Federer can become oldest World No.1 in Rotterdam

Melbourne: 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer is on verge to become the oldest player to claim world number one spot in the men's tennis history after he accepted the late wildcard to play in next week's ATP event in Rotterdam.

Federer, who has agreed to play in the Dutch hardcourt event for the first time since 2015, currently sits on the second spot in the world rankings.

He is just 155 points behind old-rival Rafael Nadal, with 180 points up for grabs if he makes it to the semi-finals in the Netherlands.

Nadal, on the other hand, is currently recovering from a thigh injury he sustained during the Australian Open and is not slated to make a return to the tennis court until the Mexican Open in late February.

Talking about his participation in the tournament, Federer said, "The tournament is special for me. I remember playing for the first time in 1999 as it was one of the first events where I got the chance to play at the highest level."

Meanwhile, tournament director Richard Krajicek said that it is tremendous to have Federer playing in Rotterdam, especially after he won a record-equalling sixth Australian Open title last month with a five-set victory over Marin Cilic.

"After his fantastic result at the Australian Open, it is tremendous news that he will be joining us in Rotterdam. It is crowns to the celebration of the history of our tournament.The last 12 months have shown his tremendous drive. It makes perfect sense that he wants to capitalise on his current form," news.com.au quoted Krajicek, as saying.

It should be noted that USA's Andre Agassi has held the record as the oldest world number one in the men's player history since achieving the feat aged 33 years and 131 days in 2003.


source: news agency

Rafael Nadal signs on for Queen's challenge

LONDON: World number one Rafael Nadal has confirmed he will play in the Wimbledon warm-up event at Queen's Club later this year.

Nadal has missed the grass-court tournament in west London for the last two years after suffering a wrist injury in 2016 and then prioritising rest after his French Open victory in 2017.

But the Spaniard, who won the Queen's title in 2008, intends to participate in this year's event, which begins on June 18.

"I am very excited to communicate that I am going to come to Queen's in 2018," Nadal said.

"It is going to be the 10th anniversary of my victory in 2008, it's a great memory, winning there and three weeks later winning Wimbledon.

"It was an unforgettable year. I am very excited to be coming back and playing Queen's again."

Nadal's best performances at Wimbledon have always come after he has played at Queen's.

He reached the Wimbledon final five times between 2006 and 2011, winning in 2008 and 2010, and making the quarter-finals at Queen's prior to each of those appearances at the All England Club.

Stephen Farrow, Queen's tournament director, said: "We are delighted that Rafa is planning to return to The Queen's Club in 2018.

"His run ten years ago, when he won at Roland Garros, Queen's and Wimbledon, will never be forgotten.

"To see him back at the top of the world rankings a decade later is a testament to his greatness and desire to achieve even more."


Nadal was forced to retire from his Australian Open quarter-final against Marin Cilic because of a thigh injury.

But he said this week he could return to action at the Mexican Open in Acapulco at the end of the month.


Former Wimbledon champion Andy Murray has a contract to play Queen's for the rest of his career and is hoping to use the tournament to mark the start of his return from hip surgery in January.


source: news agency

Caroline Wozniacki wins first major title at Australian Open

MELBOURNE: An emotional Caroline Wozniacki finally lifted her first Grand Slam title at the 43rd attempt as she beat Simona Halep in three energy-sapping sets to win the Australian Open on Saturday.

The Dane, who will become the new world number one, burst into tears as she secured the championship 7-6 (7/2), 3-6, 6-4 against the battling Romanian top seed on her first match point of a gruelling, epic encounter.

"I've dreamt of this moment for so many years," said second seeded Wozniacki after becoming the first player from Denmark to win a Grand Slam.

"My voice is shaking. I never cry, but this is a very emotional moment.

"I want to congratulate Simona, I know it's a tough day," she added after receiving the trophy from Billie Jean King.

"I'm sorry that I had to win today but I'm sure we'll have many matches in the future and it was an incredible match and an incredible fight and again, I'm sorry."

Wozniacki, 27, had to overcome bouts of nerves throughout the long match. She wobbled when serving for the first set at 5-3 and had to come through a tiebreak.

"I want to thank my fiance," she said, looking up to American basketball player David Lee in her box. "I was a nervous wreck this morning, I wanted to win so bad, but you calmed me down."

Both players needed medical attention on court before the Dane prevailed in 2hr 49min on Rod Laver Arena.

For Wozniacki, victory meant shedding at last the unwanted moniker of best player never to win a major, having reached the US Open final in 2009 and 2014, and first becoming number one in 2010.

For Halep, who surrendered her number one status to Wozniacki in defeat, the wait goes on.

"It's not easy to talk now but first of all I want to congratulate Caroline," said Halep, who was also appearing in her third Grand Slam final and first in Australia.

"She played amazing. It's been a great tournament for me. Of course I'm sad I couldn't win today but Caroline was better than me.

"But I will fight and hopefully I will face another challenge like I did today. I'm sad that I couldn't make it the third time, but maybe the fourth time will be with luck."

Wozniacki started the stronger, breaking Halep's opening service game with the early evening temperature still above 30 Celsius (86 Farenheit) before racing into a 3-0 lead.

She had not won a set in either of her previous two Grand Slam final appearances and tightened visibly serving for this one, and the set headed for a tiebreak.

The Dane went 4-1 up before a second mini-break and two solid serves gave her the tiebreak 7-2.

Wozniacki was growing in confidence and Halep needed to save four break points at 1-1 in the second set in a brutal game that lasted 11 minutes.

Soon after Halep signalled to her coach Darren Cahill that she wasn't feeling well and there were worrying scenes as she had her blood pressure taken and an ice towel applied in the next changeover.

She re-emerged with her energy drained and needed the luckiest of net cords to hold for 4-3.

Cramping, she decided to stand and deliver in the next game, keeping the points short.

Incredibly the tactic paid off as she broke Wozniacki with a ripping drive up the line to level the match.


The tournament's extreme heat policy was invoked meaning the players took a 10-minute break before the start of the third set.

When they resumed neither of them could hold their serve until Wozniacki, after having a timeout to have her left knee strapped, held for 5-4 to force Halep to serve to stay in the match.


source: news agency

Roger Federer into Australian Open final as Chung retires injured

MELBOURNE: Defending champion Roger Federer strolled into the Australian Open final in a bitter-sweet win after Chung Hyeon's retired injured in their semi-final on Friday.

The Swiss star was leading 6-1, 5-2 when the South Korean called it quits with foot blisters and will now face Marin Cilic in Sunday's final.

Chung, the first South Korean man or woman to play in a Grand Slam semi-final, was treated in a medical timeout for the left foot problem two games earlier.

But it came as a big surprise when the 21-year-old walked to the net at 30-30 and trailing 2-5 after 1hr 02mins in the second set to concede defeat.

It put Federer into his seventh Australian final as he chases his sixth Melbourne title and 20th Grand Slam victory.

Federer leads 2014 US Open champion Cilic 8-1 in their meetings.

The Swiss maestro now has a 30-13 win-loss record in Grand Slam semi-finals and has yet to drop a set in this year's Australian Open.

"You couldn't tell until the end," he said of Chung's injury problems. "That's probably why a lot of people are stunned (he retired).

"I could tell something was wrong before he took the injury timeout, but he has a great composure.

"I think he is already a great player, but we are talking next level excellence and I think he will achieve that.

"We will see much more of him. Top 10 for sure. The rest we will see."

It was a muted semi-final with the Rod Laver Arena retractable roof closed for rain further improving Federer's chances given his indoor record.

He broke Chung's opening service and twice more to romp away with the first set in just 33 minutes as the Korean made a flurry of errors.

It got no better in the second set with Federer again breaking in the fourth game before the trainer was called on to the court to treat Chung for his foot blisters.

Chung only lasted a bit more than two games before pulling out to a stunned silence.

"In the second set I felt he was starting to get a bit slower, fighting with a blister," Federer said.

"I've played with blisters in the past a lot, and it hurts a lot, and at one point it is just too much and you can't take it anymore.

"That's when you realise there is no way you can come back and you make things really worse, it is better to stop. That's why this feels bitter-sweet.

Source: News Agency

Halep overcomes Kerber in epic semis to reach Australian Open final

Melbourne : World No.1 Simona Halep justified her ranking by defeating Germany's Angelique Kerber 6-3, 4-6, 9-7 in a gruelling Australian Open semi-final here on Thursday.

The Romanian top seed battled for two hours and 20 minutes to eventually subdue 21st seed Kerber, becoming the first Romanian woman to reach the Australian Open final, reports Efe.

"I try to be very calm, but today was like a rollercoaster up and down. I didn't give up, not even a ball.

I did it really well, and I'm really proud of myself actually." Halep, the two-time French Open finalist, said.

"I will fight for every point and not rest until I finish this tournament. So next week, I will rest," she added.

The 26-year-old, who is yet to win a Grand Slam, dominated the first set, racing out into a 5-0 lead before allowing Kerber back into the game, taking the first 6-3.

The German struck back to take the second set 6-4 after saving two break points that would have had Halep leading 5-3 and serving for the match.

A dramatic third set saw Kerber, the 2016 Australian Open champion, break Halep as the Romanian served for the match at 5-3.

Kerber then broke again at 6-6, but could not complete the victory after losing two match points.

Both players were visibly exhausted in the late afternoon heat as they slugged the ball back and forth, before Halep eventually came out on top after finally breaking Kerber's serve to win the third set 9-7 and end the German's 10-match winning streak.

Source: News Agency

Uncle Toni still 'more than anything' for Nadal

MELBOURNE: World number one Rafael Nadal embarks on a new era without his coach and uncle in the players' box at the Australian Open but the Spaniard said he would always welcome advice from his lifelong mentor with open arms.

Nadal returns to Melbourne Park, where he lost a thrilling five-set final to long-time rival Roger Federer last year, hoping to continue his progress under new coach Carlos Moya.

Former world number one Moya will lead the Mallorcan's team, having helped him back to the grand slam winner's table in 2017 after a barren three years while preparing for Toni Nadal's retirement.

Toni has departed to focus on his nephew's tennis academy but Nadal said their relationship remained intimate and "easy".

"He participates as much as he wants to participate. He's my uncle," Nadal told reporters at Melbourne Park on Saturday.

"He's more than anything else. That's it. Everything that he wants to do with me, I am happy with, no? It's not about my decision. He has enough confidence with me, or I have enough confidence with him, to talk about anything I have to talk.

"It's difficult to explain. But it's part of my family ... He loves me. I love him. It's not about, you know, a professional relationship. It's a familial relationship.

"In terms of professional things, I spoke to him few days ago, speaking about how the life is going, how the tennis is going.

"If I have something to ask, I ask him. If he has something to tell me, he calls me and tells me. No, it's not a difficult situation. It's a very easy situation."

Nadal's preparations have added to a sense of a journey into the unknown at Melbourne Park for the 31-year-old great.

He heads into his first round match against Dominican journeyman Victor Estrella Burgos without a competitive match since he pulled out of the ATP Tour Finals with a knee injury in November.

He missed warmup events in Abu Dhabi and Brisbane but had an exhibition match at the Kooyong Classic and another practice match with Dominic Thiem at Melbourne Park on Friday, complete with ball boys and a chair umpire.

The 16-times grand slam champion showed no sign of discomfort in defeating fifth seed Thiem and said he felt "good" and was "more or less" playing well.


A 17th grand slam title would bring him within striking distance of the record 19 held by Federer but Nadal said he had no extra need for motivation at Melbourne Park.

"It's impossible to be more motivated than last year or any year," said Nadal, who can only face second seed Federer in another final if they progress that far.

Source: News Agency

Nadal wants to start afresh at 2018 Australian Open

Spanish tennis great Rafael Nadal has said the bitter disappointment of last year's narrow five-set loss to Roger Federer in the Australian Open final will not give him any extra motivation for this year's opening Grand Slam.

"It is impossible to be more motivated than last year or any year," the world number one told Xinhua news agency on Saturday.

"For me the Australian Open, if you are not 100 percent motivated to win this tournament, you probably don't love the sport."

Despite a stellar 2017, which saw the 31-year-old claim the US Open and a record 10th French Open title, Nadal talked down the significance of beginning the year with the No.1 ranking.

"It is better to start No.1 than No.20," the Spaniard said.

"But everyone starts from zero. I start from zero again.

Stan Wawrinka Feared For Career During Long Layoff

It's a new season, an exciting one and I hope to be healthy, competitive and, most importantly, to enjoy tennis."

"I just think about my first round... It's the first match of the year and I don't think further than that. I take it day by day as I always have."

Source: News Agency

Stan Wawrinka feared for career during long layoff

MELBOURNE: Stan Wawrinka feared his debilitating knee injury might be the end of a glittering tennis career boasting three grand slam titles and said he had only been cleared to play the Australian Open two days before the tournament.

The 32-year-old Swiss also spoke on Saturday of his former coach Magnus Norman’s decision to end their partnership while he was injured, another sting in the tail during his battle through rehab.

The 2014 champion will bid for his second title at Melbourne Park but goes in with low expectations, having only decided he was fit enough to play after training on Saturday.

While not taking pain-killing injections, he said the knee was still painful and admitted he was far from his best level of tennis ahead of his first round match against unseeded Lithuanian Ricardas Berankis on Tuesday.

Stan Wawrinka

However, being cleared to play still felt like a “victory”, said Wawrinka, given personal doubts about his future following his knee surgery.

“For sure I was worrying a lot because I had eight weeks on crutches,” Wawrinka told reporters at Melbourne Park.

”I started my first fitness by just walking. The thing is, it’s always complicated when you’re like at that level before, you get (an) injury, you can get through pain mentally also, (you‘re) feeling lonely, not feeling good.

”It’s tough to explain because some people will always

think, ‘C‘mon, you have an amazing life, why do you

complain, why do you complain about feeling not great?'”

His former mentor Norman, who helped transform Wawrinka into a grand slam-winning force, ended their four-year partnership in October, citing personal reasons in another major blow.

“For sure, it was already a tough, tough, tough moment for myself, to be out, to get surgery, to know that it will take at least six months to be back at a place where I can play tennis again,” said Wawrinka, who has not played a competitive match since being knocked out of the first round at Wimbledon.

”When you are in a tough place like that as an athlete, you want the people who know you the best to stay around you, to stick with you.

”You want your team, your family to be here.

“For me, Magnus, he was my coach, but he was a friend, even closer than a friend. It was tough to know that he will not be here to start again with me. I was more sad than angry at him.”

Wawrinka, seeded ninth in Melbourne, said he had practised for more hours in the week leading into the grand slam than he had in months but still needed to be “careful” about his knee.

“I practised with Rafa (Nadal), I practised with Novak (Djokovic), with (Tomas) Berdych, with (Gael) Monfils, with (Grigor) Dimitrov,” he said.

Source: News Agency

Federer still the man to beat at Melbourne Park

MELBOURNE : It might be argued that 36-year-old fathers of four have no business winning grand slam titles but try telling that to Roger Federer as the evergreen Swiss bids to claim a record-equalling sixth Australian Open crown in two weeks’ time.

Federer will saddle up for a 19th time in the main draw at Melbourne Park, looking to frustrate ‘Generation Next’ once again and defend the title he won last year during a stunning comeback from knee surgery.

No such queries hang over his fitness this year and if bookmakers are to be believed the other 127 men in the draw will be fighting for the scraps from Federer’s plate.

On immediate form, few could argue.

Federer, seeded second, arrives for a first round match against mid-ranked Slovenian Aljaz Bedene after cruising through an undefeated run at the Hopman Cup.

His major rivals, meanwhile, are either carrying injuries or returning from them, or in the case of ‘Big Four’ cohort Andy Murray, ruled out because of them.

A magical 20th slam might seem a formality for a player who did it all in last year’s tournament with the shortest of run-ups, but on closer inspection, Federer’s path through the draw is far from straightforward.

Danger lurks at almost every corner, with former Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonic and a resurgent Juan Martin Del Potro, the man who beat Federer for the 2009 U.S. Open title, looming as threats before the quarter-finals.

Yet few would be surprised if the tournament ends in a repeat of last year’s final with Federer up against his great Spanish rival and top seed Rafa Nadal.

The pair split the four grand slam trophies between them last year, with Nadal, at 31, finishing the season as the ATP rankings’ oldest world number one.

Like Federer, Nadal has pared back his playing schedule to prolong his career but the strain still showed when he pulled out of the ATP Tour Finals in November with a knee problem after losing his opening match.

He missed warmup events in Abu Dhabi and Brisbane but appeared untroubled in an exhibition match win over Austrian world number five Dominic Thiem at Melbourne Park on Friday.

If fit and firing, 2009 champion Nadal will be hard to beat but needs to bring something new to the court if he ends up facing Federer, who won all four of their matches last year.

The Melbourne crowds will throw their support behind the two grand slam titans but the younger generation of players probably wish they would just go away.

Year after year the bright sparks and ‘Next Big Things’ have been denied by the ‘Big Four’ at the slams.

Even with Murray and Novak Djokovic out of the frame for much of 2017 due to injury, ‘Gen Next’ once again failed to make inroads at the four tournaments that really count.

Most bookmakers see third seed Grigor Dimitrov as the best chance among them to make a breakthrough in Melbourne, but still rate the Bulgarian lower than Djokovic, who brings a major query over his serving elbow, is seeded 14th and has barely swung a racquet in six months.

While Melbourne Park maestro Djokovic will bid for a record seventh Australian Open title, those fans hoping for a shake-up of the establishment may look to 20-year-old Alexander Zverev after his stellar 2017.

Like 22-year-old Australian Nick Kyrgios, fourth seed Zverev possesses a majestic game capable of toppling the very best but also has a propensity to crumble on the biggest stages.

Source: News Agency

Federer to open Australia Open against Bedene

MELBOURNE: Roger Federer will open his Australian Open title defence against Slovenian Aljaz Bedene next week, while top seed Rafa Nadal, the losing finalist last year, was paired with Dominican Victor Estrella Burgos at the draw on Thursday.

Women’s top seed Simona Halep of Romania faces Australian wildcard Destanee Aiava in the first round, with second seed Caroline Wozniacki starting out against Halep’s compatriot Mihaela Buzarnescu.

Serena Williams will not defend the women’s title having had her first child last year but 2008 champion Maria Sharapova, who failed a drugs test at the tournament in 2016, is back unseeded after a ban and will face Germany’s Tatjana Maria.

Williams’s sister Venus, who lost to her sibling in the final last year, is seeded fourth and the 37-year-old was handed a tricky first encounter against Swiss former world number seven Belinda Bencic, who is 17 years her junior.

Men’s third seed Grigor Dimitrov will face a qualifier, with Alexander Zverev, ranked fourth, playing Italian Thomas Fabbiano but with 2014 champion Stan Wawrinka, returning after surgery, in his section of the draw.

Young gun Zverev had little luck in his first Australian Open draw as a top five seed with either Wawrinka, who plays Ricardas Berankis, or Novak Djokovic potentially standing in his path in the quarter-finals.

Six-times Melbourne Park champion Djokovic, seeded 14th after missing the back end of last season with an elbow injury, will take on American lefthander Donald Young in his first match with mercurial Frenchman Gael Monfils looming in round two.

Federer also has Milos Raonic, Juan Martin del Potro, David Goffin and Tomas Berdych in his quarter of the draw, while Nadal would appear to have the easier section, although former U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic looms as a last-eight opponent.

If the draw goes to seeding, Dimitrov would face American Jack Sock in the last eight, with ailing world number five Dominic Thiem, who withdrew from Kooyong because of illness on Thursday, taking on Zverev.

Britain’s Andy Murray and Japan’s Kei Nishikori have already withdrawn from the championships and women’s world number three Garbine Muguruza has twice pulled out of tournaments over the last two weeks due to leg cramps and a thigh problem.

The Wimbledon champion is scheduled take on France’s Jessika Ponchet in the first round, while French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko was paired with veteran Francesca Schiavone and U.S Open champion Sloane Stephens will take on China’s Zhang Shuai.

Australia’s sole men’s seed, Nick Kyrgios, takes on Brazilian Rogerio Dutra Silva and local women’s 18th seed Ashleigh Barty takes on Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka.

Source: News Agency

Evergreen Federer is clear Australian Open favourite

Roger Federer is the “clear favourite” to retain his Australian Open title over an injury-riddled field when the first grand slam of the season starts next week in Melbourne, tennis analysts said.

Federer’s bid for a 20th grand slam title will be aided by the absences of Andy Murray and Kei Nishikori, as well as lingering injuries to top players who are still expected to play like Rafa Nadal and Stan Wawrinka.

But more so than the competition, it is the 36-year-old Federer’s dominant play at this month’s Hopman Cup, where he won all four of his singles matches and led Switzerland to a third title, that gives him the edge.

“He looks younger than ever,” ESPN tennis analyst and former professional Patrick McEnroe told reporters on a call on Wednesday.

“He’s moving as beautifully as ever. He’s hitting the ball brilliantly. Wins four or five matches at the Hopman Cup against high-level competition. To me, he’s the clear favourite.”

Bookmakers are also expecting the world number two to successfully defend his title.

Federer ($2.75 AUD) is the favourite to win the tournament, according to Australian Gambling, with world number one and last year’s Australian Open runner-up Nadal ($5.50) trailing him.

“He could always get picked off early,” McEnroe said.

“But based on what I’ve seen so far... I don’t think there’s anybody else that you could say is a favourite other than Roger at the moment.”

ESPN analyst and former world number one Chris Evert said his experience and smooth style of play, which has left him relatively injury-free, set him apart from the field.

“This is a guy who is so relaxed... I think that affects him mentally as well as physically,” she said.

“Mentally and emotionally, having kids, having a family, he gets away from the game. He knows how to compartmentalise really well.”

“He lets the losses roll off his back, there’s no tension there. I think he has a real joy for the game,” she said.

“That’s what makes Federer, Federer.”

The Australian Open runs from Jan. 15-28.

Source: News Agencies

Serena Williams absence gives chance for a new superstar to emerge

Women’s tennis starts its 2018 campaign with the usual early focus on the Australian Open and a huge question mark over who can fill the yawning gap left by the absence of Serena Williams.

No one was able to get anywhere close last year, not just in terms of consistently winning the biggest tournaments but also when it comes to charisma.

Williams left Melbourne a year ago with a 23rd grand slam title under her belt but soon hung up her racket for the remainder of 2017 upon discovering she was eight weeks pregnant at the time of her triumph.

Her forced hiatus will extend past this year’s tournament after she decided last week that she was not fully match-ready, giving the chasing pack more opportunities to stamp their authority on the women’s game.

Boris Becker, who knows a bit about both winning grand slams and star appeal, believes the landscape at the top of the women’s game is just too confused at the moment.

“I think there is a real opportunity for the next superstar. It’s not clear cut,” he told Reuters.

”(Simona) Halep is number one at the moment but we have four or five different girls. It’s just that there is no one dominating, but it’s up to them.

“I could mention 10 names who could win the Australian Open, that’s good and that’s bad. I think the sport needs a strong rivalry because that’s good for fans. But the women’s game doesn’t have that at the moment.”

Source: News Agencies