WTA Abu Dhabi: Heather Watson beats Jodie Burrage as Britons return to tour
Heather Watson fights back to beat Jodie Burrage as the British pair return to WTA action in Abu Dhabi.
Heather Watson fights back to beat Jodie Burrage as the British pair return to WTA action in Abu Dhabi.
World number 29 Dayana Yastremska says she is in “shock” after she is given a provisional ban for failing a doping test.
David Goffin got his 2021 ATP Tour campaign off to a memorable start on Thursday at the Antalya Open. The Belgian not only beat his doubles partner this week, Pierre-Hugues Herbert, but did so by saving five match points.
Goffin completed a 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 victory, having saved five match points at 4-5 in the second set. He won nine straight games en route to improving to 6-0 against Herbert in their ATP Head2Head series. Goffin now challenges German qualifier Matthias Bachinger or Nicola Kuhn of Spain.
“It’s always great to start the new year with a tough win, saving match points,” Goffin told ATPTour.com. “It was definitely tricky to play Pierre. I’m happy with the way I played, especially after the beginning. I stayed in the match and believed until the end.”
Italian Andrea Arnaboldi served for the match against sixth seed Nikoloz Basilashvili at 5-4 in the second set, only to see the Georgian begin his comeback. The former World No. 16 completed a 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 win over two hours and two minutes.
Basilashvili now faces local wild card Altug Celikbilek, who recorded his first ATP Tour match win since June 2019 after a hard-fought 7-6(7), 7-5 win over Kacper Zuk of Poland in one hour and 49 minutes. Celikbilek saved four set points in the first set at 2-5, 3-5 and then at 6/7 in the tie-break.
Eighth-seeded Kazakhstani Alexander Bublik produced a strong service performance to get his 2021 campaign off to a winning start with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Salvatore Caruso of Italy in 68 minutes. He awaits the winner of France’s Tristan Lamasine and Egor Gerasimov of Belarus.
Elsewhere, Italy’s Stefano Travaglia got the better of seventh-seeded Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic 1-6, 6-4, 6-0 and now plays Finn Emil Ruusuvuori, who was a 6-3, 7-6(4) winner over Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic.
American player Sam Querrey leaving Russia for London after contracting coronavirus “did not sound great from the outside”, says British number one Dan Evans.
For years, fans and experts alike pointed to Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan as one of if not the doubles teams to watch. But now that they are retired, ATPTour.com put the twins on the hot seat.
The American brothers, who are on the outside looking in at the start of an ATP Tour season for the first time in more than two decades, do not believe there will be a dominant doubles force in 2021.
“It’s pretty wide open. There are a lot of new teams. It was surprising to see some of the best teams from last year break up, so I’m interested to see how that chemistry is going to work out,” Mike said. “Some of those pairings have never played before. Some have rejoined and they’re Grand Slam champs from the past, so it’s all going to kick off… and [we will] see who meshes and gets some confidence going into the year.”
Two of the teams the brothers have their sights set on are “new”. But one of those duos, Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares, finished at year-end No. 1 in the FedEx ATP Doubles Team Rankings in 2016.
“Bruno Soares and Jamie Murray were a force to be reckoned with. They finished No. 1 in 2016, won two Slams, then went their separate ways,” Bob said. “Bruno’s back with Jamie. Jamie’s got even more experience now. They’re both getting up there in years. They’ve seen it all, they’ve done it all, so there’s no reason why they can’t hold up a Grand Slam trophy this year.”
[WATCH LIVE 1]Mike agrees with Bob, and they were both surprised in 2019 when Murray and Soares split to end their first team stint.
“They complement each other very well. Bruno’s got the great returns. Murray’s all over the net with just awesome hands. He’s got the chip lob,” Mike said. “They blanket the net and they have a lot of experience. I would say they’re in the hunt for a lot of these tournaments, probably going to win another Grand Slam.”
Brazilian Marcelo Melo will play the Australian Open with Romanian Horia Tecau. But his full-time partner for the year will be Tecau’s former partner, Dutchman Jean-Julien Rojer. The Bryan Brothers believe Melo and Rojer could be an interesting duo, adding that they believe the veterans will be a hard-working team.
“[They are] two guys that have been around a long time. They’ve had success with different partners. They’ve won Slams, both veterans,” Bob said. “You have Melo the tall guy, solid on the returns and solid on the volleys. Rojer is explosive at net and a great athlete. They’re coming together for probably for one of the last partnerships of their career. I look for them to do some damage this year.”
[MY POINT]The twins explained why the teams remaining together, especially those that have been together for many years, have an advantage. Mike pointed to Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah, the year-end No. 1 team in 2019, as a duo that should not take long to fire up. The Colombians have been close since childhood.
“I know that when we saw teams break up, we were always salivating because we know it takes time. To have that momentum, to have that shared experience of all those matches together, it bodes well,” Mike said. “Cabal and Farah, they’re going to start off pretty hot I bet. Herbert and Mahut, those are the two teams in my mind that are the favourites [because of their experience together].”
Neither Bryan thinks that one team is a shoe-in to dominate the doubles circuit this year. They believe there are many pairs capable of surging to year-end No. 1. When pushed to predict the 2021 year-end No. 1 team, Mike chose Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury, and Bob selected Cabal and Farah. But as Mike added, any duo could step up.
“The doubles is wide open. I think whoever finishes No. 1 is going to have to win one or two Slams and there are 10 or 15 great teams and it just depends who saves a match point early in a tournament [and then goes on a big run],” Mike said. “It’s going to come down to maybe the Austrralian Open, whoever starts strong.”
Christian Harrison’s three-set win over 18-year-old upstart Zane Khan in the second round of qualifying at the Delray Beach Open was like a microcosm of his tennis career.
First, there was smooth sailing in the form of a 6-1, 5-2 start. But then came adversity — his opponent stormed back into the match, sending the second set into a tie-break. Harrison made a comeback, just like he always does, saving two set points, before ultimately falling 11-9.
Harrison, 26, then broke serve at 5-5 in the third set. His opponent appeared to be cramping and took a medical timeout before the Louisiana native served for the match at 6-5. But he was broken and was then down a mini-break in the decisive tie-break before he staged yet another big comeback to win it 7/4, capping a thoroughly entertaining two hour, 49 minute win.
Nothing has ever come easy for Harrison — who has endured a bone infection and eight surgeries, including operations on both legs, both hips, his right wrist, and both adductors, but has refused to give up on his tennis dream. The hardships, he says, have made the wins even sweeter.
When asked how many comebacks he’s currently on after his win Wednesday, Harrison, now ranked No. 949, admits he’s lost count. The man has made more comebacks than Rocky Balboa, Apollo Creed, Tom Brady, and Freddy Krueger combined.
“I would say it’s at least six comebacks, I think, where I’ve missed more than six months at a time,” says Harrison, who trains at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. “I’ve never really put it all on paper… I just think it was determination that kept me going.”
[WATCH LIVE 1]Harrison’s win vaults him into the main draw of a tour-level event for the first time since 2018, when he won his opening-round match at the Hall of Fame Open in Newport. Even more important, it provides fuel to his latest comeback, which began last September after a year-and-a half-absence from the tour after he had surgery on his left femur.
Harrison said after the match that despite all of the adversity he’s faced, he never once considered giving up the sport. Last year, he thought that perhaps he might have to focus on playing doubles, with his partner and brother, Ryan. But the more he rehabbed, the more he realised that he still had the game, and the legs, to cover the whole court. During all of the dark times, tennis served as a tonic — being on the court literally made him feel better, it picked him up at times when he wondered if he’d ever be healthy and gave him perspective on what really matters in life.
“In a doctor’s office, you get terrible news and the things you took for granted (assuming you can play tennis forever) are no longer a given,” he says. “Life is tough. You take the simple things for granted.”
He travels, practises and plays with his older brother Ryan, who helped him through the tough times. Like all brothers, they fight occasionally and sometimes need their space. But at tournaments like this one, they try to get hotel rooms next to each other and like to order Uber Eats together.
Harrison will be at Ryan’s next match, and his brother will be at his. They’ve never faced each other on the tour, and won’t meet in the first round but could face each other down the line. “We know the highs and lows, that’s the one thing we can both relate to even if we fight,” Christian says.
Ryan cracked the Top 50 in 2012 and many felt that Christian’s ceiling was even higher before his career was derailed by injuries. Now that Christian’s healthy and still in his prime, he’s poised to finally make a splash in a sport he’s never appreciated more. But he’s not focused on his FedEx ATP Ranking, he says. Having gone through years of medical hell, he’s just happy to be back on court, playing at a high level and having fun after all the tough times.
“I had high expectations during my teenage years, but then things are taken away from you and you want to go back and prove yourself, make a career doing what you love,” he says. “That’s what I want right now. To do well enough to keep playing and have a healthy career and make a living doing what I love.”
Through all the good times and bad, his father and coach, Pat, was his rock on the court, and his mom, Susie, was the one who never missed one of his doctor’s appointments. “Sometimes I took out my emotions too much on them,” he recalls. “Now I get to enjoy success and credit both of them.”
Without that support system in place, he says, he couldn’t have kept his sanity and his tennis dream alive. And on days like Wednesday, when he was facing a hungry young opponent who was hell bent on making a name for himself, Harrison was able to draw strength from a deep reservoir of life experience and perspective.
“Worse things can happen (than losing),” he says. “You always remember that.”
As he approaches the start of his 21st season on the ATP Tour at the Delray Beach Open by VITACOST.com, 2015 champion Ivo Karlovic took to Twitter for an “epic” Q&A session with fans.
Currently ranked No. 144 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, Karlovic is set to open against seventh seeded Pablo Andujar in his first match of the year – and he’ll be hoping the Spaniard won’t be taking strategy notes from social media. Towering above his foes at 6’ 11”, most players wouldn’t think to attempt hitting a lob against Karlovic. But, as a fan reminded Karlovic of in the Q&A, lobs were part of Andy Murray’s winning strategy in their 2015 Wimbledon clash.
Although Karlovic said that he couldn’t recall, it proved to be a memorable moment for Murray fans as the British player successfully lobbed Karlovic six times en route to a four-set victory.
I do not have any recollection of those lobs
— ivo karlovic (@ivokarlovic) January 6, 2021
Karlovic also revealed some of the special physical care he has to take as a result of his height.
I walk around strapped at all times
— ivo karlovic (@ivokarlovic) January 6, 2021
Of course, anyone measuring Karlovic’s height would probably be urged into taking up basketball. The Croatian player revealed why he chose to stick with tennis instead.
I always loved tennis. I did play basketball until 13 yo but tennis was always first choice
— ivo karlovic (@ivokarlovic) January 6, 2021
Big-serving Karlovic holds the all-time record for hitting the most aces throughout his career, and he’s hoping to add more to his current tally of 13,619 at Delray Beach. But he gave a shout out to a different ace king, singling out Australian great Wayne Arthurs as the best server he’s ever played against.
Wayne Arthurs
— ivo karlovic (@ivokarlovic) January 6, 2021
The pair faced each other twice in their FedEx Head2Head record, with Arthurs winning both of their clashes at 2003 Shanghai and 2004 Adelaide.
“I just could not return [Arthurs’] serve. I had no idea where he was going to hit it, which speed, what direction,” Karlovic told Tennis.com in 2019. “Andy Roddick would always get 80 percent of his first serves in. Federer’s serve is great, but it is what he does next with his strokes after the return comes back that is so good.”
Karlovic continues to set records, though this time with his age – and the 41-year-old has repeatedly said he is in no rush to retire. In fact, he gave a tongue-in-cheek nod to #NextGenATP star Jannik Sinner and joked that the Italian, who is 19, will likely retire before he’s finished playing.
Umm.. Jannik. Duh
— ivo karlovic (@ivokarlovic) January 6, 2021
Stay tuned for more, said Karlovic.
Yes. Tune in to incredible 2021-2026
— ivo karlovic (@ivokarlovic) January 6, 2021
David Goffin and Karen Khachanov will lead an impressive field at Melbourne 1/Adelaide, which will be played in Melbourne from 31 January to 6 February due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
World No. 16 Goffin and World No. 20 Khachanov will both attempt to capture their fifth ATP Tour singles crowns in Melbourne and end personal title droughts. Goffin won his fourth tour-level trophy at the 2017 Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships, while Khachanov earned his last title at the 2018 Rolex Paris Masters.
Alongside the Top 20 stars, Cristian Garin and John Isner will also attempt to start the year with a strong week in Melbourne. The ATP 250, which will be held alongside the ATP Cup and Melbourne 2, made its debut on the ATP Tour calendar in 2020.
The tournament will welcome eight of the Top 40 players in the FedEx ATP Rankings, including #NextGenATP Italian Jannik Sinner. The 19-year-old, who is the youngest member of the Top 100, ended his final event of the 2020 ATP Tour season with his maiden tour-level crown at the Sofia Open.
Outside of the Top 40, the Adelaide field is packed with experience. Former Top 5 star Kevin Anderson, two-time Australian Open quarter-finalist Tennys Sandgren, 2020 Comeback Player of the Year Vasek Pospisil and 10-time ATP Tour titlist Sam Querrey will all compete for the trophy in Melbourne.
There will be no shortage of star power at Melbourne 2, one of two ATP 250s being held alongside the ATP Cup from 31 January to 6 February.
Leading the way will be former World No. 3 and three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka, inimitable Aussie Nick Kyrgios and Canadian #NextGenATP star Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Wawrinka, the No. 18 player in the FedEx ATP Rankings, is the highest-ranked entrant in the field. The Swiss, who went 15-8 in 2020, will try to lift his first ATP Tour trophy since May 2017 in Geneva.
Kyrgios has always enjoyed competing at home, and he will get a chance to get his 2021 season off to a strong start in Melbourne. The Aussie, who earned home glory at 2018 Brisbane, has not played since Acapulco last year. The 25-year-old opted not to play following the Tour’s five-month suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Auger-Aliassime has made six tour-level finals over the past two years, but he has not lifted a trophy. The Canadian will hope to change that in Melbourne, where he is projected to be the third seed. The 20-year-old is currently just outside the Top 20 at World No. 21.
Other players to watch at Melbourne 2 include 2017 Nitto ATP Finals champion Grigor Dimitrov, rising American Taylor Fritz and French sensation Ugo Humbert. Fritz and Humbert are alumni of the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan.
Other Melbourne 2 entrants who have competed in the 21-and-under season finale include Borna Coric, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Casper Ruud, Frances Tiafoe and Mikael Ymer. Former World No. 3 and 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic is also set to compete in this event.
With less than 24 hours to go until the start of the 2021 ATP Tour season, excitement is building for the opening tournaments of the year at the Antalya Open and the Delray Beach Open by VITACOST.com. The ATP 250 events represent the first opportunity for players to earn FedEx ATP Rankings points in 2021, with many of the ATP Tour’s biggest names aiming to end the year at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin and the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan.
Top 10 star Matteo Berrettini leads the way in Antalya, where he will be joined by David Goffin and Fabio Fognini. The hard-court event, included on the 2021 ATP Tour calendar on a single-year license, features four Top 25 players. In the pick of the first-round matches, Goffin will open his 2021 season against doubles partner Pierre-Hugues Herbert.
Chile’s Cristian Garin and John Isner headline the field in Delray Beach. Garin will be making his debut appearance at the ATP 250, while Isner will be seeking his first title in his eighth visit to the tournament. The top two seeds are joined in South Florida by former champions Frances Tiafoe and Sam Querrey.
Draws: Antalya | Delray Beach
FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN ANTALYA
1) Headline Act: After competing at just six events in 2020 due to a hernia/groin injury and the suspension of the ATP Tour, Berrettini will be keen to start 2021 on a strong note in Antalya. The top seed will aim to earn his first ATP Tour trophy on hard courts after past success at clay (2) and grass (1) events. Berrettini opens his 2021 season against Turkish wild card Ergi Kirkin.
2) Goffin’s Title Bid: The World No. 15 will attempt to extend his unbeaten 5-0 ATP Head2Head series record against Herbert in his first-round match. Goffin, who is bidding to earn his first ATP Tour crown since the 2017 Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships in Tokyo, has experience of starting the year well. Last year, the Belgian defeated Rafael Nadal in his first tournament of the season at the ATP Cup.
3) Forza Fabio: Berrettini is not the only Italian talent in the top half of the Antalya draw. Fognini will aim to meet his countryman in the semi-finals of the ATP 250 with a strong start to the year in Turkey. The 33-year-old, who underwent arthroscopic surgery on both his ankles in May 2020, is aiming to secure his first trophy since the 2019 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.
4) Alex In Antalya: Following the return of the ATP Tour in August 2020, Alex de Minaur played five hard-court events through the remainder of the year. The Aussie compiled an 11-5 record, with four of those losses coming against eventual tournament champions. Last year’s Antwerp runner-up, who owns three ATP Tour hard court titles, will face Malek Jaziri of Tunisia in his first match of the year.
5) Mektic/Pavic Make Team Debut: In their first event as a pair, Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic headline an impressive doubles draw in Antalya. Mektic and Pavic both enjoyed successful 2020 ATP Tour campaigns with their previous partners, culminating in appearances at the Nitto ATP Finals. Second seeds Ivan Dodig and Filip Polasek feature in the bottom half of the draw alongside third seeds Jeremy Chardy and Fabrice Martin. Singles rivals Goffin and Pierre-Hugues Herbert, the 2019 Doha champions, could meet Chardy and Martin in the quarter-finals.
FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN DELRAY BEACH
1) Top Seed: Garin has finished his past two ATP Tour campaigns with multiple clay-court titles. As the top seed, he will attempt to capture his maiden ATP Tour crown on hard courts in Delray Beach. The four-time tour-level titlist will meet Argentine Tomas Martin Etcheverry or a qualifier in his opening match. Garin shares the top quarter of the draw with 2016 champion Querrey.
2) Isner Seeks More Home Success: The 35-year-old Isner is no stranger to success on American soil, having won 13 of his 15 ATP Tour trophies in his home country. But Isner is yet to experience that feeling in Delray Beach. Across seven previous main draw appearances, the four-time semi-finalist is yet to reach the championship match. Isner will attempt to change that statistic this year.
3) Past Champions: Former champions Tiafoe (2018) and Querrey (2016) will aim to capture their second titles at the ATP 250 this year. Tiafoe and Querrey feature in opposite halves of the draw. Tiafoe will face a qualifier in his opening match, while Querrey will meet countryman Mackenzie McDonald.
4) America’s #NextGenATP Star: With an impressive finish to 2020, which included a run to the Round of 16 at Roland Garros and a title run on the ATP Challenger Tour in Eckental, Sebastian Korda is the highest-ranked #NextGenATP American in the FedEx ATP Rankings. The World No. 119’s bid to qualify for the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan will begin in Delray Beach when he faces Soonwoo Kwon of South Korea in the first round..
5) American Doubles Success: Since 2009, nine of the 12 editions of the doubles event have been won by all-American teams. Despite the retirement of legendary doubles pair Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan, who return to Delray Beach this year as part of the ATP Champions Tour, there are still six all-American teams who can extend that record in 2021. Jackson Withrow, the 2018 titlist (w/Sock), returns to Delray Beach alongside Nathaniel Lammons.