Tennis News

Zverev Moves One Win From First Acapulco Title

Acapulco was rocking on Friday evening, and the semi-final action at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC was only part of the story. Second seed Alexander Zverev didn’t let an earthquake rattle him on his way to a 6-4, 7-6(5) victory against Dominik Koepfer to reach his 23rd ATP Tour final. 

Zverev will play second seed Stefanos Tsitsipas for a shot at his 14th ATP Tour title. The German has reached the final here previously in 2019, and made the semi-finals in his debut the year prior. He has not dropped a set en route to this year’s championship match, including a quarter-final walkover from Casper Ruud.

Zverev took a fast lead in the opening set, going up a double-break to lead a nervy Koepfer 4-1. But once his countryman settled into the match, Zverev was in for a battle. Koepfer got the break back and earned two break points that would have levelled the score at 4-4. Zverev responded by raising his level and taking the set.

The Germans had to briefly halt play when a 5.7 magnitude earthquake in the state of Guerrero suddenly shook Cancha Central for about a half minute during Koepfer’s service game.

“The lights started shaking and the crowd felt it more than we did,” Zverev said in his post-match press conference. “We were running around the court, so we had to play a point during the earthquake. We didn’t feel much, but still obviously I know it happens here in Acapulco.”

After they got their bearings, Koepfer didn’t miss a beat as he broke first to take a 3-1 lead. But Zverev again responded in style. He created break opportunities in each of Koepfer’s next three service games and finally converted at 5-4 to send them into a tie-break, where he claimed victory after two hours and 10 minutes.

“He’s a very tough player to play right now. He won some incredible matches,” Zverev said. “Beating [Milos] Raonic on a hard court the way that he did is very tough. I think he showed that he is somebody who can play extremely well on this level. Today, honestly, I thought I played a not bad match and he gave me a tough time.”

Zverev trails Tsitsipas 1-5 in the ATP Head2Head series, with their last match coming at the 2020 ATP Cup. The top two seeds will meet off in the Acapulco final for the first time since 2015 when No. 2 seed David Ferrer of Spain defeated top-seeded Japanese star Kei Nishikori 6-3, 7-5.

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Granollers/Zeballos Set Skupski/Skupski Clash For Acapulco Crown

Top seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos edged past French duo Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut 6-3, 7-6(6) to reach their first final of the season at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC.

Playing in just their second tournament together in 2021, Granollers and Zeballos recovered from an early break in the opening set and needed a tie-break to seal the second set against the third seeds. The Spanish-Argentine team saved five of seven break points faced to claim victory in an hour and 35 minutes.

Granollers and Zeballos are seeking their fourth trophy as a team in Acapulco. They will contest their first championship match since their run to the final in Rome last year.

In the second semi-final, Ken Skupski and Neal Skupski toppled fourth seeds Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury to book their meeting with Granollers and Zeballos.

The British brothers also needed to win a second-set tie-break, fighting through 6-4, 7-6(5) after an hour and 31 minutes. The Skupski siblings will be aiming for a third title together in Saturday’s final, and a win would mark their first trophy since 2019 in Budapest.

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Medvedev, Tsitsipas Seeking Magic In Miami; All You Need To Know

World No. 2 Daniil Medvedev will lead a packed field at the 2021 Miami Open presented by Itau, the first ATP Masters 1000 event of the year. 

Medvedev is one of six players inside Top 10 in the FedEx ATP Rankings who will be in action in South Florida. The Russian started the season by leading his country to ATP Cup glory, before advancing to his second Grand Slam final at the Australian Open.

The three-time Masters 1000 winner will be joined by Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev, Andrey Rublev, Diego Schwartzman and Matteo Berrettini. The draw will be made on Monday.

The tournament has awarded a wild card to former World No. 1 Andy Murray, as well as rising talents including #NextGenATP Carlos Alcaraz, Michael Mmoh, Hugo Gaston and Jack Draper.

Note: Due to reduced fan capacity, the Grandstand Court will serve as the main court for the 2021 tournament and there will be no Stadium Court inside Hard Rock Stadium. 

Here’s all you need to know about the Miami tennis tournament: when is the draw, what is the schedule, where to watch, who has won and more.

Established: 1985

Tournament Dates: 24 March – 4 April 2021

Tournament Director: James Blake

Draw Ceremony: Monday, 22 March 2021, 12 noon. Location TBD

Are You In? Subscribe To Get Tournament Updates In Your Inbox

Schedule (View On Official Website)
* Qualifying: 22-23 March at 10am
* Main draw: Wednesday, 24 March – Sunday, 4 April at 11:00am
* Singles semi-finals: Saturday, 21 March at 11:00am and 1:00pm
* Doubles final: Saturday, 3 April, not before 1pm
* Singles final: Sunday, 4 April, 1pm

How To Watch
Watch Live On Tennis TV
TV Schedule

Venue: Hard Rock Stadium

Prize Money: USD $3,343,785 (Total Financial Commitment: USD $4,130,455)

Tickets On Sale: Buy Now
Note: The Miami Open presented by Itau is welcoming a select number of fans to the 2021 event.

View Who Is Playing, Past Champions, Seeds, Points & Prize Money Breakdown

Honour Roll (Open Era)
Most Titles, Singles: Andre Agassi, Novak Djokovic (6)
Most Titles, Doubles: Bob Bryan, Mike Bryan (6)
Oldest Champion: Roger Federer, 37, in 2019
Youngest Champion: Novak Djokovic, 19, in 2007
Highest-Ranked Champion: No. 1 Ivan Lendl in 1986, 1989, Pete Sampras in 1994, Roger Federer in 2005-06, Novak Djokovic in 2012, 2015-16
Lowest-Ranked Champion (since 1985): No. 45 Tim Mayotte in 1985
Most Match Wins: Andre Agassi (61)

2019 Finals
Singles: [4] Roger Federer (SUI) d [7] John Isner (USA) 61 64  Read & Watch
Doubles: [3] Bob Bryan (USA) / Mike Bryan (USA) d Wesley Koolhof (NED) / Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) 75 76(8)  Read More

Social
Hashtag: #MiamiOpen
Facebook: @MiamiOpen
Twitter: @MiamiOpen 
Instagram: @MiamiOpen

Did You Know… After 32 years at Crandon Park in Key Biscayne, the Miami Open presented by Itau made its debut at Hard Rock Stadium — home of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins — in 2019. 

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Declassified: Karatsev No Longer Russia's 'Secret Weapon'

When this year’s ATP Cup began, few knew Aslan Karatsev. The Russian was outside the Top 100 of the FedEx ATP Rankings and he had never played a Grand Slam main draw. During the trophy ceremony following Team Russia’s victory, Daniil Medvedev complimented his countryman.

“Aslan, I’m not joking, was a secret weapon for doubles,” Medvedev said. “He didn’t manage to show it because we didn’t have a 1-1 match, but he was our secret weapon.”

Even the World No. 2 could not have predicted the run Karatsev has enjoyed over the past five weeks. The 27-year-old is no longer a secret. The World No. 42 has quickly proven himself one of the most dangerous players on the ATP Tour.

On Friday evening, he faced a stiff challenge in the semi-finals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships against Andrey Rublev. Over the past 15 months, Rublev has mowed down opponent after opponent with raw power. But somehow, Karatsev did to his countryman what the World No. 8 does to the rest of the ATP Tour, overpowering him in a three-set victory.

Having already eliminated four seeded opponents at this ATP 500, Karatsev will play in his first ATP Tour final on Saturday against Lloyd Harris, who is also pursuing his maiden tour-level crown.

“I’m feeling good on the court, the way how I [have] competed, the way how I [have] played,” Karatsev said. “The Australian Open gave me for sure confidence.”

At the Australian Open, Karatsev, then the World No. 114, became the first man in the Open Era (since 1968) to reach the semi-finals on his Grand Slam debut. Former World No. 4 Brad Gilbert, who spoke to ATPTour.com after the Russian defeated Top 10 star Diego Schwartzman in the third round at Melbourne Park, was stunned by his success.

“The eye test tells me this dude was playing like a Top 20 player [against Schwartzman]. If me and you were sitting in the stands and you would have told me one guy was ranked No. 8 and the other guy No. 111, the guy who was No. 111 was Schwartzman,” Gilbert said. “He just man-handled him. Schwartzman didn’t play bad, he didn’t lose. The guy just took it from him. I was blown away.

“This is like some sort of English soccer third division team, but he isn’t playing like that.”

Now Karatsev is clearly in the Premier League, and he appears to be getting better every week. When tennis resumed last August following a five-month suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russian was World No. 253. If he defeats Harris on Saturday, Karatsev is projected to crack the Top 30.

Of all current Top 50 players, the lowest anyone besides Karatsev was ranked when tennis resumed was Marton Fucsovics, who was World No. 84. Karatsev’s ascent is astonishing for a player who lost 11 consecutive matches in 2019, with none of those defeats coming at tour level.

How high the Russian can climb is still unclear, but the Karatsev secret is out. The breakout star, however, is only focused on what is in front of him.

“Last week I lost to Thiem, also had good chances. I lost in three sets, but I arrived here playing with confidence, playing a really good game,” Karatsev said. “[I am] looking forward to playing the final.”

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Djokovic Withdraws From Miami

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic announced on Friday that he will not compete in this year’s Miami Open presented by Itau.

“Dear fans, I’m very sorry to announce that this year I won’t travel to Miami to compete. I decided to use this precious time at home to stay with my family,” Djokovic tweeted. “With all [the] restrictions, I need to find balance in my time on tour and at home. I look forward to coming back next year!”

Dear fans, I’m very sorry to announce that this year I won’t travel to Miami to compete. I decided to use this precious time at home to stay with my family. With all restrictions, I need to find balance in my time on tour and at home. I look forward to coming back next year!

— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) March 19, 2021

Miami Open presented by Itau Tournament Director James Blake said: “This has been a difficult year for everyone, but especially for players with families. As a father of two myself, I know how important it is to spend time with your children. Hopefully, we will have the opportunity to welcome Novak back to Miami next year.”

The Serbian is a six-time titlist at the ATP Masters 1000 event, where he has triumphed in 2007, 2011-12 and 2014-16. The only other player who has won six titles at the tournament is former World No. 1 Andre Agassi. Djokovic owns a 44-7 record at the event, which he has competed in 13 times.

The World No. 1 has won all nine of his matches so far in 2021, highlighted by his run to a ninth Australian Open title. Djokovic defeated Daniil Medvedev in the championship match at Melbourne Park in straight sets.

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Harris: ‘I Have Really Found My Game’

Lloyd Harris will play the biggest match of his career at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Saturday, when he faces Aslan Karatsev for the title.

The South African earned his seventh win in as many days on Friday, outlasting third seed Denis Shapovalov 6-7(5), 6-4, 7-6(6) to reach his maiden ATP 500 final. His victory against the World No. 12 was the second biggest of his career by FedEx ATP Rankings. Harris’ greatest career win came on Tuesday, when he stunned World No. 4 Dominic Thiem in the second round.

With seven wins under his belt already in Dubai, the World No. 81 has reached peak form at The Aviation Club. In fact, Harris believes he has discovered his game during his time at the ATP 500.

“This week, I have really found my game. I have found the way I want to be playing,” said Harris. “There are still some tweaks I want to [make] and a lot of things to improve still, so I am looking forward to the work that lies ahead after a tournament like this. That is really exciting for me. I still want to improve on so many things and do it better, even though I am playing exceptional tennis.”

One of the keys to Harris’ success this week has been how well his game has matched the fast court conditions in Dubai. The qualifier has hit 71 aces across his seven matches at the tournament and he won 80 per cent of his first-serve points against Shapovalov (57/71) to reach his second tour-level final (0-1).

“[Due to the court speed], I get a lot of extra pop on my serve. I don’t feel like I have to force it too much,” said Harris. “Extra free points definitely help you out. In the third set, it was something that was very beneficial to me. I had very quick service games… The faster courts are always good for me.”

For the past decade, Kevin Anderson has led the way for South African tennis. Harris joined Anderson to represent his nation at the 2020 ATP Cup and has been inspired by the two-time Grand Slam runner-up’s mentality.

“The thing with Kevin is, he has such an amazing big-match temperament,” said Harris. “If you watch him play against the top guys, he is always playing at a very good level. He is such a professional. He always brings a good intensity to the court, so there are definitely so many things that I have seen from him that you can apply to your game.”

Harris will not only need mental strength to get past Karatsev in the final, he will also need physical strength to overcome one of the most dangerous players on the ATP Tour. Harris has already spent 11 hours and five minutes on the court in Dubai, but he knows he will have all the energy he needs when he steps onto the court on Saturday.

“It has been a lot of matches [but] if you are playing a final, you find some energy,” said Harris. “Obviously I am going to give it every bit of energy I have in the tank tomorrow. I am looking forward to that and hopefully I can come out and play even better tennis tomorrow.”

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Karatsev Ends Rublev’s ATP 500 Streak In Style

Aslan Karatsev ended Andrey Rublev’s 23-match ATP 500 winning streak on Friday, when he overpowered the second seed 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 to reach the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships final.

The Australian Open semi-finalist beat Rublev at his own game, striking early in rallies to keep his countryman behind the baseline. Karatsev landed 41 winners and created 16 break points in the two-hour, 12-minute clash to become the first wild card to reach the Dubai final since Thomas Muster in 1997.

“It was a really tight match [against a] tough opponent,” Karatsev said in an on-court interview. “It was an unbelievable performance [from Andrey]. He didn’t lose a match at an ATP 500 in [one year]. Everything was decided in one or two points, I feel happy.”

Karatsev, who owns an 11-2 record this year, will meet another first-time ATP 500 finalist in the championship match: Lloyd Harris. The South African qualifier won his seventh match in as many days on Friday to defeat Denis Shapovalov 6-7(5), 6-4, 7-6(6).

“I will prepare myself mentally and physically, and then we will see what happens tomorrow,” said Karatsev. “I know [Lloyd] is a good player with experience.”

Karatsev or Harris will become the fourth first-time winner on the ATP Tour this season. Daniel Evans (Murray River Open), Alexei Popyrin (Singapore) and Juan Manuel Cerundolo (Cordoba) have already completed maiden title runs this year.

Karatsev played with consistent aggression and struck 11 winners in the first set, but the wild card was punished for his failure to convert five break points in the second set. Rublev earned his first break point of the match at 5-4 and pounced to force a decider.

Karatsev played with all-out aggression behind his first and second-serve returns to earn six break points at 1-1 in the third set. The pressure eventually affected Rublev, who committed a double fault to drop serve. Karatsev converted his second match point with a powerful ace down the T to reach his maiden ATP Tour final.

“In the second set, I got tight a bit. He took the opportunity, he broke me and took the set,” said Karatsev. “In the third set, I broke him back. I was leading with two breaks and then again, at 5-4 [it was a] tight game.”

From last year’s Hamburg European Open to this event, Rublev’s 23-match winning streak at ATP 500 events was the second-longest in the history of the tournament level (since 2009). Roger Federer is the only man to have recorded more consecutive victories in the category (28).

Did You Know?
At last week’s Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha, Rublev and Karatsev claimed their first doubles trophy as a team. The pair owns a 4-1 team record, with its only loss coming on its team debut against Maximo Gonzalez and Horacio Zeballos at the ATP Cup.

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Harris Downs Shapovalov To Make History In Dubai

Lloyd Harris became the first qualifier to reach the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships final on Friday, when he rallied to defeat Denis Shapovalov 6-7(5), 6-4, 7-6(6).

The South African, who trailed 2-4 in the second set, saved three of the four break points he faced to reach his maiden ATP 500 final. Harris has won seven matches in as many days to make history at the ATP 500. En route to the final, the World No. 81 has won the two biggest matches of his career against World No. 4 Dominic Thiem and World No. 12 Shapovalov.

“I don’t have many words right now. I am super happy with that win,” Harris said in an on-court interview. “Being a set and 2-4 down is mentally and physically a little bit troublesome for me, but I found my best tennis from there. I am just extremely happy with the result right now.”

Harris will face Andrey Rublev or Aslan Karatsev in the championship match. In his only previous tour-level final in Adelaide last year, Harris fell in straight sets to Rublev.

“This is what I am working for. This is what I have been putting in the hard yards for,” said Harris. “I have been waiting for some results like this. To have so many of them in one week is a fantastic feeling. I have got one more match to go.”

Shapovalov appeared to be closing in on victory when he broke his opponent at 2-2 in the second set and extended his perfect record in service games throughout the week (37/37) to reach 4-2. But the 21-year-old committed a series of unforced errors to drop back-to-back service games and the second set.

In the final-set tie-break, Harris served well under pressure to keep pace with his opponent. Shapovalov used his forehand to dictate rallies, but Harris earned his place in the final when the Canadian narrowly missed an attempted backhand down the line.

Shapovalov was also aiming to reach his first ATP 500 final and emulate his coach, two-time Dubai finalist Mikhail Youzhny. The Canadian did not drop a set en route to the semi-finals, with wins against Jan-Lennard Struff, Hubert Hurkacz and Jeremy Chardy.

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Cabal/Farah Outlast Krawietz/Struff To Reach Dubai Final

Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah advanced to their second final of the season on Friday, when they defeated Kevin Krawietz and Jen-Lennard Struff 6-3, 2-6, 10-7 in the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships semi-finals.

The Great Ocean Road Open finalists (l. to Murray/Soares) won five of their seven second-serve return points in the Match Tie-break to overcome the German pair in 70 minutes. Cabal and Farah have survived back-to-back Match Tie-breaks to reach the Dubai championship match. The top seeds saved a match point on Thursday to defeat Italian qualifiers Lorenzo Sonego and Andrea Vavassori 6-4, 6-7(7), 11-9.

“It was a close match,” said Farah. “I think they were very aggressive in their strategy. They were going all-out out there… In the Match Tie-break, they gave us a couple of double faults and we were right there, playing well on our serves. At the end, I think we made the difference.”

Cabal and Farah, who are making their first appearance at the ATP 500, are attempting to capture their first title since the 2019 US Open. The Colombians own a 16-20 team record in tour-level championship matches.

In the second semi-final, Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic will face Ivan Dodig and Filip Polasek for the third time this season (1-1). Mektic and Pavic claimed victory against their rivals in the Antalya Open final in January, before Dodig and Polasek snapped Mektic and Pavic’s 12-0 start to the season with victory in last month’s Australian Open semi-finals.

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Musetti On Acapulco Run: 'The Best Week Of My Life'

Lorenzo Musetti described his run to his first ATP 500 semi-final at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC as “the best week of my life” on Thursday night.

The 19-year-old, who has played just 11 tour-level matches, beat former World No. 3 Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 7-6(3), converting his seventh match point for a memorable victory that helps him break into the Top 100 of the FedEx ATP Rankings for the first time on Monday.

“It is really tough to describe how I feel right now,” said Musetti. “One word is tired, almost exhausted, but I’m really, really happy. I am in a [500-level] semi-final, finally, and I will be in the Top 100 next week. A lot of my goals came true tonight. I performed really well and I am proud of myself.

“[It’s] the best of week of my life, simple. I came here to playing qualifying and of course I wanted to get through it and gain some points and experience. But I didn’t expect to reach the semi-finals, for sure. I am really excited about this and I am excited about how I am playing.”

The #NextGenATP Italian star has already beaten third-seeded Argentine Diego Schwartzman in the first round and American Frances Tiafoe in the second round.

“I think this week I can do everything… I don’t want to lose,” said Musetti. “Even tonight, I had a lot of match points to win. I was a break up and then lost it, but tennis is a mental game and the key is to stay focused. I stayed in the match.”

Musetti will now prepare to challenge top-seeded Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Acapulco semi-finals on Friday night.

“Tsitsipas will be really tough, he is playing well,” said Musetti, who reached his first ATP Tour semi-final in October 2020 in Sardinia (l. to Djere). “But I am playing well too. Every day is a different day. I will face one of the biggest guys on Tour and I will try to do my best. Let’s see what happens.

“I will try to sleep as soon as I can. I will relax tomorrow and chill, then from 8pm I will warm up. I will try to give my best. I don’t feel tired in my head, or [have] cramps physically, so I think I will be fine for tomorrow.”

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