Sousa Denies Bautista Agut In Valencia

João Sousa defeated Roberto Bautista Agut 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Sunday to capture the Valencia Open title. The Portuguese secured his second ATP World Tour title (2013 Kuala Lumpur) by upending his Spanish opponent in two hours and six minutes. He earned 250 Emirates ATP Rankings points and €97,700, while Bautista Agut received 150 points and €51,450.

The World No. 24 Bautista Agut, playing in front of his home crowd, was going for a second title in as many weeks after losing in the Moscow final against Marin Cilic seven days ago. He fought hard to put himself in that position, having saved six match points in a semi-final thriller against Steve Johnson.

“I was playing very well, a set and 3-2, had a ball for 4-2 in the second,” noted Bautista Agut.


“Unfortunately, my intensity went down and I was very tired in the third set. I know that I finished the last two matches very late, I also came from Moscow where I reached the final last week, it’s been a long season and obviously this has affected my performance today.”

Sousa was attempting to overturn a 0-3 record in tour-level finals this season, having finished runner-up in Geneva (outdoor clay), Umag (outdoor clay) and St. Petersburg (indoor hard) earlier in the year.


His seven career tour-level finals have come solely on outdoor clay and indoor hard courts.

“I didn’t get into the match as well as I wanted, Roberto was very solid,” said Sousa. “When he was a break up in the second, I decided to change my tactic a bit. I am extremely happy to end my season with this win.

“I’ve been based in Spain since I was 15 years old, so in a way I feel a bit at home here and it’s great to be able to win this title here and in front of my family who I had no idea was going to come; they drove 10 hours from Portugal to be here today,” revealed Sousa. “I’ve lost five finals before so going into this match I was prepared to give it all until the end and it paid off.”

The Portuguese only put 48 per cent of first serves in play and needed to save seven break points throughout the match (7/10), but was opportunistic on break points, breaking Bautista Agut four times on five opportunities to end a two-year title drought.

Rafael Nadal to open tennis academy in home town in 2016

Rafael Nadal is planning to open a tennis academy in his home town of Manacor, Spain.

Chris Hyde / Getty Images AsiaPac

 

 

 

MADRID -- Rafael Nadal will open a tennis academy on his home island of Mallorca in 2016.
The 14-time Grand Slam winner has held a groundbreaking ceremony for the academy in his home town of Manacor.
Nadal says ''this is a special day for me, this project that we have been working on for many years is finally a reality.''
He says the plan is to ''begin with a summer camp in 2016.''
The academy will include a school where promising tennis talents can continue their regular studies.
The 28-year-old Nadal is recovering from the removal of his appendix earlier this month. He has said he will return to competition in January.

Tennis bad boy Nick Kyrgios's extraordinary mid-match sledge to opponent Stan Warwrinka

'Kokkinakis slept with your girlfriend... sorry to tell you that, mate': Tennis bad boy Nick Kyrgios's extraordinary mid-match sledge to opponent Stan Warwrinka, who is rumoured to be dating 19-year-old player Donna Vekic

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3196058/Nick-Kyrgios-sledges-Stan-Wawrinka-girlfriend.html#ixzz3ipJFSfZ7

• Australian tennis bad boy's sledge picked up by a courtside microphone
• He told Stan Wawrinka: 'Kokkinakis banged your girlfriend'
• Comment is believed to refer to Croatian up-and-comer Donna Vekic
• Wawrinka has been romantically linked with Vekic since divorcing his wife Ilham Vuilloud earlier this year
• Latest episode in a pattern of bad behaviour by Krygios, including calling an umpire 'dirty scum' at Wimbledon 

By Daniel Piotrowski for Daily Mail Australia and Australian Associated Press

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3196058/Nick-Kyrgios-sledges-Stan-Wawrinka-girlfriend.html#ixzz3ipJOE39v
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Tennis bad boy Nick Kyrgios is once again in hot water after brutally trash-talking his Swiss opponent during a second-round clash at the Montreal Masters. 

In a remark picked up by a courtside microphone, Kyrgios told third-seeded Stan Wawrinka that a teenage Australian player, Thanasi Kokkinakis, slept with his girlfriend.

'Kokkinakis banged your girlfriend,' he said, midway through the second set. 'Sorry to tell you that, mate'. 

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•  Sledging outburst: Tennis bad boy Nick Kyrgios is once again in hot water after telling his opponent Stan Wawrinka that a fellow player slept with his girlfriend, adding: 'Sorry to tell you that, mate'. Pictured right,a fuming Wawrinka casts an icy glare towards Kyrgios as he waits at the net for the Australian after the match

It's just the latest controversy surrounding Kyrgios, whose on-court tantrums and misbehaviour has drawn the ire of Australian tennis officials and fans alike. 

At Wimbledon in June, he screamed out that an umpire was 'dirty scum'. 

A week later, he slammed his racquet into the ground with such force it bounced back up into the crowd. 

During the competition's fourth round, he was forced to deny 'tanking' after accusations he did not even try to return serve. 

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3196058/Nick-Kyrgios-sledges-Stan-Wawrinka-girlfriend.html#ixzz3ipK9xgEr
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Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3196058/Nick-Kyrgios-sledges-Stan-Wawrinka-girlfriend.html#ixzz3ipJYQ5ho
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Azar (Wawrinka) para João Sousa em Wimbledon

Em: http://www.dn.pt/desporto/interior.aspx?content_id=4646801

Português enfrenta o suíço na 1.º ronda do torneio inglês, tal como em 2014.

 

O sorteio do quadro masculino de Wimbledon ditou o reencontro de João Sousa com Stanislas Wawrinka na 1.ª ronda. Trata-se de uma repetição do duelo de 2014 na relva inglesa, quando o suíço eliminou o português em três sets, pelos parciais de 6-3, 6-4 e 6-3.
Sousa, 45 do mundo, tem novo desafio muito complicado diante do número quatro do ranking ATP, motivado pela recente vitória em Roland Garros.
Este ano Sousa e Wawrinka já se encontraram em Madrid, com o suíço a levar a melhor, por 7-6 e 7-5.

João Sousa eliminado por Simon em Nottingham

In: http://www.record.xl.pt/Modalidades/tenis/interior.aspx?content_id=957507

 

 

 

 

SEM CHANCES DIANTE DO SEGUNDO CABEÇA-DE-SÉRIE

quarta-feira, 24 junho de 2015 | 16:54

 

 

João Sousa, número um português e 45.º colocado ATP, foi eliminado esta quarta-feira nos oitavos-de-final do torneio ATP de Nottingham, último evento de preparação a caminho de Wimbledon.

Num encontro em que se apresentou mais errático do que o habitual, Sousa não conseguiu contrariar a superior consistência do ténis de Gilles Simon, que se impôs por 6-4 e 6-1, em 1h13.

O próximo torneio de João Sousa é um dos mais importantes do calendário: Wimbledon, que cujo quadro principal arranca na segunda-feira. Para já, Sousa é o único português garantido.

Estísticas do encontro.

 

 

Drug suspension to US Open finals in 1 year: Meet Marin Cilic

By Marc Berman
Availiable HERE - all rights reserved to NYPOST and the Author
http://nypost.com/2014/09/07/drug-suspension-to-us-open-finals-in-1-year-meet-marin-cilic/

Goran Ivanisevic, the outspoken coach of U.S. Open finalist Marin Cilic, said one item served up in Monday’s no-name U.S. Open men’s finals is “justice.’’

One year ago, Cilic missed the Open because he was serving a four-month suspension for allegedly using Nikethamide, a banned stimulant the Croatian claimed he unknowingly ingested. It was found in his urine sample after a tournament in Munich in May 2013.
Now he’s in the Open finals after obliterating Roger Federer in Saturday’s semifinals to set up a showdown against the other Cinderella story, Japan’s Kei Nishikori. Both are making their Grand Slam finals debuts in an event that won’t move the CBS ratings needle but can be viewed as a breath of fresh air for those weary of the Big Four of Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic. At the tournament’s start, Nishikori was a 50-1 choice to win it according to Bavada.lv, which had Cilic’s odds at 100-1.
“You can say there is justice,’’ said the always candid Ivanisevic. “Somebody up there must be watching. [Cilic] was accused for nothing. He was sitting for five months for nothing. This is justice. It was not easy but he stayed mentally focused.’’
Cilic was suspended from June to October 2013.
“It was not easy time,’’ Ivanisevic said. “He was angry. He didn’t do anything wrong. We were practicing one week, stopped two weeks. Then practice another week, then what are we practicing for? He wasn’t injured but had to stay home for five months and you’re No. 11 and you come back you’re 37.’’
The projected Wimbledon final rematch of Federer-Djokovic didn’t materialize in Flushing because of Saturday’s heroics by Cilic, 25, and Nishikori, 24, the first Japanese player to make a Grand Slam final. Nishikori took out Djokovic in four sets.
Cilic’s beating of Federer was more thorough — a straight-set demolition in which the 6-foot-6 big server closed the match with three straight aces and a clean backhand winner.
“It was beautiful,’’ Ivanisevic said. “It was just like watching myself.’’
Ivanisevic, the last Croatian to make a Slam final, first met Cilic when he was 14.
“I’ve always told him he should be top 10 in world and why stop now,’’ Ivanisevic said. “It will be a tricky final — both guys first time, both will be nervous. But whoever wins will be top of the world — Mount Everest.’’
While Cilic watched the 2013 Open from home, Nishikori was bounced in the first round by a British qualifier. Days later, Nishikori’s agent offered former American great Michael Chang the coaching job. He accepted in December. There’s been a great bond and Nishikori has taken on Chang’s fighting spirit.
“He’s helping mentally,’’ Nishikori said. “I feel my tennis is changing, little more aggressive, and playing [with] more confidence.
Some people can push me well. It’s been working really well.’’
Nishikori leads the head-to-head, 5-2, and whipped Cilic twice this year. They’ve also met twice before at the U.S. Open, with Nishikori winning in 2010 in a five-setter in the second round. Cilic won a four-setter in 2012 in the third round.
Cilic overpowered Federer with his serve. Nishikori battered Djokovic with his baseline power.
“I’m more surprised with Cilic, to be honest, because he’s older,’’ Federer said. “He’s been around for longer, but he’s really been able to make a nice transition in the last few years in his game. Whereas with Kei, I always thought unbelievable talent way back when I played with him for the first time when he was 17.’’

Roger Federer's newest Nike tennis shoe looks just like classic Air Jordans

Availiable Here : http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/08/roger-federer-michael-jordan-nike-us-open

 

The tennis star collaborated on them with MJ himself.

By: Chris Strauss August 26, 2014 6:45 pm ET Follow @chris_strauss

 

There’s going to be plenty of attention on Roger Federer’s footwork when he kicks off his 2014 U.S. Open against Marinko Matosevic Tuesday night, but it won’t be for the usual reasons.

 

The 17-time Grand Slam winner will be debuting his new shoe, the Nike Zoom Vapor 9 Tour AJ3, which will certainly look familiar to classic sneakerheads or anyone who happened to be an NBA fan in the late 1980s.

 

Federer’s latest model channels the Air Jordan 3, which debuted in 1988. Federer told For The Win via email through a Nike rep that he really got into basketball, soccer and tennis when he was seven years old, the same year the Jordan 3 was released. When he was looking to do a collaboration with the brand’s most legendary pitchman, those were the model of Jordans he liked the most.
Legendary Nike designer Tinker Hatfield, who crafted a bulk of the Air Jordan shoes and has worked on some of Federer’s previous signature models, designed both the Air Jordan III and Zoom Vapor 9 Tour AJ 3 as well.

Also involved in the collaboration process? Michael Jordan himself.

The NBA Hall of Famer said that he was intrigued when he heard about Federer’s interest in wearing a Jordan tennis shoe.
 

"About a year ago, I heard that Roger wanted to design and wear a Jordan shoe on the court. I have followed Roger’s career and have been a big fan for some time now,” Jordan said via a Nike rep. “I definitely thought this could be a really unique and special collaboration and when I heard that Roger wanted the shoe to be modeled after the Air Jordan 3, I was in. To me, this collaboration is not just about style. I really wanted Roger to get involved and understand what he needed from the shoe itself to perform at his best while still having the look and feel of a Jordan sneaker.”

Jordan, who posed for a selfie with Federer during a meeting Monday night in New York City, will be in attendance at the Billie Jean King Tennis Center for the on-court debut of Federer’s new shoes.
It will actually be the first professional tennis match Jordan has ever attended in person.