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Serena Williams: World number two revealed pregnancy news by accident

  • Posted: Apr 26, 2017

Serena Williams says she revealed her pregnancy by accident, after mistakenly uploading a photograph on Snapchat.

The 23-time Grand Slam winner posted a picture on the social media app, posing in a mirror with the message: “20 weeks”, before deleting it, with her publicist later confirming the news.

Williams, 35, said she took photographs every week to track the pregnancy.

“I was just saving them [for myself]” she said. “I’ve been so good about it, but this was the one time it slipped.”

  • How can you win a Grand Slam when you’re pregnant?

The world number one, who is due to give birth in the autumn, said she discovered she was pregnant just two days before the Australian Open in January.

The American went on to beat sister Venus in the final and win her an Open-era record 23rd Grand Slam singles title.

“It wasn’t very easy,” she said. “You hear all these stories about people when they’re pregnant – they get sick, they get really tired, really stressed out.

“I had to really take all that energy and put it in a paper bag, so to say, and throw it away.

“Pregnant or not, no-one knew and I was supposed to win that tournament. Every time I play, I’m expected to win. If I don’t win, it’s actually much bigger news.”

Williams, who is taking maternity leave for the rest of the 2017 season, said there was no change to her plan to return to the tour as a mother next year.

“I definitely plan on coming back. I’m not done yet,” said Williams, who credited 36-year-old sister Venus for inspiration.

“If she’s still playing, I know I can play. This [motherhood] is just a new part of my life. My baby’s going to be in the stands and hopefully cheering for me.”

On Tuesday, Williams called Ilie Nastase’s comments about her unborn child “racist”.

Nastase, a former world number one and two-time Grand Slam winner, was heard speculating whether Williams’ child would be “chocolate with milk?” at a news conference before Romania’s Fed Cup tie with Great Britain last week.

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Fratangelo Upsets Simon In Budapest; Vesely Beats Coric

  • Posted: Apr 25, 2017

Fratangelo Upsets Simon In Budapest; Vesely Beats Coric

Apr252017

American qualifier springs an upset

American qualifier Bjorn Fratangelo claimed just his second career tour-level clay-court win on Tuesday as he upset fifth-seeded Frenchman Gilles Simon 6-4, 6-1 in the first round of the Gazprom Hungarian Open in Budapest.

The 23-year-old Fratangelo sprung the upset in 79 minutes, breaking Simon four times from 11 opportunities and winning 75 per cent of his service points. The right-hander recorded his second tour-level win of the season as he set a second-round clash with Martin Klizan.

Another seed fell as Robin Haase ousted No. 8 Diego Schwartzman 6-1, 6-3. Schwartzman is at a career-high No. 34 in the Emirates ATP Rankings this week after reaching the quarter-finals last week in Monte-Carlo.

Next up for Haase is qualifier Aljaz Bedene, who continued his good run of form with a 7-5, 6-2 victory over Marius Copil. Great Britain’s Bedene came into Budapest on the back of successive ATP Challenger Tour titles in Sophia Antipolis and Barletta.

Top seed Lucas Pouille will open his campaign against Jiri Vesely after the Czech defeated recent Marrakech titlist Borna Coric 7-6(4), 6-4 in the first round of this ATP World Tour 250 tournament, played in Hungary for the first time.

Andrey Kuznetsov will face third seed Fabio Fognini after edging Ryan Harrison 7-6(6), 6-3 in one hour and 33 minutes. Other first-round winners included Sergiy Stakhovsky and Marton Fucsovics.

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For Some Players, There Is A Difference Between 30-all & Deuce

  • Posted: Apr 25, 2017

For Some Players, There Is A Difference Between 30-all & Deuce

Apr252017

Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers shows the subtle differences between 30/30 and deuce

Is there any real difference between 30/30 and deuce?

On the surface, both scorelines clearly show competitors are even in the point score, and both scorelines sit just two points away from a player clinching the game. But once you dig a little deeper, subtle differences do emerge, with 30/30 occurring more frequently, while deuce adds two extra points of strategy and countermoves to the equation.

An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of the current Top 10 in the Emirates ATP Rankings uncovers varying degrees of performance when the players are serving and receiving at 30/30 and deuce.

2017 Top 10 Average Holding Serve

Overall, the Top 10 players average holding serve from both scorelines at almost identical percentages.

  • 30/30 = 77.6%

  • Deuce = 77.4%

  • Total 30/30 points = 58% (787)

  • Total Deuce points = 42% (562)

Some players, such as World No. 1 Andy Murray, bucked the trend by being more efficient holding at deuce than at 30/30. Murray is holding serve a substantial 8.1 percentage points (80 per cent to 71.9 per cent) higher from deuce than he is at 30/30.

Milos Raonic also has performed better at deuce, holding serve 92.9 per cent of the time, a 4.5 per cent improvement over the 88.4 per cent he holds from 30/30.

2017 Top 10 Percentages of Holding Serve From 30/30 and Deuce

Ranking

Player

Serving 30/30

Serving Deuce

+/-

1

Andy Murray

71.9%

80.0%

8.1%

2

Novak Djokovic

75.8%

76.5%

0.7%

3

Stan Wawrinka

77.1%

75.4%

-1.7%

4

Roger Federer

87.2%

86.0%

-1.2%

5

Rafael Nadal

80.4%

81.3%

0.9%

6

Milos Raonic

88.4%

92.9%

4.5%

7

Kei Nishikori

73.6%

73.3%

-0.3%

8

Marin Cilic

72.0%

64.7%

-7.3%

9

Dominic Thiem

78.8%

76.7%

-2.1%

10

David Goffin

73.7%

73.9%

0.2%

AVERAGE

–

77.6%

77.4%

-0.2%

2017 Top 10 Average Breaking Serve

Once again, the slight edge goes to superior analytics from 30/30. The Top 10 broke serve 32.7 per cent of the time from 30/30, and 31.4 per cent of the time from deuce – a difference of 1.3 percentage points.

  • 30/30 = 32.7%

  • Deuce = 31.4%

  • Total 30/30 points = 57% (906)

  • Total Deuce points = 43% (684)

Rafael Nadal, who won his 10th Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters on Sunday, moved up two spots in the Emirates ATP Rankings this week to No. 5. Nadal boasts the biggest difference (5.9 percentage points) in 2017 in breaking from deuce than at 30/30. He breaks at deuce 39.8 per cent of the time, compared to 33.9 per cent of the time at 30/30.

Other players, such as Novak Djokovic and Marin Cilic, actually break more from 30/30, with Djokovic being 7.2 percentage points better and Cilic 8 percentage points better.

2017 Top 10 Percentages of Breaking Serve From 30/30 and Deuce

Ranking

Player

Return 30/30

Returning Deuce

+/-

1

Andy Murray

38.6%

40.3%

1.7%

2

Novak Djokovic

27.6%

20.4%

-7.2%

3

Stan Wawrinka

32.2%

27.1%

-5.1%

4

Roger Federer

34.5%

30.0%

-4.5%

5

Rafael Nadal

33.9%

39.8%

5.9%

6

Milos Raonic

31.9%

25.8%

-6.1%

7

Kei Nishikori

32.0%

37.5%

5.5%

8

Marin Cilic

28.6%

20.6%

-8.0%

9

Dominic Thiem

36.0%

31.3%

-4.7%

10

David Goffin

30.1%

31.5%

1.4%

AVERAGE

–

32.7%

31.4%

-1.3%

The chances of a player holding and breaking serve from these two specific scorelines in a game are very similar on average but can also move up and down considerably with each player. Tracking performance in these key areas throws new light on the inner workings of our sport.

You May Also Like: Want To Be Like Djokovic? Master Your Second Serve

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Big Title Boosts Rafa's No. 1 Hopes

  • Posted: Apr 25, 2017

Big Title Boosts Rafa's No. 1 Hopes

Apr252017

Spaniard’s first ‘Big Title’ in 12 months moves him closer to Race lead

In what has been a career full of frameable moments, years from now, Sunday afternoon should still stand out to Rafael Nadal. It could also prove to be the launch pad to his return to year-end World No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings.

His 10th Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters crown. His 29th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title. His 43rd “Big Title”, which inches him closer to longtime rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

But Nadal’s first title of 2017 might only be part of the prelude to what could be one of the Spaniard’s best years on the ATP World Tour. Nadal is currently second in the Emirates ATP Race To London, a calendar-year points race that started in the first week of January. The Spaniard is 810 Race points behind No. 1 Roger Federer, who has 4,045 Race points.

But with Federer resting and not planning to play until Roland Garros, Nadal could catch the 35 year old during the next seven weeks and then some. The Spaniard could take home 2,500 Race points at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, the Mutua Madrid Open and the Internazionali BNL d’Italia before Federer rejoins the tour in Paris.

In addition to his 19 combined Monte-Carlo and Barcelona titles, Nadal has won Madrid four times, and he’s hoisted the trophy in Rome seven times.

“[In Barcelona], I am playing another very important event for me at home and I’m excited about that. Then I going to keep playing at home in Madrid,” Nadal said. “There are so many opponents to play before [Roland Garros], so many important matches. Every event in this part of the season for me, in my heart, is so special. I enjoy every day.”

Current and Former Champions’ Big Titles Won (Records Since 1990)

Player Grand Slams ATP Finals 1000s Total (Avg)
Roger Federer 18/69 6/14 26/125 50/208 (4.2)
Novak Djokovic  12/49 5/10 30/96 47/155 (3.3)
Rafael Nadal 14/47 0/7 29/101 43/155 (3.6)
Pete Sampras 14/52 5/11 11/83 30/146 (4.9)
Andre Agassi 8/61 1/13 17/90 26/164 (6.3)
Andy Murray 3/44 1/8 14/94 18/144 (8)
Boris Becker* 2/26 2/6 5/51 9/83 (9.2)
Thomas Muster 1/29 0/4 8/53 9/86 (9.6)
Gustavo Kuerten 3/33 1/3 5/67 9/103 (11.4)
Jim Courier 4/38 0/4 5/71 9/113 (12.6)
Stefan Edberg** 3/28 0/4 1/24 4/56 (14)
Marcelo Rios 0/26 0/1 5/56 5/83 (16.6)
Michael Chang 1/50 0/6 7/86 8/142 (17.8)
Marat Safin 2/41 0/3 5/87 7/131 (18.7)
Andy Roddick 1/46 0/6 5/75 6/127 (21.2)
Lleyton Hewitt 2/66 2/4 2/75 6/145 (24.2)
Patrick Rafter 2/35 0/2 2/48 4/85 (21.3)
Sergi Bruguera 2/33 0/3 2/63 4/96 (24)
Juan Carlos Ferrero 1/45 0/3 4/84 5/132 (26.4)
Carlos Moya 1/47 0/5 3/76 4/128 (32)
Stan Wawrinka 3/48 0/4 1/94 4/146 (36.5)
Yevgeny Kafelnikov 2/38 0/7 0/77 2/122 (61)

 * Becker’s four other Grand Slam titles came before 1990.
** Edberg’s three other Grand Slam titles came before 1990.

Nadal’s high place in the Race means he’s in contention to compete for year-end No. 1 with Federer and likely challengers, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic, who have much ground to make up after sluggish starts to 2017.

Federer and Nadal are the Race frontrunners in what has been an unlikely start to the year. When Murray and Djokovic battled in an epic Doha final to kick off the season, everyone thought the battle for year-end No. 1 would be a two-man race between the Scot and the Serbian. But both have underperformed to start the year.

A slow start to the season and not being in the first three places of the Race after Miami can make it very difficult to finish year-end No. 1. Since 2004, there’s been only one occasion when someone came from outside the Top 3 in the Race after Miami to finish year-end No. 1. In 2010, Nadal was placed sixth in the Race after Miami but finished year-end No. 1.

Murray and Djokovic’s start is especially surprising when you consider this: Only three times since 1990, and never since 1999, have the players who finished the previous year ranked No. 1 and No. 2 not reached at least one final at the four big events to start the following season: the Australian Open, the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Miami Open presented by Itau and the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters.

You May Also Like: A Look Back At The 2017 Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters

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Barcelona Open: Dan Evans beats Mischa Zverev in second round

  • Posted: Apr 25, 2017

Dan Evans continued his unlikely run at the Barcelona Open as he made the third round with a 6-4 6-4 win over German world number 35 Mischa Zverev.

British number three Evans, 26, won for the first time on clay at ATP Tour level on Monday when he beat Thiago Monteiro in his tournament opener.

He will play world number nine Dominic Thiem next after the Austrian beat Britain’s Kyle Edmund 6-1 6-4.

Meanwhile, British number four Aljaz Bedene beat Marius Copil in Budapest.

Bedene was supposed to take on Federico Delbonis, but the Argentine failed to recover from an injury that caused him to retire from an event in Morocco earlier this month.

Instead, Bedene overcame his Romanian stand-in Copil 7-5 6-2 in an hour and 26 minutes.

Bedene has now lost only once in his past 19 matches after three tournament wins on the second-tier Challenger circuit. He will face Dutchman Robin Haase in the next round.

Elsewhere, British world number one Andy Murray will face Bernard Tomic in Barcelona on Wednesday after the Australian beat Dustin Brown in three sets.

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WTA chief Steve Simon defends Maria Sharapova wildcards

  • Posted: Apr 25, 2017
Maria Sharapova v Roberta Vinci
Date: Wednesday 26 April Venue: Stuttgart Open
Coverage: Live commentary from 17:30 BST on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra, BBC Sport website and mobile app.

Maria Sharapova’s wildcard entry into the Stuttgart Open has been defended by WTA chief Steve Simon, who said it is in keeping with how former dopers are treated in other sports.

The 30-year-old Russian’s 15-month ban for using meldonium ends on Wednesday when she plays in the first round.

“You have to look at how other leagues and tours have handled players who have come back,” Simon told BBC Sport.

“They come right back to the team and start playing.”

Italy’s Roberta Vinci – Sharapova’s opponent in her comeback match on Wednesday – disagrees with the decision to invite the five-time Grand Slam champion into the main draw.

World number eight Agnieszka Radwanska, who Sharapova might have met in the second round had she not lost to Ekaterina Makarova, and former world number one Caroline Wozniacki have also questioned her presence at the tournament.

In addition to Stuttgart, Sharapova has been granted wildcards by the organisers of the events in Madrid and Rome.

She does not have a world ranking after her points expired during her suspension and would need to reach the final in Stuttgart to be eligible for French Open qualifying.

The Daily Telegraph report that Sharapova is likely to be given a wildcard into qualifying at Roland Garros rather than the tournament’s main draw.

“She is starting at ground zero,” Simon added.

“It is going to affect her seedings in big tournaments so she’s still going to pay a penalty for a while.

“If you think about it from other leagues, most of them [bans] are half of a season or a full season. She’s had a year and a half.”

Former world number one Kim Clijsters echoed that view, saying that Sharapova “has done her time and her punishment”.

“I was disappointed and surprised when the news came out but, having been on both sides of the spectrum as a tournament director and as a player, I don’t think she needs to be punished more,” the Belgian told BBC Sport.

World number five Simona Halep said: “I cannot support what the tournament director did, but also I cannot judge: it is his decision.

“In my opinion, for kids and young players, it’s not OK to help with wildcards the players who were banned for doping.”

Analysis

BBC Sport tennis correspondent Russell Fuller

Sharapova will need to set the alarm for her first day back at work. She has scheduled a 9.15 practice session on Centre Court: it will be the first time she has been allowed inside a tournament venue since her ban took effect.

Nine hours later, she will take on Roberta Vinci. The 34-year-old has lost six of her past seven matches, and taken just four games from Sharapova in the four sets they have played. This appears to be one of the best draws the five-time Grand Slam champion could have received.

It normally takes several months for players to return to their best after such a long break: concentration and decision-making often suffer. Sharapova will, though, be brimming with motivation as she has always maintained her error was purely an administrative one.

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Barcelona Open: Andy Murray to face Bernard Tomic in second round

  • Posted: Apr 25, 2017

World number one Andy Murray will play Australian Bernard Tomic in the Barcelona Open on Wednesday.

The Briton, 29, accepted a late wild card for Barcelona after his third-round defeat by Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas in Monte Carlo on Thursday.

It will give top seed Murray more match time on clay before the French Open, which begins on 28 May.

British number two Kyle Edmund is out of the Barcelona Open after losing 6-1 6-4 to Austria’s Dominic Thiem.

Murray played his first professional match at the tournament in 2005, aged 17, where he lost to Czech Jan Hernych.

The Scot was based in Barcelona from the age of 15 and he visited the Barcelona academy, which has named one of its courts after him.

“I was here in Barcelona for two years and I loved it. I would say that they were two of the best years of my life,” Murray told the ATP website.

“It was the first time that I was away from my family home and even though it was hard, it was the first time I’d tasted independence”.

Murray won his first clay-court title in Munich in 2015 and beat Rafael Nadal the following week to win the Madrid Masters.

He won the Italian Open last year and reached the final of the French Open, where he lost to Novak Djokovic.

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