Second seed Dominic Thiem is one set away from his first US Open final. The Austrian saved a set point in the second-set tie-break and leads third seed Daniil Medvedev 6-2, 7-6(7) in their semi-final clash on Friday. Thiem is the first player to take a set off Medvedev this fortnight.

Medvedev arrived to the match having only been broken three times in 68 service games. Thiem failed to convert his first two break points, but a controversial moment on his third opportunity at 3-2 gave him the first break of the night.

The third seed hit a first serve that was called good and Thiem cracked a backhand return that the Russian didn’t attempt to move for. Medvedev attempted to challenge the call thinking his serve landed long — as a Hawkeye review shown on the broadcast proved correct — but was denied by the chair umpire, who insisted that Thiem hit the return before the challenge was made. As a frustrated Medvedev pleaded his case, Thiem told the umpire to let him challenge. The call ultimately stood and Medvedev later apologised to the Austrian for the disruption in play.

But the moment threw Medvedev off mentally and Thiem capitalised. He took eight of the next nine points to grab the early advantage.

Medvedev quickly regrouped and broke Thiem to start the second set after the Austrian played an uncharacteristically patchy game. The 24-year-old also began to impose himself more on serve. Medvedev won 65 per cent of first-serve points in the opening set, but that number exceeded 90 per cent late in the second set.

But first deliveries inside the service box were few and far between when Medvedev served for the set at 5-4. Thiem capitalised and opened the game with a pair of baseline winners, then broke as the Russian dumped a forehand into the net. An epic six-deuce game followed at 5-5 as Thiem fought through visible nerves by charging the net behind aggressive forehand approaches. He bravely fought off five break points before holding with a forehand winner.

Thiem erased a set point with a big serve at 5/6 in the tie-break, only to see Medvedev match that effort serving at 6/7. But at an ill-advised drop shot from the third seed at 7/7 landed in the middle of the court and Thiem crunched a forehand winner for another set point. He made good on the second opportunity with another aggressive forehand and took a commanding advantage.

The grueling rallies took their toll on the Austrian, though. He received a medical timeout at the end of the second set for treatment on his left ankle.

Thiem holds a 2-1 lead against Medvedev in their ATP Head2Head rivalry, but Medvedev won their most recent match at 2019 Montreal. Medvedev only lost four games and won 16 of the first 17 points in the second set of their quarter-final clash.

The winner of this match will face Alexander Zverev in Sunday’s final. The fifth seed rallied from two sets down to defeat No. 20 seed Pablo Carreno Busta. Thiem holds a 7-2 lead in his ATP Head2Head rivalry with Zverev and has won their past three matches. Medvedev trails Zverev 1-5 in their ATPHead2Head series, but picked up his lone win on hard courts in the 2019 Shanghai final

Pablo Carreno Busta is one set from reaching his first Grand Slam final, leading favoured fifth seed Alexander Zverev 6-3, 6-2 on Friday in the semi-finals of the US Open.

The Spaniard has shown few nerves in the biggest match of his career, playing steady tennis and taking any opportunity to aggressively target the German’s forehand. Even after taking the lead, he has accelerated harder, going after second-serve returns and keeping the pressure on Zverev, who has found little rhythm through two sets. The German has made 36 unforced errors compared to only 12 for Carreno Busta.

Carreno Busta faced a break point in his second service game, but raised his level after that. He broke twice in the opening set, hitting two crisp backhand passing shots in the early going to boost his confidence.

Zverev’s two-handed backhand is his most trustworthy shot, but even that was misfiring in the second set. Zverev made 12 unforced errors within the first four games to dig himself a hole. The German avoided a total washout heading into the third set, breaking at 0-5 and holding to get some momentum going, but Carreno Busta erased a 0/30 deficit in the next game to earn a two-set lead.

Zverev trailed early in his quarter-final against Borna Coric on Tuesday, losing the first set 1-6. But in the middle of the second set, he began to play more aggressively and found his range from the baseline. That has not been the case against Carreno Busta.

Both players are pursuing their first appearance in a major final. World No. 27 Carreno Busta can become the second-lowest-ranked tournament finalist since the FedEx ATP Rankings were established in 1973. The man who beat Carreno Busta in the 2017 US Open semi-finals, then-World No. 32 Kevin Anderson, holds that distinction.

Zverev, who is trying to become the first German US Open finalist since Michael Stich in 1994, made his first Grand Slam semi-final earlier this year at the Australian Open.

Nobody remaining in the draw has won a Grand Slam title, guaranteeing a first-time major champion for the first time since the 2014 US Open (Marin Cilic).

After 18 months of renovation work, the site of the Hamburg European Open has been transformed ahead of the 2020 edition of the tournament.

The new-look Rothenbaum Tennis Stadium, the main court for the ATP 500 event, was recently unveiled in a special ceremony attended by Vice President of the German Tennis Federation (DTB), Hans-Wolfgang Kende, Hamburg’s Sports Senator Andy Grote, Hamburg European Open tournament director Sandra Reichel, entrepreneur and patron Alexander Otto and the first chairman of the Club an der Alster, Dr. Carsten Lütten.

The tournament, which will be held from 21-27 Septmeber, has an impressive history of past champions. Seven former World No. 1s have lifted the trophy, including two-time champion Rafael Nadal (2008, ’15). The Spaniard has made four visits to the event, claiming 16 wins from 18 matches.

“Hamburg is a very important tournament for me. I won the title twice here and enjoyed unforgettable matches,” said Rafael Nadal. “I remember my first win against my current coach and close friend Carlos Moya in 2003. I also know that my 81-match [clay] winning streak came to an end in the 2007 final against Roger [Federer]. The new Centre Court is going to be great. I want to congratulate you and wish you the best.”

Alongside improvements to its centre court, which also include a new façade, modern seating and increased capacity for wheelchair users and the visually impaired, the Hamburg European Open has renovated its players’ centre and entrance plaza. The tournament’s previous Hall of Fame has also been upgraded, with a new, digital ‘Walk of Champions’ taking its place. Visitors can scan a range of QR codes to discover information about the tournament’s history, including past champions.

In the Open Era, only one German player has managed to lift the Hamburg trophy. One year after falling to Stefan Edberg in the 1992 championship match, Michael Stich defeated Thomas Muster and Ivan Lendl en route to the 1993 trophy. Stich and 1990 runner-up Boris Becker shared their positive wishes for the tournament, where they earned a combined 34 singles victories.

“Now the time has come! The new Center Court will open its doors and it will surely be an absolute dream!” said Stich. “I think it is great that Alexander Otto is so committed, giving the players the chance to experience a completely new feeling on court. Of course, the spectators will also be happy about it the same way. I will always carry the Rothenbaum in my heart.”

“I am also pleased that the Rothenbaum site has finally been renovated,” said Becker. “I have many memories of the tournament. Most of them are pretty good. Well, we do not talk about one or the other defeat. We are in 2020 and I am pleased that the Rothenbaum will shine in its old splendour again.”

The tournament received €10m in funding to complete the site improvements, including an €8m donation from The Alexander Otto Sports Foundation. Otto’s company, ECE, were responsible for the project management and design planning. The City of Hamburg contributed €1m to the renovation of the roof. The German Tennis Federation with its subsidiary DTB Stadion and Marketing GmbH, as well as local tennis and field hockey club, Club an der Alster, provided the remaining funds for the project.

“I am delighted with the result,” said Alexander Otto. “The stadium has been completely renovated and with its now international, modern look, a successful re-positioning of the Rothenbaum brand takes place. It is great to see what we have created here as partners. Players and visitors are invited to come and stay at the Hamburg European Open, which is the perfect framework to celebrate the stadium’s inauguration.”

Pete Sampras captivated tennis fans worldwide when he captured his maiden Grand Slam title at the 1990 US Open. At age 19, the big-serving American became the youngest men’s singles champion in tournament history, a record which still holds today, and found himself thrust into the spotlight.

Although Sampras appeared to handle the increased expectations well, he reflected on the moment 30 years later and said he wasn’t ready for it as an introverted teenager.

“I struggled off court being around people, the media, the attention… I just struggled for the next six or eight months,” Sampras told Tim Henman in the latest edition of ATP Champions Tour: Legends Live. “It was a tough adjustment for me… I’ve won the US Open and I’m recognised around the world. I wasn’t ready for it. I was 19 and it takes time to become more secure in your game or even who you are as a person. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad I won the Open. It was a great moment. But it was a little too soon.”

Sampras arrived in New York with two titles that year in Philadelphia and Manchester, along with several other deep runs that contributed to his FedEx ATP Ranking rising in eight months from No. 69 to No. 12. Although he had a pair of Top 10 wins to his name, Sampras had yet to show he could beat the world’s best players on the biggest stages.

“I was pretty young at the time. I was only a pro for a couple of years and was sort of a dark horse,” Sampras said. “I was just trying to make the second week. I’m not looking to win it… The mindset was that I had nothing to lose. I just went out there and played great tennis.”

Sampras made headlines by taking out World No. 6 Thomas Muster for his first Grand Slam quarter-final, but he was far from done. He stunned three-time US Open champion Ivan Lendl in the last eight, then defeated John McEnroe in the semi-finals and Andre Agassi in the championship match.

It was the start of Sampras’ love affair with New York. He won the tournament four more times (1993, 1995-1996, 2002), fittingly playing his last professional match against Agassi in the 2002 US Open final.

”I won that match against Ivan and everything changed… For those two weeks, I just got in the zone,” Sampras said. “I developed this 125mph serve down the middle and was painting the lines, trying to get into the net and serving-and-volleying. I can’t explain it.”

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Who has been the hottest player on the ATP Challenger Tour during the restart? There is only one answer.

Aslan Karatsev was a dominant force since the tour kicked off, returning with a vengeance in the Czech Republic. Hungry and motivated following the five-month COVID-19 hiatus, the 27-year-old Karatsev is in the midst of the best stretch of his career.

How good has Karatsev been? The Russian won 15 of 16 matches on Czech soil, with his lone defeat coming to former World No. 3 Stan Wawrinka in the Prague I final. It was his first match against a Top 20 player in seven years and only gave him more confidence going forward.

Karatsev battled for nearly two hours against the Swiss star and he would proceed to lift back-to-back trophies in Prague II and Ostrava in the subsequent weeks. In fact, he reeled off 13 sets in a row in that span, notching convincing final victories over Tallon Griekspoor (Prague II) and Oscar Otte (Ostrava). He soared more than 100 spots to a career-high No. 140 in the FedEx ATP Rankings.

“It’s always great to win the title and these were a few big Challengers,” said Karatsev. “The two weeks in Prague and the week in Ostrava were fantastic for me. I beat two really good guys and I lost to Wawrinka in the first final. I’m happy to make these [FedEx ATP Rankings] points so quickly.”

Karatsev with the Ostrava trophy

Five years removed from his lone previous title on the ATP Challenger Tour, Karatsev surprised himself with his ruthless run. But most importantly, he showed that he’s capable of much more than even he believed.

An integral part of the Russian’s team was missing throughout the three-week stretch. Alberto Lopez, Karatsev’s coach of almost two years, was supposed to travel with his pupil to these initial tournaments, but had to cancel his plans due to restrictions surrounding the pandemic.

Lopez, who previously guided Garbine Muguruza to WTA No. 1, was unable to get a visa from their training base in Belarus. He was forced to stay behind, leaving Karatsev on his own in Prague and Ostrava. Coach or no coach, the Russian showed what he’s capable of.

Karatsev’s Restart

“My coach couldn’t be here with me, but we put in a lot of work during the pandemic. It’s been tough for everyone. I was staying at home for a while and then I went to the U.S. to practise and play exhibition matches. That was good preparation. I spoke to my coach and we decided to just keep it simple. It worked and we did a great job.”

“I didn’t expect it,” Karatsev told Florian Heer of Tennis TourTalk. “I don’t know the secret but I focused on my game… I would say that my game has become more consistent, not having too many ups and downs. I also had to cope with a knee injury three years ago but now everything is fine. I just go from match to match.”

Karatsev leads the Challenger circuit in match wins this year, owning a 24-5 record. His successful season started well before the tour’s restart, having also reached the final in Bangkok in January. That’s a total of four final appearances from seven tournaments entered in 2020.

After opening the year just inside the Top 300 of the FedEx ATP Rankings, Karatsev is projected to rise to a career-high Top 120 position on Monday. He will next compete at Roland Garros qualifying, beginning 21 September. The 27-year-old, who seeks his first Grand Slam main draw in what will be his ninth attempt, is appearing in qualifying for the first time since the 2016 US Open.