Monthly Archives: August 2012

News from 34 week 2012 : 20 August 2012 to 26 August

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NEW YORK — Milos Raonic had trouble at the baseline, but still earned his first US Open victory.

The Thornhill, Ont., native overcame 55 unforced errors including 15 double faults on Tuesday to defeat Santiago Giraldo of Colombia 6-3, 4-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.

Raonic, the No. 15 seed, earned his 34th victory of the season in a match that lasted well over three hours.

“I’m just happy with the outcome and that I managed to make the most of that moment and just find a way to win,” said Raonic. “Everything else I’ve got to hope gets better in the next round.”

Defending champ and two-time runner- up Novak Djokovic and former champion Andy Roddick were routine first-round winners Tuesday at the U.S. Open.

The second-seeded Djokovic walloped Italian Paolo Lorenzi, 6-1, 6-0, 6-1 during the night session at Arthur Ashe Stadium. It was a repeat performance for the Serbian against Lorenzi, who was ousted in only 73 minutes.

The 20th-seeded Roddick, a former world No. 1, handled 21-year-old American qualifier Rhyne Williams 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 at Ashe Stadium. The big-serving Roddick fired 20 aces en route to the second round.

Roddick, who turns 30 Thursday, captured his lone Grand Slam title at the 2003 U.S. Open and was the 2006 runner-up in New York.

Fifth-seeded former Australian Open runner-up Jo-Wilfried Tsonga got past Slovak Karol Beck 6-3, 6-1, 7-6 (7-2) in an error-filled match, while sixth- seeded Czech and former Wimbledon runner-up Tomas Berdych handled promising Belgian David Goffin, making his U.S. Open debut, 7-5, 6-3, 6-3. The French Tsonga was a U.S. Open quarterfinalist last year.

Spain’s Guillermo Garcia-Lopez upset 10th-seeded Argentine Juan Monaco, 3-6, 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (7-3).

Meanwhile, 11th-seeded Spaniard Nicolas Almagro held off Czech veteran Radek Stepanek 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 6-4; 14th-seeded Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine rallied to beat American Jesse Levine, 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-2; and 15th- seeded rising Canadian Milos Raonic launched 30 aces in going the distance to stave off game Colombian Santiago Giraldo in five sets, 6-3, 4-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, in 3 hours, 25 minutes. This marked Raonic’s first-ever win in the main draw at the U.S. Open.

Also Tuesday, 18th-seeded Swiss Stan Wawrinka overcame Ukrainian Sergiy Stakhovsky 6-7 (6-8), 7-6 (7-2), 6-4, 6-2.

Tall American Sam Querrey, seeded 27th at this fortnight, swatted 21 aces and came from behind to beat Taiwan’s Yen-Hsun Lu 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 in just over three hours.

Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis, who lost in the first round in his three previous trips to the U.S. Open, won a five-setter against Germany’s Matthias Bachinger, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7 (8-10), 7-6 (7-5).

Also advancing on Day 2 were, No. 31 seed Julien Benneteau of France, Taiwan’s Jimmy Wang, Belgian Steve Darcis, Spaniard Pablo Andujar, German Philipp Petzschner, Bernard Tomic, Fabio Fognini, Rogerio Dutra Silva, and Russian- born American Dennis Novikov, who bested 6-foot-8 Pole Jerzy Janowicz 6-2, 7-6 (8-6), 3-6, 6-3. Novikov plays collegiate tennis at UCLA.

News from 34 week 2012 :  20 August 2012 to 26 August

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Kvitova takes New Haven; second title in three weeks

Isner battles back to win second straight Winston-Salem Open

Back on top, No. 1 Federer ‘no longer surprises’ anyone

News from 33 week 2012 : 13 August 2012 to 19 August

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MASON, Ohio —

Top-ranked Roger Federer won a record fifth Cincinnati title Sunday, dominating second-ranked Novak Djokovic from the outset of a 6-0, 7-6 (7) win for the Western & Southern Open championship.

It was the first time in the tournament’s history that the top two played for the title. From the start, it was no match.

Federer improved to 5-0 in Cincinnati finals and tied Rafael Nadal for the most Masters titles with 21. Nadal dropped out of the tournament with a sore knee that has sidelined him indefinitely.

“A record break — always something special when that happens,” Federer said.

MASON, Ohio —

China’s Li Na won her first title of the season, overcoming an awful first set to beat Germany’s Angelique Kerber on Sunday in the Western & Southern Open final.

After finishing second three times this season, Li finally got a trophy with her 1-6, 6-3, 6-1 victory. She lost in the final at Montreal a week earlier, and appeared headed for another disappointment after her poor showing in the first set.

Gerber wore down during long rallies, grabbing her ankle at times. Li broke her serve by winning a 24-point game of the second set, putting her in control. Li hadn’t won a tournament since 2011, when she won at Sydney and the French Open.

Defending champion Maria Sharapova dropped out before the tournament began because of illness.

GRAPEVINE, Texas —

Aleksandra Wozniak of Blainville, Que., beat fifth-seeded Klara Zakopalova of the Czech Republic 6-0, 7-6 (2) on Sunday in the first round of the Texas Open.

Two weeks ago in Montreal, Wozniak became the first Canadian since 1992 to reach the Rogers Cup quarterfinals.

In other first-round matches, fourth-seeded Yanina Wickmayer beat Heather Watson 6-3, 6-4; No. 7 Chanelle Scheepers topped Barbora Zahlavova Strycova 6-0, 6-2, and No. 8 Sorana Cirstea edged Jarmila Gajdosova 7-6 (2), 6-4.

News from 33 week 2012 :  13 August 2012 to 19 August

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Canada’s Wozniak beats fifth-seeded Zakopalova in Texas Open

Blake, Roddick win Winston-Salem opener

Li rallies to beat Kerber for Cincinnati title

Federer beats Djokovic for record fifth Cincinnati title

News from 32 week 2012 : 06 August 2012 to 12 August

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TORONTO —

A week removed from a crushing loss at the London Games, Novak Djokovic found some redemption at the Rogers Cup.

The top-seed Serbian won his second straight title at the men’s tournament and third overall with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Richard Gasquet of France on Sunday night.

It’s his first trophy since winning in Miami four months ago and comes on the heels of a tough bronze medal loss at the Olympics to Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina.

“The losses I had in the Olympic Games gave me even more desire to come here and perform my best and try to win a title,” said Djokovic. “I am very happy to be in this position. I truly did not expect to win this tournament after the emotional losses in Olympic games.

“I really took it hard and tried to bounce back and recover. And I’ve done great, I have to say.”

MONTREAL —

It will be Petra Kvitova and Li Na in the final of the US$2.17 women’s Rogers Cup.

Kvitova, the 2011 Wimbledon champion, dominated the final two sets of a rain-interrupted semifinal to defeat seventh-seeded Caroline Wozniacki 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 on Sunday at the hardcourt event at Uniprix Stadium.

Li was one game from defeat before she fought back for a 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory over 16th-seeded Lucie Safarova.

The final is set for Monday night, with both players vying for a first Rogers Cup title.

Kvitova, who has seven WTA victories but none in Noth America, broke service to open the final set and didn’t let up in a well-played set that featured long baseline rallies.

The 22-year-old Czech is in her first tournament final of the year after winning six times in 2011. 

CINCINNATI, Ohio —

Bernard Tomic of Australia beat American Ryan Harrison 6-4, 7-6 (5) in the first round of the Western & Southern Open on Sunday.

James Blake overcame a sluggish start — five unforced errors in the first two games — to beat South Africa’s Kevin Anderson 7-5, 6-4, winning both sets on aces.

Blake came in ranked No. 106 in the world and knocked off the 32nd-ranked player, his biggest upset of the season.

“Everyone in the locker room is making fun of me for being the old guy, saying I should be in the coaching box,” the 32-year-old Blake said. “Tonight I had a little bit left.”

News from 32 week 2012 :  06 August 2012 to 12 August

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Djokovic wins second straight Rogers Cup, topping Gasquet

Tomic beats Harrison, Blake wins at Western & Southern Open

Li rallies to beat Safarova to face Kvitova for Rogers Cup

Djokovic, Gasquet advance to Rogers Cup final in Toronto

News from 31 week 2012 : 30 July 2012 to 05 August 2012

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Murray Dismantles Federer to Win Gold

Mackenzie Liddell, CTVOlympics.ca Staff

There were no tears for Andy Murray at Wimbledon on Sunday – years of heartbreak and bad memories washed away for a moment’s time.

Just a look of relief and a gold medal hanging from his neck.

Four weeks after breaking down in tears at Wimbledon following a tough loss to Roger Federer, Murray returned to Centre Court and finally delivered in a big match.

On Day 9 at London 2012, Murray dismantled Federer in straight sets, 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 in front of a raucous home crowd to become the first British player to win Olympic gold since 1908.

It was a moment of redemption for Murray, who has come up short in four Grand Slam finals, three of them against Federer.

“I’ve had a lot of tough losses in my career, but this is the best way to come back from the Wimbledon final,” Murray said. “I’ll never forget it.”

Federer was satisfied winning silver.

“I feel very proud to have achieved the silver medal,” Federer said. “That’s the best I could have done this tournament. I’m really happy and pleased.”

Following his match against Federer, Murray and partner Laura Robson narrowly missed out on gold in mixed doubles, falling 2-6, 6-3, 10-8 to Belarus’ Max Mirnyi and Victoria Azarenka.

London 2012 was Murray’s second Olympic Games appearance. He was eliminated by Lu Yen-Hsun in the first round at Beijing 2008.

Williams Sisters Win Third Doubles Gold

Mackenzie Liddell, CTVOlympics.ca Staff

Serena and Venus Williams made history on Sunday, toppling Czech Republic’s Lucie Hradecka and Andrea Hlavackova 6-4, 6-4 to win doubles gold at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

With the win, Venus and Serena became the first players in tennis history to win four Olympic gold medals. The American duo won gold in doubles at Beijing 2008 and Sydney 2000 to go along with their individual singles titles – Venus at Sydney 2000 and Serena at London 2012.

“It was so exciting to win the singles, but like I said at the beginning of the tournament my goal was to get gold in doubles here,” Serena said. “There’s something about standing next to Venus and holding that gold medal. Three times we have played, three times we have got the gold medal. So we are pretty stoked about it.”Serena and Venus joined American’s Gigi Fernandez and Mary Joe Fernandez as the only players to successfully defend an Olympic doubles titleIt’s the second time in four weeks that the Williams’ have been crowned champions at the All England Club, having won the doubles title at Wimbledon in July. And while Wimbledon is the most prestigious event in tennis, Venus conceded winning Olympic gold might take the cake.”I would say this is more special than Wimbledon,” Venus said. “Serena always said we wanted to win the gold together. I’m amazed she won the singles and our main goal was to win the doubles, so we got both and it’s amazing.”

And they plan on making it four in a row at Rio 2016.

Del Potro Wins Olympic Bronze at Wimbledo

Associated Press

WIMBLEDON, England – Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina won the London 2012 Olympic Games bronze medal on Sunday following a 7-5, 6-4 victory over second-seeded Novak Djokovic of Serbia.

Del Potro has some hardware to show for all his hours on the grass at Wimbledon, and for waiting through a rain delay Sunday.

On Friday, the Argentine lost 3-6, 7-6 (5), 19-17 in the Olympic semifinals to Roger Federer in the longest three-set men’s match of the Open era — it went 4 hours, 26 minutes.

After Sunday’s straight-sets win at the All England Club, del Potro fell to the grass, hands over his eyes, and wept.

News from 31 week 2012 : 30 July 2012 to 05 August 2012 

Sunday, August 05, 2012

Murray beats Federer to take gold at Wimbledon

Dolgopolov beats Haas in three sets to win Cit Open

Netherlands’ Sijsling takes crown at Odlum Brown Open

Raonic ready to go deep at Rogers Cup men’s tournament

Azarenka, Mirnyi beat Murray, Robson for mixed doubles gold

Williams sisters make history with third doubles gold

Del Potro beats Djokovic to take bronze at Wimbledon