Tennis News

From around the world

Raonic, Djokovic, Wawrinka Headline Toronto QF Line-Up

  • Posted: Jul 29, 2016

Raonic, Djokovic, Wawrinka Headline Toronto QF Line-Up

Eight current or former Top 10 players in the Emirates ATP Rankings feature in the Rogers Cup quarter-finals

Second seed Stan Wawrinka and former World No. 10 Kevin Anderson will renew their FedEx ATP Head 2 Head rivalry to begin the Rogers Cup quarter-finals on Friday. Wawrinka, the World No. 5, is 4-4 overall, 3-3 in ATP Masters 1000 events and 1-1 at the Rogers Cup against Anderson. The Swiss defeated the South African at Montréal in 2011 before Anderson avenged himself at Toronto in 2014. Anderson, now ranked 34th, is attempting to reach his first career ATP Masters 1000 semi-final (0-6 in QFs) and snap a six-match losing streak in ATP World Tour quarter-finals overall.

Vote for the Golden Moment

Watch Live Online

The winner of Wawrinka vs. Anderson will advance to face either No. 3 seed Kei Nishikori or former World No. 8 Grigor Dimitrov. Now No. 40, Dimitrov is at his lowest mark in the Emirates ATP Rankings since he was No. 41 during the week of February 11, 2013. The 25-year-old Bulgarian is bidding for his first ATP Masters 1000 semi-final appearance since defeating Anderson to reach the Toronto ‘Final Four’ two years ago. Nishikori, on the other hand, advanced to the final at Miami and semi-finals at Madrid and Rome in ATP Masters 1000 events earlier this season.

Back in the Rogers Cup quarter-finals for the ninth time in 10 years is World No. 1 Novak Djokovic. The three-time champion owns a 24-2 FedEx ATP Head 2 Head record against his opponent Friday, No. 5 seed Tomas Berdych. Djokovic has won his last 11 meetings with Berdych and all 20 of their hard-court matches. However, the Serbian and Czech have never played in Toronto or Montréal. Berdych, who has ended six straight years at No. 6 or No. 7, has lost 16 straight matches against Top 5 opponents and 12 straight versus the World No. 1 (4-28 vs. World No. 1 overall).

Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonic caps Friday’s schedule when he plays former World No. 7 Gael Monfils for the third time in a quarter-final this season. The No. 1 Canadian swept Monfils on the hard courts of the Australian Open and ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells. After a virus limited him on clay and grass, Monfils captured the biggest title of his career last week at an ATP World Tour 500 hard-court event in Washington. With three more victories in Toronto this week, the 10th-seeded Frenchman is riding a personal-best eight-match win streak into his meeting with the No. 4 seed.

FEDEX ATP HEAD 2 HEADS – Singles Quarter-finals

Kevin Anderson (RSA) vs [2] Stan Wawrinka (SUI)            Series Tied 4-4
10 ATP Masters 1000 Miami (U.S.A.)    Hard    R64    Stan Wawrinka        6-4 7-5
11 ATP Masters 1000 Montréal (Canada)    Hard    R16    Stan Wawrinka        6-4 4-6 6-4
13 ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai (China)    Hard    R32    Stan Wawrinka        6-4 3-6 7-6(5)
14 ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells (U.S.A.)    Hard    R16    Kevin Anderson        7-6(1) 4-6 6-1
14 ATP Masters 1000 Toronto (Canada)    Hard    R16    Kevin Anderson    7-6(8) 7-5
14 ATP Masters 1000 Paris (France)    Hard    R16    Kevin Anderson        6-7(2) 7-5 7-6(3)
15 London/Queen’s Club (Great Britain)    Grass    R16    Kevin Anderson        7-6(4) 7-6(11)
15 US Open (U.S.A.)            Hard    QF    Stan Wawrinka        6-4 6-4 6-0

Anderson 2016 FastFacts
QF (3): Auckland (l. to Sock); Nice (l. to Sousa); Nottingham (l. to Johnson)
YTD W-L: 8-11 (4-4 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 3
Date of Birth: May 18, 1986
Emirates ATP Ranking: 34
Rogers Cup W-L (Best Result): 10-6 (2014 Quarter-finalist)

• Tournament Note: Lost last 6 QFs since 2015 Winston-Salem and owns 0-6 record in ATP Masters 1000 QFs
• Returned following 10-week injury absence and fell in 1R at ATP Masters 1000 Madrid (l. to Monfils)
• Reached QFs following 1R byes at Auckland (l. to Sock), Nice (l. to Sousa) and Nottingham (l. to Johnson)
• As World No. 20, qualified at London/Queen’s Club (l. to Tomic in 1R)
• In Wimbledon 1R, suffered 4th loss of career from 2 sets up after holding 1 MP vs. Istomin
• Fell to No. 34 in Emirates ATP Rankings on July 25 – lowest ranking since No. 37 on Mar. 4, 2013
• Retired from 2 matches and withdrew from 8 tournaments due to left knee and right shoulder injuries
• Also underwent minor ankle surgery on March 15

Wawrinka 2016 FastFacts
W (3): Chennai (d. Coric); Dubai (d. Baghdatis); Geneva (d. Cilic); SF: Roland Garros (l. to Murray); QF (2): Marseille (l Paire); ATP Masters 1000 Monte-Carlo (l. to Nadal)
YTD W-L: 30-10 (17-4 on hard)
YTD Titles: 3 / Career Titles: 14
Date of Birth: March 28, 1985
Emirates ATP Ranking: 5
Rogers Cup W-L (Best Result): 12-9 (2011, 2016 Quarter-finalist)

• Tournament Note: Attempting to reach 1st ATP Masters 1000 SF of season (5-5 with 1 QF entering Toronto)
• On a 10-match win streak in finals after beating Cilic 64 76(11) for 1st Swiss title at Geneva
• Also beat Baghdatis 64 76(13) to win ATP World Tour 500 event in Dubai
• Captured 3rd straight Chennai title (d. Coric), increasing win streaks at event to 12 matches and 24 sets
• Enjoyed 400th career win in Australian Open 3R on Jan. 23 (d. Rosol) before falling in 4R (l. to Raonic in 5 sets)
• In defense of Roland Garros title, won 5-setter over Rosol in 1R and reached SF (l. to No. 2 Murray)
• Appeared in 46 consecutive Grand Slam main draws since making major debut at 2005 Roland Garros
• Advanced to ATP Masters 1000 Monte-Carlo QF (d. Kohlschreiber and Simon, l. to No. 5 Nadal)
• Saved 2 MPs to beat Stakhovsky 64 46 76(8) in Marseille 2R and came within 2 points of losing to Stakhovsky in Dubai 1R before earning 57 63 75 win

Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) vs [3] Kei Nishikori (JPN)            Nishikori Leads 2-0
13 ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai (China)    Hard    R64    Kei Nishikori        6-3 6-4
14 ATP Masters 1000 Miami (U.S.A.)    Hard    R32    Kei Nishikori        7-6(1) 7-5

Dimitrov 2016 FastFacts
F (2): Sydney (l. to Troicki); Istanbul (l. to Schwartzman); SF: Delray Beach (l. to Ram); QF (2): Brisbane (l. to Federer); Acapulco (l. to Thiem)
YTD W-L: 23-16 (17-8 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 4
Date of Birth: May 16, 1991
Emirates ATP Ranking: 40
Rogers Cup W-L (Best Result): 7-3 (2014 Semi-finalist)

• Tournament Note: Reached 1st ATP Masters 1000 QF since 2015 Madrid and seeking 1st SF since 2014 Toronto
• Held 1 MP in Sydney final (l. to Troicki 76 in 3rd) and led 76 52 in Istanbul final (l. to Schwarzman 60 in 3rd)
• Advanced to SF at Delray Beach (l. to Ram) and QFs at Brisbane (l. to No. 3 Federer) and Acapulco (l. to Thiem)
• Snapped 7-match losing streak vs. Top 10 opponents by beating No. 2 Murray in Miami 3R (l. to Monfils in 4R)
• Reached 3R at Australian Open (l. to No. 3 Federer) and Wimbledon (d. Simon, l. to Johnson)
• Suffered 6-match losing streak from May 1 to June 27
• Fell to No. 40 in Emirates ATP Rankings on July 18 – lowest ranking since No. 41 on February 11, 2013

Nishikori 2016 FastFacts
W: Memphis (d. Fritz); F (2): ATP Masters 1000 Miami (l. to Djokovic); Barcelona (l. to Nadal); SF (2): ATP Masters 1000 Madrid (l. to Djokovic); ATP Masters 1000 Rome (l. to Djokovic); QF (3): Brisbane (l. to Tomic); Australian Open (l. to Djokovic); ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells (l. to Nadal)
YTD W-L: 38-11 (21-6 on hard)
YTD Titles: 1 / Career Titles: 11
Date of Birth: December 29, 1989
Emirates ATP Ranking: 6
Rogers Cup W-L (Best Result): 7-3 (2015 Semi-finalist)

• Tournament Note: Advanced to QF or better in all 5 ATP Masters 1000 appearances this year (DNP Monte-Carlo)
• Captured 4th straight Memphis title and extended win streak at event to 17 matches (d. Fritz)
• Saved 5 MPs to beat Monfils en route to 2nd ATP Masters 1000 final of career at Miami (l. to No. 1 Djokovic)
• Also saved 1 MP to defeat Isner 76 in 3rd before falling to No. 5 Nadal in ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells QF
• Reached ATP Masters 1000 SFs at Madrid (l. to Djokovic 76 in 2nd) and Rome (l. to Djokovic 76 in 3rd)
• Appeared in 3rd consecutive Barcelona final (d. Paire, l. to No. 5 Nadal)
• Advanced to Aus. Open QF (d. Tsonga, l. to Djokovic) and Roland Garros 4R (d. Verdasco in 5 sets, l. to Gasquet)
• Conceded walkover in Halle 2R vs. F. Mayer and retired in Wimbledon 4R vs. Cilic due to rib injury
• Beat Evans before falling to No. 2 Murray in 5 sets, snapping 12-match Davis Cup win streak (GBR d. JPN 3-1)

[1] Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs [5] Tomas Berdych (CZE)        Djokovic Leads 24-2
08 Bangkok (Thailand)            Hard    SF    Novak Djokovic        7-5 6-1
09 ATP Masters 1000 Miami (U.S.A.)    Hard    R16    Novak Djokovic        6-3 6-2
10 Wimbledon (Great Britain)        Grass    SF    Tomas Berdych        6-3 7-6(9) 6-3
10 Davis Cup SF (Serbia)            Hard    RR    Novak Djokovic        4-6 6-3 6-2 6-4
10 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals        Hard    RR    Novak Djokovic        6-3 6-3
11 Australian Open (Australia)        Hard    QF    Novak Djokovic        6-1 7-6(5) 6-1
11 Dubai (U.A.E.)                Hard    SF    Novak Djokovic        6-7(5) 6-2 4-2 ret
11 ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati (U.S.A.)    Hard    SF    Novak Djokovic        7-5 ret
11 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals        Hard    RR    Novak Djokovic        3-6 6-3 7-6(3)
12 ATP Masters 1000 Monte-Carlo        Clay    SF    Novak Djokovic        4-6 6-3 6-2
12 ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai (China)    Hard    SF    Novak Djokovic        6-3 6-4
12 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals        Hard    RR    Novak Djokovic        6-2 7-6(6)
13 Australian Open (Australia)        Hard    QF    Novak Djokovic        6-1 4-6 6-1 6-4
13 Dubai (U.A.E.)                Hard    F    Novak Djokovic        7-5 6-3
13 ATP Masters 1000 Rome (Italy)        Clay    QF    Tomas Berdych        2-6 7-5 6-4
13 Wimbledon (Great Britain)        Grass    QF    Novak Djokovic        7-6(5) 6-4 6-3
13 Davis Cup Final (Serbia)            Hard    RR    Novak Djokovic        6-4 7-6(5) 6-2
14 Beijing (China)                Hard    F    Novak Djokovic        6-0 6-2
14 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals        Hard    RR    Novak Djokovic        6-2 6-2
15 Dubai (U.A.E.)                Hard    SF    Novak Djokovic        6-0 5-7 6-4
15 ATP Masters 1000 Monte-Carlo        Clay    F    Novak Djokovic        7-5 4-6 6-3
15 ATP Masters 1000 Paris (France)    Hard    QF    Novak Djokovic        7-6(3) 7-6(8)
15 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals        Hard    RR    Novak Djokovic        6-3 7-5
16 Doha (Qatar)                Hard    SF    Novak Djokovic        6-3 7-6(3)
16 ATP Masters 1000 Miami (U.S.A.)    Hard    QF    Novak Djokovic        6-3 6-3
16 Roland Garros (France)            Clay    QF    Novak Djokovic        6-3 7-5 6-3

Djokovic 2016 FastFacts
W (6): Doha (d. Nadal); Australian Open (d. Murray); ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells (d. Raonic); ATP Masters 1000 Miami (d. Nishikori); ATP Masters 1000 Madrid (d. Murray); Roland Garros (d. Murray); F: ATP Masters 1000 Rome (l. to Murray); QF: Dubai (l. to Lopez)
YTD W-L: 48-4 (30-1 on hard)
YTD Titles: 6 / Career Titles: 65
Date of Birth: May 22, 1987
Emirates ATP Ranking: 1 (Career-High)
Rogers Cup W-L (Best Result): 32-6 (2007, 2011-12 Champion)

• Tournament Note: Advanced to final in 13 of last 14 ATP Masters 1000 appearances, winning 10 titles
• Won Roland Garros title to become 8th man with career Grand Slam and 3rd with all 4 majors at once (d. Murray)
• Surpassed 200 weeks at No. 1, $100 million in prize money and 50 wins at all 4 majors during Roland Garros
• Tied Emerson for 4th all-time with 12 Grand Slam men’s singles titles
• Also tied Emerson’s all-time record with 6th Australian Open title (d. No. 2 Murray)
• Defeated by Querrey in Wimbledon 3R, ending calendar Grand Slam bid and 30-match win streak at majors
• Swept Indian Wells (d. Raonic) and Miami (d. No. 6 Nishikori) for 3rd straight year and 4th time overall
• Added Madrid title for record-setting 29th ATP Masters 1000 championship (d. No. 2 Murray)
• Fell to No. 3 Murray in ATP Masters 1000 Rome final, snapping career-long 17-match win streak vs. Top 10
• Became 3rd active player to reach 700 wins by beating Jaziri in Dubai 2R on Feb. 24 (also Federer and Nadal)
• Fell 1 shy of Lendl’s Open-Era record 18 straight finals, retiring vs. Lopez in Dubai QF (eye)
• Defeated Nedovyesov in 3 sets and Kukushkin in 5 sets to help Serbia beat Kazakhstan 3-2 in Davis Cup 1R

Berdych 2016 FastFacts
SF (3): Doha (l. to Djokovic); Marseille (l. to Kyrgios); Wimbledon (l. to Murray); QF (5): Australian Open (l. to Federer); Dubai (l. to Kyrgios); ATP Masters 1000 Miami (l. to Djokovic); ATP Masters 1000 Madrid (l. to Murray); Roland Garros (l. to Djokovic)
YTD W-L: 30-13 (18-7 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 12
Date of Birth: September 17, 1985
Emirates ATP Ranking: 8
Rogers Cup W-L (Best Result): 14-11 (2006, 2010-11, 2016 Quarter-finalist)

• Tournament Note: Lost 16 straight matches against Top 5 opponents and 12 straight against World No. 1
• Defeated A. Zverev, Vesely and Pouille en route to 6th Grand Slam SF at Wimbledon (l. to No. 2 Murray)
• Also advanced to SFs at Doha (l. to No. 1 Djokovic) and Marseille (d. Goffin, l. to Kyrgios)
• Reached QFs at Aus. Open (d. Bautista Agut, l. to No. 3 Federer), Dubai (l. to Kyrgios), Miami (d. No. 10 Gasquet, l. to No. 1 Djokovic), Madrid (d. No. 9 Ferrer, l. to No. 2 Murray) and Roland Garros (d. Ferrer, l. to No. 1 Djokovic)
• Suffered 60 60 loss to Goffin in ATP Masters 1000 Rome 3R – 1st double-bagel of career at any level
• Helped Czech Republic defeat Germany 3-2 in Davis Cup 1R by winning 5-setter over A. Zverev in 4h, 20m
• Also won doubles w/Stepanek for 50th Davis Cup victory of career (d. Kohlschreiber/Petzschner)
• Retired in Davis Cup 1R Rubber 4 vs. Kohlschreiber (right hamstring) and withdrew from Washington (fatigue)

[4] Milos Raonic (CAN) vs [10] Gael Monfils (FRA)            Series Tied 2-2
11 Stockholm (Sweden)            Hard    SF    Gael Monfils        6-7(6) 6-4 6-3
13 Halle (Germany)                Grass    R32    Gael Monfils        6-4 6-2
16 Australian Open (Australia)        Hard    QF    Milos Raonic        6-3 3-6 6-3 6-4
16 ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells (U.S.A.)    Hard    QF    Milos Raonic        7-5 6-3

Raonic 2016 FastFacts
W: Brisbane (d Federer); F (3): ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells (l. to Djokovic); London/Queen’s Club (l. to Murray); Wimbledon (l. to Murray); SF: Australian Open (l. to Murray); QF (3): ATP Masters 1000 Miami (l. to Kyrgios); ATP Masters 1000 Monte-Carlo (l. to Murray); ATP Masters 1000 Madrid (l. to Djokovic)
YTD W-L: 39-9 (19-3 on hard)
YTD Titles: 1 / Career Titles: 8
Date of Birth: December 27, 1990
Emirates ATP Ranking: 7
Rogers Cup W-L (Best Result): 10-6 (2013 Runner-up)

• Tournament Note: Advanced to QF or better in 5 of 6 ATP Masters 1000 appearances this season (Rome 2R)
• Became 1st Canadian man and 2nd Canadian overall to reach major singles final at Wimbledon (l. to No. 2 Murray)
• En route to Wimbledon final, earned 1st win from 2 sets down to beat Goffin, then defeated No. 3 Federer in 5 sets
• Also fell to No. 2 Murray in London/Queen’s Club final after leading 76 30
• Won 1st 9 matches of season, highlighted by 8th career title at Brisbane (d. No. 3 Federer)
• Upset No. 4 Wawrinka in 5 sets en route to Australian Open SF (l. to No. 2 Murray in 5 sets)
• Played in 3rd ATP Masters 1000 final at Indian Wells (d. No. 7 Berdych, Monfils and Goffin; l. to No. 1 Djokovic)
• Reached ATP Masters 1000 QFs at Miami (l. to Kyrgios), Monte-Carlo (l. to Murray) and Madrid (l. to Djokovic)
• Advanced to Roland Garros 4R (l. to Ramos-Viñolas)
• Withdrew from Delray Beach, Acapulco and Davis Cup 1R due to muscular tear sustained in Australian Open SF

Monfils 2016 FastFacts

W: Washington (d. Karlovic); F (2): Rotterdam (l. to Klizan); ATP Masters 1000 Monte-Carlo (l. to Nadal); QF (3): Australian Open (l. to Raonic); ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells (l. to Raonic); ATP Masters 1000 Miami (l. to Nishikori)
YTD W-L: 29-9 (22-5 on hard)
YTD Titles: 1 / Career Titles: 6
Date of Birth: September 1, 1986
Emirates ATP Ranking: 14
Rogers Cup W-L (Best Result): 10-6 (2011, 2016 Quarter-finalist)

• Tournament Note: Lost 6 of last 7 matches against Top 10 opponents since 2015 Monte-Carlo QF (28-62 overall)
• Captured biggest title of career at ATP World Tour 500 event in Washington, saving 1 MP vs. Karlovic in final
• Reached 3rd ATP Masters 1000 final at Monte-Carlo (d. No. 9 Tsonga, l. to No. 5 Nadal in 3 sets)
• Also reached ATP Masters 1000 QFs at Indian Wells (l. to Raonic) and Miami (l. to No. 6 Nishikori after 5 MPs)
• Advanced to 1st Australian Open QF in 11th appearance (l. to Raonic)
• Lost to Klizan in Rotterdam championship match and is now 6-19 lifetime in finals
• Won 8th straight Davis Cup match to open France’s 5-0 sweep of Canada in 1R (d. Dancevic)
• Withdrew from Marseille (right leg), Munich (groin strain), Roland Garros (virus) and Halle (virus)

Source link

Rio 2016: Marcos Baghdatis opts out of Olympics with elbow injury

  • Posted: Jul 29, 2016

World number 42 Marcos Baghdatis has pulled out of the Olympic Games in Rio with a left elbow injury.

The Cypriot, 31, reached the third round at London 2012 and was due to appear in his third Games in Rio.

In a statement on Facebook, the 2006 Australian Open finalist said he still had “niggling” pain in his elbow.

“Unless I am 100% fit and healthy to compete, I shall not participate at the Olympics because I would be doing injustice to my country,” he said.

Baghdatis will now continue with rehabilitation in time for the US Open, which begins on 29 August.

Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonic and world number eight Tomas Berdych have also opted out of the Olympics.

Source link

Djokovic Discusses Tricky Stepanek Match

  • Posted: Jul 29, 2016

Djokovic Discusses Tricky Stepanek Match

Source link

Rogers Cup: Johanna Konta beats Varvara Lepchenko to reach quarter-finals

  • Posted: Jul 29, 2016

British number one Johanna Konta reached the Rogers Cup quarter-finals with a 6-3 6-2 win over American Varvara Lepchenko in Montreal.

The world number 14, who claimed her first WTA Tour title in California on Sunday, won in 67 minutes.

Konta, 25, will face Kristina Kucova, 26, for a place in the semi-finals, after the Slovak beat Montreal-born Eugenie Bouchard 3-6 6-4 6-3.

World number six Venus Williams lost to fellow American Madison Keys.

Williams, 36, who was beaten by Konta in the final of the Stanford Classic at the weekend, went down 6-1 6-7 (2-7) 6-3.

Djokovic and Raonic progress

World number one Novak Djokovic eased into the quarter-finals after a 6-2 6-4 win over Czech qualifier Radek Stepanek as the top five men’s seeds progressed.

Serb Djokovic will now face world number eight Tomas Berdych.

Milos Raonic, this year’s beaten Wimbledon finalist, was also untroubled in the third round with a comfortable 6-2 6-3 win over 19-year-old American Jared Donaldson.

World number 14 Gael Monfils is the Canadian’s quarter-final opponent after the Frenchman edged out Belgian David Goffin 7-6 (7-5) 2-6 6-4.

Source link

Stepanek Stays Alive To Produce Toronto Hot Shot 2016

  • Posted: Jul 29, 2016

Stepanek Stays Alive To Produce Toronto Hot Shot 2016

Source link

Djokovic Raonic Nishikori Wawrinka Win In Toronto 2016 Thursday

  • Posted: Jul 29, 2016

Djokovic Raonic Nishikori Wawrinka Win In Toronto 2016 Thursday

Source link

Raonic Talks Body Serves

  • Posted: Jul 29, 2016

Raonic Talks Body Serves

Source link

Djokovic Sets Berdych Clash

  • Posted: Jul 29, 2016

Djokovic Sets Berdych Clash

World No. 1 lands 12th victory from 13 meetings with Czech veteran

Top seed Novak Djokovic survived a second-set scare to hold off inspired veteran Radek Stepanek in the Rogers Cup third round on Thursday night. The three-time champion denied the 37-year-old Czech, the oldest man in the draw, 6-2, 6-4 to book a quarter-final showdown with Stepanek’s countryman and doubles partner, Tomas Berdych.

Djokovic claimed 79 per cent of first-serve points in the one-hour, 28-minute display breaking twice to take the opening set before a scrambling Stepanek produced the shot of the match to bring up a break point in the opening game of the second.

Seemingly out of the point, the Czech, who had come through qualifying to reach the third round, skidded wide to scoop a backhand crosscourt before angling a forehand pass on the run out of reach of the Serbian. Working the Toronto crowd into a frenzy, he broke and held for 2-0 before the world No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings managed to level.

You May Also Like: Raonic Sounds Warning In Toronto

Djokovic sealed the result with a fourth break of serve to extend his FedEx ATP Head2Head record against Stepanek to 12-1. He will carry en equally imposing 24-2 record into his quarter-final clash with fifth-seeded Berdych, who earlier outlasted American qualifier Ryan Harrison 6-4, 6-7(2), 6-4.

It marks Berdych’s fourth trip to the Rogers Cup quarter-finals, though he has yet to reach the semi-finals. The closest he came was a third-set tie-break defeat to Roger Federer in the 2010 quarter-finals. He also reached the last eight in 2006 and 2011.

The Czech gave himself another chance to break through with the win over Harrison, a player who produced some of his best tennis in years this week to reach the third round, including a three-set win over ninth seed John Isner in the second round.

Watch live tennis at tennistv.com

Berdych broke the 24 year old at 5-4 in the first set and had a match point on Harrison’s serve at 6-5 in the second set. But the World No. 144 erased it and dominated the tie-break to force a third set. At 1-all, Berdych broke Harrison and later erased the lone break point he’d face to move into the last eight.

Talk About Angles: Watch Harrison Hot Shot

The 30 year old won 88 per cent of his first-serve points (51/55) and recorded 19 aces. Harrison won consecutive matches on the ATP World Tour for the second week in a row. He also qualified and reached the third round in Washington before falling to semi-finalist Steve Johnson.

Vote for the Golden Moment

Source link

Raonic Delivers Showtime Hot Shot In Toronto 2016

  • Posted: Jul 29, 2016

Raonic Delivers Showtime Hot Shot In Toronto 2016

Source link

Former Champ Lopez Returns To Segovia Challenger

  • Posted: Jul 29, 2016

Former Champ Lopez Returns To Segovia Challenger

Spaniard hits with rising star Santillan

Less than a week after clinching his fifth ATP World Tour title on the clay of Gstaad, World No. 18 Feliciano Lopez was back on home soil, paying a visit to the ATP Challenger Tour event in Segovia.

The 2009 champion in Segovia, Lopez returned to the site of his first Challenger title on Thursday. The nearby Toledo native hit the hard courts to practise with coach José Clavet and Japanese teenager Akira Santillan. Santillan, 19, is into the quarter-finals in just his second ATP Challenger Tour main draw. 

Lopez hit with Santillan for an hour, in preparation for the North American hard-court swing.

“He is a young player that I had heard about for many years. It’s the first time that we played, but I can see clearly that he has great talent and a lot of promise,” said Lopez. “He is young, but has a lot of variety in his game and a good serve. To play tennis these days, that’s important.”

Santillan relished the experience of hitting with a player inside the Top 20 of the Emirates ATP Rankings, calling it “a great practice” and “an amazing experience for me.”

Santillan will face Italy’s Luca Vanni in the Segovia quarter-finals on Friday. Lopez, meanwhile, looks to extend his strong run of form when he returns to the ATP World Tour in two weeks in Los Cabos.

Source link