Tennis News

Rublev Beats Monfils To Reach Cincinnati QFs

World No. 7 Andrey Rublev continued his love affair with the Lindner Family Tennis Centre Thursday when he claimed a dramatic 7-6(2), 7-6(5) win over Gael Monfils to charge into the quarter-finals of the Western & Southern Open.

“It was super tough. It was really humid,” Rublev said. “Gael was running super fast and it’s impossible to play short rallies with him. If you try to shoot every ball you will miss most of them and the match will be over in half an hour. So you need to take your time, stay in the rally and wait for the right moment.”

Rublev was No. 70 in the FedEx ATP Rankings when he last played in Cincinnati and came through qualifying to topple Stan Wawrinka and Roger Federer to reach the semi-finals. Last year, he fell in the first round when the tournament was played in New York due to the pandemic. Returning to Ohio this year as one of the world’s leading players and positioned fifth in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin, Rublev is looking to ride his good vibes at the traditional venue to claim his first Masters 1000 title.

Rublev won all 23 first-serve points in the first set as neither player earned a break point. But it was a different story in the second set, which began with four straight breaks and featured six breaks overall heading into the tie-break.

The second set also had additional drama. Troubled by his left knee, Monfils sat down at 0-1 and then was visited by ATP physio Paul Ness at 1-all. He also threw up into a courtside garbage can. After a six-minute delay, Monfils and Rublev exchanged words but the encounter ended with a friendly handshake before play resumed.

Monfils played ultra-aggressively in the second, working into position to serve for the set at 5-3 and to hold a set point on Rublev’s serve at 5-4. But at 5/5 in the tie-break Rublev nailed a down-the-line backhand winner after an athletic point to set up match point, which he cashed in when Monfils double faulted.

Rublev advances to play Frenchman Benoit Paire, who broke John Isner three times in the final set en route to a 7-6(1), 6-7(2), 6-1 victory that takes him to his first Masters 1000 quarter-final since his semi-final run in Rome in 2013.

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Medvedev Marches Into Cincinnati QFs

Daniil Medvedev’s dominant hard-court form in North America continued Thursday. The top seed overcome Grigor Dimitrov 6-3, 6-3 at the Western & Southern Open to extend his winning streak to seven matches and reach the quarter-finals in Cincinnati.

The Russian is aiming to complete a Cincinnati-Toronto double this week, after defeating Reilly Opelka to capture his fourth ATP Masters 1000 crown at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers on Sunday.

”It was tough, especially in the second set,” Medvedev said in his on-court interview. “I had four break points before I broke him. I knew I had to continue to push him. Grigor is an amazing player, but a little bit worse on the backhand, and I like when people slice, so that was a tactic to try to put pressure on him there. Of course, [I] mixed it up with the forehand sometimes and it seemed to work really well.

“What makes it tough [on the Cincinnati-Toronto double], it is two weeks in a row against the best players in the world. I am still young, healthy and feeling 100 per cent, so that is why I want to try and do it.”

The 25-year-old dictated from the baseline with his flat powerful groundstrokes, breaking the Bulgarian three times to advance in one hour and 30 minutes. Medvedev now leads Dimitrov 3-1 in their ATP Head2Head Series and will next face either ninth seed Hubert Hurkacz or Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta.

Medvedev, No. 2 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, has fond memories from Cincinnati, having lifted his first Masters 1000 title in Ohio in 2019. The 12-time tour-level titlist has also captured trophies on grass in Mallorca and hard in Marseille this season and guided Russia to the ATP Cup title in February.

In a lively start, breaks were exchanged as Dimitrov caused Medvedev problems, pulling the Russian around the court with his variety of shots. However, Medvedev quickly raised his level, hitting with consistent depth to move 5-2 ahead in the first set. He then sealed the opener with one of the seven aces he hit in the match.

After Dimitrov fended off two break points in the first and fifth games in the second set, Medvedev, who took a tumble at the start of the set, finally broke to lead 4-3 as his pressure paid off. The Russian continued to play deep behind the baseline, soaking up Dimitrov’s groundstrokes to secure his victory.

Dimitrov, who captured his lone Masters 1000 trophy in Cincinnati in 2017, defeated Roberto Bautista Agut and Alexander Bublik en route to the third round. The 30-year-old now holds an 18-9 record in Ohio.

Did You Know?
Medvedev is aiming to become just the seventh male player to capture the Cincinnati-Toronto double in the Open Era. Cliff Richey, Eddie Dibbs, Andre Agassi, Patrick Rafter, Andy Roddick and Rafael Nadal have all achieved this.

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Varvara Lepchenko: American provisionally suspended for anti-doping rule violation

American Varvara Lepchenko has been provisionally suspended for an anti-doping rule violation, the International Tennis Federation has confirmed.

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Murray & Evans Accept Winston-Salem Wild Cards

British pair Andy Murray and Daniel Evans have accepted wild cards into next week’s Winston-Salem Open, a hard-court ATP 250 event, the tournament announced on Thursday.

Former World No. 1 Murray competed at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati this week in just his fifth tour-level singles event of the season, falling to Hubert Hurkacz in the second round.

Murray, who reached the third round at Wimbledon in July, will be making his second appearance in North Carolina, having also played in 2019. The 46-time tour-level titlist will feature alongside Evans, who will be aiming to snap a four-match losing streak in his opening match at the Winston-Salem Open.

Evans won his first ATP Tour title at the Murray River Open in Melbourne in February and will be making his third appearance at the ATP 250 event.

Other ATP stars competing in a stacked field in North Carolina include #NextGenATP talents Carlos Alcaraz and Lorenzo Musetti, former World No. 3 Marin Cilic, Australia’s Nick Kyrgios and 2019 quarter-finalist Frances Tiafoe.

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Kyrgios, Opelka & Isner Join Laver Cup's Team World

Captain John McEnroe announced Thursday that Nick Kyrgios, Reilly Opelka and John Isner will join Denis Shapovalov and Felix Auger-Aliassime and Diego Schwartzman on Team World at the Laver Club, to be played from 24-26 September.

“Reilly had a great run last week in Toronto to reach the finals and I’ve been really impressed with his recent form,” McEnroe said. “He’s a young guy and new to the Laver Cup, but with John and Nick having been part of the Laver Cup since the start, we have a ton of experience on our side and that’s going to be critical.

“We’ve had some tough losses over the past couple of years and have come painfully close, especially last year when we were just a tie-break away from victory. I believe that with the energy of the home crowd behind us and maybe a little bit of luck we can get the win this time!” 

Top-ranked American Opelka rose nine spots last week to reach a career-high FedEx ATP Ranking of No. 23 following his impressive win over World No. 3 and Team Europe player Stefanos Tsitsipas en route to his first ATP Masters 1000 final in Toronto.

“I’m very excited to be representing Team World at the Laver Cup in Boston,” Opelka said. “Playing in the U.S. in an arena like TD Garden, with John McEnroe as our captain, is going to be a surreal experience. I can’t wait.” 

Isner is also enjoying some great recent form, having captured his 16th ATP Tour title in Atlanta at the start of the month and reaching the semi-finals last week in Toronto. The big-serving American has been part of the Laver Cup since the inaugural event in Prague in 2017.

“None of us really knew what to expect that first year in Prague, but it was one of the most incredible weeks and is now a highlight of my year,” Isner said. “To be on a team with guys we’re normally competing against is so different and so much fun. We come together so well as a group, the chemistry is awesome and it’s such a great environment to be part of.” 

Kyrgios, one of the game’s biggest personalities and an avid Boston Celtics fan, agrees.

“Laver Cup is my favorite week of the year and I just love being part of the team. It’s going to be unreal playing at TD Garden, home of the Celtics,” Kyrgios said. “Boston fans love their sports, so if we can win the Laver Cup anywhere, then TD Garden and Boston, one of the greatest sports cities in the world, is the place to do it.” 

The fourth edition of the Laver Cup will take place at TD Garden, Boston, from 24-26 September 2021. Team Europe hoisted the trophy at the inaugural event in Prague in 2017, Chicago in 2018 and Geneva in 2019.

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Naomi Osaka: World number two felt 'ungrateful' for not being able to appreciate success

Naomi Osaka says she felt “ungrateful” at points in the last year for being unable to appreciate her success.

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Tsitsipas Battles Through Korda Test

Stefanos Tsitsipas faced a test on Wednesday evening against #NextGenATP American Sebastian Korda, but he played well enough in the key moments to pass and reach the third round of the Western & Southern Open.

The second seed advanced 7-6(5), 6-3 after one hour and 39 minutes, setting a clash against Italian Lorenzo Sonego. It was Tsitsipas’ first win at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Cincinnati.

“He’s someone who has been doing well recently. I knew I had a difficult challenge ahead of me,” Tsitsipas said of Korda in his on-court interview. “When things got tough, I stayed there. The match was played in the details.

“I was able to bring the best out of my game when things got tough and persevere. I was consistent throughout the important moments and I think just trying to find solutions and ways to apply as much pressure as possible. That was the key element today.”

Last week, the 23-year-old reached the semi-finals in Toronto, but fell short of claiming his first ATP Masters 1000 title on hard courts. The 2019 Nitto ATP Finals champion made a good start to his pursuit this week behind a strong serving performance. Tsitsipas saved the two break points he faced and won 89 per cent of his first-serve points.

One passing shot was critical at 5/5 in the first-set tie-break. Korda put pressure on the second seed and advanced to the Greek’s forehand, but Tsitsipas replied with a perfectly angled shot that dipped down at the last moment to land inside the singles line.

Korda, who tried playing aggressively and moving forward to take it to his more experienced opponent, began making more unforced errors at the end of the match, allowing Tsitsipas to pull away. 

Tsitsipas’ next opponent, Sonego, beat American qualifier Tommy Paul 7-6(9), 6-2 earlier in the day. In their only previous ATP Head2Head clash earlier this year in Miami, Tsitsipas ousted Sonego 6-2, 7-6(2).

“He’s a passionate player. He brings the best out of himself in every single match that he gets to play,” Tsitsipas said. “Obviously I’m someone who is going to try and find solutions against any opponent that I’m going to be facing this week. Let the best man win.”

Did You Know?
Tsitsipas is trying to earn a spot at the Nitto ATP Finals for the third consecutive year. The Greek began the week in second in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin, trailing only Novak Djokovic.

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Preview: Matteo, Felix Press Pause On Friendship

Matteo Berrettini and Felix Auger-Aliassime will hit pause on their friendship for a couple of hours again Thursday when they go head-to-head in the third round of the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati.

When they last met at Wimbledon, the two Nitto ATP Finals contenders watched the Italy-Spain UEFA European Championships football match the day before in player dining with their girlfriends, who are cousins. The next day, Berrettini got down to business and toughed out a four-set win over the Canadian before continuing to his first Grand Slam final (l. Djokovic).

“I think we made a great match and I hope you guys enjoyed it,” Berrettini said in his on-court interview at Wimbledon. “He’s probably one of my best friends on tour, so it’s never easy to play against him. But that’s sport and I’m really happy.”

Playing his first tournament since Wimbledon following a thigh injury that sidelined him from the Olympics, Berrettini is eager to load up on points to maintain his slim margin in fourth place in the FedEx ATP Race to Turin over Andrey Rublev (fifth) and Alexander Zverev (sixth) , who are also alive in the Cincinnati third round.

Auger-Aliassime also has an eye on being one of the eight players to make it to Turin, but in 16th place and 1,030 points behind eight-placed Casper Ruud, he’s got to make every appearance at the big events count in the final months of the season. Last week on home soil in Toronto he let an important opportunity slip when he dropped his opener.

Also in action Thursday, top seed Daniil Medvedev continues his quest to complete the Toronto-Cincinnati double when he takes on a revitalised Grigor Dimitrov, who has enjoyed impressive straight-sets wins over 13th seed Roberto Bautista Agut and Alexander Bublik. Dimitrov has not taken a set from Medvedev in their two previous hard-court meetings.

Ninth seed and 2021 Miami champion Hubert Hurkacz, who is just 80 points behind Ruud in the Race, will meet Spain’s Olympic bronze medallist Pablo Carreno Busta, who is playing his first event since stunning Novak Djokovic in the medal round in Tokyo.

When he last played at the Lindner Family Tennis Centre in 2019, Rublev was ranked No. 70 and had to come through qualifying. He made the most of that opportunity, taking out Stan Wawrinka and Roger Federer in consecutive matches before falling to eventual champion and fellow Russian Daniil Medvedev. This year he returns at No. 7 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, but still chasing his first ATP Masters 1000 title. On Thursday he will take a 1-0 ATP Head2Head advantage into his clash with Gael Monfils, who on Tuesday celebrated his 500th match win.

Second seed Stefanos Tsitsipas will be looking to repeat his hard-court win earlier in the year at the Miami Open when he plays Lorenzo Sonego in the first night match on Grandstand. The Greek did not face a break point in his 6-2, 7-6(2) win over the Italian in what has been their only meeting to date.

“He’s a passionate player. He brings the best out of himself in every single match that he gets to play,” Tsitsipas said. “Obviously I’m someone who is going to try and find solutions against any opponent that I’m going to be facing this week. Let the best man win.”

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Celebrating The Showman: Gael Monfils Claims 500th Win

Gael Monfils has graduated to an elite group 17 years since he first sounded his potential as an athletic French junior World No. 1 on his ATP Tour debut. Ten career titles, two Grand Slam semi-finals, two Davis Cup runner-up showings and three ATP Masters 1000 finals later, the 34-year-old secured his 500th tour-level victory with a 6-3, 7-5 win over Alex de Minaur at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati Wednesday.

“I feel great. Obviously I’m happy to get the 500th win under my belt. It’s a great achievement and I’m very proud,” Monfils said. “It’s a blessing and I’m very happy about it.”

Having already scooped three of the four junior Grand Slams in 2004, that first match win came as a wild card against Belgian Xavier Malisse on home soil at the Moselle Open in Metz before a fellow highly touted compatriot, Richard Gasquet, had his number. Following a frustrating run of form since the pandemic first set in last year, the World No. 18 finally had cause to celebrate after he followed the likes of Gasquet to become only the 11th active player to reach the 500-wins milestone.

“It’s been a while I’ve been playing. To be honest just before coming here, I didn’t really know that I was that close and now 500, if I think about it, it’s a big number,” Monfils said. “It’s been a lot of wins over the years. I never thought that when I started I would be at that amount of wins.”

Gasquet, who with 560 match wins has more victories than any other Frenchman in the Open Era, enjoys watching his countryman play.

“His athleticism is special because he’s so fast. He can do track, he can do everything. For sure he’s the fastest player on Tour,” Gasquet said. “It’s very spectacular to see him play, especially when you play against him… He’s one of the best players I like to watch.”

Davis Cup compatriot and former Top 10 contemporary Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (465 wins) paid tribute to Monfils as part of a quartet of gifted Frenchmen, which also includes Gilles Simon. Monfils is the second of the four after Gasquet to pass the 500 match-wins milestone.

“The accomplishment is big for us. I can say that now, because during my career it was never enough what we did,” Tsonga said. “But today, we know that we played with the three best tennis players ever. It is something we can be proud of because we played during this generation and we won a lot.

“All of us won almost 500 matches and that’s just amazing. In France, we always have been treated like the guys who lose because of these three guys who won everything. Today we can say proudly that it was a good performance that we did.”

500 MATCH-WINS CLUB

Over the course of his career, the enormously talented Frenchman has built a sizeable following, thanks largely to his exceptional movement and showy shot-making, with an ability to dive and slide for winners from all corners. While a danger on all surfaces, it took Monfils 12 years to compile his best season, which took him to a career-best mark of World No. 6 in the FedEx ATP Rankings in November 2016.

That banner season included a runner-up appearance at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, a maiden ATP 500 title in Washington, D.C. – in which he saved a championship point against Ivo Karlovic – and only his second Grand Slam semi-final appearance at the US Open. It was enough to catapult him into the Nitto ATP Finals in London.

Monfils had not reached a Grand Slam semi-final since he set French hopes soaring with a run to the last four at Roland Garros eight years earlier. Despite his defeat to Roger Federer in four sets in that 2008 semi-final, he was the first Frenchman since Sebastien Grosjean in 2001 to progress as far at his home major.

FRANCE’S OPEN ERA MATCH-WINS LEADERS

Tour-level success came quickly for Monfils following his Metz debut. His first ATP Tour title came nine months later against Florian Mayer in Sopot. It was the highlight of a breakout 2005 season, which also included his first two ATP Challenger trophies in Besançon and Tunis, and two more Tour-level finals – both on home soil – in Metz and Lyon.

He soared 200 places in the FedEx ATP Rankings to finish the season behind only Gasquet and Grosjean as the third-best Frenchman and picked up the ATP Newcomer of the Year award.

Monfils has reached at least one Tour-level final every year since his 2005 triumph, but remains in the hunt in Cincinnati for his first final in what has been a challenging 2021. The Frenchman makes no secret of his struggles playing with next to no crowds since he collected his ninth and 10th career trophies back-to-back in Montpellier and Rotterdam in February last year.

But for now, it’s time to celebrate win No. 500.

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Naomi Osaka: World number two felt 'ungrateful' for not being able to appreciate success

Naomi Osaka says she felt “ungrateful” at points in the last year for being unable to appreciate her success.

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