Saturday, 31 July 2021

Happy 90th Birthday, Nick Bollettieri

Nick Bollettieri never set out to revolutionise the way tennis was coached, let alone become world famous. But over the course of the past six decades, the charismatic former American football player-turned paratrooper, who today celebrates his 90th birthday, never stopped learning about the sport. Be it from his time in Coral Gables and onto Victory Park in North Miami Beach; from Synder Park in Springfield, Ohio, the Port Washington Tennis Academy to the Dorado Beach Resort in Puerto Rico and Beaver Dam, Wisconsin; then The Colony Beach & Tennis Resort, located in Sarasota, and onto an old tomato field in Bradenton, Florida, his home of the past 40 years.

Initially considering tennis a “sissy sport”, Bollettieri translated the discipline and dedication required to jump out of an aeroplane in the 187th Airborne Division of the US Army into leadership as a visionary, identifying the need to train talented junior players in a deliberate process. “It’s about hitting hundreds of tennis balls for four or five hours daily, of squeezing schoolwork between training sessions, of spending three or four weekends each month at tournaments,” Bollettieri exclusively told ATPTour.com. “Paying the price to be a winner. Nothing is going to come by accident. If it does, it’s a one-time victory. Success is about blood, sweat, tears, frustration and the determination to achieve it.”

With the help of Julio Moros, Steve Owens, Sammy Aviles, Chip Brookers, David Brewer and Mike De Palmer Sr., to name but a few coaches, Bollettieri took the sport out of country clubs and public courts, and away from the traditional college route and onto the pro tours. He went about fast-tracking thousands of aspiring professional athletes in the first full live-in, training programme at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy (now-named IMG Academy), which first opened its doors in November 1981, courtesy of a $1.8 million loan from Louis Marx, owner of Marx Toys. “You cannot do it yourself and you have to have a team,” said Bollettieri. “If I had given thought about what I did, I would never be where I am. I just did it. Most people think too much. Don’t ever be ashamed to say I am nervous. When I did my first jump, this little private asked ‘How I was feeling?’ I said, ‘I’ve got a diaper on, I am so nervous!’ But I found a way to get over my nerves to do it. It’s a part of life.”

With custom-fit technical and strategic advice for every player, Bollettieri and his band of loyal coaches, physical trainers and sports psychologists helped to develop the likes of Carling Bassett and Jimmy Arias, Andre Agassi and Jim Courier, Monica Seles and Maria Sharapova through daily drills and competition. Arias recently told ATPTour.com, “Bollettieri was about, here’s a can of balls, 30 guys who are really good, and let’s beat everyone’s brains in every day.” Ten World No. 1s — and countless Top 10 tennis talent — made an initial 12-acre site in Bradenton, Florida, their training base. Following a $7 million takeover in 1987, the Academy subsequently expanded through IMG’s Mark McCormack and Bob Kain and today it now caters for high-performance athletes across eight sports in more than 500 acres.

Courier, whose mother wrote to Bollettieri asking for him to change her son’s baseball grip on his backhand during his four-year stay at the Academy, told ATPTour.com, “Nick provided a unique professional environment at his revolutionary academy for amateurs like myself that accelerated our path, taught us discipline and structure. The Academy gave us best in class technical, conditioning and mental coaching for the rigors ahead and the daily competition simply did not exist anywhere else in the world. These skills not only helped people like me achieve my dreams in sport but also translated to success in the business world for so many students as well.”

Getting to Stadium Court was always the ultimate goal at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy. After returning from four hours tuition at one of two nearby schools, the students would find Bollettieri bare-backed and thinking about his tan, wearing wrap-around sunglasses and feeding balls in a constant state of motion. He expected his elite charges to deliver, to shine. There was a different energy when he was around as each player wanted (and needed) to impress the coach they respected the most. When asked what he looked for in a student, Bollettieri, who fed, housed and coached many of the students out of his own pocket, told ATPTour.com, “What they do without saying one word. Their attitude, their determination and also athleticism. Foot speed is also important. I don’t look at the grips, but I look at what they do to make them a little bit better most of the time.”

Of course it was Arias’ whipped forehand, which Bollettieri first witnessed at The Colony in November 1977, that became the blueprint for the way he — and his coaches — taught the stroke in the future. “On that first day, Mike DePalmer Jr. and I were hitting for 15 minutes then Nick came out and started feeding me balls. He fed, but he had someone taking balls out of the basket and handing them to him! I got off the court and I said to my Dad, who is from Spain, ‘What do you think?’ And my Dad said, ‘That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard in my life. How can you swing full speed and then stop?’ He wanted the racquet in motion. I was hitting the way everyone is hitting now. They didn’t realise I would be able to swing hard under pressure and lots of people told me I couldn’t make it. That’s why Nick ran out to feed me forehands and he said to his coaches, ‘That’s the Bollettieri forehand!’ But it was mine, well the ‘Tony Arias forehand’. So Nick started teaching that.”

While the cost of attending the Academy amounted to $1,500 per month in the 1980s, coaches made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and chips for lunch, prior to track, gym and tennis work until 5:30pm. “Cook would prepare dinner at the 20-room motel – often spaghetti and steak, then it would be clean-up, homework and room checks,” recalls Bollettieri. “When the chef had Sundays off, bacon and scrambled eggs would be prepared in a big frying pan. Dinner would be KFC or pizza. There were picnic tables in the driveway and the children ate in shifts.” The 1,200 square-metre swimming pool soon needed to be filled in, and a structure built for a study hall, while Carling’s father, John Bassett, provided buses to ferry everyone around. Younger players regularly squared off against older foes to foster a competitive atmosphere.

Aaron Krickstein, who followed Arias and broke into the Top 10 of the FedEx ATP Rankings as a 17-year-old, told ATPTour.com, “Nick was always a positive motivator and always devised game plans to take advantage of my opponent’s weaknesses. He was a fun guy to be around, we played cards and pool together. He was a positive influence, but at the same token, he was a no-nonsense guy and wanted to get the best out of his students. Nick could get into the mind of a student and did that very well.”

There was plenty of high jinx too among the 300 students. David Wheaton, who was invited to the Academy in January 1985 and joined Andre Agassi, Courier and Martin Blackman in a training group, told ATPTour.com of one notable incident. “Andre had worn denim jeans at a tournament in northern Florida, so when he came home Nick set up a disciplinary committee with students on the bleachers,” said Wheaton, who moved down with his family to attend the Academy in 1985. “It was 12:30pm and Andre was in the dormitory beside stadium court. He stepped out and said, ‘What time’s my lesson? Nick had been on court since 6am in the morning and Andre said, ‘Don’t forget I have a hair appointment at 2:30pm!’”

Agassi remained a perennial favourite and Bollettieri sat in the players’ box on Centre Court when the Las Vegan captured the 1992 Wimbledon title — the ultimate Academy promotion. There was a two-year stint as a touring coach to Boris Becker, while Bollettieri continued to evolve and help the likes of Yannick Noah, Mary Pierce, Venus and Serena Williams, Marcelo Rios, Martina Hingis, Anna Kournikova, Tommy Haas, Jelena Jankovic, Max Mirnyi and Kei Nishikori.

Bollettieri only realised he had become famous when “One time at the US Open, I arrived at the front door and by the time my manager and I got through I had signed 300 autographs." Not bad for a New Yorker, born to immigrant Italian parents, who dropped out of the University of Miami law school after five months and took up tennis coaching for $3 per hour, while the first of his eight wives travelled around the city to pick up tips from rival instructors.

Brian Gottfried, Bollettieri’s first success story from their first meeting in Springfield in 1961, told ATPTour.com, “He was a great promoter, an electric personality and a great motivator, so I didn’t really think or know about his future. I knew what he did for me. He was a strong disciplinarian for one, but I related to him well because I liked the discipline. His motivational and technical skills were very good. You may say he didn’t have much of a playing history before that time, but he was a great learner and imitator and watcher. His heart is his biggest asset, I don’t know how his heart fits in his body. He never charged me a penny.”

When asked about his three biggest influences in more than 60 years of teaching the sport, Bollettieri told ATPTour.com, “My parents always gave me the courage to try things. To be in the paratroopers that wanted to be the best of the best, and the famous football coach Vince Lombardi, who got me started with my first camps in 1968 at Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, which became the biggest summer camps in the world and sowed the seeds for what became the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy.”

Today, as he celebrates his 90th birthday, Bollettieri will rise at 5:30am to undertake his daily stretches, sit-ups, press-ups and lift light weights. He will then patrol the IMG Academy with the same level of enthusiasm and dedication to tennis that he helped revolutionise as a pioneer, safe in the knowledge that his holistic training model has become the standard for academic, athletic and personal development of young athletes in every major tennis city in the world. His legacy, too, is one of generosity and that the life lessons he provided are remembered by his former students to this day.



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#NextGenATP Nakashima Battles Into Second Final In Atlanta

Brandon Nakashima has ensured an all-American final at the Truist Atlanta Open after rallying from a set down against Finland's Emil Ruusuvuori to win 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 on Saturday. 

The 19-year-old advanced to the second ATP Tour final of his career, and the second in as many weeks after his run last week in Los Cabos. He will face the winner of fifth seed Taylor Fritz and five-time champion John Isner for a shot at the ATP 250 title. 

Nakashima, who improved to 8-3 on the season with the victory, is set to rise into the Top 100 in the FedEx ATP Rankings on Monday. Currently World No. 115, he will be the youngest American in the Top 100.

To get there, Nakashima had to halt the in-form Ruusuvuori, who toppled the third seed Cameron Norrie and seventh seed Benoit Paire en route to his first ATP Tour semi-final. The American recovered after dropping the opening set, firing 14 aces and breaking serve three times to seal the victory. 

“He came out playing really well, and I got off to a slow start,” Nakashima said. “But I just told myself to stick to my tactics out there, and I just served a lot better in the second and third sets. That really helped my ground game a lot. I’m definitely happy to get through this.”

[WATCH LIVE 2]

Ruusuvuori came out swinging in the opening set, dominating from the baseline as he created break opportunities in all but one of Nakashima’s five service games and converting on two occasions. But in the second set, the Finn offered up three double faults in the same game to hand Nakashima an early lead, and the 19-year-old never looked back. 

Nakashima won 100 per cent (19/19) of his first-serve points in the second set and 92 per cent (12/13) in the third set, effectively keeping his opponent on the back foot. He dropped just two points behind his serve in the second set as he levelled the match, and broke serve twice in the third set to seal the victory after an hour and 55 minutes.



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Piers Morgan blasts 'spoilt brat' Novak Djokovic after Olympics outburst



Piers Morgan has taken aim at tennis world No 1 Novak Djokovic.

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Ruud Moves Closer To Clay-Court Hat-Trick, Claims First Set In Kitzbuhel Final

Top seed Casper Ruud is one set away from becoming the first player since Andy Murray in 2011 to complete an ATP Tour hat-trick. The Norwegian leads Spaniard Pedro Martinez by a set in the Generali Open final in Kitzbühel after claiming the opener 6-1 before rain stopped play.

When Ruud returns, he will be aiming to win a 12th consecutive match, having lifted titles at the Nordea Open and Swiss Open Gstaad in July. The 22-year-old’s strong clay-court form has seen him rise to ninth place in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin.

The Norwegian is aiming to match Murray’s achievement from October 2011 when the former World No. 1 lifted the trophies in Bangkok (d. Young), Tokyo (d. Nadal) and Shanghai (d. Ferrer) in three consecutive weeks.

Ruud, who also captured the Gonet Geneva Open crown (d. Shapovalov) in May, began the first set well. He controlled the tempo with his backhand before stepping inside the baseline to attack on the forehand. He raced into a 3-1 lead and was strong on serve, not facing a break point to move one set ahead after 40 minutes before the rain began to fall.

Spain’s Martinez is competing in his first ATP Tour final on Saturday. The 24-year-old secured the biggest win of his career by FedEx ATP Ranking when he overcame World No. 16 Roberto Bautista Agut en route to the championship match.

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Erler/Miedler Capture Kitzbühel Title

Austrians Alexander Erler and Lucas Miedler completed a dream week on home soil on Saturday in Kitzbühel. The wild cards defeated third seeds Roman Jebavy and Matwe Middelkoop 7-5, 7-6(5) to win their first ATP Tour title at the Generali Open.

Erler and Miedler were both making their tour-level debuts and teaming for the first time this week in Kitzbühel. The Austrians won 68 per cent (32/47) of their first-service points as they claimed victory in 90 minutes.

The wild cards upset top seeds Tomislav Brkic and Nikola Cacic as well as fourth seeds Ariel Behar and Guillermo Duran en route to the final. Erler has reached one ATP Challenger Tour semi-final this year, while Miedler has enjoyed runs to the last four three times. The last Austrian player to take home the doubles title in Kitzbühel was Philipp Oswald in 2019 (w/Polasek).

Jebavy and Middelkoop were competing in their third ATP Tour final as a team, having captured the 2017 St. Petersburg title.

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Carreno Busta Upsets Djokovic To Win Bronze In Tokyo

Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta bounced back from his disappointing semi-final defeat by upsetting top-seeded Serbian Novak Djokovic 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-3 to claim the bronze medal on Saturday at the Tokyo Olympics.

The sixth seed, who defeated World No. 2 Daniil Medvedev on the way to the bronze medal match, played aggressively throughout against Djokovic, striking the ball with great power on his groundstrokes. After squandering a match point at 6/5 in the second set tie-break, the 30-year-old raised his level in the third set to record victory in two hours and 49 minutes.

View Order Of Play | View 2020 Olympics Results | View Draw

Carreno Busta was making his Olympics debut this week and came into the event full of confidence having captured his first ATP 500 trophy at the Hamburg European Open earlier this month. The Spaniard also lifted the AnyTech365 Andalucia Open title in Marbella on home soil in April.

In a high-quality first set, Carreno Busta showed resilience, fending off three break points across his opening two service games. The Spaniard then capitalised on Djokovic’s low first serve percentage of just 44 per cent in the first set to move ahead as he showcased a mix of power and precision on his backhand.

In a tight second set, both players were strong on serve with no break points offered up as it moved to a tie-break. Djokovic then demonstrated his defensive skills, saving one match point at 5/6 before levelling when Carreno Busta fired a forehand wide. Carreno Busta did not let this set him back though as he regained his focus to storm into a 3-0 lead in the third set. The Spaniard hit seven winners in the decider, taking his sixth match point to claim victory.

Djokovic’s historic Golden Grand Slam attempt was ended by Alexander Zverev on Friday and the 34-year-old struggled to find his best form against Carreno Busta. After lifting the first three major championships of the season, the 34-year-old’s attention will now turn to the hard-court season.

The World No. 1, who won a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, will aim to capture a fourth US Open title in September and become the second male player behind Rod Laver in 1969 to complete the calendar-year Grand Slam.

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Novak Djokovic launches racket in anger in bronze medal match against Pablo Carreno Busta



Novak Djokovic was fighting back from a set down against Pablo Carreno Busta in the bronze medal match.

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Novak Djokovic misses out on Olympic bronze in defeat to Pablo Carreno Busta



Novak Djokovic was aiming to continue his journey for the 'Golden Slam' at the Olympics.

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Novak Djokovic admits ‘game fell apart’ in Golden Slam failure after Tokyo 2020 defeat



Novak Djokovic was beaten by Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals as he looked for Olympic gold.

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Friday, 30 July 2021

Fritz Wins Opelka Epic To Reach Atlanta SFs

Nearly three hours, almost 50 combined aces and not a break of serve in sight: fifth seed Taylor Fritz battled to the brink against Reilly Opelka to win a 7-6(5), 6-7(3), 7-6(4) epic on Friday and book a place into the Truist Atlanta Open semi-finals.

Fritz is into his fourth semi-final of the season, and his second in as many weeks after reaching the last four in Los Cabos. Opelka saved two match points in a nail biting second-set to take them the distance, but Fritz held his nerve to take down the fourth seed. 

“We had plans to have dinner last night, and we were talking all day this morning before the match,” Fritz said of playing good friend Opelka. “It’s all love… We know we’re going to play each other so many more times. We’re normal before the match too, making jokes going down in the elevator heading down to the courts before the match, and then we go back to normal after the match.”

Fritz improved to 5-1 in his ATP Head2Head over Opelka after winning 91 per cent (62/68) of first-serve points in the match. The two big servers kept the points short and played first-strike tennis, with Opelka saving all four break points he faced – including two match points in the second set. Fritz, who didn’t face a break point, claimed the lone mini-break in the third set to close out the victory after two hours and 55 minutes.

[WATCH LIVE 2]

#NextGenATP Brandon Nakashima also advanced to the semi-finals with a 7-6(5), 7-5 victory over Jordan Thompson. The 19-year-old reached his first tour-level final last week in Los Cabos, and is now into his second career semi-final in Atlanta.

Nakashima awaits the winner of third seed Cameron Norrie and Emil Ruusuvuori in the semi-finals, while Fritz will next face the winner of five-time champion John Isner and Christopher O’Connell.



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Nadal, Norrie Drawn In Same Citi Open Quarter

World No. 3 Rafael Nadal has landed in a tricky section of the Citi Open draw as he begins his quest for an 89th tour-level title. The top-seeded Spaniard is set to make his debut in Washington, D.C. and he could meet one of the most in-form players of the season in an early hard-court test. 

The Spaniard will be contesting his first hard-court tournament since the Australian Open in February, where he reached the quarter-finals before falling to Stefanos Tsitsipas in a five-set battle. Nadal has amassed a 22-4 record on the season after lifting trophies in Barcelona and Rome, but has not competed since reaching the Roland Garros semi-finals (l. to Djokovic) after withdrawing from Wimbledon citing physical and mental fatigue. 

View full Washington, D.C. draw. 

Should he reach the quarter-finals, top seed Nadal could get a big test in the form of seventh seed Cameron Norrie, who lifted his first ATP Tour trophy a fortnight ago in Los Cabos. Norrie is one of the winningest players on Tour, and he trails only Tsitsipas (40) and Andrey Rublev (36) with 35 matches won in 2021.

But that’s not the only challenge Nadal could face as he seeks his first hard-court title since Acapulco last year. He has landed in the same half as fourth seed Grigor Dimitrov, whom he could meet in the semi-finals. But plenty of unseeded threats also loom large, including big-hitting Nick Kyrgios and #NextGenATP Brandon Nakashima. Nadal will start his campaign against the winner of Jack Sock and Yoshihito Nishioka. 

Kyrgios, who won the title here in 2019, will face Mackenzie McDonald in the first round. He would set up an intriguing matchup with 13th seed Benoit Paire should he advance.

Second seed Felix Auger-Aliassime anchors the bottom half of the Washington D.C. draw, where youth rules as #NextGenATP Jannik Sinner, Sebastian Korda and wild card Jenson Brooksby are also in the mix. Fifth seed Sinner and 12th seed Korda could meet in the third round after landing in the same section, which also features third seed Alex de Minaur. De Minaur qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but had to withdraw due to a positive COVID-19 test.

Auger-Aliassime will face the winner between Andreas Seppi and a qualifier, with a potential third-round clash against 16th seed Frances Tiafoe. Should he advance, big-hitting Reilly Opelka, the eighth seed, could be his opponent in the quarter-finals.

Did You Know?
Nadal is seeking to become the second Spanish champion to win in Washington, D.C. and the first since Alex Corretja in 2000.



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Ruud Eyes Clay-Court Hat-Trick, Faces Martinez In Kitzbühel Final

Top seed Casper Ruud is one match away from lifting his fourth singles trophy of the year after taking down Arthur Rinderknech on Friday in a rain-interrupted 6-3, 7-6(7) victory at the Generali Open in Kitzbühel. 

The Norwegian added an 11th consecutive victory to a head-turning win streak that has seen him claim back-to-back trophies at the Nordea Open in Bastad and the Swiss Open Gstaad. Ruud, who also won at the Gonet Geneva Open earlier in the season, will take on Pedro Martinez in the Kitzbühel final as he seeks to claim his fifth career title – and lift his third trophy in as many weeks.  

“When I won in Gstaad, I was already thinking about it a little, that maybe I can try and get a hat trick. That would be unbelievable," Ruud said. "And now I have fought my way to the final here, and I have the chance to play for it tomorrow. I will try to fight even more again tomorrow.” 

Ruud is seeking to become the first player since Andy Murray in October 2011 to win three ATP Tour singles titles in as many weeks. Murray achieved the feat by lifting the trophies in Bangkok (d. Young), Tokyo (d. Nadal) and Shanghai (d. Ferrer). 

The top seed had to fight through French alternate Rinderknech in order to reach the final. He broke early to take a 4-1 lead, and kept his composure after a rain delay halted play for several hours. Upon resumption, Ruud converted his fifth set point to close out the opening set. 

He had to save a set point in the second-set tie-break as Rinderknech saved two match points and took a 7/6 lead. But Ruud, who didn’t face a break point in the match, reeled off the next three points to seal the victory after one hour and 45 minutes.

[WATCH LIVE 2]

“I think I played steady the whole match and with few mistakes. That was the plan all along, to try to feed him with a lot of balls as much as possible,” Ruud said. “He has a lot of big weapons, but sometimes when he plays it can be high-risk and there can be mistakes. I think I did the plan very well.” 

Ruud will take on Martinez next after the Spaniard rallied from a set down to take down Daniel Altmaier and book a place into his first ATP Tour final. Martinez won 74 per cent (42/57) and broke his opponent’s serve four times to seal the 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory. 



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Think Pink! How Opelka & Schwartzman Have Turned Heads

You can normally identify Reilly Opelka by his booming serve and his 6'11" frame. This week at the Truist Atlanta Open, just look for pink.

Opelka and Diego Schwartzman during the European clay swing debuted an eye-catching pink tie-dye kit, which was made in collaboration with Italian fashion brand MSGM. The American has great interest in the fashion world, and he was really happy with the outfit, which he is wearing again this week in Georgia.

“This is my favourite kit hands down, the one Diego and I are both wearing. And I also like it because it’s just Diego and I wearing it,” Opelka said during the clay swing. “A lot of brands you see so many other guys just wearing the same stuff, it gets repetitive. You see [John] Isner, [Sam] Querrey and some of the other guys wearing a really classy, timeless Fila look with that lavender purple, and then Diego and I are wearing this loud tie-dye. It just changes it up a little bit.

“[WTA player] Sonya Kenin has a cool MSGM kit as well. I think it adds some diversity in one brand in tennis, which doesn’t happen at all.”

Reilly Opelka
Photo Credit: Julian Finney/Getty Images
Opelka enjoys the collaboration with designer Massimo Giorgetti’s MSGM, and he is especially pleased with the pink colour.

“Collabs that aren’t well done in my opinion are ones that aren’t on brand. You just have one brand that’s really hot with another brand that’s really hot. Just because you have two hot brands doesn’t mean they mix well,” Opelka said. “But I think they’re really on brand with one another." 

Schwartzman, who made the quarter-finals in Paris with the kit, was happy with the fresh look.

“I really love it,” Schwartzman said at the time. “For me, if the people like [it], I like [it]... I think it looks good. I like to be on court with new clothes and different [looks].” 

This is not the first tie-dye kit they have worn. Both also sported a shirt with rainbow colours last year, including at the Western & Southern Open (picture below).

Schwartzman
Photo Credit: Peter Staples/ATP Tour
Bold does not always work in fashion or tennis. But according to Opelka, this pink collaboration has hit the mark. Call it an ace.

“A lot of times in the high-end fashion space people just collab to collab since they both have big-name brands," Opelka said. "But I think this one is more precise.”



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Djokovic: ‘I Can Recover And Win At Least One Medal’

Despite Novak Djokovic’s disappointing semi-final defeat to Alexander Zverev on Friday at the Tokyo Olympics, which ended the Serbian’s hopes of a historic Golden Grand Slam, the 34-year-old is still fully focused on gaining an Olympic bronze medal for his country.

Djokovic was chasing a 23rd straight singles win against the fourth seed, but struggled to find his best form against the German, who overcame the World No. 1 1-6, 6-3, 6-1. Djokovic will now face Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta in Saturday’s bronze medal match.

“I feel terrible right now in every sense but tomorrow hopefully a fresh start I can recover and win at least one medal for my country,” Djokovic said.

Having won the first three major championships of the season, Djokovic was aiming to complete an achievement only WTA legend Stefanie Graf managed in 1988 by winning all four major championships and a singles Olympic gold medal.

The top seed looked on course to reach the gold medal match as he led by a set and a break against the World No. 5. However, Djokovic struggled on serve in the latter stages of the match in the high temperatures in Tokyo.

“Tough day, a really tough day," Djokovic said. "I feel so terrible right now. I was leading [by] a set then a break and he managed to turn the match around. He served huge, was attacking, and I was not getting any free points on my first serves.

“I [have] got to give him credit for turning (the) match around. He served extremely well. I mean I was not getting too many looks on the second serve. My serve just drastically dropped. I didn’t get any free points from 3-2 up in the second. My game fell apart.

“To play someone of his quality, of his level, it's just too tough to win a match (like that). It’s just sport. He played better.”

On a challenging day for Djokovic, the Serbian also fell in the semi-finals of the mixed doubles with countrywoman Nina Stojanovic to the ROC's Aslan Karatsev and Elena Vesnina.

After his bronze medal matches, Djokovic’s attention will turn to the hard-court season as he aims to capture a calendar-year Grand Slam at the US Open, a title he has won three times before. The only player in the Open Era to accomplish this feat was Rod Laver in 1969.

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Alexander Zverev snubs Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal after beating Novak Djokovic



Alexander Zverev delivered a shock result at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics with an impressive victory over Novak Djokovic.

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Rublev's Roaring Forehand: 'Keep Your Arm Loose'

Executing a forehand like Andrey Rublev is not as easy as he makes it look. But with the right ‘coach’, it can be taught.

The Russian star blasts the ball at incredible speeds with deadly accuracy to all areas of the court. But there’s more to it than just “gripping and ripping”. According to Rublev, you need the right mix of serenity and intensity.

“The main thing is that your arm is loose and relaxed,” Rublev said. “If you do everything perfectly with the legs, then you give the easy job to the arm. You just need to do the swing and hit it.”

Learn more from Rublev at TopCourt

The Top 10 stalwart is bringing you plenty more advice as a TopCourt ambassador. Rublev will share with fans technical pointers, step-by-step instruction, tactical lessons and his favourite drills.

The Russian will also take you inside his journey as a professional tennis player. Rublev, the son of a former professional boxer and tennis coach, developed a love for competition at a young age and focused on his fitness and work ethic.

"One evening my mom arrived from her job and she bought some typical toys for the kids," Rublev recalled. "She put them on the line for me to choose. I crawled to the tennis racquet."

The eight-time ATP Tour titlist also delves into his daily routine and why it is important to always work to improve and respect every opponent.

To learn tennis from the world’s best, visit TopCourt.com.



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Mektic/Pavic Capture Olympic Gold In Tokyo

Croatians Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic’s dream season continued on Friday as they battled past countrymen Marin Cilic and Ivan Dodig 6-4, 3-6, 10-6 to claim a historic first gold medal in tennis for Croatia at the Tokyo Olympics.

The top seeds, who booked their spot at the 2021 Nitto ATP Finals earlier this month, won 75 per cent (27/36) of their first-service points and raised their level in the Match Tie-break to secure victory in one hour and 38 minutes.

View Order Of Play | View 2020 Olympics Results

Mektic and Pavic arrived in Tokyo having won eight tour-level titles in their first year together as a team. They became the first Croatian players to lift the Wimbledon men’s doubles title in July, and have captured three ATP Masters 1000 crowns in Miami, Monte-Carlo, and Rome.

The pair dominated in the first set as they closed the net effectively and returned with great depth. Mektic and Pavic broke in the opening game and were strong on serve as they moved ahead. Cilic and Dodig returned with greater power in the second set though as they caused problems for the top seeds to level.

However, Mektic and Pavic used their experience in the Match Tie-break to claim a 53rd win of the season and 15th in a row.

Cilic and Dodig were competing in their second tour-level event of the season as a pair, having enjoyed a run to the semi-finals at the MercedesCup in Stuttgart in June. The Croatians also teamed at the 2012 London Olympics where they advanced to the quarter-finals. They will leave Tokyo with a silver medal.

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Novak Djokovic defied team orders before Golden Slam hopes were ended at Olympics



Novak Djokovic lost to Alexander Zverev in Tokyo to see his chances of a Golden Slam ended.

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Novak Djokovic fails in Tokyo Olympics gold pursuit as Alexander Zverev reaches final



Novak Djokovic's hunt for an Olympic gold medal in the men's singles goes on after he lost to Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals on Friday.

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Daniell/Venus Capture Bronze Medal In Tokyo

New Zealand duo Marcus Daniell and Michael Venus ended a strong week at the Tokyo Olympics on Friday by defeating Austin Krajicek and Tennys Sandgren 7-6(3), 6-2 to capture the bronze medal.

Daniell and Venus, who also teamed at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, saved all three break points they faced. They won 75 per cent (33/44) of their first-service points to claim victory in one hour and 49 minutes.

View Order Of Play | View 2020 Olympics Results

Venus has won two tour-level titles this year at the Hamburg European Open (w/Puetz) and the Gonet Geneva Open (w/Peers), while Daniell enjoyed a run to the final at The Qatar ExxonMobil Open (w/Oswald) in March.

Krajicek and Sandgren were making their Olympic debuts this week and were teaming for the fifth time this year.

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Khachanov To Compete For Gold, Reaches Tokyo Final

The ROC’s Karen Khachanov guaranteed himself at least a silver medal on Friday at the Tokyo Olympics as he produced a dominant display to move past Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta 6-3, 6-3 to reach the final.

The 12th seed, who is making his Olympic debut this week, was strong on serve throughout, hitting 10 aces and winning 93 per cent (26/28) of his first-service points to advance in 80 minutes.

View Order Of Play | View 2020 Olympics Results | View Draw

Khachanov will next face either top-seeded Serbian Novak Djokovic or German Alexander Zverev in the gold medal match.

The 25-year-old has enjoyed runs to the semi-finals at the Open Parc Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes Lyon and the Great Ocean Road Open this year. Khachanov also equalled his best Grand Slam result at Wimbledon earlier this month as he advanced to the quarter-finals (l. to Shapovalov).

Carreno Busta upset World No. 2 Daniil Medvedev in the quarter-finals but could not match those performance levels against Medvedev’s countryman Khachanov on Friday. The sixth seed, who won his first ATP 500 trophy and sixth tour-level title earlier in July at the Hamburg European Open, had dropped just one set en route to the last four.

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Thursday, 29 July 2021

Despite Short-Term Pain, Sinner Stays Focussed On Long-term Gain

#NextGenATP Italian Jannik Sinner was completely calm Thursday evening despite losing his fourth consecutive match. After his opening defeat at the Truist Atlanta Open, the 19-year-old Italian made clear that a few bad results should not lead to panic.

“How do I stay positive? It’s very easy. I’m 19 years old, turning 20 this year, which I think a lot of people forget,” Sinner said. “For me personally, it doesn’t matter if I win now at 20 or at 23. I think our goal is to become a great player when I am around 23, 24 years old. The process we are doing is [for the] longterm.”

[WATCH LIVE 2]

In Sinner’s mind, he has “had a couple of great results. I don’t think I’ve won something big.” That is a humble comment from a player who reached his first ATP Masters 1000 final in Miami earlier this year. By doing so, he became just the fourth teenager to make the Miami championship match, joining World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and former World No. 1s Andre Agassi and Rafael Nadal.

The 2019 Next Gen ATP Finals champion is always thinking of maximising his potential, and whether he is winning or losing, the teen is learning.

“[I am] playing tennis a lot, enjoying playing tennis, working physically and mentally to be in the best possible position when I am around 23 years old. I don’t know if it’s going to be when I am 23 or 22 or maybe already next week, you never know,” Sinner said. “But what I think is very important [is] to think back where I come from. The people who stayed very close to me know how important tennis is for me, which I think [will be] my life for the next hopefully 20 years.

“[I am] just trying to enjoy every journey. It just started, so hopefully I can still show some good tennis in the future.”

Although Sinner lost against Australian Christopher O’Connell in the second round on his Atlanta debut, he found positives in the defeat. The teen had not played a match since losing in the first round at Wimbledon last month, and he has been working hard on his fitness and serve. Sinner won 81 per cent of his first-serve points and only faced one break point against the qualifier.

“Today, I was not serving so bad to be honest,” Sinner said. “In general, I think I was practising well. I didn’t put away one single practice session. I was always focused and obviously the results you cannot see in one or two tournaments. It’s going out in a couple of matches and hopefully I’m going to win some matches here in the U.S. swing, which will give me confidence and then after I’ll start to play my tennis, trying to get 100 per cent out of my potential.”

Sinner is not done in Atlanta. The Italian shook off his singles loss on the doubles court with American Reilly Opelka, as they advanced to the semi-finals with a straight-sets victory against Treat Huey of the Philippines and Benoit Paire of France. No matter what happens the rest of the week, Sinner will continue to try to make the most of it.

“First-round matches are not easy. I’m trying to have a couple of doubles matches as well, which I think can help me,” Sinner said. “Hopefully I can play better in Washington.”



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Norrie Ousts 2016 Champ Kyrgios In Atlanta

Nick Kyrgios was quick to congratulate Briton Cameron Norrie after the lefty lifted his first ATP Tour trophy on Saturday in Los Cabos. The Aussie learned firsthand just how well his friend is playing on Thursday evening.

Norrie eliminated Kyrgios 6-1, 6-4 from the Truist Atlanta Open, an ATP 250 event that Kyrgios won in 2016. The third seed needed just 57 minutes to advance to the quarter-finals, in which he will play Finland's Emil Ruusuvuori.

"It's very nice to be back here in Atlanta," Norrie said in his on-court interview. "It's good to have Nick back... really enjoyed the match and really happy with my level."

[WATCH LIVE 2]

Norrie, who is at a career-high No. 29 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, has made the semi-finals in Atlanta in his two previous appearances. Against Kyrgios, who struggled to find rhythm from the baseline, the British lefty remained solid with few dips in his level and saved the only break point he faced.

"It's cool to be playing at this level and [I am] happy and satisfied to be getting some wins," Norrie said. "I'm enjoying my tennis."

The 25-year-old's next opponent, Ruusuvuori, led Benoit Paire 4-6, 6-4, 3-0 when the Frenchman retired due to heat illness. The Finnish player is into his first quarter-final of the year.



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O'Connell Stuns Sinner In Atlanta

Australian Christopher O’Connell earned the biggest win of his career on Thursday afternoon, stunning second seed Jannik Sinner 7-6(7), 6-4 at the Truist Atlanta Open to reach his first ATP Tour quarter-final.

“I got here last Wednesday, so I’ve been acclimatising for the past week or so. I felt pretty comfortable out there,” O’Connell said in his on-court interview. “Maybe I was a little off early on, but as I got into the swing of the match I felt pretty comfortable.”

Sinner, the 2019 Next Gen ATP Finals champion who made his first ATP Masters 1000 final this year in Miami, earned three set points in the first-set tie-break. But O’Connell showed no fear of the stage or his opponent, hitting critical passing shots under pressure to rally.

“I struggled a little bit with that when I was a bit younger,” O’Connell said of facing higher-ranked opponents. “But I’m 27 now, so I need to start making some inroads. I feel confident at the moment.”

World No. 132 O’Connell, who qualified at this ATP 250, converted the only break point of the match early in the second set and he never looked back. The Aussie triumphed in one hour and 38 minutes to set a clash against five-time champion John Isner or wild card Jack Sock.



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Segovia Celebrates 30 Years On ATP Challenger Tour

Pedro Munoz had a vision for the future of tennis in Spain. The year was 1991. Spanish tennis was beginning to enter the forefront on the global stage and would soon establish itself as a factory of clay-court stalwarts on the professional circuit.

For decades, tennis on clay has ruled in the European nation. The future stars of the ATP Tour, from Carlos Moya to Juan Carlos Ferrero and Rafael Nadal, would be raised and groomed on dirt across the country. Mastering the clay was a right of passage for those looking to develop their talents and take the next step at the pro level.

As the game continued to grow in popularity and a new generation of Spanish stars hit the courts, it was Munoz who saw an opportunity to take his beloved sport to the next level... on hard courts. The Spaniard was a pioneer in his country, seeking to transform the tennis landscape with the addition of a new tournament in his native Segovia.

This wasn't your typical Spanish tournament on clay. As Munoz established the Open Castilla y Leon Villa de El Espinar, he introduced an integral aspect that would distinguish the event from all other professional tournaments in Spain. Munoz founded the country's first premier hard-court tournament.

While preserving the rich culture of Spanish tennis, Munoz sought to bring an enduring hard-court presence to his homeland. And, equally as important, he hoped to integrate the local community of the Castilla y Leon region into the fold.

Segovia

What started as a Spanish Tennis Federation event in 1986, the Open Castilla y Leon would later debut on the ATP Challenger Tour in 1991. Munoz's vision was realized and now, after 30 years, the tournament celebrates the milestone anniversary this week. That is, three decades of players and fans witnessing hard-court Challenger tennis in Segovia. Its longevity is not only a testament to Munoz's ambition, but the many legends who have entered the gates of Villa El Espinar throughout the years.

On Monday, the tournament launched its 30th edition with a special ceremony to honour Munoz, who passed away at the age of 72 in January. Also a former president of the Spanish Tennis Federation (RFET), his legacy remains the heart and the soul of his beloved tournament.

"This tournament has been important for the city of Segovia and the region as a whole," said tournament director and former WTA No. 1 Virginia Ruano. "In terms of tennis, it contributes a lot to the growth of the sport in Spain. It has helped many young Spanish players, being an important and unique hard-court event for them on the calendar.

"For me, after everything that we have suffered through in the past year, the tournament continues and has survived such a difficult time with the pandemic. We've reached our 35th edition in total and 30 on the ATP Challenger Tour. It is, however, sad that we are missing the creator and president of the tournament, Pedro Munoz. I do know that the entire organization is going to work with double enthusiasm to keep his legacy as high as possible, as Pedro would like."

Segovia enters exclusive territory, as just the fifth tournament to join the '30-Year Club' on the ATP Challenger Tour. Last week, the Tampere Open in Finland celebrated its 39th anniversary and is followed by San Luis Potosi, Mexico (34), as well as Istanbul, Turkey (34) and Aptos, California, USA (32). In September, another Spanish tournament - the Copa Sevilla - is poised to also reach 30 years.

Longest-Running Tournaments On ATP Challenger Tour

Tournament
Years on Tour
Year Founded
Tampere, Finland
39 1982
San Luis Potosi, Mexico
34
1980
Istanbul, Turkey
34 1985
Aptos, USA
32 1988
Segovia, Spain
30
1991
Sevilla, Spain
29
1991

The Open Castilla y Leon launched its 30th edition with a plaque unveiling on Monday, paying tribute to Munoz. The tournament site was renamed the Pedro Munoz Municipal Tennis Complex in his honour.

"I don't know where to begin, but what I would like to say is 'thank you'," Fernando Verdasco posted on Instagram following Munoz's passing. "You have always helped and supported me personally and you treated me like a member of your family. Thank you for the wild cards into the Open Villa de El Espinar, which gave me the start of my career. It helped me to get where I am today."

Officially referred to as the 'Open Castilla y Leon Villa de El Espinar', the tournament takes its name from the local region, an aspect that Munoz valued strongly. Castilla y Leon is the province in Spain where Segovia is located and El Espinar is the local municipality.

The tournament site is comprised of public, municipal courts and is located in the middle of the recently transformed 'Reserva de la Biosfera' (Biosphere Reserve) in El Espinar. It is 35,414 hectares (87,511 acres) of preserved land, with mountain peaks, pastures, pine forests and vast plains surrounding the tennis facility.

Maintaining the local theme throughout the tournament, the trophy is no exception. Each year, the champion lifts an artisanal crystal bowl made at the Royal Crystal Factory in nearby La Granja. They are unique pieces that are mouth-blown, wheel carved and fire-gilded and based on originals from the 18th century.

The longest-running ATP Challenger event in Spain has also served as a launching pad for the future stars of the ATP Tour. Rafael Nadal won his first career hard-court tournament there in 2003, with fellow World No. 1s Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Yevgeny Kafelnikov also competing in Segovia.

Nadal is joined by Verdasco (2007), Juan Martin del Potro (2006), Pablo Carreno Busta (2013) and Radek Stepanek (1998) as eventual Top 10 players to lift the trophy at the Open Castilla y Leon. And like Nadal, it marked the first hard-court crowns for all of them. Former World No. 3 Sergi Bruguera also won the title in 2000, in the latter stages of his career.

In recent years, the #NextGenATP contingent have made their mark, with current World No. 18 Alex de Minaur reaching the final in 2017 and 28th-ranked Ugo Humbert claiming his maiden Challenger title the following year. Spain's own Nicola Kuhn is the defending champion, having seized his second Challenger crown at the age of 19 in 2019.

“I think I have some of the best memories in Segovia, because I played in front of the home crowd in late night matches on the center court," Kuhn told ATPTour.com. "I loved the attention and the support I was getting from the people. It was an absolute honor to play there. I enjoyed every second of it! Obviously winning a tournament is always special, but this one I will never forget.”

ATP Challenger Tour 





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#NextGenATP Stars Korda, Alcaraz & Musetti Headline Cincinnati Qualifying Field

#NextGenATP stars Sebastian Korda, Carlos Alcaraz and Lorenzo Musetti headline the qualifying field for the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati. 

Korda will be competing in qualifying at this event for the third time. The American advanced to his first ATP Masters 1000 main draw at last year's Western & Southern Open, which was held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the time, Korda was No. 225 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. Now, he is World No. 47, just one spot off his career-high FedEx ATP Ranking. The Floridian won his first ATP Tour title in Parma in May.

Alcaraz is another in-form #NextGenATP player. The Spaniard just lifted his first tour-level trophy last week in Umag. This will be the 18-year-old's first appearance in Cincinnati.

Musetti will also make his Cincinnati debut. The Italian, who pushed Novak Djokovic to a fifth set in the fourth round at Roland Garros, enjoyed impressive hard-court results earlier this year. The 19-year-old advanced to the Acapulco semi-finals and the third round in Miami.

Other players in the qualifying field include Americans Tommy Paul and Frances Tiafoe, 2019 semi-finalist Richard Gasquet and big-hitting German Jan-Lennard Struff.



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Thiem, Wawrinka Withdraw From Cincinnati Due To Injuries

Former World No. 3s Dominic Thiem and Stan Wawrinka have withdrawn from the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati citing ongoing injuries to the wrist and foot, respectively, the tournament announced Thursday.

Thiem, the 2020 US Open champion, has not competed since 22 June after suffering a detachment of the posterior sheath of the ulnar side of his right wrist at the Mallorca Championships. The 27-year-old reached back-to-back quarter-finals at this ATP Masters 1000 event in 2016 and 2017.

Wawrinka, who owns 16 tour-level titles — including three Grand Slams — has not been in action since Doha in March. The Swiss player underwent left foot surgery that same month, and is continuing his recovery after a second surgery on the same foot on 21 June.

The 36-year-old holds a 3-3 record on the season, and sits at No. 30 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. He made the Cincinnati semi-finals in 2012 and the quarter-finals on three additional occasions.

With Thiem and Wawrinka's withdrawals, Australian John Millman and Serbian Dusan Lajovic enter the main draw.



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Rinderknech Storms Into First ATP Tour SF

Arthur Rinderknech’s best-ever season continued to go from strength to strength on Thursday at the Generali Open. The Frenchman defeated third seed Filip Krajinovic 6-4, 6-1 in Kitzbühel to reach his first ATP Tour semi-final.

The 26-year-old, currently at a career-high No. 91 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, struck the ball with great power and depth throughout to advance in 80 minutes. The Frenchman has now claimed 13 tour-level wins this season, having not won a match at this level before 2021.

“It is amazing, it is such a nice city,” Rinderknech said. “It is such a pleasure to be in the semi-finals. Yesterday, I won 7-6 in the third and it was such a tough match. I went with my friend up the hill and took the cable car and went biking. It is such a nice region. I love it here.”

Rinderknech was competing in his fifth ATP Tour quarter-final on Thursday, having reached the last eight at the Swiss Open Gstaad and Nordea Open earlier this month. He will next face either top-seeded Norwegian Casper Ruud or Swede Mikael Ymer.

Daniel Altmaier’s strong form continued as the German defeated Gianluca Mager for the second time in as many weeks with a 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-3 victory.

Altmaier, who beat Mager on the way to the semi-finals at the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag last week, won 74 per cent (51/69) of his first-service points to advance in two hours and 34 minutes

The World No. 135 will next play Spaniard Pedro Martinez. The 24-year-old backed up his career-best win by FedEx ATP Ranking over countryman Roberto Bautista Agut by defeating qualifier Jozef Kovalik 6-2, 6-2.

Martinez, who upset World No. 17 Gael Monfils at Wimbledon to reach the third round, will be competing in his first ATP Tour semi-final on Friday.

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Djokovic/Stojanovic March Into Tokyo SF

Serbians Novak Djokovic and Nina Stojanovic produced a dominant display on Thursday at the Tokyo Olympics to defeat Germans Kevin Krawietz and Laura Siegemund 6-1, 6-2 and reach the semi-finals in the mixed doubles.

In singles this week, Djokovic is pursuing the fourth leg of his historic Golden Grand Slam attempt, having captured the first three majors of the season. WTA legend Stefanie Graf completed this achievement in 1988. After defeating Japan’s Kei Nishikori earlier on Thursday, the 34-year-old teamed with Stojanovic to move through in 72 minutes.

View Order Of Play | View 2020 Olympics Results | View Mixed Doubles Draw

The Serbians broke five times to advance. They will next face Aslan Karatsev and Elena Vesnina after the ROC pair overcame Polish duo Lukasz Kubot and Iga Swiatek 6-4, 6-4.

There was also success for the ROC’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Andrey Rublev after they battled past Japanese team Ena Shibahara and Ben McLachlan 7-5, 6-7(0), 10-8.

Pavlyuchenkova and Rublev won 72 per cent (46/64) of their first-service points to advance in two hours and one minute.

They will meet Ashleigh Barty and John Peers in the semi-finals after the Australians edged out Greek tandem Maria Sakkari and Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 4-6, 10-6. It is the first time Barty and Peers have teamed since a run to the quarter-finals at the 2014 US Open.

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Fabio Fognini apologises for anti-gay slur at Olympics and blames it on Tokyo heat



The tennis star was heard berating himself with a homophobic term at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics

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Djokovic Cruises Past Home Favourite Nishikori

Serbian superstar Novak Djokovic moved one step closer to a first Olympic singles gold medal on Thursday as he defeated Japan’s Kei Nishikori 6-4, 6-0 to reach the semi-finals at the Tokyo Olympics.

The top seed is aiming to become the first man to win all four majors and a gold medal in a season, having already captured the Australian Open, Roland Garros, and Wimbledon titles this year. WTA legend Stefanie Graf completed this achievement in 1988.

View Order Of Play | View 2020 Olympics Results | View Draw

Djokovic, who drew level with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal on 20 Grand Slams after his SW19 triumph, played consistently from the baseline and hit with great depth to overcome Nishikori in 72 minutes.

The World No. 1 won 85 per cent (17/20) of his first-service points and was not broken in the match. Djokovic will continue his quest for Olympic glory against either fourth-seeded German Alexander Zverev or Frenchman Jeremy Chardy.

Karen Khachanov also moved into the last four after the Russian battled past Frenchman Ugo Humbert 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-3 in two hours and 34 minutes.

The 12th seed, who has enjoyed runs to the semi-finals at the Open Parc Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes Lyon and the Great Ocean Road Open this year, now has a 3-0 record in third sets in Tokyo this week. Khachanov hit 10 aces and fired 24 winners to move through on Thursday.

The 25-year-old will face either countryman Daniil Medvedev or Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta in the semi-finals.

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Cilic/Dodig Soar Into Tokyo Final

Croatians Marin Cilic and Ivan Dodig guaranteed themselves a medal on Thursday at the Tokyo Olympics as they defeated New Zealand duo Marcus Daniell and Michael Venus 6-2, 6-2 to reach the final.

Cilic and Dodig dominated throughout as they fired 27 winners and won 84 per cent (27/32) of their first-service points to advance to the gold medal match in 77 minutes.

View Order Of Play | View 2020 Olympics Results | View Men's Doubles Draw 

The Croatians are competing in their second tour-level event of the season as a pair, having enjoyed a run to the semi-finals at the MercedesCup in Stuttgart in June. Cilic and Dodig also teamed at the 2012 London Olympics where they advanced to the quarter-finals.

In what was a strong day for Croatian tennis, countrymen Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic also advanced to the final. The top seeds moved past Americans Austin Krajicek and Tennys Sandgren 6-4, 6-4 in 82 minutes.

Mektic and Pavic, who did not face a break point against Krajicek and Sandgren, have won eight tour-level titles together this season in their maiden year together. They became the first doubles team to qualify for the 2021 Nitto ATP Finals in July, having lifted trophies at three ATP Masters 1000s and Wimbledon.

Daniell and Venus, who are competing together for the first time since 2016 this week, will face Krajicek and Sandgren in the bronze medal match on Friday.

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Wednesday, 28 July 2021

The Last Time With… John Isner

John Isner has won five titles in the past 10 editions of the Truist Atlanta Open, and he is looking to keep that dominance going this week at the ATP 250 event. The 36-year-old foodie is not shy about dropping his name at tournament cities – including Atlanta – to try to get into a nice restaurant, but when was the last time that it actually paid off?

The big-serving American is the latest player to feature in our popular Q&A series, and he revealed The Last Time… 

I strung a tennis racquet?
Oh that’s a good one… I’ve been very spoiled there, it was in juniors. Maybe 16 years old. Even in college we would have someone who would string our racquets. We were very lucky there. And ever since I turned pro I haven’t had to. But I remember I had an Ektelon Stringing Machine, one of the best stringing machines out there for sure.

Actually, I used to be pretty good. I was quite meticulous about how I went about it. I was very particular. I mean, I dreaded doing it, but it was something my parents made me do simply as a cost-efficiency thing. When you think about how much the stringing fees are, I would say over the course of my whole junior career I definitely more than paid for that thing.

It was a good lesson to learn. My parents bought that machine for me, and they made me do my own racquets, which I guess gave me some discipline as well.  

I shared a hotel room with another player?
Gosh, I guess I’m so spoiled. It had to have been right out of college. I think 2007, in Aptos, California. There was an ATP Challenger [Tour] event out there. That must have been the last one, and luckily I got my ranking up pretty quickly after that and I didn’t have to do that again. 

I paid money to rent a tennis court?
I remember I paid money in Shanghai a couple of years ago. The drive from the hotel to the tennis courts can be pretty far. I had an off day, and I was able to find an indoor court nearby, super close by in the city. I was lucky enough to get a court, even though I had to pay for it. I forget what the conversion rate was, but I swiped my credit card for maybe $20 or $25 [USD] and practised. So it was well worth it to save the hour and a half drive in the car.

I was recognised or dropped my name, and it helped me?
I’ve played the ‘I’m a tennis player’ card trying to get restaurant reservations before in some of the cities we’ve been at. A lot of times it actually doesn’t work and they don’t know who the hell I am. But sometimes it does work… It does work in Atlanta, sometimes.

I remember being in Paris at the famous restaurant, L’Avenue. I like to eat. I don’t spend money on a lot of things, but I do spend money on eating well. So I went to L’Avenue and I dropped a ‘I’m playing at the French Open’ and I was able to get in. I felt… Well, I was pretty shameless, actually! [laughs] 

I asked someone famous for an autograph or selfie?
It’s not a selfie, but I had [U.S.] President George W. Bush sign an autograph for me. I got to meet with him, and got a photo with my wife and daughter with President Bush. He kindly signed it for us, and I thought that was very, very cool. 

Really, only living presidents are about the only people I would ask for an autograph. Whether it’s Jimmy Carter, Barack Obama, George W. Bush, whom I’ve met, or Donald Trump – I think that would be very cool. But honestly that could change as my kids get older. We’ll see who they look up to, whether they’re athletes or entertainers. I would have no shame in asking those people to give my kid an autograph. 

I cooked for friends or family?
That was this morning. In Atlanta, we get these mini-apartments here with a little kitchen. My family is here with me, my wife and kids are here, and I love to cook them breakfast. I do that every day when we’re at home anyways. I’m kind of particular with what I feed my kids, so having a little kitchenette with a grocery store literally right next door has been great. We got eggs, oatmeal, and the cereal that they liked. I definitely love cooking for my kids. 

I went to a music concert?
I think it was a Taylor Swift concert. That was probably about six months before the pandemic set in, so it would have been 2019, maybe right around after the US Open. 

I made my debut at an ATP Tour event?
Last week in Los Cabos. But prior to that… oh man. Good question. Chengdu in 2019. I’m pretty sure that’s the correct answer... 

I visited a city for the first time?
For the first time? It would be… off the top of my head, that would be last year in May. So a little more than a year ago. I went to a place called Alcoba in Wyoming to go trout fishing. It was great, and it was a lot of fun.  

I missed a flight?
Off of my own doing, never. I mean, I’m not one of those people who has to get to the airport crazy early. But I guess I’ve just had good luck, because I’ve never really encountered horrible traffic or a wreck on the way there or anything like that that would hold me up. Off the top of my head, I can’t think of an instance.



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#NextGenATP Nakashima Topples Raonic In Atlanta

Brandon Nakashima continued his stellar run of form on Wednesday night as he took down top seed Milos Raonic in a nail-biting 5-7, 6-3, 7-6(4) battle to reach the Truist Atlanta Open quarter-finals.

The 19-year-old turned heads last week at the Mifel Open in Los Cabos, where he defeated the likes of Sam Querrey and John Isner on his way to his first ATP Tour final (l. to Norrie). He added one more name to his win list after upsetting Raonic, currently No. 22 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, in Atlanta. 

Nakashima, who sits in ninth position in the ATP Race To Milan for a spot into the Next Gen ATP Finals, won his second three-setter in as many days after rallying from a set down against Raonic. The big-serving Canadian was contesting his first tournament since the Miami Open presented by Itau in March, and he was dictating play early on. 

But double faults and unforced errors would be Raonic’s undoing against the battle-tested Nakashima. The 19-year-old earned his first break of serve as a result of four double faults from Raonic – interrupted by two aces – in the same game at 4-3 in the opening set. The Canadian was able to recover to take the 50-minute first set, but quickly found himself on the back foot as Nakashima got going in the second set. 

Nakashima improved his first-serve percentage from 42 per cent in the first set to 72 per cent in the second. The difference showed as Nakashima only lost five points behind his serve, and kept the pressure firmly on Raonic. He earned the decisive break at 3-2, and kept his nose in front to level the match. 

[WATCH LIVE 2]

The normally cool-headed American showed his first sign of nerves as he served for the match at 5-4. He worked his way to two match points at 40/15, but missed two routine backhands to give Raonic a chance to come back. Nakashima regrouped in the tie-break, winning three points in a row from 3/2 and converting his fifth match point to seal the victory. 

Nakashima will next face Jordan Thompson in the quarter-final, after the Aussie edged past German qualifier Peter Gojowczyk 7-6(4), 6-4 earlier in the day. The 19-year-old is into his third career quarter-final, after reaching the last eight at Delray Beach in 2020 and the final in Los Cabos last week. 



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Fritz Keeps Cool To Reach Atlanta Quarter-finals

Taylor Fritz rallied from a set down to book a place in the Truist Atlanta Open quarter-finals on Wednesday, as he defeated Steve Johnson 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-1 in a battle between Americans. 

Fritz, who reached the semi-finals in Los Cabos last week, maintained the momentum after dropping a 51-minute opening set to Johnson, No. 80 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. The 2019 finalist raised his level in the second set, and opened up a 5-0 lead in the third.

Although on-court temperatures reportedly crept into the triple digits (Fahrenheit) in Atlanta, Fritz stayed cool to seal the win after an hour and 57 minutes.

“I’m feeling really good, I like playing in the heat. And you know, we had a couple of tough [rallies] out there, but it was mostly serving. This is a fast court and there were a lot of short points, so it doesn’t take a big toll on my body,” Fritz said in an on-court interview. “I feel ready for doubles, and then I’m going to rest up.”

[WATCH LIVE 2]

The fifth seed saved the only break point he faced in an impressive serving performance. He won 90 per cent (45/50) of points behind his powerful first delivery and he fired 17 aces en route to victory. Fritz will await the winner of fourth seed Reilly Opelka and American qualifier Bjorn Fratangelo, as he seeks his fourth semi-final berth of the season.

Fritz is also entered in the doubles competition with Cameron Norrie, and they will hit the court later today after suitable rest to face fourth seeds Matthew Ebden and John-Patrick Smith. 



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Murray After Olympics Loss: 'I Feel Crushed'

Following a devastating quarter-final loss in men’s doubles alongside Joe Salisbury on Wednesday at the Tokyo Olympics, Great Britain’s Andy Murray took to Twitter to share an emotional message with his fans.

“I feel crushed after today’s loss. Sport can be brutal,” Murray wrote. “Thanks so much Joe Salisbury for the opportunity to play. You were brilliant. I wish it could have gone a little better, but [stuff] happens.

“And if this is the end of my Olympics journey, I want to say a huge thanks to Team Great Britain and all the tennis support team for everything they have done to help me perform at my best over the years. It’s been an absolute privilege to represent you and my country at four Olympics and it’s given me some of the best memories of my life.”

Murray and Salisbury led Croatia’s Marin Cilic and Ivan Dodig 6-4, 4-2 with a spot in the medal rounds on the line. But childhood friends Cilic and Dodig raised their level with aggressive, fearless tennis to turn around the match and advance 4-6, 7-6(2), 10-7.

Murray is a two-time Olympic gold medalist in singles (2012 London and 2016 Rio de Janeiro) as well as a silver medalist in mixed doubles (2012 w/Laura Robson). The former World No. 1 withdrew from the singles draw in Tokyo just before his scheduled first-round match against Felix Auger-Aliassime due to a right quad injury.



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Nadal Set For Washington Debut; When Is The Draw & More

As Washington, D.C. gets set for another edition of the Citi Open, all eyes will be on legendary lefty Rafael Nadal, who will make his tournament debut at the ATP 500 event.

Nadal, who is an 88-time tour-level champion, will try to add to his trophy count in the United States' capital. The Spaniard will have to be at the top of his game with a loaded field.

Players to watch at the hard-court tournament include #NextGenATP stars Felix Auger-Aliassime, Sebastian Korda and Jannik Sinner, Australians Nick Kyrgios and Alex de Minaur, 2021 breakthrough player Aslan Karatsev and former top five stalwarts Kei Nishikori and Milos Raonic.

Here's all you need to know about Washington: when is the draw, what is the schedule, where to watch, who has won, how to buy tickets and more.

Established: 1969

Tournament Dates: 2-8 August 2021

Tournament Director: Carlos Silva

Draw Ceremony: Friday, 30 July at time TBC

Schedule (View On Official Website)
* Qualifying: Saturday, 31 July - Sunday, 1 August
* Main draw: Play Monday-Friday begins at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m.
* Doubles final: Sunday, 8 August at 12 p.m.
* Singles final: Sunday, 8 August at 5 p.m.

How To Watch
TV Schedule

Venue: Rock Creek Park Tennis Center

Prize Money: $1,895,290

Tickets On Sale: Buy Now

View Who Is Playing, Past Champions, Seeds

Honour Roll (Open Era)
Most Titles, Singles: Andre Agassi (5)
Most Titles, Doubles: Bob Bryan, Mike Bryan and Marty Riessen (4)
Oldest Champion: Ken Rosewall, 36, in 1971
Youngest Champion: Andy Roddick, 18, in 2001
Lowest-Ranked Champion (since 1969): No. 117 David Nalbandian in 2010
Most Match Wins: Andre Agassi (44)
Last Home Champion: Andy Roddick in 2007

2019 Finals
Singles: Nick Kyrgios (AUS) d [3] Daniil Medvedev 7-6(6), 7-6(4)   Read & Watch
Doubles: [3] Raven Klaasen/Michael Venus d Jean-Julien Rojer/Horia Tecau 3-6, 6-3, 10-2  Read More

Social
Facebook: @citiopen
Twitter: @citiopen
Instagram: @citiopen

Did You Know?
Superstars who have won the Citi Open include former World No. 1s Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl, Stefan Edberg, Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick and Lleyton Hewitt.



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Novak Djokovic opens up on handling pressure following Simone Biles Tokyo 2020 withdrawal



The world number one said it 'takes time' to learn how to handle pressure after Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka spoke out about their mental health struggles.

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After 3+ Hours, Martinez Magic Too Much For Bautista Agut In Kitzbühel

It took more than three hours, but Pedro Martinez was able to secure the biggest win of his career by FedEx ATP Ranking on Wednesday in Kitzbühel.

The 24-year-old Spaniard outlasted countryman Roberto Bautista Agut, the second seed, 6-4, 6-7(5), 7-5 after three hours and six minutes to reach the quarter-finals of the Generali Open. It is his first trip to the last eight of an ATP Tour event this season.

"It was a really good battle from the start until the end. We both fought almost every point. I respect him so much," Martinez said in his on-court interview. "What he's done on the Tour in past years is amazing. We are from the same region in Spain. Today it's unbelievable to play this match against him on this nice court."

[WATCH LIVE 2]

Martinez, who defeated World No. 17 Gael Monfils just weeks ago at Wimbledon, broke World No. 16 Bautista Agut's serve five times and won 43 per cent of his return points. The two-time ATP Challenger Tour titlist will next play Slovakian qualifier Jozef Kovalik, who eliminated Czech lefty Jiri Vesely 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 after one hour and 58 minutes.

Bautista Agut was not the only seeded Spaniard who lost, as Italian Gianluca Mager upset fourth seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas 7-6(3), 1-6, 7-5 after two hours and 22 minutes. Third seed Filip Krajinovic maintained his title hopes by clawing past Spanish lucky loser Carlos Taberner 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 after two hours and four minutes.



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Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal GOAT verdict given by Dominic Thiem's coach



The 2004 Olympic champion and former top ten player Nicolas Massu weighed in on the GOAT debate

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Djokovic/Stojanovic Begin Mixed Doubles Campaign In Tokyo

Serbians Novak Djokovic and Nina Stojanovic got their mixed doubles campaign underway on Wednesday in Tokyo with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Brazilians Marcelo Melo and Luisa Stefani.

This is the first time World No. 1 Djokovic, who continues his quest for a historic Golden Grand Slam in the singles this week, has played mixed doubles at the Olympics.

View Order Of Play | View 2020 Olympics Results | View Mixed Doubles Draw

The Serbian pair did not face a break point on their way to victory and will next face Kevin Krawietz and Laura Siegemund after the Germans beat American team Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Rajeev Ram 6-4, 5-7, 10-8.

Australians Ashleigh Barty and John Peers also produced a dominant display to defeat Argentine duo Nadia Podoroska and Horacio Zeballos 6-1, 7-6(3) and reach the quarter-finals.

Stefanos Tsitsipas got over his singles disappointment by teaming with Maria Sakkari to beat Canadian tandem Gabriela Dabrowski and Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-3, 6-4. Tsitsipas and Sakkari play Barty and Peers in the last eight.

There was success for the ROC on Wednesday. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Andrey Rublev moved through with a 5-7, 6-4, 11-9 victory against Croatian pair Darija Jurak and Ivan Dodig, while Elena Vesnina and Aslan Karatsev raced past French duo Kristina Mladenovic and Nicolas Mahut 6-4, 6-2.

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