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Andy Murray & Marcelo Melo beaten in doubles at Eastbourne International

  • Posted: Jun 25, 2019

Andy Murray fell to a first defeat since starting his comeback in doubles in the first round of the Nature Valley International at Eastbourne.

Murray and Brazilian Marcelo Melo lost 6-2 6-4 to Colombian top seeds Robert Farah and Juan Sebastian Cabal.

The Briton struggled on serve at Eastbourne, being broken three times out of four.

Murray had won the doubles alongside Feliciano Lopez at Queen’s last week in his first tournament since hip surgery.

They defeated Farah and Cabal in the first round of that tournament but the Colombian pairing were always in control at Devonshire Park.

Murray ‘most likely’ to play mixed at Wimbledon

Murray will now head to Wimbledon, where he will partner Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert in the men’s doubles.

After Tuesday’s defeat, he told BBC Sport that he was “most likely” to also play mixed doubles at SW19 but is a little concerned about the wear and tear on his body.

The Scot, 32, had thought he might not play again before hip resurfacing in January left him “pain free”.

“I spoke to some of the doubles players the last few days about why they don’t always play mixed and they just said they had some situations where the weather has not always been so good,” he said.

“And because doubles is best of five [sets], and you play with the advantage scoring, you can get backed up and end up playing four matches in two days. I just need to be certain that my body’s ready for that. So I’ll chat to my team a bit about that and decide probably by the end of tomorrow, I would imagine.”

Murray is yet to finalise a potential partner for the mixed, having been turned down by singles world number one Ashleigh Barty and Frenchwoman Kristina Mladenovic.

He added: “I’ve spoken to a few of the players the last few days about it, so there’s a few kind of lined up and I said I would let them know in the next couple of days.”

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First setback since return

Three-time Grand Slam singles champion Murray surpassed his own expectations by winning the men’s doubles title at Queen’s alongside Lopez, but his partnership with Melo did not gel so well.

Murray was broken in the opening game and although he and Melo immediately brought up four break points on Farah’s serve, the British-Brazilian pairing could not convert any of them. They would be their only break points of the match.

A Murray volley into the net gave up another break and the Colombians comfortably wrapped up the set.

The Briton was broken to love in the third game of the second set and although he held serve at the fourth attempt, there was to be no comeback.

“They just played a lot better than us today. They got off to a quick start and deserved to win,” said Murray.

Farah and Cabal will play British pairing Dan Evans and Lloyd Glasspool in the quarter-finals.

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'It doesn't seem right' – Nadal concerned about Wimbledon seeding

  • Posted: Jun 25, 2019
Wimbledon 2019 on the BBC
Venue: All England Club Dates: 1-14 July
Coverage: Live across BBC TV, BBC Radio and the BBC Sport website with extensive coverage on BBC iPlayer, Red Button, Connected TVs and mobile app. Full times and channels.

World number two Rafael Nadal says “it doesn’t seem right” that he could be seeded behind world number three Roger Federer at Wimbledon.

Wimbledon seeding is different from the other Grand Slams in that it does not always follow world rankings and is affected by grass-court performances.

It means Federer may be seeded ahead of Nadal, who could be in the same half of the draw as Novak Djokovic.

“It’s just Wimbledon that does it,” said 12-time French Open winner Nadal.

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Speaking to Spanish TV station #Vamos, Nadal added: “If everyone did it, I think it would be appropriate or correct. Either way, being second or third seed, I have to play at the best level to aspire to the things I aspire to.

“It is better to be second than third, but if they consider that I have to be third, I will accept.”

Wimbledon seedings will be announced on Wednesday and Nadal, 33, is likely to be behind defending champion Djokovic and eight-time winner Federer, who won his 10th title at the grass-court tournament in Halle last week.

The Spaniard lost in the Wimbledon semi-finals to world number one Djokovic last year but had not made it past the fourth round in his five previous appearances.

Nadal’s viewpoint was supported by Djokovic, who played at the Boodles exhibition event at Stoke Park in Buckinghamshire on Tuesday.

“It’s their rules and you have to respect it, although it’s a little bit surprising to be honest,” said Djokovic.

“Roger is the greatest of all time and has won the most Wimbledon titles of any player in history and if any player deserves it it’s him, but at the same time it’s Nadal that he is taking over (from as) the second seed.”

If he is seeded third, Nadal might have to beat Djokovic to reach the final.

The world’s top 32 players will be seeded, but the order may not follow that of the world rankings.

Wimbledon’s system favours grass-court specialists – taking a player’s ATP ranking points, doubling the points earned at grass-court tournaments in the past year and adding on 75% of the points earned on grass the previous year.

The women’s seedings follow the WTA ranking list but changes can be made for a “balanced draw”, which is why Serena Williams, ranked 183rd before last year’s tournament, was 25th seed in 2018.

The 2019 tournament begins on Monday.

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Farah/Cabal Gain Revenge Against Murray In Eastbourne

  • Posted: Jun 25, 2019

Farah/Cabal Gain Revenge Against Murray In Eastbourne

Colombians looking to win third title of 2019 this week

Andy Murray will not win back-to-back grass-court doubles titles to kick off his 2019 comeback.

Top seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal/Robert Farah avenged their opening-round loss to eventual Fever-Tree Championships titlists Murray/Feliciano Lopez on Tuesday at the Nature Valley International in Eastbourne. The Colombians breezed past Murray/Marcelo Melo 6-2, 6-4.

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Murray was broken to start the match but the pairing had four consecutive chances to break, from 0/40, the next game. Cabal/Farah, however, saved all four break points and were efficient throughout the opening-round contest, winning 83 per cent (10/12) of their second-serve return points. The reigning Rome and Barcelona champions will next meet Brits Daniel Evans/Lloyd Glasspool.

Fourth seeds Dominic Inglot/Austin Krajicek beat Nicholas Monroe/Fernando Verdasco 6-2, 7-5 and will next play Marcus Daniell/Wesley Koolhof, who beat Brit brothers Ken Skupski/Neal Skupski 7-5, 7-6(10).

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Ben McLachlan/Frederik Nielsen saved five of six break points and advanced past Juan Ignacio Londero/Cameron Norrie 6-3, 6-7(1), 10-5. McLachlan/Nielsen will next meet third seeds Fabrice Martin/Edouard Roger-Vasselin, who beat Brit wild cards Scott Clayton/James Ward 6-2, 6-0.

Rohan Bopanna/Pablo Cuevas also made the quarter-finals, beating Marco Cecchinato/Dusan Lajovic 6-2, 7-5 and will next face second seeds Maximo Gonzalez/Horacio Zeballos.

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New Tournament, Same Winning Feeling For Simon

  • Posted: Jun 25, 2019

New Tournament, Same Winning Feeling For Simon

Frenchman stays hot on the grass

Sixth seed Gilles Simon showed little wear and tear as he won the fifth of his past six matches on Tuesday at the Nature Valley International in Eastbourne.

Simon dismissed American qualifier Tennys Sandgren 7-5, 6-1, breaking five times to make the second round of the ATP 250 event. The 34-year-old Frenchman fell in the final of the Fever-Tree Championships, an ATP 500, on Sunday to Spain’s Feliciano Lopez. Simon will next meet Chilean Nicolas Jarry, who beat Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas 6-1, 7-6(4).

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Italian Thomas Fabbiano will next meet second seed Laslo Djere after pushing past Brit qualifier James Ward 2-6, 6-3, 6-1. #NextGenATP Brit Jay Clarke also fell in three sets, losing to Argentine lucky loser Juan Ignaco Londero, who made the fourth round at Roland Garros, 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-3. Londero will next meet fifth seed Fernando Verdasco of Spain.

Two other Brits, however, found a way through to the second round. ASB Classic champion Cameron Norrie won 82 per cent (40/49) of his first-serve points and beat France’s Jeremy Chardy 6-3, 7-6(4), and wild card Daniel Evans beat Moldovan Radu Albot 7-6(2), 6-2. Norrie will next play compatriot and third seed Kyle Edmund.

“Grass-court tennis is just one or two points, and the last two matches I’ve played have been really, really tight. It’s good learning for me, and I definitely have to embrace these short points when I’m playing big servers,” Norrie said.

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Evans will face Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert, a 5-7, 7-6(8), 6-4 winner against American Denis Kudla. “It was a big fight against a very good grass-court player,” Herbert told ATPTour.com. “I was down 1-4, balls for 1-5, I don’t really know how I managed to come back. I saved two match points too, so I’m happy to come through. It was a hard match.”

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Johanna Konta beats Maria Sakkari to reach Eastbourne International third round

  • Posted: Jun 25, 2019
Eastbourne on the BBC
Venue: Devonshire Park, Eastbourne Dates: 23-29 June
Coverage: Watch live on BBC Two, Connected TVs and BBC Sport website and app; follow live text commentary on selected matches. Full details.

Britain’s Johanna Konta beat Greece’s Maria Sakkari 6-4 7-6 (7-3) to reach the third round of the Nature Valley International at Eastbourne.

The world number 19 was 5-3 down in the second set but fought back to secure victory in one hour and 37 minutes.

Konta, 28, will play Ons Jabeur in the third round after the Tunisian defeated Mandy Minella 2-6 6-2 6-1.

“There was so little in this match. I felt she was playing better than me for most of that match,” Konta said.

“I’m really pleased to have stayed tough and created as many opportunities as possible.”

Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber progressed by beating Sam Stosur 6-4 6-4 and plays Rebecca Peterson in the last 16 after the Swede saw off Lesia Tserenko 7-6 (8-6) 6-4.

Konta had to save two break points in the fourth game of the match before a drop shot-volley combination saw her break Sakkari for a 3-2 lead.

Having taken the first set, the French Open semi-finalist appeared the more likely player to break through in the second set until a fall seemed to unsettle her and Sakkari broke to love for a 5-3 lead.

However, she was unable to serve out the set and Konta wrapped up the win in a tie-break with a forehand winner.

Earlier, France’s Alize Cornet knocked out Ukrainian fifth seed Elina Svitolina 7-5 6-2 in a match delayed by rain on Monday. She will play Zhang Shuai in the third round after the Chinese player saw off Daria Gavrilova 6-3 6-1.

Dutch third seed Kiki Bertens defeated Yulia Putintseva 6-4 6-1 and next plays Germany’s Anna-Lena Friedsam who upset 16th seed Anett Kontaveit 6-3 6-4.

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Defending Champion Dzumhur, Mannarino Reach Antalya Quarter-finals

  • Posted: Jun 25, 2019

Defending Champion Dzumhur, Mannarino Reach Antalya Quarter-finals

Third seed Thompson to face Dzumhur

Defending champion Damir Dzumhur earned a confidence boosting 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 win over Turkish wild card Altug Celikbilek on Tuesday as the fifth seed started his Turkish Airlines Antalya Open campaign. Having spent time on the sidelines this year with lower back, abdominal and shoulder injuries, it was just a seventh win for Dzumhur in 17 matches this year.

Dzumhur now plays third-seeded Australian Jordan Thompson, who knocked out American Bradley Klahn 7-6(7), 6-3 in one hour and 45 minutes for a place in the quarter-finals.

France’s Adrian Mannarino, runner-up at the ATP 250 tournament for the past two years, edged past Roberto Carballes Baena of Spain 3-6, 6-1, 7-5 in two hours to set up a last-eight clash against Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego, who completed a 6-7(3), 6-0, 7-5 comeback win over Indian Prajnesh Gunneswaran in just over two hours, winning 27 of 30 points in the second set.

“I think I am serving pretty well, but it’s never easy,” said Mannarino. “You can win or lose against anybody.”

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Elsewhere, German qualifier Kevin Krawietz recorded his first ATP Tour singles match win over Turkish wild card Cem IIkel 6-4, 6-4 in 59 minutes. Afterwards, Krawietz told ATPTour.com, “It was a bit surprising as my focus is mostly on doubles now. Serve and volley works well on grass and I feel good at the net. Today, I played great volleys, didn’t commit any errors at the net.”

Krawietz, who captured the Roland Garros doubles title earlier this month with Andreas Mies, will now face Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta. Looking to the second-round match, Krawietz said, “I have already played a few matches. That could help me as it will be the first match here for him.”

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Eastbourne: Dan Evans and Cameron Norrie reach second round

  • Posted: Jun 25, 2019

Britons Dan Evans and Cameron Norrie reached the second round of the Nature Valley International at Eastbourne with straight-set victories.

Evans progressed with a 7-6 (7-2) 6-2 win over Moldovan Radu Albot and will face France’s Pierre-Hugues Herbert or American Denis Kudla next.

Norrie, 23, beat Frenchman Jeremy Chardy 6-3 7-6 (7-4) in a match delayed by rain on Monday.

He will play British number one Kyle Edmund, the third seed, in round two.

Norrie, the British number two, saved a set point at 5-6 in the second set before sealing victory on his first match point.

Evans, 29, saved nine of the 10 break points he faced against Albot in the first set, which he took on a tie-break.

It was more straightforward in the second set as two breaks of serve ensured victory in one hour and 46 minutes.

Evans had lost to Albot in the final of the Delray Beach Open in February.

Potential opponent Kudla got into the draw as a lucky loser after Queen’s singles and doubles champion Feliciano Lopez withdrew from the event because of fatigue.

Evans, now ranked 65 in the world, won back-to-back titles at Surbiton and Nottingham this month but lost in the first round of Queen’s to Stan Wawrinka.

Another Briton, 20-year-old Jay Clarke, lost 6-7 (5-7) 6-1 6-3 to Argentine Juan Ignacio Londero.

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Wimbledon 2019: What's changed at the All England Club this year

  • Posted: Jun 25, 2019
Wimbledon 2019 on the BBC
Venue: All England Club Dates: 1-14 July
Coverage: Live across BBC TV, BBC Radio and the BBC Sport website with extensive coverage on BBC iPlayer, Red Button, Connected TVs and mobile app. Full details.

Wimbledon – a feature of the British summer as essential as barbecues in the rain and ice creams on the beach.

Players all in white on luscious green grass courts and spectators perched on a hill snacking on strawberries is a comforting and familiar sight when July comes around.

But all is not quite the same at SW19 this year. Here, BBC Sport takes a look at what’s changed at the All England Club.

Andy Murray, but not as we know him

Many thought Andy Murray had played his last competitive tennis match when he outlined retirement plans in a tearful news conference at the Australian Open in January.

But one hip surgery later and the two-time Wimbledon champion was back to winning ways in the Queen’s doubles on Sunday.

After missing last year’s Wimbledon, Murray is back but the big difference is he will be playing doubles rather than singles.

The Brit is partnering France’s Pierre-Hugues Herbert, who has won the doubles title at every Grand Slam. Good choice Andy!

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A covered Court One

Rain is like kryptonite for tennis tournaments, but Wimbledon now has a roof over Court One.

That means play can continue on there as well as on Centre Court until 23:00 BST whatever the weather.

The roof got its first taste of the limelight when it was unveiled back in May. Handily, it was a rainy day so the roof was put to work immediately.

No more marathon matches

Play may be able to continue later on Court One, but there will not be any more marathon matches because a tie-break in the final set will be introduced at Wimbledon this year.

Previously, players had to win by two games in the last set but if that hasn’t happened by the time the score gets to 12-12 then a tie-break will be played. Never again will we see anything like the 11 hour and five minute-long match between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut on the SW19 grass again.

The first player to seven points wins the tie-break, but they have to win by two points so it could still last quite a while…

Going green(er)

There is no shortage of greenery on show at the All England Club and now the tournament will be more sustainable, too.

Water bottles will be fully recyclable and made from 100% recycled material while 4,500 fewer plastic bags will be used as they have been removed from the racquet stringing process.

More early play

Fans will get more tennis in the mornings this year because the start time has been moved ahead by 30 minutes on the outside courts, so the first matches will begin at 11:00 BST.

There’s no change on Centre and Court One, though, where play will still start at 13:00 BST.

More quad wheelchair tennis

A quad doubles wheelchair tennis exhibition tournament was played at Wimbledon last year and this time around there will be a competitive quad singles and doubles draw.

The two events join the men’s and women’s wheelchair singles and doubles competitions in the Wimbledon programme.

Of course, one thing that will surely never change is the unpredictable British weather. Tennis fans were treated to scorching weather in south-west London last year and at the moment clouds and sun are predicted for the first week. But you never know…

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Becker trophies – and his socks – up for £200,000 at auction

  • Posted: Jun 25, 2019

Memorabilia valued at an estimated £200,000 belonging to former Wimbledon champion Boris Becker is up for auction to help pay off his debts.

Replica Wimbledon, US Open and Davis Cup trophies, medals and clothing are all being sold off.

Bankruptcy trustees appointed to make payments to the 51-year-old German’s creditors have organised the sale.

“We consider this a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said auction house Wyles Hardy & Co.

“Examples of these have rarely been available on the open market.”

Six-time Grand Slam champion Becker was declared bankrupt in June 2017 over money owed to bank Arbuthnot Latham.

An auction of goods was arranged but then postponed after Becker claimed diplomatic immunity from legal action.

He said he had been appointed a sport and culture attache for the Central African Republic.

However, Becker dropped his immunity claim in December, paving the way for a new auction to take place.

As well as the replica trophies, the online auction that runs until 11 July features watches, racquets, commemorative goblets, sweatbands – and even socks.

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