alysha
Junior Member
maybe we'll wake up and itll all just be a dream
Posts: 198
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Post by alysha on Apr 4, 2005 3:14:32 GMT 3
he was oh soooo closee.......i kinda think that missed line call couldve made a difference b/c then hewouldve gone pu 53....but whatever rotten luck nadal....once again i spoke to soon....but ive gottta hand it to federer that was extrememly impressive..even for him
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Cassie
Junior Member
Posts: 158
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Post by Cassie on Apr 4, 2005 4:26:37 GMT 3
Man, Rafa was so close. that bad call definitely didn't help him. I'm convinced he would have won if not for that stupid linesman.  |
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Post by annie on Apr 4, 2005 8:33:42 GMT 3
Nope Teresa I don't think he did rip off his shirt. I think you must have mixed it up with his match with Labadze, where Irakli ripped his shirt after he lost to Marat...these passionate georgians LOL
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Post by annie on Apr 4, 2005 9:34:18 GMT 3
Federer in Five - Roger Win the Championship
Only once in the 20 previous finals played at the NASDAQ-100 Open had there been a five set final. It was the very first one in 1985. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal played the second and like that first one the eventual champion came back from two sets to love down.
On Sunday, Roger Federer became the 2005 champion of the NASDAQ-100 Open. The Swiss great won his 18th consecutive final and has claimed his fifth title of the year which includes the "American Double", Indian Wells and Miami, just as Kim Clijsters did the day before with the women.
The scene could not have been any more appropriate for the main event. Not a cloud in the sky, bright sunshine with mild temperatures. A full house was on hand to watch the world's best tennis player, Federer, do battle with one of the most exciting teenagers in the sport today, Nadal who is exactly two months short of his 19 birthday. He is a player destined for Grand Slam glory and the world number one ranking himself and that was certainly made more than evident in the final.
"It was extremely close and I consider myself lucky to get through," said Federer. "All my praises go to him. He is a great guy and a great player." Federer came back from two sets to love down and 1-4 in the third set to score a stunning victory, 2-6, 6-7, 7-6, 6-3, 6-1 in three hours, 42 minutes. Federer truly epitomized that saying - "when the going gets tough, the tough get going".
"I was very worried today," said the world number one. "Especially the first set, I don't lose sets very often 6-2 so this really shows you that I was struggling. But I think it's got a lot to do with his game. He's left handed, I had to get used to, and couldn't quite do that. Maybe played a little bit too aggressive in the beginning.
"So until I maybe got to actually understand how to play him, I was down a set and a break. Then the reaction was good, you know, but in that set I missed so many opportunities to actually level it,, at one set all. But, you know, to come through in the end is unbelievable, so I'm very, very happy."
The Spaniard went on the attack from the outset. He was being aggressive with everything he played and was putting the pressure on Federer who was coming in on pretty much every point. Nadal broke Federer in the first game when the Swiss sent a backhand long. The Spaniard had Federer facing another two break points in the fifth game before those were saved.
In the seventh game the pressure was on the top seed again and he served two double faults, the second one on break point to give Nadal a stranglehold on the set which he served out.
The situation started to look concerning when Nadal broke Federer in the first game of the second set, but Federer rallied back to level the set when he sent a glorious forehand down the line for a winner, clipping the back of the baseline as it skidded away from Nadal. Federer created a 5-3 lead and was playing shots that were expected from him.
But that changed quickly as he slipped back into uncharacteristically missing returns that he would normally strike with his eyes closed. He could however be excused on one smash that he "aired" as the ball lined up exactly with the sun and Federer was momentarily blinded.
Federer then lost his serve in the ninth game as the Spaniard kept pressing and with a break point on his racquet, he pushed Federer into sending a forehand long down the line. In the next game the Swiss did manage to reach two set points on Nadal's serve but again some rudimentary shots from Federer were messed up by the net.
They eventually went to a tiebreak and Nadal was awesome as drilled the ball from side to side. The spring in his step had become a bounce as he lead two sets to love by winning the breaker 7-4.
It was sensational stuff from Nadal. Everything was running with him. Even when Nadal just stuck his racquet out to reach the ball it was rebounding as a winner. He was outplaying Federer which hasn't really been done since Gustavo Kuerten beat him in the fourth round of last year's French Open.
Federer couldn't take a trick and at times he was shaking his head. He was getting a taste of what he normally hands out to his opponents.
In the third Federer lost his serve in the fourth game when Nadal cracked a forehand cross court winner to break and then lead 4-1 but the Swiss brought it back on serve in the seventh game when Nadal netted a forehand as Federer pumped his fist and then served an ace to hold and make it 4-4.
In the ninth game Nadal faced a break point but he produced a second service ace to save it and when Federer shanked what should have been a straightforward overhead his fury and frustration took over as he slammed his racquet into the court.
Once again the set went to a tiebreak. Nadal was now two points away from the biggest win of his career. He had 5-3 but Federer got the mini-break back when Nadal sent a backhand into the net and eventually Federer clawed back making no mistake on his first set point as he forced the Spaniard into sending a backhand long. Federer punched the air. He was still alive in the final.
"My record, I think, in best of five matches is, in the fifth set, is not the best," said Federer, "(but) I wasn't worried or concerned, I was just really hoping that I would maybe get it this time, you know. This is why I fought so hard today.
"But if it's experience, it's tough to say, you know. This will give him an unbelievable experience, so he'll draw definitely something positive out of this match today."
The momentum Federer gained by winning the set saw him through the fourth. He broke in the fourth game when Nadal netted a backhand and eventually levelled the final with forehand volley at shoulder height. In the fifth set it was obvious that Nadal was running out of gas. He had played a fantastic match but the genius of Federer had scratched is way back and his confidence was on the ascendancy. Federer broke in the third, fifth and seventh games to claim his crown, the final point being a netted forehand by Nadal.
"I lost little bit power in the fourth and five" said Nadal. "But in the third I felt good. I was playing good tennis and I was confident I could win the match. But he played good at the important moments, but I feel good. I think I played a good match. But in the fifth set when he broke my serve, I lost."
So Federer continues to rewite the record books and tucks away into the memory bank his first title at the NASDAQ-100 Open.
"I'm very happy and extremely proud, you know, to beat all these guys back to back, because they're one of the most dangerous players out there right now," said the new Champion. "That I could actually beat Henman and Agassi the way I did, playing really great, and coming back from two sets to love, this is one of the tournaments I'll remember probably most throughout my career."
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Post by annie on Apr 4, 2005 9:35:27 GMT 3
Kim Clijsters Charms Her Way to Title
Kim Clijsters has become the first unseeded champion at the NASDAQ-100 Open and in doing so has become only the second woman to win the American double - Indian Wells and Miami. The first was Steffi Graf.
She's beaten the top three players in the world in the last two tournaments; she's only the second player ever, again after Graf, to win the tournament playing seven matches without dropping a set.
Was the thirs match point of the final game going to be lucky for Clijsters as she served? It certainly was as Maria Sharapova sent a forehand long. Clijsters spun around and squeezed her eyes as there were a couple of tears welling up and deservedly so.
In a remarkable story of grit and courage Clijsters has fought her way back from a debilitating left wrist injury that kept her off the tour for most of 2004 and came close to ending her career, to win these two championships.
Clijsters scored her third win from as many matches against Maria Sharapova by the score of 6-3, 7-5 in one hour, 37 minutes. In two tournaments Clijsters' world ranking has gone from 133, at the start of Indian Wells to 17 at the conclusion of Miami.
"You can wake me up now," said Clijsters when she was presented with the magnificent Waterford Crystal trophy. "It was again, even this one is even harder to believe, I think, this victory. 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, I guess."
"Last week people started asking me, you know, seven matches in a row. It's, like I said, it's been amazing. I really don't have any, you know I'm, of course, very happy with it, but it's very hard to describe. 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.
"Yeah, so it's all this whole trip has been so much fun. Just, you know, 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."
The new champion said winning the NASDAQ-100 Open probably surprised her more than the title in California because after a few matches she was starting to feel tired and was wondering how much longer she would last.
There were a few aches and pains but fortunately for her they didn't get worse. But she looked after herself and probably that's what she is most thankful for, she stayed healthy throughout these two whole weeks.
Clijsters opened the final and was broken immediately but she struck back in the next game when Sharapova put an easy high forehand into the bottom of the net. Even the Russian couldn't believe it.
The match was interrupted for 54 minutes at 2-2 because of a passing rain storm. Sharapova saved a break point but it was a brief respite as Clijsters broke for 4-2 and pumped her fist.
"The conditions were definitely not easy," said Sharapova. "I knew it wasn't going to be the best tennis you would see from both of us, but I figured that I just had to get used to them quite quickly, and so did she. But, you know, overall I didn't think it was the best match we could have played just because of the conditions, but it was an all right match."
The Belgian served for the set but had to save two break points with extraordinary deep shots. She would then draw Sharapova in and open up the court finally winning the set when the Russian sent a forehand into the net.
The second set started in a similar fashion to the first with an exchange of service breaks. The conditions were tough with gusty winds and the rain interruption. There was another run of service breaks between the fifth and seventh games but Clijsters found herself serving for the match at 5-4 but Sharapova broke back and levelled the set.
The tenacity of Clijsters, who was constantly scurrying about the court, chasing down drop shots and sliding into her trade mark splits in an effort to reach returns at the back of the court, was contant as she put the pressure on Sharapova. The second seed sent a backhand into the net while facing a third break point in the eleventh game.
This time Clijsters was not going to let go as she served for the championships a second time. There were nerves of course but she put in a solid serve which forced the error from Sharapova that ended the final on match point three.
"I think the biggest surprise is that it was her 14th match, and I didn't feel like, you know, she was physically fatigued," said Sharapova. "You could see her running after every ball and giving it, you know, all she's got out there. She was recovering very well. After 14 matches, you know, I'm at least not at that point where I can do that. She's a very strong girl, and physically, you know, she can play all day out there."
Sharapova said she was "not really disappointed". She had enjoyed a great week after have such a terrible match in the semifinals of Indian Wells when she lost 6-0, 6-0 to Lindsay Davenport.
"I bounced back really well and I performed well and I fought out there, and I gave it all I got for this match," she said. "Unfortunately, you can't win every single match, and I hope that people respect that. So, you know, one day, this is life; you're going to have good moments, you're going to have bad. That's the way life is."
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Post by annie on Apr 4, 2005 9:37:54 GMT 3
And with this my friends, I think we can close the thread. It's finally over and we can look forward to the CLAY SESSION IN EUROPE. Thank God for that. Time for the other part of the world to have sleepless nights and weekends!!!!!!!!!
Yeeepeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
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Post by MariaV on Apr 4, 2005 9:50:28 GMT 3
Yep, shame that Rafa couldn't finish the job.  But he has a bright future ahead of him. Roll on clay-court season! |
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Post by annie on Apr 4, 2005 9:56:40 GMT 3
Yep, shame that Rafa couldn't finish the job. But he has a bright future ahead of him. Roll on clay-court season! Privet, Masha!!! LMAO Yups yups Rafa was great and we have to watch out for him....one bright future ahead  |
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Post by Jasmine on Apr 4, 2005 11:37:51 GMT 3
Thank you Annie for articles. I'm happy for Kim, can't believe that she could come back from the injury. Now women tennis got Kim and Henin, it should be more interesting.
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Post by annie on Apr 4, 2005 11:44:37 GMT 3
Thank you Annie for articles. I'm happy for Kim, can't believe that she could come back from the injury. Now women tennis got Kim and Henin, it should be more interesting. Yups..I agree....now Russian women have good competition, should be very interesting |
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Post by Teresa on Apr 4, 2005 15:06:32 GMT 3
Nope Teresa I don't think he did rip off his shirt. I think you must have mixed it up with his match with Labadze, where Irakli ripped his shirt after he lost to Marat...these passionate georgians LOL Hi Annie...... That was exactly my point, That Jurno, well actually he should not even be given this name, his credibility stinks, he does not even know what he is talking about, and reports incorrectly. Its Walt Landers, not Lammers, and he is no longer Marat's trainer. This idiot refers to Walt as Lammers and as Marat's trainer. They parted company after the AO. and, I know it was Ivan who ripped his shirt off, not Marat But in the article the idiot says Marat did this after his match against Hrbaty. And YES I too was very happy for Kim, its good to see her back and doing so well. LOL I just realised that i had 'coach' instead of 'trainer' one really should preview before posting oooppps  |
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Post by annie on Apr 4, 2005 15:15:27 GMT 3
Yeah Teresa I know what you mean. I can't understand bosses of these journalists in the first place. Don't people correct the way their people work?  Why write about tennis if you have no idea what it is!!!! Oh well..... |
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Post by SAFINNO1 on Apr 4, 2005 15:17:40 GMT 3
i am loving this.
In all tv interviews people are saying he is amazing, unbeatable but then somebody come out with
BUT MARAT SAFIN BEAT YOU
I am loving this
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Post by annie on Apr 4, 2005 15:24:34 GMT 3
i am loving this. In all tv interviews people are saying he is amazing, unbeatable but then somebody come out with BUT MARAT SAFIN BEAT YOU I am loving this rotflmao Ily!!!!!!! I guess it's Roger you're talking about eh? I know!!!!! Poor guy must be seing nightmares about a Russian rocket every day LOL |
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Post by Teresa on Apr 4, 2005 18:43:44 GMT 3
Nadal sure gave him a taste, just which he could have made a meal of it  Methinks somehow he will remember his loss to Marat at the AO the most throughout his career, no matter how much he tries to forget, he can't. But I was surprised that the was able to come back from 2 sets down, real shame Nadal ran out of gas. Saffinno1 Me too......but still am worried about the pressure, so really wish Nadal had won just so some of this pressure could be taken from Marat. |
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But he has a bright future ahead of him. 
Why write about tennis if you have no idea what it is!!!!