TennisToday

Novak Djokovic & Andy Murray to Meet in Wimbledon Final

Wimbledon - Men's Semifinals

1 Novak Djokovic d Juan Martin Del Potro - 75 46 76(2) 67(6) 63

2 Andy Murray d 24 Jerzy Janowicz - 67(2) 64 64 63

1 Novak Djokovic VS 2 Andy Murray - H2H: 11-7/Novak

Both great matches. Novak's an instant classic.

In fact, Novak has played in the 2 best matches of the year...

This one and his Sf loss to Rafa at the French Open.

Novak: It was one of the best matches that I've been a part of, one of the

most exciting definitely. I'm privileged to be a winner of this match.

Something tells me a 3rd greatest match of the year is in the offing Sunday.

They last met in the Aussie Open final - Novak won that one in 4.

The last time Andy beat Novak was in the US Open final last year.

Andy also beat Novak the only time they played on grass at the Olympics.

Andy: Novak is playing very well. We've only played once on grass before,

at the Olympics last year. I'll take that thought into my head on Sunday.

Ok, I'm pulling for Andy. Just to get it over with.

David Ferrer Thru to Quarterfinals at Wimbledon

Wimbledon - Men's Fourth Round

4 David Ferrer d Ivan Dodig - 67(3) 76(6) 61 61

One more match win and David will have been to the Sf's at all 4 Slams.

On top of that this is his 7th straight Slam Qf.

With Federer's loss David will move up to a career high of #3.

On Wednesday he will face 8 Juan Martin Del Potro - H2H: 6-2/Ferrer.

Post match: He's a very great player. It's going to be difficult.

I need to play my best tennis to beat Del Potro. And on a grass court

I think it is more difficult. He plays better than me on grass. Last year

I beat him, but I think I played my best match on a grass court.

***

I'd like him to get that Sf result (or better) on his resume.

Lleyton Hewitt Thru to Semifinals at Queen's Club

ATP 250 Queen's Club - Men's Quarterfinal

Lleyton Hewitt d 3 Juan Martin Del Potro - 62 26 62

Someone is busy turning back the clock to his glory years.

Remember: Lleyton is a 4-time champion here: '00-'02 & '06.

At 32 he's looking to become the tournies oldest winner as well.

He'll next face the defender 5 Marin Cilic in the Sf's - H2H: 1-0/Lleyton.

The only time they played was last year at the London Games.

So Lleyton's gotta feel good about his match tomorrow...

Post match: Cilic is going to be another tough one, very similar to my

match against [Sam] Querrey yesterday and against del Potro today.

In terms of that, I have had good preparation for playing him,

but, he's the defending champ here.

Juan Martin Del Potro Meets Pope Francis

It's like an Argentine brotherhood.

DelPo: It was an incredible experience with Pope Francis, something

that I'll never forget. It was a dream come true for a guy like me.

It was an unforgettable moment. I was very nervous before meeting him,

to be able to congratulate him and talk with him. He was nice. Everybody

knows he is very humble. Today was a day that I'll remember for ever.

Further: He recognised me and that surprised me.

We talked for a few seconds. He told me that he knew I was playing at

the tournament in Rome, he blessed me and wished me the best.

I congratulated him and thanked him for the opportunity to talk to him.

***

Well he didn't bless him with a win as DelPo lost his next match.

Rafael Nadal Wins ATP Title at Indian Wells

ATP Masters Series 1000 Indian Wells - Men's Final

5 Rafael Nadal d 7 Juan Martin Del Potro - 46 63 64

Rafa came from a set and a break to notch a record 22nd Masters title.

This also marks a milestone as this was his 600th match victory.

Winning his 3rd title at Indian Wells ('07 & '09) moves him back up to #4.

But that will be temporary as he's not going to defend Sf points at Miami.

This was also his 1st hard court title since October 2010 at Tokyo.

Rafa's 4 tournament comeback swing sure was a success.

He made the final of all 4, winning 3 of them: Sao Paulo, Acapulco & IW.

And suddenly -poof- he's the tour leader in titles won.

This is the best start to a season he's ever enjoyed: 17-1.

We will next see him at Monte-Carlo where he is the 8-time defender.

Post match: A lot of things happened the last seven months, [so]

to be back here and to have this very heavy trophy with me is amazing.

Beating three Top 10 players and winning a title like this is just something

unbelievable for me. I'm very, very happy and very emotional.

Your Rafaholics were too. Trust.

World Tennis Day at Madison Square Garden

Ok, there are 3 other people in this pic besides Serena Williams!

The two exhibition matches went as follows:

Juan Martin Del Potro d Rafael Nadal - 76(4) 64

Serena Williams d Victoria Azarenka - 64 63

Now get your butts to Indian Wells. Oh wait, not you Serena.

Andy Roddick Loses at the US Open and is Sent into Career Retirement

US Open - Men's Fourth Round

7 Juan Martin Del Potro d 20 Andy Roddick - 67(1) 76(4) 62 64

This kid done good. Real good.

A Slam: '03 US Open. Davis Cup champion. Year-end #1 in '03.

9 straight years finishing in the top 10: '02-'10.

32 ATP titles: on hard court - 21, on clay - 5, on grass - 5, on carpet - 1.

12 years winning at least 1 title - including 2 this year: Eastbourne & Atlanta.

Andy played in 5 Slam finals. The 4 he lost were at the play of Roger Federer.

I'll never forget that bricked volley that cost him the '09 Wimby title.

Andy is probably the player most affected by the Federer era.

Post match about his career: I've loved every minute of it.

As did we. See you at the Hall of Fame in 5 years.

Andy Roddick Aint Done Yet

US Open - Men's Third Round

20 Andy Roddick d Fabio Fognini - 75 76(1)46 64

He and his buddy put on a really fun show this afternoon.

And Andy lives to play one more match.

Surely the night match on Ashe would be a great way to play it.

It'll be a battle of former US Open champs as...

'09 champ Del Potro will play the next villian in this great drama.

The H2H: 3-1/DelPo.

Post match Andy admitted to being tired:

Absolutely, I was tired. I don't have to bluff anymore.

I know where I'll be Tuesday night, plopped in front of the TV...

Unabashedly cheering Andy on.

David Ferrer Earns Quarterfinal at Wimbledon

Wimbledon - Men's Fourth Round

7 David Ferrer d 9 Juan Martin Del Potro - 63 62 63

And at 30 years old, y'all.

The old guy also leads the tour with most matches won this year: 47-8.

David has now made a sweep of making all 4 Slam Qf's. He's 3-4.

And he's been to all 3 this year: 1-1.

He will next play 4 Andy Murray - H2H: 5-5.

They last played a memorable match at the French which David won.

Post match: Today was one of my best matches [on a grass] court.

Ya think?

Boy, it's real tough to pick a winner in this one. I say it's even, 50-50.

Photo: Getty Images

Novak Djokovic & Roger Federer Set Up Blockbuster Semifinal Showdown at Roland Garros

Roland Garros - Men's Quarterfinals

1 Novak Djokovic d 5 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga - 61 57 57 76(6) 61

3 Roger Federer d 9 Juan Martin Del Potro - 36 67(4) 62 60 63

Both champs were down 2-sets-to-1. Both dug deep. Both won in thrillers.

And it was all happening at the same time. INSANE.

They've set up a rematch of last years Sf which Rog won.

***

Novak actually saved 4 match points in that 4th set.

This is his 4th RG Sf: 0-3 and 15th at a Slam: 7-7.

Post match: As a tennis player, this is what you live for.

This is what you practise for all these years, to be part of...

An incredible performance, incredible match encounter here...

In Roland Garros with the home players.

I'm really glad that I could win today.

***

This is only the 3rd time Roger's come back from 2-sets-to-love at RG.

This marks Rog's 7th RG Sf: 5-1 and 31st at a Slam: 23-7.

In fact, 31 ties Roger with Jimmy Connors' record of most Slam Sf's.

Post match: I have been struggling to find my rhythm.

I did feel it in the first set, even though he was up two sets.

I was finding a way back and starting to feel better.

***

1 Novak Djokovic vs 3 Roger Federer - H2H: 14-11/RF

Novak has won the last 2 and 5 of the last 6.

They last played a couple weeks ago in Rome & it was Nole in straights.

This is their 9th meeting at a Slam: 5-4/RF - 1 final, 7 Sf's and 1 4th R.

Blockbuster: It really doesn't get much better than this.

Photos: Getty Images

Juan Martin Del Potro into Quarterfinals at Roland Garros

Roland Garros - Men's Fourth Round

9 Juan Martin Del Potro d 7 Tomas Berdych - 76(6) 16 63 75

This is Juan's 6th trip to a Slam Qf: 2-3 and 2nd time at RG: 1-0.

Remember: He was a semifinalist here in 2009.

That was a memorable 5 set classic loss to Roger Federer.

Post match: I'm really glad to go through, to play [the] quarter-finals again.

I want to play the best I can. I'm looking forward to the next match.

And he will face 3 Roger Federer again next: 11-2/RF.

This'll be their 5th meeting this year - Roger has won them all in straights.

Juan has beaten Rog twice, both times in 2009 including the USO final.

Can he turn the tables and grab a 3rd win over the GOAT tomorrow?

Photo: Reuters

Juan Martin Del Potro is having a GREAT week at Estoril

Juan has lost 5 games in 2 matches.

He'll next take on Stanislas Wawrinka to advance to the final - H2H: 2-2.

Juan is 25-6 on the year which includes a title at Marseille.

Wouldn't it be nice if he could get up to #8 before Roland Garros?

Only 325 points seperate him from Janko at #8...

And he only has 90 points to defend at both Madrid and Rome.

It's a possibility.

Federer Spanks Del Potro Again - This Time in the Quarters at Indian Wells

ATP Masters Series 1000 - Quarterfinal

3 Roger Federer d 9 Juan Martin Del Potro - 63 62

Roger has played 5 tournaments this season...

And in his last 4 he's made DelPo his bitch. It's kinda ridiculous.

The win was another Roger milestone - 250 Masters 1000 match wins.

And if it's not clear, it's already a record - he's just adding to it.

This the 3-time champ's 7th IW Sf: 3-3. He's lost his last 3, including 2011.

Roger: I sort of expected myself to come out and play a good match today...

After the struggle I had against [Thomaz] Bellucci.

I don't usually struggle back-to-back days...

So this was for me a really good match against a great player.

Roger will play Rafael Nadal for a 28th edition in the Sf: 18-9/RN.

They've played all over the world but oddly enough never at Indian Wells.

Even tho she's in Roger's box I bet Gwen secretly likes Rafa.

Photos: Getty Images

ATP's Weekend Arm Raisers for Feb 26, 2012

ATP 250 Buenos Aires - Final

1 David Ferrer d 2 Nicolas Almagro - 46 63 62

And that's title #13 in a solid career and his 2nd on the year - so far.

David moves his H2H over countryman Nicolas to 9-0.

He'll continue the Golden Swing of South America at Acapulco this week.

ATP 500 Memphis - Final

Jurgen Melzer d 4 Milos Raonic - 75 76(4)

This marks the 4th time Jurgen has lifted an ATP trophy.

He had a remarkable seed-toppling week also downing 1 Isner & 3 Stepanek.

Moving up: The win bumps him 19 placed to #19.

No rest: Jurgen is playing singles and doubles at Delray Beach this week.

I'm exhausted just typing these 4 sentences.

ATP 250 Marseille - Final

4 Juan Martin Del Potro d Michael Llodra - 64 64

DelPo bags career title #10 on the ATP tour.

He will not defend his title at Delray Beach opting instead to play at Dubai.

He's (rightfully) back playing with the big boys.

Photos: Reuters, AP, Reuters

Roger Federer Wins Title at Rotterdam

ATP 500 Rotterdam - Final

1 Roger Federer d 3 Juan Martin Del Potro - 61 64

Well that was... decisive.

Roger wins his 71st ATP title and 2nd at Rotterdam, following his win in '05.

He adds 500 points to his ranking and creeps a little closer to #2.

I did use the word little - but he's still over 2000 points behind Rafa.

Maybe he'll not skip Monte-Carlo this year?

Longevity: This marks the 12th straight year Roger has won at least 1 title.

His next stop is the Masters 1000 at Indian Wells.

My wish for DelPo? Get in the top 8 before Roland Garros. Please.

Photo: Reuters

Novak Djokovic Advances to 4th Round at Roland Garros

Roland Garros - Men's Third Round

2 Novak Djokovic d 25 Juan Martin Del Potro - 63 36 63 62

40-0 for 2011.

And that was just the 10th set Novak had lost this season.

This is getting ever closer to historic folks. Can anyone stop him?

It's now been over 6 months since Nole was on the losing side of a match.

His last loss was in the Sf's to Federer in Nov. at the World Tour Finals.

Novak: I knew he was going to be a difficult opponent to beat.

I went into the match a bit more nervous than usual.

Novak will return tomorrow to face Richard Gasquet - H2H: 4-1/ND.

Oops: Gasquet has taken only 8 games off Novak in their last 2 matches.

I have a feeling we'll be talking about #41 tomorrow...

Photo: Reuters

Novak Djokovic VS Juan Martin Del Porto Face Off Tomorrow at Roland Garros

Roland Garros - Third Round Preview

2 Novak Djokovic vs 25 Juan Martin Del Potro - H2H: 3-0/ND

This is easily the match-up of the tournament so far.

It's a battle of former RG Sf'ists: Novak in '07 & '09, Delpo in '09.

Can DelPo bring Novak's incredible 39-0 (for 2011) streak to an end?

Their H2H suggests no - in sets played they are 7-0.

A lot of chatter on Twitter predicting an upset tomorrow...

I think it's all wishful thinking - but it has to end at some point.

Rafael Nadal Advances to Qf's at Madrid as Juan Martin Del Potro Pulls Out with Hip Injury

Madrid Masters Series 1000 - Third Round

1 Rafael Nadal d Juan Martin Del Potro - w/o

Too bad.

I was really looking forward to this one as it promised to be quite a cracker.

This will move Rafa into the Qf's at Madrid for the 7th time: 4-2.

It also marks his 45th trip to a Masters 1000 Qf: 36-8.

DelPo picked up the hip injury while winning at Estoril last week.

DelPo: The pain is getting worse day-by-day so I didn’t want to risk it.

I have experience about injuries so I took the decision not to play.

And here's the real kicker DelPo fans: I won’t be in Rome...

And I don’t know if I’ll be able to play in Nice or Roland Garros.

Get well soon DelPo - you are too good for the game to be out.

DelPo photo: Reuters

Djokovic, Del Potro, Davydenko Weekend Winners

Belgrade ATP 250 - Final

1 Novak Djokovic d Feliciano Lopez - 76(4) 62

Wow: 27-0 on the year while winning 5 straight tournament titles.

Let's how this streak translates to clay.

Novak got a decent draw in Madrid - a Rafa/Novak final would be sweet.

***

Estoril ATP 250 - Final

8 Juan Martin Del Potro d 2 Fernando Verdasco - 62 62

And that folks is DelPo's 2nd title of the season as he goes 25/6.

With the win he moves up to #32.

The big boys can breathe easier - he'll be seeded at Roland Garros.

***

Munich ATP 250 - Final

7 Nikolay Davydenko d 5 Florian Mayer - 63 36 61

Nice move: The win bumps Niko up 12 places in the rankings to #28.

Title 21 equates to winning at least 1 title for 9 consecutive years.

Juan Martin Del Potro Upsets Robin Soderling in Estoril

Estoril ATP 250 - Quarterfinal

8 Juan Martin Del Potro d 1 Robin Soderling - 64 75

This is the 2nd time this year DelPo has straight setted Robin.

With the win DelPo moves into his 5th Sf on the year: 1-3.

He will next face Pablo Cuevas - they have never played before.

Fun fact: DelPo began the year ranked #259 - 4 months later he's #49.

And there are a bunch of guys hoping he can get into the top 32 before RG.

It could easily happen with 2 Master Series Events upcoming.

And remember, he's doing nothing but adding points for most of the year.

Photo: Getty Images