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De Minaur’s ‘mental effort’ thwarts Van de Zandschulp in Rotterdam

  • Posted: Feb 13, 2026

Alex de Minaur remains relentless in Rotterdam, but only just.

The top-seeded Australian dug deep to hold off home favourite Botic van de Zandschulp 3-6, 7-6(4), 7-5 on Friday afternoon and book a semi-final spot at the ABN AMRO Open for the third consecutive year. De Minaur held his nerve after letting slip a 2-0 lead in the deciding set to outlast Van de Zandschulp and set a last-four meeting with Ugo Humbert.

“I’m happy I got through,” said the No. 8 in the PIF ATP Rankings after the two-hour, 44-minute quarter-final tussle. “It wasn’t looking too good about three quarters of the way through the match, but I managed to find some of my better tennis today at the end of the second set. Another great mental effort.”

De Minaur was not always at his best against the World No. 65, who frequently dictated play with his powerful groundstrokes off both wings. Yet the Australian star typically refused to lay down and he found a path to victory after saving five of seven break points he earned, according to Infosys ATP Stats, including three during his crucial service hold at 3-3 in the second set.

Now 4-0 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Van de Zandschulp, De Minaur is just the second player in tournament history to reach three consecutive semi-finals after Tom Okker in 1974-76. The 26-year-old is 15-2 on Dutch soil since the start of 2024, a tally which includes the 2024 ‘s-Hertogenbosch title.

Awaiting De Minaur in the last four on Saturday in Rotterdam will be Ugo Humbert. The Frenchman earlier accelerated past Christopher O’Connell 6-4, 6-1 to win his 10th consecutive ATP Tour quarter-final.

Humbert and O’Connell’s third Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting was a tale of two halves. Neither man carved out a break point until the 10th game of the match, when the Frenchman decisively broke to clinch the set. The World No. 36 Humbert, a four-time tour-level champion on indoor hard courts, then raced through the second set to secure a 77-minute triumph.

In other quarter-final action, Alexander Bublik earned a milestone win. The 28-year-old overcame Jaume Munar 6-4, 6-7(4), 7-6(3) to notch his 200th tour-level victory, becoming the first Kazakhstani to achieve the feat.

“He played unbelievable. I faced him last time at Wimbledon. He is, I guess, the only Spanish [player] who can serve and volley that well. I was surprised,” said Bublik after the win.

The 28-year-old showed strong composure to level the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series at 1-1. He fended off 91 per cent (10/11) of the break points he faced, according to Infosys ATP Stats and fired 61 winners to Munar’s 31, rallying to victory in two hours and 42 minutes.

“When you play him, you know that all the balls will come back, everything. So the grand plan was to, of course, get the winners, to shorten the points,” he said.

Bublik will face second seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in the last four. Auger-Aliassime defeated home hope Tallon Griekspoor 7-6(2), 6-2 to extend his winning streak to seven. The Canadian won 92 per cent (34/37) of his first-serve points and saved the only break point he faced in one hour and 44 minutes.

Watch extended highlights of Friday’s action in Rotterdam:

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Shelton wins 'ridiculous tennis' battle, reaches Dallas QFs

  • Posted: Feb 13, 2026

Ben Shelton fought off a stern test from French lefty Adrian Mannarino on Thursday at the Nexo Dallas Open, where the American is into his 25th tour-level quarter-final.

Shelton, the No. 9 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, overcame Mannarino 7-6(2), 6-7(4), 6-3 in a topsy-turvy battle filled with superb shotmaking. Mannarino, a finalist last week in Montpellier, expertly absorbed Shelton’s firepower, best showcased during a 29-shot rally on the opening point of the first-set tie-break, but the second seed raised his level in the important moments to advance after two hours and 40 minutes.

“Ridiculous tennis,” Shelton said in his on-court interview. “I thought [Adrian] played at an extremely high level, I think he always does against me. We’ve had some crazy matches, last match I got injured against him at the US Open. A big battle for sure. He does a lot of things that make it very, very difficult. Especially playing him on a low-bouncing indoor court.”

Throughout the clash, Shelton and Mannarino traded momentum shifts. Mannarino forced a decider in dramatic fashion, converting his sixth set point. The 37-year-old had let slip four set points on return at 6-5, two of which the American erased with booming aces. Earlier that game, Mannarino hit a shot-of-the-year-contender when he struck a no-look, between the legs winner.

Shelton in the decider pulled away by winning 52 per cent of his return points, according to Infosys ATP Stats, compared to 32 and 31 per cent in the first and second sets, respectively. With his win, the 23-year-old improved to 2-3 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with his fellow left-hander Mannarino. Up next for Shelton is fifth seed Tommy Paul or Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic.

In earlier action, defending champion and seventh seed Denis Shapovalov raced past Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-4, 6-4 after 66 minutes, during which the Canadian did not face a break point. Shapovalov next faces third seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

Marin Cilic, who earned his 600th career tour-level win on Wednesday, downed Ethan Quinn 7-6(4), 6-3. Cilic is into his 123rd tour-level quarter-final, second most among active players, only behind Novak Djokovic (226).

Cilic’s next opponent is British qualifier Jack Pinnington Jones, who escaped Eliot Spizzirri 7-6(5), 4-6, 7-6(4) after a two-hour, 52-minute thriller. Pinnington Jones turned pro last year after three seasons at Texas Christian University and is now into his first tour-level quarter-final.

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Darderi excels on return to clay ‘comfort zone’ in Buenos Aires

  • Posted: Feb 12, 2026

Five months away from clay was not enough to stop Luciano Darderi from making a typically assured return to the surface Thursday at the IEB+ Argentina Open.

The second-seeded Italian powered to a 6-1, 6-3 opening-round victory against Tomas Barrios Vera at the ATP 250 in Buenos Aires to pick up where he left off on his favourite surface in 2025. Darderi, who lifted two ATP Tour titles (Bastad, Umag) and an ATP Challenger Crown (Genoa) in his most recent appearances on clay, needed just 82 minutes against Barrios Vera to extend his winning streak on the surface to 15 matches.

“It’s the first match on clay after [five] months playing on hard, but I feel really comfortable here on clay,” said Darderi, who reached the fourth-round on the hard courts of the Australian Open last month. “Today was a really good match and I felt really good. In the second set, he started to play better but I’m really happy to be in the quarter-finals here again.”

Competing at a career-high No. 22 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Darderi converted five of nine break points he earned against Barrios Vera, according to Infosys ATP Stats. The 23-year-old could secure his rise into the Top 20 for the first time if he can lift his fifth ATP Tour title this week. Standing in Darderi’s way next in the Argentine capital will be Pedro Martinez or home favourite Juan Manuel Cerundolo.

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Alcaraz visits F1 stars Alonso, Sainz in Bahrain

  • Posted: Feb 12, 2026

Carlos Alcaraz kick-started his season by going ‘full throttle’ at January’s Australian Open, where he lifted the trophy to become the youngest man to complete the Career Grand Slam.

On Thursday, the No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings visited a couple of fellow Spanish sporting stars who are also aiming to begin their respective 2026 seasons in style. Alcaraz caught up with Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz as the duo took part in the F1 pre-season testing in Bahrain.

A keen motorsport fan, Alcaraz has long been a big supporter of both Alonso, a two-time winner of the Formula One World Driver’s Championship, and Sainz. He posed for photos with both drivers, who will also be hoping for a magic moment in Melbourne to begin the year: The 2026 F1 season starts in the city with the Australian Grand Prix on 8 March.

The 22-year-old Alcaraz is in the Middle East ahead of next week’s Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha, where he will compete as the top seed. He will be joined in the field in the Qatari capital by his great Lexus ATP Head2Head rival, World No. 2 Jannik Sinner.

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Musetti's magic earns January's Hot Shot of the Month award

  • Posted: Feb 12, 2026

Lorenzo Musetti knows how to put his flair to devastating effect, and one of his latest moments of magic has earned him January’s Hot Shot of the Month presented by Yokohama.

Trailing by a set against Andrey Rublev in their Hong Kong semi-final, the 23-year-old Italian went searching for a spark — and found it in spectacular style. Musetti whipped a wicked banana forehand that swerved outside the tramlines before bending back in and landing for a clean winner.

That flash of brilliance proved the turning point. Musetti surged back to claim a three-set victory, levelling his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Rublev at 1-1 and launching his season with a run to his ninth ATP Tour final.

Musetti claimed the fan-voted award ahead of Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Brandon Nakashima and Cameron Norrie. Stay tuned to see what February has in store for the ATP Tour’s next round of jaw-dropping hot shots.

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De Minaur equals Federer's record, Van de Zandschulp sinks Tsitsipas in Rotterdam

  • Posted: Feb 12, 2026

Can Alex de Minaur finally get his hands on the trophy at the ABN AMRO Open in Rotterdam?

The top-seeded Australian cruised past 2015 champion Stan Wawrinka 6-4, 6-2 on Thursday at the indoor hard-court event, advancing to the quarter-finals for the fifth year in a row to equal three-time champion Roger Federer’s record for consecutive appearances at that stage.

A finalist in the past two editions of the ATP 500, De Minaur has earned more wins (15) than anyone in this year’s field. In a dominant display against Swiss wild card Wawrinka, the No. 8 player in the PIF ATP Rankings forced the 40-year-old into errors with his consistent ballstriking, improving to 2-0 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

“I think over the years it’s changed,” said De Minaur, when asked why Rotterdam seems to bring out his best. ”Every year I’ve come here it has been a bit different in terms of the playing conditions. A little bit slower, and the balls are a little bit different, so I think I’m just doing a good job at adapting. I don’t think there are too many players out here who are feeling really comfortable, so it’s all about just finding a way and that is where I thrive.”

De Minaur has now recorded 50 victories at ATP 500 events since the start of 2023, lifting trophies at that level in Acapulco (2023, 2024) and Washington (2025), according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. Aiming to break his title duck in Rotterdam, he will next play Botic van de Zandschulp.

The Dutchman Van de Zandschulp defeated the 2022 finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 7-6(4) to advance to the quarter-finals in Rotterdam for the first time. He is the fourth active Dutchman to reach the last eight at the ATP 500.

Second seed and World No. 6 Felix Auger-Aliassime joined his fellow Top 10 star De Minaur in the last eight in Rotterdam by pulling through a potentially tricky second round against Hamad Medjedovic. Auger-Aliassime, who lifted an indoor ATP 250 trophy in Montpellier on Sunday, prevailed 6-4, 6-4 to extend his winning streak to six matches.

Now 17-1 against players from outside the Top 50 since last August, the 2022 Rotterdam titlist Auger-Aliassime will next play home favourite Tallon Griekspoor. The two players are split at 1-1 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series, and Friday’s quarter-final clash will be their first meeting indoors.

Earlier, Ugo Humbert and Jaume Munar also both advanced to the quarter-finals. Frenchman Humbert backed up his win against Daniil Medvedev with a 6-4, 6-3 triumph against Guy Den Ouden, while Munar upset fifth seed Karen Khachanov 7-6(8), 3-6, 6-3.

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The rise of Jack Pinnington Jones: 'Chilling is just not part of his DNA'

  • Posted: Feb 12, 2026

Jack Pinnington Jones, the former college tennis star at Texas Christian University, lost in the first round of qualifying at this year’s Australian Open to Gilles Arnaud Bailly. The next evening, the Briton began a 32-hour solo journey to Egypt for an ATP Challenger Tour event.

“I remember when I got to Egypt, I was like, ‘Oof, I’m going to be hurting for the next few days’. I woke up in the night, jet lagged, didn’t know where I was,” Pinnington Jones told ATPTour.com. “It was just a completely new experience and going from my first experience in Australia [for a] Grand Slam to a Challenger in Egypt where I didn’t know anyone, it was just a bit like, ‘You’re still 200 in the world. It’s all a journey’.”

Then No. 197 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Pinnington Jones had different thoughts going through his mind. The Briton had not been home since Thanksgiving, meaning two and a half consecutive months on the road. Maybe that would not be his week to shine.

Instead, Pinnington Jones made the final in Soma Bay and after qualifying for the Nexo Dallas Open and upsetting Flavio Cobolli in the main draw, he is up to No. 153 in the world.

“My body by the end of it wasn’t in good stead, but I made the final. I made the best of a tough situation with travel and everything like that,” Pinnington Jones said. “My team was great, rallying around me and saying, ‘No, you’ve just got to compete every match, and keep going, keep going, you never know what could happen.

“I feel like that’s the mindset I’m trying to take week in, week out.”

It has been a learning experience for Pinnington Jones, who this time a year ago was beginning his final spring season at TCU, where he competed for three years and earned All-American singles honours twice. A former junior World No. 6, the Briton followed in the footsteps of Top-100 players Cameron Norrie and Jacob Fearnley, who also played for the Horned Frogs.

“It was a big change. Obviously being away from home for such an extended period of time for the first time, was a big shock,” Pinnington Jones said. “Having other British players on the team, like Jake Fearnley, Lui Maxted — who I knew from growing up — was a huge help. And the coaches and just the culture of TCU was great. I felt really welcomed and just sort of settled in after the first few weeks.”

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Pinnington Jones competed under the leadership of head coach David Roditi, who explained that his former star player “was a big, huge personality” on their team.

“He brought a lot of that competitive spirit and that edginess of getting everybody to go a little further or compete a little harder or every day in practice,” Roditi said. “I think that helped our team a tonne. That was all Jack. Everybody knew that at the end of the day, winning was the main purpose out there. That’s what his personality was on the team.”

Pinnington Jones is first to admit that he enjoyed himself off the court, too. “He was trying to be a superhero: win on the court, and then win at night as well. I think eventually he learned that he can’t do both,” Roditi said.

“He’s just a big personality, and he was very social, and very playful. He loves to play, so he would get bored easily, and probably staying in his dorm or staying in his apartment and just chilling is just not part of his DNA.”

Since deciding to forego his senior season at TCU, Pinnington Jones has stepped into a new world. Instead of traveling with his team to different dual matches or tournaments, he is climbing the ATP Tour ladder.

“I did preseason in Florida, did Thanksgiving in Texas, and then I went to Hawaii, Australia, Doha, Egypt, London [and now] Dallas. I’ve basically done a loop,” Pinnington Jones said. “I’ve got a great team around me, I’m really thankful I’ve got support from the LTA and am leaning on them to sort of help guide me on how to manage the stresses, the travel, the stuff that I’m completely new to and leaning on them when I can. That’s the biggest thing.

“I’d say [it has been about] travel, jet lag, and then just trying to control what I control: going out, competing, practising the best I can, and just trying to improve.”

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In the past year, Pinnington Jones has climbed more than 200 places in the PIF ATP Live Rankings. Thanks to his college success, he was a multiple-time qualifier for the Next Gen Accelerator, which allows qualifiers to benefit from direct entry into ATP Challenger Tour events.

“It’s awesome. You look at just the guys, when I was in college who have come through: Jake Fearnley, Eliot Spizzirri, Ethan Quinn, just to name a few. Diallo and Shelton were just before me, but all of those guys. It just gives them a leg up,” Pinnington Jones said. “Their level is there, but they might not be ranked. When they’re playing at the top of the lineup for a great college team, the level’s really high.

“I remember all season long thinking, ‘I’ve got to keep playing well, I’ve got to make sure I’m earning these wild cards’, because I know it’s such a big boost to start your pro career.”

Before arriving in Dallas, Pinnington Jones spent a week at TCU with his former coaches and teammates, some of whom have been supporting him at the ATP 500 event.

“I spent three years at TCU. Fort Worth, and Texas feels like a second home in a way. There are so many great people that I have met along my journey through college here and so many of them have been coming out to support,” Pinnington Jones said. “It really feels like a home tournament and especially to have the run I’m having, it’s really special.”

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