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Alex Bogomolov Now Offering “The Bogomolov Family Tennis Experience” In North Carolina

November 6, 2018 by Admin

Former world No. 33, Davis Cupper and Olympian Alex Bogomolov is now offering a unique tennis training opportunity.

“The Bogomolov Family Tennis Experience” is a tennis training experience that is unlike many in the world of tennis and is offered now by Alex and his family in Concord, North Carolina, just north of Charlotte. Aspiring tennis players will be able to get professional instruction on the tennis court from one of the best tennis players in the world, but will also be able to enjoy your stay at the Bogomolov residence with some home cooked Brazilian/Russian meals, courtesy of himself and his wife Luana and two children Maddox (age 8) and Zoya (age 5).

Alex Bogomolov was once the best junior player in the world and also achieved career high ranking of No. 33, competing in Davis Cup, the Olympics, all four major tournaments and holding career wins over such players as Andy Roddick, Andy Murray and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. in the world on the ATPWorldTour. He married Luana and they have 2 kids, Maddox (age 8) and Zoya (age 5).

Following his pro career, Alex and his family moved to Concord, North Carolina. They bought a large house that included a tennis court and a separate wing to house kids and tennis enthusiasts from all over the world to stay and train. It offers a family oriented experience as well as a demanding ritual of tennis workouts and tough physical conditioning for those players trying to take their game to the next level.

“From hikes to bike rides and yoga, this experience will blow your mind,” said Alex. “If that is not enough, why not have a little fun on the ping pong table or a game of pool in your own personal lounge with a fully equipped kitchen.”

The Bogomolovs offer short term and long term stays at their beautiful home for players of all ages and levels. The Charlotte International Airport is only 30 minutes away and the City of Concord also has an airport which is only 10 min away from their home.

“We invite you to come experience what we have to offer,” said Alex. “Be prepared to work hard on your craft while having some fun as well. Don’t miss out on this incredible experience.”

Contact info:
Cell: 7862165373
Email: kingbogie83@aol.com
Alex Bogomolov

Karen Khachanov Upsets Novak Djokovic To Win Paris – Mondays with Bob Greene

November 4, 2018 by Admin

Mondays with Bob Greene

STARS

Karen Khachanov beat Novak Djokovic 7-5 6-4 to win the Rolex Paris Masters in Paris, France

Ashley Barty beat Wang Qiang 6-3 6-4 to win the Hengqin Life WTA Elite Trophy in Zhuhai, China

Luksika Kumkhum beat Irina Khromacheva 1-6 6-2 6-3 to win the L&T Mumbai Open in Mumbai, India

SAYINGS

“To finish my season like this is a dream.” – Karen Khachanov, after upsetting Novak Djokovic to win the Rolex Paris Masters.

“I’m sure we’ll see a lot of great games from him in the future.” – Novak Djokovic, impressed with Karen Khachanov after losing to the Russian in the Paris Masters final.

“I’ve lost against Marcel so many times, I thought, ‘Finally, it is good to have him on my side.’ We have known each other for years. We’ve played against each other in singles and doubles. It was a really great chemistry. We felt comfortable right from the beginning and had some really great wins.” – Rajeev Ram, who teamed with Marcel Granollers to win the Paris Masters doubles.

“It feels amazing to win the last tournament of the year,” said Lyudmyla. “And now we’re going to enjoy our vacation even more.” – Lyudmyla Kichenok, after she and twin Nadiia won the doubles in Zhuhai.

“Roger (Federer) is in the race. Rafa (Nadal) is in the race. It depends who is going to play the ATP Finals in London. So, as I said, I can’t be too ecstatic about it.” – Novak Djokovic, who replaced Nadal as the ATP’s world number one, but notes there’s still one more tournament to play.

“These matches are the ones that really count. It’s long, it’s difficult, you have match points against you, you don’t lose your courage, you don’t lose your enthusiasm.” – Garbiñe Muguruza, after saving 8 of 12 break points to beat Anastasija Sevastova and advance to the semifinals of the WTA Elite Trophy.

“I think she wants it and I think when Serena puts her mind to something, it usually happens.” – Madison Keys, saying she has no doubt Serena Williams will win a record-tying 24^th Grand Slam tournament singles title.

SHOCKER IN PARIS

Karen Khachanov was touted as a future tennis star. The future is here. The 22-year-old Russian overpowered a sluggish Novak Djokovic to win the Paris Masters and end the Serbian’s remarkable run in the men’s game. Khachanov’s surprising victory snapped Djokovic’s three-month, 22-match winning streak. Despite the loss, Djokovic ended the tournament ranked number one in the world. Khachanov earned his spot in the final, beating four Top 10 players in a row: John Isner, Alexander Zverev, Dominic Thiem and Djokovic. “It means the world to me,” Khachanov said after the final. “I couldn’t be happier to finish the season like this.” The week in Paris ended with Khachanov reaching a career-high 11^th in the ATP Rankings. Djokovic was expected to win a record-extending fifth title in Paris, but was overpowered by 31 winners off the racquet of his Russian foe. “All credit to Karen, he did a great job today,” Djokovic said. “He deserves the trophy.” It was Khachanov’s third triumph of the year, all coming on indoor hard courts.

STANDING TALL

Ashley Barty’s convincing straight-set win over China’s Wang Qiang is a perfect way to begin her vacation. “It’s been a great finish in China this week,” Barty said. “It’s been a phenomenal year and I’m looking forward to a bit of holiday and then getting ready for the Australian summer.” Barty’s latest triumph came at the WTA Elite Trophy, an event for the 12 best-ranked players who failed to qualify for the WTA Finals. Barty beat defending champion and top seed Julia Goerges in the semifinals. Wang stopped Garbiñe Muguruza in the penultimate round. In the final, the 22-year-old Barty won the first four games before Wang pulled back to 3-4. That’s when Barty broke Wang for the third time, then served out the set. Barty led 4-3 in the second set before again winning two of the final three games. It was the Australian’s third WTA title, having won in Nottingham earlier this year and the Malaysian Open in 2017.

SINGULAR HONOR

Thailand’s Luksika Kumkhum claimed the biggest title of her career, the L&T Mumbai Open, when she defeated Russia’s Irina Khromacheva in three sets. Going into the USD $125,000 tournament, Kumkhum was ranked 103 in the world. Her triumph means she will finish the year in the Top 90. The left-handed Khromacheva won the opening set easily. After that, it was all Kumkhum, who raced to a 4-0 lead in the second set. The Thai player held for 5-3 in the third set, then broke Khromacheva on her second match point with a backhand winner that clipped off the netcord. It was Kumkhum’s biggest title of her career.

SISTERS IN EXTRA TIME

Not surprisingly, twin sisters Lyudmyla and Nadiia Kichenok won a match tiebreak in Zhuhai to capture their third career doubles title. After all, it was their third straight win in a match tiebreak during the week. “We won three super-tiebreaks, that’s a great percentage for us,” Nadiia said. The Ukrainian twins beat Japan’s Shuko Aoyama and Lidziya Marozava of Belarus in the final. The 26-year-old twins won in Shenzhen in 2015 and Florianopolis in 2016. After trading sets, the sisters won four of the final five points in the match tiebreak.

SUCCESSFUL PAIRING

They began the week unseeded. Marcel Granollers and Rajeev Ram wound up their Paris trip with a Masters title, beating Jean-Julien Roger and Horia Tecau in the 71-minute final. Granollers and Ram did not lose a set during the week while defeating two of the top five seeded teams. “From the first match we felt very good on the court together,” said Granollers. “All the four matches we played, we played at a high level. We are very happy to end this week with the trophy.” It was the first time Granollers and Ram won as a team. And it was the first either player has won the Paris Masters. Granollers was in his third title match, losing alongside Tommy Robredo in 2009 and with Ivan Dodig last year.

SERB STOPS SWISS

Novak Djokovic may have lost the title, but he continued his mastery over Roger Federer at the Paris Masters. Djokovic’s 22^nd straight win was a 7-6 (6) 5-7 7-6 (3) nail-bitter over Federer in the semifinals. At three hours and two minutes, it was their longest three-set meeting. Federer had 54 winners and never dropped serve. But it was Djokovic who was too clutch in the big moments, including saving a set point at 6-5 in the first-set tiebreak. We had epic matches throughout our rivalry, but this one definitely ranks as one of the best matches we played,” Djokovic said. “High quality tennis. Next to the match played against (Rafael) Nadal in the semis of Wimbledon, this was definitely the most exciting match I was playing this year, and probably the best quality tennis match that I was part of.” It was the 47^th time Federer a Djokovic have met, with the Serb owning a 25-22 edge, having won their last four encounters since 2015.

SKIPPING LONDON

Because of his injured knee, Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro won’t be playing in the season-ending ATP Finals in London. “It’s frustrating for me not to be able to compete in London,” said del Potro, who has not played in the elite eight-player event since 2013 because of injuries. “It’s a very special tournament and I’ve tried everything possible to get my knee better. The rehabilitation is making good progress, but I need more time.” Del Potro’s spot in the ATP Finals was taken by Japan’s Kei Nishikori. Others in the field include Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Alexander Zverev, Kevin Anderson, Marin Cilic and Dominic Thiem.

STRANGE LINEUP

When the United States defends its Fed Cup title against the Czech Republic, spectators will need a scorecard to figure out who is on the American team when they battle this coming weekend. USA captain Kathy Rinaldi’s team will be missing Serena and Venus Williams, Sloane Stephens and Madison Keys. So Rinaldi has called on Danielle Collins, who is ranked 35^th in the world, along with Sofia Kenin, Alison Riske and Nicole Melichar. Riske was on the USA team that won the Fed Cup title over Belarus last year.

The Czech Republic will be missing eighth-ranked Karolina Pliskova, who is suffering from calf muscle and wrist injuries. Leading the Czech team will be seventh-ranked Petra Kvitova, a two-time Wimbledon champion, along with Katerina Siniakova, ranked number one in the world in doubles, and fifth-ranked Barbora Strycova. Pliskova’s spot on the team was given to rookie Barbora Krejcikova, who with Siniakova form the world’s number one-ranked doubles team. It’s the sixth final for the Czechs in eight years.

SIGNS CONTRACT

Cori Gauff may be the best-dressed 14-year-old on a tennis court. The young American has signed a multi-year endorsement contract with a leading sportswear manufacturer. “I want to be a role model to as many young athletes as possible,” Gauff said in a statement released by New Balance. “Still to this day, I watch my role models on TV and it motivates me to one day be able to play on the biggest stage.” New Balance also sponsors Milos Raonic, Sorana Cirstea, Danielle Collins and Heather Watson. Gauff became the youngest girl to reach a US Open junior final in 2017 when she was 13. She won her first junior Grand Slam title at Roland Garros in June and became the youngest junior world number one after Wimbledon.

SAID YES

It’s been a great year for Kiki Bertens. The 26-year-old Dutch player became only the third woman from her country to be ranked in the Top 10, following Brenda Schultz and Bette Stove. This year, Bertens enjoyed career-best runs at three of the four majors, including reaching the quarterfinals at Wimbledon. She reached the semifinals of the WTA Finals in Singapore, where she lost to eventual champion Elina Svitolina in three tight sets. And to cap her year, she announced her engagement to Remko de Rijke. “I said yes to the love of my life,” Bertens posted on Instagram. The 31-year-old de Rijke is Berten’s physiotherapist, fitness coach and hitting partner.

STILL WAFFLING

Should they or shouldn’t they. Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic say they are evaluating whether to play an exhibition match in Saudi Arabia on Dec. 22. The match was announced one day after journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed in the Saudi embassy in Turket. “I had a commitment since one year to play there,” said Nadal, who has been sidelined by injuries and missed the Paris Masters. Djokovic said: “It’s unfortunate that we are both drawn into this right now. I’m aware of what’s happening, and it’s said, of course. I’ve been always trying to be very professional and respectful towards people that I have commitments with. We have to get more information on what’s happening so we can make a rational decision whether it’s good to go or not.” The match, which is called the King Salman Tennis Championship, is named after the country’s monarch. Amnesty International has urged Nadal and Djokovic not to play. Roger Federer said he also was invited to play an exhibition, but turned it down. “I didn’t want to play there at that time, so, for me, it was a very quick decision.”

SOCK’S JOURNEY

It’s been a weird sort of year for Jack Sock. He began the year as America’s top male singles player, ranked eighth in the world at the Australia Open. He currently is out of the Top 100, having won just nine singles matches all year. The 26-year-old didn’t beat a single player ranked in the Top 25 and lost in the first round of three of the four Grand Slam tournaments. At the US Open, he reached only the second round, and lost to five players ranked outside the Top 100, including 316^th-ranked Daniel Brands. Sock is just the fourth player in rankings history to start the year in the Top 10 and finish outside the Top 100 without suffering a significant injury.

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Mumbai: Natela Dzalamidze and Veronika Kudermetova beat Bibiane Schoofs and Barbora Stefkova 6-4 7-6 (4)

Paris: Marcel Granollers and Rajeev Ram beat Jean-Julien Roger and Horia Tecau 6-4 6-4

Zhuhai: Lyudmyla Kichenok and Nadiia Kichenok beat Shuko Aoyama and Lidziya Marozava 6-4 3-6 10-7 (match tiebreak)

SURFING

Milan: https://www.nextgenatpfinals.com/en/

Bratislava: http://www.tennisslovakopen.sk/uvod.html

Mouilleron-Le-Captif: http://www.internationauxdevendee.com/

Limoges: http://www.engieopendelimoges.fr/

Prague: https://www.fedcup.com/

London: https://www.nittoatpfinals.com/en

Bangalore: http://www.bengalurutennisopen.com/

Houston: https://oraclechallengerseries.com/houston/

Taipei: http://www.oecopen.com/

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

MEN

$1,335,000 Next Gen ATP Finals, Milan, Italy, hard

$106,000 Peugeot Slovak Open, Bratislava, Slovak Republic, hard

$100,000 Internationaux de Tennis de Vendee, Mouilleron-Le-Captif, France, hard

WOMEN

$125,000 ENGIE Open de Limoges, Limoges, France, hard

$100,000 Shenzhen Challenger, Shenzhen, China, hard

FED CUP

Final

Czech Republic vs. United States at Prague, Czech Republic, hard

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN

$8,500,000 Nitto ATP Finals, London, Great Britain, hard

$150,000 Bengaluru Tennis Open, Bangalore, India, hard

$150,000 Oracle Challenger Series, Houston, Texas, USA, hard

WOMEN

$150,000 Oracle Challenger Series, Houston, Texas, USA, hard

$125,000 Taipei OEC Open, Taipei, Taiwan, carpet

WTA Elite Trophy In Zhuhai Provides Season Salvation Opportunities

November 2, 2018 by Admin

Just when you thought the WTA tennis season ended with last week’s climatic WTA Tour Finals in Singapore, there is this week’s WTA Elite Trophy tournament in Zhuhai, China.

The event features the top 11 players who did not qualify for the WTA Finals plus a wild card entrant. The 12 players in a round robin event, split into four groups of three. Over the first four days of competition, each player meets the other two players in her group, with the winner in each group advancing to the semifinal. The winners of each semifinal meet in the championship match.

The event marks an anticlimactic end to the WTA Tour season, although starting next year, it will thankfully be held the week before the WTA Finals.

Garbine Muguruza is the headliner at the event and will look to close out an otherwise disappointing season with a win in the final event of the year. With a French and Wimbledon title under her belt, Muguruza’s expectations are to be competing for the world No. 1 ranking and in the elite eight-player WTA Tour Finals. Based on her past triumphs on the highest levels of the sport, her persistent fight and competitiveness and that fact that she is a former world No. 1 player, the Spaniard should be considered the WTA odds favorite to take the crown at this unique event. Muguruza barely slid into the semifinals saving match points against Anastasija Sevastova in her final round-robin match.

Also in the semifinals are Australian Ash Barty,Julia Georges of Germany and Madison Keys of the United States. Goerges is the defending champion at the event. An interesting stat about Goerges is the she has hit 478 aces this season on the WTA Tour, the most of any player on tour. Barty, a celebrated Australian star who once quit pro tennis to play professional cricket, was a semifinalist at this event last year. Entering Zhuhai, she ranked No. 1 on the WTA Tour this year for percentage of service points won (tied with Goerges on 63.3%) and is second behind Goerges for service games won (78.3%).

Keys had a relatively successful season at the Grand Slams, reaching the quarterfinals of the Australian Open and the semifinals of the French and U.S. Opens. A season-ending win would be quite motivating for the up-and-coming American to kick off the 2019, where she will be poised to break-through and win her first major title.

Elina Svitolina Wins In Singapore, Roger Federer Wins No. 99 In Basel – Mondays with Bob Greene

October 28, 2018 by Admin

Mondays with Bob Greene

STARS

Elina Svitolina beat Sloane Stephens 3-6 6-2 6-2 to win the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global in Singapore

Kevin Anderson beat Kei Nishikori 6-3 7-6 (3) to win the Erste Bank Open 500 in Vienna, Austria

Roger Federer beat Marius Copil 7-6 (5) 6-4 to win the Swiss Indoors in Basel, Switzerland

Hubert Hurkacz beat Ricardas Berankis 7-5 6-1 to win the Open Brest Credit Aricole in Brest, France

SAYINGS

“I think I have nothing to prove anymore to anyone.” – Elina Svitolina, after beating Sloane Stephens to win the season-ending WTA Finals.

“It means a lot. It has been a long time coming … Any time you make a final, you want to put the history behind you and it was always going to be a tough match.” – Kevin Anderson, after winning his first ATP World Tour 500 title.

“It’s been a crazy year. For me, it’s just been a lot of new experiences. I’m very grateful that I was able to have the opportunities that I had.” – Naomi Osaka.

“I think the four of us, in our groups, we all played really well. I think it’s great for us, and for the younger girls, to kind of prove ourselves.” – Sloane Stephens, noting this was the first time since the round-robin format was reintroduced in 2003 that none of the top four seeded players – Angelique Kerber, Caroline Wozniacki, Naomi Osaka and Petra Kvitova – reached the semifinals of the season-ending WTA Finals.

“That’s how life can go sometimes. I think I was a little lucky, maybe.” – Kiki Bertens, who qualified for the season-ending WTA Finals when top-ranked Simona Halep withdrew with a lower back injury.

“At the end of the day, you find a plan, figure out what to do, do your research, and thankfully there are great things now that you can do about it. I’m very proud of how I have been so positive through it all and just kind of tried to not let that hinder me.” – Caroline Wozniacki, revealing that she has rheumatoid arthritis.

“It’s not every day or every tournament that you play three Top-10 players in a row or four Top-10, whatever it is now. So, I just go out there and battle, and play as hard as I can, and whatever happens, happens.” – Sloane Stephens.

SVITOLINA SUPREME

Elina Svitolina figured Singapore was the perfect place to make a statement. That, she did. The Ukrainian beat Sloane Stephens to capture the biggest title of her career, the WTA Finals. “That’s definitely a good statement for myself,” Svitolina said after her three-set victory. “The third set really showed that I was mentally tough.” The champion is the first player to win the title undefeated since Serena Williams accomplished the feat in 2013. “This is the biggest title of my career,” she said. “I played against top players and the best players in the world, and I played great tennis.” The Ukrainian won the first three games of the final set. And when Stephens broke her in the fifth game, Svitolina broke back immediately for a 4-2 lead. She broke her American opponent to wrap up the victory on her first match point. “I thought she played well and it was obviously a tough match from the beginning,” Stephens said. “I was really excited to be here and compete with everybody.” Svitolina has now won 13 of the 15 finals she has played in her career, including the last nine. The last time she lost in a final was in 2016, to Petra Kvitova. After a five-year run in Singapore, the WTA Finals will move next year to Shenzhen, China.

SINGULAR HONOR

The woman ending each year as the top-ranked singles player will receive a trophy named for Chris Evert. The first Chris Evert WTA World No. 1 Trophy goes to Simona Halep of Romania, who ended the year ranked number one in the world for the second straight season. Evert was the first WTA number one player in 1975, when she won 15 titles. The American finished her career in 1989 with 18 Grand Slam tournament singles titles among her 157 career singles titles.

SOUTH AFRICAN STAR

After winning in Vienna, Kevin Anderson became the first singles player from South Africa in more than two decades to qualify for the season-ending ATP Finals. By beating Japan’s Kei Nishikori in the Erste Bank Open final, Anderson joins Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Juan Martin del Potro, Roger Federer and Alexander Zverev in the field in London next month. “It has been a huge goal of mine all year to make it to London,” Anderson said. “I have said that right from the beginning. To finally put my name there feels fantastic.” The last South African to make it to the season-ending event in singles was Wayne Ferreira in 1995. Nishikori saved two first set points, before Anderson closed it out with a backhand. The South African won the biggest title of his career when he slammed his 13^th ace of the match to close out the second-set tiebreak. “I was up against an unbelievable opponent in Kei and I really had to play some amazing tennis,” Anderson said. “I couldn’t be more pleased to have kept at it and finally broken through at this level.” Nishikori has lost his last eight ATP World Tour finals since winning in Memphis, Tennessee, USA, in 2016.

SWEET SWISS SUCCESS

Calling it a “magical week,” Roger Federer claimed his 99^th career title by winning his hometown event, the Swiss Indoors in Basel, Switzerland. “It’s been a magical week for me, a dream run for me,” said Federer, who struggled early in the week before winning his ninth Basel title. He has played in 12 straight Basel finals. Federer, who was a ball kid at the tournament 20 years ago, defeated Romanian qualifier Marius Copil in the title match. Copil had his biggest week, upsetting sixth-seeded Marin Cilic and third-seeded Alexander Zverev on his way to the final. Still, it was Copil who got the first break, in the third game, before Federer broke back in the sixth, sending the opening set to a tiebreak. Federer took the lead by converting on his third set point. Copil wasn’t through, however, taking the early break in the second set before Federer broke back in the seventh game. He broke Copil again in the ninth game, then served out the victory. It was Federer’s fourth title this season.

SPANISH COMEBACK

Rafael Nadal is planning on returning to the ATP World Tour at the Paris Masters this week. The top-ranked Spaniard has been sidelined with a knee injury. Organizers said Nadal has a first-round bye and will see his first action in the second round. He has not played since retiring in the semifinals of the US Open in September. He had lost the first two sets against Juan Martin del Potro when he halted play. The 32-year-old Nadal then skipped the Asian swing, missing tournaments in Beijing and Shanghai. In Paris a year ago, Nadal reached the quarterfinals where he withdrew against Filip Krajinovic of Serbia because of knee problems.

STOPPED BY INJURY

US Open champion Naomi Osaka not only went winless in her first appearance at the WTA Finals, but had to retire from her third round-robin match with an upper leg injury. “I hurt my left hamstring in the first match,” the Japanese player said. “It was just getting worse and worse every time I played. I just really wanted to try because this is the last tournament, and I felt it was really unfair to everyone that came to watch.” Osaka finished her appearance in Singapore with an 0-3 record.

SICK CALL

Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki revealed that she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis before the US Open. “It turns out that I have an autoimmune disease, rheumatoid arthritis, which goes in and attacks your joints,” the 28-year-old Dane said at the WTA Finals in Singapore. “When the body has a lot of fluids in it and you swell up, you get tired, you get exhausted, all these things. In the beginning, it was a shock. You feel like you’re the fittest athlete out there. That’s what I’m known for, and all of a sudden you have this to work with.” Wozniacki won her first grand slam title in January and briefly recaptured the world number one ranking after a six-year hiatus. She said she learned about her condition after Wimbledon when she thought she had the flu. In Montreal in August, she woke up one morning and couldn’t lift her arms above her head. When her doctor ruled out glandular fever, she went for more in-depth testing. “Some days you wake up and you can’t get out of bed, and you just have to know that’s how it is. But other days you’re fine. You don’t even feel like you have it.” Then, with a smile, she said: “I didn’t want to look it up, I didn’t want to Google it, because if you Google stuff you feel like you’re going to die.”

SAD NEWS

A former Wimbledon junior singles champion is dead at the age of 34. Australian media reported that there were no suspicious circumstances in Todd Reid’s death. Reid turned pro in 2002 after winning the junior boys title at Wimbledon. He was ranked third in Australia behind Lleyton Hewitt and Mark Philippoussis. His best year was 2004 when he reached the third round of the Australian Open, losing to eventual champion Roger Federer in straight sets. He achieved a career-high ATP World Tour ranking of 105 the same year. Reid quit tennis in 2005 after a series of injuries and illnesses.

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Basel: Dominic Inglot and Franko Skugor beat Alexander Zverev and Mischa Zverev 6-2 7-5

Brest: Sander Gille and Joran Vilegen beat Leander Paes and Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela 3-6 6-4 10-2 (match tiebreak)

Singapore: Timea Babos and Kristina Mladenovic beat Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova 6-4 7-5

Vienna: Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski beat Mike Bryan and Edouard Roger-Vasselin 7-6 (5) 6-3

SURFING

Paris: https://www.rolexparismasters.com/

Zhuhai: http://www.wtaelitetrophy.com/

Milan: https://www.nextgenatpfinals.com/en/

Bratislava: http://www.tennisslovakopen.sk/uvod.html

Mouilleron-Le-Captif: http://www.internationauxdevendee.com/

Limoges: http://www.engieopendelimoges.fr/

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

MEN

$6,268,650 Rolex Paris Masters, Paris, France, hard

WOMEN

$2,349,363 Hengqin Life WTA Elite Trophy, Zhuhai, China, hard

$125,000 L&T Mumbai Open, Mumbai, India, hard

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN

$1,335,000 Next Gen ATP Finals, Milan, Italy, hard

$106,000 Peugeot Slovak Open, Bratislava, Slovak Republic, hard

$100,000 Internationaux de Tennis de Vendee, Mouilleron-Le-Captif, France, hard

WOMEN

$125,000 ENGIE Open de Limoges, Limoges, France, hard

$100,000 Shenzhen Challenger, Shenzhen, China, hard

Rafael Nadal Loves Paris, But Not The Suburb of Bercy

October 26, 2018 by Admin

Rafael Nadal has enjoyed his best career achievements in the city of Paris.

However, none of them have occurred in the Bercy neighborhood of the city.

Bercy, in the 12th arrondissement, is the site of the “other” pro tennis tournament in Paris, the Rolex Paris Masters.

Nadal will make his celebrated return to the ATP World Tour there, not playing any events since he withdrew with his pesky knee injury against Juan Martin del Potro in the semifinals of the U.S. Open six weeks ago.

While Nadal has seen the zenith of his career in the 16^th arrondissement of Paris on the clay at Roland Garros where he has won 11 French Open singles titles, he has never won the major indoor event at Bercy. In fact, Nadal has only played in the event six times in his 16-year career.

Nadal didn’t play in the event until 2007 and it was in this debut year where he posted his best finish – losing in the final to David Nalbandian of Argentina. After losing in the quarterfinals the next year to Nikolay Davydenko and the next year in the semifinals to Novak Djokovic, Nadal did not play in the tournament for the next three years. In 2013, he lost in the semifinals to fellow Spaniard David Ferrer, then did not play in 2014, before losing in the quarterfinals to Stan Wawrinka. Nadal again skipped the event in 2016 before winning two matches in 2017 before withdrawing mid-event with a knee injury. His career record at Bercy is 16-5, compared to his amazing 86-2 record at Roland Garros.

Nadal, still ranked No. 1 in the world, will look to work his amazing forehand and hold off the fast-rising Phoenix, world No. 2 Novak Djokovic, who is attempting to become the first player to start a year ranked outside of the top 20 to reach the No. 1 ranking. Despite being the top seed, his dubious track record at the event, and the fact that he is playing in his first event since the summer, will not make Nadal one of the tennis betting favorites this week.

Djokivic has won the event four times previously – in 2009, 2013, 2014 and 2015 – and is trending upwards in his quest to return to the No. 1 ranking. However, Bercy also is the site of some unpredictable results, most notably Jack Sock capturing the title last year beating Filip Krajinovic in the final.

Mardy Fish Wins Invesco Series QQQ Los Angeles Final; James Blake Clinches Points Title

October 22, 2018 by Admin

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Mardy Fish beat good friend and former U.S. Davis Cup teammate James Blake 6-3 Sunday to win the Socal Honda Dealers Helpful Cup at the Sherwood Country Club, the ninth of ten events on the 2018 Invesco Series QQQ tour.

Despite the loss, Blake, the former world No. 4, clinched the year-end points title for 2018 on the North American tennis circuit for champion tennis players over the age of 30 with his runner-up showing. Fish’s semifinal win over Tommy Haas, the only player who could overtake Blake in the rankings, officially clinched the points title for Blake, who won three tournament titles this year in Houston, New Haven and Winston-Salem.

“I was the superior player today, really,” joked Fish with sarcasm in his post-match on-court interview of beating his good friend. “I gave him a game there early because I was stiff, because I was laying down there in the locker room in between matches in the ice bath. What can you say, really. I beat him up on tour and I beat him up out here. It never gets old.”

The tournament win was the third for Fish on the Invesco Series after winning titles last year in Newport, R.I. and in New Haven, Connecticut. Fish, the former world No. 7 and the silver medalist at the 2004 Olympic Games, grew up in Vero Beach, Florida but now resides in Los Angeles with his wife Stacey, four-year-old son Beckett and one-year-old daughter Stella. Fish said competing with his good friends from his ATP World Tour days in front of his son and a sold-out crowd made for a special afternoon.

“My son is out here, our daughter is back home, she really doesn’t understand, but it’s nice for him to watch and see what Daddy can do,” said Fish. “It’s good to get out here with your buddies. I don’t get to see them very often at all. We have a lot of history with all the guys out here, so it’s fun to be back.”

Fish and Haas played one of the better matches on the Invesco Series QQQ in 2018 in the first semifinal, Fish coming back from an early break down to win 7-6 (3). In the second semifinal, Blake beat two-time defending champion Andy Roddick 6-2 in a rematch of the 2017 final at the Sherwood Country Club.

Blake’s runner-up showing puts his Invesco Series QQQ point total to 1400, which is insurmountable with one event remaining for the year. Haas, playing in his last event of the year, ended his rookie season on the Invesco Series QQQ with 1100 points which secured him a second place finish in the rankings.

The final remaining 2018 Invesco Series QQQ event will be played December 6 at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Florida, featuring Fish, Blake, Roddick and Jim Courier.

2018 Invesco Series QQQ Results

April 7: Charleston, SC (Family Circle Tennis Center) F: Tommy Haas def. Andy Roddick 6-1; SF: Tommy Haas def. Michael Chang 6-2; Andy Roddick def. Mark Philippoussis 6-3

May 5, 6: Kohala Coast, HI (Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows) F: Tommy Haas def. John McEnroe 7-5 SF: Tommy Haas def. Mardy Fish 6-3, John McEnroe def.Jim Courier 6-3

May 17: Toronto, ON (Ryerson’s Mattamy Athletic Centre) F: Mark Philippoussis d. John McEnroe 7-5, SF: Mark Philippoussis d. James Blake 7-6 (5); John McEnroe d. Jim Courier 6-2.

July 22: Newport, RI (International Tennis Hall of Fame) F: Lleyton Hewitt d. Tommy Haas 7-6(2) SF: Lleyton Hewitt d. James Blake 6-3; Tommy Haas d. Jim Courier 6-3

August 19: Winston-Salem, NC (Wake Forest University) F: James Blake d. Andy Roddick 6-1 SF: Andy Roddick d. Robby Ginepri 7-6 (4); James Blake d. Michael Chang 6-3

August 23/24: New Haven, CT (Yale University) F: James Blake d. John McEnroe 6-4 SF: John McEnroe d. Todd Martin 6-3, James Blake d. Tommy Haas 6-4

October 4: St. Louis, MO (Chaifetz Arena) F: Mark Philippoussis d. Jim Courier 6-1; SF: Jim Courier d. John McEnroe 7-6(3), Mark Philippoussis d. Andy Roddick 6-3

October 5: Houston, TX (Tudor Fieldhouse) F: James Blake d. John McEnroe 7-6(3) SF: John McEnroe d. Jim Courier 6-3, James Blake d. Andy Roddick 7-6 (4)

October 21: Los Angeles, CA (Sherwood Country Club) F: Mardy Fish d. James Blake 6-3; SF: Mardy Fish d. Tommy Haas 7-6(3), James Blake d. Andy Roddick 6-2

Each Invesco Series QQQ event features special VIP experiences, including hit-with-the-pros opportunities and special back-stage access. All ticket, experience and event information can be found at www.InvescoSeries.com

In 2017, the year-long points championship was decided in the final match of the season when Andy Roddick defeated James Blake in the Los Angeles final at the Sherwood Country Club. Roddick, the 2003 U.S. Open champion and world No. 1, won four Invesco Series QQQ titles in all in 2017, winning in Birmingham, Ala., Chicago, Lincoln, Neb., and Los Angeles. Blake, the former world No. 4 and former U.S. Davis Cup star, won series titles in Charleston, S.C., Winston-Salem, N.C. and in Lynchburg, Va.

In 2016, Mark Philippoussis won the Series points title with 1600 points and tournament titles in Memphis, Tulsa, Newport, Winston-Salem and New Haven. Roddick finished in second place, also earning 1600 points but losing the head-to-head tiebreaker with Philippoussis 5-2, while winning titles in Charleston, St. Louis, Los Angeles and Orlando. Blake finished in third place with 1100 points and tournament titles in Chicago, Portland and Brooklyn.

In 2015, Roddick won the Series points title in his second year of competing on the series with 1,600 points. Roddick won a record eight events Los Angeles, Lincoln, Chicago, Austin, Little Rock, Dallas, Richmond and Minneapolis. Blake finished second in the points rankings with 1,200 points, winning events in Boston and Cincinnati. Philippoussis finished in third with 1,100 points, winning titles in Salt Lake City and Vancouver. The year before in 2014, McEnroe won the points title for the first time in the nine-year history of Invesco Series QQQ tennis by winning events in Kansas City, Indianapolis, Nashville and Charlotte.

ABOUT INSIDEOUT SPORTS + ENTERTAINMENT

InsideOut Sports + Entertainment is a Los Angeles based producer of proprietary events and promotions founded in 2004 by former world No. 1 and Hall of Fame tennis player Jim Courier and former SFX and Clear Channel executive Jon Venison. In 2005, InsideOut launched its signature property, the Champions Series, a collection of tournaments featuring the greatest names in tennis over the age of 30. In addition, InsideOut produces many other successful events including “Legendary Night” exhibitions, The World Series of Beach Volleyball and numerous corporate outings. Since inception, InsideOut Sports + Entertainment has raised over $4 million for charity. In 2014, InsideOut Sports + Entertainment merged with Horizon Media, the largest privately held media services agency in the world. For more information, please log on to www.InsideOutSE.com or InvescoSeries.comor follow on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

ABOUT HORIZON MEDIA

Horizon Media, Inc. is the largest and fastest growing privately held media services agency in the world. The company was founded in 1989, is headquartered in New York and has offices in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Chicago. Horizon Media was chosen as 2011 Independent Media Agency of the Year by Mediapost, 2010 U.S. Media Agency of the Year by Adweek, Brandweek, and Mediaweek as well as by Ad Age and as one of the world’s ten most innovative marketing and advertising companies by Fast Company in 2011. In 2012, Bill Koenigsberg, President, CEO and Founder, was honored by Advertising Age as Industry Executive of the Year. Most recently, in 2014, Bill Koenigsberg was named 4As Chair of the Board and is the first person from a media agency to hold this prestigious position in the 100 year history of the 4As, the marketing industry’s leading trade association. The company’s mission is “To create the most meaningful brand connections within the lives of people everywhere.” By delivering on this mission through a holistic approach to brand marketing, Horizon Media has become one of the largest and fastest-growing media agencies in the industry, with estimated billings of over $5.3 billion and over 1,200 employees. The company is also a founding member of Columbus Media International, a multi-national partnership of independent media agencies. For more information, please visithorizonmedia.com.

ABOUT INVESCO

Invesco Ltd. is an independent investment management firm dedicated to delivering an investment experience that helps people get more out of life. NYSE: IVZ; Invesco.com, Invesco Distributors, Inc. is the US distributor for Invesco Ltd. and is a wholly owned, indirect subsidiary of Invesco Ltd.

Kyle Edmund, Stefanos Tsitsipas Win First Titles – Mondays with Bob Greene

October 22, 2018 by Admin

Mondays with Bob Greene

STARS

Karen Khachanov beat Adrian Mannarino 6-2 6-2 top win the VTB Kremlin Cup men’s singles in Moscow, Russia

Kyle Edmund beat Gael Monfils 3-6 7-6 (2) 7-6 (4) to win the European Open in Antwerp, Belgium

Stefanos Tsitsipas beat Ernests Gulbis 6-4 6-4 to win the Intrum Stockholm Open in Stockholm, Sweden

Daria Kasatkina beat Ons Jabeur 2-6 7-6 (3) 6-4 to win the VTB Kremlin Cup women’s singles in Moscow, Russia

Julia Goerges beat Belinda Bencic 6-4 7-5 to win the BGL BNP Paribas Luxembourg Open in Luxembourg, Luxembourg

Thomas Fabbiano beat Projnesh Gunneswaran 7-6 (4) 4-6 6-3 to win the Yinzhou International Men’s Tennis Challenger 2018 in Ningbo, China

Zheng Saisai beat Jana Cepelova 7-5 6-1 to win the ITF Women’s Circuit Suzhou in Suzhou, China

DAVIS CUP

Group I

Europe/Africa Zone, Second-Round Playoffs: Portugal beat South Africa 4-0 in Lisbon, Portugal

SAYINGS

“When I was a kid and came to this arena to watch our top players, to ask them for autographs, I always dreamt of winning this tournament. Now this day has finally come.” – Karen Khachanov, after winning the Kremlin Cup.

“I feel happy because I’m the first Greek to win a title. Hopefully many Greek players can achieve something like this.” – Stefanos Tsitsipas, who won the Stockholm Open.

“She was crying because she won. I was crying because I was cramping.” – Ons Jabeur, after losing to Daria Kasatkina in the Kremlin Cup women’s final.

“Our view was that the time had come to introduce a tiebreak method for matches that had not reached their natural conclusion at a reasonable point during the deciding set.” – Philip Brook, All England Lawn Tennis Club chairman, on Wimbledon playing a final-set tiebreak.

“I like the way I am playing now, I like the way I am feeling, the way I am hitting and moving. If I play like this, I can beat anybody.” – Ernests Gulbis, after upsetting top-seeded John Isner in the semifinals at Stockholm.

STOCKHOLM WIN

Ernests Gulbis finally lost a final, making Stefanos Tsitsipas the first Greek to win an ATP title. By winning the Stockholm Open, Tsitsipas went one step beyond Nicholas Kalogeropoulos, who was the first Greek to play an ATP tour-level final in Des Moines, Iowa, USA in 1983. Gulbis lost for the first time in a final after winning his first six. The 20-year-old Tsitsipas joins some of the game’s top players as Stockholm Open champions. “This trophy, it is amazing,” he said. “When I first came to this tournament, I saw all those names: (Roger) Federer, (Juan Martin) del Potro, and I was like, ‘Wow, wouldn’t it be cool to have my name there one day?’ It happened this week. I was very focused determined to win the tournament. … I played great tennis and I deserve to have that spot.” Gulbis came through qualifying to reach the final. “He played a really good match. He had a great week,” the 30-year-old Latvian said of his conqueror. “I know it’s a big deal to win your first ATP title, so enjoy it. I wish that it’s not the last one.”

SWEET FINISH

It took two tiebreak sets, but Britain’s top player, Kyle Edmund, finally won his first ATP Tour title, the European Open. Edmund’s three-set victory over Gael Monfils of France made him the first British man other than Andy Murray to win a singles title since Greg Rusedski captured Newport, Rhode Island, USA in 2005. “I’m obviously very happy,” Edmund said of his title. After the final point, Edmund broke down in tears. “A lot of hard work goes into this,” he said. “So, it’s just emotional.” The Brit dictated play throughout the match, although Monfils ended up winning four more points than Edmund. “It’s the final, so you just give everything you’ve got,” Edmund said. “At the end of the day, it’s not really about how you play, it’s about getting the result in the final, which is what I’ve got.”

SUCCESS AT HOME – I

It’s been a long time since a Russian player captured the Kremlin Cup men’s singles title. Nine years, to be exact. Karen Khachanov snapped the streak when he needed only 55 minutes to thrash Frenchman Adrian Mannarino and become the first Russian champion since Mikhail Youzhny in 2009. “Today is the day and I am really happy,” Khachanov said. “These are memories I will always keep in my head.” In the tournament’s first 20 years, the title was won by Russians 14 times. As a child, Khachanov was a spectator at the tournament, gathering autographs from the Russian players. Now he’s the one being asked for his signature. “I started really well,” the 22-year-old said of his easy win over Mannarino. “I was very aggressive and didn’t give chances for him to step into the match and get some rhythm. I think that was one of the keys.” It was Khachanov’s third victory in three career finals. Mannarino has lost all six of the finals he has played.

SUCCESS AT HOME – II

Just like Khachanov, Daria Kasatkina dreamed of having success in Moscow. After dropping the first set to Ons Jabeur, Kasatkina rallied to join Khachanov as a Russian champion. “It was a dream of mine since childhood, to win the Kremlin Cup in front of my crowd,” Kasatkina said. “I’m so happy, I still can’t believe it.” Jabeur made history by becoming the first woman from Tunisia to make a WTA semifinal. But she committed 38 unforced errors in the final after winning the opening set 6-2. “I’m very happy that I made it to the final,” Jabeur said. “It was very long, eight matches was kind of long for me coming from qualifying. But I wanted to win today.” At the end, both players broke down in tears. After the final point, Kasatkina fell to the court and wept for joy. Then, wiping her face, she walked around the net as Jabeur struggled to her feet. The two hugged and the victorious Russian helped the limping Jabeur from the court.

SECOND TITLE

The Luxembourg Open is a special tournament for Julia Goerges. “This tournament is so special for me because it was my first WTA tournament when I was 14 years old, and the next year, when I was 15, in the main draw,” the 29-year-old German said. So, it was super special when Goerges won the Luxembourg event, beating Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic in the final. “Belinda had a great week and a great effort this week, coming through qualifying to make the final,” said Goerges, who didn’t lose her serve in the final. “She’s been in the Top 10 and I know how tough it is to get there.” Goerges turned her first Luxembourg final into her sixth career title.

SKIPPING SINGAPORE

The world’s top-ranked player isn’t playing the season-ending WTA Finals because of a lower back injury. “I wanted to finish 2018 on a high after such an incredible year, but sadly my back injury hasn’t healed the way we hoped it would and I need to put my long-term health first,” Simona Halep said in announcing she was skipping the elite eight-player tournament. “I’m said I won’t be able to play the fifth and final edition here in Singapore, but I’m confident this is the right decision and will do everything I can to be back fighting for my place at the WTA Finals next year.” With Halep’s withdrawal, Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands took the final spot, joining Angelique Kerber, Naomi Osaka, Petra Kvitova, Caroline Wozniacki, Sloane Stephens, Karolina Pliskova and Elina Svitolina in the USD $7 million showpiece. Halep suffered a herniated disc while training for the Wuhan Open in September, where she lost in the second round. She played in Shanghai, but retired midway through her opening match.

Halep clinched the year-end number one ranking, despite not playing in Singapore. She had her best year on tour in 2018, reaching the Australian Open final in January, then winning her first Grand Slam tournament title at the French Open in June.

STRAIGHT IN

Two Americans – Jack Sock and Taylor Fritz – along with Switzerland’s Henri Laaksonen have been given wild card entries into the Swiss Indoors tournament in Basel. Fritz has had a solid 2018 season, reaching the semifinals in Houston and Chengdu, as well as a fourth-round result at Indian Wells. It is the sixth time Laaksonen has been given a wild card into the Basel main draw, but has never won a match in the Swiss event.

STRIKING CHANGE

No longer will Wimbledon matches go on forever. The All-England Lawn Tennis Club announced they will introduce a final-set tiebreak beginning next year. However, the tiebreak will begin after the final set – five for men, three for women – reaches 12-12. “While we know the instances of matches extending deep into the final set are rare, we feel that a tiebreak at 12-12 strikes an equitable balance between allowing players ample opportunity to complete the match to advantage, while also providing certainty that the match will reach a conclusion in an acceptable time frame,” said Philip Brook, the AELTC chairman. Kevin Anderson beat John Isner in a Wimbledon semifinal this year 26-24 in the final set. Isner won a match against Nicolas Mahut in 2010 that spanned three days and more than 11 hours on court, capturing the final set 70-68. The US Open is the only Grand Slam event that uses a final-set tiebreak in singles play after 6-6. The Australian Open and French Open uses the tiebreak only for doubles.

SEASON OVER

The season is over for Australian Nick Kyrgios. “Sorry guys, I won’t be able to play today, this evening,” Kyrgios said after pulling out of the Kremlin Cup after he suffered a recurrence of an elbow injury. “It is obviously very unfortunate, dealing with ongoing elbow injury. It started to bother me a little bit this week. I am going to choose to wrap up my season and to go home. I will start a recovery and see you in 2019.” An injury forced Kyrgios to miss the French Open. At the US Open, he was involved in a bizarre incident in which chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani came down from his chair to give Kyrgios a “pep talk.”

SENT PACKING

Twins Gleb and Vadim Alekseenko of the Ukraine have been banned from tennis for life and fined USD $250,000 each for what the Tennis Integrity Unit said were “multiple match-fixing offenses.” The 35-year-old brothers were found guilty of committing the offenses at lower level Futures tournaments in Romania, Russia, Germany and Turkey between June 2015 and January 2016. They were found to have solicited a third party to place a bet on matches in which they then contrived the outcome.

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Antwerp: Nicolas Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin beat Marcelo Demoliner and Santiago Gonzalez 6-4 7-5

Luxembourg: Greet Minnen and Alison Van Uytvanck beat Vera Lapko and Mandy Minella 7-6 (3) 6-2

Moscow (men): Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram beat Max Mirnyi and Philipp Oswald 7-6 (4) 6-4

Moscow (women): Alexandra Panova and Laura Siegemund beat Darija Jurak and Raluca Olaru 6-2 7-6 (2)

Ningbo: Gong Mao-Xin and Zhang Ze beat Hsieh Cheng-Peng and Christopher Rungkat 7-5 2-6 10-5 (match tiebreak)

Stockholm: Luke Bambridge and Jonny O’Mara beat Marcus Daniel and Wesley Koolhof 7-5 7-6 (8)

Suzhou: Misaki Doi and Nao Hibono beat Luksika Kumkhum and Peangtarn Plipuech 6-2 6-3

SURFING

Singapore: http://www.wtafinals.com/

Vienna: https://www.erstebank-open.com/

Basel: https://www.swissindoorsbasel.ch/

Paris: https://www.rolexparismasters.com/

Zhuhai: http://www.wtaelitetrophy.com/

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

MEN

$3,222,580 Erste Bank Open 500, Vienna, Austria, hard

$2,442,740 Swiss Indoors, Basel, Switzerland, hard

$122,498 Open Brest Credit Agricole, Brest, France, hard

WOMEN

$7,000,000 BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, Singapore, hard

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN

$6,268,650 Rolex Paris Masters, Paris, France, hard

WOMEN

$2,349,363 Hengqin Life WTA Elite Trophy, Zhuhai, China, hard

$125,000 L&T Mumbai Open, Mumbai, India, hard

Injuries Threaten ATP Tour Finals Once Again

October 16, 2018 by Admin

The season-ending, ATP Tour Finals of 2017 were hit by injuries to three of the game’s star players and, with news of Juan Martin Del Potro’s potential absence, it seems we may be in for another subdued tournament this year.

The annual event is intended to be a prestigious tournament which ushers in the festive season and a well earned break for the players but instead, there can be something of an ‘end of term’ feel to the finals. Del Potro’s knee injury seems certain to rule him out but are others set to follow?

Welcome Return

Novak Djokovic was one of the players to sit out the ATP Tour Finals in 2017 but, after a successful return to the courts, the Serb is already favourite to win the first Grand Slam of 2019 in bet365’s early tennis betting markets. Those markets may be active for next year’s Australian Open, but with the line up for London in November being far from certain, the ATP Tour betting is yet to open.

Along with Djokovic, Stan Wawrinka and Andy Murray were also forced onto the sidelines and Del Potro’s news marks an early blow for the tournament organisers.

Race Against Time

Juan Martin Del Potro’s official withdrawal from the ATP Tour Finals is yet to be confirmed but having fractured his kneecap in four places in Shanghai at the weekend, the prognosis must be grim. This is the latest in a catalogue of injuries suffered by the 30 year old since winning his first Grand Slam and the player himself admitted that his season looked to be over.

At the very best, Del Potro faces a race against time to be fit for the season-ending event but assuming, as seems probable, he misses out, just who is in the frame to take part?

Big Three On Course

Andy Murray has yet to make any impact on the World Rankings since making his own, tentative return from injury but the remaining members of the ‘Big Four’ are all on course. Rafael Nadal started October as the World Number One, followed by Djokovic and Roger Federer who will all be eyeing ATP Tour Finals success.

Del Potro is the current world number four and his absence would allow ninth-ranked Grigor Dimitrov to step up. In between those names we then have Kevin Anderson, Marin Cilic, Dominic Thiem and Alexander Zverev making up our London octet.

Stresses and Strains

Aside from Del Potro’s issues, there are no confirmed injuries for the ATP Tour Finals but there are wider concerns over the increased stresses and strains placed on individual players. There is little in the way of rest during a packed calendar and injuries as a whole are on the increase.

Over on the WTA Tour, Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams, Lucie Safarova and Yanina Wickmayer have all been forced to bring an early end to their 2018 campaigns. To date, the men’s game has been largely unaffected but, in order to maximise public interest in their event, the organisers of the ATP Tour Finals will be hoping that Juan Martin Del Potro’s news isn’t a prelude to a set of big-name withdrawals for the second year in succession.

Novak Djokovic Perfect in China; Juan Martin del Potro Hurt – Mondays with Bob Greene

October 14, 2018 by Admin

Mondays with Bob Greene

STARS

Novak Djokovic beat Borna Coric 6-3 6-4 to win the Rolex Shanghai Masters in Shanghai, China

Caroline Garcia beat Karolina Pliskova 7-6 (7) 6-3 to win the Tianjin Open in Tianjin, China

Dayana Yastremska beat Wang Qiang 6-2 6-1 to win the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open in Hong, Kong, China

Camila Giorgi beat Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-3 6-1 to win the Upper Austria Ladies Linz in Linz, Austria

Christian Garin beat Federico Delbonis 6-4 5-7 6-4 to win the Santo Domingo Open in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Bjorn Fratangelo beat Alex Bolt 6-4 6-3 to win the North Bay Heathcare Men’s Pro Championships in Fairfield, California, USA

SAYINGS

“Maybe I was Chinese in the past life. I wouldn’t be surprised, to be honest, with the way I feel here and the way I communicate and have relationship with the people.” – Novak Djokovic, after winning his record fourth Shanghai Masters to raise his record in finals in China to 11-0.

“The last game, I don’t even remember. It was the most tough game during all the tournament, because in your mind you’re visualizing the way you’re winning, you have this picture in your mind that you want.” – Dayana Yastremska, who won in Hong Kong.

“The score looks easy, but it wasn’t easy.” – Camila Giorgi, after dropping just four games in winning the Linz title.

“It’s one of the best matches I have ever played. … I think I served the best in my life, for sure. I was going for the angles. I was going for the body. Everything was going in.” – Borna Coric, after upsetting Roger Federer 6-4 6-4 in the semifinals at Shanghai.

SUPER IN CHINA

Novak Djokovic is a winner all around the world. But in China he’s perfect. The Serb won his fourth Shanghai Masters in his fourth trip to the final in China’s largest city. In his career he has reached six finals in Beijing and the 2008 year-ending Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai. Djokovic has won them all – an 11-0 record in finals played in China. “It’s all very, very positive, for more than ten years that I have been coming to China,” Djokovic said after posting his latest title with a straight-set win over Borna Coric. “There is something special about this place that makes me feel like at home.” The winner also moved up in the rankings to number two in the world, swapping places with Roger Federer. Snapping the record of three Shanghai Masters titles he shared with Andy Murray, Djokovic sailed through the week without dropping his serve. “I’m not sure whether it has happened ever, you know, that I go through a tournament without dropping one service game,” he said. “I’m sure that it hasn’t happened too many times if it did.” It was the fourth title of the year for Djokovic and extended his winning streak to 18 matches, the longest of the season by a male player. Federer and Rafael Nadal both won 17-straight matches this year. “It was really tough,” said Coric, who upset Federer in the semifinals. “I didn’t know what to do exactly. I thought I thought I was playing actually really well.”

SEVERE KNEE INJURY

Once again Juan Martin del Potro’s season may have been ended by an injury. The Argentine is expected to miss the rest of the year after fracturing his right knee at the Shanghai Masters. “It’s a very difficult moment,” the 30-year-old said. “I feel very sad.” Doctors confirmed that del Potro had fractured the patella bone in his right knee. “It’s a hard blow which leaves me without any strength,” del Potro said. “It’s very difficult for me to think about recovery again. I did not expect this to happen.” He hurt his knee when he lost his footing and fell awkwardly his third-round match against Borna Coric. Del Potro won the US Open in 2009 at the age of 20. Then followed a series of wrist injuries that required four surgeries. By the end of 2015, his ranking had dropped to 581 in the world. On the verge of quitting after missing 10 Grand Slam tournament, del Potro reached a career-high ranking of third in the world in August and reached the US Open final last month, losing to Novak Djokovic.

SINO WINNER

Caroline Garcia of France also plays some of her best tennis in China. Garcia rallied to defeat top-seeded Karolina Pliskova and capture the Tianjin Open. Garcia trailed 5-1 in the first-set tiebreak before Pliskova made a series of backhand errors. “I was a little bit more aggressive than her, and I think that’s what made the difference in the first set,” Garcia said. The French woman broke Pliskova twice in the second set, then served an ace on her first match point to grab her first WTA title since winning in Wuhan and Beijing last year. “I’ve won three titles in China, so it’s bringing me luck,” Garcia said. “China is doing a lot for women’s tennis.”

SHINES IN HONG KONG

Dayana Yastremska, an 18-year-old from Ukraine, won her first WTA title by easily stopping sixth-seeded Wang Qiang, China’s top-ranked player. “Yesterday I felt very confident that I could win the title, but in the morning I woke up and I felt a bit too nervous,” Yastremska said. “I trusted myself that I can win, but I didn’t really get deep into those thoughts because I knew that when I go on court I would forget about everything and just play point by point.” It worked exactly that way as Yastremska hit 33 winners against just 21 unforced errors. She became the sixth teenager to reach a WTA final this year and the second to win a title, following in the footsteps of Olga Danilovic. “The last game, I don’t even remember,” Yastremska said. “It was the most tough game during all the tournament, because in your mind you’re visualizing the way you’re winning, you have this picture in your mind that you want. But at the same time you have to stay right now, right here, playing this point, trying to be without any thoughts which can break your mind and your focus for the match point. That was the most difficult for me.”

SECOND TITLE

Italy’s Camila Giorgi won her second career title when she beat Russian qualifier Ekaterina Alexandrova in Linz, Austria. Giorgi ripped off seven straight games to break away from a 3-3 tie in the first set and take a 4-0 lead in the second. It was Giorgi’s first title since capturing the Ricoh Open in 2015. It was her first WTA final appearance in more than two years. “I think it’s very important for the future, of course, this title,” the Italian said. “I’m very happy.”

SQUALID CONDITIONS

Despite torrential rain from Hurricane Michael and oppressive heat and humidity, late matches and scheduling chaos, Christian Garin of Chile won the Santo Domingo Open, defeating Argentine Federico Delbonis. “You have to be fresh mentally, because the weather is heavy here and nothing has come easy,” Delbonis said. “The courts and the balls have been a little slower than usual. … You have to be fresh in your head and in the tough moments stay clear with your thoughts.” On Tuesday, heavy rain, thunder and lightning caused a seven-hour delay of 11 first-round matches at the Challenger tournament. Play finally began at 7 p.m. and the last match finished at 3:24 a.m. Tuesday. Rain continues, however, and play was completely washed out on Wednesday. A total of 21 matches – 12 singles and nine doubles – were contested on Thursday, play beginning at 10 a.m. and finishing at midnight. The top-seeded doubles team of Leander Paes and Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela had a 15-minute break between their two matches. “We’ve had heat and humidity, a lot of rain and long days,” Delbonis said. “And then on Thursday I had two tough matches. But even with the tough conditions, I was able to finish quickly. That was important. And I had time to rest and recover before my semifinal. Every match is different, so I had to focus all my energy.”

SERB IS LEADER

Novak Djokovic of Serbia has been re-elected ATP Player’s Council president. He first was elected to lead the group in 2016. Kevin Anderson of South Africa was re-elected vice president.

SINGAPORE-BOUND

Miami Open champion Sloane Stephens will make her debut at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. The 25-year-old American was the sixth singles player to qualify for the elite season-ending tournament. Sloane, the 2017 US Open winner, joins the eight-player field that includes top-ranked Simona Halep, Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber, US Open champion Naomi Osaka, Australian Open winner Caroline Wozniacki and Madrid champion Petra Kvitova. The final two spots will go to either Elina Svitolina, Karolina Pliskova or Kiki Bertens. Two alternates will be selected from a group that includes Aryna Sabalenka, Elise Mertens, Anastasia Sevastova and Daria Kasatkina.

“SUPER-INSPIRING”

Roger Federer said old rival Rafael Nadal was “super-inspiring” after the world’s top-ranked player joined in the clean-up operation following flash floods that killed 12 people on the Spanish island of Majorca. The 32-year-old Nadal was pictured wearing boots and white gloves while mopping up the floor of a warehouse on the island where he lives. Nadal, a 17-time Grand Slam tournament champion, also offered to open up his sports center and tennis academy to house people made homeless by the flooding. “I know how important Majorca is to Rafa and I have been in touch with him to see if I can help with anything,” Federer said in a video message. “I have seen him helping in the village where he comes from, and to see that is super-inspiring. Rafa, you have our support.”

SACKS COACH

Britain’s Johanna Konta has switched coaches for the third time in as many years. As soon as she sacked Michael Joyce as her coach, he signed with Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard. Konta started the year ranked ninth in the world, but has slipped to 45^th.

SISTERS DOING IT

The Kansas Class 6A high school tennis championships were somewhat of a family affair. Blue Valley North High School senior Chloe Kuckelman upset her twin sister Ellie to win the girl’s single title 6-4 6-4. It was the second straight year the sisters played for the title. Last year, Ellie won 6-4 6-4. The Kukelmans entered the 2018 state tournament ranked number one and number two. Since Chloe was seeded number two, her win is technically considered an upset. It was only the second loss of the season for Ellie Kukelmans. Together, the sisters lost only five games in eight combined matches leading up to the final. Both sisters have verbally committed to attend the University of Nebraska.

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Fairfield: Sanchai Ratiwatana and Christopher Rungkat beat Harri Heliovaara and Henri Laaksonen 6-0 7-6 (9)

Hong Kong: Samantha Stosur and Zhang Shuai beat Shuko Aoyama and Lidziya Marozava 6-4 6-4

Linz: Kirsten Flipkens and Johanna Larsson beat Raquel Atawo and Anna-Lena Groenefeld 4-6 6-4 10-5 (match tiebreak)

Santo Domingo: Leander Paes and Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela beat Ariel Behar and Roberto Quiroz 4-6 6-3 10-5 (match tiebreak)

Shanghai: Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo beat Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares 6-4 6-2

Tianjin: Nicole Melichar and Kveta Peschke beat Monique Adamczak and Jessica Moore 6-4 6-2

SURFING

Moscow: https://kremlincup.ru/tickets/scheme/

Antwerp: http://europeanopenatp250.com/

Stockholm: http://www.stockholmopen.se/

Luxembourg: http://www.bglbnpparibas-open.lu/

Singapore: http://www.wtafinals.com/

Vienna: https://www.erstebank-open.com/

Basel: https://www.swissindoorsbasel.ch/

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

MEN

$936,435 VTB Kremlin Cup, Moscow, Russia, hard

$789,775 European Open, Antwerp, Belgium, hard

$789,775 Intrum Stockholm Open, Stockholm, Sweden, hard

$150,000 Yinzhou International Men’s Tennis Challenger 2018, Ningbo, China, hard

WOMEN

$702,900 VTB Kremlin Cup, Moscow, Russia, hard

$250,000 BGL BNP Paribas Luxembourg Open, Luxembourg, Luxembourg, hard

$100,000 ITF Women’s Circuit Suzhou, Suzhou, China

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN

$3,222,580 Erste Bank Open 500, Vienna, Austria, hard

$2,442,740 Swiss Indoors, Basel, Switzerland, hard

$122,498 Open Brest Credit Agricole, Brest, France, hard

WOMEN

$7,000,000 BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, Singapore, hard

Surprise Winners in Beijing and Tokyo – Mondays with Bob Greene

October 8, 2018 by Admin

Mondays with Bob Greene

STARS

Caroline Wozniacki beat Anastasija Sevastova 6-3 6-3 to win the China Open women’s singles in Beijing, China

Nikoloz Basilashvili beat Juan Martin del Potro 6-4 6-4 to win the China Open men’s singles in Beijing, China

Daniil Medvedev beat Kei Nishikori 6-2 6-4 to win the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships in Tokyo, Japan

David Ferrer beat Ivo Karlovic 6-3 6-4 to win the Abierto GNP Seguros in Monterrey, Mexico

Lloyd Harris beat Marc Polmans 6-2 6-2 to win the Stockton Challenger in Stockton, California, USA

SAYINGS

“I’ve been having a really good season this year, especially (in the) past three or four months. I’m playing very good … I’m feeling really well on the court lately. A lot of respect to my coach Jan, he’s helping me a lot. With him, we can see a big difference.” – Nikoloz Basilashvili, after upsetting Juan Martin del Potro to win the China Open men’s singles.

“The serve is the most important thing in tennis right now.” – Daniil Medvedev, who rode his booming serve to the Japan Open title.

“He’s serving great. I didn’t have any chance on his first serve, even second serve.” – Kei Nishikori, after losing the Japan Open final to Daniil Medvedev.

“I believe at this stage when I’m relaxed I can do better. I do not want to focus on ranking or victories, I just want to be relaxed and enjoy the matches.” – Wang Qiang, after crushing Jelena Ostapenko 6-0 6-0 at the China Open.

“It was a very important tournament for us, especially right now with the ATP Doubles Race to London. It gives us a lot of confidence. We had four great matches here in Beijing.” – Lukasz Kubot, who teamed with Marcelo Melo to win the China Open men’s doubles.

“Winning a title and actually holding up a trophy is an amazing feeling.” – Ben McLachlan, who won the Japan Open doubles with partner Jan-Lennard Struff.

“It will be my first time back there (the WTA Finals) since I came back to tennis, so it means a lot to me and has always been one of my big goals for the season.” – Petra Kvitova, who has qualified for the season-ending WTA Finals in Singapore.

“They know I am a tennis player. I don’t think they know how good I am. Once I told them what my ranking was and they were like, ‘OK’” – Roger Federer, noting his twin nine-year-old daughters aren’t impressed by his tennis skills.

“The way I have been raised, the way I feel. Like is short and we just have to enjoy.” – Gael Monfils, when asked to explain his character.

STUNNER

With a stunning upset of Juan Martin del Potro, Nikoloz Basilashvili of Georgia captured his second title of the year and the second of his career. He broke del Potro in the third game of the opening set, then closed out the victory on his third match point. “Playing against Juan, he was sick today for sure, I could see that,” Basilashvili said. “But he put me in really tough situations. I needed to really work it, to work hard to win the points.” The winner dominated baseline rallies, saved all seven break points he faced and withstood 11 aces from del Potro. “I had my chances in the first set and then in the second,” del Potro said. “Nikoloz played smart points in the important moments. He didn’t miss any easy balls in that moment. I think he deserves to win because I couldn’t play at my best level.” Basilashvili became the first Georgian to reach the US Open fourth round last month. He won his first title earlier this year in Hamburg, Germany. Del Potro reached the final without playing when Italy’s Fabio Fognini pulled out of their semifinal with an ankle injury.

SHOCKER

Qualifier Daniil Medvedev surprised home favorite Kei Nishikori to win the Rakuten Japan Open in straight sets. “I was playing amazing and I am so happy to come out on top,” said Medvedev. “This is my biggest title, so I’m just really happy.” The winner took just 25 minutes to wrap up the opening set, combining his consistent serving with 11 unforced errors by Nishikori. In the second set, Nishikori could win just one point on the Russian’s serve. “His ball was skipping a lot on this surface, and he was hitting good enough flat shots and he was serving great, so it was tough to play again Daniil today,” said Nishikori, who was attempting to win his third Japan Open title. Nishikori has now lost eight ATP finals since his last victory at the Memphis Open in February 2016.

SHINES IN BEIJING

Caroline Wozniacki thoroughly dominated the China Open final to win her third title of the season. Against Latvia’s Anastasija Sevastova, Wozniacki hit 12 winners and converted four of her eight break point chances to come away with her second Beijing title. “I feel great being here,” the Dane said. “Having won again … eight is my lucky number and it is eight years ago I won here, so I felt like it was my year.” After winning the first set, Wozniacki raced to a 4-1 lead in the second. Sevastova broke back, but Wozniacki saved three break points in her next service game to move in front 5-3. She then closed out the victory as Sevastova, who committed 35 unforced errors in the match, including 21 in the second set, lost her serve yet again. “It was one of my best tournaments ever,” Sevastova said. “Caroline played amazing today. It’s always tough playing against her and I have never won.”

Because of injuries, Sevastova retired from tennis in May 2013 and studied leisure management. She returned to the sport in January 2015 and is currently ranked in the Top 20.

STRESSED OUT

The expectations that come after winning the US Open has stressed out Japan’s Naomi Osaka. The 20-year-old admits she is not comfortable since her big win in September. “I think definitely as the weeks go by, I have this feeling of wanting to prove myself,” Osaka said. “I think that sort of takes a toll on me a little big because I stress myself out in a way. If you don’t win a tournament, then people will say, ‘Oh, she hasn’t won a tournament.’ If you haven’t won a Slam, they’ll say, ‘She hasn’t won a Slam.’ Then if you win one Grand Slam, they’re like, ‘Oh, she only won one Grand Slam.’ I know it’s bad, but I sort of read the comments. I’m just like, ‘Oh, I guess I have to do more, to be better.’”

SUFFERS BACK INJURY

There’s a question mark about Simona Halep’s year. The top-ranked woman underwent tests after being forced to retire from her first-round match at the China Open. “I had an MRI on my back and they found out I have a disk hernia,” Halep said on Twitter. “I will discuss with doctors in the next few days but hope to be back soon and will keep you updated.” Halep, who won her first Grand Slam title, the French Open in June, was the first player to qualify for the season-ending WTA Finals in Singapore, which will be held later this month.

SEES OLYMPICS IN FUTURE

There are exceptions to most rules, and one just might allow Roger Federer to compete in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The rules stipulate that playing Davis Cup or Fed Cup is necessary to qualify for the Olympics. But ITF President David Haggerty said: “Within the rules are things about past champions, past Olympians and Grand Slam winners. I have been talking to Roger’s team and they’re aware of things. He may or may not play Davis Cup, it hasn’t been decided one way or another, but all that will be factored in. Certainly, someone like Roger would be great to have at the Olympics.”

SPORTSMANSHIP?

Two top players had to be restrained from going at each during a China Open match. With Sloane Stephens ready to serve for the second set, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova called for the trainer. When play resumed, Stephens lost her serve and, they the two approached each other, the American complained about her opponent’s tactics. “That’s the sport we play. Right? Sportsmanship. That’s really important,” Stephens told umpire Jenny Zhang. The umpire then stood between the two players as Pavlyuchenkova called Stephens disrespectful. “I’m disrespectful? What’s disrespectful? You called the physio at 5-2. You’re not even injured,” Stephens said. Pavlyuchenkova replied: “How do you know I’m not injured?” Midway through the third set, Pavlyuchenkova had an easy put away at the net. Instead, she hit the ball right at Stephens. The American managed to return the shot and eventually won the point. Returning to the baseline, Stephens was heard saying Pavlyuchenkova had tried to hit her.

STABBING SUSPECT CHARGED

A 33-year-old man has been charged with assault in a knife attack on December 20, 2016, in the town of Prostejov, Czech Republic. Although the Czech state prosecutor gave no names, the date and location match those of the attack on two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova. If found guilty, the man could be sentenced to 5 to 12 years in prison. Kvitova had the tendons in her fingers and thumb of her left hand severely cut when the attacker stabbed her in her apartment. She underwent complex surgery and was sidelined for several months. Kvitova is scheduled to compete in the WTA Finals in Singapore the last week of October.

SET FOR MOTHERHOOD

Another WTA player is joining the mother club. Elena Vesnina announced she is expecting her first child. Vesnina, who has been married to Pavel Tabuntsov since 2015, revealed her pregnancy on social media. She has not played since the French Open when she and doubles partner Ekaterina Makarova secured the number one ranking. The 32-year-old did not say whether she plans to resume playing following the birth. Several players have returned to the tour after giving birth, including Serena Williams, Victoria Azarenka, Mandy Minella and Olga Govortsova.

SINGAPORE-BOUND

All four 2018 Grand Slam tournament champions have qualified for the season-ending WTA Finals which will be held later this month in Singapore. US Open champion Naomi Osaka was the latest to secure a berth in the elite eight-player field, joining French Open winner Simona Halep and Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber and Australian Open winner Caroline Wozniacki, who won the WTA Finals last year. “Winning the WTA Finals last year was a huge accomplishment for me and helped my confidence leading into this season,” Wozniacki said. Two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova has qualified for the first time since a stabbing in 2015 severely injured her left playing hand. The top eight singles players will compete in a round-robin format with the winner taking home the Billie Jean King Trophy. The top eight doubles teams will compete for the Martina Navratilova Trophy.

SINGING FOR A PURPOSE

Performing in a video that took her out of her “comfort zone,” Serena Williams promoted breast cancer awareness month with a video in which the tennis star goes topless and sings “I Touch Myself.” The video is part of the I Touch Myself Project, which is dedicated to Divinyls singer Chrissy Amphlett, a 53-year-old Australian who died of breast cancer in 2013. Williams said she wanted to make the video because early detection saves so many lives. Williams said Amphlett “gave us her hit song to remind women to put their health first.”

SETTLES COMPLAINT

Iowa State University will pay tennis player Erin Freeman USD $100,000 to settle her civil rights complaint against the Big 12 school. Freeman’s attorney told the Des Moines Register newspaper the settlement “does not constitute any admission of wrong-doing or any admission of violations of applicable law, rule, regulation or policy by either party.” The settlement bars either party from commenting further on the case. The complaint, filed last May with the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights, said Freeman, one of two African-Americans on the Iowa State tennis team, had been “subjected to repeated acts of racial discrimination and sexual discrimination in violation of Title IX.” Freeman, who is from Downey, California, USA, charged that university representatives created a hostile educational environment and enlisted other student-athletes “in their efforts to drive me (and the only other African-American team member) out of the women’s tennis program and … deprive me of educational opportunities based on my race.” Now a senior, Freeman competed for Iowa State after transferring from Utah State. She was suspended from the Iowa State team on April 11 and was reinstated on May 8, the same day the school announced that it had not renewed the contract of Armando Espinosa as tennis coach.

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Beijing (men): Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo beat Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic 6-1 6-4

Beijing (women): Andrea Sestini Hlavackov and Barbora Strycova beat Gabriela Dabrowski and Xu Yifan 4-6 6-4 10-8 (match tiebreak)

Monterrey: Marcelo Arevalo and Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan beat Leander Paes and Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela 6-1 6-4

Stockton: Darian King and Noah Rubin beat Sanchai Ratiwatana and Christopher Rungkat 6-3 6-4

Tokyo: Ben McLachlan and Jan-Lennard Struff beat Raven Klaasen and Michael Venus 6-4 7-5

SURFING

Shanghai: http://en.shanghairolexmasters.com/

Tianjin: www.tianjinopen.com/

Hong Kong: www.hktennisopen.hk/en/

Linz: www.ladieslinz.at/de/

Moscow: https://kremlincup.ru/tickets/scheme/

Antwerp: http://europeanopenatp250.com/

Stockholm: http://www.stockholmopen.se/

Luxembourg: http://www.bglbnpparibas-open.lu/

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

MEN

$9,219,970 Rolex Shanghai Masters, Shanghai, China, hard

WOMEN

$750,000 Tianjin Open, Tianjin, China, hard

$500,000 Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open, Hong Kong, China, hard

$250,000 Upper Austria Ladies Linz, Linz, Austria, hard

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN

$936,435 VTB Kremlin Cup, Moscow, Russia, hard

$789,775 European Open, Antwerp, Belgium, hard

$789,775 Intrum Stockholm Open, Stockholm, Sweden, hard

$150,000 Yinzhou International Men’s Tennis Challenger 2018, Ningbo, China, hard

WOMEN

$702,900 VTB Kremlin Cup, Moscow, Russia, hard

$250,000 BGL BNP Paribas Luxembourg Open, Luxembourg, Luxembourg, hard

$100,000 ITF Women’s Circuit Suzhou, Suzhou, China

Nikoloz Basilashvili and Juan Martin del Potro

James Blake Edges John McEnroe In Electric Invesco Series QQQ Final In Houston

October 6, 2018 by Admin

HOUSTON – James Blake edged John McEnroe 7-6(3) Friday night in an electric one-set final at the Camden Wealth Advisors Champions Cup in front of an raucous standing-room-only crowd of 4,500 at the Tudor Fieldhouse on the campus of Rice University.

The tournament victory is the third title for Blake this year on the North American tennis circuit for champion tennis players over the age of 30 and moves him into the No. 1 position in the year-long points standings ahead of Tommy Haas, who won titles earlier this year in Charleston and Hawaii. In August, Blake won back-to-back titles in Winston-Salem, N.C. and New Haven, Conn.

The 38-year-old Blake broke the 59-year-old McEnroe in the opening game of the final, but was unable to serve out the match at 5-4 as McEnroe was able to save four match points before tying the score at 5-5 on a Blake double-fault. Blake’s forehand proved too much for McEnroe in the later stages of the match as Blake was able to hold on to win his 13^th career Invesco Series QQQ title.

“I know everyone loves John McEnroe. I love John McEnroe and I want to cheer for him too, but not when he is playing against me,” said Blake, the former world No. 4, in New Haven earlier this year after beating McEnroe in the final.

In the semifinals earlier in the evening, Blake beat former U.S. Davis Cup teammate Andy Roddick 7-6(4) while McEnroe avenged his loss to Jim Courier from the previous night in St. Louis with a 6-3 decision.

The Camden Wealth Advisors Champions Cup was held nearly 13 years to the week of when the Invesco Series QQQ circuit began in Houston across town at the Westside Tennis Club in 2005 with Courier winning the inaugural tournament.

The Invesco Series QQQ continues Sunday, October 21 at the Sherwood Country Club outside of Los Angeles featuring Andy Roddick, James Blake, Tommy Haas and Mardy Fish. The remaining schedule, with player fields, is as follows

The remaining 2018 Invesco Series QQQ schedule is as follows:

October 21: Los Angeles, CA (Sherwood Country Club) – Andy Roddick, James Blake, Tommy Haas, and Mardy Fish

December 6: Orlando, FL (USTA National Campus) – Jim Courier, Andy Roddick, James Blake and Mardy Fish

2018 Invesco Series QQQ Results