Tennis News

Bautista Agut Stops Rublev To Reach Doha Final

Roberto Bautista Agut reached the Qatar ExxonMobil Open final for the second time on Friday after the 2019 titlist extended his winning run in Doha to nine matches with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over third-seeded Russian Andrey Rublev in 74 minutes.

“It was very difficult to play tennis today, with the windy conditions,” said Bautista Agut. “But I put a lot of pressure on his second serve and played really good tennis. I played a long match yesterday [against Dominic Thiem], but I felt fresh and I had a lot of power on the court.” 

He will next look to capture his 10th ATP Tour title on Saturday when he faces Nikoloz Basilashvili of Georgia in the Doha final. Bautista Agut leads Basilashvili 3-1 in their ATP Head2Head series.

“This court and tournament is one of my favourites,” said Bautista Agut, after recording the 14th Top 10 win of his career. “I played one of my best matches here in Qatar two years ago, and I hope I can win one more match tomorrow.”

Rublev, who was playing his first match of the week after two consecutive walkovers, had lifted trophies at his past four ATP 500 tournaments, including the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament (d. Fucsovics) last week.

Bautista Agut got off to the best possible start with terrific, clean ball-striking, carrying on from where he left off against top Dominic Thiem on Thursday night. Bautista Agut hit a forehand winner to break for a 3-1 advantage and remained in control throughout the 29-minute first set. While Rublev won 13 of 14 first-service points, errors cost the Russian.

Bautista Agut carried the momentum into the second set, using his backhand to open up the court to break Rublev in the first game. Rublev broke back immediately, but failed to win another game once he took a 3-2 lead.  

The 23-year-old Rublev is now 13-2 on the season, which includes helping Russia capture the ATP Cup crown (d. Italy) and a run to the Australian Open quarter-finals (l. to Medvedev).

Basilashvili beat Taylor Fritz of the United States 7-6(3), 6-1 in the second semi-final, which lasted 75 minutes. The 29-year-old, who saved one match point against Roger Federer in the quarter-finals on Thursday night, will attempt to capture his fourth ATP 500 title on Saturday. He has lifted 500-level trophies at the 2018 and 2019 Hamburg European Open, and also at the 2018 China Open in Beijing.

“To reach the final means a lot,” said Basilashvili, who came into the Doha tournament on the back of a five-match losing streak. “I am playing well and I am relaxed. It’s great to play in front of a crowd and a nice atmosphere.”

Basilashvili recovered from a slow start, battling back from losing eight of the first 10 points, to clinch the 52-minute first set, which ended with a Fritz forehand wide. The Georgian then surged to a 3-0 lead in the second set, which saw him lose seven points.

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Garin Flying In Santiago!

Cristian Garin continued his pursuit of a maiden ATP Tour title on home soil Friday with a 6-4, 6-4, win against Juan Pablo Varillas in the Chile Dove Men+Care Open quarter-finals.

The Chilean star faced a fearless foe in Varillas, a Peruvian qualifier competing in his first ATP Tour quarter-final. But Garin saved six of the eight break points he faced to triumph after one hour and 35 minutes.

“I would love to be able to do something important in this tournament. It is special and I hope I can continue to win,” Garin said. “I am playing better, in a semi-final and I am excited to do better, but I prefer to go step by step, game by game.”

The top seed was the first player broken in each set. World No. 171 Varillas pulled out every tool at his disposal, including the drop shot to sprint into the lead. But he was unable to sustain the same level as Garin throughout the match.

The World No. 22, who made the Santiago quarter-finals last year, will next play Daniel Elahi Galan. The Colombian eliminated 2018 Quito champion Roberto Carballes Baena 7-6(8), 6-3 after one hour and 52 minutes.

Galan, who hit 10 aces, is into his second ATP Tour semi-final. Two years ago in Houston, he reached the last four as a qualifier.

^{Photo Credit: Jim Rydell/Rodrigo Aljaro}
Federico Delbonis ended 17-year-old Holger Rune’s dream run at the Chile Dove Men+Care Open on Friday, defeating the junior World No. 1 6-3, 6-3, in 67 minutes to reach the Santiago semi-finals.

The Argentine, a two-time ATP Tour champion, is into the last four at a tour-level event for the first time since Bastad in 2019. Delbonis overwhelmed the Danish teenager with his physical game on the Chilean red clay, using depth and heavy spin to keep Rune from getting comfortable in the match.

The 30-year-old lefty won 83 per cent of his first-serve points and broke his opponent’s serve four times. Delbonis will next play countryman Facundo Bagnis for a spot in the final.

Rune, who did not own an ATP Tour win before this week, was trying to become the youngest player to reach a tour-level semi-final since 17-year-old Alexander Zverev did so in Hamburg in 2014.

Delbonis’ next opponent, Bagnis, beat fourth seed Laslo Djere 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 in two hours and six minutes. The Argentine is into his second ATP Tour semi-final. Bagnis made the last four at this level for the first time two weeks ago in Cordoba.

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Rublev/Karatsev Win Doha Doubles Title

Aslan Karatsev and Andrey Rublev have made waves on the singles court in recent months. But on Friday evening in Doha, they claimed a doubles title together.

The Russian ATP Cup teammates defeated in-form doubles pair Marcus Daniell and Philipp Oswald 7-5, 6-4 to win the Qatar ExxonMobil Open after one hour and 21 minutes.

“It’s only my second [doubles] title, so it’s a great feeling,” Rublev said. “We’ll see how I’m going to do in Dubai. Now I’m focussed on next week and I hope I can show good tennis there.”

Karatsev and Rublev had never played a tournament together before this ATP 250. They competed as a duo in one match at the ATP Cup, losing in straight sets. The unseeded pair had no such difficulties this week, surging to the title without dropping a set.

“It feels great. It’s my first ATP title, so it’s an unbelievable feeling,” Karatsev said. “It’s great to play with Andrey Rublev.”

The Russians, who also defeated fourth seeds Marcelo Melo and Jean-Julien Rojer en route to the trophy, saved four of the five break points they faced in the final. Rublev and Karatsev will each depart Doha with 250 FedEx ATP Doubles Rankings points and a share of $38,470.

Daniell and Oswald did not win the title, but they enjoyed a tremendous run at this ATP 250, where they beat reigning Australian Open champions Ivan Dodig and Filip Polasek as well as top seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah. Last year’s Sardinia champions add 150 points to their tally and they will split $27,550.

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Herbert Ends Tsitsipas’ Reign In Marseille

Pierre-Hugues Herbert ended Stefanos Tsitsipas’ hopes of a third straight Open 13 Provence crown on Friday, when he defeated the Greek 6-7(6), 6-4, 6-2 in Marseille.

The unseeded Frenchman won 79 per cent of first-serve points (37/47) to claim his first Top 5 win (1-6) and reach his first semi-final since June 2019 (Halle). Herbert improved to 2-0 in his ATP Head2Head series against Tsitsipas, following his 2018 win against the 6’4” right-hander in Shenzhen.

“I didn’t know this was the first Top 5 [player] that I beat,” Herbert said in an on-court interview. “It has been an incredible week for me so far, especially [with] this match. I knew I was going to have to play an amazing match to have a chance to win and I managed to do that. I am really happy about the way I played. I am so happy to be in the semi-finals here.”

Tsitsipas entered the match on a nine-match winning streak in Marseille, which included title runs at the ATP 250 in 2019 and 2020. The World No. 5 was attempting to reach his third semi-final of the year, after runs to the final four at the Australian Open and the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam.

“I didn’t deserve to win today,” said Tsitsipas. “He showed a great quality out on the court to persevere and win that match. [The win was] very well earned. Too bad for me.”

Tsitsipas began the quarter-final on an 18-set winning streak in Marseille and that run was almost ended in the first set. After failing to serve out the opener at 5-4, Tsitsipas needed his best tennis to claim the first set in a tie-break. The Greek played with aggression on his forehand and rushed the net from 4/5 to claim four of the next five points and the set.

Herbert was able to end Tsitsipas’ set streak in the second set. The Frenchman attacked Tsitsipas’ forehand with consistent depth to claim the only break of the set at 4-4 and he fired four unreturned serves to hold to love and force a decider. The Frenchman continued to attack Tsitsipas’ forehand and utilised his net skills to earn three service breaks in the deciding set. Herbert closed the match with a powerful serve out wide and an overhead winner.

“Against Stefanos, from the baseline, he is much better. I had to do something,” said Herbert. “I had to come to the net. I had to be aggressive and not let him manage the point with his forehand. He has one of the best forehands of all time, so I had to play offensive and it worked. I had my plan and I played it really perfectly. I am really happy about the win.”

Herbert’s win guaranteed a French finalist in Marseille. The 29-year-old will face fourth seed Ugo Humbert or French qualifier Arthur Rinderknech for a place in the final. Herbert has not met either player at tour-level.

“That is good. It means there is going to be a French [player] in the final,” said Herbert. “I am happy about that and I hope it is going to be me.”

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Medvedev Marches Past Sinner In Marseille

Daniil Medvedev recorded a statement 6-2, 6-4 victory against Jannik Sinner on Friday to advance to the Open 13 Provence semi-finals in Marseille.

The top seed faced just one break point throughout the match and broke serve on three occasions to claim victory in 75 minutes. Medvedev is through to his first semi-final in Marseille, after falling in the quarter-finals in 2017 and 2020.

“[It is my] first time here in the semi-finals in Marseille, even if it is my fourth time playing here and third time in the main draw,” Medvedev said in an on-court interview. “I am really happy about it. Hopefully, I can go further.”

Medvedev is chasing his 10th ATP Tour title this week. The Russian owns five tour-level trophies indoors, including the biggest title of his career at the 2020 Nitto ATP Finals.

“Jannik always tries to hit the ball as hard as he can,” said Medvedev. “You cannot give him easy balls, otherwise you are going to run all over the place and he is probably going to hit a winner. I needed to take time from him. I need to be aggressive and it worked out very well today.”

The Australian Open runner-up proved too consistent from the back of the court to end Sinner’s Marseille campaign for the second straight season. Medvedev covered the baseline with expert skill and consistently extracted errors from his opponent’s forehand side to improve to 2-0 in his ATP Head2Head series against the 2019 Next Gen ATP Finals champion. Last year, Medvedev recovered from a set down against Sinner in Marseille to reach the quarter-finals.

“This one was easier [than last year]. I think I showed a great level,” said Medvedev. “I was on top of the match the whole time. He had only one break point… Jannik is an amazing player, so I am happy to win that easily this time.”

Medvedev will face Mattew Ebden for a place in the championship match. The Aussie qualifier upset 2018 champion Karen Khachanov 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 to become the lowest-ranked semi-finalist in tournament history. Ebden is currently No. 287 in the FedEx ATP Rankings.

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DelPo-Federer Among Epic Finals Of Past 10 Years

For the second straight year, the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells will not be played in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The tournament, which typically acts as the ATP Masters 1000 season curtain-raiser, has crowned a star-studded list of champions throughout its history, including 11 former World No. 1s.

Over the past decade, four finals have stood out from the crowd as instant classics. In celebration of the Masters 1000 event, ATPTour.com has taken a look back at the thrilling 2013, 2014, 2018 and 2019 championship matches from the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

2013 – Nadal d. Del Potro 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
In just his fourth event since returning from a seven-month absence due to a left knee injury, Nadal arrived at the BNP Paribas Open final in peak form. The Spaniard had regained his best level on clay, with two victories from three finals on the surface, and entered the championship match in the desert with a 16-1 record in 2013.

Across the net, Juan Martin del Potro was attempting to claim his maiden ATP Masters 1000 trophy. The Tower of Tandil had claimed consecutive comeback wins against Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic to edge closer to his second crown of the year, following his title run at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam.

Del Potro established a 6-4, 3-1 advantage, but Nadal raised his forehand aggression to turn the match in his favour and capture his third trophy at the opening Masters 1000 event of the season. It proved to be the start of a stunning hard-court run for the Mallorcan, who won his opening 22 matches of the year on the surface to clinch further titles at Montreal, Cincinnati and the US Open.

“The support since I came back has been huge,” said Nadal. “It’s an unforgettable week for me and an unforgettable tournament.”

2014 – Djokovic d. Federer 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(3)
One year after Nadal and Del Potro’s epic final, Roger Federer and Djokovic produced another memorable championship match in Indian Wells.

Four-time champion Federer was seeking his 12th straight win, which included a semi-final victory against Djokovic at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. Djokovic was aiming to capture his first title of the year and tie 17-time Masters 1000 champion Andre Agassi in third position on the Masters 1000 titles leaderboard.

After dropping the opening set, Djokovic recovered well and gave himself the opportunity to serve for the title at 5-4 in the decider. But Federer refused to go away. The Swiss recovered the break and reached a final-set-tie-break, before Djokovic regained his composure and charged to the title. With Djokovic serving at 6/3 in the tie-break, both players had claimed 98 points. The Serbian attacked Federer’s backhand to claim his 99th point of the match and his 42nd tour-level title.

“The way I won this title is something that makes me very happy and gives me mentally a lot of satisfaction… A few points really here and there could go either way, and then it went my way,” said Djokovic. “I stayed mentally tough, and that, for me, is something that gives me a lot of encouragement and hopefully a confidence boost for the rest of the season.”

2018 – Del Potro d. Federer 6-4, 6-7(8), 7-6(2)
In the No. 2 ATP Tour Match of the Year, Juan Martin del Potro ended Roger Federer’s longest unbeaten start to an ATP Tour season (17-0) in dramatic fashion to claim his maiden Masters 1000 trophy.

The 6’6” right-hander joined 2010 champion Ivan Ljubicic as just the second player outside of the Big Three to lift the trophy in Indian Wells since 2004, but he was almost made to rue a major missed opportunity. Del Potro, who was himself on a 10-match winning streak after claiming the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC trophy in Acapulco, made a strong start and came within a point of victory in the second-set tie-break.

The Argentine was unable to convert his first championship point as he dumped a forehand into the net and he soon dropped the second set. In the decider, it was Federer’s turn to come within a point of the title. The Swiss broke Del Potro to serve for the match at 5-4, but the Argentine trusted his forehand under pressure to save three championship points and convert break point. The 2009 US Open champion rode the momentum to dominate the final-set tie-break and become the first South American since David Nalbandian in 2007 to win a Masters 1000 event.

“It’s so big,” said Del Potro. “I cannot believe I won this tournament, beating Roger in a great final… We played great tennis today.”

2019 – Thiem d. Federer 3-6, 6-3, 7-5
For the second straight year, the Indian Wells final produced the No. 2 ATP Tour Match of the Year and crowned a first-time Masters 1000 titlist.

Dominic Thiem arrived at the event with a 3-4 record in 2019, but he was beginning a new chapter in the Californian desert. Former World No. 9 Nicolas Massu had just joined his team and the partnership quickly produced a milestone result.

Facing Federer for the fifth time in their ATP Head2Head series (tied at 2-2), Thiem used his boisterous backhand to open the court and frequently rattled Federer with 24 winners from all angles. The Austrian, who survived an extended service game at 3-4 in the decider, covered the court with skill and dictated rallies with power from the baseline to clinch victory. Thiem’s win ended a 22-year wait for an Austrian Masters 1000 champion (Muster, 1997 Miami).

“It feels just unreal what happened in these 10 days during the tournament. I came from a really bad form in all categories, and now I’m the champion of Indian Wells. It feels not real at all,” Thiem said. “It was a great week, and I think also a very good final today. Just amazing that I got here, my first really big title.”

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Tsitsipas, Zverev, Schwartzman To Play In Acapulco: All You Need To Know

Stefanos Tsitsipas will make his debut at the 2021 Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC, which is a three-time ATP 500 Tournament of the Year (2007, ’17, ’19).

The World No. 5 headlines alongside 2019 runner-up Alexander Zverev and Diego Schwartzman, the recent Argentina Open champion in Buenos Aires. Milos Raonic, 2014 champion Grigor Dimitrov, Fabio Fognini, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Kevin Anderson also feature.

The Acapulco doubles field is stacked, including Horacio Zeballos and Marcel Granollers, 2017 and 2018 titlists Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares, Joe Salisbury and Rajeev Ram, and Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut.

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A post shared by Abierto Mexicano de Tenis (@abiertomexicanodetenis)

Here’s all you need to know about the Acapulco tennis tournament: what is the schedule, when is the draw, who has won, how to watch and more. 

Established: 1993

Tournament Dates: 15-20 March 2021 

Tournament Director: Raul Zurutuza

Draw Ceremony: TBC

Are You In? Subscribe To Get Tournament Updates In Your Inbox

Schedule (View On Official Website)
* Qualifying: Saturday, 13 March (4:30pm); Sunday, 14 March & Monday, 15 March (6pm)
* Main draw: Monday, 15 March-Saturday, 20 March (6pm)
* Doubles final: Saturday, 20 March at 6pm
* Singles final: Saturday, 20 March at 8pm

How To Watch
Watch Live On Tennis TV
TV Schedule

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Ticketing Information
View On Official Website

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Venue: Acapulco Princess Mundo Imperial
Granjas Del Marquez y Plaza
Surface: Outdoor Hard

Prize Money: US$ 1,053,910 (Total Financial Commitment: US$ 1,204,960)

View Who Is Playing, Past Champions, Seeds, Points & Prize Money Breakdown

Honour Roll
Most Titles, Singles: David Ferrer (4), Thomas Muster (4)
Most Titles, Doubles: Lukasz Kubot (3), Donald Johnson (3)
Oldest Champion: Rafael Nadal, 33, in 2020
Youngest Champion: Rafael Nadal, 18, in 2005
Highest-Ranked Champion: No. 1 Gustavo Kuerten in 2001
Lowest-Ranked Champion: No. 129 Juan Ignacio Chela in 2000
Most Match Wins: David Ferrer (32)

2020 Finals
Singles: [1] Rafael Nadal (ESP) d. Taylor Fritz (USA) 6-3, 6-2 Read More
Doubles: [2] Lukasz Kubot/Marcelo Melo d. [1] Juan Sebastian Cabal/Robert Farah 7-6(6), 6-7(4), 11-9 Read More

Social
Hashtag: #AMT2021
Facebook: @AbiertoMexicanoDeTenis
Twitter: @AbiertoTelcel
Instagram: @AbiertoMexicanoDeTenis

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Arends/Pel Move Into Marseille Doubles Final

Dutchmen Sander Arends and David Pel booked their places in the Open 13 Provence final on Friday after they defeated Americans Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow 6-1, 7-6(4).

Arends and Pel won the first five games of the match, and recovered from 0-2 down in the second set prior to saving one set point at 5-6 on a deciding Deuce point.

They will now face Great Britain’s Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara of Finland or Australians Matthew Ebden and Matt Reid in Sunday’s title match.

Bolelli/Gonzalez Reach Santiago Title Match
Fourth seeds Simone Bolelli and Maximo Gonzalez beat top seeds Raven Klaasen and Ben McLachlan 6-4, 6-4 for a place in the Chile Dove Men+Care Open final.

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Andy Murray & Wife Kim Sears Welcome Fourth Child

Former World No. 1 Andy Murray and his wife, Kim Sears, have welcomed the birth of their fourth child.

The couple, who have been married for six years, already have two daughters, five-year-old Sophia and three-year-old Edie, and a one-year-old son Teddy.

The 33-year-old British star has competed at three tournaments this year, including a runner-up finish last month at the Biella Challenger Indoor 1 on the ATP Challenger Tour.

Last spring, Murray spoke about family life under lockdown as he joined legend Billie Jean King and CNN Chief International Anchor Christiane Amanpour for a special interview. 

“It’s been tough, obviously, tough for everybody just now, but it has also given us the opportunity to spend time – and a lot of time – at home with my family, which with my job and the travelling that we usually do, I don’t usually get that opportunity,” he said. “That’s been really nice and challenging at times trying to teach and educate my children, which our teachers usually do that for us. It’s been hard, but I’ve enjoyed large parts of it. It’s been quite special to have time with my family.”

Murray also explained the photo he posted of himself wearing a kilt and tiara, a request from his daughters. “They’ve already got me wrapped around their fingers, so it’s fun. They are the sort of things that you get up to as a dad when you’re at home… when I did put it on they just said, ‘Oh Daddy, you look silly. Take it off.'”

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Andy Murray to miss Dubai Championships after birth of fourth child

Andy Murray withdraws from the Dubai Championships after the birth of his fourth child.

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