No.7 seed Petra Kvitova extended her mastery over Kristina Mladenovic to reach the third round of the China Open.
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Monday 30 September 2019
Uchiyama's Upset: Qualifier Ousts Paire In Tokyo
Entering the year, Yasutaka Uchiyama had beaten just one Top 50 opponent in his career. But after upsetting Benoit Paire on Tuesday, the Japanese player owns two Top 25 victories.
Uchiyama, a qualifier, ousted the fourth seed 6-2, 6-2 to reach the second round of the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships, joining countryman Go Soeda in the second round. Uchiyama’s only previous main draw victory in Tokyo came against Croat Franko Skugor two years ago.
“Of course I’m happy after winning the first round,” Uchiyama said. “But at the same time, I don’t want to feel happy too much. I want to focus on the next round. I’m happy for now, and then I want to focus on tomorrow.”
The World No. 136, who is at his career-high ATP Ranking, needed just 54 minutes to advance after also winning in straight sets in both of his qualifying matches. Uchiyama lost only two first-serve points (22/24) in the match, breaking 2015 Tokyo finalist Paire’s serve on four of the six opportunities he earned.
“I played very good service games again today. I didn’t drop my serve and that was the key,” Uchiyama said. “I had just a few chances to break him. I think he felt a little bit frustrated with the return games, and that was a key.”
Uchiyama carried momentum into his home tournament after winning his first ATP Challenger Tour title of the year earlier this month in Shanghai. In January, the Japanese made his first ATP Tour quarter-final in Brisbane, where he upset Brit Kyle Edmund.
Uchiyama will look to continue his Tokyo run against Moldovan Radu Albot or Serbian Filip Krajinovic.
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Barty pulls off Putintseva win in Beijing opener
Top seed Ashleigh Barty opened her 2019 China Open campaign with a straight-sets defeat of Yulia Putintseva.
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Matteo Berrettini tells Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal tales ahead of Andy Murray clash
Matteo Berrettini has reflected on his first encounter with Roger Federer and US Open semi-final clash with Rafael Nadal ahead of taking on Andy Murray.
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Beijing 2019: Tuesday’s Order of Play & Match Points
WTA World No.1 Ashleigh Barty heads the bill at the China Open on Tuesday.
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Cilic Cruises Past Japanese Hope Sugita In Tokyo
One year ago, top-seeded Marin Cilic lost his first-round match at the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships. On Monday, the Croat showed that he was determined not to suffer a disappointing early loss in Tokyo again.
Cilic battled hard to move past home favourite Yuichi Sugita 6-4, 6-4, reaching the second round after one hour and 14 minutes. The 31-year-old has lost his opening match at a tournament just once since May.
"I really, really like Yuichi. We've known each other since 2005. We played juniors together. He's been coming to [former Cilic coach] Bob Brett's academy for so many years, where I practised for more than nine years. We practised so many times, had so many practice sessions together," Cilic said. "He's an amazing guy in terms of he's extremely humble, hard-working, too."
The sixth seed was clean on serve throughout the match, facing only one break point, which he erased. Cilic won 88 per cent of his first-serve points, losing just five points on his first delivery.
The World No. 30 was opportunistic as well, converting the two break points he earned on Colosseum, ousting Sugita in their first FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting. Cilic will next face the winner of 2017 Next Gen ATP Finals champion Hyeon Chung and Italian Lorenzo Sonego.
Cilic is currently at his lowest ATP Ranking since February 2014. But he has shown signs of his best form, defeating John Isner en route to the fourth round of the US Open, where he fell against eventual champion Rafael Nadal. Cilic is pursuing his first title in Asia.
Did You Know?
Every season from 2008-18, Cilic captured at least one ATP Tour title. Without a trophy to his name so far this year, the Croat is trying to extend that streak to 12 straight seasons.
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Nishioka's Night: 'Yoshi' Thrills Tokyo Fans With Big Win
Colosseum in Ariake Tennis Park could have been named Nishioka World Monday evening.
That's because the Tokyo crowd urged Japanese No. 2 Yoshihito Nishioka to a 7-5, 6-3 victory against Portugal's Joao Sousa in the first round of the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships. It marks Nishioka's first victory here on his fourth attempt.
“This is my first win in this event, so I’m very happy for this,” Nishioka said. “Not many big tournaments have [a crowd like] here. This is the biggest tournament in Japan, so I’m very happy to play good tennis for many fans. I feel very good.”
Sousa broke at 4-4 in the opener to earn a chance to serve for the first set. But Nishioka maintained his focus, claiming his first two breaks of the match to take the set and with it, the momentum.
“The many people helped me, they gave me the power. That’s a very big reason for me playing my best tennis today,” Nishioka said. “I had a little bit of pressure on me, but many people cheered for me, so I think the home crowd was very special for a moment like this.”
Nishioka will next play fifth seed Lucas Pouille, who ousted Poland's Hubert Hurkacz 6-4, 6-3 to reach the second round of the ATP 500 tournament on his Tokyo debut. Pouille had trailed Hurkacz 0-2 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series, but he got his revenge to break even with a 19-19 record on the season.
Pouille has shown flashes of strong form on hard courts throughout the year, reaching the semi-finals of the Australian Open and the Moselle Open, as well as the quarter-finals of the Western & Southern Open.
The 25-year-old used his dominant first serve to power his way to a one-hour, 14-minute victory, winning 83 per cent of his first-serve points in the match. He also did well to work his way into Hurkacz’s service games, earning eight break points across the two sets.
Did You Know?
Pouille has captured one of his five ATP Tour titles at the ATP 500-level. In 2017, the Frenchman triumphed at the Erste Bank Open.
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Svitolina slips past Wang Yafan in two tiebreaks at China Open
No. 3 seed Elina Svitolina faced deficits in both sets, but rallied to see off Wang Yafan in a pair of tiebreaks in the second round of the China Open.
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De Minaur Jumps Nine Spots In 2019 ATP Race To London
No. 22, Alex de Minaur, +9
The #NextGenATP Australian picked up his third ATP Tour trophy of the season at the Huajin Securities Zhuhai Championships. De Minaur, who has also lifted titles in Sydney and Atlanta this year, defeated John Millman, former World No. 1 Andy Murray, fourth seed Borna Coric and second seed Roberto Bautista Agut to reach the championship match in Zhuhai. Following his final victory against Adrian Mannarino, the 20-year-old leaps nine spots to No. 22 in the ATP Race To London. Read Final Report.
No. 10, Gael Monfils, +2
The Frenchman enters the Top 10 in the ATP Race To London after reaching the quarter-finals in Zhuhai. Monfils defeated Cameron Norrie in three sets at the inauguaral edition of the ATP 250 event, before falling to Albert Ramos-Vinolas of Spain. The 2016 Nitto ATP Finals qualifier is just 60 points behind Matteo Berrettini, who currently occupies the eighth and final qualification position.
No. 31, Pablo Carreno Busta, +17
The 28-year-old captured his first ATP Tour crown since May 2017 following five straight victories at the Chengdu Open. Carreno Busta overcame Radu Albot, Benoit Paire, Cristian Garin and Denis Shapovalov to reach the championship match, where he outlasted Alexander Bublik in a final-set tie-break victory. The Spaniard, who appeared as an alternate at the 2017 Nitto ATP Finals, soars 17 spots to No. 31 in the ATP Race To London. Read Final Report.
Other Notable Top 100 Movers
No. 41, Alexander Bublik, +14
No. 51, Adrian Mannarino, +12
No. 75, Mikael Ymer, +16
No. 85, Tommy Paul, +11
No. 98, Damir Dzumhur, +10
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Ranking Rockets: Cirstea, McHale and Kuznetsova make big gains
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Defending champ Wozniacki eases past Davis in Beijing
Two-time Beijing champion Caroline Wozniacki dropped just four games against Lauren Davis to kick off her China Open title defense.
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Halep, Andreescu, Dabrowski-Xu se clasifican para las Shiseido WTA Finals Shenzhen 2019
La campeona del US Open, Bianca Andreescu, se clasifica para las Shiseido WTA Finals por primera vez, mientras que la campeona de Wimbledon, Simona Halep, y el equipo de dobles formado por Gabriela Dabrowski y Xu Yifan volverán a competir en el evento más prestigioso.
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Roger Federer hated being asked one thing: ‘Those questions really got on my nerves’
Roger Federer is no longer frustrated by retirement questions.
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Alexandrova blasts past Halep in Beijing
Russian No. 1 Ekaterina Alexandrova scored the biggest victory of her career to date with a second-round upset of Simona Halep at the China Open.
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Andreescu survives second-set hiccup to beat Sasnovich in Beijing
US Open champion Bianca Andreescu marked her return to competitive tennis with a win over Aliaksandra Sasnovich but did not have it all her own way at the China Open.
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Bertens passes Yastremska test to move through in Beijing
No.8 seed Kiki Bertens has equalled her best performance at the China Open thanks to a straight-sets victory over Dayana Yastremska.
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The Key Things To Watch In Beijing & Tokyo
The ATP Tour travels to the capital cities of China and Japan for the second week of the Asian Swing. The China Open and the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships offer players the opportunity to earn up to 500 ATP Rankings points in the ATP Race To London and the ATP Race To Milan.
Five Top 10 stars — including Dominic Thiem and Alexander Zverev — headline in Beijing, while World No. 1 Novak Djokovic prepares for his tournament debut in Tokyo alongside Borna Coric and David Goffin.
Beijing Talking Points
Andy Murray joins defending champion Nikoloz Basilashvili as the former titlists in the China Open field. Murray, who defeated Grigor Dimitrov in the 2016 Beijing final, claimed his second tour-level singles victory of the year – and his first since the first week of the year in Brisbane – by defeating Tennys Sandgren in Zhuhai last week. That avenged a loss to the American in Murray’s prior ATP Tour singles match, at Winston-Salem in August. Murray lost in the second round in Zhuhai to eventual champion Alex de Minaur.
No. 1 seed Dominic Thiem is seeking his first victory in a single-elimination main draw since a third-round win against Marin Cilic at the Coupe Rogers in August. Since that match, Thiem is 2-4 at tour-level, with the two wins coming at team events: Davis Cup group play and Laver Cup.
Three of the Top 5 players in the ATP Race To Milan are in the Beijing main draw: Stefanos Tsitsipas (No. 1), Felix Auger-Aliassime (No. 2), and Frances Tiafoe (No. 5). Tsitsipas has already qualified for the Next Gen ATP Finals and currently occupies sixth position in the ATP Race To London, which determines the eight qualifiers for the Nitto ATP Finals.
2016 runner-up Dimitrov jumped from No. 78 to No. 25 in the ATP Rankings after his run to the US Open semi-finals last month. The Bulgarian would claim his 300th career tour-level win if he defeats Andrey Rublev in the first round on Monday.
Tokyo Talking Points
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic is making his first appearance at the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships this year. Djokovic is aiming to win a title in a tournament debut for the 10th time in his career.
David Goffin is the lone former champion in the draw. He has made the final in both of his previous appearances, falling to Nick Kyrgios in the 2016 championship match before defeating Adrian Mannarino for the title in 2017. The Belgian is 9-1 overall in Tokyo.
#NextGenATP Australian Alex de Minaur comes into Tokyo fresh from winning his third singles title of the year in Zhuhai on Sunday. The 20-year-old lost his first two ATP Tour singles finals last year, but has gone 3-0 in finals this season, also hoisting trophies in Atlanta and in his hometown of Sydney.
For the second week in a row, #NextGenATP contender Miomir Kecmanovic will face a fellow 20-year-old in the first round of an ATP Tour event. Last week in Zhuhai, Kecmanovic advanced past Casper Ruud; this week, the Serb will meet Denis Shapovalov in the opening round. Shapovalov is currently No. 4 in the ATP Race To Milan, while Kecmanovic is No. 7. (De Minaur is No. 3 and Ruud is No. 6).
Ben McLachlan is the two-time defending doubles champion in Tokyo. The 27-year-old won his first ATP Tour doubles title in 2017 alongside Yasutaka Uchiyama and then captured the crown again last year with Jan-Lennard Struff. McLachlan pairs with Luke Bambridge this year, as he goes for the hat trick with three different partners.
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Novak Djokovic admits ‘I felt that I am out of shape’ after strange Japan Open preparation
Novak Djokovic felt he was out of shape when taking on a professional sumo wrestler.
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Pavic/Soares Oust Djokovic/Krajinovic In Tokyo
Novak Djokovic made his Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships debut on Monday at Ariake Tennis Park — on the doubles court — but it did not go according to plan.
Croat Mate Pavic and Brazilian Bruno Soares, the fourth seeds, advanced to the second round in Tokyo with a 6-2, 4-6, 10-4 victory against Djokovic and his fellow Serbian, Filip Krajinovic. Soares captured the title at this ATP 500 event seven years ago alongside Austrian Alexander Peya.
It was an impressive effort by Djokovic and Krajinovic to rally for a Match Tie-break, though. The Serbians capitalised on both break points they earned in the second set to force a decider, but it was not enough.
"That is tasty." 🤤
— ATP Tour (@ATP_Tour) September 30, 2019
Super stuff from @DjokerNole 👏
🎥: @TennisTV | @rakutenopen pic.twitter.com/66woIK8QtJ
In the finale, Pavic and Soares caught fire on their return of serve, winning five of seven points on their opponents’ serves. They are seeking their first championship crown as a team.
Pavic and Soares will next face Brit Dominic Inglot and American Austin Krajicek, who defeated the sixth-placed team in the ATP Doubles Team Race To London, Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau, 6-1, 6-3.
Inglot and Krajicek have captured ATP Tour titles this season in ‘s-Hertogenbosch and Atlanta, and they were not broken against the Dutch-Romanian tandem. Inglot and Krajicek won 78 per cent of their first-serve points en route to their 56-minute victory.
At the China Open in Beijing, Jamie Murray and Neal Skupski prevailed 6-4, 7-6(6) in their opening-round match against Argentines Guido Pella and Diego Schwartzman. Pella/Schwartzman served for the second set at 5-4, but Murray/Skupski rallied to advance in one hour and 35 minutes.
Did You Know?
Djokovic has captured one ATP Tour doubles title, triumphing at Queen’s Club in 2010 alongside Jonathan Erlich.
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Roger Federer ‘likes the idea’ of retiring then making shock comeback like Kim Clijsters
Roger Federer has teased the idea of retiring from tennis and then making a shock comeback.
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Sunday 29 September 2019
Rublev Comes Out Swinging In Beijing
Russian Andrey Rublev continued his top form on Monday at the China Open in Beijing, easing into the second round with a 6-2, 7-5 victory over US Open semi-finalist Grigor Dimitrov. The Bulgarian was bidding for his 300th tour-level singles win.
Rublev won 76 per cent of his first-serve points (26/34) and broke Dimitrov twice in each set to advance in 75 minutes. The 21-year-old has won 12 of his past 16 matches and is now tied 2-2 in his FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry with Dimitrov. Next up for Rublev is sixth-seeded Italian Fabio Fognini or Kazakh Mikhail Kukushkin.
Monday's schedule also features second-seeded German Alexander Zverev taking on American Frances Tiafoe and fourth-seeded Russian Karen Khachanov squaring off against Uruguayan qualifier Pablo Cuevas.
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Ymer Cracks Top 100 With Dominant Week In Orleans
A LOOK BACK
Open d'Orleans (Orleans, France): After more than seven years, Sweden is back in the Top 100 of the ATP Rankings. Mikael Ymer broke through on one of the biggest stages on the ATP Challenger Tour, streaking to the title in Orleans in stunning fashion.
Ymer did not drop a set all week, blitzing a stacked field that included seven players inside the Top 100. Now, the 21-year-old has joined the elite club. He makes his Top 100 debut on Monday after clinching his third Challenger crown, rising to a career-high No. 83.
"I'm still on a high," said Ymer. "I need to shower and rest before it all settles in. This is crazy. It's definitely the best week of my life. I will always remember Orleans. I took a wild card last minute and I'm very, very happy to have the trophy.
"I love the French crowd. Everywhere I go - Roland Garros, Cassis, Bordeaux, here, they all support me. They make me feel like I'm from France, so I'm very grateful."
Ladies and gentlemen, we present the 2019 @opendorleans champion...@MikaelYmer!!! 🏆🎨 pic.twitter.com/2amIb6Z5nT
— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) September 29, 2019
With the Challenger 125 event boasting one of the strongest draws of the year, Ymer showed his mettle. On Friday, he upset defending champion Aljaz Bedene, ending the Slovenian's 27-match Challenger win streak. On Saturday, he earned the biggest win of his young career over World No. 39 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. And on Sunday, he dismissed home hope Gregoire Barrere 6-3, 7-5 in one hour and 19 minutes for the title. Ymer dug deep when he needed it most, saving all five break points faced in the semis and final.
In front of a packed crowd at the Palais des Sports, the #NextGenATP star lifted the champion's painting. One of the most unique trophies on tour, the winner in Orleans is awarded a work of art by a local French painter.
This year, the Parisian artist 'Oji' depicts a blue tennis court on the banks of the Loire River in Orleans, with a heron standing over the balls. The colors of the court evoke the sky and river banks.
The victory was Ymer's third title of the year, adding to triumphs in Noumea and Tampere. With trophies on clay and both indoor and outdoor hard, he becomes the first to achieve the trifecta in a single season since Maximilian Marterer in 2017.
But, most importantly, Ymer etched his name in the history books with his Top 100 breakthrough. He becomes the first from Sweden to feature in the club since Robin Soderling in May 2012. A strong contender to qualify for the Next Gen ATP Finals, he also rises to ninth in the ATP Race To Milan.
Challenger Buenos Aires (Buenos Aires, Argentina): Just one month ago, Sumit Nagal was standing on Arthur Ashe Stadium, under the lights on Day 1 of the US Open. His opponent: Roger Federer. Facing the opportunity of a lifetime, the qualifier from India would show what the stars of the ATP Challenger Tour have to offer, taking the first set against the former World No. 1 before eventually succumbing.
Nagal has since carried the momentum back to the Challenger circuit. Riding a wave of confidence following his Grand Slam debut, the 22-year-old lifted the trophy on the clay of Buenos Aires on Sunday. He defeated home hope Facundo Bagnis 6-4, 6-2 for the title. After fighting through a trio of deciding sets to open the week, Nagal dropped a combined seven games in the semis and final.
"It is my first time in Argentina and in Buenos Aires," said Nagal. "I decided to come here because there were not many tournaments in Europe, and I thought I could do well. I've started in the best way and this brings me closer to being able to get into the Top 100.
"I was very confident in the match with Federer in the US Open and when a player is confident, everything changes. Tennis is like this, you can become unbeatable."
It was Nagal's second Challenger crown and first in nearly two years. It is a fitting conclusion to an impressive month of September, which saw him also reach the final in Banja Luka. Up to a career-high No. 135 in the ATP Rankings, the Top 100 is drawing closer for the Jhajjar native.
First Republic Tiburon Challenger (Tiburon, California, USA): Tommy Paul claimed his third Challenger title of the year, prevailing on Sunday in Tiburon. He outlasted Thanasi Kokkinakis 7-5, 6-7(3), 6-4 in two hours and 46 minutes, adding to victories in Sarasota and New Haven.
More on Paul's title...
The week in Tiburon will also be remembered for a pair of magical escape acts by Thai-Son Kwiatkowski. The former University of Virginia standout rallied from a set and a double-break down on Thursday, before again storming back from a double-break deficit on Friday. He saved hree match points to reach the semi-finals.
Firenze Tennis Cup (Florence, Italy): One year after finishing runner-up in the tournament's inaugural edition, Marco Trungelliti finally wrapped his arms around the trophy in Florence. The Argentine defeated Pedro Sousa 6-2, 6-3 for the title on Sunday, capping a week that saw him save two match points in the quarter-finals and rally from a set and a break down in the semis.
There's nothing like celebrating a title with family, and with his mother and brother in attendance, Trungelliti made the most of the opportunity. He notched his second career title and first in more than a year.
A LOOK AHEAD
Three tournaments, three continents. #NextGenATP star Corentin Moutet arrives in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, as the top seed, flanked by veterans Evgeny Donskoy and Malek Jaziri.
In Campinas, Brazil, it will be Nagal looking to go back-to-back on South American soil. Hugo Dellien leads the field.
And at the Sanchez-Casal Academy in Barcelona, reigning champion Roberto Carballes Baena returns as the top seed. Fellow Spaniards Jaume Munar and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina also headline.
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Challenger Q&A: Paul Edges Kokkinakis In Marathon Tiburon Final
The rise of Tommy Paul continues. Exactly one year ago, the American was sitting outside the Top 300 of the ATP Rankings, fighting to find his form. On Monday, he will be the new World No. 81 after lifting the trophy in Tiburon.
Paul survived an instant classic against Thanasi Kokkinakis in Sunday's final. The 22-year-old triumphed 7-5, 6-7(3), 6-4 in two hours and 46 minutes, converting five of 12 break chances.
With the wind howling across the Peninsula Club throughout the day, both players were forced to make plenty of adjustments. They would manage the conditions well, blasting winners off both wings and delighting the packed crowd in the San Francisco suburb. And despite relinquishing a set and a break lead, Paul came up clutch in the critical moments, eventually breaking to love for the title.
The North Carolina native made his Top 100 debut earlier this month with a title in New Haven and he would continue his ascent with a third crown of the year. He also celebrated a clay-court victory in Sarasota in April.
Paul is undoubtedly one of the top performers on the Challenger circuit this year, boasting a 27-4 record. That impressive .870 win percentage is good for third among tour leaders.
It's @TommyPaul1's world. We're just living in it.
— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) September 30, 2019
Title No. 3 for the 🇺🇸 this year, outlasting Kokkinakis 75 67(3) 64 for the Tiburon 🏆 pic.twitter.com/wlrVW3zhsb
The American spoke to broadcaster Mike Cation following the victory in Tiburon...
Tommy, congratulations. Your third Challenger title of 2019. It was a crazy match with that wind. How were the both of you making adjustments through that match?
It was definitely a big factor in the match. The first set and a half, because of the wind, I don't think either of us felt like we were playing well at all. For me, it just made serving a lot harder. Making your first serve and then doing something with it, was incredibly hard today. You have to toss really low, because the wind will take it if you throw it up. But when you're hitting good serves with a low toss, the trajectory doesn't work. That was the biggest thing for me.
Midway through the second, I picked up my level. And after he saw that, he really picked up his own level. I tried to even that out in the tie-break, in case we went to a third set, to let him know that I'm there for a decider. The wind actually died down in the third and we played some really good tennis then.
I don't know if you win that match a couple years ago.
I definitely know that I wouldn't have won that match a couple years ago.
But the fact that you got that first title in Charlottesville just a year ago, has that changed the way you approach finals now?
I took a different approach in Charlottesville last year. I have many friends that go to the University of Virginia, but I was staying by myself during the tournament and was in a hotel without other players. It was a boring week, but it worked for me. No distractions and just bouncing between the courts and the hotel. I've kind of done the same thing here in Tiburon. Just relaxing and not going out. It's working for me.
You're sitting here sipping a beer after a long week and you mentioned you've been enjoying the red wine during the tournament. The pressure doesn't seem to be getting to you anymore and it's freeing you up to just relax on the court.
I feel like once you get to the end of the year, everyone copes with it in different ways. Some people want to get more professional and do more in the gym. For me, that would just wear me out. I'm still going to the gym and doing everything I need to, but luckily I've been last match of the day all week. When I wake up, I was doing the right things for a few hours before my match and then get ready. That's what works for me. I don't see why not.
2019 Challenger Title Leaders
| Player | No. of Titles |
| Ricardas Berankis |
4 |
| Tommy Paul |
3 |
| Mikael Ymer |
3 |
| Emil Ruusuvuori |
3 |
| Pablo Andujar |
3 |
| Alexander Bublik |
3 |
| Gianluca Mager |
3 |
| Andrej Martin |
3 |
How do you structure the rest of the year now? With this title in the books, you essentially defended the points from Charlottesville.
That's something I need to have a conversation with my coach about. And my trainer. Just to see how my body is holding up. I've been feeling the back of my shoulder a bit this week. It's just tight playing in the cold weather.
I'm definitely going to play the ATPs in Stockholm and Vienna. I'll play the qualies there for sure. I want to stop the year early and take a lot of time off.
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Djokovic Passes Lendl For 271st Week At No. 1 In ATP Rankings
Novak Djokovic has today started his 271st week at No. 1 in the ATP Rankings and passed Ivan Lendl (270 weeks) for third place in the all-time list of most weeks in top spot.
The Serbian, who began his fourth stint at the summit of men’s professional tennis on 5 November 2018, will now have American Pete Sampras (286 weeks) and record-holder Roger Federer of Switzerland (310 weeks) in his sights.
Lendl, who became the sixth player in ATP Rankings history to rise to No. 1, recalls to ATPTour.com about his own, first brief rise to the top spot. “We were playing a Davis Cup tie in Paraguay and it came as a total surprise. I loved working for, and being No. 1 — after all, that’s what you strive for.
“During my career, I had no idea of how many weeks I’d spent at No. 1, but it was a by product of winning big tournaments. Today, Novak’s consistency is amazing and that’s why he has been No. 1 for this many weeks.”
Like Jimmy Connors (268 weeks), whose mark Djokovic passed two weeks ago, Lendl spent a total of eight stints in top spot, with his longest run of 157 weeks between 9 September 1985 and 11 September 1988. In his current period at No. 1, totalling 48 weeks, 32-year-old Djokovic has compiled a 46-9 match record, including title runs at 2019 Australian Open and Wimbledon.
This week as he bids to capture the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships title, Djokovic will look to focus on battling Rafael Nadal to finish as the 2019 year-end No. 1 for a record-equalling sixth time (2011-12, ’14-15, ’18). Nadal currently leads Djokovic by 1,960 points in the 2019 ATP Race To London with less than two months to go until the end of the regular ATP Tour season.
ALL-TIME WEEKS AT NO. 1
|
No. 1 Player
|
Total Weeks
|
Longest Streak
|
|
1) Roger Federer
|
310
|
237 weeks
|
|
2) Pete Sampras
|
286
|
102 weeks
|
|
3) Novak Djokovic
|
271
|
122 weeks
|
|
4) Ivan Lendl
|
270
|
157 weeks
|
|
5) Jimmy Connors
|
268
|
160 weeks
|
MOVING UP THE NO. 1 LADDER - Djokovic has started his 271st week at No. 1 and now only Sampras and record-holder Federer are ahead of him for most weeks spent at No. 1.
|
No. 1 Player
|
Total Weeks
|
Target Date
|
|
1) Roger Federer
|
310
|
30 June 2020
|
|
2) Pete Sampras
|
286
|
13 January 2020
|
DJOKOVIC AT NO. 1 - Take a closer look at Djokovic's match wins, Top 10 and finals record during his four stints at No. 1.
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Stints At No. 1
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W-L Record
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vs. Top 10
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Finals Record
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4 July 2011-8 July 2012
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63-12 (.840)
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18-9 (.667)
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4-4
|
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5 November 2012-6 October 2013
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62-9 (.873)
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18-6 (.750)
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5-2
|
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7 July 2014-6 November 2016
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167-17 (.908)
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60-9 (.870)
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21-5
|
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5 November 2018-present
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46-9 (.792)
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11-4 (.857)
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2-2
|
|
Totals
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338-47 (.878)
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107-28 (.793)
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32-13
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Statistical assistance by Joshua Rey and Greg Sharko
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WTA Rankings Update 2019: Riske rewarded for Wuhan run, Van Uytvanck into Top 50
Alison Riske&’;s strong second half to 2019 continued as she reached the final in Wuhan - and secured a new career-best ranking in the process.
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Djokovic In The Dohyo: Novak Goes Sumo In Tokyo
When in Tokyo, Novak goes sumo.
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic is in Japan to compete at the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships for the first time. And the top seed took full advantage of the country’s culture on Monday by visiting Ryogoku Edo-Noren, a facility with restaurants that features a dohyo, a sumo wrestling ring.
Djokovic not only got an opportunity to watch retired professional sumo wrestlers during their ‘keiko’ — or morning practice — but he also stepped up on the dohyo to learn some of the moves himself.
“It’s a great experience. I’ve never had this experience before. It’s one of the most popular sports in Japan,” Djokovic said. “Speaking with my father yesterday on the phone I was telling him that I’m going to have an opportunity to meet sumo wrestlers. He and I were remembering many years ago at home [when] we used to watch Akebono [Tarō, who reached Yokozuna status], who was someone that we supported a lot.”
Djokovic was in awe of the sumo wrestlers, even playfully seeing if he can make one of them budge. Spoiler alert: it didn't work. They also taught the World No. 1 seiko and suri-ashi among other sumo moves.
“I felt that I am out of shape [for sumo] a little bit. I think with a few more kilos, I’ll be ready to compete,” Djokovic joked. “Probably three times as much as I have right now would be the right measurement for me to compete.”
The 75-time tour-level titlist paid great respect to the professionals, taking in their technique and power on the dohyo. But that wasn’t all that impressed Djokovic.
“It’s quite impressive to see also how flexible they are. I believe at the beginning they were demonstrating their flexibility,” Djokovic said. “I didn’t think that they were that flexible considering it’s a heavyweight sport, but I see that they are paying a lot of attention to the mobility of their joints and the flexibility, which is of course what allows them to move around as agile as possible at their weight.”
Now, Djokovic will turn his attention to the tennis court as he prepared for this ATP 500 tournament. Later Monday, the Serbian will partner countryman Filip Krajinovic in the doubles against Croat Mate Pavic and Brazilian Bruno Soares. In the singles draw, the World No. 1’s first opponent is #NextGenATP Australian Alexei Popyrin.
“I’m not going to have that kind of encounter with my opponents on the court,” Djokovic said. “We are going to be separated with a net and racquets, but it is a one-on-one sport, so there is something there."
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Halep, Andreescu, Dabrowski-Xu qualify for 2019 Shiseido WTA Finals Shenzhen
US Open champion Bianca Andreescu qualifies for the Shiseido WTA Finals for the very first time, while Wimbledon champion Simona Halep and the doubles team of Gabriela Dabrowski and Xu Yifan book return engagements to the elite year-end event.
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Djokovic Approaching Mount Everest As A Returner
Only two men in the past 29 years have conquered the Mount Everest of converting break points in a single season by winning more than they lose. Novak Djokovic is currently tantalisingly close to becoming the third.
An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of break points converted identifies that Djokovic has won 49.41 per cent (209/423) of his break points in 49 matches so far in 2019. It represents a big leap forward from his performance in this area in 2018, where he won only 39.87 per cent (246/617) from 65 matches.
What will it take for Djokovic to reach the magic 50 per cent marker? Win the next five break points he sees, which will put him at 214 of 428 – exactly 50 per cent.
When Djokovic won the 2019 Australian Open, he won exactly 50 per cent (42/84) of break points. When he won the Mutua Madrid Open in May, he was at 66.7 per cent (10/15) break points converted. In winning Wimbledon for a fifth time this year, he was not far off his average, winning 46.8 per cent (37/79) of break points.
The career single-season record holder in this metric is Italian Filippo Volandri, who blew it out of the water in 2004, winning 53.13 per cent (212/399) of break points in 53 matches. Volandri won the ATP Tour title in St. Poelten that year, winning 53.7 per cent (29/53) of break points for the tournament.
Filippo Volandri At 2004 St. Poelten
|
Round |
Result |
Break Points |
|
Final |
d. X. Malisse |
(won 6/9) |
|
SF |
d. D. Sanchez |
(won 8/11) |
|
QF |
d. V. Hanescu |
(won 4/6) |
|
Round Of 16 |
d. R. Sluiter |
(won 5/9) |
|
Round Of 32 |
d. T. Berdych |
(won 6/18) |
|
|
Total |
Won 53.7% (29/53) |
It’s interesting to note that Volandri and Djokovic crossed paths only once, at the 2004 Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag. Volandri won the first-round meeting 7-6(5), 6-1.
The other player to win north of 50 per cent of break points is former No. 1 Gustavo Kuerten, who won 50.11 per cent (234/467) from 75 matches in 1999.
Kuerten won two ATP Masters 1000 titles that year – the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome and the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters. He was dominant on break points in taking the Monte-Carlo title, winning a jaw-dropping 60.5 per cent (23/38).
Djokovic currently trails Rafael Nadal by 1,960 points in the ATP Race To London. If the Serbian is to repeat as year-end No. 1, converting break points at his current clip will be a key factor.
1991-2019: Season Leader Break Points Converted
|
Year |
Tour Leader |
Win Percentage |
|
2004 |
F. Volandri |
53.13% |
|
1999 |
G. Kuerten |
50.11% |
|
2003 |
V. Spadea |
49.87% |
|
1995 |
T. Muster |
49.43% |
|
2019 |
N. Djokovic (YTD) |
49.41% |
|
2012 |
R. Nadal |
49.19% |
|
2001 |
F. Mantilla |
49.13% |
|
1996 |
J. Novak |
49.08% |
|
1991 |
A. Jarryd |
48.71% |
|
2011 |
X. Malisse |
48.50% |
|
2007 |
D. Ferrer |
48.48% |
|
2014 |
R. Nadal |
48.44% |
|
2006 |
J. Nieminen |
48.10% |
|
2017 |
D. Dzumhur |
47.93% |
|
2013 |
N. Davydenko |
47.90% |
|
1994 |
S. Bruguera |
47.68% |
|
2008 |
N. Djokovic |
47.38% |
|
2015 |
G. Simon |
47.29% |
|
1993 |
A. Berasategui |
47.21% |
|
1992 |
A. Agassi |
47.21% |
|
2009 |
R. Nadal |
47.05% |
|
2005 |
N. Kiefer |
46.97% |
|
2002 |
J. Novak |
46.92% |
|
1998 |
K. Kucera |
46.81% |
|
1997 |
A. Corretja |
46.48% |
|
2018 |
G. Monfils |
46.42% |
|
2000 |
L. Hewitt |
46.28% |
|
2010 |
J. C. Ferrero |
46.13% |
|
2016 |
G. Monfils |
45.79% |
Editor's note: Craig O'Shannessy is a member of Novak Djokovic's coaching team.
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Four Brits in China Open main draw as Andy Murray handed tough schedule in Beijing
Andy Murray will be one of four British players in main draw of the China Open next week.
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Cilic, Djokovic Doubles Highlight Tokyo's Opening Day
One year ago, two-time Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships semi-finalist Marin Cilic was stunned in the first round of Tokyo’s ATP 500 event. On Monday, the Croat will get a chance to get off to a better start in Japan as he pursues his first trophy at Ariake Tennis Park.
Cilic, an 18-time tour-level champion, will begin his run against an opponent whom he has never played: home favourite Yuichi Sugita. Cilic, the sixth seed, is currently No. 28 in the ATP Rankings — his lowest standing since June 2014 — but he will see this as an opportunity to push back towards the top of the sport, having ascended as high as World No. 3.
The 30-year-old has won multiple matches at three of his past four tournaments, including a run to the fourth round of the US Open, where he lost to eventual titlist Rafael Nadal. Cilic owns a 9-6 record in Tokyo.
Sugita is not the only home favourite in action. Japanese No. 2 Yoshihito Nishioka will try to thrill the home fans when he takes to Colosseum against Portugal’s Joao Sousa. This will be their first FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting.
Nishioka is trying to earn his first victory in Tokyo. He has shown good form in the past couple of months, making the quarter-finals of the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati as a qualifier. In the final round of qualifying there, he defeated Sousa in three sets.
Sousa, on the other hand, carries plenty of momentum into the match. The Portuguese No. 1 made the semi-finals in St. Petersburg and the quarter-finals in Chengdu in consecutive weeks. Sousa made the last eight in Tokyo three years ago.
Another Japanese wild card, Go Soeda, will kick off main draw action against big-hitting German Jan-Lennard Struff. The winner will face World No. 1 Novak Djokovic.
Struff will carry good memories of Tokyo into the match, as he eliminated Cilic last year. The 29-year-old is trying to earn his 30th tour-level victory of the season. If Struff defeats Soeda, it would be the first time he accomplishes the feat.
The last match on Colosseum features South Korea’s Hyeon Chung and Italian Lorenzo Sonego. On Rakuten Card Arena, 2018 Next Gen ATP Finals qualifier Hubert Hurkacz carries a 2-0 FedEx ATP Head2Head series lead into his battle against fifth seed Lucas Pouille.
Djokovic Begins Doubles Run
Djokovic, who is making his Tokyo debut, will begin his run in the doubles draw. The Serbian and his countryman Filip Krajinovic will face fourth seeds Mate Pavic and Bruno Soares. In other doubles action, Dominic Inglot and Austin Krajicek will battle Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau.
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Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Williams' Tennis Hall of Fame futures explained
Voting is set to close on the latest batch of candidates to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
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Kerber squeaks past Zhang in tricky Beijing opener
Former World No.1 Angelique Kerber fought back from a break down in the final set to overcome Chinese No.2 Zhang Shuai in the first round of the China Open.
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De Minaur Matches Federer, Djokovic With Zhuhai Title
#NextGenATP Aussie Alex de Minaur would have preferred to have taken a couple of break points against Adrian Mannarino in the Huajin Securities Zhuhai Championships final. But, in the end, the 20-year-old Aussie needed to win only one to win the ATP 250 title.
De Minaur won his third title of the season and of his career on Sunday, beating the 31-year-old Frenchman 7-6(4), 6-4. De Minaur had lost all 12 of his break points until the final point of the match, when Mannarino netted a backhand. With his third title, De Minaur creates a five-way title for second place on the 2019 tour-level titles leaderboard.
2019 Tour-Level Titles Leaderboard
|
Player |
Titles |
|
Rafael Nadal |
4 |
|
Novak Djokovic |
3 |
|
Roger Federer |
3 |
|
Daniil Medvedev |
3 |
|
Dominic Thiem |
3 |
|
Alex de Minaur |
3 |
The 2018 Next Gen ATP Finals runner-up won his maiden title at the Sydney International, his home event, in January and didn't lose his serve all week to win the BB&T Atlanta Open in July.
He was perfect on serve against Mannarino as well, never facing a break point. And the 2019 Next Gen ATP Finals hopeful stayed calm despite seeing break chances come and go. Twice Mannarino came back from 0/40 down on his serve.
The title match was a contest of steady baseliners, as Mannarino was content to rally with the more aggressive De Minaur. But the Aussie was more clutch in the big moments, coming through in the first-set tie-break and gaining another 40/0 lead on Mannarino's serve in the final game.
The 2018 ATP Newcomer Of The Year will receive 250 ATP Rankings points and $160,550 in prize money. Mannarino, who fell to 1-7 in finals, will receive 150 ATP Rankings points and $86,810 in prize money. The Frenchman was going for his second title of the season after winning his maiden crown at the Libema Open in June.
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Djokovic, Coric & Co. Thrill Japanese Fans In Tokyo On ATP Sunday
“Konichiwa!”
That is how World No. 1 Novak Djokovic greeted the Japanese crowd on ATP Sunday at the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships, where he practiced with fellow Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic in front of a near capacity crowd on Colosseum. This is the top seed’s debut at this ATP 500 event.
“[I’m] very happy to play for the first time at a new tournament,” Djokovic said on the court. “I’ve watched this tournament over the years on the TV, it’s always had the best players in the field. Hopefully this can be one of my many appearances in this tournament.”
Djokovic had fun with the Japanese crowd, embracing all of the cheering and support. After practising for about an hour and a half, the top seed spent plenty of time signing autographs, walking along two full sides of the court to interact with the fans.
“I’ve heard a lot of positive impressions about this tournament from a lot of players, so I’m just excited and grateful to be here,” Djokovic said. “I want to thank everybody for coming out. There is such a big number today for the practice.”
There were three featured practices on Colosseum. In addition to Djokovic and Kecmanovic, Borna Coric hit with Japan’s Yosuke Watanuki and Croatia’s Marin Cilic trained with Moldova’s Radu Albot.
“It’s the most unbelievable practice of my whole life,” Coric told the crowd, in awe of the number of people.
His sparring partner, Watanuki, lost in the first round of qualifying Saturday. But he was inspired to get to practise in front of so many of his home fans with the tournament’s second seed.
“Yesterday’s loss was a tough one and I came in today slightly sorry for the fans who were in the stadium after losing. But playing with the second seed in front of a huge crowd, it was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed it,” said Watanuki, who does not believe such a mass of fans attend practice at any other event. “Probably not, Japanese fans are very special in that way.”
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How A Text From Nishikori Helped Spur Uchiyama To A Career Year
The seventh time proved the charm for Yasutaka Uchiyama on Sunday.
On the six previous occasions he tried to qualify for the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships, the Japanese player fell short. But Uchiyama, who has played the main draw twice before, advanced through qualifying for the first time, defeating Spaniard Marcel Granollers 6-3, 6-4 in the final round.
“This is very special,” Uchiyama said. “This is my first time qualifying for an ATP 500, so it gives me a lot of confidence and I feel this year I’m doing well. I’m at a career-high ATP Ranking. I feel I can do more, so it gives me confidence.”
It’s been a banner year for the 27-year-old, who has enjoyed plenty of career firsts. Interestingly, Uchiyama began his season with a surprise. Just inside the Top 200 of the ATP Rankings at the time, he was outside of the qualifying cut in Brisbane, and only found out about a day before that he would get into the event.
So instead of remaining in Japan to continue training for Australian Open qualifying, Uchiyama hopped on a flight to Australia, got 30 minutes of practice in Brisbane the day he landed and began his season the next day. Little did he know that he would end up reaching his first ATP Tour quarter-final.
“It gave me a lot of confidence. It made me more motivated to be a better player,” said Uchiyama, who beat Ugo Humbert and Kyle Edmund in Brisbane. “Especially those two matches gave me a lot of confidence because if I play my best tennis, I can beat many top guys. It was very big for me.”
It was close to being even bigger, as Uchiyama lost his quarter-final against Jeremy Chardy in a final-set tie-break.
“I was so disappointed because if I beat him, I would have played against Kei in the semis, so I was so disappointed,” Uchiyama said. “But still, it was a great tournament for me, first time in a quarter-final on the ATP Tour.”
After his strong run, Uchiyama received a text from Japanese superstar Kei Nishikori.
“He texted me that when I play good, I can beat anyone. That gave me a lot of confidence,” Uchiyama said. “It was very, very special because sometimes I was not believing in myself 100 per cent. But after that Brisbane, I could believe in myself 100 per cent, so it changed a lot.”
“Especially Kei [inspires me]. He is a Japanese star, so he inspires me a lot to be a better player… He gives me advice for technique, for the tactics, for the mental [game]. He gives me a lot of information on other players. So it helps me a lot.”
The Brisbane result was not a one-off for Uchiyama, who qualified for his first Grand Slam main draw at Wimbledon. He then went on to claim his fourth ATP Challenger Tour title in Shanghai earlier this month.
“It’s difficult to win a tournament at any level, so making good results at Challengers a few times this year [was good], but this was special to win the tournament,” Uchiyama said. “Of course it helps me for this week to play with confidence in Tokyo.”
Read Nishioka Earns His Share Of The Spotlight
Uchiyama will face a tough test against fourth seed Benoit Paire. But the home favourite knows this is an important moment for him. Uchiyama is at a career-high No. 138 in the ATP Rankings, and he aims to push even higher.
“The Top 100 is my goal for this year. My next goal is to be playing in the Tokyo Olympics next summer, so I need to be like Top 60. So at least I need to make the Top 100 this year,” Uchiyama said. “Not many players have a chance to play the Olympics in their home country, so I really want to play in the Olympics. All the Japanese people like to watch the Olympics, maybe even more than the Grand Slams, so this is going to be very special.”
Uchiyama believes that his weapons are his serve and his forehand, and he is comofrtable at the net, as evidenced by his Tokyo title with Ben McLachlan two years ago. The Tokyo resident doesn’t think he needs to reinvent the wheel to continue his climb, just that he must use his increased confidence to continue doing what he’s been doing in 2019.
“I believe that I just have to keep going like this,” Uchiyama said. “I won a Challenger this month, I beat Steve Johnson and Marcel Granollers, who are good players. I think I just have to do what I’m doing now.”
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Vliegen/Gille Pick Up Hat Trick Of 2019 Doubles Titles
Belgians Sander Gille/Joran Vliegen won their third ATP Tour doubles title of the season on Sunday, beating Marcelo Demoliner/Matwe Middelkoop 7-6(2), 7-6(4) at the Huajin Securities Zhuhai Championship.
The teams traded breaks but in both sets but Gille/Vliegen were too locked in during the tie-breaks and picked up their first hard-court title of the season after winning clay-court titles in Bastad and Gstaad. The team also fell in the Kitzbuhel title match.
Gille/Vliegen won 55 per cent of their second-serve return points against Demoliner/Middelkoop, who were playing in only their second event together after losing in the first round last week at the St. Petersburg Open.
Demoliner fell to 1-9 in ATP Tour doubles finals, while Middelkoop is now 7-10. They will receive 150 ATP Doubles Rankings points and split $27,000 in prize money. Gille/Vliegen will receive 250 ATP Doubles Rankings points and split $52,670 in prize money.
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Beijing 2019: Monday's Order of Play and Match Points
Bianca Andreescu returns to action for the first time since winning the US Open against Aliaksandra Sasnovich at the China Open, while defending champion Caroline Wozniacki gets under way against Lauren Davis and Jelena Ostapenko resumes a junior rivalry with Katerina Siniakova as first-round action
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Svitolina steers past Sevastova in Beijing first round
No.3 seed Elina Svitolina notched 12 of the last 15 games en route to a three-set win over 2018 finalist Anastasija Sevastova at the China Open.
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Yastremska blitzes former champion Garcia, Halep hurries past Peterson in Beijing
Dayana Yastremska and Simona Halep conceded just two games each in their respective first-round China Open victories over 2017 winner Caroline Garcia and Rebecca Peterson, while Christina McHale upset two-time champion Svetlana Kuznetsova in three sets.
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Carreno Busta Edges Bublik To Capture Chengdu Crown
Pablo Carreno Busta lifted his first tour-level trophy in more than two years on Sunday, outlasting Alexander Bublik 6-7(5), 6-4, 7-6(3) at the Chengdu Open.
The Spaniard, who snapped a six-match ATP Tour semi-final losing streak on Saturday, withstood 31 aces from the Kazakh to claim his fourth tour-level trophy after two hours and five minutes. Carreno Busta ends a two-year, four-month wait for an ATP Tour trophy. The 28-year-old claimed his third title in May 2017 at the Millennium Estoril Open.
Carreno Busta improves to 2-0 in his FedEx ATP Head2Head series against Bublik after notching his 24th win in 41 tour-level encounters this year. In his only previous meeting against Bublik at the 2016 VTB Kremlin Cup, the World No. 63 also needed a final-set tie-break to claim the win.
Bublik was aiming to lift his first ATP Tour crown in his second final of the year. The 22-year-old, who fired 125 aces this week in Chengdu, earned four wins in three sets to reach his maiden ATP Tour championship match in July at the Hall of Fame Open.
Did You Know?
This marks the second straight year that a player has claimed his fourth ATP Tour trophy by winning the Chengdu Open in a final-set tie-break. Last year, Bernard Tomic edged Fabio Fognini 6-1, 3-6, 7-6(7) to lift his fourth tour-level crown.
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Osaka gana a Pegula en su primer partido de Beijing
La ex número 1 del mundo, Naomi Osaka, avanzó a la segunda ronda del China Open con una victoria en dos sets sobre la campeona de Washington Jessica Pegula.
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Venus battles back from brink in Beijing for Strycova victory
Former World No.1 Venus Williams came from a break down in the third set to maintain her dominant record over Wimbledon semifinalist Barbora Strycova in the first round of the China Open.
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