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Five Things To Know About Challenger Star Hubert Hurkacz

Mar172018

21-year-old Pole will crack the Top 200 for the first time

(1) Hubert Hurkacz is Poland’s surging #NextGenATP hope
Projected to rise to a career-high in the Top 200 of the ATP Rankings on Monday, Hurkacz, who turned 21 last month, will be the youngest Polish player to do so since Jerzy Janowicz in 2011. The Pole is into the semi-finals at the ATP Challenger Tour event in Shenzhen, China, after appearing in his second final last week in Zhuhai.

“In October, I was around the Top 400, so I was trying to move up the ATP Rankings. I played five tournaments in a row and did really well, reaching two quarter-finals and my first final. I’m happy that that put me in the qualies of the Australian Open. This helped me a lot mentally to start believing that I could win those tournaments.

“Now, it’s the beginning of the new season and while a couple of tournaments didn’t go the way I wanted, I think I’ve improved my game a lot since last autumn. If I continue to play like this, I know I can win these Challenger tournaments.”

(2) The 21-year-old has lofty ambitions
Hurkacz is projected to rise to 10th in the ATP Race To Milan and a career-high of No. 177 in the ATP Rankings following his semi-final run in Shenzhen. But the Pole isn’t satisfied with making his Top 200 debut. He is aiming much higher.

“No, Top 200 was not a goal of mine. I want to be Top 50 this year. It’s still far away, but you never know. I just want to play good and improve my game. Hopefully I will win some tournaments and move up. I want to join those other [#NextGenATP] guys in the Top 100 and play there for the rest of my career. For now, it would be nice to play in Milan this year.

“It would be very nice to help tennis grow in Poland, so that many younger players will compete at the ATP level in the future. Of course, there are many younger guys who play well and I hope that when they are finished playing junior tournaments they will come here to the Challenger level and even higher.”

(3) He likes to go big with his forehand, but takes pride in his mental strength
Hurkacz admits that his biggest weapon is his forehand, saying that he loves to use it to open the court and make his opponents run. However, after recently teaming up with coach Pawel Stadniczenko, he points to his newfound confidence and mental toughness as arguably his most potent asset.

“I’ve been with Pawel for just a half a year, but he has helped me a lot and I’m very thankful to him. He has especially helped me mentally, to stay positive. That was the biggest change. To be more solid during the matches and not having as many ups and downs. I’m competing at a higher level and am now able to win against better opponents. It’s good.”

(4) Fast cars and a good book – Hubert’s passions extend beyond the court
From the exhilaration of watching a car race to the tranquility of curling up with a good book, Hurkacz’s passions hit both ends of the spectrum.

“I’m really passionate about cars. It’s my hobby and I really like them. I love to drive. And I like to go to the racing circuit and watch them, when I have time. I also like reading books. It’s relaxing for me. Sometimes I read books that help me on the court with the mental side.”

Hurkacz

(5) Hubert trained with Lucas Pouille in Dubai
It’s something that any player in the beginning stages of his pro journey would covet. In the offseason, Hurkacz traveled to Dubai to train with the World No. 12, gaining valuable experience in preparation for his 2018 campaign. With few chances to spar with a superstar like Pouille in his native Poland, it was a significant opportunity.

“I have been training mostly in Poland but last year Lucas Pouille invited me to come to Dubai and that was a great experience. We’ve been hitting ever since we met in Florida. We was there practising and then later on he asked me to come to Dubai. I was very happy with that and it helped me a lot.”

Indian Wells: Venus Williams & Simona Halep suffer shock semi-final losses

Posted: Mar 17, 2018

Naomi Osaka and Daria Kasatkina will contest Sunday’s BNP Paribas Open final at Indian Wells after shock semi-final victories over Simona Halep and Venus Williams respectively.

Unseeded Osaka, ranked 44 in the world, thrashed lacklustre world number one Halep 6-3 6-0 in 64 minutes.

Fellow 20-year-old Kasatkina beat world number eight Williams 4-6 6-4 7-5.

It was the Russian’s fourth consecutive victory over a current top-20 player, all of whom have won Grand Slams.

World number 19 Kasatkina overcame 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens in the third round, before beating January’s Australian Open winner and world number two Caroline Wozniacki.

Then, in the last eight, she knocked out world number 10 Angelique Kerber, who won both the Australian and US titles in 2016.

“[After a] match like this, you’re just speechless,” she said. “Too many emotions and you cannot explain everything. It’s one of the best nights in my life, for sure.”

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Seven-time Grand Slam champion Williams, 37, was winning matches at Indian Wells before Kasatkina had even been born, but was worn down by the youngster, who broke her seven times.

After the pair traded the opening two sets, Williams eked out a 5-4 lead in the third after around two and a half hours of play but the American was left breathing heavily in her chair.

Kasatkina responded, winning the final three games and clinching the win on her second match point after two hours 49 minutes.

“Anyone who gets used to losses should give up on life,” said Williams, who beat sister Serena in the third round. “I have to stop making that many errors against her.”

Japan’s Osaka, meanwhile, has taken her share of big-name scalps in California, knocking out Maria Sharapova, Agnieszka Radwanska, Karolina Pliskova and now Halep.

That astounding win over the Romanian was her fourth career victory over a top-10 player and her second this week after beating world number five Pliskova in the last eight.

“I feel like there is a new generation and we are trying to push through,” said Osaka.

Halep had won 18 of her 19 matches this season but the 26-year-old’s form collapsed with this semi-final tied at 3-3 in the first set.

She lost the next nine games, with Osaka keeping her composure to save four break points in the final game of the match before clinching victory on her third match point.

“I was kind of nervous because it kept going back and forth,” she said. “But I’m really glad I was able to finish on my serve instead of having to break her.”

Halep was only able to convert one of her seven break points and coughed up 27 unforced errors as she suffered just her second defeat of the year.

“I just was not ready,” she said. “I missed the ball a lot and I didn’t play what I had to play. I don’t find excuses. She was better.”

Analysis

BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller at Indian Wells

Kasatkina’s win over Williams was almost certainly the match of the tournament. The 20-year-old mixed power and guile to recover from the loss of the opening set, and is now tantalisingly close to making her top-10 debut.

It continues an extraordinary run of success here at Indian Wells. To reach the final, in consecutive rounds she has beaten Stephens, Wozniacki, Kerber and now Williams – all Grand Slam champions.

And so the final will be contested by two 20-year-olds. Osaka’s thrilling potential has burst into the open with wins over Sharapova, Radwanska, Pliskova and now Halep.

This second semi-final was, however, a huge anti-climax. Halep did not win a single game in the second set. It was a curiously lacklustre performance by the world number one.

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Bryans, Isner/Sock Set All-American Doubles Final In Indian Wells

Mar172018

Bryan brothers going for their third Indian Wells title

Saturday’s BNP Paribas Open doubles final will be an all-American showdown. Two-time former champions and seventh seeds Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan will meet countrymen John Isner and Jack Sock in the season’s first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 doubles title match.

The Bryans prevailed past Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay and Argentine Horacio Zeballos 7-6(5), 6-4 to reach the final during their 20^th consecutive appearance in Indian Wells.

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The American twins will be going for their 25^th Masters 1000 title as a team and their third Indian Wells title (2013, 2014). The Bryan brothers have won 114 tour-level titles as a team but haven’t hoisted a trophy since 2017 Atlanta.

Isner and Sock upset third seeds Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic 6-3, 6-2. The Americans won 88 per cent of their first-serve points (28/32) and saved the lone break point they faced.

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Isner/Sock won the 2016 Rolex Shanghai Masters, and Sock won the 2015 BNP Paribas Open crown with Canadian Vasek Pospisil. Isner also won the 2011 Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome with countryman Sam Querrey.

Marach/Pavic had been the hottest doubles team on the ATP World Tour. They had started the year 21-2, including a 17-match winning streak that included three titles from four finals: Qatar ExxonMobil Open (d. Murray/Soares), the ASB Classic (d. Mirnyi/Oswald) and the Australian Open (d. Cabal/Farah). Their win streak was snapped in the ABN Amro World Tennis Tournament final (l. to Herbert/Mahut).