Emma Raducanu: US Open champion withdraws from Kremlin Cup
US Open champion Emma Raducanu withdraws from the upcoming Kremlin Cup in Moscow.
US Open champion Emma Raducanu withdraws from the upcoming Kremlin Cup in Moscow.
Russia’s Andrey Rublev will headline the field at the 2021 VTB Kremlin Cup, with former champions Marin Cilic and Karen Khachanov also in action at the ATP 250 event held in Moscow.
Here’s what you need to know:
The 2021 VTB Kremlin Cup will be held from 18-24 October. The indoor hard ATP 250 tournament, established in 1990, will take place at the Irina Viner-Usmanova Gymnastics Palace in Moscow, Russia. The tournament director is Amir Tarpischev.
The VTB Kremlin Cup will feature reigning champion Andrey Rublev along with fellow Russians Aslan Karatsev and Karen Khachanov. Former World No. 3 Marin Cilic and Winston-Salem champion Ilya Ivashka are also in action.
The VTB Kremlin Cup draw will be made on Saturday, 16 October at 2 p.m.
* Qualifying: Saturday, 16 October – Sunday, 17 October at 10:00 a.m Saturday and 12:00 p.m. Sunday
* Main Draw: Monday, 18 October – Sunday, 24 October. Monday – Friday at 11:00 a.m. Saturday at 12:00 p.m.
* Doubles Final: Sunday, 24 October at 2:00 p.m.
* Singles Final: Sunday, 24 October at 4:00 p.m.
*View On Official Website
The prize money for the European Open is $697,125 and the Total Financial Commitment is $779,515.
SINGLES
Winner: $68,380/ 250 points
Finalist: $49,025/ 150 points
Semi-finalist: $34,900/ 90 points
Quarter-finalist: $23,260 / 45 points
Round of 16: $14,960/ 20 points
Round of 28: $9,00/ 0 points
DOUBLES ($ per team)
Winner: $25,530 / 250 points
Finalist: $18,280 / 150 points
Semi-finalist: $12,050 / 90 points
Quarter-finalist: $7,820 / 45 points
Round of 16: $4,590/ 0 points
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Facebook: @kremlincup
Twitter: @tennisrussia
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Andrey Rublev won the 2020 VTB Kremlin Cup singles title with a 6-4, 6-0 victory against Adrian Mannarino in the championship match (Read More). Marcelo Demoliner and Matwe Middelkoop lifted the doubles trophy in Moscow with a 6-1, 6-2 win against Simone Bolelli and Andres Molteni in the final (Read More).
Most Titles, Singles: Yevgeny Kafelnikov (5)
Most Titles, Doubles: Max Mirnyi (5)
Oldest Champion: Andreas Seppi, 28, in 2012
Youngest Champion: Andrei Cherkasov, 20, in 1990
Highest-Ranked Champion: No. 2 Yevgeny Kafelnikov in 1999
Lowest-Ranked Champion: No. 107 Carl-Uwe Steeb in 1995
Last Home Champion: Andrey Rublev in 2019
Most Match Wins: Yevgeny Kafelnikov (40)
View Who Is Playing, Past Champions, Seeds, Points & Prize Money Breakdown
Former Champions In Action: World No. 5 Rublev is the reigning champion in Moscow and returns to defend his title as he aims to win his second tour-level trophy of the season. Croatia’s Cilic will also be competing and he has fond memories in Moscow, having captured the crown in 2014 and 2015, defeating Roberto Bautista Agut in both finals.
Home Hopes: Alongside Rublev, World No. 24 Aslan Karatsev and Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Karen Khachanov will compete on home soil. Karatsev sits 13th in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin and will need a deep run to stay in touch with those above him as he aims to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals. Khachanov meanwhile lifted the trophy in Moscow in 2018. Daniil Medvedev was due to compete at the ATP 250 event for the first time since 2018, but withdrew following his run to the fourth round in Indian Wells.
Bublik & Krajinovic Target Maiden Tour-Level Title: Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik has reached the quarter-finals in Moscow on three occasions and arrives in form after enjoying a run to the last four on home soil in Nur-Sultan in September. The World No. 37 has advanced to tour-level finals in Antalya and Singapore this season. Filip Krajinovic is making his fourth appearance at the VTB Kremlin Cup. The Serbian, who fell to Daniil Medvedev in Indian Wells, recently reached the semi-finals in Sofia.
From 1990 to 2018, the ATP 250 event was held annually at the Olympic Stadium in Moscow, Russia. But it moved to the Irina Viner-Usmanova Gymnastics Palace in 2019 due to reconstruction at the Olympic Stadium and remains there this year.
If you want to have success on Tour, where the competition is greater than ever, your mentality and pre-match preparation needs to be just right.
Russia’s Andrey Rublev and WTA star Aryna Sabalenka discuss as they sit down to discuss what happens in the locker room, from their routines to how they handle pressure in the latest episode of Tennis United: Crosscourt.
“All of us are humans, of course, we are nervous and we are tight,” Rublev said. “The hands are shaking. This is part of the sport and I think we get addicted to it. In the beginning, while we are playing I think we hate this feeling, but if you take this feeling away from us, we are addicted, we want to feel these emotions.”
On dealing with defeat, Sabalenka said: “By the time I get back to the room, I am a little bit cooler. But I can cry in the locker room and be so disappointed and sad with all of these emotions.”
Rublev and Sabalenka also discuss what goes on behind the scenes before the match, with the World No. 5 revealing how he is superstitious and struggles to stay off his phone.
The ATP and WTA are teaming again in 2021 for Tennis United: CrossCourt, a continuation of the award-winning digital content series originally released during the 2020 suspended season. The reimagined project marks the first major co-branded initiative to debut since the two Tours integrated marketing operations earlier this year.
Tennis United: CrossCourt goes behind the scenes of life on Tour through a series of intimate one-on-one conversations between ATP and WTA stars. Spanning eight short-format episodes, players explore a range of largely untouched subjects from within and beyond sport, offering fans a raw perspective on the experiences, pressures and privileges that make up life in professional tennis.
The complete episode list:
• Episode 1: Relationships (Gael Monfils & Elina Svitolina)
• Episode 2: Coaching (Felix Auger-Aliassime & Jennifer Brady)
• Episode 3: Doubles (Bethanie Mattek-Sands & Jamie Murray)
• Episode 4: Parenthood (Fabio Fognini & Elena Vesnina)
• Episode 5: Travel (Grigor Dimitrov & Belinda Bencic)
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#NextGenATP Italian Jannik Sinner and former World No.1 Andy Murray will lead the way at the ATP 250 indoor-hard event in Antwerp in an exciting field.
Here’s what you need to know:
The 2021 European Open will be held from 18-24 October. The ATP 250 tournament, established in 2016, will take place at the Lotto Arena in Antwerp, Belgium. The tournament director is Dick Norman.
The European Open will feature #NextGenATP stars Jannik Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti, with former champion Andy Murray, Argentine Diego Schwartzman and 2020 finalist Alex de Minaur also competing.
The European Open draw will be made on Saturday, 16 October at a time to be confirmed.
* Qualifying: Sunday, 17 October – Monday, 18 October at 12:00 p.m Sunday. and 1:00 p.m. Monday.
* Main Draw: Monday, 18 October – Sunday, 24 October. Monday, at 4:30 p.m, Tuesday – Friday at 1:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Saturday at 3:00 p.m.
* Doubles Final: Sunday, 24 October at 2:00 p.m.
* Singles Final: Sunday, 24 October at 4:30 p.m.
*View On Official Website
The prize money for the European Open is €508,600 and the Total Financial Commitment is €584,125.
SINGLES
Winner: €49,885/ 250 points
Finalist: €35,770 / 150 points
Semi-finalist: €25,465/ 90 points
Quarter-finalist: €16,975 / 45 points
Round of 16: €10,915/ 20 points
Round of 28: €6,565/ 0 points
DOUBLES (€ per team)
Winner: €18,620 / 250 points
Finalist: €13,340 / 150 points
Semi-finalist: €8,780 / 90 points
Quarter-finalist: €5,710 / 45 points
Round of 16: €3,350/ 0 points
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Hashtag: #EuropeanOpen
Facebook: @EuropeanTennisOpen
Twitter: @EuroTennisOpen
Instagram: @europeantennisopen
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Ugo Humbert won the 2020 European Open singles title with a 6-1, 7-6(4) win against Alex de Minaur in the championship match (Read More). John Peers and Michael Venus lifted the doubles trophy in Antwerp with a 6-3, 6-4 victory against Rohan Bopanna and Matwe Middelkoop in the final (Read More).
Most Titles, Singles: Kyle Edmund, Richard Gasquet, Ugo Humbert, Andy Murray, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (1)
Most Titles, Doubles: Edouard Roger-Vasselin (2)
Oldest Champion: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 32, in 2017
Youngest Champion: Ugo Humbert, 22, in 2020
Highest-Ranked Champion: No. 15 Kyle Edmund in 2018
Lowest-Ranked Champion: No. 243 Andy Murray in 2019
Last Home Champion: N/A
Most Match Wins: Diego Schwartzman (9)
View Who Is Playing, Past Champions, Seeds, Points & Prize Money Breakdown
FedEx ATP Race To Turin Heating Up: Washington champion Sinner is in 10th spot in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin and will target a deep run in Antwerp as he looks close the gap on ninth-placed Hubert Hurkacz. The #NextGenATP Italian is aiming to make his debut at the Nitto ATP Finals, to be held at the Pala Alpitour in Turin from 14-21 November. The 20-year-old reached the semi-finals at the European Open in 2019.
De Minuar & Schwartzman Chasing Title: Australian Alex de Minaur enjoyed a run to the championship match in Antwerp in 2020 and will look to go one step better this year and capture his third tour-level title of the season. Argentine Schwartzman, who reached the final at the ATP 250 event in 2016 and 2017, arrives in form after advancing to the quarter-finals in San Diego and Indian Wells.
Murray Accepts Wild Card: Scot Murray will compete in Antwerp once again aiming to replicate his 2019 run, in which he overcame Stan Wawrinka to capture the title in Belgium. The 34-year-old arrives at the European Open off the back of advancing to the third round in Indian Wells, where he beat #NextGenATP Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz. Frenchman Richard Gasquet has also received a wild card.
Having been established in 2016, the European Open is an ATP 250 event and is the largest and only tennis tournament of this level in Belgium.
During the peak of the global pandemic last year, two Italian youngsters became internet sensations as they took to their rooftops in Finale Ligure, Italy, filming themselves playing tennis when courts and clubs were closed.
The resilience and perseverance of Vittoria, 14, and Carola, 12, caught the attention of Roger Federer, who joined the pair for a hit on the roof and promised to send them to the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar for summer camp.
A year down the line, the former World No. 1 has stayed true to his word, with the girls travelling to Spain and attending the Academy this week. From hitting on the courts to meeting the 13-time Roland Garros champion, they both enjoyed an amazing experience in Manacor.
“I feel very comfortable,” Vittoria said. “The training sessions are really tiring, but both the coaches and the people at the Academy are very nice. It is really nice to be here.”
“I would like to stay here all my life because I feel comfortable and I would not want to go back to Italy.” Carola added. “I don’t want to stay here just a week, but all year round. Stay here at school, study and play tennis.”
Rafael Nadal says he does not know when he will play tennis again as he aims to recover from a recurring foot injury.
Grigor Dimitrov earned a big upset on Wednesday when he rallied from a set and two breaks down to defeat top seed Daniil Medvedev for a spot in the BNP Paribas Open quarter-finals.
After the match, ATP Tennis Radio and ATPTour.com sat down with Dimitrov’s coach, Dante Bottini, to discuss the first year of their partnership, how they spend time off the court and more.
Of course today he earned a big win and it’s been a great tournament. How are you able to keep him focused on the next match knowing it’s the quarter-finals and there’s a big opportunity the rest of the way?
Just keep things simple, keep being humble. Tomorrow is another day, another opportunity to go out there. He’s healthy, he should be happy with that with so many different injuries this year. I think he should be grateful for the state that he is in and take it one day at a time.
You just started working with Grigor last year and into this year and he has been playing exceptionally well. When you first saw him and started working with him, what were your goals?
Just to be a little bit more consistent in his game and in the tournaments. We started in the preseason this year and the first tournament was in Australia, so I think he started really well. Then he had a little bit of bad luck with injuries and now he’s getting it back together. I’m happy to see that.
He’s someone who is a very complete player, very talented. As far as working on specific details, what details were you working on in particular?
We work on a lot of aspects, but I like to say that I’m trying to keep him coming a little more to the net, keeping his aggression on the court. We work a lot on his backhand, too. He’s doing great on serve, too, which is a big weapon for him. So far, so good.
As far as belief, it’s so important to get a player to belief, but that’s easier said than done. Just mentally, being able to get that deep belief as a player, how do you do that as a coach?
Just keep doing it and keep telling them and show them the facts, how it is done. Obviously it’s not going to work every day, but for example today it worked. He was 6-4, 4-1 down, two breaks down, with a guy who wasn’t giving him anything and he stayed in the match.
It would have been easy for Grigor to just check out and say, ‘Okay, I did everything that I could’. But he stayed there, he kept believing and that’s how he got it. So you have to reinforce that and keep telling him that.
You’ve said you speak with Grigor a lot off the court as far as life experiences. Do you think those talks that you have translate to matchplay and the practice courts?
I think so. Obviously we started working in December last year and for me it’s a process. We’re still getting to know each other even though we spend a lot of time together. Still, it’s not that easy. You need time to process and believe in your coach, in your player and to understand each other.
I believe he’s been taking my advice and listening and I see that on the court and I see that when it’s happening. I’ve seen things that I don’t like sometimes and I really mark those things to him and we have our discussions and I feel like he’s been doing very, very good these past couple months.
What are some things you like to do off the court together?
We go for dinners, some walks sometimes. We’ve been playing cards lately a lot. I always win, I want to say that. He’s not going to be happy about that! It’s true. We’ve been doing that.
What card game do you play?
We play Sequence and then Loba [a variant of Rummy], where you get 11 cards and you have to do straights and pairs. [I win] most of them. I’m good at cards!
How important is that to build your relationship with Grigor, especially since you’ve been working together for less than a year?
I think it’s important. I think it’s very important for him. That’s why before we started working together I flew to Monaco and we spent three, four days together, not only for my view on him playing tennis, but also just to know me as a person, how I was and he was. It’s important.
You’ve got to have good chemistry and have fun on a daily basis. But at least, [it is important to] spend good time together, otherwise it would be a nightmare for both of us. We’re travelling all year round.
What is your favourite part about working with Grigor?
The energy that he brings on the court when we practise. He always gives 100 per cent of his ability, of his effort, when he’s there. I really like that and I like that he listens. That’s very important.
Now that you’ve been working with Grigor, is there anything you’ve learned from him that you didn’t know before?
Sometimes he does things in practice that are ridiculous. It’s amazing. Some of the shots that he comes up with are incredible. He’s very talented. I’m not finding any new things in that. It’s fun to watch, actually. It’s the shots that he’s able to hit on the run or in particular moments. He has so many variations in his game that even sometimes hurts him, because you have so many things to do that you end up doing nothing. You have to keep it simple.
Watch Wednesday Highlights From Indian Wells
Hubert Hurkacz, Diego Schwartzman, Cameron Norrie and Grigor Dimitrov all feature on Thursday as the BNP Paribas Open hits the business end of the ATP Masters 1000 tournament.
Ninth seed Hurkacz continues his push for a spot at the Nitto ATP Finals in November when he faces No. 23 seed Grigor Dimitrov for the first time second on Stadium 1. After a series of strong performances in 2021, including his first Masters 1000 crown at the Miami Open presented by Itau, Hurkacz aims to rise to eighth position in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin with victory over Dimitrov. The Bulgarian, winner of the 2017 Nitto ATP Finals crown, recorded his second Top 3 win of the year on Wednesday when he beat in-form US Open champion Daniil Medvedev.
Hurkacz added to his Miami title in October by lifting his fourth ATP Tour title at the Moselle Open (d. Carreno Busta). The Pole also advanced to his first Grand Slam semi-final at Wimbledon (l. to Djokovic), while Dimitrov came into Indian Wells on the back of a semi-final finish at the San Diego Open (l. to Ruud).
Medvedev On Dimitrov: ‘I Don’t See Him Losing To Anybody’
Bottini On Dimitrov’s Win Against Medvedev: ‘He Kept Believing’
Hurkacz Boosts Turin Hopes In Indian Wells
Formula 1 & Minis: Hurkacz’s Love Of Cars
Watch Wednesday Highlights From Indian Wells
Only three places — and 315 points — separate Cameron Norrie (13th) and Diego Schwartzman (15th) in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin and they meet for the fourth time on Thursday morning. Through to his first Masters 1000 quarter-final, Norrie will play with a great deal of confidence as he goes for his 45th match win of the season. The Briton, who has reached ATP Tour finals on every surface this year, has won his past two ATP Head2Head hard-court meetings against No. 11 seed Schwartzman.
There are also two doubles quarter-finals, with Italians Fabio Fognini and Lorenzo Sonego challenging eighth seeds Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo in the final match on Stadium 1. Russian stars Aslan Karatsev and Andrey Rublev meet good friends Rohan Bopanna and Denis Shapovalov not before 6pm on Stadium 2.
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SCHEDULE – THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2021
STADIUM 1 start 11:00 am
ATP – [21] C. Norrie (GBR) vs [11] D. Schwartzman (ARG)
ATP – [23] G. Dimitrov (BUL) vs [8] H. Hurkacz (POL)
Not Before 3:00 PM
WTA – [18] A. Kontaveit (EST) vs [12] O. Jabeur (TUN)
Not Before 6:00 PM
WTA – [21] P. Badosa (ESP) vs [10] A. Kerber (GER)
ATP – F. Fognini (ITA) / L. Sonego (ITA) vs [8] I. Dodig (CRO) / M. Melo (BRA)
STADIUM 2 start 1:00 pm
WTA – [3] S. Aoyama (JPN) / E. Shibahara (JPN) vs [2] S. Hsieh (TPE) / E. Mertens (BEL)
Not Before 2:30 pm
WTA – L. Kichenok (UKR) / J. Ostapenko (LAT) vs V. Kudermetova (RUS) / E. Rybakina (KAZ)
Not Before 6:00 pm
ATP – R. Bopanna (IND) / D. Shapovalov (CAN) vs A. Karatsev (RUS) / A. Rublev (RUS)
John Peers and Filip Polasek are still early in their partnership, but they have found great rhythm as a team, as evidenced by their 6-2, 6-3 upset of top seeds Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic on Wednesday evening at the BNP Paribas Open.
The seventh seeds saved the three break points they faced and converted all three break points they earned to reach the Indian Wells semi-finals after 59 minutes. It was an impressive performance against the Croatians, who have lifted nine tour-level trophies together this season.
The Australian-Slovakian duo will play eighth seeds Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo or Italians Fabio Fognini and Lorenzo Sonego for a place in the final. Dodig and Polasek won this year’s Australian Open together.
[FOLLOW 1000]On the other half of the draw, German Tim Puetz and New Zealand’s Michael Venus eliminated fifth seeds Kevin Krawietz and Horia Tecau. The unseeded duo will next challenge Indian Rohan Bopanna and Canadian Denis Shapovalov or Russians Aslan Karatsev and Andrey Rublev.
Did You Know?
Peers and Polasek, who first began playing together in Washington, have won 10 of their past 12 matches, including runs to the US Open semi-finals and the San Diego final.
Alexander Zverev sent a warning to the rest of the field at the BNP Paribas Open on Wednesday night after he allowed Frenchman Gael Monfils just four games in their fourth-round clash.
The German is a man intent on adding a third ATP Masters 1000 trophy to his haul in 2021 and closed to within three wins of doing so with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over the 14th seed. For the second match in succession Zverev beat an opponent for the first time in four ATP Head2Head encounters, following his third-round win against Andy Murray.
He has now won 20 of his past 21 matches on hard courts, including runs to the Tokyo Olympics gold medal and Cincinnati trophy. The third seed struck 19 winners to Monfils’ 10 and just 11 unforced errors to his opponent’s 13.
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“I did feel well on the court today. Obviously Gael is someone I haven’t beaten before so I know that I had to play my best tennis,” Zverev said on court. “I definitely was not far away even though I missed a few volleys ,but apart from that I felt pretty good.”
He won 76 per cent of first-serve points and was all over the Monfils’ second serve, winning 67 per cent of points. Zverev was particularly effective at net too, where he claimed 19 of 25 points.
The first set was secured in just 25 minute and Monfils lifted his game as he stayed on serve to 3-4 before an error of judgment at the net proved costly in the second set. The high-flying Frenchman let Zverev’s backhand lob sail over only for it to drop in and the German went on to break for 5-3 on a winning backhand volley. Zverev closed out the contest in little more than an hour and booked a quarter-final clash with 31st seed Taylor Fritz.
“I always love [Indian Wells] but I’ve just never played well here,” he said. “But I did well in Cincinnati as well where I’d never won a match before this year and then I won the tournament, so hopefully this can be a similar week for me. I’m looking forward to it. I’m feeling well, I’m playing pretty OK tennis and hopefully it can continue this week.”