The tenth ranked Chilean Fernando Gonzalez will be competing in davis cup this weekend with a heavy heart and the backing of a devastated nation hoping for some good news. After last week’s tragic earthquake in his home country, Gonzalez spent much of his time helping as much as he could. He shot the following video to help bring more attention to Chile following last week’s natural disaster.

The following video is from the ATP tour’s special series ‘ATP World Tour Uncovered.’ All the best to Fernando in his efforts to support his country!

RAFAEL NADAL WROTE THE FOLLOWING ON GEM TENNIS’ FACEBOOK FAN PAGE :

“Queria tambien aprovechar este medio para apoyar a todos los chilenos. Estamos todos con vosotros. En cada torneo siempre hay chilenos que se hacen sentir, asi que les mando un abrazo fuerte!!!”

- Rafa Nadal Parera

English Translation (Correct Translation, Thank you Matthew Porges):  

“I also want to take the opportunity to send the Chileans a big hug and my support. There are always Chileans at every tournament making themselves heard. Big hug to all of them. We are with you!”

- Rafa Nadal Parera

Strong applause for Rafael Nadal as he uses his celebrity to bring awareness to Chile … Please email GEM Tennis for links to organizations that take donations to help those in need in Chile.

• Text the word “CHILE” to 25383 to donate $10 on behalf of the Habitat for Humanity

• Text the word “CHILE” to 20222 to donate $10 on behalf of World Vision

• Text the word “CHILE” to 52000 to donate $10 on behalf of the Salvation Army

RESULTS – SUNDAY, 28 FEBRUARY, 2010

Singles – Final
E Gulbis (LAT) d [2] I Karlovic (CRO) 62 63

Doubles – Final
[1] B Bryan (USA) / M Bryan (USA) d P Marx (GER) / I Zelenay (SVK) 63 76(3)

WHAT THE PLAYERS SAID

Gulbis: “Everything what I do now is first time for my country. Of course it’s great. I hope it’s positive. I hope much more players will start to practise in Latvia. It’s good for tennis in Latvia. They see that a guy from Latvia also can make it and win an ATP World Tour event.”

“I felt comfortable. I like being in the final. I felt nobody’s giving me pressure. If I’m not putting pressure on myself, then it’s fine. I was relaxed. My coach told me before the match, ‘Just go on court. Enjoy, it’s your first final. You’re a young guy. Enjoy it, play good tennis.’”

“It was really windy today; it was tough wind. I think he couldn’t get really good timing for the serve. He wasn’t hitting so many first serves in. I knew what I had to do against him.”

Karlovic: “He was playing really good. Everything that he hit was in. As good as I was playing yesterday, this is how he was playing today.”

“He was very cool, calm. Nothing could impress him. This year is going to be his breakthrough.”

“I was playing well all week. Today it was a little bit worse. This is life. Sometimes you play good, sometimes you play not so good. What is important is I’m healthy and overall I was playing well all this year. Next week is Davis Cup, after Indian Wells, so I will look forward to that.”

Mike Bryan: “It’s pretty cool to be on our own (at No. 2 on the list of all-time doubles titles leaders). I’m sure they’re not going to get any easier. You feel a little more extra pressure because now everyone’s talking about it, we’re even thinking about it now. We’re in this final, we see this on paper, it’s a pretty good matchup for us ranking-wise, it’s just a good shot at a title. We want to break [the record].”

“We’re going to try not to worry about it. We have goals to be No. 1, and to be No. 1 you have to win titles.”

RESULTS – SUNDAY, 28 FEBRUARY, 2010

Singles – Final
[2] N Djokovic (SRB) d [7] M Youzhny 75 57 63

WHAT THE PLAYERS SAID

Djokovic: “It means the whole world to me [to defend this title]. Of course there are always people who are saying he can’t do it. He can’t do it. But I’m playing for myself, and this is another success in my career that I wasn’t able to make in the last two years. But now, finally, I did it, and it’s a big relief. So in the future I just hope I’ll make a couple more of those… Today was another good example of how much I believe in myself and how much I fight till the end.”

On playing four consecutive three-set matches: “Obviously this tournament I don’t allow myself to win in straight sets except the first round. Even when I can finish the job in two sets, I still want to play. Thinking about people who bought tickets and want to stay a bit longer (laughing).

“But, generally, it took a lot of energy for me. Stopping and playing, and coming back and then again stopping the match last night because of the rain. As I was saying, if we continued last night, I think I had much better chances to get the job done in two sets. I felt really well on the court, hitting the ball, feeling relaxed. Today I was really nervous before the match, during the match for no reason. [But] winning the tournament in any way, it’s a huge success.”

Youzhny: “Before the tournament if you say you’ll play the final, you say good result. But now straight after the final, when you have some chances [I am disappointed]… It was good match for me. It was a good level of tennis. I’m disappointed because I lost, but I’m happy because it was a good level of game.

“It was a very close set. Today I understand I have to try to play aggressive, maybe more aggressive than normal if I want to continue, if I want to save this match.”

Last week, Gem Tennis posted a short clip of the new music video by Shakira featuring tennis star Rafael Nadal. Watch Rafa’s debut below!

Singles – Semi-finals
[2] N Djokovic (SRB) d M Baghdatis (CYP) 67(2) 63 64
[7] M Youzhny (RUS) d J Melzer (AUT) 75 76(4)

Doubles – Semi-finals
[2] L Dlouhy (CZE) / L Paes (IND) d C Kas (GER) / D Norman (BEL) 26 76(6) 10-7
S Aspelin (SWE) / P Hanley (AUS) d F Lopez (ESP) / T Robredo (ESP) 62 36 14-12

Other Results:

Delray Beach International Tennis Championships (Delray Beach, U.S.A.) – Karlovic The Lone Seed In SFs

RESULTS – FRIDAY, 26 FEBRUARY, 2010

Singles – Quarter-finals
[2] I Karlovic (CRO) d [7] J Blake (USA) 63 67(5) 61
J Nieminen (FIN) d [3] B Becker (GER) 75 36 76(5)
M Fish (USA) d [4] J Chardy (FRA) 64 63
E Gulbis (LAT) d L Mayer (ARG) 76(2) 64

Doubles – Quarter-finals
[1] B Bryan (USA) / M Bryan (USA) d J Nieminen (FIN) / B Reynolds (USA) 61 64
P Marx (GER) / I Zelenay (SVK) d [WC] J Blake (USA) / R Kendrick (USA) 67(5) 64 10-6

RESULTS – WEDNESDAY, 24 FEBRUARY, 2010

Singles – Second Round
[2] N Djokovic (SRB) d V Troicki (SRB) 36 64 62
J Tipsarevic (SRB) d [3] A Murray (GBR) 76(3) 46 64
M Berrer (GER) d [4] N Davydenko (RUS) 63 ret. (left wrist)
I Ljubicic (CRO) d [5] [WC] J Tsonga (FRA) 75 63
[6] M Cilic (CRO) d [Q] S Koubek (AUT) 62 76(6)
[7] M Youzhny (RUS) d [Q] B Phau (GER) 76(2) 64
J Melzer (AUT) d T Robredo (ESP) 63 75
M Baghdatis (CYP) d [Q] S Devvarman (IND) 63 36 61

Doubles – Quarter-finals
S Aspelin (SWE) / P Hanley (AUS) d [3] M Bhupathi (IND) / M Mirnyi (BLR) 64 64

Doubles – First Round
F Lopez (ESP) / T Robredo (ESP) d [1] D Nestor (CAN) / N Zimonjic (SRB) 63 36 10-7
[4] F Cermak (CZE) / M Mertinak (SVK) d N Davydenko (RUS) / I Kunitsyn (RUS) W/O (Davydenko – left wrist)
A Clement (FRA) / R Lindstedt (SWE) d [WC] R Bopanna (IND) / A Qureshi (PAK) 57 76(5) 10-8

Other Results from the ATP Tour:

Delray Beach, USA

RESULTS – WEDNESDAY, 24 FEBRUARY, 2010

Singles – Second Round
L Mayer (ARG) d [6] F Mayer (GER) 64 76(4)

Singles – First Round
[7] J Blake (USA) d T Dent (USA) 61 36 63

Doubles – First Round
P Marx (GER) / I Zelenay (SVK) d [3] R Hutchins (GBR) / J Kerr (AUS) 67(8) 61 10-8

Acapulco, Mexico

RESULTS – WEDNESDAY, 24 FEBRUARY, 2010

Singles – Second Round
[1] [WC] F Verdasco (ESP) d L Kubot (POL) 64 63
[2] F Gonzalez (CHI) d V Hanescu (ROU) 76(2) 36 61
[3] D Ferrer (ESP) d T Bellucci (BRA) 64 61
[4] J Ferrero (ESP) d I Andreev (RUS) 64 63
[6] N Almagro (ESP) d R Gasquet (FRA) 36 75 76(7)
[7] J Monaco (ARG) d J Chela (ARG) 64 76(4)
P Cuevas (URU) d [8] A Montanes (ESP) 75 63
[Q] E Schwank (ARG) d S Greul (GER) 76(4) 63

Doubles – Quarter-finals
[3] M Damm (CZE) / F Polasek (SVK) d [WC] J Elizondo (MEX) / C Ramirez (MEX) 63 62

Doubles – First Round
J Monaco (ARG) / H Zeballos (ARG) d O Hernandez (ESP) / A Montanes (ESP) 62 75
F Fognini (ITA) / P Starace (ITA) d J Isner (USA) / S Querrey (USA) 63 64

Singles – First Round
[4] N Davydenko (RUS) d F Serra (FRA) 67(5) 64 61
[5] [WC] J Tsonga (FRA) d M Llodra (FRA) 76(9) ret. (left hamstring)
[6] M Cilic (CRO) d A Clement (FRA) 62 64
[7] M Youzhny (RUS) d L Lacko (SVK) 67(3) 76(5) 61
T Robredo (ESP) d J Benneteau (FRA) 62 61
J Tipsarevic (SRB) d A Seppi (ITA) 76(4) 75
[Q] B Phau (GER) d [WC] M Ghareeb (KUW) 30 ret. (back)
[Q] S Devvarman (IND) d M Chiudinelli (SUI) 64 75
M Berrer (GER) d S Stakhovsky (UKR) 64 76(3)

Doubles – First Round
J Tipsarevic (SRB) / V Troicki (SRB) d F Serra (FRA) / G Simon (FRA) 76(4) 60
S Aspelin (SWE) / P Hanley (AUS) d N Djokovic (SRB) / D Vemic (SRB) 64 63
C Kas (GER) / D Norman (BEL) d I Ljubicic (CRO) / J Melzer (AUT) 64 76(4)