Thiem Talks First Win Over Murray At Barcelona 2017
Thiem Talks First Win Over Murray At Barcelona 2017
Apr292017
Pouille plays Lorenzi on Saturday
Aljaz Bedene continued his outstanding play on Saturday at the Gazprom Hungarian Open in Budapest, sweeping past fellow qualifier Laslo Djere 6-2, 6-4 to reach the final.
“The first set was very solid. I made a few more errors in the second set, but I was serving well the whole match and it helped,” said Bedene. “I was working really hard in the pre-season and staying solid, so I’m really happy with how I’m playing. It’s great to play in a final.”
Next up for the Brit in the final is either top seed Lucas Pouille or sixth seed Paolo Lorenzi. Pouille leads his FedEx ATP Head2Head with Bedene 1-0 after claiming victory this February in Marseille.
Bedene is through to his second ATP World Tour final, having finished runner-up in Chennai in January 2015 (l. Wawrinka). He has been in red-hot form throughout April, winning back-to-back ATP Challenger Tour titles in Sophia Antipolis and Barletta. Including his wins in the Budapest qualifying draw, the 27-year-old Brit is riding a 16-match win streak.
Bedene dropped just three points in racing out a 4-0 lead in the opening set before eventually taking the early advantage. The Brit only needed a single break of serve in the second set at 3-3 to clinch the match in 77 minutes.
Despite the loss, the 22-year-old Djere, currently No. 184 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, completed a career-best week by reaching his first ATP World Tour semi-final.
DOUBLES
Third seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah are through to the final after defeating Robin Haase and Dominic Inglot 6-3, 6-7, 10-3. This is the third ATP World Tour doubles final of 2017 for the Colombian Power, having won the title in Buenos Aires (d. Gonzalez/Marrero) and finished runner-up in Rio de Janeiro (l. Cuevas/Carreno Busta).
Awaiting them in the championship are third seeds Brian Baker and Nikola Mektic, who also seek their second title together in 2017 after prevailing this February in Memphis (d. Harrison/Johnson).
Maria Sharapova suffered a first defeat since returning from a 15-month doping ban as Kristina Mladenovic beat her in the semi-finals of the Stuttgart Open.
Five-time Grand Slam winner Sharapova was up a set and a break but squandered it to lose 6-3 5-7 4-6.
Mladenovic faces Romanian Simona Halep or German Laura Siegemund in the final.
Having been given a wildcard entry, Russian Sharapova needed to reach the final in Germany to be eligible for qualifying for the French Open.
Her defeat means she will finish outside the top 200 when the rankings are released on Monday, ruling out a qualifier spot for the event in Paris, which starts on 22 May.
She will learn on 16 May whether she will be given a wildcard for the main draw at Roland Garros.
Sharapova, who has also received wildcards for forthcoming tournaments in Madrid and Rome, took complete control at the start of the contest as a second double fault gave the 30-year-old a 4-1 lead before sealing the first set in just 38 minutes.
She broke Mladenovic again at the start of the second set and looked to be cruising to victory, but despite conceding 11 double faults, the Frenchwoman improved her baseline game and fought her way back into the contest.
The world number 19 broke back and then held her composure to survive three break points to go 6-5 ahead before converting her first set point on Sharapova’s next service game.
The pair traded blows early in the third before Mladenovic grabbed a break to go 4-2 up before fighting back from 0-40 to hold her serve.
Mladenovic seized the advantage in the final set by converting her fourth break point and then coming from 40-0 down in the seventh game to take a commanding 5-2 lead.
Sharapova rallied to pull it back to 5-4, but Mladenovic was not to be denied her first win over the Russian and converted her first match point.
World number one Andy Murray suffered a 6-2 3-6 6-4 defeat against Dominic Thiem in the Barcelona Open semi-final.
More to follow.
Maria Sharapova is receiving “extra help” to qualify for tournaments following her 15-month doping ban, says her next opponent Kristina Mladenovic.
Sharapova beat Anett Kontaveit 6-4 6-3 to set up a last-four match with Mladenovic at the Stuttgart Open.
This is one of three events for which the Russian has been given wildcard entries after returning from her ban for testing positive for meldonium.
“I understand tournaments want her in the draw,” said Mladenovic.
“She is very famous and they want more attention, which is part of the business.
“On the other hand, you can ask if it is fair to get a wildcard. It’s a fact that she was caught by anti-doping, but she wasn’t the first one.
“Others have also had the right to come back and play tennis, but with a different road – they wouldn’t get invitations to tournaments.
“Of course, she is authorised to play tennis again, but why would she get that extra help compared to other players?”
When asked whether Mladenovic’s comments would motivate her in their encounter, Sharapova replied: “Not at all”.
She added: “I am not someone that uses it as part of my comeback. I have let my tennis do the talking.
“My results have spoken for everything that needs to be said. The biggest part of my comeback is what happens on court.”
Five-time Grand Slam winner Sharapova’s world ranking points expired during her suspension.
But she is yet to drop a set in Germany and will earn an automatic place in qualifying at the French Open if she reaches the final in Stuttgart.
She has also been given wildcard entries for the upcoming events in Madrid and Rome.
The former world number one was called “a cheat” by 2014 Wimbledon finalist Eugenie Bouchard on Thursday.
Sharapova said she was “way above” replying to criticism of her comeback by her rivals.
Sharapova continued her fine form following her return with a straight sets victory over Estonian qualifier Kontaveit to reach the last four in Stuttgart.
The 30-year-old broke twice in the first set, and dug deep in the second to take victory in one hour 23 minutes.
“I served quite well, which gave me confidence. I’m happy,” said Sharapova.
“I kept myself in good shape, because once you lose it, it’s hard to get it back.”
Mladenovic booked her place in the last four with a 6-3 6-2 win over Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro 6-3 6-2 on Friday.
BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller
The draw has been kind to Sharapova – the frailties of the sport’s leading lights mean she has not yet faced a top-30 player – but she is playing exceptionally well after 15 months free of competition.
She says she will take no extra motivation from the comments made by Mladenovic, or from the knowledge just one more win will guarantee a place in French Open qualifying.
But her tone changes significantly when the issue of drugs is raised: her answers became very curt when replying to questions about the proposed increase in annual tests.
And when asked whether her team – about whom she had just spoken glowingly – were upset she did not tell them about her meldonium use, she replied: “That is such an inappropriate question. Can we do one last one from someone else?”
Rafael Nadal inched closer to a 10th title at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell on Friday as he withstood a spirited challenge to defeat #NextGenATP star Hyeon Chung 7-6(1), 6-2 in the quarter-finals.
“He was playing at a very high level throughout the tournament and played well today. He has good potential, [a] great backhand and [is] very quick. He has all the right things to be a good player,” said Nadal. “He had chances in the first set and I’m happy that I started to play better after the first six games.”
The Spaniard will next play Horacio Zeballos, who continued his dream run by knocking off another #NextGenATP player in Karen Khachanov, 6-4, 6-1. Nadal and Zeballos are even in their FedEx ATP Head2Head at 1-1, with both matches coming on clay. The Argentine won their most recent meeting by upsetting Nadal in the championship match at Vina del Mar in February 2013.
“It’s another opportunity for me to fight, to be in the final day and enjoy this tournament,” said Nadal. “I’ll try to get ready for tomorrow now.”
Watch Nadal Hot Shot
The 20-year-old Chung, who is a contender to qualify for the inaugural Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan at the end of the year, came into the contest having not lost a set in five matches. He qualified into the main draw before beating Denis Istomin, Philipp Kohlschreiber and Alexander Zverev.
The Korean was more than a match for nine-time champion Nadal in the opening stages with his aggressive style of play, leading the Spaniard by a service break at 3-1 before eventually succumbing in the tie-break. His challenge fell away in the second set, though, as Nadal’s relentless pressure began to tell. The Spaniard broke in the first and fifth games to wrap up victory in one hour and 44 minutes. He now has a 51-3 record at this ATP World Tour 500 clay-court tournament.
The 30-year-old Nadal is coming off a record 10th title at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters. He is also looking to complete la decima this week in Barcelona, and then at the climax of the clay-court season at Roland Garros.
In the final match of the day, Zeballos didn’t drop serve against Khachanov and went on an eight-game run from 3-4 in the first set to prevail in 74 minutes. The 32-year-old Argentine, currently No. 84 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, will look to reach his first ATP World Tour final since his title run four years ago in Vina del Mar.
DOUBLES
Philipp Petzschner and Alexander Peya were flawless in reaching the doubles final with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Fabrice Martin and Edouard Roger-Vasselin. Petzschner/Peya didn’t face a break point en route to prevailing in 46 minutes.
In quarter-final action, Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau defeated Lukasz Kubot and Mischa Zverev 6-3, 6-4. They’ll next play Florin Mergea and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi on Saturday.
Top seed Lucas Pouille booked his spot in the semi-finals of the Gazprom Hungarian Open on Friday as he defeated Martin Klizan 6-4, 6-3 in Budapest.
The Frenchman saved two match points to edge Jiri Vesely in his opening second-round match on Thursday, but had an easier time against Klizan, claiming victory in 84 minutes as he saved five of seven break points.
“I think it was a great match,” said Pouille. “It was much better than yesterday. My level is increasing and that’s good because tomorrow I know it’s going to be a tough one. I’m very happy with my performance today.”
The 23-year-old Pouille is coming off his second ATP World Tour Masters 1000 semi-final showing at last week’s Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters (l. to Ramos-Vinolas) and improved to a 7-1 mark on clay for the season.
Currently at a career-high No. 14 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, Pouille is bidding to win his second ATP World Tour title, adding to his victory in Metz last year.
For a place in the final, Pouille will face sixth seed Paolo Lorenzi, who defeated Andrey Kuznetsov 6-4, 6-4 in one hour and 33 minutes, fending off a late fightback from the Russian after leading 5-1 in the second set. “I think it was one of my best matches of the year,” said Lorenzi. “He was playing really good tennis. I’m very happy about the match.”
Pouille leads Lorenzi 2-0 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series, including victory over the Italian last week in Monte-Carlo. Lorenzi is looking to reach his second ATP World Tour final of the season, after finishing runner-up on clay in Quito in February (l. to Estrella Burgos).
In doubles semi-final action, fourth seeds Brian Baker and Nikola Mektic defeated second seeds Treat Huey and Max Mirnyi 6-4, 6-2.
After retaining his title at the ATP Challenger Tour event in Qingdao, China, last weekend, Janko Tipsarevic tweeted #keepdigging.
The former World No. 8 in the Emirates ATP Rankings has had to be incredibly patient, with the best part of two years on the sidelines. Persistent foot issues, specifically in his left heel, which included two surgeries to remove a benign tumor, and then right knee patella tendinitis, kept the 32 year old out of competitive action until the spring of 2016.
He was finally back on court and raring to go, but the Serbian had plummeted to World No. 528 this time last year. Within 12 months, Tipsarevic’s dedication has seen him soar up the ranking as the biggest 52-week mover into the Top 100 of the Emirates ATP Rankings. Before playing the Challenger in Anning, China, this week, the Tecnifibre player had risen an astounding 457 places to World No. 71.
Biggest 52-Week Moves To Top 100 Of Emirates ATP Rankings
| Player | 25 April 2016 | 24 April 2017 | Move |
| Janko Tipsarevic | No. 528 | No. 71 | +457 |
| Juan Martin del Potro | No. 337 | No. 33 | +304 |
| Florian Mayer | No. 267 | No. 47 | +220 |
| Daniil Medvedev | No. 265 | No. 63 | +202 |
| Ernesto Escobedo | No. 260 | No. 85 | +175 |
| Steve Darcis | No. 174 | No. 53 | +121 |
| Frances Tiafoe | No. 191 | No. 72 | +119 |
To put that jump into context, 2009 US Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro’s much heralded 2016 comeback launched the Argentine 304 spots from No. 337 to No. 33.
Another standout mover is #NextGenATP prospect Danill Medvedev. The Russian is embedded in the Top 100 courtesy of a 202-position rise to World No. 63.
Despite achieving such an impressive and rapid return to the Top 100, Tipsarevic is still eager to keep climbing.
“If I am injury free, my goal for the end of the season would try to be around No. 30 in the rankings,” claimed Tipsarevic, which would provide a seeding for Grand Slam events. “I’m not thinking about whether I’m No. 80, No. 90 or No. 70, because my goal is to get back into the Top 30.”
He started 2017 with two ATP Challenger Tour titles in Bangkok. This week in Anning, Tipsarevic has reached the semi-finals without dropping a set.
“I choose to come to Asia, instead of playing on the clay in Europe, because I truly love playing in Asia,” added the Serbian. “It doesn’t matter if it’s the ATP World Tour or the ATP Challenger Tour, I always pick up a lot of points here.”
.@TipsarevicJanko successfully defends his title in Qingdao, needing seven match points to edge #Otte 63 76(9). 14th #ATPChallenger title. pic.twitter.com/48VbbKnc1z
— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) April 23, 2017
Combining his three titles and continued success in Kunming, Tipsarevic is 18-0 in ATP Challenger Tour matches this season.
The Qingdao success clinched his 14th Challenger title with a 6-3, 7-6(9), victory over qualifier Oscar Otte, who he could meet again in the Kunming final.
“I have a lot of expectations as I feel I’m playing a lot better than last year. I had some tough opponents (in Qingdao), so I was extremely happy to defend my title without dropping a set. I feel it will give me a lot of confidence for the next Challengers coming up.”