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Will Feliciano Lopez Play Next Year? Spaniard Answers Your Questions

  • Posted: May 17, 2020

Will Feliciano Lopez Play Next Year? Spaniard Answers Your Questions

ATP Tour Twitter Q&A held on Saturday

Feliciano Lopez made time for his fans on Saturday by holding a Twitter Q&A on the ATP Tour’s official Spanish Twitter account. The 38-year-old, No. 56 in the ATP FedEx Rankings, answered questions about his future, serving as tournament director of the Mutua Madrid Open and his secret to staying at the top for so many years. 

Can you definitely confirm that you will not be retiring anytime soon? | @phillippa62
I wasn’t planning on retiring in the short term. I’ve played the past few years as if each of them were my last and I’ve normally evaluated how things have gone at the end of the season. Based on that, I’ve decided whether or not to play another year. That’s worked well for me in recent years. It’s been a good way of focussing my goals during that time. Now, with this break we’re suffering due to the coronavirus, my plans have changed. The idea is to be able to play next year.


What do you miss the most about tennis now that there are no tournaments? | @ClaudiaMillan07
The thing that keeps me excited about continuing to play tennis is being able to remain competitive. That adrenaline from the competition is what I have missed most during these times. Obviously my training, daily work, everything that has been cut off suddenly from one day to the next is hard to accept. But I’ve also had other positive things during these difficult times like being able to be at home with my wife and also enjoy that time with her.

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When will the next virtual PlayStation tournament be? | @AziendaITF
I have no idea when the next tournament will be. Our tournament [in Madrid] was successful in every way. Before we started on that project, the organisers were a little nervous because it was the first time a virtual tennis event would be held. There were a lot of things, purely technical like internet connections in different countries, that were out of our hands. So we were a little more nervous than normal.

Despite the difficulties, it was a huge success and the players approached it with great enthusiasm. I think it was important for the world of tennis and specifically for us. Once again, we showed that our tournament has a tremendous capacity to innovate and reinvent ourselves during difficult times like the ones we are currently going through. It was a success in every sense and we are delighted.

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If one thing has defined your career, it’s been your consistency. Your Grand Slam participation record still stands. What is your secret to staying at the top? | @icacharron
There are two very important things. One is the fact that I haven’t had significant injuries in my career. Physical fitness is something you have to work on from when you’re very young. I also have good genetics that have helped me not get injured, to be able to handle the stresses of work and so many years playing professional tennis. I think my style of play and technique have helped reduce wear and tear on my body as I am not making a huge effort on every shot in every match.

Then it’s looking after myself a lot, eating well, resting… In short, being professional and committed to your profession. This has been more important in recent years. When you’re young, sometimes you don’t pay too much attention to certain details which can make a difference, even though they’re small. In recent years, I’ve paid a lot of attention to nutrition and training my body to be more prepared when I face players who are often at least 10 or 15 years younger. It’s a very big challenge for me.

How do you cope with people asking you for autographs or photos when you’ve just lost a match or when you want to concentrate on an important match? | @leonor47142133
It depends on the match. There are times when you go out in a rage and you’re not in the mood, but that’s where we have to make an effort. I find it very difficult to say no to children when they approach in any situation. I think it makes more sense to respect someone’s privacy before they play a match than afterwards, sometimes even if I have lost.

Would you like to try Blind Tennis? Would you put on a blindfold and play with me? | @raulblindtennis
Yes, I would give it a go. But you’d be the clear favourite. I imagine that I would be disastrous at it. The only time I’ve tried to play with my eyes covered was recently in Singapore, where we are trying to build a tennis academy. I went out with a blindfold and it was a disaster. I managed to serve and hit the ball on the fourth or fifth attempt. I can only congratulate all of you that play the adapted version of the sport and send you my best.

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Murray's Birthday Celebration: Tennis At Home Roundup

  • Posted: May 17, 2020

Murray’s Birthday Celebration: Tennis At Home Roundup

ATPTour.com looks at what your favourite players have been up to

Your favourite players are all at home, but they’re finding plenty of ways to pass the time. From Andy Murray’s birthday feast to David Goffin’s barbeque, ATPTour.com looks at how the world’s best players are keeping busy.

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Murray enjoyed the home version of an all-you-can-eat sushi buffet to celebrate turning 33.

 

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Thanks for all the birthday messages! ? During these tough times I was very grateful to get to do 3 of my favourite things today.. 1. Spend time with my family ?‍?‍? 2. Play tennis with my big bro @jamie__murray ? 3. Smoke a bunch of sushi rolls ? Hope you are all doing ok? #birthday #family #tennis #health #sushi

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David Goffin fired up the barbeque.

 

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Barbecue time ?? #meatlover #bbq #saltbae

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Cristian Garin reflected on his winning his first ATP 500 title this February in Rio de Janeiro.

 

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Una del baúl.

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Jan-Lennard Struff enjoyed a bike ride with his one-year-old son.

 

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What a beautiful day ? Family time ❤️ You guys had a great day?

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Marin Cilic showed that his newborn son could be a future powerhouse.

 

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The sweetest defeat ?. I still want a rematch though ??

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Kevin Anderson sharpened his guitar skills.

Richard Gasquet spent some quality time with his dog.

 

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Dernier jour ! Long mais content d’avoir pu passer du temps en famille ! ? #34. Bon deconfinement à tous !!

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Jamie Murray offered his fans a simple and fun upper body workout to do from home.

 

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Superset: 3 x 8-10 Reps Face Pulls T Bands High Row Ext Rot Press Rest 60-90secs Superset: 3 x 10 reps Single Arm DB Chest Press Incline DB Row Rest 60-90secs Superset: 3 x 10 reps DB Bent Over Reverse Flies Seated DB Single Arm Shoulder Press Rest 60-90secs Superset: 3 sets DB Front Raise into Side Raise x 8 reps Bicep 21s (7x7x7) Rest 60-90secs #stayhome #stayactive #stayhealthy #fitness #gym #upperbodyworkout #shoulders #back #health #wellbeing #strength #strengthtraining #tennisathome #dumbbells #weighttraining #weights

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Marius Copil bonded with his three-month-old son, Arthur.

 

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Nu ai cum să înțelegi dacă nu ai copil, spuneau ei. Acum le dau dreptate. ? #fericire

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Flashback: Moya Delivers The Goods For Sweet Title In Rome

  • Posted: May 17, 2020

Flashback: Moya Delivers The Goods For Sweet Title In Rome

Spaniard reflects on 2004 triumph at the Foro Italico

On 9 May 2004, Carlos Moya won the third and final ATP Masters 1000 title of his career at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, beating David Nalbandian 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 in the championship match at the Foro Italico. On the 16th anniversary of that moment, the former World No. 1 in the FedEx ATP Rankings reflected on his dream week in Italy and a title that had evaded him until then.

“I hadn’t done well in Rome,” Moyà told ATPTour.com. “I don’t know why. I loved the tournament and I really liked playing there, but I hadn’t had great results. Of the tournaments on clay, with Monte-Carlo, Barcelona and Paris, it was the one I had the least success at.

“It was the same in Cincinnati. I couldn’t win a match and suddenly I won the tournament, but that one made more sense. Historically, I had done better at the other clay-court tournaments, so I can’t see why it shouldn’t have been the same there.”

Moya overcame Alberto Martin and Ivan Ljubicic in the first two rounds without great difficulty. The Spaniard then met then Ivo Karlovic, No. 70 in the rankings. Moya’s 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 victory over the Croatian took him to the quarter-finals and made him a clear contender for the title.

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“Karlovic was always a tough opponent,” Moya said. “It was the only time we played on clay. I’d always beaten him on hard courts, but with closer results. He was an uncomfortable opponent. Karlovic forces you not to make any mistakes because if you relax he might take the set, and I was well known for the odd lapse in concentration. Sometimes I would get back into the game and win, but on other occasions it would cost me the match.

“[But] little by little, things came together that year. Before, when I went to a tournament, I wasn’t thinking about winning it. I was thinking about surviving the first few days and seeing how I felt so that I could find my game from the quarter-finals.”

After beating Andrei Pavel and Mariano Zabaleta in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, respectively, Moya squared off against Nalbandian in the championship match. The Spaniard played flawlessly to break his opponent six times en route to taking the title.

”Nalbandian is my friend and he was back then too,” Moya said. ”I watched some of that match the other day when they were showing it on television. David was also a player who would get distracted at times. I remember the break in the first set came through mistakes that he didn’t normally make. It was better to meet him in the early rounds because he tended to play his best tennis in finals, but I grew into the game and played a very good match.

“The Masters 1000 [titles] are highly coveted. For Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, they are valuable, but it’s a little different. For those that have none, it’s the greatest thing.”

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Flashback: Nadal Outlasts Federer In 2006 Rome Classic

  • Posted: May 17, 2020

Flashback: Nadal Outlasts Federer In 2006 Rome Classic

Relive the pair’s memorable 2006 clash at the Foro Italico

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have played 40 times across 16 years in their legendary ATP Head2Head rivalry. But still today, 14 years on, their clash in the championship of the 2006 Internazionali BNL d’Italia remains one of their most memorable.

It was only the pair’s sixth meeting, but it was clear that Federer and Nadal were tennis’ titans. Federer first earned the No. 1 FedEx ATP Ranking more than two years before their Foro Italico battle, and Nadal took World No. 2 in July 2005. He held a 1,290-point buffer ahead of World No. 3 David Nalbandian the week of 2006 Rome.

Nadal had already proven to have at least some kryptonite to counter Federer’s aggressive, free-flowing game, winning four of their first five matches. The ever-improving lefty won 2005 Roland Garros — including a semi-final victory against Federer — and beat the Swiss to triumph at the 2006 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters in four sets.

“I think I’m actually going to improve a lot by playing more against him, and I already feel like I have since he’s been around,” Federer said after his defeat in Monte Carlo. “The more I play him, the more I’ll also figure out his game and the easier it’s going to get for me. Maybe I’m too optimistic, but I really believe it.”

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Federer got his chance to prove it on 14 May 2006, competing against Nadal on a hot Rome afternoon. He went for his shots, and was unafraid of being passed at the net, winning 64 of 84 net points.

The Swiss was in a winning position while leading 6-5 in the fifth set. Nadal hit his first double fault of the match to give Federer two championship points.

Triumph appeared even closer when Federer worked his way to neutral in the rally on his first opportunity, smacking a forehand down the middle of the court. However, he missed long.

“The first one I was more disappointed about because I was in a good position, and I didn’t want to go for the outright winner at all,” Federer said. “I just tried to play solid and with a lot of spin to his backhand, and long. I just couldn’t get quite over it in time, so that was a pity. I guess the first match point that cost me the match.”

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Federer still had another chance, and he went for broke on the run with a missile-like forehand down the line, missing well wide.

“I think the second one was definitely rushed. I tried to hit a winner. Why not? I already had one match point, so I thought I might as well go for it a little bit,” Federer said. “I didn’t try to totally hit a winner, but tried to play aggressively and I was a little late on it.”

“I was lucky that when he had match points,” Nadal said. “He made a mistake with two forehands, one which was quite simple for him.”

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Federer also led 5/3 in the deciding tie-break. He missed a mid-court forehand that would have given him three consecutive match points. Instead, Nadal won four straight points and fell to his back after clinching his second Rome title with a 6-7(0), 7-6(5), 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(5) win.

“I have won, but I could have lost. I’ve been down many times,” Nadal said. “For sure I played very well, but it was a very tough match. It was complicated.”

The clash remains the longest of their rivalry, lasting five hours and five minutes. Of the 40 matches they have played, it was the only one clinched in a deciding-set tie-break, and the only one in which the winner saved match point. Federer won 179 points to Nadal’s 174, marking the only occasion in their rivalry that the loser won more total points.

“It was very close from [the] start until the finish. The result obviously reflects that, too,” Federer said. “I came back well and in the end I should have won. He caught me right on the finish line… That’s all I could do, fight hard and try and play as well as I could. It was a pity in the end.”

Did You Know?
Nadal also beat Federer in their other Rome clash, which came in 2013. The Spaniard triumphed 6-1, 6-3. Nadal now owns a record nine titles at the Foro Italico, while Federer has never triumphed at the ATP Masters 1000 event.

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Murray Surprises Scottish Nurse To Honour Healthcare Workers

  • Posted: May 17, 2020

Murray Surprises Scottish Nurse To Honour Healthcare Workers

Brit and football star Marcus Rashford ‘bomb’ Zoom call with nurse

“I think I’ve been well and truly set up here!”

Andy Murray and Manchester United football star Marcus Rashford recently teamed up on Zoom to surprise Debbie Thorberg, a community nurse from Scotland who works the night shift with the out-of-hours district nursing service. Thorberg joined what she thought was a Zoom call to discuss tennis with ATP staff, but was surprised to find Murray and Rashford thanking the nurse for her work as part of episode six of Tennis United.

The former World No. 1 in the FedEx ATP Rankings may not have been her first choice for a dream Zoom call, though. Murray said he “was told you’re a big a Rafael Nadal fan” and she admitted to closely following the Spaniard.

“I’m so sorry. My husband does like you,” Thorberg said, laughing. “I love to watch you too, but I’m afraid it’s always been Rafa for me and it always will be.”

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Thorberg also discussed the important and challenging work she’s currently engaged in during the pandemic. The United Kingdom has more than 236,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 33,998 related deaths as of 15 May, according to the BBC.

“We’re really busy at the moment because we’re going into care homes with a lot of, unfortunately, COVID-19 patients who are terminally ill and at the end of their lives,” Thorberg said. “It’s quite harrowing. At the moment, it’s really difficult.

“Our workload has quadrupled… A lot of care homes at the moment are stretched. They’re understaffed. Sometimes before coronavirus, if a patient was dying and the family couldn’t get in or they didn’t have a family, we’d have a care nurse sit with them. That’s just not possible at the moment. These people are basically dying alone. It’s very hard to be a part of that and very hard to watch.”

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Thorberg is an avid tennis fan and has watched her idol Nadal in action at the Fever-Tree Championships. She’s also attended Wimbledon three times, most recently in 2018 as a surprise for her husband’s 60th birthday. He didn’t get the chance to see Murray play, but the couple took in one of Roger Federer’s matches.

“That’s probably better!” Murray joked.

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Resurfaced: Kyrgios, Totti Star In Rome Charity Match

  • Posted: May 16, 2020

Resurfaced: Kyrgios, Totti Star In Rome Charity Match

Tennis and football stars come together at Foro Italico

Editor’s Note: ATPTour.com is resurfacing features to bring fans closer to their favourite players during the current suspension in tournament play. This story was originally published on 10 May 2016.

It was a star-studded affair on Monday night at the Foro Italico as Next Generation player Nick Kyrgios joined Italians Fabio Fognini, Andreas Seppi, Paolo Lorenzi, Marco Cecchinato, Filippo Volandri, Roberta Vinci, Flavia Pennetta and Francesca Schiavone in the Tennis With Stars charity event on Pietrangeli court.

The tennis stars were paired with football players from AS Roma in a tie-break tournament to raise money for the Roma Cares Foundation, which benefits the Sant’Eugidio community. 

Having won his first round at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia earlier in the day, Kyrgios teamed with AS Roma superstar Francesco Totti to reach the semi-finals of the charity event.

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“It was unbelievable,” said Kyrgios, who wore Totti’s shirt for practice the following day. “Totti is obviously a god in Italy and a god in football, so it was a pleasure to play some points with him. It was a lot of fun.”

The winning team was Fognini, who had just suffered a disappointing first-round loss before the start of the charity match, and Alessandro Florenzi.  “At least I won something today and it was for a good cause,” said Italian No. 1 Fognini.

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Five Things To Know About Pablo Carreno Busta

  • Posted: May 16, 2020

Five Things To Know About Pablo Carreno Busta

Learn more about the Spaniard’s career, favourite football team and more

Pablo Carreno Busta owns four ATP Tour titles and reached a career-high No. 10 in the FedEx ATP Rankings after his run to the 2017 US Open semi-finals.

ATPTour.com looks at five things you should know about the 28-year-old.

1) He Enjoyed Huge Success At Lower Levels
From May 2011 to July 2015, Carreno Busta reached 11 finals on the ATP Challenger Tour. He won them all.

The Spaniard defeated Dominic Thiem and Roberto Bautista Agut in two of those championship matches to boost his position in the FedEx ATP Rankings, before his run came to an end in his 12th, and most recent, Challenger final appearance. As top seed and defending champion at the 2015 LVII Copa Sevilla, Carreno Busta lost in straight sets to Pedro Cachin.

At Futures level, Carreno Busta won seven consecutive titles in 2013 with 35 straight victories. At the 2013 Nitto ATP Finals, the Spaniard was awarded the Most Improved Player of the Year award.

2) His Idol Was Juan Carlos Ferrero
Growing up, Carreno Busta idolised former World No. 1 and countryman Juan Carlos Ferrero. The 28-year-old, who trains at the JC Ferrero Equelite Sport Academy in Alicante, recently shared a picture of himself and Ferrero during a trophy ceremony in 2004 on Instagram.

 

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2004… ? @juankiferri #idolo

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3) Grand Slam Success Came In 2017
Carreno Busta achieved the two best Grand Slam singles finishes of his career in 2017. At Roland Garros, the Gijon native overcame Top 15 stars Grigor Dimitrov and Milos Raonic to reach the quarter-finals. Later in the year, at the US Open, Carreno Busta went one step further.

The 26-year-old cruised through the draw in New York, beating Denis Shapovalov and Diego Schwartzman en route to his first Grand Slam singles semi-final. Despite losing in four sets to Kevin Anderson, Carreno Busta cracked the Top 10 in the FedEx ATP Rankings for the first time after the tournament.

4) He Supports His Local Football Club
Carreno Busta is a fan of Spanish football club Sporting de Gijon, which finished as runner-up in the 1978-’79 La Liga season. The Spaniard posts about the Segunda (second) Division side on his social media channels and occasionally attends matches.

5) He Returned To The Winners’ Circle Last Year
At the 2019 Chengdu Open, Carreno Busta ended a two-year, four-month wait to lift his fourth ATP Tour trophy.

Competing at No. 63 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, the 6’2” right-hander overcame Radu Albot, Benoit Paire, Shapovalov and Cristian Garin to book a final meeting against Alexander Bublik. Carreno Busta withstood 31 aces during the championship match to earn a 6-7(5), 6-4, 7-6(3) victory after two hours and five minutes.

“I just tried to continue working hard because I know when you work and do as much as possible, normally you have the prize,” said Carreno Busta. “Now I am here with the trophy [after] winning my fourth ATP Tour title and for me it is the reason to continue fighting and playing this sport.”

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Flashback: Djokovic Saves 2 M.P. Against Del Potro In Rome Thriller

  • Posted: May 16, 2020

Flashback: Djokovic Saves 2 M.P. Against Del Potro In Rome Thriller

Relive instant classic at the Foro Italico

All it takes is one shot to alter the course of a match.

Juan Martin del Potro, competing in only his third tournament back from a fractured right kneecap, held two match points against top seed Novak Djokovic in their 2019 Internazionali BNL d’Italia quarter-final. But with the Argentine serving at 6/4 in the second-set tie-break, he shanked a forehand and Djokovic hit a delicate drop shot winner in the next point. The Serbian seized the momentum and crawled back back to secure a 4-6, 7-6(6), 6-4 victory that finished after midnight.

“I never lost faith I could come back to the match,” Djokovic said afterwards. “He missed a couple of crucial points in the tie-break. Also break point [in the] third set, quite easy forehand. That’s what happens. That’s sport. I’m just really pleased to overcome.”

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The Serbian improved to 16-4 in his ATP Head2Head series with del Potro and maintained a flawless (4-0) record against him on clay. But their Rome clash was yet another thrilling chapter in a highly competitive rivalry. Seven of their past 10 matches have gone to a deciding set.

Their battle under the lights was also played in the competitive spirit that has made their matches must-see viewing. After del Potro hit an outrageous drop volley winner at 2-2 in the third set, Djokovic applauded the shot with and reached across the net to high-five the Argentine.

“Towards the end of the first set, he started hitting the ball really well from both corners,” Djokovic said. “Also on the backhand side [and] backhand down the line. He gave me a lot of trouble.”

Djokovic reached the final by outlasting Diego Schwartzman 6-3, 6-7(2), 6-3, but was denied a fifth title in Rome and his first since 2015. In the championship match against Rafael Nadal, the top seed ran out of steam after rain early in the week forced him to play four matches in 72 hours before facing the Spaniard. Nadal prevailed 6-0, 4-6, 6-1 and lifted the trophy at the Foro Italico for a ninth time.

Read the full Djokovic v Del Potro match report

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Cabal/Farah Reflect On Rome: 'The Tournament That Opened Our Eyes'

  • Posted: May 15, 2020

Cabal/Farah Reflect On Rome: ‘The Tournament That Opened Our Eyes’

Colombians discuss memorable moments at the Foro Italico  

Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah arrived at the 2018 Internazionali BNL d’Italia with a score they had been waiting to settle for a long time. They had 10 ATP Tour titles under their belt, but hadn’t won an ATP Masters 1000 tournament. Both players believed they were capable of winning bigger events.

“We had important moments at those events, but we came up short of winning,” Cabal told ATPTour.com.

Four months before playing in Rome, they fell in the Australian Open final (l. to Marach/Pavic). But if recent results were anything to go by, ending their big tournament drought in Rome seemed unlikely. They reached the quarter-finals in 2015, but lost their opening match in 2014 and 2016, and didn’t play in 2017. It was difficult to predict that the Colombian Power, as the duo is known, would be victorious that week in the Foro Italico, at least for those who were unaware of their love for competing there.

“We love Rome,” Farah explained. “We like going out and exploring the streets, slipping down an unknown alley, discovering hidden and unknown restaurants. We like walking and eating great food. We also play very well there. It suits us because we come into it in form at that point of the clay swing and Sebas and I are good on clay.”

“Rome is special for us,” Cabal added. “Even though we lost in the first round in the early years, we always played well there. Everything was in place for that to be the case. We love Italy. It’s one of our favourite countries. Rome has a unique atmosphere and the venue is special, the courts are spectacular and they are always full. That makes it even more special.”

Cabal Farah

Their feelings for the city helped them win their first big title together in 2018 Rome, when they took out top seeds Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo in the quarter-finals and then defeated Pablo Carreno Busta and Joao Sousa in the final. Cabal broke into the Top 10 of the FedEx ATP Doubles Rankings and Farah moved into the Top 15.

But the most important thing that came with the triumph was not their rankings rise. Farah reflected on that week as “the tournament that opened their eyes” and helped them understand their limitless potential.

“Rome is where everything exploded,” Cabal said. “Winning there was like getting the monkey off our back because we’d been coming up short in those types of tournaments. We had already won ATP 250 and ATP 500 titles. We thought that we were ready to win any tournament. But it wasn’t easy. And when we freed ourselves from that burden, we thought, ‘Now we need a Grand Slam.’”

To achieve their new goal, they needed a little more than a year. But they initially faced a variety of setbacks and posted a 10-6 record in the first quarter of 2019. Cabal also picked up a back injury at 2019 Monte Carlo and they only managed to win the title in Barcelona the following week because they started on Wednesday and he had enough time to recover.

At their next event in Madrid, Farah suffered a neck injury that did not improve before their opening match. They wouldn’t regain their confidence until returning to Rome to defend their title, when they produced a stunning performance that included an epic quarter-final win over Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan. Cabal played what he still refers to as one of the best points of his life during the clash.

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“That was the most difficult match we played in Rome,” Farah said. “We saved match points, and we were down 2/7 in the Match Tie-break.“

The Colombians won again in Rome after producing a stunning display in the final against Raven Klassen and Michael Venus. It was their ninth consecutive victory at the tournament.

“We played unbelievably… We were unstoppable,” Farah recalled.

It is not only because of those two titles that Rome has become unforgettable for the Colombians. They have also had some surreal moments while playing there.

“In 2018, my racquet broke into two pieces when returning against Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares. A cat ran onto the court against Kubot and Melo, and Sebas hit me with the ball in our first round against Jurgen Melzer and Robin Haase,” Farah said. ”Last year, I brought my dog Taco, a miniature Australian sheep dog who was four or five months old, on court to celebrate.”

The pair have not slowed down since then. They earned their first two Grand Slam titles last year at Wimbledon and the US Open en route to clinching the year-end No. 1 spot for the first time.

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Murray & Kyrgios To Go On Instagram Live Saturday

  • Posted: May 15, 2020

Murray & Kyrgios To Go On Instagram Live Saturday

The Scot and Aussie have played six matches in their ATP Head2Head series

Andy Murray and Nick Kyrgios are going on Instagram live Saturday at 3 p.m. BST. From their fun matches to off-court bantering, this is one conversation you won’t want to miss.

“When he’s mentally engaged in the matches he’s brilliant for tennis because he has an exciting game, a big personality and he’s different,” Murray told ATPTour.com last year of Kyrgios. “People enjoy watching that. I enjoy watching that. His match with Rafa at Wimbledon [in 2019] was one of the best matches of the tournament. That’s really good for tennis.

“As someone who knows him well, I like him. I just want to see him do that all of the time.”

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Former World No. 1 Murray, who has always shown Kyrgios support, leads their ATP Head2Head series 5-1.

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