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Murray Continues Wimbledon Quest, Now Plays Millman

  • Posted: Jun 30, 2016

Murray Continues Wimbledon Quest, Now Plays Millman

Jun302016

Doubles partners Mahut and Herbert will square-off in the third round

Second seed Andy Murray booked his spot in the third round at The Championships on Thursday by defeating Yen-Hsun Lu 6-3, 6-2, 6-1. He is now 48-9 lifetime at the All England Club, where he captured the 2013 title (d. Djokovic) to end a 77-year wait for a British male champion.

Murray converted seven of his 11 break point opportunities in the one-hour and 40-minute encounter on Centre Court. It was Murray’s 35th match win of the year, which includes a fifth crown at the Aegon Championships. He will now face John Millman for the second time, having won their January 2013 match at Brisbane. Murray has not lost before the third round in his 11 appearances at the grass-court major.

Lu, who had been riding an 11-match winning streak on grass that includes two ATP Challenger Tour titles, opened up the match with a 2-0 lead, but Murray was able to work his way back with service breaks in the sixth and eighth games. Murray withstood two break point opportunities in a 12-point hold to wrap up the 39-minute opener.

From a 1-3 deficit in the first set, Murray won seven straight games to a 2-0 advantage in the second set and seize control of their fifth FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting. The Scot went on another streak from 3-2 in the second set by winning seven successive games to a 4-0 lead in the third set.

John Millman withstood 53 winners from the racquet of Benoit Paire, the No. 26 seed, to finish victorious 7-6(5), 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 and reach a Grand Slam championship third round for the second time (also 2016 Australian Open).

You May Also Like: Raonic Soars Past Seppi At Wimbledon

 

Nicolas Mahut will look to record the 150th tour-level match win of his career against his doubles partner and fellow Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert in the Wimbledon third round.

Mahut advanced the third round for the first time since 2006 (l. to Federer) after he recorded a 6-1, 6-4, 6-3 victory over No. 13 seed David Ferrer in just under two hours. The two-time Ricoh Open titlist hit 44 winners including nine aces, while no rally lasted more than four shots. Herbert, who has partnered Mahut to four doubles trophies this year, struck 16 aces to overcome Damir Dzumhur 3-6, 7-6(1), 7-6(0), 6-2 in two hours and 19 minutes.

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Eighth seed Thiem out in second round – highlights and men's round-up

  • Posted: Jun 30, 2016
Wimbledon on the BBC
Venue: All England Club. Dates: 27 June-10 July
Live: Coverage across BBC TV, BBC Radio and BBC Sport website with further coverage on Red Button, Connected TVs and app. Click for more details

Men’s eighth seed Dominic Thiem was beaten in straight sets by Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic on an action-packed day four at Wimbledon.

Austrian Thiem lost three tie-breaks as he fell to a surprise 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-3) defeat on Court One.

Vesely is one of only two men to defeat Novak Djokovic in 2016 after beating him in April’s Monte Carlo Masters.

Vesely, 64th in the world rankings, plays 31st seed Joao Sousa of Portugal in the third round.

It is only the second time Vesely has reached that stage at Wimbledon, after losing to Australia’s Nick Kyrgios in that round two years ago.

Thiem, the highest-ranked seed to be eliminated from the men’s singles competition, reached the semi-finals of the French Open earlier this year before being beaten by eventual winner Djokovic.

‘You are the worst umpire ever’

Serbia’s Viktor Troicki was furious with the umpire during his second-round loss to Albert Ramos-Vinolas, calling him the “worst ever in the world”.

The 25th seed, 30, insisted an ace that gave Ramos-Vinolas match point was out, grabbing the ball off a ball boy and presenting it to the umpire.

“Did you see the ball? You are so bad,” Troicki shouted at Italian umpire Damiano Torella.

“Do you know what you did? You are horrible. What are you doing there? You are the worst umpire ever in the world.”

Spaniard Ramos-Vinolas, 28, went on to win 3-6 6-3 6-3 2-6 6-3.

The world number 36 will next face the winner of the match between Richard Gasquet and Marcel Granollers.

Simon to ‘sue everyone’

Frenchman Gilles Simon, the 16th seed, was knocked out in slippery conditions on Court One by Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov.

Dimitrov, 25, won 6-3 7-6 (7-1) 4-6 6-4, but Simon was left feeling disgruntled about the weather conditions throughout their drawn out three hours and two minutes tie.

“I feel the day I’m going to get injured on slippery grass, I’m going to sue everyone in the stadium,” the 31-year-old said.

“We try to understand what is happening in both parties, like tournaments and players – but in one point yesterday it was just ridiculous.”

Ferrer out to unseeded Mahut

Spaniard David Ferrer suffered a shock second-round defeat, losing 6-1 6-4 6-3 to unseeded Frenchman Nicolas Mahut.

Thirteenth seed Ferrer, a two-time Wimbledon quarter-finalist, was beaten by world number 51 Mahut, who moved into the third round for only the second time.

He will play fellow Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert in round three after he beat Damir Dzumhur of Bosnia-Herzegovina 3-6 7-6 (7-1) 7-6 (7-0) 6-2.

There was another surprise exit as big-serving Croat Ivo Karlovic was knocked out by Slovakian qualifier Lukas Lacko.

Karlovic, the 23rd seed, hit 34 aces but could not prevent Lacko from winning 6-3 3-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-4.

Meanwhile, sixth seed Milos Raonic secured his place in the last 32 with a straight-sets win over Andreas Seppi.

The Canadian won 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 6-2.

Ninth seed Marin Cilic joins Raonic in the next round after the Croat beat Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine 6-2 6-7 (6-8) 6-4 6-4.

Nottingham Open winner Steve Johnson is also through after the American beat Jeremy Chardy 6-1 7-6 (8-6) 6-3, while compatriot Jack Sock overcame Robin Haase.

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Raonic Soars Past Seppi At Wimbledon

  • Posted: Jun 30, 2016

Raonic Soars Past Seppi At Wimbledon

Jun302016

Sixth seed to face Sock

Milos Raonic played flawless attacking tennis in defeating Andreas Seppi 7-6(5), 6-4, 6-2 on Thursday in the second round of Wimbledon. The Canadian did not drop serve and closed out the match with his 25th ace just shy of the two-hour mark.

Raonic started the match with an unplayable 139mph serve and found his range on the return as the match progressed, going 3-for-4 on break points in the final two sets. He fired 41 total winners and won 19 of 26 net points (73 per cent).

The match had been slated for Wednesday but was postponed due to rainy weather. The Canadian was a semi-finalist at SW19 two years ago and is into the third round for the third consecutive year. Last year, he fell to #NextGen star Nick Kyrgios in four sets. The sixth seed improved to 2-0 in the FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry against Seppi and will face Jack Sock in the third round.

Sock advanced after overcoming Robin Haase 6-1, 6-3, 6-7(3), 6-4. The American saved all six break points faced and struck 53 winners in the two-hour, 16-minute encounter. The 2014 Wimbledon doubles champion (w/ Pospisil) is into the third round for the first time in the singles draw and will need to overcome a 7-1 deficit in the FedEx ATP Head2Head matchup against Raonic in his bid to reach the second week.

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Second seed Muguruza loses to world number 124

  • Posted: Jun 30, 2016
Wimbledon on the BBC
Venue: All-England Club Dates: 27 June-10 July
Live: Coverage across BBC TV, BBC Radio and BBC Sport website with further coverage on Red Button, Connected TVs and app. Click for more details

Second seed Garbine Muguruza is out of Wimbledon after losing the second round in straight sets to Slovakia’s world number 124 Jana Cepelova on Thursday.

The 22-year-old French Open winner, who lost last year’s final to Serena Williams, lost 6-3 6-2 on Court One.

It is a second big scalp for Cepelova in as many years at Wimbledon, after knocking out world number three Simona Halep in the first round last year.

The 23-year-old will face Czech 29th seed Lucie Safarova in the third round.

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Get Inspired: Tennis taught deaf athlete that 'anything is possible'

  • Posted: Jun 30, 2016

Wimbledon puts the sport’s biggest stars firmly in the international limelight. But what does tennis mean to those who operate outside of the big lights?

Valerie Copenhagen has played tennis since she was a teenager, and now competes for Great Britain’s deaf team.

How did you get into tennis?

I started playing tennis socially at the local club in my area when I was 13 and really enjoyed it and made some really good friends who I am still in touch with now.

However my passion and drive for tennis has really only come about in the last couple of years since moving to a different club and feeling that with hard work, commitment and dedication that anything is possible and goals can be achieved.

I love playing tennis for lots of reasons but it also helps having such lovely, committed and supportive people at my new club that support me and my goals.

Two years ago I went along to an ID Deaf Talent Day and it was the best decision I made as I was then invited to join the GB squad and I’ve never looked back.

What do you enjoy most about tennis?

If you want something… anything is possible

Valerie Copenhagen

I love everything about the game. I love how it makes my head go fuzzy from thinking too much about the strategies and skills to the singles and doubles games.

I love how even at my age, there is so much to learn, develop and get better on – we never stop learning and I really like that part of tennis.

I also enjoy watching clips of tennis players like Heather Watson, Maria Sharapova and Martina Hingis – learning about what makes them great tennis players and the amazing, clever shots they play.

Lastly, I have really enjoyed my experience being on the squad and meeting other deaf people. They are such lovely people and it is nice to be a part of the team working hard to make sure we do well not just for ourselves but for our country.

Did you have any concerns about taking up tennis?

I worried about whether my coach would be deaf aware and be able to remember that when we are in a session.

It is very hard to hear instructions or feedback when you are outside and the wind is strong and there is so much to learn in tennis and processes to get right.

I have very good speech and with my hair down, people don’t realise because I am a very good lip reader so this can sometimes make it more challenging to explain to people about the approach I need in tennis.

What has been your biggest success in tennis?

The opportunity to represent GB at the World Deaf Championships in Nottingham last year.

I was so nervous and didn’t really know what to expect. I managed to get through to the second round coming up against the world number one, a German player. I lost, but learnt a great deal from it.

I came home more driven and committed to making sure I do well.

What has tennis brought to your life?

Last February I suddenly lost my father and it was really hard to get on with things.

I remember throwing myself into training and tennis sessions with my coach and it really helped me get by. Tennis at that stage of my life really helped me keep my life on track and stay focused.

I have developed such good friendships through tennis and also a better understanding and appreciation of the game. When I watch tennis on TV I can look at a rally or a particular shot and understand the mechanics and processes behind that and have more admiration for the players.

Tennis and the opportunities I’ve had have taught me that if you want something, you will work hard to achieve it – and that anything is possible.

What are your hopes/ambitions for the future?

I would love to stay in the squad for as long as possible and have continued opportunities to represent my country, including if the opportunity arose to compete in the Deaflympics in 2017.

I know it will be hard work but I’m prepared and ready, so bring it on!

I am looking to do my Level One coaching course and hope I can not only help with the children’s sessions at my local club but also can inspire other young deaf people to take up the sport and get as much out of it as I have.

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Willis: ‘Not My Standard Wednesday’

  • Posted: Jun 30, 2016

Willis: ‘Not My Standard Wednesday’

Jun292016

Brit leaves Wimbledon with trove of memories

Years from now, when his grandchildren hop on his lap and ask Marcus Willis to tell them about that time he played Roger Federer at Wimbledon, Willis likely won’t know where to start.

He could talk about the packed crowd that overwhelmingly supported him on Centre Court instead of the seven-time Wimbledon champion. Willis could explain how he eventually worked his way into the match, challenging Federer in the third set.

But on Wednesday, hours after his dream run ended, two particular moments stood out. “I played a good point where I lobbed him. I can say I lobbed Roger Federer,” Willis said.

The other, as he prepared to serve against the all-time great. “I bounced the ball and saw Roger Federer and thought, ‘Oh, haven’t seen this before’.”

The 25 year old Brit will have stories for decades about his match against Federer and the past week, and he made sure to enjoy it all. Willis couldn’t stop smiling during warm-ups. Throughout the match, he lifted his arms to enliven the crowd. He even laughed off the loss while discussing it with reporters.

“It was all just a blur. It was amazing. I did enjoy myself even though I was getting duffed up. I loved every bit of it. Not the duffing bit. I loved getting stuck in, fighting hard,” he said. “The whole experience was incredible.”

You May Also Like: Federer Ends Willis' Dream Run

On a regular Wednesday, the Warwick Boat Club tennis coach might scowl at his alarm, train for a couple hours, enjoy a cup of tea and teach tennis for about four hours.

“Not my standard Wednesday,” Willis said. “Next Wednesday might be quite different.”

His future plans also might change after his seven-match winning streak landed him on Centre Court. Willis, who had said he planned to go full-time on the tour in January, might alter those plans.

“I think it will change a little bit, but I still want to keep my head down and keep carrying on to enjoy it. I’m all ears to wild cards, too, to big events obviously. I’m joking,” he said, smiling. “I will play some. I will keep training as I have been. I’ve been training and playing a lot. That’s not going to change. I think I have time to hit my peak in a few years.”

Willis, a top junior who lacked the drive earlier in his career, is only 25 in an era of tennis that sees players regularly extend their careers into their mid-30s. A Wimbledon record 49 players aged 30 or over were in this year’s main draw.

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“I want to be here. This is where I want to play tennis. I’m good enough,” Willis said. “I have a lot to work on, a lot to improve… If I have a lot to work on and improve, then it can be exciting.”

His personal life also might be changing in the near future. Months ago, Willis was thinking about taking a coaching job in Philadelphia. But his girlfriend Jennifer Bate encouraged him to keep playing rather than to look seriously at the gig. “Don’t go. Don’t go,” she told him.

On Wednesday, Willis was asked when he was going to get married. “I haven’t thought, to be honest. This whole few weeks has been a blur. Yeah, I do like her quite a bit,” he said.

The feeling has been mutual from Bate, the All England Club and the tennis world.

Watch Willis vs. Federer highlights (not available in UK, USA, South America, Germany, Austria, Italy, Spain and Australia)

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Federer Willis 2R Highlights Wimbledon 2016

  • Posted: Jun 30, 2016

Federer Willis 2R Highlights Wimbledon 2016

Jun292016

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