Google Play App Download

Tennis News

From around the world

Thompson 'shows fight' to outlast Shang & reach Atlanta final

  • Posted: Jul 27, 2024

Jordan Thompson advanced to the fourth tour-level final of his career Saturday at the Atlanta Open, where he overcame #NextGenATP 19-year-old Shang Juncheng 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.

Should the Australian go one step further and claim his second tour-level title — after his Los Cabos triumph in in February — the 30-year-old would enter the Top 30 of the PIF ATP Rankings for the first time in his career.

“I served really well today. I only was broken one time, held off a couple of games. I felt like my serve really kept me in it,” said Thompson, who struck 13 aces and made 75 per cent of his first serves, compared to Shang’s 61 per cent, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

[ATP APP]

The fourth seed found great success when serving to Shang’s body, making it difficult for the lefty to attack early in rallies. Thompson was rock solid from the baseline throughout the two-hour, 21-minute match, easily transitioning from defence to offence and remaining the more consistent player in the latter stages of the match.

The Sydney native yesterday survived the longest match in Atlanta tournament history, a three-hour, three-minute marathon against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. Despite the short recovery, Thompson quickly rebounded to avenge this year’s Indian Wells loss to Shang and level their Lexus ATP Head2Head series at 1-1.

“I don’t know how I recovered from yesterday, but I showed some fight,” Thompson said.

The Aussie will face Yoshihito Nishioka or Arthur Rinderknech in Sunday’s final.

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

Source link

Cerundolo claims Umag title with late surge past Musetti

  • Posted: Jul 27, 2024

Battling back from behind for much of the match, Francisco Cerundolo earned his third ATP Tour title by fending off constant pressure from Lorenzo Musetti in Saturday’s Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag final.

In a 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(5) victory, the Argentine stopped his opponent from serving out the match at 5-4 in the third set and then roared back from 1/3 in the decisive tie-break, winning five straight points to take command of the match for the first time. On his third match point, a forehand volley winner sent Cerundolo onto the European clay on his back in celebration.

“It was an unreal battle,” Cerundolo said after beating the Wimbledon semi-finalist, who is now 15-4 since the start of the grass season. “Lorenzo has played super great tennis the last month. He probably is one of the players who won the most matches on Tour so I knew it was going to be really tough tonight.

“I don’t know how I came back. I fought until the last point and luckily I won the match. I’m super proud because it was a really tough battle.”

The 25-year-old will move up 11 places to No. 25 in the PIF ATP Rankings behind his title run, seven spots off his career high of No. 19 in 2023.

By improving to 3-2 in tour-level finals, Cerundolo claimed his third title in as many years following triumphs in Bastad in 2022 and last year in Eastbourne. He is the third ATP Tour champion this season to defeat both of the top two seeds en route to the title, having beaten top seed Andrey Rublev in the semis.

 

Cerundolo found the range on his explosive forehand in the second set but was pushed to the limit in nearly every service game in set three. After saving six break points in the deciding set, he could not stop Musetti from taking his seventh chance to build a 5-4 lead. But he swiftly broke back by taking his lone break chance of the set, then put on an attacking masterclass in the tie-break to claim the title.

“I didn’t know what to do at the beginning,” said Cerundolo, who did not create a break point in the first set, according to Infosys ATP Stats. “I wasn’t playing too aggressive. I was letting him play really comfortable and I was feeling really bad on court, like there wasn’t any chance to win. After that I got a lot of confidence and started playing better. After that I think it was a really good match.”

It was Cerundolo’s first Lexus ATP Head2Head win against Musetti, who won their lone previous meeting in the 2022 Hamburg semi-finals. Both players will now face quick turnarounds before competing in the Paris Olympics on Sunday.

“Both of us, we have to play tomorrow night,” Cerundolo said. “I don’t know how we’re going to do it. I’m tired, I don’t know how he is. But tomorrow is going to be really difficult for both of us because we’re not going to sleep tonight, probably two, three hours because we have an early flight tomorrow.

“Arrive there, get a warm-up… and get on court. Me and him, probably we’re going to leave everything tomorrow for our country. I want to play the Olympics really bad. I will get some energy from nowhere and try to do my best tomorrow.”

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

Source link

Alcaraz/Nadal win doubles debut at Paris Olympics

  • Posted: Jul 27, 2024

Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal made a roaring start to their much-anticipated doubles debut Saturday at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where the Spanish duo ousted sixth-seeded Argentines Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni 7-6(4), 6-4 to reach the second round.

Alcaraz, who began the day with a singles victory in his Olympics debut, made a nervy start, dropping serve in the opening game and needing to fend off two break points in his second service game. But it was the more experienced 38-year-old Nadal, in his fourth Olympics appearance, who helped settle the team with banana-curling forehand winners and lightning-fast reflexes at net.

Both wearing Spanish red shirts and white shorts, Alcaraz and Nadal resorted to a ‘two back’ strategy on return, with the lefty Nadal returning on the deuce side. Alcaraz and Nadal then looked for early opportunities to use angles and work their way forward to seize control of rallies. They gained a mini-break advantage at 3/3 in the opening-set tie-break, when Alcaraz blasted a forehand that clipped the net cord and deflected off Gonzalez’s racquet frame.

[ATP APP]

Alcaraz and Nadal trailed 0-3 in the second set, before tallying three consecutive games and building upon their momentum, earning a crucial break at 4-4. The 92-time tour-level titlist Nadal then served out the match, accompanied by fans chanting, “Rafa! Rafa!” under the Court-Philippe Chatrier roof.

Nadal, a two-time gold medallist (2008 Beijing singles, 2016 Rio doubles w/ Marc Lopez), played the entirety of the one-hour, 47-minute match with his upper right leg taped, but the lefty showed no signs of hindered movement.

Up next for the pair of former World No. 1’s in the PIF ATP Rankings are Dutchmen Tallon Griekspoor and Wesley Koolhof or Hungarians Marton Fucsovics and Fabian Marozsan. Fucsovics is Nadal’s first-round singles opponent.

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

Source link

Washington singles draw revealed

  • Posted: Jul 27, 2024

Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared on MubadalaCitiOpen.com.

Both the men’s and women’s singles draws have been revealed and the itinerary for the 55th edition of Mubadala Citi DC Open is starting to take shape.

While qualifying rounds will be completed over the weekend, main-draw play begins Monday with several headliners and Grand Slam champions set to usher in a busy week of competition.

Shelton, Korda & Tiafoe Among American Headliners In Men’s Draw
On the ATP Tour side, the top 16 seeds in the 48-player field all received first-round byes. Andrey Rublev returns to Washington for his fourth career appearance and his second as the tournament’s top seed. American Ben Shelton, No. 14 in the PIF ATP Rankings, anchors the bottom half of the draw as the second seed.

Rublev is a two-time D.C. semi-finalist and could face local hero Frances Tiafoe in the quarter-finals. Tiafoe, who made his pro debut on these grounds 10 years ago, has reached the D.C. quarters in each of the past two years before falling to the eventual tournament champ. The top quarter of the draw also includes a first-round match between 2022 D.C. finalist Yoshihito Nishioka and American Aleksandar Kovacevic, the pair’s second Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting.

Should the seeds hold, fourth seed Sebastian Korda and seventh seed Jordan Thompson could meet in the quarter-finals, while third seed Karen Khachanov and eighth seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina are also positioned to meet in the last eight.

Shelton, Korda and Tiafoe are among five American seeds to receive a first-round bye. The others include 13th seed Brandon Nakashima and 15th seed Alex Michelsen. All will be vying to become the first American men’s singles champion in D.C. since Andy Roddick won the Washington crown in 2007.

Michelson, 19, turned pro last summer and arrives in D.C. fresh off a final appearance earlier this month in Newport. The #NextGenATP star will face either a qualifier or 2021 D.C. finalist Mackenzie McDonald in his opening match in Rock Creek Park.

Shelton and Nakashima are joined in the bottom quarter of the draw by sixth seed Adrian Mannarino and 12th seed Miomir Kecmanovic, plus wild cards Denis Shapovalov and J.J. Wolf.

[ATP APP]

Sabalenka, Kasatkina, Samsonova & Jabeur Headline Women’s Draw
In the women’s draw, two-time defending Australian Open champion and World No. 3 Aryna Sabalenka is the top seed, while World No. 12 Daria Kasatkina anchors the bottom half of the draw as the second seed. The top four seeds in the women’s draw all received first-round byes with 2022 D.C. champion Liudmila Samsonova and three-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur rounding out the quartet.

Sabalenka returns to Washington for the first time since 2017 and could meet former World No. 1 and two-time Grand Slam champion Victoria Azarenka in the quarter-finals. Karolina Pliskova — another former World No. 1 and two-time Grand Slam finalist — also looms in the top quarter of the draw.

Jabeur will open her 2024 account against either D.C. native Robin Montgomery or Shelby Rogers. Montgomery, 19, received a wild card and is set to compete in the main draw of her hometown tournament for the first time. Jabeur and Montgomery met for the first time at Wimbledon this month, with Jabeur prevailing in their second-round match.

Samsonova headlines a loaded quarter with a second-round match looming against either American and 2020 Australian Open champ Sofia Kenin or wild card Paula Badosa. If the seeds hold, Samsonova could face eighth seed Elise Mertens in the quarter-finals. Mertens will be tested in her first-round match as she faces wild card and 2021 US Open champ Emma Raducanu.

D.C. native Clervie Ngounoue is also in Samsonova’s quarter and will make her Washington main-draw debut against Peyton Stearns in an all-American first-round showdown.

Kasatkina and seventh seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova headline the bottom quarter of the draw. Sloane Stephens, who captured her maiden WTA title in Washington in 2015, also lurks in Kasatkina’s quarter. Stephens is making her record 12th career appearance in the women’s draw.

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

Source link

Scouting Report: Fan favourites Rublev, Shelton, Tiafoe headline Washington field

  • Posted: Jul 27, 2024

The hard courts of the Mubadala Citi DC Open will host the lone ATP Tour event of the week in Washington. The ATP 500 field includes top seed Andrey Rublev and a host of American stars, led by Ben Shelton and local hero Frances Tiafoe.

ATPTour.com breaks down five key storylines at the American event.

[ATP APP]

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN WASHINGTON
1) Rublev On A Roll?: After breaking a four-match losing streak in Umag, Rublev put together a strong week to reach the semi-finals on the European clay. It will be a quick turnaround to the American hard courts, but Rublev will be full of confidence after earning his way back into the win column.

 

2) Shelton Leads American Charge: The popular 21-year-old will be the top-ranked American in Washington. Having rose to U.S. No. 1 behind his Houston title in April, Shelton is now the American No. 3 at World No. 14. After a first-round loss to #NextGenATP Chinese star Shang Juncheng last year in Washington, he will be seeking his first wins at the event. (Shang also beat Shelton last week in Atlanta.)

3) The Wait For A Home Champ: It has been 17 years since an American lifted the Washington title, with Andy Roddick beating John Isner in the 2007 final. But a host of candidates could soon snap that streak, including Sebastian Korda, Frances Tiafoe, Alex Michelsen and Reilly Opelka. Tiafoe is a fan favourite all around the world, but especially in D.C., as a native of nearby Hyattsville, Maryland.

4) Khachanov, Mannarino Seek Turnarounds: At No. 22 and No. 32 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Karen Khachanov and Adrian Mannarino have both struggled to find their best tennis in recent months. Khachanov won the Doha title in February, his sixth tour-level crown, but has not recorded multiple wins at the same event since Rome. Mannarino is 8-18 this season and enters Atlanta on six-match losing streak. Both players will be seeded in Washington, fuelling hopes they can live up to that billing and snap out of their slumps.

5) Heliovaara/Patten Lead Doubles Draw: Finland’s Harri Heliovaara and Great Britain’s Henry Patten are among the top doubles contenders in Washington, along with Aussies Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson, as well as Jamie Murray and Michael Venus. Heliovaara and Patten face a tough opening matchup against Shelton and Croatia’s Ivan Dodig, the No. 20 in the PIF ATP Doubles Rankings.

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

Source link

First-time partners & last-minute sign in, Erler/Mies win Kitzbühel crown

  • Posted: Jul 27, 2024

Home favourite Alexander Erler and German Andreas Mies enjoyed a perfect week as first-time partners at the Generali Open. But it was far from easy.

The Austrian-German duo needed a Match Tie-break in all four of its matches, including a second-round win against top seeds Jamie Murray and Adam Pavlasek. On Saturday, the sixth seeds earned a final 6-3, 3-6, 10-6 victory against fifth seeds Constantin Frantzen and Hendrik Jebens to win the clay ATP 250.

“It was like a coincidence [we played together],” Mies said. “I was supposed to play with Yannick Hanfmann here and ‘Alex’ with Lucas [Miedler]. He got injured unfortunately in Hamburg. So we decided last minute to play and to sign in. To win the title here is unbelievable. Great atmosphere, great feeling. It was a pleasure to play together for the first time. We are super happy to win the title here. It’s been two years for me since the last time I won a title. I’m super happy with the team effort.”

[ATP APP]

The home favourite Erler has three times won the Kitzbühel title (2021 and 2023 with Lucas Miedler). This week marks Mies’ first tour-level crown since 2022 Munich.

“It was an amazing crowd the whole week. We are very happy to win,” Erler said. “We were focussed all the time, I think it was a really good match.”

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

Source link

Djokovic, Alcaraz dominate in Olympic openers

  • Posted: Jul 27, 2024

Serbian Novak Djokovic and Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz made fast starts Saturday at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Djokovic raced to a 6-0, 6-1 victory against Australian Matthew Ebden, needing just 53 minutes to reach the second round. The 37-year-old, who is the top seed in Paris, won 63 per cent of his return points and struck 24 winners in front of a packed crowd on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

A 24-time major champion who has spent 428 weeks as World No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Djokovic could next play longtime rival Rafael Nadal in a blockbuster second-round clash. Nadal faces Marton Fucsovics in the first round. The 98-time tour-level titlist Djokovic leads Nadal 30-29 in their Lexus ATP Head2Headseries. Djokovic is 5-0 against Fucsovics.

[ATP APP]

The Belgrade native is making his fifth Olympics appearance, with his best result being a bronze medal in Beijing in 2008.

Second seed Alcaraz defeated Lebanon’s Hady Habib 6-3, 6-1 in the first round. Making his Olympics debut this fortnight, the 21-year-old looks to add to his standout young career, having won 15 tour-level trophies, by becoming the second player to win the Roland Garros men’s singles title and the Olympic men’s singles gold medal in the same year (Rafael Nadal, 2008). The World No. 3 also won in Indian Wells and at Wimbledon this year.

Up next for Alcaraz is Cameron Norrie or Tallon Griekspoor. The Murcia native will return to court later Saturday as he partners Nadal in doubles (Not before 7 p.m. local time / 1 p.m. Eastern Time).

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

Source link