(Tennis news) Scottish tennis player Andy Murray got knocked out of Wimbledon after succumbing to a four set defeat at the hands of John Isner with the score of 6-4 7-6 (7-4) 6-7 (3-7) 6-4. Murray could only manage to get 15 points against Isner’s first serve and took time to get into the rhythm, with Isner breaking Murray’s serve for only the second time in 25 sets over 12 years. 

Speaking after the match, Murray reiterated his belief that he can produce his best tennis at Grand Slams and does not intend to step away from the game. He said “I think most of the players on the tour would tell you that a match like that was won or lost based on a few points here and there. I didn't play well enough on those points tonight. Like I said, I certainly didn't serve well enough at the beginning of the match, which I think is understandable. Look, he's a difficult opponent to play against. Like you say, I obviously played well against him in the past. 

"Tonight's match, I don't see why it should change that, change that view really. Physically I feel good, then we'll try to keep playing. But it's extremely difficult with the problems I've had with my body in the last few years to make long-term predictions about how I'm going to be even in a few weeks' time, never mind in a year's time. If physically I'm in a good place, yeah, I will continue to play. But it's not easy to keep my body in optimal condition to compete at the highest level." 

In the on-court interview after the match, John Isner said “I am most definitely not a better tennis player than Andy Murray, I might have just been a little better than him today. It was an incredible honour to play him on this court in front of this crowd. At the age I'm at now, I need to relish these moments. This was one of the biggest wins of my career. To play as well as I did against one of our greatest players ever was a huge accomplishment for me. He's a massive inspiration to each one of us in the locker room and we are so lucky to still have him around." 

In other results, defending champion Novak Djokovic remained on course for his fourth consecutive title after defeating Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-1 6-4 6-2 in two hours. The Serbian may have been unconvincing in his win against Kwon Soon-woo, but was back to his dominant best. Speaking after the match, Djokovic said “I'm happy with my performance today. A really high-quality performance. I must say I'm quite pleased with the way I've raised the level of tennis in two days. Hopefully I can keep that trajectory, just thinking about the next challenge and hope things will get better as the tournament goes on." The Serbian will now face either Chile's Alejandro Tabilo or Serb compatriot Miomir Kecmanovic in the next round.

Meanwhile, British number 1 Cameron Norrie survived a 6-4 3-6 5-7 6-0 6-2 scare to defeat Juame Munar. Ugo Humbert, who forgot his rackets in the locker room despite the match being delayed by more than an hour and a half, overcame Casper Ruud 3-6 6-2 7-5 6-4. Ranked 112, Humbert has never won a match at the All England Club before this week and will now face David Goffin in the next round for a place in the Round of 16.

Also read: Rafael Nadal defeats Francisco Cerundolo to reach Wimbledon second round

(Tennis news) Rafael Nadal is defying his age at the moment, having already won two Grand Slams in the season so far. The 36 year old won his 14th French Open title last weekend after defeating Norway’s Casper Ruud 6-3 6-3 6-0. However, the Spaniard has remained coy about his participation at Wimbledon after struggling with a chronic foot injury. He said “I am going to be in Wimbledon if my body is ready to be in Wimbledon. Wimbledon is not a tournament that I want to miss."

In an interview after winning the French Open, Nadal explained that he played Sunday’s final with a numb foot after taking injections for his chronic foot injury. The Spaniard has said that he will not go through the ordeal again in order to compete at Wimbledon and also shed light on the severity of the issue, which almost prompted him to retire after missing a significant portion of the 2021 season including Wimbledon, US Open and the Olympics.

Nadal said “Wimbledon is a priority, always has been a priority. If I'm able to play with anti-inflammatories, yes. To play with anaesthetic injections, I do not want to put myself in that position again. It can happen once but no, it's not the philosophy of life I want to follow. Let's see. I am always a positive guy and always expect things to go the right way. Let's be confident, let's be positive and let's see what's going on." 

Speaking about the path ahead, the Spaniard said “It's going to be a radio frequency injection on the nerve and trying to burn a little bit the nerve and create the impact that I have now on the nerve for a long period of time. That's what we are going to try. If that works, I'm going to keep going. If that does not work, then it's going to be another story. And then I am going to ask myself if I am ready to do a major thing without being sure that things are going the proper way, for example. A major surgery that doesn't guarantee me to be able to be competitive again and take a long time to be back [is a risk]. So let's do it step by step, as I did all my tennis career."

Also read: Rafael Nadal wins 14th Roland Garros and 22nd Grand Slam title

(Tennis news) Rafael Nadal claimed his 22nd Grand Slam title by winning the Roland Garros, which meant that he is level with Steffi Graf for second-most major singles titles in the Open Era with Serena Williams in first place with 23 titles. The Spaniard secured a straight set 6-3 6-3 6-0 victory over Norwegian tennis player Casper Ruud on Court Philippe Chatrier, which means he now has two Grand Slams more than his closest rivals Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer. 

In his acceptance speech, Nadal said “For me personally, it is very difficult to describe the feelings that I have. It's something that I never believed, that I would be here at 36, being competitive again, playing on the most important court of my career one more time in a final. It means everything to me. It means a lot of energy to try to keep going. I just want to say 'merci, merci beaucoup'. I don't know what can happen in the future but I am going to keep fighting to try to keep going." 

Approaching the match, Ruud knew that he was against a seasoned veteran on his favourite court but the Norwegian could not have predicted just how quickly Nadal would begin to dominate as the opening set was quickly wrapped up. Ruud got a break to love for a 3-1 lead in the second set due to a double fault but Nadal fought back immediately with a forehand winner bringing up the set point for the Spaniard after which the Norwegian double-faulted to give his opponent a 2-0 lead. 

Nadal may be 36 and a chronic foot injury means that the time is ticking for the Spaniard to call it a day on his illustrious career, however, the Spaniard is already halfway through the calendar Grand Slam for the first time in his career. His record at the Roland Garros is impeccable, having lost only three times at the tournament since his debut in 2005. In his post game interview, Casper Ruud said “This is a first time for me so let's see how I do. The first and most important thing is to congratulate Rafa. It's your 14th time, 22nd all round in Grand Slams. We all know what a champion you are. Today I got to feel how it is to play against you in a final. It's not easy and I'm not the first victim. I know there have been many before." 

Also read: Rafael Nadal progresses to the French Open final while Ruud defeats Cilic

(Tennis news) Rafael Nadal reached the finals of the French Open after his opponent Alexander Zverev was forced off injured after turning his right angle on the final point of the 12th game of the second set. The Spaniard was leading 7-6 (10-8) 6-6 when Zverev was taken on a wheelchair following his fall. Nadal will take on Casper Ruud in the Roland Garros final on Sunday after the Norwegian defeated Marin Cilic in the semi-finals.

In the post game interview, Nadal said “It is very tough and I feel very sad for him. He was playing an unbelievable tournament. I know how much he is fighting for a Grand Slam - he will win more than one. I wish him all the very best. It is difficult to say a lot of things in this situation. For me to be in the final of Roland Garros is a dream but at the same time to finish that way is not nice. I was in a small room with Sascha [in the treatment room off court] and to see him crying was a tough moment." 

In the second semi-final, Casper Ruud became the first Norwegian player to reach a Grand Slam single’s final after defeating Marin Cilic 3-6 6-4 6-2 6-2. The 33 year old Croatian was playing in his first major semi-final since losing the 2018 Australian Open final. However, the 23 year old Ruud broke Cilic’s serve in the third game of the second set and Cilic failed to capitalize on three chances to get it back on serve in the 10th game of the set. Ruud was 4-1 ahead in the sixth game of the third set before a protestor caused a 15-minute delay at Court Philippe Chatrier.

Speaking in the on-court interview after the match, Ruud said “Rafa has been my idol all of my life. He is the last of the big three top players in the world that I've never played with so it's perfect timing to play him in a Grand Slam final and it will be a special moment for me. He is playing a student from his academy so it's going to be a fun one. It's something I've dreamed of." 

Also read: Nadal to aim for 14th French Open title with win over Alexander Zverev

(Tennis news) Rafael Nadal will hope to give himself the perfect birthday present by reaching the finals of the French Open by defeating Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals. The 21 time Grand Slam winner turns 36 today and it may very well be the last time he plays at the Roland Garros, a tournament that he has been extremely successful in throughout his career. The Spaniard is suffering from a chronic “foot” injury and is yet to find a solution to the longstanding problem, but it didn’t stop him from defeating rival Djokovic in a four set encounter that lasted four hours.

Speaking about his foot injury, Nadal said “The last three months and a half, for me, the only thing that I can say is they haven't been easy. If we are not able to find an improvement or a small solution, then it's becoming super difficult for me. So that's it. It's not the moment to talk about [what happens after the French Open]. We are going to talk about that when my tournament finishes. I am just enjoying every day that I have the chance to be here, and without thinking much about what can happen in the future. Of course I'm going to keep fighting to find a solution, but for the moment, we haven't. I don't know what's going to happen after this." 

Victory in France would mean Nadal could move another title clear of both Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic and his chances of reaching the finals is quite likely, especially considering that Nadal has defeated Zverev in six of their last nine encounters and four out of five meetings on clay. The wait continues for the 25 year old’s maiden Grand Slam but the German defeated in-form Carlos Alcaraz to reach the semi-finals and underestimating the World Number 3 could have disastrous consequences for Nadal. The winner of this match will face either Norwegian eighth seed Casper Ruud or Croatia's Marin Cilic in the finals.

Speaking ahead of the match, Zverev said “I'm not 20 or 21 years old anymore. I'm 25. I am at the stage where I want to win, I'm at the stage where I'm supposed to win. Yes, I have not beaten [Djokovic or Nadal] in majors, but I feel like I was very close. "I feel like I have had very difficult and tough matches against them. But there is a big difference between having a tough match and beating them. Still a major difference." 

In the other semi-final, World Number 23 Marin Cilic, who defeated Russian seventh seed Andrey Rublev in a fifth-set tie-break, will take on Norway’s Casper Ruud. The 33 year old Croatian became the fifth active men's player apart from Djokovic, Nadal, Federer and Andy Murray to reach the semi-finals of all four Grand Slams. As for Casper Ruud, he is the first Norwegian player to reach the semi-finals of a Grand Slam, recording the most ATP clay-court wins since the start of 2020 with an impressive 65.  Speaking ahead of the match, Ruud said “These are the matches that you dream about playing, and hopefully of course even the final if it's possible. "I have to be really focused and bring my A-game to the semi-final. Marin has played great all week, and it's going to be another tough match."

Also read: Marin Cilic reaches French Open semi-final after defeating Rublev

(Tennis news) Marin Cilic progressed to the semi-finals of the French Open to set up an epic encounter against Casper Ruud. The 33 year old Croatian defeated Andrey Rublev 5-7 6-3 6-4 3-6 7-6 (10-2) and will take on his Norwegian opponent in the next round after Ruud overcame Holger Rune 6-1 4-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-3. Cilic has shown some impressive form in France, defeating world No 2 Daniil Medvedev in the quarter-finals. He got 33 aces and forced 71 unforced errors in a four-hour, 14-minute match.

Speaking in the on-court interview after the match, Cilic said “The win comes from being me, I played that kind of tennis the whole match. The fifth set was an incredible battle. Andrey played incredibly well, it was an incredibly fair-play performance on the court. A lot of heart. One had to go down and today was my day. But Andrey also played an incredible match. Bad luck to him. I felt more tired emotionally out there because Andrey plays a difficult game, he serves big, hits big, and you don't have many chances. You have to keep up with your level, which I did. Unfortunately, I lost that fourth set. I thought I was close to getting the break. When you play this long, there will always be ups and downs in the match but I kept my focus in the fifth."

In the other quarter-final match, Holger Rune, who had already defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas and Denis Shapovalov but could not overcome Casper Ruud. Speaking after the match, the Norwegian said “Of course a lot of nerves all day to get going. It's tough to find calm and peace. I started great but Holger fought back and raised his level. "I had played him three times already, now fourth, I guess I know a little bit how he plays. He plays fearless, goes for big shots. It's a big day for Norwegian tennis," Ruud added. "I will use tomorrow to prepare. These matches are the ones you are dreaming about playing." 

Also read: Rafael Nadal defeats Djokovic in an epic encounter at Roland Garros

(Tennis news) Stefanos Tsitsipas’ French Open dreams came to a disappointing end as the Greek player was eliminated by Danish teenager Holger Rune 7-5 3-6 6-3 6-4. The 19 year old had not won a single match at a major since arriving in Paris and had to save three break points in the final game before getting over the line. The Danish tennis player will take on fellow Scandinavian Casper Ruud in the last eight. 

Speaking after the match, Rune said “I have an unbelievable feeling. I was so nervous in the end. I was very nervous. I told myself to keep at it and play my plan. I mean it is so great to still be here. Part of the tactic was to play as aggressive as possible, when he gets shorter balls he attacks them. I really liked playing the drop shots and it worked out pretty good so I am happy."

Meanwhile, World Number 2 and US Open champion Daniil Medvedev lost to Marin Cilic 6-2 6-3 6-2. The Russian was recently sidelined with a hernia surgery and that may have played a role in his defeat to the Croatian veteran, being dominated from start to finish in what can only be considered a disappointing loss. Cilic said “It was an absolutely fantastic match from the first point to the last. I enjoyed the atmosphere and enjoyed the night session here. I played incredible tennis - one of the best matches of my career from start to finish."

Casper Ruud overcame Poland's Hubert Hurkacz 6-2 6-3 3-6 6-3 to reach his maiden Grand Slam quarter-final. The Norwegian has been one of the most consistent players on clay, winning seven out of his last eight titles on the surface but has been eliminated in the third round of Roland Garros in 2019, 2020 and 2021. Speaking after the match, Ruud said “It feels great, it was one of my goals this year. I feel more experienced playing best of five sets. Hubert has improved a lot on clay, he has become a dangerous player on all surfaces; he has a dangerous serve but I did well at returning it today." 

Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner was forced off injured against Andrey Rublev. The 20 year old was hoping for his second quarter-final since 2020 and won the opening set 6-1 before sustaining a knee injury which led him to lose 6-4 in the second set. Rublev was 2-0 up in the third set before Sinner withdrew from the match. The Italian said “I felt good or quite ok in the first set and after serving at 2-1 (in the second) I felt something from that point.” 

Also read: Novak Djokovic to face Rafael Nadal in French Open quarter-finals

(Tennis news) British tennis player Dan Evans was knocked out in the second round of the French Open by Mikael Ymer 3-6 6-3 2-6 3-6. The result means that Cameron Norrie is the only remaining player from Great Britain at the Roland Garros. Norrie has not dropped a set yet in the Grand Slam event across the two rounds and will take on Karen Khachanov in the fourth match on Court Simonne-Mathieu.

Speaking after the match, Evans said “I couldn't care less. I gave away the last point, but I couldn't care less, to be honest with you. "I think I'd put enough effort in for three-and-a-half hours. I was physically exhausted. That was it for me. It's frustrating and it's upsetting, don't get me wrong, but that's the way it goes. I've been struggling with a chest infection. It's not ideal really. Normal symptoms, sweating a lot at night, bad sleep. It probably took a lot out of me. It's not an excuse. I was in some good situations, but physically I wasn't spot on."

In other results, Stefanos Tsitsipas defeated Zdenek Kolar 6-3 7-6 6-7-7-6 in a match that lasted four hours while Daniil Medvedev overcame Laslo Djere 6-3 6-4 6-3. The World Number 2 won 70 percent of points behind his first serve and capitalised on his opponent's high unforced error count during the two and a half hour match. He will face Miomir Kecmanovic in the next round as the Serbian defeated Alexander Bublik in four sets 4-6 7-5 6-2 6-1. Speaking after the match, Medvedev said “Today I think to be honest, Laslo was playing better clay-court tennis. But I managed to fight and just put one more ball in the court than him. It was a very tough match, but I am happy to win. "I honestly think I played better in the first round. I definitely need to play better next round, because it's going to be tougher and tougher. Again, I am not going to lie, I prefer hard courts."

Casper Ruud also secured a win at the French Open as the Norwegian defeated Emil Ruusuvuori of Finland 6-3 6-4 6-2. Speaking after the match, Ruud said “It was definitely a challenge. Even though it was three straight sets, there were some tough moments and some chances I didn't get, but some I did. All in all, I'm very happy with the performance." In the women’s category, Iga Swiatek defeated Alison Riske 6-0 6-2 in just 61 minutes to extend her winning run to 30 matches. The World Number 1 thoroughly dominated the match, hitting 23 winners. She will face world No 95 Danka Kovinic in the third round on Saturday.

Speaking in the on-court interview after the match, Swiatek said “I'm pretty happy. I'm just happy that I'm playing really solid tennis and I think this is my first singles match on Court Suzanne-Lenglen so it was a pleasure playing here and thank you [to the fans] for cheering. It's been something I've been working on since I started. Just being focused and wanting to put pressure on my opponent is really helpful as it means that I have the initiative from the beginning and can really lead on court. It's not that easy before every match because you have to get pumped up and in the zone, but I'm getting better and better at it."

Also read: French Open: Djokovic and Nadal progress while Raducanu gets eliminated

(Tennis news) Stefanos Tsitsipas, who reached the finals of the French Open last year, overcame a two set deficit to defeat Lorenzo Musetti 5-7 4-6 6-2 6-3 6-2 and progress into the second round. The Greek player hit 64 winners and fired 10 aces on his way to victory against the Italian and will now face world No 134 Zdenek Kolar. Speaking after the match, Tsitsipas said “I refuse to give up. That's simply how it works with me. You never really think about getting back after being two sets to love. You just play it point after point. You just wish that your efforts will pay off. It's a mountain that you have to climb. It was a great first round. I'm going to keep working hard to improve and build a relationship with the crowd here." 

Meanwhile, Daniil Medvedev progressed to the second time of the French Open by defeating Facundo Bagnis 6-2 6-2 6-2. It was clear that despite Medvedev’s obvious quality, the match was an easy victory because Bagnis’ movements were restricted with his calf heavily strapped. As for Medvedev, the Russian lost in the opening round at the Geneva Open last week to Richard Gasquet and will look to do better than his quarter-final finish at the Roland Garros last year. 

After the match, Medvedev spoke about being banned from Wimbledon and becoming World Number 1 by saying “Very strange. I need to be honest, but yeah, as I said last time, I'd be really happy to play Wimbledon. I love Wimbledon. I love playing on grass. I will play on grass after Roland Garros. But if I cannot, I mean, [I'm] just going to prepare for next tournaments, and, you know, just follow what's happening there. [If] there are no points, I become No 1, well, great for me. If there are points, I cannot become No 1, I'm going to be gutted. It is what it is. I cannot change some decisions, both about ATP and Wimbledon." 

In other results, an emotional Jo-Wilfred Tsonga waved goodbye to the crowd at the French Open after losing to Norway’s Casper Ruud 6-7 (6) 7-6 (4) 6-2 7-6 (0), thereby ending his 18 year long professional career. The 37 year old received a standing ovation from the crowd as the curtains closed on his illustrious career where he won 18 ATP titles. Speaking after the match, Tsonga said “It's a great day for me. The day when I say goodbye to my long-time companion. I've never looked back but now is the time to do it. I want to thank all the people who helped me achieve my dream of becoming a professional tennis player. Thanks to the French tennis federation and all my coaches who supported me even when I was extremely silly. I managed to be good amid the best generation of players and I'm happy about it." 

Also read: Nadal and Djokovic win at the French Open while Osaka crashes out

(Tennis news) Novak Djokovic secured his 999th career victory with a straight sets victory over Felix Auger-Aliassime. The Serbian triumphed over his Canadian opponent 7-5 7-6 (7-1) and will now face Casper Ruud for a spot in the finals after the Norwegian won 7-6 (9-7) 7-5 against Denis Shapovalov. 

Speaking after the match, Djokovic said “I thought it was high-level tennis. He did ask me to raise the level and I had to play consistently well. I thought I could have finished the job earlier... but credit to him for fighting back. Amazing atmosphere as well tonight. I know Felix well. He's been around the top of the men's game for quite a few years. He's got a lethal serve, honestly... He's hitting his spots in the box incredibly well with the serve, and it was not easy for me at all to return. He's also returning well, he's moving well. He's a very complete player.”

In the other semi-final, Stefanos Tsitsipas will take on Alexander Zverev after the pair defeated Jannik Sinner and Chilean Cristian Garin. Tsitsipas won 7-6 (7-5) 6-2, with Zverev, who is ranked third, progressing 7-5 6-2. In the women’s category, reigning champion Iga Swiatek will take on Aryna Sabalenka after defeating Bianca Andreescu 7-6 (7-2) 6-0. The result meant that Swiatek extended her winning streak to 26 matches while Sabalenka beat Amanda Anisimova 4-6 6-3 6-2.

In other results, Ons Jabeur upset World Number 4 Maria Sakkari 1-6 7-5 6-1. She will play Daria Kasatkina, who defeated 6-4 3-2 against Jil Teichmann after the Swiss tennis player was forced to retire due to a thigh injury.

Also read: Swiatek and Djokovic progress to quarter-finals while Nadal knocked out

(Tennis news) British history was created on Wednesday when Dan Evans and Cameron Norrie joined Andy Murray in the third round of the Madrid Open as it is the first ATP Masters 1000 event on clay where three British players are being featured at the stage. A tough test lies ahead, especially for Andy Murray who will face Novak Djokovic in the next match while Dan Evans and Cameron Norrie will play the following day.

Norrie defeated American John Isner in three sets, winning 6-4 6-7 (5) 6-4. The British No 1 could find decisive breaks at important moments in the first and third set and will now face a monumental task ahead of him as Carlos Alcaraz is his next opponent. As for Dan Evans, the 31 year old overturned his poor form to secure an impressive 6-3 5-7 7-6 (2) win over Roberto Bautista Agut and will take on world No 8 Andrey Rublev in the next round.

Rafael Nadal also progressed to the last 16 Miomir Kecmanovic 6-1 7-6(4). The Spaniard is competing in his first tournament since March after recovering from a rib injury. Rain suspended play early in the second set which resulted in the Spaniard losing momentum but the 21 time Grand Slam winner recovered from failing to serve out the match at 6-5 and sealed the win in just under two hours. 

If Nadal manages to go all the way and win the Madrid Open, it will be his sixth title on home turf in Madrid, having last won in 2017 but will first need to overcome David Goffin in the next round. In other results, German tennis player and World Number 3 Alexander Zverev defeated Marin Cilic 4-6 6-4 6-4 while qualifier Dusan Lajovic beat fifth seed Casper Ruud 7-6(7) 2-6 6-4.

Also read: Anhelina Kalinina knocks out Emma Raducanu from the Madrid Open

(Tennis news) Stefanos Tsitsipas defended his Monte Carlo Masters title after winning against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-3 7-6 (7-3) in a little over 90 minutes, moving the Greek player into second in the ATP Race to Turin. His opponent, Davidovich Fokina knocked out Novak Djokovic and Indian Wells champion Taylor Fritz in the earlier rounds, and had the better start in the finals, leading 2-1 against the reigning champion. 

However, the world number 46 surrendered his serve in the next game, which allowed Tsitsipas to take control of the match and the Greek player subsequently went a set up in just 31 minutes after an almost perfect display. Tsitsipas capitalised on a tie-break to secure the win and get his eighth career title while Davidovich Fokina struggled to deal with his backhand. Speaking after the match, Tsitsipas said “I am very proud of myself. Things weren't going well at one point, but I managed to stay composed to finish the match off. I am really proud of the belief I put in my game. Sometimes you doubt yourself, but it is always important to keep your head high."

In other results, Joe Salisbury and Rajeev Ram defeated Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah 6-4 3-6 10-7 to cement their place as the top-ranked doubles pairing in the world. At 29, Salisbury reached the Number 1 spot in rankings for the first time on Monday. Speaking after the match, Salisbury said “It's unbelievable. I'm so happy right now. It's a first title on clay together, on a surface that we always thought was a weaker one for us. [We have] not done too well here before, but we've been working really hard, and we knew we could play well. [I am] just so happy that it's come together and to get the win here."

Tsitsipas will now turn his attention to the Barcelona Open where he reached the final in 2021. He could face Grigor Dimitrov in the third round while Carlos Alcaraz could be a potential opponent in the quarter-finals. The bottom half of the draw will feature the likes of Casper Ruud and Felix Auger-Aliassime and their opponents could be Frances Tiafoe and Alexander Bublik respectively.

Also read: Emma Raducanu defeats Martincova in maiden Billie Jean King Cup match

(Tennis news) Spanish teenager star Carlos Alcaraz secured his maiden ATP Masters 1000 after defeating Casper Ruud in straight sets in the final of the Miami Open. The 18 year old won 7-5 6-4 against the Norwegian in an hour and 52 minutes. After a slow start in which he was down 4-1, Alcaraz bounced back by breaking Ruud twice early in the second set to seal the victory. The result means that Alcaraz is now the youngest Miami men’s champion and the third-youngest ATP Masters 1000 champion.

Speaking after the match, Alcaraz said “I have no words to describe how I feel right now, but it is so special to win my first Masters 1000 here in Miami. I'm so happy with the win and for sure with my team. I knew Casper is playing very well, he has a big forehand. I tried to play to his backhand first and tried to go to attack, to not let him dominate the match."

In the women’s category, Iga Swiatek defeated Naomi Osaka 6-4 6-0 in the Miami Open finals. The Polish second seet didn’t drop a single set and has now won 17 consecutive matches going back to her championship run at the Qatar Open in February. The result also means that the 20 year old has become the fourth woman to win the Indian Wells and Miami Open back-to-back.

Speaking after the match, Osaka said “I have learned that like, I don't know, I'm not as disappointed as I normally would be, like I think normally I would be crying in the locker room or something, but now I'm kind of like chill. I feel like I know what I want to do better, and I just want to go back and start training again to hopefully win a tournament next time. It's all about keeping a certain perspective. 

“Playing Iga today, just knowing the kind of roll that she's on, I guess I have to think about it more, like what specifically did I learn today. It's kind of cool to be blown away by a person, like an opponent, but at the same time, I feel like I'm strong enough that that shouldn't happen. So I'm a bit irritated a little bit, but I feel like, you know, this is like the learning process, and something good will happen eventually if I keep sticking with what I'm doing."

Also read: Casper Ruud defeats Francisco Cerundolo to reach Miami Open finals

(Tennis news) Norwegian tennis player Casper Ruud secured his place in his first Masters 1000 final with a 6-4 6-1 win over Francisco Cerundolo in the semi finals of the Miami Open. The World Number 8 took one hour and 34 minutes to secure the win and got the decisive break of serve in the 10th game of the opening set. Argentinian player Cerundolo, currently ranked 103rd was then outclassed in the second set.

The 23 year old Casper Ruud progressed to the semi finals of the Miami Open after a three-set win over Alexander Zverev while Cerundolo reached the last four in his Masters 1000 debut after Reilly Opelka and Jannik Sinner were forced to retire due to injury. "It was a tough match, even though the scoreline said two straight sets," Ruud said. "It was tough."

Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz became the second youngest Miami Open finalist in history after defeating Hubert Hurkacz  7-6 (5), 7-6 (2) on Friday. The youngest finalist was Rafael Nadal, a month younger than his compatriot Carlos Alcaraz, the tournament was called NASDAQ-100 Open and Nadal lost that five setter match to Roger Federer. Alcaraz will be hoping to win his second title of the season so far, having already secured the 2022 Rio Open in February where he only lost a single set in the whole tournament.

Also read: Hubert Hurkacz defeats Daniil Medvedev in the Miami Open

New Delhi, Mar 31 (Tennis News) The Indian Davis Cup team was on Thursday drawn to meet Norway in its next World Group I tie but the country's participation in the away contest is under doubt since it is clashing with the Asian Games in September.

The Davis Cup tie will be held either on September 16-17 or 17-18 while the tennis event at the Asian Games are scheduled to be held from September 10-14.

Even if the Indian players complete their Asian Games engagement by April 14, it will be practically difficult to reach Norway for the tie since the players need to acclimatise before they take to the courts.

It is going to be a challenge for the All India Tennis Association (AITA) to ensure that the country is represented in both the events.

"We and the Asian Tennis Federation had written to ITF about this, since 12 Asian countries are going to be affected by this. We had asked for a change in date but they did not agree, so we are filing an appeal to the ITF," AITA Secretary General Anil Dhupar told PTI.

"We want to play both the events and so do other nations. Pakistan is also filing a separate appeal. Let's see." Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Japan and India feature in World Group I while China, Lebanon, Thailand, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong and Indonesia feature in World Group II in this year's September ties.

Korea and Kazakhstan are part of the Davis Cup Finals. The Group stage of the event will played from September 14-18.

India and Norway, who have world number eight Casper Ruud in their ranks, have never clashed in the history of Davis Cup.

Their next best player is Viktor Durasovic, who is placed 329 in singles ATP chart.

"Every tie at this level is tough and when it is an away tie, it is a different challenge. It is too early to see if the draw is good for us. There is still a lot of time before the tie," said India coach Zeeshan Ali.

The Indian government is supporting tennis players like Rohan Boanna and Sania Mirza through the TOPS scheme and would like to see these established names competing for the medals at the Asian Games.

At the 2018 Games in Jakarta and Palembang, India's Ankita Raina and Prajnesh Gunneswaran won the singles bronze medals, while the pair of Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan claimed the men's doubles gold. 

Also Read : First Yogasana senior national championship starts in Ahmedabad

News Source : PTI

(Tennis news) At just 18 years of age, Carlos Alcaraz defeated World Number 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets 7-5 6-3 in a match that took almost two hours at the Miami Open. It was a rematch between the pair as they faced each other at the US Open and the Spanish teenager emerged victorious in that clash as well. 

Speaking after the match, Alcaraz said “It was really, really tough. He was playing unbelievable. All I can say is I fought until the last ball in the first set [to] come back.” The Spaniard will now face Miomir Kecmanovic in the quarter-finals after the 22 year old Serbian defeated Taylor Fritz 3-6 6-1 6-4. Earlier, Nick Kyrgios crashed out of the Miami Open after receiving a game penalty in the fourth round clash against Jannik Sinner. The Australian constantly vented out to the umpire Carlos Bernardes in a tight first set.

Kyrgios went on to lose the tie-break after being docked a point for smashing his racquet and double faulting and was docked a game after smashing his racquet again in the second set before succumbing to a 7-6 (3) 6-3 defeat. The Australian yelled to Bernardes “What is unsportsmanlike? I just don't think he controls the crowd well at all, in my personal opinion. People can have their opinions on it. I just don't think my point penalty was worth a point penalty."

The result also means that Cameron Norrie’s chances of breaking into the top 10 rankings this week look slim, as the British tennis player lost 6-3, 6-4 to Norway’s Casper Ruud. Playing with a heavy strapping on his left leg, Norrie couldn’t replicate his form that he had displayed earlier in the tournament and failed to manage a single break-point against the Norwegian World Number 8 until he converted three in the eighth game of the second set.

Meanwhile, Daniil Medvedev needs just one more win to reclaim the World Number 1 spot after progressing to the quarter-finals with a 7-5 6-1 win over Jenson Brooksby. The Russian was forced to rally from 5-3 down in the first set to book a place in the last eight. In the women’s tournament, Naomi Osaka progressed to the quarter-finals after defeating Danielle Collins in straight sets 6-2 6-1. The Japanese tennis player, currently ranked 77th defeated the World Number 11 for the second time, the first being at the Indian Wells in 2019 when Osaka was World Number 1 and Collins was 25th. Osaka will face Belinda Bencic of Switzerland in the semi-finals.

Also read: Miami Open: Bopana-Shapovalov pair ousted after quarterfinal loss

(Tennis news) Carlos Alcaraz won his second career title after defeating Diego Schwartzman 6-4, 6-2 in the final of the Rio Open. Alcaraz is now the youngest ever ATP Masters 500 winner and has now reached a career high ranking of number 20 as he climbed 9 places after the final. Schwartzman climbed a place above with a ranking of 13 with his loss in the final, the Argentine was playing in his second consecutive final after losing to Casper Ruud at Buenos Aires.

The 18 year old had a weak start by losing the first two games but set up two breakpoints in the third game and won the point with a strong backhand towards Schwartzman who failed to set up a forehand half volley. The Spaniard was hitting huge groundstrokes as the 29 year old was getting more winners of the backhand and through volleys at the net. Alcaraz made the crucial move in the 9th game with an outstretched cross court backhand passing shot which was totally misjudged by Schwartzman.

In the second set, the first three games were broken in which the youngster was leading with two breaks. The world number 29 started using more dropshots as the 2018 winner could not catch up on time, a final break in the 5th game and the champion dropped to his knees in celebration.

“I can’t believe it, honestly. It has been a great week for me playing at a great level,” Alcaraz said in his on-court interview. “First tournament on clay in a long time, so I’m really happy with the performance during the whole week. It’s an amazing feeling right now. I think this is my game. There's a lot of variety. It’s the key to how I won the match. I know how Diego plays and this was really important for me.”

Schwartzman has played 16 matches this year out of which he has won 11 and lost his first ever meeting against Alcaraz. The former world number 8 has now lost two consecutive finals and reached the semi final at Cordoba.

Alcaraz has so far played 8 matches this year, twice has he been taken to the deciding set and it was Matteo Berrettini on both the occasions. Berrettini also defeated him at the Australian Open which is the Rio winner’s only loss so far this season. The 6 foot one inch player is now 2-0 in finals as he defeated Richard Gasquet at Umag last year.

The players will be now shifting to hardcourts as the action starts in Dubai and Acapulco from today. The two Masters 500 event has top two players fighting for the top honour as Novak Djokovic will play his first match of the season while Daniil Medvedev needs to reach the final to become the world number one.

Also read: Matteo Berrettini to face Carlos Alcaraz for semifinal spot at Rio

(Tennis news) The second ATP Masters 500 event of the season has started with top seeds playing for their first titles of the season. While Matteo Berrettini is the top seed and is back after a semifinal exit at the Australian Open to Rafael Nadal. Carlos Alcaraz has only played three matches this year and will look to rise in the clay courts, something he did last year. Casper Ruud and Diego Schwartzman are in the draw after playing a three set final at Argentina. Here are the top four players to watch out for at Rio Open.

Matteo Berrettini

Berrettini did not find his form at the ATP Cup but defeated Gael Monfils and Alcaraz at Australia. The Italian is playing his third event of the season and has plenty of time to reorganize himself for some action on clay in Brazil. The 25 year old will be playing at the event for the first time and has a potential semifinal meet up against Alcaraz. He reached the finals at ATP Masters 1000 Madrid last year and is now chasing a first Masters 500 clay title.

Casper Ruud

Ruud is coming into Rio after a title win at the Argentina Open, the Norwegian can bring out his best form on the clay. The world number 8 is playing here for the 5th time and reached the semifinals 5 years later losing to Pablo Carreno Busta. He will meet Benoit Paire or Francisco Cerundolo in the opening match.

Carlos Alcaraz

The teenager was shining on clay 12 months earlier and continued his run on the hardcourts till the end of 2021. The world number 29 won his first title at Umag which was also his first final, this is the second time for the rising star at Rio as previously he lost in the 4th round in 2020. After a 2 week lay off from the tour the world number 29 can pounce on the seniors when he gets back on court.

Lorenzo Sonego

Sonego has so far reached three quarter finals from events this season, his groundstrokes did leave an impact at Buenos Aires especially his forehand which generates a lot of power. The Italian is looking for his third title and second clay title. He is playing for the third time and reached the quarterfinals in 2020. The 26 year old will face Serbian Laslo Djere in the opening match, the pair has met thrice with Djere winning once in hardcourt and Sonego leading in their other two meetings at clay.

Also read: Prajnesh ousted from Bengaluru Open-2 after defeat against top seed Vukic

(Tennis news) Casper Ruud took the title at Buenos Aires as he was playing on tour after a month since playing at the ATP cup. Ruud is now unbeaten at the Argentina Open, he entered the main draw in 2020 and went on to lift the title; this time he did not drop a set on the way to the final. While it was the second win for the Norwegian at the event, runner up Diego Schwartzman has been reaching the quarterfinals or better since 2018. He was the runner up in 2019 and won the title last year.

The defending champion had a tough run to the final after losing a set in the last two matches and battling a two set tiebreaker in the opening match. Schwartzman had last reached a final three months ago at Antwerp where he lost to Jannik Sinner whereas Ruud was on a 5 match winning streak in the finals which started last year. Ruud had won his first tour title at the event two years ago where he beat Pedro Sousa in the final, Sousa had a walkover in the semifinal against Schwartzman.

The world number 8 had a set point in the first set which took 42 shots for the Argentine to overcome and save the set in the most suited fashion. The first break came in the 10th game as the home crowd favourite took four straight points to set the match up and running. In the second set, Ruud got the break in the 6th game with a cheeky shot at the net and well timed forehands during the breakpoint. After taking the second set, the 23 year old took an early lead which led to another break as he completed the victory in 2 hours and 35 minutes. Ruud defeated Schwartzman 5-7, 6-2, 6-3.

“It’s been an unbelievable week," said Ruud after sealing his seventh ATP Tour title. "To come back here and try to defend the title not from last year but from two years ago has been a challenge, and I enjoyed every minute of it.”

The pair has now met 4 times on clay with Schwartzman winning the first two meetings, overall the 29 year still leads their career head to head meeting with 5 wins as Ruud has won thrice. The result has pushed the ranking by one place ahead for Schwartzman as he is now ranked 14 below Cameron Norrie. Ruud is still behind Andrey Rublev at number 8 and the Russian leads by over 600 points.

Also read: Lorenzo Sonego ends Verdasco run at Buenos Aires

(Tennis news) Felix Auger-Aliassime finally won his maiden tour title at Rotterdam as he beat Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets. The 1st time tour winner did not lose a single point on the first serve in the opening set and had 4 aces which gave him the best start to the final. In the second set, the world number 4 could only win 2 points on his second serve while losing 7 of them. 

After taking a 5-1 lead in the second set, it was clear that there was no looking back for Felix as he was only a game away from winning the championship, both the sets did not take more than 40 minutes. 67 points had a rally length of 0-4 shots and there were only 8 points in which there were more than 9 shots.

Felix was playing in his 9th final, after taking 8 runner trophies the Canadian is now a Masters 500 winner. The pair was meeting for the 8th time with Tsitsipas winning the last five matches and the world number 9 recorded his first victory over his rival in three years. The Greek player leads their head to head meeting with 5 wins while the 21 year old has three straight set victories. It was their second meeting in a final after Marseille in 2020 which Tsitsipas won. The 23 year old was looking for his 8th title but suffered his 11th loss in a final. He is now only 2 wins away from 200 career wins and 2 more losses would mean 100 career losses.

“It has not been the smoothest road since my first final three years ago,” Auger-Aliassime said during the trophy ceremony. “It is an amazing day for me to get my first title and especially here. I played my first ATP main draw here a couple of years ago, so it is right that I won my first title here.”

Only Daniil Medvedev and Taylor Fritz have beaten Felix this season and the Russian has been able to do it twice. There will be no changes in the rankings as of now, Felix is only a few points behind 8th placed Casper Ruud. Tsitsipas needed a win in the final to reach closer to Alexander Zverev who is 500 points ahead. After winning the ATP Cup, reaching the quarterfinals of the Australian Open and now the title win puts Felix on top this season with 12 victories in 15 matches.

Also read: Lehecka one victory away from final at Rotterdam

(Tennis news) Lorenzo Sonego and Fernando Verdasco were up in the first quarterfinals at the Argentina Open. The pair has played thrice on tour and all of them have come on clay with Sonego winning the last two matches. The world number 22 was controlling the rallies with his forehand which had heavy implications on the Spaniard’s shot selection. The left hander had trouble with the highball on his backhand as it seemed to slow down his shots as well as his footwork.

The 38 year old lost serve in the final game of the opening set and it continued in the start of the second set. The 26 year old had a 4-0 lead as the veteran pulled the luck on his side and made it 5-5. In the tie break, the former world number 7 started with a double fault as the match started slipping away from him. Sonego defeated Verdasco 6-4, 7-6(7-4).

Fredrico Delbonis first faced Fabo Fognini on clay at Hamburg in 2013 which Fognini won. They have met a total of 9 times, twice at Buenos Aires and Delbonis won both the matches. The Argentine has now 4 victories in 9 matches against his old rival, the 34 year old last reached a quarterfinal 9 months ago at Monte Carlos. The world number 42 seemed to have much better groundstrokes as Fognini had too many unforced errors and couldn’t finish rallies like he did in the previous round. Delbonis defeated Fognini 6-4, 6-4.

Casper Ruud had competed in the main draw at the event for the first time in 2020 and went on to win the event. The top seed placed the ball with the right amount of pace as Federico Coria could not interrupt his strokes with his power. Coria is yet to take a set off Ruud as the pair had played in the final at Bastad last year. Ruud defeated Coria 6-3, 6-4.

“It was very difficult with the weather,” Ruud said in his on-court interview. “It was not typical weather for Buenos Aires but more like Norwegian weather. On days like this, it is not easy to find your perfect game, so you have to play point by point, building the points. I think I was able to do that well and I am very happy to come through.”

The winner of the quarter final match between Diego Schwartzman and Francisco Cerundolo will face Sonego in the second semifinal.

Also read: Schwartzman to face Cerundolo in repeat of last year’s final at Buenos Aires

(Tennis news) Federico Coria had a tough fight in his match against Dusan Lajovic in the second round of the Argentina Open. Lajovic had a great first half as he won the first three games of the match, he set up a 5-1 lead in the first set and derailed Coria’s comeback at the end of the set. The Serbian was 5-3 in the second set as he was two points away from advancing to the next round when the 29 year old applied the brakes on his rampage and set his own course by winning the next 4 games.

The world number 37 could never recover from the second set attack as he lost consecutive points from the 2nd game till the 4th one. The Argentine may have had his roots helping him hold a grasp over the match as he secured a three set victory in 2 and half hours. Coria defeated Lajovic 4-6, 7-5, 6-4.

Casper Ruud played a match after a month as he had to withdraw from the Australian Open due to an ankle injury. Ruud did need some time to get used to the court against Roberto Carballes Baena, the world number 8 found his flair in the tiebreak as he won by a comfortable margin. In the second set, the Norwegian needed just one breakpoint to take a 2-0 lead but Baena recovered by breaking serve to make it 3-3. In the next game, the Spaniard’s could not win a single point on his serve as he was down a break and a double fault on matchpoint gave Ruud the victory. Ruud defeated Baena 7-6(7-2), 6-3.

“I know Federico well,” Ruud said, previewing their Friday quarter-final—a rematch of the 2021 Swedish Open final, won by the Norwegian. “Last year we played in Bastad, so it was my home court, and now we’re playing here in Buenos Aires, so it’s his home. It will be tough for me, and I hope I can play a good match and of course feel the good energy from the stadium.”

Fernando Verdasco made it into the quarterfinals for the first time at the event in his fourth attempt. Verdasco was down 1-4 in the first set and in the next game Thiago Monteiro needed 7 deuces to make it 5-1 as the Spaniard made a late fightback. The inspiration continued in the next set as the 38 year old was now in the lead with the exact score as the first set 4-1 and Monteiro could only two more games of his serve. In the final set, the Brazilian couldn’t hold on to an early break as the veteran had the final call even though he was 3 points away from losing the match in the 9th game. Verdasco defeated Monteiro 2-6, 6-3, 7-5.

Lorenzo Sonego will also be a first time quarterfinalist when he faces Verdasco next, the Italian needed 2 hours to get past the fourth round. Sonego had faced Sebastian Baez at Sydney International a month ago and the results were similar. The 3rd seed was clearly too powerful for Baez as the Argentine had his supporters but it was not enough to overthrow his opponent’s form. The 21 year old had a lot of chances in the second to break serve but could not convert any as the world number 22 had just 2 chances and converted one to progress to his third quarterfinal of the 2022 season. Sonego defeated Baez 6-3, 6-3.

Also read: Del Potro makes emotional comeback at Argentina Open

(Tennis news) Day 5 of the ATP Cup saw Spain and Poland finish on top of their respective groups. It was the last group stage match for a few teams as the weekend is nearing and the finals will take place in three days. Poland, Spain and Russia are so far the only teams to have won all their ties at the event this time as Russia will play their final group stage match today.

Poland defeated Argentina 3-0

It was curtains down for Argentina as they lost the bid in the final match. Poland saved it’s best performance at the end as both the teams had won their previous two matches and the winner would get a place in the last four. Kamil Majchrzak was the first one to break the Argentine spirits when he beat Federico Delbonis, Hubert Hurkacz closed out the tie as he took some time in understanding Diego Schwartzman’s defense. Szymon Walkow and Jan Zielinski then made it a perfect score of 3-0 with their straight set win.

Majchrzak defeated Delbonis 6-3, 7-6(7-3), Hurkacz defeated Schwartzman 6-1, 6-4, Walkow and Zielinski defeated Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni 7-6(7-4), 7-6(7-5).

Spain defeated Serbia 2-1

In a repeat of the 2020 finals, Spain were on top this time as they along with Poland became the second team to record three victories in the group stage. Pablo Carreno Busta delivered the early blow as he hammered 30 winners in his win against Filip Krajinovic. Roberto Bautista Agut continued his great form to beat Dusan Lajovic to confirm the top finish in Group A. The Serbian pair of Nikola Cacic and Matej Sabanov Pedro Martinez won their last match of the event as Spain proceeded to the semifinals.

Pablo defeated Krajinovic 6-3, 6-4 , Roberto defeated Lajovic 6-1, 6-4, Cacic and Sabanov defeated Pedro Martinez and Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-7(5-7), 6-3, 10-5.

Greece defeated Georgia 2-1

It was a battle of bottom placed teams as Greece faced Georgia. Both of them had lost the first two matches as Greece managed to end their campaign with a victory. Michail Pervolarakis recorded his first tour level victory by beating Aleksandre Metreveli in an hour for the advantage. 30 minutes into the second match, Stefanos Tsitsipas gave them the first victory for the team this year as Nikoloz Basilashvili retired early due to breathing problems. In the doubles, Aleksandre Bakshi and Aleksandre Metreveli survived three matchpoints in the final set and managed a consolation win.

Pervolarakis defeated Metreveli 6-3, 6-2, Tsitsipas defeated Basilashvili 4-1 Retired, Bakshi and Metreveli defeated Pervolarakis and Tsitsipas 4-6, 6-3, 16-14.

Chile defeated Norway 2-1

Norway ended their campaign at the event without a win as they lost to Chile to join Georgia with three defeats. Alejandro Tablio was the MVP in the Chilean side as he overcame Viktor Durasovic in the first match, Casper Ruud brought Norway back into the court with a one sided performance over Cristian Garin. In the final match, Tablio and Tomas Barrios Vera made sure the farewell theme would be favouring them as they even bageled the Norwegian pair in the first set.

Tablio defeated Durasovic 6-1, 6-7(5-7), 6-1, Ruud defeated Cristian Garin 6-4, 6-1, Tablio and Tomas Barrios Vera defeated Leyton Rivera and Andreja Petrovic 6-0, 6-4.

Also read: France suffers second consecutive defeat in ATP Cup

(Tennis news) Day 3 of the ATP Cup saw Argentina and Spain maintain their perfect record for the second time. The teams will be looking to win matches in the next two days as the bottom placed teams will be eliminated and won’t proceed to the knockout stages later in the week. There were two matches in Group A and two in Group D as Norway along with Greece lost their second consecutive tie.

Chile defeated Serbia 2-1

Chile secured their first victory in the event with a long fought victory over Serbia. The three matches altogether spanned for over 6 hours as Chile is now second placed behind Spain in Group A. Cristian Garin had a bumpy start against Dusan Lajovic as the Serbian took the first set even though there were many chances of breaking the serve for both the players. In the later stages of the second set, Lajovic started getting cramps which brought down his game and finally losing the set and retiring midway of the match.

Filip Krajinovic had stalled Chile for a period of time as he secured the first point for Serbia with a win over Alejandro Tabilo. Krajinovic held on to every bit of hope he could in the final set as it was won over a tie break. In the doubles, the young Chilean pair of Tomas Barrios Vera and Alejandro Tabilo confirmed the win in an hour and 20 mins as the tie finally came to an end.

Garin defeated Lajovic 4-6, 6-4, 3-0, Krajinovic defeated Tabilo 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(7-5), Tomas and Alejandro defeated Nikola Cacic and Matej Sabanov 6-4, 3-6, 10-7.

Poland defeated Georgia 3-0

Poland recorded their second victory in as many matches as they are one win away from making the semifinal stage. Kamil Majchrzak demolished Aleksandre Bakshi as he won under an hour to give Poland a satisfying victory and then in the second match there was a little hope from the Georgia camp. Hubert Hurkacz played Aleksandre Metreveli instead of Nikoloz Basilashvili and was taken aback losing the first set in a tie break. Hurkacz then re-energised and sealed the tie for Poland.

In the doubles, Szymon Walkow and Jan Zieliński completed a full sweep with a win over Aleksandre Bakshi and Aleksandre Metreveli.

Majchrzak defeated Bakshi 6-1, 6-1, Hurkacz defeated Metreveli 6-7(5-7), 6-3, 6-1, Walkow and Zieliński defeated Zieliński and Metreveli 6-7(2-7), 6-2, 10-6.

Spain defeated Norway 3-0

Spain maintained their winning record as they did not lose a single set in three of the ties against Norway. Pablo Carreno Busta got off to a flying start as he had no trouble against Viktor Durasovic in the opening match and Roberto Bautista Agut continued his fine form by beating Casper Ruud for victory. The young Spaniards Davidovich Fokina and Pedro Martinez once again laid down the final touches by beating Lukas Hellum-Lilleengen and Andreja Petrovic in the doubles match.

Pablo defeated Viktor 6-3, 6-3, Roberto defeated Ruud 6-4, 7-6(7-4), Fokina and Martinez defeated Andreja and Lukas 6-4, 6-1.

Argentina defeated Greece 3-0

Federico Delbonis gave the early positive news for Argentina with a smooth victory over Michail Pervolarakis. The second match gave a classic lesson on defense and tackling high balls with ease as Diego Schwartzman toppled Greek god Stefanos Tsitsipas to confirm their second win. In the final match, Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni beat Markos Kalovelonis and Petros Tsitsipas in a close encounter for a clean slate.

Delbonis defeated Pervolarakis 7-6(7-5) ,6-1, Schwartzman defeated Tsitsipas 6-7(5-7), 6-3, 6-3, Gonzalez and Molteni defeated Kalovelonis and Petros 6-3, 4-6, 11-9

Also read: Australia overpower Italy as Humbert puts up a show against Russia in ATP Cup

(Tennis news) Aslan Karatsev had three tour level victories before playing this year and now he has ended with 37 career wins. He started the season at No. 112 in the rankings and is currently ranked 18. The 28-year-old Russian created a sensation by reaching the semifinals of the Australian Open as a qualifier, becoming the first man in the open era to reach the last four in a Grand Slam debut. He defeated Diego Schwartzman, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Grigor Dimitrov on his way to the semifinal where he lost to Novak Djokovic.

Karatsev is a right hander with a two handed backhand, his aggressive style makes him lethal in hardcourts. Since he is a risk taker in most of the matches the unforced errors are winners are more. Karatsev hits the ball flat but hard down the court and at times finishes with a well set up volley. He takes the ball on the rise and does not give the opponent much time to move around the court. Karatsev is not the fastest mover on the court but has groundstrokes from both the ends which can give him winners.

While winning the title in Dubai, Karatsev earned his second top 10 win when he defeated Andrey Rublev in the semifinals. His biggest win came at Belgrade where he defeated Novak Djokovic to reach the final and lost in the final to Matteo Berrettini. He also beat Daniil Medvedev in their only career meeting at Rome Masters 1000 in the third round, Karatsev had a 16-3 win/loss record on hard courts in the first quarter of the season. In the next 12 events, he failed to reach the quarterfinals until at San Diego where lost to Dimitorv in the last eight and then won at Moscow defeating Marin Cilic in the final.

Karatsev is nominated in the most improved player of the year along with Carlos Alcaraz, Cameron Norrie and Casper Ruud. Karatsev is the oldest of the four as he is 28 but along with two singles titles and a runner up, he also won one doubles title at Doha along with a runner up finish in Indian Wells all with Andrey Rublev. The ATP cup was also won by Russia where Karatsev played in the doubles but lost all the three matches he played.

Karatsev is currently playing doubles at the Davis Cup for Russia and has won all the three matches he has played so far with Rublev. Russia will be playing against Germany today in the semifinals of the Davis Cup and will look to win a third title. It has been a great year for Russian tennis fans as there are two players in the top five and a total of four players in the top 30.

Also read: Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic steer Croatia into the final of the Davis Cup

(Tennis news) The tennis season is now fully centered around the Davis Cup which is into its final stages. It is time to celebrate the top athletes of the year as the ATP awards have stated the nominees in each category. Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic are the big missing names in the nominees as of now as there are still other categories coming up later this month. The coach of the year will be a little hard to decide as all the nominees have achieved personal milestones in the past twelve months and the coaches will be proud of their results.

Comeback Player of the Year: The player who has come back after a serious injury and has been one among the top players on the ATP Tour. Andy Murray had won it in 2019 and Vasek Pospisil won it last year. This year Murray again has a strong chance to take the title.

Thanasi Kokkinakis, Mackenzie McDonald, Andy Murray, Jack Sock

Most Improved Player of the Year: Players who have gained a significant increase in their rankings by the season end and have played well throughout the year. Andrey Rublev won the award last year and this year Ruud, Carlos Alcaraz are the favourites to win.

Carlos Alcaraz, Aslan Karatsev, Cameron Norrie, Casper Ruud

Newcomer of the Year: On among the Next Gen ATP players who are inside the top 100 and were the highlight of the season. Alcaraz had won it last year, this year Jenson Brooksby and Brandon Nakashima look to be the favourites.

Sebastian Baez, Jenson Brooksby, Juan Manuel Cerundolo, Hugo Gaston, Brandon Nakashima

Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award: The award is for the player who has maintained high standards of professionalism and competed with respect and fairness against his opponents. Nadal is the three time defending winner of the title and has won it a total of four times.

Felix Auger-Aliassime, Rafael Nadal, Casper Ruud, Frances Tiafoe

Coach of the Year: The award is voted by coaches on tour and it describes the coach who has helped his player achieve great performances in the season. Hubert won his first Masters 1000 title this year alongside Norrie, Ruud has won five titles this year, Medvedev won his first Grand Slam of the year and Alcaraz won the next Gen ATP which gave him a perfect end to the season.

Craig Boynton: Hubert Hurkacz, Gilles Cervara: Daniil Medvedev, Juan Carlos Ferrero: Carlos Alcaraz, Facundo Lugones: Cameron Norrie, Christian Ruud: Casper Ruud.

Also read: Women’s Tennis Association suspends all tournaments in China amidst Peng Shuai 

(Tennis news) Germany’s Alexander Zverev defeated reigning champion Daniil Medvedev 6-4 6-4 to win the ATP Finals title for the second time in four years, having previously won his first title at London's O2 in 2018. It was an upset by all means as the Russian was a heavy favourite to win this clash after defeating Zverev in their last five meetings.

The third seed had already defeated World Number 1 Novak Djokovic on Saturday and needed a flawless display against Medvedev to ensure a straight sets victory. By doing so, Zverev became the fourth player to defeat the top two players in the world in the semi-finals and finals of the season ending tournament and the first since Andre Agassi in 1990. Zverev had already faced Medvedev in Turin where the Russian defeated the 24 year old in a lengthy three set match but a repeat of such a result was not on the cards as Zverev took an early break in both the sets.

Such was his display that Zverev only dropped four points on serve in the first set and won 83% of first serve points, wrapping up the win with a fitting ace. Moreover, the fixture was an indication of what the next generation has in store as it was the first time since 2005 that the finalists were 25 years old or younger. The German has already won six titles of the year including an Olympic gold and said “I had to play one of my best matches, I'm super thrilled and super happy right now. There is no better way to end the season than to win here."

Despite not being as prestigious as the Grand Slams, the ATP Finals have always been a good indicator of future major champions as it features the eight leading male players of the year with the likes of Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas possibly the next generation trio who can replicate the incredible achievements of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Medvedev said as much that Zverev has the potential to become a Grand Slam champion, “He is a great player who is capable of beating anybody so he definitely can win a Grand Slam, it's just obvious, but he's not the only one and that's where it gets tough” hinting at Tsitsipas. "Is he capable? Yes. Is he going to do it? We never know,” Medvedev concluded.

Also read: Casper Ruud beats Andrey Rublev for semifinal spot at Nitto ATP Finals

(Tennis news) Casper Ruud made most of his debut at the Nitto ATP Finals as he came back from a set down to secure his first win against Andrey Rublev in their fifth meeting. Rublev started out well by breaking Ruud from the start as he took the first set and looked in form. In the second set, Ruud started unleashing forehands which even overpowered Rublev’s strokes as he threw his racquet after losing the second set.

 In the final set, Ruud took the first break with an absolute controlled defense as he returned a smash by Rublev in the 7th game. Rublev came back quickly and had a breakpoint in the 11th game but could not take the lead as Casper held his serve as the match went for a tie breaker. Ruud started off well in the first few points and was leading by two points but Rublev’s attacking shots kept him in the closing distance. Casper with some well set up volleys reached matchpoint and finished it with an ace to reach the semifinals. Casper defeated Rublev 2-6, 7-5, 7-6(7-5).

Novak Djokovic joined Daniil Medvedev as he finished unbeaten on the group stage. Djokovic defeated Cameron Norrie in the final group stage match of the event, the Serbian only dropped three games on his way to maintaining a perfect record. Norrie had come as the second alternate for Stefanos Tsitsipas and lost both of his matches in the event to confirm his exit well before this match started. As for Djokovic he was already in the last four but did not give any chances to the left hander who had won his first Masters 1000 event at Indian Wells this year. Djokovic defeated 6-2, 6-1.

In doubles, Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut defeated Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares 6-3, 7-6(7-5). 

Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury entered the semifinals with a win over Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah. Joe made some superhuman efforts to hit the ball back in the opening set as the par broke Cabal and Farah in the 12th game, the second set saw Cabal and Farah hitting back at the US Open champions to level the score. The final set saw an exchange of skills but it was Joe all over the place as he put the ball back in from a smash and finished the match on the first matchpoint. Rajeev and Joe defeated Cabal and Farah 7-5, 2-6, 11-9.

Also read: Casper Ruud and Andrey Rublev battle for semifinal spot at Nitto ATP Finals, Daniil Medvedev makes it three out of three

(Tennis news) Daniil Medvedev kept proving why he is a mental giant as he beat Jannik Sinner at the Nitto ATP Finals. Medvedev kept his foot on the gas and managed to break him twice as Sinner was still rusty to give him a 3-0 lead in just 11 minutes of play. It turned out to be a triple break which gave Medvedev a 5-0 lead then comfortably served for a bagel in the first set which showed the scale of Sinner's challenge against the Russian.  

Much to the delight of the home crowd, Sinner won his first game after 33 minutes to enter the scoreboard at the start of the second set, but took the opportunity to build some momentum and took a 3-1 lead. Sinner went on to take the set as he held his serve and in the tiebreaker pulled out a few quick groundstrokes. In the final set, Sinner had two match points in the tie breaker but Medvedev managed to save them both and take the match with a powerful backhand winner. Medvedev defeated Sinner 6-0, 6-7(5-7), 7-6(10-8).

Alexander Zverev booked the third spot in the semifinals as he beat Hubert Hurkacz in their final group stage match. Zverev started with a 5-1 lead in just 17 minutes in the first set when winless Hurkacz was broken two times and Zverev quickly found his first serve. Hurkacz couldn't get control over the match as Zverev secured the opening set in 19 minutes but Hurkacz took advantage of a lucky net rope and pinned him down to keep at least one more game in the first set. Zverev had only missed his first serve twice in the set. 

Hurkacz's serve improved a bit in the second set which allowed him to stabilize for the start of the second set, but couple of misfired forehands allowed Zverev to break him in the 9th game for a 5-4 lead as he won the final service game to win in straight sets. Zverev defeated Hurkacz 6-2, 6-4.

Andrey Rublev will face Casper Ruud in their final group match as the winner will face Novak Djokovic in the semifinal. Rublev has won all of their four meetings against Ruud and will be facing him for the third time this year. Ruud has managed to take a single set in the four meetings, he took the opening set when they met for the first time at Hamburg in 2019.

In doubles, top seeds Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic booked the semifinal spot with a win over Ivan Dodig and Filip Polasek. Mektic and Pavic defeated Dodig and Polasek 6-4, 7-6(8-6). The pair of Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballo who had first secured the semifinal spot lost their final group stage match to Horia Tecau and Kevin Krawietz. Granollers and Zeballo defeated Tecau and Krawietz 6-3, 6-7(1-7), 10-6.

Also read: Alexander Zverev and Andrey Rublev eyeing last two semifinal spots at Nitto ATP Finals

(Tennis news) Novak Djokovic was in compelling form again as he advanced to his 10th semi-final in the Nitto ATP Finals after a straight-set victory over Andrey Rublev in Turin. The Serbian didn't have everything he wanted for much of the first set as Rublev's thunderous forehand posed a lot of problems, but that all changed in 8th game as Djokovic made the most of rublev's backhand error and rushed inside to nail a cross pass and gained a crucial break. The five-time champion then served while not giving a single point to take the lead in 36 minutes before going ahead with another break to lead 2-1 early in the second set. 

Djokovic's characteristic elasticity in defensive positions was once again the key as he produced a devastating pass down the stretch to outclass the world No.5 and ensure a win. Djokovic defeated Rublev 6-3, 6-2.

Cameron Norrie couldn't bring out the first set as his ATP Finals debut ended in a three set loss to Casper Ruud. Norrie has become the fourth British player to play singles in the history of the event, he has come in to replace Stefanos Tsitsipas after the Greek player pulled out of the tournament with a right elbow injury but failed to win in his debut. Norrie was eager to make the most of his opportunity and got off to a strong start and was rarely put to the test until he served for the set while defending a breakpoint before finishing the job in just 33 minutes. 

In the second set, both players served strong as Norrie was the first to falter with a few unforced errors on the forehand and a failed volley which allowed the world number eight to grab the crucial breakpoint and go ahead for a final set. Ruud started to hit faster groundstrokes which put stress on Norrie's serve and paid huge dividends in the fifth game when a double fault on a third breakpoint gave the advantage to the Norwegian. Chances of victory stayed solid with Ruud from that point on as he once again got the better of the Briton by serving a tough battle in one hour and 52 minutes on his fourth match point to secure his first victory in the tournament. Ruud defeated Norrie 1-6 6-3, 6-4.

In doubles, Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah beat Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares as they will try to reach the semifinals for a third time when they face Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury in the final group match. Juan and Farah defeated Jamie and Bruno 6-4, 7-5.

US Open champions Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury were almost out of the event as they saved two match points to beat Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut. The final set saw the pair saving a matchpoint at 9-8 and at 10-9 as they will need to win their final match to stand a chance to enter the semi finals. Rajeev and Joe defeated Herbert and Mahut. 6-7(7-9), 6-0, 13-11.

Also read: Jannik Sinner makes dream debut at Nitto ATP finals, Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic suffer shock defeat

(Tennis news) Novak Djokovic has overcome many challenges and has risen up on every occasion. He did just that when he faced debutante Casper Ruud at the Nitto ATP Finals, as the opening set saw both the players exchanging long rallies and covering a lot of ground. Djokovic even had a fall in the first game but got back on his feet in no time to hit the next shot and Ruud also hit a tweener as the fireworks were present right from the beginning.

Djokovic’s defensive shields were returning every shot Ruud hit as the Serbian somehow was able to predict most of the strokes. Even though Djokovic is 12 years older to Ruud, the court coverage and the ball striking were precise and timed to perfection. Ruud also toned his groundstrokes as his patience was tested, the first set went till a tie breaker as Ruud fell short and Djokovic was halfway to victory. In the second set, Ruud could not do the same as Djokovic began building his lead as he served at 5-2 and finished the match with a wide angled serve. Djokovic now has 39 victories at the event and is second in the list alongside Ivan Lendl as Roger Federer is leading with 59 victories.

“I recovered from that fall on that breakpoint in that first game,” Djokovic said in his on-court interview. “It was very strange. I played a good forehand and came into the net and had a pretty comfortable overhead and I slipped, tripped, dropped my racquet and lost my serve. The conditions here are quite tough. If you lose your serve, it is difficult to get it back. But I managed to stay in. I am very pleased with the way I handled the match.”

Andrey Rublev beat Stefanos Tsitsipas in a one way match as Rublev’s serve added to his firepower. Tsitsipas and Rublev did not have a good run before coming at this event as Tsitsipas seemed to be worn out as the Russian did not face a single break point in the match. Tsitsipas had beaten Rublev in the finals at Monte Carlo and also met last year at ATP Finals where again Tsitsipas won.

Rublev’s serve and forehand was a successful mixture as it kept the rallies short and fast. Tsitsipas unforced errors also contributed to his loss as now the pair has split their 8 meetings with 4 wins each. In the second set, Rublev broke the Greek god’s serve in the fifth game as it gave a crucial lead once again to Rublev who kept the lead as Tstispas will wait to come in form in the next match. Rublev defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 6-4.

In doubles, 2019 champions Nicolas Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herbert also made their entrance with a victory over Juan Sebastián Cabal and Robert Farah in their first match. Nicolas and Herbert defeated Cabal and Robert 7-6(7-1), 6-4.

Also read: Daniil Medvedev battles past Hubert Hurkacz in Nitto ATP finals, Matteo Berrettini withdraws midway due to injury

(Tennis news) The 51st edition of the ATP Year end finals will be up and running from tomorrow as the top eight players battle for the prestigious crown. The event is held at Turin for the first time until 2025 after being in London since 2009. Hubert Hurkacz and Casper Ruud will be making their debuts this year as they grabbed the final spots a few weeks back. Hurkacz is the only player who has less than 40 match wins this season as he has 36 wins in 56 matches. Novak Djokovic at 34 will be the oldest player in the draw this year and Casper Ruud who is 22 is the youngest.

This year there are no left handers for the first time since 2018 as Rafael Nadal is out with injury and Cameron Norrie is the second alternate. The event will be played in Pala Alpitour arena with 65 percent of the capacity as the players will enjoy the spectators presence as it was not there last year. Here are the top four players to watch out for as the event begins tomorrow.

Novak Djokovic

Djokovic will be keen to win a record 6th title and tie with Roger Federer for most number of titles. The Serbian is fresh off from winning a record 6th Paris title where he defeated Daniil Medvedev in the final, Djokovic can also become the oldest man to win the title since Federer won it when he was 30 in 2011. The Serbian last won here in 2015 which was the last of his four consecutive wins and is the only man to have done it. He lost to Dominic Thiem last year at the semifinals but this year his form has made him invincible on court.

Daniil Medvedev

Medvedev at present has the highest chances of stopping Djokovic even though he lost to him in the finals at Paris. He is the defending champion and did not lose a match last year as he defeated Djokovic in the round robin stage and went on to beat Thiem for the title. Medvedev will be eager to become the first player in 6 years to defend a title at the event. He will look to add to his US Open victory to end the year with yet another trophy.

Alexander Zverev

The 2018 champion is the only player this year to have won two Masters 1000 titles and has the joint highest number of wins this season along with Stefanos Tsitsipas as they both have won 55 matches. Zverev celebrated his 300th career win last month and has had a season worth remembering. Zverev has all the machinery to become a champion.

Stefanos Tsitsipas

The Greek god had won the title in 2019 which was his first appearance at the event. Tsitsipas won his first Masters 1000 title this year at Monte Carlo and also reached the finals of a Grand Slam for the first time at the French Open. Tsitsipas retired in his opening match at the Paris Masters due to a long term right arm injury and hopefully is hundred percent fit when he plays at Turin.

Also read: Carlos Alcaraz and Sebastian Korda set up blockbuster final at Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals

(Tennis news) Novak Djokovic was in sublime form as he beat Taylor Fritz in straight sets in the quarterfinals at Paris Masters. Djokovic will end the year as number one for the record seventh time if he manages to reach the final at Paris, he will be playing his 71st Masters semifinal and is also on the way to win a record extending 6th Paris Masters title. Fritz’s groundstrokes were timed to perfection but Djokovic played more than perfect tennis to set up a clash against Hubert Hurkacz. Djokovic defeated Fritz 6-4, 6-3.

“I was absent from the Tour for two months, coming into this tournament, and the last competitive match I played was in the US Open final, compared to the other guys playing one or two events prior to Paris,” said Djokovic. “I knew that I needed to start well, with good intensity and put in a lot of hours on the practice court. But it’s different when you get points in a competitive match."

Hubert Hurkacz secured the eighth and final berth in the Nitto ATP finals with a hard fought win over James Duckworth. Hurkacz was the first to break in the match as Duckworth sliced a backhand into the net in the fifth game as Hurkacz won the next four games to take the set. In the second set, Duckworth fought back as it went till tie break and hit a well placed backhand pass to take the set and force a decider. In the decider, Hubert did not let pressure take the driver's seat as he came into the net with some fine volleys and won the end as he stretched far enough for a backhand lob over Duckworth to enter the semifinals. Hurkacz defeated Duckworth 6-2, 6-7(4-7), 7-5.

“It feels incredible. Obviously going to Turin is a dream,” Hurkacz said. “Growing up as a kid, seeing all those top guys playing in the Finals, it’s inspiring. Now being among them, it’s very special because it’s just eight spots there, so it’s not that easy to get there.”

Daniil Medvedev was put to the test by Hugo Gaston in the opening set as he defeated the Frenchmen for a second straight semifinal at Paris. Medevedev is the defending champion at Paris and is also chasing the World number one spot. Medvedev had to face a stern test as Gaston’s defense lifted up the crowd’s spirits especially in the tiebreak as the world number 2 took the set under pressure. In the second set, Medvedev made sure he would not give any chances to Gaston as he punched a forehand winner for a place in the last four. Medvedev defeated Gaston 7-6(9-7), 6-4.

In a clash of the leading title winners this season, Alexander Zverev beat Casper Ruud in a convincing victory for German who was the runner up last year. Zverev hit a massive forehand for a crucial break point in the 11th game of the first set and then served out the set. In the second set, a couple of breakpoints early gave Zverev a four game lead over Ruud as he got a breakpoint at 4-2 but Ruud played a sensational rally to get back on board, but Zverev did not let his service go down as he won the match to set up a rematch of last year’s final against Medvedev. Zverev defeated Ruud 7-5, 6-4.

In men’s doubles, Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares upset third seeds Robert Farah and Juan Sebastian Cabal in the quarterfinals at Paris Masters. Bruno along with Mate Pavić were the runners up last year. Murray and Bruno defeated Robert and Juan 6-1, 7-5.

Tim Pütz and Michael Venus continued their run as they defeated Fabrice Martin and Andreas Mies in the quarterfinals. Tim and Michael defeated Fabrice and Andreas 7-5, 7-5. Tim and Michael had won the German Open and had reached the semifinals at the Indian Wells.

Also read: Hugo Gaston manages incredible comeback at Paris, Casper Ruud qualifies for year end finals

(Tennis news) Hugo Gaston made every shot count against Carlos Alcaraz Garfia in a match of the tournament so far at Paris. The Frenchmen was making his debut in the main draw this year as he pulled off an unbelievable comeback in the fourth round, Alcaraz was on the way to win the second set as he opened up a 5-0 lead but things went in a downward spiral aftermath. Gaston won 20 of the next 21 points to level up and then went on to win the match giving the home crowd what it wanted. The qualifier will next face Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinals, Gaston defeated Carlos 6-4, 7-5.

“The atmosphere was incredible”, Gaston said. “Honestly, I have been playing tennis for this. It was actually incredible. It was really wonderful to live this match with them. I actually won because they supported me from beginning to the end even when I had a letdown during the first or the second set, they were always cheering me. It's incredible to have such a great public.”

Casper Ruud qualified for the Nitto ATP finals with an emphatic victory over Marcos Giron in the fourth round of the Paris Masters. Ruud has become the seventh player this year to qualify as there is one more position left for the season finale, Ruud won five consecutive games in the second set to secure the match in an hour and will face Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals. There is one more spot left in the ATP finals as Hubert Hurkacz needs to win his quarterfinal matchup against James Duckworth to qualify for the event. Ruud will be making his debut at the season ending event this year, Ruud defeated Giron 6-2, 6-1. 

"It's been an unbelievable year that will have the perfect end to the season," said Ruud. "It's been a stressful couple of weeks and months, because it’s been such a tight FedEx ATP Race to Turin. It’s been fun at the same time and so exciting to watch as a tennis fan."

Alexander Zverev recorded a third consecutive win over Grigor Dimitrov as the pair met five years after their previous meeting at Rome. Zverev took the first set in a tight tie breaker and had two match points in the second set which Dimitrov saved on his way to level the score. In the final set Zverev saved three break points in the sixth game which involved a quick backhand volley at the net to deny Dimitrov a 4-2 lead. To make things worse for the Bulgarian, Zverev broke him in the very next game and went to win the dramatic encounter. Zverev defeated Dimitrov 7-6(7-4), 7-6(3-7), 6-3.

Taylor Fritz struck a huge blow to Cameron Norrie’s hopes of qualifying for the year end finals with a straight victory. Fritz had defeated Andrey Rublev in the previous round and now beat the left hander to proceed to his second consecutive quarter final at a Masters 1000 event. Fritz wrapped up the first set in no time as Norrie battled hard to take the second one as he also had two set points which Fritz saved and went on to win the set in a tie breaker. Fritz defeated Norrie 6-3, 7-6(7-3).

In men’s doubles, the top two seeds tumbled at Paris as Joran Vliegen and Sander Gillé tasted sweet revenge when they defeated top seeds Mate Pavić and Nikola Mektić 6-3, 7-6(8-6).

Michael Venus and Tim Pütz staged the second shocking win of the day as they defeated second seeded Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury in a marathon two set tie breaker. Venus and Tim defeated Rajeev and Joe 7-6(14-12), 7-6(8-6).

Also read: Novak Djokovic starts off with a victory at Paris, Gael Monfils steals the show in opening round

(Tennis news) Novak Djokovic made a winning return on tour with a three set win over Márton Fucsovics at the Paris Masters. Djokovic took no time to take an early lead as his strokes were looking strong as he took the first set, in the second set it was Marton’s chance to take the lead as he took some brave shots to take the set. In the final set, Djokovic broke early with a loud roar towards the crowd and broke him again as he won the match. The Serbian defeated Fucsovics 6-2, 4-6, 6-3.

“It was great to be back on the court after almost two months without competition,” Djokovic said. “I did not expect anything but I knew this was not going to be an easy match. Marton is a very talented player, he has a lot of quality. It was a great fight. I couldn’t break his serve, he was playing with a lot of precision and we pushed each other to the limit. It was a great opening match for me. I am very pleased.”

Casper Ruud shook off a rusty start in the opening set to beat this season’s ace leader Alexander Bublik. Ruud got a breakpoint in the fourth game with a well played defense as Bublik attempts went in vain but saved the breakpoint to win the game. Ruud took seven consecutive games to take the second set under half an hour and keep his chances of qualifying for the season finale alive. Ruud defeated Bublik 6-4, 6-0.

Gael Monfils' forehand was the winner in his match against Miomir Kecmanović as he kept firing winners which kept increasing by each set. Monfils hit a humongous forehand on his serve which was timed at 190km/ hour and in the match he hit a total of 54 winners as compared to 13 by Miomir Kecmanović. Monfils had a slow start but in the final two sets he simply swung the racquet as hard as he could to march on to the next round. Monfils defeated Kecmanović 4-6, 7-5, 6-3.

Carlos Alcaraz Garfia once again made good use of his endurance as he rallied on to beat Pierre-Hugues Herbert in a 39 game three set match. Both the players took at least five games in each set as two tie breaks were needed to settle the scores, Herbert used his serve and volley to win points as Carlos depended upon his baseline play. Carlos also showed off his quick reflex skills at the net as he had to come forward multiple times in the match and found answers to Herbert’s angled serves mixed with excellent half volleys. Carlos defeated Herbert 6-7(4-7), 7-6(7-2), 7-5.

“It’s not easy to play against a home player,” said Alcaraz. “I think we played at a good level and it was a great match, so I am happy to win. He has a great serve, so I had to return better and remain focused. I think that was the key. I am playing at a good level and I want to finish the year strong.

In men’s doubles, Joran Vliegen and Sander Gillé scored a straight victory over Máximo González and Simone Bolelli in their opening match at Paris. Joran and Sander defeated Maximo and Simone 7-6(7-2), 6-4. Joran and Sander had won the title at Singapore in the beginning of the season and were runners up at the BMW Open. They will next face top seeds Mate Pavić and Nikola Mektić in the round of 16, the pair had met them last time in the semifinals at Madrid where the top seeds won in straight sets.

Arthur Rinderknech and Benjamin Bonzi also recorded straight victories over Stefanos Tsitispas and Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi. Qureshi had reached the quarterfinals in Moscow while partnering with Rohan Bopanna but this time he had to depart early. Arthur and Benjamin defeated Stefanos and Qureshi 7-6(7-3), 6-4.

Also read: Dominik Koepfer pulls a stunner against Andy Murray at Paris, Sebastian Korda eliminates Aslan Karatsev

(Tennis news) Marin Cilic won his second title of the season with a three set win over coming of age Taylor Fritz at St. Petersburg Open. Cilic had last won the title in 2011 when he defeated Janko Tipservic which was his only title that year. Cilic broke Fritz in the sixth game of the opening set with forehands that kept going faster at every return but Fritz came back in the end to take it to tiebreak.

Cilic continued his attacking play to take the first set, in the second set two crucial breaks earned Fritz a set point as he leveled up his defense game to take the set and force the match to a decider. In the final set, a double fault in the ninth game by Fritz gave Cilic the lead as he went on to win the match with a stylish forehand volley. Cilic defeated Fritz 7-6(7-3), 4-6, 6-4.

Cilic now has won twenty titles in his career which makes him the 6th active player to win 20 or more titles in the game and the last time he won two titles in a year was in 2016 when he won at Basel and Cincinnati. He has now reached two finals in a row as he had finished as runner up at Moscow and also has two semi final finishes.

Fritz had defeated Cilic in their previous meeting at Indian Wells in 2017. Fritz is yet to win a title this year even though he has reached the semifinal stage five times and this has been his fifth runner up finish in his career. The 24 year old had all his energy used up as Cilic mixed his aggressive groundstrokes with dropshots and backhand slices. 

"During the whole week I think my level was really good. I felt that I can still get my game to a better level, and it was a little bit similar today," Cilic said. "I was playing great on some occasions, missing some opportunities, serving for the first set, not making that first set more comfortable. As things went on, obviously Taylor started to play better. But in the end, it was a great mental battle from my side."

Cilic was playing here for the fifth time and the first time since 2011, he had first played here in 2006 when Fritz was nine years old. Fritz was playing here for the second time after losing his first match last year to Cameron Norrie.

Also read: Casper Ruud and Jannik Sinner hoping to gain crucial points at Paris

(Tennis news) Carlos Alcaraz Garfia beat Matteo Berrettini in a war of forehands as the teenager took out the world number seven at Vienna Open. Carlos has entered the semifinals of the Masters 500 event for the first time and will face Alexander Zverev for a place in the finals. The teenager had beaten Daniel Evans, Andy Murray in the earlier rounds and will have a big test ahead against Zverev. Carlos defeated Berrettini 6-1, 6-7(2-7), 7-6(7-5).

“This is one of my best performances on Tour so far,” Alcaraz said. “I am really happy for that and it was amazing. I just tried to play aggressively all the time. In the tough moments it was important to be able to do that.”

Frances Tiafoe was having a below average year until he played at Vienna as he reached his first semifinal of the year by beating Diego Schwartzman in the quarterfinals. Tiafoe showed skill and speed to defeat the Argentine who is known for his court coverage. Tiafoe earlier had defeated top seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and completed the match against Schwartzman under 2 hours. Tiafoe defeated Schwartzman 6-4, 7-6 (8-6).

“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 could. 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."

Alexander Zverev made no mistakes this time as he went past Felix Auger-Aliassime, Felix had defeated Zverev in their previous meeting at Wimbledon a few months ago. Zverev was hitting the ball well in the first set and took it in 40 minutes but in the second set he seemed a bit rusty as Felix took the second set in half an hour. Zverev regained his energy and form in the decider as he broke Felix in the sixth game with a strong backhand which was enough to take the lead and win the match. Zverev defeated Felix 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.

“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.” Zverev will next face Alcaraz and will be meeting the young Spaniard for the second time after their third round match up in Acapulco which Zverev won in straight sets.

“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.”

Jannik Sinner made a big breakthrough as he beat Casper Ruud in the quarterfinals as he increased his chances to compete at the ATP year end finals. Sinner had beaten Casper last year at Vienna in the third round on straight sets and now he has the same points as Casper in the race to the season finale. Sinner broke Casper in the 11th game of the first set with a huge down the line forehand to eventually take the set with another scintillating forehand.

Sinner’s groundstrokes were fast and furious which Casper was unable to catch up on. The first set lasted for 57 minutes and the second got over in 20 minutes as Sinner did not let time affect his form or stamina but it did get to Casper. Sinner defeated Ruud 7-5, 6-1.

“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.” Sinner will next face Tiafoe in the semifinals.

Also read: Casper Ruud and Jannik Sinner hoping to gain crucial points at Paris

(Tennis news) The final Masters 1000 Rolex Paris event will be held from 1st November and all the top players will be playing to end the year with some valuable points in their pocket. This is the 8th Master 1000 event since the Shanghai tournament was cancelled due to the pandemic. 

Novak Djokovic is expected to play in the event since his defeat to Daniil Medevedev at the US Open final. The Serbian will be leading the field along with Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev. The Paris Masters has seen five different winners in the last five editions, Medevedev is the defending champion and had defeated Zverev in the final. 

Zverev has already won two Masters 1000 titles this year and will aim to win a third one to reach the top three of the rankings. Medvedev has a chance to inch closer to the number 1 rankings if Djokovic is out early, Matteo Berrettini can enter the top five if he can reach deep in the event. Andrey Rublev is still looking for a Masters 1000 title as he has reached two finals this year.

Djokovic has won the most titles here with five wins including a hat trick of titles from 2013- 2015. He won his last title in 2019 defeating Denis Shapovalov in the final and will be looking to win a 6th title in his comeback. Since 1986, only three left handers have won the event and Greg Rusedski was the last one to win it in 1998. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was the last Frenchman to win it as he had lifted the title in 2008 and was also the last one to reach the final in 2011.

Jannik Sinner now has chances of qualifying in the year end championships if he performs well in France. Sinner and Casper Ruud are now level in points as Hubert Hurkacz is just behind them both. The event has a history of players jumping up the rankings to qualify for the season ending championship with the most memorable one coming in 2017 when Jack Sock won the event which saw his rankings jump from 24 to 9 and qualified for the Nitto ATP finals.

Cameron Norrie had won in Indian Wells and will be looking to win here as Rusedski was also a left handed player from Britain. Norrie is just behind Hubert in the race to the season finals and both of them fell early at Vienna. This year there are a handful of players who can spring a surprise and climb up the rankings to enter the top eight.

Also read: Emma Raducanu crashes out of Transylvania Open after losing in straight sets to Marta Kostyuk

(Tennis news) Andy Murray dealt a major blow to Hubert Hurkacz's effort to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals as recorded his first top 10 victory in a year. Hubert will now have to wait longer to secure his place in the season ending event. 

After losing to Hurkacz twice this year, the 2014 and 2016 winner in Vienna snapped his losing skid in two hours and 41 minutes. Murray battled hard in the final after failing to convert one match point opportunity at 5/6 in the second-set tie-break. It was his first Top 10 win since August 2020, when he upset Alexander Zverev in the second round of the Western & Southern Open.

"It was a good match that could have gone either way," said Murray. "I was disappointed to drop serve in the opening game of the third, but thankfully I was able to get the break back in the next game and from there I probably deserved to get over the line. It was a good win in tough circumstances.

Hurkacz showed his nerve to save one match point at 5/6 with a backhand winner down the line, then went on to take a 7/6 lead with an unreturned serve in a tight tie-break. When Murray blasted a backhand long, Hurkacz clinched the second set, which lasted 70 minutes.

Murray continued his nine match winning streak in Vienna, and in the second round, he will face NextGen ATP Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz. Murray had defeated Alcaraz at the Indian Wells Masters 1000 in the second round.

When Hurkacz over-hit a forehand at 30/40, Murray broke serve on his fourth try at 4-4 in the opening set. With an unreturned serve, the Briton brought the 45-minute opener to an end.

In the third ATP Head 2 Head match between the two, the second set got more explosive, with less rallies. Hurkacz broke Murray's serve in the sixth game of the second set, but he was unable to convert four break points. At 3-3, it was Murray's turn to be disappointed, as he failed to convert with Hurkacz serving at 15/40, and Murray saved one break point in the next game. Murray defeated Hurkacz 6-4, 6-7 (6/8), 6-3.

Also read: Matteo Berrettini secures ATP finals berth, Casper Ruud and Hubert Hurkacz next in line

(Tennis news) Matteo Berrettini’s sparkling season continued as he qualified for the season ending championship for the second time. The Italian reached the fourth round of the Australian Open and then went even further by reaching the quarterfinals of the French Open. His Wimbledon performance was his first breakthrough in the Grand Slams where he lost in the finals to Novak Djokovic.

This season, Berrettini has had 40 victories in 50 matches. After losing in the quarterfinals of the US Open to Djokovic in September, he climbed to a career-high No. 7 in the ATP Rankings. In April, the Italian won the Serbia Open in Belgrade, defeating Aslan Karatsev of Russia. In May, he reached his first ATP Masters 1000 final, losing to Alexander Zverev of Germany and in June, he won the Cinch Championships in London, defeating Cameron Norrie of Great Britain.

He became the first Italian male tennis player to reach the fourth round of every Grand Slam tournament at the French Open. He has been impressive on all surfaces and excels in a team setting, as he powered Italy to the ATP Cup finals in January. Berrettini, an aggressive all-court player with a booming serve that can reach speeds of 146 mph (235 km/h), blasted his way to the No. 8 ranking in 2021 across all surfaces, the highest for an Italian male in more than four decades. He won two Championships, one on grass and the other on clay.

To finish off points, he uses his attacking groundstrokes and net game, and he has been known to serve-and-volley. Many have compared him to Fernando González and Juan Martin del Potro because of his aggressive style, which is based on huge serves and forehands. His play style has earned him the moniker "The Hammer."

“My words aren’t going to describe the happiness I feel in my heart," said the world number seven. “2020 was a tough year for me on and off the court. Here I am about to play my second ATP Finals and I can’t believe it.

“I always have to remember where I started. I didn’t dream about this, because it was so big, but now it’s happening. I want to do my best."

Berrettini will compete at the ATP Finals against world number one Novak Djokovic, U.S. Open champion Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev, and Andrey Rublev, with Casper Ruud and Hubert Hurkacz next in line.

Also read: Unvaccinated tennis stars will be allowed to compete at the Australian Open after fulfilling two weeks hard quarantine and regular testing

(Tennis news) Jannik Sinner defended his title at the Sofia Open as he beat Gael Monfils in straight sets. Sinner has won three titles this season and all of them in hardcourts, he has now entered the top ten rankings and is the youngest of the group.

Sinner has faced Monfils at the US Open in the third round and has three victories over Monfils in four matches. Sinner played aggressively right from the start in the final as Gael kept returning the ball, Sinner kept hitting forehands across the court to take the first set. In the second set, Monfils came into form as he hit speeding forehands and even slam dunked a smash but Sinner’s form was not affected as he came into the net to finish off points against Monfils. Sinner defeated Monfils 6-3, 6-4.

Monfils has had a rough year as he is yet to win a title, his last title came a year back at Rotterdam. The 35 year old has reached the finals for the first time this year and his best performance at Metz where he reached the semifinals losing to Pablo Carreno Busta. As for Sinner, his first title came at the same tournament a year back and has won multiple titles this year and now has a chance to play in the world tour finals given his performance at the handful of tournaments left in the season. 

Sinner started the year with a title at Melbourne and then reached the quarterfinals in Dubai but his highlight was reaching the finals of the Miami Masters 1000 where he lost to Hubert Hurkacz. He also reached the semifinals in Barcelona and the fourth round of the French Open. The 20 year old has already qualified for the Next Gen ATP finals which will begin next month, he won it in 2019 and can continue his winning streak at home in Italy.

Sinner had won the title here last year beating Vasek Pospisil in the final and this time had not dropped a set while capturing the title. With his third title of the year, Sinner has slowly transformed himself into a probable for the majors next year. This season has seen the youngsters play the major role in most of the events, especially in the second half of the year. With one more month to go in the tennis calendar, Sinner will look to climb up the rankings ladder.

Also read: Casper Ruud beats Cameron Norrie to win fifth title at San Diego Open

(Tennis news) Casper Ruud won a season leading fifth title at the San Diego Open by beating Cameron Norrie in a one sided final. Ruud only lost two games in the final as he unleashed powerful winners against the left hander and now has the most titles this season. 

Ruud took the first six games as he gave away no options to Norrie who never got the chance to settle in the match as the first set got over in 26 minutes. In the second set, Ruud continued his dominating performance to lift the trophy and now has more titles than Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev who have four each.

Ruud has won all the five finals he has reached this year, his previous four titles came on clay as this is his first hardcourt title. He is currently in eighth position in the race for World Tour Finals and has improved his game in the hardcourt this year. Ruud had defeated Andy Murray, Lorenzo Sonego and Grigor Dimitrov on his way to winning the title at San Diego.

Ruud is now three wins away from 50 tour wins this season and has lost 12 matches. He won his first tour title last year in clay at Buenos Aires and this year is on top with five titles. The Norwegian now sets his eyes on the Masters 500 and 1000 as he reached the semifinals at Rome last year where he lost to Novak and also reached the last four at Hamburg losing to Andrey Rublev. This year he reached the quarterfinals at Toronto where lost to Stefanos Tsitsipas and also in Cincinnati as he lost to Zverev.

Ruud also reached the fourth round of the Australian Open and the last four at Monte Carlo and Madrid. Clay has been his favourite surface as the numbers clearly suggest, the world tour finals is only a month away and Ruud will be eager to bring out his San Diego form. The next tournament is the Indian Wells as the Shanghai Masters, China Open and the Japan Open have been cancelled owing to the pandemic.

There are two Masters 1000 and 500 events left as there are four 250 events left. The players will look to accumulate as many points as possible for the World Tour finals as only Djokovic, Medvedev and Tsitsipas have qualified for the event and the remaining five spots are crucial for the players who are next.

Also read: Aslan Karatsev knocks out Hubert Hurkacz at the San Diego Open

(Tennis news) Aslan Karatsev had a giant killing run from the start of the year as he became the first man to reach the semifinals of a Grand Slam in his debut. He had come through the qualifiers in the Australian Open and defeated Diego Schwartzman, Félix Auger-Aliassime, Grigor Dimitrov on the way to the semifinals where he lost to Novak Djokovic. His run didn't stop there as he went on to win the Dubai Open and defeated Djokovic in the semifinals in his home turf at the Belgrade Open in Serbia.

After his performance at the Belgrade Open, he slumped to poor form which saw him failing to advance to the quarterfinals in the next 11 tournaments. In the San Diego Open, Aslan beat in form Hubert Hurkacz in a three set contest which lasted for two and half hours. Hubert started well by taking the first set but an aggressive Aslan kept hitting the ball harder than his opponent. Aslan took the next two sets as the match looked more predictable towards the end and defeated Hubert 5-7, 6-4, 6-2.

Rising star Casper Ruud was in relentless pursuit for a win against Andy Murray as the rallies were long and gruelling. Ruud took the first set after finally managing to break Murray as both of them did not seem to give in at any point of time. In the second set Ruud managed to take a 3-0 lead as the crowd started engaging more with every rally as both were playing from the baseline. Ruud defeated Murray 7-5, 6-4.

Denis Shapovalov found answers from the net as well as the baseline as Taylor Fritz kept attacking Denis. Fritz came at the net multiple times in the opening set but could not keep the ball away from Denis who covered the court effortlessly and took the first set with a running winner across Fritz at the net. In the second set, Fritz played from the back of the court which clearly was not a good idea as Denis raced to take the second set with powerful forehands. Denis defeated Fritz 7-6(9-7), 6-2.

Grigor Dimitrov lost only two games against August Holmgren in his fourth round match up as he will be facing Aslan in the quarterfinals and will look to avenge his Australian Open defeat earlier this year. Dimitrov was a sight to watch against Holmgren as he cooked up great shots to give the 901 ranked player a free tennis lesson, Holmgren hit the ball hard but was not fast enough for Dimitrov as he was too good at every point simply showing his experience and agility on court. Dimitrov defeated Holmgren 6-1, 6-1.

Cameron Norrie saved a handful of set points in the first set and came back from 2-5 down to take the first set in a tiebreaker against Daniel Evans. Evans failed to capture the set after multiple set points and faced the forehand wrath of Norrie. In the second set, Norrie broke Evans as Evans missed an easy backhand volley in the eighth game to give Norrie the advantage and then Norrie served out the match to set up a clash with Denis in a battle of left handers in the quarterfinal. 7-6(7-3), 6-3.

Also read: Grigor Dimitrov records first victory over Marton Fucsovics at San Diego Open

(Tennis news) British tennis player Andy Murray will be making his first appearance at the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells since 2017 after the three time Grand Slam champion was given a wildcard entry into the main draw of the prestigious California based tournament. Murray reached the quarter-finals of the Moselle Open and suffered a straight set defeat to Norway’s Casper Ruud at the San Diego Open on Thursday.

Fellow former World Number 1 and four time Grand Slam champion Kim Clijsters was also given a wildcard entry as she makes her comeback in tennis. The mother of three gave credit to Andy Murray’s resilience and desire to succeed in tennis after recovering from a hip surgery as a source of motivation.

Despite not being a Grand Slam, the BNP Paribas Open is one of the most prestigious tournaments on the tennis calendar and is usually held in March but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. US Open winner Emma Raducanu was also given a wildcard entry for the tournament earlier this week while Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Ashleigh Barty, Serena and Venus Williams are set to miss out.

Also read: 1988: Steffi Graf’s Golden Slam marks 33 year anniversary

(Tennis news) The Nitto ATP finals will be held from November second week which will feature the top 8 players in the world. With the Sofia and San Diego Open going on, the players will look to capitalize on the two Masters 1000 series which will bring them closer to the top 8 rankings. There are a few players who have the chance to make it to the tournament for the first time.
 

Hubert Hurkacz

Hubert won the Moselles Open in singles and doubles, he has won three titles this year and looks in great form. Hubert is currently in 7th position in the race for the year end championships and so far will not have trouble qualifying. All of his titles have come in hard courts and will be an added advantage for the polish number one. On his way to winning a first Masters 1000 title at Miami he recorded successive wins over Stefanos Tsitsipas and Andrey Rublev. His game does not allow him to commit many unforced errors and has excellent control at the net.

Casper Ruud

Casper is having the best year in his career as he has won four titles and all of them have come on clay. He has won 43 matches with 12 losses and recently played in the Laver Cup where he defeated Reilly Opelka in straight sets. He had reached the quarterfinals in Toronto and Cincinnati where he lost to Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev respectively. Casper had reached the last four in Madrid and Monte Carlo while defeating two top 10 players on the way. He won three successive titles in the month of July with a winning streak of fourteen matches which ended at Toronto. He is currently in 8th position to qualify for the Tour finals.

Jannik Sinner

Jannik has won two titles this year both in hardcourts and reached the finals in Miami Masters 1000 losing to Hubert in two sets. He has defeated Gael Monfils in the US Open and Andrey Rublev at Barcelona, he has an attacking game as he is always looking for winners. Jannik last played in the US Open reaching the fourth round, he has already qualified for the ATP next Gen where he is the defending champion. Jannik had won the first title of the year at Melbourne where he defeated Karen Khachanov in a marathon semifinal which involved two tie breaks.

Felix Auger-Aliassime

He is the youngest player in the race for the Tour Finals and along with Jannik has qualified for the ATP next Gen with his record breaking performance at the US Open. The 21 year old has progressed to the fourth round in all Slams except the French Open this year and has two runner up finishes. He had defeated Roger Federer at the Halle Open and has four wins over top ten players this year. Felix has shown great composure while playing at the Grand Slams and will be needing the same when he qualifies in the final tournament of the year.

Also read: World number 1 Novak Djokovic withdraws from the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells

(Tennis news) Reilly Opelka has been one of the top servers in the past three years along with his country mate John Isner. Opelka is the joint tallest tennis player along with Ivo Karlovic standing at 6 feet 11 inches and both are one of the fastest servers in the court. Opelka turned professional in 2015 and won his first title in 2019 at the New York Open, a Masters 250 tournament but that year saw Opelka finish second in most number aces as he served 1,014 aces in 48 matches.

Opelka’s height has naturally given him a strong serve, his average first serve is around 205 km/hour and given his stature it is tough to return balls from that angle. He also comes to the net very often and has quick reflexes combined with huge reach in both forehand and backhand. 

Opelka has won two titles so far as his second title came last year at the Delray Beach Open and will now look to win a Masters 1000 or 500 title. Both his titles have come in hard courts considering his style of play which is suited on fast courts as opposed to clay where there is a lot of sliding and the ball moves slow. Opelka’s movement around the court is a little slower considering the height but his forehands and serve have been his strengths as it comes from a towering position and fierce speed.

Opelka is currently the highest ranked American, two places above John Isner who is ranked 21 in the world and Opelka is currently ranked third in the number of aces this year as he is two aces behind John Isner with 664 aces. His serve has been exceptional and has helped him beat higher ranked opponents and trouble them especially on hard courts. He has performed well in clay courts too as he reached the last four in Rome and reached the third round of French Open this year.

Opelka had two major milestones this year as he reached the semifinals in Rome until he was beaten by eventual champion Rafael Nadal in straight sets which was the first time Opelka reached the last four in a Masters 1000. Opelka then bettered his record by beating Stefanos Tsitsipas, Roberto Bautista Agut and Grigor Dimitrov on the way to the final where he lost to Daniil Medvedev at the Toronto Open.

Opelka will look to emulate Isner’s and Jack Sock’s record of reaching the top ten of the rankings. Both Sock and Isner have been ranked number eight which is the highest by an American in the past 9 years. Mardy Fish was ranked number seven in 2011 and Andy Roddick on top in 2003 which has not been repeated ever since. Opelka reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time in this year’s US Open as he lost to Lloyd Harris as he lost his chance for a quarterfinal berth but gained entry into the top twenty of the rankings for the first time. Opelka is now ranked 19 in the world which is also his career best ranking considering the performances this year.

To climb into the top ten rankings would require improvements in all aspects of the game and considering he is only 24 years old, Opelka will have a lot to look forward to in the coming months as there are still two Masters 1000 coming up. Opelka was last seen playing the Laver Cup while representing team world, he played the singles losing to Casper Ruud. While there are a handful of tournaments left in the tennis season the American number one has a lot to do.

Also read: Team Europe win four consecutive Rod Laver Cups with a dominant 14-1 win over Team World in Boston

(Tennis news) Team Europe won the Rod Laver Cup yet again to maintain their unbeaten run in the competition against Team World in Boston. Having already won the previous three editions held in Prague, Chicago and Geneva, Team Europe won with a margin of 14-1 to record yet another victory. 

The Ryder Cup style event had Team Europe with an 11-1 lead heading into Sunday with a single win enough to guarantee the Rod Laver Cup. Doubles' pairing of Germany's Alexander Zverev and Russian Andrey Rublev defeated American Reilly Opelka and Canadian Denis Shapovalov 6-2 6-7 (4-7) 10-3. Unlike the previous editions of the Rod Laver Cup where the result went down to the wire, Team Europe comfortably won in Boston, a testament to their clinical performance.

The Rod Laver Cup format means that match victories on Friday are worth 1 point, Saturday is two points and Sunday is three points. Unlike the previous editions, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic were unavailable in the contest, which meant that Zverev, Rublev, Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Matteo Berrettini and Casper Ruud competed for Team Europe.

Team World comprised Felix Auger-Aliassime (Canada), Diego Schwartzman (Argentina), John Isner (United States) and Nick Kyrgios (Australia). Kyrgios, who lost both his singles and doubles matches for Team World at the Rod Laver Cup, has also announced that he won’t be competing in future editions of the competition. "I'm sure I won't be here again, so I took everything in this week. I will be watching from my couch, the next Laver Cup, cheering for Team World,” said Kyrgios.

In an on-court interview, Zverev said “At the end of the day, the score says that it was 14-1, but it could have gone both ways a lot of the time. We (did) a lot of hard work for this victory throughout the whole week. The group of this team has been absolutely amazing. I think a lot of us came a lot closer together and to be honest I can't wait for London next year.”

Rublev, who won a gold medal in mixed doubles at the Tokyo Olympics, commented on how special the experience was of winning the Rod Laver Cup. The Russian said “This year I had two really emotional moments. One was the Olympic gold medal and this week is the second. It's something that's going to stay forever with me."

Also read: Hubert Hurkacz wins singles and doubles at the Moselle Open

(Tennis news): Laver Cup will begin from 24th of September and will be led by the next generation as the big three won’t be taking part this time. Team Europe is led by the US Open champion Daniil Medvedev and Diego Schwartzman will be leading team World, the tournament is back after a year as it was not held last year due to the pandemic.

The Laver Cup is played in honour of the living legend Rod Laver who dominated the game during the early 60’s and set records which still stands today. He is the only man to have achieved a calendar year slam and was the first player to do it when he won all the four slams in 1969. He played left handed and had strong groundstrokes along with an attacking serve and volley.

Laver also became the first Open era champion at Wimbledon in 1968, he had a total of 198 titles with 111 titles coming in the Open era. He also played doubles, winning all the slams except the US Open in the pre open era and won the Australian Open and Wimbledon in the open era. He was one of the highest paid players and had a total of 11 slams in which 5 of them came in the open era. Laver had laid the foundation for tennis, he was even present in this year’s US Open final and Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne is named after him. 

The Laver Cup was created by Roger Federer’s management company TEAM8 along with former player Jorge Paulo Lemann with a partnership of Tennis Australia. It is based on the Ryders Cup in Golf and the top players from the US play against top professionals from Europe. The Laver has two teams, team Europe and team world and there six players in each team who will be captained by a legend in the sport. The current captain for team Europe is Bjorn Borg and vice captain being Thomas Enqvist as for the team world they are being captained by John Mcenroe and the vice captain being Patrick Mcenroe. 

The Laver Cup does not have ATP points and is played between the top players. The players are chosen according to team ranking and the captain also chooses players, Team Europe has won the first three editions of the game and Alexander Zverev is the only one player from team Europe to feature in all the editions. John Isner and Nick Kyrgios and have also been part of all the editions in team world.

The first edition was notable as Federer and Rafael Nadal were part of the doubles team and in the second edition Federer and Novak Djokovic were part of the doubles team. There were outstanding performances from Sock in the doubles, Isner and Kyrgios in the singles. All the players watch the match on the court and also receive coaching during the match from the captain and the players.

Team Europe: Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev, Andrey Rublev,  Matteo Berrettini and Casper Ruud.

Team World: Félix Auger-Aliassime, Denis Shapovalov, Diego Schwartzman, Reilly Opelka, John Isner and Nick Kyrgios.

John Isner is the only player this time who is aged above 30 as the rest of the players are all in their twenties. Isner who is 36 is the oldest and Félix Auger-Aliassime who is 21 is the youngest this time. Team Europe is filled with youngsters and is the favourite to win the Cup as for Team world they will look to hold the cup for the first time.

Also read:  Davis Cup: Bopanna and Ramkumar crack in must-win doubles match, India lose tie to Finland

(Tennis news): Carlos Alcaraz Garfia is just 18 years old and already making heavy strides in the game. The US Open has been his major spotlight although he has been making progress since the start of the year. At the start of the 2019 season, he was ranked 490 and by the end of the year he was ranked 130. In 2020 he started the year ranked 130 and the rankings didn't change much as there were few tournaments taking place. He has made his debut in all the Grand Slams this year.

In the 2021 season, Alcaraz made his Grand Slam debut at the Australian Open where he beat Botic van de Zandschulp in the first round but lost to Mikael Ymer in the next round. His major breakthrough came in the AnyTech365 Andalucia Open, a 250 tier tournament where he made the semifinals beating Feliciano Lopez, Casper Ruud on the way. Alcaraz also faced his idol Rafael Nadal in the third round of the Madrid Masters 1000 losing in straight sets.

In the French Open, Alcaraz won his opening match against Nikoloz Basilashvili but lost his next match to Jan-Lennard Struff. In Wimbledon too he won his first match against Yasutaka Uchiyama and in the next match lost to Daniil Medvedev. His next tournament, the Croatia Open 250 will always be special to him as he beat Filip Krajinovic, Albert Ramos-Vinolas and in the final demolished Richard Gasquet for his first ATP tour title.

The Croatia Open has an interesting history behind it. Alcaraz’s coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero had won it in 2010. Novak Djokovic also made his tour level appearance in Umag back in 2003 when Alcaraz was born. The year 2003 is also when Rafael Nadal made his Grand Slam debut and Roger Federer won Wimbledon which was his first Grand Slam title. Alcaraz has a lot of players he can look upto especially his own countrymen, he considers Nadal as his idol.

Juan Carlos Ferrero, a former world number 1 and French Open winner in 2003 has been instrumental in the young Spaniard’s career. He has been coaching him since 2018 and has been bringing in changes constantly especially on his aggressive play. Stefanos Tsitsipas said that he has never seen anybody striking the ball that hard after losing to Alcaraz in the fourth round of the ongoing US Open.

Alcaraz is a right hander and plays a two handed backhand, he employs his powerful forehand to hit winners and also uses a drop shot as he can also finish off points in the net. His endurance was heavily tested against Stefanos Tsitsipas in the fourth round of the US Open, the match lasted for over four hours and Alcaraz had covered 9kms in distance during the match. Although he is young, he has the strength and grit to trouble the top players.

Alcaraz is the youngest Grand Slam quarter finalist since Michael Chang in the 1990 French Open and is the youngest to reach the US Open quarterfinals since 1963. He is the youngest man from Spain to reach the US Open fourth round since Nadal in 2006, Nadal had lost in the quarterfinals to Mikhail Youzhny that year. Alcaraz is also the youngest player to beat a top three ranked opponent since the start of the ATP rankings in 1973.

Alcaraz has a lot to look forward to since he has just started his career and has done it in the best way possible. 16 years ago, on a different surface another aggressive young Spaniard won his first Grand Slam and now will be looking for a successor. Nadal has set the bar high for the future players from Spain, Alcaraz has his targets in sight as he will try to reach the last four and maybe even face Novak Djokovic in a thrilling battle. There are a lot of expectations from the young lad as he will try to break in the next Gen which will be carrying the tour hopefully soon. Alcaraz has been a major headline of this year’s US Open and who knows might even lift a Grand Slam in a year or two.

The tour has seen a lot of youngsters making the top cut, but someone so young shining in the Grand Slams has not been seen in recent years. The pressure and facing the crowds itself is a difficult task and adding to facing top players who have had years of experience. Alcaraz doesn't seem to be distracted by all this as he is now a crowd favourite and showed his best tennis in Arthur Ashe Stadium which is the largest tennis stadium in the world. He will next face Felix Auger Aliassime who is also a rising star himself, it will be a eye dropping battle as the crafty Canadian will take on the aggressive rough Spaniard. A battle of the future stars and they have indeed added more spice in the tournament. The future of tennis is in safe hands and the ball is in the court, let's admire the show while it lasts.

Also read: Novak Djokovic four victories away from making history at the US Open, Leylah Fernandez knocks out Angelique Kerber in fourth round clash

(Tennis news): In Men’s Singles, Novak Djokovic shook off a slow start to secure victory over former US Open finalist Kei Nishikori. Nishikori took control in the first set as Djokovic made few unforced errors in crucial stages, but after losing the first set Djokovic made sure the audience will have to wait to see him lose as he progressed into the fourth round. Djokovic defeated Nishikori 7-6(7-4), 6-3, 6-2.

Carlos Alcaraz Garfia continued to scale new heights as he beat Peter Gojowczyk in another five set contest to progress into the quarterfinals. Alcaraz is the youngest Grand Slam quarter finalist since 1990 and will look to create more milestones ahead. Both the players had a good start as they started with a set apiece, Gojowczyk then took the third set for a two set lead as Alcaraz looked in danger. Alcaraz responded sharply as he gave no chances to Gojowczyk in the next two sets to steer the match in his favour. Alcaraz defeated Gojowczyk 5-7, 6-1, 5-7, 6-2, 6-0.

Botic van de Zandschulp from the Netherlands is another player who is seen making great progress in this year’s US Open. He has battled through the qualifiers and has so far 5 career victories all of which have come this year. Zandschulp had taken out eighth seed Casper Ruud in the second round and in his biggest career win defeated Diego Schwartzman in the fourth round. In his four hour battle against Diego, Zandschulp was on fire from the start and took the first two sets. Diego, under pressure fought hard and took the next two and was the favourite to win the final set. Zandschulp crushed the hopes of the world number 14 to progress into the quarterfinals. Zandschulp defeated Diego 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 5-7, 6-1.

In Women’s Singles, Leylah Annie Fernandez took on another US Open champion and the result was the same as the previous round. Angelique Kerber could only delay her fate as Leylah proved to be too good for her. In the first set Kerber played her usual self and took the first set but in the next set the teenager shot back by winning the second through a tie breaker. In the final set Leylah gave away no chances to Kerber as she cruised into the quarter finals. Leylah defeated Kerber 4-6, 7-6(7-5). 6-2.

Shelby Rogers secured a huge win as she overcame World number 1 Ashleigh Barty in a final set thriller. The first set saw Rogers taking the lead with a defensive play and tried to land the shots in the court, in the second set Barty played even more aggressively as she used her serve and netplay to force the match into a decider. In the final set Barty looked promising with a 5-2 lead until Rogers turned into a gladiator and fought back with mighty force as it came to a tiebreaker. In the tiebreak both the players were on level with five points each until Rogers took two points as the crowd could not believe what they had just witnessed. Rogers defeated Barty 6-2, 1-6, 7-6(7-5).

In Men’s Doubles, Rohan Bopanna and Ivan Dodig had mid match hiccups as they outplayed Arthur Rinderknech and Hugo Nys in a three set second round clash. Bopanna and Dodig defeated Rinderknech and Hugo 6-3, 4-6, 6-4. Jack Sock and Neal Skupski started their campaign with a thumping win over Filip Krajinović and Laslo Đere in the first round, Sock and Skupski defeated Krajinović and Laslo 6-2, 6-3.

In Women’s Doubles, Luisa Stefani and Gabriela Dabrowski had a tight second round clash against Shelby Rogers and Petra Martić as it took two and half hours to secure a victory. Stefani and Dabrowski defeated Rogers and Petra 6-4, 6-7(7-5), 7-6(7-3). Top seeds Elise Mertens and Hsieh Su-wei had an relatively easy second round as they defeated Ulrikke Eikeri and Elixane Lechemia 6-4, 6-2.

In Mixed Doubles, Giuliana Olmos and Marcelo Arévalo caused an uproar as they took out top seeds Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Ivan Dodig in the fourth round. Olmos and Marcelo defeated Nicole and Dodig 7-5, 3-6, 10-5. Jessica Pegula and Austin Krajicek had to struggle in the beginning as they defeated the Japanese pair of Ena Shibahara and Ben McLachlan 7-6(7-1), 6-3.

Also read: Carlos Alcaraz and Leylah Fernandez lead with huge victories at the US Open

Cincinnati (Tennis news): In Men’s Singles, the top four seeds entered the semifinals of the Cincinnati Masters 1000. Andrey Rublev registered his second victory in as many meetings over Benoit Paire. The pair had met in the same stage in the Toronto Open, Rublev with his powerful strokes got off to a good start. Paire later used  his defensive skills and trick shots as he took the second set. In the final set Rublev continued to use his hammer forehand and reached his third masters 1000 final of the season. He will face Daniil Medvedev for a place in the final.

Daniil Medvedev also got his second victory over Pablo Carreno Busta after the pair had met in the Toronto Open. Medvedev took just 54 minutes to secure a place in the semifinal, he beat Pablo 6-1, 6-1 with just seven unforced errors and twenty winners. Medvedev played a flawless battle as he was also serving great against the Spaniard. Medvedev seems to be a serious contender in the US Open as he has shown exceptional form over the past two weeks.

Alexander Zverev had a great outing as he beat Casper Ruud 6-1, 6-3 to set up a blockbuster semifinal against Stefanos Tsitsipas. Zverev is also a major contender who can stop Novak Djokovic in the US Open as he showed what he's capable of during the Tokyo Olympics. Casper was also in great form but couldn't withstand Zverev’s attack.

Stefanos Tsitsipas beat Felix Auger Aliassime 6-2, 5-7, 6-1 as he suffered a setback in the second set. He had 2 match points in the second set when Felix suddenly made a glorious comeback and won the next three games to take the set. Stefanos was playing exceptionally level till then but didn't let that affect his game as he stormed in and took the final set.

Also read: Injuries piling up this season as Rafael Nadal becomes latest casualty

In Women’s Singles, Angelique Kerber defeated Petra Kvitová 6-4, 3-3. Kvitova had to retire midway as she was suffering from stomach issues and began struggling in the second set. Kerber will face Ashleigh Barty who defeated Barbora Krejcikova in straight sets. Barty was simply unstoppable in the match as she played calm and rallied hard to take the first set 6-2 and in the second set Barbora was leading 4-2 until Barty took four straight games to take the match. Barty has been too good in the last few matches as her patience paid off in this match.

Karolina Pliskova also proceeded into the semifinals as Paula Badosa had to retire in the second set. Paula had to pull out as she suffered a shoulder injury, injuries are becoming a major concern as the schedule is getting tighter for the players. Pliskova will next face Jil Teichmann who put up an excellent performance against Olympic champion Belinda Bencic. She sent a warning for the semifinal clash with a resounding 6-3, 6-2 victory over Belinda. Belinda simply couldn't match her opponent’s intensity.

In Men’s Doubles, Fabio Fognini and Marcelo Arévalo shocked Toronto champions Joe Salisbury and Rajeev Ram as they defeated them in straight sets. They will now play against Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballo for a place in the final. Hubert Hurkacz and Jannik Sinner after defeating the top seeds Nikola Mektić and Mate Pavić in round 16 couldn't repeat their upset as they lost to American pair of Austin Krajicek and Steve Johnson.

In Women’s Doubles, Zhang Shuai and Samantha Stosur overcame Anna Blinkova and Allaksandra Sasnovich in three sets to book a place in the final. In the second semifinal Gabriela Dabrowski and Luisa Stefani who also had a tough time against Barbora Krejčíková and Kateřina Siniaková. Gabriela Dabrowski and Luisa Stefani are into their second consecutive title match as they captured the Toronto Title last week.

Cincinnati (Tennis news): In Men’s Singles, Reily Opelka failed to advance to the round of 16 as Casper Ruud emerged winner in a three set battle which involved two tie breaks in the Cincinnati Masters 1000. It took two hours and 25 minutes for Casper to record his 100th career win and even bageled the 6 foot 11 inch American. In the first set, there was nothing to separate the two as a tie break saw Opelka marching ahead and in the second set Casper was unstoppable as his opponent could not win a single game. With one set a piece, the decisive set was bound to test them both as Casper finally won the match with a tiebreak. Andy Murray will have to wait for a third title here as he was beaten by Hubert Hurkacz 7-6(7-4), 6-3 in the round of 32.

Jannik Sinner fell to John Isner in the round of 32, Sinner started well by taking the first set 7-5 but Isner fought back in the next set by winning the tiebreak 7-4. In the third set, Isner took off well and continued the rhythm to win the match. Gael Monfils became the 11th active player to secure 500 career wins as he sprinted past Alex de Minaur with a 6-3, 7-5 victory. He is second to Richard Gasquet in most career wins by a Frenchman in the tour and will be facing hard hitter Andrey Rublev in round of 16. Daniil Medvedev will be facing Grigor Dimitrov for a place in the quarterfinal as both the players secured straight set victories over Mackenzie McDonald and Alexander Bublik respectively. The pair has met thrice with Medvedev coming out on top on the last two occasions.

Also read:  Mental health taking a toll on athletes as Osaka leaves press conference in tears in Cincinnati

In Women’s Singles, Simona Halep had to issue a walkover to Jessica Pegula as she suffered a leg injury in the previous round. She hopes to be fit for the US Open which starts in 11 days. Garbiñe Muguruza advanced to the round of 16 as she swept past Caroline Garcia while conceding just seven games. She will be up against Barbora Krejčíková for a place in the quarterfinals, Belinda Bencic beat Shelby Rogers in straight sets, the first set was settled by a tiebreak and the second was lopsided as Bencic won 6-1 to set up a match against Karolína Muchová in round of 16. Paula Badosa continued her fightback as she beat third seed Aryna Sabalenka in a two hour three set encounter. Sabalenka took the first set 7-5 but Paula came back strong in the second set by taking it 6-2. The third set finally saw Paula reaching the finishing line and setting up a clash against Elena Rybakina. Ons Jabeur defeated Iga Swiatek in an hour and eighteen minutes, she had beaten Swiatek in Wimbledon and dominated her opponent with a 6-3, 6-3 victory as she will next face Petra Kvitova.

In Men’s Doubles,Hubert Hurkacz and Jannik Sinner beat Dan Evans and Neal Skupski 6-3, 3-6, 10-3 to proceed into the round of 16. Horacio Zeballos and Marcel Granollers had to struggle a bit as they overcame Andrey Rublev and Karen Khachanov 7-6(9-7), 7-5 as they advanced into the quarterfinals. Joining them will be the pair of Fabio Fognini and Marcelo Arévalo who beat Kevin Krawietz and Horia Tecău. They had lost the first 6-3 but finished strong as they took the next two sets 7-5, 10-7.

In Women’s Doubles, Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Iga Świątek went through to the quarterfinals as they emerged victorious against Darija Jurak and Andreja Klepač in a three set encounter. The first set saw them losing 5-7, but then the two renaming sets saw them finishing on top. Zhang Shuai and Samantha Stosur recorded a win against Bernarda Pera and Magda Linette to enter the round of 16 where they will be up against Květa Peschke and Ellen Perez.

Cincinnati (Tennis news): In Men’s Singles, John Isner had a rough start in his opening match against Cameron Norrie in Cincinnati Masters 1000. Norrie raced off to take the first set as Isner was looking at an early exit, in the second set both were players going head to head and a tiebreak was needed to separate the two. Isner took the tiebreak 7-5 as he avoided defeat and in the final set the American made no mistake as he won the match 4-6, 7-6(7-5), 6-4. Isner served his way into the record books as he became the second player to cross the 13,000 aces mark in the match. Ivo Karlovic leads the chart with 13,709 aces followed by Isner and Roger Federer. Isner will next face Jannik Sinner in the next round while another huge server Reily Opelka also needed three sets to advance against Corentin Moutet.

Opelka started strong as he took the first set 7-6(7-3), Corentin fought back to take the second set 6-4. The final set saw Opelka securing victory as he took it 6-4 and will next take on Casper Ruud. Wimbledon runner up Matteo Berrettini made a return to the tour by defeating Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-7(5-7), 6-3, 7-5 in his first match since his incredible run on grass. Grigor Dimtrov defeated Roberto Bautista Agut in straight sets to set up an exciting contest against Alexander Bublik, this will be their third meeting and they last met in Wimbledon this year where Bublik prevailed. Benoit Paire secured his third win against Denis Shapovalov, he overcame Denis 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 as he looks in form this time around. The young Canadian had an early exit in the Toronto Open as well in the same round of 32 and will look to be his old self as he comes back for the US Open.

Also read: Paire and Shapovalov battle in round three as Murray advances in Cincinnati

In Women’s Singles, Jessica Pegula was in incredible form when she demolished Camila Giorgi when she secured victory as Camila could only win four games in total. Jessica will next face former world number Simona Halep, Halep had earlier defeated Magda Linette and had issues in the second set. Halep won the first set 6-4 and Magda came back with equal power by taking the second set 6-3 but the decisive set saw the two time grand slam winner conceding just a single to take it 6-1. Belinda Bencic also announced her return with a victory after winning the Gold in Singles at the Tokyo Olympics. She won her match against Markéta Vondroušová 6-3,7-5 to set up a round of 32  match against Shelby Rogers. Markéta Vondroušová had upset Naomi Osaka in the third of the Tokyo Olympics, Osaka who finished as runner up last year to Azarenka will start her campaign against teenager Coco Gauff who breezed past Hsieh Su-wei. Victoria Azarenka beat Ludmilla Samsonova 6-2,6-3  in her opening match, Azarenka had won here last year and back in 2013.

In Men’s Doubles, Rohan Bopanna and Ivan Dodig exited in their opening match as they lost 1-6, 6-4, 10-7 to Filip Krajinović and Fabrice Martin. It was a tough defeat as they took the first set and things looked set for a victory. They lost the second set and could not stage a dramatic run down the finish line in the final set. John Peers and Filip Polasek shook off a first set setback and took the next two sets against Luke Saville and Matwe Middelkoop to confirm a showdown with Alex de Minaur and Cameron Norrie.

In Women’s Doubles, Japanese pair of Ena Shibahara and Shuko Aoyama toppled Jeļena Ostapenko and Jil Teichman without much trouble with a 6-3, 6-3 victory. Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Iga Świątek won a marathon match against Petra Martić and Shelby Rogers when finally the scorecard read 2-6, 7-5, 10-5  and they will next face the pair of Darija Jurak and Andreja Klepač in the round of 16. 

Toronto (Tennis news): In Men’s Singles, Stefanos Tsitsipas dominated Casper Ruud as he beat him in straight sets to book a semifinal clash with Reilly Opelka. Opelka served his way through Roberto Bautista Agut as he swiftly took the first set but had to struggle in the second as it went till tie break but the American eventually came through. Daniil Medvedev was staring at a quarterfinal exit as he had to pull out every trick in the book against Hubert Hurkacz in a marathon three set battle. After winning the first set 6-2, Hubert was two points away from a semifinal spot in the second set tiebreak as both the players were leveled on 6 points each. The third set also saw both the players take it to the extreme as Medvedev scraped through and got himself a semifinal berth against John Isner. Isner defeated Gael Monfils 7-6(7-5), 6-4 as the first was nothing apart from magic when Monfils came back from a 1-5 deficit in the tie break but the American finished with an ace. Isner improved and took the second set with less trouble as he will face the young Russian for a place in the final.

Also read:  Isner Upsets Rublev as Bautista saves three match points for a place in the quarterfinal in Toronto

In Women’s Singles, Ons Jabeur who had earlier defeated the defending champion Bianca Andreescu in the round of 16 lost to Jessica Pegula in a three set thriller quarterfinal. Jessica now has two victories against Jabeur in as many matches. Jabeur had a perfect start as she took the first 6-1, in the second set she was serving for the match at 5-4 but couldn’t finish it off as Jessica came back with a bang by taking the second set in a tiebreak 7-6(7-4). She kept improving as she bageled Jabeur to confirm her place in the semifinals. Top seed Aryna Sabalenka powered her way through to the semifinals when she defeated former world no 1 and two time Grand Slam winner Victoria Azarenka 6-2,6-4. The last time they played was last year in the Ostrava final where Sabalenka prevailed. Sabalenka had 33 winners to help her get past her opponent and will be needing those again when she faces Karolina Pliskova in the semifinals. Pliskova had earlier defeated Sorribes Tormo 6-4, 6-0 for a place in the semifinals, she was troubled by the Spaniard early on into the match as she was down 3-1 in the first set but that was the only setback she had in the whole match. She took 10 games in a row as she trounced her opponent in the second set by bageling her and stamping her place in the semifinals. Teenager Coco Gauff's run was halted by Camila Giorgi who is in terrific form this tournament as she had earlier taken out Elise Mertens and Petra Kvitova. The first set saw Camila leading early on as she took the first set 6-4, the second set saw both players go head to head as Gauff denied Camila twice when serving for the match at 5-4 and 6-5. In the tiebreak Gauff started early by securing a 2-1 lead but Camila took the next 6 points for a well fought victory.

In Men’s Doubles, Ivan Dodig and Rohan Bopanna were defeated in three sets in the quarterfinals by Joe Salisbury and Rajeev Ram. The winners will next face Sander Gillé and Joran Vliegen in the semifinals. In the second semifinal, Nikola Mektić and Mate Pavić will be facing Kevin Krawietz and HoriaTecău.

In Women’s Doubles, Sabalenka and Mertens lost to Gabriela Dabrowski and Luisa Stefani in the quarterfinals. The victors will next face Elena Rybakina and Veronika Kudermetova for a place in the final. Bernarda Pera and Magda Linette will face off Andreja Klepač and Darija Jurak in the first semifinal.