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Nakashima’s perfect week helps USA top group in Zhuhai

  • Posted: Sep 14, 2024

Brandon Nakashima continued his 2024 resurgence in style on Saturday in Zhuhai.

The 23-year-old completed a perfect week of singles action for the USA in the Davis Cup Finals Group Stage with a 6-4, 6-2 triumph against Maximilian Marterer. With his 86-minute win, Nakashima helped his country earn a 2-1 victory against Marterer’s Germany, simultaneously ensuring the USA a first-place finish in Group C and a seeding at November’s knockout stage.

“Each person on this team brings great value,” said Nakashima, who dropped just one set across his three wins this week. “We all like to bring out the best in each other and to really enjoy every second out there on the court and off the court as well. I’m really happy with everyone’s performance this week and to all the staff and all the players, I really appreciate all their hard work.

“I think we have a good chance against any team there [in Malaga]. There’s a bunch of talented Americans playing really well right now. Whoever is going to be on the team will give us a great shot against any other team out there, so it’s definitely an exciting time for American tennis and I’m really looking forward to it.”

After a difficult 2023, the 2022 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF champion Nakashima began this year as the World No. 134. He has rediscovered his form in recent months, however, and was competing for USA this week at a career-high No. 40 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

Reilly Opelka set USA on its way on Saturday in China with a 6-7(4), 7-6(9), 6-3 triumph against Henri Squire in the opening singles rubber. The 32-time Davis Cup champion was unable to make it a hat-trick of 3-0 wins in Group C, however, after Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz downed Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram 6-1, 7-6(4) in the doubles rubber.

“We knew we were going to the next stage in Malaga, but we used [the chance to achieve] a better seeding as our motivation to try and win today,” said Opelka.

Despite defeat on Saturday, Germany will join USA in the Davis Cup Final 8 thanks to victories earlier this week against Slovakia and Chile. The knockout stage of the 2024 edition of the teams’ event will take place in Malaga, Spain from 19-24 November.

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Alcaraz sends Spain to Davis Cup Final 8

  • Posted: Sep 13, 2024

Shaking off the disappointment of his modest U.S. hard court season, Carlos Alcaraz has led Spain to the 2024 Davis Cup Final 8 with a 6-3, 6-3 win Friday against France’s Ugo Humbert in Valencia.

“The level that I played from the beginning to the last ball, I was really focused, really intense. It was probably one of the best matches I have played this year and after my last month I need these kind of matches,” said the World No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

Earlier in the day, Roberto Bautista Agut rallied to a 2-6, 7-5, 6-3 win over Arthur Fils, who served for the match at 5-4 in the second set.

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Alcaraz said that the team atmosphere of Davis Cup was just what he needed to spark him out of a mini slump, which saw him lose to Botic van de Zandschulp in the second round of the US Open following an opening-round loss to Gael Monfils in Cincinnati.

“I need this week, being with the team, with all the players, all the staff from the Federation,” Alcaraz said. “Having them cheer me on in every point. Off the court we have a really good relationship. I need this atmosphere and these matches where I feel I am not playing alone. My energy is getting higher.”

Spain, the six-time Davis Cup champions registered a dominant 3-0 win over Czechia on Wednesday. A win over Australia on Sunday would see them finish at the top of the Group B table.

Australia, poised to make the Final 8 with Spain, also has two victories: a 3-0 win over Czechia and a 2-1 win over France.

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Turin Takeover: Tennis in Piemonte skyscraper shadows kickstarts season-finale lead-up

  • Posted: Sep 13, 2024

Less than two months remain until the prestigious Nitto ATP Finals begin in Turin, Italy, where on Friday and Saturday the city is holding its first of eight ‘Tennis in Città’ activities.

In the shadows of the Regione Piemonte skyscraper, fans are invited to play tennis on a mini court and receive instruction from local instructors. Tennis in Città brings the sport to some of the most important areas in Turin in the leadup of the year-end finale, during which the season’s best eight players — and as many doubles teams — aim to become the champion of champions. The Nitto ATP Finals runs 10-17 November at the Inalpi Arena.

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Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev have secured their place among the eight. Sinner, first in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, will aim to go one step further than last year’s runner-up finish to triumph on home soil. Zverev’s 56 match wins leads the ATP Tour this season. The German is a two-time Nitto ATP Finals champion (2018, 2021).

Two doubles teams have qualified: Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic and Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos.

Other Tennis in Città activities will take place in Piazza Castello from 20-22 September; 27-29 September in Piazza San Carlo; 4-6 October at Ruffini Park; 11-13 October at Peccei Park; 14-25 October at the Lingotto shopping centre; 18-20 October in Piazza Arbarello; 25-27 October at Parco Dora.

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Van Assche using platform to inspire the 'Next Gen'

  • Posted: Sep 13, 2024

Amid all the demands of professional tennis, Luca Van Assche still finds time to immerse himself in his mathematics studies at Paris Dauphine University. Upon returning to France from US Open qualifying, the 20-year-old was greeted not by rest, but by an awaiting exam. This balance of tennis and studying is highly important for Van Assche, whose mother is an Italian teacher.

“My mom always told me, ‘If you go to school, have good grades and finish well. Then you can go and play tennis, two hours, four hours, whatever you want. But first you have to finish your homework and everything,'” Van Assche told ATP Tour.com.

“When you are doing tennis the whole day, sometimes it’s good that your brain is working on something else. Of course I would like to have an incredible career and win a lot of matches. But after my tennis career, I also want to explore something different.”

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The three-time ATP Challenger Tour champion is using his platform to speak with youth on his experience of being a professional athlete, yet continuing to study at the same time.

Fifth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah, Van Assche is an ambassador for Yannick Noah’s foundation, Association Fête le Mur, which strives for ‘Tennis against exclusion’. The Belgian-born player has been a part of Fête le Mur initiatives at multiple events this year, including at Roland Garros, the ATP Masters 1000 event in Monte-Carlo and two French ATP Challenger Tour tournaments.

More than 100 children have had a chance to meet the #NextGenATP star through Fête le Mur.

“This association is helping young people who are living in an atmosphere that is not very good, so they are helping them a lot,” Van Assche said. “I’ve been working with them since March of last year. It’s something that I like to see, young people who like to do sports and everything. And if I can help them, of course I will do it.”

<img src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/08/14/16/48/vanassche-montecarlo-2024-kids.jpg?w=100%25&hash=B16B33A38F8403C373A1F33E7F4459F9″ style=”width:100%;” alt=”Luca Van Assche at the 2024 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.” />
Luca Van Assche at a Fête le Mur initiative in Monte-Carlo. Credit: Fête le Mur

Fête le Mur, founded in 1996, was born out of a vision from Noah, former No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings, who was discovered by the late Arthur Ashe at a tennis clinic in Cameroon.

During a violent general strike in France in 1995, protesters were in the streets, discontent with the government’s policies. The 1983 Roland Garros champion began to act at an important time. He partnered Severine Thieffry, events manager at IMG, to reach underprivileged neighbourhoods and offer them — through the sport of tennis — a path of education, integration and all around civic and sporting values.

Collaborations with professionals such as Van Assche and former WTA No. 12 Tatiana Golovin helps Fête le Mur achieve its goal of leaving a lasting legacy by establishing self esteem within the disadvantaged youth. Van Assche last year appeared at the inauguration of a playground in Roubaix, where he met and interacted with students.

“When I see them, it’s little kids. I speak with them, they ask me some things,” Van Assche said. “Also with my brands, we receive a lot of gifts, so I can give it to them as a present. They are happy.”

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Dominant USA books Davis Cup quarter-final spot in Zhuhai

  • Posted: Sep 13, 2024

The USA continued to give a reminder of the strength in depth of its talent pool on Friday in Zhuhai, where it defeated Slovakia 3-0 to seal its passage to the 2024 Davis Cup Final 8.

The record-32-time Davis Cup champion headed to China without any of its five players currently in the Top 20 of the PIF ATP Rankings. Yet Brandon Nakashima, Reilly Opelka and Mackenzie McDonald have all notched singles victories this week to ensure a perfect start to their country’s Davis Cup Finals Group Stage campaign.

On Friday, McDonald defeated Lukas Klein 6-4, 6-3 and Nakashima overcame Jozef Kovalik 6-3, 6-3 to confirm the USA’s place in the Final 8. Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram then won 15 of the final 16 points to rally past Norbert Gombos and Klein 6-7(4), 7-6(4), 10-1 in the doubles rubber.

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“It means a lot,” said Nakashima, when asked about his country reaching just its second quarter-final since the Davis Cup Finals format was introduced in 2019. “I know last year the guys missed out on that spot just by a little bit. To be able to be in this position right now, to be clinching that spot, it’s very important for us and I’m just proud of all the guys on the team.”

McDonald added: “I’m actually really proud of myself for performing well today and putting the team on the board. It means a lot to me. I love it in China, I feel like the fans treat me so well. I love Chinese food. My grandparents on my mum’s side are actually from this region so yeah… it’s kinda home.”

Friday’s triumph for the USA simultaneously guaranteed Germany its own Final 8 spot. The two teams will face off on Saturday to determine who will win Group C and therefore be seeded at November’s Davis Cup Finals knockout stage, to be held in Malaga from 19-24 November.

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