Revenge is best served cold, but why wait if you don’t have to? #NextGenATP Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime earned some payback on Wednesday night, and in the process, guaranteed his best showing yet at an ATP 500 tournament.

The 18-year-old beat Chile’s Christian Garin 7-5, 6-4 at the Rio Open presented by Claro to reach his first ATP 500 quarter-final. Last week, the 22-year-old Garin came back from a set down against Auger-Aliassime in the first round of the Argentina Open in Buenos Aires.

But the teenager kept his poise on Quadra Central, breaking five times and serving out the match to love. Auger-Aliassime seems to be even surprising himself this week. After match point, he dropped his racquet and wore a look of disbelief.

“I didn’t know what to expect when I came here. I hadn’t won many matches this year. I knew I was playing well, from the practices,” said Auger-Aliassime, who was 1-3 at tour-level this season before this week. “I thought I had a chance to have tournaments like this this year. I came in, believed in my game, and I think it’s paying off now. I think I dig deep physically in these conditions, and I was also able to stay really tough mentally.” 

The 18-year-old aced public relations and earned a few more fans in Rio. During his celebratory post-match dance on court, Auger-Aliassime tossed on a Brazilian football shirt, a gift from a friend earlier in the day, with one word emblazoned on the back: “Felix”.

He will face another up-and-coming player in Jaume Munar for a place in the semi-finals. The 21-year-old Spaniard fought past Brit Cameron Norrie 7-6(6), 5-7, 7-6(4) to reach his first ATP 500 quarter-final. Munar made the semi-finals of the 21-and-under Next Gen ATP Finals last November in Milan.

“I’m feeling happy for the win, but I also know I have to improve in a lot of things. I had many chances in the second, also chances before the tie-break in the final set,” Munar said. “My sentence in my head was just battle for every point.”

Hugo Dellien gave his home nation of Bolivia another reason to celebrate. The 25-year-old beat 2018 Ecuador Open champion Roberto Carballes Baena 7-5, 6-4 to make the quarter-finals. Before this week, no male player from Bolivia had won an ATP Tour or Grand Slam match in 35 years.

“This week has been a dream to me. The past two I struggled, trying to qualify in Cordoba and Buenos Aires, and now I’m playing the quarter-finals of an ATP 500 event. It’s been a long time since Bolivia had a tennis player winning matches so this means a lot to me and my country,” Dellien said. “I’m really happy and extremely proud. I never thought people would travel to Rio to see me play. My goal for this year was to be a Top 100 player, and now I guess I can dream about the Top 50.”

He will face Slovenia’s Aljaz Bedene, who knocked out home favourite Thiago Monteiro 6-3, 6-4 to make his second consecutive Rio quarter-final.

John Isner advanced to his second quarter-final in as many weeks on Wednesday (New York), dismissing Slovakian Lukas Lacko 6-4, 6-3 at the Delray Beach Open by VITACOST.com. The three-time semi-finalist dropped only one first-serve point (31/32) and improved to 4-0 against Lacko in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series, which dates back to Auckland 2014.

“It was a good win. I think I’m getting more comfortable on this surface, especially with the positioning on my return… I was challenging him on a lot of return games,” Isner said. “I was very happy how I came through that.”

The second-seeded Isner will face eighth seed Adrian Mannarino for a place in the semi-finals. The Frenchman beat Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan 6-2, 7-6(3) for his second win of 2019.

Brit qualifier Daniel Evans reached his third tour-level quarter-final – and first since the 2017 Sydney International. The 28-year-old, No. 148 in the ATP Rankings, routed South Africa’s Lloyd Harris 6-0, 6-2 in only 69 minutes.

Evans upset third seed and defending champion Frances Tiafoe on Tuesday night. The Brit will face Italy’s Andreas Seppi, who outplayed Aussie Jordan Thompson 6-3, 4-6, 6-1.

Daniel Evans on Wednesday advanced to his third tour-level quarter-final, defeating 2018 Next Gen ATP Finals alternate Lloyd Harris 6-0, 6-2 at the Delray Beach Open presented by VITACOST.com. The Brit has won four matches this week after coming through qualifying.

“Still a lot of tennis left this week and hopefully [I’ll] keep going,” said Evans before speaking of the windy Florida conditions. “I’m moving really well, I think. It’s just the way it is. I’m moving great and the wind actually suits my game quite well. It’s difficult to hit off the slice as well. I feel I’m playing good.”

Evans will play Italian Andreas Seppi for a spot in his third ATP Tour semi-final, as he is trying to stay undefeated (2-0) in the last eight at this level. The World No. 148, who upset defending champion Frances Tiafoe in the first round, has never faced Seppi.

“He’s a great player,” Evans said. “I love the way he plays. It’s going to be good fun.”

After his victory, Evans revealed to ATPTour.com the last time…

I missed a flight?
Dubai in 2016. Just slept through the alarm.

I lost something important?
My bank card last week. I had to borrow my coach’s credit card for the week. I had to close it.

Being famous helped me?
Never helped.

I strung a tennis racquet?
A long time ago, probably when I was a junior. It was pretty easy, I enjoyed it. Took me about 20, 25 minutes.

I cooked for myself and others?
I can’t cook, don’t cook, won’t cook.

Favourite meal someone cooked for you?
Chicken fajitas, pretty good.

I met a childhood idol?
Tim Henman was here this week, so that was pretty good.

I shared a hotel room with another player?
I shared an apartment in the pre-season this year, stayed in an apartment with some other players in Bradenton. It was a group of us, so that was cool.

I asked someone famous for an autograph or selfie?
I would have been very young. Probably at a tennis tournament when I was watching. It was great fun seeing the guys who were the stars of the tournament at that time. It probably would have been Wimbledon.

In the first weekend of February in 2018, Paolo Lorenzi was in Japan for Italy’s Davis Cup tie against Japan, one he did not play in. Then 36 years old and No. 46 in the ATP Rankings, he hurt his left foot. The next week in Quito, Lorenzi broke the fascia in that foot, his first serious injury since turning professional in 2003.

“I think it was frustrating because it was the first time. I didn’t know what to expect,” said Lorenzi, who missed nearly two months. “I was thinking that when I came back on court, everything would be the same. I needed time and tennis players don’t want to wait. We want everything to be fast and easy, so it was something different. But I think it helped me grow up. You’re never too old to grow up.”

After returning at an ATP Challenger Tour event at San Luis Potosi at the end of March, things didn’t go as planned. Lorenzi lost four consecutive matches, winning just one set during that stretch. While he claimed two Challenger titles later in the year, in Sopot and Cordenons, Lorenzi won just four tour-level matches in 2018 after his return.

“I think that last year for me was tough because I was unlucky. In my tennis life I’d never had a big injury. But I had one for the first time,” Lorenzi said. “I know that it’s not easy, because I’m not young anymore, but of course I’m trying my best and I’m happy. I’m happy that I’m playing some tournaments and I’m happy to stay on the circuit. Sometimes you don’t think how lucky you are until you’re out.”

Lorenzi has found his best tennis later in his career. He first broke into the Top 100 of the ATP Rankings just before his 28th birthday, and he hit his career-high of No. 33 when he was 35, less than two years ago.

“To be there at the beginning of his career always at Challengers and striving to get to the Top 100, I think many players would have quit playing. He was always just working hard,” said fellow Italian Andreas Seppi. “Seeing him now at 37 at a good level, is of course inspiring. Physically it’s not easy, but you can see he’s still doing a good job.”

Lorenzi fell as low as No. 116 in the ATP Rankings after suffering his foot injury, and he currently sits at No. 105. Considering there are only three players older than him in the Top 200, one would expect it to be hard to battle back. But that’s not the case for Lorenzi.

“I love this sport. I love to wake up in the morning and go to practice. I like to play tournaments and I like the adrenaline of the match, so I think that’s the key,” Lorenzi said. “If you like what you do, that’s the most important thing. I’m lucky because my passion became my work, so I’m trying to enjoy it as long as I can.

“I think that I’ve always loved it. This is the key of my tennis life. I always say it doesn’t matter if I’m here to play an ATP Tour event or I’m playing a Challenger, I always love what I’m doing. I think this is the most important thing and to like what you do, you have to do it, if you can.”

Perhaps Lorenzi’s biggest win came at Kitzbuhel in 2016, when he earned his maiden ATP Tour trophy. The raw emotions of that victorious moment stays with Lorenzi to this day, the crown jewel of a successful career.

“I think I’m happy. When you start playing tennis you want to be No. 1 in the world, you want to win a Slam, at least if you tell me I would do this, I’d be really happy,” Lorenzi said. “I won one ATP Tour title, I was No. 33 in the world, I was No. 1 in Italy for one year. So I think that I really enjoy what I’ve done and I think I’ve done a pretty good job.”

In a meeting of past Rio Open presented by Claro titlists, 2016 winner Pablo Cuevas reached the second round after defending champion Diego Schwartzman retired with a right leg injury during their first-round encounter on Wednesday.

Cuevas, who was leading 6-1, 4-1 when Schwartzman was forced to shake hands, converted five of nine break points to earn a commanding lead on Quadra Central. Improving to 6-2 during the 2019 ‘Golden Swing’, the 33-year-old Uruguayan will meet Cordoba Open champion Juan Ignacio Londero for a place in the quarter-finals.

Taro Daniel recovered from a set down to beat Brazilian wild card Thiago Seyboth Wild 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. The Japanese saved five of six break points to reach the second round after two hours and eight minutes.

Daniel will meet Laslo Djere for a quarter-final spot. On Tuesday, Djere upset top seed and 2017 champion Dominic Thiem 6-3, 6-3.

Robert Lindstedt, who turns 42 in a month, is not going anywhere. The Swede might be the second-oldest player inside the Top 100 of the ATP Doubles Rankings, behind only 45-year-old Leander Paes, but Lindstedt is not planning to retire anytime soon.

“It’s more fun now than it’s ever been,” Lindstedt said. “A year or so ago I realised it’s pretty amazing what we all get to do. We actually get to travel the world and do this. There’s a lot of pressure and a lot of training that goes into it, but everybody’s got to mature sometimes and I feel at almost 42, it’s about time I do it, too.”

The 2014 Australian Open champion has accomplished plenty in his career, ascending as high as World No. 3, winning 22 tour-level titles and lifting at least one trophy in each of the past 12 seasons. So why does he continue on?

“I question that myself at times, but you can always accomplish more,” Lindstedt said. “I chase titles at this point and it’s also a good feeling to be the old guy at tournaments and still win.”

Despite turning professional in 1998, before the likes of Denis Shapovalov and Alex de Minaur were born, Lindstedt is motivated by what he’s still able to do on the court. Just last year, Lindstedt partnered Dutchman Robin Haase to the quarter-finals of Wimbledon, where the duo succumbed in four sets to Dominic Inglot and Franko Skugor. Lindstedt is currently No. 53 in the ATP Doubles Rankings.

“I want to continue to be able to win titles. I still feel I have a deep run at a Slam left in me,” Lindstedt said. “I thought Wimbledon last year was going to be it. We had chances in the quarters. But I still feel like I have that lift. I feel like when Venus and Jupiter are aligned perfectly, those are going to be my two weeks. And that’s really why I continue. It’s all about the big moments. It’s impossible for me to not train towards that.”

During the off-season, the Swede spent some time with Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan in Florida. The American twins have won 116 tour-level titles as a pair. So Lindstedt joked at practice: “I’ve hated them since ‘97, and that hatred has only grown ever since. They’ve stolen so much money from me, so many titles. We all know if they weren’t around, I would have had their careers… combined!”

“I’ve hated them since 97.” ?

Get a unique look into the @Bryanbros camp with our behind the scenes documentary: https://t.co/s8NtgKHSfQ pic.twitter.com/9WFIMS47Uv

— ATP Tour (@ATP_Tour) January 5, 2019

“He’s had a very illustrious career. Three Wimbledon finals, he’s won a ton of tournaments with a bunch of different partners,” said World No. 1 Mike Bryan. “We’ve been playing him since the NCAA days back at Stanford, he was at Pepperdine. It’s been fun battling him for 20 years. He’s beaten us, we’ve beaten him. I’d like to think we’ve maybe won a few more times, but it was funny, we had those comments in December and he beat us in the first match of the year. He’s still playing some great, great tennis.”

At the Delray Beach Open by VITACOST.com, Lindstedt is competing with German Tim Puetz, with whom he last week made the New York Open semi-finals.

“My 75th year on Tour is coming along okay,” Lindstedt said. “I had a very good pre-season, so my body feels better than it has in a long time.”

So long as he is healthy, Lindstedt has no reason to stop. The Swede is trying to finish his 16th consecutive season inside the world’s Top 100.

“I think an injury will go like, ‘Nah, you’re done’. It’s just too much fun at this moment. [My fiancee] Tina and I, we enjoy traveling and being on Tour, so I am going to do it as long as I can,” Lindstedt said. “Every single friend of mine back home who has played, they all say the same thing. ‘Robert, don’t stop. Don’t be an idiot. Don’t stop’.”