Ashleigh Barty to play Coco Gauff in Italian Open quarter-finals
World number one Ashleigh Barty sets up an intriguing quarter-final against American teenager Coco Gauff at the Italian Open.
World number one Ashleigh Barty sets up an intriguing quarter-final against American teenager Coco Gauff at the Italian Open.
In front of passionate crowd on Grand Stand Arena, Stefanos Tsitsipas overcame Italian No. 1 Matteo Berrettini 7-6(3), 6-2 to reach the Internazionali BNL d’Italia quarter-finals.
The fifth seed won seven of his eight net points and capitalised on Berrettini’s low first-serve percentage in the second set (32%) to advance after one hour and 36 minutes. Tsitsipas has reached the quarter-finals at eight of his nine tournament appearances this season. The FedEx ATP Race To Turin leader is through to the last eight in Rome for the second time in four visits to the Foro Italico (2019 SF).
[WATCH LIVE 1]The World No. 5 will face five-time champion Novak Djokovic for a spot in the semi-finals. Djokovic needed just 70 minutes to charge past Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-2, 6-1 in the opening match on Centre Court.
Tsitsipas owns a 2-4 ATP Head2Head record against the World No. 1. In the pair’s most recent meeting, Djokovic outlasted Tsitsipas 6-3, 6-2, 5-7, 4-6, 6-1 to reach last year’s Roland Garros final.
“[Djokovic] has won here a lot of times. I am just expecting to go out there [and] give my best performance,” Tsitsipas said in his post-match interview. “He can play on all surfaces. We played each other at Roland Garros. I see this as an opportunity for me to do something better this time. I hope to be able to play the same tennis that I have been playing so far and be a challenge for him.”
In a first set dominated by serve, Tsitsipas rallied from 1/3 down in the tie-break with six consecutive points. The Greek attacked Berrettini’s forehand and took advantage of consecutive volley errors to move a set from victory.
Tsitsipas piled the pressure on his opponent’s serve early in the second set. The 22-year-old created six break points across his opening two return games, and he broke through at 1-1 to increase his advantage. Tsitsipas closed the match with a second break and a love service hold to improve his ATP Head2Head record against the Madrid runner-up to 2-0.
“I had to deal with very serious business today,” Tsitsipas said. “Matteo was applying a lot of pressure with his serve, being very precise and accurate and that was the most difficult [part] of the match today… In the tie-break, I found my footwork which helped me transform my game and feel more comfortable playing the rallies. I was happy. I fought like I always do. I never gave up. I saw [my] opportunity and grabbed it.”
Berrettini was attempting to reach his second straight quarter-final in his home city. The World No. 9 owns a 10-3 record on clay this season, which includes his title run at the Serbia Open.
World number one Novak Djokovic reaches the Italian Open quarter-finals for the 15th time in a row by beating Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
In his 15th appearance at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, Novak Djokovic advanced to his 15th quarter-final at the Foro Italico on Thursday.
The World No. 1 broke serve in five of his seven return games to defeat Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-2, 6-1 and stretch his perfect record of quarter-final showings in the Italian capital. Djokovic, who owns five Rome titles, improved to 57-9 at the ATP Masters 1000 after a dominant performance on Centre Court.
After dropping serve in the opening game of the match, Djokovic consistently neutralised Davidovich Fokina’s serve with deep returns. The Serbian was able force his opponent into defensive positions in baseline rallies and he benefitted from 30 unforced errors from his opponent to charge through to the last eight in 70 minutes.
[WATCH LIVE 1]“I thought I played well. He started well and broke my serve in the first game. I made some errors, but I managed to break back right away and establish the control and consistency on the court. I think from the back of the court I was just a bit more solid than him,” Djokovic said in his post-match interview.
“He made some unforced errors and double faults in key moments, which obviously helped me get that necessary break forward. I thought I played better, at least 20 or 30 per cent better, than I did against Fritz a few days ago. I am on a good trajectory and hopefully tomorrow will be even better.”
Djokovic will face Monte-Carlo champion Stefanos Tsitsipas for a place in the semi-finals. The fifth seed moved past Italian No. 1 and Madrid runner-up Matteo Berrettini 7-6(3), 6-2 on Grand Stand Arena. Djokovic owns a 4-2 ATP Head2Head record against Tsitsipas, which includes a five-set victory in last year’s Roland Garros semi-finals.
“My next match will be against a Top 10 player, so it is going to be a battle,” Djokovic said before Tsitsipas’ victory. “Tsitsipas won Monte-Carlo… I am obviously going to do my best to win that match.”
Reilly Opelka entered Rome on a six-match losing streak, but the American advanced to his second Masters 1000 quarter-final on Thursday with a 7-6(6), 6-4 victory against Aslan Karatsev. The 23-year-old landed 18 aces and saved two set points at 4/6 in the first-set tie-break to move past the in-form Russian in one hour and 37 minutes. Opelka will meet Federico Delbonis in the last eight.
The Argentine reached his first Masters 1000 quarter-final with a 7-6(3), 6-1 win against Felix Auger-Aliassime. Across main draw and qualifying matches, Delbonis owns a 20-7 record on clay this season.
Did You Know?
Djokovic has won his past seven quarter-finals in Rome. The World No. 1’s most recent Rome quarter-final defeat came in 2013, when he was beaten in three sets by Tomas Berdych. Djokovic owns an 11-3 record in Rome quarter-finals.
Five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams heads an impressive array of talent competing at this year’s Nottingham Open.
Roger Federer is making his highly anticipated return to the ATP Tour by making his debut in Geneva at the Gonet Geneva Open. The 39-year-old hasn’t competed since reaching the Qatar ExxonMobil Open quarter-finals in his first appearance since the 2020 Australian Open. He last played on clay at Roland Garros in 2019 and made his most recent appearance in Switzerland when he won the 2019 Swiss Indoors Basel.
The Geneva field also includes Top 30 stars Denis Shapovalov, Casper Ruud, Cristian Garin, and Fabio Fognini. Ruud has reached the semi-finals at his past three events (Monte-Carlo, Munich and Madrid) and has entered the Top 20 for the first time.
Note: The 2021 Gonet Geneva Open will be held behind closed doors due to COVID-19 precautions.
Established: 1980
Tournament Dates: 16-22 May 2021
Tournament Director: Thierry Grin
Draw Ceremony: Friday, 14 May at 6:30pm
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Schedule (View On Official Website)
* Qualifying: Saturday at 10:00am, Sunday at 11:00am
* Main draw: Sunday at 11:00am, Monday – Thursday at 12:00pm and 6:00pm, Friday at 1:00pm
* Doubles final: Saturday, 22 May at 1:00pm
* Singles final: Saturday, 22 May at 4:00pm
How To Watch
Watch Live On Tennis TV
TV Schedule
Venue: Tennis Club de Geneve Eaux-Vives
Surface: Clay
Prize Money: €419,470 (Total Financial Commitment: €481,270)
View Who Is Playing, Past Champions, Seeds, Points & Prize Money Breakdown
Honour Roll (Open Era)
Most Titles, Singles: Stan Wawrinka, Mats Wilander (2)
Most Titles, Doubles: Tomas Smid, Balazs Taroczy (2)
Oldest Champion: Stan Wawrinka, 32, in 2017
Youngest Champion: Aaron Krickstein, 17, in 1984
Lowest-Ranked Champion: No. 157 Marc Rosset in 1989
Most Match Wins: Tomas Smid (18)
2019 Finals
Singles: Alexander Zverev (GER) d Nicolas Jarry (CHI) 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(8) Read & Watch
Doubles: [1] Oliver Marach (AUT) / Mate Pavic (CRO) d Matthew Ebden (GBR) / Robert Lindstedt (SWE) 6-4, 6-4 Read More
Social
Hashtag: #gonetgenevaopen
Facebook: @genevaopen
Twitter: @genevaopen
Instagram: @gonetgenevaopen
Did You Know?
Federer will attempt to join Claudio Mezzadri (1987), Marc Rosset (1989) and Stan Wawrinka (2016, 2017) as the fourth Swiss player to win the Geneva singles crown.
When Jannik Sinner sat down for his press conference following his loss against Rafael Nadal at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia on Wednesday evening, the Italian was clearly disappointed. The 19-year-old took little solace knowing he pushed the Spaniard in two tight sets on clay.
“The mentality is obviously the most important part on this sport. I knew that in Roland Garros I could play good or quite well against him because of many reasons. There I showed it for one set,” Sinner said. “This time, I knew that I can do something more and I walked on court more confident about my weapons that I have. I think I’m improving, to have more weapons every tournament I play, trying to have more solutions about every problem.
“This is the point that we are working on, and there especially we have to improve a little bit more. It’s a lesson, which is tough to accept, but I will accept it for sure because I have to get better.”
Last year at Roland Garros, Sinner played well to test Nadal in the quarter-finals, ultimately falling short in three sets. This time, the teen felt he had a chance to make it even closer.
“For sure I’m more disappointed and especially sad today, because I think obviously we both played quite a high-level match. Now it’s tough to accept that I’m already out of the court because the first set I was up twice with a break, and the second set I was up with a break,” Sinner said. “It’s tough to accept, because obviously I think Roland Garros was more like a test to see where I am and this time I knew that I could have and maybe today I should have done something more.”
Sinner held a break advantage over Nadal on three occasions in the match, but he was unable to capitalise on his leads. The 2019 Next Gen ATP Finals champion went blow-for-blow with the second seed, but he gave the lefty too many opportunities. Nadal earned 15 break points, converting five of them.
“When I lose I always try to [take] out the positives, trying to find what I should have done better,” Sinner said. “Obviously right now it’s tough to talk about the match. Twenty minutes ago I was still on court. I’m still playing a little bit in my head what I should have done better in some exact points.
“It’s tough right now, to be honest, because playing here, in Rome, it’s quite a special tournament I have to say, especially for Italians. If [I] would have won today, tomorrow there [would] be a little bit of a crowd. I love to play in front of crowds.”
Sinner used the words “disappointed” and “sad” to describe his emotions shortly after the loss. Now he will focus on learning from the match and coming back stronger.
“He handled the situations better than me, like the last time. There are for sure lessons that I can learn,” Sinner said. “We have to come together with my team and watch many, many times this match from today. Then we will see what we should have done better.”
It wasn’t easy for Rafael Nadal on Wednesday evening against Jannik Sinner at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia. But the Spaniard gave plenty of credit to the 19-year-old for making the match difficult at the Foro Italico.
“I think Jannik is a very complete player. He’s still improving all the time. You can’t appreciate the improvement in one day,” Nadal said. “To see the improvements of players, you need to follow them [for many] tournaments in a row. You follow him and you see that his level is higher and higher all the time.”
Nadal was down a break on three separate occasions in the match. But the Spaniard avoided a deciding set and advanced to a third-round showdown against Denis Shapovalov.
“[It was] a positive match for me. I think I did a lot of things well. I played a solid match,” Nadal said. “[I am] happy in [that there were] a lot of positive things against a very tough player like Jannik. Very pleased with the victory.”
The teen, who is the youngest player in the Top 20 of the FedEx ATP Rankings at World No. 18, held up well in rallies against the legendary lefty. Sinner played aggressively, and he was not overwhelmed by the Spaniard’s power and physicality.
“He has a great backhand and a great forehand, too. I think I tried to… hold [the baseline] well, not going back too far from the court,” Nadal said. “If [you do that], you are dead. I think I held well the position on court.
“I hit some very good forehands, cross-courts too to avoid his great backhand cross, and then he has a great change down the line. I think I did that well.”
Nadal now leads their ATP Head2Head series 2-0 after defeating Sinner in last year’s Roland Garros quarter-finals. They also practised together during this year’s Australian quarantine. The nine-time Rome champion knew he would have his hands full with the Italian.
“It’s not a surprise for me. I know how good he is and the shots he has. He has great shots when he’s running. He has always great comebacks from tough positions,” Nadal said. “I was on court with big respect for him and very focussed every single moment. That’s why I am here with a victory.”
The tour’s newest first-time ATP Masters 1000 champion and finalist will be put to the test on Thursday at the Foro Italico, as Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters winner Stefanos Tsitsipas faces Mutua Madrid Open runner up Matteo Berrettini in a third-round blockbuster at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.
Both players will likely be high on confidence and riding the momentum as they compete in the midst of their most successful stretches of the 2021 season. The Greek player recently made his long-awaited Masters 1000 breakthrough in Monte-Carlo (d. Rublev). He went on to reach the final in Barcelona, where he pushed Rafael Nadal to three sets in the most competitive final the Spaniard has ever played there.
As a result, Tsitsipas has one eye on the Nitto ATP Finals after climbing to first position of the FedEx ATP Race To Turin – and he’s vowed to make it his mission to stay at the top.
“It’s good news that I’m still there, I’m fighting for it every single week,” Tsitsipas said in a pre-tournament interview. “I didn’t have a very good week last week in Madrid, but so far it’s looking good. I’ve been very consistent, which obviously helps to be in that situation. I’m looking forward to being able to perform the same way, or do even better in the future.”
He’ll face a big test against the resurgent Berrettini, who won his first title of the year at the Serbia Open in Belgrade and used that result as a springboard to reach his maiden Masters 1000 final in Madrid.
The Italian, who was sidelined for a few weeks at the start of the year due to an abdominal injury, might not want to think too far ahead about the Nitto ATP Finals happening in his country at the end of the season. But Berrettini’s results still booked him a spot among the Top 8 positions – another sign of his emphatic return to form.
“I know and I feel that I can play this kind of tennis, this kind of level, I deserve to be here,” Berrettini said after the Madrid final. “When I play and I use my weapons in the right way, all the players are struggling. This is something that makes me confident for the future.
“Obviously everybody looks at the Race, but it’s too soon now… The most important thing is to be healthy. Once I’m healthy, I can reach my level, my best level.”
Tsitsipas will take a 1-0 ATP Head2Head lead into their battle on Grand Stand Arena. The Greek player came back from a set down to win in four at the Australian Open in 2019.
Elsewhere in the Eternal City, top seeds Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal are back in action. Last year’s champion Djokovic will take on Spanish qualifier Alejandro Davidovich Fokina – his regular practice partner in Marbella – in the first match of the day on Centre Court. Nadal, who is looking for his 10th Rome crown, will face 13th seed Denis Shapovalov later in the afternoon.
Madrid champion Alexander Zverev will look to continue his winning ways in the Italian capital. The sixth seed will face a tricky test against Kei Nishikori, whom he defeated en route to the title last week. Zverev improved to a 3-1 ATP Head2Head over Nishikori with that win, and levelled their matchup on clay to 1-1.
Fourth seed Dominic Thiem and seventh seed Andrey Rublev are also in action, while Aslan Karatsev and Felix Auger-Aliassime also feature on Thursday.
[WATCH LIVE 1]SCHEDULE – THURSDAY, MAY 13, 2021
CENTER COURT start 10:00 am
[1] N. Djokovic (SRB) vs [Q] A. Davidovich Fokina (ESP)
WTA – [1] A. Barty (AUS) vs V. Kudermetova (RUS)
Not Before 2:00 pm
[13] D. Shapovalov (CAN) vs [2] R. Nadal (ESP)
Not Before 6.00PM
WTA – [12] G. Muguruza (ESP) vs [5] E. Svitolina (UKR)
GRAND STAND ARENA start 10:00 am
R. Opelka (USA) vs A. Karatsev (RUS)
Not Before 12:00 noon
[9] M. Berrettini (ITA) vs [5] S. Tsitsipas (GRE)
WTA – [9] K. Pliskova (CZE) vs [Q] V. Zvonareva (RUS)
WTA – J. Ostapenko (LAT) vs A. Kerber (GER)
Not Before 7:00 pm
[4] D. Thiem (AUT) vs L. Sonego (ITA)
PIETRANGELI start 10:00 am
WTA – C. Gauff (USA) vs [7] A. Sabalenka (BLR)
WTA – B. Krejcikova (CZE) vs [15] I. Swiatek (POL)
F. Auger-Aliassime (CAN) vs [Q] F. Delbonis (ARG)
[6] A. Zverev (GER) vs K. Nishikori (JPN)
[10] R. Bautista Agut (ESP) vs [7] A. Rublev (RUS)
COURT 1 start 10:00 am
WTA – E. Alexandrova (RUS) vs J. Pegula (USA)
WTA – N. Podoroska (ARG) vs P. Martic (CRO)
COURT 2 start 10:00 am
WTA – [1] S. Hsieh (TPE) / E. Mertens (BEL) vs [ALT] S. Fichman (CAN) / G. Olmos (MEX)
[WC] F. Fognini (ITA) / L. Musetti (ITA) vs [Alt] M. Arevalo (ESA) / M. Middelkoop (NED)
M. Demoliner (BRA) / D. Medvedev (RUS) vs A. Mannarino (FRA) / B. Paire (FRA)
[8] K. Krawietz (GER) / H. Tecau (ROU) vs [Alt] L. Broady (GBR) / A. Murray (GBR)
COURT 4 start 10:00 am
[Alt] A. Behar (URU) / G. Escobar (ECU) vs [7] W. Koolhof (NED) / J. Rojer (NED)
M. Daniell (NZL) / P. Oswald (AUT) vs [2] N. Mektic (CRO) / M. Pavic (CRO)
J. Peers (AUS) / M. Venus (NZL) vs [3] I. Dodig (CRO) / F. Polasek (SVK)
[4] M. Granollers (ESP) / H. Zeballos (ARG) vs L. Kubot (POL) / F. Skugor (CRO)
R. Klaasen (RSA) / B. McLachlan (JPN) vs [5] R. Ram (USA) / J. Salisbury (GBR)
For the second week in a row, Rafael Nadal went toe-to-toe with a talented and fast-rising #NextGenATP star – and once again, the World No. 3 managed to hold off the youth surge in style, fighting past 19-year-old Jannik Sinner in an electrifying battle at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.
Last week in Madrid, Nadal similarly found himself facing off against the future of the sport when he faced Carlos Alcaraz in his opening match. He was tested in the early exchanges, but ultimately eased past the 18-year-old in straight sets.
He had an even bigger battle on his hands on Wednesday against 19-year-old home favourite Sinner, who recently reached his first ATP Masters 1000 final at the Miami Open presented by Itau. Contesting the highly anticipated last match of the evening on Centre Court, Nadal drew from his long experience to wear down Sinner and fight through 7-5, 6-4.
Nadal will face 13th seed Denis Shapovalov in the third round. Shapovalov took down another Italian, wild card Stefano Travaglia, 7-6(2), 6-3 in an hour and 35 minutes to book his fourth meeting with the Spaniard. Nadal owns a 2-1 ATP Head2Head lead over Shapovalov, and won their only previous encounter on clay at this venue in 2018.
Sinner showed no sign of nerves against the 13-time Roland Garros champion in the second round. He had already pushed Nadal to a tie-break in their only previous encounter at last year’s Grand Slam in Paris, where Nadal ultimately prevailed with a 7-6(4), 6-4, 6-1 win.
Coming into the match, Nadal had only lost a total of four games in his last four Rome openers. Sinner was determined to flip the script, pushing the Spaniard to the brink and taking an early lead with a break in both sets. But the nine-time champion fought back both times to secure the victory in two hours and 10 minutes.
Nadal vs Coria or Federer: Do You Know Your Rome Classics?
[WATCH LIVE 1]With the victory, Nadal improved to 7-0 against Italian opponents in Rome, and extended his winning record in opening matches to 16-1 at the Foro Italico.
Sinner set the tone early on with a break in Nadal’s opening service game. The Italian was aggressive from the start, and troubled Nadal with his top spin and ability to change direction of the ball in the rallies. But Nadal replied in kind, levelling the score a game later as both players settled into a returners’ battle. The pair traded breaks twice in the opening set, with Nadal going for the occasional drop shot to break Sinner’s rhythm to much success.
Still on serve but with scoreboard pressure on his side, Nadal dialled up the pressure on Sinner as he served to stay in the set. Nadal created seven break points at the end of the set: three at 5-4 and four more at 6-5. Sinner raised his level on serve when it mattered most to extend his stay in the set, but when Nadal finally got a look at a second serve he battered it with the forehand to seal the opening tilt.
The second seed was in danger in the second set as Sinner again surged to an early break with a 2-1 lead as Nadal’s unforced error count began to climb. But it would prove to be the only break point that Nadal allowed in the set, and the Spaniard recentred himself and reeled off the last four games to close out the battle.