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First @NewYork Open Semifinalists Emerge From Three Set Triumphs; @MioKecmanovic and @Kyle8Edmund Go Head to Head Tomorrow

Posted by Admin on February 14, 2020
Posted in: ATP, New York, New York Open. Tagged: , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Miomir Kecmanovic, 2020 New York Open

First @NewYorkOpen Semifinalists Emerge In Three Set Triumphs; @MioKecmanovic and @Kyle8Edmund Go Head to Head Tomorrow
Steve Fogleman from the home of the Long Island Nets

The wind kicked up and the cold came back to town in Uniondale, New York on Saturday for the New York Open. Inside the Coliseum, Ugo Humbert kicked up his service game and won a lopsided first set over Miomir Kecmanovic in the day’s first quarterfinal. Humbert won 94% of his first service points in the first set. Kecmanovic quickly regrouped and held the first game before breaking Humbert for the first time en route to the second set for the young Serb, 6-2.

It was hard to predict what was going to happen in the third set. Kecmanovic was flabbergasted by Humbert’s painting of the lines during the Frenchman’s service games. Kecmanovic lost a few close calls and after losing a challenge in the sixth game of the second set, he seemed to unravel, momentarily, and faced two break points. But he held.

In the eighth game of the final stanza, Humbert faced break point during his service. He held.

In the very next game, Kecmanovic found himself down 0-30.

Kecmanovic held from there and we all sensed a tiebreak was in order at that point.

We were wrong. Kecmanovic stunned his opponent by breaking Humbert at love to take the match, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Last week, I made some pre-tournament predictions and sadly, the only quarter I got right was Kecmanovic to play Humbert. They’re both still under the radar to many American fans and were virtually unknown two years ago.

It’s Kecmanovic’s second semifinal of the new year (Doha) and only the third semis showing in his career. In our interview, he said he’d like to finish the season in the top 30.

As for Humbert, he’s already won his first ATP tour title at Auckland in January, so his year is off to a good start as well.

Kyle Edmund will take on Kecmanovic in tomorrow’s day semifinal.

Kyle Edmund, 2020 New York Open

 

 

Soonwoo Kwon and Edmund also saw one player get off to a fast start. Kwon was up 6-3 and Edmund answered back with a 6-2 second set. Both players were firing on all cylinders for the third set. Like the third set before it, it also felt like an inevitable tiebreak. And this time, for once, we’d be right. Tragically, the match ended on a Kwon double fault at 5-6. Kwon’s third set tiebreak record is an abysmal 36%. Overall, it was a decent run for the 22-year-old South Korean.

Kyle Edmund, 2020 New York Open

Tonight, we’ll see Reilly Opelka try to take a step closer to defending his only title, while Jason Jung and Jordan Thompson try to get closer to their first ever tour level finals.

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Favorites Advance in Tuesday @NewYorkOpen Action

Posted by Admin on February 11, 2020
Posted in: ATP, New York, New York Open, Steve Fogleman. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Kyle Edmund, 2020 New York Open (Photo: TennisAtlantic.com)

Favorites Advance in Tuesday @NewYorkOpen Action
Steve Fogleman at the Ancestral Home of the New York Islanders

A second day of rain did nothing but make you feel better about yourself for coming out to watch indoor tennis. And the weather outside did nothing to dampen the confidence of today’s winners.

Jordan Thompson, 2020 New York Open (Photo: TennisAtlantic.com)

Borat Sagdiyev

Jordan Thompson played Ivo Karlovic’s game and beat him at it in straight sets, 6-3, 7-6(2). While serving only 6 aces to Karlovic’s 11, the mustachioed Australian won an amazing 86% of his first service points and was never broken. From one big man to another, Thompson moves on to face American John Isner.

Soonwoo Kwon, 2020 New York Open (Photo: TennisAtlantic.com)

Soonwoo Kwon doused the hopes of qualifier Go Soeda, 6-2, 6-7(2), 6-3, after Soeda snuck up and took the second set tiebreak. Kwon nailed six aces in the third set after only four aces in the first two stanzas. Kwon’s service game will next have to match up against the tournament’s #2 seed Milos Raonic.

Paolo

Paolo “Houdini” Lorenzo

Paolo Lorenzi pulled a Pure Houdini today. He was down a set and a break to World #159 Danilo Petrovic, the lowest ranked player in the main draw. Petrovic, who was two games away from winning his first ATP Tour main draw match, disputed a call in the 8th game and continued to argue through the break and into the third set, where he was destroyed by Lorenzi, 6-0. Someone on twitter accused him of match-fixing, but I saw a guy out there who desperately wanted to win his first (at 28 years old) and he simply unraveled. Lorenzi, a quarterfinalist last year, faces Kecmanovic for a chance to return to New York’s Elite Eight.

You know that one match that you see on an Order of Play and you say, “that’s my match?” Me too. Yesterday, that match was Kecmanovic-Paul. And it disappointed. Today was no different. Today’s “my match” was Dominik Koepfer and Brayden Schnur. Schnur, a finalist at last year’s New York Open, clearly had the weight of history on his racket. He could not deliver a repeat performance of his 2019 run, and although the chants of “Let’s go, Canada” were louder in the second set, they did little to raise his game. For his part, Koepfer was consistent throughout the 6-3, 6-4 win. Earlier, Kyle Edmund eased past Yasatuka Uchiyama and will play Dominik Koepfer in the second round. That’s all for me until the quarterfinals on Friday here at NYCB Live, home of the Nassau Coliseum. See you on Valentine’s Day from the Guy-land.

Qualifiers Placed, @NewYorkOpen Main Draw Underway Monday

Posted by Admin on February 10, 2020
Posted in: ATP, New York, New York Open. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment
New York Open (TennisAtlantic.com)

A Day for Ducks and Qualifiers

Qualifiers Placed, @NewYorkOpen Main Draw Underway Monday
Steve Fogleman on the G’Island

On a rainy Monday on Long Island, Noah Rubin left the New York Open with a scowl on his face after winning just 37% of the points in a qualifying final loss. His conqueror was the 38-year-young Paolo Lorenzi, who advanced to the main draw at the New Yorker’s expense, 6-3, 6-1. And Lorenzi’s smile was Rubin’s frown turned upside down. The Roman citizen never has a poker face and is easily the Steve Buscemi of tennis.

Paolo Lorenzi, New York Open (TennisAtlantic.com)

This Old Man

Jason Jung also dispatched Mitchell Kruger, 6-2, 6-4, at about the same time that Lorenzi finished off Rubin. Jung draws 2018 tournament champion Kevin Anderson in the main draw. 35-year-old Go Soeda destroyed Bernie Tomic in a stunning 39 minutes to take the third qualifying spot in the draw. Soeda’s first round opponent is Soonwoo Kwon. The last qualifying final, between Bradley Klahn and Danilo Petrovic, was a close affair for most of the first set before the Serb pulled away, 6-3, 6-2. Petrovic is the lowest ranked player (#159) to qualify for the main draw. He’ll square off against Old Roman Lorenzi in the first round.

Go Soeda, New York Open (TennisAtlantic.com)

Go Soeda Advances

The players on the Grandstand Court are at the mercy of their noisy, partying neighbors next door on Stadium. At the commencement of today’s matches, the lights went down as Noah Rubin was introduced on the main court. That meant lights out for Jung and Krueger, who had unceremoniously already begun warm-ups. C’est la vie for them.

New York Open (TennisAtlantic.com)

I cannot play in the dark.

The tournament has an impressive multi-media display system. The only problem is that without a lot of fans filling up the arena, it’s full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. On the other hand, there’s nothing like hearing the tossed coin hit the black courts from 300 feet away so loudly that you think that you dropped some change.

Schnur Stars in Semifinal Saturday Upset Win @NewYorkOpen

Posted by Admin on February 16, 2019
Posted in: ATP, Canada, New York, New York Open. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment
Brayden Schnur, 2019 New York Open Finalist (TennisAtlantic.com)

Brayden Schnur, 2019 New York Open Finalist (TennisAtlantic.com)

Schnur Stars in Semifinal Saturday Upset Win at New York Open
Steve Fogleman, Tennis Atlantic

The fans finally showed up on a sunny Saturday afternoon at the New York Open after sparse crowds earlier in the week, and they were treated to an early semifinal that showcased the dazzling talent of Canadian Brayden Schnur.

Sam Querrey was a 4 1/2-1 favorite over Brayden Schnur at the start of the match after opening at 3-1 last night.  Schnur held his first serve at love and you had a feeling this one was going to be a tiebreak affair. And the first set tiebreak was a grand affair. Neither player was perfect, but the unexpected return of a Querrey slam down the line changed the balance. Schnur won three challenges in the first set and seemed to be extremely relaxed on court, even fake-celebrating an ace that he knew was a let. He fist-pumped with a sheepish grin, and moved on to the next serve. He later admitted that he was “extremely embarrassed” that he didn’t realize the serve was a let.

After Schnur broke Querrey in the second game of the second set, it seemed as if it were the veteran American who was frazzled and the 23-year-old Canadian in control. It was as if Querrey simply wasn’t expecting Schnur to return so many balls.

Then, nerves set in and Querrey was content to let Schnur make unforced errors. Querrey finally got a break back and then another to take the match to a third set with the momentum in his favor.

Brayden Schnur, 2019 New York Open Finalist (TennisAtlantic.com)

Or so Schnur wanted us to believe. Schnur was lucky to be able to serve first in the final two sets and jumped to a second consecutive 3-0 lead. This time, though, Schnur would not be broken back and propelled by a small crowd of Schnur fans, he held tough all the way.

Brayden Schnur, 2019 New York Open Finalist (TennisAtlantic.com)

Schnur, a 3 time All-American at the University of North Carolina, picked up some fans this week, people he’d never met before. At match’s end, he made sure to acknowledge them.

“The second set got off to a good start but there was a little bit of a letdown,” he said. “Sam played some good tennis. In that third set, you guys got me through so I’ve got your tickets tomorrow. “

Kevin Anderson is Champion of New York (for at least 6 more months) #NYOpen

Posted by Admin on February 18, 2018
Posted in: ATP, New York, New York Open. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Kevin Anderson is Champion of New York (for at least 6 more months)
Steve Fogleman, Tennis Atlantic

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With 106 aces between them in the tournament already, you knew Sunday’s New York Open final between top seed Kevin Anderson and 2 seed Sam Querrey was going to be a big serving affair. It delivered, but not in the way that Querrey hit 21 aces on Saturday afternoon. In the end, it was Anderson with the edge on aces 16-9 and Anderson is the Champion of New York—well, at least until that tournament in Flushing in a little more than six months. The memories of a loss to Rafael Nadal vanished in an instant. The final score of the first final in New York Open history was 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(1).

Anderson was the cardiac kid to get to the final—outlasting qualifier Ernesto Escobedo in a third set tiebreak, beating Frances Tiafoe in three sets and surviving Kei Nishikori in a another third set tiebreak on Saturday.

Kevin Anderson, 2018 New York Open (Photo: Tennis Atlantic)

Querrey arrived at the New York final by beating Mikhail Youzhny in straight sets, followed by a straight tiebreaks win against Ivo Karlovic and a comeback win in three sets against Adrian Mannarino in the semifinals.

Kevin Anderson, 2018 New York Open, (Photo: Tennis Atlantic)

With the win, Anderson grabs a check for $119,250.00 and 250 ATP rankings points. Querrey will receive $62,805.00 and 150 ATP points.

The tournament’s venue, NYCB Live, was a surprisingly good choice as an indoor tournament host. The two courts, separated by a VIP section, provided for enough separation of them to make it feel like there were two separate tennis stadia under the same roof. For players, coaches and many others, the Marriott hotel across the parking lot gave the New York Open a campus feel. Like its predecessor, the Memphis Open, there were plenty of empty seats during the early rounds before attendance picked up in the semifinals (and every time Kei Nishikori stepped on court). The ATP’s Greg Sharko was on the scene. He’s a treasure trove of all things ATP and is one of the most helpful people you’ll ever meet on the tour. It was such a good experience that I’ve re-thought my general aversion to indoor tennis. There’s nothing better for fans and bloggers to be able to know that a match will start at a specified time with no chance for a weather delay or cancellation. It’s hard enough to buy tickets to a match before the day’s schedule of play has been printed, so it’s a comfort to know that a match will go off at 7:30 p.m. on a Tuesday, even if your favorite player isn’t in it. Other than making for bad photos, indoor tennis is a blessing.

I don’t get a chance to watch a lot of doubles except when I’m at the end of a tournament. Max Mirnyi made his 100th appearance at an ATP final on Sunday when he and Philipp Oswald won the New York doubles crown. Mirnyi had some great things to say about the New York Open:

“Being an inaugural event, I know it takes a lot to get New Yorker’s attention and the fact that today we have a reigning U.S. Open singles finalist in the singles final, I’m sure it’s going to get a lot of attention. I’m sure those of us who have been here, among singles and doubles players, we’re going to spread the word as much as we can. I have no doubt that this is going to be a popular destination on the ATP World Tour and yeah, this tournament will continue to excel.”  —Max Mirnyi

And one more thing: No-ad scoring is a great help as it moves the matches along for everyone’s sake. At one time, I would have threatened to boycott tennis had they toyed with no-ad scoring in singles, but now I think it would be a welcome change. As the Open era prepares for its 50th anniversary, the sport must evolve. We certainly have and tennis is no different than us.

Will Mannarino Man Up and Win First ATP Tour Level Title?

Posted by Admin on February 17, 2018
Posted in: ATP, New York, New York Open. Tagged: , , , , , , . Leave a comment
Adrian Mannarino

Adrian Mannarino

UNIONDALE, N.Y—Adrian Mannarino is a curious case. At 29, he’s playing some of his best tennis yet and he’s achieved a career high ranking at #25. But somehow, he’s earned less than $5 million on the pro tour and is the only player in the New York Open semifinals who has never hoisted a champions trophy at an ATP Tour level event.

Embed from Getty Images

He can take care of both of those things here in New York in two matches. A title would vault Mannarino into the top 20 and the $119,000 winner’s check will put him just over $5,000,000 in career earnings. He’ll face Sam Querrey this afternoon, and although Querrey is ranked higher than Mannarino, the Frenchman has owned the American in their three prior meetings, including straight sets in Cincinnati last summer.

Embed from Getty Images

It’s impressive enough to make the fourth round at Wimbledon, but I’m sure Mannarino would like some tour level hardware and I can’t imagine him not being motivated today in the semis.

Mannarino in 3.

Chung Out, 2018 AO Boys’ Champ Korda In @NewYorkOpen

Posted by Admin on February 2, 2018
Posted in: ATP, New York, New York Open. Tagged: , , , , , , . Leave a comment

 

Sebastian Korda, 2018 AO Boy's Champion

Sebastian Korda, 2018 AO Boy’s Champion

Chung Out, 2018 AO Boys’ Champ Korda In @NewYorkOpen

LONG ISLAND (Feb. 2, 2018) – The world’s No. 1 tennis player on the International Tennis Federation (ITF) junior rankings and 2018 Australian Open boys’ singles champion, Sebastian “Sebi” Korda, has been awarded a wildcard into the main draw of the New York Open ATP World Tour tennis tournament taking place Feb. 11-18 at NYCB LIVE, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

The 17-year-old Korda is the fifth American to win the Australian Open boys’ singles title and the third in the last 50 years (Donald Young, 2005; Andy Roddick, 2000; Butch Bucholz, 1959; Gerry Moss, 1955). His victory marked 20 years since his father, Petr Korda, won the 1998 Australian Open title. Sebi Korda’s commitment to the New York Open, his first ATP World Tour main draw event, also brings his family’s tennis legacy back to Long Island. Petr won the 1992 Waldbaum’s Hamlet Cup in Commack, NY, where he defeated legend Ivan Lendl 6-2, 6-2 in the final.

“I’m eager to get to New York and continue to follow in my dad’s footsteps,” said Korda. “This will be my biggest tournament to date on the ATP World Tour, and I’m looking forward to playing alongside a lot of great players.”

Hyeon Chung (Photo: TennisAtlantic.com)

Hyeon Chung, South Korea’s No. 1 player and Next Gen ATP Finals champion has withdrawn from the New York Open. Chung developed a blister injury on the bottom of his foot, which had forced him to retire during his semifinal match against world No. 2 Roger Federer at the 2018 Australian Open.

“Unfortunately I have to announce that I can’t play in New York next week,” Chung said. “I had been really looking forward to playing in front of the fans there as it’s one of my favorite cities. I was especially looking forward to seeing many Korean fans there. My feet have still not recovered from the events in Melbourne so I need more time. I am sorry not to be there, but I am wishing everyone a great week.”

“Naturally, we are disappointed that Hyeon had to withdraw, but clearly his foot injuries, as many of us have seen digitally and socially, validate the physician’s instruction not to play,” said Tournament Director Josh Ripple. “In the same breath, we are proud to present the world’s No. 1 junior and Australian Open Junior Champion, Sebi Korda, to the New York market as one of our main draw wildcard entries.  There’s no bigger stage to debut your skills than New York, and we are certain the community will love watching him compete.”

—New York Open

.@SAMQUERREY, @RYANHARRISON92 COMMIT TO PLAY INAUGURAL @NEWYORKOPEN

Posted by Admin on December 12, 2017
Posted in: ATP, New York Open. Tagged: , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

Sam Querrey, Ryan Harrison Commit to Play Inaugural New York Open

Sam Querrey, Newport (Photo: S. Fogleman)
LONG ISLAND (December 12, 2017) – The world’s No. 13-ranked ATP World Tour player and 2017 US Open quarterfinalist, Sam Querrey, and 2017 French Open doubles champion, Ryan Harrison, have committed to play the inaugural New York Open at NYCB LIVE, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

Querrey holds 10 career titles and most recently won the Abierto Mexicano Telcel ATP 500 tournament with consecutive wins over five top 50-ranked players, including Kyle Edmund, David Goffin, Dominic Thiem, Nick Kyrgios, and world No. 1 Rafael Nadal. Querrey won the Memphis Open in 2010, which moved to Long Island this year, becoming the New York Open.

Harrison won the 2017 Memphis Open where he defeated Querrey and Donald Young. He also reached the singles final of the BB&T Atlanta Open, where he lost to current No. 17-ranked John Isner, who is a New York Open early commitment, in the final. On the doubles court this year, Harrison won his first Grand Slam, the French Open, and the Millennium Estoril Open in Portugal. He also reached the finals of the ATP World Tour Finals in London last month. Harrison previously won the doubles titles at the 2012 BB&T Atlanta Open and 2011 Hall of Fame Open in Newport, R.I. Last year, Harrison reached the third round of the US Open singles main draw, which included a victory over then No. 6-ranked Milos Raonic.

Ryan Harrison, 2012 ATP Newport

Querrey and Harrison join John Isner, the Bryan Brothers, Kei Nishikori, Hyeon Chung, and Noah Rubin in the player field.

“The Memphis Open was a great tournament, and I want to thank those who came out to support each year,” said Querrey. “I’m excited for new beginnings in New York and look forward to playing at the Coliseum in February.”

“I’m excited to play the New York Open and bring professional tennis back to Long Island,” said Harrison. “I’ll always remember Memphis as my first ATP World Tour singles title, and I’m looking forward to defending that at the Coliseum.”

“We are extremely pleased to receive Sam and Ryan’s early commitment to the New York Open especially since both players are coming off their best year on the ATP World Tour,” said Josh Ripple, Tournament Director. “We can certainly see Sam in the top 10 between now and February, and Ryan has his sights on another Grand Slam title in Australia, so that’s big time tennis for the New York fans.”

The 2018 New York Open will mark the return of the ATP World Tour to the New York metropolitan area and Long Island since 2005. GF Sports, a live events and sports media entertainment company, acquired the former Memphis Open in 2015 and partnered with Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment to move the tournament to Long Island. The event is one of the longest-running American tournaments on the ATP World Tour and the only indoor championship contested in the United States.

Hyeon Chung Booked for Big Apple for Inaugural @NewYorkOpen

Posted by Admin on December 5, 2017
Posted in: ATP, New York Open. Tagged: , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Hyeon Chung (Photo: TennisAtlantic.com)

LONG ISLAND (December 5, 2017) – The ATP World Tour’s No. 1 Under-21 player and South Korea’s greatest tennis export, Hyeon Chung, has committed to play the inaugural New York Open tournament at NYCB LIVE, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Long Island, which takes place Feb. 11-18. Chung will play his first match on Tuesday, February 13 during the evening session.

Chung most recently won the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan, the newest ATP Tour championship which featured the eight best 21-and-under players based on their 2017 results. Chung defeated Canada’s No. 2 Denis Shapovalov, and Andrey Rublev of Russia in the finals.  He also reached the quarterfinals of the Barcelona Open in April where he lost to eventual champion and world No. 1 Rafael Nadal. Chung turned pro in 2014 and won three Futures tournaments, the Bangkok Open, and he was a member of the South Korea Davis Cup team that year.

Chung Hyeon

Hyeon Chung (Photo: TennisAtlantic.com)

“I’m excited to compete in the first-ever New York Open tennis tournament along with some of the biggest names is tennis,” said Chung. “I am training hard after a big win in Milan and am looking forward to continuing that momentum on Long Island.”

Chung joins top 25 players John Isner, Bob and Mike Bryan, and Kei Nishikori in the tournament’s main draw. The week-long tournament will debut with an Opening Night exhibition featuring tennis legend John McEnroe, 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens, James Blake, and Eugenie Bouchard. The New York Open will mark the return of the ATP World Tour to the New York metropolitan area and Long Island since 2005.

 “We are thrilled to have Hyeon secured for the New York Open not only because he is arguably the best young player in the world as evidenced by what he won in Milan, but he will be a major attraction for the Korean community here in the New York area,” said Tournament Director Josh Ripple.  “The tennis world believes Hyeon is the next big story in the sport, and we are pleased to bring him to the market for people to see.”

–Z. Smith, NY Open

Rain Doesn’t Slow Down Mannarino @TennisHalloFame

Posted by Admin on July 14, 2016
Posted in: ATP, Newport. Tagged: , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Rain Doesn’t Slow Down Mannarino at Tennis Hall of Fame
Steve Fogleman, Tennis Atlantic

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Adrian Mannarino Wins on Bastille Day!

NEWPORT, R.I.–Rain hit the Tennis Hall of Fame Championships for the first time in 2016 today, but it didn’t slow down Adrian Mannarino. The Frenchman won the first set tiebreak just before play was suspended. After a delay of nearly three hours, he came out and closed it out against Sam Groth, 7-6(6), 6-3 to advance to the quarterfinals on Bastille Day.

The rain delay was the hardest part of the match for Mannarino.

“Today, we didn’t know if it was going to be a little break like 15-20 minutes or a long one”, he said. “Just trying not to change your mind too much. You have to eat a little bit, but not too much if you don’t want to get a little bit tired. This is really tough, actually. So you just try to stay focused. You could get a little bit disconcentrated”.

No time for ‘disconcentration’ now: he faces Gilles Muller for a trip to the semifinals tomorrow.