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Tsitsipas' Key: ‘Less Thinking, More Action’

  • Posted: Jun 06, 2021

Stefanos Tsitsipas revealed that his relaxed mindset enabled him to play his best tennis against Pablo Carreno Busta on Sunday as the Greek eased through to the quarter-finals at Roland Garros.

“I think I’ve played some of my best tennis when I don’t think much on the court, when everything is being done automatically, on autopilot,” Tsitsipas said. “I felt also my performance was at the top [against Carreno Busta]. So, yes, less thinking, more action.”

The 22-year-old reached the semi-finals in Paris last year and has also advanced to the last four at the Australian Open twice (2019, 2021). With Tsitsipas making another deep run here at Roland Garros, he is becoming accustomed to what is required to have success at Grand Slams.

“I think it is just adapting and getting used to things. In the beginning, you’re not, I would say, fully in the thing yet. You try and see what things work, the surface, the balls and everything,” Tsitsipas said. “Of course, you might have some knowledge from the previous years that you’ve played there. But in Grand Slams, it’s all about the endurance and being able to show up and do your job once every two days and do it well.

“It’s demanding. It takes a lot of attention, a lot of effort. I’ve grown up into loving that process and wanting to repeat that.”

The FedEX ATP Race to Turin Leader has recorded a Tour-leading 37 victories this season with 20 coming on clay. Tsitsipas will face a difficult test next against second seed Daniil Medvedev. The Russian leads their ATP Head2Head Series 6-1.

“He does serve extremely well, I have to say. He has improved over the years with his serve. This is going to be something that I will have to face,” Tsitsipas said. “Of course, myself playing well, I feel like I don’t have to think about who I’m facing or not. I just have to play my game, let the rest be witnessed.”

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Tsitsipas Storms Into Roland Garros Quarter-finals

  • Posted: Jun 06, 2021

Stefanos Tsitsipas recorded a Tour-leading 37th victory of the season on Sunday as he cruised past Pablo Carreno Busta 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 to advance to the Roland Garros quarter-finals.

Tsitsipas, who reached the semi-finals in Paris last year, prevailed in two hours and six minutes and has dropped just one set through four matches. The FedEx ATP Race to Turin leader hit 41 winners and only made 17 unforced errors in an impressive display to improve to 3-0 in his ATP Head2Head against Carreno Busta.

It was the Greeks’ 20th clay-court victory of 2021, with a maiden ATP Masters 1000 title at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters (d. Rublev) a high point. He will face second seed Daniil Medvedev or clay-court stalwart Cristian Garin for a spot in the semi-finals.

The fifth seed made a roaring start on Court Philippe-Chatrier. The 2019 Nitto ATP Finals champion showcased a mixture of power and precision on his backhand and found consistent depth on his forehand return to move 4-1 ahead. While Carreno Busta worked his way into the contest, stepping into the court to fire away winners on Tsitispas’ second serve, the Greek held firm to fend off two break points at 4-2. He then sealed the set with one of the six aces he hit.

Tsitsipas continued to open his shoulders and strike the ball aggressively at the start of the second, breaking in the first game with an impressive crosscourt forehand winner. The 22-year-old reeled off the next three games to lead 4-0 as he controlled proceedings. The Spaniard’s level had dropped from the first set, as he won just 30 per cent of points on Tsistipas’ second serve, a decline from 55 per cent in the opener.

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Momentum changed at the start of the third though, with Carreno Busta breaking for the first time to lead 3-0 as he began to dictate proceedings on his forehand. However, he could not sustain his level with Tsitsipas closing to 3-4 when the Spaniard fired wide on the backhand. The Greek, who won 75 per cent of points on his first serve (47/63), then claimed four of the final five games to advance.

Carreno Busta is a two-time Roland Garros quarter-finalist, and he only dropped one set on his way to the fourth round this year. However, the 29-year-old’s seventh defeat of the season (17-7) means the Spaniard’s focus will move to the grass.

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The Machine & The Artist: #NextGenATP Stars Sinner & Musetti Shining

  • Posted: Jun 06, 2021

Jannik Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti are two of the brightest #NextGenATP talents in not just their native Italy, but the world. And as they both continue their meteoric rise, you will notice that they are almost nothing alike.

Both teens on Saturday reached the fourth round at Roland Garros, where Sinner will play 13-time champion Rafael Nadal and Musetti will challenge top seed Novak Djokovic. According to former World No. 1 Carlos Moya, Nadal’s coach, fans will see that the Italians have different games and demeanours.

“[Musetti is] very different to Sinner, nothing like him. He’s more of an artist, the other a machine, with a very fast rhythm. Sinner is very cold, very calculated, in a good way. That’s the impression I get,” Moya told ATPTour.com. “Musetti is more temperamental, more inventive. They’re very different players, but I’m sure they’ll play in Grand Slam finals in the future.”

Their talent is clear. Sinner won the Next Gen ATP Finals in 2019 and has quickly proceeded to crack the Top 20 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. Musetti first broke onto the scene at last year’s Internazionali BNL d’Italia, where he beat former Top 5 stars Stan Wawrinka and Kei Nishikori to reach the third round as a qualifier ranked World No. 249. He has since reached three ATP Tour semi-finals and climbed to a career-high World No. 76.

But when you watch them play, Sinner is an icy machine, and Musetti is a fiery artist. Sinner is more likely to relentlessly blast through opponents without showing much emotion, while Musetti mixes up spins and speeds to outmanoeuvre opponents before unleashing a massive fist pump or even falling to the court after a big win.

Umberto Rianna, who oversees 18-and-over tennis for the Italian Tennis Federation, believes their personality differences on the court don’t necessarily make one of the teens better than the other in any way. It just is who they are.

“For sure Jannik is way more mature than any kid his age, and not only in Italy. The reaction Musetti had when he was in the semi-final of Acapulco was the most common,” Rianna said. “Jannik, the way he acts, the way he behaves and the way he walks on the court with confidence, I would say it’s more confidence. He knows that he’s growing, he knows what he’s capable of and how skilled he is. That makes him react like it’s almost a normal process what he’s going through.

Nearly every week, other players are asked about the ascent of these young Italians. Sinner and Musetti are certainly aware of that.

“Many, many people [are] speaking [about] who is better [between] me and Lorenzo. I think it’s great to see, especially for Italian fans,” Sinner said. “We have two different styles of players, two different personalities on court and off court.”

Sinner admitted that Musetti is not just “very, very talented”, but “maybe more [talented] than me]”. The 19-year-old pointed to his 18-year-old countryman’s physical strength and how “he can do whatever he wants with the ball”.

“First of all, we come from [different] parts of Italy. I have people around me who are doing one thing, he has people around him who are maybe thinking other things. I think the important thing is that everyone is different,” Sinner said. “He is different than me, I would say, but obviously in a very positive way. What he’s showing on court, [there is] nothing wrong with that.”

Musetti has been soaring this season, seizing on all the momentum he earned at the end of 2020. However, while he has never looked uncomfortable on big stages, this is his first Grand Slam main draw. Last Roland Garros, Sinner made the quarter-finals.

“Me and Jannik, I think we are the future of Italian tennis, and of tennis in general. Of course he’s a bit [ahead of] me. I don’t know, I’m just living what he was living last year, so we are growing up together,” Musetti said. “We are playing every week now together. I finally entered into the Tour. That was my goal.

“But I have to focus on myself. Of course I see and I’m happy [that] Jannik is doing well. But of course, I have to see myself. I have to improve myself.”

The #NextGenATP sensations have an opportunity to make perhaps their biggest splash yet on Monday when they play two of the greatest players in tennis history. Sinner will have a chance to hand Nadal just his third loss at Roland Garros, and Musetti will try to keep his dream major debut alive. But regardless of what happens, these Italians have proven they will be stars for years to come.

“We are too spoiled right now,” Rianna said. “We can’t expect that everybody else will be the same. It would be silly to think that it will happen like this all the time.”

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Roger: 'I'd Prefer To Be In Rafa Or Novak's Shoes'

  • Posted: Jun 06, 2021

Unpredictability can be fun. But if you’re looking for success, there’s no substitute for knowing what you’re bringing to the court.

That is why Roger Federer would rather the certainty of his old self — or that of his career rivals Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic — rather than be still learning about his level as he enters week two of a Grand Slam at Roland Garros.

“It’s fun in some ways not knowing, like in ’17 when I came back or when nobody really knows, even [I don’t] know what is possible,” Federer said. “That’s got a fun angle, but I would prefer it differently. I’d prefer to be in Rafa’s or Novak’s shoes right now where they’re like, ‘I’m feeling good. If I’m playing well, I’m winning.’

“I don’t have that feeling right now, so for me these are all stepping stones to something that is really important to me. It’s the season, and it’s the comeback. I need matches like these.”

Federer said after his four-set victory in the second round against Marin Cilic that he surprised himself. The 39-year-old found a way through another tough match against Koepfer, rallying from a break down in the third set to avoid going down two sets to one.

“I thought it was very important for me. I clearly hadn’t practised three hours [and] 35 [minutes], because that’s obviously always pushing it. I pushed as much as I could, as we thought [was] reasonable,” Federer said. “This today was I think a huge step forward for the team, and for all of us. I didn’t expect to be able to win three matches here, and sort of back up a good performance [against] Cilic as well in completely different circumstances tonight. So I’m very happy.”

Roger Federer
Photo Credit: Julian Finney/Getty Images
The 103-time tour-level titlist has accomplished virtually anything you could think of in tennis. But even now, 23 years after turning professional, Federer is still learning from new experiences.

“For me to go out tonight, sure, it wasn’t easy. It was a lot of [firsts] for me: Playing against Koepfer [in my] first night session here in Paris, first time [with] no fans in a long, long time, or ever in my career. That was definitely very unique in many ways, and I’m happy I found a way,” Federer said. “Also especially emotionally, how do you handle losing that second set? How do you handle to keep pushing yourself on and try to feed off the energy of the team and thinking of all the people watching on TV?

“I was really picturing a lot of people on a Saturday night maybe checking in on the game and watching some tennis. So in many ways, I was also playing for them and trying to let that inspire me.”

Read: Murray Calls Federer’s Late-Night Effort ‘Inspirational’

A positive for the 2009 champion is that he felt he “could have probably played a fifth set” if Koepfer forced a decider. Federer, who will next play big-hitting Italian Matteo Berrettini, worked hard to reach the fourth round at a major for a record-extending 68th time.

“When you’re down you don’t like [the battle]. When you’re leading, it’s actually quite fun. It goes with the territory, right?” Federer said. “He was a tough nut to crack really. Took me many different [things], I tried different attempts to break him down. I thought my fighting spirit for once got me over the line as well. I tried really hard, and you’ve got to love what you do. I do.

“I tried to be really motivated, and see what could be done. I knew it was a big match for me to back it up after Cilic. And still, you are on Centre Court in Paris. It’s where you always wanted to be as a little boy and you try to remind yourself many, many times. I appreciate battles like these.”

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Preview: Zverev & Nishikori Vying For ‘Five-Set King’ Crown

  • Posted: Jun 06, 2021

Sixth seed Alexander Zverev has never lost a five-set match at Roland Garros. His fourth-round opponent, Kei Nishikori, owns the best five-set record among all active players. Both players have proven they know how to go the distance, but only one five-set king can reign supreme in Paris when the two meet on Day 8 on Court Philippe-Chatrier. 

Zverev will take a 4-1 ATP Head2Head lead into their Sunday match-up, with three of those previous matches going the distance – including their most recent meeting in Rome a few weeks ago, won by Zverev. The German also defeated Nishikori at the Mutua Madrid Open en route to the title.

[TENNIS POINT]

In Paris, Zverev had to find his rhythm early on as he faced qualifier Oscar Otte and was locked into a five-set marathon. But he came out on top, rallying from two sets down – and sealing the fifth set to love for good measure – in his 3-6, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-0 win. He extended his record in five-setters at Roland Garros to 7-0 (16-7 overall).

“I felt comfortable today on court,” Zverev said after his 6-2, 7-5, 6-2 win over Laslo Djere in the second round. “It’s getting important, because the matches are getting tougher. The opponents are getting tougher. I feel like now is the time where you need to start playing your best tennis to get through.”

If there’s anyone who can bring the fight to Zverev in extra innings it’s Nishikori, who has won 10 the past 11 five-set matches he’s played at Grand Slams. The Japanese player, who is going for his 100th Grand Slam win on Sunday, owns a 78.7 per cent win rate in five-setters, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

Best Five-Set Records (Active Players)

 Player  Five-Set Record  Winning%
 1) Kei Nishikori  26-7  78.7%
 2) Tommy Robredo  17-5  77.3%
 3) Novak Djokovic  33-10  76.7%
 4) David Goffin  13-5  72.2%
 5) Feliciano Lopez  25-11  69.4%

Nishikori has already played two epic marathons in Paris, going the distance against Alessandro Giannessi in the first round, and recording a 4-6, 6-2, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 win to knock out 23rd seed Karen Khachanov in the second. Nishikori got a small reprieve on his way to the fourth round after qualifier Henri Laaksonen was forced to retire after the first set. 

“My body said no, but my mind just [said] keep playing,” Nishikori said after his three-hour and 59-minute win over Khachanov. “It makes [it] tough, playing four hours two [matches] in a row. I’m aiming to [be in] the final, and this is not the best start of the tournament. That’s the only thing I don’t like [about playing five sets]. I feel like I’ve played five matches already.”

 

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A strong start – and razor-sharp focus throughout – will be the key for Zverev and Nishikori as they seek a spot in the quarter-finals. Nishikori (9 hrs) has already spent an hour and 36 minutes longer on court than Zverev (7 hrs, 24 min), and both players will hope to avoid another lengthy battle in Paris. The winner will next face either Alejandro Davidovich Fokina or Federico Delbonis, who will be in action on Court Suzanne-Lenglen.

Fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas will lead the Chatrier day session as he takes on 12th seed Pablo Carreno Busta. The Greek player owns a 2-0 ATP Head2Head lead over Carreno Busta, including a win on clay courts from Barcelona in 2018.

The Spaniard opened his clay-court campaign with a victory at the ATP 250 event in Marbella (d. Munar), and backed it up with a run to the semi-finals in Barcelona, falling to eventual champion Rafael Nadal. 

“I think that my level is going up. I am feeling very comfortable on court,” Carreno Busta said after taking down Steve Johnson to reach the third round. “I know that in the next round I play against Tsitsipas… the first one in the [FedEx ATP] Race To Turin. So [it] will be [an] interesting match. Very tough, for sure. But why not? I am playing good. I just lost one set in the three matches.”

Carreno Busta has indeed been red hot on the terre battue, but he’ll be in for a battle against Tsitsipas, who leads the ATP Tour with 19 clay-court match wins on the season (alongside Delbonis). The Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters champion has also dropped only one set en route to the fourth round after navigating past big-serving John Isner 5-7, 6-3, 7-6(3), 6-1 on Friday night.   

Second seed Daniil Medvedev will hope to continue his progress in Paris as he meets experienced clay-courter Cristian Garin on Lenglen for a spot in the quarter-finals against the winner of Tsitsipas-Carreno Busta.

 

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Medvedev, who arrived in Paris with an 0-4 record at Roland Garros – and a vocal distaste for clay-court tennis – has made a sea change this fortnight after claiming wins over Alexander Bublik, Tommy Paul and Reilly Opelka.

“[Your] beliefs, they can change. When I was young I never ate fish, I hated it. Now I love raw tuna,” Medvedev reflected after his win over Opelka. “I like the things I’m good at. This year I’m enjoying myself [at] Roland Garros. I don’t hide it. I’m really enjoying [it].”

The Russian will try to taste victory once again as he faces Garin, who lifted his fifth ATP Tour trophy in Santiago earlier this year – all of his titles have come on clay courts. Medvedev and Garin are level at 1-1 in their ATP Head2Head, with the Chilean defeating Medvedev earlier this season in Madrid.

Click Here For Full Day 8 Order Of Play.

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