Tennis News

Anderson Soars After Newport Title, Mover Of Week

No. 74 Kevin Anderson, +39
The South African, who is returning after a series of injuries, jumped 39 places to No. 74 in the FedEx ATP Rankings after lifting his sixth ATP Tour title on Sunday at the Hall of Fame Open in Newport (d. Brooksby). It was his first trophy since January 2019 at Pune (d. Karlovic). Read Newport Final Report & Watch Highlights 

View Latest FedEx ATP Rankings

No. 11 Pablo Carreno Busta, +2
The Spaniard captured the biggest title of his career at the Hamburg European Open (d. Krajinovic) on Sunday to move up two places to World No. 11, a position he last held in the week beginning 28 May 2018. The former World No. 10 (11 September 2017), who has now lifted six trophies from nine singles finals, also clinched the AnyTech365 Andalucia Open title (d. Munar) in April. Read Hamburg Final Report & Watch Highlights

Other Notable Top 100 Movers
No. 14 Casper Ruud, +2 (Joint Career High)
No. 34 Filip Krajinovic, +10
No. 52 Laslo Djere, +5
No. 62 Federico Coria, +15 (Career High)
No. 63 Jordan Thompson, +8
No. 90 Roberto Carballes Baena, +7
No. 99 Yannick Hanfmann, +8
No. 100 Arthur Rinderknech, +5 (Career High)

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Newport Q&A: Anderson 'Steadies The Ship' With Title Run

Kevin Anderson’s seventh career title at the Hall of Fame Open on Sunday marked a couple of significant firsts in the 35-year-old’s road back from knee surgery. The South African’s 7-6 (8), 6-4 victory over 20-year-old American Jenson Brooksby was his first ATP Tour title since Pune in January 2019 and the first in front of both wife Kelsey and daughter Keira.

The result lifted the former World No. 5 back into the Top 100 of the FedEx ATP Rankings. Anderson spoke with ATPTour.com following his triumph.

Your daughter Keira was there to see you win. How much do you appreciate those moments? Did it hit you when you looked over and saw Kelsey and Keira?
Yeah, obviously during the match I was very focused and trying to get the job done. It’s been a bit of a process for me, and the whole team. I think you need to cherish these moments and then this morning Kelsey said she was in touch with our nanny and was going to bring Keira win or lose. I said ‘Well it’d be much nicer if I can get the win and see her’. 

It’s the first time I celebrated a title both with Kelsey and our daughter so it was very memorable. She was more interested in running on the grass and posing for pictures. Hopefully this is the first of still many to come. 

You’re very open about the problems you’ve had over the years, but you’re always relentlessly positive about it. How are you able to keep that mindset?
It’s sometimes challenging behind the scenes. In the last several weeks it’s been a bit of a bumpy road and there’s been times where I’ve needed to draw on my team and my family to give me support and belief, and knowing that I’m not done. There’s still a lot I want to accomplish. 

Obviously having weeks like this where you get the title definitely gives you more confidence and it reinvigorates you. Even without the title I feel like since Wimbledon I’ve steadied the ship a little bit. 

I was confident coming into this week. There’s always going to be hiccups. I just have to come to terms that sometimes things are just out of your control.

Was there a moment around Wimbledon that something clicked for you? Was it something in your game or off-court?
I think it was actually the week before, going into Wimbledon. I’d had a few tough weeks, a couple of Challengers, lost in qualifying, I was hitting the ball well in practice, just not finding that level in matches. 

Even parts of the matches I was playing really well, just not consistent enough. I fell short of what our goal was [at Wimbledon] so that was tough but I felt it was still a step forward. Coming to Newport we came with the expectation of winning the tournament. I had to fight hard but I feel like I was able to take some good steps here.

You were Top 10, Top 5 before you got injured and said you wanted to win a Grand Slam. Is that still on the radar?
Yeah it is. I feel like my biggest goal is to win a Grand Slam and win a Masters 1000 series. I mean I’ve come close a couple of times but have come up against pretty tough opponents, but those are the guys you have to beat. 

I was knocking on the door, Top 5 in the world but in the last while my ranking has dropped and I’m a different player now. I still have a lot of belief in myself but you have to understand that it’s a different pathway. I feel like I’m much closer to that, it’s a journey to where I want to get to but one I’m very excited about.

You mentioned you are a different player. How do you adjust mentally to that, having played two Grand Slam finals, to shift your mindset?
A couple of years ago I’m coming into tournaments, Grand Slams, anything less than quarter-finals is a disappointment. A lot of the time I’m coming into tournaments with the goal of winning and I mean it’s still like that now but I think after the injuries I feel like I was missing those in-between goals – winning a couple of rounds at a Grand Slam – those smaller steps that before I wasn’t exactly looking for. 

Maybe that’s when I realised those are the steps I need to take now. I think I’ve recalibrated a bit but incredibly hopeful from where my game’s at, where my abilities are and ultimately my goal is to still win the biggest titles in our sport.

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Tallon's Trifecta: Griekspoor Claims Third Challenger Crown Of 2021

A LOOK BACK
Van Mossel Dutch Open (Amersfoort, Netherlands): Tallon Griekspoor is the Flying Dutchman in 2021. The Haarlem native claimed his third ATP Challenger Tour title of the year on Sunday, prevailing on home soil in Amersfoort. Just weeks after qualifying for his first Wimbledon main draw, Griekspoor finds himself on the brink of a Top 100 breakthrough.

The second edition of the Dutch Open featured two home grown finalists, with Griekspoor defeating countryman Botic van de Zandschulp 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 in one hour and 53 minutes in the championship clash. It marked the first Challenger final between two players from The Netherlands since 2013.

The 25-year-old Griekspoor is in the midst of his best season as a professional, rising to a career-high No. 105 in the FedEx ATP Rankings while posting a 15-2 record over the last two months. Clay-court titles in Prague and Bratislava have been followed by his latest crown in Amersfoort. He joins Jenson Brooksby, Sebastian Baez and Zizou Bergs as the Challenger title leaders in 2021.

2021 Challenger Title Leaders

President’s Cup (Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan): It had been five years since Max Purcell last lifted a singles trophy on the ATP Challenger Tour. After such a long title drought, returning to the winners’ circle tastes even sweeter. The Aussie found his way back to titletown on Sunday, prevailing on the hard courts of Nur-Sultan.

Purcell has become a doubles dynamo in recent years, having teamed with fellow Aussie Luke Saville to win eight Challenger crowns and reach the 2020 Australian Open final. But, despite his doubles success, the 23-year-old has refused to leave his singles career behind. That commitment was validated on Sunday.

The Sydney native’s victory in the Kazakh capital came in dramatic fashion, saving a championship point to overcome Jay Clarke 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(6). It marked his second straight win in a deciding tie-break, having also earned a tight semi-final victory over Peter Polansky on Saturday.

Purcell last lifted a singles trophy in Gimcheon, South Korea, in 2016. A fresh face on the scene, he was the first player born in 1998 to win a Challenger title. Five years later, Purcell is now playing his best tennis and has been rewarded with a Top 200 debut in the FedEx ATP Rankings, rising to a career-high No. 190. The milestone comes just one month after reaching his first ATP Tour semi-final on the grass of Eastbourne.

Internazionali di Tennis Citta di Todi (Todi, Italy): The Spanish armada is dominating the Challenger circuit in 2021. Mario Vilella Martinez became the seventh different champion from Spain, streaking to victory on the clay of Todi on Sunday.

Vilella Martinez downed home favourite and top seed Federico Gaio 7-6(3), 1-6, 6-3 to lift his first trophy in two years. Having teamed up with former World No. 28 Santiago Giraldo, their partnership is already paying dividends. The 26-year-old will rise to a career-high No. 158 in the FedEx ATP Rankings on Monday.

The Elche native joins Carlos Taberner, Jaume Munar, Carlos Gimeno Valero, Roberto Carballes Baena, Bernabe Zapata Miralles and Carlos Alcaraz as Spanish champions in 2021.

Concord Iasi Open (Iasi, Romania): Zdenek Kolar earned back-to-back deciding-set victories to triumph on the clay of Iasi. The 24-year-old would claim the biggest title of his career on Sunday, defeating top seed Hugo Gaston 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 at the Challenger 100 event.

Kolar, who secured his maiden title in April in Oeiras, Portugal, added a second trophy to his growing collection. He became the first Czech player to win multiple titles in a season since 2016, when Adam Pavlasek and Jan Satral both won a pair of crowns. With the victory, he rises to a career-high No. 179 in the FedEx ATP Rankings on Monday.

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Injured Berrettini To Miss Tokyo Olympics

Matteo Berrettini has withdrawn from the Tokyo Olympics due to a thigh injury he developed on his run to the Wimbledon final earlier this month. The World No. 8 in the FedEx ATP Rankings was the spearhead of an Italian tennis team, which also included Fabio Fognini, Lorenzo Sonego, Lorenzo Musetti, Sara Errani, Jasmine Paolini and Camila Giorgi.

“I am extremely disappointed to announce my withdrawal from the Tokyo Olympic Games,” Berrettini said on Instagram. “I had an MRI scan yesterday on the thigh injury I sustained during Wimbledon and was informed I will not be able to compete for a couple of weeks.

“Representing Italy is the biggest honour for me so it is devastating to miss the Olympics. I wish the entire Italian team the best of luck in Tokyo. I will be supporting you all the way.”

 

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Anderson Returns To The Winners' Circle In Newport

It has been a tough year for World No. 113 Kevin Anderson, who began this week with a 5-6 tour-level record on the season. But the South African, who is battling back from injuries, bounced back in impressive fashion at the Hall of Fame Open, where he defeated #NextGenATP American Jenson Brooksby 7-6(8), 6-4 on Sunday after two hours and 11 minutes to win his sixth ATP Tour title.

This is the former World No. 5’s first tour-level triumph since Pune in 2019. Anderson is the first South African to triumph in Newport since Neville Godwin in 2001.

“It’s been a pretty tough run with some injuries. But to be back here at the International Tennis Hall of Fame with such history, this couldn’t be a better week for me to start, hopefully, my comeback,” Anderson said during the trophy ceremony. “I’m very motivated to get back. But it all starts with each match, and I was able to really grind it out.”

The margins were thin in the first set, with neither man dropping serve. Each had opportunities, but they played well under pressure to stave off their opponent. Despite eighth-seeded Anderson having more firepower in all facets of the game, Brooksby did well to take the ball early when possible to put the 6’8” right-hander on the back foot and avoid defending too much. The 20-year-old also hit a handful of sensational passing shots to earn the crowd’s approval.

The key to the match was the first-set tie-break. Brooksby littered the highlight reel — including a perfect forehand drop volley and a laser-like forehand winner — and urged his home crowd to get behind him. But he missed a backhand return on his first set point at 6/5 and Anderson pummeled a short forehand to save a second set point at 7/8, before eventually taking the 77-minute opener with a screaming backhand return winner up the line.

After dropping that pivotal tie-break, Brooksby, who has proven himself a fierce competitor this week, let slip his focus for just a moment. That period was long enough for Anderson to earn the lone service break of the match in the opening game of the second set.

From there, the World No. 113 rode his dominant serve to the victory, striking 16 aces and winning all 11 of his service games. 

Anderson, a wild card, made his only previous appearance on the Newport grass in 2008, when he was a 22-year-old ranked World No. 115. Since then, he has reached two major finals and competed at the Nitto ATP Finals in 2018.

“Thanks to the tournament for giving me a wild card. It definitely worked out for me,” Anderson said. “The last time I was here was in 2008. It’s significant in a way. I was just starting my career, and I guess I’m towards the end, but definitely [am] very motivated to keep going.”

Brooksby was the second-youngest finalist in this tournament’s 45-year history, and he was trying to lift the trophy on his ATP Tour main draw debut. It has been a breakthrough season for the Californian, who is 32-6 at all levels.

“It’s amazing to get all the support from you guys, it gives me energy,” Brooksby said. “It was awesome playing here and I hope to be back again and pushing for more of these results.”

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Scouting Report: Shapovalov Leads Gstaad Field; Action In Los Cabos and Umag

There will be three ATP 250 events this week in Gstaad, Los Cabos, and Umag, with future and established stars aiming to make their mark.

Denis Shapovalov leads the field at the Swiss Open Gstaad, Cameron Norrie will look to continue his career-best season at the Mifel Open in Los Cabos and #NextGenATP star Carlos Alcaraz is pursuing a maiden tour-level title at the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag.

ATPTour.com looks at what you should watch at these three events.

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FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN GSTAAD
1) Super Shapovalov: Canadian Shapovalov will compete in Switzerland off the back of a strong grass-court season, during which he made his first Grand Slam semi-final at Wimbledon. The 22-year-old is making his debut in Gstaad, where he is the top seed. Shapovalov will begin his run against wild card Johan Nikles or qualifier Vit Kopriva.

2) Bautista Agut Back For More: Former finalist Roberto Bautista Agut returns to Gstaad seeking to go one step further and win a 10th tour-level title. The Spaniard, who lost to Matteo Berrettini in the 2018 championship match, is the second seed at the ATP 250 tournament. He will face wild card Dominic Stephan Stricker or Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech in the second round.

3) Garin & Ruud In Action: Cristian Garin (5) and Casper Ruud (3) have won eight ATP Tour titles between them, and all of those victories have come on clay. This March, Garin lifted the Santiago title, while Ruud has claimed crowns in Geneva and Bastad. Both will look to add another title to their collection in Gstaad.

4) Dangerous Delbonis: Argentine Federico Delbonis enters the ATP 250 tournament high on confidence, having recorded 22 tour-level wins on clay this year. The 30-year-old has reached the semi-finals in Belgrade, Santiago and Hamburg in 2021. He also advanced to the fourth round at Roland Garros, which was his best-ever Grand Slam performance.

5) Lopez Loves Gstaad: The 39-year-old Feliciano Lopez will be competing in Gstaad for the 13th time. The Spaniard won the title in 2016 and also reached the final in 2006. He is the eighth seed and begins against Marc-Andrea Huesler.

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN LOS CABOS
1) Norrie To Continue Success? Great Britain’s Norrie will aim to continue his best-ever season in Los Cabos. The 25-year is in the Top 15 in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin, having reached tour-level finals in Estoril, Lyon and at The Queen’s Club. The lefty has won 31 tour-level matches this season and is the top seed in Mexico, where he will try to lift his first ATP Tour trophy. Norrie will play Sweden’s Elias Ymer or a qualifier in his opener.

2) Isner Second Seed: John Isner is making his debut at the ATP 250 event in what is his seventh tour-level event of the season. The 36-year-old is a 15-time ATP Tour titlist, and he will try to secure his first crown since Newport in 2019. The American will face Evgeny Donskoy or Jason Jung in the second round.

3) Fritz’s Remarkable Return: Taylor Fritz made an incredible recovery to feature at Wimbledon earlier this month. The American underwent knee surgery after being taken off court at Roland Garros in a wheelchair, and returned three weeks later. Fritz, who reached the third round at the All England Club, will return to action in Los Cabos, where he advanced to the final in 2019.

4) Former Champion Querrey: American Sam Querrey returns to Los Cabos having tasted success in Mexico before. The American toppled Thanasi Kokkinakis in the 2017 final to clinch his 10th ATP Tour title. Querrey, who reached the final on grass in Mallorca in June, will attempt to find his best form in Mexico. The fourth seed opens against one of two countrymen: Brandon Nakashima or J.J. Wolf.

5) Thompson’s Debut: Australian Jordan Thompson will make his tournament debut in Los Cabos. The 27-year-old carries momentum from his run to the semi-finals in Newport, where he fell short against American Jenson Brooksby. Thompson will begin his campaign against 42-year-old Ivo Karlovic, who received a wild card.

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN UMAG
1) Rising Alcaraz: #NextGenATP star Alcaraz has gone from strength to strength in the past year. He broke into the Top 100 in the FedEx ATP Rankings after he became one of just seven players to win four ATP Challenger Tour trophies at 18 or under. The Spaniard, who reached a tour-level semi-final this April in Marbella, will look to claim a maiden tour-level title in Croatia. He will face a stiff opening challenge against former Top 10 star Lucas Pouille.

2) Reigning Champion Lajovic: Dusan Lajovic has fond memories of playing at the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag. The Serbian defeated Attila Balazs there in 2019 to claim his maiden ATP Tour title. The reigning champion is the second seed in Umag, where he has played in qualifying and the main draw nine times. Lajovic will open against Pablo Cuevas or Bernabe Zapata Miralles.

The official player acceptance list is out! Check out our web page: https://t.co/KAVgw8e298 pic.twitter.com/1BXIyaNHdB

— Croatia Open Umag (@CroatiaOpenUmag) June 25, 2021

3) Can Ramos-Vinolas Bounce Back? Top seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas won his third ATP Tour title on clay in Estoril in May. The 33-year-old has run into a tough patch since, losing seven consecutive matches leading into Umag. But the former World No. 17 has won 165 tour-level matches on clay in his career. The other seeded player in his quarter of the draw is sixth seed Jaume Munar.

4) Krajinovic Finding Form: Filip Krajinovic recorded the third Top 10 win of his career when he defeated World No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas at the Hamburg European Open last week. The Serbian advanced to his first final of the season in Germany, and he will compete in Umag with plenty of confidence. The third seed will play Radu Albot or Holger Vitus Nodskov Rune in the second round.

5) Brkic/Cacic Top Seeds: The top seeds in the doubles draw are Tomislav Brkic and Nikola Cacic, who won their first ATP Tour title together earlier this year in Buenos Aires. The second seeds are Pablo Cuevas and Fabrice Martin, and another team to watch is Ivan Sabanov and Matej Sabanov, who triumphed in Belgrade.

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Blumberg/Sock Claim Newport Title

American pair William Blumberg and Jack Sock overcame Austin Krajicek and Vasek Pospisil 6-2, 7-6(3) on Sunday in Newport to capture the Hall of Fame Open doubles trophy in their team debut week together.

Blumberg and Sock dropped just one set en route to the title and they dominated for large parts in the championship match against the American-Canadian tandem. They served well, winning 77 per cent (27/35) of their first-service points to record victory in 82 minutes.

”It means a lot,” Sock said. “It has been an unfortunate two years, 2019 with the thumb surgery and then with Covid hitting, it has been an interesting couple of years. A lot of time to reflect and regroup. I feel better physically and mentally and am very excited to be back on tour, winning matches.

“My confidence is high right now. Not many people believed in me a couple of years ago. Hopefully it is just the beginning of the second half of my career.”

Blumberg added: “It is an honour to play with Jack and in front of my family, so that especially was just awesome. On top of that, to get a win, it has just been a great week.”

It was Sock’s first tour-level doubles title since 2018, when he won the Nitto ATP Finals (w/M. Bryan) in London. The American now holds a 15-10 record in tour-level doubles finals. He claimed the 2014 Wimbledon crown with Pospisil (d. Bryan/Bryan) in their first event as a team.

“We [Pospesil and I] had an incredible start to our partnership together, with Wimbledon. We had a lot of incredible moments on court together. It is definitely different playing against him, but it is always fun.”

Blumberg was competing in just his second tour-level doubles event this week, having played at the 2017 US Open with Spencer Papa.

Blumberg and Sock broke in the opening game as they moved into a 2-0 lead. They returned with good depth throughout the first set and closed the net effectively to move ahead. With momentum in their favour, they seemed to be marching towards victory after an early break in the second set.

However, Krajicek and Pospisil started to step inside the baseline on return and crucially broke to level at 3-3 when Sock netted a forehand. They then recovered from 0/40 in the 11th game as the set moved to a tie-break. Blumberg and Sock were too strong from there, though, sealing victory when Blumberg hammered a volley through Pospisil.

Krajicek and Pospisil were also competing together for the first time this week. Krajicek now holds a 4-6 record in tour-level finals with Pospisil at 7-8.

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Tokyo Olympics: Liam Broady selected for Team GB

Great Britain’s Liam Broady will make his Olympics debut in the men’s singles event at Tokyo 2020.

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Ruud Beats Coria For Bastad Crown

Top seed Casper Ruud ended his dominant week in Bastad by overcoming Federico Coria 6-3, 6-3 in the Nordea Open final on Sunday to capture his third ATP Tour title.

Ruud hugged the baseline throughout the match, dictating play on his forehand as he secured victory in one hour and 28 minutes. It is the second title he has claimed this year, having captured the Gonet Geneva Open title (d. Shapovalov) in May. He is now 3-2 in ATP Tour finals, having also won the Buenos Aires trophy on clay (d. P. Sousa) last year.

“It was an incredible week, maybe the best week of my life,” Ruud said. “It is an incredible feeling playing here in Bastad with the Swedish, Norwegian and Danish support. There is nothing like that home crowd feeling.

“To win here means a lot. You get a little extra nervous as the No. 1 seed. Me and my father [former World No. 39 Christian Ruud] have been joking about when I am going to beat him at this and this, and now I think I have beaten him in everything! The Ruud family can finally bring the trophy home to Norway. It is a special feeling having him here with me.”

With the 250 FedEx ATP Ranking points Ruud earned this week, he has risen to 10th place in the ATP Race To Turin. The 22-year-old now has 1,770 points, just 15 behind ninth-placed Russian Aslan Karatsev.

The Norwegian did not drop a set all week in Sweden and started well in the final, hitting with heavy topspin and great depth as he forced Coria behind the baseline. Ruud dominated with his powerful forehand and maintained consistency on the backhand in the first set to move ahead.

Ruud continued to apply pressure on Coria in the second set. He returned well, winning 50 per cent of points on Coria’s first serve as he broke in the fifth game to lead 3-2. The 22-year-old continued to cover every inch of the court and claimed victory when he fired a forehand winner past the World No. 77.

Coria was competing in his first tour-level final on Sunday. The Argentine’s previous best result was a run to the semi-finals at the Cordoba Open (l. to Cerundolo) in February.

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Carreno Busta Earns First ATP 500 Trophy In Hamburg

Second seed Pablo Carreno Busta captured his first ATP 500 trophy and sixth tour-level title on Sunday as he overcame Filip Krajinovic 6-2, 6-4 in the Hamburg European Open final.

The Spaniard, who also won the AnyTech365 Andalucia Open in Marbella (d. Munar) on home soil in April, did not drop a set in Hamburg. He produced a dominant display in the championship match as he won 81 per cent (21/26) of his first-service points and broke Krajinovic three times.

Carreno Busta has now recorded 17 clay-court wins this season, having also enjoyed runs to the semi-finals at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell (l. to Nadal) and the Mallorca Championships (l. to Medvedev). He has bounced back strongly this week after losing to Sam Querrey in the first round at Wimbledon last month.

Carreno Busta made a strong start, as he stepped inside the baseline to move the Serbian from side to side as he dictated play in the first set as the Spaniard broke twice and hit 17 winners with his powerful groundstrokes. He moved ahead when Krajinovic hit a forehand long.

The match followed a similar pattern in the second set, as Krajinovic was pegged behind the baseline. The sixth seed struggled to use the drop shot as effectively as he had in the previous rounds as Carreno Busta broke again. He held serve to seal victory in 83 minutes.

Sixth seed Krajinovic was competing in his fourth ATP Tour final on Sunday and first since reaching the championship match at the Stockholm Open in 2019. He equalled his career-best victory this week as he shocked World No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarter-finals, but is now 0-4 in tour-level finals.

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