Nadal Advances to ATP World Tour Finals Semifinals

Posted on November 21, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Rafael Nadal stays perfect at this year’s ATP World Tour Finals.

The 29-year-old Spanish tennis star remains unbeaten in his round robin campaign, after extending his perfect mark to 3-0 on Friday.

David Ferrer turned in a valiant effort after rallying from two breaks down in the first set, but Nadal responded in kind, wrapping up the thrilling victory 6-7(2), 6-3, 6-4.

Following a rocky start to 2015, Nadale, the world No. 5, is gaining great momentum at the season finale in London.

A 17-4 post-US Open mark has included five Top 10 wins and now three straight this week at The O2.

He enters an Open Era record 46th clash against Novak Djokovic in Saturday’s semifinals after surviving a gritty two-hour and 37-minute battle against Ferrer.

Tested often, he refused to back down, even with a semifinal berth already assured.

Nadal, who notched his 60th win of the season on Wednesday, secured the immediate advantage, breaking Ferrer to 15 in the first game of the match.

Stepping inside the baseline, a rifled backhand winner down-the-line and Ferrer forehand error put him ahead 1-0. Nadal claimed 10 of the first 11 points as he raced to a 3-0 lead behind a second break. But Ferrer would go on a run of his own, taking 12 of 14 points to snatch both breaks back and draw level at 3-3. They would again exchange breaks in the 11th and 12th games, as Ferrer broke Nadal serving for the set at 6-5 – saving a set point – following a seven-minute game. In the tie-break, a wayward lob and double fault from Nadal would give Ferrer a pair of early mini-breaks and he would emerge with the opener after exactly one hour.

Nadal had confirmed his place opposite Djokovic – runner-up in the second group – in Saturday’s semi-finals after defeating Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka earlier in the week.

He qualified for the last four at the season finale for a fifth time in seven appearances.

Ferrer Outlasts John Isner to Reach Paris Masters Semifinals

Posted on November 7, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

David Ferrer is still in the running for this year’s Paris Masters title.

The 33-year-old Spanish tennis player, the 2012 champion, followed up by beating 13th-seeded American John Isner 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-2 in the quarterfinals.

Ferrer, who has won five titles this year, seemed to be cruising when he broke Isner in the eighth game of the second set. That gave him a chance to serve out the match, but from 40-15 his composure deserted him.

“I was waiting for him to make mistakes,” Ferrer said.

Isner forced a tiebreaker, clinching it with a huge forehand that clipped Ferrer’s outstretched racket.

Ferrer was given a warning from the chair umpire at the start of the third set when he yelled out in frustration after missing four consecutive break points.

But he easily took Isner’s next service game, although the American was clearly struggling. At 0-40, he hunched over and then took a medical timeout at the changeover.

“My stomach was just cramping up, so was I some pain,” Isner said.

Ferrer held easily for 3-1 and then broke again when Isner hit a big forehand wide.

Ferrer next faces second-seed Andy Murray in the semifinals.

Ferrer Defeats Steve Johnson to Win Austrian Open Title

Posted on October 26, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

David Ferrer is one step closer to earning a spot in the ATP World Tour Finals.

The 33-year-old Spanish tennis player strengthened his hand in the race to the end-of-year finals after winning the Austrian Open with a fighting 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 defeat of American Steve Johnson.

Ferrer, who joins Roger Federer with five titles this year – the pair are second behind Novak Djokovic on nine – now stands in solid contention for one of the two remaining places in the eight-man field for the World Tour Finals starting on November 15.

Ferrer joins Kei Nishikori in joint seventh in the race for the eight-man World Tour Finals in London from November 15-22.

Ferrer claimed the 26th trophy of his career as he defeated Johnson, who was playing in his first final.

Ferrer set up three match points in the third set with his seventh ace after a break in the previous game and converted on his first opportunity.

Ferrer lost the final a year ago at the Stadthalle to Andy Murray.

The last Spaniard to win in Vienna was Feliciano Lopez in 2004.

Nadal to Compete at Queen’s Club for First Time in Three Years

Posted on March 24, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Rafael Nadal is making a comeback fit for a queen…

The 28-year-old Spanish tennis star says he’ll play at this year’s Queen’s Club, ending his three-year absence at the grass-court tournament.

Nadal, who lifted the trophy in 2008, has gone on to reach the Wimbledon final following every appearance at the event that’s traditionally seen as a warm-up to the SW19 championships.

“I always loved playing at The Queen’s Club and I am very happy that I will be back this year,” Nadal said.

“It was a great experience for me to lift the trophy in 2008 because it is such an important and traditional tournament. To win Wimbledon a few weeks later was like a dream.”

Nadal will be joined by the defending champion Grigor Dimitrov, US Open winner Marin Cilic, 2014 Australian Open victor Stan Wawrinka and ATP World No.4 Andy Murray in this year’s draw.

“Coming helps with the adjustment from clay to grass because the grass courts at Queen’s are so good,” Nadal added.

Ferrer Replacing the Injured Milos Roanic at the ATP Finals

Posted on November 13, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

He may have no chance of advancing, but David Ferrer will still get some time on the courts at the ATP Finals.

The 32-year-old Spanish tennis player has replaced Milos Roanic at the year-end tournament. The switch comes after the Canadian player withdrew with a quad injury before his final round-robin match against Japan’s Kei Nishikori on Thursday.

The seventh-seeded Raonic, who lost his first two matches in Group B in straight sets, will be replaced by Ferrer, the first alternate at the ATP Finals.

“As badly as I wanted to play, you’ve got to be at the top of your game here and I couldn’t be close to that today,” said the big-serving Canadian. “Wouldn’t have been fair to the fans if I had played a mediocre match or had to stop.”

Six-time champion Roger Federer will take on Andy Murray in the group’s other match. If the 17-time Grand Slam champion beats Murray and Nishikori defeats Ferrer, then the Scot will be eliminated from the indoor event.

Ferrer, who trained in London this week, has no chance of making it to the semifinals. At the Paris Masters last month, he saw his hopes of qualifying for the Finals vanish after losing a tough battle to Nishikori in the quarterfinals. The Spaniard came within two points of victory but failed to hold on to his lead.

Raonic, one of the three newcomers in London with Marin Cilic and Nishikori, said he picked up his injury during his defeat to Murray.

“I have a slight tear in my quad and a large area of swelling,” he said. “I’ve had a great time here. It motivates me a lot to come here next year and do better than I did.”

Ferrer Oulasts Philipp Kohlschreiber to Reach Erste Bank Open Final

Posted on October 19, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

David Ferrer is a survivor…

The 32-year-old Spanish tennis player came back from a break down in the final set to defeat Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (3) on Saturday and set up a final match against Andy Murray at the Erste Bank Open.

Ferrer, the tournament’s top seed, will appear in his fourth final of the season. He’s seeking his 22nd career ATP title and second of the year.

Murray leads Ferrer 7-6 though the fifth-ranked Spaniard won their only previous meeting this season in Shanghai last week. Both players are competing to qualify for the ATP Finals in London next month.

“I am fighting for the Race to London,” Ferrer said and called the final “a difficult match for sure. I know I have to play very good and have to serve better.”

Murray’s 50th win of the season saw him provisionally rise to eighth place in the qualifying race to the eight-man event.

If Murray holds on to his position, he will qualify for a seventh straight year for the prestigious season-ending tournament, though he pulled out following back surgery in 2013.

But he faces a tough challenge from Ferrer, who hadn’t lost a service game in the tournament before the semifinals but had to save five break points in the opening set against Kohlschreiber.

The German managed to break Ferrer twice in the second set to level the match but couldn’t hold on to a 4-2 lead in the final set.

Robredo Defeats Santiago Giraldo to Reach Men’s Final at Shenzhen Open

Posted on September 27, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Tommy Robredo is back in an ATP World Tour final…

The 32-year-old Spanish tennis player defeated Colombia’s Santiago Giraldo 6-1, 6-4 on Saturday to reach the final of the Shenzhen Open.

Robredo had 10 aces and converted four of his seven break points to beat Giraldo in 70 minutes.

The victory saw Robredo level his head-to-head series with Giraldo at 2-2.  Additionally, he has a 35-20 record on the season and will contest his second final this year, having finished runner-up on clay at the Croatia Open in July after losing to Pablo Cuevas in the final.

He’ll next face Andy Murray in Sunday’s final as he looks to level their head-to-head record. Murray has a 3-2 record over Robredo and has won their past three meetings.

Robredo will be contesting his 21st ATP World Tour final. He has a 12-8 finals record.

He’s looking to win his first title since victory in Umag in July 2013 and his first hard-court title since triumphing in Metz seven years ago.

Robredo also inched ever closer to his 500th tour-level win (493-310 record).

León García Has Been Appointed as Captain of Spain’s Davis Cup Team

Posted on September 23, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Gala León García is breaking down barriers while making history.

The 40-year-old Spanish former professional tennis player has been appointed as captain of Spain’s Davis Cup team by La Federación Internacional de Tenis, becoming the first-ever female coach of a Davis Cup team.

In a statement, the federation says León García will replace Carlos Moya, who stepped down as captain after Spain fell out of the World Group.

Without Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer, Spain lost to Brazil in the playoffs, dropping the five-time champions to the zonal groups for the first time since 1996. The team also lost to Germany earlier this year.

Andy Murray, who is currently coached by Amelie Mauresmo, tweeted his congratulations to León García.

“congrats to Gala Leon Garcia for becoming first female Spanish Davis cup captain today…” tweeted Murray, adding, “hopefully first of many!”

More details are expected in the coming days.

León García turned pro in 1990 and retired in 2004. She achieved her highest ranking of No. 27 in September 2000. She earned one WTA title and 6 ITF titles.

Bruguera Among This Year’s Class of 2015 International Tennis Hall of Fame Nominees

Posted on September 10, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Sergi Bruguera’s name is being entered into the annals of tennis history…

The 43-year-old Spanish tennis player is among this year’s nominees for the Class of 2015 International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Bruguera, best remembered for winning consecutive Men’s Singles titles at the French Open in 1993 and 1994, turned pro in 1988. He retired from professional tennis in 2001.

During his 14-years on the ATP tour, Bruguera amassed a career reacord of 447 wins vs. 271 losses. In1989, he was named the ATP‘s Newcomer of Year. In all, he won 14 career singles titles and three doubles titles.

His highest career ranking came in August 1994 when he reached No. 3 on the ATP charts.

Bruguera will join two-time major champion Amelie Mauresmo, who’s now Andy Murray‘s coach, two-time major winner Mary Pierce and multiple singles and doubles Grand Slam winner Yevgeny Kafelnikov.

Mauresmo won the Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2006, and spent 39 weeks at No. 1 in the WTA rankings. In June, she was hired to wo

Pierce’s two Grand Slam singles titles came at the 1995 Australian Open and 2000 French Open. She also won one major title apiece in doubles and mixed doubles.

Kafelnikov won the 1996 French Open and 1999 Australian Open in singles, and four Grand Slam doubles trophies.

Nadal Leads a Strong Spanish Charge at This Year’s Wimbledon

Posted on June 18, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Rafael Nadal is ready to kick some grass at the All England Club… And, he’s leading a strong charge of seeded Latino players competing at Wimbledon.

Despite winning his ninth French Open title and maintaining his World No. 1 ranking, the 28-year-old Spanish tennis superstar has been seeded No. 2 at this year’s Grand Slam tournament.

Nadal was relegated to the No. 2 spot when his French Open final foe Novak Djokovic, the 2011 Wimbledon champion, was given the top seeding by the All England Club ahead of him. Tournament officials take a player’s grass-court record into account when assigning the men’s seedings.

Defending men’s champion Andy Murray, who last year became the first British player to win the Wimbledon men’s title since 1936, was bumped up two spots above his world ranking to No. 3.

Seven-time champion Roger Federer is No. 4, while Australian Open winner Stan Wawrinka is down two spots from his world ranking at No. 5.

But Nadal isn’t the only Hispanic tenista earning a seed at this year’s event…

In all, there are nine Latinos among the 32 seeded players – all hailing from Spain – including David Ferrer at No. 7, Fernando Verdasco at No. 18 and Feliciano Lopez at No. 19.

Here’s the complete list of seeds (with their world ranking in parenthesis):

Men

1. Novak Djokovic, Serbia (2)
2. Rafael Nadal, Spain (1)
3. Andy Murray, Britain (5)
4. Roger Federer, Switzerland (4)
5. Stan Wawrinka, Switzerland (3)
6. Tomas Berdych, Czech Republic (6)
7. David Ferrer, Spain (7)
8. Milos Raonic, Canada (9)
9. John Isner, United States (11)
10. Kei Nishikori, Japan (12)
11. Grigor Dimitrov, Bulgaria (13)
12. Ernests Gulbis, Latvia (10)
13. Richard Gasquet, France (14)
14. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, France (17)
15. Jerzy Janowicz, Poland (24)
16. Fabio Fognini, Italy (15)
17. Mikhail Youzhny, Russia (16)
18. Fernando Verdasco, Spain (23)
19. Feliciano Lopez, Spain (25)
20. Kevin Anderson, South Africa (18)
21. Alexandr Dolgopolov, Ukraine, (19)
22. Philipp Kohlschreiber, Germany (27)
23. Tommy Robredo, Spain (22)
24. Gael Monfils, France (21)
25. Nicolas Almagro, Spain (26)
26. Andreas Seppi, Italy (34)
27. Marin Cilic, Croatia (29)
28. Roberto Bautista Agut, Spain (28)
29. Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, Spain (31)
30. Ivo Karlovic, Croatia (33)
31. Marcel Ganollers, Spain, (30)
32. Dmitry Tursunov, Russia (32)

Hispanically Yours

Celebrating the Latino Influence

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