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Henman vs. Blake; and Jamie Murray Signs Up As Royal Albert Hall Schedule Released

  • Posted: Nov 26, 2015

Henman vs. Blake; and Jamie Murray Signs Up As Royal Albert Hall Schedule Released

McEnroe headlines Legends exhibition matches

The draw for Champions Tennis at the Royal Albert Hall, 2-6 December has been made, with Tim Henman and James Blake set to clash in the round-robin stages.

Henman and Blake both reached a peak ranking of No.4 in the world, and met just once in their professional careers, with Henman winning 6-3, 6-3 in Canada in 2002. They will clash for a second time at the Royal Albert Hall in the evening session on Wednesday 2nd December. Younes El Aynaoui completes the group. Wednesday will also see the introduction of Davis Cup hero Jamie Murray, who is due to play in doubles matches in both the afternoon and evening sessions.

Last year’s champion Fernando Gonzalez has been drawn in Group B against Sebastian Grosjean and Wimbledon semi-finalist Xavier Malisse. The winner of each group will clash in the ATP Champions Tour Final on the afternoon of Sunday December 6th. 

The event will also feature a series of Legends exhibition matches headlined by seven-time Grand Slam Champion and Royal Albert Hall favourite John McEnroe. The American will face off against old rival Mats Wilander on Thursday evening before taking on flamboyant Frenchman Henri Leconte in the Sunday evening session. Every session also includes a doubles match, and the ever-popular Mansour Bahrami will return, along with the 1987 Wimbledon Champion, Pat Cash.

On Saturday 5th December, Tie Break Tens will launch. A new, exciting format of quick-fire tennis, Tie Break Tens will be headlined by World No.2 Andy Murray. He is joined by Henman, Davis Cup team-mate Kyle Edmund and World No.7 David Ferrer. A fifth player is still be announced, and a sixth will qualify from the Champions Tennis field. Each of the ten matches at Tie Break Tens will be contested over a first-to-ten-point tie-break. The six-man field will be drawn into two groups of three players, using a round-robin format. The top two players in each group will go through to the semifinals, with the winner taking away a cheque for $250,000.

There will also be a number of new initiatives for the crowd to enjoy on and off the court at this year’s Champions Tennis. The tournament will feature ‘Aegon Crowd Call’ for the first time; a new, unique line-calling system where spectators hold up cards which read ‘in’ or ‘out’. Saturday afternoon will be ‘Christmas Jumper Day’ where, as well as being encouraged to wear their loudest Christmas knitwear, visitors will enjoy a jazz band. There will be player autograph sessions in the public areas each day.

Spectators arriving on Saturday morning can upgrade to a Family Advantage Pack where kids can get tips from players, enjoy Santa’s Grotto and find out about ‘Miss-Hits’ from Judy Murray. Kids can also have their faces and nails painted, hair braided, and experience the magical world of ‘George and the Ice Cream Castle’.

FULL ORDER OF PLAY*

ATP Champions Tour Singles

Group A Blake, El Aynaoui, Henman
Group B Gonzalez, Grosjean, Malisse

Wednesday 2nd December

At 1.30pm Gonzalez v Malisse
Larsson/Leconte v Murray/Wilander

At 7.30pm Blake v Henman
Grosjean /Murray v El Aynaoui/Pernfors

Thursday 3rd December

At 1.30pm Grosjeanv Gonzalez
Cash/Larsson v El Aynaoui/Leconte

At 7.30pm McEnroe v Wilander
Bahrami/Malisse v Henman/Pernfors

Friday 4th December

At 1.30pm Grosjean v Malisse
Bahrami/Larsson v Pernfors/Wilander
Tie Break Tens Qualifier Blake v Malisse

At 7.30pm Blake v El Aynaoui
Tie Break Tens Qualifier El Aynaoui v Gonzalez
Cash/Grosjean v Gonzalez/Leconte 

Saturday 5th December

At 1.00pm El Aynaoui v Henman
Tie Break Tens Qualifier Finals
Bahrami/McEnroe v Cash/Pernfors
LIVE ON SKY SPORTS

At 6.00pm Tie Break Tens – Andy Murray, Tim Henman, David Ferrer, Kyle Edmund, a qualifier and one player TBC
LIVE ON SKY SPORTS

Sunday 6th December

At 11.45am ATP Champions Tour Final
Bahrami/TBC v Pernfors/TBC

At 4.00 pm  Leconte v McEnroe
Cash/TBC v Larsson/Wilander

*All timings may be subject to change and are dependent on the length of play. The Management reserves the right to alter the order of play at any time.

Champions Tennis at the Royal Albert Hall is the season-finale of the ATP Champions Tour and is played over five days, with two sessions each day – one in the afternoon, one in the evening, with a mixture of singles and doubles matches. 
 
Champions Tennis has enjoyed record ticket sales for 2015 and the last remaining tickets are available from £23.50 at www.royalalberthall.com/tennis or by calling the Royal Albert Hall box office on +44 (0) 20 7070 4404. Hospitality packages are available via www.championstennis.co.uk/hospitality/ or by calling +44 (0) 20 8233 5854.
 
For more information about Champions Tennis at the Royal Albert Hall, go to www.championstennis.co.uk

For more information about Tie Break Tens, go to www.tiebreaktens.com

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State Of Play 2015

  • Posted: Nov 26, 2015

State Of Play 2015

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Upsets Of 2015: Bencic Vs Serena

Upsets Of 2015: Bencic Vs Serena

  • Posted: Nov 26, 2015

Remarkably, Serena Williams arrived back on home soil for the North American hardcourt stretch with just one defeat to her name all season. That came against Petra Kvitova in Madrid, and while surprising, was not altogether unexpected. Few, though, could have predicted the second player to blot the World No.1’s copybook.

Belinda Bencic had long been touted as one to watch from the WTA’s emerging crop of talented youngsters, a seamless transition from junior prodigy to professional success doing little to downplay the hype.

Last September she made her first waves in the senior ranks, reaching the US Open quarterfinals, before making a further breakthrough this summer by lifting the title in Eastbourne.

After losing early in Washington DC, the 18-year-old headed north of the border looking to build some momentum ahead of her return to Flushing Meadows. What transpired, surpassed even her own lofty expectations, as wins over former World No.1s Caroline Wozniacki and Ana Ivanovic set up a semifinal meeting with the current incumbent.

In her three career encounters with members of the Top 3, Bencic had lost comfortably, and when Williams briskly pocketed the opening set this trend looked set to continue.

Unlike so many of Williams’ opponents, the Swiss had no intention of going quietly. In their previous meeting, last spring in Madrid, Bencic had won just three games, but the exuberance of youth and those recent accomplishments seemed to imbue her with the confidence to stage a remarkable recovery.

The last two times the Rogers Cup was staged in Toronto, Williams walked away with the title, but in the second set it was Bencic looking like the serial champion, hurtling into a 5-3 lead. One particular rapid-fire exchange at the net was reminiscent of Martina Hingis at her flowing best.

Williams rallied, but was unable to prevent the teenager leveling the match. In the decider, Bencic went for the jugular, surging into a commanding lead once more.

As the finishing line approached, the Swiss looked like in danger of wavering. Luckily for her, Williams, was even tenser. In the final game, Bencic delivered a driving backhand to reach match point, then making no mistake with a forehand winner to seal the biggest win of her fledgling career.

“I can’t describe the feeling right now,” Bencic said. “I was very overwhelmed from the situation on the court, but I’m just so happy the forehand landed in and she couldn’t reach it anymore.

“It was an incredible feeling. I have no words.”

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50 Most Popular Players Of 2015: 20-11

50 Most Popular Players Of 2015: 20-11

  • Posted: Nov 26, 2015

The stars of the WTA battle it out day after day and week after week for wins, titles and ranking points – but who’s getting the most clicks on wtatennis.com, the official website of the WTA? That’s what we’ll be finding out all week this week as we count down the Top 50 Most Popular Players Of 2015.

From marquee names to WTA Rising Stars and doubles specialists, the WTA has an all-star cast battling it out all season long, and they’re all on the countdown. Where’s your favorite player on the list?

Let’s continue the Top 50 Most Popular Players Of 2015 countdown today with No.20 to No.11!

20] Madison Keys (USA)
The leading American WTA Rising Star burst into prominence at the Australian Open, reaching her first Grand Slam semifinal and then soaring into the Top 20. And she kicks us off today at No.20.

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19] Roberta Vinci (ITA)
The Italian veteran captured the hearts of the tennis world in New York with her stunner over Serena Williams and her first Grand Slam final. She was the 19th-most clicked on player this year.

 Getty Images

18] Angelique Kerber (GER)
Kerber won four Premier titles – Charleston, Stuttgart, Birmingham and Stanford, the most prestigious title haul of the year after Serena Williams – and comes in at No.18 on our Top 50 countdown.

 Getty Images

17] Timea Bacsinszky (SUI)
Barely in the Top 50 at the start of 2015, the Swiss went as high as No.10 in the world in the fall, largely thanks to two WTA titles, the French Open semis, Wimbledon quarters and Beijing final.

 Getty Images

16] Belinda Bencic (SUI)
This Swiss also had a breakthrough year – first two titles, a stunner over Serena Williams in Toronto and a win away from the Top 10 at one point. There’s one more Swiss to come on this list though…

 Getty Images

15] Lucie Safarova (CZE)
Safarova had a massive season, particularly the first half – first Premier title in Doha and first Grand Slam final at Roland Garros. She was the 15th-most clicked on player on wtatennis.com in 2015.

 Getty Images

14] Victoria Azarenka (BLR)
Though she finished the year ranked No.22, Azarenka – a former World No.1 – is always one of the most popular names in the game. She was the 14th-most clicked on player on wtatennis.com this year.

 Getty Images

13] Karolina Pliskova (CZE)
Pliskova, one of the leading WTA Rising Stars on the tour, reached six finals in 2015 and made it as high as No.7 in the world in the summer. She also led the tour for aces this year.

 Getty Images

12] Martina Hingis (SUI)
The most clicked on doubles specialist this year was none other than the Swiss Miss, Hingis – though she did make headlines around the world by making a singles comeback in Fed Cup in the spring.

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11] Flavia Pennetta (ITA)
And rounding out today’s portion of the Top 50 Most Popular Players Of 2015 countdown is Pennetta, who won her first major at the US Open, peaked at World No.6 and then called it a career.

Getty Images

Come to wtatennis.com tomorrow for No.10 to No.1 on the Top 50 Most Popular Players Of 2015!

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Ivanovic Processes Steady Season

Ivanovic Processes Steady Season

  • Posted: Nov 26, 2015

Former No.1 Ana Ivanovic hadn’t made it past the quarterfinals of a major tournament since her maiden Grand Slam victory at the 2008 French Open, but her chances for ending that drought looked better than ever as she began the year at her highest ranking in six years.

The Serb played up to her No.5 ranking from the first week of the year, reaching the finals of the Brisbane International and pushing top seed Maria Sharapova to three grueling sets in the championship match.

A broken toe interrupted her Australian summer hardcourt swing, however, and it wasn’t until the clay court season that she began playing some of her best tennis again.

At the site of her sole Grand Slam success, Ivanovic fought through a draw of dangerous floaters, including two-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist Yaroslava Shvedova, Misaki Doi, and WTA Rising Star Donna Vekic, before taking out Ekaterina Makarova, 7-5, 3-6, 6-1, in their first match since the 2011 Australian Open, which the former No.1 lost in a heartbreaking 10-8 final set.

“In the third I knew I had to step up my level, because she’s a very dangerous opponent. She gets a lot of balls, and she was very aggressive on her down-the-line shots. I tried to take that away from her.”

That confidence-building win helped her cruise past another WTA Rising Star in Elina Svitolina, dropping just five games to the Ukrainian youngster playing in her first major quarterfinal.

“It’s been a long road and hard work. And you can’t take any victory for granted, let alone a quarterfinal. It’s not every day that you reach that – it’s been a long time. So I am really pleased.”

A solid summer swing featured some difficult draws, none tougher than 2014 Australian Open finalist Dominika Cibulkova in the first round of the US Open. But the Serb rebounded well in Asia, reaching the quarterfinals of the Toray Pan Pacific Open and the semifinals of the China Open – finding herself very close to a second straight appearance at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.

Ending the season with some niggling back issues, Ivanovic resolved to spend the off-season with former coach Nigel Sears – with whom she reunited earlier this year – getting stronger and more ready for an all-out assault on 2016.

“I just felt that I’ve been playing better than my results have been showing. That’s been a little bit frustrating. But I did have tough opponents.

“I played some good tennis [in Paris] and obviously was very happy to be in the first Grand Slam semifinal since 2008. It’s just in between there have been so many changes. It’s been a little bit tough, especially first part of the year. After the French I sort of felt Wimbledon was a little bit disappointing, but I felt like I got a good structure and good team after that.”

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Pella Overcomes Missed Flight, Albot To Open Bid In Sao Paulo

  • Posted: Nov 26, 2015

Pella Overcomes Missed Flight, Albot To Open Bid In Sao Paulo

Argentine opens with Group B win at ATP Challenger Tour Finals

Guido Pella is making a habit of cutting it close this week.

The 25-year-old Argentine, who won his fourth Challenger title of the year on Sunday in Montevideo, Uruguay, missed his Tuesday flight to Sao Paulo for the ATP Challenger Tour Finals.

Pella traveled home to Buenos Aires after the final, but encountered an unexpected delay in flying to Sao Paulo two days later. He would arrive in the Brazilian metropolis the night before the competition was set to commence on Wednesday. The World No. 76 opened his bid for a second title at the Challenger season finale with a clash against sixth seed Radu Albot, and once again things didn’t go according to plan. The Moldavan raced out to a 5-0 first set lead and eventually seized the opener 6-3, before Pella roared back for a 3-6, 6-1, 6-3 win after one hour and 50 minutes.

“I arrived here yesterday at 6:30PM because I missed my flight,” Pella said. “I knew it would be hard because I didn’t have the chance to practise much on this court and I needed to play with a lot of heart. He had a good start and I wasn’t comfortable, but I got better afterwards.

“Playing the Challenger Finals is always amazing, luckily it’s my second time around and I managed to win the first match.”

Read: 10 Questions With Guido

Pella, who won the title in 2012, moved into a tie for second among match wins leaders this year with his 44th victory, drawing level with Marco Cecchinato and Daniel Munoz-de la Nava. He joins home hope and eighth seeded wild card Guilherme Clezar atop Group B following Day One at the Pinheiros Club.

Challenger Finals Viewers’ Guide

Clezar continued his dominant run of form at the ATP Challenger Tour Finals, streaking past Cecchinato 7-5, 6-4. He won an impressive 81 per cent of first serve points and 73 per cent on his second serve, while converting two of three break points. The Brazilian has now won four of his last five matches at the tournament after finishing runner-up last year to Diego Schwartzman.

“I’ve been practising really well over the last two days, so I was really confident with my game,” Clezar said. “I believe it was a consequence of that. I had a good run last year, so I feel like it gives me confidence to repeat it this week. I hope I can bring that to the next round.”

Pella and Clezar will square off in Thursday’s nightcap, with Group B supremacy at stake. Pella leads the FedEx ATP Head2Head series 3-1, most recently winning this year at the Guayaquil Challenger. Cecchinato battles Albot in other action.

Cervantes, Lorenzi Move Atop Group A
Top seed Paolo Lorenzi will face off against Inigo Cervantes in a rematch of the Eskisehir (Turkey) final after both notched opening wins on Wednesday. Lorenzi, who has not dropped a set in three meetings with Cervantes, rallied past Farrukh Dustov 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 after two hours and 23 minutes.

“It was an extremely tough match,” Lorenzi said. “I didn’t have a good start. He won the first set and had a break in the second. I played without pressure after that. I’m happy that I won, not with the way I played but the important thing is getting the win. It’s not easy to play after two weeks out of competition.”

Read: Lorenzi “The goal is to reach 400 wins”

Cervantes, meanwhile, also mounted a comeback in upsetting countryman and third seed Munoz-de la Nava 4-6, 7-6(3), 7-5. The Spaniard broke into the Top 100 of the Emirates ATP Rankings for the first time on Monday, following a final run in Montevideo (l. to Pella). He extended his 2015 match wins lead with victory No. 46.

“In a tournament like this, in São Paulo, all eight players have the same level and all matches will be tough,” said Cervantes. “Dani is a Spanish player and it was the second time we faced each other this year. I won the other match but in three sets as well. It is always really tough. I’m glad that I could win the match even if I didn’t play my best tennis.”

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Daily Insider: Friends Stick Together

Daily Insider: Friends Stick Together

  • Posted: Nov 26, 2015

Caroline Wozniacki and Serena Williams reunite in Denmark: The two friends will be playing an exhibition event in Copenhagen on Thursday. Here’s a clip of Caroline getting a high-five from Serena after reeling off the World No.1’s incredible resume.

Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic team up: The two Frenchwomen announced they will play doubles together in 2016. Now can we come up with a good team name?

The 2016 WTA Season is less than 40 days away: Not that we’re counting. Here’s where the Top 10 women will be during Week 1:

More Entry List News: To see where the big names are playing, read this.

Sports Illustrated Podcast: The folks over at SI.com convened a roundtable to discuss the merits of Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic’s tremendous seasons.

Get Vania King a cap and gown: Congratulations are in order for Vania King, who finished her degree at the University of Massachussetts, Lowell.

Elena Vesnina’s wonderful week continues: You’re doing it right, Elena.

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