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Zverev Survives Ymer In Stockholm

  • Posted: Oct 19, 2015

Alexander Zverev, aged 18, had never faced a player younger than himself on the ATP World Tour coming into this week. But on Monday at the If Stockholm Open, the German was given all he could handle by 17-year-old Mikael Ymer before winning 7-6(9), 6-7(5), 6-4. The Swedish wild card, ranked No. 617, kept pace with the World No. 83 for two and a half hours before succumbing.

“Ymer played unbelievably from the beginning, and I wasn’t expecting that,” said Zverev, who capitalised on the lone break point of the deciding set to earn the win “He just needs to keep working hard and he’ll be someone to look out for in the future. I don’t think he was nervous at all today. In the second set, I was in control but he fought back well. It was an interesting match in the end.”

In the second round, Zverev will take on top seed Tomas Berdych.

Elsewhere, ATP Comeback Player Of The Year candidate John Millman maintained his form by taking out Benjamin Becker 7-6(2), 6-3. Millman, ranked 76th in the Emirates ATP Rankings, saved four of five break points in the 95-minute win.

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Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers: Nole And The All-Important Second Serve

  • Posted: Oct 19, 2015

After a tough US Open semi-final win over Richard Krajicek in 2000, Pete Sampras famously observed: “You’re only as good as your second serve.”

So true. Today, there’s perhaps no better example of that than Novak Djokovic, who has no peer when points begin with a second serve. As you’ll see in the chart below, the streaking Serb is ranked No. 1 in second-serve points won at 60 per cent (1,469 of 2,571) in 2015. But this is no one-off. Djokovic has consistently ranked among the ATP World Tour leaders in second-serve points won throughout his career. In fact, since his historic run of 2011, the first time he won three majors and five ATP World Tour Masters 1000s in one season, he has never ranked outside the Top 5 in that category.

NOVAK’S SECOND SERVE POINTS WON
YEAR PERCENTAGE
 MATCHES POSITION
2015 60% 77 1
2014 56% 69 3
2013 60% 76 1
2012 56% 87 T5
2011 56% 75 T3
2010 52% 79 T21
2009 54% 97

T7   

2008 57% 81 3
2007 54% 87 T6
2006 53% 58 T11

What’s truly remarkable is that Djokovic is just as potent on the second serve when it comes to his return game. In 2015 he tops the charts on second-serve return points won at 58 per cent (1,317 of 2,289), and he’s been a Top-10 mainstay in that category in this year-end Infosys ATP Scores & Stats category dating back to 2007. Djokovic’s return game dominance was on display during his run to the Shanghai Rolex Masters title. Not once in his five rounds at the Qizhong Tennis Center did the World No. 1 register a losing percentage on his own second serve, and not once did an opponent enjoy a winning percentage on their second serve.

NOVAK’S SECOND SERVE RETURN POINTS WON
YEAR
PERCENTAGE
MATCHES
 POSITION
2015 57% 77 1
2014 58% 69 1
2013 55% 76 T2
2012 56% 87 T1
2011 58% 75 1
2010 54% 79 T4
2009 54% 97 T4
2008 53% 81 T9
2007 53% 87 T9
2006 51% 58 T26

As far as career numbers are concerned, Djokovic ranks right up there with the best, too. He has won 55 per cent of his second-serve points in 788 career matches (fifth overall), and his second serve return points won are on par with one of the greatest returners the sport has ever seen: Andre Agassi. In 1,108 matches, the Hall of Famer won 16,704 of 29,909 second serve return points (56%). Djokovic, by comparison, has won 13,857 of 25,276 (55%).

A LOOK AT DJOKOVIC’S SUPERB PLAY IN CHINA

Djokovic left China with two more titles, winning the China Open in Beijing for the sixth time and the Shanghai Rolex Masters for the third time. He won all 10 matches in straight sets. Here’s a look at several InfoSys ATP statistical categories in which Djokovic ranks among the Top 10 in 2015, compared to averages in each tournament:

1st Serve %
Beijing 73%
Shanghai 68%
2015 75%
1st Serve Points Won
Beijing  76%
Shanghai  74%
2015  75%
2nd Serve Points Won
Beijing  55%
 Shanghai  68%
 2015  60%
Service Games Won
Beijing  95% (37 of 39)
 Shanghai  91% (39 of 43)
 2015  90% (5th best on Tour)
Break Points Saved
 Beijing  83% (10 of 12)
 Shanghai  56% (5 of 9)
 2015  70% (3rd)
 Points Won Returning 1st Serve
 Beijing 47%
 Shanghai 35%
 2015 33% (3rd)
Points Won Returning 2nd Serve
 Beijing 66%
 Shanghai 70%
 2015 57% (1st)
 Return Games Won  
 Beijing  59% (23 of 39)
 Shanghai  50% (21 of 42)
 2015  34% (2nd)
 Break Points Converted  
 Beijing  70% (23 of 33)
 Shanghai  39% (21 of 57)
 2015  44% (6th)

DJOKOVIC DOMINATES POST-US OPEN

Over the past four years Djokovic has compiled an outstanding 66-2 match record after the US Open, capturing 12 titles in 14 tournaments played:

   W-L  Titles
 2015  10-0  2
 2014  17-1  3
 2013  24-0  4
 2012  15-1  3
TOTAL 66-2 12

Note: In 2011, when Djokovic finished No. 1 for the first time, he had a 6-4 post-US Open record.

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Shanghai 2015 Hot Shot Countdown

Shanghai 2015 Hot Shot Countdown

  • Posted: Oct 19, 2015

Watch the best hot shots from a riveting week in Shanghai. Watch live tennis at http://www.tennistv.com/

Re-watch the best Hot Shots from Shanghai

The 2015 Shanghai Rolex Masters produced some of the best Hot Shots in recent memory. Watch Rafael Nadal’s vintage passing shot and don’t miss Jo-Wilfried Tsonga’s play of the year candidate.

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Kavouri Tennis Open – Ημέρα Τελικών

  • Posted: Oct 19, 2015

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Μια ξεχωριστή ευκαιρία να απολαύσουν το αγαπημένο τους άθλημα αλλά και να διασκεδάσουν είχαν όσοι παρακολούθησαν τους χθεσινούς τελικούς της Κυριακής στο Kavouri Tennis Club, με σύμμαχο τον εξαιρετικό καιρό.
Άλλο ένα τουρνουά ολοκληρώθηκε εκεί με επιτυχία, καθώς τόσο το πλήθος και τα ονόματα που συμμετείχαν, αλλά και η αθρόα προσέλευση του κόσμου το αποδεικνύουν ατράνταχτα. Οι αγώνες ολοκληρώθηκαν λοιπόν, μετά από δυο σχεδόν εβδομάδες δράσης, την Κυριακή 18/10 με τους τελικούς όλων των κατηγοριών, με αποκορύφωμα αυτόν της κατηγορίας Masters, μεταξύ Αλέξανδρου Γιακούποβιτς και Πάρη Γεμουχίδη. Ο Γεμουχίδης κατάφερε και πήρε τη νίκη με ανατροπή στο τελικό σετ, μετά από μια μοναδική μάχη.
Με την παρουσία της τίμησε την ήμερα αυτή η πρωταθλήτριά μας Ελένη Δανιηλίδου. Η βραδιά ολοκληρώθηκε με την κλήρωση ενός αυτοκινήτου Jeep Renegade (και πολλών άλλων πλούσιων δώρων) που – μετά τους αγώνες – κράτησαν αμείωτο το ενδιαφέρον του κόσμου μέχρι τα μεσάνυχτα.

Doubles Teams Qualify For Barclays ATP World Tour Finals

  • Posted: Oct 19, 2015

Just two spots remain in the eight-team doubles field at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, as the duos of Ivan Dodig/Marcelo Melo, Pierre-Hughes Herbert/Nicolas Mahut, Simone Bolelli/Fabio Fognini and Jamie Murray/John Peers have secured their places in the prestigious season finale, to be held at The O2 in London Nov. 15-22. The world’s biggest indoor tennis tournament will feature the world’s best eight singles players and doubles teams.

Two teams had already qualified: World No. 1 Bob and Mike Bryan and Wimbledon champions Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau.

Melo is coming off back-to-back titles in Tokyo and Shanghai with South African Raven Klaasen. The Brazilian is now 17-18 in career finals (4-1 this season). Partnering with Dodig, he won titles in Acapulco and at Roland Garros, while reaching the final in Washington. Melo is 2-2 in ATP World Tour Masters 1000 finals.

Dodig, meanwhile, is trying to improve his singles ranking (from No. 127) and has played four Challengers since last month. He lost in the semi-finals in a third set tie-break in Rennes, France (l. to Malek Jaziri) on Saturday.

In September, the all-French tandem of Herbert/Mahut clinched their first Grand Slam doubles title at the US Open (d. Murray/Peers). Herbert was 0-4 at the majors prior to partnering Mahut at the 2015 Australian Open, where they reached the final.

Bolelli and Fognini appeared in their fourth final of the season (1-3) at the Shanghai Rolex Masters, where they were runners-up to Melo/Klaasen, and also posted runner-up finishes at ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events in Indian Wells (l. to Vasek Pospisil/Jack Sock) and Monte-Carlo (l. to Bryan/Bryan) earlier this season. They opened the the year by capturing the Australian Open crown (d. Herbert/Mahut), becoming first Italian duo to win a Grand Slam doubles title since Nicola Pietrangeli and Orlando Sirola lifted the Roland Garros trophy in 1959. They reached semi-finals at Roland Garros (l. to Bryans).

Along with Herbert/Mahut, Murray/Peers — runners-up at both Wimbledon and the US Open — is one of only two teams this season to reach two major doubles finals. They have won 10 of their last 12 Grand Slam matches, and captured titles on the hard courts of Brisbane and clay of Hamburg in 2015.

The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals has welcomed more than 1.5 million fans to The O2 arena over the past six years, establishing itself as the biggest indoor tennis tournament in the world since moving to London in 2009. Tickets can be purchased at: www.BarclaysATPWorldTourFinals.com.

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Tsonga Surges To Ninth In Race As Berdych & Nadal Punch Tickets

  • Posted: Oct 19, 2015

One month ago, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga entered the Moselle Open in Metz at No. 15 in the Emirates ATP Race To London, with a steep task ahead of him to qualify for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.

The Frenchman has taken the challenge to heart, hoisting the trophy on home soil and streaking to his fourth ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final at the Shanghai Rolex Masters on Sunday. Tsonga has posted a 9-2 record in that four-week span, vaulting six spots to No. 9 in his quest to return to the season finale for the fourth time and first since 2012. His best result came the year prior when he finished runner-up to Roger Federer.

Last year, Andy Murray’s mad dash paid dividends in soaring from the 11th position to fifth in the Emirates ATP Race To London. Tsonga will hope for similar results with Vienna, Basel and the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris remaining on his schedule, looking to build on 2,500 points.

“I’m No. 9 in the Race,” said Tsonga. “For me what is important today is to play good tennis. I’m really happy with the week I had. Of course, I wanted to do better against Novak. But I’m really happy about this week. It gives me energy to continue to fight for the [Barclays ATP World Tour Finals].”

Buy Your Tickets

Rafael Nadal and Tomas Berdych have been on the doorstep of qualification in recent weeks and both broke through the threshold with deep runs in Shanghai. Nadal, who has accrued 4,330 points in the Emirates ATP Race To London, advanced to the semi-finals, while Berdych reached the quarter-finals, amassing 4,280 points. The Spaniard – winner of three ATP World Tour titles in 2015 – booked his spot at the Final Showdown for the eighth time after climbing from No. 7 to No. 5 in the last two weeks. The Czech – winner in Shenzhen two weeks ago – punched his ticket for a sixth successive year.

Read: Nadal & Berdych Qualify For London

Six of the eight places are now occupied at the season finale, with Race leader Novak Djokovic surging to a jaw-dropping 14,285 points haul with his third Shanghai title. Murray, Federer and Stan Wawrinka have also qualified for the ATP World Tour’s signature event.

Kei Nishikori and David Ferrer round out the elite eight in the latest standings, with both contenders looking to rebound following early exits in Shanghai. The Japanese sits ahead of the Spanish veteran by 500 points, with Ferrer holding a near-1,000 point advantage over Tsonga. Richard Gasquet and Kevin Anderson also have slim hopes of crashing the party, currently sitting at No. 10 and No. 11, respectively. Gasquet is seeded second in Stockholm, while Ferrer and Anderson lead the field in Vienna.

Read: Four Doubles Teams Qualify For London

The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals has welcomed more than 1.5 million fans to The O2 arena over the past six years, establishing itself as the biggest indoor tennis tournament in the world since moving to London in 2009. Tickets to the tournament, which takes place from 15-22 November, can be purchased at: www.BarclaysATPWorldTourFinals.com.

Barclays ATP World Tour Finals – The Contenders
Based on the calendar-year Emirates ATP Race To London standings as of Monday, 19 October 2015. The top eight eligible players will qualify.

Player

 YTD Points

 In Action This Week?

(1) Novak Djokovic

 14,285

 No

(2) Andy Murray

 7,870

 No

(3) Roger Federer

 6,750

 No

(4) Stan Wawrinka

 6,140

 No

(5) Rafael Nadal

 4,330

 No
(6) Tomas Berdych  4,280  Stockholm
(7) Kei Nishikori  3,945  No
(8) David Ferrer  3,445  Vienna
(9) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga  2,500  Vienna
(10) Richard Gasquet  2,445  Stockholm
(11) Kevin Anderson  2,385  Vienna
(12) John Isner  2,315  Vienna

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