Federer Wins Australian Open Title, World No1, Swiss Roger Federer defeated Andy Murray and won his 16th grand slam title and fourth Australian Open tournament.
Federer had to work hard to win the first two sets 6-3, 6-4. The third set went to the wire and was decided on tie break 7-6. Murray’s defeat means that the 74-year-wait for a British male Grand Slam singles champion goes on.

Roger Federer, Murray Win in ATP World Finals, Switzerland’s Roger Federer and Scot Andy Murray won their openers in Group A Competition at the eight-man ATP World Tour Finals in London.
Eight top tennis stars including Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are participating in the ATP World Tour Finals. Federer, the French Open and Wimbledon champion, dropped the first set but battled back to defeat Spaniard Fernando Verdasco 4-6, 7-5, 6-1.
Murray jumped to a 5-0 lead in the first set, fell behind early in the second and took a 4-1 advantage in the third on the way to a 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 decision over Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina.
Play in Group B will begin today with Spain’s Rafael Nadal taking on Robin Soderling of Sweden and Serb Novak Djokovic meeting Nikolay Davydenko of Russia. The tournament ends the season on the ATP Tour.

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will stage the last chapter of their battle to finish the year as world number one when the ATP Tour Finals get under way in London on Sunday.
Federer goes into the Tour Finals at the O2 Arena top of the world rankings, but the Wimbledon champion knows second placed Nadal can still snatch first place if the Spaniard wins the prestigious end-of-year event. The race for pole position is the latest installment of an enthralling rivalry between two of the sport’s all-time greats. Although Federer and Nadal remain friendly enough off the court, the Swiss star relishes his position as tennis’s pre-eminent force and has no intention of surrendering it over the next week. “I am aware of it (the race to finish world number one) and I would be lying if I said I was just here to play well,” said Federer, who kicks off his Group A campaign against Spain’s Fernando Verdasco on Sunday.
While Federer is setting his sights firmly on that number one position, Nadal is less concerned about the rankings. The four-time French Open champion has endured the most traumatic year of his career, with his parents’ separation proving a significant distraction before injury denied him the chance to defend his Wimbledon title. Now fully fit again Nadal, 23, claims he is just relieved to be able to test himself against the world’s best again.
British number one Andy Murray and Juan Martin del Potro, who beat the Swiss in September’s US Open final, are also in Federer’s group. Group B features Nadal, reigning Tour Finals champion Novak Djokovic, Nikolay Davydenko and Sweden’s Robin Soderling, who was handed his place when Wimbledon finalist Andy Roddick pulled out through injury earlier this week.
London is staging the Finals for the first time in the event’s 40-year history and, while Federer and Nadal can’t meet before the semi-finals, the sell-out crowds in the English capital will see a host of other intriguing ties, starting with home favorite Murray’s clash against US Open champion Del Potro in the event’s opening match on Sunday.

GENOA, Italy: With Roger Federer sitting out, Switzerland lost a doubles match to Italy in a Davis Cup playoff and had its lead cut to 2-1.

Simone Bolelli and Potito Starace beat Marco Chiudinelli and Stanislas Wawrinka 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (3) Saturday.

In Thursday’s draw, Federer was selected to team with Wawrinka, reviving the team that won the Olympic doubles title last year. But Switzerland captain Severin Luthi decided to rest Federer in favor of the 117th-ranked Chiudinelli.

“We all know he’s had a very heavy schedule over the last days and weeks, so we preferred that he rest today and be ready for tomorrow,” Luthi said.

Federer lost in five sets to Juan Martin del Potro in the U.S. Open final Monday, and he is still getting over jet leg from his trip across the Atlantic.

“For sure to have Roger on the team is always an advantage, but we knew we had a chance with this team, the Italians just played better today,” Luthi said. “(Federer) has no problem. You can expect him to play for sure tomorrow.”

Federer can seal the tie with a win over Andreas Seppi in the first of Sunday’s reverse singles matches on the red clay courts at the Valletta Cambiaso club.

The winner of the best-of-five series will return to the World Group next year.

Wawrinka beat Andreas Seppi 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 and Federer defeated Bolelli 6-3, 6-4, 6-1 in Friday’s opening singles matches.

“We were talking about the solutions for (Federer) and the worst-case scenario would have been if we lose in five sets and then he would have to play three days in a row,” Luthi said. “It was better that he rested today and be ready for tomorrow.

“It’s not for sure that if Roger had played we would have won the doubles,” the Swiss captain added. “We had a strong team on the court today. It’s not like we were saying we’re giving this point to Italy. They were just stronger today.”

Italy also made a change in its doubles team, with Bolelli replacing Fabio Fognini alongside Starace.

Wawrinka was broken four times and also lost two points on his serve in the tiebreaker.

“For sure it was not my best doubles today,” Wawrinka said, adding that he and Chiudinelli struggled to play in unison, having never played together in the Davis Cup.

The Italians were pleased by the decision to rest Federer.

“We were a bit surprised he wasn’t playing. But it gave us a better chance of winning,” Bolelli said. “We played well and showed that without Federer we’re capable of winning in straight sets.”

NEW YORK: World number one Roger Federer began the US Open fortnight with a new top rival for his tennis throne in Andy Murray and ended the year’s last Grand Slam with yet another formidable challenger.

Juan Martin Del Potro joined the No. 1 conversation with a shocking 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 victory over the Swiss star in Monday’s US Open final, the 1.98 metre Argentine giant snapping Federer’s five-year title run.

Del Potro, who turns 21 next week, jumped into fifth in the latest ATP rankings by winning his Grand Slam final debut.

Federer remained first despite the loss with Spain’s injury-hampered Rafael Nadal moving back into second on the list past Murray, who stumbled badly in a fourth-round loss to Croatia’s Marin Cilic, and Novak Djokovic placed fourth.

“I have very good players from me to the No. 1,” Del Potro said. “For sure, Roger, Rafa, Murray, they are two or three steps more than me. I’m working hard every day hard to be like them.

“But if I play for many years in this level, then they are going to retire and I’m going to be much better.”

Time is not all that is on the South American’s side.

His formidable forehand and improved fitness caught the eye of 15-time Grand Slam winner Federer when he was forced to rally from two sets down to beat him in a French Open semi-final.

“Every month he was getting better,” Federer said. “He was hitting his serves better, from the baseline he was getting more confident. He knows much more now what he needs to do on the tennis court.

“Whereas maybe in the beginning, because he’s so tall, he needs to figure out his game, I think he did that in the last six months.”

Del Potro sees himself as far from a finished product, but it’s bad news for every rival if he can only get better.

“I have everything to learn,” Del Potro said. “I want to be a good player in the future. I want to be like them. I’m very happy I’m on my way.”

With Nadal nursing strained stomach muscles and already out two months with sore knees and Murray turning in a miserable showing to help clear Del Potro’s path to the trophy, the door is open for the big man to climb up the rankings.

Del Potro had lost all six prior meetings with Federer, including a five-set thriller in the French Open semi-finals, but became the only man other than Nadal to defeat Federer in a Grand Slam final.

“I just go my way and try to improve every day my game,” Del Potro said. “Of course I’m living much better than two years ago, maybe 12 months ago. But I’m in good shape. I’m physically feeling good with my tennis. That’s important.”

NEW YORK: Juan Martin del Potro dethroned five-time defending champion Roger Federer 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 to capture the US Open on Monday, ending an era to win in his first Grand Slam final.

Firing consistent winners, the 1.98m Argentine giant kept the pressure upon the player many hail as the greatest in tennis history, one he had never beaten in six prior attempts, and won a shocker after four hours and six minutes. “It’s the best sensation in my life,” Del Potro said. The stunner made Del Potro only the second South American to win the US Open men’s crown, after countryman Guillermo Vilas in 1977, and denied Swiss world number one Federer a 16th career Slam crown and sixth US Open title in a row.

“Life goes on. No problem,” Federer said. “It has been an amazing run for me. Six would have been a dream too, but you can’t have them all.” Del Potro led Federer by two sets in the French Open semi-finals before the Swiss rallied for a dramatic five-set victory. But there was no such escape this time.

Federer was pushed into a fifth set for only the third time since the start of his championship run, the other times being against Andre Agassi in the 2004 quarter-finals and in last year’s round of 16 against Igor Andreev. Del Potro zipped a forehand crosscourt winner past Federer for a break and a 2-0 lead in the final set and denied the top seed on a break chance in the third game on his way to a 5-2 lead.

NEW YORK: Roger Federer has beaten Robin Soderling at the U.S. Open to reach a 22nd consecutive Grand Slam semifinal.

Top-ranked Federer beat 12th-seeded Soderling 6-0, 6-3, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (6) in the quarterfinals Wednesday night.

Federer has won 39 consecutive matches at the American Grand Slam tournament, where he is trying to become the first man since Bill Tilden in the 1920s to win six titles in a row.

In Saturday’s semifinals, Federer will play No. 4 Novak Djokovic. Federer beat Djokovic in the 2007 final and 2008 semifinals at Flushing Meadows.

Federer last failed to reach the semifinals at a major tournament when he lost in the third round of the 2004 French Open. No other man ever had a Grand Slam semifinal streak longer than 10.

Jason David Frank: Former Power Ranger Makes the Move to MMA

The former action star from the hit series “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” has officially made the move to mixed martial arts, and while training with UFC lightweight Melvin Guillard, he hopes to make his real fighting experience as successful as he did on television.

“I was supposed to fight in 2007, but it fell through. In truth, I’ve wanted to put the work in until I’m ready. I know I have a target on my back. Everyone is going to want to beat up the Green Ranger. But I am no Kimbo; I’ve been training for a very long time. I wanted to get in there before, but I got injured. But I’ll be ready when the time comes.”

“My style was missing the ground fighting. I have my blue belt in BJJ from Gracie Baja now, but we needed to have that ground game integrated into Tose Kune Do. There was a blank there. So we added wrestling, BJJ, etc., to it. Melvin Guillard has really helped add the wrestling.”

NEW YORK: Roger Federer has stretched his U.S. Open winning streak to 36 matches by reaching the third round.

The top-seeded Federer beat 65th-ranked Simon Greul of Germany 6-3, 7-5, 7-5 Wednesday before a night-session record crowd of 24,206.

Federer is trying to become the first man since Bill Tilden in the 1920s to win the American Grand Slam tournament six years in a row.

Next up for Federer: a match against 2001 U.S. Open champion Lleyton Hewitt. The 31st-seeded Hewitt beat Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 in the second round.

Federer has won 13 consecutive matches against Hewitt, including victories over the Australian in the 2004 final and 2005 semifinals at Flushing Meadows.

CINCINNATI: World number one Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic will contest the Cincinnati Masters final after both claimed impressive victories on Saturday.

Federer beat holder Andy Murray 6-2 7-6 while a rejuvenated Djokovic hammered former world number one Rafa Nadal 6-1 6-4.

Murray was trying to become the fourth man to win the Canada and Cincinnati Masters Series titles back to back.

But he could not even force a single break point and the Swiss broke serve twice in the first set and then saved two set points in the tiebreak to reach the final.

“It was just overall a very good performance,” said Federer, who beat world number two Murray for only the third time in their nine meetings.

“I stayed aggressive. I was always looking to make the plays and I think in the end I deserved to win, just because I wasn’t scared to go after my shots. And I think I served well.”

Attacking from the start, Federer broke Murray’s serve in the fourth and eighth games to take the first set.

The Briton battled hard to stay on terms in the second set and forced two set points, at 6-5 and 8-7.

But Federer saved the first with a big serve and the second when Murray’s attempted backhand pass landed inches wide, before going on to win it 10-8.

In three of their most recent four meetings, Federer won the first set only to lose the match.

This time, the Swiss said, he felt he would have been confident of victory even had the match gone to a decider.

“(In some of the matches), I really felt like, this is going to get really hard in the third set. I kind of felt it
coming that I was not going to win the match.

“Today was different. Even if I were to lose that second set, I would have been in the match with a good mindset. I played a really good match.”

Murray was pleased with his fightback in the second set, but disappointed at his overall performance.

“In the first set, I was leaving the ball short and giving him a lot of second serves to look at and not making a whole a lot of returns, so therefore I was unable to put any pressure on him,” he said.

“He was going for his shots because I was leaving the ball in the middle of the court. But I was happy I managed to up my game in the second set.”

Last year’s runner-up Djokovic produced his best performance of the American hardcourt season to see off Nadal, who was playing only his second tournament back after two months out with knee injuries.

The Serb forced Nadal into a series of uncharacteristic unforced errors and after claiming the first set in 29 minutes, he held off the Spaniard in the second to book a meeting with Federer.