Taylor Fritz capped off his first day as a Top 5 player with a comeback, three-set win against countryman John Isner on Monday at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC. As the first American to earn a place in the Top 5 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings since Andy Roddick in 2009, the Break Point star is leading the pack of 10 men inside the Top 50.

While the 25-year-old appreciates the gravity of his achievement, both on a personal level and in the broader scope of American men’s tennis, Fritz is doing his best to keep his focus on the task hand this week in Acapulco.

“It’s obviously pretty exciting to be Top 5. I’ve known for about a week now that today was going to be the day that I’d be Top 5,” said Fritz, whose Delray Beach title put him in position to move up two spots from World No. 7, passing Rafael Nadal and Andrey Rublev after both dropped points last week. “Now I just need to focus on the tournament week and not so much about the ranking.”

He later added: “It’s a huge honour to be the first American in the Top 5 since [Roddick] was and I’m hoping that I can take it even further.”

New career high today 🥳 https://t.co/vfI9ydv9wA

— Taylor Fritz (@Taylor_Fritz97) February 27, 2023

In order to maintain his position, Fritz will likely need to defend his Indian Wells title next month when he returns to his native Southern California. Nearly one year after winning the biggest trophy of his career, Fritz feels that victory shows he is capable of contending for more of the game’s greatest prizes.

“I think if I’m able to win a Masters 1000, then I’m able to win a Grand Slam,” he said in an Acapulco press conference following his opening win. “Things just need to come together. I need to be playing really well one specific week. I feel like it’s possible for sure.”

For now, Fritz is focussed on winning his sixth ATP Tour title — and his second ATP 500 crown after last October in Tokyo — this week in Mexico. The American, who reached the 2020 Acapulco final (l. to Nadal), will continue his campaign against Denis Shapovalov on Wednesday, when he will try to close the gap on the Canadian’s 5-2 advantage in their ATP Head2Head.

In a hotly anticipated Monday matchup of two of the ATP Tour’s newest young stars, fourth seed Holger Rune edged Ben Shelton in the pair’s first ATP Head2Head meeting.

In a 6-7(7), 6-4, 6-2 victory at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC, the Dane won eight of the final 10 games to close out a match that hung on a knife edge until late.

“I managed to find solutions when it mattered,” Rune said post-match. “I had to dig really deep for that break in the second set. In the third set I felt like I was more up. I think I played good overall and it was super tricky match.”

Shelton saved two set points in a thrilling opening-set tie-break before winning it, then erased another two at 4-5 in the second set, including one with a 120-mph second serve. But Rune took his third chance in set two after battling back from 40/0 in the return game.

It remained tight in the final set until Rune rattled off the final four games from 2-2, sparked by the point of the match in which he outdid a Shelton tweener with a feathered half volley. The pair slapped hands after the thrilling exchange, and they met again at the net soon after when Rune won the final four games without being pushed to deuce.

The 19-year-old Dane did not face a break point in sets two and three, losing just one point on his first serve across both sets. Shelton won 80 per cent of his first serve points in the match, with Rune singling out that shot for praise.

“He has a huge serve. For me it’s one of the biggest serves I ever played, ” Rune said of the American. “He has a lot of weapons. Most of all I’m super happy with how I handled everything mentally.”

After spending two hours, 20 minutes as rivals, Rune and Shelton are set to team up in doubles next week at Indian Wells. Shelton, six months Rune’s senior at 20, is also in the doubles draw this week alongside Mackenzie McDonald in Acapulco.

Before Rune’s victory on centre court, third seed Taylor Fritz opened play in the stadium with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 win against fellow American John Isner. It was the 25-year-old’s first match as a Top 5 player, after he rose up to the No. 5 spot in this week’s Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

Fritz will next meet Denis Shapovalov, a 6-7(4), 6-0, 7-5 winner against Miomir Kecmanovic.

Sixth-seeded American Frances Tiafoe also advanced, 7-6(6), 6-4 against Yoshihito Nishioka. Tiafoe will play 41-year-old Feliciano Lopez in the second round. Spain’s Lopez earned his first win at an ATP Tour event since July 2021 with a 7-6(3), 6-4 result against Chris Eubanks.

Novak Djokovic has been a serving machine so far in 2023.

Returning to action this week in Dubai as he notches a record-breaking 378th week at World No. 1, the Serbian is 12-0 on the young season, with titles at the Adelaide International 1 and the Australian Open. He leads the Tour with Service Games Won at 94.38 per cent (151/160) and sits third with Return Games Won at 32 per cent (48/150). When the world’s best returner is also the hottest server on Tour, it’s lights out for anyone standing on the other side of the net.

An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of Djokovic’s serving prowess in his unbeaten run reveals three specific areas where the Super Serb creates significant separation from his opponents

1: Holding From 15/0 & 0/15
The first point of a service game helps to “set the weather” for the rest of the game. Djokovic is head and shoulders above his 12 opponents in securing a 15/0 lead and holding serve, and also holding serve when he drops the opening point.

Winning The First Point Of The Game
• Djokovic = 75 per cent (120/160)
• Opponents = 66 per cent (99/150)

Djokovic was far more likely to sprint to a 15/0 lead in his service games versus his opponents. He surged to a 15/0 lead 75 per cent of the time, which was considerably higher than the 66 per cent mark from his opponents.

Holding From 15/0

• Djokovic = 95 per cent (114/120)
• Opponents = 74 per cent (73/99)

Djokovic has held serve a jaw-dropping 114 times out of 120 (95 per cent) after winning just the first point of the game. Opponents are nowhere close to that mark, holding just 74 per cent (73/99) of the time.

Holding From 0/15
• Djokovic = 90 per cent (36/40)
• Opponents = 55 per cent (28/51)

This is where the rubber meets the road holding serve for the Serb. Djokovic trailed 0/15 40 times in Adelaide and Melbourne and was still able to hold serve a staggering 90 per cent (36/40) of the time. Opponents could only manage to hold 55 per cent (28/51) of the time. This speaks to superior strategy, mental strength and the unwavering ability to conquer any and all moments of adversity in the match.

2: 2nd Serves To Position 5

The common strategy for almost all players on tour when hitting second serves in the Ad court is to target the backhand with a jam second serve or kick out wide. Not Djokovic. He launches a sneak attack at the forehand return with slice.

Ad Court 2nd Serve Location/Won
• Position 5 = Won 60 per cent (43/72)
• Position 6 = Won 65 per cent (13/20)
• Position 7 = Won 53 per cent (21/40)
• Position 8 = Won 53 per cent (20/38)

Djokovic hit 72 second serves down the T in the Ad court, winning an eye-opening 60 per cent of those points. He impressively collected four second serve aces and 12 return errors to Position five. Djokovic’s 72 second serves to Position five was almost double the amount to the more traditional location out wide to Position eight, with 38. That’s essentially a strategy flip from the rest of the Tour.

3: Serve +1 Performance
Djokovic is widely regarded as having one of the best backhands of all time, but his forehand still outshines it on a stats sheet. Djokovic hit 56 per cent forehands as the first shot after the serve, while his opponents were slightly higher at 59 per cent. While the totals were somewhat similar, the win percentages were not.

Serve +1 Forehand Win Percentage
• Djokovic = 67 per cent (216/323)
• Opponents = 47 per cent (202/427)

Serve +1 Backhand Win Percentage
• Djokovic = 61 per cent (156/256)
• Opponents = 40 per cent (117/291)

Overall, Djokovic hit 59 Serve +1 winners, with 50 following his first serve and nine following his second serve. Forty five were Serve +1 forehands and 14 were Serve +1 backhands.

Djokovic’s return strategy and execution have always been a hallmark of his game. Now he is leading the Tour is Service Games Won. It’s an unbeatable combination.

Juan Manuel Cerundolo won two ATP Challenger Tour titles to start his season. Could this be the week he adds another ATP Tour trophy to his collection?

The Argentine qualifier battled past countryman Pedro Cachin 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 on Monday to reach the second round of the Movistar Chile Open.

“I’m really happy and I hope to keep working to get better,” Cerundolo said. “I still have a lot of things to improve so I need to keep working and see if I have better results.”[

The lefty dominated behind his first serve, winning 85 per cent of those points. Cerundolo saved two of the three break points he faced to advance after two hours and two minutes.

Another qualifier advanced earlier in the day when Yannick Hanfmann ousted defending champion Pedro Martinez 6-2, 6-0.

“The match went well. It was a pretty clear scoreline, but I think it was a little bit closer. There were a few really long games,” Hanfmann said. “Obviously playing qualies gave me a little bit of confidence.”

One year ago in Santiago, Martinez defeated Hanfmann 6-2, 6-2 in the Santiago quarter-finals.

“He beat me pretty bad last year in the quarters, so I was able to return the favour in the first round here,” Hanfmann said. “That’s how it is. Tennis is brutal sometimes.”

Home favourite Alejandro Tabilo put forth a courageous effort on Cancha Central, but Spaniard Jaume Munar clawed past the Chilean 6-0, 6-7(4), 7-6(5) after two hours and 42 minutes.

Munar converted six of his eight break points to move into the second round. The 25-year-old will next play top seed Lorenzo Musetti.

Italian qualifier Riccardo Bonadio earned his first tour-level victory with a 6-3, 7-6(5) win against Colombian Daniel Elahi Galan. Bonadio, a 29-year-old, is the No. 182 player in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

Did You Know?
Dominic Thiem and Fabio Fognini played mini tennis before the start of the Movistar Chile Open. Both Top 10 stars are scheduled to compete Tuesday.

^{Photo Credit: Aljaro/Binder}

Tomas Machac could hardly have been presented with a greater challenge in the first round at this week’s Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. The Czech qualifier meets Novak Djokovic at the hard-court ATP 500 event, where he will try to become the first player to defeat the Serbian in the 2023 ATP Tour season.

Ahead of Machac’s clash with the World No. 1, ATPTour.com runs down five things to know about the 22-year-old.

His Sporting Idol Is Michael Jordan
Two years before Machac was born in 2000, Michael Jordan played his last game as a member of the Chicago Bulls. That hasn’t stopped the Czech from growing into a huge fan of both the Bulls and Jordan. 

“It is crazy what this guy did in his career,” said Machac of Jordan in an interview with ATPTour.com last year. “His achievements, the moments he had were unbelievable. I learned [from watching him that] some days if you don’t feel well or are sick or something goes wrong, you can still fight, you can still make yourself comfortable in that moment and improve something in your game.”

His Sister’s Love Of Tennis Changed His Life
Perhaps Machac would have been destined for a future in basketball were it not for his older sister, Katerina. She fell in love with tennis as a teen and regularly competed in tournaments from when Tomas was four years old. That paved the way for his development as a tennis talent.

“I was travelling with her and with my family and I was playing against the wall every time,” said Machac. “I was playing for example six hours per day on the wall, because I didn’t want to be bored watching the tennis, so I played lots of tennis.”

He Is Good At Keepie Uppies… Even Without A Ball!
Machac’s excellent hand-eye coordination has not just helped the Czech reach a career-high No. 97 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he posted a video on Instagram demonstrating some impressive footwork with a roll of toilet paper!

 

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A post shared by Tomas Machac (@tomas_machac)

He Has Past Experience Facing A World No. 1
Machac’s Dubai meeting with Djokovic will not be his first clash with a World No. 1. In 2022, the Czech faced Daniil Medvedev — who was then atop the Pepperstone ATP Rankings — at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.

Despite a straight-sets defeat to Medevedev on that occasion, Machac has regularly showcased his ability to go toe-to-toe with some of the best on Tour. He defeated Richard Gasquet and Daniel Evans while representing the Czech Republic at the 2021 Davis Cup Finals, while he also pushed Casper Ruud to four sets at this year’s Australian Open.

He Can Always Turn To His Girlfriend For On-Court Advice
Machac doesn’t have to look far for tips on how he can make a greater mark on professional tennis. His girlfriend is Czech WTA star Katerina Siniakova, who has a career-high singles ranking of No. 31 and is three-time tour-level titlist. She is also the current World No. 1 in doubles, having won 20 tour-level titles, including seven Grand Slams.

“She’s a really good player,” Machac told ATPTour.com. “She’s had an unbelievable career… So I’m learning a lot from her.”

Machac added: “She’s a fighter, and she never leaves any point in the game. She plays every point.”

Daniil Medvedev didn’t take too kindly to falling outside the Top 10 following the Australian Open.

Since he debuted in the Top 10 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings in July 2019, Medvedev had not spent a day outside the exclusive club until a straight-sets loss to Sebastian Korda in Melbourne saw him tumble from No. 8 to No. 12 after the year’s first major. That dropped like a punch in the guts.

But it was more than just the loss of his 2022 Australian Open finalist points that underpinned the former World No. 1’s exit from the Top 10. After four titles, including the US Open, and a 63-13 record in 2021, Medvedev went 45-19 last year with just two titles. [He did miss the clay season, save for Roland Garros, after a hernia operation.]

The man nicknamed ‘Bear’ responded to his Australian Open disappointment by winning consecutive titles at the ATP 500 event in Rotterdam and the ATP 250 in Doha. This week in Dubai he will attempt for the first time in his career to win three consecutive titles.

“The defeat [in five sets to Nadal] at the Aussie Open last year was a killer,” said former World No. 4 and esteemed coach and analyst Brad Gilbert. “He also had some other things going on and he wasn’t the same player he’d been. After watching him at these last two tournaments, he looks like the same guy that was winning so much. To me the biggest thing is that his confidence is back.”

Medvedev agreed that his confidence is now sky high. “I’m really happy with the last two weeks. I have a lot of confidence going, which is a good thing,” he said Monday in Dubai. “You can find confidence fast and unexpectedly. It can happen the same to lose it. I played a great level in both Rotterdam and Doha and am now looking forward to Dubai.”

A TennisViz analysis for Tennis Data Innovations of Medvedev’s back-to-back title run in Rotterdam and Doha shows how he has recaptured and even exceeded his 2021 form in two key areas: winning points from defensive positions (Steal Score) and forehand shot quality. (Shot Quality is calculated in real-time by analysing each shot’s speed, spin, depth, width, and the impact it has on the opponent.)

In 2021 Medvedev won an impressive 38 per cent of points after finding himself in a defensive position during the point. That dipped to 34 per cent in 2022. Medvedev’s aggregate Steal Score during his nine-match winning streak in Rotterdam and Doha has been an off-the-charts 43 per cent.

“He’s always been a great defensive player; he doesn’t move like a typical guy of that height,” Gilbert said. “He’s like a 6’ 6” wing guy in the NBA. Zverev might move as well as Medvedev but he doesn’t play as good defence. Sometimes we say someone defends well just because they are fast, but it’s more than that. It’s about balance and the ability to do things on the run. Medvedev is probably second behind Djokovic as the best player on tour on the run.”

The TDI analysis also reveals that Medvedev lifted his forehand shot quality from 8.0 in 2022 to 8.3 in Rotterdam and Doha.

Medvedev’s Forehand Fires Up!

“So goes his offensive forehand, so goes his game,” Gilbert said. “He’s got a sneaky good forehand from the centre of the court. It’s different to Rafa’s or Fed’s – he scoots into the court, hits it low and flat – but it’s a very important shot.

“As a big server, it’s also important to have the forehand working for the one-twos, or as some say the Serve +1. His game goes to another level when he gets more of those.”

Medvedev will be looking to use his current confidence to atone for a modest 1-2 record in two prior appearances in Dubai. He is seeded to meet Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals.

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Defending champion Andrey Rublev’s 7-5, 6-2 first-round victory against Filip Krajinovic at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Monday was very much a tale of two halves.

Krajinovic came racing out the blocks against the second seed at the hard-court ATP 500, expertly redirecting Rublev’s powerful groundstrokes to open an early 5-2 lead. Rublev, who is trying to become the first back-to-back Dubai champion since Roger Federer in 2014-15, responded in style. He won 11 of the next 13 games to seal an 89-minute victory and level his ATP Head2Head series with the Serbian at 3-3.

“[It was crazy], crazy things were in my head… Filip is one of my good friends and we always have tough battles,” said Rublev when asked about his early struggles. “So today I was going on court thinking that it was going to be a really tough match, and when he started the way he did, I didn’t know what to do because he was playing so good.

“Somehow I calmed myself and said ‘OK, restart at the bottom and raise my level’ and I started to play much, much better. I was able to turn the match around and finish the match in a good way.”

Rublev became increasingly penetrating with his groundstrokes as the match wore on, striking 28 winners and converting four of six break points to improve his record in Dubai to 11-2. The World No. 6 is chasing his first title of 2023, and his sixth ATP 500 crown overall, this week in the U.A.E.

His second-round opponent will be Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who defeated wild card Malek Jaziri 6-2, 6-0. Tunisia’s Jaziri, a former World No. 42, was playing the final match of his professional career.

Another wild card, Thanasi Kokkinakis, enjoyed first-round success on Monday. The Australian saved four Quentin Halys set points in the second set before completing a 6-4, 7-6(9) victory against the Frenchman on his Dubai debut.
The former World No. 69 Kokkinakis captured his fifth ATP Challenger Tour title in Bahrain eight days ago, and he will try to extend his winning run against eighth seed Borna Coric or Daniel Evans in the second round in Dubai.

Lorenzo Sonego prevailed 7-5, 6-3 in a big-serving battle against Marc-Andrea Huesler to book his second-round spot. The Italian fired 23 winners, including 10 aces, to triumph in his maiden tour-level meeting with the Swiss. He will next face fourth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime or Maxime Cressy.

Tallon Griekspoor and Pavel Kotov also advanced on Monday, both in three sets. Griekspoor defeated Constant Lestienne 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, with the No. 39-ranked Dutchman set to take on top seed Novak Djokovic or Tomas Machac in the second round, while qualifier Kotov beat Alexei Popyrin 6-3, 5-7, 7-6(3).

Following his semi-final run at the 2022 Next Gen ATP Finals, Dominic Stricker was eyeing another standout season on the ATP Challenger Tour. However, the Swiss had to battle through a turbulent start to the year before collecting his fourth Challenger title in Rovereto, Italy on Sunday. The #NextGenATP star is among four Challenger champions this week.

The 20-year-old made Swiss tennis history when he won the Citta’ Di Rovereto final against home favourite Giulio Zeppieri 7-6(8), 6-2. Stricker joins Stan Wawrinka as the only Swiss players to win four Challenger titles before their 21st birthday.

Stricker, who fended off five set points in the opening set against third seed Zeppieri, reached the final round of qualifying at the Australian Open, but is still aiming for his maiden Grand Slam appearance.

After a first-round exit at the Vilnius Challenger, where he was the top seed, Stricker found himself nearing another disappointing opening-round loss in Rovereto. Down a set and a break in the first round against Mili Poljicak, the former junior World No. 3 rallied to survive and win the tournament.

“Winning a title after a little bit of a struggle is great,” Stricker said. “I’m back fully motivated and happy. I think I’m on a good way now. [My goal for this year] was to not have one week winning a title and then losing three first rounds, just to be more consistent.

“For my ranking, Top 100 would be great, but the rankings change so quickly. A lot can happen in one week.”

Following his triumph in Rovereto, the lefty climbs to 120 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings and is just nine spots from tying his career-high.

The #NextGenATP Zeppieri, who won last week’s Cherbourg Challenger, propels to a career-high 115 following his nine-match winning streak.

At the Bengaluru Open in India, Max Purcell battled from a set down in the championship match to down second seed and countryman James Duckworth 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(5). The 24-year-old Purcell is riding a 10-match winning streak.

Max Purcell is crowned champion at the 2023 Bengaluru Challenger. Credit: Bengaluru Open

The Sydney native, who fended off two championship points last week to win the Chennai Challenger, is the first Australian to win back-to-back Challenger titles since Jordan Thompson in 2018 (Traralgon, Canberra). A four-time Challenger champion, Purcell rises to a career-high 116 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

In Monterrey, Mexico, Nuno Borges saved 10 of 11 break points faced all week to claim his third Challenger title at the Abierto GNP Seguros. Now at a career-high 85, Borges defeated Croatian Borna Gojo 6-4, 7-6(6) in the final.

Following the 2022 US Open, Borges became the fourth Portuguese player to crack the Top 100 in the past decade, joining Joao Sousa, Pedro Sousa, and Gastao Elias (in 2016, Joao Sousa reached the highest ranking in Portuguese tennis history when he climbed to a career-high No. 28).

Nuno Borges in early-round action at the 2023 Monterrey Challenger. Credit: Abierto GNP Seguros

In the semi-finals of the 2018 NCAA singles championship, the Wake Forest University standout Gojo took out Mississippi State’s Borges but the Mexico encounter went in favour of the Portuguese, who captured his first hard-court title in Monterrey. In 2019, Borges’ prominent college career included a 31-match winning streak before falling short in the NCAA Singles Championship (l. Jubb).

In Rome, Georgia, top seed Jordan Thompson didn’t drop a set all week en route to winning his 10th Challenger title. In the final, the 28-year-old won 20 of 24 first serve points to take down wild card Alex Michelsen 6-4, 6-2 at Georgia’s Rome Tennis Open.

Jordan Thompson during Sunday’s final in Rome, Georgia. Credit: Georgia’s Rome Tennis Open

Following Purcell and Thompson’s Challenger titles this weekend, players from Australia have combined for an early season-leading five Challenger titles.

Michelsen, 18, was competing in just his third Challenger event. The California native is the youngest American to reach a Challenger final since Frances Tiafoe in 2016 (Tallahassee). Still a senior in high school, World No. 356 Michelsen received a special exemption into the Waco Challenger, as he was still competing in Georgia when the Texas Tennis Classic draw was made.