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Posts Tagged ‘Pacific Life Open’
Tue, April 22, 2008 7:44 pm By James Coolridge  Printer friendly version
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 Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic will face off in a much-anticipated rematch at the $3.6 million Pacific Life Open after both players advanced to the semifinals on Thursday.
The 21-year-old Spaniard owns a 6-2 edge in the all-time series against the 2008 Australian Open champion and will face Djokovic for the seventh time since their encounter here in 2007.Nadal needed just over two hours to move on, posting his first victory in four career matches against Blake.
The world No. 2 struggled against Blake’s serve, winning just 23 percent (10-of-43) of first-return points. However, Nadal stepped up when necessary, breaking Blake’s serve on three occasions while saving 6-of-8 break points. With the loss, Blake, who was ousted in the final here by world No. 1 Roger Federer in 2006, fell to 30-9 lifetime against lefthanded players.
Meanwhile, Djokovic continued his stellar play against Wawrinka and has yet to lose a set in four matches here. Djokovic blasted seven aces and won 74 percent (32-of-43) of first-serve points - including all 15 in the second set - against Wawrinka.
The 22-year-old Wawrinka, who managed to save 10-of-15 break points during the two-hour match, fell to 3-2 in the all-time series against Djokovic but was not disappointed with his performance. The first prize is $555,000.
Tags : Djokovic, Nadal, Tennis, Pacific Life Open
Sat, March 29, 2008 10:39 am By James Coolridge
 Marat Safin does not seem to be having a good year. Fans of the ‘star’ are very disappointed with his performance. To think he was world number one at one time. Safin was defeated and has an early exit from the Pacific Life Open. Safin exits on Friday after suffering a 7-6 (7/5) 2-6 6-2 defeat against Austrian Jurgen Melzer in the first round of the Pacific Life Open.
The defeat sees Safin’s record in 2008 slip to just one win in five matches, while Melzer will now face 11th seed Andy Murray in the second round. How the mighty have fallen, it is sad to see Safin at such a juncture as he fails even to make it to any tournaments major league. In other matches American Sam Querrey, fresh from claiming his first ATP title win in Las Vegas on Sunday, defeated Peru’s Luis Horna 7-6 (7/5) 6-3.
The hard-serving American fired 12 aces and faced just one break point, while he also won 90% (36-of-40) of his first-serve points.
Querrey will face two-time winner and 24th seeded Lleyton Hewitt of Australia in the second round.
John Isner set-up a second round meeting with fourth-seeded Russian Nikolay Davydenko after surviving a two hour 25 minute contest against Italy’s Simon Bolelli, eventually posting a 6-3 6-7 (5/7) 7-6 (7/2) victory.
Tags : Pacific Life Open, Marat Safin, Jurgen Melzer
Thu, March 27, 2008 9:20 am By James Coolridge
 Tennis stars and the glamour quotient is a very interesting combination. Maria Sharapova pleased all with her great game at the Pacific Life Open. She breezed to a 6-1, 6-0 victory over French qualifier Stephanie Cohen-Aloro in the second round of the Pacific Life Open. The fourth-seeded Russian world number five needed just 58 minutes to down Cohen-Aloro as Sharapova recorded five breaks of serve.
Former Indian Wells champion Sharapova, who followed up her victory in Melbourne by winning in Doha last month, improved her season record to 15-0, which has included just two dropped sets. Good going and a good sign to all her fans that she is determined to win. Her remark that “I’ve been playing good enough tennis to not be nervous before my first round,” said Sharapova gives a sure sign that she will be a tough cookie to crack at this tournament. She along with the other 32 seeds in the draw received first round byes.
Wildcard Angela Haynes did not have much luck on her side as she faced Daniela Hantuchova and lost to 6-1 6-2. Fifth-seed Hantuchova, the world number eight, was in top form against Haynes and never faced a break point in dispatching the American in 68 minutes, breaking the world number 211 five times.
Russian second seed Svetlana Kuznetsova, last year’s beaten finalist, opened her account with a straightforward 6-1, 6-1 victory against compatriot Ekaterina Makarova.
Tags : Pacific Life Open, Maria Sharapova
Wed, March 26, 2008 10:38 am By James Coolridge
 Donald Young had the worst luck when he met Rafael Nadal in the third round of the Pacific Life Open. The defending champion Rafael Nadal defeated Donald Young in their first meeting, and James Blake evened his record against familiar foe Carlos Moya in third-round matches Monday at the Pacific Life Open.
Nadal beat his 18-year-old American opponent 6-1, 6-3. Blake took a methodical 6-3, 6-4 victory over Moya.
The 21-year-old Nadal, ranked No. 2 behind Roger Federer, benefited from Young’s inconsistency.
Although he was able to match Nadal stroke-for-stroke in some rallies and also hit several hard winners that brought roars from the crowd, Young’s inexperience was evident at other times.
After hitting a routine forehand out to end a long rally in the second set, Young slammed his racket to the ground in frustration. Soon after, he banged an overhead volley into the net, shaking his head at missing the easy shot.
Young won just seven of 17 points when he went to the net and Nadal was 6-of-7. Young made 38 unforced errors, 13 more than his Spanish opponent.
Nadal dictated the pace for most of the match, keeping Young on the run with well-placed ground strokes.
Young had scored the biggest victory of his career two days earlier at Indian Wells, beating No. 32 Feliciano Lopez in three sets.
Tags : Tennis, Pacific Life Open, Donald young
Tue, March 25, 2008 7:46 am By James Coolridge
 Maria Sharapova just scrapes through after she managed a 6-2 5-7 6-4 victory over Alona Bondarenko of Ukraine in one of eight fourth-round matches at the Pacific Life Open. a good match to watch as Sharapova was tried and tested over and over again by Alona. She triumphed at the end but after a lot of push and shove.The fourth-seeded Russian, who committed 68 unforced errors against Bondarenko in a match that lasted nearly three hours, has now won 17 consecutive matches dating back to last year.
Very tough going for Maria Sharapova and yet she hopes to clasp her 19th career win with this title .The 20-year-old lost just her third set this season against Bondarenko and has now won 34 of 37 sets in 2008. Sharapova last won this event in 2006. Sharapova’s challenges will get tougher as the rounds progress and she will have to put in her best if she wants to triumph.
Tags : Tennis, Pacific Life Open, Sharapova
Sun, March 23, 2008 7:39 pm By James Coolridge
 The WTA Tour will broadcast a free live match on its Web site in select countries this weekend. It’s the first of eight Tier I tournament finals the WTA plans to stream live. However, the women’s final Sunday in Indian Wells, Calif., will be shown in all countries except the United States, Japan, Hong Kong, Australia and Europe. They already have broadcast agreements in place in those countries according to Roger Gatchalian, the WTA’s director of digital media. The women’s professional tour said Thursday it would stream the final at the Pacific Life Open on its Web site, SonyEricssonWTATour.com. In 2009, fans may be charged to view live matches on the site. The men’s tour shows live matches on its site, but it charges by the day, the tournament or the year.
The business model is going to be determined by what they discover this year. Gatchalian said. They are re obviously looking to make this a revenue-generating venture. Men have already had a foray into this for a couple of years. Their plans are just kicking into gear. The next Tier I event is the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Fla. The Family Circle Cup follows in April in Charleston, S.C. Other Tier I events include the German Open and the Italian Open in May, the Rogers Cup in Montreal in July, the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo in September and the Kremlin Cup in Moscow in October.
Tags : Tennis, Pacific Life Open, WTA Tour
Fri, March 21, 2008 10:08 am By James Coolridge
 Wildcards always seem to have a way to surprise. Maybe that’s why they are given wildcards. Stupid me!
Angela Haynes, a wild-card entrant from nearby Irvine, overcame a 4-0 first-set deficit to beat Italy’s Sara Errani 7-5, 6-2 on Wednesday in the first round of the Pacific Life Open.
The 23-year-old Haynes, ranked 221st, was playing just her third WTA match of the year. She will face defending champion Daniela Hantuchova in the second round. Hantuchova is trying to become the first player to win the event three times.
Ashley Harkleroad also advanced, beating the Ukraine’s Tatiana Perebiynis 6-2, 6-0. Jill Craybas edged Czech qualifier Barbora Zahlavova Strycova 7-6 (2), 6-4, while Russia’s Ekaterina Makarova beat Meilen Tu 6-4, 6-2. In the day’s final singles match, France’s Stephanie Cohen-Aloro routed Lilia Osterloh, 6-1, 6-2.
All 32 seeded players have first-round byes. Hantuchova is seeded fifth behind Ana Ivanovic, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Jelena Jankovic and Maria Sharapova.
Tags : Tennis, Pacific Life Open, Angela Haynes
Tue, March 18, 2008 10:04 am By James Coolridge
 Nadal is at his best again and others better watch out. Defending champion Rafael Nadal kicked off his title defence at the Pacific Life Open on Saturday with a 6-3 6-3 victory against qualifier Santiago Giraldo of Colombia. The going looks good for Nadal and this may be his title again for keeps this year again. At least that’s what all his fans are wishing for.
The second-seeded Spaniard won the first of his six titles last season at Indian Wells with victory over Serbia’s Novak Djokovic and will take his next step to opening his 2008 account in the third round against American Donald Young, who defeated 32nd seed Feliciano Lopez of Spain, 6-4 6-7 (3/7) 6-2.
Nadal, 21, is hoping to keep the pressure on world number one Roger Federer at the top of the world rankings after moving to within 350 points of the Swiss ace. Federer opens his challenge against Guillermo Garcia-Lopez on Sunday. This is probably the closest Nadal has come to Federer and at this point, the former is playing at this best, while Federer is not.
This is what all his fans echoed, “All the best.”
Tags : Tennis, Pacific Life Open, Rafael Nadal
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