Tennis News

Evans' Stunner Against Djokovic Tops ATP Tour Upsets Of 2021

Continuing our review of the 2021 season, today ATPTour.com looks at the top two upsets at ATP Tour events this year. On Friday and Saturday, we’ll look at the biggest upsets at majors in 2021.

2) Internazionali BNL d’Italia, Third Round, Lorenzo Sonego d. Dominic Thiem 6-4, 6-7(5), 7-6(5)
Defeating Dominic Thiem is a difficult challenge at the best of times. Beating the Austrian on clay though is even harder, given his strong record on the surface, on which the 28-year-old has won seven tour-level titles and reached two Roland Garros finals.

Arriving at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Rome, Thiem was in a confident mood, having enjoyed a run to the semi-finals in Madrid the week before. After moving past Marton Fucsovics in his opening match, the then-World No. 4 was the heavy favourite to overcome Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego, who entered the match with a 1-6 record against Top 10 opponents.

However, Sonego and Thiem played out a classic in front of a lively Italian crowd at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.

Despite the magnitude of the occasion, with Sonego aiming to reach the quarter-finals at his home Masters 1000 event for the first time, the 26-year-old flew out of the blocks. He took the game to Thiem with his heavy topspin groundstrokes to clinch the opening set.

Inevitably, 2020 US Open titlist Thiem roared back to win the second set as he produced stunning shotmaking, using his one-handed backhand up the line to dominate the match at times.

While many would have expected Thiem to then race away in the decider, Sonego had other ideas and showed an abundance of flair and grit to see off the Austrian in a third-set tie-break and claim his biggest win of the season, 6-4, 6-7(5), 7-6(5).

“It’s amazing, an unbelievably emotional moment for me because I’m in Rome, in my Italy with fans for two sets,” Sonego said in his on-court interview. “I’m so happy for this victory, for this match. Thiem is with Nadal the best player on clay.”

Entering the week, Sonego held just a 2-4 record in Rome. However, he would go on to reach the semi-finals in 2021, upsetting another Top 10 star, Andrey Rublev, in the quarter-finals before losing to World No. 1 Novak Djokovic.

1) Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, Third Round, Daniel Evans d. Novak Djokovic 6-4, 7-5
Djokovic arrived at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters undefeated in 2021 (9-0). The Serbian had won both his matches at the ATP Cup and triumphed at the Australian Open for the ninth time.

The World No. 1 is a two-time champion in Monte-Carlo and was aiming to add his 37th ATP Masters 1000 crown to his record-breaking haul. The Serbian cruised past Jannik Sinner in straight sets in his opening match to set his first ATP Head2Head meeting against Daniel Evans in the third round.

Entering the week, Evans had not won a tour-level match on clay in nearly four years. The World No. 33 earned victories against Dusan Lajovic and Hubert Hurkacz in the first two rounds, but the prospect of upsetting Djokovic seemed a tall order.

Evans, who won his first tour-level title at the Murray River Open in February, began brightly against the Serbian, with Djokovic competing in just his second match since the Australian Open two months earlier. The Briton won 12 of the first 17 points as he raced to a 3-0 lead, causing the 20-time major champion problems with his backhand slice in the windy conditions.

Although the 34-year-old improved on return and pegged Evans back to 4-4, the 30-year-old dug deep to clinch the 57-minute opener, letting out a roar after Djokovic committed his 23rd unforced error of the first set.

Evans remained focused on his game plan, hitting 69 per cent of his backhand slices into Djokovic’s backhand third of the court, and another 15 per cent down the middle, with a majority of those shots aimed at the Serbian’s backhand, keeping the top seed from dictating points.

Evans was the more solid and consistent of the two as he broke to lead 6-5 in the second set, before holding serve to secure the biggest win of his career, 6-4, 7-5. It was the first time Evans had reached a Masters 1000 quarter-final, and he ended Djokovic’s perfect start to 2021 in the process.

“You can never be confident coming into such a big match like that against Novak,” Evans said. “It is clearly a big win and I am delighted that I got through, especially being a break down and [having had] little difficulties in the first set. It was really pleasing and I am delighted.

“The biggest thing is, you have got to believe you can win. I can walk on saying it, but you have really got to believe it… It will be one to savour for maybe after the tournament, to tell the kids and grandkids that you beat the World No. 1. It is a nice one.”

Evans then downed David Goffin to reach the semi-finals, before Stefanos Tsitsipas stopped him advancing any further.

Read more of the Best Of 2021

Source link

Murray Awarded Australian Open Wild Card

Australian Open tournament organisers announced Thursday that they have awarded former World No. 1 Andy Murray a main draw wild card. The Scot will compete at the event for the 14th time.

“I’m really excited to be back playing at the Australian Open and grateful to Craig and the team for the opportunity,” Murray said in a statement. “I’ve had some great times in Australia playing in front of the amazing crowds and I can’t wait to step back out on court at Melbourne Park.”

Five-time finalist @andy_murray is awarded a main draw wildcard.

“Andy is renowned for his fighting spirit, passion and love of the game and I’m delighted to welcome him back to Melbourne in January.” – @CraigTiley

We can’t wait to see you at #AO2022, Andy ??#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/pJpBy4qXQT

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) December 23, 2021

The 34-year-old owns a 48-13 record at the season’s first major, where he has reached the final five times. The Scot last competed at Melbourne Park in 2019, when he lost against Roberto Bautista Agut in a five-set first-round thriller.

Murray, who was a finalist for Comeback Player of the Year in the 2021 ATP Awards, underwent hip surgery following his 2019 Australian Open appearance. The 46-time tour-level titlist is currently No. 134 in the FedEx ATP Rankings

“Andy is renowned for his fighting spirit, passion and love of the game,” Australian Open Tournament Director Craig Tiley said. “I’m delighted to welcome him back to Melbourne in January.”

Source link

Andy Murray given Australian Open wildcard

Andy Murray is given a wildcard for the main draw of the Australian Open in January.

Source link

Emma Raducanu: Fairytale of New York: – 5 Live special relives US Open triumph

Three months on from her US Open triumph, those close to Emma Raducanu recall her ‘Fairytale in New York’ in a BBC Radio 5 Live documentary to be aired on Thursday.

Source link

Medvedev's Career-Best & Ruud On A Roll: Stats Of 2021

The ATP Tour season saw stars including World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, World No. 2 Daniil Medvedev and Nitto ATP Finals champion Alexander Zverev continue to shine, while others like Casper Ruud and Jannik Sinner broke through. 

In the first of a two-part story, ATPTour.com looks at the stats to remember from 2021.

ATP Tour Match Wins Leaders

Medvedev earned a career-high 63 tour-level wins in 2021 to lead all players on the ATP Tour. The Russian’s previous best was 59 in 2019. Although Djokovic finished fourth on the list with 55 victories, he had the highest winning percentage by a healthy margin at 88.7 per cent. Medvedev was closest at 82.9 per cent.

2021 Hard Court Leaders

Jannik Sinner began the year with 30 tour-level wins, and he exceeded that mark in 2021 on hard courts alone. The Italian, who broke into the Top 10 for the first time in November, won four of his five ATP Tour titles in 2021. All of them came on hard courts, in Melbourne (ATP 250), Washington, Sofia and Antwerp.

2021 Clay Court Leaders

It is no surprise to see Casper Ruud atop the 2021 clay-court wins list. The Norwegian has long been a standout on that surface, and this year he claimed 28 victories on clay. Stefanos Tsitsipas also surged on the dirt this year with 23 wins. Before the season, the Greek star had won less than 70 per cent of his clay-court matches, but this year he won more than 82 per cent of them (23-5). He claimed his first ATP Masters 1000 title at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters and advanced to his maiden major final at Roland Garros.

2021 Indoors Leaders

Two of Medvedev’s three indoor losses in 2021 (18-3) came against two of the top three players in the world. The Russian lost against World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the Rolex Paris Masters final and World No. 3 Alexander Zverev in the championship match at the Nitto ATP Finals. He also earned an indoor title in Marseille, where he dropped just one set.

Tie-Break Wins

Australian Alexei Popyrin had only won 17 tour-level tie-breaks entering the year, but he showed his prowess under pressure by triumphing in 23 of them this season. Popyrin went 5-0 in tie-breaks at the Singapore Tennis Open, where he lifted his first ATP Tour trophy. He also climbed to a career-best World No. 59 in the FedEx ATP Rankings in November.

Top 10 Wins

Not only did Djokovic have the best winning percentage of anyone on Tour in 2021, but he also was most efficient against the very best. The Serbian won 77.8 per cent of his matches against Top 10 opponents (14-4). Nobody had more Top 10 victories than Djokovic this year. Only five players had an even or winning record against the elite group (at least five matches vs. Top 10): Djokovic, Medvedev (10-5), Zverev (12-8), Aslan Karatsev (5-4) and Rafael Nadal (4-4).

ATP Masters 1000 Wins

Zverev was the only player who earned multiple Masters 1000 crowns this year. The German was victorious at the Mutua Madrid Open and the Western & Southern Open. Tsitsipas led the Tour with 20 Masters 1000 match wins.

Decisive Set Wins

A big part of Ruud’s breakthrough season came in his performance during deciding sets. After losing his first match of the season against Jiri Vesely in a deciding set, the Norwegian went 15-2 for the rest of 2021. His two other defeats came at majors, falling in fifth sets against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina at Roland Garros and against Jordan Thompson at Wimbledon.

Read More From Our Best Of 2021 Series

– Research contributed by Greg Sharko

Source link

Ruusuvuori, Brooksby Wins Among Biggest ATP Tour Upsets Of 2021

Continuing our review of the 2021 season, today ATPTour.com looks at three of the top five upsets of the year at ATP Tour events. We’ll review the top two tomorrow. On Friday and Saturday, we’ll look at the biggest upsets at majors in 2021.

5) Miami Open presented by Itau, Second Round, Emil Ruusuvuori d. Alexander Zverev 1-6, 6-3, 6-1
As tournament debuts go, they don’t get much better than Emil Ruusuvuori’s at the Miami Open presented by Itau.

The Finn had edged past #NextGenATP Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz in his first-round match to set up a clash against the in-form Alexander Zverev, who had just won the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC title.

Prior to the match, World No. 83 Ruusuvuori had earned just one Top 10 victory in his career, with that coming against Dominic Thiem in Davis Cup play in 2019. The task of facing then-World No. 7 Alexander Zverev looked to be a daunting one, and it proved that way in the opening stages.

Zverev made a fast start, racing ahead to clinch the opener as his powerful ball striking forced Ruusuvuori into errors. However, with the pressure off, the 22-year-old remained calm and changed up tactics to impose himself on the match.

In the second set, Ruusuvuori varied his game plan and took the ball early, increasingly moving forward to finish points at the net when given the opportunity. Ruusuvuori broke Zverev four times in the set to level, before he maintained this tactic in the decider to shock the 19-time tour-level titlist after two hours and five minutes for his biggest career win.

“I don’t even know myself [how I turned this match around],” Ruusuvuori said in his on-court interview. “I wasn’t feeling very comfortable in the first set and I was making a lot of unforced errors. But slowly in the second I was starting to feel a bit better…

“Of course, it’s one of the biggest wins in my career, so it feels good.”

It was the first time Ruusuvuori reached the third round at a tour-level event this season and just the second time he had made the third round at an ATP Masters 1000 tournament. The 22-year-old would go on to overcome Swede Mikael Ymer in the third round, before falling to Jannik Sinner.

4) MercedesCup, Second Round, Dominik Stricker d. Hubert Hurkacz 7-6(5), 7-6(5)
Dominic Stricker began the season No. 1,168 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. Following his triumph at an ATP Challenger Tour event and a run to the quarter-finals at the Gonet Geneva Open on his tour-level debut, the 18-year-old was up to No. 335 when the MercedesCup rolled around in June.

Stricker had received a wild card for the grass-court ATP 250 event and made the most of it with a tight victory against Radu Albot in the first round. The reward for the Swiss youngster was a second-round match against Miami champion Hubert Hurkacz, who would go on to to reach the semi-finals at Wimbledon and play at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin in 2021.

For Stricker, this was where his journey was supposed to end, with Hurkacz the second seed and the World No. 20. However, the 18-year-old clearly didn’t read the script as he produced the best performance of his season to shock the Pole.

Stricker was strong on serve, hitting eight aces and winning 81 per cent (46/57) of his first-serve points to frustrate Hurkacz, with both sets going to tie-breaks.

The more experienced Hurkacz was unable to find a way through as Stricker raised his level in both tie-breaks to upset the 24-year-old and reach the quarter-finals in emphatic style.

3) Citi Open, Third Round, Jenson Brooksby d. Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-3, 6-4
Jenson Brooksby was voted the Newcomer of the Year in the 2021 ATP Awards last week, and it was down to his stunning performances this season such as his victory against Felix Auger-Aliassime at the Citi Open.

The 21-year-old was making his ATP 500 tournament debut in Washington and was looking to build on his run to his first tour-level final in Newport the previous month. But he knew the challenge would be difficult, with a strong field packed with Top 20 stars.

While Brooksby’s run to the final in Newport was impressive, the American did not beat anyone inside the Top 50 of the FedEx ATP Rankings and was playing on slick grass, a surface that suits his unorthodox game.

The challenge facing the World No. 130 in Washington was seemingly far greater, with Auger-Aliassime No. 15 and in strong form, having recently reached his first major quarter-final at Wimbledon.

However, it was hard to tell who was the rookie was and who was the eight-time tour-level finalist. Brooksby produced a fearless display in front of a lively home crowd to shock the Canadian and earn the biggest win of his career.

The wild card had already scored impressive victories over former World No. 5 Kevin Anderson and countryman Frances Tiafoe en route to the third round, but he upped his level again, causing Auger-Aliassime problems with his variety and solid baseline tennis.

The American made few unforced errors, and by altering the pace of rallies with his deadly drop shot and surprise direction changes, Brooksby prevented the powerful Canadian from controlling play to claim victory after 85 minutes.

“I have definitely gotten mentally tougher this year, and it’s only kept improving. I just really love, truly love playing on these stages,” Brooksby said. “No opponent will faze me. I can compete with anyone. This was definitely a very good match today for me.

“I stayed really focussed throughout. I didn’t really have any lapses in my strategy or mentally. I’m happy with that match.”

Brooksby would go on to defeat John Millman in the quarter-finals, before he lost to eventual champion Jannik Sinner in the last four. The American’s victory against Auger-Aliassime fuelled him with further belief as he went on to reach the fourth round at the US Open in September.

Read more of the Best Of 2021

Source link

Australian Open: Novak Djokovic participation in Melbourne still uncertain

Australian Open organisers are still unsure if defending men’s champion Novak Djokovic will play at next month’s Grand Slam.

Source link

Christensen On Rune's Rise, His Match vs. Djokovic & More

Holger Rune had a breakout season on the ATP Tour. As a 17-year-old in March, he qualified in Santiago and became the youngest tour-level quarter-finalist since 17-year-old Borna Coric in Umag in 2014. The Danish teen maintained his climb, ascending from outside the Top 450 in the FedEx ATP Rankings to the fringe of the Top 100.

Rune competed in the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan. The 18-year-old has been coached since he was young by Lars Christensen, who spoke to ATPTour.com about his charge’s rise, personality, facing Novak Djokovic and more.

You’ve been working with Holger since he was young. How did your relationship come about?
I was head coach in a club in Denmark. I was in charge of everything, coaching all the kids. He came when he was six-and-a-half because his big sister was playing tennis. She was playing quite well and I think he started in the summer season. 

In the winter season, I started coaching all the small kids as well. I noticed him very fast. He progressed so fast and was totally dedicated to becoming a good tennis player, so that’s how I got his eyes on him in the first place.

What stuck out to you about him?
He is very emotional, very competitive as well and very, very fast. He was totally dedicated to tennis. In the beginning, he was playing a bit of soccer as well and he was doing all kinds of leisure things. But very [quickly], he just wanted to be a tennis player. One week he was Rafa with the headband and all the gear. He wanted to be like Rafa. The next week he would be Federer and he was totally dedicated to it. He really loved playing tennis. 

There is usually a bump in the road. Did he have one and if so, what was it? 
My main focus in the beginning, like all the kids that I coach, is to give them sound technique. He was so eager to learn and he practised so much at home. In Denmark, he was two, three years ahead of his time. When he was eight he would beat the guys who were 11 or 12 years old and he would do that with good technique and understanding of the game because he was watching so much tennis. 

When we started competing internationally, under 12, he was just not physically good enough at that time. He was technically better than most players. If he played half court, he would win every time, but on a full court, he was not moving well enough. I decided we needed to develop his physique and agility much more. 

He really hated that because he was lazy [as a kid], so we had some tough times at that moment, making him understand and work hard in practice and do things without the racquet, coordination drills and stuff like that. When he came through it, he started beating the guys at under-12 events and became the best player in his age group. Everything paid off in the end.  

^{Photo Credit: Peter Staples/ATP Tour}
Can you recall examples of sending him to go for a run or something like that? 
There were a lot of times he was screaming like crazy and crying because he was refusing to do what I wanted him to do. His mother would be on the side forcing him to do the drills I wanted him to do. But we are best friends. 

How nice is it on a personal level to watch him grow up from being a boy with a dream to being on centre stage? 
It is an amazing journey. It has not always been easy. When the relationship is so close, it is hard to be professional and not personal. That separation between the personal and professional relationship can be hard to separate. I have to be really hard on him sometimes, but then I have to treat him like my son. 

How much has he matured as a person? 
It has been a tough transition from the juniors to the seniors. He is really working hard to get that dimension and maturity of his personality and his game — to stay in there when it gets tough. We are really working hard on that. 

For me, that is one of the major issues that should be developed in the next year or two if he really wants to succeed. For me, he has the game and everything to succeed, but he needs to grow in his mentality. All these matches at this level, it is about building blocks and we are climbing up slowly. We had some goals and we managed to achieve our goals all the way through, so I am sure we are doing the right thing. He wants it so much. 

Before he played Novak Djokovic at the US Open and won a set in that match, he said he wanted to go and beat him. How nice is it that he has that belief in himself? 
He has always been like that. When he was 10, he was 100 per cent sure he could beat the senior guys in Denmark and that was not possible. But in his mind, it was possible and that is such a strong view for a player to have, because if you don’t believe 100 per cent in yourself, it is not going to happen. 

I am more realistic. I knew playing Djokovic at the US Open in his first Slam [would be tough]. If he played some good tennis and showed his potential, I would have been really happy. That is what he did and that was fantastic. But for him, it was winning or losing and that is fuel for a player and that is very good. I don’t want to take that away from him. 

But my job is setting realistic goals, trying to tell him everything is possible and in my opinion, there is one step at a time. Taking one set against Djokovic is something, but going the distance with Djokovic is another story. 

Source link

Bautista Agut: 'You Have To Keep The Flame Burning'

Roberto Bautista Agut has never been in a rush. The Spaniard, one of the most consistent players on Tour, broke into the Top 100 of the FedEx ATP Rankings at 24 years of age. His journey has been a steady one, completing each phase with measured aplomb. Now, with an already impressive career under his belt, he is looking to prolong his prowess on Tour.

The Castellon-native will embark on the 2022 season having ended his professional relationship with Pepe Vendrell, his coach for the past 11 years, time during which he made his way into the elite. With Vendrell by his side, he produced the most brilliant moments of his successful career: his nine ATP Tour titles, Grand Slam semi-final, ATP Masters 1000 final and many other milestones.

“It’s a moment you never see coming,” Bautista Agut admitted to ATPTour.com. “Pepe and I have practically been one person for all this time. We were by each other’s sides for many years and I’ve enjoyed some of the best moments of my career with him in my corner. It’s a big change, especially at first. You have some well-drilled routines, you’re really used to certain things, the way you work with a person.”

Bautista Agut will start this new phase of his career with a new formula, bringing former Top 50 players Daniel Gimeno-Traver and Tomas Carbonell onto his team. They will split the weeks by his side throughout the season.

“I believe in a dual team. It’s a very demanding sport for just one coach and I think splitting the weeks is the best way,” Bautista Agut said.

^{Photo Credit: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour}
“Dani has started out very keen and excited. I have approached it with the same attitude and I feel very happy. Dani is great, a very good guy,” Bautista Agut said. “We already had a good relationship off the court. Now I guess the relationship will be even stronger.”

The bond between the two Castellon men is a strong one, and Bautista Agut will be hoping that trust provides a driving force to help him maintain his best tennis in the season during which he will turn 34.

“We’ve met up quite a lot, we’ve even played each other in the odd match,” Bautista Agut recalled. “We’ve played doubles tournaments together. Dani is a player who has had a very long career. He’s someone who has a lot of experience after being a good player. He has a different background to Pepe, who has been fantastic and fundamental for my career.

“Dani will tell me new things, he’ll help both technically and tactically. They are both quite different. Also, I’m also going to be with Tomas this year. I’ve worked with him before, we know each other and it will be important to get his advice.”

Roberto is looking to get the ball rolling again after his 2021 season came to an abrupt end. When he was ready to lead out the Spanish team in the Davis Cup Finals, Bautista Agut had to withdraw from the event at the Caja Mágica due to an abdominal injury that forced him to be cautious and take a step back.

“Injuries are like accidents, they happen when you least expect it,” Bautista Agut said. “It was a shame, but it didn’t hold me back much. Luckily it wasn’t very serious, but a tear means you have to stop everything. I couldn’t train for 15 days, although a week after the tear I started working in the gym.

“Now I’ve been doing fitness and tennis for 10 days. But I’m happy and excited and keen to play next year.”

^{Photo Credit: Michael Reaves/Getty Images}
The 2022 season presents a huge challenge for Bautista Agut. The elite of the game is packed with young talent and the average age of the Top 10 at the end of the year was 25.6, the youngest since the 2009 season. What does a player like the Spaniard, who will be celebrating his 34th birthday in April, need to maintain his place among the best players in the world?

“You have to keep the flame burning. Personally I think you have to nurture your passion, take care of it,” Bautista Agut said. “After what happened at the Davis Cup I had three days of holiday, then I started to work straight away. I’m not short on desire! I’m looking forward to having a good year next year and to continuing to compete at the top.”

The Spaniard, who will compete in the ATP Cup in Sydney and the Australian Open to kick off his 2022 season, has no doubt about what he wants from the new year.

“Firstly, to have a consistent year,” said Bautista Agut, who has finished the last eight seasons among the 25 best players in the world. “I’d like to complete the year without any frights or injuries. My second wish is to be able to enjoy tennis and the level of my play, to come off court and feel good about myself and the standard of my game.

“To do that, you have to have a lot of desire, to be very professional, train every day with a goal. There is a key expression that I like to repeat to myself: I have to live and breathe tennis. This sport demands a lot. There has been a change of generation, there are very young people that are already at the top with a different style of tennis to that of a few years ago. Facing that is extra motivation for me. I’m happy to be there for another year and to fight for the top positions again as I have done in recent years.”

Source link

Belinda Bencic: Olympic champion tests positive with 'severe' Covid-19 symptoms

Olympic champion Belinda Bencic tests positive for Covid-19 after her trip to Abu Dhabi, describing her symptoms as “severe”.

Source link