Tennis News

In Miami, Murray Returns With Interest

You play good where you feel good.

Andy Murray has reached the final of the Miami Open presented by Itau four times, twice walking away with first place silverware. He has been coming to the cosmopolitan city for 15 years to train in the off-season to elevate his fitness in the oppressive Miami heat and humidity. He has not played the tournament since 2016, but has received a wild card this year and is pumped to continue rising up the FedEx ATP Rankings in a city that feels good under his skin.

An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of Murray’s overall performance in Miami uncovers a player who has completely dominated the returning side of the equation in South Florida.

In Murray’s career, he has won 41.8 per cent (28,964/69,299) of his return points, which currently has him sitting 14th best on the ATP Tour. But when you focus solely on Miami, Murray ascends all the way to first place from 37 matches played, winning almost 45 per cent of his return points.

Andy Murray: Miami Open Return Points Won
All-return points won: No. 1 (44.7%)
First-serve-return points won: No. 1 (36.4%)
Second-serve-return points won: No. 4 (56.1%)

The leading 10 players with the highest percentage of return points won in Miami (Minimum 15 matches) are:

Murray also sits atop the first-serve return points won list. He is renowned for attacking the serve with a big step and split-step forward, keeping the swing short and rebounding the power of the serve right back at his opponent. Murray sits in fourth place overall in Miami with second-serve return points won.

2013 Miami Open presented by Itau Final
Murray’s prowess returning in the hot and heavy Miami weather make him a formidable opponent to defeat at this event. The last time Murray won the Miami title was in 2013, when he saved a match point and wore down David Ferrer in a gut-wrenching final, 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(1). Murray won a staggering 51 per cent (50/98) of his return points in the final, which was identical to the 51 per cent (56/110) of service points he won.

It was one of the most brutal hard-court matches in memory, as Murray achieved the unthinkable in getting Ferrer to cramp in the third-set tie-break. Two-time Miami champion Andy Roddick tweeted post-match “I’ve seen everything now… David Ferrer cramping. I thought they would find Hoffa first.”

Exactly half of the 30 games played featured a break of serve, almost unheard of in a big final. What’s even more peculiar is that Murray won the match being broken eight times to Ferrer’s seven. The final started as a tactical arm-wrestle of court position and return prowess, and morphed into a physical side-to-side battle with constant breaks of serve. In the end, it was all about survival.

Maybe Murray can recapture some of that Miami magic as he looks to reignite his career after hip surgery. Murray played 87 matches in 2016, as he won nine titles and reached No. 1 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. In the four-plus years since, the Scot has only played 75 matches. Each one is worth its weight in gold at the moment, as he rebuilds confidence, precision and stamina with his game.

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#NextGenATP Baez Pays Tribute To Late Coach With Santiago Crown

This was not a typical week on the ATP Challenger Tour for Sebastian Baez, as the 20-year-old competed on the clay courts of Santiago, Chile. And as he lifted the trophy at the Club Manquehue on Sunday, his victory became even more extraordinary.

Baez completed a stunning run on Chilean soil with the title at the Challenger Santiago, adding a second consecutive crown to open his 2021 campaign. Also the champion in Concepcion one month ago, he would extend his perfect record on the circuit this year to 10-0 with yet another triumph on Sunday. The budding #NextGenATP star did not drop a set all week.

With his play on the court and his touching words during an emotional trophy ceremony, it was a fitting tribute all around. In January, Baez’s former coach and mentor, Jorge ‘Chino’ Gerosi, passed away at the age of 63. A renowned coach throughout the region, Baez trained with Gerosi at GEBA (Club Gimnasia y Esgrima de Buenos Aires), where they developed a strong bond and would remain very close over the years. Gerosi would later move to Santiago, where he lived until his passing, coaching a local junior at the same club where Baez triumphed on Sunday. In an ironic twist of fate, it all came full circle for the #NextGenATP Argentine.

“This trophy and this great tribute is dedicated to Chino, who is watching us from above,” Baez said during the trophy ceremony. “These are my first two titles and both came in Chile, where he was coaching until his final moments. Chino, I hope that you are happy and that you are proud of this player from GEBA, which is an amazing place where I was lucky to train with you and play club tennis more than two years ago. Wherever you are, I just hope that you are happy and that I can continue making you proud.”

Since the 1980s, Gerosi coached many Argentine juniors during his time at GEBA in Buenos Aires. The club is one of the more famous tennis facilities in the region and Gerosi’s legend grew during his time there. He would go on to coach eventual Top 10 talents Gaston Gaudio, Guillermo Canas, Nicolas Massu and Mariano Puerta as well.

In what became the perfect tribute for Gerosi, Santiago tournament director Benjamín Benzaquén, a close friend of the renowned coach, had the trophy engraved in his honour. As an emotional Baez raised the piece of silverware over his head and stepped to the microphone to address the crowd, the moment took on added significance.

“This title is very important for my career and also because this is the last place that Chino Gerosi visited,” Baez added. “I love him and so do my team and all the people from GEBA and Argentina too. I hope that he was happy for this week and all this hard work.”

Baez, who defeated Marcelo Tomas Barrios Vera 6-3, 7-6(4) in Sunday’s championship, is the first player to claim multiple Challenger titles in 2021. He is also the youngest Argentine to lift his second trophy since a 19-year-old Federico Delbonis nearly 11 years ago (Rome 2010).

Baez is an integral part of a strong contingent of emerging Argentine players. Along with fellow #NextGenATP star and recent Cordoba Open champion Juan Manuel Cerundolo and his brother, Argentina Open finalist Francisco Cerundolo, the trio are surging up the FedEx ATP Rankings in 2021. Baez’s consecutive Challenger crowns has him sitting at a career-high No. 216 on Monday. In addition, the Buenos Aires native joined Cerundolo in the Top 7 of the ATP Race To Milan, as both players look to punch their ticket to the Next Gen ATP Finals in November.

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Karatsev Breaks Into Top 30, Mover Of Week

No. 27 Aslan Karatsev, +17 (Career High)
The Russian has risen 15 spots to a career-high No. 27 in the FedEx ATP Rankings after capturing his first ATP Tour title at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships (d. Harris). The 27-year-old beat Jannik Sinner in the quarter-finals and ended the 23-match ATP 500-level winning streak of World No. 8 Andrey Rublev in the semi-finals. Having started the year at No. 112, Karatsev qualified for the Australian Open and reached the semi-finals (l. to Djokovic) in Melbourne.

View FedEx ATP Rankings

No. 52 Lloyd Harris, +29 (Career High)
The South African, who has jumped 38 places since the start of 2021, reached his first ATP 500 final in Dubai, following victories over World No. 4 Dominic Thiem in the first round and No. 12-ranked Denis Shapovalov in the semi-finals. The 24-year-old Harris is currently at a career-high No. 52 after his second ATP Tour final appearance (also 2020 Adelaide).

No. 54 Dominik Koepfer, +17 (Career High)
The German rose 17 places to a career-high No. 54 after reaching the Acapulco semi-finals (l. to Zverev). Koepfer, 24, also beat Gerardo Lopez Villasenor, Milos Raonic and Cameron Norrie.

No. 94 Lorenzo Musetti, +26 (Career High)
The #NextGenATP Italian qualified for the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC and reached the semi-finals, where he lost to top seed Stefanos Tsitsipas. The 19-year-old beat Diego Schwartzman in the first round, Frances Tiafoe in the second round and Grigor Dimitrov in the quarter-finals, which guaranteed his place in the Top 100 for the first time.

Other Notable Top 100 Movers
No. 11 Denis Shapovalov, +1
No. 34 Lorenzo Sonego, +3
No. 40 Marton Fucsovics, +4
No. 49 Jeremy Chardy, +4
No. 56 Cameron Norrie, +5
No. 83 Emil Ruusuvuori, +4 (Career High)
No. 87 Sebastian Korda, +5 (Career High)

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My Masters 1000: Kei Nishikori

Kei Nishikori made his ATP Masters 1000 debut at the 2008 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, just one month after his maiden ATP Tour title run as an 18-year-old at the Delray Beach Open by VITACOST.com. The Japanese, who owns a 102-61 record at the level, has reached Masters 1000 finals in Miami (2016), Monte Carlo (2018), Madrid (2014) and Toronto (2016).

Ahead of his return to Miami this week, Nishikori spoke to ATPTour.com about his favourite Masters 1000 matches, memories and venues.

Which ATP Masters 1000 host city is your favourite and why?
I would say Madrid because I did well [there]. I also like Monte-Carlo, but I would say Madrid is first.

Which Masters 1000 would you most like to win?
I would say Miami, because I live close. I used to play junior tournaments there a long time ago and I have some good memories there.

What do you consider to be your best Masters 1000 win?
I would say Monte-Carlo in 2018. I beat quite good players there. I was struggling with my injury and in my first match against Tomas Berdych, I came back from a set down and maybe a break [in the second set]. After that, I felt a lot of confidence and I kept winning and winning. I lost in the final, but that tournament gave me a lot of confidence. After coming back from injury, I was struggling a lot. A lot of things changed after that tournament. Every match was tough. Against Zverev [in the semi-finals], every game was very intense. We both could have won the match. It was a great match.

What is your favourite off-court memory or activity at a Masters 1000?
In Cincinnati, we rent a house. A huge house. I have never experienced that before. It was so much fun. They have a small movie theatre underground and a pool table. It is like a dream house for me. That [is something] I really enjoyed. It wasn’t too expensive, so that was fun.

What is the toughest match you’ve played at a Masters 1000?
I would say the 2014 Madrid final against Rafa. It was good and bad. I played [some of] my best tennis. It was a great match and a great start. I was closing my eyes, hitting everything and it was going in. After the second set, I started feeling my leg. I couldn’t move. Unfortunately, I had to retire. It was a good memory, but also sad because I had a little chance to win against Rafa.

What is your dream match at a Masters 1000?
I would play Roger, because he is my idol. If we can play a couple more times, it would be great because it is just fun to play against him. You get many experiences from [playing] him. I am sure he is going to play a couple more years. Before he retires, I want to play him a couple more times. A final would be great.

What is the greatest match you’ve ever seen at a Masters 1000 event?
I didn’t see it live, but Rafa and Coria in Rome [in 2005] in five sets. I really remember it and I still watch it sometimes, even now. That was a great, great match.

What is your favourite court at any of the Masters 1000 events?
I have to say Indian Wells, because they have great facilities. One of the best in the world. Not just Centre Court. Court 1 is big, Court 2 is also quite big. I would say Indian Wells. I like Court 1 actually, I played a lot of matches there.

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19-Year-Old Musetti Becomes Youngest Player In Top 100

#NextGenATP Lorenzo Musetti reached a milestone today when he cracked the Top 100 in the FedEx ATP Rankings for the first time at World No. 94.

Two years ago, the Italian was unranked. Now, the 19-year-old is the youngest player in the Top 100. Musetti climbed 26 spots from World No. 120 after a tremendous run to the semi-finals of the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC as a qualifier.

“It’s a dream come true. Since I was a kid, I hoped and I dreamed to be one day Top 100 and to enter on the Tour,” Musetti said. “Finally, I got this. It is incredible.”

There are now two teenagers in the Top 100: Musetti and 2019 Next Gen ATP Finals champion Jannik Sinner, another 19-year-old Italian. Sinner, who is nearly seven months older than Musetti, has great respect for his countryman.

“Musetti is a big, big talent,” Sinner said in Dubai last week. “He can do everything with the ball already, so he’s already physically strong. I think he’s a great player.”

Musetti has been one of the ATP Tour’s breakthrough stars since tennis resumed last August following a five-month COVID-19 suspension. Former World No. 33 Paolo Lorenzi, an Italian veteran who trains with younger countrymen, believes Musetti made his biggest improvement last year.

“He made a really big step during the lockdown. I saw him playing before and after,” Lorenzi said. “I was practising with him before qualifying in Rome and he was playing really unbelievable. It was really impressive. I think he made a big step during lockdown with his coach. They told me they were working really hard and I think that was the key of his new game.

“Before he had good hands, but he was not so strong physically. Of course, he can do everything he was doing before, but the lockdown helped him a lot.”

As the World No. 249 at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, Musetti qualified and upset Stan Wawrinka and Kei Nishikori en route to the third round. The teen has not looked back since. He claimed his maiden ATP Challenger Tour title the following week in Forli and reached his first ATP Tour semi-final in Sardinia.

But Musetti’s performance last week in Acapulco was most impressive of all. The 19-year-old qualified, earned his first Top 10 win against Diego Schwartzman, outlasted American Frances Tiafoe in a final-set tie-break and eliminated 2017 Nitto ATP Finals champion Grigor Dimitrov to make his first ATP 500 semi-final. After Musetti’s second-round win, his longtime coach, Simone Tartarini, said, “My heart is dead!”

“This week was a dream week. Now Lorenzo is in the Top 100. It’s amazing,” Tartarini said. “Now it’s very important because we changed the schedule for next month. It’s the first time Lorenzo has the possibility to enter the main draw of a Slam. It’s amazing. I’ve worked with Lorenzo for 10 years. Lorenzo is a son to me. I have two sons in Italy, and Lorenzo is another son. Me, I’m another father to him. For me, Lorenzo is family.”

Musetti has proven himself a tough competitor on court who enjoys performing on big stages. Throughout the week in Acapulco, he motioned to fans in attendance to get loud after he hit a great shot or grinded out a long point. The Italian showed great variety, especially with his crafty one-handed backhand.

After each of his main draw victories in Mexico, Musetti fell to the court in celebration. That should be no surprise given a month and a half ago, the teen got a tattoo on his left tricep of a heartbeat with a tennis racquet in the middle.

“I really like winning,” Musetti said. “And I don’t like losing.”

Musetti will now prepare to compete in the main draw of the Miami Open presented by Itau. But the Italian will never forget the Acapulco run that propelled him into the Top 100.

“This is the best week of my life.”

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Serena Williams withdraws from Miami Open

Serena Williams pulls out of this week’s Miami Open after having oral surgery.

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Zverev Targets More Success After Acapulco Triumph

Shortly after capturing his first title of the season with a thrilling 6-4, 7-6(3) final victory against Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev set his sights on adding more silverware to his impressive trophy collection.

Zverev, born in April 1997, owns the most titles of any player born since 1994. The 14-time tour-level titlist’s nearest rival in this category is 25-year-old Daniil Medvedev, who owns 10 ATP Tour trophies. The 23-year-old shared pride in leading that category and believes that his run to the title in Acapulco could help him achieve greater success in the future.

“It’s great achievement for me. You come to play tournaments to win tournaments,” Zverev said. “I have done that this week. I am extremely happy with that. The main goal is still the biggest titles in the world. The Grand Slams are the most difficult ones to win and I haven’t achieved that yet, but I am looking forward to it. I think this is a big stepping stone for me.”

Over the past six months, Zverev has been one of the leading players on the ATP Tour. The 2018 Nitto ATP Finals champion has reached five finals on hard courts during that period, with further title runs at back-to-back indoor events in Cologne last October. Zverev also finished as a runner up at the US Open (l. to Thiem) and the Rolex Paris Masters (l. to Medvedev).

Zverev believes one of the major factors in his consistent hard-court success in recent months has been his experience.

“I got older [and] maybe a few things changed for me,” said Zverev. “I know how to handle a few things maybe a little bit better and, as a tennis player, you always try to evolve.”

During the trophy ceremony, Zverev took a moment to thank the Acapulco crowd for their support. The Hamburg-born star described his visit to the ATP 500 as “the most fun I had on a tennis court in months, a few years maybe.” Zverev, who won the Acapulco doubles title in 2019 (w/M. Zverev), wore a Mexican national football shirt during his speech.

“Winning is nice, it is awesome, but the atmosphere, the people, playing in front of a crowd, we miss that a lot,” said Zverev. “The Mexican crowd always welcomes me very well.”

After falling in the 2019 final to Nick Kyrgios, Zverev achieved a career goal with his run to the trophy this week at the three-time ATP 500 Tournament of the Year (2007, ’17, ’19). The 6’6” right-hander owns a 12-3 record across four tournament appearances in Acapulco.

“I’ve always said that this is definitely a tournament that I wanted to win in my career,” Zverev said. “I have a very strong relationship with Mexico and with this tournament. I came here with a goal and I achieved it, and I’m very happy with that.”

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Mexican Open: Ken and Neal Skupski win doubles title

British pair Ken and Neal Skupski beat top seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos to win the Mexican Open, while Alexander Zverev wins the singles title

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Zverev Clinches Acapulco Title In Tsitsipas Classic

Second seed Alexander Zverev was tested from the first point against Stefanos Tsitsipas on Saturday, but he fought through in a thrilling final to claim his 14th ATP Tour title at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC.

Zverev turned around an early break in the first set and had to save a set point at 5-6 in the second set, but he stayed cool to move past Tsitsipas 6-4, 7-6(3) after two hours and 19 minutes.

“I’ve always said that this is definitely a tournament that I wanted to win in my career,” Zverev said in his post-match press conference. “I have a very strong relationship with Mexico and with this tournament. I came here with a goal and I achieved it, and I’m very happy with that.”

Tsitsipas and Zverev were contesting Acapulco’s first final between the top two seeds since 2015, when No. 2 David Ferrer defeated No. 1 Kei Nishikori 6-3, 7-5. Second seed Zverev repeated the pattern for No. 2 seeds to improve to 2-5 in his ATP Head2Head record against Tsitsipas. 

The German hadn’t dropped a set all week, but he looked uncharacteristically flat at the start of the first set, and Tsitsipas took full advantage as he surged to a 4-1 lead. Zverev faced three break points that would have made it 5-1, with Tsitsipas painting the lines with highlight-reel worthy winners. Zverev found his rhythm with searing backhands, and he reeled off the last five games of the set.

Zverev and Tsitsipas were deadlocked in a tight second set, with only two break points on offer throughout the opening eight games. The second seed broke through first and took a 5-4 lead, but couldn’t serve out the match. Tsitsipas saved match point, helped along by a Zverev double fault, to break straight back. 

Tsitsipas put in a mammoth effort to save six break points at 5-5 and held a set point in the following game, but he couldn’t hold back Zverev. The German converted his third match point to seal his first Acapulco singles title.

“In the beginning I started off extremely bad, I thought I didn’t play well at all,” Zverev said. “I had to fight my way into the match, and I did well to win the first set. In the second set, when I have a chance I need to close it out against these top players because normally they won’t give you a second chance. I thought I played extremely well in the tie-break, I’m happy with how it went.”

After the match, Zverev donned a Mexican national team shirt and the winner’s traditional blue sombrero, as he lifted Acapulco’s signature silver gourd trophy.

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Skupski Brothers Best Granollers/Zeballos For Acapulco Trophy

Ken Skupski and Neal Skupski stormed to their first title of the year with a victory over top seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos on Saturday at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC.

The British pair converted both break points they created against Granollers and Zeballos, edging to a 7-6(3), 6-4 victory in an hour and 34 minutes. The win sealed their third title together, and their first since 2019 in Budapest.

The brothers, who hail from Liverpool, parted ways in 2019 after a long partnership, with 31-year-old Neal going on to partner countryman Jamie Murray and 37-year-old Ken pairing with Santiago Gonzalez. They reunited to start this season, and celebrated their fourth trophy as a team on Saturday.

“I’d like to thank Neal, actually,” Ken acknowledged in the on-court ceremony. “It’s been a long road since we sort of broke up and got back together. This is a magic moment for both of us.”

The pair lifted Acapulco’s signature silver gourd trophy after going through both of the tournament’s top two seeds. They also upset second seeds Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares in the quarter-finals.

Ken, a father of three, dedicated the trophy to his son Taylor.

“It’s my son’s eighth birthday today, so I’d like to mention him…” Ken said. “We don’t have anybody here with us this week, but we have a lot of people at home watching us and a lot of great support from the internet as well.”

The Skupski brothers had to recover from a break down against top seeds Granollers and Zeballos, who were competing in just their second tournament together in 2021. The pair applied the pressure on the Spanish-Argentine team, and found the cracks. A missed smash from Granollers and Zeballos after a scrambling point handed the Brits the opening set.

The top seeds looked rattled for the next few games, misfiring again at crucial moments to hand over an early break. By the time the Spanish-Argentine team righted the ship, Skupski and Skupski were ahead 3-1. They served out the victory to claim their first ATP Tour trophy of the year.

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