Dominic Thiem is showing signs of a resurgence as he continues his comeback from a right wrist injury. The Austrian won a battle of former Top 10 players against Richard Gasquet on Wednesday at the Moselle Open.

Former World No. 3 Thiem clawed past the former World No. 7 6-3, 7-6(3) to reach the second round in Metz. After advancing to the final of an ATP Challenger Tour event last week in Rennes, the 29-year-old has now won five of his past six matches at all levels.

“It was a very difficult challenge as always when you play against Richard. Also lately [he’s] played well,” Thiem said in his on-court interview. “He came here in good shape, so it’s a very good sign for me, I’m very happy about it.

“After five tough matches in Rennes, to pick it up here with slightly different conditions [has been good], so I’m very happy with my first match back here.”

The No. 182 player in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings converted four of the eight break points he earned. He also rallied from a break down in the second set to triumph after one hour and 47 minutes and set a second-round showdown against second seed Hubert Hurkacz.

Sebastian Korda also advanced on Wednesday in Metz, courtesy of a 6-3, 7-6(6) victory against #NextGenATP Italian and No. 3 seed Lorenzo Musetti. Korda, a finalist at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals last year (l. to Carlos Alcaraz), took the opening set without facing a break point and then recovered from a 0-2 hole in the second.

From 4/5 in the tie-break, Korda won four of the final five points to become the first man to advance to the quarter-finals in the singles draw. He will face either Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego of French wild card Gilles Simon next.

After a season of hard knocks, Stan Wawrinka is building momentum at the Moselle Open in Metz.

The former World No. 3 prevailed 7-6(1), 6-2 against Joao Sousa on Wednesday in the first round at the indoor hard-court event, backing up his two qualifying wins that earned him a main-draw spot in north-eastern France. Wawrinka has struggled to find his best level since returning to Tour in April after missing 13 months due to a foot injury, but the 16-time tour-level titlist gave frequent reminders of his ability with a series of trademark clean backhand winners to overpower World No. 55 Sousa.

“It’s always difficult to play against him. We played a few times in the past, always a tough match, but I’m really, really happy,” said Wawrinka after securing his fourth tour-level main-draw win of 2022. “It’s the first time I won three matches in the same tournament for more than two years, so it’s great.

“I’m getting confidence from winning a few matches, so I’m feeling a bit more relaxed, the way I’m moving. I think the level was good from me and I’m happy with the win.”

Wawrinka also produced a high-class serving performance against Sousa, saving all three break points he faced in the 95-minute encounter and winning 83 per cent (29/35) of points behind his first serve. He will hope to find that rhythm again in his fourth ATP Head2Head meeting against top seed Medvedev. Wawrinka has won only one of the pair’s previous meetings but it was the most recent, at the 2020 Australian Open.

“It’s the biggest test,” said Wawrinka of his match against Medvedev. “He’s [near] the top of the rankings, always a tough opponent to play… It’s going to be really difficult, but I’m happy to test myself against him tomorrow.”

Roger Federer revealed that he was proud and grateful for his legendary career on Wednesday at the Laver Cup in London, where he reflected on his record-breaking accomplishments ahead of his final tour-level event.

The 41-year-old announced his retirement last week after 25 years on Tour, a decision that left him feeling bittersweet.

“You always want to play forever. I love being out on court, I love playing against the guys and I love travelling. I never really felt like it was that hard for me to do, of winning, learn from losing, it was all perfect,” Federer said in his press conference. “I love my career from every angle. That’s the bitter part [of retiring]. The sweet part was that I know everybody has to do it at one point. Everybody has to leave the game. It’s been a great, great journey. For that, I’m really grateful.”

In a historic career, the Swiss star spent a record 237 consecutive weeks at No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings from 2 February 2004 to 17 August 2008, while he lifted 103 tour-level titles, including 20 Grand Slam crowns.

“I’m definitely very proud and very happy where I sit,” Federer said when analysing his place in the history books. “One of my big moments of course was winning my 15th Slam at Wimbledon when Pete [Sampras] was sitting there. Anything after that was a bonus. That was the record and then of course it was other records along the way… I’m very happy that I was able to win another five Slams from 15 on. For me it was incredible. Then I [won] over 100 titles and all that stuff has been fantastic.”

_{^{Photo Credit: Julian Finney/Getty Images for Laver Cup}}
Having made his tour-level debut in Gstaad in 1998, Federer has been a dominant force in the sport for over two decades. Alongside the numbers, the 28-time ATP Masters 1000 champion admitted he was proud of his longevity at the top of the game.

“I was famous for being quite erratic at the beginning of my career. If you remember, I was famous for being not so consistent. To then become one of the most consistent players ever is quite a shock to me, as well,” Federer said. “That has been a great accomplishment for me personally. People can judge if they think that’s the case too, but for me, that is something I have really enjoyed and that I have been able to stay at the top for so long and compete for any tournament I would enter and really go out there and say, ‘I hope I can win the tournament’, for 15-plus years.

“I think looking back that has a special meaning to me because I always looked to the Michael Schumachers, Tiger Woods, all the other guys that stayed for so long at the top that I didn’t understand how they did it. Next thing you know, you’re part of that group, and it’s been a great feeling.”

_{^{Photo Credit: Julian Finney/Getty Images for Laver Cup}}

Federer last competed on Tour at Wimbledon in 2021, where he advanced to the quarter-finals before losing to Hubert Hurkacz in what was his final singles match. The 28-time ATP Masters 1000 champion admitted that he was aiming to compete again next season, but his knee injury proved too challenging to recover from.

“There was a certain process that started at the beginning of the summer where you try to go to the next level in training and I could feel it was getting difficult,” Federer said. “So at that point I knew any hiccup, any setback, for that matter, was going to be the one potentially…I think tennis is a tough sport to bounce back into, because you have to be able to play long matches, five matches in a row every week, different continents, different surfaces.

“Mentally you need to know you have to be able to get all the way back there, and it’s hard. Then maybe the hardest part after that one point, of course you’re sad in the very moment when you realise, okay, ‘This is the end’. I sort of ignored it for a little bit almost, because I went on vacation and just said, ‘Okay, this is it’. This moment came shortly after I was at Wimbledon where I still truly actually believed there was going to be a chance for me to come back the next year. At what capacity, I didn’t know, but I thought it might be possible.”

Federer will compete for Team Europe against Team World in doubles on Friday in what will be his final tour-level match. Having faced long-time rival Rafael Nadal 40 times, the Swiss star admitted ending his career alongside the Spaniard on court would be fitting if they do decide to join forces for the clash.

“It could be quite a unique situation if it were to happen,” Federer said when asked about teaming with Nadal. “For as long as we battled together to having always this respect for one another, the families, our coaching teams, we always got along really well. For us as well to go through a career that we both have had and to come out on the other side and being able to have a nice relationship I think is maybe a great message as well to not just tennis but sports and maybe even beyond. For that reason I think it would be great. I don’t know if it’s going to happen, but I think it could be obviously a special moment.”

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With the Laver Cup taking place at the O2 in London, it gives Federer a final chance to play in a city where he has tasted so much success. The 41-year-old lifted a record eight Wimbledon trophies in the UK capital, while he triumphed at the Nitto ATP Finals twice when the event was held in London.

The 20-time major champion is excited by the prospect of ending his career in London and is grateful to have the opportunity to retire at an event surrounded by other stars.

“I’m happy to do it here in London. This city has been special to me,” Federer said. “Maybe the most special place with Wimbledon down the road and here at the O2. I just thought it was very fitting. I have always enjoyed the crowds here as well.

“Having Bjorn Borg on the bench with me for my final game resonated also in a big way with me. Having all the other guys around just felt like I was not going to be lonely announcing my retirement.”

Team Europe will be looking to capture a fifth consecutive title against Team World in the three-day event, held from Friday through Sunday.

Playing at the San Diego Open the second time, hometown favourite Brandon Nakashima won an all-American #NextGenATP battle on Tuesday night at the Barnes Tennis Center.

Nakashima earned a 7-5, 7-6(5) win against 19-year-old wild card Zachary Svajda, his good friend who hails from the nearby town of La Jolla. Nakashima saved three set points at 4-5 in the second set and failed to serve out the match at 6-5, but battled back from 3/5 in the tie-break to escape in straight sets.

“It was a very tough match, right from the beginning,” said the 21-year-old American, who surrendered a break advantage three times in the one-hour, 54-minute contest. “Zach is so talented out there, striking the ball really well. We’re good friends off the court. We practise a lot together here in San Diego, so I knew it was going to be a tough match here today.”

The World No. 69 was victorious in his first competitive match since a US Open third-round loss to Jannik Sinner, in which he won the opening set before bowing out in four. After breaking into the Top 50 of the Pepperstone ATP Rakings in July, Nakashima could rise as high as No. 44 by claiming his first ATP Tour title this week.

He reached the second round in his San Diego debut one year ago, claiming a comeback, three-set win against Fabio Fognini before defeat against Andrey Rublev at the ATP 250.

The American is seeking to improve upon his seventh-place position in the Pepperstone ATP Race To Milan. He reached the semi-finals in the 2021 Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals before a five-set loss to countryman Sebastian Korda.

Americans Denis Kudla and Mitchell Krueger also advanced in straight sets on Tuesday. Kudla defeated Spanish wild card Fernando Verdasco 6-3, 6-3 to open the evening session while Krueger downed countryman and fellow qualifier Christopher Eubanks 6-4, 6-4 to start the day’s play.

Japan’s Taro Daniel denied the United States a clean sweep of Tuesday’s four singles matches with a 6-4, 6-3 victory against qualifier Emilio Nava.

In doubles action, Marc-Andrea Huesler and Hunter Reese notched a 6-4, 6-4 win against Jonathan Eysseric and Artem Sitak on the stadium court, while the Brazilian team of Marcelo Demoliner and Marcelo Melo beat Max Schnur and John-Patrick Smith 6-3, 6-1 in the Grandstand.

Roger Federer is on the ground in London preparing for the Laver Cup, his final ATP Tour event.

The Swiss legend practised on Monday at The O2 with fellow Team Europe member Stefanos Tsitsipas. Their captain, former World No. 1 Bjorn Borg, was watching on.

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Federer missed last year’s event due to the knee injury that has kept him out since Wimbledon last year. This will be his fourth time representing Team Europe at the Laver Cup, where he owns a 6-0 singles record and a 2-3 doubles record.

Team Europe consists of the ‘Big Four’ of Federer, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray as well as Tsitsipas and World No. 2 Casper Ruud, who reached the final at Roland Garros and the US Open this year.

Team Europe hits the practice court with a special trio: Roger, Stefanos and Bjorn.#LaverCup pic.twitter.com/axVcl1w2fi

— Laver Cup (@LaverCup) September 20, 2022

Trying to end Team Europe’s reign as Laver Cup champions will be Team World’s Felix Auger-Aliassime, Taylor Fritz, Diego Schwartzman, Alex de Minaur, Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock. Play begins on Friday.

The last time Australian James Duckworth played countryman Alexei Popyrin in California, in an ATP Challenger Tour event in 2018, he needed a final-set tie-break to triumph. Popyrin tested Duckworth again on Monday in the first round of the San Diego Open, but the veteran again found a way through.

The seventh seed surged past Popyrin 7-5, 4-6, 6-1 behind 14 aces in two hours and 20 minutes to reach the second round. Duckworth saved six of the eight break points he faced to move to 2-0 in his ATP Head2Head series with Popyrin.

The 30-year-old will next try to reach his second tour-level quarter-final of the year, having advanced to the last eight in Newport in July. He will play one of two American qualifiers: Christopher Eubanks or Mitchell Krueger.

Duckworth has found form in recent weeks, having made an ATP Challenger Tour final in France earlier this month. It is an important week for the Australian, who is defending 150 Pepperstone ATP Rankings points this week that he earned last year by reaching the final in Nur-Sultan.

In other action, Tomas Martin Etcheverry won an all-Argentine clash against qualifier Facundo Mena 7-6(6), 6-3 in two hours and six minutes. The World No. 89 will next challenge third seed Marcos Giron of the United States.

There are two matches still to be played on Monday. Eighth seed J.J. Wolf will play fellow American Stefan Kozlov and home favourite Brandon Holt, who qualified for the US Open and reached the second round, will try to defeat Frenchman Constant Lestienne.

Sebastian Korda has only just begun his 2022 indoor season at the Moselle Open in Metz, but already the American is coming across some familiar faces.

The World No. 49 held firm against his former #NextGenATP rival Hugo Gaston on Monday to secure a 6-3, 7-6(2) first-round victory at the ATP 250 tournament in France. It is Korda’s first indoor event since he reached the final of the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan last November, when he squeezed past the Frenchman in five sets en route to championship match.

Through In Two ✌️@SebiKorda defeats Gaston 6-3 7-6 in an entertaining encounter in Metz@MoselleOpen pic.twitter.com/A2fErJnwX0

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) September 19, 2022

Korda was given a similarly stern test by Gaston in Metz on Monday. The The 22-year-old fended off two set points when trailing 5-6 in the second set as Gaston ramped up the pressure in front of his home fans, but after digging deep to hold serve Korda carried the momentum with him into the tie-break. He opened a 5/1 lead that proved unassailable as he sealed a one-hour, 37-minute victory on tournament debut.

Awaiting Korda in the second round is another player he beat in Milan 10 months ago, Lorenzo Musetti. Despite that defeat in his home country, Hamburg champion Musetti leads Korda 2-1 in their ATP Head2Head series.

In the day’s other main draw clash, Lorenzo Sonego upset sixth seed Aslan Karatsev 7-5, 6-3 to reach the second round in Metz for the third time. Sonego notched two breaks of his opponent’s serve in each set to register his first tour-level victory against Karatsev in four attempts. The Italian will next take on the winner of Tuesday’s matchup between David Goffin and home favourite Gilles Simon.

Also on Monday, Stan Wawrinka booked his spot in the main draw in Metz after completing a 6-7(4), 6-2, 6-0 second-round qualifying victory against Zsombor Piros.

The 16-time tour-level titlist Wawrinka found his rhythm after dropping the first-set tie-break against the World No. 160 Piros. The Swiss saved all four break points he faced and converted five from nine of his own opportunities to break serve to complete a one-hour, 55-minute win in north-eastern France.

Wawrinka is competing in Metz for the first time since 2015, when he reached the quarter-finals. The former World No. 3 is seeking to build some form after enduring a tough run of results since returning to the Tour in April following 13 months out with a foot injury. He will take on Joao Sousa in the first round of the main draw, with the winner to face a second-round showdown with top seed Daniil Medvedev.