Tennis News

Although most fans and pundits were likely anticipating the latest chapter in the Roger Federer vs Andy Murray rivalry, they were dealt a surprising blow when the youngest player on the ATP World Tour Top 100 stormed past the Scot to deny the star-studded semi-final berth. Instead, Federer will now come up against Borna Coric for the first time in his career to determine who will advance to the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship.

You will be able to follow the match live here: Federer vs Coric Live Stream

World No. 2 Roger Federer found his way into the semi-finals in Dubai following a retirement from Richard Gasquet after dropping the opening set 6-1. It took the Swiss star just 20 minutes to close out the set, and it looked like there was little that could halt his momentum.

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“I think I played well,” Federer said. “I served well. Then again, the test was so short that it’s tough to judge on a 20-minute match. But, you know, I think I was hitting the ball well again, like yesterday. I felt able to play aggressive and do what I was hoping to do, so I was very pleased, actually.”

Faced with the task of toppling 2012 runner-up Andy Murray in their quarter-final meeting, Borna Coric looked calm and determined, which he mixed with brilliant gameplay to defeat the Briton 6-1, 6-3 in effortless fashion. Coric looked poised and relaxed as he won 89% of his first service points and converted the necessary four break points to close out the match in 80 minutes. It was the world No. 84’s second career victory over a Top 10 competitor.

“[It’s] one of the biggest wins, for sure,” said Coric. “I was just trying to maintain my level, stay in the rallies as long as I can, which I was doing really well. I was also running very well.

“I’m still a little bit struggling with the best players when they are playing really good obviously. I always need to be on 100 per cent, and when I’m on 100 per cent, mentally [and] also tennis wise, then I think I can play with them.”

This is the first meeting on the ATP World Tour between Federer and Coric and could make for an intriguing contest given the recent turn of events. Coric has proven that he is one of the game’s top prospects and has the potential to surge to one of the top spots in tennis given the right mixture of talent, dedication, and maturity. While Federer should remain the favourite for this first-time meeting, an upset could certainly be brewing.

Prediction: Roger Federer in Three Sets

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Following a remarkable 2014 season that led him to his first ever Davis Cup title, 17-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer has opted not to take part in the team competition this year.

“It wasn’t a difficult decision,” the 33-year-old Federer said Monday at the Dubai tournament. “I have played for so long, and I think by winning it I can finally do whatever I please, to be quite honest.”

Federer led his nation to the title last November when he defeated France’s Richard Gasquet to secure the win. It was his country’s first team title in the 115-year history of the tournament, and only their second attempt in the final to win the crown. A word record crowd of 27, 448 was in attendance for the historic moment – one that saw Federer collapse to the ground in pure joy following match point.

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The joy was evident on his face at that moment, and he explained that much of that was due to a heavy burden being lifted off his chest.

“It’s been a big burden for me throughout my career and one of the things that have caused more difficulties in my life than many other things, I must say,” Federer said. “I always feel there is so much guilt put on you from the federation or from the ITF more so than anybody else. So I’m happy I was able to finally tick that off and do it altogether.”

While he has taken the decision to skip the Davis Cup this season, Federer hopes that fellow Swiss star Stan Wawrinka will remain on the team.

“I hope that Stan is going to play, next round or September or whatever it’s going to be to keep us in the World Group,” Federer said. “Who knows? You never know if they can win it without us, as well. It’s an opportunity, but clearly we are not the favorites now playing against Belgium.”

Following a premature exit at the Rio Open last week, world No. 3 Rafael Nadal traveled over to the neighboring Argentina, where he began his campaign on Wednesday afternoon in successful fashion. Now, with his first match behind him, Nadal will encounter Federico Delbonis, whom he holds a Follow the match live here: 1-0 lead in the head-to-head series.

Follow the match live here: Nadal v Delbonis Live Stream

Seeded first at the Buenos Aires Ciudad, Nadal lived up to his billing and defeated Facundo Arguello in straight sets, 6-4, 6-0 to reach the quarter-final round of the tournament. While he was broken once during the encounter, Nadal maintained control of the match, particularly in the second set, and eventually closed out the match in 1 hour and 4 minutes.

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“What happened is that in the first set, he played well, he played confidently, and I did not play very well,” said Nadal. “I was a little nervous about the match because of the match that I lost last week in Rio. “As the match went on, I started to feel a little bit better. Winning the first set was vital, and from then, everything got better… I did things well in the second set.”

Nadal’s upcoming opponent, Federico Delbonis, defeated Italy’s Paolo Lorenzi 6-4, 6-2 to secure a spot in the final eight in Buenos Aires. He struck 72% of his first service points and secured five breaks of serve to close out the match in 1 hour and 18 minutes.

Nadal and Delbonis crossed paths once previously on the ATP World Tour in a second round match-up at the Vina Del Mar Open back in 2013. Nadal won the encounter in straight sets 6-3, 6-2 and will likely hold a similar edge on the clay courts in Argentina. He is clearly yet to regain his peak form and condition, but Nadal rarely misses a beat on the red dust courts, and it would be hard to imagine this encounter ending in anything other than a straight sets victory for the Spaniard.

Prediction: Rafael Nadal in Straight Sets

17-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer got off to a rocky start on Wednesday afternoon in Dubai but was able to switch gears and crusie into the quarter-final stage of the tournament. The Swiss No. 1 will next encounter France’s Richard Gasquet, whom he holds a dominant 13-2 record in the head-to-head series, which includes a recent victory at last year’s Davis Cup final.

Although most expected a straightforward encounter between Federer and Verdasco, the crowd at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships came to life early in the first set when they found their hero down 1-4. However, the tides would turn rapidly, and Federer was able to win five consecutive games (to love) to snatch the opening set 6-4. From there, the six-time champion cruised into the quarter-final after completing the math 6-4, 6-3 in 60 minutes.

“I’m very happy how the match went,” said Federer. “I think it was a good quality match from my side. I think Fernando played well for spells, but I think I was quite consistent.”

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His opponent, Richard Gasquet, withstood 11 aces from Roberto Bautista Agut to defeat the Spaniard 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(6) in their second round match-up on Court 1. It was a close, competitive encounter – one that the Frenchman struck 76% of his first service points and saved four break points to close out the match in 2 hours and 21 minutes.

This is the 16th time that Federer and Gasquet will meet on the professional tour, with world No. 2 leading the series 13-2. Apart from the large gap between them in the head-to-head, Federer has reeled off five consecutive wins against the Frenchman dating back to 2011, including recent wins at the Davis Cup final in France, and the Miami Masters. While Gasquet could pose a threat during the match, Federer should eventually find his way into the final four in Dubai.

Prediction: Roger Federer in Straight Sets

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic is living up to his billing as the top seed at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, as he breezed into the quarter-final stage of the tournament without so much as breaking a sweat. He will now Turkey’s Marsel Ilhan, whom he has never faced previously on the professional tour.

You will be able to follow the match live here: Djokovic v Ilhan Live Stream

It took Djokovic barely over an hour of court time to secure his place in the quarter-final stage of the tournament. Up against Andrey Golubev, Djokovic hit 17 winners and faced no break points en route to a 6-1, 6-2 victory. It was his 11th match win of the season and extends the streak he began at the Australian Open this year.

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“Having one match under my belt before today’s encounter helped me to feel a bit more comfortable to move around on the court quicker, and I tried to take away the time from my opponent today,” admitted Djokovic. “It was just a much better performance than yesterday. Hopefully I can improve as the tournament progresses.”

According to the ATP World Tour, Djokovic has held the No. 1 ranking spot for 135 weeks, six weeks shy of tying Nadal’s record of 141 weeks.

Turkish wildcard entrant Masel Ilhan overcame two-time runner-up Feliciano Lopez in three sets to find his way into the quarter-final stage of the ATP 500 level event in Dubai. He rallied from a set down to defeat the 2004 and 2008 finalist 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 in 1 hour and 57 minutes.

This is set to be the first career meeting between Novak Djokovic and Ilhan. Once again, Djokovic will find his way into the final four with relative ease. He may come up against some early resistance from the Turk, given that he has never encountered him on the tour; however, it is unlikely to faze Djokovic en route to a Friday semi-final showing.

Prediction: Novak Djokovic in Straight Sets

Ever since their first encounter on the professional circuit back in 2013 at the Davis Cup playoff, Andy Murray and rising star Borna Coric have not crossed paths. That is about to change, as the two are set to meet in the quarter-final of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Thursday afternoon. Murray leads the head-to-head series 1-0 with a straightforward victory on clay.

You will be able to follow the match live here: Murray v Coric Live Stream

Seeded third at the event, Murray barely broke a sweat in his third round match-up against Portugal’s Joao Sousa. The Scot dropped a mere two games during the encounter, and closed out the match 6-0, 6-2 in 58 minutes. It was Murray’s 10th win on the tour this season.

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“Today I thought I just picked the right shots and played the right way when he was struggling,” said Murray. “I didn’t give him any free points. I didn’t make sort of needless errors. He was getting more frustrated because he couldn’t get any free points and then was going for more and more shots and obviously making more errors because of it.”

Up next for Murray is a quarter-final berth against lucky loser Borna Coric, who was faced with a tough three-setter against Marcos Baghdatis before he won the match after the Cypriot retired in the final set tiebreak with a cramp. Coric recovered from a 1-4 deficit in the match and showed impressive determination en route to victory.

This is just the second time that Murray and Coric will meet on the professional tour, with Murray leading the series 1-0. While that win took place almost a year-and-a-half ago, and was also on clay, Murray will still be the overwhelming favourite to advance to the quarter-final stage of the event. Coric may one day posses the skill set to challenge Murray, but that will not happen in the immediate future.

Prediction: Andy Murray in Straight Sets

For the second time in two months, Agnieszka Radwanska and Venus Williams will cross paths on the WTA Tour. The American leads the head-to-head series 6-4, including a win in their most recent encounter back at the Aussie Open. It will be interesting to see if the American can maintain that momentum given her grueling encounters so far in Doha.

You will be able to follow the match live here: Radwanska vs Williams Live Stream

Up against resurgent Italian Flavia Pennetta in the second round, Radwanska was able to earn the victory with relative ease, as she dropped just two games in the entire match. The Polish No. 1 won the contest 6-1, 6-1, where she struck 3 aces, won 77% of her first service points, and faced no break points en route to the victory in 49 minutes. It virtually the opposite to what her upcoming opponent faced en route to the final eight in Doha.

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Not only did former world No. 1 Venus Williams edge Barbora Zahlavova Strycova in an all out battle on Centre Court in Doha, she saved a match point in the process and completed the contest well past midnight in the Gulf. The pairing split the first two sets 10 minutes shy of two hours on court, after which they embarked on a enthralling decider. Eventually, Venus found one final reserve of energy, and pushed past her opponent 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(5).

This marks the eleventh time that these two competitors will cross paths on the professional tour, with Williams leading the series 6-4. Up until their most recent meeting at the Australian Open, Radwanska has won the last three consecutive meetings, dating back to the 2012 Miami Masters. She has also not lost a set to Venus in that entire period of time, but was then handed a 6-3 2-6 6-1 loss in the fourth round of the Aussie Open. She will look to avenge that loss this time around.

Prediction: Agnieszka Radwanska in Three Sets

Serbian star Novak Djokovic began his week at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships in impressive fashion, and will now look to further his campaign in his upcoming second round match-up against Andrey Golubev. This marks the fourth time that these two competitors will cross paths on the ATP World Tour, with Djokovic leading the head-to-head series 3-0.

You will be able to follow the match live here: Djokovic v Golubev Live Stream

The top seed earned his third straight victory over Canadian No. 2 Vasek Pospisil in his opening round match in Dubai, and did so with a straightforward 6-4, 6-4 score. The Serb converted 3 break points and withstood a late comeback from Pospisil to seal the match in 1 hour and 18 minutes.

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“I’m still looking for that rhythm on the court,” said Djokovic. “But I managed to stay mentally tough. I was patient in rallies, I thought. As soon as we get through the rally, I have a better chance of winning. He’s a very flashy player, aggressive, goes after his shots.So hopefully the next match can be better.”

For just the second time this season, Andrey Golubev is through to the second round of an ATP World Tour event. He is 2-5 in main draw matches, and is currently in his sixth tournament of the season. He defeated Fabrice Martin 7-5 6-4 to set up a second round meeting with the world No. 1 and recent Grand Slam winner. Unfortunately, he is unlikely to break the cycle of early losses this time around.

This is the third time that Djokovic and Golubev will cross paths on the professional tour, with the Serbian star remaining undefeated at 3-0. His most recent win was at last year’s Wimbledon Championships, and prior to that was back in 2012 in a pair of hard court encounters. Djokovic will have a significant advantage over his opponent and will likely impose his will with relative ease.

Prediction: Novak Djokovic in Straight Sets

Following a month-long absence from the ATP World Tour, Roger Federer resumed professional competition on Monday afternoon at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, and found his way into the second round of the tournament following a straightforward victory. He will now come up against Fernando Verdasco, whom he holds an undefeated 5-0 head to head record against in the head-to-head series.

You will be able to watch the match live here: Federer vs Verdasco Live Stream

The world No. 2 had been absent since a surprise premature exit in the third round of the Australian Open last month. Federer lost to Andres Seppi, whom he held a 13-0 record against prior to their most recent meeting in Melbourne. However, on Monday in Dubai, it was business as usual for the Swiss star, as he overcame a determined Mikhail Youzhny to push his undefeated head-to-head series against the Russian to 16-0.

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“The last thing I want to do is lose back-to-back matches playing careful,” said the six-time Dubai champion. “I know I can play careful tennis, but then you cannot leave it up to the other guys sometimes if you are going to win or lose. I feel over the years I have won my biggest matches in most tournaments by playing on my terms, and you can’t always do it. It’s difficult to come out and dominate every match, every point, and it’s also hard work always playing aggressive.”

Up next for Federer is a match-up against Fernando Verdasco, who began his campaign in Dubai with a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Guillermo Garcia Lopez on Tuesday. The Spaniard hit 7 aces, won 78% of his first service points and saved 4 of 5 break points to close out the match in exactly 80 minutes.

This marks the sixth time that Federer and Verdasco will step across the net from each other on the professional tour, and the Spaniard is yet to earn his first victory against the Grand Slam Great. While he is capable of giving Federer a run for his money, he will be hard pressed to find a way to close out the match.

Prediction: Roger Federer in Straight Sets