The Star Online: Sports
The Star Online: Sports |
- Tennis: Ferrer beats Tipsarevic in epic to reach Open semis
- Tennis: Serbian Savic lifetime match-fix ban upheld
- Tennis: Errani doing double duty at US Open
| Tennis: Ferrer beats Tipsarevic in epic to reach Open semis Posted: 06 Sep 2012 05:01 PM PDT NEW YORK: Spanish fourth seed David Ferrer matched his best Grand Slam showing by advancing to the US Open semi-finals on Thursday, downing Serb eighth seed Janko Tipsarevic 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/4). Ferrer will play on Saturday for a berth in the final against the winner of a later quarter-final between defending champion Novak Djokovic, the Serbian second seed, and Argentine seventh seed Juan Martin Del Potro, the 2009 winner. The Spaniard is 5-2 all-time against Del Potro and 5-8 in his career against Djokovic. British third seed Andy Murray and Czech sixth seed Tomas Berdych will meet in the other semi-final. This will be the first time since the 2004 French Open that the semi-finals at a Grand Slam will not feature either Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal, a run of 33 Slams in a row. In a marathon battle that lasted four hours and 31 minutes, Ferrer rallied from 4-1 down in the final set to force a tie-breaker, then won five of the final six points of the match, the last when Tipsarevic netted a backhand. "I'm really happy," Ferrer said. "It was a very emotional match. It was a really tough match. Janko, he's an amazing player and he really fought a lot. He deserved to win today too." Ferrer improved to 17-9 in career five-set matches while Tipsarevic fell to 15-8. "It was a lottery in the fifth set," Ferrer said. "I had a break down but I was fighting also and I won. I had to fight a lot and be focused every point." Ferrer, whose five tour titles this year are second only to six by Federer, matched his best Grand Slam result runs to the last four of the 2007 US Open, 2011 Australian Open and 2012 French Open. In the fifth set, Tipsarevic broke Ferrer's first service with a backhand volley winner for a 2-0 lead on the way to a 4-1 edge. But the Serb slipped and fell on his left side going for a Ferrer backhand in the sixth game, which Ferrer held to pull within 4-2. Ferrer, held, broke back in the seventh game, held again to pull even at 4-4 and earned two break points in the ninth game before Tipsarevic called for a trainer, having his right upper leg taped after reaching toward his right groin during a rally. The Serb responded with a forehand volley winner and three service winners to hold and each man held into the final tie-breaker. - AFP |
| Tennis: Serbian Savic lifetime match-fix ban upheld Posted: 06 Sep 2012 04:37 PM PDT NEW YORK: Serbian journeyman David Savic had his lifetime ban from tennis upheld on Thursday by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The 27-year-old, who is listed as the world 363 in the latest ATP rankings, was found guilty of match-fixing in October 2011 and fined $100,000. "The Court of Arbitration for Sport has confirmed the decision to rule that David Savic be permanently ineligible to participate in any event organised or sanctioned by any tennis governing body," said a CAS statement issued in Lausanne. "However, the CAS has decided to set aside the fine of $100,000 which had been imposed on the player." The Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) said in October last year that Savic had been found guilty on three counts of corruption with the violations taking place in October 2010. - AFP |
| Tennis: Errani doing double duty at US Open Posted: 06 Sep 2012 04:36 PM PDT NEW YORK: Women's doubles World No. 1 Sara Errani is bidding for a rare two-title run at the US Open, advancing to the women's doubles final Thursday after having booked a berth in the singles semi-finals. Italy's Errani and best friend Roberta Vinci defeated Nuria Llagostera Vives and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez of Spain 6-3, 6-2 to reach a spot in Sunday's women's doubles final. Errani, a 10th seed in singles, also will play 14-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams in Friday's women's singles semi-finals after defeating Vinci 6-2, 6-4 on Wednesday in an all-Italian quarter-final. Not since Williams in 1999 has a woman won US Open singles and doubles crowns, Williams beating Martina Hingis in the singles final and pairing with sister Venus to capture the doubles. Other women who have done the US Open singles-doubles twin wins in the Open era include Martina Navratilova, Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, Billie Jean King and Margaret Court. Many times a player that goes deep in singles will quit in doubles but Errani sees one as helping the other. "It's very good if you win the doubles. It's a good thing for your confidence," Errani said. "It's a good day to practice for singles but also a good day to play doubles and have fun on the court." Errani, who became the first Italian woman in the Open era to reach the last four in New York, made her Grand Slam singles final debut last June at the French Open, losing to Maria Sharapova on the red clay of Roland Garros. Vinci and Errani have won seven doubles titles in 2012, including the French Open crown. Vinci ranks second in the world in doubles, but not in Errani's eyes. "We're happy to be No. 1. It's a dream for us," Errani said. "We are No. 1 together. It's not me No. 1 and her second." Vinci has seen Errani's game change over the past few years since she turned pro at age 20 in 2008. "She's a little bit different. She's mature. She's more sure of herself," Vinci said. "On the court, she is unbelievable." Errani credits older Italian women's players like Francesca Schiavone and Vinci with helping her develop into a stronger player. "They had me start when I was little on the WTA, learn how to practice, how to do the right things," Errani said. "I saw them and I wanted to make things similar to them." Errani will make at least $475,000 in singles alone from the Flushing Meadows fortnight and a singles crown would pay $1.9 million. But unlike at the French Open, she has not even thought about how she might spend it. "At Paris I was looking much more," she said. "This time, more relaxed. I haven't thought about it yet." - AFP |
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