Hyeon Chung

Q2 Matches to Watch at @USOpen Wednesday

Posted by Admin on August 21, 2019

Posted in: ATP, US Open, US Open Qualifying, WTA. Tagged: Ankita Raina, ATP World Tour, Hyeon Chung, Irina Begu, Jana Cepelova, new york, taylor townsend, US Open Qualifying, WTA Tour, Yuichi Sugita. Leave a comment

Ankita Raina, 2019 US Open (Photo: TennisAtlantic.com)

Q2 Matches to Watch at US Open Wednesday
Steve Fogleman in Queens

The rubber hits the road today as players can almost smell the $90,000.00 first round prize money and the glory of a three-match winning streak. A win in the second round today will lead you to the wall that is one more match to qualify for America’s biggest tennis prize, main draw at the U.S. Open in New York.

Danka Kovinic

D. Kovinic (MNE) [12] vs. V. Gracheva (RUS)
24-year-old Danka Kovinic hasn’t won a main draw tour level match all year after injury but put together a superb comeback in three sets against Allie Kiick on Monday. Today, she faces #184 Varvara Gracheva, who looked sharp in qualifying matches in Washington last month.

Cepelova

I. Begu (ROU) [3] vs. J. Cepelova (SVK)
Romania’s Irina-Camelia Begu looks like it’s her match to lose today to the always upset-minded Czech Cepelova, but you might want to re-think that. Cepelova is 3-0 against Begu, with their last meeting at New Haven in 2017.

Hyeon Chung (Photo: TennisAtlantic.com)

S. Napolitano (ITA) vs. H. Chung (KOR) [29]
Two years ago, you wouldn’t have been surprised to find Chung in the round of 16 here. Injuries and bad luck have taken their toll, but we’ll find out where his game is in a match against Italy’s Stefano Napolitano, who’s trying to qualify for any tour-level main draw, let alone a grand slam. This is a first meeting, but Chung is 8-2 in his last 10 hard court matches, so edge to him.

Taylor Townsend, 2018 Boyd Tinsley Women’s Clay Court Classic

T. Townsend (USA) [13] vs. V. Cepede Royg (PAR)
Can Taylor Townsend unplug the VCR today? Paraguayan Cepede-Royg is 2-0 against the American overwhelming crowd favorite and higher-ranked player.

Sugita at Newport 2013, TennisEastCoast.com

J. Brooksby (USA) vs. Y. Sugita (JPN) [27]
Japan’s Yuichi Sugita is always around at the slams and the bigger tournaments qualifying draws. American Jenson Brooksby, a wild card recipient, shares one thing with Sugita: they’re both playing excellent tennis on hard courts right now. Brooksby took out lesser-known Japanese player Kaichi Uchida on Monday in straight sets, but this is Yuichi Sugita.

A. Raina (IND) vs. D. Allertova (CZE)
Can India’s #1 player inch closer to her first main draw of a Grand Slam today? Denisa Allertova stands in the way and as these players have never met and both went three sets in round 1, this is a true toss-up.

Fabio Fognini and Hyeon Chung The Stars of the Chengdu Open for 2018
Steen Kirby, Tennis Atlantic

The ATP 250 in Chengdu, China kicks off the 2018 Asian swing on the ATP World Tour. Here is your look at all the action.

Top Half:

Top seed Fabio Fognini isn’t in great form but he should get past either Ruben Bemelmans, a qualifier, or Mischa Zverev in round 2. Fognini’s countryman Matteo Berrettini will be favored against qualifier Prajnesh Gunneswaran, while Matt Ebden should beat a struggling Evgeny Donskoy in round 1. I’ll back Ebden, who plays well in Asia, over Berrettini in round 2, then Fognini over Ebden in the quarterfinals.

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A struggling Sam Querrey will try to find form against Guido Pella, while Taylor Fritz will be favored against Chun Hsin Tseng. Querrey faces Metz quarterfinalist Nikoloz Basilashvili in round 2, while Fritz will battle either Mikhail Kukushkin or countryman Tennys Sandgren. I’ll back Basilashvili to win the section against Fritz.

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Bottom Half:

Joao Sousa faces Tim Smyczek as he looks to find form again, while Metz semifinalist Radu Albot will be favored against Vasek Pospisil. Adrian Mannarino is the favorite against the Marcos Baghdatis/Malek Jaziri winner in this section. Mannarino is in poor form though so I’ll back Jaziri to surprise and beat Baghdatis and Mannarino before falling to Albot.

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Hyeon Chung will take on home favorite Ze Zhang or Yibing Wu in round 2, I’ll back Chung in that match and also against qualifier Bernard Tomic or 5 seed Gael Monfils in the quarters. Monfils just won a challenger title to find some form, and opens with qualifier Lloyd Harris, while Tomic, a qualifier, will face off with Bradley Klahn. Chung over Monfils is my pick for this section as Monfils should be fatigued.

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Predictions

Semis
Fognini d. Basilashvili
Chung d. Albot

It’s been a strong season for Fognini and he should reach another final, while Chung looks set to have a strong Asian swing. I’ll back him as the champion in this 250.

Final
Chung d. Fognini

American Contingent Including Sam Querrey Highlight ATP Winston-Salem 250
Steen Kirby, Tennis Atlantic

The ATP Winston-Salem 250 is the final tune up before the US Open for a varied contingent of mid-level to fringe ATP players. Here is your look at all the action under the North Carolina sun.

Top Half:

Marton Fucsovics should be a strong favorite against Guido Andreozzi and Radu Albot in rounds 1 and 2. Daniil Medvedev vs. Alex De Minaur looks like an exciting matchup. The DC finalist De Minaur should be a slight favorite against the young Russian who already defeated Mirza Basic in round 1. De Minaur should emerge from the section as a quarterfinalist.

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Ryan Harrison should run past wild card Borna Gojo, and then struggling veteran Gilles Simon. Harrison is good enough on American hard courts he could have a great run here. Taylor Fritz should emerge to face Harrison in round 3, Fritz needs to get past Malek Jaziri and Filip Krajinovic, both of whom are struggling. Harrison should reach the quarters.

Jan-Lennard Struff is in good form after beating Benoit Paire round 1, he should beat Marco Cecchinato to reach round 3 while Andreas Seppi will be favored in the section after beating Joao Sousa, with Nicolas Jarry on deck.

Sam Querrey should be the 4th quarterfinalist. neither Taro Daniel/John Millman in round 2 are in great form, and the rest of the section is weak. Damir Dzumhur/Tennys Sandgren will face off in round 2 presuming Sandgren defeats a slumping Ricardas Berankis. The winner in that matchup should fall to Querrey in round 3.

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Bottom Half:

Pablo Carreno Busta is a potential champion, PCB should roll past Pierre-Hugues Herbert or Franko Skugor, with Peter Gojowczyk likely in round 3. Both Lukas Lacko and Horacio Zeballos are struggling. PCB will reach the quarters and should go further.

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This is perhaps Hyeon Chung‘s moment to shine post-injury, Chung hasn’t had a significant result since his return to tour but a draw featuring Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in round 2 (GGL defeated Marcos Baghdatis), and most likely Nikoloz Basilashvili or Matteo Berrettini in round 3 looks to be easy enough to reach the quarters. I’ll back Berrettini past Julien Benneteau and Basilashvili, with Chung reaching the quarters.

Leonardo Mayer‘s good form suggests he’s well positioned to upset Kyle Edmund and then defeat Albert Ramos or Roberto Carballes Baena after RCB defeated Guido Pella in round 1. Mayer looks like a dark horse this week and should reach the quarters.

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I have qualifier Tommy Paul defeating Laslo Djere, while Steve Johnson is looking to find form and should reach round 3. Andrey Rublev has struggled since playing well in Washington, Rublev should defeat Jaume Munar/Brayden Schnur in round 2, and I’ll back Johnson past Rublev on home soil to reach the quarters.

Predictions

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Quarters
Harrison d. De Minaur
Querrey d. Seppi
Carreno Busta d. Chung
Mayer d. Johnson

I’ll back Americans to do relatively well in Winston-Salem while Carreno Busta and Mayer should ride a streak of form.

Semis
Querrey d. Harrison
Carreno Busta d. Mayer

Carreno Busta should be the favorite to lift the trophy ahead of the US Open.

Final
Carreno Busta d. Querrey

John Isner Reaches 9th Straight ATP Atlanta Semifinal
Steen Kirby, Tennis Atlantic

John Isner reached his 9th straight BB&T Atlanta Open semifinal, extending his streak of having never lost before the semifinals since the Atlanta Open began in 2010. Isner got past Mischa Zverev in the quarterfinals 7-5 4-6 6-1 in an hour and a half. The American #1 fired 21 aces and won all but two of his first serve points against the German veteran.

The opening set was a relatively swift one, Isner made a late push to break in the final game of the set, generating three break point chances and finally securing the set. Set 2 saw Zverev take advantage of his one and only opening in the match as he broke Isner for a 3-2 lead and was rock solid on serve to force a third set. Things went off the rails for Zverev though from there, Isner broke open a 5-0 lead and closed out the third set losing just three points on serve.

Isner is now slated to face Australia’s Matt Ebden in the semifinals. In the one routine match of the day Ebden took advantage of a discombobulated Marcos Baghdatis to ease into the semis 6-3 6-2. Baghdatis played a poor match similar to the ones that has characterized his late career decline. He won just 38% of his second serve points and generated just one break point chance that Ebden saved in the contest. Ebden broke for 2-0, and snuffed out a break point chance in the final game of the first set to take it 6-3. Baghdatis again surrendered an immediate break in the second set and under constant pressure from the clean hitting Ebden he was broken once more to allow Ebden an easy win.

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Ryan Harrison and Cam Norrie face off in the other semifinal. Norrie upset Nick Kyrgios as Kyrgios retired to a chorus of boos down 7-5 3-0 in nearly an hour. Kyrgios struggled throughout the match and played surprisingly passively throughout the contest, eventually giving up as he loomed doomed to defeat against the fast rising Norrie. Norrie was steady on serving erasing the three break point chances he faced as things slipped away from Kyrgios after he failed to break in a pair of games where he had an opportunity in the opening set. After being broken twice in the match (first at 5-6 and second at 0-1) he shook hands with the umpire and walked off the court.

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Ryan Harrison didn’t have it so easy against next gen star Hyeon Chung. Harrison dropped the first set 7-6 and had to comeback for a 6-7 6-2 7-6 victory in a match that was decided by the slightest of margins. Harrison kept hope alive of defending his finalist points from last year after a two and a half hour war where his superior serve made all the difference. Harrison wasn’t broken in the match, saving 5 chances that Chung generated, and he won 83% of his first sere points.

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Despite failing to break Harrison in the opening set Chung played a better tiebreak to get off to the best start. However Harrison instantly got himself back into the contest breaking Chung in the first game of set 2 and then taking another break to finish things 6-2. In the third set it looked like Chung would take the advantage as he had three break points in the 6th game, but Harrison won that long game and then almost broke Chung in the next one. Both players would serve their way into a tiebreak where minibreaks were the order of the day. Harrison took a 6-4 lead in the breaker and finally put things away 7-5 as Chung gave up the deciding point on his serve.

In doubles Arneodo/Chardy and Harrison/Ram advanced in straight sets as Bambridge/O’Mara and Bryan/Tiafoe went down in defeat.

Saturday features Isner vs. Ebden first up with Harrison vs. Norrie to follow. The doubles semifinals are Arneodo/Chardy vs Monroe/Smith and Raja/Skupski taking on Harrison/Ram. Isner and Harrison met in the final last year, while Ebden and Norrie are seeking the first ATP titles of their career. Ebden has one previous final on his resume, while Norrie has none.

Hyeon Chung Reaches Atlanta Quarterfinals in Return to Tour
Steen Kirby, Tennis Atlantic

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Korean star Hyeon Chung returned to the ATP tour with a second round victory at the BB&T Atlanta Open over Taylor Fritz 6-4 7-6. In a hard fought afternoon match the two next gen stars traded winners, with Chung overcoming 16 Fritz aces to win in straights.

The match opened with Fritz and Chung both saving break points before Fritz was broken at 30 in the 9th game of the match. Chung went on to hold his serve to take the set. In set 2 Chung broke right away and pressured Fritz in two more service games getting to 4-3 with relative ease. However Fritz turned things around yet again breaking a weary looking Chung to get things back on serve. From there it went to a tiebreak where from 5-5 Chung won the final two points to secure victory.

Joining Chung in the quarterfinals are John Isner, Ryan Harrison, and Mischa Zverev the singles winners on Wednesday.

Isner is looking to extend his semifinal streak in Atlanta and he moved a match closer with a 6-3 6-2 victory in just over an hour against Alex De Minaur. Showing no signs of fatigue from his run at Wimbledon Isner fired 15 aces and faced no break points, breaking De Minaur two times and avoiding even a tiebreak.

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Isner’s opponent in last year’s final Ryan Harrison got past Lukas Lacko 2-6 6-2 6-3. Harrison played a poor first set as Lacko got off to a hot start on the fast Atlanta stadium court. Harrison regained his composure though. From a set down he saved three break points on his serve at 2-2 in the second set and from there he turned the amtch around. He broke Lacko twice in the second then recovered from a break down in the third to save a break point and break twice then serve out the match.

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Mischa Zverev defeated a soon to be retired Mikhail Youzhny 6-4 6-2 in just over an hour. Youzhny didn’t move closer to 500 match wins as Zverev got the first break and three more over the course of two sets to win with relative ease.

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In doubles Arneodo/Chardy, Monroe/Smith, and Fritz/Norrie advanced, with Monroe and Smith into the semifinals.

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: 2018, Andy Murray, ATP 500, Citi Open, Denis Shapovalov, frances tiafoe, Hyeon Chung, Naomi Osaka, washington. 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 50^th edition of Washington’s Tennis Tradition

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 50^th 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 116^th 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 50^th 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

2018 ATP Miami Preview and Predictions: Are We Headed for Another Federer vs. Del Potro Final?
Steen Kirby, Tennis Atlantic

The second Masters 1000 stop of the season is on the sun baked hard courts of Miami, a joint event with the WTA. Will Roger Federer surge back from defeat at the Indian Wells final to defend his Miami title? or will a new Masters 1000 champion emerge from the field. Here is your full preview, with predictions.

Federer’s Quarter

After losing his first match of 2018 in Indian Wells, defending champion Roger Federer will face Thanasi Kokkinakis or Calvin Hemery in the second round. Fernando Verdasco or Tennys Sandgren/Guillermo Garcia-Lopez await in round 3. Verdasco isn’t playing poorly but unless Federer has a back injury he should reach the fourth round. Pablo Carreno Busta played well enough in Indian Wells to ease past Denis Istomin/Miomir Kecmanovic and then Adrian Mannarino or Steve Johnson/Victor Estrella in round 3.

Kevin Anderson and Tomas Berdych should face off in the round of 16. Anderson’s path is Nikoloz Basilashvili/Thomas Fabbiano, then Karen Khachanov or Marius Copil/Mikhail Kukushkin. Berdych will need to watch out for Alex De Minaur and Frances Tiafoe/Kyle Edmund (or Nicolas Kicker) in his first two matches but I’ll still make him the favorite to reach round 4.

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Zverev’s Quarter

I’ll back Daniil Medvedev to have a good tournament, defeating young guns Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev in consecutive contests. David Ferrer will face Evgeny Donskoy/Aljaz Bedene before facing Medvedev or Zverev in round 3. I’ll go with Medvedev to survive a challenging section.

Nick Kyrgios is back and should find his way against Dusan Lajovic/Horacio Zeballos before defeating Fabio Fognini in round 3. Fognini needs only to defeat Nicola Kuhn/Darian King in the second round.

Jack Sock takes on Yuki Bhambri or Mirza Basic then faces IW semifinalist Borna Coric in round 3, presuming Coric beats Donald Young/Leonardo Mayer. With Sock very shaky I’ll go with Coric to survive into round 4.

Opportunity awaits for either Sam Querrey or Denis Shapovalov, Shapovalov opens with Viktor Troicki then faces Damir Dzumhur. Querrey will take on Radu Albot/Ricardas Berankis. On Hard Courts in the States I’ll give the veteran Querrey a narrow edge to reach round 4.

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Dimitrov’s Quarter

Dark Horses should suprise in the Dimitrov section. Marton Fucsovics is a rising talent and after putting away Max Marterer, I’ll take him in an upset against a struggling Dimitrov. Richard Gasquet is struggling as well, and countryman Jeremy Chardy should defeat him after defeating Rogerio Dutra Silva. I’ll go with Chardy into round 4.

A semifinalist in Indian Wells, Milos Raonic looks to be finding form again. He will take on J.L. Struff or Mikael Ymer in round 2, Diego Schwartzman or Nicolas Jarry/Cam Norrie will follow. I’ll go with Raonic over Schwartzman to reach round 4.

Novak Djokovic struggled in Indian Wells, but if he can rebuild his confidence a bit he should defeat Mischa Zverev/Benoit Paire to reach the third round. His Serbian countryman Filip Krajinovic awaits in round 3. Krajinovic faces Bjorn Fratangelo/Liam Broady for a spot in round 3. Djokovic is the favorite in his section but anything could happen.

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IW champ Juan Martin Del Potro will face Yuichi Sugita or Robin Haase. Peter Gojowczyk/John Millman will face Kei Nishikori in round 2. A healthy Nishikori should reach round 3, but I’m not sure he troubles Del Potro unless the Argentine is out of gas.

Cilic’s Quarter

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Marin Cilic could be in for a tough match against Taylor Fritz (or Pierre-Hugues Herbert) in round 2, but he should be favored in that match, and against Andrey Rublev. Rublev faces Ivo Karlovic/Vasek Pospisil for a spot in round 3.

John Isner is struggling, but he should defeat Jiri Vesely/Lukas Lacko before facing Gilles Muller in round 3. Muller’s path to that point is getting past either Guido Pella or Mikhail Youzhny. I’ll give Muller a slight edge over a struggling Isner, though Isner could find form here.

Roberto Bautista Agut takes on Chris Eubanks or Michael Mmoh, a tougher test against Hyeon Chung awaits in round 3. I’ll go with Chung to beat Gilles Simon/Matt Ebden, and then RBA to reach round 4 in an upset.

David Goffin takes on Joao Sousa/Ryan Harrison, I have him facing Jared Donaldson in round 3 after Donaldson defeats fan favorite Marcos Baghdatis and Feliciano Lopez. Goffin is my favorite against Donaldson.

Predictions

Round of 16
Federer d. Carreno Busta
Anderson d. Berdych
Medvedev d. Kyrgios
Coric d. Querrey
Del Potro d. Djokovic
Raonic d. Chardy
Chung d. Goffin
Cilic d. Muller

The matches in the bottom half look more competitive than the top half, I’ll back Medvedev, Coric, Del Potro, and Chung by narrow margins in their matchups.

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Quarters
Federer d. Anderson
Medvedev d. Coric
Del Potro d. Raonic
Chung d. Cilic

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Federer and Del Potro should march on, but don’t count Anderson or Coric out. Chung is rising and looks due for another big result at this level.

Semis
Federer d. Medvedev
Del Potro d. Chung

Federer should get his revenge against Del Potro for the narrow defeat in IW.

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Final
Federer d. Del Potro

Rafael Nadal Brings Starpower to ATP Acapulco 500 in Mexico
Steen Kirby, Tennis Atlantic

The ATP 500 level hard court tournament in Acapulco has a solid field lead by Rafael Nadal. It’s the tournament of the week for fans of the ATP. Here is your full preview with predictions.

Top Half:

Rafael Nadal is the main attraction and will begin against his good friend Feliciano Lopez. Thanasi Kokkinakis or Alexander Bublik will follow. He should face New York finalist Sam Querrey in the quarters. Querrey needs to defeat Matt Ebden and either Nikoloz Basilashvili or Jared Donaldson in round 2. With everyone but Querrey struggling, he should get that far before falling to Nadal.

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Jack Sock badly needs to find form. He opens with Ernesto Escobedo, then Hyeon Chung or Donald Young in round 2. I’ll back Chung to upset Sock given he’s been the better player in 2018. Kevin Anderson plays great on this surface. Anderson should defeat Radu Albot and Adrian Mannarino/Ricardas Berankis. I’ll back Anderson over Chung in the quarters.

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Bottom Half:

Alexander Zverev opens with Steve Johnson in an interesting opening round match. Johnson made semis in Delray and could upset Zverev but I’ll back Zverev to beat Johnson and his countryman Peter Gojowczyk to reach the quarters. Gojowczyk faces local player Lucas Gomez in round 1, he’s coming off a run to the finals in Delray. Two struggling American’s, John Isner and Ryan Harrison will face off. Fernando Verdasco lost to Diego Schwartzman in the Rio final. On hard courts I’ll give Verdasco the edge to get revenge, and upset a struggling Isner to reach the quarters. Zverev over Verdasco is my pick at that stage.

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The third section of the draw is star packed. Juan Martin Del Potro should defeat Mischa Zverev to setup a big second round match against either Andrey Rublev or David Ferrer. Rublev is playing well enough that I’ll back him to get past Ferrer and upset Del Potro to reach the quarters. Kei Nishikori and Denis Shapovalov will face off in a massive round 1 matchup. Nishikori should be fresher than the Delray semifinalist Shapovalov. I’ll go with Dominic Thiem to defeat Cam Norrie, then Nishikori and Rublev to reach the semifinals.

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Predictions

Semis
Nadal d. Anderson
Thiem d. Zverev

I’m not entirely confident picking Nadal but he’s the most accomplished player in the field. Presuming fitness he should win the title. Thiem isn’t the favorite to reach the final but I’ll back him in a tough field.

Final
Nadal d. Thiem

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: 2018, ATP World Tour 250, Hyeon Chung, Long Island, New York Open, player field, Sebastian Korda. Leave a comment

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

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