Andy Murray unemotional over Boris Becker and insists tennis icon deserved prison sentence

BORIS BECKER was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison earlier this week in his bankruptcy case.

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Andy Murray refuses to back Wimbledon's Russia ban and hits out at the Government

WIMBLEDON'S ban imposed upon Russian and Belarusian players has divided tennis.

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Djokovic Hopeful Of Further Progress In Madrid

Novak Djokovic, the top seed this week at the Mutua Madrid Open, has been eager for competitive match play as he ramps up his activity on the ATP Tour. He got that and more in Belgrade, where he played four three-setters in a runner-up finish at his hometown Serbia Open. 

Though he lost to Andrey Rublev in a three-set final — "running out of gas", as he described it — Djokovic left the ATP 250 event happy with his performance.

"I was looking to spend more time on the court, and that's what I got. So of course playing finals is a good result and I have to be positive about it," he said in a Madrid pre-tournament presser.

"I like a lot of things about the way I was hitting the ball. Of course it's not at the level still where I wish it to be. It is a process, and I have to be patient. Hopefully things will progress in the right direction also this week."

While Djokovic attributes the gaps in his game to his lack of match play, he feels his fitness struggles are due to lingering effects from an illness he had prior to Monte Carlo.

"But [it was] different in Belgrade than it was in Monaco," he explained of his fitness level. "Knowing that I played four almost-three-hour matches and long, three-set battles gives me enough reason to believe that it's headed in the right direction.

"I had a very good week of training now, put more emphasis on fitness and building the stamina and endurance, because that's what's going to be necessary in order to compete with top guys on the slowest and physically most demanding surface in our sport."

Djokovic will open his Madrid campaign against Gael Monfils or Spanish wild card Carlos Gimeno Valero. His last-16 matchup promises to be an enticing one against one of Dominic Thiem, Andy Murray, Denis Shapovalov and Ugo Humbert.

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Rafael Nadal issued French Open warning by coach amid injury uncertainty - 'Real unknown'

RAFAEL NADAL has been sent a message ahead of his return to the court following a rib injury.

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Alcaraz On Mentality: 'I Have Grown Up So Much'

#NextGenATP Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz has consistently broken records and hit new heights in 2022, with his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title in Miami and Top 10 breakthrough two standout moments.

Speaking before his opening singles match at the Mutua Madrid Open Sunday, the 18-year-old revealed that the fundamental factor behind his rapid rise on the ATP Tour has been his mental fortitude.

""I think that as a player I have grown a lot, [and also] as a person," Alcaraz said in his pre-tournament press conference. "Last year I came here to live these kinds of matches, to be able to gain some experience, to be able to level myself against the best players in the world. Now I consider myself one of them.

“I would say my fitness has been important but definitely the most important part has been the mental game. I feel I have grown up so much in that part. That is why I am the World No. 9 right now and that is why I am playing at a good level. That is why I have been able to win great matches, so I think [my mentality] is the most important thing.”

Alcaraz arrives in Madrid off the back of capturing his third tour-level title of the season in Barcelona. With the seventh seed now 23-3 on the season and third in the ATP Race To Turin, expectation levels have increased for the teenager.

However, the World No. 9 feels that he can cope with the pressure and is just relishing the opportunity to compete on Spanish soil again this week.

"It's not easy to play at home. There is a lot of expectation, a lot of people that want to see you doing it well," Alcaraz said. "But I'm a player that turns things around. I take that as a motivation, as an extra punch, extra help.

“I am really excited to be competing here. It is great to play in Spain in front of my home crowd. I try not to think about the pressure. I just try and think about myself and play my best on court. I am trying to have a great time with the crowd pushing me up. I don’t try and think about the expectations.”

Alcaraz, who faces Nikoloz Basilashvili or Fabio Fognini in his opening singles match, took to court in the doubles earlier on Sunday with countryman Marc Lopez for the first time.

Alcaraz said that he was honoured to partner the 39-year-old, who has won 14 tour-level doubles titles in his career.

“I have known Marc for a long time. It is pretty amazing to play with him,” Alcaraz said following their Match Tie-break win against Lukasz Kubot and Edouard Roger-Vasselin. “I am so proud to share the court with him and learn from him. I thought it was a great match and I enjoyed every single second on court.

"It was his idea. He texted me and he said he was going to play his last tournament here in Madrid. He was real excited to play this doubles with me."

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Britons Draper, Evans Advance In Madrid

#NextGenATP Briton Jack Draper earned the second ATP Masters 1000 win of his season and career on Sunday at the Mutua Madrid Open. The 20-year-old wild card was a 6-4, 6-3 winner over World No. 27 Italian Lorenzo Sonego.

Draper dropped serve just once in the Madrid opening-round match, but it came at a crucial time as he served for the first set. After missing out on a set point, he bounced back to break for the set. The Briton again faced a break point as he served out the match, but was able to close it out for the straight-sets victory.

The World No. 124 has won four ATP Challenger Tour events in a strong start to the 2022 season, and defeated Gilles Simon at the Miami Open presented by Itau in March. He next faces sixth seed Andrey Rublev.

Daniel Evans joined his countryman in the second round after a 6-3, 6-4 win over Federico Delbonis as he looks to kickstart his clay swing.

"I think all of it was pretty good," Evans said of his performance against the Argentine, who reached the last 16 as a qualifier last year in Madrid. "I played pretty well throughout the match. I served well, I mixed it up well.

"I've played well this year on clay," he added, "just haven't got my head in front really."

New Conversion and Steal Insights from Tennis Data Innovations reveal how Evans won the match despite Delbonis being the more aggressive player. The left hander won the Balance of Power decisively, hitting from an attacking position 31 per cent of the time to Evans' 20 per cent.

But the Brit was much better at converting from attacking positions, boasting a Conversion score of 82 per cent. In contrast, Delbonis won just 61 per cent of points when he worked his way into offense.

Evans also enjoyed an emphatic edge over Delbonis in the new Steal score metric, winning an impressive 39 per cent of points in which he found himself in a defensive position, handily above the clay average of 35 per cent.

Learn more about Conversion & Steal scores

In the only other main-draw singles match on Sunday, John Isner defeated Filip Krajinovic, 7-6(8), 6-4.

In Madrid doubles action, Carlos Alcaraz teamed with Marc Lopez for a 4-6, 7-6(2), 10-4 win in what was the youngster's Madrid doubles debut. Another Spanish pairing — Pablo Carreno Busta and Pedro Martinez — also advanced via a Match Tie-break, beating Rohan Bopanna and Denis Shapovalov, 6-7(6), 6-3, 10-1.

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Federer Visits Malawi: 'Access To Quality Early Education Is Crucial'

Rehab following knee surgery is preventing Roger Federer from lighting up the ATP Tour at the moment, but it is not stopping the 103-time tour-level titlist from delivering off the court.

In his role as President of the Roger Federer Foundation, the Swiss this week visited Malawi to show his support for efforts being made to provide some of the most vulnerable children in the African nation with access to formal education.

The 40-year-old met children, caregivers, teachers, and parents involved with the School Readiness Programme, an initiative launched in 2020 by his foundation in partnership with local organisations. The programme is currently working with 900 community-based childcare centres, helping them collaborate with local stakeholders to push for improved access to formal early education for children living in poverty in the nation of nearly 20 million people.

The long-term goal of the School Readiness Programme is to reach 2,500 community-based childcare centres in Malawi by 2026.

Federer also met with the Malawian government’s Minister of Gender, Community Development and Social Services to officially hand over 3,000 "early-learning kiosks", which are tablets with pre-loaded apps, tools and guides designed to help caregivers improve participation in organised learning.

"Wonderful to see that we are having a real impact on the ground with the @rogerfederer.foundation," Federer wrote on Instagram. "Access to quality early education is crucial as it is the foundation of all learning. I am so happy I made my way to Malawi."

Did You Know?
The Roger Federer Foundation, founded in 2003, aims to support educational projects in southern Africa and Switzerland. It has impacted the lives of more than 1.98 million children, with School Readiness Programmes also being implemented in Lesotho, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. The Foundation has been working in Malawi since 2011 and has since invested $18 million into educational projects in the country.

Federer was named the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year in the ATP Awards in 2006 and 2013.

- All photos courtesy of the Roger Federer Foundation by Jens Honoré

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