Players keep the faith despite Roger-Rafa dominance

Roger Federer, who has won 16 Grand Slams over the past year, as he and Rafael Nadal dominate men's tennis

Photo: AFP

The Nadal-Federer era has seen slim pickings for the rest of men's tennis when it comes to Grand Slams but the chasing pack say the margins remain small as they battle to break the duopoly.

In an unprecedented streak, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have won 25 of the past 30 majors -- setting a blistering pace that the rest of men's tennis has failed to match.

The Swiss maestro has won 16 Grand Slams, a record for the men's game, with Spain's world number one Nadal now on nine majors after a stellar year in which he won the French Open for the fifth time, plus Wimbledon and the US Open.

But as the season enters its final stretch with the race to qualify for the ATP World Tour Finals in London hotting up, the top men are trying to figure out ways to break the dominance.

"Everybody's trying to chase them as close as possible as we can," said world number seven Tomas Berdych, who shocked the tennis world when he dethroned six-time Wimbledon champion Federer in this year's quarter-finals.

The Czech player, who lost to Nadal in the final, insisted: "I think the gap is really small."

Berdych, speaking in Macau ahead of an exhibition tournament at the weekend, said despite the limited opportunities, he was grateful to be playing the game at the same time as two all-time greats.

"For me, it's a good time to be in this era that you can be competing against these two great players.

"Of course, you can see it from the other point of view that maybe if these two guys wouldn't be in the draw, in the tournament, then maybe it could be a bigger chance to win a Grand Slam."

Soderling, appearing alongside Berdych, Nikolay Davydenko and David Ferrer in Macau, has cause to rue the Rafa-Roger dominance, having been beaten in consecutive years by each player in the final of the French Open.

But the Swede, with a miserable 13-1 losing record against Federer, says men's tennis has strength in depth.

"In any tournament when Roger and Rafa are playing they will be the favourites but there's a lot of guys who can actually do well and compete and have a chance to win the bigger tournaments," he said.

"Maybe there's 10 or even 15 guys. The top is really, really tough. Anyone on a good day can beat anyone," added the world number five.

"You need to be ready for the first round. It's not easy but I wish it was a lot easier."

World number six Davydenko, who has a rare 5-4 winning record against Nadal, said men's tennis boasted great strength in depth, joking about his record against the Spaniard.

Spain's 11th-ranked Ferrer said: "I think now it's very difficult to win Grand Slams but I think it's a good time," also highlighting the threat posed by world number two Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray, ranked four.

Nadal, headlining this week's Thailand Open, became only the seventh man in history to achieve a career Grand Slam when he earned his first US Open title with victory over Djokovic in this month's final at Flushing Meadows.

But despite his phenomenal year, Soderling, top seed at this week's Malaysian Open, where his other three competitors in Macau are also playing, believes third-ranked Federer remains the yardstick.

"He's (Nadal) won so many Grand Slams already, so many titles but to me, Roger is still the best.

"But Rafa is still very young so if he's going to be healthy, he has a lot more years to play and he could definitely give it a shot.

"He has the chance to be known as the world's best player ever," added Soderling.

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Federer not planning to watch Open final

Number two seed Roger Federer of Switzerland returns a backhand to Andreas Beck of Germany during their US Open match in New York. Federer won 6-3, 6-4, 6-3.

NEW YORK - Roger Federer will not be competing in the US Open men's final for the first time in seven years and he will not be watching it either

"I won't watch," Federer told reporters after his 5-7 6-1 5-7 6-2 7-5 semi-finals loss on Saturday to third-seeded Novak Djokovic of Serbia, who will meet world number one Rafa Nadal of Spain for the championship.

"Look, I've been around tennis for weeks and weeks and weeks right now. Last thing I want to do is watch another tennis match where I'm not a part of," said Federer. "I will spend some time with my kids and take it easy, maybe go shopping."

Signs had pointed to a Federer-Nadal showdown in the U.S. Open final, with both players cruising through the draw.

The prospect was cause for excitement with Nadal aiming to complete a career grand slam and the Swiss master eager for a sixth U.S. crown after having his string of five straight snapped in last year's final.

Had Federer advanced, it would have been the first time two men's players would have faced each other in the finals of all four grand slam events.

Federer said he had not thought about facing Nadal at Flushing Meadows.

"I don't read too much press once the tournament starts," he said. "I can only try to imagine the excitement around the two of us maybe playing.

"I would have loved to play against him here. I mean, I did my hard yards the last six years making it to the finals, and he was unfortunately never there."

The 29-year-old Federer, winner of a record 16 grand slam titles who completed his own career grand slam last year when he won the French Open, said it hurt to lose the match to Djokovic, which he described as "electric" at the end.

"That's obviously disappointing," said the Swiss, who held two match points against the man he had eliminated at the last three U.S. Opens.

Missing out a chance at Nadal in the final was also letdown.

"Now one point away from this happening, obviously it's a bit of disappointment. But just being there and losing, that wouldn't have been nice either.

"Now we'll never know how it would have gone."

Second-seeded Federer said the 24-year-old Nadal having a chance to round out his grand slam resume of five French Opens, two Wimbledons and an Australian Open was "fantastic."

"It's great for tennis, and it's great for him at the young age he is to have that opportunity already. It's exciting for tennis that we're doing something very special in tennis at the same time."

Federer said he hoped to bounce back from his near-miss.

"It's a tough loss for me, but it's only going to fuel me with more motivation to practice hard and get back to grand slam finals," said Federer, who won this year's Australian Open but lost in the quarter-finals of the French and Wimbledon.

 

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Federer, Wozniacki lead US Open stars into third round

Number two seed Roger Federer of Switzerland returns a backhand to Andreas Beck of Germany during their US Open match in New York. Federer won 6-3, 6-4, 6-3.

Roger Federer and Caroline Wozniacki cruised into the third round of the US Open while Maria Sharapova, Novak Djokovic and Robin Soderling showed why they are title contenders as well.

Swiss second seed Federer, seeking his 17th Grand Slam crown and a seventh consecutive trip to the US Open final, beat Germany's 104th-ranked Andreas Beck 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 in one hour and 41 minutes at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Thursday.

Five-time US Open champion Federer will face 109th-ranked Paul-Henri Mathieu to decide a fourth-round berth on the Flushing Meadows hardcourts.

"It's the perfect start," Federer said.

"Body is well. Mentally obviously I'm fresh, too. I haven't played too much, so I'm really eager. I'm ready for tough matches coming around. It's good I'm saving myself, really, and my game is fine."

Danish women's top seed Wozniacki blanked Taiwan's Chang Kai-Chen 6-0, 6-0 in 47 minutes, her 11th match victory in a row after titles at Montreal and New Haven leading into the Open. She has dropped only two games in two matches.

"I go out there and I don't give up. I don't give any free points away and that is one of my strong points," Wozniacki said. "I am feeling fresh, all recovered from everything. I am happy to be playing injury-free. It's perfect."

Russian ace Sharapova routed Iveta Benesova of the Czech Republic 6-1, 6-2, moving closer to a fourth-round showdown with Wozniacki. The 2006 US Open winner struggled with injuries last year but is back on form now.

"Last year here, the position I was in, I was trying to see where my game was, so it's nice to be back on the court and not having to worry about anything other than trying to win," Sharapova said.

Serbian third seed Djokovic advanced 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (8/6) over German Philipp Petzschner, saying, "I was shakey the whole match but I was able to hold on."

Djokovic reached the 2007 US Open final and the Flushing Meadows semi-finals the past two years, each time losing to Federer, whom he could again face in the semi-finals.

"It's important to save energy in the opening rounds," Djokovic said. "Overall I can be satisfied with how I played. I played well when I needed to and was a little bit lucky."

Swedish fifth seed Soderling downed American Taylor Dent 6-2, 6-2, 6-4. The French Open runner-up meets Dutchman Thiemo de Bakker next.

"I'm pretty confident. I know I can do well when I play well," Soderling said. "But you need to play well. No one can play well every match. So anything can happen. I can lose first round. I can go on really deep as well."

Russian sixth seed Nikolay Davydenko, a 2006 and 2007 US Open semi-final loser to Federer, was ousted 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 by 38th-ranked Richard Gasquet in the biggest upset of the day.

Gasquet, among a record 12 Frenchmen to reach the second round, lost only seven of 52 points on his first serve as Davydenko made his quickest US Open exit since 2005.

Davydenko joined a US Open seeded scrap heap that includes No. 7 Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic, US ninth seed Andy Roddick and Croatian 11th seed Marin Cilic, who lost to Japanese qualifier Kei Nishikori 5-7, 7-6 (8/6), 3-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-1 in an exhausting five-hour duel.

"I was cramping from the second set but I kept fighting and fighting and got the fourth set tie-breaker. That was key for me," Nishikori said.

"It was hot but I feel good now."

China's Peng Shaui, ranked 61st, shocked Polish ninth seed Agnieszka Radwanska 2-6, 6-1, 6-4 in the biggest upset on the women's side.

Taiwan's Chan Yung-Jan made her deepest Grand Slam run after 17 tries by beating Austria's Tamira Paszek 6-3, 6-3.

"I was not 100 percent in my first match and was missing the easy ball, but that was better today and I'm looking to play even better from now on," Chan said.

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Federer and Clijsters to lead parade of champions

Roger Federer of Switzerland speaks during a media conference at the US Open tennis tournament August 28, 2010

Photo: Reuters

Switzerland's Roger Federer and Belgian Kim Clijsters are among five former champions in action on a busy opening day at the US Open Monday.

The pair will be joined by Americans Venus Williams and Andy Roddick in playing their opening matches on the Arthur Ashe center court while another former champion, Australian Lleyton Hewitt, begins his campaign on the Louis Armstrong stadium.

Federer won the men's championship five times on the trot from 2004 to 2008 but will not start the event as the defending champion after his loss to Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro in last year's final.

Del Potro is absent this year because of injury but another Argentine, Brian Dabul, will be in the spotlight when he faces Federer in the first round.

“Maybe there is an extra incentive for me to try to win it again after being two points away last year,” Federer told reporters. "It was a disappointing loss for me, I felt like that was one of the finals I should never have lost.”

"At the end Del Potro played great and deserved the victory, it was a tough one to swallow."

With Del Potro away, Clijsters is the lone defending champion. She plays Hungarian Greta Arn first up.

Clijsters won in 2005 but did not get the chance to defend her title in 2006 because of injury. She missed the event in 2007 and 2008 after taking time out to start a family before a fairytale return last year.

"I'm so excited to be back to defend my title,” she said. “This is a first for me."

Roddick, who won his only grand slam title at New York in 2003, has been plagued by illness in recent months but the prospect of returning to the center court has given him a boost.

He plays Frenchman Stephane Robert in his first match which coincides with his 28th birthday.

"Birthday or no birthday, you come in to try to win one," he said.

"I don't think too much about age, numbers, whatever. I'll play till I can, until I feel like I shouldn't anymore."

Williams, who will fly the family flag after her sister Serena withdrew because of a foot injury, won the US Open in 2000 and 2001 and was runner-up in 1997 and 2002, has also been troubled by injuries but said she was fit and raring to go in her first match against Italian Roberta Vinci.

"Theoretically I've had more rest than everyone, I should be fresh," Williams said.

Hewitt, who won here in 2001, is one of two Australians in action at Louis Armstrong Stadium. He plays Paul-Henri Mathieu of France after Samantha Stosur, this year's runner-up at the French Open, faces Elena Vesnina.

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Fish to play Federer in Cincinnati Masters final

Roger Federer of Switzerland is pictured after defeating Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus during the semifinals on Day 6 of the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Mardy Fish reached the championship of the Cincinnati Masters event by rallying to beat American compatriot Andy Roddick 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-1.

The unseeded Fish was able to regroup during a third rain delay and upset the former world number one in the semi-final match.

Roddick led 5-2 in the second set when the players briefly went to the locker room. Fish was in top form when they returned.

"I was just lucky to get out of it," Fish said.

In Sunday's final, Fish will play Swiss superstar Roger Federer who easily beat unseeded Marcos Baghdatis 6-4, 6-3.

"It wasn't long at all," Fish said of the break. "It was only a couple minutes that we were back there, so I just changed (clothes). It was only a couple of minutes."

The beginning of the match was delayed 50 minutes by heavy rain. Another cloudburst during the first set resulted in a one-hour delay. Roddick was up 5-4 coming out of the delay. Fish dumped three forehands into the net while Roddick captured the set.

Roddick built a 5-2 lead in the second set when another shower forced a brief break.

"The first one really helped, the second one obviously didn't," Roddick said. "That's the thing with rain delays. The momentum can shift really fast."

Fish knew he was in deep trouble when he came back on the court.

"You don't want to be in that spot at all," Fish said.

This time, Fish was better when they returned to the hardcourt stadium. He broke Roddick's serve for the first time in the match to keep it going, then won the tiebreaker when Roddick began missing easy shots.

Roddick fell behind 3-0 in the third set, becoming so upset that he took extra swings at balls between points and slammed his racket into the ground.

Roddick downplayed his on court antics in the US Open tune-up event.

"I feel OK," Roddick said. "You know, to be honest, I came here and I had no expectations. For me to get in five really tough matches is more than I could've asked for going into the Open. Honestly, when I came here I was thinking maybe two matches and we'll see. I hadn't really put too much time in."

Federer broke Baghdatis to close out the first set and never faced a break point.

Federer, who is seeking his fourth Cincinnati title, also broke Baghdatis to take a 5-3 lead in the second set.

"I got kind of lucky in this tournament," Federer said. "I hardly had to play the first two matches. Things are working out for me here."

And it just keeps getting better because now Federer goes against unseeded Fish who Federer has a commanding 5-1 career record against.

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