Matteo Berrettini was the serving king all week in Stuttgart. And that did not change in the final.

The World No. 30 saved five set points in a second-set tie-break before defeating Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-4, 7-6(11) on Sunday to win the MercedesCup for his third ATP Tour title, ending the #NextGenATP Canadian star’s hopes of claiming his first tour-level trophy.

“On grass, the first tournament of the year [on this surface] beating these unbelievable guys… there were a lot of tough moments,” said Berrettini, who did not lose a set during his run, ousting second seed Karen Khachanov in the second round. “I never lost my serve, but all the matches were so close and I’m really happy for what I did on the court because it was mentally really difficult to stay there and I’m really proud of myself.”

Both players served impeccably in the pressure-filled tie-break, with just three of the 24 points going against serve. But Berrettini converted on his third championship point after one hour and 47 minutes, aggressively hitting an inside-out forehand return off a second serve, which Auger-Aliassime replied to with a slice into the net.

Berrettini won all 50 of his service games this week, and captured more than 89 per cent of his first-serve points in the tournament, including 41 of 44 with the title on the line. The Italian did not face break point against Auger-Aliassime. Last year two players went unbroken en route to titlesL Novak Djokovic in Shanghai and Alexander Zverev in Madrid.

“You’re feeling good during the week, but you never know. I played great guys. This match was unbelievable. We had chances, a lot of set points for him, match points for me, so it was a really tough one,” Berrettini said. “I’m really happy the way I fought during the week.”

Fabio Fognini has recently received a lot of attention for capturing his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters and becoming just the third man from his country to crack the Top 10 of the ATP Rankings, which he accomplished this week. But the 23-year-old Berrettini is not far behind, projected to climb to a career-high No. 22 on Monday.

Berrettini, the first Italian grass-court titlist since Andreas Seppi at 2011 Eastbourne, has won all three of his ATP Tour crowns in the past 11 months. When he triumphed in Gstaad last July for his maiden moment, he was just World No. 84. Berrettini was also victorious on the clay of Budapest in April.

“There were a lot of Italians [cheering for me] since day one, from the first practice, and they were asking for pictures,” Berrettini said. “I’m really happy because we are traveling a lot during the year and it’s always nice to meet some Italians and speak Italian also.”

The champion was successful in keeping Auger-Aliassime from gaining too much rhythm in the match. Between his strong serving and aggressive play, the 18-year-old was unable to dictate many rallies. Berrettini also used his dagger-like backhand slice a majority of the time off that wing to keep Auger-Aliassime off balance.

“It’s been an amazing week whatever the outcome [was] today. I think I surprised myself every match this week being able to reach another final and my first one on grass, so it’s been amazing,” said Auger-Aliassime, who was competing in his first grass-court tournament as a professional. “Obviously Matteo was too good today. I gave it my all, but he played good in the important moments and he deserves it.”

The only edge Berrettini needed in the first set was an early break at 1-1, when Auger-Aliassime made an unforced error by pushing a backhand approach shot into the net. The Italian lost just one point on his first-serve in the opener.

And in the second set, it felt as if it was a battle of strong serving. Auger-Aliassime battled hard to save two break points in the first game of the set and then dig out from a 0/40 hole at 2-3. But he was unable to take advantage of one of his five chances in the ensuing tie-break, with Berrettini serving well under pressure. And when the Italian missed his first serve, he was quick to take control of points with his forehand. 

Berrettini leaves Stuttgart with €117,050 in prize money and 250 ATP Ranking points, as well as plenty of momentum. The Italian will face sixth seed Nikoloz Basilashvili in the first round of the NOVENTI OPEN in Halle.

Auger-Aliassime, who was trying to become the youngest ATP Tour singles champion since Kei Nishikori (18 years, 1 month, 19 days old) at 2008 Delray Beach, earns €63,290 and 150 points. On 27 May, the teenager became the youngest player to break into Top 25 since former World No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt in 1999.

Did You Know?
Berrettini this week became the first player to reach the semi-finals on three different surfaces this season. He had never previously reached a tour-level grass-court semi-final.

There will be a first-time ATP Tour titlist at the Libema Open this year.

After rain suspended play at crucial stages in both semi-finals on Saturday night, Adrian Mannarino and Jordan Thompson made quick starts to play on Sunday morning to book their places in the championship match. Leading 4-6, 6-3, 6-6 3/2 overnight, Mannarino claimed four of five points against second seed Borna Coric on Sunday to complete a 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(3) victory.

Mannarino has defeated three seeded players in succession to reach the final in ‘s-Hertogenbosch. The 30-year-old Frenchman overcame fourth seed Fernando Verdasco in the second round and fifth seed David Goffin in the quarter-finals, before ending Coric’s run in the last four. Mannarino will be aiming to capture his first trophy when he meets Thompson in his seventh ATP Tour championship match.

Thompson needed just three points to complete his semi-final against defending champion Richard Gasquet. The 25-year-old Australian was serving at 7-5, 5-3 30/40 when rain fell on Saturday, but did not drop a point after resuming play on Sunday to reach his maiden tour-level final. The World No. 62, who improves to 19-11 this season, is projected to crack the Top 50 of the ATP Rankings for the first time on Monday.

Mannarino enters the final with a 2-1 FedEx ATP Head2Head record against Thompson, which includes two victories on grass. Two years ago, the World No. 44 defeated Thompson 6-4, 6-1 in the first round at this event.

Did You Know?
There have been eight first-time champions on the ATP Tour this season. Either Mannarino or Thompson will add their name to that list by lifting the Libema Open trophy. Felix Auger-Aliassime can also join that group by defeating Matteo Berrettini in the MercedesCup final in Stuttgart.

Andy Murray was handed the toughest of challenges on his return to ATP Tour action, alongside Feliciano Lopez, in the Fever-Tree Championships doubles draw on Saturday.

Competing for the first time since undergoing right hip surgery on 28 January, Murray and Lopez will face top seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah in one of many blockbuster first-round clashes at the Queen’s Club.

View Queen’s Club Doubles Draw

Joining Murray and Lopez in the top quarter of the draw are #NextGenATP talents Felix Auger-Aliassime and Alex de Minaur, who face Daniel Evans and Ken Skupski. Juan Martin del Potro is also featuring in the doubles draw, partnering fellow Argentine Horacio Zeballos against defending champions Henri Kontinen and John Peers in the first round. Jamie Murray and Neal Skupski, who made their tour-level team debut at the Libema Open, open against Nicolas Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin.

In the bottom half of the draw, second seeds Mate Pavic and Bruno Soares will meet Lucas Pouille and Stan Wawrinka. Five-time champions Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan, bidding to lift the trophy for the first time since 2013, face wild cards Luke Bambridge and Jonny O’Mara. The winner of that match will meet defending singles champion Marin Cilic and partner Ivan Dodig or the winning team from the doubles qualifying draw in the second round.

View Halle Doubles Draw

Kubot/Melo Bid For Third Straight Title In Halle
Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo will open their campaign for a third straight NOVENTI OPEN title against Wesley Koolhof and Matwe Middelkoop. The two-time defending champions are joined in the top half of the draw by Roland Garros champions Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies and two-time finalists Alexander Zverev and Mischa Zverev. Kubot and Melo have defeated the Zverev brothers in the past two championship matches in Halle.

Second seeds Raven Klaasen and Michael Venus are aiming to end a 16-month title drought, dating back to last year’s Open 13 Provence. The pair has reached two ATP Tour championship matches this season, with runner-up finishes at the ASB Classic and Internazionali BNL d’Italia. Third seeds Nikola Mektic and Franko Skugor will be hoping to add to their title collection, after lifting their first trophy as a team at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters in April.

Game, set and match, Croatian children. The Marin Cilic Foundation hosted ‘Game, Set, Croatia’ on 12 June, bringing together 30 of Croatia’s most celebrated athletes for a charity tournament at Zagreb’s Šalata Sports Complex — the birthplace of Croatian tennis — to raise funds to build a multi-functional sports playground for children from Tordinci Elementary School, who currently have neither an indoor gymnasium nor an outdoor playground.

“The idea came about last summer while I was training on Korčula. Luka Modrić and Mateo Kovačić were there and we joked how we were missing a fourth player for a doubles match. I posted a photo on Instagram and invited Dejan Lovren and Šime Vrsaljko to join us,” Cilic said. “A flood of messages came from athletes and that is how the story began.”

Footballer Mario Mandžukic and his doubles partner, 14-year-old Croatian junior player Patrik Jurina, beat Čilić and footballer Luka Modrić in the final, which was live streamed by a Croatian national television network. But for all of the tennis stars and other Croatian athletes in attendance competing, it was about raising money to support the children.

“We want to give our kids in Croatia a chance to experience the joys of sport,” Cilic said. “The project ‘Game, Set, Croatia’, which I hope will be held every year, will help build sports courts in the most crucial regions.” 

^{Photo Credit: envy croatia/Julien Duval/Marko Vukas/Mihael Kukavcic}
Cilic has long enjoyed philanthropical work, and he was honoured with the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award in 2016.

“This one [wasn’t for tennis] but I feel it’s the most prestigious one. It’s the one I’m going to value the most,” Cilic said at the time. “It’s something that we all love to do… to give back to the community, especially to children.”

Through education, sport and encouragement programs, the Marin Čilić Foundation seeks to provide children and youth with the space and financial support to explore their passions and turn their dreams into reality.

Croatian Athletes In Attendance
Soccer: Luka Modrić, Mateo Kovačić, Mario Mandžukić, Andrej Kramarić, Ante Rebić, Dejan Lovren, Ivan Perišić, Ivan Klasnić
Rowers: Valent and Martin Sinković
Tennis: Ivan Dodig, Mate Pavic, Franko Skugor, Nikola Mektis, Ivan Ljubicic, Mario Ancic, Lovro Zovko, Mate Delic, Ana Konjuh, Iva Majoli, Tena Lukas, Jelena Kostanic Tošic
Basketball: Bojan Bogdanović and Dario Šarićand
Sara Kolak (javelin), Dina Levačić (swimming) Tin Srbić (gymnastics) Marijo Možnik (gymansitcs) Lovre Miloš (waterpolo)

Both Libema Open semi-finals were on the verge of completion Saturday evening, but rain pushed them back to Sunday.

Aussie Jordan Thompson was serving for a spot in his first ATP Tour final with a 7-5, 5-3 30/40 lead against defending champion Richard Gasquet when play was suspended in ’s-Hertogenbosch.

Thompson, who eliminated third seed Alex de Minaur in the quarter-finals, had never made a tour-level semi-final before this event. But he is just three points from defeating the former World No. 7. Thompson has struck 11 aces and earned 13 break points against the French veteran, converting three of those opportunities. The World No. 62 has broken serve 16 times this week.

The other semi-final between second seed Borna Coric and Frenchman Adrian Mannarino was suspended during a final-set tie-break, with Mannarino leading 3/2. Coric won the first set 6-4 before Mannarino took the second 6-3.

Coric saved one match point en route to a final-set tie-break victory in the quarter-finals against Cristian Garin, and he has saved two match points on his own serve against the Frenchman.

Mannarino increasingly frustrated Coric in baseline rallies, earning two match points at 5-3 in the decider with the Croat serving. But Coric played aggressively to fend off those chances, breaking in the next game.

If Mannarino and Thompson both advance to the championship match, that would guarantee that there will be a first-time ATP Tour champion in ‘s-Hertogenbosch. Mannarino is 0-6 in tour-level finals.

Did You Know?
If Thompson finishes off Gasquet, he will be projected to crack the Top 50 of the ATP Rankings for the first time on Monday.

Austin Krajicek and Dominic Inglot claimed their first team trophy on Saturday at the Libema Open, beating Marcus Daniell and Wesley Koolhof 6-4, 4-6, 10-4.

“I was really happy with the win today,” said Inglot. “The last month or so has been a difficult time for me, I haven’t had a lot of wins, but this was a first tournament playing with Austin and I thought this tournament we really gelled well.”

Competing for the first time as a team this week, Krajicek and Inglot won 74 per cent of first-serve points (31/42) and saved four of six break points to edge Daniell and Koolhof in 85 minutes. Inglot and Krajicek also needed a Match Tie-break in their 5-7, 6-3, 10-3 second-round victory against top seeds Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo.

“It was a big help to get an early break before the rain in the first set but then all the rain delays made it very tricky to get that momentum and keep going… In the second set, those guys really upped their level and it just came down to a [Match] Tie-break and who put a few extra returns in court,” said Inglot.

“In that [Match Tie-break] we managed to just be a little bit more consistent and step up a little bit more when we needed to. I think we are both really happy and that will give us a lot of confidence going into the rest of the grass-court season with Halle and Wimbledon coming up.”

Inglot has now won 12 doubles crowns from 22 tour-level championship matches. It is Krajicek’s second tour-level title, following his maiden triumph alongside Rajeev Ram at the VTB Kremlin Cup last year.

”It was great to get a win today,” said Krajicek. “Obviously, starting with a new partner, it is really good to start off that way. I think we did a lot of things well this week that we can build off of, but it feels really good to be back on the grass.”

Daniel and Koolhof were bidding to pick up their second team title of the season. The unseeded pairing, which defeated second seeds Raven Klaasen and Michael Venus in the second round, earned its first team trophy at the Brisbane International in January.

Krajicek and Inglot gain 250 ATP Doubles Ranking points and split €35,960 in prize money. Daniell and Koolhof earn 150 points and share €18,430.

Bopanna/Shapovalov Pass Aussie Test

Rohan Bopanna and Denis Shapovalov advanced to their first ATP Tour doubles final as a team at the MercedesCup. The unseeded duo, which defeated Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan in the first round, needed just 48 minutes to move past Nick Kyrgios and Matt Reid 6-3, 6-4.

Bopanna and Shapovalov entered the event with a 3-2 team record, having competed together at the BNP Paribas Open and Miami Open presented by Itau in March. The Indian-Canadian tandem will meet top seeds John Peers and Bruno Soares in the championship match.

You won’t have to wait long for the first blockbuster match at the Fever-Tree Championships this year.

Third seed Juan Martin del Potro will face #NextGenATP Canadian Denis Shapovalov in his opening match of the 2019 grass-court season. The World No. 12 , making his fifth appearance at the Queen’s Club (5-4), will be aiming to take the lead in his FedEx ATP Head2Head series against Shapovalov for the first time. The Canadian upset Del Potro in their first meeting at the 2017 Coupe Rogers, en route to his first ATP Masters 1000 semi-final, before Del Potro levelled the series at the 2018 ASB Classic.

Del Potro and Shapovalov share the second quarter of the draw with sixth seed Milos Raonic and 2017 winner Feliciano Lopez. Raonic opens against Marco Cecchinato, while Lopez will meet Marton Fucsovics of Hungary.

View Queen’s Club Draw

Headlining the top half of the draw with Del Potro is top seed and World No. 6 Stefanos Tsitsipas. The #NextGenATP Greek will meet British No. 1 Kyle Edmund for a spot in the second round. Tsitsipas will be aiming to regain sole ownership of the lead for most wins on the ATP Tour this week, a mark he currently shares with 12-time Roland Garros champion Rafael Nadal. They both own 32 victories this season.

In Tsitsipas’ quarter, #NextGenATP Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime, seeded eighth, faces a tough opening test against 2014 champion Grigor Dimitrov. Auger-Aliassime will arrive in London with confidence, after reaching his third ATP Tour championship match of the season at the MercedesCup in Stuttgart. Nick Kyrgios and Jeremy Chardy also feature in the top quarter of the draw. 

In the bottom half of the draw, second seed Kevin Anderson will end his three-month absence from the ATP Tour, due to a right elbow injury, against British No. 2 Cameron Norrie. The South African, who last competed at the Miami Open presented by Itau in March, owns an 8-2 record from his opening three tour-level events of the season. The World No. 8 opened his 2019 campaign by lifting his sixth ATP Tour trophy at the Tata Open Maharashtra in Pune (d. Karlovic).

Another seeded player facing British opposition in his first match is Stan Wawrinka. The 2014 semi-finalist (l. to Dimitrov) will face Daniel Evans in the first round of an ATP Tour event for the second time this year. At the BNP Paribas Open in March, Wawrinka recovered from a set down to overcome Evans 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-3.

Fourth seed Daniil Medvedev and defending champion Marin Cilic both feature in the third quarter. Medvedev opens against 2011 quarter-finalist Fernando Verdasco and Cilic will meet two-time ATP Tour titlist Cristian Garin. Last year, Cilic saved one championship point to defeat Novak Djokovic in the final.

The doubles draw marks the return of five-time singles champion Andy Murray. The former singles World No. 1 is not immune to the theme of British players facing seeded opposition, as he and partner Feliciano Lopez open against top seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah. Murray has not appeared on the ATP Tour since the Australian Open in January, after undergoing right hip surgery on 28 January.

Roger Federer can make personal history next week at the NOVENTI OPEN. The nine-time titlist in Halle can lift his 10th trophy at an ATP Tour event for the first time.

Federer has triumphed nine times at both the NOVENTI OPEN and the Swiss Indoors Basel, which is his home event. Last year, the Swiss superstar was just one set from accomplishing the feat in Halle, but he fell in the final against Borna Coric.

Federer’s Most Titles By Tournament

The 37-year-old owns a 63-7 record in Halle, and the last time he did not reach the semi-finals was 2001. This will be his 15th appearance since then. In the 16 times he has competed on the Halle grass, Federer has always advanced to at least the quarter-finals.

Six of the seven players Federer has lost to at this ATP 250 event have cracked the Top 5 of the ATP Rankings in their careers. 

Roger On Grass
Federer owns the best tour-level grass-court record in the Open Era, having won 87.1 per cent of his matches on the surface (176-26). He has claimed 18 titles on grass, which is eight more than Pete Sampras, the second player on the list. View FedEx ATP Performance Zone

Did You Know?
Nobody other than Federer who competed in the 2000 Halle draw, which was the Swiss star’s first appearance, remains active. Federer’s coach Ivan Ljubicic lost in the second round to eventual champion David Prinosil.