Roger Federer

Tennis: Nadal crushes Federer to win seventh Rome title

Agence France-Presse — Sun, 19 May 2013 17:45:52 +0000

Agence France-Presse

Spain's Rafael Nadal dominated his 30th meeting with Swiss rival Roger Federer to secure his seventh title in nine years at the Rome Masters on Sunday.

Nadal's 6-1, 6-3 triumph means he now leads Federer 20-10 in their series, with 13 of his wins coming on clay.

"He played very aggressively from the start, he didn't make too many mistakes and had a good match overall," said Federer, who admitted the change in class from his previous challengers this week had been a factor.

Tennis: Rome Masters to host 30th Nadal v Federer clash

Agence France-Presse — Sat, 18 May 2013 22:15:30 +0000

Agence France-Presse

World number three Roger Federer and Spanish nemesis Rafael Nadal will clash for the 30th time when they meet Sunday in the final of the Rome Masters.

Six-time Rome champion Nadal booked his place in his eighth successive final this season after dominating Tomas Berdych 6-2, 6-4.

Federer's semi-final was against French upstart Benoit Paire, who had accounted for Marcel Granollers and Juan Martin Del Potro on his way to an unexpected place in the last four.

Tennis: Federer books Rome final with Nadal

Agence France-Presse — Sat, 18 May 2013 20:30:42 +0000

Agence France-Presse

Second seed Roger Federer will meet six-time winner Rafael Nadal in the final of the Rome Masters after a hard-fought 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 semi-final win over Frenchman Benoit Paire.

Sunday's final will be the 30th meeting between Nadal and Federer with the Spaniard holding a 19-10 lead.

Paire has been one of the sensations of the tournament and pushed his Swiss rival to a first set tiebreak.

However, Federer raised his game in an equally tight second set to set up a Sunday final with Nadal after the Spaniard accounted for Czech Tomas Berdych in straight sets.

Tennis: Rome ATP and WTA results - 1st update

Agence France-Presse — Sat, 18 May 2013 16:45:04 +0000

Agence France-Presse

Results on the seventh day of the ATP Rome Masters/WTA Rome Open on Saturday (x denotes seeding):

Men

Semi-finals

Rafael Nadal (ESP x5) bt Tomas Berdych (CZE x6) 6-2, 6-4

Playing later

Benoit Paire (FRA) v Roger Federer (SUI x2)

Women

Semi-finals

Serena Williams (USA x1) bt Simona Halep (ROM) 6-3, 6-0

Victoria Azarenka (BLR x3) bt Sara Errani (ITA x7) 6-0, 7-5

afp

Tennis: Rome ATP and WTA results

Agence France-Presse — Sat, 18 May 2013 15:01:17 +0000

Agence France-Presse

Results on the seventh day of the ATP Rome Masters/WTA Rome Open on Saturday (x denotes seeding):

Women

Semi-finals

Serena Williams (USA x1) bt Simona Halep (ROM) 6-3, 6-0

Victoria Azarenka (BLR x3) bt Sara Errani (ITA x 7) 6-0, 7-5

Men

Semi-finals

Tomas Berdych (CZE x6) v Rafael Nadal (ESP x5)

Benoit Paire (FRA) v Roger Federer (SUI x2)

afp

Tennis: Rome ATP and WTA results

Agence France-Presse — Sat, 18 May 2013 12:45:24 +0000

Agence France-Presse

Results on the seventh day of the ATP Rome Masters/WTA Rome Open on Saturday (x denotes seeding):

Women

Semi-finals

Serena Williams (USA x1) bt Simona Halep (ROM) 6-3, 6-0

Playing later

Victoria Azarenka (BLR x3) v Sara Errani (ITA x 7)

Men

Semi-finals

Tomas Berdych (CZE x6) v Rafael Nadal (ESP x5)

Benoit Paire (FRA) v Roger Federer (SUI x2)

afp

Tennis: Federer ousted by Nishikori in Madrid, Nadal cruises

Agence France-Presse — Sat, 11 May 2013 21:15:23 +0000

Agence France-Presse

Defending champion Roger Federer was dumped out of the Madrid Masters on Thursday by world number 14 Kei Nishikori as the Japanese came through 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 in their third round clash.

Second seed Federer, who had just returned to the tour after a two-month break, joins world number one Novak Djokovic in being eliminated early in the Spanish capital and his lack of match practice showed.

One break was enough for Nishikori to take the opening set 6-4, but Federer roared back in the second to take it 6-1.

Nadal wins Madrid to lay down French Open marker

Thomson Reuters — Sat, 11 May 2013 00:16:08 +0000

Thomson Reuters

By Iain Rogers

MADRID (Reuters) - Clay king Rafa Nadal sent another reminder he is not about to surrender his Roland Garros crown without a fight when he crushed Swiss 15th seed Stanislas Wawrinka 6-2 6-4 to win the Madrid Open on Sunday.

It was the Spanish world number five's fifth title since he returned from a seven-month injury layoff in February and was more evidence that his troublesome knees are not about to bring his career to a premature end.

Defending champ Federer wins in Madrid

Agencia EFE — Tue, 07 May 2013 23:42:00 +0000

Agencia EFE

Madrid, May 7 (EFE).- Defending champion Roger Federer of Switzerland won his opening match Tuesday at the Mutua Madrid Open 6-3, 6-3 over Czech Radek Stepanek.

The 31-year-old Federer, who won the title in Madrid in 2006, 2009 and 2012, took his eighth straight match against Stepanek and pushed his career record against the Czech to 12-2.

Federer had not played since March 15, when Spain's Rafael Nadal beat him 6-4, 6-2 in the quarterfinals of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California.

Nadal downs injured Federer at Indian Wells

Agencia EFE — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 13:16:03 +0000

Agencia EFE

Los Angeles, Mar 15 (EFE).- Spain's Rafael Nadal recorded the biggest win thus far in his comeback to the ATP Tour, downing a hobbled Roger Federer 6-4, 6-2 in the quarterfinals of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California.

The 29th installment in one of the great rivalries in the history of tennis did not live up to the hype, as Federer struggled throughout Thursday night's contest with a back injury that restricted his normally fluid movement.

Tennis: Nadal beats hurting Federer to reach semis

Agence France-Presse — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 07:00:25 +0000

Agence France-Presse

Rafael Nadal took another step in his return from injury with a convincing victory over a hurting Roger Federer on Thursday in the quarter-finals of the Indian Wells Masters.

Nadal broke Federer three times in the second set en route to a 6-4, 6-2 victory over the 17-time Grand Slam champion, who has been nursing a nagging back injury.

"I don't think Roger was 100 percent tonight," said Nadal, who nevertheless said the win over his great rival was a key step in his comeback from a seven-month absence while rehabilitating his damaged left knee.

Ailing Federer outmuscled by resurgent Nadal

Thomson Reuters — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 06:45:17 +0000

Thomson Reuters

By Mark Lamport-Stokes

INDIAN WELLS, California (Reuters) - Roger Federer's title defence at the BNP Paribas Open came to a surprisingly abrupt halt on Thursday when he was hammered by his long-time rival Rafa Nadal 6-4 6-2 in the quarter-finals.

While Nadal's fitness on hard courts had been in some doubt on his return to the ATP circuit after seven months out with a knee injury, it was Federer's troublesome back that proved the most significant factor as he was totally outplayed.

Tennis: Federer unsurprised to see Nadal near full strength

Agence France-Presse — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 06:31:26 +0000

Agence France-Presse

Roger Federer, vanquished by Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals at Indian Wells, isn't surprised by the Spaniard's speedy return to form after a seven-month injury absence.

"He's not going to come back if he's not well," Federer said Thursday after falling 6-4, 6-2 to Nadal. "He's not going to come back half-broken.

"I expected him to tear through the clay. I expected him to be tough here, which he shows to be," Federer said.

Tennis: Federer still searching after 'difficult week'

Agence France-Presse — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 06:31:24 +0000

Agence France-Presse

Roger Federer's tough week in the desert ended with a quarter-final loss to Rafael Nadal on Thursday, the Swiss great heading into a planned seven-week break still without a title in 2013.

"It's been a really difficult week for me, so I'm happy to have played a decent tournament," said Federer, the defending champion in the year's first ATP Masters tournament, who struggled throughout with an aching back.

Tennis: Nadal

Agence France-Presse — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 05:30:40 +0000

Agence France-Presse

Rafael Nadal took another step in his return from injury with a convincing victory over a hurting Roger Federer on Thursday in the quarter-finals of the Indian Wells Masters.

Nadal broke Federer three times in the second set en route to a 6-4, 6-2 victory over the 17-time Grand Slam champion, who has been nursing a nagging back injury.

"I don't think Roger was 100 percent tonight," said Nadal, who nevertheless said the win over his great rival was a key step in his comeback from a seven-month absence rehabilitating his damaged left knee.