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Koolhof/Skupski Continue Hot Start To 2022, Reach Adelaide Final

  • Posted: Jan 14, 2022

Dutchman Wesley Koolhof and Briton Neal Skupski reached their second ATP Tour final in as many weeks by defeating second seeds Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo 6-4, 6-1 on Friday in the semi-finals of the Adelaide International 2.

Third seeds Koolhof and Skupski triumphed at the Melbourne Summer Set tournament last week (d. Nedovyesov/Qureshi), but their opponents also came into the match in good form. The second-seeded Croatian-Brazilian pairing of Dodig and Melo had reached the final in Adelaide last week (l. to Bopanna/Ramanathan), but they were unable to replicate that performance this week at the same venue.

Koolhof and Skupski will meet Ariel Behar and Gonzalo Escobar in the final. The Uruguayan-Ecuadorian pairing both finished 2021 with career high ATP Doubles Rankings, and the sixth seeds have started 2022 brightly, too. They beat the eighth seeds Tomislav Brkic and Nikola Cacic 6-4, 6-7(5), 10-6 in the second semi-final.

Bolelli/Fognini Recreate Top 10 Days to Reach Sydney Final
Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini, the 2015 Australian Open champions, reached the Sydney Tennis Classic final on Friday, defeating sixth-seeded Germans Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies 6-4, 6-2.

All four players have been Top 10 in the world in doubles, but the constant pressure Bolelli and Fognini were able to put on their opponents’ serves was key. The Italians converted four of 10 break points on their way to victory.

In the other semi-final, Australian John Peers and Slovakia’s Filip Polasek defeated all-Australian duo Alexei Popyrin and Matt Reid 7-6(2), 6-3.

Third seeds Peers and Polasek, saved the only break point of the first set before winning the tie-break. They had too much for the unseeded Aussie pair in the second set, however, and Peers and Polasek can now look forward to the support of the home crowd when they take on Bolelli and Fognini on Saturday.

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Netflix To Produce Groundbreaking Tennis Documentary Series

  • Posted: Jan 14, 2022

Get ready for access to professional tennis like you’ve never seen before.

For the first time, fans will be able to share in a year in the life of some of the world’s best tennis players as they journey around the world, seeking to win on the sport’s biggest stages.   

Netflix has teamed up with the ATP Tour, ATP Media, WTA Tour and four Grand Slam Tournaments beginning with the 2022 season at the Australian Open to bring this unique immersive documentary series to the screen.

The series will offer an unfiltered look at life inside the competitive sport of professional tennis through the perspective of the players and their teams, in the same spirit as Formula 1: Drive to Survive and the recently announced project featuring golf’s PGA Tour. 

Through a historic collaboration that will take cameras behind the scenes of the two tours, the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open, the series will also be the first sports programme of its kind to provide an equal platform to the men’s and women’s competitors of the sport, in keeping with the equal stage they share throughout the year. 

“We are excited to continue bolstering our lineup of sports programming with this behind-the-scenes documentary series,” said Brandon Riegg, Netflix Vice President of Unscripted and Documentary Series. “Tennis is beloved all over the world, with high-stakes tournaments hopping across continents and athletes hailing from countless countries. Through this historic partnership with the four Grand Slam tournaments, the ATP Tour, WTA Tour, and ATP Media, the series will be packed with rare access and rich personal stories that are sure to draw in longtime fans and new audiences alike.” 

The series is produced by Box to Box Films (Formula 1: Drive to Survive) with James Gay Rees and Paul Martin as serving as Executive Producers. Filming is underway now at the Australian Open.

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Kyrgios' Trick Shot Masterclass

  • Posted: Jan 14, 2022

Australia’s Nick Kyrgios has produced moments of on-court brilliance throughout his career that have brought fans to their feet across the world. From eye-catching tweeners to underarm serves, the 26-year-old produces an entertaining brand of tennis that has earned him wins against Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

Luckily, having joined TopCourt, Kyrgios is on hand to share his tips on how to execute his stunning shots, while also discussing the triumphs and struggles he has faced playing the sport.

Technique: Kyrgios focuses on moving away from looking at the foundation shots such as the forehand and backhand, but rather shows you how to master a few of the trick shots he uses such as the tweener and a variety of drop shots. The six-time tour-level titlist demonstrates the need to have good touch and feel for the ball when out on court.

Drills: The Australian demonstrates the ‘3 Spot Run Around Forehand’ drill, where he shares his tips on how to be aggressive on the stroke and the importance of implementing good footwork if you want success on the shot. Kyrgios explains the difference between all three forehands regarding the trajectory and spin of the ball and how you can use the shot to control the point.

Follow Kyrgios’ Tutorials at TopCourt.com

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Broady Upsets Safiullin To Qualify For Australian Open

  • Posted: Jan 14, 2022

British lefty Liam Broady pulled the biggest upset on the final day of Australian Open qualifying Friday when he rallied from a set and a break down to defeat Russia’s ATP Cup star Roman Safiullin to reach the main draw of the year’s first Grand Slam.

Safiullin, dubbed Russia’s new secret weapon by countryman Daniil Medvedev at ATP Cup, served for the match at 5-3 in the second before Broady turned the tide of the match with big serving and heavy ballstriking from the baseline to secure a fighting 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-2 win. He hit 29 winners, including 10 aces, and converted three of his four break point opportunities.

“I feel incredibly overjoyed by the win,” Broady told ATPTour.com after the match. “Having qualified for the French Open the year before last I broke the last-round-of-qualies duck and I didn’t feel too nervous today. The thing I am most pleased with is the guy that I beat.

“Roman is a fantastic player who beat me one and one at French Open qualies last year, so I knew I would have my work cut out. At a set and 5-3 down with Roman serving I was pretty frustrated because I felt I had improved since the last time we’d played and I wanted to show Roman that as much as anybody else. I just hung around and am really pleased to get over the line.”

Broady, who shared an extended embrace lying on his back with longtime coach Dave Sammel after the match, said that his decision to be part of Team Great Britain’s ATP Cup campaign as captain – at the expense of getting match practice for the Aussie Open qualies – had been vindicated.

“We weren’t sure how the preparation would be not playing an event leading in, but I love being part of the team events. After Davis Cup I took away from that really positive energy being around all the British guys and I did that again from ATP Cup and it’s carried through to this event.”

Safiullin advanced through qualifying at Melbourne Park last year to reach the second round, where he extended Cameron Norrie to a fourth-set tie-break.

Ecuador’s Emilio Gomez qualified for his second Grand Slam event (Roland Garros 2020) when he defeated Italian Thomas Fabbiano 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 after saving nine of the 11 break points he faced.

The World No. 155, son of 1990 Roland Garros champion Andres Gomez, won just two of seven tour-level matches last season, spending most of his time at ATP Challenger Tour level.

Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Kukushkin ensured that he would make his seventh consecutive appearance at the majors when he withstood a stern test from American Ernesto Escobedo, winning 6-4, 5-7, 7-5 in two hours and 52 minutes.

Maximilian Marterer won an all-German battle against Tobias Kamke 6-4, 6-1 to take his place in the Australian Open main draw for the first time since 2019.

Moldova’s Radu Albot, who at 32 finds himself at No. 123 in the ATP Rankings, enjoyed a 6-4, 6-4 third-round qualifying win over Joao Sousa. Last year Albot made the third round at Melbourne Park.

Jiri Lehecka, a 20-year-old from the Czech Republic, qualified for his first major with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 win over Kazakh Dmitry Popko.

Another 20-year-old, Kazakh Timofey Skatov, also became a first-time Grand Slam qualifier after defeating Portugal’s Gastao Elias 6-4, 7-5(5).

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