Yet to pick up a title in 2022, Daniil Medvedev seems intent on rectifying that record this week at the Libema Open in ‘s-Hertogenbosch.

The World No. 2 ended Adrian Mannarino’s eight-match winning streak at the ATP 250 event with a 7-5, 7-5 victory on Saturday to book a championship match appointment with Dutch wild card Tim Van Rijthoven.

A feature of Medvedev’s performances this week in the Netherlands has been his ability to find a way to win even when struggling for rhythm. The win over Mannarino was again more solid than spectacular, but Medvedev will be delighted with the way he handled a genuine grass-court threat in the shape of the flat-hitting Frenchman.

“Adrian plays good and some games in this match I was like, OK, I can’t do anything,” said Medvedev in his on-court interview. “I had to just continue playing my tennis. He was unbelievable sometimes, missing sometimes, so I just continued my game and it managed to work today.”

Should Medvedev defeat No. 205-ranked Van Rijthoven in Sunday’s final, it will give the 26-year-old a double cause for celebration. Regardless of the result, he will reclaim the No. 1 spot in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings on Monday when rankings points from 2021 Roland Garros drop.

“Last time I saw him was in juniors,” said Medvedev. “Probably we saw each other last when we 18 years old and he was always playing good on grass, so I’m not surprised. It’s a surface where sometimes we have these sensations. He’s a great player so I’m ready for a big fight tomorrow.

“It would be great [to win] but it is never easy. I have to show my best tennis. Even if I lose, I have no regrets, but of course I will try my best. Every time you are in a final you want to win.”

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A topsy-turvy opening set featured five breaks of serve, with Mannarino’s aggressive style keeping the top seed alert, but it was Medvedev who made the crucial move. The 26-year-old broke for a third time when leading 6-5 to clinch the set after a below-bar service game from the Mannarino.

The second set also appeared to be narrowly going Medvedev’s way as his impressive defence secured a break in the fifth game that gave him the chance to serve for the match at 5-4, but Mannarino’s consistent ballstriking and ability to skim clean winners off the grass pegged the top seed back to 5-5.

A mammoth 11th game on the Mannarino serve followed that ultimately proved decisive for Medvedev to secure victory. He broke the Frenchman’s resistance by converting his fourth break point of the game before serving out to complete a one-hour, 56-minute victory.

The win avenged Medvedev’s second-round loss to Mannarino in ‘s-Hertogenbosch in 2016 and reduced his deficit in the pair’s ATP Head2Head series to 2-3. Medvedev is hunting the second grass-court title of his career this week, having lifted the trophy at the Mallorca Championships in 2021.

Tim Puetz and Michael Venus moved to within one win of capturing their second tour-level title of the season together Saturday at the BOSS OPEN, defeating Fabrice Martin and Andreas Mies 6-3, 7-6(9) in Stuttgart.

The German-New Zealand tandem won 95 per cent (42/44) of their first-serve points and saved two set points in the second-set tie-break to advance after 90 minutes.

The top seeds are teaming for the first time at the ATP 250 grass-court event and will play Hubert Hurkacz and Mate Pavic in the final on Sunday. Earlier this season, Puetz and Venus lifted the trophy in Dubai, while they captured crowns in Hamburg and Paris as a team in 2021.

Koolhof/Skupski Keep Up The Heat In ‘s-Hertogenbosch
Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski moved past Robin Haase and Matwe Middelkoop 6-3, 6-2 in ‘s-Hertogenbosch to reach their seventh final of a standout season.

The Dutch-British pair has clinched a Tour-leading four titles in 2022 and are currently No. 1 in the Peppersone ATP Doubles Team Rankings. They did not face a break point en route to a 56-minute win over Dutch tandem Haase and Middelkoop.

The second seeds will face Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell in the final after the Australians edged Raven Klaasen and Marcelo Melo 1-6, 7-5, 10-6 in 80 minutes. The fourth seeds are aiming to lift their second tour-level trophy as a team this season after triumphing in Houston.

The dream continues for Tim Van Rijthoven in ‘s-Hertogenbosch.

The Dutch wild card came out on top in a thrilling semi-final encounter with Felix Auger-Aliassime at the Libema Open on Saturday, holding his nerve to clinch a 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(5) victory and reach the championship match in just his second ATP Tour event.

“I’d like to thank all the people that came out today, the support was incredible,” said Van Rijthoven after becoming the first Dutchman to reach the final in ‘s-Hertogenbosch since Raemon Sluiter in 2009. “I don’t know where to start. I got the wild card here which was already a surprise for me. I was just happy to play one or two matches at least. To be in the final is just incredible, I have no words.”

Van Rijthoven now faces World No. 2 Daniil Medvedev or defending champion Adrian Mannarino in Sunday’s championship match at the ATP 250 event. The World No. 205 had not won a match at tour-level until his opening-round win over Matthew Ebden. He has also posted upsets over Taylor Fritz and Hugo Gaston this week in the Netherlands.

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After taking the first set with a solitary break in the sixth game, Van Rijthoven was forced to raise his game again after Auger-Aliassime levelled the match with a second-set charge. Van Rijthoven carved six break point opportunities in the deciding set without being able to break the Auger-Aliassime delivery, yet he kept his composure to surge to a 6/3 lead in the tie-break before converting his third match point when the Canadian netted a backhand under pressure.

“We both served very well,” said Van Rijthoven. “First set when I broke him, I just made him play a lot and made him make the mistakes.

“[In the] second set I was thinking a little bit of course, ‘If I win this set, I’ll be in the finals of an ATP event, which I’ve never even played before.’ So that was quite intense, and then in the third set it was just everything back to zero, and just go.”

Saturday’s win lifts Van Rijthoven 65 places to No. 140 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings. Victory in Sunday’s championship match could push the 25-year-old as high as No. 106.

Former World No. 1 Andy Murray reached his first tour-level final on grass since 2016 at the BOSS OPEN Saturday, moving past Australian Nick Kyrgios 7-6(5), 6-2 in Stuttgart.

In a close first set, the Scot saved both break points he faced and raised his intensity on return in the tie-break to move ahead. He then hit his watertight groundstrokes aggressively and consistently in the second set to race to the finish and advance after one hour and 33 minutes.

“It has been a long time since the last final [on grass]. A lot of ups and downs, but I kept going and kept working and finally managed to get to another one,” Murray said in his on-court interview. “I am proud of the effort I have put in.

“I was just a little more solid in the tie-break. I asked the questions. On these courts, when it is playing quick, the set often comes down to one or two points and I was a little more secure at the end of the first set.”

Murray, who upset World No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarter-finals, now leads Kyrgios 6-1 in their ATP Head2Head series. The win improved the Brit’s record on grass to 114-23.

The 35-year-old will be aiming to clinch a ninth career title on the surface when he meets Italian Matteo Berrettini in Sunday’s final, in what will be a third meeting between the pair. The last time Murray captured a trophy on grass was in 2016 when he defeated Canadian Milos Raonic in the Wimbledon final.

The Scot is up to No. 47 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings following his victory over Kyrgios, who was aiming to reach his first final since 2019 in Washington. It is the first time Murray has been in the Top 50 since May 2018.

Murray advanced to the championship match in Sydney in January, with his last tour-level title coming in 2019 in Antwerp.

Saturday’s draw for the Terra Wortmann Open threw up a potential blockbuster second-round clash in Halle, where second seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and Nick Kyrgios could face off if they win their respective opening matches.

World No. 5 Tsitsipas begins his bid for a maiden grass-court title against Benjamin Bonzi, while wild card Kyrgios takes on home favourite Daniel Altmaier first up at the ATP 500 event. Australian Kyrgios has looked settled on the grass this week in Stuttgart, where he is playing Andy Murray in the semi-finals of the BOSS OPEN.

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Holger Rune and Sebastian Korda are also potential second-round opponents in a stacked bottom quarter of the draw in Germany. #NextGenATP Dane Rune will play his first professional match on grass against sixth seed Pablo Carreno Busta, while 2021 quarter-finalist Korda faces Cristian Garin.

Fourth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime begins his campaign against Marcos Giron in a third quarter that also includes fifth seed Hubert Hurkacz and defending champion Ugo Humbert. They both start against qualifiers.

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In the top half, No. 1 seed Daniil Medvedev seeks a maiden match win in Halle on his second appearance against David Goffin. Medvedev will hope to replicate his previous meeting with the Belgian, a straight-sets win in Cincinnati to clinch his first ATP Masters 1000 crown in 2019. Medvedev, who lifted the trophy on grass in Mallorca last year, is seeded to meet Roberto Bautista Agut in the quarter-finals. However, the Spanish seventh seed faces a tough opener against Marton Fucsovics.

Third seed Andrey Rublev reached a first tour-level final on grass in Halle last year, and his bid for a fourth title of 2022 starts against Nikoloz Basilashvili. Eighth seed Karen Khachanov faces Aslan Karatsev in Rublev’s quarter, while a clash between two in-form players sees Miomir Kecmanovic take on Oscar Otte. Kecmanovic is 25-12 for the 2022 season, while Otte reached his second Tour semi-final of the year in Stuttgart this week.

Reigning champion Matteo Berrettini will have to negotiate a difficult path if he is to capture the title at the Cinch Championships in London following the release of the draw Saturday.

The second-seeded Italian opens against Briton Daniel Evans and could face former World No. 1 Andy Murray in the second round if the record five-time Queen’s Club champion can overcome Lorenzo Sonego in his first match.

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Sixth seed Denis Shapovalov or former World No. 3 Stan Wawrinka are then potential quarter-final opponents for Berrettini, who is into the final in Stuttgart this week. Shapovalov, who advanced to the semi-finals in London last year, starts against Tommy Paul, while 2014 semi-finalist Wawrinka meets Frances Tiafoe in the first round.

Last year’s finalist Cameron Norrie is also in the bottom half of the draw and begins against Grigor Dimitrov, who lifted the trophy at the ATP 500 event in 2014.

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Top seed Casper Ruud is making his debut at The Queen’s Club and faces British wild card Ryan Peniston in the first round. The Norwegian, who advanced to his maiden Grand Slam final at Roland Garros earlier this month, is seeded to meet Argentine Diego Schwartzman in the quarter-finals. The fifth seed will open against a qualifier.

#NextGenATP Briton Jack Draper has captured four ATP Challenger Tour crowns this year and will play fourth seed Taylor Fritz in the first round. Draper earned wins over Jannik Sinner and Alexander Bublik at the grass-court event last year, while Fritz is making his debut. The American has tasted success on grass before, though, triumphing in Eastbourne in 2019.

Other standout first-round matches include #NextGenATP Italian Lorenzo Musetti against Bublik, with two-time Queen’s Club champion Marin Cilic beginning against British wild card Liam Broady.

The 2022 Cinch Championships will be played from 13-19 June at The Queen’s Club in London.

Matteo Berrettini’s comeback hit new heights on Saturday when the Italian edged Germany’s Oscar Otte 7-6(7), 7-6(5) at the BOSS OPEN to reach his first tour-level final of the season.

Berrettini missed the clay season after being sidelined with a right-hand injury in March. However, the second seed has quickly found his best level on his return this week in Stuttgart, serving well and dictating on his forehand to reach a fourth tour-level final on grass.

In a tight clash, the World No. 10 fired 18 aces, won 84 per cent (41/49) of his first-serve points and saved one set point at 6/7 in the first-set tie-break, before eventually advancing after one hour and 48 minutes. The Italian now leads the 28-year-old 3-0 in their ATP Head2Head series.

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With his victory, Berrettini has extended his perfect record to 8-0 at the ATP 250 grass-court event, having lifted the trophy on his debut in 2019. The 26-year-old, who is 27-6 on grass in his career, will face Australian Nick Kyrgios or former World No. 1 Andy Murray on Sunday.

Alongside Stuttgart, the five-time tour-level champion captured the crown at the Cinch Championships in London last year, before he advanced to his maiden Grand Slam final at Wimbledon, losing to Novak Djokovic.

Home favourite Otte was playing in his second tour-level semi-final of the season after reaching the last four in Munich in April. The German is up to No. 50 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings following his run in Stuttgart.