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British Davis Cup Team Congratulated By Prime Minister

  • Posted: Dec 01, 2015

British Davis Cup Team Congratulated By Prime Minister

Andy Murray and British team welcomed at No. 10 Downing Street

Two days after their historic Davis Cup triumph over Belgium in Ghent, the winning British team was invited to meet with Prime Minister David Cameron at No. 10 Downing Street in London on Tuesday.

World No. 2 Andy Murray was joined by team captain Leon Smith, Jamie Murray, Kyle Edmund, James Ward and Dominic Inglot for a reception at the official residence and the office of the British Prime Minister.

“It was a real privilege to visit the Prime Minister at No. 10 today,” said Smith. “We really appreciate the fact he took time out of his busy schedule to recognise the historic achievement over the weekend. We hope the team’s victory will inspire the next generation of players and kids to play tennis, as we all care passionately about our sport.”

The Murray brothers starred at the weekend as Great Britain defeated Belgium 3-1 to win the ITF men’s team championship for the first time since 1936. Andy Murray won both his singles matches against Ruben Bemelmans and David Goffin as well as uniting with his older brother, Jamie, for a crucial doubles victory.

Both Murray brothers will make an appearance during the Champions Tennis event at the Royal Albert Hall this week in London.

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Rivalries Of 2015: Djokovic vs. Federer

  • Posted: Dec 01, 2015

Rivalries Of 2015: Djokovic vs. Federer

ATP World Tour Season In Review: Best Rivalries

Continuing our Season In Review series, ATPWorldTour.com revisits the fiercest rivalries of 2015. Today we feature Novak Djokovic vs. Roger Federer:

Was there more compelling marquee match-up in 2015 than Novak Djokovic vs. Roger Federer, the Hall of Fame-caliber clash of titans? It seems there’s always so much on the line when these two face together, and the longtime foes battled it out in no less than SEVEN finals on the year.

“I think it’s really become a very nice rivalry,” noted Federer. “It seems people like the way we play against each other. I don’t think we have to adjust our games very much against each other. We can just play our game, and then the better man wins. It’s been nice seeing Novak’s improvements over all these years. He’s become such an unbelievable player, especially the last five, six years, and he’s cleaned up his game so nicely and became the best mover in the game.  It’s really a pleasure playing against him every single time.”

“We always make each other play our best tennis,” Djokovic concurred. “We require from each other the maximum focus and commitment, and that’s what raises the quality of the match. That’s why he’s who he is.”

Federer once dominated the Swiss-Serb encounter. In fact, he won seven of their first 10 meetings. But after claiming five of eight matches against Federer in 2015, including title matches at Wimbledon, the US Open finals and the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, as well as ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events in Indian Wells and Rome, the FedEx ATP Head2Head now stands at an even 22-22. To think that when they first faced each other in Monaco back in 2006, a 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 Round of 64 decision in Federer’s favor, Djokovic was still somewhat of an unknown commodity. After that first encounter, Federer asserted, “I mean, he was all right from the baseline and everything. I think he’s still got many areas where he can improve, so there is some potential.”

Potential? You got that right.

Though Federer would strike first with a 6-3, 7-5 victory in the Dubai final, Djokovic would reel off three straight trophy-clinching wins in Indian Wells (6-3, 6-7(5), 6-2), Rome (6-4, 6-3) and Wimbledon (7-6(1), 6-7(10), 6-4, 6-3), where for a second straight year he would get the better of the seven-time champion. In doing so, he became the first player since the Swiss in 2007 to successfully defend his title at the All England Club.

Federer would bounce back in Cincinnati with an aggressive 7-6(1), 6-3 win over Djokovic, who was bidding to complete a Career Golden Masters. It was his seventh ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati, proving that at he’s far from finished.

“He’s just not going away,” said Djokovic of his 34-year-old opponent. “He’s not dropping his level too much. He’s always going to be out there making you play your best if you want to win. So that’s who Roger is. That’s why he has won so many Grand Slam titles.”

For the second time in his career, Djokovic would win his third major of the year at the US Open, this one at the expense of Federer under the lights in Arthur Ashe Stadium 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4. The win put the World No. 1 in double digits for major titles, making him the eighth player to accomplish the feat. But there was more. The all-time greats would split decisions at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, though it was Djokovic who would claim his fourth consecutive year-end title.

Djokovic vs. Federer: 2015 Meetings

Event  Surface  Round Winner Score
Dubai Hard F Federer 6-3, 7-5
Indian Wells Hard F Djokovic 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-2
Rome Clay F Djokovic 6-4, 6-3
Wimbledon Grass F Djokovic 7-6(1), 6-7(10), 6-4, 6-3
Cincinnati Hard F Federer 7-6(1), 6-3
US Open Hard F Djokovic 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4
Barclays ATP World Tour Finals Hard RR Federer 7-5, 6-2
Barclays ATP World Tour Finals Hard F Djokovic 6-3, 6-4

Djokovic vs. Federer FedEx ATP Head2Head

Catch more of the ATP World Tour Season In Review coverage of Best Rivalries here:

Rafael Nadal vs. Fabio Fognini

Novak Djokovic vs. Stan Wawrinka

Novak Djokovic vs. Andy Murray

Kei Nishikori vs. Milos Raonic

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WTA Insider Podcast: Keys To Success

WTA Insider Podcast: Keys To Success

  • Posted: Dec 01, 2015

On Episode 9, Courtney Nguyen talks to Madison Keys and CoCo Vandeweghe, two young Americans who left their mark on the 2015 season.

First up, hear from 20-year-old Keys, who started the year off with a bang, defeating Petra Kvitova and Venus Williams en route to her first major semifinal at the Australian Open. Keys also made the quarterfinals at Wimbledon and final at the Family Circle Cup, but as she looks to 2016 she’s hoping to put her rollercoaster season behind her.

Then you’ll hear from 23-year-old CoCo Vandeweghe, who also notched her best major result this year with a fantastic run to the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, an impressive feat given she entered the season having never progressed past the second round at any major. She overcame a spate of injuries to finish inside the Top 40 for the second year in a row.

Vandeweghe joins the podcast from her training base in San Diego to talk about her season as well as her current charity efforts on behalf of the Women’s Sports Foundation, an organization founded by Billie Jean King in 1974 dedicated to advancing the lives of girls and women through sports and physical activity. Vandeweghe is one of over a dozen athletes working to raise money for the WSF’s Travel & Training fund, which provides direct financial assistance to aspiring athletes who have the potential to achieve even higher performance and rankings. Past grant recipients include Kristi Yamaguchi, Michelle Kwan, Picabo Street, and Kerri Strug. It’s a cause close to Vandeweghe’s heart. Despite her famous lineage, the financial obstacles to pursuing her dream of becoming a pro tennis player were very real.

You can donate to the Women’s Sports Foundation’s Travel & Training Fund, click here: https://www.crowdrise.com/cocovandeweghesfaceo

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Changes must be made at LTA – Lloyd

  • Posted: Dec 01, 2015

British tennis is “a mess” and the Lawn Tennis Association must make changes, says former player David Lloyd.

He added that “the buck must stop” with LTA chief executive Michael Downey, who he says has done “a poor job”.

Following Great Britain’s Davis Cup victory, Andy Murray said that speaking to the LTA about the future of British tennis is a waste of his time.

“The LTA do not run the game very well. They haven’t for many, many, many years,” Lloyd told BBC World Service.

“They have poor management, poor systems.”

The former Davis Cup captain and successful businessman said the LTA had invested millions “but not in the right places”.

LTA boss Downey said in a statement on Tuesday: “We value the opinions of all of our players on how we grow the game in Britain and our door is always open to Andy, Dan [Evans], Dom [Inglot], James [Ward], Jamie [Murray] and Kyle [Edmund] to hear their views and work collaboratively with them and all of our partners.”

Murray criticised British tennis’ governing body after inspiring his country’s first Davis Cup win in 79 years against Belgium in Ghent over the weekend.

The 28-year-old said he “did not know where the next generation are” and that on a visit to the National Tennis Centre (NTC) in October he found “not one person using any of the indoor courts and not one person in the gym”.

Lloyd, 67, who accused Murray of not putting enough back into the British game before the Davis Cup final, said it is “fantastic” that the Scot spoke out as he has “enormous power in controlling the way the game should be run”.

“Someone must take the blame,” Lloyd added. “Bob Brett was hired [as director of player development] and then left within a year, not because he wasn’t good but he was in the wrong job. They hired him for a job that he can’t do.

“You’ve got to put people in the right positions if you’re running a company. The buck has to stop at the chief executive’s door. He has done a poor job.”

Lloyd, who says he twice applied for the LTA chief executive job but was turned down on both occasions, believes the governing body squanders the annual funding it receives from profits generated by the Wimbledon championship.

“We get over £30m a year given to us free of charge from the All England Club, which is the best tournament in the world, but we have a very poor standard. It doesn’t make sense,” he said.

“Andy Murray is a great player but we have no juniors coming through. We have no system.”

Meanwhile, former British women’s number one Anne Keothavong told BBC Radio 5 live that the people running the LTA did not “share the passion” of the Murray family and “so many other people” in British tennis.

Keothavong said that after retiring two and a half years ago, she offered to volunteer at the NTC in Roehampton but had only been contacted once since then, which she described as “ridiculous”.

She added: “You’ve got to make the most of the people who are passionate about the game. There are so many people in British tennis who want to give back, who want to do a lot of things, but maybe they’re seen as threats.”

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Keys Ready For Major Breakthrough

Keys Ready For Major Breakthrough

  • Posted: Dec 01, 2015

WTA Rising Star Madison Keys’ athletic game and easy power, particularly on serve, have earned plenty of rave reviews, as well as some favorable comparisons with one of her childhood idols, Serena Williams.

In 2015, Keys did nothing to discourage these parallels with her illustrious compatriot, making regular forays to the business end at tennis’ flagship events. And, while consistency across the season still proved elusive – she failed to register back-to-back wins at 12 of 19 events – there were plenty of signs to suggest that a major breakthrough may not be that far off.

Her penchant for rising to the big occasion was showcased in the opening month of the season, brushing aside early exits at tune-up events in Brisbane and Sydney to reach the semifinals at the Australian Open.

Williams ended this run Down Under and seven months later was also responsible for dashing her US Open hopes, winning their much-ballyhooed fourth round encounter in two flawless sets to send Keys back to the drawing board.

“She was playing really, really well. I feel like I had to play my absolute best,” Keys said after her loss in New York. “If I wasn’t hitting a winner, I feel like she was. She put a lot of pressure on me to have to kind of almost overplay. I felt like I was going for it more than I normally would have. I felt like if I didn’t hit a winner, I wouldn’t get to the next ball.”

Such are the standards set by those at the pinnacle of the WTA, the 20-year-old will need to hit these heights if she is to take the next step, namely, a place in the Top 10 and lifting some major silverware.

Luckily, in Keys’ corner is someone who has been there, done that and got the t-shirt: former World No.1 Lindsay Davenport.

Since joining forces late last year, Davenport and Keys have formed one of the more intriguing relationships in tennis. Add Davenport’s husband Jon Leach to the mix and the 20-year-old has all the pieces in place to make the most of her boundless potential.

“It’s been a really fun so far,” Davenport said during the summer hardcourt season. “There’s a lot of excitement about everything coming up.”

As for the here and now, Keys eased herself into the ardors of pre-season training back home in Rock Island, Illinois, before moving to warmer climes to fine-tune her preparations. Davenport, though, knows that there is no rushing her young charge.

“She’s developing on her own timeline. When she’s ready everyone will know. And she’s still getting there.”

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IPTL (International Premier Tennis League) Teams & Schedule

  • Posted: Dec 01, 2015

International_Premier_Tennis_League

logos

From 2nd December to 20th December 2015 current champions, tennis legends and upcoming talents are playing in a  top-level tennis, in five countries in Asia. Japan, Philippines, India, Dubai and Singapore, will host the 2015 International Premier Tennis League  Click to see the map

 

IPTL Teams

JAPAN WARRIORS TEAM: Maria Sharapova, Kei Nishikori, Leander Paes, Vasek Pospisil, Marat Safin, Daniela Hantuchova, Kurumi Nara

PHILIPPINE MAVERICKS TEAM: Serena Williams, Milos Raonic, Sabine Lisicki, Richard Gasquet, Mark Philippoussis, Jarmila Gajdosova, Treat Huey

INDIAN ACES TEAM: Rafael Nadal, Sania Mirza, Rohan Bopanna, Gael Monfils, Fabrice Santoro, Ivan Dodig, Agnieszka Radwanska

UAE ROYALS TEAM: Roger Federer, Ana Ivanovic, Tomas Berdych, Kristina Mladenovic, Marin Cilic, Daniel Nestor, Goran Ivanisevic

SINGAPORE SLAMMERS TEAM: Novak Djokovic, Nick Kyrgios, Karolina Pliskova, Carlos Moya, Belinda Bencic, Marcelo Melo, Dustin Brown

 

IPTL SCHEDULE

KOBE, JAPAN
2 December : Singapore Slammers  v UAE Royals – Indian Aces v Japan Warriors
3 December : Philippine Mavericks v Singapore Slammers – UAE Royals v Japan Warriors
4 December :  Indian Aces v Singapore Slammers – Philippine Mavericks v Japan Warriors

MALL OF ASIA, PHILLIPINES
6 December : Japan Warriors v UAE Royals – Philippine Mavericks v Indian Aces
7 December :  Indian Aces v UAE Royals – Japan Warriors v Philippine Mavericks
8 December : Singapore Slammers v UAE Royals  – Indian Aces  v Philippine Mavericks

INDIRA GANDHI INDOOR, NEW DELHI
10 December : Japan Warriors v UAE Royals – Philippine Mavericks v Indian Aces
11 December : Philippine Mavericks v Singapore Slammers – Japan Warriors v Indian Aces
12 December : Japan Warriors v Singapore Slammers – UAE Royals v Indian Aces

DUBAI TENNIS STADIUM, DUBAI
14 December : Indian Aces v Japan Warriors – Philippine Mavericks v UAE Royals
15 December : Philippine Mavericks v Indian Aces – Singapore Slammers v UAE Royals
16 December :  Indian Aces v Singapore Slammers –  Japan Warriors  v UAE Royals

SINGAPORE INDOOR STADIUM, SINGAPORE
18 December : Japan Warriors v Philippine Mavericks – UAE Royals v Singapore Slammers
19 December : Philippine Mavericks v UAE Royals – Indian Aces  v Singapore Slammers
20 December : Final

 

Radwanska On Winning A Grand Slam

Radwanska On Winning A Grand Slam

  • Posted: Dec 01, 2015

SINGAPORE – After winning the biggest title of her career at the WTA Finals in Singapore a few weeks ago, Agnieszka Radwanska stepped out into the city with her trophy for a special photo shoot at Gardens by the Bay. And while she was there she met up with Pat Cash from CNN Open Court.

The two talked about everything from Radwanska’s final battle with Petra Kvitova, a drop volley that turned heads around the world and how her phone died with all the messages she received afterwards.

The World No.5 also makes a huge statement on just how much she wants to win a major in 2016.

Check out Radwanska’s interview with CNN Open Court right here, right now on wtatennis.com:

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WTA Live Fan Access Best Episodes: No.10

  • Posted: Dec 01, 2015

All season long, WTA Live Fan Access has been serving up unforgettable behind-the-scenes moments featuring all your favorite stars. We’re counting down the best episodes of 2015, starting with No.10 from Cincinnati.

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Daily Insider: Strike A Pose

Daily Insider: Strike A Pose

  • Posted: Dec 01, 2015

Serena Williams photographed by Annie Liebovitz for Pirelli: Looking great, Serena.

WTA 125K Roundup: Yanina Wickmayer took home the title at the inaugural Carlsbad Classic over the weekend, beating Nicole Gibbs, 6-3, 7-6(4). Wickmayer’s win capped off the WTA 125K Series season, which also crowned Caroline Garcia (Limoges), Timea Babos (Taipei), Yaroslava Shvedova (Hua Hin), Zheng Saisai (Dalian), and Jelena Jankovic (Nanchang).

Nicole Gibbs’ sobering season summary: This is some real talk:

Sam Stosur calls for patience: The Australian No.1 hopes Australia’s lack of numbers in the Top 100 is just an issue of timing.

Sania Mirza’s Olympic prospects: The World No.1 isn’t thinking about India’s mixed doubles prospects quite yet.

Maria Sharapova snags an elusive table: Sharapova spent her Thanksgiving with a behind the scenes tour at NOMA, the famous avant garde restaurant in Copenhagen, Denmark. That’s a tough ticket.

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL: Andrea Petkovic nails it during a German television appearance over the weekend:

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Djokovic Leads The Establishment's Dominance Of Year-End Emirates ATP Rankings

  • Posted: Dec 01, 2015

Djokovic Leads The Establishment's Dominance Of Year-End Emirates ATP Rankings

Roger Federer makes history with Top 3 finish

The ATP World Tour has today published the 2015 year-end Emirates ATP Rankings on ATPWorldTour.com, after an exciting season that saw Novak Djokovic clinch No. 1 for the fourth time in five years and Roger Federer make history by becoming, at 34, the oldest player to finish in the Top 3 since the Emirates ATP Rankings started in 1973. The average age of the Top 10 is almost 30 years, two months, the oldest in the history of the Emirates ATP Rankings (since 1973). The last and only other time there were five players aged 30 or over in the year-end Top 10 was in 1974.

1. Novak Djokovic (SRB) – No. 1 for fourth time in five years, finishing in the Top 3 for ninth straight year

2. Andy Murray (GBR) – Year-end best and first other than Djokovic, Federer or Rafael Nadal to finish No. 2 since Andy Roddick in 2004 

3. Roger Federer (SUI) – Oldest to finish in Top 3 (at 34), placing in the Top 10 for 14th straight year, trailing only Andre Agassi and Jimmy Connors for most career Top 10 finishes (16 each)

4. Stan Wawrinka (SUI) – Finishes No. 4 for second straight year and in Top 10 for third season in a row

5. Rafael Nadal (ESP) –  Top 5 for 11th straight year and second-most Top 10 finishes among left-handers – after Connors (16)

6. Tomas Berdych (CZE) – Sixth consecutive finish in the Top 10

7. David Ferrer (ESP) – Second-oldest Top 10 finisher (at 33), ending the year in the Top 10 for the sixth year in a row and seventh time overall

8. Kei Nishikori (JPN) – First Asian to finish in Top 10 in back-to-back years

9. Richard Gasquet (FRA) – Finishes in Top 10 for fourth year in career (third in four years)

10. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) – Finishes in Top 10 for sixth year (fourth time in five years)

2015 Year-End Emirates ATP Rankings Quick Facts

For the second consecutive year 39 different countries are represented in the year-end Top 100. The old record was 37 in 2010-11.

Spain leads all countries with 15 players in the Top 100 (seven in the Top 50 and three in the Top 20), followed by France with 10 in the Top 100 (seven in the Top 50).

The youngest player in the Top 100 is 18-year-old Alexander Zverev (at No. 83).

Four teenagers finish in the Top 100 (Borna Coric at No. 44, Hyeon Chung at No. 51, Thanasi Kokkinakis at No. 80, Zverev at No. 83), which is the most since 2007 (Marin Cilic, Juan Martin del Potro, Ernests Gulbis, Evgeny Korolev, Donald Young).

The oldest player in the Top 100 is 36-year-old Ivo Karlovic (at No. 23). There are 33 players 30 & over in the Top 100.

In doubles, Jean-Julien Rojer & Horia Tecau finish as the No. 1 team for the first time, ending Bob & Mike Bryan’s run of six straight year-end No. 1 finishes. Individually, Marcelo Melo becomes the first Brazilian player to hold the No. 1 Emirates ATP Doubles Ranking. Daniel Nestor ends 2015 at No. 18 and, at 43 years of age, is the oldest in the Top 20.

Fabio Fognini holds the best combined singles and doubles ranking (31 – No. 10 in doubles and No. 21 in singles).

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