****** EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ******
* Federer clinches #6 Australian Open seed when Berdych loses to Karlovic in two tiebreaks in Doha
* Verdasco, Monfils also advance
* Tursunov upset in Brisbane but should be seeded in Australia anyway
* Probably no seed for Benneteau after loss to Matosevic
* Dimitrov starts strong in return to Brisbane; Cilic struggles past Istomin
* Pospisil advances on quiet first day at Chennai
****** TODAY’S MEN’S NEWS ******
Brisbane
Finn Jarkko Niemimen set up his 14th match against Roger Federer with a win over Australian James Duckworth 6-2, 6-3. Federer, playing Brisbane for the first time, is not tipping himself as an Australian open favorite even after winning it four times. His picks: Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. “They are the guys to beat, particularly at the beginning of the season. But we have to see if they stay injury-free. But I expect them to go deep in most of the tournaments they enter, of course.”
Federer remains optimistic of adding to his records-setting total of 17 grand slam singles titles even after his worst season in a decade in 2013. “If I play my best, Wimbledon is going to be my. best chance, (then) the US Open, Australian Open, and then the French Open. But I have to show it, prove it. I need to give myself opportunities like I have in previous years.”
In other men’s opening matches, American Sam Querrey beat seventh seed Dmitry Tursunov 7-5, 6-4 while Aussie Marinko Matosevic stopped Frenchman Julien Benneteau 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4). Former top ten Croatian Marin Cilic staged a comeback over Denis Istomin 6-7 (3-7), 7-6 (7-5), 6-4.
Hopman Cup
John Isner fired 16 aces as he led Sloane Stephens to a 3-0 win over defending champion Spain. Gone were memories of the American’s injury pullout here a year ago which forced him to miss the Australian Open. Stephens, who beat Serena Williams in the Melbourne quarter-finals a year ago, did her part by starting the tie at the eight-nation event by defeating Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-3, 6-1 as the six-time champion Americans won the mixed doubles 4-6, 6-0, 10-4 (match tiebreak).
Isner’s serve proved to be too much for Spanish opponent Daniel Munoz De La Nava, who lost 6-3, 6-4 against the American. “It’s pretty tough because he’s serving like an animal. He’s changing the serve all the time. All directions. It’s tough to return, but I tried my best,” said the 194th-ranked Spanish journeyman.
Isner said that he’s off to a good start for the new season. “It was a pretty good first match after not playing one for a long time. I’m fortunate to be back here. I’m very happy with how I played today, thought I did not get off to the best start.”
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga shook off jet-lag to join with Alize Cornet in a 2-1 French win over the Czech Republic, Tsonga, who flew in from Abu Dhabi, beat Radek Stepanek 6-1, 6-4 but Czech Petra Kvitova overcame more than 50 unforced errors to beat Cornet 6-1, 3-6, 7-5. The French took victory in the deciding mixed doubles rubber, 6-1, 6-3.
Tsonga was still struggling with his fitness in his win over Stepanek. “It was no easy match due to jet-lag. I was tired but we played some good tennis, It’s never easy to play Radek. I’m very happy to go through this one because, I’m just glad to finish in two sets.”
****** TODAY’S FEATURE ******
KEYWORDS: No Feature Today
******** THIS WEEK IN TENNIS ********
THIS WEEK ON THE ATP WORLD TOUR:
Brisbane (250/Hard). Defending Champion: Andy Murray
Chennai (250/Hard). Defending Champion: Janko Tipsarevic
Doha (250/Hard). Defending Champion: Richard Gasquet
NEXT WEEK ON THE ATP WORLD TOUR:
Sydney (250/Hard). Defending Champion: Bernard Tomic
Auckland (250/Hard). Defending Champion: David Ferrer
******** STATS AND FACTS ********
RANKINGS
Estimated ATP World Tour Rankings
As of December 30, 2013
Rank &
Prior…Player………..Points
1..(1) Nadal………….13030
2..(2) Djokovic……….12260
3..(3) Ferrer………….5800
4..(4) Murray………….5540
5..(5) Del Potro……….5255
6..(6) Federer…………4205
7..(7) Berdych…………4180
8..(8) Wawrinka………..3730
9..(9) Gasquet…………3140
10.(10) Tsonga………….3065
11.(11) Raonic………….2860
12.(12) Haas……………2435
13.(13) Almagro…………2290
14.(14) Isner…………..2150
15.(15) Youzhny…………2145
16.(16) Fognini…………1930
17.(17) Nishikori……….1840
18.(18) Robredo…………1810
19.(19) Simon…………..1790
20.(20) Anderson………..1685
21.(21) Janowicz………..1615
22.(22) Kohlschreiber……1525
23.(23) Dimitrov………..1460
24.(24) Gulbis………….1393
25.(25) Seppi…………..1360
26.(28) Lopez…………..1310
27.(26) Paire…………..1300
28.(27) Melzer………….1290
29.(29) Tursunov………..1244
30.(30) Verdasco………..1235
**DRAWS
Brisbane
1 Federer
–bye
Duckworth (WC)
Nieminen
Matosevic
Benneteau
Querrey
7 Tursunov
4 Anderson
–bye
Groth (WC)
Qualifier
Sijsling
Mahut
Mannarino
8 Chardy
6 Lopez
Kukushkin
Hewitt
Qualifier
Qualifier
Qualifier
–bye
3 Simon
5 Dimitrov
Haase
Istomin
Cilic
Kyrgios (WC)
Ebden
–bye
2 Nishikori
Chennai
1 Wawrinka
–bye
Becker
Reister
Qualifier
Bedene
Qualifier
8 Bautista Agut
3 Fognini
–bye
Carreno Busta
Bhambri (WC)
Lu
Smyczek
Edmund (WC)
5 Pospisil
6 Granollers
Qualifier
Devvarman
Qualifier
Garcia-Lopez
Nedovyesov
–bye
4 Paire
7 Roger-Vasselin
Ramos
Nedunchezniyan (WC)
Vesely
Sela
Lacko
–bye
2 Youzhny
Doha
1 Nadal
Rosol
Jaziri (WC)
Kamke
Gimeno-Traver
Kubot
Qualifier
7 Gulbis
4 Berdych
Karlovic
Qualifier
Dodig
Qualifier
Qualifier
Andujar
6 Kohlschreiber
8 Verdasco
Volandri
Sousa
Hanescu
Przysiezny
F Mayer
Zayed (WC)
3 Murray
5 Gasquet
Hossam (WC)
Giraldo
Monfils
Brands
Davydenko
Dolgopolov
2 Ferrer
******** SCORES ********
Monday
Brisbane
Singles – First Round
[5] G Dimitrov (BUL) d R Haase (NED) 62 63
S Querrey (USA) d [7] D Tursunov (RUS) 75 64
J Nieminen (FIN) d [WC] J Duckworth (AUS) 62 63
M Matosevic (AUS) d J Benneteau (FRA) 57 64 76(4)
M Cilic (CRO) d D Istomin (UZB) 67(3) 76(5) 64
Doubles – First Round
[4] J Cabal (COL) / R Farah (COL) d [WC] C Guccione (AUS) / L Hewitt (AUS) 36 75 10-7
Chennai
Singles – First Round
[5] V Pospisil (CAN) d [WC] K Edmund (GBR) 63 75
Y Lu (TPE) d T Smyczek (USA) 64 62
J Vesely (CZE) d [WC] J Nedunchezhiyan (IND) 75 62
D Sela (ISR) d L Lacko (SVK) 64 62
Doubles – First Round
[WC] K Khachanov (RUS) / S Myneni (IND) d P Carreno Busta (ESP) / A Ramos (ESP) 61 76(7)
Doha
Singles – First Round
I Karlovic (CRO) d [4] T Berdych (CZE) 76(7) 76(4)
[8] F Verdasco (ESP) d F Volandri (ITA) 63 63
T Kamke (GER) d [WC] M Jaziri (TUN) 63 64
L Kubot (POL) d D Gimeno-Traver (ESP) 64 63
V Hanescu (ROU) d J Sousa (POR) 63 62
G Monfils (FRA) d S Giraldo (COL) 76(1) 62
Doubles – First Round
[4] T Huey (PHI) / D Inglot (GBR) d A Dolgopolov (UKR) / T Gabashvili (RUS) 63 76(4)
A Murray (GBR) / N Zimonjic (SRB) d D Brands (GER) / F Mayer (GER) 36 76(5) 10-8
[WC] R Nadal (ESP) / F Roig (ESP) d P Andujar (ESP) / L Rosol (CZE) 63 26 10-4
C Kas (GER) / P Kohlschreiber (GER) d D Bracciali (ITA) / J Knowle (AUT) 62 75
Topics: 10sballs, Andy Murray, Bernard Tomic, Brisbane, Dmitry Tursunov, Hopman Cup, James Duckworth, Jarkko Niemimen, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Sam Querrey, Sports, Tennis, Tennis News