Tennis News

Karatsev On Belgrade Marathon: ‘I Put Everything On The Court’

The breakthrough story of the 2021 season just added another chapter at the Serbia Open, and this one is proving the most epic yet.

Up against World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and in his opponent’s home tournament, Aslan Karatsev survived the longest ATP Tour match of the year to pull off a 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 stunner. The Russian improved to 1-1 in his ATP Head2Head record against Djokovic, avenging his semi-final defeat at this year’s Australian Open.

“I stepped on the court to win. I was believing [in myself], and I said to myself that I would play every ball no matter what,” Karatsev said in a post-match press conference. “I tried to keep this strategy that we spoke about with the coach. You have to fight for every ball, that was the key to success.”

In Djokovic’s Melbourne Park home-away-from-home court, Karatsev was not able to apply pressure on his opponent en route to a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 defeat. But at the Novak Tennis Centre in Belgrade, the World No. 28 turned the tables.

“This is definitely [the biggest win of my career], it’s the World No. 1,” Karatsev said. “I’m really happy, I put everything on the court. The match was long. I’m really happy with my performance today.”

Even more eye-catching than the result or the three-hour and 25-minute match length, a look down the stats sheet showed one astonishing key to Karatsev’s victory. Up against one of the best returners of the game in Djokovic, Karatsev faced 28 break points and saved 23 of them – including all 10 in the deciding set – in an emphatic display of mental fortitude.

“There’s not much that I can say was going on in my mind [during those break points],” Karatsev admitted. “You have to be aggressive against these kinds of players. If you’re not playing aggressive, it’s like you’re hitting against the wall. Everything is coming back, deep, and he moves you a lot. Once you give him the opportunity, he starts to move you and then you run [a lot]. That was my main goal, staying aggressive.”

Through to his second ATP Tour final, the reigning Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships winner will be seeking just his sixth main draw victory on clay when he faces second seed Matteo Berrettini, ranked World No. 10, in Belgrade.

The 27-year-old has recorded an endless list of ‘firsts’ in his breakout season, from first Grand Slam semi-final to first ATP Tour title and, now, first win over a World No. 1. After starting the year at World No. 114 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, Karatsev is rapidly closing in on his own personal goal.

“First I have to be Top 20, and then I will put another goal,” he said. “But first I have to reach the Top 20, because it’s big difference in points. I have to prepare every single tournament that I play to be there always.”

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Djokovic: ‘He Was Just The Better Player’

Novak Djokovic’s hopes of collecting a third ATP Tour title in his home city were ended in dramatic fashion on Saturday evening when he fell to Aslan Karatsev in the longest ATP Tour match of the 2021 season at the Serbia Open.

The World No. 1 managed to create 28 break points throughout his three-hour, 25-minute battle with the Dubai champion, but he was consistently denied by the Russian, who saved 23 of those chances in a 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 win.

“You never like losing at home, that is for sure. It is disappointing. I don’t feel so great now but, at the same time, I have to congratulate Karatsev who played very bravely,” said Djokovic. “Whenever he needed to come up with the best shots, he did. Congratulations to him. [It was an] awesome performance from his side.”

Djokovic was full of praise for Karatsev in his post-match press conference, and he also took time to thank fans who came to support him at the Novak Tennis Center. But the 33-year-old, who lifted trophies in Belgrade in 2009 and 2011, gave a mixed review of his own performance on Center Court.

“From my side, I played on quite a low level, in my opinion,” said Djokovic. “[I had] some flashes of good quality tennis. I was fighting. That is a positive. I was really trying all the way [and] the crowd was great. They carried me and tried to lift me up, all the way to the end. Because of them, I think I won the second set. Unfortunately in the third, he was just the better player in the decisive moments. I had my chances, but that is sport.”

At the conclusion of his second ATP Head2Head encounter against Karatsev (tied at 1-1), Djokovic approached the net with his thumb up to show his approval of his opponent’s performance. When asked how he has so often been able to quickly put a loss behind him and show graciousness in defeat, Djokovic quickly shared his thought process in the moments immediately following a disappointing result.

“Karatsev showed a lot of courage and that is why I gave him the thumbs up,” said Djokovic. “I felt like he deserved to win… Once the final point is done, there is never bad blood. We are rivals on the court, but I don’t hate anybody. I can’t be upset with him if he beat me. I have to be upset with myself and question why I lost the match. Whoever beats me deserves the credit and I gave him that.”

While Djokovic will not compete for the trophy on Sunday, the 18-time Grand Slam champion was still happy to be a part of the first ATP Tour event to be held in the Serbian capital since 2012.

“It is disappointing [to] finish the week like this at home. I lost to a better player who was just more courageous,” said Djokovic. “He went for his shots at the right time and it worked for him. Nevertheless, it was good week and a successful tournament, in general, for us, for the Serbia Open. Hopefully we can have a good final tomorrow.”

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Karatsev Saves 23 Break Points To Stun Djokovic In Belgrade Epic

Third seed Aslan Karatsev clinched the biggest victory of his career against World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, triumphing in a three-hour and 25-minute lung-buster on Saturday to reach the championship match at the Serbia Open.

Taking on the top seed at his namesake Novak Tennis Centre in Belgrade, Karatsev stayed calm in the decisive moments to save 23 of the 28 break points he faced against Djokovic, one of the best returners in the game. Karatsev stuck to his aggressive strategy to survive a second-set comeback and record a 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 stunner.

“It was a long, tough match [against a] tough opponent,” Karatsev said in his post-match press conference. “You have to put [in] like 200 per cent to beat this guy, it’s like playing against a wall. And he also made some good shots. He doesn’t give you any free points. He always makes you play and you have to be always there because once you miss a couple of shots, he just takes it very quickly. That’s how I lost the second set.”

Top 5 Longest ATP Tour Matches Of 2021

Karatsev improved to 1-1 in his ATP Head2Head against Djokovic, avenging his straight-sets defeat in the 2021 Australian Open semi-finals. The Russian awaits the winner of second seed Matteo Berrettini and Japanese lucky loser Taro Daniel. Karatsev owns a 1-0 lead against Daniel, and has never faced the Italian.

“I stepped on the court to win. I was believing [in myself], and I said to myself that I would play every ball no matter what,” Karatsev said. “I tried to keep this strategy that we spoke about with the coach. You have to fight for every ball, that was the key to success.”

Djokovic powered his way to 2-0 leads in the first two sets against the reigning Dubai champion Karatsev, who burst onto the scene at the Australian Open with a breakthrough semi-final fun from qualifying. But in both sets, Karatsev didn’t allow Djokovic to settle into the lead, breaking back quickly and pressing the Serbian from the baseline with punishing rallies.

After Karatsev claimed the opening set, he looked to be closing in on a straight-sets win as he took a 4-2 lead in the second. But the World No. 1 responded emphatically, raising his level and rallying the limited spectators in Belgrade as he reeled off the next four games in a row. He was nearly untouchable in the final game, blasting passing shots off both wings to battle back from 15/40 and claim the break.

But in a 73-minute deciding set that came down the wire, it was Djokovic who blinked first. Karatsev took time away from his opponent by going to net regularly and closing out points with smart forehand drive volleys. He also honed in on the Djokovic second serve, winning 52 per cent of points (23/44) behind the Serbian’s second delivery. Karatsev earned the lone break at 4-3, denying Djokovic 10 break points in the final set en route to the final.

“This is definitely [the biggest win of my career], it’s the World No. 1,” Karatsev said. “I’m really happy, I put everything on the court. The match was long. I’m really happy with my performance today.”

With his fifth tour-level clay-court victory, Karatsev snapped Djokovic’s 11-match winning streak on home soil (30-4 overall) dating back to Davis Cup in 2011. Djokovic, who added a record-extending ninth Australian Open trophy to his haul earlier in the season, was looking for his 83rd ATP Tour title. 

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Sabanov Brothers Complete ‘Dream’ Week With Belgrade Crown

Wild cards Ivan Sabanov and Matej Sabanov clinched their first ATP Tour title without dropping a set after defeating Ariel Behar and Gonzalo Escobar 6-3, 7-6(5) in the Serbia Open final.

Coming into the event, the 28-year-old twin brothers had only won one tour-level doubles match, reaching the quarter-finals in Montpellier last year. But they made good on their wild card opportunity to complete a dream week in Belgrade.

“It’s definitely been a dream-come-true week for us, it’s been amazing,” Ivan said in their post-match press conference. “Since the first match, we beat the third seeds and we realised we have a really good level. We kept playing good, and then everything was like a dream for us. I still don’t even think we realise that we won the tournament. We could not predict something like this.”

Coached by older brother Aleksandar Sabanov, the Sabanovs began their Belgrade campaign with an upset over third seeds Raven Klaasen and Ben McLachlan. The pair live in Belgrade and have previously trained at the Novak Tennis Centre, and that familiarity showed as they powered their way to the final, notching a victory over Matteo Berrettini and Andrea Vavassori along the way.

Up against the Marbella champions Behar and Escobar in the final, the brothers had to fight through a tough second set after taking the lead. The Ecuadorian-Uruguayan duo saved match point at 6-5 to reach a tie-break, where they opened up a 5/2 lead. But the Sabanovs bounced back, reeling off the next five points to seal the victory in one hour and 31 minutes.

Neither brother has any sort of tennis sponsorship. Matej plays with Laslo Djere’s old racquet, while Ivan uses Filip Krajinovic’s. Both men wore gifted Fila gear throughout the week – so the victory and 250 FedEx ATP Rankings points will be a financial boon as much as a boost in confidence.

“It’s difficult to get the [sponsorships] in countries like Serbia and Croatia, but this won’t stop us from doing our thing and becoming good players,” Ivan said. “And this tournament won’t change us, we’ll still be the same people and work hard for our dream. This is just a small step for our dream.”

Krawietz/Tecau Save M.P. To Reach Barcelona Final
Kevin Krawietz and Horia Tecau saved a match point to make it through to their second final of the season on Saturday at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell.

The Rotterdam finalists recovered from a slow start and claimed three straight points from match point down at 9/8 in the Match Tie-break to defeat third seeds Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury 1-6, 6-3, 11-9. Krawietz and Tecau won 75 per cent of their first-serve points (30/40) to overcome the Australian Open finalists in 77 minutes.

Krawietz and Tecau will meet top seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah in the championship match. The Colombians have not dropped a set en route to the final.

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Barcelona Open: Rafael Nadal beats Pablo Carreno Busta to reach 12th final

Rafael Nadal beats fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta 6-3 6-2 to reach his 12th Barcelona Open final.

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Nadal Books Tsitsipas Final Clash In Barcelona

Rafael Nadal made it through to his 12th Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell final on Saturday with a 6-3, 6-2 win against countryman Pablo Carreno Busta.

The 11-time champion landed 13 forehand winners and claimed four service breaks to extend his unbeaten ATP Head2Head record against Carreno Busta to 8-0. Nadal made quick starts to both sets and reached his 69th clay final after 89 minutes (60-8).

“I am very happy to be back in a final here at an historic event, a home event [and] an important one for me,” said Nadal. “I think I did things well today, better than the other days. I have been improving every single day a little bit more.”

Nadal is chasing his 12th title at the ATP 500 event. The 60-time clay-court titlist is the only player to lift 12 or more tour-level trophies at the same tournament, having claimed 13 titles at Roland Garros.

Nadal owns a combined 23-1 record in Barcelona semi-final and final matches. The Spaniard’s only loss in Barcelona after reaching the final four came in 2019, when he fell to eventual champion Dominic Thiem.

The top seed will meet Stefanos Tsitsipas for the trophy in a repeat of the 2018 Barcelona final. On that occasion, Nadal defeated the first-time ATP Tour finalist 6-2, 6-1.

The 34-year-old will be seeking revenge for his loss to the Greek in this year’s Australian Open quarter-finals, when Tsitsipas became only the second player to defeat Nadal from two sets down at a Grand Slam. Nadal owns a 6-2 ATP Head2Head advantage against the reigning Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters champion.

“Tomorrow will be a very tough one. [Stefanos] is playing probably better than ever,” said Nadal. “Not one set lost in Monte-Carlo and here, so it will be the toughest opponent possible. I hope to be ready. It is going to be a tough one, but I need to be ready to increase my level and let’s see.”

Nadal attacked Carreno Busta’s backhand and dictated rallies with his forehand to charge into a 5-1 lead in the first set. The 20-time Grand Slam champion dropped serve when he tried to serve out the set at 5-1 and was forced to save three break points on his second attempt as Carreno Busta raised his level.

After clinching the opener, Nadal made another impressive start to the second set. The Mallorcan showcased his impressive court coverage skills and used his forehand to overpower his opponent. Nadal reached his 12th Barcelona final (11-0) when Carreno Busta struck a backhand return into the tramline.

Carreno Busta was attempting to reach his second final of the European clay swing. The 29-year-old captured his fifth ATP Tour crown earlier this month at the AnyTech365 Andalucia Open in Marbella.

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Tsitsipas Continues Hot Streak, Returns To Barcelona Final

Three years ago, Stefanos Tsitsipas made a major breakthrough at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell by reaching his maiden ATP Tour final at the ATP 500 event. The World No. 5 returned to the championship match on Saturday with a 6-3, 6-3 triumph against Jannik Sinner.

The reigning Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters champion saved all four break points he faced to improve his unbeaten record on clay this year to 9-0 and 17-0 in sets. Tsitsipas has now won 10 of his 12 matches at the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona 1899.

“It was very close. It was a close match,” said Tsitsipas. “He had a lot of break point opportunities on my serve. It could have been different, but I stayed tough and I converted those break points [I had]. That was crucial and very important.”

After taking a 2-1 lead in his ATP Head2Head series against Sinner, Tsitsipas has now matched Andrey Rublev’s tour-leading total of 26 victories this season. Tsitsipas and Rublev are eight wins clear of their nearest ATP Tour rivals, with Sinner in third position on the 2021 wins list. As a result of his run to the final, Tsitsipas is also guaranteed to remain in first place in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin on Monday.

2021 ATP Tour Wins Leaderboard

Tsitsipas awaits the winner of the all-Spanish semi-final between 11-time champion Rafael Nadal and Pablo Carreno Busta. Tsitsipas owns a 2-6 ATP Head2Head record against Nadal, which includes his final loss to the Mallorcan in the 2018 Barcelona final. Tsitsipas holds an unbeaten 2-0 advantage against Carreno Busta.

“It feels great to be back [in the final]. I will try to redeem myself from last time… I am looking forward to whoever I have to play,” said Tsitsipas. “A final is always a very important phase in a tournament.”

In a tight opening set, both players were unable to convert early break points. Tsitsipas made the only breakthrough of the set at 4-3, when he attacked Sinner’s forehand to extract multiple errors and break serve. Sinner struck eight of his 11 unforced errors in the first set on his forehand side.

Tsitsipas targeted Sinner’s backhand corner to save two break points early in the second set, and he stuck by that tactic in the following game to move clear. The Greek, who was assisted by Sinner’s low first-serve percentage (52 per cent), pinned the Italian into his backhand corner and drove forehands into the open space to move towards victory. Tsitsipas broke his opponent for the third time in the final game to reach his third final of the season (1-1).

Sinner was also aiming to advance to his third final of 2021. The #NextGenATP Italian opened the year with a title run at the Great Ocean Road Open in Melbourne and advanced to his maiden ATP Masters 1000 final earlier this month at the Miami Open presented by Itau.

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