Tennis News

#NextGenATP Q2 Review: Fils & Shang break new ground

Several #NextGenATP stars continued to impress on the ATP Tour in recent months, with Arthur Fils and Shang Juncheng earning standout results.

ATPTour.com looks at those in contention to qualify for the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, to be held from 18-22 December in Jeddah.

View PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah

Fils makes major breakthrough
Arthur Fils achieved his best result at a major earlier this month at Wimbledon, where he reached the fourth round for the first time. The 20-year-old moved past Dominic Stricker and Hubert Hurkacz before he survived in five sets against Roman Safiullin.

Fils also enjoyed quarter-final runs at ATP 500 events in Barcelona and Halle in recent months, while he lifted the ATP Challenger Tour title at the 175 event in Bordeaux.

<img src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/07/07/01/02/fils-wimbledon-2024-saturday-2.jpg” alt=”Arthur Fils defeats Roman Safiullin in five sets on Saturday at Wimbledon.” style=”width: 100%;” />
_{^{Photo Credit: Getty Images}}
On court, the 20-year-old has put on a show and leads the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah. Off-court, the Frenchman has plans to stay in the spotlight.

“At one point I would love to be an actor but I don’t think it is possible at the moment,” Fils told ATPTour.com at Wimbledon. “After my career maybe I would love to. Acting is super cool. I never did any acting at school but I just love it because I love watching movies.

“I really like Michael B. Jordan. He is in a lot of great movies and it also seems a super cool life. I also really like Leonardo DiCaprio. I just love watching action movies and series. I like Power and Top Boy is great. Being in London, now is the time to watch Top Boy. But I like watching actors, so who knows in the future if it is for me.”

Shang creates history
Shang Juncheng made history at Wimbledon, where he became the first Chinese man to win a match at the grass-court major. The 19-year-old lefty defeated Cristian Garin in the first round before he lost to Grigor Dimitrov in five sets.

Cheering him on in west London were his parents, who were both former professional athletes.

“When I got into tennis, as athletes they both helped,” Shang told ATPTour.com at Wimbledon. “My mum played an individual sport, she knows how to compete by herself and then also having her team help her. My dad playing a team sport was a little bit different, but with physical contact, he knows how important fitness is and measures to help prevent injury, so I think it’s really perfect for me as a kid to start like that in a family who understands. I’m fortunate they’ve taught me so many things, basically everything I know, and it’s just really positive.”

Shang, currently third in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah, also impressed on the grass in Eastbourne, where he advanced to his second tour-level quarter-final of the season (Hong Kong SF).

Michelsen shines in Geneva & Mallorca
American Alex Michelsen is trying to qualify for the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF for the second consecutive year.

The 19-year-old earned his best results of Q2 in Geneva and Mallorca to boost his Jeddah chances. Michelsen clinched his second Top 20 win when he defeated Taylor Fritz en route to the last eight on clay in Geneva, before he advanced to the quarter-finals in Spain, becoming the youngest winner in tournament history.

“That’s pretty cool,” Michelsen said. “I had no idea that that was going to be a statistic, so I’m super happy with that.”

Mensik remains in contention
Jakub Mensik started Q2 by advancing to the third round at an ATP Masters 1000 event for the first time in Madrid. The 18-year-old earned his second Top 10 win of the season in the Spanish capital, where he upset Grigor Dimitrov.

The Czech star then missed Roland Garros due to a right arm injury but returned to perform well on his tour-level debut on grass, reaching the quarter-finals in Mallorca. Mensik is currently second in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah and is hoping to seal his qualification spot in the coming months.

“Before the season, I set the goal to qualify for Jeddah and to play there. I think that I’m doing pretty well so far and it would be great to play this kind of event because for us young players it is pretty exciting,” Mensik told ATPTour.com in June. “It is a good opportunity to see how it works and to taste something from the background of the ATP. I think that is what I want to play at the end of this season.”

Van Assche, Fonseca in the mix
Luca Van Assche, Joao Fonseca, Henrique Rocha and Gonzalo Bueno currently occupy spots fifth to eighth in the Live Race To Jeddah.

Frenchman Van Assche, 20, reached the semis at a Challenger Tour event in Germany in June, while 17-year-old Brazilian Fonseca advanced to his second tour-level quarter-final in Bucharest.

Portugal’s Rocha, 20, reached the title match at a Challenger Tour tournament in Slovakia and Peruvian Bueno won a trophy at that level in Chile. Fonseca, Rocha and Bueno, 20, are aiming to make their debuts at the 20-and-under event in Jeddah.

Source link

International Tennis Hall of Fame announces combined ATP-WTA 125 event in 2025

The International Tennis Hall of Fame (ITHF) announced on Wednesday a revamped Hall of Fame Open, including ATP Challenger 125 and WTA 125-level tournaments.

Scheduled for 6-13 July 2025, the Hall of Fame Open will become just the second combined men’s and women’s 125-level event in the United States. It will be the only grass-court stop on the Hologic WTA Tour outside of Europe, and the first women’s professional tournament at the ITHF since the Virginia Slims of Newport concluded in 1990. Equal prize money will be awarded to both the men’s and women’s draws. 

“The International Tennis Hall of Fame is a global representation of the sport, and there is no better way to reflect that worldwide impact than to welcome women’s professional tennis back to Newport,” said Hall of Fame Open Tournament Director Brewer Rowe. “We are pleased to welcome the Hologic WTA Tour in concert with our ATP partners and are thrilled to provide fans with double the tennis starting next summer.”

“Elite tennis has been a part of Newport’s history since 1881. The 2025 Hall of Fame Open represents the next exciting chapter in the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s rich history of honouring the sport,” stated ITHF CEO Dan Faber. “Our distinctive venue and traditions will continue to deliver an exceptional experience for tennis fans in New England.” 

Both the ATP Challenger and WTA 125 draws will consist of 32 singles players and 16 doubles teams. The WTA event will feature an 8-player qualifying draw, with a 24-player qualifying draw for the Challenger Tour event . Matches will be played on five courts simultaneously for at least four days of action.

The International Tennis Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Celebration will remain in Newport and moved to August, with more event details to be announced.  

Melissa Pine, Vice President, WTA 125 Operations, said: “The Hologic WTA Tour is excited to return to Newport for the first time in nearly 25 years. As one of tennis’ most iconic venues, the International Tennis Hall of Fame is the perfect location to extend the grass season for our players. We are proud to work with the ITHF on this incredible opportunity for both organizations.”

Eric Lamquet, Director, ATP Challenger Tour, said: “The ATP is pleased to continue its longstanding relationship with the International Tennis Hall of Fame as the newest Challenger Tour venue. Newport will continue to be a highlight of the grass season and provide a world-class experience for our players.”

Source link

Tsitsipas tops Medjedovic in Gstaad opener

In a battle of former Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF champions, Stefanos Tsitsipas beat Hamad Medjedovic 7-6(6), 6-3 on Wednesday to earn a debut win at the EFG Swiss Open Gstaad.

The top-seeded Greek saved four set points in the first set — three from 0/40 at 4-5 and another at 5/6 in the tie-break — but managed to snatch the opener before claiming the second set behind the lone break of the match.

“Hamad played great today,” Tsitsipas said of the 2023 Jeddah champion. “From the start of the match it was difficult for me to figure it out. He put out a great effort to put me in trouble.”

First W in Gstaad for @steftsitsipas 🙌💪

No. 1 seed Tsisipas takes the win with an ace over Medjedovic 7-6(6) 6-3@SwissOpenGstaad | #SwissOpenGstaad pic.twitter.com/LOYkK5CoP3

— ATP Tour (@atptour) July 17, 2024

Tsitsipas saved all five break points against him, according to Infosys ATP Stats, and raised his level as the match wore on to improve to 22-1 in opening rounds on clay since the start of 2021.

“The tie-break was a great comeback from my side. I fought so hard and was very effective towards the end,” said the Greek, mentioning his serve and forehand as two key shots in the victory.

After beating Medjedovic in the pair’s first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting, Tsitsipas will next meet seventh seed Fabio Fognini. The Italian reached his 76th tour-level quarter-final and his 51st on clay with a 3-6, 7-6(5), 7-5 win against qualifier Juan Pablo Varillas earlier on Wednesday.

Fourth seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry also advanced on centre court with a 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 win against Botic van de Zandschulp, improving to 9-1 in opening rounds on clay this season.

Source link

Zverev shakes off pain during Hamburg win

Alexander Zverev enjoyed a comfortable first-round win at the Hamburg Open Wednesday but conceded that he continues to manage pain in his left knee resulting from a nasty fall at Wimbledon.

The World No. 4, who overextended his knee during a slip and fall in a third-round win over Cameron Norrie at the grass-court major, dropped just seven points on his first serve and did not face a break point in a 6-2, 6-2 win over Jesper de Jong.

“I was still unsure this morning if I was going to play or not and during the warm-up I was in quite a lot of pain,” said Zverev, who has a bone edema and tear in the capsule of his knee. “But somehow when I step on this court it disappears a little bit when the adrenaline gets going.

“I have an injury where I know where I stand and it will take time to heal. It won’t heal in the next few days, it will take weeks and it’s up to me if I am going to play like that or not.”

Making a successful transition from his fourth-round run at Wimbledon to the clay on home soil in Germany, the defending champion collected his 41st match win of the season and improved to 12-1 in first-round outings this season.

Source link

Billie Jean King Cup Finals moved to Malaga

The 12-team women’s competition will take place in November at the same venue as the men’s Davis Cup Finals.

Source link

ATP Tour & Fitline forge global partnership

The ATP has announced a multi-year global partnership with Fitline, the premium sports nutrition brand. Fitline becomes the Official Sports Nutrition Partner and Official Energy Bar Partner of the ATP Tour through 2026.

Fitline’s premium range of products are designed for athletic performance and to support energy as well as immune function. The global brand, developed and distributed exclusively by PM-International, offers a variety of supplements that can be tailored to meet individual needs.

Through the new partnership, Fitline will receive global exposure across the ATP Tour’s social, editorial and digital channels. It underscores the partners’ shared commitment to supporting athletic performance and clean sport, and builds on Fitline’s partnership portfolio in professional sport, spanning athlete ambassadors and governing bodies.

Massimo Calvelli, ATP CEO, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Fitline to the ATP Tour’s partner roster. The synergies between our brands are evident, with both organisations dedicated to optimising athletic performance. This partnership reflects the ATP Tour’s appeal to global partners and our strength in engaging fans digitally.”

Rolf Sorg, PM-International CEO, added: “Through our partnership with the ATP Tour, we are proud that our sports nutrition is now represented on one of the largest stages in global professional sports. We’re excited to connect with tennis fans worldwide and continue sharing our passion to support professional and amateur sports in the community.”

Source link

Challenger Q2: #NextGenATP teens Schwaerzler, Debru shine

Joel Schwaerzler and Gabriel Debru headlined a handful of young stars to enjoy a standout second quarter on the ATP Challenger Tour. The #NextGenATP teens lifted their maiden ATP Challenger Tour titles and became the youngest champions of 2024 at that level.

ATPTour.com looks at some of the key moments on the ATP Challenger Tour from Q2:

#NextGenATP Champions:
The Austrian Schwaerzler entered the record books at the Skopje Challenger, where he became just the fourth player to win an ATP Challenger Tour title while holding the Junior No. 1 ranking. Nick Kyrgios, Taylor Fritz and Wu Yibing previously accomplished the feat. “I was kind of surprised. I knew I could win matches there, but to actually win the tournament is something different,” said the 18-year-old Schwaerzler, the youngest Challenger champion this season.

Debru, 18, became the youngest French Challenger champion since 2017 by winning in Troyes. The only Frenchmen to win a Challenger title at a younger age than Debru are Richard Gasquet, Fabrice Santoro, Gael Monfils and Corentin Moutet.

Youngest ATP Challenger Tour champions in 2024

Learner Tien’s marathon effort at the Bloomfield Hills Challenger came with a great reward. The 18-year-old, who needed a deciding set in all five of his matches, became the youngest American Challenger champion since 2016, when an 18-year-old Frances Tiafoe won in Granby, Canada.

Arthur Fils triumphed on home soil in Bordeaux, France, one of five ATP Challenger 175 events, the highest category at that level. “It was a perfect week for me,” said Fils, first in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah. The 20-year-old is aiming for a return trip to the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, where he was a finalist last year.

Peruvian Gonzalo Bueno scored his second ATP Challenger Tour title of the season in Concepcion. The 20-year-old is eighth in the PIF ATP Live Rankings To Jeddah.

Stepping Up:
Three players have won titles on both the ATP Challenger Tour and ATP Tour this season: Alejandro Tabilo, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and Luciano Darderi. The Chilean Tabilo was crowned champion at the 175 tournament in Aix-en-Provence, France a week before his Rome upset of then World No. 1 Novak Djokovic. Tabilo built upon his momentum and claimed his second tour-level crown in Mallorca, having also won in Auckland this season.

Mpetshi Perricard quickly garnered the attention of the tennis world in the second quarter of 2024. The 6’8” Frenchman enjoyed back-to-back titles in Mexico and a month later, he capped a dream run at his home tournament, the ATP 250 event in Lyon. Mpetshi Perricard saved a championship point against Tomas Martin Etcheverry to lift his maiden tour-level title.

‘Gio’ reached the fourth round of Wimbledon as a lucky loser, including a first-round five-set victory, during which Mpetshi Perricard hammered 51 aces, against 20th seed Sebastian Korda.

Darderi, who won the Cordoba ATP 250 in February, was dominant in winning the Perugia Challenger last month. The 22-year-old did not drop a set all week and ascended to a career-high No. 34 after becoming the first Italian to win in Perugia across nine editions of the tournament.

Comesana, Walton Crack Top 100:
Argentine Francisco Comesana and Australian Adam Walton made their Top 100 breakthrough after entering the winners’ circle. Comesana, who stunned Andrey Rublev in the first round of Wimbledon, won the Oeiras Challenger in April to secure a double-digit ranking next to his name. Walton became a part of that elite group after winning the Taipei Challenger.

Shang Juncheng, Zizou Bergs and Mpetshi Perricard also made their Top 100 debuts this quarter.

Title Leaders:
Resurgent players such as Lloyd Harris and Damir Dzumhur are among five men to win three ATP Challenger Tour titles this season. Harris, 27, returned to the Top 100 of the PIF ATP Rankings for the first time in 21 months following his maiden grass-court title at the Surbiton Challenger. In April, the South African collected back-to-back titles in Asia. Dzumhur continued his pursuit of a Top 100 return with title runs in Barletta, Ostrava and Zagreb.

Valentin Vacherot, Jozef Kovalik and Mpetshi Perricard have also earned a trio of ATP Challenger Tour titles in 2024.

Fast Facts:

• Match wins leader: Adam Walton (30).
• Highest win percentage: Valentin Vacherot (87.5).
• France leads all countries with 16 titles.
• Francesco Passaro became the first player since Robin Soderling in 2009 (Sunrise) to defeat five Top 100 players en route to a Challenger trophy (Turin).
• The Cagliari final (Mariano Navone d. Lorenzo Musetti) marked the first ATP Challenger Tour title match between two Top 50 players since 2009, when No. 26 Robin Soderling defeated No. 22 Tomas Berdych in Sunrise.
• Cagliari champion Navone became the first player in the Open Era to be seeded in his first major main draw (Roland Garros).
• With Tabilo’s upset against Djokovic in Rome, the 27-year-old became the sixth player since 2010 to win an ATP Challenger Tour title and down a World No. 1 in the same season. Tabilo joined Luca Nardi as players to achieve the feat this year.
• Mpetshi Perricard joined Richard Gasquet, Ugo Humbert and Corentin Moutet as the only French players to win four Challenger titles before their 21st birthday.
• Ergi Kirkin became the fourth Turkish Challenger champion with his triumph in Porto Alegre, joining Altug Celikbilek, Cem Ilkel and Marsel Ilhan.
• Nick Hardt became the second Challenger champion from Dominican Republic (Victor Estrella Burgos) by winning in Madrid.

Source link

Former College stars Quinn, Spizzirri win in Newport

One year ago, American Ethan Quinn earned his first tour-level victory at the Infosys Hall of Fame Open in Newport. On Tuesday, he scored his second ATP Tour win at the same event with a 6-3, 6-7(3), 6-1 result against Aussie Marc Polmans.

The win lifted Quinn five places to 10th place in the PIF ATP Live Race to Jeddah. With another victory against fourth seed Christopher Eubanks, the former NCAA singles champion would move into the top eight, further boosting his chances to to qualify for the NextGen ATP Finals presented by PIF.

Quinn was a constant threat on return in his first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting with Polmans, converting on seven of 14 break chances, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

“Just make sure to put the pressure on him,” the 20-year-old said of the key to the third set. “Second set he was serving very well. I just wanted to to make sure I put in a lot of returns, a lot of first balls on my own serve and put a lot of pressure.”

Another former college standout, Eliot Spizzirri, also advanced to the second round Tuesday with a 6-1, 7-6(4) win over Australian qualifier Li Tu. The former University of Texas star, who saved four of five break points, next faces another Australian, World No. 65 Aleksandar Vukic.

Seventh seed Arthur Rinderknech also advanced on the Newport lawns with a 6-3, 7-6(5) win against Shintaro Mochizuki, while American Mackenzie McDonald was a 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-2 winner against Rinky Hijikata.

McDonald upset the eighth-seeded Aussie to claim his second tour-level win of 2024. He recorded a personal-best 33 wins in 2023 but has missed several months of this season with a shoulder injury. The 29-year-old’s win against the World No. 74 is his best win by PIF ATP Ranking since he beat countryman J.J. Wolf at the 2023 Rolex Paris Masters.

Source link

Tsitsipas brothers save 3 MPs to win Gstaad doubles opener

Petros Tsitsipas and Stefanos Tsitsipas survived three match points to pull off an opening-round doubles upset on Tuesday at the EFG Swiss Open Gstaad. The Greek brothers edged fourth seeds Nicolas Barrientos and Luke Johnson 4-6, 6-4, 14-12, capping off the victory by winning the final three points of the Match Tie-break.

The pair won two of three break points and dominated on first serve with a 72 percent win rate, according to Infosys ATP Stats. After being broken three times in the opening set, they saved all four break points against them in set two.

One of the match point saves came on return at 11/12 in the Match Tie-break, sparking that run of three points to close out the win.

Seeds advance in Hamburg
Both main-draw doubles matches at the Hamburg Open were won by seeded teams on Tuesday. Third-seeded Frenchmen Fabien Reboul and Edouard Roger-Vasselin beat Dustin Brown and Daniel Masur 6-4, 6-3 to open their campaign at the ATP 250 breaking four times on seven chances.

Their quarterfinal opponents will be Lloyd Glasspool and Jean-Julien Rojer, who earned a 6-4, 7-6(5) victory against singles stars Francisco Cerundolo and Pedro Martinez. The seventh seeds saved nine of 11 break points against them while converting on an efficient three out of four break chances.

Cash/Galloway make winning start in Newport

Second seeds Julian Cash and Robert Galloway made a strong start at the Infosys Hall of Fame Open in Newport, earning a 6-3, 6-4 win against Frenchmen Adrian Mannarino and Harold Mayot. This season’s Delray Beach and Mallorca champions hit seven aces and dropped serve just once in the victory.

<img src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/07/16/19/13/cash-galloway-newport-2024-tuesday.jpg” style=”width:100%;” alt=”Julian Cash, Robert Galloway” />
Julian Cash and Robert Galloway. Photo credit: ITHF/Kyle Prudhomme

Aussies Luke Saville and Aleksandar Vukic earned an upset at the ATP 250, knocking off the eighth-seeded Indian pairing of Rithvik Choudary Bollipalli and Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha 6-1, 6-4.

French success in Bastad
Two all-French teams advanced on Tuesday at the Nordea Open in Bastad. Alexandre Muller and #NextGenATP star Luca Van Assche earned a 6-3, 6-4 win against Karol Drzewiecki and Sumit Nagal, while Manuel Guinard and Gregoire Jacq beat fourth-seeded Brazilians Fernando Romboli and Marcelo Zormann 6-3, 6-4.

France’s Theo Arribage, teaming with Roman Safiullin, also advanced at the ATP 250 courtesy of a 6-3, 6-2 win against Mariano Navone and Cameron Norrie.

Rafael Nadal and Casper Ruud, who upset second seeds Guido Andreozzi and Miguel Reyes-Varela on Monday, will be back in doubles action on Wednesdsay when they face Arribage and Safiullin in the quarter-finals.

What to know about the 2024 ATP Doubles Trial implemented this week in Hamburg, Gstaad and Newport

• Singles versus doubles team matches in the first round whenever possible by increasing the number of doubles seeded teams to 8 (up from 4)
• 21 seconds between all points
• 60-second changeovers with a time call after 40 seconds. Points should start at the 60-second mark at the latest
• Free crowd movement
• Doubles-only court (when possible)

Source link

Q2 In Review: Alcaraz wins two majors, Sinner reaches No. 1

Between a change of surface and a change atop the PIF ATP Rankings, the second quarter of the ATP Tour season was filled with exciting action.

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner were the two standout players while three ATP Masters 1000 events featured as many different titlists: Stefanos Tsitsipas, Andrey Rublev and Alexander Zverev. ATPTour.com looks back on the champions of the second quarter, when the game’s leading players continued their bid to earn enough PIF ATP Rankings points to qualify for November’s Nitto ATP Finals in Turin.

Carlos Alcaraz: Roland Garros, Wimbledon
Dealing with an arm injury across April and May, the Spaniard recovered to perform at his best level during the second quarter’s pair of majors. Alcaraz captured his first Roland Garros title and second Wimbledon crown. He needed a marathon effort in the closing stages of the clay-court major, winning his semi-final and final match in five sets.

Alcaraz then became just the sixth man in the Open Era to complete the Roland Garros-Wimbledon double, joining Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, whom the World No. 3 has defeated in back-to-back Wimbledon finals. “In an interview when I was 11 or 12 years old I said my dream was to win Wimbledon, so I am replaying my dream,” Alcaraz said after triumphing at the All England Club.

Jannik Sinner: Rise to World No. 1 & Halle crown
The 22-year-old star became the first Italian and 29th player to reach World No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings. Sinner, who boasts a 42-4 season record, rose to the top spot after a semi-final run at Roland Garros and the Australian Open champion showed no signs of slowing down.

Sinner’s relentless pursuit of excellence continued as he won his maiden grass-court title in Halle, but it was not easy. The top seed needed a deciding set to claw past his first three opponents, only giving Sinner more time to adapt to the surface. A 14-time tour-level titlist, Sinner became the eighth player in PIF ATP Rankings history (since 1973) to claim a trophy in his first tournament as World No. 1. 

Andrey Rublev: Madrid
“I would say this is the most proud title of my career,” Rublev said after winning the Mutua Madrid Open, his second ATP Masters 1000 title. Despite entering the tournament on a four-match skid, the 26-year-old showed grit and determination to win in the Spanish capital, where he upset two-time reigning champion Alcaraz in the quarters and ousted Felix Auger-Aliassime in the final.

Rublev later revealed he struggled with a tonsillitis abscess, yet still managed to produce one of the best performances of his career. “I was almost dead every day. I was not sleeping at night. The last three, four days I didn’t sleep,” he said after the final. “One day I woke up with my throat [twice as big] as it should be. The throat is in super pain. It’s tough to swallow because it’s painful,” Rublev told ATP Media.

Alexander Zverev: Rome
The German’s triumph at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia marked his biggest title since his catastrophic ankle injury in the Roland Garros semi-finals in 2022. “This one is special in its own way because it proves to me that I can win these kinds of tournaments again,” said Zverev, who
defeated 21st seed Nicolas Jarry in the final. The 27-year-old produced a first-serve masterclass and relied on his baseline firepower to capture his sixth ATP Masters 1000 title and second in Rome (2017).

Hat-tricks for Tsitsipas, Ruud, Fritz
Stefanos Tsitsipas produces his best tennis in the Principality, where he has won three of the past four Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters. The Greek overcame Sinner in a dramatic semi-final, the Italian’s second loss of the season, before ousting Casper Ruud in the final, during which Tsitsipas saved all eight break points he faced, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

“This is an unbelievable win for me. Capturing that win today was nerve-wracking. I really wanted this trinity,” Tsitsipas said.

Casper Ruud won his biggest career title at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, avenging his previous week’s Monte-Carlo final loss to Tsitsipas in the championship match.

Joining Tsitsipas as players to win three titles at a single tournament, the Norwegian Ruud triumphed at the Gonet Geneva Open for the third time in four years and Taylor Fritz was unbroken at the Rothesay International in Eastbourne, where the American previously won in 2019 and 2022.

Other Q2 Champions…
Alex de Minaur, No. 6 in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, Tommy Paul and Alejandro Tabilo claimed their second titles of 2024. The Australian continued his push for maiden Nitto ATP Finals qualification with a title run in ‘s-Hertogenbosch while Paul won his first ATP 500 title at the cinch Championships. Alejandro Tabilo triumphed at the Mallorca Championships presented by Waterdrop.

Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard announced himself to the big stage with a dream run at his home tournament, the Open Parc in Lyon. The 6’8” Frenchman, competing in just his third tour-level event, saved a championship point against Tomas Martin Etcheverry. Jack Draper won his maiden tour-level title at the BOSS Open in Stuttgart.

Ben Shelton lifted his first clay-court crown at the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship, where he became the youngest Houston champion since 19-year-old Andy Roddick in 2002. Matteo Berrettini returned to the winners’ circle for the first time since 2022 with a title run at the Grand Prix Hassan II. Hubert Hurkacz (Estoril), Jan-Lennard Struff (Munich) and Marton Fucsovics (Bucharest) also collected clay-court titles.

Source link