Medvedev: ‘I Do Follow The Race’ To Turin

With his position secured for the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, Daniil Medvedev has the luxury of watching the last remaining contenders fight it out for the final two berths as the Tour heads to Paris this week. While the defending Rolex Paris Masters champion cannot afford to look too far forward, he admits he does keep an eye on the FedEx ATP Race To Turin.

We finally made it 🤣 // Мы это сделали 🤣 @DjokerNole @LACOSTE pic.twitter.com/MXXM4zDQm1

— Daniil Medvedev (@DaniilMedwed) October 28, 2021

“I do follow the Race, but not because I care who to play, honestly, but because it's just so fun that [three] guys have big chances,” Medvedev said. “Casper [Ruud] just went a little bit in front, so I think he has quite good chances, but it's never sure, especially with still two tournaments coming up, Stockholm included, and of course Paris being the biggest one.

“They can all make big points. They can all lose first rounds, and we have some other guys even behind them who can still win Paris-Bercy and get there. It's super interesting, and I'm sure we're gonna see all of them in Stockholm, and I think that's when the Race is interesting.”

Medvedev recovered from a set down to defeat Alexander Zverev for his third ATP Masters 1000 crown in Paris last season before he went on to capture the Nitto ATP Finals in London. This year, he has gone from strength to strength as he ascended to World No. 2 with victory in Marseille, added a first grass-court title in Mallorca, a fourth Masters 1000 trophy in Toronto and his maiden Grand Slam title in New York.

“I have three tournaments ahead of me, two tournaments where there are points to grasp. Honestly, I want to win every tournament, because I know that I can do it. Maybe less on other surfaces, but this is my aim anyway,” Medvedev said.

“I managed to do that last year [win in Paris and at The O2]. It was wonderful, but it's not easy. There are a lot of wonderful players. [Alexander] Zverev is in great shape, Novak is always a tough player, he’s always a favourite when he plays.”

While it is rare that the Top 2-ranked men share a practice court, Medvedev and Djokovic did just that recently in a training session on the French Riviera ahead of the Rolex Paris Masters. The pair had not crossed paths since Medvedev defeated Djokovic for his maiden Slam title at the US Open.

“Since I have become Top 10, I haven't played him in training sessions. I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know if he had trained a lot or not,” Medvedev said.

“I had anticipated this as a good training session and it was wonderful. We played for two hours, one set, and it was great. Then we talked for 15, 20 minutes, I love talking with him. I think I can say that he’s a friend… It's really seldom that No. 1 and No. 2 have a training session together.”

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Tsitsipas 'Trying To Become More Of A Selfish Player' To Succeed

In a career-best season, which includes a maiden ATP Masters 1000 title and first Grand Slam final, World No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas is well aware of what separates the great players from the very best.

At this point of the season, fine-tuning shots and fitness are only part of the equation. The Greek sees an opportunity to finish the year on a high at this week’s Rolex Paris Masters, where he is seeded third, and the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin should he channel a key mental outlook.

View Draws: Singles | Doubles

“I have two more [tournaments] left and I'm trying to give my last breath on the court and become more of a selfish player on the court, and unveil my killer attitude on the court,” Tsitsipas said. “You have to be this way. The best players in the world, they are very selfish and they want everything for themselves, and I'm this way too.

“When I'm on the court I'm not mixing it up with my outside life, and I'm able to separate those two. I think once you become soft and start kind of getting into your emotions and feeling many things at once … it's not really good for you.

“So blocking all of that and letting it pass through and just being able to stay in the moment, these are some qualities that top players have developed and are able to compete at such level, not really care what's happening on the other side of the court.”

The Greek already added two career titles to his haul in 2021, including his maiden ATP Masters 1000 in Monte Carlo. He comes off his second defeat of the season to Frances Tiafoe, in the round of 16 in Vienna.

The American also gained the upper hand in the opening round at Wimbledon, after Tsitsipas reached his first Grand Slam final at Roland Garros. Despite his early departure from the All England Club, Tsitsipas reached back-to-back ATP Masters 1000 semi-finals in Toronto and Cincinnati, but suffered surprise defeats to #NextGenATP Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open and Nikoloz Basilashvili in Indian Wells.

Paris will be the first time the top three players in the world have contested an event since the US Open, when Daniil Medvedev brought down Novak Djokovic for his maiden Grand Slam trophy. Tsitsipas said Medvedev had developed into one of the toughest players to face on Tour.

“Daniil has really perfected the game that he’s playing that not many players can play. I mean, to call him ‘Octopus’ was for a reason. He's just able to get balls that not many people are able to … He has done very well this year,” he said.

“We all saw what he did at the US Open … He's one of the most difficult opponents on the Tour, and I guess I'm able to learn from him, as well.”

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Scouting Report: Djokovic Returns, Medvedev Defends In Paris

The stars of the ATP Tour are set to compete in the Rolex Paris Masters — the final ATP Masters 1000 event of the season — this week. World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and defending champion Daniil Medvedev lead the way.

ATPTour.com looks at 10 things you should watch in Paris-Bercy.

View Draws: Singles | Doubles

1) Djokovic Back In Action: The top seed will compete for the first time since the US Open, where he lost in the final against Medvedev. A victory in that match would have given the Serbian the Grand Slam, having won the first three majors of the year.

Djokovic will be confident knowing he is a five-time Rolex Paris Masters champion, with triumphs in four of his past six appearances at the ATP Masters 1000 event. The 34-year-old, who will open against Fabio Fognini or Marton Fucsovics, is currently tied with Rafael Nadal for the most Masters 1000 titles with 36. He will also play doubles with countryman Filip Krajinovic.

2) Novak Chasing Year-End No. 1 Record: Not only is Djokovic returning to action, but he can make history in his first event back. Novak and Pete Sampras are tied for the most finishes atop the year-end FedEx ATP Rankings with six each. There are three scenarios in which Djokovic can clinch a record-breaking seventh year-end No. 1 finish in Paris. The 34-year-old will do it if he reaches the final, if he advances to the semi-finals and Medvedev does not win the title, or if the Russian does not make the championship match.

3) Huge Week For Race: The FedEx ATP Race To Turin does not end in Paris, but it will be critical with two spots remaining in Turin in both the singles and doubles fields. The singles Race is especially tight, with only 230 points separating seventh-placed Casper Ruud and 11th-placed Cameron Norrie (ninth-placed Nadal is done for the year due to a foot injury).

Ruud and Jannik Sinner currently hold the final two qualifying singles spots. Seventh-placed Kevin Krawietz/Horia Tecau and eighth-placed Jamie Murray-Bruno Soares are trying to shore up their spots in the season finale, to be played at the Pala Alpitour from 14-21 November.

4) Medvedev Defending Champ: Second-seeded Medvedev will try to retain his title in Paris-Bercy one year after lifting the trophy. The Russian still has an outside chance at year-end No. 1, but he must make the final to maintain his hopes.

The 25-year-old, who will play Belarusian Ilya Ivashka or Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the second round, will try to claim his fourth Masters 1000 title this week. He is still flying high after emerging victorious at the US Open for his maiden major crown.

5) Murray Leads Wild Cards: Former World No. 1 Andy Murray received one of the four wild cards, so the Scot will compete in the Rolex Paris Masters for the first time since 2016. That year, he critically won the title en route to finishing year-end World No. 1. The 34-year-old will face a tough test in the first round against qualifier Jenson Brooksby, who needed more than three hours to eliminate Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena on Sunday. In August, Murray tweeted about the #NextGenATP American: “Jenson Brooksby is the sort of player I love to watch… lots of variety… high tennis IQ… great in defence… His slice and backhand volley are almost identical to Florian Mayer.”

6) French Hopes: The other three wild cards went to Frenchmen: former World No. 7 Richard Gasquet, Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Arthur Rinderknech. There are seven Frenchmen in the main draw, led by 15th seed Gael Monfils. The 35-year-old has found a good level lately, having reached the semi-finals in Metz and the final in Sofia. #NextGenATP Frenchman Hugo Gaston came through qualifying, where he needed three sets to beat Kevin Anderson and Lorenzo Musetti.

7) Tsitsipas Seeks Paris Breakthrough: It has been another strong season for Tsitsipas, who will pursue his second Nitto ATP Finals title in Turin. But first, the Greek star will try to make his mark at the Rolex Paris Masters, where he owns a 2-2 record. Both of his wins came in 2019, when he made the quarter-finals before losing to Djokovic. The third seed will have to navigate a tricky opening match against South African Lloyd Harris or Australian Alex de Minaur.

8) Zverev In Form: Alexander Zverev arrives in Paris as one of the most in-form players on the ATP Tour. The German has won 25 of his past 27 matches dating back to the start of the Tokyo Olympics, where he won the singles gold medal. On Sunday, he battled past Frances Tiafoe for the Vienna title. Now, he will try to go one step further in Paris than he did last year, when he defeated Stan Wawrinka and Nadal in back-to-back matches before falling to Medvedev in the final. First up for the five-time Masters 1000 champion will be Serbian Dusan Lajovic or American Mackenzie McDonald.

9) Americans Charging: Two Americans enjoyed great runs last week: Vienna finalist Frances Tiafoe and St. Petersburg finalist Taylor Fritz. Tiafoe eliminated three Top 20 opponents and Fritz backed up his run to the Indian Wells semi-finals. Both will try to maintain their level at the Rolex Paris Masters. Three Americans also clawed through qualifying: Brooksby, Marcos Giron and Tommy Paul. Giron rallied from 0-5 in the third set against former Top 10 star Gilles Simon in the first round of qualifying. McDonald and #NextGenATP star Sebastian Korda are also in the field.

10) Cabal/Farah Have Momentum: The top seeds, Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic, have won nine tour-level titles together this year. But fifth seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah bring momentum to Paris after triumphing at the Erste Bank Open. Other teams to watch include second seeds Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury, Indian Wells champions John Peers and Filip Polasek, and Tsitsipas and Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi.

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Djokovic On Chasing Year-End No. 1: ’That’s The Goal’

Novak Djokovic is making his long-awaited return to action this week at the Rolex Paris Masters, and immediately he has a chance to make history.

In his first tournament since losing in the US Open final against Daniil Medvedvev, the Serbian superstar has an opportunity to clinch his seventh year-end No. 1 finish in the FedEx ATP Rankings, which would break his tie with Pete Sampras for the most year-end No. 1 finishes in history.

There are three scenarios in which Djokovic can clinch the achievement in Paris. The 34-year-old will do it if he reaches the final, if he advances to the semi-finals and Medvedev does not win the title, or if the Russian does not make the championship match.

“The year-end No. 1 is on the line between Medvedev and myself, and I'm in a pretty good position,” Djokovic said. “That's obviously the goal for the end of the season other than trying to do well in the Davis Cup with the national team. So hopefully I can have a strong finish of the season and clinch that year-end No. 1.”

Djokovic will take confidence knowing he is a five-time Rolex Paris Masters champion. In his past six appearances, the Serbian has lifted the trophy four times, made another final and advanced to the quarter-finals.

“I’m pleased to be back. I have been training really well [the] past couple of weeks. And I have had plenty of success in Paris-Bercy over the years, so that gives me enough reason to believe that I can do well, and I can go far in the tournament,” Djokovic said. “But having said that, the lack of match play could be dangerous, so I have to really make sure that I start off my first match very well with a good intensity and build my form as that match passes on and hopefully get a win and get myself more comfortable on this court and just getting that match play in.”

The 36-time ATP Masters 1000 winner will begin his run against Italian Fabio Fognini (8-0) or Hungarian Marton Fucsovics (3-0). But Djokovic knows that he will not just have to deal with tough opponents. This is his first event since his disappointing defeat at Flushing Meadows, where he fell one victory short of completing the Grand Slam.

“I have learned over the years to deal with losses in such way that I treat them as great opportunities for growth. I feel that the US Open loss in the final has arrived arguably at the worst or at the best time for me, in a way,” Djokovic said. “Of course I'm disappointed that I lost the match, but I feel like I was blessed to experience love from the crowd and support from the stadium that I have never experienced before in my life in New York, and actually not in many places around the world.

“That kind of energy that I received from the crowd from the moment I stepped on the court until I stepped out is a win for life.”

As tough as that defeat was, Djokovic is trying to take the positives from it. Not only did he win the year’s first three majors, but the loss also taught him lessons from which he feels he can get better.

“In a most ideal scenario, I would [have won all] four of them. But knowing I was so close gives me great encouragement for the future, but it also makes me feel humble about my game, about my career,” Djokovic said. “It gives me a kind of reality check where I have to go back to the practice court and really understand what needs to be done so that I could improve.”

Djokovic added that he has learned to deal with losses and grow from them. And he hopes that is the case again on this occasion as he attempts to finish his year on a high in Paris and at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin.

“This was not an ordinary loss considering the circumstances,” Djokovic said. “The season was very draining for me and demanding in every aspect, but I have had similar situations before where I was just super tired, but somehow managed to find the strength and finish the year and finish the season strong. Hopefully that will be the case again.”

Did You Know?
While the 2021 year-end FedEx ATP Rankings will continue to potentially include some results from 2019 and 2020 in a player’s rankings breakdown under the "best of" rankings system due to COVID-19, the 2021 year-end No. 1 will be based off 2021 results alone (i.e., the FedEx ATP Race To Turin) and will continue until the end of the Nitto ATP Finals. This will ensure that the No. 1 accolade accurately reflects the world’s best performer of the 2021 calendar season.

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Frances Tiafoe slammed for lack of respect after Vienna Open win - 'Went too far'

Frances Tiafoe reached the final of the Vienna Open this week, but angered his semi-final opponent with his behaviour as he did so.

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Title No. 20 For Marin! Cilic Wins In St. Petersburg

Marin Cilic put himself in elite company by winning the St. Petersburg Open on Sunday.

The Croatian, who defeated American Taylor Fritz 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-4 to lift the trophy, became just the sixth active player to claim 20 tour-level titles. The only other men who have achieved the feat are Roger Federer (103), Rafael Nadal (88), Novak Djokovic (85), Andy Murray 46) and Juan Martin del Potro (22).

The last time Cilic competed in St. Petersburg before this week was in 2011, when he also emerged victorious. This was his fourth title in Russia, having also earned the crown in Moscow twice (2014-15).

🏆 2011
🏆 2021

A decade later, Cilic is back in the St. Petersburg winners' circle 👏

🎥: @TennisTV | @cilic_marin | #spbopenpic.twitter.com/ttqmZRMRdd

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 31, 2021

Last week, the former World No. 3 fell one win short of triumphing in Moscow. And it appeared after letting slip a set-and-a-break advantage that he might lose another final in Russia.

But Cilic never stopped fighting, and he rallied from a break down in the deciding set to win after two hours and 23 minutes. The 33-year-old hit 12 aces and won 78 per cent of his first-serve points in his victory.

For much of the match, Cilic was the more aggressive player, and that allowed him to control rallies against Fritz. But on the two occasions he led by a break in the second set, the World No. 35 began misfiring with his forehand, allowing the American back into the match.

Fritz stormed ahead in the decider, using his power and depth to maintain the momentum. But he was unable to finish the job. After getting back on serve, Cilic took advantage of a Fritz double fault on break point at 4-4 to move ahead. And this time, the Croatian did not let slip his opportunity, putting away a forehand volley on championship point before leaping into the air with a big fist pump.

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Zverev Downs Tiafoe For Vienna Crown

Alexander Zverev maintained his dominant form since Wimbledon on Sunday at the Erste Bank Open, overcoming American Frances Tiafoe 7-5, 6-4 to clinch his fifth trophy of the year.

The second seed, who moved past #NextGenATP stars Felix Auger-Aliassime and Carlos Alcaraz en route to the final, won 80 per cent (37/46) of his first-serve points and stepped inside the baseline to dictate on his forehand against Tiafoe, securing his victory in one hour and 36 minutes.

[FOLLOW ACTION]

The German now holds a 25-2 record since Wimbledon and has extended his ATP Head2Head series lead against Tiafoe to 6-1. The 24-year-old earned his 300th tour-level career win against Australian Alex de Minaur this week.

Earlier this season, Zverev triumphed at ATP Masters 1000 events in Madrid and Cincinnati and also won the singles gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics. Zverev has won all five finals that he has competed in this year. The only other time the World No. 4 won five tour-level crowns in a season was in 2017.

In a lively start, breaks the players exchanged breaks as they tried to find their rhythm from the baseline. Zverev looked to stay close to the baseline and overpower Tiafoe, while the American played with great variety and closed the net effectively to cause the 24-year-old problems.

After Zverev found the breakthrough in the 12th game of the first set to move ahead, he continued to play aggressively. The German hit eight aces in the second set to secure his victory in an entertaining match.

Tiafoe rallied from a set and 2-5 down against Italian Jannik Sinner to book his spot in the championship match but was unable to come back against Zverev. The World No. 49 has earned a career-best 29 tour-level victories this season and was aiming to win his first tour-level trophy since triumphing in Delray Beach in 2018.

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Murray/Soares Clinch St. Petersburg Title

Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares ended their strong week on Sunday at the St. Petersburg Open by clinching their second tour-level trophy of the season.

The top seeds dropped just one set en route to the title, overcoming Andrey Golubev and Hugo Nys 6-3, 6-4 in the championship match.

With their victory, Murray and Soares have boosted their hopes of qualifying for the 2021 Nitto ATP Finals, to be held at the Pala Alpitour in Turin from 14-21 November. They are currently eighth in the FedEx ATP Doubles Team Rankings and in the final qualification spot for the season finale.

“The odds of getting to Turin are getting higher every match we win, so that is good,” Murray said. “I think we have an over 500-point lead on the team behind us. But in Paris if you win the tournament it is 1000 points, so while we are in a good position, we still need to go to Paris and have a good week there.”

Murray and Soares broke three times and closed the net effectively against Golubev and Nys to secure their victory after 81 minutes. It was the first meeting between the teams, with Golubev and Nys competing for just the fourth time together this week.

“I think the conditions here suit my return indoors,” Soares said. “The ball is not moving much and I like these conditions and also we have had a good week, so that also helps. I think we are a dangerous combination overall.”

The British-Brazilian pair has now won 12 tour-level titles as a team. Earlier this season, Murray and Soares triumphed at the Great Ocean Road Open in their first tournament together since Roland Garros in 2019.

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Cabal/Farah Capture Vienna Crown

Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah produced a dominant performance on Sunday, overcoming Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury 6-4, 6-2 in the Erste Bank Open final to capture their third tour-level title of the season.

The Colombians fell to Ram and Salisbury in Eastbourne and Wimbledon this year, but gained revenge in Vienna, saving all seven break points they faced to secure their victory after 78 minutes and reduce their ATP Head2Head series deficit against the second seeds to 1-3.

“Thank you all of you for being here,” Farah said in the trophy ceremony. “For us it is amazing to play in this atmosphere in a full stadium and to have the crowd back and feel these amazing vibes.”

[FOLLOW ACTION]

This week, Cabal and Farah won three consecutive Match Tie-breaks 10-8 as they battled through the field to reach the championship match. The third seeds have earned 19 tour-level titles as a team, also triumphing in Dubai and Barcelona this season.

“The crowd has been amazing, thank you for coming,” Cabal added. “It was our time. It has been a pleasure being here.”

Ram and Salisbury were aiming to clinch their third tour-level title of the season. The American-British tandem captured their maiden ATP Masters 1000 crown in Toronto, before lifting the US Open trophy. They have fond memories in Vienna, have won the title in 2019.

Both teams have qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals, to be held this year at the Pala Alpitour in Turin from 14-21 November, with Cabal and Farah securing their place following their first-round victory in Vienna.

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Novak Djokovic in strong shape in practice with Daniil Medvedev ahead of Paris Masters

The world number one has not played since his US Open final defeat at the hands of Daniil Medvedev, but Novak Djokovic was seen training with the Russian ahead of next week's Paris Masters.

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Golubev/Nys Book Spot In St. Petersburg Final

Andrey Golubev and Hugo Nys had never won a match as a team before this week, but now they are finalists, moving past Rohan Bopanna and Denis Shapovalov 6-4, 2-6, 10-4 on Saturday at the St. Petersburg Open.

The fourth seeds broke three times and hit five aces to advance after 84 minutes. Golubev and Nys are teaming for the fourth time and will face top seeds Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares in the championship match.

Ram/Salisbury Battle Into Vienna Final
Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury’s strong season continued on Saturday as they defeated John Peers and Filip Polasek 3-6, 7-6(2), 10-7 in one hour and 40 minutes to reach the Erste Bank Open final.

The second seeds captured their first ATP Masters 1000 title in Toronto, before triumphing at the US Open. The American-British tandem will face fourth seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah in the championship match.

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Nakashima Stamps Ticket For Milan

Brandon Nakashima has become the seventh player to qualify for the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals, to be held in Milan from 9-13 November.

The American will make his debut at the 21-and-under event, having enjoyed a breakthrough 2021 season by rising from No. 170 in the FedEx ATP Rankings to a career-high of No. 70 this week.

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Emma Raducanu holds Transylvania Open regret she wants to rectify next year after exit

Emma Raducanu was knocked out of the Transylvania Open by Marta Kostyuk, and missed out on the chance to fulfil a childhood dream.

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Living Large & Dangerously, Tiafoe Sinks Sinner

Frances Tiafoe continues to live large – and live on the edge – in Vienna this week, rallying from the brink of defeat to snap Jannik Sinner’s seven-match winning streak Saturday to reach the Erste Bank Open final.

The American clawed back from a set and 2-5 down to claim a pulsating 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 win over the Italian, who was looking to further boost his chances of qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals on home soil after he had moved into eighth place in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin one day earlier by reaching the semi-finals of the ATP 500 tennis tournament.

Tiafoe, who was 0-3 down to Stefanos Tsitsipas in the third set in the second round, worked the Vienna crowd to his advantage with incredible shotmaking and theatrics, at one point even running into the stands at the end of a gruelling point to embrace fans.

“It has been a long week for me,” Tiafoe said. “I tried to have fun with it and get the crowd involved and could see if he would get a little nervous. I know how to get the crowd behind me, few jokes and that and then I started to play unbelievably. The crowd made the difference. I felt because of them I started to lock in harder.”

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With his two-hour 18-minute victory, Tiafoe, who is making his second appearance in Vienna, has now earned a career-best 29 tour-level wins this season, surpassing the 28 he captured in 2018. The 23-year-old is bidding to win his first tour-level title since he triumphed in Delray Beach in 2018.

“It is huge [to be in the final]. I have played some great tennis all week and now I want to win the tournament,” Tiafoe added.

The World No. 49 has reduced the deficit to 1-2 in his ATP Head2Head series with Sinner and will face second seed Alexander Zverev in the championship match after the German defeated #NextGenATP Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz 6-3, 6-3 to advance to his fifth tour-level final of the season.

Sinner won the title in Antwerp last week and was seeking his eighth consecutive victory. The Italian moved into eighth place (3,015 points) in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin on Friday when he downed fellow Turin contender Casper Ruud, who is seventh (3,105).

The 20-year-old is bidding to make his debut at the Nitto ATP Finals, to be held at the Pala Alpitour from 14-21 November.

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Zverev Downs Alcaraz In Vienna

Alexander Zverev soared into his fifth tour-level final of the season on Saturday at the Erste Bank Open, overcoming #NextGenATP Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz 6-3, 6-3 to end the 18-year-old’s strong run in Vienna.

The second seed, who earned both his 50th tour-level victory of the season and 300th tour-level career win this week, hit with great depth and soaked up Alcaraz’s power to advance after 68 minutes.

The German now leads Alcaraz 2-0 in their ATP Head2Head series and holds a 24-2 record since Wimbledon, capturing the Olympic singles gold medal and the Cincinnati title in this time.

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Zverev will face seventh seed Jannik Sinner or qualifier Frances Tiafoe in the championship match as he bids to win his fifth tour-level crown of the season, having also triumphed in Acapulco and Madrid.

Alcaraz captured the second biggest win of his career by FedEx ATP Ranking when he upset World No. 7 Matteo Berrettini in the quarter-finals. But he could not match Zverev, with the German firing eight aces and saving the one break point he faced to secure victory.

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Fritz Marches Into St. Petersburg Final

Taylor Fritz is in the form of his life and he demonstrated such confidence on Saturday at the St. Petersburg Open, downing Jan-Lennard Struff 5-7, 6-1, 6-3 to reach his first tour-level final of the season.

“It is amazing to have people cheering for me when I am so far away from home. I love all of the support,” Fritz said in his on-court interview.

The American defeated World No. 4 Alexander Zverev en route to his first ATP Masters 1000 semi-final earlier in October and has backed up that run in St. Petersburg, dropping just one set at the ATP 250 event.

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Fritz was strong on serve against Struff, winning 81 per cent (44/54) of points behind his first delivery as he rallied from a set down to advance after one hour and 58 minutes and level their ATP Head2Head series at 1-1.

“I played pretty well for a lot of parts in the first set but a couple of things didn’t go my way. I went up a break but then didn’t have the best service game and got broken back,” Fritz said in his on-court interview. “I had another chance to break and then got broken from 40/15 up. I recovered and brought it together and played a really solid second and third set.”

The fifth seed celebrated his 24th birthday on Thursday and will face qualifier Botic van de Zandschulp or Croatian Marin Cilic in the championship match.

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Djokovic Down For Double Duty In Paris

Novak Djokovic will make the most of his long-awaited return to the ATP Tour next week, signing up for singles and doubles duty at the Rolex Paris Masters.

The five-time champion in Paris/Bercy will play his first tournament since falling to Daniil Medvedev in the final of the US Open, a defeat that cost the Serb the chance to complete the Grand Slam. Djokovic has also signed up to play doubles for just the third time this season (ATP Cup, Mallorca) and will team with countryman Filip Krajinovic.

With Saturday’s draw, Djokovic learned that his opening match will be against Fabio Fognini (whom he leads 8-0 in their ATP Head2Head series) or Marton Fucsovics (3-0). He could meet Gael Monfils (17-0) in the third round.

With the FedEx ATP Race To Turin reaching the home stretch, Jannik Sinner will look to continue his bid to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals in Paris, where he will start against #NextGenATP Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz or French wild card Pierre-Hugues Herbert.

Sinner boosted his chances to secure a place at the season finale when he defeated fellow Turin contender Casper Ruud in the quarter-finals in Vienna as he aims to make his debut at the event. Ruud remains well-positioned, though, and begins against Alexander Bublik or Brit Daniel Evans.

View Rolex Paris Masters Draw

Hubert Hurkacz, Cameron Norrie and Felix Auger-Aliassime are 10th, 11th and 12th respectively in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin standings and all three will be targeting deep runs in Paris. Hurkacz opens against Jan-Lennard Struff or a qualifier and could meet Auger-Aliassime in the last 16, but the Canadian faces a difficult second-round prospect against former champion Andy Murray, who has received a wild card.

Norrie captured his maiden Masters 1000 title in Indian Wells earlier this month and plays Argentine Federico Delbonis in his opening clash in what will be their first meeting.

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Third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas is a potential semi-final opponent for Djokovic and he begins against either South African Lloyd Harris or 22-year-old Alex de Minaur in what will be a difficult test. It will be the Greek’s fourth appearance in Paris, with his best performance a run to the quarter-finals in 2019.

In the bottom half of the draw, reigning champion Medvedev will get his title defence underway against Winston-Salem winner Ilya Ivashka or Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas. The Russian, who will be aiming to bounce back from his fourth-round defeat to Grigor Dimitrov in Indian Wells, is seeded to meet countryman Aslan Karatsev in the last 16.

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Andy Murray may face Novak Djokovic for first time in four years after Paris Masters draw

Andy Murray and world number one Novak Djokovic could face each other for the first time since January 2017 at the Paris Masters after they were placed in the same half of the draw.

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Emma Raducanu makes Australian Open vow after crushing defeat at Transylvania Open

Emma Raducanu will soon be turning her attention to the off-season in preparation for the Australian Open.

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Novak Djokovic sent strong message amid Australian Open vaccine row - 'There are rules'

Nine-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic's involvement in next year's tournament is in doubt over his vaccination stance.

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Rafael Nadal Hits With 97 Year Old

Rafael Nadal’s capacity to delight fans from any generation was in the spotlight again this week. An idol to young hopefuls, a mirror for adults and an example to even the oldest of players, the Spaniard is a sporting icon whose fanbase spans every age group.

Nadal welcomed a very special fan to the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar this week. Ukrainian player Leonid Stanislavskyi, 97 years of age, holds the Guinness World Record for the oldest player in the world with an International Tennis Federation (ITF) licence. He was delighted to meet the Mallorcan ex-world No. 1.

The two spoke together, exchanged greetings and knocked up on court, in a demonstration of the connections that can be made while playing. It was an unforgettable day for Leonid, who professes an eternal love for the game of tennis.

As a result of his passion for the sport, Stanislavskyi, who has been competing in amateur tennis for over half a century, sent a letter to the ITF a few months ago asking them to create a new veteran category for players in his age range. For the first time, the ITF introduced a new category for over-90s at the ITF Super Senior World Championships.

Born on 22 March 1924, Leonid has been able to witness many generations of tennis. From the amateur period, through the start of the Open Era in 1968, to the professional tennis of today, he has followed the careers of the great legends of the sport. His excitement at meeting Nadal in person was a crowning moment in his story.

During his visit, Leonid took the opportunity to see the Rafa Nadal Museum, where he was able to take a close look at the trophies won by the Spaniard during his legendary career. There, among all his other prestigious silverware, his current haul of 20 Grand Slam titles and 36 ATP Masters 1000 trophies can be found.

After a left-foot injury brought his 2021 season to a close, Nadal is continuing to work on his recovery. The Balearic Islander won two titles this year, taking the spoils at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, where he extended his record to 12 titles, and the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, where he reached the magical figure of 10 cups.

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Sinner Moves Inside Turin Cut With Huge Ruud Win

Jannik Sinner took a massive step in his pursuit of a spot in the Nitto ATP Finals on Friday evening in Vienna.

In a blockbuster battle between two stars chasing a place in Turin, Sinner defeated Casper Ruud 7-5, 6-1 to reach the semi-finals of the Erste Bank Open. By doing so, the Italian passed Hubert Hurkacz and Rafael Nadal to climb into the eighth and final qualifying spot in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin.

The 20-year-old has not only moved into qualifying position, but a semi-final victory against Frances Tiafoe will push him past Ruud for seventh in the Race. Only two spots remain at the Pala Alpitour from 14-21 November. Sinner is now also guaranteed to crack the Top 10 in the FedEx ATP Rankings for the first time on Monday.

Read: Race vs. Rankings - Do You Know The Difference? 

“I think today [there] was not a lot of rhythm, not so many exchanges. I served well today I have to say, especially on the important points," Sinner said in his post-match interview. "Obviously [there was] a lot of pressure on both sides. I’m happy how I controlled the match emotionally and everything together. I would say it was a good match.”

The San Candido native had to battle hard to take a 2-0 ATP Head2Head series lead against Ruud, but he was cool under pressure to triumph after one hour and 38 minutes. The Italian has now won 11 straight indoor matches, and has not lost a set during that streak.

“The past couple of weeks indoors I’ve felt well. Obviously we can see that in the results as well, but every match is different," Sinner said. "I have to stay focussed, I have a goal in my head. Obviously [there is] a lot of pressure, but it’s all about [the] mental game in this sport and I think I’m doing it in the right way.”

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Ruud showed how much he has improved on hard courts with opportunistic play in the opening set, when he snapped Sinner’s streak of 43 consecutive service holds. The Norwegian is 21-7 on the surface this season, but Ruud did not have the firepower to push his opponent off the baseline in the biggest moments.

Sinner struck 10 aces and saved four of the five break points he faced. The 2019 Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals champion had to overcome adversity, rallying from 15/40 down at 4-1 on his serve in the second set. But after saving two break points in that game, he gave the crowd a big fist pump, a sign that Sinner knew the significance of the encounter.

He then broke Ruud’s serve for the fifth time to set a clash against Tiafoe. Sinner leads their ATP Head2Head series 2-0.

"I’m happy that I can play one more semi-final in an ATP event," Sinner said. "It’s a huge event, so hopefully I can also play well tomorrow.”

The American dealt with his own challenges against eighth seed Diego Schwartzman. But despite losing five consecutive games from 5-1 up in the second set, Tiafoe held on for a 6-4, 7-6(6) victory to reach his first tour-level semi-final of 2021.

“I was playing great tennis, I was happy where I was at. New balls came and I got a little lackadaisical that game. Then Diego just kind of started locking in,” Tiafoe said. “I started rushing, I started trying to hit everything as hard as I can. It was not fun. I don’t know what to tell you, it was not fun. There was not one part of it that was fun."

The American, who upset Stefanos Tsitsipas on Thursday, admitted that he accepted the likelihood of a third set. But Tiafoe was able to break the Argentine for the fifth time to force a tie-break, in which he played well under pressure.

“I ended up playing a great game and squeezing out a breaker, so it was a crazy match,” Tiafoe said. “To beat two quality players like that in a row is big for me and a huge step forward.”

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Zverev Sets Alcaraz SF In Vienna

Alexander Zverev continued his quest for his fifth tour-level title of the season on Friday at the Erste Bank Open, downing Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 to capture his 50th tour-level victory of the season and reach the semi-finals in Vienna.

The second seed, who earned his 300th tour-level win on Thursday when he defeated Australian Alex de Minaur, was strong on serve, winning 80 per cent (40/50) of points behind his first delivery. The German recovered from a dip in the second set as he raised his level in the decider to advance after two hours and six minutes.

“I did make it difficult for myself once again, that needs to stop happening,” Zverev said. “One easy mistake and the second set went away. But I am proud of myself because at the beginning of the second set it could have gone his way easily.”

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Zverev now leads Auger-Aliassime 4-1 in their ATP Head2Head series, gaining revenge from his defeat to the sixth seed in the fourth round at Wimbledon in July.

The World No. 4 will face #NextGenATP Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz in the last four after the 18-year-old upset Italian Matteo Berrettini 6-1, 6-7(2), 7-6(5) to reach his first ATP 500 semi-final.

“He [Alcaraz] has improved a lot," Zverev added. "He has made big steps forward and is a great player, so I am looking forward to that match.”

Zverev is making his second main-draw appearance in Vienna, having enjoyed a run to the quarter-finals in 2017. Earlier this season, the 17-time tour-level titlist triumphed at ATP Masters 1000 events in Madrid and Cincinnati. The German also lifted the trophy in Acapulco and captured the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics.

After winning 100 per cent (9/9) of his first-service points in the opening set, Zverev moved ahead and looked in control. That was until the eighth game of the second set, when the German missed a volley on top of the net at 30/0. Auger-Aliassime went on to break in that game, before levelling on serve.

However, Zverev regained his focus and composure in the decider and converted on his sixth break point in a mammoth 16-minute sixth game of the decider. Zverev then sealed victory when Auger-Aliassime hit a backhand long

With his defeat, Auger-Aliassime’s bid to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals suffered a blow. The 21-year-old is 12th (2,420 points) in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin, 535 points behind ninth-placed Hubert Hurkacz. The Pole currently occupies the final qualification spot with eighth-placed Rafael Nadal out for the rest of the season due to a foot injury.

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Murray/Soares Soar Into St. Petersburg Final

Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares continued their bid to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals on Friday at the St. Petersburg Open, where the overcame Marcus Daniell and Marcelo Demoliner 7-5, 6-3 to reach the championship match.

The top seeds broke four times and won 73 per cent (27/37) of their first-serve points to advance after 81 minutes. Murray and Soares are currently eighth in the FedEx ATP Doubles Team Rankings and in the final qualification spot for the season finale.

They could face Andrey Golubev and Hugo Nys in the final after the fourth seeds defeated Santiago Gonzalez and Andres Molteni 7-6(4), 6-3 to move into the last four.

Cabal/Farah March On In Vienna
Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah booked their spot in the final at the Erste Bank Open on Friday when they battled past Sander Gille and Dominik Koepfer 3-6, 6-3, 10-8 in 77 minutes.

The fourth seeds are into their fourth tour-level championship match of the season. They have now triumphed in three consecutive Match Tie-breaks this week in Vienna.

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Rolex Paris Masters 2021: Draws, Dates, History & All You Need To Know

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and Russian Daniil Medvedev will headline the field at the 2021 Rolex Paris Masters in the final ATP Masters 1000 event of the season, while the FedEx ATP Race To Turin nears its conclusion.

Here's what you need to know: 

When is the Rolex Paris Masters?

The 2021 Rolex Paris Masters will be held from 1-7 November. The indoor-hard ATP Masters 1000 tournament, established in 1986, will take place at the AccorHotels Arena in Paris, France. The tournament director is Guy Forget.

Who is playing at the Rolex Paris Masters?

The Rolex Paris Masters will feature Djokovic, reigning champion Medvedev, Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, while Turin contenders Casper Ruud, Hubert Hurkacz, Jannik Sinner, Cameron Norrie and Felix Auger-Aliassime are also in action.

When is the draw for the Rolex Paris Masters?

The Rolex Paris Masters draw will be made on Saturday, 30 October at 12:00 p.m.

What is the schedule for the Rolex Paris Masters?

* Qualifying: Saturday, 30 October - Sunday, 31 October at 10:00 a.m Saturday and 11:00 a.m. Sunday
* Main Draw: Monday, 1 November - Sunday, 7 November. Monday – Thursday at 11:00 and 7:30 p.m. Friday at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday at 11:45 a.m.
* Doubles Final: Sunday, 7 November at 12:15 p.m.
* Singles Final: Sunday, 7 November at 3:00 p.m.
*View On Official Website

What is the prize money for the Rolex Paris Masters?

The prize money for the Rolex Paris Masters is €2,603,700 and the Total Financial Commitment is €3,084,450.

SINGLES
Winner: €336,000/ 1000 points
Finalist: €187,000/ 600 points
Semi-finalist: €106,000/ 360 points
Quarter-finalist: €60,000/ 180 points
Round of 16: €36,000/ 90 points
Round of 32: €22,000/ 45 points
Round of 56: €13,700/ 10 points

DOUBLES ($ per team)
Winner: €70,000/ 1000 points
Finalist: €50,000 / 600 points
Semi-finalist: €34,000/ 360 points
Quarter-finalist: €23,300/ 180 points
Round of 16: €15,250/ 90 points
Round of 32: €9,400/ 0 points

How can I watch the Rolex Paris Masters?

Watch Live On Tennis TV
TV Schedule

How can I follow the Rolex Paris Masters?

Hashtag: #RolexPMasters
Facebook: @rolexparismasters
Twitter: @RolexPMasters
Instagram: @rolexparismasters

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Who won the last edition of the Rolex Paris Masters in 2020?

Daniil Medvedev triumphed in the Rolex Paris Masters singles final with a 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 win against Alexander Zverev in the championship match (Read & Watch). Felix Auger-Aliassime and Hubert Hurkacz lifted the doubles trophy in Paris with a 6-7(3), 7-6(7), 10-2 victory against Mate Pavic and Bruno Soares in the final (Read More).

Who holds the Paris record for most titles, oldest champion, youngest champion and more?

Most Titles, Singles: Novak Djokovic (5)
Most Titles, Doubles: Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan (4)
Oldest Champion: Novak Djokovic, 32, in 2019
Youngest Champion: Boris Becker, 18, in 1986
Highest-Ranked Champion: No. 1 Stefan Edberg in 1990, Pete Sampras in 1997, Andre Agassi in 1999, Novak Djokovic in 2014-15, 2019.
Lowest-Ranked Champion: No. 50 Tomas Berdych in 2005
Last Home Champion: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in 2008
Most Match Wins: Novak Djokovic (37)

View Who Is Playing, Past Champions, Seeds, Points & Prize Money Breakdown

Key Storylines

Djokovic Returns: World No. 1 Djokovic will compete for the first time since he lost to Medvedev in the final at the US Open, which ended the Serbian's Grand Slam pursuit. Djokovic has lifted the trophy a record five times in Paris.

Turin Contenders: With the FedExATP Race To Turin entering the final stretch, five hopefuls are aiming to capture the final two places. Ruud is currently seventh (3,105 points), while Hurkacz is aiming to book his spot. 

Italian Jannik Sinner will be hoping to make is debut at the Nitto ATP Finals, to be held at the Pala Alpitour in Turin from 14-21 November 2021. Cameron Norrie in 11th (2,875) and Felix Auger-Aliassime in 12th (2,420) will need deep runs in Paris to boost their chances.

Former Champions In Action: Reigning champion Medvedev returns to defend his title as he aims to win his fifth tour-level trophy of the season. Russia's Karen Khachanov will also be competing and he has fond memories in the French capital, having captured the crown in 2018.

Murray Leads Wild Cards: Former World No. 1 Andy Murray has accepted a wild card and will compete in Paris for the first time since he won the title in France in 2016. The Scot will be joined by Frenchmen Richard Gasquet, Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Arthur Rinderknech.

Did You Know?

Since 2009, the Rolex Paris Masters is the only Masters 1000 event to be played indoors.

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Move In Or Stay Back? Depends Who You Ask!

Step into the ball. It’s been a part of tennis coaching vernacular for eons, but it is not a panacea that every player employs to win matches in the modern game.

An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of 67 matches on Hawk-Eye data courts at this month's BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells found that some players succeeded by stepping inside the baseline to hit the ball but others benefitted by staying deeper in the court.

While the macro picture was mixed, important takeaways could be found when drilling down to specific players. Case in point: Taylor Fritz, who reached his first ATP Masters 1000 semi-final in the desert by stepping forward to the ball better than any of his opponents.

Fritz: Percentage Of Shots Contacted Inside The Baseline

Opponent	Fritz Inside	Opp. Inside
N. Basilashvili	13%	10%
A. Zverev	31%	17%
J. Sinner	21%	15%
M. Berrettini	45%	30%
B. Nakashima	34%	26%
AVERAGE	29%	20%

Fritz made contact with the ball 29 per cent of the time inside the baseline on average, compared to just 20 per cent for his five opponents. His two top 10 victories against No. 4, Alexander Zverev, and No. 7, Matteo Berrettini, were built on stepping forward to attack the ball much more than his higher-ranked opponents. Fritz made contact with the ball 45 per cent of the time inside the baseline against Berrettini and 31 per cent against Zverev. Fritz was well rewarded for taking the ball early and dictating play.

Tellingly, in the match he lost, Fritz contacted the ball just 13 per cent of the time as the power of Nikoloz Basilashvili kept him pinned behind the baseline. That was massively down on his tournament match average of 29 per cent.

Stepping into the ball involves a number of factors, including hitting a deep or forceful shot on the previous ball to elicit a short ball to move forward against. It is also about having the desire and skillset to take the ball on the rise or at the top of the bounce to open up angles of the court and rush the opponent’s preparation for the next shot.

When Fritz defeated Zverev, the German only made contact with his forehand 19 per cent of the time inside the baseline. But Zverev also featured as the leader in the data set with forehands struck inside the baseline, hitting an astounding 51 per cent inside the baseline in his 6-1, 6-3 round of 16 victory against Gael Monfils.

But there are two sides to this coin. Players were also able to succeed by staying back deep in the court.

The three zones of court position are:
Zone 1. Inside the baseline
Zone 2. Within two metres behind the baseline
Zone 3. Past two metres behind the baseline

Basilashvili thrived in the very deep zone, farther back than two metres behind the baseline, to reach the final.

Basilashvili: Percentage Of Shots In The Three Zones

Opponent	Zone 1	Zone 2	Zone 3
C. Norrie	13%	57%	30%
T. Fritz	10%	47%	43%
S. Tsitsipas	11%	47%	42%
K. Khachanov	15%	42%	43%
A. Ramos-Vinolas	17%	41%	42%
C. Eubanks	9%	37%	54%
AVERAGE	13%	45%	42%

Of the seven matches for the tournament where the player won the match but stepped inside the baseline the least, Basilashvili accounted for four of them.

Basilashvili’s highest-ranked opponent he defeated was No. 3, Stefanos Tsitsipas. The ability to keep the Greek from stepping into the court like he did in previous rounds was a key component of the upset victory.

Stefanos Tsitsipas: Percentage Of Shots In The Three Zones

Opponent	Zone 1	Zone 2	Zone 3
N. Basilashvili	5%	53%	42%
A. De Minaur	25%	57%	18%
F. Fognini	22%	59%	19%
P. Martinez	35%	42%	23%
AVERAGE	22%	53%	26%

Tsitsipas contacted the ball on average 27 per cent of the time in his first three matches at Indian Wells, with the standout being 35 per cent in his round of 64 match against Pedro Martinez. But in his loss to Basilashvili, Tsitsipas only made contact with the ball 5 per cent of the time inside the baseline.

That was the smallest amount struck inside the baseline by any player in the tournament. Overall, players were more likely to step inside the baseline to make contact with a forehand over a backhand.

2021 BNP Paribas Open: Forehands v Backhands Contact Points

Match	Zone 1	Zone 2	Zone 3
Forehands	26%	50%	24%
Backhands	24%	53%	23%

In general, stepping into the ball and making contact inside the baseline correlated more with winning the match than staying deep behind the baseline. But it’s not a fix-all for all players, as there were still many matches won where the match winner was not the player with the highest percentage of shots inside the baseline.

This metric is best used in a match-by-match comparison, factoring in specific head-to-head playing styles. Horses for courses in the California desert.

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Emma Raducanu falls again to old foe Marta Kostyuk who ‘destroyed’ her in juniors

Emma Raducanu is out of the Transylvania Open after losing in straight sets to Marta Kostyuk.

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Cilic Battles Past Bautista Agut, Into St. Petersburg Semi-finals

Another day, another tough three-set win for Marin Cilic in Russia.

One day after clawing past Karen Khachanov, the former World No. 3 battled past third seed Roberto Bautista Agut 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 to reach the St. Petersburg Open semi-finals.

“Today was a difficult match mentally, very, very different from yesterday,” Cilic said in his on-court interview. “During the match I was a lot up and down and I felt that I didn’t have great rhythm. But I felt that continuously I was making chances and I just had to stay mentally in the match.”

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Even in the last game, Bautista Agut put pressure on his opponent. But Cilic hit four consecutive big serves to get out of trouble and advance after two hours and 34 minutes.

The Croatian, who triumphed in St. Petersburg in 2011, will next play top seed Andrey Rublev or Dutch qualifier Botic van de Zandschulp.

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Zverev Earns 50th Win Of The Season, Marches Through In Vienna

Alexander Zverev continued his quest for his fifth tour-level title of the season on Friday at the Erste Bank Open, downing Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 to capture his 50th tour-level victory of the season and reach the semi-finals in Vienna.

The second seed, who earned his 300th tour-level win on Thursday when he defeated Australian Alex de Minaur, was strong on serve, winning 80 per cent (40/50) of points behind his first delivery. The German recovered from a dip in the second set as he raised his level in the decider to advance after two hours and six minutes.

[FOLLOW ACTION]

Zverev now leads Auger-Aliassime 4-1 in their ATP Head2Head series, gaining revenge from his defeat to the sixth seed in the fourth round at Wimbledon in July.

The World No. 4 will face #NextGenATP Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz in the last four after the 18-year-old upset Italian Matteo Berrettini 6-1, 6-7(2), 7-6(5) to reach his first ATP 500 semi-final.

Zverev is making his second main-draw appearance in Vienna, having enjoyed a run to the quarter-finals in 2017. Earlier this season, the 17-time tour-level titlist triumphed at ATP Masters 1000 events in Madrid and Cincinnati. The German also lifted the trophy in Acapulco and captured the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics.

After winning 100 per cent (9/9) of his first-service points in the opening set, Zverev moved ahead and looked in control. That was until the eighth game of the second set, when the German missed a volley on top of the net at 30/0. Auger-Aliassime went on to break in that game, before levelling on serve.

However, Zverev regained his focus and composure in the decider and converted on his sixth break point in a mammoth 16-minute sixth game of the decider. Zverev then sealed victory when Auger-Aliassime hit a backhand long

With his defeat, Auger-Aliassime’s bid to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals suffered a blow. The 21-year-old is 12th (2,420 points) in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin, 535 points behind ninth-placed Hubert Hurkacz. The Pole currently occupies the final qualification spot with eighth-placed Rafael Nadal out for the rest of the season due to a foot injury.

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Emma Raducanu conquerer makes admission about US Open star - 'figured out how to play her'

Emma Raducanu was beaten at the Transylvania Open as her poor form following her US Open triumph continues.

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Emma Raducanu crashes out of Transylvania Open after straight-sets loss to Marta Kostyuk

Emma Raducanu has been dumped out of the Transylvania Open.

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Emma Raducanu a win away from 'idol' clash as Simona Halep wins Transylvania quarter-final

Simona Halep beat wildcard Jaqueline Cristian 6-1 6-1 to book her spot in the Transylvania Open semi-final, and awaits the winner of a clash between Emma Raducanu and Marta Kostyuk.

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Alcaraz Upsets Berrettini In Vienna Classic, Reaches SFs

#NextGenATP star Carlos Alcaraz is just 18 years old, but you would not have thought it on Friday at the Erste Bank Open, where he upset World No. 7 Matteo Berrettini 6-1, 6-7(2), 7-6(5) to reach the semi-finals.

The Spaniard hit 24 winners first set as he showcased his power from the baseline throughout. Alcaraz mixed his aggressive hitting with great touch to cause Berrettini problems, advancing after two hours and 40 minutes in a high-quality match.

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It is the first time Alcaraz has reached the last four at an ATP 500 event, with his victory over Berrettini the second biggest win of his career by FedEx ATP Ranking. The 18-year-old shocked World No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas in the third round at the US Open in September.

Alcaraz, who is making his debut in Vienna, overcame British pair Daniel Evans and Andy Murray earlier this week. The Spaniard is aiming to win his second tour-level title, after triumphing in Umag in July.

The World No. 42 will next face second seed Alexander Zverev or Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime in his fourth tour-level semi-final of the season.

In a fast start, Alcaraz quickly clicked into gear as he found his best tennis to pin Berrettini behind the baseline with his flat and accurate groundstrokes, moving ahead after 29 minutes. However, Berrettini began to dig in during the second set and raised his level in the crucial moments, saving all four break points he faced as they moved to a decider.

Alcaraz quickly regained his grip on the match in the third set as he raced 4-1 ahead, but was pegged back to 4-4 after Berrettini produced a strong return game. The pair then moved to a tie-break, in which Alcaraz raised his game and the roof to secure his victory on his third match point.

Berrettini was bidding to reach his first tour-level semi-final since Wimbledon, where he advanced to the championship match. The third seed advanced to the last four in Vienna in 2019 and booked his place at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin after his first-round victory against Australian Alexei Popyrin on Monday.

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Rafael Nadal makes 97-year-old tennis player's dream come true

Rafael Nadal took to the court with Leonid Stanislavskyi, the man who holds the Guinness World Record for being the oldest-ranked pro player at 97 years old.

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Emma Raducanu v Marta Kostyuk tennis live stream: How to watch Transylvania Open today

BRITISH teen tennis sensation Emma Raducanu will take on Marta Kostyuk in her latest WTA match today. Want to watch all of the action live? Here's everything you need to know about the Prime Video streaming options.

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Emma Raducanu gives Simona Halep scouting assessment ahead of potential Romania clash

Emma Raducanu and her 'idol' Simona Halep are both one match-win away from a first meeting at this week's Transylvania Open.

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Emma Raducanu makes massive Transylvania Open pledge after reaching quarter-finals

Emma Raducanu says she feels "at home" playing at the Transylvania Open in Romania - the country her father hails from.

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Fritz Storms Into St. Petersburg SFs

Taylor Fritz produced an impressive performance on Friday at the St. Petersburg Open, overcoming John Millman 6-4, 6-2 to reach his second consecutive tour-level semi-final.

The American, who celebrated his 24th birthday by defeating Tommy Paul on Thursday, rallied from a break down in the first set and won 73 per cent (19/26) of his first-serve points to advance after 74 minutes.

“It feels great. I came out and played really well today,” Fritz said in his on-court interview. “I knew what I had to do and I did it and I played well and I am happy to be in the semi-finals. There was a really important point [at the start of the second set] and I won that point and I carried the momentum from there. It was a really important break.”

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Fritz is yet to drop a set in St. Petersburg and arrived at the ATP 250 event in form, having defeated World No. 4 Alexander Zverev en route to his first ATP Masters 1000 semi-final in Indian Wells earlier this month.

The fifth seed now leads Millman 2-0 in their ATP Head2Head series and will face second-seeded Canadian Denis Shapovalov or German Jan-Lennard Struff in the last four. It will be Fritz’s sixth tour-level semi-final of the season, with the World No. 28 also advancing to this stage in Doha, Cagliari, Los Cabos and Atlanta.

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Emma Raducanu smells blood at Transylvania Open after being 'absolutely destroyed'

Emma Raducanu is gunning for revenge at the Transylvania Open.

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Novak Djokovic appeal made as Australian Open could ban world No 1

AUSSIE star John Millman has appealed for Novak Djokovic to be allowed to play in the Australian Open even if he is not vaccinated.

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Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev link up with Didier Deschamps on the tennis court

Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev were seen linking up with France's World Cup-winning boss Didier Deschamps on the tennis court.

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Murray/Soares Battle Into St. Petersburg Semi-finals

Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares, who are eighth in the FedEx ATP Doubles Team Rankings, currently hold the final qualifying spot for the Nitto ATP Finals. This week at the St. Petersburg Open, they are doing well to give themselves breathing room.

The top seeds earned a 7-6(0), 3-6, 10-6 win on Thursday against Australians Luke Saville and John-Patrick Smith to reach the St. Petersburg semi-finals.

The veteran duo will next play New Zealand's Marcus Daniell and Brazilian Marcelo Demoliner, who were 6-0, 3-6, 10-7 winners against Americans Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul. Earlier in the day, Fritz defeated Paul in the singles draw.

Canadian Denis Shapovalov, the second seed in the singles field, and partner Rohan Bopanna of India, clawed past Russian stars Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev 6-4, 5-7, 10-7.

Second Seeds Ram/Salisbury Reach Vienna Semi-finals
Both doubles matches played at the Erste Bank Open on Thursday went to a Match Tie-break, and in both the seeded team found a way to win.

Second seeds Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury, this year's US Open champions, eliminated Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime and two-time Roland Garros titlist Andreas Mies of Germany 6-3, 6-7(7), 10-6. Also advancing were third seeds John Peers and Filip Polasek, who ousted Austrian wild cards Oliver Marach and Philipp Oswald 6-7(4), 6-3, 10-4.

 

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Tremendous Tiafoe Stuns Tsitsipas In Vienna

Never count out Frances Tiafoe.

The American showed why on Thursday evening when he staged an impressive rally from 0-3 down in the deciding set to stun top seed Stefanos Tsitsipas 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 for a place in the Erste Bank Open quarter-finals.

After a short lapse in the second set, Tsitsipas appeared to have regained his level as he sprinted through the first three games in the decider. But Tiafoe, who constantly engaged the Austrian crowd, battled back to triumph after one hour and 49 minutes.

It was a thrilling match with entertaining points throughout. But in the crucial moments, Tiafoe was the more decisive player, and that made the difference.

^{Photo Credit: Thomas Kronsteiner/Getty Images}
Tsitsipas double faulted to give Tiafoe the deciding break in the third set. Despite facing the pressure of serving out the match, the American played bold tennis to close things out, hitting a massive second serve at 30/15 and eliciting a return error on the next point to seal his victory.

Tiafoe now leads the pair’s ATP Head2Head series 2-1, with all three of their meetings coming this year. He was victorious at Wimbledon, and Tsitsipas beat him at the Tokyo Olympics.

In his only previous appearance in Vienna three years ago, Tiafoe lost in the first round. But he made just 14 unforced errors to move into his second ATP 500 quarter-final of the year.

The 23-year-old will next play eighth seed Diego Schwartzman, who clawed past Frenchman Gael Monfils 7-6(5), 4-6, 6-2 after two hours and 32 minutes.

That was another exciting encounter, in which both men showed incredible speed and athleticism. In one hilarious moment, Monfils let slip his racquet as he hit a volley and, as a joke, hit the next volley with his hands, giving Schwartzman the point. Both men laughed about it at the net.

The Argentine did not face a break point in the deciding set and showed some of the form that helped him to the Antwerp final last week. Schwartzman has now won 10 of his past 13 matches.

"For me it was an important match. The only bad part [is] I cannot see Paris Saint-Germain tomorrow [with] Messi in France. I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" Schwartzman said in his post-match interview. "I calmed down a little bit in the third [set]."

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Zverev Earns 300th Win: 'This Is Definitely A Massive Milestone'

German Alexander Zverev earned his 300th tour-level win on Thursday at the Erste Bank Open, where he defeated Australian Alex de Minaur 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 to reach the quarter-finals.

“I started on the Tour when I was 16 years old and now being 24, I’m still quite young, so I’m quite happy to have this achievement at an early stage in my career,” Zverev told ATPTour.com. “Hopefully there are a lot more coming.”

Zverev claimed his first tour-level victory seven years ago in Hamburg against Robin Haase. Now the German is 300-138 and his 68.3 winning percentage ranks sixth among active players, trailing only Novak Djokovic (83.2%), Rafael Nadal (83.1%), Roger Federer (82%), Andy Murray (76.5%) and Juan Martin del Potro (71.7%).

“This is definitely a massive milestone for me,” Zverev said in his post-match interview.

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A few victories stick out to Zverev, who is a five-time Nitto ATP Finals qualifier and the 2018 champion at the season finale.

“The most memorable one is the first one against Haase in Hamburg when I was 17. [I would also say my] first win against Roger in Halle, because it was in Germany as well… and I think the first tournament victory against Stan in St. Petersburg [in 2016],” Zverev added.

The Vienna second seed had to work hard to eliminate De Minaur. He powered through behind 17 aces and won 89 per cent of his first-serve points to reach the quarter-finals.

“I missed too many chances in the second set, I can’t do that. I was rushing maybe a little bit too much. I did too many unforced errors then and credit to Alex because he picked up his level,” Zverev said. “He saw his chance and he used it, so credit to him. But in the third set, I picked it up again and I’m happy [it went] my way.”

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Emma Raducanu's rise compared to Serena and Venus Williams

Emma Raducanu's almost-immediate breakthrough to the top level of the game has been compared to that of Serena and Venus Williams, who skipped the junior circuit and saw sudden success on the pro tour.

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Dominic Thiem urged to get vaccinated as soon as possible by leading politician

An Austrian cabinet minister has urged Dominic Thiem to re-think his vaccine stance and take the jab.

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Cilic Claws Past Khachanov In St. Petersburg

Marin Cilic is Croatian, but he is making himself at home in Russia.

The former World No. 3 made the final in Moscow last week, and on Thursday he battled into the quarter-finals in St. Petersburg. Cilic rallied past home favourite Karen Khachanov 6-4, 6-7(1), 6-4 to advance to the last eight.

“It was an amazing match, great level from both sides,” Cilic said in his on-court interview. “Karen played really, really well and on a few occasions [was] just a little bit unlucky. In the third set I was break point up at 1-1, then 40/0 on my game. One or two points here and there [were the difference], but I have to say it was definitely a great match.”

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Khachanov pushed hard to continue his run at home, where he earned a 4-1 lead in the deciding set with his aggressive play. But Cilic stormed back to claim the final five games and with it the match after two hours and 30 minutes.

Cilic won the St. Petersburg title in his most recent appearance at the event in 2011. But with the likes of top seed Andrey Rublev still in the draw, the Croatian is not getting ahead of himself.

“Everybody is playing good. The tournament is great. It’s the end of the season, so everybody wants to finish on a great level,” Cilic said. “For me it was great to play this kind of a match today.”

It will not get any easier in the quarter-finals against third seed Roberto Bautista Agut. The Spanish veteran eliminated American Mackenzie McDonald 6-3, 6-2 in one hour and 19 minutes.

“I love playing here in St. Petersburg. I like this court. I like the conditions. I like the city, also,” Bautista said in his on-court interview. “I’m happy that I won the first match in two sets and [I will] be ready for tomorrow.”

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Sinner-Ruud Blockbuster Set In Vienna

Jannik Sinner and Casper Ruud on Thursday set a blockbuster quarter-final at the Erste Bank Open with massive implications on the FedEx ATP Race To Turin.

If Sinner defeats Ruud, he will pass Hubert Hurkacz to hold the final qualifying spot for the Nitto ATP Finals and pull within 90 points of Ruud for seventh place. If the Norwegian wins, he will further solidify his standing as he pursues a maiden trip to the season finale.

"It's going to be tricky. He's in a better position than I am for the Race. I think right now it's tough to say and tough to do because in the end you try always not to think about that, but in the end you think about that because you believe. You want to go there. If it's not this year, hopefully it's next year and if it's not next year, maybe I don't reach it. But I try my best in every match I play.

"It's going to be hopefully I high-level match, even if [there] is all the pressure and everything. But he's a very, very solid player. He's not making any mistakes from the baseline. His serve is much improved. But at the end I'm here because I love tennis."

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Sinner advanced to the last eight with a 6-4, 6-2 victory against wild card Dennis Novak. The Italian saved all six break points he won to triumph after one hour and 16 minutes.

The 2019 Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals champion has won 10 consecutive indoor matches — including titles in Sofia and Antwerp — and not lost a set in any of them. He has won both his matches in Vienna by identical 6-4, 6-2 margins.

^{Photo Credit: Bildagentur Zolles}
His next opponent, Ruud, had to battle hard to move past Italian Lorenzo Sonego 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 in two hours and 42 minutes. The 22-year-old, once known for his clay-court play, has improved on hard courts, lifting his first trophy on the surface in San Diego.

In the Norwegian's first appearance in Vienna last year, Ruud lost against Sinner. That was their only previous ATP Head2Head meeting.

"From last year, everything has changed from both sides because of [our] ranking, because of the experience," Sinner said. "I just hope that it's going to be a great match to be honest."

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Andy Murray to join Novak Djokovic at Paris Masters 1000 after receiving wildcard

Andy Murray has been awarded a wildcard into next week's Paris Masters 1000 - the tournament that earned him the world No 1 ranking just five years ago.

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Emma Raducanu lifts lid on her massive gesture to LTA after winning US Open

Emma Raducanu has revealed where her US Open trophy is currently residing.

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Emma Raducanu beats Ana Bogdan to reach Transylvania Open quarter-finals

EMMA RADUCANU won her Romanian derby with Ana Bogdan to reach the quarter-finals of the Transylvania Open.

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Emma Raducanu sent message by under-12 opponent ahead of potential Transylvania Open clash

Emma Raducanu is yet to win her third-round match in Romania, but her potential quarter-final opponent is already looking forward to a future rivalry.

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Andy Murray maps out calendar for rest of season as he makes another Davis Cup U-turn

Andy Murray appears to have ruled himself out joining Great Britain's Davis Cup squad once again, just days after admitting he could be "convinced" to play.

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