Tennis News

Rivalry Reflections: How Federer & Djokovic Make Each Other Better

Despite having faced off 50 times in one of the sport’s most prolific rivalries, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic continue to find new ways to push each other to a higher level, and delight tennis fans in the process. On a recent episode of ATP Uncovered presented by Peugeot, Federer and Djokovic looked back on their rivalry, their most memorable clash and what makes their match-ups so special.

Having faced off so many times on the biggest stages over the past 14 years, it’s hard to find two players who know each other’s game inside and out like Djokovic and Federer. Their 50 matches make their ATP Head2Head rivalry the second-most prolific in the Open Era, only trailing Djokovic and Rafael Nadal’s 56 matches.

“I’ve played so many thrilling matches with him over the years,” Djokovic said. “Every time I step on court against him it’s thrilling, it’s very exciting because it kind of exceeds that match. It goes beyond the sport.”

Part of what makes a Djokovic-Federer clash so electrifying is that they’ve met at the semi-finals or final of Grand Slams, ATP Masters 1000 and the Nitto ATP Finals in 18 of their past 20 matches. With so much on the line each time they meet, every match forces the current and former World No. 1s to bring their best and push beyond their limits.

The two champions embody different playing styles, with Djokovic’s court coverage and clean hitting pitted against Federer’s attacking prowess. The contrast in styles plays out in their see-saw, marathon encounters, and proves to be equally electrifying across all surfaces.

“Novak, obviously he can play on all the surfaces extremely well,” Federer acknowledged. “He always brings a certain level of play, which is extremely high, so to beat him you have to be at your best.

“He’s a great mover, and I have great coordination, so we match up well against each other.”

Perhaps their most unforgettable clash in recent memory, Djokovic highlighted the Wimbledon 2019 final against Federer as not only one of the best matches in their rivalry, but one of the best of his storied career.

“It would probably be [in the] top two, top three matches I’ve ever played, this final against Roger,” Djokovic acknowledged at the time. “Probably the best, most exciting, and most demanding – both physically and mentally and in every aspect – matches that I ever played.”

The Serbian player had to save two match points on Centre Court to defend his title in an epic five-set battle, triumphing after a marathon 7-6(5), 1-6, 7-6(4), 4-6, 13-12(3) clash that lasted four hours and 54 minutes – the longest final in Wimbledon history.

“You do look back and you do appreciate the fight and the battle and the type of match,” Federer reflected after the final. “You can’t always be part of a match like this, so when they come around you have to appreciate them.”

Djokovic and Federer have met twice since that Wimbledon final, splitting their results with the Swiss claiming revenge at last year’s Nitto ATP Finals. The World No. 1 returned the favour in the 2020 Australian Open semi-finals to extend his FedEx ATP Head2Head lead to 27-23.

Neither 33-year-old Djokovic nor 39-year-old Federer show any signs of slowing down soon, with both players still ranked inside the Top 5 as their legendary rivalry continues to delight fans in its third decade.

“I think actually rivalries are super important in sports, I think it also makes the game more popular,” Federer said. “I think you always need somebody who you can have a good rivalry with. With me… and with Djokovic, thank god I had them… I think we get the best out of one another.”

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International Tennis Hall Of Fame Celebrates Black Tennis Pioneers

The International Tennis Hall of Fame has launched a new digital museum exhibit that offers a comprehensive look at the history of Black tennis in America.

Breaking The Barriers: The ATA and Black Tennis Pioneers features a multimedia timeline spanning more than 120 years of Black tennis history, as well as a concurrent timeline of African American history overall. The exhibit chronicles the struggles and evolution of Black tennis, and the lives and careers of Black tennis champions from the early 1900s through today.

Breaking The Barriers is largely focused on the history of Black tennis in America, and it is part of a multi-faceted initiative by the International Tennis Hall of Fame to educate fans and shine a spotlight on Black tennis history. Additional programs in development include a future exhibit looking at Black tennis history on a global scale, virtual programs with guest speakers in February 2021, and an Arthur Ashe virtual reality experience in the museum based on the 1968 US Open.

Through dynamic imagery and video interviews from the International Tennis Hall of Fame collection, Breaking The Barriers explores what was happening in Black tennis during five distinct time periods of African American history: Creative Survival (1874-1910); Entrée (1910-1938); Reform (1938-1955); Participation (1955-1965); and Liberation (1965-Present).

In addition to highlighting stories of celebrated African American Hall of Famers Arthur Ashe, Althea Gibson, and Dr. Robert Johnson, Breaking The Barriers also showcases some of the less widely known, but highly impactful, individuals and organizations who fought for opportunity and equality in tennis for Black people. 

This includes pioneers like Rev. W.W. Walker, who organized the first interstate Black tennis tournament in Philadelphia in 1898 and Mary Ann “Mother” Seames, who was offering tennis lessons to Black children as early as 1906. The exhibit also highlights early champions like Ora Washington, an eight-time American Tennis Association national champion in the 1920s who also had a successful basketball career, and Jimmie McDaniel, a four-time American Tennis Association national champion who famously battled Hall of Famer Don Budge in an historic interracial exhibition match in 1940.

Breaking the Barriers chronicles the evolution and impact of the American Tennis Association, which was founded in 1916 from a collaboration of Black tennis clubs, and remains active today as the longest continually operating African American sports organization in the nation.

Throughout the exhibit, visitors can watch video clips from trailblazers who were at the front lines of Black tennis evolution and detail the exclusion they faced, how they overcame, and what they hoped for the future of the sport. First-person narratives include Virginia Glass, the first female president of the ATA and the mother of two successful collegiate players; Art Carrington, an ATA competitor, tennis promoter, and historian; and Hall of Famer Althea Gibson, the first ever Black player to win a Major Championship.

The Breaking The Barriers timeline includes present-day stories as well, highlighting Serena and Venus Williams’ historic careers, from their first televised US Open prime-time battle against each other to their success and impact on and off the court, as well as stars like Madison Keys, Sloane Stephens, Coco Gauff, and Naomi Osaka.

The initial iteration of Breaking The Barriers: The ATA and Black Tennis Pioneers was developed by the International Tennis Hall of Fame in collaboration with historians Dale Caldwell and Art Carrington for a physical exhibit displayed at the 2007 US Open. To date the exhibit continues to be the most requested traveling exhibit in the International Tennis Hall of Fame collection.

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Medvedev’s Returning Is Literally Off The Charts!

Daniil Medvedev is off the charts completing the 2020 season, both figuratively and literally.

First, the figurative. He finished the season on a 10-match win streak in winning the Rolex Paris Masters and the Nitto ATP Finals. Seven of the 10 victories were against Top 10 opponents, including defeating the World’s No.1, No. 2 and No. 3 players to win in London.

Now for the literal part.

Medvedev’s first-serve return contact point at the 2020 Nitto ATP Finals against Alexander Zverev averaged a staggering 5.51 metres behind the baseline. Hawk-Eye court position graphics only extend back to a five-metre mark, resulting in several of Medvedev’s hit points being recorded literally in a blank space… off the chart.

An Infosys ATP Insights deep dive into return position at the Nitto ATP Finals from 2018-2020 identifies an overall backwards trend in return position. It’s not backwards in performance, but backwards in a real-estate sense.

The picture below highlights Medvedev’s extreme return position against Zverev from their round-robin match last month in London.

2020 Nitto ATP Finals: Medvedev First-Serve Return Location vs Alexander Zverev

Learn More With Infosys Second Screen

This was the deepest a player has stood to return first serves in the past three years at the Nitto ATP Finals. Of the 44 Hawk-Eye recorded matches, which yields first-serve return position 88 times, Medvedev owns the five deepest locations, averaging between 4.51 metres and 5.51 metres behind the baseline.

The overall contact point average for first-serve returns during the past three years is 1.9 metres behind the baseline. No player has averaged making contact inside the baseline against first serves, but Roger Federer came the closest, averaging making contact just 22 centimetres behind the baseline against Kei Nishikori in 2018.

2018 Nitto ATP Finals: Federer First-Serve Return Location vs Nishikori

The difference between Medvedev’s average and Federer’s average is an astonishing five metres and 29 centimetres. To provide context, the distance from the service line to the baseline is almost identical, at five metres and 49 centimetres. That’s how far apart they really are.

The average contact point against both first serves and second serves has been drifting further back in London over the past three years.

First-Serve Return Contact Point Behind The Baseline
• 2018 = 1.41 metres
• 2019 = 1.73 metres
• 2020 = 2.55 metres

Second-Serve Return Contact Point Behind The Baseline
• 2018 = 0.23 metres
• 2019 = 1.25 metres
• 2020 = 1.43 metres

Tennis’ traditional mantra has always focussed on standing further back behind the baseline to return first serves and stepping up inside the baseline to attack slower second serves. That line of thinking is getting thrown out the window at The O2.

In 2018, exactly half of the time (15/30) a player averaged making contact with his second-serve return inside the baseline. The 2018 total of 15 dropped to only eight in 2019 and dropped even further to six this year.

What’s stunning is that players are now employing a strategy that is completely the opposite, which is to move back, not forward, to return the second serve. For example, when Medvedev played Nadal in the semi-finals of the 2020 event, both players averaged making contact with their second-serve return deeper compared to their first-serve return.

2020 Semi-Final: Medvedev vs. Nadal – Average Contact Point Behind The Baseline
Medvedev
• vs Nadal’s first serve = 3.15 metres
• vs. Nadal’s second serve = 3.85 metres

Nadal
• vs Medvedev’s first serve = 3.58 metres
• vs Medvedev’s second serve = 4.13 metres

Medvedev’s preference for standing way back against first serves also washes over to second serves, where his name sits beside four of the deepest seven second-serve return positions. What’s fascinating is that Dominic Thiem owns both ends of the second-serve return spectrum, averaging returning from 1.19 metres inside the baseline in 2018 against Federer and 5.33 metres behind the baseline in 2019 against Zverev.

Moving up to return serve is all about blocking and quickly rebounding to rush the Serve +1 groundstroke. Standing way back is all about hitting an atypical return. When standing deep in the court to return, Medvedev can take full-blooded cuts at the ball as it significantly slows down and drops into his hitting zone. It’s essentially just another groundstroke.

We may have to start redrawing our graphics as Medvedev continues to write his own history.

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Schwartzman's Stunner Against Nadal Among Best ATP Upsets Of 2020

This week we have looked at the best ATP Tour matches and comebacks of 2020. Now, we turn our attention to the biggest upsets of the season, looking at three of the five most notable stunners of the year.

The Best Grand Slam Upsets Of 2020

5) Tommy Paul def. Alexander Zverev, Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC, Acapulco, R2, 26 February 2020 (Match Stats)
Tommy Paul made a splash at the Australian Open, defeating 2017 Nitto ATP Finals champion Grigor Dimitrov in a four-hour, 19-minute second-round thriller. But perhaps his biggest upset of the season came weeks later at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC.

The American entered his clash against second seed Alexander Zverev winless against Top 10 opposition. On the other hand, Zverev was in form, fresh off reaching his first Grand Slam semi-final at the Australian Open (l. to Thiem).

The German came out of the gates firing, threatening a break in the first game of the match. But Paul settled in and played tremendous all-court tennis to stymie Zverev. He cracked his heavy inside-out forehand at every opportunity, but also showed great racquet skills to carve acute angles with his backhand, while also rushing to net to win points with his touch.

Zverev raised his level in the second set and began to play more aggressively. That wasn’t surprising, as the German has the 23rd-best winning percentage (33.8%) in the Open Era after losing the first set.

But Paul weathered the storm to stun Zverev 6-3, 6-4 and reach his second ATP 500 quarter-final (2017 Citi Open).

”It meant a lot,” Paul said. “I was really excited to get out there and play. He put me under pressure in the first game and then from there, I played well for the rest of the match.”

Paul lost in a tough three-setter in the last eight against big-serving American John Isner, but he had proven his mettle against one of the world’s best. He carried the confidence from that match throughout the best season of his career, climbing to a career-high World No. 54.

4) Gianluca Mager def. Dominic Thiem, Rio Open presented by Claro, Rio de Janeiro, QF, 22 February 2020 (Match Stats)
Gianluca Mager entered qualifying at the Rio Open presented by Claro with two tour-level wins. He departed Brazil with by far the best result of his career, including an upset he’ll be able to hang his hat on forever.

The Italian showed great form by dropping only five games in his two qualifying matches and upsetting clay-court stalwart Casper Ruud in the first round of the main draw. After beating Joao Domingues in the second round, he faced the toughest test of his career against recent Australian Open finalist Dominic Thiem. “For me, it was a dream only to play with him,” Mager said.

The 26-year-old showed no fear, saving three early break points with aggressive play. Thiem is one of the biggest hitters on the ATP Tour, but the Italian showed early he had no intentions of allowing the Austrian to blow right through him. When Thiem threw a jab, he was going to throw one right back.

The problem is that Mager couldn’t close out the win on the first day of play. He had to sleep on a 7-6(4), 2-1 due to Friday night rain.

But instead of panicking, the World No. 128 maintained his high level on Saturday to finish off the stunner, earning a 7-6(4), 7-5 upset of Thiem to reach his first ATP Tour semi-final.

Thiem didn’t hand the Italian the match. Mager took it from the superstar, hitting two groundstroke winners and an ace in the final game to advance.

“It’s unbelievable,” Mager said. “Now that I beat him, for me, it is a dream. He is a great, unbelievable player… I am very emotional.”

3) Diego Schwartzman def. Rafael Nadal, Internazionali BNL d’Italia, Rome, QF, 19 September 2020 (Match Stats)
It was tennis’ version of David versus Goliath in the quarter-finals of this year’s Internazionali BNL d’Italia.

Rafael Nadal had won his first nine ATP Head2Head clashes against Diego Schwartzman with the loss of just two sets. The Argentine knew he’d need to deliver a Herculean effort to oust the nine-time champion. That’s exactly what Schwartzman did at the Foro Italico.

“For sure it’s my best match ever,” Schwartzman said. “I played a few times against the three big champions in tennis. I never beat them until today. I’m very happy.”

Like Goliath, Nadal is a giant on the court. That is especially the case on clay, where the Spaniard bullies opponents with his heavy topspin forehand

But David (in this case, Diego) stood up to the giant. Schwartzman held his ground on the baseline and traded blow-for-blow with the legendary lefty in heavy conditions. Instead of Nadal pushing the righty back, he was the one being moved off the baseline. The Ad-court to Ad-court rallies — pitting Nadal’s forehand against Schwartzman’s backhand — were reminiscent of some of Rafa’s clashes against Novak Djokovic.

Whenever Nadal tried to change things up and play cat-and-mouse points, Diego had an answer.

“It was crazy. Tennis is crazy. Our performance is always crazy. The past three weeks were really bad for me,” Schwartzman said on court after his victory. “Today I played my best tennis.

There were five consecutive service breaks in the second set, and Schwartzman was broken at love when serving for the match at 5-4, when Nadal buckled down and reduced his error count. But Diego persevered, hitting a passing shot out of Rafa’s reach to earn another chance at closing out the match. This time, he hit a forehand drop volley to finish the job, triumphing 6-2, 7-5.

“Yeah!” Schwartzman shouted.

David had slayed Goliath.

It was arguably the biggest win of Schwartzman’s career-best season. He’d reach his first Grand Slam semi-final at Roland Garros — where he lost against Nadal — to crack the Top 10 of the FedEx ATP Rankings and earn his maiden berth at the Nitto ATP Finals in November.

Read All Best Of 2020 Stories

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Six #NextGenATP Stars Nominated For Newcomer Of The Year In 2020 Awards

The Newcomer of the Year in the 2020 ATP Awards goes to the #NextGenATP player who entered the Top 100 or Top 150 for the first time in 2020 and made the biggest impact on the ATP Tour this season. There are six nominees this season: Carlos Alcaraz, Sebastian Korda, Lorenzo Musetti, Jurij Rodionov, Emil Ruusuvuori and Thiago Seyboth Wild.

ATP Awards winners will be revealed later this month.

Carlos Alcaraz, 17 (Spain)
Alcaraz started the year barely inside the Top 500 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, sitting at No. 492. But the Spanish teen would soon take off on a meteoric rise that would rocket him up to a career-high No. 136.

Coached by former No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero, Alcaraz signalled his intent early on as the started the season by putting together a 14-match winning streak to win two ITF 15K events and reach the final at another. He went on to win his first ATP main draw match in emphatic fashion, outlasting No. 41 Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the first round of Rio de Janeiro.

Alcaraz lifted his first ATP Challenger Series trophy in Trieste, and backed it up a week later by reaching the final again at Cordenons. But the Spaniard’s best was yet to come: on home soil, Alcaraz lifted back-to-back Challenger trophies in Barcelona and Alicante – the latter sealed with his second Top 100 victory of the year in the final. As a result, Alcaraz joined an exclusive club of players who have won at least three Challenger titles before turning 18, including Richard Gasquet, Novak Djokovic, Juan Martin del Potro and Felix Auger-Aliassime.

 

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Sebastian Korda, 20 (USA)
20-year-old Sebastian Korda’s strong late-season results – highlighted by an electric Roland Garros main draw debut – sent the American soaring up the FedEx ATP Rankings and have him knocking on the door of the Top 100.

Korda started the year ranked No. 242, and steadily chipped away at his ranking on the back of solid results at the ATP Challenger and ITF circuits, including third rounds at Indian Wells and Newport Beach. But he saved his best for the fall, and after making his Grand Slam at the US Open he went on to stun the field in Paris, reaching the fourth round at Roland Garros from qualifying.

The American closed out the season with his first Challenger trophy in Eckental. It was a long time coming for Korda, who had dropped his first eight finals as a professional.

 

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Lorenzo Musetti, 18 (ITA)
There’s no place like home for Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti. The 18-year-old fought his way into the main draw at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, and once there he turned heads with some big-name upsets over former Top 5 stars Stan Wawrinka and Kei Nishikori to reach the third round.

Musetti used his Masters 1000 success as a springboard and he continued the momentum a week later in Forli, where the Italian claimed his first ATP Challenger Tour title. He closed out the season with some more success at home, reaching his first ATP Tour semi-final in Sardinia.

“I’m playing really good tennis, my best tennis and I’m confident. I think I have the weapons… to compete at this level,” Musetti said. “The ball is a tennis ball and the other guy is a human being, so everything can happen on the court. I’m just playing and trying to do my best.”

“I’m taking a lot of emotions and wins. I’m very proud.”

 

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Jurij Rodionov, 21 (AUT)
Jurij Rodionov cut his FedEx ATP Ranking by more than half to finish the year inside the Top 150 after a breakthrough season saw him check off a lot of milestones. The Austrian claimed his second Challenger title early on in Dallas, defeating Andreas Seppi and Denis Kudla – two Top 100 players – along the way. He reeled off eight match wins in a row to claim the title in Moreles and reach the semi-finals in Columbus.

The 21-year-old didn’t slow down despite the ATP Tour’s suspension, and Rodionov qualified for his first Grand Slam main draw at Roland Garros. He made an epic debut as he ousted French player Jeremy Chardy, No. 65, in the first round after coming back from two sets down and having to save match point, 3-6, 4-6, 7-6(6), 6-4, 10-8.

Rodionov closed out the season by scoring one of the biggest victories of his career: playing against a Top 20 player for the first time and on home soil in Vienna, the Austrian defeated Denis Shapovalov in straight sets to claim a statement first ATP Tour win.

 

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Emil Ruusuvuori, 21 (FIN)
Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori broke the ATP Top 100 as he continued his slow and steady rise to the top of the game. The 21-year-old made a strong start of the year with a run to the final at the Canberra (Bendigo 1) Challenger, defeating Jannik Sinner along the way.

Ruusuvuori continued to chip away at his FedEx ATP Ranking as the season resumed, he reached his biggest main draw after qualifying for the Western & Southern Open in New York. He made his Grand Slam debut at the US Open, claiming his first major win against Aljaz Bedene in a roller-coaster five-set clash, but was forced to retire in the second round due to injury.

The 21-year-old saved his best tennis for the end of the season, reaching his first ATP Tour semi-final in Nur-Sultan, tearing through the main draw from the qualifying rounds. 

 

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Thiago Seyboth Wild, 20 (BRA)
Thiago Seyboth Wild lifted his FedEx ATP Ranking by almost 100 spots to reach a new career-high in 2020 by claiming some big-name upsets and checking off a lot of ‘firsts’.

Even though the Brazilian had won just his second ATP Tour main draw match at the Rio Open, his home tournament, Seyboth Wild played like a veteran the next week to lift his first ATP Tour trophy in Santiago. The 20-year-old took a set off home favorite Cristian Garin in the quarter-finals to claim his first Top 20 win (Garin retired in the second set).

Seyboth Wild continued his steady progress as he made his Grand Slam main draw debut at the US Open, and went on to reach the final at the Aix de Provence Challenger – taking down No. 80 Gianluca Mager in the opening round. 

 

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The Last Time… Dusan Lajovic

In the latest installment of our popular series, World No. 26 Dusan Lajovic reveals the last time…

I missed a flight?
The last time I missed a flight was five years ago. I was flying from Barcelona to Belgrade via Zurich. I missed the flight in Zurich and then we took a flight through Munich and missed the flight from Munich. We then took a flight to Frankfurt and finally, after 26 hours, got home. The first flight was late and then everything else [went wrong].

I lost something important?
I lost an iPad and headphones in 2013 on a flight to Kenya to do pre-season. It is my fault because I left them in the seat pocket on the plane. As soon as I got into the car to drive to the house, I realised I was missing them. Trying to get something back in Kenya was very difficult.

I cooked for myself and others?
In August, I made my famous chia pudding for breakfast for my team, my coaches and myself. It was a Michelin star meal.

Being famous helped me?
A couple of free meals in Serbian restaurants, when they recognise us, is always a good thing. We used Novak’s image in LA to get into a restaurant. It helped knowing Nole.

I went to a music concert?
After Wimbledon last year, I went to a festival in Serbia, in Novi Sad. It is called Exit. It is one of the most famous in Europe and I had a blast. I liked it because it was in a fortress and you had all different kinds of music. I went to [visit] electronical [acts], a couple of DJs. DJ Solomun was one of them, he is one of the best in Europe right now. It was really fun because I stayed up late and stayed there [until] the sunrise. It is really magical place.

I paid to rent a tennis court?
It was in Uzbekistan, ages ago. I remember we paid three dollars for one hour.

I paid to buy tennis balls?
Last December. I bought a box of tennis balls. It was €90 for a box of 72 balls, I think.

I strung a tennis racquet?
I did in Kenya six years ago. [I took me] two hours for one racquet. I am very bad. 

I watched a new TV series?
[I recently was watching] Dark, it is a German show about time travel. I recommend it. 

I shared a hotel room with another player?
I did a couple of times this year with my doubles partner and friend Nikola Cacic, just because we were not getting into some tournaments and then it would be tough for him to pay for an extra room. Since we are childhood friends, for us it is like we are brothers.

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Remembering Gordon Forbes, Good Player, Great Writer

Gordon Forbes, who has died at his home in South Africa at 86, was a fine tennis player. But a better writer. He was, in fact, a writer of unique style and observation; a writer with the priceless gift of sprinkling stardust on the characters who inhabited his books, turning backhands and banter into tales infected with laughter.

At his side throughout most of his life, on court and off, was his doubles partner Abe Segal who died in 2016. Larger than life could have been a phrase invented for Big Abe who partnered Forbes in numerous Davis Cup battles for South Africa, twice taking their nation to the semi-finals. Together, they reached the final of Roland Garros in 1963, the same year they were Wimbledon semi-finalists. As a singles player, Forbes won the South African title in 1959 and 1961 and was runner-up four times.

Segal would probably have become a legend in the game anyway but Forbes’ descriptions of him ensured his name would live on. A sample from A Handful of Summers goes like this: “Abe was really rough and ready (when we first met). He used to wear purple T-shirts and sing The Nearness of You very loudly, with his mouth full of Chiclets….He’d already been on one hectic, do-it-yourself tennis tour – had worked his passage on a freighter, lived on the smell of an oil rag, been mistakenly billeted in a brothel, harvested apples, befriended several surprised millionaires and once alarmed an ancient English umpire at Hurlingham by shaking his seat and implying he was blind.”

Thinking of the great Gordon Forbes. I will be forever grateful for his support, I cared for him deeply. Gordon’s life was full of accomplishments, too many to list. A Handful of Summers is my favourite book of all time. My thoughts are with Gordon’s family at this sad time. #RIP

— Craig Tiley (@CraigTiley) December 10, 2020

Handful of Summers helped me romanticize the tour grind. Truly fantastic writer https://t.co/KcSmCotuiJ

— Tennys Sandgren (@TennysSandgren) December 9, 2020

Forbes was equally, unsparingly, perceptive about himself. “Having learnt my tennis in Johannesburg at an altitude of 6,000 feet, I was a true net rusher and had only a scanty selection of ground shots, none of which were really well produced although they were better than Abe Segal’s. Rushing the net on a really slow Italian court while using the Pirelli balls of the early sixties was an eerie experience – like being in a movie, half of which was speeded up while the other half was in slow motion. I was the speeded up part. I would come barrelling up to the net, only to arrive there far too early and have to hop about in a frenzy of suspense while my opponent (who often seemed to be Pietrangeli or Merlo) decided on which side to pass me. Desperate anticipatory decisions had to be made. Lobs were too frightful to contemplate and had to be blanked out of one’s mind to preserve sanity.”

Gordon’s intellect was always more powerful than his self-confidence. He was forever questioning himself as well as life itself. He thought deeply and too much. But his melancholy was always tinged with the humor that made his writing and his company so irresistible.

He became a voice that demanded attention at the Enshrinement Committee meetings for International Tennis Hall of Fame that we attended at Wimbledon every year, sometimes offering detailed numerical studies in an effort to ascribe ranking points to candidates. He became a little fussed when some of us could not follow his Forbesian logic.

He had a son, Gavin, who is a Vice-President at IMG, and a daughter, Jeannie, a fine writer herself, who died far too young from his first marriage. And then another son, Jamie, from his marriage to Frances who survives him.

I shall miss our earnest talks over tea in the Last Eight Club at Wimbledon, laced with sudden flashes of sardonic laughter. The rest of us will have no need to miss his writing. It will live for posterity.

Gordon Forbes, tennis player and writer, born 21 February 1934, died 9 December 2020.

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Alex Olmedo, 1936-2020

Alex Olmedo, the 1959 Australian Championship and Wimbledon titlist, passed away on Wednesday aged 84 due to brain cancer.

Olmedo, the son of a court caretaker, was born and raised in Peru, first hitting a ball at the International Club of Arequipa, where he was a ball boy. Olmedo made his major championship debut aged 15 at the 1951 US Nationals at Forest Hills and was the best player in Peru by the age of 17. Before long, $700 was raised and in February 1954, Olmedo travelled from Lima to Los Angeles, unable to speak a word of English.

Coming under the wing of Perry T. Jones, one of the most powerful officials in amateur tennis, Olmedo thrived and attended Modesto Junior College. He was recruited by George Toley, the pro at the Los Angeles Tennis Club, for the University of Southern California. On a student visa, he studied business and won the 1956 and 1958 NCAA singles and doubles titles.

In late 1958, after almost five years’ residency in the United States, Olmedo made his Davis Cup debut for his adopted country, going 6-0 in two ties under the captaincy of Jones, who had fought so hard for his inclusion on the team. Upon clinching the tie-winning point in Brisbane over Australia’s Ashley Cooper, Olmedo yelled to Jones, “We did it, Cap. We’ve won the cup!” His father, Salvador, wept upon hearing the news in Peru, which did not have a Davis Cup team at the time. His mother, and younger brother, Jaime, were delighted when Olmedo toured his native land with the trophy later on. The following year, Australians Neale Fraser, Rod Laver and Roy Emerson gained revenge in the Challenge Round.

Olmedo, known as ‘The Chief’ because of his Inca heritage, was renowned for his style, artistry, big serve, forehand drive and good sportsmanship. Modest and likable, Olmedo captured the 1959 Australian Championships over Fraser 6-1, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, then took his attacking game to the All England Club at Wimbledon, where he took apart Emerson 6-4, 6-0, 6-4 in the semi-finals and Laver, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 in the title match. An active amateur for just two years, he rounded out his career at the US Nationals, the same year, losing to Fraser 6-3, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 in the final. In doubles, he partnered Ham Richardson to the 1958 US Nationals crown (d. Sammy Giammalva Sr./Barry Mackay).

^{Stan Smith presents Olmedo with his International Tennis Hall of Fame ring in 2017.}
Lance Tingay, the doyen of tennis correspondents for The Daily Telegraph of London, adjudged Olmedo to be World No. 2 in 1959, his final year as an amateur. Upon turning pro, the 5’10” right-hander beat Tony Trabert 7-5, 6-4 for the US Pro title and retired five years later. He coached Hollywood stars for more than 40 years at the Beverly Hills Hotel and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1987.

Olmedo is survived by his children, Amy, Angela and Alejandro, Jr.

Stan Smith, the International Tennis Hall of Fame President, said: “Alex Olmedo came from humble beginnings and he made sacrifices and worked hard to chase his dreams of a tennis career, ultimately becoming a major champion and Hall of Famer. He was a terrific player and a Davis Cup hero. Personally, we shared a love for the USC Trojans, Davis Cup competition, and tennis overall. He was a great champion, a great friend, and he will be missed.”

Alejandro Olmedo Rodriguez, tennis player and coach, born 24 March 1936, died 9 December 2020.

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Djokovic's Rally Against Monfils Tops ATP Comebacks Of 2020

Yesterday we looked at three of the best ATP Tour comebacks of the season. Now, we will complete the top five with the two best comebacks of 2020.

2) John Millman def. Tommy Paul, Astana Open, Nur-Sultan, QF, 30 October 2020 (Match Stats)
John Millman has made his career as a workhorse, grinding away no matter the score or opponent to achieve his results. That’s how he beat Roger Federer at the 2018 US Open and nearly defeated the Swiss legend at this year’s Australian Open.

But one thing missing from his resume was an ATP Tour title. In 2018, he fell short in the Budapest final. Last season, he went on a dream run to the Tokyo championship match, but was outplayed by Novak Djokovic.

At 31, Millman is playing some of his best tennis. But time loses to no man, and there was no guarantee the Aussie would earn another chance at tour-level glory. At the Astana Open, he was in heaps of difficulty against Tommy Paul.

The American served for the match at 5-3 in the third set, playing aggressively to put himself in a winning position. He earned two match points in that game, but double faulted into the net and missed a mid-court forehand long. A majority of the time, Paul would have smacked a winner or gotten an easy volley off that forehand, but it was an opportunity lost.

Somehow, Paul settled himself and took a commanding 5/0 lead in the ensuing tie-break. He appeared in control, counter-punching aggressively to put the Aussie on the back foot. But Millman put on his hard hat and went to work, forcing Paul to take the match from him, making no mistakes. That put pressure on the 23-year-old, who began mis-firing, allowing the Aussie to pull off the stunning 6-7(5), 6-4, 7-6(5) win. Two matches later, he lifted his first ATP Tour trophy.

“When I was facing those match points in the quarter-finals, I wouldn’t have thought that a couple of days later I would be lifting the trophy. But it is something that I have built my brand on, I guess. It is the one thing I can control: to never say die and never quit the fight,” Millman said. “Tommy was playing some good tennis and probably deserved to win, but it is funny. Sometimes when you are so close to going out of a tournament, it is funny how quickly you can turn that around. It just goes to show you are never out of a fight until it is over.”

1) Novak Djokovic def. Gael Monfils, Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, Dubai, SF, 28 February 2020 (Match Stats)
Novak Djokovic doesn’t often find his back against the wall. That’s why he’s the No. 1 player in the FedEx ATP Rankings. But the Serbian needed every bit of skill and luck he could muster to save three match points against Gael Monfils in the Dubai semi-finals.

When the Frenchman is firing on all cylinders, there’s very little any opponent can do about it. Monfils is arguably the fastest player on the ATP Tour and he has the ability to hit through any opponent when he decides to play aggressively. When everything clicks, he has the talent to beat anyone.

Monfils entered this semi-final clash with an 0-16 ATP Head2Head record against Djokovic, but it appeared to make no difference. Within five games he hit a jumping swinging backhand volley, sprinted forward to hit a winner off a drop shot few players would have gotten to and showed his intention to dictate play.

Djokovic’s 16-match winning streak to begin the season seemed in jeopardy. The World No. 1 was not at his best, making some errors, especially as he began to earn more opportunities in the second set. But part of that was because of the pressure Monfils was putting on him, which helped the Frenchman go up 6-2, 3-1.

The Serbian got back on serve, but the second set went to a tie-break, in which the pressure hit its climax for Monfils. The Frenchman took a 6/3 lead, earning three consecutive match points. “It’s all or nothing. It’s a matter of life or death at that point,” Djokovic later said.

There was one glaring issue for Monfils: he had to finish the job. Djokovic wouldn’t let him do so. The Frenchman went for and landed a huge second serve down the T at 6/3, but the Serbian guessed the right way and made a forehand return deep in the court, eliciting a backhand error from Monfils, who would then miss forehands on the next two points to watch his final two opportunities slip away.

Monfils was so close to earning his Vitas Gerulaitis moment and being able to say, “Nobody beats Gael Monfils 17 times in a row!” But Djokovic summoned his best tennis under pressure, and he ran away with the third set in a 2-6, 7-6(8), 6-1 victory.

“It’s like being on the edge of a cliff,” Djokovic said.. “You know there is no way back, so you have to jump over and try to find a way to survive I guess and pray for the best and believe that you can make it.”

Djokovic went on to beat Stefanos Tsitsipas for the title and win his first 26 matches of the season and 29 straight overall, marking the second-longest winning streak of his career.

One timely shot by Monfils — or a mis-step from Djokovic — could have changed it all.

Read All Best Of 2020 Stories

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Schwartzman's Home Thriller Among Best ATP Tour Comebacks Of 2020

Some matches are straightforward. One player is simply better than his opponent and he uses physical and tactical advantages to earn a victory. Other times, things get complicated.

Comebacks may look messier on paper, but they could have longterm effects on both the winner and loser. Someone who battles from the brink of defeat can turn around his season, while giving up a lead could send the loser into a funk.

The past two days, ATPTour.com has looked at the best ATP Tour matches of the season. Now, we will reflect on the most memorable comebacks of 2020. 

5) Jiri Vesely def. Ricardas Berankis, Tata Open Maharashtra, Pune, SF, 8 February 2020 (Match Stats)
Jiri Vesely and Ricardas Berankis were both the No. 1 junior in the world. Berankis, 30, is three years older than Vesely, but they both showed their potential before arriving on the ATP Tour.

Both men have earned Top 10 wins and cracked the Top 50 of the FedEx ATP Rankings, but they haven’t consistently gone deep in tournaments week-in and week-out. That made their semi-final at this year’s Tata Open Maharashtra even more important.

Vesely, the 2015 Auckland champion, was pursuing his first final since 2015 Bucharest. Berankis has never won an ATP Tour title.

You might have expected Vesely — who at 6’6” is nine inches taller than the Lithuanian No. 1 — to dictate play in the key moments, but that wasn’t the case. Berankis battled to 6/3 in the final-set tie-break by controlling the action from the baseline, as Vesely — who saved two match points in his Pune quarter-final against Ilya Ivashka — was forced to drop back and defend.

Berankis had four match points in the tie-break, including two that he controlled. At 6/5, he rushed into net to put away a floating forehand volley, but missed in the net. At 7/6, the Lithuanian went for an inside-out forehand winner and missed wide. Instead, Vesely, who hit 28 aces, advanced to the final 6-7(8), 7-6(3), 7-6(7) after three hours and two minutes.

“I am very happy with my performance and my fighting spirit.” said Vesely, who went on to lift his first trophy in more than five years. “I didn’t give up… In total he had four match points and I kept fighting. It just paid off today.”

4) Emil Ruusuvuori def. Sebastian Korda, Western & Southern Open, New York, R1, 23 August 2020 (Match Stats)
It’s not often that one of the comebacks of the year is completed by a player who had control of the match in the first place, but that was the case in this clash between #NextGenATP stars.

Both Sebastian Korda and Emil Ruusuvuori were pursuing their first ATP Masters 1000 main draw triumph. World No. 100 Ruusuvuori, who was ranked 125 spots higher than Korda, played solid baseline tennis to take a 7-6(3), 4-2 lead. But Korda, who is an impressive ball-striker, found his rhythm and not only rallied to force a third set, but took a 5-2 lead in the decider. Ruusuvuori slightly dropped his level, and that was the only opening Korda needed to shift the tide.

“I had him in the second set, there’s no doubt about it,” Ruusuvuori said. “But then it was one of the biggest comebacks in my career.”

The Finn never panicked. On the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, where he beat Korda in the 2017 US Open boys’ singles event 6-3, 6-3, Ruusuvuori pulled off a far more memorable victory.

The 21-year-old limited his errors and forced Korda to take the match from him. With a battle against Top 10 star Matteo Berrettini on the line, it was Ruusuvuori’s solid play that frustrated Korda in the key moments as the American’s level dropped towards the finish line. Ruusuvuori triumphed 7-6(3), 4-6, 7-5, saying: “It was a really difficult match, especially mentally. There were a lot of ups and downs. I didn’t play the best at any time in this match. But I survived, that’s the key.”

Although this was a disappointing moment for Korda, his competitive spirit was a sign of things to come, as just a month later he reached the fourth round at Roland Garros.

3) Diego Schwartzman def. Pablo Cuevas, Argentina Open, Buenos Aires, QF, 14 February 2020 (Match Stats)
Diego Schwartzman only stands 5’7”, but he leaves it all on the court every time he competes. It was no different at this year’s Argentina Open in front of his home fans.

After beating countryman Federico Delbonis at nearly 2:30 a.m. in his second-round match, Schwartzman quickly returned to play Uruguayan shotmaker Pablo Cuevas in the quarter-finals. The atmosphere was reminiscent of a football match, with the Buenos Aires crowd fully behind its man.

This was a classic battle between clay-court stalwarts, grinding from behind the baseline until they could find a tactical advantage in the rally and step into the court to go for a big shot. Schwartzman tended to be more aggressive with his power, while Cuevas showed his feel when given the chance.

For most of the match, Cuevas pumped himself up whenever he won a point, but otherwise you could hear a pin drop. However, as the clash wore on, the fans began applauding him and audibly ooh’ing when the Urugayan hit a sensational shot.

In the second-set tie-break, the home crowd was raucous, attempting to push Schwartzman into a decider. For every point he won, fans got on their feet and roared in approval before breaking out into chants. It appeared that would not be enough, as Cuevas earned four match points, with two of those points coming on his own serve.

The Uruguayan, a six-time ATP Tour champion, threw everything but the kitchen sink at the home favourite, including an uncharacteristic serve and volley. But Schwartzman refused to miss, eliciting errors on three of the points and hitting a backhand winner on the fourth. After winning the tie-break 13/11, he lifted his right arm and looked around at the crowd, which was again on its feet cheering.

Schwartzman appeared in control with an early break in the decider, but Cuevas got back on serve and earned two break points at 4-4, However, he came up short in lengthy baseline rallies and Schwartzman held on, even as his movement looked hampered. That forced the Argentine to go for even more from the baseline, ultimately helping him to a 5-7, 7-6(11), 7-5 win after a marathon of three hours and 42 minutes.

It was a memorable comeback for Schwartzman, who was unable to play his semi-final due to an adductor injury. Even so, the Argentine’s battling spirit propelled him to a career-best season in which he cracked the Top 10 of the FedEx ATP Rankings for the first time and qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals in London.

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