Federer opens with comfortable win as Murray crashes at Miami
MIAMI: Roger Federer preserved dignity among the elite at the Miami Masters Saturday, earning a comfortable opening victory after world number three Andy Murray crashed out to unheralded Mardy Fish.
World number one and top seed Federer quietly dominated Nicolas Lapentti, vanquishing the Ecuadoran 6-3, 6-3 in 66 minutes.
But it was another story for Murray, who fell 6-4, 6-4 to the 101st-ranked Fish.
Federer is the sole survivor of the top three as Murray”s early exit followed that of second-seeded Serbian Novak Djokovic on Friday.
Federer lined up a third-round clash with Frenchman Florent Serra, a 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 winner over Spain”s Albert Montanes.
Federer is beginning a bid for a third Miami title after winning here in 2005 and 2006.
Swedish fifth seed Robin Soderling, the French Open runner-up, progressed to the third round with a 7-6 (7/5), 6-0 win over Australian Peter Luczak.
Croatian number seven Marin Cilic accounted for Stephane Robert of France 6-3, 6-1.
Spain”s 10th seed Fernando Verdasco saw off Israel”s Dudi Sela 6-1, 6-2 while 13th-seeded Russian Mikhail Youzhny eased past Santiago Giraldo of Colombia 6-0, 6-1.
In the women”s WTA event, top seed and 2006 winner Svetlana Kuznetsova beat Agnes Szavay of Hungary 6-2, 6-3 to reach the fourth round.
Three-time champion Venus Williams improved her own record at the Miami event with a 6-1, 6-4 victory.
The American, who lifted the title at Crandon Park in 1998, 1999 and 2001, claimed her 12th consecutive match win after back-to-back titles in Dubai and Acapulco this season.
The third-seeded Williams fired six aces in her 70-minute win, but also produced seven double-faults.
Poland”s sixth seed Agnieszka Radwanska ended the comeback hopes of former number one Ana Ivanovic 7-5, 7-5 as the Serb struggles to regroup under new Swiss coach Heinz Gunthardt.
Monday Night Football live
Monday Night Football live, This week, Monday Night Football gives us one of the best matchups of the season as the undefeated New Orleans Saints welcome Tom Brady and the New England Patriots to the Superdome. There’s sure to be a ton of offense, some fantastic quarterback play, and Jon Gruden loving absolutely everything that happens. As always, we’ll be taking part in our live chat, so please stop by and join us for the festivities that will be kicking off at 8:30 PM ET.
Monday Night Football live was first posted on December 1, 2009 at 9:29 am.
Saints Vs Patriots 2009
Saints Vs Patriots 2009, The Saints vs. Patriots 2009 game is of interest to people around the country. The Saints vs. Patriots game is this week’s Monday Night Football game on ESPN, and pits two great teams against each other in a battle two supremely good NFL cities. New Orleans is new to this stage, and could earn a lot of respect around the country if they are able to win against the New England Patriots. This is the Monday Night Football game that fans have been waiting weeks to see, and now that the day is upon us, it’s anyone’s guess how this game is going to turn out.
The Saints vs. Patriots is a good game on two different fronts, including their overall records and their prolific offensive statistics so far in 2009. When the two teams take the field on Monday night, it is going to be a shoot-out between Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and Saints quarterback Drew Brees. Both of these QB’s want to walk away with the win, but more importantly the victory could set up the winning team to be in prime position for a first round bye in the 2009 NFL Playoffs. Right now the Saints are the top seed in the NFC, but Minnesota is only one game behind them. In the AFC Indianapolis leads things, but several other teams are already 8-3, meaning that New England needs this win to keep pace.
So far in 2009, the New Orleans Saints are 10-0 and the New England Patriots are sitting at 7-3. New England lost a close game to Indianapolis earlier in the season that they could have won, but other than that, this is the toughest game for both teams on the 2009 NFL schedule. New England would like nothing more than to end the winning streak that the Saints have going, and the Saints want to prove that they belong among the elite teams in the NFL by taking one from one of the best teams in the NFL this decade. This game could prove to be a passing of the torch if Drew Brees can put up some great numbers.
With two great offenses taking the field on Monday, this game could come down to which team can make the key defensive stops. Both offenses are going to put up the points, and that will make it very important for someone on defense to take a step forward and make some big plays. The kick-off for the New England vs. New Orleans Monday night game is at 5:30 P.M. PST, and this is a game that is going to interest football fans from Spokane, Washington all the way to Miami, Florida because it is geared up to be some great television.
Saints Vs Patriots 2009 was first posted on December 1, 2009 at 10:49 am.
