Nalbandian received Washington WC

Former world number 3 David Nalbandian has got an invitation to play in Washington, other WCs went to Fernando Verdasco and James blake.

Nalbandian will play the Boodles Challenge, and YES after that WIMBLEDON

Players for 2010

Players appearing at The 2010 Boodles Challenge include: Philipp Kohlschreiber German No. 1 2009 Boodles Challenge Champion Nikolay Davydenko Current World No. 5 David Nalbandian Wimbledon Finalist Gilles Simon Former Top 10 Current World No. 32 Gael Monfils Current World No. 15 Novak Djokovic Current World No. 3 Australian Open Winner US Open Finalist Fernando Verdasco Current World No. 9 Jo Wilfried Tsonga Current World No. 10 Australian Open Finalist Juan Monaco Current World No. 25 Victor Hanescu Current World No. 37 Ernests Gulbis Current World No. 28

Nadal bests arch rival Federer in Madrid final

RAFAEL NADAL captured a record 18th Masters title last night - and expressed his delight at winning again on home soil.

Nadal ran out 6-4 7-6 (7-5) winner over Roger Federer in the Madrid Masters Final, reversing the result of the 2009 final - the last time the pai r had played against each other.

It was Nadal's second victory in Madrid and moves him one Masters title ahead of Andre Agassi and two in front of Federer.

Nadal, who will return to No.2 in today's rankings, is 15-0 on clay this season, having also won in Monte Carlo and Rome.

He has lost only two sets during that run and said: "The most important thing is winning at home - winning in Madrid is a dream.

"But against an opponent like Federer it was always going to be difficult."

Both players dropped serve early in the first set before the second-seeded Nadal broke decisively to lead 4-3. In the second set, Nadal won a tightly-contested tiebreak after two breaks of serve each.

Federer said: "I wasn't able to defend my title here today but I thought Rafa played an incredible clay-court season."

In the women's f inal, Venus Williams lost 6-2 7-5 to unseeded Aravane Rezai of France.

Rezai battled back from two breaks down in the second set to win her third career title in her sixth final.

Who will win, Nalby or Berdych, the answer is neither

Nalbandian pulls out of Madrid.

Looks like David felt pain again in his left hamstring, and as a precaution he decided not to play Madrid and ARAG, will be back in RG.

Berdych himself also felt pain on his hip and pulled out.

so instead of Nalby vs Berdych, it will be Russel vs Fish.

If the injury doesnt completely heal until RG, the question marks will be flying high next to the name of David Nalbandian. (thank you Noubar)

Tuesday Order of Play, Nalbandian plays the last match on the Center court

Nalby plays in the evening, we can't ask for more.

His favorite Tournament, favorite City, favorite Timing.

Nalbandian handed a tough draw in Madrid, faces Berdych in the 1st round

Former 2007 Madrid Champion David Nalbandian faces an in-form Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic.

The 2 players have met twice on clay, with a H2H 1-1.

But they met 3 times on hard courts, with Nalbandian winning 3 of them.

Nalbandian played Berdych in Madrid 2007 and 2008, and he underwent surgery in 2009, and here it comes 2010, and the 2 compatriots meet again in the same tournament, hopefully with the same result as well.

Nalbandian could face Melzer in the 2nd round, and Verdasco in the 3rd, Soderling QF, Nadal, SF.

Order of play to be posted soon.

Nalbandian - Cambiasso - Batistuta [Karaoke]

Del Potro underwent wrist surgery and out for 5 months

US Open champion and world number five Juan Martin del Potro withdraws from Roland Garros and Wimbledon and faces a lengthy lay-off after undergoing wrist surgery in the United States on Tuesday.

The Argentine, 21, suffered with tendinitis in his right wrist as far back as October and has not played since January's Australian Open.

He will undergo surgery in Minnesota before returning to Argentina.

"It's not a happy moment in my life," he said, adding that the expected recuperation time will be "prolonged".

"The recuperation time is prolonged but it depends on many factors which today one cannot measure because it's all very recent," said Del Potro.

"I will get through the first days post-operation here and later return home."

Del Potro is now certain to miss the French Open and the rest of his season appears in doubt.

When he won the US Open last September, the Argentine became the first man other than Rafael Nadal to beat Roger Federer in the final of a Grand Slam tournament.

Nadal beats Ferrer and the rain in a boring Rome final

Nadal defeats Ferrer to win 5th Rome Masters.

ROME — Rafael Nadal maintained his focus through two rain delays to beat fellow Spaniard David Ferrer 7-5, 6-2 and claim his fifth Rome Masters title in six years.

Having won the Monte Carlo Masters two weeks ago to end an 11-month title drought, Nadal improved to 10-0 on clay this year and provided another signal he is back to dominating on his preferred surface after a series of injuries.

Nadal showed no signs of fatigue Sunday after pulling out a long three-set win over Ernests Gulbis in the semifinals a day earlier.

With the 17th Masters Series title of his career, Nadal matched Andre Agassi's record. Agassi achieved the feat at age 34, while Nadal is only 23.

Nadal: Gulbis is a top 10 material

ROME, May 1 (Reuters) - Rafael Nadal said Ernests Gulbis was top-10 material after the Latvian threatened to hand him a rare defeat on clay in the Rome Masters semi-finals on Saturday.

The third seed won 6-4 3-6 6-4 but the problems he had with the 40th-ranked Gulbis's powerful game put a dent in the aura of invincibility on red dirt the Spaniard appeared to have regained this season after an injury-hit 2009.

"He was really difficult to play against. All the time he was serving at 210, 215, 216, 217 (kph)," Nadal said after setting up a final meeting with compatriot David Ferrer.

"A player with this serve can be top 10 for sure," he told reporters.

Gulbis, who beat world number one Roger Federer earlier this week, was also confident he could give the big names plenty of trouble in the future.

"I'm happy with the way I'm playing. I know if I play well I can trouble anyone," he said.

"I have a good serve, I play tough shots so I hope I'll be seeded in the French Open and at Wimbledon and I don't have to play against the top players right away.

"I think I have a good chance in these tournaments if I'm stable enough, if I don't go out of my mind and if I don't take a holiday when I shouldn't be taking one," added Gulbis.

The 21-year-old said he thought Nadal was going to be harder to play against.

"I expected a little more from him today," he said. "I got into the game and didn't have any problems going into rallies with him."

Rafa receives star support in Rome, Next comes Wawrinka

Rafael Nadal had the support of Italian football star Fransesco Totti .

Nadal faces the talented Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka in the Quarter Finals.

The swiss is known for his dangerous one handed backhand, some sources even named Wawrinka as one of the top 5 single handed backhands of all time.

Update: Nadal dows past Wawrinka.

Nalbandian announces his World Team Cup participation in Dusseldorf, Germany

David Nalbandian plans to travel to Germany after playing in the Madrid Masters, aiming to boost his country's team, joining his 3 countrymen Juan Monaco, Edwardo Shwank and Horacio Zeballos.

After that Nalbandian heads to France for the biggest clay court event of the year, the Roland Garros, hopefully with a form that can be enough to produce major upsets in that particular tournament.

Bulldozer Nadal blitzes past Kohlschreiber

Rafael Nadal wastes no time in disposing of Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber at the Rome Masters

Nadal's return to form on clay should come as no surprise. Humbled in Indian Wells and Miami - the last two hard court competitions before the tour headed to Europe - the 24-year-old is far happier on clay, a surface more forgiving on his troublesome knees.

The Spaniard was at his relentless best, bombarding Kohlschreiber with his explosive ground strokes and battering the German into submission.

And he wrapped up victory with another break and in truth, with consummate ease, to book a third-round clash with Victor Hanescu of Romania.Photo(Getty Images)

My name is Ernest Gulbis, Hello Mr. Roger Babycare

Roger Federer stunned by a 21 years old Latvian.

Federer's form dropped dramatically after a routine first set in his opening match of the clay court season. He lost the next two sets to dash any hopes of a showdown with arch-rival Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals.

It was Federer's first singles match in nearly a month. He took off several weeks after losing to Tomas Berdych in the fourth round of the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Florida, on March 30.

The 40th-ranked Gulbis fought off nerves at the end and finally closed out the match on his seventh match point.

Now the big Question remains: is this the sign of the Big Roger Federer, the legend's end of career? i think we will find the answer in Madrid.

Rome Masters - Kohlschreiber sets up Nadal clash

Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber is to be Rafael Nadal's first opponent at the Rome Masters after battling past Pablo Cuevas 6-7 6-1 6-4 to set up a second-round meeting with the reigning champion.

Nadal looked to have regained his awesome clay-court prowess when sweeping away the opposition to win his sixth consecutive Monte Carlo Masters earlier this month to send an ominous message to his rivals with the French Open looming.

The Spaniard, who has dropped from top to third in the world rankings after an injury-hit 2009, should be well rested for his Rome title defence on his favourite surface after missing last week's Barcelona Open.

World number one Roger Federer, who has a bye to the second round like Nadal and the other top seeds, will start his campaign against Ernests Gulbis after the Latvian beat Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis 6-2 6-2. Reuters

David drops again in Rankings

David's points from Barcelona last year came off and, as expected, this has sent him down 32 places, back to #151.
But with no more points to defend this year, things can only get better now.

David is most likely to receive a wild card in Madrid, and he yet possesses several Protected Ranking uses.

Nadal unfavored with number 3 Ranking

Reigning champion Rafael Nadal insisted his number three ranking would have no affect ahead of the defence o

f his Rome Masters 1000 title this week.

Until a week ago, the 23-year-old Spaniard had not won a title since triumphing here a year ago and briefly dropped from world number one to number four, before moving up a place and arriving here at three.

But Nadal, who relaxed by joining Novak Djokovic, the man he beat in the final here a year ago, at Rome's Stadio Olimpico to watch AS Roma take on Sampdoria on Sunday night, insisted that he had no problem with his ranking, even though he risks facing world number one Roger Federer in the semi-finals. "I know the rules and I'm happy with the rules and who am I to say if that is correct or not correct," he said.

"For me and for Roger it will be a pleasure if we happen to play against each other in the semi-finals but I think it is very difficult to talk about the semi-finals before starting the tournament."

We keep wanting more from this rivalry, but every so often we should look back and remind ourselves how much we've already been given.

Nalbandian Youzney Monte Carlo 2010 Highlights

The return of a Warrior

Nalbandian makes his comeback in the Madrid Masters, a Pre Roland Garros Tournament.
After a very successful tournament in the Monte Carlo Masters, reaching the QF, the media is interested in Nalbandian's participation in Madrid.
And its worth to mention that David is a former Madrid champion in 2007, although it was played on hard court indoors, but Nalbandian always proved that he can be a very dangerous clay courter.