Tennis News

Federer Announces Knee Surgery, US Open Withdrawal

Roger Federer announced on Instagram Sunday that he will miss the US Open and “many months” after undergoing knee surgery.

“I just wanted to give you a bit of an update [on] what’s been going on since Wimbledon. As you can imagine, it’s not been simple. I’ve been doing a lot of checks with the doctors as well on my knee, getting all the information as I hurt myself further during the grass-court season and Wimbledon,” Federer said in a video. “That’s just not the way to go forward, so unfortunately they told me for the medium to long term to feel better, I will need surgery. I decided to do it.

“I’ll be on crutches for many weeks and also out of the game for many months, so it’s going to be difficult of course in some ways, but at the same time I know it’s the right thing to do because I want to be healthy, I want to be running around later as well again and I want to give myself a glimmer of hope to return to the tour in some shape or form.”

 

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The Swiss star, who turned 40 on 8 August, underwent arthroscopic right knee surgeries in February 2020 and May 2020. Federer has played five tournaments since having those surgeries, all of which came this season. The 103-time tour-level titlist most recently competed at Wimbledon.

“I am realistic, don’t get me wrong. I know how difficult it is at this age right now to do another surgery and try it,” Federer said. “But I want to be healthy, I will go through the rehab process I think also with a goal while I’m still active, which I think is going to help me during this long period of time.”

At the end of his video, Federer made sure to thank the fans for all the support and continuing to motivate him through the highs and lows.

“Also a big thank you already now for all of your messages that are going to be coming in because you guys are always incredible. You always think of me. Some of you suffer with me,” Federer said. “I’ll update you as I move along with my rehab. I wish you all the best and I’ll check in with you soon.”

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Murray: ‘I Look At This Week As A Great Opportunity’

Former World No. 1 Andy Murray is prioritising short-term progress over long-term aspirations as he returns to the court at the Western & Southern Open this week following a recent injury setback.

The Brit is a two-time champion in Cincinnati, capturing the title in 2008 and 2011, and said in his pre-tournament press conference that his body is feeling good and he is well-prepared for the event. Murray withdrew from the singles tournament at the Tokyo Olympics due to a torn quad. However, he did reach the quarter-finals in doubles alongside countryman Joe Salisbury.

“It was hard and frustrating to have to miss the opportunity to play in another big event again,” Murray said. “It was tough because I obviously felt like I had built up some sort of momentum during Wimbledon.

“Since then I have been back and practising and building up. I arrived nice and early on the Monday and have just been preparing since.” 

It has been another challenging year for Murray, with injury issues hindering the three-time Grand Slam champion. This has led to a more short-term mentality for Murray, who makes his return to the Tour this week.

“I try to focus on the short term, as it’s been very difficult to plan medium and longer-term targets because of various issues that I have had this year,” said Murray, who has received a wild card entry for the event. “I just need to take things very much each week at a time now and give all my energy to each match and each event that I play and see where I am at the end of the US Open.” 

The 34-year-old has only played eight matches in 2021 so far, with three of his four losses coming against players ranked World No. 12 or higher in Andrey Rublev, Matteo Berrettini and Denis Shapovalov.

“When I look at the matches that I have played on the tour this year, a few of the guys I have lost to have had top seasons, and I have just not been ready to win against them when I played against them,” Murray said. “The short-term goal is to be on the practice court with these guys as much as I can and hopefully get the chance to play matches.”

Murray, who will open his Western & Southern Open campaign against a qualifier, has fond memories returning to Cincinnati, and is looking forward to playing in front of the crowd.

“In my career I have enjoyed playing here. It’s a great event,” said Murray, who holds a 33-13 career record in Cincinnati. “I’m very thankful they gave me (a wild card), but hopefully I have done some good things for their event over the years, too.

“It’s great to have fans back in the stands. I had people watching my practice yesterday, and that was nice, and it will be nice to play in front of big crowds. I look at this week as a great opportunity for me to play on hard courts and conditions that I like against top players again.”

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Scouting Report: Medvedev, Tsitispas, Zverev Lead Cincinnati Field

The ATP Tour moves to Cincinnati for another ATP Masters 1000 event: the Western & Southern Open. One year ago, the tournament was played at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York — home of the US Open — due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But the world’s best players are back in Ohio.

The top two seeds will be Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas, both former Nitto ATP Finals champions. But there will be plenty of hungry challengers trying to keep them from making deep runs in the draw. ATPTour.com looks at 10 things to watch this week in Cincinnati.

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1) Medvedev Leads The Way: The Russian star will always have fond memories of Cincinnati, where he lifted his first Masters 1000 trophy two years ago. During that run, Medvedev defeated World No. 1 Novak Djokovic. This edition, the 25-year-old is the top seed and will try to improve his 8-3 record at the Western & Southern Open.

Medvedev, who on Saturday advanced to the final in Toronto, will open his Cincinnati campaign against one of two American wild cards: Mackenzie McDonald or Brandon Nakashima.

2) Tsitsipas Shining: Tsitsipas is in good form as evidenced by his run to the semi-finals in Toronto. The Greek will try to maintain his level in Cincinnati, where he is the second seed. One week after turning 23, the 2019 Nitto ATP Finals champion will try to continue solidifying his position in second in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin. A tricky second-round foe awaits, as Tsitsipas will need to claw past home favourite Sebastian Korda or Serbian Laslo Djere, who won an ATP 500 title on the clay of Rio de Janeiro two years ago.

3) Zverev Feeling Golden: Few players enter Cincinnati with as much confidence as Alexander Zverev, who will be competing for the first time since winning the singles gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics. The German has proven himself on the big stage on countless occasions, winning the 2018 Nitto ATP Finals, triumphing in Tokyo and claiming four Masters 1000 titles. Will Zverev be able to add a fifth Masters 1000 trophy to his cabinet in Cincinnati? 

The German is 0-6 at the Western & Southern Open, and will try to turn that around against South African Lloyd Harris — who defeated Rafael Nadal in Washington — or a qualifier.

4) #NextGenATP Americans: Korda and Nakashima are #NextGenATP Americans who have cracked the Top 100 of the FedEx ATP Rankings this year. Korda broke through first with a series of impressive results, including his first ATP Tour final in Delray Beach and his maiden tour-level triumph in Parma. Nakashima has caught fire in recent weeks, advancing to his first two ATP Tour championship matches in Los Cabos and Atlanta.

Will the duo make big runs in Cincinnati? They could be dangerous opponents for top seeds, as Nakashima could face top seed Medvedev in the second round and Korda could play second seed Tsitsipas in the second round.

5) Will Murray Make Magic? The most impressive Western & Southern Open resumé in the field belongs to wild card Andy Murray. A champion in 2008 and 2011 who also made the final in 2016, the Scot will attempt to improve his 33-13 record at the tournament. Murray last played singles at Wimbledon, where he lost to Denis Shapovalov in the third round. One year on from upsetting Zverev in New York, Murray will play a qualifier in his opener. With a victory, he will clash against ninth seed Hubert Hurkacz or Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

6) Big-Serving Americans In Good Form: Two of the biggest servers on the ATP Tour, Americans Reilly Opelka and John Isner, carry plenty of momentum onto home soil. Opelka upset Tsitsipas in the Toronto semi-finals to make his first Masters 1000 final. He challenged Jo-Wilfried Tsonga as an 18-year-old in Cincinnati in 2016, and will try to continue the best season of his career, in which he has also made the Rome semi-finals.

Isner also advanced to the last four in Canada before falling short against Medvedev. The veteran recently lifted his sixth Atlanta trophy and is a 2013 Cincinnati finalist.

7) Berrettini Is Back: Big-hitting Matteo Berrettini is making his return for the first time since reaching his maiden major final at Wimbledon. The Italian star has been unable to compete due to a thigh injury, but he is ready for his first action of the North American hard-court swing. The 2019 Nitto ATP Finals competitor has won 14 of his past 16 matches, and he will try to continue his impressive year against American Taylor Fritz or Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas. Berrettini, who has not yet won a match in Cincinnati (0-1), could play close friend Felix Auger-Aliassime in the third round.

8) First-Rounders To Watch: There will be fireworks from the first round in Cincinnati, with plenty of tantalising matchups. Former World No. 3 Grigor Dimitrov will play 13th seed Roberto Bautista Agut. Dimitrov leads their ATP Head2Head series 3-1, but they have not met since the 2018 Rolex Paris Masters. The Bulgarian is one of the most athletic players on Tour, and the Spaniard is as solid as they come, which should make for a fun clash of styles.

Russian Aslan Karatsev, the breakthrough star of 2021, will face former World No. 3 and 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic for the first time. Diego Schwartzman, the 10th seed, will try to battle past crafty Briton Daniel Evans.

9) Mektic/Pavic Dominating Doubles: Croatians Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic have dominated doubles on the ATP Tour in 2021 with nine titles, including victories at Wimbledon and the Tokyo Olympics. They are one of the last two teams remaining in Toronto, too, but a tricky draw in Cincinnati awaits. The Croatians could play Britons Evans and Neal Skupski for the fourth time this year in the second round. They just met in Toronto, where Mektic and Pavic saved a match point before advancing 13-11 in a Match Tie-break. The second seeds are Spaniard Marcel Granollers and Argentine Horacio Zeballos.

10) Stars Align: Plenty of singles stars will be in action in the doubles draw. Jannik Sinner and Hubert Hurkacz, who clashed for the Miami singles title this year, will face Evans and Skupski in the first round. Auger-Aliassime will compete with Marcus Daniell of New Zealand, and Russians Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev, who have made two Masters 1000 doubles finals together, will try to go one step further. A wild card team to watch is Canadian Shapovalov and American Jack Sock.

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Preview: Medvedev Plans To Stand (Up) & Deliver vs. Opelka

If coach Gilles Cervara has one piece of advice for Daniil Medvedev heading into Sunday’s Toronto final against Reilly Opelka, it’s likely this: Rinse & Repeat.

After a returning masterclass Saturday night in a 6-2, 6-2 win against 6’10” American John Isner, the Russian will be looking to blunt the booming serve of 6’11” Opelka in the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers championship match.

And the key tactic will likely be the same. Medvedev, who normally chooses to stand close to the back wall to return, stood two to three feet closer to the baseline against Isner to counter the angle and height the American can get on his serve. The approach paid off big time! The top seed put a stunning 84 per cent of Isner’s serves back into play and won 50 per cent of return points – unheard of numbers for an Isner opponent.

If Medvedev can produce similar stats against Opelka, he’ll be well on his way to leaving Canada with his fourth ATP Masters 1000 title. He hinted in his on-court interview last night that he won’t be be tinkering too much with the winning formula Sunday.

“With serves like John or Reilly you cannot stand too far back because the ball is not going to come down, it will just go higher and higher,” Medvedev said. “So I tried to return a bit closer than I am used to and it worked pretty well. I’m not sure how it will go tomorrow, but at least it was a good practice to get ready for the same thing.”

Medvedev, who rallied from a set down against Alexander Bublik in his opening match and against Hubert Hurkacz in the quarter-finals, is steeling himself for another battle Sunday.

“Reilly is a player who can cause problems to everybody,” Medvedev added. “You saw that today against Stefanos, who had been in very good form this tournament. He didn’t even break him and maybe only had one opportunity in three sets. Reilly has been playing really well from the baseline all week with good backhands down the line. I’m looking forward to the match.”

In 2021 Opelka has shown that a player can achieve a lot by winning matches at the right time.

The American has won consecutive matches at just three of the 15 tournaments he has played this year. But his runs to the Rome semi-finals, Roland Garros third round and now his maiden Masters 1000 final in Toronto final will take him to inside the Top 30 of the FedEx ATP Rankings for the first time on Monday.

Opelka has earned his place in the final the hard way, rallying from a set down in the first round to beat Nick Kyrgios, taking out former World No. 3 Grigor Dimitrov in the second round and saving a match point against Lloyd Harris in the third round. He beat former World No. 9 Roberto Bautista Agut in the quarter-finals and rallied from a set down against third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in Saturday’s semi-finals.

Opelka was in a serious funk mid-season when he entered the Internazionali BNL d’Italia on a six-match losing streak. But his run to his first Masters 1000 semi-final in Rome (l. Nadal) was a massive confidence booster, which was soon followed by a third-round showing at Roland Garros (l. Medvedev).

Although Medvedev enjoyed a straight-sets win in Paris this year, Opelka has caused him problems in their three career hard-court meetings. In 2020, the American surprised Medvedev on home soil at St. Petersburg, saving seven of nine break points in a 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 win.

In their first two meetings, Medvedev needed a third-set tie-break in Miami in 2019 (when neither player broke serve) and in Washington in 2017 (when Opelka was broken three times) to win.

Opelka said after his semi-final win over Tsitsipas that he had improved his composure on court, something which may be tested against Medvedev.

“Just like any human, I’ll show some frustration, but it’s something I have worked a lot on, and it’s just required in order to beat the best guys,” he said. “You don’t have time, I have learned, to waste energy on other things, and your mind has to be engaged on one thing only.”

And that one thing in Sunday’s final will be finding a way to disrupt Medvedev’s rhythm on return.

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Resurfaced: Why Opelka 'Has The Potential To Move The Needle'

Editor’s Note: This feature was originally published on 21 August 2021. Reilly Opelka is into his first ATP Masters 1000 final at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers in Toronto.

Reilly Opelka gets asked similar questions throughout his travels on the ATP Tour. Many times, they revolve around his height: Are you 6’11” or 7’? How did you serve today? Did you ever play basketball? 

Opelka doesn’t allow his height — or tennis, for that matter — to define him. While fans might know the American for his booming serve and imposing game, his interests expand far beyond the court.

“The young guys, there are not too many into art,” Opelka told his friend Matthew Chevallard in ‘The Art of Collecting’, which was produced by THE OFFICE. Art Gallery. “So I’ve been dragging some of my boys to galleries around the world.”

When Opelka was young, he enjoyed collecting basketball cards, saying, “I had pretty much every hooper you could find. [I had a] Tracy McGrady collection. This is when I was like eight, nine. [Then I collected] bobbleheads. Then it was obviously Vans [shoes].”

About a year ago, Opelka made his first significant art purchase, a piece by Thrush Holmes that includes neon streaming in front of a painting.

“Thrush was my first purchase of anything significant. The neon pops like crazy for a first piece. It changes the whole mood of the room,” Opelka said. “That’s one of the first pieces people comment on when they come in the house. They’re like, ‘Wow, that is really, really sick.’ Thrush really got me started. One thing led to another and a year later we got seven, eight cool pieces in here.”

^{Opelka examines a piece by artist Friedrich Kunath. Photo courtesy of Reilly Opelka.}
In the video Opelka filmed with Chevallard, he took fans through his Florida home to look at the various pieces of art he has by artists including Holmes, Jason Seife, Matt McCormick, Adam Rabinowitz and Friedrich Kunath.

“Every piece is different. Just for example, the Freddie, the, ‘I am easy to find’ message in it, the colours for that one. That one was simple. It popped,” Opelka said, explaining why he picked some of the pieces. “The McCormick, I was like, ‘Yo, there are Red bull cans in there?’ That was sick to me, hit home. Even the Adam, lavender and blue are my two favorite coluors, so it can be something as simple as the color.”

Former World No. 1 John McEnroe is remembered for his incredible talent and memorable on-court behaviour. However, Vitas Gerulaitis introduced him to art, and he later opened a gallery in New York.

“When [Vitas] took me down to Soho to have a look around some art galleries, I assumed that was a normal thing for tennis players to do,” McEnroe wrote in his book, But Seriously. “What’s the first thing you do when you earn some money? You get yourself a place to live, you buy a nice car and a stereo (at least in those days you did), then you get some art to put on the walls.”

Opelka might start converting some of his ATP Tour friends like Gerulaitis did McEnroe. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he spent a majority of his time with countryman Tommy Paul.

“Tommy’s been around [art] because he’s been staying here with me through the quarantine,” Opelka said. “He loves the Kunath. He stares at it. He goes by and says, ‘Bro that thing is crazy.’”

^{Photo courtesy of Reilly Opelka.}
Opelka isn’t solely focussed on art, though. At various tournaments throughout the world, you can find him in the local fashion district or trying notable restaurants in the area. He is more than just a tennis player, which intrigues McEnroe’s brother, Patrick McEnroe.

“I think it certainly makes you more interesting. Whether or not it’s great for your tennis, I’m not ready to take that leap. But I think it makes Reilly a more interesting guy and I’ve always been impressed by him just as an individual,” Patrick said. “He always seemed to have a pretty good head on his shoulders and a pretty good outlook, not being super, super intense about tennis.”

Opelka is taking care of business on the court, too. Last year, he hit 1,000 aces in a season for the first time, ranking second on Tour (behind John Isner) with 1,014. He climbed as high as No. 31 in the FedEx ATP Rankings last October. The American has won two tour-level trophies, triumphing at the 2019 New York Open and the 2020 Delray Beach Open by VITACOST.com.

“Arguably he has the most upside of any American at the moment. I think you can make that argument,” Patrick McEnroe said. “I don’t think his serve is quite as good yet as Isner’s. It’s obviously pretty damn good. I think Isner has a little more variety on his serve and I think the other thing is Reilly is sometimes too smart.

“I’ve heard him say a lot of times as he was coming up, ‘Oh, I can’t believe I’m playing tennis, I should have been a basketball player’, stuff like that. It’s almost like he overthinks it a little bit. But I think again that’s who he is. He’s a thinking-type guy. He has other interests. It took him a little longer to reach his potential than some of the other young guys and a lot of that has to do with his body, growing into his frame. But I think he has the potential to move the needle as far as obviously winning big tournaments, but also with his brains and his personality.”

Opelka will try to paint the lines on the court at this week’s Western & Southern Open.

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Medvedev Conquers Isner's Serve To Reach The Toronto Final

John Isner’s serve is one of the best in history, but Daniil Medvedev conquered it emphatically on Saturday evening to reach the final of the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers.

The top seed dominated on both serve and return against the American to triumph 6-2, 6-2 after 55 minutes and reach his fifth ATP Masters 1000 final. Medvedev will play another big-serving American, Reilly Opelka, for the title.

“I was playing great today. I think I almost did no unforced errors,” Medvedev said in his on-court interview. “I’m really happy with my game at this moment. I always like coming to the US Open Series. I always feel like I’m playing better and better the more the series continues. I’m really happy that I’m still in the Toronto tournament, that’s the main [thing].”

Most players on the ATP Tour struggle to put Isner’s serve back in play. The 36-year-old was broken just three times in four matches en route to the last four at the Aviva Centre.

But Medvedev broke his opponent’s serve four times in eight service games and won a jaw-dropping 50 per cent of his return points in a stunning performance. In the first set, Medvedev put 86 per cent of his returns in the court — many of which landed deep in the court — to set the tone and he never looked back, making 84 per cent of his returns for the match. That proved the key to a straightforward victory.

“I had to take this opportunity, just try to break as many times as I can, stay focused and I managed to do it,” Medvedev said. “I’m really happy with the win today.”

It was the Russian who held with ease throughout, crushing four consecutive aces to close out the first set. The combination of his impenetrable return and impressive serving put pressure on Isner to play more aggressively when he was able to work his way into points, leading to unforced errors.

Medvedev, who returned from a few feet closer than normal to cut off Isner’s serving angles, will have to overcome another serving giant in the final against Opelka. The 23-year-old upset Stefanos Tsitsipas earlier in the day. The question will be whether the top seed will be able to replicate his returning performance to claim a fourth Masters 1000 title.

The Russian leads Opelka 3-1 in their ATP Head2Head series, but three of their clashes went to a deciding set. The only straight-sets match came in the third round at Roland Garros earlier this year, when Medvedev triumphed.

“I actually watched almost all of his matches,” Medvedev said. “I think he’s playing great tennis here all week long. Today the match he turned around with Stefanos was quite unbelievable, a very hard effort.”

The World No. 2 has already lifted trophies this year in Marseille and Marbella, and also advanced to his second major final at the Australian Open.

Did You Know?
Medvedev reached his first Masters 1000 final at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers two years ago when it was held in Montreal.

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Opelka Reaches Maiden Masters 1000 Final, Beats Tsitsipas In Toronto Epic

America’s Reilly Opelka served up an upset on Saturday at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers as he battled back to overcame third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-7(2), 7-6(4), 6-4 to reach his first ATP Masters 1000 final.

The World No. 32 enjoyed a run to the semi-finals at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome in May before losing to Rafael Nadal. Opelka ensured he would not fall at the same stage in Toronto as he played big-man tennis. He hammered his groundstrokes and fired down 16 aces to claim his first Top 5 win in his fifth attempt to advance in two hours and 34 minutes.

“I played great,” Opelka said in his on-court interview. “These courts suit my game, it is no coincidence that John Isner is in the other semi-final. I think we are the two best servers in the tournament, so for us both to be there, it says something about the conditions. It is live.

”Stefanos has definitely improved his returning. Come 5-5 in the first set, a lot of balls started to come back. He is a thinker and has a high tennis IQ, so it was expected, but that is what separates him from the rest of the pack.”

The 23-year-old, who saved a match point in his third-round victory against South African Lloyd Harris, described his tennis as ‘flawless’ after his quarter-final victory against Roberto Bautista Agut. Opelka matched this level against Tsitsipas, not facing a break point to tie their ATP Head2Head Series at 1-1. Opelka is now 3-0 in decisive-set matches in Toronto, having been 0-6 this season before.

No longer a servebot ?

27 of @ReillyOpelka‘s 46 winners against Tsitsipas came from his groundstrokes.

?: @TennisTV | @ReillyOpelka | @NBOtoronto pic.twitter.com/F1dGeheeO3

— ATP Tour (@atptour) August 14, 2021

Opelka could face countryman Isner in the final if the 30-year-old can shock top seed Daniil Medvedev. If Isner does triumph, it will be the first time two Americans have reached the final at Canada’s ATP Masters 1000 since Andre Agassi defeated Pete Sampras in 1995. The last American to reach the championship match in Canada was Mardy Fish in 2011.

“Both Medvedev and Isner are big servers,” Opelka said. “It is going to come down to a couple of points I think. It will be a similar match to this one.”

There was little to separate Tsitsipas and Opelka in the first set as both players dominated on serve. Opelka looked to target Tsitsipas’ backhand on his first strike in the rally and while he created the only two break points that were on offer in the set in the third game, he was unable to convert. As the set moved to a tie-break, Tsitsipas successfully changed tactics, moving forward on return to great effect to lead.

The second set followed a similar pattern, with both players looking to be aggressive, stepping inside the baseline to try and dictate. Opelka fended off Tsitsipas’ advances in the 11th game to hold. With Tsitsipas then holding to force another tie-break, he quickly fell 3/5 behind as Opelka drew level when Tsitsipas mistimed a forehand.

As they moved into the third set, Tsitsipas had his first break point of the match after two hours and 17 minutes at 2-3. However, he could only float his backhand return into court, with Opelka closing the net to put away the volley before holding. The American then found the breakthrough himself when he forced Tsitsipas into an error with his power. He then held serve twice to secure his victory.

World No. 3 Tsitsipas has recorded a tour-leading 45 wins this year, capturing his first ATP Masters 1000 crown in Monte-Carlo in May. The Greek was trying to reach his second championship match in Toronto, after beating four Top 10 opponents en route to the final in 2018.

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Mektic/Pavic March Into Toronto Final

Top seeds Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic held their nerve in the big moments on Saturday in Toronto to continue their dominant season.

The Croatians recorded their 56th victory of the year as they edged past fourth seeds Kevin Krawietz and Horia Tecau 7-6(3), 7-6(12) to reach the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers final.

Mektic and Pavic saved four set points in an epic second-set tie-break before taking their fourth match point to advance to their 12th tour-level final in their first season together. They will face either third seeds Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury or Belgians Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen in the championship match.

Mektic and Pavic have won nine tour-level trophies this season, including three ATP Masters 1000 crowns, Wimbledon and an Olympic gold medal in Tokyo. Krawietz and Tecau were aiming to capture their second title as a team this week, having triumphed at the NOVENTI OPEN in Halle in June.

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Alcaraz Through in Cincinnati Qualifying, Musetti Falls

#NextGenATP Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz began his Western & Southern Open qualifying campaign with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Brazilian Thiago Monteiro on Saturday in Cincinnati.

The 18-year-old has risen from outside the Top 100 in the FedEx ATP Rankings to a career-high No. 54 this year, capturing his first tour-level title in Umag in July. Alcaraz is making his debut in Cincinnati and will next face Ilya Ivashka in the final qualifying round after the World No. 67 defeated American Mitchell Krueger 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.

Fellow #NextGenATP star Lorenzo Musetti was unable to follow in Alcaraz’s footsteps though, falling to former World No. 5 Kevin Anderson 6-3, 6-3 in 74 minutes. The 19-year-old, who forced Novak Djokovic to a fifth set in the fourth round at Roland Garros, has advanced to the semi-finals in Acapulco and the third round in Miami on hard this season.

Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka booked his spot in the second qualifying round with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Egor Gerasimov, while American Tennys Sandgren downed Frenchman Jeremy Chardy 7-6(6), 6-1.

World No. 56 Tommy Paul also advanced, overcoming 23-year-old Soonwoo Kwon 6-3, 6-2, with Lithuanian Ricardas Berankis cruising past Italian Gianluca Mager 6-4, 7-5. Later in the day, 15-time tour-level champion Richard Gasquet defeated Spaniard Fernando Verdasco 6-4, 6-0. He next faces Jaume Munar after the Spaniard beat Slovakian Norbert Gombos 6-2, 6-2.

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Toronto SFs Preview: Tsitsipas v Opelka, Medvedev v Isner

Three years ago in 2018, Stefanos Tsitsipas reached his first ATP Masters 1000 final at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers. On Saturday, the third seed will be aiming to return to the championship match once again in Toronto, but it won’t be easy as he faces big-serving American Reilly Opelka in the semi-finals.

The Greek earned four Top 10 wins en route to the final in his breakthrough run in 2018, defeating Dominic Thiem, Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev and Kevin Anderson before suffering defeat to Rafael Nadal.

Armed with far more experience today, Tsitsipas has enjoyed a stellar season this year. The 23-year-old has recorded a tour-leading 45 victories, capturing two ATP Tour titles, including his maiden Masters 1000 crown in Monte-Carlo. As a result, Tsitsipas is currently in second place in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin. With his current success, expectations on the Athens native have been raised.

Speaking after his quarter-final victory over Casper Ruud, Tsitsipas said: “It comes, it’s obvious that you’re going to get that when you’re aiming high and you want to be among the best in the sport. I was prepared for it, and I was sort of experiencing it from a young age playing juniors, transitioning to the pros. It is something that you build [and] know how to deal better [with] over time.”

Tsitsipas, who climbed to a career-high No. 3 in the FedEx ATP Rankings on Monday, is targeting a fifth tour-level hard-court trophy this week and eighth in total.

The World No. 32 Opelka will offer a different challenge to the one provided by Ruud. The American produced big-man tennis, hammering forehands and crushing serves in his quarter-final victory over 10th seed Roberto Bautista Agut on Friday.

It is the second time Opelka has reached the last four at a Masters 1000 event, having advanced to the semi-finals in Rome in May before falling to Rafael Nadal. The two-time tour-level titlist described his tennis as ‘flawless’ following his quarter-final victory but is aware he will have to raise his level further against Tsitsipas, whom he trails 1-0 to in their ATP Head2Head Series.

“[Tsitsipas] has got a great serve,” Opelka said. “He has the best forehand in the world right now and he moves very well. It is very hard to find his backhand, he moves to the left to cover it. He hits forehands from every part of the court, is aggressive and competes well.”

Opelka, who believed things started to click in Rome this year, is thrilled with where his game is at currently, having won eight out of his last nine Masters 1000 matches.

“I remember in Rome when I was there, I was practising early,” Opelka said. “I got to Rome a little bit early and I was practising before the tournament started, off-site even, and my coach and I just kind of got down to business there. We set up our own shop, had a nice gym in the hotel. There was two red clay courts at the hotel.

”That’s kind of where I think a lot of things happened. There were one or two practices I remember in particular where things started to click. It doesn’t always work this way, but I got validation that week with the semi-final run, that the adjustments being made were the right ones.

“I’m just getting better. I’m getting a lot better. I think my forehand has improved a lot. Everything is improving. That’s kind of what’s fun. It means a lot to get another semi. I had a slow start to the year. It’s a long season, there is going to be some ups, downs. If I end up Top 20, great. That’s the goal. This is where ideally, I want to be. I want to be a top player. That means I’m making runs in Slams, Masters, I’m seeded, means I’m a threat, which I want.”

Medvedev v Isner
Daniil Medvedev is known for standing close to the back wall when returning serve. But he may need to alter that strategy in Saturday night’s semi-final against 6’ 10” American John Isner. When the players met for the only time at the 2020 ATP Cup, Medvedev built his comprehensive 6-3, 6-1 win on the back of four service breaks and by limiting Isner to just four aces.

“I remember playing John in an unbelievable match at ATP Cup [in 2020], because I broke him like five times, which will probably not happen all the time I play against him, and I was actually returning quite close to the baseline, trying to take time from him,” Medvedev said.

“I don’t [normally] really return on the baseline like some players, because I know that’s not my strongest part. Then it depends, it depends so much on conditions, balls you are playing with, opponent you are playing against. Today against Hubert, there were a few times I wanted to go really far back and I felt like, no, he’s giving me too much angle to play with, so I cannot even get to the ball. I felt like I need to be a little bit closer.

“Even tomorrow, there is chance I’m playing Isner, I have no idea right now where I’m gonna return, but I’m going to try to find it out during the match.”

Isner, who will take a nine-match winning streak into the match dating back to his sixth Atlanta title, said that he’ll be looking to come into the match with a different game plan.

“I didn’t fare too well in the ATP Cup in the only time I played him, so I’m going to have to change up some tactics. But I’m definitely playing better now than I was then,” Isner said. “He’s definitely going to do what he does. He’s full of confidence. He’s going to stand on the fence, he’s going to make a lot of returns, he’s going to run. He’s No. 2 in the world for a reason. I’m going to have to play well.”

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