Tennis News

Federer Practising Ahead Of Geneva Debut

Roger Federer is hard at work ahead of his debut at the Gonet Geneva Open, training hard at the Tennis Club de Genève at the Parc des Eaux-Vives.

The former World No. 1 owns a 32-match winning streak on home soil, with his most recent loss in Switzerland coming on 27 October 2013 in the Swiss Indoors Basel final against Juan Martin del Potro.

Federer will compete for the second time this season. In March, the 39-year-old lost in the quarter-finals in Doha against frequent practice partner Daniel Evans.

The top seed will begin his tournament against Pablo Andujar or Jordan Thompson. Federer has not yet played either man. The first seeded opponent the 103-time tour-level titlist could play is fifth seed Cristian Garin, a five-time ATP Tour titlist who has lifted each of those trophies on clay.

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Djokovic vs Nadal: The Eternal Duo In The Eternal City

Once again, the eternal duo is left standing in the Eternal City.

After a week of twists and turns, upsets and epics at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, it will be top seed Novak Djokovic facing second seed Rafael Nadal in their sixth championship clash on Sunday.

Djokovic and Nadal have faced off a total of eight times before at the Foro Italico, dating back to their first meeting in the 2007 quarter-finals. Nadal won that match comfortably, but as their rivalry grew over the years so did the level of competition. The Spaniard owns a 5-3 lead in their Rome matchups, while Djokovic now boasts the overall ATP Head2Head edge in their legendary rivalry (29-27).

Their combined dominance of this ATP Masters 1000 event has been something to behold: Djokovic and Nadal have won 14 of the past 16 editions, and at least one player has been in every Rome final dating back to 2005. Nadal has lifted a record nine trophies, while Djokovic has claimed five.

“It’s great to play him again in the final. He’s the guy that I have encountered the most in my career,” Djokovic said after his semi-final match. “[He is] definitely my biggest rival of all time. Playing him on clay in the finals of one of the biggest tournaments in the world is always extra motivating for me.

“Even after all we have been through in our careers there’s still this excitement when we have to face each other.”

Sunday’s meeting will be a rematch of the 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2019 finals. Taking a look at how those previous championship matches went can give fans a clue at what to expect when these two meet for a record-extending 57th time.

Djokovic vs Nadal: Rome Finals

Each match in the Italian capital has been a highly competitive affair, with Nadal and Djokovic locked into lengthy battles, tie-breaks or deciding sets in each of their previous five finals.

This spells bad news for Djokovic, who reached the final after having to contest two matches on Saturday due to heavy rain interrupting his quarter-final against Stefanos Tsitsipas.

The final two sets alone of his 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 victory over the Greek each clocked in at over an hour (1hr 5min and 1hr 22min, respectively), but the job wasn’t done yet. Djokovic took the court a few hours later against Lorenzo Sonego, and needed nearly three hours to move past the Italian (2hr 44mins) after he saved match points in the second set, 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-2. 

“I’m very proud of what I have achieved today,” Djokovic said. “It was a very long day. [I] spent five hours almost on the court. [I] dug myself out of a very difficult situation versus Tsitsipas. He was so close to winning it. Somehow I managed to turn it around… I thought I played even on a higher level against Sonego.”

Djokovic will be aiming for a strong start and an early lead against Nadal on Sunday, as he knows better than anyone how dangerous it can be to give the Spaniard any kind of an advantage on the red clay.

By contrast, Nadal spent just over an hour and a half on court on Saturday in his semi-final against big-serving Reilly Opelka, breaking once in each set of his 6-4, 6-4 victory.

“I think I played the match that I had to play… I had two breaks, two sets. That’s a positive thing for me,” Nadal acknowledged in his post-match press conference. “[To] be in the final again here means a lot to me.

“I have been playing better, worse, but always [trending] in a positive line. I am playing better when the weeks are coming. Here, I had a very tough draw and I was able to find a way to be in the final.”

Although their experiences on semi-final Saturday could not have been more different, 34-year-old Nadal and 33-year-old Djokovic’s paths to becoming the oldest Rome finalists in the Open Era have been eerily parallel.

Both players were tested by #NextGenATP stars and talented young players in the early rounds, with Nadal taking down 19-year-old Jannik Sinner 7-5, 6-4 in his opener and having to save match points to move past Denis Shapovalov 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(3). Djokovic overcame a stern test against Taylor Fritz 6-3, 7-6(5) before cruising past 21-year-old Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-2, 6-1. 

They then had to contend against established stars and Masters 1000 champions in the quarter-finals – Djokovic against Tsitsipas, and Nadal against Alexander Zverev – before finding a way past surprise semi-finalists Sonego and Opelka.

But whether rain or shine, #NextGenATP stars or Top 10 heavyweights – no matter what Rome threw their way, Djokovic and Nadal were once again left standing at the end of it all in the Eternal City.

“Rafa and I had a little laugh today in the locker room after I won against Tsitsipas,” Djokovic revealed. “We kind of joked around that the old guys are still not giving up. I saw [that] he said somewhere a few days ago that Roger, him and I are old, but I disagree with him. I think we’re showing some different, fresh energy.

“We had a laugh about it… I’m really glad that we are showing we’re not backing off from the #NextGenATP attacks.”

ORDER OF PLAY – SUNDAY, MAY 16, 2021
CENTER COURT start 2:30 pm
WTA – [15] I. Swiatek (POL) vs [9] K. Pliskova (CZE)

Not Before 5:00 pm
[1] N. Djokovic (SRB) vs [2] R. Nadal (ESP)

GRAND STAND ARENA start 12:30 pm
WTA – [ALT] S. Fichman (CAN) / G. Olmos (MEX) vs [4] S. Aoyama (JPN) / E. Shibahara (JPN)

Not Before 3:00 pm
[5] R. Ram (USA) / J. Salisbury (GBR) vs [2] N. Mektic (CRO) / M. Pavic (CRO)

Not Before 5:30 pm
WTA Doubles Final

Did You Know? 
Novak Djokovic (36) and Rafael Nadal (35) lead all players in ATP Masters 1000 championships. They also boast the most on clay courts, with Nadal owning 25 titles and Djokovic 10. They are both seeking their first Masters 1000 title of the year in Rome.

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Trending Upwards, Rafa's Clay Stock Set For Market Top In Rome Final

Rafael Nadal didn’t play a ‘beautiful match’ in his Internazionali BNL d’Italia semi-final, but he got the job done against big-serving Reilly Opelka to book his 12th final in Rome.

After struggling to reach his best form on clay this year, Nadal has steadily raised his level in Rome to reach a record-equalling 52nd ATP Masters 1000 final. (Djokovic reached his 53rd final later in the day to take back the record.)

The World No. 3 reached the quarter-final at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters before falling to an inspired Andrey Rublev in three sets, and was tested in every round of the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, where he lifted his 12th trophy (d. Tsitsipas). At the Mutua Madrid Open, he posted a quarter-final finish after being upset by Alexander Zverev in straight sets.

“I have been through [a] positive process during the last month,” Nadal reflected in his post-match press conference. “I played four events. That’s the main thing for me. I was able to do my full schedule. I played two quarter-finals. I won a tournament. Now a final here.

“I have been playing better, worse, but always [trending] in a positive line. I am playing better when the weeks are coming. Here, I had a very tough draw and I was able to find a way to be in the final.”

To reach his 12th final in Rome, Nadal had to manoeuvre past #NextGenATP Italian Jannik Sinner, save match points against lefty Denis Shapovalov, claim his revenge over Zverev and outgun big-serving Opelka. Each player presented a unique challenge, and Nadal passed with flying colours.

“Tomorrow is a final, an important one, and I want to be competitive. I want to play a good match and let’s see.

“I have been through [a] positive process during the last month. I played four events. That’s the main thing for me. I was able to do my full schedule… I spent plenty of hours on court. In terms of preparation, I consider [it] done. Then I have to adjust a couple more things, but I have two weeks to prepare.”

Nadal will face top seed and five-time Rome champion Novak Djokovic for the 57th time in their ATP Head2Head rivalry (Djokovic leads 29-27) as he seeks his 10th trophy in the Eternal City. Nadal and Djokovic have won 14 of the past 16 editions of this event and will meet for the ninth time at the Foro Italico on Sunday, where Nadal leads 5-3.

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Andy Murray chooses to miss French Open

Andy Murray will not play at the French Open and will instead focus on preparing for the grass-court season.

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Djokovic Sets Blockbuster Nadal Final After Sonego Epic

Hours after defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarter-finals, top seed Novak Djokovic triumphed in a semi-final epic against Italian Lorenzo Sonego to reach his 10th final at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.

World No. 1 Djokovic was up a set and a break against Sonego and held match points in the second set, but he was in for a battle as the Italian dug deep and rallied Campo Centrale to send them the distance. But the five-time Rome champion raised his level in the deciding set to seal the victory 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-2 after two hours and 43 minutes.

“I have only myself to blame for not closing the match in two sets,” Djokovic said. “At the end of the day, he is showing why he reached his first [ATP Masters 1000] semi-finals. He’s a quality player. [It is] not easy to play against him. Obviously he had the crowd behind him. It was an electric atmosphere out there on the court.”

The defending champion booked a mouthwatering 56th clash against rival Rafael Nadal in the championship match. Nadal and Djokovic have won 14 of the past 16 editions of this event and will meet for the ninth time at the Foro Italico on Sunday (Nadal leads 5-3).

“I don’t have much time [to recover], I played a lot of tennis,” Djokovic said. “Hopefully I’ll have fresh legs, because that’s what I definitely will need. It’s necessary in order to have a chance against Rafa.

“He also had some tough matches, obviously myself, with rain delays and everything that has happened today. Hopefully tomorrow I’ll be fresh and I’ll give it all.”

The Serbian was made to do double duty after yesterday’s rain halted his quarter-final match against Tsitsipas, but Djokovic returned to the Foro Italico on Saturday and came back from a set and a break down to claim a 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 victory. 

Up against Sonego, who defeated him in their only previous ATP Head2Head encounter last year in Vienna, Djokovic had to be on fire from the outset to weather the Italian’s highlight-reel worthy drop shots and forehands and secure a record 53rd ATP Masters 1000 final berth. 

After defeating seventh seed Andrey Rublev earlier in the day, Sonego set the tone early on against Djokovic with a perfectly disguised drop shot in the very first point, and Djokovic responded by racing up to the net to track it down for a winner. As the partisan crowd roared for their home favourite, Djokovic applied the pressure and used his backhand to dictate play, earning the decisive break at 2-1 in the opening set.

Djokovic must have read the scouting report on Sonego, because he was ready for the many drop shots that came his way and frequently responded in kind, to great success. He kept Sonego guessing as he changed the direction of the ball with his down-the-line backhand. 

The World No. 1 created eight break points in the tightly contested 91-minute second set, which came down to the wire with the opening 10 games going to the server. At 4-4, Sonego buried a putaway passing shot into the net and followed it with a double fault – giving Djokovic an opening and two break points, but the Italian held firm after a marathon 10-minute game. 

Sonego responded emphatically in another 10-minute battle a game later, bringing up his first two set points, but once again Djokovic held firm. From deep behind the baseline, Djokovic tracked down a Sonego drop shot and flicked it over the net for a pass to finally claim a break of serve at 5-5. 

But Sonego dug deep in the high-pressure moments, and capitalised on Djokovic’s attackable second serves to save two match points and send them into a tie-break. He rallied the fans at the Foro Italico as he dug his way out of a 0/3 deficit, and converted his fourth set point to narrowly escape with the second set.

The Italian didn’t miss a beat as he raced ahead to a 0/40 lead in Djokovic’s first service game, but the World No. 1 raised his level to deny him the early break. Instead it was Djokovic who drew first blood at 2-1, and silenced Campo Centrale as he took a 4-1 lead. Nearly one hour after his first match point, Djokovic finally arrived at a second and sealed his victory after Sonego sent a forehand into the net.

“I think I bounced back very well after the second set,” Djokovic said. “I lost the first game Love/40, 30/40, missed a forehand down the line. Maybe if he started with a break up in the third, things would look differently.”

Did You Know? 
Novak Djokovic (36) and Rafael Nadal (35) lead all players in ATP Masters 1000 championships. They also boast the most on clay courts, with Nadal owning 25 titles and Djokovic 10. 

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Italian Open: Iga Swiatek will play Karolina Pliskova in Rome final

French Open champion Iga Swiatek wins two matches in a day to set up an Italian Open final against Karolina Pliskova in Rome.

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Nadal Ends Opelka’s Run, Reaches 12th Rome Final

Rafael Nadal extended his perfect Internazionali BNL d’Italia semi-final record to 12-0 on Saturday with a 6-4, 6-4 victory against Reilly Opelka.

The nine-time champion claimed a single break in each set to move one win away from a record-equalling 36th ATP Masters 1000 title. Nadal is now also within touching distance of winning a single tour-level event on 10 or more occasions for the fourth time. The Spaniard already owns 13 Roland Garros crowns, 12 Barcelona trophies and 11 Monte-Carlo titles.

After saving two match points against Denis Shapovalov in the third round and nine of the 10 break points he faced against Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals, Nadal continued to find his best tennis in critical moments against Opelka. The second seed saved four break points at 2-1 in the first set and broke serve in two of the three games where he earned a break point to advance to the championship match.

“I did the thing that I had to do today,” Nadal said in his post-match interview. “It is not an easy, beautiful match to play and, [against] a player like Reilly, [you aren’t going to] have rhythm. You know you are going to have just a few options on your return and you know he can play very aggressive from the baseline. That is what happened at the beginning of the match. He had some options [for the] break and it was super important for me to save those moments.”

Opelka had not dropped serve en route to the semi-finals, having saved all six break points he had faced across his opening four matches. The American’s low first-serve percentage (52%) gave Nadal a chance to extend rallies and the Mallorcan used his opportunities well to reach a record-equalling 52nd Masters 1000 final.

Nadal’s semi-final victory marked a milestone moment in the 35-time Masters 1000 champion’s career. Nadal became the seventh man in the Open Era to contest 500 tour-level encounters on clay (458-42). The 34-year-old’s 91.6 per cent success rate, 61 titles, 81-match winning streak (2005-‘07) and 50-set winning streak (2017-‘18) are all Open Era clay-court records.

Most Open Era Clay-Court Matches (500+)

After saving four break points with strong serving at 1-2 in the first set, Nadal fired a backhand return winner and capitalised on Opelka errors to gain the only break of the first set. The five-time year-end World No. 1 took advantage of missed first serves in the second set to break through at 1-1 and he maintained his advantage on serve to reach his 12th final in Rome (9-2).

“I did a lot of things well [and played with a] good spirit during all the week,” Nadal said. “[There are] a lot of positive things I did on court this week and it is important for my confidence to be back in such an important final like this one.”

Nadal Serve Placement

– Graphic courtesy of Hawk-Eye Innovations/ATP Media
– Take a deep dive into this match with Match Insights powered by Infosys NIA

The 6’1” left-hander will meet five-time champion Novak Djokovic or Lorenzo Sonego in the final. Nadal and Djokovic have won 14 of the past 16 editions of this event and have met on eight occasions at the Foro Italico (Nadal leads 5-3). Nadal has not met Sonego on the ATP Tour. 

Opelka was bidding to become the first American Masters 1000 finalist on clay since Andre Agassi lifted the 2002 Rome trophy. The American entered the tournament on a six-match losing streak and held just two wins from 12 tour level matches on clay, but he claimed four straight-sets victories to reach his maiden Masters 1000 semi-final in Rome.

Nadal Return Hit Points

Did You Know?
Nadal owns a combined 13-1 record against the three tallest players on the ATP Tour. The Spaniard leads his ATP Head2Head rivalries against 6’11” Opelka (1-0), 6’11 Ivo Karlovic (5-0) and 6’10” John Isner (7-1).

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Thiem On Lyon Collision Course With #NextGenATP Sinner

Top seed Dominic Thiem learned his path to a second Open Parc d’Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes-Lyon trophy on Saturday, and the journey will be anything but straightforward after landing in a loaded section of the ATP 250 draw.

The Mutua Madrid Open semi-finalist will be seeking his 18th tour-level title after taking a wild card into Lyon. Thiem, the 2018 champion, will start in the second round after a bye and awaits the winner of Frenchman Corentin Moutet and Britain’s Cameron Norrie for his opening match. He owns a 1-0 ATP Head2Head record against both players.

View Lyon Singles Draw

Further down the draw, Thiem’s section is loaded with experienced clay-courters and in-form players, led by sixth seed Jannik Sinner. The 19-year-old Italian drew one of the trickiest first-round opponents in the field: an unseeded Aslan Karatsev. The Russian defeated Sinner in their only previous meeting on his way to the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships trophy earlier this year, and they will meet on clay for the first time in Lyon.

Also in Thiem’s section, third seed Diego Schwartzman and eighth seed Karen Khachanov loom as potential semi-final opponents. Schwartzman lifted his fourth tour-level title at the Argentina Open in Buenos Aires and will start against either former World No. 7 Richard Gasquet or a qualifier. Khachanov will face French wild card Benjamin Bonzi in his opening match.

Second seed Stefanos Tsitsipas anchors the bottom half of the draw, and the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters champion could face off against a former Lyon champion in the second round. After a bye, the Greek wild card will take on the winner of Tommy Paul and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who delighted French fans with a victory in the inaugural edition of this event in 2017. Home favourite Gael Monfils, seeded fifth, also landed in Tsitsipas’ section and will take on Lloyd Harris in the first round.

Fourth seed David Goffin could face #NextGenATP Felix Auger-Aliassime in the quarter-finals, but the young Canadian will have to win a popcorn first-round encounter against Italian Lorenzo Sonego in order to get there. Fellow 20-year-old Sebastian Korda could be Auger-Aliassime’s second-round opponent, should the American move past his own tricky first-round clash against Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert.

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Italian Open: Novak Djokovic hits back to beat Stefanos Tsitsipas and reach semi-finals

World number one Novak Djokovic comes from a set down to beat Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas in their rain-affected Italian Open quarter-final in Rome.

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Sonego Shocks Rublev, Sets Djokovic Semi-final

Lorenzo Sonego stunned Andrey Rublev 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 on Saturday to reach his first ATP Masters 1000 semi-final at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome.

The 26-year-old saved 11 of the 13 break points he faced to overcome the Monte-Carlo runner-up in two hours and 33 minutes. Backed by a passionate home crowd on Grand Stand Arena, Sonego won 100 points compared to Rublev’s 99.

“[This is] my favorite tournament in the world, I’m with my people here,” Sonego said. “[I am] so happy for this because I played every point. I’m really happy.”

The Italian has defeated consecutive Top 10 opponents to reach the final four in the Italian capital. Sonego outlasted fourth seed Dominic Thiem 6-4, 6-7(5), 7-6(5) in a marathon three-hour, 24-minute clash on Thursday.

Sonego will face World No. 1 Novak Djokovic for a place in the championship match. The five-time champion rallied from a set and a break down to defeat Stefanos Tsitsipas 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 in a two-day match on Centre Court.

“It’s a very emotional moment for me, playing in [the] semi-finals with Novak,” Sonego said. “He’s [an] unbelievable player. He’s the best in the world. I want to do my best.”

Sonego owns a 1-0 ATP Head2Head record against the 36-time Masters 1000 champion. The Italian took advantage of a below-par performance from Djokovic in last year’s Erste Bank Open quarter-finals to record a 6-2, 6-1 win.

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