Mondays with Bob Greene
STARS
John Isner beat Alexander Zverev 6-7 (4) 6-4 6-4 to win the Miami Open men’s singles in Miami, Florida, USA
Sloane Stephens beat Jelena Ostapenko 7-6 (5) 6-1 to win the Miami Open women’s singles in Miami, Florida, USA
Dusan Lajovic beat Denis Kudla 6-4 6-0 to win the Open Region Guadeloupe in Le Gosier, Guadeloupe
SAYING
“I couldn’t have scripted this.” – John Isner, after winning the biggest title of his career, the Miami Open.
“I’m never happy to lose, but if I lose, I’m happy that he won (his) first Masters.” – Alexander Zverev, on John Isner winning the Miami Open.
“A final feels different. There was more pressure and I was missing shots I was hitting earlier in the week.” – Jelena Ostapenko, who lost the Miami Open women’s final to Sloane Stephens.
“I think we’re playing with a lot of joy now, and it’s showing in our results.” – Bob Bryan, who teamed with his twin brother Mike to win their 115th ATP World Tour-level doubles title.
“Congrats to these guys. You guys were in diapers when we turned pro.” – Mike Bryan, 39, on their finalist opponents, Karen Khachanov, who is 21, and Andrey Rublev, 20.
“When we were 10 years old we were watching them play. They were one of the best, they were winning everything. And now, still, they are one of the best.” – Karen Khachanov, talking about the Bryan twins.
“They are the best. That’s it.” – Andrey Rublev, on brothers Bob and Mike Bryan.
“I played well. I did a good tournament, I go home with many things to celebrate.” – Juan Martin del Potro, after losing to John Isner in the Miami Open semifinals.
“I’ve idolized her my whole life. She’s been my favorite player for forever and this is just a special moment I’m trying to wrap my head around it.” – Danielle Collins, talking about Venus Williams, who she upset in the quarterfinals at Miami.
“Obviously this place is pretty special to me. I grew up playing tennis here.” – Sloane Stephens, after beating Jelena Ostapenko to win the last Miami Open to be played at Key Biscayne’s Crandon Park.
“Never, ever could have imagined myself playing the last singles match at this historic site and being the winner, being the last winner here at Crandon Park. It’s amazing. This is the best moment of my career.” – John Isner.
“I’ll never win here.” – Alexander Zverev, joking about it being the last Miami Open played at Crandon Park.
STUNNING WIN
Riding his big serve, John Isner capped his worse season with his career-best result, knocking off Germany’s Alexander Zverev to win the Miami Open. “(When) I came into this tournament, I had won one ATP match all year and was playing very poorly,” the American said. “I won my first match (here) in three sets and that’s how tennis goes. You start to gain a little confidence and the next thing you know things start to roll your way.” Isner became the first American to win in Miami since Andy Roddick in 2010. And with his first career ATP Masters 1000 victory, Isner is once again ranked ninth in the world. The final was just the last step in Isner’s fantastic week. He reached the title match with victories over Marin Cilic, Hyeon Chung and Juan Martin del Potro. In the final, Zverev took the first-set tiebreaker when he won four straight points. When the German lost his serve at 4-4, Zverev smashed his racquet in disgust. “I think I missed more shots today than I did the whole tournaments,” Zverev said. “I played bad from the baseline. But it’s not easy against John because you always feel the pressure that if you get broken you’re not going to win the set.” Isner held to level the match, then again broke Zverev in the ninth game of the third set. He closed out the victory with his 18th ace of the day. After 32 years at Key Biscayne’s Crandon Park, the tournament will move next year to a new facility at the NFL Miami Dolphins stadium. “With the atmosphere and the support, it was amazing,” Isner said. “You just can’t replicate that, and for me to come out the winner in the last men’s singles match ever here is unique.”
STEPHENS SPECIAL
Sloane Stephens has never lost a final. She continued that streak when she defeated Jelena Ostapenko in straight sets. The Florida native has now won all six finals she has competed in. The battle between two Grand Slam tournament champions – Ostapenko is the reigning French Open titlist, while Stephens won last year’s US Open – was sloppy at the start with both players appearing to be struggling to grip the occasion. There were eight breaks of serve in the first set, which went into a tiebreak. After Stephens jumped out to a 6-2 lead, Ostapenko saved four set points before losing her first set of the tournament. “There were pre-match jitters, but once I won the first set I was able to settle,” the American said. Still, her Latvian opponent kept up the fight, breaking Stephens’ serve to begin the second set. It was the last game Ostapenko would win. “I knew I would have to run a lot of balls down. You have to accept she will hit great shots, so I didn’t worry about that too much,” said a delighted Stephens, who moved into the WTA Top 10 rankings for the first time. “I have wanted to be in the top 10 for so long. It’s very exciting.” Stephens only hit six winners in the match while Ostapenko finished with 25 winners. The champion committed only 21 unforced errors to 48 to her opponent. “Sometimes I was being too aggressive when I didn’t have to, but it was working at the beginning,” Ostapenko said. Stephens capped an impressive week with the title. During the Miami Open she posted victories over Grand Slam tournament winners Garbiñe Muguruza, Angelique Kerber, Victoria Azarenka and Ostapenko.
SPANIARD BACK
Rafael Nadal, who has missed five consecutive tournaments, has been named to Spain’s squad for its Davis Cup World Group quarterfinal against Germany. The 31-year-old left-hander has not played Davis Cup since helping Spain return to the World Group with a victory over India in 2016. Others named to Spain’s team by captain Sergi Bruguera are Pablo Carreno Busta, Roberto Bautista Agut, David Ferrer and Feliciano Lopez.
SENIOR UPRISING
American twins Bob and Mike Bryan won their 172nd doubles title as a team when they captured the Miami Open men’s doubles, beating Russians Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rubley in a match tiebreak. It was the 39-year-old Bryans’ fifth Miami title, their 37th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crown and their 115th tour-level championship as a team. “I’m really proud of the way we’re playing, how we’ve turned it around from a fairly rough last year,” Bob Bryan said. “We’re building every week. I feel like we’re gaining momentum, and I’m very optimistic going into the clay-court season.” The Miami Open is their biggest title since winning Rome in 2016. “These are the ones you want to win,” Mike Bryan said. “If you can win these, you’ll be at the top of the rankings at the end of the year.”
SPLITTSVILLE?
Saying, “We far too often agreed to disagree,” Andre Agassi has apparently left Novak Djokovic’s coaching team. Agassi joined Djokovic last May. He later told the Telegraph Sport, “I do it on my own time and on my own dime.” Djokovic stopped playing after Wimbledon last year because of an injury. He was competitive when he returned at January’s Australian Open but suffered consecutive losses at Indian Wells and Miami. Djokovic recently added Radek Štěpánek to his team as a coaching assistant.
SURPRISES VENUS
Danielle Collins, who had to qualify for the Miami Open, posted several surprising victories, including one over her childhood idol, Venus Williams. “The first time I saw Venus in the locker room I nearly cried,” Collins told the crowd after the match. She didn’t treat the 37-year-old as an idol, going for broke on her groundstrokes and making most of them as she ran Williams all over the court. “She’s been in a lot of situations where she’s been down and come back,” Collins said of her opponent, who has won seven Grand Slam titles in her career. “I knew I was going to really have to work for it and she wasn’t going to give it to me.” Her aggressive baseline game allowed Collins to outplay the former world number one and gain her seventh straight win on the Key Biscayne courts. A two-time NCAA champion, Collins won two matches in qualifying and five in the main draw before losing to reigning French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko. “I don’t think it was my best night of tennis,” Williams said, “but there wasn’t a shot she couldn’t make. So that was just, you know, of course one of those days.”
STREAK HALTED
Juan Martin del Potro was on a 15-match winning streak when he ran up against John Isner in the semifinals of the Miami Open. The Argentine had won Indian Wells, knocking off Roger Federer in the title match, and brushing aside all challenger on the Key Biscayne courts en route to the penultimate round. That’s when Isner punished a tired del Potro with his serve and groundstrokes, ending the Argentine’s run 6-1 7-6 (2). Isner lost only 11 points on serve in the match, firing 13 aces to four for the crowd favorite del Potro. “He has a better serve than me, and then when he plays as good as today, he’s one of the tougher guys on tour,” del Potro said. “Not many players can return his serves.” Del Potro said he was going to take a break from tennis, “maybe a week or more days. Depends how I feel.”
STOPS COACHING
Conchita Martinez is stepping down as coach of her Spanish compatriot Garbiñe Muguruza. Under the tutelage of Martinez, Muguruza won Wimbledon last year. She left, but rejoined Muguruza’s team in February. “I want to share the news that my collaboration with Garbiñe has finished after Miami,” said Martinez, who won Wimbledon and reached the final at both the Australian and French Opens. “She has decided to go back working full time with her coach.”
SECOND TIME, FIRST TITLE
In just their second tournament as a team, Ashleigh Barty and Coco Vandeweghe beat Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova to win the Miami Open women’s doubles. “We really appreciate you sticking around to support women’s doubles,” Barty told the crowd during the trophy ceremony. “We’ve had an amazing two weeks and a phenomenal tournament, so it’s so nice to be out here on the final Sunday.” The women’s doubles final was held after the men’s singles final and was the last Miami Open match to be held on Key Biscayne’s Crandon Park. The tournament is moving to the NFL’s Miami Dolphin stadium site next year. Barty, from Australia, and the American Vandeweghe first pair dup at Indian Wells. In Miami, they eliminated three seeded teams en route to the title. “Coco, it’s been a hell of a start to our partnership. Hopefully we can have a few more tournaments out here and a few more titles behind us,” Barty said.
SICK BAY
A foot injury has knocked Belinda Bencic out of a tournament in her native Switzerland. “Would love to play in front of the home crowd,” Belinda Bencic said when she pulled out of next week’s Samsung Open in Lugano, Switzerland. “I will be there to support.” Bencic missed five months last year because of injuries. Since then, she has won four titles including consecutive weeks in Hua Hin, China, and Taipei, Taiwan.
SIGNED UP
Australia’s top woman, Ashleigh Barty, will play the Nottingham Open in her preparation for Wimbledon. Ranked 20th in the world, Barty reached the quarterfinals at Nottingham last year. “I’m excited to start my grass court season in Nottingham again this year,” said Barty, a former Junior Girls Wimbledon champion. “I feel very much at home on the UK grass courts and always enjoy playing this tournament.”
Andy Murray has added another grass-court tournament to his comeback schedule this summer. The two-time Wimbledon champion plays to play the Libéma Open in Rosmalen, Netherlands, the week before Queen’s Club in London. It is understood that Murray has accepted a six-figure guarantee to play the Libéma Open. He is returning to tennis following rehabilitation from hip surgery he underwent on an. 8.
SEPARATION
Apparently, Harold Solomon is no longer coaching Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard. The first indication came during Bouchard’s first-round qualifying match at the Miami Open. Solomon was there but was not sitting with Bouchard hitting partner Robbye Poole and trainer Scott Byrnes. And when Bouchard called for coaching help during her loss to Sweden’s Rebecca Peterson, it was Poole who came out on the court to consult with the Canadian. Tennis.Life has since confirmed that Solomon and Bouchard parted ways two days before the Miami Open began. “I appreciate what you need to do for your job, however I will not be speaking to anyone about my relationship with Genie,” Solomon wrote in a text in response to an inquiry.
SHARED PERFORMANCES
Gosier: Neal Skupski and John-Patrick Smith beat Ruben Bemelmans and Jonathan Eysseric 7-6 (3) 6-4
Miami (men): Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan beat Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev 4-6 7-6 (5) 10-4 (match tiebreak)
Miami (women): Ashleigh Barty and Coco Vandeweghe beat Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova 6-2 6-1
SURFING
Charleston: www.wtatennis.com/
Monterrey: http://abiertognpseguros.com/
Davis Cup: www.daviscup.com
Houston: www.mensclaycourt.com/
Marrakech: www.gphassan2tennis.com/
Mexico City: www.cdmxopen.com/
Bogota: http://copawtabogota.com/
Lugano: https://samsungopen.ch/
TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK
WOMEN
$800,000 Volvo Car Open, Charleston, South Carolina, USA, hard
$250,000 Abierto GNP Seguros, Monterrey, Mexico, hard
DAVIS CUP
World Group Quarterfinals
Italy vs France at Genoa, Italy, clay
Spain vs. Germany at Valencia, Spain, clay
Croatia vs. Kazakhstan at Varazdin, Croatia, clay
United States vs. Belgium at Nashville, Tennessee, USA
GROUP I
Second Round
Americas Zone: Argentina vs. Chile at San Juan, Argentina, clay; Colombia vs. Brazil at Barranquilla, Brazil, hard
Asia/Oceania Zone: China vs. India at Tianjin, China, hard; Pakistan vs. Uzbekistan at Islamabad, Pakistan, grass
Europe/Africa Zone: Czech Republic vs. Israel at Ostrava, Czech Republic, clay; Sweden vs. Portugal at Stockholm, Sweden, hard; Slovakia vs. Bosnia/Herzegovina at Bratislava, Slovakia, clay; Russia vs. Austria at Moscow, Russia, hard
GROUP II
Second Round
Americas Zone: Uruguay vs. Venezuela at Montevideo, Uruguay, clay; Mexico vs. Peru at Metepec, Mexico, hard
Asia/Oceania Zone: Philippines vs. Thailand at Manila, Philippines, clay; Lebanon vs. Hong Kong at Zouk Mosbah, Lebanon, hard
Group II Relegation
First Round
Asia/Oceania Zone: Sri Lanka vs. Indonesia at Colombo, Sri Lank, clay; Chinese Taipei vs. Iran at Taipei, Taiwan, hard
Europe/Africa Zone: Luxembourg vs. Georgia at Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg, hard; Slovenia vs. Turkey at Portoroz, Slovenia, clay; Norway vs. Ireland at Oslo, Norway, hard; Estonia vs. Tunisia at Tallinn, Estonia, hard
TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK
MEN
$691,642 Grand Prix Hassan II, Marrakech, Morocco, clay
$623,710 Fayez Sarofim & Co. US Men’s Clay Court Championship, Houston, Texas, USA, clay
$150,000 Santaizi Challenger, Taipei, Taiwan, carpet
$100,000 CDMX Open, Mexico City, Mexico, clay
WOMEN
$250,000 Claro Open Colsanitas, Bogota, Colombia, clay
$250,000 Samsung Open presented by Corner, Lugano, Switzerland, clay
