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Herbert/Mahut Win Third Queen’s Club Title

  • Posted: Jun 20, 2021

Fourth seeds Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut defeated Reilly Opelka and John Peers 6-4, 7-5 to claim the doubles title at the cinch Championships in London on Sunday.

Last week’s Roland Garros champions won 77 per cent (30/39) of their first-service points and broke three times as they wrapped up victory in 78 minutes. They are now 25-7 on the season.

“Mahut is the older one of the team, so he was taking care at the end, serving aces when we were down two break points,” Herbert said. “We only got three hours of practice time on the grass before the first match, but we missed the grass last season, so being back here playing on the grass is joyful.”

Mahut added: “It was something special to win [Roland Garros] in our hometown with our family last week. It is good to come here now on grass, and we didn’t expect anything, but we are now here with the trophy. It has been an amazing three weeks.”

Opelka and Peers had previously beaten singles finalist Cameron Norrie and Alex de Minaur 7-6(3), 6-3 on Sunday after rain ended play early on Saturday night at The Queen’s Club. However, after an even start in the final, the American-Australian team were broken in the seventh game, with Herbert and Mahut closing out the set on serve.

The French pair continued to dictate in the second set and broke Peers’ serve to move 2-1 ahead. They then won 86 per cent (18/21) of their first-service points in the second set, and dominated around the net to establish control. While Herbert failed to serve out the contest, the French team broke again and served out the match to win their second title of the year.

Peers won the Gonet Geneva Open title with Michael Venus, but teamed up with Opelka for this first time this week in London. The pair took out top seeds Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic in the quarter-finals, but could not produce a repeat performance against Herbert and Mahut.

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Thiem: ‘On Grass You Never Know What Is Going To Happen’

  • Posted: Jun 20, 2021

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.”

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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.

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Berrettini Blasts To Queen's Club Crown

  • Posted: Jun 20, 2021

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.

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Humbert Beats Rublev For Halle Title

  • Posted: Jun 20, 2021

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.

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