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."