Murray Wins 10Th Career Title After Beating Nadal Elled by Taking a Second Set That Would Have Liked to Have Done Bet- Included Seven Breaks in a Row

Tuesday 17th February, 2009 15 ABN Amro final Murray wins 10th career title after beating Nadal elled by taking a second set that would have liked to have done bet- included seven breaks in a row. ter in Australia, but I got better in Murray, though, broke an Rotterdam as the week went on impeded Nadal in the opening and I’ll try to keep it going now,” game of the third set, and then said the world No 4. twice more, for a 6-3, 4-6, 6-0 victo- Beforehand, there had been ry that was as lumpy as the Dutch some concerns about Murray’s landscape is flat. As Murray sug- own physical well-being, as he gested, Nadal was beating him for had hurt his ankle earlier in the a while “on one leg”. tournament, and there was some Everyone talks about Nadal’s “clicking and cracking down biceps, and appreciates his eye- there” in the swollen joint. The brow display, but the body-parts injury caused him to withdraw that will define his career are his from attempting to defend his title France’s Amelie Mauresmo shows her trophy, after wining the knees, especially as a knee injury in Marseille this week. But final of the Gaz De France tennis open tournament against caused him to miss the Masters Murray’s movement seemed fine Russia’s Elena Dementieva, in Paris, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2009. Cup and the Davis Cup final at the in the Rotterdam final, and he had Amelie Mauresmo won 7-6, 2-6, 6-4.(AP Photo/Remy de la end of last year. His knees are a two fully functioning legs to Mauviniere) real worry. Nadal’s one. This was Murray’s second Murray lost his first five meet- tour title of the season, adding to ings with Nadal, but then beat Open GDF Suez final the golden eagle trophy he picked him in the semi-finals of last sea- up in Doha, so his only defeat this son’s US Open, so this was his sec- year is his fourth-round loss to ond successive victory in ranking Spain’s Fernando Verdasco at the matches over the Spaniard, and Mauresmo beats Australian Open. Still, what hap- his third in a row if you want to pened indoors in the northern count the unofficial match in Abu hemisphere will not take away Dhabi at the start of the year. Dementieva from what happened outdoors in But you could suggest that the southern hemisphere. both of Murray’s ranking wins By Trung Latieule breaks in the first set until Murray’s career will not be have come when Nadal has been the fourth-ranked Dementieva remembered for winning tourna- below his best, as at Flushing PARIS (AP) - Amelie held her serve to take a 4-2 ments such as Rotterdam, but Meadows Nadal had looked Mauresmo won her first WTA lead, but Mauresmo managed whether he scratches that Fred extremely tired and his forehand Tour title in two years Sunday, another break to draw level Perry itch and ever becomes a had been misfiring, and he was outlasting Elena Dementieva at 5-5. In the tiebreaker, grand slam champion by winning the One-Legged Man of of Russia 7-6 (7), 2-6, 6-4 in Dementieva slammed a fore- in Melbourne, Paris, London or Rotterdam. the final of the Open GDF hand winner on the line at 5- New York. (C) The Telegraph Group, Suez. 5 to get the first set point, “I have started well this year. I London 2009 The Frenchwoman broke but she wasted it with a Dementieva twice in the third backhand pass that sailed set, winning the opening wide. game on a forehand error A forehand error from from Dementieva before Dementieva at 7-7 gave increasing her lead to 4-1 Mauresmo her second set after the Russian sent a back- point, which she converted hand wide. when Dementieva sent a fore- Britain’s Andy Murray holds the trophy after beating Spain’s Rafael Nadal during the Dementieva saved a hand return into the net. final of the ABN Amro tennis tournament at AHOY stadium in Rotterdam, The match point at 5-2 to erase a Dementieva came back Netherlands, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2009. (AP Photos/Ermindo Armino) break, but Mauresmo convert- in the second, breaking by Mark Hodgkinson ed her second match point Mauresmo for a 4-2 lead and Tim Henman’s career total of 11. with a service winner for the securing the set when The most expressive eyebrows former top-ranked player’s Mauresmo made two consec- With a final that raised a few in tennis belong to Nadal, and his first title since Antwerp, utive double faults. heartbeats in an indoor stadium and others’ eyebrows were work- Belgium, in February 2007. “Amelie really picked up in Rotterdam, and also plenty of ing hard during a match that felt “The feeling you have her game and played at her eyebrows across Planet Tennis as though it contained more when you conclude a tourna- best this week,” Dementieva after the match contained eight breaks than a busy weekend on an ment with the title is differ- said. “I’m very happy for her. successive breaks of serve, Andy orthopaedic ward. But there was ent than a good week with a She had such a tough time to Murray won the 10th title of his an explanation for the weirdness defeat,” Mauresmo said. “It’s go through, with all the career on Sunday when he defeat- in the title-match, as Nadal was in a special feeling. It gives you injuries, and she was trying ed Rafael Nadal, just a fortnight serious discomfort from a knee an extraordinary confidence.” so hard to come back to the after Spain’s world No 1 added the injury by the early stages of the The two players traded level she used to play.” Australian Open prize to his second set. French Open, Wimbledon and Perhaps other less spirited Olympic trophies. players would simply have given Now that Murray has joined their knee and their eyebrows a Dubai Tennis Championships the double-digit club for titles, he well-deserved rest by quitting, but is just one more tournament vic- Nadal is made of sterner stuff Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts as he plays Andy Murray of Britain in the final Israel’s Peer denied visa tory away from drawing alongside and he stayed on court and lev- at the ABN Amro tennis tournament. all the top-10 ranked women’s players. WTA chief executive Larry Scott said the tour was Stepanek beats Fish “deeply disappointed” by the decision. points during one stretch partner James Blake in the “Ms Peer has earned the in the third set, nine by SAP Open semifinals, had seven aces right to play in the tourna- unforced error. in the first set including ment and it’s regrettable that “I came here with a lot broken just once in 45 serv- back-to-back winners to go the UAE is denying her this of confidence and it just ice games. up 3-0. Stepanek battled right,” Scott said. paid off,” said Stepanek, “Until that moment back to pull within 5-3 The UAE has no diplomat- who also won in Brisbane Mardy was serving incredi- before Fish closed out the ic relations with Israel, but in January. “It’s definitely, set, getting the winner on a Israelis have entered the so far, my best (start). This 131 mph ace. country for international year I teed off right away in Fish trailed 3-2 in the Shahar Peer sporting and business events Brisbane and now this is second set when Stepanek using second-country pass- my second title, which is called a medical timeout to The UAE’s decision to ports. On some occasions, great for me.” have his left leg tended to. deny Israel’s Shahar Peer a Israeli passport holders have Stepanek broke Fish’s The interruption didn’t last visa for this week’s Dubai been allowed entry for meet- serve twice in the final set, long but it seemed to throw Tennis Championships has ings held by the United delivering the game-win- Fish off his rhythm and cast doubt over the event’s Nations or other internation- ner on an overhead fore- allowed Stepanek to gain future. al agencies. hand that caught Fish the upper hand. Peer broke barriers last It was not clear whether going the opposite direc- Though Fish held his year in Qatar when she was Peer was travelling on an tion. serve when play resumed, the first Israeli woman to play Israeli passport. Emirati offi- That was in contrast to he won only one other game in a WTA Tour tournament in cials did not immediately earlier in the match when in the set and began to the Gulf as the region tries to respond for comment on the Fish controlled the momen- make numerous unforced enhance its reputation as an decision. tum with his powerful errors. After Stepanek held international sports hub. Peer’s brother said the 21- Radek Stepanek, of the Czech Republic, celebrates his win over serve and kept Stepanek serve to go up 5-4, Fish But the UAE’s decision year-old player applied for a Mardy Fish at the SAP open tennis tournament Sunday, Feb. 15, buried at the baseline. walked around behind the has dealt a blow to Dubai’s visa months in advance and 2009, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot) Fish, who went into the baseline muttering to him- image openness in business was assured by tournament SAN JOSE, California champion Andy Roddick in final with a tournament- Dejected: Mardy Fish self and let out an audible and sport. organisers that she would be (AP) - Fourth-seeded the semifinals, Stepanek leading 67 aces, had 16 groan. Peer, ranked 48th in the allowed entry. Radek Stepanek won his was forced to do the same more against Stepanek. bly so I really didn’t have “If you put a tally on world, was told that her visa “Ms Peer and her family second ATP title this year, against Fish while becom- The turning point of many chances,” Stepanek how many times he calls was denied by the UAE, said are obviously extremely upset rallying to beat fifth-seeded ing the first Czech player to the match came in the sec- said. “I knew I had to stay the trainer, it would be pret- her brother and spokesman, and disappointed by the deci- American Mardy Fish 3-6, win the San Jose event ond set when Stepanek held with him, hold my serve ty high,” Fish said. “He Shlomi Peer. She had been sion of the UAE and its 6-4, 6-2 in the SAP Open on since Ivan Lendl in 1983. serve to go up 5-4 then and try to wait for my seemed fine to me. I would drawn to play 15th-seeded impact on her personally and Sunday. Stepanek got some help broke Fish to even the chances, which I believed be shocked if I was up a set Anna Chakvetadze in the first professionally,” added Scott. A day after rallying from his 27-year-old oppo- match and force a third set. would come.” and he didn’t call the train- round of the joint ATP and © The Telegraph Group, from a set down to beat 2008 nent. Fish lost 10 straight Prior to that Fish had been Fish, who beat doubles er.” WTA event, which includes London 2009