TennisToday

Fabio Fognini & Calros Berloqc Win Maiden titles at Stuttgart & Bastad - Mahut Takes Title at Newport

Stuttgart ATP 250 - Men's Final

5 Fabio Fognini d 2 Philipp Kohlschreiber - 57 64 64

Post match: Finally, after two finals, I have won. I played great,

great tennis this week. I am really happy to have won the final.

Awww. I like this cat.

Bastad ATP 250 - Men's Final

Carlos Berloqc d 8 Fernando Verdasco - 75 61

Carlos becomes the 9th over-30 tourney winner this season.

***

Newport ATP 250 - Men's Final

WC Nicolas Mahut d Lleyton Hewitt - 57 75 63

Post match: When you want to win a final, everything can happen.

I just can’t believe it’s true.

It's his 2nd career title - the 1st was last month at s'Hertogenbosch.

Nico partnered with Roger-Vasselin to take the doubles title.

And *surprise surprise* Nico's part of the over-30 crowd.

Rafael Nadal Thru to 4th Round at French Open

French Open - Men's Third Round

3 Rafael Nadal d 27 Fabio Fognini - 76(5) 64 64

Rafa got his own Pocoyo doll - I have no idea what that means. LOL.

One thing I do know: Rafa needs to up his level to get an 8th title at RG.

Ain't no way he's getting past Nole with what he's bringing now.

Rafa agrees: I have to play better. If I want to have any chance,

I really need to play better. But it is always the same story.

When you win without playing your best, you have the chance to

play better. If you don't fight when you have tough days or

negative days, then you don't have all the chances for the future.

So it's important to stay humble these kind of days, stay with

the right mentality, be positive, and accept in every moment all the

difficulties that comes and try to win.

***

And that's his own analysis of his game after a straight set win.

And he's right.

Rafael Nadal Thru to 3rd Round at French Open

French Open - Men's Second Round

3 Rafael Nadal d Martin Klizan - 46 63 63 63

This is the 2nd straight match Rafa's lost the 1st set and won in 4.

Overcast and damp are famously not the conditions Rafa likes.

And he was too thrilled about the schedule: Yesterday the supervisor

made a big mistake with me because my opponent already played

yesterday... And so it is something in my opinion that is not fair.

Seriously... A 2nd round match played on the 1st Friday?

When this Slam has an extra day on the opening Sunday? Kinda ridiculous.

Rafa will turn-around and face Fabio Fognini tomorrow.

I'm thinking Rafa will get his first straight-setter tomorrow.

Shopping cures the blues perhaps?

 

Fabio Fognini into Semifinals at Monte-Carlo - His 1st at the Masters 1000 Level

ATP Masters Series 1000 Monte-Carlo - Men's Quarterfinal

Fabio Fognini d 7 Richard Gasquet - 76(0) 62

He has never even been close to a Masters 1000 Sf before.

He's played 32 M1000 main draws and has been to the 3rd round 3 times.

That's it.

His reward - he gets Novak in the semi's: 4-0.

He has taken 2 sets off of Nole including last month at Indian Wells.

And who knows how Nole's bum ankle will turn up tomorrow.

Post match: This is one of the best performances ever for me.

It's my first semi-final at a Masters 1000.

I have another opportunity to play with a great player here in the

centre court in front of so many people, special friends and family.