Break Points: February 14, 2014

Notable Results:

  • Doha R3: [Q] Petra Cetkovska d. [1] Li Na,  7-6(2) 2-6 6-4
  • Doha R3: [5] Jelena Jankovic d. [W] Alisa Kleybanova, 6-1 6-2
  • Doha QF: [7] Simona Halep d. [4] Sara Errani, 6-2 6-0
  • Doha QF: [5] Jelena Jankovic d. [3] Petra Kvitova, 6-1 6-3
  • Rotterdam R2: Ernests Gulbis d. [8] Grigor Dimitrov, 6-4 7-6(3)
  • Rotterdam R2: Jerzy Janowicz d. [6] Tommy Haas, 6-4 6-4
  • Rotterdam R2: [2/W] Andy Murray d. [Q] Dominic Thiem, 6-4 3-6 6-3
  • Rotterdam QF: Ernests Gulbis d. [1] Juan Martin del Potro, 6-3 6-4
  • Rotterdam QF: Marin Cilic d. [2/W] Andy Murray, 6-3 6-4
  • Rotterdam QF: [W] Igor Sijsling d. Philipp Kohlschreiber, 6-2 2-6 6-1
  • Memphis R2: [3] Lleyton Hewitt d. [W] Marcos Baghdatis, 1-6 6-2 6-0
  • Memphis R2: Ivo Karlovic d. [2] Feliciano Lopez 7-6(2) 6-4
  • Buenos Aires QF: [2] Fabio Fognini d. Pablo Andujar, 6-4 6-3

News and Links:

I absolutely LOVE this “valentine to tennis” by Beyond the Baseline.

This is a great conversation over at Tennis.com between Steve Tignor, Ed McGrogan and Richard Pagliaro about the similarities and differences between the Grand Slams and the Olympics:

The first thing about this year’s Olympics that reminded me of tennis was the way I reacted to the curling broadcasts. I hardly knew the rules, yet I was already sucked in and had chosen sides. For some hard-to-explain reason, I really wanted the Canadian women to the beat the British women. When the Brits seemed about to steal the match (or game, or tie—I’m not sure what they call it in curling), I shouted, “I knew this would happen!” And this was the first time I’d watched any curling at all since the last Olympics. That’s often the way it is in tennis, too. It doesn’t take long, no matter who I’m watching, to pick a player and find some reason to be disappointed if he or she loses. I guess that’s a primal, irrational appeal of sports.

Rafael Nadal is back on the tennis court, and will be playing in Rio.

Fernando Verdasco talks to Details about his workouts. Of course, we’ve already covered that here at The Changeover, but it’s always nice to hear from the man himself.

He talks a lot about healthy stuff, but I’d like to focus on the ending:

‘I don’t get distracted when I visit Vegas. I’ve tried beer and wine, but I’ve never enjoyed it, so I don’t drink. When I party, I just have Coke, orange juice, or water. I’m kind of weird.

‘Of course, sometimes I do indulge. Everybody has to know when is a good time to give your body and brain a little shock. When I’m on the West Coast of the United States, I’ll say to myself, ‘Today is the day I go to In-N-Out and have two burgers.”

Tennis on Twitter:

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