Thiem Rifles Backhand Hot Shot At Rome 2017
Thiem Rifles Backhand Hot Shot At Rome 2017
May192017
Seven-time champion Rafael Nadal is out of the Italian Open after a straight-set defeat by Dominic Thiem in the quarter-finals in Rome.
The 30-year-old Spaniard was previously unbeaten on clay this year, having won 17 straight matches.
That run included victories over Austria’s Thiem, 23, in the Barcelona Open and Madrid Open finals.
Yet Thiem dominated this encounter, frequently forcing Nadal behind the baseline to set up a 6-4 6-3 win.
He will face either world number two Novak Djokovic or Juan Martin del Potro in the semi-finals.
Elsewhere, American John Isner beat Croatia’s Marin Cilic 7-6 (7-3) 2-6 7-6 (7-2) and will meet Alexander Zverev in the last four, after the 20-year-old German saw off Canada’s Milos Raonic 7-6 (7-4) 6-1.
After triumphs in Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Madrid, Nadal was looking to win his fourth straight title on clay this year before the French Open, which starts on 28 May.
However, Thiem could now prove to be a major obstacle as Nadal aims to win a 10th title at Roland Garros.
The Austrian raced into a 5-1 lead with a double break and held his nerve to serve out the first set after Nadal had broken back to make it 5-4.
He continued to thrive by playing closer to the baseline than in recent defeats by Nadal, breaking in the seventh game of the second set.
Thiem then saved break points to hold, before breaking Nadal again to claim only his second win in six meetings with the 14-time Grand Slam champion.
Romania’s Simona Halep reached her third straight clay semi-final as she won 6-2 6-4 against Estonia qualifier Anett Kontaveit, who knocked out world number one Angelique Kerber in round two.
Halep, 25, will play Kiki Bertens in the last four after the Dutchwoman beat unseeded Australian Daria Gavrilova 6-3 6-3.
In the other half of the draw, eighth seed Elina Svitolina upset second seed Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic with a 6-2 7-6 (11-9) victory.
The Ukrainian will face either Venus Williams or Garbine Muguruza, who play their last eight tie later on Friday.
Maria Sharapova will enter Wimbledon qualifying rather than request a main-draw wildcard as she continues her comeback from a 15-month drug ban.
The 30-year-old Russian was denied a wildcard for the French Open, with tournament officials saying her doping suspension counted against her.
Sharapova will have to win through three qualifying rounds to earn a spot in Wimbledon’s 128-strong main draw.
Qualifying in Roehampton will be ticketed for the first time this year.
“Because of my improved ranking after the first three tournaments of my return, I will also be playing the qualifying of Wimbledon in Roehampton, and will not be requesting a wild card into the main draw,” said Sharapova in a statement on her website.
Sharapova is ranked 211th in the world – below the status needed for direct entry into the main draw – but her recent form is good enough to earn a place in qualifying.
Had she reached the Italian Open semi-finals last week, Sharapova would have climbed high enough to make the main draw automatically, but she retired in her second-round match.
If she had applied for a wildcard it would have been reviewed by a Wimbledon committee with a decision to be announced on 20 June.
Wildcards are “usually offered on the basis of past performance at Wimbledon or to increase British interest”.
The Women’s Tennis Association criticised the basis for the French Open’s decision, saying that there are “no ground to penalise any player beyond the sanctions set forth in the final decisions resolving these matters”.
Sharapova herself tweeted in apparent response to Roland Garros’ decision.
“If this is what it takes to rise up again, then I am in it all the way, everyday,” she wrote.
“No words, games, or actions will ever stop me reaching my own dreams.”
However former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash was one of several prominent figures urging the All England Club not offer the 2004 champion a route straight back into the main draw.
Tickets to Wimbledon qualifying will be £5 each with all funds going to the Wimbledon Foundation.
All eyes will be on the potential 51st meeting between he and Rafael Nadal in the semi finals of Rome but first Novak Djokovic …
A 45 minute drive north of Stuttgart into the sprawling German countryside will lead you to the TC Heilbronn am Trappensee, a tennis club founded in 1892. Over a century has passed but the 600-member club is heaped in tradition in the tranquil rural surroundings.
This week, the site hosts the €64,000 ATP Challenger Tour event called the Neckarcup, which in 2017 is celebrating a fourth edition. It is not only the scenery that makes the Neckarcup such a special event. The tournament is determined to keep evolving and boasts an indoor tennis centre as well as floodlit courts to enable the introduction of night matches.
Casper Ruud, into the quarter-finals so far this week, hopes to follow in the footsteps of fellow #NextGenATP player Alexander Zverev, champion here in 2015, and he’s been highly impressed by the tournament’s complex. “The tournament is really nice, with a great organisation,” said Ruud. “It’s not the biggest city here (Helibronn), but that’s not a bad thing as the club is great and you can focus more on the tournament. I think German clubs are in general very good and they always have good courts and decent food at the site. The weather has been great here too, so not much to complain about.”
Tournament Director Metehan Cebeci is proud of what has been achieved thus far in four years, but he is hungry to see the Neckarcup evolve and grow. Here are Cebeci’s thoughts on the development of his tournament and the ATP Challenger Tour as a whole…
What has changed since the opening of the Neckarcup in 2014 and how has the tournament evolved?
I am very happy with the development of my tournament. Of course, it has been a lot of work, but the Neckarcup did not come about from a night of work. I have had time to plan the tournament. I have benefited from my experience in ITF youth tournaments. From the beginning, it was my ambition to give the professionals the greatest possible comfort. Secondly, I have looked at the interests of the ATP, the spectators in the stands, and finally, my requirements as Tournament Director. For example, new to this year, we will play night sessions for the first time thanks to a floodlight system.
How did you manage to organise a Challenger in Heilbronn?
As a former player and later a school tennis coach, it has always been my goal to create a tournament of this magnitude. It was important for me to find a suitable date for this. Since Germany is predominantly a clay place, I definitely wanted to organise an event on the dirt, ideally before the French Open. Fortunately, that worked.
What are your thoughts on the growth of Challenger events in Germany?
The attention has grown, but it could be even better. Of course, it is also down to the tournament organisers, as they promote their tournament. For the ATP, the importance of the Challenger Tour has increased. This means that the gap between the Challengers and the ATP World Tour is not as big as it was before. There are great players here who can compete with the best.
What are your goals for this event?
We want to continue to grow. I would like to expand the Challenger category and expand the Neckarcup to an €85,000 or €100,000 event. We need financial support in the long term. Until now I am doing everything I can and I really want this tournament to succeed, no matter how much effort and stress. The smile of the players and the joy I see at the end of the day compensates me for everything.
Are there other tournaments that you have learned from?
The tournament directors of the ATP Challenger Tour events in Germany have a strong exchange amongst ourselves. We visit our events and meet at least once a year. I also look at how others raise their tournaments.