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Birmingham Classic: Karolina Pliskova beaten by Magdalena Rybarikova in first round

  • Posted: Jun 18, 2018

Third seed Karolina Pliskova was knocked out in the first round of the Nature Valley Classic in Birmingham by former champion Magdalena Rybarikova.

Czech Pliskova, ranked seventh in the world, lost 6-2 6-3 against the Slovakian world number 19.

British wildcard Katie Boulter was beaten 6-1 6-2 by Japan’s Naomi Osaka, the world number 18.

British number one Johanna Konta plays two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova on Tuesday.

Konta is third on the main court and is followed by Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza, who plays Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

British number two Heather Watson is second on court against Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko.

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Queen's 2018: Would technology temper the tennis tantrums?

  • Posted: Jun 18, 2018

Fingers jabbing towards umpires, angry words and racquet smashing are familiar sights on the tennis court.

On Sunday, Britain’s Johanna Konta was the latest player to vent her fury over a line call, shouting at an umpire while playing in the final of the Nature Valley Open in Nottingham: “It’s an absolute joke. You’re making decisions that affect our lives. Do you fully understand that?”

The computer technology exists to coolly, calmly and robotically decide whether a ball was in or out on every line call – removing the need for human line judges on court – but then, where would be the fun in introducing that?

“I prefer to have them there so I can yell at them,” joked Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza when asked if it was time to scrap line judges in favour of electronic line calls with an automated voice.

“Nah, I don’t yell but for sure it would be awkward, you’d miss the people that have the eyes to see it. It would be scary, I’m not a technology person, I don’t have a computer, I don’t like all these things.”

Line judges were replaced by Hawk-Eye technology at the Next Gen Finals in Milan last November, meaning that for the first time at an ATP event the umpire was the only official on court.

Each computer line call was called out by the technology and was final. Players were not able to challenge calls as they do at most tournaments, because the need to do so via Hawk-Eye video replays – where they are allowed three unsuccessful challenges in a set – was deemed redundant.

ATP chief Chris Kermode liked what he saw in the experiment, saying it had sped up play as players heard the call and just got on with it.

But maybe players do not just want to do that – some prefer to make more of an impression. Quite literally in the case of former world number one Karolina Pliskova, who bashed a hole in an umpire’s chair with her racquet frame at the end of a match in Rome last month.

The Czech had argued with officials after having a smash called out, when serving at 30-30 and five games all in the final set against Greece’s Maria Sakkari.

TV replays appeared to show her shot had landed in but reviews on clay rely on physical marks and none were found so Sakkari was awarded the point and went on to win the match.

Pliskova received a four-figure fine for her actions, but would still not have wanted a fully electronic system.

“It should be like it is as it is still a sport and I would not change this,” she told BBC Sport in Birmingham, where she, Muguruza and Konta are part of a strong field playing at the Nature Valley Classic this week as part of their Wimbledon preparations.

“The linesmen do mistakes but you have the challenge so you can challenge the ball if you were not sure if it was out or not. To have everything without people would be a different game.

“I think everybody has problems with referees, with some calls, and that’s why we have the challenge. Mistakes are just part of the game so I would not change it.”

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'New Scottish number one' Norrie happy to have Murray back

  • Posted: Jun 18, 2018
2018 Fever-Tree Championships on the BBC
Venue: Queen’s Club, London Dates: 18-24 June
Coverage: Watch live on BBC Two, BBC iPlayer, BBC Red Button, Connected TVs, the BBC Sport website and app.

It was with tongue firmly in cheek and a glint in his eye that Cameron Norrie announced himself as the new Scottish number one.

He’s come from outside the world’s top 250 to inside the top 80 in under a year. A rise so rapid that, for the first time in his senior career, Andy Murray is no longer the top-ranked Scot on the tennis tour. So does the triple Grand Slam winner mind the new order of things?

“I’ve not asked him,” Norrie replied. “I was going to have a little dig at him when I was playing him but chose not to. But no, I think he’s going to challenge me soon for my ranking.”

  • How I’ve recovered from lowest point – Murray
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Norrie, 22, has firm grounds for holding that opinion. He’s seen Murray up close and personal for the past few days, having been chosen by the former world number one as a practice partner. He’s adamant Murray is choosing the right time to return to the tour, and was impressed with the practice sets they played against each other.

“We played at a great level a couple of days ago and he actually asked me if I thought he was ready or not,” said Norrie. “I told him that he was and he was moving great and hitting the ball well.

“Obviously he hasn’t played any matches but I think he’s ready. It’s just great to have him back and it’s very nice of him to seek me out and just be on court with him again. You can learn so much from him and his professionalism and the way he does things. He’s just a great idol for British tennis in general.”

Quite a transformation then for Norrie, who 12 months ago had never even met Murray.

“It was exactly this time last year that I was here in the Queen’s locker room and he came up to me and my coach and just introduced himself to us,” Norrie explained.

“I just thought it was very humble of him to do that. It was great to meet him; I’d always wanted to meet him. He’s just a very nice guy, down to earth and it’s great just to have him back in general.”

Both Norrie and Murray have been handed tricky first-round assignments at the newly named Fever-Tree Championships. Murray faces Australia’s Nick Kyrgios on Tuesday while Norrie’s first-round match on Monday is against three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka.

  • Monday’s Queen’s Club schedule of play

‘I’m 100% happy to be claimed as Scottish’

Murray’s main stated aim, however, has been to test his game and his hip, following January’s surgery, by practising with some of the top players. Norrie witnessed first hand the strides the double Wimbledon champion has recently made.

“I hit with him once before, just before Eastbourne last year,” said Norrie. “And he was hitting the ball here just as big as he was then and moving well. He even ended up serving really well in the end. So I feel like his level is there and it’s just going to be a matter of getting matches under his belt and getting a bit of confidence.

“It’s always going to be tough for him coming back but he’s won Grand Slams in the past and he’s been world number one so he’s got the confidence within him to come back and prove to everyone that he can do it again. Let’s just hope his hip holds up. I wish him all the best. It’s just nice to have him around to bounce some ideas off, maybe, if I need something.”

Cosmopolitan is a word that springs to mind when it comes to Norrie.

The 22-year-old was born in South Africa to a Glaswegian father and a Welsh mother. He was raised in New Zealand before going on to play the collegiate tennis circuit in the United States. His father David, however, made sure his allegiance would always remain with Scotland, where he still has family in Aberdeenshire.

“I’m 100% happy to be claimed as Scottish,” Norrie added. “And the new Scottish number one? I’ll take it, for sure. I’ll try to hold on to that as long as I can. We’ll see.”

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ATP Rankings Movers: Roger Returns To No. 1

  • Posted: Jun 18, 2018

ATP Rankings Movers: Roger Returns To No. 1

ATPWorldTour.com looks at the top Movers of the Week in the ATP Rankings, as of Monday, 18 June 2018

Six months into the 2018 ATP World Tour season and No. 1 in the ATP Rankings has changed on five occasions. Rafael Nadal began the year in the top spot – and has held the position for 17 weeks, over three stints in 2018 – with Roger Federer gained No. 1 for six weeks from 19 February and one week from 14 May. The Swiss wrestled No. 1 back today.

The five changes at No. 1 this season are the most since 2003, when there were also five. The all-time record for most changes is 10, which happened in 1983, when John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors and Ivan Lendl battled for the top spot.

No. 1 Roger Federer, +1
The 36-year-old is back at No. 1 in the ATP Rankings for a 310th week, which extends his own record, after capturing the 98th tour-level title of his career over Milos Raonic in the MercedesCup final. Today marks the sixth occasion he has risen to No. 1, having first attained the ranking on 2 February 2004. Federer guaranteed his return to the summit of men’s professional tennis on 15 June with a hard-fought 6-7(2), 6-2, 7-6(5) victory over Nick Kyrgios in the Stuttgart semi-finals. The Swiss has also won two other titles this season at the Australian Open (d. Cilic) and the ABN Amro World Tennis Tournament (d. Dimitrov).

You May Also Like: Roger Raises Trophy No. 98 In Stuttgart

No. 25 Richard Gasquet, +5
The talented Frenchman has returned to his highest ranking since 29 May 2017 (No. 25) with a five-place rise to No. 25 following a title run at the Libema Open. The 31-year-old beat compatriot Jeremy Chardy in the final for his 15th ATP World Tour crown (15-15), and his first since October 2016 at the European Open (d. Schwartzman). Gasquet also finished runner-up in February at the Open Sud de France (l. to Pouille).  

View Latest ATP Rankings

No. 61 Jeremy Chardy, +11
The 31-year-old extended his grass-court form, which includes his sixth ATP Challenger Tour trophy at the Surbiton Trophy (d. de Minaur), with a run to the Libema Open title match (l. to Gasquet). Chardy, who was a career-high No. 25 on 28 January 2013, moved up 11 positions to No. 61, his highest ranking since 29 August 2016 (No. 55). The Frenchman has a 1-2 record in ATP World Tour finals and his run on Dutch grass, was his first tour-level championship match since Stuttgart in 2009. 

No. 78 Alex de Minaur, +18
The Australian, who began the year at No. 208 in the ATP Rankings is now at a career-high No. 78. Over the past three weeks, the 19-year-old Australian has moved up from No. 105 after two ATP Challenger Tour final appearances in Surbiton and his first crown at the Nature Valley Open in Nottingham (d. Evans). De Minaur is also in the hunt to qualify for the Next Gen ATP Finals in November at No. 5 in the ATP Race To Milan.

Read: #NextGenATP First-Time Winner Interview    

Other Notable Top 100 Movers This Week
No. 35 (Career High) Stefanos Tsitsipas, +2
No. 60 (Career High) Matthew Ebden, +9
No. 87 (Career High) Jaume Munar, +17

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