Tennis News

Anderson Overcomes Bublik To Reach Newport Final

Eighth seed Kevin Anderson once again came back from a set down and dug deep at the Hall of Fame Open, toppling Alexander Bublik on Saturday to reach his first ATP Tour final since 2019.

The 35-year-old South African dropped the first set of his quarter-final yesterday against Jack Sock before rallying to victory. He found himself having to go the distance again in the semi-finals against top seed Bublik, who raced out of the gates by claiming the first set and leading the second by a break.

Anderson continued to fight, serving up 20 aces and winning 78 per cent (54/69) of points behind his first serve en route to a 4-6, 7-6(3), 7-5 victory. He will next face #NextGenATP Jenson Brooksby in his first final since his 2019 run to the title in Pune. 

“It’s the biggest match of the week, and I’ve worked a long time to be back in a final,” Anderson said. “It’s been quite some time for me [since my last final], so it means a lot. I am going to enjoy this win, and I hope to be ready for tomorrow.”

Anderson had to put a sluggish start behind him as Bublik, the 2019 finalist in Newport, kept the ball low and went for the drop shot to great success. The Kazakh player broke twice in the first set, and kept the 6’8” South African on the move as he changed the direction of the ball with regularity.

Bublik looked set to keep cruising as he started the second set with an early break, but Anderson honed in on his opponent’s attackable second serves to get the break straight back. In the tie-break, Anderson built up a 4/0 lead and kept his nose in front to take them into a decider.

There was little to separate them in the third set, but Anderson stayed patient and waited for his opportunities. He finally got them late in the set at 5-5, as Bublik gave him some more looks at second serves and the eighth seed gladly teed off for winners. Anderson claimed the decisive break as Bublik fired two underarm serves down break point, resulting in a double fault. The two-time major finalist then served out the victory after two hours and 46 minutes.

The former World No. 5, currently No. 113 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, grabbed a wild card into Newport knowing that a deep run could boost his chances of reaching the US Open main draw. Now, Anderson is eying a seventh tour-level title, and his first on grass courts.

“After Wimbledon I saw that I wasn’t going to be in the main draw [of the US Open], so I emailed the tournament [in Newport] and they were kind enough to give me a wild card,” he said. “I knew I had to make the semis in order to reach the main draw, that was the first step. Now I hope that tomorrow I can go one step further.”

His opponent, 20-year-old Brooksby, had a more straightforward – but by no means simpler – path to his first ATP Tour final as he defeated seventh seed Jordan Thompson in straight sets. The #NextGenATP American was down 2-5 in the second set and had to save two set points en route to a 6-3, 7-6(3) victory.

Competing in his third tour-level main draw and in his first grass-court event, No. 152-ranked Brooksby has turned heads all week long in Newport. He is now the second-youngest finalist in the event’s 45-year history, since Greg Rusedski, 19, in 1993.

“I’m very excited to be in the final tomorrow and in such a great place, but I’m just going to try to treat it like it’s every other match and go out there with the same strategy,” Brooksby said. “I’m just excited to get out here tomorrow.”

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Krawietz/Tecau Move Into Hamburg Final

Top seeds Kevin Krawietz and Horia Tecau moved into their fourth tour-level final of the year on Saturday as they downed Jamie Cerretani and Hans Hach Verdugo 6-3, 6-4 at the Hamburg European Open.

Krawietz and Tecau clinched the NOVENTI OPEN title in Halle last month, and also reached the final at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell and the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam. The German-Romanian tandem struck seven aces and broke their opponents three times to advance in 69 minutes. They have yet to drop a set this week in Hamburg.

They will face second seeds Tim Puetz and Michael Venus in the championship match as they aim to collect their second trophy of the season on German soil.

Elsewhere, at the Nordea Open in Bastad, Sander Arends and David Pel reached the final at the ATP 250 event after fighting back to defeat third seeds Fabrice Martin and Pablo Cuevas 2-6, 7-5, 10-7.

They won 69 per cent (29/42) of their first-service points to set up a meeting with Andre Begemann and Albano Olivetti after the pair received a walkover from Roberto Carballes Baena and Marco Cecchinato.

Best celebration ever? ?@JackSock92 and @willblumberg shotgun canned waters after reaching the finals in Newport.

Legendary stuff ? pic.twitter.com/7Qeu3epiKa

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) July 17, 2021

At the Hall of Fame Open in Newport, American duo William Blumberg and Jack Sock upset second seeds Jonathan Erlich and Santiago Gonzalez 7-6(0), 6-3. They fired down six aces and celebrated in style after their victory. They will play Austin Krajicek and Vasek Pospisil in the final.

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Ruud Cruises Into Bastad Final

Top seed Casper Ruud continued to justify his tag as favourite at the Nordea Open on Saturday as he defeated Roberto Carballes Baena 6-1, 6-4 to march into his second ATP Tour final of the season.

The Norwegian, who lifted the Gonet Geneva Open title (d. Shapovalov) in May, dictated throughout. He won 76 per cent (19/25) of his first-service points and broke five times to advance in 79 minutes.

“I played a very good first set, I am very happy,” Ruud said. “[The second set] was a bit back and forth, I started to get a bit nervous towards the end. I started to play the points to quickly and didn’t play my game. That is natural when you are feeling the nerves.

“I am looking forward to the final. It is my fifth final of my career, and I am looking to make it three titles and my second one this year. I hope we can have some Scandinavian cheering.”

Ruud has now notched 19 clay-court wins this season, having also enjoyed runs to the semi-finals at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters (l. to Rublev) and the Mutua Madrid Open (l. to Berrettini) this year.

The World No. 16 dropped just three points in the opening five games as raced into a 5-0 lead against Carballes Baena. He was rock solid from the baseline and stepped inside the baseline with great effect to move ahead. Despite being briefly pegged back after breaking at the start of the second set, Ruud once again refocused to move 4-2 ahead. He then closed out on serve.

Ruud will face Federico Coria in the final. The Argentine broke new ground as he eased past Yannick Hanfmann 6-2, 6-1 to reach his first tour-level final.

“I am very happy. It is my first final tomorrow,” Coria said. “I played the best tennis of my life today here in Bastad. It is amazing [here]. It is beautiful.”

The 29-year-old, who is currently at a career-high No. 77 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, has enjoyed a dream week on the clay in Sweden. He recorded his best-ever win against World No. 18 Cristian Garin, in the quarter-finals and backed this up by winning 77 per cent (20/26) of his first-service points to advance in 72 minutes against Hanfmann.

Coria, who enjoyed a run to the semi-finals at the Cordoba Open (l. to Cerundolo) in February, clinched the Prostejov ATP Challenger Tour title in June. He will be aiming for a maiden tour-level title against Ruud on Sunday.

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Ruud Cruises Into Bastad Final, Gets Coria Next

Top seed Casper Ruud continued to justify his tag as favourite at the Nordea Open on Saturday as he defeated Roberto Carballes Baena 6-1, 6-4 to march into his second ATP Tour final of the season.

The Norwegian, who lifted the Gonet Geneva Open title (d. Shapovalov) in May, dictated throughout. He won 76 per cent (19/25) of his first-service points and broke five times to advance in 79 minutes. He has risen to No. 10 in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin and will move to within 15 points of ninth placed Aslan Karatsev with victory on Sunday.

“I played a very good first set, I am very happy,” Ruud said. “[The second set] was a bit back and forth, I started to get a bit nervous towards the end. I started to play the points to quickly and didn’t play my game. That is natural when you are feeling the nerves.

“I am looking forward to the final. It is my fifth final of my career, and I am looking to make it three titles and my second one this year. I hope we can have some Scandinavian cheering.”

Ruud has now notched 19 clay-court wins this season, having also enjoyed runs to the semi-finals at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters (l. to Rublev) and the Mutua Madrid Open (l. to Berrettini) this year.

The World No. 16 dropped just three points in the opening five games as raced into a 5-0 lead against Carballes Baena. He was rock solid from the baseline and stepped inside the baseline with great effect to move ahead. Despite being briefly pegged back after breaking at the start of the second set, Ruud once again refocused to move 4-2 ahead. He then closed out on serve.

Ruud will face Federico Coria in the final. The Argentine broke new ground as he eased past Yannick Hanfmann 6-2, 6-1 to reach his first tour-level final.

“I am very happy. It is my first final tomorrow,” Coria said. “I played the best tennis of my life today here in Bastad. It is amazing [here]. It is beautiful.”

The 29-year-old, who is currently at a career-high No. 77 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, has enjoyed a dream week on the clay in Sweden. He recorded his best-ever win against World No. 18 Cristian Garin, in the quarter-finals and backed this up by winning 77 per cent (20/26) of his first-service points to advance in 72 minutes against Hanfmann.

Coria, who enjoyed a run to the semi-finals at the Cordoba Open (l. to Cerundolo) in February, clinched the Prostejov ATP Challenger Tour title in June. He will be aiming for a maiden tour-level title against Ruud on Sunday.

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Carreno Busta Reaches Final In Hamburg

Second seed Pablo Carreno Busta continued his quest for a second ATP Tour title of the season on Saturday as he overcame Federico Delbonis 7-6(2), 6-3 to reach the final at the Hamburg European Open.

Carreno Busta saved all four break points he faced in the match and won 75 per cent (15/20) of his second-service points to advance in one hour and 55 minutes. He has yet to drop a set in Hamburg this week.

“It was a tough match today, but I am very happy because Federico is a really tough player,” Carreno Busta said. “Always when I play against him, I am very uncomfortable. I am happy because my level today was very good.

“I probably played better in the second set, but I continued fighting all the time. I enjoy playing here, I feel comfortable here. It is my most important match this year [tomorrow]. I need to be really focused until the end again.”

The Spaniard won the Marbella Open title on home soil (d. Munar) in April. He will now have the opportunity to claim a sixth tour-level title and first ATP Tour 500 trophy on Sunday against Serbian Filip Krajinovic.

Both players were strong on serve in a tight opening set, with neither offering up a single break point as they moved to a tie-break. Carreno Busta hit with great depth and consistency at the end of the set to move ahead. After a mammoth service hold at the start of the second set, Carreno Busta then found the crucial break in the fifth game as he forced errors from the Argentine’s raquet. He broke again and sealed victory when Delbonis found the net with his backhand.

Through to his first ATP 500 singles final in four years, Carreno Busta will take on Filip Krajinovic in the Hamburg championship clash. The Serbian reached his first ATP Tour final since 2019 as he continued his strong week by overcoming countryman Lalso Djere 6-4, 6-2.

The sixth seed, who equalled his career-best victory in the quarter-finals against World No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas, dictated throughout, breaking Djere three times to advance in one hour and 17 minutes.

Krajinovic will be seeking his first ATP Tour title on Sunday. The 29-year-old has previously reached finals at the Rolex Paris Masters (2017), the Hungarian Open and the Stockholm Open (both 2019).

The sixth seed made a fast start, breaking in the opening game as he moved 3-1 ahead. Krajinovic fired 26 backhand winners past Tsitsipas on Friday, and continued similarly against Djere as he struck an array of winners past the 26-year-old. He closed out the first set on serve and continued to play consistently in the second set, committing just seven unforced errors in the match.

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Ivanisevic’s Shining Moment: From ‘Really Bad’ To A Wimbledon Title

Goran Ivanisevic was not just struggling leading into Wimbledon in 2001, he was floundering. Even his peers noticed, including former World No. 1 Patrick Rafter.

“You came from nowhere leading up to that tournament,” Rafter said in a message to Ivanisevic. “You were really bad, actually. I saw you play in Rosmalen the week before. You were not good.”

The three-time Wimbledon finalist’s dreams of triumphing at The Championships were shrinking exponentially. A shoulder injury hindered the Croatian, and he started his 2001 grass-court season at The Queen’s Club by losing against World No. 194 Cristiano Caratti. The lefty then fell in the second round at ‘s-Hertogenbosch against Lleyton Hewitt.

But after a magical fortnight at the All England Club, Ivanisevic went from floundering to soaring. The World No. 125 became the first wild card to win a Grand Slam men’s singles title. Twenty years later, he is being inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

“I felt huge relief [come] from your shoulders. Like three-million kilos went off,” said Marat Safin, his quarter-final opponent.

^{Photo Credit: Bongarts/Getty Images}
Ivanisevic faced one of the most daunting paths to a Grand Slam title in history, with four current or future World No. 1s and two more former top five stars in his way. And yet the Croatian legend summoned the physical strength and mental fortitude for a memorable ride at the All England Club.

From the first round through the final, Ivanisevic beat Sweden’s Fredrik Jonsson, Carlos Moya, Andy Roddick, Greg Rusedski, Safin, Tim Henman and Patrick Rafter. According to Moya, a former World No. 1 and 1998 Roland Garros champion, the lefty’s effort at SW19 20 years ago was special.

“Goran’s run at Wimbledon in 2001 was amazing, not because he beat me. It was probably his easiest match,” Moya admitted. “But also beating Rusedski, Roddick, Safin, Henman and Rafter in the final was probably one of the toughest draws ever to win a Slam since day one. I think he really deserved to win.”

The journey started with a 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 victory against Jonsson. Next in line was Moya, who had won their first three ATP Head2Head meetings in straight sets.

“I won the first set and I think I had break points to go up a break up in the second and I lost that,” Moya said. “If I didn’t beat you that day on grass I would never do that, so I was quite disappointed in losing that match.”

Ivanisevic rallied for a 6-7(6), 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 win, his lone triumph against the Spaniard. The wild card had a stiff — but different — test in the third round against future World No. 1 Andy Roddick, who at the time was a big-serving, forehand-smacking star on the rise.

“All I kept hearing was that Goran needed a wild card, he’s down, his shoulder doesn’t work anymore, you’ll be fine, you’re this upstart,” Roddick said. “It didn’t really work out that way considering you aced me 42 times over the course of four sets. Your shoulder seemed good enough.”

Ivanisevic beat the American 7-6(5), 7-5, 3-6, 6-3. Roddick won just nine first-serve return points in the match.

“What you did to me in the third round was probably the single best serving exhibition I’ve been on the receiving end of,” Roddick remembered. “At that point in my career, and still to this day, I haven’t really seen anything like it. I can assure you it’s something that I never wanted to see again.”

Ivanisevic gained confidence quickly as the rounds ticked by. A week earlier, the Croatian and his rivals did not see him as a threat. Suddenly, his hopes were on the rise.

“I don’t know what happened there [during that tournament]. It’s still a mystery, it’s unbelievable,” Ivanisevic told ATPTour.com. “In the middle of the first week I felt good, I felt special, I felt something. To release myself from the pressure, I created two more Gorans.”

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Djokovic On Ivanisevic’s HOF Induction: ‘He Was One Of My Heroes’

Ivanisevic famously shared that there was Good Goran, Bad Goran and Emergency Goran at the All England Club, with the latter version only swooping in to save the day when absolutely necessary. Emergency Goran was not needed in the fourth round against Greg Rusedski, whom he defeated 7-6(5), 6-4, 6-4. And in the next round, he faced a player who looked up to him in Safin.

“You were one of my idols,” Safin said, before making a joke. “I guess you are the one who made me break so many racquets. Thanks for that. I paid a lot of fines.”

Ivanisevic took out the Russian 7-6(2), 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(3) to make his sixth semi-final at The Championships. “I let you win, of course,” Safin said, cracking a laugh. “You know that. You must know that.”

Ivanisevic’s next opponent, home hero Tim Henman, said something similar.

“His induction wouldn’t have happened unless I let him win that semi-final at Wimbledon in 2001,” Henman joked.

Ironically, tournament organisers gave Ivanisevic a wild card, and he then stopped perhaps Henman’s best chance at lifting the trophy, with a young Roger Federer upsetting Pete Sampras in the fourth round. In this three-day semi-final, Henman had a firm advantage, leading 5-7, 7-6(6), 6-0, 2-1 when rain forced play to the next day (there was no roof on Centre Court then). Henman lost just four points in the 15-minute third set.

But on the second day of the match, Ivanisevic forced a decider by winning the fourth set in a tie-break before play was suspended again due to rain. The lefty then finished off the Briton 7-5, 6-7(6), 0-6, 7-6(5), 6-3.

And finally, Ivanisevic had his fourth chance to finish the job on the hallowed London lawns. This time, instead of Andre Agassi or Pete Sampras (twice), Rafter was in his way.

^{Photo Credit: Bongarts/Getty Images}
“We were all on the edge of our seats,” Roddick said. “Patrick was also one of my favourite players, but I think sentimentally with everything that you went through at Wimbledon with the close calls and the losses to Pete, a large part of the tennis community was cheering for you and was really happy that you finally got your moment at Wimbledon.”

Like in the semi-finals against Henman, Ivanisevic came within two points of defeat. And when he had an opportunity to close, it was not an easy finish. At a tribute dinner Friday evening, Ivanisevic likened the last game of his victory on that memorable Monday to two recreational friends playing on public courts. Rusedski remembers the moment well.

“I remember you praying, trying to get the same tennis ball when you served it,” the Briton said.

Ivanisevic finally earned his moment in the sun when Rafter missed a forehand return into the net. The lefty made history with his 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 2-6, 9-7, leaving the Aussie devastated.

“My recollection of that match obviously was pretty crazy but I lost, you won,” Rafter said. “It was hard to take, but it was an amazing match in the terms that it created so much incredible atmosphere. I had to settle for second place.”

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Djokovic, Medvedev, Tsitsipas Lead Revised Olympics' List

Eight of the Top 10 players in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin feature in a revised entry list for this month’s Tokyo Olympics. The list includes Serbian star Novak Djokovic, who will continue his historic pursuit of a golden Grand Slam after the 34-year-old claimed the first three majors of the year.

Athens native Stefanos Tsitsipas, No. 2 in the Race, will hope to bring glory to Greece on his Olympic debut. Daniil Medvedev, who has won 10 tour-level titles on hard-court, the surface on which the Games are being played on, is also making his debut.

Other ATP stars including two-time Olympic gold medallist Andy Murray, Germany’s Alexander Zverev, and Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman will also be in action. Australia’s Alex de Minaur has withdrawn after testing positive for COVID-19.

The full men’s and women’s entry list is below:

ARGENTINA
MEN’S SINGLES: Diego Schwartzman, Facundo Bagnis, Federico Coria, Francisco Cerundolo (ITF)
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Nadia Podoroska (ITF)
MEN’S DOUBLES: Andres Molteni/Horacio Zeballos, Facundo Bagnis/Diego Schwartzman

AUSTRALIA
MEN’S SINGLES: John Millman, James Duckworth
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Ashleigh Barty, Ajla Tomljanovic, Samantha Stosur (ITF)
MEN’S DOUBLES: John Peers/Max Purcell, John Millman/Luke Saville
WOMEN’S DOUBLES: Ashleigh Barty/Storm Sanders, Ellen Perez/Samantha Stosur

AUSTRIA
MEN’S DOUBLES: Oliver Marach/Philipp Oswald

BELARUS
MEN’S SINGLES: Egor Gerasimov, Ilya Ivashka
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Aryna Sabalenka

BELGIUM
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Elise Mertens, Alison Van Uytvanck
MEN’S DOUBLES: Sander Gille/Joran Vliegen
WOMEN’S DOUBLES: Elise Mertens/Alison Van Uytvanck

BOLIVIA
MEN’S SINGLES: Hugo Dellien

BRAZIL
MEN’S SINGLES: Thiago Monteiro, Joao Menezes (ITF)
MEN’S DOUBLES: Marcelo Melo/Bruno Soares, Marcelo Demoliner/Thiago Monteiro
WOMEN’S DOUBLES: Laura Pigossi/Luisa Stefani

CANADA
MEN’S SINGLES: Felix Auger-Aliassime
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Leylah Fernandez
WOMEN’S DOUBLES: Gabriela Dabrowski/Sharon Fichman

CHILE
MEN’S SINGLES: Marcelo Tomas Barrios Vera (ITF)

CHINA, P.R.
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Zheng Saisai, Wang Qiang (ITF)
WOMEN’S DOUBLES: Xu Yifan /Yang Zhaoxuan, Duan Yingying /Zheng Saisai

CHINESE TAIPEI
MEN’S SINGLES: Yen-Hsun Lu
WOMEN’S DOUBLES: Chan Hao-Ching/Letisha Chan, Hsieh Yu-Chieh/Hsu Chieh-Yu

COLOMBIA
MEN’S SINGLES: Daniel Elahi Galan
MEN’S DOUBLES: Juan Sebastian Cabal/Robert Farah
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Maria Camila Osario Serrano

CROATIA
MEN’S SINGLES: Marin Cilic
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Donna Vekic
MEN’S DOUBLES: Nikola Mektic /Mate Pavic, Marin Cilic/Ivan Dodig
WOMEN’S DOUBLES: Darija Jurak/Donna Vekic

CZECH REPUBLIC
MEN’S SINGLES: Tomas Machac (ITF)
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Karolina Pliskova, Petra Kvitova, Barbora Krejcikova, Marketa Vondrousova
WOMEN’S DOUBLES: Barbora Krejcikova/Katerina Siniakova, Karolina Pliskova/Marketa Vondrousova

EGYPT
MEN’S SINGLES: Mohamed Safwat (ITF)
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Mayar Sherif (ITF)

ESTONIA
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Anett Kontaveit

FRANCE
MEN’S SINGLES: Gael Monfils, Ugo Humbert, Jeremy Chardy, Gilles Simon
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Fiona Ferro, Kristina Mladenovic, Alize Cornet, Caroline Garcia
MEN’S DOUBLES: Pierre-Hugues Herbert/Nicolas Mahut, Jeremy Chardy/Gael Monfils
WOMEN’S DOUBLES: Caroline Garcia/Kristina Mladenovic, Alize Cornet/Fiona Ferro

GEORGIA
MEN’S SINGLES: Nikoloz Basilashvili

GERMANY
MEN’S SINGLES: Alexander Zverev, Jan-Lennard Struff, Dominik Koepfer, Philipp Kohlschreiber
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Laura Siegemund, Mona Barthel, Anna-Lena Friedsam (ITF)
MEN’S DOUBLES: Jan-Lennard Struff/Alexander Zverev, Kevin Krawietz/Tim Puetz
WOMEN’S DOUBLES: Anna-Lena Friedsam/Laura Siegemund

GREAT BRITAIN
MEN’S SINGLES: Andy Murray (ITF)
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Heather Watson
MEN’S DOUBLES: Andy Murray/Joe Salisbury, Jamie Murray/Neal Skupski

GREECE
MEN’S SINGLES: Stefanos Tsitsipas
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Maria Sakkari

HUNGARY
MEN’S SINGLES: Marton Fucsovics

INDIA
MEN’S SINGLES: Sumit Nagal (ITF)
WOMEN’S DOUBLES Sania Mirza/Ankita Raina

ITALY
MEN’S SINGLES: Matteo Berrettini, Lorenzo Sonego, Fabio Fognini, Lorenzo Musetti
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Camila Giorgi, Jasmine Paolini, Sara Errani (ITF)
MEN’S DOUBLES: Matteo Berrettini/Fabio Fognini, Lorenzo Musetti/Lorenzo Sonego

JAPAN
MEN’S SINGLES: Yoshihito Nishioka, Kei Nishikori, Taro Daniel, Yuichi Sugita
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Naomi Osaka, Misaki Doi, Nao Hibino
MEN’S DOUBLES: Ben McLachlan/Kei Nishikori (Host)
WOMEN’S DOUBLES: Shuko Aoyama/Ena Shibahara (Host), Nao Hibino/Makoto Ninomiya

KAZAKHSTAN
MEN’S SINGLES: Alexander Bublik, Mikhail Kukushkin
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Elena Rybakina, Yulia Putintseva, Yaroslava Shvedova, Zarina Diyas
MEN’S DOUBLES: Alexander Bublik/Andrey Golubev

KOREA, REP.
MEN’S SINGLES: Soonwoo Kwon

LATVIA
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Jelena Ostapenko, Anastasija Sevastova
WOMEN’S DOUBLES: Jelena Ostapenko/Anastasija Sevastova

MEXICO
WOMEN’S DOUBLES: Guiliano Olmos/Renata Zarazua

NETHERLANDS
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Kiki Bertens
MEN’S DOUBLES: Wesley Koolhof/Jean-Julien Rojer
WOMEN’S DOUBLES: Kiki Bertens/Demi Schuurs

NEW ZELAND
MEN’S DOUBLES: Marcus Daniell/Michael Venus

PARAGUAY
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Veronica Cepede Royg (ITF)

PERU
MEN’S SINGLES Juan Pablo Varillas (ITF)

POLAND
MEN’S SINGLES: Hubert Hurkacz, Kamil Majchrzak
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Iga Swiatek, Magda Linette
MEN’S DOUBLES: Hubert Hurkacz/Lukasz Kubot
WOMEN’S DOUBLES: Magda Linette/Alicja Rosolska

PORTUGAL
MEN’S SINGLES: Pedro Sousa, Joao Sousa
MEN’S DOUBLES: Joao Sousa/Pedro Sousa

ROMANIA
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Mihaela Buzarnescu (ITF)
WOMEN’S DOUBLES: Monica Niculescu/Raluca Olaru

ROC
MEN’S SINGLES: Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, Aslan Karatsev, Karen Khachanov
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Veronika Kudermetova, Ekaterina Alexandrova, Elena Vesnina
MEN’S DOUBLES: Aslan Karatsev/Daniil Medvedev, Karen Khachanov/Andrey Rublev
WOMEN’S DOUBLES: Veronika Kudermetova/Elena Vesnina

SERBIA
MEN’S SINGLES: Novak Djokovic, Miomir Kecmanovic
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Nina Stojanovic, Ivana Jorovic
WOMEN’S DOUBLES: Aleksandra Krunic/Nina Stojanovic

SLOVAKIA
MEN’S SINGLES: Norbert Gombos
MEN’S DOUBLES: Lukas Klein/Filip Polasek

SPAIN
MEN’S SINGLES: Pablo Carreno Busta, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Pablo Andujar, Roberto Carballes Baena
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Garbine Muguruza, Paula Badosa, Sara Sorribes Tormo, Carla Suarez Navarro
MEN’S DOUBLES: Pablo Carreno Busta/Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Pablo Andujar/Roberto Carballes Baena
WOMEN’S DOUBLES: Garbine Muguruza/Carla Suarez Navarro, Paula Badosa/Sara Sorribes Tormo

SWEDEN
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Rebecca Peterson

SWITZERLAND
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Belinda Bencic, Viktorija Golubic
WOMEN’S DOUBLES: Belinda Bencic/Viktorija Golubic

TUNISIA
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Ons Jabeur

UKRAINE
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Elina Svitolina, Dayana Yastremska
WOMEN’S DOUBLES: Elina Svitolina/Dayana Yastremska, Lyudmyla Kichenok/Nadiia Kichenok

USA
MEN’S SINGLES: Tommy Paul, Frances Tiafoe, Tennys Sandgren, Marcos Giron
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Jennifer Brady, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Alison Riske
MEN’S DOUBLES: Rajeev Ram/Frances Tiafoe, Austin Krajicek/Tennys Sandgren
WOMEN’S DOUBLES: Cori Gauff/Nicole Melichar, Bethanie Mattek-Sands/Jessica Pegula

UZBEKISTAN
MEN’S SINGLES: Denis Istomin (ITF)

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Hall Of Fame Awaits, But Which Goran Will Be Inducted?

Goran Ivansievic was late for his match. Fifteen minutes late! Searching the far extremities of Melbourne Park looking for a non-descript outside court, the annoyed Croatian stopped and asked himself, “What are you doing man? Why? What do you need? Stop.” 

The former World No. 2 had to enter qualifying at the 2001 Australian Open after injury sent his FedEx ATP Ranking plummeting outside the Top 100. Ivanisevic lost his first-round qualifying match against Czech Petr Luxa, whose career-high was World No. 150. The Croatian was down in the moment, but he remembers a friend saying, “Do not stop. This is not the way you stop. You’re not going to be happy.”

Six months later, Ivanisevic triumphed in his fourth Wimbledon final. From his lowest low, the Croatian soared to his highest high. And on Saturday, just more than 20 years later, he will become the first player from his country to earn induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

“I had a lot of ups and downs, doubts when you just want to quit and say, ‘Why are you doing this?’ [It is the feeling of being] on the top and then hitting the bottom,” Ivanisevic told ATPTour.com. “These battles, people just see the nice, beautiful side when you win trophies, but it’s a constant battle, a constant fight. That makes sports beautiful.”

^{Ivanisevic celebrates his 2001 Wimbledon triumph. Photo Credit: AFP/Getty Images}
For a time, it appeared Ivanisevic would become synonymous with falling short at The Championships. The Croatian had won 21 ATP Tour titles and climbed to World No. 2 in 1994, both incredible accomplishments. But Wimbledon was his white whale, the hole in his resume that was becoming increasingly difficult to fill.

Ivanisevic fell short in the final three times, losing against Andre Agassi once (1992) and Pete Sampras twice (1994, 1998). He battled into a fifth set in two of those championship clashes, only to succumb in the decider. By 2001, reaching the winners’ circle at Wimbledon was a longshot. A shoulder injury had tamed his greatest weapon — his serve — and for a three-time finalist, Ivanisevic’s grass-court season was sub-par entering The Championships.

The lefty lost against World No. 194 Cristiano Caratti at Queen’s Club and the next week, he fell in the second round against Lleyton Hewitt in ‘s-Hertogenbosch. Ivanisevic admitted that he “played terrible tennis” entering the grass-court major. Something needed to change, and that led to Ivanisevic’s satirical creation. He revealed to the media during the tournament that there were three Gorans: Good Goran, Bad Goran and Emergency Goran, who interacted with each other during matches.

“I don’t know what happened there [during that tournament]. It’s still a mystery, it’s unbelievable,” Ivanisevic said. “In the middle of the first week I felt good, I felt special, I felt something. To release myself from the pressure, I created two more Gorans. People started to laugh and then I said, ‘Why not?’ They helped me during the matches. I had little talks with myself, with the other two Gorans.

“In the end it became an unbelievable story. [There were] three Gorans and after 20 years they still ask me, which Goran is here? Only one. One is enough. Those three Gorans made it happen. I probably needed three Gorans to win Wimbledon. With one Goran I could not win it, so I needed to create something special.”

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Ivanisevic’s road to the title was full of spikes. Among his opponents were three former World No. 1s — Carlos Moya, Marat Safin, Patrick Rafter — and a future World No. 1 — Andy Roddick — and somehow, in an epic Monday final, the World No. 125 defeated Rafter 9-7 in a classic fifth set to become the lowest-ranked Wimbledon men’s singles champion in history.

“Probably never ever is a wild card going to win Wimbledon. Never ever are we going to have an atmosphere like that at Wimbledon because of the roof now. It’s amazing,” Ivanisevic said. “I received millions of messages. I received millions of questions for interviews. I said, ‘Guys, I won Wimbledon 20 years ago!’ I’m always amazed and surprised how much this Wimbledon, even if it’s been 20 years, changed people’s lives, changed my life. It changed everything and because of that I am here today. It is special.”

Ivanisevic was past his physical prime. But mentally, he was able to summon a fortnight of magic in London.

“I should maybe get a degree in psychology, because I helped myself to overcome and to calm [myself] and do something different. That’s also kind of unbelievable,” Ivanisevic said. “It’s not only about tennis, it’s not only about hitting forehands and backhands.”

That triumph is a big part of why Ivanisevic earned induction into the International Hall of Fame. When the 49-year-old walked into the museum in Newport for the first time on Friday morning, he was taken back by the company he is joining.

“There is so much history, so many unbelievable names, trophies, people who created this sport, who changed this sport, who made this sport. Now I’m part of it,” Ivanisevic said. “I still don’t get that in my head at this moment, but it’s going to click in. It’s like I did something good in these 42 years since I started [my life in tennis]. It’s an unbelievable honour to be here.”

As happy as he is with his trophies, Ivanisevic is also proud of the benchmark he set for Croatian tennis players. The lefty paved the path for the likes of Ivan Ljubicic and Mario Ancic, who have been followed by Marin Cilic and Borna Coric among others. Ivanisevic coached Cilic to his 2014 US Open victory.

“They all followed me. It was unbelievable. I had my idols and then I became an idol of a lot of tennis players, which is unbelievable,” Ivanisevic said. “That makes me happy and proud that I contributed something for tennis.”

Today, Ivanisevic is one of World No. 1 Novak Djokovic’s coaches. Last Sunday, the lefty sat in the Serbian’s box as he lifted a record-tying 20th Grand Slam trophy. But he will forever be remembered for his accomplishments — and performances — on the court.

“I think the [fans are] always going to remember me as Goran, an interesting tennis player. I could have been better, I could have been worse. They say I could have won more Grand Slams. Yeah, I agree. But I could have also not won [Wimbledon] and not been here,” Ivanisevic said. “But I think they’re going to remember that I was never boring and there was always something happening. Even I didn’t know what would happen.”

That remains the case ahead of Saturday’s induction ceremony, for which Ivanisevic admitted he will “probably be very nervous”. But through the soaring highs and devastating lows, the Croatian can now say that his legacy is set in stone in Newport.

“I’ve already changed my speech seven million times. But whatever speech [I give], there are a lot of people I’m going to thank. Because of them, I am here now,” Ivanisevic said. “After 20 years, if they still remember my final at Wimbledon, they’re always going to remember the three Gorans, one Goran, two Gorans. But they are going to remember the Goran who changed lives, who made them happy, who made them cry and really entertained them.”

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Djokovic, Medvedev, Tsitsipas Lead Revised Olympics' List

Eight of the Top 10 players in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin feature in a revised entry list for this month’s Tokyo Olympics. The list includes Serbian star Novak Djokovic, who will continue his historic pursuit of a golden Grand Slam after the 34-year-old claimed the first three majors of the year.

Athens native Stefanos Tsitsipas, No. 2 in the Race, will hope to bring glory to Greece on his Olympic debut. Daniil Medvedev, who has won 10 tour-level titles on hard-court, the surface on which the Games are being played on, is also making his debut.

Other ATP stars including two-time Olympic gold medallist Andy Murray, Germany’s Alexander Zverev, and Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman will also be in action. Australia’s Alex de Minaur has withdrawn after testing positive for COVID-19.

The full men’s and women’s entry list is below:

ARGENTINA
MEN’S SINGLES: Diego Schwartzman, Facundo Bagnis, Federico Coria, Francisco Cerundolo (ITF)
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Nadia Podoroska (ITF)
MEN’S DOUBLES: Andres Molteni/Horacio Zeballos, Facundo Bagnis/Diego Schwartzman

AUSTRALIA
MEN’S SINGLES: John Millman, James Duckworth
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Ashleigh Barty, Ajla Tomljanovic, Samantha Stosur (ITF)
MEN’S DOUBLES: John Peers, John Millman/Luke Saville
WOMEN’S DOUBLES: Ashleigh Barty/Storm Sanders, Ellen Perez/Samantha Stosur

AUSTRIA
MEN’S DOUBLES: Oliver Marach/Philipp Oswald

BELARUS
MEN’S SINGLES: Egor Gerasimov, Ilya Ivashka
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Aryna Sabalenka, Victoria Azarenka
WOMEN’S DOUBLES: Victoria Azarenka/Aryna Sabalenka

BELGIUM
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Elise Mertens, Alison Van Uytvanck
MEN’S DOUBLES: Sander Gille/Joran Vliegen
WOMEN’S DOUBLES: Elise Mertens/Alison Van Uytvanck

BRAZIL
MEN’S SINGLES: Thiago Monteiro, Joao Menezes (ITF)
MEN’S DOUBLES: Marcelo Melo/Bruno Soares

CANADA
MEN’S SINGLES: Felix Auger-Aliassime, Vasek Pospisil
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Leylah Fernandez
MEN’S DOUBLES: Felix Auger-Aliassime/Vasek Pospisil
WOMEN’S DOUBLES: Gabriela Dabrowski/Sharon Fichman

CHILE
MEN’S SINGLES: Marcelo Tomas Barrios Vera (ITF)

CHINA, P.R.

WOMEN’S SINGLES: Zheng Saisai, Wang Qiang (ITF)
WOMEN’S DOUBLES: Xu Yifan /Yang Zhaoxuan, Duan Yingying /Zheng Saisai

CHINESE TAIPEI
MEN’S SINGLES: Lu Yen-Hsun
WOMEN’S DOUBLES: Chan Hao-Ching, Letisha Chan

COLOMBIA
MEN’S SINGLES: Daniel Elahi Galan
MEN’S DOUBLES: Juan Sebastian Cabal/Robert Farah
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Maria Camila Osario Serrano

CROATIA
MEN’S SINGLES: Marin Cilic
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Donna Vekic
MEN’S DOUBLES: Nikola Mektic /Mate Pavic, Marin Cilic/Ivan Dodig
WOMEN’S DOUBLES: Darija Jurak/Donna Vekic

CZECH REPUBLIC
MEN’S SINGLES: Tomas Machac (ITF)
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Karolina Pliskova, Petra Kvitova, Barbora Krejcikova, Marketa Vondrousova
WOMEN’S DOUBLES: Barbora Krejcikova/Katerina Siniakova, Karolina Pliskova/Marketa Vondrousova

EGYPT
MEN’S SINGLES: Mohamed Safwat (ITF)
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Mayar Sherif (ITF)

ESTONIA
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Anett Kontaveit

FRANCE
MEN’S SINGLES: Gael Monfils, Ugo Humbert, Jeremy Chardy, Gilles Simon
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Fiona Ferro, Kristina Mladenovic, Alize Cornet, Caroline Garcia
MEN’S DOUBLES: Pierre-Hugues Herbert/Nicolas Mahut, Jeremy Chardy/Gael Monfils
WOMEN’S DOUBLES: Caroline Garcia/Kristina Mladenovic, Alize Cornet/Fiona Ferro

GEORGIA
MEN’S SINGLES: Nikoloz Basilashvili

GERMANY
MEN’S SINGLES: Alexander Zverev, Jan-Lennard Struff, Dominik Koepfer, Philipp Kohlschreiber
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Laura Siegemund, Mona Barthel (ITF)
MEN’S DOUBLES: Jan-Lennard Struff/Alexander Zverev, Kevin Krawietz/Tim Puetz
WOMEN’S DOUBLES: Anna-Lena Friedsam/Laura Siegemund

GREAT BRITAIN
MEN’S SINGLES: Andy Murray (ITF)
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Heather Watson
MEN’S DOUBLES: Andy Murray/Joe Salisbury, Jamie Murray/Neal Skupski

GREECE
MEN’S SINGLES: Stefanos Tsitsipas
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Maria Sakkari

HUNGARY
MEN’S SINGLES: Marton Fucsovics
WOMEN’S DOUBLES: Timea Babos/Reka Luca Jani

INDIA
WOMEN’S DOUBLES Sania Mirza/Ankita Raina

ITALY
MEN’S SINGLES: Matteo Berrettini, Lorenzo Sonego, Fabio Fognini, Lorenzo Musetti
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Camila Giorgi, Jasmine Paolini
MEN’S DOUBLES: Matteo Berrettini/Fabio Fognini, Lorenzo Musetti/Lorenzo Sonego

JAPAN
MEN’S SINGLES: Yoshihito Nishioka, Kei Nishikori, Taro Daniel, Yuichi Sugita
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Naomi Osaka, Misaki Doi, Nao Hibino
MEN’S DOUBLES: Ben McLachlan/Kei Nishikori (Host)
WOMEN’S DOUBLES: Shuko Aoyama/Ena Shibahara (Host), Nao Hibino/Makoto Ninomiya

KAZAKHSTAN
MEN’S SINGLES: Alexander Bublik, Mikhail Kukushkin
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Elena Rybakina, Yulia Putintseva, Yaroslava Shvedova
MEN’S DOUBLES: Alexander Bublik/Andrey Golubev
WOMEN’S DOUBLES: Elena Rybakina/Yaroslava Shvedova

KOREA, REP.
MEN’S SINGLES: Soonwoo Kwon

LATVIA
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Jelena Ostapenko, Anastasija Sevastova
WOMEN’S DOUBLES: Jelena Ostapenko/Anastasija Sevastova

NETHERLANDS
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Kiki Bertens
MEN’S DOUBLES: Wesley Koolhof/Jean-Julien Rojer
WOMEN’S DOUBLES: Kiki Bertens/Demi Schuurs

NEW ZELAND
MEN’S DOUBLES: Marcus Daniell/Michael Venus

PARAGUAY
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Veronica Cepede Royg (ITF)

POLAND
MEN’S SINGLES: Hubert Hurkacz, Kamil Majchrzak
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Iga Swiatek, Magda Linette
MEN’S DOUBLES: Hubert Hurkacz/Lukasz Kubot
WOMEN’S DOUBLES: Magda Linette/Alicja Rosolska

PORTUGAL
MEN’S SINGLES: Pedro Sousa, Joao Sousa
MEN’S DOUBLES: Joao Sousa/Pedro Sousa

ROMANIA
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Mihaela Buzarnescu (ITF)
WOMEN’S DOUBLES: Monica Niculescu/Raluca Olaru

ROC
MEN’S SINGLES: Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, Aslan Karatsev, Karen Khachanov
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Veronika Kudermetova, Ekaterina Alexandrova, Elena Vesnina
MEN’S DOUBLES: Aslan Karatsev/Daniil Medvedev, Karen Khachanov/Andrey Rublev
WOMEN’S DOUBLES: Veronika Kudermetova/Elena Vesnina

SERBIA
MEN’S SINGLES: Novak Djokovic, Miomir Kecmanovic
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Nina Stojanovic, Ivana Jorovic
WOMEN’S DOUBLES: Aleksandra Krunic/Nina Stojanovic

SLOVAKIA
MEN’S SINGLES: Norbert Gombos
MEN’S DOUBLES: Lukas Klein/Filip Polasek

SPAIN
MEN’S SINGLES: Pablo Carreno Busta, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Pablo Andujar, Roberto Carballes Baena
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Garbine Muguruza, Paula Badosa, Sara Sorribes Tormo, Carla Suarez Navarro
MEN’S DOUBLES: Pablo Carreno Busta/Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Pablo Andujar/Roberto Carballes Baena
WOMEN’S DOUBLES: Garbine Muguruza/Carla Suarez Navarro, Paula Badosa/Sara Sorribes Tormo

SWEDEN
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Rebecca Peterson

SWITZERLAND
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Belinda Bencic, Viktorija Golubic
WOMEN’S DOUBLES: Belinda Bencic/Viktorija Golubic

TUNISIA
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Ons Jabeur

UKRAINE
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Elina Svitolina, Dayana Yastremska
WOMEN’S DOUBLES: Elina Svitolina/Dayana Yastremska, Lyudmyla Kichenok/Nadiia Kichenok

USA
MEN’S SINGLES: Tommy Paul, Frances Tiafoe, Tennys Sandgren, Marcos Giron
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Jennifer Brady, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Alison Riske
MEN’S DOUBLES: Rajeev Ram/Frances Tiafoe, Austin Krajicek/Tennys Sandgren
WOMEN’S DOUBLES: Coco Gauff/Nicole Melichar, Bethanie Mattek-Sands/Jessica Pegula

UZBEKISTAN
MEN’S SINGLES: Denis Istomin (ITF)

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#NextGenATP Brooksby Powers Into First ATP SF In Newport

#NextGenATP Jenson Brooksby played like a veteran to take down Peter Gojowczyk 6-0, 6-3 and reach his first ATP Tour semi-final at the Hall of Fame Open.

The American, who had never played a tour-level match on grass courts before arriving in Newport, raced through the first set and recovered from an early break in the second to seal the victory in just 62 minutes.

“I’m especially happy with a good first set to start it out,” Brooksby said in an on-court interview. “In the second set I could have done some things better, and I’m thinking about that still now, but I’m just happy to get through. Props to him though on a good match, and I’m going to get ready for tomorrow.”

The 20-year-old was contesting his fourth tour-level event, but came in with his confidence high after amassing a 21-2 record at the ATP Challenger Tour level this year. He has lifted three trophies, at Potchefstroom-2, Orlando-1 and Tallahassee, so far in 2021. 

“It’s been a good year, and I just want to keep pushing forward,” Brooksby said. “I definitely have a lot of confidence going into these next few matches.”

Brooksby shook off two break points against Gojowczyk as he powered through the opening set, winning it to love in 23 minutes. He had to hit the reset button after going down 0-2, with the German breaking to love to start the second set. Brooksby won six of the next seven games and sealed the victory with his third ace of the match to move into the semi-finals.

He will next face seventh seed Jordan Thompson, who needed two sets to see off American Maxime Cressy 6-3, 7-6(6). All three of Thompson’s semi-final appearances have come on grass, including a runner-up finish in ‘s-Hertogenbosch (l. to Mannarino) and a last four appearance in Antalya in 2019.

Cressy, who was into his first tour-level quarter-final in Newport, saved two match points at 5-4 in a tightly contested second set and held set point at 5-6. But the Aussie held firm to reach his first tour-level semi-final of the season after an hour and 51 minutes.

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