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Fognini On Fatherhood: 'It Is The Best Dream'

  • Posted: Jun 09, 2020

Fognini On Fatherhood: ‘It Is The Best Dream’

Off-court happiness has gone hand in hand with on-court success for the Italian

Fabio Fognini underwent arthroscopic surgery on both his ankles less than two weeks ago. But for the Italian, this is still one of the best moments of his life. In the past three years Fognini and his wife, former WTA professional Flavia Pennetta, have welcomed their first two children.

“It’s really nice. It’s the most beautiful thing that could happen in my life at the moment,” Fognini told ATP Uncovered presented by Peugeot. “It is the best dream probably for people when they get married.”

Their son, Federico, was born in May 2017, and their daughter, Farah, was born last December. It’s difficult to be away from home when he is competing on the ATP Tour, but Fognini has loved every minute of fatherhood.

“I think I’m unlucky and lucky, because of course when I’m home I enjoy [being with my family] as best I can. But when I’m away, I’m lucky, because Flavia told me that the first one started to be unstoppable, running everywhere,” Fognini said, cracking a laugh. “[He] started talking, he started to be jealous with the second one. It’s a tough [situation].

“I’m lucky because my wife was playing tennis, so she understands every situation that can happen during the tournament when you travel. We are happy. We are really happy.”

The Italian’s off-court happiness has gone hand in hand with on-court success. Last season was the best of Fognini’s career. At the 2019 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, he became the first Italian ATP Masters 1000 champion. 

“I dreamed for it for sure,” Fognini said. “Since when I was 14, I’ve lived really [close to] Monte Carlo. It’s just 40 minutes away. I will keep this moment [in my memory] for sure.”

ATP Heritage: Milestones. Records. Legends.

In June 2019, then 32, Fognini became the oldest player to crack the Top 10 of the FedEx ATP Rankings for the first time since 1973. He also became just the third Italian to break into the Top 10 (Matteo Berrettini joined him later in the season).

“I’m in the best period of my career. I won many matches and I try to keep pushing myself every week as much as I can,” Fognini said. “I stay competitive with the best guys on Tour, so until I don’t have energy to practise and to wake up with a different goal, I’m going to push myself.”

For now, Fognini, who has already revealed on social media signs of progress since his ankle surgeries, is focussing his time on family, much to Pennetta’s delight.

“For the moment, we cannot do anything. We just practise at home, play with the baby, clean the house,” Pennetta said of what they’ve been doing during the pandemic, before cracking a smile. “He’s really good. He helps me a lot. I’m really happy about that.”

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Nadal, Gasol Raise More Than €14m In Fight Against COVID-19

  • Posted: Jun 09, 2020

Nadal, Gasol Raise More Than €14m In Fight Against COVID-19

Spanish stars launched #NuestraMejorVictoria campaign in March

Mission accomplished. On 27 March, Rafael Nadal and Pau Gasol joined forces to launch the #NuestraMejorVictoria (Our Best Victory) campaign, which they hoped would encourage Spanish sport to donate money to the fight against COVID-19. In an initiative that formed part of the #CruzRojaResponde (Red Cross Responds) project, the goal was to raise €11m and help citizens who were in need during the pandemic.

Last Saturday, during an Instagram Live chat, Nadal and Gasol confirmed that the money raised exceeded €14m, far surpassing the goal they had set at the beginning of the initiative.

“Between us all, we have managed to do something important and beautiful,” said Nadal. “Not only the money raised, which exceeded €14m, but also the solidarity and teamwork shown during difficult times. What you and I did between us was light the flame and contribute our grain of sand. Thank you to all those who wanted to be part of this beautiful and important initiative”.

Tennis At Home | How ATP Players Make The Most Of Stay At Home

As well as the whole of Spanish sport, the #NuestraMejorVictoria campaign enjoyed the support of other athletes — such as World No. 1 Novak Djokovic — who wanted to help during these complicated times.

“We value things when we can’t have them,” said Nadal. “From this crisis, what we should learn is not to get so annoyed or frustrated about things that are really relatively unimportant. Personally, I found it hard, we’ve been on pause for two and a half months. I was with my sister, my wife… For people who are still working at home on their computers I think it has been a little less difficult, because they killed at lot of time doing what they’re used to. In my case, it is different, moving from one place to another non-stop, travelling, and suddenly it was such a complete shutdown that I needed time to take it in.”

“I’m going through a process of recovery and rehabilitation, I didn’t have that hunger to play and compete,” said Gasol. “I was used to moving a lot, it gave me good times and bad.”

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Finally, Nadal and Gasol enjoyed a moment of fun when they remembered how they met, many years ago now, before going on to forge a great friendship.

“It was at a Nike event in Barcelona where we were judges,” said Gasol. “They were doing tricks and juggling, you were just starting out, a 16 or 17-year-old young gun. I remember that you were a very young boy. You were very quiet, very shy.”

”At the time, I was a nobody and you were the star that appeared on television. I was the little one,” said Nadal.

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Watch Nick Kyrgios' Stuttgart Tweeners, Screamer Past Federer

  • Posted: Jun 09, 2020

Watch Nick Kyrgios’ Stuttgart Tweeners, Screamer Past Federer

The Aussie has put on a show in his two MercedesCup appearances

Nick Kyrgios has only competed at Stuttgart’s MercedesCup twice, but he has certainly put on a show for the German fans.

The Aussie has hit several jaw-dropping tweeners at the ATP 250, stunning Matteo Berrettini, Maximilian Marterer and Feliciano Lopez.

But Kyrgios’ most memorable Stuttgart moment came in 2018, when he reached the semi-finals. He hit an incredible forehand passing shot against Roger Federer in their final-set tie-break, but the Swiss star rallied for a 6-7(2), 6-2, 7-6(5) victory. It was a critical match for Federer, who clinched a return to No. 1 in the FedEx ATP Rankings by beating Kyrgios.

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Challenger At Home: Marcos Giron

  • Posted: Jun 09, 2020

Challenger At Home: Marcos Giron

Today’s ATP Challenger Tour stars discuss how they have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, providing an exclusive glimpse into life at home.

Marcos Giron talks about life with his girlfriend in San Diego, how an assault bike is keeping him in shape, the movie he can’t stop watching and why he’s itching to get back on tour. The 26-year-old American also answers questions from fans and is grilled with a quarantine edition of Rapid Fire…

Marcos Giron can taste it. No, we’re not talking about the grilled shrimp burrito from the Taco Stand in his native Los Angeles. Sitting at a career-high No. 102 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, Giron remains on the precipice of fulfilling one of his career ambitions. It’s right there for the 26-year-old. When the balls start flying once again, there is no doubt that Giron will be ready.

“Last year was a huge breakout year for me, starting outside the Top 300 and being able to go to No. 102,” said Giron. “I’m on the cusp of breaking through and playing more ATP Tour events. When the tour comes back, I’m going to be hungry to go. I’m in the prime of my career, I’ll be prepared and I’m positioned well.”

After entering the 2019 season outside the Top 300 of the FedEx ATP Rankings, the Southern California native found his best tennis in the 12 months to follow. His campaign was bookended by a pair of ATP Challenger Tour titles in Orlando and Houston and included a deep run at the BNP Paribas Open, where he scored his first Top 30 win over Alex de Minaur.

It was in the Houston Challenger final that Giron scored the comeback of the year, saving six match points to stun Ivo Karlovic, rallying from 1/6 down in the deciding tie-break. The victory would secure his spot in a fourth straight Grand Slam main draw at the 2020 Australian Open.

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Giron has been staying with his girlfriend in San Diego since March. Taking in the pristine weather and enjoying time with loved ones has taken priority over the past few months. The former UCLA standout admits that this experience has given him a new appreciation for the moments with those closest to him.

“I think it’s a good time to go back to the ones you love and spend time with them. As tennis players, you’re not always able to do that. To be able to appreciate what we have is important. With tennis, you’re always on the road and sleeping in a different bed.

“My goal is to be as prepared as possible for tennis to resume. It’s been involving a lot more running and using the assault bike, so I can improve my endurance and speed… I just miss the battle on tour. The highs are high and the lows can be low. Being able to have a hard-fought match and coming out on top is what I miss most.”

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Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray among ATP & WTA stars in domestic events

  • Posted: Jun 08, 2020

With the professional tours on hold until at least August because of the coronavirus pandemic, the world’s top players are looking for alternative ways to keep match sharp.

The future – in the short term at least – appears to be domestic and regional exhibition tournaments between players based in the same part of the world.

With fundraising, trash-talking and changeover chats with online fans, tennis is back with a twist.

Where are they being held? And who is playing?

Britain

Seven-time Grand Slam doubles champion Jamie Murray has organised a Battle of the Brits exhibition event for the leading British men, with Andy Murray, Dan Evans and Kyle Edmund also taking part.

In the singles, the eight players will be split into two groups for round-robin matches, leading to semi-finals and the final.

“This is the first time these guys have come together to compete against each other,” Jamie Murray told several UK newspapers. “They have been trash-talking about this for quite a few weeks.”

The event, which hopes to raise at least £100,000 for the NHS Charities Together fund, will be televised on Amazon Prime.

Dates: 23-28 June. Venue: National Tennis Centre, Roehampton

The Lawn Tennis Association has organised four separate tournaments for men and women over consecutive weekends in July.

Sixteen players will compete in each knockout singles tournament, with matches being played over two sets and a deciding match tie-break if needed.

They are open to the highest-ranked players with LTA membership, although British women’s number one Johanna Konta is not expected to enter.

Dates: 3-26 July. Venue: National Tennis Centre, Roehampton

Balkans

Serbia’s world number one Novak Djokovic is behind a tournament also featuring world number three Dominic Thiem and world number seven Alexander Zverev.

An initial 1,000 tickets were sold in seven minutes for the first leg of the Adria Tour which takes place on clay in Belgrade this weekend, with strict health and safety measures in place.

The eight-man, round-robin tournament will raise funds for charitable causes, including childhood development and education programmes run by Djokovic’s foundation, with further events set for Montenegro, Croatia and Bosnia.

Dates: 13 June-5 July. Venues: Belgrade, Zadar, Montenegro, Banja Luka

France

With many players based in the glamorous surroundings of the French Riviera, leading coach Patrick Mouratoglou is using his training academy near Cannes to bring together several well-known faces to compete in the Ultimate Tennis Showdown.

Greek world number six Stefanos Tsitsipas is one of three top-10 ranked players, alongside Italy’s Matteo Berrettini and Belgium’s David Goffin, signed up to the five-week event.

Mouratoglou says the players have been chosen “because of their personality” as well as their ability, with the event promising to create a unique digital experience for fans.

That includes players wearing microphones and subscribers asking them questions at changeovers.

Dates: Starts 13 June. Venue: Mouratoglou Tennis Academy, Cannes.

Czech Republic

Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova and world number three Karolina Pliskova headline a charity team tournament featuring five players in the WTA’s top 50.

The Elite Trophy will run over four weekends, with two teams of six players facing off in three singles and one doubles match each weekend.

Dates: 13 June-27 July. Venue: Prague.

Spain

A men’s tournament between the “best Spanish players in the world rankings” was announced last month – but Rafael Nadal is not expected to be among them.

Members of the victorious Davis Cup team, including world number 12 Roberto Bautista Agut, are expected to play in a league format over four weekends.

A women’s event was announced shortly after, although it is thought Australian Open finalist Garbine Muguruza will not take part.

Dates: 15 July-9 August. Venue: Various.

United States

Up to 500 fans (20% of the stadium capacity) will be able to watch Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin, along with former Grand Slam champions Kim Clijsters and Sloane Stephens, take part in the World Team Tennis event.

Nine teams representing American cities, including New York and Chicago, will play in the mixed gender event.

A 63-match season will be played over 19 consecutive days, with the semi-finals and final to follow.

Dates: 12 July-2 August. Venue: The Greenbrier, West Virginia.

Germany

With Wimbledon and the British grass-court season cancelled, the first event of the year on the surface will be held in Berlin.

Australia’s Nick Kyrgios and German world number seven Alexander Zverev are the star attractions on the men’s side, while Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina and Dutch world number seven Kiki Bertens lead the women’s field.

“I am curious to see where I stand with my tennis,” said Zverev.

The competition will be held on grass at the Steffi Graf Stadium from 13-15 July, then switch to hard court in a hangar at Berlin’s Tempelhof Airport from 17-19 July.

Dates: 13-19 July. Venue: Berlin

What is it like to play in these events?

Several regional events have already been held, including a smaller tournament in Prague which was won by Kvitova.

“The fact that there were only Czech girls in the tournament wasn’t unusual for me,” said the world number 12.

“It was very unusual to see people wearing gloves, face masks, towels not being handed over by ball girls, not shaking hands, but most importantly, that it was without spectators.

“The atmosphere wasn’t what we are used to, but I think all went well. After all that happened it was an amazing tournament.”

How have these events been made safe?

Although national guidelines to safely playing tennis differ between countries, there are a number of common rules which are likely to be followed across the world:

  • No spectators, no line judges or ball kids
  • Stay at least two metres away from other players, during play and changeovers
  • No shaking hands or high fives between players

However, some events – including Djokovic’s Adria Tour and the World Team Tennis event – are allowing a small number of fans who will sit apart at safe distances.

How do these events affect the ATP and WTA tours?

Prize money is available at some of the events – including the LTA-organised one in Britain – which will provide much-needed income to many players.

No ranking points are available as they are classed as exhibitions outside the ATP and WTA tours.

Both tours are broadly supportive of domestic tournaments, providing they meet health and safety requirements.

“We understand these are attractive opportunities for our players to play some competitive matches and earn some income,” said the ATP.

“We welcome the opportunity for live sports and live tennis to resume as it has certainly been missed,” added the WTA.

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Five Things To Know About Hubert Hurkacz

  • Posted: Jun 08, 2020

Five Things To Know About Hubert Hurkacz

Learn about the Pole’s career achievements, social media activity and more

Hubert Hurkacz is a Top 30 player with one ATP Tour title and five Top 10 victories.

ATPTour.com looks at five things you should know about the 23-year-old.

1) He Ended A National Title Drought In Winston-Salem
At the 2019 Winston-Salem Open, Hurkacz became the first Polish man to win an ATP Tour singles title since Wojtek Fibak in 1982. After coming from a set down to defeat Duckhee Lee in his opening match, the third seed overcame 16th seed Feliciano Lopez, 10th seed Frances Tiafoe, second seed Denis Shapovalov and top seed Benoit Paire to claim the ATP 250 trophy.

“That is a lot of time [without a Polish champion]. I am so glad that I have been able to win an ATP Tour event,” said Hurkacz. “I hope many more guys will join me soon and that I will win some more. It means a lot to me and I am glad that I won this tournament here.”

Hubert Hurkacz is the 14th first-time champion on the ATP Tour this year.

2) He Began 2020 In Top Form
Hurkacz made an impressive start to the 2020 ATP Tour season, winning his opening six matches of the year.

Despite holding the lowest FedEx ATP Ranking of the No. 1 singles players in his group, the 23-year-old finished the inaugural ATP Cup with a 3-0 record in singles. Hurkacz recovered from a set down to beat Top 15 stars Dominic Thiem and Diego Schwartzman, and he dropped just four games against Borna Coric.

The Pole continued his run of form at the ASB Classic in Auckland, beating Lorenzo Sonego, Mikael Ymer and Feliciano Lopez to reach the last four in New Zealand.

Tennis At Home | How ATP Players Make The Most Of Stay At Home

3) He Enjoys A Social Media Challenge
During lockdown, many ATP Tour stars have used some of their free time to participate in social media challenges. Hurkacz is no exception.

After being nominated for the #thefloorislava challenge, Hurkacz got creative. The Polish No. 1 posted his attempt on Instagram, showcasing his tennis skills while travelling around his apartment without touching the floor.

 

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Thanks @oskimichalek for nomination #thefloorislava ? I nominate @zielaczekk @steviej345 @klimekinc @atptour @wojtek_marek_ @zuniotennis @michal_przysiezny @johnrisner #tennisathome @grupa_lotos @emocjedopelna @yonex_tennis @tennistv

A post shared by Hubert Hurkacz (@hubihurkacz) on

4) He Found Immediate Success With Coach Craig Boynton
Hurkacz began working with Craig Boynton, former coach of Jim Courier and John Isner, at last year’s BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. Prior to that event, Hurkacz owned an 0-2 record at ATP Masters 1000 events.

In their first event together, Hurkacz defeated three consecutive Top 30 players to advance to his first Masters 1000 quarter-final.

“To work on new things together for the first time at tournaments is really difficult, but he was amazing at [processing] the information we went over,” said Boynton. “He put it to work very quickly and one thing led to another. The snowball got a little bigger and a little bigger and it was just something that kind of happened.”

In his second event alongside Boynton, Hurkacz beat Matteo Berrettini and Dominic Thiem in straight sets to reach the Miami Open presented by Itau third round.

5) Everyone Is Welcome In His Kitchen
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Hurkacz gave his fans an inside-look at one of his typical breakfast meals. The Pole, who made the decision to become a vegan over two years ago, used strawberries, cashews and a number of other ingredients to create the dish.

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ATP Coaches Launch Fan Experience

  • Posted: Jun 08, 2020

ATP Coaches Launch Fan Experience

Experiences include private coaching sessions with legendary ATP coaches

Members of the ATP Coach Programme in collaboration with ATP have launched a series of exclusive fan experiences in support of coaches affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The initiative, hosted on fundraising platform Givergy, gives tennis fans the opportunity to bid for once-in-a-lifetime experiences through auctions and prize draws. Experiences include private coaching sessions with legendary ATP coaches including Paul Annacone, Boris Becker, Darren Cahill, Brad Gilbert, Goran Ivanisevic, Ivan Lendl, Ivan Ljubicic, Carlos Moya, Patrick Mouratoglou and Marian Vajda. Sessions will take place onsite at 2021 ATP Tour and Grand Slam events and include a combination of match tickets, premium hospitality and unique behind-the-scenes access. Exclusive merchandise will also be made available on the platform.

The initial three-week bidding window will take place from 8-29 June 2020, with future rounds and experiences to be announced. Funds raised will be allocated by the ATP Coaches Committee to support the members of the ATP Coach Programme, whose ability to work has been impacted by the ongoing pandemic. In addition, a part of proceeds will be donated to a global COVID-19 relief fund.

“It is great to see coaches and tournaments offer some truly incredible and unique experiences to our fans,” said Andrea Gaudenzi, ATP Chairman. “The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged the ability of many people to work and coaches are no exception. The fact this initiative also helps fellow members of the tennis family during this uncertain time shows the unity and innovative spirit of tennis.”

“Coaches play a huge role in our sport and we wanted to do something creative to support the wider coaching community. I am proud so many tennis icons and tournaments are getting behind this,” said Dani Vallverdu, ATP Coach. “I am really excited for fans to enjoy these unique tennis experiences and hopefully leave with some unforgettable memories.”

For more information on available experiences and merchandise or to donate to the initiative please visit the Givergy website.

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Dan Evans says Novak Djokovic concerns over US Open restrictions only valid for top players

  • Posted: Jun 08, 2020

Britain’s Dan Evans has dismissed Novak Djokovic’s concerns over players having just one member of their team at the US Open as “not such a big deal”.

Organisers are considering restrictions so they can stage the New York event behind closed doors from 31 August.

World number one Djokovic thinks some of the safety protocols are “extreme”, and having only one person on site with him would be “really impossible”.

But Evans, 30, said: “There has to be a bit of give and take from the players.”

The British number one told BBC 5 Live Breakfast: “I don’t think having one person of your team only allowed is such a big deal – the majority of the draw would only travel with one coach.

“Not everyone’s travelling with physios and fitness trainers like Novak said, so I think his argument there is not really valid for the rest of the draw, apart from the real top guys.”

Defending champion Rafael Nadal says he currently has little desire to travel to New York, and does not think tournaments should resume until all players are able to travel freely and safely.

“It’s great what the ATP did with the Relief Fund but there’s nothing better than the prize money of the Grand Slams for the players to be receiving,” Evans continued.

“This is the point where I think the players should really come together and Novak and Rafa should really be looking to help those players with lower ranks so they get a good pay day.

“It’s obviously not all about money, it’s health involved here, but if it’s safe enough I don’t think having just a coach is a good enough reason not to be going to a tournament.”

The ATP is currently seeking the views of the players, with the United States Tennis Association likely to decide in the second half of June whether the US Open can go ahead this year.

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Federer, Nadal Lead Rich History In Stuttgart

  • Posted: Jun 08, 2020

Federer, Nadal Lead Rich History In Stuttgart

Learn more about the MercedesCup, an ATP 250 event

Alongside tournaments in Hamburg, Halle and Munich, the MercedesCup in Stuttgart is one of four German events on the ATP Tour calendar. The ATP 250 tournament, held at Tennis Club Weissenhof, switched from clay to grass in 2015.

The 2020 edition of the event would have been held this week, if not for the Tour suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

ATPTour.com looks at five things to know about the tournament.

1) A Week To Remember
After missing 11 weeks of the 2018 ATP Tour season, Roger Federer made a successful return to action in Stuttgart. Making his third straight appearance at the ATP 250 event, the Swiss defeated Mischa Zverev, Guido Pella and Nick Kyrgios to reach the final and guarantee a return to World No. 1 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. In the championship match, Federer saved both break points he faced to beat Milos Raonic 6-4, 7-6(3) for his maiden Stuttgart trophy.

Federer

2) One Last Victory For Haas
Tommy Haas may have defeated two Top 15 players en route to the 1999 championship match in Stuttgart, but the 6’2” right-hander’s biggest victory at the grass-court ATP 250 came in 2017. After battling past Pierre-Hugues Herbert in the first round, the wild card saved a match point to stun top seed Federer 2-6, 7-6(8), 6-4 in the Round of 16.

Haas withstood 23 aces and was forced to save nine of 12 break points to advance to his third quarter-final at the event. It proved to be the final victory of the German’s career, with Haas retiring from the sport at the Generali Open in Kitzbühel later that year.

“I’m a little bit speechless that I beat him today. It’s been a while since I have won back-to-back matches and to do it today against Roger is obviously one of my career highlights. It’s a very special feeling,” said Haas.

Haas

3) The Grass-Court Season Begins
Held the week after Roland Garros, alongside the Libema Open in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, the MercedesCup provides ATP Tour stars with a first opportunity to gain grass-court match experience during the 2020 ATP Tour season.

Since the tournament transitioned to grass in 2015, three of the four Stuttgart champions have followed their title runs with success at the NOVENTI OPEN in Halle. Federer, the 2018 champion, advanced to the championship match at the grass-court ATP 500 tournament, while 2016 winner Dominic Thiem and 2019 titlist Matteo Berrettini reached the last four in Halle.

Nadal

4) From Clay To Grass, Makes No Difference To Rafa
After a long tradition of clay-court tennis, the MercedesCup transitioned to grass in 2015 as part of an extended grass-court season. The change was welcomed by former World No. 2 Haas, who made seven appearances at the event during his career.

“I think it is great that they finally realised to make it a little bit of a longer grass-court season,” said Haas. “It is one of my favourite surfaces to play on, so that’s great, I think. It’s great for German tennis.”

Nadal twice won the title on clay before winning the inaugural grass-court event in 2015. In 2005, in his third appearance at the event, the Spaniard didn’t drop a set en route to the title, beating Gaston Gaudio 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 in the final. After returning two years later and taking out Stan Wawrinka 6-4, 7-5 in the final, Nadal had won 21 straight sets at the tournament.

Eight years would elapse before Nadal would return to Stuttgart for the first grass-court edition. He survived tough three-setters against Marcos Baghdatis and Bernard Tomic before beating Gael Monfils in the semis and Viktor Troicki in the final to extend his winning streak at the tournament to 14 matches.

5) An All-Star Honour Roll
Since 1978, Stuttgart has crowned a number of high-profile champions. In fact, seven former World No. 1s have lifted the trophy in Stuttgart: Bjorn Borg (1981), Ivan Lendl (1985), Andre Agassi (1988), Thomas Muster (1995, ’96), Gustavo Kuerten (1998, 2001), Rafael Nadal (2005, ’07, ’15) and Federer (2018) have all triumphed at the ATP 250 event.

Lendl (1985) and Kuerten (1997) also claimed the doubles trophy in Stuttgart. Other doubles winners include Jan Kodes and Tomas Smid (1978), Colin Dowdeswell and Frew McMillan (1979, ’80), Paul McNamee and Peter McNamara (1981), Sergio Casal and Emilio Sanchez (1988), Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares (2017) and John Peers and Soares (2019).

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Frenchmen Find Success At ‘s-Hertogenbosch

  • Posted: Jun 08, 2020

Frenchmen Find Success At ‘s-Hertogenbosch

Learn more about the Libema Open, an ATP 250 event

The Libema Open in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, which began at the inception of the ATP Tour in 1990, is one of only two Dutch events on the ATP Tour calendar.

The 2020 edition of the event would have been held this week, if not for the Tour suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

ATPTour.com looks at five things to know about the tournament.

1) The Grass-Court Season Begins
Held the week after Roland Garros, alongside the MercedesCup in Stuttgart, the Libema Open provides ATP Tour stars with a first opportunity to gain grass-court match experience during the ATP Tour season.

Several champions in ‘s-Hertogenbosch have gone on to achieve success at Wimbledon in the same year. In 2000, when the event was held in the week before The Championships, Patrick Rafter advanced to the championship match at SW19. Former champions David Ferrer and Gilles Muller also built on their title runs at the ATP 250 event, reaching the quarter-finals at the All England Club in 2012 and 2017, respectively.

Tennis At Home | How ATP Players Make The Most Of Stay At Home

2) Formidable Frenchmen
In recent years, French stars have enjoyed consistent success in ‘s-Hertogenbosch. The nation has accounted for five of the seven most recent champions at the tournament, with Nicolas Mahut (2013, ’15-’16), Richard Gasquet (2018) and Adrian Mannarino (2019) lifting the trophy. Since 2013, only Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain and Luxembourg’s Muller have broken the French hold on the tournament.

Mahut

3) A Dream Destination
Surrounded by trees and a tournament lake, the ATP 250 tournament provides a tranquil break from the usual fast-paced lifestyle required on the ATP Tour.

“The atmosphere here, I have to say, is almost like home,” said Marin Cilic. “I am just enjoying my time here and enjoying the nature.”

Tournament director Marcel Hunze also shared his memories of Michael Chang, who visited in 1989 after winning his maiden Grand Slam title at Roland Garros.

“The first time he came here, he liked it so much that he started fishing the whole day,” said Hunze.

4) Mannarino’s Moment
After losses in his opening six tour-level championship matches, Mannarino finally captured his maiden ATP Tour crown in ‘s-Hertogenbosch last year.

The Frenchman joined countrymen Gasquet and Mahut as recent French champions at the grass-court event, recording three consecutive comeback victories against seeded opposition. After a comfortable first-round win, Mannarino beat Fernando Verdasco, David Goffin and Borna Coric to reach the championship match. The left-hander saved six of seven break points to overcome Jordan Thompson in the final.

”People are going to stop talking [about my finals record]… This is a big achievement for me. I am not pretending to be Top 10 or anything. Winning a title on the ATP Tour level is already something amazing for me and I cannot be more thankful to all the people who helped me get to this title,” said Mannarino.

5) A Glimpse Into The Future
Since 1990, six future Wimbledon champions have appeared at the Autotron Rosmalen in the years before their success at SW19. Michael Stich, Richard Krajicek, Goran Ivanisevic, Lleyton Hewitt, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic all made appearances in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, as they attempted to sharpen their grass-court skills. In the year of their title runs at the All England Club, Stich, Krajicek, Ivanisevic and Hewitt each used the event as their final preparation ground for The Championships.

Lleyton Hewitt did not drop a set en route to the Libema Open title on his tournament debut in 2001.

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