10sBalls :: Tennis can't be Tennis without Balls http://www.10sballs.com Tennis can't be Tennis without Balls Sun, 05 Feb 2012 01:35:37 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 2012 Fed Cup by BNP Paribas – Day 1 results http://www.10sballs.com/2012/02/04/2012-fed-cup-by-bnp-paribas-day-1-results/ http://www.10sballs.com/2012/02/04/2012-fed-cup-by-bnp-paribas-day-1-results/#comments Sun, 05 Feb 2012 01:18:23 +0000 Staff http://www.10sballs.com/?p=40636 Please find the latest results for the 2012 Fed Cup by BNP Paribas World Group and World Group II first round ties taking place on 4-5 February.

In the Zone Group I events, Argentina, China P.R., Great Britain and Sweden have all advanced to the Fed Cup World Group II play-offs on 21-22 April.

Argentina defeated Colombia 2-0 in the promotion play-off inAmericas Zone Group I in Curitiba, Brazil, China P.R. defeated Kazakhstan 2-0 in the promotion play-off inAsia/Oceania Zone Group I in Shenzhen, China, and Great Britain defeated Austria 2-0 and Sweden defeated Poland 2-1 in the promotion play-offs in Europe/Africa Zone Group I in Eilat, Israel.

WORLD GROUP FIRST ROUND RUSSIA lead SPAIN 2-0 Venue: Olympic Stadium, Moscow, RUS (hard – indoors) Maria Sharapova (RUS) d. Silvia Soler-Espinosa (ESP) 62 61 Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) d. Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) 63 61 Maria Sharapova (RUS) v Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) v Silvia Soler-Espinosa (ESP) Ekaterina Makarova/Nadia Petrova (RUS) v Nuria Llagostera Vives/Arantxa Parra-Santonja (ESP) SERBIA level with BELGIUM 1-1 Venue: Spiroudome, Charleroi, BEL (hard – indoors) Jelena Jankovic (SRB) d. Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) 75 75 Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) d. Bojana Jovanovski (SRB) 64 64 Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) v Jelena Jankovic (SRB) Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) v Bojana Jovanovski (SRB) Tamaryn Hendler/Alison van Uytvanck (BEL) v Jelena Jankovic/Aleksandra Krunic (SRB) ITALY level with UKRAINE 1-1 Venue: Lauretana Forum, Biella, ITA (clay – indoors) Sara Errani (ITA) d. Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) 62 63 Lesia Tsurenko (UKR) d. Francesca Schiavone (ITA) 61 62 Francesca Schiavone (ITA) v Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) Sara Errani (ITA) v Lesia Tsurenko (UKR) Sara Errani/Roberta Vinci (ITA) v Yuliya Beygelzimer/Olga Savchuk (UKR) CZECH REPUBLIC lead GERMANY 2-0 Venue: Porsche Arena, Stuttgart, GER (hard – indoors) Iveta Benesova (CZE) d. Sabine Lisicki (GER) 26 64 62 Petra Kvitova (CZE) d. Julia Goerges (GER) 36 63 108 Sabine Lisicki (GER) v Petra Kvitova (CZE) Julia Goerges (GER) v Iveta Benesova (CZE) Anna-Lena Groenefeld/Angelique Kerber (GER) v Lucie Hradecka/Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE) WORLD GROUP II FIRST ROUND USA v BELARUS Venue: DCU Center, Worcester, MA, USA (hard – indoors) Christina McHale (USA) v Anastasia Yakimova (BLR) Serena Williams (USA) v Olga Govortsova (BLR) Serena Williams (USA) v Anastasia Yakimova (BLR) Christina McHale (USA) v Olga Govortsova (BLR) Liezel Huber/Venus Williams v Victoria Azarenka/Olga Govortsova (BLR) JAPAN lead SLOVENIA 2-0 Venue: Bourbon Beans Dome, Hyogo, JPN (hard – indoors) Kimiko Date-Krumm (JPN) d. Polona Hercog (SLO) 26 64 62 Ayumi Morita (JPN) d. Nastja Kolar (SLO) 26 64 63 Ayumi Morita (JPN) v Polona Hercog (SLO) Kimiko Date-Krumm (JPN) v Nastja Kolar (SLO) Rika Fujiwara/Ayumi Morita (JPN) v Polona Hercog/Andreja Klepac (SLO) SLOVAK REPUBLIC level with FRANCE 1-1 Venue: Aegon Arena, Bratislava, SVK (hard – indoors) Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) d. Pauline Parmentier (FRA) 57 61 97 Virginie Razzano (FRA) d. Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) 64 64 Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) v Pauline Parmentier (FRA) Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) v Virginie Razzano (FRA) Dominika Cibulkova/Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) v Alize Cornet/Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) SWITZERLAND level with AUSTRALIA 1-1 Venue: Forum Fribourg, Fribourg, SUI (clay – indoors) Samantha Stosur (AUS) d. Timea Bacsinszky (SUI) 62 75 Stefanie Voegele (SUI) d. Jarmila Gajdosova (AUS) 60 67(8) 86 Stefanie Voegele (SUI) v Samantha Stosur (AUS) Timea Bacsinszky (SUI) v Jarmila Gajdosova (AUS) Timea Bacsinszky/Amra Sadikovic (SUI) v Casey Dellacqua/Jelena Dokic (AUS) EUROPE/AFRICA ZONE GROUP I Dates: 1-4 February Venue: Municipal Tennis Club, Eilat, Israel (hard - outdoors) Great Britain and Sweden advance to 2012 World Group II play-offs Estonia and the loser of Greece v Luxembourg relegated to Europe/Africa Zone Group II in 2013 Results: http://www.fedcup.com/en/results/group-i/europe-africa/2012.aspx AMERICAS ZONE GROUP I Dates: 30 January - 4 February Venue: Graciosa Country Club, Curitiba, Brazil (clay – outdoors) Final positions: 1. Argentina, 2. Colombia, 3. Paraguay, 4. Canada, 5. Peru, 6. Bolivia, 7. Venezuela, 8. Bahamas. Argentina advance to 2012 World Group II play-offs Bahamas relegated to Americas Zone Group II in 2013 Results: http://www.fedcup.com/en/results/group-i/americas/2012.aspx ASIA/OCEANIA ZONE GROUP I Dates: 1-4 February Venue: Shenzhen Luohu Tennis Center, Shenzhen, China, P.R. (hard – outdoors) Final positions: 1. China P.R., 2. Kazakhstan, 3. Chinese Taipei, 4. Thailand, 5. Korea P.R., 6. Uzbekistan, 7. Indonesia. China P.R. advances to 2012 World Group II play-offs Indonesia relegated to Asia/Oceania Zone Group II in 2013 Results: http://www.fedcup.com/en/results/group-i/asia-oceania/2012.aspx ASIA/OCEANIA ZONE GROUP II Dates: 30 January - 4 February Venue: Shenzhen Luohu Tennis Center, Shenzhen, China, P.R. (hard – outdoors) Final positions: 1. India, 2. Hong Kong China, 3. Philippines, 4. Kyrgyzstan, 5. Turkmenistan, 6. Singapore, 7. Oman, 8. Pakistan, 9. Sri Lanka, 10. Iran. India promoted to Asia/Oceania Zone Group I in 2013 Results: http://www.fedcup.com/en/results/group-ii/asia-oceania/2012.aspx]]> http://www.10sballs.com/2012/02/04/2012-fed-cup-by-bnp-paribas-day-1-results/feed/ 0 Fed Cup 2012 – Women’s Look Forward http://www.10sballs.com/2012/02/04/fed-cup-2012-womens-look-forward/ http://www.10sballs.com/2012/02/04/fed-cup-2012-womens-look-forward/#comments Sun, 05 Feb 2012 01:04:18 +0000 Staff http://www.10sballs.com/?p=40632 http://www.10sballs.com/2012/02/04/fed-cup-2012-womens-look-forward/feed/ 0 Roger Federer Reached The Top Eight Years Ago http://www.10sballs.com/2012/02/04/roger-federer-reached-the-top-eight-years-ago/ http://www.10sballs.com/2012/02/04/roger-federer-reached-the-top-eight-years-ago/#comments Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:52:13 +0000 Staff http://www.10sballs.com/?p=40627 http://www.10sballs.com/2012/02/04/roger-federer-reached-the-top-eight-years-ago/feed/ 0 United States v. Belarus – Fed Cup by BNP Paribas 2012, World Group II First Round http://www.10sballs.com/2012/02/04/united-states-v-belarus-fed-cup-by-bnp-paribas-2012-world-group-ii-first-round/ http://www.10sballs.com/2012/02/04/united-states-v-belarus-fed-cup-by-bnp-paribas-2012-world-group-ii-first-round/#comments Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:33:36 +0000 Staff http://www.10sballs.com/?p=40625 http://www.10sballs.com/2012/02/04/united-states-v-belarus-fed-cup-by-bnp-paribas-2012-world-group-ii-first-round/feed/ 0 Visit the Bank of the West Classic at the SAP Open, February 13-19 http://www.10sballs.com/2012/02/04/visit-the-bank-of-the-west-classic-at-the-sap-open-february-13-19/ http://www.10sballs.com/2012/02/04/visit-the-bank-of-the-west-classic-at-the-sap-open-february-13-19/#comments Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:23:02 +0000 Staff http://www.10sballs.com/?p=40620 http://www.10sballs.com/2012/02/04/visit-the-bank-of-the-west-classic-at-the-sap-open-february-13-19/feed/ 0 5 Inspiring Moments from Australian Open http://www.10sballs.com/2012/02/04/5-inspiring-moments-from-australian-open/ http://www.10sballs.com/2012/02/04/5-inspiring-moments-from-australian-open/#comments Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:17:15 +0000 ApekshaHA http://www.10sballs.com/?p=40617 "The man who can drive himself further once the effort gets painful is the man who will win." Wasn’t it what we witnessed as Australian Open culminated with the biggest battle in a GS? So I thought let’s take a look back at the top 5 inspiring moments during the first GS of the year 2012: 5)  Company Matters: Just one month back, Andy Murray was a player whose anger management issues, on the court were more popular than his achievements on the court. But with the arrival of Ivan Lendl in Murray’s camp, things seem to have worked for this immensely talented Scot as he showed us his fighting attitude for the first time during the SF against Djokovic. It was really difficult to imagine such a huge transformation in a matter of 2 week’s time. But that’s the lesson to be learnt: Surround yourself with positive minded people, whom you respect for their special qualities, you will be changed! “Surround yourself with only people who are going to lift you higher”- Oprah Winfrey 4)  Irrelevance of Pressure: There are two types of people in this world- One who succumbs to pressure and the other who rise high in the same circumstances. Sam Stosur and Bernard Tomic in my mind are the perfect example of the above respectively. Bernard Tomic’s victory over Verdasco in five sets after being two sets down was a lesson to the tennis world that pressure will be a factor only if you think it to be one. “Everything negative - pressure, challenges - is all an opportunity for me to rise”- Kobe Bryant 3) Just one more step – If you are 4 match points down against a top 5 player, why would you even think of trying? But Kim Clijsters taught us that taking that one more step in the right direction instead of quitting can lead to victory in the end. “They quit on the one yard line. They give up at the last minute of the game, one foot from a winning touchdown and that’s why they lose” – Ross Perot 2) Never Give Up: There can be nothing better than to see a tennis player fight his heart out for his goals. There is a possibility that you might not reach the destination but every effort that you make takes you an inch closer. And who better a example than Rafael Nadal. His quest to win the mental battle against defying his body and mind was one of the features of Australian Open. “Our achievements speak for themselves. What we have to keep track of are our failures, discouragements, and doubts. We tend to forget the past difficulties, the many false starts, and the painful groping. We see our past achievements as the end result of a clean forward thrust, and our present difficulties as signs of decline and decay.” – Eric Hoffer 1) Belief- The key to success: People who have accomplished great things in life have had a great aim, have fixed their gaze on a goal which was high, one which sometimes seemed impossible. When the entire world talked about Fedal and how no one will be able to match them, Djokovic was silently getting prepared to prove everyone wrong. “I have to say that even though that he’s the best and everybody thinks that he’s unbeatable, I say he’s not unbeatable. He’s beatable, you know.”-Novak Djokovic after losing to Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinal of Roland Garros in 2006. And look where he is now- 7 times in a row he has defeated Nadal! “Magic is believing in yourself, if you can do that, you can make anything happen." Johann Wolfgang von Goethe By Apeksha HA I am just a tennis addict who has her own views on tennis. But wait what is tennis if one cannot be inspired by it? That’s my specialty. (http://healthnsports4u.blogspot.com/ ) You can reach me at apekshaha@gmail.com or https://twitter.com/#!/ApekshaHA or https://www.facebook.com/pages/Welcome-To-The-Blog-For-Sports-And-Motivational-Articles/175890225807655?ref=tn_tnmn]]> http://www.10sballs.com/2012/02/04/5-inspiring-moments-from-australian-open/feed/ 0 At the Top, Azarenka Knows The Only Direction From Here, is Down http://www.10sballs.com/2012/02/04/at-the-top-azarenka-knows-the-only-direction-from-here-is-down/ http://www.10sballs.com/2012/02/04/at-the-top-azarenka-knows-the-only-direction-from-here-is-down/#comments Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:09:15 +0000 Staff http://www.10sballs.com/?p=40613 http://www.10sballs.com/2012/02/04/at-the-top-azarenka-knows-the-only-direction-from-here-is-down/feed/ 0 Sania Mirza Targeting Doubles at the Olympics http://www.10sballs.com/2012/02/04/sania-mirza-targeting-doubles-at-the-olympics/ http://www.10sballs.com/2012/02/04/sania-mirza-targeting-doubles-at-the-olympics/#comments Sat, 04 Feb 2012 23:29:40 +0000 Staff http://www.10sballs.com/?p=40609 http://www.10sballs.com/2012/02/04/sania-mirza-targeting-doubles-at-the-olympics/feed/ 0 Montpellier, France: Latest Update (02/04/12) http://www.10sballs.com/2012/02/04/montpellier-france-latest-update-020412/ http://www.10sballs.com/2012/02/04/montpellier-france-latest-update-020412/#comments Sat, 04 Feb 2012 20:41:42 +0000 Staff http://www.10sballs.com/?p=40602 http://www.10sballs.com/2012/02/04/montpellier-france-latest-update-020412/feed/ 0 Federer’s February—Nathan’s Notice http://www.10sballs.com/2012/02/04/federer%e2%80%99s-february%e2%80%94nathan%e2%80%99s-notice/ http://www.10sballs.com/2012/02/04/federer%e2%80%99s-february%e2%80%94nathan%e2%80%99s-notice/#comments Sat, 04 Feb 2012 19:49:04 +0000 Staff http://www.10sballs.com/?p=40603 th through 12th. Federer has not been as committed to the Davis Cup as certain players (Rafael Nadal) but has shown effort as of late to prove he cares. In September Federer played in Australia during a playoff to help his home country, Switzerland, win. For the match in Fribourg Federer helped choose the red clay court surface believing it would play towards the Swiss’ strengths in their upcoming match against the U.S. The U.S. team is in preparation to take on the powerful team of Roger Federer, best known for his long-time status as No.1 and No. 27 Stanislas Wawrinka. The U.S. team includes both singles and doubles players consisting of No.8 Mardy Fish, No.17 John Isner, doubles No.1 Mike Bryan, and 19 year old Ryan Harrison who currently holds the No. 96 ranking. As mentioned earlier Federer never focused on the Davis Cup nearly as much as he does ATP sanctioned events. The Swiss have never won the Davis Cup in all of Federer’s years playing. At the age of 30, currently holding the No.3 spot, and with retirement looming near perhaps Federer feels it’s time to add one last big title to his bag. However there is also the possibility that Federer knows playing this year’s Davis Cup will be much easier with Rafael Nadal out of the picture. World No.1 and recent Australian Open winner, Novak Djokovic, also isn’t playing in Serbia’s Davis Cup match against Sweden. Andy Murray has also skipped out of Britain’s Davis Cup tie with Slovakia this month. Of the big four players only Roger Federer will play for a full three weeks during February. Following the Davis Cup matches Federer is scheduled to play the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament, an ATP 500 sanctioned event, from February 13th through the 19th. Directly after, Federer plays the final tournament of February—the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, another ATP 500 sanctioned event, from February 27th to March 3rd. Nadal is taking the entire month of February off, while Murray and Djokovic follow in similar suite, holding off until Dubai. Even with the other three members of the top four out of the way for most of February, Roger Federer still has tough competition to face. The U.S. team members also know they have a stiff challenge ahead of them. U.S. captain Jim Courier stated, “We have the toughest draw you can have in Davis Cup. It's the ultimate test. It's going to be a big battle, but we have nothing to lose. We have to go out and lay it on the line and we know we are underdogs, but we'll give it a rip.” Federer will likely come back with a vengeance after his recent teary-eyed semifinals loss to Rafael Nadal at the Australian Open.]]> http://www.10sballs.com/2012/02/04/federer%e2%80%99s-february%e2%80%94nathan%e2%80%99s-notice/feed/ 2