Indian Wells Masters: Kim Clijsters knocked out in first round
Former world number one Kim Clijsters is knocked out in the first round of the Indian Wells Masters by Katerina Siniakova.
Former world number one Kim Clijsters is knocked out in the first round of the Indian Wells Masters by Katerina Siniakova.
Having advanced to his first major semi-final at the US Open last month, #NextGenATP Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime is determined to continue his rise up the FedEx ATP Rankings and compete for the biggest titles, starting this week at the BNP Paribas Open.
The 21-year-old is part of a young and competitive field in Indian Wells, with US Open champion Daniil Medvedev the top seed in California. However, with Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer all missing, seventh seed Auger-Aliassime will believe he can go deep at the penultimate ATP Masters 1000 event of the season.
On this and the change at the top of the game, Auger-Aliassime said: “It was going to come eventually. A change in generation. Novak is still No. 1, and Roger and Rafa we will see how they come back. But they have done it so many times in the past in their careers. They are going to be tough to beat for as long as they play.
“Having tournaments like this where the average age of the top eight seeded players is 23, you know that it is going to be highly competitive but as a young player, you try and establish yourself with those five to eight to 10 top players who will dominate or win the big titles in the year to come.
“For me, the challenge is big, but at the same time the motivation is big as well to try to play well to end the season and put myself with those best players in the world.”
[FOLLOW 1000]During Thursday’s pre-tournament media conference, Auger-Aliassime was asked about Canada’s breakthrough WTA star Leylah Fernandez, who reached the US Open final last month and her opponent Emma Raducanu, who lifted the title at Flushing Meadows.
On the impact the two teenagers have made for the sport and whether it has provided him with extra motivation, Auger-Aliassime said: “It is tough to compare. We are just different Tours. We have the women competing with each other and the men competing each other hard. What they have done with Leyla making the final and Emma winning is just as impressive as Daniil [Medvedev] winning.
“It was great to see new faces and young players and likeable players like them make it that far. I think it was a great story for the two of them and the sport in general. Any new fans we can get into the sport is great. I have been inspired to do better things for a long time now, but this always helps.”
Auger-Aliassime is making his third appearance in Indian Wells and will begin his campaign against either #NextGenATP Italian Lorenzo Musetti or Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas. The World No. 11 is part of a strong contingent of Canadian players in both the men’s and women’s draw and is excited by the prospect of this.
“In more and more tournaments now, we have a great field of Canadian players in both the men’s and women’s draw, which is great to see,” Auger-Aliassime said. “Apart from Milos [Raonic] who is sidelined with injury, everyone is here. We sometimes have good results and bad results, but all of us are playing great tennis. Hopefully it is a good tournament for all of us here.”
Daniil Medvedev insists his motivation for success remains as high as ever ahead of his opening match at the BNP Paribas Open as he returns to court in a singles event for the first time since he captured his maiden major title at the US Open last month.
When asked if he is struggling for motivation, Medvedev said: “Not at all. I am still young. It was a big goal for me and a dream come true, but I am still here in Indian Wells. I haven’t left the United States since the US Open because I had the Laver Cup and now Indian Wells, so if I wanted to feel good physically, going back to Europe was not a good choice since I went far at the US Open.
“I have motivation, I came here prepared. We can’t know before the tournament what the result is going to be but even if I lose [in the] second round here, it is nothing to do with the motivation. It is because of the opponent or that I was not playing that well. I am going to play a few tournaments for the rest of the year and I am going to try my best and win them.”
The Russian, who helped guide Team Europe to victory over Team World at the Laver Cup in September, is the top seed in Indian Wells at the penultimate ATP Masters 1000 event of the season.
In preparation for Indian Wells, the 25-year-old took a different approach and decided to train at UCLA for the past week in preparation for the event to avoid a ‘burnout’ mentally.
“I was in Los Angeles for a week to try and bring my tennis up as that is what I am trying to do all the time with my coach,” Medvedev said. “It was my coach and agent who thought it was best to practise in UCLA and not to come too early, because if you come one and a half weeks before the tournament you can be burnt out. Before the tournament, you will be like ‘I cannot stay here anymore’.
“They decided that was the best place because they always have players there. There were like 10 different students practising with me. They all know how to play good tennis. You see it that people from college become Top 100, Top 300 and it is a very good level.”
[FOLLOW 1000]Medvedev will be targeting his first Indian Wells title and fifth Masters 1000 trophy overall over the next week, beginning against American Mackenzie McDonald.
Following his US Open triumph, the World No. 2 revealed he has had huge amounts of support off the court, including some acts of kindness at restaurants.
“There was a lot [of excitement] but more like the first week after winning,” Medvedev added. “That is when the first buzz is because everyone talks all about you. All the media and newspapers, especially in Russia. Some people I am a fan of text me, that was pretty fun. A lot of people tried to pay for me in the restaurants and I try to refuse it. Sometimes the waiter comes and says you can’t pay anymore because it has already been paid.”
As Emma Raducanu prepares to play her first match as US Open champion, previous teenage Grand Slam winners Iga Swiatek and Bianca Andreescu offer their advice to the Briton.
The BNP Paribas Open has not always been Frances Tiafoe’s best event, but the American made a good start this year with a 6-4, 6-4 win against Frenchman Benoit Paire on Thursday evening in the first round.
Tiafoe was previously 1-4 at the ATP Masters 1000 event, but he looked comfortable and focussed on Stadium 1, where he triumphed in his first match since the US Open in 62 minutes.
“I definitely took a long time off after the Open, the longest time I’ve taken in the middle of the season in a while, so [I was] a little rusty in the beginning and in the days leading up I wasn’t feeling great,” Tiafoe said in his on-court interview. “Happy to just get a first round under my belt. Obviously tonight was up and down, Benoit wasn’t having the best of days, but you take that.”
The 23-year-old broke serve four times and won 46 per cent of his return points against Paire, who showed his frustration after failing to find much rhythm. After the match, Tiafoe immediately returned to the practice court for 2-on-1 drills with coach Wayne Ferreira, brother Franklin Tiafoe and hitting partner Jordi Arconada.
“You just focus on your side. This isn’t my first rodeo, I’ve been on Tour for a little bit now, so I know how to handle situations. But it’s never easy, because he’s so talented,” Tiafoe said of Paire. “[You] just focus on what you can do, holding serve, trying to minimise your mistakes and making it super tough for him.”
Tiafoe will next challenge 32nd seed Sebastian Korda, a #NextGenATP American. Their only previous ATP Head2Head meeting came at the 2018 New York Open, where Tiafoe emerged victorious in three sets. Korda was a 17-year-old wild card who had just won the Australian Open boys’ singles title.
Another young America, 24-year-old Tommy Paul, overcame record-breaking 40-year-old Feliciano Lopez 6-3, 7-6(3) to level their ATP Head2Head at 1-1.
Paul, who was on a three-match losing run heading into the match, utilised his dominant first serve and returning prowess to pull through in straight sets. The American won 81 per cent (26/32) of his first-serve points, and also managed to break the lefty’s serve on three occasions.
By taking the court today Lopez broke the ATP Masters 1000 appearance record, playing in his 139th event, passing Roger Federer. Lopez also holds the record for the most consecutive Grand Slam appearances with 78.
Kei Nishikori appeared in danger of suffering an opening loss on Thursday at the BNP Paribas Open, but the former World No. 4 rallied past Portugal’s Joao Sousa 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-2 in two hours and 22 minutes to reach the second round in Indian Wells.
“[It was] very tough,” Nishikori said in his on-court interview. “He took the first set and I was a break down in the second set, so I tried to be a little bit more aggressive. He was very steady.”
Nishikori was struggling for answers when he immediately fell behind a break in the second set. The Japanese star had never previously lost a completed set against Sousa. But instead of capitulating, Nishikori took the action to his opponent and won his opening main draw match at this ATP Masters 1000 event for the seventh time.
“[I am] very, very excited to play this week [in Indian Wells] and [I am] happy to pull through a tough one,” Nishikori said.
The 31-year-old is in a tricky part of the draw, and will next play 18th seed Daniel Evans, against whom he holds a 3-1 ATP Head2Head advantage. Nishikori beat Evans in a five-set marathon at Roland Garros last year that took nearly four hours.
In the same part of the draw, American qualifier Maxime Cressy clawed past Serbian Laslo Djere 6-7(3), 6-1, 7-5 in two hours and 23 minutes. Cressy, who attended college in California at UCLA, will try to upset 11th seed Diego Schwartzman in the second round. The winner will play Evans or Nishikori.
Andy Murray is a winner even before playing his first match at the BNP Paribas Open.
Less than 24 hours after appealing to fans to use social media to spread news of his stolen wedding ring, the Scot has joyfully reported the successful recovery of the ring and the tennis shoes to which it was tied.
“I want to send a quick thanks for all the messages and for people sharing the story about the shoes and wedding ring,” Murray said in a selfie video posted to his Instagram account. “I had to make a few calls today and chat to security at the hotel and I have a little update for everyone…
“Would you believe it… they still absolutely stink but the shoes are back, the wedding ring is back and I’m back in the good books. Let’s go!”
Murray first reported in a video that he left his tennis shoes to defunkify overnight under a car in his hotel’s parking lot. They were stolen during the night and it wasn’t until he was preparing for practice that he realised that his wedding ring was looped through a shoelace.
That prompted his appeal on Instagram, which played in a role in today’s happy final chapter.
Top-ranked Polish stars Hubert Hurkacz and Iga Swiatek share a lot in common, not least a high regard for 36-time ATP Masters 1000 champion Rafael Nadal.
Sitting down for an episode of Tennis United: Crosscourt, the ATP and WTA stars found common ground when it came to discussing Nadal, with whom Swiatek practised at Roland Garros this year.
“Of course I love his topspin and just how he plays on clay,” Swiatek said. “Clay is also my favourite surface. So when I was younger I wanted to be like him but I knew it’s kind of impossible because he’s so much stronger.
“I also like his attitude and how he behaves off-court. He’s trying to be a good example for other people.”
“Your topspin is pretty heavy as well,” Hurkacz replied. “It worked at the French Open I think even better than his! I think he is an amazing example, the way he works hard and his attitude on the match and also how he behaves. He always says hi to everyone, he’s super nice, a real inspiration.”
Hurkacz and Swiatek also discuss their diets, match-day routines, team structure and more.
The complete episode list:
• Episode 1: Relationships (Gael Monfils & Elina Svitolina)
• Episode 2: Coaching (Felix Auger-Aliassime & Jennifer Brady)
• Episode 3: Doubles (Bethanie Mattek-Sands & Jamie Murray)
• Episode 4: Parenthood (Fabio Fognini & Elena Vesnina)
• Episode 5: Travel (Grigor Dimitrov & Belinda Bencic )
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Daniel Altmaier defeated birthday-boy Sam Querrey on Stadium 1 to reach the second round of the BNP Paribas Open Thursday, advancing 6-2, 6-4 in 62 minutes.
Altmaier out-aced 34-year-old Querrey, who has served the fifth-most aces of all time, by seven to two. The American’s serve was not at its usual potency, as he also served eight double faults and only made 42 per cent of first serves.
Altmaier’s victory was build around his dominance on the shorter points. The German had a decisive 46-26 edge in points of 0-4 shots per Infosys ATP Stats Rally Analysis.
Querrey, a 10-time ATP Tour champion and former World No. 11, is now 0-7 in his past seven matches.
The 23-year-old German went on back-to-back semi-final runs earlier this year in Umag and Kitzbuehel, also reaching the round of 16 at Roland Garros in 2020 as a qualifier.
Up next for Altmaier is former World No. 3 Grigor Dimitrov, a semi-finalist in San Diego last week.
[FOLLOW ACTION]The next season of @TheCrownNetflix looks awesome ???#BNPPO21 | @andy_murray pic.twitter.com/fiSjlv1EUR
— BNP Paribas Open (@BNPPARIBASOPEN) October 7, 2021
Another opening-day winner was Alexei Popyrin, who beat Miomir Kecmanovic 6-3, 7-6(4) to set up a second-round clash with Hubert Hurkacz.
The victory is Popyrin’s first over Kecmanovic, with the 22-year-old Serb winning their first two encounters in straight sets.
Popyrin, who won his first ATP Tour title earlier this year in Singapore, is recapturing his form towards the end of the season. The Australian has now won six of his past eight matches.
Kecmanovic’s YTD record now stands at 14-23, and he is 1-7 in ATP Masters 1000 events in 2021. The current World No. 62 won his lone ATP Tour title last season in Kitzbuehel.
There’s no place like #TennisParadise ?#BNPPO21 pic.twitter.com/hKcn0nk18L
— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 7, 2021
Tommy Paul overcame record-breaking Feliciano Lopez, winning 6-3, 7-6(3) against the 40-year-old Spaniard to level their ATP Head2Head at 1-1.
Paul, who was on a three-match losing run heading into the match, utilised his dominant first serve and returning prowess to pull through in straight sets. The American won 81 per cent (26/32) of his first-serve points, and also managed to break the lefty’s serve on three occasions.
By taking the court today Lopez broke the ATP Masters appearance record, playing in his 139th event, passing Roger Federer. Lopez also holds the record for the most consecutive Grand Slam appearances with 78.
Tennys Sandgren was another American to advance Thursday, but he needed nine match points to see off Thiago Monteiro 6-4, 6-3.
“It was anything but smooth sailing in the last 15 minutes,” Sandgren told Tennis Channel. “I had 0/40 on his serve at 5/2 and then [in the final game] like four match points, four break points saved, closed my eyes on a few volleys. The ones I had my eyes open on weren’t good. The ones I had my eyes closed on were good. I don’t know what that means excatly.
“It’s been a bad year. Everybody is really good and if you don’t play well you’re not going to win. It’s pretty simple. Tennis is like life. It’s up and down. The downs may be longer than you hope, but I’m still here plugging away, trying to get some Ws.”
Sandgren, who is just 8-15 on the season, next faces Briton Cameron Norrie (41-20), quipping “We’ve basically had opposite years”.
Carlos Taberner won an all-Spanish affair against Jaume Munar 6-3, 6-3, while Japan’s Taro Daniel defeated German Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-2, 6-4. Taberner will next face fourth-seeded Russian Andrey Rublev in the second round, while Daniel will take on American Reilly Opelka, the 16th seed.
Whatever the situation, a smile is never far from the face of Leonardo Mayer. Genuine and articulate, the Argentine was emotional on what was a special day in his life: the former No. 21 in the FedEx ATP Rankings and winner of two ATP Tour titles announced his retirement from tennis at midday on Thursday.
“I had a kind of internal battle. Even when I came back from Wimbledon I told myself: ‘I’m going to stop playing for a while and see how I feel,’” said Mayer. “So I gradually wound down from playing and, honestly, I felt fine. With plenty of barbecues and things to do at home, I said: ‘That’s it, everything I’ve done has been perfect and I’m not a tennis player anymore.’
“Tennis brought me so much joy and it’s been part of my life since I was little. But I feel that it’s time to end this wonderful period of being a player,” said the father of Valentino (4) and twins Camilo and Pedro (1) in a message he posted on social media. “Thank you to my wife Milagros, who was part of all my experiences and provided vital support. We have three beautiful children and they are the biggest trophies.”
Mayer grew up in a sporting environment, with tennis in particular being part of life at home early on for the player from Corrientes. After picking up a racquet for the first time at eight years of age, it was rarely far from his hands.
The 34-year-old Argentine never lost his dedication and passion as he built his career; tennis always came first. He turned pro in 2003, reaching No. 21 in the FedEx ATP Rankings in 2015 and almost ending 10 consecutive seasons in the Top 100 (2009-15, 2017-18). Through talent and hard work, he forged himself a solid and unfaltering game and carried himself with unwavering confidence on court.
What will he do with his time now that he has hung up his racquet?
“Yesterday, I went to the gym while my children were having a nap, but only for a while, so that my shoulder doesn’t hurt,” said Mayer. “I’ve started living as a stay-at-home dad, taking care of the house, looking after the garden… I cook a lot of barbecues, eat whatever I want, take care of the kids; all the things I never used to do because I had to look after myself. I can even play football matches now.
“I’ve had a good career. Yes, there are a few specific matches I could have won or played better in, but that’s just the way it is. That’s how you build a career and sometimes it’s not easy.”
Getting his first ATP point, entering the Top 100, winning an ATP tournament and being able to travel on the tour with his family are Mayer’s favourite memories. Among those memories is a match in Shanghai in 2014 that, despite being bittersweet, is impossible to forget.
He could barely hide his tears when he approached the net to shake hands with an opponent who had seen off everything the Argentine could throw at him. Partly due to bad fortune and partly because of Roger Federer’s magic, victory slipped through Mayer’s fingers the first time he faced the Swiss, who progressed after a 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(7) victory in which Mayer had five match points.
“That match was one of the luckiest I’ve played in my career,” Federer said several years later when he clashed with him again at the US Open.
“I still find that match unbelievable, because I never thought I would have a chance to beat him on that occasion,” Mayer said. “The day after losing I was happy, it’s very difficult to play against someone you admire that much; you always see them on TV and you can’t imagine playing against them.
“It was important to me to play with Federer even though I didn’t beat him. If I’d beaten him it would only have given me 45 more points at the time and allowed me to say ‘I beat him,‘ that’s all.”
If there was one place on tour where Mayer was in his element it was Hamburg, which holds a special place in his heart. There, he won both of his ATP Tour titles, in 2014 and 2017, also reaching the final in 2018 at the event, where he holds a 15-4 career record.
“It was really crazy. I liked watching it on TV, and by chance when I got there I felt comfortable, I had nothing to complain about,” he joked. “The court was incredible, the balls, the city, the club, everything. I won with fast shots, slow shots, I liked everything because I felt like a winner there.”
Now a family man, Mayer became emotional when he talked about what tennis meant, and will continue to mean, in his life.
“Tennis was a very important part of my life, a school, a primary school, a secondary school, a university, I qualified and now I’ve retired,” he laughed. “A tennis career is wonderful, it’s very demanding. You grow up very early, with so much responsibility from older people and you miss out on certain things, but I have no complaints. I had a great time, I loved the journey I went on, I achieved what I wanted to and I learned so much from it.”
Such is his bond with the game, that Mayer is sure it will continue to be a part of his life.
“I want to stay involved in tennis, coaching someone. I like teaching and having a goal with a player,” he explained. “I like tennis, that will always be the case. It’s not a decision I struggled with, quite the opposite; I’m on good terms with tennis, we’re friends and we always will be.”