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Aegon Classic: Johanna Konta and Heather Watson out

  • Posted: Jun 17, 2016

British number one Johanna Konta and number two Heather Watson were both knocked out in the second round of the Aegon Classic in Birmingham.

World number 19 Konta, 25, lost 6-3 6-3 to Belgium’s Yanina Wickmayer, who is 30 places below her in the rankings.

Watson, 24, ranked 55th, lost 7-5 6-4 against Czech Barbora Strycova, who has been as high as number 12 in the world but is currently 30th.

Fellow Britons Naomi Broady and Tara Moore were beaten in the first round.

“I’ve played four very good matches, so I’m really happy with the amount of time I’ve been able to get on the grass,” said Konta.

“However, I need to get used to players coming out and playing at a better level against me and that’s inevitable as I climb the rankings.”

Watson felt that Strycova handled the distractions of playing on a small court better than she did.

“On the court we were on, I was getting distracted and I don’t think my focus was there today,” she said.

“I feel like I’m striking the ball really well, there are just a few tweaks that I need to make going into Wimbledon. I’m feeling very optimistic, even though I lost.”

The next grass event starts at Eastbourne on Sunday, before Wimbledon begins on 27 June.

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Nadal On "Right Track", Targets Toronto Return

  • Posted: Jun 17, 2016

Nadal On "Right Track", Targets Toronto Return

Nadal to start on-court training in two weeks

Rafael Nadal is expected to return to ATP World Tour action at the Rogers Cup in Toronto next month, according to a progress report given by coach Toni Nadal on Thursday in Mallorca.

“Rafa is doing well,” he said. “The Federation doctor has said that everything is progressing as it should, in the time frame we expected. Now he has to start strengthening his wrist and his arm a little bit, and in two weeks we will start training step by step, working a little bit harder each day. The doctor said everything is on the right track.”

The 30-year-old Spaniard has been sidelined with a left-wrist injury, which forced him to withdraw from Roland Garros prior to his third-round match. Nadal announced last week that he would also miss Wimbledon.

“The plan is to play Toronto if everything goes well,” said Toni Nadal.

Nadal has a 29-8 record this season, highlighted by titles at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters and Barcelona Open BancSabadell. 

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Murray Makes Peugeot VR Experience A Reality

  • Posted: Jun 17, 2016

Murray Makes Peugeot VR Experience A Reality

The top-ranked doubles star surprises London fans

Peugeot has been offering tennis fans at The Queen’s Club in London the unique opportunity to test out a virtual reality experience with Jamie Murray appearing in their glasses as they sit in a car at the Aegon Championships.

Even more unique – when Jamie Murray hops into the car with you!

The World No. 1 doubles star and Peugeot ambassador surprised a fan as she was trying out the cool experience on Wednesday.

“I just turned up and the lady was going through the virtual reality experience,” said Murray. “She had no idea I was there!”

Murray also signed autographs for young fans and posed for photos at the Peugeot car display.

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Peya/Kubot Survive In Halle

  • Posted: Jun 17, 2016

Peya/Kubot Survive In Halle

Second seeds erase match point in win

Lukasz Kubot and Alexander Peya made a great escape against Brian Baker and Denis Istomin in the Gerry Weber Open quarter-finals on Thursday. The second seeds faced match point at 8/9 in the Match Tie-break, but swept the next three points to prevail 6-2, 2-6, 11/9 in 67 minutes.

In the semi-finals, Kubot/Peya will face fourth seeds Henri Kontinen and John Peers, who beat Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah 6-3, 7-6(1). Kontinen/Peers fired seven aces, won 82 per cent of first serve points and dropped serve just once.

You May Also Like: Federer To Play Goffin In Halle QFs

Third seeds Raven Klaasen and Rajeev Ram topped wild cards Alexander Zverev and Mischa Zverev 6-4, 6-2. The Zverev brothers fought off five break points, but dropped serve three times to succumb in 56 minutes.

Rain Halts Doubles Play At Queen’s

Inclement weather forced the postponement of all four doubles matches scheduled at the Aegon Championships on Thursday. Third seeds Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau were up 6-2, 2-1 against Jonathan Erlich and Colin Fleming when play was suspended.

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Fognini Weds Pennetta In Italy

  • Posted: Jun 17, 2016

Fognini Weds Pennetta In Italy

Italian marries in star-studded ceremony

Fabio Fognini wed former WTA player Flavia Pennetta on 11 June 2016 in Ostuni, Italy.

Among the guests were Boris Becker, Fognini’s compatriot Simone Bolelli, as well as WTA stars Sara Errani, Roberta Vinci and Francesca Schiavone.

Fognini’s sister, Fulvia, tweeted this photo after the nuptials:

Moet and Chandon off-court news 

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Isner Sets Queen's Club Aces Record, Muller Saves 10 M.P.

  • Posted: Jun 16, 2016

Isner Sets Queen's Club Aces Record, Muller Saves 10 M.P.

Isner & Muller’s ace-fest, by the numbers

John Isner fired a Queen’s Club record 43 aces in a 3-6, 7-6(16), 7-6(7) loss to Gilles Muller in their second-round match Thursday at the Aegon Championships. Muller held the previous main draw record, hitting 37 last year in a three-set, first-round win over Mikhail Youzhny.

The 43 aces was the second-most in a best-of-three sets match since the ATP began keeping match statistics in 1991. Last year in the Halle quarter-finals, Ivo Karlovic hit 45 aces in a three-sets win over Tomas Berdych.

Isner and Muller’s combined 69 aces during the match was the most in an ATP World Tour best-of-three match (since 1991). The previous most was 65 aces last year in the Queen’s Club second round with Isner (36) and Feliciano Lopez (29).

Muller, a finalist last week at the Ricoh Open in ‘s-Hertogenbosch (l. to Mahut), saved 10 match points – six in the second set, four in the third set. Isner had two match points on his serve at 13-12 in the second set tie-break and at 6-5 in third set TB.

The 10 match points saved was the most on the ATP World Tour since 2004, when Rainer Schuettler fought off the same number in a 3-6, 7-6(13), 6-0 win over Andreas Seppi in the Kitzbuhel second round.

The 18-16 tie-break was the longest at the Queen’s Club since the semi-finals in 1997 when Goran Ivanisevic defeated Greg Rusedski 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(18). It was the longest tie-break on the ATP World Tour this season. There was an 18-16 tie-break in a Davis Cup tie in March, when Mirza Basic came back to defeat Malek Jaziri 5-7, 4-6, 7-6(6), 7-6(16), 6-4.

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Andy Murray & Kyle Edmund set for all-British quarter-final at Queen's Club

  • Posted: Jun 16, 2016
Aegon Championships
Venue: Queen’s Club, London Dates: 13-19 June
Coverage: Live on BBC Two, BBC Radio, Red Button, Connected TVs and BBC Sport website. Click for more details

Andy Murray will face a second British opponent in as many days when he plays Kyle Edmund at Queen’s Club on Friday.

Top seed Murray will take on world number 85 Edmund in the Aegon Championships quarter-finals at around 13:30 BST.

“He’s got a big game, he’s a strong guy and his mind is focused on tennis,” said Murray. “That goes a long way.”

Rain interruptions are expected in west London, after Thursday’s play finished early because of the weather.

Murray beat British number two Aljaz Bedene on Thursday, and will face the British number three next.

Edmund, 21, has spent lots of time with Murray in recent years, joining the former Wimbledon champion for training blocks and staying at his Miami apartment.

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“It’s very fortunate for me that he’s allowed me to come into his environment and share stuff with his team, stay with him,” said the Englishman.

“It’s good that he’s opened up to me and let me learn from him. It’s definitely helped me get better, that’s for sure.

“He’s been the biggest inspiration, I think, for players my age. That’s the guy who we have looked up to.”

Murray, who is trying to win a record fifth title at Queen’s Club, does not expect to be fazed by playing someone he knows well and has been impressed by.

“I think he’s very professional, he loves tennis, he’s very focused on his career, so that’s very positive,” Murray, 29, said of Edmund.

“Most guys are playing their best when they get to their mid-to-late 20s now.

“There’s no reason why he can’t get himself up into the top 20, top 30 in the world, and from there you never know.”

In the same half of the draw, Croatia’s Marin Cilic, the 2012 champion, will play on centre court against American Steve Johnson for a place in the semi-finals.

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Murray Rolls On; Muller Survives 10 Match Points

  • Posted: Jun 16, 2016

Murray Rolls On; Muller Survives 10 Match Points

Top seed downs fellow Brit

Four-time champion Andy Murray booked his spot in the Aegon Championships quarter-finals on Thursday by beating Aljaz Bedene 6-3, 6-4 in 84 minutes. It was the 18th all-British match contested at The Queen’s Club since 1977. Murray is now 27-5 lifetime at the ATP World Tour 500 tournament.

Murray will next play Kyle Edmund, who reached his second ATP World Tour quarter-final without hitting a ball when his opponent, Paul-Henri Mathieu, withdrew prior to their match due to a wrist injury. Edmund, who is part of the ATP’s Next Generation, also reached the last eight at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open (l. to Berdych) in January.

Gilles Muller saved 10 match points to beat seventh seed John Isner 6-3, 6-7(16), 7-6(7), in a match often contested in light drizzle, over two hours and 25 minutes. Isner struck 43 aces, won 86 per cent of his first service points and saved all five break points he faced. Muller hit 26 aces, winning 79 per cent of his first serves.

The second-set tie-break featured the longest singles main draw tie-break at The Queen’s Club since Goran Ivanisevic beat Greg Rusedski 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(18) in the 1997 semi-finals. The longest tie-break since 1997 had been James Ward beating Adrian Mannarino 6-2, 6-7(14), 6-4 in the 2011 quarter-finals.

Rain delayed the start of play on outside courts at The Queen’s Club by 30 minutes. Murray began his match against Bedene 70 minutes later than scheduled.

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Aegon Classic: Johanna Konta beats Misaki Doi in Birmingham

  • Posted: Jun 16, 2016

British number one Johanna Konta beat Japan’s Misaki Doi in straight sets to reach the second round of the Aegon Classic in Birmingham.

Konta won 7-6 (7-3) 6-1 and could play her second-round match with Belgian Yanina Wickmayer later on Thursday.

World number 49 Wickmayer beat former world number one Caroline Wozniacki 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 6-2 earlier in the day.

Konta, 25, is due back on centre court after fellow Briton Heather Watson’s match with Czech Barbora Strycova.

Two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova went out to Latvian Jelena Ostapenko 6-4 4-6 6-3.

Czech fifth seed Kvitova, 26, is the world number 11 but was beaten by a player ranked 27 places below her.

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