Nadal calls for two-year rolling ranking system

(Reuters) - World number one Rafa Nadal called on tennis authorities to enforce a two-year rolling ranking system to preserve the health of players.

Nadal said the change from a one-year rolling ranking system would not only protect players from burning out but would also ensure that athletes coming back from long injury layoffs would not to lose too many ranking points.

“If we want to have longer careers for the players, I think we need to have a shorter calendar,” nine-times grand slam champion Nadal told reporters after thrashing Croatian qualifier Antonio Veic 6-1 6-3 6-0 in the French Open third round on Saturday.

“But to have a longer career (the solution) is to have two years of ranking. Not only one year.”

Nadal made the suggestion after Novak Djokovic faced 2009 U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro in the third round. The Argentine’s ranking plummeted from fifth in January 2010 to 485 in January 2011 as he was sidelined for almost a year because of a wrist injury.

Federer enjoys another walk in the park

Reuters) - Roger Federer continued his Bois de Boulogne stroll as he ambled past fellow Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka 6-3 6-2 7-5 to reach the French Open quarter-finals on Sunday.

While the 16-times grand slam champion appeared to be floating through air as he produced some delectable shots to draw some “oohs” and “aahs” from the packed crowd, barely anyone noticed women’s third seed Vera Zvonareva make an early exit. Zvonareva had to play in front of rows and rows of empty seats on Court Philippe Chatrier as she was knocked out by fellow Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-6 2-6 6-2 in a forgettable fourth-round contest.

The 14th seeded Pavlyuchenkova, at 19 the youngest woman left in the draw, reached her first grand slam quarter-final after winning a topsy-turvy match filled with unforced errors and lost opportunities. She will meet either champion Francesca Schiavone or three-times Roland Garros semi-finalist Jelena Jankovic.