Roger Federer Appoints Paul Annacone for a Trial Period

Swiss tennis great Roger Federer has appointed Paul Annacone as his new coach for a trial period. Federer, ranked 3^rd in the ATP ranking, has failed to defend his French Open and Wimbledon titles this year and is now looking to retain the US Open title.

Roger Federer started the year winning the Australian Open, but could not even reach the semi final of French Open and Wimbledon. As a result he lost his no. 1 ranking to Rafael Nadal and is now at the 3^rd position in the ranking, his worst since November 2003.

The 28-year-old has been going through a tough time. Now, the appointment of Paul Annacone, who earlier worked with former great Pete Sampras for a long time, indicates that Federer is now desperate to bounce back in the US Open 2010.

About Annacone’s appointment, Federer said to the media, “I've been looking to add someone to my team and I've decided to spend some days with Paul Annacone.

As Paul winds down his responsibilities working for the Lawn Tennis Association, we will explore our relationship through this test period.

Paul will work alongside my existing team and I am excited to learn from his experiences."

Roger Federer has already become a legend in tennis, but his recent topsy-turvy form has been a matter of big concern and he is now desperate to come out of this. Federer last year surpassed Sampras to hold the record for highest Grand Slam singles titles. The Swiss great also holds many other prestigious records including the record for holding the no.1 ranking for most consecutive weeks.

Now, Federer would like to retain the no. 1 ranking and get back his his dominating form with the assistance of Paul Annacone.

Roger Federer is looking for sixth US Open title in 2010

The 2010 US Open will begin from August 30 to September 12, 2010. Swiss professional tennis player, Roger Federer, has been placed as the second favorite player to win the US Open following Rafael Nadal at the top of the list.

Twenty-eight-year-old Roger Federer is eyeing for his sixth US Open title this year. Former World No. 1 tennis player has already won 16 Grand Slam single titles, including 5 titles in US Open. Last year, he lost his chance of clinching the trophy after being beaten by Juan Martín del Potro.

However, Roger Federer has less possibility to win his 6^th US Open title as his recent performance is not good. Since Australian Open 2010, Federer could not manage to get any major victory. He will have to face a tough challenge from young players like Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, Robin Soderling etc.

Defending champion, Juan Martin Del Potro, is not sure about his taking part of this tournament. He is coming back from injury. His presence will change or revise the betting market for the 2010 US Open. This year, Rafael Nadal is at the pick of his career. So, he has the strong possibility to win the title.

Fans will be watching to see if Roger Federer can win his 17^th Grand Slam singles titles.

Andy Murray Defeated Roger Federer in Abu Dhabi Exhibition

(This entry was originally published on Saturday, January 3rd, 2009)

British tennis star Andy Murray started the New Year with an excellent three-set victory over world. No. 2 Roger Federer in the semi final of an exhibition tournament, Capitala World Tennis Championship at Abu Dhabi in United Arab Emirates. Andy Murray defeated US. Open champion Federer 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (8-6). Both players broke each other once in the first set, but Roger Federer took it 4-6. In the second set, Murray dominated over Federer and broke him early to clinch the second set 6-2 pretty easily. The third set was a close one which Murray won in a tie-breaker.

Federer defeated Murray in the final of U.S. Open 2008, but lost to the aspiring British tennis star at the Madrid Masters tournament in October. A month later, Federer lost to Murray once again at the Shanghai Masters Cup. Now, Andy Murray would face world no. 1 Rafael Nadal in the tournament final as the Spaniard defeated Nikolay Davydenko in the other final of the tournament.

Related article:

Kansascity

Top Ten Tennis Events of 2008

The year 2008 saw several notable events in the tennis world. Player like Jo-Wilfried Tsonga emerged in the lime light, while player like Sania Mirza fell in ranking. The year even presented a classic final at Wimbledon 2008. Rafael Nadal and Jelena Jankovic finished the year at no. 1 in ATP and WTA rankings respectively for the first time. Here, I made a list of top ten events of tennis world in 2008. So, let us go through the list of top ten notable tennis events of 2008:

Rafael Nadal Becoming World No. 1 Replacing Roger Federer

Rafael Nadal replaced former world no. 1 Swiss star Roger Federer at the top of ATP ranking, becoming the world no. 1 for the first time in his career. Thus, the Spaniard also ended Federer’s record 237 consecutive weeks at the top of the ranking. Nadal clinched his fourth successive French Open title, defeating Federer 6–1, 6–3, 6–0 in the final, before winning his first ever Wimbledon title, defeating Federer in a five-set classic final. After that Nadal also won the gold medal of men’s singles at the Beijing Olympic Games 2008, outclassing Fernando Gonzalez in straight set. On August 18, 2008, the Spanish tennis star became the world no. 1 of men’s singles at ATP ranking.

Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal: An Epic Final in Wimbledon 2008

Wimbledon 2008 men’s singles final should be considered to be one of the greatest ever final in the history of grand slam. No doubt, five-time defending champion Federer went into the final match as ultimate favorite and his sixth Wimbledon title seemed to be a matter of time when Federer won the first two sets without facing any hard challenge from the Spanish star. However, Rafael Nadal was determined enough to clinch the title, winning the last three sets in tie-breaker, setting up one of the most notable come-back win in a grand slam final in the history of tennis.

Jelena Jankovic Becoming World no. 1 without Winning Any Grand Slam

There is no doubt, Jelena Jankovic has been one of the most consistent performers in WTA tour events, despite the fact that the Serbian star could not win any grand slam title so far in her career. Still, Jankovic rose to no. 1 spot of WTA ranking, after reaching the U.S. Open 2008 final, her first grand slam final ever. Though she failed to win the U.S. Open title, being lost to 4^th seed American Serena Williams, her performance in other grand slam and WTA tour tournaments were satisfactory. The current world no. 1 Jankovic also reached the semi final of Australian Open and French Open 2008 tournaments, besides winning four other tour titles in 2008.

Andy Murray: The New Hope of British Tennis Fans

Andy Murray went very close to become the first British tennis player to win a Grand Slam title since Fred Perry did it last time in 1936 as Murray reached his first ever grand slam final at the U.S. Open 2008, kindling the hope of millions of British tennis fans who were looking for another grand slam winner in Britain. However, Murray’s dream run was brought to an end by the eventual champion Roger Federer in the tournament final. En route to final, Andy Murray defeated French Open and Wimbledon Champion, world no. 1, Rafael Nadal in a four set semi final. Murray won five tour titles including two ATP Masters Cup titles in 2008, achieving his career high no. 4 ranking.

Former World no. 1 Justine Henin Announced Retirement Surprisingly

Belgian tennis star Justine Henin surprisingly announced her retirement on 14 May 2008, even while leading the WTA ranking. The announcement came just before the 2008 French Open where she would start as defending champion and was considered to be tournament favorite. Henin has 7 grand slam titles to her credit including four titles at French Open.

Ana Ivanovic Winning First Grand Slam Title at French Open 2008

Ana Ivanovic was undoubtedly one of the most promising figures of world tennis in 2008. The Serbian stalwart showed her talent and potential even in 2007. However, the year 2008 deserves to be something special in her career as Ivanovic won her career first grand slam title at French Open 2008, defeating 13^th seed Dinara Safina in the final 6-4, 6-3. After the triumph at French Open, Ivanovic even became the world no. 1 in WTA ranking on June 9, 2008. However, her lackluster form towards the end of the year cost her in WTA ranking as Ivanovic finished the year at no. 5 in WTA ranking.

Dream Run of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in Australian Open 2008

There was hardly anyone who knew Jo-Wilfried Tsonga before the start of Australian Open 2008. In fact, he was an unseeded player in the tournament, but made it to the final surprisingly, defeating some of the top seeded players like Andy Murray in the first round, Richard Gasquet in the fourth round and Rafael Nadal in the semi final. However, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga failed to win the title being lost to Serbian star Novak Djokovic. After that, the 23-year-old French tennis star failed to live up the expectation, mostly because of injury problems. Still, he could finish the year at his career high no. 6 ranking.

Jie Zheng: The First Chinese Player to Reach at a Grand Slam Semi Final

Second highest ranked Asian star, Jie Zheng, made history becoming the first ever Chinese tennis player to reach at the semi final of a grand slam tournament after reaching the semi final of Wimbledon 2008, defeating three seeded players en route. In fact, she caused the biggest upset of the tournament by defeating the then world no. 1 Ana Ivanovic in the third round. The Chinese star went into the tournament as a wildcard entry, and to everyone’s surprise, Jie Zheng reached the semi final where she was defeated by Serena Williams.

Venus Williams Defending Wimbledon Title in an All-Williams Wimbledon 2008 Final

After a long time, tennis world saw another All-Williams final at a grand slam tournament. The final of Wimbledon 2008 featured the two sisters, but the match was not very competitive as elder sister Venus won the match in two sets. With this victory Venus Williams defend her Wimbledon title successfully, winning her seventh grand slam title in her career. Such was her dominance that Venus Williams did not drop any set throughout the tournament.

Injury Pronged Sania Mirza Slipping Drastically in WTA Ranking

The year 2008 was a disappointing year for Indian tennis star Sania Mirza who started the year at 32, but finished at 99, lowest in 4 years. Her recurring injury problem was one of the reasons behind her slipping in WTA ranking. In fact, Sania Mirza missed a number of tournaments due to injury. First she suffered from left adductor strain and later on, she suffered severally from right wrist injury. Sania Mirza even underwent wrist surgery in April. Still, she had to miss the U.S. Open 2008 due to wrist injury.

U.S. Team to Face Switzerland Team in Davis Cup 2009 First Round

(This entry was originally published in this blog December 2008 and it is based on the information of that time.)

You already know that Spain own the Davis Cup 2008 title defeating Argentina in the final. US Davis Cup team is now hoping to do well next season, but they will have to face strong opponent Switzerland in the first round of Davis Cup 2009. The match will be held at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex Arena, starting from 6 March. The three-day match will see world no. 2 Roger Federer leading the Swiss team. Another Swiss professional Stanislas Wawrinka, who along with Roger Federer won the gold medal of doubles in Beijing Olympic, will also be there to help the Swiss team to get past the US team.

Patrick McEnroe, captain of U.S. Davis Cup team, is fully concerned about the possible threat of the Swiss team, boasting of the players like Federer and Wawrinka. He admits that his team would face one of the toughest first-round opponents in March in the tournament. He thinks that the prospect of Wawrinka over the last few years as a professional player must inspire Federer to give his best in their quest to win the title. However, McEnroe is also happy to say that U.S. Davis Cup team has a number of players to feature in the match. Generally, Andy Roddick and James Blake play in the singles, while world famous American brothers Mike and Bob Bryan feature in the doubles. However, McEnroe said that he had options in Sam Querry and Mardy Fish who had been doing well too over the last few years.

Related article:

The Birmingham News

Roger Federer Clinched Record 15th Grand Slam in Wimbledon 2009

Wimbledon has experienced another classic men’s singles final tonight as Roger Federer defeated Andy Roddick in a five-set thriller. The score line: 5-7, 7-6, 7-6, 6-3, 16-14- is enough to indicate the kind of competitiveness two competitors featured in the game. With this title, Federer has clinched his 15^th grand slam title, and thus, breaking Pete Sampras’ record 14 grand slam titles.

Roger Federer ended up losing last year’s classic Wimbledon final to Rafael Nadal, but this time, the Swiss great did not make any mistake. He held his nerve under huge pressure and produced some excellent moments that you would like to remember for the rest of your life. Well, Federer also had made bad mistakes which do not go with his class, but still you have to be full of praise for this Swiss.

Well, it would be unfair if I do not spend some words for Roddick. I would just use the words excellent and outstanding for the performance of the American star. From the very beginning of the game, Roddick looked pretty much confident and did not let Federer dominate the game. Especially, his forehand shots were so perfect in the game that I think he is the one of the best forehand players of these days.

Roddick took the first set 7-5, despite facing intense competition from Federer. The Swiss star took the next two sets by the same margin 7-6 in tie-breaker. Roddick then came back in the match winning the fourth set 6-3, the least competitive set in the match. A number of unforced errors cost Federer the set, and thus, leading the match to the thrilling fifth set.

It seems all the excitement and enjoyment were left for the fifth set. Both Roddick and Federer appeared with their sturdy look. At one point, it seemed the last set would go on forever, with both players failing to break the opponents. Federer once went very close to win the match when Roddick was serving, but the American bounced back showing his never-give-up mentality and held his service. Well, I would say that Federer could have won the final set some earlier, had he not made some awkward-looking unforced errors while Roddick was on serve.

Anyway, it was Roger Federer who took the final set 16-14 to win his 15^th grand slam title. The best part of Federer’s game was his excellent aces which earned him a number of points in the final set. Overall, Roger Federer once again showed that he deserves to be the greatest male tennis players of all time.

Tiger Woods, Roger Federer and Thierry Henry Failed with Gillette Advertisement?

(This entry was originally published in this blog December 2008 and it is based on the information of that time.)

Tiger Woods, Roger Federer and Thierry Henry are perhaps among the top ten icons in world sports today. They are in different sports. Roger Federer is the top tennis player. Thierry Henry is considered to be one of the top ten influential strikers in football and Tiger Woods is the undefeated or unrivaled king of professional men’s golf. There is no doubt that all of them are very successful in their own field and Gillette company wanted to use their success in their advertisement so that they can attract more men to use their Gillette shaving razor.

Telegraph wrote:

The golfer, tennis champion and former Premiership football star lined up for the razor commercial in 2008.

But industry magazine Campaign voted the advert the top turkey of 2008 for its cringe-worthy imagery.

Campaign editor Claire Beale said: “The Gillette ad is an own goal, a double fault and a bunker shot rolled into one.

It seems that this effort from Gillette Company has suffered a blow in England as according to a report of Telegraph, the advertisement has been considered as the worst TV advertisement of the year. So, it is seen that getting sports stars can not guarantee success for companies when carrying out a commercial campaign.

Pete Sampras Sees a Lot Left in Roger Federer

(This entry was originally posted in this blog on Monday, December 3, 2008 and the information is based on that time.)

When many already started writing off Roger Federer after an unimpressive season on the court, former great Pete Sampras still believes, Federer has something left in him. Had Roger Federer been at his best this year, he would have surpassed Pete Sampras’s record 14 grand slam titles this year. However, Sampras still thinks Federer would take over the record from him. Sampras also suggested Federer to stay on top and healthy in order to keep his momentum going.

Theaustralian reported:

“The amount of work he has to do to stay on top and stay healthy, I think that’s where Roger has a bit of an advantage because it takes a lot less energy for Roger to stay on top than Nadal,” Sampras said.

“Rafa puts so much effort into each point that eventually something will break. There’s a certain grind that he goes through, unlike Roger, who is a lot more fluid and wins matches a lot easier.”

Well, I also agree with Pete Sampras on the fact that Roger Federer needs much less effort to win matches than Rafael Nadal. That is obviously an advantage of the Swiss star. Nadal has lots of energy in him and he employed each an every bit of his energy to win matches and this is also a sign of great player, buts till Federer has some advantage in this regard. I think, Roger Federer will bounce back strongly in 2009.

Roger Federer to Participate in Only Two Clay-Court Tournaments before French Open 2009

(This entry was originally posted in this blog on Monday, December 3, 2008 and the information is based on that time.)

Former world no. 1 Roger Federer saw many ups and downs in 2008 and he seems to be very strategic from now on. The Swiss tennis star has cut back his clay-court event in 2009. Federer will take part only in 2 clay-court tournament before participating in French Open 2009. French Open is the only grand slam tournament played on clay-court and Federer has not won any French Open title yet. There is no doubt, clay-court is his least favorite surface. So, he has decided that he would take part in the Masters Series events in Rome and Madrid.

The Canadian Press reported:

“I am really pleased with the season the way we have planned it and I am looking forward to an exciting year,” Federer said.

The Swiss star had a tough 2008 season marred by illness and a back injury. He surrendered his Wimbledon title and No. 1 ranking to Nadal, but won the U.S. Open for his 13th Grand Slam title.

Federer’s agent, Tony Godsick, told The Associated Press in October that the Swiss star would play a 2009 schedule “that works for him physically.”

Roger Federer would not want to lose much of his strength on clay-court where he was never successful. Rather, Federer would like to retain the Australian Open and Wimbledon titles, besides continuing his success in US Open. He needs 2 more grand slam titles to become the all-time leading grand slam winner in men’s tennis. So, Roger Federer has become choosy about tournaments in order to ensure enough physical rest next year.

Top Ten Tennis Events of 2008

The year 2008 saw several notable events in the tennis world. Player like Jo-Wilfried Tsonga emerged in the lime light, while player like Sania Mirza fell in ranking. The year even presented a classic final at Wimbledon 2008. Rafael Nadal and Jelena Jankovic finished the year at no. 1 in ATP and WTA rankings respectively for the first time. Here, I made a list of top ten events of tennis world in 2008. So, let us go through the list of top ten notable tennis events of 2008:

Rafael Nadal Becoming World No. 1 Replacing Roger Federer

Rafael Nadal replaced former world no. 1 Swiss star Roger Federer at the top of ATP ranking, becoming the world no. 1 for the first time in his career. Thus, the Spaniard also ended Federer’s record 237 consecutive weeks at the top of the ranking. Nadal clinched his fourth successive French Open title, defeating Federer 6–1, 6–3, 6–0 in the final, before winning his first ever Wimbledon title, defeating Federer in a five-set classic final. After that Nadal also won the gold medal of men’s singles at the Beijing Olympic Games 2008, outclassing Fernando Gonzalez in straight set. On August 18, 2008, the Spanish tennis star became the world no. 1 of men’s singles at ATP ranking.

Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal: An Epic Final in Wimbledon 2008

Wimbledon 2008 men’s singles final should be considered to be one of the greatest ever final in the history of grand slam. No doubt, five-time defending champion Federer went into the final match as ultimate favorite and his sixth Wimbledon title seemed to be a matter of time when Federer won the first two sets without facing any hard challenge from the Spanish star. However, Rafael Nadal was determined enough to clinch the title, winning the last three sets in tie-breaker, setting up one of the most notable come-back win in a grand slam final in the history of tennis.

Jelena Jankovic Becoming World no. 1 without Winning Any Grand Slam

There is no doubt, Jelena Jankovic has been one of the most consistent performers in WTA tour events, despite the fact that the Serbian star could not win any grand slam title so far in her career. Still, Jankovic rose to no. 1 spot of WTA ranking, after reaching the U.S. Open 2008 final, her first grand slam final ever. Though she failed to win the U.S. Open title, being lost to 4^th seed American Serena Williams, her performance in other grand slam and WTA tour tournaments were satisfactory. The current world no. 1 Jankovic also reached the semi final of Australian Open and French Open 2008 tournaments, besides winning four other tour titles in 2008.

Andy Murray: The New Hope of British Tennis Fans

Andy Murray went very close to become the first British tennis player to win a Grand Slam title since Fred Perry did it last time in 1936 as Murray reached his first ever grand slam final at the U.S. Open 2008, kindling the hope of millions of British tennis fans who were looking for another grand slam winner in Britain. However, Murray’s dream run was brought to an end by the eventual champion Roger Federer in the tournament final. En route to final, Andy Murray defeated French Open and Wimbledon Champion, world no. 1, Rafael Nadal in a four set semi final. Murray won five tour titles including two ATP Masters Cup titles in 2008, achieving his career high no. 4 ranking.

Former World no. 1 Justine Henin Announced Retirement Surprisingly

Belgian tennis star Justine Henin surprisingly announced her retirement on 14 May 2008, even while leading the WTA ranking. The announcement came just before the 2008 French Open where she would start as defending champion and was considered to be tournament favorite. Henin has 7 grand slam titles to her credit including four titles at French Open.

Ana Ivanovic Winning First Grand Slam Title at French Open 2008

Ana Ivanovic was undoubtedly one of the most promising figures of world tennis in 2008. The Serbian stalwart showed her talent and potential even in 2007. However, the year 2008 deserves to be something special in her career as Ivanovic won her career first grand slam title at French Open 2008, defeating 13^th seed Dinara Safina in the final 6-4, 6-3. After the triumph at French Open, Ivanovic even became the world no. 1 in WTA ranking on June 9, 2008. However, her lackluster form towards the end of the year cost her in WTA ranking as Ivanovic finished the year at no. 5 in WTA ranking.

Dream Run of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in Australian Open 2008

There was hardly anyone who knew Jo-Wilfried Tsonga before the start of Australian Open 2008. In fact, he was an unseeded player in the tournament, but made it to the final surprisingly, defeating some of the top seeded players like Andy Murray in the first round, Richard Gasquet in the fourth round and Rafael Nadal in the semi final. However, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga failed to win the title being lost to Serbian star Novak Djokovic. After that, the 23-year-old French tennis star failed to live up the expectation, mostly because of injury problems. Still, he could finish the year at his career high no. 6 ranking.

Jie Zheng: The First Chinese Player to Reach at a Grand Slam Semi Final

Second highest ranked Asian star, Jie Zheng, made history becoming the first ever Chinese tennis player to reach at the semi final of a grand slam tournament after reaching the semi final of Wimbledon 2008, defeating three seeded players en route. In fact, she caused the biggest upset of the tournament by defeating the then world no. 1 Ana Ivanovic in the third round. The Chinese star went into the tournament as a wildcard entry, and to everyone’s surprise, Jie Zheng reached the semi final where she was defeated by Serena Williams.

Venus Williams Defending Wimbledon Title in an All-Williams Wimbledon 2008 Final

After a long time, tennis world saw another All-Williams final at a grand slam tournament. The final of Wimbledon 2008 featured the two sisters, but the match was not very competitive as elder sister Venus won the match in two sets. With this victory Venus Williams defend her Wimbledon title successfully, winning her seventh grand slam title in her career. Such was her dominance that Venus Williams did not drop any set throughout the tournament.

Injury Pronged Sania Mirza Slipping Drastically in WTA Ranking

The year 2008 was a disappointing year for Indian tennis star Sania Mirza who started the year at 32, but finished at 99, lowest in 4 years. Her recurring injury problem was one of the reasons behind her slipping in WTA ranking. In fact, Sania Mirza missed a number of tournaments due to injury. First she suffered from left adductor strain and later on, she suffered severally from right wrist injury. Sania Mirza even underwent wrist surgery in April. Still, she had to miss the U.S. Open 2008 due to wrist injury.

Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova: The new tennis fashion icons

Tennis channel, the famous American digital cable television channel on tennis, named Maria Sharapova and Roger Federer two of the best dressed tennis players. A Tennis Channel show, “Open Access: Fashion Sense” which premiered on November 23, 2008, revealed that Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova, two of former number one tennis players received the highest votes as best dressed male and female tennis players. Multi Channel News reports:

Tennis Channel experts offered tennis fans a list of 10 men and 10 women from which to choose. Among the top men: Federer, who had more votes than the top five women combined; Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Andy Roddick. On the distaff side of the net: the channel will not only put the lens on Sharapova, but Ana Ivanovic, Venus Williams and Maria Kirilinko as well. The show includes interview with players about their love of fashion, as well as behind-the-scenes footage and photos of them off the court.

Tennis is no longer just a sport. With the rising popularity of the game in western countries, tennis players are now enjoying equal status of Hollywood celebrities. If you are a rising tennis player then media attention is inevitable but you will not only have to be at your best in the court but also your best in style and fashion. Tennis players are becoming major sports and fashion icons and Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova are two such examples.

Related articles:

Multi Channel News

Roger Federer Survived against Tommy Haas at Roland Garros

Roger Federer reached the quarter final of French Open 2009, but was fully tested by Tommy Haas in a highly competitive fourth round match today. Federer went 2 set down in the beginning, but bounced strongly by winning the next 3 sets. Finally, the Swiss former world no. 1 could win the match 6-7, 5-7, 6-4, 6-0, 6-2. The score-line is enough to suggest the kind of match it was. Haas dominated in the first two set, but lost the consistency with the game approaches.

Rafael Nadal has already got out of the tournament after loosing to Robin Soderling in the fourth round. So, it is a big chance for Roger Federer to win his first French Open title this year. Federer has already become a tennis legend by winning 13 grand slam titles, just one title less than record 14-grand slam winner Pete Sampras. Roger Federer will face 11^th seed Gael Monfils in the quarter final.

Roger Federer in French Open 2009

2009 seems to be a different year for Roger Federer. Last year he was in top form and he was doing everything right. However, this year, he is out of touch and it is the time of French Open 2009. At this moment Rafael Nadal is the top player in ranking and he is also the top favorite for French Open. In fact, if Rafael Nadal can win this year’s trophy then he will make a unique record in this tournament. Now, it seems that for Roger Federer the more important thing is to stop Nadal and also keep his ranking. At this moment, Roger Federer is the number 3 ranked tennis player and last time he was in this kind of ranking was in 2003. So, you see that for the last 6 years Roger Federer has totally dominated tennis but there has been a shift of power in the world of tennis for Federer to Nadal. It seems that Nadal is gradually becoming the next Federer.

Tennis Legend Jimmy Connors Arrested by Police

Jimmy Connors, former tennis great, was arrested by police recently and was put into jail after a confrontation concerning the entrance into a basketball game between Gauchos and Tar Heels. Connors often attends the UCSB basketball games, but this time he could not manage to enjoy the match. Though it is not yet clear that exactly what the reason was behind Jimmy Connors being arrested, it has been reported that the tennis legend had a confrontation outside the Thunderdome and refused to leave the area afterwards. Then Police arrested him and put into Santa Barbara County Jail, but he was later released from the jail.

The 8 grand slam title holder was always well-known for his hot temperament on the court. He was world no. 1 for five years in a row with record 109 career titles and record 1,241 victories. With five US Open titles, Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer jointly hold the record of highest number of US Open title.

Related article:

dailynexus

Novak Djokovic Eyeing on the Top Spot of ATP Ranking

Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic finished the year winning the year-ending tournament Masters Cup in Shanghai recently. Djokovic leads the rise of Serbian tennis in men’s division, while fellow Serbian Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic are doing the same in female tennis. Djokovic currently stands third in the ATP ranking after Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, but the way he is progressing, it is pretty much clear that he will take a stern test of Nadal and Federer next year.

In fact, he has already set his eyes on the top spot in the ranking, claiming that he wants to reach atop the ranking within next couple of years. After winning his first grand slam tournament in Australian Open 2008, he continued his excellent form on the court almost throughout the season winning four other titles. There are many including his coach Marian Vajda who thinks Djokovic has all the qualities to become no. 1 in men’s tennis.

Blic reported:

“Novak began the year in style and finished it the same way. I seems to me he performed the same way at both the first tournament of 2008 – the Australian Open – and the last one in Shanghai. In order to stay on top, you need to play at your best at big events. Djokovic can certainly reach the number one position, but judging from this season, Nadal is deservedly at the top. A number of other players with same ambitions have emerged, such as Andy Murray and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, but Novak widened the gap on those two towards the end of the season, which is a sound basis for the start of the next season,” says Vajda.

British star Andy Murray also indicated his rise in world tennis this year. Now, the likes of Djokovic and Murray are considered to be biggest threats for Nadal and Federer in 2009. With Nadal falling in an injury and Federer struggling to maintain consistency on the court, it is pretty much clear that Murray and Djokovic have realistic chance to shot at the top spot in the ranking.

Roger Federer Defeated James Blake in Macau Tennis Showdown Exhibition Tournament

World no. 2 Roger Federer defeated James Blake in Macau Tennis Showdown exhibition event on Thursday. James Blake threw some tough challenges for Federer, but the 13-grand slam winner did not have too much problem to pull off a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Federer. Just two days before the match, Federer defeated Blake in a one-set clash in Kuala Lumpur. Last year, Pete Sampras defeated Roger Federer on the same court and that was a welcome return for the Swiss star. Crowds supported Federer a lot which, he thinks, was because of their sympathy stimulated by his defeat to Pete Sampras last year.

The most attractive game in the Macau Tennis Showdown exhibition on Thursday was between two legends: Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe. The match created a nostalgic feeling among many who could clearly recollect the experience of many high-profile matches of 1980s between McEnroe and Borg. Bjorn Borg won the one-set encounter 7-6 in tie-breaker which seemed time could not leave any mark in their game.

One week earlier, McEnroe defeated Borg in Malaysia and the two will meet once again on 22 November in Bangkok, Thailand.

Roger Federer Surpasses Pete Sampras’ Record Career Prize Money

Swiss world no. 2 Roger Federer still needs two more grand slam titles to surpass Pete Sampras’ record 14 grand slam titles. However, Federer has already surpassed Sampras in terms of career prize money in the ATP career money list. Sampras has earned $43,280,489 in his illustrious career. For a long time, Sampras was holding the record of highest prize money earner of all time, but recently Federer broke Sampras’ record after reaching quarter final of recently held Madrid Masters. Roger Federer’s current total career prize money is $43,317,870.

Federer does not see it as a special achievement. He thinks, money is important in life, but money is not everything. Federer also paid his tribute to the amateur great tennis players.

AP reported:

"It's not very special," Federer said. "It's very nice to have records. Sure, money is important in life but it's not everything."

"This is also the moment when you can thank the amateur greats for helping to bring the game to where it is today," he said. "They helped create the platform where we are today."

Rafael Nadal is the only other active player who made it to the top-10 career earning list. Federer has been leading prize money winner for last five years in a row. However, he might lose his place this year as Rafael Nadal has been more successful than Federer this season in terms of winning grand slam and other tournaments.

Roger Federer to Face Bobby Reynolds in the 1st Round of Basel Tennis Tournament

After suffering a crashing defeat to world no. 4 Andy Murray in the semi final of Madrid Masters on Sunday, Roger Federer now heads to his home tournament in Basel. In the first round, he will face American Bobby Reynolds who is 86^th in ATP ranking. Federer is expected pull off an easy victory over his American opponent in the first round. The year 2008 was not of a great one for the Swiss no. 2. Roger Federer lost his no. 1 spot to his Spanish rival Rafael Nadal who won two grand slam titles this year. Federer could manage to win only US Open which has been his only grand slam title this year.

With the semi final defeat to Andy Murray in the Madrid Masters, it has been ensured that Roger Federer will not be able to regain his top spot this year. So, there is less significance of the home tournament organized in Basel. Still, Roger Federer will be looking to win the title of the tournament in front of his home fans.

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Roger Federer Crashed out of Rogers Cup 2008 Losing to Gilles Simon

It seems that Roger Federer’s bad patch is still going on. The world no. 1 Swiss has recently got another blow after losing to World No. 22 Gilles Simon 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 at the second round of Rogers Cup 2008 in Toronto, Canada. Since his defeat to Rafael Nadal in an epic five-set final at Wimbledon 2008, this is the first defeat for Roger Federer. Moreover, this is also the first defeat for the Swiss no. 1 at the Rexall Centre after a 12-match winning streak. During the 12-match winning streak, Federer won 2004 and 2006 titles of Rogers Cup.

With this defeat, Federer’s no. 1 position seems to be threatened now. If second ranked Rafael Nadal wins Rogers Cup 2008 title, he will have a good chance to dethrone Federer from the top position in Western & Southern Financial Group Masters in Cincinnati. So, once Mr. invincible is now on the verge of losing his dominance totally to Nadal. However, the good thing is that he has not lost his heart and still holds his hopes high.

In his reaction after the defeat, Roger Federer has said that it is important to remain positive and he affirms that it is not the end of the world. Yes, this is the quality of a great player, not to lose the heart, not to give up so early. Fighting mentality is an inherent quality of the great players like Federer. Now, let us see if he can bounce back and regain the dominance he lost in the recent past.

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Rafael Nadal is Winner of Wimbledon 2008 Final

The final score of Wimbledon 2008 final between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal was: 4-6 4-6 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (10-8) 7-9.

Who could think that Roger Federer can be defeated at Wimbledon. I stated that Nadal stands in a good chance but even I never thought that Nadal would defeat Roger Federer in the final of Wimbledon 2008 and clinch the title. I guess that even Nadal himself could not believe until he actually won the match. After winning the match, he fell in the ground in happiness. He cried in excitement. The father of Nadal also cried. For a long time, Rafael Nadal was excited and full of emotions just like his father.

Even when Nadal got the trophy, he was holding it with emotion. In his interview, he acknowledged that Federer was indeed the best player of this time and Federer is indeed the best player of Wimbledon. He is right and Federer also became emotional and he vowed to come back next year with more determination and get back what really belongs to him- Wimbledon title. Of course, Nadal has now something new to fight for. Until now, it was considered that Nadal was the top player in clay court while grass court is only for Federer. Nadal is happy today that he could break this image. The crowd was behind him most of the time. This is the thing shocked me a lot. Federer is very popular in Wimbledon but Nadal got a lot of support behind him today. May be the spectators wanted to see an exciting upset. They really got full return for their money.

The match continued for more than 4 hours (nearly 4 hours and 50 minutes) and it was interrupted by rain more than once. It was the longest match in the history of Wimbledon final. Nadal took the first two sets. Then Federer came back by taking the next two sets and thus leveling the match. The fifth set became very exciting and the momentum was changing all the time in favor of the two players. At one stage, it appeared that Federer had got the upper hand but Nadal came back impressively and clinched the set by 9-7. Yes, Nadal could break the serve of Federer just once and it was enough.

This is undoubtedly the greatest final match in the history of Wimbledon tennis. Bad luck for Federer as he could not win the trophy for the 6^th time and make a record. I guess that Borg has a sigh of relief tonight as his name will stay in the record book for another 6 years at least. Nadal could equal another record of Bjorn Borg. Bjorn Borg won the trophies of both French Open and Wimbledon in 1980. After that, no one could match this feat. Rafael Nadal could touch this record in this year. Yes, earlier this year, he won the title of French Open 2008. It seems that 2008 is going to be a bad year for Federer. He could not win any of the grand slam events so far in 2008. He has the US Open in September to get something.

For the time being, it is all Rafael Nadal.