Tennis News

Two Sets Down? No Problem For Zverev, Who Surges Past Otte

Alexander Zverev refused to become the second high-seeded casualty on the bottom half of the Roland Garros draw on Sunday. While two-time finalist Dominic Thiem fell in five sets earlier in the day, the German rallied past countryman Oscar Otte 3-6, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-0 to reach the second round.

The sixth seed is now 7-0 in five-setters on the Parisian clay and 16-7 in five-setters overall. This was the second time he has rallied from two sets down, having also done so in last year’s US Open semi-finals against Pablo Carreno Busta.

“I thought that in the first two sets he played actually quite well. He did exactly what somebody who is playing a top player in the first round of a major [needs to do],” Zverev said. “He already played three matches. I didn’t have the match rhythm yet. He did everything right I feel like. He was serving well. He was hitting the ball hard whenever he had the chance. I was reacting.

“Once I got the break in the third set, I started to maybe hit the ball a little bit harder with my backhand. My forehand started to be a little bit heavier, I thought, and I didn’t give him as many chances to play aggressive anymore.”

Moving ?@AlexZverev crosses the finish line against Otte 3-6, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-0#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/HDYZXINaeW

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 30, 2021

Although Zverev was pushed to a deciding set, the 24-year-old was able to advance after two hours and 49 minutes. The two-time Roland Garros quarter-finalist will next play Russian qualifier Roman Safiullin, who beat Spanish qualifier Carlos Taberner 7-6(4), 1-6, 6-0, 6-2. Safiullin won the junior title at the 2015 Australian Open.

Otte did not lose a set in qualifying, and his confidence showed in the early going against Zverev, as he played freely and pushed Zverev back. But the sixth seed never panicked or got overly frustrated. And once he surged ahead in the third set and began to move up in the court, Otte was unable to find any answers.

Zverev broke the World No. 152’s serve eight times. And although he will want to clean up his eight double faults, the German won 59 per cent of his second-serve points and finished off his victory with his 50th winner, a backhand up the line off his back foot.

“He was playing great. He was doing all the right things, but still, I was not playing great. I was not playing well. I knew once my ball started to go a little bit deeper, once my ball started to be a little bit heavier, he would not be able to do the things he was doing the first two sets,” Zverev said. “I feel like that changed a little bit also in the third set. In the fourth set once I got the break I saw that he was starting to get a little bit more tired, and I tried to play as quickly as possible to not let him back in the match.”

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This was Otte’s third Grand Slam main draw appearance, with his previous two coming at Roland Garros as a lucky loser. It was the 27-year-old’s first tour-level match of the season.

Zverev will not play a seeded opponent until at least the fourth round, as Miomir Kecmanovic eliminated 25th seed Daniel Evans 1-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-4. The Serbian will face countryman Laslo Djere in the second round after the 2019 Rio de Janeiro champion ousted home favourite Corentin Moutet 6-3, 6-7(1), 7-6(2), 7-5.

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French Open 2021: Petra Kvitova survives but Angelique Kerber is out on first day

Petra Kvitova saves a match point to advance at Roland Garros but Angelique Kerber is the first women’s seed out of the tournament.

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Christmas Came Early For Andujar In Paris: ‘These Victories Are A Gift’

Down two sets to love against a player that he has never even taken a set from on three previous occasions, Pablo Andujar took some racquets out of his bag and sent them off to the stringers. He was in for the long haul.

The World No. 68-ranked Spaniard willed himself to a major upset with his 4-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 comeback victory over fourth seed Dominic Thiem, a two-time Roland Garros finalist. 

“These are gifts that tennis brings you,” said 35-year-old Andujar, grinning in his post-match press conference. “I’m a guy who has never really been on the front covers or in the spotlight, and for me, these two victories are like Father Christmas came early. 

“For me, this is like Father Christmas came and gave me two victories that I could never have dreamed that I could achieve in my career.” 

It’s the second time in the past month that Andujar has gone the distance against one of the game’s best, after facing Roger Federer at his home event in Geneva. Both times, Andujar refused to yield. In Geneva, he claimed a ‘dream’ victory over Federer, and on Sunday at Roland Garros, he took down Thiem for his first Top 5 victory.

Andujar, a four-time ATP Tour titlist, said he had the win over Federer in mind throughout his four-hour and 28-minute first-round battle on Court Philippe Chatrier. Even as Thiem broke serve and seemed set for a comeback in the fifth set, the Spaniard stayed calm to edge back in front and close out the win. 

“I think it’s true that the victory over Roger has made me believe today,” Andujar said. “Maybe in another moment, I wouldn’t have kept fighting in that third set or believing that I could turn it around.”

After the match, Andujar took a moment at the net to commiserate with Thiem. The fourth-seeded Austrian arrived in Paris struggling to find his best tennis, after taking almost two months away from the sport following last year’s US Open victory. 

It’s a feeling that Andujar knows all too well. The Spaniard underwent right elbow surgeries in March 2016, November 2016 and April 2017 – all with different doctors – after achieving his career-high World No. 32 ranking in July 2015. 

“I told him, ‘tough luck’. It’s what I always tell my opponents when I win, and he told me ‘great match and best of luck,’” Andujar revealed. “In the end, it’s not that it felt bittersweet, but it kind of did. Because unfortunately, I know what it feels like. I know that feeling more than winning.

“So always, making sure your rival is okay – because at the end of the day, we’re all peers here – is important and that’s what I was trying to do with Dominic. And besides, he’s a great guy.” 

 

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Into the second round in Paris for the seventh time, Andujar will try to reset and find a way to come back down to earth as he awaits the winner of Radu Albot and Federico Delbonis. He won’t aim to do anything out of the ordinary – instead, he’ll approach his next match the same way he does every match, whether it’s an ATP 250 like Geneva or a Grand Slam clash in Paris.

“I’ve always said that the bad part of my injury was that I had to stop for such a long time, but the good side is that I’ve learned to enjoy all of the tournaments that I play,” Andujar said. “I enjoy every match now. 

“Of course, it’s easier to say this after a win, but it has been a great moment, playing against Dominic Thiem on Philippe Chatrier. This, to me, is a gift and this always helps keep me calm.”

Follow live scores at RolandGarros.com. 

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Doubles Spotlight: Krawietz Chasing A Three-Peat At Roland Garros

When Kevin Krawietz travelled to Paris for Roland Garros, he texted Andreas Mies on the way to the airport. The Germans have won the past two titles at the clay-court Grand Slam. But this time, Krawietz is getting ready to play, and Mies is home recovering from right knee surgery.

“It’s a little bit confusing not to go together,” Krawietz told ATPTour.com.

Krawietz’s season — or at least the one he envisioned — ended before it began. The German team, which has qualified for the past two Nitto ATP Finals, arrived in Melbourne at the start of the year for their 14-day quarantine, during which they were allotted time each day to train.

But Mies was dealing with an injury to his right knee dating back to before last year’s US Open. He knew it was getting worse, and when it became clear that he would not be able to play, both men faced an issue. Mies was staring down surgery on the same knee he had operated on in 2015, and Krawietz was without the partner with whom he ascended from the ATP Challenger Tour to ATP Tour stardom.

“We tried to practise and after that he said, ‘Okay, I think it’s a tough decision, but I think I’ll get the surgery now, because then I can hope to continue a couple more years,’” Krawietz recalled. “Then I was standing there thinking, ‘Okay, what do I do now?’”

Krawietz felt bad his friend and partner had to deal with an injury. But he also had to worry about finding a partner while waiting for Mies to return. He agreed to compete for one week alongside doubles veteran Horia Tecau in Rotterdam. During his drive to the Netherlands, Krawietz paid a visit in Cologne to Mies, who had just had surgery. They enjoyed dinner together and a night of laughs.

As Mies remained on the couch, Krawietz reached the ATP 500 final in Rotterdam with Tecau. The German-Romanian duo have kept going from there and they are currently 11th in the FedEx ATP Doubles Team Rankings.

^{Photo Credit: Henk Koster}
“It’s not easy on one hand. Of course I want him to do well and I want him to win his matches, but of course it hurts a little bit, too. I would like to be next to him and trying to fight together for more titles and more wins together,” Mies said. “We played the past three years together. I accepted the situation. It wasn’t easy at the beginning. The first few weeks were rough because you know you’re out for quite some time. But then I accepted it and now it’s fine for me to watch the matches.

Now Mies is “following everything”, watching most of Krawietz’s matches and even other teams to scout for when he returns. The former Auburn University standout texts Krawietz after virtually every match to share his support. Mies originally hoped to be back for the Tokyo Olympics and if he’s not ready by then, he aims to return by the US Open. But there is a potential dilemma.

What if Krawietz and Tecau keep playing well and climb the Doubles Race to position themselves for a spot in Turin at the end of the year? The German fully intends on reuniting with Mies once the Cologne-native is ready to compete, but a decision will have to be made for the rest of this season if he has an opportunity to reach the Nitto ATP Finals with Tecau and Mies cannot yet play a full schedule. All Krawietz can do now is fully focus on his efforts with the Romanian.

“That’s our goal: to play every tournament, to go for the title and go for the big tournaments trying to beat everybody,” Krawietz said. “It’s very unlucky from Andy’s surgery and I hope he’s getting healthy soon and can compete as soon as possible. But at this moment we’re going day by day, week by week with Horia.”

With the start of Roland Garros, where the Germans made the best memories of their career, Mies admitted, “This is probably the tournament that hurts the most for me to watch.” But for Krawietz, it is another important event at a venue he will always hold close to his heart, even if Mies won’t physically be by his side. The duo spoke on the phone Thursday evening, and Mies gave Krawietz his full support.

“It’s always like you have positive energy. You always have [memories of the] positive things that happened here the past two years,” Krawietz said. “It’s very emotional, but on the other hand I know that’s the past. Of course in 10 years, 20 years when I come back here, it will still be very special. Now it’s a new year, so I’m looking forward to seeing the draw.”

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Paris Power Play: Nadal's 'Halo Effect'

At what rally length does Rafael Nadal strike the most winners at Roland Garros? Conversely, at what rally length do opponents commit the most errors against the Spanish star?

It feels like Nadal overwhelmingly builds the point with a succession of heavily gyrating groundstrokes before finally dispatching the inevitable short ball for a winner to the vacant open court. It also feels like opponent errors are usually a result of a patient escalation of control in the point until Nadal’s power, spin, height, and depth become overwhelming.

Right? Wrong.

An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers rally analysis of Nadal’s winners and his opponent’s errors (forced and unforced) from Roland Garros last year identifies that the majority of his winners and his opponent’s errors are front-loaded in the point much more than we ever thought.

Nadal’s Serve +1 Winners
Nadal struck more winners on the third shot of the rally than at any other rally length at Roland Garros in 2020. Nadal hit 45 winners on the third shot of the rally, which means his serve went in, the return came back in play, and his ensuing Serve +1 forehand or backhand was dispatched for a winner. No building of the point there. It’s very much about utilising the halo effect of the serve and pairing it with a lethal Serve +1 forehand. That has been the most brutal “one-two” combination in our sport for some time.

For example, in 2010 Nadal hit 83 per cent (56/77) forehands as the first shot after the serve in the Roland Garros final against Robin Soderling. In the 2012 championship match, he hit 80 per cent (63/78) Serve +1 forehands against Novak Djokovic, and 59 per cent (37/63) against David Ferrer in the 2013 final. He won all three matches.

2020 Roland Garros – Nadal Winners By Rally Length

The halo effect of the serve typically lasts for two shots, and that dynamic is exactly what we see in play here. Nadal hits the most winners with his Serve +1 shot (three-shot rally) and his Serve +2 shot (five-shot rally). Long rallies that are odd-numbered are clustered together in nine or more shots, with the same occurring for 10 or more shots with even rallies. Nadal hit the most Serve +1 winners at Roland Garros in 2020 in the second round against Mackenzie McDonald with 10. He struck eight against Novak Djokovic in the final.

Opponent Errors (Forced+Unforced)
When Nadal served, errors flowed freely from his opponent’s racquet. The Spaniard collected 93 return errors at the beginning of the point, with the third shot of the rally grossing the second highest total with 65 errors.

2020 Roland Garros – Nadal Winners By Rally Length

Combined Winners and Errors
Three-shot rallies jump to the top of the table when you add Nadal’s winners with opponent errors (forced and unforced). This rally length is the beating heart of his clay-court prowess. Return errors and rallies ending on the third and fifth shot led the three rally lengths where Nadal won the most points. One, three, and five-shot rallies stand head and shoulders above six, seven, and eight-shot rallies in points won for the Spaniard.

Nadal Winners + Opponent Errors At Roland Garros 2020 by Rally Length

Opponents Winning Points vs. Nadal
Similar match metrics occurred for opponents collecting points against Nadal at Roland Garros last year. Opponents hit the most winners against the Spaniard (30) on the third shot of the rally. They extracted the most errors from him on the fourth shot of the rally (46), followed closely by return errors with 45.

This year, feast your eyes once again on the long, lactic-acid-inducing rallies that Nadal invariably gets into with his opponents on Court Philippe Chatrier. But also keep a watchful eye out for his lethal Serve +1 combination, which will deliver more winners than any of the longer rally lengths.

Nadal wows us with the long, but goes to the bank with the short.

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French Open 2021: Dan Evans waits for first Paris win after Miomir Kecmanovic loss

British number one Dan Evans is still awaiting a first win in the French Open main draw after losing to Miomir Kecmanovic on day one in Paris.

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French Open 2021: Naomi Osaka faces default from Grand Slam for refusing to speak to media

World number two Naomi Osaka faces expulsion from the French Open if she continues to refuse to speak to the media.

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Roland Garros Doubles Draw: Mektic/Pavic Try To Stay Red-Hot

The Roland Garros doubles draw was released on Sunday, and top seeds Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic will be the favourites. The Croatians lead the FedEx ATP Doubles Team Rankings by 2,615 points following a red-hot start to 2021.

Mektic and Pavic have lifted six ATP Tour trophies this year, including three ATP Masters 1000 titles. They will play 2016 champion Feliciano Lopez and his partner, Jaume Munar, in the first round.

Second seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah, who have made the semi-finals in three of the past four years in Paris, will face a stiff opening test against British brothers Ken Skupski and Neal Skupski in their opener.

Another interesting first-round encounter pits ninth seeds Kevin Krawietz and Horia Tecau against Ariel Behar and Gonzalo Escobar, who triumphed in Delray Beach and Marbella earlier this season. Krawietz has won the past two Roland Garros titles with Andreas Mies, who is recovering from right knee surgery.

Australian Open champions Ivan Dodig and Filip Polasek are seeded fifth and they will play Andres Molteni and Frederik Nielsen. This tournament also marks the return of a longtime successful partnership, Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo, who had competed with different partners earlier in 2021.

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French Open 2021: Naomi Osaka puts media issue to one side by beating Patricia Maria Tig

Japan’s Naomi Osaka puts the controversy over her refusal to speak to the media to one side as she starts the French Open with a straight-set win.

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Five Challenger Stars To Watch At Roland Garros

For the next fortnight, all eyes will be on the stars of the ATP Tour as they battle for glory at Roland Garros. But as hungry as they will be to lift the Coupe des Mousquetaires, there is another group of competitors that are just as motivated to make a splash at the clay-court Grand Slam. They are the players competing throughout the year on the ATP Challenger Tour.

Securing entry into a Grand Slam is no simple task. It requires year-round focus, hard work and consistency to arrive at this moment. For players grinding on the Challenger circuit, this is the reward. Having the opportunity to test their talents against the best players in the world, and with coveted FedEx ATP Rankings points and prize money at stake, is what drives these players from January to November.

Roland Garros 2021 is no exception. A platform to showcase their skills and eventually take the next step on the ATP Tour, it presents a huge opportunity on a global stage. A strong performance on the terre battue can prove to be career-altering for many Challenger stars, as they target the Top 100 and beyond. So, which players are poised to wreak havoc on the draw? We look at five to watch in Paris…

Benjamin Bonzi (FRA)
The 2021 match wins leader on the ATP Challenger Tour is making his third appearance at his home Grand Slam. If his first two bids on the Parisian clay are any indication of how his 2021 campaign will go, Bonzi will enter with plenty of confidence. In 2017, the Frenchman defeated Daniil Medvedev to reach the second round in his major debut and just last year he upset Emil Ruusuvuori in four sets.

Bonzi, who turns 25 next month, is peaking at the right time. Up to a career-high No. 115 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, the Nimes native is soaring towards the Top 100. He owns a tour-leading 25 match wins this year on the Challenger circuit, including titles on the hard courts of Potchefstroom, South Africa, and clay of Ostrava, Czech Republic. Having previously never lifted a Challenger trophy, Bonzi’s double has made him one of the more feared players this year.

The Frenchman will face Argentine veteran Facundo Bagnis in the first round on the terre battue. A potential second-round date with seventh seed Andrey Rublev looms large.

2021 Challenger Wins Leaders

Jenson Brooksby (USA)
Brooksby enters his first Roland Garros main draw as one of the hottest players on the planet. The #NextGenATP American’s physicality and unrelenting mental drive will be on full display on the red clay. In just his first few months since turning pro, the California native reeled off 19 wins from 21 matches on the ATP Challenger Tour. That included titles on the hard courts of Potchefstroom and Orlando and clay of Tallahassee.

At the age of 20, Brooksby will look to carry the momentum from a stunning run through qualifying that included a comeback from a set and a double break down on Friday. He brings a 13-match win streak into a first round clash with another red-hot player – Aslan Karatsev. It will be the first meeting between the American and the Russian.

Bjorn Fratangelo (USA)
The former World No. 99 Fratangelo is quietly mounting a charge up the FedEx ATP Rankings in 2021, as the American continues his quest to return to the Top 100. After struggling with various injuries in recent years, the 27-year-old is finally healthy and picking up where he left off. A first Challenger title since 2018 came on the hard courts of Cleveland and was followed by a clay-court championship clash against Brooksby in Tallahassee.  

Fratangelo would fall to his countryman in the Tallahassee final, but will take great confidence from an impressive 11-3 mark to open the year. The Pennsylvania native also qualified at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Miami and reached the second round behind an upset of Fernando Verdasco. It was his first match win at the Masters 1000 level in two years.

The 2011 junior champion at Roland Garros returns to Paris for his third appearance in the big show (2016 & 2017). After dropping just one set in qualifying, he will open against Cameron Norrie. A potential third-round encounter with 13-time champion Rafael Nadal looms in the third round.

Arthur Rinderknech (FRA)
Take your pick from the French wild cards. Bonzi is joined by fellow Challenger star Rinderknech, last year’s Roland Garros teen sensation Hugo Gaston and February’s Gran Canaria champion Enzo Couacaud.

It is the former Texas A&M University standout Rinderknech who is Top 10 among Challenger match wins leaders in 2021. Boasting a 15-6 record, his title to open the season in Istanbul set the tone for a strong first quarter. And the 25-year-old hasn’t limited his success to the Challenger circuit. A first ATP Tour match win came in Marseille in March, where he reached the quarters, and just two weeks ago he would streak to another quarter-final in Lyon. It was in Lyon that he scored the biggest win of his career, stunning World No. 17 Jannik Sinner in a deciding set.

Now, Rinderknech is hoping his 2021 tour-level breakthrough will translate to the Grand Slam stage. A first-round meeting with Marin Cilic awaits in Paris, with 2009 champion Roger Federer a potential second round opponent.

Bernabe Zapata Miralles (ESP)
One of the more intriguing under-the-radar match-ups at Roland Garros sees two Spanish qualifiers do battle: Bernabe Zapata Miralles vs. Carlos Alcaraz. We all know about Alcaraz, the 18-year-old setting the professional circuit ablaze with his charge to the Top 100 of the FedEx ATP Rankings.

But don’t sleep on countryman Zapata Miralles. The Valencia native defeated Alcaraz for his maiden Challenger title last year in Cordenons, Italy, and is making his Grand Slam debut on the heels of a second crown in Heilbronn, Germany. Sitting just shy of his career-high No. 126 in the world, Zapata Miralles is making a strong push towards the Top 100. A run to the Round of 16 at the ATP 500 event in Barcelona, where he stunned Fabio Fognini, has him soaring with confidence entering Roland Garros.

Zapata Miralles reeled off six sets in a row from qualifying to punch his ticket to the main draw.

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