Brit Salisbury and Ram reach doubles second round
Joe Salisbury and Rajeev Ram cruise into the second round of the men’s doubles at Wimbledon with a straight-set win.
Joe Salisbury and Rajeev Ram cruise into the second round of the men’s doubles at Wimbledon with a straight-set win.
How can a player prepare to face Novak Djokovic on Centre Court at Wimbledon?
Briton Jake Fearnley has had to answer that question since advancing to the second round on Tuesday to earn a place in the biggest match of his career. According to coach Juan Martin, who was Fearnley’s teammate for two years at Texas Christian University, it has been a team effort.
Fearnley has a big team around him, including Martin, Tennis Scotland coach Toby Smith, LTA coach Mark Hilton and TCU coaches Devin Bowen and David Roditi. The LTA physical staff and analytics team have also been among those involved in helping ready Fearnley for 24-time major champion Djokovic.
“Toby and Mark are very involved still, but even Jake agrees that it’s just better for him to have only one voice. All the coaches speak together and I act almost as a filter,” Martin said. “So far, we’ve all agreed on everything. I just communicate to Jake whatever the team is thinking.”
Before the Nottingham ATP Challenger Tour event last month, Fearnley had never won a match at that level. Now he will step on Centre Court at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday to play a man who has lifted the trophy at The Championships seven times.
“It’s very exciting. I think pretty much every tennis player, you talk about how you would play Novak. That’s just what you do. I think there’s so much stuff out there on how to prepare to play against Novak. Obviously there is not a lot of accurate information because the guy just takes you to the absolute limit,” Martin said. “But to be honest, we just have our plan ready and we’re going to try our best and Jake’s going to go out there and try to bring his game, bring it to him and see what happens.”
Fearnley’s focus will be on himself and playing the game to the best of his ability. For nearly two decades, Djokovic has frustrated opponents with his steady baseline play and timely offensive bursts. There is no plan for the home favourite to try to out-Djokovic the man himself.
“[Jake] has a big game. His game is just very aggressive, which I think fits for what Novak does to you,” Martin said. “I think that you need to be aggressive, you can’t just start rallying with the guy. He has a good game to play Novak I think, so that’s why I think that he needs to just focus on himself, do his thing and compete.
“We know what Novak wants to do, but you need to focus on yourself. I don’t think you’re going to beat him at his game and doing what he does. He’s probably the best tennis player to ever step on the court. So I think that you just need to take your game to the limit. It’s more on us to see what we can do.”
There is also the mental challenge of standing across the net from Djokovic. A couple of months ago, Fearnley was playing college tennis in the United States. Now he is facing a 98-time tour-level titlist with millions of fans around the world watching.
“I think that if you pick up a racquet as a kid, that’s your dream, to play on this court against Roger, Rafa or Novak. That’s pretty much what you want, what you dream of as a kid. I think that college is a great way to get you ready for that because there’s so much pressure, great rivalries. Your match is make it or break it,” Martin said. “I think that you just need to come from a place of gratefulness and enjoyment.”
[ATP APP]According to Martin, Fearnley has told him how excited he is for the opportunity. The coach recalled: “He was just telling me yesterday, ‘Wow mate, if you would have told me that I will play Novak on Centre Court at Wimbledon in five months I would have told you no way’. Obviously, he is incredibly excited, ready for tomorrow. He’s really looking forward to it. And he has a good team and good friends and family behind him.”
Fearnley said in a press conference after his first-round win: “It’s the biggest match of my career so far. Just to be able to share the court with a player like that will be really special.”
The plan is for the 22-year-old to head to Aorangi Park for 9:45 a.m. to get his equipment ready, preparing his shoes, ankle bracelets, wristbands, grips and anything else he needs. At 10, he will begin a physical warmup with some mobility work and then a warmup for his explosive movement. Fearnley will then practise from 10:30 until 11:30 a.m., eat a light lunch and get ready to take the court at 1:30 p.m.
As Martin said, this is a moment kids dream about.
“He’s still young. There’s still a long road ahead,” Martin said. “But he’s very clear, he’s here to win and we’re going to go for it.”
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Jannik Sinner defeats Matteo Berrettini in an epic Italian showdown to reach the third round at Wimbledon.
Watch highlights as Jannik Sinner beats Matteo Berrettini in a closely-contested encounter finishing 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-4) 2-6 7-7 (7-4) on Centre Court at Wimbledon.
A lot of the attention in tennis goes to the all-time greats like Novak Djokovic and ascendant stars including Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. But one of the most interesting stories in the sport belongs to 30-year-old American Marcos Giron.
Once a top junior in the United States and a college standout at UCLA, Giron underwent right hip surgery in December 2015 and left hip surgery in February 2016 to repair labral tears. Doctors shaved down his hip bones, which were wearing down cartilage.
More than eight years later, Giron is playing the best tennis of his career and proving that he can compete at the highest levels of the sport. The No. 46 player in the PIF ATP Rankings will try to show that again Thursday against fourth seed Alexander Zverev in the second round at Wimbledon.
“It’s been an amazing journey. There are a lot of people to thank for that, but I’m really proud of the effort, the drive and the consistency that I’ve put in throughout the years. It’s tough,” Giron told ATPTour.com. “Professional tennis is tough. You have to prove it every year. There are no handouts. Anybody can win on every given day and it’s tough. It’s amazing. In the end, I think I’ve been able to just keep improving over and over and over and keep believing in my ability.
“Of course, there are undulations to the year, it’s not always just straight up, but it’s kind of like the stock market I think, in a funny way. There are going to be some ups, there are going to be downs, but hopefully in the long run, you’re going to be better off.”
It has been the best season of Giron’s career. Among the players he has defeated are Andy Murray, Andrey Rublev, Matteo Berrettini, Denis Shapovalov and Frances Tiafoe. In February the home favourite reached the second ATP Tour final of his career at the Dallas Open.
“I’m really proud to not just have made the Top 100, but then to have been able to stay there. Also, each year, I feel like I’m improving. In this sport, you have to either improve or in a way you die. It’s kind of aggressive to say it that way, but you have to keep improving,” Giron said. “I feel like I’ve really done that. I’ve become more aggressive off my forehand, my backhand has gotten better, my backhand has gotten more aggressive. I return better. I’m 30, but it kind of feels like just a number that I don’t physically feel.
“I physically feel good. I understand the game better than ever and so I’m really fortunate to be healthy now, to have been healthy for the last several years and to keep improving and keep playing well.”
[ATP APP]Giron did not crack the Top 100 in the PIF ATP Rankings until August 2020, when he was 27 years old. There was a time while dealing with his hips that he even returned to UCLA as a volunteer assistant coach. Not only did he persevere to break through, but he continues to evolve. According to the American, a match between the current version of himself and the one that broke into the Top 100 would not be competitive.
“I think it’d be pretty bad. Honestly, I think the Marcos 1.0 would have been hurting a lot more on court,” Giron said. “He would have been running a hell of a lot more, I think maybe on a given day he would win. But I take 30-year-old Marcos most days of the week.”
For years, Giron has been a tough out on the court. Opponents knew they would have to beat him and that he would always make them work hard. But now the two-time ATP Tour finalist brings not just his competitive spirit, but a set of weapons with which he is able to attack those across the net.
“I feel like now my tennis does the talking,” Giron said. “It’s not that before I was a big talker necessarily, but I feel like I was able to hustle my way and fight through a lot more matches versus now, when I feel like I actually take it to my opponents.”
Giron on Thursday will face Zverev for a place in the round of Wimbledon. Their first Lexus ATP Head2Head encounter, at the 2021 Australian Open, went in the German’s favour after four sets. But that version of Giron is no more. He is plenty improved.
“I just try to be better than I was yesterday, honestly. Can I be the best version of myself every day? It’s kind of cliche, but it’s really hard. And you’ve got to be honest with yourself,” Giron said. “There’s always room to improve. Do I think I can be seeded at Slams? Absolutely. I don’t know what my ranking can be. But I know I can beat Top 10 players in the world. I know I can beat most players in the world. The challenge is doing it on a very consistent basis.
“I would love to be playing in the second week of Slams, to be playing for titles. I’ve made finals of a couple ATP events. I believe my game has the ability to do a lot of damage.”
Giron believes in viewing a glass as half full, not half empty. Through the ups and downs he always maintained belief. And now, nearly a decade on from hip surgeries that could have prevented him from pushing for his dreams, the American is among the very best players in the world.
“You’ve just got to give me a chance really,” Giron said. “I always feel like you’ve got to keep pushing. You’ve got to be relentless. I feel like I show that.”
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Italian Jannik Sinner earned a statement win at Wimbledon on Wednesday when he defeated countryman and former finalist Matteo Berrettini 7-6(3), 7-6(4), 2-6, 7-6(4) in an absorbing second-round clash.
Meeting for just the second time, both players ripped the ball from the baseline and looked to gain the first strike in the exchanges. There was little to separate the pair but Sinner drew backhand errors from Berrettini at key times, while he rallied from a break down in the second and fourth sets to reach the third round at Wimbledon after three hours and 45 minutes.
With his victory that came just 27 minutes before the 11 p.m. curfew, the top seed improved his perfect tour-level record against Italians to 14-0.
“First of all we are very good friends,” Sinner said. “We played Davis Cup together and we practise together, so it is very very tough we had to face in the second round in such an important tournament. Today was a very high-level match. In three tie-breaks I got a little bit lucky and I take it for today.”
𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗭𝗔 🇮🇹 @janniksin<a href=”https://twitter.com/Wimbledon?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@Wimbledon | <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/Wimbledon?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/6BoYr1XqJ3
— ATP Tour (@atptour) July 3, 2024
Berrettini spent the majority of time from 2019-2022 as the Italian No. 1, reaching the Wimbledon final in 2021. In June 2022, the eight-time tour-level titlist dropped out of the Top 10, with Sinner passing his countryman in the opposite direction two weeks later.
Since then, World No. 1 Sinner defeated Berrettini en route to winning his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title in Toronto and then clinched his first major crown at the Australian Open in January. In contrast, World No. 59 Berrettini has missed large periods through injury, with his best result a title run in Marrakech in April.
In a tight clash between two of Italy’s best-ever players, Sinner struck 32 winners and committed 25 unforced errors to earn his 40th tour-level win of the season. He withstood 28 aces and won 82 per cent of his first-serve points.
“We have spoken with the team a lot and I knew I had to raise my level,” Sinner said. “He played the final here and is a grass-court specialist. I was looking forward to it and it was a challenge to come on court and I am very happy with how I handled the situation. There were some ups and downs, which is normal in a five-set [match], but I am happy.”
[ATP APP]Sinner, who reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon last season, is chasing his second major title and Tour-leading fifth crown of the year. The former Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF champion will next play Miomir Kecmanovic after the Serbian beat 27th seed Tallon Griekspoor 4-6, 7-6(7), 1-6, 6-2, 6-3.
Sinner arrived in west London off the back of winning the title at the ATP 500 grass-court event in Halle. The 22-year-old has battled hard in his opening two matches at SW19, where he also eliminated Yannick Hanfmann in four sets.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Naomi Osaka pays the price for too many errors as she loses in straight sets to Emma Navarro.
Britain’s Jacob Fearnley remembers watching from the sofa when Novak Djokovic lost in the 2013 Wimbledon final – now he plays the seven-time champion.
Second seeds Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden are up and running at Wimbledon, where they are chasing their second major title of 2024.
The Indian-Australian duo defeated Sander Arends and Robin Haase 7-5, 6-4 in Wednesday’s opening round action at the All England Club. Already champions at the Australian Open and in Miami this year, Bopanna and Ebden are aiming for their fifth team title. Ebden won the 2022 Wimbledon crown alongside countryman Max Purcell.
Up next for the third team in the PIF ATP Live Doubles Race To Turin is German pair Constantin Frantzen and Hendrik Jebens, who overcame Pavel Kotov and Cristian Rodriguez 7-6(3), 7-6(3).
[ATP APP]In other action, a pair of Top 10 seeds suffered first-round upsets. Nicolas Barrientos and Francisco Cabral ousted 10th seeds Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek 7-6(4), 7-6(8) while Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten upset fifth seeds Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori 6-3, 6-4.
Eighth seeds Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz were 6-4, 6-2 winners against Luciano Darderi and Fernando Romboli. ‘s-Hertogenbosch champions Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow, seeded 12th, won the all-American clash against Marcos Giron and Alex Michelsen 6-3, 6-2.
Andy Murray and brother Jamie Murray will take Centre Court Thursday when they face Rinky Hijikata and John Peers.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Tomas Machac will not soon forget his start to the 2024 edition of The Championships.
Originally scheduled to face Andy Murray on Centre Court in the first round before the former World No. 1’s withdrawal, Machac rallied from 0-5 in the fifth set to defeat lucky loser David Goffin 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1, 7-6(10-5) on Wednesday.
[ATP APP]Machac had his back against the wall for much of the match, which was contested over two days. Goffin took a 6-3, 4-2 lead before play was suspended Tuesday evening. Machac lost the first two sets and trailed by a break on three separate occasions in the third set.
But the No. 39 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, who did not face a match point, rallied past the 2017 Nitto ATP Finals runner-up in three hours and 17 minutes. Both men earned nine service breaks in the match.
Machac will next play 2023 Wimbledon quarter-finalist Roman Safiullin, who also advanced from two sets down. Safiullin eliminated 26th seed Francisco Cerundolo 6-7(5), 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]