Emma Raducanu: England head coach Eddie Jones says "distraction" comments were not a criticism
England head coach Eddie Jones says his comments about player “distractions” were not a criticism of US Open tennis champion Emma Raducanu.
England head coach Eddie Jones says his comments about player “distractions” were not a criticism of US Open tennis champion Emma Raducanu.
Dan Evans lets slip a one-set lead as he loses to Frances Tiafoe in the Stockholm Open quarter-finals.
Juan Manuel Cerundolo made headlines in February when he soared to his first tour-level title as a qualifier on home soil in Cordoba.
Since then, the Argentine has captured three ATP Challenger Tour trophies and is currently No. 91 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. The 19-year-old is competing at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan this week and he caught up with ATPTour.com to speak about the 21-and-under event.
A lot of the #NextGenATP players have been doing amazing things this year. How much does it motivate you, seeing the other young players doing well? Is there anyone in particular who has really impressed you?
I’m really motivated by being here as one of the best eight young players of the year. You look at the people who’ve played in this tournament and now a lot of them are very high in the rankings. That’s a huge motivation to keep going and it shows me that I’m on the right path.
Also, one player who’s really surprised me this year has been Carlos Alcaraz. He’s having a stunning season, his progress is incredible. And I think he’s one of the names we all mention.
When you were growing up there were Roger, Rafa and Novak, who created great rivalries. As you’re competing with other #NextGenATP players, have you thought about your budding rivalries and playing against them for many years?
That will only happen if we continue to improve and play well. I think that they will come only with time. For many players, it’s their first meeting with almost all the others. It’s going to be great. I hope the competition is healthy. I think it’s going to be very good.
Have you watched the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals before and if so, what were your thoughts?
I’ve seen it on TV and I’ve always thought it looked really fun. It’s more relaxed compared to a normal tournament, in terms of the format and the players… It’s always looked like an incredible tournament in every sense.
The Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals always has many innovations. Were there any that you particularly enjoyed and look forward to using and if so, why?
Personally, I’m more of a conservative person in that regard. I’ve always played to six games and that’s what I like. At least that’s what I’m most used to. The list of new rules is pretty long, I couldn’t list all of them.
But I like the on-court ones. For example, that the coach can talk to the player is interesting. I think it’s something that could be really good for the sport and we can do that here. I also like the idea of the bathroom rule. Sometimes those breaks get very long and I think that it’s good to have a rule on that. I feel good about these rules at this event.
When you think of Italy, what do you think of?
The food! You really do eat well here. They have very good pasta, they make great pizza. Italy is a country that cares about its cuisine. Although I don’t eat some of these things during competitions, it’s true that the food is one of the first things that comes to mind when I think about Italy.
Have you ever done any sight-seeing in Italy and if so, what was your favourite place to visit?
I’ve visited some cities thanks to the Tour. I know places like Rome, Como… also Barletta, more in the south of Italy. We don’t always have time to be tourists and visit places like other people who travel to a country.
What’s your favourite Italian food?
The pasta and the pizza. My favourite is margherita pizza, simple but really good. When I’m at tournaments, I don’t eat it because I have to look after myself and follow a competition diet. But it really is wonderful being able to enjoy it from time to time.
With three semi-final berths to be decided Thursday at the Intesa Sanpaolo NextGen ATP Finals, there’s something for tennis fans of all persuasions.
If you like simplicity, then Group A has you covered. With Carlos Alcaraz already qualified for Friday’s semi-finals, there is only one scenario in play: The winner of Brandon Nakashima and Holger Rune will qualify as No. 2 in Group A behind the Spaniard.
If you prefer more intrigue and options, then look no further than Group B, where all four players are in contention for both semi-final slots on offer in the group. Not even second seed Sebastian Korda is guaranteed a slot, despite him being the only player in the group taking a 2-0 record into Thursday.
So buckle up for a day of drama!
Kicking off Day 3 will be top seed Alcaraz against Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerundolo. Alcaraz has won all six sets he has contested this week and will look to keep that streak rolling against Cerundolo, who has suffered losses to Nakashima and Rune.
Get familiar with the stage where our youngest and brightest stars will battle it out this week. ??@FASTWEB #NextGenATPFinals pic.twitter.com/rijfVennae
— Next Gen ATP Finals (@nextgenfinals) November 10, 2021
American World No. 63 Nakashima and Denmark’s World No. 109 Rune are next up with the first of the day’s three semi-final spots on the line. The players have never met either on the ATP Tour or ATP Challenger Tour. Nakashima needs to recover from Tuesday’s straight-sets loss to Alcaraz, while Rune will come into the match with the confidence of his four-set win over Cerundolo.
Rune said that he implemented the lessons learned from his opening-day loss to Alcaraz en route to victory on Wednesday. “I learned a lot and took all the good things and experience into the match today,” Rune said. “I played aggressively and came into the net, so I was really pleased.”
The first match of the night session sees another first-time meeting between Argentina’s World No. 111 Baez and France’s World No. 67 Gaston, who last week enjoyed a fairytale run to the Rolex Paris Masters quarter-finals. Gaston has only one pathway to the semi-finals: He must beat Baez and hope that Korda beats Musetti.
Baez claimed his first Tour-level hard-court match win on Tuesday with a four-set win over Musetti. Gaston rallied from two sets down to force a fifth set against Musetti Wednesday night, but the Italian regrouped to emerge victorious after two hours and 33 minutes, the longest match in tournament history.
How well Musetti can recover physically less than 24 hours after that match will go a long way to determining whether he can ride raucous support from home fans to pull the upset against Korda when the pair meets in the final match of the night session.
“It was tough physically as we ran a lot,” Musetti said of his win over Gaston. “We had some really, really long and great rallies at the end. I was empty… I am really tired right now because I played really late yesterday.”
Semi-final qualification scenarios for the 2021 Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals are as follows.
Singles Group A qualification scenarios after the completion of the second round of the event’s group stage:
– Carlos Alcaraz has qualified for the semi-finals.
– The winner of Nakashima vs Rune will qualify as the #2 in Group A
Singles Group B qualification scenarios after the completion of the second round of the event’s group stage:
– If Korda defeats Musetti and Gaston defeats Baez, Korda will win the group and Gaston will qualify as the #2
– If Korda defeats Musetti and Baez defeats Gaston, Korda will win the group and Baez will qualify as the #2
– If Musetti defeats Korda and Gaston defeats Baez, Musetti will win the group and Korda will qualify as the #2
– If Musetti defeats Korda in three or four sets and Baez defeats Gaston in three sets, Baez will win the group and Musetti will qualify as the #2
– If Musetti defeats Korda in five sets and Baez defeats Gaston, Korda will win the group and Baez will qualify as the #2
– If Musetti defeats Korda in three sets and Baez defeats Gaston in four or five sets -> Musetti will win the group and Korda will qualify as the #2
– If Musetti defeats Korda in four sets and Baez defeats Gaston in four or five sets -> Korda will win the group and Baez will qualify as the #2
Dominic Thiem, the 2020 US Open champion, tells BBC Radio 5 Live about how he became passionate about the planet.
With the pressure on, home favourite Lorenzo Musetti delivered Wednesday at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals to record his first victory in Milan in front of a raucous crowd.
The Italian showcased a combination of flair and grit, overcoming Hugo Gaston 4-3(4), 4-3(6), 2-4, 3-4(7), 4-2 to keep alive his hopes of qualifying as he moved to 1-1 in Group B.
“It was tough physically as we ran a lot,” Musetti said. “We had some really, really long and great rallies at at the end. I was empty. My hole in my stomach finally went away and I laid down to rest and enjoy the moment.”
In a battle of two of the most talented players on Tour, exquisite shot-making was the order of the day, with drop shots and flicked backhand winners frequent as both players demonstrated great to touch in a high-quality match.
“I am really tired right now because I played really late yesterday,” Musetti said. “I recovered as I had today to rest and prepare for this match. Hugo came back with some really great tennis and he showed this last week in Paris. I took revenge on him because I lost against him in the last round of qualifying. It was a great battle, but I am really proud of this win.”
Musetti lost to Argentine Sebastian Baez on opening night at the Allianz Cloud. But he did not let it deter him against Gaston, recovering from squandering two match points at 6/4 in the fourth-set tie-break as he chased down everything the Frenchman threw at him to advance after two hours and 33 minutes in the longest match in the tournament’s history.
The 19-year-old, who is the youngest of nine Italians in the Top 100 of the FedEx ATP Rankings, reached tour-level semi-finals in Acapulco and Lyon earlier this year and enjoyed a run to the fourth round at Roland Garros.
The World No. 58 will face Group B leader Sebastian Korda in his final round-robin match on Friday as he looks to qualify for the semi-finals. Korda leads the way on two victories, while Baez, like Musetti, holds a 1-1 record. Baez faces Gaston on Thursday.
Andy Murray claimed his second Top 10 win of the year in dramatic fashion as he took down top seed Jannik Sinner 7-6(4), 6-3 on Wednesday to move into the Stockholm Open quarter-finals.
The victory over World No. 10 Sinner was Murray’s second win over a Top 10 player in the FedEx ATP Rankings, after he also defeated No. 10 Hubert Hurkacz in Vienna.
In a match packed with lengthy all-court rallies and fascinating angles, Murray managed to stave off the only break point he faced to close out Sinner in two hours and 10 minutes.
“It was a very tough match. He hits the ball huge from the back of the court so there were a lot of long rallies and a lot of running. But it’s probably my best win this season. I want to keep it going now,” Murray said in a post-match interview.
Top seed Sinner, who will serve as first alternate after narrowly missing direct qualification for the Nitto ATP Finals, was not able to make many inroads into Murray’s serve as he let a break point slip away in the opening set. Murray outlasted Sinner in a tie-break after 74 minutes, and held firm in the second to take his spot in the quarter-finals.
Murray’s victory wasn’t the only upset of the day in Stockholm. Tommy Paul also knocked off a seed after defeating his good friend and doubles partner, fifth-seeded Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-4. Paul will meet Murray in the quarter-finals for the first time.
US Open quarter-finalist Botic van de Zandschulp also defeated No. 7 Marton Fucsovics, weathering 10 aces from the Hungarian to win 7-6(3), 3-6, 7-5.
Sebastian Korda was made to work hard for his opening victory against Hugo Gaston at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals. But he found the going slightly easier on Wednesday, overcoming Sebastian Baez to move to 2-0 in Group B in Milan.
The 21-year-old effectively used his flat and powerful groundstrokes to defeat Argentine Baez 4-3(3), 4-2, 4-2 in 75 minutes, moving to the verge of qualification.
Korda, who became just the second player alongside Borna Coric in tournament history to rally from two sets down when he defeated Gaston, will secure his semi-final place if the Frenchman overcomes home favourite Lorenzo Musetti in the last match of the day in Milan.
“I trusted my game and the way I am playing right now and my body,” Korda said in his on-court interview. “Physically I am doing really well, so all things were good today.”
In a tight first set, Korda rallied from 1-3 as he began to find his rhythm to impose his big-hitting game on the Argentine, closing the net more often to cause Baez problems. The American, who dominated the short rallies, remained focused throughout in front of a lively crowd at the Allianz Cloud to secure his victory.
“It was very tricky at the beginning,” Korda said. “I came out with the wrong tactic as he was loving the pace I was giving him. I adapted really well, changed my game up as I started to come to the net more and sliced more. That was a decision I made. I am really happy with the way I played.”
2 from 2 ✅✅
?? @SebiKorda defeats Baez 4-3, 4-2, 4-2 to make it back-to-back wins in Milan. #NextGenATPFinals pic.twitter.com/uxWoLKTqaZ
— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 10, 2021
Korda began the year No. 118 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, but now is No. 39 after a standout 2021 season. The American clinched his first tour-level title in Parma in May and overcame Alex de Minaur and Daniel Evans en route to the fourth round at Wimbledon in July.
Baez captured his first tour-level hard-court win against Musetti on Tuesday and could qualify for the semi-finals if he beats Gaston in his final round-robin match. The World No. 111 was in constant contact with his coach during his clash against Korda, with courtside coaching allowed at the 21-and-under event. But he could not find a way to stop the second seed.
Fresh off his quarter-final run at the Rolex Paris Masters, Frenchman Hugo Gaston is competing at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan this week following a breakthrough 2021 season.
The 21-year-old advanced to his first tour-level final at the Swiss Open Gstaad and arrives in Italy in form, after defeating Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta and fellow Milan rival Carlos Alcaraz en route to the last eight in Paris.
ATPTour.com caught up with the World No. 67 at the 21-and-under event.
A lot of the #NextGenATP players have been doing amazing things this year. How much does it motivate you, seeing the other young players doing well? Is there anyone in particular who has really impressed you?
For me to be here at the [Intesa Sanpaolo] Next Gen ATP Finals is great. It is always good to play against the best younger players in the world. It is an honour to be in the top eight and it is going to be a great week for us.
When you were growing up there were Roger, Rafa and Novak, who created great rivalries. As you’re competing with other #NextGenATP players, have you thought about your budding rivalries and playing against them for many years?
I hope we can have the same rivalries with the players that Novak, Rafa and Roger had. The Next Gen players had a lot of good results this year and next year we are going to play each other more than this year, so it is going to be a whole different level.
Have you watched the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals before and if so what were your thoughts?
I saw it two years ago. It is a different event. The rules are totally different, but it is also good. It is really fun and I think it is going to be really nice where we are playing with great support.
The Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals always has many innovations. Were there any that you particularly enjoyed and look forward to using and if so, why?
I am looking forward to speaking to my coach on court and when we can see the stats of our opponents. I think it is something different, but it is going to be cool and helpful.
When you think of Italy, what do you think of?
I have never been in Milan, but I played in Rome and it is always nice to play in Italy. I like to play in this country, I feel good here and I hope I can play well in Milan. The crowd in Italy is nice to play in front of. I am lucky to be in the same group as Lorenzo [Musetti]. It is going to be a great atmosphere for sure.
What’s your favourite Italian food?
In Italy the pizza is pretty good and the tiramisu. I just love the tiramisu! The food in Italy is really good.
Having hit more than 13,000 aces in 15 seasons as a pro, it’s safe to say that John Isner knows a thing or two about serving.
While service performance is often overlooked, when you witness the all-round games of the Top 10 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, Isner believes it may be a key factor at the 2021 Nitto ATP Finals, to be held at the Pala Alpitour in Turin.
Speaking to ATPTour.com, the 6’10” American, who qualified for the season finale in 2018, analyses the service prowess of some performers at the 14-21 November event.
Novak Djokovic (2021 Infosys ATP Stats: 420 aces, 76% first-service points won)
The Serbian superstar, who overcame early service issues in his career, returned to his old motion after he recovered from a right elbow injury in 2017. With the help of Goran Ivanisevic in recent years, Djokovic has made it a consistent weapon. So far in 2021, the World No. 1 has compiled a 48-6 match record and lifted five trophies
“He’s actually someone who’s definitely improved his serve as his career has gone on,” says Isner. “He’s also someone who got to World No. 1 and is always trying to get better. In the case of the past few years, he’s tried to improve his serve. Hiring Goran Ivanisevic is a big part of that. He has improved his serve. We saw at the Australian Open him holding serve with relative ease right throughout that tournament.
“Of course, when you hold serve like that and everything else in your game is the best in the world, you’re going to win a lot of matches. His serve has certainly improved. He’s probably serving better now than he ever has. He has a lot more confidence to go for big second serves and he’s winning a lot more free points on his serve. Not that he really needs to. But he does play a lot of gruelling rallies, so occasionally gets a free point here or there. It definitely helps him out a little bit.”
Daniil Medvedev (599 aces, 78% first-service points won)
Over the past four years under the guidance of coach Gilles Cervara, the Russian has increased his ace count and winning percentage on first serve. This year, the 25-year-old has a 54-12 match record and four titles.
Isner says, “The thing that gets lost with a lot of these guys that are No. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 in the world is their serves aren’t really looked at as their weapons because everything else in their game is so solid. It’s kind of like these guys have no weaknesses so people like to focus a lot on Djokovic’s speed and Medvedev’s speed and their backhands. Rightfully so, but at the same time they serve exceptionally well and the stats back that up also.
“So Medvedev is a tall guy, he goes after a serve. He goes after a lot of big second serves, so he’s got a lot of confidence with that shot. I think that’s one thing we’ve seen him improve also over the last few years.”
Stefanos Tsitsipas (475 aces, 76% first-service points won)
After suffering a leg injury in the latter part of the 2020 season, Tsitsipas refined his serve and has compiled 50+ match wins for the second time in three years.
“Lately, this year, from what I’ve seen, he’s serving a lot higher percentage first serve,” says Isner. “His serve’s a little bit different. He’s a guy that his toss gets behind him a little bit. I don’t necessarily like that, but he’s made it work because he serves incredibly well. I think his first-serve percentage has improved a lot this year.
“I think when I’ve played him in years past, three, four years ago, it was rarely over 60 per cent. We’ve seen a lot of times his serve being over 60 per cent and sometimes even 70 per cent first serve. Again, he’s another guy who has so much game apart from his serve, that’s it’s something you don’t really think about. He’s another guy who’s improved his serve.”
Alexander Zverev (688 aces, 77% first-service points won)
The German says, “My serve is the key to my game [and] when it’s working, I’m playing great.” In 2021, Zverev has collected five tour-level titles and won 28 of his past 31 matches heading into the Nitto ATP Finals.
Isner says, “It’s all a confidence thing. A lot of it is very, very mental. In my opinion he’s got a very pure motion, but we have seen him double fault a lot in the past and he’s taken a lot of heat for that. But right now, he doesn’t seem to be doing that at all. I’ve played him where he’s not thinking about his second serve at all. Of course, he’s going after his first serve. When he’s doing that he’s one of the toughest players in the world.
“We saw that in Vienna. He didn’t have any matches where he was throwing in 10 or more double faults. If he can keep that at bay he’s going to be incredibly tough to beat. His first serve is massive. He’s a big guy and he really goes after it. He’s got a nice motion. I played him at the Laver Cup and I think he served over 70 per cent. I’ve seen him play a lot of big matches in the past. He played in a lot of these [ATP] Masters 1000 runs he’s been on, he’s serving consistently at over 70 per cent first serve and if he does that, there’s maybe one or two players that could possibly beat him – Djokovic, maybe Medvedev. When he’s confident on his serve, everything else behind it is so solid. He’s very tough. He showed that in Vienna.”
Andrey Rublev (489 aces, 76% first-service points won)
The Russian, one of the hardest hitters off the ground, broke into the Top 5 for the first time in September and is close to compiling 50 wins in 2021.
“His serve is not one that is as big as those other guys, but he definitely has a good first serve,” says Isner. “It’s not a weak first serve by any means, but his first serve is one that it could get him on the front foot just a little bit, and that’s all he needs because he’s one of the best and most aggressive baseliners we have in the world.
“He can hit his spots on his serves, but he’s not going to serve 130mph. He might get it 125 [mph], but all he needs is to be on the offence just a little bit. He always seizes that opportunity to go on his front foot and go after the ball, [and] really go after his groundstrokes. It’s something over the years that I’ve seen him do on the practice court. He never, ever relents on a single groundstroke and it’s certainly paying off.”
Matteo Berrettini (609 aces, 79% first-service points won)
The Italian, one of the biggest servers on the ATP Tour, won two ATP Tour titles and reached the Wimbledon final this season to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin.
Isner says, “He’s a guy, of all the players who have qualified, where the first thing you talk about is his serve. Berrettini has an incredible first serve, one of the top five first serves in the game, I think. He holds serve with a lot of ease. I wouldn’t say his groundstrokes are as good as some of the other players. He makes up for that with that incredible serve.
“We also know how big of a forehand he has on top of that. He really goes after it. He’s got a live arm. I like his motion. Just one of those guys. The ball goes up and he just pops it. He’s just got this super live arm that some people are blessed with. He’s got the ability to hit a serve in the high 130s [mph]. It’s a huge weapon.”
Two other qualifiers, who will compete at the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time this year, have also impressed. Norway’s Casper Ruud has won 74 per cent of his first-service points in 2021 and struck 310 aces, earning him five ATP Tour titles and a 53-15 match record, while Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz has fired 553 aces in 56 matches this year.
Editor’s note: ATPTour.com spoke with Isner before Ruud and Hurkacz had qualified for Turin.