Tennis News

Zverev Downs Djokovic, Reaches Turin Final

Alexander Zverev stood up and delivered Saturday in front of a lively crowd at the Nitto ATP Finals as he produced a high-quality performance, edging Novak Djokovic 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-3 to set up a final showdown with Daniil Medvedev in Turin.

The German, who beat Djokovic in the 2018 season finale championship match, played bravely and hit with great depth in the crucial moments against the Serbian. Zverev saved a set point in the first set and closed the net effectively throughout to advance after two hours and 29 minutes in an entertaining match.

The 24-year-old engaged with the fans inside the Pala Alpitour and hit 35 winners to reduce his ATP Head2Head series deficit to 4-7 against the World No. 1.

“Every time we play it takes hours,” Zverev said in his on-court interview. “I have not spent more time on court with anybody other than him this year. I am happy with the win and happy to be in the final here and to give myself the best chance for tomorrow.”

With his victory, Zverev avenged his US Open semi-final defeat to Djokovic. It is the second time the 18-time tour-level titlist has beaten the top seed this year, after upsetting him en route to clinching the Tokyo Olympic singles gold medal.

Zverev, who went 2-1 in Red Group action to qualify for the last four, will face Medvedev in the final on Sunday after the Russian cruised past Casper Ruud 6-4, 6-2. Medvedev leads Zverev 6-5 in their ATP Head2Head series, having defeated the 24-year-old in a third-set tie-break in the round-robin stage earlier this week.

Zverev will now try to do what he did in 2018 when he won the title by reversing a round-robin loss to the player he’s meeting in the championship match.

“I lost 8/6 in the third in the group stage, so I am just looking forward to the match as I think it will be a great one,” Zverev said. “There is only the best here, so it takes a lot to win this tournament.

“I am looking forward to having another chance and we are in the final and I am happy to be in the final. He is one of the best players in the world right now, so It is going to be a difficult match no matter what.”

The World No. 3 has now earned 58 tour-level wins this season. The German triumphed at ATP Masters 1000 events in Madrid and Cincinnati, while he also lifted trophies in Acapulco and Vienna.

Both players were strong on serve in a tight first set, which roared into life near its conclusion. Firstly, Zverev saved a set point at 4-5, 30/40 with a huge first serve, which he greeted with a roar, before Djokovic fended off two break points in the following game. The Serb saved the second one by serving and volleying as he found great depth with his half-volley backhand to hold. In a tense tie-break, Zverev then increased his focus and power to move ahead.

The second set followed a similar pattern, with Djokovic winning 80 per cent of his first-serve points, while Zverev claimed 81 per cent of points behind his first delivery. In the ninth game of the set, Djokovic stepped up on return, breaking when Zverev could only hit a forehand into the net following a deep backhand from the World No. 1. Djokovic then converted his fifth set point on serve to force a decider.

However, Zverev regained his momentum in the third set as he kept Djokovic at bay with his heavy-hitting. The Serb won just 41 per cent of second serve points in the match compared to Zverev, who won 63 per cent. After breaking to move 3-1 ahead, Zverev was clinical on serve, fending off one break point at 4-2, before sealing his victory with one of the 14 aces he hit in the match.

Djokovic was aiming to draw level with Roger Federer and capture his record-equalling sixth Nitto ATP Finals title in Turin. The 34-year-old, who last triumphed at the season finale in 2015, arrived in Turin in form after lifting his 37th Masters 1000 trophy in Paris earlier this month.

The World No. 1 did not drop a set in the round-robin stage, but was unable to find his top level in the semi-final as he came up against an inspired Zverev on Saturday.

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Preview: Ram/Salisbury Target Perfect Week As They Face Herbert/Mahut

If the Nitto ATP Finals doubles final proves to be anything like the match the same two teams played during the round-robin stages, the clash of US Open champions Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury with 2019 season finale winners Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut could be one to remember.

Ram and Salisbury beat Herbert and Mahut 6-7(7), 6-0, 13-11 on Tuesday, but Herbert and Mahut knew they still had an excellent chance to make it to the semi-finals – a chance they took and capitalised upon when they reached their third final as a team at the season-ending championships.

For three of the four finalists, this rarefied territory is familiar. Ram made the title match at the Nitto ATP Finals in 2017 alongside Raven Klaasen. Herbert and Mahut are into their third straight final at the season finale, having lost in 2018 despite holding match point on Mike Bryan and Jack Sock, and triumphed in 2019 over Klaasen and Michael Venus.

The odd man out is Salisbury, who became the first British player to reach the doubles final when he and Ram defeated World No. 1 team Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic 4-6, 7-6(3), 10-4 in the semi-finals.

“I didn’t know that,” Salisbury said after being informed of the record. “Obviously it makes it extra special, I suppose. Hopefully there’ll be a lot more.

“It’s a big, big achievement, obviously really, really proud of it, but I don’t want to be just a Brit getting to the final, I want to be the one winning it. Obviously we’re enjoying the win right now but we’re going to be back to business soon and really focusing on the match tomorrow and getting the title.”

Ram and Salisbury, who claimed their second Grand Slam title at the US Open this year, trailed Mektic and Pavic 1-4 in the ATP Head2Head coming into the match and Salisbury said it felt “really, really good” to get the win, after the pairing lost in last year’s semi-finals despite holding two match points.

“Especially in this tournament, the biggest ATP tournament of the year, and the way we did it, coming from a set down, not playing our best,” Salisbury added. “We were really up against it and we showed a lot of character, a lot of fighting spirit to stick in there and to believe that we could turn it around and play our best at the end.”

In a semi-final lineup which featured the top four seeds for the first time at the Nitto ATP Finals since Shanghai in 2007, Herbert and Mahut followed Ram and Salisbury into the final with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos.

Victory for Herbert and Mahut would see them make history as the first French pairing to win the Nitto ATP Finals more than once. It would also crown a season which has already seen them become the eighth doubles team in history to complete the career Grand Slam when they beat Alexander Bublik and Andrey Golubev in the final of Roland Garros. They also won the Queen’s Club title and finished runner-up in Lyon and at the Rolex Paris Masters.

“He’s 39 and he’s just like a junior!” Herbert joked about his veteran partner after Mahut’s determined pursuit of a drop shot left him with no option but to hurdle the net during their semi-final match against Granollers and Zeballos.

“It would mean a lot [to win the title],” Mahut said. “It’s the greatest event on the ATP [Tour]. We had the chance already to win the trophy, and we know the difference between losing in the final and winning in the final is a big difference. And personally I really like the trophy, I think it’s one of the best of the year, so I would love to have it one more time in my hands.”

The ATP Head2Head between the two teams, both of whom are looking for their third title of 2021, stands at 1-1. Ram and Salisbury are unbeaten at the Pala Alpitour this week, but Herbert and Mahut have the experience of winning this title – and played their best tennis of the tournament in the semi-finals. This could be a Nitto ATP Finals doubles final to savour.

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Peng Shuai: New video 'insufficient' evidence of Chinese player's welfare – WTA

A video claiming to show Chinese player Peng Shuai out with friends is “insufficient” evidence of her welfare, says Women’s Tennis Association chief Steve Simon.

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Herbert/Mahut Dazzle To Reach Third Year-End Final

Nicolas Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herbert defeated Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos 6-3, 6-4 in the semi-finals of the Nitto ATP Finals on Sunday to charge into their third championship match at the season finale.

The doubles final in Turin will be contested between the French pairing, who are looking for their second title at the season finale, and Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury, who defeated World No. 1 team Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic in the first semi-final.

There are few doubles pairings more experienced at the Nitto ATP Finals than Herbert and Mahut, who have played six of the past seven years, made the semi-finals on their past three appearances and did not drop a set en route to the title in 2019.

The French pairing had their winning streak snapped by Ram and Salisbury during the group stages, but did not drop a set in their other round-robin matches. Granollers and Zeballos had saved four match points earlier in the tournament and brought a 2-0 record in the ATP Head2Head into the semi-final clash, but found themselves comprehensively outplayed throughout the 76-minute match.

Herbert and Mahut made a scintillating start: Mahut hit an incredible return to break Zeballos in the Argentine’s first service game of the match. By the time the French pairing had raced to 3-0, they had won 13 of the first 15 points and Zeballos’ racquet had hit the court. Herbert and Mahut went on to close out the set 6-3 in 33 minutes without having faced a break point.

They would not face one in the second set, either. Mahut continued to shine, hitting a jaw-dropping return winner to earn break point as Granollers served to open the second set. He even hurdled the net at one point while chasing down a drop shot.

The Spanish-Argentine pairing managed to hold to open the second set, but were under consistent pressure on serve and were broken to love in the eighth game.

The only hint of a change in momentum came when Herbert was serving for the match, when he went down 0-30 before finding a crucial ace. Mahut backed him up with an impressive volley and the pair closed out the win to reach their third final at the Nitto ATP Finals.

Sunday’s final will be a rematch of the round-robin clash between Herbert/Mahut and Ram/Salisbury, which took place on Tuesday. Ram and Salisbury narrowly won 6-7(7), 6-0, 13-11.

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Ruud: 'I Am Proud Of The Year'

Following his loss to Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals at the Nitto ATP Finals, Casper Ruud was in a reflective mood on Saturday as he looked back fondly on his breakthrough season and the experience he has gained in Turin.

The 22-year-old won five tour-level titles and became the first Norwegian to crack the Top 10 in the FedEx ATP Rankings in 2021.

“It has been a great year for me and my development as a tennis player,” Rudd said. “Getting to know my opponents more and playing this tournament has been a great experience. To finish a very good year off here in Turin has been a great experience for me and something I will be eager to try and repeat and be back here next year.”

Ruud was making his debut at the season finale and went 2-1 in Green Group action as he advanced to the semi-finals. It is a tournament the World No. 8 feels will be crucial for his development as he aims to return to the Pala Alpitour next year.

“I got the perfect feedback on what I have to work on in my game to compete with the top guys in the world for next year,” Rudd said. “I played the World No. 1 and No. 2 this week and they beat me fairly comfortably, so that makes me want to seek revenge and become a better player next year.

“When next year starts, I will have it in the back of my mind. Every week and every match matters. It was only a couple of matches that made the difference of qualifying for the tournament. I am proud of the year and am looking forward to next year. If I can keep playing well, I can have another year like this year.”

A large part of Ruud’s success has been down to his differing fortunes on hard courts, with the 22-year-old capturing his first tour-level title on the surface in San Diego in October. Prior to this year, Ruud held a 16-27 tour-level record on hard. But he went 25-10 this season on the surface.

On his improvement, Ruud said: “I have brought a lot of match confidence playing big on big points and winning the right points in many matches. Many of the matches I have played this year have been decided by only two or three points. The majority of all of my wins have been decided by only a few points, but that is something you build up when you play a lot of matches.

“It is easy to doubt yourself in the toughest moments, but this year has been great for me when it has come down to this as I have played aggressively and well on the biggest points.”

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Medvedev Marches Into Turin Final

Daniil Medvedev moved to within one match of retaining his Nitto ATP Finals title Saturday, cruising past Casper Ruud 6-4, 6-2 to earn his ninth consecutive victory at the season finale.

The Russian soared through the round-robin stage with a perfect 3-0 record and played with such confidence against Ruud as he overpowered the Norwegian with his flat and deep groundstrokes in a dominant performance to advance after 80 minutes in Turin.

“As soon as you are a set and a break up you feel like you are in control, but that is when the danger is,” Medvedev said in his on-court interview. “You need to stay focused and fight for every point. In the last game I had 0/30 on my serve, and until the last point, it is never over. So I am happy I was able to finish it.

“I think all the matches were a great level. Different opponents and different styles. I managed to win all the matches. It was not an easy match [today]. When you are in the final you can’t complain, so I am just looking forward to tomorrow and hopefully I can have my best match.”

Medvedev now leads Ruud 3-0 in their ATP Head2Head series, having also defeated the World No. 8 on grass in Mallorca in June en route to the title.

The 25-year-old, who downed Dominic Thiem to lift The Brad Drewett Trophy in London in 2020, will face either five-time Nitto ATP Finals champion Novak Djokovic or 2018 titlist Alexander Zverev in the championship match.

Earlier this season, the World No. 2 captured his fourth ATP Masters 1000 crown in Toronto, before he ended Djokovic’s Grand Slam hopes in the US Open final to win his maiden major title. Medvedev arrived in Turin following a run to the championship match in Paris, where he lost to Djokovic, who gained revenge for his defeat at Flushing Meadows.

Medvedev trails the Serbian 4-6 in their ATP Head2Head series, but leads Zverev 6-5, having won their past five meetings, including a three-set win at the Pala Alpitour this week.

“At this moment we are the Top 3 in the rankings,” Medvedev added. “Just three of us left here, so I am looking forward to a great match tomorrow no matter who I play. I had a few tough matches against Novak lately and a few tough matches against Sascha and one here this week, so it is going to be interesting.”

Medvedev made a quick start against Ruud as he soaked up the 22-year-old’s heavy-hitting, while imposing his explosive game on the Norwegian to break early. In the fast conditions, the Russian was strong on serve in the first set, winning 85 per cent (17/20) of points behind his first delivery as he sealed the opener after 42 minutes.

The World No. 2 continued to control proceedings in the second set as he coped with Ruud’s variety to great effect, dealing with the 22-year-old’s slice and drop shots to move 4-2 ahead. Medvedev then raced to the finish line, firing 17 winners and committing 14 unforced errors in the match to secure victory.

Ruud was making his debut at the Nitto ATP Finals and edged Andrey Rublev to qualify for the semi-finals as he went 2-1 in Green Group action. In a breakthrough season, he has earned 55 tour-level wins, holding a 25-10 record on hard courts. Before this year, Ruud was 16-27 in tour-level matches on hard courts.

The 22-year-old clinched five tour-level titles in 2021 and became the first Norwegian to crack the Top 10 in the FedEx ATP Rankings in September.

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ATP Final: Joe Salisbury & Rajeev Ram win Turin semi-final

Joe Salisbury is the first Briton to reach the ATP Finals doubles final after winning through in Turin with American partner Rajeev Ram.

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Nitto, Casa UGI Support Kids Through Mascot Programme

Title sponsor Nitto, in cooperation with Casa UGI, is gifting the 2021 Nitto ATP Finals’ mascot kid programme to the Casa UGI organization.

Casa UGI, which was established in 1980, provides support to children who are battling cancer. It also helps the children’s families, doctors, nurses, and volunteers.

Nitto is providing the children with the memorable experience of welcoming the players on the court. Afterwards, the kids watch the action alongside their families from some of the best seats inside the Pala Alpitour.

In a statement, Nitto said: “Nitto is supporting those who take on challenges. As title partner of the Nitto ATP Finals, we sincerely hope that many children will have an incredible experience at the Nitto ATP Finals, and that the heated battle between the world’s best players will become a treasured lifelong memory which will inspire them, as they move forward toward a bright future.”

Nitto has also donated tickets to Casa UGI, local tennis schools and frontline workers during the pandemic.

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Ruud's Renaissance: How Casper Has Become A Hard-Court Force

Early in his career, Casper Ruud embraced his clay-court success and wanted to follow in the footsteps of Rafael Nadal and Dominic Thiem by becoming a menace on the surface. Although the Norwegian has done that, he has had a Ruud Renaissance elsewhere: hard courts.

The 22-year-old has reversed his fortunes on the surface in 2021 in a big way. And after advancing to the semi-finals of the Nitto ATP Finals on Friday with a victory against Andrey Rublev, Ruud is two wins away from lifting the trophy at the season finale on his least-favoured surface.

“When I was watching him play against Rublev, your mindset is just that he’s really good now,” He’s not just a clay-court player who is starting to get better,” former World No. 4 Brad Gilbert told ATPTour.com. “He’s just a good player now and that result didn’t surprise me.”

Entering the season, Ruud was 16-27 in tour-level matches on hard courts. This year, he is 25-9 with victories against Rublev, Turin competitor Cameron Norrie, former World No. 1 Andy Murray, Argentine Diego Schwartzman, 2017 Nitto ATP Finals champion Grigor Dimitrov and more. Only three players own a better winning percentage on hard courts this year, and they are the three other semi-finalists in Turin: Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev.

It has been a work in progress for Ruud, who focussed on his hard-court game during the ATP Tour’s suspension due to the Covid-19 pandemic last year. He spent the time making himself comfortable being uncomfortable.

“You have to be even faster with the legs and quicker with the steps, reacting quicker than maybe when you’re standing two, three, four metres behind the baseline,” Ruud told ATPTour.com at the time. “It’s definitely been a challenge for me. In some practices I’ve felt like I’ve made more mistakes than I usually do because stepping more into the court is higher risk than staying back and playing with more topspin.
“It’s more comfortable being aggressive than being on the defence and running around all the time. You have to try to be as aggressive as you can but for some people it comes more naturally than others.”

Ruud’s team, spearheaded by his father, former World No. 39 Christian Ruud, has known Casper’s strongest surface is clay, where he has time to hit as many forehands as possible and grind down opponents. But Christian never lost faith that his son had potential on hard.

“On hard courts you have to stay inside the baseline more and take the ball on the rise. He has improved that a lot, especially on the backhand side. He has beaten some good guys on hard courts this year and previously,” Christian told ATPTour.com in August. “While his favourite surface may always be clay, I think he can do well in the future on hard courts.”

Ruud’s surge on hard came quicker than they might have expected. The Norwegian claimed his first ATP Tour title on the surface at the San Diego Open, where he lost just two games in the final against Norrie. Now, he is shining in Turin at the Pala Alpitour.

Early in the week, several players noted the court’s quick speed, which would seemingly be unfavourable for Ruud. But Gilbert, who has been following the Nitto ATP Finals closely from his home in California, believes it has been closer to a medium speed. And the Norwegian has thrived, defeating Norrie and Rublev to advance to the semi-finals against Medvedev.

Gilbert remembers watching Ruud two years ago in Houston, where he made his maiden tour-level final. And a couple of things stick out that the former coach of Andre Agassi and Andy Roddick believes has made a big difference.

“He’s improved his serve a tonne. That’s his most improved shot. Both his first and his second. He’s incredibly improved on both those shots,” Gilbert said. “His forehand is his big weapon and in the past he’d hit a lot of home runs, but have a lot of misses. He’s so much more consistent and accurate with his forehand as well. Those two shots are why he is playing so much better.

“He’s gotten consistent, he’s gotten solid and he’s learned to not overplay, not play differently from what he tries to do on clay where he’s so good.”

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Ruud's Renaissance: How Casper Has Become A Hard-Court Force

Early in his career, Casper Ruud embraced his clay-court success and wanted to follow in the footsteps of Rafael Nadal and Dominic Thiem by becoming a menace on the surface. Although the Norwegian has done that, he has had a Ruud Renaissance elsewhere: hard courts.

The 22-year-old has reversed his fortunes on the surface in 2021 in a big way. And after advancing to the semi-finals of the Nitto ATP Finals on Friday with a victory against Andrey Rublev, Ruud is two wins away from lifting the trophy at the season finale on his least-favoured surface.

“When I was watching him play against Rublev, your mindset is just that he’s really good now,” He’s not just a clay-court player who is starting to get better,” former World No. 4 Brad Gilbert told ATPTour.com. “He’s just a good player now and that result didn’t surprise me.”

Entering the season, Ruud was 16-27 in tour-level matches on hard courts. This year, he is 25-9 with victories against Rublev, Turin competitor Cameron Norrie, former World No. 1 Andy Murray, Argentine Diego Schwartzman, 2017 Nitto ATP Finals champion Grigor Dimitrov and more. Only three players own a better winning percentage on hard courts this year, and they are the three other semi-finalists in Turin: Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev.

It has been a work in progress for Ruud, who focussed on his hard-court game during the ATP Tour’s suspension due to the Covid-19 pandemic last year. He spent the time making himself comfortable being uncomfortable.

“You have to be even faster with the legs and quicker with the steps, reacting quicker than maybe when you’re standing two, three, four metres behind the baseline,” Ruud told ATPTour.com at the time. “It’s definitely been a challenge for me. In some practices I’ve felt like I’ve made more mistakes than I usually do because stepping more into the court is higher risk than staying back and playing with more topspin.
“It’s more comfortable being aggressive than being on the defence and running around all the time. You have to try to be as aggressive as you can but for some people it comes more naturally than others.”

Ruud’s team, spearheaded by his father, former World No. 39 Christian Ruud, has known Casper’s strongest surface is clay, where he has time to hit as many forehands as possible and grind down opponents. But Christian never lost faith that his son had potential on hard.

“On hard courts you have to stay inside the baseline more and take the ball on the rise. He has improved that a lot, especially on the backhand side. He has beaten some good guys on hard courts this year and previously,” Christian told ATPTour.com in August. “While his favourite surface may always be clay, I think he can do well in the future on hard courts.”

Ruud’s surge on hard came quicker than they might have expected. The Norwegian claimed his first ATP Tour title on the surface at the San Diego Open, where he lost just two games in the final against Norrie. Now, he is shining in Turin at the Pala Alpitour.

Early in the week, several players noted the court’s quick speed, which would seemingly be unfavourable for Ruud. But Gilbert, who has been following the Nitto ATP Finals closely from his home in California, believes it has been closer to a medium speed. And the Norwegian has thrived, defeating Norrie and Rublev to advance to the semi-finals against Medvedev.

Gilbert remembers watching Ruud two years ago in Houston, where he made his maiden tour-level final. And a couple of things stick out that the former coach of Andre Agassi and Andy Roddick believes has made a big difference.

“He’s improved his serve a tonne. That’s his most improved shot. Both his first and his second. He’s incredibly improved on both those shots,” Gilbert said. “His forehand is his big weapon and in the past he’d hit a lot of home runs, but have a lot of misses. He’s so much more consistent and accurate with his forehand as well. Those two shots are why he is playing so much better.

“He’s gotten consistent, he’s gotten solid and he’s learned to not overplay, not play differently from what he tries to do on clay where he’s so good.”

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