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Del Potro Announces Return at Miami Open

Del Potro Announces Return at Miami Open

  • Posted: Mar 22, 2015

del potro

Juan Marin del Potro has officially announced his return to professional tennis, which will take place at next week’s Miami Masters event.

“Two months ago, I was leaving the Mayo Clinic after my last surgery. Today I bring you the news: I will play in Miami,” del Potro posted to social media. “With the support of my team and my doctor Richard Berger, I will take another step in the recovery process which, as you know, takes time.

“It’s great this is happening here in Miami, a special tournament for me because of the Latin fans and the Argentinians in particular. See you next week!”

The Argentine made his return to tennis for the first time since February 2014 last week in Sydney. While few expected much, he managed to reach the quarter-final round at the Apia Sydney International, where he was the defending champion. He defeated Sergiy Stakhovsky and followed up with a three-set win over Fabio Fognini before losing to Mikhail Kukushkin the following round. However, he withdrew from the Australian Open soon afterwards and was under the knife just a few days later.

The Miami Open is scheduled to begin on the March 25. Del Potro has historically done well at this event, as he holds a 13-6 record at the tournament.

 

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Novak Djokovic vs Roger Federer Preview and Prediction – Indian Wells 2015 Final

Novak Djokovic vs Roger Federer Preview and Prediction – Indian Wells 2015 Final

  • Posted: Mar 22, 2015

federer djokovic

The top two players on the ATP World Tour, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer will meet in the final of the final of the Indian Wells Masters 1000 event on Sunday. This marks the 38th time that the two will cross paths on the professional tour, with the Federer vs Djokovic Head to Head standing at 20-17. He has also won their most recent meeting in Dubai several weeks ago.

Follow the final Live Here: Federer vs Djokovic Indian Wells Live Stream

Earlier in the day, top seed Novak Djokovic breezed past Andy Murray in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3 to secure his spot in the final. He has now won his last six consecutive matches against Murray. Djokovic won 70% of his second serve points, saved two break points and converted four of his own to close out the match in one hour and 28 minutes.

“Even though it’s a straight-set victory, I still had to earn it,” said Djokovic. “I thought that he didn’t play close to his highest level. He made a lot of unforced errors, especially from the forehand side. Low percentage of first serves in. That allowed me to obviously step in and be aggressive.”

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The second of the two semi-finals was a far more competitive affair, as Federer and Raonic went toe-to-toe until Federer found his opening late in the first set. The second set was a more confident one from Federer and he took advantage of an early break to secure the victory, 7-5, 6-4.

“I’m very happy [with] how well I’m playing,” said Federer. “[I] feel good physically. I feel refreshed after the holiday. I’m serving well, which is always crucial.”

The latest chapter in the remarkable rivalry between Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer will be written on Sunday afternoon at Indian Wells, as the two top competitors will cross paths once again in the final of the tournament. Federer won their most recent encounter several weeks ago in Dubai but this is a surface that has done wonders for Djokovic and he will look to avenge that loss and even the score in their 2015 series.

Prediction: Novak Djokovic in Three Sets

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Simona Halep vs Jelena Jankovic Preview – Indian Wells 2015 Final

Simona Halep vs Jelena Jankovic Preview – Indian Wells 2015 Final

  • Posted: Mar 22, 2015

Jelena Jankovic

In an unexpected turn of events, the final of the 2015 Indian Wells event will not feature Serena Williams, as she was forced to withdraw from the event, thus allowing Simona Halep to advance to the championship match against Jelena Jankovic. This marks the fifth time that these two competitors will cross paths on the professional tour, with Halep leading the head to head series 3-1.

You can watch the match Live Here: Halep vs Jankovic Live Stream

It was a surprising twist when Serena walked out on court ahead of her semi-final match to announce her withdrawal from the tournament with a knee injury. Scheduled to play Halep, she opted to err on the side of caution and not take part in the match. Halep was disappointed not to play the No. 1 but is excited about the new challenge of facing Jankovic once again.

“She’s a tough player, tough opponent,” Halep said about Jankovic. “I’ve played many matches against her and every one was really difficult. I know I’ll have to run a lot, hit the balls strong and be aggressive. I will have to stay focused for every ball, too, because she’s going to be fighting until the end.”

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In an unlikely comeback that was one of her best in recent memory, as Jelena Jankovic rallied from a set down and twice overcame a break in the second set to defeat Sabine Lisicki in three sets and reach her first final in over a year.

“I just fought hard, stayed in the zone and took it one point at a time,” the former No.1 said. “Sabine has such a great serve. I had to be ready because anything can happen – she can come up with a really huge serve, then sometimes she takes off the pace, so I had to be ready for anything.”

This is set to be the fifth time that Halep and Jankovic cross paths on the WTA tour, with Halep leading the series 3-1. The Romanian lost their first meeting at the 2010 US Open and has since gone 3-0 against the Serb. Although it has been a tough week for Halep, she will likely conclude it with a new title on her mantle.

Prediction: Simona Halep in Three Sets

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Indian Wells 2015 SF Results: Djokovic downs Murray, Federer Edges Raonic

Indian Wells 2015 SF Results: Djokovic downs Murray, Federer Edges Raonic

  • Posted: Mar 22, 2015

Federer

On the enthralling Super Saturday at the American desert, the top two competitors in the world, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer advanced to the final of the Indian Wells Masters 1000 event with straight set victories over their respective opponents.

In the first of the two semi-final matches, top seed Novak Djokovic breezed past Andy Murray in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3 to secure his spot in the final. He has now won his last six consecutive matches against Murray.

“Even though it’s a straight-set victory, I still had to earn it,” said Djokovic. “I thought that he didn’t play close to his highest level. He made a lot of unforced errors, especially from the forehand side. Low percentage of first serves in. That allowed me to obviously step in and be aggressive.”

The second of the two semi-finals was a far more competitive affair, as Federer and Raonic went toe-to-toe until Federer found his opening late in the first set. The second set was a more confident one from Federer and he took advantage of an early break to secure the victory, 7-5, 6-4.

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The two top players on the ATP World Tour will clash in the final of the Indian Wells Masters 1000 event on Sunday afternoon.

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Indian Wells 2015 SF Results: Serena Williams Withdraws, Jankovic Rallies

Indian Wells 2015 SF Results: Serena Williams Withdraws, Jankovic Rallies

  • Posted: Mar 22, 2015

Serena

The semi-final round of the Indian Wells event brought with it some surprising twists and turns, which eventually led to a Sunday final that few anticipated.

Serena Williams walked out on court ahead of her semi-final match to announce her withdrawal from the tournament with a knee injury. Scheduled to play Simona Halep, she opted to err on the side of caution and not take part in the match. Halep was disappointed not to play the No. 1 but is excited about the new challenge of facing Jankovic once again.

“I was on the practice court and everything was going well, but literally the last two minutes I went for a serve and felt a super sharp pain in my knee,” Williams explained to reporters in her press conference. “It was like, ‘Okay,’ and I served again. I felt it again. I just came off, and it hasn’t been the same since. I have done everything. I have just pretty much done everything from taping to research.

“I even did an injection. I’ve never done an injection before. If this were any other event I probably wouldn’t have considered it. But I wanted to give 200%. It just wasn’t meant to be this year.”

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In the earlier semi-final, Jelena Jankovic rallied from a set down and twice overcame a break in the second set to defeat Sabine Lisicki in three sets and reach her first final in over a year.

Halep and Jankovic will meet in the final of the tournament on Sunday.

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Roger Federer vs Milos Raonic Preview and Prediction – Indian Wells 2015 SF

Roger Federer vs Milos Raonic Preview and Prediction – Indian Wells 2015 SF

  • Posted: Mar 21, 2015

Federer Indian Wells

While many were hoping that Rafael Nadal would reach the semi-final and set up classic match-up against his long-time rival, we will instead be offered an intriguing meeting between Roger Federer and Milos Raonic to determine who will advance to the tournament final. This marks the tenth time that these two competitors will cross paths on the professional tour, with Federer leading the head to head series 8-1.

You can watch the match Live Here: Federer vs Raonic Live Stream

In one of his best performances of the season, Roger Federer produced a dominant display of inspired tennis to thrash Tomas Berdych 6-4, 6-0 in the quarter-final stage of the tournament. While the first set was a competitive one, Federer pounded on every opportunity in the second set, while Berdych faltered and added to his growing unforced errors count. In the second set alone, Federer struck 21 winners and won 88% of his first service points to close out the match in 68 minutes.

“I think I really played well off the baseline,” said Federer. “Because I was serving well and moving well, so maybe there is not going to be that many chances for him on the return as it is. But at least he could have stayed with me longer, and as the match goes on maybe he would have also found his groove better.

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Federer will come up against the No. 1 Canadian, who earned an inspired victory over world No. 3 Rafael Nadal to advance to his semi-final showdown. After dropping the opening set, Raonic went toe-to-toe with Nadal in the second set and beat him 12-10 in the tiebreak to force a decider. There, he broke in the decisive eleventh game to secure the win.

“At the moments when I was playing those match points, it didn’t really feel like match points,” said Raonic. “It was just like another point that I was trying to get through… [I was] just sort of going through the paces at that moment of what do I need to do now, not really signifying it as a match point.”

While Federer leads the overall head-to-head series 9-1, Raonic will be riding an immense wave of confidence after toppling world No. 3 Rafael Nadal. It will be interesting to see if he can summon the evergy to complete another potential three-setter and set up a final against another member of the Big Four. Therefore, given Federer’s energy conservation over the past few days, he will likely have the advantage against the Canadian on Saturday.

Prediction: Roger Federer in Three Sets

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Novak Djokovic vs Andy Murray Preview and Prediction – Indian Wells 2015 SF

Novak Djokovic vs Andy Murray Preview and Prediction – Indian Wells 2015 SF

  • Posted: Mar 21, 2015

djokovic murray

Following their rollercoaster clash in the Australian Open final two months ago, world No. 1 Novak Djokovic will meet his longtime friend and professional adversary Andy Murray for the 25th time on the professional tour. While the head-to-head series used to be a close affair, Djokovic jumped to a 16-8 head to head lead by winning their last five consecutive meetings – four in 2014 and one to secure yet another Aussie Open title last January.

Follow the SF match Live Here: Djokovic vs Murray Live Streaming

The world No. 1 and top seed at the 2015 edition of the Indian Wells Masters 1000 event did not need to play a single point on Thursday evening, as he received a walkover into the semi-final when his opponent, Bernard Tomic, withdrew from the event with a back issue.

Not only did Murray cruise into the semi-final round at Indian Wells, he did so in memorable fashion by snagging himself a slice of British History. According to the ATP World Tour, Murray’s 6-3, 6-4 victory over the Spaniard means he overtook Tim Henman’s British Open Era match win record of 496 victories.

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“I thought I played a good match,” Murray said. “Every time he came to net, I made it very difficult for him. I passed very well, and that was important because it meant that he spent more time at the back of the court. When we were in the baseline rallies, I felt like I was able to dictate a lot of those points. Passing shots were important today.”

While Murray has not defeated Djokovic since he lifted the historic Wimbledon title back in 2013, he remains a competitive hopeful against the Serbian star. Given that Murray spent the vast majority of 2014 recovering from his back surgery, he is yet to find his peak form; once he does, we may consider him once again a viable threat to the reigning kingpin on the ATP World Tour.

Prediction: Novak Djokovic in Three Sets

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Rafael Nadal vs Milos Raonic Preview and Prediction – Indian Wells 2015 QF

Rafael Nadal vs Milos Raonic Preview and Prediction – Indian Wells 2015 QF

  • Posted: Mar 20, 2015

Milos Raonic

An intriguing quarter-final will be featured on Friday afternoon in the American desert, as world No. 3 Rafael Nadal meets Milos Raonic for a sixth time on the ATP World Tour. Nadal leads the head-to-head 5-0 and will be looking to add another victory en route to the final four at Indian Wells.

You can watch the match Live Here: Nadal vs Raonic Live Streaming

Seeded third at the first Masters 1000 event of the season, Nadal earned a comfortable straight sets victory over France’s Gilles Simon to advance to the quarter-final round of the tournament. Nadal’s only hiccup in the match came when he attempted to serve out the contest up 5-2; he allowed Simon to win the next two games before he secured the win.

“Today I think I played a solid match against a tough opponent like Simon that is not easy to play tactically,” Nadal said. “Tactically I think I played a very positive match. In general, I played solid. Only two bad games with my serve, I played bad.”

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The Spaniard will now come up against Raonic, who needed a little over an hour to beat another Spaniard in Tommy Robredo to breeze into the final eight. He won the match 6-3, 6-2.

“He’s an opponent that you don’t want to play against because you play under a lot of pressure, every point,” Nadal said of his next opponent. “What happened today with my serve twice cannot happen the next day if I want to have any chance… So it will be a very tough match. I know I need to be at my 100 per cent to have any chance.”

This marks the sixth time that Nadal and Raonic will meet on the professional tour, with Nadal holding an impenetrable 5-0 record against the Canadian. The last two times they met was in the Miam Masters quarter-final last year and in the final of the Rogers Cup in 2013, the most recent of which being the first time that Nadal dropped a set against the Canadian. While this may be another three-set encounter, the Spaniard should advance to the semi-final in the end.

Prediction: Rafael Nadal in Three Sets

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Serena Williams vs Simona Halep Prediction – Indian Wells 2015 SF

Serena Williams vs Simona Halep Prediction – Indian Wells 2015 SF

  • Posted: Mar 20, 2015

Serena Williams

An enthralling semi-final clash is set to take place in the semi-final round of the Indian Wells event on Friday, as world No. 1 Serena Williams and world No. 3 Simona Halep cross paths once again to determine who will advance to the final. Williams leads the head-to-head series 4-1.

You can watch the SF match Live Here: Williams vs Halep Live Streaming

The tournament’s top seed snapped Timea Bacsinszky’s remarkable 15-match win streak on Wednesday evening when she defeated her 7-5, 6-3 to advance to the semi-final round at Indian Wells. Williams was down 1-3 early in the match but rebounded brilliantly to close out the contest with 23 winners.

“She was on a winning streak, so I was like, ‘I hope I win tonight, because she hasn’t lost in a really long time!’” Williams said on court. “But she has a great future. She’s already making a future now.”

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In one of her most impressive showings of determination this season, the world No. 3 rallied from a set down to claw her way to victory against Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro. After dropping the 51-minute opening set, Halep rebounded to lose just two games in the following two set and closed out the match 5-7, 6-1, 6-1.

“She was opening the court pretty well with the angles, and it’s really tough to play and hit the balls from wide in the court, so I knew I had to start playing more aggressively and hit more into the court,” Halep explained in her on-court interview after the match. “I just tried to relax my body and my mind, fight for every point and play my best. And I’m happy to be in the semifinals here again.

“I’m looking forward to maybe playing the No.1 in the world again now!”

This marks the sixth time that Williams and Halep will meet on the professional tour, and the first time this season. It is safe to say that Williams will be on high alert against Halep, as she will likely remember the devastating loss in the round robin stage of the WTA finals. Given that the American has looked better so far this week, the edge should go to Serena ahead of the Friday encounter.

Prediction: Serena Williams in Three Sets

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Grand Slam Champions Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci to End Partnership

Grand Slam Champions Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci to End Partnership

  • Posted: Mar 20, 2015

Errani Vinci

One of the great double pairings of the last decade have decided to put an end to their storied partnership, as Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci officially announced the news on Thursday afternoon.

The Italian duo, who won five Grand Slam doubles titles together, announced the news in a joint statement.

Dear all,
After living a wonderful journey for the past several years, which has given us the chance to reach amazing results, we release the following note to inform you about our decision to end our doubles partnership.
We invested lots of energy, both mental and physical, to achieve our goals, which we are very proud of, therefore we now feel the need to rest and catch our breath.
It’s our common purpose to start new individual career paths and set brand new goals to try to reach, also for you to enjoy and take pride in.
As still the World No.1 doubles pair and grateful for the time we had together, we would love to thank our fans from all over the world for the continued support you have been giving us throughout these years, it has been an honor and a privilege for us to represent our Country…
Sara & Robi

The pair won their first two Grand Slam titles at the French and US Open back in 2012 and completed the career slam by winning the Australian Open at the start of 2014 before their crowning jewel at the Wimbledon Championships.

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Their victory is a magnificent one, as Errani and Vinci are just the fifth pair in tennis history to accomplish the career slam, and the first since Venus and Serena Williams did so in 2001. They join Australians Margaret Court and Lesley Turner Bowrey, American duo Kathy Jordan and Anne Smith, Martina Navratilova and Pam Shriver, and Gigi Fernandez and Natasha Zvereva.

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