Unseeded Swede Simon Aspelin and Paul Hanley of Australia captured their second ATP World Tour team title on Saturday evening, beating second seeds Leander Paes of India and Lukas Dlouhy of the Czech Republic 6-2, 6-3 in the final of the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships.
Tennis pundits have often suggested that Djokovic gets infuriated as well as galvanised by overwhelming support for Federer and Nadal when he locks horns with them
Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer all picked up third round wins at the Western and Southern Open on Thursday to set up a star-studded last eight in Cincinnati.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Saturday
Spaniard David Ferrer produced one of his finest performances to edge world number one and compatriot Rafael Nadal 6-3, 7-5 in the Paris Masters semi-final on Saturday and keep alive his hope of retaining his crown.
World number one Rafael Nadal has booked a place in the end-of-season ATP World Tour finals being staged in London for the first time, organisers said on Tuesday.
Serbia's world number one Novak Djokovic will return to Davis Cup action after a season's absence when he leads his country against Croatia in the first round in March, he said on Wednesday.
Robin Soderling is unlikely to be on Rafael Nadal's Christmas card list this year after once again getting under the Spaniard's skin at the ATP World Tour Finals.
Third seeds Mahesh Bhupathi and his Bahamian partner Mark Knowles opened their campaign at the ATP World Tour Finals on a resounding note, notching up a straight-set win over debutants Frantisek Cermak and Michal Mertinak in their first group A doubles match in London.
Top seed Roger Federer was finally forced to work hard for a win at the Swiss Indoors tournament as he fought back to beat Adrian Mannarino 4-6, 6-1, 6-3 in his quarter-final on Friday.
Andy Murray has set up a mouth-watering clash with Grigor Dimitrov and a chance to avenge his defeat at Wimbledon after hammering Portugal's Joao Sousa 6-1, 6-1, 7-5 to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open in Melbourne, on Friday.
Novak Djokovic made an immense statement in his bid to rule men's tennis again when he defeated Andy Murray, the man who deposed him as world number one, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 in an epic Qatar Open final in Doha on Saturday.
World number one Novak Djokovic earned his 1,000th tour-level victory by beating Casper Ruud 6-4, 6-3 on Saturday to reach the Italian Open final.
Rafa Nadal kept the one major title missing from his glittering CV firmly in his sights on Wednesday as he took brutal advantage of Novak Djokovic's eye problems to notch his second win at the ATP World Tour Finals.
World No 2 Federer became the first player to book his place in the semi-finals of the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals by seeing off a spirited challenge from 20-year-old Alexander Zverev of Germany 7-6 (8-6), 5-7, 6-1 in a thrilling round robin clash that lasted two hours and 11 minutes on Tuesday.
'We love our sport but it puts everything into perspective'
Sunday's final was an intense contest as nerves played their part, with 10 of the 22 games going against serve.
World number one Carlos Alcaraz retired injured against Holger Rune at the Paris Masters on Friday, sending his fellow 19-year-old through to the semi-finals, while Novak Djokovic and Felix Auger-Aliassime also sealed places in the last four.
Gilles Simon defeated defending champion and compatriot Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-4 6-3 in the Metz Open final on Sunday to become the joint second most successful Frenchman of the open era with an 11th ATP Tour title.
Rafael Nadal's uncle, Toni Nadal, will step down as his coach after this year's ATP Tour, as he feels he has been sidelined by other figures in the player's entourage, he told an Italian tennis magazine.
Andy Murray is yet to reach his maximum potential and should only get better but the world number one has not seen the back of Novak Djokovic, according to eight-times Grand Slam champion Andre Agassi.
'I physically need to get a little better and hopefully over time I get a little bit faster... I think I will'
Roger Federer's hopes of knocking Novak Djokovic off the top of the ATP world rankings before the end of the year took a hit when he lost to big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic in the Paris Masters quarter-finals on Friday.
Murray was made to fight for two hours and 52 minute
Andy Murray has pledged 50 pounds ($77.59) to children's charity UNICEF for every ace he hits for the rest of the year after being moved by television images of refugees fleeing to Europe.
Andy Murray remains committed to playing a full part in Great Britain's Davis Cup defence despite the prospect of a packed schedule hampering the world number two's chances of leading the side to a repeat triumph.
Americans Bob and Mike Bryan beat Max Mirnyi and Andy Ram 7-6, 6-3 on Sunday to win the doubles title at the ATP World Tour Finals and regain the end-of-season number one ranking.
Andy Murray called on umpires to get tough on players taking too long between points on Thursday after being made to work hard for victory against a determined Fernando Verdasco at the ATP World Tour Finals.
Federer, Nadal and Djokovic had made it near impossible for their peers to live, and thrive, amongst them. But the coming generation, which hasn't been as scarred by defeat at the hands of the Big 3, may make tennis unpredictable again.
Tennis great and founder of the WTA Billie Jean King was among those who applauded the announcement.
The 'Big Three' of men's tennis have found some "fresh energy" to thwart the charge of younger players on the tour, world number one Novak Djokovic said after setting up yet another title clash against his biggest rival against Rafael Nadal.
Simona Halep produced a flawless performance to beat Serena Williams in last year's final but this week's cancellation of the grasscourt Grand Slam means she will not get to defend her title this summer.
World No 5 Kei Nishikori has withdrawn from this week's Shanghai Rolex Masters due to an injury to his left gluteal muscle.
World No 1 Novak Djokovic began his Paris Masters title defence with a routine 6-3, 6-4 win over German Philipp Kohlschreiber in the second round on Tuesday.
Spain's Rafael Nadal defeated local boy Di Wu in straight sets to reach the second round of the China Open on Tuesday.
Images from Day 3 of the US Open, at Flushing Meadows, New York.
World number one Rafa Nadal will face Frenchman Gael Monfils in the final of the Qatar Open after surviving a tough test against German qualifier Peter Gojowczyk in Doha.
Yuki Bhambri won his first ATP Challenger level singles title of the season and second of his career on Monday after humbling top seed American Bradely Klahn (ranked 123) in the rain-hit summit clash of the Traralgon event in Australia.
'If he can stay as healthy as he is now, without injury, motivated, looking after himself the way he is....'
The 20-time Grand Slam champion has not played a tournament since his Australian Open semi-final exit against Novak Djokovic last year, undergoing two knee surgeries since.
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