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Lopez Not Ready To Retire

  • Posted: Aug 21, 2019

Lopez Not Ready To Retire

Spaniard prevails on Tuesday in Winston-Salem

If Feliciano Lopez’s fans are wondering how much more great tennis he has left in him, the Spaniard isn’t offended by the thought.

“I’ve been thinking it might be my last year for four or five years now,” he said, smiling. 

The 37-year-old Spaniard has been a Top 100 staple since 2002 and still continues to pick up ATP Tour titles and high-profile wins. When Lopez competes next week at the US Open, It will be a record 71st consecutive Grand Slam appearance.

But at the moment, his attention is fully devoted to the Winston-Salem Open. Lopez, seeded No. 16, held off an inspired comeback from fellow Spaniard Pablo Andujar in his opening-round match to advance 6-4, 1-6, 7-5.

See where to watch the Winston-Salem Open

“I never expected to be playing this long,” he admitted. “I know that it’s not normal. I’m very happy to keep going, play another US Open and add some more Grand Slams to my record.”

But Lopez knows that all good things inevitably come to an end. He briefly dropped out of the Top 100 in April, marking the first time that happened in 17 years, and also took over this year as the tournament director of the Mutua Madrid Open. Lopez began to consider that his days might be numbered.

You May Also Like: My Point: Lopez’s New Journey

That all changed in June at the Fever-Tree Championships. Lopez, the 2017 champion at Queen’s Club, made full use of his wild cards by winning the singles title (d. Simon) and teaming with Andy Murray to take the doubles crown (d. Ram/Salisbury). His magical run was his first clean sweep at an ATP Tour event. Lopez arrived that week at No. 113 in the ATP Rankings, but jumped up nearly 60 places with his seventh ATP Tour singles title.

If anything, the constant travel of Tour life. The Spaniard is competing in his 22nd season and long stretches away from home have understandably made him wary of airports, but he’s using his experience to maximise his time on the road.

“I find the traveling to be tough. A two-hour flight feels like a whole day ,” said Lopez. “Being in the gym is okay for me, but the training it takes to be competitive, spending hours on the court hitting balls… It’s tough for me now.

“But the most important thing is that I love what I do and love to compete. And I have experience. I know myself and what I need, so I try to condition the most important things. I hit less, but spend more time in the gym to avoid injuries.”

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For now, Lopez is happy to keep going. With his grass-court success this season ensuring he will remain in the Top 100 of the ATP Rankings until at least June of next year, the Spaniard sees little reason to call time on his career.

“I don’t think it would be fair to stop now,” he said. “I think that I deserve another year.”

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Shapovalov, Tiafoe, Kecmanovic Lead #NextGenATP In Winston-Salem

  • Posted: Aug 21, 2019

Shapovalov, Tiafoe, Kecmanovic Lead #NextGenATP In Winston-Salem

Shapovalov, Kecmanovic to face off on Wednesday at the ATP 250 event

#NextGenATP Canadian Denis Shapovalov overcame a second-set surge from Tennys Sandgren on Tuesday to advance past the second round of a tour-level event for the first time since May (Lyon).

Shapovalov played one of his best sets in months in the opener, ripping a backhand winner on set point, and Sandgren trailed 2-6, 0-3, 0/40. But the American came back and led by a break in the second set at 4-3. Shapovalov, however, quickly recovered to advance 6-2, 6-4.

“It was definitely a great win,” Shapovalov said. “We’ve played a few times in the past and I normally play well against him, so I was just trying to be aggressive and take time away from him. I’m feeling fresh and ready for tough situations like the second set today, so I’m looking forward to my next match.”

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The World No. 38 will try to win back-to-back matches for the first time since March at the Miami Open presented by Itau when he faces Serbia’s #NextGenATP star Miomir Kecmanovic. The 13th seed beat 20-year-old Aussie Alexei Popyrin 7-6(5), 6-3.

Kecmanovic, 19, cracked the Top 50 of the ATP Rankings for the first time on Monday after making the third round of the Western & Southern Open, an ATP Masters 1000 event in Cincinnati, last week. He currently holds the seventh and final qualification spot in the ATP Race To Milan, which will determine seven of the eight players at the Next Gen ATP Finals, to be held 5-9 November in Milan. The eighth position at the 21-and-under event is reserved for an Italian wild card.

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American Frances Tiafoe, sixth place in the Race, will face eighth seed Filip Krajinovic for a place in the quarter-finals. Tiafoe was leading 4-2 when Frenchman Jeremy Chardy retired, and Krajinovic rallied against Tomas Berdych to move on 3-6, 7-5, 6-1. The Serbian broke Berdych when he was serving for the match at 5-4 in the second set, and then won eight of the final nine games.

You May Also Like: Duckhee Lee Breaks Ground For Deaf Athletes In Winston-Salem

Duckhee Lee’s historic tournament came to an end with a 4-6, 6-0, 6-3 loss to Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz, the third seed. On Monday, Lee became the first deaf player to compete in and win an ATP Tour match.

“I’m a little bit disappointed right now,” Lee said. “I had many chances that I didn’t utilise, but it was a great experience overall.”

Hurkacz will next face 16th seed Feliciano Lopez, a 6-4, 1-6, 7-5 winner against countryman Pablo Andujar. Top seed Benoit Paire also advanced, beating Indian Prajnesh Gunneswaran 6-3, 7-5 and will face #NextGenATP countryman Ugo Humbert, who beat American qualifier Bjorn Fratangelo 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.

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#NextGenATP Sinner Dominates In Slam Qualifying Debut

  • Posted: Aug 21, 2019

#NextGenATP Sinner Dominates In Slam Qualifying Debut

Italian teen needs 47 minutes to advance

Jannik Sinner could not have asked for a better birthday present. Just four days after turning 18, the surging Italian star made the most of his Grand Slam qualifying debut.

Sinner was dominant in dismissing countryman Matteo Viola 6-1, 6-0 in 47 minutes in the first round of US Open qualifying. The youngest player in the draw, he converted an impressive six of seven break points to prevail.

Sinner has been a force on the ATP Challenger Tour this year, claiming his maiden title in Bergamo in February and following that with a second victory in Lexington last month. Up to No. 131 in the ATP Rankings and 12th in the ATP Race To Milan, he is making a strong push to qualify for the Next Gen ATP Finals.

You May Also Like: Challenger Q&A: Sinner, 17, Joins Elite Company With Lexington Title

Sinner

In other action, Tallon Griekspoor continued his strong run of form, as the No. 2 Dutchman earned a first US Open qualifying win of his own. He defeated Elias Ymer 7-5, 6-2 under the lights on Court 9. Griekspoor – the World No. 194 – enters on the heels of a final appearance at the Tampere Challenger and a straight-set win over Steve Johnson last week in Vancouver.

“It feels good,” the 23-year-old told ATPTour.com. “It was very tough at the start. I was struggling with the court a bit under the lights. I didn’t start really well, going down a break, but I’m happy to get back from 5-2 down in the first set. I served pretty well.

“I love New York. Everybody loves New York. My parents are here, so it’s nice. They came over. I hope to keep it going.”

Meanwhile, Noah Rubin and Mitchell Krueger were the lone Americans to advance on Day 2 of qualifying. Rubin routed Gianluca Mager 6-2, 6-3 in just 53 minutes, while Krueger earned a hard-fought win over Jay Clarke, battling from a set down to triumph 6-7(2), 6-4, 6-4. A year ago, the Dallas native successfully qualified for his first Grand Slam main draw in New York.

On Court 11, Jason Jung survived a stern test from Donald Young, prevailing 6-3, 6-7(4), 7-5 in two hours and 20 minutes. Trailing 1-3 in the deciding set, Jung reeled off six of the next eight games to move into the second round. The 30-year-old is coming off a final appearance at the ATP Challenger Tour event in Vancouver on Sunday. After taking a red-eye flight to New York, he overcame jet lag and fatigue to earn his fifth win in seven days.

Other winners on Tuesday include sixth seed Salvatore Caruso, Brazil’s Joao Menezes and Italian veteran Paolo Lorenzi. Menezes is coming off a final appearance at the Binghamton Challenger and a gold medal victory at the Pan American Games in Lima. The 37-year-old Lorenzi is hoping to punch his ticket to an eighth straight main draw at Flushing Meadows. He reached the Round of 16 in 2017.

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Duckhee Lee Answers Your Questions

  • Posted: Aug 21, 2019

Duckhee Lee Answers Your Questions

South Korean holds Twitter Q&A on Tuesday

Fans have been captivated by Duckhee Lee’s incredible story throughout the week at the Winston-Salem Open. The South Korean became the first deaf player to win an ATP Tour main draw match with his victory over Swiss Henri Laaksonen 

After a competitive three-set loss to third-seeded Pole Hubert Hurkacz on Tuesday, ATP Tour held an exclusive interview with Lee in the form of a Twitter Q&A. The 21-year-old took time to answer some of the many questions that fans had for him.

You May Also Like: Duckhee Lee Breaks Ground For Deaf Athletes In Winston-Salem

Do you have special routines before the match? Or are you superstitious?
I will wear the same clothes I win in and not wear the same clothes I lose in. When I’m angry or frustrated, I try to close my eyes and breathe deeply. I try to talk to myself and say that I can do it.

Is it difficult to be coached? Is it difficult to understand the chair umpire?
I think that we can read each other’s minds. But when my team is not around, we text each other. I don’t usually need to communicate with the umpire except for ‘in’ and ‘out’ calls, so that can be frustrating.

Who’s your favourite player?
I have to pick just one? I started playing because I wanted to be like Roger Federer and love his playing style. I also admire Rafael Nadal’s passion, Novak Djokovic’s fairness, Andy Murray’s effort & Kei Nishikori for how he represents Asia.

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What do you like to do in your free time?
I like to play online games and watch cartoons, but also like to play games offline as well like bingo and baseball.

Do you think your disability can help you concentrate more on the game?
I think not being able to hear actually helps me. It means I have to concentrate more and try harder.

Is it difficult travelling and forming friendships on tour?
I don’t think I have trouble making friends. There are a lot of other Korean players that I’m friends with, so I don’t ever feel lonely.

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US Open: When Is The Draw & More

  • Posted: Aug 21, 2019

US Open: When Is The Draw & More

All about the hard-court Grand Slam tennis tournament

Of the four Grand Slam tournaments, the US Open has the most diverse list of champions over the past decade, featuring six different champions since 2009. Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal lead the way with three titles each during that time period, while Juan Martin del Potro (2009), Andy Murray (2012), Marin Cilic (2014) and Stan Wawrinka (2016) have all won the hard-court major once.

In comparison, only five players total — Djokovic, Nadal, Wawrinka, Roger Federer and Andy Murray ⁠— have combined to win the other three majors — the Australian Open, Roland Garros and Wimbledon — over the past decade.  

Defending champion Djokovic and Nadal are set to be the top two seeds at the 2019 edition, followed by Federer, Dominic Thiem and Daniil Medvedev. The 38-year-old Federer, who will be making his 19th appearance at Flushing Meadows, claimed a record straight five straight US Open titles from 2004-08 and has since finished runner-up on two other occasions (2009, 2015). 

You May Also Like: Novak Surges To Third US Open Crown, Equals Sampras’ Slam Haul

Medvedev has dominated the month of August, reaching three straight finals at the Citi Open and back-to-back ATP Masters 1000 tournaments, the Coupe Rogers and Western & Southern Open. The 23-year-old Russian, who upset Djokovic in the Cincinnati semi-finals en route to his first Masters 1000 title, enters the US Open at a career-high No. 5 ATP Ranking.

Here’s all you need to know about the US Open: when is the draw, what is the schedule, where to watch, who has won and more.  

Established: 1881

Tournament Dates: 26 August – 8 September 2019

Director: David Brewer

Draw Ceremony: Thursday, 22 August, at noon ET at the Fan Week Center Stage

Are You In? Subscribe Now!

Schedule (View On Official Website)
* Qualifying: Monday, 19 August – Friday, 23 August from 11:00am
* Main draw: Monday, 26 August – Wednesday, 4 September at 11:00am and 7:00pm; Thursday, 5 September at 12:00pm.
* Doubles final: Friday, 6 September at 12:00pm
* Singles semi-finals: Friday, 6 September not before 4:00pm and 5:30pm
* Mixed doubles final: Saturday, 7 September at 12:00pm
* Singles final: Sunday, 8 September at 4:00pm

How To Watch
View TV Schedule

Venue: USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center
Main Court Seating: 23,700

Prize Money: US $ 28,619,350

Tickets On Sale: Buy Now

Buy 2019 <a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/tournaments/us-open/560/overview'>US Open</a> Tennis Tickets

View Who Is Playing, Past Champions, Archived Draws

Honour Roll (Open Era)
Most Titles, Singles: Jimmy Connors, Roger Federer, Pete Sampras (5)
Most Titles, Doubles: Mike Bryan (6)
Oldest Champion: Ken Rosewall, 35, in 1970
Youngest Champion: Pete Sampras, 19, in 1990
Lowest-Ranked Champion (since 1979): No. 20 Andre Agassi in 1994
Most Match Wins: Jimmy Connors (98)

2018 Finals
Singles: [6] Novak Djokovic (SRB) d [3] Juan Martin del Potro (ARG) 63 76(4) 63  Read More
Doubles: [3] Mike Bryan (USA) / Jack Sock (USA) d [7] Lukasz Kubot (POL) / Marcelo Melo (BRA) 63 61  Read More

Social
Hashtag: #USOpen
Facebook: @usopentennis
Twitter: @usopen
Instagram: @usopen

Did You Know… The US Open bears little resemblance to the tournament started in 1881. It has evolved from an exclusive men’s singles and doubles tournament in Newport, R.I., to a two-week sports and entertainment extravaganza held in Flushing, N.Y. More than 700,000 fans enter the gates annually at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center..

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Tipsarevic Announces Retirement

  • Posted: Aug 20, 2019

Tipsarevic Announces Retirement

Former World No. 8 to retire later this year

Serbian Janko Tipsarevic, who reached No. 8 in the ATP Rankings and won four ATP Tour titles, will retire in November. The 35-year-old Belgrade native turned professional in 2002 and wrote in an Instagram post that it’s time for him to focus on other priorities in his life.

It has been a great 16 years. After a lot of soul searching and thinking what is important to me in this stage of my life and what does make me happy, I have decided to retire from professional tennis,” he wrote.

You May Also Like: Janko Tipsarevic Still Digging, Seven Surgeries Later

Tipsarevic has seen limited action this year, going 5-8 from eight tour-level events. His best seasons came in 2011, when he won half of his ATP Tour titles and debuted at the Nitto ATP Finals, and in 2012, when Tipsarevic reached his best ATP Ranking and again qualified for the season-ending championships in London.

The right-hander first scaled to No. 8 in April 2012, following his quarter-final run at the Miami Open presented by Itau, an ATP Masters 1000 event. But the Serbian has also endured numerous injuries that have required seven surgeries.

He plans to play at next week’s US Open and a few ATP Tour tournaments before playing his final event at the Davis Cup Finals in Madrid.

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US Open 2019: Harriet Dart beats Jamie Loeb to move into second qualifying round

  • Posted: Aug 20, 2019
US Open 2019
Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York Dates: 26 Aug – 8 Sep
Coverage: Live text and radio commentary on selected matches on the BBC Sport website and app

Great Britain’s Harriet Dart has moved into the second qualifying round of the US Open by beating American Jamie Loeb 6-2 7-6 (7-3).

Dart, 23, reached the third round of Wimbledon in July and needs to win two more matches to qualify for the main draw of the US Open for the first time.

She plays another American, Hailey Baptiste, 17, next at Flushing Meadows.

However, fellow Britons Heather Watson, Katie Swan and Jay Clarke lost in the first round of qualifying in New York.

Watson, 27, had played in the first round proper every year since 2011, but will not be in the main draw this year after losing 6-4 6-2 to Georgia’s Mariam Bolkvadze, a player 101 places below her in the world rankings.

Swan, 20, was beaten 6-3 6-3 by American Katrina Scott while Clarke lost in men’s qualifying. He took the first set on a tie-break against another home player, Mitchell Krueger, before going down 6-7 (2-7) 6-4 6-4.

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  • Anisimova withdraws from US Open after death of her father Konstantin

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Felix Makes Top 20, Featured In Vogue

  • Posted: Aug 20, 2019

Felix Makes Top 20, Featured In Vogue

#NextGenATP Canadian going for first US Open win next week

What a way to celebrate cracking the Top 20 of the ATP Rankings for the first time.

#NextGenATP Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime is featured in Vogue’s September 2019 issue, which is on newsstands throughout the U.S. starting Tuesday. The 19-year-old climbed to a new career-high of No. 19 on Monday when the new ATP Rankings were released.

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Auger-Aliassime has risen 89 spots since the start of the season and will go for his first US Open main-draw win next week when the season’s final Grand Slam begins on 26 August.

Below is an excerpt from the story, which is titled, “Félix Auger-Aliassime Is Taking Tennis by Storm”. The full story can be read here.

By Sarah Crompton/Vogue

Auger-Aliassime began playing tennis at the age of four at the suggestion of his father, Sam, a tennis coach, originally from Togo. (His mother, Marie, is a teacher, and his older sister Malika plays college tennis.) “He just transmitted his passion to us,” Auger-Aliassime says, grinning broadly, revealing the gap in his front teeth. “I don’t really have a memory of not playing. And at a very young age, I told him, ‘I want to be a professional tennis player.’ What I like most about the game is its competitive side. It’s a duel—like chess or like gladiators. It’s two players confronting each other and finding solutions, and I really like that.”

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Anisimova withdraws from US Open after father's death

  • Posted: Aug 20, 2019
US Open 2019
Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York Dates: 26 Aug – 8 Sep
Coverage: Live text and radio commentary on selected matches on the BBC Sport website and app

American Amanda Anisimova has withdrawn from the US Open after the death of her father and coach Konstantin.

Anisimova, 17, reached the semi-finals of the French Open in June.

The world number 24 was due to play at Flushing Meadows for a second time after losing in round one in 2018.

“The USTA [United States Tennis Association] and US Open send our deepest condolences to Amanada Anisimova on the passing of her father, Konstantin,” said a statement.

Anisimova beat Wimbledon champion Simona Halep on her way to the last four of the French Open, before losing in three sets to eventual winner Ashleigh Barty.

The US Open, the final Grand Slam of the year, starts on Monday.

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Former world number 230 Saez gets eight-year ban

  • Posted: Aug 20, 2019

Former world number 230 Juan Carlos Saez has been banned for eight years and fined £10,300 ($12,500) for breaching anti-corruption rules.

The Chilean, 28, was interviewed by the Tennis Integrity Unit after unusual betting patterns were highlighted during matches he played in.

He repeatedly failed to hand over his mobile phone for forensic analysis.

Saez separately admitted to receiving a corrupt approach at an ITF Futures tournament, which he did not report.

That is against anti-corruption rules.

Saez is 1,082nd in the ATP world rankings, having reached 230th in September 2015.

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