Djokovic Clinches Year-End No. 1 For First Time

YEAR-END NO. 1 Djokovic Clinches Year-End No. 1 For First Time
Novak Djokovic
by ATP Staff
13.10.2011

Novak Djokovic will finish as the No. 1 player in the year-end South African Airways 2011 ATP Rankings. He is the 16th different player to finish No. 1 in the history of the ATP Rankings (since 1973).
World No.2 Rafael Nadal’s third-round loss at the Shanghai Rolex Masters on Thursday assured the Serb of the top ranking come the end of the season.
The 24-year-old Belgrade native is the first Serbian man to finish No. 1 in the history of the ATP Rankings (since 1973). It also marks a record eighth straight year a European is the No. 1 player on the ATP World Tour. For seven years from 1985-91, Europeans finished No. 1.
Djokovic is the first player other than Roger Federer (2004-07, ‘09) or Rafael Nadal (2008, ’10) to finish No. 1 since American Andy Roddick in 2003.
Djokovic will be officially crowned as the year-end No. 1 at a special trophy presentation at the season-ending Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London where he will be competing for a fifth straight year. The tournament takes place Nov. 20-27.
On July 4, Djokovic became No. 1 in the South African Airways 2011 ATP Rankings for the first time after winning his first Wimbledon title. He began his outstanding season with a 41-match winning streak (43 overall back to last year). He has won a career-high 10 titles in 11 finals, including his second Australian Open and first US Open crowns.
En route to a 64-3 match record, he has captured a record five ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles in a season, in Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid, Rome and Montreal. He has also compiled a 20-2 mark vs. Top 10 opponents, defeating rivals Nadal six times and Federer four times so far in 2011.
Between now and the end of the season, the Serb is due to play at the Basel Swiss Indoors, the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris, and the season-ending Barclays ATP World Tour Finals at The O2 in London.

ATP WORLD TOUR YEAR-END NO. 1 (since 1973)
Year
Player
2011
Novak Djokovic (Serbia)
2010
Rafael Nadal (Spain)
2009
Roger Federer (Switzerland)
2008
Rafael Nadal (Spain)
2007
Roger Federer (Switzerland)
2006
Roger Federer (Switzerland)
2005
Roger Federer (Switzerland)
2004
Roger Federer (Switzerland)

2003
Andy Roddick (U.S.)
2002
Lleyton Hewitt (Australia)
2001
Lleyton Hewitt (Australia)
2000
Gustavo Kuerten (Brazil)
1999
Andre Agassi (U.S.)
1998
Pete Sampras (U.S.)
1997
Pete Sampras (U.S.)
1996
Pete Sampras (U.S.)
1995
Pete Sampras (U.S.)
1994
Pete Sampras (U.S.)
1993
Pete Sampras (U.S.)
1992
Jim Courier (U.S.)
1991
Stefan Edberg (Sweden)
1990
Stefan Edberg (Sweden)
1989
Ivan Lendl (Czech Republic)
1988
Mats Wilander (Sweden)
1987
Ivan Lendl (Czech Republic)
1986
Ivan Lendl (Czech Republic)
1985
Ivan Lendl (Czech Republic)
1984
John McEnroe (U.S.)
1983
John McEnroe (U.S.)
1982
John McEnroe (U.S.)
1981
John McEnroe (U.S.)
1980
Bjorn Borg (Sweden)
1979
Bjorn Borg (Sweden)
1978
Jimmy Connors (U.S.)
1977
Jimmy Connors (U.S.)
1976
Jimmy Connors (U.S.)
1975
Jimmy Connors (U.S.)
1974
Jimmy Connors (U.S.)
1973
Ilie Nastase (Romania)

Nishikori Reaches First ATP World Tour Masters 1000 SF

SHANGHAI ROLEX MASTERS 2011
Shanghai, China
by ATP Staff
14.10.2011

Kei Nishikori, already projected to become the highest-ranked Japanese player in the Open Era, advanced to his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 semi-final on Friday.
The 21-year-old Nishikori withstood nine aces from the racquet of 12th seed Alexandr Dolgopolov of the Ukraine and saved six of seven break points for a 6-4, 6-3 victory at the Shanghai Rolex Masters.
DEUCE Flashback: Project 45 No Longer A Secret (November 2008)
"I feel like home here," said Nishikori, who was the Houston runner-up in April. "It means a lot to play semis here. I'm really excited now. I think I started well today. I knew he [was] going to hit a lot of slice and I have to be careful. I was trying to not go for too much, just try to [be] steady on the court, and that worked."
Nishikori is set to rise from his current mark of No. 47 in the South African Airways 2011 ATP Rankings to around No. 32 on Monday. Nishikori previously equalled Shuzo Matsuoka's (6 July 1992) career-high of World No. 46 on 2 May.
Asked about his status in Japan, Nishikori admitted, "It is special feeling when I go back to Japan. The people sometimes [recognise] me when I walk in the street. I really enjoying how the life is going on.
"I think baseball and soccer is one of biggest sports in Japan. But I think tennis is getting better in the [past] two, three years. A lot of kids playing [have] started playing. Me and Kimiko Date came back. Tennis is getting more popular now."
Dolgopolov, 22, is one of the most improved players on the ATP World Tour this season. He was appearing in his ninth quarter-final (or better) and has a 37-25 match record. He lifted his first title on 31 July at the ATP Studena Croatia Open in Umag (d. Cilic) and was runner-up at the Brasil Open in Costa do Sauipe (l. to Almagro).

Mayer beats Nadal at Shanghai Masters

© 2011 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.


SHANGHAI, Oct. 13 (UPI) -- Florian Mayer defeated top-seeded Rafael Nadal in straight sets Thursday in third-round play of the Shanghai Masters tennis tournament.
Mayer ousted Nadal 7-6 (7-5), 6-3. He missed out on a pair of break points when leading 5-4 in the first set but took the tiebreaker with an ace after a Nadal error put Mayer ahead.
Mayer had the match's first break to go up 4-3 in the second set and finished the win with another break. Nadal did win 75 percent of the points on serve but failed to generate a single break-point opportunity Thursday.
Second-seed Andy Murray, the defending Shanghai champion, got by Stanislas Wawrinka in a tight 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. Murray won only four more points (84-80) over the course of the match but was able to hang on after building a 5-1 lead in the third set.
No. 3-seeded David Ferrer was also taken to three sets before claiming a 1-6, 7-5, 6-2 decision over Juan Carlos Ferrero.
But Feliciano Lopez upset sixth-seeded Tomas Berdych 6-4, 6-4; 10th-seeded Andy Roddick ousted seventh-seeded Nicolas Almagro in straight sets; and Matthew Ebden eliminated No. 8-seeded Gilles Simon 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (10-8).
No. 12th-seeded Alexandr Dolgopolov rebounded for a 5-7, 6-1, 6-0 win over Bernard Tomic, and Kei Nishikori beat Santiago Giraldo 7-6 (8-6), 4-6, 6-3 in a match that involved a pair of unseeded players.

© 2011 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Gulbis tops Fish to win Farmers Classic

Updated Jul 31, 2011 11:46 PM ET
LOS ANGELES (AP)

Ernests Gulbis of Latvia won the Farmers Classic on Sunday, rallying past top-seeded Mardy Fish 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 for his second career ATP tour title.
Gulbis entered the tournament on a five-match losing streak, but the inconsistent 22-year-old with a ferocious serve outlasted Fish, the top-ranked American and world No. 9, in a 2-hour, 43-minute final.
''It's just a huge boost in confidence,'' said Gulbis, who entered the tournament on a five-match losing streak. ''I lost trust in myself that I can compete with the best guys. I knew it, but I was up and down. Mardy is a great player, and to beat him, now I've got my confidence back.''

Gulbis went ahead 5-1 in the third set, but nearly blew it. Fish broke Gulbis' serve and rallied to 5-4 before Gulbis won three straight points in the final game, culminating in a forehand winner down the line.

Gulbis, the scion of a wealthy Latvian investment banker, acknowledges his penchant for partying when he isn't breaking rackets. He was just 14 of 28 matches this season and hadn't won in more than two months before dominating the Farmers Classic, beating Xavier Malisse and former champ Juan Martin del Potro while losing just two sets in five matches.

After surviving that late stumble, Gulbis pumped his fist and flashed the peace sign to a loud group of his fans in the corner of Straus Stadium.

''I wasn't nervous when it was 5-2, and that's why I lost (that game),'' Gulbis said. ''It's good to be a little nervous.'' With new coach Guillermo Canas and a renewed focus on his sport, Gulbis kept his concentration throughout the week in Westwood. Along with his $113,000 winner's check, he will move from No. 84 to No. 57 in the world rankings with his first victory since winning at Delray Beach last year.

''I knew he had not been in this situation since Delray Beach last year,'' said Fish, who's still likely to move up to No. 8 next week. ''I know how that feels. Guys get nervous and tight. I tried to exploit that a little bit.''

He had never beaten a top-10 player after the quarterfinals of any tournament before holding off Fish, who has been in the top 10 for the past 11 weeks of his remarkable year.

Fish, who won the Atlanta Tennis Championships last week, actually had more aces than Gulbis (14-10) and fewer unforced errors, but tired in the third set on a fairly hot day, losing pace on his serve and allowing Gulbis to take charge with back-to-back breaks. Fish also limped noticeably, favoring his right heel.

Fish seemed headed for back-to-back tournament titles after Gulbis double-faulted on set point in the first set. Gulbis finally broke Fish's serve midway through the second set before serving it out.

''Middle of the second set, I thought I had no chance winning the match,'' Gulbis said. ''He was returning everything, and I wasn't returning. Just two or three returns in, two or three points there, that's what turned it around.''

Fish saved two match points during his win over John Isner last week in Atlanta, but couldn't match that feat against Gulbis, who used back-to-back drop shots to erase a break point and to get to match point. After his winner landed, Gulbis pumped his fist and flashed the peace sign to a loud group of his fans in the corner of the stadium.

Wilson Pro Staff 6.0 85 Racquets is Back

The King of Grass is Back!!!!!!

Availiable at Tennis Wharehouse
http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/

The ProStaff 6.0 85 is back! The racquet of choice for Pete Sampras when he was on tour and also previously used by Roger Federer (as well as a host of other former greats), the ProStaff 6.0 85 is a legendary player's racquet. Loaded with superb touch, feel and control, this racquet connects the player to the ball. Stronger players will find power to come from their ability to utilize the mass of the racquet (just think of Sampras' crushing serve as an example). This racquet still enjoys almost cult status among 5.0+ level players, although there's no doubt it is not for everyone. However, for the purist player, who possesses solid strokes and is accustomed to a hefty, head light balance and a midsize head, the ProStaff 6.0 is as good as it gets.

Head Size:
85 sq. in. / 548.39 sq. cm.
Length: 27in / 68.58cm
Strung Weight: 12.5oz / 354.37g
Balance: 10 pts HL
Swingweight: 321
Stiffness: 62
Beam Width: 17mm / 17mm / 17mm /
Composition: 80% Braided Graphite 20% Kevlar
Power Level: Low
Stroke Style: Full
Swing Speed: Fast
Racquet Colors:
Black / Red / Yellow
Grip Type: Wilson Leather
String Pattern:
16 Mains / 18 Crosses
Mains skip: 7T,9T,7H,9H
One Piece
No Shared Holes
String Tension: 50-60 pounds

Djokovic Captures First Wimbledon Title

Wimbledon, England
by Kate Flory

03.07.2011

Novak Djokovic captured the Wimbledon title for the first time on Sunday as he dethroned defending champion Rafael Nadal 6-4, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3 in the final of The 125th Championships at the All England Club.

"It has been the best day of my life, most special day of my life," declared Djokovic. "I always dreamed of winning this tournament. I think I’m still dreaming. When you are playing the best player in the world, Rafa Nadal, who has won two of last three Wimbledons, I had to be on top of my game and I think I played my best grass-court match ever."

Not only has Djokovic taken Nadal’s Wimbledon crown, but the Serb will also unseat the Spaniard from his 56-week reign at the top of the South African Airways 2011 ATP Rankings when the new numbers are released on Monday. He will be the fourth player to debut at No. 1 after winning a major, and the first to do so following a Wimbledon victory.

Djokovic will be the 25th player to reach No. 1 and the first person other than Nadal or Roger Federer to hold down the top spot since Andy Roddick held the ranking for 13 weeks from 3 November 2003 to 2 February 2004. He is also the one to break the Nadal-Federer eight-year stronghold at Wimbledon since Lleyton Hewitt claimed the 2002 title.

"I just want to congratulate Novak and his team for the victory today and his amazing season," said Nadal. "Always Wimbledon for me was the most special tournament, just to be here is a dream. When I won here in 2008 the emotions was very high, so I can imagine how he is feeling. I will try another time next year."

The 24-year-old Djokovic captured the second Grand Slam title of his phenomenal season. He has compiled a 48-1 record, taking in the Australian Open (d. Murray) crown and four ATP World Tour Masters 1000 trophies among his eight tour-level titles.

It was the third Grand Slam title of his career, with his two triumphs this season adding to his victory at the 2008 Australian Open (d. Tsonga). He is also a two-time runner-up at the US Open, losing to Roger Federer in 2007 and Nadal in 2010, when the Spaniard completed the career Grand Slam.

Between them, Djokovic and Nadal have dominated the 2011 season, with Nadal claiming his 10th Grand Slam title at Roland Garros, the venue where Djokovic suffered his only defeat of the year in the semi-finals (l. to Federer). Consequently both are assured of their places at the year-end Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, an elite eight-player tournament held at The O2 in London.

In claiming victory, Djokovic extended his winning streak over Nadal to five straight matches, closing the gap in the Spaniard’s FedEx ATP Head2Head lead to 16-12. He also defeated the Mallorcan in the finals of the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournaments in Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid and Rome. However, until today, Nadal had held a 5-0 record over Djokovic in their Grand Slam meetings.

The 25-year-old Nadal was bidding to win the Wimbledon trophy for the third time, having previously triumphed in 2008 (d. Federer) and 2010 (d. Berdych). He saw his 20-match winning streak at the All England Club come to an end as he suffered defeat in the title match for the third time, having also lost to Federer in the 2006-2007 finals. The left-hander also had the chance to join Bjorn Borg as the only two players in the Open Era to win the Roland Garros – Wimbledon double three times.

Kvitova Serves Up First Grand Slam Title

LONDON, England - Since her breakthrough run to her first Grand Slam semifinal a year ago, they had been talking about her as a future Grand Slam champion - well, the future is here. Petra Kvitova's arsenal was on full display on Saturday afternoon as she won her first major title at Wimbledon, beating Maria Sharapova in a big-hitting final on Centre Court, 63 64.

Kvitova, the No.8 seed - the only Top 10 seed in the Open Era never to win a major - won her first four rounds in straight sets but was pushed to three sets in the quarters and semis, and with Sharapova seeded No.5 and not losing a single set in her first six matches, and with the Russian having won their only previous meeting too, the odds seemed to be weighing against Kvitova.

But the 21-year-old Czech left-hander was on fire on the day. She got the critical break for 4-2 in the first set when Sharapova hit two straight double faults from 30-all, eventually serving the set out at love. The second set was closer as the two women twice traded breaks early on, but Kvitova broke again for 4-3, and two games later found herself serving for it at 5-4, the biggest game of her life.

A big backhand down the line, a big forehand down the line, a Sharapova return into the net and a huge ace up the middle - her first ace of the match - sealed it.

"It's hard to find words standing here with the trophy and seeing all of the great players in the Royal Box," Kvitova told Sue Barker on court. "I was nervous, because I thought I could win Wimbledon, but I just focused on each point."

"Unfortunately there's only one winner at the end of the day, but a really big congratulations to Petra," Sharapova commented. "It's a wonderful victory and she played a wonderful tournament. Even though I would have liked to be holding the big one today, I'll be back for it and hoping to hold it again soon."

Kvitova is the youngest player to win a major since a 20-year-old Ana Ivanovic won the French Open three years ago. She's the first lefty to win a Grand Slam title since Monica Seles won the 1996 Australian Open, and the first lefty to win Wimbledon since Czech-born American Martina Navratilova in 1990.

"I knew I had to be the first one to play hard and make the points. I tried it and I did it," Kvitova said. "I felt normal before the match. I was speaking with my coaches and we said I should play like it's a fourth round match. I was focused only on the point and the game and not on the final and the medal.

"It's still an unbelievable feeling. Maybe I'll accept it after some days."

Kvitova was asked about last year's semifinal run. "Last year I didn't have many chances to win. Serena played so well. I was young and didn't think I could beat her. I don't know what was different, because today I felt I could win."

Sharapova was playing her fifth Grand Slam final and is now 3-2 in those. Having reached her first major final in almost three and a half years, and for the first time since her nine-month shoulder injury lay-off from August 2008 to May 2009, she will rise from No.6 to No.5 when the new WTA rankings are released.

"It's still a big step considering my results here the last few years," Sharapova said. "My game is improving, and that gives me a tremendous amount of confidence going forward. We still have many tournaments this year and the next and the following - I just want to be a better player and keep working."

Sharapova was asked whether Kvitova's win was a changing of the guard. "You're always going to see a younger generation rise up. They're going to step up at one point. It happened to be in this tournament. We'll see whether that continues for the years to come - I mean, for this tournament certainly, yeah."

Daniel Koellerer Anti-Corruption Disciplinary Hearing

Player banned for life and fined US$100,000 for three violations under the Uniform Tennis Anti-Corruption Program

Austrian tennis player Daniel Koellerer has been banned from the sport for life and fined US$100,000 after being found guilty of offenses under the Uniform Tennis Anti-Corruption Program.




Mr Koellerer was found guilty of three charges under Article D of the 2010 Uniform Tennis Anti-Corruption Program, namely:

• Contriving or attempting to contrive the outcome of an Event;
• Soliciting or facilitating a Player not to use his or her best efforts in an Event; and;
• Soliciting, offering or providing money, benefit or Consideration to any other covered person with the intention of negatively influencing a Player’s best efforts in any Event

The three violations of the Uniform Tennis Anti-Corruption Program for which he has been disciplined occurred between October 2009 and July 2010.

The case against him was based on the findings of a Tennis Integrity Unit investigation and considered by an independent Anti-Corruption Hearing Officer at a two-day Hearing held in London on 27-28 April.

Consistent with the confidentiality of the Anti-Corruption Hearing process, no details of the Hearing or Decision will be made public.

The life ban applies with immediate effect, and means that Mr Koellerer is not eligible to participate in any tournament or competition organised or sanctioned by the governing bodies of professional tennis from the date of this statement.

The Tennis Integrity Unit is an initiative of the Grand Slam Committee, the International Tennis Federation, the ATP World Tour and the WTA as part of the Uniform Tennis Anti-Corruption Program.

- Release courtesy Tennis Integrity Unit

Serbia Open 2011 - Nole remains unbeaten in 2011, eases into quarter-finals

Serbia Open top seed, Novak Djokovic, improved to a perfect 25-0 this season with a second-round victory on a rainy Wednesday evening in a packed center court stadium.

The world no.2 ousted Romanian qualifier Adrian Ungur 6-2, 6-3 in 68 minutes, in his first clay-court match in 2011.

The scenario was almost the same in both sets.

Novak made a break in the second game and held for 3-0. The Romanian broke back in the fifth game, but Nole broke his opponent’s serve once again for 4-2.

The 23-year-old Belgrade native put the pressure on Ungur in the eighth game of the first set and won it 6-2, and in the second he served it out 6-3.

"It's tough to play on clay after almost a year," said Novak. "It will take a bit to get used to it."

Djokovic's quarterfinal opponent on Friday will be Slovenian Blaz Kavcic.

"He beat me while we were 14-year-olds, and it's time for a revenge," Nole said smiling.

Novak has won every tournament he’s entered in 2011: the Australian Open, Dubai, Indian Wells and Miami. He increased his overall winning streak to 27 wins in a row, dating back to last December’s Davis Cup final when Serbia lifted the trophy for the first time in it's history.

Estoril Open 2011 - Verdasco Lives To Fight Another Day

Spaniard Fernando Verdasco lived to fight another day, but the second seed made life difficult for himself in his opening match at the Estoril Open.

The World No. 15 led Portuguese favourite Frederico Gil 6-1, 5-1 before last year's runner-up made a comeback.

Verdasco was two points from victory at 5-2, 30/30 and squandered one match points on the Gil serve at 5-3, 30/40. Gil broke Verdasco to love for 5-5 and won his fifth straight game for 6-5 to leave the 27-year-old Madrid resident sweating.

Verdasco took control of the tie-break to wrap up a 6-1, 7-6(5) win in one hour and 44 minutes and his 10th win of the season.

Verdasco will next meet seventh-seeded South African Kevin Anderson in the quarter-finals on Friday.

Big-serving Anderson won 70 per cent of service points and hit four aces to beat Victor Hanescu of Romania 6-4, 6-2 in 85 minutes.

The match went with serve until the 10th game, when Anderson converted his third break point opportunity to clinch the 42-minute first set.

Anderson, again, had the advantage of serving first in the second set and broke Hanescu twice in the sixth and eighth games.

In February, Anderson captured his first ATP World Tour title at Johannesburg (d. Devvarman). The World No. 34 has a 17-9 match record on the year.

Estoril Open - Barrois Keeps Her Nerve To Reach Final

German Kristina Barrois advanced to her second WTA final on Friday at the Estoril Open.

The 29-year-old German defeated Johanna Larsson of Sweden 7-6(2), 6-4 in one hour and 50 minutes.

Larsson squandered control of the first set, leading 2-0 and 4-2 only to see Barrois win 12 of 15 points for three straight games. Although Larsson broke Barrois to 30 at 5-4, her higher-ranked opponent seized control of the tie-break.

Service breaks were exchanged at the start of the second set, but Barrois won four of the next five games for a 5-2 lead. World No. 71 Barrois missed out on two match point opportunities on the Larsson serve at 2-5, 15/40 and was then broken to 30.

Larsson, serving at 4-5, took a 40/0 lead, but was pinned back. Both players were afflicted by nerves at this point. One further match point opportunity went begging, but Barrois finally sealed victory with a smash.

Barrois will play her first WTA final since May 2010 at Strasbourg (l. to Sharapova). She has a 13-10 match record on the season.

Larsson was appearing in her third WTA semi-final (or better), including 2010 Portoroz (l. to Chakvetadze in the final) and the Acapulco semi-finals (l. to Parra Santonja).

The 22 year old is protected to climb into the Top 70 of the WTA Rankings on Monday.

Estoril Open 2011 - Simon To Face Raonic After Straight Sets Wins

Fourth seed Gilles Simon cruised past Carlos Berlocq of Argentina at the Estoril Open on Thursday for a place in his fifth ATP World Tour quarter-final of the year.

World No. 22 Simon, who started the year at No. 41 in the South African Airways 2011 ATP Rankings, recorded a 6-2, 6-1 win in 84 minutes.

Berlocq was broken to 30 in sixth game of the 43-minute first set and went onto save three set points at 2-5.

Simon raced into a 5-0 lead in the second set, including a 16-point fifth game when he saved three break points. The Frenchman converted four of 10 break point opportunities in total for his third straight win over Berlocq. He has an 18-10 match record on the season.

Simon, who won his eighth ATP World Tour title at Sydney (d. Troicki) in January, goes onto meet Canadian Milos Raonic for the first time.

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Fifth seed Raonic won 70 per cent of service points and his six aces to beat Portuguese wildcard Joao Sousa 6-3, 6-3 in 72 minutes.

Raonic moved into a 4-1 lead, breaking 22-year-old Sousa to 30 in the third game and to 15 in the fifth game. He clinched the 32-minute first-set with a third service break to 15.

This year's San Jose titlist (d. Verdasco) and Memphis runner-up (l. to Roddick), won five straight games to open up a 3-0 lead in the second set before Sousa regained his composure. Raonic was broken to 30 in the seventh game, but it was too little too late from Sousa, the World No. 254.

World No. 27 Raonic, the second-youngest player in the Top 100 at 20 years, 3 months (after No. 69 Grigor Dimitrov), improved to a 22-7 season record.

Unbeaten Novak Djokovic beats Rafa Nadal in Miami final

By Piers Newbery BBC Sport

Novak Djokovic extended his unbeaten start to 2011 with a magnificent victory over world number one Rafael Nadal in the Sony Ericsson Open final. The Serbian, 23, came through 4-6 6-3 7-6 (7-4) to clinch his seventh Masters Series win, his fourth title of the year and take his 2011 record to 24-0. It is the best start to a year in men's tennis since Ivan Lendl began with 25 consecutive victories in 1986. An impressed Nadal said afterwards: "I think he'll be number one." The Spaniard continued: "He won two tournaments in a row right now, very big tournaments and one Grand Slam. "The normal thing is he will be number one in the next month, month and a half, two months. I don't know. It depends on my results on clay. "For sure, he will be there, no? I'm going to fight for me. If I am solid, if I play a very good clay-court season, we will see what's going on after." Djokovic said: "I know I've had the best start of the season, no question about it. It's the best four months in my life. "But it's only the start of the season. I think it's a bit early to talk about getting that top spot in the rankings. Rafa is definitely the best player in the world now. "If I want to have that shot at the number one ranking, I need to play consistently well throughout the whole year. "We all know that clay court is his favourite surface and obviously somewhere where he plays his best. "But this is going to give a lot of confidence boost for the upcoming clay-court season." Djokovic is more than 1,000 ranking points clear of third-ranked Roger Federer but still a further 3,000 points behind Nadal. However, the Spaniard has a huge number of ranking points to defend, having won all the major clay tournaments last year. Whether Djokovic is ready to surpass Nadal on clay remains open to question but after defeating his closest rival in back-to-back Masters Series finals over the last fortnight, there is no doubt he is the man to beat right now. Nadal had won the opening set of their Indian Wells final two weeks ago before Djokovic came storming back and Sunday's match in Miami followed a similar pattern. A blustery wind hampered both men in the opening stages, with Nadal coping marginally better and grabbing the first break in game three before seeing off three break points in the following game. When Djokovic slapped a forehand into the tramlines to fall a double break down the set was as good as done but from 5-1 down he began to find his range. His more aggressive style had Nadal on the run and although the Spaniard did seal the set, Djokovic reeled off six of seven games to move 3-0 clear in the second and serve out to force a decider. After two sets of uneven play, the final set showcased the very best of the world's top two players, with each man appearing to grab the momentum only for his opponent to wrestle it back. Nadal's backhand was unusually proving his more potent wing, while a couple of sublime lobs and numerous confident sorties to the net demonstrated how Djokovic's game has come on. Neither man could force a break point in a pulsating set and the resultant tie-break opened in equally dramatic fashion with five consecutive points against serve. Continue reading the main story How many other people could recover from losing five games in a row to the world number one in a best-of-three set match? Jonathan Overend's blog It was a double fault from Nadal that proved crucial as he fell 3-2 down before Djokovic finally held a service point and, after the Spaniard saved two match points on serve, the world number two sealed victory after three hours and 21 minutes with a big serve followed up by a crunching forehand into the corner. "It was such a close match," said Djokovic. "To win against the number one player of the world in a tie-break in the third set, it's just incredible. "This is one of the best matches I've played in a while. I was able to find my rhythm at the end of the first set, and then throughout the whole second and third set I played quite well, especially on my service games." Djokovic last suffered a singles defeat against Roger Federer in the ATP World Tour semi-finals in London last November and has now won 26 matches in a row, including 24 this year.

Asics Gel Resolution 3

The Gel Resolution 3 is built with a proprietary Flexion Fit upper providing form-fitting comfort without sacrificing support. Rear and forefoot Gel Cushioning Systems enhance comfort while the Trusstic System provides midfoot stability. This was engineered with the elite player in mind.

6-Month Durability Guarantee offered through some USA retailers.

•Fit: Length fits true to size. Width is medium. Arch support is medium. No break-in required.
•Upper: Flexion Fit upper for form-fitting comfort. Using PHF (Personal Heel Fit), a memory foam lined heel collar that molds to the users heel, creates a personalized fit. PGuard at the toe for improved durability.
•Midsole: Using Solyte 55 Midsole Material, this shoe is lighter than Asics' standard EVA and SpEVA midsoles and combines improved cushioning and durability. Impact Guidance and Heel Clutching System.
•Outsole: Uses AHAR (ASICS High Abrasion Resistant Rubber) for increased outsole durability. A modified herringbone pattern makes this shoe a good choice for multiple surfaces. 6-Month Durability Guarantee offered through Tennis Warehouse.
•Weight: 12.8 ounces

Kim Clijsters Defeats Li Na In Australian Open 2011 Finals To Claim Second Straight Grand Slam Tournament Title

World No. 3 Kim Clijsters, the tennis equivalent of a grizzled veteran at 27, beat relative upstart No. 9 Li Na to claim her first Australian Open title and her second consecutive Grand Slam tournament win.

After an opening set in Rod Laver Arena that made it seem all but certain this one would go the other way, No. 3 Kim Clijsters rallied to defeat Li Na, 3-6 6-3 6-3, in the finals of the Australian Open 2011. Li is the first Chinese player, male or female, to reach the finals of a Grand Slam event. She will not be the last, and she may yet be the first player to win a tournament of this magnitude, but when Clijsters is having one of her night's, it's proven quite difficult for it to be anybody else's night.

Following a largely unremarkable first set in which Clijsters seemed more than a little discombobulated, the two women traded breaks to open the second set in a fit of mutual ineptitude, but trailing 3-4 in the second, it became uncomfortably apparent that Li was feeling the pressure.

From there, it was as good as over. Kim Clijsters is a player on a comeback tour, but she's never lost her afterburners, and she reeled off the final set with every bit of her vaunted fierce concentration on display.

Since turning pro in 1997, Clijsters has won three U.S. Open titles, reached the finals at Roland Garros in 2003 and the finals here in Melbourne in 2004. Her Waterloo seems to be Wimbledon, but after winning two consecutive Grand Slam events, who's to say she couldn't make a run at the gold at the All England Club this summer? If this is indeed the farewell leg of her tour before retirement, what a note to depart on.

And it's far from over for Li, if she can rebound mentally for this. She beat Clijsters at the last tournament in Sydney before the first Grand Slam event of the season, and she has the support of a massive nation behind her. And as of right now, she's been here before.