After a disappointing 2015 season due to injury, Andrey Golubev is back to full speed and ready to make a run back up the Emirates ATP Rankings.

The 28-year-old from Kazakhstan started out this year in dominant form, reaching the final of the ATP Challenger Tour event this February in Launceston, Australia, before prevailing the following month in Jonkoping, Sweden. Golubev even saved four championship points in the final against #NextGen star Karen Khachanov.

This week, Golubev is looking to make his sixth appearance in the main draw of Roland Garros. He opened up his qualifying campaign on Monday with a win over No. 16 seed Jozef Kovalik, then followed that up with another straight sets win on Wednesday over wild card Alexandre Sidorenko. He credited his improved form this year with the way he prepared during the off-season and sticking to his strengths in terms of scheduling.

“I played in outdoor and indoor hard courts for the first part of the year, which are surfaces that I like and prefer,” said Golubev. “I also put myself in the right mental state for this part of the season.”

Although Golubev has spent plenty of the years competing exclusively on the ATP World Tour, he said that he’s enjoyed many of the ATP Challenger Tour events he’s played in. He had particularly kind things to say about last month’s $50,000 event in Turin, Italy 

“The organization was very good and the courts and stadium were perfect,” said Golubev. “The club is very nice and good for all the players, but it’s somewhat to be expected since Turin is an Olympic city.”

Golubev’s immediate goal is to qualify for Roland Garros, but he’s also hoping to put together consistent results throughout the season so he can eventually re-enter the Top 50 of the Emirates ATP Rankings, with his career-high ranking of No. 33 coming in October 2010. After frustrating periods of injuries, he believes he can finally get back there now that he’s healthy.

“That’s what I’m working for,” he said. “Many things have changed, especially with my physical condition. Now that I’m well, I have good feelings about this year.”

With the halfway point of the 2016 ATP World Tour season quickly approaching, the ATP Race To London is showing that that this year’s Barclays ATP World Tour Finals could be set to welcome multiple new faces.

Currently inside the Top 8 of the ATP Race to London are Dominic Thiem (No. 6), Gael Monfils (No. 7) and David Goffin (No. 8), while Roberto Bautista Agut (No. 10) and Nick Kyrgios (No. 11) have also put themselves in contention to become potential first-timers with their strong starts to the year. All five players have either won at least one ATP World Tour title this season or produced inspired runs at the biggest tournaments of the year.

Thiem has won two ATP World Tour titles so far this season in Buenos Aires and Acapulco, in addition to a runner-up showing in Munich. He’s also established himself as a contender to reach the very top of the Emirates ATP Rankings with wins this season over Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

Monfils has produced consistently solid tennis throughout the year. He was in dominant form at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event in Monte Carlo, advancing to the final without losing a set, and also reached back-to-back quarter-finals at ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events in Indian Wells and Miami. Monfils also finished as runner-up in Rotterdam. 

Goffin has also been going deep in the biggest events of the season. In ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events this year, he reached back-to-back semi-finals in Indian Wells and Miami, and recently double bageled Tomas Berdych en route to a quarter-final showing in Rome.

Bautista Agut started out the year in dominant form by winning ATP World Tour titles in Auckland and St. Petersburg. His four career ATP World Tour titles have come on three different surfaces, proving that he’s a contender at any point in the year. Kyrgios won his first career ATP World Tour title this February in Marseille and has also recorded five Top 10 wins this season over the likes of Stan Wawrinka, Milos Raonic and Tomas Berdych. In addition to reaching the semi-finals of the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event in Miami, he’s also cracked the Top 20 of the Emirates ATP Rankings for the first time.

In addition to new faces, several familiar ones are also in position to qualify for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, who has already picked up 5,950 Emirates ATP Ranking points this season, has all but confirmed his spot. Should he participate, the five-time champion would make his 10th consecutive appearance in the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.

Several of the game’s top players have also given themselves a strong chance to head to London at the end of the year. Andy Murray is currently No. 2 in the Emirates ATP Race To London, followed by Rafael Nadal at No. 3 and Kei Nishikori at No. 4. All three men would be looking to win the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals for the first time in their careers.

Reigning Roland Garros champion Stan Wawrinka and perennial Top 10 fixture Tomas Berdych are, currently ranked at No. 9 and No. 12 in the Emirates ATP Race to London. Both players have historically produced big results in the second half of the season and will be eager to keep their familiar place in the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.

Six-time champion Roger Federer is also firmly in contention at No. 13, despite missing several key tournaments in the first part of the season due to injury. He is looking to make his 15^th consecutive appearance in London.  

#NextGen star Frances Tiafoe prevailed on a rainy day three of qualifying at Roland Garros on Wednesday. Showers throughout the day resulted in just 24 of 32 second-round qualifying matches being completed.

Tiafoe once again came out on the winning end of a marathon match, this time against No. 28 seed Saketh Myneni of India, 7-6(5), 7-5. The 18-year-old American is looking to come through qualifying at a Grand Slam for the first time in his career. He’ll play Adrian Ungur of Romania on Thursday for a place in the main draw.

Former Top 10 player Radek Stepanek of Czech Republic also moved forward in his bid for a 13^th appearance in the main draw of Roland Garros. The No. 20 seed survived a scare against Australian Matthew Barton before prevailing, 3-6, 6-2, 7-5. Next up for Stepanek is No. 2 seed and #NextGen star Yoshihito Nishioka of Japan, who prevailed over Henri Laaksonen of Switzerland in a match that went the distance, 6-2, 2-6, 8-6. 

Other players to advance on Wednesday include No. 5 seed Thomas Fabbiano of Italy, No. 7 Roberto Carballes Baena of Spain and No. 8 seed Dustin Brown of Germany. 

All remaining second-round qualifying matches and five final-round qualifying matches will take place on Thursday.

#NextGen star Alexander Zverev avenged an earlier loss to Marcel Granollers and reached his fourth quarter-final of the season on Wednesday at the Open de Nice Cote d’ Azur.

Zverev, who had lost to Granollers in three sets at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters, prevailed 7-5, 6-7(3), 6-2 in two hours and 41 minutes. In the third set, the 19-year-old German didn’t face a break point and broke the 30 year old twice to get the win. “He’s one of the best clay-court players… and he’s been playing well,” Zverev said. “He has a lot of shots. He can do variety as well, so it was good for me to win that match.”

Zverev, No. 48 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, will play #NextGen star Taylor Fritz or second seed Gilles Simon. The 6’6” right-hander will try to reach his second semi-final of the season after reaching the same stage at the Open Sud de France in February.

Seventh seed Andreas Seppi came from behind to grab his second win in six tries against Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu, winning 4-6, 6-2, 6-4. The Italian hit seven aces and saved 10 of 12 break points to reach his second quarter-final of the season (Garanti Koza Sofia Open).

“It was a difficult match for sure, I always have tough matches against him,” Seppi said. “Hopefully I can play another good match tomorrow.”

Seppi will play first seed Dominic Thiem or Leonardo Mayer.

I missed a flight?
I think it was to Irving, Texas, to play an ATP Challenger. It wasn’t good. I didn’t like it at all… March… We were late… Nothing but being late, totally late. Left from the house a little late, got there, there was a long security line.

I lost something important?
I lost my car keys a little while ago. That was very important. I was afraid someone was going to be riding off with my car… I did not find them. I had to get another set. And no one’s come to take the car. So I’m good, I guess.

I paid money to rent a tennis court or buy tennis balls?
Last year to hit on clay… in Atlanta. I paid $22 to hit on the clay court. It was kind of weird. I haven’t paid for a court in a very long time… But it was worth it. It was good to practise.

Being famous helped me?
In Atlanta, I’ve gotten a couple preferential treatments to sit down at a restaurant. We kind of skipped the whole line, which was cool, very cool… I came in, it was crowded. They were like, “Oh, we got you.” They just sat us down right away.

I strung a tennis racquet?
I don’t know how to string, so I’ve never strung a tennis racquet. And everyone I’ve talked to has said it wouldn’t benefit me to learn now because it would be so bad, take so long. So I’ve never learned.

I cooked for myself and others?
I’m only good at making breakfast food, for myself and then my mom one time. That was maybe a couple months ago as well. Breakfast is my end-all be-all, and I think it’s pretty decent… I can make a good breakfast burrito so that’s my go-to… Sausage, bacon, eggs, the three-cheese blend, some sauce on the side and we’re good.

I met a childhood idol?
Olympics. I met Kobe Bryant. That was awesome. 2012. It was great.

I shared a hotel room with another player?
I was 14, playing Junior Davis Cup and I shared it with a couple of guys playing on the team… It was in Miami, where the USTA used to be at Crandon Park. We were at the Embassy Suites there. So it was a lot of fun… We won, so that helped. We beat Canada to qualify for the finals… I did sleep a lot. I was happy because I was on the pull-out couch in the front so I almost had a whole room to myself.

I asked someone famous for an autograph or selfie?
That was probably at the Olympics as well. I asked every single NBA player who was there, from LeBron to Chris Paul to Carmelo, Kobe. It was great… Only a selfie. I couldn’t pull out an autograph. I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.

In a special ceremony at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome, the International Tennis Hall of Fame and the International Tennis Federation (ITF) honored Vittorio Selmi by presentation of the 2016 Golden Achievement Award in recognition of his outstanding service to tennis. The award was presented by International Tennis Hall of Fame President Stan Smith and Francesco Ricci Bitti, immediate past president of the ITF and a countryman and longtime colleague of Selmi’s.

The Golden Achievement Award is presented annually to an individual who has made significant contributions internationally to tennis in the fields of administration, promotion, or education, and who has devoted long and outstanding service to the sport.

“Vittorio has been one of the great ambassadors of our sport for as long as I can remember. He always welcomed players to the ATP events with great hospitality and enthusiasm. His passion for the game and his desire to serve the sport and to see it succeed at all levels is tremendous. We are glad to be able to thank him and to honor his 40-plus years of service to tennis with the Golden Achievement Award,” commented Smith.

Of the honor, Selmi stated, “I am very pleased and honored to receive this award at Foro Italico in Rome, the place where I fell in love with tennis and by the hands of Stan Smith, who was a very top player when I was just a simple tennis fan. Obviously there are many people I have to thank for this and I hope to be able to do so personally but I want to openly express my gratitude to my father Antonio, who introduced me to the game of tennis, and to Jim McManus who brought me to the ATP.”

Selmi has been a staple of the international tennis community since the mid-1970s. He is admired by players and colleagues alike for his enthusiasm for the sport and his commitment to growing and promoting tennis worldwide.

Selmi’s tennis industry career started in 1974 when he was the Player Relations Manager at the Italian Open Championships and Director of Italian Satellite Circuits, positions he held until 1978. In 1975, Selmi took on the role of Manager of the Associations of Professionals of Tennis in Italy. In 1976, he joined the Federezione Italiana Tennis (FIT), where he held several leadership roles until 1979. In his work for the federation, Selmi oversaw the rules and regulations in the national tennis circuit and managed player rankings, among other roles. Selmi embarked on a career with the ATP World Tour in 1979, serving as Tour Director for the ATP International Circuit until 2006. He continued to stay involved in the tour through 2010, working in player relations. In addition to his work with players and associations, Selmi has served as writer for Match-Ball, the Italian tennis magazine.

The Golden Achievement Award is selected from a pool of nominations submitted by tennis federations and individuals from the around the world. The annual honoree is selected by the Golden Achievement Award Committee, which is comprised of tennis administrators.

Past recipients of the Golden Achievement Award are Mark Stenning of the United States (2015); David Jude of Great Britain (2014); Geoff Pollard of Australia (2013); Shamil Tarpischev of Russia (2012); Tim Phillips of the United Kingdom (2011); Heinz Grimm of Switzerland (2010); Peachy Kellmeyer of the United States (2009); Juan Maria Tintore of Spain (2008); Nancy P. Jeffett of the United States (2007); James R. Cochrane of Great Britain (2006); Eiichi Kawatei of Japan (2005); John Curry of Great Britain (2004); J. Howard “Bumpy” Frazer of the United States (2003); Enrique Morea of Argentina (2002); Pablo Llorens Renaga of Spain (2001); Gil de Kermadec of France (2000) and Brian Tobin of Australia (1999).