Tennis News

Day 2 Preview: Rafa Ready For 2021 Debut

To think that Rafael Nadal was just a promising young Mallorcan, albeit no sure thing, when he made his main-draw debut at the Australian Open in 2004. Just 17, he was a bullish baseliner with oodles of lefty topspin and a ‘til-the-last-ball mindset.

He would reach the third round that year, eventually succumbing to home favourite Lleyton Hewitt, 7-6(2), 7-6(5), 6-2. A strong early-career showing, no doubt. But, truth be told, nobody really knew what the future held for the clay-bred newcomer, who some mistakenly typecast as a one-surface wonder.

“He’s a hell of a prospect,” said Hewitt. “[But] clay’s his No. 1 surface at the moment… He’s just one of the next Spaniards coming up. There’s a lot of them.”

A slew of talented Spaniards? Hewitt had that right. But there’s only one Rafael Nadal.

Nadal returns to Melbourne some 17 years later, deadlocked with career-long rival Roger Federer with a record 20 major singles titles. Since that first appearance at Melbourne Park back in 2004, he’s reached the final on five occasions, winning it all in 2009, when he famously ousted a tearful Federer in five sets. He has a chance to make history in 2021, but only if the tricenarian’s body is up to the task.

The World No. 2 emerged from quarantine to join his fellow Spaniards at the ATP Cup, only to be sidelined with back tightness, something he says he’s been dealing with for more than two weeks. But Nadal insisted he was doing all he could to be ready for his Day 2 opener in Rod Laver Arena, where he’s scheduled to face 56th-ranked Serbian Laslo Djere.

“I was not able to practise the right way the last week and a half,” Nadal told reporters on Sunday. “I’m still not having the best feeling possible in my back, but I am practising again. I did a lot of things to recover. It’s not serious, but the muscle is still tight, so it’s difficult to play with freedom of movement. Let’s hope the situation keeps improving. We’re doing everything. My physio [Rafael Maymo] is here, the doctors are here — everybody is helping me in all possible ways.”

Also on the Rod Laver Arena line-up for Day 2 is fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, who’ll open against Frenchman Gilles Simon. Some of the most exciting moments of the Athenian’s young career have come at Melbourne Park. In 2019, he stunned Federer, 6-7(11), 7-6(3), 7-5, 7-6(5), en route to the semi-finals.

Riding high after claiming their first ATP Cup title are Russians Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev. Both players will be in action on Tuesday: The fourth seed Medvedev against Canada’s Vasek Pospisil, and the seventh seed Rublev against Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann. Medvedev, 24, swept his last 10 matches of 2020, including title runs at the Rolex Paris Masters and the Nitto ATP Finals.

Daniil Medvedev defeated three Top 10 players during Russia’s successful ATP Cup campaign last week.

With his 6-4, 6-2 dismissal of Italy’s Matteo Berrettini in the ATP Cup clincher, Medvedev has now won 10 straight against Top-10 competition in the FedEx ATP Rankings, and his winning streak has reached 14 matches.

“It’s a really big achievement,” said Medvedev. “It’s a big boost in confidence. Even when you lose, you know that you’re capable of playing this level, and it helps you for the next time to stand up.”

Russia’s ATP Cup triumph came against Italy, whose team included 33-year-old Fabio Fognini as its No. 2 player. The No. 16 seed in Melbourne, Fognini will face Pierre-Hugues Herbert of France.

Daniel Evans, the No. 30 seed, carries some serious momentum into his all-English first-round showdown with Cameron Norrie. Evans claimed the first ATP title of his career on Sunday, scoring a convincing 6-2, 6-3 victory over Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime at the Murray River Open. He appears to be rounding into form at exactly the right time.

“I didn’t play great in the first two rounds,” said Evans. “I didn’t feel great at all. Hanging in, I found my level in the end and here we are. I played good tennis the past three matches, probably some of the best stuff I’ve ever played.”

David Goffin, the No. 13 seed and a quarter-finalist in 2017, will take the court against Australian wild card Alexei Popyrin. Also among the featured first-round matches are No. 21 Alex de Minaur vs. Tennys Sandgren; Guido Pella vs. No. 22 Borna Coric; and Sam Querrey vs. No. 31 Lorenzo Sonego.

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Australian Open: Fans back as Grand Slam gets under way in Melbourne

Up to 30,000 fans are allowed at the Australian Open every day, although crowds appear sparser on the opening day of the Grand Slam.

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Djokovic Fires Warning To Australian Open Title Rivals

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic fired a warning to his Australian Open title rivals on Monday night with an awesome performance on Rod Laver Arena.

The eight-time champion experienced no let-downs in his quality of play after he swept past the experienced Frenchman Jeremy Chardy 6-3, 6-1, 6-2 in just one hour and 31 minutes.

“It feels great to play in front of big crowd,” said Djokovic, in an on-court interview. “We hope the circumstances will pass soon and I’m really glad to see a lot of people here. I have an ongoing love affair with Rod Laver Arena, and I hope to have these kind of performances again. I’m lucky to have a lot of good memories on this court.”

Djokovic is bidding to become the second man in history to win at least nine major championship crowns at the same tournament, after Rafael Nadal, who has won 13 Roland Garros titles.

Djokovic, who hit 41 winners, will next face American Frances Tiafoe, who knocked out Great Ocean Road Open runner-up Stefano Travaglia 7-6(5), 6-2, 6-2 in one hour and 51 minutes.

Djokovic bookended the 32-minute first set with service breaks, then ran through a 22-minute second set, hitting 11 winners from 25 points, with no unforced errors. Chardy ended a seven-game losing streak from 3-4 in the first set with a service hold in the sixth game of the second set.

The 33-year-old, who represented 2020 champion Serbia at the ATP Cup last week, playing each of the Group A ties on Rod Laver Arena, didn’t give Chardy an opportunity to get into the match.

Djokovic broke in the first game of the third set, then clinched another break with a superb, angled backhand winner off a Chardy drop shot. He closed out with his ninth ace, having lost just nine of his first-service points.

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Australian Open: Serena Williams & Naomi Osaka win but Angelique Kerber loses

Serena Williams says it was a “vintage” performance as she begins her Australian Open campaign in devastating style.

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Zverev Battles Past Giron At Australian Open

Alexander Zverev was made to feel more than a little uncomfortable on Monday as he began his Australian Open campaign with a hard-fought victory.

Competing just two days after helping Germany reach the ATP Cup semi-finals, sixth seed Zverev dug deep to beat American Marcos Giron 6-7(8), 7-6(5), 6-3, 6-2 in two hours and 42 minutes for a place in the second round.

“He played incredibly well and played really well on the big stage against a Top 10 player,” said Zverev in an on court interview. “He had me on the ropes and the second set could have gone either way. I didn’t want to go two sets down. I am happy to get through and in the end I played better. The first round of a Slam is never easy.”

Giron recovered from 2-4 down in the first set, but could not convert four set points in the tie-break at 6/3 and 7/6, before Zverev held a set-point chance of his own at 8/7. Giron held on, striking a forehand winner, and earned three consecutive points to clinch the 59-minute opener.

Zverev led 5-2 in the second set, but got frustrated with Giron’s potency — he won 20 of 22 first-service points — and let the American back in. But the lapse was temporary as Zverev performed strongly in the tie-break, and went on to break early in the third and fourth sets.

Zverev, who hit 50 winners, including 16 aces, against Giron, went 1-2 in singles play for Germany at last week’s ATP Cup in Melbourne. The 23-year-old will next play American qualifier Maxime Cressy or lucky loser Taro Daniel of Japan at Melbourne Park.

Elsewhere, French No. 32 seed Adrian Mannarino knocked out Dennis Novak of Austria 6-2, 6-4, 7-6(2) and now plays Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic, who defeated Kamil Majchrzak of Poland 6-2, 6-4, 6-3.

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Australian Open: Katie Boulter loses to Daria Kasatkina in first round

Britain’s Katie Boulter saves four match points but falls to Daria Kasatkina in the first round of the Australian Open.

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Defending Champs Ram/Salisbury Face Tricky Australian Open Doubles Draw

Defending champions Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury will face a stacked draw packed with top singles champions and dangerous duos as they eye a second Grand Slam crown at the 2021 Australian Open doubles tournament. 

Stefanos Tsitsipas, Denis Shapovalov and Nick Kyrgios are some of the standout singles names that lurk in the doubles draw. Tsitsipas, No. 6 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, is set to hit the court in Melbourne as a wild card partnering with younger brother Petros Tsitsipas. Shapovalov will join forces with fellow Canadian Vasek Pospisil, while home hope Kyrgios will form an all-Aussie wild card duo with Thanasi Kokkinakis.

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Felix Auger-Aliassime and Hubert Hurkacz will team up for the first time since their breakout victory at the Rolex Paris Masters last year, a statement triumph in just their second tournament together. They’ll need to find that level as they seek to upset No. 16 seeds Ken Skupski and Neal Skupski in the first round.

Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah are the top seeds as they begin their hunt for a third Grand Slam title. The Colombian pair lifted the Wimbledon and US Open trophies in 2019 to finish that season as Year-End No.1s.Defending champions Ram and Salisbury are seeded fifth.

Second seeds Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic are coming into the year’s first Grand Slam on a hot streak. Mektic and Pavic are on an eight-match winning streak after claiming their second title of the year at the Murray River Open, backing up their season-opening win at the Antalya Open.

No. 6 seeded Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares got off to a fast start in their partnership’s second chapter after winning the Great Ocean Road Open. The Australian Open 2016 champions have won two Grand Slam doubles titles together, and have paired up again after parting ways in 2019.

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Nakashima Completes #NextGenATP American Double In Quimper

The #NextGenATP revolution has descended on Quimper, France.

One week ago, it was 20-year-old Sebastian Korda lifting his second ATP Challenger Tour trophy, and on Sunday fellow American Brandon Nakashima grabbed the spotlight himself. The 19-year-old also captured his second Challenger crown, streaking to victory at the Open Quimper Bretagne Occidentale 2.

Nakashima needed one hour and 18 minutes to dispatch Spain’s Bernabe Zapata Miralles, dominating the final 6-3, 6-4. The California native turned in an efficient performance on the indoor hard courts of the Parc des Expositions, saving five of six break points faced to complete the #NextGenATP American double in Quimper.

Nakashima becomes the youngest American to win multiple ATP Challenger Tour titles since Frances Tiafoe in 2016. Tiafoe was 18 when he lifted his second trophy on the hard courts of Stockton five years ago.

“It feels great,” said Nakashima. “It’s definitely been a long two weeks, but I thought I played the matches really well. It’s exciting to come out on top. It’s my first Challenger victory in France, but I’m always very excited to come here. I played juniors at Roland Garros for two years and then qualified for the men’s tournament last year. I always enjoy coming out here and playing.

“I’ve been doing a lot of fitness, especially during the offseason. That is, to prepare for these exact moments. I’m just happy that it paid off and I was able to play well for all these matches.”

Both Korda and Nakashima were made to work to etch their names on the Quimper trophy. Last week, Korda saved a match point and rallied from 1/5 down in a deciding tie-break in the first round. And this week, Nakashima was forced to rally from a set and a break deficit in his semi-final enounter with Lukas Lacko. Trailing 4-6, 1-3, the teenager exhibited his trademark poise and steely resolve to storm back and upset the former World No. 44.

Nakashima will rise to a career-high No. 135 in the FedEx ATP Rankings on Monday, soaring 22 spots with his victory in Quimper. Also the champion in Orlando in November, he is now a combined 14-3 since the start of that maiden title run.

The teen, who joins Korda as instant contenders in the ATP Race To Milan, will look to continue the momentum next week in nearby Cherbourg. Both Americans will be seeking to punch their tickets to the Next Gen ATP Finals for the first time in 2021.

Youngest Americans To Win Multiple Challenger Titles (since 2010)

Taberner Triumphs In Antalya
Carlos Taberner prevailed on the clay of Antalya on Sunday, defeating countryman Jaume Munar 6-4, 6-1 for the title. It was the 23-year-old Spaniard’s second Challenger crown, having previously triumphed in Iasi, Romania, last year.

Taberner exacted revenge on Munar, following a straight-set defeat one week ago at the same site. This time, he would not be denied, earning the upset after one hour and 45 minutes. The Valencia native is projected to rise 15 spots to a career-high No. 129 in the FedEx ATP Rankings on Monday.

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Australian Open: Katie Boulter, Johanna Konta & Dan Evans lead British interest

Katie Boulter says she can win “a lot of matches at this level”, as she prepares to launch the British bid when the Australian Open starts on Monday.

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Djokovic Ready To Continue Australian Open ‘Love Affair’

With 17 Grand Slam titles, a record 36 ATP Masters 1000 crowns and six year-end World No. 1 finishes in the FedEx ATP Rankings, Novak Djokovic’s career has been defined by consistent success throughout each year he has played on the ATP Tour.

The World No. 1 has been a dominant force in men’s tennis for the past decade, and there is one location where he has regularly reached his peak level: the Australian Open. Since his tournament debut in 2005, when he lost to eventual champion Marat Safin, Djokovic has earned 75 wins at the opening Grand Slam event of the year (75-8).

The Serbian will attempt to add to that statistic on Monday night, when he begins his bid for a record-extending ninth title. Djokovic aims to follow in the footsteps of rival and 13-time Roland Garros champion Rafael Nadal, by becoming only the second man in history to win a single Grand Slam event on nine or more occasions.

“It’s a love affair… Maybe not like Rafa has at Roland Garros, but I’ve been feeling more comfortable on the court each year that I’ve been coming back,” said Djokovic. “The more you win, obviously the more confidence you have and the more pleasant you feel on the court… When I stepped on the court this year for the first time in the practice session, I relived some of the memories from last year, also the other years that I won the tournament here.

“It just gives me a great sensation, a great feeling, confidence. It feels right. It feels like the place where I should be and where I have historically always been able to perform my best tennis. Hopefully [this] can be another successful year.”

Novak Djokovic is chasing his third straight title at Melbourne Park this year.

Despite his past success, Djokovic admitted that he still has to regularly overcome his nerves as he fights for the biggest titles in the sport. With history on the line this year in Melbourne, it is a battle he is prepared to face again over the next fortnight.

“In every single tournament [I feel nerves], regardless of my previous success,” said Djokovic. “I do feel that I have more confidence, more experience, maybe more training in understanding how to deal with these specific situations when I’m coming onto the big courts, being expected to win 99 per cent of the matches that I play.

“But it’s still there. It’s still there. I don’t think it’s ever going to go away, especially when the occasion is big, when you’re playing for the biggest trophies.”

Those nerves may be lowered by this year’s unique tournament build-up. When he steps onto Rod Laver Arena for his first-round match at the Australian Open, he will not be playing his first match in almost a year on that court. This year, due to the relocation of the ATP Cup, Djokovic will be making his first appearance on Rod Laver Arena in three days.

During the ATP Cup, Djokovic contested two ties on the court where he has lifted the most trophies in his career. Djokovic claimed two singles wins and earned one win from two doubles matches, as Serbia finished second in Group A.

“Playing the ATP Cup and having four matches, two singles, two doubles, on Rod Laver Arena helps to prepare well for Australian Open,” said Djokovic. “I’ve never experienced that kind of lead-up to Australian Open before. So that’s a positive, having already [had] quite a lot of match time on the court where I’ll start my Australian Open [campaign] tomorrow night.”

Djokovic will attempt to win his first-round match at the Australian Open for the 15th consecutive year when he faces Jeremy Chardy on Day 1. Djokovic owns an unbeaten 13-0 ATP Head2Head record against the Frenchman, which includes a 7-5, 6-1, 6-3 victory when the pair met for the first time in the second round in 2009.

“I have a very good score against Jeremy,” said Djokovic. “I think that helps… He’s a very experienced player. He’s been on the tour for a lot of years. He has a big serve and big forehand. His game kind of revolves around those two shots.” 

One of the keys to Djokovic’s Australian Open success has been his ability to adapt to the various court speeds at Melbourne Park. After conversations with fellow players this year, Djokovic believes that the court is much quicker than it was when he claimed back-to-back titles at the event in 2015 and 2016.

“A lot of players have actually been noticing that and commenting on the speed of the court this year. It’s really, really very quick. Compared to five [or] six years ago, it’s a lot quicker than it used to be.

“It obviously favours big servers. You have to adapt your game… In these kinds of conditions, you really need to have a complete game in order to go all the way. I’ve managed somehow to always adapt very well to Rod Laver Arena. Whatever the speed or conditions, somehow that court has always been my favourite court.”

Djokovic stands just seven matches away from the trophy. If he can adapt well to this year’s fast conditions, he will put himself in a great position to continue his Australian Open love affair and place his name in the history books once more.

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