Tennis News

Struff Ready For ATP Cup: ‘I Want To Be Tested’

Jan-Lennard Struff came to Melbourne looking for challenges and the ATP Cup will deliver those. Struff’s country, Germany, was dealt a tough draw in Group A against defending champion Serbia and Canada.

After reaching a career-high No. 29 in the FedEx ATP Rankings last year, Struff will once again be Germany’s No. 2 singles player alongside Alexander Zverev. Two-time Roland Garros champions Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies complete a strong lineup that’s eager for redemption after falling in the group stage in 2020. Germany will be led by team captain Mischa Zverev.

Struff spoke to ATPTour.com before the tournament to discuss the keys to success for his country and why he enjoys being part of a team.

Why are you excited about representing Team Germany again in the ATP Cup?
The event last year was really great and it was so much fun to play. It was a good start to the year, and I’m looking forward to starting this year the same way as well. It’s very nice to start with a team, playing with your friends and colleagues. We have a good team chemistry and it’s always nice to play for Germany. 

You’ve said you are a player who enjoys the team atmosphere. What is the best part of that?
I think it’s very nice that your teammates are there to support you. In case you lose, they are there to make sure you don’t feel that bad. Sometimes another player has a chance to [help] the team still win, so it’s very important to keep going. You need two points to win the tie, so it’s not all about you, but you want to win your match and get one point out of those two.

I like the support and that we all give everything. Everyone stands together, we’re in the locker room together. We are used to travelling nearly the whole year by ourselves, so it’s very nice and I like it a lot.

What is your favourite memory from last year’s ATP Cup?
Well, it was very rough with the results. We went out in the group stages. But it was so nice to be there with the team. I liked a lot that so many people donated to Aces for Bushfire Relief and everyone stood together. That was beautiful. Everyone was doing their job. Everyone was donating. That was really nice, all of the teams [doing that] together.

What does Team Germany look like this year? 
We have a great team. Sascha Zverev, he qualified us and I’m so pleased about that. He’s such a good player. He played semi-finals here [at the Australian Open]… final of the US Open and he won so many ATP Masters 1000 titles already at his young age.

We have Kevin [Krawietz] and Andy [Mies], who won Roland Garros twice, which is unreal. Winning once is crazy. Back-to-back? No one would expect this. That was so, so nice and so good. And we have Mischa Zverev, who is the team captain now. He’s very nice… It’s really nice to have him now on the team.

You’re in Group A with strong No. 2 players Milos Raonic and Dusan Lajovic. You must be looking forward to that challenge.
Yeah, for sure. We’ve been practising a long time. We started, I think, the 30th of November and we had a long, long practice [block]. After the quarantine here, we’ll have a lot of practice sessions. I’m really looking forward to competing here.

It will be two really hard opponents — Lajovic with Serbia and Raonic with Canada — but I’m looking forward to the matches. I want to be tested in these matches. They are both ahead of me in the [FedEx ATP] Rankings, so I know they are going to be very difficult matches, but I’m really looking forward to it.

There are four Top 20 players who are the No. 2 singles players for their country. How much of a factor is that second player at ATP Cup?
Yeah, it’s very important. You compete as a team, so you need to have a good team to go far and to win. With the format, you need two points and the team consists of four players and a team captain. If you have good depth in your team, that’s very important. You need every shot you can get at those points. I think we have a good team. I hope we can go far, but the group is really tough. Let’s see what it brings us.  

What will be the key for Germany to get through Group A against Serbia and Canada, led by Novak Djokovic and Denis Shapovalov? 
Teamwork. There are going to be tough matches for Sascha, playing Novak who won in Australia on these courts, won Grand Slams. Djokovic said in all his career this was the best court where he won the most matches and won the most tournaments. For sure, he’s got great memories of this. No matter what court he plays on, Djokovic in Australia is very tough.

But Sascha is a great player and he has a shot there. He beat [Djokovic] already, for example at the Nitto ATP Finals in the final, when he won it. To play Shapovalov, who is a great player as well, that’s another tough match. And for me, there are also some very tough matches.

So every match is just hard, but that’s the kind of level we have at the ATP Cup. That’s why people like it, and that’s why I like it.  

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Sinner's Secret Weapon: His Mind

Jannik Sinner’s talent is unquestionable. Many players, analysts and fans alike feel it’s a matter of when, not if, the Italian will ascend to the top of the sport. But it’s not just the teenager’s natural ability that will take him there. It’s his mind.

That’s not necessarily something you’d expect from a 19-year-old, who was not born until six months after Roger Federer won his first ATP Tour title. But the #NextGenATP star speaks more like a mental coach than a rising star who is learning the ropes.

“I think every day you have lessons, [whether] you do something good [or] if you do something bad,” Sinner told ATPTour.com. “If you’re smart, you can take something new every day.”

Many young players take time to acclimate to life as a professional tennis player. Yet Sinner won the 2019 Next Gen ATP Finals — the 21-and-under season finale — at the age of 18. He was not wrapped up in the moment or the hype, though. Instead of looking around him and getting absorbed by his newfound stardom, Sinner’s sole concern was improving for the long term.

That is a big reason why there was no sophomore slump for the Italian during the 2020 season, which was shortened due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, Sinner climbed from No. 78 to No. 37 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. Nobody else who finished inside the year-end Top 50 ascended as many spots as the teen.

Sinner didn’t snap his fingers and suddenly soar upwards, either. The San Candido native focussed on giving his best on a daily basis, and that paid off.

“[In] tennis, you wake up and you never know how you are going to feel on court. That’s the funny part. For sure, I improved physically, mentally and all the rest,” Sinner said. “But sometimes you wake up, you don’t feel well on court and maybe you have to accept that your opponent is playing better than you…. If we talk about improving, I think physically, I am okay. The shots are getting stronger as well. Maybe the unforced errors I have to improve a little bit to make them less.

“[But] for me the funny part of tennis is you wake up and maybe you play incredibly and you can win against everybody. Sometimes you play badly and you lose matches you normally should win.”

That doesn’t bother Sinner. The way the Italian approaches matches is that irrespective of whether he wins or loses, he always learns. That’s a commendable mindset for a player who competed professionally for the first time less than three years ago. This might surprise you, but Sinner was out by the second round in 15 of his 18 tournaments in 2018.

“I always put myself in difficult conditions. When I was young I tried to play Futures, [and I] lost many, many first-round matches. Obviously the other [players] were much better than me. But I stayed there, I trained with them trying to get better and every day I improved something,” Sinner said. “Even if it was tough, you travel around the world. I’ve been in Monastir, Sharm El Sheikh, all these [places] where every player wants to win. You are there and maybe playing a little bit worse than everyone else, and you have to find a way to win.”

Sinner has been guided by Riccardo Piatti, who has previously coached the likes of Ivan Ljubicic, Richard Gasquet, Milos Raonic and Novak Djokovic.

“For me, it’s really important to educate the player more than coaching him. With all my players I’ve always tried to deal with their existing talent. These players are all very good. What we need to do, or at least what I like to do, is to give them order, to bring out what is already in them,” Piatti said. “Jannik was very young when he came to me and he still had to learn a lot from every point of view. But the more they improve, the more they need someone who’s there to educate them [in] this game.”

Sinner reached the quarter-finals at Roland Garros last year, becoming the youngest player to advance that far on the Parisian clay since 19-year-old Novak Djokovic did so in 2006. At that tournament, where Sinner beat established stars David Goffin and Alexander Zverev, perhaps the Italian’s most impressive match was the one he lost. Thirteen-time Roland Garros champion Rafael Nadal beat Sinner in straight sets in the last eight, but the teen went blow-for-blow with the legendary Spaniard in the first two sets.

“The day when I played against Rafa, you can see many things in one match [that I need to improve],” Sinner said. “I think that’s the biggest lesson. Every day you can learn something.”

One month later, Sinner won his first ATP Tour title at the Sofia Open.

“It means a lot [to win]. When you work day after day, you go to sleep when you are completely done, when you are very tired. You work for winning,” Sinner said. “You always have to trust the process. There are difficult times and there are good times and when you play finals, it’s good. That’s what you’re working for.”

That is why Sinner, the youngest player in the Top 100, is not going to think about his success, despite being at a career-high World No. 36.

“It’s great progress,” Sinner said of how far he has come. “But there’s still a lot of work to do.”

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Clutch Korda: #NextGenATP American Saves 1 MP, Battles Back In Quimper

Some wins are more satisfying than others. For Sebastian Korda, this was certainly one of them.

The #NextGenATP American fought past home hope Tristan Lamasine to advance at the ATP Challenger Tour event in Quimper, France, on Tuesday. Seeded second this week at the Open Quimper Bretagne Occidentale, Korda saved a match point and stormed back from 1/5 down in the deciding tie-break to prevail 7-6(3), 4-6, 7-6(7).

Sitting just outside the Top 100 of the FedEx ATP Rankings, the World No. 103 is a man on a mission this week. Korda is competing in his first tournament since reaching his first ATP Tour final at the Delray Beach Open by VITACOST.com (l. to Hurkacz) two weeks ago. He has now won 10 of his last 11 matches, also including a title run at the ATP Challenger Tour stop in Eckental, Germany, to conclude his breakout 2020 campaign.

The 20-year-old refused to succumb to Lamasine on Tuesday, despite being broken when serving for the match at 5-3 in the deciding set and leaving three match points on the board in the subsequent game. A pair of unforced errors saw Korda fall behind 1/5 in the ensuing tie-break, but he would battle back, denying a match point on his racquet at 5/6 and eventually crossing the finish line after two hours and 32 minutes.

Korda will face another Frenchman, Mathias Bourgue, on Thursday. Bourgue defeated Lukas Rosol 7-6(5), 6-4 earlier on Day 2 in Quimper.

In other action, Brandon Nakashima defeated Maxime Janvier 6-3, 6-2 and Yannick Maden overcame Thomas Fabbiano 6-1, 5-7, 6-1. Nakashima has won seven of his last eight matches on the Challenger circuit, having triumphed in Orlando to cap his 2020 campaign.

Photo: Marion Mochet

One of the players to watch in 2021, 22-year-old Kacper Zuk continued his impressive run from qualifying. The Pole has not dropped a set in reaching the second round, defeating former World No. 39 Peter Gojowczyk 6-4, 6-3 on Tuesday. Zuk, who upset current World No. 61 Vasek Pospisil en route to the Calgary semi-finals a year ago, is up to No. 267 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. He will face either Arthur Rinderknech, who lifted the trophy in Istanbul on Sunday, or fellow qualifier Antoine Cornut-Chauvinc on Thursday.

Elsewhere, French wild card Constant Lestienne turned in the upset of the day, stunning fourth seed Denis Kudla 6-2, 7-6(6) to set a meeting with Denis Istomin. His countryman Enzo Couacaud also earned a win over a seeded opponent, ousting Jurij Rodionov 6-3, 1-6, 6-4.

Rainout In Antalya
In Antalya, when it rains, it pours. The fourth straight day of the Club Megasaray Open I was washed out, as torrential downpours kept players from taking the court on Tuesday. The inaugural clay-court tournament will look to kick off on Wednesday, with qualifying, main draw singles and main draw doubles all on the schedule.

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Machac On Next Gen ATP Finals: ‘It Would Be Perfect If I Could Qualify’

While the 2021 ATP Tour season may still be in its opening stages, many of the top 21-and-under talents already have their sights set on where they want to finish the year. One such player is 20-year-old Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic, who is eager to end his 2021 campaign at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan.

”It would be perfect if I could qualify for the Next Gen ATP Finals, but it is far away at the moment,” Machac told ATPTour.com. “I will do my best to qualify there.”

Machac has started the year in promising form. Earlier this month, the Czech qualified for the Australian Open main draw without dropping a set in Doha. Across three matches, Machac lost just 14 games to confirm his spot at the opening major championship of the year for the first time.

“The qualifying was very good. I was playing my best tennis, so I am looking forward to playing good in the main draw,” said Machac. “I will try my best and we will see.”

Born in Beroun, a town less than 20 miles southwest of Prague, Machac reached his first two ATP Challenger Tour finals in Koblenz (d. Van de Zandschulp) and Bratislava (l. to Marterer) last year. However, his most notable performance of 2020 came at Roland Garros.

Following the withdrawal of multiple players due to COVID-19, Machac made his Grand Slam qualifying draw debut and claimed his place in the main draw with three straight-sets wins. In his first tour-level match, the Czech pushed 27th seed Taylor Fritz to five sets in a three-hour, 39-minute battle.

”At Roland Garros, I was really nervous in every match,” said Machac. “I really wanted to go to the main draw at Roland Garros. It was the first time at a Grand Slam, so it was really hard to play every game and every point. It was a really good experience at Roland Garros and it will help me a lot for Australia.”

A maiden Grand Slam match win in Melbourne would give the Czech a boost in his bid to qualify for the Next Gen ATP Finals. Machac has watched each of the past three editions of the event, which have featured Top 10 stars Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas.

“I was catching the matches [as often] as I could,” said Machac. “It is a really good tournament. I am looking forward to it. It is different to the other events, it is really good and I would like to play the tournament.”

Growing up, Machac idolised both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Unable to pick sides in their matches, he enjoyed watching their battles in the hope of witnessing ‘the perfect match’. Despite his connection to the two most successful players in Grand Slam history, Machac believes his game shows a greater resemblance to the remaining member of the Big 3: Novak Djokovic.

”I don’t play like Federer or Nadal. I think my style is a little bit of Djokovic,” said Machac. “I have a really good backhand, a good forehand and I am serving okay, very good. I play good [on my] return.”

Machac’s sporting inspirations are not limited to the tennis court. The 6’0” right-hander, coached by two-time Roland Garros doubles champion Daniel Vacek, is also inspired by basketball legend Michael Jordan.

Machac, who enjoys playing basketball in his free time at home, gained a greater appreciation for the six-time NBA champion after watching the Netflix documentary ‘The Last Dance’ last year.

”I like him a lot. I like basketball. When I was younger, I didn’t look at basketball as much as now. I watched the Netflix series and after the series, I was the best fan of his,” said Machac. “Before, I really liked him but after the series I was a big fan. I would like to do everything that he did. He is really good. A legend.”

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Machac has had more time to watch television in recent weeks as he prepares for his Australian Open debut in quarantine. Alongside his hotel training regime, the Koblenz champion has filled his spare hours with gaming and Netflix dramas ‘Lupin’ and ‘You’.

“I wake up a little bit later than usual. I start working for one hour on the bicycle, some exercises, some gym work. After that, I take a shower, have lunch and watch a series or play some games.” said Machac. “I brought a Playstation, so sometimes I spend time on the Playstation. After, I have a little bit of stretching, a second practice and I try volleying against the wall. In the evening, I watch a series and I speak with my girlfriend.”

Machac’s hours spent in front of the television may have distracted him from quarantine life, but they have not affected his focus. The Czech is eager to play with ‘great stability’ throughout 2021 at Challenger level and qualify for as many Grand Slam main draws as he can.

With six straight-sets victories in as many matches, the 20-year-old owns a 100 per cent record in Grand Slam qualifying clashes. If he can maintain that level, he will have a great chance to earn the FedEx ATP Rankings points he will need to secure qualification for Milan.

None of the previous three editions of the Next Gen ATP Finals have featured a Czech player. Machac could be the man to change that statistic in 2021.

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Australian Open: Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska has doping ban appeal heard by Cas

Ukrainian player Dayana Yastremska’s appeal against a doping ban is fast-tracked by the Court of Arbitration for Sport so it can be resolved before the Australian Open.

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Rublev, Bautista Agut Lead No. 2 Singles Players At ATP Cup

With the teams set and the draw unveiled, the countdown is on for the 2021 ATP Cup, which begins on 2 February in Melbourne. The event pits 12 countries against each other across four groups as they compete for a spot in the semi-finals.

All countries were qualified based on the ATP Ranking of their No. 1 singles players. But in a team tournament where depth is key, there are plenty of highly-ranked No. 2 players to watch.

Leading the pack is 23-year-old Andrey Rublev, who is currently No. 8 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. The second-ranked Russian will team up with No. 4 Daniil Medvedev to make powerhouse Team Russia the only country to feature two Top 10 singles players.

It’s a testament to just how rapid Rublev’s breakthrough rise has been: he was ranked outside of the Top 20 around the time of last year’s ATP Cup, and wasn’t the No. 2 Russian. Now, after earning a Tour-leading five trophies in 2020 and qualifying for his first Nitto ATP Finals, the 23-year-old is ready to take on the ATP Cup.

Milos Raonic is also set to make his Melbourne team debut as Canada’s No. 2 player. Raonic, who rose from No. 32 to No. 14 in the FedEx ATP Rankings in 2020, will share singles duties with No. 12 Denis Shapovalov.

“I think for us [the key is] going to be depth,” Raonic said of having two Top 20 singles players in Team Canada. “That’s going to be important. I believe we’re probably up there among a few of the top teams that have a higher average ranking compared to other teams. Especially when you have to win two out of the three matches, I think that could be a great advantage for us and something that pays dividends.”

Top 5 No. 2 Singles Players At ATP Cup By ATP Ranking

Other standout No. 2 players are Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut and Italy’s Fabio Fognini, who are both ranked inside the Top 20 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. World No. 13 Bautista Agut finished last year’s tournament with a perfect 6-0 record (12-0 in sets) to help guide Spain to the final, while No. 17 Fognini earned three wins from five matches across singles and doubles.

World No. 26 Dusan Lajovic is also one to watch after he helped Team Serbia claim the inaugural ATP Cup title last year. Lajovic is ready to reprise his role alongside World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, amassing a 4-2 win-loss record at last year’s event.

“Representing your country is an honour that you only have once or twice in a year,” said Serbian No. 2 Lajovic. “The whole concept of being in a team, it’s a very rare opportunity for us. You’re not playing for yourself, you’re playing for your team. And in this case, you’re playing for the people who are also your friends, and that makes it even more special.” 

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Australian Open: Edouard Roger-Vasselin's Covid quarantine chain reaction machine

Edouard Roger-Vasselin gets creative while stuck in his hotel ahead of the Australian Open.

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Andy Murray faces 'huge' 2021 but still has 'great tennis in him', says brother Jamie

Jamie Murray believes brother Andy can still get back to playing at the highest level and feels 2021 is shaping up to be a “huge” year for him.

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ATP Cup Bracket Challenge Opens!

Fans gearing up for the 12-country ATP Cup can get a head start on the action from today with the launch of the ATP Cup Bracket Challenge Game.

The Game, developed by FanHub, a global leader of digital gaming platforms, tasks fans with picking the four group winners, semi-final winners and the ultimate ATP Cup champion. A dream VIP trip for two to the 2022 ATP Cup will be awarded to the best-performing fan.

Sign up now and make your picks!

The game features 12 public leagues by country, one overall league and unlimited leagues (both private and public) created by fans.

The grand prize for the winner of the overall league is a VIP trip for two to the semi-finals and final of the 2022 ATP Cup, including a backstage tour and meeting with an ATP Tour player.

Picks must be made before the tournament begins 10 a.m. 2 February in Melbourne. That is 11 p.m. 1 February in London and 6 p.m. 1 February in New York.. No changes can be made after the first ball has been struck.

ATP Cup, featuring the likes of World No. 1 Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Dominic Thiem and Daniil Medvedev, will be held 2-6 February in Melbourne.

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Lajovic: 'Chairs Were Flying' Around Serbia's Uno Table

Dusan Lajovic is set to kick off his season at the ATP Cup, joining World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, Filip Krajinovic and Nikola Cacic when Team Serbia takes the court as the defending champion.

But even though he’s far from Serbia, Lajovic is feeling right at home. In fact, he has brought the whole neighbourhood with him: All four players reside in the same condominium complex in Belgrade. “Only one is ‘the impostor,’’’ Lajovic joked. “[Our captain] Viktor [Troicki] lives in the centre of the city. We’ll try to welcome him and do our best to make him feel like he’s a part of the neighborhood.”

Lajovic, who is currently No. 26 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, won four of his six singles matches to help Serbia clinch the title last year, including standout victories over Top 20 Russian Karen Khachanov and #NextGenATP Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime. ATPTour.com caught up with Lajovic before this year’s event.

Why are you excited about representing Serbia again in the ATP Cup?
Personally, I think it was one of the greatest events that I participated in, and especially winning a title was an incredible experience with so many emotions. So many people from Serbia were there supporting us from the first day in Brisbane until the last day in Sydney at the final. And honestly, it felt like we were playing at home in the middle of our country. The people supporting us were really nice, and they kept on supporting us at events after the ATP Cup.

I think the new energy that it brought and the new format was also one of the things that was so interesting. On the other hand, being part of the team, who are my friends off the court, was another thing that really brought the emotion and togetherness in competing in an event that is not just individual.

Representing your country is an honour that you only have once or twice in a year. The whole concept of being in a team, it’s a very rare opportunity for us. You’re not playing for yourself, you’re playing for your team. And in this case, you’re playing for the people who are also your friends, and that makes it even more special.

What is your favourite memory from last year’s tournament?
I don’t think there is only one memory. The matches that I played really well, the fights on court that were really tense, playing in this kind of environment in front of a crowd that was following every point very closely and trying to engage every time they could… This was the memory that I took from the overall experience. It was just going through every match and every tie that impacted me the most.

What does Team Serbia look like this year? 
Team Serbia is me, Novak, Filip and Nikola with our captain Viktor. Actually from the five of us, four of us live in the same condominium in Belgrade. Only one is ‘the impostor’: Viktor who lives in the centre of the city. We’ll try to welcome him and do our best to make him feel like he’s a part of the neighborhood as well…

I’m only joking. We’ve just been friends for so long that it feels like home. It doesn’t matter that we’re on the other side of the world, just being with people that are close to you is a good feeling. You feel more relaxed and comfortable and safe.

Do you have any stories of you and your teammates from last year?
I will just say that last year during the ATP Cup, we played this card game Uno a lot. And it was as tense as it is on the court. The chairs were flying, the cards were flying off the balcony… It was really fun, and I hope this year we can have the same experience when we get together again.

If you could take one stroke from any one of your countrymen, what would it be and why?
Just one stroke? I would probably take eight out of 10 strokes from Novak at this point and then I don’t need anything else… Let’s say Novak’s return. I know it’s not one stroke, but I’d take his return and then let’s start from there.

Which player is most likely to not show up to a Team Serbia dinner on time?
Also Novak.

Which player is most likely to be the team’s hype man?
I would say Viktor.

What are three things you love most about Serbia?
The food, the people and the nature.

Tell us one stereotype about your country or countrymen that’s true and one that’s a common misconception.
That you have Serbians everywhere you go. This is true, it’s completely true. Any country I go to, any tournament that I play, there are Serbians there. And my coach, who is Spanish, is like, “How come there are Serbians everywhere we go?” I mean, in Argentina, in Australia… we go to Brazil and there are Serbians there. Anywhere in Asia, there are Serbians. And we are a pretty small country!

The misconception… I think if you see any Serbians in American movies they are always some evil characters or shady backgrounds. We make good villains, but Serbian people are not all like that!

Tell us about one signature food from your country.
My favourite Serbian food… it’s tough to translate it in English. It’s called “sarma” (Serbian stuffed cabbage). It’s minced meat with rice, rolled into a cabbage which is cooked for a long time. It’s really delicious and we eat it for holidays.

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