Tennis News

Coach Lugones On Norrie: 'He's A Completely Different Animal'

When Facundo Lugones completed his studies at Texas Christian University, he was prepared to work in the finance industry. Instead, after serving as a volunteer assistant coach for the team, he got an opportunity to travel with Cameron Norrie, who was leaving school in 2017 to turn professional.

More than four years later, the pair is still going strong and Norrie is enjoying the best season of his career. The lefty just reached a career-high No. 29 in the FedEx ATP Rankings and will try to make a deep run at the US Open, where he plays #NextGenATP Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz in the first round.

Lugones recently spoke to ATPTour.com about his time as Norrie’s teammate, how their relationship has developed, why Norrie is enjoying his best season yet and more.

You guys met at school. What do you remember of Cameron from when he was a freshman?
He was pretty casual, a very social kid. He got along well with everyone and was just very friendly, but pretty competitive. There was not much structure in his life, everything was kind of random. But he was really competitive, really fun to be around, a great friend. He was just like any other college kid… he was looking for fun more than anything.

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In college tennis the older kids always try to help the younger kids on the team on and off the court. How much did you do that with him?
I wouldn’t say I helped, but I tried to be a good role model and set a good example for him. He didn’t like to be told, but he really liked when people did the right things and he would copy that. He would copy good examples of good actions from teammates rather than being told what to do. I think that was the way to do it with him: rather than tell him, show him.

How different is your relationship now compared to when you met him years ago in college?
It’s a little more professional and mature now. When it comes to working, setting goals, having tough conversations and getting ready for tournaments, it’s very serious. When we’re off the court at the hotel and talking about any other aspect of life, it’s like friends. It’s about knowing what role we are in and when. In tennis, it’s very serious and focused. When it’s a life chat, it’s more relaxed.  

?@rogerfederer pic.twitter.com/ywbHAkfnQo

— Cameron Norrie (@cam_norrie) March 9, 2018

What’s the biggest difference between him now and when he first turned professional in 2017?
Now he’s a better tennis player and physically he’s a completely different animal. Back then he had a lot of endurance and was a great competitor, but didn’t have a lot of weapons. He would outlast you, make a lot of balls and be tougher than the other guy. Today he has a better serve, he’s stronger, he looks to dictate the point a lot more. He’s more physical and a more complete player.

People often speak about his fitness. Is there a way to describe just how physical his game is?
His main asset on the physical side is his endurance. He can play not only for a couple hours, but four hours and maintain the same level of physicality. Some players can be really physical, but only for two hours. I think he has the endurance to do it for many hours and consecutive days, back to back to back. He moves very well, is explosive, but I think the main thing is his endurance.

The tennis side is something that can always be improved, but not everyone has that physical element. How key is that?
He naturally has always been a good runner from a very young age. He would run long distances with his mom, so naturally he has endurance. He doesn’t really need to work much on that. He works a lot more on being a little stronger and moving better with some movement patterns, switching directions and speed.

But we never really work on endurance or outlasting someone, because he has that. I think it’s a good plus when you don’t need to worry about that. You just have to worry about the quality and explosiveness on the physical side.

Watch Highlights Of Norrie’s First Title Win In Los Cabos:

This has been a pretty good year for Cameron. How do you keep pushing for more?
You set new goals and expectations can change. But at the end of the day, his main goal is to keep getting better as a tennis player. Now at tournaments we’re not just happy with one or two wins, we want to go deep. You start setting new goals and set the bar higher and look for more. It’s about not staying satisfied. You need to enjoy the good moments quickly and get ready for the next challenge.

What are the next goals?
One of them at the beginning of the year was to finish Top 30, and we’re on track for that. Then we need to keep pushing those goals further and further. If he finishes Top 30, next year will be Top 20, Top 15 to then Top 10 and obviously No. 1. That’s the goal of every single tennis player.

What’s your favourite thing about Cameron outside of tennis?
The way he treats people all the same. It doesn’t matter if it’s Andy Murray or a friend of mine in Argentina. He will treat people the same and give them the same attention. He doesn’t care who you are, but in a good way. Also how fun he is. He’s a great guy to be around, always looking for fun, always up for anything. He’s a pretty normal guy.

Have you been able to teach him some Spanish?
I tried, but he’s not very good. That’s one thing he’s not very good at: languages. His best friend is from Chile and they lived together for three years, but he still doesn’t know much Spanish. He can order now and understand a little more, but he never really learned a lot of Spanish, which I kind of regret and I’m sure he does, too.

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Chicago Open: Elina Svitolina beats Alize Cornet to win 16th career title

World number six Elina Svitolina wins her 16th career title by beating Alize Cornet at the Chicago Open.

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Andy Murray says players have 'responsibility' to public and should get vaccinated

Andy Murray says tennis players have a responsibility to the public as they travel the world, and should therefore be vaccinated against Covid.

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Ivashka Clinches First Title In Winston-Salem

Ilya Ivashka cruised past Mikael Ymer 6-0, 6-2 Saturday at the Winston-Salem Open to capture his maiden tour-level title and become the first Belarusian to win a trophy at this level since Max Mirnyi in 2003.

The World No. 63, who beat top seed Pablo Carreno Busta en route to the final, dominated from the baseline and was strong on serve, winning 90 per cent (18/20) of points on his first delivery to secure his victory in 56 minutes.

”This week, I had everything,” Ivashka said during the trophy ceremony. “In the second round, I was booking my flights to New York. I was two points away from losing and now I am standing here. It is incredible how things can change in one match. It was an unbelievable pleasure to play here. I feel amazing to play in front of such a nice crowd and I really enjoyed it.”

Ivashka was competing in his third tournament of the North American hard-court swing, having advanced to the third round in Washington, while being stopped in qualifying in Cincinnati by #NextGenATP Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz.

“I want to thank my team and my wife, she is always there and this one is for you,” Ivashka added. “My coach is always there with me and supporting me and we have been together for a long time so I thank him for everything. It was a dream week.”

2021 First-Time ATP Tour Champions

The Munich semi-finalist dropped just one set in Winston-Salem to become the eighth first-time winner on the ATP Tour this season and the sixth titlist to be ranked outside the Top 50 this year.

In a fast start, Ivashka broke in the opening game as he controlled the tempo of the match in the first set. The 27-year-old stepped inside the baseline, striking the ball with great depth as he did not lose a point on serve in the set as he forced Ymer into errors. Ivashka sealed the opener with one of the 48 aces he hit throughout the tournament.

Fuelled by momentum, there was no respite for Ymer during the second set as Ivashka continued to dictate, manoeuvering the Swede around the court with his heavy groundstrokes. Ymer finally got on the scoreboard in the ninth game of the match, but was unable to muster a comeback as Ivashka raced to his victory to lead their ATP Head2Head Series 1-0.

Ymer, alongside Ivashka, was competing in his maiden tour-level final Saturday. The 22-year-old was aiming to become the first Swedish champion at this level since Robin Soderling clinched the Bastad title in 2011.

“I think it was a good week. When the time is right and I have calmed down, there are things to bring with me. I just have to study exactly what these things are to become more consistent for the future,” Ymer said. “He was very stable, he was very focused. He didn’t give me any chances to really come back and he was the better tennis player today.”

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Five Challenger Stars To Watch At The US Open

For the next fortnight, all eyes will be on the stars of the ATP Tour as they battle for glory at the US Open. But as hungry as they will be to lift the champions’ trophy, there is a group of competitors that are just as motivated to make a splash at the hard-court Grand Slam. They are the players competing throughout the year on the ATP Challenger Tour.

Securing entry into a Grand Slam is no simple task. It requires year-round focus, hard work and consistency to arrive at this moment. For players grinding on the Challenger circuit, this is the reward. Having the opportunity to test their talents against the best players in the world, and with coveted points and prize money at stake, is what drives these players from January to November.

The 2021 US Open is no exception. A platform to showcase their skills and eventually take the next step on the ATP Tour, it presents a huge opportunity on a global stage. A strong performance at the US Open can prove to be career-altering for many Challenger stars, as they target the Top 100 and beyond. So, which players are poised to wreak havoc on the draw? We look at five to watch in New York…

Jenson Brooksby (USA)
The breakout ATP Challenger star of 2021 has fast become one of the more feared competitors on the pro circuit. Superlatives aside, Brooksby has made a name for himself behind a determined and unrelenting approach, boasting an air of confidence typically reserved for the most accomplished veterans. A self-described ‘physical player’, the 20-year-old has one gear: non-stop attack.

One of the newest members of the Top 100 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, Brooksby has soared from No. 310 to open the 2021 season to join the elite club. What started with a domination of the ATP Challenger Tour, claiming a trio of titles and posting a 23-3 record, has since translated to the tour-level. Not only did he qualify for Roland Garros in May, but that would be followed by a final run at the ATP 250 event in Newport and a semi-final finish at the Citi Open in Washington, D.C.

Now, the California native will look to continue his push towards Next Gen ATP Finals qualification when he enters his home Grand Slam. Two years ago, he was a relative unknown when he stunned former World No. 4 Tomas Berdych in New York. Now, Brooksby has arrived. He will open against Mikael Ymer, with a potential second-round clash against 14th seed Alex de Minaur or Taylor Fritz looming large.

Cem Ilkel (TUR)
It’s not often that you have the opportunity to make history for your country on the Grand Slam stage. But that is exactly what 26-year-old Ilkel has been tasked with at the US Open. The Istanbul native will be just the second man from Turkey to appear in a major main draw in the Open Era, after successfully qualifying at the US Open on Friday. He joins Marsel Ilhan, who made 12 major appearances from 2009-16.

Tennis in Turkey has enjoyed a significant boost in 2021, behind breakout campaigns from Ilkel and Altug Celikbilek. Both feature in the Top 200 of the FedEx ATP Rankings, with Ilkel claiming his maiden Challenger title in Quimper, France, last year and Celikbilek adding two crowns of his own – in Porto and Pozoblanco – one month ago.

It was in the Pozoblanco final that the two budding stars faced off in just the second all-Turkish final in ATP Challenger history. Celikbilek would prevail in a deciding set, but it is Ilkel who has carried the momentum into the US Open. Wins over Cedrik-Marcel Stebe, former World No. 8 Fernando Verdasco and surging #NextGenATP star Jiri Lehecka saw him qualify for his maiden major. He will make his debut on Monday, facing Alex Molcan on Court 8.

ATP Challenger Match Wins Leaders in 2021

Alex Molcan (SVK)
Ilkel’s first-round opponent is another qualifier making his major debut, Slovakian star Molcan. Both Grand Slam debutants epitomize that ‘never give up’ attitude of so many players battling on the ATP Challenger Tour.

At the age of 26, Ilkel is finally breaking through after years of fighting for his tennis dreams. And at the age of 23, Molcan is in a similiar position. Three years after reaching his first Challenger final, the Bratislava resident says he now has the tools to make a charge up the FedEx ATP Rankings. It all started with a run to the final at the ATP 250 event in Belgrade in May, where he faced World No. 1 Novak Djokovic for the title.

“It was a huge confidence boost and I took a lot of information from that match, to see how Djokovic plays,” Molcan told ATPTour.com. “To see his logic and intelligence on the court really helped me grow and I kept improving and getting better and better. I started to believe in myself and the confidence was the biggest thing. There was no consistency when I was younger, but if you want to change, you have to work. This year, we had a good preparation and now I am putting the puzzle together.”

Despite falling to Djokovic in the Belgrade final, he has carried the momentum into the second half of 2021. Not only did he claim his maiden ATP Challenger crown in Liberec, Czech Republic, but he did so in ruthless fashion. Molcan dropped a combined two games in the semi-finals and final, en route to his first title and a career-high of No. 136 in the FedEx ATP Rankings.

The winner of Molcan/Ilkel is guaranteed to face an American in the second round – either 19th-seed John Isner or #NextGenATP star Brandon Nakashima.

Photo: Regina Cortina Photography

Holger Vitus Nodskov Rune (DEN)
Denmark has a new star and his name is Holger. A three-time ATP Challenger champion in 2021, the surging teenager is finding his form in a hurry on the biggest stages in professional tennis. The US Open will provide his biggest test yet, with a first-round clash with top seed Novak Djokovic looming large. It will be a Tuesday night battle under the lights on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Rune is fast becoming one of the more feared #NextGenATP stars on the planet. Not only did the 18-year-old become the youngest Challenger winner in Denmark’s history, with his maiden title in Biella, but he is now riding a 13-match win streak after lifting back-to-back trophies in San Marino and Verona and successfully qualifying at the US Open. He will make his Grand Slam debut after overcoming Mats Moraing on Friday. The Dane was won 18 of his last 19 sets played, going back to the San Marino final earlier this month.

Rune has become a machine in 2021, launching his 6’2″ frame into a mammoth forehand from all corners of the court. In just his second ATP Tour main draw appearance, he reached the quarter-finals on the clay of Santiago in February. And the Copenhagen native would add tour-level victories in Bastad and Kitzbuhel in July.

Rune is poised for a breakthrough under the bright lights of Flushing Meadows.

Botic Van de Zandschulp (NED)
Four Grand Slams in 2021, four main draw appearances for the Dutchman. After reaching the second round at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon, defeating Hubert Hurkacz as a qualifier and Gregoire Barrere as a lucky loser, Van de Zandschulp will look to go one step further in his US Open debut. With a year of Grand Slam experience and a successful campaign on the ATP Challenger Tour under his belt, the Dutchman is certainly one to watch in New York.

To say that Van de Zandschulp has been battle tested entering the hard-court major is an understatement. He rallied from a set down in all three of his qualifying matches this week, overcoming Marcelo Tomas Barrios Vera, Ben Shelton and Enzo Couacaud to punch his ticket. In fact, he found himself a break down in the deciding set against the American wild card Shelton, before storming back.

Sitting at a career-high No. 118 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, the 25-year-old is making his mark on the pro circuit this year. Since registering his first Top 20 victory over Hurkacz at Roland Garros, he reached his first final of the year in Amersfoort and added three more semi-final finishes. And earlier in the year, he advanced to his first ATP Tour quarter-final at the Great Ocean Road Open in Melbourne.

Van de Zandschulp will open against Spain’s Carlos Taberner on Court 15 on Monday, with a potential second-round clash against either eighth-seed Casper Ruud or former World No. 5 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the cards.

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Murray Feeling Physically Strong Ahead Of US Open

Former US Open champion Andy Murray is feeling fit and confident ahead of the final major of the season in New York.

The 34-year-old has enjoyed a positive North-American hard-court swing, winning first-round matches in Cincinnati and Winston-Salem earlier this month. While Murray is cautiously optimistic about his game and fitness, he believes he can raise his level.

“Physically, I’ve been good since I’ve been here in the matches,” Murray said in his pre-tournament press conference. “I pulled up well the following days after them. That for me has been really positive. I would obviously like my game to be in a better place.

“It is interesting sometimes that you don’t feel like you’re playing particularly well, but I’ve had opportunities in my matches against top players in the past few weeks and not quite taken them. Maybe if I did, I’d be sitting here with a slightly different take on things.”

Murray has played in six tour-level singles tournaments this season. However, in recent months, the World No. 114 has taken to the practice court with more regularity as he aims to transfer his form into matches.

“The positive thing in the past few months is that I haven’t been held back really from what I can do on the practice court,” Murray said. “I have been on the practice court and I have been training and doing all the things I wanted to do from a practise perspective. It is the matches where you need to ultimately go out there and perform. That’s what’s been frustrating the past few weeks.”

Murray, who defeated Serbian Novak Djokovic in the 2012 US Open final to capture his first major title, will begin his 15th Flushing Meadows campaign against World No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas in a tough opener for the Scot.

Despite this, Murray is relishing the chance to pit himself against one of the favourites for the title and is excited to do so in front of crowds once again in New York.

“[It is] not the easiest draw out there,” Murray said. “When you’re not seeded, these sorts of things can happen. It will be a good, good test for me to see kind of where my game’s at, where it’s progressed to from when I arrived in the States.

“The crowd’s always helped. They like people that fight, give their all, show their heart and emotion and energy on the court. I think over the years here I’ve had very good support, so I’ve enjoyed that.”

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US Open Scouting Report: Djokovic Chasing History, Can Medvedev & Others Stop Him?

The world’s best players are ready for the US Open, the season’s fourth and final major. Novak Djokovic will aim to make more history and break further records, while Toronto titlist Daniil Medvedev and Cincinnati champion Alexander Zverev will be among the leading players trying to stop him.

Before play gets underway, ATPTour.com looks at 10 things to watch in New York.

View Draw 

1) Djokovic Going For No. 21: After capturing his 20th major title at Wimbledon in July to move level with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal on majors won, Djokovic will try to claim two historic achievements at the US Open over the next fortnight. The World No. 1 will stand alone at the top of the major record books with 21 titles with victory in New York.

The Serbian is also bidding to become just the second male player in the Open Era (since April 1968) to complete a Grand Slam, having lifted the trophy at the Australian Open, Roland Garros and Wimbledon this year. Djokovic hopes to match the accomplishment of Rod Laver, who completed a Grand Slam in 1969 (and 1962, before the Open Era). The three-time US Open champion will open his campaign against qualifier Holger Vitus Nodskov Rune, a #NextGenATP player from Denmark, and could meet seventh seed Matteo Berrettini in the quarter-finals.

2) Can Medvedev Capture Maiden Major? Russia’s Medvedev comes alive during the North American hard-court swing. In 2019, the World No. 2 lifted his first ATP Masters 1000 crown in Cincinnati just one week after advancing to his maiden championship match at that level in Montreal. This form helped propel the second seed to his first major final at the US Open that year where he fell to Rafael Nadal in five sets.

This year, Medvedev enjoyed a dominant run to his fourth Masters 1000 crown in Toronto, becoming the first Russian winner in Canada since Marat Safin in 2000. He then reached the last four in Cincinnati earlier this month. Will the 25-year-old use that momentum to surge to his first major title in New York, where he also made the semi-finals last year? Medvedev will face Frenchman Richard Gasquet, the former World No. 7, in the first round. 

3) Zverev In Form: Nobody arrives in New York in better form than World No. 4 Alexander Zverev. The German, who reached his first major final at the US Open last year, defeated Djokovic en route to winning the Tokyo Olympics singles gold medal earlier this month. Zverev then dropped just one set in Cincinnati at the Western & Southern Open as he claimed his fifth Masters 1000 title.

The 24-year-old is on an 11-match winning streak and will look to extend it against American Sam Querrey, a big-hitting former US Open quarter-finalist (2017) in the first round.

4) Tsitsipas Time: Stefanos Tsitsipas has been impressive this season, recording an ATP Tour-leading 48 victories. Earlier this year, the Greek captured his first Masters 1000 crown in Monte-Carlo and reached his maiden major final at Roland Garros. This has seen the him rise to a career-high No. 3 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. Tsitsipas enters the US Open with momentum after semi-final runs on hard in Toronto and Cincinnati this month.

However, the eight-time tour-level titlist has never advanced past the third round in three previous main draw appearances at Flushing Meadows, falling to Croatian Borna Coric in five sets last year. If Tsitsipas reaches the second week at Flushing Meadows, he could face Andrey Rublev in the quarter-finals.

5) Rublev Enters With Momentum: World No. 7 Rublev has reached two Masters 1000 finals this year, most recently in Cincinnati where he claimed a maiden victory over countryman Medvedev en route to the championship match. And he arrives at a venue, the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, where he has fond memories. In 2017, a 19-year-old Rublev became the youngest US Open quarter-finalist since Andy Roddick in 2001. The Russian also made the last eight in New York last year.

6) #NextGenATP Stars: There are a host of #NextGenATP stars set to compete in New York over the next fortnight. Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime, seeded 12th and Italy’s Jannik Sinner, seeded 13th, are two of the 32 seeds in the singles draw. Sinner captured his second tour-level title of the season in Washington at the start of August and will try to capture his first victory at the US Open in his third attempt when he faces wild card Max Purcell in the first round.

Auger-Aliassime notched his best performance at a major at the time last year when he enjoyed a run to the fourth round in New York. The 21-year-old arrives at Flushing Meadows on the back of reaching the quarter-finals at Wimbledon and in Cincinnati.

Umag champion Carlos Alcaraz and 19-year-old Lorenzo Musetti will make their US Open debuts, while American Sebastian Korda will be competing at his home major for a second time, having fallen to Denis Shapovalov last year in the first round. Alcaraz and Musetti enjoyed breakthrough runs to the third round and fourth round, respectively, at Roland Garros in June, with Korda reaching the last 16 at Wimbledon in July.

7) Murray In Action: After winning matches in Cincinnati and Winston-Salem this month, 2012 US Open champion Andy Murray will aim to continue building up his form at the US Open. The 34-year-old, who is competing at the hard-court major for the 15th time, has played singles in six tour-level tournaments this season. Murray has advanced to the second round in his past two appearances in New York (2018, 2020), last reaching the quarter-finals at a major in 2017 at Wimbledon. The Scot will begin his campaign against third seed Tsitsipas in a blockbuster clash. 

8) Opelka & Isner Lead American Charge: Big-servers Reilly Opelka and John Isner will lead the American quest for success in New York, with both arriving in strong form. Opelka, who begins against Soonwoo Kwon, notched his first top five win over Tsitsipas in Toronto en route to his maiden Masters 1000 final, while Isner, who plays #NextGenATP American Brandon Nakashima in the first round, reached the last four in Canada.

Alongside Korda and Nakashima, another #NextGenATP American will compete: World No. 99 Jenson Brooksby. Brooksby reached the final in Newport in July and backed that up by enjoying a run to the semi-finals on hard in Washington. The 20-year-old faces Swede Mikael Ymer in the first round.

9) More Players To Watch: Italy’s Berrettini has fond memories of New York, having reached the semi-finals in 2019. The sixth seed advanced to his first major championship match at Wimbledon in July and plays Jeremy Chardy in the first round. Casper Ruud will also look to transition his clay-court form onto hard, having become the first player since Andy Murray in October 2011 to win three consecutive tour-level titles in July (Gstaad, Bastad, Kitzbühel). The Norwegian recently advanced to the quarter-finals in Toronto and Cincinnati and will open against former World No. 5 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Hubert Hurkacz, who became the first Pole to win a Masters 1000 title when he lifted the trophy in Miami in March, has enjoyed a strong season. The 24-year-old, currently in ninth place in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin, advanced to the last eight in Toronto and reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon in July. The three-time tour-level champion begins against Egor Gerasimov.

Canadian Shapovalov and Australian Alex de Minaur will also be dangerous. Shapovalov will be aiming to snap a four-match losing streak in his opening match against Federico Delbonis, while De Minaur will look to build on the experience he gained from reaching the quarter-finals at the US Open last September to go further this year. The Eastbourne champion will face tricky American Taylor Fritz in the first round. 

10) Mektic/Pavic Targeting 10th Tour-Level Title Of 2021: Top seeds Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic faced off against each other in the US Open final last year, with Pavic lifting the trophy with Brazilian Bruno Soares. Since teaming at the start of this season, the Croatians have enjoyed a dominant year, capturing nine tour-level titles, including three Masters 1000 crowns, Wimbledon and an Olympic gold medal.

They will face stiff competition from teams including Toronto champions Rajeev Ram and Joe Saliabury, Cincinnati winners Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos and Frenchmen Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut, who have captured all four major titles together.

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Opelka 'Optimistic' For More Success At US Open

Reilly Opelka has been working hard on being mentally tougher in the past few months as he prepares for his third appearance at the US Open.

The 24-year-old American attributes the development of his mentality as the main reason for his success this season. Opelka reached the semi-finals in Rome in May and enjoyed a run to the final in Toronto, where only World No. 2 Daniil Medvedev could stop him.

“I turned things around [in Toronto]… I beat [Stefanos] Tsitsipas, played a great final against Medvedev [in a] Masters 1000 final, my best result yet,” Opelka said in his pre-tournament press conference. “I think just having an optimistic mindset is so critical.

“The sport is already as tough as it is. If you’re not optimistic, it’s hard to get through those moments. Not saying I’m going to get through them every time now, but it just shows what getting through one moment like that can do.”

Despite the deep runs in Rome and Toronto, Opelka is not getting complacent with his recent success. The American’s most successful performance in a major is reaching the third round at Wimbledon in 2019 and Roland Garros this year. Opelka, who begins against World No. 74 Soonwoo Kwon, feels he has plenty to work on before making a deeper run at a major.

“I’ve grown a lot in the last year. It doesn’t mean that I’m not expecting to showcase it all in one week. The season’s long. The way the sport works, we’re 40 weeks pretty much,” Opelka said. “I would love to carry my momentum through this week. But everyone’s tough here.

“There’s no such thing as a good draw anymore. I think it’s been that way probably for the past 10, 15 years. Maybe in the past, you would see some first rounds that weren’t so close. Now anyone can beat anyone.”

On his mental development, Opelka said he had developed this in the past year, while there we no crowds. Nevertheless, the second highest-ranked American, after John Isner, will be looking forward to having fans supporting him once again next week in New York.

“It definitely changes things,” Opelka added. “I prefer it [playing with fans], but I’ve gotten used to playing without them. I think I got to really work on my mindset in that time.

“Having fans back is a total delight. It’s a treat. We’ve learned that. Especially New Yorkers. What better fans to have for our first 100 per cent capacity than the local New York crowd? That’s what makes the US Open the US Open.

“That’s what makes sport in New York so iconic. That’s why the Yankees are a legendary team, the Knicks as well. It’s the fan, the fan base, the culture of New York, New Yorkers.”

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US Open 2021: Andy Murray a tough start for me – Stefanos Tsitsipas

Former champion Andy Murray faces Greek world number three Stefanos Tsitsipas in the first round of the US Open.

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Ymer Is First Swedish Finalist In A Decade

Mikael Ymer became the first Swedish finalist in more than a decade after producing a stunning comeback to shock highly rated 18-year-old Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals of the Winston-Salem Open Friday night.

Ymer, 22, won seven straight games to turn a 3-5 first-set deficit into a commanding 7-5, 3-0 lead en route to his ultimate 7-5, 6-3 victory.

“With toolbox I have and the way he plays, [wearing him down] is more or less the only option, because he’s so aggressive,” Ymer said. “I think I executed the plan pretty well.”

Ymer is playing his first event of the US Open Series, but with the confidence earned by reaching back-to-back quarter-finals at his two most recent events on clay in Gstaad and Kitzbuehel. Robin Soderling was the last Swede to reach a final, winning Bastad in 2011.

In Saturday’s final Ymer will play Ilya Ivashka, who had a crushing 6-2, 6-1 win over Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori. Ivashka will attempt to become the first player from Belarus to win an ATP Tour singles title since Max Mirnyi in 2003 at Rotterdam.

“I feel good physically and mentally and I’m just trying to play my best tennis. I like to play on hard courts, so it’s all coming together this week,” Ivashka said.

“It is something I have been dreaming of to get an ATP title, so let’s see tomorrow if it happens.”

Ivashka and Mirnyi have been exchanging messages this week and recently spent time together at the Tokyo Olympics. “He’s a really nice guy, an unbelievable human being and a legend of our sport,” Ivashka said.

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