Empire State of Mind in Mountain State as @NYEmpireTennis Advance to @WorldTeamTennis Final
The New York Empire advanced to the World Team Tennis final at the Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia with a 22-18 win over the top-seeded Philadelphia Freedoms this afternoon.
Jack Sock and Neal Skupski broke serve and started New York off with a 2 game lead after beating Fabrice Martin and Taylor Fritz, 5-3. They never relinquished that lead. Coco Vandeweghe played Sofia Kenin close in a 5-4 loss and frankly, did her job by minimizing the effectiveness of the Freedoms most potent weapon.
The big turning point of the affair came when Sock and Vandeweghe posted a 5-1 mixed doubles win over Taylor Townsend and Fabrice Martin/Taylor Fritz. Fritz was inserted into the match after the Freedoms were down 4-0. Vandeweghe teamed up with Nicole Melichar against Townsend and Caroline Dolehide. Philadelphia scrapped to a 5-3 win to keep hope alive. In the final set, Taylor Fritz needed a miracle comeback against Sock to turn the match for Philadelphia. Fritz challenged Sock all the way to the tiebreak, which Sock won 5-3 to seal the victory for his team.
In the All-American final at the 2019 Eastbourne International, Taylor Fritz beat his compatriot Sam Querrey straight sets 6-3 6-4 to claim his first ATP title in his career.
Speaking after his press conference, Fritz said: “It’s, like, it’s unbelievable. The feeling still hasn’t fully set in. I have wanted to win a title for so long, ever since making the final in Memphis when I was so young. So it’s been — you know, I have been thinking about it for a long time. I’m so happy I finally got it.”
Fritz was in control throughout the whole match and Querrey could not find any rhythm to play the match on his own terms. Whenever there was a opportunity for Querrey to break back and even the match, Fritz looked focus and seemed to always come up with a first serve to extend his lead.
I asked Fritz in the press conference whether he agreed with this idea and he commented: “Yeah, like I just said, I feel like I can always come up with my best in the big moments, or if I’m not playing my best, I can just kind of find a way to tough it out and come through in those moments. It’s one of the biggest strengths that I have. Yeah, it’s just coming up with what I need when I need it.”
He also credited his coaching team composed of Paul Annacone and David Nainkin that helped him reach this point of his career.
“One thing we have all worked on as a team so much is working on my net game and coming into net more, because with the big groundstrokes, you get a lot of, you know, balls that you can finish the point at the net. So it’s been a long process trying to work on that.
“We are still working on it. We have worked a lot on my serve consistency, because one thing that’s been a problem about me winning a title or going deep is I’ll serve good, serve good, serve good, and then just have one day where I can’t put a serve in the court. We have worked a lot on that. My serve’s improved so much.”
“That’s one thing I stress to them as a player, telling the coach, is I want to improve, you know, where I’m not that good but I also want to strengthen my best shots so they become even more dominant, and so that’s something we have all worked on. And also tons of work in the gym, getting stronger, getting faster. Yeah, it’s all showing.”
Fritz will have little time to celebrate, as he will have to face former Wimbledon finalist, Tomas Berdych, in the first round at Wimbledon on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, on the women’s side, the second seed Karolina Pliskova defeated the defending Wimbledon champion, Angelique Kerber comfortably in straight sets 6-1 6-4 to claim her second Eastbourne International title.
The biggest shock on Day 4 at the Eastbourne International was British women’s number one, Johanna Konta, beaten by world no. 62, Ons Jabeur in straight sets 6-3 6-2.
After the match, Konta analysed her match and said: “Well, to be honest, I mean, I think I just played an opponent who played very well today. I didn’t feel like I actually did too much wrong. Actually, I don’t think I did anything wrong. There is very few things I could have tried differently or more of, but to be honest, I actually thought I did quite well in the amount of questions I asked my opponent today, and she just was answering them every time.”
“It’s just she played incredibly well. She was able to get back balls from different positions of the court and hit winners from different positions of the court. Any changes of rhythm that I actually tried to give, yeah, she was just able to find her range and find her game from any balls that I gave her, which obviously makes it quite difficult for me not to be able to kind of put her on the back foot at all.”
When asked about whether she tried to change anything strategically in the game, Konta said: “I tried to obviously sometimes slow down the balls a bit because I know she absorbs pace very well. And then I tried to speed it up, because I tried to get at it that way. I tried to sometimes go through the middle a bit more. She was moving around the ball quite well. So then I tried to move it out wide.”
“She was moving well out wide (smiling). So then I tried to use slower slices. I tried to use faster slices. I actually thought I varied my serve quite well. I went through pretty much every serve I can hit.”
On the men’s side, the top two seeds were eliminated. America’s Taylor Fritz defeated the number one seed, Guido Pella in three close sets, 6-4 3-6 6-4. Also, the number two seed Laslo Djere was eliminated by qualifier Thomas Fabbiano in two tiebreak sets 7-6 7-6.
Looking ahead to Thursday, the marquee match on the women’s side will be former world no. 1 Simona Halep taking on defending Wimbledon champion, Angelique Kerber.
On the men’s side, it is the battle of the Brits, as British no.1 Kyle Edmund playing against his compatriot Dan Evans.
Edmund commented about his upcoming Evans match “He’s seeing the ball well. It’s another opportunity for me just in the match itself, forgetting about Dan… I just gotta get out there and play my best, really. Last few days I have been in a good place playing. I liked how I transferred that to the match court today. Hopefully I can keep improving.”
“Dan’s game is obviously, backhand probably 75% is slicing or something. I think there will be a bit more longer rallies with Dan because he slows up the ball a lot more.”
Auckland Raised Cam Norrie Seeking 2019 ATP Auckland Title Steen Kirby, Tennis Atlantic
The 250 in Auckland is New Zealand’s only ATP event, it’s preceded by the WTA ASB Classic at the same venue. with both tournaments serving as prep for the Australian Open. With the early rounds complete, who will prevail in the final?
The young American Fritz battles the Auckland raised Brit Norrie in a big match for both players. Fritz has knocked off two big servers, Marius Copil and compatriot John Isner (the top seed) to reach the quarters. Norrie upset Benoit Paire and Joao Sousa to reach this point. Norrie will have home support, but Fritz should be slightly favored if his game can stay consistent.
Both players had easy paths to this point, PCB got a walkover against David Ferrer, while Struff beat Laslo Djere with a retirement and then Jose Statham, who had upset Hyeon Chung in the previous round. PCB is the better player and should be in good shape to advance from this match.
Leonardo Mayer vs Tennys Sandgren
Both players needed to find form and will be pleased with their results thus far. Mayer upset Steve Johnson and Matteo Berrettini, while Sandgren defeated Max Marterer and Marco Cecchinato. This should be a competitive match, with the experienced Mayer a slight favorite.
Two skilled veterans, Kohli hasn’t dropped a set in wins against Bradley Klahn and Ugo Humbert, and he dominates the h2h against the Italian. Fognini barely beat Peter Gojowczyk, and I expect Kohlschreiber to reach the semis from this matchup.
Semis
Carreno Busta d. Fritz
Kohlschreiber d. Mayer
This is PCB’s tournament to lose, Kohlschreiber has great history in Auckland though and is also favored to reach the final.
The conclusion of the opening round of the main draw at the BB&T Atlanta Open 2018 saw five Americans advance into the round of 16, highlighted by local favorite Donald Young. Young recovered from a set down on Monday to win the second and third sets on Tuesday, saving a match point in the third, and also recovering from a break down in the third to prevail 2-6 7-6 7-6 against the veteran Croat. Karlovic’s normally steady serve failed him in the deciding set while Young was clutch to win just his second ATP match of the year.
Ryan Harrison also completed a comeback winning 4-6 7-6 6-1 over James Duckworth. With his wife cheering him on from the sidelines Harrison played a tough second set and a smooth third after struggling in the first, as Duckworth’s game melted in the heat. Taylor Fritz joins Harrison in the round of 16 after a routine 6-4 6-4 victory against Ramkumar Ramanathan. A tired Ramanathan generated no break point chances and struggled with his second serve.
Noah Rubin and Frances Tiafoe were the other Americans to win in straights. Rubin 6-3 6-4 over Thanasi Kokkinakis and Tiafoe 6-4 6-4 over Marius Copil. Neither Copil nor Kokkinakis generated a break in the match, as Rubin saved all three break points he faced.
In the other Tuesday singles matches, Cam Norrie ran away from a frustrated Malek Jaziri 7-5 6-0, Jeremy Chardy was too steady on serve against Ricardas Berankis winning 6-4 6-3. ATP veterans Marcos Baghdatis (6-4 6-1 against Alex Bolt), Mikhail Youzhny (6-2 6-0 against Emil Reinberg) and Mischa Zverev completed the R16 singles field. Zverev had match points in the second set tiebreak vs. Tim Smyczek but had to prevail in 3 sets 6-3 6-7 6-3 with his serve and volley game in a match that lasted over 2 and a half hours.
In doubles Donald Young and Chris Eubanks advanced in a third set tiebreak while Tiafoe/Bryan won in straights.
Tomorrow in singles it will be defending champion John Isner against Alex De Minaur, Hyeon Chung returning from injury against Fritz, Harrison against Lukas Lacko and veterans Youzhny and Zverev squaring off.
2017 US Open Men’s Preview and Predictions Steen Kirby, Tennis Atlantic
US Open
Grand Slam
August 28-September 10, 2017
New York, NY, USA
Surface: Hard
Prize Money: $24,193,400
Top 8 seeds (ATP ranking in parentheses)
1: Rafael Nadal (1)
2: Andy Murray*(2)
3: Roger Federer (3)
4: Alexander Zverev (6)
5: Marin Cilic (7)
6: Dominic Thiem (8)
7: Grigor Dimitrov (9)
8: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (12)
The US Open has had a ton of top players withdrawing. Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Stan Wawrinka, Kei Nishikori, and Milos Raonic are all not playing, leaving just Nadal, Federer, Cilic, and Juan Martin Del Potro as former champions.
*Withdrew
First round matches to watch:
Jan-Lennard Struff vs. Alexandr Dolgopolov
Dolgopolov is a dangerous shotmaker, but Struff has been in better form (coming off semis in Winston-Salem), and is arguably better than his current ranking. If Struff can keep his mindset clear he’ll win this match.
(15)Tomas Berdych vs. Ryan Harrison
Both players could be in better form but have shown some solid form overall this season. Berdych is a bigger hitter, but if Harrison dials up his serve and defends well he has an outside shot in this one. I’ll back the veteran Czech to prevail.
Donald Young vs. (Q)Max Marterer
The 22 year old qualifier Marterer is rising quickly up the rankings, Young has home court advantage but has not been impressive this summer. Despite his edge in experience, I don’t see Young winning this match. Look for the young German to pull off a slight upset.
Fernando Verdasco vs. Vasek Pospisil
Two players with aggressive games that can fly wildly if their form is off. Neither player is performing well right now, which makes for what should be a sloppy, desperate match. The veteran Verdasco has more success at this level than Pospisil and probably nabs it, perhaps in five sets.
(31)Feliciano Lopez vs. Andrey Kuznetsov
Lopez has never lost to Kuznetsov, but the Spanish veteran is in terrible form. With his serve and volley game not clicking, look for Kuznetsov to find some momentum and win points from the baseline to pull off an upset.
Ivo Karlovic vs. (WC)Bjorn Fratangelo
Fratangelo has earned a wild card and he has a punchers chance against the big server Karlovic. The veteran has been in decline this season, but his serve is still hard to break. Karlovic probably wins but Fratangelo is still one to watch.
(17)Sam Querrey vs. Gilles Simon
Querrey trails in the h2h but is in the best form of his tennis career, Simon tends to fluke solid slam results but he’s been in a marked decline this Summer. Querrey should have too much power to lose to Simon the pusher.
(19)Gilles Muller vs. Bernard Tomic
Tomic hasn’t played since Wimbledon after a crisis of faith and confidence in his desire to play tennis. Muller, a steady veteran, has been playing well this year and on hard courts his serve is most lethal. Look for Muller to keep the pressure on Tomic and grab the win in this one.
Daniil Medvedev vs. (Q)Denis Shapovalov
Shapovalov’s stock is rapidly rising, and he looks like the next great ATP star after his run at the Rogers Cup, where he made the semifinals. Medvedev reached the quarters in Washington but has struggled since. The young Russian is a talent, but the form favors the Canadian to win this one rather easily.
(32)Robin Haase vs. Kyle Edmund
Both Edmund and Haase have reached a pair of semifinals this Summer, Edmund on hard courts is probably the better player though. Haase is a talent but he’s underachieved his whole career, the young British player should prevail in a match that should feature great ball striking.
Jared Donaldson vs. Nikoloz Basilashvili
Donaldson just beat Basilashvili in Cincy and has had a fantastic summer. The young American broke through with eight wins on North American hard courts this summer and looks primed for a strong run at the US Open. Basilashvili is a good ball striker who can frustrate his opposition though, and he’s improved a lot in his own right.
Nadal’s Quarter:
World #1 again with two career US Open titles, Rafael Nadal begins his journey against Dusan Lajovic. American Tommy Paul has a great shot at upsetting Taro Daniel before falling to Nadal in round 2. Richard Gasquet hasn’t been fit but his path to round 3 is just Leonardo Mayer, and Yuichi Sugita or wild card Geoffrey Blancaneaux, who is making his main draw Grand Slam debut. Sugita has had some good runs this season, but Gasquet should be good enough to reach round 3 before getting dumped out by Nadal. Fabio Fognini should beat his countryman, qualifier Stefano Travaglia, then Viktor Troicki or Norbert Gombos. Tomas Berdych will face Struff/Dolgopolov in round 2 after Harrison. Struff could be a dark horse, but Berdych over Fognini is the sensible pick in round 3.
David Goffin is struggling and should be on upset alert against pesky veteran Julien Benneteau, Steve Darcis will be favored against Guido Pella, but an underdog against his countryman Goffin in round 2. Gael Monfils, if healthy, should beat Jeremy Chardy and the Young/Marterer winner, then Goffin in round 3 to reach the second week. Grigor Dimitrov has an easy path to the second week. The Cincy champ opens with Vaclav Safranek, a qualifier, Aljaz Bedene or Andrey Rublev will be next, with Winston-Salem finalist Damir Dzumhur likely next in round 3. Dzumhur faces Pablo Cuevas, who is poor on hard courts, and either Nicolas Kicker or qualifier Cedrik-Marcel Stebe.
Federer’s Quarter:
Roger Federer has five US Open titles and he’s the favorite for title #6 this US Open. Federer should beat American Frances Tiafoe to start his US Open journey, Mikhail Youzhny faces Blaz Kavcic before Federer in round 2. I have Andrey Kuznetsov beating Lopez, then Verdasco/Pospisil before falling to Federer in round 3. Philipp Kohlschreiber hasn’t been healthy, he opens with qualifier Tim Smyczek, Santiago Giraldo should beat qualifier Vincent Millot. Nick Kyrgios opens with John Millman, then should defeat Malek Jaziri/Thiago Monteiro in round 2. Kyrgios has the talent to reach the second week, only a mentality issue (or failing fitness) will keep him from making the round of 16.
Winston-Salem champion Roberto Bautista Agut faces veteran Andreas Seppi, Dustin Brown will take on fellow big hitter Thomaz Bellucci in round 2. Former US Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro faces Henri Laaksonen, Adrian Menendez-Maceiras faces wild card Patrick Kypson. Del Potro should reach the third round, but I back RBA’s form to defeat the Argentine fan favorite at that stage. American young gun Taylor Fritz is in good form, but facing Dominic Thiem in round 2 will be a tough task. Thiem should dispatch Alex De Minaur, Fritz opens with the fading Marcos Baghdatis in round 2 to setup that match. I have Thiem reaching round 3. Adrian Mannarino is 7-3 in his last three tournaments, he should extend that great form and defeat Ricardas Berankis, then Karlovic or Fratangelo. Thiem over Mannarino is my pick in round 3.
Zverev’s Quarter:
Russia’s Karen Khachanov should defeat Rendy Lu then Ernesto Escobedo or Radu Albot before falling to Sam Querrey in round 3. Querrey faces Dudi Sela or Chris Eubanks in round 2 after defeating Simon. Mischa Zverev has not been in good form since early in the season, he’s the favorite against Thai-Son Kwiatkowski, then Lukas Lacko or Benoit Paire in round 2. John Isner is the clear favorite in this section, Isner will need to get past big server Pierre-Hugues Herbert, then rising young gun Hyeon Chung (or Horacio Zeballos). Chung is a possible dark horse, but Isner has the experience and he’s playing at home. Look for him to beat Zverev in round 3 to reach week 2.
Jack Sock is a heavy favorite to reach week 2, he should defeat Jordan Thompson, a pesky competitor who lacks the power that Sock has in his game. Sock should then defeat Thomas Fabbiano or J.P. Smith before facing Gilles Muller in round 3. After Tomic, Muller will face Joao Sousa or Paolo Lorenzi in round 2. Sock over Muller is the sensible pick in round 3, Sock has a crisper game, but could fall victim to the upset. Alexander Zverev claimed two titles this summer and has a great chance to win the US Open with so many other players missing from the draw. Zverev faces Darian King, a qualifier from Barbados, Zverev will then face Borna Coric or Jiri Vesely in round 2. Zverev will then face Kevin Anderson in round 3. Anderson is playing well but he’s never beaten Zverev. Anderson faces J.C. Aragone, an inspirational story, then Ernests Gulbis or Alessandro Giannessi in round 2. Zverev should be too much in the third round.
Cilic’s Quarter:
Former US Open champ Marin Cilic opens with improving American Tennys Sandgren, Cilic will then face Rogerio Dutra Silva or Florian Mayer in round 2. Thanasi Kokkinakis faces Diego Schwartzman or Carlos Berlocq after defeating Janko Tipsarevic in the opening round. Cilic and Kokkinakis should face off in round 3, Cilic has not been fit this summer and hasn’t played matches. Kokkinakis is getting better and better off a long injury layoff, I have him upsetting Cilic and reaching the second week. Veteran David Ferrer opens with qualifier Mikhail Kukushkin, Evgeny Donskoy or Andreas Haider-Maurer will follow. I have the Spanish grinder defeating Jared Donaldson in round 3 after Donaldson beats Nikoloz Basilashvili and either Ruben Bemelmans or a struggling Lucas Pouille. It’s a great opportunity for Donaldson, but Ferrer finds a way to win matches.
In the weakest section of the draw, Pablo Carreno Busta should defeat qualifier Evan King, Dmitry Tursunov/Cameron Norrie and either Nicolas Mahut or Albert Ramos in round 3. I have Mahut beating Marton Fucsovics, then Ramos (or Denis Istomin) in round 2 before falling to PCB. The Shapovalov/Medvedev winner faces Jo-Wilfried Tsonga or Marius Copil. Denis Shapovalov is in better form and should upset Tsonga. Look for Kyle Edmund to defeat Haase, then Steve Johnson or Nicolas Almagro in round 2. Johnson is a home favorite, but Edmund is in better form and I tip him to advance to round 3. I have Shapovalov reaching week 2.
Dark Horse (one for each section of the draw): Jan-Lennard Struff, Taylor Fritz, Hyeon Chung, Denis Shapovalov
All four of these players, three of them young guns, are very talented, but they will need to step up on a big stage to make deep runs. Struff would need to upset Berdych and Fognini to reach week 2. Fritz needs to get past Dominic Thiem to reach at least the round of 16, Chung would need to upset big server John Isner. I have Shapovalov making the deepest run, and I also feel he’s the most talented of the bunch, the draw sets up the best for him in terms of reaching the second week as Tsonga is not in good form.
Predictions
Round of 16 Nadal d. Berdych
Dimitrov d. Monfils
Federer d. Kyrgios
Thiem d. Bautista Agut
Querrey d. Isner
Zverev d. Sock
Shapovalov d. Carreno Busta
Ferrer d. Kokkinakis
Nadal has a clear edge on Berdych, Dimitrov will be the favorite against Monfils despite the Frenchman’s skill level. Federer could be upset by Kyrgios but it seems unlikely. Thiem vs Bautista Agut is an interesting matchup, Thiem has more talent but RBA is more consistent. Querrey should beat his friend Isner, Zverev is the favorite against the American #1 Sock, I have Ferrer edging Kokkinakis, and Shapovalov in, at least, the quarterfinals.
Quarters Nadal d. Dimitrov
Federer d. Thiem
Zverev d. Querrey
Shapovalov d. Ferrer
A Nadal vs Federer semifinal seems likely, despite Dimitrov and Thiem’s ability to upset the apple cart. Zverev should also reach the semis given his good form, I have Shapovalov making a storybook run and beating Ferrer.
Semis Federer d. Nadal
Zverev d. Shapovalov
Federer and Zverev will be favorites for a reason.
Final Federer d. Zverev
Federer should win another slam, this time against an opponent playing in his first slam final.
Young guns Reilly Opelka and Yoshihito Nishioka came away with resounding wins over their veteran opponents to reach their first career ATP semifinals, and setup contests against the #1 and #2 seeds at the 2016 BB&T Atlanta Open.
Opelka was dominant on serve, and defeated Donald Young 6-4 6-4. The new tallest player on the ATP World Tour won his first ever ATP main draw match this week, and his great form has carried him into the semifinals. Opelka got an early break, as Young continued his trend of having a slow start in matches. After the chair umpire fell ill, forcing a delay in the match, Opelka would go on to avoid some danger and take the opening set without being broken. In the second it was much the same story, Young got tight serving 2-2 and found himself broken. He failed to generate a single break point chance in the set, and Opelka served it out, as his height allowed him to spin serves over Young’s shoulder.
Earlier in the day Nishioka dispatched Horacio Zeballos in just over an hour, by the same score of 6-4 6-4. The newly top 100 player will soon be into the top 70, as he broke Zeballos to open both sets, and didn’t face a break point the entire match. Not only was it a clinical performance for the Japanese player, Zeballos lacked any spark or passion in the match, compared to what he had shown earlier in the week when he was winning.
Nishioka will face big server Nick Kyrgios, as Kyrgios outlasted Fernando Verdasco 6-4 6-7 6-3 in a match that went on longer than it should. Kyrgios hit 18 aces, and in the first set he was outpacing Verdasco, and playing at a rapid pace. Verdasco perhaps was dealing with a shoulder or neck injury, or he was struggling with his ball toss, as his first serve was weak on the day, and frequently just a kick serve that was under 100 mph. Kyrgios would go wide on return at times, but Verdasco couldn’t pounce on his opponents big serve, and his shots just weren’t clicking in the first set, as his forehand returns frequently just missed the line.
The second set was a tight affair, Kyrgios had to save a pair of break points serving 3-3, and then failed to break when he had a chance in the next game. The match would go into a second set tiebreak, Kyrgios went off the boil in the second and appeared to lose focus, as Verdasco would fight on and force a third set. Verdasco couldn’t maintain the level needed to win the match though, Kyrgios broke early, fired himself up, and served his way through the rest of the match with ease to secure a hard fought three set victory. This is the second time in their careers that Verdasco and Kyrgios have played a three setter, and both times Kyrgios has prevailed on hard courts.
Top seed John Isner dominated young gun Taylor Fritz 7-5 6-4, as Fritz was physically struggling in his match. It’ll be Isner vs. Opelka in a battle of two of the ATP’s tallest players in the next round. Isner hit 20 aces, and was entirely unbothered on his serve. Despite Fritz fighting to save break points, he was eventually broken, and although Isner got tight and was broken back in a surprise, Fritz couldn’t force a tiebreak and Isner served it out after a second break. In the second set both players held serve until Fritz was broken, and things quickly concluded in a 38 minute second set. It’s simply hard to beat Isner on the fast courts of Atlanta.
In doubles Molteni/Zeballos beat Eubanks/Kennedy, and Brunstrom/Siljestrom beat Monroe/Sitak. The Argentine pairing faces Raja/Sharan in the semis, while the Swedish pairing will face Demoliner/Garcia-Lopez.
Fritz, Opelka, and Young Score Comeback Wins at 2016 BB&T Atlanta Open Steen Kirby, Tennis Atlantic\
Three of the four ATP main draw matches at the 2016 BB&T Atlanta Open on Wednesday featured comeback wins, and all four matches featured American winners advancing to the quarterfinals.
Taylor Fritz struggled with shoulder pain early in his match against Bjorn Fratangelo, and the underdog Fratangelo was able to pounce on him, taking the first set 6-4. Fritz came back however, winning the match 4-6 6-3 6-2, as in the end, his superior power and groundstrokes outpaced a dogged Fratangelo. Fritz had to save break points serving for the second set and he dropped serve once in the third, as his serve was never strong in the match, something that is a cause for concern going forward.
Fritz’s best man at his wedding, Reilly Opelka, scored the best win of his career on Wednesday afternoon over Kevin Anderson 6-7 6-3 7-5 in comeback fashion. The matchup with Anderson was like playing a more experienced copy of himself for Opelka. Both players were confident in their powerful serving given their height, and their movement, and forehand were also solid for men of their size, despite not being elite movers or baseline battlers. Opelka has made huge strides this season and he’s into his first ATP quarterfinal.
Anderson was shaky on the day, as he has been all season, and perhaps not feeling 100%, as he took a medical timeout in the first set after saving four break points in the game after he was broken back after an early break. Opelka had to save two set points in the first set and then force a tiebreak, Anderson’s superior experience showed in the tiebreak as he took it.
Opelka was determined to not end up in another tiebreak. After getting frustrated at a perceived delay in the match by Anderson, Opelka channeled that frustration to get an early break, and despite going 0-40 down serving 4-2, the American dug out a hold, and went on to take the second set and force a third in routine fashion.
In the third it looked like Anderson would pull away and take the match as expected, he got a break after saving three break points on his serve, and he was 5-2, and eventually 5-4 up, as Opelka held the next game at love. However, Anderson got tight, and after missing two match points on his own serve, he surrendered the game on Opelka’s fourth break point chance. His consistency was lacking, and he couldn’t connect on an ace serve when it counted. A disappointed Anderson was broken in his next service game, and Opelka had a routine hold to capture the big win in three long sets.
Donald Young earned yet another comeback win, as he beat Tim Smyczek in a close battle 4-6 7-6 6-3. Smyczek had every chance to close out the match, but failed to do so. The first two sets saw seven breaks of serve in total, and Smyczek looked to be in the drivers seat, a set and 3-1 up, but Young fought back, and when it mattered he found another level in the tiebreak, taking it 7-1. In the third set, Smyczek went away, as Atlanta’s Young dominated proceedings, winning most of the baseline rallies to get a break, and force more pressure on Smyczek’s serve later in the set. Smyczek never challenged Young in the third set, and it’s Young in the quarterfinals as a result.
John Isner, the top seed, was the only player to have it easy on Wednesday. He rolled past a frustrated Adrian Mannarino 6-4 6-0. Mannarino pushed hard early, and got a break against Isner, who perhaps looked destined for a three set battle, but the Frenchman would concede the break under pressure from Isner, and then get broken in his next service game to drop the set. At this point Mannarino looked at a loss in terms of what to do with Isner’s serve, and after failing to convert three break point chances, and getting broken in the next game, Mannarino gave up the match,winning just three more points from 2-0 down in the second, as he gave Isner a surprising bagel. From 4-2 down, Isner won eight straight games to put Mannarino to bed.
The doubles winners on the day were Molteni/Zeballos, Brunstrom/Siljestrom, Raja/Sharan, Marray/Shamasdin, and Monroe/Sitak, as most of the doubles seeds, including the top seeded team, were upset.
The #2 and #4 seeds, Alex Dolgopolov, and Nick Kyrgios, will make their start in Atlanta on Thursday. Dolgopolov faces a tricky opponent in Yoshihito Nishioka, in a match that should feature some great movers. Kyrgios gets the late match against popular American Jared Donaldson, who is also upset minded.
Fernando Verdasco faces fellow veteran Julien Benneteau, and Horacio Zeballos will look to keep his good form going against Tobias Kamke in the two other singles matches. In doubles, Dolgopolov and Sergiy Stakhovsky will face Raja/Sharan, while Marray/Shamasdin face Demoliner/Garcia-Lopez.
Garcia-Lopez Upset, Verdasco Advances, Tuesday at 2016 BB&T Atlanta Open Steen Kirby, Tennis Atlantic\
The Spaniards at the 2016 BB&T Atlanta Open, Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, and Fernando Verdasco had mixed results on Tuesday when both were in action on stadium court. A lengthy rain delay made the match between Garcia-Lopez and Horacio Zeballos take most of the afternoon, as Zeballos prevailed in an upset victory 6-3 6-7 6-4 over the Spaniard in two and a half hours of match play.
Both players got off to a shaky start, but were able to hold their serves until the eight game of the match, where Zeballos broke Garcia-Lopez, and held the next game at love to capture the first set. Garcia-Lopez struggled mightily with his serve all match, his first serve percentage was under 50%, and the quality of his serves was lacking. Both players also hit a number of slow, and high spinners from their backhand side, as they didn’t seem entirely comfortable on hard court compared to clay. The hot conditions also took their toll on the volunteers, as well as the players, as a ball girl passed out in the first set, causing a delay.
Despite his troubles on serve, Garcia-Lopez didn’t waver in the second set, saving a break point in his opening service game, and breaking Zeballos, who also served poorly, but methodically, to go up 3-1. Zeballos would break back, but had to save four set points to send the match into a second set tiebreak. Zeballos lost three straight points from 5-4 up in the tiebreak, and the match was sent into a third set.
Garcia-Lopez played a poor third set however, as he was broken at love with a miserable game serving 1-2, and Zeballos would go 5-4 up, before rain came, and the Argentine had to wait over an hour to try to serve the match out. He was broken easily when the players returned to court, and Garcia-Lopez was given a second life, however, he was broken and lost the match in the next game serving 4-5, as Zeballos converted his second match point/break point opportunity. The frustrated Garcia-Lopez slammed his racquet on the ground, as Zeballos let out a roar of excitement. It was just not to be for GGL on the day. The win improves Zeballos to 11-5 in hard court matches this season, and he has reached the second round of an ATP main draw for the second tournament in a row.
Fernando Verdasco had better luck on the day against Dusan Lajovic, winning 7-6 6-4. A cagey match saw neither player earning a break point chance early and the first set going to a tiebreak. Verdasco took the initiative when needed, and then broke Lajovic midway through the second set, and held serve after facing two break points in the next game to go up 4-2. Lajovic was nearly ousted quicker than he was as he could have went down a double break, but he saved three break points to hold, and Verdasco went on to serve it out 6-4. Verdasco’s forehand was all he needed to dictate play on a hard court and smack winners when needed.
French veteran Julien Benneteau played his best match of the season to earn a 6-4 6-2 win over J.P. Smith. Benneteau has just two ATP main draw wins this year now, but his game has clearly picked up. Benny didn’t face a single break point, as Smith meekly conceded three breaks in total and was wiped off the court.
Lucky loser Tobias Kamke made the best of his luck after the withdrawal of Ivan Dodig, upsetting Sergiy Stakhovsky 7-6 7-6 to reach the round of 16 in two hours. Stako blew two set point chances in the first set tiebreak, and he faced pressure on his serve most of the day, as his serve and volley skills were lacking consistency, while Kamke was more consistent with his groundstrokes on the day. Stako’s struggles this season continued as his high risk style of play saw him getting passed at the net when it mattered. Stako was playing better in the second set and went up 4-2, looking prepared to force a third set, but he was broken back in the next game, and had to save break points serving 4-4 and 5-5 to eventually force a second set tiebreak. Kamke dominated that tiebreak, going 5-0 up, and he would eventually take it 7-2.
Yoshihito Nishioka showed signs of improvement in dealing with American heat, as he got past Dan Evans 6-2 6-7 7-6 in a match that also saw a lengthy rain delay late in the third set that paused play for over an hour. In Washington, Nishioka wilted in the hot conditions, but this time it was Evans struggling with his fitness, as the British man earned no break point chances in the first set, and was broken twice with relative ease, including at love serving 2-5. Evans went down a set and a break twice in the second set, and looked ready to hit the showers when he was 4-2, and 5-3 down.
Nishioka got tight serving the match out and after having to save three break point chances against Evans, he found himself dominated in the second tiebreak, going down 4-0, and losing it 7-2. Nishioka had two more bp chances early in the third, and rain came at 4-3 in the third. Nishioka found himself broken when he returned to court, and Evans had three match point chances from 40-15 up in the next game. However, Nishioka’s speed got him back into the match, and after saving a fourth match point chance in his next service game, Nishioka converted his second match point chance to take the victory in three hard fought sets to the delight of a few local Japanese fans.
Last, but certainly not least, Americans Taylor Fritz and Bjorn Fratangelo were big winners on the day. Fritz dominated college standout Austin Smith 6-2 6-2, despite loud chants for Smith throughout the match. The young American’s power from the baseline was too much for the Georgia Bulldog. Fratangelo rolled past Igor Sijsling 6-1 7-6. Early in the first he broke, and had to save six break point chances in an extremely long first service game, but Sijsling wilted from there. Fratangelo went a set and a break up, although he couldn’t serve it out, the Dutchman never really got a shot at a third set, as the American had the match in hand.
In the lone ATP doubles match on the day, Chris Eubanks and Zack Kennedy upset Thiago Monteiro and Nishioka in a narrowly fought third set tiebreak, as the pairing of local NCAA players produce some late magic to stay in the tournament.
Wednesday Preview
Americans will feature in all of the four singles matches that are set to take place today at the BB&T Atlanta Open. Big men Kevin Anderson and Reilly Opelka will battle with their big serves, while Tim Smyczek and Donald Young fight it out for a much needed quarterfinal berth after that. In the night session, John Isner starts his quest for a fourth ATP Atlanta title against Adrian Mannarino, and Fritz will face Fratangelo in a battle of young Americans. Five ATP doubles matches will take place as well.
Fritz, Donaldson Lead Citi Open Monday ATP Winners Steen Kirby, Tennis Atlantic
After rain delayed the start of first round ATP action at the 2016 Citi Open on Monday, the matches took to the court, and all of them were able to be completed with a late night finish in Washington.
Young Americans Taylor Fritz and Jared Donaldson were big winners on the day. Fritz rolled past Israeli veteran Dudi Sela 6-4 6-3 in just under an hour and a half. It was domination for Fritz, as he wasn’t broken in the match. This result should boost his confidence heading into a second round contest with fellow young gun Alexander Zverev, in which he’ll be an underdog.
Donaldson took two hours to defeat fellow qualifier Vincent Millot 5-7 6-2 6-4. It was huge of him to take control of the match from a set down and reverse course to grab a victory. A long first set saw three breaks of serve, with the key one going to Millot. In the third set Donaldson was 5-1 up, but nearly let Millot claw back, eventually closing the match out on his first and only match point opportunity at 5-4 serving.
Bjorn Fratangelo defeated fellow American Alex Kuznetsov 4-6 6-2 6-4, completing a comeback like Donaldson did in two hours of play. Players with D.C. ties were not as lucky however. Denis Kudla continued his struggles, losing to John Millman 7-5 6-0, and Frances Tiafoe battled hard in a red eye match against Adrian Mannarino, but the veteran Frenchman prevailed 7-6(4) 7-5. In both sets, Tiafoe served up a break, and in fact he was 3-0 up in the second set, but the pressure got to him, and Mannarino was able to come back and capture both sets, breaking Tiafoe when the young American was serving for a second set tiebreak, that could have led to a third set.
In other action, Dan Evans dominated Benjamin Becker and came up with some stunning shots, the Brit won 6-2 6-1. James Duckworth rolled past Tim Smyczek 7-5 6-1, and fellow Aussie Jordan Thompson joined him in the winners circle, 6-3 6-2 against the struggling Victor Estrella.
In the lone upset on the day, Yuichi Sugita knocked off Vasek Pospisil after getting breadsticked in the first set. That match finished 1-6 6-2 7-6(4) with a thrilling closing act. The final set featured no breaks of serve, as the big serving Pospisil was steady, but faltered in the tiebreak. It’s been a rough season for the Canadian, and he looks almost certain to fall out of the top 100 now, after just five main draw wins this season.
Looking ahead to Tuesday in Washington, along with the completion of first round ATP action, Grigor Dimitrov will face Evans, Alex Dolgopolov will face Thompson, Donaldson will be opposite Benoit Paire, Fratangelo faces Sam Querrey, and Mannarino will look to oust another American, Steve Johnson. Brian Baker will pull double duty as he plays both singles and doubles on Tuesday.
