Indian Wells: Ons Jabeur becomes first Arab player to reach tennis top 10
Ons Jabeur will become the first Arab tennis player to reach the top 10 in the world rankings after reaching the Indian Wells semi-finals.
Ons Jabeur will become the first Arab tennis player to reach the top 10 in the world rankings after reaching the Indian Wells semi-finals.
Aslan Karatsev and Andrey Rublev are on a roll in the desert, through to their maiden ATP Masters 1000 doubles semi-final after taking down Rohan Bopanna and Denis Shapovalov in straight sets on Thursday night.
The Russians, in only their third tournament together, proved too strong for the Indian-Canadian duo 6-4, 6-4. Champions already this year in Doha, they are now 7-1 as a partnership and will face the unseeded Tim Puetz and Michael Venus for a place in their second tour-level final this season.
FOLLOW THIS WEEK’S ACTION
Both pairs had been rock solid on serve to 4-all in the opening set before the first cracks appeared as Shapovalov was broken on a third break point. Karatsev duly capitalised and served it out at the 30-minute mark as the Russians finished the first set with a perfect 18/18 on first-serve points.
Consolidation proved a struggle in the second set as the pairs traded five breaks in seven games before Karatsev raised his level to hold for 5-3. While they missed four match points on Shapovalov’s serve, the Russians advanced a game later at the 67-minute mark.
In their first event together since 2016, eighth seeds Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo narrowly advanced against unseeded Italians Fabio Fognini and Lorenzo Sonego 3-6, 6-4, 10-8. The Croatian-Brazilian duo won Roland Garros together in 2015 and Melo relished the chance to reunite in Indian Wells.
“Today was as high level as possible in doubles. I think the people enjoyed a lot, even though I got hit twice,” Melo said. “For me it was special because Ivan and I used to play together a long time and now we started to play again. I’m just very happy to play the level I was playing today.”
They won 78 per cent of first-serve points and 67 on second serves to book a semi-final clash against seventh seeds John Peers and Filip Polasek. It is their first semi-final together since they won in Cincinnati in 2016.
After overcoming fourth-round foes in contrasting fashion, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev contest maiden BNP Paribas Open quarter-finals on Friday.
Like their respective challengers, Nikoloz Basilashvili and Taylor Fritz, they have not advanced this far at Indian Wells before. For second seed Tsitsipas it was a rough road just to reach this stage.
The Greek dug deep from a set down in his past two matches – against 25th seed Fabio Fognini in the third round, before he finished strongly against 22nd seed Alex de Minaur 6-7(3), 7-6(3), 6-2 in a two-hour, 46-minute fourth-round battle.
Tsitsipas will carry a 2-0 ATP Head2Head record into his clash with 29th seed Basilashvili, a straight-sets winner over Russian Karen Khachanov. The Georgian – through to his maiden ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final – took a set off Tsitsipas in both prior encounters on hard courts in 2019, in Beijing and at the Australian Open.
FOLLOW THIS WEEK’S ACTION
“I know there are a lot of seeds, which play great tennis. My biggest priority is to play my best against any player regardless of the ranking or status,” Tsitsipas said. “This week has been a difficult journey with lots of battles, two three-setters so far, so this is something I’m going to take as a learning experience and use it for something better in the tournament.”
Unlike Tsitsipas, third seed Zverev’s toughest tests came earlier on in the tournament. He dropped a set to #NextGenATP American Jenson Brooksby before he powered home in three, then denied former finalist Andy Murray in two close sets.
Following victory over Murray, the German flipped the script on another 0-3 ATP Head2Head when he easily landed his first win against 14th seed Gael Monfils. He has now won 20 of his past 21 matches on hard courts, including the Tokyo Olympics gold medal and the title in Cincinnati.
“I always love [Indian Wells] but I’ve just never played well here,” Zverev said. “But I did well in Cincinnati as well where I’d never won a match before this year and then I won the tournament, so hopefully this can be a similar week for me. I’m looking forward to it. I’m feeling well, I’m playing pretty okay tennis and hopefully it can continue this week.”
Zverev holds a 3-1 ATP Head2Head record against 31st seed Fritz. But the pair stood toe-to-toe in their three most recent battles, including twice on grass at Wimbledon.
The German recovered from two sets to one down in the second round at the All England Club three years ago before Fritz gained revenge in Basel in 2019. Zverev again prevailed in a tight contest at Wimbledon, in four sets, in the third round this year.
Fritz has not dropped a set this week in Indian Wells, including victories over Nitto ATP Finals hopefuls, fifth seed Matteo Berrettini and Jannik Sinner. Like Basilashvili, he is through to his maiden ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final.
Have no fear, Grigor is here!
Grigor Dimitrov earned his biggest win of 2021 on Thursday when he beat Miami champion Hubert Hurkacz 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(2) to reach the semi-finals of the BNP Paribas Open. But that was not the Bulgarian’s only victory of the day on court.
At 5-4 in the second set, Hurkacz hit a serve that stuck underneath the court’s back panel, and 15-year-old ballgirl Hannah Maarhuis was unable to retrieve it. But Dimitrov paused play to help the teen, who was working one of his matches for the first time. The Stadium 1 crowd roared in approval of the 30-year-old’s good deed as he pulled out the ball from underneath the panel.
“It was cool! I was embarrassed,” Maarhuis said, cracking a laugh. “It was stuck under the thing. He just said, ‘I can get it’!”
When you need a helping hand, @GrigorDimitrov is there ?#BNPPO21 | ? @TennisTV pic.twitter.com/afU9xNO11K
— BNP Paribas Open (@BNPPARIBASOPEN) October 14, 2021
Dimitrov went on to win the second set and later the match, which marked his 100th ATP Masters 1000 win. He is into his first semi-final at this level since the 2019 Rolex Paris Masters.
The 2017 Nitto ATP Finals champion will next play in-form Briton Cameron Norrie for a spot in the championship match in Indian Wells. One thing is certain: the ballkids for that match will know Grigor will be there to lend a helping hand if necessary!
Britain’s Cameron Norrie beat Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman to reach the semi-finals of the Indian Wells Masters.
Grigor Dimitrov is becoming the comeback king at the BNP Paribas Open as he backed up his victory over top seed Daniil Medvedev by rallying from a set down to defeat Hubert Hurkacz on Thursday in Indian Wells.
The Bulgarian raised his level in a tight match to edge past the 24-year-old 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(2) and reach his first ATP Masters 1000 semi-final of the season. With his victory, Dimitrov has now earned 100 Masters 1000 wins.
“I stayed in it,” Dimitrov said in his on-court interview. “Especially after that first set it was very hard for me to find my range today. I was a little bit tired from yesterday and didn’t feel I really had enough time to rest and push, but I still felt and I knew I had something in me. I knew that I had to step up and be a little bit more aggressive.
“I started reading his serve a little bit more and I had a few more looks. I kept trying and believing and I think that made the difference.”
[FOLLOW 1000]After dropping the first set, Dimitrov saved two break points at 3-3, 15/40 in the second set, before he levelled via a netcord on set point, raising his arms in the air following an epic point between the pair. The World No. 28 then squandered a 5-2 lead in the decider, but regained his focus, eventually advancing after two hours and 40 minutes. The 23rd seed now leads Hurkacz 1-0 in their ATP Head2Head series.
“I am trying to get back to a good rhythm of tennis and living and being pain free with my body,” Dimitrov said. “Waking up and feeling my body is there gives me confidence. I am really enjoying my everyday life.”
Just 24 hours earlier, Dimitrov had battled back from a set and a double-break down against Medvedev in the fourth round to capture his first win over a top two opponent since he defeated Andy Murray in Miami in 2016.
The 30-year-old will next face Cameron Norrie after the Brit boosted his hopes to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals by sweeping aside Diego Schwartzman 6-0, 6-2 to reach his maiden Masters 1000 semi-final.
“I am definitely not surprised to see Cameron Norrie in the semi-finals,” Dimitrov added. “He has been playing great, very good matches. He is a very dangerous opponent and very crafty. It is not going to be an easy match my end.”
Dimitrov arrived in California in form, having enjoyed a run to the semi-finals in San Diego at the start of October, defeating Russia’s Aslan Karatsev en route to the last four. Earlier this season, the Bulgarian reached the quarter-finals at the Australian Open, where he beat then-World No. 3 Dominic Thiem. Dimitrov is aiming to win his first title since triumphing at the Nitto ATP Finals in 2017 and chasing his first final since Rotterdam in 2018.
In a tight first set, Hurkacz was strong on serving, winning 92 per cent (12/13) of points behind his first delivery as he effectively moved forward to the net to cause Dimitrov problems. In a mammoth eighth game, Hurkacz found the decisive breakthrough as he converted his third break point of the game, before holding to lead.
After breaks were exchanged at the start of the second set, Dimitrov began to find his rhythm from the baseline, striking the ball with great depth and power as he started to gain momentum. After levelling the match via a netcord, the 23rd seed produced a superb forehand volley winner to save a break point in the third game of the decider, before he raced 5-2 ahead. However, after failing to serve out the match, Dimitrov remained composed and played consistently in the tie-break to advance.
Hurkacz is currently ninth (2,955 points) in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin and was aiming to reach his second Masters 1000 semi-final of the season as he looked to strengthen his bid to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals, to be held at the Pala Alpitour in Turin from 14-21 November.
The Pole has earned a career-best 33 wins this season, clinching titles in Delray Beach and Metz, while clinching his first Masters 1000 crown in Miami. The eighth seed was trying to complete a unique sunshine double in the California desert.
Former World No. 1s Juan Carlos Ferrero and Carlos Moya are among six players on the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s ballot for 2022.
The Class of 2022 nominees are:
• Carlos Moya, of Spain, the winner of the 1998 French Open and a former World No. 1
• Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero, the 2003 French Open Champion and a former World No. 1
• Serbian Ana Ivanovic, 2008 French Open Champion and a former World No. 1
• Italy’s Flavia Pennetta, 2015 US Open singles champion and former doubles World No. 1
• Cara Black of Zimbabwe, a former doubles World No. 1 and the winner of 10 major titles in doubles and mixed doubles
• Lisa Raymond of the United States, a former doubles World No. 1 and winner of 11 Grand Slam titles in doubles and mixed doubles
“The six nominees named to the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s 2022 ballot have all achieved remarkable results on tennis’ biggest stages – Grand Slam titles, topping the world rankings, Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup victories. Their successes are highlights of tennis history, and it’s a pleasure to recognise their accomplishments with the honour of International Tennis Hall of Fame nomination,” said ITHF President Stan Smith.
Ivanovic, Black, Pennetta, and Moya are all new nominees to the ballot, while Ferrero and Raymond are returning nominees in their second year on the ballot. The International Tennis Hall of Fame policy states that a nominee remains on the ballot for up to three consecutive years, unless voted in. The six nominees are all eligible in the Hall of Fame’s Player Category for the Class of 2022. This is not an eligibility year for the Hall of Fame’s Contributor or Wheelchair Categories, which are considered every four years.
Now that the ballot is set, the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s Fan Voting will open on Friday, 15 October on vote.tennisfame.com, providing the opportunity for tennis fans around the world to voice their support for who they think should become Hall of Famers. Additionally, voting by the Official Voting Group of journalists, historians, and existing Hall of Famers will take place in the coming months. Election into the Hall of Fame is determined by the combination of results from Fan Voting and the Official Voting Group and is further detailed below.
“Tennis fans are discerning, knowledgeable, and passionate. Their input into who becomes a Hall of Famer is integral to the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s induction procedure. We are glad to provide Fan Voting as an opportunity for fans to have a say. Additionally, the geographic diversity of the candidates on this year’s ballot clearly showcases the global popularity of our sport. It is not realistic to think that tennis fans all over the world will be able to come to Newport to celebrate the greats in person, but through Fan Voting, fans can still participate and advocate for those they deem deserving of tennis’ ultimate honour,” said Todd Martin, CEO of the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
FAN VOTING & THE INDUCTION PROCESS
The International Tennis Hall of Fame’s Fan Vote will run 15 – 31 October. The top-three vote getters in the Fan Vote will receive bonus percentage points on their Official Voting Group result. The Official Voting Group is comprised of expert tennis journalists, historians, and Hall of Famers.
The candidate with the highest result in the Fan Vote will receive three additional percentage points added onto their result from the Official Voting Group, while second and third place will receive two and one additional percentage points, respectively.
To be elected into the Hall of Fame, a candidate must receive an affirmative vote in 75% or higher from the combined total of their Official Voting Group result and any bonus percentage points earned in the Fan Vote.
The results of the ITHF Fan Vote will be announced at the conclusion of the voting period. The Official Voting Group vote will be tabulated in the coming months, and the Class of 2022 Inductees will be announced in early 2022 with the Induction Ceremony slated to take place 16, July 2022.
ABOUT THE 2021 NOMINEES
The International Tennis Hall of Fame’s Player Category recognises ATP and WTA players who have achieved a distinguished record of competitive achievement at the highest international level.
Carlos Moya, of Spain, achieved the World No. 1 ranking, and spent more than 200 weeks inside the world top-10. Moya was the French Open Champion in 1998, and a finalist at the Australian Open in 1997. Additionally, Moya won 20 career titles, including three Masters 1000-level events. He was a member of the victorious 2004 Spanish Davis Cup team. Since 2016, Moya has coached fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal.
Juan Carlos Ferrero, also of Spain, reached his first major final at Roland-Garros in 2002, upsetting then world No. 4 Andre Agassi and No. 2 Marat Safin en route. He fell in the final to compatriot Albert Costa. Ferrero returned to the final one year later, winning the 2003 Roland-Garros title. Later that year, Ferrero reached the final of the US Open. His success in 2003 propelled him to the World No. 1 ranking, and he spent 139 weeks inside the world top-5. In 2000, Ferrero became a hero of the first-ever Spanish Davis Cup championship team when he won the final point in Barcelona against Australia.
Serbian Ana Ivanovic won the 2008 French Open title, and had two additional appearances in major finals, reaching the French Open final in 2007 and the Australian Open final in 2008. Ivanovic was ranked World No. 1 and spent 91 weeks inside the world top-5. In addition to the Roland-Garros trophy, Ivanovic won 14 career titles, including 3 WTA Premier Mandatory titles. Ivanovic came of age in Serbia as the nation was emerging from the breakup of Yugoslavia, with her early training taking place in very challenging conditions. She went on to represent Serbia in Fed Cup competition for nine years, including a run into the finals in 2012. Ivanovic is the first Serbian to be nominated for the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Italy’s Flavia Pennetta claimed the US Open trophy in 2015, defeating her compatriot and childhood friend Roberta Vinci in the first ever all-Italian major final. Pennetta won an additional 10 singles titles in her career and reached a career high of world No. 6. Additionally, Pennetta had an accomplished doubles career, achieving the World No. 1 ranking and winning a major doubles title at the Australian Open. Pennetta was a staple of the Italian Fed Cup team for more than a decade and was integral in capturing four championship titles. She is the first Italian woman to be nominated for the Hall of Fame.
Cara Black of Zimbabwe, was a World No. 1 doubles player and predominantly a doubles specialist throughout her WTA career, winning 60 titles. Black held the No. 1 ranking for 163 weeks, and spent 569 weeks inside the world top-10. She was a 5-time major doubles champion winning three titles at Wimbledon, as well as trophies at the Australian Open and the US Open. Black also won five mixed doubles major titles and is one of three women in tennis history (Open Era, since 1968) to have a achieved a career Grand Slam in mixed doubles. Black hails from a tennis family, and she partnered with her brother Wayne for two of her mixed doubles major titles.
American Lisa Raymond won 11 major titles with six different partners over the course of her career. Raymond won six major titles in women’s doubles, where she has a career Grand Slam, and five in mixed doubles. She also earned a bronze medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics with her mixed doubles partner, Mike Bryan, and was a member of a championship United States Fed Cup team. Raymond was ranked world No. 1 in doubles for 137 weeks and reached a career high of world No. 15 in singles. She won 79 career doubles titles. Raymond’s path to the WTA Tour came after great success at the collegiate level. As a member of the University of Florida women’s tennis team, Raymond won the NCAA singles title twice and led the team to their first national championship.
Cameron Norrie kept alive his hopes of qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals on Thursday at the BNP Paribas Open as he cruised past 11th seed Diego Schwartzman 6-0, 6-2 to reach his first ATP Masters 1000 semi-final.
The 26-year-old, who had never been beyond the first round in two previous appearances in Indian Wells, will replace Daniel Evans as the new British No. 1 on Monday and is set to crack the Top 20 in the FedEx ATP Rankings.
The 21st seed produced a dominant performance against Schwartzman as he stepped inside the baseline, pinning the Argentine back to advance after 74 minutes.
“Everything went my way today,” Norrie said in his on-court interview. “Right from the beginning I was timing the ball well. I thought I was in for a long match because the previous times we have played have been so long and so physical so I was ready for that. I hit a lot of lines in the first set and stayed tough in the second and served well when I needed to. I am so happy to be through, it is such a big win for me.”
Norrie began the match in 13th place (2,010 points) in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin, 945 points behind Hubert Hurkacz in ninth. The Brit has enjoyed a career-best season, earning 45 tour-level victories. He is aiming to make his debut at the season finale, to be held at the Pala Alpitour in Turin from 14-21 November.
“I have been pretty consistent this year,” Norrie added. “I think I am really doing the fundamentals well on serve and return and playing the big points better. I have been a little more aggressive and feel I am learning more as I go along and becoming more experienced. We are really happy.”
[FOLLOW ACTION]Norrie, who battled through his opening three matches in deciding sets in Indian Wells, could face fellow Turin contender Hurkacz in the last four if the Pole can overcome 23rd seed Grigor Dimitrov on Stadium 1 later on Thursday.
With his victory, Norrie now leads Schwartzman 3-1 in their ATP Head2Head series. The 21st seed arrived in California in strong form, after reaching his fifth tour-level final of the season in San Diego. Earlier this year, Norrie captured his maiden tour-level trophy in Los Cabos. He also enjoyed a run to the championship match at the Queen’s Club, an ATP 500 grass-court event.
Schwartzman was competing in his first quarter-final in Indian Wells, having beat Norway’s Casper Ruud in the fourth round.
US Open champion Emma Raducanu withdraws from the upcoming Kremlin Cup in Moscow.
Russia’s Andrey Rublev will headline the field at the 2021 VTB Kremlin Cup, with former champions Marin Cilic and Karen Khachanov also in action at the ATP 250 event held in Moscow.
Here’s what you need to know:
The 2021 VTB Kremlin Cup will be held from 18-24 October. The indoor hard ATP 250 tournament, established in 1990, will take place at the Irina Viner-Usmanova Gymnastics Palace in Moscow, Russia. The tournament director is Amir Tarpischev.
The VTB Kremlin Cup will feature reigning champion Andrey Rublev along with fellow Russians Aslan Karatsev and Karen Khachanov. Former World No. 3 Marin Cilic and Winston-Salem champion Ilya Ivashka are also in action.
The VTB Kremlin Cup draw will be made on Saturday, 16 October at 2 p.m.
* Qualifying: Saturday, 16 October – Sunday, 17 October at 10:00 a.m Saturday and 12:00 p.m. Sunday
* Main Draw: Monday, 18 October – Sunday, 24 October. Monday – Friday at 11:00 a.m. Saturday at 12:00 p.m.
* Doubles Final: Sunday, 24 October at 2:00 p.m.
* Singles Final: Sunday, 24 October at 4:00 p.m.
*View On Official Website
The prize money for the European Open is $697,125 and the Total Financial Commitment is $779,515.
SINGLES
Winner: $68,380/ 250 points
Finalist: $49,025/ 150 points
Semi-finalist: $34,900/ 90 points
Quarter-finalist: $23,260 / 45 points
Round of 16: $14,960/ 20 points
Round of 28: $9,00/ 0 points
DOUBLES ($ per team)
Winner: $25,530 / 250 points
Finalist: $18,280 / 150 points
Semi-finalist: $12,050 / 90 points
Quarter-finalist: $7,820 / 45 points
Round of 16: $4,590/ 0 points
Watch Live On Tennis TV
TV Schedule
Facebook: @kremlincup
Twitter: @tennisrussia
Instagram: @vtbkremlincup
Are You In? Subscribe To Get ATP Updates In Your Inbox
Andrey Rublev won the 2020 VTB Kremlin Cup singles title with a 6-4, 6-0 victory against Adrian Mannarino in the championship match (Read More). Marcelo Demoliner and Matwe Middelkoop lifted the doubles trophy in Moscow with a 6-1, 6-2 win against Simone Bolelli and Andres Molteni in the final (Read More).
Most Titles, Singles: Yevgeny Kafelnikov (5)
Most Titles, Doubles: Max Mirnyi (5)
Oldest Champion: Andreas Seppi, 28, in 2012
Youngest Champion: Andrei Cherkasov, 20, in 1990
Highest-Ranked Champion: No. 2 Yevgeny Kafelnikov in 1999
Lowest-Ranked Champion: No. 107 Carl-Uwe Steeb in 1995
Last Home Champion: Andrey Rublev in 2019
Most Match Wins: Yevgeny Kafelnikov (40)
View Who Is Playing, Past Champions, Seeds, Points & Prize Money Breakdown
Former Champions In Action: World No. 5 Rublev is the reigning champion in Moscow and returns to defend his title as he aims to win his second tour-level trophy of the season. Croatia’s Cilic will also be competing and he has fond memories in Moscow, having captured the crown in 2014 and 2015, defeating Roberto Bautista Agut in both finals.
Home Hopes: Alongside Rublev, World No. 24 Aslan Karatsev and Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Karen Khachanov will compete on home soil. Karatsev sits 13th in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin and will need a deep run to stay in touch with those above him as he aims to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals. Khachanov meanwhile lifted the trophy in Moscow in 2018. Daniil Medvedev was due to compete at the ATP 250 event for the first time since 2018, but withdrew following his run to the fourth round in Indian Wells.
Bublik & Krajinovic Target Maiden Tour-Level Title: Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik has reached the quarter-finals in Moscow on three occasions and arrives in form after enjoying a run to the last four on home soil in Nur-Sultan in September. The World No. 37 has advanced to tour-level finals in Antalya and Singapore this season. Filip Krajinovic is making his fourth appearance at the VTB Kremlin Cup. The Serbian, who fell to Daniil Medvedev in Indian Wells, recently reached the semi-finals in Sofia.
From 1990 to 2018, the ATP 250 event was held annually at the Olympic Stadium in Moscow, Russia. But it moved to the Irina Viner-Usmanova Gymnastics Palace in 2019 due to reconstruction at the Olympic Stadium and remains there this year.