Queen's: Britain's Gordon Reid wins wheelchair title to boost Wimbledon hopes
Britain’s Gordon Reid wins the Queen’s wheelchair final with a commanding victory over Argentina’s Gustavo Fernandez.
Britain’s Gordon Reid wins the Queen’s wheelchair final with a commanding victory over Argentina’s Gustavo Fernandez.
Watch highlights as Italy’s Matteo Berrettini becomes the first player to win Queen’s on debut since Boris Becker in 1985, beating Great Britain’s Cameron Norrie 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 6-3.
The World No. 5 Dominic Thiem suffered a surprise first-round defeat against Pablo Andujar at Roland Garros. But the Austrian star is keen to get his grass-court season underway with a win at the Mallorca Championships in Spain.
“Straight after Roland Garros I was going back on a practice court for almost two weeks on a hard court, still at home, just to fix my shots again, because they were not as they should be in the clay-court season,” Thiem said.
“Now I feel well again with my shots, with my footwork. I practised two days in Austria on grass courts and already four days in Mallorca and I feel pretty well. But on grass, you never know what is going to happen. The most important for me was to fix my shots, to improve my footwork, to move well again on the court and that’s what I did in Austria.”
Thiem won his first Grand Slam title at the US Open last September (d. Zverev), and admits he struggled for motivation at times after achieving such a big goal of his. However, the Austrian, who is the second seed at the ATP 250 event in Mallorca, is fully focused again.
“It’s pretty normal. It happens. You’re working very hard for a certain goal, a big goal and then you finally reach it,” Thiem admitted. “In my case, [it was] after three lost [Grand Slam] finals before, so it was such a huge goal to reach and such a huge relief as well. After that, I started to think a little bit and I had a little bit of a lack of motivation as well.
“But with time passing by, it got better and better again. And now, I’m fine again, I’m normal again… I couldn’t play well enough for the French Open. Grass, you never know what’s happening, so you are just trying to gain some confidence, to practise very hard, to play well in matches.”
[WATCH LIVE 2]This is the first year of the Mallorca Championships after the tournament, which was originally set to make its debut in 2020, was cancelled due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this, Thiem has spent time here before and feels comfortable on the Spanish island.
“I was here five years ago. I did the coin toss for a WTA final and played an exhibition. Already back then the club was super nice,” Thiem said. “Three years ago I was on holiday here. Two or three months ago I spent one week here, so I really love it. The weather is perfect, the weather is nice. The most important is the grass courts are super good.”
Theim, who has a 16-16 career record on grass, will face German Jan-Lennard Struff or World No. 42 Adrian Mannarino in his opening match.
Watch the best shots as Ons Jabeur beats Daria Kasatkina 7-5 6-4 to win the Birmingham Classic title.
It is safe to say Matteo Berrettini will remember his first appearance at The Queen’s Club.
The Italian star beat home favourite Cameron Norrie 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-3 on Sunday to become the first player to win the cinch Championships on debut since 17-year-old Boris Becker in 1985. The top seed did not face a break point in the final to triumph after one hour and 57 minutes.
“[It was an] unbelievable week,” Berrettini said during the trophy ceremony. “If I think about [Boris’] name and my name, it’s crazy. I was dreaming about playing this tournament. I was watching [it] when I was a kid and now I had the chance to lift the trophy, so it’s a dream come true.”
The champion had previously claimed four ATP Tour trophies, but none had come above the ATP 250-level. This is the first ATP 500 triumph for the 2019 Nitto ATP Finals competitor.
“It was definitely a really good week. When you win a tournament, it means that you’re playing good. But I think during the tournament, after every match I was increasing my level,” Berrettini said. “I think today I had to play my best tennis, especially in the important points, to win… I’m really happy with my performance overall.”
Berrettini enjoyed an impressive run through the London field, lifting the trophy with the loss of just one set. The 25-year-old, who also defeated former World No. 1 Andy Murray, current British No. 1 Daniel Evans and fourth seed Alex de Minaur this week, is the first Italian in the Open Era to win this title.
The World No. 9 dominated on serve throughout the tournament, losing his serve just twice in five matches. Against Norrie, Berrettini blasted 19 aces to overcome the gritty World No. 41. The Italian remains in seventh in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin as he pursues a spot in the Nitto ATP Finals, which will be held from 14-21 November. However, after starting the week 785 points behind sixth-placed Daniil Medvedev, he is within 285 points of the Russian.
The top seed had two opportunities to break in the second set, but Norrie played courageously and he did not lose a point in the tie-break to force a deciding set. The Briton also battled hard to stave off two more break points in the decider, but Berrettini broke through on his third opportunity of the set when Norrie missed a backhand into the net.
“He’s a great player. We never played each other and I think this year he’s shown how he can play on all surfaces,” Berrettini said. “He’s made finals, he’s playing great tennis… I’m sure he’s going to lift a title really soon.”
Norrie was trying to become the second British singles champion at Queen’s Club since World War II and lift his first ATP Tour trophy. This was the 25-year-old’s fourth tour-level final and his third of the season. Despite the loss, Norrie is third on the ATP Tour with 29 victories this year.
“I think I played okay. The first set I just donated him the break, and that was the first set. I didn’t have any really chances on his serve,” Norrie said. “But he’s tricky because he’s obviously serving very good [on the] first and second serve, and then you’re back to serving very quickly. Obviously not easy, but I did everything I could.”
Did You Know?
Berrettini has proven a tough foe on grass. The Italian is now 17-5 on the surface and he also triumphed on the lawns of Stuttgart two years ago.
Frenchman Ugo Humbert overcame Andrey Rublev 6-3, 7-6(4) on Sunday to claim his first ATP 500 title at the NOVENTI OPEN title in Halle.
The World No. 31 is now 3-0 in ATP Tour finals. The Frenchman also lifted trophies at the European Open in Antwerp and the ASB Classic in Auckland, both ATP 250 events, last year.
“It is incredible. It is the best victory of my career,” Humbert said. “I am very proud because it wasn’t easy. I was a little bit tired, but I tried to stay focused on each point, and did what I could, so it is very nice.
“I tried to stay aggressive and take the ball early because in the baseline rallies it was tough, because Andrey was hitting the ball very hard. Physically, it was tough, and I tried to take my chances when I could, and I won.”
Humbert won 85 per cent (45/53) of points on his first serve and hit nine aces to claim victory in 87 minutes. The lefty is now level at 1-1 in his ATP Head2Head series with Rublev.
After an even start to the contest, Humbert made the crucial breakthrough in the eighth game of the opening set as the 22-year-old started to dictate with his aggressive forehand. Humbert, who hit five aces in the first set, continued to serve well, as he fended off two break points to close out the set.
Both players looked to stay on top of the baseline in the second set as the match continued on serve, with neither man facing a break point as it moved to a tie-break. Humbert held his nerve, closing the net at every opportunity to record the victory.
“It has been a really great week for me, with my first grass final,” Rublev said. “It was not easy in the beginning. Everything was so fast, just one or two shots. At 3-4 I hit three second serves in a row and he returned twice deep and with the new balls it was really tough.
“The second set was good for both of us. In the tie-break I had a big chance with the forehand but I missed them, but it happens and I can’t control it. He was serving very well.”
Rublev is now 33-10 on the season and has a 4-2 win record in ATP 500-level finals. Despite the defeat, the Russian will rise to third position in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin for a spot at the Nitto ATP Finals, to be held from 14-21 November at the Pala Alpitour. The 23-year-old is behind only Novak Djokovic and Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Watch Great Britain’s Gordon Reid beat Gustavo Fernandez 6-2 6-2 to win the Queen’s wheelchair singles title.
Jesper De Jong won’t forget this week anytime soon.
Not only did the 21-year-old win his first ATP Challenger Tour title, but he was nearly untouchable in doing so. De Jong did not drop a set in seven matches in Almaty, Kazakhstan, sprinting through qualifying and dominating the rest of the way.
The Dutchman lifted the trophy at the Beeline Challenger 80 following a ruthless 6-1, 6-2 victory over Marcelo Tomas Barrios Vera on Sunday. He needed just 60 minutes to dismiss his Chilean opponent and secure his maiden moment.
With the win, De Jong becomes the youngest player from The Netherlands to claim a Challenger crown since Thiemo de Bakker in 2009. The Haarlem native, who turned 21 just three weeks ago, is among those leading the charge for the European nation this year. Projected to rise to a career-high No. 260 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, he will crack the Top 300 for the first time on Monday.
Mentored by former doubles No. 1 Paul Haarhuis and longtime Dutch coach Raymond Knaap, De Jong has seen his game develop and mature greatly in 2021. Standing at 5’11”, while he doesn’t possess an overwhelming serve and mammoth forehand, it’s his drive and attacking mentality that have him surging up the FedEx ATP Rankings. An agile mover and aggressive competitor, the Dutchman is announcing his arrival.
De Jong is the 15th #NextGenATP (born in 2000 or later) champion of the year on the ATP Challenger Tour. He is projected to rise more than 50 spots to the Top 20 in the ATP Race To Milan.
The 21-year-old spoke to ATPTour.com following his victory in Almaty…
Jesper, congrats on winning your first Challenger title. How does it feel? What are your emotions?
I’m really happy with this win. I don’t know what to say. For the first five minutes I was thinking, ‘I just won a Challenger’. Before the week, I was happy just qualifying for the main draw and now this is just incredible. It’s the greatest moment of my career. I played some big matches and I’m really happy.
It was an amazing tournament for you, winning seven matches as a qualifier. How do you explain what you achieved this week?
Playing seven matches in one week is always tough, but going into the main draw it’s a huge confidence boost. Especially for me, because I didn’t play a lot of Challenger matches this year. I think it gave me a lot of confidence and in the first round I had a tough draw against the three seed [Kimmer Coppejans]. After seven matches I still feel fresh so I think it’s a good sign. Next week I can hopefully keep going.
You are the youngest Dutch champion in 12 years, since Thiemo de Bakker in 2009. What is your reaction to that? And how do you hope to inspire other young players in your country?
It’s a nice thing. I know Thiemo very well and admire what he’s achieved in his career. I hope he’s coming back. For the young players, I hope they work really hard to get here. Work hard, have a good team around you and believe in yourself. And don’t take it too fast without enjoying the journey.
You already won three Challenger doubles titles this year. How did those victories help you to grow and develop your game?
I like playing doubles a lot and it’s always nice to win titles, especially in Challengers. You can practise your serves, returns and volley game. Even if it’s in doubles, you’re winning matches and that’s important. I’m really happy to add a singles title to the three in doubles.
Who has had the biggest influence on your career thus far?
My two coaches at the moment. Raymond Knaap and Paul Haarhuis. I was mentally down at the beginning of the first week in Almaty. But I practised really well with Raymond and that helped me get confidence going into this week. My other coach, Paul Haarhuis, is a former No. 1 in doubles and he has also helped me a lot to get where I am today.
Outside of tennis, what is your biggest passion in life?
I’m a big football fan. I always love to watch football. When I was younger I played a lot as well, but then I had to make the choice between tennis and football. I think I made the right decision.
Speaking of football, the most important question… Will Holland win the Euros?
I think they will. We already won two matches and we have a really good team with Frenkie de Jong leading us. I can’t wait to watch the rest of the matches and I think we will win the cup.
Fourth seeds Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut edged past seventh seeds Marcus Daniell and Philipp Oswald 6-4, 3-6, 11-9 to reach the final of the cinch Championships on Saturday in London.
Last week’s Roland Garros champions (d. Bublik/Golubev) saved three match points in the deciding set as they came back from 6/9 to advance in 84 minutes.
The French tandem hit seven aces and won 76 per cent (32/42) of their first-service points. Herbert and Mahut are now 24-7 on the season, and will be aiming to win a second title at The Queen’s Club on Sunday, after lifting the trophy in 2016 (d. Guccione/Sa).
They will play either Reilly Opelka and John Peers or singles finalist Cameron Norrie and Alex de Minaur in the final, after their match was suspended due to rain on Saturday evening at The Queen’s Club with Opelka and Peers 7-6(4), 2-2 ahead.
Over at the NOVENTI OPEN in Halle, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Hubert Hurkacz’s impressive week continued as they overcame fifth seeds Tim Puetz and Michael Venus 7-6(4), 6-2 in 91 minutes to reach the final in Germany.
[WATCH LIVE 1]The 2020 Rolex Paris Masters champions saved both break points they faced in the match and struck seven aces to beat the German-New Zeland team.
Auger-Aliassime and Hurkacz’s reward is a title match on Sunday against third seeds Kevin Krawietz and Horia Tecau, after the pair defeated sixth seeds Joran Vliegen and Sander Gille 7-6(6), 7-5 on Friday.
British number two Cameron Norrie will bid for his first ATP Tour title on Sunday after reaching the final at Queen’s Club with a superb display.
