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Federer easily beats Starace at Swiss Indoors

Federer easily beats Starace at Swiss Indoors

BASEL, Switzerland (AP & Staff) — Roger Federer made a winning return from a six-week break, beating Potito Starace of Italy 7-6 (3), 6-4 in the first round of his hometown Swiss Indoors event on Monday. The fourth-ranked Federer took time to find the rhythm in his ground strokes, and saved a break point at 5-all before winning the first-set tiebreaker. The 30-year-old Swiss then broke the 54th-ranked Starace’s serve in the opening game of the second. Federer last played on Sept. 18 in a Davis Cup match on grass in Australia where he beat Bernard Tomic in four sets. After opting to rest and recharge, Federer played his first match ranked outside the top three since winning the 2003 Wimbledon title as the No. 5. Federer came in with a 5-0 career record against Starace, but was unable to put pressure on the Italian right-hander’s serve in the first set. Starace created the only break point in the set which Federer saved with a forehand winner. Federer converted his first set point in the tiebreaker by hitting a forehand winner down the line. Leading 5-3 in the second, Federer earned a first match point with an overhead backhand volley winner, but then netted a service return. He clinched the match in the next game with a service winner. Federer is seeded third behind top-ranked Novak Djokovic of Serbia and Andy Murray of Britain, who is coming off three straight tournament victories in Asia. Djokovic opens Tuesday against Xavier Malisse of Belgium, and Murray plays Robin Haase of the Netherlands on Wednesday. Earlier Monday, Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus rallied to beat eighth-seeded Viktor Troicki of Serbia 4-6, 7-6 (8), 6-2. Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan used his reprieve as a lucky loser in qualifying to beat Donald Young of the United States, 6-4, 6-2. The 113rd-ranked Kukushkin entered the main draw after 30th-ranked Jurgen Melzer of Austria pulled out due to a season-ending back injury.

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Kvitova beats Azarenka in WTA Championships final

Kvitova beats Azarenka in WTA Championships final

ISTANBUL (AP & Staff) — Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova won her first WTA Championships title on Sunday, beating Victoria Azarenka 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 for a victory that will also put her at No. 2 in the world rankings. Kvitova raced to a 5-0 lead in the first set, but Azarenka rallied to level it at 5-5. The Czech player finally converted her fifth set point when Azarenka’s forehand sailed out. Azarenka settled into a consistent baseline game in the second set and clinched it with a forehand winner on the line. Kvitova saved three break points in the first game of the final set and then broke to take the early lead. Kvitova started the year outside the top 30 and was playing in the season-ending tournament for the first time. “It’s unbelievable to play here,” said Kvitova, who beat Azarenka in the Wimbledon semifinals on her way to winning her first Grand Slam title this year. Kvitova has won six titles this year, the same number as No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki and twice as many as Azarenka. “I didn’t expect that I would be sitting here as a champion. It’s really a big step for me,” Kvitova said. She attributed her achievements this year to improvements not only in her game, but also in fitness and mental strength. Staying healthy was key, along with the support of coach David Kotyza and the rest of her team. “It’s hard to lose but I’m glad I lost to such a champion,” Azarenka said during the awards ceremony. “I gave it all today.” Azarenka said Kvitova started well, catching her “off guard.” “She has a really big serve,” the Belarusian said. “In the important moments, it’s really saving her … I could break her more often.” The Czech holds a 4-2 head-to-head record over Azarenka, who was playing in the championships for the third time and will return to a career-high No. 3 in the new rankings by reaching the final. It was the first time she advanced beyond the round-robin stage. Both players will overtake Maria Sharapova, who had a chance to surpass Wozniacki as No. 1 going into the tournament, but withdrew with an ankle injury after losing her first two group-stage matches. Kvitova took home $1.75 million and Azarenka collected $775,000. About 13,700 spectators watched the final, continuing a high attendance level for the weeklong tournament for the top [...]

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Kvitova, Azarenka meet in WTA Championships final

Kvitova, Azarenka meet in WTA Championships final

ISTANBUL (AP & Staff) — Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova will play Victoria Azarenka in the WTA Championships final on Sunday with the No. 2 ranking on the line along with a $1.5 million paycheck. Kvitova, a Czech lefthander with booming serves, rallied to defeat U.S. Open winner Samantha Stosur 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 in the semifinals Saturday, while fourth-ranked Azarenka defeated Vera Zvonareva 6-2, 6-3. Kvitova beat Azarenka in the semifinals en route to winning her first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon this year. She’s counting on a psychological edge after defeating Azarenka in both the matches they played this season. “Hopefully, it will be better for me, mentally,” Kvitova said. “We know each other very well.” Azarenka said she’d need to blunt Kvitova’s powerful serve when they meet at the Sinan Erdem Dome in Istanbul, which is hosting the championships for the first time. Some 12,000 people attended the semifinals. “She really goes for her shots,” said Azarenka, who has won three titles this season. “So sometimes she doesn’t find the rhythm. But at the same time, she can be on and just hit winners.” Against Stosur, Kvitova hit big serves and groundstrokes and moved to the net. In the first set, Stosur capitalized on a pair of service breaks and her own strong kick serve. Kvitova took early leads in the second and third sets with a power game that has propelled her from outside the top 30 at the start of the year to No. 3. “It was very tough to break her,” Kvitova said. “It was a great match for us.” Azarenka’s solid groundstrokes forced errors from Zvonareva, who was never able to gain momentum in the match. Zvonareva held two break points in the last game, but could not convert them. One game in the second set lasted nearly 12 minutes and ended when the Russian held serve to tie at 2-all, but Azarenka broke her next two service games. “The score doesn’t say much about the game,” Azarenka said. “It was important to be consistent and aggressive, find the right balance.” At 21, Kvitova was the youngest of the four semifinalists and hadn’t dropped a set in the round-robin phase of the $4.9 million WTA Championships. She beat Stosur in their two previous meetings, including a tough third-round win at the Australian Open this year and a comfortable victory at the 2008 French Open. Stosur [...]

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Overton, Jacobson share Asia Pacific Classic lead

Overton, Jacobson share Asia Pacific Classic lead

SELANGOR, Malaysia (AP & Staff) — American Jeff Overton shot a course-record 9-under 62 on Friday for a share of the second-round lead with Sweden’s Fredrik Jacobson in the Asia Pacific Classic. Jacobson had a 64 to match Overton at 13-under 129 at The Mines Resort and Golf Club in the second-year event sanctioned by the PGA Tour and Asian Tour. “This golf course is so much fun to play,” said Overton, winless on the PGA Tour. “It’s really challenging. If you’re hitting it great, you can have scoring opportunities. I’m just having a blast.” Bo Van Pelt was a stroke back after a 64, and Mark Wilson (66), Stewart Cink (66), Jimmy Walker (67) and Jhonattan Vegas (69) followed at 9 under. First-round leader Robert Allenby followed his opening 63 with a 72 to drop into a tie for ninth at 7 under. The jet-lagged Overton, a last-minute replacement for David Duval, had a chance to take the outright lead on the final, but missed a 7-foot birdie putt. “I changed golf clubs a couple of weeks ago and my ball-striking has improved so much. Today everything clicked,” said Overton, the 28-year-old Indiana player who had a scare before the tournament when his clubs didn’t arrive until late Wednesday. Overton eagled the par-4 15th, hitting a driver to 6 feet. “I watched Mark Wilson hit it right at the stick, and I’m like, wow, this is a great little hole. Maybe I can hit my driver, too,” Overton said. “I just hit it right at the pin. It came off just perfect, laying there on the front of the green and it rolled up there to 6 feet for eagle.” Jacobson won the Travelers Championship this summer for his first PGA Tour title. “The driving has been setting up a lot of opportunities,” Jacobson said. “I’ve been driving it well and on this course, if you drive it on the fairways, it’s not overly long and it gives you opportunities.” He saved par on 18 after hitting to a foot from a greenside bunker. “Growing up, I spent a lot of time in the rough, in the bunker, in different lies. Like in the backyard, I would try to chip over a stone wall,” Jacobson said. “I played a lot of weird shots through my youth and I think that by challenging myself that way, I have learnt a [...]

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Sharapova loses again at WTA Championships

Sharapova loses again at WTA Championships

ISTANBUL (AP & Staff) — Maria Sharapova lost her second straight match at the WTA Championships, a 7-6 (4), 6-4 defeat to Li Na on Wednesday. That leaves Sharapova on the brink of elimination from the season-ending tournament, but she still has a slim chance of advancing to the semifinals if she wins her final round-robin match against Victoria Azarenka. Azarenka maintained her perfect record against Sam Stosur with a 6-2, 6-2 win. Sharapova led 4-2 in the first set before Li broke back to force the tiebreaker, where the Russian let a 4-0 lead slip away. Li took a 5-2 lead in the second set and served out the match on her second attempt. Li, the French Open champion, is the first Chinese player to qualify for the season-ending event for the world’s top eight players. Stosur, the U.S. Open champion, was coming off her first win over Sharapova on Tuesday evening but appeared flat for Wednesday’s opening match. The fourth-ranked Azarenka broke four times to improve to 5-0 against Stosur. “I didn’t play aggressive enough … I don’t feel like I did anything,” Stosur said. “I just kind of got pushed around the court, and eventually was made to make an error or she would hit a winner.” The Australian said her performance wasn’t affected by the late match against Sharapova. “Oh, I can’t blame that,” she said. “Yeah, it was a quick turnaround, but I felt like I was ready to go.” In the Red Group, top-ranked Caroline Wozniacki will face Vera Zvonareva in the late match.

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WTA expresses condolences over Turkey quake

WTA expresses condolences over Turkey quake

ISTANBUL (AP & Staff) — The elite of women’s tennis awaits the start of the WTA Championships, expressing condolences for a country coping with a devastating earthquake that has left about 270 people dead. The 7.2-magnitude quake struck Tuesday in eastern Turkey near the border with Iran, far from the tournament in Istanbul. Istanbul, the country’s largest city with more than 12 million people, lies in northwest Turkey near a major fault line. Women’s Tennis Association officials briefed the eight players on the quake. The season-ending tournament runs from Tuesday to Sunday at Sinan Erdem Arena. Second-ranked Maria Sharapova said she received many phone calls and e-mails expressing concern. “I think it gives us an opportunity to sit down and say, ‘We’re very, very lucky and fortunate to be doing what we’re doing,’” Sharapova said. “These things that happen around the world, you just never know where it can happen. I mean, this was only a few hours from here.” Top-ranked Caroline Wozniacki arrived in Istanbul on Thursday and wanted to pass along condolences on behalf of all the players. “All our thoughts are with everyone affected, and of course it’s never nice when something like this happens,” said Wozniacki, whose profile in Turkey has risen since she signed a commercial deal with a Turkish airline last year. “I definitely got a few messages yesterday and just asking if everything was OK, and if we’re all OK here.” At the draw ceremony Sunday, CEO Stacey Allaster said: “We will do whatever we can to support the people of Turkey in some small way through the power of sport.” Istanbul will host the $5 million event through 2013. The tournament was held in Qatar the last three years.

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Top tennis agent Meyerson dies at 47

Top tennis agent Meyerson dies at 47

(AP & staff) -Tennis agent Ken Meyerson, who represented Andy Roddick, Chris Evert and Justine Henin, has died at 47. He passed away Wednesday night. The cause of death was not immediately known and messages left by The Associated Press with his agency, Lagardère Unlimited, were not immediately returned. Meyerson was president of Lagardère’s tennis division. Before that, he worked at the BEST agency. As news of his death spread, Meyerson was being honored by a number of agents and players, including Mardy Fish and John Isner. Roddick tweeted, “I love you and miss you. I will be forever grateful for your faith & loyalty. You will forever be my brother. As always ‘thanks Meyerson.’”

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Murray, Nadal say players’ meeting not imminent

Murray, Nadal say players’ meeting not imminent

SHANGHAI (AP & staff) — Just weeks after raising the possibility of a strike in protest of the crowded tennis calendar, Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal acknowledged Tuesday that bringing the top players together to formulate a plan might be difficult. Last month, Murray said a meeting might take place during this week’s Shanghai Masters, but the withdrawals of Roger Federer and top-ranked Novak Djokovic from the tournament made that unlikely. Murray said Tuesday that co-ordinating players’ schedules wasn’t easy. “Whether it happens or not, it’s quite a tough thing to do because there’s a lot of players to coordinate and sometimes guys don’t go to the same tournaments,” Murray said. “Tennis players aren’t always the easiest people to get hold of when they’re not at tournaments.” Second-ranked Nadal said the timing wasn’t right to have a discussion about a possible next step. “There is something there, but is not the right moment to talk about it,” he said Tuesday. “Always is better talk about the things when you know exactly what’s going to happen and when you know exactly what we are going to do.” Murray, Nadal and Andy Roddick have been among the most vocal in urging changes to the packed tennis calendar and the number of events the top players are required to enter each year. Last November, the ATP decided to extend the tennis offseason from five to seven weeks in response to years of complaints from players about the length of the season and the toll it takes on their bodies. But other issues came to a head during the rain-soaked U.S. Open, when Nadal, Murray and Roddick voiced concerns about the conditions of the courts and the schedule that forced Nadal to play three matches in three days. Since then, Roddick has pushed for the creation of a players’ union similar to those in other major pro sports that could act on players’ behalf in negotiations with ATP officials. After his second-round win on Tuesday, Roddick said that Federer and Djokovic need to be involved in any discussion that takes place, but he also expected it would happen before year’s end. “You know, at this point I think the main thing is a voice. Whether one’s playing the schedule, we should have something to say about it. At a certain point, how long is too long of not getting that point across?” he said. [...]

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Roddick out, Wozniacki wins at China Open

Roddick out, Wozniacki wins at China Open

BEIJING (AP & Staff) — Andy Roddick lost to South Africa’s Kevin Anderson 4-6, 5-7 in the first round of the China Open on Monday, a defeat the sixth-seeded American called “unacceptable.” On the women’s side, top-ranked Caroline Wozniacki rallied from a set down to beat Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic 3-6, 6-0, 7-5. Roddick managed to handle Anderson’s huge serve but struggled with his own and was broken in the seventh game to go one set down. The second set brought more of the same. While Roddick evened things up at 5-5, Anderson’s momentum carried him through. “If I break twice and don’t win a set that says my serve isn’t on,” Roddick said. “It’s unacceptable.” Wozniacki, the defending champion, was troubled at the start against another big-serving opponent — Hradecka had nine aces to the Dane’s two. But Wozniacki improved in the second set as Hradecka’s first serves increasingly hit the net, saving eight of 12 break points for the match. “It wasn’t a pretty match,” Wozniacki said. “But I’m through and that’s what’s most important.” Third-seeded Klara Zakopalova of the Czech Republic defeated Nadia Petrova of Russia 6-3, 6-7 (3), 6-1, while Maria Kirilenko of Russia beat Julia Goerges of Germany 7-6 (9), 6-3. Serbia’s Ana Ivanovic downed Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova, 6-2, 6-3, and Italy’s Flavia Pennetta defeated China’s Peng Shuai, 7-6 (6), 7-5. Wild-card entry Zheng Jie of China outlasted Alberta Brianti of Italy 4-6, 6-1, 7-5; qualifier Virginie Razzano of France defeated Gisela Dulko of Argentina 6-2, 6-3; and Tamira Paszek of Austria beat Petra Cetkovska of the Czech Republic 1-6, 6-4, 6-2. Among the men, Marin Cilic of Croatia defeated Chinese wild card Di Wu 6-2, 6-0; Feliciano Lopez of Spain beat Marsel Ilhan of Turkey 6-2, 7-6 (6); Fernando Verdasco of Spain topped Michael Llodra of France 6-2, 6-4; Florian Mayer of Germany ousted Albert Ramos of Spain 6-2, 6-4; and Flavio Cipolla of Italy defeated Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine 6-1, 1-6, 6-0.

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