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Pennetta and Dulko win maiden Slam title

Staring down the barrel of almost certain defeat, Gisela Dulko and Flavia Pennetta staged a remarkable comeback to claim their first major doubles crown as a team and validate their top seeding.
In their first Grand Slam doubles final, the Argentine-Italian duo found themselves trailing 2-6, 1-4 against No.12 seeds Victoria Azarenka and Maria Kirilenko, before drawing on their vast reserves of experience and confidence to storm back and claim a memorable 2-6, 7-5, 6-1 victory.
Speaking after the match, the pair said that their response to finding themselves so far behind was to simply try to extend the match as long as possible. "We were like in shock. I think a set and 4 1 down, in the changeover, we were like looking each other and saying, C'mon, we play less than an hour. We cannot finish the match playing less than an hour in the final," Dulko said.
"We just tried to went for it, don't try to wait for them, try to play more aggressive. Because I think till this moment we couldn't find a good way to play, to win the match. So we just keep fighting and trying."
It was a glamorous match up, and the tennis proved highly entertaining as well. Women's doubles has progressively gone the way of its singles counterpart and is now played predominantly from the baseline, but today it was refreshing to see the four women willing to attack the net and employ tried-and-true doubles tactics throughout the two hour and 11 minute match.
Games went on serve early in breezy conditions on Rod Laver Arena, and it looked like the top seeds would draw first blood, moving ahead 0-30 in the fifth game after Pennetta cracked a forehand return winner down the line. But the less-experienced combination proved resilient, eventually holding serve before embarking on a tear that reaped three consecutive games.
This run was sparked by a crucial point in the sixth game. Azarenka and Kirilenko came out on top of a searching rally - characterised by a series of lobs which forced players to repeatedly switch sides - which Azarenka ended with a short, wickedly sliced backhand that stopped dead. Kirilenko applauded her partner, recognising the artful shot as well as the significance of the moment. The pair would go on to break serve on their way to claiming the opening set in 34 minutes.
Dulko and Pennetta weren't playing badly - they had just come up against a pair that was doing everything better. Azarenka and Kirilenko had more firepower off the ground, were ending points more effectively at net with crisp volleys and powerful overheads, and kept the No.1 seeds under constant pressure.
Despite having never played in a Grand Slam tournament together, Azarenka and Kirilenko maintained their superior form in the second set. Dulko and Pennetta broke serve in the opening game, but Azarenka and Kirilenko broke straight back and surged to a 4-1 lead thanks to some formidable net play.
The top seeds were in dire straits, and desperately needed something to change. After holding serve to remain alive, there was a glimmer of hope when Dulko volleyed a winner after a lengthy rally to help the No.1 seeds break back for 3-4. The top seeds sensed a momentum shift, and showed steely resolve to recover from 0-30 down in the eighth game, forcing two errors from their opponents and playing some excellent tennis at net to level at 4-4.
Despite the No.12 seeds holding serve in the ninth game to remain ahead, Dulko and Pennetta were now hitting more freely and taking advantage of increasingly tense play from their opponents, and they eventually took the second set.
Now with a ton of momentum, the No.1 seeds were not going to blow their chance at snaring a maiden Grand Slam crown. Playing a more cohesive, error-free brand of tennis, they punished short balls and benefitted from Kirilenko and Azarenka's increasing error count.
Azarenka was the main culprit - her exemplary volleying technique disappeared out the window as she repeatedly fluffed points at the net. At one stage she crouched on the court after a missed backhand volley, looking completely shattered after yet another point had slipped away. The wheels had fallen off.
Pennetta sympathised for her opponents - and Azarenka in particular - admitting it was tough to stay positive after letting a big lead slip. "When you have the chance, you have a ball for 5 1, it's almost finished, then you're starting the third set, it's like really tough to come back in the game," she said.
"I think maybe she (Azarenka) start to be a little bit more, you know, nervous and to miss more balls than in the beginning. I think they play very good in the first set ... But I think most important for us that we keep fighting. In the end we believe we can turn the match, so it was good."
From there the No.1 seeds did not ease up, celebrating ecstatically after another error from the No.12 seeds put an end to the compelling contest.
Today's victory iced a stellar 12 months for Dulko and Pennetta. They finished 2010 as the top-ranked doubles team thanks to seven titles from nine finals, and at one stage compiled a 17-match winning streak. They first played together in 2006.
"Last year we played so well," Pennetta said. "We won The Championships, so many good tournaments, but we didn't make any (major) final or we didn't win any Grand Slam. So we start really well to here and I hope to do the same thing in the next one."

 

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Doha 2011 Roger Federer Hit A Front Tweener Between The Legs Shot Winner in R1 Match

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Federer strikes between-the-legs winner in Doha win

DOHA Roger Federer added to his repertoire of through-the-legs winners on his way to beating Dutch qualifier Thomas Schoorel 7-6 (3), 6-3 at the Qatar Open in his first official match of the season.
Top-ranked Rafael Nadal also advanced, beating Karol Beck 6-3, 6-0.
After a sluggish first set, the No. 2-ranked Swiss hit his stride in the second. Leading 5-2 and faced with a ball that changed direction after clipping the top of the net, Federer flicked it through his legs for a clean winner into the corner.
“It’s one of the best shots again of my career, one I’m going to look back on and smile, of course,” Federer said. “It was quite fantastic.”
The 21-year-old Schoorel, playing only his second ATP-level match, managed a smile as the crowd applauded. Schoorel went on to hold his serve, but Federer sealed the win in the next game.
Federer successfully pulled off the shot—also known as a “tweener”—at the previous two U.S. Opens, at last year’s Shanghai Masters and at the 2007 Dubai Open.
In the second round, Federer plays Swiss compatriot Marco Chiudinelli, who beat Reda El Amrani 3-6, 7-6 (3), 6-3.
The 16-time Grand Slam champion struggled in the first set against Schoorel, and had to save three set points when trailing 5-4 in the first set. However, he reeled off five points in a row to even the score at 5-5 and then took advantage of three long returns by Schoorel to take the set on a tiebreak.
“It was a difficult match, especially in the first set,” Federer said. “In the first set, he played really well. This player has quality.”
Federer broke serve for the first time in the fourth game of the second set before easing to victory in 68 minutes.
“I hope to do well here,” said Federer, who won the tournament in 2005 and 2006. “I know (Rafael) Nadal is here and that makes this event very interesting.”
Nadal led 3-0 in the first set, and broke Beck all three times in the second.
“I try to do better every day and be consistent,” said Nadal, who won the French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open last year. “I wanted to do that. It is important to do that to keep my (top) ranking.”
Nadal, who is seeking his first trophy in Doha, will face either Lukas Lacko of Slovakia and Pere Riba of Spain in the next round.

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Dokic powers into second round

Jelena Dokic overcame a huge bout of nerves to start 2011 with a breakthrough victory at the Brisbane International, beating Russian qualifier Anastasia Pivovarova in straight sets on Monday night.
Looking for her first win in three years at the tournament, Dokic shook off stomach cramps and a shaky end to the first set to triumph 6-4 6-3.
The 26-year-old was extremely relieved after a 78-minute slugfest where she produced the groundstrokes and power for which she was renowned in her younger years.
Dokic raced to 4-1 in the first set but ran into troubles on her serve and also stumbled badly in failing to convert four set points.

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Nadal, Federer tweak schedules for new season

Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are planning to play similar schedules as in past years but have made slight adjustments to their commitments outside the four Grand Slams and eight mandatory Masters Series

Nadal's schedule for next season includes the clay-court event in Barcelona, which he skipped this year to limit wear and tear on his knees. But for the second straight year, the Spaniard will not be playing his once-regular stop in Dubai. He will also not be returning to Bangkok, limiting his fall Asian swing to tournaments in Tokyo and Shanghai.

Nadal has also committed to playing Spain's first-round Davis Cup tie against Belgium, with additional participation dependent on Spain's performance.

Federer, meanwhile, is planning to play Dubai after missing the event this year, but will not be returning to Estoril and Stockholm. He will again be missing the optional Masters Series event in Monte Carlo.

Federer has not, however, indicated his Davis Cup availability. Switzerland dropped out of the World Goup this year after Federer missed both the first round and the playoffs.

Both are maintaining their usual grass-court warmup routines, with Nadal playing Queen's and Federer taking part in Halle, an event with which he has a long-term contract.

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Roddick As Hungry As Ever

Andy Roddick's physical trainer Lance Hooten and physio Doug Spreen discuss the American's off-season training.
Andy Roddick has been as hungry and motivated as ever during the off-season as he prepares for his 12th full season on the ATP World Tour and another assault on the Australian Open title.
“I haven’t seen him this motivated for some time,” said Roddick’s physical trainer, Lance Hooten. “Andy’s always been a grinder, a hard worker; you have to put reins on him all the time because he’s always going to work too hard, too long and too much.”
Indeed, on the first day of Roddick’s pre-season training the American was due to work out with Hooten and other professional athletes. As Roddick had finished the season with a couple of nagging injuries to his groin and hamstring, Hooten had intended to ease the 28 year old into the programme with short sprints on a more forgiving grass surface.
Roddick, who will first compete in 2011 at the Brisbane International, was not interested in the softly, softly approach.
calls Hooten, “Andy whispered to me, ‘I don’t want to do a Plan B workout, I want to do today’s work out.’ I said ‘I don’t know, you’ve got to show me you can handle this so let’s build into it a little slowly.’ And he looked at me and said, ‘We’re not doing a %#@!!% Plan B workout.’ “So we started the workout and he was doing really well, and I was actually going to cut him short because if he’s not finishing the work out healthy then it doesn’t really matter. Andy looked at me and said, ‘You don’t win the %#@!!% Australian Open by cutting short your work outs.’”
It is undoubtedly that sort of attitude and determination that has seen former World No. 1 Roddick succeed for so long at the top of the game. Despite suffering mononucleosis that set him back during the crunch stage of the season over the summer, Roddick still produced strong enough results to earn his place at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals for the eighth straight year. And the Texan firmly believed that had he not been ill, after his blistering start to the season, he could have finished in the Top 3 or 4 in the South African Airways 2010 ATP Rankings.
With that in mind, Team Roddick is treating victory at the Australian Open as a realistic target for the American and as such, the hard work began in earnest as soon as Roddick returned from London. “The planning and talking about it started the day that the season ended,” confirmed Roddick’s physio, Doug Spreen. “At that point he and Larry [Stefanki] had a chance to sit down and talk and go over a few things. Within a few days of getting back to Austin he was already starting to do some conditioning work and strength training, so it started up pretty quick.” After the illness and injury problems of 2010, Spreen confirmed Roddick’s primary goal for the off season was to get healthy. “The goal coming out of December is that when you go down to Australia you want to feel good. The goal is to find a happy medium where you continue to do a lot of work to get yourself in shape, but at the same time you want to show up in Australia feeling healthy and hopefully a little bit rejuvenated.”
The No. 2 goal was to pay attention to the American’s body composition.
“As a power-speed athlete you have to be very lean and very strong,” explained Hooten. “So what we wanted to do was lose a few pounds of body fat and gain a few pounds in muscle tissue, so his body weight tends to stay around the same, but you change the body composition. By doing that you have a stronger athlete, a more explosive athlete, you have an athlete who can withstand the rigours of his sport.”
The tough regimen that Hooten devised has seen Roddick’s workout alternate between the track and the court. Track work involves explosive short sprints over 10-40 metres and longer sprints between 150-300 metres for speed endurance. Other exercises have involved the American doing sprints up a 50-60 metre hill on a 4-5 degree incline. On the court, Roddick has been doing short, explosive agility drills.
With Roddick’s late finish to the season there has not been much time to add specifics to his game. However, Hooten has been focusing on improving the American’s first step to chasing balls on the court, achieved by increasing Roddick’s lean muscle tissue and taking away his hesitation by making him as fit and supple as possible. “With the drills we’re doing lots of ply metric jumps, we do a lot of medicine ball throws for power and speed,” he explained.
Along with the physical training, Roddick has also been paying close attention to his diet – getting lots of fresh vegetables, lots of fresh fruit, very lean proteins, supplements of protein smoothies and eating frequent meals throughout the day - in the knowledge that consuming proper foods aids recovery by 50-75 per cent.
With the hard work done, Roddick will travel to Australia as a four-time former semi-finalist in Melbourne, with a wealth of major experience, and the confidence of feeling fit, healthy and strong. He should not be discounted as a serious contender.

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The longest tennis match ever....

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Will Rafa Win His Fourth Straight Major?

ATPWorldTour.com previews five storylines to watch during the 2011 season. In the fourth installment, we look at Rafael Nadal's quest to win a fourth straight Grand Slam title.
It hasn’t been done in 41 years, but Rafael Nadal has a chance to match Rod Laver’s feat of holding all four Grand Slam titles at one time when he goes for the Australian Open crown in January.
The Spaniard set the stage for the historic accomplishment with a showcase of dominance at the final three majors this season. He rolled to his fifth Roland Garros title without the loss of a set, won Wimbledon for a second time, and completed his Grand Slam set at the US Open - making him the first to win those three majors back-to-back since Laver completed his calendar year Grand Slam in 1969.
The 24-year-old Nadal said afterward: “For me, it's a dream to have the career Grand Slam, but this is more a dream to have the US Open. [It’s an] unbelievable feeling because I worked a lot all my life, in all difficult moments to be here, but I never imagined to have the four Grand Slams.”
Now Nadal has a realistic chance to hold all four titles at the same time when he enters Melbourne as the World No. 1. The only other time the Mallorcan topped the Australian Open draw, two years ago, he finished the fortnight as champion; he prevailed in a five-hour, 14-minute battle against fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco in the semi-finals before defeating Roger Federer in a five-set final.
Though he failed to defend his title this year when he retired in his quarter-final match against Andy Murray with a knee injury, part of a challenging 11-month stretch ahead of his turnaround in April, Nadal will return to the Australian Open with a much different mindset this time around.
“I’m gonna try to repeat the same like last year, that I practised all well in December and I arrived to the beginning of the season with very high level, but without calm [since I didn’t] win in a long time,” said Nadal. “My opinion now, if I arrive with the same level like last year in the beginning of the season, the situation can change, because the calm [is] going to be there after this probably more emotional and good season of my career.”
Federer had two opportunities to win a fourth consecutive major, clinching Wimbledon, the US Open and Australian Open back-to-back only to be denied by Nadal in the 2006 and ‘07 Roland Garros finals. Will he turn the tables and end his rival’s quest for history in the Australian Open final?
Nadal was the undisputed World No. 1 in 2010, but Federer proved to be the tour’s best player following the US Open, capping his season with victory over the Spaniard at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, and will head to Oz prepared to defend his title.
But should Nadal come away from Melbourne with his 10th major title, there’s no doubt that the next question will be whether he can complete a calendar year Grand Slam.

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