Nadal, Serena, Venus, Murray advance
Wednesday, 1 April 2009
MIAMI, Mar 31 (AFP): On a difficult Monday for stars, top seeds Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams, Britain's Andy Murray and Wimbledon champion Venus Williams advanced at the ATP and WTA hardcourt tournament here.
World number one Nadal, the Australian Open champion, was unhappy with his performance but reached the fourth round by defeating Portugal's Frederico Gil 7-5, 6-3. Nadal will next face Swiss 16th seed Stanislas Wawrinka.
"No opponent is easy, especially if you're not playing your best tennis. That's what was happening," Nadal said. "I didn't play very well. I had chances to lose the first set. I didn't feel very well on court.
"I always want to win. My motivation is full in every match. But you can't play well every day and today was one of those days."
Women's number one Serena Williams, the reigning US and Australian Open champion, was often unfocused but outlasted China's 17th-seeded Zheng Jie 7-5, 5-7, 6-3.
"I don't think I played great," Williams said. "She played probably her best tennis yet. I started out great and then maybe lost my focus. Next thing I know, I was 5-all in the first set, which should have never been.''
"Just happy to get through it because at one point I hit a ball in the bottom of the net and thought, 'Wow, I haven't done this since I was a junior.'"
Williams, who needs to reach the final to keep her top ranking, won the last three games to keep her quest alive.
"I just felt like if I didn't straighten up I was going to lose," Williams said. "At that point, I was ready to get the match over. I didn't want to lose and I knew I had to do what I needed to do to at least play a little better."
As far as the top ranking goes, Serena feels like she has staked her claim as the world's best by winning the past two Slams and losing to her sister in the finals last year at Wimbledon.
"It seems like I'll be remembered more for how many Grand Slams I'll win," she said. "But number one is also equally as important. If I make it, I make it. If not, oh well.
"Whether I end up number one at the end of this week or not, I think people obviously see me as number one. The respect is there. I've been working hard for several years now and being super consistent and I think it's paying off."
World number one Nadal, the Australian Open champion, was unhappy with his performance but reached the fourth round by defeating Portugal's Frederico Gil 7-5, 6-3. Nadal will next face Swiss 16th seed Stanislas Wawrinka.
"No opponent is easy, especially if you're not playing your best tennis. That's what was happening," Nadal said. "I didn't play very well. I had chances to lose the first set. I didn't feel very well on court.
"I always want to win. My motivation is full in every match. But you can't play well every day and today was one of those days."
Women's number one Serena Williams, the reigning US and Australian Open champion, was often unfocused but outlasted China's 17th-seeded Zheng Jie 7-5, 5-7, 6-3.
"I don't think I played great," Williams said. "She played probably her best tennis yet. I started out great and then maybe lost my focus. Next thing I know, I was 5-all in the first set, which should have never been.''
"Just happy to get through it because at one point I hit a ball in the bottom of the net and thought, 'Wow, I haven't done this since I was a junior.'"
Williams, who needs to reach the final to keep her top ranking, won the last three games to keep her quest alive.
"I just felt like if I didn't straighten up I was going to lose," Williams said. "At that point, I was ready to get the match over. I didn't want to lose and I knew I had to do what I needed to do to at least play a little better."
As far as the top ranking goes, Serena feels like she has staked her claim as the world's best by winning the past two Slams and losing to her sister in the finals last year at Wimbledon.
"It seems like I'll be remembered more for how many Grand Slams I'll win," she said. "But number one is also equally as important. If I make it, I make it. If not, oh well.
"Whether I end up number one at the end of this week or not, I think people obviously see me as number one. The respect is there. I've been working hard for several years now and being super consistent and I think it's paying off."