Federer's 1000th Victory

The new year saw all-time great Roger Federer achieve another impressive record. Playing a warm-up tournament in Brisbane, the Swiss went on to capture the title and record his 1000th career win, becoming just the third player in the Open Era to achieve the feat (after Connors' 1,215 and Lendl's 1,071).

The week started with a little hiccup, Federer having to recover from a set and a break down to overcome Australian John Millman in the opening round. It was cruise control from then on, Roger bringing on his A-game to defeat James Duckworth and Grigor Dimitrov with the loss of just 5 games (6-0,6-1 against Duckwort and 6-2,6-2 against Dimitrov).

The early stages of the final anticipated another comfortable victory, Roger establishing what seemed like a decisive lead. However, his opponent, young gun Milos Raonic, had other plans. He broke back to push the second set into a tie-break—which he won 7-2—then held numerous chances in the decider before finally succumbed to the inspired Swiss.

“It feels very different to any other match I've ever won because I never thought about reaching 500 or 800,” declared Roger after closing out a hard-fought 6-4, 6-7(2), 6-4 win. “All those numbers didn't mean anything to me, but for some reason 1,000 means a lot because it's such a huge number. It's funny emotions right now, but clearly very proud and happy.” 

“It means so much more than just running away with it and maybe winning 6-4, 6-4,” he said. “I guess I was much more happy having to go three sets in the end rather than winning in straight.”

In addition to achieving this amazing milestone, Federer strengthens his credential ahead of the Australian Open, where he aims at adding a so far elusive 18th Slam. The best of luck, king of tennis! #Federertowin

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Simona's Strong Start to 2015

A week that started hesitantly ended in superb fashion for Simona Halep, who found her dominant self to collect the first title of the year in Shenzhen.

The Romanian went down the rabbit hole in the first match, recovering from a set and a break down to defeat fellow rising star, German Annika Beck. Once she cleared this hurdle, Halep cruised through the draw in straight sets to set up a final match-up with comeback kid, Swiss Timea Bacsinszky. The latter produced the surprise of the tournament stunning reigning Wimbledon champion, Czech Petra Kvitova, in the semis.

Although not 100% at her best, Simona put on a flawless performance, ending Timea's Cinderella run with a commanding 6-2,6-2.

"I wasn't feeling very well before the match—I was a little bit sick—so I told myself I have nothing to lose, just go on court, be relaxed, stay focused and fight for every point," Halep explained.

"It worked, and I felt really relaxed today. I'm happy I could play better day by day and match by match here. I'm looking forward to playing like today in the next tournament, maybe even better."

The result strenghtens Halep's credentials going into the Australian Open, where Simona hopes to claim her maiden Grand Slam crown: "I don't want to put any pressure on myself for the Australian Open. I have to be focused there, and I hope to win many matches there, but it'll be tough. I'll just try to do everything I did here."

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Champion of Champions. Petko Has the Final Laugh in Sofia

A week she started on the wrong foot ended in superb fashion for the ultra-popular Andrea Petkovic who clinched the title in the last edition of the Tournament of Champions in Sofia. After being crushed by Carla Suarez Navarro in the opening round robin match, the German picked herself to cruise past Australian Open runner-up Dominika Cibulkova and home hope Tsvetlana Pironkova. With a 2-1 record, she was second in her group and qualified for the semis. 

Having found her game at the best moment, Petko defeated rising star Garbine Muguruza 6-1,6-4 to book a date with Italy's Flavia Pennetta in the final. The match was once again an uphill battle. Flavia was untouchable in the early stages. She was magnificent, sealing the opener 6-1. But as usually with the Italian, she cannot really keep up the intensity for long. As soon as the opponent begins to fight back, she loses the momentum and the battle turns around. That exactly what Petkovic did. She stayed with Pennetta until she saw the opportunity to strike blood, turning things around to claim an epic 1-6,6-4,6-3 victory.

"I love watching Flavia play, but I hate playing her because she's so difficult to play!" said the German. "I'm happy I could gather enough energy and play well enough to win it in the end."

Both players had a great season. Petkovic won three titles—Charleston, Bad Gastein, and now Sofia—in addition to reaching her first Grand Slam semifinal at Roland Garros. Flavia made the quarterfinals at both the Australian and the US Open and won the biggest crown of her career in Indian Wells. After some tough months marred with injuries, the duo has fought its way back into the top 15 and are seriously threatening to go higher next year. 

"I'm happy I met Flavia in the final because we've both been coming back from injury this year," declared Andrea. "I was so happy when she won Indian Wells because I know what she went through, and so it's even nicer to play her for this title today. I hope the next season is even better for her."

This event marked the end of the regular 2014 season. There are a few 125k tournaments left and of course, the Fed Cup final, but most players have already booked a truly deserved vacation. Petkovic is not one of them though, as the German is hoping to help her country lift the Fed Cup crown for the first time since 1992. Go, #teamGermany!

The exclusive field in Sofia consisted of, from left to right, Andrea Petkovic, Flavia Pennetta, Tsvetlana Pironkova, Ekaterina Makarova, Garbine Muguruza, Dominika Cibulkova, Carla Suarez Navarro, respectively Alize Cornet.

Flavia had a good week in Sofia being very close to lifting the trophy. She was in an excellent position to close out the victory before Petkovic fought back to eventually win an epic final.

Although she lost the first match, Andrea Petkovic rebounded in great style to clinch the trophy. She beat Italian Flavia Pennetta 1-6,6-4,6-3 to crown herself champion of champions in Sofia.

photos: Anton Stakov, Desislava Kulelieva, Anton Stakov

Roger Continues Charge with Hometown Glory

Roger Federer took full advantage of his recent run of excellent form as he crowned himself champion at his hometown tournament in Basel.

The Swiss was in cruise control throughout the week and, although he dropped two sets (with Uzbek Denis Istomin and Croat Ivo Karlovic respectively), he found his game when it mattered most. He beat red-hot Belgian David Goffin 6-2,6-2 to claim his 6th trophy on homesoil. It's worth mentioning that Federer took advantage of some convenient defeats. For example his arch-rival, second-seeded Rafael Nadal, lost to 17 y.o. Croatian sensation Borna Coric in the quarterfinals.

"It is always such a treat to be in the final here, receiving a standing ovation from the crowd," confessed Roger. "It's why I play tennis, why I play the tournament here in Basel. It will remain very special for me personally.

The triumph is crucial for the Swiss who closes the gap in the battle for the year-end No.1 finish. Novak Djokovic now leads the race by less than 500 points, a very narrow margin considering there are 2500 points left up for grabs in the two final tournaments. Paris will probably shed more light on the matter, but the ATP World Tour Championships in London will have the final say. 

"It would be very special to reclaim No. 1," told Federer. "World No. 1 is what it's all about in our game. With the year I have had and the amount of finals I have played, the level of tennis I have played, I am pleased to see that I have a shot. But having a shot and being there is two separate things. I am sure that Novak is going to come in very motivated, just after having a baby. I am very happy for him. There are clearly interesting weeks ahead."

As the Swiss said, there are definitely interesting times ahead, so let's wish him the best of luck! #Letsdothis #FedererMagicIsOn

Federer continued his quest for the year-end No.1 position by claiming his sixth hometown crown in Basel. In the final, the Swiss beat red-hot Belgian David Goffin 6-2,6-2.

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The Bryans Have Really Won It All!

After claiming their 100th team title on homesoil, at the US Open, the extraordinary Bryan brothers have achieved two more major milestone this past weekend, completing their Masters 1000 collection, respectively securing the year-end No.1 for a record 10th time. 

While both are remarkable, ground-breaking performances, the Shanghai crown stands out a bit better as it basically marks the completion of a mission. A tough, extremely difficult mission, the mission to win it all. And at this point, the Bryans have literary won it all. They won all the four majors at least twice, the Olympic gold medal in London 2012, the Masters Cup, their 100th title, and now all the Masters 1000 trophies. All these in addition to setting tons of other records, which really make them the best tennis duo of all time.

In Shanghai, Bob and Mike Bryan put in quite a performance, cruising through the draw with relative ease. In the final, they defeated reigning French Open champions, Frenchmen Julien Benneteau and Eduoard Roger-Vasselin.

“To win here, it's been a long time coming to Shanghai. To finally get across the finish line as the winning team was extra special today," said Mike.

“It's another great milestone. This week was full of them for us. To come and get in the title match, have a shot at winning the tournament that's eluded us, complete the Golden Masters, is amazing,” added Bob.

“It was really the last thing left for us to do. We can definitely shut it down today and be happy guys.”

With nothing left to win, it's difficult to imagine what's next in store for the twins. One amazing thing is that they are not scarce on motivation, so it seems they will be around to dominate men's doubles for many more years to come. Well done, boys! Huge congrats!

In addition to their slew of records, the extraordinary Bryan brother wrote another page in the history book by defeating Frenchmen Julien Benneteau and Edouard Roger-Vasselin to win in Shanghai and complete their Masters 1000 collection.

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Federer Pulls Shanghai Miracle

Just when we thought that Federer's days of magic are long gone, the Swiss put together another masterful performance to claim his first title at the Shanghai Masters, one of the three Masters 1000 trophies missing from his resume (in addition to Monte Carlo and Rome).

But let's not forget that the week started with Federer saving five match points in his first round encounter with Argentinean Leonardo Mayer. All credit to the Swiss, but it was really a stroke of luck that saved him, Mayer's passing shot chipping the net before landing in his court—Federer was outplayed at that point and his Shanghai adventure could have been over. The sensational Heimlich maneuver proved a defining moment, Roger making the most of his second chance by going on and lifting the title. However, it was the extraterrestrial performance against world No.1, Novak Djokovic, in the semis, that got everyone talking. It was a super serve and volley display from the vintage Federer who broke once in each set to extract revenge on Djokovic for his heart-breaking defeat in the Wimbledon final. 

“It was a great match,” declared a thrilled Federer. “I think I played very well. There was nothing in the game today that wasn't working. I think it was a high-level match. I'm unbelievably happy with the way it went.”

Although he didn't quite maintained the same level in the final, Roger did an excellent job to dismiss the fierce opposition of the always dangerous Frenchman Gilles Simon. Although Simon has made a reputation of challenging him in the past, the Swiss remained strong when it mattered most, recovering from a break down in the opener on his way to a 7-6,7-6 victory. 

"It makes me very happy winning here because this tournament means a lot to me," said Federer. "I've always enjoyed coming here. I've come close a couple of times, but I've always wanted to win it as a Masters 1000.

"I feel unbelievable prestige to win this event. Especially putting my hands on the trophy for the first time is a good feeling, I must say. I'm very happy with the way I'm playing. Overall I'm just extremely happy right now."

Simon had a great week too, stunning Australian Open champion, Stan Wawrinka, and the always-dangerous Czech, Tomas Berdych, en route to his second Masters 1000 final (he lost to Andy Murray in the 2008 Madrid final).

In addition to claiming the elusive Shanghai trophy, Federer has also reduced the difference between him and Novak Djokovic at the top of the rankings. The battle for the year-end No.1 is very much on right now, with the Swiss having a decent shot of grabbing that last-minute provided solid showings in Basel, the Paris Masters, and the Masters Cup in London. #LetsdothisFederer!

After saving five match points in the first round, an overly aggressive Roger Federer took full advantage of his second chance, going all the way to lifting the Shanghai Masters 1000 crown. In the final, the Swiss defeated Gilles Simon.

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4 and Counting for Improved Ivanovic

2014 was by far Ana Ivanovic's most consistent season. The Serb-who saw her game crumble to pieces following her rise to fame in 2008-has been making tremendous efforts to get her career going again and her work is finally starting to pay off.

Winner of three titles already this year (in Auckland, Monterrey, and Birmingham), Ana put forth a master performance to emerge victorious at the premiere Pan Pacific event in Tokyo. The road was tough, but a more complex Ivanovic handled the challenge superbly. She beat a slew of fierce opponents, defeating Vika Azarenka, Lucie Safarova, Angelique Kerber, respectively US Open runner-up Caroline Wozniacki in the final without dropping a set. 

"Caroline played a great match today," the Serb said afterwards. "It was a really good battle out there—there were some very tough moments, especially in the second set. But I just tried to take it one point at a time, and I'm really happy to make it through. It's just an amazing feeling to win this title."

"I love coming out here—you guys are amazing, it's always a pleasure to see you all," she confessed. "I've made some friends here through the years and it's great to be back every year."

Probably the most significant victory this week came over Lucie Safarova, ending thus a 5-match losing streak against the Czech. This is Ana's most important success since claiming her maiden Grand Slam crown at Roland Garros in 2008.

With four WTA titles to her name, Ana is now again a solid top 10 player, which puts her in an excellent position to secure one of the eight tickets to the WTA Championships in Singapore. "I'm really happy that this is one step closer to the WTA Finals in Singapore," Ivanovic said. "It's coming close and everything's on the line."

Good luck, girl! So glad to have you back and looking better than ever!

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Lucic's Record-Breaking Title in Quebec

A week after stunning world No.2 Simona Halep to make the fourth round at the US Open, Mirjana Lucic-Baroni achieved another important milestone in her impressive comeback, claiming her first trophy since Bol in 1998. The Croatian former wonder-kid enjoyed a memorable week in Quebec, dismissing high-quality opponents like Timea Babos, Julia Goerges, respectively Venus Williams in the final to win the title.
She wrote WTA history beating Kimiko Date-Krumm's record for the biggest gap between titles (16 years and 4 months compared to 13 years and 1 month).
To make the success even sweeter, Lucic-Baroni also won the doubles final with Czech Lucie Hradecka.
"I'm so happy I can't really find the words right now to explain how happy I am," Lucic-Baroni said. "I played such a great match today against one of the best players in the world, such a champion.
"It's been so long. I'm finally playing the great tennis I always knew I could play, but it had been so long that I kind of lost a little bit of the belief in myself. But now after starting with my new coach Julian Alonso, winning matches and really getting that belief back, I'm just so ready to keep going."
The result proves that her Flushing Meadows run was no fluke, the Croatian emphasizing her intent to get her career back on track following a lengthy hiatus.

Mirjana Lucic-Baroni had the magic going for her in Quebec. The Croatian beat Venus Williams to claim the singles crown, before teaming up with Czech Lucie Hradecka to win the doubles title.

photos: Pascal Ratthe

Lisicki Back to Winning Ways in Hong Kong

When she emerged on the big scene, emotional Sabine Lisicki impressed with her power game. When at its finest, her whipping serve, combined with lethal groundstrokes, is enough to blow anyone off the court. However, after a fast rise in 2010, the last couple of seasons weren't so fortuned for the German. Besides Wimbledon—where she's always done great—Sabine has failed to shine. 

This year she once again rekindled her fire on the grass and although she didn't defend the 2013 final, she made the quarterfinals, losing to Romanian revelation, Simona Halep. Her post-London results weren't spectacular, but she continued to improve. Having been 8-8 January to June, she's now compiled a 20-15 record since Wimbledon. The German also set the fastest serve in WTA history 131mph in Stanford.
Seeded first in Hong Kong, she finally put forth a winning run, ending a three-year title draught. It wasn't quite a walk in the park, but Lisicki did brilliantly to turn matches around, recovering from 3-6,2-4 against Romanian Monica Niculescu in the first round and from a break down in the decider against former Roland Garros champion Francesca Schiavone in the semifinals. The final was again a struggle, the German recovering from 5-1 down in the first set to close out a 7-5,6-3 victory over Czech Karolina Pliskova.

"After being in three finals last year and losing them closely, this is a big step forward for me," Lisicki said. "I've won titles in doubles but obviously the main goal is to play well in singles and get these trophies. And I'm even happier because coming here was such a spontaneous decision—we literally decided three or four days before the tournament—and I felt very well all week in Hong Kong."

I hope all these hard-fought victories will spark a return to top form for Lisicki. She has a huge potential and can reach the highest heights.

photos: Hab Studio

Federer Masters 80th Career Title

After a series of near misses, Roger Federer has finally added a 22nd Masters 1000 crown to his illustrious career. The Swiss all-time great fought off the challenge of the younger generation to clinch his 80th trophy and 6th in Cincinnati. He became just the third player in the Open Era to achieve that tally after Jimmy Connors (109) and Ivan Lendl (94).

Although very familiar with the Cincinnati setting, the week wasn't quite a walk in the park for Federer. He had to withstood the fierce opposition of young gun Vasek Pospisil, ultra-talented showman Gael Monfils, always dangerous Andy Murray, respectively warrior David Ferrer en route to the title.

"I'm very happy about the week," said Federer. "Just overall it went from good to great. Just really pleased that I was able to back up a tough week last week already."

The success marks a good change in fortunes for Federer who lost already four important finals this season, in Indian Wells (to Djokovic), Monte Carlo (to Wawrinka), Wimbledon (to Djokovic), and last week in Toronto (to Tsonga).

Next up for Roger is the US Open where he'll try to end a two-year draught in Grand Slams. "Especially now I come in with great confidence," he said. "I can really rest now, rather than having to work on stuff, so it's just about maintaining. That's also really good for the mind ... I know my game is where I want it to be. It's about just keeping that level up right now." You go, Federer! #letswinthis

After a series of near misses, Roger Federer finally added a 22nd Masters crown to his resume, beating the Spanish warrior David Ferrer 6-3,1-6,6-2 to clinch his 6th title in Cincinnati and 80th overall.

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Jubilant Tsonga's Big Week in Toronto

The last 12 months have been pretty dark for the exhuberrant Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Since his heart-breaking defeat to David Ferrer in the semifinals of the French Open last season, the Frenchman battled injuries, poor form, and lack of motivation to eventually drop out of the top 10. But as it often happens in tennis, a victory is all it takes to turn things around.

The Canadian Open—held this year in Toronto—was always one of Jo's favourite ATP stops, so it almost felt like the perfect place to reignite his burning fire and desire. It all started with a 6-2,6-2 win over world No.1, Novak Djokovic, in the fourth round. Tsonga had lost his last 11 straight encounters with the Serb, so the quick dismissal must have tasted sweeeeet. To add to the celebration, Jo stunned Andy Murray in the quarterfinals to record just the second win over the Brit in eleven meetings.

If in other instances he would stumble at the last hurdle, this time Tsonga went all the way defeating rising star Grigor Dimitrov and all-time great, Roger Federer, to lift his second Masters 1000 title (after Paris in 2008).

"I feel good," said a jubilant Tsonga. "I think for the moment I don't realize really what I achieved this week, but it's a big achievement for me.

"It's completely different than before when I won in Paris. In Paris it was the first one, behind my family, all my friends, everybody. Here I just did it with my level, with my game. I played well all week. I beat many good guys. It's a big achievement because I worked really hard to come back from my knee injury last year."

For the first time in his career the Frenchman beat four top 10 players back-to-back to announce his return to the top of his game. Courtesy of the win, he also re-entered the top 10. The summer is heating up and so is Tsonga who could very well be the man to watch at the upcoming US Open. Glad to have you back, Jo!

Tsonga turned tables on his arch-rival, stunning world No.1, Novak Djokovic, 6-2,6-2 in the fourth round.

To add to the celebration, the Frenchman recorded just his second victory over Andy Murray, defeating the Brit 7-6,4-6,6-4 in the quarterfinals.

After withstanding young gun Grigor Dimitrov in the semis, Jo denied Roger Federer another Masters 1000 trophy, topping the all-time great 7-5,7-6 to claim the title in Toronto.

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Halep Crowns Home Champion. Wins Too Many Friends

Ever since it was announced that Bucharest will be hosting a WTA event, the Romanian crowd had just one thing of its mind: have Simona Halep bring home the title. This felt like a certainty, Simona being featured in all TV commercial promoting the championships as the winner—even before the start of the competition. Moved from Budapest, Halep was the defending champion and the No.1 seed was a huge favourite to retain her crowd.

Cheered by an army of supporters, Simona had little trouble getting the job done. Although she beat lower-ranked players, playing at home can sometime be nerve-wrecking. Halep handled the pressure tremendously, trashing second seeded Italian, Roberta Vinci, 6-1, 6-3 in the final to give the Romanian people their champion. To add to the celebration, Alexandra Cadantu and Elena Bogdan teamed up to win the doubles title, making it a home sweep at the first edition of the BRD Bucharest Open.

In addition to all her on-court achievements, Simona has accomplished something far more significant: she forced the Romanian people to discover tennis. Some fell genuinely in love with the sport, others found inspiration for their social media statuses, but everyone is now talking about tennis—which became the hottest topic for discussion in the Romanian elitist groups. It's funny how people start to love you forever and ever just after you reach the heights. The same people that didn't give a f**k about you and what you do, now take pride in your achievement. They act like they were there to support you every step of your journey to success. It's OK celebrate her success, but don't feel entitled to it. They don't belong to her mother, father, lover, or the Romanian people. Simona's achievements are her own. I am still amazed by her tremendous transformation. She has made such progress already, but she needs to win a Grand Slam if she wants to book her place in the history book.

Simona Halep crowned herself the first champion at her home event in Bucharest, trashing second seeded Italian, Roberta Vinci, 6-1,6-3 in the final.

photos: HotNews.ro

Federer's 7th Heaven

Halle is Federer's backyard, so it became a regularity for the Swiss to lift the Gerry Weber trophy. Every season Roger uses this tournament to erase a bit of the clay-court disillusion from his mind. This year was no exception. Following a premature loss at the French Open, Federer was hoping get his grass-court campaign to a flying start. Anything short of a title in Halle is catastrophic, so it's implicit that he just has to win. And like so many times before, he did just that. 

After escaping a minor scare in the opening round against Portuguese Joao Souza, the Swiss regained cruise control defeating Yen-Hsun Lu, Kei Nishikori, respectively Columbian Alejandro Falla, whom he beat 7-6, 7-6 in the final.
Another year, another crown and Federer now took his tally to seven triumphs in Halle. “It is great to have won seven times here,” Federer told ATPWorldTour.com. “It is very special and I hope to come back here next year, where it is a [ATP World Tour] 500-series event.”“I really enjoy winning titles. It is what I play for, to play and receive a standing ovation at the end. I am very pleased with my performance. I work hard and travel the tour to win these titles and not lose in the quarters or semi-finals. With all the success I have had in the past, I need to aim for titles. I think I deserved the title this week."
After the huge disappointment last season-when he was stunned by Ukrainian Sergyi Stakhovski in the second round-the Swiss needs to prove himself at Wimbledon. He hasn't made a Grand Slam final since winning the crown there in 2012, so you'd feel it's time.
“In the past, when I have played well at Halle I have usually played well at Wimbledon," said Federer. "They have been two of my most successful tournaments, so I hope that this title will bring me luck again. Last year it didn’t work out, but it did many times before. So I hope it will be back to the good old days.”
Good luck, the king of the lawns! Go capture another Wimbledon crown!

photo: GETTY IMAGES

Ivanovic on a Mission to Collect Silverware

After a few dark years when she failed to win a WTA crown, Ana Ivanovic seems determined to make up for the lost time. The popular Serb whetted her appetite in January by winning in Auckland. Since then she's been victorious in Monterrey, lost the final in Stuttgart, and has now recorded her first triumph on grass in Birmingham.

Ivanovic was in solid form the whole week, going on to claim the title without dropping a set. She beat German Mona Barthel, American Lauren Davis, Czech Klara Koukalova, Chinese Shuai Zhang, respectively Czech Barbora Zahlavova-Strycova in the final. 

"It definitely feels very special, not just to win my first title on grass, but to put my name next to champions like that (i.e. Martina Navratilova or Billy Jean King)," Ivanovic said. "I really had a good time on grass. "The crowd really has been amazing. I enjoyed my time here and I look forward to next year," she added.

Although the draw played in her favour, I am impressed by her capacity to take these opportunities and make the most out of them. She looks to have finally recaptured that winner's attitude that took her to the top of the game in 2008. She's not quite as strong as she used to be, but Ana is making huge progresses and I wouldn't be surprised to see her in contentation for the Slams once again.

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Serena N'Est Parle Pas Plus Français Cette Année

A day after up-and-coming Kristina Mladenovic took out world No.2 and reigning Australian Open champion, Na Li, another rising star produced the shock of the tournament when she dismissed none other than the undisputed queen herself, American Serena Williams. Spanish Garbine Muguruza produced the performance of her lifetime to bruise aside the world No.1, 6-2,6-2.

Although Garbine has been pilling up great results this season—winning her maiden title in Hobart and reaching the fourth round in Melbourne—there was really nothing to announce this victory. The American seemed in solid form going into the meeting, having won in Rome just a week ago before crushing French teenager, Alizé Lim,  6-2,6-1 in the opening round. Plus, having lost in the fourth round Down Under, Williams was hungry to add another Grand Slam to her already impressive collection. And when she is hungry, there usually nothing standing in her way. Nothing but this talented, uninhibited Spanish player who took full advantage of her opponent’s error-strewn display to score the biggest win of her career. 

"It was one of those days," Williams said. "You know, you can't be on every day. I hate to be off during a Grand Slam, but it happens. It's not the end of the world. It is what it is.

"I love it here, but there's always next year. At least I won't have any points to defend next year, so I look forward to it.

"I'm going to go home and work five times as hard to make sure I never lose again."

What promised to be a family affair in the third round was quickly dismissed in a matter of hours, with both Williams sisters going out at more or less the same time—Venus lost a close battle to Slovakian teenager Anna Schmieldlova. 

Similar to what happen in 2012 when she was stunned by Virginie Razzano, Serena sees her Parisian adventure come to a sudden, early ending. It remains to be seen if she can make amends like she did last season when she went on to capture the title. The American did lose a bit of her invincibility this year, so I am curious how she will regroup for Wimbledon and if she will indeed fulfill her promise and go on to win the title. In the meantime, congrats to Garbine for keeping a clear head and closing out an amazing victory. It's never easy to beat Serena in a major!

A strong favourite to defend her crown, Serena saw her Parisian adventure come to an shocking end when she was defeated 6-2,6-2 by Spanish Garbine Muguruza.

While Serena was making tons of errors, Garbine remained focus and mentally strong to close out a pretty straight-forward win over her childhood idol.

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Genie Wins Maiden Crown

After her dream run in Australia—where she reached her first Grand Slam semifinal—Genie Bouchard was expected to consolidate her place amongst the elite. Although she still lacks consistency, the young Canadian sensation has been pilling up great results lately. And with a ranking inside the top 20, it was just a matter of time before she would achieve that goal.

After a series of mixed performances on clay—highlighed by wins over Jelena Jankovic and Venus Williams en route to the semifinals in Charleston—Eugenie remained strong when it mattered most and managed to win her maiden WTA crown in Nürnberg. Seeded second at the start of the tournament, Bouchard did not drop a set until the final, bruising aside Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, Anastasia Rodionova, Yaroslava Shvedova, and Karin Knapp. In the final, she showed great nerves, recovering from the loss of the second set to eventually serve out a marathon 6-2,4-6,6-3 win over Czech Karolina Pliskova.

"Today it was important to just keep at it," said the Canadian. "She's a great player, and she can be very dangerous at times, so I'm really glad I stayed with it and kept fighting for it during the third set.

"This is kind of like a stepping stone for me. Winning a WTA title is of course a goal I've had, and I'm so happy to accomplish it, but I still want to achieve more - more titles, bigger titles—so this is a step in the right direction, and it's part of the dream, but I want to move forward and keep going from here.

"I love Nürnberg. This city will always be special to me because it's where I won my first title."

This triumph represents a huge confidence booster ahead of the French Open scheduled to start in just a few hours. She may not be the most natural clay-court player on the tour, but Genie has the game and the mental strength to cause a few upsets in Paris. Being the charismatic person that she is, the Canadian will surely be a fan favourite at this year's Roland Garros. Go, Genie!

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Tennis LOVEBirds: Sharapova & Dimitrov

She is a multiple Grand Slam champion and one of the most influential sports celebrities in the world. He a rising star that has long been labelled as the next big thing in men's tennis. Maria Sharapova and Grigor Dimitrov form the hottest, most powerful tennis couple of the moment. 

The two hooked up last spring, just around the time Grigor was making headlines with his stunning win over world No.1, Novak Djokovic. Interesting enough, their careers went in different directions since. The young Bulgarian took off, winning his first ATP titles, breaking into the top 20, and reaching his maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal at the Australian Open earlier this year. Sharapova on the other hand went through some rather dark times, battling a nasty shoulder injury and going titleless since Stuttgart, last April. 

If Grigor has been rumored to have dated none other than Sharapova's nemesis, American Serena Williams, Maria has a rich history of celebrity boyfriends—ranging from Andy Roddick, to Maroon 5's Adam Levine or long-time fiancee, Slovenian pro basketball player, Sasha Vujacic.

Although a bit surprising, this couple is threatening to take over the tennis world. Sharapova is renowned for her determination and iron will, while Grigor is just beginning to fully unleash his lethal games. Just last week, the two love birds were victories in Stuttgart, respectively Bucharest, proving they are game on for a deep run at the French Open later this spring.

A powerful week for this power couple

Grigor Dimitrov stormed through victory in Bucharest without dropping a set. In the final, the Bulgarian beat defending champion, Czech Lukas Rosol 7-6,6-1 to claim his third ATP title.

Just a few hours later, Maria Sharapova recorded a come-from-behind victory over Serbian Ana Ivanovic to claim her third straight Stuttgart crown. 

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Dimitrov Storms to Victory in Rainy Bucharest

A late entry into the main draw, Grigor Dimitrov made the most of his wildcard as he stormed through victory in Bucharest without dropping a set. 

The young Bulgarian has been putting together some solid performances lately, highlighted by the quarterfinals at the Australian Open and the title in Acapulco. Seeded first in Bucharest, Dimitrov was game on since the beginning of the tournament, battling not only his on-court opponents, but also the moody weather—heavy rain showers disrupting play several times throughout the week.
It's been a relatively uneventful ride for Grigor in the Romanian capital, as he claimed straight-sets victories over Jiri Vasely and Sergiy Stakhovski to set a star-studded semifinal showdown with fan favourite Gael Monfils. Unfortunately, the much anticipated clash ended sooner than expected, the Frenchman pulling out because of a twisted ankle while trailing 5-1. 

With his family cheering in the front rows, Dimitrov delivered an exquisite display against defending champion, Czech Lukas Rosol, in the final. He sealed a tense first set tiebreak before cruising through the second act to close out a convincing 7-6,6-1 triumph. “It feels good to have won,” said the Bulgarian. “I lifted my game, not having been happy with my previous matches in the tournament. I knew I had to lift my level, especially after the first set. Lukas is a very good winner, who hit some outstanding winners. It was a pleasure to play in front of Ilie Nastase and other greats.

“I have worked really hard to start winning titles. I have put in enough effort, time and sacrifices to get here,” said the Bulgarian who bagged his second crown of 2014. 

What's next in store for Dimitrov? A first Grand Slam maybe. He is proving stronger as the season progresses, so I wouldn't be surprised to see his take that ultimate step anytime soon. 

Dimitrov put together a solid performance to beat not only his on-court opponents, but also the moody Bucharest weather. The Bulgarian denied defending champion, Czech Lukas Rosol, 7-6,6-1 in the final to bag his second title of 2014.

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Wawrinka Wins All-Swiss Encounter in Monte Carlo

At the beginning of the clay-court season, all eyes were on the Nadal-Djokovic rivalry. The Spaniard, the all-time greatest player on this surface, looked poised to continue his dominance, while the Serb hoped to peg back his nemesis and claim the elusive Roland Garros crown. But, surprise, surprise! The Swiss duo of Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka turned the tables on their rivals, setting up an all-Swiss final in Monte Carlo, Nadal's favourite playground.

Last year, Djokovic denied Rafa a ninth consecutive title and—after the Spaniard's shock exit in the quarterfinals—seemed set for a successful defense. But the two Swiss had another plans. Wawrinka, the reigning Aussie Open champion, bruised aside Ferrer—Nadal's conqueror—to be the first to advance into the final. Federer quickly followed, digging himself out of some early trouble to defeat an ailing Djokovic 7-5,6-2. 

The all-Swiss affair started with Federer in control, the all-time great winning the first set 6-4. Stan has been untouchable in a few matches this year and was able to replicate that form at the start of the second act, giving Roger no chance to break. With both players holding serve, the set was decided in a tiebreak, where a mini-break was all it took for Wawrinka to level the dispute. Back on equal terms, he was not to be denied. Firing winners on both sides, Stan was able to stun Federer, winning 4-6,7-6,6-2 to claim his maiden Masters 1000 crown—following runner-up showings at Rome 2008 (lost to Djokovic) and Madrid 2013 (lost to Nadal).

"It's always special to play Roger," said Wawrinka. "We know it's always a strange match, especially being in the final here. He's my best friend on the tour. We respect each other so much. I'm just trying on the court to win the match. Before and after, we are still very good friends. During the match, we just try everything to win. Today I'm really happy to take that one.

"I can see that when mentally I'm there and I'm fighting, I can play tennis, I can beat all the player. I did an amazing job. I'm really happy after winning my first Grand Slam to win a Masters 1000 so quick. I didn't expect to. When I came here, for me it was more like a test. I knew I was playing good tennis, but I didn't expect to win because the draw was so strong."
Stan's season keeps getting better. With three titles already to his name, he is now leading the race to London. Federer failed in his fourth attempt to grab the Monte Carlo title, one of the three Masters 1000 trophies eluding him. The Swiss is now 1-3 in finals this season, winning in Dubai, but losing in Brisbane and Indian Wells.

This was the first time that the two best friends have met in an ATP final and I hope it marks just the beginning of a really beautiful rivalry at the highest level. Stan is in the form of his life, while Federer is just rediscovering his winning touch. Chances are we could be in for a first all-Swiss Grand Slam final this season. #Letsdoit! #AllSwiss #BFF

#BFF FOREVER! Wawrinka and Federer and not only compatriots, they are also best friends. Roger has been paramount to Stan's recent success, supporting his friend and always believing in his talent. The two train together and are long-term doubles partners.

Although he started slower, Stan Wawrinka got his act together to stun BFF Federer to win his first Masters 1000 crown. It was an extremely entertaining encounter, which Stan won 4-6,7-6,6-2.

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