Tennis News

Tsitsipas Celebrates 23rd Birthday With Khachanov Win

Most people celebrate their birthday with cake and presents. Stefanos Tsitsipas took in his 23rd by earning a spot in the quarter-finals of the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers.

The Greek star defeated Tokyo Olympics singles silver medalist Karen Khachanov 6-3, 6-2 to reach the last eight in Toronto for the second time. Fittingly, the crowd at the Aviva Centre sang “Happy Birthday” to the winner after he completed the match, and tournament officials presented the 2018 finalist with a cake.

The 2019 Nitto ATP Finals champion will next play red-hot Norwegian Casper Ruud, who eliminated Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic 6-4, 6-3.

“Casper is a player that has been developing very good recently. He had an amazing clay-court season,” Tsitsipas said. “He’s someone that serves very well, has a very good serve-and-first-ball pattern that works really well for him. I think he’s probably one of the best players out there to have the serve and first ball inside the three first shots that he hits.

“It’s definitely something that I’m going to have to pay attention to, and apply more pressure towards that.”

Three years ago in Toronto, Tsitsipas’ birthday was not as joyful. Rafael Nadal beat the 20-year-old Greek in the championship match. But this time, the third seed was in full control against his Russian opponent to triumph after one hour and 19 minutes.

Tsitsipas saved the two break points he faced, and was never under threat. The seven-time ATP Tour titlist did well to take the first aggressive strike in rallies and keep the powerful Khachanov from dictating play. The World No. 28 grew frustrated as he got stuck behind the baseline and was unable to consistently step into the court. Khachanov is more comfortable when he has time, a luxury his opponent did not afford him.

The only times Tsitsipas faced difficulty was at the end of each set. As the 23-year-old served for the opener, he faced his first break point, but responded with a booming forehand winner. Khachanov earned his second chance as Tsitsipas served for the match, but the Greek was too solid from the baseline.

Tsitsipas did not serve consistently, only making 50 per cent of his first deliveries. But the World No. 3 won 93 per cent of those points, relieving pressure during his service games to take a 4-0 ATP Head2Head lead against Khachanov.

Tsitsipas lost his only previous ATP Head2Head clash against Ruud earlier this year in Madrid.

“[I am] looking forward to that battle,” Tsitsipas said. “We have played each other in the past. Not an easy guy to play against. Looking for a change, looking for a switch-up this time.”

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ATP & WTA Join Forces With Popular Mobile Game Tennis Clash

ATP and WTA are teaming up with Tennis Clash, the world’s most popular tennis game for mobile platforms, developed by Wildlife Studios, to launch a new co-branded in-game tournament, Tennis United. All participating Tennis Clash players will be able to compete in the Tennis United tournament from 19-23 August.

The tournament gives participants the chance to compete, show off their skills and win prizes in a brand-new virtual arena. The event is the latest in a series of co-branded marketing initiatives between the Tours and runs parallel to the 2021 Western & Southern Open, an ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 combined tournament in Cincinnati.

Qualifying rounds of Tennis United will be held from 19-21 August, when players will compete in 10 matches to reach the finals. The top 50 per cent of players in each bracket will advance to the final round, which will be held from 21-23 August. Every player who reaches the final round will be awarded an in-game prize. These prizes will become increasingly rare the higher the tier-level the players compete in.

Dan Ginger, SVP Brand and Marketing for the ATP and WTA, said: “Tennis and gaming both have communities that are incredibly passionate and engaged. We are excited to bring those worlds together with Tennis Clash, creating a compelling virtual experience and bringing our united storytelling to younger generations of fans.”

Mark Panelo, Wildlife’s Vice President of Business Development, said: “Tennis Clash is the world’s most popular tennis game, so there are synergies working with the ATP and WTA.”

Ana Costa, Game Director of Tennis Clash, said: “Tennis Clash has had inclusivity as a pillar since its ideation, so creating a Tennis United tournament with the sport’s governing bodies supports our vision and provides a uniquely appealing experience for our players.”

Developed by Wildlife and based on in-depth studies of the sport, Tennis Clash offers an experience that is very close to that of a real match. As a result, it has become highly popular not just with mobile gamers, but also tennis fans. Easy to learn but hard to master, Tennis Clash is consistently ranked in the top five in the sports games category in the App Store, and was selected as one of the five best competitive games of 2019 in Google Play.

To download the game, visit the App Store or Google Play.

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Don't Forget Duckworth! Aussie Proving A Point In Toronto

Australian James Duckworth was watching top seed Daniil Medvedev’s second-round match against Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik on Tuesday at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers when he was taken by surprise. The commentary team was building anticipation for a third-round blockbuster between Medvedev and Washington champion Jannik Sinner.

Duckworth was having none of it. Sinner still had to beat him!

“The commentators were getting ready for this really good Sinner-Medvedev match next round and I just wanted to prove a point,” Duckworth told ATPTour.com. “It pissed me off listening to them say that.”

Less than 10 months ago on an indoor hard court in Cologne, Duckworth won just three games against Sinner. But with plenty of motivation on Wednesday, the Australian qualifier upset the 16th seed 6-3, 6-4 in 76 minutes.

“I knew obviously I had to play well, but there were certain tactical things that I changed a little bit — my serving spots and a couple of things on return,” Duckworth said. “I watched a fair bit of his match against Christopher O’Connell [in Atlanta] and took a few things from that and obviously had to execute today. I was able to do that in the key moments, which was a big help.”

The 29-year-old is into the third round at an ATP Masters 1000 event for the second time this year (also Miami). Before 2021, he had never made it this far at this level.

“I’m really pumped,” Duckworth said. “I was able to play well today, by far my best match of the week. Just trying to keep it going.”

Duckworth is playing some of the best tennis of his career, but he has had to overcome adversity to get to this point. The World No. 85 has undergone eight surgeries, most recently having a procedure to clean out his right shoulder last March.

“Been through a fair share of injuries, eight surgeries. To come out the other end and to be playing my best tennis currently is really rewarding,” Duckworth said. “I guess all the time doing rehab and on the operating table has paid off.”

Duckworth’s surgeries read like a grocery list: three on his right elbow, three on his right foot and two on his right shoulder between the end of 2012 and March 2020. But the Aussie has remained positive and persevered through them all.

“I’ve had a very good support team around me. I’ve got a bunch of physios up in Brisbane that I work with and just my family and close friends have been super supportive and really encouraging and helped me through times when I wasn’t sure if my body would allow me to play at this level,” Duckworth said. “That support network has been huge for me.”

Watch Duckworth On Tennis United

Duckworth avoids looking at the FedEx ATP Rankings during tournaments, but he is well-positioned to climb past his career-high of World No. 71 with his performance in Canada.

“At the start of this year, I had a bit of a goal to reach at least the third round of a Slam and I did that at Wimbledon,” Duckworth said. “A bit of a running goal [is really a] joke with my coach, Wayne Arthurs: to get higher than his career-high [singles] ranking of No. 44. That would be the goal right now.”

The best thing is that Duckworth is able to focus on his tennis rather than recovering from a surgery.

“It’s always going to be a part of who I am going through all those brutal periods. I guess I’m sort of proud that I was able to get through it,” Duckworth said. “I’m trying to show now that I can play some good tennis when my body allows me.”

The veteran has played solid tennis throughout 2021. In addition to his maiden third-round appearance at a major at Wimbledon, which came in his 25th Grand Slam main draw, Duckworth also made the second round at the Australian Open and Roland Garros.

But for now, his sights are solely set on his next opponent: World No. 2 Medvedev. This will be their first ATP Head2Head clash. Although Duckworth knows how tough the Russian is, he is embracing the opportunity.

“It’s awesome. You want to test yourself against the best guys in the world,” Duckworth said. “That’s what it will be tomorrow. It’s another big test and I’m looking forward to it.”

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Tiafoe Dashes Home Hope Shapovalov In Toronto

Lucky loser Frances Tiafoe made good on his second shot at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers main draw as he stunned home favourite Denis Shapovalov 6-1, 6-4 on Wednesday evening. 

The 23-year-old American was the top seed in qualifying in Toronto, but fell to Emil Ruusuvuori in straight sets. After receiving a lucky loser spot, the American has yet to drop a set with victories over Yoshihito Nishioka and World No. 10 Shapovalov en route to the third round. 

Tiafoe came into the matchup trailing Shapovalov 1-4 in their ATP Head2Head, with Shapovalov winning their previous four encounters. But the American turned the tables on Stadium court, dominating throughout two sets with 14 winners to advance in 76 minutes. 

“This is the sixth time we have played. It’s not too crazy,” Tiafoe said. “I came with a much more relaxed approach the last couple times we played. You know, joking with him before the match. [I] was much more serious today. I really wanted to win. I definitely approached it in a different way… It was just my night tonight.”

Tiafoe did not face a break point against Shapovalov, the last Canadian standing of the four who started in the Toronto main draw. The 22-year-old Canadian struggled on serve in the windy conditions in the opening set, frequently catching his ball toss and allowing Tiafoe to take control of the points. 

The No. 52 player in the FedEx ATP Rankings kept his opponent contained, not allowing him to hit a single winner in the first set. Tiafoe reeled off the last five games as he broke twice to take it 6-1.  

He faced a bigger challenge in the second set as Shapovalov harnessed his home crowd’s support and willed himself to a higher level. He found all of his 13 winners in the second set, using his lefty strikes to pull Tiafoe out of position. But he was unable to create any break opportunities in either set, with Tiafoe winning 88 per cent (23/26) of points behind his first serve.

“It was very windy, especially early on. I thought it was going to favor me. Denis likes to swing big and really go for his shots. With conditions like that, [it] makes it a little tough,” Tiafoe said.

“He was definitely flustered with that. He was a little out of sorts. I definitely used it to my advantage. I was able to be solid, I was able to serve well, come to the net and kind of just make it super awkward for him.”

Tiafoe clinched his second Top 10 victory of the year to reach the third round in Toronto, where he will face 11th seed Gael Monfils. The Frenchman passed the second round at an event for the first time since the tour resumed a year ago, following a come-from-behind triumph against John Millman under the lights.

In a showdown between two supreme movers, Millman started the more assured before the Frenchman eked out a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory. Having struggled to find his range in the opening set, the 11^th seed upped his aggression and was working the Australian around as he drew level at the 66-minute mark.

Millman was under the pump on serve throughout the third set, surviving break points in his opening three service games to keep his nose in front, but the 32-year-old visibly appeared to be struggling as he clutched at his right ankle at the change of ends. He had committed only 14 unforced errors in the first two sets but had already hit as many in the first five games of the deciding set as he attempted to keep the points shorter. Monfils reeled off the last four games to advance after one hour and 54 minutes.

“It was a good battle. I was a little bit lucky at the end because I think he got injured, hurt himself… so he went even more for his shots so I just drained the energy from the crowd. I’m just very happy and very excited about this win,” Monfils said in his on-court interview.

“It’s tough, you know. At the end it’s back to the old school, the Monfils defence. I was, I don’t know, maybe 10 metres out, grinding a little bit but sometimes I tried to go for my shots, go for the big serve.”

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Day 4 Preview: Tsitsipas, Medvedev Eye Quarter-Finals In Toronto

Stefanos Tsitsipas will look to extend an unbeaten run against Karen Khachanov on his 23rd birthday on Thursday after holding his nerve to reach the third round at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers in Toronto. Since he reached his maiden ATP Masters 1000 final against Rafael Nadal in Canada in 2018, the Greek has made giants strides.

On Monday, he surpassed the Spaniard as the new No. 3 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. On Thursday, he will look to improve on an impressive record in Canada to 7-2 should he extend his ATP Head2Head ledger against Khachanov to 4-0 on Thursday.

[WATCH LIVE 2]

Tsitsipas recovered after letting five match points slip in an epic 22-minute, 28-point tie-break against Ugo Humbert, before he eventually prevailed 6-3, 6-7(13), 6-1 in his opening match. He had fallen to the Frenchman in both prior ATP Head2Head encounters, including at last month’s Tokyo Olympics.

“I didn’t want to think about it. Whatever happened happened, and I don’t want anything to affect me. I don’t want anything to get inside my head,” Tsitsipas said of missing five match point opportunities in the second set. “I just showed incredible mental balance and mental strength to overcome this difficult tie-break that I just experienced… I still had high hopes that I could pull something good off.”

Click here to view the full Day 4 Order Of Play

Tsitsipas remained on track for his third title of the season, following his first ATP Masters 1000 crown at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters and victory in Lyon. His third-round opponent, Khachanov, left the Japanese capital with a silver medal.

The Russian came up just short against Tsitsipas 7-5 in the deciding set in the Rotterdam quarter-finals in the pair’s most recent showdown in March. The 25-year-old has already scored impressive victories over in-form Briton Cameron Norrie and 15^th-seeded compatriot Aslan Karatsev to reach the third round.

Top seed Daniil Medvedev continues his campaign on Thursday when he meets World No. 85 James Duckworth for a place in the quarter-finals. The Russian, a runner-up to Nadal in Montreal two years ago, survived a tricky second round against one-time doubles partner Alexander Bublik in three sets.

“I don’t know if the conditions changed with the humidity, but I was not playing well before the rain… I knew I had to play better if I was to win,” Medvedev said. “When back on the court, from the first game I felt much better. I only felt better and better during the match, he did not have one break point [after the rain]. I turned around the match completely.”

The 29-year-old Duckworth sprung a straight-sets upset of 16^th seed and Sunday’s Citi Open champion Jannik Sinner for his best result in Canada. The Australian’s previous best results at the event were three straight second-round qualifying defeats, the last of which came five years ago.

“He’s very solid off both sides. He’s got no real holes in his game. He hits with great length. That’s one of his best attributes – he’s able to put the ball so deep that it’s really hard to attack him,” Duckworth said of Medvedev. “It’s going to be tough, but I’ll go out there, give it a good crack and see what happens.”

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Bublik/Garin Upset Peers/Polasek In Toronto

Alexander Bublik and Cristian Garin rekindled their partnership on Wednesday to topple sixth seeds John Peers and Filip Polasek 6-4, 6-4 at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers. 

Bublik and Garin both bowed out in their opening matches in singles after tight three-setters, with Bublik falling to top seed Daniil Medvedev yesterday and Garin to Atlanta champion John Isner earlier in the day. But they found success in doubles as they contested their third tournament of the year together, and first since Madrid and Rome (1-2).

The Kazakh-Chilean tandem won 90 per cent (44/49) of first-serve points, and didn’t face any break points en route to victory in 61 minutes. Bublik and Garin will next face Matwe Middelkoop and Luke Saville. 

They weren’t the only team to record a successful reunion on Wednesday. Daniel Evans and Neal Skupski played their first match as a team since Rome in May, and took down Miomir Kecmanovic and Casper Ruud 7-5, 6-3.

The Brits previously reached back-to-back ATP Masters 1000 finals in Miami and Monte Carlo, losing out to Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic both times. Now they will get a shot at revenge, as the top-seeded Croatians await in the second round. 

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Johanna Konta: British number one fights back to beat Elina Svitolina and reach the Canadian Open third round

British number one Johanna Konta fights back from a set down to defeat third seed Elina Svitolina and reach the Canadian Open third round.

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Schwartzman Opens Toronto Campaign With Paire Victory

Diego Schwartzman was in ruthless form on Wednesday, easing past Benoit Paire in straight sets to reach the third round at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers.

After gaining a crucial break at the end of the first set, Schwartzman took control of the match, defeating the Frenchman 7-5 6-1.

The opening set was an intense contest, with the turning point occurring at 5-5 when Schwartzman displayed his phenomenal defensive abilities to save two break points. The Argentine would go on to hold serve and break in the subsequent game to take the set.

Paire had more difficulty on serve in the second set, in which he made only 42% of first serves and committed seven double faults. No. 8-seeded Schwartzman was able to win the set handily as a result by breaking the Paire serve three times.

Schwartzman has had past success in Canada, reaching the quarter-finals in Montreal in 2017.

Up next for the World No. 14 is Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut, who defeated American Tommy Paul 6-3, 6-4 in his second round match. Bautista Agut recovered from an early break deficit in the first set to win routinely, winning 82% of first-serve points and breaking the Paul serve four times.

The ATP Head2Head rivalry between Bautista Agut and Schwartzman stands at 1-1, with the Spaniard beating the Argentine at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers in 2019.

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Tsitsipas Provides Message Of Support To Greece During Bushfire Crisis

Greek national hero Stefanos Tsitsipas sent his heartfelt support to his home country, which is currently facing devastation due to bushfires, following his second-round victory in Toronto on Tuesday. The World No. 3 defeated Frenchman Ugo Humbert 6-4, 6-7(11), 6-1, winning the match on his sixth match point.

Tsitsipas pledged to help those affected by the fires in his post-match press conference.

“My heart is with all the people of Greece,” Tsitsipas said. “I come from the south suburbs of Athens. When I was there a few days ago, I could see the fires from the south. Huge, giant clouds, smoke, which you could see from far, far away. It wasn’t very nice.

“Even at the beach that day when I went to swim, you could see all the debris from the smoke and from the fires in the sea.”

The bushfires have had a devastating impact on the country, with thousands of homes and acres of land ravaged. In some areas of Greece residents have been forced to evacuate their homes as fires continue to rage throughout the country.

“I’m trying to help as much as possible, because first of all, it’s my country,” Tstitsipas said. “I grew up there. It’s where my heart is. I do it for the people, as well. Helping is the least I can do. It’s very unfortunate. It has happened in the past, but we are trying to put some help in there to help kind of bring back what was there before.”

Tsitsipas will take on American Frances Tiafoe in his upcoming third-round match. The two players have met twice in 2021, with Tiafoe winning their first-round encounter at Wimbledon and Tsitsipas taking the victory in the first round of the Tokyo Olympics.

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Rublev Flips The Script Against Fognini In Toronto

Before 2021, Fabio Fognini dominated his ATP Head2Head rivalry with Andrey Rublev. But the Russian has flipped the script this year, and on Wednesday won his third consecutive match against the Italian.

Rublev clawed past Fognini 7-6(4), 6-3 behind 13 aces to reach the third round at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers after one hour and 32 minutes.

“It’s always super tough against Fabio. He’s super talented and you know how great he can play,” Rublev said in his on-court interview. “He’s beaten so many great players, so I knew it was going to be really tough, especially it was my first match and he already played the first round, so he was feeling a bit more comfortable than me.”

There was not much between the two standout baseliners at Aviva Centre. But in key moments, Rublev was able to take the first big swing in rallies and Fognini was forced to play from more uncomfortable positions rather than attacking himself.

Rublev hit 26 winners compared to 12 for Fognini to claim his first victory in Toronto. This was just his second main draw match at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers.

“I was a bit tight, but this is normal,” Rublev said. “Then little by little during the match I started to play better and better, started to find confidence, and in the end I’m happy that I won in straight sets.”

It will not get easier for the fourth seed, who will next play recent Atlanta champion John Isner. The big-serving American claimed his first win against Chilean Cristian Garin 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 after two hours and 13 minutes.

Isner has won his two previous clashes against Rublev, including a final-set tie-break victory against the Russian earlier this year in Madrid. The 36-year-old has won seven consecutive matches and will try to reach his second quarter-final in Toronto after making the semi-finals in 2012.

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