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What is the Beijing tennis schedule?

  • Posted: Sep 27, 2024

It will be a jam-packed Saturday at the China Open in Beijing, where No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings Jannik Sinner headlines the order of play.

The Italian faces lucky loser Roman Safiullin in their third Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting. Sinner leads their series 2-0.

Other ATP stars to watch include third seed Daniil Medvedev, who takes on Adrian Mannarino. Rising Italian Flavio Cobolli plays Pavel Kotov.

[ATP APP]

ORDER OF PLAY – SATURDAY 28 SEPTEMBER 2024

CAPITAL GROUP DIAMOND start 11 a.m.
WTA – [3] Jasmine Paolini (ITA) vs Clara Tauson (DEN)
WTA – [1] Aryna Sabalenka vs [Q] Mananchaya Sawangkaew (THA)
ATP – [1] Jannik Sinner (ITA) vs [LL] Roman Safiullin

Not Before 7 p.m.
WTA – [LL] Kamilla Rakhimova vs [5] Qinwen Zheng (CHN)

Not Before 8:30 p.m.
ATP – Adrian Mannarino (FRA) vs [3] Daniil Medvedev

LOTUS start 11 a.m.
ATP – Flavio Cobolli (ITA) vs [Q] Pavel Kotov
ATP – Jiri Lehecka (CZE) vs [Q] Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP)

Not Before 2:30 PM
WTA – [30] Yue Yuan (CHN) vs Karolina Muchova (CZE)
WTA – [18] Madison Keys (USA) vs [Q] Sara Sorribes Tormo (ESP)
WTA – Viktorija Golubic (SUI) vs [16] Donna Vekic (CRO)

MOON start 11 a.m.
WTA – [11] Liudmila Samsonova vs Cristina Bucsa (ESP)
WTA – [WC] Sijia Wei (CHN) vs [13] Beatriz Haddad Maia (BRA)

Not Before 2:30 p.m.
WTA – Ashlyn Krueger (USA) vs [29] Lulu Sun (NZL)
WTA – [17] Mirra Andreeva vs Irina-Camelia Begu (ROU)

BRAD DREWETT start 11 a.m.
WTA – Elisabetta Cocciaretto (ITA) vs [24] Elise Mertens (BEL)
WTA – Jacqueline Cristian (ROU) vs [7] Barbora Krejcikova (CZE)
WTA – [25] Dayana Yastremska (UKR) vs Nadia Podoroska (ARG)
WTA – Lyudmyla Kichenok (UKR) / Marta Kostyuk (UKR) vs [2] Katerina Siniakova (CZE) / Taylor Townsend (USA)

COURT 3 start 11 a.m.
WTA – [9] Daria Kasatkina vs [LL] Jana Fett (CRO)
WTA – Camila Osorio (COL) vs [34] Amanda Anisimova (USA)

After Suitable Rest
WTA – [OSE] Elisabetta Cocciaretto (ITA) / Liudmila Samsonova vs [OSE] Anastasia Potapova / Yulia Putintseva (KAZ)
WTA – Ulrikke Eikeri (NOR) / Fang-Hsien Wu (TPE) vs [7] Hao-Ching Chan (TPE) / Veronika Kudermetova

COURT 5 start 11 a.m.
ATP – Rafael Matos (BRA) / Marcelo Melo (BRA) vs [Q] Jamie Murray (GBR) / John Peers (AUS)
ATP – Francisco Cerundolo (ARG) / Nicolas Jarry (CHI) vs [2] Rohan Bopanna (IND) / Ivan Dodig (CRO)
after suitable rest – ATP – [4] Neal Skupski (GBR) / Michael Venus (NZL) vs Flavio Cobolli (ITA) / Lorenzo Musetti (ITA)
ATP – Austin Krajicek (USA) / Rajeev Ram (USA) vs Wesley Koolhof (NED) / Nikola Mektic (CRO)

COURT 4 start 11 a.m.
WTA – Moyuka Uchijima (JPN) vs [31] Magda Linette (POL)

Not Before 1 p.m.
WTA – Hanyu Guo (CHN) / Xinyu Jiang (CHN) vs Leylah Fernandez (CAN) / Aldila Sutjiadi (INA)
WTA – Asia Muhammad (USA) / Jessica Pegula (USA) vs Tereza Mihalikova (SVK) / Olivia Nicholls (GBR)
WTA MATCH

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

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What is the Tokyo tennis schedule?

  • Posted: Sep 27, 2024

The action at the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships continues on Saturday with second-round singles match and exciting doubles matchups.

Among the stars who will be in action include former No. 4 in the PIF ATP Rankings and home hero Kei Nishikori, who takes on in-form Australian Jordan Thompson, and sixth seed Holger Rune, who plays Japanese lefty Yoshihito Nishioka.

Ben Shelton will return to court in doubles alongside Thompson against Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool.

[ATP APP]

ORDER OF PLAY – SATURDAY, 28 SEPTEMBER 2024

COLOSSEUM – start 11 a.m.
[5] Tommy Paul (USA) vs Tomas Machac (CZE)
[Q] Christopher O’Connell (AUS) vs [Q] Alex Michelsen (USA)
Jordan Thompson (AUS) vs [WC] Kei Nishikori (JPN)

Not Before 6:00 PM
[WC] Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN) vs [6] Holger Rune (DEN)

Followed By
After suitable rest – Ben Shelton (USA) / Jordan Thompson (AUS) vs Julian Cash (GBR) / Lloyd Glasspool (GBR)

KINOSHITA GROUP ARENA – start 11 a.m.
[3] Sadio Doumbia (FRA) / Fabien Reboul (FRA) vs Sander Gille (BEL) / Joran Vliegen (BEL)
Rinky Hijikata (AUS) / Alexei Popyrin (AUS) vs [2] Hugo Nys (MON) / Jan Zielinski (POL) 03
[1] Nathaniel Lammons (USA) / Jackson Withrow (USA) vs Ariel Behar (URU) / Robert Galloway (USA)

Followed By
After suitable rest – [3] Sadio Doumbia (FRA) / Fabien Reboul (FRA) or Sander Gille (BEL) / Joran Vliegen (BEL) vs Jack Draper (GBR) / Tomas Machac (CZE)

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

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Could Medvedev be a ball kid?

  • Posted: Sep 27, 2024

Is Daniil Medvedev too tall to be a ball kid?

The 28-year-old has long proven his prowess as a tennis player, but he tried his hand at a new role on court at the China Open.

Known as one of the most entertaining players on the ATP Tour with his light-hearted demeanour, the No. 5 player in the PIF ATP Rankings had some fun practising drills with ball kids in Beijing.

Holding his arm above his head, he admitted he was too tall for the job. The six-foot-five Medvedev joked with a smile: “I would not like to receive a ball [from] me.”

Medvedev usually knows his way pretty well around the court. Preparing to roll a ball on the floor, he said, “I tried it one time and I don’t think it’s easy”.

The third seed defeated Gael Monfils 6-3, 6-4 to reach the second round on Friday. A finalist at the ATP 500 tournament one year ago, he will face Adrian Mannarino in the second round. He trails in the Frenchman 3-4 in the Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

“I will need to be at my best. It’s going to be also against Adrian a lot of long rallies I think,” Medvedev said after his win against Monfils. “It’s going to be interesting for people to watch. Going to be very physical.”

Currently fourth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, Medvedev is trying to earn his first title of the season.

“It’s been up and down. Some good moments, some a bit worse. But it’s all experience. I like generally life on Tour. I like playing. So whatever happens has happened for the best,” Medvedev said. “Still some tournaments to go. So I think in a way if I manage to play these tournaments well, I could say the season was a success.”

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

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Alcaraz: ‘I’m really happy with the level’

  • Posted: Sep 27, 2024

Carlos Alcaraz is feeling well after reaching the second round of the China Open with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in his opening Beijing match Friday.

“I’m really happy with the level that I played today,” Alcaraz said. “It wasn’t an easy match. Difficult to get the rhythm from the baseline.”

Alcaraz secured breaks in the opening games of both sets and won the match without dropping sets. But the second seed was tested by the big-serving, big-hitting Frenchman. Mpetshi Perricard held three break points when Alcaraz tried to close out the first set. Even though he saved them and eventually got out of trouble, the Spaniard admitted it was a tough matchup for him.

“I think I did what I had to do: put some returns in, put some pressure on his service game, play good points when I had the chance from the baseline,” Alcaraz said.

“I was able to return a lot of serves, but just had one break point. Coming from love-40, I know that every return game for me is really tough. For me, saving three break points and being able to close the first set, it was really important for me.”

Playing in the capital city of China for a second consecutive year, Alcaraz was full of praise for the tournament after his win.

“This tournament, for me it’s really good. We have a lot of facilities. The gym is pretty good, the locker rooms, the areas, the player lounge. Everything is pretty good for the players,” he shared.

“The fans, the people here are so kind. They are always trying, finding the ways to help us, make feel us as comfortable as they can.”

The Spaniard will now play Tallon Griekspoor in the second round. He has won all three meetings in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head Series.

Before the tournament, Alcaraz became the third singles player to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin. The season finale will be played at Inalpi Arena from 10-17 November.

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

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Defending singles champion Shelton pulls double duty in Tokyo

  • Posted: Sep 27, 2024

Ben Shelton can’t stop winning at the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships. 

Shelton moved to 7-0 in singles on Friday in Tokyo where he overcame Mariano Navone 6-4, 6-3 to reach the quarter-finals, before advancing to the same stage in doubles alongside Jordan Thompson.

The eighth seed converted three of the five break points he earned against Navone as he continued his bid to be the first player to defend the Tokyo title since Pete Sampras in 1993-94.

“I thought Mariano [Navone] was playing really well today and made things difficult,” Shelton said in his post-match interview after clinching his 35th win of the season. “It was a great match, a different feel compared to my first round, I feel like I’m really coming into form here.

“I thought I did a great job adjusting today, the ball was bouncing much lower and although this is my seventh singles match in Tokyo, it was the first time I played with the roof closed. There’s always going to be new challenges and weather issues. We’re lucky we have a roof here and we’re not sitting around waiting for the weather to clear up.”

The 21-year-old Shelton saved three of four break points against him, according to Infosys ATP Stats, as he closed out the match in 86 minutes. The No. 17 in the PIF ATP Rankings next faces #NextGen ATP talent Arthur Fils.

The Frenchman progressed after Matteo Berrettini retired due to injury when leading the pair’s maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head clash 7-6(5). The 20-year-old Fils upset top seed Taylor Fritz earlier in the week to extend his lead at the top of the PIF ATP Live Race to Jeddah.

Shelton later teamed with US Open doubles champion and fellow Top 30 singles star Thompson, to seal a second success Friday. The pair defeated Japanese wild card duo Yoshihito Nishioka and Kaito Uesugi 7-6(3), 6-2 to make the quarter-finals.

 

Shelton and Thompson converted four of their six break points to set up a quarter-final clash with British pair Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool.

#NextGen ATP talent Alex Michelsen and Alejandro Tabilo also progressed in the doubles draw, battling past Luciano Darderi and Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-3, 6-7(5), 10-7. They will next face Rinky Hijikata and Alexei Popyrin or Hugo Nys and Jan Zielinski.

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

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Alcaraz blunts Mpetshi Perricard threat to reach Beijing R2

  • Posted: Sep 27, 2024

Faced with one of the biggest serves on the ATP Tour, Carlos Alcaraz had little time to settle into his latest campaign at the China Open in Beijing.

However, the top seed adjusted quickly to the firepower of Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard on Friday at the ATP 500, where he delivered a rock-solid performance for a 6-4, 6-4 first-round triumph. Alcaraz broke the Frenchman’s serve in the opening game of each set to overcome his fellow 21-year-old in 81 minutes.

“The plan was just to put as many returns in as I can,” said Alcaraz. “Honestly it wasn’t easy. He was serving 230 or 240 [km/h] almost every serve. Second set, 210 or 215. So, it wasn’t easy to play against him. He’s a really powerful player. Big serve, big shots from the baseline. So I had to be really focused. That was the plan. Try to not make too many mistakes and play aggressive from the baseline.”

Alcaraz converted both break points he earned in his maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head clash with Lyon champion Mpetshi Perricard. Although the Frenchman finished the match having won 83 per cent (20/24) of points behind his first delivery, according to Infosys ATP Stats, his victory bid was undermined by lapses at the beginning of each set.

“In the first game of the match I returned pretty well and played good points from the baseline,” reflected Alcaraz. “In the first game of the second set, he did three double faults, so it helped me a lot to break the serve. After that I had to be really focused for the next games, and I’m really happy I did it.”

After securing victory in just his third tour-level match against a younger opponent, Alcaraz improved to 44-9 for the season. The Spaniard, whose qualification for the Nitto ATP Finals was confirmed earlier this week, will take on Tallon Griekspoor in the second round.

Alcaraz is seeking a deep run in Beijing in order to keep up the pressure on Jannik Sinner in the battle to finish as ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF. Alcaraz is currently third in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin but can rise above Alexander Zverev into second by reaching the semi-finals in the Chinese capital. He trails Sinner, who is also into the second round in Beijing, by 2,990 points in the Live Race.

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Draper upsets Hurkacz, advances to Tokyo QFs

  • Posted: Sep 27, 2024

Jack Draper continued to make his mark against the ATP Tour’s top stars in 2024 by downing second seed Hubert Hurkacz 6-4, 6-4 on Friday at the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships.

Draper, at a career high of World No. 20 after reaching his maiden major semi-final at the US Open, clinched his third win in four matches against Top 10 opponents by defeating Hurkacz in Tokyo. The 22-year-old built on his momentum from New York by winning 76 per cent of his first-serve points to defeat the World No. 8 in one hour and 24 minutes.

“I was pleased with a lot of things today, I thought my attitude was really good and I got myself out of some tough situations,” Draper said in his post match interview. “I played some pretty big points on my terms and that’s something I’ve wanted to do.

“He’s probably the best server in the world right now so I’m really happy with my composure, the way I approached the game and hopefully I can carry this momentum forward.”

Draper also saved all three of break points he faced, according to Infosys ATP Stats, as he improved his Lexus ATP Head2Head record to 2-4 against the Pole. The Briton will next face Ugo Humbert, who eased past Brandon Nakashima 6-3, 6-2.

Hurkacz’s ambitions to play in the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin suffered a setback with his loss. The 27-year-old currently sits 13th in the PIF ATP Live Race to Turin, 665 points off eighth place as he chases a third appearance at the prestigious season finale.

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