Mondays with Bob Greene
STARS
Kiki Bertens beat Julia Goerges 6-2 6-1 to win the Volvo Car Open in Charleston, South Carolina, USA
Garbiñe Muguruza beat Timea Babos 3-6 6-4 6-3 to win the Abierto GNP Seguros in Monterrey, Mexico
DAVIS CUP
World Group Quarterfinals
France beat Italy 3-1 at Genoa, Italy
Spain beat Germany 3-2 at Valencia, Spain
Croatia beat Kazakhstan 3-1 at Varazdin, Croatia
United States beat Belgium 4-0 at Nashville, Tennessee, USA
GROUP I
Second Round
Americas Zone: Argentina beat Chile 3-2 at San Juan, Argentina; Colombia beat Brazil 3-2 at Barranquilla, Brazil
Asia/Oceania Zone: India beat China 3-2 at Tianjin, China; Uzbekistan beat Pakistan 4-1 at Islamabad, Pakistan
Europe/Africa Zone: Czech Republic beat Israel 3-1 at Ostrava, Czech Republic; Sweden beat Portugal 3-2 at Stockholm, Sweden; Bosnia/Herzegovina beat Slovakia 3-2 at Bratislava, Slovakia; Austria beat Russia 3-1 Austria at Moscow, Russia
GROUP I Relegation
Americas Zone: Dominican Republic beat Barbados 4-0 at Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
GROUP II
Second Round
Americas Zone: Uruguay beat Venezuela 4-1 at Montevideo, Uruguay; Mexico beat Peru 3-1 at Metepec, Mexico
Asia/Oceania Zone: Thailand beat Philippines 4-1 at Manila, Philippines; Lebanon beat Hong Kong 3-1 at Zouk Mosbah, Lebanon
Europe/Africa Zone: Romania beat Morocco 5-0 at Cluj-Napoca, Romania; Poland beat Zimbabwe 3-1 at Sopot, Poland; Egypt beat Denmark 3-1 at Gentofte, Denmark; Finland beat Lithuania 3-2 at Helsinki, Finland
Group II Relegation
First Round
Americas Zone: Guatemala beat El Salvador 3-1 at Guatemala, Guatemala; Bolivia beat Puerto Rico 5-0 at Beni, Bolivia
Asia/Oceania Zone: Indonesia beat Sri Lanka 3-1 at Colombo, Sri Lanka; Chinese Taipei beat Iran 4-0 at Taipei, Taiwan
Europe/Africa Zone: Luxembourg beat Georgia 5-0 at Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg; Slovenia beat Turkey 3-2 at Portoroz, Slovenia; Norway beat Ireland 3-1 at Oslo, Norway; Estonia beat Tunisia 3-1 at Tallinn, Estonia
SAYING
“I want to enjoy this moment. For me it’s one of the best days of my life and I want to enjoy it this week.” – David Ferrer, whose five-set win gave Spain a 3-2 victory over Germany and a spot in the Davis Cup semifinals.
“The match they both played was unbelievable. I think both deserved to win.” – Sergi Bruguera, Spain’s Davis Cup captain, on the decisive fifth rubber between David Ferrer and Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber.
“It’s just unbelievable. I think I cannot really realize it yet, but I’m just so happy and proud I think of myself.” – Kiki Bertens, after winning two matches on the final day to gain her biggest career title, the Volvo Car Open.
“She didn’t give a lot of mistakes, so I really had to work for every point. I wasn’t really able to play every point as tough as I did in the semifinals.” – Julia Goerges, after losing the Volvo Car Open final to Kiki Bertens
“I feel good when I return to the clay courts.” – Rafael Nadal, following his return from an injury-induced layoff to win both of his matches in Spain’s 3-2 Davis Cup win over Germany.
“From the beginning till the end I played on a rather high level – constant pressure, superior, aggressive.” – Marin Cilic, following his victory over Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Kukushkin to give Croatia a Davis Cup semifinal berth.
“There is always pressure on Davis Cup. You want to do well for your friends, family, fans and all the team and that’s why it leaves this spicy taste in the Davis Cup.” – Lucas Pouille, after clinching France’s Davis Cup victory by beating Italy’s Fabio Fognini.
“I’m not really paying attention to anything. I’m super tired all of the time and I feel like everything has gone by really quickly. I’m just really trying to focus on my matches here and I’ll think about the other stuff later.” –Naomi Osaka, saying she does not feel the pressure or expectations building up after winning Indian Wells.
“I put so much pressure on myself (trying to tie Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert at 18 Grand Slam tournament titles) that I lost three in a row really, really badly, and I couldn’t play. I talked to my coach and he sat me down and said, ‘Why are you trying to get to 18? This makes no sense. Everyone puts all of this pressure on you. Your goal should be 30 or 40. Eighteen is such a low goal.’” – Serena Williams, who has now won 23 majors but says her goal is winning more than the record of 24 held by Margaret Court.
“I’m sure we are going to have some good wine.” – Yannick Noah, France’s Davis Cup captain, on his team’s celebration plans after clinching a semifinal berth.
STUNNING SPANISH TRIUMPH
David Ferrer’s victorious Davis Cup match streak on clay was ended by Germany’s Alexander Zverev to begin the three-day competition. The 36-year-old Spaniard began a new winning streak in the fifth rubber by prevailing over Philipp Kohlschreiber in an epic battle that lifted Spain into the World Group semifinals. After 4 hours and 51 minutes, it was Ferrer who came out on top, 7-6 (1) 3-6 7-6 (4) 4-6 7-5. “It’s an unforgettable day,” an emotional Ferrer told Television Espanola. “I don’t know how I did it.” Cheering on his compatriot was Rafael Nadal, who won both of his singles matches as Spain edged Germany 3-2 and returned to the semifinals for the first time since 2012. Nadal and the crowd erupted in celebration with Ferrer broke Kohlschreiber in the 11th game of the fifth set, then held for the win. Despite his brilliance at time, Kohlschreiber ended with 114 unforced errors. Playing his first match since the Australian Open in January, Nadal beat Kohlschreiber on the first day after Alexander Zverev gave Germany a 1-0 lead with a straight-set win over Ferrer. Germany took a 2-1 lead by winning the doubles, needing only one more victory to capture the tie. But Nadal beat Zverev in the opening “reverse singles,” 6-1 6-4 6-4, leaving Ferrer and Kohlschreiber to determine the winner. Spain, which hasn’t lost a home Davis Cup tie since 1999, extended its winning streak at home to 27 ties. Spain will take on France in the semifinals in September.
STRONG FINISH
Kiki Bertens had to win twice on the final day to claim her biggest career title, the Volvo Car Open. “I know I can play good on clay, but it was just a great feeling,” Bertens said after beating Julia Goerges in the final. “I think in the final Julia didn’t play her best, but still I was trying to play aggressive where I could, just to hit some balls in the court when she was … making some errors. I think overall I did a really good job.” It was a much harder task for Bertens to get to the final. Twice her opponent, Madison Keys, served for the match before the Dutch player triumphed 6-4 6-7 (2) 7-6 (5). Bertens saved a match point in her semifinal victory. Against Goerges, Bertens put on a display of controlled, counterpunching tennis, the type of game that has seen her excel on clay in recent seasons. Bertens made just nine unforced errors and broke Goerges’ serve five times, racing out to a 5-0 lead in the second set before the German was able to save two match points and hold serve. “Maybe because I had some match points already at 5-0, so I was still thinking, ‘Maybe you lose this match.’ I just focused point by point, and when the last ball went out I was just so happy, and then it really kicked in.” The champion said her win over Keys gave her the mental push to play her best in the final. “It was a really tough match, I think it was good tennis,” Bertens said of her semifinal. “I think what I said to myself before the final was, ‘OK, you could already have lost this morning, so just give everything and try to go for it.’ And now, I’m here with the trophy.”
SEIZES THE DAY
Reigning Wimbledon champion Garbiñe Muguruza rallied to win her first title of the year at the Abierto GNP Seguros. Ranked third in the world, Muguruza was a set and a break down before finding her game and downing Timea Babos of Hungary. The Spaniard had not lost a set in the tournament before Babos captured their opening set. And when Babos break Muguruza to begin the second set, it appeared the Hungarian would match her run to the Abierto GNP Seguros title in 2012, going in front 2-0. But that was when Muguruza started to find the range on her groundstrokes and work her way back into the match. In the decisive set, Muguruza broke Babos in the sixth game to take a 4-2 lead. Three games later, the Spaniard was handed the clay court trophy.
SHE’S TOPS FOR MARCH
By winning the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California, USA, Naomi Osaka has been voted the WTA’s Player of the Month for March. The victory was the first career title of any kind for Japan’s top-ranked player. It boosted her in the rankings to 22nd in the world. Osaka became the first player to win her first WTA singles title at Indian Wells since Slovakia’s Daniela Hantuchova in 2002, and only the third unseeded champion in the desert after Serena Williams (1999) and Kim Clijsters (2005). At the age of 20 years and 153 days, Osaka also became the youngest woman to win in Indian Wells since Ana Ivanovic did so in 2008 at the age of 20 years, 138 days. In the fan voting, Daria Kasatkina finished second behind Osaka, followed by Sloane Stephens and Jelena Ostapenko.
SEMIFINAL-BOUND
Fabio Fognini’s racquet-throwing didn’t bother Lucas Pouille. Instead, Pouille pounded out a four-set win to give France an unsurmountable 3-1 lead against Italy and a spot in the Davis Cup semifinals. With hopes of winning rapidly declining, Fognini threw his racquet twice when he failed to take advantage of opportunities late in the third set. On the first occasion, Fognini slammed his racquet on the red clay court, then snapped it cleanly in two across his knee. After Pouille saved three set points to level the set at 5-5, Fognini threw his racquet into a courtside chair. In the fourth set, the crowd at the Genoa, Italy, competition tried to bother Pouille while he was serving. That sent French captain Yannick Noah to the chair umpire to protest. In making an announcement to the crowd, the umpire urged silence and sportsmanship. Pouille committed only 16 unforced errors, while Fognini had 28. “I think I was more consistent over the match,” Pouille said after his 2-6 6-1 7-6 (3) 6-3 victory. “I had a tough first set, but I kept trying and was playing better and better, and it was a great effort to come back and win this one.” Fognini knew he lost to a better player on this day. “I had a lot of chances against a great player,” Fognini said. “If this is my level of tennis, I’m not worried about the future.” France will be playing the Davis Cup semifinals for the third straight year. They will take on Spain in September.
SAYS WON’T PLAY
If the International Tennis Federation (ITF) rips up the current Davis Cup format and replaces it with a one-week competition in a single city, Frenchman Lucas Pouille says he might not play. “If the reform goes through, yes, because it would just be an exhibition,” Pouille said. “And I don’t represent France to play an exhibition.” The ITF says it is considering a single city, 18-nation event to be held over seven days starting in November 2019. That would r3eplace t4he current 16-team World Group format in which ties are played on a “home or away” basis over three weekends during the year with the final in November. The new format has been endorsed by several of the top players. The ITF’s board will vote on the new proposal in August.
SURPRISES VENUS
With Belgium missing its top two player, the United States dominated to reach the Davis Cup semifinals for the first time since 2012. After they clinched the best-of-five competition by winning the first three matches, the Americans let Ryan Harrison wrap up the 4-0 victory in what essentially was an exhibition match. Harrison beat Ruben Bemelmans 6-3 6-4 in 65 minutes, then began looking at September’s semifinals against Croatia. “It’s one of the great challenges in Davis Cup in this current format is the momentum disappears because you don’t play again for months on end, so you have to recreate that momentum,” USA captain Jim Courier said. “As we get going toward the next time in September it comes on the heels of the US Open, so we’ll be leaving after the US Open to go over to Croatia. Hopefully they’ll be healthy and playing great.” John Isner started the romp by downing Joris de Loore in four sets before Sam Querrey stopped Bemelmans in straight sets. The Americans captured their semifinal berth when Harrison and Jack Sock won the doubles, defeating Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen. Belgium, which had reached two of the last three Davis Cup finals, were without Steve Darcis and David Goffin.
SWITCH
Igor Andreev is Russia’s new Fed Cup captain, replacing Anastasia Myskina. The 34-year-old Andreev was ranked as high as 18th in the world. He will lead the Russian team later this month when they take on Latvia in a World Group II playoff. Russia will be trying to avoid dropping into the Europe-Africa Zone Group I for the first time since 1997. Andreev retired from playing on the ATP World Tour in 2013 after a series of injuries. Myskina spend four years as Russia’s captain, leading the team to the 2015 Fed Cup final where they lost to the Czech Republic.
SAD NEWS
Petya Yaneva of Bulgaria, a regular player on the International Tennis Federation’s (ITF) Beach Tennis Tour, has died from an aneurysm, the ITF said. Yaneva was 43. Bulgaria’s highest ranked player in either the men’s or women’s game, Yaneva represented Bulgaria last year at the World Team Championships and the European Championships. She played her last tournament last November.
SHARED PERFORMANCES
Charleston: Alla Kudryavtseva and Katarina Srebotnik beat Andreja Klepac and Maria José Sanchez 6-3 6-2
Monterrey: Naomi Broady and Sara Sorribes Tormo beat Desirae Kranczyk and Giuliana Olmos 3-6 6-4 10-8 (match tiebreak)
SURFING
Houston: www.mensclaycourt.com/
Marrakech: www.gphassan2tennis.com/
Mexico City: www.cdmxopen.com/
Bogota: http://copawtabogota.com/
Lugano: https://samsungopen.ch/
Monte Carlo: https://store.montecarlotennismasters.com
Sarasota: www.sarasotaopen.com
Fed Cup: www.fedcup.com
TOURNAMENTS THIS 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
TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK
MEN
5,238,735 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, Monte Carlo, Monaco, clay
$100,000 2018 Elizabeth Moore Sarasota Open, Sarasota, Florida, USA, clay
WOMEN
$125,000 Zhengzhou Women’s Tennis Open, Zhengzhou, China, hard
FED CUP
World Group
Semifinals
Germany vs. Czech Republic at Stuttgart, Germany, clay
France vs. United States at Aix-en-Provence, France, clay
Playoffs
Belarus vs. Slovakia at Minsk, Belarus, hard
Romania vs. Switzerland at Cluj-Napoca, Romania, clay
Australia vs. Netherlands at Wollongong, Australia, hard
Italy vs. Belgium at Italy, clay
WORLD GROUP II, Playoff
Russia vs. Latvia at Khanty-Manslysk, Russia, clay; Spain vs. Paraguay at Cartagena, Murcia, Spain, clay; Canada vs. Ukraine at Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, hard; Japan vs. Great Britain at Miki, Japan, hard
