Tennis News

Alcaraz Secures SF Berth In Milan

Top seed Carlos Alcaraz became the first player to book their semi-final spot at the 2021 Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals, downing American Brandon Nakashima 4-3(4), 4-1, 4-3(4) in Milan on Wednesday.

The Spaniard backed up his straight-sets victory over Holger Vitus Nodskov Rune with an impressive attacking performance against Nakashima. Alcaraz won 88 per cent (29/33) of his first-serve points and demonstrated his determination, finding his best level in both tie-breaks to advance after 86 minutes.

“I am really happy with the level I am playing at,” Alcaraz said in his on-court interview. “I am so happy. I hope to play the semi-final at this level. The serve is very important on hard court and indoor courts. I am trying to improve the serve for my game.”

In a high-quality match, both players struck the ball with great depth as they looked to dictate from the baseline. However, Alcaraz was the more aggressive of the two and lifted the roof off the Allianz Cloud in the second set when at 3-0, 0/15 up, he stretched every inch of his frame to stay alive in a point from deep behind the baseline, before scrambling to the net to flick the ball beyond Nakashima.

“Playing against a great player like Brandon, you play amazing points like we have played,” Alcaraz said. “We are looking for those points for the crowd as well!”

With his victory, the 18-year-old now holds a 2-0 record in Group A and moves to 1-0 in his ATPHead2Head series against Nakashima. Alcaraz – who was in regular contact with coach Juan Carlos Ferrero throughout against Nakashima due to the courtside coaching rule in place in Milan – will face Juan Manuel Cerundolo in his final round-robin match.

Earlier this season, Alcaraz clinched an ATP Challenger Tour title in Oeiras, before he won his maiden tour-level crown in Umag. The World No. 32 will be bidding to add to his growing trophy collection later this week in Milan.

Following Rune’s four-set victory against Cerundolo earlier on Wednesday, the Dane will play Nakashima for the second semi-final place in Group A. The American also overcame Cerundolo this week, meaning like Rune, he holds a 1-1 record.

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Shapovalov Starts Stockholm Title Defense With A Bang

Defending champion Denis Shapovalov improved his record at the Stockholm Open to 6-1 after fighting past qualifier Andrea Vavassori to reach the quarter-finals on Wednesday. 

The third-seeded Canadian arrived in the Swedish capital looking to capture his second ATP Tour title of his career. He took a big step in the right direction as he broke Vavassori’s serve three times en route to a hard-fought 7-6(1), 6-1 victory. 

“I think he played really, really well in the first set. It’s never easy to start a tournament, but it felt amazing to be back here,” Shapovalov said in an on-court interview, recalling his run to his first ATP Tour title in 2019.

“I remember playing a lot of good tennis. It was an amazing week, and honestly Stockholm is a  very special place for me where I won my first title. I always love coming back here.”  

The World No. 18 was locked into a tight first set against Vavassori, who was making his ATP main draw debut in Stockholm. The tension grew as Vavassori finally recovered from going down a break of serve in the first game, levelling the score at 5-5. Shapovalov raised his level in the tie-break, allowing the Italian just one more point as he took the set. The third seed maintained it in the second set, breaking serve twice more to seal the battle between lefties.

Shapovalov will next face Arthur Rinderknech, who won 6-4, 6-1 against lucky loser Jozef Kovalik. It will be their first meeting. 

Eighth seed Frances Tiafoe is also through to the quarter-finals at the ATP 250 event, after edging past Spain’s Pedro Martinez 6-4, 6-4. He’ll meet fourth seed Daniel Evans next, after the Brit took down Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 7-6(5), 6-2. The pair have a 2-2 record in their ATPHead2Head, with both players owning one win apiece on indoor hard-courts – Tiafoe in Basel in 2019, and Evans in Antwerp last year.

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Rune Keeps SF Hopes Alive

Holger Vitus Nodskov Rune kept his semi-final hopes alive Wednesday at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals, moving past Juan Manuel Cerundolo 4-1, 4-2, 1-4, 4-1 to record his first win in Group A.

The Dane lost to Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz in his opening round-robin match in Milan, but bounced back against the Argentine as he imposed his aggressive baseline game on Cerundolo in their first ATP Head2Head meeting to secure victory after 78 minutes.

“I am very pleased,” Rune said in his on-court interview. “Yesterday was not easy because Carlos [Alcaraz] played very well and it was a high level. It is never easy when you play well and lose the first two sets. I learned a lot and took all the good things and experience into the match today. I played aggressively and came into the net, so I was really pleased.”

The World No. 109 used the energy from the vocal crowd that were inside the Allianz Cloud to play with great intensity from the start as he marched 3-0 ahead in the first set. And from there, Rune never looked back, thumping forehands and crushing backhands as he continued to successfully adjust to the first-to-4, best-of-5 set format.

“In the third set I lost focus totally on my service games,” Rune said. “I was close to breaking him at 1-1 and I played to passive, and after that I struggled mentally. Then I tried to regroup as fast as possible and tried to play similar to the first two sets. I found a way and it is good to have a victory before tomorrow.”

?? Holger Rune gets his first victory at the @intesasanpaolo #NextGenATPFinals against @juanmacerundolo 4-1, 4-2, 1-4, 4-1 ? pic.twitter.com/O7rHXqorJt

— Next Gen ATP Finals (@nextgenfinals) November 10, 2021

Rune, who is making his debut at the 21-and-under event, now holds a 1-1 record in Group A and will play American Brandon Nakshima in his final round-robin match.

The 18-year-old has risen from No. 474 in the FedEx ATP Rankings at the start the year to a current career-high No. 109, after he captured his fourth ATP Challenger Tour title in Bergamo last week. Rune also took a set off World No. 1 Novak Djokovic at the US Open and reached quarter-finals in Santiago and Metz.

Cerundolo, who clinched his maiden tour-level trophy on home soil in Cordoba in February, is now 0-2 in Group A action. The World No. 91 will face top-seeded Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz in his final match. Alcaraz will secure his semi-final spot if he defeats Nakashima later on Wednesday.

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Dan Evans advances at Stockholm Open as Andy Murray prepares to face Jannik Sinner

Britain’s Dan Evans is through to the Stockholm Open quarter-finals and Andy Murray will seek to join him there on Wednesday.

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Day 2 Preview: Korda, Alcaraz Chase Milan Semi-Final Berths

The first winners of the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals for 2021 are set to square off on Day 2 as Sebastian Korda, Carlos Alcaraz, Brandon Nakashima and Sebastian Baez each have a shot at securing a semi-final berth in Milan with a win.

For the second day in a row, Korda will open the night session when he meets fellow Group B winner from Day 1, Baez. The pair has never met and at No. 39, Korda sits 72 places higher than his Argentine opponent in the in the FedEx ATP Rankings, following a season in which he won his maiden tour-level title in Parma and made the fourth round at Wimbledon.

The 21-year-old American surged back from two sets down and saved a match point against in-form fellow debutant Hugo Gaston on Day 1. Korda saw off the Frenchman 3-4(2), 3-4(6), 4-0, 4-3(3), 4-0 in two hours and three minutes.

“I just kept going to the same spot every single time and was taking advantage of the shorter balls and coming in,” Korda said. “On my serve I was serving in the same spot instead of opening up the court. The biggest thing was I started to use my forehand down the line more.”

The 20-year-old Baez – with five ATP Challenger Tour titles on clay in 2021 – sprung the upset against home favourite and World No. 58, Lorenzo Musetti, 4-1, 4-1, 3-4(5), 4-3(5) in 99 minutes. It was the World No. 111’s first tour-level match on hard court.

The two winners from Group A on Day 1, Alcaraz and Nakashima, will do battle in the second afternoon match. World No. 32 Alcaraz lived up to his billing as top seed with a convincing 4-3(6), 4-2, 4-0 victory over Denmark’s Holger Vitus Nodskov Rune to kickstart his Milan campaign.

Full Day 2 Schedule For Milan

The World No. 32 started the season at No. 141 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, but has soared after a year that included his first tour-level title in Umag and a win over World No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas en route to his maiden Grand Slam quarter-final at the US Open. The 18-year-old has never faced World No. 63 Nakashima.

“To do many different things on court is very important,” Alcaraz said after his win against Rune. “I am trying to go to the net and play aggressively in the important moments and stay calm. I am trying to do this every match.”

The 20-year-old Nakashima opened his account with a 4-1, 3-4(3), 4-1, 4-0 win against Argentine Juan Manuel Cerundolo for a 10^th win from his past 11 matches at all levels. The American arrived in Milan in form, having landed his second ATP Challenger Tour title of the season in Brest in October.

In another first ATP Head2Head meeting, Cerundolo will meet Rune with both aiming for their first win of the group stage. The World No. 91 is only 18 places higher in the FedEx ATP Rankings than his opponent and arrives after a breakout season in which he captured his first tour-level title on home soil in Cordoba as a qualifier.

Rune qualified for his maiden Grand Slam singles main draw at the US Open, where he took a set off World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the opening round on Arthur Ashe Stadium. In the second night session match, Italian Musetti bids for his first win of the event before his home fans when he meets Gaston.

The World No. 58 reached tour-level semi-finals in Acapulco and Lyon, and the fourth round at Roland Garros earlier in the year, while the Frenchman jumped 36 places in the FedEx ATP Rankings on Monday, following his run to a maiden ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final at the Rolex Paris Masters.

Singles Group A qualification scenarios after the completion of the 1st round of the event’s group stage:

Carlos Alcaraz qualifies on Wednesday if:
– Alcaraz defeats Nakashima in 3 sets.
– Alcaraz defeats Nakashima and Rune defeats Cerundolo.
– Alcaraz defeats Nakashima in 4 sets and Cerundolo defeats Rune in 5 sets.

Brandon Nakashima qualifies on Wednesday if:
– Nakashima defeats Alcaraz and Cerundolo defeats Rune.
– Nakashima defeats Alcaraz in 3 sets and Rune defeats Cerundolo in 5 sets.

Singles Group B qualification scenarios after the completion of the 1st round of the event’s group stage:

Sebastian Korda qualifies on Wednesday if:
– Korda defeats Baez and Gaston defeats Musetti.

Sebastian Baez qualifies on Wednesday if:
– Baez defeats Korda in 3 sets.
– Baez defeats Korda and Musetti defeats Gaston.

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Baez Breaks New Ground With Musetti Upset In Milan

Sebastian Baez did not read the script Tuesday as he overcame home favourite Lorenzo Musetti 4-1, 4-1, 3-4(5), 4-3(5) at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals in his first tour-level hard-court match.

The Argentine has won five ATP Challenger Tour titles in a standout 2021 season with all coming on clay. However, Baez made a seamless transition to the indoor-hard conditions at the Allianz Cloud in Milan to move to 1-0 in Group B.

“I feel so good,” Baez said in his on-court interview. “It was a great match and I am happy to win as Lorenzo is a great player. He started to play better and the crowd began to really support him. It is special for us when you are in your own country with the energy from the people. I tried to stay in the moment and think about the next point.”

First upset of the @intesasanpaolo #NextGenATPFinals. Sebastian Baez defeats local boy Lorenzo Musetti 4-1, 4-1, 3-4, 4-3 ? pic.twitter.com/WLd5Cg5n9r

— Next Gen ATP Finals (@nextgenfinals) November 9, 2021

The Italian Musetti, who reached tour-level semi-finals in Acapulco and Lyon this year, was making his debut at the 21-and-under event in Milan. But he struggled to find top form in front of his home supporters as Baez hit through the 19-year-old with his power and depth in an impressive performance to advance after one hour and 39 minutes in their first ATP Head2Head meeting.

Throughout the match, Baez made the most of the courtside coaching rule that is one of the innovations in place at the event, engaging with Sebastian Gutierrez for guidance. And this paid off with Baez, who won 83 per cent (40/48) of his first-serve points, capitalising in the big moments as he broke three times en route to his victory.

The World No. 111 joins Sebastian Korda on one victory in Group B after the American became just the second player in the tournament’s history – alongside Borna Coric at the inaugural edition in 2017 – to fight back from two-sets-to-love down, downing Hugo Gaston 3-4(2), 3-4(6), 4-0, 4-3(3), 4-0.

In a challenging evening, the World No. 58 was impaired physically at times against Baez, receiving a medical time out at the start of the third set before continuing. Unlike at regular ATP Tour events, players are only eligible for one medical time out at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals.

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Behind The Scenes Of An Alcaraz Win In Milan

It started with a fistbump and ended with a smile.

Before Carlos Alcaraz’s straight-sets win on Tuesday against Denmark’s Holger Vitus Nodskov Rune at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals, the pair was waiting just outside the locker room. Brandon Nakashima, who had just won his opening match against Juan Manuel Cerundolo, walked by, and Alcaraz gave him a congratulatory fistbump.

The 18-year-old Spaniard then picked up his bag and headed for the court, where he received a loud ovation upon his arrival. The top seed was ready for the spotlight.

The match itself was a masterful display from the teen, who lifted his first ATP Tour trophy in Umag this year. Alcaraz did not face a break point, and he showed both powerful groundstrokes and quick footspeed, showcased in the point below.

“Both of us played really well,” Alcaraz said. “I tried to stay calm, this is new for me. I was really nervous at the beginning, but I tried to be calm.”

After his post-match interview, Alcaraz walked off court and immediately headed to the gym to do his cooldown. As the jubilant Spaniard neared the gym entrance, Rune, passed by, still disappointed by the result.

Alcaraz embraced his team, including his coach, former World No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero, before getting on the stationary bike. The teen quickly noticed young fans watching him through a glass window above, and he thanked them for their support with a thumbs up and a wide grin.

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In Special Format, Korda Overcomes Two-Set Deficit

A two-set deficit is typically a daunting hole to find yourself in, but Sebastian Korda showed that at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals, it might not be as scary.

With the special first-to-four, best-of-five set format, Korda turned around his match in an hour on Tuesday. The 21-year-old American saved a match point to battle past Frenchman Hugo Gaston 3-4(2), 3-4(6), 4-0, 4-3(3), 4-0 in two hours and three minutes.

“[I] just stayed calm and kept thinking what I could do better,” Korda said. “I did play very well tactically in the first two sets, but I figured a couple of things out during the tie-break and I think that helped me for the rest of the match.”

Korda is the second player in tournament history to rally from two sets down at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals, joining Borna Coric, who accomplished the feat in round-robin action against Karen Khachanov in 2017.

Gaston held match point on Korda’s serve at 3-2 in the fourth set, but this year’s Parma champion blasted an ace down the T to erase the opportunity. The Frenchman, who reached his first ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final last week at the Rolex Paris Masters, was clutch under pressure for most of the match, using his variety — especially the drop shot — to great effect.

But in the fifth set, Korda broke by hitting a drop shot off a Gaston drop shot, and he did not relinquish his advantage. The American is now 1-0 in Group B action.

“I just kept going to the same spot every single time and was taking advantage of the shorter balls and coming in. On my serve I was serving in the same spot instead of opening up the court,” Korda said. “The biggest thing was I started to use my forehand down the line more.”

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Andy Murray through in Stockholm Open & faces Jannik Sinner

Britain’s Andy Murray keeps his 2021 season going with a straight-set win over Norway’s Viktor Durasovic in the Stockholm Open first round.

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Murray Sets Sinner Clash In Stockholm

Former World No. 1 Andy Murray was probably hoping for a straightforward opening match at the Stockholm Open, but qualifier Viktor Durasovic had other ideas.

Murray was tested in the second set of his first match at the ATP 250 event, and he once again passed with flying colours to record a 6-1, 7-6(7) victory on Tuesday.

“I got off to a very good start, and then in the second set he started to play better. He was a lot more comfortable as the match went on,” Murray said. “At the end it was just a big fight, and I managed to get the tie-break… It feels like he is playing better than 300 or so in the world.”

Murray, who underwent hip surgery in 2019, has registered at least one main draw win in eight of his last 10 outings, facing off against the likes of Stefanos Tsitsipas, Ugo Humbert, Frances Tiafoe, and Hubert Hurkacz in first-round matches. In Stockholm, Murray had to navigate past No. 354 Durasovic, a 24-year-old qualifier who played well above his FedEx ATP Ranking in his ATP Tour main draw debut.

Murray’s win sets up a mouth-watering clash between the three-time Grand Slam champion and Jannik Sinner, the top seed in Stockholm. It will be the pair’s first meeting.

“Sinner has had a fantastic season… He was very unlucky to not make the Final Eight [at the Nitto ATP Finals] in Turin,” Murray said. “He loves playing indoors on hard courts, so it will be a big test for me.”

Murray cruised through the 29-minute opening set with little trouble, but he was in for a bigger fight as Durasovic settled into the contest. The qualifier erased Murray’s early lead to take them into a second-set tie-break, but Murray’s experience showed through in the tight moments. He saved set point and sealed his third match point with a blistering rally.

Fifth seed Taylor Fritz needed an hour and 14 minutes to claim the final spot into Stockholm’s second round. The American converted three of his eighth break point opportunities against lucky loser Egor Gerasimov to win 6-4, 6-4. 

Fritz will next face his good friend and regular doubles partner Tommy Paul for the second time in three weeks. The fifth seed defeated his countryman 7-6(3), 6-4 when they met at the St. Petersburg Open.

Also in action, Arthur Rinderknech moved past sixth seed Alexander Bublik. Rinderknech was leading 6-1, 2-0 before the Kazakh player retired.

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