Madrid 2017
Madrid 2017
May062017
The content of this article took place at Mutua Madrid Open
The TEB BNP Paribas Istanbul Open will play host to an all-Top 10 final clash on Sunday, as World No. 6 Milos Raonic duels with World No. 8 Marin Cilic.
Raonic set their third FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting after dismissing Viktor Troicki 6-2, 6-3 in just 66 minutes. The top-seeded Canadian will appear in his first clay-court final, having not dropped serve all week in Istanbul. He is bidding for his ninth ATP World Tour title and first since lifting the trophy to open the 2016 season in Brisbane.
“I’ve come back from many injuries, so I know how to find my level,” said Raonic, who is competing in his first tournament since withdrawing from Miami in March with a hamstring injury. “It took me a few matches to find it, but I think that I’m moving more in the right direction to getting to my best level.
“Today, I had nothing to lose by being aggressive on return. I knew I would hold my serve and I haven’t lost it during the tournament, so why not try something different when returning. I found my rhythm early and kept going as the match went on.”
Raonic and Cilic split their two previous encounters, with the Canadian prevailing in Valencia 2011 and the Croatian exacting revenge in Indian Wells 2013.
Cilic overcame Diego Schwartzman’s comeback bid in Saturday’s first semi-final, battling past the defending champion 6-1, 7-6(7). The big-hitting Croatian, who celebrated his 400th tour-level match win on Friday, advanced to his first final on the ATP World Tour this year. He will seek his first clay-court crown since 2012 in Umag.
“I’m definitely very excited for the final tomorrow,” said Cilic. “It’s something I was looking forward to at the beginning of the week. I’m really happy with my tennis and hope I can continue with great tennis tomorrow.”
Cilic converted five of 12 break chances during the one-hour and 39-minute affair, but it was far from straightforward for the World No. 8. A dogged Schwartzman looked to replicate his comeback heroics from a year ago in the Istanbul final, when he battled back from a set and a break down to defeat Grigor Dimitrov. Cilic surged to a 6-1, 4-0 lead on Saturday, behind great depth and power from his forehand wing. But his Argentine opponent recovered both breaks in the second set and would draw level once again when the Croatian served for the match at 5-4.
Second seed Cilic would stay the course in the ensuing tie-break, turning aside three set points and eventually sealing the victory on his first match point when a Schwartzman backhand found the net. It was the first meeting between 6’6″ Cilic and 5’7″ Schwartzman, who falls to 0-11 against Top 10 opponents.
“It was an amazing match,” Cilic added. “The first set and a half I was playing amazing tennis, but things turned around a bit. I started hitting some unforced errors and Diego played much better. Suddenly I was down 6-5 and it definitely wasn’t easy. I found a way and that’s the most important thing in the end.”
Wild Card Duo Reach Doubles Final
The unseeded wild card team of Tuna Altuna and Alessandro Motti will look to cap a dream week in Istanbul after reaching the final on Saturday. The Turkish-Italian pair defeated Antonio Sancic and Adil Shamasdin 3-6, 6-1, 10-5 and will face Jiri Vesely and Roman Jebavy for the title. Altuna, No. 311 in the Emirates ATP Doubles Rankings, and No. 148 Motti are teaming up for the first time this week.
Muller defeats Anderson in second semi-final
Top seed Pablo Carreno Busta continued his outstanding form on Saturday at the Millennium Estoril Open, storming into the final with a 6-3, 6-3 win over fourth seed and fellow Spaniard David Ferrer.
Carreno Busta picks up his 21st win in 2017 and is through to the final in Estoril for the second straight year, having finished runner-up last year to Nicolas Almagro. The World No. 21 in the Emirates ATP Rankings is into his second ATP World Tour final of the season after also recording a runner-up finish in Rio de Janeiro (l. Thiem).
He will play third seed Gilles Muller in Sunday’s championship after the Luxembourg native defeated Kevin Anderson 7-5, 6-4 to reach his first ATP World Tour clay-court final. The 33 year old is enjoying his best year on tour, winning his first title this January in Sydney and reaching a career-high Emirates ATP Ranking of No. 27 the following month.
Carreno Busta and Muller are even in their FedEx ATP Head2Head at 1-1, but the Spaniard won their most recent match in the 2015 Estoril quarter-finals.
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The semi-final showdown between Carreno Busta and Ferrer opened with lengthy rallies fitting for clay-court tennis. Ferrer handed the top seed a break of serve at 2-3 in the first set with two double faults and a backhand error. Carreno Busta struggled trying to close out the set at 5-3, with four set points flying by after a pair of forehand errors from Carreno Busta and pair of forehand winners from Ferrer. But Carreno Busta made good on his fifth chance after Ferrer sent a backhand long.
Former World No. 3 Ferrer found himself playing catch-up from the start of the second set, saving three break points for a hold in his opening service game. Carreno Busta came through with a break of serve at 2-2 and hit a backhand volley winner on his first match point to close out the contest in one hour and 21 minutes.
Carreno Busta evens his FedEx ATP Head2Head with Ferrer at 1-1.
The end of the opening set between Muller and Anderson was filled with twists and turns. Anderson saved five break points on his serve at 4-4, but Muller erased three set points serving at 4-5 with a strong first serve, forehand winner and an ace. The third seed converted on the lone break point of the match at 5-5 with a backhand error from Anderson and then comfortably held serve to take the early lead.
Muller started the second set with a break of serve after an Anderson backhand found the net. The slight advantage was all Muller needed as he continued to easily hold serve to prevail in one hour and 38 minutes. He now leads his FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry with Anderson 3-2.
DOUBLES
Ryan Harrison and Michael Venus are through to the final after saving three match points to defeat Ariel Behar and Aliaksandr Bury 4-6, 7-6(7), 10-3. Behar/Bury squandered a match point trying to serve out the semi-final at 5-4 in the second set, and Harrison/Venus rallied from 4/6 in the second-set tie-break before ultimately prevailing in one hour and 40 minutes.
Harrison/Venus will play Spaniards David Marrero and Tommy Robredo in the championship match.
#NextGenATP German Alexander Zverev will go for his first title on home soil after beating second seed Roberto Bautista Agut 7-5, 7-5 on Saturday in the semi-finals of the BMW Open by FWU in Munich.
Zverev will be playing in his fifth career ATP World Tour final and his second of the season. The 6’6” right-hander will try to claim the third title of his young career, after winning his maiden crown last September at the St. Petersburg Open (d. Wawrinka) and claiming the Montpellier title earlier this year in February (d. Gasquet).
“Obviously Roberto is a very tough opponent on any surface, but especially on clay. So I’m very happy to get through that one and I’m very happy with how I played,” Zverev said.
Zverev, in his only other final in Germany, fell to countryman Florian Mayer in Halle last year. “Winning in Germany would be something amazing, something that I’ve dreamed about. But it’s going to be a very tough match and I’ve got to stay focused,” Zverev said.
The Hamburg native will face Argentine Guido Pella, who outlasted #NextGenATP Korean Hyeon Chung 4-6, 7-5, 6-4. Pella will be playing in his second ATP World Tour final. He fell in the Rio de Janeiro title match in February 2016 to Pablo Cuevas.
The 26-year-old Pella has now won six consecutive matches, including qualifying, and is trying to become the first qualifier to win the Munich title since Martin Klizan in 2014.
“I hope tomorrow I will keep playing good and try to do my best to win the match,” Pella said. “I think it will be the toughest match of the tournament because it’s a final. I play against a great player. He has a lot of experience in finals. He’s won two other ATP World Tour titles. I expect him to play really good.”
Chung advanced to the semi-final earlier on Saturday, winning all three games against Klizan when their quarter-final match resumed. Their contest was suspended due to darkness on Friday with Chung leading 6-4, 3-6, 3-2.
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Zverev had been 0-2 against Bautista Agut during their FedEx ATP Head2Head series. But the right-hander broke at 5-5 in the first set and clinched the opener when Bautista Agut couldn’t handle a heavy forehand approach. Zverev attacked the net often against the Spaniard, attempting to apply pressure against the two-time Munich semi-finalist.
Zverev stayed aggressive as well, breaking to love to start the second set. From down 4-5 in the first set, Zverev won five consecutive games to go up a set and a break at 2-0 in the second set.
Bautista Agut would respond, though, breaking Zverev in an 11-point game to get back on serve at 2-2. But in the big moments, Zverev was too clutch. He broke again at 5-5 and ended the match with his ninth ace.
Saturday’s win will only improve Zverev’s place in the Emirates ATP Race To Milan, which will determine seven of the eight 21-and-under players who compete at the inaugural Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan. The eighth player will be determined by a wild card. Zverev currently leads the Race with 700 points.
Ilie Nastase has been banned from the French Open after his behaviour at the Fed Cup, organisers have announced.
Romania’s Fed Cup captain is currently under investigation for comments he made about Serena Williams’ unborn child. Williams accused Nastase of racism after he was heard asking if the child would be “chocolate with milk”.
He also insulted British player Johanna Konta and captain Anne Keothavong.
Nastase was told on Wednesday he would not be welcome at Wimbledon.
The 70-year-old former world number one won the French Open in 1973.
A statement on the official Roland Garros Twitter account said that “following his suspension by the ITF, Mr Ilie Nastase won’t be accredited” for this year’s tournament.
At a news conference on Wednesday, All England Club chairman Philip Brook confirmed Nastase, who reached the Wimbledon final in 1972 and 1976, would not be present.
“His actions were not very good and we condemn them. In terms of an invitation to the Royal Box, he is not going to receive an invitation this year,” Brook said.
The International Tennis Federation is investigating Nastase’s remarks during April’s Fed Cup match, when he also directed an angry outburst towards Konta that left the British number one in tears.
In an interview with the BBC later in April, the Romanian defended his remarks about world number one Williams.
And following the announcement that his invitation to the Royal Box at Wimbledon this year would be blocked, Nastase accused organisers of treating Romanians like “morons”.
Spaniard aims for fifth Madrid title
Rafael Nadal has looked untouchable this clay-court season, but he could face arguably his toughest test yet early at the Mutua Madrid Open. The 29-time ATP World Tour Masters 1000 champion is seeded to meet Australian shotmaker Nick Kyrgios in the third round.
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Kyrgios, the 16th seed in Madrid, will return to action next week after withdrawing from Estoril following the passing of his grandfather. A semi-finalist in Miami in his most recent Masters 1000 outing, Kyrgios will first need to come through an opening-round match against veteran Marcos Baghdatis and a potential second-round battle over fellow Aussie Bernard Tomic. Meanwhile, third seed Nadal could have a tricky opening match against the winner of Portugal’s Joao Sousa and Italian Fabio Fognini. Although Nadal leads their FedEx ATP Head2Head 8-3, Fognini thrives on clay and has beaten Nadal twice on this surface.
Nadal and Kyrgios are even in their FedEx ATP Head2Head at 1-1, but both matches were lengthy tussles. The Spaniard prevailed in a deciding set in their lone meeting on clay last year in Rome.
Top seed and last year’s Madrid runner-up Andy Murray will open his campaign against a wild card in Guillermo Garcia-Lopez or Marius Copil. He finds himself in a tricky quarter of the draw that could include a third round with flashy 13th seed Lucas Pouille and quarter-final showdown with eighth seed Dominic Thiem or 12th seed Grigor Dimitrov. Thiem upset Murray last week in the semi-finals of the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell for his first victory over a World No. 1.
Second seed and defending champion Novak Djokovic will also need to be on from the start when he begins his title defence against a clay-court expert in Tommy Robredo or Nicolas Almagro. Looming ahead is a potential third-round match with 15th seed Gael Monfils and quarter-final battle with sixth seed Kei Nishikori, who makes his debut this spring after pulling out of Barcelona with a right wrist injury.
Third seed Stan Wawrinka appears to have reversed his fortune at ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events after a string of early exits last year, reaching the final at the BNP Paribas Open (l. Federer). The former Roland Garros and Monte-Carlo champion will start the week with a stern test against Benoit Paire or Pablo Carreno Busta. An in-form Jack Sock, the 14th seed, could await him in the third round. Wawrinka’s matches won’t get any easier with a possible quarter-final against seventh seed Marin Cilic.
Other intriguing first-round matches in Madrid include ninth seed David Goffin squaring off with #NextGenATP Russian Karen Khachanov, an all-French battle pitting Monfils against Gilles Simon and #NextGenATP German Alexander Zverev facing home favourite Fernando Verdasco.