Tag Archives: Lukas Rosol

Robredo Defeats Pablo Carreno Busta to Reach Croatia Open Semifinals

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Tommy Robredo is two matches away from defending his title at the Croatia Open…

The 32-year-old Spanish tennis player, who defeated Fabio Fognini in the finals last year, advanced to the semifinals after beating fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta 6-1, 6-4.

Tommy Robredo

The 18th-ranked Robredo next faces third-seeded Marin Cilic, who eased past Czech Lukas Rosol 6-0, 6-2.

Robredo won the first set in only 23 minutes. Carreno Busta was twice a break up in the second set before Robredo responded to win the last three games of the match.

Meanwhile, Fognini, the tournament’s top seed this year, rallied to defeat Borna Coric of Croatia 5-7, 7-6 (4), 6-3 in the quarterfinals.

Also, Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay beat Teymuraz Gabashvili of Russia 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 to become the first qualifier in the event’s semifinals since Viktor Troicki in 2007.

Cuevas hit 12 aces for his sixth straight win in Umag, including three qualifying rounds.

He’ll next play Fognini, who was one set and a break down before he managed to turn the match around.

Bautista Agut Defeats Lukas Rosol at the Mercedes Cup to Claim Second ATP Title

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And then there were two for Roberto Bautista Agut…

Less than one month after winning his first ATP title, the 26-year-old Spanish tennis player defeated Lukas Rosol 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 in the Mercedes Cup final on Sunday for his second career crown.

Roberto Bautista Agut

The third-seeded Bautista Agut saved five of the six break points he faced and converted three of his six chances to win the heated match in 1 hour, 42 minutes.

Rosol, ranked No. 48 in the world, fired 13 aces to Bautista Agut’s two, but the Czech player was unable to prevent the 23rd-ranked Spaniard from claiming his second title.

“Since the start of the season, I believed a lot in myself and my work,” Bautista Agut told the ATP website. “I’ve been playing really well, won a lot of matches and it was only a question of time before this happened.”

Bautista Agut, who defeated defending champion and top-seeded Fabio Fognini on Saturday, claimed his maiden victory at the Topshelf Open last month.

Rosol, who knocked out second-seeded Mikhail Youzhny of Russia in his semifinal, was also bidding for his second title after winning at Bucharest last year.

“I was looking to find a good rhythm, but the serve was not working at all,” Rosol said. “I had to risk a lot with my shots. The level was not as good as the previous rounds and it’s a pity because I felt really good this week.”

Nadal Earns First Post-Injury Title…

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Following an upset loss in Chile last weekend , Rafael Nadal is finally back in title-winning form after a seven-month injury-related hiatus…

The 26-year-old Spanish tennis star defeated Argentina’s David Nalbandian 6-2, 6-3 on Sunday in the finals of the Brazil Open to earn his first title since returning to competitive tennis this month.

Rafael Nadal
“I hope this will be the beginning of a good start,” Nadal told the crowd after the match, which included his father, Sebastian.

Nadal, currently ranked No. 5 in the world, rolled over Nalbandian, who is also mounting a comeback after a months-long absence from the ATP Tour, in the first set.

The win capped “a very beautiful week,” said Nadal, adding that he wanted to everyone who supported him during “these complicated times.”

Nalbandian played Nadal to 3-3 in the second set, but Nadal then stepped up his game and took total control of the match.

Rafael Nadal

The crowd at Sao Paulo’s Ibirapuera arena went wild when Nadal won match point and threw his arms in the air.

Nadal, coming off a seven-month hiatus from the ATP Tour due to injury and illness, hadn’t been victorious at a tournament since last June, when he won his record seventh French Open title.

Nadal went off the ATP Tour due to a knee injury after suffering a shocking second-round loss at last year’s Wimbledon at the hands of unheralded Czech Lukas Rosol, in what’s considered one of the biggest upsets in the history of the prestigious tournament.

He’d planned to return to action in late December in Abu Dhabi, but a stomach virus forced him to withdraw from that exhibition tournament and he also pulled out of the recently concluded Australian Open.

The Brazil Open is the second of three Latin American clay-court events Nadal signed up to play in February.

The Spanish star was upset in the final of Viña del Mar – his first tournament back – by Argentina’s Horacio Zeballos. He’s next scheduled to compete in the Mexican Open later this month.

Nadal Postpones Return to Tennis Due to Stomach Bug

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Rafael Nadal will not be returning to competitive tennis as soon as he’d planned after all…

The 26-year-old Spanish tenista was scheduled to compete in an exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi on Thursday after missing seven months because of tendinitis in his left knee.

Rafael Nadal

But Nadal said on his Facebook page Tuesday that his doctors ordered him to pull out due to a stomach virus and fever, telling him his body needed rest.

“My rehab has gone well, my knee feels good and I was looking forward to competing,” said Nadal.

The 11-time Grand Slam champion hasn’t played since June, when he lost to 100th-ranked Lukas Rosol in the second round at Wimbledon.

The injury prevented Nadal from defending his Olympic singles gold at the 2012 London Games, where he was supposed to be Spain’s flag bearer at the opening ceremony. He also had to pull out of the U.S. Open and Spain’s Davis Cup final against the Czech Republic, which his teammates lost without him.

Top-ranked Novak Djokovic and No. 3 Andy Murray were also scheduled to play at Abu Dhabi.

Nadal to Play Exhibition Tournament in Abu Dhabi

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Rafael Nadal is planning to return to the tennis courts in the next few weeks…

Following a six-month break to recover from a knee injury, the 26-year-old Spanish tennis star says he’ll play in an exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi at the end of the month.

Rafael Nadal

“Can’t wait to get back on court in Abu Dhabi at the end of the month,” the 11-time Grand Slam champion said on his Facebook page and Twitter account. “I won the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in 2010 and 2011 — would love to get my hands on the trophy again this year!”

Nadal began practicing on a court in his hometown of Manacor last month under the supervision of his uncle and coach Tony Nadal and a physiotherapist.

The Abu Dhabi tournament starts December 27 and will feature a six-man field that includes top-ranked Novak Djokovic and No. 3 Andy Murray.

While Nadal had long been scheduled to play in the event, he was cautious in a radio interview last week about how quickly he could return to full fitness after such a long layoff. Nadal has not played since a shocking second-round loss to 100th-ranked Lukas Rosol at Wimbledon in June due to the partial tear of a tendon in his left knee.

The injury denied Nadal an opportunity to defend the Olympic singles gold at the 2012 London Games and forced him to pull out of the U.S. Open and Spain’s Davis Cup final against the Czech Republic.