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Refreshed Rublev Readies For First Djokovic Meeting In Turin

  • Posted: Nov 16, 2021

After his victory on Monday, Andrey Rublev admitted that he had woken up from a daytime nap convinced that he had accidentally slept through his Nitto ATP Finals night match. Despite feeling ‘completely broken’, the Russian eventually shook off the grogginess to win emphatically against Stefanos Tsitsipas in Turin with the help of some powerful serving.

“It was the first time ever and I’m happy with everything I did today on court,” Rublev said of his impressive serving numbers. “From serve, return, rallies from the baseline to my mental part, how I controlled my emotions today. So we’ll see if I can keep going this way.”

He might not be sleeping so easily as he prepares for the next Green Group match at the Pala Alpitour, where he will meet World No. 1 Novak Djokovic for the first time. 

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“He’s one of the greatest players in history, so I don’t know what to say,” Rublev said of playing Djokovic. “I hope I’m going to win a couple of games, but the reality is the only thing I can do is to do my best and believe in myself.”

Despite struggling with his form during the build-up to Turin, Rublev showed some of his best tennis of the year against Tsitsipas. The Russian’s serve shined during his opening performance; he didn’t face a break point across two sets and won 90 per cent (37/41) of points behind his first serve. 

But he’ll have to be on from the start to contend with the Djokovic return, one of the best in the game. Rublev’s second serve was in trouble against Tsitsipas, but he got away with it by not giving the Greek too many looks at it. Expect Djokovic to hone in on any opportunities that Rublev allows him. 

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Earlier in the year, Rublev made a big statement when he took down Rafael Nadal on clay in Monte-Carlo. Two years ago, he defeated Roger Federer in their first meeting in Cincinnati. But will it be a tall task to take down another of the Big Three – especially at one of Djokovic’s most successful events? 

Seven-time No. 1 in the year-end FedEx ATP Rankings and five-time Nitto ATP Finals champion Djokovic opened his Turin account with a comfortable win over Casper Ruud. It was his first meeting of the year against the surging Norwegian, and he needed a few games to settle into the match before clinching the match in straight sets.

“It was a really terrible start, but also funny because I’m still trying to figure out what happened,” Djokovic said. “Casper started strong. He was serving well… He did positively surprise me with this serve, particularly in the first set. I just managed to read it better in the second set. But it was a close one.”

Djokovic and Rublev are level with one win apiece at the top of the Green Group, and a victory on Wednesday could see the winner in pole position to reach the semi-finals.   

Eighth seed Ruud and fourth seed Tsitsipas will return to the Pala Alpitour for the night session match on Wednesday, with both players seeking their first win of the Nitto ATP Finals. 

The 22-year-old Norwegian admitted that nerves played a factor in his opening defeat to Djokovic, and he’ll hope to arrive on court more settled against the 2019 champion. 

“It’s not always easy, it’s the first match, I’m sure he was a bit nervous, I don’t know, but I was also a bit nervous and it’s the first time for me on this stage,” Ruud acknowledged. “It shows that it means something for you and it gets the adrenaline going. so I think it’s a positive for me even if it’s nicer not to feel nervous.”

Ruud and Tsitsipas will take a 1-1 ATP Head2Head record into their third encounter of the year. Ruud defeated the Greek on the clay courts in Madrid, while Tsitsipas won on hard courts in Toronto.

In doubles, second seeds Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury need one more victory to put themselves in a qualifying position in the Green Group. The US Open champions will take on fellow group leaders Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut, the third-seeded Frenchmen – both teams have yet to drop a set in Turin.

Colombian fifth seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah will also face Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares, the seventh seeds, as they seek their first group stage wins.

ORDER OF PLAY – WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2021
CENTRE COURT start 11:30 am
[5] J. S. Cabal (COL) / R. Farah (COL) vs [7] J. Murray (GBR) / B. Soares (BRA)

Not Before 2:00 pm
[1] N. Djokovic (SRB) vs [5] A. Rublev (RUS)

Not Before 6:30 pm
[2] R. Ram (USA) / J. Salisbury (GBR) vs [3] P-H. Herbert (FRA) /N. Mahut (FRA)

Not Before 9:00 pm
[4] S. Tsitsipas (GRE) vs [8] C. Ruud (NOR)

See below semi-final qualification scenarios in play on Tuesday, 16 November and Wednesday, 17 November for both groups at the Nitto ATP Finals.

Singles Green Group qualification scenarios after the completion of the 1st round of the event’s group stage:
– N. DJOKOVIC qualifies on Wednesday if:
– N. DJOKOVIC defeats A. RUBLEV and C. RUUD defeats S. TSITSIPAS.

– N. DJOKOVIC defeats A. RUBLEV in 2 sets and S. TSITSIPAS defeats C. RUUD in 3 sets.

A. RUBLEV qualifies on Wednesday if:
– A. RUBLEV defeats N. DJOKOVIC and S. TSITSIPAS defeats C. RUUD.
– A. RUBLEV defeats N. DJOKOVIC in 2 sets and C. RUUD defeats S. TSITSIPAS in 3 sets.

Singles Red Group qualification scenarios as of 5:30 p.m. local time Tuesday:
Following M. BERRETTINI’S withdrawal, D. MEDVEDEV has qualified for the semi-finals and won the group.

Doubles Red Group qualification scenarios after the completion of the 1st round of the event’s group stage:
R. RAM / J. SALISBURY qualify on Wednesday if:
– R. RAM / J. SALISBURY defeat P. HERBERT / N. MAHUT and J. MURRAY / B. SOARES defeat J. CABAL / R. FARAH.
– R. RAM / J. SALISBURY defeat P. HERBERT / N. MAHUT in 2 sets and J. CABAL / R. FARAH defeat J. MURRAY / B. SOARES in 3 sets.

P. HERBERT / N. MAHUT qualify on Wednesday if:
– P. HERBERT / N. MAHUT defeat R. RAM / J. SALISBURY and J. CABAL / R. FARAH defeat J. MURRAY / B. SOARES.
– P. HERBERT / N. MAHUT defeat R. RAM / J. SALISBURY in 2 sets and J. MURRAY / B. SOARES defeat J. CABAL / R. FARAH in 3 sets.

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Lorenzi On Sinner: 'He Is Ready To Be One Of The Best'

  • Posted: Nov 16, 2021

Paolo Lorenzi’s first memory of Jannik Sinner is one he will never forget.

They were both competing in an ATP Challenger Tour event in Biella, Italy, in 2018. Lorenzi was the third seed, and Sinner, who was in qualifying as the World No. 878, had just turned 17.

“It was raining one day, so we went to another club to practise. We were doing a drill, and I was usually one of the best to do that drill from the baseline. He was doing that better than me, so when I finished I went to the coach and said, ‘This is special,” Lorenzi told ATPTour.com. “It is not normal when you are in the Top 100 to find a guy who is 17 and doing these things better than you. From then, I started to follow him.

“He’s a great guy and I still have a good relationship with him. What he’s doing this year is amazing and we hope he is going to do better and better in the coming years.”

In just three years, Sinner has gone from losing in the first round of qualifying at that Challenger to competing in the Nitto ATP Finals. With Matteo Berrettini’s withdrawal from the season finale due to injury, Sinner will take his place in the Red Group and face Hubert Hurkacz on Tuesday evening.

“I think it’s the best opportunity. Of course it came for Matteo’s injury. He doesn’t want to come in like this, but he deserved to be the first alternate,” Lorenzi said. “The crowd is Italian, so it’s an unbelievable chance for him. Usually he’d have to wait one more year to play this tournament and now he has the chance.

“Maybe he has less pressure because he’s playing at the last minute. I hope he can enjoy it and play great tennis, because the surface, fast, indoors, is one of the best for him.”

Sinner has already proven he can compete against the best players in the world. This season, he has won four ATP Tour titles and made his first ATP Masters 1000 final at the Miami Open presented by Itau.

“He’s going really fast, but for him I’m not surprised. I know it’s strange if he wins big tournaments [at his age], but what he is doing is normal because there are some players that have something more than others. He is one of them and I’m expecting a lot of things,” Lorenzi said. “I was with him when he made his first semi-final in Antwerp. We also made the semi-finals in doubles.

“He won his quarter-final, so the next day he had the first semi-final. After the quarter-final we played doubles and we won, but he just went to practise one more hour because he knew he had to improve. He is ready to be one of the best players in the world.”

It is easy to forget that Sinner, the 2019 Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals champion, just turned 20 in August. He carries himself like an established veteran.

“It’s not easy. Sometimes we are not thinking that he is 20 years old. He has a lot of money for a guy of his age. A lot of people recognise him. He still continues to be a normal guy,” Lorenzi said. “Today we got lunch together and we were talking about anything, not tennis.

“He was just saying, ‘Maybe I have to do better next year. If I’m in the top eight I don’t have to wait for someone else’. That is the key to his level so young.”

According to Lorenzi, the former World No. 33 who retired at this year’s US Open and is in Turin for Sky Italia, Sinner has incredible technique and power.

“It’s like he has a different racquet from me. Last year in New York I was practising with him every day. After practising with him, everyone else was hitting too slow,” Lorenzi said. “The ball comes fast. He takes the ball earlier and he has such good technique that the ball is coming quicker from his racquet. I think a lot is his technique is perfect on court. He starts from the legs and then the body.

“Sometimes I watch his match and stand behind him. It’s like he knows where the ball is going and takes it earlier than everyone else.”

Lorenzi praised Sinner’s team, led by Riccardo Piatti. But he added that not everything the former junior skier does on the court can be taught.

“He is special,” Lorenzi said. “He can do things that for us are very difficult. If you watch him play, it’s simple.”

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Sinner Steps Up For Hurkacz Rematch In Turin

  • Posted: Nov 16, 2021

He had to wait more than seven months, but Jannik Sinner will finally get his singles rematch against Hubert Hurkacz on Tuesday as he gears up for his first Nitto ATP Finals appearance. 

The 20-year-old is making his Turin debut as an alternate, after replacing Matteo Berrettini in the draw when he withdrew due to an abdominal injury. Earlier in the tournament, Berrettini was already forced to retire from his opening match against Alexander Zverev, trailing 7-6(7), 1-0. 

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Sinner, who hails from northern Italy, narrowly missed out on qualifying directly to the ATP season finale – held for the first time on his home soil – after Casper Ruud’s late surge claimed him the eighth spot. He will now face Hurkacz for the second time this season, in a rematch of their tightly contested Miami Open presented by Itau final. 

The seventh-seeded Pole stunned the field in South Florida on his way to his first ATP Masters 1000 title. In the final, he defeated his good friend and occasional doubles partner Sinner 7-6(4), 6-4. The pair have teamed up as recently as August, but they are now getting used to increasingly finding themselves on opposite sides of the net.

“I think we both are very young. If everything goes right, we both play for many, many years in tennis hopefully. I think we will see us together in some tournaments, in doubles for sure,” Sinner said after the Miami final. “I’m looking forward to playing against him once more in singles, taking the revenge and seeing what I can do against Hubi.”

Hurkacz will be looking to kickstart his Red Group campaign, and hopes to shake off a three-set defeat to Daniil Medvedev on Sunday. The Pole pushed the World No. 2 to the limit in his own Nitto ATP Finals debut, although the Russian used the fast conditions to his favour in the 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4 turnaround. 

“I still have a chance to qualify from the group, it’s great. I’ll just keep fighting and then keep believing in myself,” Hurkacz said after the match. “I’ll just try to stay positive. OK, I lost this match, but I’ll think about the positives and what I can do better and prepare for the next one.”

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Courier On Medvedev's Movement: 'Never Seen Anything Like It'

  • Posted: Nov 16, 2021

Daniil Medvedev has made it clear that when in form, he can beat anyone on the ATP Tour. But why is the Russian such a difficult foe?

The defending Nitto ATP Finals champion does not have a serve like John Isner, a forehand like Rafael Nadal or a backhand like Novak Djokovic. None of his strokes look like what you would find in a textbook, either. But according to former World No. 1 Jim Courier, the 6’6” right-hander has a tool the American has never seen before: his movement.

“Never seen it. Never seen anyone that tall be able to cover the court that well,” Courier said. “[Alexander] Zverev and I think Daniil are kind of in that same category of just [being] unbelievably long and unbelievably stout defensively.”

That is not to say Medvedev camps behind the baseline all match and chases the ball around the court. The Russian has a mix of skills that flummoxes opponents.

“He’s an interesting combo because he’s got a gigantic serve, one of the best first serves in the game, and he can also crank his second serve. But then once you get in a rally with him, his defence is amazing,” Courier said. “He covers the court so well from the back of the court. He can play offence, but his defence for me is really what separates him, his ability to make the court feel really small for his opponents.”

Medvedev stays back when necessary and shrinks the court. However, do not be surprised when he takes advantage of short balls and plays aggressively himself to make players uncomfortable.

“He’s still one of the rare guys where if you give him a short ball, he might back up instead of come to the net,” Courier said. “But he doesn’t hit from 25 feet behind the baseline on the return of serve and then stay back there all the time. He’ll come back up to the baseline and take time away from his opponents.”

Medvedev
Photo Credit: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour
For all of those reasons and more, beating the World No. 2 is a daunting challenge. But he was not necessarily pegged to be in this position a few years ago.. As recently as August 2018, he was outside the Top 50 of the FedEx ATP Rankings.

“[Daniil] and [coach] Gilles Cervara have done a great job at rounding out his game. His volleys have improved. They’re still not great, but they’re much better,” Courier said. “He has figured out where to stand on the court, so that’s changed over time, where he defends from and how he gets back on top of the baseline.

“There has just been constant development with them and then the confidence from winning all the matches is translated to more and more wins.”

What makes Medvedev even more dangerous is that his confidence is soaring. At the US Open, he lifted his first major trophy with a stunning straight-sets victory against Djokovic in the final, ending the Serbian’s Grand Slam dreams. The 25-year-old also made the Australian Open final this year and claimed an ATP Masters 1000 title in Toronto.

“It’s massive. What a gamechanger for him to know that he can win a tournament like that [at the US Open], especially given what was on the line for Novak. To be able to play that level of tennis in that moment, too [was impressive],” Courier said. “In Australia, he seemed like he was primed to do something pretty good, but he played a pretty poor match in that one. That’s got to feel especially sweet, to come good in that one [in New York].”

Medvedev has so many tools to win with, that an off day in some areas does not necessarily make for a disaster. So what does Courier believe must be done to defeat him?

“I think you’ve got to be patient. That’s the thing that you have to be with him,” Courier said. “You’ve got to bide your time because what might look like an opening isn’t necessarily one, because he’s able to close the gap so quickly and then play great shots in tough positions.”

The defending Nitto ATP Finals champion leads the Red Group this week with 2018 winner Alexander Zverev, home favourite Matteo Berrettini and tournament debutant Hubert Hurkacz.

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Tsitsipas: 'I Want To Step It Up'

  • Posted: Nov 16, 2021

Despite losing his opening match at the Nitto ATP Finals on Monday evening, Stefanos Tsitsipas has no plans of going down at the season finale without a fight.

The Greek lost in straight sets against Andrey Rublev to fall to 0-1 in Green Group action. But the 2019 champion is keen to get back on court and turn his week around.

“I am excited. I still want to play good tennis,” Tsitsipas said. “Despite the loss today I feel I will get more chances. I want to step it up and play better tennis next time.”

Tsitsipas knows that even with a loss, he has a chance to battle back and give himself a shot at reaching the semi-finals. But to do so, the three-time Nitto ATP Finals competitor will need to get back on track against tournament debutant Casper Ruud on Wednesday.

“I know how the format and how everything works. I am pretty experienced here having played the event three times before,” Tsitsipas said. “The feeling of playing here never gets old. I am still as excited as I was the very first time.

“It is a format that most players are not familiar with because we don’t get to play it very often with round-robin rules and sets can be important. I like it because it gives me chances and I can improve and get better match by match.”

The fourth seed hit 12 aces and saved five of the seven break points he faced against Rublev. But it was not enough against the on-fire Russian.

Tsitsipas credited Rublev for his performance, as the Russian won 90 per cent of his first-serve points to get off to a good start. The fifth seed will next play five-time champion Novak Djokovic in a battle of undefeated players.

“I could have played better, but Andrey played really well. He served the best I have ever seen him serve,” Tsitsipas said. “I think in the first set he made something like 22 consecutive first serves. Maybe the stats are different, but that is the feeling I have, so he was pretty good on his side.”

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Rublev: ‘I’m Happy With Everything I Did Today On Court’

  • Posted: Nov 16, 2021

Andrey Rublev was delighted with the way he played in a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas at the Nitto ATP Finals.

Rublev had held a match point against Tsitsipas at the 2020 season finale in London but lost in a third-set tie-break. It was the Russian’s serve that failed him on that occasion, as he double-faulted at a crucial moment.

But 12 months later Rublev turned in one of the best serving performances of his career, winning 90 per cent of points behind his first serve (36/40).

Asked whether he had ever produced such a consistent match on serve, Rublev chuckled.

“I think it was the first time ever,” he said. “I don’t know what to say because it was the first time ever and I’m happy with everything I did today on court. From serve, return, rallies from the baseline to my mental part, how I controlled my emotions today. So we’ll see if I can keep going this way.”

Rublev’s reward for tying his head-to-head with Tsitsipas at 4-4 is a Wednesday clash with World No. 1 Novak Djokovic. It will be the first match between the two and will determine which player leads the standings in the Green Group, after Djokovic defeated Casper Ruud 7-6(4), 6-2.

“It’s already set I’m going to play Novak and there is not much to say,” Rublev said. “He is one of the greatest players in history, so I don’t know even what to say. I hope I’m going to win a couple of games, but the reality is the only thing I can do is believe in myself and do my best.”

The victory over Tsitsipas was just the second Rublev has recorded at the Nitto ATP Finals, after a win over Dominic Thiem at The O2 Arena last year, which came when Rublev had already been eliminated from semi-final contention.

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Rublev’s performance was all the more impressive after the Russian revealed that he had mistakenly thought he had slept through the match.

“It’s true, because my match was at 9pm, so during the day I had a lot of time, so I decided to sleep,” Rublev explained.

“Normally I don’t sleep at all during the day or even if I try to sleep I never fall asleep, but today I fell asleep for more than one hour. I set an alarm for 6pm and when I woke up, it was already so dark, and I felt completely broken, like if someone wake you up at 7am. And I was thinking, ‘I’m not going to wake up now, I’m going to sleep for another half an hour.’ Because normally in the morning I set many alarms, like this I can sleep longer, at least mentally I think this.

“I felt strange, firstly I always put my phones on to charge and now they were not charging. I was thinking, something strange is going on. Normally at night I would charge them. Then I look at the time, 6pm. What is this? 6pm? How is possible? Did my phone get maybe a bit broken or something? And then I started to realise, ‘Oof, I fell asleep during the day. Oof, I have a match in couple of hours, so I need to wake up.’”

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Medvedev & Zverev Clash Takes Centre Stage In Turin

  • Posted: Nov 16, 2021

Red Group action resumes on Tuesday, headlined by a mouthwatering clash between two former Nitto ATP Finals winners: defending champion Daniil Medvedev will take on Alexander Zverev, who claimed the 2018 finale title.

Second seed Medvedev and third seed Zverev have spent much of 2021 lifting trophies and cementing their place in the Top 5 of the FedEx ATP Rankings. After turning heads all season long, the pair is as evenly-matched as it comes. 

Zverev, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics gold medal winner, is the only player to have won multiple ATP Masters 1000 titles with his victories at the Mutua Madrid Open and Western & Southern Open. World No. 2 Medvedev, who lifted his first major title at the US Open, was the only player to halt Novak Djokovic’s Grand Slam dominance this season.

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But at this level of competition, it’s anyone’s game. According to the Russian, the faster conditions inside the Pala Alpitour, Italy’s largest indoor sporting arena, will likely serve as a great equalizer for the Top Eight players at the Nitto ATP Finals.

“I think I prefer fast conditions, but this is probably the fastest I’ve ever faced on the ATP Tour,” Medvedev said after his opening win. “The ball goes very fast through the air. In the match [against Hubert Hurkacz], I was barely under pressure on my serve against a great returner… Everything is different [in Turin].”

[WATCH LIVE 1]

Despite not feeling pressured on serve, Medvedev indeed found himself challenged in his first match. Seventh seed Hurkacz took the opening set in a tie-break, but the World No. 2 found his way back to win 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4.

Third seed Zverev came into his first match against local hope Matteo Berrettini expecting to take on the full force of the Turin crowd along with his opponent. But he was one game into the second set – he won the first 7-6(7) – when Berrettini was forced to retire due to an abdominal injury. 

Still, all the positive signs were there for the German: He struck 10 aces against Berrettini in the tight opening set, and won 75 per cent of his first serve points before the match was halted. 

“I have played good tennis this year,” Zverev said before the tournament. “I’ve won five titles and I’m the only player who has won multiple [ATP] Masters [1000 titles] this year. It comes with good tennis. Also, at the Olympics, I won a gold medal. 

“I am looking forward to this tournament. I didn’t come here just as a participant, but I want to win matches and do well here.”

Medvedev and Zverev are locked at five wins apiece in their ATP Head2Head series, with the Russian claiming a narrow 3-2 lead when the matches take place on indoor hard-courts. In fact, Medvedev has won their past three indoor matchups in a row – including the Rolex Paris Masters semi-finals two weeks ago, and a one-sided victory at last year’s Nitto ATP Finals en route to the title.

Success for Zverev would see him qualify directly for the semi-finals in Turin, but he would have to score his first victory over Medvedev since 2019 in order to get there. That win also came at the Nitto ATP Finals in London – a spot of good news for Zverev, as he faces down a player with the game and the wingspan to possibly neutralise his biggest weapon, the booming serve. 

Later in the day, the Pala Alpitour will welcome back local hero Berrettini to the night session as the sixth seed takes on Hurkacz. Both players are vying to keep their Red Group bids alive: after Berrettini retired against Zverev and Hurkacz suffered a three-set defeat to Medvedev, they are looking for a strong win on Tuesday to get back on track in Turin.

It will be Berrettini and Hurkacz’s second meeting of the season. On his way to the Wimbledon final, the Italian ended Hurkacz’s Grand Slam breakthrough in the semi-finals. The Pole will be aiming for revenge – as well as redemption, after dropping his opening match.

“I still have a chance to qualify from the group, it’s great. I’ll just keep fighting and then keep believing in myself,” Hurkacz said afterward. “I’ll just try to stay positive. OK, I lost this match, but I’ll think about the positives and what I can do better and prepare for the next one.”

Should Berrettini be unable to take the court against Hurkacz, he will be replaced by the first alternate, 20-year-old countryman Jannik Sinner.

Doubles action also continues on Tuesday at the Pala Alpitour, as top seeds Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic return to the court. The Croatians are looking to capture the Nitto ATP Finals doubles trophy as the crowning jewel of their glittering debut season, which includes a victory at Wimbledon and a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics. Mektic and Pavic will take on fourth seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos – both teams sit comfortably atop the Green Group table with a win apiece.

Sixth seeds Ivan Dodig and Filip Polasek will face eighth seeds Kevin Krawietz and Horia Tecau, as both teams seek their first win of the Nitto ATP Finals.

ORDER OF PLAY – TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2021
CENTRE COURT start 11:30 am
[1] N. Mektic (CRO) / M. Pavic (CRO) vs [4] M. Granollers (ESP) / H. Zeballos (ARG)

Not Before 2:00 pm
[2] D. Medvedev (RUS) vs [3] A. Zverev (GER)

Not Before 6:30 pm
[6] I. Dodig (CRO) / F. Polasek (SLO) vs [8] K. Krawietz (GER) /H. Tecau (ROU)

Not Before 9:00 pm
[6] M. Berrettini (ITA) vs [7] H. Hurkacz (POL)

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