US OPEN: Serena, Nadal Progresses To Round Two

Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal lived up to their billing with victories in the first of this year's US Open night sessions.

Top seed Williams needed just 30 minutes to begin her bid for a first calendar Grand Slam as Vitalia Diatchenko retired at 6-2 2-0 down.

Nadal, seeded eighth, saw off 18-year-old Borna Coric 6-3 6-2 4-6 6-4. World number one Novak Djokovic went through, but fourth seed Kei Nishikori was beaten.

TENNIS: Rafael Nadal Wins First Grass Title Since 2010

Rafael Nadal has won his first title on grass since 2010 by beating Viktor Troicki in the Mercedes Cup final. The Spaniard, who was well beaten in the French Open quarter-final by Novak Djokovic earlier this month, won 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 in Stuttgart.

Nadal, 29, hit 11 aces in his victory over the Serb and now has 66 career titles, four on grass.
He also won in Stuttgart in 2005 and 2007 when the tournament was held on clay.

Victory will boost Nadal's world ranking after the 14-time Grand Slam winner slumped to a 10-year low of 10th earlier in the month.

ARGENTINA OPEN: Rafael Nadal To Face Juan Monaco In Final

World number four Rafael Nadal reached his first final since winning the French Open last June after beating Carlos Berlocq at the Argentina Open.

The Spaniard won 7-6 (9-7) 6-2 to set up a title decider against Juan Monaco. Nadal was 6-1 down in the first set tie-break before winning eight of the next nine points to claim the opener.

US OPEN: Rafael Nadal Out Due To Wrist Injury

Defending champion Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the US Open with an injury to his right wrist.
The world number two suffered the injury in training on 29 July, and missed two warm-up tournaments in Toronto and Cincinnati.

The 28-year-old had hoped to recover before 25 August, when the US Open gets under way at Flushing Meadows.

"I am very sorry to announce I won't be able to play at this year's US Open," he wrote on his Facebook page.

TENNIS: I Cried The Day Roger Federer Won The French Open Says Nadal

Rafael Nadal confessed that he cried the day that Roger Federer won the French Open. "I got emotional. He deserved to win that tournament, after so many finals and semi-finals. He deserved to win all four Grand Slams," said Nadal in an interview published in 'L'Equipe'.

Back then, the Swiss star had reached one semi-final and three finals at Roland Garros, but lost all four of those to the Spaniard.

He finally lifted the French Open title in 2009, after Sweden's Robin Soderling knocked Nadal out on the Parisian clay courts, the Spaniard's only defeat in a tournament he has won eight times, a world record in any Grand Slam.

TENNIS: Djokovic Wins Rome Masters After Epic Win Over Nadal

Novak Djokovic laid down the gauntlet ahead of Roland Garros when he came from a set down to dismantle clay court king Rafael Nadal in the Rome Masters final.

The Serb's 4-6 6-3 6-3 victory was his fourth successive victory over Nadal but only his fourth on clay in their 41-match head-to-head series dating back to 2006.

After a slow start in which he twice dropped serve, Djokovic took control of the baseline rallies and finished the match with a flurry of precision groundstrokes that had Nadal reeling.

TENNIS: Ruthless Nadal Brushes Berdych Aside In Madrid Masters

Defending champion Rafa Nadal showed flashes of brilliance as he brushed Tomas Berdych aside 6-4 6-2 to reach the Madrid Masters semi-finals.

Nadal was moving around the clay with ease and quickly established an advantage in the second set when he thrashed a marvellous forehand down the line for a 2-1 lead.

That shot seemingly ended Berdych’s resistance as the Spaniard tore through the remaining games to wrap up victory in one hour and 27 minutes.

TENNIS: Murray Loses In Madrid, Nadal Progresses

Britain's Andy Murray crashed out of the Madrid Masters after losing 6-3 6-2 to qualifier Santiago Giraldo in the third round.

The world number eight mustered just one break point in a one-sided contest as his disappointing season continued. Murray has struggled to replicate the form that saw him take the Wimbledon title last year and is currently without a coach after splitting from Ivan Lendl in March.

Colombia's Giraldo faces Roberto Bautista Agut in the last eight.
Earlier, defending champion Rafa Nadal showed glimpses of his best form and some rustiness as he beat Jarkko Nieminen 6-1 6-4 to advance to the quarter-finals.

TENNIS: Nadal Breezes Into Barcelona Quarter-Finals

Defending champion Rafael Nadal enjoyed an easy win to make the last-eight of the ATP Barcelona Open.
Nadal beat Ivan Dodig 6-3 6-3 as he continued his amazing winning streak at the Real Club de Tenis, where he has not lost a match in 11 years.

"I'm happy with the way I played. I was a little bit more aggressive with more control on my shots and changing direction better than I did yesterday. I was able to hit a few winners with the right confidence.

"That's the important thing for me."

TENNIS: David Ferrer Shocks Nadal On Clay In Monte Carlo Quarter Finals

David Ferrer became only the fourth player with two wins to their name over Rafael Nadal on clay after a 7-6 (1) 6-4 win in the Monte Carlo quarter-finals. Ferrer's win over his fellow Spaniard was a shock against the world number one, ho had won the Monte Carlo tournament eight times over the past decade.

A win over the eight-times French Open champion Nadal on clay is so rare that only a quartet of men have managed the feat more than once. Ferrer with two wins joins Novak Djokovic (three),Gaston Guadio (three) and Roger Federer (two) in some exalted company.

What's more it is the first time 10 years that Ferrer has beaten him on the surface with his previous success coming way back in 2004.

AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2014: Beats Nadal To Win First Grand Slam

Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka won his first Grand Slam title with victory over an injury-hit Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open final. Wawrinka withstood a fightback from the world number one, who was struggling with a back problem, to come through 6-3 6-2 3-6 6-3.

The 28-year-old becomes only the second Swiss man to win a Grand Slam singles title after 17-time champion Roger Federer. Fortunes fluctuated wildly over the course of two hours and 21 minutes as Wawrinka opened in scintillating form before a tearful Nadal appeared close to quitting at two sets down, only to stage a remarkable recovery in the third.

AUSTRALIAN OPEN: Nadal Cruises Into Final

Rafael Nadal continued his dominant streak over Roger Federer to reach the Australian Open final for the third time, beating the 17-time major winner 7-6 (4), 6-3, 6-3 Friday night to set up a championship decider against No. 8-seeded Stan Wawrinka.

With his 23rd win in 33 matches against Federer, the 27-year-old Spaniard set up an ideal chance to win a 14th Grand Slam title and to become the first man to win all four majors at least twice in the Open era.

Nadal missed the 2013 Australian Open during a seven-month layoff for illness and a knee injury, but he returned to win the French and U.S. Opens among his 10 titles for the season and finished the year at No. 1.

TENNIS: Nadal wants more challenges with Djokovic in 2014

                           Rafael Nadal says he is looking forward to more battles against Novak Djokovic in 2014

TENNIS: Nadal's book describes him has the greatest sport man of his generation

The Sunday Times bestselling autobiography from the greatest tennis player of his generation. No tennis player since Andre Agassi has captivated the world like Rafael Nadal. He's a rarity in today's sporting arena - a true sportsman who chooses to let his raw talent, dedication and humility define him. Rapidly closing in on his friend and rival Roger Federer's record haul of 16 grand slam victories, Nadal is an extraordinary competitor whose ferocity on court is made even more remarkable by his grace off it. This book takes us to the heart of Nadal's childhood, his growth as a player, and his incredible career. It includes memorable highs and lows, from victory in the 2008 Wimbledon final - a match that John McEnroe called the 'greatest game of tennis ever played' - to the injury problems that have frequently threatened his dominance of the sport, to becoming the youngest player of the open era to complete a career Grand Slam in 2010. It transports us from Nadal's lifelong home on the island of Majorca to the locker room of Centre Court as he describes in detail the pressures of competing in the greatest tournament in the world. It offers a glimpse behind the racquet to learn what really makes this intensely private person - who has never before talked about his home life - tick. And it provides us with a story that is personal, revealing and every bit as exciting as Nadal himself.

Watch Tennis stars Rafa Nadal & Novak Djokovic face off in a penalty shoot-out pre Boca Juniors v All Boys

                                                           this guys could also be good footballers..................

Nadal outshines Federer

The mid-afternoon clash was not one of the best in their 32-match series as Federer faded badly in the second set to hand Nadal his first victory over him on an indoor court. Nadal was thrashed 6-3 6-0 by Federer at the o2 Arena two years ago but after a tight first proved too strong for the 32-year-old Swiss who looked weary after his three-set victory over Juan Martin Del Potro on Saturday. The year could now have a mouth-watering grand finale with Nadal up against defending champion and world number two Novak Djokovic on Monday although Swiss Stansilas Wawrinka will be hoping to ruin the script in the second semi-final later.

Rafael Nadal keeps perfect record in Berdych fightback

Rafael Nadal dashed Tomas Berdych's hopes at the ATP World Tour Finals with a win over the Czech on Friday that put Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka into the semi-finals. The Spaniard had already-qualified for the last four but in beating Berdych 6-4 1-6 6-3 he also sent Wawrinka through as Group A runner-up. Wawrinka had earlier beaten already-eliminated Spaniard David Ferrer in three sets. The hard-hitting Berdych pushed world number one Nadal hard throughout the match but faded at the end of the deciding set when he double-faulted twice in the eighth game to drop serve. Nadal then completed victory after nearly two hours of engrossing action with a screaming forehand winner. Nadal, who has never won the Tour's season-ending showpiece, will face either Swiss six-times champion Roger Federer or Argentine Juan Martin del Potro who meet on Saturday to decide who finishes runner-up in Group B behind Serb Novak Djokovic.