Tennis News

Auger-Aliassime/Hurkacz Book Paris Final Spot

Felix Auger-Aliassime and Hubert Hurkacz ended the six-match winning streak of Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo on Saturday to reach their maiden team final at the Rolex Paris Masters.

The unseeded pair won 59 per cent of second-serve return points (10/17) to defeat Kubot and Melo 6-2, 1-6, 10-5 in 66 minutes. Auger-Aliassime and Hurkacz are playing together for the second time, following a quarter-final finish at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in February.

Last week’s Vienna champions Kubot and Melo will now prepare for their fourth straight team appearance at the Nitto ATP Finals in London. The Polish-Brazilian tandem qualified for the event by defeating Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut in the Paris quarter-finals.

Auger-Aliassime and Hurkacz will face US Open champions Mate Pavic and Bruno Soares or London contenders Jurgen Melzer and Edouard Roger-Vasselin in the final. Melzer and Roger-Vasselin will clinch the final Nitto ATP Finals qualification spot if they defeat Pavic and Soares in the semi-finals.

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Why Serving On Break Point Is Extra Dangerous Against Nadal

Rafael Nadal is more efficient at converting break points this season than any other of his illustrious career.

An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of break points converted from when official statistics were first recorded in 1991 shows that Nadal has reached rarified air this season. He is converting break points 49.2 per cent (126/256) of the time, a higher rate than any other season in his career. Nadal has led the Tour converting break points in three other seasons, but he is trying to cross the 50 per cent mark for the first time.

Nadal Year-End No. 1 Converting Break Points
• 2012 = 49.2% (213/433)
• 2014 = 48.4% (249/514)
• 2009 = 47.0% (295/627)

Hot on Nadal’s heels this season is 25-year-old Serbian Laslo Djere, who won the ATP 250 event in Sardinia in October. Djere has converted break points 48.3 per cent (72/149) of the time in 2020, and 54.3 per cent (19/35) en route to the Sardinia title. In third place is Italian teenage sensation, Jannik Sinner, who broke into the Top 50 just last month. Sinner is converting break points 47.3 per cent (88/186) of the time this season. In the three recent clay-court events in Kitzbühel, Rome and at Roland Garros, he was even more efficient, converting 54 per cent (73/136) of break points.

Rounding out the leading 10 players converting break points so far in 2020 are Diego Schwartzman (47.2%), Alexander Zverev (45.3%), Karen Khachanov (45%), Grigor Dimitrov (44.5%), Filip Krajinovic (44.4%), Andrey Rublev (43.8%) and Novak Djokovic (43.7%).

The high-water mark for this statistical category dates back to 2004, when Italian Filippo Volandri converted a staggering 53.1 per cent (212/399) of break points. The only other player to cross the 50 per cent threshold in a single season was Gustavo Kuerten in 1999, when the Brazilian converted 50.1 per cent (234/467) of break points.

Nadal has been ranked in the Top 10 in this specific category 12 times in his career and has always been one of the leading 20 players since 2004, when he won his maiden ATP title in Sopot, Poland.

2004-2020: Rafael Nadal Break Points Converted/Category Ranking

^{*Entering Rolex Paris Masters semi-finals}

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Melzer & Roger-Vasselin Move To Brink Of London Qualification

Jurgen Melzer and Edouard Roger-Vasselin are one win away from earning the final spot at the Nitto ATP Finals, to be held at The O2 in London from 15-22 November.

The eighth seeds beat Rohan Bopanna and Oliver Marach 6-0, 7-6(6) on Friday to reach the Rolex Paris Masters semi-finals. If Melzer and Roger-Vasselin defeat second seeds Mate Pavic and Bruno Soares on Saturday, they will clinch their berth in the season finale.

Earlier in the day, fourth seeds Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo defeated fifth seeds Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Marcelo Melo 6-7(4), 6-3, 10-8 to claim the seventh team spot in London. They will compete in the Nitto ATP Finals for the fourth consecutive year.

Jamie Murray and Neal Skupski began the week in seventh place in the FedEx ATP Battle For London, but they lose to Kubot and Melo on Thursday. That allowed the Polish-Brazilian duo to move into seventh place. Melzer and Roger-Vasselin then bumped the Brits to ninth place on Friday with their triumph. 

Kubot and Melo will next play singles stars Felix Auger-Aliassime and Hubert Hurkacz, who beat seventh seeds John Peers and Michael Venus 4-6, 7-5, 11-9. In other action, Pavic and Soares eliminated sixth seeds Wesley Koolhof and Nikola Mektic 6-1, 7-6(4).

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Nadal Battles On In Pursuit Of First Paris-Bercy Title

Rafael Nadal was made to rally from a set down on Friday for the second time in three matches at the Rolex Paris Masters, but the Spaniard’s pursuit of a record-tying 36th ATP Masters 1000 title continues.

The top seed battled past countryman Pablo Carreno Busta 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 in two hours and 14 minutes to reach the Paris-Bercy semi-finals for the fifth time. Nadal, who is trying to claim his first trophy at this tournament, will play fourth seed Alexander Zverev in the last four.

“I have to give him a lot of credit that he did a lot of things very well, played very aggressively,” Nadal said of Carreno Busta. “I need to return better. My serve is working well, I think, so the rest of the game more or less I am playing better and better.
I need to return better if I want to have chances to keep going.”

Nadal’s victory eliminated Carreno Busta from contention for the final spot at the Nitto ATP Finals. The result guaranteed that Diego Schwartzman will compete at the season finale for the first time.

Carreno Busta appeared on track to keep his London dreams alive with a tremendous first-set performance in which he went after his shots and kept Nadal from dominating play. The ninth seed held his nerve to serve out the opener when he rushed to the back of the court and quickly turned around to hit a crosscourt forehand passing shot.

“He started playing well. The problem was he was winning his serves too comfortably,” Nadal said. “I was not able to return well enough, to create problems [for] him,” Nadal said. “When you feel that you are not suffering on your serve, you are able to play with more freedom, more relaxed on the returns, play more aggressively, and I think that was the problem tonight.”

Even without fans in the stands, Nadal continued to pump himself up with every screaming forehand or key point won. The World No. 2 hit a curling forehand passing shot down the line for a winner to force a decider, and that proved the key moment of the match.

Carreno Busta was unable to maintain his level from there and Nadal took full advantage. The legendary lefty did not face a break point in the third set and he broke his countryman twice to advance.

Nadal now leads Carreno Busta 7-0 in their ATP Head2Head series. His next opponent, Zverev, battled past former World No. 3 Stan Wawrinka 6-3, 7-6(1).

Wawrinka seemingly turned the match around and he served for the second set at 5-4. But the Swiss missed a forehand into the net to allow the German back on serve, and Zverev rolled through the ensuing tie-break.

Zverev is into the Paris-Bercy semi-finals for the first time. The 23-year-old has a 1-5 ATP Head2Head record against Nadal.

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Shapovalov, Felix Lead Sofia Field; All You Need To Know

The Sofia Open has crowned four different champions since its first edition in 2016. Denis Shapovalov and Felix Auger-Aliassime will be among the players looking to continue the trend as they vie for the last ATP title of the regular season.

The #NextGenATP Canadians are the top two seeds at the ATP 250 tournament. Shapovalov, 21, broke into the Top 10 in September following his runs to the US Open quarter-finals and Rome semi-finals. Meanwhile, the 20-year-old Auger-Aliassime recently reached his sixth tour-level final in October in Cologne. 

Alex de Minaur and Jan-Lennard Struff also have first-round byes as the third and fourth seeds. Other contenders in Sofia include 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic, reigning Next Gen ATP Finals champion Jannik Sinner and recent Nur-Sultan titlist John Millman.

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

Established: 2016

Tournament Dates: 8-14 November 2020 

Tournament Director: Goran Djokovic

Draw Ceremony: Friday, 6 November 2020

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

Schedule (View On Official Website)
* Qualifying: Saturday at 12 pm; Sunday at 1pm
* Main draw: Sunday, 8 November – Saturday, 14 November at 12pm and 6pm
* Doubles final: Saturday, 14 November not before 3pm
* Singles final: Saturday, 14 November at 12pm

How To Watch
Watch Live On Tennis TV 

Venue: Arena Armeec Sofia
Surface: Indoor Hard

Prize Money: € 325,615 (Total Financial Commitment: € 389,270) 

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Tickets On Sale: Buy Now

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

Honour Roll
Most Titles, Singles: Roberto Bautista Agut, Grigor Dimitrov, Mirza Basic, Daniil Medvedev (1)
Most Titles, Doubles: Matwe Middelkoop (2)
Oldest Champion: Roberto Bautista Agut, 27, in 2016
Youngest Champion: Daniil Medvedev, 22, in 2019
Highest-Ranked Champion: No.13 Grigor Dimitrov in 2017
Lowest-Ranked Champion: No. 129 Mirza Basic in 2018
Most Match Wins: Martin Klizan (8)
Last Home Champion: Grigor Dimitrov in 2017

2019 Finals
Singles: [3] Daniil Medvedev (RUS) d Marton Fucsovics (HUN) 6-4, 6-3  Read & Watch
Doubles: Nikola Mektic/Jurgen Melzer d. Cheng-Peng Hsieh/Christopher Rungkat 6-2, 4-6, 10-2  Read More 

Social
Hashtag: #SofiaOpen
Facebook: @sofiaopentennis
Twitter: @sofiaopentennis
Instagram: @sofiaopentennis

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Djokovic Clinches Year-End No. 1 In FedEx ATP Rankings; Equals Sampras' Record Of Six Year-End No. 1 Finishes

Novak Djokovic has clinched the year-end No. 1 FedEx ATP Ranking for a record-equalling sixth time, after the Sofia Open draw was published on Friday. At 33 years of age, Djokovic also sets a new record as the oldest year-end No. 1.

The Serbian, who finishes as World No. 1 for the sixth time in the past 10 years (also 2011-12, ‘14-15 and ‘18), draws level with his childhood hero, American Pete Sampras, who ended six straight years at the pinnacle of men’s professional tennis between 1993 and 1998.

It is the 16th time in the past 17 years (except Andy Murray in 2016) that the year-end No. 1 has been held by Djokovic, Rafael Nadal (2008, ’10, ’13, ’17, ’19) or Roger Federer (2004-07, ’09). Andy Roddick was the 2003 year-end No. 1.

Djokovic, who began his fifth stint at World No. 1 on 3 February 2020, has enjoyed another stellar season, capturing four titles — including one Grand Slam championship and two ATP Masters 1000 crowns — from five tour-level finals, as well as helping Serbia win the inaugural ATP Cup in January.

“Pete was somebody I looked up to when I was growing up, so to match his record is a dream come true” said Djokovic. “I will also keep striving to be a better player, hopefully have more success and break more records in a sport I love with all my heart.”

“To finish the year as No.1 is one of the most impressive achievements in our sport, one which requires sustained excellence across the season,” said Andrea Gaudenzi, ATP Chairman. “To see Novak achieve this for the sixth time and match Pete’s record is simply incredible, and he continues to cement his place in the history books.”

Djokovic, who moved past Sampras’ tally of 286 weeks in the top spot on 21 September 2020, will begin his 294th week overall at No. 1 in the FedEx ATP Rankings on Monday. If he does not relinquish his hold on the top spot, Djokovic will move past all-time record-holder Federer’s mark of 310 weeks on 8 March 2021.

In a reduced 2020, due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, Djokovic has currently compiled a 39-3 match record. He won his first 26 matches of the season and picked up four tour-level titles: a record eighth Australian Open (d. Thiem) in February, the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships (d. Tsitsipas) in February, the Western & Southern Open (d. Raonic), when the event was held in New York in August, the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome (d. Schwartzman) in September. Last month, he was also runner-up in the Roland Garros final (l. to Nadal).

Later this year, Djokovic will attempt to secure a record-equalling sixth Nitto ATP Finals trophy at The O2 in London from 15-22 November. Djokovic will be making his 13th appearance at the prestigious indoor event, where he will be officially presented the year-end ATP Tour No. 1 Trophy.

ATP TOUR YEAR-END NO. 1

Year    Player
2020    Novak Djokovic (Serbia)
2019    Rafael Nadal (Spain)
2018    Novak Djokovic (Serbia)
2017    Rafael Nadal (Spain)
2016    Andy Murray (Great Britain)
2015    Novak Djokovic (Serbia)
2014    Novak Djokovic (Serbia)
2013    Rafael Nadal (Spain)
2012    Novak Djokovic (Serbia)
2011    Novak Djokovic (Serbia)
2010    Rafael Nadal (Spain)
2009    Roger Federer (Switzerland)
2008    Rafael Nadal (Spain)
2007    Roger Federer (Switzerland)
2006    Roger Federer (Switzerland)
2005    Roger Federer (Switzerland)
2004    Roger Federer (Switzerland)
2003    Andy Roddick (U.S.)
2002    Lleyton Hewitt (Australia)
2001    Lleyton Hewitt (Australia)
2000    Gustavo Kuerten (Brazil)
1999    Andre Agassi (U.S.)
1998    Pete Sampras (U.S.)
1997    Pete Sampras (U.S.)
1996    Pete Sampras (U.S.)
1995    Pete Sampras (U.S.)
1994    Pete Sampras (U.S.)
1993    Pete Sampras (U.S.)
1992    Jim Courier (U.S.)
1991    Stefan Edberg (Sweden)
1990    Stefan Edberg (Sweden)
1989    Ivan Lendl (Czech Republic)
1988    Mats Wilander (Sweden)
1987    Ivan Lendl (Czech Republic)
1986    Ivan Lendl (Czech Republic)
1985    Ivan Lendl (Czech Republic)
1984    John McEnroe (U.S.)
1983    John McEnroe (U.S.)
1982    John McEnroe (U.S.)
1981    John McEnroe (U.S.)
1980    Bjorn Borg (Sweden)
1979    Bjorn Borg (Sweden)
1978    Jimmy Connors (U.S.)
1977    Jimmy Connors (U.S.)
1976    Jimmy Connors (U.S.)
1975    Jimmy Connors (U.S.)
1974    Jimmy Connors (U.S.)
1973    Ilie Nastase (Romania)

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Rafael Nadal through to Paris Masters semi-finals after beating Pablo Carreno Busta

Rafael Nadal is into the Paris Masters semi-finals after coming from a set down to beat fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta.

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Schwartzman Qualifies For First Time To Complete 2020 Nitto ATP Finals Singles Field

The eight-player singles field for the 2020 Nitto ATP Finals is set. Diego Schwartzman clinched the final spot at the prestigious season-ending tournament, to be held from 15-22 November at The O2 in London, following results at the Rolex Paris Masters on Friday.

The 28-year-old Schwartzman will be the first Argentine player to compete at the Nitto ATP Finals since Juan Martin del Potro in 2013. Schwartzman is the eighth singles player from Argentina to feature in the 50-year history of the tournament, following in the footsteps of 1974 titlist Guillermo Vilas (1974-77, ’79-82), Jose-Luis Clerc (1980-83), Guillermo Coria (2003-05), 2005 champion David Nalbandian (2003, ’05-06), Gaston Gaudio (2004-05), Mariano Puerta (2005) and 2009 runner-up Del Potro (2008-09, ’12-13).

Schwartzman joins fellow debutant Andrey Rublev of Russia, alongside former qualifiers Novak Djokovic of Serbia, Spain’s Rafael Nadal, Dominic Thiem of Austria, Russia’s Daniil Medvedev, defending champion Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece and Germany’s Alexander Zverev in the 2020 singles field. There will be four players aged 24 and under at the Nitto ATP Finals for the second straight year. The last time this happened in back-to-back years was in 2008-09.

Andrea Gaudenzi, ATP Chairman, said: “This has been a season unlike any other and all the players that have qualified for the season finale deserve huge credit. In its 50th anniversary year, the event will once again showcase the top ATP players and will also bring an incredibly successful twelve year stay in London to a close. While we wish our fans could be with us for the final year at The O2, we thank them for their passionate support via broadcast and digital channels, and look forward to a thrilling week of tennis.”

Schwartzman broke into the Top 10 of the FedEx ATP Rankings for the first time at No. 8 on 12 October after a run to his first Grand Slam championship semi-final at Roland Garros (l. to Nadal). A few weeks earlier, the Buenos Aires resident beat Rafael Nadal en route to his first ATP Masters 1000 final at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome (l. to Djokovic).

As the first Argentine in the Top 10 since Del Potro in May 2019, Schwartzman also finished runner-up at two ATP 250 events in a reduced 2020 season — at the Cordoba Open (l. to Garin) in February and at the bett1HULKS Championship runner-up in Cologne (l. to Zverev) in October. At 5’7”, Schwartzman is the shortest player in the Top 10 since 5’6″ Harold Solomon, whose last week in the Top 10 began on 27 July 1981.

With Paris concluding this weekend and one additional week of the regular season left in Sofia, six of the eight doubles team spots at the Nitto ATP Finals have been confirmed. Australian Open titlists Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury, US Open champions Mate Pavic and Bruno Soares, Roland Garros winners Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies, Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos, Wesley Koolhof and Nikola Mektic, John Peers and Michael Venus, and Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo have already secured their places at The O2 in London.

2020 DRAW:
The draw for the 2020 Nitto ATP Finals will take place on Thursday, 12 November. Further details will be published in due course.

In line with UK Government guidance, the 2020 season finale will be contested behind closed doors due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The Nitto ATP Finals, featuring the best eight singles players and doubles teams, has been held in London since 2009 and has successfully established itself as one of the major annual sporting events worldwide. The tournament is broadcast in more than 180 territories with global viewership reaching an average of 95 million each year. The event will be held in Turin, Italy, from 2021-2025.

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Kubot/Melo Secure Nitto ATP Finals Spot For Fourth Straight Year

Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo have become the seventh doubles team to qualify for the 2020 Nitto ATP Finals, to be held at The O2 in London from 15-22 November. The Polish-Brazilian team secured their place after beating Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut 6-7(4), 6-3, 10-8 on Friday at the Rolex Paris Masters.

Kubot and Melo have captured two ATP 500-level titles in 2020 at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC (d. Cabal/Farah) in February and also at last week’s Erste Bank Open in Vienna (d. J. Murray/N. Skupski). They also finished runners up at the bett1HULKS Indoors in Cologne (l. to Herbert/Mahut) last month. The pair has a 14-11 record in tour-level finals.

Melo has now qualified for the prestigious season finale for the eighth straight year (since 2013). Six years ago, the Brazilian advanced to the final in London with Ivan Dodig (l. to Bryans). Kubot has competed at The O2 in London on six occasions (2009-10, 2014, 2017-2019). In November 2017, together with Melo, they finished as the year-end No. 1 team and advanced to the championship match (l. to Kontinen/Peers).

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Bob Brett Honoured With 2020 Tim Gullikson Career Coach Award

Bob Brett, who worked with Grand Slam champions such as Johan Kriek, Boris Becker, Goran Ivanisevic and Marin Cilic in a 46-year coaching career, has been presented with the Tim Gullikson Career Coach Award in the 2020 ATP Awards.

The 66-year-old Australian, who also worked with many national tennis associations, has been unanimously chosen as the second winner of this award, following in the footsteps of compatriot Tony Roche. The recipient exemplifies excellence, leadership, respect, and a true love for the sport of tennis and the art of coaching.

Named after the late Tim Gullikson, the award showcases someone who has inspired generations of young players and fellow coaches to grow the sport of tennis.

Brett taught his players about life, as well as how to hit a forehand, and maintained positive relationships with each of his charges well after their partnerships ended. Renowned for his lengthy counting drills, which restarted when a player made a mistake, he opened an academy, which bears his name, in San Remo, Italy in 2002.

The Melbourne-born coach enjoyed his greatest success as Becker’s full-time coach from November 1987 until February 1991, shortly after the German won the Australian Open and became World No. 1 on 28 January 1991. Becker immediately bought into Brett’s work ethic and readjusted the German’s service grip early on. “We played golf and chess and Boris was inquisitive,” said Brett in 2008. “He was very good at being able to execute what I told him. His understanding of opponents was very good too and I encouraged him to work hard, but also the value of recovery.”

Brett was soon hired by Goran Ivanisevic’s father, Srdjan, in 1991 and fine-tuned the Croatian’s groundstrokes and volleying. In a four-year partnership, which ended at the end of the 1995 season, Ivanisevic won nine titles from 17 tour-level finals, with runner-up finishes at Wimbledon in 1992 (l. to Agassi) and 1994 (l. to Sampras).

Brett then coached Andrei Medvedev to the 1999 Roland Garros final, took Nicolas Kiefer from outside of the Top 50 to World No. 4 and assisted Mario Ancic. In the summer of 2004, Ivanisevic bought a promising 6’3” 15-year-old to San Remo. Brett’s nine-year partnership with Marin Cilic, saw the Croatian develop technically and powerfully en route to the 2005 junior Roland Garros title and World No. 9 as a pro.

The Australian coach also spent up to 20 weeks of the year working in Japan. Until recently, he continued with the camps and the male national junior team. He was a high-performance consultant for Tennis Canada between 2006 and 2008, and Brett played a large part in remodelling training camps and performance programmes as Director of Player Development for the British Lawn Tennis Association in 2014 and 2015. He was also the first principal of the Bob Brett/now Patrick Mouratoglou Tennis Academy in Montreuil, an eastern suburb of Paris from 1996 to 2002.

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