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#NextGenATP Seyboth Wild Shines In Santiago

  • Posted: Feb 25, 2020

#NextGenATP Seyboth Wild Shines In Santiago

All four main draw singles matches go the distance on Monday

Brazilian Thiago Seyboth Wild could be a player to watch in this year’s ATP Race To Milan. And on Monday, the 19-year-old showed why in Santiago.

The wild card defeated Argentine Facundo Bagnis 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 to reach the second round of the Chile Dove Men+Care Open. Seyboth Wild saved seven of the eight break points he faced to triumph after one hour and 47 minutes.

The teenager, who is at a career-high No. 182 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, entered the season with one tour-level win. But Seyboth Wild has earned a tour-level victory in consecutive weeks, defeating 2019 Next Gen ATP Finals competitor Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in a three-hour, 50-minute epic last week at the Rio Open presented by Claro.

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Seyboth Wild, who is pursuing his first ATP Tour quarter-final, will next play eighth seed Juan Ignacio Londero or Federico Coria.

Sixth seed Hugo Dellien also won a three-setter on the first day of main draw action, battling past 2018 Roland Garros semi-finalist Marco Cecchinato 6-3, 1-6, 6-3. Dellien will next play home favorite Marcelo Tomas Barrios Vera, a wild card, who rallied past Spanish qualifier Carlos Taberner 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.

Barrios Vera had never previously competed in an ATP Tour main draw. His only ATP Tour qualifying effort came last year in Antalya, where he lost in straight sets.

In the other singles match of the day, Roberto Carballes Baena won an all-Spanish clash against Jaume Munar 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, setting a second-round match against eighth seed Thiago Monteiro or Argentine Leonardo Mayer.

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Nadal On Acapulco: 'It's Always A Very Tough Draw Here'

  • Posted: Feb 25, 2020

Nadal On Acapulco: ‘It’s Always A Very Tough Draw Here’

World No. 2 is a two-time champion at this ATP 500

Rafael Nadal is back in action for the first time since the Australian Open at this week’s Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC. And although the World No. 2 is the top seed and a two-time former champion in Acapulco, he knows it’ll take a special effort to triumph at this ATP 500 event.

“It’s a very tough tournament. It’s one of the best tournaments of the world, one of the most beautiful tournaments of the world,” Nadal said. “That attracts the best players, so it’s always a very tough draw here. But that’s nice and that’s very positive for the tournament.”

Watch Nadal Pre-Acapulco Interview:

Nine of the Top 25 players in the FedEx ATP Rankings are in the draw, including five men who have cracked the Top 10 in their career.

Nadal has great memories in Acapulco, winning the title or reaching the final in three of his four appearances en route to a 15-2 record. The lefty’s 2005 title here was his third ATP Tour trophy, and he also triumphed in 2013, when he’d eventually finish as year-end World No. 1 for the third time. Both of his Acapulco triumphs came when the tournament was played on clay.

“This event was the biggest one until that moment that I won [in 2005]. After that I started to achieve a lot of important things. I won in Costa do Sauipe the week before and then I won here the week after,” Nadal said. “It was like the beginning of something special.

“When I won here in 2013 it was probably a key moment in my career because I came back after very long knee injury. I won in Sao Paulo, but with a lot of problems, without playing very well. But I came here and I played great again. Winning here made me feel confident again. Then I played very well in Indian Wells, too, so 2013 was even more special than 2005.”

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The event isn’t just special for Nadal because of what he’s accomplished on the court.

“[I speak the] same language. Nice people, always very friendly people. Every time that I am here I feel a little bit like [I am at] home,” Nadal said. “I enjoy being around here. I know the tournament, I know the people who organise the tournament and the crowd always has been amazing with me. So I’m very excited to be back here in Mexico. Enjoying every single moment and just hoping to be ready for the action.”

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Nadal Has Shot At No. 1 This Week

Nadal will begin his tournament against countryman Pablo Andujar. If he wins the tournament, marking his 85th tour-level title, Nadal will force Novak Djokovic to reach the semi-finals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships to retain World No. 1 next Monday. But no matter the results, the Spaniard expects to have a great time at the ATP 500 Tournament of the Year in the 2019 ATP Awards.

“I think everything is easy, everything is very close in front of the sea, inside the resort, good atmosphere, good tournament organisation,” Nadal said. “The feeling is you are not in a typical tennis tournament. You are playing a tournament, but in a holiday atmosphere. That really makes us feel great here.”

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Nadal Has Shot At No. 1 This Week

  • Posted: Feb 25, 2020

Nadal Has Shot At No. 1 This Week

World No. 2 must win title in Acapulco to have a chance

Rafael Nadal is this week challenging Novak Djokovic for the No. 1 FedEx ATP Ranking.

Nadal is the top seed at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC in Acapulco. If the Spaniard lifts his third trophy at that ATP 500, he’ll force Djokovic to reach the semi-finals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships to retain World No. 1 on Monday.

Nadal is only defending 45 points this week since he lost in the second round in Acapulco last year. Djokovic, who did not compete this week in 2019, currently leads Nadal by 325 points, giving him a 370-point cushion for the week.

Watch Nadal Pre-Acapulco Interview:

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If Djokovic advances to the quarter-finals in Dubai, he’ll add 90 points, leaving room for Nadal to reclaim top spot if the Spaniard takes the Acapulco title. The Serbian got off to a good start in Dubai with a straight-sets win against Malek Jaziri, putting him two victories away from guaranteeing he will retain World No. 1.

Djokovic next faces German Philipp Kohlschreiber, who defeated him last year in Indian Wells. The top seed could play powerful Russian Karen Khachanov, the seventh seed, in the quarter-finals. Djokovic is 14-0 on the season, and he is a four-time champion in Dubai.

ATP Heritage: Milestones. Records. Legends.

Nadal, the top seed in Acapulco, begins his tournament against countryman Pablo Andujar. He is trying to return to World No. 1 just five weeks after relinquishing his position after the Australian Open, where Djokovic won a record-extending eighth title.

Both men have finished year-end No. 1 five times, joined in that feat by Roger Federer and Jimmy Connors. Pete Sampras holds the record for most year-end No. 1 finishes with six.

Djokovic has held World No. 1 for 279 weeks, putting him eight weeks from surpassing Sampras on 20 April for second in FedEx ATP Rankings history. That is, unless Nadal takes back top spot.

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Monfils Reaches Double Figures With Dubai Victory

  • Posted: Feb 24, 2020

Monfils Reaches Double Figures With Dubai Victory

Rublev through in straight sets

Gael Monfils extended his winning streak to 10 matches on Monday with a 6-4, 7-5 win against Marton Fucsovics at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

The third seed needed just under two hours to record his sixth victory in nine matches at the ATP 500 tournament. Monfils, who reached the semi-finals at this event last year, improves to 2-0 in his ATP Head2Head series against Fucsovics.

Monfils has won 14 of his 16 matches this year, highlighted by trophies earlier this month in Montpellier and Rotterdam. The only players to beat the Frenchman this year are Australian Open finalists Novak Djokovic and Dominic Thiem. Monfils will meet Yasutaka Uchiyama or Yen-Hsun Lu in the second round.

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Djokovic Makes Winning Return In Dubai

Andrey Rublev began his own bid for a third title of 2020 with a 6-4, 6-4 victory against Lorenzo Musetti. The sixth seed won 84 per cent of first-serve points (26/31) to earn his 14th victory in 16 matches this season.

The 22-year-old made an impressive start to the season with title runs in Doha and Adelaide, becoming the first man since Dominik Hrbaty in 2004 to open the year with two ATP Tour trophies in as many weeks. Since the start of the year, Rublev has risen nine positions to a career-high No. 14 in the FedEx ATP Rankings.

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The four-time ATP Tour titlist will meet Joao Sousa or Filip Krajinovic for a place in the quarter-finals. Rublev has reached the quarter-finals or better in three of his four tournament appearances this year.

Two-time semi-finalist Richard Gasquet also advanced on Monday. The 33-year-old withstood 13 aces to beat Lloyd Harris 7-6(5), 6-4. Gasquet will face countryman Benoit Paire or former World No. 3 Marin Cilic in the second round.

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Venus/Peers Book Quarter-Final Spot In Dubai

  • Posted: Feb 24, 2020

Venus/Peers Book Quarter-Final Spot In Dubai

Kontinen/Struff also claim first-round win

Michael Venus and John Peers began their bid for a first team title at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Monday, beating Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Benoit Paire 6-4, 6-4 in 61 minutes.

In their fourth event as a team, Peers and Venus saved three of four break points to improve to 3-3 this season. Last month, the unseeded duo made its team debut at the ASB Classic and also reached the Australian Open third round.

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Venus and Peers will meet defending champions Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury or Novak Djokovic and Marin Cilic for a place in the semi-finals. That first-round match will begin Tuesday’s evening session on Court 1.

Rotterdam finalists Henri Kontinen and Jan-Lennard Struff beat Mate Pavic and Bruno Soares 7-6(2), 7-6(4) to continue their run of form. The Finnish-German team will meet second seeds Ivan Dodig and Filip Polasek or wild cards Matthew Ebden and Leander Paes in the quarter-finals.

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Djokovic Makes Winning Return In Dubai

  • Posted: Feb 24, 2020

Djokovic Makes Winning Return In Dubai

Khachanov through in straight sets

In his first Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships appearance since 2016, Novak Djokovic extended his unbeaten start to the 2020 ATP Tour season with a 6-1, 6-2 victory against Malek Jaziri.

The World No. 1 landed 22 winners and did not face a break point to improve to 14-0 this year after exactly one hour. Djokovic quickly found the level he showcased throughout the opening month of the season, where he won each of the 13 matches he contested during title runs at the ATP Cup and the Australian Open.

“It’s a great way to start out the tournament,” said Djokovic. “As I’ve said in the press conference prior to the tournament, I miss playing here. I really enjoy it. I enjoy night sessions… I think I’ve done everything as well as I imagined it to be for the first match. Of course, there’s things that always can be improved, things that can be better. But I have to be satisfied with the performance.”

Djokovic is chasing his fifth title in Dubai this week. The 32-year-old owns a 37-6 tournament record, highlighted by tournament victories in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2013. In Djokovic’s only previous ATP Head2Head clash against Jaziri in 2016, he also defeated the Tunisian 6-1, 6-2 at this event.

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Djokovic will face 2014 semi-finalist Philipp Kohlschreiber for a spot in the quarter-finals. Kohlschreiber recovered from a set down to move past Egyptian wild card Mohamed Safwat 4-6, 6-4, 6-0.

Djokovic leads the German 11-2 in their ATP Head2Head series, which includes three victories from four encounters in 2019. At last year’s BNP Paribas Open, Kolschreiber stunned Djokovic in straight sets to reach the Round of 16.

“I lost to him in straight sets in Indian Wells last year. I am aware of what he’s capable of,” said Djokovic. “He likes actually playing top players on a big stage. He has lots of experience. He’s very fit. He keeps on playing even at that age on a high level.

”I certainly will not underestimate him… I will prepare myself. I’m feeling good on the court. Tonight was another testament to the way I feel. [I have] confidence. [I am] obviously striking the ball well. Hopefully that can continue in the next match.”

Karen Khachanov was tested in the early stages of his opening match, before charging to a 7-6(2), 6-1 victory against Mikhail Kukushkin. After recovering from a break down on two occasions in the first set, the 23-year-old dropped just one point behind his first serve in the second set (10/11) to complete the win after 90 minutes. Khachanov improves to 8-5 this season with his second victory in four appearances at the ATP 500 event.

“There were some difficult moments during the match,” said Khachanov. “I was a break down two times. That’s really great to keep that first set. I think it was [an] important one.”

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Rublev Earns First Dubai Victory

The World No. 17 levels his ATP Head2Head series against Kukushkin at 1-1. The Kazakh beat Khachanov in the pair’s only previous tour-level ATP Head2Head clash at the 2014 VTB Kremlin Cup.

“It was not [an] easy opening match. Always first round is pretty tough… I’m really happy I could get the win,” said Khachanov. “I have another match, another opportunity to play better, like always, to improve.”

Khachanov advances to a second-round encounter against wild card Prajnesh Gunneswaran or Austrian qualifier Dennis Novak. The Russian is competing in the top quarter of the draw, which is headlined by World No. 1 and four-time champion Novak Djokovic.

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Fifteen-year-old Coco Gauff breaks into world's top 50

  • Posted: Feb 24, 2020

American teenager Coco Gauff has broken into the world’s top 50 for the first time.

Now ranked 49th in the world, Gauff is the first 15-year-old in 15 years to reach the women’s top 50.

Gauff’s breakthrough was when she defeated Venus Williams on her way to reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon in 2019 in her first Grand Slam.

Last month she lost to Sofia Kenin in the Australian Open fourth round in only her third Grand Slam appearance.

Gauff finished 2019 ranked 68th, having also reached the third round at the US Open where she lost to defending champion Naomi Osaka and winning her maiden WTA title at the Linz Open in October.

She has climbed the rankings at a rapid rate, having started 2019 ranked number 686.

Bulgaria’s Sesil Karatantcheva, now 30, was the last 15-year-old to break the world’s top 50 in August 2005.

Australian Ashleigh Barty, 23, remains number one in the world.

Cori ‘Coco’ Gauff will be 16 on 13 March 2020.

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Garin Breaks Into Top 20, Mover Of The Week

  • Posted: Feb 24, 2020

Garin Breaks Into Top 20, Mover Of The Week

ATPTour.com looks at the top Movers of the Week in the FedEx ATP Rankings, as of Monday, 24 February 2020

No. 18 Cristian Garin (Career High), +7
The Chilean extended his winning streak to a personal-best nine matches to capture his second ATP Tour title in three weeks at the Rio Open presented by Claro. After lifting his third tour-level crown at the Cordoba Open, Garin continued to produce his best tennis in South America to beat Andrej Martin, Federico Delbonis, Federico Coria, Borna Coric and Gianluca Mager and claim his maiden ATP 500 crown.

Just 10 months ago, Garin did not own an ATP Tour trophy. The 23-year-old, who improves to 4-1 in tour-level finals, leaps seven positions to crack the Top 20 in the FedEx ATP Rankings for the first time at No. 18. Read More and Watch Highlights.

No. 39 Reilly Opelka, +15
As the fourth seed, Opelka became the fourth American champion in the past five editions of the Delray Beach Open presented by VITACOST.com. The 6’11” right-hander overcame two-time champion Ernests Gulbis, Mackenzie McDonald and Soonwoo Kwon to reach the semi-finals.

Due to rain, Opelka was forced to contest his semi-final on the same day as the championship match. The American saved match point against Milos Raonic in that contest, before completing double duty to take the title against Yoshihito Nishioka. Opelka climbs 15 spots to No. 39 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. Read More.

View Latest FedEx ATP Rankings

No. 48 Yoshihito Nishioka (Career High), +15
The Japanese star reached his second ATP Tour championship match at the Delray Beach Open presented by VITACOST.com. Nishioka defeated fifth seed John Millman, Noah Rubin, Brandon Nakashima and sixth seed Ugo Humbert to reach the final. After his three-set loss to Opelka in the championship match, the 24-year-old jumps 15 places to a career-high No. 48 in the FedEx ATP Rankings.

No. 77 Gianluca Mager (Career High), +51
Mager entered the Rio Open presented by Claro with just two tour-level victories to his name. But the Italian enjoyed a breakthrough week in Brazil, winning 12 of 13 sets from qualifying to reach his first ATP Tour final. En route to the championship match, Mager stunned Buenos Aires champion Casper Ruud and World No. 4 Dominic Thiem in straight sets. The 25-year-old soars 51 spots to a career-high No. 77 in the FedEx ATP Rankings.

Other Notable Movers
No. 28 Borna Coric, +4
No. 32 Milos Raonic, +5
No. 47 Alexander Bublik (Career High), +8
No. 60 Pablo Cuevas, -14
No. 61 Aljaz Bedene, -14
No. 65 Egor Gerasimov (Career High), +7
No. 67 Laslo Djere, -31
No. 69 Radu Albot, -18
No. 79 Attila Balazs (Career High), +27
No. 83 James Duckworth, -12
No. 89 Mikhail Kukushkin, -20
No. 94 Hugo Dellien, -16

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How A Fan Played A Key Role In The Bryan Brothers’ Sixth Delray Beach Title

  • Posted: Feb 24, 2020

For most of their careers, Bob Bryan has returned in the deuce court, and Mike Bryan the ad court. But for their final season in 2020, they have swapped places.

So when the American twins won just two return points in the first set of the Delray Beach Open by VITACOST.com final against Luke Bambridge and Ben McLachlan on Sunday, they were thinking of what to do to change the rhythm of the match. That’s when a fan got involved.

“A guy, a random fan in the crowd, yelled out, ‘Why don’t you switch to your old sides?’” Mike told ATPTour.com. “We just looked at each other and we just said, ‘Why not?’”

According to Mike, the last time the 41-year-olds pulled such a manoeuvre was at last year’s US Open.

“We have [done it] both ways, so it’s nice to have that flexibility,” Mike said. “It’s something you might see us do this year if a match is going that way.”

This was the last match the Bryan brothers played in Delray Beach, where they entered the day five-time titlists. The brothers had a choice: continue on the path they were going, or try something new — in this case, old. It worked, as the top seeds are now six-time champions at this ATP 250.

“When you don’t get a sniff, and we didn’t have any chances, we didn’t win too many points the other way, we thought we had to do something different,” Bob said. “We’ve played over a thousand matches the other way, so we’re used to those patterns.”

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Rodionov Scores Second Title In Three Weeks; Teen Machac Triumphs

  • Posted: Feb 24, 2020

Rodionov Scores Second Title In Three Weeks; Teen Machac Triumphs

Revisit the week that was on the ATP Challenger Tour, as we applaud the achievements of those on the rise and look ahead to the week to come…

A LOOK BACK
Morelos Open Credito Real (Morelos, Mexico): The same mantra goes for every player. Have a more professional attitude on the court, focus on what you can control and the results will likely follow. In 2019, Jurij Rodionov admitted that he strugged in that department. As the calendar flipped to 2020, those issues are long gone.

Armed with a more mature approach, the #NextGenATP Austrian is hitting his stride behind two titles in three weeks. Rodionov lifted the trophy in Morelos on Sunday, rallying from a set down in both the semis and final to take the title. He defeated Argentina’s Juan Pablo Ficovich 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 for the championship.

Rodionov entered the month of February outside the Top 350 of the FedEx ATP Rankings. But thanks to titles on the indoor hard courts of Dallas and outdoor hard courts of Morelos, he will vault to a career-high No. 172 on Monday.

The 20-year-old is the first player to win multiple titles in 2020, boasting a 12-1 mark since the start of February. He now owns three crowns in total, having lifted his maiden trophy in Almaty, Kazakhstan in 2018.

Rodionov

Challenger Banque Nationale de Drummondville (Drummondville, Canada): Sunday’s final in Drummondville was a meeting of former college standouts, as UCLA’s Maxime Cressy met Texas A&M’s Arthur Rinderknech for the title. What started with an extravagant pre-match light show and concert was capped by a Cressy triumph after two hours and six minutes.

The American became the last man standing after a marathon 6-7(4) 6-4, 6-4 win. He did not drop serve all week, riding his dominant delivery to victory. Cressy, who left UCLA to return to pro tennis in 2020, claimed his second Challenger crown. He previously prevailed in Cleveland a year ago.

“The first thing that went through my mind was that I didn’t get broken this week,” said Cressy. “That’s pretty cool and it never happened in my life. I’m super happy to win here. I battled through every single day, physically, mentally and emotionally. It was a rollercoaster this week. I’m just happy I fought through all of it.”

Cressy rises 61 spots to No. 191 in the FedEx ATP Rankings.

Koblenz Open (Koblenz, Germany): The future of Czech tennis has arrived. In September, Jonas Forejtek captured the US Open boys’ title, and on Sunday, countryman Tomas Machac triumphed for the first time on the ATP Challenger Tour. The Beroun native prevailed in Koblenz, defeating Botic Van de Zandschulp 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 in one hour and 56 minutes.

Machac is the first teenage winner on the Challenger circuit this year and joins Rodionov as the only #NextGenATP champions (born 1999 or later). It also marks the first time a Czech teen has lifted a trophy since Jiri Vesely in 2013.

“I knew that it will be tough today, as our previous two matches [both won by Van De Zandschulp] were also very close,” Machac told Florian Heer of Tennis-TourTalk.com. “I was so nervous and I am really tired right now. It was really great to see that a lot of fans came to watch this match. It was special for me today and I am very happy.

“I will next get back to Prague to see my parents before heading for Trento, Italy, to compete in an ITF tournament. Then I will enjoy one week off, having some practice and rest.”

Machac was making just the ninth Challenger appearance of his young career, but the Czech was hitting top gear from first ball. He did not drop a set in reaching the final. Having entered the week just inside the Top 350 of the FedEx ATP Rankings, he is projected to soar nearly 100 spots to a career-high No. 251.

Machac

Trofeo Perrel – Faip (Bergamo, Italy): Government suspension of all sporting events in the Lombardy and Veneto regions of Italy, due to the coronavirus, forced the cancellation of the Bergamo final. Illya Marchenko and Enzo Couacaud split honours, with both receiving finalist points and prize money for the week.

Earlier in the week, 16-year-old Leo Borg, son of former World No. 1 and tennis legend Bjorn Borg, made his professional debut. He fell to Chun-hsin Tseng in straight sets.

A LOOK AHEAD
Last year, Jeremy Chardy launched a Challenger tournament in his hometown of Pau, France. Now, the Terega Open Pau-Pyrennes is back for a second edition. Jiri Vesely, Norbert Gombos and Sumit Nagal lead the field.

In 2018, Ivo Karlovic became the oldest champion in Challenger history, triumphing in Calgary, Canada. Seeded third, Karlovic is back as the tournament welcomes a second edition. Home hope Vasek Pospisil leads the pack.

And in Columbus, 10th seed Peter Polansky looks to retain his trophy. He is joined by leading men Christopher O’Connell, Marc Polmans and Cedrik-Marcel Stebe.

ATP Challenger Tour 

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