Men’s Tennis Results

****** 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

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