Nitto ATP Finals To Stay In London Through 2020
Nitto ATP Finals To Stay In London Through 2020
May252017
Wawrinka advances on Thursday
Second seed Kei Nishikori withstood a stern challenge from Kevin Anderson on Thursday at the Banque Eric Sturdza Geneva Open, surviving three match points to reach the semi-finals 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(6).
“There haven’t been too many times that I’m down match point and win, so it’s great for me,” said Nishikori. “He had more chances, but I served a little bit better in the end. It’s important to win some matches like this.”
The Japanese star rallied from 2/4 in the final set tie-break and earned a match point at 6/5 with a backhand passing shot winner. Anderson erased it with a forehand winner, but Nishikori responded with a forehand return winner in the next point. The second seed hit another winner off that wing at 7/6 to wrap up the match after two hours and 29 minutes.
Nishikori improves his FedEx ATP Head2Head against Anderson to 4-1 and reaches his first ATP World Tour semi-final on clay this season. He’s seeking his first title since winning Memphis in February 2016 (d. Fritz).
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He’ll next play qualifier Mischa Zverev, who continued his run through the draw by defeating fifth seed Steve Johnson 6-4, 7-5. Zverev won all 14 of his first serve points in the opening set and 81 per cent in the match. The German moves into his maiden ATP World Tour semi-final of the season and first since last October in Basel.
“It’s my first [ATP World Tour] semi-final on clay, so I can be very happy with that,” said Zverev. “It took six or seven tournaments on clay, but now I’m finally finding my game on this surface.”
Top seed Stan Wawrinka was down a set and an early break to an in-form Sam Querrey, but delighted the home crowd by fighting back to win 4-6, 7-5, 6-2. Wawrinka improves to 4-3 on clay this season and is through to his maiden ATP World Tour semi-final on the red dirt this year. He defeated Marin Cilic in last year’s final for his first title on home soil. The Swiss star also boosts his FedEx ATP Head2Head against Querrey to 5-1.
Awaiting Wawrinka in the semi-finals is Andrey Kuznetsov, who prevailed against lucky loser Cedrik-Marcel Stebe 6-2, 1-6, 7-5. Kuznetsov moves into his second ATP World Tour semi-final of the season after also reaching the final four this January in Sydney. He is even with Wawrinka in their FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry at 1-1 and won their most recent match in March 2016 at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event in Miami.
DOUBLES
Both doubles quarter-finals on Thursday didn’t make it to court due to withdrawals. Scott Lipsky and Leander Paes advanced past Rogerio Dutra Silva and Paolo Lorenzi due to a right ankle injury sustained by Dutra Silva. Lipsky/Paes will face top seeds Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau on Friday.
Wild cards Johan Nikles and Tim Puetz moved past third seeds Treat Huey and Robert Lindstedt after Lindstedt pulled out with a groin injury. Nikles/Puetz also received a walkover in their opening round. They will take on second seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal/Robert Farah for a place in the final.
Raonic and Berdych compete later on day five
Second seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga continued his quest for a third ATP World Tour title of the season with a 6-0, 6-4 quarter-final victory over #NextGenATP Russian Karen Khachanov in 64 minutes at the Open Parc Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Lyon. The Frenchman lost just six points on serve to improve to a 20-5 match record in 2017.
Tsonga, a winner of two indoor trophies at Rotterdam and Marseille this year, will now face Nikoloz Basilashvili, who is one victory away from reaching his third ATP World Tour final after the Georgian knocked out Argentinean qualifier Nicolas Kicker 6-3, 6-1 in 65 minutes. Basilashvili, with a 16-10 match record on the season, finished runner-up to Ryan Harrison in the Memphis final in February.
Top seed Milos Raonic and third seed Tomas Berdych also compete at the ATP World Tour 250 tournament later today.
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The ATP announced today that its season-ending tournament will continue its extremely successful stay in London a further two years through to 2020, under a new title sponsorship with one of Japan’s leading innovation companies, the Nitto Denko Corporation. The tournament, first staged in London in 2009, will now be renamed the Nitto ATP Finals.
“We’re delighted to extend our stay in London and to have Nitto come on board as title sponsor over the next four years,” said Chris Kermode, ATP Executive Chairman & President, who was joined for the announcement, held at The View from The Shard in London, by special guests including the likes of Boris Becker, a three-time former champion. “It’s fantastic news to have such an ambitious and innovative company partner with our season-ending showcase in what is unquestionably one of the most exciting times in men’s professional tennis in recent memory. We look forward to a successful partnership and to the continued growth of our season finale in London,” added Kermode.
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Nitto is Japan’s leading materials manufacturer offering over 13,500 diversified materials to more than 70 business fields such as electronics, automobiles, ecology and life science. In 2018, the company will celebrate its 100-year anniversary and the Nitto ATP Finals will form an integral part of their strategic initiatives for increased business and brand value to their next century.
Hideo Takasaki, Nitto President, CEO & COO, said: “We are very proud to become the title sponsor of the ATP Finals. Featuring the world’s top men’s professional tennis players, the ATP Finals fits very well with Nitto’s philosophy, where we challenge ourselves to gain top share by utilizing our unique technology both locally and on a global level. As title sponsor, we hope to accelerate our global brand promotion this year, and for our 100th anniversary in 2018, and beyond. By sponsoring the ATP Finals, we at Nitto also aim to further increase the popularity of tennis, and we look forward to the emergence of new star players competing in the event.”
Andy Murray, the reigning World No.1 who captured the season-ending title last year, said: “The crowds throughout the week for both the singles and doubles are second to none, and that makes this one of the most special events for the players. It’s an amazing atmosphere and a great tournament to cap off the year.”
Alex Hill, Chief Operating Officer of AEG Europe, said: “The ATP’s season finale has established itself as one of the most popular annual events on the UK sporting calendar. The O2 has successfully showcased the best that men’s tennis has to offer in a unique and special way, delighting some two million tennis fans since 2009. We’re obviously thrilled to continue our partnership with ATP through to 2020, remaining as the home of this great event.”
The Nitto ATP Finals welcomes more than 250,000 fans to The O2 arena each year, as well as generating a global TV viewership of more than 100 million, as the ATP’s best eight singles players and doubles teams compete over eight days for the biggest indoor tennis tournament in the world. This year the tournament will be held from 12 to 19 November.
Heather Watson moved one match away from qualifying for the French Open after beating Tereza Smitkova in Paris.
The 25-year-old British number two beat the Czech 6-4 7-6 (7-3) despite going 4-1 down in the second set and being broken when serving for the match.
Watson will reach the first round if she beats Richel Hogenkamp on Friday.
Dutchwoman Hogenkamp, 25, won their only previous meeting in last year’s US Open first round and is 13 places above Watson at 105 in the world rankings.
Watson missed out on direct entry to a Grand Slam for the first time in three years after slipping down the rankings.
But she has qualified successfully three times before for Roland Garros, reaching the second round five times.
Australian Open venue Margaret Court Arena will not be renamed despite the 24-time Grand Slam champion’s opposition to same-sex marriage.
The Australian, 74, now a Christian pastor, says she will not fly on Qantas “where possible” in protest of its support of same-sex marriage.
Tennis Australia stated that her personal views “are her own”.
Grand Slam winners Martina Navratilova and Billie Jean King, who are both gay, have previously criticised Court.
The venue was originally called Show Court One when it opened in 1988 before it was renamed in 2003 in tribute to the multiple Grand Slam winner.
The Margaret Court Arena also hosts other sporting events and concerts.
Court expressed her views in an open letter to the national airline published in The West Australian newspaper.
She said: “I am disappointed that Qantas has become an active promoter for same-sex marriage.
“I believe in marriage as a union between a man and a woman as stated in the Bible.
“Your statement leaves me no option but to use other airlines where possible for my extensive travelling.”
American singer Ryan Adams, who is playing at the arena on Friday, tweeted: “Hey Margaret Court, a PAGAN who STRONGLY SUPPORTS marriage equality (get a prenup tho) will play the arena named for you tomorrow.”
And Tom Steinfort, a senior correspondent for Nine News in Australia, tweeted: “I’ll never set foot in Margaret Court Arena again because of this.”
Peter FitzSimons, chairman of Australia’s Republican Movement, called for the venue to be renamed in a piece for the Sydney Morning Herald.
Tennis Australia tweeted a response: “As a legend of the sport, we respect Margaret Court’s achievements in tennis and her unmatched playing record. Her personal views are her own, and do not align with Tennis Australia’s values of equality, inclusion and diversity.”
Court won 11 Australian Open singles titles in the 1960s and 1970s, five French Opens, five US Opens and three Wimbledon crowns.
Tsitsipas, Rublev among Wednesday winners
A slew of #NextGenATP players are one match away from making their main draw debut at Roland Garros after winning second-round qualifying matches on Wednesday, including Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Bublik, Reilly Opelka and Andrey Rublev.
Eighteen-year-old Tsitsipas enjoyed a comfortable 6-3, 6-3 win over local favourite Gleb Sakharov. The Greek player will next face Oscar Otte of Germany, who survived a match point at 5-6 in the deciding set to defeat 28th seed Laslo Djere of Serbia 7-5, 2-6, 7-6(2).
Rublev, the 18th seed, advanced past Mirza Basic of Bosnia and Herzegovina 6-4, 5-7, 6-2. Standing between the 19-year-old Russian and a place in the main draw is fourth seed Taro Daniel, who breezed through Matija Pecotic of Serbia 6-3, 6-2.
In another tight match on Wednesday, Bublik overcame Canadian Peter Polansky 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(3). The 19 year old from Kazakhstan also made it through qualifying this year at the Australian Open. He’ll now play Stefano Napolitano of Italy, who came through a marathon match against Marton Fucsovics 6-1, 6-7(3), 7-6(4).
The big-serving Opelka saved three match points at 5-6 in the second set en route to defeating Leonardo Mayer 5-7, 7-6(7), 6-3. Next up for the 19-year-old American is Nicolas Jarry of Chile, who defeated Dmitry Popko of Kazakhstan 6-4, 6-3.
Other players to move into the final round of qualifying on Wednesday include top seed Marius Copil of Romania and former Top 15 player Paul-Henri Mathieu. The local favourite is seeded 16th this year.
It hasn’t been all about tennis for players this week. ATPWorldTour.com provides a recap of the highlights.
Follow all the latest off-court action on MyATP! Download the app for iPhone or Android and visit MyATP.com
Banque Eric Sturdza Geneva Open – Geneva, Switzerland
Kei Nishikori and Stan Wawrinka visited the Jet d’Eau, a large fountain that is one of the city’s most famous landmarks.
Paolo Lorenzi was the lucky star to assist with the tournament draw ceremony.
The majority of the singles and doubles players competing in the main draw attended the player party on the roof of the Hotel Metropole Geneva.
Open Parc Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Lyon – Lyon, France
Milos Raonic met with local schoolchildren after his win on Thursday.
#NextGenATP Russian Karen Khachanov and Damir Dzumhur were among the players who signed autographs and visited sponsors at various meet and greets throughout the week.
Geneva 2017
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Imagine only having to win the first point of your service game, and you are basically a lock to hold.
That was Alexander Zverev in Rome last week. Zverev, 20, won the Internazionali BNL d’Italia – his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title, and third overall title this season.
An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of Zverev’s maiden Masters uncovers complete dominance on serve on the clay courts at the Foro Italico.
Zverev had 68 service games in six matches in Rome. Almost 80 per cent of the time (54), he surged ahead 15/0. Of the 54 service games where he reached 15/0, he won 52 of them. That 96 per cent win rate was higher than his 2017 season average of 92 per cent. Just one point and the game is pretty much done and dusted.
Zverev’s 6’6” (198cm) frame is built for serving. He is tall, yet speedy around the court. He is lithe, yet has massive power at his disposal from his long levers.
Of the 14 times he fell behind 0/15, he won 80 per cent (11/14) of those service games. He only fell behind 0/30 five times, winning four of those games. If he got ahead 30/0, which he did 37 times, he won every single one of these service games.
Zverev’s second serve is an obvious area of improvement in his rise up the Emirates ATP Rankings.
Zverev second serve points won:
Zverev’s first serve is emerging as one of the best shots in the game. His 2017 season average for first serves made is 63 per cent. But when Zverev faced 14 break points in Rome, he made a first serve 71 per cent of the time. The ability to elevate under pressure is already a hallmark of his game.
In the deuce court, he made two of three first serves on break point, and made eight of 11 in the ad court. He won 60 per cent (6/10) of break points behind his first serve, and 75 per cent (3/4) behind his second serve.
What’s fascinating is that Zverev is actually putting up better return numbers than on his serve in the past 52 weeks. He is ranked 25th best on the ATP Stats Serve LEADERBOARD, powered by Infosys Nia Data, and 18th best returning.
Zverev is eighth best on tour converting break points in the past 52 weeks at 44.8 per cent. He was true to form in Rome, winning 45.2 per cent (19/42) of his break points. Overall in Rome, Zverev won 55.6 per cent (466/838) of total points – a significant jump over his 2017 season average of 52.1 per cent (2784/5339).
His Rome numbers send an ominous warning to the rest of the tour. If he can keep that up for a full season, that’s right where the World No. 1 ends up in total points won.