Tennis News

Preview: Medvedev Draws On Lessons Learnt As Djokovic Eyes History

While fast to quip he’s “not old”, Daniil Medvedev enters his third straight US Open semi-final wary that the pressure is firmly on his shoulders as he prepares to meet the “much younger” Felix Auger-Aliassime on Thursday.

Second seed Medvedev is proof the freedom to play without expectations, in a first Grand Slam semi-final, can reap the rewards after beating Grigor Dimitrov at Flushing Meadows two years ago. But experience brought invaluable lessons and the Russian learnt and taught a few in his time since.

In the 2019 final, after wins over former champion Stan Wawrinka and Dimitrov, he famously rallied from two sets down before Rafael Nadal finally prevailed 6-4 in the fifth set. He knows the 21-year-old Auger-Aliassime will play with that same fearlessness against him.

“I kind of understood, I almost beat Rafa, being two sets down and a break, so I do belong here,” Medvedev said. “And last year against Dominic [Thiem], if I talk about a lesson, it was more how to play him…

“He played a really great level and I couldn’t find a solution, which I took a lesson and tried to do better in the Nitto ATP Finals. Even if it was super tough, there was a lesson. There’s no Dominic here, no Rafa, so I’m just going to try to play my best and see which other lessons I can take.”

The 26-year-old will be intent on dishing out the lesson as he looks to extend his ATP Head2Head against the Canadian to 2-0. The Russian claimed their only prior meeting in a third-set tie-break in the round of 32 in Toronto three years ago.

Medvedev dropped his first set of the tournament on Tuesday, in his four-set quarter-final win over Dutch qualifier Botic van de Zandschulp, while Auger-Aliassime advanced when his opponent, #NextGenATP Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, retired during the second set of their showdown. The 12th seed knows he needs to raise his game to deny the World No. 2 and reach his maiden major final.

“Of course, he’s going to come in with a lot of confidence. I also need to step up and be confident in myself,” Auger-Aliassime said. “I need to serve well. I need to play a great match, be solid from every aspect of my game.

“At the same time I need to try to put pressure on him. But it’s going to be tough. I need to be ready for his best. I need to lace my shoes really well, too, because there’s going to be a lot of running.”

In a worrying sign for prospective opponents in his bid for the Grand Slam in 2021, Novak Djokovic has hit his straps in time for the semi-finals, for his 10th clash with fourth seed Alexander Zverev. The World No. 1 improved to 12-0 in US Open quarter-finals as he captured his 80th match win at Flushing Meadows against sixth seed Matteo Berrettini on Wednesday night.

The three-time champion moved to within two victories of becoming the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to complete the Grand Slam and despite having dropped a set in four of his five matches, announced he had finally played his way into form.

“I took my tennis to a different level. It was the best three sets of tennis I’ve played so far in the tournament for sure,” he said of the final sets in his four-set triumph over Berrettini.

The Serbian holds a 6-3 advantage in his ATP Head2Head against Zverev and has a score to settle after losing from a set and a break up in their Tokyo Olympics semi-final. Zverev is on a 16-match winning streak, adding an ATP Masters 1000 title to his Olympics gold medal ahead of the US Open.

“He’s in a fantastic form. Next to Medvedev, [the] best form. But it’s best-of-five, it’s a Grand Slam. Of course looking at his results in the past few years, he’s played very well here on this court,” Djokovic said. “He was a couple of points away from his first Slam last year against Dominic [Thiem].

“I know it’s going to be a battle, even harder than it was today. But I’m ready for it. These are the hurdles that I need to overcome in order to get to the desired destination.”

A runner-up to Thiem last year, the German has dropped just one set – to Jack Sock – in his 2021 campaign. He took down unseeded South African Lloyd Harris in straight sets to book his return to the semi-finals.

“You have to be perfect, otherwise you will not win… [but] most of the time you can’t be perfect. That’s why most of the time people lose to him,” Zverev said of Djokovic. “Against him, you have to win the match yourself. You have to be the one that is dominating the points. You have to do it with very little unforced errors. He is the best player in the world. He is very difficult to beat.”

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Djokovic Blunts ‘Hammer Of Tennis’ For US Open SF Berth

Novak Djokovic has closed to within two matches of an historic Grand Slam after withstanding an early struggle against sixth seed Matteo Berrettini in the US Open quarter-finals on Wednesday night.

The top seed hailed the Italian as the “hammer of tennis” for his thunderous serve and forehand ahead of their third straight major championship showdown. But the Serbian again drew on his superior movement and returns to nullify the 25-year-old’s chief weapons 5-7, 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 in three hours and 30 minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

For the fourth time in five matches this campaign, Djokovic dropped a set only to pull comfortably clear in the third and fourth sets. He remained unbeaten from their four ATP Head2Head meetings, improved to 12-0 in US Open quarter-finals and 42-9 across all majors at that stage. It was his 80th match win at Flushing Meadows.

Make it 8️⃣0️⃣ wins in New York for the legend, Novak Djokovic. pic.twitter.com/zcfVXsh1Fx

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 9, 2021

“It was a great match, a lot of energy on the court, off the court as well. Matteo is a terrific player, an established Top 10 player. Every time we face each other it’s a close battle,” Djokovic said in his on-court interview.

“When I lost the first set I managed to forget about it and move on, kind of be in the moment and I think I was locked in from the beginning of the second set. I took my tennis to a different level. It was the best three sets of tennis I’ve played so far in the tournament for sure.”

Djokovic won 74 per cent of first-serve points and hit 44 winners, including 12 aces. He hit 15 fewer unforced errors than his opponent’s 43.

“I wanted to start out the match well, I thought I did tonight. I had some break points midway through the first set but he has one of the best serves in the game,” he said. “There’s a reason why they call him a hammer in tennis. He’s got a big serve and forehand.

“Next to [Juan Martin] del Potro probably the biggest serve and forehand we have in tennis so I had to be really focused on every point, not allowing him to come back into the match. I think it was a great performance overall.”

The opening set was physically demanding as both battled hard on serve. Six of 12 games in the set went to at least one Deuce, the longest of which came at 2-3 with Berrettini serving.

In a 12-minute, seven-Deuce game, the Italian fended off two break points to hold with a bellow of “c’mon” for 3-3. It proved crucial as neither player could be separated.

Djokovic failed to capitalise when Berrettini landed only one of six first serves as he served to stay in the set at 4-5. A game later the sixth seed rolled a crosscourt forehand pass from deep behind the baseline to snare the first break and the chance to serve for the opening set.

If Djokovic was to keep his campaign alive he would have to do it from a set down for the third time as Berrettini converted on his fourth opportunity to take the opening set after 78 minutes.

The Italian finished the first set landing 63 per cent of first serves, but through his opening two games on serve in the second set he had dropped to 50 per cent and Djokovic pounced on the dip. The Serbian landed his first break of the match for 3-1 and although Berrettini pulled off back-to-back aces on his way to a 2-4 hold, the pressure did not subside.

Djokovic landed the double break and with it the set two games later when his opponent dumped a backhand into the net. Already down an early break in the third set, Berrettini was forced to dig deep for 1-3 as the roof began to close above Arthur Ashe Stadium. It did nothing to slow Djokovic’s momentum as he ran his opponent ragged to secure the double break and with it a two-sets-to-one lead.

The top seed had fans on their feet when he whipped a crosscourt forehand pass to break early in the fourth set and from there he never looked back. Fourth seed Alexander Zverev awaits in the semi-finals where Djokovic will seek revenge for his Tokyo Olympics semi-final defeat to the 24-year-old.

“He’s in tremendous form, he’s been winning a lot. After Wimbledon I don’t think he’s lost a match,” Djokovic said. “Winning gold in the Olympics, winning in Cincinnati pretty comfortably, he moved into the semi-finals here… We played a month ago in Tokyo. I was a set and a break up and he managed to turn that around.

“[It’s the] semi-finals of a Grand Slam right now, he’s one of the best players in the world and I’m pumped. The bigger the challenge the more glory in overcoming it.”

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Emma Raducanu: Teenager's US Open run captures imagination

Emma Raducanu and her brand of tennis with a smile is capturing the imagination after reaching the US Open semi-finals on her debut.

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Tsitsipas, Medvedev, Zverev To Join Djokovic In Indian Wells

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic will bid for a record sixth BNP Paribas Open title when tennis returns to Indian Wells next month. The Serbian joins fellow stars in the Top 4 of the FedEx ATP Rankings – Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev – as well as a host of past champions and #NextGenATP talents in the field for 2021.

Djokovic is in the midst of one of the most impressive seasons in history, having already claimed the Australian Open, Roland Garros and Wimbledon titles. He currently sits only three wins from completing the Grand Slam at the US Open.

Ash Barty has solidified her status as the WTA World No. 1 with an impressive 2021 season and will arrive with hopes of capturing her maiden Indian Wells title. Having already captured five singles titles this season, including a run to the Wimbledon title, Barty will look to put an exclamation point on her season with a strong performance in the desert.

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An exciting line-up of ATP Top 10 players will join Djokovic in looking to make waves in Tennis Paradise. 2021 Australian Open finalist Medvedev, 2021 Roland Garros finalist Tsitsipas, 2020 US Open finalist and Tokyo Olympic gold medallist Zverev join 2021 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters finalist Andrey Rublev and 2021 Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini in search of their maiden BNP Paribas Open title this October.

On the women’s side, 2021 Madrid Open champion and defending BNP Paribas Open doubles champion Aryna Sabalenka, 2021 Wimbledon finalist Karolina Pliskova, Tokyo 2020 Olympic bronze medallist Elina Svitolina, 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin and 2021 Roland Garros champion Barbora Krejcikova will have their sights set on a first Indian Wells title.

Defending Champion Bianca Andreescu will make her long-awaited return to the desert on the heels of a run to the fourth round in New York. In 2019, Andreescu captured the attention of the tennis world by becoming the first women’s wild card to win in Indian Wells. Four other former BNP Paribas Open champions are also entered: Naomi Osaka (2018), Elena Vesnina (2017), Simona Halep (2015), and Victoria Azarenka (2012, 2016).

Making their inaugural appearances at the BNP Paribas Open will #NextGenATP star Carlos Alcaraz, and Leylah Fernandez and Coco Gauff in the women’s field. Alcaraz and Fernandez catapulted onto the scene with historic performances at this year’s US Open, where both defeated Top 10 players to reach the second week in Flushing Meadows.

Gauff will be joined in Indian Wells by other top Americans including John Isner (World No. 22), Reilly Opelka (World No. 24) and Jessica Pegula (World No. 25). The remaining spots in the draws will be filled by the winners of the qualifying event, held from 4-6 October, and wild card recipients, who will be announced in the coming weeks.

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Emma Raducanu shock at reaching US Open semi-finals in New York

British teenager Emma Raducanu expresses her surprise at her run to the US Open semi-finals, having had flights back to the UK booked a fortnight ago.

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US Open 2021: Alexander Zverev moves into semi-finals

Olympic champion Alexander Zverev moves into the US Open semi-finals with a straight-set victory over Lloyd Harris.

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Zverev Races Into US Open SFs

Alexander Zverev is one win away from a return to the US Open final after a commanding straight-sets win over Lloyd Harris at Flushing Meadows Wednesday.

After saving a set point on the Harris serve in the first-set tie-break, the German took full control of the match, taking the South African’s opening-service games in the second and third sets en route to a 7-6(6), 6-3, 6-4 win.

“He served incredibly in the first set, so I didn’t have a lot of chances. I somehow managed to win the first set and that loosened me up a little bit,” Zverev said.

Extending his winning streak to 16 matches, the Tokyo Olympics and Cincinnati champion will face the winner of tonight’s quarter-final between World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and World No. 8 Matteo Berrettini.

Zverev’s aggressive, flat returning and heavy rally-ball forehands forced Harris to play deeper behind the baseline that he prefers and limited the South African’s ability to dictate play. The Monte-Carlo resident also continued his strong serving performance this tournament, closing out the match with a 136 mph ace, his 21st of the match.

Alexander Zverev is making deep #USOpen runs a regular occurrence. pic.twitter.com/axONlck74C

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 8, 2021

The German will be happy to advance but less pleased with how he closed out the match. Serving at 4-1, 40/0 in the third set, Zverev produced a string of errors to drop serve and was also pushed to deuce in his next service game, escaping with a pair of aces to restore order at 5-3.

Zverev also looked to suffer from minor back discomfort midway through the second set, but his personal physio Hugo Gravil will have two days to get the 24-year-old back to full fitness ahead of the semi-finals.

Zverev has now served 83 aces and just 15 double faults through five matches and today won 82 per cent of first-serve points. He has dropped serve four times this fortnight. At last year’s US Open Zverev hit 10 or more double faults in a match four times.

“The serve is the shot I’ve spent the most time on, it’s the shot that I’ve got to practise the most,” Zverev said. “At some point I feel like, if you work very hard, you’re doing the right things, it will come together. Maybe that’s what’s happening right now.”

Looking to join Andy Murray (2012) as the only men to win the Olympics and US Open in the same year, Zverev has enjoyed a much more efficient path to the semi-finals this year, dropping just one set (to Jack Sock) in five matches. In 2020, the Hamburg native was pushed to four sets four times en route to the semi-finals. (And he played five-set matches in the semis and final.)

Of his possible semi-final opponents, Zverev trails Djokovic 3-6 in their ATP Head2Head, but did come from a set and a break down at the Olympics to stun the Serbian in their most recent meeting. At the beginning of the season he also pushed Djokovic to 7-6 in the fourth set at the Australian Open and 7-5 in the third at the ATP Cup. Zverev leads Berrettini 3-1 and won their only hard-court meeting in Shanghai in 2019.

Inevitably asked about a possible semi-final showdown against Djokovic, Zverev, said: “Against him you prepare that you have to play the best match that you can. You have to be perfect, otherwise you will not win. Most of the time you can’t be perfect. That’s why most of the time people lose to him. Against him, you have to win the match yourself. You have to be the one that is dominating the points. You have to do it with very little unforced errors.

“He is the best player in the world. He is very difficult to beat. But he’s still also got to win tonight. He’s playing Matteo Berrettini who is in very good form, finals of Wimbledon.”

World No. 46 Harris, who next Monday will rise to a new career-high FedEx ATP Ranking, won eight matches at the majors this year, after winning a combined two matches at the Slams during the past three years. He has 24 match wins on the season, including a victory over Rafael Nadal at the Citi Open in Washington, D.C. during the US Open Series.

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US Open: Emma Raducanu reaches semi-finals by beating Belinda Bencic

British teenager Emma Raducanu reaches the US Open semi-finals with a superb straight-set win over Swiss 11th seed Belinda Bencic.

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Quiz: Identify Novak Djokovic's Grand Slam Final Foes

Of Novak Djokovic’s 20 Grand Slam titles, 13 have come against his biggest rivals – Rafael Nadal (4), Andy Murray (5) and Roger Federer (4) – in the championship match.

Can you recall the seven other players he has beaten in a major final? In 2021 alone, the World No. 1 has overcome three different opponents to claim the title at the Australian Open, Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

As Djokovic looks to make history at the US Open, with a record-breaking 21^st major title and a calendar-year Grand Slam on the line, we put you to the test in this challenge.

Did You Know… Djokovic and Nadal both won their 20th Grand Slam titles at 34 years of age, respectively at 2021 Wimbledon and 2020 Roland Garros, while a 36-year-old Federer won his at the 2018 Australian Open. Comparing The Big 3’s Slam Stats

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Felix Surges Into Nitto ATP Finals Contention

Felix Auger-Aliassime has jumped into contention for a spot at the 2021 Nitto ATP Finals, to be held at the Pala Alpitour in Turin from 14-21 November.

Ten days ago, the Canadian was in 15th position in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin, but after a series of composed performances, Auger-Aliassime finds himself in 10th place on 2,320 points (factoring in points earned at the US Open).

Still alive at Flushing Meadows, the 21-year-old has become the first Canadian man to reach the US Open semi-finals in the tournament’s history (since 1881) following wins over the likes of Roberto Bautista Agut, Frances Tiafoe and Carlos Alcaraz. Auger-Aliassime is also the youngest man to advance to the last four since Juan Martin del Potro lifted the trophy in 2009.

Should he beat Daniil Medvedev on Thursday for a place in his first major championship final, Auger-Aliassime will rise up to eighth spot. With seventh-placed Spaniard Rafael Nadal done for 2021, effectively the cut-off for the prestigious season finale is ninth in the Race. Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz is currently in that position, on 2,505 points, just 145 points ahead of Auger-Aliassime.

Since Roland Garros, Auger-Aliassime has won 19 of 26 matches, including a run to the Wimbledon quarter-finals (l. to Berrettini) in July. The Canadian, who added Toni Nadal to his coaching team in December 2020, has also advanced to two ATP Tour finals this year at the Murray River Open in Melbourne (l. to Evans) in February and at the MercedesCup in Stuttgart (l. to Cilic) in June.

Latest FedEx ATP Race To Turin Standings (as of 8 September 2021)

* Still active at the US Open

Two Italians — Matteo Berrettini and Jannik Sinner — both remain firmly in contention to secure a spot at the 2021 Nitto ATP Finals. Factoring in points earned so far at the US Open, Berrettini, who has reached three straight major championship quarter-finals (or better), sits in sixth position in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin (3,955 points). Sinner, who fell in the US Open fourth round (l. to Zverev) on Monday, is currently in 11th place (2,255) with a little more than two months to go in the regular ATP Tour season.

The 25-year-old Berrettini, who first qualified for the season finale in 2019 — when the event was held at The O2 in London — has captured two ATP Tour titles this season at the Serbia Open in Belgrade (d. Karatsev) and at the cinch Championships in London (d. Norrie). Wimbledon finalist Berrettini is now only 75 points behind fifth-placed Russian Andrey Rublev (4,030).

Sinner, the 2019 Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals champion in Milan, has continued to improve this year and the 20-year-old has won two tour-level trophies at the Great Ocean Road Open in Melbourne (d. Travaglia) and also his first ATP 500 crown at the Citi Open in Washington, D.C. (d. McDonald) last month.

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic has already stamped his ticket for Turin, where the Serbian will attempt to capture a record-equalling sixth Nitto ATP Finals crown. Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas is second (5,470), while reigning champion Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev — who sit in third and fourth places (on 5,100 and 4,555 points) respectively — are still competing at the US Open.

Norway’s Casper Ruud, who completed a hat-trick of clay-court titles in consecutive weeks at Bastad, Gstaad and Kitzbühel, and Hubert Hurkacz of Poland both have an excellent opportunity to qualify for the season finale for the first time. Ruud is in eighth spot (2,675).

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