Juan Carlos Ferrero joins Alexander Zverev's team as new coach

Source: ATPWorldTour.com

Former world no.1 Juan Carlos Ferrero is now part of the technical team of German no.1 Alexander Zverev. They have started working together since mid July in the United States and will officially kick off their first tournament this week at the ATP 500 Citi Open in Washington.

The 20 year-old Zverev has a promising future in the ATP tournament because of his achievement this season, reaching his best position after winning 3 titles at the ATP Montpellier, ATP Munich and Master 1000 Rome. He's currently world's no. 8, his best ranking so far. Do take a look at the betting odds for the tennis matches played by Zverev in the North America hardcourt swing leading to the US Open.

Ferrero, a French Open champ in 2003 and one of the best Spanish tennis players, is very excited about this new project. He commented, "Zverev is a different player, he is champion material. It is a new challenge that makes me happy so I want to do my best". For more online tennis betting odds for Zverev and other players' upcoming tennis matches, do check out Betting Sites Australia.

Source: http://www.equelite.com/

“He told me that maybe he wants to work a little bit with me because I have the experience to be there on the top and I have the experience to win Grand Slams,” Ferrero exclusively told ATPWorldTour.com recently.

The 37 year-old Spaniard runs his own academy at the JC Ferrero Equelite Sport Academy, in Alicante, Spain, and is married with two young children.

Ferrero said, "His attitude on the court sometimes is up and down. [He needs to] stay more on the regular line. He's young and he has to grow up, and he has to control his emotions on the court, but day by day."

Currently Zverev leads the Emirates ATP Race To Milan and is in sixth place in the Emirates ATP Race To London.

Wimbledon officially kicks off today

Defending champion Novak Djokovic kicks off today's match at the Centre Court against former world no.1 Juan Carlos Ferrero. 

It was an easy feat for Djokovic who won 63 63 61 to move into the second round at the SW19. Djokovic is one of the favourite players to win the Grand Slam title this year. 

For the daily tournament schedule, click here. You may also check the latest Wimbledon Odds.

Tournament stewards escort the fans into the grounds on day one of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships

(Images via Yahoo! Sports)

Maria Sharapova celebrates victory at Juan Carlos Ferrero's Equelite tennis academy in Villena

Instead of moving on straight to the grass court after her triumph at the French Open, Maria Sharapova spent some time at Juan Carlos Ferrero's Equelite tennis academy in Villena and stayed at Ferrero's luxury hotel in Bocairente.

The academy organised a dinner specially for her. Juan Carlos Ferrero and Nicolas Almagro also attended the event.

According to the academy's website, Sharapova has been training there since young and last year has trained under the guidance of Antonio Martínez Cascales, Juan Carlos Ferrero's coach.

In case you want to know, there was a rumour between Sharapova and Ferrero dated back in 2005 but it didn't get anywhere because Ferrero had a girlfriend back then.

Sharapova is heading to London to prepare for the next Grand Slam, the Wimbledon.

In another news, Sharapova has been chosen to be Russia's flag bearer at the opening of next month's London Olympics, she announced on Facebook.

(Via Equelite.com)

Fabio Fognini: More than just a pretty face

 

I'm not interested to cover tennis matches here on my blog because you can read them everywhere.

However I just can't resist to talk a little bit about the match that caught my attention today - Fabio Fognini versus Viktor Troicki.

Not only that it was the battle between the two supposedly "cocky" or "cool" players in the ATP but the fact is they are also good looking.

It's amazing how the Italian Fognini managed to save two match points to beat world no. 28 Troicki in a five-setter. The final score is 6-2, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 8-6 completed in three hours and 30 minutes.

The match actually started on Wednesday but was postponed due to rain. His next opponent is Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Fognini is quite active on the social media. Recently he posted a picture together with Juan Carlos Ferrero and with his Bulgarian model girlfriend Svetoslava Simeonova at the Arc de Triomphe in another picture.

Fognini is featured in this month's DEUCE on the ATP website. You don't want to miss the article which reveals the "warmer" side of him.

(Images via Yahoo! Sports, Fabio Fognini's Twitter page)

David Ferrer, Venus Williams win in Acapulco

David Ferrer gets the pear.

David Ferrer defeated Juan Carlos Ferrero to end his fellow Spaniard's 14-match winning streak yesterday.

Ferrer who lost to Ferrero at the Copa Telmex last week in Buenos Aires got a sweet revenge with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 victory in Acapulco.

Ferrero's winning streak had included ATP titles in his last two tournaments, in Brazil and Argentina.

Venus Williams gets the hat.

Meanwhile, Venus Williams defended her Mexican Open title after beating Slovenian Polona Hercog 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 for her second consecutive title - here on clay and on hard courts in Dubai last week.

(Images via Yahoo! Sports)

Spain Davis Cup team meet the Prime Minister

Spain’s Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero honoured the Davis Cup champs in a ceremony at his official residence yesterday.

Rafael Nadal and his teammates including Albert Costa, Fernando Verdasco, Tommy Robredo, Feliciano Lopez, David Ferrer and Juan Carlos Ferrero successfully defended the title after completing a clean 5-0 victory over the Czech Republic in the final on Sunday.

Nadal and Ferrer sign a shirt for Spain's PM Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero

Spain has won the Davis Cup in 2000, 2004 and 2008, and is the first country to successfully defend the title since Sweden in 1998.

(Images via Yahoo! Sports)

Spain to meet Czech Republic in Davis Cup final

Spain will host Czech Republic in the December's Davis Cup final after the two teams recorded 3-0 victories in the semifinals.

Feliciano Lopez and Tommy Robredo clinched the tie for Spain, defeating Israel's doubles specialist Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram 7-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-2.

Spain, winners in 2000, 2004 and 2008, play without Rafael Nadal and Fernando Verdasco who were watching from the sidelines.

David Ferrer and Juan Carlos Ferrero filled in for their injured team mates and recorded straight-set wins in both matches on Day 1.

Ferrer defeated Harel Levy 6-1, 6-4, 6-3 and Ferrero ground down Dudi Sela 6-4, 6-2, 6-0.

Meanwhile, Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic defeated Croatia's Marin Cilic and Lovro Zovko 6-1, 6-3, 6-4 yesterday.

The first day of play stretched to almost 10 hours as the Czechs narrowly win two five-setters to go up 2-0.

Stepanek withstood 78 aces for almost six hours to edge past big server Ivo Karlovic 6-7(5), 7-6(5), 7-6(6), 6-7(2), 16-14, while Berdych held firm after losing a two-set lead to defeat Marin Cilic 6-3, 6-3, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3.

It will be the Czechs’ first final since their only Davis Cup triumph in 1980, led by Ivan Lendl.

(Via AP, tennis.com)

2009 Davis Cup: Croatia, Czech Republic, Spain through to the semifinals

Croatia, Czech Republic and Spain join Israel to qualify for the September's Davis Cup semifinals.

CRO-USA 3-2: The Croats remain undefeated against the Americans in Davis Cup, having now won all three meetings between the two nations.

Marin Cilic wrapped up this quarterfinal tie 3-1 by defeating James Blake 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 and setting up a meeting with the Czech Republic in September's semifinals.

CZE-ARG 3-2: Juan Martin del Potro began the day by defeating Tomas Berdych 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 to put the Argentines back on level terms and send the tie to a deciding fifth rubber.

But the Czechs' decision to rest Radek Stepanek in the opening singles paid off – he clinched the tie 7-6(5), 6-3, 6-2 against Juan Monaco.

ESP-GER 3-2: The Germans pushed the tie into a deciding fifth rubber when Philipp Kohlschreiber prevailed 6-4, 6-2, 1-6, 2-6, 8-6 against Fernando Verdasco.

Later, the experienced Juan Carlos Ferrero sealed a 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 win over Andreas Beck to send the Spanish Armada into the semifinals against Israel.

(Images via Yahoo! Sports)

Andy Murray goes gaga for Lady

While many girls and tennis fans are going crazy in their support for Andy Murray, the tennis star has revealed that he’s actually a big fan of music misfit Lady Gaga.

Recently he told channelbee.com, "I listen to whatever is good… I really like listening to Lady Gaga at the moment."

The current world no. 3 has long been a fan of playing music to help him focus before a match, but as his on-court fortunes have changed so too, it seems, have his musical tastes.

He added, "I used to really like Shakira, I even went to see her live in Abu Dhabi on New Year’s Eve."

"But I don’t really listen to her that much anymore."

Not quite a poker face...

Let’s hope Murray will keep his Poker Face when he plays Juan Carlos Ferrero in the quarterfinal round at the Centre Court today.

Here's the full interview with Andy Murray:

(Image by Getty Images)

Wimbledon Day 8: Fans cheer, vintage Hewitt, Haas, Federer, Ferrero roar

Thousands remained transfixed to the giant screen on Henman Hill to join the 15,000 fans inside the stunning arena cheering for Andy Murray to a 2-6, 6-3, 6-3,5-7, 6-3 victory against Stanislas Wawrinka.

Dubbed as Prince of Darkness, Murray survived the five-set sweat-fest against the Swiss no.2 under Centre Court’s new roof.

Earlier of the day, Federer outserved Robin Soderling 6-4, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5) to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals—three weeks after downing the Swede in three sets in Paris for his first French Open title.

Lleyton Hewitt, Juan Carlos Ferrero and Tommy Haas also produced vintage displays at Round 4 at the Wimbledon.

Former Wimbledon champion Lleyton Hewitt fought back from two sets down on Monday to defeat Radek Stepanek 4-6 2-6 6-1 6-2 6-2 and take his place in the quarterfinals.

Juan Carlos Ferrero swept through to the Wimbledon quarter-finals for the second time in three years on Monday, downing French eighth seed Gilles Simon 7-6, 6-3, 6-2.

The Spaniard wildcard will face Murray for a place in the semifinals.

Tommy Haas reached the “elite eight club” at Wimbledon for the first time in his long career after beating Russian Igor Andreev 7-6, 6-4, 6-4.

Next he will face off with Novak Djokovic whom he beat in Halle.

Joining Djokovic at the quarterfinals are big servers Ivo Karlovic and Andy Roddick.

In the women's singles, a tearful Ana Ivanovic retired 1-6, 1-0 after a leg injury in her fourth-round match against Venus Williams.

Ivanovic took a 10-minute break during the first game of the second set to have her left thigh taped by a trainer.

She returned for two more points, but after hitting a service winner to take the game, she began crying as she walked to her chair and told the umpire she was retiring.

The new retractable roof over Centre Court was closed for the first time Monday after a light sprinkle halted play during the second set of a match between Dinara Safina and Amelie Mauresmo.

The world no.1 Safina defeated Frenchwoman Mauresmo 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Unseeded German Sabine Lisicki continues her great run at the Wimbledon after defeated Caroline Wozniacki with a 6-4 6-4 victory in the fourth round.

Others who also made it to the quarterfinals are Serena Williams, Elena Dementieva, Francesca Schiavone, Victoria Azarenka and Agnieszka Radwanska.

(Images by Getty Images)