ATP Erste Bank Open: Andy Murray battles back to beat David Ferrer in final

Andy Murray boosted his hopes of reaching the ATP Tour Finals with a gutsy 5-7 6-2 7-5 victory over David Ferrer in the final of the Erste Bank Open in Vienna.
The Scottish second seed climbed into the eighth and final qualifying place on the Race To London with just two ranking events remaining.Ferrer, ninth in the ATP list heading into Sunday's final and seeded first in Austria, had edged the first set before Murray rallied to level and force a decider.

Both men felt the pressure with a run of five service breaks before Murray closed out victory after a little more than one hour and 40 minutes.

The opening games went with serve, before a wide forehand from Murray allowed Ferrer the first break at 4-2.

Wimbledon champion Andy Murray wins SPOTY award

Wimbledon champion Andy Murray has won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.

The tennis star, who ended Britain's 77-year wait for a men's singles triumph at the All England Club, polled more than half of the total votes cast to beat Wales and Lions full-back Leigh Halfpenny into second and jockey AP McCoy into third.

Murray had been the odds-on favourite for the gong that Sir Bradley Wiggins rode away with last year but was not able to attend the ceremony in Leeds on Sunday evening, speaking instead via video link from his training camp in Miami.
"I know I'm sometimes not the easiest person to support but I've had a lot of pressure on me for a long time and I'm just glad I finally managed to break through," he said.

ATP World Tour Finals: Novak Djokovic eases past Stanislas Wawrinka in semi-finals

In-form Novak Djokovic set up a title showdown with Rafael Nadal at the ATP World Tour Finals in London with a convincing 6-3 6-3 victory over Stanislas Wawrinka.

The Serbian stretched his unbeaten run to 21 matches with an imperious display, one he admitted afterwards was his best of the week, against a man who had pushed him to five sets at both the Australian and US Opens in 2013.

Yet despite putting up a real fight in the first set, Wawrinka could do little to stop the world no 2 recording a fourth straight triumph over him in the year and a 14th in succession.
The Swiss, who had marked his debut at the season-ending event by reaching the last four, can at least console himself with the fact he will end a highly-productive campaign inside the top 10 in the rankings for the first time in his career.

Barclays ATP World Tour Finals: Roger Federer beats Juan Martin del Potro

Roger Federer survived a scare to beat Juan Martin del Potro in a 'winner takes all' Group B clash and progress into the last four of the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals once again.

The six-time champion came from behind to triumph 4-6 7-6 (7-2) 7-5 at London's O2 Arena and set up a clash with Group A winner Rafa Nadal.

Going into the game, Federer ended a three-match losing streak against the Argentinian at the Paris Masters last week, giving him extra belief that he could continue his record of always having made the last four at the O2.

But it was far from easy for the Swiss ace, with del Potro showing his intent by running up a triple break point on Federer's serve in the first game. While Federer won two points back, he skied a forehand to give his opponent the break.

Novak Djokovic outlasts Roger Federer in Group B opener

Novak Djokovic started his ATP World Tour Finals defence with a second win over Roger Federer in the space of four days.

Djokovic beat the Swiss veteren en route to the Paris Masters title last week and again proved too strong despite the crowd siding with his opponent at the O2 Arena in London.

The Serb, bidding for a fourth straight title after tournament wins in Beijing, Shanghai and Paris since his US Open final defeat to Rafael Nadal in September, closed out a 6-4 6-7 6-2 victory in two hours and 22 minutes.
Both players now have a day off before resuming their Group B campaigns on Thursday, Djokovic against Juan Martin del Potro and Federer taking on Richard Gasquet.
Tight

ATP Shanghai Masters: Novak Djokovic beats Juan Martin del Potro in a thriller

Novak Djokovic overcame Juan Martin del Potro to claim back-to-back Shanghai Masters titles and stretch his unbeaten run in China to 20 matches.

The Serb sealed an epic 6-1 3-6 7-6 (3) victory after two hours and 32 minutes of action at the Qizhong Tennis Center.
Top-seeded Djokovic made a perfect start by breaking his opponent's opening service game with his serve-forehand combination doing much of the damage to quickly move 3-0 up.

ATP China Open : Novak Djokovic sees off Rafael Nadal in straight sets,Serb's forehand was awesome against Rafael Nadal

Novak Djokovic beat Rafael Nadal 6-3 6-4 in Beijing to win the China Open for the fourth time in five years.

The defeat was Nadal's first hardcourt loss of the season but he will nevertheless usurp Djokovic as the world No 1 when the new rankings are published on Monday.

Nadal has had the beating of Djokovic this season, coming out on top at the semi-finals at Roland Garros and last month's final at the US Open, as well as the Canada Masters.

But victory at Beijing's National Tennis Centre gave Djokovic a degree of revenge and improved his record in the Chinese capital to 19-0.

WTA China Open: Serena Williams powers to victory against Jelena Jankovic

Serena Williams landed her 10th title of the season thanks to a powerful 6-2 6-2 victory over Jelena Jankovic in the final of the China Open.
The top-seeded American, who has now won 73 matches in 2013, raced through the opening set hitting 17 winners and landing 71 per cent of her first serves in a dominant all-court display.

But former world No 1 Jankovic, who was playing in her first WTA final since 2011 in Cincinnati, broke in the third game of the next set after Williams pulled up clutching her troubled back, which hindered her semi-final win.

Bizarrely, it was the Serb who took an injury timeout, and quickly lost all her momentum when she returned as the 32-year-old reeled off five games in a row for her second success to prevail in one hour 28 minutes in Beijing.

WTA China Open: Serena Williams to take on Jelena Jankovic in Sunday's final

Top-ranked Serena Williams set up a showdown against surprise China Open finalist Jelena Jankovic after contrasting semi-final wins.

The American reached her 12th final of the year with a straight-forward victory against Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska, 6-2 6-2.

Meanwhile, eighth-seeded Jelena Jankovic from Serbia rallied from a set down to overcome Czech ninth seed Petra Kvitova 6-7 (7/9) 6-1 6-1.

ATP China Open: Rafael Nadal to return to pole position next week

Rafael Nadal will return to No 1 in the world rankings after his semi-final opponent Tomas Berdych was forced to retire injured at the China Open.

Berdych trailed 4-2 in the opening set when he took a medical time out before returning to the court.

But he lasted for just a few more points before having to call it a day and Nadal, 27, will now be confirmed as the world's top player on Monday.

Brisbane International: Serena Williams and Lleyton Hewitt confirm entries

World No 1 Serena Williams has confirmed that she will warm up for the Australian Open by competing at the Brisbane International.

The 17 times grand slam champion won the title at Brisbane back in January and Williams believes the tournament provides the perfect preparation for the opening grand slam of 2014.

Williams told the tournament's official website: "They have a great fitness centre; they have great courts that are identical to the surface played in Melbourne.

"Plus I have a week off after the tournament, so it's always a good preparation to play in Brisbane, and it's always fun to go back and try and defend your title."

Lleyton Hewitt has also announced that he will be taking part in the ATP version of the event.
Delighted

The 32-year-old made his first-ever appearance at the tournament this year as a wildcard, going on to reach the second round - and the former world No 1 has now agreed to return.

Japan Open: Routine win for top-ranked Juan Martin Del Potro

Top seed Juan Martin Del Potro breezed through to the third round of the Japan Open with a comprehensive win over Carlos Berlocq.

The 25-year-old raced to a 6-2 6-2 victory over his fellow Argentinean in Tokyo.

China Open: Home favourite Li Na to face Petra Kvitova in quarter-finals in Beijing

Home favourite Li Na progressed to the quarter-finals of the China Open with a 7-5 6-4 victory over Sabine Lisicki at the National Tennis Centre in Beijing.

Fourth seed Li kept a cool head in front of a packed crowd to edge out her German opponent and set up a last-eight clash with former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova.
Li made her decisive move in the opening set at 5-5 and when she broke again in the fifth game of the second set, the outcome never looked to be in doubt.

China Open: Rafael Nadal battles past Philipp Kohlschreiber to reach quarter-finals

Rafael Nadal booked his spot in the quarter-finals of the China Open with a 6-4 7-6 (7-3) victory over Philipp Kohlschreiber in Beijing.

The second seed did not have things all his own way, twice squandering break advantages in the opening set and being taken to a tie-break in the second.

China Open: Novak Djokovic beats Fernando Verdasco to make quarter-finals

Novak Djokovic had to fight it out for three sets to beat Fernando Verdasco and reach the quarter-finals of the China Open in Beijing.

Verdasco pushed the top seed all the way in the first two sets but ran out of steam as the Serbian ran out a 7-5 2-6 6-2 winner to make the last eight.

China Open: Rafael Nadal battles past Philipp Kohlschreiber to reach quarter-finals

Rafael Nadal booked his spot in the quarter-finals of the China Open with a 6-4 7-6 (7-3) victory over Philipp Kohlschreiber in Beijing.

The second seed did not have things all his own way, twice squandering break advantages in the opening set and being taken to a tie-break in the second.

Kohlschreiber was competitive throughout but dropped serve once too often in the opening set and could not compete in the second-set tie-break.
"Today the serve, in my opinion, helped in the important moments," Nadal told the ATP's official website.

WTA China Open: Laura Robson holds off Klara Zakopalova to reach second round

British No 1 Laura Robson defeated Czech Klara Zakopalova in three sets to reach the second round of the China Open.

The 19-year-old Londoner, who was dumped out in the first round of the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo by Ayumi Morita last week, came through 7-6 (3) 4-6 6-1 against the world No 33.

The win was Robson's first success over a top-50 player since her stunning run to the Wimbledon last 16 earlier this summer.

WTA China Open: Agnieszka Radwanska holds off Stefanie Voegele to reach second round

Agnieszka Radwanska lost the opening set to a feisty Stefanie Voegele before recovering her composure to reach the second round of the China Open.

The Polish world No 4 and 2011 winner in Beijing managed to seal a 4-6 6-4 6-4 victory, despite a stiff test from her Swiss opponent, who is ranked 52 places behind her.

Novak Djokovic warns Rafael Nadal he is not ready to relinquish world No 1 ranking

Novak Djokovic has warned a resurgent Rafael Nadal that he is in no mood to relinquish his world No 1 ranking without a fight.

The pair headline the men's draw at the ATP China Open and defending champion Djokovic has vowed to hold onto his title in Beijing.

Serena Williams seals number one spot for third time after dominant campaign

Serena Williams has been confirmed as the year-end world No 1 after her memorable 2013 season on the WTA Tour.

The 32-year-old, who became the oldest player to secure top spot in the rankings when she returned to number one in February, has won more than $9 million in prize money so far this year.

She took her tally of Grand Slams to 17 by winning the French and US Open titles and also captured seven other tournaments. Her win-loss record on the WTA Tour this year sits at 67-4.