Tuesday, 30 April 2019
Rafael Nadal issues Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer warning ahead of Madrid Open
RAFAEL NADAL has warned rivals Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer that his “desire” is back again headed into the Madrid Open.
from Daily Express :: Tennis Feed http://bit.ly/2VxoxS1
Rafael Nadal told about ‘SIGNIFICANT’ Dominic Thiem worry by Whitaker ahead of Madrid Open
Roger Federer: Pierre Paganini reveals what he really thinks when watching Swiss star
Rafael Nadal makes Madrid Masters decision in bid to boost clay court hopes
Rafael Nadal: Tournament decision is ‘weird’ and ‘ludicrous’ - Catherine Whitaker
Rafael Nadal: French Open prediction dropped by former coach ahead of Madrid, Rome Masters
Video : Highlights: Sousa, Tiafoe Advance On Tuesday In Estoril 2019
Watch highlights as Joao Sousa and Frances Tiafoe advance on Tuesday at the Millennium Estoril Open in Portugal. Video and photo: Millennium Estoril Open.
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Isner Announces Family Expansion With Unique Gender Reveal
John Isner and his wife Madison welcomed their first child, a baby girl named Hunter Grace, last September. But the two already are expecting their second child.
Isner and his family recently hosted a "Gender Reveal Party, Tennis Edition". Watch the below video to see the reveal.
Gender reveal: Tennis edition 👶🏻
— ATP Tour (@ATP_Tour) April 30, 2019
Congratulations, @JohnIsner & Madison! 💙 pic.twitter.com/SPbjE9eCAf
The World No. 9 is currently nursing a stress fracture in his left foot that he suffered during the Miami Open presented by Itau final against Roger Federer. isner, 34, expects to return to tour-level action at the Mutua Madrid Open, which starts Sunday.
from Tennis - ATP World Tour http://bit.ly/2WeLXso
Video : Hot Shot: 'No Way!' Tiafoe Can't Believe This Kukushkin No-Look Winner Estoril 2019
Watch this hot shot as Frances Tiafoe can't believe what Mikhail Kukushkin comes up with at the 2019 Millennium Estoril Open on Tuesday. Watch live tennis streams at http://www.tennistv.com.
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Video : Hot Shot: Sousa Earns Triple Break Point In Style In Estoril 2019
Watch Hot Shot as Joao Sousa fires a backhand down the line to earn triple break point against #NextGenATP Australian Alexei Popyrin at the Millennium Open. Video and photo credit: Millennium Estoril Open.
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Sousa Survives Popyrin Test
Defending champion Joao Sousa was made to work hard for his place in the Millennium Estoril Open second round on Tuesday.
The Portuguese No. 1, who defeated Frances Tiafoe in last year's championship match, needed two hours and 13 minutes to battle past #NextGenATP Australian Alexei Popyrin 6-4, 2-6, 6-2. Sousa entered Estoril with an 0-3 event record last year, but has now won six consecutive matches at his home tournament.
The 30-year-old will meet fourth seed David Goffin in the second round. Sousa owns one victory from five FedEx ATP Head2Head encounters against the 2017 Nitto ATP Finals runner-up.
Leonardo Mayer upset Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters finalist Dusan Lajovic 7-6(3), 6-4 in one hour and 53 minutes. The Argentine will face Malek Jaziri for a place in the quarter-finals. Jaziri defeated Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell quarter-finalist Nicolas Jarry 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.
Jeremy Chardy became the first man to defeat Pablo Carreno Busta before the semi-finals in Estoril, recovering from a set down to overcome the 2017 champion 5-7, 6-1, 6-2. Carreno Busta entered this year's tournament with a 13-3 event record, having reached the semi-finals or better in each of his four previous appearances.
from Tennis - ATP World Tour http://bit.ly/2GJoE3m
Video : Emilio Gomez Reflects On First Challenger Title In Tallahassee
Watch as Ecuador's Emilio Gomez looks back on his maiden ATP Challenger Tour title at the Tallahassee Tennis Challenger. Photo: Jacob Stuckey
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Video : Dominic Thiem's Road to Victory in Barcelona
It wasn't an easy path to his first title in Barcelona. But that didn't stop him. SUBSCRIBE: http://bit.ly/2dj6EhW WEBSITE: http://www.atptour.com/ FACEBOOK: http://bit.ly/2F6KsY6 TWITTER: https://twitter.com/ATP_Tour INSTAGRAM: http://bit.ly/2FaMhCX RADIO: http://bit.ly/2Dictrm PODCAST: http://bit.ly/2NilRRn About the Official ATP Tour YouTube Channel: Here you will find the latest videos from the ATP Tour, including hot shots, highlights, behind the scenes footage, documentaries and more. The ATP Tour showcases the best of the best, competing in 63 tournaments across 4 surfaces, all to be No. 1. Find all the action from on and off the court right here.
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Schwartzman Records First Munich Victory
Diego Schwartzman earned his first win at the BMW Open by FWU on Tuesday, beating Benoit Paire 6-4, 1-6, 6-1 to reach the second round.
The Argentina Open finalist recorded his 13th victory in 23 tour-level matches this season after one hour and 41 minutes, saving nine of 13 break points to end Paire's hopes of a debut win in Munich. Schwartzman levels his FedEx ATP Head2Head series at 1-1 against Paire, having lost their only previous meeting at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia last year.
Aiming to reach his fourth tour-level quarter-final of 2019, the 26-year-old will face Houston champion Cristian Garin for a place in the last eight. The Chilean fired eight aces and broke serve on four occasions to defeat Yannick Maden of Germany 6-4, 6-2 in 77 minutes. Schwartzman owns a 1-0 FedEx ATP Head2Head record against Garin.
Cordoba Open titlist Juan Ignacio Londero defeated German wild card Maximilian Marterer 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 to join Schwartzman in the second round. The Argentine will meet two-time defending champion Alexander Zverev for a quarter-final spot.
Thiago Monteiro needed just 51 minutes to book a second-round clash against eighth seed Marton Fucsovics. The Brazilian won 80 per cent of service points (28/35) to defeat 2014 semi-finalist Jan-Lennard Struff 6-1, 6-1.
Did You Know?
Alexander Zverev is aiming to become the first man to win three consecutive titles at the BMW Open by FWU.
from Tennis - ATP World Tour http://bit.ly/2GJWGo9
Wimbledon chiefs ready to find loophole to help Andy Murray play one final Grand Slam
Video : Wimbledon Spring Press Conference 2019
Tune in LIVE as the All England Club's Chief Executive Richard Lewis and Chairman Philip Brook bring you the headline announcements ahead of The Championships 2019... SUBSCRIBE to The Wimbledon YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/wimbledon LIKE Wimbledon on Facebook: http://bit.ly/14ioCWo FOLLOW Wimbledon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Wimbledon FOLLOW Wimbledon on Instagram: http://bit.ly/2SiqMDR FOLLOW Wimbledon on Snapchat: add Wimbledon VISIT: http://bit.ly/Mjqnfb ARCHIVE: To license footage, please go to: http://bit.ly/2IRwnQd This is the official YouTube page of The All England Lawn Tennis Club (Championships), home of Wimbledon. The Championships 2019 will run from 1 July - 14 July.
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Video : The No.1 Court Project: The Final Year
SUBSCRIBE to The Wimbledon YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/wimbledon LIKE Wimbledon on Facebook: http://bit.ly/14ioCWo FOLLOW Wimbledon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Wimbledon FOLLOW Wimbledon on Instagram: http://bit.ly/2SiqMDR FOLLOW Wimbledon on Snapchat: add Wimbledon VISIT: http://bit.ly/Mjqnfb ARCHIVE: To license footage, please go to: http://bit.ly/2IRwnQd This is the official YouTube page of The All England Lawn Tennis Club (Championships), home of Wimbledon. The Championships 2019 will run from 1 July - 14 July.
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Video : 15 Times Federer Showed Something NEW to the World
🔔 TURN ON NOTIFICATIONS TO NEVER MISS AN UPLOAD! 🔔 ➤ Subscribe here → https://bit.ly/2uS1UrS ➤ My Twitter → http://bit.ly/2vmUq3N #Federer #Tennis #RazOls
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Puerto Vallarta Receives 2018 'Challenger Of The Year' Award
One year ago, the Puerto Vallarta Open presentado por La Afición made a dazzling debut on the ATP Challenger Tour. And on Monday, they were recognised with the highest honour on the circuit.
In front of a sold-out crowd on Estadio Puerto Vallarta, ahead of the Day 1 night session, the tournament was presented with the 2018 Challenger of the Year award. Tournament organisers and founders Javier Romero, David Davila and Javier Ramirez received the crystal trophy along with tournament director Adhemar Rodriguez.
The moment has arrived!@PtoVallartaOpen receives its 🏆 for 2018 #ATPChallenger of the Year. pic.twitter.com/sM8FkrkdAc
— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) April 30, 2019
"Tonight we received the award from the ATP and it was an incredible experience," said Romero. "It was very important to do it in front of all the fans and we prepared a big party. We always look to improve every day and offer the people a great show, and most importantly make the players feel like they are at home. In Mexico, there is a famous saying: 'My home is your home' and this is what we look to provide for our players."
Last year's runner-up Danilo Petrovic, semi-finalist Carlos Gomez-Herrera and former World No. 43 Victor Estrella Burgos were also on court during the ceremony. The Serbian, the Spaniard and the Dominican star are three of many players who have adopted Puerto Vallarta as their new home on tour. With world-class hospitality and captivating off-court activities in the local region, as well as perfect conditions between the lines, the players' appreciation for the tournament is at the forefront.
The Challenger Awards are a recognition of excellence, selected by players from the global Challenger Tour of 160 events staged in 40 different countries. In its inaugural year, the Puerto Vallarta Open was instantly recognised as being outstanding in terms of facilities, organisation, imagination, promotion and player welcome.
Led by the Puerto Vallarta Office of Tourism, the commitment, and hard work of the tournament team, the support of the municipality, local authorities, sponsors, the press and the public produced a wonderful week of professional tennis. The tournament made Challenger history by winning the award in its first year, joining only the Abierto GNP Seguros in nearby Monterrey (2015) in achieving the feat.
In 2018, three tournaments were recognised with the Challenger of the Year award, with Puerto Vallarta accompanying the NECKARCUP in Heilbronn, Germany, and Odlum Brown VanOpen in Vancouver, Canada, in the winners' circle. Heilbronn will be presented with their trophy in two weeks, with Vancouver holding their ceremony in August.
from Tennis - ATP World Tour http://bit.ly/2vrtblB
Roger Federer: Fitness coach Pierre Paganini makes clay court injury claim
Monday, 29 April 2019
Roger Federer is like a ‘child’ on clay courts - fitness coach Pierre Paganini
Roger Federer: Todd Woodbridge reveals biggest message clay court return sends to rivals
Opelka Achieves Personal Milestone In Estoril Opener
American Reilly Opelka picked up his first tour-level clay-court win on Monday at the Millennium Estoril Open. The 6'11” American overcame home wild card Pedro Sousa 7-6(2), 6-4 to set up a second-round meeting with third seed Gael Monfils of France.
Opelka had been 0-4 on clay at tour-level, but the 21-year-old gained confidence on the surface last year on the ATP Challenger Tour, winning the BNP Paribas Primrose in Bordeaux, France. Opelka and Monfils have never played each other.
“The clay here is different than what [Americans] are used to playing on. I prefer it, I did pretty well last year in the Challengers in France and everything. I'm excited to book a pretty busy clay-court schedule,” Opelka said.
Portuguese qualifier Joao Domingues, No. 214, upset sixth seed and No. 27 Alex de Minaur 6-2, 2-6, 6-2 for his biggest win by ATP Ranking. The #NextGenATP Aussie was playing his first match since losing in the second round of the BNP Paribas Open in March (hip).
“I'm feeling good. I'm playing good so I'm confident. This is very important in tennis. I'm looking forward to playing more matches like this,” said Domingues, who will face the winner of an all-Aussie battle between Bernard Tomic and John Millman.
Argentina's Guido Andreozzi will meet top seed Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece after beating Bolivia's Hugo Dellien 6-3, 6-3, and Yoshihito Nishoka could face eighth seed and defending finalist Frances Tiafoe in the second round.
Nishioka swept American Mackenzie McDonald 6-2, 6-4. Tiafoe meets Kazakhstan's Mikhail Kukushkin in his opener.
from Tennis - ATP World Tour http://bit.ly/2UJ3mI4
Roger Federer: Jim Courier gives three reasons for clay court return ahead of French Open
Video : Highlights: Opelka, Nishioka Advance On Monday In Estoril 2019
Watch highlights as Reilly Opelka and Yoshihito Nishioka advance on Monday at the Millennium Estoril Open. Video and photo courtesy Millennium Estoril Open.
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Roger Federer: Dominic Thiem warns of big French Open ‘goal’ after Barcelona Open glory
Rafael Nadal: Dominic Thiem makes French Open judgement after Barcelona Open success
Fucsovics Advances On Rain-Soaked Day In Munich
Hungary's Marton Fucsovics survived Italian qualifier Lorenzo Sonego 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(8) on Monday to advance during a rain-soaked day one of the BMW Open by FWU in Munich.
The eighth seed saved nine of 14 break points and converted his fourth match point to end the three-hour, seven-minute contest.
Fucsovics will next face Brazilian qualifier Thiago Monteiro or Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff. In the only other main-draw match of the day, Taro Daniel of Japan swept #NextGenATP Frenchman Ugo Humbert 6-4, 6-4.
Top seed and two-time defending champion Alexander Zverev is the favourite to take home a third consecutive title in his home country. Zverev will face the winner between German wild card Maximilian Marterer or Cordoba Open champion Juan Ignacio Londero.
from Tennis - ATP World Tour http://bit.ly/2GR6DBe
ATP Rankings: Djokovic stays No 1, Nadal drops points, Zverev faces Federer battle
Video : Two-Time Champ Zverev Returns To Munich 2019
Alexander Zverev talks about what it's like to return to the BMW Open by FWU in Munich, where Zverev is a two-time champion. Photo: Getty Images for BMW.
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Berrettini Soars To Career-High, Mover Of The Week
No. 37 (Career-High) Matteo Berrettini, +18
Despite arriving in Budapest on a five-match tour-level losing streak, Matteo Berrettini battled his way through the field at the Hungarian Open to claim his second ATP Tour title. The unseeded Italian upset seventh seed Mikhail Kukushkin and Rio Open presented by Claro champion Laslo Djere en route to the championship match, where he rallied from a set down to beat Filip Krajinovic. The 23-year-old, who competes at the BMW Open by FWU this week, leaps 18 places to a career-high No. 37 in the ATP Rankings. Read More.
No. 29 (Career-High) Laslo Djere, +4
Djere produced another impressive result on clay in 2019 with a run to the last four at the Hungarian Open. The 23-year-old defeated Ernests Gulbis, Jannik Sinner and fourth seed Nikoloz Basilashvili to reach the semi-finals, where he fell in straight sets to eventual champion Berrettini. With a 12-9 record this year, the Serbian rises four spots to a career-high No. 29 in the ATP Rankings.
No. 70 Nicolas Jarry, +11
The 23-year-old reached his first tour-level quarter-final of the season in dramatic fashion at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell. After a three-set victory against Marcel Granollers in the first round, Jarry scored back-to-back final-set tie-break wins over the two most recent winners of the Nitto ATP Finals. The lucky loser saved one match point to stun World No. 3 Alexander Zverev, before eliminating Grigor Dimitrov to reach the last eight in Barcelona. Jarry jumps 11 places to No. 70 in the ATP Rankings.
No. 77 Filip Krajinovic, +28
The Belgrade resident defeated two seeded opponents at the Hungarian Open to reach his second tour-level championship match. After overcoming Andreas Seppi in the first round, Krajinovic posted victories against eighth seed Radu Albot and second seed Borna Coric to advance to the final four. The 27-year-old dropped four games to beat Pierre-Hugues Herbert in the semi-finals, before a three-set loss to Berrettini in the final. Krajinovic soars 28 positions to No. 77 in the ATP Rankings.
No. 38 Pablo Carreno Busta, -9
No. 43 Pierre-Hugues Herbert, +6
No. 49 Grigor Dimitrov, -6
No. 50 John Millman, -11
No. 57 (Career-High) Mackenzie McDonald, +4
No. 60 Martin Klizan, -13
No. 67 Pablo Cuevas, +6
No. 68 Andreas Seppi, -6
No. 81 Aljaz Bedene, -7
No. 86 Roberto Carballes Baena, +18
No. 92 Prajnesh Gunneswaran, -17
No. 93 Tennys Sandgren, +10
No. 98 Hugo Dellien, -6
No. 99 Pablo Andujar, -15
from Tennis - ATP World Tour http://bit.ly/2GJ1fiA
20 Things To Watch In Estoril, Munich
In week three of the European clay-court swing, ATP 250 events in Estoril and Munich take the spotlight. World No. 10 Stefanos Tsitsipas leads the way at the Millennium Estoril Open, while two-time defending champion Alexander Zverev aims for a three-peat at the BMW Open by FWU. Here are 20 things to watch from the ATP 250 events:
10 Things To Watch In Estoril
1) A Packed Field: Two clay-court events take place on the ATP Tour this week, in Estoril and Munich. At the Millennium Estoril Open, World No. 10 Stefanos Tsitsipas and Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters champion Fabio Fognini join former titlists Joao Sousa and Pablo Carreno Busta in the field.
2) Greece Lightning: Top seed Tsitsipas is back at the ATP 250 event after reaching the semi-finals on his debut last year, where he fell to eventual champion Sousa. The top Greek in ATP Rankings history is 19-9 this season, winning the title in Marseille and making the Australian Open semi-finals, but saw his ATP Ranking fall from two spots to No. 10 on Monday – his first ATP Ranking dip since October 2018.
3) A Hero’s Homecoming: Sousa thrilled the Estoril crowds last year by becoming the first Portuguese champion in the tournament’s history. The top Portuguese player in ATP Rankings history had to save two match points against compatriot Pedro Sousa in the second round, before marching to his third ATP Tour singles title – his first on home soil, and his first on clay.
4) Fog Rolling In: Two weeks ago, second seed Fognini owned a 4-8 win-loss record in 2019 with no victories from four tour-level matches on clay. That suddenly changed when he clinched his first ATP Masters 1000 title at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, defeating 11-time champion Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals before a final victory against Dusan Lajovic. Fognini, the first Italian to win a Masters 1000 title, is at a career-high No. 12 in the ATP Rankings.
5) Stellar Serb: Fifth seed Lajovic is up one spot to a new career-high ATP Ranking of No. 23. The Serb smashed his prior career-high ranking of No. 42 after reaching his first singles final in the Principality, notching his first Top 5 win over Dominic Thiem en route to the championship match.
6) Back for More: 2017 champion Carreno Busta has established a strong resume in Estoril, going 13-3 in his four showings. The No. 7 seed reached the final in 2016, before going one step further in the following year. Also returning to Estoril is eighth seed Frances Tiafoe, who fell to Sousa in last year's final.
7) Going Wild: Fourth seed David Goffin received a wild card into the event, as the Belgian seeks more clay-court wins following second-round exits in Monte-Carlo and Barcelona. Carreno Busta and Pedro Sousa round out the three wild cards at the Millennium Estoril Open this week.
8) Gael Force: Third seed Gael Monfils, like his fellow seeded players Fognini, Goffin and Lajovic, is making his Estoril debut. The Frenchman opened the year with a career-best 15-3 start, including the Rotterdam title, but gave eventual champion Thiem a walkover in the BNP Paribas Open quarter-finals in his most recent appearance on the ATP Tour. Monfils withdrew from the Miami Open presented by Itau with a left ankle injury.
9) Young Guns: Sixth seed Alex de Minaur is also playing his first event since Indian Wells. The Aussie had a hot start to 2019 as well, opening the year with a 11-4 record and winning his first tour-level trophy in his hometown of Sydney. De Minaur, who withdrew from Miami with a hip injury, is still fifth in the #NextGenATP Race to Milan, behind Tsitsipas, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Denis Shapovalov, and Tiafoe.
10) Doubling Up: No. 4 doubles seeds Marcus Daniell and Wesley Koolhof arrive in Estoril after a run to the Budapest final (l. to Skupski/Skupski). It was Koolhof's third straight final appearance with as many partners, following runner-up finishes at Masters 1000 events in Miami (w/Tsitsipas) and Monte-Carlo (w/Haase).
10 Things To Watch In Munich
1) Home Hopes: Two clay-court events take place on the ATP Tour this week, in Munich and Estoril. At the BMW Open by FWU in Munich, two-time defending champion and World No. 3 Alexander Zverev joins fellow German and three-time champion Philipp Kohlschreiber in the field.
2) The Champ Returns: Top seed Zverev returns to Munich in an attempt to pull off a hat-trick of titles at the ATP 250 event. Already making his sixth appearance at the tournament at age 22, the German has built up a 12-3 record in Munich. Zverev has been ranked in the Top 5 each week since 11 September 2017, but still seeks his first singles trophy of 2019 after winning nine titles in the past two seasons.
Read Zverev: 'My Game Is Pretty Much Back'
3) Munich Debut: After accepting a wild card into the event, second seed Karen Khachanov also aims to capture his first title of the year. The Russian broke through at the end of 2018 by winning his first ATP Masters 1000 title at the Rolex Paris Masters, but is currently on a four-match losing streak dating back to a quarter-final loss to Rafael Nadal at the BNP Paribas Open.
4) Right at Home: The oldest player in the draw, Philipp Kohlschreiber, has heavy championship experience at Munich. The 35-year-old debuted at the event in 2002 and has amassed a 33-11 record in Munich since then, winning titles in 2007, 2012, and 2016, and making three other finals, including last year. Kohlschreiber faces fellow 35-year-old Andreas Seppi in the first round.
5) One More Step: Fourth seed Roberto Bautista Agut has made at least the quarter-finals in all three of his appearances in Munich, but he is still seeking his first final at the event. He fell in the semi-finals to eventual champions Andy Murray in 2015 and Zverev in 2017, and lost to last year's finalist Kohlschreiber in the quarter-finals 12 months ago.
6) Final Four: Two of last year’s unseeded Grand Slam semi-finalists are Top 5 seeds in Munich this year. No. 3 seed Marco Cecchinato beat Novak Djokovic to make the 2018 Roland Garros semi-finals, while No. 5 seed Kyle Edmund upset then-No. 3 Grigor Dimitrov to reach the final four at the 2018 Australian Open. Both Cecchinato and Edmund ended last year ranked inside the Top 20.
7) That Winning Feeling: Martin Klizan joins Zverev and Kohlschreiber as former champions in the draw. Klizan won the second of his six ATP Tour titles at this event as a qualifier in 2014, beating Fabio Fognini in the final. He also won his most recent title as a qualifier, in Kitzbuhel last year.
8) Qualies Quality: After successfully making it into the Munich main draw, Lorenzo Sonego will try to make a third straight ATP Tour quarter-final as a qualifier. After qualifying at Marrakech and reaching the last eight there, the Italian notched the biggest win of his career over Khachanov en route to his first Masters 1000 quarter-final at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters as a qualifier.
9) Wild Cards: Rudolf Molleker is one of this week’s wild cards. The 18-year-old German finished last season as the youngest player ranked in the Top 400. He currently sits at a new career-high ranking of No. 157 after making two quarter-finals and a semi-final at his last three ATP Challenger Tour events. Maximilian Marterer joins Molleker and Khachanov as the third wild card.
10) Brothers In Form: In the doubles draw, No. 3 seeds Ken Skupski and Neal Skupski come into Munich on a winning streak, having lifted the Hungarian Open title on Sunday. The British brothers claimed their first crown of the season in Budapest after runner-up finishes in Houston and Delray Beach earlier this year.
from Tennis - ATP World Tour http://bit.ly/2VAhQ1w
Sunday, 28 April 2019
Novak Djokovic: Former ATP star reveals doubts over breaking Roger Federer record
Video : Puerto Vallarta Challenger Launches In Paradise
Victor Estrella Burgos, Carlos Gomez-Herrera and Danilo Petrovic speak at the official Puerto Vallarta Open press conference in the city centre, ahead of the award-winning ATP Challenger Tour event. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: http://bit.ly/2dj6EhW Visit the official site of the ATP Challenger Tour and watch free live streaming: http://bit.ly/2WPpIJt JOIN THE CONVERSATION Like us on Facebook: http://bit.ly/2cULgB4 Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ATPChallenger
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Zverev Before Going For Munich Three-Peat: 'My Game Is Pretty Much Back'
Reigning Nitto ATP Finals champion Alexander Zverev arrives at the BMW Open by FWU without having won multiple matches at a tournament since reaching the Acapulco final the first weekend of March. But the two-time defending champion will hope that returning home to Munich, where he has enjoyed plenty of success, will help him get back on track.
“Obviously I didn’t play my best the past few weeks. But I feel good on the court, I’m happy on the court and this is the most important thing,” Zverev said. “I feel like my game is pretty much back on the practice courts in the way I hit the ball, but I just have to show it in the matches. I think I’ll have a few very tough matches and if I win them, I think I’m in good shape and good form. We’ll see how it goes.”
The top seed has won 11 of his past 12 matches in Munich, and he will look to add to that when he faces Cordoba champion Juan Ignacio Londero or German wild card Maximilian Marterer in the second round. Sixth seed Diego Schwartzman, a dangerous clay-court foe who triumphed at the ATP 500 tournament in Rio de Janeiro last year, is the first seeded player Zverev could face.
Zverev’s countryman Jan-Lennard Struff, who defeated the World No. 3 in Indian Wells, is in the same half of the draw, as are third seed and 2018 Roland Garros semi-finalist Marco Cecchinato and eighth seed Marton Fucsovics.
“Especially in Munich, the draw is always very, very difficult and there are always a lot of good players. And even the past two years when I won I had to go through a lot of tough matches and a lot of great players and great opponents,” Zverev said. “For me, it’s great to be here but I know it’s not going to be an easy week and I’m looking forward to it.”
There are six players inside the Top 25 of the ATP Rankings overall, with Russian Karen Khachanov of Russia the second seed. Khachanov could face a stiff test in his opening match, as he could potentially face three-time titlist Philipp Kohlschreiber, who has emerged victorious at this ATP 250 tournament more than any other player. Kohlschreiber plays Italian Andreas Seppi in the first round.
Nineteen of the 28 competitors in the main draw have won an ATP Tour title, with two-time titlist Matteo Berrettini lifting the Hungarian Open trophy in Budapest on Sunday. But the favourite will be Zverev, who is pursuing his first crown of 2019.
The home favourite is trying to win his third title at a single tournament for the first time (he has also won the Citi Open twice). The only other player to triumph in Munich three times is fellow German Kohlschreiber, who is on the opposite side of the draw. No player has lifted the trophy here in three consecutive years.
“It’s always a great feeling when you know you’ve done this here and you know that you normally play well here and this gives you confidence,” Zverev said. “This is exactly what I need and I’m happy to be here.”
from Tennis - ATP World Tour http://bit.ly/2UKPFIP
Tsitsipas Looks Ahead To Tough Estoril Field
Stefanos Tsitsipas has a habit of going deep in draws, but the top seed will have his work cut out for him if he hopes to do that once again at the Millennium Estoril Open.
The Greek star reached the semi-finals last year in his maiden trip to Portugal. With all eight seeds inside the Top 30 of the ATP Rankings, Tsitsipas knows he’ll need to be ready from the first ball.
“It’s a very strong [ATP] 250 [event], but that’s what makes it so special and an event that everyone wants to win. For me, it’s an extra motivation. Competing against all of these guys will only make you better,” said Tsitsipas during the pre-tournament player party. “I have very nice memories from this place. I got a lot of support last year, really nice vibes and really nice energy coming from the crowd and the city itself.”
The champion and runner-up at this year's Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, Fabio Fognini and Dusan Lajovic, headline as the second seed and fifth seed, respectively. Defending champion and local favourite Joao Sousa also features in the draw, along with 2017 champion Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain. The intriguing field is already generating plenty of buzz.
“We’ve got some very good clay-courters in good form, so it’s an exciting place to play tennis,” said John Millman of Australia. “A lot of people came out for the qualifying, which is always a good sign for strong crowds for the rest of the week.”
The relaxed atmosphere and picturesque scenery have made Estoril a priority stop for the players competing this week, with #NextGenATP Aussie and sixth seed Alex de Minaur raving over the “incredible views from the hotel and coastline.” Sousa is competing in Estoril for the fourth consecutive year and believes the tournament has gotten better with each edition.
“It’s going to be a great tournament,” said Sousa. “There are a lot of good players and the organisation is making a big effort to have one of the best tournaments in the world here.”
from Tennis - ATP World Tour http://bit.ly/2UJdO29
Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal at their peak? Gilles Muller picks the best
Puerto Vallarta Kicks Off Second Edition In Paradise
It's tennis in paradise. Last year, the Puerto Vallarta Open made a stunning debut under the radiant glow of the Mexican sun. With the Pacific Ocean glistening in the distance and the Sierra Madre mountains towering overhead, it provided the perfect setting for a tournament on the ATP Challenger Tour.
With a tournament hotel that doubles as a beach resort for thousands of vacation-goers, all-inclusive food and multiple practise courts on the premises, it's no wonder that many players arrived early to enjoy a rare mid-season break. Next week, the award-winning 2018 Tournament of the Year returns for a second edition and once again features an impressive field.
With nine players inside the Top 200 of the ATP Rankings and World No. 98 Alexander Bublik leading the charge, fans will be treated to a show all week at the Parque Parota. Bublik is seeking a staggering fourth ATP Challenger Tour title in 2019, with his previous three triumphs coming on the hard courts of Budapest, Pau and Monterrey.
One year ago, the 21-year-old Kazakh was recovering from a broken ankle suffered in Indian Wells, but now he is dominating in his comeback campaign. Already back inside the Top 100 of the ATP Rankings, Bublik has his sights set on yet another triumph on Mexican soil. He opens against either Renzo Olivo or Joao Menezes, with 13th seed Darian King looming in the third round.
Also in the top half of the draw, fourth seed Dustin Brown looms large as one of the hottest players on tour. The German streaked to the title in Sophia Antipolis, France, earlier this month, putting on a show with his patented highlight reel shotmaking. Brown is targeting a Top 100 return with a strong showing in Puerto Vallarta. He opens against either Kevin King or Baptiste Crepatte. Aussie John-Patrick Smith, Colombian veteran Santiago Giraldo and this week's Leon semi-finalist James Ward also loom in that quarter. Ward could face 2018 runner-up Danilo Petrovic to open his campaign.
Meanwhile, in the bottom half of the draw, defending champion Adrian Menendez-Maceiras is seeded second. The Spaniard was the comeback king a year ago, rallying from a set down on three occasions, en route to the title. He faces either Scott Griekspoor or Manuel Sanchez first, with third seed Peter Polansky, fifth seed Sebastian Ofner and 16th seed Blaz Rola the biggest threats in that half of the draw. Rola is coming off a title run in nearby Leon on Sunday.
Making the draw in Puerto Vallarta@clayton_scott lends a hand with the singles draw @PtoVallartaOpen pic.twitter.com/BHZ0x76wyE
— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) April 27, 2019
Mexico has never had it so good. With five tournaments on the calendar in March and April, the country is greatly invested in growing the game at the Challenger level. Morelos champion Matias Franco Descotte, Monterrey champ Bublik, San Luis Potosi winner Marc-Andrea Huesler and Leon titlist Rola are all competing in Puerto Vallarta.
First round action begins on Monday, with seeded players kicking off their campaigns on Tuesday. If you're already in Mexico or merely want an excuse to break away for a week of paradise, there are few better weeks to enjoy a tennis holiday on the ATP Challenger Tour.
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Video : The Story Of The 2019 Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell
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Video : Tsitsipas, De Minaur & More Stars Share Excitement For Estoril At Players' Party
Top seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, #NextGenATP stars Alex de Minaur and Frances Tiafoe, defending champion Joao Sousa and John Millman enjoy the players' party ahead of the Millennium Estoril Open. Video courtesy of the Millennium Estoril Open.
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Dominic Thiem backs up Rafael Nadal shock to beat Daniil Medvedev in Barcelona Open final
Video : Hot Shot: Thiem Carves Out Nifty Drop Shot In Barcelona 2019 Final
Watch as Dominic Thiem shows impressive feel to win a lengthy rally against Daniil Medvedev at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell. Photo Credit: Alex Caparros/Getty Images. Watch live tennis streams at http://www.tennistv.com.
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Thiem Sprints Past Medvedev To Clinch Barcelona Title
Dominic Thiem started slowly and finished brilliantly on Sunday at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell. The third seed went down an early break to seventh seed Daniil Medvedev of Russia, but won 12 of the last 13 games to take the title 6-4, 6-0.
More to come...
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Berrettini The Best In Budapest
Matteo Berrettini arrived in Budapest on a five-match tour-level losing streak. But the Italian is leaving with his second ATP Tour title.
Berrettini defeated qualifier Filip Krajinovic 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 on Sunday to win the Hungarian Open. His aggressive play from the baseline slowly wore down Krajinovic's defences, dropping his racquet to the red clay in celebration after one hour and 41 minutes.
"It was a really tough match. The conditions [were tough], it was cold and windy. The balls were moving a lot. So I was really focused on my game," Berrettini said. "After the first set I just told myself to fight game after game, point after point and I'm really happy because it was really difficult."
Outside of one hiccup in the opening set, Berrettini set the tone for the match with his serve, winning 81 per cent of his service points. The victory will send the 23-year-old to a career-high ATP Ranking inside the Top 40 on Monday.
The Italian won 15 of his first 16 service points in the match. But one sloppy game against the solid Krajinovic was enough to allow the Serbian to win the opening set. However, Berrettini held the match on his racquet, dictating from the baseline with his forehand, while also throwing in a number of drop shots to keep Krajinovic thinking.
Berrettini did not let slip his momentum in the third set, playing aggressive tennis while maintaining consistency, as Krajinovic began to make more mistakes. The Italian won 10 of the final 12 games and captured 59 per cent of his return points in the decider, breaking three times in the third set.
"I was winning not too much and I think the key was my serve. I improved a lot my backhand. Those were the keys," Berrettini said. "My forehand, especially on the clay, is a good weapon. Today was a great day for my forehand. But during the tournament my backhand and my serve helped me a lot."
Berrettini leaves Hungary with €90,390 in prize money and 250 ATP Ranking points, while Krajinovic adds 150 points and €48,870.
Krajinovic fell just short on his second chance to win his maiden ATP Tour title. The 27-year-old Serbian reached his first final two years ago at the Rolex Paris Masters. He struggled with injuries in 2018, but Krajinovic’s efforts this week will send him back into the Top 100.
"He deserved to win, so I'm happy for him," Krajinovic said. "It's been a great week for me coming through qualies, now into the final. I'm going home happy."
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Cabal/Farah Win Barcelona Title
Third seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah won their 12th ATP Tour doubles title as a team on Sunday, defeating second seeds Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares 6-4, 7-6(4) to triumph at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell.
The Colombians have played more than 350 tour-level matches together and last year, for the first time, they qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals. Their long journey as a team keeps paying off.
"[It takes] a lot of patience. It’s just resilience I think, sticking together and improving together and moving forward, pushing each other to achieve more goals through the years. I think this week that’s what we did. We pushed hard," Farah said. "We both came out as a team and we got the victory."
Revenge was sweet for the Colombians, as they lost to Murray and Soares in the Sydney final in January, their only other championship match this season. In fact, Cabal and Farah entered Sunday’s clash having lost four consecutive matches against the British-Brazilian duo, including last year’s Cincinnati final.
But Cabal and Farah came from a break down in both sets and saved five set points in the second set to emerge victorious in Barcelona after one hour and 39 minutes. The Colombians saved nine of the 12 break points they faced.
It's not long ago that the Colombians were unsure they'd be able to compete this week due to a Cabal injury. But holding the trophies, that seems a distant memory.
"It’s really special, especially this week. One week ago I didn’t know if I could play the tournament. I was really struggling with an injury and now we’re the champions," Cabal said. "It was hard work, teamwork, and it’s more special than sometimes the other [wins]. It shows us that we’re doing things on the right track, so it’s good motivation for the rest of the year."
Cabal and Farah leave Spain with 500 ATP Doubles Ranking points each and a share of €169,300. Murray and Soares fell short of lifting their 10th tour-level trophy as a team, but they take 300 points and a split of €82,880.
Did You Know?
Three of the first five FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings between Cabal/Farah and Murray/Soares went to a Match Tie-break. But their four matches since have all gone in straight sets. Murray/Soares now lead their rivalry 6-3.
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Video : Hot Shot: Krajinovic Shows Incredible Speed & Touch In Budapest 2019 Final
Watch Filip Krajinovic track down a drop shot and find the perfect angle for a winner against Matteo Berrettini in the Hungarian Open final. Photo Credit: Peter Zádor/Hungarian Tennis Association. Watch live tennis streams at http://www.tennistv.com.
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Video : Hot Shot: Berrettini's Beautiful Drop Shot Freezes Krajinovic In Budapest 2019
Watch Matteo Berrettini carve a perfect drop shot against Filip Krajinovic in the Hungarian Open final. Photo Credit: Peter Zádor/Hungarian Tennis Association. Watch live tennis streams at http://www.tennistv.com.
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Dominic Thiem vs Daniil Medvedev LIVE STREAM: How to watch Barcelona Open final online
The Two Homes That Made De Minaur A Star
#NextGenATP Aussie Alex de Minaur is returning to action in Estoril this week for the first time since the BNP Paribas Open due to a hip injury. While competing at the Millennium Estoril Open might seem a long way from home, it isn’t for the 20-year-old.
“I was born in Australia, in Sydney. When I was five, the whole family, we moved over to Spain for eight years, grew up there, started going to school there,” De Minaur said in his ATP My Story delivered by FedEx. “Because of the financial crisis, we all had to move back to Australia as a family. We spent three years there where Australia just helped me out massively. I was able to pursue my dream of playing tennis and we ended up moving back to Spain with all the help of Tennis Australia.”
Spain and Portugal are neighbours, so De Minaur is plenty familiar with the country, and he reached the second round in Estoril last year. This year’s Sydney champion has also been coached by Spaniard Adolfo Gutierrez since he was nine.
“I’ve had the honour to be in both places and to sort of try and absorb the best things of the two countries. It’s different cultures and different ways of living,” De Minaur said. “I sort of like the contrast of the more relaxed Spanish lifestyle and then the hardworking and on-the-ball Australian life. It’s really helped me become the player and the person I am right now.”
De Minaur was 111th in the ATP Rankings this time last year, but he has quickly ascended since. The Australian No. 1, easygoing off the court but as competitive as they come on it, will try to lift his second ATP Tour trophy this week on the Portuguese red clay.
“At the end of the day I’ve probably spent half of my life in each country,” De Minaur said. “But in my heart I’ll always be Australian.”
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Skupski Brothers Triumph In Budapest For Second Team Title
Brits Neal Skupski and Ken Skupski made four ATP Tour finals together over the past 10 months, falling short of lifting the title on each occasion. But the brothers would not be denied on Sunday, defeating New Zealand’s Marcus Daniell and Dutchman Wesley Koolhof 6-3, 6-4 to win the Hungarian Open for their second team title.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling. We’ve been in a few finals over the past 12 months and we haven’t been able to get over the line,” Neal said. “It’s our first title on clay together at an ATP 250. It’s been a great week and hopefully we could keep on going heading into the French Open.”
The Skupski brothers also triumphed together last February in Montpellier. This is Ken’s fifth tour-level trophy and Neal’s third. Ken is seven years Neal’s elder. And while Ken noted that sometimes losing could be tougher when sharing the court with a sibling, it makes winning even sweeter.
“It’s the best thing in the world to share winning things with your brother,” Ken said. “You can get over things when you lose and you move on, but winning is so much more special.”
Skupski/Skupski were clutch on serve in their 71-minute win, saving all four break points they faced. They earned 75 per cent of their service points compared to just 60 per cent for Daniell and Koolhof.
“I think we played lights-out, really. I think it was probably our best match of the week, in very tough conditions. It was very windy so we thought [of aiming for] bigger targets, a lot of first serves,” Neal said. “We just kept putting the pressure on. Putting the pressure on in the wind is a very good thing to do and it obviously worked.”
The Skupski brothers leave Budapest with 250 ATP Doubles Ranking points each and a share of €29,650. They will be the third seeds next week in Munich.
This was Daniell and Koolhof’s third ATP Tour final as a pair, having won in Brisbane this year and finished runner-up in Stockholm in 2018. The Kiwi-Dutch team adds 150 points each and a split of €15,200.
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Video : My Story: The Two Homes That Made De Minaur A Star
Aussie Alex de Minaur speaks to how spending half of his life in Australia and half of it in Spain has helped develop him on and off the tennis court in his ATP My Story delivered by FedEx.
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