Best friend in the first round, best clay-court player ever in the second.

Felix Auger-Aliassime evened his friendly FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry (1-1) against fellow #NextGenATP Canadian Denis Shapovalov on Sunday at the Mutua Madrid Open, dismissing the 20-year-old 6-2, 7-6(7).

The 18-year-old Auger-Aliassime converted three of his nine break points and clinched his fourth match point when Shapovalov sprayed a forehand wide during their tense second-set tie-break. Shapovalov beat Auger-Aliassime at last year’s US Open during their only prior tour-level meeting.

Auger-Aliassime improves to 17-9 on the season and continues to excel on clay. The teenager reached his first ATP Tour final at the Rio Open presented by Claro (l. to Djere) in February.

Auger-Aliassime, however, will face his toughest clay-court test yet in the second round when he meets five-time champion Rafael Nadal, the top seed who is 49-11 in Madrid. Nadal will be especially hungry for a deep run in the Spanish capital. He’s coming off of semi-final finishes at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters and the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell.

In the only other main-draw match on Sunday, German Jan-Lennard Struff knocked out 2016 quarter-finalist Nick Kyrgios 7-6(4), 6-4 and will next meet ninth seed Marin Cilic or qualifier Martin Klizan of Slovakia.

A LOOK BACK
BNP Paribas Primrose Bordeaux (Bordeaux, France): It’s not often that a player reaches a Grand Slam semi-final and follows that with an ATP Challenger Tour appearance just months later. But such was the case for World No. 32 Lucas Pouille this week in Bordeaux. Pouille streaked to the semis at the Australian Open in January, but a subsequent six-match losing streak had him seeking confidence and momentum entering the ATP Masters 1000 stops in Madrid and Rome.

The Frenchman would rediscover his mojo and then some, blasting to the title in front of the home faithful in Bordeaux. The allure of competing in front of the French fans at his country’s oldest tennis club – the 122-year-old Villa Primrose – was too strong and Pouille would eventually take the title 6-3, 6-3 over Mikael Ymer on Sunday.

For the five-time ATP Tour champion, this is not only his first title of 2019, but ironically his first at the Challenger level in his career. Pouille is the first player to win his maiden Challenger title after his first tour-level crown since Kei Nishikori and Sergiy Stakhovsky both did it in 2008. It leaves Milos Raonic as the only current Top 50 player without a Challenger trophy.

It also marks the fourth time in just two years that a player inside the Top 40 of the ATP Rankings has lifted a Challenger trophy. Richard Gasquet (Szczecin 2017), Nishikori (Dallas 2018), Kyle Edmund (Indian Wells 2019) and Pouille have all descended to the Challenger level in search of match wins and confidence.

The ?? tradition continues in Bordeaux @BNPPprimrose. Another former Top 10 Frenchman lifts the ?.

2019 @la_pouille
2013 @Gael_Monfils
2010 @richardgasquet1 pic.twitter.com/HdwH8lKWed

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) May 5, 2019

Vitro Seoul Open Challenger (Seoul, South Korea): For the first time in four years, Korea has a home grown Challenger champion. On Sunday, 21-year-old Soonwoo Kwon lifted the trophy in his home capital of Seoul, defeating Max Purcell 7-5, 7-5 in one hour and 37 minutes. The Sangju native is the first player from his country to win on home soil since Hyeon Chung prevailed in nearby Busan in 2015. It was his second ATP Challenger Tour title, adding to his victory in in Yokohama, Japan in March. The top Korean, Kwon is projected to rise to a career-high No. 134 on Monday.

“I’m happy to win the Challenger title at home,” said Kwon, who admits he was not feeling well during the match, struggling with a runny nose and dizziness. “The crowd came out to support me. Seoul was harder to win than the title in Yokohama. The burden was greater.”

Meanwhile, Purcell capped a dominant week on the hard courts of Seoul with his first singles final since 2016. The #NextGenATP Aussie also notched the doubles title alongside countryman Luke Saville. The duo own a tour-leading five trophies in 2019.

Prosperita Open by Moneta (Ostrava, Czech Republic): Fourth seed Kamil Majchrzak earned one of the more convincing final victories of the year, dominating Jannik Sinner 6-1, 6-0 in Ostrava. The Pole completed the win in just 61 minutes on the Czech clay, capping an impressive week that saw him refuse to drop a set. It was the 23-year-old’s second title of the year, having also won on the hard courts of St. Brieuc, France.

Not only is Majchrzak the seventh player to win multiple titles this year, but he is just the second to triumph on both clay and hard (also Gianluca Mager). He is up to a career-high No. 115 in the ATP Rankings on Monday.

Notably, both Kwon and Majchrzak now sit atop the 2019 win-loss percentage leaders. Both own a record of 22-6 (.786) this year.

Puerto Vallarta Open presentado por La Afición (Puerto Vallarta, Mexico): The 2018 ATP Challenger of the Year returned for a second edition and it was a party all week in Puerto Vallarta. In the end, Sebastian Ofner was the last man standing, taking a 7-6(8), 3-6, 6-3 final over John-Patrick Smith on Sunday. The Austrian was ruthless in reaching the championship, reeling off eight consecutive sets before fighting past Smith for the title. It was the second victory of the 22-year-old’s career, adding to his maiden crown in Astana, Kazakhstan last year.

St. Joseph’s/Candler Savannah Challenger (Savannah, Georgia, USA): Federico Coria entered the week in Savannah having never reached an ATP Challenger Tour final, but the Argentine would make his mark on the green clay. Coria dominated the field, not dropping a set en route to the championship, where he stunned second seed Paolo Lorenzi 6-3, 4-6, 6-2.

The 27-year-old is the 17th first-time winner on the circuit this year. Moreover, his big breakthrough sees him soar to a career-high No. 216 in the ATP Rankings. Following in the footsteps of older brother and former World No. 3 Guillermo Coria, Federico is beginning to put it all together in his ninth season as a pro.

A LOOK AHEAD
Top seed Pablo Cuevas leads the charge at the prestigious Open du Pays d’Aix in Aix-en-Provence, France. Cuevas is coming off a final appearance at the ATP 250 event in Estoril on Sunday. Fifth seed Thiago Monteiro lifted the trophy in 2016.

The second leg of the three-week Korean swing moves to Busan, where Ricardas Berankis leads the field. Sergiy Stakhovsky and Brayden Schnur are also in action, with Kwon looking to go back-to-back on home soil. Meanwhile, on the clay of Rome, the prelude to the Internazionali BNL d’Italia is held at the Roma Garden Open. Reigning champ Adam Pavlasek is seeded 14th, with Maximilian Marterer the top seed.

In Braga, the first of a two-week Portuguese swing features Bjorn Fratangelo as the top seed, with Facundo Bagnis and Mitchell Krueger second and third. And on the clay of Shymkent, Kazakhstan, top seed Egor Gerasimov is joined by #NextGenATP stars Jay Clarke and Jurij Rodionov.

Stefanos Tsitsipas gained vital confidence on the European clay on Sunday, beating Pablo Cuevas 6-3, 7-6(4) at the Millennium Estoril Open for his first clay-court title.

Greece’s #NextGenATP star was too solid from the baseline for Cuevas, a six-time clay-court titlist, and the 20-year-old took advantage of the Uruguayan’s struggles on serve to win his third ATP Tour title and second of the season. Both of Tsitsipas’ previos titles had come indoors – in February at the Open 13 Provence in Marseille, and last October at the Intrum Stockholm Open.

Tsitsipas had won their prior FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting at 2017 Antwerp and was in control for the first set and a half. The two were mired in one-handed backhand baseline battles when Tsitsipas broke in the fourth game as Cuevas launched a forehand long.

The 33-year-old Cuevas landed only 53 per cent of his first serves in the opener, and the Greek capitalised, running around his backhand to start the point with deep forehands.

Tsitsipas looked to be cruising to the title, up a break and serving at 4-3 in the second. But the reigning Next Gen ATP Finals titlist lost his way and was broken for the first time in the match during a stretch of nine consecutive points won by Cuevas. Tsitsipas saved a set point at 4-5, Ad-Out, however, and the two traded breaks until the tie-break, where the Greek regained his level.

He will receive 250 ATP Rankings points and €90,390. Cuevas, who was a lucky loser, will receive €48,870 and 150 ATP Rankings points.

Tsitsipas heads to back-to-back clay-court ATP Masters 1000 events, the Mutua Madrid Open and the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome, full of belief.

Did You Know?
Tsitsipas is only the second No. 1 seed in the tournament’s five-year history to win the title (Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain in 2017).

Frederik Nielsen and Tim Puetz had never played together entering the BMW Open by FWU. But the Danish-German team is leaving Munich with a trophy.

Nielsen and Puetz defeated Brazilian Marcelo Demoliner and Indian Divij Sharan 6-4, 6-2 on Sunday to triumph after 64 minutes. The unseeded duo broke serve four times while saving two of the three break points it faced to emerge victorious.

“It’s a fantastic feeling. I feel that it’s been a long process this year. I’ve invested a lot in my doubles, especially in clay-court doubles by playing the South American swing and I feel the benefits now,” Nielsen said. “I was lucky to get a really good partner in Tim who I get along with great off the court and I feel we share a similar playing mentality, so it was great.”

It wasn’t that long ago that Nielsen and Puetz, who competed together for the first time just four days ago, appeared destined for defeat, not the final. On Saturday, they trailed Denys Molchanov and Igor Zelenay 3-8 in a Match Tie-Break and saved two match points before battling to the championship match. Nielsen and Puetz also eliminated second seeds Austin Krajicek and Artem Sitak in the quarter-finals.

“Whenever you’re down 8/3 and then two match points, you’re sort of half on the way home already,” Puetz said. “Just to still be here was a bonus and then winning the title is a huge bonus.”

Nielsen, who triumphed at Wimbledon in 2012 with Jonathan Marray, now owns three tour-level doubles titles, with this his first victory since Chennai five years ago with Johan Brunstrom. Puetz has enjoyed playing at home, winning his only other trophy in Stuttgart last year with Philipp Petzschner. The team will split €29,650 and add 250 ATP Doubles Ranking points.

“For me of course it’s the best,” Puetz said. “I have the crowd support as well and to be at a tournament where people actually recognise you, it seems to work well for me.”

Demoliner and Sharan were also pursuing their first title as a team. The Brazilian-Indian pair, which eliminated top-seeded Rohan Bopanna and Dominic Inglot in the first round, won three Match Tie-breaks to reach the final. Demoliner and Sharan earn 150 points and they will share €15,200.

Work hard. Play hard.

It’s a simple philosophy, but one that is at the core of the Puerto Vallarta Open presentado por La Afición. On the ATP Challenger Tour, the most successful tournaments often feature a common thread: engage the fans with an elite tennis showcase in a premier setting. Both on and off-court entertainment creates a first-rate experience in a festive atmosphere.

In Puerto Vallarta, they have taken that concept to the next level, making it a world-class experience for the players as well. With the radiant sun glistening off the majestic Mexican waters, it’s easy to mistake the tournament for a relaxing week at the beach. But that’s exactly what tournament founders Javier Romero, David Davila and Javier Ramirez have in mind.

Those competing on the Challenger circuit are battling every week for critical ATP Rankings points and prize money, as they seek to take the next step in their careers. But it can’t always be about the forehands and backhands. Mental and emotional breaks are a crucial element to success between the lines. In Puerto Vallarta, they understand that and have gone above and beyond to ‘make it unforgettable’, as their motto says.

“I like it here,” said third seed Peter Polansky. “It’s a pretty nice tournament and you feel like you’re practically on vacation. The hotel is a resort and it doesn’t get much nicer. It would be nice if there were more tournaments that made more of an effort to be this good. All in all, I think many events can use this as a standard. They set the bar here.

“Weeks where you’re staying on the water is few and far between. I didn’t expect it to be this good. It’s a nice event to come relax and training wise it’s good as well, because it gets pretty hot during the day. It’s pretty hot here and you can see during the day that conditions really test you.”

It’s no wonder that the tournament brought home 2018 ATP Challenger of the Year honours. But the fact that they achieved the feat in their first edition is a testament to the hard work, passion and dedication of all tournament organisers and staff. This week, as they look to ascend to even greater heights, the Puerto Vallarta Open presentado por La Afición was presented with the award in front of a packed stadium court.

Between the lines, the attention to detail in Puerto Vallarta is exceptional. The pre-match walk-ons are akin to the Nitto ATP Finals at The O2, with fog machines, flashing lights and rock music greeting the night session competitors. The players are treated like rock stars and the fans are given an up-close view of the action in an intimate setting. A full-service VIP section nestles up to the sideline, with Mexican fare and Siete Leguas tequila flowing from first ball to last.

Away from Parque Parota, signage is plastered throughout the city and radio and TV spots abound throughout the month leading up to the tournament, encouraging both locals and tourists to visit the event. In addition, MegaCable TV broadcasts every evening for both night session matches, with three commentators calling the action.

“We’ve never been treated so well than we are here,” said Carlos Gomez-Herrera, a semi-finalist in 2018. “I’ve been looking forward to coming back. The conditions are very nice and the stadiums are packed from the first day. We have amazing facilities and especially with the direction of the tournament, they try to bring us their best. That’s something we look forward to every year. It’s the second edition and hopefully they have many more.”

For players criss-crossing the globe and spending countless hours on the court and in the gym, it’s essential to find the right balance of work and play. In Puerto Vallarta, they understand the rigours of life on tour and are redefining the culture of a tournament. An oasis on the Challenger circuit, the tournament is located steps from the Bahía de Banderas (Bay of Flags), just off the Pacific Ocean.

Supported by the tourism bureau of Puerto Vallarta, the tournament provides world-class hospitality, including activities around the city. Players stay at the beachfront Sheraton Buganvilias Resort, with five restaurants, two massive outdoor pools, four practice courts and two gyms. The best part: it’s all-inclusive. Above all, players love free food and the ability to disconnect from the world, and the Puerto Vallarta staff has ensured that.

Nestled between the blue waters of the Pacific and the towering Sierra Madre mountains, the natural surroundings provided the perfect backdrop for a tournament. With the opportunity to fight for ATP Rankings points while savouring the sun and scenery, players took full advantage.

A sunset boat cruise with a live Mariachi band shuttled players around the Bahía de Banderas on the eve of the tournament. Later in the week, one of the city’s most popular dance clubs hosted a vibrant player party, providing an ideal escape for those looking to toss aside their racquets and take in the local culture. On Monday, Santiago Giraldo, Danilo Petrovic and Adrian Menendez-Maceiras took a five-hour excursion to a secluded location, where they enjoyed a horseback ride in the mountains, took a dip at a waterfall, went snorkling in the bay and devoured a five-course meal.

“I’m obviously glad to be back in Puerto Vallarta, because this is where I reached my first Challenger final,” said Petrovic. “I won the doubles title also with my Croatian friend Ante Pavic. I have great memories of the people, the food, the organisation, and everyone involved with this event.”

Once a mining town in the 19th century called ‘Las Peñas’, Puerto Vallarta emerged when miners from the Sierra Madre needed a port in the bay to load and unload various products. The city soon became an integral hub for agricultural, fishing and forestry activities. Now, with a diverse multi-cultural identity, it also boasts a growing art scene and an exotic habitat with hundreds of species of birds and wildife, in addition to its thriving sports culture.

With the tournament fast becoming the standard on the ATP Challenger Tour, it has already established itself as an integral piece of the tennis presence in not only Puerto Vallarta, but Mexico as a whole.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Tommy Robredo are just finishing up their practice out on Court 1, while Lucas Pouille and Adrian Mannarino are waiting to go on. And I see that Nicolas Mahut and Jurgen Melzer are scheduled to follow them. From the looks of the players’ names in the draw you might have thought this is an ATP Tour event and not an ATP Challenger.

This week we are at the Club Villa Primrose in Bordeaux, France. The Villa Primrose first opened to tennis 122 years ago and is the oldest tennis club in France. The gathering spot of the club is the large outdoor deck overlooking Court 1. Members and guests are here milling around iron tables and wine casks stacked with plates of charcuterie, pate, fois gras and baskets of crusted bread.

Here in France, the men like to wear fancy scarves which they wrap, twist or tie around their necks while the women smoke skinny little cigarettes and discuss the latest in politics. Everyone seems to be sporting sunglasses and sipping glasses of champagne or Kir Royale. Back on Court 1, kids line the fences and call out- ‘Luca… Luca’ and ‘Manna… Manna’, hoping to get an autograph from Pouille or Mannarino.

Talking about nicknames, some Tour players are called by abbreviations of their name. Nicolas ‘Nico’ Mahut, Adrian ‘Manna’ Mannarino, Rafael ‘Rafa’ Nadal, and Jurgen ‘JoJo’ Melzer. While other players have nicknames based on their style of play. Like Fabrice ‘The Magician’ Santoro, Alexandr ‘The Dog’ Dolgopolov and Max ‘The Beast’ Mirnyi. But here in Bordeaux we have two players that might have the best nicknames of all time. Zhang ‘Flaming Dragon’ Ze, and Gong ‘The Dagger’ Mao Xin. And if that is not enough, when they play doubles together, the Chinese media dubs them ‘The Great Wall of Nanjing’, in reference to a 14th century wall built in their hometown.

The fact that the two Chinese players are here in Europe and not playing the ATP Challengers in Korea is interesting. It is no secret the Chinese love to gamble, and the Great Wall of Nanjing certainly rolled the dice this time deciding to stray far from home to play on clay and not on their native hard courts back in Asia.

“We just feel like to be one of the best doubles teams in the world, we need to play against the best,” says Zhang Ze. “I mean this week we get to practise with Mahut and Melzer. Unbelievable.”

Last year, Zhang Ze and Gong Mao Xin teamed up for seven ATP Challenger Tour doubles titles. This year, they became the first Chinese men to win a round in a grand slam main draw event when they made the second round of the Australian Open. With the Olympics looming, the Great Wall of Nanjing is going all in.

Melzer Mahut Magic ?‍♂️ in Bordeaux@jojomelzer | @nmahut | @BNPPprimrose pic.twitter.com/E21IoBY1tk

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) May 3, 2019

There is a French proverb that says, “One day you are drinking the wine and the next day you are picking the grapes.” That is a very appropriate for the life of a professional tennis player. Tennis is both kind and cruel to a player on any given day, and the pressure to win and defend has a way of humbling even the best players.

Viktor Troicki knows a bit about that. Back in 2006, Troicki reached a career-high ATP Ranking No. 12, but now he sits at No. 240. Today, I see a kinder, humbler Serbian tennis player in Troicki. Maybe it is getting married and having a child that has tempered his fire. There he is out on Court 8 with his long-time coach Jack Reader concentrating on lengthening his contact zone on his backhand drive, hitting balls tossed by Reader. Reader has been around for almost as long as the Club Villa Primrose and there is no denying the care factor coach and player have for each other.

Today is Labor Day and it feels appropriate to be in France where the French celebrate a day off from work better than anyone in the world. In addition to the ATP players on the courts, there is a massive kid’s clinic organised, plus a wheelchair tennis session. An exhibition scheduled on Centre Court with Michael Llodra, Mahut, Fabrice Santoro and Julian Benneteau doing the honors. And I see that Yannick Noah and his magnetic smile have arrived to join in the celebration. Then there is Tsonga signing autographs beside a court filled with disabled tennis players.

The sky is powder blue with big white cumulus clouds hovering so low you wonder if a good defensive lob would get lost up there. The sap is rising in the old oak trees that shade the club with bright green leaves and, heck, even the birds chirping in branches seem happy.  This is how a professional tennis is meant to be played.

At times this week, the Villa Primrose felt more like a home than a tennis club. Oak hardwood floors with buckled planks and a staircase that creaks when you walk up to what may have been a gym a century ago. The walls are adorned with hundreds of photographs of French tennis legends and cabinets are full of dusty old trophies. One gets the feeling that everyone who can play tennis, no matter their age or ability, is honoured here at the Club Villa Primrose. And judging by the players who came, they must feel the same.

#NextGenATP Canadians Denis Shapovalov and Felix Auger-Aliassime are close friends off the court, but they’ll take the court as opponents on Sunday at the Mutua Madrid Open. Aussie Nick Kyrgios also headlines Day 1 against Jan-Lennard Struff of Germany.

Shapovalov won their only previous FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting at last year’s US Open, which ended with Auger-Aliassime retiring in the third set due to cramping. Both men have established their clay-court prowess early in their careers. Shapovalov was a semi-finalist last year in Madrid and Auger-Aliassime reached his first ATP Tour final this February at the Rio Open presented by Claro (l. to Djere).

Who will win the latest @FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting between these players?@MutuaMadridOpen

— ATP Tour (@ATP_Tour) May 4, 2019

Kyrgios starts his clay-court season in Madrid after missing last year’s event due to injury. The Aussie has scored high-profile wins before in Madrid, including a second-round upset over then World No. 1 Roger Federer in 2015. Struff arrives in top form after reaching the quarter-finals two weeks ago at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell.

Dominic Thiem of Austria, Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria and Karen Khachanov of Russia are among the top singles players to hit the doubles court on opening day. All seven final-round qualifying matches will also take place.

ORDER OF PLAY – THURSDAY, 28 MARCH 2019

COURT MANOLO SANTANA start 11:00 am
Four WTA matches

Not Before 7:00 pm
Denis Shapovalov (CAN) vs [WC] Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN)

COURT ARANTXA SANCHEZ start 11:00 am
Qualifying – [3] Hubert Hurkacz (POL) vs [WC] Roberto Carballes Baena (ESP) Marcelo Melo (BRA) vs [3] Bob Bryan (USA) / Mike Bryan (USA)

Not Before 12:30 pm
Nick Kyrgios (AUS) vs Jan-Lennard Struff (GER)
Three WTA matches

STADIUM 3 start 11:00 am
Qualifying – [7] Taylor Fritz (USA) vs Marius Copil (ROU)
Two WTA matches

Not Before 4:00 pm
Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) / Karen Khachanov (RUS) vs [4] Juan Sebastian Cabal (COL) / Robert Farah (COL)
[WC] David Marrero (ESP) / Fernando Verdasco (ESP) vs Diego Schwartzman (ARG) / Dominic Thiem (AUT)

COURT 4 start 11:00 am
Three WTA matches
Qualifying – [1] Pierre-Hugues Herbert (FRA) vs [11] Robin Haase (NED)
WTA match

COURT 6 start 11:00 am
Two WTA matches
Qualifying – Juan Ignacio Londero (ARG) vs [8] Reilly Opelka (USA)
Qualifying – [5] Adrian Mannarino (FRA) vs [9] Martin Klizan (SVK)
WTA match

COURT 7 start 11:00 am
Two WTA matches
Qualifying – Guido Andreozzi (ARG) vs Hugo Dellien (BOL)
Two WTA matches

Rafael Nadal attended the official opening ceremony of the Mutua Madrid Open on Friday, held at the world-famous Museo del Prado art museum.

The five-time champion was joined by fellow Spanish No. 1 Garbine Muguruza and Tournament Director Feliciano Lopez for a special night at the museum, which celebrates its bicentenary this year. Accompanied by Miguel Falomir Faus, director of the Museo del Prado, Nadal enjoyed a guided tour of one of the world’s most visited collections of art and posed for photos with Spanish artist Diego Velázquez’s best-known masterpieces.

Nadal will open his Mutua Madrid Open campaign against one of two #NextGenATP Canadians: Denis Shapovalov or Felix Auger-Aliassime. The Manacor native shares the bottom half of the draw with defending champion Alexander Zverev, with World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and three-time winner Roger Federer occupying the top half.

Nadal owns a 49-11 record at the ATP Masters 1000 event. The 32-year-old has reached the final in Madrid on eight occasions (5-3), with his most recent final appearance coming in 2017 when he defeated Dominic Thiem to lift a record fifth title at the Caja Magica.