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International Tennis Hall of Fame Announces Winners of Iconic Moments in Tennis History

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Following a two-week vote with tens of thousands fans from around the globe weighing in, the International Tennis Hall of Fame has announced the five winning nominees from the Iconic Moments in Tennis History fan voting campaign. The winners in each of the five categories voted upon will be featured in a new exhibition in the ITHF Museum for fans to experience later this month, and online at tennisfame.com/iconic-moments.

The first annual Iconic Moments campaign gave fans the opportunity to revisit, debate and weigh in on some of the sport’s most impactful moments, with individuals from more than 100 nations participating. Fans were able to submit their ballots for their choices among eight nominees in each category.

The Iconic Moments in Tennis History winners are:

Most Epic Rivalry category winner: Rafael Nadal vs. Roger Federer vs. Novak Djokovic

For nearly 20 years, tennis fans have been captivated by the rivalry between the three most successful players in the history of the ATP Tour by Grand Slam title count. In a category that featured some of tennis’ most impactful matchups, the “Big Three” stood apart for fans who participated in the voting campaign. Each of the three has competed against the other two at least 40 times, with the trio combining to win 61 of the past 76 Grand Slams. Nadal, Federer, and Djokovic stood tied at 20 Grand Slam titles apiece until January, when Nadal claimed his 21st major trophy at the 2022 Australian Open.

Best Cinderella Story category winner: Emma Raducanu, 2021 US Open

Despite Emma Raducanu reaching the last 16 at Wimbledon just weeks prior, no tennis fan could have predicted her stunning triumph at the 2021 US Open. Sitting at No. 150 in the world at the beginning of qualifying, she rattled off nine straight victories in Flushing Meadows without dropping a set, advancing to the final. Raducanu’s championship matchup with Leylah Fernandez marked the first all-teen women’s final at the US Open since 1999. With her 6-3, 6-4 victory, Raducanu became the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam title in the Open Era, and the first British woman to win a major since 1977.

Best Comeback Within a Match category winner: Rafael Nadal d. Daniil Medvedev, 2022 Australian Open Final

At age 35 and competing at his first Grand Slam in nearly eight months, Rafael Nadal engineered the greatest match comeback of his storied career on the grandest of stages. Having advanced to the final in Melbourne as the No. 6 seed, Nadal found himself down two sets to none to No. 2 seed Daniil Medvedev before turning the match on its heels and prevailing 2-6, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5. The victory marked Nadal’s 21st career Grand Slam title, breaking the three-way tie at 20 he had previously held with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, and his second Australian Open title.

Most Iconic Celebration category winner: Guga Kuerten draws a heart in clay at 2001 Roland-Garros

Known for wearing his heart on his sleeve while on court, Gustavo “Guga” Kuerten left a lasting impression on the clay of Roland-Garros during his run to the title in 2001. Already a two-time champion and the favorite heading into the tournament that year, Kuerten found himself in a bind against qualifier Michael Russell in the fourth round. After surviving match point and prevailing 3-6, 4-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-3, 6-1, Kuerten expressed his love and gratefulness for the fans by drawing a heart in the clay with his racquet.

Best Moment of National Pride category winner: Andy Murray, 2013 Wimbledon

In capturing the 2013 Wimbledon title, Andy Murray ended one of tennis’ longest droughts, becoming the first British man to win his home major since Fred Perry in 1936. He achieved one of the nation’s sport pinnacles in front of a U.K. television audience of 17.3 million and 15,000 elated fans at Centre Court, defeating top seed Novak Djokovic in straight sets. Murray’s victory and final score of 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 would forever be “etched into the national psyche,” according to The Guardian.

Panelists decide the Iconic Moments in History

The nominees in the Iconic Moments in Tennis History campaign were decided upon by a panelists of tennis experts, journalists and historians, and encompassed over seven decades of tennis history. As part of the initiative, thousands of fans around the United States entered to win the 2022 Enshrinement Weekend sweepstakes. Two fans have been selected as winners, and will travel to Newport, R.I. this July 15-17 and receive exclusive access to Lleyton Hewitt’s induction celebrations and the Infosys Hall of Fame Open.

Roger Federer withdraws from Western & Southern Open and US Open

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Roger Federer withdraws from Western & Southern Open and US Open 2021 for surgery, says future is a little bit unclear

Roger Federer has withdrawn from the Western & Southern Open and the US Open 2021. The reason for that is a third knee surgery that is necessary to keep him playing longer. Unfortunately the news also means that Federer will be sidelined for the rest of 2021. In an Instagram post Federer explained his reasons why.

“I’ve been doing a lot of checks with the doctors, as well, on my knee, getting all the information as I hurt myself further during the grass-court season and Wimbledon,” the 40-year-old said in an Instagram post Sunday.”Unfortunately, they told me for the medium to long-term, to feel better, I will need surgery, so I decided to do it. I will be on crutches for many weeks and then also out of the game for many months.”

“I want to be healthy. I want to be running around later, as well, again, and I want to give myself a glimmer of hope, also, to return to the tour in some shape or form,” he added.”I am realistic, don’t get me wrong. I know how difficult it is at this age right now to do another surgery and try it.”

Naomi Osaka donates prize money to Haiti relief efforts

Multiple Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka has donated her prize money to support relief efforts after an earthquake hit Haiti. Osaka’s father is from Haiti and she has pledged to give whatever she earns at the Western & Southern Open to the Haiti relief efforts. The Western & Southern Open is played from August 14 until August 22.

Haiti was struck by a major earthquake that hit 7.2 on the scale of Richter. So far 1297 have been found dead according to the official reports at the time of writing.

“Really hurts to see all the devastation that’s going on in Haiti, and I feel like we really can’t catch a break,” Osaka said on Twitter.

“I’m about to play a tournament this week and I’ll give all the prize money to relief efforts for Haiti. I know our ancestors blood is strong we’ll keep rising.”

Novak Djokovic cites fatigue and withdraws from Western & Southern Open

Novak Djokovic informed fans via Twitter that he will not be playing the Western & Southern Open due to heavy fatigue.

“Dear fans, I wanted to share with you that I am taking a bit longer to recover and recuperate after quite a taxing journey from Australia to Tokyo,” Djokovic wrote. “Sadly, that means I won’t be ready to compete in Cincinnati this year, so I’ll turn my focus and attention to the US Open and spend some more time with family. See you in New York soon!” He will perhaps try his luck at Olybet Sports  

Rafael Nadal cancels Western & Southern Open with foot injury

Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the Rogers Cup and now the Western & Southern Open says that Rafael Nadal will not be able to compete in Cincinnati due to the foot injury that has been hounding him since the start of the US Open series. It started at the Citi Open in Washington where he already indicated in several interviews that his success largely depended on how well his foot would hold.

Next to Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, Milos Raonic was also forced to withdraw citing a heel injury.

Serena Williams withdraws from Western & Southern Open at the women’s

Serena Williams was among the high profile competitors to skip the Western & Southern Open and thus grows the list of high profile players who are forced to skip the Cincinnatti tournament in 2021. Sister Venus Williams also joined that list of absentees.

“Unfortunately, I will not be playing in the Western & Southern Open next week as I am still in recovery from my leg injury at Wimbledon,” said the two-time champion Serena. “I will miss all of my fans in Cincinnati whom I look forward to seeing every summer. I plan to be back on the court very soon.”

Sofia Kenin is the next in line to skip the Western & Southern tennis tournament in Cincinnatti.

“Unfortunately I had to make the difficult decision to withdraw from the Western & Southern Open next week,” said Kenin. “I am rehabbing well in hopes to play the US Open later this month. I feel another week of recovery is necessary. I want to thank the USTA for all their efforts in holding the event during such challenging times. Best of luck to all the players.”

The field of the women’s part of the tournament is still going strong even with the withdraws.

2021 Wimbledon champion Ashleigh Barty as well as Naomi Osaka (2020 US Open, 2021 Australian Open), Barbora Krejcikova (2021 French Open) and Iga Swiatek (2020 French Open). And let’s not forget about the underdogs who won the Western & Southern Open in the past such as Victoria Azarenka, Madison Keys, Garbine Muguruza and Karolina Pliskova.

Camila Giorgi wins WTA Montreal

Italian Camila Giorgi wins the WTA tournament in Montreal by defeating Karolina Pliskova in straight sets 6-3 7-5. The WTA in Montreal title is the biggest tournament win for Giorgi ever in her career.

 “I really think I was very emotional inside,” said Giorgi. “Of course, I’m not the one that shows a lot. Of course, it’s just amazing. I’m very happy for what I did this week.” 

Karolina Pliskova had the following to say after her loss to Giorgi at the National Bank Open in Montreal:

 “I think I’m doing quite well now. Since actually the first final in Rome, I think my game really improved and I’m playing some good matches. Of course, it’s normal to lose sometimes. Of course, I would love to win all of my finals. It’s not like that it’s only in my hands. There is also somebody else. I’m playing really good players in the final.”

Despite having lost three key finals, Rome , Wimbledon and now the WTA Womens 1000 in Montreal. But proved herself to be a lovable loser in the end.

Said Pliskova: “I think she also played, like, super solid all week actually, not playing crazy like she can play sometimes. I think she played really well, serving well important moments. Yeah, just a bit better today.”

Camila Giorgi was sure to thank her father in her speech following her big win.

 “I think this comes with all the work I been doing with my father. Of course, he’s my coach. So I think all the work we’ve been putting together through all these years. I think one day I was sure and he was sure that can come in many period because I was playing very good actually. I was playing very high level already few months ago.” Though her father Sergio wasn’t in Montreal, she said they “talk a hundred times per day even FaceTime or calls.”

Daniil Medvedev takes ATP Toronto

Daniiel Medvedev has won the ATP Tournament of Toronto in this year’s edition of the Rogers Cup with a straight sets win over Reilly Opelka 6-4 6-3 thanks to Opelka’s failing serve.

Daniil Medvedev wins Rogers Cup Toronto and is now off to the Western & Southern Open

“When I played Reilly, I feel like I like to return it really far back, because otherwise it’s super tough to return,” Medvedev said earlier in the week, when he was asked about the prospect of facing the American’s serve. “At the same time, it’s obvious that if he starts making kicks and serve and volley, well, I’m not gonna have any chance by returning far back.”

Medvedev is now off to the Western & Southern tennis tournament in Cincinnatti following his great win in Toronto:

“I want to achieve more, I want to play better,” he said. “[In Canada and Cincinnati] the goal is to know where your game is.”

Can Roger Federer Win Another Grand Slam Title?

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There is no debate that when it comes to men’s singles tennis, Roger Federer is the G.O.A.T (Greatest Of All Time). Currently third in the ATP world rankings, but with 103 career titles to his name, Federer holds the record for the most Grand Slams with 20. His last came at the 2018 Australian Open and as we gear up to 2020’s tournament, let’s take a look at the Swiss Maestro’s career and future.

Roger Federer
Roger Federer at the 2009 French Open

After years of dominance, injuries are starting to take their toll on the Swiss ace and this year he failed to win a major title. The two-time defending champion lost out in the fourth round of the first Grand Slam of the year. Rising star Stefanos Tsitsipas was FedEx’s opponent in Melbourne and the 14th seed turned around his losing start, going on to win 6–7(11-13), 7–6(7-3), 7–5, 7–6(7-5).

In June’s French Open, old foes Federer and Nadal met at the semi-final stage. The Spaniard is unstoppable on clay, his favoured surface, and so it proved again. He dispatched Federer in straight sets 6–3, 6–4, 6–2, before beating Dominic Thiem in the final to win a 12th French Open title, and yet another record.

Grass season came around and attention turned to Wimbledon. Federer reached the final here, his best performance of 2019’s Grand Slam calendar. Facing Novak Djokovic, the two played out the longest singles final in Wimbledon history. It took Djokovic four hours and 57 minutes to defeat Federer 7–6(7–5), 1–6, 7–6(7–4), 4–6, 13–12(7–3).
2019’s final Grand Slam, the US Open, saw Federer crash out in the quarter-finals. Unseeded Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, who has fallen down the rankings to 78th in the world, rediscovered some of his old form to come from a set down and beat Federer 3–6, 6–4, 3–6, 6–4, 6–2.

If you’re looking at the latest odds on the Australian Open, you’ll find Federer slightly down the pecking order at odds of 17/2, behind his rivals Nadal and Djokovic, and world number 4 Daniil Medvedev.

Since the US Open, Federer has only played a handful of events: the Shanghai Masters, the Swiss Indoors (which he won) and the ATP finals. But after that, he’s decided that he won’t play in any professional tournaments for almost two months. It’s a move that could pay off – after all, he reached the semi-finals of the French Open after three years away from the clay court.

Of his decision not to partake in any of the Australian Open warm-up competitions, Federer said: “I think with age and experience I can be confident about what I do in training. I’ll travel to Melbourne early to give myself the best chance to be ready. I believe I can be ready. I don’t think I need a ton of matches especially on the hard courts but maybe I’m a bit more dependent on the draw early on at the Australian Open but the key is health and if I’m healthy I know stuff can be achieved.”

Since Federer last won a Grand Slam title, Djokovic has won four and Nadal has won three. His rivals are hot on the heels of his record, with the Serbian on 16 and the Spaniard just one behind on 19. You can’t help but feel that time is running out for FedEx. Should the other two members of the ‘Big Three’ stay fit, they have the potential of overtaking his tally.

Top 5 All-Time Male Clay Court Tennis Players

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There is no denying to the fact that Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novac Djokovic are the three greatest male players in the current tennis arena. The discussion to who ranks no.1 can drive lots of judgements there exists few court surfaces that bring the best in tennis players. Clay court and grass court offers incomparable convenience to the players and they win the title on the court that supports their gameplay.

If we take a look at the history of tennis tournaments, Pete Sampras won several titles on a grass court and shown unbelievable poor performance on the clay courts. Out of his 14 grand slam title not a single court way clay and this means that court surface has a very significant role in deriving the best player performance. The difference exists due to the bounce of the ball in various court surfaces.

Well, the top 5 male tennis players who master the art of playing at clay courts are:

● Ivan Lendl – He was quite a dominant player of his time and won 28 titles on clay court including three French Open titles. He played the aggressive game from start to finish showing his prowess and strength on the court.
● Roger Federer – The name itself says all about his success and achievements with more than 1000s of winning history and remarkable 20 Grand Slam titles. He aces the clay court with great ease and success. When he is on the court, the best odds cross all the limits. People across the world have a deep faith in his style and confidence and bet on his name online through Unibet.
● Guillermo Vilas – When it comes to winning the title on the clay court, this legend player drives great attention. With 49 titles win and 1 French Open title, he conquered the clay-court marking great success stories and setting an example for coming players.
● Björn Borg– The most interesting fact about this great tennis player is that he retired at a very young age of 26 and thus his achievements were acquired in a very short time. He won 6 French Open Titles out of 8 he participated in and together won 30 clay titles, making him the master of clay court.
● Rafael Nadal – This name needs no special mention as he has already claimed 59 clay court titles and still heading towards the path of success with more power and strength. He is truly the master of clay court and seems unstoppable in the current time. This 37-year-old tennis player never fails to surprise the viewers with his game ad what else one can say in his praise.

Tennis game resides in the hearts of millions of viewers in the entire world and people love to bet on the game through various live casino sites. Online casino trend is taking a huge leap and all thanks to the technology and internet that is bringing together fun and entertainment from the world at one point. Betting on sports now lies online and the fun has just manifold numerous times.

Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal

Can Roger Federer Win A 21st Grand Slam Title?

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Roger Federer, a formidable force in the men’s singles tennis, going down as a legend in the sport. He has positioned himself at the top of the table for the most Grand Slam singles titles of all-time with a current total of 20. Although his titles are pretty spread out across the four major competitions, he has seen most success at Wimbledon. From his first win in 2003 to his most recent win last year at the Australian Open, Federer has provided us with numerous intense matches – most of them facing his biggest rivals, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. With these top three dominating in each Grand Slam it is hard to see someone disrupting their flow, but can Roger Federer make it number 21 at the US Open this year? If you think you know who will win this year’s final Grand Slam you can bet on US Open 2019 with Betfair.

Although Federer has seen unprecedented success across all Grand Slams, his best years were earlier on in his career. Between the years of 2003 and 2010, we saw Federer claim 16 of his Grand Slam titles, which means in the last nine years, he has only won four. It could be fair to say that Federer has slowed down (especially as he has recently celebrated his 38th birthday), but it is also a valid argument that he has been overthrown by the arrival of Nadal and Djokovic who have both seen most of their successes after 2010, but have collectively claimed 34 Grand Slam titles.

It is true that since Nadal and Djokovic came on the scene they have made things slightly trickier for Federer, and although he has not won as many titles since they came about, he has still been reaching the finals at least once every year with the exception of 2013 and 2016. In fact, most of the Grand Slam finals since 2003 have been contested between these three tennis players with only a handful of exceptions.

In his recent years, we have seen Federer consistently challenging for a title but with Djokovic dominating at Wimbledon and the ‘King of Clay’ Nadal dominating at the French Open, he seems to be struggling to breakthrough. Federer has seen some success at the US Open in previous years, totalling five Grand Slam titles there, but he hasn’t won a title at Flushing Meadows since 2008 and the last final he reached was in 2015. However, at the Australian Open, we have seen Federer claim the Grand Slam in 2018 and 2017, so although he missed out on the win this year, he could be in with a greater chance of achieving number 21 there next year. There is a lot of debate as to where Federer could achieve his next Grand Slam title, but actually, will he claim it at all?

Is the era of Roger Federer’s Grand Slam title wins starting to phase out, or has he got a few more victories left in him? There has recently been a lot of speculation regarding his retirement. His reign has already been incredible and landed him well and truly in the history books of the sport, but it might be possible that his struggle to claim a title in recent years is a sign, that his last title in the Australian Open, was his last.

Whether you believe Federer’s time as a champion is up or that he has still got some glory moments left, one undeniable thing is his dedication and incredible achievements within the sport.

Federer at the 2008 US Open
Federer at the 2008 US Open

What are the Grand Slam Records and Who Holds Them?

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By Bob Stockton

Every year the world’s finest tennis players gather at Melbourne Park, Roland-Garros, Wimbledon and Flushing Meadows to fight for fame and fortune at the Grand Slams. Each one is ferociously competitive and securing victory represents the pinnacle of many players’ careers. Winning the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon or the US Open is the Holy Grail for young players, and securing multiple Slams puts them on a path to superstardom.

Who has the most Grand Slam wins?

Australia’s Margaret Court is the all-time record holder with 24 Grand Slams, although many of those triumphs came before the Open era began. Serena Williams has 23 to her name and she could move level with Court if she prevails at Flushing Meadows this year. She is sure to be a popular pick in the US Open betting, as she is the favourite, she will benefit from strong home support and she has a great record there. Roger Federer is the most decorated male player of all time, with 20 Grand Slams. However, Rafa Nadal is just two behind him and Novak Djokovic now trails by just four after beating the Swiss in a five-set epic at Wimbledon in June. Djokovic is now 32 years old, but still going strong, and he might even trouble Court’s record at this rate.

Has anyone completed the calendar Grand Slam?

American Don Budge won all four Grand Slams in a single year back in 1938. He was not given many opportunities to repeat the feat, as the French Open, Wimbledon and the Australian Open were cancelled during World War II. Maureen Connolly-Brinker surged to a golden Grand Slam in 1953 by winning all four trophies. Rod Laver completed the calendar Grand Slam in 1962, aged 24. The Australian was banned from competing in Slams for much of his career due to his decision to play professional tennis, but he captured another calendar Slam in 1969 after the Open era began. Court then pulled off the feat in 1970. Since changes in 1978 that saw three fundamentally different Grand Slam surfaces introduced, only Steffi Graf in 1988 has secured a calendar Grand Slam. It came when she was just 19 and she ended up with 22 Slams, while she is the only singles player to win at least four trophies at each one.

Who is the youngest Grand Slam winner?

Swiss starlet Martina Hingis was just 16 years and 177 days old when she beat Mary Pierce in the 1997 Australian Open final. That saw her break Monica Seles’ record by 12 days, while Tracy Austin is the only other 16-year-old in history to win a Grand Slam. The youngest male Slam winner was Michael Chang at 17 years and 110 days, when he beat Stefan Edberg in the 1989 French Open final. Boris Becker, another champion at 17, recently lambasted the young male players for failing to challenge golden oldies Federer, Djokovic and Rafa Nadal.

Who is the oldest Grand Slam winner?

Ken Rosewall was 37 years and 67 days old when he won the Australian Open final in 1972. It saw him lock horns with compatriot Mal Anderson and he won it 7-6, 6-3, 7-5. Federer went agonisingly close to breaking that record when he played Djokovic in the 2019 Wimbledon final. The Swiss was 37 years and 10 months old and he had two championship points against his rival, but he could not convert them and he ultimately slumped to a heart-breaking defeat. Williams is still reaching Grand Slam finals at the age of 37 and she also has a good chance of breaking Rosewall’s long-standing record.

What is the longest Grand Slam final?

Djokovic and Nadal played out the longest final in Grand Slam history at the Australian Open in 2012. Nadal won the first set 7-5, but Djokvic took the second and third sets. The fourth went to a tiebreaker, which Nadal won, but then Djokovic ground him down and won the decider 7-5. The match went on for 5 hours and 53 minutes, eclipsing the previous record set by Mats Wilander and Ivan Lendl at the 1988 US Open final. Djokovic was involved in another epic when he played Federer at Wimbledon in the 2019 decider. He won 7-6, 1-6, 7-6, 4-6, 13-12 after the final set went to a tiebreaker after both men won 12 games. New rules for 2019 prevented a fifth set going past 12-12, meaning the final ended just before the five-hour mark, but it could well have broken the record had they been left to slug it out without a tiebreaker.

Who has won the most consecutive Grand Slams?

Budge won Wimbledon and the US Open in 1937 before going on to complete the calendar Grand Slam in 1938. He did not compete at the 1939 Australian Open, meaning his winning streak ended at six, but it could well have been extended if he had been able to make the trip Down Under. Court matched this feat when she won the US Open in 1969, pulled off the calendar Slam the following year and won the 1971 Australian Open. She lost in the third round at the French Open that year, bringing her run to an end at six too. Graf managed to win five on the bounce, while Williams won four, but nobody has managed to match Budge and Court.

Who is the most successful player at a single Grand Slam?

Clay court king Nadal looms large over Roland-Garros and he has won the French Open 12 times. That is an astonishing record and no other player can come close to matching the Spaniard’s dominance within a single Grand Slam. He boasts an astonishing 93-2 record at the French Open, leaving him with a win percentage of 98%. He first won it in 2005 and secured four titles on the bounce by 2008. His fourth round defeat to Robin Soderling in 2009 stunned the world, but he resumed his dominance by rattling off five straight triumphs between 2010 and 2014. An injury-plagued couple of years followed, and he lost in the 2015 quarter-finals and he had to retire from the 2016 tournament, but he then returned to form and fitness and won three in a row from 2016 to 2019.

Has anyone ever won a Grand Slam without losing a set?

Winning a Grand Slam without dropping a single set en route to glory has to be the ultimate statement of dominance within professional tennis. It has happened an astonishing 90 times in the women’s game. Williams has managed to achieve this brilliant feat on six different occasions, which is a record in the Open era, while her sister Venus also managed it twice. Graf secured five Slams without losing a set, as did Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert. Men play five set matches at Grand Slams, so it is harder for a male player to win one without dropping a single set. Yet it has happened 17 times, with Nadal and Bjorn Borg each pulling it off in three separate tournaments. Nadal won the French Open in 2008, 2010 and 2017 without losing a set, while Bjorg was utterly invincible at Wimbledon in 1976 and Roland-Garros in 1978 and 1980.

Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal
Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal

Novak Djokovic Wins Historic Wimbledon Final Against Roger Federer In First-Ever Final-Set Tiebreaker

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Novak Djokovic won Wimbledon for a fifth time in historic fashion beating Roger Federer 7-6 (7-6), 1-6, 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 13-12 (7-3) in a match that featured the first fifth-set tiebreaker in Wimbledon singles history. The final was the longest men’s final in Wimbledon history at 4 hours and 57 minutes. The win was the 16th major title for Djokovic, closing the gap between he and Federer, the all-time leading major winner at 20 and Rafael Nadal at 18.

Djokovic saved two match points with Federer serving for the match at 8-7, 40-15 but was not able to finish off the Serbian. Djokovic becomes the first man to save a match point in a Wimbledon final since Bob Falkenburg in saved three match points in the 1948 singles final against John Bromwich.

“I’ll try to forget,” joked Federer, who is less than a month shy of his 38th birthday and would have been the oldest man to win a Grand Slam title in the professional era.

This year marked the first year that Wimbledon implemented a tie-breaker in the fifth-set at 12-12, in response to Kevin Anderson and John Isner going to 26-24 in the men’s singles semifinals, causing havoc in the tournament schedule and causing for Anderson, the semifinal winner over Isner, to not be able to be fresh enough to play at his best in the final against Djokovic in the 2018 final. The Federer vs. Djokovic match was the first singles match this year to go into the 12-12 final-set tiebreaker, but a doubles match early in the event was decided by the final-set tiebreaker.

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Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic

Wobbly Nadal, Resurgent Djokovic, Stranger Federer Ready For Intriguing Italian Championships

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The Internazionali BNL d’Italia, or the Italian Championships in Rome, is the fifth ATP Masters 1000 event of the year and the last big test before the start of the French Open, the second major championship of the year. This year’s tournament is full of intrigue that will provide for many dramatic moments.

Perhaps the biggest surprise and question mark leading into the event is the form of Rafael Nadal. The “King of Clay” and eight-time tournament winner is in the worst clay-court slump of his career, winning only nine matches on his favorite dirt surface so for this season and had not even reached a final in his three previous clay-court events. He lost to Fabio Fognini handily in the semifinals of Monte Carlo, in straight sets again in the semifinals of the Barcelona Open and to Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Is this spurt of mediocre play an indication that the soon-to-be 33-year-old Nadal is finally starting to wear down and perhaps may be closer to retirement than we think or will the Mallorcan channel his frustration and anger at poor results by his lofty standards that will he win for a ninth time in Rome and again later in Paris for a 12th time?
Last year, Nadal also wobbled into Rome, following a quarterfinal loss to Thiem in Madrid, but recovered to win his eighth title in Rome, beating defending champion Alexander Zverev in the final.

This will be his 15th consecutive appearance in Rome and he comes in with a 56-6 career record (8-2 in finals). He has advanced to the quarterfinals or better in 13 of his previous 14 visits to the Italian capital. Nadal will attempt to become the first player on the ATP Tour this year to defend a title from last season.

The Rome field features 17 of the top 20 players including former champions Nadal, an eight-time winner, Novak Djokovic, a four-time champion, and 2017 winner Alexander Zverev. These three account for 13 of the past 14 titles. Djokovic, fresh off his important win in Madrid, is aiming to hoist the Rome trophy for the first time since 2015, after losses in the final in 2016 (to Andy Murray) and 2017 (to Zverev), and a semifinal loss to Nadal last year. Last Monday started the 250th week the Serb was at No. 1 in the ATP Rankings.

The most intriguing entry in the Rome field this year is Roger Federer, who is making his first appearance at the event since 2016. It is one of the very few events in his career that he has not won. His last showing in Rome was a third-round loss to Dominic Thiem on May 12, 2016. That loss to Thiem was the Swiss star’s last clay-court match at any event until he played in Madrid this past week, where he reached the quarterfinals before falling to Thiem once again.

After his win on Monte Carlo, top Italian Fognini is on the verge of cracking the top 10 and is a legitimate contender for his home nation’s title. Fognini, however, is only 10-11 lifetime in Rome, with last year’s quarterfinal as his best result. The last Italian in the ATP Rankings Top 10 was Corrado Barrazzutti on January 22 1979 and Fognini would have to likely better his quarterfinal result to jump into the top 10. The last home country player to win the most prestigious title in Italy was Adriano Panatta in 1976.

Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece comes into Rome as the ATP Tour match wins leader, earning his 27th win of the season with his semifinal victory over Nadal at Madrid. Tsitsipas was ranked No. 43 at Rome in 2018, and had to qualify for last year’s main draw. His win in Portugal on the clay earlier this season and his final-round effort in Madrid make him a tennis betting contender for the title in Rome and later this year in Paris.

The Italian Championships in Rome
The Italian Championships in Rome

Who Will Win Wimbledon 2019?

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The Grand Slam tournaments are always eagerly anticipated by tennis fans and there is none quite like Wimbledon. It is considered by many to be the most prestigious of the Grand Slams and is the only one left played on grass. People always speculate as to who will win each of the tournaments and the eyes of the world will no doubt turn once more to London in June to see who can take home the Wimbledon Cup.

Who to Pick?
If you are thinking of getting involved with a little sports betting then you will need to know a little more about each of the players. Let’s take a look at some of the names swirling around in the mix so you have a clearer idea about who will come out on top in the Men’s Final at Wimbledon in 2019.

Andy Murray
The Scot has done well at Wimbledon over the years, having won the cup twice, but he has been plagued with injuries recently. He announced that he would soon be retiring after the Australian Open. It is thought that one last tournament at Wimbledon is likely to be his final game and the British public will be very mournful to see it come to pass.

Novak Djokovic
The current reigning champ of Wimbledon and the winner of the Australian Open for 2019, it seems likely that we will at least see him in the final. However, Djokovic has a tendency to become slightly complacent when he is on a winning streak as he currently is. If he is to take home his fifth Wimbledon win, he will need to make sure he concentrates.

Rafael Nadal
Nadal plays much better on clay than he does on grass which is why he has won distinctly more French Open titles than others. Though he has won at Wimbledon before, this was last in 2010. We can expect him to do exceptionally well at Wimbledon but it is doubtful that he will manage to secure a win.

Roger Federer
The last member of the Big Four is feeling confident after his 100th overall win and Wimbledon might be the place for him to secure it. Grass is one of Federer’s best terrains, having netted him an incredible 8 wins at Wimbledon before. Federer and Djokovic have met previously 47 times with 15 of those matches being at Grand Slams. While Djokovic is tipped to win, it cannot be denied that Federer is the better player on grass, meaning that a final with these two powerhouses is likely to be a very interesting match indeed.

Alexander Zverev
If anyone is likely to beat Federer or Djokovic to a place in the final, it is likely to be Zverev. The German player is already tipped to be a future World No.1 and he is eager for his first Grand Slam win. While he is yet to take a title on grass, he has got the drive to succeed and this season will certainly show that.

Kevin Anderson
One half of the historic 2018 Men’s semi-final match that lasted an astonishing 6 hours and 36 minutes (the second-longest men’s singles match ever played at Wimbledon), Anderson has proved himself to be a strong player. The South African has seen several Gran Slam tournaments over the years and, while we do not expect him to reach the finals again, we can certainly see him performing well once more.

John Isner
The other player in the 2018 Men’s semi-final and also one half of the longest professional tennis match in history, clocking in at 11 hours and 5 minutes of play over three days, has been consistently favourable in his past years in tournaments. He has managed to win against some of the top players before. Like Anderson, it is unlikely that we will see him win big at Wimbledon but we can expect him to have a great performance once again.

Kyle Edmund
The current British No.1 has been growing in strength over the past few years and it is likely that we are soon going to see him succeed at a high Grand Slam level. Despite a somewhat poor appearance at the Australian Open in 2019, we can expect him to improve as the season continues. It has been noted on multiple occasions that Edmund’s forehand is one of the best in play today. If he can work on other areas of his play then he is likely to be a force to be reckoned with in the future.

Dominic Thiem
Having appeared in the French Open Final and US Open quarterfinal, we can expect some great things from this Austrian player and current world No. 4. On clay, he has already proven himself to be a formidable opponent; including Nadal and Federer. He is likely to dominate in the Clay Opens in the future but we can expect him to deliver a solid performance at Wimbledon this year.

Borna Ćorić
The Croatian player managed to reach World No.2 in November 2018 but is currently residing at No.13. Nevertheless, he has a consistently positive performance. The fact that he has already reached the heights of No.2 without a Grand Slam win to his name shows his capabilities as a player. He has never broken out of the rounds at Wimbledon thus far, but 2019 will be a good year to watch his career go from strength to strength.

Who Will Win?

It is fair to say that we will see the Wimbledon Cup lifted by either Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer or Alexander Zverev. These three players are definitely the ones to watch as we move towards Wimbledon. The last time someone other than the Big Four won Wimbledon was in 2002. In the sixteen tournaments since then, these top tennis players have passed the cup back and forth between them. Despite it being more likely that Djokovic or Federer will win, it will be extremely interesting whether or not Zverev will be the one to finally break this epic winning streak.

Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic

In His Latter Years, Roger Federer Can Accept Losing Just As Much As Winning

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by Rajagopalan Rohinee

Since his comeback in 2017, after sitting out for the latter six months of the 2016 season with a knee injury, Roger Federer has been riding on the wave of unpredictability to the fullest. Not that it was not the case before the ill-fated 2016 season, but his professional timeline has come to be cleanly divided along the ever-in-vogue theme of before and after.

That Federer turned back time and continued to do that for much of 2017, and for extended portions in 2018, which included him adding a couple of more weeks to his already existing record as the world No. 1, then, extinguished the idea of the Swiss player being done for good on the ATP Tour. Alongside, it also left many wanting more from him in terms of his results – as if seeking a reassurance that the Federer of old, harking back to his peak in the early 2000s, had finally returned.

Reality, however, has been quite different from such labeling. For while, Federer did seem to control time at the start of 2017, it caught up with him as the months sped by. And across these months, the two have been engaged in the tussle that marked Federer’s career right up to the time his knee gave away.

What we now see when he takes to the courts is a tangible demonstration of him trying to wrestle time trying to reassert his say over an entity that answers to none. Ergo, the display of good days and bad days of play in matches.

Euphoria of him holding aloft his 100th title at the Dubai Open left behind any naysaying the Australian Open fourth-round loss to Stefanos Tsitsipas – who, incidentally was the same player who had ended his two-year run of dominance at Melbourne Park – but it only briefly covered the weaknesses in his game, which once again made themselves known at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, especially in the final.

The title in Dubai conveniently camouflaged the fact that it took Federer a couple of matches to settle in, in the tournament. It also tamped down on the certainty that the 37-year-old had started to miss a step or two, even though he more than made up for it with experience-filled subtlety and shrewdness. And while, Federer did well to make it to the Indian Wells final, this dissonance proved to be one time too much.

The aftermath of the result in Indian Wells has heightened the murmuration of dismay around the 20-time Slam champion. And though it has not yet risen to the level as seen before-2016, it is no less vehement than how it used to be then. This cacophony of scepticism growing louder, then, forms the crux of the matter at hand. As to Federer being held to such high standards which essentially omit the basic fact that he is human like others – prone to getting beaten and sidestepped by time – which include facing losses, as an athlete.

One aspect where Federer has made his peace with time can then be seen in how he puts his defeats in perspective. Where before, the champion in him scoffed at losses as if he were unable to bear that stain clotting his otherwise pristine scroll of wins, he now understands that defeats are the other side of victories and there is nothing wrong in accepting them as such. ‘

Federer’s statements in his post-final press conference in Indian Wells reiterated as much. “Maybe that’s why I’m okay with it…, because I felt like I’m actually playing, you know, good tennis. Like, in Australia, I wasn’t too down on myself because I feel like my game is there, my body is there.” He added, “I think when you feel that way, you know, you take it more, how do you say, positively? I don’t know how to explain, but it’s just not as dramatic. Whereas, when you’re hurt and things are difficult and, you know, that maybe those hurt more. I’m not sure.”

When seen from this context, Federer’s career has come to epitomise If’s verse that is well-known among the sport’s followers. And if, Roger Federer can meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two imposters just the same, why cannot the world, too?

Roger Federer
Roger Federer