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Revolutionary Full Court Tennis App Connects Players With World-Class WTA & ATP Coaches

Posted by Admin on October 10, 2022
Posted in: ATP, Tennis Lessons and Instruction, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Renowned Southern California Tennis Coach and Former Australian Open Winner Brian Teacher Unveils Groundbreaking New Instructional Platform Available NOW!

For More Check Out: www.fullcourttennis.com

PASADENA, Calif. (October 3, 2022) – A groundbreaking new tennis instructional platform may revolutionize the way tennis players learn, and coaches serve athletes. Full Court Tennis, a collaborator of the WTA & ATP Coach Organizations, has launched its new training app, now available through the app store, to all coaches, athletes, and tennis players of all skill levels. The new app allows tennis players to instantly access the worlds’ best coaches for in-app virtual lessons.

Developed by Australian Open Winner, Brian Teacher, with Advisory Board Members John McEnroe, Katrina Adams, and AI scientist Dr. David Fogle, the app provides numerous options for tennis training, including hiring a coach for stroke analysis and a live video consult lesson. Coaches can set their own rates and availability for in-app lessons. Players can also compare their strokes side-by-side to the pros through the app’s stroke library. 

“Growing up playing tennis at a public park, I found it challenging to learn the game without access to world-class coaches,” said Teacher, Founder and CEO of Full Court Tennis. “After winning the Australian Open and becoming an ATP and WTA Coach working with Andre Agassi, Greg Rusedski, and other top pros, I was looking for ways to make world-coaching instantly accessible around the globe – even for children who would not otherwise have access to top coaching talent. After many years of work to streamline the experience, we are excited to make this technology available to all coaches and to all levels of tennis players.”

The app offers its users access to a global community with free tips, drills, and analysis on the Full Court Feed where players can follow, learn, and interact with coaches and players.

Established in January of 2017, the WTA Coach Program has been designed to professionalize, standardize, and recognize the important role of coaching on the WTA Tour. The official collaboration between Full Court Tennis, WTA, and ATP Coach Programs looks to bring even more accessible training opportunities to both coaches and players in the future.

The Full Court Tennis App is a free download on the Full Court Tennis website or the App Store.

—S. Pratt

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Dreams Made, Tickets Punched as 2022 @USOpen Qualifying Concludes

Posted by Admin on August 26, 2022
Posted in: Arthur Ashe Stadium, ATP, New York, US Open, US Open Qualifying, USTA, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , . Leave a comment

Dreams Made, Tickets Punched as 2022 US Open Qualifying Concludes

Steve Fogleman in Flushing Meadows

On a cloudy and then rainy day in Queens, players walked away with a memory of a lifetime, and in some cases, the most important wins so far in their young careers. It was last call for main draw in New York as the three match tournament reached the Friday crescendo.

Yue Yuan was your first qualifier of the 2022 US Open. She beat Maddison Inglis 6-1, 6-0, in just 53 minutes. The English was better than the audio as I attempted to interview her inside Grandstand Court as she had to flee from a flock of fans who followed behind.

Linda Noskova has done it again. She needed only 6 sets in 3 matches to make her way into her first “next week” at the US Open. This time, the opponent was Alexandra Zakharova in a 6-2, 7-5 victory for the young Czech. After the match, she shared her moment of joy with us.

Both Noskova and Zakharaova were happy to sign U.S. currency for a fan. I’m not sure if it raised the value of the money in his wallet. but the ladies were happy to oblige. You’ve got to love New York. If you don’t, you just get irritated. So love it. Trust me.

Max Marterer has been here before, having qualified three times before today’s 6-4. 6-3 win over Riccardo Bonadio of Italy in 68 minutes. He told us it doesn’t get any easier just because you know you’ve done it before.

Then came the rains that may have washed this reporter out. We’re currently in a 55 minute rain delay and depending on the time that they resume play, this may be my last post from New York. It’s been a great August for American tennis fans and I expect nothing less than major fireworks as the big dogs start their engines on Monday. Cheers!

Fans Return to @USOpen Qualifying and the World’s Better for It

Posted by Admin on August 24, 2022
Posted in: Arthur Ashe Stadium, ATP, New York, US Open, US Open Qualifying, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Fans Return to US Open Qualifying and the World’s Better for It

Steve Fogleman in Fushing Meadows

We’ve had COVID subvariants. Historical Inflation. Supply Chain Issues. Labor Shortages. War.

We’ve all been through so much that anything and everything is comfort food. The resumption of the US Open Fan Week was the most delicious heaping of banana pudding served up all year.

So it was in the home of the birthplace of modern democracy, the most democratic of events is back on after a two year hiatus. For the price of a subway ride, fans have been treated to courtside seats to watch Serena Williams practice in what very well may be her last days on Ashe.

And there are many more treasures on the field courts, where we’ve whittled the field down to a more manageable 64 men and 64 women for a two day sprint in quest of a trip of a lifetime to the main draw next week.   

It’s a dizzying array of teens, grizzled journeymen and all player types in between grasping for the prize to be a part of the real deal of this greatness, and we always gravitate toward those who are looking for a life-altering first time grand slam entry. We found a few already in the first round.

Ethan Quinn, ranked #506 and only 18, defeated his first top-200 opponent in compatriot Ernesto Escobedo (#175) to advance to a qualifying semifinal tomorrow against Federico Delbonis (#136) with a chance to claim a second straight top 200 opponent. The 2022 Kalamazoo finalist is a University of Georgia redshirt Freshman.

Linda Fruhvirtova may be only 17, but she has already defeated the likes of Elise Mertens and Vika Azarenka. She was cool as a cucumber after her first round straight sets win over Ylena In-Albon of Switzerland, 6-3-, 6-3 in 1:23 yesterday. Next up for the Czech is Carolina Alves of Brazil tomorrow.

16-year-old Czech competitor Sara Bejlek had the toughest feat of the day on Wednesday and walked away a winner, besting six-time grand slam doubles titlist Kiki Mladenovic. Bejlek edged past the Frenchwoman in the first set, 6-4, before Mladenovic seemingly took control of the match after she won the second, 6-1. But the 16-year-old was not to be outdone, having done it too many times to remember in her young career. “Yeah, I’m like this,” she told me moments after the win. “I’m playing often in three sets. I mean, I’m strong in the head so that’s probably most important why I’m winning three set matches right now,”she said. She definitely took advantage of Mladenovic’s serve in the third and celebrated as her opponent double-faulted the match away. Final Score: 4-6. 6-1, 6-4. Bejlek will meet Australian Priscilla Hon on Court 9 tomorrow around 1pm.

Kateryna Baindl (nee Kozlova) is no Spring Chicken here. At 28, she’s trying to find her way in to a seventh US Open main draw, having reached the second round twice in her career. The Ukrainian spoke to me about the situation in Ukraine after her win over Jesika Maleckova yesterday. Next up for Baindl is Tamara Korpatsch of Germany.

Two matches, two days. Let’s do this!

Wild Card Awarded to @NickKyrgios for @CincyTennis Main Draw

Posted by Admin on July 25, 2022
Posted in: ATP, Cincinnati, Western & Southern Open. Tagged: , , , . Leave a comment
Nick Kyrgios, 2019 Citi Open (Photo: Mike Renz)
CINCINNATI (July 25, 2022) – Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios has been awarded a wild card into the 2022 Western & Southern Open, where he was runner-up in 2017. It will mark Kyrgios’ sixth appearance in Cincinnati and first since 2019. The Wimbledon final earlier this month marked Kyrgios’ first Grand Slam major singles final. He has four wins over top 10 players this year and has reached three semifinals on the ATP Tour. In 2017, the unseeded Kyrgios defeated top seed Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals enroute to the Western & Southern Open final, where he fell to seventh seed Grigor Dimitrov.

Kyrgios, an Australian, won his first Grand Slam major title in January when he won the Australian Open doubles with countryman Thanasi Kokkinakis. He owns six career singles titles and holds the distinction as one of two players to win his first meetings with Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. Wild cards give players a chance to play an event they otherwise wouldn’t qualify to enter based on ranking. At No. 45 in last week’s ranking, Kyrgios fell just outside the cutoff for the Western & Southern Open.

Together with the WTA 1000 women’s tournament, the player fields feature the world’s top-ranked 41 men and 39 women, 11 past champions and 19 Grand Slam major winners including Serena Williams and 2021 U.S. Open champions Daniil Medvedev and Emma Raducanu.

The tournament’s first serve will take place at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 13 for the qualifying rounds. The men’s and women’s singles finals will be played on Sunday, Aug. 21. The schedule is available here.

2022 @CitiOpen Features Return of Women’s Tennis to Washington

Posted by Admin on May 27, 2022
Posted in: ATP, Citi Open, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , . Leave a comment
Coco Gauff, Mark Ein, Caty McNally, 2019 Citi Open (Photo: Mike Renz)

THE WTA RETURNS TO WASHINGTON D.C. THIS SUMMER FOR COMBINED TOURNAMENT AT THE CITI OPEN 

Citi Open becomes one of only five combined ATP/WTA Tour events in the country

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Citi Open®, Washington, D.C.’s premier tennis tournament since 1969 and the fifth largest tennis event in the United States, has announced it will again host a WTA tournament in conjunction with its current ATP event. The Citi Open tournament is one of only five combined tour events in the country, featuring competition from both the ATP and WTA. The 2022 tournament will be held July 30 through August 7 at the Rock Creek Park Tennis Center.

Citi Open had a different feel last year without the WTA. You shouldn’t have to travel to Charleston, New York or Cincinnati to watch women in the highest levels of competition, so this is great news to thousands of fans from Baltimore to Richmond to Harrisburg.

Jess Pegula, 2019 Citi Open (Photo: Mike Renz)

Citi Open’s revived WTA 250 event will celebrate its 10th edition this summer with a stacked player field, featuring 32 singles competitors, 16 doubles teams and 16 qualifiers. The inaugural tournament was staged in 2011 at College Park, MD and moved venues to Washington in 2012. Past champions include Jessica Pegula, Sloane Stephens and the doubles team of Coco Gauff and Caty McNally.


“Our Washington, D.C. community has embraced professional women’s tennis since World TeamTennis first came here in 2008 and the Citi Open tournament hosted its first WTA event in 2011. Our city and event attendees are avid women’s tennis fans, and tennis, uniquely among pro sports, showcases both genders on its biggest stages. Presenting a combined tournament with men’s and women’s players has always been the goal for the Citi Open,” said Mark Ein, Citi Open Chairman. “For the past two years, we have worked tirelessly to bring the Hologic WTA Tour back to our event and we are thrilled to announce both its return to D.C. this summer, as well as another big pro tournament coming back to the United States.”

Camila Giorgi, 2019 Citi Open (Photo: Mike Renz)

In April 2019, MDE Sports, owned and led by Washington-based venture capitalist, entrepreneur and civic leader Ein, acquired the management rights of the Citi Open tournament from the Washington Tennis & Education Foundation (WTEF), a non-profit which provides free tennis and educational programs for children in underserved communities. This acquisition secured the Citi Open’s future in the U.S. and specifically in Washington.

MDE Sports has pursued ensuring that a WTA tournament is part of the long-term future for the Citi Open, with the objective of supporting women’s tennis, guaranteeing the game thrives in the U.S. and providing an opportunity for Washington’s large base of tennis fans to enjoy women’s tennis with a combined event. 

“I am delighted the Citi Open is returning to the WTA tennis calendar this summer,” said Steve Simon, WTA Chairman and CEO. “The tournament and the Washington community have a rich history on the Hologic WTA Tour, with many of the game’s biggest names gracing the courts in previous editions in the nation’s capital. I am grateful to the tournament organizers for their support and for providing the world’s best women’s tennis players the opportunity to showcase their talent.”

The tournament team worked with Citi to ensure that women’s tennis remained a significant element of the event, as a commitment to educate, advocate and support women in sports.

Planning and player commitments are underway for the 2022 Citi Open. Last year’s tournament was the most successful in the event’s history, shattering previous attendance records and selling out all sessions throughout the week. Full tournament packages are on sale now and can be purchased via email at tickets@mdetennis.com or by calling (202) 721-9500. To learn more about the tournament, ticket options, player fields, event policies and more, visit citiopentennis.com.

With Plans for 25+ New Tournaments, @OracleTennis Expands its Imprint on US Tennis

Posted by Admin on September 4, 2019
Posted in: ATP, Oracle Challenger, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment
oracle kei

REDWOOD SHORES, Calif. – Sept. 4, 2019 – Oracle announced today the creation of the Oracle Pro Series, a schedule of more than 25 new ATP, WTA and ITF World Tennis Tour professional tournaments to be held across the United States over the course of 2019 and 2020. The Oracle Pro Series will create more than 40 percent new playing opportunities in the United States for tennis professionals.

Nearly all the tournaments will be combined men’s and women’s events with equal prize money ranging from $25,000 to $108,000 per tournament. The six combined tournaments scheduled for the fall of 2019 offer equal prize money of $25,000 and will be played in California, Texas and Florida. The 2019 Oracle Pro Series schedule is as follows:
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October 6 – 13 – The Claremont Club – Los Angeles, Calif.
October 13 – 20 – Baylor University – Waco, Texas
October 20 – 27 – Texas Christian University – Fort Worth, Texas (ATP)
October 20 – 27 – Southern Methodist University – Dallas, Texas (WTA)
November 4 – 10 – Pepperdine University – Malibu, Calif.
November 11 – 17 – USTA National Campus – Orlando, Fla.
November 17 – 24 – Sanchez-Casal Academy – Naples, Fla.

The final schedule for 2020 will include more than 20 tournaments, most of which will be combined events. Locations will be announced later this year.

“At Oracle, we’re looking at this holistically,” said Oracle CEO Mark Hurd. “We want more exposure for tennis at all levels in the United States. All of our efforts, from awards to tournament series to collegiate sponsorships and strategic partnerships, are pieces of an overall plan to raise the quality of American tennis.”

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In addition to more playing opportunities in the U.S., the Oracle Pro Series will expand the pathway for the next generation of aspiring champions from college tennis up to the ATP Tour and the WTA Tour. The Oracle Pro Series will reward success with immediate access to higher level tournaments by connecting all Oracle events into one merit-based path to the highest levels of international professional tennis.

Oracle is partnering with InsideOut Sports & Entertainment, led by former World No. 1 and Hall of Famer Jim Courier and his business partner Jon Venison, to manage the Oracle Pro Series. InsideOut brings more than 15 years of experience producing live and televised events.

“The Oracle Pro Series is an unprecedented expansion in the number of U.S. professional tournaments and reinforces Oracle’s commitment to advancing the sport,” said Courier. “We are thrilled to be partnering with Oracle to give up-and-coming players more opportunities to compete for prize money, improve their rankings and launch their careers. Together, we will play a big part influencing the future of tennis in the U.S.”

Oracle also supports collegiate tennis through sponsorship of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). This includes hosting several marquee ITA championship events throughout the year such as the Oracle ITA Masters and the Oracle ITA Fall Championships. At the grassroots level, Oracle supports tennis through its strategic partnership with Universal Tennis Rating (UTR). UTR leverages Oracle’s industry leading cloud technology to power its algorithm-based, big-data rating system and digital platform.

Tennis Associations Endorse Oracle Pro Series
“This series of events has been created to provide an unprecedented level of opportunities for aspiring young players to compete and earn the valuable WTA ranking points needed to earn a ranking that will provide them the ability to realize their dreams of playing at the highest levels of the sport.” ~ Steve Simon, WTA Chairman and CEO

“The ATP continues to focus on enhancing and strengthening the ATP Challenger Tour, and we welcome Oracle’s growing involvement at this level of the sport. The Oracle Pro Series will provide increased opportunities for players competing on the pathway to the ATP Tour, and we look forward to seeing the series come to life.”  ~ Ross Hutchins, ATP Chief Player Officer

“We are incredibly excited that Oracle is providing even more opportunities for American players to compete throughout the year, as well as more opportunities for fans to attend professional tennis events throughout the country. These events help develop American talent and serve as a stepping stone for players to reach the highest levels of the game, while at the same time inspire kids across the nation to pick up a racket and play this sport.” ~ Stacey Allaster, USTA Chief Executive, Professional Tennis

—M.  Van Tuinen

Konta beaten by Ons Jabeur in Eastbourne on Day 4

Posted by Admin on June 27, 2019
Posted in: ATP, Eastbourne, LTA, On Site, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Konta beaten by Ons Jabeur in Eastbourne on Day 4
Eric Han for Tennis Atlantic

The biggest shock on Day 4 at the Eastbourne International was British women’s number one, Johanna Konta, beaten by world no. 62, Ons Jabeur in straight sets 6-3 6-2.

After the match, Konta analysed her match and said: “Well, to be honest, I mean, I think I just played an opponent who played very well today. I didn’t feel like I actually did too much wrong. Actually, I don’t think I did anything wrong. There is very few things I could have tried differently or more of, but to be honest, I actually thought I did quite well in the amount of questions I asked my opponent today, and she just was answering them every time.”

“It’s just she played incredibly well. She was able to get back balls from different positions of the court and hit winners from different positions of the court. Any changes of rhythm that I actually tried to give, yeah, she was just able to find her range and find her game from any balls that I gave her, which obviously makes it quite difficult for me not to be able to kind of put her on the back foot at all.”

When asked about whether she tried to change anything strategically in the game, Konta said: “I tried to obviously sometimes slow down the balls a bit because I know she absorbs pace very well. And then I tried to speed it up, because I tried to get at it that way. I tried to sometimes go through the middle a bit more. She was moving around the ball quite well. So then I tried to move it out wide.”

“She was moving well out wide (smiling). So then I tried to use slower slices. I tried to use faster slices. I actually thought I varied my serve quite well. I went through pretty much every serve I can hit.”

On the men’s side, the top two seeds were eliminated. America’s Taylor Fritz defeated the number one seed, Guido Pella in three close sets, 6-4 3-6 6-4. Also, the number two seed Laslo Djere was eliminated by qualifier Thomas Fabbiano in two tiebreak sets 7-6 7-6.

Looking ahead to Thursday, the marquee match on the women’s side will be former world no. 1 Simona Halep taking on defending Wimbledon champion, Angelique Kerber.

On the men’s side, it is the battle of the Brits, as British no.1 Kyle Edmund playing against his compatriot Dan Evans.

Edmund commented about his upcoming Evans match “He’s seeing the ball well. It’s another opportunity for me just in the match itself, forgetting about Dan… I just gotta get out there and play my best, really. Last few days I have been in a good place playing. I liked how I transferred that to the match court today. Hopefully I can keep improving.”

“Dan’s game is obviously, backhand probably 75% is slicing or something. I think there will be a bit more longer rallies with Dan because he slows up the ball a lot more.”

New Haven to Host @OracleTennis Challenger in September During @USOpen

Posted by Admin on June 6, 2019
Posted in: ATP, Connecticut Open, Oracle Challenger, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , . Leave a comment
Connecticut Open
Oracle Challenger Series Brings Professional Tennis Back to New Haven 

New Haven, Conn. – June 6, 2019 – The Oracle Challenger Series announced today that the first event of the 2019-2020 Series will be held in New Haven, Conn. at the Yale Tennis Center on September 2-8, 2019 and will also feature the Oracle Champions Cup, a one-night men’s legends Invesco Series QQQ event headlined by Connecticut native James Blake.

Now in its third year, the Oracle Challenger Series aims to help up-and-coming American players secure both ranking points and prize money at home in the United States. The two American men and two American women who accumulate the most points over the course of the Series receive wild cards into their respective singles main draws at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, CA. As part of the Series’ mission to grow the sport of tennis and make professional events more accessible, each tournament is free and open to the public.

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This year, the New Haven tournament will launch the 2019-2020 Series and be instrumental in determining which players make the most of the opportunity to receive wild cards into the largest ATP Tour and WTA combined two-week event in the world. Additional stops on the 2019-2020 Road to Indian Wells will be announced in the coming months.

oracle kei

“This day is extremely rewarding for the Tennis Foundation of Connecticut and for me personally as it ensures that the rich history of professional tennis in New Haven continues,” said Anne Worcester, Tournament Ambassador and former Connecticut Open Tournament Director. “The Oracle Challenger Series is a terrific showcase for both men’s and women’s tennis, and I believe our longtime and dedicated fans will love coming to this free and accessible event.”  No one fought harder than Worcester to maintain the WTA premier level event in New Haven

Additionally, the Series’ inaugural 2019-2020 tournament will feature the Oracle Champions Cup, an Invesco Series QQQ event, on Saturday, September 7. The one-night tournament is part of the competitive circuit featuring legendary tennis icons and world-renowned champions, and will be headlined by Fairfield, Connecticut native and former World No. 4 Blake; 2003 U.S. Open Champion and former World No. 1 Andy Roddick; former World No. 2 Tommy Haas; and two-time Davis Cup titlist and former World No. 8 Mark Philippoussis. The event will consist of two one-set semifinals, with the winners meeting in a one-set championship match.

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New Haven was always one of my favorite stops on the tour. Losing the premier level tournament was a serious blow to young athletes in New England, because if you’ve been to a women’s tournament, then you know that women players are only treated as first class athletes at these events. Even at some of the Grand Slams, many fans are plainly obvious that they’re there to mostly watch the men’s matches. The Connecticut Open pushed up against the US Open in the grand slam’s own backyard, which was the putative reason for the attendance drag. That leaves Charleston as the only east coast stop for a WTA premier. I’m pleased that Oracle stepped up to bring pro tennis back to New Haven, but the fact is it’s a mere seventy miles from Arthur Ashe Stadium and the tournament will commence and conclude during the second week of US Open main draw play. That gives me pause. But hey, all tournaments are good tournaments for the fans and perhaps some early round losers in New York will grab a wild card into New Haven.  

For more information about the Oracle Challenger Series, visit oraclechallengerseries.com. If you are interested in becoming a ballkid or volunteer for the event, please email oraclechallengerseries@desertchampions.com. For more information about the Oracle Champions Cup and to purchase tickets and VIP special packages, visit https://www.invescoseries.com.

 

ATP Rising Stars Alexander Zverev and Karen Khachanov Cap off 2018 With Titles

Posted by Admin on November 18, 2018
Posted in: ATP, Paris, Steen Kirby, Year End. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

ATP Rising Stars Alexander Zverev and Karen Khachanov Cap off 2018 With Titles
Steen Kirby, Tennis Atlantic

ATP World Tour Finals

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The year end finals in London featured most of the top ATP players, and it was Alexander Zverev, the world #5, who came out the victor, upsetting #1 Novak Djokovic and handing him a second straight final defeat 6-4 6-3 as Zverev was dominant on serve and broke Djokovic when needed.

Zverev, who had previously complained of fatigue due to the length of the season, fell to Djokovic in his first match of the round robin portion of play, but came back to beat Marin Cilic, John Isner, and Roger Federer to reach the final without dropping a set in three nip and tuck matches. Djokovic beat Cilic, Isner, and Kevin Anderson largely thanks to a superior return game to reach the final. He’ll enter the 2019 season as the favorite for the Australian Open given his strong form to finish the year. Zverev will be hoping that the season ending tournament win will boost him in 2019.

Bryan/Sock defeated Herbert/Mahut in the doubles final

ATP Paris

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In the final full field ATP event of the season, Russia’s Karen Khachanov stunned Novak Djokovic for the biggest title of his young career.The 22 year old Khachanov defeated Djokovic 7-5 6-4 capping off a dominant week where he sailed past Filip Krajinovic, and Matt Ebden, edged John Isner in 3 sets, and then upset both Alexander Zverev and Dominic Thiem to reach the final. Khachanov had a career year in 2018 and will look ahead to 2019 to post even better results in the Grand Slams.

Djokovic beat Joao Sousa, Damir Dzumhur, Marin Cilic, and Roger Federer (in 3 sets) to reach the final, he’ll finish the season with 7 finals appearances.

Granollers/Ram defeated Rojer/Tecau in the doubles final

ATP Next Gen Finals

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The second year of the ATP Next Gen Finals in Milan saw Greek #1 Stefanos Tsitipas go undefeated in round robin play defeating Frances Tiafoe, Hubert Hurkacz, and Jaume Munar. Tsitipas then defeated Andrey Rublev and finalist Alex De Minaur in competitive contests to win the title of this exhibition style event. De Minaur was the other player to go 3-0 in round robin play, defeating Taylor Fritz, Liam Caruana, and  Andrey Rublev to cap off a breakthrough 2018. His matches will be highly anticipated once the Australian swing fires up in January.

 

 

Roger Federer and Stefanos Tsitsipas Among Winners At End of ATP Season

Posted by Admin on October 28, 2018
Posted in: Antwerp, ATP, Basel, Moscow, Stockholm, Vienna. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Roger Federer and Stefanos Tsitsipas Among Winners At End of ATP Season
Steen Kirby, Tennis Atlantic

It’s been an exciting couple of weeks on European indoor hard courts as the ATP season winds down. Here is your look at recent results.

ATP Antwerp

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Kyle Edmund came back from a set down and needed two tiebreaks to defeat veteran Gael Monfils in the Antwerp 250 final. Edmund got a walkover against Ilya Ivashka in the quarters but needed straight set wins against Albert Ramos and Richard Gasquet to make the final. It’s Edmund’s first title of 2018.

Monfils, who has suffered through a poor season, defeated Ruben Bemelmans, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (in 3 sets), Vasek Pospisil, and Diego Schwartzman to reach the final.

Nicolas Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin teamed up to defeat Demoliner/Gonzalez in the doubles final.

ATP Moscow

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Home hero Karen Khachanov won his second ATP title of the season, defeating Adrian Mannarino in a 6-2 6-2 drubbing. Lukas Rosol, Mirza Basic, and Daniil Medvedev also lost to Khachanov, with Medvedev dropping the semifinal match in three sets.

Mannarino blitzed past Evgeny Karlovisky, Marco Cecchinato, Egor Gerasimov, and Andreas Seppi to reach the final, continuing his credible run of results after hitting age 30.

Americans Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram combined to win the doubles title defeating Mirnyi/Oswald.

ATP Stockholm

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Young gun Stefanos Tsitsipas continued his rise on the ATP tour, defeating Ernests Gulbis 6-4 6-4, after previously scoring wins against John Millman, Philipp Kohlschreiber, and Fabio Fognini. The win is the maiden ATP title for Tsitsipas.

Gulbis making the final is a blast from the past, now 30, he reached his first ATP final since 2014. He came through qualifying then defeated Mikael Ymer, Denis Shapovalov, Jack Sock, and John Isner showing he can still be a factor at the ATP level.

Brits Luke Bambridge and Jonny O’Mara combined to win the doubles title defeating Koolhof/Daniell

ATP Basel

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7-6 6-4 was the scoreline as Roger Federer won ATP title #99, this one in his home country of Switzerland against Marius Copil after previously dropping sets against Filip Krajinovic and Gilles Simon. Federer was hot and cold this week as he also scored wins against J.L. Struff, and Daniil Medvedev. In the end though he once again lifted the trophy in Basel and now has a shot to take title 100 before the year’s end.

Copil reached his second career ATP final, as he’s had a breakthrough 2018.  Copil qualified then defeated Ryan Harrison, Marin Cilic, Taylor Fritz, and Alexander Zverev to reach the final. The wins against Cilic and Zverev both of elite quality, as we should see Copil burst into the ATP top 50 next season.

Dominic Inglot and Franko Skugor defeated the Zverev brothers in the doubles final.

ATP Vienna

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Tour veteran Kevin Anderson won his second ATP title of 2018, defeating Kei Nishikori in straight sets after previously defeating Nikoloz Basilashvili, Borna Coric, and Fernando Verdasco to reach the final, Jurgen Melzer surrendered a walkover in round 2. Nishikori continued his solid season with wins against Frances Tiafoe, Karen Khachanov, Dominic Thiem, and Mikhail Kukushkin. The win against Thiem was a big one as Thiem was playing in his home tournament in Vienna.

Joe Salisbury and Ken Skupski defeated Mike Bryan and Edouard Roger-Vasselin in the doubles final.