Cameron Norrie willing 'to make as many sacrifices' to become number one
Cameron Norrie is willing “to make as many sacrifices” as it takes to become men’s world number one.
Cameron Norrie is willing “to make as many sacrifices” as it takes to become men’s world number one.
Nick Kyrgios was set for his first singles match since the Wimbledon final on Tuesday night at the Atlanta Open, but the fan-favourite Aussie was forced to withdraw from his opening-round match with a left-knee problem.
The seventh seed was set to take on Peter Gojowczyk on the stadium court, but was instead replaced by lucky loser Adrian Mannarino. The 2016 champion in Atlanta, Kyrgios addressed the evening-session crowd after his withdrawal.
“First of all, I just want to say I’m extremely shattered that I’m not able to compete tonight,” he said. “I’ve won this tournament once and I’m playing probably some of the best tennis of my career. All I wanted to do was come out here and give you guys a show, but I’m unable to give my best performance today.
“I’m just extremely sorry, but I’m going to keep my hopes up and maybe be able to continue doubles with Thanasi this week.”
Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis, the reigning Australian Open doubles champions, earned a first-round victory on Monday night against Nicolas Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin.
“I wanted to come out here and see you guys face-to-face to tell you that I love you guys, and hopefully next year in singles hopefully I’ll be able to compete and give it my all.”
Fresh off winning his first ATP Tour title in Hamburg, #NextGenATP Italian Lorenzo Musetti remained in top form at the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag on Tuesday. The 20-year-old earned a 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 win against Slovakia’s Aljaz Bedene.
“I think I learned a lot from last week,” Musetti said post-match. “I think I grew up as a human being, as a professional player. There were a lot of difficult moments in this match, but I arrived in a positive way.
“That’s why I won today, because Aljaz was playing really good, especially in the second set and the beginning of the third. So it was not easy for me to find a way to break his game.”
Entering Umag at a career-high of No. 31 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, Musetti picked up where he left off in his Hamburg final victory against Carlos Alcaraz. The Italian eased to the opening set as he showcased his variety from all parts of the court before Bedene snapped back in the second set, overcoming an early break deficit as he hit through the court with his power game.
The men traded breaks early in the deciding set, but it was all Musetti down the stretch. The Italian won the final four games in convincing fashion, finishing the match with a delicate drop shot to close out a love hold. After requiring six match points to dismiss Alcaraz in Hamburg, one was enough for Musetti in Umag.
“I came yesterday [to Umag] so it was not easy to rest and to to recover at 100 per cent,” Musetti said. “I wasn’t sure about my physical condition but I’m very happy about the win.”
The eighth seed can now look ahead to an all-Italian second-round match against Marco Cecchinato, who was a 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 winner against Mili Poljicak on Monday. Musetti won their lone previous ATP Head2Head meeting in five sets at Roland Garros in 2021. Earlier this season, the Italians teamed up for the doubles event in Marrakech.
“It’s a friendly derby,” Musetti previewed. “We are really close friends. He’s one of my best friends on Tour… I’m happy to share the court with him and have a fun battle with him.”
FOLLOW THIS WEEK’S ACTION
📺 TV Schedule
🎾 Watch Live On Tennis TV
📱 Follow Live Scores On ATP WTA Live
📧 Sign Up For Newsletters
Fifth seed Alex Molcan also advanced on Tuesday with a 6-2, 7-6(2) win against Duje Ajdukovic. Slovakia’s Molcan, a three-time tour-level finalist, is seeking his first title this week.
In a see-saw match that featured 10 breaks of serve in 20 games, Molcan was six of eight on his break chances, winning more than half of return points against both first and second serves. From 3-0 in the opening set, seven straight games went against serve.
He next faces Spain’s Roberto Carballes Baena, a 6-4, 7-5 winner against Henri Laaksonen on Monday.
France’s Corentin Moutet scored a 6-4, 6-2 upset against sixth seed Daniel Altmaier to set up a second-round meeting with Facundo Bagnis. The Argentine earned a 7-5, 6-3 victory against countryman Tomas Martin Etcheverry on Tuesday.
Second seed Jannik Sinner (vs. Jaume Munar) and third seed Casper Ruud (vs. Bernabe Zapata Miralles) open their Umag campaigns on Wednesday, with top seed Carlos Alcaraz (vs. Norbert Gombos) and fourth seed Sebastian Baez (vs. Laslo Djere or Franco Agamenone) set to open play on Thursday.
Jenson Brooksby made a perfect Atlanta Open debut on Tuesday when he eliminated Frenchman Benoit Paire 6-3, 6-1 to reach the second round.
“It feels really nice to be back in the States,” Brooksby said. “Always after two, three weeks off of matches it feels good to get a win under your belt and I thought that was a really solid match to start and I’ve been training really well too, so I’m excited with the path I’m on right now.”
The American got off to a quick start to his season, reaching the final in Dallas and winning three matches each at ATP Masters 1000 events at Indian Wells and Miami. But he went 5-8 during the clay and grass seasons.
While the 21-year-old used that as a learning experience, he is happy to be back on the hard courts.
“I had a really good hard-court season last year too and we learned things through the clay and grass this year,” Brooksby said. “I’m excited to be back on hard, definitely [being] back in the States and I think I can even do much better than last year.”
In an All-American clash, fifth seed Tommy Paul eased past wild card Jack Sock 6-1, 6-1. Paul broke his countryman’s serve six times to set a second-round clash against frequent practice partner Soonwoo Kwon of South Korea.
Reigning Winston-Salem champion Ilya Ivashka also moved on with a 6-0, 3-6, 6-3 win against Frenchman Quentin Halys. The 28-year-old will play top seed Reilly Opelka for a spot in the quarter-finals.
When Dominic Thiem walked on centre court Monday at the Generali Open, the same tournament where he made his ATP Tour main draw debut 11 years ago, the Austrian received a deafening ovation from the crowd. The former World No. 3 rewarded his home fans with a 6-4, 6-2 win against lucky loser Alexander Shevchenko.
“I was very, very nervous because even though the past weeks were better and better, I’m still not like two or three years ago when everything was going by itself somehow,” Thiem said in his on-court interview. “My goal was to be able to give a good show, to give good tennis to this amazing crowd and I’m happy that I was able to do it.”
There were some hard-hitting rallies in the match, with both players taking big swings at the ball. At times, Thiem backed up well behind the baseline to attack, especially on returns, which paid dividends in the key moments.
The 2019 Kitzbühel champion won 50 per cent of his return points and broke his opponent’s serve four times to advance after one hour and 29 minutes.
“Definitely it was a very tough match [physically], long rallies. Sometimes amazing pace from both of us and I’m very happy with the way I started here in Kitzbühel,” Thiem said. “Obviously the way I walked in with the atmosphere, with all the memories with the full centre court, it was unreal and it gave me goosebumps. I’m super happy to be the winner tonight.”
Photo Credit: Generali Open/Alexander Scheuber
The 28-year-old, who is still searching for his best form as he battles back from a wrist injury, will next face countryman Sebastian Ofner. The qualifier clawed past former World No. 7 Gasquet 1-6, 7-5, 7-5 after two hours and 34 minutes earlier in the day to reach the second round.
Ofner owns an 11-13 tour-level record, but he is now 6-4 in Kitzbühel, where in 2017 he advanced to the semi-finals. The 26-year-old showed no fear of the moment competing in front of his home fans, taking full advantage of poor shot selection by Gasquet at the end of the match with a flurry of rushes to net to dispose of drop shots, also painting the line with shots at critical moments.
[ATP APP]The No. 235 player in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings saved eight of the 12 break points he faced in his first ATP Head2Head meeting with Gasquet.
It was a good day for Spaniards in Kitzbühel, where seventh seed Pedro Martinez and Pablo Andujar advanced. Martinez saved all six break points he faced in a 7-6(4), 6-3 victory against Chilean wild card Nicolas Jarry, while Andujar battled past ninth seed Lorenzo Sonego 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(4).
Germans Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies have already lifted trophies in Barcelona and Munich this season. On Tuesday, they made a good start towards earning a third crown in 2022.
The two-time Roland Garros champions defeated Spaniards Albert Ramos-Vinolas and Carlos Taberner 6-3, 6-3 to reach the quarter-finals of the Generali Open in Kitzbühel. The second seeds will next play Monagesque-Polish team Hugo Nys and Jan Zielinski. This is the first time Krawietz and Mies have competed together in Kitzbühel.
In other doubles action at the Austrian ATP 250, home favourites Neil Oberleitner and Jurij Rodionov upset third seeds Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen 6-4, 3-6, 11-9. Other teams that advanced were Dutch-Austrian duo Robin Haase and Philipp Oswald, Frenchmen Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul, and Dutchmen Tallon Griekspoor and Bart Stevens.
Second Seeds Survive Tough Test In Umag
Brazilian-Spanish pair Rafael Matos and David Vega Hernandez have captured three tour-level crowns together this year, but on Tuesday they nearly lost in the first round at the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag. The second seeds found a way to win though, clawing past Frenchman Albano Olivetti and Brazilian Fernando Romboli 3-6, 6-3, 11-9 to reach the quarter-finals in Umag.
Rajeev Ram and Jack Sock competed together in an ATP Tour event for the first time on Monday. That did not stop them from producing a nearly flawless performance.
The Americans ousted Mexico’s Hans Hach Verdugo and India’s Ramkumar Ramanathan 6-3, 6-3 to advance to the Atlanta Open quarter-finals without facing a break point. The third seeds won 93 per cent of their first-serve points to triumph after 53 minutes.
Ram’s full-time doubles partner is Joe Salisbury, the current No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Doubles Rankings. If Ram and Sock win the Atlanta title, Ram will have the same number of ranking points as Salisbury on Monday. Since he will have played fewer tournaments to earn those points, Ram would become the new doubles World No. 1.
In other Atlanta doubles action, American wild cards Christopher Eubanks and Mackenzie McDonald clawed past Frenchmen Quentin Halys and Adrian Mannarino 6-7(3), 6-4, 10-8.
Top Seeds Advance In Kitzbühel
Top seeds Tim Puetz and Michael Venus eliminated home favourites Lukas Neumayer and Sebastian Ofner 6-2, 6-3 to reach the quarter-finals of the Generali Open in Kitzbühel.
Joining them in the last eight were Spanish-Italian team Pedro Martinez and Lorenzo Sonego as well as Monagesque-Polish duo Hugo Nys and Jan Zielinski.
Barrientos/Reyes-Varela Rally In Umag
In the only doubles match played Monday at the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag, Colombian Nicolas Barrientos and Mexico’s Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela defeated Swede Andre Goransson and Japan’s Ben McLachlan 3-6, 6-2, 10-4.
One year ago, Brandon Nakashima reached his second ATP Tour final at the Atlanta Open. This edition, the #NextGenATP American will try to go one step further.
The 20-year-old made a good start on Monday when he battled past Australian Jordan Thompson 7-6(5), 3-6, 6-3 after two hours and 12 minutes. The eighth seed earned his first break of the match in the third set, and that was enough to move on at Atlantic Station.
Thompson is a familiar foe for Nakashima, as they have now played each other four times in the past 53 weeks, including twice in Atlanta. On this occasion, it was the American who advanced and took a 3-1 lead in their ATP Head2Head series. He will next play another Australian: John Millman or Alexei Popyrin.
Nakashima, who is trying to qualify for the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals, began the week eighth in the Pepperstone ATP Race To Milan.
In other action, South Korean Soonwoo Kwon rallied past home favourite Marcos Giron 7-6(3), 4-6, 7-5. Giron led by a break in the third set, but was unable to complete the victory against Kwon, who earned his first ATP Tour title last year in Nur-Sultan. The 24-year-old will face fifth seed Tommy Paul or wild card Jack Sock for a place in the quarter-finals.
Another American lost on Monday when Japan’s Taro Daniel battled past Sebastian Korda 1-6, 6-1, 6-3. The qualifier struggled in the early baseline rallies with the powerful Korda.
However, the American hit seven double faults in the second set, which helped turn the match in Daniel’s favour. The 29-year-old will next play fourth seed Frances Tiafoe.
At the fifth time of trying, Giulio Zeppieri is a main draw winner on the ATP Tour.
The #NextGenATP Italian rallied to a 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 first-round victory against Pedro Cachin at the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag on Monday. The 20-year-old needed five match points to complete his victory, but kept his cool to serve out for a one-hour, 54-minute win against the World No. 90.
“It’s a very emotional moment for me, my first win on the ATP Tour,” said Zeppieri in his on-court interview. “I’m very proud of myself because I beat a very good guy in Pedro, and I’m very happy.”
FOLLOW THIS WEEK’S ACTION
📺 TV Schedule
🎾 Watch Live On Tennis TV
📱 Follow Live Scores On ATP WTA Live
📧 Sign Up For Newsletters
Zeppieri showed good form on clay earlier this year, defeating Alex Molcan and Maxime Cressy to qualify for the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome before qualifying for his first Grand Slam main draw at Roland Garros.
He also came through qualifying in Umag at the weekend, seeing off 14-time Tour titlist Gilles Simon and Elias Ymer to reach the main draw in Croatia. Zeppieri won 84 per cent (42/50) of points behind his first delivery in a solid serving display against Cachin to secure the main draw win that had previously eluded him.
A magical moment ✨
Giulio Zeppieri gets his first-ever ATP win with a 3-6 6-1 6-4 comeback victory over Cachin in Umag!#CroatiaOpenUmag pic.twitter.com/XgiVQJTzLe
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) July 25, 2022
A potential second-round clash between Zeppieri and his more experienced countryman Fabio Fognini was scuppered by Daniel Elahi Galan. The Colombian upset the seventh-seeded Fognini, who lifted the trophy in Umag in 2016, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3.
The 26-year-old Galan celebrated cracking the Top 100 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings for the first time on Monday by prevailing in a two-hour, 43-minute battle. He consistently challenged in return games, converting seven of 14 break points in his first ATP Head2Head meeting with Fognini.
Also on Monday, Roberto Carballes Baena defeated Henri Laaksonen, 6-4, 7-5 to set a second-round meeting with fifth seed Alex Molcan or home wild card Duje Ajdukovic.
After starting the year with some top-class displays on hard courts, has the time come for Jiri Lehecka to make a breakthrough on the clay?
The #NextGenATP Czech may have done things the hard way in his 7-6(6), 6-4 first-round victory against Thiago Monteiro at the Generali Open in Kitzbühel on Monday, but a dominant serving performance ultimately helped the 20-year-old seal a debut win at the ATP 250 event in Austria.
Lehecka let slip a 3-0 lead in the first set and later had to fend off a Monteiro set point at 5/6 in a close-fought first-set tie-break, but he retained his composure to complete a one-hour, 46-minute win, having fired 10 aces and won 82 per cent (31/38) of points behind his first delivery.
FOLLOW THIS WEEK’S ACTION
📺 TV Schedule
🎾 Watch Live On Tennis TV
📱 Follow Live Scores On ATP WTA Live
📧 Sign Up For Newsletters
The 20-year-old charged to a maiden tour-level semi-final in February as a qualifier at the indoor hard-court ATP 500 event in Rotterdam, where he upset Denis Shapovalov, Botic van de Zandschulp and Lorenzo Musetti. Lehecka, who currently sits sixth in the Pepperstone ATP Race To Milan, will hope for a similarly deep run in Austria to boost his chances of qualifying for November’s Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals.
Lehecka’s second-round assignment is a first ATP Head2Head meeting with Joao Sousa, after the eighth seed brushed past Czech qualifier Vit Kopriva, 6-1, 7-5. Sousa broke Kopriva’s serve five times in a 90-minute victory, his first tour-level win since Roland Garros in late May. Sousa has enjoyed success in Kitzbühel before, reaching the final in 2017 before falling to Philipp Kohlschreiber.
Federico Coria extended his winning streak against recent Wimbledon quarter-finalist Cristian Garin to three with a 6-4, 7-5 victory. The Argentine dropped just two games against Garin in the pair’s most recent meeting in Rio de Janeiro in February, and Coria was clinical with his chances to prevail once again in Austria, where he converted four from eight break point opportunities to clinch the win on tournament debut.
Coria will next face seventh seed Pedro Martinez or wild card Nicolas Jarry in the second round as he chases a fifth tour-level quarter-final appearance of 2022.
A pair of home wild cards enjoyed impressive starts to their campaigns in Kitzbühel, as both Filip Misolic and Jurij Rodionov completed straight-sets first-round wins. Misolic defeated Daniel Dutra da Silva, 6-2, 7-6(6), while Rodionov saw off Argentine qualifier Hernan Casanova 6-4, 6-2.
