Tennis

Rafael Nadal was beaten in straight sets by Robin Soderling in his opening match at the ATP World Tour Finals on Monday, the Swede repeating his shock French Open win over the Spaniard. Soderling saw off defending champion Nadal 6-4, 6-4 inside an hour and 38 minutes at London's O2 Arena in their Group B match at the season-ending tournament of the world's top players. Four-time French Open defending champion Nadal had had his 31-match winning streak there broken in May by Soderling, who in becoming the only man to beat Nadal at Roland Garros, went on to reach the final. And the Swede ... Read Full Story

Roger Federer overcame an erratic forehand and Fernando Verdasco on Sunday, rallying to beat his Spanish opponent 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 in the round-robin stage of the ATP World Tour Finals. The top-ranked Federer was broken only once — in the opening game of the Group A match after double-faulting on the first point — but he never looked dominating until late in the second set when he converted his first break point to even the score at one set apiece. In the third set at the O2 Arena, Federer was back to his old self. He controlled play as usual, and gave Verdasco little ... Read Full Story

World number one Roger Federer is looking forward to the chance for revenge over home favourite Andy Murray in the ATP World Tour Finals in London on Tuesday. Federer suffered a costly defeat to Murray in the group stage of the end-of-season event when it was held in Shanghai last year. The Swiss star was eliminated from the tournament as a result of that 6-4, 6-7, 5-7 loss - ending his two-year reign as Tour Finals champion. It was not the first time that Murray had upset Federer - the Scot holds a 6-3 career winning record against arguably the greatest player of all ... Read Full Story

LONDON (Reuters) - Andy Murray marked the beginning of London's five-year hosting of the ATP Tour Finals with a 6-3 3-6 6-2 win over U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro in front of 17,500 fans inside the spectacular o2 Arena on Sunday. The Briton withstood a ferocious comeback by Argentine Del Potro, who lost the opening five games, to open his account in Group A which also contains world number one Roger Federer and Fernando Verdasco who play later. After thumping rock music and swirling spotlights greeted the players on court, Murray won a nervy opening game by saving a break point with ... Read Full Story

by Robin Millard LONDON (AFP) -- Rafael Nadal was beaten in straight sets by Robin Soderling in his opening match at the ATP World Tour Finals on Monday, the Swede repeating his shock French Open win over the Spaniard. Soderling saw off defending champion Nadal 6-4, 6-4 inside an hour and 38 minutes at London's O2 Arena in their Group B match at the season-ending tournament of the world's top players. Four-time French Open defending champion Nadal had had his 31-match winning streak there broken in May by Soderling, who in becoming the only man to beat Nadal at Roland Garros, went on to ... Read Full Story