Vera Zvonareva: Russian tennis player blocked from entering Poland
Russian tennis player Vera Zvonareva is blocked from entering Poland for reasons of state security and public safety.
Russian tennis player Vera Zvonareva is blocked from entering Poland for reasons of state security and public safety.
Another three-tournament week on the ATP Tour features action in Hamburg, Atlanta and Umag, where Casper Ruud, Taylor Fritz and Stan Wawrinka compete in the respective fields.
Ruud is the top seed at the Hamburg European Open, an ATP 500 clay-court event, with Andrey Rublev and Lorenzo Musetti also in action. Fritz, Alex de Minaur and Ben Shelton headline the field at the Atlanta Open, an ATP 250 hard-court tournament, while Wawrinka and Jiri Lehecka compete on clay at the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag, an ATP 250.
ATPTour.com looks ahead at five things to watch at each event.
FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN HAMBURG
1) Top Seed Ruud: World No. 4 Ruud leads the field in Hamburg as the top seed. The Norwegian, who holds a 20-6 record on clay this season, is making his fourth appearance at the ATP 500 event in Germany, where he advanced to the semi-finals in 2020. The 24-year-old, who is into the final in Bastad, is chasing his second tour-level title of the season, having triumphed in Estoril in April.
2) Defending Champion Musetti: The Italian returns to Hamburg as the defending champion, after beating Carlos Alcaraz in a three-set final thriller 12 months ago. Musetti, whose best result this season was a semi-final appearance at the ATP 500 in Barcelona, arrives in Hamburg off the back of a run to the last four in Bastad, an ATP 250.
3) Rublev Second Seed: Former champion Rublev arrives in Hamburg chasing his second crown of the season, having clinched the biggest title of his career in Monte-Carlo in April. The 25-year-old, who begins against Bernabe Zapata Miralles, lifted the trophy at the ATP 500 event in 2020, while he reached the final in 2019.
4) #NextGenATP Stars In Action: Frenchmen Arthur Fils and Luca Van Assche will both make their debuts in Hamburg. The 19-year-old Fils, currently fourth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Next Gen Race, clinched his first tour-level crown on clay in Lyon earlier this year. Van Assche, 19, advanced to the second round in Bastad last week and lifted an ATP Challenger Tour title on clay in April.
5) Home Favourites: Germans Alexander Zverev, Yannick Hanfmann and Daniel Altmaier will lead home hopes in Hamburg. Zverev advanced to the semi-finals at the ATP 500 in 2014 and in 2019, while Hanfmann enters having enjoyed a career-best season. The 31-year-old reached the quarter-finals at the ATP Masters 1000 event on clay in Rome and the semi-finals in Santiago. Altmaier will be aiming to advance beyond the first round in Hamburg for the first time in his fifth appearance.
FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN ATLANTA
1) Fritz Leads Field: Fritz will aim to re-find his best form when he competes in Atlanta. The American, who reached the title match at the ATP 250 hard-court event in 2019, has advanced to the quarter-finals at just one of his five previous events. The 25-year-old has tasted success on hard courts this year, though, lifting his fifth tour-level trophy in Delray Beach.
2) Two-Time Titlist De Minaur: Australian de Minaur has fond memories in Atlanta, where he won the title in 2019 and 2022. The 24-year-old is seeking his second trophy of this season after clinching the biggest trophy of his career on hard courts in Acapulco in March. De Minaur also advanced to the final at The Queen’s Club last month.
3) Red-Hot Eubanks: Home favourite Christopher Eubanks, who grew up in Atlanta, entered the spotlight at Wimbledon, where he upset Top 15 stars Cameron Norrie and Stefanos Tsitsipas to reach his first Grand Slam quarter-final. The 27-year-old American, who also clinched his first tour-level title in Mallorca earlier this month, will hope to continue his red-hot form when he makes his third appearance in Atlanta.
4) Shelton Returns: The 20-year-old Shelton was ranked outside the Top 300 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings when he competed in Atlanta last year. The American returns this year at No. 39, having enjoyed a breakthrough run to the quarter-finals at the Australian Open.
5) Mahut/Roger-Vasselin In Doubles Action: Frenchmen Nicolas Mahut/Edouard Roger-Vasselin lead the doubles field in Atlanta, where they will face competition from Jamie Murray/Michael Venus and Marcelo Melo/John Peers. Thanasi Kokkinakis, who won the doubles title with Nick Kyrgios last year, teams with Lloyd Harris.
FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN UMAG
1) Former Champion Wawrinka: Swiss star Wawrinka lifted his maiden tour-level trophy in Umag in 2006 and is back competing at the event for the first time since 2007. The 38-year-old’s best result on clay this season was a second-round appearance at Roland Garros.
2) Thiem Chasing Form: After a disappointing second-round defeat against Hamad Medjedovic in Gstaad last week, Thiem enters Umag aiming to turn a corner. The Austrian, currently 8-16 on the season, has had success at the clay-court event in the past, winning the trophy in his only previous appearance in 2015.
3) Lehecka Makes Debut: The 21-year-old competes in Umag for the first time. The Czech star, who was runner-up at the Next Gen ATP Finals in 2022, advanced to the third round on clay at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Monte-Carlo earlier this year. He arrives in Umag off the back of a fourth-round apperance at Wimbledon.
4) Cilic Returns: Former World No. 3 Marin Cilic competes for the first time since Pune in January. The Croatian, who has been out since the start of the year following knee surgery, is making his seventh appearance in Umag and first since 2014 when he reached the semi-finals. The 34-year-old lifted the trophy at the ATP 250 in 2012.
5) Defending Doubles Titlist Bolelli Returns: Simone Bolelli returns to Umag as the defending champion. The Italian teamed with Fabio Fognini last year but joins forces with Andrea Vavassori this week. Czech Lehecka teams with countryman Roman Jebavy.
Casper Ruud reached his third tour-level final of the season on Saturday when he overcame Italian Lorenzo Musetti 6-3, 7-5 at the Nordea Open.
Competing on the clay at the ATP 250 event in Bastad, Ruud caused Musetti problems with his weight and depth of shot. The Norwegian struck his groundstrokes with heavy topspin and earned the decisive break of the second set in the 11th game to advance after one hour and 46 minutes.
The top seed Ruud is a former champion in Bastad, having triumphed in 2021. He will compete for his second title at the tournament and 11th overall when he meets Francisco Cerundolo or Andrey Rublev in the final.
With his 20th tour-level win of the season on clay, Ruud improved to 1-1 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series against Musetti. Earlier this season, the 24-year-old captured his 10th tour-level trophy and ninth on clay in Estoril.
The 21-year-old Italian Musetti was chasing his first title of the season. Last year, he triumphed at tour-level events in Hamburg and Naples.
Former champion Albert Ramos-Vinolas moved to within one win of capturing his fifth tour-level title on Saturday when he defeated second-seeded Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic 6-2, 6-3 at the EFG Swiss Open Gstaad.
The Spaniard dictated throughout the one-hour, 32-minute clash at the ATP 250 clay-court event, breaking Kecmanovic’s serve six times and outlasting the Serbian with his heavy groundstrokes.
With his 10th tour-level win of the season, Ramos-Vinolas reached his 12th tour-level final and first of the year. He will meet Argentine Pedro Cachin or #NextGenATP Serbian Hamad Medjedovic in the title match.
Ramos-Vinolas, up 15 spots to No. 64 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, has fond memories in Gstaad, having triumphed at the event in 2019. He also advanced to the semi-finals last year. The 35-year-old will compete for his fifth tour-level crown on Sunday.
Kecmanovic, who was making his debut in Gstaad, was aiming to reach his third tour-level final of the season after advancing to the title match on hard in Delray Beach and on clay in Estoril.
Cachin continued his standout run when he moved past #NextGenATP Serbian Hamad Medjedovic 6-3, 6-1 to reach his maiden tour-level final.
Competing in his first semi-final, the 28-year-old was strong on serve, winning 92 per cent (22/24) of his first-serve points to advance after 65 minutes. The Argentine defeated the top seed Roberto Bautista Agut earlier this week and is up 22 places to No. 68 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings.
“I think I played really good tennis,” Cachin said. “Amazing tactically. I played hard and I didn’t make many mistakes. He is a young guy who plays amazing tennis. I am very happy to be through.”
The 20-year-old Medjedovic was competing in his first tour-level semi-final. The Serbian is currently seventh in the Pepperstone ATP Live Next Gen Race as he aims to make his debut at the 21-and-under event.
This story was translated from ATPTour.com/es.
The noise surrounding Carlos Alcaraz at any ATP Tour tournament is always deafening, but not only among his fans while he competes, practises or moves around the venue. When he returns to the private areas such as the locker rooms and the players’ lounge it is also difficult for him to find silence.
He is inundated with congratulatory messages wherever he goes, exclamations of surprise merely at his presence, people asking for autographs and photos – even with players –, and those who want to engage him in conversation. And yet, he treats everyone as a friend. Amid all the hubbub, it is easy to hear his polite greetings for anyone who crosses his path.
“I try to be friendly, warm, get on with everyone. It’s more important to be a good person than anything else. At the end of my career I’d like people to remember me, more than as a tennis player, as someone with good values. At the end of the day, you only spend a few hours a day on court, the rest of your life you’re off it. That’s why at those times I also try to use the manners that my parents taught me,” explains the recent Wimbledon champion.
Judging by the opinions of some of his peers, it looks like he is achieving his goal. “As a tennis player, there is no doubt,” says Argentina’s Facundo Bagnis of Alcaraz, whom he has known since they crossed paths on the ATP Challenger Tour. “But I think he is an even better person. He’s so good and well mannered… In the end, that’s what matters.”
Plenty of other players are in agreement.
“He’s a 10 out of 10 guy, really funny and nice,” says Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena. “He wishes you luck whenever you play, he asks you how you are, speaks to you normally. It’s incredible that he’s at such a high level and wins such big tournaments, and that he’s so normal. He’s still the same as when I met him many years ago training together in Spain.”
Alcaraz’s humility and spontaneity with his fans and in front of the cameras and the press is also clear to many of his fellow players. But his upbringing is not the only reason for his off-court behaviour. His closeness with Juan Carlos Ferrero is also a factor. The former-World No. 1 plays a huge role in keeping his charge’s feet firmly on the ground and ensuring he doesn’t forget his roots.
“He’s a charming and humble kid. His coach is doing a phenomenal job of guiding him in that regard because he’s been through the same thing. I’m so happy that everything is going so well for them,” said Roberto Bautista Agut.
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina agrees: “They’ve brought him up with great values, but having an ex-world No. 1 like Juanki as a coach is also an advantage for him, because he helps him by telling him how to progress and how to act.”
Alcaraz might be in a hurry to leave a tournament venue, in the zone as he waits to enter Centre Court, or angry as he leaves it after a defeat… but even during those tense moments he is happy to have a friendly interaction with others.
“There are players who get more serious in competition, and off court they are distant. I’m the opposite, I try to get on with everyone,” Alcaraz said. “At the end of the day, they are people I’ll spend the whole year with. Not getting along with those people is no use at all.
It’s no coincidence then that his biggest rivals are some of his best friends on tour. Such is the case of Jannik Sinner. After losing to the Italian in the semi-finals of the ATP Masters 1000 in Miami last March, the Spaniard wished him luck for the final. “Go for it, I’ll cheer for you,” he said to him with a smile as they shook hands.
His charisma is so evident in the locker room that even some of his victims, still reeling from defeat, are partly happy for Carlitos. This was visible in the first season of Netflix series Break Point, when Frances Tiafoe sought out the Spaniard after losing to him in the semi-finals of the 2022 US Open. “You’re going to be the world No. 1. You deserve it,” the American told him as they embraced.
His character, combined with his premature success, make him a magnetic personality for many, including other stars of the game. Horacio Zeballos, for example, was one of those that asked him for a photo after his successful participation at Wimbledon.
“Thanks for your customary humility,” the Argentine said in his Instagram post of his photo with the No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Ranking. “You’re the best!”, Alcaraz replied.
It seems that the more success he has on court, the more approachable and human he becomes off it. An anecdote from Bagnis is proof of that.
“I once asked him for a birthday video for a friend”, remembers Bagnis. “He could have told me no, ignored me or told me what day to do it on. But he responded by asking me when I had time so we could do it. I thought that was really something.
“He was doing me a favour and ended up considering my availability. It’s amazing that someone so important and so good is still so friendly, well-mannered and correct.”
It is no coincidence Alcaraz is one of the best-loved players among the fans, his peers and tennis lovers in general. However, his success on court is only a minor reason for his popularity.
Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz beats David Goffin in their Hopman Cup clash in France.
The Hamburg European Open is one of 13 ATP 500 events that hosts world-class players for a week. Among those in action this year in Hamburg will be Casper Ruud, Andrey Rublev, defending champion Lorenzo Musetti, and Alexander Zverev.
Here’s what you need to know ahead of the German tournament:
The ATP 500 event will be held from 24-30 July. The clay-court tournament, established in 1968, will take place at the Am Rothenbaum in Hamburg, Germany. The tournament director is Sandra Reichel.
Ruud, Rublev, Musetti, Zverev, and Francisco Cerundolo are among the field in Germany.
The Hamburg European Open singles draw will be made on Saturday, 22 July at 1 p.m.
* Qualifying: Saturday, 22 July at 10:30 a.m. and Sunday, 23 July at 11 a.m.
* Main Draw: Monday, 24 July – Thursday, 27 July starting at 11 a.m. Friday, 28 July not before 1 p.m. Saturday, 29 July play begins at 2 p.m. Sunday, 30 July at 3 p.m.
* Doubles Final: Sunday, 30 July at 12:30 p.m.
* Singles Final: Sunday, 30 July at 3 p.m.
*View On Official Website
The prize money for the Hamburg European Open is €1,831,515 and the Total Financial Commitment is €1,981,470.
SINGLES
Winner: €342,500 / 500 points
Finalist: €184,285 / 300 points
Semi-finalist: €98,215 / 180 points
Quarter-finalist: €50,180 / 90 points
Round of 16: €26,790 / 45 points
Round of 32: €14,285 / 0 points
DOUBLES (€ per team)
Winner: €112,500 / 500 points
Finalist: €59,990 / 300 points
Semi-finalist: €30,350 / 180 points
Quarter-finalist: €15,180 / 90 points
Round of 16: €7,860 / 0 points
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Hashtag: #hamburgopen
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Lorenzo Musetti won the 2022 Hamburg European Open singles title with a 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-4 victory against Carlos Alcaraz in the championship match (Read More). Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara lifted the doubles trophy last year in Hamburg, where they defeated Rohan Bopanna and Matwe Middelkoop 6-2, 6-4 in the final. (Read More).
Most Titles, Singles: Roger Federer (4)
Most Titles, Doubles: Emilio Sanchez (4)
Oldest Champion: Andres Gimeno, 33, in 1971
Youngest Champion: Andrei Medvedev, 19, in 1994
Highest-Ranked Champion: No. 1 Ivan Lendl in 1987, 1989, Roger Federer in 2004-05, 2007
Lowest-Ranked Champion: No. 143 Roberto Carretero in 1996
Last Home Champion: Michael Stich in 1993
Most Match Wins: Guillermo Vilas (35)
View Who Is Playing, Past Champions, Seeds, Points & Prize Money Breakdown
American Alex Michelsen’s breakthrough week hit a new high Friday at the Infosys Hall of Fame Open.
The 18-year-old downed fourth seed Mackenzie McDonald 6-3, 6-3 to reach his first tour-level semi-final at the ATP 250 event. World No. 190 Michelsen came out of the blocks strong, dropping just one point behind his first serve in the opening set. The teenager then relied on his backhand in key moments to close the match after one hour, 11 minutes.
“I served really well, first-serve percentage was probably pretty high,” Michelsen said in his on-court interview. “The serve was key today and I didn’t miss too many groundstrokes either, so that was nice.”
Michelsen arrived in Newport without a tour-level match win, but has enjoyed a career-best performance, downing defending champion Maxime Cressy, James Duckworth, and McDonald to set a meeting against top seed Tommy Paul or John Isner in the last four.
Currently ninth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Next Gen Race, Michelsen is aiming to make his debut at the Next Gen ATP Finals, which showcases the season’s top eight 21-and-under players.
The California native arrived at the grass-court tournament following his triumph at last week’s ATP Challenger Tour event in Chicago. Michelsen is up to No. 152 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings.
Game, Set, Croatia.
The Marin Cilic Foundation on Sunday and Monday continued its efforts to raise funds for the construction and improvement of sports courts to provide recreational opportunities for students in need.
Cilic was joined by Croatian stars from inside and outside the tennis world to raise funds for the construction of a multifunctional sports court in Stankovci, Croatia. It is the foundation’s fifth sports court project.
“Extremely happy and proud. I think everyone had a great time,” Cilic said. “It’s always a challenge to get so many of us athletes together with our competing schedules, but everyone who is able, always shows up.
“It’s always special when we can all get together, especially when it is for something like this. This was the third edition of the event and it continues to grow in popularity with spectators but also the athletes; several are already setting up tennis lessons to start preparing for the next event.”
Marin Cilic meets with local kids as part of his third Game, Set, Croatia event.” />
Photo: Envy Croatia/Julien Duval
A who’s who of Croatian athletes participated in the event, from football superstar Luka Modric to NBA player Dario Saric.
“I don’t know if my tennis skills have improved since the last event, maybe five per cent,” Saric said. “But it’s an honour to participate in an event like this, and one of the best ways to use my free time. I’m proud to be here, proud to be among these incredible athletes.”
As always with the event, other Croatian tennis players have also joined to support, including Mate Pavic, Borna Gojo and Ivan Ljubicic.
“It’s always special to come and support this project,” Pavic said. “It takes a lot of effort to organise something like this so a big congratulations to Marin for all his work on this over the years. It’s all for a great cause and we [athletes] are always ready to join in whenever we can.”
Cilic: My Backyard Court, Sacrifice & Making Kids’ Dreams Come True
The location where the new sports court will be built, in Stankovci, will be especially useful for local students who currently take physical education classes in a hallway because they do not have a playground.
The project is close to the heart of Cilic, who will play his first tournament since January next week on home soil in Umag. The Croatian’s father built a tennis court in their backyard to provide his children an opportunity to play. That is part of what motivated Cilic to launch his eponymous foundation in 2016.
One of the star athletes who lent their support to this year’s event, alpine skier Zrinka Ljutić, has a strong connection to the Marin Cilic Foundation. Ljutić, who was a Croatian flag bearer at the 2022 Olympics, received a scholarship from the Marin Cilic Foundation in 2019 to help her pursue her dreams.
Photo: Envy Croatia/Samir Ceric Kovacevic
The athletes who participated in this year’s event are:
Tennis: Marin Cilic, Mate Pavić, Borna Gojo, Ivan Ljubičić
Football: Luka Modrić, Eduardo da Silva, Danijel Subašić, Doris Bačić
Rowing: The Sinković Brothers
Basketball: Ivica Zubac, Dario Šarić, Andrija Stipanović, Ante Žižić, and Zoran Planinić
Taekwondo: Matea Jelić
Skiing: Filip Zubčić, Zrinka Ljutić
Gymnastics: Tin Srbić
Table Tennis: Andrej Gaćina
Handball: Manuel Štrlek, Ivano Balić, and Luka Stepančić
Karate: Anđelo Kvesić
Olympic Shooting: Valentina Pereglin
Shot Put: Stipe Žunić
Holger Rune withdrew from the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag due to a lower back injury on Friday, the tournament announced.
“Unfortunately I won’t be able to play at the Croatia Open this year, as I have issues with my lower back, an injury that prevented me from performing at my usual level this week,” Rune said. “Starting from Monday, I will undergo the necessary treatments and then take some rest.”
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The 20-year-old Rune, who boasts a 37-13 season record, earned his fourth tour-level title this year in Munich. He was also a finalist at the ATP Masters 1000 clay-court events in Monte-Carlo and Rome.
A quarter-finalist at Wimbledon, Rune is aiming to make his Nitto ATP Finals debut this season. The Dane is seventh in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin.
