Moldovan Radu Albot grit his teeth on Tuesday to knock out 2013 champion Mikhail Youzhny at the J. Safra Sarasin Swiss Open Gstaad. Albot came within two points of losing at 6/6 in the second set tie-break against the former World No. 8, but held his nerve to win 4-6, 7-6(6), 7-5 in two hours and 52 minutes for a second-round clash against top seed and 2015 finalist David Goffin.

Elsewhere, eighth-seeded Portuguese Joao Sousa lost just one of his first service points (23/24) to defeat Santiago Giraldo of Colombia 6-3, 6-3 and will next challenge 2009 and 2012 titlist Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil or Swiss Henri Laaksonen.

Two days on from reaching his eighth ATP World Tour final (3-8 record) at the SkiStar Swedish Open, Alexandr Dolgopolov ran out of gas. Brazilian Thiago Monteiro struck 14 aces and saved seven of nine break points in a 7-6(5), 3-6, 6-3 win over two hours and 52 minutes.

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The ATP and ATP Media, the broadcast arm of the ATP World Tour, today jointly announce the launch of their own digital radio channel, ATP Tennis Radio – a live, free-to-air audio platform for tennis fans to enjoy worldwide. The bespoke, 24/7 digital radio offering is hosted by Gigi Salmon, joined by a team of some of the most globally acclaimed tennis commentators and experts.

Having successfully soft-launched at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters earlier this year, ATP Tennis Radio will feature live coverage and bespoke radio commentary from the upcoming Coupe Rogers in Montreal. It will also broadcast all the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournaments, the Next Gen ATP Finals and the Nitto ATP Finals, as well as the singles finals from the ATP World Tour 500 tournaments (including the upcoming German Tennis Championships and the Citi Open in Washington D.C.).

Learn More About ATP Tennis Radio

Available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year; ATP Tennis Radio is easily accessible through TuneIn Radio’s website, mobile and car apps, ATPWorldTour.com and individual tournament websites as well as 200 connected devices such as Sonos, Amazon Echo and Google Home. ATP Tennis Radio’s digital availability on an array of devices means it is available to listeners wherever they may be – on the move via a mobile phone, in the car or at home.

ATP Tennis Radio provides listeners with an all-encompassing audio experience that includes on-site reporting, player interviews, special features, highlights and regular news bulletins. A weekly Monday podcast featuring exclusive interviews, features and the best of the week’s action is available to stream or download from the iTunes store, Apple podcast app and the TuneIn Radio website and mobile apps (available on IOS and Android devices).

With ATP Media’s television coverage of the ATP World Tour being consumed by 195 territories worldwide, ATP Tennis Radio enables the ATP World Tour to become even more accessible than ever before.

As the reach of digital radio is reportedly increasing globally by 16 per cent year on year and with the US experiencing 170 million online audio listeners every week, ATP Media’s newest digital offering is expected to significantly build on the 1 billion annual global audience the ATP World Tour currently receives.

Stuart Watts, ATP Media Chief Operating Officer, commented: “The launch of ATP Tennis Radio is another major step in making the ATP World Tour the most innovative sports broadcast offering in the world. With live radio making up 74 per cent of all audio consumption now is the perfect time to introduce this new digital audio offering to our broadcast operation, ensuring it is available on the latest and most popular mobile and connected devices. Not only will ATP Tennis Radio make the ATP World Tour even more accessible for our current audiences, but it will allow us to promote the ATP World Tour through a completely new broadcast medium and further broaden its appeal across new, younger audiences.”

Russia’s Andrey Kuznetsov capitalised on Pablo Cuevas’ lack of match practice over the past six weeks to knock out last year’s runner-up on Tuesday at the German Tennis Championships 2017.

Kuznetsov, who advanced to last week’s SkiStar Swedish Open semi-finals (l. to Dolgopolov), fought all the way to beat the second-seeded Uruguayan 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 in two hours and four minutes for a place in the second round against Florian Mayer of Germany. Cuevas, who struck 10 aces, has recently overcome a right knee injury.

“I knew it wasn’t going to be an easy match against Pablo, a very good player on clay courts,” said Kuznetsov. “I’m very happy that I didn’t give up, because after the first set I was a little unlucky. I continued to fight and I’m happy about the way I played. I knew I had to be aggressive as his serve is very good. I waited for my chances, especially in the third set until 5-4, when he hit three or four second serves.”

Third seed and #NextGenATP Karen Khachanov, the leading Russian at No. 32 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, recorded his 20th match win of the year on his Hamburg debut with a 6-4, 6-3 win over German qualifier Rudolf Molleker in 70 minutes. He will next play Aljaz Bedene or lucky loser Jose Hernandez-Fernandez, who replaced Rogerio Dutra Silva, who pulled out with a right leg injury.

Wild card Tommy Haas, appearing at his hometown tournament for the first time since 2013 and 20 years since he made his debut, fell to Argentinean Nicolas Kicker 7-5, 6-2 in 86 minutes. Haas, 39, lost in the 2012 final to Juan Monaco, who retired in May this year. Kicker now faces fifth seed Benoit Paire.

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Mervyn Rose, one of the leading players produced by Australia in the 1950s, who would later coach numerous players including WTA greats Billie Jean King, Margaret Court and Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, passed away on Sunday aged 87.

Fred Perry, a winner of eight Grand Slam singles titles, once commented that the Australian left-hander “possessed the most rhythmic game in tennis.” With profound tactical nous, Rose was also able to execute delicate and decisive volleys to become one of Australia’s leading lights, although a weak backhand meant that he was overshadowed by youngsters Lew Hoad and Ken Rosewall in an era of Harry Hopman’s great champions.

“Rosie”, who made his Grand Slam championship debut in 1949, was often at odds with Australian Lawn Tennis Association officials for his unorthodox, irreverent and rebellious ways. He ranked in the Top 10 between 1951 and 1958, when he reached a career-high world ranking of No. 3, according to the ‘dean’, Lance Tingay, the tennis correspondent of London’s Daily Telegraph. Overall, Rose won seven Grand Slam championship singles, doubles and mixed doubles trophies.

At the age of 24, he won his first major singles title at the 1954 Australian Championships, avenging his 1953 final loss to Rosewall in the semi-finals en route to beating his long-time doubles partner Rex Hartwig 6-2, 0-6, 6-4, 6-2. After a two-year hiatus travelling on the European tour he returned in 1957 and picked up his second major trophy a year later, surprising on his least favourite surface, with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Chile’s Luis Ayala at Roland Garros. He was a three-time Wimbledon semi-finalist (1952-53, ’58) and made US Championship last four in 1952.

Rose also won the singles championships of Canada (1953), Germany (1957) and Italy (1958), the latter being a 5-7, 8-6, 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 victory [at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome] over Iocal hero Nicola Pietrangeli, which he cited as his best performance. “Of all the Grand Slams and tournaments I have won in my career, nothing stands out more than the 1958 Italian Open,” Rose told his local newspaper, The Coffs Coast Advocate, in 2012. “I outplayed him all match and the crowd didn’t like to see their champion defeated, so they pelted bottles and cans at me. I was in such a hurry to get off the court, I never got my hands on the trophy.”

As a doubles player, Rose reached 11 major finals, winning the 1952 US Championships with American Vic Seixas and three titles with Hartwig at the 1953 US and 1954 Australian Championships and 1954 Wimbledon. His lone mixed doubles crown, from five finals, came with American Darlene Hard at 1957 Wimbledon.

Rose, who turned professional in 1959, thus ending his major championship playing days until the advent of the Open Era in April 1968, first coached future WTA founder and 20-year-old King in 1964. Together, they shortened all of King’s strokes, which initially affected the American’s timing.

“Every day he would help me,” remembers King, who would win her first major singles title at 1966 Wimbledon and collect 39 singles, doubles and mixed doubles trophies overall. “He would change my serve, my forehand. He changed my game, my tactics. I can’t tell you how he changed my life. He taught me how to be No. 1.”

Rose, who retired as a player in 1972, would also coach professionals Court, Sanchez-Vicario – who was curious about how a serve-volleyer could win at Roland Garros – Ernie Ewert, Michael Fancutt, Richard Fromberg, Eleni Daniilidou, Nadia Petrova, Magdalena Grzybowska and Caroline Schneider.

“My secret was that I had learnt skills from the best players in the world while I was a player and I would just show my students exactly what I had been taught,” Rose admitted.

Rose, who was renowned for his great wit, enjoyed playing cards, poker and golf off the court during his playing days. Born in the coastal town of Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, he maintained a residence there all his life and continued to mentor young players.

The Australian played Davis Cup between 1950-54 and 1957, and was part of the championship victories over the United States in 1951 and 1957. In 2000, he was awarded the Australian Sports Medal, was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2001 – with his former pupil King present – and the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame one year later. In 2006, Rose was awarded the Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for his service to tennis as a player, and as a coach and mentor to both amateur and professional players.

Mervyn Gordon Rose, AM, tennis player and coach, born 23 January 1930, died 23 July 2017.