Sportmaster International

Nadal and Federer pulled out within two hours of each other

Federer had been due to face James Blake in the quarter-finals but withdrew because of a back injury.

And Nadal pulled out with a leg injury when trailing Nikolay Davydenko 6-1, having earlier required treatment.

With defeats for Andy Murray on Friday and Novak Djokovic on Thursday, the tournament has now lost its top four seeds before the semi-finals.

Federer has withdrawn during a tournament for the first time in his career.

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The Twist tennis ball machine appeals to beginners, but it is the favorite of the kids, who found it irresistible. They love dropping balls and watching them spiral down. The whole machine is a kid friend: made of tough plastic, extremely lightweight and safe for anyone who knows that it is forbidden to put the fingers in the little mechanism that delivers the balls out. This machine is an ultra-portable, inexpensive ball machine for tennis that is perfect for beginners, but also for intermediate players, too.

The Twist tennis machine is very
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Murray will next head to Shanghai as the season ends with the Masters Cup

The Briton, 21, went into the match as the in-form player on tour, aiming for a record third straight Masters title after 14 consecutive wins.But after a break of serve apiece, Nalbandian dominated the tie-break and took it with a sweeping forehand pass.And the Argentine was in great form as he broke four times in the second set.Nalbandian remains one of the few leading players that
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Murray will meet David Nalbandian in round three

The British number one broke in the eighth game of the first set when the Spaniard imploded at 40-0 up.

Both players held serve to take the second game to tie-break, which Murray won after coming back from 4-1 down.

Murray next plays Argentine David Nalbandian as he bids for a record third successive Masters title.

The 21-year-old, who is bidding to become the first player to win three successive Masters titles, looked composed throughout despite not being on top form.

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Roddick will next face either Jo-Wilfried Tsonga or Novak Djokovic

The American will finish this week ranked no lower than seventh with the world’s top eight qualifying for the season-ending tournament in Shanghai. Earlier, Argentine eighth seed and defending champion David Nalbandian beat Juan Martin Del Potro 6-4 6-0.Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer will all be in action in Paris. (more…)

I couldn’t be more pleased with the 4 semifinalist in this year’s Masters cup in Madrid. I think they represent the transformation the game is currently undertaking.
I once heard John McEnroe say that it is very different to learn to play with a wood racket and get handed a high tech racket, than it is to learn to play on one of those rackets. He couldn’t have been more correct.

It was natural that the new technology in rackets would lead to the big serve first, followed by the big groundstrokes. Sampras epitomized that change. He forced the game to a new level.
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Yes, the tennis ball shooting from the racket of the fiery Andre Agassi in the 90’s is like a bullet from a gun - a straight ace - the opponent can’t come any close. Ace or no ace, if you are just beginning to play the game of tennis, service is a very important part of your game. In the beginning, the service was considered to be a mere initiation of the game, to begin a rally and send the ball across the court without any fault. People served that way for ages - till the concept of ‘power’ was introduced to tennis and the service became a point winner.

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So you know that strokes are important in tennis, you know that you must concentrate. To play tennis well and confidently you must be conversant with good footwork and proper grip. This second article on the basics of tennis will introduce you to the concept of good footwork, stroke and grip and why these are considered tennis fundamentals.

Grip is how you hold the tennis rackets. A faulty grip may ruin your service and injure you badly. Hold the racquet head perpendicular to the ground, the edge of the racquet frame pointing towards the ground
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Some things cannot be learned fully through theories. Some things must be practiced to attain perfection. Any act that requires motor action has to be performed to learn the same. There is a concept called muscle memory, where the muscles remember many actions that the brain may not and prompts one to perform accordingly. This is what is often referred to as ’second nature’ as well. Games like tennis also must be played in order to be good at it. But it is also true at the same time that certain basic fundamentals of the game must also be learned beforehand so that when you are in the court, you do not waste time in asking silly fundamentals.

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He isn’t nicknamed “The Bull” for nothing. Tennis’ #1 player Raphael Nadal had risen to #2 in a remarkable amount of time, then proceeded to sideline Federer and finally took the throne this year. The aspects of his game that shot him up to #1 include speed, defensive maneuvering, and power. But the most important aspect is one that is admired the world over- his ability to generate massive amounts of topspin, exceeding 3200 rpm! By following these simple rules, you will form the foundation for hitting topspin, and by sticking to them, you will become a topspin pro.

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Murray will meet Fernando Verdasco in round three if he beats Querry

The British number one, unbeaten since losing to Roger Federer in the US Open final, is looking to add to his Masters wins in Cincinnati and Madrid.The 21-year-old Murray, who had a first-round bye in Paris, also retained his St Petersburg Open crown on Sunday.Querry said Murray was “arguably the best in the world right now”.Those sentiments were echoed by world number one Rafael Nadal, whom
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How can your training influence your performance on clay vs. hard courts? Does tennis training specific to different surfaces improve performance? How do you improve your stroke performance on hard courts? While the study discussed below evaluated elite level tennis players, the concepts are applicable to the average or recreational tennis player as well, the results may even be more dramatic.

In a recent study of 24 high-level tennis players (ATP rank 1 to 63), published in Medicine and Science in Tennis (September 2007) the researchers evaluated
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Paris - World number one Rafael Nadal admitted Tuesday that he is at the limit of his own strength as he approaches the end of the tennis season, in which he is still to tackle the challenges of winning his first-ever Masters Cup and the final of the Davis Cup.

‘I am a little bit at the limit, I am a bit short of strength,’ Nadal told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa. The Spaniard was set to make his debut Wednesday at the Paris Masters - the season’s last Masters Series tournament - against Frenchman Florent Serra. ‘We are in
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Have you ever had a bad day at your tennis match? Perhaps you made more tennis oops in one day than you usually make in a year. Take the time to look at a few reasons why your game isn’t the greatest:

* Tennis Racquet: What kind of tennis racquet do you have? Take a good look at your tennis racquet, and make sure it is of good quality. You might be quite skilled at striking the ball, but if you have a low quality racquet, you will most likely bring your score down.

* Healthy Start: A good, healthy breakfast of eggs and orange juice should
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Geneva - Roger Federer will play a first-round tie Davis Cup tie for Switzerland for the first time in five years, announcing on his website on Tuesday that he will play in 2009 in the United States.

‘I am excited to once again join my fellow Swiss teammates, who I have a great friendship with,’ Federer said in a statement a day before his second-round start at the Paris Masters. ‘I look forward to what I am sure will be a tough weekend.’ The Venue for the March 6-8 tie has yet to be announced by the US, which has only days
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Del Potro has won four titles in 2008

The Argentine won 6-0 6-4 to reach the second round, with Briton Andy Murray a potential quarter-final opponent.Del Potro, 20, is currently seventh in the race to make the eight-man field for next month’s Masters Cup.Third seed Novak Djokovic takes on Dmitry Tursunov later on Tuesday in Paris, while Andy Roddick faces Feliciano Lopez. 606: DEBATE
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Alex Bogdanovic is one of two British players at next month’s event

The island’s Les Ormes tennis centre will host two of the four ATP tournaments to be held in the UK next year with £95,000 of prize money.

The island will host a £32,000 men’s and £16,000 women’s event in March and again in November next year.

“It’s a great chance for the island to show how well it can put on tennis events,” said organiser Hugh Raymond.

The events are likely to attract
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Murray is approaching the end of the season in scintillating form

The Scot, 21, follows up his back-to-back title successes in Madrid and St Petersburg with the chance of a season-ending double in Paris and Shanghai.

“He’s really on a bit of a roll just now,” Judy told BBC Scotland.

“I think since the US Open he’s been playing really strongly; wins over (Rafael) Nadal, in particular, helped to build his confidence enormously.”

Murray picked up a runners-up plate at Flushing Meadow after losing to Roger Federer in his first ever Grand Slam final.

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Safin’s last tournament win was at the Australian Open in 2005

The 28-year-old Russian lost 6-0 7-6 to Argentine qualifier Juan Moncao in France and believes he may have achieved all he can.”I need to enjoy life without tennis, I will see if I continue,” he said.”It was too intense these last three years. I have no pressure, nothing to show, nothing to prove.” 606: DEBATE Your thoughts
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Querrey’s big serve will be his main weapon against Murray

Marcos Baghdatis, Querrey’s first-round opponent, withdrew because of a back injury in the final set when trailing narrowly 7-5 6-7 (5-7) 3-2.

“I felt a sharp pain and I didn’t want to take any risks,” the Cypriot said.

The in-form Murray, who retained the St Petersburg title last weekend, received a bye through to the second round.

If Murray comes through his match against Querrey, he is
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GB captain John Lloyd will be hoping Andy Murray is available next year

Local hero Andy Murray is set to lead the team out in front of a partisan crowd at the Braehead Arena in March.

Team captain John Lloyd said: “Home Davis Cup ties are a fantastic opportunity to get behind the team.

“We will certainly not be underestimating Ukraine and the support of a passionate crowd in Scotland could well make all the difference.”

The winner of the Euro-Africa
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Hamburg - Rafael Nadal of Spain led the way in the men’s tennis rankings, with the latest list published on Monday by the ATP seeing an unchanged top 10.

Nadal, who has already clinched the prestigious year-ending top spot for the first time in his career, has 7,100 points. Former number one Roger Federer, who won a third straight home title at the Swiss Indoors in Basle on Sunday, is second with 5,805 points, and third-ranked Serb Novak Djokovic has 4,575 points. ATP top 10 as of October 27 (previous ranking in parenthesis):
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Gasquet also withdrew from the French Open and the Olympics

The world number 15 was in 19th place in the ATP rankings and had no chance of taking one of the final three spots for the season-ending Masters Cup.The three final places will be decided in Paris, with Andy Roddick, Juan del Potro and Gilles Simon in contention.In Sunday’s first-round action there were straight sets victories for Dmitry Tursunov and Tommy Robredo.Gasquet, who also pulled out of the
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Basle, Switzerland - Top seed Roger Federer won his second title from three events on Sunday with a powerful 6-3, 6-4 victory over longtime rival David Nalbandian to claim a third straight Swiss Indoors title.

His Basle hat-trick provided a boost to the Federer confidence after a season which can yielded only four trophies so far - a fifth straight US Open crown chief among them. The world number two, whose main goals for next season are to take back the top ranking from Rafael Nadal and aim to level on the all-time best
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Federer has now won three of his five finals in his home event

Federer served well throughout, firing eight aces and conceding only seven service points in the entire match.

He broke once in each set to wrap up victory in 68 minutes and seal his 10th win in 18 matches against Nalbandian.

The 27-year-old Federer has now won four of his eight finals this season and won 63 of his 76 matches.

It was the 57th title of Federer’s illustrious career and he said: “I am overjoyed. “I served well and played aggressively so I couldn’t ask for more.”

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Basel, Switzerland - Top seed Roger Federer won his fouth title of the season as he completed a Swiss Indoors hat-trick with a 6-3, 6-4 defeat of David Nalbandian on Sunday.

The hometown hero improved his record over his Argentine rival from junior days to 10-8 and now stands 63-13 on the season. Federer added the Basel trophy to titles this season at the US Open, Estoril and Halle. The title was the 57th of Federer’s career. The Swiss has now won two of his last three events as he focusses on the season-ending Masters Cup
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Basel, Switzerland - Result on Sunday at the 891,000-euro Swiss Indoors.

Final Roger Federer, 1, Switzerland, def. David Nalbandian, 2, Argentina, 6-3, 6-4

Ivanovic had not won a title since her victory at Roland Garros

The top seed swept past second seed Vera Zvonareva 6-2 6-1 in Sunday’s final for her third title of 2008.

The Serbian, 20, injured her thumb in August and had not reached a final since winning the French Open in June.

Both Ivanovic and Zvonareva have secured qualification for the season-ending WTA Championships, which begin in Doha on 4 November.

Zvonareva lost the first eight points
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Murray has won more titles in a single year than any other Briton

The Briton swept to a 6-1 6-1 victory - his 23rd win in 25 matches - to secure his fifth tournament win of 2008.

Murray broke serve in the fourth and sixth games as he raced through the opening set.

And Golubev, ranked 150th, was broken three more times in the second set as Murray sealed victory in 58 minutes.

606: DEBATE Your thoughts on Murray’s form

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Federer is looking for his third straight title in Basel

The home favourite will now face David Nalbandian in the final on Sunday after he beat Juan Martin del Potro 6-4 6-4 in an all-Argentine clash. Federer beat Spain’s Lopez by breaking in the sixth game of the first set and then twice more in the second. “I feel great and I’m playing better as the days go by,” the Swiss said.

Rome - Italian tennis player Federico Luzzi died at age 28 on Saturday from leukemia, Italian media reported.

The player had fallen ill last weekend form what had been believe to be bronchopneumonia before tests at hospital in his hometown of Arezzo south of Florence confirmed the worst. Luzzi’s best ranking was 92nd. He last played in a Challenger in Naples in September and competed in his last match at the ATP level at Kitzbuehel in summer, 2007. He was among five players banned - his sanction was 200 days - for online
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St Petersburg, Florida - Serb Jelena Jankovic has marked the start of the post-Justine Henin era by claiming the year-end number one WTA ranking for the season, the sanctioning body confirmed on Saturday.

The US Open finalist won what had turned in a lottery over the months since Belgium’s Henin retire suddenly form the game in May rising the top ranking spot. At one point in the autumn up to five women were in contention for the honour. Jancovic will hold the spot no matter what the results at the WTA Championships being
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Basle, Switzerland - Roger Federer and David Nalbandian take their rivalry into an 18th career meeting after the pair rolled to straight-set semi-final victories on Saturday at the Swiss Indoors.

Top seed Federer, aiming to lift his third consecutive home trophy at the St Jakobshalle, overcame an early wobble to put out unseeded Spaniard Felicano Lopez 6-3, 6-2 in 61 minutes. Nalbandian continued his charmed life at the event, blasting to his fourth final in seven appearances with a defeat of Argentine countryman Juan Del
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Basle, Switzerland - Juan Del Potro continues to play in pain, with no time to step off of the tennis treadmill and cure a split toenail.

The Argentine, battling for a place in the season-ending Masters Cup as well as focussing on Argentina’s huge Davis Cup finals date against Spain in Mar del Plate from November 21, admits he cannot stop to cure his problem until the season of his life is over. ‘I have no time,’ he said after losing to Davis teammate David Nalbandian 6-4, 6-4 in the semi-final of the Swiss Indoors on Saturday.
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Basle, Switzerland - David Nalbandian continued his charmed life at the Swiss Indoors on Saturday, blasting into his fourth final in seven appearances with a defeat of Argentine countryman Juan Del Potro 6-4, 6-4.

The battle in 80 minutes sent the 26-year-old winner into 2-1 command in the grudge series a week after losing to his 20-year-old Davis Cup teammate in the Madrid third round a week ago. Nalbandian said it always comes down to random chance in their matches. ‘Today I was lucky and last week it was him. It was an
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Murray won his second Masters Series title in Madrid on Sunday

The British number one beat the Spaniard to win the title in 2007 and is favourite to do so again as he enjoys a superb run of form.

Murray has a 3-0 record against Verdasco, the world number 16.

Andrey Golubev of Kazakhstan awaits the winner, having beaten Victor Hanescu 6-3 6-0 in the first semi-final.

606: DEBATE
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Venus Williams will make her first appearance at the finale since 2002

The world’s top eight singles players and top four doubles teams will compete from 4-9 November in Doha.Also in the singles are Jelena Jankovic, Serena Williams, Ana Ivanovic, Dinara Safina, Elena Dementieva and Svetlana Kuznetsova.”Competing against the players who have performed the best in 2008 is an exciting challenge,” said Venus.”This year has been a very positive year for me and
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When choosing a tennis racquet, it’s important to find equipment that is designed for your skill and playing style. The right racquet will allow you to play with more confidence and consistency.

There are a few important elements to consider when choosing the optimum tennis racquet for your needs including the size and shape of the head, weight, balance, length, thickness and the material that the frame is made of.

If you want increased power, spin and surface area of the sweet spot, you should choose a larger head size of 107 square inches
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Federer is the two-time defending champion

The world number two now faces Spain’s Feliciano Lopez, who defeated the fourth-seeded James Blake of the United States 6-4 7-6 in Basel.David Nalbandian beat Germany’s Benjamin Becker 7-6 6-4 in the other game to set up a meeting with fellow Argentine Juan Martin del Potro.Del Potro brushed past Russia’s Igor Andreev 6-4 7-5.Two-time defending champion Federer passed up three match points at 5-2 on Bolelli’s serve,
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Basel, Switzerland - Roger Federer overcame late resistance from Italy’s Simone Bolelli to score a 6-2, 6-3 victory into his third consecutive semi-final at the Swiss Indoors on Friday.

Federer, denied quick victory as he led a set and 5-2 against the number 42 was put temporarily on hold as the outsider saved three match points in the eight game. The Swiss, who has won the last two editions, closed out the evening in 68 minutes with a finishing display which produced two aces and a service winner. The hometown top seed will
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