Tennis News

After a difficult start to his 2015 season in an exhibition event in Abu Dhabi, Rafael Nadal will continue his gradual return to top form, starting with strong showings in the opening week on the ATP World Tour. The Spaniard will begin his campaign at the Qatar Exxon Mobil Open with a match-up against Germany’s Michael Berrer, whom Nadal has faced twice previously on the tour. Nadal leads the head-to-head series 2-0.

The world No. 3 began his year at the Mubadala World Tennis Championships, where British No. 1 Andy Murray bludgeoned him in alarming fashion. However, while he only won two games against Murray on Friday, he was able to defeat Stan Wawrinka 7-6(1), 6-3 to secure third place at the event.

The Spaniard made it clear that he does not expect perfect performance this early in the season given his plague of injuries and recent surgeries. He does, however, want to perform at him best and remain competitive atop the rankings.

“My goal is try to be competitive in every tournament that I’m going to play,” he said. “It’s normal that I’m going to need some time. But I’m happy; I’m practising well and working very hard. I’m doing the right things with the right attitude.

“I hope to be ready to compete here, and then if I am able to spend some time on court, every moment on court will help me [and] will be positive for my future. [I’m] going to try to play the best tournament possible.” Novak Djokovic, Tomas Berdych and David Ferrer also compete at the ATP World Tour 250 tournament.”

His opponent, Michael Berrer, sits at No. 127 in the rankings and is unlikely to present much of a challenge for Nadal. Of their two previous meetings, Nadal has lost a total of four games to the German, which bodes well for his chances of reaching the second round of the tournament with relative ease.

Prediction: Rafael Nadal in Straight Sets

A contest pitting two Russians is scheduled to take place in the second round of the Brisbane International on Tuesday afternoon, as world No. 2 Maria Sharapova and fellow countrywoman Yaroslava Shvedova are scheduled to meet for the second time on the professional tour. Sharapova leads the head-to-head series 1-0 and will look to remain undefeated against the Moscow-native.

Maria Sharapova took part in a fantastc 2014 season – a year that saw her return from shoulder surgery and lift her fifth Grand Slam title at the French Open. Apart from simply returning to the professional circuit at full health after shoulder surgery – Sharapova’s only initial goal for the season – the Russian superstar was able to achieve far for during several memorable runs this year. She lifted titles in Stuttgart, Madrid, and Beijing, apart from her second French Open title, all of which boosted her to world No. 2 in the rankings.

She will now look to maintain that momentum throughout the new year, starting with the challenging draw at the Brisbane International.

“It’s one of the toughest fields in the three tournaments that are going on around the globe for the women’s tour this week,” Sharapova commented. “You always want to start off with the toughest competition. It’s a tournament I love coming back to – I tried to play here for many years and it was my first time on court here last year, so it’s great to be back. I had a wonderful experience.

“I’m looking forward to getting the year started on a good note.”

World No. 66 Yaroslava Shvedova began her season with a surprising upset victory over Germany’s Sabine Lisicki on Monday afternoon. After losing the first set 6-0, Shvedova rebounded in style to close out the contest 0-6, 7-5, 6-4. She will look to carry that confidence over to her second match of the season against Sharapova.

This marks the second time that these two competitors will meet on the professional tour, and the first time in over five years. Their last meeting took place in 2009 at the French Open. This is their first meeting on a hard court and will likely favour Sharapova, although it could last three sets.

Prediction: Maria Sharapova in Three Sets

Former world No. 1 Venus Williams is refreshed, rejuvenated, and ready to embark on another fruitful season on the WTA tour. Following her remarkable return to form in 2014, the American will be keen to start the season right with some strong showings at the ASB Classic in Auckland, starting with Jana Cepelova on Monday afternoon. This marks just the second time that these two competitors will meet on the professional tour, with Williams leading the head to head series 1-0.

After taking part in a great year on the tour, one that included titles and even a runner-up finish in the Rogers Cup in Montreal, Venus Williams is in the Top 20 on the WTA tour for the first time since 2010. However, she has not contested a match on court since an illness forced her out of the China Open three months ago. Given that she is a runner-up last year at this event, she will be looking duplicate her efforts this season.

“Last year was so amazing and I got so close – just ran into a better player. It was the first of four finals for me last year. I was just reflecting on that as I came through security, I was like ‘last year wasn’t bad’. I’d love to make it a lot better.

“I’m happy to be back here, I definitely feel the energy and I’ve been hitting well and I’m looking forward to getting started.”

World No. 57 Jana Cepelova reached the final in Charleston last year and completed semi-final showings in Osprey, Bastad and Suzhou. She also managed to reach the second round of the US Open for the first time in her career.

This marks just the second time that these two competitors will meet on the professional tour, with Williams leading the series 1-0. The American defeated her Slovakian adversary at the Cincinnati Masters event back in 2013. While it is always difficult to gauge a player’s preparedness in their first match of the season, particularly the inconsistent Venus, it is likely that she will edge Cepelova in a close straight sets battle.

Prediction: Venus Williams in Straight Sets