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Tecau Signs Off On Storied ATP Tour Career

Horia Tecau embraced his partner Kevin Krawietz on Thursday after they completed a 6-3, 6-7(1), 10-6 victory against Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos at the Nitto ATP Finals. The Romanian had a big smile on his face knowing he had finished his ATP Tour career on a high.

It was the final tournament match of Tecau’s storied career. And although the eighth seeds did not advance to the semi-finals in Turin, it was still a perfect ending.

“It’s an amazing feeling. I couldn’t have written a better script for this moment. I’m really happy to be here, to do it on a nice team and finish with a win,” Tecau told ATPTour.com. “Before the match we were in the locker room and we couldn’t talk about tactics. I just wanted to play my last match like I did my career — play with good energy, try to win and fight hard until the end and leave everything on the court.

“That’s how I played every time and that’s the mark I wanted to leave on the court. Being able to get a win in an event like this in the last match, it’s an amazing feeling that not many players have. It’s probably going to sink in over the next few days, but I’m really happy to leave it like this.”

^{Photo Credit: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour}
Tecau’s brother, Andrei, did not travel much during Horia’s career, but he was in attendance at the Pala Alpitour. So were several of Tecau’s close friends. They were all on hand to celebrate the end of the 36-year-old’s journey, which started when he turned professional in 2003.

“I’m proud of a lot of things. I grew as a person through the game. All the goals and all the dreams I had, I was able to accomplish them and that is very fulfilling. I got to meet some great people along the way. I had great partners, coaches and made a lot of friendships,” Tecau said. “The way I went through it all and matured as a person and a player, I think that’s the biggest thing I’m proud of.”

The former World No. 2 won 38 tour-level doubles trophies, including two men’s doubles majors — he lifted the trophy at Wimbledon in 2015 and the US Open in 2017 alongside Jean-Julien Rojer. He also captured the 2015 Nitto ATP Finals crown with Rojer and three ATP Masters 1000 victories.

“The first Slam at Wimbledon was that big dream that you want to accomplish with your partner. You work together for that one goal, one everything and become a team and fight for it,” Tecau said. “The second was more about the partnership, the friendship, being there for each other and supporting each other through all the tough moments.”

The Romanian admitted that he began to feel his impending retirement last year. Entering this season, he did not necessarily expect to find a partner like Krawietz, who needed a partner after Andreas Mies underwent surgery early in the year. Their easygoing relationship kept Tecau going.

“I’m really happy to have played one more year and to make it here to the [Nitto ATP] Finals,” Tecau said. “The more I kept playing, the more it was sinking in and I knew it was coming and was going to happen at the end of the year. There is no doubt about it, no mixed feelings like I should change my mind. That didn’t exist. I just focussed on the way I wanted to finish and that’s it.”

Tecau is a humble champion who is widely respected by his peers. He also was focussed on helping the community and inspiring the future generations, writing “Viata in ritm de tenis” (Life in the Rhythm of Tennis), a children’s book that encourages kids to pursue their dreams through hard work.

The Romanian, who will play his final match in Davis Cup next week, rarely showed excessive emotion on the court, and let his tennis speak for itself.

“I was never going to change. The sport and the results and the way it goes is sometimes challenging, but I always tried to have good relationships with my coworkers, my friends and the staff at the events. I think that was something that I was educated with, but something I also saw before me,” Tecau said. “I was a big fan of [Stefan] Edberg, [Patrick] Rafter and Roger [Federer]. Watching these guys on TV and some of them I met in the locker room and saw how they acted and behaved throughout the year with ups and downs, that was a benchmark for me.

“There are a lot of fans and kids who like watching the sport and I think it’s important that they get to see that you can win and treat things that way. You don’t have to be a selfish, rude guy to make it. That’s the way I saw things and how I acted on and around the court and I’m very proud of that. I’ll carry that forever.”

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Win & You're In: Rublev, Ruud Aim For SF Spots; Djokovic Meets Norrie In Turin

It’s simple on Friday, win and you’re into the semi-final at the Nitto ATP Finals. That’s what Andrey Rublev and Casper Ruud hope for in the final Green Group matches at the Pala Alpitour in Turin.

For the first time since 1994, three of the four semi-finalists at the season finale will be former champions. Novak Djokovic, the Green Group winner, continues his quest for a record-equalling sixth Nitto ATP Finals crown, and will play 2018 titlist Alexander Zverev on Saturday, while World No. 2 and defending champion Daniil Medvedev, the Red Group winner, awaits Rublev or Ruud.

So will it be Rublev or Ruud who makes it? History is firmly in favour of Rublev, who holds a 4-0 ATP Head2Head record against first-time qualifier Ruud, and has won eight straight sets against the Norwegian after losing the first set they ever played.

But momentum is on Ruud’s side. While Rublev started strongly in Turin with a win over Stefanos Tsitsipas, he admitted to “rushing, overthinking” in defeat to Djokovic on Wednesday. Ruud, a five-time ATP Tour titlist in a career-best season, opened his campaign by losing to Djokovic, but then secured a confidence-boosting win over alternate Cameron Norrie.

Ruud will be hoping to bring all the impetus from his strong finish against Norrie to Friday’s clash and has already vowed to try to do things differently against Rublev: “I will, of course, try my best to bring something new to the table on Friday and challenge him in a different way than I’ve done before, because previously it hasn’t been working as I’ve wanted,” he said.

 

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In the night session, Djokovic will aim to complete the round-robin stage with a 3-0 record, but Norrie is determined to make an impression. “It is going to be difficult, but I am looking forward to it,” said Norrie, ahead of his first meeting with Djokovic. “I am going to see if I belong and can compete with a guy like that.”

Djokovic, who has a 50-6 match record in 2021, said, “I always like playing new players, particularly in one of the greatest tournaments in the world here in Turin. Cameron deserves to be here, it’s not lucky. He worked his way to Turin with great wins in Indian Wells and some other tournaments, so it will be fun to watch him tonight against Ruud and I’ll get ready for my next match.”

In doubles action, it’s all to play for in the Red Group on Friday. If Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury beat Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah, the American-British pair win the Red Group with Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut finishing second. But if Cabal and Farah win, the identity of the semi-finalists will be decided by the evening doubles match between Herbert and Mahut, and Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares.

ORDER OF PLAY – FRIDAY, 19 NOVEMBER 2021

CENTRE COURT start 11:30 am
[2] R. Ram (USA) / J. Salisbury (GBR) vs [5] J. Cabal (COL) / R. Farah (COL)

Not Before 2:00 pm
[5] A. Rublev (RUS) vs [8] C. Ruud (NOR)

Not Before 6:30 pm
[3] N. Mahut (FRA) / P.-H. Herbert (FRA) vs [7] J. Murray (GBR) / B. Soares (BRA)

Not Before 9:00 pm
[1] N. Djokovic (SRB) vs [Alt/10] C. Norrie (GBR)

See below for full qualification scenarios for the Green Group (singles) and Red Group (doubles).

Singles Green Group qualification scenarios:
After defeating Rublev in straight sets, Djokovic has qualified for the semi-finals and won the group.

– Rublev qualifies on Friday if he defeats Ruud.
– Ruud qualifies on Friday if he defeats Rublev.

Doubles Red Group qualification scenarios:
– If Ram/Salisbury win -> Ram/Salisbury will win the group and Herbert/Mahut will finish second.
– If Murray/Soares win and Cabal/Farah win -> Cabal/Farah will win the group and Ram/Salisbury will finish second.
– If Herbert/Mahut win in straights and Cabal/Farah win in straights -> Herbert/Mahut will win the group and Cabal/Farah will finish second.
– If Herbert/Mahut win in straights and Cabal/Farah win in 3 -> Herbert/Mahut win the group and Ram/Salisbury finish second.
– If Herbert/Mahut win in 3 sets and Cabal/Farah win in straights -> Cabal/Farah will win the group and Herbert/Mahut will finish second.
– If Herbert/Mahut win in 3 sets and Cabal/Farah win in 3 sets -> Ram/Salisbury win the group and Herbert/Mahut finish second.

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Medvedev Pleased To Keep Momentum Going In Turin

After soaring through the Red Group with three consecutive round-robin victories at the Nitto ATP Finals, Daniil Medvedev is feeling in good shape ahead of the semi-finals in Turin.

Having already qualified for the last four after defeating Alexander Zverev, the Russian faced Jannik Sinner Thursday with seemingly relatively little on the line. However, in a hard-fought clash, Medvedev saved two match points to defeat the Italian in a third-set tie-break and believes it was an important win to maintain his confidence.

“You want to win and keep the momentum, but at the same time you don’t want to go three hours 30 minutes and break your body,” Medvedev said. “The first set was tricky because in a way it was good as it was 30 minutes in my favour and I played a pretty good level.

“The second set I was 100 per cent as I wanted to try and finish the match quickly, which didn’t happen as Jannik played a great level. I am just happy to win and I will just try to be ready for Saturday.”

The 25-year-old won the title at the season finale last year in London and has beaten Hubert Hurkacz, Zverev and Sinner in Turin this week, adjusting to the fast conditions well. When reflecting on the round-robin stage, Medvedev was happy with where his game is at.

“I think the serve was really good throughout my three matches,” Medvedev said. “I got broken for the first time today. I hit a lot of aces and first serves in. When you win three matches out of three you like everything, but with the fast conditions here the serve is really important.”

The World No. 2 will next face either Andrey Rublev or Casper Ruud in the semi-finals on Saturday and will prepare for the clash over the next day.

“I am going to watch the match tomorrow and then prepare for the winner,” Medvedev said. “Sometimes it can be an advantage and sometimes a disadvantage when you have a day off before the semis, but that is how it is and I am going to take it well.”

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Sinner On Turin Experience: 'I Grew As A Player, But Also As A Person'

Jannik Sinner was disappointed, but philosophical on Thursday night after his 6-0, 6-7(5), 7-6(8) loss to Daniil Medvedev at the Nitto ATP Finals.

The 20-year-old was roared on by a passionate crowd at the Pala Alpitour in Turin, where the fans were desperate to see another victory for the Italian No. 2, who had replaced the injured Matteo Berrettini in the field.

“It was a great year for sure,” said Sinner. “[There were] a lot of highlights and playing here especially, it was a great feeling. I grew as a player, but also as a person, which for me is very important.

“I think it was a great season and whether someone [would have] expected it or not, I don’t know. But when you are, I think I started the year [at No.] 37 and finishing [in the] Top 10 [of the FedEx ATP Rankings], it’s great. For me, it’s a big pleasure to be one of these incredible players.

“On the other hand, I know what I have to improve, my team knows that as well, so it’s going to be interesting next year. But I don’t want to rush, that’s for me the main goal. I’m 20, next year I’m 21, there’s still many, many years that I can play on the Tour.”

Sinner led 4-2 in the decider and held two match points in the third-set tie-break, but was ultimately defeated by World No. 2 Medvedev, who remains unbeaten at the Nitto ATP Finals since losing all three matches he played on his debut in 2019.

Sinner’s debut at the season-ending finale has been more successful – he beat Hubert Hurkacz on Tuesday, becoming the youngest player to win his first match at the Nitto ATP Finals since Lleyton Hewitt in 2000.

The Italian, who has guaranteed that he will finish the year inside the Top 10 with his Nitto ATP Finals win over Hurkacz, said he was proud of the way he had bounced back from losing the first set 6-0.

“The first set, obviously, I was a little nervous,” said Sinner. “There were moments where he was not missing any balls and I tried to find a solution somehow. Then after I took a little bit more time, [I] tried to understand how to play against him. I found a solution a little bit.”

“Obviously, there were some moments when I was a little bit unlucky, but he is World No. 2 and he played an unbelievable match. Today, also, I tried my best. The atmosphere helped me a lot, so. I think it was a great match. Obviously, it was not the way I want to end it, but I think I can be proud that after a first set like this, I found a solution, which was the best thing to do.”

Sinner says the experience in Turin will give him a lot of confidence for 2022.

“It can give me a lot of confidence for the next year, in one way. In another way, I know I have still to improve many things,” Sinner said. “Now we have time to do that, especially physically, and then we will see next year what’s coming.”

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Medvedev Saves 2 MPs, Maintains Perfect Turin Record

Daniil Medvedev will head into the semi-finals at Nitto ATP Finals in strong form after he captured his third consecutive round-robin win Thursday, topping Red Group with a 3-0 record.

The World No. 2, who secured qualification for the last four on Tuesday when he beat Alexander Zverev, saved two match points as he edged home favourite Jannik Sinner 6-0, 6-7(5), 7-6(8) in front of a lively crowd at the Pala Alpitour in Turin.

“It was tough,” Medvedev said in his on-court interview. “Mentally it was tough knowing the match was dead. But I did not want to lose my rhythm. I won the first set quite easily and I was like, lets continue this way. The second set was about an hour or so and then it is the third set. But you’re not going to not play the third set because I like to win, I don’t like to lose. I am happy I won.”

Medvedev has now won his past eight matches at the season finale, having defeated Dominic Thiem to lift the trophy when the event was held in London last year.

In an entertaining match, the Russian hit with consistent depth against Sinner as he used his flat groundstrokes to pin the Italian back. Medvedev recovered from a break down in the third set and saved match points at 5/6 and 7/8 in the third-set tie-break to extend his ATP Head2Head series lead against the 20-year-old to 3-0.

Medvedev, who beat Hubert Hurkacz in his opening round-robin match, will play either Casper Ruud or Andrey Rublev in the semi-finals, with the pair facing off Friday in a winner-takes-all clash. World No. 1 Novak Djokovic has already won the Green Group and will take on Zverev in the last four.

“When I know that I am in the next round and I am waiting for my opponent, I watch the match to see how they play,” Medvedev added. “So I am just going to watch it and enjoy it and wait for the winner.”

Earlier this season, Medvedev earned his fourth ATP Masters 1000 trophy in Toronto, before he ended Djokovic’s Grand Slam hopes by defeating the Serbian in the US Open final to capture his maiden major title. The Russian is now 57-12 on the year.

Medvedev flew out of the blocks against Sinner to quickly quieten the crowd inside the Pala Alpitour. The Russian hit with power and precision from the baseline in the first set, committing just three unforced errors in the set as he closed out points with ruthless efficiency to seal the opener in 26 minutes.

The second set followed a different pattern though as Sinner grew into the match. The Italian showed his grit and quality as he broke to move 3-1 ahead. However, all it did was rile up Medvedev, who broke back immediately. The pair then moved to a tie-break, and it was Sinner who held his nerve to level, raising his arms in the air as he marched back to his chair.

In a tight third set, Medvedev battled back from 2-4 as he used his experience to regain some control. But Sinner remained strong on serve as a tie-break was left to decide the match. Medvedev and Sinner played aggressively in the tie-break, with both striking the ball with great power. After saving match points at 5/6 and 7/8, it was Medvedev who secured victory after two hours and 32 minutes when he hit a backhand winner on his second match point.

The first alternate Sinner defeated Hurkacz on his debut at the season finale on Tuesday following Matteo Berrettini’s withdrawal due to a left oblique injury. However, despite a valiant effort, he was unable to make it back-to-back victories against Medvedev.

The 20-year-old won four tour-level titles in a breakthrough 2021 season and will finish the year inside the Top 10 of the FedEx ATP Rankings.

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Retirees Honoured At 2021 Nitto ATP Finals

Five recent retirees — Steve Darcis, Martin Klizan, Julian Knowle, Paolo Lorenzi and Viktor Troicki — were honoured on Thursday at the Pala Alpitour during the Nitto ATP Finals.

ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi presented each player with a frame celebrating their greatest accomplishments before they all later took to centre court for a special ceremony.

The last player who walked on the court, Lorenzi, is Italian. The 39-year-old, who retired following this year’s US Open, climbed as high as No. 33 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. Lorenzi made history in Kitzbühel in 2016 when as a 34-year-old he became the oldest first-time singles champion in ATP Tour history (since 1990).

“It’s unbelievable. I really missed the fans in New York, I played my last match without people,” Lorenzi told ATPTour.com. “To finish here in Italy with this ceremony is really important to me. I had time to say goodbye to everyone and I had the people close to me throughout my career. I will miss this and them a lot.”

The highest-ranked singles player of the group was former World No. 12 Viktor Troicki. The Serbian won three tour-level singles titles in his career, including back-to-back triumphs in Sydney in 2015 and 2016.

^{Photo Credit: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour}
Former World No. 24 Martin Klizan, who completed his career at Wimbledon this year, won six ATP Tour titles. His biggest triumph came in 2016 at Rotterdam, where he earned four of his five wins in three sets.

Belgian Steve Darcis, known for his creative game, reached World No. 38. When he was 33, Darcis became the third-oldest player to debut in Top 40 since 1975. He also claimed the first tour-level victories of his career en route to lifting the trophy at Amersfoort in 2007. Fans also remember his big win against Rafael Nadal in the first round of Wimbledon in 2013.

“I will take the two Davis Cup finals, the two titles I won in Amersfoort and Memphis and also my win against Nadal, because everybody is talking about this. I will take these with me and never forget those moments.”

The doubles player in the group was former World No. 6 Julian Knowle, who was already in Turin this week coaching doubles competitors Kevin Krawietz and Horia Tecau. The Austrian lifted 19 tour-level titles, including a major victory at the 2007 US Open alongside Simon Aspelin.

“First of all, a big thanks to the ATP for having me and putting me one more time on the big stage. It was a very nice feeling. Nothing to regret about my career. It was emotional when they told me about this retirement [ceremony] for the players,” Knowle said. “It was not always easy, but at the end it worked out pretty well and I have no regrets.”

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Peng Shuai: Serena Williams says case 'must be investigated'

Serena Williams says the case of Chinese player Peng Shuai “must be investigated” and urged people “not to stay silent” about her welfare.

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Mektic/Pavic Keep Alive Hopes Of 10th Title In 2021

Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic are still in the hunt for a 10th ATP Tour-level title of 2021 after reaching the semi-finals in Turin.

The top-seeded Croatians defeated sixth seeds Ivan Dodig and Filip Polasek 6-4, 7-6(6) in their final round-robin match at the Nitto ATP Finals to join fourth seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos in the semi-finals.

The defeat marks the end of the partnership between Australian Open champions Dodig and Polasek, but their Croatian opponents seemingly go from strength to strength. The duo won 56 of their first 61 matches in 2021, including titles at Wimbledon, the Tokyo Olympics and three ATP Masters 1000 events.

After both teams defeated eighth seeds Kevin Krawietz and Horia Tecau earlier in the week, the semi-final spot came down to a straight fight in the final round-robin match of the Green Group. Mektic and Pavic led the ATP Head-to-Head 2-1, but had lost arguably the biggest match of the rivalry when Dodig and Polasek triumphed in the Australian Open semi-finals. Three of the four players had also featured in the gold medal match at the Tokyo Olympics, where Dodig had partnered Marin Cilic to the silver medal.

Mektic and Pavic got off to the brighter start, breaking Dodig and Polasek at their first opportunity in the fifth game. Although Dodig and Polasek fended off four break points at 2-4 to stay in touch and had two break points of their own as the Croatians served for the set, Mektic and Pavic were able to close out the opener in 38 minutes.

Dodig and Polasek broke immediately to lead 2-0 in the second set, but Mektic and Pavic soon broke back. The Croatians raced to a 4-1 lead in the tie-break before being pegged back on serve by some strong returning from Dodig, but ultimately Pavic landed a return winner for a second match point and then converted with a big serve.

This will be Pavic’s first appearance in the semi-finals of the Nitto ATP Finals, while Mektic won the title with Wesley Koolhoff in 2020.

Mektic and Pavic will have to wait to find out who their semi-final opponents will be, with three teams in the Red Group still in contention going into the final day of round-robin matches on Friday.

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Zverev On Djokovic Semi-final: 'I'm Expecting Another Tough One'

Alexander Zverev has set his sights on raising his game for a semi-final blockbuster against Novak Djokovic on Saturday at the Nitto ATP Finals.

The German star, who beat Hubert Hurkacz 6-2, 6-4 to complete Green Group action with a 2-1 record on Friday, has already played World No. 1 Djokovic four times this season.

“We have played each other in basically every single big hard-court event this year, at the ATP Cup, Australian Open, Olympics and US Open,” said Zverev, who beat Djokovic en route to the Tokyo Olympics gold medal in August. “So it’s only right that we play each other here as well.”

Djokovic won their ATP Cup clash 6-7(3), 6-2, 7-5 in February and 6-7(6), 6-2, 6-4, 7-6(6) in the Australian Open quarter-finals. Zverev won their Tokyo semi-final 1-6, 6-3, 6-1, before Djokovic beat the 24-year-old once again, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, in the US Open semi-finals.

“I’m looking forward to it,” said Zverev, ahead of their 11th ATP Head2Head meeting. “It’s always interesting and close when we play each other, so I’m expecting another tough one… There will be a lot of long rallies, we will run a lot more and suffer, in a way, a lot more as well.

“I think every single match we have played has been close. We’ve needed to be at our best and one or two points decided the matches. I expect no different here as well.”

The World No. 3 knows that Djokovic has a strong following in Italy, but Zverev has also enjoyed his time in Turin. “I love Italy a lot and I think the fans can relate to me as well,” said Zverev, who won the 2017 Internazionali BNL d’Italia crown in Rome. “The food is great… I feel that the Italian fans are louder, they are electric and into the sport.”

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Hurkacz: 'I Have Gained A Lot Of Experience'

Hubert Hurkacz may have not won a match on his debut at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin this week, but the Pole believes he has lots of positives to take from competing at the event as he looks to return next year.

The 24-year-old demonstrated his capabilities as he claimed the first set in his opening match to Daniil Medvedev before losing in three. Hurkacz then fell to Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev in the Red Group as he was unable to find top form at the Pala Alpitour.

“I have gained a lot of experience,” Hurkacz said. “I definitely want to be back here and compete at a better level because I know I can play better than I played this week. I started well and then just didn’t’ play well enough and sometimes that happens.”

Hurkacz earned his place at the season finale after enjoying a breakthrough season. The World No. 9 captured tour-level titles in Delray Beach and Metz, while he also clinched his maiden ATP Masters 1000 crown in Miami.

When reviewing his year following his final match of 2021, the Wimbledon semi-finalist was pleased with the success he has achieved, but admits he can make further improvements.

“I think it was a great season. I learned a lot, which was very big for me. The improvements I have made [gave me] the opportunity to be here and compete here. I am learning about what to work on. It is nice to have a lot of things to improve in my game. My return and my forehand are things I want to work on.”

Medvedev and Sinner will round off Red Group action on Thursday evening. Medvedev has already secured top spot, with Alexander Zverev qualifying in second following his victory against Hurkacz.

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