Steve Simon: Who is the WTA boss taking on China?
How did a former Wimbledon mixed doubles player end up taking on China over a case that is “bigger than business”?
How did a former Wimbledon mixed doubles player end up taking on China over a case that is “bigger than business”?
The Russian Tennis Federation claim the last spot in the Davis Cup semi-finals with a 2-0 victory over Sweden.
Daniil Medvedev overcame a spirited Mikael Ymer 6-4, 6-4 Thursday at the Davis Cup Finals to clinch the Russian Tennis Federation’s victory against Sweden and book its spot in the semi-finals in Madrid.
The 25-year-old was made to work hard against Ymer, who broke Medvedev’s serve three times. However, the World No. 2 produced flashes of brilliance, firing 14 winners to triumph after 72 minutes. Medvedev has now won all six sets he has played at the Davis Cup Finals this year.
“I should have served better but I am really happy to bring the point to the team,” Medvedev said in his on-court interview. “Madrid feels like home, we are winning a lot of matches, we beat Spain the other day. It was a great boost of confidence to beat the home favourites.”
Earlier, Andrey Rublev survived a scare, edging Elias Ymer 6-2, 5-7, 7-6(3) in two hours and 13 minutes to give the Russian Tennis Federation a 1-0 advantage.
Rublev recovered from squandering a 5-3 lead in the second set as he showed patience to secure his victory. Ymer fended off all seven break points he faced in the decider, but Rublev made his pressure count in the tie-break to triumph.
The Russian Tennis Federation will face Germany in the semi-finals Saturday.
Andrea Gaudenzi, ATP Chairman: “The situation involving Peng Shuai continues to raise serious concerns within and beyond our sport. The response to those concerns has so far fallen short. We again urge for a line of open direct communication between the player and the WTA in order to establish a clearer picture of her situation.
We know that sport can have a positive influence on society and generally believe that having a global presence gives us the best chance of creating opportunity and making an impact.
We will continue to consult with our members and monitor any developments as this issue evolves.”
The International Olympic Committee says it has held a second video call with Peng Shuai but still shares concerns for her safety.
Novak Djokovic did double duty on Wednesday in Madrid to lead Serbia into the semi-finals of the Davis Cup Finals.
Djokovic defeated Alexander Bublik 6-3, 6-4 in singles and quickly returned to the court to partner Nikola Cacic to a 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 victory against Andrey Golubev and Aleksandr Nedovyesov, giving Serbia a 2-1 victory against Kazakhstan.
“I’m proudest of the fighting spirit. We had a little drop energetically in the second set, but we managed to bounce back. The start of the third set was crucial the first couple of games to hold our nerves, try to switch the momentum to our side and that’s what we managed,” Djokovic said in his on-court interview. “I’m proud of Nikola, proud of this team and I think we deserve to be in the semi-finals.”
Photo Credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Cacic and Djokovic lost a deciding doubles rubber in group play against Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz of Germany. This time, they came out on the winning end, with Cacic hitting a clutch forehand return to end the match.
“This is our third match played together and every match is better. We are getting better on the court,” Cacic said. “We had a little bit of a problem in the second set actually, I got a little bit tight… But we managed to come back in the third set and I’m really happy.”
Serbia had no margin for error after Mikhail Kukushkin secured a 7-6(5), 4-6, 7-6(11) triumph against Miomir Kecmanovic in the first rubber, which Kecmanovic served for in the third set.
But Djokovic was locked in throughout the day. The World No. 1 levelled the tie with a comprehensive performance against the big-serving Bublik, who even threw in an underarm serve in the penultimate game. Djokovic did not lose focus, closing out Bublik before coming back to produce a determined performance in the doubles rubber. Serbia will play Croatia in the semi-finals.
Novak Djokovic wins in the singles and doubles to help Serbia fight past Kazakhstan 2-1 and reach the Davis Cup semi-finals.
