Tennis News

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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Emma Raducanu: British great Virginia Wade says teenager 'ticks all the right boxes'

Three-time major winner Virginia Wade says Emma Raducanu has what it takes to become a dominant force in tennis and believes the US Open quarter-finalist can win a Grand Slam one day.

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Djokovic Meets Berrettini Again; Zverev Plays Harris For US Open SFs Spot

Will Matteo Berrettini make it third time lucky against Novak Djokovic this year? Having lost to the World No. 1 in the Roland Garros quarter-finals and the Wimbledon final, the popular Italian gets another chance on Wednesday night at the US Open in the last match on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Djokovic, who continues his quest for the Grand Slam, is riding a 25-match winning streak at the major championships and has lost the opening set in eight of those matches this year. Berrettini clinched the first set against Djokovic 7-6(4) in the Wimbledon final on 11 July, but was unable to go on and record his first Top 10 win at a major (0-5).

Djokovic’s Longest Grand Slam Match Wins Streaks

* Longest Grand Slam Win Streak in Open Era (since 1968 Roland Garros)

“[Matteo] is the ‘Hammer’ of tennis,” said Djokovic, who is seeking his 80th match win today at Flushing Meadows (79-12 record). “Next to [Juan Martin] del Potro, [he is] probably the hardest hitter of a serve and forehand. He’s got the lethal-serve-plus-one game. He’s already established as a top player. Without a doubt. He played a semi-final here a couple of years ago, [and the] finals at Wimbledon. That was a tough four-setter.

“If he serves well, which is his biggest weapon, he’s tough. He’s tough on any surface to play against. I’ve had some really close matches with him [at the] French Open and Wimbledon recently. We’re going to play the third Grand Slam in a row against each other. Hopefully, the result will be the same like the previous two.”

Djokovic, who has won 42 of 47 matches this season, is also seeking to win another three matches this week for a record-breaking 21st major championship crown – breaking a tie with Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer (both on 20).

If sixth seed Berrettini were to snap a three-match losing streak against Djokovic, factoring in points earned at the tournament, he will rise to fifth position in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin and improve his chances of joining the Serbian superstar at the 2021 Nitto ATP Finals, to be held from 14-21 November.

Photo: Darren Carroll/USTA

Last year’s US Open finalist Alexander Zverev will be attempting to extend his 2-0 ATP Head2Head record against fellow 24-year-old Lloyd Harris in the second match on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Zverev is riding a 15-match winning streak on the summer hard-court swing and will take a great deal of confidence into the quarter-final clash. Zverev beat Harris 7-6(3), 6-2 in the Western & Southern Open second round on 18 August en route to his fifth ATP Masters 1000 crown in Cincinnati and he also beat Harris 6-4, 3-6, 6-0 en route to the first of his two title in Cologne last year.

Service consistency has helped fourth seed Zverev sweep into the US Open last eight. He has been broken twice in 56 service games — following victories over Sam Querrey, Albert Ramos-Vinolas, Jack Sock and 13th seed Jannik Sinner — and struck only 10 double faults in four matches.

Zverev’s 2021 US Open Service Statistics

Zverev’s Shining Weapon: ‘My Serve Is The Key’
The Nomadic Life… With Harris

World No. 46 Harris struck a career-high 36 aces past Reilly Opelka on Monday and he’ll need that consistency once again against Tokyo Olympics gold medallist Zverev if he is to become only the fifth unseeded US Open semi-finalist since 2000.

The Cape Town native will be bidding to earn his fourth Top 10 victory (3-6 lifetime). Last month, Harris defeated Rafael Nadal at the Citi Open in Washington, D.C., and has overcome three seeded players at Flushing Meadows – 25th seed Karen Khachanov, seventh seed Denis Shapovalov and 22nd seed Opelka.

Unseeded US Open Semi-finalist Since 2000

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US Open: Emma Raducanu set for Belinda Bencic quarter-final in New York

British teenager Emma Raducanu says her stunning run to the US Open quarter-finals is “surreal”, putting her success down to feeling “really, really happy”.

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Alcaraz: 'It's Really Tough To End A Great Tournament Like This'

Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz made history at this US Open, becoming the tournament’s youngest men’s quarter-finalist in the Open Era. But the 18-year-old had to retire on Tuesday evening during the second set of his match against Felix Auger-Aliassime due to a right adductor injury.

“It’s really tough to end a great tournament like this. I had no choice to still play,” Alcaraz said. “First of all I have to take care of my body to stay healthy. It’s a long match and I didn’t feel good to still play, so I had to retire.”

Alcaraz battled hard against Auger-Aliassime, who moved into his first major semi-final. But coming into the match off back-to-back five-setters against Stefanos Tsitsipas and Peter Gojowczyk did not help the Spaniard’s cause.

“To play two matches [that went to] fifth sets in a row, play on a great level, in a great intensity [for] four hours, it was really tough for me,” Alcaraz said. “I am not used to playing these kind of matches in a row. I think it was really tough to recover [for] the next matches.”

One year ago, Alcaraz was outside the Top 200 of the FedEx ATP Rankings. The teen began this event at World No. 55, and his performance showed that he remains on the way up. Alcaraz stunned third seed Tsitsipas in a third-round thriller and proved he is a threat on the world’s biggest stages against the best players.

“These matches gave me a lot of experience, so I think this tournament made me mature a lot. I think I played great tennis for me,” Alcaraz said. “I’m really happy to play a first quarter-final in a Grand Slam. I think this tournament’s going to be a great experience for me for the next tournaments.”

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Felix Makes First Major SF After Alcaraz Retires

Felix Auger-Aliassime has been under the spotlight since age 14 when he broke through on the ATP Challenger Tour. On Tuesday, the 21-year-old Canadian made his first major semi-final at the US Open.

Auger-Aliassime led fellow #NextGenATP star Carlos Alcaraz 6-3, 3-1 when the Spaniard retired due to an undisclosed injury. Felix is the first Canadian man to make the US Open semi-finals in tournament history (since 1881) and the youngest man to advance to the last four at Flushing Meadows since Juan Martin del Potro lifted the trophy in 2009.

“It’s an amazing milestone. It’s been a fantastic tournament for me. Of course it was a weird ending today.  But in the end, I’m through,” Auger-Aliassime said in his on-court interview. “I’ll have a chance to play on Friday against one of the best players in the world right now to have a chance to be in my first Grand Slam final. It’s amazing, I’m happy I’m through and I’ll try to win the next one.”

The 12th seed will next play second seed and two-time major finalist Daniil Medvedev, who won their only previous ATP Head2Head meeting in a final-set tie-break in Toronto three years ago.

Alcaraz won back-to-back five-setters against Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas and German Peter Gojowczyk to make it this far. The teen was not as sharp as he was earlier in the tournament, making 16 unforced errors in 13 games. The booming groundstrokes that so often found their mark earlier in the fortnight fell into the net on Tuesday.

During the first changeover of the second set, an ATP physiotherapist visited Alcaraz and had a lengthy discussion with the Spaniard, but did not treat him. One game later, Alcaraz retired, surprising Auger-Aliassime.

“No, I didn’t [know anything was wrong] until he called the physio. I don’t know what happened, clearly, but it’s unfortunate. I didn’t see it coming. He’s such a good player. You guys were amazing again tonight,” Auger-Aliassime told the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd. “I thought we were putting on a good show.”

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Why Medvedev Isn't Worrying About Djokovic

Daniil Medvedev could be on a collision course with World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the US Open final. But after advancing to the semi-finals on Tuesday with a four-set win against Botic van de Zandschulp, the Russian explained why he is not worrying about the top seed.

“I don’t think about him, because as we saw, anybody can beat anybody. If he’s in the final, and if I’m there, I’m happy. He’s also happy, I guess,” Medvedev said. “I’m not going to root or cheer for somebody. I’m just going to enjoy the tennis and then prepare for the winner. It’s the same every match.”

If Medvedev plays Djokovic, he will be the last man standing between the Serbian star and the Grand Slam. But the second seed has long been considered one of the tournament favourites himself, especially with the absence of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, who did not compete in New York this year due to injury.

“I don’t feel the change of the energy [in the locker room], again, talking for myself. I always try to do my best,” Medvedev said in response to a question asking whether there is a different atmosphere in the locker room without the all-time greats. “I don’t care if Roger or Rafa are here. I want to win the tournament. It’s going to be tougher if they were here, and of course it would be tougher if they would be 30 years old. But I just want to do my best, so I don’t care if they are here or not.”

The 25-year-old is solely focussed on his next match. Medvedev will be favoured against 21-year-old Felix Auger-Aliassime, who will be appearing in his first major semi-final.

“Whoever wins is going to be on huge fire. You know they are much younger than even me. I’m not old,” Medvedev said, cracking a laugh. “But for them, it’s going to be [their] first semis of a Slam. Experience is not everything, because when I was in my first semis of a Slam, I won it. Doesn’t mean if you’re there for the first time you’re going to lose it.

“But I like that I have this experience. I know how it is. I’m not going to be tight. I know that. After, it’s a question about tennis. If I play good, it’s not going to be easy for my opponent. That’s the most important thing I’m going to try to do.”

This will be Medvedev’s third consecutive US Open semi-final. In his maiden major final in 2019, the Russian fell short against Rafael Nadal in a five-set thriller.

“Just to live this match was special,” Medvedev said, later adding, “I kind of understood, ‘Okay, well, I almost beat Rafa, being two sets down and a break, so I do belong here’.”

^{Photo Credit: Garrett Ellwood/USTA}
No fans were in attendance at last year’s US Open because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but Medvedev still managed to make the last four, where he lost against eventual champion Dominic Thiem in straight sets.

“I was kind of not ready for this match. When I say ‘not ready’, of course I prepared [for] it well. It’s just that he played a really great level and I couldn’t find a solution, which I took a lesson [from] and I tried to do better in the Nitto ATP Finals,” Medvedev said. “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.”

Medvedev is hoping to become the third Russian male singles champion at a Grand Slam this fortnight, joining Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Marat Safin. But for now, he is not getting ahead of himself. Instead, the second seed is enjoying the moment.

“Really happy to be in the semis again, third time in a row,” Medvedev said. “Couldn’t dream of it maybe four years ago, but now it’s three.”

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US Open: Teenager Leylah Fernandez beats Elina Svitolina to reach semi-finals

Teenager Leylah Fernandez produces another fearless performance to beat Elina Svitolina and set up a US Open semi-final with Aryna Sabalenka.

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Del Potro: 'This Is The Toughest Match Of My Career'

Juan Martin del Potro has encountered many physical challenges throughout his career. In an interview with ESPN on Tuesday at the US Open, the Argentine made clear that he is still fighting.

“I love the challenge. It could be a tennis challenge or a different challenge in life. This is the toughest match of my career, because I cannot deal with these kind of injuries, this pain that I have now. But I’m still trying and trying,” Del Potro said. “This is the life. I believe in myself that this is going to be in the past for sure. But I think it’s also a message to the young kids, to all the players, to all the people around the world that they never have to give up following a dream and that’s what I’m doing with myself.”

Del Potro shared a hit on the practice courts with former World No. 1 John McEnroe. Although the 32-year-old is not up to full speed yet, he is thrilled to be progressing towards a return.

“I’m so happy to be back… this place is amazing to me. I had a great opportunity to play with John. One of the reasons that I came here was him,” Del Potro said. “I’m so happy to be back in my place, in my tournament. I’m excited to feel better and be back as a protagonist next year and be on court.”

The 2009 US Open champion said “the knee is much better”. Del Potro is still recovering, but spending time on court, and he is eager to start his comeback next season. Returning to Flushing Meadows, where Del Potro also made the final in 2018, has made the ‘Tower of Tandil’ even hungrier.

“The practice with you was the better part of the day,” Del Potro told McEnroe. “When I was watching the [Daniil] Medvedev match, it was a little bit frustrating to me watching these guys play and me [being] on the outside and not being the guy who is playing, fighting for the trophy.

“This is what happened to me at the moment, but I’m positive. I’m fighting to keep moving and hopefully next year I can be a protagonist again and play tennis.”

Del Potro has not competed since Queen’s Club in June 2019. During that time, he believes there has been a shift in how the game is played.

“I’m seeing the older players are playing an aggressive game, just serves and forehands and very short points. From my point of view, a guy who makes a smart game, a smart play, he has a chance to win a tournament,” Del Potro said. “That’s the reason Novak is still playing. I think he has the experience, he has the game and he’s very smart on court. But the other guys are very strong, and that gives a little message to me, because if I am healthy, I will be in that position again.”

It was fitting to have Del Potro back at a tournament in New York given his unforgettable accomplishments at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. No matter what happens in the future, nobody will ever be able to take those away from the Argentine fan favorite.

“This tournament makes me feel unbelievable on court, off court too. That’s why I decided to come,” Del Potro said. “I need the love from the crowd, from the people.”

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US Open 2021: Britain's Joe Salisbury in men's doubles semi-finals

Britain’s Joe Salisbury progresses through to the men’s doubles semi-finals at the US Open.

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