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Are You Looking At Me?! Who’s On The End Of Murray’s Stare Down?

  • Posted: Jul 01, 2021

Andy Murray’s five-set victory against Oscar Otte on Wednesday evening was a typical Murray experience. There were many ups and downs, and he showed both positive and negative emotions. After finding a way through, the Scot lifted both arms as if he was a gladiator who just triumphed at the Colosseum.

“One of the reasons why I’m still playing is because of moments like that,” Murray said. “Why would you want to give that up? The atmosphere… was good the whole match, but especially the last hour-and-a-half was brilliant. I still enjoy that.”

Play was suspended early in the fourth set, with Murray down two sets to one. The two-time Wimbledon champion returned to Centre Court keen to use the crowd to his advantage.

“I picked a few people in the crowd and was basically staring at them pretty much after every point and trying to just engage with them,” Murray said. “The crowd created a great atmosphere, but I think I was also engaging them and we were feeding off each other a lot at the end.

“I’m aware in the moment. I know what a great atmosphere is in tennis. I have played in a few of them over the years, and that was definitely one of them.
Obviously when the atmosphere is like that and things are going your way, it’s a nice feeling.”

Murray spotted several fans whom he engaged with, including two guys with Scotland rugby shirts.

“They were just really loud and it was quite close to where I was getting my towel and stuff, and they were always sort of standing up,” Murray said. “Then there was the other guy that was down at near where the radio booths were. He was just standing up all the time and getting pumped and he just caught my eye.

“Each time I won a point, and even when I lost points [I] just [was] looking at him. The crowd feels that I guess and feel like you’re feeding off them and stuff. It was nice. It helps. It’s something I have done a number of times over the years in certain matches.

“I hope the fans like it and don’t think that it’s a bit weird that I’m sort of staring at them and screaming at them for like an hour, but they seem to enjoy it, as well.”

It will not get any easier for Murray, who will next play dynamic shotmaker Denis Shapovalov, who is seeded 10th. This will be their first ATP Head2Head meeting.

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Tomljanovic On Berrettini: His Game Is Great, His Mental Side Is Even Better

  • Posted: Jul 01, 2021

Matteo Berrettini and his girlfriend, WTA standout Ajla Tomljanovic, both advanced to the second round at Wimbledon on Wednesday. After her victory, Tomljanovic said that from watching the Italian up close, she believes there is far more to his game than a booming serve and hammer-like forehand.

“I actually think what’s most impressive about him is his mental side. Obviously his serve, his forehand, his game is great. But I think the way he approaches the game mentally, how he deals with adversity on court during matches [is most impressive],” Tomljanovic said. “Obviously I’m more on the inside so I know that it’s not always coming naturally to him to be that positive. He works for a lot of things that come his way and I think that’s really impressive, because I can relate to feeling similarly on the court.

“Sometimes it gets the better of me and obviously him too, but for the most part he tries really hard to get through it and use it to his advantage. I think it’s impressive and I think he’s working on it daily, so I try to draw on that sometimes.”

The WTA’s World No. 75 pointed to Berrettini’s maturity and how quickly he has grown as a player. Just three years ago, the Italian competed at Wimbledon for the first time. In October 2019, he cracked the Top 10 of the FedEx ATP Rankings and he has not left the elite group since.

“I remember two years ago here [at Wimbledon when he made the fourth round], it’s a huge difference. Okay, two years is a long time, but still some players don’t do it so rapidly,” Tomljanovic said. “He’s had that success not out of nowhere, but he became Top 10 in a very short period of time and sometimes the mind doesn’t follow as quickly as your game, but he has. I think it’s great.”

Tomljanovic does not believe that there is a secret to how Berrettini has handled the mental side of the game so well. But she thinks his willingness to learn is at the fore.

“I think he just learns from every defeat, every tough moment he has in his career. You can see that the next time he’s grown from it and he learns and he really uses that time to recognise, ‘Okay, what was wrong? What do I need to do better?’” Tomljanovic said. “That just proves that with his ranking and his game, he’s just improving and the best part is that he’s eager to learn.”

Berrettini will play Botic Van de Zandschulp on Wednesday for a spot in the third round, and Tomljanovic will face Alize Cornet.

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Preview: Federer’s Familiar Foe, Medvedev Meets Alcaraz At Wimbledon

  • Posted: Jul 01, 2021

Roger Federer’s first match at Wimbledon wasn’t quite the triumphant return he might have expected, but the eight-time champion is ready to keep things rolling at the All England Club as he takes on a familiar foe in the second round. Second seed Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Zverev and #NextGenATP Carlos Alcaraz will also be in action on Day 4 at The Championships. 

Sixth seed Federer had a battle on his hands in his first match on Centre Court since the 2019 final (l. to Djokovic). He had to fight through Adrian Mannarino, who led by two sets to one. Just as Federer was finding his feet in the fourth, the Frenchman slipped behind the baseline and was eventually unable to continue. 

“I think I was maybe turning things around a little bit [in the fourth set],” Federer reflected afterwards. “I would have been interested to see if I got through that fourth set normally. I was going to be able to change my game, the points, the way they were created nicely. That would have given me options going into the fifth. Then again, who knows.” 

Federer will be hoping for a more straightforward victory as he faces Richard Gasquet in the second round. The pair have met 20 times in their ATP Head2Head, with Federer owning a confidence-boosting 18-2 edge (3-0 on grass courts) over the Frenchman. But that doesn’t mean that Gasquet will be rolling over in their next match.

“I’m playing for this. When I was in the first round, I saw the draw. I knew I could play Roger in the second round,” Gasquet told ATPTour.com. “Of course it’s wonderful for me, because I will play on Centre Court. It’s Roger Federer. I’ve played him many times. I’m practising for this.”

It’s been 10 years since Gasquet has taken a set off Federer, but the Swiss player won’t be taking anything for granted as he continues his comeback after a snakebitten and abbreviated 2020 season.

[TENNIS POINT]

Over on No. 1 Court, second seed Medvedev will aim to continue his newfound success on grass courts as he faces #NextGenATP Carlos Alcaraz for the first time.

The Russian has made a habit of pushing himself out of his comfort zone this year, finding a way to claim wins on surfaces where victories have previously eluded him. He entered the clay-court swing without a victory to his name in Madrid, Rome and Paris, and he walked away a first-time Roland Garros quarter-finalist.

Could he do the same on grass, one of his favourite surfaces? The signs are there: after shaking off a first-round defeat in Halle, Medvedev rallied at the Mallorca Championships to claim his 11th ATP Tour title – his first trophy away from hard courts.

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“Four years ago, I would say that [grass] was my favourite surface. But after my results on hard courts I couldn’t say anything else other than hard courts, and I still like playing on hard courts more,” Medvedev said after his win in Mallorca. “It was important for me to get these things like titles going, because we don’t have a lot of tournaments [on this surface]… It gives you a lot of confidence.”

Medvedev will try to reach the third round at Wimbledon – equalling his best result – for the third year in a row as he takes on tournament debutant Alcaraz. The 18-year-old Spaniard, who received a wild card into the main draw, impressed with his first tour-level win on grass when he defeated Yasutaka Uchiyama in five sets.

“I really like [grass], I feel comfortable playing here. I could not play any tournaments on grass before Wimbledon, but every day I feel more comfortable,” Alcaraz said after the victory. “I am improving to stay calm in the tough moments and play at the same level. I played really well, and I am excited to play against [Daniil] Medvedev in the second round.”

 

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Elsewhere at the All England Club, fourth seed Alexander Zverev will face Tennys Sandren on No. 2 Court as he seeks to improve his record at Wimbledon, the only Grand Slam where he has yet to advance past the fourth round. Matteo Berrettini, the seventh seed and cinch Championships winner, will also be in action as he takes on Botic Van de Zandschulp on No. 3 Court. 

Nick Kyrgios delighted fans with a dramatic five-set victory over Ugo Humbert in his first match outside of Australia since 2020. He will hope to keep the momentum going as he faces Italian Gianluca Mager on No. 3 Court.

Click Here To View Full Day 4 Order Of Play.

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Gasquet: 'There Is Only One Roger Federer'

  • Posted: Jun 30, 2021

Richard Gasquet has lost against Roger Federer 18 times, and in their past 10 matches he has not won a set against the all-time great. But the Frenchman is still excited to get another chance to play the eight-time champion in the second round at Wimbledon.

“I’m playing for this. When I was in the first round, I saw the draw. I knew I could play Roger in the second round,” Gasquet told ATPTour.com. “Of course it’s wonderful for me, because I will play on Centre Court. It’s Roger Federer. I’ve played him many times. I’m practising for this.”

The 35-year-old has won 15 ATP Tour titles and earned nearly $19 million in prize money. He has achieved a lot of that because of his artistic style, so it speaks volumes that the Frenchman raves about the beauty of Federer’s game.

“He’s the best player of course. His technique is amazing. Sometimes we are talking a lot about the best player in history or something like that [and wonder] who will win the most Grand Slams,” Gasquet said. “But of course there are other things. There is technique, the beauty of the game, the motion. He’s a classic player, he’s an incredible player, the best player to watch. There is only one Roger Federer.”

Gasquet has not been at his best in recent years as he has struggled to stay healthy, most glaringly undergoing groin surgery two years ago. Once the No. 7 player in the FedEx ATP Rankings, he is still battling to earn chances like this against a legend.

“[I had] some injuries the past two years, so of course I’m just trying to be healthy, to do my best. I’m still focusing on the game, I really love it. That’s why I’m still playing,” Gasquet said. “I’m trying my best and it’s crazy for me to play against… Roger Federer. It’s a big chance for me to go there and try my best to play the best match and win.”

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Although Federer has dominated their ATP Head2Head rivalry in recent years, claiming their past 22 sets, Gasquet owns two victories against the 39-year-old Swiss. Both of those wins came in final-set tie-breaks on clay,  in Monte-Carlo in 2005 and in Rome 10 years ago.

Gasquet has enjoyed success on grass before, winning three of his tour-level titles on the surface. He has reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon twice, with Federer taking him out at that stage in 2007.

One thing the World No. 56 will take into the match is a recent experience against Rafael Nadal, who like Federer is a 20-time Grand Slam champion. The Frenchman played the Spanish lefty in the second round at Roland Garros and fell in straight sets. This time, he will try to flip the script on the London lawns.

“I’m still playing on big stages, I did at Roland Garros. I can do it again here on Centre Court,” Gasquet said. “Many years I didn’t play on it, so I’m very happy I can face him again. I’ll try my best to win.”

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