Category: Tennis

ASTANA: Stefanos Tsitsipas set up a final against either Novak Djokovic or Daniil Medvedev with a come-from-behind victory against Andrey Rublev in Astana on Saturday.

The Greek third seed won 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 to reach his sixth final of the season.

On Sunday he will face the winner of the second semi-final between Wimbledon champion Djokovic and former world number one Medvedev.

A break in the opening game of the match proved enough to give fifth seed Rublev the first set.

But Tsitsipas, who saved five of six break points in the match, improved as the tie went on and he made his move in the 10th game of the second set to force a decider.

The 24-year-old was rock solid again in the third, wrapping up victory after two hours and 10 minutes to take his head-to-head record against Rublev to 6-4.

ASTANA: Novak Djokovic cruised into the quarter-finals of the ATP tournament in Astana on Thursday with a crushing 6-3, 6-1 win over Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp.

The 71-minute demolition of the world number 34 follows his 64-minute 6-1, 6-1 thrashing of Cristian Garin on Wednesday.

Former world number one Djokovic, who collected his 89th career title in Tel Aviv last weekend, extended his winning streak to six matches with a ruthless display.

“I think my serve worked very well when I needed to get out of trouble in the first set particularly,” said Djokovic, who has not dropped serve in his past three matches.

“There were some 30/30 games, and when I broke his serve for 4-2, I faced a break point and I came in, and he had a look at that passing shot and he missed it.

“The match is decided in these moments.”

The 35-year-old Serb had a small scare in the opening set, complaining of pain in a nail which required the intervention of the physiotherapist.

The early exchanges were well contested with van de Zandschulp threatening to give Djokovic a serious workout.

But 21-time major winner Djokovic kept his composure and built his game on the accuracy of his service, achieving an 84 percent first-serve success in the first set and offering up just two break point chances in the match, both of which he saved.

Reigning Wimbledon champion Djokovic has now reached the quarter-finals in eight of the nine tournaments he has played in 2022.

He next faces world number 18 Karen Khachanov on Friday as he continues his push for his 90th title and presses for a place in the ATP Finals.

Seventh-ranked Djokovic only needs to finish the season in the top 20 to make sure of a place in the season-ending showpiece.

Khachanov, who reached the semi-finals of the US Open, earlier prevailed 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 against ninth seed Marin Cilic, the player who lost to Djokovic in the Tel Aviv final.

Former US Open champion Daniil Medvedev made the last eight with a comprehensive 6-3, 6-2 win over Emil Ruusuvuori of Finland.

Second seeded Medvedev and Djokovic will meet in the semi-finals should they both come through their last-eight assignments.

Medvedev, however, must first get past Roberto Bautista Agut on Friday.

The Spanish veteran boasts a 4-1 career lead over former world number one Medvedev.

The other quarter-finals see third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas tackle Hubert Hurkacz while Andrey Rublev faces Adrian Mannarino.

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ASTANA: Novak Djokovic brushed aside Chile’s Cristian Garin 6-1, 6-1 in 64 minutes on Wednesday as he breezed into the second round of the Astana Open.

Coming off his 89th career title in Tel Aviv last weekend, Djokovic broke an overmatched Garin five times to continue his push for a place in the season-ending ATP Finals.

“From the start to the end, (it was) a great performance,” said Djokovic.

“Playing in a new tournament, different conditions, the first match is never easy. Obviously, you are looking to see how you are going to adapt, but I did it perfectly, really, played as well as I can.”

The Serb is the only player to win ATP tournaments on clay, grass and hard courts this year. He will play Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp for a place in the quarter-finals.

“Coming into this tournament I feel confident, I feel excited, I feel motivated, so I think that helps as well to adjust quickly,” added Djokovic.

Third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas ended the run of Italian qualifier Luca Nardi, advancing 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (7/3). He goes on to face Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik or Hubert Hurkacz.

Andrey Rublev, seeded fifth, defeated China’s Zhang Zhizhen 6-3, 6-2 in his second-round match.

Rublev meets Adrian Mannarino next after the Frenchman put out David Goffin, who shocked world number one Carlos Alcaraz in the opening round.

Roberto Bautista Agut beat lucky loser Pavel Kotov 6-1, 7-6 (7/5) and could play Daniil Medvedev in the quarter-finals.

Marin Cilic, the runner-up to Djokovic in Tel Aviv, won his opener 5-7, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 against Germany’s Oscar Otte.

Switzerland’s Marc-Andrea Huesler, who won his first ATP title in Sofia last week, was dumped out by Emil Ruusuvuori 6-0, 6-2.

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PARIS: Spain reigns at the summit of men’s tennis with Carlos Alcaraz holding world number one spot in the ATP rankings released on Monday with compatriot Rafael Nadal moving back up to second.

Nadal, 36, benefited from Casper Ruud’s quarter-final exit in Seoul where he was top seed, to move ahead of the Norwegian.

Novak Djokovic, winner of his third tournament this season in Tel Aviv, stays seventh but scores 250 precious points in the race for the ATP Finals in Turin, his end-of-season goal.

The Serb was competing in his first singles tournament in Israel since claiming a seventh Wimbledon crown in July, and can still earn points this week in the Astana ATP tournament.

Croat Marin Cilic gained two places moving from 16th to 14th, thanks to his reaching the final in Tel Aviv.

Rankings:

1. Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) 6740 pts

2. Rafael Nadal (ESP) 5810 (+1)

3. Casper Ruud (NOR) 5645 (-1)

4. Daniil Medvedev 5065

5. Alexander Zverev (GER) 5040

6. Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) 4810

7. Novak Djokovic (SRB) 3820

8. Cameron Norrie (GBR) 3445

9. Andrey Rublev 3345

10. Hubert Hurkacz (POL) 3175 (+1)

11. Taylor Fritz (USA) 3055 (+1)

12. Jannik Sinner (ITA) 3040 (-2)

13. Félix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) 2950

14. Marin Cilic (CRO) 2495 (+2)

15. Pablo Carreño (ESP) 2360 (-1)

16. Matteo Berrettini (ITA) 2360 (-1)

17. Diego Schwartzman (ARG) 2110

18. Karen Khachanov 1990

19. Frances Tiafoe (USA) 1940

20. Nick Kyrgios (AUS) 1780

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Fourth seed Denis Shapovalov will face Japan’s unseeded Yoshihito Nishioka in Sunday’s final of the Korea Open as the Canadian closes on the second title of his career.

Shapovalov defeated eighth seed Jenson Brooksby of the United States 7-5, 6-4 on Saturday while Nishioka beat another American, Aleksandar Kovacevic, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 in the other semi-final in Seoul.

“Brooksby was definitely a tough opponent,” said Shapovalov, who rose to a career-high 10th in the world two years ago but is now ranked 24.

“But I prepared for the match well and I had some practice time with him, which helped.”

The 23-year-old Shapovalov’s only previous ATP title came in Stockholm in 2019.

Shapovalov and Nishioka have faced each other once before, with the 56th-ranked Japanese winning in the round of 16 at the 2018 Shenzhen Open.

Nishioka stunned world number two Casper Ruud of Norway in the quarter-finals.

VALENCIA: Carlos Alcaraz, the youngest men’s tennis world number one in history at 19 after his US Open triumph last week, had a bittersweet homecoming as he lost to Felix Auger-Aliassime defeated 6-7 (3/7), 6-4, 6-2 in the Davis Cup in Valencia on Friday.

Given an ovation by fervent home support after his first Grand Slam conquest on Saturday, the Spaniard and his Canadian opponent played out a thrilling second singles rubber, with Canada levelling the tie at 1-1.

Alcaraz, from nearby Murcia, had watched from the sidelines on Wednesday as Spain beat Serbia 3-0.

On Friday, he was neck and neck with his Canadian opponent through the first set as both players served strongly.

The Canadian was particularly unforgiving, hitting seven aces in the first set and winning 79 percent of his service points, yet Alcaraz battled back every time to force a tie-break.

In the tiebreak, Auger-Aliassime earned a mini-break to take the lead but the persistent Spaniard turned it around and clinched the set with a fierce forehand drive down the line.

The second set was brilliantly and evenly contested too, until Auger-Aliassime broke to move 5-4 up. He then served out.

In the third, Alcaraz tired, perhaps unsurprisingly after his marathon matches in New York, and world number 13 Auger-Aliassime broke straight away and then again to go 4-1 ahead, holding off the Spaniard despite strong encouragement from the crowd.

Roberto Bautista had put Spain 1-0 up in the tie after coming from behind to beat Vasek Pospisil 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 earlier.

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GENEVA: Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer is to retire after next week’s Laver Cup after admitting on Thursday his battles with a knee problem had forced him to call time on his historic career.

“The Laver Cup next week in London will be my final ATP event,” he said in a statement posted on his Twitter account.

The 41-year-old winner of 20 Grand Slam titles has been out of action since a quarter-final loss at Wimbledon in 2021, after which he underwent his third knee surgery in 18 months.

His fellow tennis legend Serena Williams is all but certain not to play again after bowing out of the US Open in the third round this month.

Federer said that his body had effectively told him it was time to bring the curtain down.

“I’ve worked hard to return to full competitive form,” he wrote.

“But I also know my body’s capacities and limits, and its message to me lately has been clear.

“I am 41 years old. I have played more than 1500 matches over 24 years.

“Tennis has treated me more generously than I ever would have dreamt, and now I must recognize when it is time to end my competitive career.”

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HAMBURG: Australia were in a rush on the opening day of the Davis Cup finals group phase on Tuesday with Jason Kubler and Alex de Minaur paving the way for a 3-0 win over Belgium.

Newcomer Jason Kubler battled past 134th-ranked Zizou Bergs 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 in the opening Group C tie in Hamburg, Germany.

Trailing 1-3 in the third set after dropping the second, 97th-ranked Kubler reeled off five consecutive games to earn the first point for Australia.

“I’m over the moon that I was able to deliver today but we may not have been in this position if it were not for Jason Kubler who came out on his debut and pulled a rabbit out of the hat,” said de Minaur.

“He played with passion and pride and showed everything that Davis Cup is about. He got the win which gave us a 1-0 lead which I thought was huge.”

De Minaur got the winning point for the 28-time Davis Cup champions after beating David Goffin 6-2, 6-2 in one hour and six minutes.

Goffin, ranked 62, a Davis Cup finalist in 2015 and 2017, has never beaten 22nd-ranked Minaur in their four meetings.

Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell teamed up in the doubles to see off Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen 6-1, 6-3.

The Germans open their Group C campaign against France on Wednesday before also facing Belgium and Australia.

In Group A, Argentina play Sweden on Tuesday with Canada and South Korea in action in Group B and Kazakhstan v Netherlands in Group D.

In the last-16 group phase, nations play two singles matches and then doubles in the best of three formats.

The top two teams in the Davis Cup group matches to progress to the last eight in Malaga from November 22-27.

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NEW YORK: Pakistani teenage tennis star Hania Minhas claimed Girls Singles, Doubles and Mixed Doubles titles in the 12 and below Division at the recently concluded Little Mo Internationals tournament held in New York, US. 

According to the details, Hania outclassed her opponent Juliana Castellanos Trujillo in the Girls’ Singles in straight sets with scores of 6-1,6-1.

She then teamed up with Juliane for the doubles competition and defeated the pair of Nella Glowacka and Janita Files with a score of 8,3.

In the Mixed Doubles, Hania paired up with Thomas O’Neil and claimed her third title as they beat Ishaan Yadlapalli and Elizabeth Sabaev with a score of 8,5 in the final.

“These trophies mean a lot to me and I want to continue playing to the best of my abilities,” said Haniya after her remarkable feat.

It is pertinent to mention here that the “Little Mo” tournaments feature rising tennis stars (aged 8-12) and play a crucial role in grooming their abilities. Little Mo is named after Maureen Connolly, the winner of nine major singles titles and the first woman to win a Grand Slam. She is also the only player in history to win a title without losing a set at all four major championships and was a leading player of the 1950s.

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NEW YORK: Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz claimed his maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open on Sunday and became the youngest man to ascend to the world number one ranking.

The 19-year-old dragged his weary body to a 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (7/1), 6-3 victory over Norway’s Casper Ruud in the final.

Alcaraz, the first teenager to claim the top ranking, is the youngest Grand Slam men’s champion since Rafael Nadal at the 2005 French Open after a performance which yielded 55 winners and 14 aces.

On a day of landmarks, he is also the youngest champion in New York since Pete Sampras in 1990.

It was a gruelling tournament for Alcaraz who claimed the record for most time spent on court at a single Grand Slam event, passing the 23 hours and 21 minutes it took Kevin Anderson to finish runner-up at Wimbledon in 2018.

Defeat for Ruud, who was also vying for the world number one ranking, was his second in a Slam final this year after he was routed by Nadal in the French Open.

With the roof closed, the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd observed a moving moment’s silence on the 21st anniversary of the September 11 attacks before the final got off to a tentative start.

Both men saved break points in their opening service games before Alcaraz gained the only break of the first set for a key 3-1 lead.

Ruud dropped the set but triumphed in terms of sportsmanship when he called a double bounce on himself in the eighth game, conceding the point to the Spaniard.

Alcaraz served it out to love and a one set lead courtesy of his 13 winners to six for the Norwegian.

The Spanish teenager, who went into the final with a 2-0 winning record over Ruud, squandered a break point at 2-2 in the second set.

Ruud made him pay, edging ahead for 4-2 and then levelling the final on a second set point after another careless Alcaraz drop-shot opened the court invitingly for the Norwegian.

At that moment, Alcaraz had been on court at the tournament for almost 22 hours, passing the mark set by Andy Murray when the Briton claimed the 2012 title.

He was ahead for 2-0 in the third set before Ruud hit back.

The 23-year-old Norwegian had two set points in an 11-minute 12th game but was unable to convert as Alcaraz put away inch-perfect, back-to-back volleys.

Alcaraz made the most of his reprieve, racing through to his first tiebreak success of the tournament as Ruud’s game fell suddenly apart.

The Spaniard sensed his chance, breaking for 4-2 in the fourth set before taking his aces count to 12 to lead 5-2.

Ruud held to love but Alcaraz claimed his slice of history on a second match point before collapsing to the court in celebration.

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