French Open: LTA chief fires back at Heather Watson after Brit misery in Paris

Heather Watson has come under fire from LTA chief executive Scott Lloyd.

from Daily Express :: Tennis Feed https://ift.tt/34eqIMj

French Open panic: Terrifying moment Warwinka and Koepfer are startled by huge explosion

WATCH the moment a sonic boom explosion resulted in a tennis match at the French Open being paused.

from Daily Express :: Tennis Feed https://ift.tt/3cGXMkb

Serena Williams withdraws from French Open injured and has to wait for Grand Slam record

Serena Williams has withdrawn from the French Open due to an Achilles injury.

from Daily Express :: Tennis Feed https://ift.tt/2SdY609

Tsitsipas Survives: Stefanos Earns Memorable Win In Paris

Last year, Stefanos Tsitsipas suffered a heartbreaking five-hour, nine-minute loss to Stan Wawrinka on Court Suzanne-Lenglen. On his return to the same court on Tuesday, the Greek created a better memory, claiming his first comeback from two sets down to advance to the second round at Roland Garros.

Just two days after falling to Andrey Rublev in the Hamburg final, Tsitsipas dug deep to outlast Jaume Munar 4-6, 2-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 after three hours and 12 minutes. Tsitsipas increased his aggression to turn the tables on his opponent, striking 36 winners in the final three sets to reach the second round for the third straight year.

Tsitsipas’ victory comes on the same day that Rublev was also forced to rally from two sets down for the first time in his career to earn a place in the second round. The pair battled for two hours and 19 minutes on Sunday afternoon, with Rublev recovering from 3-5 down in the decider to earn his third title of the year.

Tsitsipas improves to 23-9 this year following his five-set win against Munar. The Athens native is in third position on the 2020 ATP Tour wins leaderboard. Only Novak Djokovic (32) and Rublev (26) own more wins this year.

Most ATP Tour Wins In 2020

Rank	Player	Win/Loss Record
1	Novak Djokovic	32-1
2	Andrey Rublev	26-6
3	Stefanos Tsitsipas	23-9
4	Casper Ruud	21-9
5	Felix Auger-Aliassime	18-14

Tsitsipas will meet Pablo Cuevas for a spot in the third round. Cuevas defeated Switzerland’s Henri Laaksonen 6-1, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 in two hours and 20 minutes on Court 9. The pair will be meeting for the second straight week, following Tsitsipas’ straight-sets victory against the Uruguayan in Hamburg last week.

The reigning Nitto ATP Finals champion also met Cuevas on clay in a thrilling 2019 Millennium Estoril Open championship match. Tsitsipas owns a 3-0 ATP Head2Head record against the 34-year-old.

After recovering from 0-3 down in the first set, Munar showcased great coverage skills on Court Suzanne-Lenglen. The 23-year-old consistently placed one extra ball back in play, which extracted errors and forced Tsitsipas to aim closer to the lines with his groundstrokes.

Trailing by two sets, Tsitsipas increased his aggression and moved up the court to get through the defence of his opponent. The Greek won nine of 12 net points in the third set and converted both his break points to extend the match.

Tsitsipas began to find form on his forehand, using the stroke to push his opponent further behind the baseline and dictate rallies. At 3-3 in the decider, Tsitsipas ripped a forehand return winner and used the shot on break point to drag Munar out of position. Tsitsipas claimed victory on his first match point, as Munar mis-timed a backhand approach shot.

from Tennis - ATP World Tour https://ift.tt/2GeWsZz

Sock Ahead Of Thiem Clash: 'I’m Not Opposed To Silencing Some Haters'

When Jack Sock steps on court for his second-round match against Dominic Thiem at Roland Garros, the American will be carrying a large chip on his shoulder.

Sock finished 2018 with a 9-22 tour-level record. In January 2019, he tore two ligaments in his thumb. From the start of last season through arriving at the US Open last month, the American added just two more triumphs. But against a tricky opponent in Pablo Cuevas, Sock found a way to win in a final-set tie-break for his first Grand Slam victory since 2018 at Flushing Meadows.

“I think that was my kind of sigh of relief. It wasn't necessarily winning. Obviously winning the match felt great,” Sock said. “Even if I lost that 7-6 in the fifth, just kind of put myself in that position again to be there physically, where probably a lot of people would doubt me.

“I’m not opposed to silencing some haters after the past couple years I've gone through. I've read and seen enough of it, heard enough of it. I'm kind of ready to reestablish myself out there, let people know that I'm back, I'm feeling good. If I'm playing well and doing the right things, I think I can compete with anyone.”

At his best, Sock has proven that he is capable of doing so. He won the 2017 Rolex Paris Masters to book his spot at that year’s Nitto ATP Finals, climbing as high as No. 8 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. Armed with a massive forehand, the American has earned nine victories against Top 10 opposition. But during his tough stretch, he fell out of the rankings completely and is currently World No. 310.

“When you go from Top 10 to not winning any matches to [for the] first time in your life really on a tennis court not having much confidence in yourself, I think it's a massive eye opener, Sock said. “I've always been a confident player out there. I feel like if I'm playing good tennis, I can compete against anybody in the world. To go out and play matches, not have belief in your shots, think that you can lose to anybody at any time, is quite a different feeling.”

Something that has helped Sock head in the right direction is hiring former World No. 33 Alex Bogomolov Jr. as his coach. It was almost coincidental that they teamed up, as Sock’s fiancee is from Charlotte, and Bogomolov Jr. was in Charlotte.

“He definitely pushes me and challenges me on court. He definitely instills that work ethic, that mental toughness. I think I'm showing it the weeks that I'm playing now, weeks we've been able to play. I feel some of the best I felt on court in a long time,” Sock said. “To have someone like that in your corner pushing you and having that positivity, someone having that confidence in you, obviously outside of your family and close [friends] and loved ones, a guy of that stature who played on Tour, it only helps me out there for sure.”

When Sock is at his best, he relentlessly attacks with his forehand and tries to control play on the court, while also using his speed to keep him in points few would be able to stay in. When he wasn’t succeeding, there would be plenty of unforced errors and an apparent lack of confidence. That is a department in which Bogomolov Jr. has helped.

“He's instilled that confidence in me again through practices, hitting with him, practice matches against people. He keeps pounding in your head that, ‘You have been at that level, you are that player, you are that player. It doesn't just go away,’” Sock said. “Getting the reps in, getting fit in the head, mentally, everything together has given me the confidence on the court again. I feel as good as maybe I ever have out there.”

The 28-year-old knows beating recent US Open champion and two-time Roland Garros finalist Thiem on the terre battue will be a difficult task.

“I heard he's pretty good on clay," Sock said with deadpan humour of the man who has reached the past two Roland Garros finals. "I heard he played all right a few weeks ago in New York. I think he's being called the new king of clay after Nadal. He loves it here. Had some amazing results here. Probably playing the best tennis of his life or some of, winning his first Grand Slam a few weeks ago.”

But Sock also knows he must step on court with a positive mentality. That is what’s helped get him back on track in the first place.

“I also think I'm a good player. I'm going to stick to my patterns, stick to my game, hopefully try to dictate some points, control some of the match on my racquet,” Sock said. “If he's doing that on his side of the court, moving you around, controlling points, it's not going to be a very good day against him. I'll have to do what I can to try to kind of stick to my play and see how it goes.”

from Tennis - ATP World Tour https://ift.tt/2HKPQ69

Rublev Completes Remarkable Comeback, Edges Querrey At Roland Garros

Sam Querrey opened up big leads in each of the first three sets, only to see in-form Andrey Rublev recover from 0-2 sets down for the first time in his career on Tuesday at Roland Garros.

For the majority of the first two hours, Querrey proved how he could thrive in the cold and damp conditions of Paris by keeping points short with big serves and solid groundstrokes, but Rublev worked his way back to complete a dramatic 6-7(5), 6-7(4), 7-5, 6-4, 6-3 victory over three hours and 17 minutes on Court Simonne-Mathieu, the third show court.

It was a certainly dramatic way for No. 13 seed Rublev to secure his first win at the clay-court major, which extended his ATP Head2Head record to 3-1 against Querrey. The Russian, who captured his third ATP Tour title of 2020 on Sunday at the Hamburg European Open (d. Tsitsipas), is now 26-6 on the season. He will now prepare to face Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who knocked out French wild card Harold Mayot 7-6(5), 6-3, 7-5.

Querrey raced off to a 3-0 start, before World No. 12 Rublev started a comeback, saving set points at 3-5, 30/40 and 5-6, 30/40. Rublev admirably forced a tie-break, but Querrey held firm to clinch the 48-minute opener.

Querrey led 4-0 after just 11 minutes of the second set, before Rublev held to 15 and worked his way into their fourth meeting. The Russian then won 13 straight points from 1-5 down to put Querrey under pressure. By breaking back to 5-5, Rublev looked to be in the ascendancy, but Querrey’s booming serve returned in the nick of time. The World No. 48 saved two set points at 5-6, Ad-Out, and completed a close tie-break with an ace — one of 29 he struck in the match.

After a five-minute delay due to rain, the first-round encounter appeared to further unravel for Rublev, when he was broken in the fourth game of the third set. But once again, Querrey’s serve went off the boil and Rublev won five consecutive games from 2-5. The set ended when Querrey hit a backhand return long.

Rublev, who had never before recovered from 0-2 sets down, broke in the third game of the fourth set. He closed out to love with an ace, having lost just four of his service points, then broke early in the decider to grow in confidence. The 22-year-old completed a memorable victory by scrambling up a drop shot and flicking a forehand crosscourt for a winner as Querrey stranded at the net. Rublev sank to his knees in celebration

Querrey, who hit 80 winners and committed 62 unforced errors, had been hoping to become the eighth American into the Roland Garros second round. With five wins in 13 visits to south-west Paris, the 32-year-old’s best run was reaching the 2013 third round (l. to Simon in five sets).

Rublev had won their two previous meetings, including a 6-3, 6-3 victory en route to the Adelaide International crown in January. He also won the Qatar ExxonMobil Open trophy (d. Moutet) in the first week of the 2020 season.

from Tennis - ATP World Tour https://ift.tt/3kWKxhX

Djokovic Dominant In Roland Garros Opener

Eight days after clinching his fifth Internazionali BNL d’Italia title in Rome, Novak Djokovic took no time to recover his best level at Roland Garros on Tuesday.

The World No. 1 dropped just five games to breeze past Mikael Ymer 6-0, 6-2, 6-3 on the new Court Philippe-Chatrier, proving too consistent for his opponent as he recorded his 16th consecutive first-round victory at the Paris major. Djokovic was particularly impressive behind his return, winning 61 per cent of return points (44/72) throughout the one-hour, 38-minute contest..

With his victory against Ymer, Djokovic improved to 32-1 this year. The Serbian has clinched four titles from five events in 2020, including a record-extending eighth Australian Open trophy in January.

Djokovic is chasing his 18th Grand Slam crown this fortnight. The Serbian is currently in third place on the Grand Slam titles leaderboard, two trophies behind Rafael Nadal and three short of record holder Roger Federer.

Grand Slam Titles Leaderboard

Rank	Player	Titles
1	Roger Federer	20
2	Rafael Nadal	19
3	Novak Djokovic	17
4	Pete Sampras	14
5	Roy Emerson	12

Djokovic is also attempting to become the first player in the Open Era — and only the third man in history — to capture multiple titles at each of the four major championships. Australians Roy Emerson and Rod Laver are the only men to have previously achieved the feat.

Djokovic will face Ricardas Berankis of Lithuania in the second round. The 30-year-old saved all six break points he faced to beat Hugo Dellien 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 on Court 11. Djokovic owns a 2-0 ATP Head2Head record against Berankis.

Playing under the roof, Djokovic made a rapid start to the match. The 33-year-old took his groundstrokes up the line to rush Ymer and mixed up play with regular drop shots to keep his opponent off balance. Djokovic landed 10 winners and committed just one unforced error in the opener, which lasted just 20 minutes.

Visit the Infosys Match Centre at RolandGarros.com

After trading breaks at 1-1 in the second set, Djokovic regained his focus to win four straight games. The 2016 champion closed the set with a love service hold, serving and volleying on set point to move one set from victory.

The drop shots continued to flow from Djokovic’s racquet, with varied success, in the third set. The 17-time Grand Slam champion made the crucial move at 3-3, breaking serve in an extended rally with a driven crosscourt backhand winner. Djokovic moved up the court to strike a forehand winner up the line on match point.

Ymer was making his second appearance in the Roland Garros main draw, following his run to the second round on his Grand Slam debut last year. The Swede, who competed at last year’s Next Gen ATP Finals, owns a 6-7 tour-level record this year.

from Tennis - ATP World Tour https://ift.tt/2G9vT8t

Ferrer’s First Experience In Zverev’s Box: ‘The Player Is Always Right’

“Now you guys will have to tell me how to get to Centre Court because every time I’ve come here it’s been to play, I don’t know how to get to the stands.”

David Ferrer’s quip came as he was about to sit in Alexander Zverev’s box for the first time. It was the first round at Roland Garros, where the German progressed by beating Dennis Novak, and it represented a monumental shift in his life; until Sunday, the Alicante native had always taken to Court Philippe-Chatrier with his racquet in hand.

“You get nervous, but I’ve always said that the player is always right and the one that makes the decisions," Ferrer told ATPTour.com. “That’s what I think now that I’m a coach and also before when I was a player. Handling the emotions you feel under the surface is difficult. I try to encourage and help him in critical moments, to transmit positivity to him, but he has the final word.”

Ferrer started working with Zverev in July this year after two weeks of training in Monte Carlo. Having followed the US swing remotely, while in permanent contact with Zverev on his phone, the Spaniard set off for Paris for his first experience as a coach at a tournament.

“It’s different. Now I have the numbers of the rest of the coaches, but when you’ve been on Tour you know how everything works,” said Ferrer. “You adapt to the player, to their schedule. Now I reserve courts for training, organise the transport, the racquets, I watch his opponents’ matches... what my coaches used to do back then, routine things.

“It excites me because I like it. There is a good atmosphere. I meet up again with peers I’ve known my whole life, both Spaniards and foreigners, but I do it because I’m finding my time on Zverev’s bench very motivating.”

To prepare for Roland Garros, Ferrer met with the man who had recently lost to Dominic Thiem in the final of the US Open. Zverev, who led the Austrian by two sets and a break in the championship match, had to accept what happened in order to free himself and set his sights on the next goal.

“The best thing was letting time go by,” said Ferrer. “Of course, he was sad for the first few days having been so close. Sascha has improved mentally.

“Seeing what happened in the tournament, I try to look for the positives, and there were a lot at the US Open: his attitude on court, always being present, going through tough times and accepting them. He has made great progress with his attitude.

“For them it was a chance to win their first Grand Slam,” said Ferrer. “It’s normal. It happens to everyone. It happened to Roger Federer at Wimbledon, why wouldn’t it happen to those two? In tennis, the hardest thing is closing out a match, at any level.”

With the wounds of the US Open now closed, Zverev has taken the first step towards claiming his first Grand Slam at Roland Garros with his straight-sets win against Novak. There is, however, a very long road ahead. The Coupe des Mousquetaires is still half a world away.

“He’s very good on clay,” said Ferrer. “He’s won in Madrid and Rome, his game is in good shape to do well on clay. He’s from Hamburg, and he’s more than used to clay. I’m very positive and I’m confident. I think he can do very well at Roland Garros.

“Sascha trained well during the week, always with the pressure that comes with playing a Grand Slam, especially in the first match. He’s come through that, now it’s time to keep moving forward.”

from Tennis - ATP World Tour https://ift.tt/3l1PG8J

Dominic Thiem girlfriend: The REAL reason Dominic Thiem and Kristina Mladenovic broke up

DOMINIC THIEM and former doubles World No 1 Kristina Mladenovic decided to break up last year. Why did the couple split?

from Daily Express :: Tennis Feed https://ift.tt/2UiQPi7

Berrettini Powers Into Roland Garros Second Round

Matteo Berrettini opened his Roland Garros campaign with a comprehensive 6-3, 6-1, 6-3 win over Vasek Pospisil in one hour and 48 minutes on Tuesday at Roland Garros.

The seventh-seeded Italian broke serve twice in each set, winning 49 of his 64 service points and hitting 22 winners for his eighth win of the season. Two weeks ago he made a quarter-final exit at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome (l. to Ruud). Pospisil, who created one break point chance at 1-0 in the third set, has never won a match at the clay-court major in seven visits.

Berrettini will now face Lloyd Harris, who struck 17 aces among 45 winners to beat Alexei Popyrin 6-4, 6-4, 7-6(7) in two hours for a place in the second round for the second consecutive year.

from Tennis - ATP World Tour https://ift.tt/3kQr9mO

Fucsovics Stuns Medvedev At Roland Garros

Daniil Medvedev is known for frustrating opponents and making them uncomfortable on the court. But on Monday evening at Roland Garros, the Russian was the one left searching for answers.

Hungarian Marton Fucsovics upset the fourth seed 6-4, 7-6(3), 2-6, 6-1 after three hours and 17 minutes to reach the second round in Paris. The World No. 63 entered the match 0-14 against Top 10 opposition.

Medvedev is still pursuing his first victory at Roland Garros. The 24-year-old has lost his opening match on the terre battue in all four of his appearances.

Fucsovics showed no fear of his favoured opponent, despite losing their two previous ATP Head2Head meetings. The 28-year-old played aggressively in the cold, heavy conditions while avoiding too many unforced errors to give Medvedev confidence on the clay.

The Hungarian won 70 per cent of his net points from 44 approaches, putting pressure on Medvedev. Fucsovics broke serve six times and the fourth seed made 51 unforced errors.

A key moment came at the end of the second set. Although Medvedev struggled to find his best level in the first two sets, he positioned himself well to level the match after going up a mini-break in the tie-break. He could not hold that advantage, later losing two consecutive service points to go down 3/6.

The Russian broke his racquet out of frustration. Since he had already received a warning, Medvedev was given a point penalty, ending the set and putting the fourth seed in a two-set hole.

Medvedev battled hard to force a fourth set and never gave up, but that deficit proved too great to overcome. Fucsovics served and volleyed to hold after a tight game at 3-1 in the final set and then immediately earned a double-break advantage when the seven-time ATP Tour titlist missed a backhand wide. He will next play 2017 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters finalist Albert Ramos-Vinolas, who beat Frenchman Adrian Mannarino 6-4, 6-3, 6-0.

Medvedev recently reached the semi-finals of the US Open, but he lost in the first round of the Hamburg European Open against Ugo Humbert.

from Tennis - ATP World Tour https://ift.tt/36sg1J9

Zhuhai: The Newest Chinese Event On The ATP Tour

The Zhuhai Championships made its ATP Tour debut last year, with four Top 15 players competing in the singles main draw.

The second edition of the event would have been held this week if not for the COVID-19 pandemic.

ATPTour.com looks at five things to know about the event.

Zhuhai Fans Show Their Support
At the inaugural edition of the event last year, the stars of the ATP Tour witnessed the unique support of Zhuhai fans. Not only did supporters cheer for their favourite players on the court, but they also took the time to bring gifts to practice sessions.

One player who collected multiple gifts from his fans was eventual champion Alex de Minaur. Alongside a couple of tea sets, the Sydney native also received a dancing animal-shaped hat. De Minaur took to social media to share his love of the hat, using it to dance along to viral song ‘Baby Shark’ in his hotel room.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Happy with my first round win today, but even happier with this special gift from a fan!! 😂🐬🤦‍♂‍

A post shared by Alex De Minaur 🇦🇺 (@alexdeminaur) on Sep 24, 2019 at 5:38am PDT

"I actually really like playing here. I think the fans here in China are like nowhere else. They're really loud. I don't think anywhere else I get given gifts by the fans," said De Minaur. "So I really enjoy playing here and it's always a special feeling once you come out here and you're able to perform and play at a good level and get the win in front of these fans."

Murray Takes Big Step
After undergoing a career-saving second right hip surgery in January 2019, Andy Murray entered the Zhuhai Championships seeking the first tour-level singles victory of his comeback. For the second straight ATP Tour event, the 2016 year-end World No. 1 met Tennys Sandgren in the first round.

Murray was pushed to three sets by the American, who had beaten him in Winston-Salem five weeks earlier, before raising his level to earn a memorable 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-1 victory.

“I think that in some ways that it's one of the best wins that I've had,” said Murray. “Not in terms of just getting through that today, but everything that's gone into getting back to this point.”

Murray’s hopes of progressing further in the draw were ended in the next round by De Minaur, who rallied from a set down to overcome the three-time Grand Slam champion after two hours and 42 minutes.

De Minaur Completes 2019 Hat-trick
De Minaur captured his third ATP Tour title of 2019 in Zhuhai, navigating a stacked draw at the ATP 250. The Aussie beat countryman John Millman, Murray, Borna Coric and Roberto Bautista Agut to book a final meeting with Adrian Mannarino.

In a match that featured just one break of serve, which occurred on championship point, De Minaur battled past the Frenchman 7-6(4), 6-4 to add to earlier 2019 titles in Sydney and Atlanta. Outside of the Top 6 players in the 2019 year-end FedEx ATP Rankings, De Minaur was the only other player to win three ATP Tour singles trophies last year.

Gille/Vliegen Earn Third Trophy Of 2019
Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen joined De Minaur by completing a 2019 hat-trick of their own, dropping only one set en route to their third ATP Tour doubles trophy of the year. The fourth seeds earned their first tour-level crown on hard courts by clinching two tie-break sets against Marcelo Demoliner and Matwe Middelkoop in the championship match.

The Belgian pair, which was appearing in its eighth final of the year at all levels, improved to 3-1 in ATP Tour championship matches with their victory in Zhuhai. During a three-week stretch on clay earlier in the year, Gille and Vliegen clinched titles in Båstad and Gstaad, before a runner-up finish in Kitzbühel.

Tsitsipas, Coric Enter Virtual Reality
Stefanos Tsitsipas and Coric were drawn on opposite sides of the draw, but that did not stop the pair meeting off the court during their visit to Zhuhai. The seeded players took time out of their schedules to visit one of the city’s newest attractions: Lionsgate Entertainment World.

Tsitsipas and Coric enjoyed their time at the virtual reality theme park, taking part in a number of activities including virtual motorbike riding. The pair were also treated to a show by a local entertainer, who swallowed a sword and a metal ball.

“This was definitely one of the most cool experiences I’ve ever done. All of these things, the ball and the sword, I never thought I’m going to see something like that,” said Coric. “I can say that it was pretty awesome and I enjoyed my time there.”

from Tennis - ATP World Tour https://ift.tt/3kVz7eC

Chengdu: Where Khachanov Made His Breakthrough

First held in 2016, the Chengdu Open is one of four Chinese events during the three-week Asian Swing.

The ATP 250 would have been held this week if not for the COVID-19 pandemic.

ATPTour.com looks at five things to know about the event.

An Action-Packed ATP Tour Stop
Alongside its modern tennis facilities, which include 20 hard courts and 12 indoor courts, Chengdu also provides players with a wide range of off-court activities. At last year’s event, 2016 semi-finalist Grigor Dimitrov made the most of his spare time by revisiting the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding and taking a cruise down the Jinjiang River.

"I think the babies were pretty fascinating to see,” said Dimitrov in 2016. “They were acting a bit like humans, yawning, stretching and hiding their eyes. I always wanted to see a panda. I took quite a few pictures and I would love to show friends and family.”

Khachanov’s Maiden Moment
The inaugural Chengdu Open in 2016 was headlined by Dominic Thiem, Nick Kyrgios and Dimitrov, but it was a Next Gen ATP Finals contender who lifted the ATP 250 trophy. Ranked No. 101 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, Karen Khachanov defeated four Top 40 players en route to his maiden ATP Tour crown.

The 20-year-old beat Feliciano Lopez and Viktor Troicki in back-to-back matches to book a final clash against Albert Ramos-Vinolas. Khachanov recovered from a set down against the Spaniard and clinched the trophy with a 6-7(4), 7-6(3), 6-3 victory after two hours and 39 minutes.

Tomic's Stunning Title Run
From qualifying, Bernard Tomic won seven matches at the 2018 Chengdu Open to clinch his first ATP Tour title in more than three years. The Australian survived three final-set tie-breaks en route to the title. In two of those matches, Tomic came within a point of defeat.

In the championship match, Tomic met in-form Italian Fabio Fognini. The top seed was aiming to become the first Italian man to win four tour-level singles titles in the same year and held four match points in a final-set tie-break against Tomic, but the 6’5” right-hander battled back to claim the trophy 6-1, 3-6, 7-6(7).

“I should have lost five times,” said Tomic. “In the second round in qualifying to Gerasimov, I was down 0/40 at 4-4 in the third set and I somehow got through that match; against Klahn in the first round I was down 7-6, 3-1 and in the second round I was down a match point as well against Harris. It’s been a rollercoaster.”

Last In, First Team Trophy Win
Nikola Cacic and Dusan Lajovic were not sure if they would make it into the 2019 Chengdu Open doubles draw, but the pair ended their stay at the ATP 250 by lifting their first tour-level doubles title as a team.

”We were the last team to get in, so Nikola flew here at the last moment,” said Lajovic. “He came here on Sunday and it was only our third time this year playing an ATP Tour event together and we didn’t expect much, but we knew we could play good tennis."

Cacic’s decision to take a late flight proved to be an inspired move, as the Serbian duo claimed three victories to advance to their first ATP Tour final together. In the championship match, Cacic and Lajovic saved two set points in the first set before completing a 7-6(9), 3-6, 10-3 win against Jonathan Erlich and Fabrice Martin.

“This week was the best week so far in my career,” said Cacic. “I am really happy that I won my first ATP Tour title with Dusan. [These are] special moments for me.”

Carreno Busta Returns To Winners’ Circle
More than two years after earning his third ATP Tour title at the 2017 Millennium Estoril Open, Pablo Carreno Busta added a fourth trophy to his collection in Chengdu last year. The Spaniard overcame Benoit Paire in three sets and also defeated Cristian Garin and Denis Shapovalov in straight sets to reach his seventh tour-level final.

In the championship match, Carreno Busta came from a set down and withstood 31 aces against Alexander Bublik to claim a 6-7(5), 6-4, 7-6(3) victory. The former World No. 10 became the fourth different winner of the tournament in as many years, following in the footsteps of Khachanov, Denis Istomin and Tomic. Across the singles and doubles events, no player has won multiple trophies at the tournament.

from Tennis - ATP World Tour https://ift.tt/3jbGi1R

Preview: Djokovic Opens Bid For Second Roland Garros Trophy

Novak Djokovic will begin his hunt for a second Roland Garros crown on Day 3 in Paris, when he faces Mikael Ymer of Sweden in the first round on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

The World No. 1 arrives in the French capital in red-hot form, having lifted his fifth Internazionali BNL d’Italia trophy earlier this month. Djokovic’s victory in Rome took his record this year to 31-1, with four trophies from five events.

Djokovic is chasing history at Stade Roland Garros, four years after he became only the third player to hold all four Grand Slam singles trophies at the same time following a four-set win against Andy Murray in the 2016 championship match.

The Serbian has his sights set on chasing down rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal on the Grand Slam titles leaderboard. Djokovic currently owns 17 trophies at the level, two behind Nadal and three behind record-holder Federer.

If Djokovic were to win his second trophy on the terre battue, he would become the first player in the Open Era to claim all four Grand Slam singles crowns on multiple occasions. Last month, Djokovic achieved the equivalent feat at ATP Masters 1000 level. The 33-year-old completed his second Career Golden Masters by capturing his second Western & Southern Open crown.

If Djokovic is to move closer to those records, he must first overcome Ymer. The 22-year-old, who competed at last year’s Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan, is making his second straight appearance in the main draw at Roland Garros. At last year’s event, his Grand Slam main draw debut, the World No. 80 reached the second round.

Fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas returns to action on Court Suzanne-Lenglen, just two days after a runner-up finish to Andrey Rublev at the Hamburg European Open. The reigning Nitto ATP Finals champion faces Jaume Munar, for the second time in their ATP Head2Head series, in his opening match of the tournament.

Tsitsipas and Munar’s only previous clash came at the 2018 Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan. The Greek defeated Munar in four sets at the round-robin stage, earning one of five victories en route to the trophy.

Tsitsipas will be aiming to add to his impressive 2020 record this fortnight. The World No. 6, who lost an epic five-hour, nine-minute battle against Stan Wawrinka at this event last year, is in third place on the 2020 ATP Tour match wins leaderboard with 22 wins from 31 matches. Only Djokovic (31) and Rublev (25) own more victories this year.

Fresh from his third ATP Tour title run this year, Hamburg champion Rublev will open his Roland Garros campaign on Court Simonne-Mathieu. The 13th seed will aim to secure his first Roland Garros victory against Sam Querrey. Rublev is making only his second main draw appearance at the clay-court Grand Slam championship, following a five-set loss to Diego Schwartzman in the 2017 first-round.

Ninth seed Denis Shapovalov will look to build on his semi-final run in Rome when he takes on home favourite Gilles Simon in the final match on Court Phillipe-Chatrier. The #NextGenATP Canadian has won nine of 12 matches since the ATP Tour resumption, which also includes a run to his first Grand Slam quarter-final at the US Open.

Roberto Bautista Agut meets Richard Gasquet for the ninth time in their ATP Head2Head series on Tuesday. New father Bautista Agut has won six of his previous eight contests against Gasquet, but this will be their pair’s first clay encounter.

ORDER OF PLAY – TUESDAY 29 SEPTEMBER 2020
COURT PHILIPPE-CHATRIER start 11:00 am
WTA Match
WTA Match
[1] Novak Djokovic v Mikael Ymer
[9] Denis Shapovalov v Gilles Simon

 

COURT SUZANNE-LENGLEN start 11:00 am
Vasek Pospisil v [7] Matteo Berrettini
WTA Match
Jaume Munar v [5] Stefanos Tsitsipas
WTA Match

 

COURT SIMONNE-MATHIEU start 11:00 am
WTA Match
Sam Querrey v [13] Andrey Rublev
[10] Roberto Bautista Agut v Richard Gasquet
WTA Match

Click here to view the full Roland Garros Day 3 schedule.

from Tennis - ATP World Tour https://ift.tt/338hBO1

Doubles Preview: Will Krawietz/Mies Retain Their Roland Garros Title?

Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies arrived at 2019 Roland Garros having played only eight tour-level events together. They left Paris as the first all-German team in the Open Era to win a Grand Slam men’s doubles title. Now, they are back to defend their crown.

The eighth seeds begin their run against Kazakhs Alexander Bublik and Mikhail Kukushkin. The first seeded opponents they could face are 10th seeds Raven Klaasen and Oliver Marach in the third round.

Atop the draw are Colombians Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah, who won Wimbledon and the US Open last year. The top seeds play French wild cards Corentin Denolly and Kyrian Jacquet in their opener.

Recent US Open champions Mate Pavic and Bruno Soares will try to replicate their feat on the Parisian clay, starting with a clash against Marcus Daniell and Philipp Oswald.

A team to watch will be second seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos, who are fresh off winning the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome. The Spanish-Argentine duo has been at its best in the biggest events, winning the Coupe Rogers in their team debut last year and reaching the 2019 US Open final. Granollers and Zeballos begin their campaign against Americans Steve Johnson and Sam Querrey.

This year’s Australian Open champions, third seeds Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury, face home favourites Gregoire Barrere and Quentin Halys, who are wild cards.

Former Roland Garros doubles titlists in the field include sixth seeds Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut, Pablo Cuevas and Feliciano Lopez (who won with different partners), Marcelo Melo, Ivan Dodig and Edouard Roger-Vasselin.

from Tennis - ATP World Tour https://ift.tt/3kVimAe

Rafael Nadal 'very happy' to be back at French Open as Roger Federer bid starts strong

Rafael Nadal opened up his French Open campaign with a routine first-round win on Monday afternoon.

from Daily Express :: Tennis Feed https://ift.tt/2FY61wl

Bublik Bounces Monfils At Roland Garros For First Top 10 Win

Alexander Bublik and Gael Monfils are two of the most entertaining players on the ATP Tour. From flashy winners to incredible touch, both men are capable of producing stunning tennis at any moment. On Monday, Bublik played slightly cleaner tennis to upset the eighth seed 6-4, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, advancing to the second round at Roland Garros.

This is the 23-year-old's first Top 10 win after losing his first five matches against players in the elite group. In a match that featured 14 service breaks from 40 opportunities, Bublik advanced after two hours and 35 minutes.

The unseeded right-hander, currently at No. 49 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, earned 25 break points in the match, converting eight of them. Both Bublik and Monfils are capable of big serving, but Bublik was far more successful behind his first serve, winning 78 per cent of those points compared to 64 per cent for Monfils.

It was a shotmaker's delight on Court Suzanne-Lenglen, with plenty of drop shots to be had. But Bublik was more consistent throughout, rallying from a break down in all three sets he won. He was steadier from the baseline, using his forehand to dictate play and his backhand down the line to keep the Frenchman off balance and stopping the eighth seed from controlling the pace of play.

In the middle of the third set, Monfils' drop shots began paying dividends and he appeared poised to push for a remarkable comeback. But it was not enough for the home favourite, who is out in the first round at Roland Garros for the first time since his tournament debut in 2005 (l. to Canas). The Frenchman had not lost before the third round in Paris since 2010.

Bublik is fresh off a run to the quarter-finals of the Hamburg European Open, where he was a lucky loser. The Kazakh showed signs of his good form by defeating Felix Auger-Aliassime in straight sets there in the second round of the main draw. He carried that level to Paris, where he is into the second round for the second consecutive year. 

Bublik will next play Italian Lorenzo Sonego, who battled past Ecuadorian qualifier Emilio Gomez 6-7(6), 6-3, 6-1, 6-7(4), 6-3 after four hours and seven minutes.

The Italian was down 15/30 on his serve at 3-3 in the decider, but gave his opponent no free points the rest of the way to triumph. Gomez, the son of 1990 Roland Garros champion Andres Gomez, was competing in his first Grand Slam main draw.

from Tennis - ATP World Tour https://ift.tt/2GeTRyM

Giustino Wins Three-Hour Fifth Set 18-16 For First Tour-Level Win

Lorenzo Giustino will certainly remember his first tour-level win. It came close to breaking the 16-year-old record for the longest match at Roland Garros.

The Italian qualifier fell back onto the clay of Court 14 in disbelief after a 0-6, 7-6(7), 7-6(3), 2-6, 18-16 victory over Corentin Moutet after six hours and five minutes. The deciding set alone lasted three hours.

Twenty-eight minutes shy of Fabrice Santoro’s epic win over Arnaud Clement on Court Suzanne-Lenglen in the 2004 first round (six hours, 33 minutes), Giustino and Moutet’s first-round encounter also stretched over two days. It had resumed mid-afternoon on Monday with Giustino leading 4-3 in the third set.

The final stats were in favour of Moutet, who won 242 total points to Giustino’s 217 points and struck 88 winners to 57, but it’s 29-year-old Giustino who advanced to a second-round meeting against No. 12 seed Diego Schwartzman of Argentina.

Giustono, who is currently No. 156 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, led 3-0 in the deciding set and had held one match point at 8-7, with Moutet serving at 30/40.

Moutet broke to serve for the match at 14-13 and 15-14, but it was Giustino who decisively bounced back from 15/40 when serving at 16-16 en route to victory.

Moutet saved a second match point at 16-17, 15/40, when Giustino hit a backhand long. But the Italian cleverly placed a slower forehand that forced Moutet to lunge and, ultimately, slice into the net, on his third match point.

Moutet, 21, reached his first ATP Tour final in January at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha (l. to Rublev) and is now 8-7 on the 2020 season. Giustino is now 1-4 lifetime in tour-level matches.

from Tennis - ATP World Tour https://ift.tt/3jp0UUt

Clinical Nadal Up And Running In Paris

Rafael Nadal began his quest for a 13th Roland Garros title on Monday, beating Egor Gerasimov 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 to reach the second round.

The Spaniard converted each of his five break points and landed 32 winners to move through to the second round after two hours and five minutes. Nadal improves to 16-0 in first-round matches at the clay-court Grand Slam championship, with 14 of those wins coming in straight sets.

“It is a different Roland Garros. Totally different than we are used to… But for me this year is as special as every one at Roland Garros,” said Nadal. “I am going to keep trying my best. I am happy to be in the second round [after] a good start and now is the moment to go back to the hotel, have a good practice tomorrow and try to be ready for the second round.”

Nadal is bidding to equal Roger Federer’s record haul of 20 Grand Slam singles titles this fortnight. If he wins seven matches to lift the trophy, he will also become the first player to record 100 victories at the tournament. Nadal already holds the record number of wins at Stade Roland Garros, having won 94 of his 96 matches at the event.

Grand Slam Titles Leaderboard

Rank	Player	Titles
1	Roger Federer	20
2	Rafael Nadal	19
3	Novak Djokovic	17
4	Pete Sampras	14
5	Roy Emerson	12

The 12-time champion is playing in his second clay event of the season. Nadal returned to the surface for the first time since last year’s Roland Garros championship match at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia two weeks ago. After dropping just six games in his opening two matches at the ATP Masters 1000, the nine-time Rome champion lost in straight-sets to eventual runner-up Diego Schwartzman.

Nadal will meet Mackenzie McDonald in the second round. The 25-year-old American recovered from a set down to defeat Canadian qualifier Steven Diez 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 in two hours and 48 minutes.

With the roof open on a new-look Court Philippe-Chatrier, Nadal served with consistency throughout the first-round encounter. The World No. 2 dropped just eight points behind his serve and did not face a break point in the opening two sets.

Nadal was also clinical on break points. The 34-year-old created two break opportunities in the first two sets and took both of them. Nadal also played with consistency from the baseline, using his forehand to move Gerasimov out of position and create space for winners.

Gerasimov broke serve for the first time at the start of the third set, but Nadal immediately recovered with powerful forehands and impressive court coverage. After falling heavily in the fourth game, Gerasimov received treatment to his right ankle at 2-2. Nadal motored to the finish line, ripping forehands to gain his fifth straight game and serve for the match at 5-2. The 6’1” left-hander booked his spot in the second round when Gerasimov netted a crosscourt backhand return.

from Tennis - ATP World Tour https://ift.tt/3cBEbBV

Kukushkin Upsets Fognini At Roland Garros

Mikhail Kukushkin recorded one of the biggest wins of his career on Monday to reach the Roland Garros second round for the first time since 2017.

The Kazakhstani held his nerve to beat No. 14 seed Fabio Fognini 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(1), 6-0 in two hours and 52 minutes. Fognini has now lost in the first round at the clay-court major on four occasions (also 2007, 2009 and 2016).

Kukushkin recovered from 3-5 down in the third set by winning 24 of 32 points, then ran through the 22-minute fourth set for the loss of six points. Both players hit 42 winners, but Kukushkin was stronger on serve and converted seven of his 12 break point opportunities.

The 32-year-old Kukushkin will now challenge Pedro Martinez, who recorded just his second Grand Slam championship victory with a 7-5, 6-4, 6-0 win over fellow qualifier Aleksandar Vukic in two hours and 12 minutes. Martinez saved two set points on serve at 4-5, 15/40 in the first set.

from Tennis - ATP World Tour https://ift.tt/3kSAaMf

Nishioka Holds Firm To Beat Felix In Paris

Yoshihito Nishioka overcame Felix Auger-Aliassime, the No. 19 seed, for a second time in a tour-level meeting on Monday by winning 7-5, 6-3, 6-3 in two hours and 32 minutes on Court 9.

The Japanese let out a roar of delight after reaching the second round, having recovered from 1-3 down in the opener. He also saved 11 of 13 break points.

“Today was tough for me overall, what he was bringing in the match,” said Nishioka. “I knew it was going to be tough to go through him, [as he was] going to put a lot of balls back. Obviously, the conditions were not the best for me. He played well. Also, I wasn't good, and I could have been better on many of those opportunities. I give him credit and I take responsibility on that, because I just felt like there is too many times where I just didn't step up and played a decent point.”

Nishioka, the Delray Beach Open by VITACOST.com finalist (l. to Opelka) in February, will next face Hugo Gaston, who beat fellow French wild card Maxime Janvier 7-6(5), 6-4, 6-3 in two hours and 23 minutes.

from Tennis - ATP World Tour https://ift.tt/3cACa92

Ruud & Garin: The 2020 Clay Leaders

After a shortened European clay swing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many of the ATP Tour’s top stars are entering Roland Garros with less match practice than usual on the dirt.

With less clay results to analyse, many fans will find it more difficult to predict results in the early rounds in Paris. But two players have still managed to make their mark on the surface with regular success this year.

Casper Ruud and Cristian Garin occupy the top two spots in the 2020 clay wins list heading into Roland Garros. The pair were the standout performers during the ‘Golden Swing’ in February and have also shown great form on the surface in Europe, prior to their journeys to Paris.

Casper Ruud
2020 Clay Titles: Buenos Aires
2020 Win/Loss On Clay: 15-4

The 21-year-old owns more ATP Tour victories on clay than any other player this year. In his opening event of the year on the surface, Ruud made history by becoming the first Norwegian to capture an ATP Tour title at the Argentina Open in Buenos Aires. Ruud dropped just one set across five matches at the ATP 250, defeating Dusan Lajovic and Juan Ignacio Londero en route to the trophy.

Two weeks later, Ruud reached another championship match on clay in Santiago. The Oslo native came within a set of the trophy, but fell in three sets to #NextGenATP Brazilian Thiago Seyboth Wild.

Ruud made an impressive return to clay at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia this month. The 6’0” right-hander, who trains at the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar in Mallorca, advanced to his maiden ATP Masters 1000 semi-final in the Italian capital. Ruud recorded wins against Karen Khachanov, Lorenzo Sonego, Marin Cilic and Matteo Berrettini, before losing in straight-sets to eventual champion Novak Djokovic.

Last week, Ruud continued his momentum by reaching his fourth semi-final in five clay events this year. The Buenos Aires champion earned three victories, including a straight-sets win against Fabio Fognini to become the first player to reach 15 clay wins on the ATP Tour this year.

Following his run in Hamburg, Ruud climbed to a career-high No. 25 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. As the 28th seed at Roland Garros, Ruud will face Yuichi Sugita in the first round at Roland Garros. Ruud could face third seed and two-time runner-up Dominic Thiem in the third round.

Cristian Garin
2020 Clay Titles: Cordoba, Rio de Janeiro
2020 Win/Loss On Clay 13-3

No player started the year with a better record on clay than Garin. The Chilean won his opening 10 matches on the dirt this year, which included title runs at the Cordoba Open and Rio Open presented by Claro.

During his 10-match win streak, Garin’s fighting quality was clear to see. The 24-year-old recovered from a set down on five occasions and survived two final-set tie-breaks to keep his run alive. Garin’s victory in Rio de Janeiro was the biggest win of his career, adding an ATP 500 trophy to his collection of three ATP 250 crowns. All four of Garin’s tournament wins have come on clay.

After losing to Borna Coric in the first round in Rome, Garin returned to his best level in Hamburg. The Santiago-born star eliminated Kei Nishikori in straight sets and posted wins against Kitzbühel runner-up Yannick Hanfmann and Alexander Bublik to reach his third semi-final of the year. In the last four, Garin pushed World No. 6 Stefanos Tsitsipas to three sets.

Following his run in Hamburg, Garin re-entered the Top 20 in the FedEx ATP Rankings at No. 19. The four-time ATP Tour titlist, seeded 20th in Paris, will face Philipp Kohlschreiber in the first round at Roland Garros. Garin is located in top quarter of the draw, headlined by Novak Djokovic, and could meet 15th seed Karen Khachanov in the third round.

from Tennis - ATP World Tour https://ift.tt/3j6cun4

Thiem Opens Title Bid With Convincing Cilic Win

In his first match as a Grand Slam champion, Dominic Thiem began his title bid at Roland Garros with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 victory against Marin Cilic on Monday.

The reigning US Open champion earned six service breaks to overcome the former World No. 3 in two hours and six minutes on the new Court Philippe-Chatrier. This is Thiem’s second victory against Cilic in as many events, following his four-set win against the Croat in New York earlier this month.

Thiem was competing for the first time since defeating Alexander Zverev in a final-set tie-break to capture his maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open. His victory ended a six-year wait for a first-time major singles champion. The last player to achieve the feat prior to Thiem was Cilic, who clinched the US Open trophy in 2014.

Following his fourth win in as many ATP Head2Head clashes against Cilic, Thiem improves to 25-6 at Roland Garros. The 27-year-old is aiming to go one better than his past two campaigns in the French capital, where he has finished as runner-up to 12-time champion Rafael Nadal.

Thiem will next face former World No. 8 Jack Sock for a place in the third round. The American qualifier broke Reilly Opelka on five occasions to record a 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 victory on Court 12.

Thiem owns a 3-1 ATP Head2Head record against Sock and the pair will be contesting their third straight meeting in Paris. In their most recent match at the 2018 Rolex Paris Masters, Thiem recovered from a set down to avenge a straight-sets loss to the American at the same event in 2016.

Watched by only a handful of spectators, Thiem and Cilic exchanged early service breaks to open the match. It wasn’t until the ninth game that Cilic buckled, hitting a forehand approach long after good defence from Thiem and then mis-timing a backhand wide to be broken. Thiem recovered from 0/40 in the next game to clinch the 47-minute opener, which saw Cilic commit 17 unforced errors.

From 3-4 in the first set, Thiem won five straight games to put Cilic, the two-time former quarterfinalist (2017-‘18), firmly on the backfoot in the second set. The US Open champion clinched a two-set lead with his fourth break of the match, ending an almost nine-minute game with a powerful backhand down the line.

After falling behind 0-2 in the third set, Thiem forced errors from Cilic at the net with dipping passing shots to turn the set in his favour. The World No. 3 converted his first match point to reach the second round, as Cilic struck a crosscourt backhand return into the net.

Did You Know?
Thiem and Cilic’s match was the second meeting between Grand Slam champions in this year’s first round, following Stan Wawrinka’s three-set win against Andy Murray on Sunday. These are the first two encounters between Grand Slam champions in the first round at Roland Garros since Yevgeny Kafelnikov beat Michael Chang to reach the second round in 1999.

from Tennis - ATP World Tour https://ift.tt/340OyLA

Rublev Back At Career-High, Mover Of Week

No. 12 Andrey Rublev, +2 (joint Career High)
The Russian, who captured a third ATP Tour trophy of 2020 by beating Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Hamburg European Open final, returns to his career-high of No. 12 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. After winning one of his first three ATP Tour finals, Rublev has claimed victory in his past four championship matches. The 22-year-old won his home tournament, the VTB Kremlin Cup in Moscow last year, before lifting back-to-back trophies at the start of 2020 at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha and at the Adelaide International. Read Final Report & Watch Hamburg Final Highlights 

No. 25 Casper Ruud, +5 (Career High)
The Norwegian, who started the season at No. 54 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, is now up to a career-high No. 25 after reaching the Hamburg semi-finals (l. to Tsitsipas). The 21-year-old is 9-4 since the ATP Tour resumption, including his first ATP Masters 1000 semi-final at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome (l. to Djokovic).

View Latest FedEx ATP Rankings
Read FedEx ATP Rankings COVID-19 Adjustments FAQ

Other Notable Top 100 Movers
No. 38 Ugo Humbert, +3 (Career High)
No. 49 Alexander Bublik, +7
No. 60 Pablo Cuevas, +3
No. 61 Dominik Koepfer, +5 (Career High)
No. 68 Jiri Vesely, +7
No. 84 Thiago Monteiro, +5
No. 90 Lloyd Harris, +6
No. 97 Yannick Hanfmann, +6

from Tennis - ATP World Tour https://ift.tt/36bY8Oi

Dominic Thiem on Roger Federer mission to upset Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic

Dominic Thiem is on a mission to help Roger Federer.

from Daily Express :: Tennis Feed https://ift.tt/34b3c38

Scouting Report: 10 Things To Watch At Roland Garros

Roland Garros was rescheduled to begin in September this year, but the anticipation is as high as ever for the clay-court Grand Slam. Twenty-eight of the Top 30 players in the FedEx ATP Rankings lead the way in Paris, with World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and 12-time champion Rafael Nadal topping the field.

ATPTour.com looks at 10 things you should watch for in the coming fortnight:

1) Novak Goes For Second Career Grand Slam: Djokovic has been the best player of 2020. He will try to maintain that momentum as he bids to become the first man in the Open Era to complete the Career Grand Slam twice (Emerson and Laver also did it, but not entirely in the Open Era).

Djokovic, who won a record 36th ATP Masters 1000 trophy at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, completed his first Career Grand Slam in Paris four years ago. Djokovic opens against 2019 Next Gen ATP Finals competitor Mikael Ymer.

Listen To ATP Tennis Radio's Roland Garros Preview:

2) Rafa Goes For 13: Nadal will pursue his 13th Coupe des Mousquetaires in Paris this year. The Spaniard holds an incredible 93-2 record at the clay-court major. If the lefty triumphs again, he will reach 100 victories at the tournament.

Nadal is already the only player to win 12 titles at a single Grand Slam and the only man to claim 12 trophies at one tour-level event. The second seed begins his run against Egor Gerasimov.

3) New Slam Champ Thiem: Dominic Thiem, who has made the Roland Garros final the past two years, will be more confident than ever starting this event. The Austrian is fresh off capturing his maiden major trophy at the US Open. He did not play any clay-court events leading into Paris, but he has earned 10 of his 17 tour-level titles on the surface.

The 27-year-old, who faces a tough test in the first round against former World No. 3 Marin Cilic, has advanced to at least the semi-finals at Roland Garros the past four years. Thiem is trying to become the first Austrian to win multiple major crowns.

4) Historic Implications: If Nadal wins a record 13th Roland Garros title, he will tie Roger Federer for the most Grand Slam trophies in history with 20. If Djokovic triumphs, the Serbian will lift his 18th major trophy, moving within one of Nadal (19) and two of Federer (20). A Thiem triumph will see him move past Nadal for World No. 2. Since Nadal passed Lleyton Hewitt for that spot on 25 July 2005, only the Big Four have held that place in the FedEx ATP Rankings.

5) Blockbuster Openers: There are two first-round blockbusters between Grand Slam champions. Third seed Thiem will play 2014 US Open titlist Marin Cilic and 16th seed Stan Wawrinka faces former World No. 1 Andy Murray. This is the first time two major winners will battle in the first round at Roland Garros since Yevgeny Kafelnikov beat Michael Chang in 1999.

6) Medvedev Making His Move: Fourth seed Daniil Medvedev, fresh off his run to the US Open semi-finals, will try to make a deep run in Paris. He begins his tournament without a win at Roland Garros (0-3), but having enjoyed previous success on clay. The Russian last year reached the final in Barcelona and the semi-finals in Monte Carlo. Medvedev plays Hungarian Marton Fucsovics in the first round.

7) Sons Of Former Slam Champs In Main Draw: Emilio Gomez and Sebastian Korda both qualified for the main draw in Paris for the first time. Both of their fathers, 1990 Roland Garros titlist Andres Gomez and 1998 Australian Open winner Petr Korda, are Grand Slam champions. There are 31 players making their Roland Garros main draw debuts. Read Feature

8) Zverev In Paris: Before this year, Alexander Zverev’s best Grand Slam results came at Roland Garros. The German star has reached back-to-back quarter-finals at the clay-court major. Five of his eight victories at the tournament during that span came in five sets. Zverev, who did not play on clay before Roland Garros, will be as confident as ever after making his maiden Grand Slam final at the US Open. His coach, David Ferrer, is with him in Paris.

9) Hamburg Finalists In-Form: Andrey Rublev is playing Stefanos Tsitsipas in Sunday's Hamburg European Open final, giving them confidence ahead of Roland Garros. Like countryman Medvedev, Rublev is pursuing his first main draw victory at Roland Garros. His only previous main draw appearance at the tournament came in 2017, when he lost a three-hour, 30-minute five-setter against Diego Schwartzman. The Russian ranks second on the ATP Tour in wins this season (24), trailing only Djokovic. The 22-year-old is one of four players (also Djokovic, Garin, Monfils) who have lifted multiple tour-level trophies in 2020.

Tsitsipas played one of the best matches of 2019 in the fourth round at Roland Garros. The Greek star fell just short in a five-hour, nine-minute marathon against three-time major winner Stan Wawrinka. Tsitsipas is the fifth seed this year.

10) Will The Germans Retain? Defending doubles champions Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies will try to retain their title in Paris. Other former Roland Garros doubles titlists in the field include Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut, Pablo Cuevas and Feliciano Lopez (who won with different partners), Marcelo Melo, Ivan Dodig and Edouard Roger-Vasselin.

from Tennis - ATP World Tour https://ift.tt/2EEtnX7

Thiem Confronts Cilic Challenge, Rafa Begins Chase For No. 13 At Roland Garros

Before playing Marin Cilic in the third round of the US Open, Dominic Thiem said he didn’t want to face the Croatian that early in the tournament because of how dangerous the 2014 Flushing Meadows champion was. On Monday, the Austrian will face the former World No. 3 in the first round at Roland Garros.

“He's one of the big champions of the last decade, one of the very few active players who has won a Grand Slam tournament,” Thiem said in New York. “On a good day he can beat anybody.”

View Monday Order Of Play

For a large chunk of their US Open match, Thiem controlled the action as Cilic sprayed groundstrokes. But once Cilic found his rhythm, Thiem needed to dig deep to earn a 6-2, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 victory.

“He raised his level a lot in sets three and four. Good tennis, very close. Probably would have gone to a fifth [if] I didn't save these break points [in the fourth set],” Thiem said. “It was a good, close match.”

Thiem leads their ATP Head2Head series 3-0 and he has enjoyed better results on clay. The Austrian has made at least the semi-finals at Roland Garros the past four years (final in 2018-19) and the Croatian has never advanced past the quarter-finals.

Twelve-time champion Rafael Nadal begins his pursuit of a 13th Coupe de Mousquetaires against Belarusian Egor Gerasimov. The Spaniard is 93-2 at Roland Garros, while his opponent has only played 10 tour-level clay-court matches.

“I am here to fight and to play with the highest intensity possible,” Nadal said. “That's the main goal for me: be competitive on Monday... Just [taking it] day-by-day. I know very well this place. It’s about being patient, being positive, just trying to find the positive vibes every single day.”

Gerasimov owns one Top 10 win, defeating David Goffin in Marseille earlier this year. But the World No. 83 has never played a main draw match at Roland Garros. He did not win a match in three attempts to qualify for the tournament.

Nadal has been ruthless in his first-round matches at the clay-court major, winning 13 of his 15 openers without losing a set. The lefty has won 22 sets in the first round at Roland Garros by a margin of 6-2 or greater.

Fourth seed Daniil Medvedev will try to win his first match at this event when he plays Hungarian Marton Fucsovics. The Russian has won both of the pair’s previous tour-level clashes, including a three-set triumph at the 2018 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters. Medvedev feels the heavy conditions might play into his hands.

“Maybe it can help me that it's a bit colder, so the balls don't fly as much, don't go as spinny,” Medvedev said. “I think it can be an opportunity for me actually, an advantage.”

Also beginning his campaign on Day Two is French No. 1 Gael Monfils. The eighth seed will have to be on top of his game against another entertaining player in Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik. The World No. 49 is not afraid of playing unorthodox tennis, from using his underarm serve to carving drop shots.

Fourteenth seed Fabio Fognini, 15th seed Karen Khachanov, US Open semi-finalist Pablo Carreno Busta, Rome semi-finalist Casper Ruud and #NextGenATP Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime are among the other stars beginning their tournament on Monday.

from Tennis - ATP World Tour https://ift.tt/339vFH7

The Great Equaliser At Roland Garros: The Weather

With Roland Garros beginning in late September instead of May due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there are inevitable differences at the tournament this year, one of them being the weather.

In the cold and wet Paris conditions — it was less than 60 degrees Fahrenheit on Sunday — players are doing their best to put themselves in the best position to play well on court. Alexander Zverev, competing in his first tournament since making the US Open final on hard courts, has adjusted his equipment for the cooler clay.

“I'm stringing three kilos less than I did in New York,” Zverev said, referencing his racquet’s string tension. “That's quite a lot.”

That is nearly a seven-pound difference in tension, making the stringbed looser to create a “trampoline effect”. The looser a racquet’s strings, the more power a player gets. The tighter the stringbed, the more control and spin a player has.

^{Alexander Zverev wore a long-sleeve shirt under his match kit on Sunday. Photo Credit: Peter Staples/ATP Tour}
The German, who defeated Austrian Dennis Novak in straight sets, is not the only one stringing looser. Big-serving American John Isner strung his racquets between 38 and 39 pounds at the US Open. He has dropped that range to between 29 and 32 pounds in Paris. The heavier conditions at Roland Garros might seem detrimental to the 21st seed’s powerful game, but Isner said that’s not necessarily the case.

“With how the clay is now, I think it almost helps me in the sense that the really good movers can't really slide around like they normally can because the clay is really damp. It kind of played like a slow hard court,” said Isner, who beat home favourite Elliot Benchetrit. “There wasn't much sliding. I'm not the best slider. It's tough conditions. I really don't mind it.”

There are also players who are able to adapt their game to the heavier conditions. Stan Wawrinka, the 2015 champion, had no problems hitting through the court in his straight-sets triumph against former World No. 1 Andy Murray. His strength allowed him to power through regardless. After the match, Wawrinka put on a sweatshirt for his on-court interview. The Swiss was one of many players to wear a shirt under his match kit, while Murray wore leggings.

“For sure it's tough conditions here. Heavy, slow, cold, completely different than normally at that time of the year. But again, I think I’m playing well,” Wawrinka said later on in his press conference. “Happy [that in] those conditions I can still play heavy with my game from both sides. So I use those tough conditions, heavy conditions, slow conditions to still play powerful tennis.”

^{Andy Murray sported leggings to stay warm during his first-round loss in Paris. Photo Credit: Peter Staples/ATP Tour}
Another effect the current weather has is reducing how much the ball bounces off the surface. Some players hit with heavy topspin to force opponents to hit the ball higher than their typical strike zone. But according to former World No. 4 Kei Nishikori, who beat 32nd seed Daniel Evans, the ball is not shooting off the court like it normally does.

“For my tennis, I think it's better balls are flying because I like to play quicker, finish the point a little bit quicker than other guys. But for sure there’s less bounce. Especially today it didn't bounce,” said Nishikori, who noted how that low bounce helped Evans’ slice backhand. “[It was] almost half bounces [compared to] playing in the summer… maybe you want a little more power when you’re playing in heavy conditions.”

Diego Schwartzman played in similar conditions in an evening match at last week’s Internazionali BNL d’Italia against Rafael Nadal, upsetting the Spaniard in Rome. The

“For me, playing at night, similar to Rome under the rain, under the lights, [it] was similar to last week, so I felt great on court today,” said Schwartzman, who cruised past Kitzbuhel champion Miomir Kecmanovic. “For me, the conditions today were really, really good.”

Regardless of who enjoys the conditions and who doesn’t, all players have to deal with the same circumstances. Many who competed Sunday echoed the same sentiment: they simply need to make the most of it.

Schwartzman said: “We have to adapt to these conditions and try to do our best.”

from Tennis - ATP World Tour https://ift.tt/3kQtRc3

Moya On Nadal’s RG Chances: 'The Margin For Error Is Much Narrower'

The time has come. Rafael Nadal will play his Roland Garros opener against Egor Gerasimov on Monday as he bids for his 13th Musketeers’ Trophy. The Spaniard, who spent seven months away from the courts as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, bowed out from the quarter-finals of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia recently to Diego Schwartzman as he paid the price for a lack of competitive tennis.

Before his opener in the only Grand Slam on clay, Carlos Moyà, Nadal’s coach, analysed their tennis preparations over the past seven months, time during which they came through several challenges.

“We had quite a lot of time, obviously,” the former World No. 1 told ATPTour.com. “It wasn’t easy. It was seven months, and the first two with no tennis whatsoever. Then, starting little by little, gradually, playing one hour. It’s a situation that nobody had ever experienced, and it’s very difficult for an elite sportsman,” he added. “When you have an injury it’s different because there’s a goal. The first months we were kind of waiting to see what happened, not being too demanding in training. There wasn’t much stress in that sense.

“More than rediscovering his game or fitness, the toughest thing was his mind. His mind wasn’t ready,” admitted Moyà. “It was a very difficult situation because of everything that was going on in the world, beyond just not playing matches. We gave full priority to his mind, to playing when he felt comfortable. There were days when we played five minutes, others one hour, others nothing... That was the priority at first, doing the groundwork in order to be ready when we found out the return date.

“When we were clear on the calendar, we started to work harder,” highlighted Moyà. “There was a plan to follow. Of course, Rafa was not ready to play a tournament four months ago, or two months ago. When we had the date for the restart, he was feeling good. Not completely confident, but good.”

For Nadal, the suspension of the ATP Tour came shortly after winning the title in Acapulco. The Spaniard, who had made a good start to the season up to that point, then faced a long period of inactivity which inevitably had its consequences. At 34, and after such a long break, his body complained when it came to getting back on court.

“He had niggles and aches, but we knew there would be aches,” said Moya. “We had to stop for a few days because of certain niggles, but nothing serious. Things have happened during these six months, but things that are habitual and normal for a professional tennis player. The last month and a half, when he was focused because there was a tournament coming up, we were able to apply ourselves 100 per cent. These things happen. We’ve been adaptable and very open to doing things that he felt like. And I think we’ve achieved that.”

Nadal decided that his return to competition would be at the Foro Itálico, in Rome. So, the 19-time Grand Slam champion set his sights on being ready for the ATP Masters 1000 and stepped up his work rate with that goal in mind.

“He was inconsistent in training, which is normal after so many months without playing,” admitted Moyà. “Andújar and Dimitrov came to the academy before travelling to Rome, and they were the first serious tests for him. It was a logical progression; there were days when he trained very well and the next day he struggled. That inconsistency is normal for someone who hasn’t competed for so long,” he insisted.

“We’ve made very slow progress, very gradual, both in terms of tennis and fitness. We really focused on rest, on doing things differently. He’s ready, but he needs more matches under his belt. A player can get to 80 or 90 per cent in training, but the rest you get from winning. And that’s where we are now. He needs to have the continuity of playing several matches.”

And thus Nadal arrives at Roland Garros, where he will be looking to make history once again by winning a record 13th title. This time, however, will be one of the most difficult for the Spaniard.

“If you look at his career, it is clear that Roland Garros has a very special place on his calendar," said Moyà. “This year, the margin for error is far narrower. In 2019 he gradually improved after a series of problems he had. He started badly in Monte Carlo and Barcelona, improved in Madrid, in Rome he was back to normal, playing well and in Paris he capped it off by winning the title,” he recalled. “This year that’s not possible. We’re going to focus on things that we can control, while remaining aware that it is a very unusual situation.”

from Tennis - ATP World Tour https://ift.tt/36d3uZG

US Open Finalist Zverev Off To Strong Start At Roland Garros

Despite not playing a clay-court event before Roland Garros, Alexander Zverev didn't seem bothered on Sunday evening in Paris. The sixth seed overcame a slow start to ease past Dennis Novak 7-5, 6-2, 6-4 in two hours and five minutes.

"I'm happy to get the win and be through to the second round," Zverev said on court.

The German has made a habit of going the distance at the clay-court Grand Slam, needing five sets in five of his previous eight victories at the tournament. But Zverev won five consecutive games from 2-5 down in the first set and never relinquished that momentum against the Austrian.

In the early going, Novak went after his shots and pushed Zverev back. Sometimes, the German is willing to camp well behind the baseline and wait his opponent out. But that was not the case on Court Philippe-Chatrier, as he stepped into the court whenever possible and used his booming serve to control points against the World No. 92

Zverev won 83 per cent of his first-serve points and hit 37 winners in his triumph. The 2018 Nitto ATP Finals champion is playing some of the best tennis of his career, fresh off reaching his first Grand Slam final at the US Open. The 23-year-old will next play home favourite Pierre-Hugues Herbert or American qualifier Michael Mmoh.

Zverev will not have to face a seeded opponent until at least the fourth round after Marco Cecchinato raced to a 7-6(9), 6-4, 6-0 victory against 25th seed Alex de Minaur. The 2018 semi-finalist broke serve on eight occasions to move through to the second round in two hours and 51 minutes. 

Cecchinato has won four matches from qualifying without dropping a set in Paris. The Italian, who entered the clay-court Grand Slam championship with a 2-9 tour-level record this year, improves to 6-3 in main draw matches at Stade Roland Garros. He saved two set points in a tense first set.

“The biggest thing is I'm going through probably this rough patch, and everyone has it, but at the moment it's what I'm dealing with,” said De Minaur. “I'm not happy with where I am, not happy with what I'm showing on court.

“It's a little bit demoralising in itself that I can't come out and play the tennis that I want to and that I know I can. It's something that I've got to have a long hard look at myself in the mirror and figure out what's happening, and basically just fix it and get back to where I want to be.”

Cecchinato will meet Juan Ignacio Londero for a spot in the third round. The Argentine outlasted countryman Federico Delbonis 6-4, 7-6 (1), 2-6, 1-6, 14-12 after four hours and 54 minutes in a match that featured 21 service breaks.

from Tennis - ATP World Tour https://ift.tt/3380HPK

Murray Vows To Think Hard Over 'Worst Defeat At A Grand Slam'

Andy Murray, the 2016 finalist, found it hard to explain how he played against 2015 champion Stan Wawrinka on Sunday at Roland Garros.

“I'll need to have a long, hard think and try and understand what happened,” said Murray, after losing to Wawrinka 6-1, 6-3, 6-2 over 87 minutes in the first round.

“It's not for me the sort of match I would just brush aside and not give any thought to. There are obviously reasons behind a performance kind of like that. I think that's probably in terms of scoreline, I might be wrong, but I think that's the worst defeat maybe of my career in a Grand Slam.

“I'm not sure if that's the case. So I should be analysing that hard and trying to understand why the performance was like that. I don't feel like the conditions are an excuse for it. I don't feel like that's a valid reason, maybe to not enjoy the matches as much when it's like that, but not in terms of it shouldn't affect your performance in any way. So I'll need to have a long, hard think and try and understand what happened.”

Former World No. 1 Murray, who underwent two right hip surgeries in January 2018 and 2019, was competing in his first clay-court match since reaching the 2017 Roland Garros semi-finals, where he lost to Wawrinka in five sets.

“Today was obviously an extremely tough draw,” said Murray. “Even if I played very well, it would have been no guarantee that I [would] win that match. But I also didn't play well. I served like under 40 per cent first serves in the court, which is just not good enough really against anyone, and especially someone as good as Stan. You want to be serving in the 60 per cent [range].

“I haven't served like that [before]. That's nothing to do with my hip obviously in terms of movement. I would assume I was moving a bit better before I had a metal hip. It would probably be fair to assume that. But like mis-timing returns and serving at 38 per cent, that's got nothing to do with that. That's something I'll need to look at with my team and see why I was missing them, where I was missing them.”

The 33-year-old Scot is now 3-3 since the ATP Tour returned after a five-month suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Last month, he beat World No. 7 Alexander Zverev in the Western & Southern Open second round.

“From a physical perspective, I wouldn't expect to physically be the same as what I was before I had the operation,” said Murray. “But in terms of like ball striking and in terms of my strokes and stuff… there is no reason that I shouldn't be able to do that from a technical perspective. There has been matches that I have played since I came back where I hit the ball well.

“I know it wasn't the best match at times, but Zverev was a couple of points away from winning the US Open, and I won against him the week beforehand. It's going to be difficult for me to play the same level as I did before. I'm 33 now and I was ranked No. 1 [in the FedEx ATP Rankings], so it's difficult with all the issues that I have had. But I'll keep going. Let's see what the next few months holds, and I reckon I won't play a match like that between now and the end of the year.”

from Tennis - ATP World Tour https://ift.tt/338WP0K

Andy Murray falls at first French Open hurdle with bruising Stan Wawrinka defeat

Andy Murray was knocked out of the French Open first round by Stan Wawrinka.

from Daily Express :: Tennis Feed https://ift.tt/3i1Qb0A

Wawrinka Blasts Through Murray At Roland Garros

When the Roland Garros draw was made, the match-up that drew the most attention was Stan Wawrinka against Andy Murray in a battle of three-time Grand Slam champions. It was a blockbuster clash, but Wawrinka didn’t allow the drama to build further on Sunday once they stepped on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

The Swiss star cruised past Murray 6-1, 6-3, 6-2 to reach the second round in Paris. The 2015 champion played a solid match in the cool conditions, going unbroken in his one-hour, 37-minute victory.

The last time the superstars competed against one another at Roland Garros was in their five-set 2017 semi-final. Later that year, Wawrinka underwent two left knee surgeries. In the time since, Murray has had two right hip operations. Now both players are on their way back to peak form, but Wawrinka was simply better in their encounter.

The 16th seed had fewer problems hitting through the heavy conditions, striking 42 winners to just 27 unforced errors. He was comfortable playing attacking tennis, even at times from behind the baseline. Murray struggled to make much of an impression on the 35-year-old in rallies, and on many occasions his shots sat up for the Swiss to swing away at.

Murray tried to make inroads early in the second set, attempting to step in and play aggressively with his forehand. But he was unable to do so consistently enough to put pressure on the former World No. 3 and force Wawrinka out of his comfort zone.

At 2-5 in the second set, Murray tried hitting a backhand drop shot to change the pace of a rally, but his attempt bounced before the net. Before it landed, Murray said, “Oy, oy, oy!” It was that type of day for the former World No. 1. This was Murray’s first clay-court match since his loss against Wawrinka in the 2017 Roland Garros semi-finals.

Wawrinka now trails the Brit 9-12 in their ATP Head2Head series, but leads 5-1 on clay. He will try to carry his good level into the second round against in-form Dominik Koepfer.

The German, who was the only player to take a set from World No. 1 Novak Djokovic at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, battled past home favourite Antoine Hoang 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-1 in two hours and four minutes.

from Tennis - ATP World Tour https://ift.tt/2S5o2uQ

Nishikori Takes Big Step Forward At Roland Garros

Kei Nishikori took another significant step on Sunday in his comeback from right elbow surgery almost one year ago. As the Japanese star sat back into his chair on Court 14, after a 1-6, 6-1, 7-6(3), 1-6, 6-4 victory over No. 32 seed Daniel Evans at Roland Garros, he breathed a huge sigh of relief.

In a match full of momentum shifts, Nishikori broke clear with a 3-0 lead in the decider, but fellow 30-year-old Evans responded and came within a point of breaking for a 4-3 advantage. Ultimately, it was Nishikori’s greater groundstroke power that earned him just his second win of 2020 over three hours and 49 minutes, when an aggressive backhand and forehand pinned Evans behind the baseline and forced the error in the final game. Evans had won 138 points to Nishikori’s 135 total points.

Nishikori, who returned to the ATP Tour earlier this month at the Generali Open in Kitzbühel, lost to Cristian Garin in the Hamburg European Open first round last week. He will next play Stefano Travaglia, who moved past Pablo Andujar 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in two hours and 23 minutes Travaglia won 48 of his 60 first-service points and struck 32 winners.

from Tennis - ATP World Tour https://ift.tt/3iglt45

Peers/Venus Earn Second Team Trophy In Hamburg

John Peers and Michael Venus became the second team to win multiple ATP Tour titles this year, beating Ivan Dodig and Mate Pavic 6-3, 6-4 to clinch the Hamburg European Open trophy on Sunday.

The unseeded pairing added a second ATP 500 title to its collection after 67 minutes, saving five of six break points to defeat the 2017 champions. Peers and Venus, who own a 14-6 team record, claimed their maiden team title at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships in February. They joined forces at the ASB Classic in January.

“It has been a great week here. [It was the] perfect preparation going into next week in Paris,” said Venus. “We got plenty of quality matches. It was a really tough draw. We are really excited and hopefully we can keep building on it.”

Last week’s Rome semi-finalists join Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos as the only teams to win multiple ATP Tour titles this year. Peers and Venus recovered from 3-6, 3-5 down and saved a match point against Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau in the semi-finals.

Peers improves to 3-0 in Hamburg championship matches. The Aussie claimed back-to-back titles at the event in 2015 (w/J. Murray) and 2016 (w/Kontinen). Venus adds a 12th tour-level crown to his collection.

“I enjoy coming back to Hamburg,” said Peers. “It is always a good city to come back to and I actually enjoyed playing on the Centre Court. It is a lot of fun. We just continue to build and keep working hard week-to-week and day-to-day. It has been really good to get through the tough draw here, [with] quality matches every time. For us to play the level we did was fantastic.”

Dodig and Pavic were making their first appearance as a team since reaching the semi-finals in Hamburg last year. The Croatian team drops to 2-3 in tour-level championship matches.

“We just hung in there [and] played a really clean, really good first set,” said Venus. “Then, to be honest, we got lucky to break back in the second set and just took our chances when we had them. I just thought we kept going, not really worried about the score and just kept playing tennis and kept going and competing. I think that was the difference today.”

Peers and Venus earn 500 FedEx ATP Doubles Ranking points and share €30,530 in prize money. Dodig and Pavic gain 300 points and split €24,270.

from Tennis - ATP World Tour https://ift.tt/3jeqc7G