How does it feel to be standing with the trophy as a first-time winner? Are you a little surprised it came on hard court?

This is amazing. This is an incredible feeling. To win my first ATP World Tour title and then playing against Bautista [Agut], a top player, is really tough. It was a really tough match. But it’s amazing. I fought all the time, all week. I think I’m very, very, very, very happy.

Was this something you dreamed about growing up and playing as a junior, to win an ATP World Tour title?

Yeah. To win my first ATP World Tour title is a dream because you can play finals and I played two this year. But when you continue working and you continue fighting all the time and finally the result arrives, for me, it’s really, really good.

What was your approach going into your third final of the season? You were in previous two finals – Sao Paulo, Estoril – both on clay. Did you have a different mindset going into today?

No. This was on hard court. Maybe it was the most difficult of the other two finals. No, you have to try to do your best and I tried. And when you are playing good, like this week, I think I was playing very good. I was serving really well. You never know when you’ll win the final.

You defeated the No. 2 seed Roberto Bautista Agut and the No. 3 seed Pablo Cuevas along the way. What did you do well this week to put all of those good results together?

I think I’m being more aggressive with my game. It’s really important to be aggressive with your serve and then with your return and when you are playing the rallies, you need to be able to be [more aggressive] because if you’re not aggressive, the opponent has the key to win the matches.

Now that you’ve won your first ATP World Tour title, what are the goals you have for the rest of the season?

This is amazing but we have to continue this way. This is a good way and I’m looking to continue like this – working hard and with confidence. I’m playing good, with confidence. And this week, in two days I will play at the US Open in New York so I have to continue focusing on trying to do my best all the time. Then we’ll have three months more of this year, we’ll try to do our best.

You’re the seventh different Spanish winner this year. The youngest of 11 Spaniards in the Top 100. How do view the state of Spanish tennis?

I think the Spanish players are making something great. It’s not easy to make a lot of champions like we are and win tournaments. Nadal, Ferrer, now Bautista [Agut] is a top player… All the Spanish players can win a tournament.

You’ve had a lot of support in your development throughout your career. Who are the people who allowed you to get to this level and you’d like to thank?

I have to say thank you to all the people who helped me to arrive here. It’s not just my team… All the people who worked with me, who supported me, all my family, of course. All the people who support me all the time, when I win, when I lose. And I think I have to say thank you to everybody because without their support, this is not easy and I think it’s impossible.

What do you consider the strength and the best part of your game?

My serve, because I’m serving really good. I’m serving better but I think it’s not enough. I can do it better. And then I have to continue being aggressive. … In this tournament I played a little bit better than the rest of the year. But the rest of the year, it was really good also. So I need to continue this way.

Is there a player you grew up admiring?

Yeah, I watched the matches of [Juan Carlos] Ferrero. Of course he was my hero, and now I practise at his academy. Imagine for me, it’s really special. This moment is really special.

What do you like to do away from tennis?

I don’t have time now, unfortunately. We go now to New York. Tomorrow I will practice again… I play on Tuesday.

Pablo Carreno Busta overcame countryman Roberto Bautista Agut 6-7(6), 7-6(1), 6-4 to win his first ATP World Tour singles title on Saturday at the Winston-Salem Open.

The 25 year old, who was playing in the third singles final of his career, had been unable to clinch his maiden title earlier this season on both the clay of Estoril and Sao Paulo. But on the hard courts in Winston-Salem, the Barcelona resident rallied after losing the first set to hoist his first championship trophy after two hours and 33 minutes on court.

“It’s an amazing feeling. I worked very hard to be here and now I have to enjoy this moment,” Carreno Busta said. “To [beat] Roberto you have to fight because he’s a really tough player. He’s a Spanish player like me. It’s not easy to play against another Spanish player.”

Carreno Busta, seeded 16^th, is the sixth first-time winner on the ATP World Tour this season. Players trying to win their first title are now 6-11 this year.

2016 First-Time ATP World Tour Winners

Second seed Bautista Agut was trying to win his third title of the season (Sofia, Auckland). The World No. 17 was up a break in the second set but Carreno Busta was able to break right back to get to 3-all. Bautista Agut struggled in the second-set tie-break, hitting two double faults and all of a sudden the match was tied.

“I had many chances to get closer to the win today but I didn’t [take] the chances,” Bautista Agut said. “I didn’t play well when I was set and break up. Tennis is like this, no? When you have the chance and you don’t [take] it, then you lose.”

In the third, Carreno Busta relentlessly attacked his countryman’s backhand, not letting Bautista Agut run around his backhand to smack a forehand. The strategy worked as Carreno Busta broke at 3-2 and didn’t face a break point in the third set. He struck an ace on his first match point.

Carreno Busta will receive 250 Emirates ATP Rankings points and $85,625. Bautista Agut will receive 150 Emirates ATP Rankings points and $48,750.

Bautista Agut said he still felt good about the week in Winston-Salem. He accepted a late wild card into the tournament.

“I came here to play some matches,” he said. “So it was a positive week for me.”

Guillermo Garcia-Lopez and Henri Kontinen overcame seemingly insurmountable odds to deny one of the ATP World Tour’s all-time greats and take the Winston-Salem Open doubles title 4-6, 7-6(6), 10-8 on Saturday.

After losing the first set, Garcia-Lopez and Kontinen fell behind 1/6 in the second-set tie-break, giving Indian Leander Paes and German Andre Begemann five match points, including three on their serve.

But the Spaniard and Finn reeled off seven consecutive points to take the second set and even the match. In the Match Tie-break, the first-time pairing stayed hot to claim their first ATP World Tour team doubles title.

“We just clutched up and found big serves on big points,” Kontinen said. “It’s a lot of luck involved in a comeback like that… We kept believing and somehow found a way.”

Kontinen had won three titles already this season but all with Aussie John Peers (Brisbane, Munich, Hamburg). He paired with Garcia-Lopez by circumstance. Peers wanted to take the week off but Kontinen wanted to play. Garcia-Lopez and his planned partner, Pablo Carreno Busta, had pulled out of the Winston-Salem Open doubles.

“I personally decided to play last minute,” Kontinen said. “[Garcia-Lopez] was looking.”

The win marks Kontinen’s 10^th career ATP World Tour doubles title. Garcia-Lopez hadn’t played in a doubles final since 2014 but celebrates his third career doubles crown. The champions will receive 250 Emirates ATP Doubles Ranking Points and split $35,150.

Read More: Kontinen/Peers Clinch Munich Doubles Title

“Doubles, everything is close. And then we won the tie-break I think our energy went up, that’s why we won,” Garcia-Lopez said.

Paes, 43, was trying to win his 56^th overall ATP World Tour title and make it 20 years in a row with at least one tour-level doubles crown. Begemann was going for his first title of the season and the fifth of his career. They’ll receive 150 Emirates ATP Doubles Rankings points and split $18,470.

1. The US Open Will Remain An Outdoor Tennis Tournament

The roof, which can close in about seven minutes, will still only be used when necessary, such as when it rains or when inclement weather is a “strong probability”.

2. One Person Has The Final Say About Closing The Roof

In his 25^th year as tournament referee, Brian Earley will have a new role: Deciding when to close the roof. “His decision is final,” according to the USTA, which runs and owns the US Open.

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3. What Happens When A Decision Is Made?

1. Earley notifies the “roof control booth”.

2. The stadium shutters surrounding the upper bowl get closed.

3. The air management system is activated.

4. All doors leading from the concourse areas to the Club and Promenade levels will be closed.

4. If The Roof Closes During A Match…

In general, if the roof closes during a match, the roof will stay closed until the match is finished.

5. Will The Roof Stay Closed All Day Then?

That’s up to the tournament referee, Earley.

6. Half and Half?

Nope. The roof will be either fully open or fully closed.

7. Will Fans Get To Use The Roof For Sun Protection?

No, although that would be quite the umbrella. Per the USTA, “The roof will be used only for inclement weather or the strong probability of inclement weather”.

Source: USTA

Day 4 of US Open Qualifying on Friday saw American brothers Christian Harrison and Ryan Harrison take very different paths into the US Open main draw, while #NextGen players Karen Khachanov of Russia and Jared Donaldson of the U.S. also moved into the final Grand Slam of the year.

Christian rallied from a set down on Court 17 to defeat Steven Diez and qualify for his first Grand Slam main draw, 1-6, 6-4, 6-2. The 22 year old, currently ranked No. 688 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, saved two match points in his first-round win over Luke Saville. Christian had never won a round in Grand Slam singles qualifying prior to this week.

More: Sweet Success For Harrison In New York

Older brother Ryan made it through qualifying in far less dramatic fashion, not dropping a set and scoring a convincing final-round qualifying win over Henri Laaksonen of Switzerland, 6-3, 6-2. The 24 year old is making his seventh consecutive appearance in the US Open main draw.

No. 14 seed Donaldson didn’t face a break point in his final-round qualifying match against Santiago Giraldo, needing just 61 minutes to advance into his third US Open main draw, 6-2, 6-2.

“I’m really happy to be in my third US Open. At least for the Americans, this is the biggest event of the year. Hopefully I can have a lot of success in the main draw,” said Donaldson. “It’s a grind to get through qualifying because everyone wants to make it into the main draw of a Grand Slam. It’s not easy and I had never done it before until today, so it’s a great accomplishment for me.”

Khachanov weathered a mid-match surge from fellow #NextGen star Noah Rubin and a crowd that was very much behind the New York native. The Russian was unable to serve out the match at 5-3 in the third set, but broke Rubin in the next game to qualify for his first Grand Slam main draw, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.

Tecnifibre player Marton Fucsovics of Hungary qualified for his first Grand Slam main draw by defeating Lorenzo Giustino of Italy, 7-6(2), 6-1. The 24 year old has seen his Emirates ATP Ranking improve by nearly 60 spots this season.

Several other players also prevailed on Friday to qualify for their first Grand Slam main draw: No. 26 seed Saketh Myneni of India, Guilherme Clezar of Brazil, Jan Satral of the Czech Republic and Ilya Ivashka of Belarus.

Roberto Bautista Agut won a roller-coaster match on Friday to move into the Winston-Salem Open final, his first on American soil. The No. 2 seeded Spaniard was a game away from an easy victory, but surrendered a 5-0 second-set lead against Serbia’s Viktor Troicki before finally prevailing 7-5, 6-7(2), 6-2 in over two hours. Bautista Agut improved to 3-0 in semi-final appearances this year and will look to claim his third ATP World Tour title in 2016, after winning in Auckland (d. Sock) and in Sofia (d. Troicki).

“I was a bit tight when trying to close out the match. It’s a normal thing, though. Everyone is a bit nervous when trying to win the match,” Bautista Agut said. “I was very disappointed to lose the second set after leading 5-0. But the good thing is that I was able to recover and set aside the bad feelings in the third set. I work hard on the mental side of my game and I think it is one of my strengths.

“The conditions were quite difficult as well. It was maybe one of the hottest days I’ve played a match on this year. We were both tired, something we often need to overcome in a three-set match.”

The hot weather and fast-playing hard courts suited Bautista Agut’s flat groundstrokes. From the first game, the 28 year old looked to attack Troicki’s forehand wing with pace and depth. He secured the lone break of the opening set in the 12th game with back-to-back forehand winners, then raced to a 5-0 lead in the second set. With his back against the wall, Troicki unleashed a barrage of unplayable groundstrokes. The Serbian swept the next five games before evening the contest in a one-sided tie-break.

In the deciding set, a calm and collected Bautista Agut rediscovered his rhythm. The Spaniard only dropped four points on serve and broke Troicki twice to secure his 38th win of the year (27-8 on hard courts).

“We were both struggling with the heat. He definitely started playing better in the third set. He came out with some good shots and I was flat,” Troicki said. “I’m disappointed in the loss but still proud of how I fought.”

“I’ve already played four great matches, so I am happy to be in another final. Happy as well that I took a wild card,” said Bautista Agut, who was a late addition to the tournament.

On Saturday, the No. 17 player in the Emirates ATP Rankings will attempt to join Novak Djokovic (7), Andy Murray (4), Dominic Thiem (4) and Stan Wawrinka (3) as the only players with three or more ATP World Tour titles in 2016. His final opponent will be fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta. It is the third all-Spanish final of the year and the first in the U.S. since Fernando Verdasco beat Nicolas Almagro in Houston in 2014.

Carreno Busta bested first-time ATP World Tour semi-finalist John Millman 6-4, 7-6(5) in a match featuring relentless returning from both players. The Spaniard, who has yet to drop a set this week, broke serve four times and closed out the win in one hour and 45 minutes.

“It was a tough match. I started well with a break of serve and served out the first set,” Carreno Busta said. “In the second set, I made a few mistakes with my forehand and Millman started to play better. The key for me was to keep fighting all the time. I was down 5-3 but then was able to come back and win in the tie-break.”

The 25 year old sets a career best with his 29th win of the season and is a victory away from his maiden ATP World Tour title. He is into his third final of 2016, having lost to Pablo Cuevas in Sao Paulo and to Almagro in Estoril.

Doubles Final Set

Guillermo Garcia-Lopez and Henri Kontinen downed second seeds Mate Pavic and Michael Venus 7-6(5), 6-3 to reach the doubles final. Garcia-Lopez/Kontinen saved four break points and broke serve three times in the 77-minute win.

Their final opponents will be wild cards Andre Begemann and Leander Paes, who overcame a slow start to win 1-6, 7-6(5), 10/4 against third seeds Robert Lindstedt and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi. Unusually, Lindstedt/Qureshi lost despite not facing break point during the match. 

Rafael Nadal shared some unfortunate but true news on Friday at the US Open.

“The Big Four,” he said, “are getting older.”

At 30, 29, 29, and 35, respectively, Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Roger Federer are getting older. But they, including Nadal, still have found ways to dominate the game’s biggest tournaments, including ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events and Grand Slam championships.

Since 2010, the Big Four have won 54 of the 59 Masters 1000 crowns and 24 of the 27 Grand Slam championships. In New York, Nadal said he feels ready to do his part to add another Grand Slam championship to the Big Four’s collective resume.

“It’s obvious that we will not be here forever. It’s true that Andy and Novak today are creating distance from the rest,” Nadal said. “Let’s see. I am excited about this part of the season.”

The final stop on the U.S. hard-court swing has traditionally been favourable to Nadal, the fourth seed in New York this year. The two-time US Open champion (2010, 2013) also finished as a finalist in 2011 and reached the last four in 2008 and 2009. “I’m very excited to play here,” Nadal said.

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The tournament will mark his first Grand Slam championship and only third overall tournament since withdrawing from Roland Garros on 27 May because of a left wrist injury. The 30 year old was set to challenge for his 10^th title in Paris before missing his third-round match and the next two and a half months.

“I had been playing great before the injury,” said Nadal, who won Monte-Carlo and Barcelona on clay before Roland Garros. “I have been playing at a very high level…. I think I am practising well.”

Read More: Nadal: ‘I Need To Keep Competing’

The left-hander returned to the ATP World Tour earlier this month at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, where he beat World No. 19 Pablos Cuevas in straight sets before falling to #NextGen star Borna Coric in the third round.

“I am better. I am a little bit better. It’s obvious that when you have been [out] two months and a half you need a little bit of time,” Nadal said of his wrist. “It’s true that the wrist bothers me a little bit less every day.”

He will open his 12^th US Open against Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin, who reached the fourth round in New York in 2012 but is 7-20 this season.

Big changes in the beginning of 2016 summoned a big season for Andy Murray so far, one that puts him in a position to become just the fourth player in the Open Era – Rod Laver (‘69’), Roger Federer (’06-’07, ’09) and Novak Djokovic (’15) – to reach all four major finals in the same year. 

Also, should Murray hoist the US Open trophy in two weeks’ time, the second seed and 2012 champion will move to first place in the Emirates ATP Race to London, unless Djokovic is the man he beats in the final.

“I had, after the Australian Open, quite a big change in my life,” said Murray, whose daughter, Sophia Olivia, was born 7 February. “Becoming a father for the first time – [that’s] the best thing that’s ever happened to me.

“Tennis isn’t the most important thing in my life anymore. Probably when I was younger and didn’t have a family, then it was the most important thing. I think having that different perspective helps a lot. Maybe [I’m] not putting so much pressure on myself and before a match I’m not stressing as much as I used to.”

Murray’s fresh perspective seems to be working in his favour. The Dunblane native started the year strongly with a runner-up showing in Melbourne and maintained his momentum. Murray’s 2016 record is 50-7 and he’s added four more trophies to his cabinet, including titles at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 in Rome, Queen’s Club, Wimbledon and a gold medal in Rio.

“I would imagine if I’m lucky I’d be playing at this level for three, four more years, max,” Murray, age 29, laughed, “I hope I’m still playing like this when I’m 38 years old.”

Coming off a final showing at the Masters 1000 in Cincinnati (l. to Cilic), Murray looks to put last year’s US Open result (l. to Anderson in the fourth round) far behind him. In the same half as Stan Wawrinka, the Scot opens his campaign this year against Czech Lukas Rosol, who he’s met twice before (Murray leads their FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry 2-0).

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