LONDON (Reuters) – Rafa Nadal lost the Wimbledon final on Sunday and will concede the number one ranking to his conqueror Novak Djokovic but the gritty Spaniard has known worse times.

“You know what is the toughest moment? In Australia in 2010 when I had to go out with an injury. That is the toughest moment,” the 10-times grand slam winner and defending champion told reporters following his 6-4 6-1 1-6 6-3 loss to Djokovic.

Nadal is famous for his never-say-die mentality, so having to pull out of the Australian Open quarter-final against Andy Murray was as tough a time as the 25-year-old has known.

That withdrawal led to fears for his future, especially after the woes of 2009 where he missed the French Open and Wimbledon, but Nadal responded by winning three grand slams last year and his fitness troubles are now a thing of the past.

“After playing eight finals this year, winning Roland Garros a few weeks ago, playing the final here cannot be the toughest loss of my career,” Nadal said, reflecting on a year that but for Djokovic could have ranked amongst his most dominant.

“Last five times wasn’t my time. I’m gonna wait and I’m gonna try a sixth time,” Nadal said of his five successive 2011 losses to Djokovic, all in finals.

“And if the sixth doesn’t happen, or the seventh. It’s going to be like this. That’s the spirit of the sport.

LONDON, July 3 (Reuters) – Rafa Nadal lost the Wimbledon final on Sunday and will concede the number one ranking to his conqueror Novak Djokovic but the gritty Spaniard has known worse times.

“You know what is the toughest moment? In Australia in 2010 when I had to go out with an injury. That is the toughest moment,” the 10-times grand slam winner and defending champion told reporters following his 6-4 6-1 1-6 6-3 loss to Djokovic.

Nadal is famous for his never-say-die mentality, so having to pull out of the Australian Open quarter-final against Andy Murray was as tough a time as the 25-year-old has known.

That withdrawal led to fears for his future, especially after the woes of 2009 where he missed the French Open and Wimbledon, but Nadal responded by winning three grand slams last year and his fitness troubles are now a thing of the past.

“After playing eight finals this year, winning Roland Garros a few weeks ago, playing the final here cannot be the toughest loss of my career,” Nadal said, reflecting on a year that but for Djokovic could have ranked amongst his most dominant.

“Last five times wasn’t my time. I’m gonna wait and I’m gonna try a sixth time,” Nadal said of his five successive 2011 losses to Djokovic, all in finals.

“And if the sixth doesn’t happen, or the seventh. It’s going to be like this. That’s the spirit of the sport.

LONDON (Reuters) – Proud mum Dijana Djokovic declared the start of a new era for men’s tennis after her son Novak beat Rafa Nadal to win Wimbledon on Sunday but the beaten Spaniard was less sure.

“Now it’s Novak-Novak, now you will see,” Dijana told reporters after being asked about Roger Federer and Nadal, who have won 24 out of 29 grand slams since Wimbledon in 2004.

“It’s very hard for four years to be number three. You cannot move on. Now he’s done it,” added Dijana.

Spectators shuffled for the best position to take her picture as jubilant Serbian fans sang “Another victory, another title, Nole you’re the King and a tennis god.”

There was less emotion when Nadal was asked whether his four-set loss signalled the start of a new era.

“Maybe,” the 25-year-old told reporters as he fiddled with a water bottle, his plain facial expression not giving much away.

“Seriously, I lost because I am playing against the best player of the moment, the best player of the world tomorrow, and I am the second,” the 10-times grand slam champion added.

LONDON, July 3 (Reuters) – Proud mum Dijana Djokovic declared the start of a new era for men’s tennis after her son Novak beat Rafa Nadal to win Wimbledon on Sunday but the beaten Spaniard was less sure.

“Now it’s Novak-Novak, now you will see,” Dijana told reporters after being asked about Roger Federer and Nadal, who have won 24 out of 29 grand slams since Wimbledon in 2004.

“It’s very hard for four years to be number three. You cannot move on. Now he’s done it,” added Dijana.

Spectators shuffled for the best position to take her picture as jubilant Serbian fans sang “Another victory, another title, Nole you’re the King and a tennis god.”

There was less emotion when Nadal was asked whether his four-set loss signalled the start of a new era.

“Maybe,” the 25-year-old told reporters as he fiddled with a water bottle, his plain facial expression not giving much away.

“Seriously, I lost because I am playing against the best player of the moment, the best player of the world tomorrow, and I am the second,” the 10-times grand slam champion added.

LONDON (Reuters) – Will winning Wimbledon be a life-changing experience for the Czech Republic’s Petra Kvitova? Not if she can help it.

“I’m not thinking of myself as a star. I just want to stay and be normal like I am, hopefully,” the shy 21-year-old, who lives in sleepy Fulnek where there are just a handful of tennis courts, told reporters on Saturday.

“Hopefully I’m still the same person. Hopefully there’ll be no change in my life.”

Asked how she felt about all the media attention that will inevitably come her way following the 6-3 6-4 defeat of Maria Sharapova in Saturday’s final, Kvitova just apologised for being weary after a draining two weeks.

“I’m so tired so I’m sorry if there’s something wrong,” the newest member of the grand-slam winners’ club said with a smile.

Russian Sharapova is the world’s highest paid sportswoman and is engaged to twice NBA champion Sasha Vujacic. Kvitova’s life is a little different.

“Every night I had a pineapple with my fitness coach,” she said, beginning to giggle, when asked about her tournament rituals.

LONDON, July 2 (Reuters) – Will winning Wimbledon be a life-changing experience for the Czech Republic’s Petra Kvitova? Not if she can help it.

“I’m not thinking of myself as a star. I just want to stay and be normal like I am, hopefully,” the shy 21-year-old, who lives in sleepy Fulnek where there are just a handful of tennis courts, told reporters on Saturday.

“Hopefully I’m still the same person. Hopefully there’ll be no change in my life.”

Asked how she felt about all the media attention that will inevitably come her way following the 6-3 6-4 defeat of Maria Sharapova in Saturday’s final, Kvitova just apologised for being weary after a draining two weeks.

“I’m so tired so I’m sorry if there’s something wrong,” the newest member of the grand-slam winners’ club said with a smile.

Russian Sharapova is the world’s highest paid sportswoman and is engaged to twice NBA champion Sasha Vujacic. Kvitova’s life is a little different.

“Every night I had a pineapple with my fitness coach,” she said, beginning to giggle, when asked about her tournament rituals.

LONDON (Reuters) – Jo-Wilfried Tsonga said a warning from the chair umpire about slow play had disrupted his rhythm during his four-set loss to Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon semi-finals on Friday.

Tsonga broke Djokovic’s serve in the first game of the match and served for the opening set but after a few words in French from Portuguese Carlos Ramos, he was broken by the Serbian second seed.

“I started well then at 5-4 the umpire told me to take less time between points. I said ‘Yes’,” Tsonga told reporters.

“It’s complicated because he said that I was taking a bit longer than allowed…then he said nothing.

“There are other players who I play from time to time who take their time too…but no one ever says anything.”

Although Tsonga won a dramatic third-set tiebreak 11-9, his epic five-set win over Roger Federer in the quarter-finals seemed to take its toll and Djokovic completed a 7-6 6-2 6-7 6-3 victory.

“I went off the boil,” the French 12th seed said, adding that he had enjoyed diving around Center Court to entertain the crowds.

LONDON, July 1 (Reuters) – Jo-Wilfried Tsonga said a warning from the chair umpire about slow play had disrupted his rhythm during his four-set loss to Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon semi-finals on Friday.

Tsonga broke Djokovic’s serve in the first game of the match and served for the opening set but after a few words in French from Portuguese Carlos Ramos, he was broken by the Serbian second seed.

“I started well then at 5-4 the umpire told me to take less time between points. I said ‘Yes’,” Tsonga told reporters.

“It’s complicated because he said that I was taking a bit longer than allowed…then he said nothing.

“There are other players who I play from time to time who take their time too…but no one ever says anything.”

Although Tsonga won a dramatic third-set tiebreak 11-9, his epic five-set win over Roger Federer in the quarter-finals seemed to take its toll and Djokovic completed a 7-6 6-2 6-7 6-3 victory.

“I went off the boil,” the French 12th seed said, adding that he had enjoyed diving around Centre Court to entertain the crowds.

LONDON (Reuters) – Favourite Maria Sharapova served 13 double faults in just 87 minutes yet still set up a Wimbledon final against Petra Kvitova after beating Sabine Lisicki 6-4 6-3 in an error-strewn semi-final on Thursday.

The Russian fifth seed, who won the grasscourt grand slam in 2004, slipped 3-0 down to the German wildcard in the first set but found her groove as her opponent battled with nerves.

“She played really well and I did quite the opposite,” the Russian said in a televised interview.

In truth neither player ever really got going, a combined count of 32 unforced errors telling the tale of a match that barely captivated a far from full Centre Court as mobile phones went off towards the end.

Sharapova will not care given she had not reached the final since her 2004 triumph.

“To be in the final again is a great achievement for me. I haven’t got past the fourth round in quite a few years,” she said.

Several spots of rain fell in the second set, Lisicki pausing briefly to enquire whether it was safe to continue, but the showers stayed away and play continued.