Davis Cup to count towards rankings

As the quarter finals of this years Davis Cup gets underway, it has been announced that from 2009 ATP ranking points will be awarded to players for their participation in Davis Cup matches.

The points can be attained from the four rounds of Davis Cup, and also the play off stage. The accumulated points then count as one result, which can be eligble as one of the players best results from the year.

Up to 500 points are on offer, with an additional 125 bonus points for any player who manages to win all eight live singles rubbers as well as lifting the trophy at the end. To find out more about how the rankings work, look here.

In my opinion this should have been introduced a long time ago. Over recent years we have seen a decrease in competitive Davis Cup play from the top players,mainly because they simply do not want to risk their health by competing in matches which have no bearing on the world standings.

This was shown clearly when Andy Murray opted out of Great Britains crucial away tie against Argentina because he didnt want to risk injury, much to the dismay of British tennis fans. This new set-up should re-ignite many players desire to compete for their countrys and could take Davis Cup back to its deserved stage as one of the most imporant tournaments in the tennis year.

Murray slips out of the top 20

With the latest update of ATP Rankings, Britains Andy Murray has found himself outside the world’s top 20 players for the first time since August 2006.

Murray had made his best ever start to a season (10-1 win/loss) but has since struggled, winning only four out of his last eight matches.He has slipped nine places to 22nd, and along with Guillermo Canas also dropping nine places, it has allowed Spaniards Juan Carlos Ferrero and Carlos Moya back inside the top 20.

However the Murray camp (Andy now has an entourage to rival Jennifer Lopez) will not be overly worried with the situation. Coming up next is the clay court season, and whilst this may not be Murray’s best surface, he should be able to move back up the rankings. This is because he has no points at all to defend, having missed the whole clay and grass court season last year with a wrist injury.

This should see a swift march back up the table for Murray, and as long as he can stay injury free up to Wimbledon, and play to the standard we know he can, it is not unrealistic for him to be challenging for a place in the top 5 by the time the tour reaches the All England Club again.

Miami Masters update – Quarter Finals

As we move into the business end of this years Miami Masters, the smart money now has to be on Roger Federer to take his first title of the season.

The world No.1 has complained of glandular fever earlier this year, but it looks now as if he has shaken that off, and has not dropped a set in progressing to the quarter finals.

He is set to meet Andy Roddick, and holds a devesating 15-1 head-to-head advantage over the American. I can see Roddick putting up a courageuos fight in front of a home crowd, but I can only see Federer walking out of court no. 1 victorious.

In the second quarter, Nikolay Davydenko takes on Janko Tipsarevic, in their second career meeting (Davydenko won the first comfortably). The 23 year-old Tipsarevic is currently most famous for losing to Roger Federer in five gruelling sets at the Australian Open this year, which definetly did not help the Swiss player when he came up tired against Djokovic later on.

Tipsarevic has been playing perhaps career best tennis here this week, but I do not think it will be enough against Davydenko, who has also come back strongly in Miami following disappointing recent results.

Tomas Berdych plays Igor Andreev in the next quarter final; the two have never played on the main tour, but Andreev leads 4-0 in their meetings in ‘Futures’ tournaments. Andreev was named ‘Comeback Player of the Year’ for last season, and is now ranked 32nd in the world, but I feel that Berdych, who has found his form this week, will have too much firepower off the ground for him to handle.

In the final and most eagerly anticipated quarter, Rafael Nadal takes on James Blake. Nadal acheived his first career win over Blake last week at Indian Wells, and will be hoping to repeat the magic here in Miami. Blake however has his pride at stake, he will not want to be beaten two weeks running in front of home fans, by the same opponent, even one so tough as Nadal.

Rafa rocks Indian Wells

Just when you thought he might be fading, after all he has not won a tournament since July, Rafael Nadal showed us why he’s catching Federer at the top.

Two emotional, gutsy and ferocious wins over Jo Wilfried-Tsonga and James Blake have catapulted the young Spanish matador back into the public eye, where he undoubtedly belongs.

There are few more inspiring sights to be found on a tennis court than Nadal in battle mode. By all rights he should have lost to Tsonga, 2-5 down in the final set, with the Frenchman hitting bombs, things did not look good for him. But showing a fighting spirit that is above and beyond any other player in the top 20 (including Federer), he dragged himself back from the brink, reeling of five straight games to win the match 6-7 7-6 7-5.

Then the very next day he was back on the court, this time to end the hopes of American James Blake 7-5 3-6 6-3. Next up for Rafa is the formidable Novak Djokovic who has cruised into the semifinals without dropping a set. A match not to be missed for any fan.

In the other half of the draw, the two quarter finals have some unexpected participants. Tommy Haas, former world no.2 has surprised everyone, and probably himself in getting there. The German has beaten Andy Roddick, Fernando Verdasco, and Andy Murray to get there, so you can’t say he does not deserve it.

After a shocking opening set against Murray, he clicked into gear and from then on was simply too good for the young Brit, winning it 2-6 7-5 6-3. Next up for Haas is Roger Federer, who like Djokovic, has not dropped a set so far, nor looked like dropping one.

The other surprise package this week has been American Mardy Fish, who is keeping the home fans hopes alive. Fish has notably beaten Nikolay Davydenko and Lleyton Hewitt to get into the quarters, where he now faces David Nalbandian, who beat Juan Carlos Ferrero comfortably 6-2 6-2 to get there. My money is predictably on a Federer-Nalbandian semi final, but Haas and Fish have both proved that they are capable of upsetting the very best.

Elsewhere it was defeat for the other Murray brother, as Jamie went out of the doubles at the semi-final stage. With new partner Max Mirnyi, they defeated number one seeds the Bryan brothers, but could not get past Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram who beat them 6-3 6-4.

All eyes on centre court for Super Rafa vs. Super Nole (Djokovic’s nickname!)

Indian Wells update

Its third round time here at the Pacific Life Open, and we have seen some interesting results already, none more so than Andy Roddicks early departure.

The American No.1, who has been in blistering form of late, was routinely beaten by Tommy Haas 6-4 6-4 in a shock result.

Roddick, who was expected to challenge for his third title in a row, was comfortably dispatched by Haas, the former world No.2, in their second round clash. The German now goes on to play Fernando Verdasco, who overcame a spirited challenge by Victor Hanescu, to progress to the third round.

Elsewhere, Andy Murray came through unscathed over Jurgen Melzer (3-6 6-3 6-3), and now meets 6ft 10inch Ivo Karlovic for a place in the fourth round. All the big guns moved into the third round with ease, Roger Federer looking particularly intense, as he calmly dismantled Guillermo Garcia-Lopez’s best game 6-3 6-2.

Perhaps the most interesting result so far has been the emergence (finally) of the young American Donald Young. The 18 year-old, who was heralded by the American press (and notably John McEnroe) as being their next great tennis hope, beat compatriot Bobby Reynolds, before defeating the number 32 seed Feliciano Lopez. However he now faces the toughest test of his blossoming career, as he squares off against Rafael Nadal, in what is sure to be a fascinating encounter.

3rd round matches in full:

Top Half: R.Federer (1) vs. N.Mahut; I.Ljubicic (23) vs. T.Robredo (15); A.Murray (11) vs. I.Karlovic (20); F.Verdaso (30) vs. T.Haas; N.Davydenko (4) vs. M.Fish; L.Hewitt (24) vs. M.Youzhny (18); M.Ancic vs. J.C.Ferrero (22); R.Stepanek (28 ) vs. D.Nalbandian (7)

Bottom Half:D.Ferrer (6) vs. H.Lee; M.Bagdahtis (18 ) vs. S.Wawrinka; G.Canas (16) vs. J.Monaco (21); P.Kohlschreiber (27) vs. N Djokovic (3); R.Gasquet (8 ) vs. J.Chela (28); C.Moya (19) vs. J.Blake (8); P.Mathieu (14) vs. J.Tsonga (17); D.Young vs. R.Nadal (2)

Nadal closes the gap on Federer

Thanks to his first round exit at the Dubai Open, Roger Federer can now feel Rafael Nadal breathing down his neck in the world rankings.

The Swiss master has been World No.1 for a record 215 consecutive weeks, but now finds himself only 350 points ahead of the Spaniard. The last time another player got this close to him, it was Andy Roddick back in May 2004.

At only 26 years old, Federer of course still has time on his side, but the young pretenders (Nadal, Djockovic, Berdych and even Murray) are all beginning to close the gap.

However Federer will not be easily flustered. Indian Wells is the next Masters Series event, where Nadal is the defending champion. Whilst this may mean he likes the courts, it also means that he has points to defend.

The ATP ranking system means that as Nadal won Indian Wells last year (earning him 500 points) he now needs to win it again otherwise he will drop points. For Federer however, who went out in the first round last year (only 5 points gained), he has nothing to lose and can only gain points.

For all the talk of Federer’s fading powers, it would come as no surprise if he were to win Indian Wells, and to finish another year as World No.1, with the youngsters still in his slipstream.

Roddick back in the big time

After this two weeks there can be no doubt that Andy Roddick is back to the kind of form that saw him to the US Open title in 2003.

In his debut appearance at the Dubai Open the big serving American No.1 dispatched both Rafael Nadal (7-6 6-2) and Novak Djockovic (7-6 6-3) on the way to the final of the Dubai Open. However his work was not done yet, and he still had to overcome a spirited challenge from Spaniard Feliciano Lopez (6-7 6-4 6-2) to clinch the title. Some debut.

What makes this result even more intriguing is that it came just after Roddick announced his split from coach Jimmy Connors. Connors was drafted into Team Roddick to improve both Andy’s backhand (which was becoming increasingly fragile) and also to toughen him up mentally. Connors was perfect on both fronts, having possesed the best two handed backhand of his generation, and also an iron will to win.

The official reason for the parting of ways according to Roddick was, “We did the mentor role as well as you can from a distance, but when I’m going from Australia to Austria to California to Memphis to Dubai , it becomes difficult. It was a matter of logistics as much as anything. I was happy to have spent some time with a legend.”

How fitting then, that along with his booming serve, it was Roddicks backhand and nerve that saw him through to victory in Dubai. A leaving present from the great Connors perhaps or just coincedence? My money is on Jimmy!