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Kontinen/Peers Earn Chance To Retain Title

  • Posted: Nov 18, 2017

Kontinen/Peers Earn Chance To Retain Title

Nov182017

Second seeds to play top-seeded Kubot/Melo in Sunday’s final

There is little doubt as to who the two best doubles teams on the ATP World Tour have been this season. So it is only fitting that the top two seeds at the Nitto ATP Finals will battle for the title at the season finale. 

After a tight opening set, Henri Kontinen and John Peers used the momentum they gained from blitzing Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares in a tie-break to steamroll into their second consecutive final at The O2, defeating the fourth seeds in the semi-finals, 7-6(2), 6-2, in 78 minutes. 

The defending champions will get a crack at winning the title at The O2 once again on Sunday against top-seeded Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo, who will finish the year atop the Emirates ATP Doubles Team Rankings.

Murray and Soares did well to save four consecutive break points while down 5-6 against the second seeds in the first set, but they could not hold off the second seeds forever. Kontinen and Peers dominated the ensuing tie-break, striking two stunning returns at 3/2 and 4/2 to take control. They won the final six points of the opener and broke immediately in the second set before pulling away.

Kontinen and Peers simply proved too powerful, hitting through their opponents’ rock-solid defences at net, and never faltering on serve. The Finnish-Australian duo dropped just three points on their first serve in the match, and only faced one break point, which they saved. While Murray and Soares made an effort to bring energy to their net play, the Scottish-Brazilian team was never able to get into return points because of the second seeds’ huge serving. And when they did manage to put balls in play, volleys were quickly swatted away. 

The final will be the fifth FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting between Kontinen/Peers and Melo/Kubot this season, with Kontinen and Peers leading 3-1. They earned all three of their victories in straight sets, and suffered their only loss 9-7 in the fifth set of the Wimbledon semi-finals.

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ATP Finals: Jamie Murray & Bruno Soares lose to Henri Kontinen and John Peers

  • Posted: Nov 18, 2017

Briton Jamie Murray and Brazil’s Bruno Soares missed out on a place in the final as they went down in two sets to Henri Kontinen and John Peers at the ATP Finals in London.

Defending champions Kontinen and Peers edged a tight first set in the tie-break and came through 7-6 (7-2) 6-2.

The Finnish-Australian pair will face top seeds Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo in the final.

Kubot and Melo beat Ryan Harrison and Michael Venus 6-1 6-4.

  • Latest scores and results
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  • ATP Finals – BBC TV and radio coverage

Kontinen saved the only break point in the opening 11 games with a fine second serve, and Murray and Soares looked to have the momentum when they staved off four set points in a row at 6-5 down.

However, some classy returning from both Kontinen and Peers – who was Murray’s partner at the Finals two years ago – saw them break twice from 3-2 in the tie-break, and go on to clinch it.

A furious Soares slammed his racquet into the court after the pair dropped serve at the start of the second set.

Kontinen all but sealed victory with a superb backhand volley for the double break at 5-2, allowing the Finn to serve out the match after one hour and 18 minutes.

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Goffin Shocks Federer In London

  • Posted: Nov 18, 2017

Goffin Shocks Federer In London

Nov182017

Belgian becomes first to beat Federer and Nadal in same tournament since Djokovic (2013)

David Goffin was perplexed.

After he reached the Nitto ATP Finals semi-finals, the Belgian was asked what he would have to do to beat Roger Federer for the first time in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series. Goffin had been 0-6 in their head-to-head, including a 6-1, 6-2 loss in the semi-finals of the Swiss Indoors Basel last month.

“Honestly, I don’t know what to do tomorrow,” Goffin said.

The Belgian did some quick thinking. Goffin shocked Federer on Saturday, coming back from a set down to eliminate the second seed and pick up his first win against the Swiss, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Goffin, who qualified in London for the first time this week, will now play for the biggest title of his career on Sunday. The Belgian has won four ATP World Tour crowns, including an ATP World Tour 500 at the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships 2017 earlier this year.

But the 26-year-old had never reached a bigger final title match, either at an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event, a Grand Slam or the Nitto ATP Finals. On Sunday, Goffin will meet either Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov or Jack Sock of the U.S.

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“I have no words. I cannot describe,” Goffin said on court. “I’m so happy.”

Goffin hinted he might have a preference as to who he faces on the final day of the 2017 season. The seventh seed faced Dimitrov in Group Pete Sampras play, falling 6-0, 6-2.

“If you watched some matches this week you know the answer,” Goffin said, smiling.

The Belgian is 1-3 against Dimitrov in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series, but 3-0 against Sock in their head-to-head.

Regardless of Sunday’s result, though, this has already been the best week of Goffin’s career. He started his stay at The O2 by celebrating the biggest win of his career, a 7-6(5), 6-7(4), 6-4 upset against World No. 1 Rafael Nadal. Goffin then had a blip, falling to Dimitrov in only 75 minutes.

But he again summoned supreme tennis on Sunday to beat Federer. Goffin becomes the first player to beat the Top 2 players at the Nitto ATP Finals since 2009, when champion Nikolay Davydenko beat No. 2 Nadal in group play and No. 1 Federer in the semi-finals.

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Andy Murray: British number one splits with coach Ivan Lendl

  • Posted: Nov 18, 2017

British number one Andy Murray has split with coach Ivan Lendl for a second time by “mutual agreement”.

The Scot won Wimbledon, the US Open and Olympic gold during two years with Lendl from 2012 to 2014.

Murray was then coached by Amelie Mauresmo before turning back to Lendl in 2016, winning his second Wimbledon title, a second Olympic gold and becoming world number one that year.

“I’m thankful to Ivan for his help and guidance over the years,” Murray said.

“We’ve had great success and learned a lot as a team. My focus now is on getting ready for Australia with the team I have in place and getting back to competing.”

Former world number one and eight-time Grand Slam winner Lendl, 57, added: “I wish Andy well going forward. We had a great run and a lot of fun.”

Murray has been recovering from a hip injury, and his last competitive match was a Wimbledon quarter-final defeat by Sam Querrey in July.

He has since slipped to 16th in the latest world rankings, but earlier this month he played in a charity match against Roger Federer.

After losing 6-3 3-6 10-6, Murray said he “hoped” to return to competition at the Brisbane International in January.

The tournament is held two weeks before the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of 2018, which gets under way on 15 January.

Analysis

BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller

Murray and Lendl have spent very little time in each other’s company this season as injury has forced the former world number one to spend so much time on the sidelines.

But Lendl’s return – to work alongside Jamie Delgado – at The Queen’s Club in June of last year was the spark for an extraordinary run of success.

Murray won eight tournaments between June and November, including Wimbledon and the Rio Olympics, and won the last five events he entered to pip Novak Djokovic to the year-end number one position.

The partnership fizzled out first time around as Murray was returning from back surgery, and there is a clear parallel three-and-a-half-years on.

Finding a figure of Lendl’s stature to supplement the valuable work of Delgado may not be of pressing concern to Murray right now.

First and foremost he craves fitness, and the chance to be able to compete for the sport’s major prizes once again.

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