A LOOK BACK
Internazionali di Tennis Manerbio (Manerbio, Italy): Argentina’s Leonardo Mayer has fallen on hard times since soaring to a career-high World No. 21 in the Emirates ATP Rankings last June, having dropped out of the Top 100 just last month. But the 29 year old is well on his way to rediscovering his top form after surging to the ATP Challenger Tour title in Manerbio on Sunday. Fifth seed Mayer claimed his ninth Challenger crown 7-6(3), 7-5 over Serbia’s Filip Krajinovic in one hour and 33 minutes. He had earned his spot in the final with a pair of comeback victories over top seed Gerald Melzer in the quarters and Matteo Donati in the semis. Argentina has now accounted for 10 titlists this year, which leads the ATP Challenger Tour. Mayer joins Facundo Bagnis (3 titles), Guido Andreozzi (2), Horacio Zeballos (2), Nicolas Kicker (1) and Carlos Berlocq (1).

A LOOK AHEAD
August concludes with three tournaments in three continents. Joao Souza leads the field at the inaugural event in Curitiba, Brazil, where recent 400 match winner Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo is seeded third. Gonzalo Lama, who is coached by former World No. 5 Fernando Gonzalez, is seeded fourth. Meanwhile, the fourth Challenger event this year in Bangkok features 18-time Challenger winner Go Soeda as the top seed and #NextGen star Duckhee Lee seeded third, while World No. 88 Gerald Melzer leads the pack in Como, Italy. Leonardo Mayer will look to go back-to-back on Italian soil, while #NextGen stars Andrey Rublev and Elias Ymer seek their second titles of the year.

View Draws & Watch Free Live Streams

ATP CHALLENGER TOUR ON TWITTER: New in 2016, the ATP Challenger Tour has launched a dedicated Twitter account for the latest news and information about players and events. Follow @ATPChallengerTour at twitter.com/ATPChallengerTour.

September 7, 2014… A day that remains etched in Marin Cilic’s memory. It was an unforgettable experience, but he couldn’t tell you how it happened. It’s all a blur.

A ruthless straight-sets stunner of second seed and five-time champion Roger Federer sent the towering Croatian into the US Open final. Cilic would show no mercy in relentlessly exhibiting a tour de force of thunderous serves and calamitous forehands that left the Swiss reeling. Attacking the lines with a devastating combination of precision and power, there wasn’t a shot he could not make.

Forty-three winners sent him into his first Grand Slam final, where he would lift the trophy two days later with another resounding victory over Kei Nishikori. Now two years later, Cilic is back in New York and ready to take the tennis world by storm once again.

“Coming back here to the US Open is very special,” Cilic told ATPWorldTour.com. “For me, it’s definitely the best place on Earth. I have a special connection with the tournament. I feel great in the city, I feel well on the courts and the atmosphere always motivates me. Arthur Ashe Stadium is an amazing place and now with the roof it will be even more fun.”

Cilic enters Flushing Meadows playing some of the best tennis of his career. Less than a month after establishing a new partnership with Jonas Bjorkman, the Croatian turned back the clock with the same ruthless, aggressive display that led to his US Open triumph, battling to his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati. Wins over former Top 10 players Fernando Verdasco and Grigor Dimitrov and current Top 10 stalwarts Andy Murray and Tomas Berdych, have sent the 27-year-old’s confidence soaring.

First session together with @cilic_marin and his team under the lights last night@usopen ????#usopen2016 #teamcilic pic.twitter.com/kmaGYm1DFP

— Jonas Bjorkman (@BjorkmanTennis) August 24, 2016

In beating Murray and Berdych, Cilic notched multiple victories over Top 10 opponents in a single tournament for the first time since his title run in the Big Apple. The nostalgia is real and with Bjorkman’s guidance, the fire is burning as bright as ever.

“I played the best tennis of my career here and especially playing such great tennis in Cincinnati it shows me I’m in good form. Coming back to a place with such great memories gives me great feelings. I can’t be happier and with the whole atmosphere of the tournament and I can’t wait to start.

“My confidence is definitely high. Winning a big title like Cincinnati means a lot. For me, being in the semis of a Masters 1000 for the first time and then winning it just shows me that I’m at a good point with my tennis. I have to focus on myself and try to push myself to play tennis day in and day out like that. Hopefully the results will follow.”

If Cilic’s first week with Bjorkman is any reflection on his current form, the 27 year old will be a force to be reckoned with on the hard courts of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The Swede is confident it will be a fruitful alliance.

“Marin called me four weeks ago and asked if I was interested in joining his team,” said Bjorkman, former World No. 4 in singles and No. 1 in doubles. “It helps when the player himself calls and talks about what you can help out with. We had a great conversation. I know Marin very well from back when he was a youngster coming to Monaco and practising with us when we had our practice camps there. We’ve known each other for a long time and that makes it easier for me to make a quick decision and come in straight away.”

“We started to work just 10 days ago and already we had such a great success in Cincinnati,” added Cilic. “He was not there, but we were having constant conversations. It’s great that we’re partnering here. I believe that he can bring a lot for my tennis. He has a lot of knowledge and has been a presence at the top of the game for many years. I’m looking forward to our work together.”

Also a semi-finalist last year, Cilic has won 12 of his last 13 matches in New York. Bjorkman believes that with more confidence in moving forward and attacking the net, to complement his highly imposing baseline game, the Top 5 of the Emirates ATP Rankings is well within his grasp. Consistency will take him to the top.

“What you see now in the men’s game, everyone is so good from the baseline,” Bjorkman continued. “It takes a lot of energy and you see guys trying to come in to the net more. He wants to be more comfortable covering the court after the approach shot and be more confident with his volleys. Hopefully I can bring in a little bit of my experience with that. He has huge potential. There’s no doubt about that. We’ve seen it as a past champion here in New York two years ago. He needs more consistency, but there’s no doubt he can be a solid player between four and eight [in the Emirates ATP Rankings] right now.

“New York is a place where he likes to play his best tennis. The courts suit him well and once you have won the tournament at a place you always have good memories coming back. You can see that after last year as well, making another strong performance to the semis. I definitely think he’ll be ready to go far this year.”

It’s amazing how just one point can put a player in a big hole.

You need four points to win a game, but the first one greatly impacts the landscape for everything that follows. When returning, winning the first point of your opponent’s service game puts you in the conversation to breaking. Losing it makes it a lot tougher to break than we ever thought.

At the 2015 US Open, returners averaged breaking serve 21 per cent (924/4326) of the time. An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis pinpoints the substantial percentage swings for returners when they win or lose the opening point of the game.

The following analysis takes a cross section of the current Emirates ATP Top 100 rankings from the 2016 season, providing a broad statistical analysis. One player from each 10 ranking spots is included, highlighting the diversity of playing styles and win percentages throughout the Top 100.

Percentage Chance Of Breaking Serve By Point Score

The Top 100 cross section includes players known for their serving prowess as well as solid returners. On average, winning the first point of the game substantially increased the chance of winning the game from 23 per cent to 38 per cent.

Losing the opening point – just one point – dropped the average breaking serve percentage from 23 per cent to 14 per cent. That effectively means the returner went from around a one-in-four chance of breaking to a one-in-seven chance.

So what should the returner’s strategy be at love-all to improve their chance of winning the opening point? Here’s five things to consider.

1. Make The Return.

It seems obvious, but consider that 32% of all serves were unreturned at the 2015 US Open. Getting the serve back in play is an absolute must to start the game.

2. Target = Middle.

Take the singles sidelines out of the equation. Aim right at the server and make him have to move sideways to get out of the way of the return.

3. Depth Matters

Even if the return is slower, it helps immensely if it is hit deep in the court to neutralize the serve. Make it land closer to the baseline than the service line.

4. Blocking Energy

The return is a different animal than a groundstroke. Bigger backswings need to be abbreviated. Use the server’s power back against him. Shorter swings equal cleaner contact.

5. Feet First

Attack with the feet first and the racquet second. Step, split step, adjust, and lean on the ball. Good balance comes from small steps to get the right spacing.

Having a good game plan and an understanding of the math involved goes a long way to breaking serve and climbing the rankings at all levels of the game.

Healthy and ready to go, Juan Martin del Potro is back at the US Open, the first Grand Slam that he won seven years ago. The Argentine, who received a wild card from the USTA to play in the main draw, says he feels comfortable in his return to the Flushing Meadows.

“I am in a very happy place now,” said the Argentine to ATPWorldTour.com in New York. “Every hallway that I walk through gives me great feelings and I am honoured to be here. This tournament is very special and after all my injury problems, it is very emotional and enjoyable to be back.”

Del Potro, who endured four wrist surgeries and this year made the decision to return little by little to the ATP World Tour, made his comeback debut in Delray Beach. Now, after many months of readjusting to the level of competition, Del Potro is back in the US Open. It is one of the most special tournaments in all of his career.

“It’s amazing to be back in New York,” reflected Del Potro, who defeated Roger Federer in the final in 2009 to celebrate his first Grand Slam title. “Winning here made me feel like a true champion. There is something very special about being the winner of a tournament like this. It’s a prize that is indescribable.

“To be as close as I was to never playing again and now returning to re-live these things is something spectacular,” he insisted. “Maybe I enjoy it a lot more now because I know what it cost me to be here. With every corner I see, every place where I am, I remember the things that I did in 2009; where I prepared, the place where I celebrated, also the people that made me feel so great. I am very happy.”

The Argentine, No. 142 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, will open against a countryman in Flushing Meadows and he knows that easy opponents don’t exist in a tournament like this.

“I have to play against another Argentine,” said Del Potro, who will square off against Diego Schwartzman in the first round of the last Grand Slam of the season. “Obviously, in a tournament as big as this, there is no easy opponent even in the early rounds. To return to play another tournament after all that I experienced at the Olympics in Rio is not easy. I was very emotional. But I am in a place where I have incredible memories.

“Here, all the matches are long and the heat is also an important factor,” the Tandil native remembers. “I will enjoy the opportunity to place another match at the US Open, which is very special for me. If I advance and it goes well, it will be great, but if I don’t, then it won’t be terrible. My big objective for the season is to return to the tour without pain in my wrist, and to be able to hit the ball with strength on my backhand side by the end of the year.

“I am on the right track and close to achieving this. I feel strong and focused mentally. This is a Del Potro who will return to smile on the court, enjoying everything that goes with being a tennis player.”