Reilly Opelka is quietly making a significant charge towards a Top 100 debut. The 21-year-old American entered the US Open at No. 173 in the ATP Rankings, and he is now projected to rise to a career-high No. 116 following his latest ATP Challenger Tour title in Knoxville.

Opelka was a machine all week on the campus of the University of Tennessee, not dropping a set en route to the final. There, he overcame a stern test from countryman Bjorn Fratangelo, eventually prevailing in a deciding tie-break 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(2). He fired 26 aces in one hour and 59 minutes. 

In five tournaments since the US Open, he has reached a pair of finals in Chicago and Cary and claimed a championship in Knoxville. It has been a career-year for the rising Michigan native, who also added a clay-court crown in Bordeaux, France, in May. He is the sixth player to win on both clay and hard in 2018.

One week after close friend Tommy Paul reigned in Charlottesville, Opelka became the seventh #NextGenATP American winner this year. 

‘Big O’ spoke to broadcaster Mike Cation after the final on Sunday…

Champion at @KnoxChallenger… Reilly Opelka!

The ?? captures his second #ATPChallenger title of the year, becoming the sixth player to win on both clay and hard in 2018. ? pic.twitter.com/OuhWN9YQ9n

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) November 11, 2018

Congrats, Reilly. This was one of those matches that didn’t have a lot of rhythm. That disrupted Fratangelo at times today. Is that how your style plays out?
It is definitely how my style plays out. It’s not that I wasn’t necessarily going for more, but I wasn’t as consistent. That kind of messed him up a little bit. He felt no rhythm. Neither did I, but I felt that I was more comfortable in those situations.

These courts can be slower and it took away from your pace. But you had 26 aces and it seemed like you were serving at a high percentage all week long.
Yeah, for sure. I’ve been serving at a high percentage. I’d say that for the past six or seven months it’s been a huge improvement. I think my first serve percentage is up 15 per cent from last year. I’ve also improved my forehand return a lot and my return in general. Today, he served pretty well and I had a hard time with that, but overall in the tie-break I thought I did a great job. 

2018 Win-Loss Pct. Leaders (minimum 25 matches played)

A lot of the returns you hit today were heavy pace right into the body. That’s a lower margin return to take so you’re not going for those tougher angles. Going forward, is that something you’re going for more?
It depends on the opponent and depends on the second serve he hits. Obviously with my leverage I can hit some big, heavy shots if I have room to swing. I hit some returns where I hit it and came in. Some I went back and hit forehands and went back and hit backhands, so I had a nice variety of four or five different positions. Towards the end of the match I had him thinking. In the tie-break, the forehand return I hit on the ad side where I stepped back was big. If I would have stepped in, it would have been a tougher shot. I ripped the forehand and went up a double mini-break. That was pretty much all I needed right there.

You had a pretty rough stretch in Northern California (first round losses in Stockton and Fairfield). I don’t think you seemed very happy with being back on court. What turned it around?
Well those were just two horrible tournaments for me. I wasn’t in a good place mentally from the start. It was easier to be calmer and happier in an atmosphere like this. My housing family is great here and that’s very comforting for a player. You know that even if you lose, you’ll have good practices and plenty of guys to hit with. 

You are very close to the Top 100. Having mono took some time from your season, but you are very close to that milestone at the finish of the year. What does it mean to be right there as you enter the final week in Champaign?
I wouldn’t even celebrate Top 100, if we’re being honest. That’s not my long term goal. Yes, it would be nice. Like you said, mono really killed me this summer, but at the same time it allowed me to reset for 5-6 weeks. I’m pleased with how I’m playing now and my main goal is to stay healthy and put in a really good offseason. I think this offseason is going to be critical. I’ve been really beat up a lot this year and doing things this offseason to prevent that for 2019 is going to be critical.

Can you talk about your physio?
Yeah, Gary Kitchell has been great. He’s helped me out a lot these couple of weeks. I wasn’t even supposed to be playing here. I’m really thankful to have him on board. He’s a legend in the industry, doing his thing for the last 30 or so years. If I say a higher number, he’ll probably kill me [laughs]. It’s not a full-time thing, but just having him as a consultant is great. I know this week was stressful, but he brings a lot of energy that’s for sure.

We have seven-hour drives to Champaign. I know you like a nice steak dinner to celebrate, but you’re going to have to pick up something on the road. We’re in the south in Knoxville. What’s the meal of choice tonight?
Great question.

That’s why they pay me a lot of money for this.
I know. That’s a phenomenal question. I don’t know. We’ve been eating good here. I’ll let my team decide, because they’ll be the ones driving. There are definitely some good options though. It might have to be something quick, but I should take into consideration that I’m going to be sitting in a car for seven hours. I might want to go light and healthy. We have a big Suburban, so I’ll be lounging in the back and sleeping for five hours at least. 

A LOOK BACK
Peugeot Slovak Open (Bratislava, Slovakia): Alexander Bublik will be the first to admit that his 2018 campaign has not gone according to plan. A surging #NextGenATP star who kicked off his season just outside the Top 100 of the ATP Rankings, Bublik was on the verge of a big breakthrough. But after a broken ankle suffered at the BNP Paribas Open stopped him in his tracks, the Kazakh was reeling, falling as low as No. 253.

The 21-year-old entered his final tournament of the year in Bratislava, searching for confidence heading into the offseason. Safe to say he found that and then some. Bublik won eight matches in nine days as a qualifier, clinching his first ATP Challenger Tour title in 15 months. He capped the resurgent week with 10 sets won in a row, culminating in a 6-4, 6-4 win over Lukas Rosol in Sunday’s final.

“I’m happy I managed to win today,” said Bublik. “It’s my first tournament victory since last August. Overall, in my entire career it’s the first tournament I’ve ever won as a qualifier. I have a great feeling to end the season with this title. I like Bratislava and I believe I will come back next year.”

Bublik improved to 3-0 in Challenger finals, adding to victories in Morelos, Mexico and Aptos, USA last year. He rises 83 spots to No. 170 in the ATP Rankings.

Internationaux de Tennis de Vendee (Mouilleron-le-Captif, France): Elias Ymer successfully defended his title on the indoor hard courts of Mouilleron-le-Captif, ousting Yannick Maden 6-3, 7-6(5) on Sunday. It was déjà vu for tennis fans in the French city, as Ymer defeated Maden in the final for the second straight year.

Ymer became the second repeat champion on the ATP Challenger Tour in 2018, joining Felix Auger-Aliassime, who retained the title in Lyon, France in June. Not only is it his second straight victory at the prestigious €85,000 event, but he improved to 5-0 in Challenger finals. It marks the fourth straight year in which the 22-year-old Swede has lifted a trophy on the circuit.

“It feels very good. It’s the first time in my career that I’ve defended a title,” said Ymer. “It means a lot to me because I’ve never done it before. I like the surface here and he beat me the last time in Rennes, so I knew that if you don’t play your best tennis he is going to beat you. I was very strong today, especially in the tie-break when I won five points in a row. I was very aggressive and it paid off.”

Ymer has been plotting his Top 100 breakthrough since rising to No. 105 in June. Currently at No. 132 in the ATP Rankings, he will enter the final two weeks of the season – in Bangalore and Pune – looking to surpass that career-high mark.

Elias Ymer celebrates his successful title defence in Mouilleron-le-Captif with his father Wondwosen.

Knoxville Challenger (Knoxville, Tennessee, USA): Reilly Opelka is quietly making a significant charge towards a Top 100 debut. The 21-year-old American entered the US Open at No. 173 in the ATP Rankings, and he is now projected to rise to a career-high No. 116 following his latest title in Knoxville.

Opelka was a machine all week on the campus of the University of Tennessee, not dropping a set en route to the final. There, he overcame a stern test from countryman Bjorn Fratangelo, eventually prevailing in a deciding tie-break 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(2). He fired 26 aces in one hour and 59 minutes.

In five tournaments since the US Open, he has reached a pair of finals in Chicago and Cary and claimed a championship in Knoxville. It has been a career-year for the rising Michigan native, who also added a clay-court crown in Bordeaux, France, in May. He is the sixth player to win on both clay and hard in 2018 and the 15th American champion in total.

Champion at @KnoxChallenger… Reilly Opelka!

The ?? captures his second #ATPChallenger title of the year, becoming the sixth player to win on both clay and hard in 2018. ? pic.twitter.com/OuhWN9YQ9n

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) November 11, 2018

Uruguay Open (Montevideo, Uruguay): Persistent rain washed out semi-final action on Saturday, forcing the remaining players to win a pair of matches on Sunday to lift the trophy. That’s exactly what Guido Pella did. The 2015 champion added a second title on the clay of Montevideo, rallying from a set down to defeat Pedro Sousa before overcoming countryman Carlos Berlocq 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 for the championship.

Pella enters his home tournament in Buenos Aires with a surge of momentum as he seeks a return to the Top 50 of the ATP Rankings. The Argentine improved to a dominant 13-2 in Challenger finals. Moreover, it marks the second straight year in which he has lifted a trophy on the ATP Challenger Tour and reached an ATP World Tour title match. He finished runner-up to Marco Cecchinato on the clay of Umag in July.

A LOOK AHEAD
After nearly 11 months, we have arrived at the penultimate week of the season. Five tournaments will be held on three continents, with a pair of American events in Houston and Champaign, the final clay-court event in Buenos Aires, as well as a $150,000 event in Bangalore, India, and a $50,000 event in Kobe, Japan.

At the inaugural Oracle Challenger Series Houston, Tennys Sandgren is the top seed and is joined by Bradley Klahn and Ivo Karlovic. On the indoor hard courts of Champaign, two-time champion Henri Laaksonen (2015-16) is seeded fifth, while Opelka bids for a second victory in as many weeks. 

In Buenos Aires, top seed Guido Andreozzi eyes a fifth title of the year, while fellow home hopes Renzo Olivo (2016) and Carlos Berlocq (2011) enter as the only former champions in the field. 

In Bangalore, the two-week Indian swing begins. Home favourite Sumit Nagal is the defending champion and will face seventh seed Jay Clarke in a rematch of last year’s final. Radu Albot leads the field and Ymer eyes a second straight title. Meanwhile, in Kobe, the top four seeds are Japanese players, with Yoshihito Nishioka leading the charge.

After an epic comeback year, there remains one more record for Novak Djokovic to chase in the final week of the 2018 ATP World Tour season. The Serb seeks a sixth title at the world’s biggest indoor tennis tournament to tie the mark Roger Federer set back in 2011, when he most recently claimed the crown.

Novak’s quest begins Monday night against tournament danger man John Isner, the 6’ 10” American who can take the racquet out a player’s hand with arguably the best serve in the game. But Djokovic has shown an ability to put racquet on ball against Isner like few others and has won their past five meetings, including the most recent three without dropping a set.

Isner, who has two wins against the Serb in 10 meetings, the last of which was in Cincinnati in 2013, knows the difficulty of the challenge ahead. “I’m up against it for sure. Novak has won this event five times. He’s the player to beat this week for sure… [but] it’s a good spot for me, because I don’t have much to lose. I’m definitely the underdog.”

On Sunday, Djokovic was honoured on court for finishing year-end No. 1 for the fifth time, tying Federer and Jimmy Connors and moving to within one of Pete Sampras’ record of six.

“Next to the Grand Slams and the ATP Finals, being No. 1 is probably the ultimate challenge in our sport,” Djokovic said. “It’s the pinnacle of the entire season. I’m very proud of that achievement and it’s extra special this year because of the whole process and the journey that I’ve been through in the past 15 months. In particular, the past eight to 10 months.”

Earlier Monday, two of the best big men in the game go at it, with Alexander Zverev taking a 5-1 FedEx ATP Head2Head advantage over Marin Cilic into their group opener.

Zverev has won the past five meetings, but the most recent four have all gone three sets, and his first victory in Montpellier in 2016 was in two tie-breaks.

Cilic is looking to reach the semi-finals for the first time in four appearances in London. After early losses in Tokyo, Shanghai and Basel, Cilic rediscovered his best form at the Rolex Paris Masters last week. The 6′ 6″ right-hander defeated Philipp Kohlschreiber and reigning Nitto ATP Finals champion Grigor Dimitrov, before ending Djokovic’s 30-set winning streak in a three-set loss to the eventual runner-up.

“In Paris, last week, I played great tennis,” said Cilic. “I am feeling good at the moment and [I am] very excited. Small margins are going to make the difference. Playing the top guys is always a big challenge and matches against them are always very close and very tight.”

Did You Know?
Djokovic won four consecutive titles at The O2 arena between 2012-2015. He also won in Shanghai in 2008.

Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares worked hard to win their opening Group Llodra/Santoro match on Sunday at the Nitto ATP Finals with a 7-6(5), 4-6, 10-5 victory over Raven Klaasen and Michael Venus in one hour and 49 minutes.

Fourth seeds Murray and Soares saved three set points and recovered from 3-5 down in the first set for their 38th match win of the season (38-18 overall). The British/Brazilian team are making their third straight appearance at the season finale, which is held at The O2 in London, and have reached the semi-finals for the past two years.

“I think we did really well to win,” said Murray. “It was a battle from the first game. Obviously, I lost my serve so immediately we were kind of under the pump a bit. We had a few chances at the start of the match, as well, to break back. Then we hung in there and we got, what, I guess a bit lucky because it’s 5-4, 30-Love. The guy was serving great. All of a sudden a couple of double-faults creep in, Bruno hits a good return, all of a sudden it’s 5-All.

“I thought we competed really well, especially in both the tie-breaks, played a lot of good tennis when we really needed it. Yeah, [we’re] really happy to win the first match.”

Soares said, “It was a battle from the beginning. I think best thing what we did was competing well the whole match. It’s not easy to play. I was a bit on and off with my returns. Some games, I was feeling good, all of a sudden missing a lot. [In the] second set, same thing, started down a break, broke back. But I think the most important thing for us was finishing strong the match. I think we played a really good tie-break. I think we come out of the match with a very good feel after that.”

Klaasen and Venus, appearing at the season finale as a team for the first time, broke Murray on a deciding deuce point in the first game, and Venus later saved two break points for a 2-0 lead. At 3-5, Klaasen mis-timed a forehand return off Murray’s serve on a set point and, in the next game, Venus could not convert two set point chances on serve. Soares soon pounced at the net for 5-5 on a deciding point. In a tense tie-break, Murray and Soares were proactive at the net and took their lone chance to wrap up the 54-minute opener.

Klaasen and Venus took a 2-0 lead in the second set, but Klaasen lost his serve in the third game. Yet the pair regrouped with Soares saving a deciding deuce point at 3-4. While Soares grew in confidence with his returning, it was Klaasen’s power that forced a volley error from Murray in the 10th game.

Murray and Soares, the 2016 year-end No. 1s in the ATP Doubles Team Rankings, seized early control of the Match Tie-break, winning the first three points, as they moved closer to their third win in four meetings over Klaasen and Venus in 2018 (also Rome, Wimbledon and Washington, D.C.).

Murray, 32, and 36-year-old Soares are now 6-3 at the Nitto ATP Finals. This year they lifted three titles – at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC (d. Bryans), the Citi Open in Washington, D.C. (d. M. Bryan/Roger-Vasselin) and the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati (d. Cabal/Farah) – from six ATP World Tour finals.

Klaasen and Venus, winners of the Open 13 Provence (d. Daniell/Inglot) in February and runners up at four other events this year, dropped to a 38-24 record on the season. Two years ago, Klaasen partnered Rajeev Ram to the final (l. to Kontinen/Peers) and Venus partnered Ryan Harrison at the 2017 event.