World No 8 Andy Roddick needed to overcome a sluggish start to book his ticket to the quarter-finals at the Sony Ericsson Open on Tuesday, while Rafa Nadal also advanced after being tested early in his match.
The US Open begins on Monday. With Nadal out, the big battle this time is between Federer, Djokovic and Murray. A Seshan rates the chances of the tennis giants.
Novak Djokovic tumbled out of the Indian Wells ATP tournament on Wednesday, upset 7-5, 6-3 by big-serving Croat Ivan Ljubicic in the fourth round.
Novak Djokovic defeated fourth-seeded Spaniard David Ferrer 7-5 6-3 on Saturday to win the Dubai Championships.
World number two Novak Djokovic fired Serbia to a 2-0 lead over the United States in Belgrade with a 6-2, 7-6, 2-6, 6-3 victory over Sam Querrey, after compatriot Viktor Troicki's hard-fought win over John Isner, also in four sets.
Top seed Novak Djokovic overcame tenacious Czech Jan Hernych 7-5, 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals of the Marseille Open on Thursday.
World number three Novak Djokovic celebrated his return to action with a 7-6, 6-4 victory over France's Jeremy Chardy in the first round of the Marseille Open on Wednesday.
Robin Soderling and Andy Murray served up reminders that there are more than two contenders for the men's title at the Australian Open with dominant third-round victories on Saturday.
Novak Djokovic recovered from a set down to defeat fellow Serb Viktor Troicki 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 in the second round of the Dubai Championships on Wednesday, while India's Somdev Devvarman lost to Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis.
Fourth seed Nikolay Davydenko overcame an early fright to beat France's Florent Serra 6-7, 6-4, 6-1 on Tuesday in an error-strewn first-round battle at the Dubai Championships.
World number one Rafael Nadal, taken the distance for the third match running, outlasted Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-4, 6-7, 6-4 on Friday to reach the semi-finals of the World Indoor Tournament. Nadal, who went to three sets against Simone Bolelli and Grigor Dimitrov earlier this week, next meets fifth seed Gael Monfils who beat French compatriot Julien Benneteau 7-6, 6-1.
Carol Thatcher, daughter of former British Premier Margaret Thatcher, has been sacked by the BBC after she refused to apologise for likening a tennis star to a 'golliwog', a racist term for blacks. Carol Thatcher, a reporter on 'The One Show', had been overheard making the remark off the air while she was chatting in the green room with one of her colleagues and some guests, after 'having several drinks'.
Rafael Nadal is the overwhelming favourite to win Friday semi-final and advance to his first final at Melbourne Park but Fernando Verdasco presents some unusual problems for him.
World number one Rafael Nadal set up a semi-final showdown with fellow-Spaniard Fernando Verdasco after subduing France's Gilles Simon 6-2 7-5 7-5 at the Australian Open on Wednesday. Verdasco advanced to his first Grand Slam semi-final after beating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France 7-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 earlier in the day.
The mind games have already started ahead of Sunday's Australian Open final between Roger Federer and Andy Murray.
Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic overcame the distraction of two violent thunderstorms to beat Croatia's Mario Ancic 6-3 6-4 on Thursday in the quarter-finals of the Sydney International.
World number one Roger Federer overcame a sluggish start before advancing to the Australian Open semi-finals with a 2-6, 6-3, 6-0, 7-5 victory over in-form Russian Nikolay Davydenko on Wednesday.
Serena Williams saved three match points and Novak Djokovic revived his stuttering Australian Open preparations in fierce heat at the Sydney International on Wednesday.
Former world number one Amelie Mauresmo had to forfeit her Brisbane International semi-final against compatriot Marion Bartoli Friday after receiving treatment on her lower back and left leg. The Frenchwoman, who had stunned top seed Ana Ivanovic 6-3, 6-2 in the quarter-finals on Thursday, was serving at 0-4 when she called for the trainer.
The Indian retired midway through his first round match against seventh seed Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
Second seed Novak Djokovic overpowered seventh-seeded Argentine Juan Martin del Potro 7-5, 6-3 in the opening match of the Masters Cup on Sunday. In the day's second match, fourth-seeded Nikolay Davydenko defeated sixth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-7, 6-4, 7-6 after fending off a dramatic comeback by the Frenchman in the third set before a roaring crowd.
Roger Federer will open his bid for a third successive Masters Cup title, and a fifth in all, against Gilles Simon after being grouped with the Frenchman in Wednesday's draw for the $4.45 million (2.8 million pounds) tournament. The Swiss is top seed in the absence of Spain's world number one Rafael Nadal, whose withdrawal through injury allowed Simon to take his place in the season-ending event for the top eight men in the world.
Top seed Andy Roddick beat fellow American Robby Ginepri 7-6, 7-6 and reach the Lyon Grand Prix quarter-finals.
Towering Croat Ivo Karlovic toppled third seed Novak Djokovic 7-6, 7-6 to make the quarter-finals of the Madrid Masters on Thursday. Earlier, world number one Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray all made it to the last eight, but defending champion David Nalbandian went out.
World number two Roger Federer has surpassed Pete Sampras to become the all-time leader in career prize money earnings in men's tennis, the ATP said on Thursday. The five-times US Open champion took his career earnings to over US $ 43.3 million at the Madrid Masters this week.
Roger Federer advanced to the third round of the Madrid Masters on Wednesday with a 6-3, 7-6 win over Czech Radek Stepanek.
Organisers of the Australian Open say they expect the tournament will remain in Melbourne despite an offer to move the grand slam event to Sydney when the current contract expires in 2016.
Top seed David Ferrer survived a scare before beating local favourite Takao Suzuki 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 to reach the Japan Open quarter-finals in Tokyo on Thursday. Second seed Andy Roddick joined him in the last eight, the big-serving American overpowering Austrian Juergen Melzer 7-6, 6-2 under floodlights.
Top seed David Ferrer began the defence of his Japan Open title with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 victory over American Jesse Levine.
Top seeds Leander Paes and Lukas Dlouhy combined to win their first team ATP title with a 6-4, 7-6(4) victory over Americans Scott Lipsky and David Martin at the Thailand Open.
Serbia's Novak Djokovic will launch his Australian Open defence at next year's Brisbane International, a new event that has been added to the tennis calendar.
After seeing his world number one ranking slip away, Rafa Nadal refused to loosen his iron-fisted grip on the Wimbledon title by crushing Andy Murray Friday to set up a final against the man who has knocked him off his perch. Serbia's Novak Djokovic had earlier beaten flamboyant Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to reach his first Wimbledon final and guarantee top spot in next week's rankings.
Roger Federer beat Olympic doubles partner Stanislas Wawrinka 6-3, 7-6 at the Montreal Masters on Thursday, ensuring the world's top eight players will compete in the quarter-finals of an ATP event for the first time. Of all the tournaments staged since ATP rankings began in 1973, Montreal marks the first that the world's top eight have fought their way to the quarter-finals of the same event.
Rafael Nadal survived a battle of creaky knees against David Ferrer on Wednesday, the fellow Spaniard retiring hurt from their second round match at the Montreal Masters to gift the world number two a comeback win. American fifth seed Andy Roddick, another player enjoying a career revival this season, also advanced with a tidy 6-1, 7-6 win over Russian Igor Andreev.
Four-times former champion Lleyton Hewitt enjoyed a gentle workout in his first match of the grasscourt season on Monday, beating wildcard Josh Goodall 6-4, 6-4 to reach the second round at Queen's Club. Another former world number one Marat Safin, who has never made a secret of his dislike for grass, made harder work of the transition, beating qualifier James Ward 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.
Three-times defending champion Rafael Nadal will hope to make a belated start to his French Open campaign on Tuesday after persistent drizzle gave him an unexpected day's rest. The heavens opened as the Spanish second seed was preparing to take to Centre Court on Monday against Brazilian qualifier Thomaz Bellucci, a man who has just one ATP Tour match win to his name so far this season.
Roger Federer began the defence of his Hamburg Masters title with an effortless 6-1, 6-3 victory over Jarkko Nieminen.
Andy Murray put last year's Hamburg Masters nightmare behind him by beating Russia's Dmitry Tursunov 6-4 6-1 in the first round on Monday. Murray's stay in Hamburg last year was cut short when he suffered a serious wrist injury, a problem that caused him to miss both the French Open and Wimbledon.
Svetlana Kuznetsova recovered from a terrible start to kick off her French Open title defence with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Romanian Sorana Cirstea on Sunday.
Mahesh Bhupathi and Mark Knowles beat Leander Paes and Paul Hanley 6-2, 6-7(8), 10-6 in the quarter-final of the Miami Masters.
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