(Tennis news) The third edition of the ATP Cup saw the young Canadians taking the title for the first time. The season opener gave the perfect start to the 2022 season as it saw many players giving all of their might to see their country winning. There were many senior and junior players who were in their zone on court as they proved to be an invaluable part of the team. Here are the top four players at the ATP Cup.

 

Roman Safiullin: Russia

 

When in Rome, do as the Romans do and that is what Safiullin exactly did. He formed a great duo with Daniil Medvedev in doubles and in singles he did what every player should for their country. Russia seemed to have lost its powerhouse as Rublev and Karatsev pulled which made way for Safiullin who unexpectedly became the hero for the team.

 

Safiullin became a fan favourite in the very first match against France when he defeated Arthur Rinderknech who was 120 places above him in the rankings. In the second match, the world number 167 secured his biggest win by beating James Duckworth and got his first top 50 win on tour. He lost the next two matches to Jannik Sinner and Denis Shapovalov but did his best to make them work hard for the win.

 

Safiullin and Medvedev were the lowest ranked doubles pair in every match they played but still won three matches and lost in the semifinals to Canada. Safiullin has been the latest Russia to make a mark in the sport and will hope to join the likes of Aslan Karatsev and Andrey Rublev.

 

Daniel Evans: Great Britain

 

Britain had everything at the event but luck as Canada’s victory over Germany put them out of the knockout stage. Evans played five matches in the ATP Cup and won every match dropping just one set in the final doubles match against USA. The world number 26 won all his singles matches beating Denis Shapovalov and John Isner in straight sets. He was the most valuable player for the team and partnered with Jamie Murray against Germany and USA. 

 

Roberto Bautista Agut: Spain

 

Roberto led the Spanish team like a gladiator in every match. The 33 year old has been having fantastic starts to the season for the past 5 seasons piling up more than 40 wins and less than 10 losses. He won four matches and it was painful to watch the world number 17 lose in the final even after picking up two top 10 victories on the way.

 

Felix Auger-Aliassime: Canada

 

The Canadian team was led by two youngsters, the rising stars of the sport. Felix and Shapovalov were one the youngest players on the event, they carried the responsibility with quite a bit of maturity. The world number 9 defeated Cameron Norrie in the second match and also paired with Shapovalov to win the tie. 

 

Felix played 5 singles matches and 3 doubles matches at the ATP Cup which showed the young Canadian had a lot of workload and pressure through the event. The doubles win against Russia put the team through the final and his win against Roberto gave the title to the team.

 

Also read: Novak Djokovic’s path to legal vindication was long and convoluted. It may also be fleeting

(Tennis news) In day 6 the final group stages of the ATP Cup saw the top two teams of two groups qualify for the semifinal. The day also had exits from top two teams from Group C and B as Italy fell short of making it into the final stages even though they had a strong team and Britain missing out the spot by a whisker.

 

Russia defeated Italy 2-1

 

Russia picked up its biggest victory so far as they became the third team to qualify for the semifinals. Jannik Sinner put Italy on front with a top class performance over Roman Safiullin as the Russian could not handle the power of the next gen. In the second singles match, Daniil Medvedev kept the hopes alive with a three set win over Matteo Berrettini as he only committed 13 unforced errors and played it safe. The pressure was on Medvedev but the world number 2 did not let his country down after losing the second set, the final set saw the Russian excel as he kept the rallies long.

 

In the final doubles match, Medvedev and Safiullin were again in the danger zone after losing the first set but did not let the Italians celebrate in the next two sets as they will now aim for a second consecutive title.

 

Sinner defeated Safiullin 7-6(8-6), 6-3, Medvedev defeated Berrettini 6-2, 6-7(5-7), 6-4, Medvedev and Safiullin defeated Berrettini and Sinner 5-7, 6-4, 10-5.

 

Australia defeated France 2-1

 

France ended their journey in the event without a victory as Australia too reached the finish line with an inspiring victory. Arthur Rinderknech gave the home crowd bad news in the opening match as France got their first point, Alex De Minaur was” le destructeur” as he beat Ugo Humbert after losing the first set. In the second set, the Aussie lad saved crucial breakpoints to take the match into the final set. In the doubles, John Peers and Luke Saville saved three match points as they made sure not lose their way at home.

 

Rinderknech defeated James Duckworth 6-4, 7-6 (8-6), Alex defeated Humbert 3-6, 7-6(7-2), 6-1, Peers and Saville defeated Fabrice Martin and Edouard Roger-Vasselin 6-2, 5-7, 11-9.

 

Britain defeated USA 2-1

 

Britain had hopes of qualifying for the semifinal but it suffered a major breakdown in the first match. Cameron Norrie fell in the last few points of the match which proved to be crucial for the team as Taylor Fritz gave the first point to his team. In the second match, Daniel Evans resisted strong serves against John Isner to give the team chances for a semifinal finish with a win against John Isner. In the final match, Evans again played a key role with Jamie Murray to secure the final point of the tie.

 

Fritz defeated Norrie 7-6(7-4), 3-6, 6-1, Evans defeated Isner 6-4, 7-6(7-3), Evans and Murray defeated Fritz and Isner 6-7(7-3), 7-5, 10-8.

 

Canada defeated Germany 2-1

 

Canada put an end to Britain’s wait as they grabbed the final semifinal spot of the event. The two youngsters confirmed the victory in the first 5 hours of the match. Denis Shapovalov hit 10 plus winners in each set as the left hander did half the job but the next match was a difficult one.  Felix Auger-Aliassime was up against Alexander Zverev as it was expected the German would halt the opposition from reaching the last four but Felix left it all out on court to clinch the match and the tie. The 21 year old lost 6 points at the net out of 23 and saved 7 breakpoints out of 9 to give the team a last four place. In the doubles match, Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz were too late as they won a point for the German side.

 

Shapovalov defeated Jan-Lennard Struff 7-6(7-5), 4-6, 6-3, Felix defeated Zverev 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, Kevin and Tim defeated Steven Diez and Brayden Schnur 6-3, 6-4.

 

Also read: Poland and Spain end group stage with victories at ATP Cup

(Tennis news) Day 4 of the ATP Cup witnessed Italy and Russia recording vital victories as the knockout stages are going to be held later this week. Group B and C played their matches and still have one more match to go before the semifinals.

 

Russia defeated Australia 3-0

 

Russia continued its title defence by blanking the home team for its second consecutive victory. Roman Safiullin gave the early lead once again by taking out James Duckworth in the first match. Daniil Medvedev got his first victory of the season by beating Alex De Minaur as the doubles saw both the Russian singles players pitting against seasoned doubles players and finished the ordeal.

 

Safiullin defeated Duckworth 7-6(8-6), 6-4, Medvedev defeated Minaur 6-4, 6-2, Medvedev and Safiullin defeated John Peers and Luke Saville 7-6(9-7), 3-6, 10-6.

 

Italy defeated 3-0 France

 

Italy recorded its first win of the event as it now hopes for a spot in the semifinal. France have confirmed their exit from the semifinal race with their second consecutive defeat as they are in the bottom place of Group B. Jannik Sinner gave the right signal at the start as he defeated Arthur Rinderknech in straight sets in which the second set was stretched to the tie break. In the second match, Matteo Berrettini confirmed their first victory as he beat Ugo Humbert. In the final doubles match, Berrettini and Sinner regrouped to make it three out of three.

 

Sinner defeated Rinderknech 6-3, 7-6(7-3), Berrettini defeated Humbert 6-4, 7-6(8-6), Sinner and Berrettini defeated Fabrice Martin and Edouard Roger-Vasselin 6-3, 6-7(7-9), 10-8.

 

Germany defeated USA 2-1

 

Jan-Lennard Struff came out on top against John Isner who hit 34 aces in the opening match which lasted over 3 hours. The second match saw Alexander Zverev take on Taylor Fritz and give the Germans the victory. In the final doubles match, Isner and Fritz did not let themselves be whitewashed as they bageled the first in their way to take the last point of the tie.

 

Struff defeated Isner 7-6(9-7), 4-6, 7-5, Zverev defeated Fritz 6-4, 6-4, Isner and Fritz defeated Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz 6-0, 6-3.

 

Canada defeated Britain 2-1

 

Group C has now seen the four teams win one match and lose the next as Canada got their first victory at the event. Daniel Evans gave Britain the first point as he won the match of single handed backhands against Denis Shapovalov who had not played the earlier match due to fatigue. Felix Auger-Aliassime then carried his form from the previous season to beat Cameron Norrie as Canada got back their hopes for a semifinal spot. In the doubles match, both the next gen players upset Joe Salisbury and Jamie Murray to end the tie with a crucial win.

Evans defeated Shapovalov 6-4, 6-4, Felix defeated Norrie 7-6, 6-3, Felix and Shapovalov defeated Salisbury and Murray 6-4, 6-1.

Also read: Argentina and Spain closing in on top finish at the ATP Cup

(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): In Men’s Singles, 18 year old Carlos Alcaraz Garfia reported a major casualty when he beat World number 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas in the third round of the US Open. Alcaraz covered over 9 kms during the four hour battle, he even came back from 2-5 in the third set as Tsitsipas simply couldn’t get the ball past him. In the fourth set, Tsitsipas came back roaring with 6 consecutive games to take the match into the decider. Alcaraz played like a true warrior against the Greek god to go into the fourth round. Alcaraz defeated Tsitsipas 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(7-2), 0-6, 7-6(7-5).

World no seven Andrey Rublev was also knocked out by Frances Tiafoe in another five setter as two top ten players have already crashed out of the US Open. Rublev started well taking the first set but Tiafoe immediately answered as he took the next one. In the third set Rublev had a set point in the tie break but Tifaoe managed to sabotage it and went on to win the set. Things were never smooth for Rublev as he could never carry the momentum in the match as Tiafoe constantly troubled his rhythm to take the match. Tifaoe defeated Rublev 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(8-6), 4-6, 6-1.

The third five setter match saw Felix Auger Aliassime continue his good run at the Grand Slams as he recorded a victory against Roberto Bautista Agut in the third round. Felix had earlier reached the quarterfinals in Wimbledon for the first time, he was on course for a straight set victory by taking the first two sets comfortably until Roberto fought back taking the next two. The match was suddenly even and both of them had equal chances. Felix showed tremendous stamina to come out firing in the final set for a well deserved win. Felix defeated Roberto 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3.

In Women’s Singles, 18 year old Leylah Annie Fernandez caused the biggest upset of this year’s US Open so far as she ended the campaign of defending champion Naomi Osaka in the third round. Osaka took the first set and was almost close to taking the next one too until Leylah found hope at the right time. Osaka was serving for the match 6-5 in the second set when Lelyah had other ideas and won the set in the tiebreaker. The final set saw Leylah winning 18 of her 19 first serves and had enough energy left in the tank to blast winners as she grew with confidence in the last few games. Leylah defeated Osaka 5-7, 7-6(7-2), 6-4.

Garbine Muguruza, a two time Grand Slam champion was up against another two time Grand Slam champion Victoria Azarenka. Muguruza started off on a bright note as she took the first set and the duel was bound to go to the third set when Azarenka took the second set with equal ease. In the third set Azarenka lost control of her serve and groundstrokes as Muguruza won the match. Muguruza defeated Azarenka 6-4, 3-6, 6-2.

Two former US Open champions collided in another exciting contest, Angelique Kerber won here 5 years ago and Sloane Stephens had won 4 years ago. Stephens took the first as she looked more comfortable on court than Kerber, but the next two sets saw Kerber walk all over her opponent. Kerber was striking the ball so well and finished the last two sets in jiffy. Kerber defeated Stephens 5-7, 6-2, 6-3.

In Men’s Doubles, Rohan Bopanna and Ivan Dodig took the last two sets to win their opening match against the pair of James Duckworth and Jordan Thompson. Bopanna and Ivan Dodig defeated Duckworth and Thompson 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(7-1). Third seeds Nicolas Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herbert needed three sets which involved two tie breakers to see off Marcelo Demoliner and Marcus Daniell. Mahut and Herbert defeated Demoliner and Daniell 6-3, 7-6(7-3), 7-6(7-1).

In Women’s Doubles, Desirae Krawczyk and Alexa Guarachi had an easy outing against Rebecca Peterson and Danka Kovinić, Krawczyk and Guarachi just gave four games as they are into the third round. Krawczyk and Guarachi  defeated Peterson and Kovinić 6-3, 6-1.  Samantha Stosur and Zhang Shuai continued their good run as they defeated Miyu Kato and Sabrina Santamaria 6-2, 6-4.

In Mixed Doubles, Rajeev Ram and Sania Mirza lost their opening match to Dayana Yastremska and Max Purcell as they couldn’t turn things around in the final set tiebreaker. Dayana and Max defeated Rajeev and Sania 6-3, 3-6, 10-7. Joe Salisbury and Desirae Krawczyk had a tough opening match as they defeated Mitchell Krueger and Jamie Loeb 5-7, 6-3, 10-8.

Also read: Jack Sock and Kei Nishikori turn back the clock at the US Open, Nikola Mektić and Mate Pavić exit in the first round in doubles

Toronto (Tennis news): John Isner was too good for 4th seed Andrey Rublev as he defeated the young explosive Russian in straight sets to set up a mouth watering quarter final clash with Gael Monfils. Monfils booked his place in the quarter finals as he clinched a victory in straight sets against Frances Tiafoe. This is the Frenchman's first quarter final of the year and will be meeting the American for a 13th time on tour. Monfils holds a 7-5 lead over Isner, the last time they faced was 2 years ago in the Beijing Open round of 32 where Isner prevailed in three sets.

Also read:  Canadians crash out in Toronto as Medvedev looks to reach second final

Roberto Bautista Agut came back from the brink to save three match points against Diego Schwartzman in the round of 16. He was down 3-5 in the final set and won four games in a row for victory as he will be playing Reilly Opelka who recorded a win over Lloyd Harris. Daniil Medvedev booked himself a quarter final berth as he defeated James Duckworth 6-2,6-4 in the round of 16.

In Women’s Singles, defending champion Bianca Andreescu lost her round of 16 match to Ons Jabeur in three sets. Camila Giorgi is into the quarterfinals after seeing off Petra Kvitová in round of 16, she will be facing 17 year old Coco Gauff for a place in the semifinals.

In Men’s Doubles, top seeds Nikola Mektić and Mate Pavić will be facing Luke Saville and Matwe Middelkoop today in the quarterfinals. In the Women’s doubles Ellen Perez and Květa Peschke lost in the quarterfinals to Bernarda Pera and Magda Linette.

Toronto (Tennis news): In Men’s Singles, Daniil Medvedev defeated Alexander Bublik in three sets to reach the round of 16 in the Toronto Masters 1000. Bublik started off strong as he took the first set but could not carry on the momentum as Medvedev began to find his form and took the next two sets. He will be facing James Duckworth who caused an upset when he defeated Jannik Sinner in the round of 32. The 2018 runner up Stefanos Tsitsipas will face Karen Khachanov in round of 16, Khachanov earlier recorded a straight set victory over Aslan Karatsev to set up a match against the Greek god. Canadians Denis Shapovalov and Felix Auger Aliassime fell in round 2 as they suffered losses against Frances Tiafoe and Dušan Lajović respectively. The tournament saw its second withdrawal as Hubert Hurkacz did not need to step on court to progress to the next round when he received a walkover from Kei Nishikori who pulled out of the tournament with a shoulder injury. Frenchmen Gael Monfils looked in good form when he defeated John Millman in three sets as he will play Frances Tiafoe in the round of 16.

Also read:  Shanghai Masters 1000 cancelled this year as COVID-19 cases rise in China

In the Women’s Singles, Danielle Collins staged an emphatic victory over Simona Halep in three sets as she will face Jessica Pegula in the round of 16. Elina Svitolina was also knocked out in the round of 32 as she lost to Britain’s Johanna Konta.

In Men’s Doubles Ivan Dodig and Rohan Bopanna emerged victorious over Simone Bolelli and Máximo González in the round of 16. In the Women’s doubles Ellen Perez and Květa Peschke are into the Quarterfinals and will be facing Bernarda Pera and Magda Linette.

Serena, Venus Williams and Sofia Kenin have pulled out of the Cincinnati Open as injuries are piling up before the US Open. Serena Williams is out with a leg injury and Sofia Kenin is down with a foot injury. Serena has been suffering with injury this year as she had to withdraw in the beginning of the season in Yarra Valley Classic as well as recently in Wimbledon. 

Melbourne, Feb 1 (PTI) India's Sumit Nagal began his 2021 season with an opening round defeat at the Murray River Open, losing in straight sets to Ricardas Berankis, here on Monday in the run up to the Australian Open. Nagal, who does not give up easily, suffered a rather tame 2-6 2-6 defeat in the USD 320775 ATP250 event. The Indian, ranked 139 in the ATP singles chart could convert none of the two break chances he earned while dropped his serve four times in the match against the world number 72 from Lithuania. It is first competitive event for all the players who have assembled in Melbourne for season's first Grand Slam and have completed quarantine. Bopanna, who served a hard quarantine, has been paired with Denmark's Frederik Nielsen for the Murray River Open and they will open their campaign against Australian wild card pair of James Duckworth and Marc Polmans. Bopanna is going into the event without much practice as protocols required him to stay inside his room for 14 straight days. He stepped out only on January 30. Divij Sharan and Igor Zelenay will clash with Guillermo Duran and Albert Ramos-Vinolas in their opening round.