Game, Set, Croatia.

The Marin Cilic Foundation on Sunday and Monday continued its efforts to raise funds for the construction and improvement of sports courts to provide recreational opportunities for students in need.

Cilic was joined by Croatian stars from inside and outside the tennis world to raise funds for the construction of a multifunctional sports court in Stankovci, Croatia. It is the foundation’s fifth sports court project.

“Extremely happy and proud. I think everyone had a great time,” Cilic said. “It’s always a challenge to get so many of us athletes together with our competing schedules, but everyone who is able, always shows up.

“It’s always special when we can all get together, especially when it is for something like this. This was the third edition of the event and it continues to grow in popularity with spectators but also the athletes; several are already setting up tennis lessons to start preparing for the next event.”

Marin Cilic meets with local kids as part of his third Game, Set, Croatia event.” />
^{Photo: Envy Croatia/Julien Duval}
A who’s who of Croatian athletes participated in the event, from football superstar Luka Modric to NBA player Dario Saric.

“I don’t know if my tennis skills have improved since the last event, maybe five per cent,” Saric said. “But it’s an honour to participate in an event like this, and one of the best ways to use my free time. I’m proud to be here, proud to be among these incredible athletes.”

As always with the event, other Croatian tennis players have also joined to support, including Mate Pavic, Borna Gojo and Ivan Ljubicic.

“It’s always special to come and support this project,” Pavic said. “It takes a lot of effort to organise something like this so a big congratulations to Marin for all his work on this over the years. It’s all for a great cause and we [athletes] are always ready to join in whenever we can.”

The location where the new sports court will be built, in Stankovci, will be especially useful for local students who currently take physical education classes in a hallway because they do not have a playground.

The project is close to the heart of Cilic, who will play his first tournament since January next week on home soil in Umag. The Croatian’s father built a tennis court in their backyard to provide his children an opportunity to play. That is part of what motivated Cilic to launch his eponymous foundation in 2016.

One of the star athletes who lent their support to this year’s event, alpine skier Zrinka Ljutić, has a strong connection to the Marin Cilic Foundation. Ljutić, who was a Croatian flag bearer at the 2022 Olympics, received a scholarship from the Marin Cilic Foundation in 2019 to help her pursue her dreams.

^{Photo: Envy Croatia/Samir Ceric Kovacevic}
The athletes who participated in this year’s event are:

Tennis: Marin Cilic, Mate Pavić, Borna Gojo, Ivan Ljubičić
Football: Luka Modrić, Eduardo da Silva, Danijel Subašić, Doris Bačić
Rowing: The Sinković Brothers
Basketball: Ivica Zubac, Dario Šarić, Andrija Stipanović, Ante Žižić, and Zoran Planinić
Taekwondo: Matea Jelić
Skiing: Filip Zubčić, Zrinka Ljutić
Gymnastics: Tin Srbić
Table Tennis: Andrej Gaćina
Handball: Manuel Štrlek, Ivano Balić, and Luka Stepančić
Karate: Anđelo Kvesić
Olympic Shooting: Valentina Pereglin
Shot Put: Stipe Žunić 

Holger Rune withdrew from the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag due to a lower back injury on Friday, the tournament announced.

“Unfortunately I won’t be able to play at the Croatia Open this year, as I have issues with my lower back, an injury that prevented me from performing at my usual level this week,” Rune said. “Starting from Monday, I will undergo the necessary treatments and then take some rest.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Croatia Open Umag (@croatiaopenumag)

The 20-year-old Rune, who boasts a 37-13 season record, earned his fourth tour-level title this year in Munich. He was also a finalist at the ATP Masters 1000 clay-court events in Monte-Carlo and Rome.

A quarter-finalist at Wimbledon, Rune is aiming to make his Nitto ATP Finals debut this season. The Dane is seventh in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin.

Miomir Kecmanovic rallied back from the brink on Friday to reach the semi-finals at the EFG Swiss Open Gstaad, where he overcame Belgian qualifier Zizou Bergs 6-4, 3-6, 7-5.

The second-seeded Serbian trailed Bergs 1-4 and 3-5 in the third set, but showed his grit and quality during the latter stages of the third set to turn the match around and seal victory on his fourth match point after two hours and 16 minutes.

“It did not really looked good at 1-4 down and 3-5, but I kept believing and thought I would be able to turn it around and luckily I managed to do that today,” Kecmanovic said in his on-court interview.

Kecmanovic, who is the highest seed left in the draw after top seed Roberto Bautista Agut lost on Thursday, is into his fourth tour-level semi-final of the season. The 23-year-old is chasing his second tour-level title and first of the year and will next meet Juan Pablo Varillas or Albert Ramos-Vinolas.

Lorenzo Musetti earned a comeback victory on Friday to reach his second tour-level semi-final of the season at the Nordea Open. The Italian moved past Austrian qualifier Filip Misolic 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.

Competing on the clay at the ATP 250 event in Bastad, Musetti improved as the match went on, moving freely and demonstrating great touch to pull Misolic around the court throughout the two-hour and six-minute clash.

Musetti, who survived a three-set scare in his first-round match against countryman Matteo Arnaldi, now holds a 14-9 record on clay this year, with his best result a run to the semi-finals at the ATP 500 in Barcelona.

The third seed is chasing his third tour-level title and first of the season in Bastad. He will continue his quest against top seed Casper Ruud.

The Norwegian Ruud defeated Austrian Sebastian Ofner 6-3, 6-4 to improve to 19-6 on clay this year. Ruud, who is into his fourth tour-level semi-final of 2023, has fond memories in Bastad, lifting the trophy in 2021. The World No. 4 is chasing his 11th tour-level crown and second of the season after triumphing in Estoril.

“It was another tricky day in the wind here in Bastad,” Ruud said. “I am very happy to be through in two sets and of course when it is windy, it is tough to feel that you are playing great all the time. But it was good enough, steady enough.”

In other action, Andrey Rublev swept aside Alexander Zverev 6-2, 6-3 to improve to 2-5 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

The second seed was strong on serve throughout the 69-minute clash. He won 80 per cent (24/30) of points on his first-serve delivery and saved both break points he faced to reach his fifth tour-level semi-final of the season.

Rublev reached the semi-finals on debut in Bastad last year and will be aiming to make it one step further when he meets fourth seed Francisco Cerundolo in the last four. The defending champion Cerundolo defeated Federico Coria 6-3, 6-3.

Earlier this year, the 25-year-old Rublev captured the biggest title of his career on clay when he lifted his maiden ATP Masters 1000 crown in Monte-Carlo. He is now 16-4 on the surface in 2023.

It was looking like a welcome short day at the office for Adrian Mannarino, who led Jordan Thompson 6-0, 5-2 on a hot Thursday at the Infosys Hall of Fame Open. The second-seeded Frenchman still picked up the win in the end, but he had to battle through three sets and nearly three hours for a 6-0, 6-7(4), 6-2 result on the Newport grass.

“I was just trying to stay focussed, to play every point like I should do, not getting upset from the scenario of the second set and trying to stay consistent,” Mannarino said in his on-court interview, adding that he felt he “choked” in the second set.

“But it was not easy. I was up so far in the score, and then Jordan started to play really well. He was not missing any more and in the beginning of the third set he had the [momentum]. So it was tough to stay in the match, but I did it very well.”

Thompson, who is teaming with Mannarino in doubles this week, won four straight games to turn the tide in set two, capped with a battling service hold that spanned nine deuces at 5-5.

Suddenly facing the prospect of a fourth Newport quarter-final defeat, the 35-year-old Mannarino showed his veteran poise to re-establish himself in the match — but only after saving an early break point in the final set.

The Frenchman advanced to his 22nd tour-level semi-final and his first at the Newport ATP 250. Thompson was denied his fifth semi-final, with his previous four all coming on grass, including two years ago in Newport.

Next up for Mannarino will be third seed Ugo Humbert or South Africa’s Kevin Anderson, who is playing in his first tournament in his return from retirement.

The busiest quarter on the 2023 ATP calendar began with the European clay-court swing and concluded last week at Wimbledon. With half of the year in the books, the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin is beginning to take shape, with Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev leading the chase for the Nitto ATP Finals.

Before the North American hard court swing takes center stage next month in Toronto and Cincinnati, ATPTour.com looks back at the best of Q2.

No. 1 Alcaraz Wins Wimbledon Crown
Alcaraz began and concluded the second quarter in supreme style, bookending the period with trophies and coming out the other side atop the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

For the second straight year, Alcaraz completed a Spanish double in Barcelona and at the ATP Masters 1000 in Madrid, losing just two sets in 11 wins. A shock early exit in Rome — shortly after his 20th birthday — was followed by a semi-final run at Roland Garros, which ended at the hands of Djokovic as the Spaniard struggled with cramp.

It is a sign of the tremendous growth in Alcaraz’s game — and the expectations placed on it — that the defeat was billed as a disappointment for the pre-tournament favourite. But that feeling was quickly forgotten when the Spaniard posted a perfect 12-0 record on grass across The Queen’s Club and Wimbledon.

Having played just two grass court events in his life before this year, Alcaraz’s showcased his adaptability amidst rapid development on the British lawns. His first grass title at Queen’s saw him recapture World No. 1, and he retained his status atop the Pepperstone ATP Rankings in a winner-takes-all Wimbledon final against Djokovic.

Alcaraz’s 1-6, 7-6 (6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 victory ended the Serbian’s four-year title run at at the All England Club. The Spaniard now leads the pair’s budding Lexus ATP Head2Head rivalry 2-1.

Torino is waiting for you! @carlosalcaraz

The Mole Antonelliana lights up after the first #NittoATPFinals qualification 💫✨ pic.twitter.com/WpEdMcDJzt

— ATP Tour (@atptour) July 19, 2023

Djokovic Stands Alone With 23rd Major Title
Djokovic compiled a pedestrian 5-3 record across his first three clay events of 2023, his best result a quarter-final showing at the ATP Masters 1000 in Rome. But he once again displayed his ability to peak for the majors at Roland Garros, where he lost two sets on his way to his 23rd Grand Slam title — a number that put him clear of the absent Rafael Nadal as the all-time leader for men’s singles major crowns. 

After beating Alcaraz in a four-set semi-final, Djokovic won his third Roland Garros title by beating Casper Ruud in the title round. It was Ruud’s third final in the past five majors.

Like Djokovic, the Norwegian also had an inconsistent clay campaign prior to Roland Garros, with his lone highlight coming in a semi-final run in Rome. But by defending his runner-up points at the major, Ruud has held steady at No. 4 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

Medvedev Slides Into Clay Success
Long known for his rocky relationship with clay courts, Medvedev turned a new leaf by winning his first title on the surface this May. It came on a historic stage at the ATP Masters 1000 in Rome, where the World No. 3 beat Alexander Zverev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Holger Rune to claim the crown, including identical 7-5, 7-5 triumphs against Tsitsipas and Rune in the last two rounds.

Medvedev notched two match wins each in Monte-Carlo and Madrid before his Rome success, though he was knocked out in the Roland Garros opening round by Thiago Seyboth Wild. He made up for that by securing his best Wimbledon result, a semi-final run that was stopped by Alcaraz.

Alcaraz and Medvedev ended the second quarter with the two best match records this season on the ATP Tour, Alcaraz at 47-4 and Medvedev at 46-9.

Rublev Wins First ATP Masters 1000
Rublev began Q2 with a bang, winning his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title with a powerful performance at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters. The 25-year-old did it the hard way with three Top 15 wins, capped with a 5-7, 6-2, 7-5 final victory against Rune.

He followed that up by reaching the final in Banja Luka (clay) and Halle (grass), then advanced to his first Wimbledon quarter-final, where he was beaten by Djokovic.

Rune Shows Consistency To Reach New Career High
Rune began his clay season by reaching the final in Monte-Carlo and defending his title in Munich, then rose to a new career-high Pepperstone ATP Ranking of No. 6 by reaching the Rome final. 

Showing remarkable consistency at the biggest events on the ATP Tour calendar, he then advanced to the Roland Garros quarters, the Queen’s Club semis and his first Wimbledon quarter-final. Dating back to Monte-Carlo, Rune reached at least the quarters at six of seven events.

Krajicek Debuts As Doubles No. 1 After Roland Garros Triumph
Austin Krajicek was on top of the world, and the Pepperstone ATP Doubles Rankings, after he won his maiden Grand Slam title with Ivan Dodig at Roland Garros. The American-Croatian duo also won Monte-Carlo to open the clay swing, and they followed their Roland Garros triumph with another title at The Queen’s Club. Their 13-match winning streak was ended by Croatians Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic in the Eastbourne final.

Dutchman Wesley Koolhof and Briton Neal Skupski finished Q2 as joint World No. 1s after winning their maiden major title at Wimbledon. The pair first reached No. 1 last November.

Denis Shapovalov and WTA player Mirjam Bjorklund gave Tennis United a whole new meaning on Thursday when they announced their engagement on social media.

The pair posted photos of Shapovalov getting down on one knee in Bastad, Sweden. Bjorklund, who is inside the Top 150 of the WTA Rankings, is Swedish.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by MIRJAM BJÖRKLUND (@mirjambjorklund)

Several stars quickly congratulated the happy couple, including Sloane Stephens, Wu Yibing, Alex Corretja and Monica Puig.

Shapovalov and Bjorklund did not know each other well in the juniors, but began dating in 2019. 

Argentine Pedro Cachin reached his first tour-level quarter-final of the season on Thursday at the EFG Swiss Open Gstaad, where he defeated top seed Roberto Bautista Agut 7-6(4), 7-6(3).

The 28-year-old rallied from a break down in the first set to earn his third Top 30 win of the year after two hours and 13 minutes. Cachin is into his first tour-level quarter-final since Cordoba in 2019 and will next meet Jaume Munar. The Spaniard defeated home favourite Stan Wawrinka 7-6(3), 6-1 to improve to 6-0 against Swiss players on Tour.

Earlier, Albert Ramos-Vinolas continued his impressive record against Lorenzo Sonego when he downed the World No. 42 Italian 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 to improve to 3-0 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

With his victory, the Spaniard earned his first win against a Top 50 opponent since October 2022, when he beat then-World No. 23 Lorenzo Musetti in Vienna. Ramos-Vinolas held a 0-6 record against Top 50 players prior to Thursday.

The 35-year-old has tasted success at the ATP 250 clay-court event before, winning the trophy in 2019 before he advanced to the semi-finals last year. He will meet Juan Pablo Varillas in the quarter-finals after the Peruvian defeated Argentine qualifier Facundo Bagnis 6-2, 6-1.

Former Nordea Open champion Casper Ruud began his quest for an 11th tour-level title in style on Thursday when he cruised past Alexander Shevchenko 6-2, 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals in Bastad.

The top seed was in control throughout the 79-minute clash at the ATP 250 clay-court event, hitting his heavy topspin backhand with precision to outlast the World No. 96 in baseline exchanges.

Ruud now holds an 18-6 record on clay this season and will next face Austrian Sebastian Ofner after the 27-year-old defeated Spaniard Bernabe Zapata Miralles 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.

The Norwegian Ruud, who lifted the trophy in Bastad in 2021, is chasing his second tour-level crown of the season, after triumphing on clay in Estoril. The 24-year-old is currently eighth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin and is seeking a deep run to further consolidate his position. Ruud advanced to the title match at the Nitto ATP Finals last year.