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Djokovic Overcomes Hiccup To Beat Rune At US Open

  • Posted: Sep 01, 2021

It was not a perfect start to his chase for the Grand Slam, but Novak Djokovic escaped unscathed on Tuesday evening and reached the second round of the US Open.

After a second-set hiccup, the World No. 1 beat #NextGenATP star Holger Vitus Nodskov Rune 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-1 in two hours and 15 minutes in front of a raucous Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd. The Danish teen suffered from cramps in the final two sets.

“It’s tough to talk about [the] third and fourth sets because he barely moved. [From] my side, I started great. Played a really, really good first set. After that, I don’t know, I was 4-3 serving in the second set. Everything was working well, but then I just lost the first serve,” Djokovic said. “Credit to him for fighting. He had the crowd behind him. It was tough to play in my first match, even though I had tonnes of experience playing on this court, for him it was the first one.

“Still, you get nerves. You still are feeling a little bit rusty at the beginning. Obviously I’m pleased with the way I finished the match. Again, it was not a fair battle on the court with his unfortunate injury and cramping.”

Djokovic is now six match wins from becoming the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to claim all four major titles in one season. The three-time US Open champion will next face Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor.

Entering the match, 18-year-old Rune told ATPTour.com that, “I have a lot of belief in myself even though I’m up against the World No. 1.” The Danish teen showed it by playing courageously in the second set and taking a tense tie-break, during which he rallied the New York fans on his side.

But ultimately, he was unable to sustain his aggressive play long enough to trouble the top seed further. Rune was visited by the trainer on multiple occasions in the final two sets to receive treatment on his upper legs for apparent cramping. Djokovic took advantage by hitting 55 winners to just 30 unforced errors.

“Unfortunately, my fitness let me down. I started cramping already in the beginning of the third set. From there on, it was tough,” Rune said. “I knew if I [wanted] to win, I really had to fight for every point. With my body at this point, it was impossible.”

After match point the 20-time major winner, who can pass Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for most Slam titles with a trophy at the end of this fortnight, had a lengthy exchange with Rune at the net to give him encouragement.

“I just told him that he handled himself extremely well. He didn’t want to stop,” Djokovic said. “I thought he was going to stop [at] the end of the third. He just kept going with dignity, finished off the match. He deserved definitely my respect, the respect of a lot of people. He’s still very, very young, 18 years old. He’s got plenty of time ahead of him. I’m sure we’re going to see a lot of him in the future.”

Despite the defeat, Rune will never forget the match. The crowd even chanted “Rune!” in support of the teen.

“I never felt anything like this. It was [an] unbelievable feeling staying there. I tried to give the crowd something, fight for every point, be pumped and everything,” Rune said. “The crowd was unbelievable. I couldn’t have asked for more. I never tried anything like this. It was a pretty sick feeling.”

Djokovic’s next opponent, Griekspoor, battled past big-hitting German Jan-Lennard Struff 2-6, 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 after three hours and 38 minutes.

Did You Know?
Djokovic is now 16-0 in first-round matches at the US Open. The Serbian has not lost in the opening round at a major since the 2006 Australian Open, when he was No. 76 in the FedEx ATP Rankings.

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Cressy Saves 4 MPs, Seppi Saves 5 In US Open Thrillers

  • Posted: Sep 01, 2021

Maxime Cressy cracked a return and rushed the net against Pablo Carreno Busta, forcing a backhand passing shot error from the ninth-seeded Spaniard on the final point of their first-round US Open clash Tuesday. The 24-year-old American put his arms up in jubilation as the fans in the packed stands surrounding Court 4 rose in unison to celebrate their man’s first-round US Open victory. Less than 50 feet away, Carreno Busta smashed his racquet in frustration.

It was a thrilling triumph for Cressy and a heartbreaking defeat for Carreno Busta. After saving four match points in the deciding tie-break, it was the home favorite who advanced 5-7, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6(7) in three hours and 35 minutes behind his daring serve-and-volley game. The qualifier saved three of the four match points with impressive volleys under intense pressure.

“I just told myself to focus on holding my serve efficiently. I could tell he was starting to get a little nervous and I kept at it,” said Cressy, who hit 44 aces. “In the fifth set he did not give me anything.

“The crowd helped me out big time. It would have been very difficult without them and I was very grateful they were behind me the whole time.”

Carreno Busta is a two-time US Open semi-finalist who arrived in New York with momentum after winning the singles bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics. But he was unable to hold off Cressy, the No. 151 player in the FedEx ATP Rankings, who is through to the second round at Flushing Meadows for the second consecutive year. The American will next play Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili, who advanced when #NextGenATP American Sebastian Korda retired in the second set of their match due to a medical reason.

That was not the only thrilling fifth-set tie-break of the early evening at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Andreas Seppi, a 37-year-old Italian playing the US Open for the 18th consecutive year, outlasted Hungarian Marton Fucsovics 2-6, 7-5, 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(13) after four hours and four minutes.

Seppi saved five match points in his final-set tie-break and let slip four chances of his own to close out the match. But finally, the World No. 89 completed his victory by putting away an overhead off a lob that lingered in the air for what felt like eternity. The Italian will next play Miami champion Hubert Hurkacz, who eliminated Belarusian Egor Gerasimov 6-3, 6-4, 6-3.

In another five-set thriller, Australian Jordan Thompson battled past Italian Gianluca Mager 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 2-6, 7-6(3) after three hours and 30 minutes to earn a second-round match against 21st seed Aslan Karatsev, this year’s Australian Open semi-finalist, who beat Spaniard Jaume Munar 7-5, 1-6, 6-3, 6-2.

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Molcan's Mixed Motivations: Tigers, Buddha and Novak

  • Posted: Sep 01, 2021

Slovakian Alex Molcan remembers the moments before this year’s Belgrade Open final vividly. The 23-year-old, then a qualifier who was No. 255 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, was steadily hitting groundstrokes across the net during the warmup when the stadium emcee began to introduce the players.

“[He] said ‘Novak Djokovic, World No. 1, 18 Grand Slams’,” Molcan remembered. “To be there was amazing. I had goosebumps.”

Molcan lost that championship match against Djokovic in straight sets, but it was an important moment in his career. He proved to himself that he was capable of playing with the very best in the sport. It also showed how far the Slovakian had come.

The Presov-native, who is into the second round of the US Open on his major main draw debut, began playing tennis when he was five. Molcan’s parents took him for lessons, and he also played football and a bit of ice hockey (the 5 a.m. wakeups kept him from continuing with hockey).

At age 10, Molcan’s parents divorced. Two years later, things changed even more. The lefty moved 400 kilometres west to Bratislava, a city on the Austrian border, with his mother Andrea.

“We had to move because it’s not possible to play in other [Slovakian] cities I would say. Only in Bratislava can you become a good player, you have to move there,” Molcan said. “My mother sacrificed a lot. The family was basically broke because of tennis, but now it’s all good because I’m an adult. She changed her life because of me and that’s what I’m most thankful for.”

Alex Molcan
Photo Credit: Pete Staples/USTA
When Molcan first moved, he was not sad or scared because he had friends who had also moved to Bratislava and were doing well. The family had some help financially, but things were not always easy.

“There were some bad moments of course. We didn’t have money, so she had to start to work. It was crazy. We moved with my little sister, who was two, three, four years old,” Molcan said. “[My mom] was working from 6 until 4 and my sister was at [preschool]. She finished her job, went for my sister or sometimes I had to go because she didn’t have the time. She was working basically all day. I was practising all day, my sister was in school. It was tough for us.

“But somehow we managed to stay there. She worked hard, I worked hard and after that everything was fine.”

When Molcan was 15, his mother moved home, and he stayed with a friend and his family for a year-and-a-half.

“It wasn’t good because we were young and stupid and we did stupid things, classic [teens]. Then she moved back, because it was the best thing possible,” Molcan said. “Then when I was 18, she left again to Presov. Since then I’ve lived there with my brother and my girlfriend.”

Molcan is thankful for the opportunities his mother provided him and their family. When he was 18, he showed it by getting his first tattoo, which depicts her birthday.

“I went one day after my birthday to the tattoo artist and the first thing in my mind was I had to have her birthday,” Molcan said. “It clicked, I knew I would get that one.”

 

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Tattoos have become a big part of Molcan’s life. Among those he has are a tiger, a temple, a lotus flower, Buddha and an image of mythological hero Perseus.

“Every tattoo has some meaning,” Molcan said. “I like many cultures. That’s why I have many cultural tattoos on my arm and also I’m starting on the other arm… Sometimes when I have a hard match, I look at my tiger when I need to fight. Then I look at Buddha because I need to think.

“I find that during the match I look at them and it gives me motivation.”

The Slovakian was a Top 20 junior, but several injuries — including to his wrist, shoulder and back — prevented him from finding consistency. Once, he even suffered an abdominal tear casually kicking a ball off court for fun.

But after beginning 2021 outside the Top 300, it has been a breakthrough season. Molcan qualified for his first two ATP Tour main draws in Antalya and Marseille. And then came his breakthrough in Belgrade, where he defeated Fernando Verdasco and Federico Delbonis en route to his championship clash against Djokovic.

 

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“Since then many things have changed in my confidence. That was the big step up for me. Of course I’m trying to improve and trying to learn. I’m always looking back to Belgrade, because from there I took many lessons, especially from the final against Djokovic,” Molcan said. “It was the opening of a door for me to see how I should play tennis or how big tennis is played.

“I know that I have confidence now in my game. I know that I can play with these guys. I always knew that I can beat good guys. But in the past, sometimes I won a crazy match against a good player and then I lost against a different level player. I was having trouble keeping my level all the time for a tournament.

“Now I’m not jumping from good performance to bad performance. I’m keeping my level in the same line. Sometimes it jumps up and sometimes it goes down, but I’m still fighting because I believe in my game. I believe that I can beat anyone if I play really good.”

After falling short in his first attempt at qualifying for a major at Wimbledon, Molcan lifted his first ATP Challenger Tour trophy in Liberec. The World No. 138 has shown his fighting spirit at the US Open, where he saved two match points in his final-round qualifying clash against Gastao Elias, and then beat Turkey’s Cem Ilkel in the first round of the main draw. Molcan will try to continue his impressive run against #NextGenATP American Brandon Nakashima.

“I am a fighter,” Molcan said. “I will fight on the court. I will try to win every point possible and I hope the fans enjoy my game.”

– Josh Meiseles contributed reporting to this story.

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Zverev Begins US Open Campaign

  • Posted: Aug 31, 2021

Fourth seed Alexander Zverev extended his winning streak to 12 matches on Tuesday as he moved past American Sam Querrey 6-4, 7-5, 6-2 to reach the second round at the US Open.

The German has been in dominant form in recent weeks, defeating World No. 1 Novak Djokovic en route to the Tokyo Olympics singles gold medal, before capturing his fifth ATP Masters 1000 crown in Cincinnati earlier this month.

“It is great to be back,” Zverev said in his on-court interview. “I still remember last year’s final. I still remember the four-hour match that I lost, unfortunately. It is great to be back on Arthur Ashe Stadium and have the fans back, we definitely missed them last year.”

Zverev showcased this confidence against Querrey as he hammered 36 winners and broke four times to advance in one hour and 39 minutes. The 24-year-old will next face either Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas or former World No. 10 Lucas Pouille as he aims to lift his maiden major trophy in New York over the next fortnight.

”I hope in two weeks’ time I will be on an 18-match winning streak,” Zverev said. “Novak [Djokovic] is chasing history to win all four majors for the first time since Rod Laver [1969], but I think the young guys are going to try and get in the way of that. I am looking forward to maybe giving him a challenge as well.”

The 17-time tour-level titlist, who came within two points of clinching his first major title at last year’s US Open (l. to Thiem), has also lifted trophies on hard in Acapulco and clay in Madrid this season, while reaching the semi-finals at Roland Garros in June.

“I have been working extremely hard on a lot of things, like my serve,” Zverev added. “But when I am happy it is when I am playing well. That is the most important thing. The past year has been very good for me.”

In a tight first two sets, Zverev waited patiently for his opportunities, breaking at the end in both as he raised his level, hitting with greater depth and consistency to put pressure on Querrey’s serve. The fourth seed hit 18 aces and did not face a break point in the match, racing through the third set to seal his victory.

Querrey, who overcame Mischa Zverev to reach the quarter-finals in New York in 2017, was making his 15th appearance at the US Open.

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Grand Slam Glory: How Djokovic Caught Roger And Rafa

  • Posted: Aug 31, 2021

Around the time Roger Federer won his first major singles title, at Wimbledon in 2003, Novak Djokovic was playing a Futures event in Beograd, Serbia. He was 16 years old, ranked No. 768 in the FedEx ATP Rankings and won $480 for reaching the semi-finals.

When Federer won the 2007 US Open, his 12th major singles title, Djokovic, now 20, had zero. By the time of Federer’s record-breaking 15th Grand Slam championship, at 2009 Wimbledon, Djokovic had finally gotten on the board, winning the 2008 Australian Open.

That was a dozen years ago. Heading into this US Open, Djokovic, Federer and Rafael Nadal all have a once-unimaginable 20 major titles, but only the Serb will step on court at Flushing Meadows this year. He is favoured to become the first to 21 and, for good measure, to complete a Grand Slam.

How did Djokovic catch his great rivals them so quickly?

Brad Gilbert, sitting in his northern California home, laughs and repeats the question.

“How did he catch them?” the ESPN analyst asks. “A s*%#load of winning. He’s won eight out of the past 12, OK? Fed has none in that time, and Rafa has three – which isn’t all that bad. The bottom line is that Djokovic has been more prolific in his early 30s.”

Djokovic, still only 34 years old, has huge advantages of time, age and physical fitness on his rivals going forward. Federer, who turned 40 in August, is out for the year after announcing another knee surgery. Nadal, 35, will also miss the US Open and the remainder of the year with a foot injury. Djokovic, whose training regimen famously features yoga, tai chi and lots of stretching, remains limber and lithe, fluid and flexible.

“For as long as he has been playing, Novak’s been chasing Roger and Rafa,” said four-time Grand Slam champion Jim Courier, “and is now on the verge of passing them in the major title count.

“To win as much as he has is already incredible, but to do it in this era with the other two greatest players on the other side of the net boggles the mind.”

Here’s another mind-boggler: Since Federer’s breakthrough at Wimbledon in 2003, the Big Three has won 60 of the 72 major singles titles available – an unprecedented swath of success. Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka managed to win three each, followed by Juan Martin del Potro, Marin Cilic, Marat Safin, Gaston Gaudio, Andy Roddick and Dominic Thiem, with one each.

In 2003, a gallon of gas cost $1.89, iTunes was launched and J.K. Rowling published her fifth Harry Potter book – so it’s been a virtual monopoly on majors for close to two decades. Because of their age differences – and personal curves of physical and mental maturity – each player has enjoyed a significant run of dominance.

Federer reached 10 consecutive Grand Slam finals from 2005 Wimbledon to the 2007 US Open, where he was 8-2, with the losses coming to Nadal. Nadal’s best streak, when he won eight of 17 major titles, came from Roland Garros 2010-14.

With Federer, then Nadal and now Djokovic all taking their turn at the top, it’s been difficult for the rest of the ATP field to break through. It’s also worth noting that each of the Big Three has a different favourite major. Nadal has 13 Roland Garros titles, while Federer is an eight-time Wimbledon champion. Djokovic has nine Australian Open titles and is the only man to win all four twice.

Djokovic, as Gilbert points out, has now won eight of the past 12 majors – all of them after turning 30. Ultimately, the post-30 scoreboard has proved to be the difference-maker: Djokovic (8), Nadal (6), Federer (4).

Consistency has been Djokovic’s career calling card. Djokovic has spend 336 weeks at No. 1 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, passing Federer’s record mark of 310 weeks earlier in the season. It’s conceivable that Djokovic next year will even top the 377 weeks Stefanie Graf sat atop the WTA Rankings. 

One man who will be keenly watching Djokovic’s progress at the US Open is Australian Rod Laver. Just in from a round of golf near his home in southern California, Laver marvelled at Djokovic’s 2021 form.

“It’s amazing,” Laver says, “that Djokovic is playing as good as he is.”


Photo Credit: Pete Staples/USTA
Laver is the only tennis player in history to win all four Grand Slam titles in a single season twice, in 1962 and 1969. Djokovic is in position to become only the third man to achieve the Grand Slam. He won titles earlier this year at the Australian Open, Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

Don Budge won the Grand Slam in 1939, followed by Maureen Connolly (1953), Margaret Court (1970) and Graf (1988).

Djokovic actually held all four major titles simultaneously, winning 2015 Wimbledon, the 2015 US Open, the 2016 Australian Open (beating Federer in all three finals) and 2016 Roland Garros (Andy Murray). Three women — Navratilova, Graf and Serena Williams — have also won non-calendar Grand Slams.

“I think Novak’s got a good chance to win the Slam,” Laver adds. “He’s a worthy champion.”

After winning at Wimbledon, Djokovic made the long journey to Tokyo, hoping to win an Olympic gold medal and set himself up for an attempt to equal Graf’s Golden Slam of 1988. He reached the semi-finals, but fell to Alexander Zverev, later losing the bronze medal match to Pablo Carreno Busta.

“Will he win in New York?” Gilbert asks. “It will be interesting to see. He didn’t play Toronto or Cincinnati coming in. He loses three times in 2021, then loses on back-to-back days in Tokyo.

“Can he hit the re-set button in New York? There will be a lot of pressure.”

Courier also referenced the p-word.

“I think he’ll do it [win the US Open], but the pressure will be unlike anything he has experienced,” Courier says. “He is not likely to get another chance to go for a Grand Slam, so it adds massive weight to the moment.

“We saw what happened when Serena was in this position in New York some years ago and was upset in the semis by an unlikely foe, Roberta Vinci.”

Williams had won the first three majors of 2015, reached the US Open semi-finals by beating sister Venus in the quarters, but lost to Vinci for the only time in her career. Likewise, Serena has been 0-4 in attempting to secure a record-tying 24th major singles title at the ages of 36 and 37.

Courier believes the next two weeks could go a long way toward determining the sport’s GOAT – the Greatest Of All Time.

“If Novak becomes the only one of the big three to win the Grand Slam,” Courier says, “it would be a large differentiator and important part of the eventual discussion of who had the greatest career.”

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Fashion Court: Musetti Takes His Inspiration From This Legend…

  • Posted: Aug 31, 2021

Lorenzo Musetti has taken the ATP Tour by storm this year with wins over stars including Diego Schwartzman, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Grigor Dimitrov. The 19-year-old begins the US Open in fifth in the ATP Race To Milan, as he tries to qualify for the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals, which will be held in Milan from 9-13 November.

The Italian is excited to try to earn his spot in the 21-and-under season finale, and Musetti is also a fan of Milan itself.

“Milan is the city centre in Europe for fashion,” Musetti said. “It is a business, it is really technologically [advanced], investing a lot of money in future things and big events. I think Rome and Milan are the biggest cities in Italy. Rome is more historic and Milan is more the new city, the future. We are the Next Gen and the future.”

Before Musetti continues his push for Milan at Flushing Meadows — and ahead of New York Fashion Week (8-12 September) — ATPTour.com spoke to the #NextGenATP star about his style, the legend whom he draws fashion inspiration from and more.

Read More Fashion Court Features
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How much do you like the fashion industry?
I like it. I did something with Nike, I did a photoshoot with Moncler. I like to be in the fashion world because I like to not just play tennis, but have space with everything [else I enjoy]. I like to dress a little bit differently. A lot of brands like my style, my character, so I think I am going to get into a nice situation [in fashion].

Who is your fashion inspiration?
Roger Federer. Even if he doesn’t show too much, he is one of the icons in fashion. His look is always elegant, simple but classic and elegant. I tried to copy him a little bit and I think it is working. My inspiration off the court was always Roger.

 

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What is the one thing you would never wear?
Sandals! Never! I can wear flip-flops, but I really don’t like sandals.

What is your go-to outfit when you are out for dinner?
I keep it simple. Blue pants, [usually] long pants. Nike shoes [or] sneakers and a white t-shirt and one jacket. Really simple without so many collars, nice and easy.

Outside of tennis, is there a person whose fashion you like?
Outside of tennis, the fashion goes way too much. Maybe sometimes it is too weird and too strange, so I come back to the classic looks. I am much more [into] simple and classic [fashion].

 

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Did You Know?
After a breakthrough performance in Rome last year, Musetti landed the Esquire Italia cover. Read more about the photoshoot and interview he did for the magazine here.

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