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Murray Defuses Del Potro To Reach Fourth Round

  • Posted: Jun 03, 2017

Murray Defuses Del Potro To Reach Fourth Round

Jun032017

World No. 1 advances to 25th consecutive Grand Slam fourth round

World No. 1 Andy Murray overcame an offensive assault from Juan Martin del Potro to book his spot in the Round of 16 at Roland Garros on Saturday.

Murray secured his place in the second week with a 7-6(8), 7-5, 6-0 victory, prevailing after a tense two hours and 53 minutes. He spoiled del Potro’s 100th Grand Slam match, firing 44 winners and converting six of 17 break chances.

Last year’s runner-up Murray is into the fourth round for the eighth time in 10 appearances on the Parisian clay. The Scot avoided a third consecutive four-set affair to open the tournament, but was still made to work against the former World No. 4 del Potro.

“It was definitely [my best match] during the clay court season,” said Murray. “I played some good matches at the beginning of the year, but definitely in the clay-court season, the second and third sets were the best I have played. 

“It was obviously an important win for me and a big match, because Juan, when he’s playing well, is one of the best players in the world. To be playing him this early on in a slam is not easy, but it can be a very positive thing. When you play someone that good, maybe you’re a little bit more switched on and your focus is maybe a little bit higher.”

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The drama was palpable on Court Philippe Chatrier on Saturday and the two titans did not disappoint, producing a masterclass opening set that lasted nearly an hour and a half. Murray withstood a barrage of baseline blows to overcome a break deficit and save set points at 5-3 and with del Potro serving for the opener at 5-4. 

The top seed would break back and later turned aside two more set points in the ensuing tie-break – at 7/6 and 8/7 – before striking a sublime drop shot winner to edge ahead 9/8. Murray would snatch the set on the next point as a del Potro forehand landed just wide. The drama built to a crescendo as chair umpire Carlos Bernardes called over the linesman to confirm the call, sealing the opener for Murray. Del Potro hung over the net in disappointment after a pulsating one hour and 25 minutes.

“I couldn’t believe that set, that I lost that set, because I had many opportunities to win,” said Del Potro. “I have been playing great points during the whole first set. But this happens when you play against the No. 1 in the world or a great champion as Andy, you never know when you can win a set or a match.”

The Argentine’s level would dip as the second set got underway, conceding the immediate break with three forehand unforced errors. Murray dropped just four points through his first four service games and held his nerve despite being broken back while serving for the set at 5-4. The top seed would strike his fourth ace to take a two-set lead and he stepped on the gas in the third set, breaking three times to seal the win after nearly three hours.

Following two intense meetings in 2016, with Murray taking the gold medal match at the Rio Olympics and del Potro emerging in five sets in the Davis Cup semis, the rivalry has ramped up significantly in the past year. The World No. 1 extended his FedEx ATP Head2Head lead to 7-3.

Murray, who is looking to regain his footing on clay after early defeats at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events in Madrid and Rome, will face either 21st seed John Isner or #NextGenATP star Karen Khachanov next. He has now reached the Round of 16 or better in 25 consecutive Grand Slam appearances.

Del Potro, meanwhile, will leave the French capital with head held high after returning to the clay-court Grand Slam for the first time since 2012. He falls to 14-7 at Roland Garros.

“I love what happened today on court. I am so happy to see the crowd cheering for me at this level,” added Del Potro. “I missed this tournament for the last five years, so I will go home with great memories from the people, from the friends, fans and also the Argentinian fans which were there. Hopefully next year I can be in better shape with a better level of tennis.”

Go inside the tournament at RolandGarros.com.

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Murray beats Del Potro but Edmund loses in five sets

  • Posted: Jun 03, 2017
French Open
Venue: Roland Garros, Paris Dates: 28 May-11 June
Coverage: Listen to live radio commentary and follow text coverage of selected matches on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra and online.

Andy Murray saw off Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro with a superb straight-set win to reach the fourth round of the French Open.

The world number one, 30, won a gripping 84-minute opening set on his way to a 7-6 (10-8) 7-5 6-0 victory.

The Scot, bidding for his first Roland Garros title, goes on to face American John Isner or Russia’s Karen Khachanov.

British number two Kyle Edmund’s run came to an end with a defeat by big-serving Kevin Anderson in five sets.

The South African, 31, fought back to win 6-7 (6-8) 7-6 (7-4) 5-7 6-1 6-4 in a near four-hour match.

  • Third seed Halep through to last 16
  • Live scores and schedule

Murray shows signs of best form

After searching for consistency in his opening two matches, Murray found something approaching his best form to win the most anticipated match of the first week.

Former US Open champion Del Potro, whose ranking has slid after injuries, posed an unusually severe test for the third round and he began strongly.

The Argentine’s huge forehand drew regular gasps from the crowd, as well as what Murray later described as “a very manly grunt” from Del Potro.

But once he had levelled in a high-quality first set, Murray edged a thrilling tie-break and then dominated in arguably his best performance of 2017.

“I played some good matches at the beginning of the year, but definitely in the clay-court season, the second or third sets were the best I have played, for sure,” Murray said.

He out-scored the powerful Argentine with 41 winners to 35, all the while mixing up his game with deft drop shots and sharp volleys.

The match turned late in the first set when Del Potro failed to serve it out and Murray eventually took the tie-break with his third set point, having saved four.

A distraught Del Potro slumped on the net post for most of the changeover, pausing only to smack down his racquet in anger before moments later dropping serve at the start of the second set.

“I couldn’t believe that I lost that set, because I had many opportunities to win,” he said.

“But this happens when you play against the number one in the world.”

There was no way back, especially after the Argentine – who struggled with a groin injury on the previous round – called for the doctor.

Murray’s hopes faltered only briefly when he failed to serve out at 5-4, but the Scot broke serve once again in the following game and then reeled off the last seven games in a row.

“Mentally I feel pretty good just now,” he said.

“I’m happy with how the match was today. I’m working things out whilst I’m playing the matches. The really, really important part of my game is making adjustments.

“The tactical side is very important for me.”

‘Winning the first set gave me momentum’

After that marathon first set, the match quickly turned in Murray’s favour as the Scot went on to clinch the final set in just 28 minutes.

“Whoever won that first set had big momentum,” said Murray, who beat Del Potro in the Olympic gold-medal match at last year’s Rio Games.

“It’s slow and heavy, and coming back in these conditions is difficult.

“I thought I played some good tennis towards the end and I expected a tough match.

“It was tough. I think he was playing much better than me in the first set. Both of us hand some chances in the first set, the second set was the same. Both those sets could have gone either way.”

Pride for Edmund in defeat

Edmund, 22, had hoped to match his best Grand Slam run by reaching the last 16, but Anderson’s greater experience told in the latter stages of a hard-fought contest.

Edmund held a slight edge in terms of ranking over Anderson, the Yorkshireman ranked nine places higher at 47th in the world, but the South African was playing in the third round of a Grand Slam for the 17th time.

By contrast, it was only Edmund’s second appearance in the last 32 of a major.

“I played a good match and am disappointed to lose,” said Edmund.

“I would love to win and get to the fourth round, and especially win that type of match in the fifth set like that.

“But, you know, quality by him. And he just beat me.”

Anderson, who was a top-10 player before being hampered by a series of injuries, will now meet 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic in the fourth round.

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French Open 2017: Simona Halep & Alize Cornet into fourth round

  • Posted: Jun 03, 2017
French Open
Venue: Roland Garros, Paris Dates: 28 May- 11 June
Coverage: Listen to live radio commentary and follow text coverage of selected matches on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra and online.

Romanian third seed Simona Halep sealed her place in the French Open fourth round with a 6-0 7-5 win over Russia’s Daria Kasatkina.

Halep, 25, is viewed as one of this year’s title favourites after winning the Madrid Open and reaching the final in Rome last month.

She will face Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro for a place in the last eight.

Ninth seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland was stunned 6-2 6-1 by French world number 43 Alize Cornet.

Cornet will now meet 28th seed Caroline Garcia in an all-French last-16 tie at Roland Garros.

Garcia needed more than two and a half hours to win 6-4 4-6 9-7 against Taiwanese Hsieh Su-wei, who beat British number one Johanna Konta in the first round.

Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki resumed her match against 18-year-old American Catherine Bellis after rain stopped play on Friday night, the Dane going to complete a 6-2 2-6 6-3 win.

Suarez Navarro, the Spanish 21st seed, set up a clash against Halep with a 6-4 6-4 win over 14th seed Elena Vesnina of Russia.

  • Live scores, results and schedule

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Volunteering: Meet the people transforming grassroots tennis in Britain

  • Posted: Jun 03, 2017

National Volunteers Week runs from 1-7 June and tennis’ governing body – the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) – has shortlisted around 1,200 volunteers whose efforts will be recognised at the British Tennis Awards, during Wimbledon fortnight.

Whether fundraising, helping to build and maintain facilities or encouraging people to get involved in – and stay in – the sport, volunteers are the foundation of the game at local level.

Here are three examples of people really making a difference in their communities:

Wendy Glasper, North East Visually Impaired Tennis Club

Five years ago, visually impaired (VI) tennis coach Wendy Glasper set up North East VI Tennis Club – incorporating sites in Jesmond, Sunderland and Stockton – and since then has worked tirelessly across the region to promote the sport to people who are blind or have sight impairment.

A qualified LTA level 2 coach, Wendy is also an accomplished player herself, finishing runner-up in her sight category at the National VI Championships at Roehampton in 2015. And she continues to inspire youngsters and adults to play the sport competitively or just for fun.

“It’s so rewarding giving back to a sport I love and see our players grow in confidence, gain new friendships and improve their mental wellbeing,” she says.

“One of our members is completely blind and has just won his first tennis competition in Newcastle. For me, knowing that our VI tennis sessions enabled him to achieve this is just brilliant.

“For anyone looking to volunteer, I would say just do it! If you are passionate about something, you will inspire others to help you and I’m so thankful for the people I work with for bringing VI tennis to more communities in the north east.”

Hingham Tennis Club, Norfolk

This really is a story of building facilities from the ground up. In November 2015 there were no useable tennis courts in Hingham, a small Norfolk market town of 1,000 houses. Fast-forward to October 2016 and Hingham has a thriving tennis club with 200 members.

How did this happen? Three volunteers – Emily Cary, Lindsey Read and Simon Underhill, none of whom had even been in a tennis club before – raised £91,000 from Sport England and local businesses to renovate the derelict courts next to an existing sports hall into two hard courts and a well-appointed clubhouse.

The club now delivers coach-led evenings of activities to the local youth club – free of charge – plus a weekly Cardio Tennis session, which the local slimming club attends.

“We went out to local fairs, shows and schools to understand if this was something people would be interested in,” explains Lindsey. “It was a great chance to explain to our community what we’d like to do and rally support for our plans.

“After a hard year of gathering evidence of need, impact and sustainability, we applied for funding from Sport England and got the maximum bid of £75,000. We then gathered funds from nine other local charities and trusts, plus a crowdfunding campaign and business sponsorship to go ahead with the project.

“It was a long and challenging process, but it’s fantastic to give something back to the community and for anyone thinking of volunteering, just do it – don’t underestimate what you’ll get out of it.”

John Heppell, Durham Archery Lawn Tennis Club

It’s fair to say 17-year-old John Heppell has grown up at Durham Archery LTC. He joined aged four and has been volunteering at the club for the last six years.

Now assistant coach on the club’s Junior Coaching Programme, he helps in junior coaching sessions (ages 4-16) on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings, year-round, whatever the weather.

Parents have been glowing in their assessment of John and his work with their children, with his infectious enthusiasm for the game translating into good retention rates for the club and real progress in his students’ aptitude for the game.

“John has always been very shy, and every school report mentions that he is very quiet,” says mum Christine. “Volunteering has helped him come out of his shell and be more confident.

“He has inspired our current generation of young members with his coaching skills and, as a result, we now have other young teenagers keen to assist in the club Junior Coaching Programme on a Saturday morning.”

Find out more about the British Tennis Awards and how you can volunteer for British Tennis here.

And for more on National Volunteers Week, go to volunteersweek.org/about or visit the NVCO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations) website, here.

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Rafael Nadal Celebrates 31st Birthday

  • Posted: Jun 03, 2017

Rafael Nadal Celebrates 31st Birthday

Jun032017

ATPWorldTour.com pays tribute to Rafael Nadal, who turns 31 on Saturday

Happy birthday, Rafa!

It’s been 15 years since Rafael Nadal’s first tour-level win, close to half a lifetime ago when his star began to burn bright. But now on his 31st birthday, once an indicator of the twilight of a player’s career, it is nothing more than a number. In the midst of a resurgent rise to the pinnacle of the sport, Nadal is proving that he still has the passion, desire and motivation to perform at the highest level.

The sublime Spaniard is celebrating his 31st birthday in familiar fashion on Saturday after advancing to the fourth round at Roland Garros for the 12th time in 13 years. As the clock struck midnight, Nadal added another impressive achievement to his glittering, legendary resume. The World No. 4 has become just the 12th player aged 31 & over to feature in the Top 5 of the Emirates ATP Rankings, since its inception on 23 August 1973. Moreover, he joins Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, Stan Wawrinka and David Ferrer as the only players to achieve the feat in the past 20 years.

Top 5 At Age 31 & Over

Player Career-High Year Reached Top 5 At 31 & Over
Rafael Nadal No. 1 2017
Stan Wawrinka No. 3 2016
David Ferrer No. 3 2013
Roger Federer No. 1 2012
Andre Agassi No. 1 2001
Ivan Lendl No. 1 1991
John McEnroe  No. 1  1990 
Jimmy Connors  No. 1  1983 
Arthur Ashe No. 2 1975
John Newcombe No. 1 1975
Ken Rosewall  No. 2 1974 
Rod Laver  No. 3 1973

One of the greatest players to ever step on a tennis court, Nadal’s tenacity and unrelenting ambition are rivaled only by his humility and selfless approach to the game, win or lose. One of its most fervent ambassadors and a pillar of the ATP community, he holds himself to the highest standard and aims to promote and grow the sport through the recently opened Rafa Nadal Academy in his hometown of Manacor.

The ability to sustain an elite level of play, with the professional landscape constantly changing, is the biggest test of any professional tennis player’s longevity. Nadal is proving to have all the answers. The leader in the Emirates ATP Race To London entering the month of June, he has stormed through the competition with the help of Carlos Moya, a relatively new addition to his stellar team. Final appearances at the Australian Open and Miami Open presented by Itau were followed by a ruthless run at his clay-court playgrounds of Monte-Carlo, Barcelona and Madrid. With an unwavering passion and commitment to his craft in the face of adversity, the Spaniard is refusing to back down in 2017, streaking to a tour-leading 36 match wins, buoyed by seven Top 10 victories.

Nadal has filled the past 15 years with immeasurable pulsating moments, since first crashing onto the scene as an audacious teenager with boundless energy and charisma. Even despite multiple physical ailments and injuries, he remains the same champion today and continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible on the court. Where many would consider a career with 10 ATP World Tour titles a great achievement, Nadal’s decade of victories in both Monte-Carlo and Barcelona are two of the most astonishing feats in history. His legacy on clay may very well stand the test of time.

Moet and Chandon off-court news 

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