Tennis: Korean Yang clinches first title

Page last updated at 22:47 GMT, Sunday, 8 March 2009

Korean Yang clinches first title

FINAL LEADERBOARD:-9 YE Yang (Kor) -8 J Rollins (US) -6 B Crane (US) -5 J Klauk (US) -4 S Piercy (US), R Allenby (Aus), W MacKenzie (US), F Jacobson (Swe) Selected others:-2 G Owen (Eng), R McIlroy (NIre), S Garcia (Spa) +3 D Clarke (NIre)Yang's victory secures him a place at the Masters at AugustaSouth Korea's Y.E. Yang won the Honda Classic at Florida's PGA National by one stroke from American John Rollins.

Yang held his nerve to two-putt from 50 feet at the last for a final-round 68 that left him on nine under and gave him his first PGA Tour victory. England's Greg Owen sank six birdies as he closed with a 66 to finish alongside Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy and Spain's Sergio Garcia on two under par. Darren Clarke slipped back with a 74 to end on three over for the tournament. McIlroy - bidding to become the youngest winner in PGA Tour history - worked his way up the leaderboard before consecutive bogeys to end his round left him tied for 13th.

Wayne Fountain "I'm pretty disappointed the way I finished," he said. "I got myself into a great position this afternoon and just let it slip." Yang started the final round with a one-shot lead and was comfortably clear before bogeys on 15 and 17 left him looking nervously at the leaderboard with Rollins in the clubhouse and one shot adrift. But he managed to steady himself and par the par-five 18th to join KJ Choi as the only Koreans to win on the US men's tour. "From 50 feet, it's not easy to do that to win your first golf tournament," said Rollins. "My hat's off to him." As well as a trip to the Masters, Yang also booked his place at next week's World Golf Championships at Doral.

Tennis: Nadal storms to Davis Cup Victory

Page last updated at 17:38 GMT, Saturday, 7 March 2009

Nadal storms to Davis Cup victory

Nadal was on top form in his first clay-court match of 2009 Rafael Nadal put his injury worries and the stormy weather behind him to thrash Janko Tipsarevic as Spain took a 2-1 lead over Serbia in the Davis Cup. The first day of the World Group first-round tie had been postponed after gale-force winds in Benidorm, but the champions wasted no time on Saturday. Nadal hammered Tipsarevic 6-1 6-0 6-2, after David Ferrer had a superb 6-3 6-3 7-6 (7-4) win over Novak Djokovic. Serbia kept the clay-court tie alive with victory in the doubles rubber. It was an impressive 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 7-6 (9-7) win for Viktor Troicki and Nenad Zimjic over Feliciano Lopez and Tommy Robredo. Nadal was playing for the first time since losing to Andy Murray in the Rotterdam final on 15 February because of a knee injury. "It was a very solid performance," he said. "We are right in the middle of the hard-court season and it's not easy playing the first match in a while on clay." Tipsarevic said: "I don't want to sound arrogant or look for excuses but it seemed more like a beach than a clay tennis court." Djokovic also found conditions difficult having not played on clay since the French Open last June. "So I basically just felt like I was in foreign territory today and made a lot of unforced errors," he said. "David played very solidly and he deserved to win." WORLD GROUP 1st round latest Argentina 3-0 Netherlands Czech Rep 2-1 France USA 2-1 Switzerland Croatia 3-0 Chile Sweden 2-1 Israel Romania 1-2 Russia Germany 2-1 Austria Spain 2-1 Serbia The Czech Republic moved into a 2-1 lead over the highly-fancied France as Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek beat Richard Gasquet and Michael Llodra 6-3 1-6 6-4 6-2. "We have to talk with the players," said France captain Guy Forget. "We are down by one but there are still two games to go. There is still hope and we have to do what we can." Argentina eased to an unassailable 3-0 lead over the Netherlands in Buenos Aires, with Lucas Arnold Ker and Martin Vassallo Arguello defeating Jesse Huta Galung and Rogier Wassen 6-4 7-5 6-3. Mario Ancic and Marin Cilic beat Paul Capdeville and Nicolas Massu 6-3 6-3 3-6 6-4 to give Croatia a decisive 3-0 lead over Chile in Porec. Romania kept their hopes alive with a superb comeback, Marius Copil and Horia Tecau beating Marat Safin and Dmitry Tursunov 4-6 6-7 (2-7) 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 to trail Russia 2-1 in Sibiu. "This is a great win," said Tecau. "Just unbelievable. I hope our guys will be all fired up for tomorrow and will win both their matches." Germany moved 2-1 ahead of Austria in Garmisch-Partenkirchen after Nicolas Kiefer and Philipp Kohlschreiber saw off Julian Knowle and Alexander Peya 6-3 7-6 (8-6) 3-6 6-4. Swedish riot police face a demonstration outside the Baltic Hall Sweden's tie against Israel was marred as around 100 demonstrators clashed with police in Malmo. Malmo city council had ordered the tie be played behind closed doors for security reasons as up to 10,000 people protested against Israel's recent offensive in Gaza. Inside the Baltic Hall, Sweden took a 2-1 lead with victory in the doubles. In Birmingham, Alabama, the Bryan brothers put the USA 2-1 in front against Switzerland with a 6-3 6-4 3-6 7-6 (7-2) win over Yves Allegro and Stanislas Wawrinka.

Venus Seals Mexican Title

Page last updated at 07:30 GMT, Sunday, 1 March 2009

In-form Venus seals Mexican title:

Venus plans to give the hat to her father, Richard Williams Venus Williams won her second title in seven days as she beat Italy's Flavia Pennetta in the final of the Mexican Open in Acapulco on Saturday. The American followed up last week's win in Dubai with a 6-1 6-2 defeat of second seed Pennetta on the clay. Williams has now won 41 career titles, and 20 of her last 21 matches. "I started the week very tough, I had such difficult matches - three three-setters in a row, each more difficult than the last," said Williams. "I think I deserved this win tonight. I played hard all week and tonight my serve and my game all came together. "I loved coming to Mexico and winning my 41st title here. I hope to be back next year to defend it." Pennetta, playing in her sixth straight Acapulco final having won the title in 2005 and 2008, said: "What happened to me? Venus Williams is what happened to me. "The number five player in the world is what happened to me! "She was just playing so strong, serving so well, it was hard to fight against her power. I didn't feel I played badly, she just overpowered me." Spain's Nicolas Almagro beat second seed Gael Monfils of France 6-4 6-4 to successfully defend the men's title. "My mind has been strong this week and helped me overcome my issues with my shoulder which I've been battling these past few weeks," said Almagro. "This has helped me gain the self-confidence I needed after six tough months of injury last year."

Tennis: Djokovic battles to Dubai victory

Page last updated at 21:19 GMT, Saturday, 28 February 2009

Djokovic battles to Dubai victory

Djokovic wins his first tournament of the year in Dubai. World number three Novak Djokovic overcame David Ferrer 7-5 6-3 to win the Dubai Championships. The Serb edged out the Spanish fourth-seed in an entertaining match. Djokovic made hard work of the first set and dropped eight-straight points when serving at 5-3 up before winning eight of the next nine to take the set. He led the second set 4-1, but Ferrer pulled it back to 4-3, before a double-fault allowed Djokovic to serve out, with the Serb winning with an ace. With the withdrawal of world number one Rafael Nadal and number two Roger Federer prior to the event in Dubai, as well as Andy Murray's mid-tournament exit to a virus, Djokovic had been heavily fancied to win. "Nobody is a favourite in a final, everyone has the motivation to do well," said Djokovic. "I was physically and emotionally really involved with this tournament and to win it is a great feeling because Dubai has a history of having one of the strongest fields on the tour. "Despite some players pulling out, it was still a tough field." The Serb paid tribute to his Spanish opponent and admitted Ferrer's determined approach had caused him problems. "This was a tough match because David is a very tough opponent," Djokovic said. "He is one of the hardest working players on the tour, and he just keeps running down every ball. He makes you earn every point." Ferrer was playing in his first final of the season and despite the defeat he was pleased with his form. "I played a very good game and I am very happy with what I did, but he was the better player in the end," Ferrer said. "However, I really enjoyed my week and am looking forward to more such consistent weeks in the future."

Tennis: Murray crushes Clement in Dubai

Page last updated at 17:44 GMT, Wednesday, 25 February 2009

Murray crushes Clement in Dubai:

Murray shrugged off his ankle injury to beat Clement for the first time British number one Andy Murray stormed into the quarter-finals of the Dubai Championships with a 6-2 6-3 victory over Arnaud Clement of France. Clement was broken at 2-1 and 4-2 as Murray dominated the world number 73 and easily served out the first set. Unable to contain Murray's huge serves and blistering groundstrokes, Clement crumbled and two more breaks of serve helped the Scot seal the win. Murray will play Richard Gasquet in the last four after he beat Simone Bolelli. Gasquet holds a 2-1 head-to-head advantage over Murray but their last meeting, at Wimbledon last summer, went the way of Murray in five sets. The Frenchman is, however, likely to provide considerably tougher opposition than his compatriot Clement. It was the third meeting between Murray and Clement, the 31-year-old having won both previous matches although their last meeting was in 2006. Murray has since climbed to number four in the world while Clement's career has gone in the opposite direction - ranked in the top 10 in 2001, he is now down to 73. There was little evidence of the ankle injury that forced Murray to pull out of the Open 13 in Marseille last week and affected him in his first-round win over Sergiy Stakhovsky on Monday. He started at a high tempo and set up two break points in game one, only for the Clement to save both before holding serve. Clement engineered a break point in on Murray's first service game, but he overcooked a backhand and the Scot levelled. Murray, who broke his opponent in the following game, had to save another two break points in game six as Clement enjoyed success from both the baseline and at the net. But those were rare flurries from the Frenchman and when number two seed Murray moved into a 5-2 lead with a second break he comfortably served out the opening set. Murray, bidding for his third ATP Tour title this season, was serving particularly well and his seventh ace brought up two set points, of which he needed only one. Clement started the second set in determined fashion but Murray never looked in danger on his own serve and a break at 1-1 saw him edge ahead. Instead of counteracting the increased pressure Murray was applying, Clement's error count began to soar and a superb backhand drop shot gave the Scot a 3-1 lead. Clement saved two more break points in the fifth game but it would be a brief reprieve as Murray brought up match point on his opponent's serve at 3-5. The Frenchman saved with an ace but a searing forehand return brought up a second and another forehand winner saw Murray complete his triumph. Murray was delighted with his performance, telling BBC Sport: "I played really well, much better than in the first round. I felt like I was more adjusted to the conditions and the result would suggest that. "I served very well and when I gave him opportunities I came up with a few big serves at important moments." Murray is coping with an ankle injury and added: "It changes every day. Some days it hurts round the joint, on some at the front and on some at the back. I am taking it each day at a time and making sure I get the right physio treatment." His quarter-final against Gasquet is the last match on Centre Court on Thursday and he added: "We have had some very good matches in the past and I am hoping this will be another good one. "The Wimbledon match last year was one of the most exciting of my career." Top seed Novak Djokovic had to fight hard to beat Jan Hernych of Czech Republic 6-3 3-6 6-4 while third seed Gilles Simon beat Teimuraz Gabashvili 6-1 6-2. David Ferrer, seeded four, earned a 6-4 6-2 win against Philipp Kohlschreiber and fifth seed Marin Cilic got the better of Julien Benneteau, winning 6-3 4-6 7-5.

Teniss: Williams sisters set for showdown

Page last updated at 20:26 GMT, Thursday, 19 February 2009

Williams sisters set for showdown

Serena lost to sister Venus in their last match in Doha in November Serena Williams set up a Dubai Open semi-final against sister Venus with a 6-4 6-4 victory over Ana Ivanovic. Venus booked her spot with a convincing 6-3 6-3 win over defending champion Elena Dementieva. "We are the best players on the tour right now," said Serena, 27, who shares a record of nine wins each against her 28-year-old sister. "Obviously, we both are also playing our best tennis right now, which makes our matches more exciting." Ivanovic tried to unsettle Serena with an attacking game at the Aviation Club. 606: DEBATE Which Williams sister will prevail? "She was really trying to hit hard," said Serena, who won the Australian Open last month. "I think her goal was to go for broke. I was feeling a bit tired at the start of the second set, but wasn't too worried about her going 3-0 up as I knew I was just a break down. I knew I could pull it off." In the other quarter-final matches Virginie Razzano of France beat Russian Vera Zvonareva 7-6 (9-7) 7-5, while Estonian Kaia Kanepi, who eliminated third seed Jelena Jankovic in the third round, beat Russian qualifier Elena Vesnina 6-3 7-5.

Tennis Vevis Cup: Keothavong through to semi-finals

Page last updated at 23:30 GMT, Thursday, 19 February 2009

Keothavong through to semi-finals

Keothavong has reached the third WTA Tour semi-final of her career Anne Keothavong battled through to the semi-finals of the RMK Championships in Memphis with a 6-2 1-6 6-2 victory over New Zealand's Marina Erakovic. After losing the first two games of the match Keothavong dominated, winning six games in a row to take the first set. The 25-year-old Londoner's first serve let her down in the second set but she bounced back. Keothavong went on to win four games in a row in the third set to brush aside Erakovic and reach the semi-finals. The British number one again showed how far she has progressed as she overpowered the New Zealander, who beat her in straight sets at Surbiton last year, to reach the third WTA Tour semi-final of her career. 606: DEBATE Put your questions to Anne Keothavong Keothavong, who also made the last four in Auckland in January, will face number one seed Caroline Wozniacki in the semi-finals after the Dane's 2-6 6-3 6-3 win over Dutch qualifier Michaella Krajicek. "I'm pleased to get through another match here in Memphis and be in the semis of a WTA tournament for the second time this year," Keothavong told her website. "Today's match was a little up and down, the first set was pretty solid from me and then I went walkabout in the second. "My first serve percentage wasn't good enough in the second set but I still had game points and break points in almost every game. "There were a few close calls and over-rules from the umpire that didn't go my way but I managed to regroup and was very fired up for the third set where I came up with some good tennis. "My next match against Wozniacki will be a tough one but I feel ready and will give it my best shot." In the other side of the draw German sixth seed Sabine Lisicki beat third seed Lucie Safarova from the CzechRepublic 6-4, 6-2. Her opponent in the semi-final will be second seed Victoria Azarenka from Belarus who overcame Sabine Lisicki of Germany 6-3, 6-4.

Tennis- Djokovic beats Chardy in Open 13

At 18:15 GMT, Wednesday, 18 February 2009

Djokovic beats Chardy in Open 13

Djokovic also overcame Chardy in the Australian Open Novak Djokovic has beaten Frenchman Jeremy Chardy 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 in round one of the Open 13 in Marseille. The Serb, ranked third in the world, took the first set on a tie-break thanks to a strong serving display. He then broke the 55th-ranked Chardy in the third game of the second set and then held on to serve out the match. This was the 21-year-old's first match since retiring against Andy Roddick in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open, where he also beat Chardy. "I took some rest after the Australian Open. I needed to have a fresh mind," Djokovic said. The top seed served 13 aces and only had to defend one break point against the 22-year-old Chardy, who reached the final of this month's South African Open. He will now face Jan Hernych of the Czech Republic in round two. Djorkovic was joined in the next round by fourth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who was a 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 winner over Andrey Golubev. The Frenchman, who was a tournament winner in South Africa earlier this month, will meet Italy's Simone Bolelli in the second round.

Tennis- Venus rules out boycott over Peer

Page last updated at 20:58 GMT, Wednesday, 18 February 2009

Venus rules out boycott over Peer

Williams will head to Indian Wells next month for a meeting on the Peer issue Venus Williams says her fellow players had no intention of boycotting the Dubai Championships after Israeli Shahar Peer was denied a visa. Dubai is in the United Arab Emirates, which does not have diplomatic relations with Israel. The WTA, governing body of women's tennis, says the event's future is in doubt after Peer was unable to play. "There are so many other people involved. Sponsors are important to us," said Williams. "We wouldn't be here without sponsors. We can't let sponsors down. "Whatever we do, we need to do as a team - players, sponsors, tour and whoever - and not all break off in one direction. We are team players." She shouldn't be denied, it's not right, she's just a person. We are all people, no matter where we are from Williams on Peer Tensions are high in the region after last month's hostilities in the Gaza Strip and Israeli citizens are usually only allowed into the country if they have dual nationality or there are exceptional circumstances. WTA chief Larry Scott has described the issue as "deeply troubling" and confirmed that the future of the tournament is under threat. "Given all that Dubai has invested in sport and projecting the image of openness and fairness and security and all those things," Scott told the BBC World Service, "and knowing what I know about the development there and how important the role of sport is, I just didn't believe for a second that they would put all that at risk over this decision." Billie Jean King, who won 12 Grand Slam singles titles and campaigned vigorously for equality throughout her career, described the event organisers' stance as "shameful and definitely a step backwards". "In the 21st century there is no reason a person should be restricted from doing his or her job because of their nationality, creed, race, gender or sexual orientation," she said. "I trust the WTA Tour will look closely at the events in Dubai and take every step possible to ensure this type of distraction never happens again." Williams, a leading member of the WTA players council, will travel to Miami next month to take part in a meeting which will discuss the issue. "We have been successful in the past with many things," said Williams. "This is a large tournament, with unprecedented prize money this year, and equal prize money (with the men) and all kinds of wonderful things, but of course we know how to work on it. "Of course we don't jump to any conclusions. We feel like communication is the important thing and we know how to do that. "That's what we need - good communication so we stay involved." Williams, who reached the quarter-finals of the tournament with a 6-3 6-2 win over Alize Cornet on Wednesday, expressed her disappointment at Peer's predicament. "I know she's previously played in the Middle East, in Doha, so it was my understanding she would have the opportunity to play here also, despite legislative issues," said the American. "Obviously I am disappointed she hasn't had a chance to do this because she's a good person and works just as hard as anyone else on the tour, and should have the opportunity to play. "She shouldn't be denied, it's not right, she's just a person. We are all people, no matter where we are from. "I have to look at the bigger picture. "The big picture is that Shahar Peer didn't get a chance to play, but making an immediate decision we also have to look at sponsors, fans and everyone who has invested a lot in the tournament. "We are all going to consider what are options are for next year, but (this year) we didn't even know till Saturday (that Peer had been denied a visa). "I think there are rules and protocols as to how you can proceed."

Tennis: Serena Stutters Through in Dubai

Wednesday, 18 February 2009

Serena stutters through in Dubai:

Williams lost to Elena Dementieva in the Paris Open semi-finals last time out Serena Williams fought back from a set down to move into the third round of the Dubai Tennis Championship with a 4-6 6-2 6-0 win over Sara Errani. The world number one lost her first two service games, but finally found form to sweep through the closing stages. Sister Venus enjoyed easier progress with a 6-0 6-1 win over Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. But there was a shock for second seed Dinara Safina as she suffered a 6-4 6-2 defeat by France's Virginie Razzano. Vera Zvonareva made short work of her match, beating Vera Dushevina 6-0 6-3. And 13th seed Jie Zheng had to come from a set down to beat Australia's Samantha Stosur 3-6 7-5 7-5. Fourth seed Elena Dementieva beat Sybille Bammer of Austria 7-5 6-2, while third seed Jelena Jankovic defeated Monica Niculescu 6-3 6-2.

Tennis- Israeli Ram Wants Action on Dubai

Tuesday, 17 February 2009

Israeli Ram wants action on Dubai

Ram won the 2008 Australian Open with fellow Israeli Jonathan Erlich Tennis's governing bodies should take action when players are refused visas to play in Arab countries, says Israeli doubles specialist Andy Ram. Shahar Peer is not in the women's event because she was not allowed into Dubai and Ram is waiting to hear if he will get a visa for next week's tournament. Ram said: "It's one of the biggest events on the calendar so they have to find a way to have Israelis play there. "The governing bodies, the ATP and the WTA, have to take responsibility." Dubai is in the United Arab Emirates, which does not have diplomatic relations with Israel. Tensions are high after last month's hostilities in the Gaza Strip and Israeli citizens are usually only let in if they have dual nationality or there are exceptional circumstances. The 28-year-old Ram, the doubles world number 11, said: "I don't know what should be done. "Maybe cancel the tournament or sanction them with money or something else. But something should be done to make sure this situation does not develop again next year. "It's a complicated situation with the war. I understand the situation of the UAE government but if they make a big tournament and don't accept all the players by ranking, then that is wrong. "Cancelling the tournament is the last thing Shahar, the WTA or the ATP or anybody else wants. It's sad to see politics getting mixed up with sport. It's something I've never had to confront." The tournament has released a statement saying the decision to deny Peer a visa was taken for security reasons. "Concern was raised about her well-being and her presence triggering similar protests. Given public sentiment, the entire tournament could have been boycotted by protesters," said tournament director Salah Tahlak in a prepared statement. An ATP spokesman said: "We are still waiting an official decision on Andy Ram's visa application. Clearly this is an opportunity for the UAE to make the right decision." The men's tournament follows immediately after the women's event and this year will feature eight of the world's top 10 players, including Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray. The tournament is one of the most prestigious on the calendar, and offers more than £1.4m in prize money. The WTA is considering its options after Peer was banned from entering Dubai. Chief executive Larry Scott says one of those options is to remove the tournament from the 2010 calendar. "The future of this tournament is very much in doubt," Scott said. "We feel a great sense of upset and outrage over what has happened. Our goal is to bring sports above politics and resolving this for the future. "There certainly will be (sanctions) imposed on the tournament but we'll make those decisions following this year's tournament. "They were awarded this tournament with a very clear understanding and their agreement that if an Israeli ever wanted to play, they would be allowed to play." Like the WTA, the ATP's policy is that no player can be denied entry into a tournament for which he has qualified by ranking.

Murray beats Nadal to take title

Murray collected the 10th title of his career in Rotterdam Britain's Andy Murray claimed his third successive victory over world number one Rafael Nadal to win the World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam. The 21-year-old Scot came through 6-3 4-6 6-0 in one hour 51 minutes to win the 10th title of his career. Nadal was struggling with a knee injury in the closing stages and, after edging the second set, he was unable to serve effectively in the decider. "Sorry to Rafa, I know he hurt his leg," said Murray afterwards. "It shows how good a player he is - he was still managing to beat me on one leg." Andy played very well today and he deserved to win the tournament Rafael Nadal Murray too has had his injury problems this week and has pulled out of next week's tournament in Marseille to protect his troublesome ankle. It did not appear to hinder him in Sunday's final, however, and he played well enough to suggest he could have defeated a fully fit Nadal. The Briton went into the match with a 1-5 competitive record against Nadal but had won their last two matches, at the US Open in September and an exhibition event in January. After a cagey start, Murray stepped up his game to break for a 4-2 lead and served out impressively. Nadal needed treatment on his knee early in the second set When Nadal called for the trainer at 2-1 up in the second set, a swift end to proceedings looked possible, but it was Murray who came off worst from the break in play as he immediately dropped serve for the first time. If that seemed to be a decisive moment, it was misleading. Eight successive breaks of serve saw Nadal edge the set with a brilliant 10th game, that included a running forehand winner and killer drop volley, before Murray got the early break in the decider. By now, Nadal's knee problem left him completely unable to push up on his serve and Murray took full advantage. Nadal showed just what an incredible competitor he is two weeks ago when he fought past Roger Federer in five sets to win the Australian Open, but there was to be no repeat performance. The bemused crowd inside the Ahoy Arena was hushed as the world number one lost the set to love. It was a disappointing end to the match but Murray had given further proof that he poses a real threat to the very best in the game, solidifying his place as the world number four and suggesting he can go higher. MURRAY TITLES 2006: San Jose 2007: San Jose, St Petersburg 2008: Qatar Open, Marseille, Cincinnati Masters, Madrid Masters, St Petersburg 2009: Qatar Open, Rotterdam "I'm happy with the week but not especially with the way that it ended," said Murray. "I can't be disappointed with how I was playing. I knew something was wrong with Rafa as he took about 30kph off of his serve in the second set. "But he was hitting so hard that it was rushing me. That was part of the reason for all of the breaks. "I could see him shaking his head. But he's not the kind of guy who's going to stop chasing the ball unless there's a good reason. "He said that he sometimes has a knee problem when he plays a lot on hard court." Nadal said: "I had a problem with the injury but I don't want to talk about that. Andy played very well today and he deserved to win the tournament. "I am very happy with my performance this week. I came here without the best preparation after Australia, so it was a great result for me to get to the final here and I am very happy with that." Both Murray and Nadal are scheduled to play in Dubai in a week's time but the Spaniard could not commit to the tournament. "It's tough when you can't play to your level," he said. "The problem is something from this week, it's tough to play like this, I couldn't push off on my shots. "I hope I can play Dubai, we will see what's going on. I'm not saying anything but you never know."

Nadal survives a scare

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Nadal survives a scare:

Spanish world number one Rafael Nadal plays a backhand against Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria during the ATP tournament in Rotterdam on Thursday.Photo: AFPAfp, Rotterdam

Rafael Nadal defeated world number 490 Grigor Dimitrov 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 on Thursday to reach the Rotterdam Open quarterfinals, but the Bulgarian teenager demonstrated his exciting potential as a future star.

World number one Nadal had plenty of problems with the 17-year-old junior Wimbledon and US Open winner who broke the newly-crowned Australian Open champion in the eighth game of the second set on his way to levelling the match.

But Nadal, who has struggled all week on the ultra-fast court here, quickly recovered his poise to reach the last eight although Dimitrov twice had chances in the final set to grab a break before running out of steam.

"He is heading to the top 10, for sure," said the Spaniard, who broke on seven of 12 chances in the tight second round contest.

"It was a really tough match and I had to work to win it."

Nadal, who now faces French seventh seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga for a semifinal spot, said Dimitrov reminded him of his own early days on the tour.

"I remember when I was 17 and beat (Roger) Federer in Miami. The motivation is great and you have nothing to lose. It was the same for me then."

Andy Murray overcame a raft of errors in a hit-or-miss opening set before posting a gruelling 7-6 (7/4), 7-5 win over Italy's Andreas Seppi.

The second seeded Scot struggled to impose himself in the first set which dragged on for nearly an hour with the world number four needing seven set points, spread over four games, to finally take the lead.

Things improved slightly in the second set with Murray and 36th-ranked Seppi trading breaks in the fourth and fifth games.

Murray benefitted from a Seppi double-fault to take a 6-5 lead and finally got off court on his second match point and after an hour and three-quarters.

"There were a lot of errors from both sides in the first set," said Murray, who lost in the first round here a year ago.

"The standard was not good. Both of us started playing better and by the second set it was really tough. He hits flat and hard and moves really well."

Murray will next face French lucky loser Marc Gicquel, who defeated compatriot Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-4, 6-3.

French fifth seed Gael Monfils, who put out compatriot and defending champion Michael Llodra 6-4, 6-4, will tackle fellow Frenchman Julien Benneteau who booked his last-eight place on Wednesday with an upset win against Russian third seed Nikloay Davydenko.

Croatia's Mario Ancic, a runner-up at Zagreb last weekend, beat French fourth seed Gilles Simon 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.

Ancic has had a troubled few seasons with illness and injury but feels he is now back on his feet.

His defeat of Simon was only his 13th victory against 39 losses when facing top ten opponents. Against the elite, the win was only his second since 2007.

"This is unbelievable," said the 28th ranked Croatian. "Gilles is a top player and they are always very difficult to beat."

Ancic next faces Russian Mikhail Youzhny.