Andy Murray wins season opener at ATP Challenger in Biella
Andy Murray begins his season with victory over Germany’s Maximilian Marterer in the ATP Challenger in Biella, Italy.
Andy Murray begins his season with victory over Germany’s Maximilian Marterer in the ATP Challenger in Biella, Italy.
He’s only 25, but Nick Kyrgios says he already feels like a golden-ager.
“I feel old,” Kyrgios confided after his 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 ousting of Portuguese qualifier Frederico Ferreira Silva in his Melbourne Park opener. “This sport has stressed me out. I feel like an old soul.”
The enigmatic Aussie looked youthful enough against Ferreira Silva on Monday. Despite playing just nine matches in 2020, opting out of both Roland Garros and the US Open amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Kyrgios shook off some rust to smack 14 aces and win 84 per cent of his first-serve points (46/55). Along the way, he clocked service holds of 46 and 52 seconds. However, Kyrgios says the effort didn’t come without some early-season jitters. Sure, he’d won a pair of matches at the lead-up Murray River Open, but this was a whole different level.
“I haven’t been nervous like that for a tennis match in a long time,” said Kyrgios, No. 47 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. “Not competing for a while at a Grand Slam level, I was doubting my confidence a little bit.
“I’m extremely lucky to even be in my position,” said Kyrgios, who reached a career-high No. 13 in the FedEx ATP Rankings in October 2016. “I’m taking every day as a blessing at the moment. I’m healthy. I have great friends, great family, an amazing girlfriend back home. I’m blessed. I’m a wise man now.”
Kyrgios, who’ll next face tricky 29th-seed Ugo Humbert of France, is one of four Australian men who have their work cut out for them on Day 3 in Melbourne. Wild card Alex Bolt meets 18th seed Grigor Dimitrov; James Duckworth takes on 20th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime; and qualifier Bernard Tomic goes up against 20th seed Denis Shapovalov, who is coming off an impressive 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 triumph over Great Ocean Road Open titlist Jannik Sinner.
“He’s one of the most improved players on Tour,” said Kyrgios of the 22-year-old Humbert, who last year claimed his first two ATP titles in Auckland and Antwerp. “He’s found his form. He’s a good player. I played him in Acapulco. I wasn’t near 100 per cent [Kyrgios retired with a wrist injury], but I could sense he was a young up-and-comer. To be seeded at a Slam, you’ve got to put a pretty good year together.”
As someone who loves the big stage, Kyrgios has extra incentive to win Wednesday. Victory would set a likely prime-time showdown with third seed and 2020 finalist Dominic Thiem in the third round.
The two-time defending champion Djokovic will be the marquee attraction in Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday. The Serb, seeking a record-extending ninth Australian Open trophy, is poised for a first-time matchup with 64th-ranked American Frances Tiafoe. If his form in his first-round, 6-3, 6-1, 6-2 victory Jeremy Chardy is any indication, the 17-time major titlist is finding his zone.
Asked if it’s possible to summon that level match in, match out, Djokovic likened it to “muscle memory”.
“I think every time you experience something, it’s there,” he explained. “It’s up to you whether you are able to bring it out from the box again in the next encounter. But each day brings something new, and it’s not always possible to feel aligned, in the zone every single match.”
Third seed Thiem will also take the court on Wednesday. The 2020 US Open champion will meet 70th-ranked left-hander Dominik Koepfer of Germany. The new-look Alexander Zverev, seeded sixth, shed his sleeves for a 6-7(10), 7-6(5), 6-3, 6-2 victory over one-time collegiate star Marcos Giron in the opening round, setting the stage for a Day 3 clash with another former UCLA standout, qualifier Maxime Cressy.
It will feel like old times when No. 27 seed Taylor Fritz faces longtime junior foe Reilly Opelka. Fritz boasts a 3-1 ATP Head2Head advantage in tour-level encounters between the Americans, including a 7-6(5), 6-1, first-round victory last year in Antwerp.
Elsewhere, it’s eighth seed Diego Schwartzman vs. lucky loser Alexandre Muller; No. 14 seed Milos Raonic vs. Corentin Moutet; 2014 champion Stan Wawrinka vs. Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics; and Jiri Vesely vs. No. 15 seed Pablo Carreno Busta.
World number two Rafael Nadal begins his bid for a men’s record 21st Grand Slam title with victory over Laslo Djere at the Australian Open.
Stefanos Tsitsipas made the perfect start to his Australian Open title bid on Tuesday, as he cruised past Gilles Simon 6-1, 6-2, 6-1 on Rod Laver Arena.
The fifth seed produced a dominant serving performance, winning 82 per cent of his first-serve points (27/33) to overcome the 2009 quarter-finalist in one hour and 32 minutes. Tsitsipas limited his opponent to six winners and did not face a break point throughout the match.
Tsitsipas has won all three singles matches he has contested this year in straight sets. Prior to the Australian Open, the 22-year-old represented Greece for the second straight year at the ATP Cup. Tsitsipas claimed a 6-3, 7-5 win against Alex de Minaur and beat Roberto Bautista Agut 7-5, 7-5 to help his nation finish second in Group B.
Tsitsipas started strongly on Rod Laver Arena, as he dropped only five points in the first five games of the match. The Greek held serve comfortably and attacked with his forehand to gain back-to-back breaks en route to a 5-0 lead.
After wrapping up the first set, Tsitsipas increased his grip on the match with two more service breaks in the second set. The 2019 Nitto ATP Finals champion continued to dictate rallies with his forehand and rushed Simon with regular visits to the net. Through the opening two sets, Tsitispas won 72 per cent of his net points (13/18).
Simon had struggled with double faults in key moments during the first two sets, and that trend continued in the third set. Tsitsipas stepped in on his return and attacked Simon’s forehand to earn three more breaks and his spot in the second round.
“My level is good so far,” said Tsitsipas, in an on-court interview. “I feel good with my service games and I think I am returning really well. I have a clear picture of where I want to return and start the point, so I think I get the upper hand from the very beginning of the rally, which gives me a lot of confidence.
“I know I can press a lot with my forehand and also create damage on my backhand side, with my down-the-line backhand, which is my favourite shot. It has been giving me a lot of points and once it is there, I honestly feel very comfortable playing anyone.”
Earlier in the day, Kokkinakis defeated Soonwoo Kwon 6-4, 6-1, 6-1 on Court 3. The 24-year-old landed 19 aces and converted six of seven break points to defeat the South Korean in one hour and 33 minutes.
Borna Coric earned his place in the second round with a 6-3, 7-6(5), 7-5 victory against Guido Pella. The 22nd seed, who reached the fourth round in 2019, ripped 52 winners to earn his third win of the year (3-1). Coric will next face Mackenzie McDonald, who beat 2018 Roland Garros semi-finalist Marco Cecchinato 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 in two hours and 12 minutes.
Ninth seed Matteo Berrettini grit his teeth to save eight set points in the first set of a 7-6(9), 7-5, 6-3 victory over former World No. 5 Kevin Anderson on Tuesday night at the Australian Open.
Berrettini, who hit 45 winners — including 14 aces — and committed just 15 unforced errors, will now prepare to face Czech qualifier Tomas Machac in the second round on Thursday.
“I’m very happy with my performance, as I played at a high level,” said Berrettini. “I won in straight sets, but it was really tough. I used the energy and confidence I got from the previous week, but it was a best-of-five [sets] match so it was different.
“I don’t think I saw Kevin’s serve a lot. I knew he was a great server coming into the match. But I served well too. I was fortunate on my second set point [in the first set], when Kevin was ready for a low volley and the ball popped up higher. I apologised, because that’s what my mother taught me to do.”
The 24-year-old led Italy to the ATP Cup final (l. to Russia) last week, winning three of his four singles matches. He beat Austria’s Dominic Thiem and Gael Monfils of France in Group D play, then Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut in the semi-finals, before losing to Daniil Medvedev in the final.
Berrettini didn’t give in and reaped the rewards, saving seven of eight set points on serve in the first set — at 4/5, 0/40, then in the tie-break at 3/6, 6/7 and 8/9. Anderson saved a set point with aggressive play at 7/8 in the tie-break, but was dealt a hammer blow on the 20th point of the tie-break when Berrettini hit a big forehand approach to leave his South African opponent lunging deep behind the baseline.
To his credit, Anderson didn’t panic after losing the 61-minute opener. He tightened up his game, cutting down on his 13 unforced errors, but at the business end of the second set, Berrettini stepped up again. Rather fortuitously, he broke Anderson at 5-6. A backhand flicked up off the tape, which Anderson volleyed back, but Berrettini responded by ripping a forehand crosscourt into space.
Lapses in concentration cost Anderson at 3-4 in the third set, when he recovered from 0/30 and held a game point. But Berrettini got his reward, on his third break point opportunity, with a powerful forehand that Anderson volleyed into the net. Minutes later, Berrettini closed out with a forehand — his 45th winner of the match
Machac, who is currently No. 199 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, had won 80 per cent of his first-service points before Mario Vilella Martinez of Spain retired in the fourth set. Machac was leading 6-7(5), 7-5, 6-0, 3-0 after two hours and 32 minutes of play.
Elsewhere, Karen Khachanov maintained his perfect record of reaching the Australian Open second round after the Russian No. 19 seed knocked out wild card Aleksandar Vukic of Australia 6-3, 6-7(4), 7-6(2), 6-4 in three hours and six minutes. Khachanov battled back from 2-5 down in the third set.
“First rounds, playing an Australian guy are never easy,” said Khachanov. “I [had] never heard of him, but you heard from other guys that he had a big serve, big forehand [and went] for the shots. So it’s never easy to play guys like this, especially when they feel like they have nothing to lose… So I would say it was a difficult match. I’m happy that I could get through and I [have] really enjoyed playing tennis since the beginning of the year. I’m happy to compete again and I feel fresh. I feel physically ready.”
He will next play Lithuania’s Ricardas Berankis, who advanced to the second round for the fifth time after he defeated Indian wild card Sumit Nagal 6-2, 7-5, 6-3 in two hours and 10 minutes.
Rafael Nadal says he adjusted his service motion slightly on Tuesday in his first-round win over Laslo Djere in a bid to put less pressure on his back at the Australian Open.
The Spanish superstar, who has struggled to overcome a back injury over the past couple of weeks, grew in confidence throughout his 6-3, 6-4, 6-1 victory over Laslo Djere of Serbia in one hour and 52 minutes.
“My back is not perfect,” said Nadal. “Every day that I’m able to go through, probably there are more chances to get better. There is always a chance to improve, and that’s why I’m here playing and fighting to try to get better and then give myself a chance.
“I needed to change a little bit the motion of my serve. That’s what I tried [to do] to survive [in] this condition today. I have a day off tomorrow, then [on Thursday] another match. I need to go day-to-day and just try to stay positive.
“Of course, every day that I am trying to stay here, is a day with a chance to finally [get] better. [I’m] trying to do all the things possible to be ready to compete.”
Nadal won 50 per cent of his first-service points (13/26) in the first set, but that figure improved in the second set when the 2009 champion won 20 of 22 first deliveries (90 per cent). He lost just two of his first-service points (11/13) in the decider and finished the match with 19 winners.
The 34-year-old, who is bidding to become the first player in the Open Era (since 1968) to win each major singles championship twice, will now prepare to face American qualifier Michael Mmoh on Thursday.
Heather Watson beats Kristyna Pliskova to reach the Australian Open second round, despite a 14-day quarantine limiting her preparations.
Rafael Nadal’s chase for a record-breaking 21st Grand Slam title is off to a good start.
The World No. 2 defeated Serbian Laslo Djere 6-3, 6-4, 6-1 to reach the second round of the Australian Open. The legendary lefty will play one of two qualifiers — Michael Mmoh or Viktor Troicki — in the second round.
“I’m happy to be through to the second round. I think I did a good job today,” Nadal said in his on-court interview. “Straight sets, that’s what I needed.”
The Spaniard did not compete in the ATP Cup due to injury. But Nadal put in a solid performance against the World No. 56 to advance after one hour and 51 minutes.
“It’s been a tough 15 days for me, because I had some issues with the back. I needed to survive today, and that’s what I did,” Nadal said. “I just tried to be focussed all the time, tried to get through.”
Nadal did not play overly aggressive, but he did enough from the baseline to keep Djere on the back foot. The second seed saved four of the five break points he faced, and as the match wore on, he began to let loose with his forehand a bit more.
The 2009 champion was never in jeopardy. The Serbian at times fired his forehand, and he hit more winners than Nadal by a 20-19 margin, but Djere didn’t have the weapons to throw the lefty off his game.
Djere is a gritty opponent, who won an ATP 500 title on clay at the 2019 Rio Open presented by Claro. The 25-year-old was pursuing his first Australian Open main draw win on his fourth attempt.
“I wish him all the best for the rest of the season,” Nadal said. “Laslo has a great story. I wish him the best of luck.”
Did You Know?
If Nadal wins this year’s Australian Open, he will become the first man in the Open Era to win the Career Grand Slam twice.
Defending champion Sofia Kenin makes a nervous start to her Australian Open defence, while Victoria Azarenka is knocked out.
World No. 8 Andrey Rublev continued his blistering run of form on Tuesday as he began his Australian Open campaign with a commanding win over Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann.
Days after helping steer Russia to its first ATP Cup title with an undefeated run in singles, Rublev picked up where he left off in Melbourne Park and fought to a 6-3, 6-3 6-4 victory over Hanfmann.
“I don’t know if it’s the best tennis [in my career], but for sure I’m showing great tennis [at the moment],” Rublev said in his on-court interview. “I was showing a really high level at the ATP Cup, and I’m really happy that I’m winning match by match.”
Rublev is arguably one of the most in-form players on Tour after a breakout 2020 season saw him lift five ATP Tour titles and break the Top 10 in the FedEx ATP Rankings for the first time. Seeded No. 7, Rublev brought all of that momentum into his first-round clash against 29-year-old Hanfmann, who was making his main draw debut at the Australian Open.
No.102-ranked Hanfmann took advantage of a nervy start from the 23-year-old Russian and broke to love to start the match with a 2-0 lead. But Rublev shook off his frustration and honed his game plan, changing the direction of the ball at will as he went after his shots. He quickly erased Hanfmann’s lead, and once he found his rhythm there was little the German could do to rattle him. Rublev broke two more times to close out the opening set.
Swinging freely after successfully navigating past the early test, Rublev settled into the match and kept Hanfmann under pressure as he took the ball early to stay and stayed aggressive on the return. Rublev sealed the second set with his 12th ace of the match – the ninth ace he struck that set – and closed out the match after an hour and 41 minutes on John Cain Arena. Rublev finished the match with 17 aces and won 80 per cent of points behind his first serve en route to victory.
“We played for the first time, and I started a bit tight,” Rublev said. “But this is normal, and I was really happy that I could control the match almost since the beginning. In the end, I was the one who was controlling the match, so I’m really happy that I could finish the match quite confident in three sets.”
Rublev moves into the second round where he’ll face Thiago Monteiro for the first time after the Brazilian lefty defeated Andrej Martin in straight sets 7-6(6), 6-1, 6-2 to advance. Monteiro came into the Australian Open looking to build off a run to the Murray River Open quarter-finals, his career-best result on outdoor hard courts.
