Madrid
Cramping Grigor Dimitrov upset No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the second round of the Madrid Masters in a 7-6(6), 6-7(8), 6-3 upset which went down well with the Spanish crowd. Djokovic was bothered by his recent ankle injury and said he had debated whether to even risk playing the tournament.
Two years ago, Djokovic beat home hero Rafael Nadal and seemed to have few fans in the local public after that victory. “In the first set, every single close call that I went to look at the ball and the chair umpire comes to see, I got whistled,” said Djokovic. “I don’t see any reason for that, I didn’t do anything bad.”
“I could have played better, I had my chances,” said Djokovic. “I was fighting until the end, so that’s a positive thing. He was the better player. I congratulate him. He played great tennis and he deserved to win.”
The three-hour struggle was a monster match, taking two and a half hours to play the first two sets. Djokovic has now lost only three matches this season while winning 26. He beat Nadal a fortnight ago in the Monte Carlo final, denying the Spaniard a ninth straight title in the principality.
Dimitrov, ranked a career-best 28th, scored the third win of his career over a top 10 player. The winner ended with 12 aces and 36 winners while Djokovic saved a match point in the dramatic second set before finally leveling at a set each. But he lost his opening serve of the third set and could never recover against his hampered opponent.
Roger Federer overcame some closing niggles – including a double-fault on a match point, as he beat Czech Radek Stepanek 6-3, 6-3. Federer needed six match points to go through. “I didn’t think I played incredible, but that’s not what I was expecting myself to do here. But I didn’t play bad, either.” Federer stands 14-4 on the season as he seeks his first title of 2013.
Third seed Andy Murray won the 400th match of his career after not playing since a loss in Monte Carlo. The Scot narrowly beat German Florian Mayer 7-6 (13-11), 7-6 (7-3). Federer’s Swiss compatriot Stanislas Wawrinka carried on with the winning momentum on clay which took him to the Portugal title at the weekend as the 15th seed defeated Romanian Marius Copil 6-4, 6-4.
German Tommy Haas, the 13th seed who won the Munich title on Sunday at age 35, crushed Italian Andreas Seppi 6-1, 6-2 in just 51 minutes. Argentine Juan Monaco beat Serb ninth seed Janko Tipsarevic 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 while American John Isner lost to wildcard Spaniard Pablo Andujar 6-4, 6-4.
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RANKINGS
Estimated ATP World Tour Rankings
As of May 6, 2013
Rank &
Prior…Player………..Points
1..(1) Djokovic……….12730
2..(3) Murray………….8660
3..(2) Federer…………7760
4..(4) Ferrer………….6750
5..(5) Nadal…………..5905
6..(7) Del Potro……….4320
7..(6) Berdych…………4170
8..(8) Tsonga………….3795
9..(9) Gasquet…………3180
10.(10) Tipsarevic………2650
11.(12) Almagro…………2570
12.(11) Cilic…………..2535
13.(13) Haas……………2375
14.(14) Raonic………….2225
15.(16) Nishikori……….2135
16.(15) Wawrinka………..2085
17.(17) Simon…………..1895
18.(19) Monaco………….1830
19.(18) Querrey…………1790
20.(21) Isner…………..1725
21.(20) Seppi…………..1700
22.(22) Kohlschreiber……1690
23.(23) Dolgopolov………1420
24.(24) Janowicz………..1418
25.(25) Fognini…………1345
26.(28) Dimitrov………..1342
27.(26) Mayer…………..1340
28.(27) Anderson………..1295
29.(29) Chardy………….1291
30.(30) Klizan………….1230
©Daily Tennis News Wire
Topics: Andy Murray, Florian Mayer, GRIGOR DIMITROV, Mutua Madrid Masters, Novak Djokovic, Radek Stepanek, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Serbian tennis news, Spanish tennsi news, Tommy Haas