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Locals Play @CitiOpen Tuesday, Nakashima Turns 20, @NickKyrgios Needs Points

Posted by Admin on August 3, 2021
Posted in: ATP, Citi Open, Washington. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment
Nick Kyrgios, 2019 Citi Open (Photo: Mike Renz)

Locals Play Citi Open Tuesday, Nakashima Turns 20, Kyrgios Needs Points

  • Nick Kyrgios begins his Citi Open title defense against Mackenzie McDonald. Kyrgios needs three wins this week to reach his first ATP Tour quarter-final since the 2019 Citi Open, where he saved a match point against Stefanos Tsitsipas and defeated Daniil Medvedev in two tiebreaks for the title.
  • On Monday, Kyrgios dropped 250 of his 500 points from the 2019 Citi Open and fell to No. 77 – his lowest spot in the FedEx ATP Rankings since he reached the 2014 Wimbledon quarter-finals as a 144th-ranked wild card.
  • Frances Tiafoe, who learned how to play tennis eight miles from the Citi Open, returns to his home event on Tuesday for a second-round match against countryman Jenson Brooksby. Tiafoe, who trained in nearby College Park, Maryland, won a round in singles and doubles for Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics last week. 
  • Tiafoe isn’t the only local who will play in front of friends and family on Stadium Court. Denis Kudla, who also trained at the Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park, faces Feliciano Lopez in the first round. Kudla fell to Tiafoe in the Nottingham Challenger final on 13 June after teaming with him twice at the Citi Open.
Denis Kudla, 2019 US Open (Photo: TennisAtlantic.com)
  • In another opening-round match, Brandon Nakashima celebrates his 20th birthday against Alexei Popyrin. Nakashima is coming off back-to-back ATP 250 finals at Los Cabos and Atlanta. He became the youngest American to advance to multiple finals since Andy Roddick went 5-2 in finals as a teenager from 2001-02.
  • Nakashima is joined on Grandstand Court by Cameron Norrie, who defeated him in the Los Cabos final on 24 July. Norrie, who meets Marcos Giron in the second round, is tied with Andrey Rublev for third on tour with 36 victories in 2021. Only Tsitsipas (42) and World No. 1 Novak Djokovic (38) have more wins this season. —-ATP

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2-4-8! Who Do We Appreciate? Three Seeded Players In @DelrayBeachOpen Quarterfinal Play Today

Posted by Admin on January 11, 2021
Posted in: ATP, Delray Beach. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

2-4-8! Who Do We Appreciate? Three Seeded Players In Delray Beach Open Quarterfinal Play Today

Steve Fogleman in Delray Beach

January 11–-John Isner, Hubert Hurkacz and Frances Tiafoe are clearly the ones to beat in this tournament at the moment. Those seeded Delray Beach Open seeds have a lot of contenders at their tails. Sebastian Korda, who beat John Isner at Roland Garros last year, is set for the challenge against the second seed nig man Isner.

Roberto Quiroz, the 28-year-old Ecuadorean with deep pro tennis roots and in his first ever ATP quarterfinal, will square off against the 4 seed, Hubert Hurkacz. Hurkacz hopes to be the 7th 4 seed to win this tournament. It’s been tours since his last semifinal berth, but former Texas Christian University standout Cameron Norrie will do his best to move on against 8 seed and 2018 champion Frances Tiafoe.

Finally, you’ve got a match this afternoon that will result in an automatic underdog advancing to the semifinals between Christian Harrison and Gianluca Mager. This is Harrison’s first quarterfinal and Mager beat his brother Ryan to open the main draw of the tournament. In fact, Mager is looking to defeat his third American in a row after a win over Sam Querrey in the second round.

I’ve said it many times and it seems to hold true. At the lower level tournaments, seeding means little.The experience and confidence the players earn on the courts prior to the main draw are often enormously valuable.

As far as coronavirus and social distancing protocols here, there seems to be a ramped-up enforcement. With fewer fans in attendance on Friday, there were more groups together in the upper areas of the stadium and plenty of chin-strapping. I looked at the ushers on the concourse below and was worried that these mature-aged volunteers wouldn’t be up to the task. Meanwhile, Delray Beach Police Officers were all over the facility and didn’t seem interested in managing the new rules. By the weekend, that had changed. Frequent announcements were made that all fans were required to be in their assigned seats and that ushers would be coming around to check those seat assignments. Seats were sold in blocks of 2 or 4 with alternating rows and the protocols appeared to be enforced more stringently. Though it’s completely understandable, my heart sunk a little during announcements that fans were prohibited from asking for selfies or autographs from the players. And that photo of Frances Tiafoe above? He says he requested it. The only reason his mask was down was because he’d just finished answering a few questions for me twelve feet away. Throughout the weekend, the announcer made a point to inform the fans that they were about to be part of a national telecast on Tennis Channel, as if to remind them that they didn’t want to give their own town a bad look on TV. Maybe that was the trick.

West Virginia to Become Temporary Capital of Tennis World as @FTiafoe, @GenieBouchard, Jack Sock, @MilosRaonic & @MonicaAce93 Puig Join 2020 @WorldTeamTennis

Posted by Admin on June 16, 2020
Posted in: World Team Tennis. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Frances Tiafoe, Western & Southern Open, Photo: Tennis Atlantic

West Virginia to Become Temporary Capital of Tennis World as @FTiafoe, @GenieBouchard, Jack Sock, @MilosRaonic & @MonicaAce93 Puig Join 2020 @WorldTeamTennis

RANCHO SANTA FE, Calif. (June 16, 2020) – World TeamTennis has added several prominent tennis stars to an already jam-packed lineup of roster players set to compete during the 45th season of World TeamTennis, taking place at The Greenbrier “America’s Resort” in White Sulphur Springs, W.V.

WTT has announced that each player will play the entire three-week regular season, scheduled for July 12-30, with the WTT Semifinals (Aug. 1) and WTT Final (Aug. 2) to follow.

Monica Puig, 2018 Connecticut Open (Photo: Mike Renz for Tennis Atlantic)

Monica Puig, 2018 Connecticut Open (Photo: Mike Renz for Tennis Atlantic)

Rising American Frances Tiafoe, 2016 Olympic gold medalist Monica Puig, three-time Grand Slam doubles champion Jack Sock and two former Wimbledon singles finalists from Canada – Milos Raonic and Genie Bouchard – will play World TeamTennis this season, joining previously announced players such as reigning Australian Open singles champion Sofia Kenin, 2017 US Open winner Sloane Stephens and Mike and Bob Bryan, tennis’ all-time winningest doubles team. In addition, six-time Grand Slam champion Kim Clijsters will join U.S. Davis Cup captain Mardy Fish playing for the New York Empire in 2020.

Genie Bouchard, 2017 Citi Open (Photo: Tennis Atlantic)

Genie Bouchard, 2017 Citi Open (Photo: Tennis Atlantic)

“I can’t wait for the WTT season to start,” Tiafoe said. “I’ve played WTT for the last three years on the Kastles for some of their home matches in D.C.  I’m excited to go to The Greenbrier to play there for the Kastles next month. Everyone knows 2020 has been a rough year so far. I am definitely looking forward to competing at such a historic venue in such a relaxed setting.”

Sloane Stephens, 2018 US Open (Getty)

Sloane Stephens of the US hits a return to Evgenlya Rodina of Russia during their 2018 US Open women’s match August 27, 2018 in New York. (Photo by Kena Betancur / AFP) (Photo credit should read KENA BETANCUR/AFP/Getty Images)

Added Sloane Stephens: “I’ve played WTT for, I think, six years now, and it’s always something I look forward to. Especially this year. I know we all miss playing tennis and seeing our friends on the tour, so I’m excited to get to The Greenbrier and get in that environment again. WTT always does such a great job with creating a fun, but competitive, season so I’m ready for that. Plus, I’m playing on Chicago’s team, which is cool because Kamau (Murray) is the coach, so that will be fun.”

Kenin, the 21-year-old Floridian who currently sits at a career-high No. 4 singles ranking in the world, will play for the Philadelphia Freedoms. The Vegas Rollers will feature 2017 Wimbledon semifinalist Sam Querrey and the Bryan Brothers.

Two-time Australian Open quarterfinalist Tennys Sandgren will play for the Orlando Storm while doubles specialists Rajeev Ram (Chicago Smash), 2019 WTT Finals MVP Robert Lindstedt (Springfield Lasers) and brothers Neal (New York Empire) and Ken Skupski (Orlando) return this season.

The San Diego Aviators will boast three past Grand Slam doubles champions in Coco Vandeweghe (2018 US Open), Ryan Harrison (2017 French Open) and Nicole Melichar (2018 Wimbledon). Two-time NCAA singles champion Danielle Collins (Virginia in 2014, 2016) will play for Orlando and two-time NCAA singles champion Steve Johnson (with USC in 2011-2012) will lead the Orange County (Calif.) Breakers.

“Our player rosters are the strongest we’ve ever fielded for a WTT season and include multiple players with Grand Slam titles,” WTT CEO Carlos Silva said. “We have a sampling of current stars like Sloane (Stephens), Sofia (Kenin), Vegas Rollers teammates Sam Querrey and Mike and Bob Bryan, as well as a look at tennis’ future impact players with Brandon Nakashima and Caty McNally. Tennis fans are starving to see some great action on the courts and that’s what we plan to deliver all season.”

World TeamTennis’ schedule will include at least three matches per day at Center Court at Creekside, The Greenbrier’s outdoor stadium. Fans can purchase tickets at www.WTTTickets.com.

The following are the player rosters and coaches for the 2020 WTT season (subject to change with future additions):

Chicago Smash: Brandon Nakashima, Sloane Stephens, Evan King, Genie Bouchard, Rajeev Ram: Coach: Kamau Murray

New York Empire: Mardy Fish, Jack Sock, Kim Clijsters, Sabine Lisicki, Neal Skupski, Kveta Peschke. Coach: Luke Jensen

Orange County (Calif.) Breakers: Steve Johnson, Luke Bambridge, Andreja Klepac, Milos Raonic. Coach: Rick Leach

Orlando Storm: James Ward, Danielle Collins, Ken Skupski, Darija Jurak, Tennys Sandgren. Coach: Jay Gooding

Philadelphia Freedoms: Donald Young, Taylor Townsend, Fabrice Martin, Caroline Dolehide, Sofia Kenin. Coach: Craig Kardon

San Diego Aviators: Ryan Harrison, Christina McHale, Jonny O’Mara, Nicole Melichar, Coco Vandeweghe. Coach: John Lloyd

Springfield (Mo.) Lasers: Mitchell Krueger, Olga Govortsova, Robert Lindstedt, Hayley Carter, Jean-Julien Rojer, Caty McNally. Coach: John-Laffnie de Jager

Vegas Rollers: Sam Querrey, Kristie Ahn, Bob Bryan, Mike Bryan, Asia Muhammad, Monica Puig. Coach: Tim Blenkiron

Washington (D.C.) Kastles: Marcelo Arevalo, Bernarda Pera, Nick Monroe, Arina Rodionova, Frances Tiafoe. Coach: Robby Ginepri

All of WTT’s 2020 regular season and playoff matches will be televised on CBS, CBS Sports Network, Tennis Channel or the ESPN family of networks. In addition, select matches will be live-streamed on ESPN+, Facebook Watch or WTT.com. World TeamTennis’ complete season broadcast schedule will be announced on WTT.com at a later date.

Safety guidelines have been put into place by World TeamTennis with guidance of local and state government officials in West Virginia and an adherence to all health and safety protocols set forth by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Every fan at The Greenbrier will be required to pass a temperature check of 100.4 degrees before entering the grounds. All fans will be checked a second time before entering the outdoor stadium, Center Court at Creekside, or indoor court for any matches and will be denied entry should they fail the temperature check.

—S. Pratt

 

Estoril Open QF day: Stefanos Tsitsipas beats local hero, battles to the finish on center court

Posted by Admin on May 4, 2019
Posted in: ATP, Estoril, Guest Writer, On Site. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Estoril Open QF day: Stefanos Tsitsipas beats local hero, battles to the finish on center court
Manuel Traquete, Tennis Atlantic

Friday was a very long day at the Estoril Open, with every match being long and tightly contested until the end. The day began with fast rising Stefanos Tsitsipas taking on local hero João Domingues. While Tsitsipas winning came as a surprise to no one, the manner in which he did might have. Domingues put up an incredible fight and was unlikely not take at least a set. He was bold, aggressive and was hitting great shots. He broke early and has 30-0 when serving for the first set, but couldn’t close it. He had already been close to beating Kevin Anderson at this same venue 2 years ago, but just like then he couldn’t get the big win with his opponent’s superior experience and pedigree coming through in the end.

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Tsitsipas’s opponent will be David Goffin, who won a very long and tense match against Jaziri. He started strong and took an early break only to give it away and lose the first set 4-6; he was up a double break on two occasions in the second set, including at 5-2, but once again just couldn’t capitalize and only barely eeked out a tiebreak to then barely sweat in the deciding set. Goffin’s level was far from good and incredibly far from the one that took him as high as #7 in the world less than 2 years ago. Winning in this manner might be what he needs to start regaining his lost confidence. Beating Tsitsipas in the semifinal would of course go even further towards it, but it’s a difficult bet for anyone to made judging by their respective levels so far this year.

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The second semifinal will be played between the two night session winners: Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Pablo Cuevas. Davidovich Fokina won a pulsating match against Gael Monfils, which had the crowd on their feet on many occasions such was the spectacle produced by Monfils’s athleticism and Dadivovich’s shotmaking talent. At several stages, Monfiils look like he had it, with Fokina  looking tired and making a lot of double faults, but in the end the young Spaniard got his scalp with Monfils getting a somewhat disappointing result in his return to the ATP tour after being sidelined due to injuries for a few weeks ago. Monfils still leaves Estoril as a massive fan favorite, with the entire stadium pulling for him and collective disappointment when he was eliminated.

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Fokina’s semifinal opponent will be Pablo Cuevas, a veteran of the clay circuit who just keeps going on against all odds. Tiafoe may have made the final last year, but he looked totally out of his depth for the majority of this one, with the second set win really not accurately portraying just how (not) close the match was. Sets 1 and 3 were pretty straightforward with Tiafoe barely able to win points for long stretches. His effort was admirable but ultimately  Cuevas is simply the better player in this sort of conditions.

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If the semifinals and finals bring half as excitement as the quarterfinals, the fans are in for a treat this weekend as these four players each try to capture their first ever Estoril title.

 

As @FTiafoe Turns 21 & Reaches Career Milestone @AustralianOpen, @TheJTCC Training Center Proud of Homegrown Hero

Posted by Admin on January 21, 2019
Posted in: ATP, Australian Open, Junior Tennis Champions Center. Tagged: , , , , , . Leave a comment
Francis Tiafoe
As Frances Tiafoe Turns 21 & Reaches Career Milestone at Australian Open, Junior Tennis Champions Center Proud of Homegrown Hero
Frances Tiafoe celebrated his 21st birthday in “Grand” style by reaching the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam for the first time at the Australian Open with a 7-5, 7-6(6), 6-7(1), 7-5 victory over #20 seed Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov.
“This is a significant breakthrough for Frances,” said JTCC CEO Ray Benton. “He is the youngest American since Andy Roddick at Wimbledon in 2003 to reach the quarterfinals of a major. His future is wide open.”
The JTCC alumnus is guaranteed to break into the top 30 in the ATP world rankings for the first time and will become the #2 ranked American behind John Isner.
Although Dimitrov, a former world #3, exerted constant pressure, he was only able to take one set off a resolute Tiafoe, who stood firm saving 15 of 18 break points he faced and striking 63 winners in total to clinch his spot in the last eight.
Frances Tiafoe celebrates winning a crucial point against Grigor Dimitrov during their 4th round clash at the Australian Open
Tiafoe’s opponent in the quarterfinals is 17-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal. The two have never met before, but Tiafoe expressed his excitement about facing one of the greatest players of all time in his post match interview with ESPN’s Pam Shriver. His clash with Nadal is scheduled during the night session on Rod Laver Arena and is due to start at around 5 am EST on Tuesday.
“It is hard to describe how proud everyone associated with JTCC is of Frances,” exuded JTCC Director of Tennis Vesa Ponkka. “We have all has been missing out on sleep over the last week but the excitement he has generated at JTCC and beyond with his play in Melbourne is truly special to witness.”
— Republished from JTCC

2018 @CincyTennis Masters Features the Return of Roger Federer and a Nadal/Djokovic Quarter

Posted by Admin on August 12, 2018
Posted in: ATP, Cincinnati, Steen Kirby, Western & Southern Open. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

2018 ATP Cincinnati Features the Return of Roger Federer and a Nadal/Djokovic Quarter
Steen Kirby, Tennis Atlantic

The 2018 Cincinnati Masters is the final Masters 1000 of the Summer hard court season and the primary US Open prep for most of the ATP’s best. Here is your look at all the action in Mason, Ohio this week.

Nadal’s Quarter:

Rafael Nadal is in the Rogers Cup final and playing great right now, however fitness could be a concern. He’ll start against a qualifier or Milos Raonic, I like Raonic to pull the upset simply because Rafa should be in need of a rest after Toronto. Look for wild card Frances Tiafoe to benefit in a big way here. Tiafoe has to get past Denis Shapovalov first, but presuming he does that Kyle Edmund/Mackenzie McDonald is beatable right now, and Raonic just lost to Tiafoe in Canada. Look for Tiafoe to emerge as an unlikely quarterfinalist.

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Novak Djokovic looks set to ease past Steve Johnson and Adrian Mannarino/Marco Cecchinato. While Djokovic disappointed in Toronto he still looks healthy and focused, that should help him defeat Grigor Dimitrov in the third round after Dimitrov defeats Damir Dzumhur/Mischa Zverev.

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Zverev’s Quarter:

Alexander Zverev has had a good summer and it would be made better if he could win Cincy. The young German will start against an in-form Robin Haase or Filip Krajinovic, with most likely Pablo Carreno Busta waiting on deck. Richard Gasquet returns from injury vs. PCB while Max Marterer or a qualifier await in round 2. This is Zverev’s section to lose.

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Marin Cilic is playing well, he should defeat Philipp Kohlschreiber or a qualifier, and then John Isner or the Toronto semifinalist Karen Khachanov to reach the quarterfinals. Isner faces Sam Querrey first, while Khachanov drew a struggling Albert Ramos. Cilic over Isner is my pick as Khachanov should be fatigued.

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Del Potro’s Quarter:

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Juan Martin Del Potro drew either Hyeon Chung or Jack Sock first. That would normally be a tough matchup but under current circumstances JMDP is a heavy favorite as Chung is still rusty and Sock is in the worst form of his career. I’ll back Borna Coric over a qualifier and a struggling Nick Kyrgios/qualifier to reach the third round before falling to Del Potro.

Toronto finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas is slated to face David Goffin first, while the player he defeated in the semis, Kevin Anderson, is in the same section. If Tsitsipas plays I’ll back him to beat a struggling Goffin and then Benoit Paire or a soon to retire David Ferrer before Anderson gets his revenge and wins in round 3. Anderson has to get past Jeremy Chardy/Fernando Verdasco to reach that point.

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Federer’s Quarter:

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Roger Federer returns to tour and should breeze past Joao Sousa/Peter Gojowczyk before facing Andy Murray round 3. Expect Murray to put up a fight after beating Lucas Pouille and Leonardo Mayer/qualifier, but he shouldn’t be at the level yet to beat Federer.

I’ll back Andrey Rublev to upset Kei Nishikori in round 1, as Nishikori was poor in Toronto. Diego Schwartzman should benefit, I’ll back DSS to defeat Stan Wawrinka and then Rublev to reach round 3 opposite Dominic Thiem. Thiem is struggling and should be on upset alert against Marton Fucsovics/qualifier. I’ll back Schwartzman or Rublev to win the section.

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Predictions

Quarters
Djokovic d. Tiafoe
Zverev d. Cilic
Anderson d. Del Potro
Federer d. Schwartzman

Zverev should perform well this week while Anderson, Federer, and Djokovic have the inside track to reach the semis.

Semis
Zverev d. Djokovic
Federer d. Anderson

This is Federer’s tournament to lose but Zverev or Djokovic should challenge him in the end.

Final
Federer d. Zverev

Cam Norrie and Marcos Baghdatis Spring Upsets @BBTAtlantaOpen

Posted by Admin on July 26, 2018
Posted in: Atlanta, ATP, BB&T Atlanta Open, Steen Kirby. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Cam Norrie and Marcos Baghdatis Spring Upsets at BB&T Atlanta Open
Steen Kirby, Tennis Atlantic

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Four singles matches were completed on Thursday at the BB&T Atlanta Open as the quarterfinals were set for 2018. Cam Norrie sprung the upset of the day as the ATP #73 came back from a set down to upset the ATP #43 Jeremy Chardy 5-7 6-4 6-4 in a closely fought battle. Norrie was stronger on a serve in a match that featured few breaks. Chardy erased two break point chances early in the first then broke late to take a one set lead. Norrie finally broke Chardy in the second set then squared things up with a steady performance. In the third Chardy was broken right away and was unable to recover as the fast rising Brit showed the improvements in his game over the last few months.

Marcos Baghdatis has once again posted a good run of results in Atlanta. By a score of 7-5 6-1 Baghdatis crushed young gun American Frances Tiafoe who served up 9 double faults and had an awful serving day. Tiafoe got an early break in the first but things quickly unraveled for the young American. Baghdatis generated 13 break point chances and broke 5 times in the match.

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Australians Matt Ebden and Nick Kyrgios also reached the quarterfinals. Ebden was reliable under hot, fast conditions in the noon match as he defeated local favorite Donald Young 6-4 6-4. Ebden won all but 5 of his first serve points as he got late a break in the second set to close the match out and avoid having to spend more time on court than he had to.

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Kyrgios needed less than an hour to aggressively dismantle Noah Rubin 7-5 6-2. NK fired 15 aces and won over 80% of his points on serve as Rubin started well but quickly unraveled after surrendering a break in the last game of the first set. Kyrgios moved around the court with ease and was able to hit from attacking positions for most of the match.

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Raja/Skupski defeated Norrie and Taylor Fritz in the lone doubles match on the day.

The men’s quarterfinals in singles feature Ebden vs. Baghdatis, John Isner vs. Mischa Zverev, Norrie vs. Kyrgios, and Ryan Harrison vs. Hyeon Chung all taking place tomorrow.

The remaining doubles quarterfinals are Bryan/Tiafoe vs. Harrison/Ram and Arneodo/Chardy vs. Bambridge/O’Mara. Monroe/Smith and Raja/Skupski have already reached the semifinals.

Donald Young and Ryan Harrison Score Opening Match Wins in Atlanta @BBTAtlantaOpen

Posted by Admin on July 25, 2018
Posted in: Atlanta, ATP, BB&T Atlanta Open, Steen Kirby. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Donald Young and Ryan Harrison Score Opening Match Wins in Atlanta
Steen Kirby, Tennis Atlantic

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The conclusion of the opening round of the main draw at the BB&T Atlanta Open 2018 saw five Americans advance into the round of 16, highlighted by local favorite Donald Young. Young recovered from a set down on Monday to win the second and third sets on Tuesday, saving a match point in the third, and also recovering from a break down in the third to prevail 2-6 7-6 7-6 against the veteran Croat. Karlovic’s normally steady serve failed him in the deciding set while Young was clutch to win just his second ATP match of the year.

Ryan Harrison also completed a comeback winning 4-6 7-6 6-1 over James Duckworth. With his wife cheering him on from the sidelines Harrison played a tough second set and a smooth third after struggling in the first, as Duckworth’s game melted in the heat. Taylor Fritz joins Harrison in the round of 16 after a routine 6-4 6-4 victory against Ramkumar Ramanathan. A tired Ramanathan generated no break point chances and struggled with his second serve.

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Noah Rubin and Frances Tiafoe were the other Americans to win in straights. Rubin 6-3 6-4 over Thanasi Kokkinakis and Tiafoe 6-4 6-4 over Marius Copil. Neither Copil nor Kokkinakis generated a break in the match, as Rubin saved all three break points he faced.

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In the other Tuesday singles matches, Cam Norrie ran away from a frustrated Malek Jaziri 7-5 6-0, Jeremy Chardy was too steady on serve against Ricardas Berankis winning 6-4 6-3. ATP veterans Marcos Baghdatis (6-4 6-1 against Alex Bolt), Mikhail Youzhny (6-2 6-0 against Emil Reinberg) and Mischa Zverev completed the R16 singles field. Zverev had match points in the second set tiebreak vs. Tim Smyczek but had to prevail in 3 sets 6-3 6-7 6-3 with his serve and volley game in a match that lasted over 2 and a half hours.

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In doubles Donald Young and Chris Eubanks advanced in a third set tiebreak while Tiafoe/Bryan won in straights.

Tomorrow in singles it will be defending champion John Isner against Alex De Minaur, Hyeon Chung returning from injury against Fritz, Harrison against Lukas Lacko and veterans Youzhny and Zverev squaring off.

Former Champs John Isner and Nick Kyrgios The Top Seeds @BBTAtlantaOpen 2018

Posted by Admin on July 22, 2018
Posted in: Atlanta, ATP, BB&T Atlanta Open, Steen Kirby. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Former Champs John Isner and Nick Kyrgios The Top Seeds at ATP Atlanta 2018
Steen Kirby,Tennis Atlantic

The 2018 US Open Series kicks off in Atlanta as top caliber ATP Tennis returns stateside with the 250 stop in the tennis capital of the American South. Here is your full preview, with predictions.

Top Half:

John Isner is seeking a 5th Atlanta Open title, the defending champion is doing so from a career high #8 ranking. His first match should come against Alex De Minaur or lucky loser Hubert Hurkacz, both are promising players, but Isner’s serve on the Atlanta hard courts should be too much for them.

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Local favorite Emil Reinberg (University of Georgia), faces tour veteran Mikhail Youzhny in the opening round. Newport semifinalist Tim Smyczek drew Nottingham champion Mischa Zverev with Zverev most likely to go through to face Isner in the quarters, with Isner a heavy favorite.

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American young gun Frances Tiafoe will begin against Marius Copil, with Alex Bolt or Marcos Baghdatis waiting on deck. Tiafoe has had the best season of his career already and should ease past Copil and Bolt to reach the quarters.

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Now 30, Matt Ebden has gotten himself to the point he’s now a top 4 seed in an ATP tournament. Ebden will have a tough test against either big serving Ivo Karlovic or a struggling Donald Young in round 2. Karlovic is in the twilight of his career and hasn’t had a good season, so Ebden should be a slight favorite in his section with Tiafoe winning their quarterfinal to reach the semis.

Bottom Half:

Nick Kyrgios won the 2016 title in Atlanta, to reach that stage again he’ll likely have to get past his friend and countryman Thanasi Kokkinakis, presuming Kokkinakis defeats fellow qualifier Noah Rubin in round 1. Kyrgios when healthy is hard to stop so he should get past Kokkinakis and also Jeremy Chardy (or Cam Norrie) in the quarters. Chardy opens with Ricardas Berankis, while Norrie drew a struggling Malek Jaziri.

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A finalist last year, Ryan Harrison faces James Duckworth in his opening match this year in dire need of a form boost. Harrison should beat Duckworth but Lukas Lacko presents a tougher challenge. Lacko draws Prajnesh Gunneswaran in round 1. I have Harrison going through to the quarters against Hyeon Chung.

Chung, when fit, has already shown what a dangerous player he can be. The Korean #1 faces Taylor Fritz or Ramkumar Ramanathan in round 2. Fritz should beat a tired Ramanthan but Chung will be favored to reach the semis.

Predictions

Semis
Isner d. Tiafoe
Kyrgios d. Chung

Isner will be a heavy favorite to retain his Atlanta title after the great run at Wimbledon, while Kyrgios, Tiafoe, and Chung look to steel themselves for a good hard court summer in North America.

Final
Isner d. Kyrgios

Chung, Osaka, Shapovalov, Tiafoe Bring the Youth Movement to DC @CitiOpen

Posted by Admin on May 30, 2018
Posted in: ATP, Citi Open, Washington, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment
CITI OPEN® WELCOMES RISING STARS HYEON CHUNG, NAOMI OSAKA,
DENIS SHAPOVALOV AND FRANCES TIAFOE TO FIELD 
Next generation of tennis stars join Murray, Wozniacki, Stephens and more at 50th edition of Washington’s Tennis Tradition
Hyeon Chung (Photo: TennisAtlantic.com)

WASHINGTON (May 30, 2018) — The next generation of tennis stars are joining a highly accomplished field in this summer’s Citi Open® Tennis Tournament, July 28-August 5, 2018.

The 50th edition of the Washington Tournament will feature World No. 20, 2018 Australian Open semifinalist and 2017 Next Gen ATP Finals champion Hyeon Chung; 2018 Indian Wells Champion Naomi Osaka; youngest player in the Top 50 of the ATP rankings and No. 1 Canadian Denis Shapovalov; and Washington-area native, Frances Tiafoe, who became the youngest American male since Andy Roddick in 2002 to win an ATP World Tour championship when he captured February’s Delray Beach title.

These young stars are hoping to build off sensational wins at this summer’s tournament, joining an incredible field at the Rock Creek Park Tennis Center this summer. Previously announced players include former World No. 1 and 2018 Australian Open Champion Caroline Wozniacki; former World No. 1 and three-time Grand Slam Champion Andy Murray; 2017 U.S. Open Champion and 2015 Citi Open Champion Sloane Stephens; World No. 10 and three-time Citi Open finalist John Isner; 2015 Citi Open Champion Kei Nishikori; World No. 7, 2017 Citi Open and U.S. Open finalist Kevin Anderson; World No. 9 David Goffin; and Bob and Mike Bryan, who clinched their 116th doubles title in Monte Carlo.

“This young, talented group are some of the hottest names in tennis right now. They are quickly rising up the rankings and making headlines with their big performances. What they have been able to accomplish on the court at 19, 20 and 22 years old is incredible,” said Keely O’Brien, Tournament Director. “Their personalities are also quite engaging. From their on-air interviews to their social media, you see bright, humble and often funny individuals sharing their stories from on and off the court. So, while we celebrate 50 years of history here in DC, I hope this Tournament continues to be a storyline in their careers.”

The Washington tournament has been Washington, D.C.’s premier tennis event since 1969 and benefits the Washington Tennis & Education Foundation(WTEF), the tournament’s non-profit owner and beneficiary. The organization provides underserved children in the D.C.-area with a safe environment to learn critical life skills both on and off the courts through academic and athletic enrichment.

Founded by Donald Dell and John Harris, the Washington tournament celebrates its 50th edition in 2018. The Citi Open Tennis Tournament is one of only 13 elite ATP World Tour 500-level events worldwide and the only one held in the United States. The tournament also features a WTA International Tournament, which provides fans the opportunity to watch simultaneous competitions of both world-class men’s and women’s tennis throughout the nine-day event. It is one of only five U.S. tournaments that include both men’s and women’s fields. Main draw matches of the tournament will be broadcast starting Monday, July 30, on Tennis Channel.d

Ticket packages and all single session tickets are available now. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit http://www.citiopentennis.com. Follow the news on  http://www.facebook.com/citiopen, @CitiOpen on Twitter, or CitiOpen on Instagram. The Citi Open Tennis Tournament is a Lagardère Sports production, and Citi Open is a registered service mark of its title sponsor Citigroup Inc.

—-S. Pegarido, Citi Open