TENNIS TUESDAY: Federer, Ivanovic, Dimitrov Win Grass Court Titles

Roger Federer won his 79th career ATP title (14th grass court title) by winning his 7th title in 9 finals in Halle Germany by defeating Colombian lefty Alejandro Falla 7-6(2) 7-6(3). Federer has also won the grass court major tournament, i.e. Wimbledon 7 times as well. It was Federer's 957 tour win, 3rd on the all-time list. He is only behind Ivan Lendl at #2 (1071) and Jimmy Connors at #1 (1253). Federer is 79 and 39 in tour finals. His nemesis Rafael Nadal was defeated by Dustin Brown in the round of 16 in Halle just days after winning his 9th French Open over Novak Djokovic.

Grigor Dimitrov won his 4th career title at the Aegon Championships in thrilling fashion over Feliciano Lopez 6-7(8), 7-6(1), 7-6(6), saving match point in the 12th game of the second set. Dimitrov is highly touted as a future #1, in the new crop of players born after 1990 that will win majors after the Federer-Nadal-Djokovic-Murray era is over. He is now 4-1 in tour finals, quite an impressive start for the 23-year-old and has won titles on clay (in Bucharest over Lukas Rosol), hard courts (in Acapulco over Kevin Anderson) and now grass this year.

Ana Ivanovic continues her excellent play this year by winning the Wimbledon tune-up tournament in Birmingham, without dropping a set. She is the only player to beat 2-time French Open champion Maria Sharapova on clay this year, doing it in straight sets on clay in the Rome qurterfinals. Ivanovic has won the most matches on tour this year but this was her first title of the year and 14th of her career.

2014 HALLE: Federer in 9th Halle Final, Will Meet Falla

Roger Federer is playing in his record 9th final in Halle, Germany on Sunday, where he will face Colmbian Alejandro Falla. Federer has won this grass court title 6 times before (2003-2006, 2008, 2013), including last year when he defeated Mikhail Youzhny. He has lost finals to Lleyton Hewitt (2010) and Tommy Haas (2012).

Federer beat Kei Nishikori in the semifinals this year 6-3 7-6(4). Falla is pretty good on grass, since in 2010 he gave the then 6-time Wimbledon champion a scare by winning the first two sets of their first round match but then lost in 5 sets. Hopefully Federer will take this match very seriously and tomorrow will bring Roger his 79th ATP title in Halle!

2012 Wimbledon Day 1: Berdych(6),Isner(11) Upset

AP

Day 1 of the 2012 Wimbledon Championships was dominated by the not-very-shocking defeat of 5-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams in the first round. However, Venus was not seeded, although she was expected to win. The biggest upset of the day was the surprising loss of 2010 Wimbledon finalist and #6 seed Tomas Berdych in 3 tiebreak sets to Ernests Gulbis.

The other big upset was Big John Isner, the #11 seed, going down in 5-sets (6-4 6-7(7) 3-6 7-6(7) 7-5) to Argentinian Colombian Alejandro Falla who two years ago when Isner was playing his seemingly interminable match against Nicolas Mahut served for the match against 6-time defending Wimbledon champion Roger Federer.

Other winners on Day 1 were Kim Clijsters playing in her final Wimbledon taking out former World #1 Jelena Jankovic(18), World #1 Maria Sharapova, World #3 Aggie Radwanska, World #5 Samantha Stosur and World #8 Angelique Kerber  all won their first round matches. Seeded losers were Flavia Penneta(16) and Daniela Hantuchova(27).

On the men's side World #1 Novak Djokovic, World #3 Roger Federer, World #8 Janko Tipsarevic (who surprisingly took out 2002 Wimbledon finalist David Nalbandian), Gilles Simon(13), Juan Monaco(15), Fernando Verdasco(17), and Richard Gasquet(18) allwon their first round match with Berdych, Isner and Andreas Seppi(23) losing.

WIMBLEDON 2010: Federer Survives 1st Round Scare

Defending champion Roger Federer survived a scare in the first round of Wimbledon by losing his first two sets (ever!) to Alejandro Falla but came back to win 5-7 4-6 6-4 7-6(1) 6-0.