Is This The Year For Federer-Nadal In New York?

Posted: Aug 27, 2017

Is This The Year For Federer-Nadal In New York?

Aug262017

Swiss will face #NextGenATP Tiafoe in first round

It somehow has never happened, but Roger Federer – and every tennis fan in the world – would welcome the occasion. Federer and Rafael Nadal have played 37 times in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series, including three times this year – Australian Open final, Indian Wells round of 16 and Miami final – all of which Federer won.

But the all-time greats have never faced off at the US Open, which starts Monday in New York. The match-up could happen this year, though. Federer, the third seed, has been drawn in the same half as No. 1 seed Nadal. The two could meet in the semi-finals.

“I’d love to play Rafa here in New York. Hopefully it will be a night session. Hopefully that would be a great atmosphere and one again where we play great like at the Australian Open,” Federer said. “I think that would be fun for everybody involved.”

The 36-year-old Swiss makes his return to Flushing Meadows this week after having to miss the season’s final Grand Slam last year because of injuries. He will be going his 20^th Grand Slam title and his sixth US Open crown. Both would be records.

You May Also Like: Nadal, Federer Prepare For Potentially Historic US Open

Federer last won the US Open in 2008, the fifth year of his five-peat. The early years of that streak stick with him the most, though.

“Winning here for the first time was big; 2004 was a great year for me. World No. 1 for the first time and trying to win the US Open for the first time. So that was a big deal of course,” Federer said. “You look back at those first couple of years where I got on the run of the five here. I fell in love with New York, I always loved coming back here as a junior back in ’98 and every year after that. I think 2004 and ’05 were the big years for me.”

Incredibly, Federer has a chance to return to No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings this fortnight. If he wins the title or makes the final, he will become No. 1 and knock Nadal off the top spot. The Spaniard reclaimed No. 1 last week.

Federer also could ascend to No. 1 if he makes the semi-finals and Nadal does not reach the last four, or if he reaches the quarter-finals and Nadal is upset in the first round.

Federer debuted at No. 1 on 2 February 2004 but has not been there since 4 November 2012. Federer would break two records of Andre Agassi’s if he were to reach the top spot again.

He would become the oldest No. 1 since the Emirates ATP Rankings were established in 1973. The four years and 310 days between 4 November 2012 and 11 September 2017 would also be the longest gap between stints at No. 1.

Federer begins with #NextGenATP American Frances Tiafoe. The Swiss won their lone prior match-up, earlier this year in Miami, 7-6(2), 6-3.

“It’s an interesting first round. Clearly he has nothing to lose but everything to gain. It’s a tough one, plus like you said, he’s playing well. He’s aggressive baseliner like so many of the Americans. Thankfully I played him in Miami this year so I have a little bit of an idea of how he plays, and his patterns and what he prefers to do and what not,” Federer said.

“At the end I’m going to try to focus on my own game like I usually do, play within myself that first round and make sure I make it tough for Frances to get through me, and hopefully get off a good start in the match. Excited to play on centre court for the first time with the proper structure and roof now. I missed it last year. I’m very excited playing here again.”

Source link

Federer fit for US Open as Halep braces for Sharapova test

Posted: Aug 27, 2017

US Open
Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York Dates: 28 Aug-10 Sept
BBC coverage: Live radio and text commentary on selected matches every day.

Roger Federer will head into next week’s US Open feeling optimistic he has overcome his injury concerns.

The Swiss, 36, struggled with a back problem as he lost to Alexander Zverev in Montreal two weeks ago.

But the third seed has been practising freely in New York and said: “I’m really happy how I’m feeling.”

A hip injury has seen Andy Murray join Novak Djokovic, Stan Wawrinka, Milos Raonic and Kei Nishikori on the list of absentees.

That leaves Federer and top seed Rafael Nadal as the clear favourites, with the pair in line for a potential semi-final meeting.

Watch: Emotional Murray out of US Open with hip injury
British number five Norrie makes US Open main draw

Federer has a 35-3 record this year, having taken his Grand Slam tally to 19 titles with wins at the Australian Open and Wimbledon.

His hopes of winning a sixth US Open, and first since 2008, suffered a blow with the third of those defeats against Zverev in Montreal two weeks ago.

A back problem restricted Federer in the final but he has recovered sufficiently to face American teenager Frances Tiafoe in the first round at Flushing Meadows on Tuesday.

“Two weeks after the finals [in Montreal] is a long time, so because you’ve got two weeks you can take your time,” said the Swiss.

“So the first week was really just trying to feel better, get better, get back on the court at some stage. I have been on the practice courts since last week. There you have it.

“I have been playing sets the last few days, and I’m really happy how I’m feeling.”

If Federer and Nadal were to make it through to the semi-finals it would be their first ever meeting at the US Open.

“I’d be happy to play him here,” said Federer. “We never played in New York, so I think that would be fun for everybody involved. I don’t think we are both thinking that far ahead.”

Nadal, who plays Dusan Lajovic of Serbia in the first round, said: “A lot of points and games to play, so now is not the moment to think about that.

“For me, I think about Lajovic. That’s my goal.”

‘How is this possible?’ – Halep on facing Sharapova

The tie of the first round in New York pits Romania’s world number two Simona Halep against 2006 champion Maria Sharapova in Monday’s night session.

The Russian, 30, returns to Grand Slam action for the first time since completing a 15-month anti-doping suspension.

Halep is one of eight women in with a chance of ending the tournament as world number one, but the 25-year-old has a 0-6 record against Sharapova.

Johanna Konta I can win Wimbledon one day
Live scores and results

Asked how she felt when she heard the draw, Halep said: “My reaction was normal, because this year I had very tough draws every time almost.

“Of course it was a little bit like, ‘How is this possible again? Just first round of a Grand Slam.’ But I felt OK.”

Sharapova is currently ranked 147th and required a wildcard from the United States Tennis Association – something she was refused at the French Open in May.

“About the wildcard, the tournament decided, so they can do anything they want,” said Halep. “It’s not my position to talk about this.

“She’s coming back. She’s strong enough to come back, in my opinion. She has a lot of experience, and also many tournaments won.

“So I think she’s OK. It’s going to be a big challenge, first round of Grand Slam to face her. She beat me six times. So maybe I will change this. We will see Monday.”

Source link

Watch: Emotional Murray withdraws from US Open

Posted: Aug 26, 2017

An emotional Andy Murray tells a news conference that he is pulling out of the US Open two days before the start of the tournament in New York after failing to recover from a hip injury.

Source link

Nadal, Federer Prepare For Potentially Historic US Open

Posted: Aug 26, 2017

Nadal, Federer Prepare For Potentially Historic US Open

Aug262017

An executive summary of what every fan should know about the coming fortnight on the ATP World Tour

The US Open, known before 1968 as the US National Championships, is the second-oldest of the four Grand Slams after Wimbledon, and the only one to have been played each year since its inception in 1881. This is the 137th staging of the event, as well as the 50th US Open and 199th Grand Slam tournament of the Open Era. The US Open has been held on the hard courts of Flushing since moving from Forest Hills in 1978. It was played on grass through 1974 and on clay from 1975 to 1977.

NO. 1 ON THE LINE IN EMIRATES ATP RANKINGS: New World No. 1 Rafael Nadal puts his ranking on the line at the US Open and No. 3 Roger Federer can return to the top of men’s tennis. Both can clinch No. 1 on 11 September by winning the US Open title.

Federer must reach the quarter-finals for a chance at replacing Nadal atop the Emirates ATP Rankings. Federer, 36, debuted at No. 1 on 2 February 2004 and has not been No. 1 since 4 November 2012.

He is hoping to break a pair of Andre Agassi’s records. The five-time US Open champion would be the oldest World No. 1 since rankings were established in 1973. The four years and 310 days between 4 November 2012 and 11 September 2017 would be the longest gap between stints at No. 1. Please see below for all scenarios.

US OPEN	DNP	1R	2R	3R	4R	QF	SF	FINAL	TITLE
POINTS	0	10	45	90	180	360	720	1,200	2,000
NADAL	7,465	7,475	7,510	7,555	7,645	7,825	8,185	8,665	9,465
FEDERER	7,145	7,155	7,190	7,235	7,325	7,505	7,865	8,345	9,145

Nadal No. 1 Scenarios
* Champion

* Finalist

* Semi-finalist + Federer does not reach final

* Quarter-finalist, 4th Round or 3rd Round + Federer does not reach SF

* 2nd Round + Federer does not reach SF

* 1st Round or Does Not Play + Federer does not reach QF

Federer No. 1 Scenarios
* Champion

* Finalist

* Semi-finalist + Nadal does not reach SF

* Quarter-finalist + Nadal does not reach 2R

ROGER’S RECORDS: Roger Federer is the all-time leader with 19 Grand Slam men’s singles titles and 302 weeks at No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings. The Swiss can extend those records and set several new ones in New York City.

Federer seeks his sixth US Open title, which would break a three-way tie for most in the Open Era.

Player	Titles	Years
Roger Federer	5	2004-08
Jimmy Connors	5	1974, 1976, 1978, 1982-83
Pete Sampras	5	1990, 1993, 1995-96, 2002
John McEnroe	4	1979-81, 1984
Ivan Lendl	3	1985-87

Federer seeks his eighth US Open final, which would create a three-way tie for most in the Open Era.

Player	Finals	Years
Pete Sampras	8	1990, 1992-93, 1995-96, 2000-02
Ivan Lendl	8	1982-89
Roger Federer	7	2004-09, 2015
Novak Djokovic	7	2007, 2010-13, 2015-16
Jimmy Connors	7	1974-78, 1982-83

Federer seeks his sixth US Open title 13 years after winning his first, which would set an Open Era record for greatest number of years between first and most recent US Open titles.

Player	No.	Years
Pete Sampras	12	1990, 2002
Jimmy Connors	9	1974, 1983
Andre Agassi	5	1994, 1999
John McEnroe	5	1979, 1984

Federer seeks a sixth US Open title nine years after winning his fifth, which would set an Open Era record for greatest number of years between US Open titles.

Player	No.	Years
Pete Sampras	6	1996, 2002
Andre Agassi	5	1994, 1999
Novak Djokovic	4	2011, 2015
Jimmy Connors	4	1978, 1982

Federer, 36, bids to become the oldest US Open champion in the Open Era (and oldest US Open finalist since 1974).

Player	Age	Year
Ken Rosewall	35	1970
Stan Wawrinka	31	2016
Rod Laver	31	1969
Pete Sampras	31	2002

ONLY THREE HAVE CRACKED BIG FOUR: The ‘Big Four’ of Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic has won 45 of the last 50 Grand Slam titles. Only former US Open champions Juan Martin del Potro, Marin Cilic and Stan Wawrinka have broken the Big Four’s dominance during that stretch, with Wawrinka winning three Grand Slams. Since 2005 Roland Garros, Nadal and Federer have both captured 15 Grand Slam titles (Djokovic-12, Murray-3).

THREE-QUARTER SLAM: Roger Federer enters the US Open for the fourth time as the reigning Australian Open and Wimbledon champion (also in 2004, 2006 and 2007). Federer went on to win the US Open title in all three of those years.

FEELS LIKE HOME TO HIM: Arthur Ashe Stadium turns 20 at the 2017 US Open, and no man has won or played more matches inside the biggest tennis arena in the world than Federer (66-8). Federer also owns the most evening-session wins among men since 1980 (31-1) and could pass Andre Agassi (28-5) for the most evening-session matches.

You May Also Like: Nadal, Federer In Same Half Of US Open Draw

2006 ALL OVER AGAIN: Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have combined to win the Australian Open, Roland Garros and Wimbledon titles for the fifth time (also in 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010). Federer or Nadal went on to win the US Open title in all but one of those years. Juan Martin del Potro defeated Nadal and Federer en route to the 2009 US Open title.

NEVER IN OPEN ERA: Roger Federer did it at the Australian Open in 2007 and Wimbledon in 2017. Rafael Nadal did it at Roland Garros in 2008, 2010 and 2017. But no man in the Open Era has ever won the US Open title without dropping a set. Neale Fraser is the last player overall to do so, sweeping 21 sets for the 1960 US National Championships title.

GRAPPLE IN THE APPLE: Legendary boxing promoter Don King billed it the ‘Grapple in the Apple’ in 2008, but Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have still never played at the US Open. On five occasions, they were only one match away.

Year	Round	Who Lost?	What Happened?
2008	SF	Nadal	Nadal lost to Murray, who lost to Federer in final.
2009	SF	Nadal	Nadal lost to del Potro, who beat Federer in final.
2010	SF	Federer	Federer held 2 MPs but lost to Djokovic, who lost to Nadal in final.
2011	SF	Federer	Federer held 2 MPs but lost to Djokovic, who beat Nadal in final.
2013	4R	Federer	Federer lost to Robredo, who lost to eventual champion Nadal in QF.

HARD-COURT DROUGHT: Rafael Nadal will reach 144 weeks overall as World No. 1 during the US Open. He can ensure that he remains No. 1 by winning the title, but the Spaniard has not bitten a hard-court championship trophy in nearly four years. Nadal has played 34 hard-court events and eight hard-court finals since his last title on the surface at 2014 Doha.

PAST CHAMP RETURNING: 2014 champion Marin Cilic will attempt to become the first player in the Open Era to win the US Open title without playing any matches between Wimbledon and the US Open.

SASCHA SEEKS BREAKTHROUGH: Alexander Zverev has yet to reach a Grand Slam quarter-final. But after winning back-to-back titles earlier this month at the Citi Open in Washington, D.C., and the Coupe Rogers, an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event in Montreal, Zverev has emerged as the No. 4 seed at the US Open. Should the 20-year-old capture his third title of the summer and sixth of the season in New York, he would become the second-youngest US Open champion in the Open Era behind only a 19-year-old Pete Sampras in 1990.

DIMITROV DELIVERING: Grigor Dimitrov held in 52 of 53 service games en route to the biggest title of his career at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 in Cincinnati. Dimitrov, the No. 7 seed, has never reached the US Open quarter-finals.

The Cincinnati champion has won the US Open title once in the past nine years (Rafael Nadal in 2013). Dimitrov, Roger Federer, Alexander Zverev and Juan Martin del Potro are among those who could make it six straight years with a different US Open champion.

UNSEEDED STATS: There has not been an unseeded US Open semi-finalist since Mikhail Youzhny in 2006, finalist since Mark Philippoussis in 1998 and champion since Andre Agassi in 1994. The US Open went from 16 to 32 seeds in 2001.

THEY’RE UNSEEDED TOO: Gilles Muller (2008) and Nicolas Escude (1999) both reached the US Open quarter-finals for the best finish by a qualifier in the Open Era. Jimmy Connors did one better by reaching the 1991 semi-finals for the best finish by a wild card.

Lucky losers haven’t been as successful, with Flavio Cipolla (2008), Fernando Verdasco (2003) and Laurence Tieleman (1999) tied for the best finish by a player who lost in qualifying. They each reached the third round.

All-Time Grand Slam Men’s Singles Title Leaders

Rank	Titles	Player
1	19	Roger Federer
2	15	Rafael Nadal
3	14	Pete Sampras
T4	12	Novak Djokovic
T4	12	Roy Emerson

All-Time Grand Slam Win Leaders

Rank	Player	Win-Loss	Titles
1	Roger Federer	321-51	19
2	Novak Djokovic	237-39	12
3	Jimmy Connors	233-49	8
4	Andre Agassi	224-53	8
5	Ivan Lendl	222-49	8
6	Rafael Nadal	219-33	15
7	Roy Emerson	209-48	12
8	Pete Sampras	203-38	14
9	Andy Murray	188-43	3
10	Stefan Edberg	178-47	6

All-Time US Open Win Leaders

Rank	Player	Win-Loss	Titles
1	Jimmy Connors	98-17	5
2	Andre Agassi	79-19	2
3	Roger Federer	78-11	5
4	Vic Seixas	75-27	1
5	Ivan Lendl	73-13	3
T6	Bill Tilden	71-7	7
T6	Pete Sampras	71-9	5
8	R. Norris Williams	69-20	2
9	John McEnroe	65-12	4
10	Novak Djokovic	62-10	2

Players competing at 2017 US Open in bold

SPANISH SPOILERS: Left-handed Spaniards Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco are quickly approaching Roger Federer’s Open Era-record of 65 consecutive Grand Slam main draw appearances. Lopez, Federer’s former junior rival, could tie the Swiss at Roland Garros and pass him at Wimbledon. The 31st-seeded Lopez is making his 16th straight appearance at the US Open. The streaks of Novak Djokovic (51) and Stan Wawrinka (50) will end at the US Open.

Rank	Player	Consecutive Grand Slam Events Played
1	Roger Federer	65 (2000 Australian Open-2016 Australian Open)
2	Feliciano Lopez	63 (2002 Roland Garros-2017 US Open)
3	Fernando Verdasco	58 (2003 Wimbledon-2017 US Open)
4	Wayne Ferreira	56 (1991 Australian Open-2004 US Open)
5	Stefan Edberg	54 (1983 Wimbledon-1996 US Open)

HARD-COURT WIN LEADERS: Grigor Dimitrov earned his ATP-best 24th hard-court win of 2017 in the Cincinnati final.

Rank	Player	W-L	Titles
1	Grigor Dimitrov	24-6	3
2	Roger Federer	23-2	3
3	Nick Kyrgios	23-7	0
4	Jack Sock	23-9	2
5	Rafael Nadal	22-7	0

NOTE: Roberto Bautista Agut is 21-6 with one title entering the Winston-Salem Open final.

US Open Finish of Hard-Court Win Leaders Entering US Open (since 2000)

Year	Player	Hard Court W-L	US Open Finish
2017	Grigor Dimitrov	24-6	TBD
2016	Novak Djokovic	33-2	Runner-up
2015	Novak Djokovic	33-4	Champion
2014	Roger Federer	33-5	Semi-finalist
2013	Novak Djokovic	25-4	Runner-up
2012	Novak Djokovic	29-3	Runner-up
2011	Novak Djokovic	33-1	Champion
2010	Andy Roddick	33-7	2nd Round
2009	Andy Murray	34-3	4th Round
2008	Rafael Nadal	36-7	Semi-finalist
2007	James Blake	33-9	4th Round
2006	Roger Federer	35-2	Champion
2005	Roger Federer	38-1	Champion
2004	Andy Roddick	44-8	Quarter-finalist
2003	Andy Roddick	34-7	Champion
2002	Andy Roddick	30-9	Quarter-finalist
2001	Andre Agassi	30-5	Quarter-finalist
2001	Patrick Rafter	30-7	4th Round
2001	Jan-Michael Gambill	30-13	2nd Round
2000	Thomas Enqvist	29-9	4th Round

Players competing at 2017 US Open in bold

Career Hard-Court Title Leaders (Open Era)

Player	Hard Court Titles
Roger Federer	63
Novak Djokovic	51
Jimmy Connors	49
Andre Agassi	48
Pete Sampras	38

Players competing at 2017 US Open in bold

Active Players Hard-Court Title Leaders

Player	Hard Court Titles	Last Hard Court Title
Roger Federer	63	2017 ATP Masters 1000 Miami
Novak Djokovic	51	2017 Doha
Andy Murray	33	2017 Dubai
Rafael Nadal	16	2014 Doha
Juan Martin del Potro	15	2016 Stockholm

Players competing at 2017 US Open in bold

GRAND SLAM TITLE BREAKTHROUGH: In the Open Era, 13 players have earned their first Grand Slam title by winning the US Open. This tournament has the second-highest number of first-time Grand Slam champions behind Roland Garros.

Australian Open (11)		Roland Garros (21)		Roland Garros
Jimmy Connors	1974	Ken Rosewall	1968	Jim Courier	1991
Mark Edmondson	1976	Jan Kodes	1970	Sergi Bruguera	1993
Roscoe Tanner	1977	Andres Gimeno	1972	Thomas Muster	1995
Vitas Gerulaitis	1977	Bjorn Borg	1974	Yevgeny Kafelnikov	1996
Brian Teacher	1980	Adriano Panatta	1976	Gustavo Kuerten	1997
Johan Kriek	1981	Guillermo Vilas	1977	Carlos Moya	1998
Stefan Edberg	1985	Mats Wilander	1982	Albert Costa	2002
Petr Korda	1998	Yannick Noah	1983	Juan Carlos Ferrero	2003
Thomas Johansson	2002	Ivan Lendl	1984	Gaston Gaudio	2004
Novak Djokovic	2008	Michael Chang	1989	Rafael Nadal	2005
Stan Wawrinka	2014	Andres Gomez	1990
Wimbledon (9)		US Open (13)
Rod Laver	1968	Arthur Ashe	1968
John Newcombe	1970	Stan Smith	1971
Boris Becker	1985	Ilie Nastase	1972
Pat Cash	1987	Manuel Orantes	1975
Michael Stich	1991	John McEnroe	1979
Andre Agassi	1992	Pete Sampras	1990
Richard Krajicek	1996	Patrick Rafter	1997
Goran Ivanisevic	2001	Marat Safin	2000
Roger Federer	2003	Lleyton Hewitt	2001
		Andy Roddick	2003
		Juan Martin del Potro	2009
		Andy Murray	2012
		Marin Cilic	2014

Players competing at 2017 US Open in bold

TITLE DEFENCES: With Stan Wawrinka out for the season, Roger Federer remains the last man to successfully defend the US Open title, having won five straight titles from 2004 through 2008. Wawrinka is the fourth defending champion to miss the US Open since 2003, joining Pete Sampras in 2003, Juan Martin del Potro in 2010 and Rafael Nadal in 2014.

Successful Grand Slam Title Defenses (Open Era)

Australian Open (12)	Roland Garros (16)
Ken Rosewall, 1971-72 Guillermo Vilas, 1978-79 Johan Kriek, 1981-82 Mats Wilander, 1983-84 Stefan Edberg, 1985-87* (not played in 1986) Ivan Lendl, 1989-90 Jim Courier, 1992-93 Andre Agassi, 2000-01 Roger Federer*, 2006-07 Novak Djokovic, 2011-13 (2 defenses) Novak Djokovic, 2015-16	Jan Kodes, 1970-71 Bjorn Borg, 1974-75 Bjorn Borg, 1978-81 (3 defenses) Ivan Lendl, 1986-87 Jim Courier, 1991-92 Sergi Bruguera, 1993-94 Gustavo Kuerten, 2000-01 Rafael Nadal, 2005-08 (3 defenses) Rafael Nadal, 2010-14 (4 defenses)
Wimbledon (18)	US Open (12)
Rod Laver, 1968-69 John Newcombe, 1970-71 Bjorn Borg, 1976-80 (4 defenses) John McEnroe, 1983-84 Boris Becker, 1985-86 Pete Sampras, 1993-95 (2 defenses) Pete Sampras, 1997-2000 (3 defenses) Roger Federer, 2003-07 (4 defenses) Novak Djokovic, 2014-15	John McEnroe, 1979-81 (2 defenses) Jimmy Connors, 1982-83 Ivan Lendl, 1985-87 (2 defenses) Stefan Edberg, 1991-92 Pete Sampras, 1995-96 Patrick Rafter, 1997-98 Roger Federer, 2004-08 (4 defenses)

Players competing at 2017 US Open in bold

TOP SEED FINISHES: The top seed has won the title 15 times in the 49 US Opens held during the Open Era. The US Open top seed has lost twice in the first round: John Newcombe in 1971 and Stefan Edberg in 1990.

Year	Top Seed	Finish
2017	Rafael Nadal	TBD
2016	Novak Djokovic	Lost Final to Stan Wawrinka
2015	Novak Djokovic	Champion def. Roger Federer
2014	Novak Djokovic	Lost SF to Kei Nishikori
2013	Novak Djokovic	Lost Final to Rafael Nadal
2012	Roger Federer	Lost QF to Tomas Berdych
2011	Novak Djokovic	Champion def. Rafael Nadal
2010	Rafael Nadal	Champion def. Novak Djokovic
2009	Roger Federer	Lost Final to Juan Martin del Potro
2008	Rafael Nadal	Lost SF to Andy Murray
2007	Roger Federer	Champion def. Novak Djokovic
2006	Roger Federer	Champion def. Andy Roddick
2005	Roger Federer	Champion def. Andre Agassi
2004	Roger Federer	Champion def. Lleyton Hewitt
2003	Andre Agassi	Lost SF to Juan Carlos Ferrero
2002	Lleyton Hewitt	Lost SF to Andre Agassi
2001	Gustavo Kuerten	Lost QF to Yevgeny Kafelnikov
2000	Andre Agassi	Lost 2nd Round to Arnaud Clement
1999	Pete Sampras	Withdrew before 1st Round
1998	Pete Sampras	Lost SF to Patrick Rafter
1997	Pete Sampras	Lost 4th Round to Petr Korda
1996	Pete Sampras	Champion def. Michael Chang
1995	Andre Agassi	Lost Final to Pete Sampras
1994	Pete Sampras	Lost 4th Round to Jaime Yzaga
1993	Jim Courier	Lost 4th Round to Cedric Pioline
1992	Jim Courier	Lost SF to Pete Sampras
1991	Boris Becker	Lost 3rd Round to Paul Haarhuis
1990	Stefan Edberg	Lost 1st Round to Alexander Volkov
1989	Ivan Lendl	Lost Final to Boris Becker
1988	Ivan Lendl	Lost Final to Mats Wilander
1987	Ivan Lendl	Champion def. Mats Wilander
1986	Ivan Lendl	Champion def. Miloslav Mecir
1985	John McEnroe	Lost Final to Ivan Lendl
1984	John McEnroe	Champion def. Ivan Lendl
1983	John McEnroe	Lost 4th Round to Bill Scanlon
1982	John McEnroe	Lost SF to Ivan Lendl
1981	John McEnroe	Champion def. Bjorn Borg
1980	Bjorn Borg	Lost Final to John McEnroe
1979	Bjorn Borg	Lost QF to Roscoe Tanner
1978	Bjorn Borg	Lost Final to Jimmy Connors
1977	Bjorn Borg	Lost 4th Round to Dick Stockton
1976	Jimmy Connors	Champion def. Bjorn Borg
1975	Jimmy Connors	Lost Final to Manuel Orantes
1974	Jimmy Connors	Champion def. Ken Rosewall
1973	Stan Smith*	Lost SF to Jan Kodes
1973	Ilie Nastase*	Lost 2nd Round to Andrew Pattison
1972	Stan Smith	Lost QF to Arthur Ashe
1971	John Newcombe	Lost 1st Round to Jan Kodes
1970	Rod Laver	Lost 4th Round to Dennis Ralston
1969	Rod Laver	Champion def. Tony Roche
1968	Rod Laver	Lost 4th Round to Cliff Drysdale

Players competing at 2017 US Open in bold

*In 1973, there were two No. 1 seeds

LEFT-HANDED CHAMPIONS: Six left-handers have combined to win 14 US Open singles titles in the Open Era.

Jimmy Connors (5): 1974, 1976, 1978, 1982-83

John McEnroe (4): 1979-81, 1984

Rafael Nadal (2): 2010, 2013

Guillermo Vilas (1): 1977

Manuel Orantes (1): 1975

Rod Laver (1): 1969

COUNTRY BREAKDOWN: There are 43 countries represented in the men’s singles draw at the US Open (40 in 2016).

Country	Total	Seeds	Wild Cards	Qualifiers	Lucky Losers
Argentina	7	2			1
Australia	7	1	1	1
Austria	2	1
Barbados	1			1
Belgium	3	1
Bosnia-Herzegovina	1
Brazil	3
Bulgaria	1	1
Canada	2			1
Chinese Taipei	1
Colombia	1
Croatia	3	1
Cyprus	1
Czech Republic	3	1		1
France	13	5	1	2
Georgia	1
Germany	8	2		2
Great Britain	4	1		1
Hungary	1
Israel	1
Italy	6	1		1
Japan	2
Kazakhstan	1			1
Latvia	1
Lithuania	1
Luxembourg	1	1
Moldova	1			1
Netherlands	1	1
Portugal	1
Romania	1
Russia	7	1
Serbia	3
Slovakia	1
Slovenia	1
South Africa	1	1
South Korea	1
Spain	9	6		1
Switzerland	2	1
Tunisia	1
Ukraine	1
United States of America	19	3	6	3
Uruguay	1	1
Uzbekistan	1
43 Countries	128	32	8	16	1

FIRST-TIMERS: There are 23 players making their US Open debut this year (up from 16 in 2016): JC Aragone, Geoffrey Blancaneaux, Marius Copil, Alex de Minaur, Christopher Eubanks, Norbert Gombos, Nicolas Kicker, Darian King, Evan King, Thai-Son Kwiatkowski, Patrick Kypson, Henri Laaksonen, Maximilian Marterer, Daniil Medvedev, Adrian Menendez-Maceiras, Vincent Millot, Thiago Monteiro, Cameron Norrie, Vaclav Safranek, Tennys Sandgren, Denis Shapovalov, Yuichi Sugita and Stefano Travaglia. In the Open Era, no man has ever won the US Open title in his tournament debut. The last player to win a title in his debut at a Grand Slam event was Rafael Nadal at 2005 Roland Garros.

FROM BOYS TO MEN: Ten former US Open junior champions and six runners-up are in the men’s singles draw. Stefan Edberg, Andy Roddick and Andy Murray are the only players to have won both the boys’ and men’s singles titles.

Year	Junior Champion	Year	Junior Runner-Up
2015	Taylor Fritz	2015	Tommy Paul
2013	Borna Coric	2013	Thanasi Kokkinakis
2010	Jack Sock	2011	Jiri Vesely
2009	Bernard Tomic	2005	Jeremy Chardy
2008	Grigor Dimitrov	2003	Marcos Baghdatis
2007	Ricardas Berankis	2002	Marcos Baghdatis
2004	Andy Murray	1998	Roger Federer
2003	Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
2002	Richard Gasquet
2001	Gilles Muller

US OPEN CHAMPIONS LIST: Of the 54 Grand Slam champions in the Open Era, 27 have won the US Open title.

Player	Titles	Years
Jimmy Connors	5	1974, 1976, 1978, 1982-83
Roger Federer	5	2004-08
Pete Sampras	5	1990, 1993, 1995-96, 2002
John McEnroe	4	1979-81, 1984
Ivan Lendl	3	1985-87
Andre Agassi	2	1994, 1999
Novak Djokovic	2	2011, 2015
Stefan Edberg	2	1991-92
Rafael Nadal	2	2010, 2013
Patrick Rafter	2	1997-98
Arthur Ashe	1	1968
Boris Becker	1	1989
Marin Cilic	1	2014
Juan Martin del Potro	1	2009
Lleyton Hewitt	1	2001
Rod Laver	1	1969 (also 1962)
Andy Murray	1	2012
Ilie Nastase	1	1972
John Newcombe	1	1973 (also 1967)
Manuel Orantes	1	1975
Andy Roddick	1	2003
Ken Rosewall	1	1970 (also 1956)
Marat Safin	1	2000
Stan Smith	1	1971
Guillermo Vilas	1	1977
Stan Wawrinka	1	2016
Mats Wilander	1	1988

Players competing at 2017 US Open in bold

US Open Singles Finals (Open Era)

Year	Champion	Runner-up	Score
2016	Stan Wawrinka	Novak Djokovic	67(1) 64 75 63
2015	Novak Djokovic	Roger Federer	64 57 64 64
2014	Marin Cilic	Kei Nishikori	63 63 63
2013	Rafael Nadal	Novak Djokovic	62 36 64 61
2012	Andy Murray	Novak Djokovic	76(10) 75 26 36 62
2011	Novak Djokovic	Rafael Nadal	62 64 67(3) 61
2010	Rafael Nadal	Novak Djokovic	64 57 64 62
2009	Juan Martin del Potro	Roger Federer	36 76(5) 46 76(4) 62
2008	Roger Federer	Andy Murray	62 75 62
2007	Roger Federer	Novak Djokovic	76(4) 76(2) 64
2006	Roger Federer	Andy Roddick	62 46 75 61
2005	Roger Federer	Andre Agassi	63 26 76(1) 61
2004	Roger Federer	Lleyton Hewitt	60 76(3) 60
2003	Andy Roddick	Juan Carlos Ferrero	63 76(2) 63
2002	Pete Sampras	Andre Agassi	63 64 57 64
2001	Lleyton Hewitt	Pete Sampras	76(4) 61 61
2000	Marat Safin	Pete Sampras	64 63 63
1999	Andre Agassi	Todd Martin	64 67 67 63 62
1998	Patrick Rafter	Mark Philippoussis	63 36 62 60
1997	Patrick Rafter	Greg Rusedski	63 62 46 75
1996	Pete Sampras	Michael Chang	61 64 76
1995	Pete Sampras	Andre Agassi	64 63 46 75
1994	Andre Agassi	Michael Stich	61 76 75
1993	Pete Sampras	Cedric Pioline	64 64 63
1992	Stefan Edberg	Pete Sampras	36 64 76 62
1991	Stefan Edberg	Jim Courier	62 64 60
1990	Pete Sampras	Andre Agassi	64 63 62
1989	Boris Becker	Ivan Lendl	76 16 63 76
1988	Mats Wilander	Ivan Lendl	64 46 63 57 64
1987	Ivan Lendl	Mats Wilander	67 60 76 64
1986	Ivan Lendl	Miloslav Mecir	64 62 60
1985	Ivan Lendl	John McEnroe	76 63 64
1984	John McEnroe	Ivan Lendl	63 64 61
1983	Jimmy Connors	Ivan Lendl	63 67 75 60
1982	Jimmy Connors	Ivan Lendl	63 62 46 64
1981	John McEnroe	Bjorn Borg	46 62 64 63
1980	John McEnroe	Bjorn Borg	76 61 67 57 64
1979	John McEnroe	Vitas Gerulaitis	75 63 63
1978	Jimmy Connors	Bjorn Borg	64 62 62
1977	Guillermo Vilas	Jimmy Connors	26 63 75 60
1976	Jimmy Connors	Bjorn Borg	64 36 76 64
1975	Manuel Orantes	Jimmy Connors	64 63 63
1974	Jimmy Connors	Ken Rosewall	61 60 61
1973	John Newcombe	Jan Kodes	64 16 46 62 62
1972	Ilie Nastase	Arthur Ashe	36 63 67 64 63
1971	Stan Smith	Jan Kodes	36 63 62 76
1970	Ken Rosewall	Tony Roche	26 64 76 63
1969	Rod Laver	Tony Roche	79 61 62 62
1968	Arthur Ashe	Tom Okker	14-12 57 63 36 63

Players competing at 2017 US Open in bold

US Open Doubles Finals (Open Era)

Year	Champion	Runner-Up	Score
2016	Jamie Murray / Bruno Soares	Pablo Carreno Busta / Guillermo Garcia-Lopez	62 63
2015	Pierre-Hugues Herbert / Nicolas Mahut	Jamie Murray / John Peers+	64 64
2014	Bob Bryan / Mike Bryan	Marcel Granollers / Marc Lopez+	63 64
2013	Leander Paes / Radek Stepanek	Alexander Peya / Bruno Soares+	61 63
2012	Bob Bryan / Mike Bryan	Leander Paes / Radek Stepanek	63 64
2011	Jurgen Melzer / Philipp Petzschner	Mariusz Fyrstenberg / Marcin Matkowski	62 62
2010	Bob Bryan / Mike Bryan	Rohan Bopanna / Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi+	76(5) 76(4)
2009	Lukas Dlouhy / Leander Paes	Mahesh Bhupathi / Mark Knowles	36 63 62
2008	Bob Bryan / Mike Bryan	Lukas Dlouhy / Leander Paes	76(5) 76(10)
2007	Simon Aspelin / Julian Knowle	Lukas Dlouhy / Pavel Vizner	75 64
2006	Martin Damm / Leander Paes	Jonas Bjorkman / Max Mirnyi	67 64 63
2005	Bob Bryan / Mike Bryan	Jonas Bjorkman / Max Mirnyi	61 64
2004	Daniel Nestor / Mark Knowles	Leander Paes / David Rikl	63 63
2003	Jonas Bjorkman / Todd Woodbridge	Bob Bryan / Mike Bryan	57 60 75
2002	Mahesh Bhupathi / Max Mirnyi	Jiri Novak / Radek Stepanek	63 36 64
2001	Wayne Black / Kevin Ullyett	Donald Johnson / Jared Palmer	76(9) 26 63
2000	Lleyton Hewitt / Max Mirnyi	Ellis Ferreira / Rick Leach	64 57 76
1999	Sebastien Lareau / Alex O’Brien	Mahesh Bhupathi / Leander Paes	76 64
1998	Sandon Stolle / Cyril Suk	Mark Knowles / Daniel Nestor	46 76 62
1997	Yevgeny Kafelnikov / Daniel Vacek	Jonas Bjorkman / Niklas Kulti	76 63
1996	Mark Woodforde / Todd Woodbridge	Jacco Eltingh / Paul Haarhuis	46 76 76
1995	Mark Woodforde / Todd Woodbridge	Alex O’Brien / Sandon Stolle	63 63
1994	Jacco Eltingh / Paul Haarhuis	Mark Woodforde / Todd Woodbridge	63 76
1993	Ken Flach / Rich Leach	Karel Novacek / Martin Damm	67 64 62
1992	Jim Grabb / Richey Reneberg	Rick Leach / Kelly Jones	36 76 63 63
1991	John Fitzgerald / Anders Jarryd	Scott Davis / David Pate	63 36 63 63
1990	Pieter Aldrich / Danie Visser	Paul Annacone / David Wheaton	62 76 62
1989	John McEnroe / Mark Woodforde	Ken Flach / Robert Seguso	64 46 63 63
1988	Sergio Casal / Emilio Sanchez	Rick Leach / Jim Pugh	Walkover
1987	Stefan Edberg / Anders Jarryd	Ken Flach / Robert Seguso	76 62 46 57 76
1986	Andres Gomez / Slobodan Zivojinovic	Joakim Nystrom / Mats Wilander	46 63 63 46 63
1985	Ken Flach / Robert Seguso	Henri Leconte / Yannick Noah	67 76 76 60
1984	John Fitzgerald / Tomas Smid	Stefan Edberg / Anders Jarryd	76 63 63
1983	John McEnroe / Peter Fleming	Fritz Buehning / Van Winitsky	63 64 62
1982	Kevin Curren / Steve Denton	Victor Amaya / Hank Pfister	62 67 57 62 64
1981	John McEnroe / Peter Fleming	Heinz Gunthardt / Peter McNamara	Default
1980	Robert Lutz / Stan Smith	John McEnroe / Peter Fleming	76 36 61 36 63
1979	John McEnroe / Peter Fleming	Robert Lutz / Stan Smith	62 64
1978	Robert Lutz / Stan Smith	Marty Riessen / Sherwood Stewart	16 75 63
1977	Bob Hewitt / Frew McMillan	Brian Gottfried / Raul Ramirez	64 60
1976	Marty Riessen / Tom Okker	Paul Kronk / Cliff Latcher	64 60
1975	Jimmy Connors / Ilie Nastase	Tom Okker / Marty Riessen	64 76
1974	Robert Lutz / Stan Smith	Patricio Cornejo / Jaime Fillol	63 63
1973	Owen Davidson / John Newcombe	Rod Laver / Ken Rosewall	75 26 75 75
1972	Cliff Drysdale / Roger Taylor	Owen Davidson / John Newcombe	64 76 63
1971	John Newcombe / Roger Taylor	Stan Smith / Erik van Dillen	67 63 76 46 76
1970	Pierre Barthes / Nikki Pilic	Roy Emerson / Rod Laver	63 76 46 76
1969	Ken Rosewall / Fred Stolle	Charles Pasarell / Dennis Ralston	26 75 13-11 63
1968	Robert Lutz / Stan Smith	Arthur Ashe / Andres Gimeno	11-9 61 75

Players competing at 2017 US Open in bold

+Not playing together at 2017 US Open

Source link

Andy Murray withdraws from US Open because of ongoing hip injury

Posted: Aug 26, 2017

US Open
Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York Dates: 28 August – 10 September
BBC coverage: Commentary on BBC Radio 5 live and Radio 5 live sports extra, plus live text commentary on the BBC Sport website.

Andy Murray has pulled out of the US Open two days before the start of the tournament in New York after failing to recover from a hip injury.

The British world number two, 30, has not played since Wimbledon, when he was hampered by the injury as he lost to Sam Querrey in the quarter-finals.

Murray practised all week but said on Saturday the injury remained an issue.

“It’s too sore for me to win the tournament and ultimately that’s what I was here to try and do,” said the Scot.

The 2012 US Open champion was due to face American world number 104 Tennys Sandgren in the first round.

It is the first time since the French Open in 2013 that Murray has withdrawn from a Grand Slam tournament.

He revealed during Wimbledon that he had suffered with a sore hip at times since his early twenties, but it became more significant following his French Open semi-final loss against Stan Wawrinka in June.

Murray’s preparation for Wimbledon was cut back and he ultimately succumbed to Querrey in five sets at the All England Club.

Rollercoaster fan Konta hoping to avoid ups and downs
GB’s Norrie makes main US Open draw
Live scores and results

He was forced to pull out of tournaments in Montreal and Cincinnati as he underwent rehabilitation in the UK, but travelled to New York on 18 August with the expectation of playing the US Open.

“I did pretty much everything that I could to get myself ready here and took a number of weeks off after Wimbledon,” added Murray, who has lost the world number one ranking to Rafael Nadal since Wimbledon.

“I obviously spoke to a lot of hip specialists. Tried resting, rehabbing, to try and get myself ready here.

“I was actually practising OK the last few days.”

Asked if he had risked potential further damage by attempting to play at Flushing Meadows, Murray added: “I certainly wouldn’t have been hurting myself more by trying to play. It was more a question of whether it would settle down in time.

“Obviously I kind of ran out of time. Maybe if I’d been able to take a little bit more time off.”

Murray joins last year’s finalists Wawrinka and Novak Djokovic – both of whom have chosen to end their seasons because of injuries – in a lengthy list of absentees in New York, but he hopes to return to action in 2017.

Croatian fifth seed Marin Cilic will move up to Murray’s place in the draw and face Sandgren in the first round on Monday.

Analysis

By Russell Fuller, BBC tennis correspondent at Flushing Meadows:

A slight limp was still visible when Murray took to the practice court on Saturday lunchtime. He was striking the ball well against Lucas Pouille and looked in better shape than he had done at the same stage before Wimbledon, but there was a zip and intensity missing from the session – for good reason, as it now appears.

Perhaps Murray could have made this decision 10 days ago before flying to New York to step up his preparations, but better late than never. There is no point in him playing an event he has virtually no chance of winning, however open the draw may seem.

Having already consulted a range of specialists, Murray sounded quite sure he would be able to decide on his next move over the next couple of days. He did not address the need for surgery, but surely it remains an option, and perhaps we will not see him again this year.

Whatever the plan, Murray’s focus must now be entirely on 2018. He will not win Grand Slams if he is only 80% fit, and unable to move with the speed and purpose which have brought him so much success thus far.

Becker’s Wimbledon warning plays out

Following Murray’s Wimbledon exit in July, BBC Sport pundit and six-time Grand Slam winner Boris Becker advised Murray to consider skipping the US Open.

“Age is only a number, but you only have one body. Andy has to look after his,” said Becker.

“He has got to think long term, not worry about making the US Open – if he is moving there like he did at Wimbledon, then he won’t win it anyway.

“So, the worst thing that can happen if he skips New York is that he misses one Grand Slam – that doesn’t matter, because the Australian Open is around the corner at the start of 2018.”

Becker said Murray could learn from Nadal and Roger Federer, both of whom took long breaks from the game before returning fitter.

Nadal pulled out of the French Open in May 2016 with a wrist injury and did not play again until the Rio Olympics in August. He won his 10th title at Roland Garros earlier this year.

Federer missed the final five months of 2016 to recover from his knee injury but returned to win the Australian Open in January and Wimbledon in July.

“With this injury, there are limitations to Andy’s movement,” said Becker. “Andy relies on his speed and footwork, which are an integral part of his game.

“That is why he needs to be 100% fit. It’s no good for him to be 75%.”

Source link

Murray Withdraws From US Open

Posted: Aug 26, 2017

Murray Withdraws From US Open

Aug262017

Scot still battling hip injury

Second seed Andy Murray has withdrawn from the US Open because of a lingering hip injury. The 2012 titlist has not played since losing to Sam Querrey in the Wimbledon quarter-finals last month.

Murray said on Saturday that he’s been battling the injury since falling to Stan Wawrinka in the Roland Garros semi-finals in June.

You May Also Like: Nadal, Federer In Same Half Of US Open Draw

“[I] did pretty much everything that I could to get myself ready here and took a number of weeks off after Wimbledon. I obviously spoke to a lot of hip specialists. [I] tried obviously resting, rehabbing, to try and get myself ready here,” Murray said. “[I] was actually practising okay the last few days, but it’s too sore for me to win the tournament and ultimately that’s what I was here to try and do. Unfortunately, I won’t be playing here this year.”

Murray fell to No. 2 in the Emirates ATP Rankings last week when Spaniard Rafael Nadal returned to the top spot. The Scot had been in the bottom half of the US Open draw, which is now led by fourth seed Alexander Zverev, fifth seed Marin Cilic and eighth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Lukas Lacko of Slovakia will now enter the main draw.

Source link

Dimitrov Tops Zverev For Summer Masters Golden Hot Shot

Posted: Aug 26, 2017

Dimitrov Tops Zverev For Summer Masters Golden Hot Shot

Aug262017

Cincinnati and Montreal champions finish No. 1 & 2 in poll

Grigor Dimitrov and Alexander Zverev, ATP World Tour Masters 1000 champions respectively in Cincinnati and Montreal, finished on top in the Summer Masters Golden Hot Shot poll.

Dimitrov’s dive volley against Yuichi Sugita in the quarter-finals of the Western & Southern Open was selected by fans as the clear winner of the poll, finishing with 52 per cent of votes cast over a five-day period. Meanwhile, Zverev’s match point save in a 49-shot rally against Richard Gasquet in the Coupe Rogers second round received 18 per cent of votes.

View Complete Results For Golden Hot Shot

Re-live nine great hot shots from the season’s ATP World Tour Masters 1000 summer tournaments:

Subscribe to our Hot Shot playlist, and watch match replays on TennisTV.

Source link

Johanna Konta: The 'massive rollercoaster fan' is hoping to avoid ups and downs

Posted: Aug 26, 2017

US Open
Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York Dates: 28 Aug-10 Sept
BBC coverage: Live radio and text commentary on selected matches every day.

Johanna Konta is all about the preparation – whether it be a Grand Slam match or a trip to the funfair.

The British number one will resume her quest for a first major title at the US Open next week, with Serbia’s Aleksandra Krunic, the world number 77, her first-round opponent.

Konta arrived in the US after finding time for some extra-curricular activities following her Wimbledon breakthrough.

A backstage pass for her favourite band U2 – “Bono kissed my hand, I haven’t washed it!” – could have been matched for excitement by a rare theme-park visit, if only she had got her strategy right.

“I’m a massive rollercoaster fan,” said the 26-year-old.

“I went in Cincinnati – really, really frustrated with my approach to it. I should have gone really early in the morning and got a fast-pass, because I only got on five rides in four hours.

“The last one I queued for an hour and, oh my goodness, it sucks the life out of you.”

Halep v Sharapova in US Open first round
Johanna Konta I can win Wimbledon one day
Live scores and results

That appears to be about as stressful as things have got for Konta recently, despite a nerve-jangling run through Wimbledon that ended with defeat by Venus Williams in the semi-finals.

After climbing the rankings spectacularly from 147th to inside the world’s top 10 in two years, widespread national recognition finally came with that thrilling run at the All England Club.

Konta glows with pride when the television audience of 7.4 million viewers – the largest of Wimbledon 2017 – for her quarter-final win over Simona Halep is mentioned, but there has apparently been no hangover.

“It was probably my easiest Wimbledon experience, which was very interesting,” she said.

“I felt I did a very good job of digesting each match and each day very separately, and I was able to move on and recover for the next day.

“I didn’t feel like I had this big build-up of emotion, so once I came to the end of the championships I felt I was ready for the next one.”

The next one was in fact an opening-match defeat by Ekaterina Makarova in Toronto, before Konta won two matches in Cincinnati and eventually succumbed to world number two Halep.

“I think the quality of matches has been good,” said the Briton.

“Obviously the volume of matches – I could have gotten more, but I’m also happy I got have four great matches coming in.”

Konta has 36 wins and more than £2m in prize money to her name already this year, cementing her place in the top 10 and closing in on a debut appearance at the season-ending WTA Finals for the top eight players in the world.

However, shock results abound in a women’s tour that is notable for the even spread of talent, especially in the absence of an all-time great in Serena Williams.

Konta needed to find her very best as early as the second round at Wimbledon, eventually beating Donna Vekic, the world number 52, 10-8 in the final set.

“I really believe that it’s been that way for some time now,” she said.

“There haven’t been easy matches for quite some time and I think it’s a good thing that people start appreciating and actually noticing it.

“It’s a very exciting thing as a spectator coming to a Slam and knowing you’re going to have great matches all the way through and not just from the semi-finals.

“I think that’s a very positive thing for the sport in general.”

In line with many of her peers, Konta refuses to look past her first opponent and deeper into the draw, but she thrives on hard courts and there is every reason to believe she can improve on her fourth-round efforts of the past two years at Flushing Meadows.

She could even end the tournament as world number one, given an especially outlandish set of results, but that prospect is greeted with laughter, at least for now.

A gruelling two weeks lie ahead if Konta is to become the first British woman to win a major singles title since Virginia Wade 40 years ago.

“I approach every tournament from the get-go that it’s going to be tough and I accept that fact,” said Konta.

“I’m not looking for any confirmation or any relief because I’ve accepted the fact that from my first match, I’m going to have a tough battle.”

At least she can look forward to some more light relief when the day job is done, with a trip to Harry Potter World on the cards when her sister visits London in November.

It will be hard to live up to meeting her idols at last month’s U2 concert in Dublin, however.

“I got to meet Bono and The Edge before the show,” said Konta.

“I got invited backstage and intercepted them while they were heading to physio, which was so cool for me to hear – that they were doing physio!

“I was literally like, ‘Oh my god, they know my name!’ It was definitely a life-made moment.”

Source link

GB's Edmund loses in Winston-Salem semis

Posted: Aug 26, 2017

British number two Kyle Edmund lost to Damir Dzumhur 1-6 7-5 6-3 in the semi-final of the Winston-Salem Open.

Edmund, 22, started well and won the first set before being overpowered by his opponent in North Carolina.

Dzumhur, ranked 67th in the world, is Bosnia’s first player to reach an ATP Tour final.

The 25-year-old will face Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut in the final, while Edmund will now prepare for the US Open, which starts on Monday.

Edmund, who reached the fourth round of the US Open in 2016, is up against Dutch veteran Robin Haase at Flushing Meadows.

“For such a small country as Bosnia, it’s a really big result,” Dzumhur said after reaching the final.

“So I’m proud of my country and proud of myself and it’s going to be a good day tomorrow.”

Bautista Agut, ranked 15th in the world, easily accounted for Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff 6-2 6-4 in the other semi-final.

Source link

#NextGenATP Shapovalov, Trio Of Americans Qualify At US Open

Posted: Aug 26, 2017

#NextGenATP Shapovalov, Trio Of Americans Qualify At US Open

Aug262017

Denis Shapovalov will make his US Open debut after emerging from qualifying

Denis Shapovalov headlined a group of 16 players to qualify at the US Open on Friday, continuing his dominant run of form with a 6-7(2), 6-1, 6-3 victory over Jan Satral.

Shapovalov will make his US Open debut on the heels of an ATP Challenger Tour title in Gatineau and semi-final run at the Coupe Rogers in Montreal, where he became the youngest player to reach the last four of an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event. The 18-year-old Canadian has now won 15 of his last 17 matches in total and will look to extend the run against fellow #NextGenATP Daniil Medvedev in the first round.

“I got fired up after I lost the first set,” Shapovalov told ATPWorldTour.com. “It really motivated me and it helped me with my confidence. I raised my level from there and was playing some good tennis in the second and third sets.

“It feels incredible. I dream to play in these big tournaments, so to be able to qualify for one of the Grand Slams is a really big privilege for me.”

A trio of Americans earned main draw berths on Friday. Veteran Tim Smyczek will make his fifth main draw appearance in six years at Flushing Meadows, defeating Peter Polansky 6-3, 6-4. Chicago native Evan King qualified for his first Grand Slam main draw at the age of 25, stunning Michael Mmoh 6-3, 6-3. King had earned his first ATP World Tour match win in Los Cabos earlier this month. University of Virginia standout JC Aragone turned in the Cinderella performance of the qualifying competition, claiming three three-set victories in his tour-level debut. He defeated Akira Santillan 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 on Friday.

All three Americans will be made to work in the first round of main draw play, with Smyczek opening against 17th seed Sam Querrey, King facing 12th seed Pablo Carreno Busta and Aragone battling 28th seed Kevin Anderson.

You May Also Like: #NextGenATP Shapovalov, Trio Of Americans Qualify At US Open

In other action, Cedrik-Marcel Stebe will make his first appearance in a Grand Slam since the 2013 Australian Open, continuing his impressive comeback to the tour. He ousted Alejandro Gonzalez 6-2, 6-4 in 74 minutes. The World No. 106 is on the brink of returning to the Top 100 of the Emirates ATP Rankings for the first time in five years. He opens against Nicolas Kicker of Argentina.

Stebe is coming off an ATP Challenger Tour crown in Vancouver on Sunday and is joined by another recent titlist, Binghamton champ Cameron Norrie, in qualifying for the last Grand Slam of the year. Norrie did not drop a set all week in booking his US Open debut, sealing it with a 6-1, 7-6(5) win over Go Soeda. Dmitry Tursunov awaits in the first round.

Nicolas Mahut will appear in his seventh consecutive US Open main draw and 12th overall, defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-6(6), 3-6, 6-0. The 2015 doubles champion, with Pierre-Hugues Herbert, will battle Marton Fucsovics in the first round.

Other qualifiers include Maximilian Marterer, Radu Albot, Vaclav Safranek, Mikhail Kukushkin, Stefano Travaglia, Adrian Menendez-Maceiras, Vincent Millot, John-Patrick Smith and Darian King. King will be the first player from Barbados to compete in a Grand Slam. Fourth seed Alexander Zverev is his first round opponent.

Despite falling to Marterer, top seed Leonardo Mayer earned a spot in the main draw as a lucky loser. He opens against 26th seed Richard Gasquet.

Source link