During the suspension of the ATP Tour, Alexander Zverev added a familiar face to his coaching set-up: former World No. 3 David Ferrer.

The 23-year-old spent over a month alongside the Spaniard in Monaco, working on his game as Ferrer adjusted to life as a coach, just one year after retiring from the sport at the 2019 Mutua Madrid Open.

“He is exactly how he was on court. He is like that as a coach. I can’t ask for more,” said Zverev. “He was known as the biggest fighter, the biggest competitor in the world… He is overachieving every single expectation I had of him as a coach. It is amazing.”

Despite Zverev and Ferrer’s different approaches to the game, the German has bonded well with Ferrer in the early stages of their relationship. Ferrer will not be present at the Western & Southern Open or the US Open, but will join Zverev for events in Europe.

“[Working with Ferrer] is great. Honestly, I have to say for me, that partnership so far is one of the best partnerships I have had,” said Zverev. “Our personalities are extremely similar, which you wouldn’t think because of our game styles and how we are on court.

“We get along super well and during the European swing he is going to be there. Unfortunately, he couldn’t come here but I am excited for what is ahead for us.”

One of the reasons Ferrer could prove to be an inspired choice for Zverev is his knowledge of current players on the ATP Tour, including Zverev. The pair contested eight ATP Head2Head encounters, with Zverev earning a fifth win against the 2013 Roland Garros runner-up in Ferrer’s final match as a professional in Madrid.

“We played a bunch of times. We played eight times in our careers, so he knows exactly what I need to improve from a player’s perspective,” said Zverev. “He knows how to play me. He knows what to do to beat me and to have chances against me.”

Ferrer has been meticulous in his plans to improve Zverev’s game. In fact, the 27-time tour-level champion has been analysing Zverev’s past performances on YouTube and bringing a detailed notepad to practice sessions.

“He came immediately with a notebook and said, ‘Okay, this, this, this and that’. He is extremely organised,” said Zverev. “We would practise together and if he sees after two hours of practice that I am not doing this or that well, he would go on YouTube and be spending time looking at videos from two or three years ago [to see] what I was doing better back then, what I am doing better now, how I improved and how my body developed.

“He is doing all sorts of things to just really improve my game and that is something very special. He just quit a year ago in Madrid and he is so into it already. I have enjoyed it and I have loved every second of it so far.”

The Tour suspension has given Zverev time to not only build a new coaching relationship, but also to appreciate life as an ATP Tour player. The World No. 7 has missed the unique feeling of competition and success since his most recent tournament appearance at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC in February.

“I started to realise how much I miss tennis. How much I miss the emotions of playing in front of 20,000 people,” said Zverev. “How much I miss the emotions of competing and winning a big match that is important for me. How much I just miss being out there. The emotions and feelings you get on a tennis court, you don’t get them anywhere else… The emotions of winning a big match. The emotions of holding up a big trophy. That is something you don’t get anywhere else.”

Ahead of his return to action at the Western & Southern Open, Zverev took a moment to praise tournament organisers for their hard work to stage the event during the COVID-19 pandemic. This year’s edition of the ATP Masters 1000 event is being held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York, ahead of the US Open which begins on 31 August.

“I think they have done a fantastic job when it comes to accommodation, when it comes to just making the players feel well in the circumstances,” said Zverev. “They built all sorts of little things. A mini golf course, they built basketball hoops all over the place, all sorts of little things… This event is special because we don’t know if we will ever get an opportunity like this again. Obviously we don’t want to, because we want the world to go back to normal again but this is a very special event for us.”

After reaching his maiden Grand Slam semi-final at the Australian Open in January, Zverev felt that he had returned to his best level after struggling with his game during the 2019 ATP Tour season. The 23-year-old will now look to build on his 6-5 start to the year in his return match against two-time Western & Southern Open champion Andy Murray or Frances Tiafoe.

“I feel like I am competitive again in the biggest tournaments,” said Zverev. “I showed that in Australia. When I arrived in Indian Wells before the tournament got cancelled, I felt like I was ready… We’ll see how everything goes now with the comeback, but I hope I can continue the form I had at the beginning of the year and maybe get even better.”

Emil Ruusuvuori made the most of his ATP Masters 1000 qualifying debut on Thursday in Flushing Meadows. The #NextGenATP Finn upset World No. 59 Jeremy Chardy 6-0, 6-4 to reach the final round of qualifying at the Western & Southern Open.

The 21-year-old performed well under pressure against the French veteran, saving all three break points he faced while converting each of the four break points he earned. Ruusuvuori won 67 per cent of his second-serve return points in a 61-minute victory.

Last year, Ruusuvuori became the youngest player to win four ATP Challenger Tour titles in a season since Hyeon Chung in 2015. He will try to make his maiden Masters 1000 main draw when he faces 20th seed Thiago Monteiro, who ousted Argentine Federico Coria 6-3, 6-4. Ruusuvuori, No. 101 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, is on the verge of cracking the Top 100 for the first time.

Read: 600 Miles Away, Wolf Claims ‘Home’ Win

Another #NextGenATP star, Jannik Sinner, was not as successful on the first day of ATP Tour play since action was suspended in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Salvatore Caruso rallied past his fellow Italian 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 in two hours and three minutes. Caruso converted six of his 10 break points against the 2019 Next Gen ATP Finals champion. He will next play seventh seed Jordan Thompson, who beat wild card Michael Mmoh 6-2, 7-6(2).

Gilles Simon, the top seed in qualifying, showed good form to eliminate Japan’s Taro Daniel 6-3, 6-3 in 77 minutes. The former World No. 6 will play wild card Sebastian Korda, who beat Hungarian Attila Balazs 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, for a spot in his 12th Western & Southern Open main draw.

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Japan’s Yasutaka Uchiyama crushed eight aces in a 6-4, 7-6(5) victory against third seed Pablo Cuevas. German Dominik Koepfer, who advanced to the fourth round of the 2019 US Open at this venue, also caused an upset. The lefty beat fifth seed Juan Ignacio Londero 6-4, 7-6(0).

All final-round qualifying matches will be played Friday, with the Western & Southern Open main draw kicking off Saturday.

Novak Djokovic is doing double duty at the Western & Southern Open, the first ATP Tour event since play was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic in March. Djokovic and fellow Serbian Filip Krajinovic face a tricky test in the first round of the doubles draw against Americans Tommy Paul and Frances Tiafoe.

The winner of Djokovic/Krajinovic and Paul/Tiafoe will play top seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah or former doubles World No. 1 Jamie Murray and his partner, Neal Skupski. Second seeds Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo will try to beat Mate Pavic and Bruno Soares, both of whom have competed in the Nitto ATP Finals with different partners.

View Doubles Draw

Djokovic isn’t the only singles star in the draw, as Alexander Zverev and fellow German Tim Puetz will try to upset seventh seeds Raven Klaasen and Oliver Marach.

Defending champions Ivan Dodig and Filip Polasek are the fourth seeds this year. The Croatian-Slovakian team will face singles standouts Alex de Minaur and Pablo Carreno Busta, who are competing together for the first time.

More interesting match-ups include fifth seeds Horacio Zeballos and Marcel Granollers playing Rohan Bopanna and Denis Shapovalov, eighth seeds Wesley Koolhof and Nikola Mektic battling Russians Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev, and Nicolas Mahut and Jan-Lennard Struff facing Canadians Felix Auger-Aliassime and Milos Raonic.

Hubert Hurkacz and John Isner are first-round opponents in the singles draw, but they will team against Australian Open finalists Max Purcell and Luke Saville.

Former World No. 1 Andy Murray faces a tough draw early at the Western & Southern Open, the first event since the ATP Tour was suspended in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The two-time tournament champion will play American Frances Tiafoe in the first round, marking the pair’s first ATP Head2Head meeting. If Murray beats the home favorite, he will face fifth seed Alexander Zverev in the second round.

Murray, who at last October’s European Open won his first ATP Tour singles title in two-and-a-half years, is still working his way back into form after undergoing a second hip surgery last January. The World No. 129 owns a 31-12 record at this ATP Masters 1000 event, which is being held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center this year due to COVID-19. This is his first tournament of 2020.

Tiafoe, who is making his fourth Western & Southern Open main draw appearance, upset Zverev in Cincinnati three years ago. He will not look past Murray, though. Tiafoe paid Murray a big compliment on Instagram last week, commenting on the Scot’s most recent post: “Some people just made different ??????.”

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, who completed his Career Golden Masters in Cincinnati two years ago, is in the same half of the draw as defending champion Daniil Medvedev, who is seeded third.

Djokovic will play a qualifier or wild card Tommy Paul in his opening match. The first seeded opponent he could face is 15th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime, the Canadian #NextGenATP Star. Felix will have his hands full in his first-round match against big-hitting Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili.

Medvedev rallied from a set down to oust Djokovic in last year’s Cincinnati semi-finals. The Russian will begin his title defence in the second round against a qualifier.

Second seed Dominic Thiem will try to find the form that helped him to this year’s Australian Open final. The big-hitting Austrian will open against Serbian Filip Krajinovic or a qualifier. Thiem could face 2017 titlist Grigor Dimitrov in the third round.

There are several popcorn first-round matches to kick off the return to tennis. Canadian sensation Denis Shapovalov, the 12th seed, will try to extend his 2-1 ATP Head2Head series lead against 2016 Western & Southern Open champion Marin Cilic. All three of their matches have come on hard courts, with Shapovalov triumphing in their most recent match in Marseille this February in three sets.

Former World No. 3 Milos Raonic and big-serving American Sam Querrey will meet in a rematch of the 2016 Wimbledon quarter-finals, and two-time Grand Slam finalist Kevin Anderson will play former World No. 14 Kyle Edmund. They have split their two previous clashes, both of which were five-setters at a major.

Main draw action at Flushing Meadows begins Saturday.

In the latest profile on the 26 players to rise to No. 1 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, ATPTour.com looks back on the career of Marat Safin. View Full List

First week at No. 1: 20 November 2000
Total weeks at No. 1: 9

At World No. 1
Safin was No. 35 in the FedEx ATP Rankings in April 2000. But the Russian used a strong push towards the end of the season to reach World No. 1 for the first time on 20 November 2000. At 20 years, 10 months, he remains the second-youngest player to reach the top spot.

“For me it was very strange in my experience reaching No. 1 and being No. 1. I wasn’t ready for that because I couldn’t imagine just a few months earlier that I’d have the chance to become No. 1 in the world. I was Top 50, dropping, playing very badly,” Safin told ATPTour.com. “I underestimated myself… I didn’t believe in myself and I was seeing myself weaker than others, which is unbelievable. Now I can understand tennis better.”

The charismatic and fiery right-hander led the ATP Tour with seven titles that year, including his maiden Grand Slam triumph at the US Open. He reached the pinnacle emphatically by winning the Rolex Paris Masters. Safin was the first player younger than 21 to win at least seven tour-level trophies in a season since Mats Wilander in 1983. With one more win at the Tennis Masters Cup [now named Nitto ATP Finals], Safin would have finished year-end No. 1, falling just short of Gustavo Kuerten. Safin spent three stints — with the final one ending in April 2001 — at top spot lasting a combined nine weeks.

Additionally, his sister, Dinara, climbed to the top of the WTA Rankings on 20 April 2009, marking the only time in history that a brother and sister have reached the summit of the sport.

Grand Slam Highlights
Safin only made one quarter-final in his first nine Grand Slam appearances. But the 20-year-old broke through in a major way at the 2000 US Open.

After battling past Gianluca Pozzi and Sebastien Grosjean in five-setters in the second and third rounds, respectively, Safin found the level that showed his incredibly high ceiling. In the final, the Russian blasted through Pete Sampras, then a four-time US Open champion, in straight sets. Sampras had won eight consecutive Slam finals he played, but Safin did not lose serve and he broke the American four times in a 98-minute blitz.

“Whatever I tried, he had the answers,” Sampras said. “With his game, as big as he hits the ball, when he’s on, he’s very, very tough to beat.”

The 6’4” righty, who remains the tallest World No. 1 in history, reached the Australian Open final in 2002 and 2004, but he did not lift another major trophy until returning to Melbourne in 2005, when he lost only three games against a 17-year-old Novak Djokovic in the first round, squeaked past top seed Roger Federer in a four-hour, 28-minute semi-final and rallied past Lleyton Hewitt for the trophy. That was Safin’s final Slam triumph.

Nitto ATP Finals Highlights
Safin competed in the Tennis Masters Cup, which has since been renamed the Nitto ATP Finals, three times (2000, 2002, 2004). His best performance came in Lisbon in 2000, when he reached the semi-finals with a 2-1 round-robin record.

Had Safin gone 3-0 in round-robin play or defeated Andre Agassi in the semi-finals, the Russian would have finished year-end No. 1. Instead, Agassi beat Safin 6-3, 6-3 to reach the final and Kuerten completed the season with 75 more points.

Another standout moment for Safin at the season finale came in Houston in 2004, when he played a 38-point tie-break against Roger Federer, who won the match 6-3, 7-6(18). That remains tied for the longest tour-level tie-break.

ATP Masters 1000 Highlights
The powerful Safin won five Masters 1000 titles in his career, with the last four of those crowns coming indoors. His first victory at the elite level came in 2000 at the Rogers Cup.

The Russian’s greatest Masters 1000 hunting ground was the Rolex Paris Masters, where his overwhelming game thrived. Safin won 23 of his first 25 matches in Paris, making the 1999 final, in which he lost to World No. 1 Agassi as a 20-year-old.

The next year, Safin won a thrilling final against fellow big-hitter Mark Philippoussis 3-6, 7-6(7), 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(8). Safin, who also lifted the Paris trophy in 2002 and 2004, completed his career at the Masters 1000. He retired in 2009 after losing a three-setter against Juan Martin del Potro in the second round.

Biggest Rivalries
Marat Safin was born 13 months earlier than Lleyton Hewitt. Although the two could not be more different — in game or personality — they followed similar paths to the top of the game. Almost exactly one year after Safin became the youngest World No. 1 in history, Hewitt did the same.

“Marat is a lot more powerful. Lleyton has the quickness and the heart” Sampras said after the 2000 US Open final. “It’s two contrasting personalities and styles. But it will be an interesting match if those guys ever play.”

Safin and Hewitt finished their ATP Head2Head rivalry tied 7-7, with two of those matches coming in individual tournament finals (they also played in the final of the World Team Cup). Safin won on both occasions, defeating his Aussie rival at the 2002 Rolex Paris Masters and the 2005 Australian Open.

Safin told ATPTour.com that one player who gave him fits was Fabrice Santoro, who won seven of their nine meetings.

“He played ugly the first time I saw him [at 1999 Washington]. I walked on the court and he toyed with me,” Safin said. “He got into my mind and throughout my career I was going on court knowing he knew where I was going to play. I got paranoia playing against him.”

Overall Match Win-Loss Record: 422-267
Overall Titles/Finals Record: 15-12

Legacy
Safin did not dominate the ATP Tour as some thought he could with his powerful game, but he will go down as one of his generation’s most memorable players. In terms of his tennis, the Russian was capable of hitting a winner from virtually any spot on the court with any shot.

He was able to reverse a point’s momentum with one swing of his racquet, especially using his two-handed backhand. Safin was 6’4”, but he moved well enough to give himself time to unleash groundstrokes that pushed virtually any opponent back. The righty rarely swung out of his sneakers, utilising clean technique to get the most out of his game. Safin’s service stats didn’t come near measuring up against the likes of John Isner or Ivo Karlovic. But when the Russian was serving well, he put pressure on opponents, giving them few looks at returning aggressively.

Nobody will soon forget Safin’s behaviour on court, either. There was no fire and ice with Safin; it was always fire. He brought it with his blazing game, and complemented it with his fiery personality. After his career, the Russian admitted to breaking 1,055 racquets – his racquet sponsor had kept count! But nobody could take their eyes off him, making Safin a must-watch player even as his FedEx ATP Ranking slipped towards the end of his career. In 2020, he returned to the sport to inspire Daniil Medvedev and Karen Khachanov as captain of Russia at the inaugural ATP Cup.

Memorable Moment
The 2000 Paris final was the culmination of Safin’s rise. The 20-year-old proved against Philippoussis in the final that he not only had the talent to beat the best in the game, but the will to battle through adversity in the biggest moments.

Safin left everything on the court — including blood, from diving for a volley — to emerge victorious after three hours and 29 minutes. The fifth-set tie-break was a classic, as Safin, sporting a bandage over his right eyebrow, triumphed when Philippoussis mis-hit a final forehand. When the next FedEx ATP Rankings came out, Safin became the youngest World No. 1 in history, with Hewitt taking that record at 20 years, nine months the following year.

Yevgeny Kafelnikov on Safin
“Marat’s game was unlimited. I think everyone will tell you the same thing, that Marat’s game was very flashy and his game was very unlimited. He could have done a lot better than he has achieved, I think.”

Jimmy Connors on Safin
“He was emotional, played with passion. That is what drew me to him. Colourful, yes. Charismatic, yes. Controversial, yes. Great tennis player, no doubt. All reasons why when Marat took the court, you wanted to have the best seat in the house, never knowing what you were going to get. The tennis you expected. Everything else was a bonus. I for one loved the show.”

Safin On Being Inducted Into The International Tennis Hall Of Fame
“We had ups and downs, we cried, we broke racquets, we shouted some words, we threw the balls out of the court, we insulted the referees, only sometimes,” Safin said, cracking a laugh. “But this is a part of our life. I’m just so pleased to be part of it. It’s a huge honour to be inducted and be part of history.”

Broadcaster/Journalist Graeme Agars
When Marat Safin was in full flight on the tennis court, he was a sight to behold. Tall, powerful and aggressive, he could make any player look ordinary as he did when he straight-setted the great Pete Sampras in the 2000 US Open final.

Unfortunately for the Russian, and fortunately for the rest of the players, he was not known for consistency of performance. One day unbeatable, the next day a racquet-tossing bundle of frustration as things didn’t go his way. Either way there was rarely a dull moment when he was in action.

The mercurial Russian holds some unique distinctions. Standing an impressive 6’4”, he is the tallest player to have ever achieved the No. 1 ranking and along with WTA No. 1 Dinara Safin, is half of the only brother and sister act to hold the top ranking in both men’s and women’s tennis.

After tennis he was elected to the Russian Parliament and served at both the Russian Tennis Federation and the Russian Olympic Committee. In 2016 he became the first Russian to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Stan Wawrinka has been made to work to reach the semi-finals at the I.CLTK Prague Open By Moneta.

The World No. 17, who is kicking off his restart at the ATP Challenger Tour event in Prague, was forced to fight through a deciding set once again on Thursday. One day after rallying from a set down to reach the quarter-finals, Wawrinka survived a stern test from India’s Sumit Nagal 2-6, 6-0, 6-1 to advance to the last four.

Wawrinka overcame Nagal after one hour and 19 minutes, as the Indian No. 1 sailed a forehand long on match point. In his two previous victories, the former World No. 3 emitted an emphatic scream as he crossed the finish line. But, on Thursday, it was a far more muted celebration that came from a relieved Wawrinka as he secured his spot in the semis.

Watch Prague Hot Shot: De Greef Strikes Tweener In The Rain

After five months without competing in a professional tournament, Wawrinka understands that these wins will not come easy. For him, battling through the challenging moments are what’s most important as he looks to rediscover his elite form.

“It was a tough start again,” said Wawrinka. “I was not feeling the ball very well and it was flying a lot on me. Again, it’s good to win another match and to do it in three sets gives me more time on the court. It’s all positive.

“I was playing better in the second and third sets, making him play a lot more balls,” Wawrinka said of Vrbensky. “In the first set I was missing a lot. I’m still far away from my level and that’s why I’m here, to keep improving day by day. The conditions are good and I’m happy to play in the semi-finals tomorrow.”

Wawrinka was broken twice in the first set and struggled to find his rhythm from the baseline. But as the match wore on, the World No. 17 raised his level and refused to drop his serve again. Despite gaining much confidence from his three deciding-set victories this week, he will hope for a more straightforward match on Friday. Michael Vrbensky, a 20-year-old Czech wild card, will be his semi-final opponent.

Photo: Martin Sidorjak/Prague Open 2020

“I watched him play in the match before mine, against Ymer, and he plays well. He’s really solid and was trying to be aggressive. It’s going to be a tough match. At my age, I usually play against younger players, so I’m used to it. It’s good to see these young players coming up and I’m looking forward to playing against him for the first time.”

Vrbensky also fought through a three-set encounter to reach the semis, upsetting Elias Ymer 6-2, 3-6, 6-4. Having won a mere four matches at the Challenger level entering the tournament, the World No. 405 is enjoying a breakthrough week on home soil.

Vrbenksy’s first career semi-final will be a special one against Wawrinka. Not only is this his first meeting with a Top 100 opponent, but with a spot in the championship on the line it is certainly a match he will never forget.

“This feels great,” said Vrbensky. “It’s a great opportunity and we’ll see what happens tomorrow.”

The other semi-final will feature third seed Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Russia’s Aslan Karatsev. The former World No. 36 Herbert overcame Tallon Griekspoor 7-5, 5-7, 6-3, while Karatsev upset Henri Laaksonen 7-6(3), 6-4. It will be their first meeting.

It was one year ago that Marco Cecchinato was playing the best tennis of his career. A third ATP Tour title saw him soar inside the Top 20 of the FedEx ATP Rankings. It was a breakthrough moment for the Italian.

Now, the 27-year-old is fighting to rediscover that mojo on the court. After such a rapid rise from the ATP Challenger Tour, Cecchinato finds himself searching for that elite form as he targets a return to the top levels of the game. He is hoping a deep run this week in Todi will go a long way to those ends.

On Thursday, Cecchinato advanced to the quarter-finals at the Internazionali di Tennis Città di Todi. He defeated Juan Pablo Ficovich 6-3, 6-4 in one hour and 15 minutes, riding his serve to victory. Cecchinato won an impressive 82 per cent of first serve points and did not face a break point.

Sitting at No. 113, the Palermo native would return to the Top 100 with a title this week. He faces seventh seed Yannick Hanfmann on Friday, following the German’s 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 comeback win over 18-year-old Lorenzo Musetti.

In other action, Spain’s Bernabe Zapata Miralles routed top seed and countryman Roberto Carballes Baena 6-2, 6-1 in just 68 minutes. It marked the third straight season that Zapata Miralles has earned a Top 100 victory.

“I didn’t expect such a victory today,” said Zapata Miralles. “I played very well, putting into practice the tactics I had prepared before the tournament. I was facing an opponent who is comfortable on clay and the points were very long. But I’m very happy to have won them. Here in Todi I am expressing myself very well on the court. It is not easy after the long break on the circuit. I know that I can play with everyone but I want to continue thinking match by match.”

The 23-year-old Spaniard will face fifth seed Facundo Bagnis for a spot in the semis. Bagnis earned a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Giulio Zeppieri earlier on Thursday.

J.J. Wolf may not be able to play in his home city this year, but that did not stop the Cincinnati native from producing his best level in qualifying at the Western & Southern Open in New York.

In the first day of qualifying at the ATP Masters 1000 event, the wild card needed just 52 minutes to eliminate 11th seed Egor Gerasimov of Belarus 6-3, 6-1 on Grandstand. The 21-year-old, who captured two ATP Challenger Tour trophies earlier this year, converted each of his four break points to claim his spot in the final qualifying round for the third straight year.

Standing between Wolf and a place in the main draw is Spain’s Jaume Munar. The 2018 Next Gen ATP Finals semi-finalist made a quick start against 17th seed Federico Delbonis, before closing out the contest 6-1, 7-6(3).

Jaume Munar beats Federico Delbonis in straight sets at the Western & Southern Open.” />

Munar’s countryman Pedro Martinez also secured a victory on his return to action, overcoming sixth seed Steve Johnson 6-3, 6-7(4), 6-2 after two hours and 25 minutes. Martinez saved each of the four break points he faced to book a meeting with Marton Fucsovics. The Hungarian beat #NextGenATP American Brandon Nakashima 6-2, 6-4 in 85 minutes.

France’s Gregoire Barrere will face Marcos Giron for a spot in the main draw. Both men cruised through to the final qualifying round, with Barrere defeating ninth seed Radu Albot 6-3, 6-2 and Giron charging past Laslo Djere of Serbia 6-2, 6-2.

Adelaide runner-up Lloyd Harris edged Mikael Ymer 7-5, 7-5 to confirm his spot in the final qualifying round. Harris will meet Andrej Martin in his next match, following the 30-year-old’s 6-2, 7-5 win against Rio Open presented by Claro finalist Gianluca Mager.

Soonwoo Kwon rallied from a set down to move past Andreas Seppi 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. The South Korean will face alternate Norbert Gombos for a place in the main draw. The 30-year-old defeated Stefano Travaglia 7-6(6), 4-6, 6-4.

Vincenzo Santopadre and Matteo Berrettini are like family, with the former coaching the latter for a decade.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, however, they had to improvise, with Santopadre and the rest of their team advising Berrettini through Zoom while the 2019 Nitto ATP Finals qualifier spent time in Florida. ATPTour.com catches up with Santopadre about that experience as well as what it will be like for him to not be in New York with his charge during the Western & Southern Open and the US Open.

Throughout the year you are always working hard with Matteo, but how did you approach a situation like this given the circumstances in the world?
In every situation we try to figure out how to be better. We know somewhere there is always an opportunity to be better, we just have to look for it. Of course like anybody else, a good tennis player has to adapt to every situation. This kind of situation of course was terrible, it was not up to us. We just had to be patient and understand that not everything could be under our control. It’s the same as a tennis match. You can do whatever you want, you can do your best, but sometimes there are some things you have to accept. Our team’s philosophy, including Matteo, is the same in that way.

We continued to work because Matteo [was able to] work to solve 100 per cent his physical problems (hernia/groin)… He had to recover from the injury and then he had a chance to be aware of things that happened last year. The past two, three years went so fast. The things he did to become Top 10 in the world, it was a lot.

This time was so perfect to stop for a while and to realise the things he accomplished, because they were really important and of course he had to be happy about this. I think this time off was a very useful time to him and to us and we had a chance to do it by call because he was passing the lockdown in the States [until the end of May] and everybody on the team was at home in Europe.

It gave us a chance and every week we were having a team meeting on Zoom and we were working a lot on tactics, working together with Craig O’Shannessy and with the rest of the team on tactics. Maybe sometimes we don’t have time to work on this aspect. Of course we work every day on tactics. But we had a chance to concentrate on this.

I think right now he is ready to play. He is excited. Everybody is excited to restart. Of course we know that the situation can’t be the same as last year, but nobody wants it because we know the situation is different. We had a meeting regarding our aim for the Western & Southern Open and the US Open. I think the most important thing is finally he can feel again the smell of a tournament, to feel the stakes, to be in competition. He’s really enthusiastic to have the pleasure of being in competition.

What was working with Matteo on Zoom like?
It’s something that we never did before. But the thing is we were lucky because everybody in the team has been working with him for a long time, especially me. We don’t need to be together physically. Of course that’s much better, but if it happens that we’re distanced, I don’t think the distance was so [bad]. This distance was mostly because of our minds, not because of thoughts. We know each other so well. Of course for everybody we had to create a new model [during this time]. It was three months he stayed in the States, but we tried to let him [enjoy his time there in Florida] a little bit.

He was practising, he had the opportunity to be for a long period with his girlfriend, WTA player Ajla Tomljanovic. We had a chance also for everybody to have time to reflect a little bit and recharge. Staying on Tour all year long is really nice, but also tiring. We recharged and me and the team, we thought that the best chance was to get the opportunity to work on tactics and we didn’t need to be physically there [to do that]. We were working on statistics. It was something that we could do by chatting [on Zoom].

Are you able to tell us at all what you were working on with his tactics?
We worked a lot on serve and return because we think that of course the game is on those strokes and especially for Matteo. We concentrated ourselves on the beginning of the game.

Will you be coming to New York with Matteo?
I’m not because I don’t feel so comfortable. I’m getting older and older, I know that. To be there you have to consider everything. If I get positive there, I’d feel too far from Europe, from my hometown, from my sisters, from my son, from my daughter and I feel that this is a special moment. I feel more comfortable, more safe here. We are lucky because we have on the team also an assistant coach, Marco Gulisano, and Ramon Punzano, who is the physio. Of course he will have Ajla Tomljanovic, his girlfriend. I was lucky to feel I could decide this without any pressure and Matteo of course understood everything.

Matteo Berrettini, Vincenzo Santopadre” />

Will you still be using Zoom with Matteo while he is in New York?
Of course I will speak to him. [It’s not totally new because] once he was in St. Petersburg with Marco [without me]. I try to understand the moment and to feel if we need to talk a little bit more or a little bit less. Of course Marco is there and he can help, but of course I will speak to Matteo. Normally we have a relationship where we don’t have to [constantly] speak [to understand each other]. I for sure will speak to him or send messages trying to feel how things are, to help him, to understand how he’s feeling with his game.

What will be most important for him to do well as play begins?
To do well to me is if he stays [focussed] in the situation, to adapt. Normally we like to say he has to be ready. Every time he has to stay in the moment. This kind of situation [requires players] to be ready to play. You have to be happy to play. You have to be happy to come back on court and that’s what we shared with Matteo before he left: to stay in the moment and appreciate the opportunity, to be happy to be there.

Matteo likes to compete. He likes to be in tournaments. This is his first tournament since January because he just played in Melbourne. He lost in the second round and then he couldn’t play because he got injured. He wants to play again.

Even though you’ll be at home, what are you looking forward to the most? Last year, Matteo had a great tournament in New York, so are you excited to watch him compete there again?
I’m excited because we have special memories there, strong memories. Of course we know that our life is not lived remembering things, but they are special memories. I think there will be good vibes, even if I’m staying so many miles away in Rome. The distance is a lot, but I will feel like I am there.

Matteo had some great results before the US Open. But how much do you think his run to the semi-finals there changed him?
He had an unbelievable season. Of course he had some fantastic tournaments on grass, he won in Budapest, played the final in Munich, but to me in Wimbledon… after that [fourth-round] match against Federer he was able to understand that he was coming and almost ready to jump [towards the top of the game].

The US Open for me was the result that helped him and me and everybody to realise, seeing the result, seeing how he got there and how he performed, that he was a fantastic player… At the US Open, he had such a tough tournament, best of five in heavy conditions, it was hot. He was playing well. He was suffering. Since that tournament he realised that he is a very, very, very good player.

With the ATP Tour returning this week at the Western & Southern Open, players will want to get off to a quick start. Early momentum, especially at an ATP Masters 1000 event, could prove key to a strong end to the season.

But according to Gil Reyes, who is known for his work as Andre Agassi’s strength and conditioning coach, players should not get too far ahead of themselves if they don’t come out of the gates firing.

“No one pulled away from you while you were out. Don’t panic, just play. As you were. Pick up where you were because you had no other choice,” Reyes told ATPTour.com. “You don’t have many matches under your belt… My advice is just the facts themselves: nobody else has been playing, either. You want to win, but so do they. You’re not as sharp, but neither are they. You’re rested, but so are they.

“I’m not sure that anyone is really ready because nobody’s had to go through this before. It’s hard to measure anything now because there is no precedent for this… Nobody really knows. When you get out there, get ready to run.”

Reyes points out that it’s normal for athletes to have time off when they’re hurt. But during that time a player wonders whether the pack is closing in or pulling away. In this special circumstance, everyone has been out of competition.

“You need to get out there, you need to get your matches. Mentally you’re behind because you’re seeing peers playing and in this case nobody’s playing. That’s going to be a tough thing mentally for everybody,” Reyes said. “This is unique in the sense that everybody is coming out shaking off the cobwebs.”

Reyes described tennis as a sport of timing and reflex, from the hand-eye coordination to the geometry and the physics that are employed in points. Players use angles, spin, speed, calculate the bounce and more. It will be a lot to process immediately in a live match for the first time, making maintaining positivity essential.

“Don’t expect yourself to be match sharp because you’re not going to be,” Reyes said. “But hope everything else is ready, because it won’t be long before they open all the gates and here we go.”

A player whom Reyes works with in Las Vegas from time to time is 36-year-old Spaniard Fernando Verdasco. The veteran visited with Reyes just before the ATP Tour was suspended due to COVID-19 in March. The fitness coach says one of the big keys for the Spaniard during this time was maintaining his physicality.

“His calling card is his strength, his physicality. If you ask 10 people to describe his game, I’m going to guess nine would say power,” Reyes said. “When he was here we certainly discussed wear and tear. It will be a detriment to you if you push and you redline on every workout because now you’re asking your body to endure.

“Fernando just needs to stay fit for sure, stay strong. You’re not going to forget how to play. He’s been hitting since he was a little boy and hitting in a pretty unique way, so he just does it. He doesn’t need to play and work so much. He just needs to stay physically sharp because that is connected directly to his and every athlete’s head. They know when they feel good and strong out there and they know when they don’t.”

Reyes is interested to see how the return plays out.

“I think everybody is going to be ready. I really do. I think the war horses are going to be ready because they’re rested. I think the young warriors are going to be chomping at the bit because they haven’t been playing. I think it’s going to be really good,” Reyes said. “We don’t know about the timing in the first tournament or two, but I think this will in a weird way produce some good results physically for our tennis athletes.”