Sezon AD2013 - podsumowanie.

[Advantage]

ATP WORLD TOUR SEASON REVIEW
2013's First Time Winners: Part 1
Best of 2013


Nicolas Mahut won two ATP World Tour singles
titles in 2013.

Spoiler:

Eight players on the ATP World Tour earned their first titles in 2013. At the time of their victories, they ranged in age from 20 to 31. Below are stories of four of those men and how they fared for the rest of the season.

Bernard Tomic – Sydney

The 6’5” Tomic began 2013 with a bold statement, winning his first ATP World Tour title against Kevin Anderson at the Apia International Sydney. The 6-3, 6-7(2), 6-3 battle made the 20 year old the youngest player to win a title since his idol, Roger Federer, did so in Hamburg 2002 (d. Safin). "He’s an inspiration, not just to me, but to a lot of people out there," said Tomic about Federer.

After the victory, the congratulatory texts poured in ("about 35 after like two minutes"), adding to the elation of Australian. "It’s an amazing feeling and now I know what it feels like, it’s one of the greatest feelings in the world, holding a trophy and winning a title. Hopefully I can win many more."

Tomic made two other quarter-finals appearances – Marseille (l. to Tsonga) and Eastbourne (l. to Simon) – and reached the fourth round at Wimbledon (l. to Berdych). Tomic ended the season as the No. 1 Australian, at World No. 51, ahead of Lleyton Hewitt (No. 60), Marinko Matosevic (No. 61) and Matthew Ebden (No. 68).

Horacio Zeballos – Vina del Mar
Argentine Horacio Zeballos picked up his first ATP World Tour title by toppling Rafael Nadal at the VTR Open in one of the biggest upsets of 2013. Nadal looked on track to hoist the trophy in his comeback event, nary a sign of rust after an eight-month injury layoff. But Zeballos would take down the 11-time Grand Slam champion for his maiden title and his first win against a Top 10 player.

“It's a dream for me,” said Zeballos. “To be able to play a final against Nadal was already good enough for me. It's a moment that will stay in my memory for the rest of my life.”

Then 27 years old, Zeballos joined an elite group with his 6-7(2), 7-6(6), 6-4 victory; Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic are the only other players to beat Nadal in a clay-court final.

Zeballos would go on to reach the quarter-finals in Acapulco and Umag and bookend his 2013 season with titles on the ATP Challenger Tour from Sao Paulo and Lima. In doubles, Zeballos partned with Uruguay’s Pablo Cuevas to reach the semi-finals at Roland Garros (l. to Llodra/Mahut).

Lukas Rosol – Bucharest
The player who famously ousted Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon in 2012 won his maiden title at the BRD Nastase Tiriac Trophy in Bucharest. The 27-year-old Lukas Rosol beat Spain’s Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-3, 6-2 and dedicated this career milestone to his father, who had passed away 10 days prior.

“I wanted to dedicate this trophy to someone, so I found the energy,” said Rosol. “I felt somebody was helping me from up top. It’s not just about me. My family has always supported me and my tennis. I felt match after match, my dream was coming true."

Rosol reached a career-high No. 33 in the Emirates ATP Rankings in May and finished the year at No. 47 as the third-ranked Czech behind Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek. Rosol’s 2013 also included a semi-final appearance in Vienna (l. to Haas) and quarter-finals in Zagreb (l. to Melzer) and St. Petersburg (l. to Przysiezny).

Rosol won rubbers in the Czech Republic’s Davis Cup quarter-final tie against Kazakhstan, contributing to the team's defence of their World Group trophy. He also earned his second doubles crown, with Romania’s Florin Mergea, at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna.

Nicolas Mahut - 's-Hertogenbosch
Frenchman Nicolas Mahut is one of two players over 30 years of age to win their first ATP World Tour titles in 2013 (the other: Carlos Berlocq). The 31-year-old Mahut downed Stanislas Wawrinka 6-3, 6-4 at the Topshelf Open in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, capping off a week-long run during which the 6’3” Angers native won 46 of 47 service games.

"It had been my goal for a long time to win a title. Six months ago I didn’t know if I would be able to play professional tennis again and here I am with the trophy," said Mahut, referring to the knee injury that sidelined his career. "I worked hard to get here and it means a lot to me."

This was Mahut’s third appearance in a final, with the other two coming in 2007, also on grass. Mahut was the second qualifier in 2013 to win an ATP World Tour title (Ernests Gulbis won Delray Beach). At No. 240, Mahut was the lowest-ranked player to triumph since World No. 244 Kei Nishikori at Delray Beach in March 2008.

Mahut went on to win another singles title, the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships in Newport, beating Lleyton Hewitt 5-7, 7-5, 6-3.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis ... Rosol.aspx

[Advantage]

ATP WORLD TOUR SEASON REVIEW
2013's First Time Winners: Part 2
Best of 2013


Fabio Fognini earned his first ATP World Tour
title in Stuttgart.

Spoiler:

Eight players on the ATP World Tour earned their first titles in 2013. At the time of their victories, they ranged in age from 20 to 31. Below are stories of four of those men and how they fared for the rest of the season.

Carlos Berlocq – Bastad
Argentine Carlos Berlocq became the fifth first-time winner of an ATP World Tour title in 2013 after he beat Spain's Fernando Verdasco 7-5, 6-1 to take the SkiStar Swedish Open. The victory in Bastad, which took one hour and 38 minutes, also made Berlocq the ninth 30-and-over winner of the season.

“Experience helps a lot to win an ATP World Tour title,” said Berlocq. “After so many years of competition and playing at this level, you just need the right time to make it... I think perseverance helps. I went through hard times, but I kept working hard and finally I did it. You have to never give up. It was my dream week.”

Berlocq sits with three of his countrymen in the winners’ circle for 2013: Juan Martin del Potro (Rotterdam, Washington, Tokyo, Basel), Juan Monaco (Dusseldorf) and Horacio Zeballos (Vina del Mar).

Fabio Fognini – Stuttgart
Fabio Fognini captured his first ATP World Tour title at the MercedesCup with a 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 win over Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber. This was the Italian's third appearance in a final. Fognini held on in the match that lasted two hours and seven minutes. "I just thought about my serve and playing solid. This gave me a lot of confidence," said the 26 year old. "I will never forget my first title.

“My family is my greatest supporters. My father, mother, sister and now my girlfriend, thanks for everyone. Thanks to my coach [Jose Perlas] and physio, who have worked hard with me over the past two years.”

Winning €74,000 in prize money and a brand new white Mercedes-Benz A 45 AMG, ‘Edition 1’ car was not enough for Fognini, who went on to take another title, in Hamburg, and then reached the Umag final (l. to Robredo) - all in consecutive weeks. The 13-match winning streak helped the Italian finish the year as No. 16 in the Emirates ATP Rankings.

Joao Sousa – Kuala Lumpur
Joao Sousa became the first Portuguese player to win an ATP World Tour singles title after beating Julien Benneteau 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 at the Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur. Sousa saved a match point while serving at 30-40, trailing 2-6, 4-5.

Sousa's breakthrough week also included upsets of top seed David Ferrer in the quarter-finals and fourth seed Jurgen Melzer in the semi-finals.

"It’s just a dream come true. It’s just amazing winning," said Sousa. "Winning an ATP World Tour title is one of my dreams. Actually I’m the first Portuguese player to win one. It’s good for me and good for my country. People can start to know Portuguese tennis and I think that’s great."

Sousa reached a career-high No. 47 in the Emirates ATP Rankings in the weeks after this victory. He finished the season in the 49th position and as the highest-ranked Portuguese player.

Grigor Dimitrov – Stockholm
The eighth and final first-time winner of the 2013 season emerged at the If Stockholm Open when Grigor Dimitrov stunned Spain's David Ferrer 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the final. Dimitrov became the first Bulgarian to win an ATP World Tour title in the Open Era.

“[The title is] big not only for me but also for the country,” said Dimitrov after the match. “They need to see that everyone can succeed. I am happy that I could achieve something like that. I hope that people in Bulgaria appreciate [my win] and that it's going to motivate little kids and people in the clubs to work harder.”

Dimitrov credited some of his success to a partnership with coach Roger Rasheed that began just before the event. “[He was] doing a lot of things for me,” said Dimitrov. “I think that when you are really organised and have good structure around you, it helps a lot.”

The 22 year old also reached the final in Brisbane (l. to Murray), the semi-finals in Rotterdam (l. to del Potro) and Bastad (l. to Verdasco).

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis ... itrov.aspx

[Advantage]

ATP WORLD TOUR SEASON REVIEW
2013 In Review: ATP Heritage Programme
Best Of 2013


Past and present champions shared the stage in
New York at the No. 1 Celebration.

Spoiler:

Thanks to the vision of the late ATP Executive Chairman & President, Brad Drewett, the ATP Heritage Programme was born in February 2013. Marking 40 years of the Emirates ATP Rankings, the ATP Heritage Programme celebrates a remarkable journey taken by players, tournaments and fans since 1973.

A special commemorative coffee table book was published by the ATP during Wimbledon, celebrating all the year-end ATP World Tour No. 1s over the past 40 years. The unique celebratory book, entitled ‘No. 1’, featured exclusive interviews with No. 1s past and present, as well as never-seen-before photography over the past 40 years.

The protagonists then shared the same stage in New York at the No. 1 Celebration gala on the eve of the US Open. Champions paid tribute to generations past and present as an unprecedented gathering of No. 1s took place.

Ilie Nastase, who became the first ATP World No. 1 on 23 August 1973, was present to be honoured on the night, along with successors John Newcombe, Jimmy Connors, Bjorn Borg, John McEnroe, Ivan Lendl, Mats Wilander, Stefan Edberg, Jim Courier, Marcelo Rios, Carlos Moya, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Gustavo Kuerten, Lleyton Hewitt, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Andy Roddick, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. The four decades' worth of No. 1s shared a stage - and some fond memories as well.

The evening also included a tribute to Drewett, who had passed away in May following a battle with Motor Neurone Disease.

Federer thanked those that came before him, like childhood idol Edberg. "It was important for me to have someone to look up to," said Federer, the record-holder for most weeks at No. 1. ''I know there's been a huge sacrifice at the players' level, just this generation and the players sitting here tonight, and even before that. We've put such huge effort in the game, and that's a platform we can enjoy today.''

As part of the ATP Heritage Programme, ATP WorldTour.com marked historic anniversaries throughout the 2013 season.

The Rankings That Changed Tennis
The 23rd August marked the 40th anniversary of the Emirates ATP Rankings. After quickly earning legitimacy and credibility, the rankings have become an indispensable part of tennis accepted universally by players, tournaments and fans.

The Tour Born In A Parking Lot
Few tennis media conferences have resonated like 'The Parking Lot Press Conference', held 25 years ago on 30 August 1988, a seminal moment in ATP history. With the ATP logo hastily duct-taped to the podium, a rented PA system and a parking lot for a venue, the 1988 press conference that crystalised momentum for the birth of the ATP Tour could be called 'no frills' at best.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis ... ramme.aspx

[jaccol55]

Best Off-Court Moments: No. 1 Celebration; Nadal & Djokovic On Ice


Ross Hutchins announced his remission from cancer
after undergoing six months of treatment.

Rally Against Cancer
Ross Hutchins learnt last Christmas that he had Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, revealing the news in the opening week of the 2013 season after Andy Murray dedicated his Brisbane triumph to him. The next six months, he underwent treatment at The Royal Marsden. He also used his diagnosis to raise £177,000 for the world-leading cancer centre, bringing together players and celebrities for the “Rally Against Cancer” at the Aegon Championships.

A month after the charity exhibition, Hutchins took to Twitter to share good news. “Was a big day today,met my Oncologist and I am now in remission So grateful to fantastic Professor Cunningham and his team @royalmarsden”

Birthday Suit
John Isner worked up his courage to appear in the buff for ESPN The Magazine’s Body Issue, which annually celebrates the physique of athletes. The American had turned down ESPN’s offer to appear in last year’s issue, before agreeing to be photographed sans clothing on the tennis court of Palm Springs.

“This is something I never would've imagined myself doing,” said Isner. “Tennis players aren't jacked like football players, but we are certainly in good shape, and if my photo shows that in any way, that will be good.”

The photograph didn’t just appear in the magazine, but also on t-shirts made and worn by Isner’s grandfather and his friends.

Home Swiss Home



Back at home for the Credit Agricole Suisse Open Gstaad, Stanislas Wawrinka and Roger Federer both enjoyed a bit of what the Swiss Alps have to offer.

Wawrinka took in the sights from high above, taking a parachute jump in the Bernese mountains. “It was a great experience,” he said. “Of course, you get very nervous just before jumping off the plane but once you are in the air it’s a great feeling.”

Federer tried out the sport of flag throwing, a traditional activity in the Alps, and was also presented with a cow named Desiree from tournament organisers. “She won’t be in my trophy room, that’s for sure,” he quipped.

No. 1 Celebration
“I’m like a little boy here,” said Roger Federer, as the ATP commemorated the 40th anniversary of the Emirates ATP Rankings with an unprecedented gathering of World No. 1s. From Ilie Nastase to Novak Djokovic, 19 legends shared the stage at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York and spoke about reaching the pinnacle of the sport.

“Growing up, in early childhood, you are inspired to show that love and appreciation and passion towards the sport, and of course there is this big drive - waking up every morning, working so hard, developing skills - to be No. 1 in the world,” said Djokovic. “Not many players have achieved that and to sit with fellow champions... I’m really honoured to be here.”

The evening also included a tribute to former ATP Executive Chairman and President Brad Drewett, who established the ATP Heritage programme before passing away in May following a battle with Motor Neurone Disease. “It means a lot for me to be here and to be honouring Brad's legacy,” said Lleyton Hewitt.

The Proposal



In his 100th week at No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, Novak Djokovic popped the question to long-time girlfriend Jelena Ristic. The Serbian first announced their engagement on Facebook, posting, “Getting used to introducing Jelena as my fiancé and future wife So happy!” A few minutes later, he Tweeted, “Meet my fiancé and future wife So happy! Thank you for wonderful wishes #NoleFam and friends! http://say.ly/fWF6P6R”

Djokovic, who hasn’t lost a match since getting engaged in late September, elaborated on his proposal ahead of the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. “It’s an incredible experience. Throughout my life I’ve played many big matches in front of 20,000 people and fighting for many Grand Slam trophies and with high adrenaline and excitement, but this is still something I haven’t experienced in my life and I’m just glad.”

Royal Honour



Judy Murray had reason to shed tears this year - not only at The All England Club, where she watched her youngest son win the Wimbledon singles title, but also at Buckingham Palace, where he was presented an OBE (Officer of Order of British Empire). “Yes, I cried. #OBE,” she Tweeted, sharing a picture of Andy with his medal.

Andy Murray received his OBE, for services to tennis, at His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge’s first investiture ceremony. The Scot was awarded the honour in the New Year Honours’ List last December in recognition of his triumphs at the US Open and London Olympics. “It was good fun,” he said of his day at the palace. “I went with my parents, my girlfriend, met a lot of very interesting people.”

A Game Of Inches
Ivo Karlovic refused to give up his distinction as the tallest player in the history of the ATP World Tour, re-assessing his height after John Isner matched him at 6’10” this summer. “Due to the recent increase in John Isner’s height, I had to double check mine. And what do you know?!! Your boy is 6’11! #tennismakesyougrow”, Karlovic Tweeted.

The Croat confirmed the stat at the Kremlin Cup in Moscow, where a team of five people completed the measurement. “Don’t know when I grew. Maybe they stretched me in the hospital,” joked Karlovic, who was hospitalised due to a case of viral meningitis in March.

(N)Ice Court



After six meetings this season, including the championship match of the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic concluded 2013 on a court in icy Patagonia. The rivals took in the breathtaking landscape in front of the Perito Moreno Glacier, a four-mile thick mass of ice, as they had a hit aboard a barge in an event dubbed “Tennis on Ancient Ice”.

“My parents suggested I visit the glacier,” said Nadal, who Tweeted, “I've just been in one of the most spectacular places that I’ve ever seen before, the PeritoMoreno! Really amazing!” Djokovic concurred. “I never thought I would find a place this wonderful.”

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis ... art-2.aspx

[Saboteur]

ATP WORLD TOUR SEASON REVIEW
BEST YOUNG GUNS IN 2013
Best Of 2013

ATPWorldTour.com profiles the best young players of the 2013 season - Top 100 players aged 22 and under and teenagers in the Top 200 - listed by their year-end Emirates ATP Ranking.

Milos Raonic, No. 11 (22 years, 11 months)
Milos Raonic led the way for the young guns in 2013, becoming the first player born in the 1990s - and also the first Canadian - to rank inside the Top 10. He ensured his place in the ATP’s elite this past August when he defeated countryman Vasek Pospisil to reach his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final at the Coupe Rogers.

“To be able to do it here in Montréal is pretty amazing. For me it's a very special day to at least get to a goal I set for myself earlier this year,” said Raonic, who had begun the season at No. 13 in the Emirates ATP Rankings.

For the second year in a row, Raonic won a personal-best 45 matches and collected a pair of titles. He successfully defended his San Jose crown in February with victory over Tommy Haas in the final, and posted consecutive Top 10 victories over Richard Gasquet and Tomas Berdych to win Bangkok in September. He also reached the final in Tokyo and fourth round at the Australian Open and US Open.

He stayed in the running for a Barclays ATP World Tour Finals berth in the final week of the season, and went to London as an alternate. “I see how close I came,” said Raonic, Sportsnet’s 2013 Canadian Athlete of the Year. “I know I can improve a lot more.”

Grigor Dimitrov, No. 23 (22 years, 7 months)
Grigor Dimitrov set a goal of reaching the Top 20 of the Emirates ATP Rankings in 2013, and came awfully close. He climbed from No. 48 to a high of No. 22 in October, when he made history as the first Bulgarian to win an ATP World Tour title. The 22 year old rallied from a set down to upset a No. 3-ranked David Ferrer in the If Stockholm Open final, and said afterwards, “That’s big not only for me but also for the country. They need to see that everyone can succeed.”

Dimitrov made waves from the opening week of the season. He knocked off Milos Raonic, Jurgen Melzer and Marcos Baghdatis in succession to advance to his first tour-level final in Brisbane, finishing runner-up to Andy Murray.

In between Brisbane and Stockholm, Dimitrov continued to make headlines. He reached his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 quarter-final in Monte-Carlo, where he took the opening set off eight-time champion Rafael Nadal before falling in three. He then scored his biggest career win when he stunned World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the second round of the Mutua Madrid Open, a match that spanned three hours and five minutes. “Of course this has been what I've been working for, to play matches like that, and why not win them?” he said.

Bernard Tomic, No. 51 (21 years, 1 month)
TomicBernard Tomic began 2013 in the best possible way, thrilling his fellow Aussies by winning the Apia International Sydney on the eve of the Australian Open. “It's an amazing feeling,” said Tomic, who at 20 years of age would finish as the youngest winner of the season. “It’s my first title, and I know I’ll win a lot more if I keep this attitude up.”

Tomic reached two other quarter-finals in 2013, in Marseille and Eastbourne, and once again made his mark at Wimbledon, where he reached the Round of 16 for the second time in three years. He opened with a five-set win over a 19th-ranked Sam Querrey, beat former World No. 4 James Blake and then upset World No. 9 Richard Gasquet before falling to Tomas Berdych. He also helped lift Australia back into the 2014 Davis Cup World Group with a 4-0 record in singles play.

His efforts helped him finish as his country’s top player, at No. 51 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, for a second time.

Pablo Carreno Busta, No. 65 (22 years, 5 months)
Pablo Carrero Busta dropped outside the Top 700 of the Emirates ATP Rankings after a seven-month injury lay-off in 2012, but soared into the Top 70 in 2013, earning him the distinction of Most Improved Player of the Year in the ATP World Tour Awards presented by Moet & Chandon.

The Spaniard shined on all three levels of men’s professional tennis. He was invincible on the Futures circuit, winning seven titles and 35 matches in succession. On the ATP Challenger Tour, he put together a 15-match winning streak and a 4-0 mark in finals. After recording his first ATP World Tour win in Casablanca, he strung together six straight wins in qualifying and reached the semi-finals in Oeiras. He also qualified for his first Grand Slam tournament at Roland Garros.

Carreno Busta broke into the Top 100 in August and had reached a career-high No. 65 by November, when he was recognised in an on-court ceremony at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. “I could never have imagined this,” the 22 year old said of his success. “It was an incredible season, winning seven Futures titles. I improved my tennis and my [Emirates ATP] Ranking and I would love to be here next year at The O2.

Jiri Vesely, No. 84 (20 years, 5 months)
VeselyThe ATP World Tour Awards presented by Moet & Chandon introduced a new category this year: ATP Star of Tomorrow presented by Emirates, awarded to the youngest player in the year-end Top 100. The distinction went to the Czech Republic’s Jiri Vesely, who finished at No. 84 in the Emirates ATP Rankings.

“I started the year No. 263; I never expected to make the Top 100,” admitted Vesely, who broke through on 8 July, two days before his 20th birthday. The 6’6” left-hander made his tour-level main draw debut as a qualifier at Roland Garros and captured three ATP Challenger Tour titles from five finals, contributing to his rise to a career-high No. 78 by August.

At the top of Vesely’s priority list for 2014 will be recording his first tour-level win. He opens the year at the Aircel Chennai Open.

Nick Kyrgios, No. 186 (18 years, 7 months)
Winning the boys’ single title on home soil would be the pinnacle of the year for most teens, but not Australia’s Nick Kyrgios. For the Canberra native, it paled in comparison to his first-round win at Roland Garros.

Kyrgios entered the main draw as a late replacement for injured countryman John Millman, a wild card recipient, and in his tour-level debut, upset former World No. 8 Radek Stepanek in three tie-break sets. “It felt about ten times better than the championship point at junior Australian Open,” he said. Later that night, he wrote in a post on his official website, “I am so excited to get my first Grand Slam win under my belt against such an accomplished and successful warrior as Radek Stepanek, it really does feel great and although I knew I had a chance, I wasn’t expecting to go out there and win.”

The 6’4” Australian also won his first ATP Challenger Tour title in Sydney, two months before his 18th birthday, and qualified for the US Open. He finished the season as the youngest player in the Top 200, reaching a high of No. 177 in October.

Lucas Pouille, No. 192 (19 years, 9 months)
PouilleFrenchman Lucas Pouille joined Kyrgios as the only teenagers in the year-end Top 200, finishing at No. 192 in the Emirates ATP Rankings.

After competing predominantly on the Futures circuit in 2012, Pouille got his first taste of playing on the ATP World Tour in February at the indoor hard-court tournaments in Montpellier and Marseille. His first tour-level win came a few months later. With 30 family members and friends supporting him from the stands on his Grand Slam debut at Roland Garros, Pouille clinched a straight-sets win over Alez Kuznetsov.

“When I ended the match I was just on Cloud 9,” he said. “But if that was the case, it was because people believed in me, believed I could go into the second round. So I’m very proud to win here, to go into the next round.”

Pouille lost to Dimitrov in the second round, but the next week qualified for the grass-court tournament in ‘s-Hertogenbosch. He broke into the Top 200 in October after reaching the semi-finals of the Kazan Challenger.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis ... -Guns.aspx

[DUN I LOVE]

Our 2013 tennis tantrums of the year
http://espn.go.com/blog/espntennis/post ... f-the-year

[Rroggerr]

Tak jak nasza Agnieszka, Dimitrow dostał nagrodę shot-makera sezonu - chyba zasłużenie, bo rzeczywiście można kojarzyć Griszę z bardzo efektownymi zagraniami. Osobiście jego tenis bardzo lubię (młody, jednoręczny backhand, ładny tenis - czego chcieć więcej?), ale szczerze jak jego talent jest demonizowany, tak i nieszczególnie potrafię go utożsamiać, jak wielu to robi, z ofensywnym tenisem.

Okej, ma bardzo dobry serwis i świetny forehand - bardzo poprawił krycie kortu i ładnie pozycjonuje przeciwników, nie ma problemów z wolejem (choć nie gra go wcale bardzo dobrze) i smeczem. Ale te jego najlepsze mecze i turnieje w tym roku - Brisbane i Sztokholm, to wcale nie ofensywny tenis, a regularne przebijanie, jak z Baghdatisem, czy ewidentne oddanie pola popełniającemu błąd na błędzie przeciwnikowi jak Paire. Fajne wyniki, które cieszyły, ale to były wymęczone zwycięstwa i tenis bez pazura, na tle przeciwników co najwyżej solidnych. Dlatego duże nadzieje wiązałbym z Rasheedem - Dimitrow ma duże pole, żeby wzmocnić się fizycznie, a kto, jak kto, ale właśnie Rasheed powinien mu mocno w tym pomóc. Liczę, że nie tylko kondycja, ale i sam tenis nabierze na charakterze - bo jak dotychczas średnio co drugi mecz Dimitrowa nakazuje mi zgodzić się ze słowami Wilandera.

[grzes430]

ATP WORLD TOUR SEASON REVIEW
BEST OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN 2013
Best Of 2013
http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis ... Media.aspx

[Jacuszyn]

Dominacja Nadala, historyczny Murray, polski Wimbledon - ATP 2013 w pigułce

Spoiler:

Dominacja Nadala, historyczny Murray, polski Wimbledon - ATP 2013 w pigułce



Miniony sezon należał bezsprzecznie do Rafaela Nadala, ale zostanie zapamiętany nie tylko ze względu na hegemonię Hiszpana. Przedstawiamy najważniejsze wydarzenia 2013 roku w rozgrywkach ATP.
Dominacja (prawie) absolutna Nadala

Sezon 2013 zaczął się dla Rafaela Nadala później niż dla pozostałych tenisistów. Hiszpan ponad pół roku leczył poważną kontuzję kolana, a nie brakowało opinii wieszczących, że już nigdy nie wróci do optymalnej dyspozycji. Sezon zainaugurował 6 lutego malutkim turniejem w chilijskim Vina del Mar, w którym doszedł do finału. Następnie triumfował w dwóch kolejnych imprezach: w Sao Paulo i Acapulco. Po podboju latynoskiej mączki przyszedł czas na poważniejsze wyzwania. Pierwszym było Indian Wells. Jeżeli ktoś miał wątpliwości co do formy Rafy, to po tym turnieju już ich się wyzbył. Hiszpan wygrał, w drodze po triumf pokonując natchnionego Gulbisa, miażdżąc Federera, a w finale po niesamowitym boju ogrywając Del Potro. Mączka od zawsze była królestwem Rafy i tak też było w tym roku. Wprawdzie abdykował w Monte Carlo, gdzie w finale pokonał go Djoković, ale wygrał Rzym, Madryt i po raz ósmy w karierze wielkoszlemowy Roland Garros. Porażka w I rundzie Wimbledonu była jedyną wpadką Nadala. Odbił to sobie z nawiązką w Ameryce Północnej, zwyciężając w Montrealu, Cincinnati i w wielkoszlemowym US Open, za co zainkasował największą pojedynczą premię w historii tenisa (3,6 mln dolarów). W końcówce sezonu nieco spuścił z tonu. Dochodząc do finału w Pekinie został liderem rankingu ATP (pierwszy raz od dwóch lat), ale nie triumfował już w żadnym turnieju i dwukrotnie uległ Djokoviciowi. Dla Majorkanina był to wyjątkowy rok. Przegrał ledwie siedem meczów, wygrał dziesięć turniejów, w tym dwa wielkoszlemowe i powrócił na fotel lidera rankingu. Czego chcieć więcej? - Przede wszystkim zdrowia - mówi Rafa.



Zmierzch Federera

"Maestro", "Tenisista wszech czasów", "Geniusz z Bazylei" przez całe lata dominacji Rogera Federera powstało wiele zwrotów określających klasę i kunszt Szwajcara. Jednak o sezonie 2013 Federer musi jak najszybciej zapomnieć. Po raz pierwszy od 2002 roku bazylejczyk nie zagrał w finale turnieju wielkoszlemowego, wygrał ledwie jeden turniej (w Halle, o randze ATP World Tour 250), a w rankingu ATP spadł nawet na siódme miejsce. Federer, niegdyś nieosiągalny geniusz dla pozostałych rywali, stał się łatwą zdobyczą dla mniej znanych tenisistów. W minionym sezonie do skóry Szwajcara dobrali się nie tylko Julien Benneteau (drugi raz na siedem konfrontacji) czy Tommy Robredo (wygrywając w US Open pierwszy raz w 11. meczu przeciw Szwajcarowi), ale także gracze dla wielu anonimowi, jak choćby: Federico Delbonis, Serhij Stachowski i Daniel Brands. 17-krotny mistrz wielkoszlemowy zmagał się nie tylko ze słabą formą, ale i z kontuzją pleców. Na nic zdały się również eksperymenty z nową rakietą z większą główką, która testował w lipcu. Wśród coraz częściej pojawiających się głosów o sportowej agonii Federera, przebija się jeden - jego samego, który wciąż twierdzi, że stać go na kolejny triumf w Wielkim Szlemie.

Trzy wielkie rywalizacje, każda na innym etapie

Tenis, jak każda inna dyscyplina sportu, potrzebuje wielkich rywalizacji, które napędzają koniunkturę. Przez poprzednie lata tym kołem ponaglającym tryby tej całej skomplikowanej machiny, jaką jest cykl ATP World Tour, była rywalizacja Rafaela Nadala z Rogerem Federerem. Niestety w tym roku starcia pomiędzy dla wielu najlepszymi tenisistami w historii przypominały tani spektakl, wyjęty spod z ręki niezbyt utalentowanego reżysera, w którym geriatryczny staruszek (w tej "roli" Federer) jest bezradny wobec niszczycielskiej siły despoty. Hiszpan ze Szwajcarem zmierzyli się w tym roku czterokrotnie. W Indian Wells Federer zdobył sześć gemów. W Rzymie Szwajcar został zniszczony, ugrywając ledwie cztery gemy. W Cincinnati Nadal przetrwał trudne chwile, odwracając losy meczu i wygrywając w trzech setach. Na koniec Majorkanin podbił ostatni bastion swojego wielkiego rywala, wygrywając z nim w londyńskim Masters, zarazem po raz pierwszy pokonując Federera w Finałach ATP World Tour i na korcie w hali.
W zupełnie innym punkcie są boje Nadala z Djokoviciem. Hiszpan i Serb zapisali już 38 aktów swej rywalizacji, co jest rekordem Ery Otwartej. W tym roku grali przeciw sobie sześciokrotnie. Trzy razy wygrał Hiszpan (Roland Garros, Montreal i US Open), a Serb triumfował w Monte Carlo, Pekinie i Finałach ATP World Tour. Djoković pierwszy raz pokonał Nadala w Monte Carlo, ale wciąż marzy, by dobrać się mu do skóry w paryskiej lewie Wielkiego Szlema.
Fantastyczne tegoroczne pojedynki Djokovicia z Juanem Martínem del Potro sprawiły, że zaczęto mówić o zalążku kolejnej wielkiej rywalizacji we współczesnym ATP - właśnie pomiędzy tą dwójką. Serb z Argentyńczykiem zmierzyli się w tym sezonie czterokrotnie, a trzy starcia były wielkimi widowiskami. Półfinały Indian Wells i Wimbledonu oraz finał Szanghaju mogły zadowolić każdego, nawet najbardziej wymagającego fana białego sportu. Czas pokaże czy boje mistrza defensywy, jakim jest Djoković, z Del Potro, stawiającym na atak i dysponującym nadludzką siłą w forhendzie, staną się rywalizacją godną zapisania w annałach historii.
Wspominając boje największych, warto zauważyć nieobecność w tym gronie Andy'ego Murraya. Szkot w 2013 roku tylko jeden raz mierzył się z Federerem i Del Potro, dwukrotnie z Djokoviciem, zaś ani razu nie stanął naprzeciw Nadala.

Biało-czerwony kolor wimbledońskiej trawy

Na przełomie czerwca i lipca w Wimbledonie, miejscu nazywanym mekką tenisa, dzięki trzem muszkieterom polski tenis przeżywał swoje wielkie chwile. Michał Przysiężny, Łukasz Kubot, a przede wszystkim Jerzy Janowicz zapisali się złotą czcionką w annałach polskiego białego sportu. Przysiężny odpadł już w II rundzie, lecz Kubot i Janowicz nie zwalniając tempa, odsyłali z kwitkiem kolejnych rywali, aż w końcu stanęli naprzeciw siebie w ćwierćfinale. Historyczny dla naszego tenisa bój na korcie nr 1 Wimbledonu wygrał łodzianin i stał się pierwszym polskim tenisistą, który dostąpił zaszczytu gry o finał wielkoszlemowy. W półfinale 23-latek z Łodzi wprawdzie przegrał z późniejszym mistrzem całej imprezy, Andym Murrayem, ale pozostawił po sobie znakomite wrażenie, wzbudzając ogromny podziw i uznanie światowych ekspertów oraz kibiców.



Historyczny Murray

- Będę kibicował wszystkim, tylko nie Anglikom -wypalił w trakcie piłkarskich mistrzostw świata w 2006 roku. Anglicy, hołdujący swojej wyższości nad pozostałymi nacjami tworzącymi wraz z nimi Zjednoczone Królestwo, długo nie mogli się przekonać do charakteru tego czupurnego Szkota i jego mamy, Judy. Jednocześnie, gdy tylko Andy Murray pojawił się w zawodowych rozgrywkach, od razu został okrzykniętym tym, który przerwie klątwę. Tym, który wygra Wimbledon. W 2013 roku w końcu tego dokonał. Został pierwszym od 77 lat i sukcesu Freda Perry'ego brytyjskim triumfatorem The Championships. Droga po tytuł nie była łatwa. W ćwierćfinale Murray wygrzebał się ze stanu 0-2 w setach z Fernando Verdasco. W półfinale do najwyższego wysiłku zmusił go Janowicz. Ale Szkot przezwyciężył wszystkie trudności i pokonując w finale Djokovicia, dokładnie 7 lipca 2013 roku o godz. 18:24, ziścił marzenie swoje i milionów rodaków.

Lipcowe podboje szalonego Fabio

Człowiek-zagadka. Tenisista sprawiający wrażenie, jakby kompletnie nie zależało mu na tym co dzieje się na korcie, wykonujący poszczególne uderzenia niemal nie uginając kolan. Dodatkowo frustrat, któremu nigdy nie wiadomo, co w danym momencie przyjdzie do głowy. Jednak Fabio Fognini miał w tym roku swoje wielkie momenty. Włoch w lipcu zanotował serię znakomitych turniejów na ceglanej mączce. Wygrał w Stuttgarcie i w Hamburgu, a zwycięską passę przerwał dopiero Tommy Robredo w finale w Umagu. Fognini w ciągu trzech tygodni triumfował w dwóch turniejach, w trzecim dotarł do finału. Zwyciężył w kolejnych 13 pojedynkach i dumnie wkroczył do grona 20 najlepszych tenisistów globu.

Życiowy sezon hiszpańskiego Pitbulla

W wieku 31 lat David Ferrer osiągnął życiową formę. Hiszpan od wielu sezonów należał do szerokiej światowej czołówki, ale 2013 rok był bez wątpienia najlepszy w jego karierze. Ferrer wspiął się w rankingu na trzecią pozycję, wygrał dwa turnieje (Auckland i Buenos Aires), nie notował poważniejszych wpadek, w niemal każdej imprezie dochodząc do rozstrzygających faz. Z początkiem czerwca spełnił swoje największe marzenie - na kortach im. Rolanda Garrosa doszedł do pierwszego w karierze finału wielkoszlemowego. Nader skromny, na każdym kroku podkreślający, że wszystko zawdzięcza najbliższym i ciężkiej pracy, którą wykonuje, po porażce w paryskim finale z Rafaelem Nadalem przyznał, że... musi jeszcze mocniej pracować nad sobą. Ot, cały Ferrer. Tenisista nieobdarzony wielkim talentem, ale poświęcający się tytanicznej pracy.

Więcej: http://www.sportowefakty.pl/tenis/40515 ... -w-pigulce