Tennis News

Golubev/Nys Book Spot In St. Petersburg Final

Andrey Golubev and Hugo Nys had never won a match as a team before this week, but now they are finalists, moving past Rohan Bopanna and Denis Shapovalov 6-4, 2-6, 10-4 on Saturday at the St. Petersburg Open.

The fourth seeds broke three times and hit five aces to advance after 84 minutes. Golubev and Nys are teaming for the fourth time and will face top seeds Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares in the championship match.

Ram/Salisbury Battle Into Vienna Final
Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury’s strong season continued on Saturday as they defeated John Peers and Filip Polasek 3-6, 7-6(2), 10-7 in one hour and 40 minutes to reach the Erste Bank Open final.

The second seeds captured their first ATP Masters 1000 title in Toronto, before triumphing at the US Open. The American-British tandem will face fourth seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah in the championship match.

Source link

Nakashima Stamps Ticket For Milan

Brandon Nakashima has become the seventh player to qualify for the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals, to be held in Milan from 9-13 November.

The American will make his debut at the 21-and-under event, having enjoyed a breakthrough 2021 season by rising from No. 170 in the FedEx ATP Rankings to a career-high of No. 70 this week.

Read Full Story

Source link

Tiafoe Battles Back From The Brink In Vienna

Qualifier Frances Tiafoe looked down and out on Saturday at the Erste Bank Open, but he showed his fighting qualities for the second time this week as he battled back, overcoming Jannik Sinner 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 to reach his first tour-level final of the season in Vienna.

The American, who was 0-3 down to Stefanos Tsitsipas in the third set in the second round, rallied from 2-5 down in the second set against Sinner, winning 11 of the final 13 games as he found his best tennis to advance after two hours and 18 minutes.

With his victory, Tiafoe, who is making his second appearance in Vienna, has now earned a career-best 29 tour-level wins this season, surpassing the 28 he captured in 2018. The 23-year-old is bidding to win his first tour-level title since he triumphed in Delray Beach in 2018.

The World No. 49 has reduced the deficit to 1-2 in his ATP Head2Head series with Sinner and will face second seed Alexander Zverev in the championship match after the German defeated #NextGenATP Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz 6-3, 6-3 to advance to his fifth tour-level final of the season.

Sinner won the title in Antwerp last week and was seeking his eighth consecutive victory. The Italian moved into eighth place (3,015 points) in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin on Friday when he downed fellow Turin contender Casper Ruud, who is seventh (3,105).

The 20-year-old is bidding to make his debut at the Nitto ATP Finals, to be held at the Pala Alpitour from 14-21 November.

Source link

Zverev Downs Alcaraz In Vienna

Alexander Zverev soared into his fifth tour-level final of the season on Saturday at the Erste Bank Open, overcoming #NextGenATP Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz 6-3, 6-3 to end the 18-year-old’s strong run in Vienna.

The second seed, who earned both his 50th tour-level victory of the season and 300th tour-level career win this week, hit with great depth and soaked up Alcaraz’s power to advance after 68 minutes.

The German now leads Alcaraz 2-0 in their ATP Head2Head series and holds a 24-2 record since Wimbledon, capturing the Olympic singles gold medal and the Cincinnati title in this time.

Zverev will face seventh seed Jannik Sinner or qualifier Frances Tiafoe in the championship match as he bids to win his fifth tour-level crown of the season, having also triumphed in Acapulco and Madrid.

Alcaraz captured the second biggest win of his career by FedEx ATP Ranking when he upset World No. 7 Matteo Berrettini in the quarter-finals. But he could not match Zverev, with the German firing eight aces and saving the one break point he faced to secure victory.

Source link

Cilic Sweeps Into St. Petersburg Final

Marin Cilic marched into his second tour-level final in as many weeks on Saturday at the St. Petersburg Open, cruising past qualifier Botic van de Zandschulp 6-3, 6-3.

The Croatian enjoyed a run to the championship match in Moscow last week and has continued his impressive form in St. Petersburg as he aims to clinch his second tour-level title of the season after triumphing in Stuttgart.

“Russia is my second home,” Cilic said in his on-court interview. “I think this an invitation for me to come every single year. I always enjoy playing here and it would be amazing to win the title tomorrow but I am playing Taylor [Fritz], who is playing amazing tennis in the past several weeks. I am just going to enjoy, improve and have fun.”

In a strong serving display against van de Zandschulp, Cilic fired nine aces, won 87 per cent (27/31) of points behind his first delivery and did not face a break point to advance after 67 minutes in their first ATP Head2Head meeting.

Cilic, who overcame seeds Karen Khachanov and Roberto Bautista Agut earlier this week, has fond memories in St. Petersburg, having lifted the trophy in his previous appearance at the ATP 250 event in 2011.

The former World No. 3 will face Taylor Fritz in the final. The American is in the form of his life and he demonstrated such confidence against Jan-Lennard Struff, downing the German 5-7, 6-1, 6-3 to reach his first tour-level championship match of the season.

“It is amazing to have people cheering for me when I am so far away from home. I love all of the support,” Fritz said in his on-court interview.

The fifth seed defeated World No. 4 Alexander Zverev en route to his first ATP Masters 1000 semi-final earlier in October and has backed up that run in St. Petersburg, dropping just one set at the ATP 250 event.

Fritz won 81 per cent (44/54) of his first-serve points against Struff as he rallied from a set down to advance after one hour and 58 minutes and level their ATP Head2Head series at 1-1.

“I played pretty well for a lot of parts in the first set but a couple of things didn’t go my way. I went up a break but then didn’t have the best service game and got broken back,” Fritz said in his on-court interview. “I had another chance to break and then got broken from 40/15 up. I recovered and brought it together and played a really solid second and third set.”

Source link

Djokovic Down For Double Duty In Paris

Novak Djokovic will make the most of his long-awaited return to the ATP Tour next week, signing up for singles and doubles duty at the Rolex Paris Masters.

The five-time champion in Paris/Bercy will play his first tournament since falling to Daniil Medvedev in the final of the US Open, a defeat that cost the Serb the chance to complete the Grand Slam. Djokovic has also signed up to play doubles for just the third time this season (ATP Cup, Mallorca) and will team with countryman Filip Krajinovic.

With Saturday’s draw, Djokovic learned that his opening match will be against Fabio Fognini (whom he leads 8-0 in their ATP Head2Head series) or Marton Fucsovics (3-0). He could meet Gael Monfils (17-0) in the third round.

With the FedEx ATP Race To Turin reaching the home stretch, Jannik Sinner will look to continue his bid to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals in Paris, where he will start against #NextGenATP Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz or French wild card Pierre-Hugues Herbert.

Sinner boosted his chances to secure a place at the season finale when he defeated fellow Turin contender Casper Ruud in the quarter-finals in Vienna as he aims to make his debut at the event. Ruud remains well-positioned, though, and begins against Alexander Bublik or Brit Daniel Evans.

View Rolex Paris Masters Draw

Hubert Hurkacz, Cameron Norrie and Felix Auger-Aliassime are 10th, 11th and 12th respectively in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin standings and all three will be targeting deep runs in Paris. Hurkacz opens against Jan-Lennard Struff or a qualifier and could meet Auger-Aliassime in the last 16, but the Canadian faces a difficult second-round prospect against former champion Andy Murray, who has received a wild card.

Norrie captured his maiden Masters 1000 title in Indian Wells earlier this month and plays Argentine Federico Delbonis in his opening clash in what will be their first meeting.

Third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas is a potential semi-final opponent for Djokovic and he begins against either South African Lloyd Harris or 22-year-old Alex de Minaur in what will be a difficult test. It will be the Greek’s fourth appearance in Paris, with his best performance a run to the quarter-finals in 2019.

In the bottom half of the draw, reigning champion Medvedev will get his title defence underway against Winston-Salem winner Ilya Ivashka or Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas. The Russian, who will be aiming to bounce back from his fourth-round defeat to Grigor Dimitrov in Indian Wells, is seeded to meet countryman Aslan Karatsev in the last 16.

Source link

Rafael Nadal Hits With 97 Year Old

Rafael Nadal’s capacity to delight fans from any generation was in the spotlight again this week. An idol to young hopefuls, a mirror for adults and an example to even the oldest of players, the Spaniard is a sporting icon whose fanbase spans every age group.

Nadal welcomed a very special fan to the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar this week. Ukrainian player Leonid Stanislavskyi, 97 years of age, holds the Guinness World Record for the oldest player in the world with an International Tennis Federation (ITF) licence. He was delighted to meet the Mallorcan ex-world No. 1.

The two spoke together, exchanged greetings and knocked up on court, in a demonstration of the connections that can be made while playing. It was an unforgettable day for Leonid, who professes an eternal love for the game of tennis.

Game, Set & Match… Leonid!

?? @RafaelNadal ?? pic.twitter.com/XErn6Vqjve

— Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar (@rnadalacademy) October 29, 2021

As a result of his passion for the sport, Stanislavskyi, who has been competing in amateur tennis for over half a century, sent a letter to the ITF a few months ago asking them to create a new veteran category for players in his age range. For the first time, the ITF introduced a new category for over-90s at the ITF Super Senior World Championships.

Born on 22 March 1924, Leonid has been able to witness many generations of tennis. From the amateur period, through the start of the Open Era in 1968, to the professional tennis of today, he has followed the careers of the great legends of the sport. His excitement at meeting Nadal in person was a crowning moment in his story.

During his visit, Leonid took the opportunity to see the Rafa Nadal Museum, where he was able to take a close look at the trophies won by the Spaniard during his legendary career. There, among all his other prestigious silverware, his current haul of 20 Grand Slam titles and 36 ATP Masters 1000 trophies can be found.

After a left-foot injury brought his 2021 season to a close, Nadal is continuing to work on his recovery. The Balearic Islander won two titles this year, taking the spoils at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, where he extended his record to 12 titles, and the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, where he reached the magical figure of 10 cups.

Source link

Sinner Moves Inside Turin Cut With Huge Ruud Win

Jannik Sinner took a massive step in his pursuit of a spot in the Nitto ATP Finals on Friday evening in Vienna.

In a blockbuster battle between two stars chasing a place in Turin, Sinner defeated Casper Ruud 7-5, 6-1 to reach the semi-finals of the Erste Bank Open. By doing so, the Italian passed Hubert Hurkacz and Rafael Nadal to climb into the eighth and final qualifying spot in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin.

“I think today [there] was not a lot of rhythm, not so many exchanges. I served well today I have to say, especially on the important points,” Sinner said in his post-match interview. “Obviously [there was] a lot of pressure on both sides. I’m happy how I controlled the match emotionally and everything together. I would say it was a good match.”

The 20-year-old has not only moved into qualifying position, but he is also a semi-final victory against Frances Tiafoe from passing Ruud for seventh in the Race. Only two spots remain at the Pala Alpitour from 14-21 November.

Sinner had to battle hard to take a 2-0 ATP Head2Head series lead against Ruud, but he was cool under pressure to triumph after one hour and 38 minutes. The Italian has now won 11 straight indoor matches, and has not lost a set during that streak.

“The past couple of weeks indoors I’ve felt well. Obviously we can see that in the results as well, but every match is different,” Sinner said. “I have to stay focussed, I have a goal in my head. Obviously [there is] a lot of pressure, but it’s all about [the] mental game in this sport and I think I’m doing it in the right way.”

Ruud showed how much he has improved on hard courts with opportunistic play in the opening set, when he snapped Sinner’s streak of 43 consecutive service holds. The Norwegian is 21-7 on the surface this season, but Ruud did not have the firepower to push his opponent off the baseline in the biggest moments.

Sinner struck 10 aces and saved four of the five break points he faced. The 2019 Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals champion had to overcome adversity, rallying from 15/40 down at 4-1 on his serve in the second set. But after saving two break points in that game, he gave the crowd a big fist pump, a sign that Sinner knew the significance of the encounter.

He then broke Ruud’s serve for the fifth time to set a clash against Tiafoe. Sinner leads their ATP Head2Head series 2-0.

“I’m happy that I can play one more semi-final in an ATP event,” Sinner said. “It’s a huge event, so hopefully I can also play well tomorrow.”

The American dealt with his own challenges against eighth seed Diego Schwartzman. But despite losing five consecutive games from 5-1 up in the second set, Tiafoe held on for a 6-4, 7-6(6) victory to reach his first tour-level semi-final of 2021.

“I was playing great tennis, I was happy where I was at. New balls came and I got a little lackadaisical that game. Then Diego just kind of started locking in,” Tiafoe said. “I started rushing, I started trying to hit everything as hard as I can. It was not fun. I don’t know what to tell you, it was not fun. There was not one part of it that was fun.”

The American, who upset Stefanos Tsitsipas on Thursday, admitted that he accepted the likelihood of a third set. But Tiafoe was able to break the Argentine for the fifth time to force a tie-break, in which he played well under pressure.

“I ended up playing a great game and squeezing out a breaker, so it was a crazy match,” Tiafoe said. “To beat two quality players like that in a row is big for me and a huge step forward.”

Source link

Murray/Soares Soar Into St. Petersburg Final

Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares continued their bid to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals on Friday at the St. Petersburg Open, where the overcame Marcus Daniell and Marcelo Demoliner 7-5, 6-3 to reach the championship match.

The top seeds broke four times and won 73 per cent (27/37) of their first-serve points to advance after 81 minutes. Murray and Soares are currently eighth in the FedEx ATP Doubles Team Rankings and in the final qualification spot for the season finale.

They could face Andrey Golubev and Hugo Nys in the final after the fourth seeds defeated Santiago Gonzalez and Andres Molteni 7-6(4), 6-3 to move into the last four.

Cabal/Farah March On In Vienna
Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah booked their spot in the final at the Erste Bank Open on Friday when they battled past Sander Gille and Dominik Koepfer 3-6, 6-3, 10-8 in 77 minutes.

The fourth seeds are into their fourth tour-level championship match of the season. They have now triumphed in three consecutive Match Tie-breaks this week in Vienna.

Source link

Rolex Paris Masters 2021: Draws, Dates, History & All You Need To Know

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and Russian Daniil Medvedev will headline the field at the 2021 Rolex Paris Masters in the final ATP Masters 1000 event of the season, while the FedEx ATP Race To Turin nears its conclusion.

Here’s what you need to know: 

When is the Rolex Paris Masters?

The 2021 Rolex Paris Masters will be held from 1-7 November. The indoor-hard ATP Masters 1000 tournament, established in 1986, will take place at the AccorHotels Arena in Paris, France. The tournament director is Guy Forget.

Who is playing at the Rolex Paris Masters?

The Rolex Paris Masters will feature Djokovic, reigning champion Medvedev, Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, while Turin contenders Casper Ruud, Hubert Hurkacz, Jannik Sinner, Cameron Norrie and Felix Auger-Aliassime are also in action.

When is the draw for the Rolex Paris Masters?

The Rolex Paris Masters draw will be made on Saturday, 30 October at 12:00 p.m.

What is the schedule for the Rolex Paris Masters?

* Qualifying: Saturday, 30 October – Sunday, 31 October at 10:00 a.m Saturday and 11:00 a.m. Sunday
* Main Draw: Monday, 1 November – Sunday, 7 November. Monday – Thursday at 11:00 and 7:30 p.m. Friday at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday at 11:45 a.m.
* Doubles Final: Sunday, 7 November at 12:15 p.m.
* Singles Final: Sunday, 7 November at 3:00 p.m.
*View On Official Website

What is the prize money for the Rolex Paris Masters?

The prize money for the Rolex Paris Masters is €2,603,700 and the Total Financial Commitment is €3,084,450.

SINGLES
Winner: €336,000/ 1000 points
Finalist: €187,000/ 600 points
Semi-finalist: €106,000/ 360 points
Quarter-finalist: €60,000/ 180 points
Round of 16: €36,000/ 90 points
Round of 32: €22,000/ 45 points
Round of 56: €13,700/ 10 points

DOUBLES ($ per team)
Winner: €70,000/ 1000 points
Finalist: €50,000 / 600 points
Semi-finalist: €34,000/ 360 points
Quarter-finalist: €23,300/ 180 points
Round of 16: €15,250/ 90 points
Round of 32: €9,400/ 0 points

How can I watch the Rolex Paris Masters?

Watch Live On Tennis TV
TV Schedule

How can I follow the Rolex Paris Masters?

Hashtag: #RolexPMasters
Facebook: @rolexparismasters
Twitter: @RolexPMasters
Instagram: @rolexparismasters

Are You In? Subscribe To Get ATP Updates In Your Inbox 

Who won the last edition of the Rolex Paris Masters in 2020?

Daniil Medvedev triumphed in the Rolex Paris Masters singles final with a 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 win against Alexander Zverev in the championship match (Read & Watch). Felix Auger-Aliassime and Hubert Hurkacz lifted the doubles trophy in Paris with a 6-7(3), 7-6(7), 10-2 victory against Mate Pavic and Bruno Soares in the final (Read More).

Who holds the Paris record for most titles, oldest champion, youngest champion and more?

Most Titles, Singles: Novak Djokovic (5)
Most Titles, Doubles: Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan (4)
Oldest Champion: Novak Djokovic, 32, in 2019
Youngest Champion: Boris Becker, 18, in 1986
Highest-Ranked Champion: No. 1 Stefan Edberg in 1990, Pete Sampras in 1997, Andre Agassi in 1999, Novak Djokovic in 2014-15, 2019.
Lowest-Ranked Champion: No. 50 Tomas Berdych in 2005
Last Home Champion: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in 2008
Most Match Wins: Novak Djokovic (37)

View Who Is Playing, Past Champions, Seeds, Points & Prize Money Breakdown

Key Storylines

Djokovic Returns: World No. 1 Djokovic will compete for the first time since he lost to Medvedev in the final at the US Open, which ended the Serbian’s Grand Slam pursuit. Djokovic has lifted the trophy a record five times in Paris.

Turin Contenders: With the FedExATP Race To Turin entering the final stretch, five hopefuls are aiming to capture the final two places. Ruud is currently seventh (3,105 points), while Hurkacz is aiming to book his spot. 

Italian Jannik Sinner will be hoping to make is debut at the Nitto ATP Finals, to be held at the Pala Alpitour in Turin from 14-21 November 2021. Cameron Norrie in 11th (2,875) and Felix Auger-Aliassime in 12th (2,420) will need deep runs in Paris to boost their chances.

Former Champions In Action: Reigning champion Medvedev returns to defend his title as he aims to win his fifth tour-level trophy of the season. Russia’s Karen Khachanov will also be competing and he has fond memories in the French capital, having captured the crown in 2018.

Murray Leads Wild Cards: Former World No. 1 Andy Murray has accepted a wild card and will compete in Paris for the first time since he won the title in France in 2016. The Scot will be joined by Frenchmen Richard Gasquet, Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Arthur Rinderknech.

Did You Know?

Since 2009, the Rolex Paris Masters is the only Masters 1000 event to be played indoors.

Source link