Two of the ATP Tour’s most recognisable faces returned to the match court on Tuesday after extended breaks due to injury.

Stan Wawrinka and Dominic Thiem both suffered losses at the AnyTech365 Andalucia Open, but for Wawrinka simply competing again represented a victory at the ATP Challenger Tour event in Marbella, Spain.

“I think physically it was good, it was really positive,” said the Swiss after his 6-2, 6-4 first-round loss to World No. 131 Elias Ymer at the outdoor clay event. “I was super happy to be back playing a tournament, to get the emotion, to get the stress of a match again.”

Wawrinka had not played since the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha in March 2021 due to a foot injury. After an extensive rehabilitation process, the 37-year-old was happy to finally make the move to the match court.

“I was focused on trying to do my best with the level I have right now, and I knew it would be difficult, but in general I think it’s only a positive week for me,” he said. “I’ve been practising well and I’m going to keep practising and keep building for the next few weeks.”

Wawrinka’s next tournament will be the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters in mid-April, where he lifted the trophy in 2014, as he gears up for a Grand Slam comeback at Roland Garros. Despite having this schedule in place, the Swiss is putting no pressure on himself in terms of what he can achieve in his first months back on Tour.

“There is a short-term goal, and a long-term goal,” he said. “It’s tough to say about timing. There is a lot of time until the French Open, so for sure I will be a completely different player, physically and tennis-wise.

“I’m not worried at all. I need to focus on the moment, to focus on what I’m doing today to get to the level I want to be [at].”

For 2020 US Open champion Thiem it has been nine months out with an injury to his right wrist. The Austrian last played on the grass at the Mallorca Championships in June and on Tuesday was beaten 6-3, 6-4 by World No. 228 Pedro Cachin.

The 28-year-old acknowledged it had been a difficult road back when he announced his participation at the Marbella event via an Instagram post on 25 March. “It’s been a very, very tough period for me and to go back to competition is what I have been waiting for so long and as you know I had a lot of setbacks,” wrote Thiem. “I know this will be a slow process of getting back to the top level, but I am ready to work hard and start humble.”

Thiem’s return coincides with the start of the clay-court season, giving him the opportunity to ease back in on a surface he has always enjoyed. The Austrian has won 10 of his 17 ATP Tour titles on the red dirt and he reached the championship match at Roland Garros in 2018 and 2019.

Wawrinka and Thiem’s appearance in Marbella marks the first time that two former Top 3 players have competed at the same Challenger Tour event. Former Top 50 stars Philipp Kohlschreiber, Pablo Andujar and Jiri Vesely have all advanced to the second round in Spain, as has 2020 and 2021 finalist Jaume Munar.

Matteo Berrettini announced on Instagram Tuesday that he underwent a “minor operation” on his right hand following his withdrawal from the Miami Open presented by Itau.

“My team and I have been speaking to medical experts since my withdrawal from Miami with a right hand injury,” Berrettini wrote. “Following multiple scans and assessments we decided a minor operation was the best solution to ensure a full and quick recovery.

“Earlier today I had the operation and I’m happy to report it went extremely well. My doctor and team are already discussing plans for me to get back on court. I will provide an update as soon as this plan is finalised. Thanks very much as always for all the support.” 

 

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The Italian last competed at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, where he lost in the fourth round against Miomir Kecmanovic. The two-time Nitto ATP Finals competitor is 9-6 on the season, including a run to the Australian Open semi-finals.

Daniil Medvedev moved to within one victory of reclaiming the No. 1 spot in the ATP Rankings Tuesday at the Miami Open presented by Itau, overcoming Jenson Brooksby 7-5, 6-1.

The 26-year-old, who is making his fourth appearance in Florida, rallied from 3-5 in the first set as he soaked up Brooksby’s variety of shots in a controlled performance to advance into the quarter-finals after 80 minutes.

“Jenson has the potential to be a top player,” Medvedev said in his on-court interview. “He is really good and plays better than his ranking. I knew it was not going to be an easy match. I had no solutions at the beginning. The crucial moment was when I managed to make him serve for the set and he got a little bit tight and I played a bit better.”

Medvedev will next face reigning Miami champion Hubert Hurkacz or South African Lloyd Harris, knowing a win would move him back to World No. 1 on Monday, two weeks after he lost top spot to Novak Djokovic.

The Balance of Power analysis from Tennis Data Innovation shows the dramatic turnaround in how the match was played between sets. Brooksby had a slight edge in BOP in the first set when he made an explosive start, but Medvedev had a massive nine percentage points advantage in playing from attacking positions when he dominated the second set. (Learn more about Balance of Power)

Set One Balance of Power

Set Two Balance of Power

The top seed is bidding to win his first trophy of the season this week, having reached the final at the Australian Open and the last four at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC in Acapulco.

Medvedev, who spent three weeks as the World No. 1 from 28 February to 21 March this year, is a four-time ATP Masters 1000 champion. With his victory over American Brooksby, the World No. 2 equalled his best result in Miami, after also advancing to the last eight in 2021.

Medvedev started slowly against Brooksby on Hard Rock Stadium as he struggled to cope with the World No. 39’s intensity and shot variation. However, Medvedev is not a 13-time tour-level titlist for nothing, and he found his range when it mattered most, breaking back to level at 5-5.

From there he put his foot on the pedal, hitting with great accuracy, depth and precision to force Brooksby into errors. Medvedev limited the unforced error count in the second set and rolled off 10 of the final 11 games, firing the ball through the court with great power to advance in their first ATP Head2Head meeting.

“Sometimes I am not that intense on court, so today I tried to pump myself up,” Medvedev added. “I had to try and close it out as fast as possible. I had to fight for every point.”

Brooksby defeated Federico Coria, Nikoloz Basilashvili and Roberto Bautista Agut to reach the fourth round. The 21-year-old was aiming to reach the quarter-finals at a Masters 1000 tournament for the first time.

Jannik Sinner saved eight match points across his first two matches at the Miami Open presented by Itau, but on Tuesday he did not need to toe the limit so closely. The ninth seed played his best tennis against the red-hot Nick Kyrgios, defeating the Australian 7-6(3), 6-3 to reach the quarter-finals at Hard Rock Stadium.

“Today I raised a little bit my level,” Sinner said in his on-court interview. “I had to, because he’s a very aggressive player, especially when he serves well. I’m very happy about my performance today.”

The 20-year-old made his first ATP Masters 1000 final one year ago in Miami on his tournament debut, and he is now 8-1 at the event. Sinner will next play 28th seed Frances Tiafoe or Argentine Francisco Cerundolo.

In the pair’s first ATP Head2Head clash, Kyrgios, who lost a combined nine games against seeded opponents Andrey Rublev and Fabio Fognini, seemed keen on making another quick start. Sinner was forced to save a break point in two of his first three service games, but he held on in those moments, and neither man lost serve in the opening set.

“I think when I saved a couple of break points early in the first set, it raised my confidence a little bit,” Sinner said. “Then it was not easy on this one side where the sun was completely in the eye, which you have to manage a little bit the situation also.”

BLOCKBUSTER from Sinner 🚀@janniksin #MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/9H1QFjgwxy

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 29, 2022

It all came apart for Kyrgios in the ensuing tie-break. Sinner gave him no free points early on, and the Australian then received a point penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct following chatter about the chair umpire. Kyrgios was unable to overcome that, eventually hitting a frustrated double fault to lose the set.

The wild card then smashed his racquet against his bag and the court, which led to him receiving a game penalty. That cost the Aussie dearly, as he was set to serve to start the second set. It essentially gave Sinner a break advantage to begin the second set, which the five-time ATP Tour titlist took full advantage of.

Kyrgios had some high moments, hitting a flurry of volleys on one point, finishing the sequence with a stunning drop volley. In the final game of the match, he also hit an impressive forehand volley on the full stretch against an approaching Sinner.

But Sinner was the more consistent of the two players, especially from his ground. His easy power prevented Kyrgios from controlling the action and put pressure on him to make poor shot selection.

“I think he’s very solid on his backhand, which he plays very, very flat,” Sinner said. “I tried to somehow move him a little bit, trying to make him a little bit off balance, especially trying to get as many balls in return games in the court, which today I think I did very well.

Alexander Zverev continued the quest for his first title of the season Tuesday, overcoming Australian qualifier Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-4, 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals at the Miami Open presented by Itau.

The World No. 4 captured six tour-level titles in a standout 2021 campaign but has yet to strike gold this year, with his best result coming in Montpellier where he reached the final.

Zverev is playing with confidence in Florida this week, however, having moved past Borna Coric and Mackenzie McDonald in his opening two matches. The 24-year-old dictated the forehand exchanges against Kokkinakis and played with greater consistency from the baseline to advance after one hour and 32 minutes.

“I wanted to shorten the points as it was quite hot,” Zverev said in his on-court interview. “Thanasi is a very aggressive player so I tried to take that away from him. I was returning the second serve quite well. I kept putting pressure on him and kept being aggressive and it worked out well.”

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With his victory on Hard Rock Stadium, Zverev now leads the 25-year-old 1-0 in their ATP Head2Head series. The second seed will next face Casper Ruud after the Norwegian swept aside 10th seed Cameron Norrie 6-3, 6-4.

“Casper is a great player and playing incredibly well right now, so I am ready for a tough battle,” Zverev added.

Zverev is making his seventh appearance in Miami, with his best result reaching the championship match in 2018, when the event was held at Crandon Park in Key Biscayne.

Zverev played with great intensity at the start of the first set as he demonstrated impressive footwork to move inside the baseline and control points on his forehand. Kokkinakis struggled to impose his dynamic game on the German, who gained the crucial break in the fifth game in the first set before soaring through his service games to move ahead.

The German continued to control proceedings in the second set as he frequently finished points at the net after pulling the Australian from side to side. Zverev broke Kokkinakis to move into a 3-2 lead and from there he put his foot on the accelerator to advance.

Kokkinakis was aiming to reach the quarter-finals at an ATP Masters 1000 event for the first time. The World No. 97 has enjoyed a strong start to the season, capturing his maiden tour-level title in Adelaide before he lifted the Australian Open men’s doubles trophy with Nick Kyrgios.

Casper Ruud has found a winning groove at Hard Rock Stadium.

The Norwegian completed his third win in five months over Cameron Norrie at the Miami Open presented by Itau on Tuesday, putting in a commanding performance to surge to a 6-3, 6-4 win and reach the quarter-finals in south Florida for the first time.

The sixth seed arrived in Miami having never won a main-draw match at the ATP Masters 1000 event but has now produced three high-class performances to reach the last eight without dropping a set.

Since a heavy defeat to Ruud in the San Diego championship match in October, Norrie has clinched a maiden ATP Masters 1000 title at the 2021 BNP Paribas Open and risen to the brink of the Top 10 of the ATP Rankings. Yet Ruud’s powerful game appears to be a difficult matchup for the World No. 12, who now trails the Norwegian 0-3 in the pair’s ATP Head2Head series.

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Ruud came into the match having dropped just eight games in his opening two rounds, the least of any player in the last 16, and he looked in good touch again from the start on Grandstand. The sixth seed was in control throughout the first set and clinched it thanks to a break in the fourth game.

The Norwegian remained imperious on serve and was helped by an uncharacteristically wayward performance from his opponent. Ruud took full advantage to break twice in the second set as the combination of pace and accuracy on his groundstrokes was too much even for the effervescent Norrie.

Ruud won 85 per cent (33/39) of points behind his first serve in the one-hour, 32-minute victory, according to Infosys ATP Stats. Although a late lapse meant he gave up a break for the first time in the tournament when serving for the match at 5-2, the seven-time ATP Tour titlist once again showed his first delivery is a weapon that could cause problems for any player left in the field.

A former semi-finalist at the Masters 1000 events in Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome, this is the first time Ruud has reached the quarter-finals on a hard court at this level. His next opponent at Hard Rock Stadium will be second seed Alexander Zverev, who beat Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-4, 6-4 to reach the last eight. Zverev has won the pair’s two previous tour-level meetings, coming out on top in the quarter-finals of both the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati and the Rolex Paris Masters in 2021.

Top 20 stars Casper Ruud and Reilly Opelka will be in action at the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship, an ATP 250 tournament taking place from 4-10 April at River Oaks Country Club.

North America’s only clay-court tournament on the ATP Tour returns to River Oaks for the first time since 2019. The 2022 field includes a pair of former champions in Cristian Garin (2019) and John Isner (2013).

World No. 8 and 2019 River Oaks finalist Ruud is among the top-ranked players entered in the field. This year’s participants have won a combined 42 tour-level titles, with 12 coming on clay.

Isner is one of eight Americans signed up on the initial player entry list. Headlining the US contingent is Opelka, who won his third career ATP Tour title in Dallas last month and reached the Delray Beach final the following week.

The 19 players on the initial entry list represent 10 countries and will feature nine competitors playing at River Oaks for the first time.

“Our player reveal gives us more excitement that we are finally returning to River Oaks for the first time in three years,” Tournament Director Bronwyn Greer said. “We are thrilled to welcome well-accomplished ATP Tour stars along with great talent making their debut at River Oaks. We also cannot wait to welcome back our fans to River Oaks in less than a month.”

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Australia’s Nick Kyrgios has been awarded the first main draw wild card entry to the event.

The winner of six career tour-level singles titles, Krygios reached the quarter-finals at the BNP Paribas Open earlier this month. Kyrgios, a US Clay quarterfinalist in 2018, has three times finished as runner-up in his career, including at one previous ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Cincinnati in 2017.

Reigning Australian Open doubles finalists Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell highlight the 14 doubles teams on the initial entry list for the clay-court tournament.

The event will also feature four all-American doubles teams. The American teams include Sam Querrey, the 2012 River Oaks doubles champion, and partner Steve Johnson, a two-time singles champion.

Former NCAA doubles victor Mackenzie McDonald joins forces with 2020 Roland Garros doubles quarter-finalist Tommy Paul, while 2018 River Oaks doubles finalist Frances Tiafoe unites with four-time ATP Tour titleholder Nicholas Monroe. Marcos Giron, one of five players in both the singles and doubles main draws at River Oaks, will compete with former NCAA doubles champion Hunter Reese.

Defending River Oaks doubles champion Santiago Gonzalez will go on a quest for a repeat run with 27-time ATP Tour titleholder Lukasz Kubot.

“We are thrilled to reveal our 2022 doubles field,” Tournament Director Bronwyn Greer said. “With doubles being popular to play, our fans will enjoy the competition of former River Oaks champions, NCAA doubles winners and the rest of the great talent in the field.”

Two-time champion Steve Johnson and the tournament’s winningest active player Sam Querrey headline the initial entry list for qualifying.

A two-round qualifier featuring 16 players will be held opening weekend, 2-3 April, with four players advancing to the tournament’s main draw, which begins Monday, 4 April and runs until the championship on Sunday, 10 April.

Johnson won consecutive titles at River Oaks, in 2017 and 2018, to be the first repeat champion at US Clay since Andy Roddick in 2001-02. The winner of two NCAA singles titles while playing at the University of Southern California, he owns an 11-5 record in Houston. Johnson has won four ATP Tour titles during his career.

Querrey has a 17-10 record in his career at US Clay to lead all active players for match wins at the event. Along the way, he has reached a pair of finals (2010 and 2015) while also claiming the doubles title in 2012. He has reached the Wimbledon semi-finals while also twice being a quarter-finalist there. He owns 10 tour-level crowns.

Two other qualifying entrants have previously reached the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship semi-finals: Daniel Elahi Galan as a qualifying wild card in 2019 and Pablo Cuevas in 2011.