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ATP Finals

29K views 359 replies 3 participants last post by  Chirag 
#1 ·
I wanted to make a thread featuring articles about every final of the ATP world tour from 2010 onwards.All articles belong to www.atpworldtour.com and no copyright intended.






If you dont like the thread please dont comment on it :):).This is my first thread on MTF :eek::eek:
 
#253 ·
GSTAAD 2013
World No. 33 Mikhail Youzhny became the first Russian champion in 18 years at the Crédit Agricole Suisse Open Gstaad on Sunday. The Moscow native lifted his ninth ATP World Tour trophy as he defeated Robin Haase 6-3, 6-4 in the final.

It is the 12th time this year that a player aged 30-over has won an ATP World Tour title. The 31-year-old Youzhny captured his first trophy since February 2012, when he was victorious at the PBZ Zagreb Indoors (d. Lacko). He has a 9-11 record in finals. Yevgeny Kafelnikov was the last Russian to conquer Gstaad in 1995.

"I'm very happy," said Youzhny. "When you win a tournament, it doesn't matter how you've played or who you beat. My last title was at the start of last year in Zagreb, so it's been quite long. I'm trying everything to try and play more consistently at a high level."

Former World No. 8 Youzhny earned 250 Emirates ATP Rankings points and €74,000. He had saved three match points to beat Juan Monaco in the quarter-finals before defeating Victor Hanescu in straight sets in the semi-finals.

He needed 68 minutes to get past Haase, converting his third match point. The right-hander broke serve twice and won 76 per cent of his service points. Youzhny improved to a 5-0 FedEx ATP Head2Head record over Haase, having also beaten the Dutchman last month in the Wimbledon first round.

"When you see the score, it looks easy, but it wasn't," said Youzhny. "It was only one break in each set and I didn't have many chances to break him again. The last game on my serve was also very close."

The No. 57-ranked Haase was bidding for his third ATP World Tour crown, having won back-to-back titles at the bet-at-home Cup Kitzbühel in 2011-12. He now looks to defend his title at the Austrian ATP World Tour 250 clay-court tournament in a field that features Philipp Kohlschreiber, Juan Monaco and Fernando Verdasco.

"I didn’t feel well last weekend and had some problems with my knee which was pretty swollen. And now I’m here as the runner-up and that’s great," said Haase. "I think that the altitude fits my game and that I can handle it well. It’s tough to play against Mikhail. He’s a great player and I never beat him.

"I want to thank my new coach, Marcos Gorriz. We started in December and made some changes. I was struggling a bit in the beginning, but now it’s working well and I’m sure that we’ll have more success in the coming years."
 
#254 ·
UMAG 2013
The resurgence of Tommy Robredo took another step forward Sunday as he captured his second title of the year at the Vegeta Croatia Open Umag. The veteran Spaniard finally halted Fabio Fognini’s 13-match winning streak, beating the Italian 6-0, 6-3 in the clay-court final.

"I'm more than happy," said Robredo. "I've been a professional for nearly 15 years and this is my 12th title, so there have not been many times with trophies. I love the emotion.

"Before the match, I was talking to my coach and I was saying, 'It's lovely to be waiting to play a final and you are nervous.' Money can't buy this feeling and I'm lucky to be part of this sport and lucky to have the chance to feel these feelings. I enjoy it and I know how to handle it."

Robredo began the year at World No. 114 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, having tumbled down the order due to injury. After compiling a 28-15 match record in 2013, the 31-year-old Spaniard, a former World No. 5, has returned to the Top 30 and claimed his second title of the year as he dismissed Fognini in 62 minutes.

The fifth-seeded Robredo surged through the opening set, surrendering just one point on serve and six in total as he took a commanding lead. Fognini, who has saved match points galore in his stellar three weeks, including three against Gael Monfils in Saturday’s semi-finals, rallied briefly in the second set, breaking for a 2-1 lead. His advantage was short-lived, though, as Robredo won five of the last six games.

"I played lovely. I played great," said Robredo. "It was a perfect match. It's not easy to play a final and I played very good. I served okay, I returned okay. To win today, I think I did a great job."

It was their first meeting since 2011 and saw Robredo improve to a 4-1 lead over Fognini in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series. Robredo earned 250 Emirates ATP Rankings points and €74,000.

Thirteen ATP World Tour titles this season have now been won by players aged 30 and over, already matching last year’s total.

Robredo, who won his first title for two years when he triumphed at the Grand Prix Hassan II in Casablanca in April (d. Anderson), improved to a 12-7 finals record. The right-hander has captured nine of his past ten ATP World Tour clay finals, beginning with 2006 Hamburg (d. Stepanek); his only loss came in Warsaw in 2008 (l. to Davydenko).

Fognini had been on a tear in the past three weeks. The Italian commanded the fourth longest win-streak of the season as he won his first two ATP World Tour titles at the MercedesCup in Stuttgart (d. Kohlschreiber) and the bet-at-home Open - German Tennis Championships in Hamburg (d. Delbonis).

The 26-year-old Fognini broke into the Top 20 of the Emirates ATP Rankings this week and is set to rise to around a new career-high of No. 16 after earning 150 points with the runner-up performance.

"It was an incredible week," said Fognini. "I go home with a lot of happiness. I'm a little bit disappointed, but even if you're Roger or Rafa, you're going to lose some time. I've played three incredible weeks and they're going to stay in my head for the rest of my life."
 
#255 ·
KITZBUHEL 2013
Marcel Granollers overcame a disastrous start to win his fourth ATP World Tour title on Saturday at the bet-at-home Cup Kitzbühel. The Spaniard rallied to defeat second seed Juan Monaco 0-6, 7-6(3), 6-4 in two hours and 13 minutes.

It is the first time a player has recovered from a 0-6 first set to win an ATP World Tour title since Nikolay Davydenko defeated Rafael Nadal 0-6, 7-6(8), 6-4 in the 2010 final of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha.

"Today I was half on my way to the airport, but I kept on fighting and started to play better in the middle of the second set," said Granollers.

World No. 53 Granollers captured his first ATP World Tour title since 2011, when he lifted the trophies at the Crédit Agricole Suisse Open Gstaad and the Valencia Open 500. He improved to a 4-2 finals record.

Granollers is set to return to the Top 40 of the Emirates ATP Rankings after earning 250 ranking points and €74,000 in prize money. He reached as high as World No. 19 in July last year.

The Barcelona native is the sixth different Spaniard to win an ATP World Tour title this year, joining Rafael Nadal (7), David Ferrer (2), Tommy Robredo (2), Feliciano Lopez (1) and Albert Montanes (1).

Granollers improved to a 3-1 FedEx ATP Head2Head lead over Monaco, having also beaten the Argentine in the 2011 Valencia final. Monaco looked set to avenge that loss as he raced to the first set in just 24 minutes, losing only three points on serve and nine in total.

Granollers got himself on the board in the second game of the second set and swung the momentum in his favour as he broke for a 4-3 lead. The Spaniard was unable to close out the set when serving for it at 5-4, but won the ensuing tie-break to level the match.

He surged ahead 4-0 in the deciding set, but had to withstand a late fightback from Monaco. The Tandil native rallied from a 0/40 deficit in the eighth game and broke Granollers back as he served for the match to get back to 5-4. Granollers regrouped to break Monaco in the next game, though, to claim victory.

"I definitely didn’t start well, but he played unbelievable, very solid with almost no mistakes," said Granollers.

"But until you lose the last point, you are still standing and I kept on going. I got probably more nervous than usual when I had to close the match at 5-3 in the third, but it’s normal to get that way in a final. I played very well after that and I did it. I came into this week playing well so I knew I could do something here."

Monaco was chasing his second ATP World Tour title of the season after victory at the Power Horse Cup in Dusseldorf (d. Nieminen); he dropped to an 8-10 finals record. The 29 year old was looking to reclaim the Kitzbuhel title he had won in 2007, with victory over Potito Starace.

“I am disappointed to not have been able to come through today," said Monaco. "The score never lies and I need to congratulate Marcel because he was a better player than me.

"Of course I know that overall, this was a great week for me. If I can be in the final every week, I will sign immediately. When I think where I was at the beginning of the season this is great.

"I probably played my best tennis of the year in the first set, which I need to be happy about, but Marcel started to play better and things turned around unfortunately for me. I really enjoyed being back in Kitzbuhel after 2007 when I won.”
 
#256 ·
WASHINGTON 2013
Top seed Juan Martin del Potro won the Citi Open in Washington, D.C., with a 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 victory over John Isner on Sunday, extending his winning streak at the event to 14 matches and taking his second ATP World Tour 500 title of the season.

"It’s amazing. I’m so happy to win here once again," he said. "Always when you win a tournament, it’s special, it’s big. And after Wimbledon, to be in my first tournament on hard court, it means a lot."

Isner had the upper hand early on, breaking for a 3-1 lead on a 22-stroke rally and going on to capture the first set after five set points. But del Potro fired back, breaking the big-serving American four times to win the match in an hour and 29 minutes.

The Argentine made a slow start after finishing his rain-interrupted semi-final against Tommy Haas late Saturday night. "But I found a really quick break in the second [set] and that helped me to keep fighting and improving my game," he said.

From 1-1 in the second set, del Potro won the next seven games to take a 2-0 lead in the third set.

"In the third, I played my best tennis of the tournament," he said.

del Potro Standing further back on the return also helped him deal with his 6'10" opponent's serve, he added.

Isner served only six aces in the final after reaching double digits in all his previous matches in the tournament, and was broken just once all week before the final. The top-ranked American at No. 20, Isner had also been on an eight-match winning streak after winning the title in Atlanta a week earlier.

"I take a lot of positives out of these two weeks given how I played during these matches," said Isner. "I won a bunch of close matches en route to the title last week and the final today. Winning last week and making it to the finals here are very good results."

Del Potro, meanwhile, won his 15th career title, with his previous triumph coming at Rotterdam earlier this year. Following victories in his two last Washington appearances in 2008 and 2009, he also joins fellow Argentine Guillermo Vilas as a three-time champion at the event.

Del Potro, now second in the Emirates Airline US Open Series Bonus Challenge standings behind Isner, next heads to the Rogers Cup in Montreal. He reached the final at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament in 2009, and followed by winning the US Open a month later.

"I’m looking forward to Montreal, Cincinnati and the US Open," said the World No. 7. "That gives me big confidence to keep trying and getting closer to the top guys."
 
#257 ·
MONTREAL 2013
Rafael Nadal captured his 25th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crown on Sunday as he defeated home hope Milos Raonic 6-2, 6-2 in the final of the Coupe Rogers in Montreal.

"To win here, I have to be playing my top level," said Nadal." Very happy the way that I played almost every match in this tournament. Is very important for me, this title. Just very happy for everything."

Victory gives Nadal another boost in the battle for year-end World No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings. He already leads the year-to-date standings and adds another 1000 Emirates ATP Rankings points and $547,300.

Nadal moves to second place behind John Isner in the Emirates Airline US Open Series Bonus Challenge standings. Raonic is in fourth position.

The Spaniard lifted the trophy in Canada for the third time, having triumphed in Montreal in 2005 (d. Agassi) and in Toronto in 2008 (d. Kiefer). He won his fourth Masters 1000 title of the year, having also prevailed in Indian Wells (d. del Potro), Madrid (d. Wawrinka) and Rome (d. Federer).

Nadal improved to a 4-0 FedEx ATP Head2Head record over Raonic as he exposed a 50 per cent first serve conversion rate from the Canadian. Raonic, who leads the ATP MatchFacts in service games won and in first serve points won, was broken four times by Nadal as the Spaniard claimed victory in 68 minutes. Nadal hit 17 winners to just seven unforced errors, while Raonic committed 22 unforced errors.

"I did a lot of things well," said Nadal. "My return was huge this afternoon. I returned a few first serves of his in important moments, decisive. Then I think he play with more mistakes than usual. That helped me."

The 27-year-old Nadal lifted his eighth tour-level trophy of the season. After returning to the ATP World Tour in February following a seven-month injury lay off, he has compiled a 48-3 match record (10-0 on hard courts), including victory at Roland Garros (d. Ferrer).

Nadal is looking to finish as the year-end No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings for the first time since 2010, and for the third time overall.

"I feel I have an advantage, but not enough to say that I am the favourite," he said. "On this kind of surface, Novak is really good. [There] remains three Masters 1000s, one Grand Slam, [Barclays ATP World Tour Finals] - more favourable surfaces for him than for me. So we are talking about 6,500 points.

"We have to realise how many points I have to win to be No. 1. I think I will not be No. 1 if I have less than 10,000 points at the end of the season. Today I have 8,000. I need to win minimum 2,000 more. That's very difficult in this part of the season, but I'm going to try."

Raonic was attempting to become the first homegrown champion at the Canadian Masters since Robert Bedard in 1958. By reaching the final, he is set to become the first Canadian to break the Top 10 of the Emirates ATP Rankings. He had beaten countryman Vasek Pospisil in the first all-Canadian semi-final on the ATP World Tour since 1990.

"There's a lot of things, a lot of steps, a lot of professionalism that is not optional really to get to this level, stuff I really pride myself in, I put a lot of emphasis on," said Raonic. "To do it here is really special for me, but also it's very motivating for the next steps to sort of know that I've made that step to where I want to be. It makes me want to push harder and work more to make the next step to go down that line and try to get as close as I can to my goals."

The 22-year-old Toronto native was chasing his second ATP World Tour title of the season, after victory in San Jose (d. Haas), and dropped to a 4-4 finals record.
 
#258 ·
CINCINATTI 2013
Rafael Nadal’s resurgent 2013 campaign continued on Sunday with a 7-6(8), 7-6(3) victory over John Isner to clinch his maiden Western & Southern Open title. Nadal claimed a 26th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title and 59th overall.

Nadal extended his career-best hard court winning streak to 15-0 in 2013, while joining Novak Djokovic as the only players to win five Masters 1000 crowns in a single year. After hoisting the trophy in Montreal last week, this marks the first time Nadal has won back-to-back hard court titles in consecutive weeks. The Mallorcan is 53-3 overall this season, including nine titles.

By becoming the second Spaniard to win in Cincinnati (Moya in 2002), Nadal receives $583,800 in prize money and 1000 Emirates ATP Ranking points. The result means that he will return to World No. 2 on Monday. Isner, who is now 2-2 in finals this year, picked up $286,240 and 600 points.

With Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray losing in the quarter-finals, Nadal further strengthened his claim to year-end World No. 1.

"It means a lot, being able to win two straight titles, two Masters 1000 on hard back to back is just amazing for me," Nadal said, reflecting on his accomplishment. "I never did something like this in all my career. So it was an emotional moment for so many different facts. First of all, I won a very important tournament, Masters 1000. Second thing, after all the problems that I had, I mean, it was just two weeks in a row on hard playing at the highest level. Then the ranking is there. I was playing for a lot of points this week. And I'm in a good position."

Both players cruised on serve in the first set until 6-5 when Isner forced two set points at 15/40. Nadal would escape behind clutch serving, firing two consecutive aces to set up game point. The Spaniard would hold and go on to crack Isner’s impressive 32-12 tie-break record in 2013, winning an eventual tie-break on his second set point.

The second set progressed much like the first, with both players mired in a serving stalemate until a deciding tie-break. Nadal staved off a break point at 3-3 30/40 with a beautiful drop volley off a dipping defensive slice from Isner (see Hot Shot below). Nadal would earn an immediate mini-break for a 2-0 lead and never looked back, converting on his first match point with a looping forehand passing shot.

Despite the loss, Isner often found success in mixing up his serve direction, using his kicker out wide to pull Nadal off the court. Nadal gained traction in the return game as the match wore on, but nonetheless failed to garner a break point. The 6’10” American was unable to dent Nadal’s serve, however, winning just 20% of his return points.

Isner took solace in defeat. “I played extremely well all week. Thought I played well again today. Unfortunately, it just wasn't good enough. As I said on the court, [I'm] going to hold my head up high after today's match and after this whole week. But Rafa was better than me today.”

Isner, who returns to the Top 20 with his run to the final, entered today having registered three consecutive Top 10 victories, defeating Milos Raonic and Djokovic before scoring a valiant comeback against Juan Martin del Potro. It was the 6’10” American’s second ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final, with a runner-up finish in Indian Wells last year. Isner continues his Emirates Airline US Open Series this week at the Winston-Salem Open, where he will look to three-peat.

This was the first meeting between the Spaniard and the American since the first round at Roland Garros in 2011, when Isner pushed Nadal to the brink, the first time Nadal had been taken to five sets there.
 
#259 ·
WINSTON SALEM 2013
Jurgen Melzer captured his fifth ATP World Tour title and first on an outdoor hard court on Saturday at the Winston-Salem Open. The Austrian is the 14th player aged 30-over to win an ATP World Tour title this season.

World No. 32 Melzer was leading Gael Monfils 6-3, 2-1 in the final when the Frenchman was forced to retire with a left hip injury. Melzer received 250 Emirates ATP Rankings points and $76,900 in prize money. He is set to rise to around World No. 27 in the Emirates ATP Rankings.

"He's such a great player, so I was trying to focus on my things that I've been doing well this week," said the 32-year-old Melzer. "I was trying to be aggressive and go to the net as much as I could. The game before he retired he was serving really slowly and I missed a lot of returns because I knew if I broke him it could be the end and you get a little tight. Nobody wants to win a final like that, you want to be out there competing, but at the end of the day you take the title."

Melzer will look to carry his good form into next week’s US Open, where he is due to face Russian Evgeny Donskoy in the first round. Should he win his first two matches, he could meet sixth seed and 2009 champion Juan Martin del Potro in the third round.

Melzer improved to a 5-8 finals record after playing his second title match of the season. He finished runner-up at the PBZ Zagreb Indoors in February (l. to Cilic). His last title had come 18 months ago at the U.S. National Indoor Tennis Championships in Memphis, where he defeated Milos Raonic.

Melzer was quick to credit his new coaching relationship with Galo Blanco, whom he began working with three weeks ago, for his upturn in fortune. "He started working with me in a tough moment of my career. I hadn't played any matches after Wimbledon. I took four weeks off with a shoulder issue and I played terrible in Cincinnati - it was a shocking match against Monaco. To come back a week later and win a trophy... We put a lot of work in. He talked to me a lot. It's always a team effort. My wife is here with me and she understands the game. Those two have done a fabulous job this week to get me going in the right direction."

The 26-year-old Monfils dropped to a 4-15 finals record. It was his second runner-up showing of the season after losing the Open de Nice Côte d’Azur final to Albert Montanes in May. The Frenchman is projected to return to the Top 40 of the Emirates ATP Rankings with his performance this week. The former World No. 7 has been steadily climbing back up this season, having dropped to No. 108 in February.

"I started to feel it yesterday," explained Monfils. "I had a sharp pain. After about 50 minutes [today], I tried to serve at full speed, and that was it. I felt like something snapped a little bit and it was really painful. It was tough to continue. I will try to get an x-ray tonight and see what's going on."
 
#260 ·
US OPEN 2013
Rafael Nadal celebrated his second US Open title on Monday night at Flushing Meadows with a battling 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 win over World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, improving to a perfect 22-0 record on hard courts this season.

The 27-year-old Spaniard, who claimed his 13th major title from 18 finals, now stands just one triumph behind Pete Sampras on the all-time Grand Slam titles list and four back of leader Roger Federer.

Nadal had missed last year’s US Open due to a knee injury, and called it “very, very emotional” to return and win the title. “Probably only my team knows how much [today’s match] means for me,” he said during the trophy presentation. “Playing against Novak always is a very special feeling. Probably nobody brings my game to that limit like Novak did.”

With his 10th title and 60th match win of the season, Nadal further strengthened his lead over Djokovic in the battle for year-end World No. 1. He currently has 11,010 points to the Serbian’s 7,970 in the Emirates ATP Race To London. Both players have already qualified for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, to be held in November at The O2.

In Nadal’s last two visit to Flushing Meadows, he had also faced Djokovic in the final. Nadal won in 2010 to complete the career Grand Slam, and Djokovic won the following year. Both of those matches were also decided in four sets.

The end of the third set proved the pivotal stage Monday, in the 12th US Open final featuring the top two seeds. Nadal, who had dropped three straight service games at the end of the second set and start of the third, rallied from triple break point down in the ninth game to hold serve. He broke Djokovic in the next game to take the two-sets-to-one lead and conceded just one more game, clinching the victory after three hours and 21 minutes.

“It's like it was a momentum change out there from love/40, 4-all third set, he started playing really good,” said Djokovic. “He served well few points. I didn’t do anything I felt wrong in these few points. He didn’t make a mistake. He served well. He came to the net.

“All the credit to him. I had my momentum from midway second set to end of the third where I was supposed to use and realise the opportunities that were presented to me, and I didn’t do it. I didn’t deserve to win in the end.”

Nadal earned a total of $3.6 million, including $1 million in bonus prize money for winning the 2013 Emirates Airline US Open Series Bonus Challenge. He is the first player since Andy Roddick in 2003 to complete the summer hard-court hat-trick by winning the Coupe Rogers, the Western & Southern Open and the US Open.

The Mallorcan, who returned to action in February after a seven-month absence, had begun his hard-court campaign in March by winning the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.

He drew level with Djokovic in Grand Slam final meetings at 3-3, and extended his lead in their FedEx Head2Head to 22-15 with his third straight win over the Serbian. The rivals were facing off for an Open Era record 37th time, surpassing the mark previously set by Ivan Lendl and John McEnroe.

Djokovic, this year’s Australian Open champion, was looking to win his seventh Grand Slam title. He was contesting his fourth straight US Open final and fifth overall (1-4).

“It’s obviously disappointing to lose a match like this, but again it was a huge privilege and honour to be fighting for this trophy,” he said.
 
#261 ·
METZ 2013
Gilles Simon capped an unforgettable week in Metz, upsetting Jo-Wilfried Tsonga for a second Moselle Open title, 6-4, 6-3, a mere 13 days after celebrating the birth of his second son, Valentin. Simon denied Tsonga a three-peat in the northern French city in the process, converting four of five break point opportunities for the win.

"I cannot become a father every week," Simon said. "It’s a beautiful story for sure. Unfortunately my wife and children couldn’t be here today. It was a great moment for me because I missed the birth of our first child and this time I was able to be there. I was very happy about that."

Simon improved his winning streak in Metz to 9-0 after falling in the opening round in his first four appearances. He defeated Mischa Zverev 6-3, 6-2 for the 2010 title. He did not relinquish a set this week and was only broken twice all tournament.

It is the 6’ Frenchman’s 11th career ATP World Tour crown and sixth on hard courts, as he extended his streak to seven years in a row with at least one title. Simon earned 250 Emirates ATP Rankings points and €74,000 in prize money, which will bump him back inside the Top 15. Tsonga takes home 150 points and €39,000 for his run to the final.

It was Simon’s second final of the season, having fallen to Feliciano Lopez on the grass of Eastbourne, in June. He is slated to return to Bangkok next week, where he was the runner-up last year.

Tsonga, meanwhile, was denied a place in history as the seventh active player to complete a three-peat on the ATP World Tour. Three players had already accomplished the feat this year, with David Ferrer winning in Auckland, Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open and Milos Raonic in San Jose.

"I’m sad about losing the final today, but I’m happy with my week," Tsonga, who was playing in his first tournament since suffering a left knee injury at Wimbledon, said. "Gilles was just better than me today. He’s a great player and he was very solid during the whole match."

Simon turned the tables on Tsonga’s 5-0 FedEx ATP Head2Head edge on hard courts and impeded his quest to qualify for a third consecutive Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. Tsonga currently resides in the tenth position and finds himself over 300 points behind Stanislas Wawrinka for the eighth and final spot.
 
#262 ·
ST PETERSBURG 2013
Ernests Gulbis reeled off the final 11 games to complete a 3-6, 6-4, 6-0 comeback win over Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in the St. Petersburg Open final on Sunday. The sixth seed did not lose another game after trailing 3-6, 1-4, going on to claim his second ATP World Tour title of the season.

World No. 36 Gulbis won the fourth ATP World Tour title of his career and the first outside of the U.S.A. He earned 250 Emirates ATP Rankings points and $78,000 in prize money, which will propel him back into the Top 30. The Latvian’s career-high Emirates ATP Ranking was World No. 21 in February 2011.

“I feel great, it’s my second title of the season - the fourth one of the my career," said Gulbis. "I’ve been very consistent especially in finals; I’ve never lost in a final. I’m proud of that record.

"I made my short term goals. I’m going to be seeded in Melbourne with these points, so that’s done. Now everything that comes, comes. I have nothing to defend so it’s all good.

“The main key why I’m not yet a top player is the consistency. Everybody knows I can play well for a tournament or a match and then I go downhill. I just need to bring this consistency to bigger tournaments, especially Grand Slams. Then I believe I am a Top 20 player for sure, and not so far from Top 10.”

The 25-year-old Gulbis claimed his 34th win of a career-best season as he added to the title he won as a qualifier in February at the Delray Beach Open (d. Roger-Vasselin). His other career titles came in Delray Beach in 2010 and two years ago in Los Angeles.

Gulbis dropped just five points in the third set as he defeated Garcia-Lopez in one hour and 45 minutes. It was their first meeting in three years and saw Gulbis move into a 2-1 lead in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series.

Garcia-Lopez had upset second seed Mikhail Youzhny in the second round en route to contesting his fifth ATP World Tour final (2-3 record). The Spaniard was looking to win his first title since 2010 in Bangkok, where he defeated Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals before topping Jarkko Nieminen in the final.

“Despite losing today I played some unbelievable tennis all week, so I have to be happy overall with the week," said Garcia-Lopez. "Congratulations to Ernests, he deserved the title today.”

The 30-year-old Garcia-Lopez also lost out earlier this season in the BRD Nastase Tiriac Trophy final in Bucharest (l. to Rosol). He dropped to a 19-20 match record on the season.
 
#263 ·
MALAYSIA 2013
World No. 77 Joao Sousa claimed his maiden ATP World Tour title on Sunday at the Malaysian Open, defeating fifth seed Julien Benneteau 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 in Kuala Lumpur.

The 24-year-old saved six of eight break points during the match which lasted two hours and 18 minutes. One of those was on match point, with Sousa serving at 30-40, trailing 2-6, 4-5.

"I just gave my best, it was a tough shot there, I just went for it and it went it... Tennis is like this, if you don't go for it, you'll never make it, so I just went for it," said Sousa. "We both played a great match... He had a lot of chances to win."

Sousa became the first player from Portugal to win an ATP World Tour final, going one step better than Frederico Gil who lost to Albert Montanes in Oeiras, Portugal in May 2010. He also became the seventh first-time winner on the ATP World Tour this season, with his win over France's Benneteau in the pair's first meeting.

"I'm so tired mentally and physically but I just feel amazing, it's just a dream come true, winning my first title here in Malaysia," said Sousa. "I'm really happy to win this title... I hope this helps [my] confidence and to try and do better things."

The Portuguese No. 1 said he has learned to fight, and to find solutions, having moved to Barcelona to pursue tennis without his parents when he was a kid. "I just learned to... go for my dreams," he said. "I'm very happy with this week."

Sousa produced the best win of his career by toppling top seed David Ferrer in the quarter-finals, before defeating fourth seed Jurgen Melzer in the semi-finals. The right-hander leapt to a career-high No. 77 in the Emirates ATP Rankings this week after reaching his first ATP World Tour semi-final in St. Petersburg last week (l. to Garcia-Lopez).

It was the first final of the year between two players battling to win their first ATP World Tour title. Sousa became the 12th unseeded winner this season, with the last being Ivo Karlovic, who won in Bogota in July.

The 31-year-old Benneteau's loss takes his record in ATP World Tour finals to 0-9.

"I tried everything today... I played very well, particularly I was very aggressive and I didn't let him play for two sets almost," said the Frenchman. "At 5-4, I had match point and I played the point perfectly... He made the passing shot down the line, with his forehand."

"I took my chance, it didn't pay off and it's hard, it's hard, it's very hard. But it's sport," said the disappointed Benneteau. "It's tough because I was leading the match, but this is tennis. You have to win some key points."
 
#264 ·
THAILAND 2013
Canada's Milos Raonic stepped up his bid to qualify for November's Barclays ATP World Tour Finals by toppling top seed Tomas Berdych to claim the Thailand Open title in Bangkok on Sunday.

The third-seeded Raonic defeated Berdych 7-6(4), 6-3, prevailing in one hour and 17 minutes. The right-hander fired 18 aces to his opponent's four, saved the only break point he faced and won 95 per cent of first serve points.

"I think I struggled a lot more than him at the beginning, he was finding his rhythm better," said the World No. 11. "In the tie-break, it just came down to one return and playing pretty sold after that... I started being more aggressive."

He is now just 180 points behind tenth-placed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the Emirates ATP Race to London. Both Raonic and Tsonga are competing in Tokyo next week.

"It would mean a lot, it was a goal," Raonic said, referring to his hopes of qualifying. "After [the] clay and grass [seasons], it seemed very distant... I've put a lot of good results together."

Raonic improved his FedEx ATP Head2Head record against Berdych to 2-0 and captured his second title of the season following a third straight win in San Jose (d. Haas). He improved his record in ATP World Tour finals to 5-4 and lifted his career record against Top 10 opponents to 12-20.

Raonic beat the top two seeds and Top 10 players in the semi-final and final rounds for the second time en route to a title, having done so in Chennai last year. He's the highest-ranked player aged under 23 years old in the Top 50, and believes he can continue to improve.

"I think I'm playing great tennis, I'm serving really well, I'm doing a lot of good things. If I keep that up I think I'll have opportunities and will put myself in a good position, no matter who [I play]," Raonic said.

The Czech's loss leaves him as the only player within the Top 10 not to have won a title this season.

"He was exceptional. He was serving really well and didn’t give me many chances," said Berdych. "Basically, the match was about two points. Both of them Milos handled better and so he deserved to win."
 
#265 ·
BEIJING 2013
Novak Djokovic won his fourth China Open crown on Sunday with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Rafael Nadal. The day before the Serb surrenders his No. 1 spot in the Emirates ATP Rankings to Nadal, he won their 38th contest and captured his fourth tour-level crown of the season.

"I needed this win today," said Djokovic. "I really wanted to get my hands on the trophy and win against Nadal, who has been the best player so far in 2013. It's very important for my confidence. It's very important mentally and emotionally for me."

Djokovic has a 19-0 record in Beijing, also winning the title in 2009 (d. Cilic), 2010 (d. Ferrer) and 2012 (d. Tsonga). He is the first four-time winner of this ATP World Tour 500 hard-court tournament and received 500 Emirates ATP Rankings points and $557,100.

"It's been an incredible week again for me at the China Open," said Djokovic. "I still haven't lost a match here. I just love the conditions. I love the court and the atmosphere that goes around the tournament. Centre court is exceptional, and I enjoy it. I try to cherish every moment that I spend here every year."

Djokovic ended a run of three defeats against Nadal as he improved to a 16-22 mark in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series. Since dethroning eight-time champion Nadal in the final of the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters in April, Djokovic had lost to Nadal in the Roland Garros semi-finals, the Rogers Cup semi-finals and the US Open final.

"I managed to stay tough and not drop my concentration, which I think [happened] in both Montréal and at the US Open in the important moments," said Djokovic. "I learned my lesson. It was a few very tough and close matches that I lost against Rafa on hard courts, especially the last one in the US Open final."

The battle for No. 1 had been decided on Saturday, when Nadal reached the Beijing final with victory over Tomas Berdych in the semi-finals. But Djokovic regrouped quickly and made a fast start to the final, breaking serve in Nadal’s first service game before going on to close out the 35-minute first set, having dropped just two points on serve.

Djokovic built on his momentum with an early break in the second set and was again impenetrable on serve, surrendering just four points as he closed out victory in 87 minutes.

"I didn't see the way to stop him this afternoon," said Nadal. "This afternoon he was too strong for me. I didn't play my best match this afternoon, but he played at a very high level with his serve.

"I was not able to have any chance when I was returning during the whole match. He had the ball staying very low. It was very difficult to create spin on this ball. He was able to hit all the balls where he wanted. When that's happening against a player like Novak, you are dead. You don't have not one chance."

The 26-year-old Djokovic opened his season with victory at the Australian Open (d. Murray) and won his second title of the season at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships (d. Berdych). He has a 38-21 finals record.

Nadal had been riding a 22-match winning streak, winning titles at the Rogers Cup, the Western & Southern Open (d. Isner) and the US Open since suffering a shock first-round exit at Wimbledon (l. to Darcis). He had been chasing his 11th tour-level title of an astonishing comeback season, which has seen him compile a 65-4 match record and reclaim World No. 1 for the first time since 3rd July 2011.
 
#266 ·
TOKY0 2013
Juan Martin del Potro moved up to fifth position in the Emirates ATP Race To London on Sunday after he captured the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships title to further boost his chances of qualifying for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.

Top seed and wild card entry del Potro made up for his 2008 runner-up finish by beating last year’s finalist, third seed Milos Raonic, 7-6(5), 7-5 on a sun-kissed day at the Ariake Coliseum, the venue of the ATP World Tour 500 tournament and Tokyo 2020 Olympic Tennis Event.

Nobuo Kuroyanagi, the President of the Japan Tennis Association, presented del Potro with the 16th tour-level trophy of his career (16-6 in finals). He received $312,000 in prize money and earned 500 Emirates ATP Rankings points.

"I played really well in the last two games of the match, returning all of his first serves," said del Potro. "It was a fantastic week for me as I played better and better with each match."

Del Potro avenged his loss to Raonic at the Coupes Roger in August with victory in one hour and 46 minutes. It is his third ATP World Tour 500 tournament title of the season, having won at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam (d. Benneteau) and the Citi Open in Washington (d. Isner).

Raonic put pressure on del Potro’s serve in the first set, but could not capitalise on three break point opportunities. Del Potro stood firm in the tie-break bouncing back from a 0-2 deficit to clinch the set in 54 minutes. Raonic had dropped just six of his service points and had not faced a break point.

At 5-5 in the second set, del Potro stepped into the court and won the first three points on Raonic’s serve. Raonic saved two break points, but at 30/40 del Potro locked onto a big first serve and worked his way to the net to strike a forehand winner. Minutes later he had earned his 40th match win of the season.

When asked about returning Raonic's serve, del Potro said, "You have to be focused and wait for the chance. I took his serve in the second to last game to break. In the tie-break, he hit a double fault in the most important part of the match and then my chance came, which I knew I had to take.

"I did what I could to win. When he serves well and hits aces, it means I have to be aggressive on serve. I threw in drop shots and came to the net to mix up my game."

Raonic, 22, who also finished runner-up to Kei Nishikori in the 2012 Tokyo final, saw his eight-match winning streak come to an end. Last week, he won his fifth ATP World Tour title at the Thailand Open in Bangkok (d. Berdych).

"There is not really much to be down about," said Raonic. "I created opportunities and barring a double fault and a few points I could not have done much better."

Although he dropped to 41-18 on the year, Raonic is in 10th position in the battle to qualify for the eight-player season-ending Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, which will be held at The O2 in London from 4-11 November.

"I think I am doing a lot of things better week in week out," said Raonic. "I can play a good level, but I just need to improve on a consistent basis. There is work to be done."

Raonic, now 5-5 in title matches, picked up $140,700 and 300 Emirates ATP Ranking points.
 
#267 ·
SHANGHAI 2013
Novak Djokovic improved his winning streak to 20 matches on Chinese soil Sunday by retaining the Shanghai Rolex Masters title.

By lifting his seventh trophy of the season, 26-year-old Djokovic improved his slim chances of overhauling Rafael Nadal in the battle for year-end No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings.

Top seed Djokovic defeated sixth seed Juan Martin del Potro 6-1, 3-6, 7-6(3) in the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final, which lasted two hours and 33 minutes. Djokovic has now won 15 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles. He also won the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters (d. Nadal) in April.

"He's a fantastic player and a great person," said Djokovic. "He showed that again. He has a really likable personality [and] he's a big fighter. All the way up to the last point, I didn't know if I was going to win the match. It was a very even match. My motivation is there always, especially when I'm playing finals of such a big event."

Djokovic earned $729,725 in prize money and 1,000 Emirates ATP Ranking points, while del Potro picked up $357,800 and 600 points. Both players have already qualified for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, to be held at The O2 in London from 4-11 November.

Djokovic dictated play throughout the 34-minute first set with his forehand. He dominated del Potro, competing in his third ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final, by striking 13 winners and winning all five net approaches. Djokovic broke in the second and fourth games to stamp his authority on the pair's 13th FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting.

In the second set, del Potro rediscovered the kind of form that helped him beat Nadal in Saturday’s semi-final. Djokovic struggled to win his first service points and his unforced error count increased. Free of nerves, del Potro broke Djokovic to 15 in the second game and produced some blistering winners to take a 3-0 lead.

Del Potro held his nerve from 0/40 at 4-2, by winning five straight points. Djokovic remained positive, but del Potro – on an eight-match winning streak – closed out the 44-minute set with a hold to love having won 83 per cent of his first service points.

Djokovic celebrated a big hold at 2-2, when he saved one break point at 30/40 with his fourth ace of the match and came close to breaking del Potro, who recovered from 15/40, in the sixth game of the deciding set. Djokovic raised his game as the match went on and created two match points at 5-4, with del Potro serving at 15/40. But the World No. 2 was denied and the match moved closer to an inevitable tie-break.

Djokovic opened up 2-0 and 4-2 leads in the tie-break, courtesy of forehand winners, to edge closer to his 12th straight match win. He improved to 62-9 on the season when he struck a backhand winner down the line.

"The match was really close and I think Nole played [some] unbelievable points in the tie-break," said del Potro. "The match was so exciting. At Wimbledon [in early July] we played another fantastic match against each other.

"It's a really bad loss for me now. I was really close to beating him after beating [Rafael] Nadal."

Djokovic improved to a 39-21 record in tour-level finals, adding to his fourth China Open title last week (d. Nadal). Last week’s Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships titlist del Potro dropped to a 16-6 mark in title matches.
 
#268 ·
MOSCOW 2013
Richard Gasquet moved to No. 9 in the Emirates ATP Race To London after winning his third ATP World Tour title of the season on Sunday in Moscow. The Frenchman leapfrogged countryman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga after defeating Mikhail Kukushkin 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in a tense Kremlin Cup final, gaining a net total of 160 points.

The 27-year-old Gasquet is bidding to qualify for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals for the first time since 2007, when the season finale was staged in Shanghai. Following Andy Murray’s withdrawal, the player in ninth position in the standings at the end of the regular season will claim the final berth in the elite eight-man field at The O2 in London.

"I’ll try my best to qualify," said Gasquet. "Two big tournaments are coming up, including [the ATP World Tour Masters 1000] in Paris. I’ll try my best. I was close to losing today. But I fought a lot. It’s important for me to qualify for it. But the title here is important for me because my opponent played very well."

Gasquet nearly missed his chance against qualifier Kukushkin. The Kazakh won the first set and looked to have the decisive service break in the decider when he converted his fourth opportunity to go up 4-3. Gasquet steeled himself, though, and won the final three games to claim the clutch victory in two hours and 24 minutes.

"He won a lot matches recently and won Challengers," said Gasquet of his opponent. "He won seven matches here. He won against big players. For sure, I knew it would be tough because his shots are flat and very strong and he doesn’t miss much and serves well. I knew it would be a big fight for me if I wanted to win. It is a big win for me to win in three sets."

It is the first time since 2006 that Gasquet has won three titles in a season. He also triumphed at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha (d. Davydenko) and the Open Sud de France in Montpellier (d. Paire).

The right-hander has enjoyed his best season on tour since 2007, reaching the US Open semi-finals (l. to Nadal) and the last four in Miami (l. to Murray), Halle (l. to Youzhny), Bangkok (l. to Raonic) and Beijing (l. to Djokovic). He has a 48-18 match record and is two wins away from reaching the 50 match wins milestone for the first time in his career.

World No. 102 Kukushkin was contesting his second ATP World Tour final, with both coming on Russian soil after he won the St. Petersburg Open title three years ago (d. Youzhny). The 25 year old has won three ATP Challenger Tour titles from five finals this year and carried his good form into Moscow, upsetting defending champion Andreas Seppi in the semi-finals and fourth seed Alexandr Dolgopolov in the second round.

After seeing his Emirates ATP Ranking fall to outside the Top 300 in June, Kukushkin is now projected to return to the Top 70.
 
#269 ·
STOCKHOLM 2013
Grigor Dimitrov captured his first ATP World Tour title on Sunday, battling back to stun David Ferrer 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the If Stockholm Open final. The 22 year old becomes the eighth first time champion in 2013, converting his first match point to seal the victory in two hours and 14 minutes. He becomes the first Bulgarian to win on the ATP World Tour in the Open Era.

Dimitrov had the opportunity to meet with the Swedish royal family following the match, including Crown Princess H.R.H. Victoria, H.R.H. Prince Daniel and little Princess Estelle. Prince Daniel presented the trophy to Dimitrov, who was also invited to a meet-and-greet in the Royal Prince Lounge. "It was lovely to meet them; it was very nice."

Dimitrov denied Ferrer his third title of the year, defeating the Spaniard for the first time in what was their fourth FedEx ATP Head2Head encounter. It was the Bulgarian’s second final on the ATP World Tour after falling to Andy Murray in straight sets in the season-opening Brisbane International.

"It's one of my biggest wins," said an elated Dimitrov. "To beat a top guy in a final. It's a great feeling and it's good for your mental state. You know you can hang with these guys and the next time you play against them, especially in the Grand Slams, you will be better prepared."

Ferrer bolted to an early lead, securing the first set 6-2 after a flurry of service breaks from both players. Dimitrov would dig deep, however, holding off Ferrer with a late break in the second set to force a decisive frame.

The Spaniard had a pair of break points in the third set to go up 4-2, but Dimitrov held his ground, winning four straight points to hold. The Haskovo native would receive the decisive break when Ferrer double faulted down break point in the next game.

Dimitrov says he is even more appreciative of his perseverance and durability, as the match progressed, than the title itself. "Even if I would have lost the match, the most imporant thing was to test myself to the limits and try to control what I can. This was icing on the cake.

"I'm going to come on court and fight as much as I can. (Success) is never a guarantee. The best thing in tennis is that you have a next week. My goal is to strive to do better and work harder and eventually everything else is going to pay you back."

Known for his steady approach, Ferrer uncharacteristically hit 33 unforced errors and only converted three of 12 break point chances. Dimitrov, meanwhile, exhibited an unrelenting attacking display with angle abusing shotmaking, pouncing often on short balls for 43 total winners.

"He played great in the important moments. I had my chances in the third set," said Ferrer, referring to the two break points missed.

Competing in his first tournament with new coach Roger Rasheed, the Bulgarian will ascend to a career-high ranking of 22 with the title, adding 250 Emirates ATP Ranking points and claiming €95,700.

"We met before and wanted to see how it would work on a regular basis," Dimitrov said of his partnership with Rasheed. "This was a good stage to do so. We have two more tournaments to play and only time will tell for the rest."

Dimitrov is slated to compete at the Swiss Indoors Basel next week, seeded eighth. He opens with Radek Stepanek in the first round.
 
#270 ·
VIENNA 2013
Tommy Haas kept his distant hopes alive in the Emirates ATP Race to London, edging Robin Haase 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in a tight affair in the Erste Bank Open final, on Sunday.

A champion at the BMW Open, in Munich, in early May, Haas becomes the 13th player to win multiple titles on the ATP World Tour in 2013. Twelve years removed from his maiden Vienna crown, it is the German’s 15th overall in his career. He also becomes the 15th champion over 30 years of age on the ATP World Tour this year.

"I'm very happy. Obviously it's a great feeling to win a title," said Haas. "It doesn't come around very often. To do it here after (also winning) in 2001, it's special."

Haase broke for an early lead in the first set, but relinquished the advantage as Haas would reel off six of the next seven games to capture the set and immediately break to open the second. The Dutchman would survive the German onslaught, however, and secure a late break in the second set on a lob winner.

They would remain on serve in the third set until 3-2, when Haase converted on his third break point. The rollercoaster final would continue with Haas immediately breaking back in the next game, on Haase’s fifth double fault of the match. The World No. 12 would secure another break for 5-4 and close out the match when a Haase forehand sailed long.

Haas takes home €90,500 and 250 Emirates ATP Ranking points with the victory, while Haase claims €47,670 and 150 Emirates ATP Ranking points in his second runner-up finish of the year (l. to Youzhny in Gstaad). The World No. 63 was competing in his fourth final on the ATP World Tour and first on hard courts, having won in consecutive years on the clay of Kitzbuhel in 2011 and 2012.

"Right now I’m pretty disappointed," said Haase. "When I played a final earlier this year in Gstaad I didn’t have any chances. Today I did have my chances. But Tommy hit a few great returns when he broke back in the third.

"I’m already very motivated for next year too, hoping that in the long-term I can reach the Top 30."

The Former World No. 2 pulled to within 700 points of Richard Gasquet for the coveted eighth and final ticket to London and will look to strong showings in Valencia and Paris to further strengthen his claim. A combined 1500 points are in play for the winners in the final two weeks of the season.
 
#271 ·
BASEL 2013
Juan Martin del Potro picked up his fourth title at an ATP World Tour 500 tournament this year after he retained the Swiss Indoors Basel crown on Sunday.

Top seed del Potro beat third seed and five-time former champion Roger Federer 7-6(3), 2-6, 6-4 in a repeat of last year’s final. The high-quality championship match lasted two hours and 21 minutes.

“It was similar in intensity, rallies and the emotion of the fans [to the 2012 final],” said del Potro. “The fans were cheering for him a lot, but they also respected me. They made a fantastic atmosphere. I think we played the best match of the tournament today.”

The 25-year-old del Potro has also won ATP World Tour 500 tournament titles in 2013 at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam (d. Benneteau), the Citi Open in Washington (d. Isner) and the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships in Tokyo (d. Raonic).

Del Potro has already qualified for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, to be held at The O2 in London from 4-11 November.

“I have good memories of playing in London,” said del Potro. “I reached the final [in 2009]. All the players are fighting for the same challenge and it makes it a special tournament. I am confident in myself and my game. I know how to beat them, but I realise that I need to keep playing well.”

But Federer must now beat Kevin Anderson or Mikhail Youzhny in his second round match at the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris on Wednesday to qualify for a record-equalling 12th consecutive year. It would tie Ivan Lendl for most successive appearances at the season finale.

“It was a pretty high level match overall,” said Federer. “Probably my best match of the tournament overall, but it is always difficult to judge when you lose.

Del Potro has now won 17 trophies. He received €348,000 and 500 Emirates ATP Ranking points after he improved to a 23-1 match record at ATP World Tour 500 tournaments this season. Federer, now 5-5 in Basel finals, picked up €156,800 and 300 points.

FedererAt the start of the pair’s 18th FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting, Federer did not allow del Potro to get into a rhythm in the early stages. Both players tried to keep rallies short with approaches to the net.

Del Potro was taken to deuce in the seventh game, but he hung on and went on to break Federer for a 5-3 lead, courtesy of two double faults and some aggressive returns.

Federer immediately bounced back by breaking del Potro to love, and was then forced to save two set points from 15/40 by winning four straight points.

In the inevitable tie-break, del Potro took a 4-1 lead and clinched the 54-minute opener with a deep forehand return that Federer could only half volley wide.

The crowd came alive again at the St. Jakobshalle in Basel, when Federer broke for a 2-0 lead in the second set.

He maintained the advantage and at 5-2, broke del Potro for a third time in the match by rushing to the net on the back of a forehand approach.

Federer lost one of his first service points and hit five aces to win the 36-minute set, which levelled the scoreline. In the 2012 Basel final, del Potro had beaten Federer 6-4, 6-7(5), 7-6(3).

Del Potro looked to be tiring at the start of the decider, but roused himself to break serve in the first game. Federer had led 40/15, but two double faults cost the hometown favourite. Del Potro then saved two break points in the next game as the momentum of the match shifted in the defending champion’s favour.

del PotroFederer clung on at 2-4, 30/40, when del Potro narrowly failed to hit a drop shot for a winner down the line. But del Potro remained strong on serve, winning 16 of his 17 first service points, to record his third straight win over Federer.

“I felt well. I tried to be positive after I lost a tough second set where I made a lot of mistakes. Roger started to play much better. In the final you cannot relax in any moment.

“I waited for my break point chance, which I got in the first game. Then, I tried to be solid on serve. The last two service games were my best of the whole tournament. It was good to see my serve was working very well.”

Said Federer, “I did hand the break over to him too easily in the third set, but overall I did well today. I could have maybe won the first set, but in the second set I was getting better and better. It is a pity that I couldn’t have been tougher in the third. He did really well to serve it out. The last few of his service games were very solid. I was happy that after a lot of tough matches, I was able to withstand the challenge physically. The atmosphere was amazing. I really appreciate the crowd support.”

Federer had been attempting to win six or more titles at his fourth different tournament. He has won six or more crowns at Wimbledon (7), the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals (6) and the Gerry Weber Open in Halle (6).

“Normally I feel like him, because I lost in the [London 2012] Olympics and other important matches against him," said del Potro. "Luck was on my side today and I played better at the end of the match.

“I think Roger is playing well. He played much better when he has the chance to play the top guys. His game improves automatically and looking forward to Paris and London he will be a tough opponent. For me he has the perfect game… and he is a big inspiration. I am very proud to have a good relationship with him, as I have learned a lot as a person and a tennis player."
 
#272 ·
VALENCIA 2013
Mikhail Youzhny won his second ATP World Tour crown of the season with a 6-3, 7-5 victory over defending champion David Ferrer in the final of the Valencia Open 500.

It was Youzhny's 10th career title and first victory over a Top 5 opponent since 2010, when he upset Novak Djokovic in the Rotterdam semi-finals. He also prevailed on the clay of Gstaad in July.

The Russian has won multiple titles in one year for the first time since 2010, when he hoisted the trophies in Munich and Kuala Lumpur. He also added to the impressive title count of players over 30, in 2013, becoming the fourth such player to win multiple titles this year, joining Ferrer, Tommy Haas and Nicolas Mahut. In total, 16 players over the age of 30 have won on the ATP World Tour this year, three more than last year's tally.

Youzhny sprinted to a quick lead in the first set, securing consecutive breaks for a 5-1 advantage. He would stumble in the early stages of the second, however, as he was broken to love for 3-1, after Ferrer hit a backhand that clipped the tape and dribbled over.

The Javea native would go on to reel off nine consecutive points, extending his lead to 4-1, before Youzhny staged a comeback, breaking back immediately and claiming six of the next seven games for the win.

Youzhny was particularly strong in return, winning nearly half of the Spaniard's service points and applying pressure from the baseline with deep penetrating groundstrokes to open the court for his signature backhand passing shots. Ferrer's frustration grew as an uncharacteristic stream of unforced errors crept into his game.

The former World No. 8 takes home €360,000 and 500 Emirates ATP Ranking points, vaulting up six spots to No. 14 in the Emirates ATP Race to London.

"It is a really good tournament and has a great atmosphere," said Youzhny about his experience at the City of Arts and Sciences, the venue of the Valencia Open 500.

For Ferrer, the three-time Valencia champion lost his sixth consecutive ATP World Tour final after triumphing in Auckland and Buenos Aires to open the year. He receives €162,300 and 300 Emirates ATP Ranking points for his run to the final.

Despite suffering losses in consecutive finals in Stockholm and Valencia, Ferrer believes October has been a very positive month for him. "The truth is that Youzhny played very good," he said. "He sliced and served very well. He was more comfortable then me on court, I was missing touch."

Youzhny improved his impressive FedEx ATP Head2Head against Ferrer to 5-3 overall and 5-1 on hard courts. The title bout marked the third final of the year between players over 30, after Roger Federer defeated Youzhny on the grass of Halle and Nicolas Mahut upset Lleyton Hewitt in Newport.

Both Ferrer and Youzhny will compete at the final ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event of the year, the BNP Paribas Masters, next week. The Russian opens with Kevin Anderson and could potentially face Barclays ATP World Tour Finals contender Roger Federer in the second round, while the Spaniard receives a first round bye and is in No. 6 seed Tomas Berdych's quarter of the draw.
 
#273 ·
PARIS INDOORS 2013
World No. 2 Novak Djokovic joined elite company on Sunday, becoming the 15th player in the Open Era to win 40 ATP World Tour titles.

Djokovic denied David Ferrer in his bid to retain his BNP Paribas Masters crown, ousting the Spaniard 7-5, 7-5 in one hour and 52 minutes to hoist his second trophy in Paris-Bercy. The victory gave him his 200th match win at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 level as well.

Djokovic is just the third active player to enter the 40-title club, along with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. It was the Serb’s sixth crown of the year and 16th Masters 1000 title. He was victorious at the Australian Open as well as in Dubai, Monte-Carlo, Beijing and Shanghai in 2013.

"I am definitely playing the best tennis this year now," Djokovic said. "I'm playing on a very high level and have lots of confidence in myself, in my game."

The 2009 Paris champion kept alive his slim hopes of finishing year-end World No. 1 for a third consecutive year as well. He will seek to wrestle the mantle from top-ranked Rafael Nadal at the upcoming Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.

The Belgrade native receives €522,100 and 1000 Emirates ATP Ranking points, improving his winning streak to 17 straight since the US Open and 2013 match record to 67-9.

"Well, he is the defending champion, and obviously he enjoys playing on this surface in these conditions," Djokovic said of Ferrer. "I knew that coming into the match I'm going to have to work for my points...He's a great competitor, one of the most respected guys on tour because he works hard and he's very humble and he's a very nice person."

Ferrer burst out of the gates, sending deep penetrating forehands and not allowing Djokovic to dictate from the baseline. A purely sublime drop shot would punctuate a 36-shot rally, the longest of the tournament, and give Ferrer the opening break of the match for 3-2. The Spaniard’s agility and grinding style gave Djokovic problems from the onset and a consistent and aggressive serving display put the Serb on his heels.

When Ferrer served for the set at 5-4, however, Djokovic discovered firepower of his own, weathering the storm and countering his acute angles with bruising groundstrokes to break back. As the tables turned, Djokovic ramped up his intensity, reeling off four straight games to snatch the opening set 7-5.

The steely Spaniard remained composed, opening the second set with a 0/40 look at Djokovic’s serve and capitalising on his second break point. A mirror image of the first set, they would remain on serve until 5-4 when Djokovic found a second gear yet again, breaking to level at 5-all and cruising from there. Despite being victimised by 11 unforced errors on his preferred backhand wing in the set, he would win four games in a row to close it out.

Djokovic claimed victory on his second match point when Ferrer netted a forehand. He hit 34 winners to Ferrer’s 15, winning 78 per cent of points on his first serve.

DjokovicFor Ferrer, the World No. 3 had his nine-match winning streak at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy snapped, dropping a seventh consecutive ATP World Tour final after triumphing in Auckland and Buenos Aires to open the year. The Spaniard is the seventh player to reach both Paris finals, in Roland Garros and Bercy, in the same year. He was looking to become the first player to win back-to-back titles in the history of the BNP Paribas Masters. Ferrer receives €256,000 and 600 Emirates ATP Ranking points with the result.

"I think it was a really good match, really good rallies," said Ferrer. "I play maybe better than yesterday, and I lost.

"I am happy with my game, because the last few tournaments I [played well] and I am happy with myself. Now I want to relax and be with my team, and tomorrow I travel to London for the last tournament of the season."

Djokovic improved his FedEx ATP Head2Head mark against Ferrer to 11-5, capturing seven of the previous eight meetings since 2009. The World No. 2 is 10-2 on hard courts in the rivalry, having dominated their most recent meeting, 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 in the semi-finals of the Australian Open earlier this year.

Djokovic and Ferrer will immediately head to London to conclude their 2013 ATP World Tour campaigns, at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. The Serb is the defending champion and will be making his seventh appearance at the season finale, while his Spanish counterpart was the runner-up in 2007 and is heading to season finale for the fifth time. Rematches of the Paris semi-finals, Djokovic opens with Roger Federer to begin round robin play on Tuesday and Ferrer tangles with Rafael Nadal.

"From tomorrow I'm going to start thinking about London," Djokovic said. "From tonight, actually. Because on Tuesday night I play Federer already, a huge challenge for me."
 
#274 ·
ATP WORLD TOUR FINALS 2013
Novak Djokovic lifted the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals trophy for a third time on Monday night.

Second seed Djokovic added to his 2008 and 2012 title runs with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over top seed Rafael Nadal, who finished runner-up for the second time, in the fifth No. 1 versus No. 2 final in the 44-year history of the prestigious season-ending championship.

Djokovic extended his winning streak to 22 matches with victory in one hour and 37 minutes at The O2 in London. He improved to a 41-21 record in title matches and to 7-2 this year.

The 26-year-old Serbian received The Brad Drewett Trophy from Ashok Vaswani, Chief Executive of Barclays Retail and Business Banking.

He earned $1,923,000 in prize money and 1,500 Emirates ATP Rankings points, while 27-year-old Nadal took home $1,013,000 and 1,000 points as he dropped to a 10-4 record in finals this year.

Djokovic became the seventh player to win the year-end championship at least three times, joining Roger Federer (six titles), Ivan Lendl and Pete Sampras (five each), Ilie Nastase (four), and Boris Becker and John McEnroe (three each).

"We push each other to the limit [and] we make each other better," said Djokovic. "We make each other work harder on our games, especially when we play against each other. It's always a huge challenge.

"This can serve as a great platform for 2014 season. I'm extra motivated and inspired to work and get myself, first of all, rested and recovered in the off season, and then work on my game and get ready for Australian Open."

Djokovic pierced Nadal’s defences early on in his third season-ending final. The depth of his groundstrokes ensured Nadal played well behind the baseline on the medium-paced indoor court. Two backhand errors cost Nadal as he was broken to 15 in the second game.

At 0-3, Nadal was battling to keep the set competitive. But when he struck a vicious forehand that kicked up to Djokovic’s backhand at 15/15 in the fourth game, the momentum of the match shifted. Djokovic’s first serve went off the boil and Nadal was able to play closer to the baseline, effectively giving Djokovic less time and space, to gain his first service break.

But a double fault at 3-4, 30/30, put him back in trouble with Djokovic smothering the net to break serve. He served out the set to 30, finishing with an ace out wide. Nadal had won just 45 per cent of his second service points in the 44-minute opener.

Djokovic tightened his grip on the pair’s 39th FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting when he broke Nadal to 30 – on his third break point opportunity – in the third game of the second set. A big forehand into the corner saw Nadal flailing and his response went long.

Djokovic may well have taken a 5-2 lead, but Nadal fought hard to recover from 15/40. Djokovic created his first match point opportunity in the ninth game, when Nadal lunged too far for a backhand down the line. The Spaniard saved it at 30/40.

But Djokovic was not to be denied his seventh trophy of the year. Despite falling from 30/0 to 30/30, the World No. 2 held his nerve and clinched his third match point chance when Nadal hit a forehand wide.

"One thing that made the difference in today's match was the serve," said Nadal. "I didn't serve well, he served well. On this kind of court, the first shot is very important and he hit that first shot much better than me.

"I think at the beginning he was playing much better than me. The first three games, no doubt. Even the fourth… After that I didn't see that difference. I felt I was playing aggressively, going for the shots. I had the control of the points a lot of times with my forehand after the [first] three games."

Nadal had been attempting to become the third Spaniard to capture the title, after Manuel Orantes in 1975 and Alex Corretja in 1998. The last left-hander to win the year-end title was McEnroe in 1984.

Both players had remained undefeated en route to the championship match.

Nadal completes his season, which began in early February, with a 75-7 match record, which includes two major championships and five ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crowns. He clinched year-end No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings for the third time (also 2008 and 2010) on Wednesday with his second round robin win of the week.

"He has improved his game immensely on the hard courts this year," said Djokovic. "He has been positioning himself really well, staying closer to the line and using his forehand around the court really well, as well as serving more efficiently, which was of course giving me and other players trouble."

Djokovic will next compete for Serbia against Czech Republic in the Davis Cup final, which begins on 15 November.

"I think I've worked on a few things in my game and serve that has helped me win a lot of matches in last two months," said Djokovic. "This is definitely the best possible way that I can finish the season, of course, the official ATP season, not including the Davis Cup final that I have in a few days' time, where, of course, I hope that we can bring another title to our country."

Defending Barclays ATP World Tour Finals champion Novak Djokovic retained his title with a 63 64 victory over World No. 1 Rafael Nadal. Djokovic converted three of 11 break points and saved two of three break points in the 1:36 match. In the second set Djokovic never faced break point, winning 21 of 28 points on his serve.

The 26-year-old Serb extended his match winning streak to 22 by capturing his third season finale crown (2008, ’12-13) and seventh title of the year. The 22-match winning streak ties for the second-longest of Djokovic’s career. He closed last season with five wins at The O2 and he won the first 17 matches this season before his streak ended in the semi-finals at ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells (l. to del Potro). He compiled a career-best 43-match winning streak in 2010-11.

Djokovic is the seventh player in the history of the tournament to win at least three titles. He is the first player since Federer in 2007 to win the semi-finals and final in straight sets. Djokovic beat Stanislas Wawrinka 63 63 in the semi-finals.

Djokovic’s seven titles this season is the second-most of his career (10 in 2011) and he has a 72-9 match record (15-0 indoors) going into this weekend’s Davis Cup final in Belgrade vs. Czech Republic. Djokovic also improved to 23-6 vs. Top 10 opponents this season (12 wins have come during the streak).

This was the fifth No. 1 vs No. 2-ranked final in the season finale since the Emirates ATP Rankings began in 1973. It was the second year in a row and third time in the past four years the top two players met in the final (No. 2 has won three times):
- 2013: No. 2 Djokovic d. No. 1 Nadal
- 2012: No. 1 Djokovic d. No. 2 Federer
- 2010: No. 2 Federer d. No. 1 Nadal
- 1986: No. 1 Lendl d. No. 2 Becker
- 1983: No. 2 McEnroe d. No. 1 Lendl

Djokovic and Nadal both came in with 4-0 records at this year’s Barclays ATP World Tour Finals and this was their Open Era record 39th meeting (Nadal leads 22-17). It was their sixth meeting of the season (tied 3-3) and 19th in a final (Djokovic leads 10-9).

The World No. 2 won his 19th career match (19-9) in the season finale and he moved into a tie for 7th place with John McEnroe, who also won three year-end titles (1978, ’83-84).

Nadal finished No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings with a 75-7 match record, winning 10 titles in 14 finals. He was trying to win his first season finale title after a runner-up in 2010.
 
#275 ·
DAVIS CUP 2013
SERBIA 2 CZECH REPUBLIC 3
Hard - Indoor, Belgrade Arena, Belgrade, Serbia

Radek Stepanek is the Czech Republic hero for the second year in a row. He defeated Dusan Lajovic 6-3, 6-1, 6-1 in a deciding fifth rubber on Sunday in Belgrade to retain the Davis Cup title for his nation.

"I don't think words can describe it," said Stepanek. "To defend this trophy means the world for us and our country. We waited 32 years for the second title and now we are one of five countries that have been able to defend the title.

"We played in Serbia, on their surface, in front of their fantastic crowd. We made history today. I felt great on the court here since Friday and I just proved it. I've been Top 10 singles, Top 10 doubles, I've won two Grand Slams, and played the Masters in singles and doubles, but winning the Davis Cup tops it all."

Last year, Stepanek also held his nerve against Nicolas Almagro in the fifth rubber to lift the Czechs to a 3-2 win over Spain in the final of the ITF men’s team competition. The Czech Republic has now won the Davis Cup crown three times, having also triumphed in 1980.

"It's a dream," declared stand-in captain Vladimir Safarik. "The first thing I have to say, is it's a privilege to be on this team. Having Tomas and Radek on the team is something special. I'm really proud of my team, it's really amazing what they achieved. Radek is a real professional."

World No. 117 Lajovic looked briefly as though he may be able to bridge the gap in experience between himself and the 34-year-old Stepanek, but the Czech was quick to dominate. After losing his opening service game, he reeled off four games in a row before clinching the opener. From 5-3 in the first set, Stepanek won 13 of the last 15 games, clinching victory in one hour and 52 minutes.

World No. 44 Stepanek has a 14-12 Davis Cup singles record. He was beaten by Novak Djokovic in Friday’s opening rubber, but teamed with Tomas Berdych on Saturday for a crucial straight-sets win in the doubles rubber, which gave the visiting nation a 2-1 lead going into the final day.

World No. 2 Djokovic had drawn Serbia level in the tie after beating Berdych 6-4, 7-6(5), 6-2 in the first of Sunday’s reverse singles. Djokovic improved to a 15-2 FedEx ATP Head2Head record against Berdych after winning his 24th match in a row. The 26 year old has not lost since finishing runner-up at the US Open in September (l. to Nadal). Serbia was attempting to reclaim the Davis Cup crown it won in 2010 (d. France).
 
#276 ·
HOPMAN CUP 2014

World No.10 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga tuned up for the Australian Open in grand style by guiding France to the Hyundai Hopman Cup title at Perth Arena.

France won the event for the first time, beating Poland 2-1 in a thrilling final in front of more than 10,000 fans.

Tsonga overcame a second-set scare to beat Grzegorz Panfil 6-3 3-6 6-3 in the men’s singles before world No.5 Agnieszka Radwanska levelled the tie with a drama-filled 6-3 6-7 (9-7) 6-2 win over Alize Cornet.

Tsonga then dominated proceedings in the deciding mixed doubles to lift France to a 6-0 6-2 triumph in just 47 minutes, with Cornet jumping into his arms once they secured victory.

“I’m really happy to win today,” Tsonga said. “It’s always good to hold the trophy.”

Cornet described the title as one of the best highlights of her career.

“It feels great. I’m very happy that we made history today and France finally won the Hopman Cup,” Cornet said.

“I think we deserved it. I’m happy I gave a good show to the crowd.”

Earlier, Cornet looked down and out in her singles match after losing the first set and going 5-3 down in the second.

The world No.27 managed to save a match point, but she broke out in tears a few points later when a series of long-winded rallies left her struggling to breathe.

Despite Cornet being on the verge of collapsing, match umpire James Keothabong gave her a time violation.

“I was trying to tell the chair umpire not to give me a time violation,” Cornet said. “I was like ‘I can’t breathe’. He didn’t see it unfortunately.”

Cornet battled on to win the 80-minute second set in a tiebreak.

But she had no energy left for the deciding set, with Radwanska securing the epic win in 153 minutes.

Tsonga’s failure to convert any of his seven break points in the second set of the men’s singles rubber came back to haunt him as world No.288 Panfil converted his sole break point.

The 28-year-old was filthy on himself for missing those chances, but he made good in the third set as he secured the win in 100 minutes.

Panfil was only called up for the Hopman Cup after world No.21 Jerzy Janowicz pulled out with injury.

The 26-year-old had racked up just $A154,294 in ATP career earnings before the mixed-teams tournament.

But he will walk away with the biggest pay cheque of his career, a cool $90,000.
 
#277 ·
BRISBANE 2014
Top seed Roger Federer and Australian Lleyton Hewitt added another chapter to their rivalry at the final of the Brisbane International presented by Suncorp on Sunday. Hewitt topped Federer 6-1, 4-6, 6-3, earning his first ATP World Tour title since the 2010 event in Halle.

"Playing the best players in the world and finals of tournaments, always it's exciting. That's why you still play the game," said Hewitt. "For me, it was motivation enough just to try to get the win out there and obviously win another title. It's been a couple years. So I was just ready for the challenge today.

"It means a lot with the calibre of players here as well in this tournament. It's not an easy tournament to win. I wasn't one of the top four seeds, so I had to win all five matches to get through. There are pleasing parts and massive positives to take out of it."

Hewitt took the first set 6-1 over Federer, breaking the Swiss three times in 27 minutes while the Swiss superstar committed 22 errors.

Federer fought back in the second set, securing the lone break in the ninth game. The 17-time Grand Slam champion held his serve to even the match at one set all in 49 minutes.

The tenacious Hewitt, playing in his 45th career final and his first on home soil since the 2005 Australian Open, bounced back in the third set, breaking Federer in the fourth game to go 3-1. Hewitt saved all seven break points he faced in that set, leading to him hoisting his 29th tour-level title in two hours and seven minutes.

"I played great obviously at the start, really well," said Hewitt. "It took Roger a little bit of time to get into the match. Then I just had to fight hard at the start of the third set."

Federer’s serve had not been broken during the tournament so far – the 32 year old had saved all eight break points that he encountered until Sunday’s final.

"[I feel] pretty good, especially having played all the matches I have here now with the doubles in particular," said Federer. "It's a good thing.

"I didn't play great today which is a bit unfortunate. But also Lleyton was the best player I played this week. He made it toughest on me. So I have a clear idea what I need to work on, and I have a clear idea where my mind and body is at. I'm very hungry and eager to attack the Australian Open next week."

Both players were vying for a maiden Brisbane title during this 27th meeting in their Fedex ATP Head2Head Series. Federer entered Sunday’s final leading 18-8 and had lost just once in his last 17 meetings against Hewitt. Their last meeting on Australian soil came in 2011 when Australia entertained Switzerland on grass in the Davis Cup World Group play-off, with Federer prevailing in four sets.

Sunday’s victory marked Hewitt’s first win over a Top 10 opponent in an ATP World Tour Final since facing Federer in the 2010 Halle tournament. This was also the 32 year old’s first appearance in a final on home soil since the 2005 Australian Open.

Hewitt was one of three Australians – including Marinko Matosevic and Samuel Groth – to reach the quarter-finals in Brisbane. This marked the first time since 2004 that three Australians reached the final eight at an ATP World Tour event. That year, Hewitt, Mark Philippoussis and Todd Reid all reached the Sydney quarter-finals.
 
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