Nadal wins in 1,000th match, Raonic withdraws

Kerber reaches 4th round, Keys falls All eyes on IPIC Arena in Abu Dhabi for Jiu-Jitsu Championship

MIAMI, March 27, (RTRS): Rafa Nadal celebrated his 1,000th tour level match with a come-from-behind victory over German veteran Philipp Kohlschreiber to reach the fourth round of the Miami Open on Sunday.

World number 31 Kohlschreiber was on fire early, ripping through the first set in only 21 minutes but fifth seed Nadal flipped the switch and turned the match on its head to prevail 0-6 6-2 6-3 on the main stadium hard court at Crandon Park.

It was the first time Nadal had failed to win a game in the first set of an ATP tour match since 2008, the ATP said.

The 30-year-old Spaniard ignited the near-capacity crowd with a typically determined comeback to clinch his 822nd career victory.

He joins a small group of 11 players headed by Jimmy Connors (1,535) to have played at least 1,000 matches. “One thousand matches is a lot of matches. Obviously that’s good news because that says I am having a long career,” Nadal told reporters.

“During a lot of years, I heard that I’m going to have a short career, so it’s something important for me. I remember the first match very well because it was at home in Mallorca. It was my first victory on the ATP and was a great feeling.”

Nadal said he had not done much wrong in the first set against an opponent who was in the zone.

“He was doing everything good, so that’s sport. I lose the set because he was playing too good. That’s it.

“But a match is long and the positive thing is I held the pressure well this afternoon after a very tough first set. I resisted well in the first few games of the second set and then I think I played a great second and third set.”

While Nadal played in the relative comfort of the late afternoon, Kei Nishikori also took three sets and nearly three hours to advance under a high noon sun, outlasting Spain’s Fernando Verdasco 7-6(2) 6-7(5) 6-1.

Nishikori, the runner-up to Novak Djokovic last year, fired 37 winners but Verdasco, aided by persistent swirling winds, used his varying pace and depth to rattle Japan’s number one, inducing 48 unforced errors.

Milos Raonic withdrew before his match against American qualifier Jared Donaldson, blaming a persistent hamstring injury.

“It’s related to the previous injury I sustained almost four weeks ago ... in Delray Beach,” the Canadian told reporters.

Raonic said he would not return to the tour until he felt 100 percent fit.

“That could be in two weeks, that could be a little bit longer.”

Kerber All eyes will be on the IPIC Arena in Abu Dhabi this April when record numbers of international athletes compete at the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, which take place from April 10-23, 2017.

The ninth edition of the Championship will welcome back the world’s elite to the recognised

Top seed Angelique Kerber advanced to the fourth round at the Miami Open but eighth seed Madison Keys was sent packing.

On a day when Simona Halep, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Venus Williams also won their third round matches, Kerber did not have it all her own way against 61st-ranked American Shelby Rogers.

The German, however, proved too strong, breaking five times for a 6-4 7-5 win on the main stadium hardcourt at Crandon Park.

Rafael Nadal, of Spain, returns the ball to Philipp Kohlschreiber, of Germany, during the Miami Open tennis tournament on March 26, in Key Biscayne, Florida. (AP)

The world champions of the Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2016 ‘home of Jiu-Jitsu’ for two weeks of gripping competition. More than 7,000 competitors from over 100 countries will descend on Abu Dhabi to fight it out for world titles and a substantial prize fund.

Hundreds of international players have already registered availing the special travel rates provided by the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation. The call

“It’s always good to have close sets, especially when you win them at the end. They give you confidence that you can go out in your next match knowing you can win close matches because you’ve just done it a day ago,” Kerber told reporters.

“You win the match, you’re always happy about your performance.

Keys, in her second event since returning from wrist surgery, was the only seed to lose on Sunday, falling to 72nd-ranked Spaniard Lara Arruabarrena 7-5 7-5.

for registrations is in its last 15 days and all players travelling to compete in the Championship are urged to register early for the chance to win a Land Rover Discovery Sport HSE 2017.

“The registration numbers are one of the highest we have had. We believe this is a testament to players looking to showcase

Third seed Halep took less than an hour to polish off qualifier Anett Kontaveit of Estonia 6-3 6-0 with an aggressive performance that left the Romanian very pleased.

“I think I played my best match of the year,” Halep told the WTA. “I was confident, and knew what I had to do ... everything went pretty well for me tonight.

“I felt good when I came to site and was sure that it was going to come together because I work every day. At one point, it has to come.

“I felt the best that I have this year. I

their skill, win big and maximize their time in Abu Dhabi with the great weather and exciting things to do in the UAE,” said Fahad Al-Shamsi, CEO, UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation.

Athletes from across the globe, including Gabriel Arges, Alexandre Ribeiro, Jose Junior, Adam Wardzinski, Marcio Andre, Kennan Cornelius,

can move without pain or anything and I’m confident, which is the most important thing.”

Russian seventh seed Kuznetsova, the runner-up last year, stayed on track for another tilt at the championship when she beat American qualifier Taylor Townsend 6-4 6-2.

A week after losing the Indian Wells final to compatriot Elena Vesnina, Kuznetsova’s stronger second serve proved the difference as she was broken just once while breaking her opponent four times.

Gianni Grippo, Faisal Alketbi, Claudio Calasans, Isaque Paiva, Felipe Pena, Nathiely de Jesus, Mackenzie Dern, Luiza Monteiro Costa, Rikako Yuasa ank and many others have already registered and will compete for over AED 3 million worth of prizes.

Register before 12 April at www. uaejjf.org

The next challenge for 2006 champion Kuznetsova will be 11th seed Venus Williams, a three-time Miami champion, who was far too good for Romanian qualifier Patricia Maria Tig 6-3 6-0.

British 10th seed Johanna Konta and Australian 14th seed Sam Stosur also won their third round matches, Stosur earning a date with Halep.

World number one Andy Murray is likely to miss Great Britain’s Davis Cup quarter-final trip to France due to an elbow injury, his brother Jamie Murray has said.

Three-times grand slam winner Murray, who pulled out of the ongoing Miami Masters after sustaining an elbow problem in training, is expected to be left out of the Great Britain squad, which will be announced on Tuesday.

“It’s some sort of tear in his elbow, so he needs to rest. He said he can do everything except serve and he told me that rest was all he had to do,” Jamie told British media.

“I am not planning that he is going to be there (in France) but, if he is, then obviously that is great for the team and we’ll see what happens.

“But the most important thing for him is just to get healthy ... He just needs to get a bit settled and get a good crack at it over the next three months because there are a lot of big tournaments to play.”

Murray is also not expected to make the Monte Carlo Masters beginning on April 17.