Tennis News

Carreno Busta Continues Bid For London Spot In Paris

Pablo Carreno Busta kept his hopes of qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals alive on Tuesday, as fellow London contender David Goffin’s bid was ended in the Rolex Paris Masters second round.

The Spaniard, who must win the tournament to extend his London qualification bid, won 87 per cent of first-serve points (26/30) to defeat Jan-Lennard Struff 7-6(3), 6-2. Qualifier Norbert Gombos brought Goffin’s London qualification attempt to an end with a 6-4, 7-6(6) triumph.

Carreno Busta improved to 19-11 this season with his fourth win in six ATP Head2Head matches against Struff. The World No. 15 has shown impressive form since the resumption of the ATP Tour in August, with a semi-final run at the US Open and a quarter-final finish at Roland Garros.

”My confidence was very high today,” said Carreno Busta. “I was serving really good, but I think the key was the first and the second balls after [the] return and after [the] serve. I think that I played very aggressive on these balls and I made a lot of winners from everywhere. I’m happy for the victory, because Jan-Lennard on this surface is a really tough guy.”

Carreno Busta will meet Gombos for a place in the quarter-finals. The World No. 105 defeated Carreno Busta in the pair’s only previous ATP Head2Head contest at the Open Sud de France in February.

Gombos saved three set points in the second-set tie-break to earn the biggest win of his career against Goffin after one hour and 36 minutes. The Slovakian, who is through to the third round at a an ATP Masters 1000 event for the first time, saved four break points at 2-2 in the first set and began to dictate with aggressive groundstrokes.

The 39-minute opener, which ended with three straight service breaks, finished when Goffin hit a forehand long.The Belgian regrouped and came within one point of a 5-2 advantage in the second set, but Gombos rallied to win 10 of the next 13 points to put pressure back on the shoulders of the World No. 14. Goffin held firm and in the tie-break held three set points at 6/3, but three consecutive groundstroke errors put Gombos in the ascendancy.

The 30-year-old wrapped up his seventh tour-level win of the year when Goffin over-hit a forehand — his 46th unforced error. Goffin, who is currently No. 14 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, drops to a 12-11 match record in 2020.

Miomir Kecmanovic ended John Millman’s winning streak with a 6-4, 6-2 win on Court 1. The Serbian broke the Nur-Sultan champion’s serve on four occasions to book a second-round clash against fourth seed Alexander Zverev.

Vienna runner-up Lorenzo Sonego added to his recent run of form with a 6-1, 6-4 victory against Alexander Bublik. The Italian will face 16th seed Alex de Minaur in the second round.

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Raonic Solid On Serve In Paris

Milos Raonic produced a clinical serving performance on Tuesday to book his place in the Rolex Paris Masters second round.

The 2014 runner-up dropped just six points on serve (37/43) to move past Aljaz Bedene 6-3, 6-2 in 63 minutes. Raonic, who owns a 12-5 record at the ATP Masters 1000, broke serve on three occasions to extend his unbeaten ATP Head2Head record against Bedene to 5-0.

This is the second time in three weeks that Raonic has defeated Bedene in a first-round match. At last month’s European Open in Antwerp, Raonic overcame the Slovenian 6-3, 7-6(4) en route to the quarter-finals.

Raonic will face home favourite Pierre-Hugues Herbert for a spot in the third round. The Frenchman recovered from a set down to beat Tennys Sandgren 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(4).

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Wawrinka Hits 35 Winners To Reach Paris Second Round

Stan Wawrinka raised his game at the right times on Tuesday to book his place in the Rolex Paris Masters second round. The Swiss No. 12 seed recorded his 13th match win of the year with a 6-3, 7-6(3) victory over Briton Daniel Evans in one hour and 33 minutes.

“I’m really happy with my level today, I was serving and moving well,” said 2015 semi-finalist Wawrinka, who awaits France’s Gilles Simon, the 2012 semi-finalist, or Tommy Paul of the United States.

Evans was left to rue missing out on two break points at 1-1 in the first set, with Wawrinka serving at 15/40. Having held serve, Wawrinka put his foot down and broke for a 3-1 advantage with a backhand volley winner. In a competitive second set, Wawrinka won four straight points from 2/2 in the tie-break and closed out with an unreturned serve.

Wawrinka, who struck 35 winners, is now 5-0 lifetime against Evans in their ATP Head2Head series. They met last month in the St. Petersburg Open first round, with Wawrinka saving three match points in a 3-6, 7-6(3), 7-5 win.

Later in the day, France’s Richard Gasquet broke a four-match losing streak to overcome Taylor Fritz of the United States 6-0, 3-6, 6-3 in one hour and 36 minutes for his 15th victory of the reduced 2020 season. Gasquet will next play sixth-seeded Argentine and Nitto ATP Finals contender Diego Schwartzman.

“I am home and I like to play here in Bercy, even if there is no crowd,” said Gasquet, in a post-match interview. “I am very happy with the way I played. It is very difficult to play without the support of a crowd.”

Gasquet completed the 25-minute opener with an ace, before Fritz worked his way back into the match, breaking for a 5-3 advantage in the second set when Gasquet made a forehand error. Fritz, who completed the second set with an ace, could not convert three break points early in the decider and paid the prize at 1-2, when he was broken to love.

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Paris Masters: Dan Evans beaten by Stan Wawrinka in first round

British number one Dan Evans falls to a straight-set defeat by Stan Wawrinka in the first round of the Paris Masters.

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When Points Go Long, It’s Advantage Nadal & Federer

A rally begins, and it gets longer, and longer, and longer.

What you are seeing is not so much dominance building by one player over the other, but rather the exact opposite – a leveling out of each player’s fortunes as the length of the rally rises.

An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of extended rallies of 9+ shots from the year-end Top 10 in the 2019 season uncovers that this elite group combined to win just 52.5 per cent of total points in this specific rally length. The data set is from ATP Masters 1000 events in 2019 on Hawk-Eye courts.

The Top 10 leader was Rafael Nadal, who won a commanding 58 per cent of extended rallies in the 9+ rally length. The Spaniard was the only Top 10 player to cross the 55 per cent threshold.

What’s interesting is that Roger Federer, typically known for wanting to finish points quickly, came in second place, winning 54.5 per cent of points in extended rallies of nine shots or more. Few would have guessed that the Swiss placed higher up this list than his arch-rival, Novak Djokovic, who came in sixth place, winning 53.7 per cent (538/1002) of extended rallies.

The three players who all won in the 54 per cent range were Roberto Bautista Agut (54.4%), Gael Monfils (54.1%) and Matteo Berrettini (54.0%).

Daniil Medvedev had a breakthrough season in 2019, winning ATP Masters 1000 events in Cincinnati and Shanghai, but still only managed to win just 52.7 per cent of rallies of 9 shots or more. The three players in the data set who were below the Top 10 average were Dominic Thiem (51.5%), Alexander Zverev (49.7%) and Stefanos Tsitsipas (45.6%).

Reaching the elite status of being a Top 10 player in the FedEx ATP Rankings is based on developing a variety of strengths in your game. Creating a slight edge in longer rallies is just one of them.

2019 Top 10: Points Won In 9+ Rallies At ATP Masters 1000 On Hawk-Eye Courts

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Carreno Busta Halts #NextGenATP Gaston's Dreams Of Another Big Paris Run

#NextGenATP Frenchman Hugo Gaston captured the world’s attention at Roland Garros, where he used his creativity to surge to the fourth round and pushed third seed Dominic Thiem to five sets. On Monday, Pablo Carreno Busta stopped Gaston before the lefty could gain momentum for another dream run in Paris.

The ninth seed defeated the home favourite 6-3, 6-2 in 69 minutes to reach the second round of the Rolex Paris Masters.

“I think I played good. I’m happy with the performance,” Carreno Busta said. “At the beginning of the match he started very aggressively and probably surprised me a little bit.
But after the first two games I think that I dominated the game again and I served good, I returned good. I played aggressively, so I was happy with the victory and with my game.”

Carreno Busta immediately lost his serve as Gaston showed some of the touch that helped him so often on the terre battue. The 20-year-old wild card showed his confidence with an early serve and volley, crisply carving a volley out of the recent US Open semi-finalist’s reach. 

But the drop shot that served Gaston so well at Roland Garros wasn’t as successful against the ninth seed. Once Carreno Busta got back on serve, his game proved too solid for the Frenchman. The World No. 15 earned 13 break points, converting four of those chances in his victory. He will next play big-hitting German Jan-Lennard Struff, who eliminated Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-4, 6-2.

“Of course today I’m sad. Playing against Pablo, he’s a very good player,” Gaston said. “It was a tough match for me, and congrats to him.
But of course to come back to Paris for me, it’s good. It’s nice.”

In the last match of the day, 2019 Next Gen ATP Finals competitor Alejandro Davidovich Fokina upset 11th seed Karen Khachanov 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 in one hour and 48 minutes.

“I’m playing very well [from] the baseline. I think I’m very solid there,” Davidovich Fokina said. “When I move fast, I think I am [playing] my game very good.”

Khachanov has great memories at Paris-Bercy, where he won his first ATP Masters 1000 title in 2018. But the Spaniard frustrated him throughout the match with his all-court game, preventing the Russian from comfortably dictating play.

Davidovich Fokina, who saved five of the seven break points he faced, will play French wild card Benjamin Bonzi, who defeated Argentine lucky loser Federico Coria 6-2, 6-1.

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Cilic Denies Felix Comeback Win In Paris

After a dominant opening set, Marin Cilic was made to work hard for a 6-0, 3-6, 6-3 victory against Felix Auger-Aliassime at the Rolex Paris Masters on Monday.

The 2016 semi-finalist struck 37 winners and saved seven of nine break points to advance in two hours and 27 minutes. Cilic improved to 2-0 against the #NextGenATP Canadian, following his straight-sets win at last year’s Citi Open in Washington, D.C.

Cilic took advantage of a slow start from his opponent to cruise through the first set. The Croat returned with depth to rush his opponent and made no forehand unforced errors to claim the first set in 31 minutes.

The second set was decided by a marathon eighth game. After trading breaks, Auger-Aliassime used his forehand to break through Cilic’s defence in a 21-minute return game.

“These kind of games can turn the match around, so I had to definitely dig deep. He won that [marathon] game and won the set, so I just had to recalibrate and come back,” said Cilic.

But Cilic made the crucial breakthrough in the deciding set, as Auger-Aliassime attempted to shorten points on serve by rushing the net. The former World No. 3 served with power and closed the match with a forehand winner to record his 15th victory at the ATP Masters 1000 event (15-11).

“I started the match by winning the first six games and I was just zoning in on every single ball,” said Cilic. “It was a great start. Obviously, I was expecting that Felix was going to raise his game and he started to play better. It was a really tight second set, even though it went 6-3 to him… It wasn’t easy. I just felt I served great in the third set, which definitely helped.”

Auger-Aliassime was attempting to continue his strong run of indoor results in 2020. The 20-year-old leads the ATP Tour with 14 indoor wins this season (14-7) and has reached three championship matches at indoor events this year.

Cilic, the 2014 US Open champion, will meet French wild card Corentin Moutet in the second round. The 21-year-old earned his 10th victory of 2020 with a 3-6, 7-6(2), 6-3 win against Salvatore Caruso. Cilic claimed a straight-sets win in his only previous ATP Head2Head clash against Moutet at this year’s Australian Open.

“Corentin [is] a great player,” said Cilic. “He’s one of the best fighters on the Tour and plays difficult tennis… It’s important [for me] to just keep this kind of a level, which I would definitely be happy with.”

In a meeting of former #NextGenATP talents, Ugo Humbert battled past Casper Ruud to earn his first main-draw win at the Masters 1000 event. The Antwerp champion extended his winning streak to six matches with a 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(1) victory against the Norwegian.

“It is my first win here in Bercy and I am really happy because it was really tough,” said Humbert. “[Casper] is an excellent player and it was physically hard today. I am very happy to win.”

Humbert, who won 84 per cent of his first-serve points (42/50), improved to 2-1 in his ATP Head2Head series against Ruud. Each of the pair’s three clashes this season have required a final set. The 22-year-old Humbert will face Stefanos Tsitsipas for the first time in the second round.

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Medvedev: 'I Don't Like To Live In The Past'

When Daniil Medvedev arrived at the 2019 Rolex Paris Masters, he had made the final at six straight tournaments he played. The Russian was the talk of the tennis world. As the third seed prepares for the final ATP Masters 1000 of the season this year, he has no intention of looking back.

“I don’t really like to live in the past. Either it was good or bad, I want to move on. I want to think more about the future,” Medvedev said. “What I’m doing in the present, when I’m in practice or a match, I just want to do the best I can. So in the future it will also help. Even if you lose some matches, if you work hard then in the future it’s going to come back.”

Medvedev won four titles from nine finals last year. He is still trying to reach his first championship match of 2020.

“Of course the higher you go, the tougher it is,” Medvedev said. “I want to say that even if I lost something, I for sure won something, also. I try to progress every day, and then to see, to look for the future.”

The good news is Medvedev is still the No. 5 player in the FedEx ATP Rankings and it’s not like he hasn’t enjoyed impressive results. The Russian made his second Grand Slam semi-final at the US Open, where he lost against eventual champion Dominic Thiem.

“I’m feeling not so bad. Of course, [my] confidence could be a little bit higher when you go further in the tournaments. But physically and mentally I feel ready for the end of the season. I don’t feel burnt out, so that’s the most important [thing],” Medvedev said. “I’m ready to fight and ready to show my best.”

Medvedev, who has already qualified for his second consecutive appearance at the Nitto ATP Finals, has time to make a splash before the season ends. As far as how much progress he feels he has made, the 24-year-old believes it is tough to say because of the COVID-19 pandemic, causing a five-month suspension of the ATP Tour and altering the schedule.

“When we came back it was [a] different situation. It still is. Tournaments are still a little bit different,” Medvedev said. “It was tougher to, in one way, schedule the season. When I say this, usually you know how the season goes. You have your preseason, then you play tournaments. You know when you go to vacation. You know when you come back from vacation.

“This season is really different. So it’s tough to compare to other seasons. So talking about me as a player, I’m trying to progress every day.”

Medvedev will play two-time Grand Slam finalist Kevin Anderson or lucky loser Laslo Djere in his first match at Paris-Bercy.

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Paris Masters: Britain's Joe Salisbury withdrawn after Covid-19 contact

British doubles player Joe Salisbury is withdrawn from the Paris Masters after “sustained close contact” with someone who is Covid-19 positive.

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My Masters 1000: David Goffin

David Goffin made his ATP Masters 1000 debut at the 2012 Miami Open presented by Itau and has since reached five semi-finals and one championship match at the level. The Belgian, who will open his Rolex Paris Masters campaign against Norbert Gombos, spoke to ATPTour.com on Sunday about his favourite Masters 1000 memories, the trophy he would most like to lift and the biggest victory he has earned across the nine elite events.

Which ATP Masters 1000 host city is your favourite and why?
It is not an easy question because the Masters 1000 [events] are always super nice tournaments. If I had to pick one, I would have to say Monte Carlo. It is probably the nicest centre court you can see on Tour with the sea. The sun is coming back in Europe and it is the beginning of the clay season, so it is quite nice after Miami to go back to Europe and start to compete there.

Which Masters 1000 would you most like to win?
I would say Indian Wells because, for me, even if it is in the same category as the other ones, it looks a little bit bigger. With the stadium and the facilities, everything just looks a little bit better. It looks big. For me, it is like a fifth Grand Slam.

Do you remember your Masters 1000 debut, when it was and where?
I won my first round before playing Nicolas Almagro [at 2012 Miami]. I was already very happy to be in the main draw for the first time. I was playing well and that year I won the [Le Gosier] Challenger right after and then I played well at Roland Garros. It gave me a lot of confidence there to qualify and win a match in the main draw. I played a great match. Almagro was better, he was playing so well at that moment, but I always had good memories and played well in Miami.

What do you consider to be your best Masters 1000 win?
In Monte Carlo, the win against Novak Djokovic [in 2017] was a great match and had a great atmosphere on a great centre court. I was playing very well and I made a good result. I lost to Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals. Everything was there, so it is one of the greatest memories I have there.

What is your favourite off-court memory at a Masters 1000?
I love playing golf and [Indian Wells] is probably the week I play the most. It is a golf paradise there. Sometimes I try to go and play golf when I am not on the court. I have to go quick after my practice sessions. I take the car and I go to the golf course.

What is your dream match at a Masters 1000 (who would you play & at which tournament)?
It is not easy to say, but I would say Novak in the Indian Wells final. It is the best challenge you can have. He won those tournaments so many times, Indian Wells and Miami. I played him in the semi-finals in Miami [in 2016]. It was a very good match. If it were in the final of Indian Wells, it would be even better to have that challenge. Or it would be Rafa in the final of Monte Carlo.

Toughest match you’ve played at a Masters 1000?
When I played Rafa in the Monte Carlo semi-finals it was just too good. I played Andy Murray when he was playing very well in Shanghai [in 2016]. I felt that it was very tough for me. I have never beaten Novak on hard courts at a Masters 1000. Those ones were the toughest I would say.

Greatest match you’ve ever seen at a Masters 1000 event?
Before it was best-of-five sets in the final… The match between Roger Federer and Rafa in Rome [in 2006]. I don’t know how many hours they played, but [there were] match points saved and, at the end, Rafa won. This is one of the most exciting matches I saw.

What’s the toughest part about the Masters 1000 events?
It is the best players in the world. From the first round until the end, you have a tough opponent… You have to be sharp from the start. It is very tough because you have a lot of matches, sometimes six or seven matches in a week. It can be very tough physically, especially when you go to end of the week and it could be Novak, Rafa and Roger from Friday to Sunday. It is very tough and the toughest part is you physically and mentally have to be sharp from the start.

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