each is the most hated player in their respective sport. Are you kidding me? What’s not to like about Nadal? I think fans just don’t want to accept that, when 100 percent, he can beat Roger Federer on any surface.

      He’s played well thus far, recently defeating Fernando Gonzalez after two days of rain postponed the match.

      “I can’t tell you, because I don’t have the answer,” Gonzalez said when asked to explain his quick disintegration.

      Though Nadal’s sore abdominals are still a concern, he certainly wasn’t overtaxed in this match, as he headed into what could be a very long weekend.

      A match that had been a taut, well-played affair got postponed Thursday night with Nadal leading 3-2 in the second-set tiebreaker. They had to wait out an entire day of rain before coming back to the court to resume under overcast skies and temperatures in the 60s.

      Final numbers: 59 unforced errors for Gonzalez to 13 for Nadal; Nadal won 31 of the 43 points played after the restart. The whole affair took 34 minutes to wrap up.

      As of right now, the men’s semifinals are scheduled to take place on Sunday. Roger Federer will take on Novak Djokavic and Juan Martin del Potro will try his luck against Nadal. That is, of course, if the rain doesn’t push everything back to next year.

      Tennis

      Nadal to play in Montreal

      August 4, 2009 /

      After his two month absence from tennis because of knee injuries, Rafael Nadal will attempt to defend his title at the Rogers Cup in Montreal.

      Nadal says on his Web site that he’ll arrive in Montreal on Wednesday to begin preparations for the Aug. 10-16 hardcourt event. He is the defending champion.

      Nadal has been out of action with tendinitis in both knees since losing at the French Open on May 31. He also will play in Cincinnati ahead of the U.S. Open, the only Grand Slam tournament he has never won.

      Rogers Cup spokesman Louis-Philippe Dorais says organizers expect to hear from top-ranked Roger Federer in the next few days on whether he will play.

      This is great news, especially since the U.S. Open is less than a month away. Though this year in tennis has belonged to Roger Federer, it’s been exciting to watch Andy Roddick regain some clout on the court. Since Roddick is pretty much the only male American representative tennis has, that’s the guy I’ll be rooting for. Still, the ATP needs more than two stars. Hopefully Nadal hasn’t lost a step and the Rogers Cup will be a good indication of whether or not he’ll be able to hold his ground at the U.S. Open.

      Tennis

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