Теннис

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Trying to End the Williams Dynasty in Miami

World No.3 Maria Sharapova (left) seeks her third finals berth of 2005 Thursday as she takes on Venus Williams in the NASDAQ-100 Open. A semifinal victory over the 24-year-old American would end a four-year reign in Miami by the Williams sisters. Either Venus or her younger sister Serena have ruled supreme here since 2001 and have combined to win six of the past seven titles.

The other semifinal sees top seed Amelie Mauresmo take on a resurgent Kim Clijsters, currently riding a 12-match win streak after her victory in Indian Wells.

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NASDAQ-100 Open

Miami, FL-USA

March 23-April 3, 2005

$3,115,000

Thursday, March 31, 2005

Singles - Semifinals

(2) Maria Sharapova (RUS) d. ( Venus Williams (USA) 64 63

Doubles - Quarterfinals

(5) Raymond/Stubbs (USA/AUS) d. (2) Petrova/Shaughnessy (RUS/USA) 64 63

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Miami Guaranteed A New Champion

No.2 seed Maria Sharapova will meet unseeded Kim Clijsters in the final of the NASDAQ-100 Open on Saturday. Both are making their first appearance in the final round in Miami.

Clijsters has exhibited astonishing form since her return from wrist surgery, winning Indian Wells and now poised to take a consecutive Tier I title in Miami.

Sharapova has a shot at climbing to a career high ranking of World No.2 with a championship victory over Clijsters. She is 2-0 in finals this year, winning Tokyo Pan Pacific and Doha.

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Nadal into NASDAQ Final

Spanish bull Rafael Nadal advanced to his first career ATP Masters Series final as he defeated countryman David Ferrer 6-4, 6-3 on Friday in the semifinals of the NASDAQ-100 Open. The No. 29th seeded Nadal takes on the winner of a blockbuster semifinal between Roger Federer and Andre Agassi (ESPN2 live 7 p.m. ET). On Thursday, Federer won his 20th consecutive match with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Tim Henman to improve to 30-1 on the year - equaling the best start to a season since Ivan Lendl in 1986. Agassi, who is chasing a seventh Miami crown and 18th ATP Masters Series title, improved to 5-0 in career meetings with Taylor Dent with a 7-5, 6-0 win. Thursday Wrap and Semifinals Preview

Edited April 2, 2005 by Vartanchik

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Federer, Nadal into Final

Roger Federer won a titanic semifinal match against six-time Miami champion Andre Agassi 6-4, 6-3 on Friday night to advance to his second final at the NASDAQ-100 Open. Federer will meet Spain's Rafael Nadal in a five-set championship match on Sunday. The No. 29 seed Nadal advanced to his first career ATP Masters Series final earlier Friday when he defeated countryman David Ferrer 6-4, 6-3. Federer and Nadal bring consecutive match-win streaks of 21 and 15, respectively, into Sunday's contest. Their only previous meeting was in the third round of Miami last year which Nadal won 6-3, 6-3.

[Dili]

Это Dili попросила!

←

Спасибо. Очень хорошие фотки.

Саргис Лучший! Саргисин прошу не оскорблять.

Давид и Вартанчик, давайте фотки Саргиса будем ставить в теме Саргиса.

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Cделаем!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Mar 21 NASDAQ-100 Open Miami, FL - USA Tier I

SINGLES: Kim Clijsters (BEL) d. (2) Maria Sharapova (RUS) 63 75

DOUBLES: (3) Kuznetsova/Molik (RUS/AUS) d. (5) Raymond/Stubbs (USA/AUS) 75 67(5) 62

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Venus Dominant on Clay

Venus Williams began her clay court season with a 60 61 romp over Martina Sucha at the Bausch & Lomb Championships in Amelia Island, Florida. Williams is riding a six match win streak at this event, winning the title in her last appearance here in 2002.

American Lisa Raymond also scored a convincing victory, defeating qualifier Tzipora Obziler of Israel, 62 60.

Defending champion and current World No. 1 Lindsay Davenport is in action tonight, taking on Kristina Brandi.

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April 2, 2005

Clijsters Adds Miami Title In 14-Match Unbeaten Run

MIAMI, FL, USA - "From today's performance, she is a Top 5 player at this point." That was Maria Sharapova's assessment of Kim Clijsters after falling to the Belgian 63 75 in Saturday's final of the $3.115 million NASDAQ-100 Open.

Ranked No.133 two weeks ago prior to her stunning victory in Indian Wells, Clijsters will return to the Top 20 on Monday's Sony Ericsson WTA Singles Rankings. Her inactivity in the past 12 months due to a left wrist injury that required surgery last June means she's not officially in the Top 5, but there's no doubting her credentials after winning 14 consecutive matches in less than four weeks.

Six of those 14 wins have come against Top 10 opponents, including all of the Top 3 - No.1 Lindsay Davenport in the Indian Wells final, No.2 Amelie Mauresmo in the Miami semifinals and No.3 Sharapova in the final, denying the 17-year-old Russian an ascent to the No.2 spot.

"I don't know what to say about all this," said an incredulous Clijsters after claiming her 23rd career singles title. "It's been an incredible four weeks. I'm just going to try to enjoy it as much as I can."

On a windy day at Key Biscayne, the championship match between two Miami finals debutantes saw service broken on 10 occasions. Sharapova served the only ace of the match, and despite hitting 18 winners to 10 from Clijsters, she committed four more errors than her Belgian opponent (34 to 30).

Clijsters managed to break Sharapova's serve at 5-all in the second set after the Russian led 40-15. After winning her fourth career Tier I singles title, an emotional Clijsters couldn't believe she had done it again.

"Even this one is even harder to believe (than Indian Wells)," said Clijsters, projected to rise to No.17 on Monday's rankings. "I don't know what to say about all this. It's been an incredible four weeks. I'm just going to try to enjoy it as much as I can."

Clijsters is the first woman to complete the Indian Wells-Miami double since Steffi Graf achieved the feat twice in 1994 and 1996.

"I think what I did really well today was be patient," said Clijsters. "Because in these (windy) conditions, it's very hard to play your own tennis and to play aggressively because with the wind, it's very hard. And on each side of the court you sort of have to produce different tactics and you have to adjust your game a little bit. I think I did that really well today."

While missing out on her 10th career title and the No.2 ranking, Sharapova was philosophical about the loss.

"I'm not really disappointed; I think I've had a great week," said the No.2 seed. "After having such a terrible match at Indian Wells (losing 60 60 in the semifinals to Lindsay Davenport), I think I bounced back really well and I performed well and I fought out there, and I gave it all I got for this match.

"Unfortunately, you can't win every single match, and I hope that people respect that. So, one day, this is life; you're going to have good moments, you're going to have bad. That's the way life is."

Clijsters, the first-ever unseeded champion in Miami, will now return home to Belgian, where she will spend three weeks preparing for the clay court season and an assault on her first Grand Slam tournament since the 2004 Australian Open.

The former world No.1 was playing only her third tournament this season, and admitted she still needs to be careful of the wrist that caused her so many problems in the past year.

"I just feel it pulling a little bit," said Clijsters of her wrist tendons. "But my work is done here so now I can just look after this. And (in the) next couple of days when I go home I'll go to the hospital, have another MRI just to make sure that everything's fine before I start practicing on the clay."

Clijsters improved to 3-0 lifetime against Sharapova after the most productive four-week stint of her career.

"Even after winning Indian Wells I came here and was really looking forward to coming here because I couldn't play here last year because I was injured," said Clijsters. "This whole trip has been so much fun. Just being able to be back on the court, but also off court, seeing all the girls again, seeing some guys back on tour. It's been great to see everyone as well."

Another Belgian former world No.1 made the headlines in Miami this past fortnight. Justine Henin-Hardenne made her first appearance since a fourth round loss at the US Open seven months ago and reached the quarterfinals. After beating world No.8 Alicia Molik in three sets in the third round, the three-time Grand Slam singles champion pushed eventual runner-up Sharapova to three sets before falling, saving three match points in the second set.

Henin-Hardenne had been sidelined with an energy-sapping virus for much of last year and a knee injury at the start of 2005.

"What I did after seven months off, it's good," said Henin-Hardenne after her loss to Sharapova. "It's very good for the future; I showed that I'm back. I'm so happy to be back on the courts. I know I need matches, I need more competition, but it's very good for the next tournaments."

Rising star Ana Ivanovic continued to impress, upsetting Top 12 Russians Nadia Petrova and Svetlana Kuznetsova to reach her first Tier I quarterfinal, falling to top seed Mauresmo.

In Sunday's doubles final, No.3 seeds and reigning Australian Open champions Kuznetsova and Alicia Molik take on No.5 seeds Lisa Raymond and Rennae Stubbs.

Edited April 5, 2005 by Vartanchik

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Guga Back in Action

Former World No. 1 Gustavo Kuerten made a triumphant return to the ATP Tour as first round action got underway at the Open de Tenis Comunidad Valenciana on Monday. In his first match since the US Open, Guga took out the No. 4 seed Olivier Rochus 6-2, 6-4. More...

Live Scores | Audio | Updated Scores

No. 1 seed Roger Federer battled back against Spanish teenager Rafael Nadal to earn his first NASDAQ-100 Open Championship on Sunday in a five set thriller. After taking the first two sets 6-2, 7-6(4), Nadal was only two points from his first ATP Masters Series title in the third set tie-break, but Federer fought back to take the tie-break 7-5, proving why he is the world No. 1 and now 18-0 in finals. The Swiss regained top form taking the final two sets 6-3, 6-1 to earn his second consecutive ATP Masters Series shield after last week's victory in Indian Wells.

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Serena Injures Ankle, Lindsay Denies Venus

In a wild day at the Bausch & Lomb Championships, No.12 seed Silvia Farina Elia reached the semifinals Friday night when No.2 seed Serena Williams retired after the second set due to a left ankle sprain. Farina Elia will next face surprising semifinalist Virginie Razzano.

Meanwhile, world No.1 Lindsay Davenport defeated No.5 seed Venus Williams for the fourth straight time, 16 63 64. Davenport will next take on No.7 Nadia Petrova, who defeated No.15 seed Shinobu Asagoe to reach the semifinals. Asagoe defeated No.3 seed Anastasia Myskina earlier in the day.

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