LONDON (Reuters) – The state of flux in men’s tennis could present Andy Murray with the perfect opportunity in 2012 to end Britain’s 76-year wait for a men’s grand slam champion, former British number one Greg Rusedski said.

With world number one Novak Djokovic under pressure to defend over 13,000 ranking points following his stupendous 2011 season, Rafa Nadal still reeling from six successive defeats by the Serb and Roger Federer on the wrong side of 30, the time is right for Murray to strike and become the first British male to lift a major since Fred Perry in 1936.

“Next year is going to be very important for Murray,” Rusedski told Reuters in a telephone interview ahead of the ATP World Tour Finals, where Murray has been drawn in the same group as Djokovic.

“This year he’s had his best year at the grand slams, he got to the final in Australia (losing to Djokovic) and three semis in Paris, Wimbledon and the (U.S.) Open. That shows he’s getting consistent.

“Coming up 2012 will be a very important year for him because Federer is already 30 plus so he’s in extra time.

“Djokovic cannot repeat the year (he’s just had when he won 10 titles including three majors) and Rafa most likely will win the French Open but this year he’s struggled from his high standards.

“So if you look at the opening for Murray, he’s gotta win one in the next year or so if he’s going to win a major.”

LONDON (Reuters) – The state of flux in men’s tennis could present Andy Murray with the perfect opportunity in 2012 to end Britain’s 76-year wait for a men’s grand slam champion, former British number one Greg Rusedski said.

With world number one Novak Djokovic under pressure to defend over 13,000 ranking points following his stupendous 2011 season, Rafa Nadal still reeling from six successive defeats by the Serb and Roger Federer on the wrong side of 30, the time is right for Murray to strike and become the first British male to lift a major since Fred Perry in 1936.

“Next year is going to be very important for Murray,” Rusedski told Reuters in a telephone interview ahead of the ATP World Tour Finals, where Murray has been drawn in the same group as Djokovic.

“This year he’s had his best year at the grand slams, he got to the final in Australia (losing to Djokovic) and three semis in Paris, Wimbledon and the (U.S.) Open. That shows he’s getting consistent.

“Coming up 2012 will be a very important year for him because Federer is already 30 plus so he’s in extra time.

“Djokovic cannot repeat the year (he’s just had when he won 10 titles including three majors) and Rafa most likely will win the French Open but this year he’s struggled from his high standards.

“So if you look at the opening for Murray, he’s gotta win one in the next year or so if he’s going to win a major.”

LONDON, Nov 17 (Reuters) – The state of flux in men’s tennis could present Andy Murray with the perfect opportunity in 2012 to end Britain’s 76-year wait for a men’s grand slam champion, former British number one Greg Rusedski said.

With world number one Novak Djokovic under pressure to defend over 13,000 ranking points following his stupendous 2011 season, Rafa Nadal still reeling from six successive defeats by the Serb and Roger Federer on the wrong side of 30, the time is right for Murray to strike and become the first British male to lift a major since Fred Perry in 1936.

“Next year is going to be very important for Murray,” Rusedski told Reuters in a telephone interview ahead of the ATP World Tour Finals, where Murray has been drawn in the same group as Djokovic.

“This year he’s had his best year at the grand slams, he got to the final in Australia (losing to Djokovic) and three semis in Paris, Wimbledon and the (U.S.) Open. That shows he’s getting consistent.

“Coming up 2012 will be a very important year for him because Federer is already 30 plus so he’s in extra time.

“Djokovic cannot repeat the year (he’s just had when he won 10 titles including three majors) and Rafa most likely will win the French Open but this year he’s struggled from his high standards.

“So if you look at the opening for Murray, he’s gotta win one in the next year or so if he’s going to win a major.”

LONDON (Reuters) – The men’s tour must look after the welfare of top players like Novak Djokovic rather than expect them to turn up injured at tournaments so they do not lose out on bonus payments, former British number one Greg Rusedski said.

Djokovic polarised opinion last week when he opted to compete at the Paris Masters despite aggravating an existing shoulder injury days earlier at the Basel Open.

However, if he had been a no-show in Paris, he would have sacrificed a $1.6 million (1.0 million pound) pay cheque he was guaranteed to earn just for contesting a single point in the French capital.

The world’s standout player of 2011 went on to win two matches before quitting in agony ahead of a much anticipated prime-time quarter-final showdown with local favourite Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

While Djokovic’s decision might have angered fans who had bought tickets for the match, Rusedski said the current system was to blame for the situation.

“If he (Djokovic) did not play (in Paris), he would have lost out on over a million pounds in bonus pool money so he wanted to give it a go,” the 1997 U.S. Open runner-up told Reuters in a telephone interview on Wednesday ahead of the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals.

“So he went out there and he played. He played two matches — and then against Tsonga he didn’t bother to go on court.

LONDON, Nov 16 (Reuters) – The men’s tour must look after the welfare of top players like Novak Djokovic rather than expect them to turn up injured at tournaments so they do not lose out on bonus payments, former British number one Greg Rusedski said.

Djokovic polarised opinion last week when he opted to compete at the Paris Masters despite aggravating an existing shoulder injury days earlier at the Basel Open.

However, if he had been a no-show in Paris, he would have sacrificed a $1.6 million pay cheque he was guaranteed to earn just for contesting a single point in the French capital.

The world’s standout player of 2011 went on to win two matches before quitting in agony ahead of a much anticipated prime-time quarter-final showdown with local favourite Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

While Djokovic’s decision might have angered fans who had bought tickets for the match, Rusedski said the current system was to blame for the situation.

“If he (Djokovic) did not play (in Paris), he would have lost out on over a million pounds in bonus pool money so he wanted to give it a go,” the 1997 U.S Open runner-up told Reuters in a telephone interview on Wednesday ahead of the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals.

“So he went out there and he played. He played two matches – and then against Tsonga he didn’t bother to go on court.

LONDON (Reuters) – On a day when Salman Butt should have been celebrating the birth of his new son with friends and family in Lahore, the former Pakistan captain was left to contemplate a possible jail sentence and the death of his cricket career after being found guilty of spot fixing in a British criminal court.

Butt and team mate Mohammad Asif could be enjoying their last night as free citizens for some time on Tuesday after a jury decided they were guilty of conspiracy to cheat and conspiracy to accept corrupt payments for fixing part of a test match in England last year.

A third cricketer, teenaged fast bowler Mohammad Amir, pleaded guilty to the charges before the start of the trial. All three will be sentenced on Wednesday.

“It is a day of sadness and happiness for us. We are shocked by this verdict and will fight to the end. But at the same time God has given us a new life,” Butt’s father, Zulfiqar Butt, told Reuters after his daughter-in-law gave birth an hour before the verdict was announced.

While Butt’s father summed up a bittersweet day for his family, the three players discovered that they had effectively been cast aside by the cricketing community after many former players said they “deserved no mercy” for “shaming Pakistan cricket”.

Three cricketers who should have been setting the world alight with their sporting feats now find their names written alongside late South African captain Hansie Cronje in cricket’s ‘Hall of Shame’ for trying to cheat in their sport.

Tuesday’s findings followed allegations in a British newspaper that the trio had arranged for deliberate no-balls to be delivered in the fourth test at Lord’s last year.

LONDON, Nov 1 (Reuters) – On a day when Salman Butt should have been celebrating the birth of his new son with friends and family in Lahore, the former Pakistan captain was left to contemplate a possible jail sentence and the death of his cricket career after being found guilty of spot fixing in a British criminal court.

Butt and team mate Mohammad Asif could be enjoying their last night as free citizens for some time on Tuesday after a jury decided they were guilty of conspiracy to cheat and conspiracy to accept corrupt payments for fixing part of a test match in England last year.

A third cricketer, teenaged fast bowler Mohammad Amir, pleaded guilty to the charges before the start of the trial. All three will be sentenced on Wednesday.

“It is a day of sadness and happiness for us. We are shocked by this verdict and will fight to the end. But at the same time God has given us a new life,” Butt’s father, Zulfiqar Butt, told Reuters after his daughter-in-law gave birth an hour before the verdict was announced.

While Butt’s father summed up a bittersweet day for his family, the three players discovered that they had effectively been cast aside by the cricketing community after many former players said they “deserved no mercy” for “shaming Pakistan cricket”.

Three cricketers who should have been setting the world alight with their sporting feats now find their names written alongside late South African captain Hansie Cronje in cricket’s ‘Hall of Shame’ for trying to cheat in their sport.

Tuesday’s findings followed allegations in a British newspaper that the trio had arranged for deliberate no-balls to be delivered in the fourth test at Lord’s last year.

LONDON (Reuters) – Should Beth Tweddle fail to increase her gold medal haul during the world championships in Tokyo, Britain’s most decorated gymnast is already cherishing the prospect of turning up at next year’s London Olympics as a “hunter.”

Over the next 10 days, the 26-year-old will be spearheading her country’s medal hopes at the last major international gymnastics competition before the Olympics but if she draws a blank in the Japanese capital, British fans should not expect to see her wallowing in self pity.

“It’s always easier to chase a champion than be a champion so if I don’t come away with a title from the world championships, it’s not the end of the world as it will take the pressure off for next year,” she told Reuters in a telephone interview just before heading off to Tokyo.

“Obviously people would be chasing me if I was a world champion, whereas if I wasn’t a world champion going into next year, there isn’t that pressure. I prefer to hunt down champions.”

As far as Tweddle is concerned, the main goal in Tokyo is to ensure that Britain finish within the top eight in the women’s team event so that they automatically get a chance to compete on home soil next July and August.

“The world championships, apart from the team qualification, has no bearing on next year. A year can make a total difference to a gymnast. So the main priority this year is to get the team qualified (for the Olympics) and the individual stuff is put to one side,” the three-times world champion added.

Even a few years ago, it would have seemed there were more chances of finding a Martian lighting the Olympic flame from an UFO at next year’s opening ceremony than seeing someone as old as 27 chasing gymnastics glory in London.

LONDON, Oct 7 (Reuters) – Should Beth Tweddle fail to increase her gold medal haul during the world championships in Tokyo, Britain’s most decorated gymnast is already cherishing the prospect of turning up at next year’s London Olympics as a “hunter”.

Over the next 10 days, the 26-year-old will be spearheading her country’s medal hopes at the last major international gymnastics competition before the Olympics but if she draws a blank in the Japanese capital, British fans should not expect to see her wallowing in self pity.

“It’s always easier to chase a champion than be a champion so if I don’t come away with a title from the world championships, it’s not the end of the world as it will take the pressure off for next year,” she told Reuters in a telephone interview just before heading off to Tokyo.

“Obviously people would be chasing me if I was a world champion, whereas if I wasn’t a world champion going into next year, there isn’t that pressure. I prefer to hunt down champions.”

As far as Tweddle is concerned, the main goal in Tokyo is to ensure that Britain finish within the top eight in the women’s team event so that they automatically get a chance to compete on home soil next July and August.

“The world championships, apart from the team qualification, has no bearing on next year. A year can make a total difference to a gymnast. So the main priority this year is to get the team qualified (for the Olympics) and the individual stuff is put to one side,” the three-times world champion added.

Even a few years ago, it would have seemed there were more chances of finding a Martian lighting the Olympic flame from an UFO at next year’s opening ceremony than seeing someone as old as 27 chasing gymnastics glory in London.

LONDON (Reuters) – Novak Djokovic’s first outing since he won the Wimbledon crown ended in disappointment when he and Nenad Zimonjic failed to earn Davis Cup champions Serbia the winning point in their quarter-final tie against Sweden on Saturday.

Six days after conquering the All England Club, world number one Djokovic would have fancied his chances of wrapping up the tie for Serbia as his team mates had won both of the opening singles.

However, Djokovic, who sat out Friday’s action with a knee niggle, and Zimonjic stumbled and stuttered to a 6-4 7-6 7-5 defeat by Simon Aspelin and Robert Lindstedt in Halmstad.

Serbia will now hope Djokovic will be back in action on Sunday as they need to win one of the two reverse singles if they are to keep alive their chances of defending their title.

In Stuttgart, France secured their passage into the last four when Michael Llodra and Jo Wilfried Tsonga eased past Germany’s Christopher Kas and Philipp Petzschner 7-6 6-4 6-4 to give the nine-times champions an unbeatable 3-0 lead.

“I knew the tie was going to be close and difficult, even though we’ve won by Saturday night – all the matches were really tight, and I’m really glad the French players took it so seriously and played with a lot of heart,” France captain Guy Forget told reporters.

In the semi-finals, which will take place in September, France will face either Spain or the United States.