Murray: 'I questioned myself'

(CNN) -- Four grand slam finals, four heartbreaking defeats. Andy Murray was in danger of becoming the "nearly man" of men's tennis -- and despite his public brave face, it was taking its toll.

"Physically we go through a lot," the 25-year-old told CNN ahead of next week's ATP World Tour Finals.

"So sometimes I questioned whether it was worth it because I had lost a lot of close matches and hadn't quite got to where I wanted to get to."

July's defeat at Wimbledon, his home grand slam, was hard to take. Tears flowed after the final as he addressed the crowd.

But just four weeks later, his revenge victory over longtime nemesis Roger Federer on the famous grass courts earned him the gold medal at the Olympics -- and in September Murray became the first British male player to win a major since Fred Perry in 1936 when he lifted the U.S. Open.

Murray crashes out in Paris as ATP finals line-up is completed

His older brother and occasional doubles partner Jamie says that New York final was the defining moment in Andy's career.

"I guess maybe it closed some of the doubts, I guess maybe in himself, but especially in the rest of the tennis world and in the media," he told CNN.

"He's finally got a grand slam now and hopefully that'll be the start of many to come."

Neil Harman, tennis correspondent for the Times of London, has followed Murray's career from the start and knew only too well the self-imposed pressure and self doubt that plagued the Scot, who has now won nearly $24 million in prize money on the ATP Tour.

"I can only pay tribute to his dedication to keep going, this is a tremendous affirmation of his qualities. It means everything to him," Harman told CNN.

Murray's London 2012 success against a man who had beaten him in three grand slam finals, and his later silver medal alongside Laura Robson in the mixed doubles, was made sweeter by his overwhelming support from a patriotic, flag waving home crowd.

"I'd probably say the Olympics was a highlight -- not just the match but the whole two weeks of the Olympics were just unbelievable," he said.

"I love sport, so as a sports fan it was great to be part of that and I love watching all the other sports whilst the tennis was on and then to win a gold medal and then a silver in the mixed was great. I really, really enjoyed it."

The man credited with helping Murray take the final step from nearly man to big-time winner is coach Ivan Lendl, appointed at the turn of this year with just that in mind.

Harman said it had been a "brave move" as former world No. 1 Lendl had little formal coaching, but "the proof of the pudding is in the results."

In what may prove to be a good omen for Murray, Czech-born legend Lendl lost his first four grand slam finals before going on to win eight.

"I'm not saying I will go on to achieve anything like that but he always wanted to keep improving," Murray said. "He worked incredibly hard. He would really do anything in terms of his training and his practice.

"That's what I will look to tap into over the next couple of years, how to, after reaching a certain goal, how to reset your goals and how to keep getting better. "

Murray will be seeking to emulate one of his best friends on the tour, Novak Djokovic -- who will be the year-end world No. 1 for the second season in a row no matter what happens in London at the eight-man season finale.

The Serbian was effusive in his praise of Murray, who he first played at the age of 11, following his final defeat at Flushing Meadows.

"It is obviously nice to hear that from him, he made his big real breakthrough last year -- he had one of the best years ever on the tour so he has helped inspire me in a way to keep trying to get better and believing that you can get to the top," Murray said.

Murray's heroics earned him a rapturous welcome in his hometown of Dunblane, scene of a 1996 mass shooting at the primary school which he attended.

A lone gunman, Thomas Hamilton, killed 17 people before taking his own life. Murray, eight at the time, survived by hiding in a classroom.

He has revealed since that his mother Judy once gave Hamilton a lift in their car while he was sat in the back.

A stunned community united in their grief and shock but now revel in the achievements of Andy and his brother, who has won a mixed doubles title at Wimbledon.

"I think Dunblane's only maybe 9,000 people and it's very close-knit, especially after the bad experiences that have happened in the town in the past," Jamie said.

"I think for what Andy's done the last few years of his career has really put a more positive light on the town and everyone's so behind him."

The pair have enjoyed success as a doubles partnership, claiming two ATP Tour titles, but losing in the first round of this year's Olympic competition.

Jamie has always relished the experience. "To be able to play high-level sport with your brother is always a cool thing to do, it's pretty unique as well."

It's a standing joke between them that Jamie is the only one to claim a Wimbledon title -- he won with Jelena Jankovic in 2007 -- but with Andy desperate to add to his grand slam tally it's perhaps only a matter of time before that changes.

Via: Murray: 'I questioned myself'

Halloween horror for 'Darth' Djokovic

(CNN) -- Novak Djokovic walked on to the court in a Darth Vader mask -- but it was the world No. 1 elect who was spooked after crashing out of the Paris Masters in his opening match.

The Serbian tennis star, who is known for his pre-match antics, suffered a Halloween horror show as he lost 0-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 to Sam Querrey in the second-round clash.

Federer to surrender world No. 1 ranking

The U.S. player, ranked 23rd, hit 18 aces on his way to grinding out victory in two hours, meaning Andy Murray is the highest-ranked player left in a field weakened by the absence of current No. 1 Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

Murray secured his place in the next round following a comfortable 7-5 6-3 win over Paul-Henri Mathieu of France and will now face Poland's Jerzy Janowicz.

At least Djokovic will now have a sufficient recovery period ahead of the World Tour Finals, which begin in London on Monday -- when he officially returns to the top of the rankings due to Federer's decision not to defend his Paris title.

"I knew the main problems would be my energy, it wasn't there during the second set. I really felt my level drop," Djokovic said.

"I struggled every game, but on the brighter side I have time to rest. I've been through a really difficult period this last few weeks. There have been a lot of things on my mind, some things happened.

"I have a couple of days now to rest. I've had to face some things a bit unusual for me, but when you lose a match you move on and go to the last tournament of the year."

Djokovic beats Murray in classic Shanghai final

Querrey, who will next play either Canadian 14th seed Milos Raonic or Frenchman Jeremy Chardy, was relieved to recover after losing the first eight games of the match.

"It was a little embarrassing. I walked over to my girlfriend and my chiropractor and I said, 'I hope I can get two games in this set.'

"Once I got the two games I kind of settled down. I was like, 'Okay, that's all I want.' But then I got rolling and got more confidence and started serving better and being a little more aggressive."

While Djokovic is assured of his place in the eight-man London line-up, his compatriot Janko Tipsarevic is still fighting to earn one of the remaining two berths at the season finale.

Tipsarevic defeated Dutchman Igor Sijsling 6-4 7-6 (7-0) to ensure his passage to the third round, where he will face Argentine ninth seed Juan Monaco -- who can potentially qualify if he reaches the final, depending on other players' results.

However, Richard Gasquet's hopes of making it to London ended when the the French 12th seed lost to big-serving South African Kevin Anderson in three sets.

Elsewhere, Juan Martin Del Potro eased past Colombia's Alejandro Falla 6-2 6-2 to set up a third round clash with France's Michael Llodra.

Llodra ovecame 10th seed John Isner 6-4 7-6 (7-5) to end the American's hopes of making it through to London.

Nicolas Almagro will take on Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the third round after he overcame fellow Spaniard Albert Ramos 7-6 (7-1) 6-7 (4-7) 6-3.

France's Gilles Simon will face Japan's Kei Nishikori following a straight forward 7-5 6-3 win over Victor Hanescu.

Via: Halloween horror for 'Darth' Djokovic

From the baseline to Bollywood

(CNN) -- Mahesh Bhupathi is best known in tennis for his many successes as a doubles specialist, but now he's playing a new role -- that of a double agent.

The 37-year-old Indian veteran is still a professional on the ATP Tour, winning his latest doubles title in Dubai earlier this month, but also acts as manager to two of India's brightest tennis hopes through his company Globosport.

And with a host of Bollywood film stars also featuring in the firm's portfolio, Bhupathi has a ready-made route to success once his career on court comes to an end.

Bhupathi, who cites entrepreneurs such as Virgin boss Richard Branson and telecoms mogul Sunil Mittal as businessmen he looks up to, has recently made his screen debut in one of his company's latest projects.

His wife, Lara Dutta, is an award-winning actress and was named Miss Universe in 2000.

When he does hang up his racket, the first player from India to win a grand slam title -- Bhupathi now has 11 all in doubles formats -- aims to mix the glitz and glamor of Bollywood with a plan to boost the prospects of burgeoning tennis talent in the country.

"All of us growing up are aware what support it takes to build a tennis player," he told CNN's Open Court show. "I don't think there's any dearth of talent in India -- we've always had the best juniors in the world.

"The big transition is how do you get from the juniors to the seniors, and that comes through financial support.

"In the West the kids have coaches, trainers and a pretty robust support staff, so it takes a lot of money.

"We have one kid we are supporting fulltime now. He's 14 years old and very talented, so hopefully we can make it to where we help more and more kids and eventually there will be a pipeline of players coming out of the country."

Outside of cricket, whose stars are worshiped in India, Bhupathi is one of the country's best known sporting figures.

He has a clean sweep of grand slam titles in the mixed doubles, claiming his first crown at the French Open in 1997 with Japanese partner Rika Hiraki, and can also boast four men's doubles titles to boot.

At January's Australian Open he partnered compatriot Rohan Bopanna -- with whom he recently won the Dubai Open title -- but they were knocked out in round three.

Yet it is his partnership with another Indian player, Leander Paes, that has reaped dividends. They have won three men's doubles titles together -- at the French Open in 1999 and 2001 as well as Wimbledon in 1999.

Even with a career that is still in full swing, Bhupathi also acts as agent to Sania Mirza -- the first Indian woman to break into the world's top 30 players -- and Somdev Devvarman, who reached a high of 62 in the men's rankings last year.

"For me it's two fulltime jobs so I've got to put in more work, but I really enjoy doing what I do," he explained. "Sania was one of our first clients, I think we signed her when she was 15.

"The tennis part of it is easy for me because I'm on the road, I'm networked into the tennis world, so doing her racket and apparel, this is very easy as I'm there on site.

"I'm aware tennis isn't going to last forever, and this going to be a smooth and natural transition now because Golobosport is eight years old."

But though Bollywood is beckoning, Bhupathi insists his eyes are still firmly fixed on court for now.

Via: From the baseline to Bollywood

Wimbledon stars' pay increase

(CNN) -- They've earned admiration around the world for their on-court prowess, not to mention the enviable sum of more than $160 million in prize money between them.

Now the "Big Four" of the men's tennis world have helped negotiate a pay rise for their lower-ranked colleagues.

Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray have joined forces to convince Wimbledon chiefs to increase the prize money for this year's tournament to 16.1 million ($25.9 million).

It's a 10% increase on last year's 14.6 million ($23.5 million) total, representing the biggest rise in 19 years.

The largest slice of the cash will go to players making an early exit in late June, with first-round singles losers to each scoop 14,500 ($23,400) -- up 26.1% on last year.

The singles champions, meanwhile, will see their prize money rise by just 4.5%, though this will still leave them with a tidy sum of 1.15 million ($1.85 million) each. Djokovic won the men's title last year to become the new world No. 1, while Petra Kvitova will also be defending her title in London.

Every round of the grass-court tournament will see increases, with those in the quarterfinals enjoying a rise of 5.5% to 145,000 ($233,720).

The decision aims to quell growing grumblings within the sport over the amount of money being offered to lesser players who are failing to meet rising costs.

Those knocked out in the earlier rounds are increasingly struggling to cover travel costs or employ a regular coach, and there had been rumors of players preparing a strike in protest. However this was denied by chairman of the host All England Club, Phillip Brook.

The Wimbledon chief said the decision followed a meeting with the Big Four at Indian Wells last month. He insisted the issue of strikes was never discussed.

"Wimbledon continues to be successful and we are delighted to share that success with the players by increasing total prize money by 10%, the largest increase since 1993," he said.

"At the same time, we appreciate the need to help players meet the rising costs associated with professional tennis, so the majority of the record 1.5 million increase will be distributed to those who are knocked out in the early rounds of the championships."

Wimbledon follows the lead of the French Open, which last month increased its overall prize purse by 7% to $24.6 million. Similarly, the biggest rise went to first-round losers, who picked up a 20% boost -- a prize of $23,670.

In comparison, singles champions at Roland Garos scored an increase of 4.17%, giving them total prizes of $1.64 million each.

The pressure will now be on the two other grand slams to follow suit.

Growing unrest started at last year's U.S. Open, where Murray and Nadal were particularly vocal about the uneven distribution of prize money. The New York event's singles champions earn $1.8 million and first-round knockouts get $19,000.

At January's Australian Open, title winners earned $2.37 million each, compared with $21,500 for players who lost at the first hurdle.

Via: Wimbledon stars' pay increase

15-love: Top tennis romances

(CNN) -- The life of a tennis professional is tough, but the rewards are plentiful -- and not just in a financial sense.

The long trawl around the globe on both the men's and women's tours has often been a breeding ground for blossoming courtships, as lovestruck couples decide it is game, set and match while gazing at the figure on the opposite baseline.

With Valentine's Day upon us, CNN World Sport charts the 15 top romances involving the stars of tennis in the gallery above. If you disagree, or think we've missed any out, let us know in the comments section below the story.

Who could forget the enduring romance of Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf, both multiple grand slam winners, whose love was reputedly cemented at the 1999 French Open champions' ball and is still going strong after 10 years of marriage?

One of the game's greatest ever players, Roger Federer, met his wife Mirka when the pair represented Switzerland at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.

But it is not all happily ever after. Chris Evert, an 18-time grand slam champion, has served love games to two fellow professionals -- Jimmy Connors and John Lloyd -- only for cupid to return a double fault.

Several high-profile recent relationships have proved the kinship between tennis and other sports too, especially golf.

Golf star Rory McIlroy, who won the 2011 U.S. Open, is currently dating former tennis world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki. The partnered pair refer to themselves as "Wozilroy."

Another golfer, Australia's Adam Scott, has recently rekindled his romance with glamorous Serbian tennis star Ana Ivanovic, the 2008 French Open champion.

Tennis has long been linked with showbiz, and high-profile names in the game have often mingled with stars of stage and screen.

British pop crooner Cliff Richard's relationship with 1976 French Open winner Sue Barker made waves in the early 1980s, while Agassi's brief marriage to American actress Brooke Shields also attracted a deluge of headlines.

Via: 15-love: Top tennis romances

Father's recovery gives Djokovic focus

(CNN) -- Novak Djokovic has a smile on his face again -- and not just because of his perfect record at this week's ATP World Tour Finals.

At the start of last week, the Serbian tennis star was battling with the news that his father had been taken seriously ill.

It badly affected his preparations for the Paris Masters, and he lost his opening match.

Srdjan Djokovic was hospitalized with a reported acute respiratory condition, but his condition has since improved -- which has allowed his son to find focus for the $5.5 million season-ending event in London.

"Well, it was hard. It still is, but there is good news every day," said the world No. 1, who lost his grandfather in April just hours before playing a match in Monte Carlo.

"That makes me happier, makes me play more relaxed on the court. I switch off on the tennis court. I try to think only about the match and it's been working well so far.

"Every win means a lot for my family and me. But there are more important things in life, and that's health. I guess that's the priority now."

Djokovic is through to the semifinals of the elite eight-man tournament following Friday's 6-2 7-6 (8-6) victory over sixth-ranked Czech Tomas Berdych, which gave him a 100% record in three Group A matches.

As he did in Wednesday's win over world No. 3 Andy Murray, Djokovic was forced to battle hard and he saved three set-points to prevent the match going to a decider.

"I played a really good match but I thought he served better towards the end of the second set. I was fortunate to come back and win in straight sets," said Djokovic, who ended Berdych's hopes of repeating last year's progress to the semifinals with his 11th win in their last 12 encounters.

It took him to 73 match victories this year, equaling the leading mark set by David Ferrer.

Djokovic won the tournament in 2008 its final staging in Shanghai, but last year failed to qualify out of a group including Berdych.

He ran out of steam following a breakthrough season in which he toppled Rafael Nadal from the No. 1 ranking and claimed three of the four grand slam titles.

Berdych will now look forward to next week's 100th Davis Cup final, where he will lead his country against Spain.

Murray also made it through to the last four in London, beating Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-2 7-6 (7-3).

The U.S. Open and Olympic champion needed only to win the first set to go through, following Berdych's defeat, and did so with few problems before Tsonga made a match of it.

Murray and Djokovic must wait for Saturday's Group B results before finding out who they will play on Sunday.

Wimbledon champion Roger Federer has already secured a semifinal place, but the result of his match against Juan Martin del Potro will decide who tops the group.

World No. 5 Ferrer -- who has a tour-leading seven titles this year -- can also go through if he beats Janko Tipsarevic and defending Federer wins his third successive match.

Via: Father's recovery gives Djokovic focus

Djokovic triumphs in ATP World Tour finale

(CNN) -- Novak Djokovic confirmed his status as World No.1 and denied Roger Federer a seventh title at the ATP World Tour Finals with a straight sets victory over his Swiss opponent at the O2 Arena Monday.

The Serbian closed out victory after two hours 14 minutes of enthralling tennis, thumping his chest in trademark style to celebrate a 7-6 7-5 victory.

He had trailed in each set to a break of service before hitting back in tenacious style to ultimately frustrate 17-time grand slam champion Federer.

Both men came into the end of season showpiece in possession of a single grand slam title in 2012 and having held the coveted No.1 spot, Djokovic taking it back when Federer skipped the preceding Paris Masters.

But it was Djokovic who put the seal on another triumphant season with his second victory in the Tour Finals after 2008, picking up the check for $1.7 million.

"Congratulations to Novak on an amazing tournament and an amazing year, You are the best. It has been an amazing year for me too," Federer said.

Federer would have been energized by the raucous reception he received at the start of the match from an expectant capacity crowd and he did not disappoint in the opening exchanges.

He won the first nine points to break service and hold for 3-0 in a purple patch to match the color of his tennis shirt.

But all season Djokovic has shown an incredible tenacity and here it was no exception.

Federer's 3-0 lead was erased as he broke back and then broke again to lead 5-4 and serve for the set.

But Federer saved one set point before taking his first opportunity to break back to level at 5-5.

The quality of the tennis was undeniable and it continued into the tiebreaker where Djokovic twice edged ahead with mini breaks only for Federer to retrieve the situation.

He saved one set point with an incredible lunge at 5-6 but lost the next two points as Djokovic closed out the opener.

Federer might have been expected to be deflated but he gained an early break in the second set and held the advantage until serving to level at 5-4 where he frittered away a 40-15 lead.

Djokovic was not going to be denied and swept through the next two games, breaking Federer for the fourth time in a pulsating match to take the title.

It was only the fourth time in the 43-year history of the Tour Finals that the top two in the world rankings had met in the final and it had fully lived up to expectations.

Federer, who had beaten home hope Andy Murray in the semifinals, was losing for only the second time in eight final appearances as he chased a hat-trick of titles.

Via: Djokovic triumphs in ATP World Tour finale

How tennis aced austerity

(CNN) -- Just along the river from London's economic heart -- the City of London -- lies the O2 Arena, which over the last week has hosted a tennis tournament which has had record crowds as fans forget about the economic gloom that has gripped both Britain and Europe over the last few years.

"When people are not doing very well, they need something to entertain them and this is a great distraction," said Dakin Sloss, a tennis fan from Silicon Valley in California, who attended the ATP World Tour finals.

Place a five kilometer ring around the now iconic setting, which was specially constructed to herald the arrival of the 21st Century, and within it would fall inner London boroughs where unemployment is well into double digits, double that for the under 25s, and deprivation is very apparent.

Britain officially crept out of its double dip recession last quarter, but like much of the Europe, is gripped by the consequences of sluggish growth and demand.

Dire outlook

But within the O2 Arena's confines there is no sense of austerity.

When the ATP World Tour Finals came to the British capital for the first time in 2009, arguably the economic outlook was even more dire, but during its fourth staging this year the tournament celebrated its millionth paying customer and in many ways is a beacon for the heady success currently being enjoyed by tennis despite the global downturn.

But it's not just London, coming off unprecedented attendances at the 2012 Olympics, and with their own "home town" global superstar in the form of Andy Murray, where tennis has pulled in the big revenues.

"The ATP and its 62 tournaments are now generating more than half a billion dollars annually," Brad Drewett, the tour's executive chairman and president, told CNN.

"We are in our strongest financial position ever and we have the biggest and best group of corporate partners ever involved in the game," he added.

Increased revenues

According to the ATP, commercial revenues have increased 165 per cent since 2009 and during finals week, Ricoh extended its support while the big announcement saw title sponsor Barclays put its name to the tournament through 2015 with London confirmed as the venue in a two-year extension.

Six-time grand slam champion Boris Becker believes that the global appeal of the sport has helped it ride the economic storm.

"You have great stars in a truly international sport, not based on one continent, and whether you are from Asia, Africa, the Americas or Europe, you have your favorites," said Becker, who is working for Barclays on their Ball Kids initiative.

"Tennis has a long history, we have survived wars and many different kinds of problems and in difficult times we come through, "Becker added.

Attendances on the ATP have remained steady at 4.4 million each year since 2009, excluding the four grand slams and Davis Cup matches, and television audiences have increased, with 800 million viewers plus four millions visitors to the official ATP Tour website each month.

Neil Harman, tennis correspondent of The Times of London, believes the rivalry at the top of the men's game, with Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal being joined by Murray to form an invincible "Big Four", is responsible for the sport's resilience in the face of difficult times.

Golden opportunity

"Tennis has this golden opportunity with the players you have got at the top of the game. We didn't have that five years ago," the Times journalist told CNN.

And it's not just the men's game that is on an upward trajectory.

"I have just come from Istanbul (venue for the season-ending WTA Championships) where the semifinal and final saw 16 and a half thousand people crammed inside the stadium."

"The fact is that women's tennis has two iconic figures at the top in Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova -- it's a potent combination."

The success of the respective men's and women's tours is matched and in many ways surpassed by the four grand slams, with ambitious expansion plans in place for Roland Garros, home of the French Open, and Flushing Meadows, which stages the U.S. Open.

Prize money increases

The Australian Open, first on the calendar in January, recently announced record prize money of $30.68 million for 2013, up by $4.13m.

The eight singles players and top eight doubles pairings in London will share out $5.5 million between them, rising to $6.5 million by 2014, but the likes of Djokovic and Federer, who is president of the ATP Player Council, flexed their industrial muscle this year to demand a more equitable share out of the cash at the slams for lower ranked players.

There was fleeting talk of a strike ahead of the Australian Open if demands were not met and the issue remains a cloud on the horizon on an otherwise sunny sky.

"The future is incredibly bright for men's tennis," foresees Drewett, a 54-year-old Australian, who was a former top 40 player himself.

The ATP World Tour Finals is the icing on the cake at the end of a long season, with qualification in the singles and doubles the main goal for the game's elite when they begin their 10-month season.

Permanent home

It's essentially the fifth grand slam and both Becker and Harman believe it will benefit from finding a permanent home in London, extended past 2015.

"It's absolutely astonishing what has been achieved, what they have done with the stadium, the players all love it," said Harman.

Former grand slam finalist Greg Rusedski, working for British television at the event, agreed. "I made two appearances in this tournament in Hanover in the 1990s but this has moved on to another level."

"They have sought to find a proper home for this event," said Harman. "And there's not been a proper home since Madison Square Garden in the 1980s."

Becker would like to see a permanent move: "Tennis is a sport which needs consistency and the reason the grand slams are so successful is everyone knows that at a certain time of the year in a certain place the big stars will turn up," he said.

Rusedski can also see no reason to move while the Paris Masters occupies its present place in the calendar. "Players will not want to travel to Rio de Janiero, which has been touted as venue, at the end of a long season," he said.

Special setting

It's a potent mix of setting and razzmatazz which defines the O2 experience for the crowd, with players emerging like gladiators to loud music and special effects.

From Rihanna to Rafael Nadal: Tennis' popstar makeover

Once the action is underway the crowd is kept in darkness, similar to watching a football match under floodlights, but they are kept in touch with match statistics and disputed line call replays on a giant four-sided screen above the court.

Aces, set and match points are signaled by a moving graphic display which circles the entire arena. "I have been to the Masters Series events in the States and grand slams but for setting this beats them all," said Sloss.

"It's a fun arena to play in," Murray told gathered reporters after news of the two-year extension emerged. "I think it works very well just now."

His rivalry with Djokovic promises to light up arenas around the world over the next few years.

"Novak and Andy are two amazingly gifted athletes, and their talent and potential is limitless," said Drewett.

"However, the game has never been more competitive and if you can get to the top, staying there is more difficult than ever.".

The chief of the men's game will be hoping that Federer continues his late career heroics, beaten by Djokovic in a classic 2012 final, and that Nadal recovers from his injury problems for 2013.

It's that ever shifting battle for supremacy, echoed in the women's game, which appears to drive interest and keep tennis immune from the problems which have afflicted other sports in tough times.

Via: How tennis aced austerity

How Serena turned farce into golden glory

(CNN) -- Just 38 days separated the lowest moment in Serena Williams' 2012 season, and the undisputed highlight.

After a crushing first round defeat at the French Open to world No. 111 Virginie Razzano in May the 31-year-old was so distraught she didn't leave the house for two days.

But just over a month later Williams was hoisting her fifth Wimbledon title -- her 13th grand slam singles win -- a triumph she hadn't thought possible after a blood clot on her lung nearly ended her career prematurely.

It proved the catalyst for an all conquering end to the season, as Serena won every major title on offer, including two Olympic gold medals, in the singles and in the doubles with sister Venus, the U.S. Open and the season-ending WTA championships.

Read: How tennis aced austerity

It prompted many to isolate that decimating defeat in Paris as the kick start her season needed but speaking to CNN's Open Court show, Serena offered a different explanation.

"I think that for me the turning point was in April," she said.

"I had decided that I wanted to play better, and I told my dad, 'I want to play, for the rest of my career, I want to play better, I want to be focused and what are we going to do about it?'

"Then for me to lose in Paris was completely disappointing. I was completely shattered, I was really sad, and I didn't leave my house for two days."

That self doubt resurfaced during the final at Wimbledon, in front of a packed Centre Court.

Having breezed through the opening set against Agnieszka Radwanska, competing in her maiden grand slam final, the Pole fought back to take the second set 7-5, sparking a mini meltdown in Williams.

"I lost the second set, I panicked and then after that I thought, 'I'm never going to win another grand slam, I'm going to be stuck at 13 for the rest of my life'," she said.

"I should have been happy the last time I won Wimbledon, and then when I was in the hospital I thought I wouldn't even play tennis again, so to have that opportunity from going from that low, from the bottom to the top, it was probably the highlight of my year."

Li Na recently compared taking on Serena to playing a wall -- everything comes back.

But Serena concedes her outward demeanor -- stalking the court in such intimidating, predatory fashion -- is sometimes a shield to what is really going on inside.

"I don't look at me being great or me being good," she explained. "I just am a player and I know I'm good at tennis. And I get nervous, I get apprehensive, I have all those feelings.

"I do (hide them). I'm a good actress. But I have all those emotions and feelings, which I think is completely normal. And then sometimes, I think really what helps me is I'm really strong mentally, so it helps me get through it."

If that was Serena's individual highlight of the year there is no doubt as to the collective one.

After a long absence from the women's Tour due to a foot injury and the subsequent blood clot on her lung, Serena returned to action for the first time in nearly a year at Eastbourne in June 2011.

But within three months of her comeback there was more bad news for the Williams sisters as Venus was diagnosed with Sjogren's syndrome -- an autoimmune disorder that causes joint pain and can deplete energy levels.

It would be February before she returned to the Tour full time but, just like Serena, her form was patchy -- until Wimbledon arrived.

Undeniably, the famous environs of SW19 propel both Venus and Serena to a higher plane.

On the same day Serena secured the singles title, the Williams sisters took their fifth doubles crown at the All England Club -- a sign their stranglehold on the women's game is far from over.

But it was the success they shared just a few weeks later at the Olympics on the same showpiece court that meant most to Serena.

"Venus and I went through so much, her finding out about her Sjogren's disease and myself with my near-death experience in the hospital, and to share that moment on the podium and holding that gold medal was, was amazing."

The pair enjoyed their most recent Games experience so much they confirmed to CNN they'd be sticking around to defend their title at Rio in 2016.

And when they both say they enjoy each other's success as much as their own it isn't hard to believe, especially when Serena talks of her sister's first Tour victory in two years at the Luxembourg Open in October.

"Venus winning after two years is great," Serena said. "She's been through even more than I've been through.

"And so she's been working really hard, and I see it, I see her work really hard, and go through things that no athlete should go through and continue to play professional sport. I'm in awe of her, really."

Just as both sisters revel in the delight when the other wins, so they share the despair when the other loses.

Serena added: "I can watch her in person, but I can't watch (on television). When she played her semifinal (in Luxembourg) I was so nervous, she lost the first set and she was up, and I felt like she should have won.

"I was angry, I was angry at everybody around me, I couldn't be normal. So yeah, like when she wins, I win, I feel the same way, and when she loses, oh, I lose. I feel that loss."

Though there are 15 months between the sisters there is no doubt their watertight relationship has helped them as players throughout their career. Serena likens their bond to that of twins.

"She's done so much for me. I think one of the hardest jobs in the world is to be an older sister. And I think Venus is an amazing older sister, she was a great role model for me, and we feel each other -- I can talk to her.

"She knows exactly how I feel about so many different issues, and I love it. I love having that relationship."

Via: How Serena turned farce into golden glory

Stepanek the hero as Czechs seal Davis Cup glory

(CNN) -- Radek Stepanek held his nerve to deliver the Czech Republic's first Davis Cup victory in 32 years after defeating Spain's Nicolas Almagro in a dramatic fifth rubber.

World No. 37 Stepanek stunned Alamgro, who is ranked 16 places higher than him, during a tense clash that ended 6-4 7-6 3-6 6-3 in Prague and lasted a little under four hours.

It capped a stellar season for the Czech Republic, whose women won the Fed Cup just two weeks ago. It was their first Davis Cup title since they split from neighboring country Slovakia in 1993.

Stepanek sealed victory after Spain's David Ferrer had pushed the encounter to a fifth rubber by defeating Tomas Berdych in straight sets during Sunday's opening match.

Jubilant Czechs clinch 'amazing' Fed Cup title defense

But Almagro couldn't halt Stepanek's charge as the defending champions surrendered their crown.

"It's amazing, we've written history here in our country," Stepanek said in a court side interview. "I cannot describe what I'm feeling right now.

"I came on the court with a mindset that I have to stay calm, hungry, motivated, concentrated, and always know what I'm doing. And that's what I did."

A relieved Berdych was ecstatic at Stepanek's performance after his 6-2 6-3 7-5 defeat to Ferrer earlier in the day.

"There are no words to say. Indescribable. This is the best thing that can be," he said.

Roared on by a vociferous 14,000 strong crowd Stepanek required just one break point to take the opening set 6-4.

Finding himself 4-2 down in the second the 33-year-old rallied to take it to a tiebreak, where he secured a decisive 7-0 victory.

Almagro stepped up a gear in the third set as the Prague crowd echoed the tension emanating from Stepanek.

But the world no. 37 was back on song in the fourth as he obtained the breaks of serve he needed to close out the match and spark wild scenes of celebration inside the arena.

Via: Stepanek the hero as Czechs seal Davis Cup glory

Venus returns to winning ways

(CNN) -- Venus Williams claimed her first singles title in more than two years with a straight sets victory over Monica Niculescu of Romania Sunday to win the Luxembourg Open.

The 32-year-old American has slipped down the rankings after battling Sjgren's syndrome, an auto-immune disorder that causes fatigue and joint pain.

But the seven-time Grand Slam champion put that behind her with a 6-2 6-3 scoreline in the final for her 44th career singles crown on the WTA Tour.

Younger sister Serena tweeted: My eyes are watering up because I am so proud of my sister @Venuseswilliams so proud of you sis congrats on your tournament win! I

The pair had combined together in the London Olympics to win the women's doubles gold for the third straight Games, with Venus showing signs she was returning to her best.

A semifinal victory over rising young German player Andrea Petkovic confirmed her form and fitness in a two-hour 38 minutes battle Saturday and Niculescu proved an easier victim in the title match.

She made a string of errors to lose in the Luxembourg final for the second straight year.

Serena Williams is in the field for the WTA Championships in Istanbul next week, her first tournament since winning the U.S. Open title last month.

Venus will go ahead to prepare for the 2013 season and the opening Grand Slam of the season in Australia.

"Coming to the tournament this week I was just trying to play well. I didn't know if I could win this event, so to stand here as the winner is a wonderful way for me to end the year, " she told the official WTA website.

"It really makes me look forward to next year as well."

Meanwhile, in the final of the Kremlin Cup in Moscow, former World No.1 Caroline Wozniacki beat top seed Samantha Stosur of Australia 6-3 4-6 7-5 in a grueling final.

Dane Wozniacki was claiming her 20th career title but her first Premier Level event in 14 months which have seen her slip down the rankings.

In the ATP event in Moscow, second seed Andreas Seppi of Italy came from a set down to beat fourth-ranked Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil to win the title.

The 28-year-old Seppi prevailed 3-6 7-6 6-3 for his third career title and second of the year.

Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro secured the Austrian Open title and kept up his bid to make the ATP Tour Finals with a 7-5 6-3 defeat of qualifier Grega Zemlja in the final.

Del Potro has been out for a month with a wrist injury but the victory left him seventh in the points race with the top eight qualifying for London next month.

Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic also looks set for the end of season finale after beating top seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France 4-6 6-4 6-4 in the final of the Stockholm Open.

Berdych holds sixth place in the standings with Tsonga in the eighth and final spot.

Via: Venus returns to winning ways

Azarenka seals year-end No. 1

(CNN) -- Victoria Azarenka toppled Li Na in their WTA Championships playoff to book a semifinal clash with Maria Sharapova and ensure she will end 2012 as the world No. 1.

Azarenka needed to win to stay in the season-ending tournament after tasting defeat at the hands of Serena Williams on Thursday and triumphed 7-6 6-3 over Li, the No. 8 seed from China.

The 23-year-old will now face Russia's Sharapova, who won her third straight match in Istanbul earlier on Friday, against already eliminated Sam Stosur, from Australia.

"It feels great, a dream come true," Azarenka said of her achievement in a court side interview.

Read: Poorly Kvitova unable to defend WTA title

"I want to play my last matches here and then enjoy being the world number one. I want to focus on this competition, there are still lots of challenges ahead.

"All the players are on top of their game and it's great to be part of the women's game doing so well at the moment."

Sharapova triumphed 6-0 6-3 against Stosur, surrendering just five points in an opening set that lasted only 21 minutes.

"After a really long match in my previous round, I was just trying to be really aggressive today and not spend as much time as I did the other day," Sharapova told the WTA Tour's official website.

"I knew coming in I was already going to be in the semis, but I didn't want to lose. I wanted to do the right things today and I did them."

Sharapova rejected the notion the match was a dead rubber, with her passage to the final four already secured, as well as Stosur's exit.

"They're not so dead -- you're playing in front of thousands of people," she said. "There are things you play for. I don't want to just play tennis -- I play to win.

"I wanted to try to replicate a match that matters -- in my mind, it does. I never want to go into a match when I'm in a competitive tournament atmosphere and feel like there's nothing on the line. That would never get me going."

In the evening's other match Agnieszka Radwanska, the No. 4 seed from Poland, booked a semifinal with Serena Williams after recording an epic 6-7 7-5 6-4 victory over Italian Sara Errani.

On court for three hours and 29 minutes it is the longest recorded match in the season-endning tournament's history.

"After my last match I wasn't that fresh, so I was afraid of what would happen," Radwanska said. "I don't know how I did it today, especially after almost three and a half hours on the court, but I'm so happy.

"Obviously Serena's a great champion -- in that kind of match I have nothing to lose, so I'll just go on court and enjoy it. I've had a lot of tennis the last few days and it's really hard to play like this every day."

Via: Azarenka seals year-end No. 1

Serena ends season in style

(CNN) -- Serena Williams brushed aside Maria Sharapova in straight sets Sunday to claim the season-ending WTA Tour Championships in Istanbul.

Williams has looked unbeatable from the moment she struck her first shot in anger at the Sinan Erdem Dome and so it proved again in the final as she triumphed 6-4 6-3.

Sharapova, who beat World No.1 Victoria Azarenka in the semifinals, put up a brave fight, but was outgunned by the 31-year-old American.

The Russian World No.2 did not force a single break point as Williams again served superbly and came under constant pressure on her own delivery.

A single break was enough for Williams to take the first set, finished with a flurry of aces as she served at 5-4 and an early break put her ahead in the second.

Sharapova, who won the French Open to highlight her 2012, bravely stayed in the contest by clinging on to her service, but at 3-5 down she cracked again.

Crunching ground strokes set up two championship points, finished with an explosive forehand as Williams claimed the WTA Championships for the third time.

Azarenka clinched the season-ending ranking by reaching the semifinals, but on current form Williams will return to the top of the rankings early in 2013.

"I made a little bit of a slow start to 2012," she told Eurosport after her Istanbul romp.

"There's always 2013 and I'm looking forward to it," she added ominously for the opponents at the elite end of the women's game.

Since mid-summer she has claimed the Wimbledon and U.S. Open titles before coming out on top in the WTA Tour's finale, despite having not played since her Flushing Meadows triumph.

With golds in the Olympic singles and doubles, with sister Venus, at the London Games, it has proved a glorious finish to the year.

Meanwhile, Juan Martin del Potro shocked World No.1 and home favorite Roger Federer in the final of the ATP tournament in Basel.

The Argentine did not drop his service throughout the three-set match to deny the Swiss maestro a sixth title at the hard court tournament.

He emerged a 6-4 6-7 7-6 winner after two hours and 44 minutes to claim back to back titles after winning in Vienna the previous week.

Federer, under pressure from Novak Djokovic for the top spot in the rankings, later withdrew from the Paris Masters this week where he is defending champion to rest up ahead of the ATP Tour Finals in London.

"I have some niggling stuff that I want to heal, I don't want to take a chance for London," he added.

In 2011 Federer won in Basel, Paris and London in a superb end to the season.

Top seed David Ferrer won the Valencia Open title with a 6-1 3-6 6-4 victory over Aleksandr Dolgopolov of the Ukraine.

Via: Serena ends season in style

Becker-Stich: Best of rivals

(CNN) -- Rivalry, dislike, even hatred are common emotions in the workplace. Add testosterone and adrenaline to the pot, stir and you have a potentially combustible concoction -- just ask Boris Becker and Michael Stich.

In August 1992, Becker and Stich had much to celebrate as the duo became the first German tennis team to win Olympic gold -- beating South Africa to claim the men's doubles title in Spain.

The Spanish night was young and Becker had arranged a dinner that night for Stich and a couple of other German athletes, but Becker says his partner preferred to take the first plane out of Barcelona rather than toast their success.

Twenty years on, two of Germany's most celebrated tennis players -- whose personal relationship was limited by an intense rivalry -- have still to raise a glass to their historic win.

"When we won, all I remember was just hugging each other, like we were brothers, but believe me -- that would have been impossible a week prior to the tournament," Becker told CNN.

"Hopefully, one day we will be mature enough to sit down, have a bottle of red wine and just talk (about it).

"You know, I won it because of him and he won it because of me. It's never going to go away so hopefully, we'll be able to celebrate this great achievement one of these years."

The Olympics had come at the height of the duo's rivalry, says Becker, with the pair not just the best tennis players in Germany but also the world, as they vied with one another for major honors.

Only a year earlier, Stich had beaten Becker in the first all-German men's final at Wimbledon.

Yet although the partnership's strength was tested on repeated occasions in Spain, with their last three matches all going to five sets, Stich and Becker came through -- a result of single-minded ambition in their two-man team, says a British sports psychologist.

"Research has shown that their rivalry would not necessarily have affected the outcome because they would still have wanted to win for themselves," says Dan Abrahams.

"There may have been hostility on a social level but it was only what happened on court -- and coming together to achieve their task -- that mattered."

Becker says it was during the quarterfinal against Spain's Sergio Casal and Emilio Sanchez, who were both higher-ranked and playing at home, that the German team finally put their egos aside, once they realized that only teamwork could pull them through.

"When I'm working with teams as a psychologist, I reinforce the concept that if we are going to set team goals then everyone needs to be working together," says Abrahams, who is currently working for Premier League football club Queens Park Rangers.

"It is not the end of the world if players are not friends. Research in sports psychology suggests that players do not have to like each other for a team to be successful."

Down the rabbit hole: Depression in the Premier League

There can be fewer finer examples of that across any discipline than the on-field relationship between former Manchester United strikers Andy Cole and Teddy Sheringham.

During their four years at United, the pair formed a fluid forward partnership that contributed to three league titles, one FA Cup and a European Champions League crown.

All of this was achieved despite the fact that they never talked to one another, with Cole having taken grave offense to a perceived slight from Sheringham during the former's England debut in 1995.

Cole, who is still the Premier League's second highest scorer of all time, said in 2010 that he would rather socialize with a player who broke his leg in two places than "with Teddy Sheringham, who I've pretty much detested for the past 15 years.

"We played together for years. We scored a lot of goals. I never spoke a single word to him.'"

One reason why Sheringham and Cole could channel their enmity for the good of the team was the influence of Sir Alex Ferguson.

The Manchester United manager has handled countless dressing room rows during his time -- and he is not afraid to drop players in a bid to promote competition, as he did last month when benching Wayne Rooney in favor of new signing Robin van Persie.

"Team sports can often be individual sports because each individual is trying to be chosen for the team and garner the manager's attentions, so team sports lend towards some rivalry within the team," says Abraham.

"That can be a good thing for management because if you have two players vying for a place, that brings out the best of them in training, their focus and in matches.

"However, it can be detrimental to their performance on the pitch if they are not working cohesively so it can be a double-edged sword."

Football's most poisonous rivalry? Liverpool and Manchester United's tempestuous past

There are a host of examples of teams that have suffered when protagonists have clashed -- with Dutch footballers regularly falling out before suffering premature exits at major international competitions, their French counterparts doing their best to emulate them in recent tournaments while teams in golf's Ryder Cup and Formula 1 have been undone by feuding stars down the years.

The 2004 Ryder Cup was a case in point as U.S. captain Hal Sutton made an enormous gamble as he paired two very contrasting figures together, in the hope that Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson could set aside their differences to create a "Dream Team".

A pairing described as making "oil and water look like a perfect match" duly lost both their matches as they helped the Europeans retain the trophy in comprehensive fashion.

Meanwhile, intra-team rivalries have ruined partnerships in F1, with Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost repeatedly at loggerheads during their time together at McLaren in the late 1980s.

Although their two years together resulted in a championship apiece, their frequent clashes -- some of which came on the track -- prompted the Frenchman to leave McLaren, no doubt regretting his decision to persuade the stable to sign Senna as he did so.

Earlier that decade, when one feuding F1 driver (Argentina's Carlos Reutemann) had suggested to a team colleague (Alan Jones) that they bury the hatchet, the Australian's reply -- "yeah, in your back" -- typified the emotions when rivalries run deep.

They have of course spilled over into premeditated physical violence before, most notably when American figure skaters Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding clashed in 1994.

Three years on from winning medals as teammates at the world championships, Harding's bodyguard and ex-husband hired an assailant to break one of Kerrigan's legs ahead of the 1994 U.S. Figure Skating Championships -- a feat Shane Stant failed to achieve, even if he did inflict enough damage to ensure Kerrigan withdrew from a tournament that Harding went on to win.

Despite denying any involvement, Harding was later stripped of her title and banned for life from participating in any further figure-skating events in the United States.

Amid all this dressing room tension as players try to be the main man and with enmity between teammates potentially sinking any team, Abrahams warns that strong friendships between players can also bring complications.

"An element of closeness between players can become a problem for a manager in that they won't demand more from each other. You need to be very robust to be best mates with someone but give them a rollicking from time to time.

"My experience suggests that players who are good mates will give each other a grilling, but they need to be better at their style of communication as this can create trouble."

The "Secret Footballer", a current player who writes anonymously about life at the top of the English game, is in agreement, saying how he has played "in teams where it could be argued that some players were too close to each other and so were unable to really deliver a bollocking when the situation called for it."

Behind the scenes with Graf and Agassi

Abrahams believes the individual nature of tennis, where players are so accustomed to winning and losing by themselves, enables them to deal with any hostility when playing doubles better than those who take part in team sports.

But he does not discount the players' strength of mind.

"Strong characters like Becker and Stich can deal with an intense rivalry but the less robust cannot," says Abrahams.

Indeed, the German duo -- who had a grudging respect for one another -- were admirably successful in temporarily shelving their differences as they united to win gold for their nation.

"Because of our rivalry, we were not that close on a private level," admits Stich.

"But the good thing was we both had one goal. We wanted to win that medal.

"After we both lost in the singles, that was the only chance we had -- as a team. We wanted to win the medal so we had to do well in doubles and we were professional enough to just go on that path."

15-love: Top tennis romances

Via: Becker-Stich: Best of rivals

Federer surrenders No. 1 ranking

(CNN) -- Roger Federer will surrender his world No. 1 ranking to Novak Djokovic after the 17-time major winner confirmed he is pulling out of the Paris Masters through injury.

Federer endured a painful defeat to Juan Martin Del Potro at the Swiss Indoors tournament in Basel on Sunday, a match that lasted a grueling two hours and 45 minutes.

And after his marathon match, he confirmed he would skip the Paris Masters in order to focus on the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals in London that start in early November.

That decision means he will lose the rankings points he accrued from three tournaments last year, and will be unable to overhaul Djokovic even if he wins his third straight World Tour Finals crown.

Read: Serena ends WTA season in commanding style

"It's just too much," Federer was quoted as saying on the official Paris Masters website after defeat in his home town.

"I was trying to make up my mind and I had some niggles I didn't want to take a chance on. I don't want to take a chance for London.

"I feel very disappointed as I had one of the best weeks of my life there last year, but this is just a last-minute decision."

Djokovic enjoyed a 53-week stay at the top of the rankings after his record-breaking 2011 until Federer regained top spot after taking his seventh Wimbledon title back in July.

But Djokovic will now end the year as world No. 1 for a second successive year, the first time that has happened since Federer held it between 2004 and 2007.

With Rafael Nadal out for the rest of the year with a knee injury, Andy Murray is the major threat to the dominance of Federer and Djokovic and the Briton says he is raring to go after missing the Basel tournament.

"I had a full week of rest after Shanghai which I needed," Murray told the tournament's official website. "I've had a pretty decent preparation for the tournament, which is good."

Murray is one of the strong favorites for the Paris title, and he is gearing up for a big end to his breakthrough year in which he took his first ever grand slam victory and an Olympic gold medal to boot.

"It doesn't make sense to come and save energy," added the U.S. Open champion.

"Having a full week of rest at this stage of the season (is something that) in the past I hadn't really had, so I feel so much fresher coming into Paris than I had done the last few years.

"I'll try to play my best this week and then see what happens in London. I feel better at this stage of the year compared with last year."

Murray will begin his Paris campaign on Wednesday against either French wild-card Paul-Henri Mathieu or Spanish qualifier Ricardo Bautista-Agut.

Via: Federer surrenders No. 1 ranking

Federer leads charge of the old men

London (CNN) -- In a career already groaning under the weight of titles and accolades, Roger Federer joined another exclusive list of tennis luminaries when he beat Andy Murray in this year's Wimbledon final.

In notching up his seventh Wimbledon win a month before his 31st birthday, Federer became the oldest champion since Arthur Ashe in 1975, and only the 11th player in the Open era to win a grand slam in his 30s.

Only Andre Agassi (at the Australian Open in 2001 and 2003) and Pete Sampras (U.S. Open 2002) have achieved the feat this century suggesting that, more than ever, modern tennis is a game which favors the power, agility and the sheer exuberance of youth.

Despite the ambition of those young guns and not forgetting the distractions of a young family, Federer's desire to remain competitive appears undimmed.

After dispatching the then 23-year-old Juan Martin del Potro in the final of the ATP Tour event in Rotterdam last February, Federer said he hoped to be around for another "three, five, six years."

And following his silver medal at the Olympic tennis tournament in August he reiterated that wish.

"I'll be 35 in Rio. I think it's possible, but we'll see how it goes," Federer told CNN.

The Swiss champion isn't the only one enjoying a resurgence in the autumn of his career.

From his perch at the summit of the world rankings -- which he reclaimed after winning Wimbledon -- Federer surveys a top 100 in which almost a quarter (24) of players are over the age of 30.

Five places below the Swiss is Spain's David Ferrer (who turned 30 in February) while lower down lie Jarkko Nieminen from Finland and Austria's Jurgen Melzer.

Read: Tight security in Shanghai as Federer appears after death threat

The 31-year-olds, ranked 35 and 37 respectively, have both won tournaments this year -- the Finn winning the Apia International in Sydney in January while Melzer took the Memphis title the following month.

Germany's Tommy Haas, who turned 34 in April, is currently the oldest player in the top 25. The former world no.2, whose career has been plagued by injuries, started this season outside the top 200, but has shot up the rankings this year to a current high of 21 in the rankings.

The rise was helped, in part, by victory over Federer in the final of the ATP tournament on home soil in Halle last June.

"Maybe 30 is the new 20," the German told CNN's Open Court, not entirely in jest.

"You know, I think a lot of the guys are becoming so much more professional ... everybody is looking more at how physical the game has gotten and how important it is to stay healthy and fit," Haas said.

"Thirty, at the end of the day, is really just a number ... If you really love something and you want to do it the right way, why not do it until you really know you can't do it anymore."

It's a philosophy which Federer shares, Haas thinks.

Read: Behind the scenes with Graf and Agassi

"He's a world-class athlete. He knows exactly what he is doing. He prepares as well as anyone out there ... he doesn't second guess many things, so I'm not really surprised."

Gil Reyes, the feted long-time fitness coach (and friend) to Andre Agassi, says Federer is just a class apart.

"Roger is a perfect athlete -- his movement, his game, his mental, his physical. There's Roger and then there's everyone else," Reyes said.

Technological advances and the physically demanding nature of the modern game have caught up with players less gifted and younger than Federer, says Reyes, leading to lots of wear and tear.

With players hitting that ball harder than ever, there is simply less time to play the next shot, he says.

"You're going to be out of position unless you redirect your body very forcefully and very violently, and that's just taking its toll on our knees and our hips. So you have to counter that and prepare your body for the game," Reyes said.

Watch: Boris Becker tours his hometown

Preparing his body for the game enabled Agassi to play with "great relevance" right up to age of 36, says Reyes.

The American's latter playing years were the most fruitful of his career with five of his eight grand slams won after his 29th birthday. He was also world no.1 at the age of 33.

"When you stop and think about it, that's amazing," Reyes says.

Strength was the key to Agassi's enduring success, Reyes believes, who recalls "a rather slender fellow" when they first met in 1989. But together they devised a fitness program tailored to the stresses and movements Agassi experienced on court.

"If we were doing certain running drills, he would say: 'I don't feel that on my legs the way I do on the tennis court.' That was beautiful because then he would leave it to me to come up with the training," Reyes said.

Reyes would also tailor gym work depending on the playing surface -- the high bounce at Roland Garros requiring different strength training to the skiddy low bounce of the All England Club's grass courts.

"I can say, honestly, that he was, if not the strongest player on the tour, one of the strongest. Playing to 36 in this day's game it takes a lot."

Read: The good, the bad and the ugly of sporting rivalry

Reyes thinks the next generation of tennis stars will reap the benefits of improving sports science but does not envisage too many current players emulating Agassi, with one notable exception, perhaps.

At the start of the year, a back injury forced Federer out of the Qatar Open in Doha. It was only his second withdrawal during a tournament in his career and prompted speculation that 2012 might be a year of diminishing returns for the great champion.

Ten months on, Federer has a further six titles under his belt, and heads towards November's season-ending ATP World Tour Finals with just his own records as the oldest winner and six-time champion to beat.

Via: Federer leads charge of the old men

Nadal targets Australian Open return

(CNN) -- Rafael Nadal has admitted he is unlikely to play again this year as he set his sights on a return from injury at January's Australian Open.

The former world No. 1 has been sidelined with tendonitis -- inflammation in the knee -- since withdrawing from July's Olympic tournament and has not played since losing to unseeded Czech Lukas Rosol in Wimbledon's second round.

Eleven-time grand slam winner Nadal refused to rule out playing in Spain's Davis Cup final match against Czech Republic in November, but admits it could be difficult to force himself into the team after a three-month absence.

"My biggest goal is to compete at Australian Open," the 26-year-old Spaniard told CNN Espanol, referring to the first grand slam of 2013.

"About the Davis Cup final, of course I would love to take part in it, but first I have to see if I will be ready technically and physically.

"We would have to ask whether I am the right choice to compete in a Spanish team that has been long preparing for this important tie considering also the months I have spent without playing. But that's a decision that it's not mine."

Read: Does size matter in tennis?

Nadal has won the Davis Cup on three previous occasions, in 2004, 2009 and 2011, but missed out on Spain's 2008 triumph with a previous knee complaint.

"Let's take it one day at a time," added the former world No. 1. "I'd rather be cautious especially after trying to recover for the London Olympics and for the US Open with no success.

"I prefer to go day-by-day without setting objectives or time frames, work hard on my recovery and make sure I keep on getting better little by little."

Nadal has been forced to watch from the sidelines as longtime rival Roger Federer returned to the top of the world rankings after winning a seventh Wimbledon singles title.

He has also seen Britain's Andy Murray, who won the men's singles gold medal at the 2012 Olympic Games, move above him in the world rankings after securing his first grand slam title at last month's U.S. Open.

Currently ranked fourth in the world, Nadal has qualified to play at November's season-ending ATP World Tour Finals in London, but his ability to take part is in doubt due to his injury problems, admitting that his knee is still "bothering him".

Via: Nadal targets Australian Open return

Murray: 'I questioned myself'

(CNN) -- Four grand slam finals, four heartbreaking defeats. Andy Murray was in danger of becoming the "nearly man" of men's tennis -- and despite his public brave face, it was taking its toll.

"Physically we go through a lot," the 25-year-old told CNN ahead of next week's ATP World Tour Finals.

"So sometimes I questioned whether it was worth it because I had lost a lot of close matches and hadn't quite got to where I wanted to get to."

July's defeat at Wimbledon, his home grand slam, was hard to take. Tears flowed after the final as he addressed the crowd.

But just four weeks later, his revenge victory over longtime nemesis Roger Federer on the famous grass courts earned him the gold medal at the Olympics -- and in September Murray became the first British male player to win a major since Fred Perry in 1936 when he lifted the U.S. Open.

Murray crashes out in Paris as ATP finals line-up is completed

His older brother and occasional doubles partner Jamie says that New York final was the defining moment in Andy's career.

"I guess maybe it closed some of the doubts, I guess maybe in himself, but especially in the rest of the tennis world and in the media," he told CNN.

"He's finally got a grand slam now and hopefully that'll be the start of many to come."

Neil Harman, tennis correspondent for the Times of London, has followed Murray's career from the start and knew only too well the self-imposed pressure and self doubt that plagued the Scot, who has now won nearly $24 million in prize money on the ATP Tour.

"I can only pay tribute to his dedication to keep going, this is a tremendous affirmation of his qualities. It means everything to him," Harman told CNN.

Murray's London 2012 success against a man who had beaten him in three grand slam finals, and his later silver medal alongside Laura Robson in the mixed doubles, was made sweeter by his overwhelming support from a patriotic, flag waving home crowd.

"I'd probably say the Olympics was a highlight -- not just the match but the whole two weeks of the Olympics were just unbelievable," he said.

"I love sport, so as a sports fan it was great to be part of that and I love watching all the other sports whilst the tennis was on and then to win a gold medal and then a silver in the mixed was great. I really, really enjoyed it."

The man credited with helping Murray take the final step from nearly man to big-time winner is coach Ivan Lendl, appointed at the turn of this year with just that in mind.

Harman said it had been a "brave move" as former world No. 1 Lendl had little formal coaching, but "the proof of the pudding is in the results."

In what may prove to be a good omen for Murray, Czech-born legend Lendl lost his first four grand slam finals before going on to win eight.

"I'm not saying I will go on to achieve anything like that but he always wanted to keep improving," Murray said. "He worked incredibly hard. He would really do anything in terms of his training and his practice.

"That's what I will look to tap into over the next couple of years, how to, after reaching a certain goal, how to reset your goals and how to keep getting better. "

Murray will be seeking to emulate one of his best friends on the tour, Novak Djokovic -- who will be the year-end world No. 1 for the second season in a row no matter what happens in London at the eight-man season finale.

The Serbian was effusive in his praise of Murray, who he first played at the age of 11, following his final defeat at Flushing Meadows.

"It is obviously nice to hear that from him, he made his big real breakthrough last year -- he had one of the best years ever on the tour so he has helped inspire me in a way to keep trying to get better and believing that you can get to the top," Murray said.

Murray's heroics earned him a rapturous welcome in his hometown of Dunblane, scene of a 1996 mass shooting at the primary school which he attended.

A lone gunman, Thomas Hamilton, killed 17 people before taking his own life. Murray, eight at the time, survived by hiding in a classroom.

He has revealed since that his mother Judy once gave Hamilton a lift in their car while he was sat in the back.

A stunned community united in their grief and shock but now revel in the achievements of Andy and his brother, who has won a mixed doubles title at Wimbledon.

"I think Dunblane's only maybe 9,000 people and it's very close-knit, especially after the bad experiences that have happened in the town in the past," Jamie said.

"I think for what Andy's done the last few years of his career has really put a more positive light on the town and everyone's so behind him."

The pair have enjoyed success as a doubles partnership, claiming two ATP Tour titles, but losing in the first round of this year's Olympic competition.

Jamie has always relished the experience. "To be able to play high-level sport with your brother is always a cool thing to do, it's pretty unique as well."

It's a standing joke between them that Jamie is the only one to claim a Wimbledon title -- he won with Jelena Jankovic in 2007 -- but with Andy desperate to add to his grand slam tally it's perhaps only a matter of time before that changes.

Via: Murray: 'I questioned myself'

Halloween horror for 'Darth' Djokovic

(CNN) -- Novak Djokovic walked on to the court in a Darth Vader mask -- but it was the world No. 1 elect who was spooked after crashing out of the Paris Masters in his opening match.

The Serbian tennis star, who is known for his pre-match antics, suffered a Halloween horror show as he lost 0-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 to Sam Querrey in the second-round clash.

Federer to surrender world No. 1 ranking

The U.S. player, ranked 23rd, hit 18 aces on his way to grinding out victory in two hours, meaning Andy Murray is the highest-ranked player left in a field weakened by the absence of current No. 1 Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

Murray secured his place in the next round following a comfortable 7-5 6-3 win over Paul-Henri Mathieu of France and will now face Poland's Jerzy Janowicz.

At least Djokovic will now have a sufficient recovery period ahead of the World Tour Finals, which begin in London on Monday -- when he officially returns to the top of the rankings due to Federer's decision not to defend his Paris title.

"I knew the main problems would be my energy, it wasn't there during the second set. I really felt my level drop," Djokovic said.

"I struggled every game, but on the brighter side I have time to rest. I've been through a really difficult period this last few weeks. There have been a lot of things on my mind, some things happened.

"I have a couple of days now to rest. I've had to face some things a bit unusual for me, but when you lose a match you move on and go to the last tournament of the year."

Djokovic beats Murray in classic Shanghai final

Querrey, who will next play either Canadian 14th seed Milos Raonic or Frenchman Jeremy Chardy, was relieved to recover after losing the first eight games of the match.

"It was a little embarrassing. I walked over to my girlfriend and my chiropractor and I said, 'I hope I can get two games in this set.'

"Once I got the two games I kind of settled down. I was like, 'Okay, that's all I want.' But then I got rolling and got more confidence and started serving better and being a little more aggressive."

While Djokovic is assured of his place in the eight-man London line-up, his compatriot Janko Tipsarevic is still fighting to earn one of the remaining two berths at the season finale.

Tipsarevic defeated Dutchman Igor Sijsling 6-4 7-6 (7-0) to ensure his passage to the third round, where he will face Argentine ninth seed Juan Monaco -- who can potentially qualify if he reaches the final, depending on other players' results.

However, Richard Gasquet's hopes of making it to London ended when the the French 12th seed lost to big-serving South African Kevin Anderson in three sets.

Elsewhere, Juan Martin Del Potro eased past Colombia's Alejandro Falla 6-2 6-2 to set up a third round clash with France's Michael Llodra.

Llodra ovecame 10th seed John Isner 6-4 7-6 (7-5) to end the American's hopes of making it through to London.

Nicolas Almagro will take on Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the third round after he overcame fellow Spaniard Albert Ramos 7-6 (7-1) 6-7 (4-7) 6-3.

France's Gilles Simon will face Japan's Kei Nishikori following a straight forward 7-5 6-3 win over Victor Hanescu.

Via: Halloween horror for 'Darth' Djokovic