Murray and Ferrer cruise into China Open quarters

World number two Andy Murray crushed Russia's Andrey Kuznetsov 6-2 6-1 and fifth seed David Ferrer overwhelmed Italian Fabio Fognini 6-3 6-4 to reach the China Open quarter-finals in Beijing on Wednesday.

The 29-year-old Murray won 81 percent of first-serve points and Kuznetsov made a string of unforced errors to hand the Briton victory in one hour 16 minutes.

Murray will meet his 21-year-old compatriot Kyle Edmund, who upset Spanish world number 18 Roberto Bautista Agut 6-4 4-6 6-4, in the last eight on Friday.

"(On) the day of the match, it's always a little bit uncomfortable," Murray, a three-times grand slam winner, told reporters about facing his Davis Cup team mate.

"Normally when you see your friends and stuff in the locker room, you have a chat, joke around a bit. But on match days, it always tends to be a little bit more serious."

The 34-year-old Ferrer, who reached the China Open final in 2010 maintained his perfect career record over Fognini.

The Spaniard, bidding to reach his first final of the year, will next face in-form 19-year-old Alexander Zverev, who beat American Jack Sock 6-4 6-2 to reach the quarter-finals.

(Reporting by Shravanth Vijayakumar in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

TENNIS: Djokovic denies match-fixing report, Hewitt faces Ferrer

Djokovic denies report that 2007 loss to Santoro was fixed

Reuters
Novak Djokovic has denied an Italian media report he deliberately lost a match in 2007 that has been linked to a wider scandal involving alleged corruption in tennis.

The 28-year-old world number one, who easily beat French teenager Quentin Halys on Wednesday to advance to the Australian Open third round, was asked about a report in Italian newspaper Tuttosport that he had deliberately lost to now-retired French player Fabrice Santoro at the Paris Masters.

"It's not true," the Serb said with a shrug and shake of his head. "What it is to say? I've lost that match.

"Anybody can create a story about that match or for that matter any of the matches of the top players losing in the early rounds, I think it's just absurd."

Djokovic was asked about the media reports on Monday, saying that he had indirectly been offered $200,000 to throw a match while still a teenager.

The offer was immediately rejected by the person it had been made to, he said.

Hewitt facing final farewell against brick wall Ferrer

Reuters

Spain's David Ferrer could be the man to bring the curtain down on Lleyton Hewitt's illustrious career in what could be an emotional Rod Laver Arena night session on day four of the Australian Open on Thursday.

Home favourite and former world number one Hewitt will retire after his 20th and final home grand slam and while he will fight the way only he knows how, he could meet his match in tenacious eighth seed Ferrer.

Wild card Hewitt remains the only player Australian to beat Ferrer at a grand slam tournament though and will relish a toe-to-toe scrap with the former French Open runner-up.

"He's like a brick wall out there," twice grand slam champion Hewitt said of Ferrer. "He's a tough customer for nearly anyone. But, yeah, I give myself a fighting chance."

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Sixth seed Kvitova ousted by Australia's Gavrilova in Melbourne

Reuters

Twice Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova was sent tumbling out of the Australian Open in the second round by Daria Gavrilova on Wednesday, stunned 6-4 6-4 by the 21-year-old local.

The sixth seed, a semi-finalist at Melbourne Park four years ago, made 35 unforced errors and was broken five times in the 89-minute contest, to the delight of the partisan crowd on Margaret Court Arena.

Kvitova rallied to save a match point and break back for 5-4 in the final set but Gavrilova claimed the victory when the world number seven went long with a forehand in the next game.

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Kyrgios overcomes shorts mix-up to set up Berdych clash

Agence France-Presse
Rising star Nick Kyrgios overcame a mix-up with his shorts to beat Pablo Cuevas in straight sets and set up an Australian Open showdown with Tomas Berdych on Wednesday.

Despite needing to change his shorts midway, the exciting 20-year-old Australian beat the 41st-ranked Cuevas 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 (7/2) in almost two hours before a partisan home crowd on Hisense Arena.

Krygios, whose first pair of shorts apparently didn't have pockets deep enough to hold balls while he was serving, smashed 50 winners as he broke the Uruguayan's serve four times.

"Just a bit of a mix-up before the game. I guess it will be fixed by the next round," shrugged the 29th seed, whose next opponent, Berdych, has reached the last two semi-finals at Melbourne Park.
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Uncle Toni open to Nadal coaching change

Agence France-Presse

Rafael Nadal's coach and uncle Toni Nadal hasn't ruled out the possibility that the 14-time Grand Slam champion may seek a new or expanded coaching team in a bid to arrest his slide in form.

Nadal lost in the first round of a Grand Slam for just the second time in his career to fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco at the Australian Open on Tuesday.

"I understand that in sport results come first and if you have to make a change, you have to do it," Toni Nadal told Spanish radio station Cadena Cope on Wednesday.

"To lose so early in Australia is one of the biggest disappointments we have had because in the last four months we had been playing well.

"I hope it is only a blip and we move forward."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

TENNIS WRAP: Fit Nadal brings ‘happy feelings’ to Melbourne Park

MELBOURNE - With a heart-breaking injury record at the Australian Open, few would blame Rafa Nadal for a feeling of trepidation every time he enters Melbourne Park but the fit and healthy Spaniard will begin this year's campaign full of "happy feelings".

After winning his sole Australian Open title in 2009, Nadal was forced out of its defence with knee trouble against Andy Murray, knocked out of a semi-final against countryman David Ferrer by a hamstring problem the following year and hobbled by a back injury during his losing final to Stan Wawrinka in 2014.

Nadal was forced to miss 2013 due to a stomach virus and when on the comeback trail from a wrist problem and appendicitis last year, he crashed out of the tournament with a straight sets quarter-final loss to Tomas Berdych, one of his worst grand slam defeats.

Whether battling injury or illness, Nadal has rarely arrived at Melbourne Park without something nagging at his confidence so his early season fitness has come as a breath of fresh air.

"I have had good practices here," he told reporters breezily at Melbourne Park on Saturday.

"Very happy to be here again. Good feelings. Just trying to be ready."

Baby comes first for Australian Open contender Murray

World number two Andy Murray has repeated, emphatically, that he will abandon the pursuit of his first Australian Open title if his wife goes into labour early.

The men's final of the year's opening grand slam is scheduled for Jan. 31 and with his wife Kim expecting their first child in mid-February it should give him time to return home to Britain for the birth.

The Scot, who said late last year that he would abandon the tournament if his wife went into labour during it, was asked on Saturday whether he had changed his mind.

"The same thing would happen," the 28-year-old Briton told reporters. "For me, my child is more important to me, and my wife is more important to me than a tennis match."


Murray insisted he was still focused on achieving one of his primary goals for 2016 and winning his first Melbourne Park title after losing four previous finals, though the impending arrival of his first child was proving a welcome distraction.

"I think most days I think about that. Just now it's a big change coming. It's very, very exciting," he said.

Federer gives Djokovic 'little star' of approval

Novak Djokovic deserves a "little star" next to his name for a spectacular 2015 season that saw him win three grand slams among his 11 titles but the men's game is not simply a matter of the Serb versus the rest, Roger Federer said on Saturday.

The world number one's dominance has seen pundits line up to declare the end of the 'Big Four' -- suggesting Federer, Rafa Nadal and Andy Murray are unable to compete on equal terms at grand slams with Djokovic.

The Serb heads into the Australian Open a raging favourite to capture his sixth title at Melbourne Park but Federer gave short shrift to talk of a Djokovic dictatorship, pointing to Stan Wawrinka's victory over him in the French Open final.

"It completely depends what you're looking at. If you're looking at (Djokovic's) season, he was the most dominant player by far last year," Federer told reporters at Melbourne Park.

"Then if you look at just who won the slams and the Masters 1000s, doesn't hold truth, because Stan won the French.

"Who's had the most success? The top five guys really, with Stan, you know, Murray, myself, Novak and Rafa.

"Now the rankings are back to more normal again after Rafa's worked his way back up.

"Yeah, I still think the same guys are playing very well. But, of course, Novak deserves like a little star next to his name right now because he's been doing extremely well.

"Same for Stan, really."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Ferrer withdraws from Wimbledon with elbow injury

LONDON -- Spain's David Ferrer has pulled out of Wimbledon on the eve of the tournament because of an elbow injury, the All England Club said in a statement on Sunday.

"Unfortunately I won't be able to play at Wimbledon because of an injury to my elbow," the 33-year-old, who has played in 50 consecutive grand slam tournaments since the 2003 Australian Open, said on his Twitter page.

"It's time to get better as quickly as possible."

Ferrer, who was seeded eighth, had been due to face Briton James Ward in the first round but will now be replaced in the draw by lucky loser from qualifying Luca Vanni of Italy.

Ferrer had been seeded to play fellow Spaniard Rafa Nadal in the quarter-finals, a stage he has reached twice in his career at the grasscourt tournament. (Reporting by Martyn Herman; editing by Toby Davis)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com