Rochus Speaks Out on Doping in Tennis

Belgium tennis player Christophe Rochus, who will retire from the ATP World Tour at the end of the year, recently shared his views on the doping that takes place in professional tennis.

Talking to Belgium newspaper La Derniere Heure, Rochus admitted that many of the world’s best players have cheated without being caught.

“There’s a lot of cheating. Simply, people don’t like to talk about it,” Rochus said.

“I simply would like to stop the pretending. This hypocrisy is exasperating.

“I’ve seen things like everyone else. For me, it’s inconceivable to play for five hours in the sun and come back like a rabbit the next day.

“I remember a match against a guy whose name I will not say. I won the first set 6-1, very easily. He went to the bathroom and came back metamorphosised. He led 5-3 in the second set and when I came back to 5-5… his nose began bleeding. I told myself it was all very strange.”

Rochus also suggested that he would be in favor of using performance enhancing drugs because of the physical demands of the sport.

The 31-year-old reached a career high of No. 38 in the world in ‘06, while amassing a win-loss record of 118-219.

2K Sports: Top Spin 4 Screen Shots

Press Release

The latest iteration from the best-selling, next-gen tennis simulation video game franchise, Top Spin 4 introduces a bold new take on the sport of tennis allowing you to experience firsthand all of the intensity, emotion, and excitement of a real life tennis match. Feel the adrenaline pumping through your veins as the crowd falls completely silent in anticipation of a break point serve. Your hands are sweating. Your heartbeat is racing. The ball is served ferociously and now coming at you at 125 mph. Intensely focused, you crush your return for a baseline winner as the sold out crowd erupts in a roar. With all-new unbelievably responsive controls, electrifying stadium atmospheres, enhanced TV style presentation elements, incredibly accurate player models with Signature Styles, and a super deep career mode, Top Spin 4 is so real you have experience it to believe it.

- REAL Tennis- From the life-like visuals of the world’s best players, to the recreation of the world’s most hallowed courts and the unparalleled authenticity of the on-court gameplay, Top Spin 4 provides a breathtaking tennis experience. When your player moves, watch their shadow move with them. As you rally with an opponent in a crucial point, listen as the crowd builds with intensity. Experience everything the pros do in a real tennis match.

- ALL-NEW Intuitive Controls – Totally re-engineered from the ground up, all-new gameplay controls provide for an unbelievably responsive and satisfying experience allowing you to target your opponent’s weaknesses & dominate the court at any skill level.

- The Deepest Player Roster Ever – Experience the best collection of tennis talent ever assembled as you now have the option to play with 25 of the world’s top pros, dozens of talented up-and-comers and some of the game’s most iconic legends.

- My Player Mode – Create and customize every aspect of your created player as you develop your own style of play to dominate the field on your way to becoming #1 on the World Tour.

Screen shots.

ATP Swiss Indoors Basel: Draw Preview and Analysis

Tournament Preview:

There will be more than a few compelling storylines to follow this week at the Swiss Indoors Basel event in Switzerland. First off, Roger Federer returns to his hometown tournament in search of his 65th career title, while attempting to recapture the crown that Novak Djokovic defeated him for last year.

Although Federer and Djokovic have firmly cemented their names in the season-ending finale in London—Tomas Berdych, Andy Roddick, Jurgen Melzer, Marin Cilic, Ivan Ljubicic, and John Isner—all of whom still have a mathematical chance of capturing one of the three remaining spots at the O2 Arena, are ranked three through eight in the draw, respectively.

Holding 500 crucial points to the winner, the Basel champion will pocket € 291,700 in prize money.

After musing through the 32-man field, I was pleasantly surprised to see the quality of first-round matches on hand. There could be a handful of early exits from the top seeds—considering their opposition—but I’m willing to bet that more than a few classic encounters are contested by week’s end.

Let’s now dive into an analysis of the top and bottom halves of the draw.

Top Half:

If there’s one match that I’ve been waiting to see all season, it’s been a clash between Roger Federer vs. Alexandr Dolgopolov. The young Ukrainian is one of the most talented players on the circuit, and remains the youngest player inside the top 100. Possessing exquisite timing and balance off the ground, Dolgopolov will be tested by the artful grace of Federer from the get go.

Federer’s opposition in this half apart from facing Dolgopolov will feature the likes of Janko Tipsarevic, Melzer, Roddick, Sam Querrey, and David Nalbandian.

Tipsarevic has had a banner year, while Melzer remains hot on the heels of a singles position in London. Roddick has been cleared by doctors to resume his fight towards the World Tour finale, but America’s top ranked player will have to get by good friend Querrey in the first-round.

Nalbandian, who has troubled Federer in the past, remains capable of a monumental upset, but could very easily lose to Marin Cilic in the second-round.

Don’t get me started on Cilic, who has been the single biggest disappointment of the 2010 season.

Look for some imminent fireworks between Federer and Dolgopolov before the second-round, but I wouldn’t count out a hungry Roddick to make a determined charge to the semifinals.

However, Federer has reached the finals or better in his native event on six occasions, and that record should prove to be worthy as the week moves on.

We can all hope for a Federer-Nalbandian semifinal tussle on Saturday, but I’ll stay with the Swiss master to make his seventh final in Basel.

Pick: Federer

Bottom Half:

With a breath of fresh and the roof over his head, Djokovic appears ready to end the year in fine form.

The defending champ was dealt a menacing draw, though, which will see him face Ernests Gulbis in the first-round, and John Isner or Marcos Baghdatis in the quarterfinals. Isner struck his 1,000th ace of the season last week in Montpellier, and he would be a formidable final eight opponent for the Serb.

Berdych will also be a man to watch for this week, considering his recent poor form. Berdych needs a big result in Basel, and an early exit would allow David Ferrer, Roddick, or Fernando Verdasco to leapfrog him in the race to London. Berdych is a swing for the fences kind of guy, and when his game is clicking, there are very few players who can stop him.

Ivan Ljubicic and Viktor Troicki have been playing well as of late, but neither player has posted the recent results to indicate a deep charge in a tournament of this magnitude.

With that being said, I’ve enjoyed watching Troicki develop his confidence, and his linebacker style of play could provide an upset or two.

However, Djokovic has proven since the US Open that his talent can not be undermined. He’s defended the points that he’s needed to, and there’s no reason for him to stop in Switzerland.

Taking down the king pin last year, Djokovic should have enough game to set up a rematch with Federer this year. A result that could very well resemble last year’s final.

Pick: Djokovic

Champion: Djokovic

WTA Championships: Clijsters Defeats Wozniacki for Title

WTA Championships—Doha, Qatar

Reigning US Open champion Kim Clijsters defeated world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki to capture the WTA Championships on Sunday. Scoring a 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 victory, Clijsters needed two hours and 20 minutes to claim her second biggest victory of the season.

Breaking serve on six of 14 occasions, Clijsters stormed through the final set on the strength of her vicious forehand.

Improving to 2-0 against her Danish opponent, Clijsters had previously won the Tour finale on two occasions.

Wozniacki, who failed to capture a Grand Slam title in 2010, will enter next season as the top ranked player.

Clijsters told reporters earlier this week that she will retire after the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

Monfils Captures Title in Montpellier

Open Sud de France—Montpellier

No. 3 seed Gael Monfils captured his third career title on Sunday in Montpellier, France. Defeating defending champ Ivan Ljubicic 6-2, 5-7, 6-1, Monfils took home his first title of 2010 in one hour and 52 minutes.

Breaking serve on five of six occasions, Monfils struck 11 aces, and improved to 39-17 on the season.

“I am so happy about this title, and it’s even more special because it is in France and in front of my crowd,” said Monfils. “Today I was again very solid I think in my game, but also emotionally. I am extremely happy about the title, about my concentration throughout the week and about the level of my game. I feel I have been working on many things on and off the court and the results are now showing.

“It was a fantastic event, I really enjoyed coming to Montpellier, I felt really comfortable over here from the first day. I really hope to be able to come back next year.”

Taking home €103,900 in prize money, Monfils will next see action at the Valencia event in Spain.

Quotes courtesy of ATP World Tour.

ATP: Mezler Defends Vienna Title; Kukushkin Upsets Youzhny to Capture St. Petersburg Crown

Bank Austria TennisTrophy?—Vienna

Austrian Jurgen Melzer defeated countryman Andreas Haider-Maurer 6-7 (10), 7-6 (4), 6-4 on Sunday to defend his title in Vienna. Needing two hours and 48 minutes to prevail, Melzer won 77 percent of his first serve point, while striking 13 aces.

Breaking his opponent on two occasions, Melzer captured his first title of the year, and the third of his career. Adding 250 ATP World Tour points to his ranking total, Melzer now stands in 11th position on the road to London.

Haider-Maurier was competing in his first-ever Tour level final.

St. Petersburg Open 2010—Russia

Unseeded Mikhail Kukushkin capped off the best week of his career on Sunday by upsetting top seed Mikhail Youzhny 6-3, 7-6 (2) to win the St. Petersburg Open.

Breaking serve twice in the first set, Kukushkin added to further breaks of serve in the second set to prevail in two hours and 27 minutes.

Entering St. Petersburg with a 12-8 record, Kukushkin tied his head-to-head series with Youzhny at 1-all, while upending his third seeded player of week.

Youzhny, who still remains in hot pursuit of a finals position in London, will next see action at the Valencia tournament in Spain. Youzhny currently stands at No. 10 in the rankings.

ATP: Valencia Open 500 Main Draw

The draw for the Valencia Open 500 ATP event can be found below.

This year ATP World Tour tournament in Spain will feature Andy Murray, Robin Soderling, Fernando Verdasco, and David Ferrer.

Valencia Open 500 main draw.

ATP: Swiss Indoors Basel Main Draw

The draw for the Swiss Indoors Basel event can be found below.

The 500 point ATP World Tour event will feature Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Tomas Berdych, and Andy Roddick.

Swiss Indoors Basel main draw.

ATP Semifinal Results: St. Petersburg, Vienna, and Montpellier

St. Petersburg Open 2010—Russia

Semifinals:

No. 1 seed Mikhail Youzhny d. Dmitry Tursunov 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(8); Mikhail Kukushkin d. Illya Marchenko 6-3, 6-4.

Bank Austria TennisTrophy—Vienna

Andreas Haider-Maurer d. Michael Berrer 7-6(6), 6-7(1), 6-3; No. 1 seed Jurgen Melzer d. No 3 seed Nicolas Almagro 6-4, 6-4.

Open Sud de France—Montpellier

No. 3 seed Gael Monfils d. No. 2 seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 7-6(2), 2-6, 6-4; No. 4 seed Ivan Ljubicic d. No. 6 seed Albert Montanes 6-3, 7-6(4).

WTA Championships: Wozniacki and Clijsters Advance to Finals

WTA Championships—Doha, Qatar

Singles – Semifinals
No. 1 seed Caroline Wozniacki d. No. 2 seed Vera Zvonareva 7-5, 6-0
No. 3 seed Kim Clijsters d. No. 5 seed Samantha Stosur (AUS) 7-6(3), 6-1

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