Tennis roundup
Federer to meet Nadal in Monte Carlo Masters final MONTE CARLO, Monaco (AP) – Roger Federer thinks the key to beating Rafael Nadal is to be ready for a fight.
“Just stay with him, for the entire time,” Federer said. “I have the feeling that other guys tend not to take the physical challenge with him. That’s what I won’t do.”
No. 1 Federer and second-ranked Nadal meet in Sunday’s final at the Monte Carlo Masters, after semifinal wins Saturday. Federer beat 12th-seeded Fernando Gonzalez of Chile 6-2, 6-4, and Nadal downed Gaston Gaudio of Argentina 5-7, 6-1, 6-1.
It will be Federer’s 12th consecutive final appearance and sixth this year, while Nadal hopes to extend his unbeaten streak on clay to 42 matches and beat Federer for the fourth time in five meetings.
Federer lost to Nadal at Dubai, United Arab Emirates – his only defeat in 34 matches this year – and feels he gained valuable knowledge then.
“He’s quite one-dimensional with his game,” Federer said. “After Dubai, I thought I actually saw the way I should play against him. The more I play him, the better it is for me.”
Reaching the Monte Carlo final has “exceeded” Federer’s expectations. The 24-year-old Federer feels he is ahead of schedule for the French Open – the only major he has yet to win.
“I’ve got another opportunity to play him,” Federer said. “It’s going to give me an indication, you know, if I will play him at the French (Open).”
Federer has won the last four Masters series he has played – at Hamburg, Cincinnati, Indian Wells and Miami – and would extend his Masters winning run to 30 games with victory over Nadal.
The match Sunday will be their first outdoor meeting since Nadal topped Federer in the French Open semifinals last June.
Nadal’s winning streak on clay is the third-longest in the Open era. However, he dropped his first set since July’s final at Bastad, Sweden, against Tomas Berdych.
Federation Cup
LONDON – The United States, playing without its top stars, took a 2-0 lead over Germany after the first-round singles in the Fed Cup on Saturday.
Spain held a 2-0 lead over Austria, while two-time defending champion Russia and Belgium were tied 1-1. Italy and France were also tied 1-1 in the best-of-5 Fed Cup quarterfinals.
Fed Cup rookie Jamea Jackson upset Germany’s Anna-Lena Groenefeld 6-2, 3-6, 7-5 and Jill Craybas beat Julia Schruff 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 for the U.S. team, playing without injured stars Venus and Serena Williams and Lindsay Davenport.
For Russia, Elena Dementieva upset No. 2-ranked Kim Clijsters 6-4, 6-3 before Justine Henin-Hardenne beat Nadia Petrova 6-7 (2), 6-4, 6-3 at Liege, Belgium.
Reverse singles are Sunday followed by doubles.
The United States has won the competition 17 times, more then any other nation, but not since 2000.
“To be honest, I figured it would probably be 1-1 after today,” U.S. captain Zina Garrison said in Ettenheim, Germany.
Garrison picked three Fed Cup rookies because of injuries. The 19-year-old Jackson got past No. 14 Groenefeld, the highest-ranked player she’s ever beaten. The 75th-ranked Jackson is the lowest ranked American to play a Fed Cup match.
At Valencia, Spain, Anabel Medina Garrigues and Lourdes Dominguez Lino won their singles to give five-time champion Spain a lead over Austria.
Medina Garrigues defeated Yvonne Meusburguer 6-3, 7-5, while Dominguez Lino marked her Cup debut with a 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-3 win over Sybille Bammer.
At Nancy, France, top-ranked Amelie Mauresmo easily defeated Flavia Pennetta 6-1, 6-1 in her first clay match of the season. Italy led after 11th-ranked Francesca Schiavone beat Nathalie Dechy 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-3.
“I really felt like I dominated from start to finish,” said Mauresmo, who got 84 percent of her first serves in with no double faults.
Clijsters was disappointed with her match before a home crowd.
“This is a real letdown. For myself and for the public,” Clijsters said. “I went for it, but I was not aggressive enough.”