Cameron Norrie clinched his second ATP Tour title of the season Saturday, edging Slovakian Alex Molcan 6-3, 6-7(3), 6-1 in the Open Parc Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes Lyon final.

The top seed lost to Stefanos Tsitsipas in the championship match at the ATP 250 event last year, but produced an intense and all-action performance against Molcan to ensure he would not fall at the final hurdle again this week, sealing victory on his third match point.

In a hard-fought battle, Norrie recovered from squandering two match points on Molcan’s serve in the second set as he held off an attacking bombardment from the 24-year-old to eventually triumph in the decider after two hours and 31 minutes.

“It is my first title on the clay so it means a lot to me,” Norrie said in his on-court interview. “I can’t be happier with how I handled everything this week. This one feels the best so far. I don’t know why, it is just so special and I couldn’t be happier and am really speechless right now. It was an incredible atmosphere. Thanks to everyone for coming out.

“I had chances to close the matches in straight sets this week and get it done easier than usual and it didn’t go that way and I was able to let that go and respond. In the third set I moved really well and it is nice to get over the line.”

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The Briton, who overcame Francisco Cerundolo, Sebastian Baez and Holger Rune en route to the championship match, has become the fifth player to win multiple tour-level titles in 2022, joining Carlos Alcaraz (4), Rafael Nadal (3), Andrey Rublev (3) and Reilly Opelka (2). Norrie downed Opelka to lift the trophy in Delray Beach in February.

The World No. 11 has now captured four ATP Tour titles in his career, with his victory in the south of France the first time he has won a crown on clay. It is also Norrie’s first tour-level triumph outside North America.

Norrie made a fast start on Court Central as he caused problems for Molcan with his watertight groundstrokes, with the Slovakian taking time to settle. The Briton moved a double break ahead, and while Molcan recovered one, he was unable to hit through Norrie with regularity as the 26-year-old moved ahead.

Breaks were then exchanged at the start of the second set, before Norrie conjured up two match points on Molcan’s serve at 4-5. However, the 24-year-old saved both before he continued to go on the attack in the tie-break to level. Norrie came out firing in the third set, though, putting his disappointment behind him to play the more consistent tennis, pulling Molcan from side to side to record the win.

Molcan swept aside Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Karen Khachanov, Federico Coria and Alex de Minaur in straight sets to reach his third ATP Tour final and second in as many months, having advanced to the championship match in Marrakech.

However, the 24-year-old, who is up to No. 38 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, was unable to outmanoeuvre Norrie for prolonged periods in front of a packed crowd in Lyon.

Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic earned their second ATP Tour trophy in as many weeks on Saturday at the Gonet Geneva Open, rallying past Pablo Andujar and Matwe Middelkoop 2-6, 6-2, 10-3 in the final.

The Croatians arrived in Geneva off the back of winning their maiden title of the season in Rome and played with renewed confidence at the ATP 250 event, losing just two sets en route to the crown.

In a tight final, the top seeds recovered from a slow start against Andujar and Middelkoop as they returned with greater depth and closed the net more effectively throughout to secure victory after 69 minutes.

“I am really happy about the nine-win streak,” Mektic said. “We weren’t satisfied with our results before Rome but now we are in good form and looking forward to playing in Paris.”

Mektic and Pavic were competing in their fourth tour-level final of the year and have now won their past nine matches. It is the 11th title the pair has won together, after they captured a tour-leading nine crowns in 2021, including three ATP Masters 1000 trophies.

Prior to this week, Pavic, 28, also enjoyed success in Geneva in 2018 and 2019, lifting the trophy on both occasions with Austrian Oliver Marach. Mektic, 33, was making his debut in Geneva and is now 19-13 in tour-level doubles finals.

“I have played the tournament four times and now have my third title,” Pavic said. “It is always a special week and I am always happy to be back here. I have a lot of friends here and it is kind of a different feeling for me. I enjoy playing on the centre court and the club. I play good tennis here year after year. I am very happy with the title.”

Spaniard Andujar and Dutchman Middelkoop were teaming for the first time at the ATP 250 tournament. Middelkoop captured his 12th trophy in Rotterdam in February, while Andujar was aiming to win his maiden tour-level doubles title.

Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek lifted their first ATP Tour title together on Saturday at the Open Parc Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes Lyon, downing second seeds Maximo Gonzalez and Marcelo Melo 6-3, 6-4.

The top seeds, who saved two match points in their quarter-final win over David Vega Hernandez and Rafael Matos, won 82 per cent (27/33) of their first-serve points against Gonzalez and Melo to triumph after 78 minutes.

“It is great, great for me,” Dodig said. “I had a really good time with Austin, we played some good tennis. I am really happy with this title. We have worked really hard the past couple of weeks. There were some tough losses but now we are on a good track and playing well.”

“I thought we served really well and returned well in big points,” Krajicek added. “Ivan played great. It was a good team effort. We have put in a lot of hard work in the past couple of weeks and finally got it going our way this week.”

Dodig and Krajicek were competing together for the fifth time, with their best result before this week a run to the final in Winston-Salem last August. The Croatian-American tandem arrived in Lyon having not won a match as a team this year.

Dodig, 37, has now earned 17 tour-level doubles trophies, including five ATP Masters 1000 crowns and two Grand Slam titles. He won the Lyon title with Edouard Roger-Vasselin in 2019. It is the fifth time the 31-year-old Krajicek has clinched a tour-level trophy, with all of his successes coming at ATP 250 events. It is the first time the American has won a trophy since Kitzbühel in 2020.

Gonzalez and Melo joined forces for the first time this week. The Argentine has lifted 11 tour-level titles with eight different partners, while Brazilian Melo has clinched 35 tour-level trophies, including nine Masters 1000 crowns.

What are the main factors behind this decision?
Protecting the integrity of our sport was the primary factor. Our sport is built upon merit-based tournament entry and a level playing field for all players, free from discrimination. It was also important to avoid setting a precedent of unilateral decision-making by events. Our Tour can only operate and thrive as a viable sport under shared principles of governance.

How can you take points from Wimbledon and not the ATP events?
Wimbledon stands alone in its position in the calendar, with no concurrent events running alongside it. Compromising the fairness of player entries therefore compromises the fairness of the entire rankings system. It is also a reality that as one of the biggest events in our sport, Wimbledon will continue to operate and attract players with or without ranking points.

Removing ranking points at ATP Tour events brings a significant risk of these events not running at all. This would have damaging consequences for many players and fans, through the loss of valuable playing and earning opportunities. In addition, there are alternative ATP Tour events open to Russian and Belarusian players in those weeks. This reduces the impact on fairness in the rankings.

Was there no other solution? Why didn’t you opt to just give ranking protection to the excluded players?
As the governing body of the sport, our duty is to maintain the integrity of our Tour and the ranking system that upholds it. Removing rankings points at Wimbledon is a decision made purely on the basis of maintaining a level playing field for our players across the season. Providing ranking protection to the Russian and Belarusian players would not have done so in an adequate manner.

You have said the players were more amenable to the alternative option under the informal guidance from UK government, under which they would be required to sign a declaration. Is that not dangerous?
Among other requirements, the alternative option required players to declare they would not ‘express support for the invasion of Ukraine, the Russian or Belarusian regimes, or their leadership’. It’s important to clarify that there was no requirement to denounce the Russian regime – a risk that’s unrealistic to expect any player to take.

The informal guidance specifically states: “the Government is not seeking a statement that is critical of the Russian regime, to avoid the potential for any undue personal risk being incurred by the sportspeople involved.”

Our discussions with Russian and Belarusian players made it clear that this alternative option would have been preferred. We understand LTA and Wimbledon had concerns about this course of action, however, we also note this option is currently being offered to Player Support Team members from Russia or Belarus.

We would also like to highlight Point 1 of the guidance, which states: “With regard to the participation of individuals in sporting events, the Government’s aim is to minimise the ability of Russian and Belarussian individuals to be seen to represent their nation – and therefore deliver reputational and other benefits by association – without unduly penalising those who truly intend to participate in an entirely neutral capacity.“

The bottom line is there were various options on the table, and a joint decision should have been reached together. Instead, the decision was made in isolation.

How does this leave the relationship between ATP and these tournaments?
It’s important to stress that the LTA have been an exemplary member of the Tour for many years, and we’ve had a strong relationship with Wimbledon for many years. We take no joy in today’s decision. We understand the difficult decisions they faced in responding to the UK government’s guidance. That said, in our role as governing body we must consider the wider implications on fairness for the whole Tour. Our decision was taken to prevent a damaging and unsustainable precedent being set, not to punish these events for their response to this devastating crisis.

Is it not fair on the players that compete and do well at Wimbledon?
Our decision is based around the need to maintain rankings fairness across the player group as a whole. To maintain fairness, some sacrifices and compromises are unfortunately required.

What will happen to the points earned at Wimbledon last year?
Points earned at Wimbledon in 2021 will drop from players’ rankings as per ATP rules (52 weeks after the previous year’s event). As such, no points from Wimbledon will remain in a player’s ranking breakdown after this year’s event.

How much involvement did the players have in this decision to remove points from Wimbledon?
We’ve had extensive consultation with the Player Council, which represents the interests of the wider player group, as well as Russian and Belarusian players. In general, our conversations have stressed that this is a time to put self-interest to one side and to understand the broader picture for tennis.

Of course, we know that not all players will agree with the position we’ve taken. Our ongoing dialogue with Ukrainian players over the last months has made their position on the matter clear, for example. Our hope is that they can understand these rules are in place to protect the integrity of competition, which is fundamental to tennis.

What does this say about collaboration across the T7 and how can unilateral decision making like this be avoided in the future?
This matter highlights the need for a unified governance structure across tennis. We have and will continue to strongly advocate for this in our discussions across the sport, which we believe will serve as a net positive for all.

What happens if other tournaments or countries end up banning Russian/Belarusian players later in the season? Will you take the same stance?
Each situation will need to be assessed on a case-by-case basis. There are many factors that go into determining the most appropriate response. On principle, we cannot accept unilateral decision making or discrimination by individual tournaments as this would set a damaging precedent for the wider Tour. We also note that to date, the UK summer events are the only tournaments to take such a position.

Circumstances certainly change if bans are mandated by local governments. As with the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, any government rules would supersede ATP Tour rules. Our response in such instances would also need to be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

What is ATP’s position on the Russian invasion of Ukraine?
We are unequivocal in condemning Russia’s unprovoked, abhorrent and senseless invasion of Ukraine. We are also resolute in our support of the Ukrainian people. Through Tennis Plays for Peace and direct financial assistance for many affected players, we hope to support the people of Ukraine through this tragic time.

What is the expected sanction for the LTA?
Any sanction issued to LTA will be assessed in accordance with the measures available under ATP governance. This can include financial penalties as well as an assessment of membership status via a hearing. In the event of a financial penalty, funds would be donated to the humanitarian efforts in Ukraine.

Explain why maintaining the integrity of the Rankings system is so important to ATP and the wider player group?
The rankings underpin the entire season together and ensure its fairness. Maintaining ranking points at a tournament like Wimbledon, which carries the highest level of ranking points, when the event is not open to all players, would have major knock-on effects. It would lead to a significant distortion in determining which players can enter tournaments, seedings, qualification for the year-end Finals, year-end Bonus Pool, and year-end Ranking positions. This would undermine the credibility and integrity of our sport.

Do the Russian and Belarusian players support the move you have made?
This decision has not been made at the request of Russian or Belarusian players. There is no self-interest behind this decision. Instead, we are taking a wider collective view – protecting the rights of the player group as a whole, no matter their nationality or place of birth, across our Tour.

Wimbledon has said they are concerned with their tournament being used as propaganda by the Russian regime. Do you not understand their concerns?
Sport undoubtedly has outsized influence in world affairs, and it’s true that the successes of athletes have been lauded by the Russian regime. However, we cannot be certain that the decision to ban athletes is itself without negative consequences on this front. In fact, Russian exclusion by the rest of the world is consistently used as a proof point by the Russian propaganda machine in building nationalistic sentiment, justifying and rallying support domestically for the war in Ukraine.

Instead, we believe in the unifying power of sport, a view shared by many of our players. Many of the players affected by this decision in fact expressed a strong desire to use Wimbledon’s platform to promote solidarity and peace.

More broadly, we do not believe that individuals should be penalised on the basis of collective guilt due to the reprehensible actions of an autocratic government. This was a shared position across our sport when the decision was made in March 2022 to allow players from Russia and Belarus to continue to compete on the Tour as neutral athletes.

In addition, having individual tournaments make determinations about which conflicts or world events are deserving of action, and which are not, is deeply subjective and impossible to apply with consistency across our global Tour. This threatens to fracture our Tour and sow deep divisions. Instead, these judgements should be made as a collective under shared governance.

The ability for players of any nationality to enter tournaments based on merit, and without discrimination, is fundamental to our Tour. The decision by Wimbledon to ban Russian and Belarusian players from competing in the UK this summer undermines this principle and the integrity of the ATP Ranking system. It is also inconsistent with our Rankings agreement. Absent a change in circumstances, it is with great regret and reluctance that we see no option but to remove ATP Ranking points from Wimbledon for 2022.

Our rules and agreements exist in order to protect the rights of players as a whole. Unilateral decisions of this nature, if unaddressed, set a damaging precedent for the rest of the Tour. Discrimination by individual tournaments is simply not viable on a Tour that operates in more than 30 countries.

We greatly value our long-standing relationships with Wimbledon and the LTA and do not underestimate the difficult decisions faced in responding to recent UK Government guidance. However, we note that this was informal guidance, not a mandate, which offered an alternative option that would have left the decision in the hands of individual players competing as neutral athletes through a signed declaration. Our internal discussions with affected players in fact led us to conclude this would have been a more agreeable option for the Tour. We remain hopeful of further discussions with Wimbledon leading to an acceptable outcome for all concerned. More broadly, we believe this matter again highlights the need for a united governance structure across professional tennis so that decisions of this nature can be made in a joint manner.

Separately, as previously announced, we confirm that ranking points will remain at ATP Tour events at Queen’s (ATP 500), Eastbourne (ATP 250) and ATP Challenger events in the UK. We have taken this decision on the basis that alternative playing opportunities are open to Russian and Belarusian players in those weeks, unlike during Wimbledon, which minimises any impact on the integrity of the rankings. Sanctions related to LTA’s violation of ATP rules will be assessed separately.

Our condemnation of Russia’s devastating invasion of Ukraine remains unequivocal. Immediate action was taken to suspend the ATP Tour event in Moscow and have Russian and Belarusian athletes compete under neutral flags on Tour. In parallel, we have continued our humanitarian support for Ukraine, together with the other governing bodies of tennis, as well as providing direct financial assistance to many affected players.

Top seed Cameron Norrie survived a second-set dip to reach his third ATP Tour final of the season Friday, edging #NextGenATP Dane Holger Rune 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 at the Open Parc Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes Lyon.

The Briton led by a break in the second set, before the 19-year-old demonstrated his fighting qualities to force a decider. However, in windy conditions, the 26-year-old regained his focus in the third set to triumph after two hours and three minutes in their first ATP Head2Head meeting.

“It is never easy to close a match. I had a break in the second and then gifted a couple easy ones. I was pretty mad inside but I managed to stay composed,” Norrie said in his on-court interview. “I was telling myself to stay positive and I managed to play the two best games of the match in the last two games. It is nice to get over the line when the nerves are there and you want to be in the final again.”

Norrie, who eliminated Francisco Cerundolo and Sebastian Baez earlier this week, has now reached consecutive finals in Lyon, having lost to Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas last year. Rune was aiming to lift his second tour-level trophy in the south of France after clinching the Munich crown in April.

Norrie captured the title in Delray Beach in February, before he fell to Rafael Nadal in the championship match in Acapulco. The World No. 11 will continue the quest for his maiden clay-court title when he plays Alex Molcan in the final at the ATP 250 event on Saturday.

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The Slovakian downed Australian Alex de Minaur 7-6(2), 6-2 in one hour and 48 minutes to advance to his third ATP Tour final.

“It was very tight. I survived in the first set and in the tie-break he helped me with some misses, which helped me a lot to win the first set,” Molcan said. “In the second set I was playing solid and didn’t make many mistakes. I am really happy.”

Molcan has yet to drop a set in Lyon and now holds a 9-2 tour-level record on clay in 2022. The 24-year-old, who is up to No. 39 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, lost to David Goffin in the championship match in Marrakech last month.

The lefty will be aiming to clinch his maiden tour-level title when he faces Norrie on Saturday.

Roger Federer is targeting the Laver Cup in late September as his return to the ATP Tour and has ambitions to play Wimbledon in 2023. Tony Godsick, Federer’s longtime agent, revealed the comeback plan in an interview this week with the London Evening Standard.

“He’s exactly where he wants to be but unfortunately it takes time,” Godsick said. “He’s going to play Laver Cup and Swiss Indoors… I don’t want to be the doctor but what I hope for him is to able to have a great rehab this summer, play some in the fall and give a nice shot at 2023, and then see what happens…

“Could he add a tournament before then? Maybe yes, but more likely after that. He doesn’t want to commit to anything too soon before having to pull out… But the Laver Cup is enough time that, if all goes well with rehab events, he can get back for.”

The Laver Cup will be played 23-25 September at The O2 in London. (Get tickets)

Federer, 40, has not played since a quarter-final loss to Hubert Hurkacz at Wimbledon last year. A winner of 103 tour-level titles, Federer first stepped off tour in February 2020. In his only appearance of that season, the Swiss reached the Australian Open semi-finals before undergoing two surgeries on his right knee.

After more than a year away from the game the 28-time ATP Masters 1000 champion played two matches in Dubai in March 2021, and one match in Geneva in May leading into Roland Garros, where he withdrew before a fourth-round match against Matteo Berrettini. Federer then reached the second round in Halle, where he has won the title 10 times, before a quarter-final run at Wimbledon, after which he underwent a third procedure on his knee.

“He won’t rush back this time. He will have to be 100 per cent and know he’s 100 per cent and that’s why he’s taking his time doing heavy rehab and training,” Godsick said. “It’s not just when the knee feels good but building up the muscles and getting lungs back. I know he’s encouraged where he is.”

An eight-time champion at the All England Club, Federer will miss this year’s Championships but Godsick said the 20-time Grand Slam champion would like to make at least one more appearance on the hallowed lawns.

“It was a great effort last year on one leg,” Godsick said. “I think he’d like another Wimbledon. That place has been incredibly special to him.”