Berdych, Ferrer, and Nishikori All Win, And More Men’s Tennis News

Written by: Staff on 16th February 2014

Berdych, Ferrer, and Nishikori All Win, And More Men's Tennis News

epa04082567 Kei Nishikori of Japan celebrates his win over Ivo Karlovic of Croatia in their finals match in the US National Indoor Tennis Championships at the Racquet Club of Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee, USA, 16 February 2014. Nishikori won the match and repeated as the tournament champion. EPA/TANNEN MAURY |

PRO TOUR NEWS – MEN

* Berdych cruises to Rotterdam title

* Ferrer ends Fognini’s winning streak

* Nishikori defends in Memphis; Bryans don’t

****** TODAY’S MEN’S NEWS

Rotterdam

Singles – Final: (3) T Berdych def. M Cilic 6-4 6-2

This was not exactly a thrilling final (other than the odd moment when Marin Cilic managed to get a point replayed because the ball had been damaged). Tomas Berdych was never broken — indeed, never faced a break point after his first service game — and he converted three of four break points against Cilic. He won almost 60% of the points.

Still, winning is a big relief for Berdych, who hadn’t won a title since Stockholm 2012. It’s career title number nine for him — a surprisingly low total for someone who is always a threat to the top players, but we know what his head is like…. Fortunately, his ranking isn’t based on his mental toughness, it’s based on his results. And, with this, he climbs to #6, ahead of Andy Murray; he is right behind Juan Martin del Potro in the contest for #5.

Marin Cilic failed to win his second title in a row, but he did win nine matches straight, and is finally getting his ranking back where it belongs. From #37 he rises to #25 — and he should go higher. Maybe not in the next few months, but certainly after Wimbledon!

Doubles – Final: Llodra/Mahut def. Rojer/Tecau 6-2 7-6(7-4)

Michael Llodra is 33 years old. His singles career is slipping. Maybe it really is time for him to think about going all-out in doubles — he just might have a chance to pick up another Slam.

Certainly his last year has been very solid. He won Dubai 2013 with Bhupathi (meaning that he might see his ranking slip a little after this week. But, for the moment, he should be Top Twenty). He and Mahut made the Roland Garros final before losing to the Bryans. Now this. Clearly there is no need for him to retire just yet.

Nicolas Mahut is doing even better, although he came here ranked lower. Since making that Roland Garros final, he has won Newport 2013 with Roger-Vasselin, made the final of Metz with Tsonga, made the final of Montpellier 2014 with Gicquel, and now this. And he is close to a career high in singles, too. Could it be that Frenchmen age more slowly than the rest of us?

Buenos Aires

Singles – Final: (1) D Ferrer def. (2) F Fognini 6-4 6-3

Talk about following form: Top four seeds make the semifinal. Top two make the final. #1 wins. Pretty routinely, even. There were three breaks in the first set, with Ferrer earning two of them; after that, he picked things up and never faced a break point in the second set.

It’s his first title of the year (#21 of his career), meaning that he has now won at least one title for five years straight, and in eight of the last nine years. It comes at a good time, too, since he had been under-performing this year and his title from Buenos Aires 2013 comes off next week. He rises to #4 this week, more because Juan Martin del Potro lost points than because he gained, but this gives Ferrer some cushion for when last year’s Buenos Aires title comes off next week. He should have no trouble staying #4. And he has finally broken his string of seven straight losses in finals.

Fabio Fognini has now made the final of his last five clay events, winning three. He’ll stay #14 — but he would have reached a career-high #13 had he won this. It’s worth remembering that his big results all came at the “out-of-season” clay events — the ones after Roland Garros and in the Latin American circuit, which tend to be weaker. He and Ferrer are in the same half at Rio de Janeiro. Somebody is going to have to take a fall…. But maybe that’s just as well for Fognini. He really needs some rest.

Doubles – Final: (1) Granollers/M Lopez def. (4) Cuevas/Zeballos 7-5 6-4

This is probably a relief for all parties. Cuevas and Zeballos reach their first final since Kuala Lumpur in September 2013; for Zeballos in particular, whose singles ranking just took a severe hit, it must be nice to know he can still post decent results. But the guys who are really happy are surely Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez. This is their first title since London 2012. Having looked like the main threats to the Bryans in early 2013 (when they held four titles including Indian Wells, Rome, Gstaad, and London), they’ve spent the year since then falling steadily. This is only a 250 point event, so it doesn’t help much — but at least they’re going the right way at last!

Memphis

Singles – Final: (1) (WC) K Nishikori def. I Karlovic 6-4 7-6(7-0)

Ivo Karlovic was getting his aces, of course. But when he missed a first serve, he usually lost the point. And he wasn’t threatening Kei Nishikori’s serve at all. There was only one break in the match, but there wasn’t ever much doubt about the outcome. It’s career title #4 for Nishikori, and the first time he has ever defended a title.

The good news is, the win takes him up to #15. The bad news is, he’s guaranteed to lose that ranking next week, because that’s when Memphis 2013 comes off, and last year, it was a 500 point event, so he’ll lose a lot more than he gained this week. Still, better to have the points come off after winning the title than otherwise!

Ivo Karlovic is still looking for his first title since Bogota 2013, but he beat two seeds here, and he’s making a substantial run in the rankings. #80 coming in, it appears he’ll be between #55 and #60 next week.

Doubles – Final: (2) Butorac/Klaasen def. (1) Bryan/Bryan 6-4 6-4

Is anyone else feeling a little worried about the Bryans? They haven’t won a title since Paris last fall. By this time in 2013, they had already won Sydney and the Australian Open and were about to win Memphis (which was held a week later in 2013). It won’t affect their #1 rankings, yet, but this can’t go on forever.

It’s the second title for Butorac/Klaasen (the other was Kuala Lumpur 2013), but throw in the Australian Open final and they’re doing a lot better than the Bryans, who came here a mere #16 in the doubles Race. The Bryans will climb a little after this, but they’re off to an astonishingly slow start.

******** THIS WEEK IN TENNIS ********

THIS WEEK ON THE ATP WORLD TOUR:

Rotterdam (500/Indoor Hard). Defending Champion: Juan Martin del Potro

Memphis (250/Indoor Hard). Defending Champion (as an ATP 500): Kei Nishikori

Buenos Aires (250/Clay). Defending Champion: David Ferrer

NEXT WEEK ON THE ATP WORLD TOUR:

Dubai (500/Hard). Defending Champion: Novak Djokovic

Acapulco (500/Hard). Defending Champion: Rafael Nadal

Sao Paulo (250/Indoor Hard). Defending Champion: (new event)

RANKINGS

Estimated ATP World Tour Rankings

As of February 16, 2013

Rank &

Prior…Player………..Points

1..(1) Nadal………….14085

2..(2) Djokovic……….10580

3..(3) Wawrinka………..5710

4..(5) Ferrer………….5440

5..(4) Del Potro……….4960

6..(7) Berdych…………4950

7..(6) Murray………….4840

8..(8) Federer…………4305

9..(9) Gasquet…………2950

10.(10) Tsonga………….2885

11.(11) Raonic………….2485

12.(12) Haas……………2435

13.(13) Isner…………..2320

14.(14) Fognini…………2260

15.(16) Nishikori……….2170

16.(15) Youzhny…………2100

17.(17) Robredo…………2050

18.(18) Almagro…………1930

19.(20) Janowicz………..1750

20.(19) Dimitrov………..1675

21.(22) Anderson………..1580

22.(21) Simon…………..1565

23.(24) Gulbis………….1558

24.(23) Monfils…………1475

25.(37) Cilic…………..1385

26.(27) Kohlschreiber……1375

27.(25) Pospisil………..1359

28.(26) Lopez…………..1355

29.(28) Tursunov………..1314

30.(29) Paire…………..1275

**DRAWS

Rotterdam — week of February 10, 2014

WINNER: Tomas Berdych

…………….QF…………….SF………F

1 del Potro…..(1)del Potro

8 Dimitrov……Gulbis…………Gulbis

3 Berdych…….(3)Berdych……..Berdych….Berdych

6 Haas……….Janowicz

7 Youzhny…….Sijsling(WC)……Sijsling

4 Gasquet…….Kohlscheiber

5 Tsonga……..Cilic………….Cilic……Cilic

2 Murray (WC)…(2)Murray(WC)

STATUS OF SEEDS

1 del Potro…..lost QF (Gulbis)

2 Murray (WC)…lost QF (Cilic)

3 Berdych…….WON TOURNAMENT

4 Gasquet…….lost 2R (Kohlschreiber)

5 Tsonga……..lost 2R (Cilic)

6 Haas……….lost 2R (Janowicz)

7 Youzhny…….lost 1R (Sijsling)

8 Dimitrov……lost 2R (Gulbis)

Memphis — week of February 10, 2014

WINNER: Kei Nishikori

………………..QF…………….SF……….F

1 Nishikori (WC)….(1)Nishikori……Nishikori…Nishikori

6 Querrey………..Bogomolov

3 Hewitt…………(3)Hewitt

7 Przysiezny……..Russell………..Russell

8 Kukushkin………Al.Kunetsov(Q)

4 Lu…………….(4)Lu………….Lu

5 Matosevic………Sock

2 F Lopez………..Karlovic……….Karlovic…Karlovic

STATUS OF SEEDS

1 Nishikori (WC)..WON TOURNAMENT

2 F Lopez………lost 2R (Karlovic)

3 Hewitt……….lost QF (Russell)

4 Lu…………..lost SF (Karlovic)

5 Matosevic…….lost 1R (Vesely)

6 Querrey………lost 1R (Bogomolov)

7 Przysiezny……lost 1R (Russell)

8 Kukushkin…….lost 2R (Kuznetsov)

Buenos Aires — week of February 10, 2014

WINNER: David Ferrer

…………..QF………….SF…….F

1 Ferrer (WC).(1)Ferrer(WC)..Ferrer…Ferrer

7 Monaco……Ramos

4 Almagro…..(4)Almagro…..Almagro

8 Chardy……(8)Chardy

6 Haase…….(6)Haase

3 Robredo…..(3)Robredo…..Robredo

5 Granollers..Andujar

2 Fognini…..(2)Fognini…..Fognini..Fognini

STATUS OF SEEDS

1 Ferrer (WC)…WON TOURNAMENT

2 Fognini…….lost F (Ferrer)

3 Robredo…….lost SF (Fognini)

4 Almagro…….lost SF (Ferrer)

5 Granollers….lost 2R (Andujar)

6 Haase………lost QF (Robredo)

7 Monaco……..lost 1R (Ramos)

8 Chardy……..lost QF (Almagro)

Rio de Janeiro — week of February 17, 2014

1 Nadal

Gimeno-Traver

Montanes

Haase

L Mayer

Ramos

J Sousa

6 Granollers

4 Robredo

Carreno Busta

Volandri

Lajovic (Q)

Garcia-Lopez

Qualifier

Reister

8 Andujar

5 Almagro

Dolgopolov

Souza (WC)

Bagnis (Q)

Cuevas (PR)

A Gonzalez

Bedene (Q)

3 Fognini

7 Monaco

Zeballos

Giraldo

Bellucci (WC)

Clezar (WC)

Delbonis

Chardy

2 Ferrer

Marseille — week of February 17, 2014

1 Gasquet

–bye

Kavcic

Kokkinakis (WC)

Kamke

Edmund (WC)

Olivetti (WC)

5 Dodig

3 Gulbis

–bye

Brown

Bautista Agut

Hajek

Qualifier

de Schepper

8 Mahut

7 Benneteau

Huta Galung

Qualifier

Struff

Lacko

Llodra

–bye

4 Seppi

6 Roger-Vasselin

Qualifier

Stakhovsky

Qualifier

Davydenko

Sijsling

–bye

2 Tsonga

Delray Beach — week of February 17, 2014

1 Haas

Qualifier

Kukushkin

Sock (WC)

Mannarino

Querrey

6 F Lopez

4 Anderson

Smyczek

Karlovic

Qualifier

Matosevic

Goffin

Klahn

8 Hewitt

7 Cilic

Becker

Harrison (WC)

Gabashvili

Ebden

Qualifier

3 Nishikori

5 Pospisil

Falla

Baghdatis (WC)

Vesely

Bogomolov

Sela

Russell

2 Isner

******** SCORES ********

SUNDAY

Rotterdam

Singles – Final

(3) T Berdych def. M Cilic 6-4 6-2

Doubles – Final

Llodra/Mahut def. Rojer/Tecau 6-2 7-6(7-4)

Buenos Aires

Singles – Final

(1) D Ferrer def. (2) F Fognini 6-4 6-3

Doubles – Final

(1) Granollers/M Lopez def. (4) Cuevas/Zeballos 7-5 6-4

Memphis

Singles – Final

(1) (WC) K Nishikori def. I Karlovic 6-4 7-6(7-0)

Doubles – Final

(2) Butorac/Klaasen def. (1) Bryan/Bryan 6-4 6-4

Topics: 10sballs, Atp, Bob Bryan, Bryan Brothers, David Ferrer, Ivo Karlovic, Kei Nishikori, Marin Cilic, Mike Bryan, Sports, Tennis, Tennis News, Tomas Berdych

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10sBalls_com says:

February 16, 2014 at 6:07 pm

Berdych, Ferrer, and Nishikori All Win, And More Men’s Tennis News – http://t.co/E3SIXK4Hwj #tennis #ATP #results