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Adidas, Nike tennis outfits for US Open 2012 with Federer, Ivanovic, Sharapova and others

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By Romi Cvitkovic

The US Open is underway and the top players are on fire — not only with their games, but also their on-court tennis apparel. Curious about what your favorite players are wearing and where to buy it? Well, wonder no more and check out this year’s US Open Nike and adidas tennis outfits for both men and women. Serve it up!

NIKE

Top women’s seed Victoria Azarenka is sporting Nike’s Volt Graphic Tank and flirty Black Flounce skirt. The tank design is just the right amount of flashy, and the fit is one of the best this season.

Na Li is pretty in pink in this Liquid Pink Jersey shirt and White Pleated skirt by Nike. A little more conservative with a dash of detailed stitches.

Maria Sharapova has been on tour for more than eleven years and her outfits are always stunning. This year, she’s flaunting Nike’s Back Court Day dress and Back Court Night dress. The day dress scores, but black on a slender and tall Sharapova seems counter intuitive. The Spiderman-esque matrix in gold on the back of the night dress is quite an intense contrast.

Nike has spiced up the normal white tank for Petra Kvitova and given her strategically-placed pleats with their Statement Pleated tank and mutli-colored Pleated skirt.

Nike has kept it solid and mostly simple for Roger Federer, dressing him in University Blue Hard Court crew tee for day, and collared Obsidian Hard Court Polo for night. What is of note is that the typically-collared Federer will be sporting no collar during his day matches. It seems they are keeping the same setup as last year.

The always unpredictable Serena Williams is giving us punches of color in her’ Statement Pleated dress in Fireberry for day and in Obsidian/Volt for night. Interesting color to highlight … there.

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adidas

Ana Ivanovic, as well as good friend Sorana Cirstea, are both sporting the spunky adiZero dress in Lime. Note: you must be tall, tan and beautiful in order for this to look fab on you.

Scot Andy Murray in equipped in his typical Barricade line but with a bit more edge as seen in the Urban Sky/Bright Gold details here. It is like a kaleidoscope?

Spaniard Fernando Verdasco complements the adiZero dress in his own adiZero Crew tee in Lime. Why the screaming colors always, adidas?

adidas keeps Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in their collared adiZero Theme Polo shirt in Dark Blue and does a nice job with light blue and orange accents.

Stella McCartney always dresses up Caroline Wozniacki in something questionable in photos that turns out great on Wozniacki herself, so I will reserve my comments. Stella McCartney Performance Rose Tan/Black mesh dress.

Getting to know Milos Raonic – the ATPs new top 20 player

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By Lisa-Marie Burrows

Milos Raonic is Canada's big hope after breaking into the top 20 for the first time. (Photo credit: Getty Images)

This week, Canadian Milos Raonic has been a continuous feature in tennis discussions this week after breaking into the top 20 of the ATP rankings for the first time in his career. The 21-year-old young gun moved up five spots to secure his No. 19 place, thanks to his quarter-final appearance at the Rogers Cup in Toronto last week.
Many have predicted great things for the rising star, speculating on whether he will be a future Grand Slam champion, on his ability to break into the top 10 or even break up the mold that has bound the top 5 players so tightly in recently years, but this achievement is something which no Canadian singles players has managed to do before. He is enjoying being on the court; he is living the dream and he still has a lot more to give. Here is a little bit of information and fun facts about the Canadian hero that many may not know about:
Who is Milos Raonic?
Milos Raonic was born Podgorica, Montenegro, in the former Yugoslavia just before Serbia became an independent country and he moved to Canada at the age of 3-years old. He did not begin playing tennis until he was 8-years old and whilst growing up his hero was Pete Sampras. It seems as though he suddenly exploded on the tennis scene from nowhere after enjoying a very successful 2011. He rocketed up the rankings from No.156 at the end of 2010 to a year-end ranking of No.31 in 2011. The 6’5” player is infamous for his booming serves and possesses an all-court style of play. He has won three career titles – his first in San Jose in 2011, which he successfully defended again this year and he has also won on the hard courts of Chennai.
How much does Raonic remember of his Serbian roots?
Milos moved to Canada with his family because of the war that continued in between the surrounding nations. Milos has said before that he doesn’t remember anything about his homeland except for one bad memory that has always stayed with him – the time when he was stung by a bee on his finger when he was 4-years old.
His super serve
When you hear the name ‘Milos Raonic’ you automatically think: big serve. As a child his father made him train with a ball machine at 6:30am and 9:00pm and those early morning starts and workouts seemed to have put him in good stead as a player. He rarely shows aggression on court (apart from when he is serving or during a rally) and emulates the speed and finesse of his hero’s service motion, Pete Sampras.
Making his mark
Milos Raonic made his mark in the tennis world after he won his first ATP Tour title at the SAP Open in San Jose beating the then-ranked world No.9 player, Fernando Verdasco. It was a very special moment for the Canadian and indeed for Canada, as it was the first time a Canadian tennis player won an ATP title since 1995. After this victory, Milos earned a lot of attention from the media – and particularly the Canadian media – which is something he has had to learn to deal with. Very much like Andy Murray and his British expectations, Raonic has expressed how he hopes that it will benefit and influence the juniors who are up and coming in Canada.
Fast Facts
• Raonic plays with a double-handed backhand
• He can speak Serbian and English
• He moved to Canada when he was 3-years old.
• Both of his parents (Dusan and Vesna) are engineers.
• He has a sister called Jelena, and a brother, Momir
• Raonic first picked up a racquet aged 8-years old.
• His favourite surface to play on is on the quick-paced hard courts.
• He confessed that when he was younger, his dad used to make him train with a ball machine early in the morning and at night as they were cheaper to hire during those times.
• Raonic enjoys watching movies and talking to family on Skype when he’s away.
• Raonic is a big fan of football (soccer) and his favourite team is Real Madrid.
• The Canadian has the correct height to be a basketball player and he supports Toronto Raptors.
• His tennis hero as a child was fourteen-time Grand Slam champion ‘Pistol’ Pete Sampras and he admitted that he recorded his matches that were shown on tv.
• He is coached by former ATP pro Galo Blanco (since October 2010)
• His ultimate goal? To remain consistently in the top 50 and break into the top 10.
Milos Raonic’s rise in the rankings has been documented by the ATP World Tour Uncovered, which you can watch using the video below.

Adidas tennis fashions for Roland Garros with Verdasco, Ivanovic, Rus and others

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By Romana Cvitkovic

Just in time for the tennis season’s second Slam of the year, the adidas team has revealed the fashions that will be on display at Roland Garros for their top athletes, including Ana Ivanovic, Fernando Verdasco, Andy Murray, Gilles Simon and their youngest sensation, 21-year-old Arantxa Rus from Holland.
A few things of note:
1. I like lime and I like orange, but I’m not fully sold on the combination for Ana Ivanovic’s dress. Even with the red clay, it might be an eye sore…
2. Fernando Verdasco’s face in his second photo below is absolutely priceless. Compare that with the first saucy photo, and I laugh every time I see it. But somehow both are fitting for his personality.
3. Arantxa Rus looks like a mini-Wozniacki in these photos, but I love the air around her as a player. Great potential, and the yellow and  blue kit combination with the ruffled tank works. I also LOVE the accents on her shoes.
4. Andy Murray, is that you? Looking more like a gladiator than a tennis player, he doesn’t have a knack for posing. While I like the orange shorts, the grey color seems a bit too muted on him.
5. Andrea Petkovic, oh, how I miss you … already. Skipping Roland Garros to nurse an injury, her blue and orange kit will probably be worn by Maria Kirilenko among others, but the German’s fire will be missed in Paris.
6. Gilles Simon’s baby blue collared shirt looks more fitting for Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, but I’ll let it slide because of the Frenchie smile.
All in all, the kits and colors look great and I’m excited to see them on the red clay of Roland Garros. For larger higher quality photos, click on the photos to expand.

Ana Ivanovic

Ana Ivanovic

Fernando Verdasco

Fernando Verdasco

Arantxa Rus

Arantxa Rus

Andy Murray, is that you?

Andy Murray

Andrea Petkovic

Andrea Petkovic

Gilles Simon

Gilles Simon

(photos courtesy of adidas tennis)

Photographs from the Rome Masters 1000 Open

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By Lisa-Marie Burrows

After an action-packed week on the red dirt of Rome, the finals Masters 1000 Series tournament before Roland Garros threw up some exciting matches, entertaining press conferences and an opportunity for memorable photographs to be snapped. Here is a collection of some of those events for you to enjoy featuring many of the players from the WTA and ATP Tour.
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Lisa-Marie Burrows covered the Masters 1000 Series at the Mutua Madrid Open last week at the Rome Open.  Catch her as a regular contributor for TennisBloggers.com and on Twitter: @TennisNewsViews.

 

Magical Moments from Madrid: The Photographs

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By Lisa-Marie Burrows

After spending a very busy and exciting week in Madrid and Rome, I have compiled a collection of the best photographs of your favourite tennis players from all the events in Madrid – showing happy moments, times of desperation, disappointment and of course photos from some of the explosive press conferences. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did being there to take them!

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Lisa-Marie Burrows covered the Masters 1000 Series at the Mutua Madrid Open last week at the Rome Open.  Catch her as a regular contributor for TennisBloggers.com and on Twitter: @TennisNewsViews.

Verdasco and Lopez ousted in an all-Spanish affair at the Rome Open

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By Lisa-Marie Burrows

David Ferrer knocked out his compatriot Fernando Verdasco 6-3, 7-6.


By Lisa-Marie Burrows

Internazionali BNL d’Italia, Rome – The orange courts of Rome served up some high quality tennis this afternoon with two matches containing two same-country battles. Fernando Verdasco was vying to knock out another higher-ranked compatriot this week after his defeat over Spanish No.1 Rafael Nadal in Madrid, whilst on Court 1, another all-Spanish affair commenced between Feliciano Lopez and Marcel Granollers, but it was Ferrer and Granollers who were victorious with a 6-3, 7-6 and 6-4, 6-4 win respectively.

In the Super Tennis Stadium, Ferrer and Verdasco opened up proceedings with Fernando Verdasco snatching the first break, which he could not sustain as unforced errors crept into his usually more reliable forehand and the scrambling and retrieval skills of David Ferrer proved to be fundamental.

Fernando Verdasco was ousted in the second round.

As the Spanish No.2’s game improved, Verdasco’s didn’t and the frustration was evident to see as he muttered to himself and his team as he wandered around the court. This fragile mindset was to the advantage of Ferrer as he capitalized on the negativity and blew some explosive topspin forehands across court to seize further control before taking the first set on a tie-break.

The second set was a mirror image of the first, as Verdasco was the first Spaniard to break but could not consolidate his serve as Ferrer leveled up proceedings once again. This time Verdasco’s mentality held up as he did not appear as delicate, but his mood was temperamental throughout. Verdasco could not break Ferrer again and the set remained evenly balanced – until the outcome was decided in an all-important tie-break. Ferrer stormed to a 6-1 lead in the breaker and gained full control of the rallies after tightening up his game before securing the match.

For Fernando Verdasco it must be a disappointing loss after a great week in Rome and he was clearly frustrated on the court. There is a fine line between passion and frustration and often the Spaniard fuses the two, hopefully this is something he can improve on so his talents shine through at Roland Garros.

Feliciano López lost 6-4, 6-4 to Granollers

Meanwhile, on Court 1, Verdasco’s best buddy, Feliciano López was also embroiled in another battle in the second Spanish showdown of the day as he played his friend Marcel Granollers on a packed Court 1.

There were many distractions going on with Mamma Mia music blaring so loud at one point that the girls next to me started to sing along to and dance and there was a buzz all around as many matches were in progress on the outside courts.

Granollers broke López early on in the first set and the long-haired Spaniard could do very little to try and counteract and break down the aggressive play of Granollers as he hit the ball deep and pinned López back behind the baseline and away from his beloved net. Consequently, no serve and volley tactics were initiated today from López.

Marcel Granollers is through to the third round in Rome.

The second set saw Granollers’ confidence rise, as López’s shoulders and head slump. He fended off several break points against his serve during two service games, but he felt the strain and eventually a few unforced errors saw Granollers prevail 6-4, 6-4.

Lisa-Marie Burrows covered the Mutua Madrid Open last week and is currently in Rome covering the all of the action from the Masters. Catch her as a regular contributor for TennisBloggers.com and on Twitter: @TennisNewsViews.

Happiness for Serena Williams and disappointment for Fernando Verdasco at the Madrid Open

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By Lisa-Marie Burrows

Mutua Madrid Open, Madrid – It was a tale of two different halves in Madrid today, as without a shadow of a doubt, the prize for best press conference this week has to go to the enigmatic Serena Williams who defeated Maria Sharapova 6-1, 6-3 and the saddest of the day so far was Fernando Verdasco’s press conference after his defeat at the hands of Tomas Berdych 1-6, 2-6.
Serena Williams entered the press conference bright and breezy and very satisfied with her victory of today as she knew she ‘had to be ready.’
If next year at the Mutua Madrid Open they decide to use fluroscent balls, Serena Williams will be one happy lady as she is currently ‘living in the 80’s’ and with that said she promptly lifted up her leg on the desk to show the media room her bright yellow, fluorescent socks and declared:

“Fluroscent balls?? Hmmmm, interesting. I love fluorescent colours If we had that this year I would be completely excited!!”

(Sorry for the quality of the photo, I was laughing as I snapped a picture!)

From nowhere, Serena Williams lifted her leg up on the table to show her fluorescent leg warmers!

Serena recently shot “Drop Dead Diva” and was asked what it was like to be a lawyer, with a smile on her face she laughed:

“I’m not a lawyer, but I’m good at arguing! The show was fun and I hope I did good. I was joking that I’m an Oscar winning actress behind the camera so whenever I give my lines it was unbelievable, but once the camera was on me I got a little nervous.”

Verdasco: "Physically it was tough today."

On the other side of the happiness in the media room was the sadness felt by Fernando Verdasco. The man responsible for knocking out Rafael Nadal in the last round was clearly subdud and looked tired from the events of the last 24 hours:

“He [Berdych] played a really high level all of the match and physically was tough. Today I didn’t have the energy to play against the quality player like Berdych. One day you can be really happy and the next day something like today can happen.”

The world No.19 lifted his head up on occasion and said that he will try to remain positive after such a great week and look forward to Rome. However one thing that was clearly evident during his match was the amount of empty seats and dismal atmosphere around the stadium, Verdasco suggested maybe it was that the weather was too hot and people prefer to watch it on tv, but then poignantly added:

“I guess if it were Rafa here against Berdych, here there would be more people – because he’s Rafa.”

It was not all doom and gloom for the Spaniard as once again he was questioned about the blue clay and with a roll of his eyes he joked:

“I’m tired of talking about the blue clay. I’ve said it in Chinese, in English, Spanish, in Russian… The difference is only the colour. I respect the decisions and opinions of each player, but the only thing we need to make it better is to be safer for the players, it’s slippery.”

Lisa-Marie Burrows is currently in Madrid covering the Mutua Madrid Open and will be at the Rome Masters next week. Catch her as a regular contributor for TennisBloggers.com and on Twitter: @TennisNewsViews.

Del Potro downs Dolgopolov for a place in the semis at the Madrid Open

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Mutua Madrid Open, Madrid – Juan Martin Del Potro had a straightforward day out on Stadium 3 today against Alexandr Dolgopolov recording a 6-3, 6-4 victory in front of a full crowd.
The Argentine fired his serves and hit weighty forehands to pull the Ukrainian from side to side throughout their encounter, but after the match, the question everybody wanted to know is if he will play here next year or whether he shares the same sentiments as the top two players in the world, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal?
He responded by admitting that these are the feelings of Nadal about not playing next year and added that ‘it’s more or less the feelings of everyone,’ as he confessed:

Del Potro was happy with his performance in the match.

 

“They are here to their job [the ATP] as we are here to do our job, which is to play tennis.”

Del Potro has also experienced difficulties with his movement and confidence on the court and with a sad look on his face he said:

“We are all suffering and talking about mobility. Next year I don’t know what they will do, but I hope that they do the best for the players.”

Although Del Potro has confessed as to how slippery he has found the courts, he repeated what Nadal had said in his conference:

“The conditions are the same for everybody.”

Next up for Del Potro, is Tomas Berdych after he quickly dismissed of Rafael Nadal’s conqueror, Fernando Verdasco 6-1, 6-2 and the Argentine is aware that it will be a tough semi final encounter for him as Berdych ‘hits his strokes strongly’ and knows the match will be ‘complicated.’

Berdych is happy to progress toward the last two matches.

Tomas Berdych eagerly awaits his encounter against Del Potro, but believes that the Argentine is the more experienced player:

“I expect a really tough one. We are in the last two matches to come up. He is a great guy and he knows how to win a Grand Slam and big matches.  I will try to do my best and play my game.”

Lisa-Marie Burrows is currently in Madrid covering the Mutua Madrid Open and will be at the Rome Masters next week. Catch her as a regular contributor for TennisBloggers.com and on Twitter: @TennisNewsViews.

Ugly loss for Rafael Nadal; mixed reviews of Madrid's blue clay — The Friday Five

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By Maud Watson

Ugly Loss

Fernando Verdasco celerates beating Rafael Nadal for the first time in 14 encounters (JAVIER SORIANO/AFP/GettyImages)

For the first time in 14 attempts, Fernando Verdasco defeated his compatriot Rafael Nadal, handing Nadal one of his earliest defeats in a clay court tournament. Some credit has to be given to Verdasco. He played some good ball, especially in the opening set, and unlike in their previous encounters, he didn’t throw in the towel when it appeared nearly all hope was lost. But this match was mostly about Nadal, and this was one of his ugliest losses. The fact that Nadal appeared out of sorts and off his game wasn’t surprising. He was one of the most vocal critics of the change to blue clay, even before the tournament got underway, so the fact that he at times appeared unsure should not have come as a shock. He should be more self-assured next week in Rome when the familiar red dirt is under the soles of his shoes. But the fact that he blew a double break lead in the third – against a guy that he owned – is troubling, no matter what the surface. With the exception of Monte Carlo and Barcelona, he’s developed a habit of struggling to close out matches in recent memory, and this time he paid for it. As superstitious as he is, a loss like this is apt to creep into his mind down the road. The way Nadal handled himself after the match also left something be desired. It’s understandable if he wants to boycott the event next year, and he’s not the only one to suggest he’d do so, with Djokovic also hinting at such an action (though it would be nice if both guys would give organizers a chance to fix the slippery court problem). But Nadal’s arguments for boycotting lacked tact and came off as sour grapes. He’ll need a good run in Rome to feel confident for Paris, or else what he did in Monte Carlo and Barcelona will be for naught.

Mixed Reviews

We’re more than well under way in Madrid, but the talk about the blue courts has hardly decreased. Players’ and fan’s reactions continue to be all over the map, with some liking it, some indifferent, and others making it well known that it doesn’t have their seal of approval. Personally, I’m loving the blue. From a spectator’s point of view, the ball is easier to see, and the blue clay hasn’t denied fans the opportunity to watch some highly competitive battles. The only general complaint – a complaint that Tiriac thankfully recognized as legit – is that the courts are too slippery. How much of this problem stems from the dye used, the structure under the clay, and the courts not yet fully settled remains to be seen, but it is a problem that organizers and tournament officials, including former No. 1 Carlos Moya, claim can be fixed and arguably should not impact Madrid being contested on blue clay in 2013. Besides, we saw some pretty nasty injuries on Monte Carlo’s main show court, proving that no clay court is perfect. In short, Madrid’s choice to go blue is not a failed experiment, and organizers should be given the opportunity to correct issues before any final court color decisions are made for the future.

Pole Position

Lost in all the chatter about the blue clay was the fact that Aga Radwanska has quietly moved up a spot in the rankings to the number three player in the world. And don’t be deceived by the apparently large gap between the Pole and the two rivals ahead of her. Radwanska has little to defend and much to gain in the coming weeks, which cannot be said for Azarenka or Sharapova. If she continues her run of fine form, she’ll be knocking at the door for number two, and perhaps even number one. There’s still work to be done for Aga, but in many ways, her potential continued ascendency up the rankings could be great for the women’s game. Sharapova has done well to fight back to form and up the rankings, and the improvements Azarenka has made to become a Grand Slam champion and reach No. 1 are both remarkable achievements. But it would be refreshing to have a crafty player at the top – and as an added bonus, one who’s quiet!

Image Boost

When last Tsonga was making tennis headlines, it was due to his comments of what he perceived to be biased officiating in his three-set loss to Nadal in the Miami quarterfinals. Many jumped on him for that, but he’s quickly turned around any damage to his reputation with the sportsmanship he exhibited in his straight-set win over Ryan Harrison this week in Madrid. In the second set tiebreak, Tsonga chased after a drop shot that the chair umpire thought he had reached in once bounce in order to the win the point. But Tsonga knew the ball had bounced twice, and despite the fact that it might have eventually led to losing the tiebreak and a third set, he admitted to the double bounce and gave the point to Harrison. Such an act, especially in a tiebreak, is a rarity, and it’s great to see this kind of sportsmanship.

Ms. King Goes to Washington

Billie Jean King continues to be a crusader, this time going to the marble halls of Washington DC in order to ask the government to assist the USTA in its efforts to reach more communities. The USTA has done good work, refurbishing over 25,000 courts in public parks and schools over the last seven years, and anything that will help grow the sport should be encouraged. How much help the government may prove to be is a complete unknown, however. After all, as the old joke goes, “If ‘pro’ is the opposite of ‘con,’ then isn’t the opposite of progress Congress?”

Fernando Verdasco stuns Rafael Nadal at the Madrid Open

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By Lisa-Marie Burrows

MADRID, Spain – Today was the day when Fernando Verdasco finally defeated compatriot Rafael Nadal after fourteen attempts in front of a packed and shocked Manolo Santana court.  Nadal had two opportunities to serve out the match but failed to do so on two occasions allowing his opponent back into the match.  Fernando Verdasco dropped to the floor in tears and lay there in shock as his 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 victory over Rafael Nadal finally sunk in.

Fernando Verdasco beat Nadal on his fourteenth attempt and wept with happiness.

World No.2 Rafael Nadal did not settle well into his match from the onset. He lost his opening service game and appeared tentative on the court. It was the world No.19 who took the initiative and rallied his way through the first 6-3.
The second set offered much of the same except it was Nadal who had begun to settle into the match and find his groove to level the match up at 6-3.
The third set saw the rise and the fall of Rafael Nadal’s game. Both players exchanged service breaks and at 5-2 up the crowd thought it was curtains for Verdasco – but he had other things on his mind.  Nadal began to mistime his shots and was occasionally hitting off the frame and that was when his nerves began to kick in. Verdasco struck some phenomenal shots and began to unleash his forehand which saw him level the match up and had the 6-5 advantage.  Nadal continued to hit some untimely unforced errors and on his second match point, Verdasco dropped to his knees where he remained for several seconds lost in the moment of what he had just achieved.
Rafael Nadal was quick to attend the press conference after the match and naturally he was not happy with the result from the match:
Nadal: "I wasn't good enough to adapt my game to this surface."

“I lost today because I deserve to lose. I was at 5-2, I arrived at the moment to close the match and I didn’t know how to close it, I didn’t know how to do it. I made a big mistake with my match at 5-2. That’s what happened. He played better than me.”

When he was asked why he lost and whether it was due to the surface and his movement, Nadal looked confused and bluntly replied:

“Did you watch? Did you watch any of the matches? If you’re watching any of the matches… the answer is… “

It was clear that he was not sure how to answer the question and was then asked if he regrets playing on the surface:

“It’s the ATP and the tournament they can do what they want. I arrived here Thursday to prepare as best as I can for the tournament. I was not good enough to play and adapt my game to this court. If things continue like this I will be very sad and next year it will be one less tournament on my calendar.”

Later Nadal was questioned about his intentions for next year as to whether he was insinuating that he would not play:

“I’m not prepared to risk being here with injury. There are two options: They change it or… I’d like to play here but….”

The Roland Garros champion explained how he was worried that the result today would affect his preparation for Rome as he would go into the next tournament unprepared and without many matches.
The concern for the tournament and the organisers is how many more players will follow suit and not compete here? Nadal shrugged his shoulders and was unsure too:

“I don’t know, you can ask them. I think the tournament is great but that’s a bad decision. But they can do what everybody wants. Today is not the day to talk about that, today is the day to talk about Fernando – he played better than me and that’s why I lost, not because of the court. The court is the same for both and that is the real thing.”

Nadal made it clear that the blue clay court is not something that he and the other players should have to adapt to before a Grand Slam tournament and it is not just a question of getting use to it in time:

“You have to know that if you put Cincinnati on grass, what do you think is going to happen? You think people are going to be happy before the US Open? I don’t think so, it is a similar situation.”

The questions continued to be fired at Nadal about his loss and he continued to say that it was not just due to the surface that he lost but wanted to give credit to Verdasco:

“I haven’t been as good at adapting to the circumstances.  I cannot get good control with the legs. Fernando played better than me and we both played on the same court. I can give him my congratulations and wishes for the rest of the tournament. I’m happy for him and sad for me.  I have to accept it and I wasn’t at the level I should be. The surface is the same for all and it’s equal.”

Nadal closed up by addressing his mistakes and reflecting on the turnout of the match:

“Well, the one who wins is the one who commits less errors. The one who wins is the one who deserves it the most.”

Shortly after Rafael Nadal’s loss, Roger Federer was on court and made short work of Richard Gasquet with a 6-3, 6-2 win.  The world No.3 spoke about Nadal’s loss and admitted he was also shocked by the result:

Federer: "The tournament goes on - unfortunately without Rafa."

“It was surprising obviously. Verdasco’s a great player, a quality player. We’ve seen him for years that maybe he should have beaten Rafa in the past but this came as a surprise being 5-2 down in the third, you don’t expect the guy to come back from that, especially on clay.”

He continued:

“I didn’t see much of the match but I’m sure Verdasco played some good tennis to come back into the match that’s what you have got to do against Rafa, so it’s a bit of a surprise and the tournament goes on, unfortunately without Rafa, but maybe it gives a bigger opportunity for players around in the draw.”

Federer made it clear that he is not angry about the surface but “understands Rafa’s disappointment as he was against it from the start – and so was I.  For him to go out in the third round is obviously disappointing, he never felt comfortable on the surface – it is a tough surface. It’s a tough loss and there is frustration obviously.”
Fernando Verdasco’s on court duties did not end after the singles match as shortly after he was on court seven in his doubles match with David Marrero – but this time he was unsuccessful losing 3-6, 6-7.

Verdasco: "I still kept believing and I finally won."

Naturally the Spaniard was extremely happy regardless and was enjoying the special victory from today:

“Everything changed [after being 2-5 down], I started to be more positive, believing in myself that I could win and come back.”

Verdasco found the key to his success today:

“I was more confident today than any time before. I was not missing one return [at the end] and I still kept believing – and I finally won!”

Today was a victory in his career and a moment in his life that Fernando Verdasco will not forget, especially in his home town:

“It is my biggest victory of my career and against him, here in Madrid.”

 
Lisa-Marie Burrows is currently in Madrid covering the Mutua Madrid Open and will be at the Rome Masters next week. Catch her as a regular contributor for TennisBloggers.com and on Twitter: @TennisNewsViews.