nikolay davydenko

Nadal's first final since May. Feliciano is the ninth player who retires at the Shanghai tournament

Rafa Nadal will play a final of a tournament five months later. The Spaniard will be measured to Russian Nikolay Davydenko in the semifinals after overcoming an injured Feliciano Lopez who, with 6-1 and 3-0 down, withdrew because of an infection in his right foot. Again, following the abandonment Ljubicic in the quarterfinals, Nadal went from round without need to finish the game.

This time, Rafa had the meeting on track. Were comfortable from the start. While not the Nadal that we all know, got to go forward to a smooth finished Feliciano never get into the game.

It only took three sets to Nadal's service had broken Toledo (3-1). Hence the end, Feliciano returned to win or not a game. His tennis was plagued by unforced errors and second serves. Also, threw fewer features to the network increases. Maybe she was in pain ...

But the key point of the game came on the last point of the first set (6-1). Feli made a strange gesture and pain in his right foot was already very evident. That practically ended the match. Nadal stood 1-0 and Feliciano requested the services of physiotherapists.

Despite attempts to encourage public Feliciano Lopez to continue watching tennis, the second set was absurd. Feli, totally lame by the court, she tried without success. Meanwhile, Nadal wore with good shots, but without the blood of his rival and friend. With 3-0 and 15-40 against Feliciano said enough.

The Argentinian reached the semifinals of the tournament in Miami and his rival is Murray, who won in straight sets to Verdasco.

As if anyone expected, Del Potro is here. The Argentine giant felled by the door so that he refused, to taste victory with Rafa Nadal, the only tomb with him and the exhibits displayed in the quarterfinals of Cayo Vizcaíno (6-4, 3-6, 7 -6). With a right of cement and a stunning poise in a 'tie break' where others are melts the arm. With mental strength to recover from a side 3-0 in the last race and three failures in three-balls game only minutes later.

Only with such a display of this boy Tandil (20 years, 198 centimeters Tennis) Nadal knee drive, irregular, agonistic, more vague than usual, but always decent resistance, looking from the top with the weight of the purple . Miami is going to lose points, because in 2008 he fell into the Nikolay Davydenko at the end. And with some hesitation after their third defeat of the season, just before a rival who was unable to extract a single sleeve in the four preceding.

But Del Potro is that sooner or later had to assert the authority of his game. So far no one had won the first three manga circuit. This victory will remove that weight off.

Especially when you return to see video on the outcome and that ball who cruised the strip to fall into their field. Meant 3-2 for Nadal, a nod of fortune that has sapped the morale of everyone. At that time, Del Potro swallowed saliva, loaded arm and joined without blinking the following five points, confirming that opened after three hours of an alternative fair fight.

The victory should open new horizons to the world number seven, with five titles in his achievements, the latest last January in Auckland, by which pisa first time the semifinals of a Masters Series, a round which has not yet reached any Grand Slam. For now, as a first step, scaled on Monday, two posts in its ranking.

And it can improve if it is able to exploit the weight of their 'drive' and easy to service. These two factors, embedded with much merit in the key moments, he reported great joy to Nadal. After a boot full of doubt, the Argentine took the lead in first set with a break in the seventh game. Within the track, powerful, determined, cornered gradually Nadal, who was 1-2 and lost to 'break' in the second race.

No more solutions to the pride, the Mallorcan was resurrected with this facility which makes it unique. Equally bright and had a 3-0 in the last part. Everything seemed in his hand, but unexpectedly lost the thread. He saved three match balls, but it was not enough. Del Potro beat front.

Nadal Ivanovic and the head of the U.S. Open series in 2008

The Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal and serbia Ana Ivanovic premieres in a Grand Slam tournament of their respective terms of world number one, to be located on Tuesday as early favorites of individual Open table tennis United States.



According to the list released by the U.S. Tennis Federation (USTA), Nadal, newly crowned Olympic champion in Beijing, heads a select field that includes 10 Champions Grand Slams, including the former number one of ATP, Swiss Roger Federer, second-seeded in New York.

The U.S. Open, the last of the four biggest tournaments of the season, will be played from August 25 to September 7 in the courts of Flushing Meadows in New York.

Nadal, aged 22, was released on Monday in Firstly the ATP ranking, displacing Federer, who defended the position in the course of 237 consecutive weeks.

The Mallorcan tennis player has won eight of the last ten tournaments he has played, including two Grand Slam: Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

In Flushing Meadows will seek his ninth title of the year and 31 of his career in a tournament on fast tracks which so far has been very elusive.

The Spanish attempts to become the first man in the same year won Roland Garros, Wimbledon and U.S. Open, since the legendary Rod Laver do so in 1969.

Behind Nadal and Federer were located on Serbian Novak Djokovic (N.3), the Spanish David Ferrer (N.4), Russian Nikolay Davydenko (N.5), Britain's Andy Murray (n.6), the Argentinian David Nalbandian (N.7), Americans Andy Roddick (N.8) and James Blake (N.8), and Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka (N.10).

Nalbandián is the best Latino ranked among the 32 seeded men's table, and that includes the Chilean Fernando Gonzalez (n.11) and the surprising Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro (n.17), winner of four successive tournaments this year.

The serbia Ivanovic, 20 years and who won his first Grand Slam title this season in the French Open, ha ido rising as the foam and will be seeking its third parchment of 2008.

Behind her compatriot Ivanovic were seeded Jelena Jankovic (N.2), Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova (N.3), American Serena Williams (N.4), the twice U.S. Open champion and Russian Elena Dementieva (N.5), individual gold medal in the Olympic in Beijing.
The relationship of the 10 first planted in each branch is:

-- Women:
1. Ana Ivanovic (SRB)
2. Jelena Jankovic (SRB)
3. Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS)
4. Serena Williams (USA)
5. Elena Dementieva (RUS)
6. Dinara Safina (RUS) 7. Venus Williams (USA)
8. Vera Zvonareva (RUS)
9. Agnieszka Radwanska (POL)
10. Anna Chakvetadze (RUS)


-- Men:
1. Rafael Nadal (ESP)
2. Roger Federer (SUI)
3. Novak Djokovic (SRB)
4. David Ferrer (ESP)
5. Nikolay Davydenko (RUS)
6. Andy Murray (GBR)
7. David Nalbandian (ARG)
8. Andy Roddick (USA)
9. James Blake (USA)
10. Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI)