Wimbledon 2009 – Daily Preview (Day 1) Men’s

Federer's warm welcome to officially open the 2009 Championships was probably a mixture of affection for the five-time champion and approval for his eye-catching and stylish apparel - long trousers, jacket with the collar turned up and, underneath that, a fitted waistcoat, all in white and all discarded prior to the Swiss marching out to hold his first two service games to love.

Roger Federer justified his role as favourite to win the 2009 men's title by swatting aside the challenge of Yen-Hsun Lu from Taipei 7-5, 6-3, 6-2 on a Centre Court where, despite overcast conditions, the new roof remained open throughout.

Blake was not so lucky against Andreas Seppi. Seppi is the chap who once confessed self-depreciatingly to booking his flight home before even taking to the court against Nadal. But the Italian can bash a ball, as Blake discovered, and his 7-5, 6-4, 7-6 victory was relatively straightforward, leaving Blake to consider how his excellent run at Queen's led to this.

Verdasco, an Australian Open semi-finalist this year, spelled out the pattern of the match in the opening game, where his swashbuckling strokeplay plundered an immediate break. That was the case today when the number seven seed Fernando Verdasco saw off James Ward 6-1, 6-3, 6-4.

Fourth seed Novak Djokovic survived an endurance test against Frenchman Julien Benetteau to win through to the second round but he needed three hours and 28 minutes of concerted effort to complete the job.

Benettau, in his sixth Wimbledon, shocked Djokovic by winning a 61-minute first set but was hit by falls in the third game of the third set and the last game of the match, which did not help his cause and it allowed Djokovic to clinch victory 6-7 (10-8), 7-6 (7-5), 6-2, 6-4 on his third match point.

The new No. 2 Court witnessed a thriller as ninth seeded Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga battled through his first round match against Kazakhstan’s Andrey Golubev, a man ranked 62 places below him, in four sets, 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-5).



Robin Soderling was a star. The Swede was the first man to beat Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros and, from that fourth-round victory, he went all the way to the final. And then he lost. Now he has another shot at the fame game in SW19 after beating Gilles Muller in the first round 6-7 (7-4), 7-5, 6-1, 6-2. The 13th seed almost missed his chance, mind you, dropping the first set, but after he got his nose in front in the second, it was plain sailing.

Now he has another shot at the fame game in SW19 after beating Gilles Muller in the first round 6-7 (7-4), 7-5, 6-1, 6-2. The 13th seed almost missed his chance, mind you, dropping the first set, but after he got his nose in front in the second, it was plain sailing.

An even longer match occurred on court 18 as Feliciano Lopez became the second seed to go out of the men’s tournament, following James Blake’s earlier exit to Andreas Seppi. The Spanish No.21 seed was beaten in a marathon five- setter 1-6, 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 10-8 by Karol Beck of Slovakia in three hours, 45 minutes.


Spectators on Court 12, meanwhile, were treated to a very un-Wimbledon-like experience: the sight of a chair umpire doubling up as a bouncer when hostilities broke out between Juan Monaco and Nicholas Almagro in their epic match which ended 6-7, 6-7, 7-6, 6-4, 8-6 in the latter's favour.

Wimbledon 2009: Doubts grow for Nadal after losing to Hewitt

World No 1 and Wimbledon top seed Rafael Nadal suffered defeat and discomfort at the hands of Lleyton Hewitt on Thursday. Rafael Nadal's hopes of being able to defend his Wimbledon title suffered a significant blow on Thursday, when he struggled with knee problems during a surprise 6-4, 6-3 defeat by Australia's Lleyton Hewitt at the Hurlingham Club.



The Spaniard was still visibly discomforted by the injuries that had forced his withdrawal from the Aegon Classic at Queen's Club last week and struggled to cope with Hewitt's fierce sliced returns.

His uncle and coach, Toni Nadal, said: "The problem is that he cannot bend his knees. He was not happy out there. You saw what he was doing."

Toni explained that Nadal's team had brought over an "electro-magnetic machine" from Spain to help treatment. "But at the moment, that is not enough. We will see what happens."

"I don't know [if he will play at Wimbledon], we have to wait for Friday."

Nadal wore no strapping on his knees but he was suffering strain in both, failing to get down for low half-volleys that he would have found routine last year. He conveyed his frustration at several points to Toni Nadal, who was sitting courtside.

Nadal said nothing afterwards before speeding off for treatment but Toni made it clear that today's second exhibition match against Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka would be crucial in determining Nadal's readiness for Wimbledon.

Wimbledon 2009: Federer the man to beat says Pat Rafter

Roger Federer remains the man to beat at Wimbledon, despite "not being the player he was", says former SW19 finalist Pat Rafter. World number two Federer, fresh from a maiden triumph at the French Open, will be looking to win back the title he lost to Spain's Rafael Nadal last year.

"Federer is my tip to win but, saying that, he is not the player he was two years ago. "He is hanging in there, trying to win another Slam and he loves Wimbledon."

Coming on the back of his victory over Nadal in the final of the Madrid Open - also on clay - led some commentators to hint the Swiss is on his way back to the top of his game, having been knocked off the number one perch by his Spanish rival last year.

But two-time US Open champion Rafter insists it is only a matter of time before one of the emerging talents in the game, led by British number one Andy Murray, ends the pair's Slams supremacy.

"It's one of those things that someone will be ready sooner or later, and it will be interesting to see when that time comes for Andy”. "Whether it is this year or not, though, I'm sure somewhere in his career he'll win a couple of Grand Slams." said the 36-year-old Australian.
However, the Spaniard has struggled recently, despite winning the Australian Open in January. He lost to Federer in the final of the Madrid Open, crashed out of the French Open at the fourth-round stage to Robin Soderling - his first ever defeat at Roland Garros - before pulling out of last week's Queen's tournament with knee trouble. He has been undergoing intensive rehabilitation in a bid to be fit to defend his Wimbledon title since, but Rafter says the tournament could come around too soon for the world number one.

"We saw Rafael really struggle at the French Open - he never looked good from the get go," he said. "It will be interesting to see what his preparation is going to be like because, obviously, it will be very light; how will his knees hold up?"

"Novak Djokovic is another one who wants some sort of confirmation that he has another Grand Slam in him... but Federer is my favourite to win it at this stage."

Wimbledon 2009: Wimbledon legend John McEnroe believes Andy Murray's fitness intimidates his opponents

Murray has won six of his eight career meetings with Federer, including their last four matches, and McEnroe said that the Swiss does not like it one bit.

"The cat-and-mouse style Murray plays is something I like to see. It's a thinking man's game and he has got into Roger's head right now. He's got into Roger's head pretty good recently," McEnroe said.

"Murray's legs are thicker than I've ever seen them, his bounce around the back of the court is impressive, and he's intimidating people with his fitness, which was an issue at the start of his career. His movement is amazing when you think how tall he is. He has got more pop on his serve and he continues to befuddle guys mentally."

When McEnroe was in his prime, no one was ever left under any illusions as to what he was thinking on a tennis court, and it could be argued that the most emotional player on tour now is Federer. McEnroe raged, and Federer cries.

"It was strange to see Federer in tears after he lost the Australian Open final to Nadal," said McEnroe, a winner of three Wimbledon titles, who will be commentating for the BBC at the All England Club this year. "I had an emotional moment with him at Wimbledon last year. I was really surprised to see that happen again in Australia. That shows a vulnerability on Federer's part. In the old days, you wouldn't see that from almost anybody. I think it will bring him some support and show that he's human. That could help him when times get tough.

Still, at least Federer shed some 'happy tears' in Paris this month after winning the French Open for the first time.

Wimbledon 2009: Andy Murray and Roger Federer will be hard to beat this year at Wimbledon according to Bjorn Borg

The Spanish world number one suffered a shock fourth-round defeat to Robin Soderling at the French Open as he missed the chance for a fifth consecutive triumph on the clay of Roland Garros, and has since been troubled by knee problems.

Nevertheless, Borg - the last man before Nadal to win both the French Open and Wimbledon in the same season - feels the Spaniard will be a spent force at SW19. "Nadal is always a dangerous player because he is the best in the world - but what happened in Paris and then the injury, I am picking Murray or Federer,"

"I am sure he was very, very disappointed when he went home after Paris. That defeat took him many, many days to get over.

"Nadal is saying he has got an injury, but he has to be fit at Wimbledon if he wants to go all the way, and I do not think he will go all the way this year."
"I do not think he was ready to win Wimbledon last year, but it is a different story now. He is ready to win it this year.

"He has no weaknesses, he can play on all kinds of surfaces and I was very impressed what he did on the clay court surface. He was hitting the ball extremely well.

"Andy Murray seems to find himself on the court and knows how to behave, focus and play his game.

"He has matured a lot as a person over the last year and as a tennis player. "If you compare him now to a few years ago he is a completely different player on the court. "He is ready to win a Grand Slam tournament and is one of my favourites to win Wimbledon."Andy is physically and mentally strong, but there is going to be huge pressure - however, he can handle it if he focuses on the things he can do."

Borg added: "If not Wimbledon, he can win the US Open, but if he does not win Wimbledon this year, then he has a good chance in the years to come.

"One day, eventually, Andy Murray will win Wimbledon."

Nadal Out Of Queen's Event

The world number one, and reigning Wimbledon champion, has been advised to rest by doctors.

"I've been having problems in the past months with my knees, that's no secret," said the Spaniard. "I need to recover and get ready for Wimbledon."

"I am very disappointed to not be able to come this year to Queen's, defend the title I won last year and enjoy playing there in front of the very knowledgeable British crowds," he said.

"I am very disappointed to not be able to come this year to Queen's, defend the title I won last year and enjoy playing there in front of the very knowledgeable British crowds," he said.

AEGON CHAMPIONSHIPS, QUEEN'S CLUB

Monday 8 June
1230-2000, BBC Red Button/online
1330-1715, BBC Two/online

Tuesday 9 June
1230-2000, BBC Red Button/online
1330-1715, BBC Two/online

Wednesday 10 June
1230-2000, BBC Red Button/online
1400-1715, BBC Two/online

Thursday 11 June
1230-2000, BBC Red Button/online
1330-1715, BBC Two/online

Friday 12 June
1230-2000, BBC Red Button/online
1330-1715, BBC Two/online

Saturday 13 June
1300-1630, BBC One/online
1630-1730, BBC Two/online

Sunday 14 June
1400-1630, BBC Two/online
1630-1900, BBC Red Button/online

French Open: Day 6, 7, 8, 9 & 10 Update

Day:6 Venus Williams is out, convincingly beaten in straight sets by Agnes Szavay, while Nadal, Murray and Sharapova are all through to the fourth round.

Day:7 Novak Djokovic and Elena Dementieva were sent crashing out of the tournament, each in three sets, while Federer, Roddick, Serena and Jankovic all went through.

Day:8 Reigning champions Rafael Nadal and Ana Ivanovic have both been defeated on a historic day at Roland Garros.

Day:9 Williams, Kuznetsova, Del Potro, Stosur and Robredo are through, Roger Federer came back from two down to best Tommy Haas in a five-set thriller, Romanian teenager Sorana Cirstea ousted No5 seed Jelena Jankovic and local hero Gael Monfils defeated Andy Roddick in straight sets.

Day:10 The first day of the quarter-finals saw victories in straight sets for Cibulkova and Soderling, while Gonzalez and Safina were made to work harder for their semi-final berth.

French Open: Day 4 Update

The most spectacular moment of Andy Murray’s second-round win at Roland Garros came when he attempted to chase down one of Potito Starace’s devilishly good drop-shots, lost his footing and ended up inadvertently performing a forward-roll across Court Philippe Chatrier. A giant red smear of clay appeared on the back of his black shirt. There was also a stage when it appeared as though the red clay was going to be smeared over Murray’s French Open ambitions, as he was twice a point away from going two sets to one down.

In the end, Murray went through, but not before he had had that tumble on the clay, been bamboozled by those well-disguised drop-shots, and had lost his way in the second set and for the first half of the third set. If Murray’s tennis was decidedly average for a long period, his four-set, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 victory was anything but ordinary.

“The most important thing is that I found a way to win,” said Murray, but he will need to play a tighter match if he is to have control of events against Tipsarevic, who yesterday put out Spain’s Feliciano Lopez. Murray and Tipsarevic, the world No65, have played four times previously, but this will be their first match on clay.

Sharapova had been away from the slams for so long, because of a shoulder injury, it had almost been forgotten how she likes to mark important victories by blowing kisses at the spectators and down a television lens.

It would not have been that surprising if Sharapova, who played this tournament last year as the world No 1, but who is now ranked 102, had lost to Petrova. But Sharapova's greatest quality has always been her will to win, and that mental fortitude gave her the edge in the decider; she won 6-2, 1-6, 8-6.

In reaching the last 32, Dinara Safina has dropped just two games, as she followed up her 6-0, 6-0 win over Britain's Anne Keothavong by beating Russia's Vitalia Diatchenko 6-1, 6-1. Safina, the Russian world No 1, led 5-0 in the first set, having won her first 17 games of the tournament. Safina, the runner-up last year to Ana Ivanovic, has won her last two clay-court tournaments, in Rome and Madrid, and is in the best form of her tennis life.

Defending champion Ana Ivanovic swept into the French Open last 32 with a comprehensive 6-1, 6-2 victory over Thai veteran Tamarine Tanasugarn. The 21-year-old Serbian has experienced a disappointing 12 months since lifting her first major title at Roland Garros last summer, but she looked in tip-top condition as she engineered her passage into the third round.

Big man Marat Safin crashed out in 2nd round against unseeded Josselin Quanna 7-6(2) 7-6(4) 4-6 3-6 10-8. Marat was leading 2-0 but Qunanna died for each volley and made 2-2, and wins against Marat.

Fernando Verdasco made short work of Philipp Petzschner out on Court 2. The eighth seed is looking in fine fettle and hardly broke a sweat in a 6-1 6-2 6-3 win.

Rafael Nadal's French Open winning streak reached a record 30 consecutive matches Wednesday. Nadal already had bettered Bjorn Borg's men's mark of 28 straight victories at the clay-court Grand Slam tournament; now the Spaniard topped Chris Evert's overall record of 29, too.

Trying to become the first player with five championships in a row at Roland Garros, Nadal moved into the third round by beating 72nd-ranked Teimuraz Gabashvili of Russia 6-1, 6-4, 6-2.

French Open: Day 2 update

The sun sets over the Suzanne Lenglen court at the French Open on May 25, 2009 in Paris, France. Safina, Venus Williams, Nadal, Federer and Sharapova all went through.

Dinara Safina, 2008 runner-up who is bidding to win her maiden Grand Slam title, will now face fellow-Russiant Vitalia Diatchenko for a place in the last 32 after her 6-0 6-0 whitewash.World number 48 Keothavong became the first British woman in 26 years to reach the semifinals of a WTA clay-court event in Warsaw last week.


Third seed Venus Williams, who has never won in Paris, is also through to the second round, but the Wimbledon champion looked far from impressive in desposing of fellow-American Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-1 4-6 6-2.


Meanwhile, Maria Sharapova made a winning return to Grand Slam tennis when she came from behind to beat Belarus' Anastasiya Yakimova 3-6 6-1 6-2.


Defending champion Rafael Nadal saw off a spirited challenge from Brazil's Marcos Daniel to reach round two of the French Open with a 7-5 6-4 6-3 win.

Daniel matched Nadal stride for stride before the world number one broke at 5-5 and served out the first set. “I wasn't at my best level but it's been like that for the last four years (in the first round) and I've won in three sets, so that's a positive” Rafael said.


Nadal found it difficult to shake off his 97th-ranked opponent but edged the second set and eased through the third. Nadal, wearing a bright pink shirt, had been on the back foot for much of the first half of the match but at last he took the initiative and Daniel could not deal with the precision of the Spaniard's forehand.

Roger Federer was next on Court Philippe Chatrier and he eased past Spain's Albert Martin 6-4 6-3 6-2. "I didn't have much trouble on my service games," said the Swiss. "I mixed up my shots well to finish it off." Federer said.


Roger Federer feels he could beat reigning champion Rafael Nadal at this year's French Open in Paris, because despite winning the last four tournaments the Spaniard is "Nadal is only human."

The world number two is hoping this year will prove to be a turning point after suffering three consecutive final defeats to Nadal at Roland Garros.

"He's won four straight times here in Paris which shows how tough he is, but if you play him the right way there will be chances, he is only human and we wait for that moment when he is not at his best; hopefully that will be this year," the Swiss said.

Federer's win is another positive result to add to the good form that saw him complete his first victory over Nadal in almost two years when taking the Madrid Open title.

"I feel good, that's most important, I'm confident and feel like I can beat the best and win again.


Sixth seed Andy Roddick won a match at the French Open for the first time since 2005, serving impressively as he swept past France's Romain Jouan 6-2 6-4 6-2.

Nadal Handed Tough Path To Fifth Roland Garros Title

World number one Rafael Nadal faces a potentially treacherous task in his bid to win a fifth consecutive French Open title. The top seed, unbeaten at Roland Garros since his debut in 2005, is in the same half of the draw as Briton Andy Murray and Spanish eighth seed Fernando Verdasco who gave him a rough time in the Australian Open semi-finals.

Hewitt, battling back from hip surgery last year, and now ranked at 50 in the world, first faces 26th seed Ivo Karlovic, the giant Croatian who shocked him at Wimbledon in 2003. Claycourt specialist David Ferrer, twice a quarter-finalist, is a possible fourth round opponent with Verdasco a likely last eight rival.

Swiss second seed Roger Federer, chasing the only grand slam title to have eluded him, faces Spaniard Alberto Martin en route to a possible fourth consecutive final with Nadal, whom he beat in the Madrid Masters final earlier this month.

Federer has a possible quarter-final encounter against American sixth seed Andy Roddick, beaten in Madrid in their only claycourt meeting in 20 duels.

One of the highlights of Federer's campaign could be a semi-final with world number four Novak Djokovic of Serbia who, following a first-round match against Ecuador's Nicolas Lapentti, is looking at a quarter-final clash with Argentine Juan Martin del Potro.

Federer Gets Tips From Sampras To Regain Wimbledon Title

Tennis great Pete Sampras tipped Roger Federer Thursday to regain his Wimbledon crown from Rafael Nadal, who will be carrying extra pressure as defending champion. The American, who won Wimbledon seven times, said he sensed Federer was hungry for another title.

"It will be interesting for Rafa to come back as defending champion as before he was always just a contender, so there will be a bit more pressure on him this year," he said as he launched the Venetian Macau Showdown on Thursday. "In last year's final Roger and Rafa really transcended the sport. It's also a good opportunity for players like Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic to come through. "If I was to put money on it I would say Roger, but he's not a shoo-in."

If Federer does win Wimbledon he could equal or even beat Sampras' record 14 Grand Slam titles. The Swiss superstar currently has 13 and has a chance to make it 14 at next week's French Open, although clay is not his best surface.

Sampras will play an exhibition in Macau in October against old rival Agassi.

Roland Garros(Frech Open) begins May 24th in Paris

The Roland Garros Tournament , known throughout the world as the French Open, is underway. The warm ups and qualifiers play begins already. Officially from May 24 to June 7 tournament will be held in Paris, France.


Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal traveled on Wednesday to Paris with his sights set on a record fifth consecutive French Open title, saying he hopes he can play at his “best level”. The 22-year-old Nadal, who has never lost a match at tennis’ clay-court Grand Slam event, will play Roland Garros – which gets under way on May 24 – for the first time as world No. 1.

“If I play at my best level, I’m confident I’ll have a good result in Paris, and if that doesn’t happen, I have to take it in stride because I’ve having a really good year,” Nadal, the winner of five titles so far this season, said.


Nadal’s uncle and coach, Toni Nadal, said that just as in past years “Roland Garros will be a very difficult (challenge) and we’ll see what happens, although he’s coming in strong with good results throughout the year. There’s no additional pressure; it’s always the same. It’s clear that doubts (about Nadal’s clay-court dominance) may be raised after the win in Madrid by (Roger) Federer, who played a good match,”

“(Federer), (world No. 4 Novak) Djokovic, (world No. 3 Andy) Murray and a handful of other players can beat us and we’re aware that that can happen,” Toni Nadal said.

Will Madrid be turning point for Federer?

Roger Federer finally got some wind behind his sails and floated free of the shoals of self-doubt and a self-protective embrace of disappointment. We all know just how much that Roland Garros title means in the big picture; the French Open championship match could have a more profound impact on tennis history than any other major final. Federer has introduced a big question mark in the Roland Garros narrative, and revived the idea that he may yet win the clay-court major. If Federer wins at Roland Garros -- whether his final-round victim is Nadal or someone else -- Madrid will stand as the turning point.


The plot certainly thickened. Nadal not only enters Roland Garros on a losing streak but he also came within a point of losing to Novak Djokovic. Nevertheless, surely Federer and, to a lesser extent, Djokovic picked up considerable momentum. Who nad thought Federer's first title of 2009 would come against Nadal on clay. Novak is Nadal's half, who gave tough competition, 3 sets took almost 4 hours. Never mind Nadal's contention that the surface bears little resemblance to Paris. We're talking about one sloppy match here.

Nadal still remains the clear favorite to win still another French Open, but we should be more inclined to bet the field (the other 127 entrants). Players at least have some material evidence that he's vulnerable.

Federer Finds Hope As He Hands Rafael A Defeat On Clay

Roger Federer defeat his great rival Rafael Nadal on Sunday when he stunned the world number one 6-4, 6-4 in the Madrid Open final to win his first title of the season.

Nadal was bidding to become the first man to win all three clay court Masters events in one year after his victories in Monte Carlo and Rome but slipped to only his fifth loss on his favoured surface in 155 matches since 2005.

Federer has lost to Nadal in the final of the French Open the past three years and his victory on Sunday will boost the Swiss world number two's hopes he can win a 14th grand slam singles title at Roland Garros starting later this month.

Federer had to fend off break points in the second and sixth games of the first set but then grabbed a crucial break in game nine before serving out the set to love.

A delicate drop shot that even the athletic Spaniard could not chase down gave him another opportunity in the fifth game of the second set and Nadal netted a backhand to fall 3-2 behind.

The Swiss slipped to 15-40 when serving for the match but fought back to deuce and powered an ace down the middle on his second championship point before raising his arms in triumph.

"I thought I took all the right decisions today and in the end it looked pretty comfortable so it was a perfect win for me, I'm very, very happy that I stayed positive and I got the win I needed badly because I've had some rather bad losses this year," he added. "It's very satisfying." Federer told a news conference.


This was Federer's first title of the year, his 58th in all, and his 15th Masters, putting him level again with Nadal.

Madrid Open: Nadal and Federer meet again to decide Madrid Crown

Novak Djokovic was left searching for answers after this toughest loss to Rafael Nadal. Nadal saved three match points to complete a 3-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(9) comeback win over Djokovic to reach the Madrid Open final on Saturday.

“I had problems in the first set and some of the second. It was difficult for me to play at 100 percent. I had trouble pushing off,” said the top seed need his right leg to be heavily strapped just above the knee in the second set.

“In some points of the match I played even above my limits. And that was especially in the match points I had,” a red-eyed Djokovic said the four hour, three minute match. “It’s frustrating when you played so well and you can’t win. A couple of points decided the winner. So I’m very disappointer that I can play this well and still not win a match. The positives are I’m one point away from the victory.”



Djokovic showed he meant business after his recent losses to Nadal, earning the first break of the match in the second game off a double-fault. The Serbian third seed kept up the attack on the world number one, reaching 4-1 on his way to the early lead.

Federer smooth win 6-3, 6-4 over Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro, which finished in less time than one of Nadal and Djokovic match set.




Nadal stands a formidable 13-6 over Federer, winning five of their last six meetings including the Grand Slam finals in Paris, Wimbledon and Melbourne.

“Playing Nadal anywhere is a challenge, especially on clay. The extra factor here is that this is in Spain,” said the Swiss.

Madrid Open: Nadal to face Djokovic, Murray crashes out

Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic will meet for the third time at Madrid Open on Saturday. World number one Nadal surprisingly trailed 0-4 in the second set against Spanish rival Fernando Verdasco, the seventh seed, but king of clay stormed back for a 6-4, 7-5 win in a shade under 2 hours.

Third seed Djokovic, fighting to claw back his number 3 ranking from Scot Andy Murray, will face Nadal. The Serbian reached his fourth consecutive Masters semi-final with a 6-4,6-4 win over Croatian wild card Ivan Ljubicic.

“I thought at the moment (when he trailed 0-4) that I had to plat a bit better and get more confidence for a possible third set,” said Nadal. “I played really bad at that moment.” Nadal said he was happy to have avoided a third set.

Del Potro, who had lost all three of his previous meetings with Murray, came back from 2-5 in the first set to claim victory on a fourth match point in the ninth game of the second. Murray’s hope of celebrating his 22nd birthday with a victory were dashed by fifth seed Juan Martin Del Potro who beat Andy 7-6(7/4), 6-3 in a late-night match.

Madrid Open: Federer in Quarters, Nadal gets walkover

World number 1 Rafael Nadal got an easy walkover against Philipp Kohlschreiber was forced out of left leg injury. While No.2 Roger Federer scored 6-2 and 6-4 win over James Blake and moved to quarters of the Madrid open tennis tournament.Also in last eight were Andy Murry, won against Tommy Robredo 7-5, 6-1, and Novak Djokovic, who advanced with a 6-4, 6-4 over Andreas Seppi. And sixth seeded Andy Roddick also got walkover against Nikolay Davydenko withdrew because of left leg injury. Fernando Verdasco defeated Juan Monaco of Argentina 7-5, 6-2. Ivan Ljubicic won against Gilles Simon 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. Weather and injury is dominating Madrid Open.“A lot of tennis in the body is sometimes not the best thing but unfortunately in tennis, it happens that we have injuries,” said the Swiss, who next faces Roddick.