Tennis News

From Pressure To Perfection: Inside The Mind Of Borna Coric

Borna Coric returns to the St. Petersburg Open with fond memories. The Croatian has made the trip to the historic Russian city for the third time in four years and enjoyed the best result of his 2019 season at this event.

Last season, Coric entered the tournament searching for form after a disappointing run of results in North America. But the 6’2” right-hander battled his way into form, playing three consecutive deciding sets en route to his first final in almost a year (l. to Medvedev). Returning as the seventh seed in 2020, Coric is excited to return to one of his favourite stops on the ATP Tour.

“It was very, very nice last year. I enjoyed it… Last year was the best [I have played here], by far,” said Coric. “It is not so much fun to remember the final, but apart from that it was super nice.

“I’m honestly really happy to be back here, I always have a very nice time here. Unfortunately, this year we cannot go out. It is a very, very nice city, one of my favourite cities. That is a bit sad, but at the same time I am just happy that I can play some tennis.”

In contrast to last season, Coric enjoyed a breakthrough run in the United States this year. The two-time ATP Tour titlist advanced to his first Grand Slam quarter-final at the US Open. All the hard work he put in during the ATP Tour suspension paid dividends and that run has given him added confidence ahead of the remaining hard-court events in 2020.

“In the lockdown, I was training really hard. I didn’t take much [time] off. In the whole five months, I had maybe two weeks off altogether. I was hoping that I could play some good tennis [at the US Open].

“I was a little bit lucky in some of the matches but, at the same time, I was very fit. I managed to play two matches of [around] four-and-a-half hours and that is very, very important for me. I stayed healthy and I was just very, very happy with the way I played.”

One of the most important components in Coric’s New York run was his ability to handle high-pressure situations. After a hard-fought five-set victory against Juan Ignacio Londero in the second round, Coric saved six match points to eliminate Stefanos Tsitsipas in a memorable five-set battle. 

“I don’t remember [playing a perfect match]. I am always not happy with something. I don’t recall a perfect tennis match of mine,” said Coric. “Maybe against Tsitsipas at the US Open was one of my best ones for sure, especially the way it played out. If there was close to a perfect match, I would say it was against Tsitsipas.”

Coric’s relationship with pressure has continually evolved. The 23-year-old put himself under added pressure to perform as he made his first steps on the ATP Tour but, with greater experience and additional confidence, Coric now has a much better understanding of how to deal with expectations.

“When I was younger, I did put much more pressure [on myself] than right now,” said Coric. “I am a little bit more experienced and self-confident than when I was younger, when I just came on the Tour.

“I do put some pressure [on myself], but I said many times that we are tennis players and we are supposed to have some pressure. That is normal. If you don’t feel pressure, then something is wrong. I am used to it and I don’t have any big secrets [to say] how I deal with the pressure. It is just there. It has been there for the past 10 years and it is going to be there for the next 10 years. You just need to get used to it.”

In an unpredictable year, Coric has experienced success and disappointment on the court. Alongside his win against Tsitsipas at the US Open, the Zagreb native also beat Dominic Thiem at the ATP Cup in January. But Coric has also suffered first-round losses in three of his eight tournament appearances this season, including his most recent outing at Roland Garros.

That defeat provided Coric with extra preparation time for St. Petersburg and this year’s remaining events. With past success at this tournament and the knowledge that he has already achieved some of his greatest results in 2020, Coric is ready for his first match against Feliciano Lopez on Tuesday.

“There have been some ups and downs in some tournaments [where] I expected a little bit more from myself, in the others I played some of the best tennis of my whole life… I am looking forward to the last three or four tournaments,” said Coric. “I think I am well prepared, I am feeling good on the court again and hopefully I can play good tennis.”

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The Mindset That Launched The Musetti Rocketship

Jannik Sinner received a lot of attention during Roland Garros as he reached the quarter-finals on his tournament debut, becoming the first player to do that since Rafael Nadal in 2005. But Sinner, 19, is not the only young Italian making waves on the ATP Tour.

In the past month, 18-year-old Italian Lorenzo Musetti has become one of the hottest #NextGenATP players in the world. When tennis restarted in August, the Carrara-native had never won a tour-level match. But he defeated Stan Wawrinka and Kei Nishikori at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia as a qualifier and then won his first ATP Challenger Tour title in Forli.

Musetti began that stretch with zero Top 100 wins. After upsetting eighth seed Pablo Cuevas on Monday in the first round of the Forte Village Sardegna Open, an ATP 250, he has seven.

“Honestly I cannot describe this moment,” Musetti told ATPTour.com. “It’s amazing. It’s going straight and really quickly.”

When you watch Musetti’s shotmaking — he has an aggressive forehand and an elegant one-handed backhand — you’d have no clue he was only 18. Four weeks ago, the Italian was No. 249 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. Now he is World No. 143 and quickly rising.

Many young players have found a high enough level to cause one or two upsets at an event before dropping their form. Musetti, however, has been consistent since arriving in Rome. Perhaps the reason why is his approach.

“I’m playing really good tennis, my best tennis and I’m confident. I think I have the weapons to do a great tournament and to compete at this level,” Musetti said. “The ball is a tennis ball and the other guy is a human being, so everything can happen on the court. I’m just playing and trying to do my best.”

Four of Musetti’s wins in the past month have come against opponents who have reached the world’s Top 20. The teen hasn’t worried about the player across the net, and that has made all the difference.

“I think I understand how important it is to focus on the tactics and strategy of the match. But you have to focus on yourself,” Musetti said. “You have to focus on the mind at times, on my game no matter who is on the court against me. I just focus on myself.”

Musetti will try to reach his first ATP Tour quarter-final in the next round when he plays countryman Andrea Pellegrino, a qualifier. The 18-year-old lost twice against Pellegrino last year in non-tour-level events. This will be an opportunity to show just how quickly he has grown.

“I’m taking a lot of emotions and wins,” Musetti said. “I’m very proud.”

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Djokovic, Murray Feature In Classic Shanghai Moments

Normally at this time of season, the ATP Tour heads to Shanghai for the penultimate ATP Masters 1000 event of the year. Sadly, the tournament this year was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but fans can still celebrate the 30th anniversary of ATP Masters 1000 tournaments.

The Rolex Shanghai Masters is a five-time winner of the ATP Masters 1000 Tournament of the Year award, claiming the title in each of its opening five years from 2009 to 2013. The event is held at the Qi Zhong Tennis Center, which also hosted the Nitto ATP Finals from 2005 to 2008.

ATPTour.com looks back on memorable moments from Shanghai.

Davydenko Captures Final Masters 1000 Crown
In the tournament’s inaugural edition, Nikolay Davydenko earned four consecutive Top 20 wins to clinch his third and final Masters 1000 trophy. The Russian claimed wins against Fernando Gonzalez and Radek Stepanek, before earning his spot in the championship match with a final-set tie-break victory against Novak Djokovic.

In the final, Davydenko met Rafael Nadal for the seventh time in their ATP Head2Head rivalry (2-4). Despite his losing record against the Spaniard, the World No. 8 overcame Nadal 7-6(3), 6-3 in just over two hours to lift the trophy. It was Davydenko’s 18th victory in 23 tour-level finals.

Two Titles For Murray
Andy Murray became the first man to win consecutive Rolex Shanghai Masters trophies, claiming the title in each of his opening two appearances at the Masters 1000 event. The Brit made his tournament debut in 2010, winning four consecutive matches in straight sets to book a final encounter against Roger Federer. Murray dominated the Swiss in the championship match, breaking serve on four occasions to earn a 6-3, 6-2 win in 85 minutes.

Murray returned the following year to claim his second straight crown in Shanghai, beating Stan Wawrinka, Kei Nishikori and David Ferrer en route to the trophy. The victory completed a dominant three-week Asian Swing for Murray, who claimed 13 straight victories across Bangkok, Tokyo and Shanghai to add three trophies to his collection.

“It’s been one of the best runs of my life,” said Murray. “I’ve played very, very well in the past few weeks.”

Djokovic’s Classic Finals
With back-to-back three-set final victories in 2012 and 2013, Djokovic joined Murray as a two-time champion in Shanghai. Djokovic captured his maiden Shanghai crown in dramatic fashion in 2012, ending Murray’s bid to win a third straight trophy at the event with a 5-7, 7-6(11), 6-3 victory after three hours and 21 minutes.

Djokovic was forced to save five match points in an intense second set, which featured a 24-point tie-break, before claiming late service breaks in the decider to take the trophy. In the following year, the Serbian earned his second Shanghai title with a final-set tie-break win against Juan Martin del Potro in the championship match.

Del Potro was aiming to add to his semi-final win against Nadal and win his first Masters 1000 trophy. With his final victory against the World No. 5, Djokovic completed the Beijing-Shanghai double for the second straight year and extended his winning streak in China to 20 matches.

Bryans Complete Career Golden Masters
Following their triumph at the 2013 BNP Paribas Open, Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan needed one more trophy to become doubles team to complete the Career Golden Masters. That trophy was the Rolex Shanghai Masters crown.

After a Match Tie-break loss to eventual champions Ivan Dodig and Melo in the 2013 semi-finals, the American twins returned the following year to enter the history books. The Bryans dropped one set en route to their first final at the Chinese Masters 1000 event, where they overcame Julien Benneteau and Edouard Roger-Vasselin 6-3, 7-6(3). It completed a week of milestones for the Bryans, who also clinched the year-end No. 1 FedEx ATP Doubles Team Ranking for the 10th time during their visit to Shanghai.

“To win here, it’s been a long time coming to Shanghai. To finally get across the finish line as the winning team was extra special today,” said Mike Bryan.

“It’s another great milestone. This week was full of them for us. To come and get in the title match, have a shot at winning the tournament that’s eluded us, complete the Golden Masters, is amazing,” said Bob Bryan.

Federer, Nadal Meet Again In Shanghai
Almost 10 years after their most recent Shanghai meeting at the 2007 Nitto ATP Finals, Federer and Nadal once again met in the Chinese city in 2017. Both men had enjoyed a return to top form in 2017, winning two Grand Slam titles each and battling for the year-end World No. 1 position in the FedEx ATP Rankings.

Using the fast court conditions to his advantage, Federer dominated Nadal in their first final played in Asia to complete his second Shanghai title run (also 2014). The Swiss’ victory against Nadal extended his unbeaten streak against the Spaniard in 2017 to four matches.

Federer’s 700th tour-level win on hard courts also pulled him level with Ivan Lendl in second place on the Open Era titles leaderboard with 94 trophies. Despite the loss, Nadal finished ahead of Federer to clinch the 2017 year-end World No. 1 position.

Djokovic, Melo Make History In 2018
In 2018, Djokovic and Marcelo Melo set a new benchmark for Shanghai singles and doubles champions, respectively. Djokovic became the first singles player to win four trophies at the event, claiming the title without dropping any of his 47 service games.

The Belgrade native charged through the draw in Shanghai and earned consecutive wins against Kevin Anderson, Alexander Zverev and Borna Coric to break a tie with three-time Shanghai titlist Murray. The victory helped Djokovic to finish the 2018 season as year-end World No. 1 in the FedEx ATP Rankings for the fifth time.

In the same year, Melo captured a record third doubles title in Shanghai to move clear of two-time winner Leander Paes (2010, ’12). The Brazilian, who also completed title runs in 2013 (w/Dodig) and 2015 (w/Klaasen), combined with Lukasz Kubot to secure the 2018 trophy. The Polish-Brazilian tandem defeated Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic in the semi-finals and Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares in the final to complete a memorable week in Shanghai.

Medvedev Adds Name To Honour Roll
After nine years of dominance, Daniil Medvedev ended Djokovic, Federer and Murray’s stranglehold on the Shanghai title last year. The Russian battled past Stefanos Tsitsipas to advance to his sixth straight tour-level final, where he met Zverev in the first Rolex Shanghai Masters final not to feature a member of the Big Four.

Medvedev entered the contest with a 0-4 ATP Head2Head record against the German, but held his nerve in crucial moments to claim the title without dropping a set. It was Medvedev’s second straight Masters 1000 title, following his maiden triumph at the level at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati (d. Goffin).

“This one is also amazing because Shanghai I think is one of the most prestigious Masters [1000 tournaments] on the Tour,” said Medvedev. “Especially in the past nine years, there were only three players who managed to win this one, so it’s really special to have my photo in the corridor over the next many years.”

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Hurkacz Makes Late Surge To Claim Cologne Win

Hubert Hurkacz made a winning start to his bett1HULKS Indoors campaign on Monday, beating lucky loser Marc Polmans 6-2, 7-5 in Cologne.

The sixth seed, who recovered from 1-5 down in the second set, converted five of 10 break points to book his place in the second round. Hurkacz improves to 13-10 this year after claiming victory in his first ATP Head2Head contest against the Australian.

“Marc is a really good player. He started the second set well, we had a couple of close games that could have gone either way,” said Hurkacz. “I was trying to come in a little bit more, especially when it was 1-5. I tried to risk a bit more and it paid off. I gained some momentum and kept myself in the set until the end.”

After recovering from 1-5 to reach 5-5, Hurkacz did not wrap up his first-round win with ease. The Pole came out on the losing side of what will likely be considered the point of the tournament at the end of the week. Hurkacz showed incredible court coverage to extend a thrilling rally, hitting two tweeners before Polmans eventually claimed the point with a forehand volley.

“I was disappointed with that rally,” said Hurkacz. “I was running side-to-side for 35 seconds. I really wanted to win this one, but Marc played an amazing point. He deserved to win that one.”

Hurkacz will face German wild card Mischa Zverev for a spot in the quarter-finals. The 33-year-old broke John Millman on six occasions to earn a 6-1, 6-4 win after 78 minutes.

Playing in his hometown, qualifier Oscar Otte upset seventh seed Jan-Lennard Struff 6-4, 6-3. The World No. 142 won 63 per cent of second-serve return points (19/30) to book a meeting with Radu Albot. The Moldovan needed just over two hours to overcome Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.

Steve Johnson recovered from a set down to beat fifth seed Filip Krajinovic 3-6, 6-4, 6-4. The American saved seven of nine break points and will meet Kyle Edmund or Lloyd Harris in the second round. Dennis Novak also claimed a first-round win, beating Jordan Thompson 6-3 6-3.

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Wawrinka Saves 3 M.P. To Overcome Evans In St. Petersburg

Stan Wawrinka was forced to save three consecutive match points in his first-round contest at the St. Petersburg Open on Monday.

The Swiss held his nerve down 3-6, 5-6, 0/40 against Daniel Evans, serving with pace and precision to escape danger before claiming a 3-6, 7-6(3), 7-5 victory after two hours and 31 minutes. Wawrinka extends his unbeaten ATP Head2Head record against Evans to four matches, but this isn’t the first time he has had to save match point against the Brit.

En route to his third Grand Slam crown at the 2016 US Open, Wawrinka saved a match point against Evans in the third round to record a 4-6 6-3 6-7(6) 7-6(8) 6-2 victory. The former World No. 3 also came from a set down to beat Evans at last year’s BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.

“It’s always difficult when I play Dan. He’s a great player. Always a tough battle against him,” Wawrinka said on court after his win. “Today I saved some important points in the second [set], I stayed focussed on my game. I started to serve better and be a bit more aggressive, so really happy to be back here in St. Petersburg and to have won that match.”

Wawrinka improves to 7-2 at the ATP 500 event. On his tournament debut in 2016, the Swiss advanced to the championship match (l. to A. Zverev). Wawrinka also reached the semi-finals in 2018.

“[The crowd support] is great. Thank you for being here. Always a pleasure to come back,” Wawrinka said. “[I have] amazing support every time I come back here, even if it’s a tough moment in the world not to get full people in here, it’s always great to have you guys here, so thank you so much.”

Wawrinka will meet Evgeny Donskoy for a spot in the quarter-finals. The Russian booked his place in the second round with a 6-4, 7-6(4) win against Egor Gerasimov of Belarus.

Cameron Norrie claimed his third win from five ATP Head2Head clashes against Taylor Fritz. The 25-year-old served 16 aces and converted both break points he created to claim a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 victory in just under two hours.

Alexander Bublik came from a set down to overcome Mackenzie McDonald 2-6, 7-6(2), 6-4. The Kazakhstani landed 25 aces en route to victory. Bublik will meet sixth seed Milos Raonic or J.J. Wolf in the second round.

Russian wild card Aslan Karatsev also advanced on Monday, beating two-time Australian Open quarter-finalist Tennys Sandgren 7-5, 3-6, 7-5. Karatsev will next meet countryman Karen Khachanov or James Duckworth.

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Rafael Nadal French Open record won't be beaten – Andy Murray

Rafael Nadal’s record of 13 French Open titles will never be broken, says Andy Murray.

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Rafa On 'The Greatest' Debate: 'Analyse It When Our Careers Are Over'

The morning after winning his 13th Roland Garros trophy and equalling Roger Federer’s record haul of 20 Grand Slam crowns, Rafael Nadal had a lot of things to do and very little time.

So, after a brief photo session on the terrace of his hotel with the Coupe des Mousquetaires, the Spaniard climbed into a car to the airport for his flight home and gave an interview to ATPTour.com over a Zoom video call. Nadal spoke in Spanish and his answers have been translated.

This is Nadal with his guard down, a tennis player talking openly and transparently.

Have you stamped your authority by winning the title in Paris again, but this time in very unfavourable conditions?
Stamping my authority is not really my thing. I played a very good tournament given the conditions, taking steps forward every day. I played the perfect match when I had to in the final. Simply, every day I played well enough to win the matches.

Did you think that maybe you wouldn’t win this year?
Every time I come to Paris I don’t think I’m going to win. I arrive excited that I might do it, but knowing that the most logical outcome is that I don’t. Winning is not normal, and I am always very aware of that. As I said from the first day, this year was the most adverse Roland Garros I have played in, first because of the conditions and second because my preparation was practically non-existent in terms of tournaments.

Where did the plan come from to approach the final against Djokovic in that way?
My last match on clay with him was in Rome last year. There I was coming out of a very bad spell and I played very well. I used that as a kind of reference. We went out with a more or less clear idea of what we wanted to do. And then the more complicated part came: putting it into practice. Luckily, yesterday was one of those days when I was able to do it. My tennis game was feeling really good and everything worked perfectly.

From the first day, and despite losing in the quarter-finals in Rome, your surroundings added weight to an interesting message: the big difference between the Foro Italico and Court Philippe-Chatrier.
In Rome, I have won nine times, the venue also suits me very well. Chatrier is a very difficult court, very big. You have some huge dimensions there. However, there is one intangible thing. When you’ve played very well many times in one place, it’s easier to do it. There’s extra belief in yourself, and that has a decisive influence.

After winning the final, you said that you’d been through some ‘difficult months’. What were you talking about?
On a social level, we’ve been living with continuous problems. On a personal level, it’s a reality that after the lockdown I went through a bad time, my body did not respond in the best way possible. I had a lot of days where I could only train very little, with unpleasant feelings in my body. All of that, together with training without clear goals, makes the problem worse.

What did you do to overcome that?
I had the right people by my side. They pushed me when necessary and they gave me the freedom to enjoy other things when I really needed to. We’ve had to make difficult decisions, like not going to New York. Everything is good or bad based on the final result. Right now, it seems like it was successful because I won at Roland Garros, if I had lost maybe it wouldn’t have been so good. That’s the reality of sport, a totally result-based world. The decisions were made consensually, analysing everything. Beyond the result, personally, I’m very happy with the steps we took.

How has what is going on in the world affected you?
I’ve been more subdued than normal, but that’s a general feeling throughout the world. We’re in a sad situation. You can’t share moments with people you’d like to. Everything is less pleasant and you cannot remove yourself from the things that are going on in the world, also knowing that we are back in a complicated situation in Spain. It is normal to suffer because of what’s happening. There have been other pandemics in the past, but in recent history we have not been through one. Even so, I’ve been focused and had the necessary attitude when required. It’s the thing I am most satisfied about in the whole tournament.

And the bubble? You’ve been locked in it with Carlos Moya and Rafael Maymo for more than two weeks.
Personally, I find it harder than they do. I’m a person who prefers being with people more. Carlos has always had the ability to get by on his own, as has Rafa. For me it’s a little harder. The days have seemed longer to me than to them, but we’ve rediscovered things that we had forgotten. It’d been three years since I’d picked up a PlayStation controller, and we played it a lot with each other. We’ve also been reading all the latest news and watching the odd series to kill time.

Was it difficult to play without fans?
At least here there was an atmosphere, compared to Rome. Yesterday, there were people in the final for the first time. My family and team were in my box. That changed the perspective of everything a little. In Rome, the whole court was empty, a much more difficult situation.

Are you overwhelmed by the response to your victory?
I don’t know what it’s been like because I’ve barely had the chance to look at anything. On a sporting level, it’s clear that I’ve achieved something significant: winning one of the most important tournaments in the world 13 times and equalling Federer with 20. We’ve been talking about this for a long time, particularly you journalists. I’ve managed to equal a record that seemed impossible.

So, can it now be said openly that you are the best in history?
The numbers should be analysed by people who have good knowledge of the history of tennis. Honestly, it doesn’t matter to me much. I’m happy with my career. At the moment, it’s clear that I’m one of the two. We’ll see what happens in the next few years: what Djokovic does, what Federer does when he returns and what I keep doing. If all goes well, we’ll have time to analyse it when our careers are over.

Federer was one of the first to congratulate you.
Federer and I have had a very good relationship for many years. We have great admiration for one another. We’ve shared many of the most important moments of our careers competing against one another to the point of creating a rivalry that has surpassed the boundaries of tennis. We value it and appreciate it in a special way. Tying him at 20 means a lot, it’s a great honour. It’s a wonderful thing.

pic.twitter.com/TzQhBeuwML

— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) October 11, 2020

Can one have a good relationship despite competing for the same thing?
As always, you have to put things into perspective a little. We’re playing tennis, nothing more. Life is more pleasant when you have a good relationship with your rivals. Going into the locker room with a positive atmosphere, talking to others, it makes life more enjoyable at tournaments than if you have extreme rivalries.

With 20 Grand Slams, what’s left to win?
To keep enjoying daily life. In the end, I’m a lucky person. Life has smiled upon me so far. I don’t know what is left for me to win, but the excitement is in continuing to move forward. If you don’t have that enthusiasm it’s time to dedicate yourself to something else. As long as I have it, I have to keep working hard every day to keep giving myself chances of competing at the highest level.

Before your opener in Rome, in 2014, you said that Bjorn Borg’s head was gone at 26, despite being an exceptional champion. What do you do to keep that flame burning at 34?
Like everyone, I’ve had some good times and some bad, times of enthusiasm and times of disillusion, above all when there were more physical issues than normal. I’ve been lucky to have a fantastic environment around me, a family and a team that have been with me throughout my career. I have a stable personality, I’m not overexcited when things go well, and nor am I excessively negative when they go wrong. That helps me to experience things with peace of mind in order to continue. In the end, it all comes down to something simpler: the passion you are born with.

What do you feel like doing when you get to Mallorca?
Getting back into normal life a little. Returning home and having the feeling of freedom. Going to play golf, visiting the academy… Living a life a little more normal than these past 20 days and seeing people that I haven’t been able to during this whole time.

What’s left for you in 2020?
Today more than ever, decisions have to be taken calmly, analysing all the situations well. I need a little time to know what my schedule will be.

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18-Year-Old Musetti Marches Past Cuevas In Sardinia

Things just keep getting better for #NextGenATP Italian Lorenzo Musetti. One month ago, the 18-year-old didn’t own a win against a Top 100 opponent. Now, he has seven of them.

Musetti upset eighth seed Pablo Cuevas 7-6(4), 7-5 in two hours and 12 minutes on Monday to reach the second round of the Forte Village Sardegna Open. Neither man earned a break point in the first set. Despite getting broken in two consecutive service games in the second set, Musetti weathered the Uruguayan’s storm to triumph.

“Pablo is a clay player and a really tough player with a lot of experience,” Musetti said. “I knew from the beginning it would be really tough tennis.”

The teen won 50 per cent of his return points in the second set and broke Cuevas’ serve three times from eight opportunities. The wild card will next play countryman Andrea Pellegrino, who led 4-6, 7-6(7), 3-0 when his opponent, Stefano Travaglia, retired due to a headache.

Seventh seed Tommy Paul rallied for a 5-7, 6-3, 7-5 victory against lucky loser Andrej Martin after two hours and 39 minutes. The American trailed 0-5 in the deciding set and saved two match points en route to his triumph.

Paul will next challenge an Italian: 2018 Roland Garros semi-finalist Marco Cecchinato or Gianluca Mager, this year’s Rio Open presented by Claro finalist.

Czech Jiri Vesely struck seven aces en route to a 6-1, 7-5 victory against Poland’s Kamil Majchrzak. The lefty won 77 per cent of his first-serve points and earned five service breaks to advance. He will play fifth seed Lorenzo Sonego or Italian wild card Giulio Zeppieri for a spot in the quarter-finals.

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St Petersburg Open: Cameron Norrie beats Taylor Fritz to reach last 16

Britain’s Cameron Norrie beats Taylor Fritz 6-4 4-6 6-3 to reach the second round of the St Petersburg Open in Russia.

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Murray, Felix Among Four New ATP Player Council Representatives

The ATP has announced today that four new players have been elected to the ATP Player Council: Felix Auger-Aliassime (1-25
Singles), Jeremy Chardy (51-100 singles), John Millman (1-50 singles) and Andy Murray (At Large).

Auger-Aliassime, Chardy, Millman and Murray were elected by the existing members of the ATP Player Council to fill the roles
vacated following the resignations of Novak Djokovic, John Isner, Vasek Pospisil and Sam Querrey prior to the US Open. They will begin their roles with immediate effect.

Auger-Aliassime, 20, is the youngest player in the Top 25 in the FedEx ATP Rankings at World No. 22.

Chardy, 33, is a French veteran who won an ATP Tour title at 2009 Stuttgart.

Millman, 31, has reached a career-high World No. 33 and made the 2018 US Open quarter-finals.

Murray, 33, is a former World No. 1 who has captured 46 tour-level singles titles.

Kevin Anderson, formerly the ATP Player Council’s Vice President, will serve as its President.

The current ATP Player Council is as follows:
1-50 Singles: Kevin Anderson (P), Felix Auger-Aliassime, John Millman, Rafael Nadal
51-100 Singles: Jeremy Chardy, Yen-Hsun Lu
1-100 Doubles: Jurgen Melzer, Bruno Soares
At Large: Roger Federer, Andy Murray
Alumni Representative: Colin Dowdeswell
Coach Representative: Brad Stine

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