Federer routs Nishikori in Basel final

   As they say, be careful what you wish for.
   Wild card Kei Nishikori, who said Saturday that he always wanted to play Roger Federer, lost to the third-seeded superstar 6-1, 6-3 Sunday in the final of the $2.6 million Swiss Indoors in Basel.
   "I think I started a little bit nervous, even though at the same time I was excited to play in the final here with Roger,” Nishikori, who's coached by Brad Gilbert of San Rafael, said on the ATP World Tour's Web site. “I’m a bit disappointed with how I played today, as it didn’t go well, but it’s always going to be tough against him. ... His tennis was too good for me. I felt like I couldn’t do anything.”
   Nishikori, 21, of Japan rose eight spots to a career-high No. 24 in the world. He was seeking his second ATP World Tour title after winning Delray Beach three years ago. The right-hander underwent surgery on his right elbow in August 2009 and plunged to No. 898 early last year.
   The Basel final was Nishikori's second of the season. He lost to Ryan Sweeting of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on clay in Houston in April.
   “Every match is a good experience, especially when you’re playing Top 10 guys,” Nishikori said. “It’s a different level, and I’ve learned from these matches.”
   Federer ended a 10-month title drought, his longest since he went 11 months between the first two crowns of his career in 2001 and 2002. The Basel title was his fifth in his hometown tournament and marked the fifth time he was won an event at least that many times.
   Bryans win another title -- Top seeds and former Stanford All-Americans Bob and Mike Bryan won their second title in two weeks, beating unseeded Eric Butorac and Jean-Julien Rojer 6-4, 7-6 (9) in the $2.85 million Valencia (Spain) Open.
   The 33-year-old twin sons of Sacramento Capitals coach Wayne Bryan were playing in the indoor, hardcourt tournament for the first time since 2003, when the event was played on clay. The title was their eighth of the year, including the Australian Open and Wimbledon, and record 75th of their career.
   Butorac played for the Capitals in 2008.
   Querrey loses in qualifying -- Sam Querrey, a San Francisco native, fell to fifth-seeded Andreas Seppi of Italy 6-7 (2), 6-1, 6-1 in the second (final) round of qualifying for the $3.78 million BNP Paribas Masters in Paris.
   The 6-foot-6 Querrey reached the semifinals of the Sacramento Challenger and the final of the Tiburon Challenger last month, losing to 6-10 Ivo Karlovic of Croatia each time.
   Two former Sacramento champions, Donald Young (2008) of Atlanta and Santiago Giraldo (2009) of Colombia, advanced to the main draw.
   NorCal showdown -- In an all-Northern California matchup, fourth-seeded Yasmin Schnack downed Maria Sanchez 6-3, 6-1 in the first round of qualifying for the $75,000 Goldwater Women's Tennis Classic in Phoenix.
   Schnack, from the Sacramento suburb of Elk Grove, and Sanchez, from Modesto, won the doubles title in the $25,000 Oak River Rehab Challenger in Redding in September.
 

WTT leader 'very optimistic' Capitals will return

   The Sacramento Capitals are battling for survival but might return for their 27th season, after all.
   Team owner Bob Cook filed for personal bankruptcy protection in August, clouding the future of World TeamTennis' flagship franchise.
   "All I can say is I'm very optimistic that the Capitals can play next year," WTT CEO/Commissioner Ilana Kloss said Thursday in an exclusive interview. "We're hoping to have an announcement in the next few weeks."
   Neither Cook nor Capitals general manager Matt McEvoy returned calls.
   The Capitals, WTT's oldest franchise, have won a record six titles. They earned four consecutive league championships and five in six years from 1997 through 2002. Their last title came in 2007.
   From 1997 through 2007, the Capitals went a combined 108-35 (.755) in the regular season. Since then, however, they are 28-28.
    Cook, a real estate developer who's also the managing partner of the troubled Le Rivage luxury hotel in Sacramento, reportedly owes creditors $48 million. Le Rivage defaulted on its debts.     
   As bad as Cook's woes are, they're nothing compared to those of his former Capitals partner. Lonnie Nielson pleaded guilty last fall to grand theft related to his real estate business, reportedly prompting WTT to briefly revoke Sacramento's franchise in the winter.
   Nielson admitted embezzling more than $760,000 from 11 clients last year as the owner of a business that temporarily accepted funds from the sale of real estate properties. He is serving a seven-year prison sentence.
   Querrey stuns Tsonga -- San Francisco native Sam Querrey scored the biggest victory of his comeback, toppling second-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France 7-6 (5), 6-2 in the second round of the $2.85 million Valencia (Spain) Open. Tsonga, who's fighting for a berth in the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals this month in London, is ranked seventh in the world.
   The right-handed Querrey, 24, underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow in June and missed three months. In his second and third tournaments back, the 6-foot-6 veteran lost to 6-10 Ivo Karlovic in the semifinals in Sacramento and final at Tiburon last month.
  Querrey, ranked No. 116 after reaching a career-high No. 17 in January, will face sixth-seeded Juan Martin del Potro in today's quarterfinals.
   Roddick tops Radek -- In a matchup of former SAP Open champions in San Jose, seventh-seeded Andy Roddick of Austin, Texas, defeated Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 in the second round of the $2.6 million Swiss Indoors in Basel.
   Roddick, a three-time SAP Open champion (2004, 2005 and 2008) will meet third-seeded Roger Federer in today's quarterfinals. Federer, who's playing in his hometown, is 20-2 lifetime against Roddick.
   Other pro results -- Yasmin Schnack, a Sacramento-area resident, lost to seventh-seeded Ajla Tomljanovic of Croatia 6-3, 6-0 in the second round of the Grapevine (Texas) Women's $50,000 Tennis Classic.
   Amateur Artem Ilyushin, another Sacramento-area resident, upset eighth-seeded Chris Letcher of Australia 6-2, 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals of the $10,000 Bluewater Bay Professional Tournament in Niceville, Fla. Ilyushin, however, lost in the doubles semifinals with Gilad Ben Zvi of Israel.

Bryan brothers clinch year-end No. 1 ranking again

   The honors keep rolling in for Bob and Mike Bryan.
   And they're not done yet.
   The former Stanford All-Americans clinched the year-end No. 1 ATP doubles team ranking for a record seventh time Wednesday with their victory in the $2.85 million Valencia (Spain) Open. They dismissed Lukas Dlouhy of the Czech Republic and Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine 6-3, 6-2 in the first round.
   The Bryans won two Grand Slam titles (the Australian Open and Wimbledon) this year to give them 11 for their career, tying the Open Era record of International Tennis Hall of Famers Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde.
   Overall, the Bryans have won eight titles this year and an Open Era-record 75 for their career. Individually, the 33-year-old twin sons of Sacramento Capitals coach Wayne Bryan have been ranked No. 1 in doubles for 265 weeks and will surpass John McEnroe's record of 270 weeks on Dec. 12.
   The twins will compete in the season-ending Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, Nov. 20-27 in London.
   "We're obviously extremely pumped to finish at No. 1, especially with the quality of teams on the doubles tour," Bob said on the ATP's Web site. "It's always our ultimate goal when we start the year, and we'll definitely look back on 2011 with positive feelings. I want to congratulate our biggest rivals -- (Max) Mirnyi-(Daniel) Nestor, (Michael) Llodra-(Nenad) Zimonjic and the Indian Express (Mahesh Bhupathi-Lander Paes) on highly successful seasons, and we look forward to another awesome event with the eight best teams in London.
   "Breaking McEnroe's record is something that is hard to fathom. He's such a legend, and to achieve something like this won't truly set in for a while. Thanks (go) to our great coach; David Macpherson; my beautiful and supportive wife; our parents, who are always rooting from their computer screen back home; and all the tennis fans who get behind the great game of doubles."
  Added Mike: "It's always a special feeling finishing the year as the top team. I think it's more satisfying than winning a Slam because it represents the season as a whole. When we now look back at 2011, it will be with a lot of fond memories. The level of tennis always keeps getting stronger, so I'm most proud of our willingness to improve as we get older.
   "I especially want thank our coach and one of our best friends, David Macpherson, who always is there for us win or lose and always pushes us to strive for more."      
   In the first round of singles in Valencia, Folsom resident Dmitry Tursunov lost to sixth-seeded Juan Martin del Potro, the runner-up in Vienna last week and 2009 U.S. Open champion, 6-4, 6-1.
   Top seed and defending champion David Ferrer of Spain ousted qualifier Vasek Pospisil, a promising Canadian, 6-3, 6-3.
   Roddick vs. Radek -- Almost four years ago, Andy Roddick defeated Radek Stepanek to win the SAP Open in San Jose and mocked the Czech's trademark "worm dance" afterward.
   The Roddick vs. Radek show will resume Thursday in the second round of the $2.6 million Swiss Indoors in Basel.
   The seventh-seeded Roddick, a three-time SAP Open champion (2004, 2005 and 2008), beat Tommy Haas of Germany 6-3, 6-4, and the unseeded Stepanek, who won the 2009 SAP Open, breezed past Santiago Giraldo of Colombia 6-1, 6-3.
   Also in 2009, Haas and Stepanek won the doubles title in San Jose, and Giraldo captured the singles crown in the Sacramento Challenger.
   Roddick, 29, is 6-1 lifetime against Stepanek, 32.
   Second-seeded Andy Murray, the San Jose champion in 2006 and 2007, withdrew before his first-round match with a right gluteal strain.
    In doubles, former Stanford All-American Scott Lipsky suffered his fifth consecutive loss. The Huntington Beach resident and Santiago Gonzalez of Mexico fell to third-seeded Christopher Kas of Germany and Alexander Peya of Austria 7-6 (0), 6-2.
   Lipsky and Gonzalez became partners at Barcelona in April and saved four match points to beat the Bryans and win the title. Lipsky also won the doubles crown in the inaugural Sacramento Challenger in 2005 with former Stanford teammate David Martin, and Gonzalez reached the doubles final in Sacramento in 2009 with Travis Rettenmaier.
   Schnack beats ex-Capital -- Yasmin Schnack, a Sacramento-area resident, coasted past former Capital Tammy Hendler 6-2, 6-3 in the first round of the Grapevine (Texas) Women's $50,000 Tennis Classic.
   Hendler, a 19-year-old South Africa native, lives in Bradenton, Fla., and plays for Belgium. Her mother was born in the former Belgian Congo.
   Ilyushin wins twice -- Artem Ilyushin won twice in the $10,000 Bluewater Bay Professional Tournament in Niceville, Fla.
   Ilyushin, a Mississippi State senior from the Sacramento suburb of Granite Bay, outlasted qualifier Maverick Banes of Australia 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 in the first round of singles. Ilyushin then teamed with Gilad Ben Zvi of Israel to beat Benjamin Balleret of Monaco and Didier Lanne of France 7-5, 6-1 in the doubles quarterfinals.
   Kiryl Harbatsiuk, a former Sacramento State star from Belarus, and Boris Nicola Bakalov of Bulgaria lost to Americans Harrison Adams and Shane Vinsant 6-4, 7-5.

Nishikori thriving under San Rafael's Gilbert

   Brad Gilbert is working his magic again.
   The San Rafael resident's latest pupil, Kei Nishikori of Japan, knocked off a top-10 player for the second straight tournament Tuesday.
   Nishikori, who recently became the highest-ranked Japanese player in history, defeated fourth-seeded Tomas Berdych, last year's Wimbledon runner-up from the Czech Republic, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the first round of the $2.6 million Swiss Indoors Basel.
   Three weeks ago, Nishikori beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in Shanghai en route to his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 semifinal.
   "I’m really happy the way I played today," the 32nd-ranked Nishikori, who's listed at 5-foot-10 and 150 pounds, said on the ATP's Web site. "It was a slow start for me, but (I was) getting rhythm in the second set and playing really well in the third, so I’m really happy."
   Gilbert, who began coaching Nishikori last December, also has worked with Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick and Andy Murray. Under Gilbert, Agassi won six of his eight majors, Roddick won the 2003 U.S. Open and climbed to No. 1, and Murray reached a then-career-high No. 8.
   The right-handed Nishikori underwent surgery on his right elbow in August 2009 and plunged to No. 898 early last year.
   Meanwhile, qualifier James Blake, the runner-up in last month's Sacramento Challenger, reached the second round in Basel after his good friend, Mardy Fish, retired with a left hamstring injury while leading 1-0. They won the San Jose doubles title in 2004.
   Live television coverage of the Swiss Indoors continues Wednesday at 8 a.m. PDT on Tennis Channel. 
   Querrey advances -- San Francisco native Sam Querrey dispatched Ernests Gulbis of Latvia 6-3, 6-4 in the opening round of the $2.85 million Valencia (Spain) Open.
   Querrey, who reached the Sacramento semifinals, will face second-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France in the second round. Tsonga beat Querrey 7-6 (7), 6-1 in the second round at Shanghai last year in their only career meeting.
   Tsonga has won 12 of his past 14 matches, including titles in Metz and last week in Vienna, as he tries to become one of the eight singles qualifiers for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals this month in London. Tsonga is seventh in the point standings.
   TV coverage of the Valencia Open begins with the quarterfinals Friday at 2 p.m. (taped) on Tennis Channel.
   Schnack edged in doubles -- Yasmin Schnack of Elk Grove (near Sacramento) and Alyona Sotnikova of Ukraine lost to Tammy Hendler, a former Sacramento Capital who plays for Belgium, and Chi Chi Scholl of Pompano Beach, Fla., 1-6, 6-4, 12-10 tiebreak in the first round of the Grapevine (Texas) Women's $50,000 Tennis Classic.
   Hendler and Scholl won the doubles title of a $50,000 tournament in Lexington, Ky., in July. Schnack and Hendler are scheduled to meet Wednesday in the opening round of singles.
   Harbatsiuk falls -- Kiryl Harbatsiuk, who graduated from Sacramento State in the spring, lost in singles but won in doubles in the $10,000 Bluewater Bay Professional Tournament in Niceville, Fla.
   Harbatsiuk, a native of Minsk, Belarus, fell to Herbert Wiltschnig of Austria 2-6, 7-6 (2), 6-3 in the first round of singles but teamed with Boris Nicola Bakalov of Bulgaria to beat Alexios Halebian of Glendale and Matthew Short of Great Britain 1-6, 6-3, 10-8 tiebreak in the opening round of doubles.   
   Artem Ilyushin, a Mississippi State senior from Granite Bay (near Sacramento), and Gilad Ben Zvi of Israel stunned top-seeded Chris Letcher and Brendan Moore of Australia 6-3, 6-2. Ilyushin is scheduled to play qualifier Maverick Banes of Australia on Wednesday in the first round of singles.
   Indian Wells tickets --  Daily tickets and "daily double" packages for the BNP Paribas Open, March 5-18 in Indian Wells, will go on sale Wednesday, tournament director Steve Simon announced.
   Daily tickets range from $12 for the first Thursday evening session to $90 for loge seats for championship weekend. The daily double package provides the same seat (suite, box or loge) for both day and evening sessions.
   Fans attending the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 and WTA Premier tournament will see a number of improvements at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, highlighted by a 19,140-square-foot shade structure in the East Village. The permanent facility will feature information towers, four video walls listing scores and schedules, a new bar and music stage, and numerous dining options. 
   For more information and to order tickets, visit https://owa.mcclatchy.com/owa/redir.aspx?C=479724af04384fc7aa0a11fc2632dbb1&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.bnpparibasopen.com, or call the Indian Wells Tennis Garden box office at (800) 999-1585 or (760) 200-8000.

Isner, Young lose in first round; new rankings

   Two former champions in Sacramento-area tournaments were upset Monday on the ATP World Tour.
   Unseeded John Isner, who won a Futures tournament in Shingle Springs in 2007 in his professional debut, lost to qualifier Vasek Pospisil of Canada 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (9) in the first round of the $2.85 million Valencia (Spain) Open.
    Meanwhile, wild card Donald Young, the champion of the 2008 Sacramento Challenger, fell to lucky loser Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan 6-4, 6-2 in the opening round of the $2.6 million Swiss Indoors Basel.
   Isner and Young are the third- and fifth-ranked Americans at No. 23 and a No. 43 in the world, respectively.
  Pospisil, 21, reached the singles quarterfinals in Tiburon and doubles semifinals in Sacramento and Tiburon last month. He saved a match point against the 6-foot-9 Isner at 7-8 in the tiebreaker before winning on his eighth match point in the 2-hour, 13-minute battle.
   It was the second victory over a top-25 player for the 6-4 Pospisil, who has skyrocketed from No. 339 in the world at the beginning of the year to No. 133. He defeated No. 22 Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina in the first round at Cincinnati in August before losing to Roger Federer.
   Pospisil will meet the winner of the match between top seed and defending champion David Ferrer of Spain and former world No. 7 Fernando Verdasco of Spain.
   New rankings -- Following are this week's world rankings of professional players with Northern California ties (change from last week in parentheses):

Men

   Bob Bryan, 1998 NCAA doubles champion from Stanford -- No. 1 in doubles (no change), unranked in singles.
   Mike Bryan, 1998 NCAA doubles champion from Stanford -- No. 1 in doubles (no change), unranked in singles.
   Scott Lipsky, 2002 NCAA doubles runner-up from Stanford -- No. 26 in doubles (+1), unranked in singles.
   Mark Knowles, Sacramento Capitals of World TeamTennis (2001-07, 2009-11) -- No. 43 in doubles (-1), unranked in singles.
   Dmitry Tursunov, Folsom resident -- No. 39 in singles (no change), No. 236 in doubles (-2).
   Sam Querrey, San Francisco native -- No. 116 in singles (no change), No. 31 in doubles (no change).
   David Martin, 2002 NCAA doubles runner-up from Stanford -- No. 104 in doubles (+2), No. 660 in singles (+3).
   John Paul Fruttero, Cal All-American in 2001 and 2002 -- Career-high No. 131 in doubles (+2), 1,229 in singles (+7).
   Conor Niland, 2006 Pacific-10 Conference Player of the Year and two-time All-American at Cal -- No. 194 in singles (-1), unranked in doubles. 
   Jimmy Wang, Folsom resident -- No. 282 in singles (+-1), No. 550 in doubles (+1).
   Dusan Vemic, Capitals (2010-11) -- No. 496 in doubles (+5), No. 1,519 in singles (+6).
   Kiryl Harbatsiuk, three-time Big Sky Conference MVP (2009-11) at Sacramento State -- No. 763 in singles (no change), No. 1,247 in doubles (+6).

Women

   Vania King, Capitals (2010-11) -- No. 6 in doubles (+1), No. 75 in singles (+2).
   Raquel Kops-Jones, 2003 NCAA doubles champion from Cal -- No. 37 in doubles (no change), No. 718 in singles (-2).
   Yasmin Schnack, Elk Grove resident, Sacramento Capitals of World TeamTennis (2011) -- No. 213 in doubles (-5), No. 403 in singles (no change).
   Maria Sanchez, Modesto resident -- No. 341 in doubles (+36), No. 688 in singles (career high, no change).