Tennis News

Kecmanovic Advances, Popyrin Saves 4 Match Points In Belgrade

Miomir Kecmanovic moved past qualifier Facundo Bagnis at the Serbian Open on Tuesday, 7-6(5), 7-6(4).

The eighth-seeded Serbian was serving for the match at 5-2 and 5-4, but got broken each time and didn’t see a match point until the tie-break. He set up a second-round clash with another qualifier, France’s Arthur Rinderknech. 

“It was a tough match. It was tough conditions – very slow, very heavy,” Kecmanovic said. “I’m happy that I was able to fight through even though I maybe didn’t play my best at times. I’m just happy to be able to move forward.”

Rinderknech, a French 25-year-old ranked No. 129, beat Juan Iganacio Londero, 6-1, 7-5.

Kecmanovic’s compatriot, Laslo Djere, didn’t fare as well. The ninth seed lost his bout with qualifier Gianluca Mager 6-4, 6-3. Djere was a finalist at the Sardegna Open just last month.

Mager will next play Alexei Popyrin, who saved four match points against qualifier qualifier Francisco Cerundolo, battling past the Argentine 4-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(6).

The Aussie lost the first 13 points of the deciding set, and later faced one match point at 4-5, two at 5-6 and another at 5/6 in the tie-break. Popyrin won his first ATP Tour title earlier this year in Singapore.

Ajlaz Bedene won a tight battle over Sebastian Korda, who was appearing in his first event since reaching the quarter-finals of the Miami Open presented by Itau. Bedene saved two match points against the young American before prevailing in two hours and 40 minutes, 7-5, 1-6, 7-6(4). 

Bedene will take on third seed Aslan Karatsev in the second round.

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Sinner Makes Quick Work Of Gerasimov

Making his Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell debut, Jannik Sinner made quick work of Egor Gerasimov on Tuesday. In one hour and eight minutes, the 19-year-old advanced 6-3, 6-2 to set up a second-round match with Roberto Bautista Agut.

In his first meeting with Gerasimov, Sinner defended well on his backhand side to set up his forehand with a wide stance and loose swing: six of his seven winners in the first set came off his forehand, and he would hit 21 winners to Gerasimov’s seven.

Though in his post-match interview the Italian said he wasn’t that happy or comfortable with his performance, he still sprinkled in a few excellent drop shots to pull Gerasimov off the baseline.

The World No. 77 struggled with his serve, particularly in the second set, and would commit his seventh double fault on Sinner’s first match point.

Sinner comes into this week’s ATP 500 with a career-high ranking of World No. 19, marking his first time inside the Top 20. He’s the first Italian teen to crack the Top 20 in the history of the FedEx ATP Rankings after reaching the final of the Miami Open presented by Itau and then winning a round in Monte-Carlo last week. 

“Obviously it’s a good number, but for me at the moment [it’s] not that important,” Sinner said. “Just trying to improve day after day with my team and trying to improve as a player and the ranking is what it is. I’m happy to be [a] Top 20 player but the road is long so [there’s] a lot of work to do.”

Earlier on Tuesday, Bautista Agut eased past Pablo Andujar 6-4, 6-0. The World No. 11 broke his Spanish compatriot on five occasions. Sinner leads their ATP Head2Head series 2-0.

“He’s an unbelievable player. He’s very consistent,” Sinner said. “He lost in Dubai against me, he lost in Miami against me, now we play once more here, so it’s quite a small period of time. We’re playing now our third match already, so it’s going to be a very tough match. He is very, very solid. I never played against him on clay. I’m trying to be ready in the best possible way.”

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Berrettini Gets Doubles Win in Belgrade

On Tuesday at the Serbia Open, Matteo Berrettini took to the doubles court with Italian countryman Andrea Vavassori for a 7-6 (7), 6-4 win over Andres Molteni and Frederik Nielsen. Berrettini will play singles as the second seed on Wednesday against Marco Cecchinato with the doubles quarter-finals set for Thursday.

Croatian twins Matej Sabanov and Ivan Sabanov made good use of their wild card entry to oust third seeds Raven Klaasen and Ben McLachlan, 6-4, 6-2. They’ll play Divij Sharan and Aljaz Bedene for a place in the semi-finals.

Second Seeds Fall in Barcelona
Horia Tecau and Kevin Krawietz upset second seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos, 7-6(4), 7-6(3) at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadel. Despite being unseeded, Krawietz and Tecau are both experienced multiple Grand Slam doubles champions, and teamed up in 2021 for the first time (they began their partnership by reaching the Rotterdam final).

On the heels of a run to the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters final, Daniel Evans and Neal Skupski saved a match point in the deciding Match Tie-Break during a 6-4, 5-7, 13-11 win over Henri Kontinen and Edouard Roger-Vasselin.

Third-seeded Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury made quick work of Cristian Garin and Guido Pella, 6-0, 6-3.

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Shapovalov Shines On 2021 Clay Debut In Barcelona

Denis Shapovalov’s clash against Jeremy Chardy on Tuesday was his first clay-court match of the season, but the Canadian had no problem adjusting in a 6-3, 7-5 victory in the second round of the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell. 

The pair played just one month ago in Dubai, where Shapovalov won in straight sets. And after another comprehensive performance, the 22-year-old now leads their ATP Head2Head series 4-0.

Shapovalov’s only hiccup came as he neared the finish line at 4-2 in the second set. Chardy hit a backhand chip return against the serve-and-volleying Canadian. The shot barely clipped the sideline, getting the Frenchman back on serve. 

But despite showing some frustration at letting his advantage slip, the lefty refocussed and earned his fifth service break to close out his triumph after one hour and 38 minutes.

Shapovalov will next play one of two #NextGenATP stars: Felix Auger-Aliassime or Lorenzo Musetti. The seventh seed has split four ATP Head2Head meetings against Auger-Aliassime, and he has never played the 19-year-old Italian.

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Nadal: 'You Have Doubts Some Days'

Rafael Nadal is aiming to bounce back to top form at this week’s Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, where he is an 11-time former champion.

Five days on from his quarter-final loss to Andrey Rublev at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, the Spanish superstar has spent a lot of time on the practice court. Nadal hit seven double faults and won 42 per cent of his second-serve points against Rublev.

“I have not played much over the past few months, or the past year,” said Nadal on Tuesday. “Coming back to competition is always tough. Monte-Carlo was an important challenge, where I experienced a lot of positives during the tournament and practice sessions. I lost in the quarter-finals, not being able to compete at the level that I needed. Here I have another opportunity.

“I’ll go week by week. I have an important month that finishes with Roland Garros. Each match and each week is important now. That’s how I see it. I am hoping that the negative stuff doesn’t take a toll and I am aiming to be positive every day to get to where I want to be.

With the exception of last year’s shortened ATP Tour season, Nadal has won a clay-court title prior to Roland Garros in 12 of his 13 triumphs in Paris.

“I want to win events before Roland Garros, because I like to win tournaments,” said Nadal. “Of course, it’s easier winning Roland Garros with the confidence of winning events before, as I have done for much of my career. But the key is put myself into a position to be competitive in every single event. I have not competed a lot over the past year, but even if I felt ready for Monte-Carlo, matches like I had can happen. I will keep working hard for my match tomorrow in Barcelona, and every day for Madrid, Rome and Roland Garros.”

Nadal, who has had time to reflect on his Monte-Carlo exit, admitted, “If you are training well every day, when you play a match and do some things especially bad, it is surprising. I knew what happened immediately. Losses, even if they are not pleasant or positive, put everyone in their place. I analyse details from every match, and I know that I need to improve certain things. It was a strange match. You can lose against a great player like Rublev, but I did some things wrong and that surprised me.

“Other times, when you’re not feeling great, playing bad seems logical. That wasn’t the case in Monte-Carlo, but it happened. You need to understand what went wrong to avoid making the same mistakes again. After any loss, you have some days with doubts [in your mind]. The key is to recover and that’s what I have been doing. I have trained with the right attitude to have great feelings to compete here.”

Nadal, who had compiled a 61-4 in Barcelona, plays Belarusian qualifier Ilya Ivashka in his first match on Wednesday afternoon.

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Tsitsipas: 'I've Wanted This For A Long Time'

Stefanos Tsitsipas is carrying a lot of momentum going into just his third appearance at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell. On Sunday, the World No. 5 captured his first ATP Masters 1000 title at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, and he has more trophies on his mind already.

“It feels like a very big moment,” he said. “It’s in the back of my head that I really enjoy the feeling this title gave me, and I’ve wanted this for a long time.”

On the heels of the Monte-Carlo win and with a 6-2 record in Barcelona, the second seed is going to feel very at home this week. In 2018, Tsitsipas was just one win away from the Barcelona crown in his first ATP Tour-level final appearance.

“My first final here was the beginning of my journey on the ATP Tour and I had a great run,” Tsitsipas said. “I would say back then I was 18, 19 years old. I just got introduced to the ATP Tour and having a run like this was at the top of my appearances.”

Tsitsipas would receive a lesson from Nadal that week, winning just three games in his first showdown against the Spaniard (Nadal currently leads their ATP Head2Head Series 6-2).

“It didn’t go my way, but I think I learned a lot from that match, and he seems to be liking the conditions here in Barcelona, so it’s quite amazing,” Tsitsipas said. “The 11 titles that he has had here in Barcelona [are] very inspiring. I really hope I can get half of that one day.”

Last week in Monte-Carlo, the 22-year-old went 9-0 in sets and dismissed Andrey Rublev in the final after the Russian ousted Nadal in the quarter-finals. 

“That’s the reason I chose this sport: I always wanted to be close to winning these titles,” Tsitsipas said. “It’s also the reason why I love tennis from a young age. I saw all these amazing players like Nadal, [Roger] Federer and [Novak] Djokovic play in these Masters series events and the Grand Slams and I wanted to be like them. To be in that position is more than humbling.”

Tsitsipas is currently in a loftier position than anyone: He’s No. 1 in the Fedex ATP Race To Turin.

“Right now, being in the top position of the Race, that’s very important to me and I think I can somehow take advantage of it and see it as a great thing to have behind me,” Tstisipas said. “I’m going to try to use that and add points week by week. I see opportunities.”

After Barcelona, Tsitsipas will play in Madrid and Rome before heading to Paris. While he has one ATP Masters 1000 in the books, Tsitsipas has his work cut out for him if he wants to catch up to the Big Three—Djokovic holds the record for the most ATP Masters 1000s with 36, with Nadal close behind at 35 and Federer at 28.

At the ATP 500 in Barcelona, Tsitsipas opens against Jaume Munar on Wednesday.

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Musetti Sweeps Past Lopez In Barcelona

Lorenzo Musetti struck 16 winners to power his way into the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell second round on Tuesday afternoon. The #NextGenATP Italian broke Feliciano Lopez’s serve three times and won the final 12 points of the match in a 6-4, 6-3 victory over 69 minutes.

“Me and my coach are really proud of what I did, translating practice to the tournament. That’s what we are working for and I am really enjoying it and I’m really happy with this win,” Musetti said. “Looking forward to playing Felix.”

Musetti, who recorded his first Top 10 win over Diego Schwartzman en route to the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC semi-finals (l. to Tsitsipas), sets up a second-round clash against Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime, who is working with Rafael Nadal’s uncle and former coach, Toni Nadal.

“I was pretty curious about this match [against Lopez] before playing it, and with him you don’t have to rush. You have to stay patient and play every point, especially when he’s serving, because he can [hit] a lot of aces, a lot of first serves pretty good and he comes to the net,” Musetti said. “You have to be really calm and not lose focus. That’s what I did. Especially in the second set, the last three games I was playing really good.” 

Later in the afternoon, Frances Tiafoe overcame 17-year-old Spanish wild card Carlos Alcaraz, recovering from a 1-4 deficit in the second set en route to a 6-4, 7-6(2) over one hour and 43 minutes.

“He is a good kid, smart player and well coached by ‘Mosquito’ [Juan Carlos Ferrero], so it got a little complicated at the end of the second set and then it was a war form there,” said Tiafoe, who will next face fourth-seeded Argentine Diego Schwartzman in the second round. “I like clay. I am an athlete and can move. I had a little scare today. It’s physical, it’s fun. I like Diego and we’ve come close to playing before. We’re good friends.”

Alcaraz, who reached the AnyTech365 Andalucia Open semi-finals in Marbella (l. to Munar), is the youngest player in the Top 200 of the FedEx ATP Rankings.

Elsewhere, Australia’s Jordan Thompson saved two match points at 4-5 in the deciding set of a 7-6(5), 4-6, 7-6(3) victory over former World No. 7 Richard Gasquet of France in three hours and 17 minutes. Thompson now plays sixth-seeded Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta.

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Craig Watson, Former Sydney Tournament Director, Passes Away

Craig Watson, a former long-time Tournament Director of the Sydney tournament and CEO of Tennis NSW, passed away on 18 April after fighting a courageous battle with melanoma.

Watson came into the sport as an accountant for Tennis NSW in 1989, progressing to the role of Chief Executive Officer. After a 15-year tenure as Tournament Director, between 1999 to 2014, he assumed the role of Event Director, Legends Tour and New Acquisition.

We are saddened to hear the news of the passing of Craig Watson. Craig loved our game and was always committed to improving it. Our thoughts and prayers are with Anna and their sons.

— Craig Tiley (@CraigTiley) April 19, 2021

“Craig was one of a kind,” said Craig Gabriel, the Australian tennis reporter. “Armed with a ready smile and infectious laugh, he had a great sense of humour, he was very down to earth and a tremendous Tournament Director, who built up relationships across the sport.”

Watson’s wife, Anna, and their two sons, Miles and Matthias, survive him.

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The Change Shapovalov Is Making To His Game On Clay

Denis Shapovalov is beginning his clay-court season this week at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell. According to the Canadian, fans will get to see a slight change in his game during this swing.

“I’ve improved standing further back on the returns on the clay court, on the red dirt, just to give myself more time and start the point going a bit heavier, deeper and just moving into the court after that,” Shapovalov said. “I feel like it’s definitely benefitted my clay-court game.”

The 22-year-old added that he does back up “significantly further” for his return on clay compared to his positioning on hard courts, estimating a three-step difference.

“It just gives me time for the ball to come down so I can hit it back up heavy and work myself into the point,” Shapovalov said. “I also feel on clay there are a lot of tough bounces and on the serve. If there’s a little bit of a [tough] bounce, then it’s pretty impossible when you’re standing close. But if you’re far back, you can still react to it.”

Shapovalov is a shotmaker, capable of hitting winners off both wings from anywhere on the court. But the lefty admitted that it’s not always as simple as taking one big swing on clay because of how much the surface slows down the pace of the action.

“I think it just takes time [to adjust to it]. It’s longer points, longer rallies and you really have to get used to the sliding and feeling the surface,” Shapovalov said. “That in itself takes longer to get used to. Usually points are pretty short, but going onto the clay, you’re expecting long points.”

The seventh seed has enjoyed success on clay before. Just seven months ago, he reached an ATP Masters 1000 semi-final on the surface in Rome. This will be Shapovalov’s second appearance in Barcelona, and he will begin his run at the ATP 500 against Frenchman Jeremy Chardy, against whom he holds a 3-0 ATP Head2Head advantage.

“It’s definitely just one of those tournaments that I wanted to get in on to get used to the clay,” Shapovalov said. “It’s the first tournament on the surface this year, so I’m just trying to get my feet wet on it.”

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Alcaraz/Carreno Busta Upset Fourth Seeds In Barcelona

Seventeen-year-old Carlos Alcaraz had never played a tour-level doubles match when he walked on Pista 2 on Monday at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell. However, the #NextGenATP star and countryman Pablo Carreno Busta still earned an impressive win.

The Spaniards upset fourth seeds Wesley Koolhof and Lukasz Kubot 6-4, 6-1 in 68 minutes to reach the second round at the ATP 500. They will next play one of two all-French pairs: Jeremy Chardy and Fabrice Martin or Adrian Mannarino and Benoit Paire.

Alcaraz and Carreno Busta saved four of the five break points they faced and earned four service breaks against the experienced doubles tandem.

Second Seeds Eliminated In Belgrade
Luke Bambridge and Dominic Inglot ousted second seeds Austin Krajicek and Oliver Marach 6-7(5), 7-6(7), 10-7 to reach the second round of the Serbia Open in Belgrade. The Brits saved one match point at 5/6 in the second-set tie-break. 

Aljaz Bedene and Divij Sharan took a 6-1 lead against Rohan Bopanna and Pablo Cuevas when Cuevas retired due to a left leg injury. Bopanna and Cuevas won titles together in Monte-Carlo and Vienna in 2017.

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