Mondays with Bob Greene
STARS
Roberto Bautista Agut beat Tomas Berdych 6-4 3-6 6-3 to win the Qatar Open in Doha, Qatar
Karolina Pliskova beat Lesia Tsurenko 4-6 7-5 6-2 to win the Brisbane International women’s singles in Brisbane, Australia
Aryna Sabalenka beat Alison Riske 4-6 7-6 (2) 6-3 to win the Shenzhen Open in Shenzhen, China
Kevin Anderson beat Ivo Karlovic 7-6 (4) 6-7 (2) 7-6 (5) to win the Maharashtra Open in Pune, India
Kei Nishikori beat Daniil Medvedev 6-4 3-6 6-2 to win the Brisbane International men’s singles in Brisbane, Australia
Julia Goerges beat Bianca Andreescu 2-6 7-5 6-1 to win the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand
Switzerland, behind Roger Federer and Belinda Bencic, beat Germany 2-1 to win the Hopman Cup in Perth, Australia
SAYINGS
“It was a great start to the season.” – Roberto Bautista Agut, who beat Novak Djokovic and Tomas Berdych on his way to winning the Qatar Open.
“What a thrill it was, not just the match point but also the whole match and the whole week. It’s great fun. I’m happy, I’m proud to represent my country. It’s been a super pleasure teaming with Belinda.” – Roger Federer, after teaming with Belinda Bencic to lead Switzerland to the Hopman Cup title for the second straight year.
“When you’re able to turn these matches around, it gives you some extra and different confidence. It’s not about only playing well. Sometimes you just feel horrible, and it’s going to happen in Grand Slams for sure because it’s for two weeks, so you cannot play amazing for two weeks. I think I just dug deep today, and that’s important.” – Karolina Pliskova, who rallied to win her second Brisbane International title.
“To win the tournament is very emotional. That’s why I’m playing. I was trying in every final and every tournament.” – Kei Nishikori, who snapped a streak of nine straight tour-level final losses by winning the Brisbane International.
“It’s a waste to damage my body for one month if I keep playing here. After all the things that happened to me, probably I am not ready to assume that waste.” – Rafael Nadal, who pulled out of the Brisbane International because of a thigh injury.
“My goal was only to qualify (for the Australian Open) and maybe get a couple of rounds in, but now I beat a couple of top players, so who knows? I believed in myself to the end. I fought and I really enjoyed myself.” – Canadian teenager Bianca Andreescu after successive upsets of Caroline Wozniacki and Venus Williams at the ASB Classic.
“What a pleasure. What an honor. It was nerve-wracking, too. I thought, ‘I’ve got to win this point, but it is Serena Williams.’” – Roger Federer, who teamed with Belinda Bencic to beat Serena Williams and Francis Tiafoe at the Hopman Cup.
“This guy (Federer) is great, both off the court and on the court. I think his serve is super-underestimated. It’s a killer serve, you can’t read it. I watched him all the time and I never knew how amazing it was.” – Serena Williams.
“I love my job, I love what I do, but tonight was not easy and maybe one of the toughest first rounds I’ve ever played.” – Venus Williams, who outlasted Victoria Azarenka in three sets in the first round of the Auckland Classic.
“I felt like I was playing a younger version of me.” – Naomi Osaka, after beating Australian qualifier Destanee Aiava at the Brisbane International.
“I am particularly proud of this achievement after all that I’ve been through physically this year, but part of me always believed I could make it back to the top.” – Novak Djokovic, after being named World Champion by the International Tennis Federation.
“To be recognized in this way is really special and provides extra motivation to keep working for next season/” – Simona Halep, named World Champion for the first time by the International Tennis Federation.
“We’ve won 114 titles together but are yet to get the W in Auckland. We’ve got to change that. Here’s hoping 2019 can be our year.” – Twins Bob and Mike Bryan, who are reuniting at the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand, to begin their 21st season together.
STUNNING WIN
Fittingly, it was Roberto Bautista Agut who walked away from the Qatar Open with the title. After knocking off top-ranked Novak Djokovic in the semifinals, the Spaniard beat Tomas Berdych to grab the trophy. “It’s been a fantastic week for me,” Bautista Agut said in an understatement. He also beat Switzerland’s Stan Wawrinka earlier in the week as he dropped only two games in five matches. “Why can I not be close to the top 10?” he asked. He went into the tournament ranked 23rd in the world. Bautista Agut is the third Spaniard to win the Doha title, joining Rafael Nadal in 2014 and David Ferrer in 2015. His triumph against Berdych was his 250th tour-level match win.
SIXTH TITLE
South Africa’s Kevin Anderson won the last five points in the decisive tiebreaker to beat Ivo Karlovic and win the Maharashtra Open. The top seed, Anderson trailed Karlovic 5-2 in the third-set tiebreak before his victorious spurt. Anderson, at 6-foot-8 (2.03 meters) and Karlovic at 6-11 (2.11 meters) combined to make it the tallest final in the Open era. At the age of 39, Karlovic became the oldest player to play a tour-level final since 1977 when 43-year-old Ken Rosewall won at Hong Kong.
STORMING BACK
Lesia Tsurenko served for the title before Karolina Pliskova rallied to capture the Brisbane International women’s singles crown for the second time. “I just felt somehow tired from the beginning of the day,” Pliskova said. “I was missing my shots, just not feeling the timing perfectly. I was sleeping bad. So, everything was somehow going the other way.” Her Ukrainian foe ripped through the first set in 38 minutes and broke Pliskova early in the second. But serving for the match at 5-4, Tsurenko tightened up and Pliskova won 13 of the next 14 points to level the match. The third set was all Pliskova. “I don’t know what really changed at 5-4,” Tsurenko said. “It’s going to be a big lesson for me, and I’m trying to stay positive.”
SNAPPING STREAK
For the first time since 2016, Kei Nishikori was awarded the winner’s trophy. The Japanese star beat Daniil Medvedev to snap a string of nine consecutive losses in finals in nearly three years. He broke the Russian’s serve on four consecutive points in the final game to close out the victory. “In the third set I started playing a little bit more inside and started hitting more,” Nishikori said. “When I realized I had to do something to win this match, I think I made a change really well. I think I returned well. That was the biggest key.” Two years ago, Nishikori lost the Brisbane final to Grigor Dimitrov. Last year, Nishikori was forced to withdraw from the tournament with a right wrist injury.
SUCCESSFUL DEFENSE
Canadian teenager Bianca Andreescu was the talk of the ASB Classic until she ran into the defending champion. That’s when Julia Goerges stopped the qualifier’s remarkable run by defeating her exhausted opponent in three sets. “Bianca gave me a hard time today and I’m sure we’re going to hear a lot more about her,” Goerges said. “I used my experience today and really went for it in the important moments.” Ranked 152nd in the world, Andreescu reached the final after upsetting two former world number ones, Venus Williams and Caroline Wozniacki. Against Goerges, she ran out of steam. “My body is honestly a mess,” the 18-year-old said.
STRONG START
Aryna Sabalenka capped a long day by winning the Shenzhen Open, defeating American Alison Riske in a three-set final. “To start the season with a title, it gives you more belief in yourself, and hopefully I can do well at the Australian Open,” the Belarussian said. Because rain on Thursday disrupted play, both players won their semifinals before meeting for the title. The top-seeded Sabalenka beat local favorite Wang Yafan 6-2 6-1, while Riske won the first seven games of her match before Russian Vera Zvonareva retired with a left hip injury.
SWISS WIN HOPMAN CUP
Roger Federer was in top form as he led Switzerland to its fourth Hopman Cup title, this time beating Germany. Federer and Belinda Bencic beat Alexander Zverev and Angelique Kerber in the mixed doubles to win the trophy in Perth, Australia. It was a repeat of the 2018 final. Federer sailed through the week, beating Frances Tiafoe, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Cameron Norrie and Zverev in straight sets. “It’s good to finish on a singles performance like this,” the 37-year-old Federer said. “I’m a bit surprised the matches have gone as well as they have.” Kerber also was undefeated in her singles matches during the week. It was Federer’s third Hopman Cup win, more than any other player. He teamed with Martina Hingis in 2001 and Bencic last year. Federer and Bencic are also the first pair in the event’s 31-year history to repeat as champions. “I’m very happy about these records, but I didn’t come here for that,” Federer said.
SKIPPING AUSTRALIA
Juan Martin del Potro will miss yet another Grand Slam tournament. The world number five hasn’t recovered sufficiently from the fractured knee he suffered in October. “Recovery is going great, and I will tell you later where I will be making my comeback,” the Argentine said. “Unfortunately, it won’t happen in Australia.” Since winning the US Open in 2009, del Potro has been plagued by injuries and has undergone four wrist surgeries. Last September, he reached the US Open final for the second time, only to fall in straight sets to Novak Djokovic. He fractured his patella bone in his right knee when he fell awkwardly at the Shanghai Masters in October.
STOPPED BY INJURY
Maria Sharapova retired from her Shenzhen Open quarterfinal against Aryna Sabalenka because of a thigh injury. After dropping the opening set 6-1, Sharapova received treatment off-court before continuing. Trailing 4-2, the Russian retired from the match.
SICK CALL
Great Britain’s top-ranked player, Kyle Edmund, withdrew from the Sydney International with a knee injury. Ranked 14th in the world, Edmund lost his only match this year, to 180th-ranked Yasutaka Uchivama of Japan. Edmund won his first ATP World Tour title at Antwerp in October.
Rafael Nadal pulled out of the Brisbane International, citing a strained muscle in his left thigh. After undergoing an MRI, Nadal said medical experts in Australia and Spain told him that playing in Brisbane would heighten the risk of a more serious injury. “My hope is to win the Australian Open,” Nadal said. “And, being honest, I feel myself playing well. I feel myself playing at a good level of tennis. And I feel myself with very high motivation to compete and to play.”
Johanna Konta of Great Britain withdrew from the Sydney International with a neck problem. The 27-year-old trailed Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova 4-1 when she retired 18 minutes into their second-round qualifying match.
SKIPPING AUCKLAND
The Qatar Open finalists – winner Roberto Bautista Agut and Tomas Berdych – were forced to withdraw from this week’s ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand. Tournament organizers in Auckland said the two could not get to New Zealand until Monday evening, after the event had started.
SWATTING IN THE NEW YEAR
It took two years for Marie Bouzkova to upset Samantha Stosur. Well, sort of. The Czech qualifier stunned the former US Open winner in the opening round of the Brisbane International 4-6 6-2 6-2. The match started in 2018 and finished in the early hours of 2019. The final set started 20 minutes before midnight. Bouzkova, who won the Juniors Girls title at the US Open in 2014, finished the two-hour, 12-minute battle with 42 winners.
STANDING TALL
Novak Djokovic and Simona Halep begin the new year as World Champions. The two received the honor from the International Tennis Federation (ITF) after finishing 2018 atop the world rankings. Djokovic was recognized for the sixth time, while Halep earned the honor the first time. Last year, Halep won the French Open, her first Grand Slam tournament title, while Djokovic returned from surgery by winning Wimbledon and the US Open.
Others named World Champions were Mike Bryan and Jack Sock, men’s doubles; Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova, women’s doubles; Taiwan’s Tseng Chun, junior boys; and France’s Clara Burel, junior girls.
SWORN IN
Former Wimbledon finalist Zina Garrison is now a member of the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority Board. The Houston native was unanimously approved to serve a two-year term. “Zina Garrison is a living legend in the Houston sports community and beyond,” Harris Counter Commissioner Rodney Ellis said. “I have no doubt that she will strengthen community bonds through sports and help showcase our world-class city for future sporting events.” In 1981, Garrison won both the Wimbledon and US Open junior titles and was ranked as the world’s number one junior player. Since retiring from tennis, she has worked as a television commentator and founded the Zina Garrison Foundation for the Homeless in 1988 and the Zina Garrison All-Court Tennis program in Houston in 1992.
SUPER DUO
Two superstars, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, will be teammates when the third edition of the Laver Cup is held in Geneva, Switzerland, in September. The team event features the best of Europe against a World team. “Bringing together two of the greatest players, and rivals, the sport has ever seen together on one team is very exciting for our sport and will give us the best possible chance to win the Laver Cup three years in a row,” said Team Europe non-playing captain Bjorn Borg. Nadal and Federer led Europe to victory in the first Laver Cup. Nadal missed last year’s competition which was won by Europe, led by Federer.
SPOTLIGHT
Simona Halep was named Romania’s Female Athlete of the year. “For me, every prize is important,” Halep said. “It shows me that I have been doing my job well and that I have been working for something.” Finishing the year ranked number one in the world, Halep won 48 matches before being sidelined by a back injury, forcing her to miss the WTA Finals in Singapore.
Eugenie Bouchard was selected as Tennis Canada’s Female Player of the Year. The 24-year-old, once ranked fifth in the world, climbed back into the Top 100 with late-season results. Also honored by Tennis Canada were Gabriela Dabrowski, who was named Doubles Player of the Year; Rebecca Marino, Most Improved Player, and Leylah Annie Fernandez. Junior Player of the Year.
SET FOR ASB
The ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand, has given a wild-card single entry to Bethanie Mattek-Sands. The American suffered a serious injury at Wimbledon in 2017. But she returned to tennis at Wimbledon last year and teamed with Great Britain’s Jamie Murray to win the mixed doubles title at the US Open. The winner of five Grand Slam tournament doubles titles, Mattek-Sands has been ranked as high as 30th in the world. She enters this season ranked 367th.
SIBLINGS BACK TOGETHER
Twin brothers Mike and Bob Bryan will play together at the Auckland International for the first time since before the French Open. Bob injured his hip prior to last year’s second Grand Slam tournament. His brother, Mike, teamed with fellow American Jack Sock to win the doubles at both Wimbledon and the US Open. The 40-year-old twins have won a record 114 doubles titles together, including 16 Grand Slam doubles titles, and have held the number one doubles ranking jointly for 438 weeks. Mike currently is the top-ranked doubles player.
SHARED PERFORMANCES
Auckland: Eugenie Bouchard and Sofia Kenin beat Paige Mary Hourigan and Taylor Townsend 1-6 6-1 10-7 (match tiebreak)
Brisbane (men): Marcus Daniell and Wesley Koolhof beat Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury 6-4 7-6 (6)
Brisbane (women): Nicole Melichar and Kveta Peschke beat Chan Hao-Ching and Latisha Chan 6-1 6-1
Doha: David Goffin and Pierre-Hugues Herbert beat Robin Haase and Matwe Middelkoop 5-7 6-4 10-4 (match tiebreak)
Pune: Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan beat Luke Bambridge and Jonny O’Mara 6-3 6-4
Shenzhen: Peng Shuai and Yang Zhaoxuan beat Duan Yingying and Renata Voracova 6-4 6-3
SURFING
Sydney: https://www.sydneyinternational.com.au/
Hobart: https://www.hobartinternational.com.au/
Melbourne: https://ausopen.com/
TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK
MEN
$589,680 Sydney International, Sydney, Australia, hard
$589,680 ASB Classic, Auckland, New Zealand, hard
WOMEN
$823,000 Sydney International, Sydney, Australia, hard
$250,000 Hobart International, Hobart, Australia, hard
TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK
MEN and WOMEN
Australian Open, Melbourne, Australia, hard (first week)
