Nadal In Barcelona: ‘What Has Happened Has Happened’
Apr222019
Spaniard ready to bounce back after Monte-Carlo upset
Rafael Nadal walked away from the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters last week without playing in the ATP Masters 1000 final for the first time since 2015. But the Spaniard, who lost to eventual champion Fabio Fognini in the semi-finals, is ready to put the upset behind him.
“My personal opinion is that I played one of the worst matches on clay. It’s a reality. There is no need to hide it. I do not see the benefit of wanting to deny it,” Nadal said on Monday after playing mini tennis with Kei Nishikori at the Palau de la Música Catalana. “What has happened has happened.”
The 32-year-old was playing in his first tournament since March’s BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. On 15 March, Nadal beat Karen Khachanov in the quarter-finals but the Spaniard had to withdraw from his semi-final against Roger Federer.
This week, Nadal is the top seed at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell and is going for his 12th title at the ATP 500 event.
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“In Monte-Carlo, I took a step forward with how I was a week before. I lost a good opportunity to start the season in a fantastic way. But now I’m going to have another one,” he said.
“This is a very special tournament that is part of the history of tennis and of my own. I have another morning to practice, and we will see how we are doing. On a physical level, I’m more or less well.”
Nadal is 58-3 at the event and won his 11th Barcelona title – and third straight – last year. The World No. 2 even has his own court – Pista Rafa Nadal – at the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona-1899, the oldest Spanish tennis club.
“It is true that I have not won any titles, but I reached the final in Australia, semi-finals in Indian Wells and now semi-finals again in Monte-Carlo. The year is not bad and I’m third in the [ATP Race To London], but with more problems than I would have liked,” Nadal said.
“The job is to find myself. During the last 18 months, I have had too many stops and ups and downs, non-tennis related. And when that happens, it’s hard to pick up rhythm and continuity. But it is true that it has happened so many times, and that after things go well… everything that happened seems to be forgotten. I hope to be ready to play well. And if it is not here, it will be in Madrid, in Rome or at Roland Garros.”
Nadal will open against Argentine Leonardo Mayer, a 6-3, 6-7(5), 7-5 winner against Romanian Marius Copil. Nadal could earn a rematch against Fognini if both reach the Barcelona final.
The European clay-court swing continues this week in Barcelona and Budapest, with top players, including Rafael Nadal and Marin Cilic, respectively, leading the fields. Here are 20 things to watch from the ATP 500 and ATP 250 events:
10 Things To Watch In Barcelona
1) Best in Barcelona: 11-time champion Rafael Nadal leads a star-studded field at the 2019 Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell. Also competing at the ATP Tour 500 event are former champions Kei Nishikori and Fernando Verdasco, Top 10 players Alexander Zverev, Dominic Thiem, and Stefanos Tsitsipas, and last week’s ATP Masters 1000 Monte-Carlo champion Fabio Fognini.
2) Pista Rafa Nadal: The Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell named a court after World No. 2 Nadal in 2017. It becomes crystal clear why that decision was made after reviewing his 58-3 record at Barcelona and the fact that the top seed won the trophy for the 11th time at the event last year – a feat he had also accomplished the week prior at Monte-Carlo, and then repeated at Roland Garros.
3) Special Kei: No. 4 seed Nishikori is the most recent dominant player at Barcelona other than Nadal, as the Japanese star picked up the two trophies between Nadal’s three-year title streaks of 2011-13 and 2016-18. Nishikori reeled off 14 straight wins at the event from 2014 to 2016, and nearly pulled off the hat-trick before his run was stopped in the 2016 final by Nadal.
4) Fog Rolling In: Before last week, Fognini had a 4-8 win-loss record in 2019, including going 0-for-4 on clay. That suddenly changed when he clinched his first ATP Masters 1000 title at Monte-Carlo, defeating 11-time champion Nadal in the semi-finals before a final victory over Dusan Lajovic. Fognini, the first Italian to win an ATP Masters 1000 title, is at a new career-high ranking of No. 12.
5) From A to Z: No. 2 seed Zverev is no stranger to ATP Masters 1000 titles, as the 22-year-old is the only active player other than Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray to have claimed at least three titles at that level. Nevertheless, the World No. 3 comes into Barcelona still looking for his first title of 2019, and has advanced to a quarter-final-or-better just once this year.
6) Greece is the Word: Tsitsipas burst onto the scene at Barcelona last year. The #NextGenATP Greek star was ranked just No. 63 when he entered the event, but he won five matches in straight sets, including a win over the previous year’s finalist Thiem, to reach his first ATP Tour singles final. One year later, the 20-year-old has won two titles, and is currently ranked at a career-high No. 8.
7) Feet of Clay: No. 3 seed Thiem has won eight of his 12 titles and reached 14 of his 19 finals on clay courts. The Austrian, who made his first Grand Slam final on the clay of Roland Garros last year, defeated then-World No. 1 Murray in the 2017 Barcelona semi-finals before falling to Nadal.
8) Wild Ones: Former World No. 3 David Ferrer received a wild card into the event; the four-time Barcelona finalist plans to retire next month after the Mutua Madrid Open. Along with Ferrer and Zverev, the wild cards are Grigor Dimitrov, Feliciano Lopez, and 19-year-old Nicola Kuhn.
9) Spanish Success: Verdasco is the only player in the draw to have claimed the title other than Nadal and Nishikori. The 2010 champion has a 15-10 record at Barcelona, having also made the 2012 semi-finals and the 2009 quarter-finals. He will face Lopez for the 11th time in their rivalry.
10) Doubles Duty: Feliciano Lopez and Marc Lopez won the Barcelona doubles title last year. They return to the event, but with different partners: Feliciano is paired with Pablo Carreno Busta, and Marc teams up with Marcel Granollers. The No. 1 seeds are Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo.
10 Things To Watch In Budapest
1) Third Time’s the Charm: The ATP Tour returns to Budapest for the third straight season with the Hungarian Open. Former finalists John Millman and Aljaz Bedene join Top 15 Croats Marin Cilic and Borna Coric in the field.
2) Wild One: Top seed Cilic got a wild card into Budapest, and the World No. 11 comes into the event with a 4-5 record on the year, still seeking his first 2019 quarter-final. As the reigning Australian Open runner-up, Cilic rallied from two sets down and saved match points to oust Fernando Verdasco in the third round of Melbourne, but lost in the fourth round to Roberto Bautista Agut.
3) Borna Again: No. 2 seed Coric starts the Hungarian Open coming off back-to-back quarter-final showings at ATP Masters 1000 events at Miami and Monte-Carlo. Coric, whose first ATP Tour singles title came on clay at Marrakech in 2017, is returning to Budapest for a second showing, following a first-round loss to Jiri Vesely in his only prior appearance in 2017.
4) Serbian Surprise: Dusan Lajovic lurks as an unseeded player despite being a newly minted Top 25 player. The Serb is now at a career-high ranking of World No. 24 after his run to a first-ever ATP Tour singles final at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters last week. Lajovic, who notched his first Top 5 win over Dominic Thiem in Monte-Carlo, smashed his prior career-high ranking of No. 42.
5) Great Georgian: No. 4 seed Nikoloz Basilashvili made his second quarter-final of 2018 in his debut showing at Budapest last year. The Georgian would go on to break through in a big way last season, winning two titles, at Hamburg and Beijing, and finishing the year in the Top 25.
6) First Wins Club: No. 5 seed Laslo Djere and No. 8 seed Radu Albot are two of the eight first-time singles champions on the ATP Tour this season. Djere picked up his first trophy at Rio de Janeiro, while Albot triumphed at Delray Beach, becoming the first singles champion to represent Moldova.
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7) Close Calls: Last year’s runner-up John Millman is back as the No. 6 seed; the Australian made his sole final to date in Budapest last year. Millman edged 2017 runner-up Aljaz Bedene in last year’s semi-finals; Bedene has also returned to Budapest, as he too still seeks a first title.
8) #NextGenATP On The Rise: Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic had only one ATP Tour win heading into March’s BNP Paribas Open. But the 19-year-old qualified and made his first ATP quarter-final in Indian Wells before falling to Canadian Milos Raonic. Kecmanovic, now at No. 87 in the ATP Rankings, qualified and will face Millman in his Budapest opener.
9) Going Wild: Hungarians Attila Balazs and Mate Valkusz join Cilic as wild cards. 20-year-old Valkusz, who lost to eventual champion Marco Cecchinato in the first round of qualifying last year, will be making his ATP Tour main-draw debut this week. The 30-year-old’s best tour-level result was a semi-final run as a qualifier at Bucharest in 2012.
10) Doubling Up: Rohan Bopanna and Dominic Inglot head the Hungarian Open doubles draw as the top seeds. Inglot is going for his second straight title at Budapest: he won the event last year partnering Franko Skugor.
ATPTour.com looks at the top Movers of the Week in the ATP Rankings, as of Monday, 22 April 2019
No. 12 (Career High) Fabio Fognini, +6 The 31-year-old became the first Italian to win an ATP Masters 1000 title at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters after beating Dusan Lajovic 6-3, 6-4 in the championship match. Fognini stunned 11-time champion Rafael Nadal and World No. 3 Alexander Zverev in straight sets en route to the trophy, which is his ninth ATP Tour crown. Fognini jumps six places to a career-high No. 12 in the ATP Rankings following his run to the title in the Principality. Read More.
No. 24 (Career High) Dusan Lajovic, +24 The Serbian recorded five consecutive tour-level victories for the first time in his career to reach his maiden ATP Tour final at the Monte-Carlo Country Club. Lajovic did not drop a set en route to the final, overcoming Malek Jaziri, David Goffin, Dominic Thiem, Lorenzo Sonego and Daniil Medvedev before his straight-sets loss to Fognini. The 28-year-old soars 24 spots to career-high No. 24 in the ATP Rankings.
No. 28 (Career High) Guido Pella, +7 After a successful ‘Golden Swing’ which included a title run at the Brasil Open (d. Garin) and a runner-up finish at the inaugural Cordoba Open (l. to Londero), Pella continued his impressive start to the season by reaching his first ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final. Pella defeated Rio Open presented by Claro champion Laslo Djere, seventh seed Marin Cilic and Roland Garros semi-finalist Marco Cecchinato to reach the last eight in the Principality, where he fell to 11-time Monte-Carlo titlist Nadal. Pella rises seven positions to a career-high No. 28 in the ATP Rankings.
Anne Keothavong was a playing member of Great Britain’s Fed Cup team when they made the trip to Sweden for the 2012 World Group play-off.
Seven years, and three further play-off disappointments later, she is now the captain of a side which finally has the chance to discover whether it can be competitive against the world’s elite.
GB’s 3-1 victory over Kazakhstan at London’s Copper Box Arena ensures a return to World Group level of the Fed Cup for the first time since 1993.
The format for next year’s competition is far from signed off. But, for the first time in a generation, Britain will at least start the year with a theoretical chance of lifting the trophy.
The International Tennis Federation hopes to introduce a week-long Finals featuring 12 teams from next April.
The plan is for this year’s semi-finalists to be joined by the winners of eight play-off ties to be staged in February.
Boulter wins to end GB’s 26-year wait for Fed Cup promotion
GB captain ‘in awe’ after Fed Cup joy
Interest from host nations was sought in March. Budapest is said to be among the cities to have put its name forward, but financing the event is another matter.
The ITF is understood to have pledged prize money in excess of $10m (£7.7m), and that money is supposed to be generated by the host city.
There is also a fair amount of opposition to the concept. WTA tournaments staged in the weeks either side of the proposed Finals will expect to see traditionally strong fields depleted.
And there are players – and many fans – who resent the potential reduction in the number of home ties which generate the special atmosphere evident this weekend.
Keothavong, who says she has not yet been asked her views by the ITF, admits to being in two minds about whether the reforms are in the best interests of the sport.
“I’m not sure,” Britain’s captain says. “We’ve waited so long for a home tie and now we’ve got it.
“The support we had was something we might not experience again, so it’s hard to know. I don’t know what the right format is for this competition.”
If the planned reform flounders, the ITF is likely to create one 16-team World Group for 2020, played on a knockout basis with the final four competing for the title in November.
Either way, Britain will have its work cut out to make progress.
Potential opponents include Japan (featuring world number one Naomi Osaka); Romania (featuring world number two Simona Halep); the Czech Republic (with two top five players in their ranks); and the United States (who have three top 20 players to choose from).
Britain does not currently have any singles’ players in the world’s top 40, and yet in Johanna Konta and Katie Boulter do have two players you underestimate at your peril.
Konta appears, at times, to be overwhelmed by nerves. Her game goes off the boil, and yet she invariably recovers, and should be mightily proud to have won 11 singles matches in a row.
At 3-5 down in the deciding set against Yulia Putintseva on Sunday, she won 16 of the last 18 points of the match. She was simply brilliant, and is developing a steely Fed Cup persona.
Boulter is much earlier in her Fed Cup career, but four singles wins in four days in February’s qualifying round in Bath were followed here by a very near miss against Putintseva (a match she should have won), and then a courageous comeback against Zarina Diyas.
With a hot water bottle tucked down the back of her skirt to soothe a bad back at change of ends, she clinched the tie by running away with the final set. Some shrink, where Boulter seems to thrive.
The pair will undoubtedly need the support of others if Britain are to become a force at World Group level.
Heather Watson has had a shocking time in singles of late, but is a Grand Slam doubles champion. If she can forge a potent partnership with Harriet Dart, a natural doubles player with singles aspirations of her own, Britain will add another line of defence.
Katie Swan only turned 20 last month and is now a top 200 player with four Fed Cup wins to her name.
And looking a little further ahead, there is 16-year-old Emma Raducanu, who Keothavong hopes “will be knocking on the door soon”.
The team spirit seems genuine, and so optimism should not be frowned upon – especially as, for the first time for more than a quarter of the century, the team will not have to endure the annual tribulations of Europe-Africa zone qualifying.
It will be a shame if Britain is not able to host home ties on a regular basis – the LTA proved again at the Copper Box that they know how to put on a really good show – but at least the stakes will be higher in future.
That, in turn, means the profile will be higher. And that is outstanding news for women’s tennis in the UK.
#NextGenATP Clarke Claims Second Challenger Crown In Anning
Apr222019
Revisit the week that was on the ATP Challenger Tour as we applaud the achievements of those on the rise and look ahead to who’s in action in the week to come
A LOOK BACK Kunming Open (Anning, China): Jay Clarke did not waste any time in finding that winning feeling. Two months ago, the Brit fell victim to a right foot injury in Pau, France, and in just his second tournament back, he would streak to the title. Clarke scored impressive win after impressive win to lift the trophy at the ATP Challenger Tour stop in Anning, China, on Sunday.
In a rematch of the 2018 Binghamton final, Clarke earned yet another victory over Jordan Thompson in the second round, before ousting James Duckworth in the quarter-finals and second seed Prajnesh Gunneswaran 6-4, 6-2 for the championship. He is the sixth #NextGenATP winner of the year, notching his first career clay-court crown. The Derby native is up to 11th in the ATP Race To Milan, rising five spots.
2019 #NextGenATP Winners
Player
Age
Title
Jannik Sinner
17 yrs, 6 mos.
Bergamo, ITA
Corentin Moutet
19 yrs, 9 mos.
Chennai, IND
Jeffrey John Wolf
20 yrs
Columbus, USA
Mikael Ymer
20 yrs, 3 mos.
Noumea, NC
Ugo Humbert
20 yrs, 7 mos.
Cherbourg, FRA
Jay Clarke
20 yrs, 8 mos.
Anning, CHN
Elizabeth Moore Sarasota Open (Sarasota, Florida, USA): Tommy Paul produced one of the more clutch performances on the ATP Challenger Tour, saving all 15 break points faced to the take the Sarasota title. He defeated Tennys Sandgren 6-3, 6-4 in Sunday’s championship.
Like Clarke, Paul was competing in just his second tournament in his return from an injury absence. Following two months on the sidelines with a quad tendon injury, the 21-year-old American lifted his second Challenger trophy and first on clay.
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San Luis Open (San Luis Potosi, Mexico): Marc-Andrea Huesler became the 14th first-time winner this year, producing an impressive display to take the title in San Luis Potosi. The Swiss reeled off six wins in six days, capped by a 7-5, 7-6(3) win over second seed Adrian Menendez-Maceiras on Sunday.
Competing in just his ninth Challenger main draw and having never previously reached a semi-final, Huesler made the most of his time on the Mexican clay. The 22-year-old from Zurich rises 70 spots to a career-high No. 281 in the ATP Rankings.
The San Luis Open is the second-longest running Challenger, celebrating its 34th edition. Only Tampere, Finland, has been on the circuit longer.
Tunis Open (Tunis, Tunisia): The lone Challenger on the African continent, the Tunis Open welcomed players and fans for the 11th time. World No. 81 Pablo Cuevas took the title on Sunday, defeating Joao Domingues 7-5, 6-4 in one hour and 31 minutes. The top Uruguayan did not drop a set all week, improving to 12-4 in Challenger finals and securing his 18th title in total, including ATP Tour victories.
A LOOK AHEAD There are four tournaments on three continents this week. In Tallahasee, Florida, the second stop on the U.S. clay-court swing welcomes Paolo Lorenzi as its top seed and Sarasota finalists Sandgren and Paul. The tournament is celebrating its 20th edition on the ATP Challenger Tour. Fifth seed Noah Rubin is the defending champion.
In Leon, Mexico, Alexander Bublik is hoping a return to hard courts will restore his winning ways. In his two previous hard-court Challengers, he lifted the trophy, prevailing in Pau, France in March and Monterrey, Mexico, just two weeks ago. He is joined by reigning champion and third seed Christopher Eubanks and recent Sophia Antipolis titlist Dustin Brown.
Meanwhile, in Francavilla al Mare, Italy, second seed Gianluigi Quinzi is the defending champion. Maximilian Marterer leads the pack, with fellow Germans Oscar Otte, Rudolf Molleker and Dominik Koepfer also seeded. And on the hard courts of Nanchang, China, Jordan Thompson is the top seed, while 12th seed Clarke looks to go back-to-back on Chinese soil.
Challenger Q&A: Paul A Perfect 15-For-15 For Sarasota Crown
Apr212019
Tommy Paul sits down with broadcaster Mike Cation after claiming his second ATP Challenger Tour title in Sarasota
Nerves of steel and unwavering perseverance. Tommy Paul demonstrated both of those traits and then some on Sunday at the Elizabeth Moore Sarasota Open.
Paul was as clutch as they come in the final of the ATP Challenger Tour event, saving all 15 break points faced to upset second seed Tennys Sandgren 6-3, 6-4 in one hour and 40 minutes. The 21-year-old American dug in his heels on the green clay, turning aside two break points in the first set and a whopping 13 more in the second.
The victory is extra special for Paul, who was competing in just his second tournament in his return from a quad tendon issue. Last year, he struggled with a knee ailment for a majority of the season, but capped his campaign with a maiden title on the indoor hard courts of Charlottesville. And on Sunday he once again made a triumphant comeback from an injury.
Paul ascends 46 spots to No. 158 in the ATP Rankings with the victory. After struggling for years to make his Challenger breakthrough, the American is finally putting it all together. In addition to his victory over Sandgren, he earned quality wins over Daniel Elahi Galan, a semi-finalist at last week’s ATP Tour stop in Houston, and fifth seed Paolo Lorenzi.
Paul spoke to broadcaster Mike Cation following Sunday’s triumph in Sarasota…
The big takeaway is 15 break points faced and 15 break points saved. How did you do it today? The big points really went well for me today. It’s funny because the last time we played in Savannah, it went to 7-6 in the third. We had a battle of a match. I was saving a ton of break points then too and I did better returning on the ad side. And today I think I saved only one of those break points on the deuce side. I was more comfortable returning on the ad side, but I wouldn’t say I was too comfortable with all 15 break points [laughs].
Compare this title to your first in Charlottesville last year. I know that was such a relief for you, but what does this one feel like, considering you’re coming back from injury? This one feels good, I’m not going to lie. This one feels really good. Especially having the injury last year and coming back to win Charlottesville in October, but then getting injured again this year. I took a few months off again after Australia. It was really frustrating. But to come back again and win the title in my second tournament back is amazing.
I think I played at a pretty high level from the start. The first day I came out, I played Gastao Elias and had a great level the whole match. I wouldn’t say it was too easy of a draw. I had Lorenzi next. It was just a great tournament and I had a lot of fun out there. This week means a lot to me.
What does this clay-court stretch mean to you? You had such a successful run a few years ago and missed it last year. And now you have this opportunity to really grow in the ATP Rankings. It’s funny because before Houston last week, my last clay-court match was in 2017. And I didn’t play for nearly two years on the dirt. It’s great to be back out here. I think it’s all about how I prepare for each surface. It takes me more time to get comfortable on hard. I grew up on green clay and have been playing on clay my whole life.
You are in the lead for the USTA’s French Open Wild Card Challenge. How much is that in your mind? It’s definitely in my mind, but I don’t want to think about it too much. I’m going to Tallahassee to try to do well and keep the lead. I’m just taking it one match and one point at a time. We’ll see.
#NextGenATP Canadian is the 16th seed in Barcelona
#NextGenATP Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime is taking the ATP Tour by storm. Trips to the Rio de Janeiro final and Miami semi-finals have helped the 18-year-old climb from outside the Top 100 in the ATP Rankings in February into the Top 35.
Many teenagers would be wondering what they could do with the more than $650,000 Felix has earned so far this year. But his father Sam Aliassime, who began playing tennis with him at five, has something else in mind for his son, who is the 16th seed at this week’s Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell.
“My dad messaged me the other day and said ‘I have three pieces of advice: Keep working hard, stay the same person and find a school’,” Auger-Aliassime said. “He wants me to go back to school, so I have to find an online school now. Having these kinds of people around you helps you stay the same person.
“I’m lucky to have great people around me. They’re always saying the right things and helping me do the right work.”
Expectations have followed Auger-Aliassime since he became the youngest player to win an ATP Challenger Tour match at 14. The top players in the sport — including Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Alexander Zverev, the man who beat him in the second round at Monte-Carlo — have been touting his abilities. But the only person who has avoided the hype is Felix himself.
“I never expected that I was going to be here this early. That was always my dream and I’m still following it,” Auger-Aliassime said. “Even just a few months ago, I was trying to break into the Top 100 and maybe thinking about Top 50 at the end of the year. [It’s great] being in the Top 30, but there was also a lot of work put behind it. I’m just enjoying myself now.”
Felix will try to make his mark at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, an ATP 500 tournament in Spain. He will face German Philipp Kohlschreiber or Tunisian Malek Jaziri in his opening match, and could potentially play fourth seed and two-time champion Kei Nishikori in the third round.
“The draw is so strong that it’s a bit like an [ATP] Masters 1000 event. I would love to get through the first rounds here,” Auger-Aliassime said. “Being seeded for the first time is a bit different and a nice feeling, but I can’t focus too much on results because I don’t have my marks here. It’s a new tournament for me, so I just want to keep competing well and play my game.”
The 6’4” right-hander will take confidence from his recent consistency, winning at least two matches in each of his past four tournaments. Auger-Aliassime claimed his first win against a Top 10 opponent at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, where he defeated reigning Next Gen ATP Finals champion Stefanos Tsitsipas.
“It helped that I knew him from the juniors. For me to win that first match [against Tsitsipas on the ATP Tour] is important because it was a bit of a statement that we can also win and compete with these top guys,” Auger-Aliassime said. “It gave me confidence, but I’ve played him before, so it wasn’t a big surprise.”
Felix is not looking any further than the match in front of him. But with only 45 points to defend through Roland Garros, Auger-Aliassime has an opportunity to make even more noise.
Britain’s Fed Cup captain Anne Keothavong is “in awe” of her players after they won promotion to World Group II for the first time in 26 years.
Every match in their 3-1 play-off win over Kazakhstan in London was a nerve-shredding three-setter.
Katie Boulter was a set and break down before the decisive win over Zarina Diyas, and Johanna Konta trailed 4-1 in the third set against Yulia Putintseva.
“It was such an incredible effort,” Keothavong said.
“I am just totally in awe of these women.”
Boulter’s 6-7 (1-7) 6-4 6-1 triggered wild celebrations after Great Britain finally got themselves out of the third tier of women’s team tennis after four failures at the same stage in the previous seven years.
Keothavong, who played in two of those play-offs and captained the others, said the victory at the Copper Box Arena was “right up there” as one of her best achievements in tennis.
“I couldn’t get there as a player but to be able to captain this achievement and to finally achieve it together after so long is definitely a highlight for me,” she said.
“Watching the players develop and grow; watching Jo lead this team as the number one; playing a small part in something much bigger is a very proud moment for me.”
Konta, whose stunning 4-6 6-2 7-5 victory over Putintseva on Sunday had put Britain one win away from promotion, said she was “speechless” following the team’s triumph.
“I have dreamed of being a part of the team that was able to achieve this,” the world number 46 added.
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‘Springboard for bigger things’
Keothavong hopes Fed Cup success will provide a “springboard for bigger and better things” for 22-year-old Boulter.
The British number two was impressive on her debut at February’s Europe/Africa Zone round-robin event in Bath, winning all of her singles rubbers.
She held three match points against Kazakh number one Putintseva on Saturday although she eventually lost, but she picked herself up – despite a back problem – to win the tie with the comeback win over Diyas.
She has shot up the world rankings in the past year and is now ranked 86th after breaking into the top 100 in November.
And in January Boulter, alongside British team-mate Cameron Norrie, beat 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams and Frances Tiafoe in the mixed doubles at the Hopman Cup.
“For Katie, this can be used as a springboard for bigger and better things. The players need to use it in a positive way,” Keothavong said.
Boulter said she will learn from the experience, especially the defeat by Putintseva that she said at the time would stay in her mind “for a long time”.
“We all have good days and bad days but I will fight and get up for the next match no matter what the circumstances are,” Boulter said.
‘Utterly brilliant’, ‘inspired’, ‘an amazing achievement’ – reaction to the GB’s success
Former British number one Annabel Croft, now a television commentator and analyst: “Absolutely amazing weekend of tennis. Congrats to Johanna Konta, Katie Boulter, Anne Keothavong and the rest of the Fed Cup team. Inspired performances with home fans cheering at the Copper Box.
British doubles player Jamie Murray, who helped the nation win the Davis Cup in 2015: “What a weekend for the GB Fed Cup team! Amazing achievement girls!”
Leon Smith, Britain’s Davis Cup captain: “That was utterly brilliant from our GB Fed Cup Team. This team deserves so much praise. Well done all. Bring on the World Group! Come on!!”
Fognini Continues First-Time Masters 1000 Champion Trend In Monte-Carlo
Apr212019
Fognini is the eighth first-time Masters 1000 champ since 2017 Rome
Fabio Fognini made history on Sunday, winning the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters to become the first Italian to lift an ATP Masters 1000 singles trophy. Fognini is the eighth player to win his first Masters 1000 title over the past 17 events at the elite level. In the 92 ATP Masters 1000 events prior to 2017 Rome, only eight players won their first Masters 1000 crown.
The 31-year-old fell behind an early break in the final against Dusan Lajovic, but he would break the Serbian’s serve four times to triumph after one hour and 38 minutes. Andrey Rublev led the 13th seed 6-4, 4-1 in the first round, but Fognini rallied to complete the best week of his career.
Four of the seven players who have won their maiden crown at this level since the 2017 Internazionali BNL d’Italia went on to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time that same season.
ATPTour.com looks at the recent first-time Masters 1000 winners…
Alexander Zverev (2017 Rome) Alexander Zverev had just turned 20 when he reached his first ATP Masters 1000 final at the 2017 Internazionali BNL d’Italia. But the German looked like a veteran in defeating second seed Novak Djokovic 6-4, 6-3.
Zverev became the youngest Rome champion since a 19-year-old Rafael Nadal triumphed in 2006 and the youngest Masters 1000 winner since a 19-year-old Djokovic lifted the Miami trophy in 2007. He has since won two more Masters 1000 titles.
“I’m very happy with the way I played and my performance all week, I think today was one of the best matches I ever played,” said Zverev. “I knew I had to be aggressive from the first point to the last. It was very important for me to be able to stay this aggressive and not let him take over the game.”
Grigor Dimitrov (2017 Cincinnati) Grigor Dimitrov’s maiden Masters 1000 moment came in the midst of his best season to date. The Bulgarian, at 26, beat Aussie Nick Kyrgios 6-3, 7-5 to win the Western & Southern Open.
Dimitrov did not lose a set all tournament, becoming the first player to do so and win his first Masters 1000 trophy since Djokovic at Miami in 2007. Dimitrov, who won 52 of his 53 service games, would go on to capture his biggest crown yet at the Nitto ATP Finals three months later.
Jack Sock (2017 Paris) In the first round of the 2017 Rolex Paris Masters, Kyle Edmund led Jack Sock 5-1 in the third set. But Sock found a way to dig out of that hole and advance, and he never looked back. The American defeated Filip Krajinovic 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 in the championship match to win his first Masters 1000 title.
Entering the week, Sock was 24th in the ATP Race To London. But the triumph earned him his first singles qualification for the Nitto ATP Finals, and also propelled him into the Top 10 of the ATP Rankings for the first time.
“There have been a lot of firsts,” Sock said during the trophy ceremony. “It started at the French Open with my first fourth round of a Slam, now I’ve won my first Masters 1000 in Paris, this will be my first time in the Top 10 and this will be the first time making the year-end [Nitto ATP] Finals. So there’s a lot going on right now emotionally and I can’t wait to enjoy it all with my team.”
Juan Martin del Potro (2018 Indian Wells) Juan Martin del Potro is the lone Grand Slam singles champion from this group. But entering last year’s BNP Paribas Open, the Argentine had never won a Masters 1000 crown. Three times previously — at 2009 Montreal (l. to Murray), 2013 Indian Wells (l. to Nadal), and 2013 Shanghai (l. to Djokovic) — Del Potro fell just one win short.
Roger Federer, who was 17-0 on the year, had three championship points to prevent the ‘Tower of Tandil’ from changing that in the final. But nothing could stop Del Potro, as he played courageous tennis to stun Federer 6-4, 6-7(8), 7-6(2) in what was one of the best matches of the 2018 ATP Tour season.
John Isner (2018 Miami) John Isner arrived at the 2018 Miami Open presented by Itau with a 2-6 record on the season, looking to gain some form. He did more than that in South Beach, rallying to defeat Alexander Zverev 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-4 for the title. The American, who was 32 years, 11 months old at the time, became the oldest first-time Masters 1000 champion in the history of the series (since 1990).
The fourth time was the charm for Isner, who finished runner-up at 2012 Indian Wells (l. to Federer), 2013 Cincinnati (l. to Nadal) and 2016 Paris (l. to Murray). Isner used this victory as a springboard, ultimately qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time.
Karen Khachanov (2018 Paris) Djokovic entered the 2018 Rolex Paris Masters final on a 22-match winning streak, poised to tie Nadal’s record of 33 ATP Masters 1000 trophies. But Russian Karen Khachanov earned the biggest title of his career, shocking the Serbian 7-5, 6-4 for his maiden Masters 1000 moment.
Khachanov’s triumph was the last of four consecutive wins against Top 10 players in the ATP Rankings (Isner, Zverev, Thiem and Djokovic), and it would send him to a year-end finish of 11th, his career-best.
Dominic Thiem(2019 Indian Wells) It was not surprising that Thiem won a Masters 1000 tournament. But it is safe to say that nobody expected the Austrian’s maiden moment to come on a hard court. In fact, he had never advanced past the quarter-finals of the BNP Paribas Open.
But the 25-year-old put together a stunning performance to defeat Federer 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 in the final, earning just his second Top 5 victory on hard courts. Thiem’s effort helped him match his career-high of No. 4 in the ATP Rankings. He was also the first Austrian Masters 1000 winner since Thomas Muster at 1997 Miami.
ATPTour.com takes a look back at the third ATP Masters 1000 event of the year
Sun, scenery and scintillating tennis. The Monte-Carlo Country Club once again played host to a perfect week of ATP Masters 1000 action. Plenty of riveting storylines and pulsating moments captured our attention. From early exits and jaw-dropping upsets to Fabio Fognini securing his first Masters 1000 shield, relive the best moments of the 2019 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters…
Fabio’s Maiden Moment: It was a moment that Fabio Fognini will never forget. On Sunday, the 31-year-old became the first Italian to win an ATP Masters 1000 title, securing the biggest victory of his career. Fognini was a force throughout the week in the Principality, stunning Alexander Zverev and Rafael Nadal, before stopping Dusan Lajovic in the championship.
Fognini is the eighth player to win his first Masters 1000 title over the past 17 events at the elite level. He rises to a career-high No. 12 in the ATP Rankings with the victory, becoming the first player to upset Nadal on clay en route to a title since Pablo Cuevas in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
Read Report & Watch Final Highlights
Mektic/Skugor Make Masters 1000 History: For the first time since the introduction of the ATP Masters 1000 series in 1990, an all-Croatian doubles team has lifted a trophy. Nikola Mektic and Franko Skugor celebrated their first team title on the clay of Monte-Carlo.
It was a dramatic final victory for the Croatians, who rallied from a set down and saved a championship point to triumph 6-7(3), 7-6(3), 11-9 over Robin Haase and Wesley Koolhof. For Mektic, the win carried added significance considering he opened the Masters 1000 season with a title in Indian Wells, alongside Horacio Zeballos. The 30-year-old is now 3-0 in finals at the elite level, all with different partners.
Read Final Report
Dusan’s Dream: It was a ‘pinch me’ week for Lajovic, who streaked to his first ATP Tour title with aplomb. The Serbian did not drop a set en route to the championship, earning his first Top 5 win (d. Thiem) along the way. Despite falling in Sunday’s final, he will ascend 24 spots to a career-high No. 24 in the ATP Rankings.
The fact that Lajovic had been battling a blister on his toe all week, adds to the legend of his Monte-Carlo campaign. The World No. 48 defeated Malek Jaziri, David Goffin, Dominic Thiem, Lorenzo Sonego and Daniil Medvedev to record five straight tour-level victories for the first time in his career.
You May Also Like: Five Things To Know About Dusan Lajovic
Rafa Returns: Competing in his first tournament in one month, due to a right knee injury, Rafael Nadal streaked to the semi-finals at his happy hunting ground. The 11-time champion ousted Roberto Bautista Agut, Grigor Dimitrov and Guido Pella without dropping a set, before succumbing to Fognini on Saturday. It was just his fifth defeat at the Monte-Carlo Country Club and first to a player outside the Top 10 since 2003 (l. to Coria).
Read: Nadal’s Staggering Points Haul During Spring Clay Swing
Daniil’s Day: It was a week of upsets in the Principality. In addition to Fognini’s victories over Nadal and Zverev and Lajovic’s win over Thiem, Pierre-Hugues Herbert stunned 2018 finalist Kei Nishikori in the second round and Daniil Medvedev stopped top seed Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals. Medvedev earned his first win over a World No. 1 and the biggest win of his young career, breaking Djokovic five times for the 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 win. The tour-level match wins leader in 2019, the Russian would extend his record to 21-7, en route to his first ATP Masters 1000 semi-final.
Read: Medvedev Upsets Djokovic In Monte-Carlo
Sonego’s Big Breakthrough: Qualifier Lorenzo Sonego turned in a Cinderella performance at the Monte-Carlo Country Club. The Italian reached his first ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final behind upsets of countryman Andreas Seppi, eighth seed Karen Khachanov and Cameron Norrie. He will ascend 30 spots in the ATP Rankings to a career-high No. 66.
Read: Sonego Stuns Khachanov
Marco’s Great Escape: It will go down as one of the great comebacks of the ATP Tour season. Marco Cecchinato had dropped the first eight games against Stan Wawrinka in their second-round meeting. But the Italian would not go down without a fight, storming back from 0-6, 0-2 down to prevail 0-6, 7-5, 6-3. His third-round finish matched his best result at an ATP Masters 1000 event.
Read: Cecchinato Completes Comeback
Pella Power: While Nadal lost to Fognini in the semi-finals, he was pushed to the limit by Guido Pella a day earlier. The Argentine broke the Spaniard on four occasions in the first set, but was unable to cross the finish line. It was an impressive week for Pella, who outlasted seventh seed Marin Cilic in the second round and Cecchinato in the third round.
Read: Pella Pushes Past Cilic
Showing Heart: When Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert hit his final forehand on Monday to defeat Fernando Verdasco, it was more than a typical victory; it was one full of emotion. The 28-year-old did not simply sign his name on the television camera, but he wrote ‘Notre Dame’ with a broken heart underneath it. Tragedy struck on Monday when the famous Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris caught fire, burning deep into the night.
And the fire did not just emotionally touch the Frenchmen playing in Monte-Carlo. Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal both saw the news and discussed their reactions with the assembled media…
Read & Watch Hot Shots: Herbert Upsets Nishikori Read: Herbert, Djokovic, Nadal & Other Stars Reflect On Notre-Dame
A Royal Visit: A select group of ATP stars had the privilege of being received by H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco at the Royal Palace. The Prince has long been an integral participant of the tournament, taking in the action every year and this year he welcomed Djokovic, Nadal, Medvedev, Alexander Zverev, Dominic Thiem, Kei Nishikori, Marin Cilic, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Felix Auger-Aliassime, David Goffin and Mischa Zverev.
Read & Watch: Nadal, Djokovic & Co. Visit Royal Palace
The ATP Anagram Challenge: Jamie Murray and Kyle Edmund were put to the test both on and off the court in Monte-Carlo. Who won this round of the ATP Anagram Challenge?
ATP Stars Give Back: Former champion Stan Wawrinka and World No. 5 Thiem took the role of team captains in a fun-filled charity exhibition, benefiting the Monaco Red Cross. Alongside Wawrinka on his team of French-speaking players were Lucas Pouille, David Goffin and Medvedev. BNP Paribas Open champion Thiem was joined by Tsitsipas and Karen Khachanov.
Read: Wawrinka, Thiem Lead ATP Stars In Charity Exhibition
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