Aces Power Reilly Opelka To New York Open Victory - Mondays with Bob Greene

Mondays with Bob Greene

STARS

Gael Monfils beat Stan Wawrinka 6-3 1-6 6-2 to win the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam, Netherlands

Elise Mertens beat Simona Halep 3-6 6-4 6-3 to win the Qatar Total Open in Doha, Qatar

Reilly Opelka beat Brayden Schnur 6-1 6-7 (7) 7-6 (7) to win the New York Open in New York, New York, USA

Marco Cecchinato beat Diego Schwartzman 6-1 6-2 to win the Argentina Open in Buenos Aires, Argentina

SAYINGS

“It was an unbelievable week, a pleasure.” – Gael Monfils, after winning his first tournament in 13 months.

“I played four good matches here, I kept my level up all week.” – Stan Wawrinka, after losing to Gael Monfils in the ABN Amro World Tennis Tournament final.

“I was able to play a great match and was always focused. I followed the game plan from the beginning to the end.” – Marco Cecchinato, who won the Argentina Open.

“Marco played a great match and deserved to be the champion. He didn’t let me do anything today.” – Diego Schwartzman, who lost to Marco Cecchinato in the title match in Buenos Aires.

“I think this one would be, especially also with my tennis I played, the nicest one, nicest victory.” – Elise Mertens, after winning the Qatar Open.

“I tightened up at the wrong time.” – Brayden Schnur, after losing a third-set tiebresker and the New York Open title to Reilly Opelka.

“Many people were telling me how talented I am. I know I’m talented, but talent without work is nothing.” – Ons Jabeur of Tunisia, at 56^th in the world the highest-ranking Arab woman tennis player.

SENIOR BATTLE

In a battle of two veteran warriors, Gael Monfils won his first ATP Tour title in 13 months by beating his “brother,” Stan Wawrinka. “Stan is a part of this win,” Monfils said. “We’ve been talking a lot and practicing a lot. You’re my brother,” the Frenchman told his Swiss opponent. “This has been a good week for Stan and a good week for me. I hope we can have many more battles.” Wawrinka played in his first final since Roland Garros in June 2017 and subsequently undergoing double knee surgery. “It was great for sure to be in the final,” Wawrinka said. “I’m pleased with the way I played in it and the way I arrived to the final.” Monfils broke Wawrinka twice in the opening set before the 33-year-old Wawrinka leveled the match by racing through the second set. In the third, Monfils moved to a 5-2 lead and saved a break point before closing out the victory. “We have been practicing all winter together, and really for the past 14 years,” the 32-year-old Monfils said. “In these matches, it’s tricky to surprise the other. I was a bit tougher than him in the third set and changed the rhythm.”

STOPS SIMONA

Outclassed in the first set and needing an eight-minute medical timeout for back pain in the second set, Belgium’s Elise Mertens rallied to beat third-ranked Simona Halep and win the Qatar Open. “It’s a big moment for me, getting that victory,” Mertens said after claiming the biggest win of her career. It was Mertens’ fifth career title, but her first at a Premier-level event. She began by losing her opening service game and the first set in just 32 minutes. She also fell behind 2-0 in the second set, then, after breaking back, called for the trainer. After that, Mertens was the stronger player for the rest of the match. Halep, who played in Fed Cup last weekend, visibly ran out of steam. “I was really tired in the third set,” Halep said. “I couldn’t have the chance to win this match. … She deserved to win. She was stronger, she was fresher.”

SUPER FINISH

Italy’s Marco Cecchinato crushed the home-crowd favorite Diego Schwartzman to easily win the Argentina Open. “I was able to win the first two matches (of the tournament) the hard way, working point by point,” Cecchinato said. “I improved my level yesterday and I was focused today.” Or as Schwartzman said: “He didn’t let me do anything today.” Ranked 18^th in the world, Cecchinato took just a little over an hour to capture his third ATP Tour title. At one stage in the match, he won seven consecutive games and won the title without dropping a set all week. The Italian has won all three times he has reached the final.

SMASHING WIN

After an electronic review went his way, Reilly Opelka slammed his 43^rd ace of the match to top surprising finalist Brayden Schnur and win his first ATP Tour title, the New York Open. A qualifier from Canada, Schnur appeared to hit an ace to knot the third-set tiebreak 7-7. But the review showed that it was just out. Schnur put his second serve into the net to give Opelka his sixth match point of the night. And this time, the 6-foot-11 ((211cm) American followed with his game-winning ace. “That challenge honestly is probably the difference,” Opelka admitted. It was the second straight match Opelka hit 43 aces, making him the first player to hit 40 or more aces in consecutive best-of-three matches since the ATP Tour began tracking aces in 1991. Schnur had never won a tour-level match before the New York Open, having to qualify for the main draw. And he still almost won the title after losing the first set in 18 minutes. “I tightened up at the wrong time,” Schnur said. In the semifinals, Opelka and the man he beat, John Isner, combined for 81 aces, a record for a three-set match.

SERENA IN TOP 10

Without stepping onto a court for in the past three weeks, Serena Williams has moved back in the Top 10 in the WTA rankings. With Anastasija Sevastova losing early in the Qatar Open and Caroline Wozniacki pulling out of the tournament because of illness, it allowed Williams to move up one spot in the rankings, replacing Wozniacki. Sevastova, who was ranked 12^th, one spot behind Williams, could have moved in front of Williams if she had reached the quarterfinals in Doha. Since giving birth to her daughter, Alexis, in 2017, Williams has played just eight tournaments. But she reached the final at both Wimbledon and the US Open last year.

STREET NAME CHANGE

A historic street in Richmond, Virginia, USA has a new name. The Richmond City Council approved a proposal to rename Boulevard after a tennis player. Henceforth, it will be Arthur Ashe Boulevard. Growing up in Richmond, Ashe was barred from playing on the Byrd Park tennis courts, which were reserved for white players only. Ashe went on to become the only African American to win singles titles at the US Open, Wimbledon and the Australian Open. He was the first black player selected to the U.S. Davis Cup team and later was named coach of the team. He also was a well-known philanthropist who promoted education and equal rights. Ashe’s once-segregated hometown has an athletic center named after him and a sculpture of him. But earlier proposals to rename a street for him had been defeated several times before the recent 8-0-1 affirmative vote.

SHARAPOVA WITHDRAWS

Her right shoulder injury still won’t allow Maria Sharapova to return to action. The five-time Grand Slam tournament champion has withdrawn from next month’s Indian Wells Open, citing the injury. Sharapova has struggled to regain top fitness since returning from her 15-month doping ban that ended in 2017.

SLIDE ENDS

John Isner finally won a match this year. The top-seeded American in the New York Open had lost his last six matches before the posted a second-round victory over Bernard Tomic 7-6 (7) 6-4. “I definitely served very well,” Isner said of his outing. “I was down a set point in the first set and I came up with three aces.” Isner hadn’t won a match since last year’s Paris Masters. He lost all three matches at the season-ending ATP Finals and dropped his first two matches in 2019, including a first-round loss at the Australian Open. Isner, who needed six match points to down Tomic, reached the New York Open semifinals where he lost to eventual winner Reilly Opelka 6-7 (8) 7-6 (14) 7-6 (4). Isner and Opelka combined for 81 aces, a record for a three-set match.

SICK BAY

Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has withdrawn from the Indian Wells Masters because of health concerns. According to Eurosport France, Tsonga recently told the French media that he has sickle cell disease. He told L’Equipe newspaper that it does not affect him unless he is flying. “When I fly, it takes me two, three days to recover, to be good physically,” he said. “It was just five years ago it was diagnosed. In everyday activities, it doesn’t stop me from doing anything. The 33-year-old Frenchman lost last week in the quarterfinals of the ABN Amro Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam, Netherlands, and is scheduled to play this week in Marseille, France, an event he has won three times.

SWITCH IN COACHES

Two weeks after winning her second consecutive Grand Slam tournament title, Naomi Osaka dropped the coach that guided her to the WTA number one ranking. Osaka said happiness was her motivation for firing coach Sascha Bajin. While Osaka refused to go into details about the move, she alluded that Bajin was a source of negativity. “I’m not happy around certain people,” she said. “Of I’m not waking up every day happy to practice and happy to be around the people I’m around, this is my life. I’m not going to sacrifice that just to keep a person around.” Osaka won both the US Open and the Australian Open.

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Buenos Aires: Maximo Gonzalez and Horacio Zeballos beat Diego Schwartzman and Dominic Thiem 6-1 6-1

Doha: Chan Hao-Ching and Latisha Chan beat Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Demi Schuurs 6-1 3-6 10-6 (match tiebreak)

New York: Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies beat Santiago Gonzalez and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi 6-4 7-5

Rotterdam: Jeremy Chardy and Henri Kontinen beat Jean-Julien Roger and Horia Tecau 7-6 (5) 7-6 (4)

SURFING

Rio de Janeiro: http://www.rioopen.com/

Marseille: https://www.open13.fr/

Delray Beach: https://yellowtennisball.com/

Dubai: https://dubaidutyfreetennischampionships.com/

Acapulco: http://abiertomexicanodetenis.com/en/

Sao Paulo: http://www.brasilopen.com.br/