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Day 6 @MutuaMadridOpen: Murray Crashes Out to Coric

Posted by Admin on May 11, 2017
Posted in: ATP, Madrid, Niall Clarke, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment
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Madrid day six: Murray Crashes out to Coric
Niall Clarke in Madrid

Lucky loser Coric knocks out world number one Murray

Andy Murray is out of the Mutua Madrid Open after being defeated 6-3, 6-3 by lucky loser Borna Coric on Manolo Santana stadium.

Coric, who lost to Mikhail Kukushkin in qualifying, hit 21 winners against an out of sorts Murray to book his place in the quarter finals against Dominic Thiem.

It was Murray who earned the first break point opportunities in the fourth game but the Brit failed to convert a single one of them then dropped serve the following game. Murray bounced straight back with a break to level the score, but Coric remained strong and broke two more times to seal the set 6-3.

The 20-year-old threatened to break again early in the third but Murray managed to hold. Coric was forced to save break points in the following game, but he kept on with his aggressive game plan as he looked to deal the final blow. That came at 4-3 in the second after another sloppy service game from the world number one.

Murray hit 28 unforced errors in the match, which ultimately would lead to his downfall. Coric successfully served out the match to 30, hitting a drop shot that Murray failed to return in play. It is the biggest win of Coric’s young career, and one that sends him back into the top 50.

“Most things weren’t working particularly well.” Murray said post match.
“Yeah, wasn’t great. I mean, I started the match okay, but when I started to go behind, I didn’t find any way to improve my game or to make it more difficult for him. I just kind of let the same things keep happening, making mistakes very early in a lot of the rallies. I wasn’t building any points really.”

“You know, I didn’t help myself sort of find a way into the match to start playing better. That was disappointing because, you know, you’re not always going to play your best tennis, but you can still find ways to make it difficult for your opponent, and I didn’t do that at all today.”

It is quite the shock for Coric. He was looking like he was heading for the plane ride home after qualifying, but now he finds himself in the quarter finals.
“After one match of the quallies where I lost and I was booking my flight back to home, so it is surprise for sure.” Said Coric

“But in last two matches, I’ve been feeling pretty good, like I was feeling good like back in Marrakesh. I was expecting to play good, but I was not sure how it was going to end. But I was playing really good today.”

“You don’t expect much because you already lost. You’re not feeling very well obviously. If you lose, that’s fine. I don’t know, that’s how I was looking, you know, the first match.”

“I did find the rhythm in the end, like I said already yesterday, I was feeling much better on the court. I was playing much better. Today was the best match of the season, I would say.”

“So, yeah, I think as a lucky loser, it takes off some pressure I would say.”MUTUA MADRID OPEN 2017

Djokovic sets up Nishikori quarter final clash
Novak Djokovic is through to the quarter finals of the Mutua Madrid Open after defeating Feliciano Lopez in straight sets.

The world number two broke at the end of each set to secure a 6-4, 7-5 victory of the Spaniard and set up a quarter final contest with Kei Nishikori.

The first set stayed on serve until the end with only the one break point being created by Djokovic. Then as Lopez served to stay in the set, the pressure was ramped up by the Serb and the Spaniard wilted. Djokovic broke and took the set 6-4.
Lopez managed to earn break point at the start of the second set, but Djokovic was able to save it. This was a much more comfortable Djokovic than the one that was almost ousted by Almagro in the previous day, and just like the first set the second seed ramped up the pressure at the end of the set. Again he was able to break as Lopez served to stay in it, and the match was closed in two sets rather than three.

“I think Feliciano played really well, especially in the second set.” Djokovic said in his post match press conference.”

“I wasn’t winning too many points on his service games until the last one where I managed to return many balls back in play and then win the match. One break was enough, 5-4, 6-5, both sets. But, as I said, it was quite a solid performance from both players, high quality. I was enjoying very much.”

“Of course, in the end, you know, 5-All, Love-30, a couple of really long points. I was in trouble, and I managed to get my way out of it, as I said, with some great gets. That pumped me up obviously. You know, you’re trying to hold your composure and always find the right balance between pumped up and having great intensity on the court, but at the same time having calm and concentration.”

“Especially if you’re playing against a Spanish player in Madrid, it’s obviously a different game, it’s a different feeling. Obviously they have a lot of support. Yeah, you need to kind of hold your nerves, hold your concentration, and use all the necessary energy in the right moments.”

Djokovic will play Nishikori in the quarter finals after the Japanese player eased past David Ferrer in straight sets. The sixth seed got off to a good start by grabbing a 4-1 lead with a double break early. Ferrer got one break back, but could not work anything else on the Nishikori serve as the Japanese took the opener 6-4.
The majority of the match was played under the roof as rain hit the Caja Magica, but that did not trouble Nishikori who remained solid on serve, not giving away a single break point in the second set. Nishikori broke at 3-2 then again at 5-3 to seal his passage into the last eight.

“I’m very happy to win, especially in two sets.” Nishikori said post match.
“I was expecting to play a long match again, like we always play. But, yeah, I think I played a very good tennis whole till the end. I think I was using my forehand a lot and playing aggressive tennis. I think it was working well.”

“So very happy to win two sets today.”

Nishikori does not have the best record against Djokovic. The world number seven has lost his last ten matches against the Serb, and has not beaten him since the US Open in 2014.

“Novak is someone that I don’t have good record. Well, yeah, he’s a great player, very solid, everything. Doesn’t have much weakness. I got to stay really positive and I got to play great tennis to beat him. It’s great opportunity for me to see how much I can play.”

“Yeah, I try to enjoy my big challenge tomorrow.”

Nadal eases past Kyrgios
Rafael Nadal comfortably made it through to the quarter finals of the Madrid Open after a 6-3, 6-1 win over Nick Kyrgios.

It was surprisingly comfortable for the Spaniard as he was expected to be pushed to his limits by the Australian. However, Kyrgios failed to bring his best and looked dejected throughout.

It was Nadal that earned the first break of serve in the fourth game, but Kyrgios broke straight back with some of the unorthodox brilliance he comes up with. Nadal got right back down to business, breaking again before going on to seal the set 6-3.
The second set was very one sided. Kyrgios struggled to keep the ball in court, hitting 27 unforced errors in total. Nadal broke three times in the final set and completed the rout 6-1 in the second.

“I think I played really well tonight.” Nadal said post match.
“Since the beginning of the match, I committed just a few errors. I think I returned the ball very well, even better than normally.”

“I think I served very well, committed very few errors. I think I made a step forward compared to yesterday. Of course, to be able to win 6-3, 6-1, whatever the second was, I can’t remember, I think it’s great news. I think it’s not normal to win against an opponent like this because Nick is a really good opponent.”

“Well, in a few minutes he will be here and you can ask him about his impressions. From my side, I think I played a really good match today.”

Kyrgios was flat and had little training coming into the tournament due to the passing of his grandfather. The Australian claimed it was a big influence on his performance.

“I mean, yeah, it was always going to be tough. You know, Rafa, he’s won this tournament so many times. He plays so well on the clay.”

“Yeah, I haven’t had the best preparations coming into this tournament. I mean, I didn’t really train for a week and a half before this tournament. So to even come here and win a couple rounds. I wasn’t expecting myself to play well this week at all. I didn’t feel too good before the tournament on the court. Wasn’t playing well.”

“I won a couple rounds and lost to Rafa. I’m relatively happy with my first week on clay. But he played well tonight. He was by far the better player, so…”

It may have been a situation where the live crowd was unaware. As he was leaving the court, Kyrgios was met by a few jeers from the Madrid crowd who clearly felt he did not give it his all.

“I don’t really care. I get it everywhere, even if I play good. If I play 6 in the third with Federer in Miami, I still get booed off the court. So whatever, responded Kyrgios.

WTA Semi finals set
Simona Halep was the first player to book her place In the semi finals after a resounding 6-1, 6-1 victory over Coco Vandeweghe. The defending champion was on fire, hitting only three unforced errors the entire match whilst the American struggled to get her game going. The frustration showed for Vandeweghe as she smashed her racket and talked to herself throughout the match. One hour was all it took for Halep to book her place in the last four, and she was pleased with her performance.

“I didn’t expect to be so fast today. But I was focused. I was concentrated for every point. I knew that it’s going to be important. Also when the rain came, I tried to just play fast, to stay there in the match. I think I did pretty well today. I’m really happy with the way also I played, and with my attitude.”

Halep will play Anastasija Sevastova in the semi finals. The Latvian continued her impressive run in Madrid with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Kiki Bertens. Sevastova does not have a good record against Halep who has won both of their meetings in convincing fashion, but Sevastova is not thinking about that just yet.

“Well, I haven’t thought about it yet. Today I tried to enjoy that I won today. I will think about it tomorrow – maybe – for sure (smiling). But she plays great here. Still, she had some tough results here, the three-setter. If I play like today, I might have a chance.”

Kristina Mladenovic continued her good form with another straight sets victory. The Frenchwoman defeated Sorana Cirstea 6-4, 6-4 to set up a semi final clash against Svetlana Kuznetsova.

“Yeah, that was a tricky one.” Mladenovic said post match.

“I think it was the first time we both played with the roof closed. A different kind of match because it feels like it’s indoors, so the ball is going a little bit faster.”

“Sorana is a really great player. She can really hit strong. It was just small details today. It was 6-4, 6-4 for me. I was just a little bit more consistent than her in everything, a little bit better, and holding serves when I really had to.”

“Yeah, I really handled well tactically what I had to do today. It worked pretty well.”

Mladenovic will face doubles partner Svetlana Kuznetsova in the semi finals. The Russian dominated Eugenie Bouchard 6-4, 6-0 in the last match of the day on Manolo Santana stadium. The first set was a tight affair with an early break for Kuznetsova being the difference. The second however was a whitewash. The eighth seed was well in the ascendancy and despite a rain delay mid-way through the set, never let up on Bouchard, whose good run has come to an end.

ATP round-up
Alexander Zverev’s rise continues after an impressive win over Tomas Berdych. The young German came through 6-4, 6-4 to set up a quarter final match with Pablo Cuevas. The Czech lost serve early in the first set and could not find a way back with Zverev remaining strong on serve. The second was looking to be even more straight forward after the German earned a double break. However, Berdych was able to come back and level the score at 4-4. The world number 19 immediately wrestled back control of the match with another break, then had no issues serving it out.
“Well, obviously it was great.” Zverev described post match.

“Coming from Munich where I had a very tough week, winning a title, which is a positive week, but very tough maybe physically. Didn’t have a lot of time to prepare for here. Only had one day before my match.”

“You know, obviously today was a great match. But also the days before I played very well, against Marin yesterday and against Fernando in the first round. I’m happy to be in the quarterfinals here.”

Cuevas defeated Benoit Paire to set up the last eight match with Zverev. The Uruguayan won a close first set 7-5, but then found himself on the wrong end of a bagel as Paire upped his level. The Frenchman could not sustain it though, and a poor third set allowed the more solid Cuevas to win it 61 and advance to the quarter finals.

Possibly the match of the day came on court Arantxa Sanchez Vicario between Grigor Dimitrov and Dominic Thiem. It was a roller coaster affair from the off with both players having patches of brilliance. Thiem broke in the opening game but was pegged back by Dimitrov who went on to break again to win the first set. It looked like the momentum was with the Bulgarian after he broke in the second, but the Austrian answered straight back and broke again before serving out the set 6-4. Dimitrov raced ahead 4-1 in the decider but could not convert his chances.

Thiem broke back and the match went to a final set tiebreak. It was a 20 point tiebreak which saw Dimitrov earn five match points, however he could not convert one. Thiem took his first opportunity and thus won the match and meets Coric in the quarter finals.

David Goffin impressively dispatched Milos Raonic in straight sets to earn himself a quarter final birth with Rafael Nadal. The Belgian broke twice in each set in a 6-4, 6-2 win, and he is now second in terms of match wins on the ATP tour this year behind his quarter final opponent.

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Day 3 @MutuaMadridOpen: Bouchard Ousts Sharapova

Posted by Admin on May 8, 2017
Posted in: ATP, Madrid, Niall Clarke, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Madrid Day 3: Bouchard Ousts Sharapova
Niall Clarke from Madrid

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Eugenie Bouchard upset Maria Sharapova in a feisty grudge match at the Mutua Madrid Open in a day which also saw Karolina Pliskova make a shock exit.

Sharapova knocked out by Bouchard

Eugenie Bouchard did not hold back on her thoughts on Maria Sharapova making her return to the tour. The Canadian labelled her a ‘cheat’ and said she should be ‘banned for life’ and it was fitting they were to meet in Madrid.

It was a feisty affair in which both players exchanged looks and fierce groundstokes, but ultimately it was Bouchard that prevailed 7-5, 2-6, 6-4 in two hours and 53 minutes.

The first set was predictably close with five breaks of serve, but it was Bouchard who got the crucial one at 5-5. The world number 60 served out the set 7-5, and Sharapova was once again forced into trying to come from behind.

The response was like the Sharapova of old. Like all great champions she scratched and clawed and levelled the match with two breaks of serve, the last of which sealing the second 6-2 in her favour. It was to be a tense final set on Manolo Santana.

Both players missed numerous break point opportunities in the decider, but it was Bouchard who struck first at 3-3. Sharapova managed to break straight back, but the visually fatigued Russian dropped serve again the follow game. Serving out was not simple for Bouchard as she had to save two break points, but on the second match point she closed out the match.

It was the second time since her comeback that Sharapova has lost to a player that openly criticised her. First Kristina Mladenovic got the better of her in Stuttgart, and now Bouchard in Madrid.

“I definitely had some extra motivation going into today.” Said Bouchard post match. “

Obviously I had never beaten her before. Also given the circumstances…

“I was actually quite inspired before the match because I had a lot of players coming up to me privately wishing me good luck, players I don’t normally speak to, getting a lot of texts from people in the tennis world that were just rooting for me.

“So I wanted to do it for myself, but also all these people. I really felt support.”

It was one of Bouchard’s best performances since 2014 where she made the Wimbledon final. For Sharapova, it was a disappointing defeat as she had her chances to win this match. But it is another step towards re-capturing her prior form.

“I definitely thought I should have taken care of the first set.” Sharapova said post match.

“I had a letdown, being up a break. I was happy with the way I changed things around in the second, stepped in, was a little bit more aggressive inside the baseline.

“Then the third, kind of felt like it was a similar pattern: set up opportunities, breakpoints, and just did not convert them today.”

Pliskova upset by Sevastova

Karolina Pliskova became the first seeded casualty on day three of the Mutua Madrid Open as she was defeated 6-3, 6-3 by Anastasija Sevastova on Manolo Santana stadium.

The first set started out an even contest with both players not giving up much on serve, but in the sixth game of the set, Pliskova was the first to earn a break opportunity. Two break points came and went though as Sevastova held and went on to break the following game. The Latvian continued to play well, defending the power of her opponent and using her variety to keep the second seed moving. Another break sealed the set 6-3, and the world number three was now in trouble.

Things got from bad to worse for Pliskova as she was broken for a third time in a row by Sevastova early in the second set. Pliskova had opportunities to break back but failed to capitalise as her opponent kept saving break points. A match point came and went on the Pliskova serve leaving the question, can se serve it out? Despite her tendencies to get nervous in the big moments, Sevastova successfully served out the match to upset the second seed and seal one of her biggest career victories.
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It was a bad day a the office for Pliskova who follows her sister out of the Mutua Madrid Open. Clay has never been a kind surface to the Czech, and she reflected on the performance post match.

“Every loss is frustrating. But I just have to move forward. I don’t think was that bad for the score. One break in each set. So could be different.

I had six breakpoints. I didn’t do one. She did two, which she needed. Was about those chances what I didn’t do. That could be different. The seventh game of the first set – was it the seventh, sixth maybe, yeah – I could play different. I think I was up two breakpoints in that game. I could be break up first. That could change the situation quite a lot. Didn’t happen.

I didn’t serve well, so was tough for me sometimes to even hold the serve. Just to break, anything could happen in the second set. I could come back. I was 40-15 up in, what was it, 4-2 down, 40-15 for coming back. Didn’t quite manage it. Didn’t play any great shot, didn’t play any terrible shot. Just was not enough.

So, yeah, not really happy still with the way how I was playing. Definitely a little bit better than in the first round.”

Kerber survives Siniakova scare

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Angelique Kerber came back from 5-3 down in the final set to defeat Katerina Siniakova 6-2, 1-6, 7-5 in a dramatic second round match on Manolo Santana stadium.

The top seed looked in full control fo the match early and raced through the first set 6-2. But Siniakova upped her game in the second and levelled the score with a 6-1 second set.

The third began very close with six straight holds. Siniakova saved three break points in the sixth game of the set and rode that momentum to break in the seventh. It looked like another top player would exit the womens draw when the Czech served for the match, but a mixture of nerves and Kerber’s fighting abilities saw the German break back to level the score at 5-5. Kerber then held serve to keep the pressure on her young opponent. Siniakova served to take it to a final set tiebreak, but the nerves were too much and Kerber went on to secure the win.

“I think it was from my side a really up-and-down match.” Kerber said post match.

“I played really good in the first set, then in the second set the first few games at the beginning of the second set, it was really close.

“Then she started playing better. I mean, she started to moving good, bring a lot of balls back. I did, yeah, too many mistakes in the second set. In the third set, I was just trying to finding my game back.

“But, yeah, she played a good match, I think. I think she played one of the best matches in this year. But, yeah, I was trying at the end coming back. I know that I can come back and winning matches like that when I’m down. So that was actually what was going on in my mind in the third set.”

WTA Round up

Svetlana Kuznetsova almost became another seeded casualty, but the Russian saved match point to beat Alison Riske 2-6, 7-6(9) 6-2.  The American also served for the match at 5-4 in the second set but was unable to convert her chances.

Kristina Mladenovic also overcame a tough American opponent to reach the second round. The Frenchwoman won the first set 6-3 against Lauren Davis but was pegged back 6-1 in the second. The third set saw six breaks of serve but it went al the way to a tiebreak which was dominated by Mladenovic 7-1.

The Spanish women had success today as both Carla Suarez Navarro and Lara Arruabarrena made it to the third round. Suarez Navarro overcame Caroline Wozniacki 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 whilst Arruabarrena defeated Barbora Strycova 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.

ATP Round up

Gilles Simon and Gael Monfils played out one of the most bizarre matches you will see this year. The two Frenchman went back and forth for two hours and Simon eventually ran out a 0-6, 6-0 7-6(0) winner. Not only was the score-line strange, Monfils took a medical time out due after rolling his ankle and then failed to serve out the match.

Tomas Berdych kicked off his Madrid campaign with a straight sets win over qualifier Denis Istomin. The Czech needed just over an hour to secure a 6-4, 6-4 victory. Berdych will play Robin Haase in the second round after the Dutchman defeated Dan Evans 7-5, 6-2.

Grigor Dimitrov booked his spot in the second round with a 7-6,6-4 win over Phillip Kohlschreiber. The Bulgarian will face the winner of Roberto Bautista-Agut vs Ivo Karlovic in round two. Nick Kyrgios also made a good start to his tournament by defeating Marcos Baghdatis 7-6(1) 6-4. Pablo Cuevas defeated Thomaz Bellucci 7-6(2), 4-6, 7-6(6).

It was a mixed day for the Spanish men. David Ferrer came from a break down in the second set to defeat Mikhail Kukushkin 2-6, 7-6, 6-4. Compatriot Guillermo Garcia-Lopez was not as fortunate as he lost out to Marius Copil. The win for Copil means he will break the top 100 for the first time and also play Andy Murray on Tuesday. Marcel Granollers went out to Florian Mayer 7-5, 7-5

 

Kerber, Halep Dominate Sunday Play @MutuaMadridOpen, Sharapova Wins in 3

Posted by Admin on May 7, 2017
Posted in: ATP, Madrid, Niall Clarke, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Kerber, Halep Dominate Sunday Play @MutuaMadridOpen, Sharapova Wins in 3
Niall Clarke, Tennis AtlanticHalep, New Haven

Maria Sharapova made a winning return to the Mutua Madrid Open after battling from a set down to defeat Mirjana Lucic-Baroni. That and much more in our day two wrap up.

Maria Sharapova returns to Madrid with a win
Much has been made of the decision to give Sharapova a wildcard into the tournament after serving a year long doping ban, but despite the critics the Russian made a winning return to the Caja Magica.

The former world number one dropped her opening service game but immediately broke back in a topsy-turvy first set that saw five breaks of serve. Crucially, Lucic-Baroni scored the final one and was able to hold on to take the set 6-4.

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Like many times in the past, Sharapova had to come from behind. The world number 262 wasted little time getting a break in the second set, but after failing to take any of the four set points on her opponent’s serve, Sharapova failed to serve the set out. She recovered quickly though and immediately broke again to level proceedings 4-6, 6-4.

From there, Sharapova would not go on to lose another game. Sensing the chance to strike, the five time grand slam champion raced through the third set and delivered a bagel to cap off her winning return in Madrid.

“I’m not quite sure how to describe the match because it feels like it happened so fast.” Sharapova said post match.

“I thought she played really well. I was playing against, like, a human slingshot for a while there. Balls were coming so fast and deep. I mean, for a couple of sets, I don’t believe we had too many rallies over three balls.

You know, I wasn’t really happy with my percentage of serve in the first couple of sets. I definitely improved that in the third. I think that really helped me. I got a better read on her serve, as well.

You know, she goes for it. You have to be patient. Sometimes there’s not much you can do. Those are great shots, on the line. I mean, the breakpoints, I missed a couple of second-serve returns. That was obviously an error from my side.

But she came up with some great winners. Just got to hand it to her.”

Sharapova moves on to face Eugenie Bouchard in the second round. The already intriguing affair has added spice due after the Canadian labelled the former world number one a ‘cheater’ and claims she should be ‘banned for life’, something that slightly motivates the Canadian to get the victory more.

“Once I step on the court, everything will be to the side.” Bouchard said after her win vs Alize Cornet.

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“But, you know, inside myself, I think I’ll have a bit more motivation. But it’s very important, once I step on the court, no matter who is on the other side, to focus on the tennis. Or else I think it’s easy to lose concentration.”

Kerber cruises in opener
In the opening match of the day on Manolo Santana stadium, top seed Angelique Kerber cruised to a 6-4, 6-2 victory against Timea Babos.

The German made a quick start to the match, racing into a 3-0 lead with two breaks of serve. Babos was able to claw one break back, but after spending much of the opening set under pressure, she lost out 6-4 to the top seed.

The second set was plain sailing for Kerber. She did not face a single break point and in turn inflicted two breaks of serve on the over-matched Babos. The German successfully served the match out for a 6-4, 6-2 victory, and the perfect start to her Madrid Open campaign.

Kerber reflected on the performance post match: “Once I step on the court, everything will be to the side. But, you know, inside myself, I think I’ll have a bit more motivation. But it’s very important, once I step on the court, no matter who is on the other side, to focus on the tennis. Or else I think it’s easy to lose concentration.”

Halep in a hurry
Simona Halep began her Madrid Open title defence with a crushing 6-1, 6-2 win over Kristyna Pliskova on Manolo Santana court.

The third seed quickly raced into a 5-1 lead as she exposed the slow movement of her opponent. Haleo did not face a single break point in the entire set as she closed it out 6-1. The momentum rolled into set two where an early break of serve set the tone for the second set. Halep broke again later on in the set and almost a third time as Pliskova served to stay in the match. The Czech held however and forced Halep to serve the match out. The Romanian struggled to close the match out and faced two break points before finally converting on the fourth match point.

It was a convincing win for the defending champion against a tough in form opponent. To break the big serve of Pliskova four times in the match is quite an impressive feat, so is winning in under an hour.

“It was quick because I started aggressive.” Halep Said in her post match press conference.

“I had this in my mind, to play my style, to play aggressive, to take her fast. She did great in Prague. She came yesterday. Maybe she didn’t have time to get used to this court.

“But I wanted to do my job from the beginning. I think I did pretty well. I finished strong.”

Muguruza’s Madrid Woes Continue
Garbine Muguruza continues to struggle at her home tournament as once again she lost early, this time to Timea Bacsinszky in the opening round.

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Despite getting off to the perfect start with a break, the Spaniard was unable to sustain a good level and struggled on serve as the Swiss rallied to win six straight games to take the opening set.

Muguruza started the second set better than the first, this time converting her break into a 3-0 lead. But once again the wheels came off and Bacsinszky won six straight games for the second time In the match to knock the fifth seed and home favourite out of the tournament.

Madrid has always been a difficult place for the Spanish number one. Despite having big success on clay, she has been unable to perform at her best in front of her home fans, and she has never made it past the third round of the tournament.

“Honestly, I have zero expectations here because I never really play well here.” Muguruza said post match.

“Maybe there’s circumstances or the conditions. I don’t know what it is exactly.

“But I wish I could perform better today because I’ve been training pretty hard. You know, when the match comes, it’s just not there, you kind of feel, like, sad.”

Carla Suarez Navarro came within a game of going out herself at the hands of Shuai Peng, but the Spaniard was able to win the last nine games to secure a 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 victory and at least send a section of the crowd home happy.

WTA round up
It was a positive day for the American women. Lauren Davis came out on top in a thrilling three set contest against Monica Puig 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(3). Cici Bellis scored a big three set win of her own against Daria Gavrilova 7-5, 5-7, 6-2. CoCo Vandeweghe had less trouble and defeated Ana Kontaveit 6-4,7-6(7).
Kristina Mladenovic progressed to the second round after her opponent Ana Konjuh was forced to retire after the second set. The Croatian won the first 7-5, but after dropping the second 6-3 the teenager decided she could not continue and thus Mladenovic advances. Her compatriot Caroline Garcia was not so fortunate. In her return from back injury, Garcia lost to Chinese qualifier Qiang Wang 6-4, 6-3 on court seven. It was a mixed day for the French as Oceane Dodin recorded a straight sets win over Andrea Petkovic, whilst Pauline Parmentier lost 6-1, 6-0 to Katerina Siniakova.

Svetlana Kuznetsova made a winning start to the tournament by overcoming Yaroslava Shvedova 6-4, 6-3. It was not a good day for the Kazakh hopefuls as Yulia Putintseva also suffered a straight sets loss to Donna Vekic. Sam Stosur had little problem in her match though as she destroyed Sara Sorribes Tormo 6-2, 6-0. Caroline Wozniacki also made it through 7-5, (3)6-7, 6-4 against Monica Niculescu.

There was an upset on court five as 11th seed Elina Svitolina exited the tournament at the hands of Shuai Zhang. It appeared to be plain sailing for the Ukrainian after she took the first set 6-2, but the Chinese player fought back to get a hard earned 2-6,7-6(4),6-2 win.

Francesca Schiavone waved goodbye to the Mutua Madrid Open for the last time as she crashed out to Jo Larsson 5-7, 6-3, 6-1. Mriana Duque-Marino was also victorious over Julia Goerges.

In the all-Czech affair between Barbora Strycova and Lucie Safarova, the seeded player came out on top from a set behind. Strycova emerged victorious 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 on court six. Sorana Cirstea capped off a good day for Romanians with a three set win over the in-form Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

ATP roundup
The WTA took centre stage on the opening Sunday, but the ATP portion of the tournament also kicked off with two first round matches and the final qualifying matches taking place.

David Goffin kicked off his tournament with a 6-2 7-6 (8) win against Karen Khachanov. The Belgian impressively took the first set with a double break, but he was made to work harder for the second by his Russian opponent. Khachanov took an early lead in the second, but Goffin broke straight back and a tiebreak was needed to separate the two players. It was a long breaker, but the higher ranked Goffin came through 10-8 to book his place in the second round.

Fabio Fognini joined the Belgian in the round of 32 after a straight sets win over Joao Sousa. A break in the middle of both sets allowed for an unusually routine win for the every entertaining Italian who faces Rafael Nadal in the second round.

Adrian Mannarino, Denis Istomin, Thomaz Bellucci, Andrey Kuznetsov, Pierre-Hughes Herbert, Mikhail Kukushkin, and Ernesto Escubedo confirmed their entry into the main draw with qualifying wins.

Garcia, Bertens Complete Successful French Open Warm-Ups

Posted by Admin on May 23, 2016
Posted in: France, Niall Clarke, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Garcia, Bertens Complete Successful French Open Warm-Ups
Niall Clarke, Tennis Atlantic
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Caroline Garcia and Kiki Bertens claimed titles in Strasbourg and Nurnberg respectively ahead of the French Open.

Garcia Sours to Strasbourg Success

Garcia overcame an in-form Mirjana Lucic-Baroni 6-4, 6-1 to claim her third WTA title and her second in France in Saturday’s final in Strasbourg.

The 22-year-old raced to a 5-1 lead in the opening set, but nerves began to set in as Lucic raised her level. The Croatian got both breaks back to get to 5-4, but Garcia (with the help of her dad and coach) collected herself to break again and seal the opener 6-4.

The second set looked much like the first. Garcia enjoys playing against big hitters and this final was no exception. The Frenchwoman raced to a 5-1 lead again, but this time she made no mistake. A clinical finish with an ace secured victory and the title for Garcia.

“I felt very confident going into the final. The first set I let her back into it. The first set is super important in tennis for momentum. Because you want to get off to a good start. And I got that today, which helped for the rest of the match,” Garcia said via wtatennis.com.

The world number 55 has often struggled to deal with the pressure of playing in front of her home fans, but after winning titles in Limoges and Strasbourg in the past year, Garcia may feel an extra bit of confidence ahead of the French open.

“Another title is great – it’s progress but every tournament is a new chance to develop,” she added. “But today is a great day for me, especially in front of home fans here in France.”

It was still a great week for Lucic-Baroni who made the final here 19 years a go. The Croatian came through qualifying and played great tennis all week, but she found the final a step too far.

“It was my seventh match. I was a bit slow. A bit tired. It was to be expected. I’m proud to get to the final though.”

Garcia’s victory moves her back into the top 40 and heavily boosts her chances of making the Olympics main draw cut off.

Brilliant Bertens Wins Nurnberg
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Kiki Bertens claimed her second WTA title with a 6-2,6-2 victory over Mariana Duque-Marino in Nurnberg.

The Dutchwoman outclassed her opponent in both sets to claim victory in just over an hour. It was a close start with the opening four games shared, but from there Bertens took control, winning the next four to claim the opening set.

In no mood to drag this out, Bertens raced through the second set to pick up her second WTA title and her second on clay.

“I think I played really well today – I was serving good and going for my shots. I had really good length to my shots and so she couldn’t do much from the baseline” Bertens said via wtatennis.com.

Bertens will now turn her attentions to the French Open, where she goes into her first round match with Angelique Kerber in fine form.

“I will fly to Paris in the morning. My family is here so for sure we will celebrate tonight!”

 

2016 Seoul, Bordeaux, Heilbronn and Samarkand Challenger Recaps

Posted by Admin on May 17, 2016
Posted in: ATP, ATP Challenger, Chris De Waard. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

2016 Seoul, Bordeaux, Heilbronn and Samarkand Challenger Recaps
Chris De Waard, Tennis Atlantic

ATP Challenger Tour Official Page

Seoul

Top seed John Millman came through the first two rounds in straight sets, but not without a price to pay, as he had to withdraw from his quarterfinal match against Lukas Lacko citing a left ankle injury. Fifth seed Yen-Hsun Lu knows the feeling, playing only his first tournament of the year here after being out with injury himself. Lu started in fine fashion, shaking off the rust in three sets against Di Wu in the first round, before winning his next two matches in straight sets. Lacko was his biggest challenge thusfar, but Lu survived it in three sets, 7-6(4) 5-7 6-3.

Third seed Sam Groth ended his bad streak of losses against very low-ranked players with two three-set victories in his first two rounds, after which he faced Alexander Kudryavtsev in the quarterfinal. Kudryavtsev took out sixth seed Tatsuma Ito a round earlier, 7-6(6) 7-5. Disaster struck once again for Groth, however, having to retire at 4-1 down in the first set citing a right wrist injury. Kudryavtsev was an easy prey for Sergiy Stakhovsky in the semi-final, who beat him 6-2 6-4 and reached the final without dropping a set. There Lu’s comeback was given a mind-blowing ending, with Stakhovsky saving not less than seven match points to take down his fifth Challenger title, 4-6 6-3 7-6(7). Stakhovsky reentered the top 100 at #96, rising twenty-two spots. The same went for Lu, who rose eight spots to #100.

Bordeaux

Only two seeds survived the first round and only one of them the second round as well. Diego Schwartzman, top seed and new owner of a ATP title, knew a shocking first round exit, with wildcard Mathias Bourgue beating him 6-7(5) 6-4 6-1. In the second round Bourgue lost 3-6 6-3 6-4 to Steve Darcis, who because of injury played his first tournament in three months. He nearly managed to reach the semi-final as well, but Bjorn Fratangelo stopped him in a third set tiebreak, 4-6 6-2 7-6(3). Fratangelo won another crucial tiebreak in his next match, beating Maximo Gonzalez 7-6(5) 6-1 for a place in the final.

Elias Ymer took out second seed Lukas Rosol in the first round, 6-4 6-4, dropping the exact same number of games as in their quarterfinal encounter in Aix-En-Provence last week. A round later something even more remarkable happened, as Ymer had a nasty fall while match point up in the third set tiebreak at *6-5 against Roberto Carballes Baena, keeping him on the ground for a good while and forcing him to take a medical timeout. He recovered in miraculous fashion, however, losing the next point after he served underarm, but after that saving the match point and winning the tiebreak 9-7.

It didn’t seem to be a serious injury for Ymer, as he beat qualifier Jonathan Eysseric a round later to reach the semi-final. There Ymer was outsmarted by the lone seed who made it past the second round, seventh seed Rogerio Dutra Silva, who won 4-6 6-1 6-3. The final against Fratangelo was a piece of cake for the Brazilian, winning 6-3 6-1 to claim his eighth Challenger title. Dutra Silva is now also very close to his career high ranking of #84, rising nine spots to #85. Fratangelo rose twelve spots to #104, a career high.

Heilbronn

The many matches top seed Ricardas Berankis has played recently caught up with him, losing 6-3 1-6 6-3 to Marsel Ilhan in the first round. Ilhan’s opponent was decided between a blast from the past match-up between former top 10 player Janko Tipsarevic and former top 40 player Carlos Berlocq, both struggling with injury. Berlocq won 7-5 6-3 and also beat Ilhan a round later, 2-6 6-2 6-3. Rising youngster Jozef Kovalik was too much in the quarterfinal, however, with the match ending 6-1 6-4. Kovalik’s semi-final opponent was Nikoloz Basilashvili, who in all honesty was fortunate to win his previous two matches against Blaz Rola and eighth seed Igor Sijsling. Against both Basilashvili was the lesser player for the biggest part of the match, but had luck and clutchness on his side when it mattered. Rola and Sijsling respectively went out with 6-7(4) 6-3 7-6(5) and 6-2 3-6 6-4 scorelines. The semi-final saw Basilashvili play a lot better, at least after a terrible first set, beating Kovalik 1-6 6-4 6-3 for a place in the final.

Despite his loss Rola went viral, due to this remarkable shot.

In the bottom half another blast from the past, former top 20 player Florian Mayer. Like Tipsarevic and Berlocq, he struggled a lot with injury. Mayer started the tournament well and took out second seed Horacio Zeballos and Frances Tiafoe in three sets. In the quarterfinal sixth seed Jan-Lennard Struff was way too strong, however, 6-2 6-3. Struff continued his dominance in the semi-final against third seed Albert Montanes, 6-0 6-3. In the final the ever unpredictable Basilashvili played another great match, taking down his second Challenger title of the year, 6-4 7-6(3). This despite hiccups at 5-3* and 5-4 in the second set, where he missed a match point in both games.

A remarkable season so far for Basilashvili, in which he either won the tournament or played terrible tennis and lost after one or two matches. If only he would be able to build some consistency into his game, because the 24-year-old has an attractive game and lot of potential. Nevertheless, he is close to the top 100 again, rising twenty spots to #105. Struff rose five spots to #102.

Samarkand

There are not a lot of people who love tennis as much as Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo. The 38-year-old refuses to retire and still has an endless passion for playing the sport, still being well capable of posting a decent result here and there. This was one of those weeks. Ramirez Hidalgo beat third seed Amir Weintraub 6-2 6-4 for a place in the semi-final against Ramkumar Ramanathan, which had to be played on the same day due to rain earlier in the week. No problem for the veteran. He ousted his 17-year younger opponent after a marathon match, 2-6 7-6(5) 7-6(0), even handing him a bagel in the deciding tiebreak. This also secured him of a record, that of oldest Challenger finalist of all-time.

Surely after effectively playing a gruelling five-set match he will be left with no chance in the final against top seed Karen Khachanov the next day, who is half his age at 19 and advanced to the final when Agustin Velotti retired after eight games? Not quite. Despite Khachanov winning the first set 6-1, Ramirez Hidalgo fought himself back into the match and in remarkable fashion managed to win the tiebreak after being 1-5* down in it, 7-6(6). A true testament to his character. There was no shame in the third set once again ending convincingly in Khachanov’s favor, 6-1. Khachanov rose fourteen spots to #109 after winning his second Challenger title, a new career high. Ramirez Hidalgo made a big jump of sixty-eight spots to #250, exactly 200 spots shy of his career high ranking of ten years ago. Keep on grinding, Ruben.

Last but not least, if you follow me on Twitter (@TennisPurist) and wondered why my account has been suspended, it’s because the ATP is behind it. Hundreds, perhaps evens thousands, of tennis accounts are regularly posting innocent videos about the sport we all love so dearly, providing the ATP with free advertisement through video clips of mostly thirty seconds. Yet I became the first person ever to get targeted for it due to copyright infringement, immediately resulting in the permanent suspension of my Twitter account.

Coincidentally I’m also one of the few people in the tennis world who extensively writes about match-fixing and doping, not only on Twitter but for example also through my own blog, making the reason why out of so many people to choose from the ATP only decided to target me seem very sinister. Read more about it here, I will update the thread if there are new developments:

Donskoy Shines During Geneva Qualifying

Posted by Admin on May 15, 2016
Posted in: Adam Addicott, ATP, ATP Qualifying, Geneva. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Donskoy Shines During Geneva Qualifying
Adam Addicott, Tennis Atlantic

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Top seed Evgeny Donskoy was the only seeded player to survive two rounds of qualifying at the Geneva Open.

The Russian has endured a slow start to his clay season by winning only one match at his past two tournaments. His sole win occurred in the first round of the Barcelona Open when he defeated Argentina’s Facundo Bagnis. The slow start is finally starting to increase in momentum after his successful qualifying campaign in Geneva. In the first round, Donskoy played 18-year-old wildcard Manuel Pena Lopez, a player who reached a junior ranking high of 11th earlier this year. The experience of the top seed stood out in the match as he overcame Lopez 7-6(3), 6-3.

The triumph set Donskoy up with a second round showdown against Bosnian player Tomislav Brkić. The world No.79 required over two hours to see off Brkic 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(3), to reach the main draw.

The 26-year-old has a poor record in the main draw of ATP tournaments this year with a win-loss of 1-8.

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Joining the top seed will be three underdogs. Germany’s Andreas beck will play in his first ATP main draw since the 2015 Montpellier Open. Beck is a former top-40 player, but has since fallen down the rankings due to a series of injury problems. His milestone achievement started with a 6-4, 6-4, win over world No. 272 and sixth seed Ivan Nedelko.

The triumph elevated Beck to a second round clash against Yann Marti, who upset second seed Marco Chiudinelli in his opemning match. Marti was no match for Beck as the world No.325 eased to a 6-1, 6-2, win.

19-year-old Christian Garin was the only player to defeat two seeded players to reach the main draw. Since rising to prominence in 2013 after winning the French Open boys’ title, the Chilean is yet to make his breakthrough on the pro tour. Currently ranked 342nd in the world, Garin started his Swiss campaign with an impressive 6-2, 6-1, win over seventh seed Michal Konecny, a player who has won two titles on the Future tour this year.

Next up for Garin was third seed Florian Mayer, who returned to the tour earlier this month after being sidelined with a right adductor tendon. Recovering from a set and a break down, Garin battled back to upset the third seed 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.

There is some consolation for Mayer, who has been awarded a lucky loser spot in the main draw after Philipp Kohlschreiber withdrew from the tournament due to an arm injury.

Finally, Roberto Ortega-Olmedo will play his first main draw match on the ATP Tour after his duo of wins. The 25-year-old overcame a slow start to stun fourth seed Michael Linzer 3-6, 6-2, 6-4, after two hours and 20 minutes of play.

Fortunately for the Spaniard, his second round match was more straightforward as he defeated Swiss wildcard Johan Nikles 6-2, 7-6(6).

Ortega-Olmedo has won seven Futures titles in his career and is yet to play in a grand slam tournament.

Q Christian Garin CHI Vs Pablo Carreno Busta ESP
Q Andreas Beck GER Vs Inigo Cervantes ESP
Q Roberto Ortega Olmedo ESP Vs Lukas Rosol CZE
Q Evgeny Donskoy RUS Vs Rajeev Ram USA
LL Florian Mayer GER Vs Denis Istomin UZB

Serena Rules Rome

Posted by Admin on May 15, 2016
Posted in: Niall Clarke, Rome, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Serena Rules Rome
Niall Clarke, Tennis Atlantic
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Serena Williams captured her first title of 2016 by defeating Madison Keys in the final of the Internazionali BNL Italia in Rome.

The world number one went down an early break as Keys came out firing, but Williams was able to break back at 2-3. The pair exchanged big serves and powerful ground strokes all the way to a tiebreak. And whilst there were no more break points after 2-3, the tiebreak saw plenty of service mini breaks, but it was Serena who got the crucial point to take the opener 7-6(5).

The top seed took control with a double break in the second set, but Serena had problems closing it out. Keys broke back, was broken again, then Serena failed to serve out the match. She would not get another chance however as she quickly broke her opponent again to seal the match and the title.

“I feel like it was important for me to just go out there like usual,” she said in her post-match press conference. “It’s a totally new match, it’s a different week, you know, and hopefully just win one. If not, hope for next time, next week.”

The win gives Serena a huge confidence boost heading into her French Open title defence. The American had a poor start to the season by her standards, failing to collect a title until now. This is her first for an incredible nine months.
Embed from Getty Images
For Keys however, it was still a great week. Her win over Garbine Muguruza was in particular a very impressive power display, even on a surface that she has usually struggled on.

“I think no matter how many times you play Serena, you always go in and you can just feel her presence,” Keys said after the match. “That’s always an extra thing that you have to be worried about during the match.

“But for me today it really wasn’t so much about how big the tournament was or anything like that. It was really just wanting to go out and do my best and give my best performance.”

The doubles title was won by Sania Mirza and Msrtina Hingis. The top team in the world defeated Elena Vesnina and Ekaterina Makarova in the final.

 

2016 Anning, Taipei, Tallahassee and Ostrava Challenger Recaps

Posted by Admin on May 2, 2016
Posted in: ATP, ATP Challenger, Chris De Waard. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

2016 Anning, Taipei, Tallahassee and Ostrava Challenger Recaps
Chris De Waard, Tennis Atlantic

 ATP Challenger Tour

Anning

Top seed Yoshihito Nishioka didn’t sign up in time and had to play one round of qualifying first, but it didn’t help him to gain rhythm, as he lost 7-5 7-6(2) to Andrew Whittington in the first round of the main draw. Nishioka was the only seed with an early loss in this half. Seventh seed Mathias Bourgue beat Whittington 6-1 6-4 in the quarterfinal, while third seed Saketh Myneni beat eighth seed Arthur de Greef 6-1 6-3 to reach the semi-final. Unfortunately, Myneni came down with a right shoulder injury there, having to retire while trailing Bourgue 6-0 3-1.

In the bottom half fifth seed Alexander Sarkissian got upset in the first round by eternal youngster Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo (38), 6-4 7-5. Ramirez Hidalgo got close to beating another seed in the quarterfinal, when he faced second seed Jordan Thompson. It would turn into a nightmare match for Ramirez Hidalgo, as he missed five match points and saw Thompson take down the match in a third set tiebreak, 6-3 6-7(5) 7-6(9). Thompson went on to show how close to each other glory and agony can be, as he beat Aleksandr Nedovyesov 4-6 6-3 6-2 in the semi-final and Bourgue 6-3 6-2 in the final, winning his second Challenger title. And that wasn’t all, as the twenty-eight ranking spots he gained meant entry into the top 100 for the first time for the 22-year-old Australian, coming in at #90. Bourgue rose twenty-three spots to a career high #170.

 

Taipei

The agony of Sam Groth continues, as the second seed lost 1-6 7-6(2) 6-4 in the first round to 29-year-old qualifier Yuya Kibi, ranked 445th. Top seed Ricardas Berankis is on a completely different path, reaching three finals in a row (winning two of them) and sitting on a career high ranking and continuing his good run here. Berankis didn’t drop a set on his way to the semi-final, beating fifth seed Sergiy Stakhovsky 6-4 7-5 to reach that stage. Eighth seed Konstantin Kravchuk beat third seed Tatsuma Ito 3-6 6-1 6-2 to set up a semi-final meeting against Liam Broady, whom the Russian beat as well, 6-2 6-4.

Berankis faced Daniel Evans in the semi-final, who beat Marinko Matosevic 6-3 7-5 to get there. Berankis was on a 13-match winning streak, but Evans ended it, beating Berankis 6-3 7-6(5) for a place in the final. There a hard-fought battle with Kravchuk followed, but Evans managed to come out on top and win his fourth title, 3-6 6-4 6-4. Another first time entrant into the top 100, as 25-year-old Evans rose twenty-six spots to #97. Impressive, especially given that he wasn’t even ranked inside of the top 750 just one year ago. Kravchuk repeated his result of last year and dropped one spot to #126.

 

 

Tallahassee

TallahasseeCHlogo

An interesting draw in Tallahassee, as top seed Donald Young had a rematch with Daniil Medvedev in the second round. Medvedev got defaulted from their second round match in Savannah a week earlier, due to an alleged racial slur, while suggesting Young and the umpire were friends. No such thing this week, as Young beat him 6-4 7-6(5). Young faced his young countryman Frances Tiafoe in the quarterfinal, where Tiafoe showed he might have a lot more potential than former child prodigy Young, beating him 2-6 6-4 6-3. Another American who was promised a bright future but doesn’t seem to deliver followed next for Tiafoe, as he faced Ryan Harrison in the semi-final. And once again Tiafoe prevailed, 7-6(4) 6-4.

Young was the only seed to reach the quarterfinal, creating a lot of opportunities for lower-ranked players. One of them was Quentin Halys, a 19-year-old Frenchman. Halys beat James Ward 1-6 6-4 6-4 in the quarterfinal, after which he had less trouble with James McGee in the semi-final, 6-4 6-1. This gave us an interesting encounter between teenagers in the final, with Halys facing 18-year-old Tiafoe. The match turned out to be spectacular and gave us a taste of things to come in the future from these two, with Halys prevailing 6-7(6) 6-4 6-2 to win his first Challenger title. Halys reached a new career high ranking, rising forty-four spots to #158. Tiafoe repeated his result of last year and remained unchanged at #191.

 

Ostrava

Another tournament in which the seeds went out like flies in the early rounds, with only third seed Jurgen Zopp moving past the second round. Top seed Adam Pavlasek lost 6-3 7-6(2) to Yasutaka Uchiyama and second seed Blaz Rola 6-4 6-4 to Pedro Cachin, both in the first round. 19-year-old wildcard Zdenek Kolar rose to the occasion, beating Uchiyama 4-6 6-4 6-3 in the second round, Jordi Samper-Montana 6-3 3-6 6-3 in the quarterfinal and qualifier Marek Michalicka 6-2 6-1 in the semi-final. An absolute dream run.

A similar story would develop in the bottom half, with world #276 Constant Lestienne becoming the other finalist. Lestienne beat Zopp 6-4 6-3 in the quarterfinal and qualifier Stefano Napolitano 6-2 6-4 in the semi-final. A tournament of dream runs, with qualifiers Michalicka en Napolitano also qualifying for that term by reaching the semi-final. Lestienne’s experience prevailed in the final against Kolar, beating him 6-7(5) 6-1 6-2 to win his first Challenger title. Lestienne rose seventy-one ranking spots to a career high #205, while Kolar rose 133 spots to #354, also a career high.

 

2016 Le Gosier and Napoli Challenger Recaps

Posted by Admin on April 13, 2016
Posted in: ATP, ATP Challenger, Chris De Waard. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

2016 Le Gosier and Napoli Challenger Recaps
Chris De Waard, Tennis Atlantic

 ATP Challenger Tour Official Page

Le Gosier

After being forced to withdraw from his second round match at Miami due to sickness, Rajeev Ram took a wildcard into this event and became the top seed. 15-year-old revelation Felix Auger-Aliassime received a wildcard as well, but had to withdraw in the third set of his first round encounter against Gianni Mina. He cited weakness as the reason, which I don’t think I have ever seen before. Ram survived the first two rounds, but then received a beatdown at the hands of sixth seed Yoshihito Nishioka in the quarterfinal, 6-2 6-2. The other semi-finalist from the top half was 18-year-old Stefan Kozlov, who beat Vincent Millot 5-7 7-5 6-2 in the quarterfinal. In a great match between youngsters, Nishioka is 20, Kozlov managed to squeeze out the win, 3-6 7-5 6-3.

 

In the bottom half second seed Taylor Fritz survived a spectacular match in the second round against Gonzalo Lama, surviving four match points in his 6-7(9) 6-4 7-6(10) win. Fritz’s eventual loss followed in similarly spectacular fashion, losing 6-7(5) 6-4 7-5 to third seed Malek Jaziri in the semi-final. The final put a halt to all the marathon matches, with Jaziri convincingly beating his 14-year younger opponent, 6-2 6-4. Jaziri rose twenty ranking spots to #74 after winning his fifth Challenger title, while Kozlov made a big jump of seventy spots to #225, a career high ranking.

 

 

Napoli

Top seed Filip Krajinovic barely survived his first round match against qualifier Julian Reister, after which Arthur De Greef beat him in the second round, 6-4 7-5. Third seed Jan-Lennard Struff went out in the first round to wildcard Gianluca Mager, 7-6(4) 4-6 6-4. De Greef took out another seed in the quarterfinal, fifth seed Roberto Carballes Baena, 7-6(2) 6-3. Marius Copil offered even less resistance in the semi-final, with De Greef prevailing 6-3 6-2. In the bottom half the seeds did equally bad, with, fourth seed Thomas Fabbiano going out in the first round and second seed Rogerio Dutra Silva only going one round further.

Dutra Silva lost to Jozef Kovalik, who took full advantage of the draw opening up. He beat old-timer Filippo Volandri in the quarterfinal, 6-4 6-7(4) 6-2, before beating sixth seed Gastao Elias 6-1 6-7(6) 6-3 in the semi-final. Kovalik had it easier in the final, beating De Greef 6-3 6-2 to win his second Challenger title. Kovalik rose thirty-two ranking spots to a career high ranking of #139, while De Greef rose eight spots to crack the top 200 for the first time at #198.

 

 

 

2016 Wroclaw, Morelos and New Delhi Challenger Recaps

Posted by Admin on February 23, 2016
Posted in: ATP, ATP Challenger, Chris De Waard. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

2016 Wroclaw, Morelos and New Delhi Challenger Recaps
Chris De Waard, Tennis Atlantic

ATP Challenger Tour Official Page

Wroclaw

Top seed Evgeny Donskoy held match points against Jeremy Chardy in the first round of the glamorous 500 event in Rotterdam a week earlier, but it was back to the grind for him in Wroclaw this week. He started off well in his first two matches, but then the Rotterdam scenario repeated itself against Konstantin Kravchuk in the quarterfinal, with the seventh seed winning 7-6(4) 6-7(9) 6-4. In the second section veteran Marco Chiudinelli began an excellent run by beating Daniel Evans, fifth seed Mirza Basic and Alexander Kudryavtsev to set up a semi-final encounter with Kravchuk. It didn’t stop there for Chiudinelli, as he ousted Kravchuk in two tight sets, 7-6(8) 7-6(4).

In the bottom half another veteran would have a dream run. Jan Hernych, 36, came through qualifying and immediately made an impact in the main draw by beating third seed Jan-Lennard Struff in the first round, 4-6 6-2 7-6(5). Eventually he went all the way to the the semi-final, where he met second seed Dustijn Brown, who cruised tot he draw and didn’t drop a set. That would change against Hernych, however, as the 36-year-old beat Brown 7-6(5) 6-4 for a place in the final, his first since 2012. There the younger of the two would prevail in the veteran encounter. Chiudinelli, 34, won 6-3 7-6(9) to claim his first Challenger title since 2009. He gained thirty-seven ranking spots and landed at #146, while Hernych rose eighty-one spots to #269.

Morelos

The tournament lost its top seed beforehand as Victor Estrella Burgos withdrew and ninth seed Giovanni Lapentti took his spot. Lapentti lost his first round to Alessandro Giannessi, who took full advantage of the opportunity and reached the semi-final after beating sixth seed Alexander Sarkissian 2-6 6-1 6-3. There he faced fourth seed Alejandro Gonzalez, who had no problem getting rid of Giannessi in a 6-3 6-1 beatdown.

In the bottom half the top seeds held their own, resulting in both second Horacio Zeballos and third seed Gerald Melzer reaching the semi-final without too many problems along the way. They fought out a major battle, with Melzer eventually coming through in three hard-fought sets, 6-7(1) 6-3 6-4. The final against Gonzalez was easier for he Austrian, winning 7-6(4) 6-3 to take down his fourth Challenger title. He also reached a career high ranking of #116, rising twenty spots. Gonzalez rose eleven spots to #143.

New Delhi

Another top seed who didn’t get far here, with Yuki Bhambri getting upset by Joris De Loore in the first round, 6-4 7-6(4). De Loore lost the next round to Flavio Cipolla 6-4 7-6(2), who in his turn lost 6-3 6-2 to third seed Stephane Robert in the semi-final. Robert faced fourth seed Saketh Myneni in the final, who decimated second seed Kimmer Coppejans with the same score in the semi-final, 6-3 6-2.

So the final came down to two players who absolutely trashed the opposition on their way. Robert won his quarter- and semi-final respectively 6-2 6-0 and 6-3 6-2, while Myneni did so 6-4 6-1 and 6-3 6-2. Robert would be the one to continue the trend however, as the 35-year-old beat Myneni 6-3 6-0 to close out his spectacular run and win his seventh Challenger title, and the first one in five years. He rose twenty-two ranking spots to #139, while Myneni rose eight spots to #158.