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Roger Federer Announces Schedule Until June, Won’t Play Miami Masters

Roger Federer Announces Schedule Until June, Won’t Play Miami Masters

  • Posted: Feb 14, 2015

Federer Basel Roger Federer Announces Schedule Until June, Won’t Play Miami Masters

 

17-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer has resumed preparation for the ATP 500-level event in Dubai following his premature exit from the Aussie Open last month. The World No. 2 has also released the first-half of his 2015 schedule, which includes all the tournaments he is scheduled to participate in until the Wimbledon Championships.

The only noticeable tournament absent from his schedule is the Miami Masters event in March, which he took part in last season. Although he missed the event in 2013, he was present last season, where he reached the quarter-final stage of the tournament.

While Masters events are considered mandatory tournaments from active tour players, Federer is exempt from that mandate since he has reached several of the milestones that clear him from the obligation, according to the ATP World Tour rulebook. The ATP requires players to have played over 600 matches, competed on the pro tour for 12 years, or passed the age of 31. Since Federer has matched all three of those conditions, he has “complete exemption from the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 player commitment.”

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Federer offered up his schedule on his official Facebook page:

“I’ve been back on the practice courts for the last couple of days. Very excited to be back on the ATP World Tour at the end of the month. Below will be my schedule for the next few months:
23 Feb: Dubai
12 March: Indian Wells
12 April: Monte Carlo
3 May: Madrid
10 May: Rome
24 May: Roland Garros
15 June: Halle
29 June: Wimbledon

I am currently working on my summer and fall tournament schedule and as soon as I have it finalized, I will release it. I’m looking forward to a great 2015!”

Gilles Simon Upsets Andy Murray in Rotterdam

Gilles Simon Upsets Andy Murray in Rotterdam

  • Posted: Feb 14, 2015

Gilles Simon3 Gilles Simon Upsets Andy Murray in Rotterdam

 

The top seeds at this week’s tennis tournaments continue to fall as Andy Murray was ousted from the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament on Friday by an unlikely adversary in Gilles Simon.

Simon, who previously held a 1-12 record against Murray, including 12 consecutive losses, defeated the world No. 4 in straight sets to advance to a semi-final contest against Tomas Berdych.

“It was a great match for me,” said Simon. “I lost 12 times against him, so it was almost an unexpected win. I had a better feeling against him the last two matches I had to play. I was twice one set and a break up, I really felt I was close to win, and I think it helped me to be more confident today.”

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It was a surprisingly straightforward affair, as Simon ousted Murray 6-4,6-2 in 86 minutes. The British No. 1 played far from his best tennis.

“I struggled with most of the shots, to be honest,” said Murray. “At the beginning of the match my backhand, at the end of the match my forehand. It was tough. I felt I was hitting the ball too early. I felt my timing was a bit off.”

Simon will go on to face Tomas Berdych, who stormed into the final four with a 6-1,6-4 victory in 1 hour and 12 minutes.

“It was a very good game,” said Berdych. “I was able to add something extra from the last match I played yesterday, which was a goal. I was able to keep up with the game plan, which was rightly chosen. I was able to execute it all the way to the last point. As we all know, it’s Gael, who’s not an easy opponent. I’m really happy the way I handled it in those two sets.”

Bouchard and Kerber upset in Antwerp

Bouchard and Kerber upset in Antwerp

  • Posted: Feb 14, 2015

Angelique Kerber4 Bouchard and Kerber upset in Antwerp

 

Thursday afternoon brought with it some surprising results in Belgium, as three of the top seeds at the Diamond Games were ousted from the tournament, including top seed Eugenie Bouchard.

The slew of upsets began with second seed Angelique Kerber, who was downed at the hands of 2010 French Open champion Francesca Schiavone. The Italian needed just 57-minutes to defeat Kerber 6-1, 6-1. She even won nine consecutive games at one given time during the lopsided encounter.

“For me it was a great match because I was able to play the tactics I wanted to play,” Schiavone said. “I knew it would be a good opportunity for me today, and I’m happy with the way I played.”

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The second upset of the day was the untimely exit of Eugenie Bouchard, who lost to Germany’s Mona Barthel in three sets. The Canadian stormed to a 3-0 lead in the match but quickly fizzled away and allowed herself to be broken back. While she eventually won the opening set, she watched her lead evaporate over the coming two sets, where she won a mere three games overall to lose the match 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.

“It’s always tough to play against Genie. She plays so well, you really have to play your best,” Barthel said afterwards. “But today I was able to play my game, play aggressive and come into the net. At the end I had some nerves, but I’m happy I could play well to finish it. It’s a great win for me.”

And to cap the day off, French No. 1 and seventh seed Alize Cornet lost to Barbora Zahlavova Strycova 6-4, 6-2.

The remaining seeds now are Lucie Safarova, Carla Suárez Navarro, Dominika Cibulkova, and Karolina Pliskova.

Laura Robson Delays Comeback, Will Remain on the Sidelines to Exercise Caution

Laura Robson Delays Comeback, Will Remain on the Sidelines to Exercise Caution

  • Posted: Feb 14, 2015

Robson1 Laura Robson Delays Comeback, Will Remain on the Sidelines to Exercise Caution

 

While many anticipated a ‘surprise’ Laura Robson comeback at an ITF event in Arizona next week, it appears the former British No. 1 will once again delay her comeback in an attempt to exercise caution.

According to The Telegraph, Robson’s delay is unlikely to be a major setback, but more of a safety decision. She is expected to return to the tour at an ITF level event at some point in March.

The former British No. 1 was forced onto the sidelines in January with a left wrist injury and watched her hard work and ranking deteriorate whilst other competitors rose to prominence over the year. She has not played a match since her first round loss to Kirsten Flipkens in the opening round of the Australian Open.

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Robson reached a career-high of No. 27 on the tour and reached the fourth round of Wimbledon Championships, as well as the third rounds of the Australian Open the French Open and the U.S. Open. However, since her absence from the tour, she has dropped from No. 27 to No. 916.

After parting ways with coach Miles Maclagan in the fall of 2013 and having Nick Saviano snatched full time by Bouchard, Robson has been working with coach Mauricio Hadad, and plans to continue working with him for the foreseeable future. He previously worked with Heather Watson and works for Nick Bolletteri in Florida.

Other members of her management team, including Maria Sharapova’s former agent Max Eisenbud, insisted that Robson be cautious about her comeback.

Italian Players Suspended from Professional Competition Due to Match-Fixing Inquiry

Italian Players Suspended from Professional Competition Due to Match-Fixing Inquiry

  • Posted: Feb 14, 2015

braccialli Italian Players Suspended from Professional Competition Due to Match Fixing Inquiry

 

As reported by the Associated Press, tennis players Daniele Bracciali and Potito Starace have been suspended for 40 days by the Italian Tennis Federation due to an ongoing investigation for a match-fixing inquiry.

Bracciali and his occasional doubles partner Potito Starace were brought in on corruption accusations after intercepted Internet conversations showing they sold matches were released and printed in Italian media several months ago. Neither player has competed since doubles quarterfinals of the Kremlin Cup in Moscow when the intercepted conversations were published.

It appears that the incident stems from a July 2007 conversation between Bracciali and an accountant who was arrested in 2011, where the Italian allegedly planned to arrange a match in Rhode Island against Scoville Jenkins – a match that Jenkins eventually won 6-2, 6-1.

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Italian investigator Roberto Di Martino later told The Associated Press that Bracciali “admitted a few things and he denied a few things”

This is far from the first case of match fixing in tennis. Prior this this particular incident, lifetime bans were dealt to Daniel Koellerer (2011), David Savic (2012), and Andrey Kumantsov (2014). Spain’s Guillermo Olaso has been banned from tennis competition for five years after he was found guilty of fixing a match back in 2010.