Google Play App Download

Tennis News

From around the world

Landaluce, 18, joins Alcaraz, Nadal in slice of Challenger history

  • Posted: Oct 21, 2024

Martin Landaluce added his name to an elite company Sunday when he triumphed at the ATP Challenger Tour 125 event in Olbia, Italy.

The 18-year-old, who defeated Mattia Bellucci 6-4, 6-4 in the final, is the youngest Spanish Challenger champion since an 18-year-old Carlos Alcaraz in Oeiras in 2021.

Landaluce is the fifth Spaniard since 2000 to win a Challenger title at age 18 or younger. The first four players all ascended to the Top 10 of the PIF ATP Rankings: Alcaraz, Rafael Nadal, Tommy Robredo and Nicolas Almagro.

Following his title run, the #NextGenATP star is up to eighth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah, putting him in qualifying position for the 20-and-under Next Gen ATP Finals, which runs from 18-22 December.

Due to rain at the Olbia Challenger, Landaluce was forced to play both his semi-final and final match on Sunday. The 2022 US Open boys’ singles champion showed no signs of nerves as he captured the milestone victory.

“I have had several Challenger semi-finals. I think there have been different things in all of them, I tried to do them in the best way possible and today I have made it to the semi-final and final on a day that I think is a bit difficult physically,” Landaluce said in Spanish. “I was able to enjoy it a lot with a high level. On match point, I didn’t think much either. I thought about trying to do what I know. I played a very good point and I finished it in the best way, which is very, very nice.”

St. Brieuc, France
In other Challenger action, Benjamin Bonzi claimed back-to-back titles on home soil by lifting the trophy at the Open Saint-Brieuc Armor Agglomération. Last week’s champion in Roanne, Bonzi is on a 10-match winning streak for the loss of just one set. The 28-year-old downed top seed and countryman Lucas Pouille 6-1, 6-3 in the final.

Calgary, Canada
American Murphy Cassone won’t soon forget his maiden Challenger title run at the Calgary National Bank Challenger. Down five match points in the opening round against Ryan Seggerman, the 22-year-old stayed alive by winning the deciding-set tie-break 15/13. Cassone again won a deciding-set tie-break in the quarter-finals against Alexis Galarneau.

Cassone, a senior at Arizona State University, began the week as a qualifier and left with his biggest career title. He defeated Govind Nanda 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the final and is now up to a career-high No. 363 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

Campinas, Brazil
It was a marathon week for American Tristan Boyer, who needed a deciding set in four of his five matches to win the Campeonato Internacional de Tenis, Presented by Santander in Brazil. The 23-year-old overcame Argentine Juan Pablo Ficovich 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 in the championship match. Up to a career-high No. 159 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, Boyer this season has won two Challenger titles, which both came on clay.

“It feels great. I think it’s a reflection of the work I’m doing,” Boyer said. “Titles are extremely difficult. You have to win five tough matches in a row. I’ve only had one in my career before today.”

<img alt=”Tristan Boyer in action at the Campinas Challenger.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/10/21/03/59/boyer-campinasch-2024.jpg” />
Tristan Boyer in action at the Campinas Challenger. Credit: João Pires

Shenzhen, China
Former World No. 37 Mackenzie McDonald claimed his fourth Challenger title and first since 2021 by triumphing at the Shenzhen Longhua Open, where he defeated top-seeded Frenchman Arthur Cazaux 6-4, 7-6(4) in the final. The American was broken just once all week.

<img alt=”Mackenzie McDonald wins the Shenzhen Challenger.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/10/21/03/56/mcdonald-shenzhench-2024.jpg” />
Mackenzie McDonald wins the Shenzhen Challenger. Credit: Shenzhen Longhua Open

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

Source link

Zverev races into R2 in Vienna, reaches 60 wins for 2024

  • Posted: Oct 21, 2024

Alexander Zverev wasted little time kick-starting his Erste Bank Open campaign on Monday night in Vienna.

The No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings eased past home #NextGenATP wild card Joel Schwaerzler 6-2, 6-2 at the indoor hard-court ATP 500. With his 67-minute victory, Zverev equalled his personal best of 60 tour-level wins in a season from 2018.

Top seed Zverev did not face a break point in his maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head clash with the 18-year-old Schwaerzler. He won 96 per cent (23/24) of points behind his first delivery, according to Infosys ATP Stats, and generally proved too powerful for his relatively inexperienced opponent. After match point, Zverev took a moment at the net to speak with Schwaerzler, who was playing just his second ATP Tour match.

“When you come to your home tournament and probably the biggest crowd you have played in front of, as an 18-year-old and you’re playing the World No. 3, it’s not the easiest thing in the world,” said Zverev. “I’ve been there. I did that as a 17-year-old in Hamburg, where I got to the semi-finals and all of a sudden had a sold out stadium and was playing against a certain David Ferrer.

“I was hoping to have a good match, but the match was over half an hour later and I won one game. I know exactly how [Schwaerzler] feels. It’s not an easy situation to be in, but he’s a wonderful player and he’s going to have a wonderful career. Nobody should judge him by this match.”

Zverev is chasing his second tour-level title of 2024 this week in Austria. After hitting the 60-win mark for the year, the Rome champion reasserted his desire to finish the season strongly. The German is third in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin and has already qualified for the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals.

“Obviously it’s been a good year, but there have been a lot of ups and downs,” said Zverev. “I had an incredible first six months of the year until Wimbledon. Then I got a little knee injury, and afterwards didn’t feel great at the Olympics. I had some lung issues, kind of like I lost my form a little bit. I wasn’t playing great in the US hard-court swing, and I’m trying to find it back. I’m trying to find my rhythm again and hopefully I can finish this season strong.”

Awaiting Zverev in the second round in Vienna will be #NextGenATP Alex Michelsen or Marcos Giron. He has never lost before the quarter-finals in three previous appearances in the Austrian capital, where he lifted the trophy in 2021.

[ATP APP]

The in-form #NextGenATP Czech Jakub Mensik joined Zverev in the second round with a comfortable first-round victory of his own at the Wiener Stadthalle. The 19-year-old, who reached his maiden ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final earlier this month in Shanghai before falling in three sets to Novak Djokovic, prevailed 7-6(3), 6-2 against the sixth-seeded Popyrin.

Mensik will take on Mariano Navone or Miomir Kecmanovic next in what his first indoor ATP Tour event. The Czech is currently fourth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah as he chases a debut appearance at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF.

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

Source link

Fils continues big ATP 500 run; Rublev makes winning Basel debut

  • Posted: Oct 21, 2024

#NextGenATP Frenchman Arthur Fils extended his winning streak to 11 matches at ATP 500 events on Monday at the Swiss Indoors Basel, where he defeated German Daniel Altmaier 7-6(5), 6-3.

Fils has been in red-hot form at ATP 500 tournaments recently, triumphing on clay in Hamburg before lifting the trophy on hard in Tokyo.

Aiming for another deep run this week, the 20-year-old saved two set points in the first set against Altmaier before he rallied from a break down in the second set to reach the second round in one hour and 40 minutes.

Fils, currently first in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah and set to qualify for the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, will next play Jiri Lehecka or Pedro Martinez.

Top seed Andrey Rublev breezed through his Basel debut, dismissing Portugal’s Nuno Borges 6-3, 6-2 as he strengthened his place inside the Top 8 of the PIF ATP Live Race to Turin.

Seeking a fifth consecutive appearance at the Nitto ATP Finals, the 27-year-old became the fourth player to reach 30 hard-court wins on the year (30-13) as he picked up his 41st win overall on the season. He next will play the winner of Croatian Marin Cilic and Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo.

Rublev won 25 of 26 first-serve points and saved the lone break point he faced. The 16-time ATP Tour champion is currently eighth in the Live Race and moved 315 points clear of ninth-placed Australian Alex de Minaur with today’s win. De Minaur is yet to play his opening-round match in Vienna.

“I practised for less than two days, which sometimes is not enough, especially for the first time here,” Rublev said. “I was a bit nervous and didn’t know what to expect. But now I have a day off to rest and enjoy some time.”

Earlier, lucky loser David Goffin continued his impressive recent form by moving past Italian Matteo Arnaldi 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-2.

The Belgian defeated Lorenzo Musetti and Alexander Zverev en route to the quarter-finals at the Rolex Shanghai Masters earlier this month and set the wheels in motion for another run this week by overcoming Arnaldi in two hours and 31 minutes.

The No. 54 player in the PIF ATP Rankings will play fifth seed Ugo Humbert in the second round.

The Frenchman Humbert clawed past Swiss qualifier Jerome Kym 6-4, 6-7(5), 7-5 in two hours and 33 minutes. Humbert fired 13 aces and saved the one break point he faced, according to Infosys ATP Stats to clinch a personal-best 34th win of the season. Humbert has enjoyed an impressive year, winning titles in Marseille and Dubai.

Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard also advanced, beating James Duckworth 7-6(4), 6-3. The 21-year-old will next meet Felix Auger-Aliassime or Sebastian Baez.

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

Source link

Berrettini books R2 spot in Vienna, Cobolli advances

  • Posted: Oct 21, 2024

Matteo Berrettini bounced back from a disappointing early exit in Stockholm by producing a dominant performance at the Erste Bank Open on Monday when he moved past Marton Fucsovics 7-5, 6-4 in Vienna.

The Italian, who fell to Dominic Stricker in the second round in Stockholm, did not face a break point against Fucsovics, winning 86 per cent (32/37) of his first-serve points according to Infosys ATP Stats to advance to the second round after one hour and 48 minutes.

Berrettini, a three-time tour-level titlist in 2024, is making his third appearance at the ATP 500. The No. 41 player in the PIF ATP Rankings reached the semi-finals in 2019 and the quarter-finals in 2021. Aiming for another deep run at the indoor hard tournament, Berrettini will next meet fifth seed Frances Tiafoe or Cameron Norrie.

[ATP APP]

Earlier, Flavio Cobolli improved to 21-5 in opening-round matches in 2024 with a 7-6(1), 6-3 victory against Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

Cobolli saved all three break points he faced and struck 20 winners to advance after one hour and 36 minutes. The 22-year-old Italian leads Davidovich Fokina 2-0 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series and will next play second seed Alex de Minaur or German Jan-Lennard Struff.

De Minaur is ninth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, 265 points behind eighth-placed Andrey Rublev. De Minaur will be aiming for a deep run at the ATP 500 to boost his hopes of competing at the Nitto ATP Finals, held from 10-17 November.

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

Source link

Paul continues Turin push, Mover of Week

  • Posted: Oct 21, 2024

The PIF ATP Live Race To Turin intensified during a three-tournament week on the ATP Tour, where Tommy Paul, Roberto Bautista Agut and Karen Khachanov won titles in Stockholm, Antwerp and Almaty, respectively.

With three weeks to go until the Nitto ATP Finals, ATPTour.com looks at the movers of the week in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin as of Monday, 21 October.

[ATP APP]

Tommy Paul – 10th (3,135 points)
The American has jumped one spot to 10th after he won his third tour-level title of the season in Stockholm, gaining 250 points in his quest to compete in Turin. Paul did not drop a set en route to the title at the hard-court event to close to 485 points on eighth-placed Andrey Rublev, who occupies the final qualification spot.

View PIF ATP Live Race To Turin

Alex de Minaur – Ninth (3,355 points)
De Minaur reached the quarter-finals in Antwerp, where he competed for the first time since the US Open in September. The Australian has struggled with a hip injury since Wimbledon but now fit again, will hope to make a last-minute push for Turin. The 25-year-old takes to court at the ATP 500 event in Vienna this week.

Grigor Dimitrov – 11th (3,100 points)
Despite dropping one place in the Live Race To Turin, Dimitrov has closed the points gap on eighth-placed Rublev. The Bulgarian advanced to the final in Stockholm, while Rublev fell in the quarter-finals at the same event. Dimitrov has fond memories at the Nitto ATP Finals, having lifted the trophy in 2017.

Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz have already qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals, scheduled to take place from 10-17 November.

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

Source link

Can Ruud, Rublev strengthen qualification hopes during critical Basel-Vienna week?

  • Posted: Oct 21, 2024

The PIF ATP Live Race To Turin continues to heat up with three weeks remaining for players to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals. With two ATP 500 events this week, the Swiss Indoors Basel and Erste Bank Open, contenders for the season finale have an opportunity to earn vital points.

Seventh-placed Casper Ruud and eighth-placed Andrey Rublev will both try to shore up their standing this week when they compete in Basel. Ruud is 225 points ahead of Rublev, who owns a 265-point edge over ninth-placed Alex de Minaur.

“When you’re in this position, you think about [the Nitto ATP Finals] quite a lot, of course,” Ruud said in Basel. “It’s a fun chase and it’s exciting… It’s good to have something to really motivate yourself with.”

PIF ATP Live Race To Turin (as of 20 October)


 Player  Points
 7) Casper Ruud  3,845
 8) Andrey Rublev  3,620
 9) Alex de Minaur  3,355
 10) Tommy Paul  3,135
 11) Grigor Dimitrov  3,100
 12) Stefanos Tsitsipas  2,875

Ruud last qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals in 2022, when he advanced to the championship match (lost to Novak Djokovic). The Norwegian is in good position to earn his place in the season finale for the third time and can further improve his chances with a strong performance in Switzerland.

The 25-year-old is the second seed in Basel and will play Antwerp champion Roberto Bautista Agut in the first round. It is a difficult opening matchup for Ruud, who trails Bautista Agut 1-2 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

[ATP APP]

Rublev is trying to qualify for the year-end championships for the fifth consecutive season. He is in the final qualifying position, but will be keen to make a deep run this week to build his advantage over the chasing pack, led by De Minaur.

The Australian has never qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals, but could improve his chances of competing at Inalpi Arena by advancing through the Vienna draw. De Minaur will open his tournament against Jan-Lennard Struff.

Another player seeking his first Nitto ATP Finals qualification is 10th-placed Tommy Paul, who improved his standing by winning the Stockholm title. The American is 485 points behind Rublev for the final qualifying spot, making a deep run in Vienna critical. Paul faces a tricky challenge in the first round against countryman Brandon Nakashima.

Eleventh-placed Grigor Dimitrov, the Stockholm runner-up and 2017 Nitto ATP Finals champion, is competing in Vienna. Stefanos Tsitsipas, the 2019 season finale winner, is in action in Basel.

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

Source link

United Cup Groups: Poland, Aussies in Sydney; USA, Greece in Perth

  • Posted: Oct 21, 2024

Countries participating in the 2025 United Cup have been placed into their groups and assigned to host cities in Perth and Sydney following today’s draw in Sydney.

Perth

A  C E
 USA  Greece  China
 Canada  Kazakhstan  Germany
 Combined #2  Spain  Brazil

Sydney

B D F
 Poland  Italy  Great Britain
 Czechia  France  Australia
 Norway  Switzerland  Combined #1

The schedule will be released Tuesday in Australia, when tickets for the group stage in Perth and Sydney go on sale at 5:00 p.m. local time in the respective cities.

Host nation Australia was drawn in Group F in Sydney alongside Great Britain, pitting Aussie No. 1 Alex De Minaur against his girlfriend Katie Boulter. Group F will also feature one of two teams to be announced in late November. Also in Sydney, Poland headlines Group B with Iga Swiatek and Hubert Hurkacz (pictured above). Italy headlines Group D with Jasmine Paoline and Flavio Cobolli.

Defending champion Germany, with Alexander Zverev and Laura Siegemund, head to Perth and will compete in Group E along with China and Brazil. The United States, with Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz, head Group A in Perth. Greece with Stefanos Tsitsipas and Maria Sakkari, lead Group C in Perth.

Source link