Tennis News

Musetti Bids School Farewell And Says Hello To Wimbledon

Lorenzo Musetti pushed World No. 1 and eventual champion Novak Djokovic to five sets in the fourth round at Roland Garros. When the Italian returned home, it was not just to work on his game; it was to hit the books.

For a week-and-a-half following that loss, the 19-year-old prepared for an oral exam that marked the end of his high school studies. On Saturday, the Italian took the test at his school, Istituto Parini, in Cecina.

“It was the end of the school period of my life. Now I am free!” Musetti told ATPTour.com. “It was a big test. It was all the subjects. It was not easy. But I was prepared, and it went well. I don’t know yet the score that I’ll receive, but I will know next week if I passed or not.”

Musetti has faced plenty of pressure-filled moments since breaking onto the ATP Tour towards the end of last season. The #NextGenATP star has often thrived at the biggest tournaments and performed well on stadium courts. But according to the teen, this was a different experience.

“I was a little bit nervous, because you take the oral exam in front of all the teachers and all the professors. I’m used to speaking with the media and doing interviews. But when you speak about school or something that you study for, it’s not the same,” Musetti said. “The professor asks you about every subject from the year and you have to try to respond.

“For me it went well. I think I passed.”

Musetti has studied in Spanish, English and French, adding another level of complexity to his schooling. He won’t miss studying on the road in addition to all his other responsibilities.

“It was an extra thing to do, so it was not easy to manage it,” Musetti said before cracking a laugh. “Now I’m free, so it’s going to be better for sure.”

Currently at a career-high No. 58 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, Musetti was unable to play any tournaments since Roland Garros because of his studies. But now, he is eager to compete at Wimbledon.

Musetti has never played a professional match on grass. But he played the Wimbledon boys’ singles event in 2018, when he made the quarter-finals with wins against Juan Manuel Cerundolo and Hugo Gaston. The 19-year-old believes his artistic game will translate to the surface well.

“It was really surprising for me, [my result at] the French Open. Both [that tournament and the exam] went really well and of course I’m trying to be prepared as I was for those for Wimbledon,” Musetti said. “I’m looking forward to it a lot. For sure I will enjoy playing on grass. I think it’s going to be a good mix, a good combination with my game and grass. I hope to play well and to play my game and to try to go as far as I can.”

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This Is What Tsonga Is Trying To Prove…

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is set to begin his run at the Viking International Eastbourne, an ATP 250 grass-court tournament, on Tuesday against Belarusian Egor Gerasimov. In the past, the Frenchman would be a leading favourite at this event. But this week, he is just trying to win a match.

The 36-year-old is 1-6 on the season, and before 2021 he had not earned a victory since 2019. Tsonga is not down on himself, though. Instead, the fan favourite is taking this moment as a personal challenge.

“I think the goal for the moment is to prove to myself that I’m able to still play a good level of tennis,” Tsonga told ATPTour.com.

The 18-time ATP Tour titlist has reached incredible highs in tennis, climbing to a career-best No. 5 in the FedEx ATP Rankings and competing in the Nitto ATP Finals three times. He has also earned a combined 16 wins against the Big Three of Roger Federer (6), Rafael Nadal (4) and Novak Djokovic (6).

But in recent years, injuries have kept Tsonga from playing his best. The Frenchman underwent left knee surgery in 2018, which kept him out for more than seven months, and last year back issues limited him to just two matches.

In the first round of this year’s Open 13 Provence, Tsonga battled through a tough three-set victory against fellow veteran Feliciano Lopez. The three-time Marseille champion had won 464 tour-level matches before that triumph. But judging by the wide smile that stretched across his face, that victory meant more than most.

“This is probably one of the best victories of my career, because it was tough for me to play tennis. I had so much pain for so many months,” Tsonga said on court after the match. “Today, I won one match. That was one of my goals for these few weeks… I’m happy like a kid.”

In these tough moments, Tsonga has gained an even greater appreciation for being able to play professional tennis. And although he is now World No. 83, the 36-year-old is embracing the challenge.

“What I’ve been through the past couple of months was really challenging and when you play tennis, it’s because you like tennis,” Tsonga told ATPTour.com. “For me, it’s already a big challenge to be able to play good matches and to be able to still compete with the new generation.”

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De Minaur Believes Rising Stars Are ‘Getting Closer And Closer’

Australian star Alex de Minaur thinks that despite Novak Djokovic winning the Australian Open and Roland Garros titles this year, the younger generation, led by World No. 2 Daniil Medvedev, is closing the gap.

Alongside the Russian, Dominic Thiem lifted the US Open last September, beating 24-year-old Alexander Zverev in the final. Roland Garros finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas, who is 22, is currently second in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin.

“They are definitely knocking on those doors and beating these top guys in these tournaments,” De Minaur said. “When it comes to winning the Grand Slams, obviously we have had Novak win the past couple. Look, I think we’re getting closer and closer.

“I know everyone out there is gunning to be the next Grand Slam champ, and to try to make that big step. All the players are out there, they are doing everything they can to make that step, and take over.”

The 22-year-old believes the experience that younger players have gained in the past year has been invaluable in helping reduce the gap. However, De Minaur admits there is still more work to be done.

“I think a lot of it is experience, as well. Every time we get to play those matches, we get to learn a lot and improve and lose respect for these type of players. That’s only a good thing, because that means we can go out there and try to play like it’s just another match,
and more times than not, we’ll end up playing a better match, and if not win, get really close,” De Minaur said.

“Time is obviously on our side, and every match, every day that goes by, we have a bit more of a chance. But saying that, it’s definitely not done yet. They are bringing up some incredible tennis to this day, so it’s going to be completely tough. But, I think we’re all ready for the challenge,” De Minaur added.

The Australian is currently at a career-high No. 18 in the FedEx ATP Rankings after reaching the semi-finals at the cinch Championships (l. to Berrettini) in London last week. He is the second seed at the Viking International Eastbourne this week, and is keen to continue his good grass-court form on the south coast of England.

“I’m very happy with my week at Queen’s. I feel like I have been gradually improving every week on the grass,” De Minaur said. “The grass season is always one of my favourite parts of the year. I’m enjoying my time in the UK.

“I have always enjoyed the grass. I think it suits my game. I’m able to be a bit more aggressive. I’m able to use my movement, and try to sneak in and come to the net a lot. I just always like the quicker-paced courts.”

De Minaur will face either America’s Frances Tiafoe or British wild card, Liam Broady in the first round in Eastbourne.

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Eastbourne International & Wimbledon qualifying: Rain washes out first day

Rain washes out the opening day of the Eastbourne International and Wimbledon qualifying events.

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Wawrinka Undergoes Second Left Foot Surgery

Stan Wawrinka underwent his second left foot surgery of the year, his management confirmed to ATPTour.com on Monday.

The former World No. 3 posted a video on his social media channels in which he panned from his healthy right leg to his left leg, with his left foot in a cast. The Swiss star then reversed the camera to himself and shrugged.

“Same place, different day,” Wawrinka wrote. “Not where I wanted to be, but still a smile on my face.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Stanislas Wawrinka (@stanwawrinka85)

The 36-year-old last competed in Doha in March. Wawrinka has played four tournaments in 2021, tallying a 3-3 record. He underwent his first left foot surgery in March and also had two left knee surgeries in August 2017.

At the end of his Instagram post, Wawrinka showed optimism with three hashtags: #iwillbeback, #recovery and #seeyousoon.

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Ruud Leads The Way In Mallorca

Norway’s Casper Ruud moved past Gilles Simon 6-4, 7-6(4) on Monday to reach the second-round at the Mallorca Championships, and record his first grass-court victory of the season.

The fifth seed, No. 14 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, broke the Frenchman’s serve twice and won 80 per cent (40/50) of his first-service points to advance at the new ATP 250 grass-court event in Spain. The 22-year-old will play Tennys Sandgren next after the American overcame Spaniard Jaume Munar 7-6(3), 7-5.

World No. 29 Karen Khachanov fought past French qualifier Lucas Pouille 7-6(7), 3-6, 6-4 in two hours and 17 minutes. The Russian hit 13 aces and won 42 per cent (18/43) of points on Pouille’s second serve to set up a clash with Feliciano Lopez in the second round. 

Lopez, who has won four of his seven ATP Tour titles on grass, defeated fellow Spaniard Nicola Kuhn 6-1, 7-6(4). The World No. 90 won 84 per cent (32/38) of his first-service points and broke Kuhn three times. The 39-year-old will be aiming to record his 500th career win against Khachanov. 

Frenchman Corentin Moutet also advanced as he beat Lloyd Harris 6-4, 6-2 in 88 minutes. The World No. 85 did not face a break point against the South African and will meet top-seeded Russian Daniil Medvedev in the second round.

Italian Stefano Travaglia defeated Guido Pella 7-5, 7-6(4), and Slovakian qualifier Lukas Klein overcame World No. 41 Dusan Lajovic 6-4, 7-6(2). Former World No. 35 Jiri Vesely beat Salvatore Caruso 7-6(2), 6-2 to also move through on Monday. 

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Rain Cancels Play At Eastbourne On Monday

First-round matches at the Viking International Eastbourne have been cancelled on Monday due to rain. Play was scheduled to get underway at 11:00 a.m. local time on centre court with a clash between former World No. 5 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Egor Gerasimov, which will now take place on Tuesday.  

Seventh-seeded Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas, who won the title at the Estoril Open (d. Norrie) in May, was set to face Emil Ruusuvuori on Court One in his second grass-court match of the season.

SCHEDULE – TUESDAY, 22 JUNE 2021

CENTRE COURT start 10:30 am
ATP – J. Tsonga (FRA) vs E. Gerasimov (BLR)

Not Before 11:30 AM
WTA – [Q] C. Giorgi (ITA) vs [5] K. Pliskova (CZE)
WTA – [WC] H. Watson (GBR) vs [4] I. Swiatek (POL)

Not Before 2:00 pm
ATP – F. Tiafoe (USA) vs [WC] L. Broady (GBR)

Not Before 3:30 PM
WTA – [1] A. Sabalenka (BLR) vs [Q] B. Pera (USA)
WTA – [DA SR] B. Mattek-Sands (USA) / S. Mirza (IND) vs G. Dabrowski (CAN) / V. Zvonareva (RUS)

COURT 1 start 10:30 am
WTA – P. Badosa (ESP) vs [2] E. Svitolina (UKR)

Not Before 11:30 am
ATP – J. Millman (AUS) vs [WC] J. Clarke (GBR)
ATP – [6] A. Davidovich Fokina (ESP) vs [Q] M. Ymer (SWE)

Not Before 2:00 PM
WTA – [7] E. Mertens (BEL) vs C. Gauff (USA)
WTA – P. Martic (CRO) vs [6] B. Bencic (SUI)
WTA – [WC] H. Dart (GBR) / H. Watson (GBR) vs C. Gauff (USA) / J. Ostapenko (LAT)

COURT 2 start 10:30 am
WTA – [WC] H. Dart (GBR) vs E. Rybakina (KAZ)
WTA – [8] A. Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) vs [WC] J. Ostapenko (LAT)
ATP – E. Ruusuvuori (FIN) vs [7] A. Ramos-Vinolas (ESP)
ATP – [WC] J. Ward (GBR) vs V. Pospisil (CAN)
ATP – [4] F. Martin (FRA) / E. Roger-Vasselin (FRA) vs L. Bambridge (GBR) / J. Murray (GBR)
ATP – K. Skupski (GBR) / N. Skupski (GBR) vs H. Nys (MON) / J. O’Mara (GBR)

COURT 6 start 10:30 am
ATP – [LL] A. Gray (GBR) vs [Q] I. Ivashka (BLR)
ATP – [LL] M. Purcell (AUS) vs [Q] J. Duckworth (AUS)
ATP – M. Fucsovics (HUN) vs A. Bedene (SLO)
after rest – ATP – M. Purcell (AUS) / L. Saville (AUS) vs [WC] L. Glasspool (GBR) / H. Heliovaara (FIN)
ATP – [1] N. Mektic (CRO) / M. Pavic (CRO) vs A. Behar (URU) / G. Escobar (ECU)
ATP – F. Nielsen (DEN) / F. Skugor (CRO) vs [3] R. Ram (USA) / J. Salisbury (GBR)

COURT 12 start 10:30 am
ATP – [LL] N. Gombos (SVK) vs A. Popyrin (AUS)
ATP – [Q] M. Kukushkin (KAZ) vs [8] A. Bublik (KAZ)
ATP – [LL] A. Seppi (ITA) vs Y. Nishioka (JPN)
ATP – R. Bopanna (IND) / D. Sharan (IND) vs [WC] A. Gray (GBR) / L. Johnson (GBR)
ATP – A. Bublik (KAZ) / N. Monroe (USA) vs J. Peers (AUS) / J. Smith (AUS)
ATP – R. Klaasen (RSA) / B. McLachlan (JPN) vs [2] J. Cabal (COL) / R. Farah (COL) 

Australian pair James Duckworth, who came through qualifying, and Max Purcell were also scheduled to be in action in what would have been the first ATP Head2Head meeting between them.

On Tuesday, eighth seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina will play Mikael Ymer, while Andreas Seppi is due to face World. No 57 Yoshihito Nishioka. Australian John Millman and British wild card Jay Clarke will also meet.

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Humbert Returns To Top 30, Mover Of Week

No. 25 Ugo Humbert, +6 (Career-High)
The Frenchman jumps six places to a career-high No. 25 in the FedEx ATP Rankings after a run to his third ATP Tour trophy in Halle. En route to the NOVENTI OPEN trophy, Humbert overcame Sam Querrey, No. 6-ranked Alexander Zverev, two #NextGenATP stars in Sebastian Korda and Felix Auger-Aliassime before a 6-3, 7-6(4) win over World No. 7 Andrey Rublev in the final. Read Match Report & Watch Halle Final Highlights

View Latest FedEx ATP Rankings 

No. 34 Cameron Norrie, +7 (Career-High)
The Briton, who was at No. 74 in the FedEx ATP Rankings at the start of the 2021 season, is now up to a career-high World No. 34. With a career-best 29 match wins so far (29-13 overall), Norrie has reached three ATP Tour finals in the past few months — the Millennium Estoril Open (l. to Ramos-Vinolas), the Open Parc Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes Lyon (l. to Tsitsipas) and also the cinch Championships in London, falling to World No. 9 Matteo Berrettini in three sets on Sunday. Read Match Report & Watch Queen’s Club Final Highlights

Other Notable Top 100 Movers
No. 18 Alex de Minaur, +4 (Joint Career-High)
No. 56 Frances Tiafoe, +9
No. 63 Dominik Koepfer, +10
No. 65 Marcos Giron, +10 (Career-High)
No. 76 Jordan Thompson, +5
No. 85 Corentin Moutet, +9
No. 89 Federico Coria, +14

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Medvedev: 'I Like Grass; I Just Need To Get Some Confidence'

Daniil Medvedev fielded plenty of questions about his feelings on clay this season. But despite losing in the first round of the NOVENTI OPEN last week to start his grass-court season, the Russian has left no doubt ahead of the Mallorca Championships that on this surface, he is more confident.

“I like to play on grass, I just need to get some confidence in my game on the surface, because we didn’t play [on it] for two years. Two years ago, I was not the same player as I am right now,” Medvedev said. “It is tough for me to say where I see myself, but I know I can play very good on this surface. I just need to find the right balance.”

The World No. 2 has earned big wins on grass, most notably upsetting Stan Wawrinka at Wimbledon in 2017. But the grass-court season is the shortest of all surfaces, making it even more important for players to adapt quickly.

“In Halle, I had three days of practice, which was definitely not enough to feel good,” Medvedev said. “I lost my first round against a great player, so it [was] not easy, [and] that is why I decided to come to Mallorca to try and get some more matches.”

According to the reigning Nitto ATP Finals champion, who recently made the Roland Garros quarter-finals, there are also other factors in adjusting to grass.

“When I started playing on grass, I played in Challengers and even in [ATP] Tour tournaments on the outside courts, not on the central courts, and I can tell that the central courts are quite slow,” Medvedev said. “Especially the match I played with Gilles Simon at Queen’s [Club], we had rallies of 40 shots every second point. That is what makes it a little bit tougher.

“When I practise on practice courts, I feel like I am playing so good as the ball is so fast. Then I come onto the centre court to play the match, and the ball just stops after the bounce, and you have to adapt your game, so it can be tough. But I know I can play really well on grass.”

Medvedev is the top seed this week, but there are plenty of tough opponents in Mallorca, including second seed Dominic Thiem. Medvedev will play Lloyd Harris or Corentin Moutet in the second round.

“It is a really strong field here,” Medvedev said. “Everyone said to Novak Djokovic, ‘Why are you going to Belgrade [the week before Roland Garros]?’ But he gained a lot of confidence there. I don’t think he played his best tennis there, but then he came and destroyed everyone at Roland Garros, so I think sometimes it can be good just to prepare ahead of a Grand Slam and win some matches.”

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Scouting Report: Daniil & Novak Playing In Mallorca, Gael Leads Eastbourne Field

The grass-court season continues this week with two ATP 250 events: the Mallorca Championships and the Viking International Eastbourne.

Two top five stars headline the draw in Mallorca, with Daniil Medvedev and Dominic Thiem attempting to make their mark on grass. Fan favourite Gael Monfils will chase the trophy in Eastbourne. ATPTour.com looks at what you should watch at these two events.

View Draws: Mallorca | Eastbourne

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN MALLORCA
1) Medvedev Leads The Way: The top seed in Mallorca is World No. 2 Daniil Medvedev, who is pursuing his first grass-court ATP Tour title on grass. The Russian star has enjoyed success on the surface before, defeating Stan Wawrinka in the first round at Wimbledon in 2017. Medvedev lost in the first round last week in Halle against Jan-Lennard Struff, and he will try to get back on track against South African Lloyd Harris or Frenchman Corentin Moutet in the second round in Spain.

2) Thiem Makes 2021 Grass Debut: The last time Dominic Thiem competed, he was upset in the first round at Roland Garros by Pablo Andujar. The Austrian will attempt to put that behind him this week in Mallorca, where he is the second seed. Thiem will open his tournament against Adrian Mannarino, who beat Jan-Lennard Struff 7-6(3), 6-3 in the first round on Sunday. The World No. 5 has a 14-14 tour-level record on grass, with his best result on the surface coming in 2016 when he won the title in Stuttgart, where he earned a victory against Roger Federer.

3) Djokovic Doubles: World No. 1 Novak Djokovic will be competing in Mallorca, but just in the doubles draw alongside home favourite Carlos-Gomez Herrera. This will be the Serbian’s first doubles action since the ATP Cup at the start of the season. They will begin their event against reigning Buenos Aires champions Tomislav Brkic and Nikola Cacic. The top seeds in the doubles draw are Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos.

4) Ugo In-Form: Nobody arrives in Mallorca in better grass-court form than Frenchman Ugo Humbert, who won the biggest title of his career on Sunday in Halle. En route to the ATP 500 title, the lefty earned Top 10 triumphs against Alexander Zverev and Andrey Rublev. The seventh seed will begin his Mallorca campaign against Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic, and he could potentially play American Sam Querrey, whom he defeated in a tight three-setter in Halle, in the second round.

5) RBA Rounds Out Wild Cards: Medvedev and Thiem received two of the main draw wild cards at this ATP 250, and home favourite Roberto Bautista Agut got the third.The Spaniard, who will open against Guido Pella or Stefano Travaglia, has proven to be a grass-court stalwart. Although he lost in the first round in Halle last week, Bautista Agut advanced to his first Grand Slam semi-final two years ago at Wimbledon.

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN EASTBOURNE
1) Monfils Top Seed: Will Monfils win his first ATP Tour title on grass this week in Eastbourne? The Frenchman is the top seed at the ATP 250, where he reached the final in 2017. The 34-year-old lost in the first round in Halle last week against Harris, but he will try to bring his best tennis to the lawns against one of two Aussies: qualifier James Duckworth or lucky loser Max Purcell, who made the 2020 Australian Open doubles final alongside Luke Saville. Monfils has a 40-28 tour-level record on grass.

2) De Minaur Rising: Aussie Alex de Minaur is rounding into form, and he will try to continue that trend this week at the Viking International Eastbourne. The 22-year-old, who advanced to the semi-finals at last week’s cinch Championships in London, is the second seed in Eastbourne, where he lost in the first round of the main draw after qualifying in 2018. De Minaur will begin his tournament against American Frances Tiafoe or wild card Liam Broady.

3) Super Sonego: Berrettini, Jannik Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti have gotten a lot of the attention for the Italian success on the ATP Tour in 2021. Lorenzo Sonego belongs firmly in that conversation. The Turin-native advanced to the Rome semi-finals earlier this year for his first trip to the last four at an ATP Masters 1000 event. He has also done well on grass, winning his first tour-level title on the surface two years ago in Antalya. The third seed will play wild card Jay Clarke or Aussie John Millman in the second round.

4) British Hopes: The three wild cards in the main draw went to British players: Broady, Clarke and veteran James Ward. This will be Ward’s 10th main draw appearance in this tournament. Cameron Norrie, the Briton who is enjoying a career-best season, is the ninth seed. He is fresh off one of the best tournaments in his career, having made the final at The Queen’s Club. Another home favourite, Alastair Gray, moved into the draw as a lucky loser after losing against Duckworth in the final round of qualifying.

5) Mektic/Pavic Going For No. 7: The top seeds in the doubles draw, Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic, will try to lift their seventh ATP Tour trophy of the season together this week. They will face a tough opening test against Ariel Behar and Gonzalo Escobar, this year’s Delray Beach and Marbella champions. Other teams to watch in Eastbourne include Colombian stars Juan Sebastian Cabal/Robert Farah and third seeds Rajeev Ram/Joe Salisbury.

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