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Elina Svitolina

USA vs. Belgium Tie Is The Second-Most Interesting Billie Jean King Cup Match This Weekend In Florida

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by Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

The United States is hosting a Billie Jean King Cup match against Belgium at the U.S. Tennis Association National Campus in Orlando but it’s only the second most interesting match in this international team competition in the state of Florida this week.

Because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the match-up between Ukraine and Romania had to be moved and tennis promoter Tim Stallard secured the rights to hosting the tie and is holding it at the Amelia Island Plantation on Amelia Island in northeast Florida, the former site of the former historic WTA tournament best known as the Bausch & Lomb Championships.

The Ukraine vs. Romania match will feature two of the biggest current storylines in women’s tennis. For starters, Elena Svitolina of Ukraine continues not only her inspiring comeback to top-level tennis after becoming a mother, but also her inspired play for her war-torn nation. The Amelia Island matches will benefit Elena Svitolina Foundation, which helps Ukrainian efforts in society and sport. Secondly, the Ukraine vs. Romania matches will be the second official competition that Romania’s former Wimbledon champion Simona Halep will play after her drug suspension controversy ended. She previously played in the main draw of the Miami Open last month. (Greg Sharko, the communications officer for the Ukraine vs. Romania matches has now told me that Halep has pulled out of the matches citing injury).

Both of the Ukraine vs. Romania storylines – as well as being a match where the outcome will certainly be in doubt – makes for a more interesting follow than the match featuring Team USA against Belgium at the USTA National Campus. The big storyline in the USA vs. Belgium tie is the debut of Hall of Famer Lindsay Davenport as the U.S. captain. The newly-minted Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) accredited coach, Davenport has assembled a team of top-notch American talent comprised of Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys, Emma Navarro, Caroline Dolehide and Taylor Townsend.

By contrast, Belgium is still looking for players to replace the legacies of Kim Clijsters and Justin Henin. Its highest ranked player is No. 278 Hanne Vandewinkel for this tie. Team USA’s team has three players ranked in the top 21, led by world No. 5 Pegula. A one-sided U.S. shutout is certainly expected.

It’s exciting that the USTA National Campus is hosting its biggest ever international event. However, only a very limited number of tickets (only a few dozen we hear) were made available to the general public as the event is held in conjunction with the USTA’s Annual Meeting, a confluence of USTA national, sectional and district staff and volunteers as well as other industry leaders who all, undoubtedly, will be attending the matches in a small-ish hard court stadium on the campus.

We Found Out More Details On USA vs. Belgium Billie Jean King Cup Match At USTA National Campus

Tickets for the Romania vs. Ukraine matches, however, are available in an intimate 600-seat tree-covered stadium at Amelia Island.

Both matches will be held Friday, April 12 and Saturday, April 13. Tennis Channel will cover the USA vs. Belgium matches.

The intimate stadium at the Amelia Island Plantation, former home of the Bausch & Lomb Championships. It will host Romania vs. Ukraine Billie Jean King Cup matches April 12-13.

From Courtship To Court: A Tennis Couple Making An Impact

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Tennis, a sport that combines grace, agility, and intense competition, has seen its fair share of love stories. Among these, the tale of Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina stands out, offering a glimpse into the lives of tennis-playing couples who balance their relationships with professional careers. This feature delves into how couples like Monfils and Svitolina navigate the world of competitive tennis, maintaining their bond while excelling on the court.

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A Match Made in Tennis Heaven: The Love Game of Monfils and Svitolina

Gael Monfils, a dynamic French force on the court known for his athleticism and flamboyant style of play, and Elina Svitolina, a renowned Ukrainian top-level player known for her strategic savvy, have become one of the most beloved couples in tennis. Their example shows how real ukrainian brides win the hearts of the best men on the planet.

The couple’s relationship, which has been blossoming since 2018, demonstrates how two people at the top of professional tennis can create a harmonious life together. The two outstanding athletes show us that while their careers are a big part of their lives, love, and marriage are not the least of their concerns.

Key Highlights:

  • Professional Achievements: Monfils, a former World No. 6, and Svitolina, also peaking at World No. 6, have both enjoyed illustrious careers, capturing the hearts of fans worldwide with their dedication and performance.
  • Public Engagement: Through their joint G.E.M.S. Life Instagram account, they’ve given fans an intimate look into their marriage, blending humor with insights into their daily lives and training regimes.
  • Marriage: Their union was celebrated in Geneva, marking a new chapter in their lives, not just as professional athletes but as a married couple ready to face life’s challenges together.

Love, Marriage, and Tennis Balance

The relationship between Monfils and Svitolina exemplifies how modern athletes navigate their professional obligations with their personal lives and love searches. This balance is crucial in a sport as demanding as tennis, where the global tour schedule keeps players away from home for most of the year. The support system they create for each other is invaluable, providing emotional stability and motivation during challenging periods.

The Role of Social Media

Social media plays a significant role in how tennis couples share their journey with the world. For Monfils and Svitolina, platforms like Instagram have been instrumental in connecting with fans, offering a glimpse into their married life together beyond tennis.

This transparency has not only endeared them to the public but also highlighted the normalcy of their lives amidst the rigors of professional sports. Ukrainian brides are strong women who are not afraid to overcome difficulties, as the vivid example of a famous tennis player from Viburnum Land shows us.

The Impact Beyond the Court

The influence of tennis couples extends beyond personal milestones to impact the sports community. Monfils and Svitolina, through their relationship, have shown how love can thrive in the competitive environment of professional tennis. Their journey together encourages young athletes to pursue their professional dreams without sacrificing personal happiness or hopes for marriage.

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Inspiration for Future Generations

  • Breaking Stereotypes: Their relationship dispels the notion that professional athletes must choose between a successful career and a fulfilling personal life.
  • Role Models: As public figures, they serve as role models, demonstrating how to maintain healthy relationships in marriage while pursuing demanding careers.
  • Community Engagement: Their openness about their relationship and shared experiences can inspire community engagement, encouraging discussions about balancing personal relationships with professional ambitions.

Final Words

The story of Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina is a testament to the power of love, resilience, and partnership in the competitive world of tennis. As they continue to navigate their careers and relationships, they set a precedent for how tennis couples can make a significant impact, both on and off the court. Their journey reminds us that at the heart of every serve, volley, and match point is a story of human connection, inspiring the next generation of tennis stars to dream big, both in their careers and in love.

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

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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 13th 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 99th 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

 

Elina Svitolina
Elina Svitolina

Rafael Nadal Back to Winning on Clay – Mondays with Bob Greene

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Mondays with Bob Greene

 

STARS

Rafael Nadal beat Alexander Zverev 6-1 1-6 6-3 to win the Internazionali BNL d’Italia men’s singles in Rome, Italy

Elina Svitolina beat Simona Halep 6-0 6-4 to win the Internazionali BNL d’Italia women’s singles in Rome, Italy

Matthew Ebden beat Vasek Pospisil 7-6 (4) 6-1 to win the Busan Open Challenger in Busan, South Korea

Reilly Opelka beat Gregoire Barrere 6-7 (5) 6-4 7-5 to win the BNP Paribas Primrose in Bordeaux, France

Rudolf Molleker beat Jiri Vesely 4-6 6-4 7-5 to win the Neckarcup in Heilbronn, Germany

Victoria Kuzmova beat Veronica Cepede Royg 6-4 1-6 6-1 to win the Empire Slovak Open in Trnava, Slovakia

 

SAYING

“It’s amazing to win eight titles in Rome. It’s a difficult event and to have the chance to win again here means a lot. This is the moment to enjoy winning here again.” – Rafael Nadal, after winning the Internazionali BNL d’Italia for the eighth time.

“Rafa is somebody that if you’re not in the match and if you’re not feeling the ball well, you have no chance.” – Alexander Zverev, who lost the Rome final to Rafael Nadal.

“It worked really good today. I was feeling good and I think it was a good match for me.” – Elina Svitolina, following the successful defense of her Internazionali BNL d’Italia title.

“She deserved to win for sure. She didn’t miss. I missed.” – Simona Halep, who lost to Elina Svitolina in the Italian Open final for the second straight year.

“I’m crying now but I’m happy, I’m happy for what I’ve accomplished. I would have liked to do better, but it doesn’t matter that I lost.” – Roberta Vinci, at an on-court ceremony in Rome announcing her retirement from tennis.

“I do not see that as pressure, but as possibility. Without this, I would not have received a wild card for the Neckarcup. I think I have justified the confidence placed in me by winning.” – Rudolf Molleker, a wildcard entry who won not only his first ATP Challenger match but his first title in Heilbronn, Germany.

“Playing against him is always a big challenge. He played well, and it’s always the same against him. When you go down a little bit in level, he’s always there and you are in big trouble.” – Rafael Nadal, after beating Novak Djokovic 7-6 (4) 6-3 in a semifinal in Rome.

“We are a family. I was honored to play with this group.” – Roberta Vinci, commenting on Italy’s Fed Cup team that included Flavia Pennetta, Francesca Schiavone and Sara Errani, each of whom also reached Grand Slam singles finals.

 

STRONG PERFORMANCE

Oh, what a little rain can do. Rafael Nadal roared back after a rain delay to defeat Alexander Zverev and win his eighth Internazionali BNL d’Italia, a victory that moved him back into the number one ranking. “It’s been an amazing week,” Nadal said, winning on the red clay of Rome for the first time since 2013. It was his 78th career title, breaking his tie with John McEnroe. Zverev broke Nadal’s serve to begin the match. Nadal broke right back at love and dominated, winning six straight games and the opening set. The second set was a complete reversal. It was the 21-year-old German who won five straight games to level the final at one set apiece. That ended Nadal’s streak of 17 consecutive sets won in clay-court finals. Zverev had the momentum, breaking Nadal again in the third set. But rain began to fall and play was suspended twice for a combined 55 minutes with Zverev leading 3-2. When play resumed, it was all Nadal, who swept through the next four games for the victory. “When it happened, the rain delay, I didn’t feel in that moment that it would help me,” Nadal said. “That’s my feeling. It’s true that, if we analyze it now, of course, we can say that the rain delay helped me. But really, in my opinion, what helped me is that I came back with a clear idea in terms of tactical issues and in terms of decisions that I took after that break.” Zverev didn’t blame the weather for his loss. “There’s nothing I can do about it,” he said of the rain. “Next time I have to find a way to come out better after the rain and play better tennis. He came out way faster and played much more aggressive than I did.”

 

SVITOLINA SUCCESSFUL

Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina had no problems defending her Internazionali BNL d’Italia title, blasting top-ranked Simona Halep in the final for the second straight year. “It’s like this court is now her home,” Halep said of the winner. “But I didn’t do so badly, reaching the final again.” The Ukrainian has now won the last eight finals she has been in. Svitolina had 18 winners to 14 unforced errors and never faced a break point in the 67-minute contest. “It was a really good match from my side. I think I dominated all the match,” Svitolina said. “I was trying to put lots of pressure on Simona with my game, tried to really take the ball early and to open the court.” Halep finally held serve to begin the second set, then began matching Svitolina’s game. But in the third game, the Ukrainian broke Halep to go up 2-1. From then on, Svitolina played tremendous defense, chasing down every shot Halep provided, and using her well-placed serves to hold the rest of the way. “I hope to be back next year,” Halep said. “Maybe third time is lucky for me.”

 

SOUTH AMERICAN WINNERS

Colombia’s Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah became the first all-South American team to win a Masters 1000 title when the captured the Internazionali BNL d’Italia crown by stopping Pablo Carreno Busta and Joao Sousa. “This is the title we have been looking for for a long time,” Cabal said. “We’ve been working hard for it. Hard work pays off in the end and we’re really happy about it. This keeps us motivated.” Three of the team’s four wins at Rome came on match tiebreaks, including the final. Carreno Busta and Sousa gained a spot in the doubles draw when American twins Bob and Mike Bryan withdrew because of Bob’s hip injury.

 

STRONG PAIRING

Playing as a team for the first time, Ashleigh Barty of Australia and Demi Schuurs of the Netherlands wound up as champions. The duo won the women’s doubles at Rome, defeating Czechs Andrea Sestini Hlavackova and Barbora Strycova in the final. “This was a last-minute decision to play together,” Barty said. “I’m very happy that Demi sent me a message and asked me to play. It’s a bonus to get matches, and to come away with a title is a cherry on top.” Despite winning, the two will return to their regular partners at Roland Garros. Barty will play with American CoCo Vandeweghe, while Schuurs will play with Belgium’s Kiki Bertens.

 

SURPRISE CHAMPION

Germany’s Rudolf Molleker had never won a match on the ATP Challenger before last week. Now the 17-year-old is a champion, defeating Czech Jiri Vesely in the Neckarcup final. “This is not expected,” Molleker admitted. “But I think that at the moment I’m playing very good tennis. … I know I can beat the top players. We’ve seen that. I just need to be more consistent.” Neckarcup was the third main draw at the Challenger level for Molleker.

 

SHARAPOVA WINS

Maria Sharapova made the most of a chance to trade strokes with Rafael Nadal while practicing in Rome. “I saw he was practicing on the court right before me,” Sharapova said, so the Russian went to Nadal and said, “Would you hit a couple balls with me?” The two engaged in a two-minute rally before Nadal missed a shot. Sharapova said, “That’s it. I’m done,” and raised her arms in triumph. “He probably thought I was really weird,” Sharapova said. “I think he still thinks I’m really weird.”

 

SERENA SET TO PLAY

Serena Williams will play Roland Garros later this month “to win it,” her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou said. “Can she do it? Serena can achieve anything. After being her coach for six years, I’m even more sure of that statement.” Mouratoglou said. After winning the Australian Open in 2017, Williams left the tour to give birth to a daughter and get married. She returned in March, losing to her sister, Venus, at Indian Wells, then suffering a first-round loss to Naomi Osaka in Miami. “Serena clearly came back too early,” Mouratoglou said. “She was not ready yet, but needed to feel the competition, so she decided to play even though she was far from being at 100 percent. It was a good experience as she realized all the work that needed to be done in order for her to be really ready.” Williams, who has won the clay-court Grand Slam tournament three times – in 2002, 2013 and 2015 – will be seeking a record 24th major title.

 

SAYS GOODBYE

Now that her career is over, Roberta Vinci wants to be known for more than her stunning win over Serena Williams at the 2015 US Open. “It’s not only Serena,” Vinci said after retiring following her first-round loss at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome. “I would appreciate it if I were remembered for a bit more of my entire career.” Now 35, Vinci was ranked number one in the world in doubles, won all four Grand Slam tournament doubles titles with her partner Sara Errani, and helped Italy win four Fed Cup titles. Yet even Vinci looks back at that US Open semifinal win with delight. “It was an incredible victory,” she said. “The best victory, of course, of my life and probably also the (fans) can remember me with Serena, the crowd and everything. It was an incredible day.” She then lost the all-Italian US Open final to Flavia Pennetta. Vinci had a playing style all her own, changing pace and spins, using the entire court, sneaking to the net. “I had a difficult and different style of tennis,” Vinci said. “It’s old style. But sometimes it’s tough when you have to stay in good form, you have to run a lot, and you have to think about every single shot. But now I can relax and I don’t think about the slice and drop shots and everything. Next is ice cream, coffee, shopping. No rackets, no tennis.”

 

SICK BAY

Because he has not fully recovered from knee surgery, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has withdrawn from this week’s Lyon Open as well as Roland Garros later this month. Tsonga was the defending champion in Lyon. He underwent surgery in April. “I’m obviously very disappoint, but I still want to come to Lyon as an ambassador and to Roland Garros as a spectator,” the 33-year-old Frenchman said. Tsonga has not played since reaching the semifinals of the Montpellier International in February.

Also pulling out of the French Open was Canada’s Milos Raonic. “It is with a heavy heart that I am withdrawing from @rolandgarros,” Raonic wrote on Twitter. “I have many great memories there, but I know I need to continue working hard to put myself in the best position when I step out on the court.”  Currently ranked 22nd in the world, Raonic said a knee injury caused his withdrawal. The knee had also caused Raonic to withdraw before his third-round match at Monte Carlo last month.

 

SKIPPING STRASBOURG

Alize Cornet has pulled out of this week’s Strasbourg International tournament because of a groin injury. She won the event in 2013. “I am very disappointed that I cannot take part in the Strasbourg tournament but unfortunately I have not fully recovered from an adductor muscle injury,” said Cornet, who is ranked 32nd in the world. “I am going to do everything to be ready for the French Open.”

 

SWITCHING PARTNERS?

Just a few wins away from being ranked number one in the world, Russians Elena Vesnina and Ekaterina Makarova have apparently ended their doubles partnership. Vesnina and Makarova, who first teamed up in 2012, won Madrid and were poised to take over the top spot in the doubles rankings at Rome last week. But they withdrew from Rome and have changed their entries for the French Open women’s doubles. Jelena Ostapenko confirmed she is will be playing with Vesnina at Roland Garros. “I was a little bit surprised when she asked me, but I was surprised in a good way because if she asked me then she thinks I can play good doubles,” Ostapenko said. Vesnina and Makarova won three Grand Slam tournament titles together.

 

STARTS LE MANS

Tennis isn’t the only sport that enjoys the presence of Rafael Nadal. Organizers say the Spanish star will give the official start to next month’s 86th edition of the 24-hours of Le Mans endurance auto race. ACO president Pierre Fillon said Nadal’s status as “an exceptional figure in his discipline,” aligned with his characteristics of “talent, fair-play, pugnacity, competitiveness and strategic intelligence” show he exhibits “the fundamental traits” of endurance racing.

 

SEEKING CARE

The oft-injured Juan Martin del Potro hopes to be ready to play at Roland Garros. The Argentine retired from his third-round Internazionali BNL d-Italia match against David Goffin with a left groin injury. Del Potro said he felt something wrong with his left leg during the first set. After receiving treatment in the second game of the second set, del Potro eventually retired while trailing 6-2 4-5. “I was worried about that so I decided to stop the game at the end of the second set to see the doctor and see what they say,” del Potro said. “I will do all of the exams now and then I will try to make a good decision for the future.”

 

STRIKING OUT

Karolina Pliskova couldn’t believe that both the umpire and linesperson had missed her shot. Standing at the net, the Czech hit an overhead cross-court that was called out by the linesperson. When Pliskova complained, the umpire got down from her chair, but neither the umpire nor the linesperson could find the ball mark in the clay, although replays later showed the ball was clearly in. Because the ball had been called out and no mark could be found, the original call stood. Pliskova lost the next point to drop her serve. Maria Sakkari then held the next game to close out the 3-6 6-3 7-5 victory. Pliskova approached the chair, faked a handshake, then began smashing the legs of the umpire’s chair with her racquet. Later it was revealed that Pliskova had been fined. The fine was not published by the WTA, but Pliskova’s spokesperson, Michal Hrdlicka of the Czech tennis federation, said the amount was in four figures and that Pliskova would also donate the same amount to charity.

 

SKIPS SUSPENSION

Despite missing three out-of-competition drug tests in a 12-month span, French player Alize Cornet was cleared of the doping charge by an independent tribunal. The International Tennis Federation (ITF) said the decision was made because a doping control officer “did not satisfy all of the requirements” in trying to located the 28-year-old player for what originally was considered a third missed out-of-competition drug test.  Missing three tests in a year is considered a doping offense. Currently ranked 32nd in the world, Alize has been ranked as high as 11th in 2009. She has won five WTA titles.

 

SEATED AT WEDDING

Tennis star Serena Williams was among the invitees attending to the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. A long-time friend of the bride, Serena and her husband Alexis Ohanian were at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor for the ceremony. They were joined by her agent, Jill Smoller. Williams later revealed on Instagram that she switched from heels to tennis shoes for the evening reception.

 

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Bordeaux: Bradley Klan and Peter Polansky beat Guillermo Duran and Maximo Gonzalez 6-3 3-6 10-7 (match tiebreak)

Busan: Hsieh Cheng-Peng and Christopher Rungkat beat Ruan Roelofse and John-Patrick Smith 6-4 6-3

Heilbronn: Rameez Junaid and David Pel beat Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies 6-2 2-6 10-7 (match tiebreak)

Rome (men): Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah beat Pablo Carreno Busta and Joao Sousa 3-6 6-4 10-4 (match tiebreak)

Rome (women): Ashleigh Barty and Demi Schuurs beat Andrea Sestini Hlavackov and Barbora Strycova 6-3 6-4

Trnava: Jessica Moore and Galina Voskoboeva beat Xenia Knoll and Anna Smith 6-3 3-6 10-7 (match tiebreak)

 

SURFING

Geneva: https://banqueericsturdzagenevaopen.com/

Lyon: http://openparc.com

Loughborough: www.lta.org.uk/loughboroughtrophy

Strasbourg: www.internationaux-strasbourg.fr/fr

Nürnberg: www.nuernbergercup.de/

Paris: www.rolandgarros.com/en-us/

 

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

 

MEN

$645,033 Banque Eric Sturdza Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland, clay

$645,033 Open Parc Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Lyon, Lyon, France, clay

 

WOMEN

$250,000 Nürnberger Versicherungscup 2018, Nürnberg, Germany, clay

$250,000 Internationaux de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France, clay

 

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

 

MEN

Roland Garros (French Open), Paris, France, clay (First Week)

$101,475 Loughborough Trophy, Loughborough, Great Britain, hard

 

WOMEN

Roland Garros (French Open), Paris, France, clay (First Week)

 

Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal

Alexander Zverev and Elina Svitolina Capture Canadian Titles – Mondays with Bob Greene

by

Mondays with Bob Greene

 

STARS

Alexander Zverev beat Roger Federer 6-3 6-4 to win the Coupe Rogers in Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Elina Svitolina beat Caroline Wozniacki 6-4 6-0 to win the Rogers Cup presented by National Bank in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Lu Yen-Hsun beat Ricardas Berankis 6-3 6-1 to win the China International Challenger in Jinan, China

Alexander Bublik beat Liam Broady 6-2 6-3 to win the Nordic Naturals Challenger in Aptos, California, USA

 

SAYING

“This one against Roger is something so special for me because he was always a great idol growing up for me. The greatest player of all time, beating him in a final, not just any final but in the final of a Masters 1000, is amazing.” – Alexander Zverev, after beating Roger Federer to win in Montreal.

“I’m disappointed with today. I thought I would do better. I wanted to fight a bit more and make the match a bit more tighter. I had opportunities. But Zverev played extremely well. He played well all week.” – Roger Federer, following his loss to Alexander Zverev in the Montreal final.

“My whole life has changed in the past five days. It’s crazy how it is.” – Denis Shapovalov, the 18-year-old Canadian who reached the semifinals at the Montreal Masters.

“It has been amazing. The title’s very special for me and I am very happy that it could happen here.” – Elina Svitolina, after winning the Rogers Cup in Toronto.

“Hopefully I will get another chance to get the trophy.” – Caroline Wozniacki, who lost her seventh straight final, this time to Elina Svitolina.

“I went for my shots in the big moments and I caught a couple of lines, got a little bit lucky, but at the end of the day that is what tennis is.” – Denis Shapovalov, an 18-year-old Canadian after upsetting Rafael Nadal in Montreal.

“He has nothing to lose. It is win-win for him. If he lost playing a good match, it was good for him. If he lost in straight sets, already he played a good tournament. If he won, he’s amazing. Just well done for him. It’s a great story.” – Rafael Nadal, after losing to Denis Shapovalov.

“We battled, both tried to find a way to win. You know, he had a good start, I had a better finish.” – Roger Federer, after beating David Ferrer 4-6 6-4 6-2 in Montreal.

“It’s going to be tough. There are a few tournaments to go before the end of the year and I know Simona’s (Simona Halep) behind me. I’ll do my best to stay there as long as I can – hopefully a few more weeks.” – Karolina Pliskova, admitting she faces a tough challenge to hold onto her world number one ranking.

“I think I was moving very well and retrieving and just trying to stay aggressive when I could. But it was a difficult match. And I think it was closer than what the score-line showed.” – Caroline Wozniacki, after beating Sloane Stephens 6-3 6-2.

 

SHOCKER

Showing he belongs among the top players in the world, 20-year-old Alexander Zverev blasted Roger Federer in straight sets to capture the Montreal Masters, aka Rogers Cup. It was Zverev’s fifth title of the season, tying Federer for the tops on the ATP World Tour. “I tried to be aggressive as I can,” Zverev said. “If Roger starts being aggressive with his forehand and backhand, then it is not going to be an easy day for me.” Using his big serve, Zverev dominated play against the man who has dominated the men’s tour so far this year. The young German slammed six aces and won 80 percent of his first serve points. His defense was just as strong as he tracked down almost every shot Federer took. “It’s a wonderful achievement for him,” said Federer, who beat Zverev in the final at Halle, Germany, in June. “I’m just really happy for him, to see that he’s taking everything not just to the next level, but the two next levels.” Federer, who is close to taking over the world number one ranking, suffered only his third loss of the season and had his winning match streak snapped at 16. The 36-year-old said playing a lot on the hardcourts this week caught up to him on Sunday. “After vacation and practice, it’s always a bit of a shock for the body,” he said. “We’ll have to wait and see now how I feel in the next couple of days.” Federer was going after his 94th career title, which would have moved him into a tie for second all-time with Ivan Lendl.

 

SVITOLINA TRIUMPHANT

Elina Svitolina turned a nightmare of a draw into the title of her dreams in Toronto. The 22-year-old from Ukraine battled her way through Daria Kasatkina, Venus Williams, Wimbledon champion Garbiñe Muguruza, Simona Halep and former world number one Caroline Wozniacki to collect her fifth title of the year. And she completely dominated her last two opponents, dropping only six games in blasting Halep 6-1 6-1 before clobbering Wozniacki in the final. Svitolina finished up playing her best tennis of the week, winning the final eight games of the tournament. The fifth seed from Ukraine hammered out 15 winnings and finished with 63 points, 20 more than Wozniacki. “I was very, very tired after the first game of the first set,” Svitolina said. “And I knew that I needed to give everything because Caroline doesn’t miss much. … Emotionally I was relieved when I won the first set and then was playing better and better in the second. And, yeah, it just happened. I really couldn’t believe that it’s all finished and I’m holding the trophy.” Svitolina has won all five finals she has played this season: Dubai, Istanbul, Taiwan, Rome and Toronto. Wozniacki, on the other hand, has lost six finals this year and seven straight dating back to last season. “It was a tough day,” Wozniacki said. “She played well. She mixed up the pace and made it uncomfortable for me out there.”

 

STAR IS BORN?

Denis Shapovalov was not an unknown when the Rogers Cup in Montreal began, especially in his home country. But his success in Montreal has boosted the young Canadian up the rankings and possibly to a scintillating rivalry. The 18-year-old Shapovalov became the youngest player to reach the semifinals of a Masters 1000 Series tournament after he pulled off a series of upsets. “I saved four match points the first round (against Rogerio Dutra Silva),” he said. “I just played loose after that, just went with it. I mean, I beat one of my idols.” Shapovalov’s victims included 2009 US Open winner Juan Martin del Potro and top-seeded Rafael Nadal, the 10-time French Open champion. Then came his semifinal meeting with Alexander Zverev. The German proved to be too strong for the left-handed teen, but not before Shapovalov showed off the skills that have made him the youngest player in the Open Era to reach the last four at the Rogers Cup. “Like the media was putting it, it was a dream week for me,” Shapovalov said. “Obviously I didn’t expect it.”

 

SKIPPING CINCY

Because of his ongoing hip injury, Andy Murray will probably be sitting on the sidelines when he loses his number one world ranking. The Scot says he hopes to be ready for the US Open, which begins its two-week run later this month. “Unfortunately I won’t be playing in Cincinnati as I continue my recovery,” Murray said in a statement. “I always enjoy playing there and I look forward to returning next year. I’m continuing to work hard on the court with the aim of being in New York.” The 30-year-old Murray has not played since losing in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon in July. With Murray on the sideline, either Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer could take over the top spot in the ATP World Tour rankings.

Defending champion Marin Cilic withdrew from the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati because of an abductor injury. “I had already started with my preparation and the progress is going well, but there isn’t enough time for me to prepare for Cincinnati and to be completely ready to play there,” Cilic said. “I feel very confident that I will be back in action very soon.” The 28-year-old Cilic suffered the injury last month at Wimbledon, where he lost in the final to Roger Federer.

Maria Sharapova will miss her third straight tournament because of her injured left arm. “I arrived in Cincinnati yesterday eager to play,” the five-time Grand Slam tournament champion said. “However, following the doctor’s advice on-site, as a precaution for the US Open, I am unfortunately withdrawing from the tournament with the left forearm injury I sustained in Stanford.” Sharapova had been drawn to play French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in a first-round match. The same injury forced her to withdraw from the Bank of the West Classic after she won her first match and the Rogers Cup in Toronto.

 

SOAKING IT IN

Caroline Wozniacki battled Karolina Pliskova and rain to get through the Rogers Cup quarterfinals in Toronto. Their match was halted four times by rain in the opening set. Pliskova, playing in her first tournament as the world’s top-ranked player, ripped through the first three games before rain stopped play for the first time. When they were finally able to play, Wozniacki won five straight games and eventually won the set. “Almost every tournament I’ve played this year there has been a rain delay, so at this point I just have to laugh because I feel like it is following me,” Wozniacki said after her 7-5 6-7 (3) 6-4 victory. Every time this year when it has been raining I’ve had a great tournament, so I thought this must be luck.” It was the first time in her career that Wozniacki had beaten a world number one-ranked player.

 

STRANGE HAPPENINGS

There’s a chance Victoria Azarenka’s comeback won’t including this year’s US Open. The Belarus player is in a custody battle with her baby’s father, Billy McKeague. According to a TMZ Sports report, Azarenka and McKeague split up in July after Wimbledon and McKeague has filed for custody of their eight-month-old son in California. Azarenka reportedly has a valid custody order from Belarus, but the California judge refuses to defer to the Belarus court. Twice an Australian Open winner, Azarenka has been ranked as high as number on in the world. She left the tennis tour to give birth to her son, and returned to play this past spring. She withdrew from this week’s Cincinnati Open, citing a “family matter.” The California judge has said he child cannot leave that state until the dispute is settled. Azarenka is unwilling to leave the child with McKeague.

 

SHOT CLOCK

A shot-clock will be tested at the US Open this year. Stacey Allaster, head of pro tennis at the United States Tennis Association (USTA), says the new technology will be tested during the tournament’s junior and collegiate events during the second week of the year’s final Grand Slam event. The clock tracks the amount of time taken by the server between points. Grand Slam tournaments and the women’s tour allow 20 seconds for a player to serve, while the men’s tour has a 25-second limit. Enforcement of the rule will be left to the discretion of the chair umpire.

 

SORRY ‘BOUT THAT

After Australian Nick Kyrgios toweled his sweaty brow during his match at the Montreal Masters, he tossed the towel to a ball boy. Or so he thought it was ball boy. Actually, Kyrgios threw his towel at a line judge, and grabbing sweating towels is not part of his job description. The linesman didn’t move while the towel struck him and fell to the ground. Kyrgios apologized profusely to the line judge, then later apologized on Instagram.

 

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Aptos: Jonathan Erlich and Neal Skupski beat Alex Bolt and Jordan Thompson 6-3 2-6 10-8

Jinan: Hsieh Cheng-Peng and Peng Hsien-Yin beat N.Sriram Blaji and Vishnu Vardhan 4-6 6-4 10-4 (match tiebreak)

Montreal: Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut and Rohan Bopanna and Ivan Dodig 6-4 3-6 10-6 (match tiebreak)

Toronto: Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina beat Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Kveta Peschke 6-0 6-4

 

SURFING

Cincinnati: www.wsopen.com/

Santo Domingo: http://labocha.org/es-es/

Vancouver: http://vanopen.com/

Winston-Salem: www.winstonsalemopen.com/

New Haven: www.ctopen.org/

 

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

 

MEN

$5,627,305 Western & Southern Open, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, hard

$125,000 Milex Open At La Bocha, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, clay

$100,000 Odlum Brown Vanopen, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, hard

 

WOMEN

$2,513,000 Western & Southern Open, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, hard

$100,000 Odlum Brown Vanopen, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, hard

 

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

 

MEN

$748,960 Winston-Salem Open, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA, hard

 

WOMEN

$731,000 Connecticut Open, New Haven, Connecticut, USA, hard

 

Federer and Zverev
Federer and Zverev

Alexander Zverev Topples Novak Djokovic To Win Rome – Mondays with Bob Greene

by

Mondays with Bob Greene

 

STARS

Alexander Zverev beat Novak Djokovic 6-4 6-3 to win the Internazionali BNL d’Italia men’s singles in Rome, Italy

Elina Svitolina beat Simona Halep 4-6 7-5 6-1 to win the Internazionali BNL d’Italia women’s singles in Rome, Italy

Vasek Pospisil beat Go Soeda 6-1 6-2 to win the Busan Open Challenger in Busan, South Korea

Steve Darcis beat Rogerio Dutra Silva 7-6 (2) 4-6 7-5 to win the BNP Paribas Primrose 2017 in Bordeaux, France

Marketa Vondrousova beat Veronica Cepede Royg 7-5 7-6 (3) to win the Empire Slovak Open 2017 in Trnava, Slovakia

 

SAYING

“If he serves this well and this efficiently, it’s tough to play him on any surface.” – Novak Djokovic, after losing to Alexander Zverev in the Internazionali BNL d’Italia men’s singles final.

“Every single day, everyone is working very hard. They are waiting for these kind of moments when there is a right moment and the right day.” – Elina Svitolina, after winning the women’s singles in Rome.

“I never like to give up during the match. I don’t want to stop the matches. So I just wanted to try to win the second set.” – Simona Halep, who injured her ankle late in the first set of a three-set loss to Elina Svitolina in the Italian Open women’s final.

“I’m just not playing good tennis and I need to try and work out how to turn that around. I believe I will. And I need ideally to do it quickly, because there are some pretty important tournaments coming up.” – Andy Murray, after losing to Fabio Fognini.

“If this is what it takes to rise up again, then I am in it all the way, every day. No words, games, or actions will ever stop me from reaching my own dreams. And I have many.” – Maria Sharapova, after being denied a wild card entry into the French Open.

“It’s a very tough situation in tennis. I mean, you have a big win and the next day there is (Novak) Djokovic or (Juan Martin) del Potro waiting.” – Dominic Thiem, after his quarterfinal victory over Rafael Nadal.

“The start to the year has been magical for me, but I need to recognize that scheduling will be the key to my longevity moving forward.” – Roger Federer, announcing his withdrawal from the French Open to concentrate of getting ready for the grass and hard court seasons.

“Thanks for what tennis gave me: education, discipline, friendship and unforgettable moments.” – Juan Monaco, announcing his retirement.

“He’s a legend of our sport. He’s made a mark in this sport forever. He’s won everything there is to win in tennis.” – Novak Djokovic, talking about his new coach, Andre Agassi.

 

SIGN OF THE FUTURE?

Is Alexander Zverev the wave of the future? The 20-year-old German won the Italian Open by defeating Novak Djokovic in straight sets, becoming the youngest player to win a Masters 1000 event since Djokovic won in Miami a decade ago when he was 19. “I don’t know what to say,” Zverev admitted during the trophy presentation. “Coming into this week I never thought I could be standing here in the finals or getting this trophy.” The big-serving Zverev never was really challenged as he broke Djokovic in the very first game. In the match, which lasted 1 hour, 21 minutes, Djokovic committed 27 unforced errors to just 14 for Zverev. With the biggest title of his career, Zverev has moved up in the rankings to 10th in the world. “If I have only half of the career Novak has had, I’ll be fine,” said Zverev, who finished with 16 winners. The German ended the match by breaking Djokovic for the third time. The Serb double faulted to give Zverev a match point, then sailed a backhand long. Zverev is the first player born in the 1990s to win a Masters 1000 title. And he is the fourth German to win a Masters 1000 title, joining Tommy Haas, Boris Becker and Michael Stich.

 

SVITOLINA TRIUMPHANT

Elina Svitolina outlasted Simona Halep to capture her fourth title of the year and the most prestigious trophy of her career. “Everything just came together and I’m very happy that it’s happened in such a big tournament, the 22-year-old Ukrainian said. Halep, trying to win her second title in as many weeks, ran out to a 5-2 lead in the opening set before rolling her right ankle. A trainer treated her ankle twice and it visibly affected her game, especially in the third set. “Sorry guys for the third set,” Halep told the crowd. “It was a little tough for me to get through, but Elina played great.” Svitolina also required medical treatment midway through the second set as the trainer worked on her left leg. “Hopefully we’ll recover, me and Simona, because we’re struggling a bit physically,” Svitolina said.

 

STREAK ENDED

Dominic Thiem learned a thing or two when he lost to Rafael Nadal in Barcelona and Madrid. The Austrian put those lessons into action in Rome, shocking the Spanish left-hander 6-4 6-3 in a quarterfinal matchup. “I came in with a very aggressive game style, because I knew that I wanted to have a chance, then I would have to do something different and be more aggressive,” Thiem said. “I knew that if it goes in, everything, maybe I have a chance. If not, maybe I also lose easy.” The loss ended Nadal’s 17-match clay-court winning streak. The left-hander had won three straight tournaments on the red dirt. “Today was one of these days where I really felt the ball great on the racquet,” Thiem said, “and a lot of risky shots went in.” It was Thiem’s second victory in six meetings against Nadal.

 

SKIPPING PARIS

Roger Federer has decided to skip the clay court circuit entirely and prepare for the upcoming grass season. “I’ve been working really hard, both on and off the court, during the last month, but in order to try and play on the ATP World Tour for many years to come, I feel it’s best to skip the clay court season this year and prepare for the grass and hard court seasons,” the 35-year-old Swiss great said. After missing the last half of last season with an injury, Federer has sparkled this year, winning the Australian Open along with Indian Wells and Miami. “My team and I concluded today that playing just one event on clay was not in the best interest of my tennis and physical preparation for the remainder of the season,” he said.

 

SHE’S OUT

Despite twice winning the only Grand Slam tournament played on clay, Maria Sharapova will miss this year’s French Open. After a 15-month suspension for failing a drug test, Sharapova doesn’t have a high enough ranking to gain direct entry into either the main draw or the qualifying. So, when French Tennis Federation President Bernard Guidicelli announced the tournament would not give her a wild card, it meant the Russian would miss the two-week event. “I’m very sorry for Maria, very sorry for her fans,” Giudicelli said. “But it’s my responsibility, it’s my mission to protect the game and protect the high standards of the game.” Sharapova received wild card entries into Stuttgart, Madrid and Rome. “Because of my improved ranking after the first three tournaments of my return, I will also be playing the qualifying of Wimbledon in Roehampton and will not be requesting a wild card into the main draw,” Sharapova said.

 

SQUEAKING BY

Winning their first ATP World Tour doubles title of the year, Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut defeated Ivan Dodig and Marcel Granollers in the Rome final. “It’s good to enjoy being on the court so much, it’s been a while since I felt we were close,” Herbert said. “It’s nice to live this together. From the start to the end, the attitude was very good. We stayed together and were calm all the time.” It was the first title in 10 months for the French pair. And it was a struggle. They saved a match point to win their second-round match over Brian Baker and Nicholas Monroe. The Frenchmen had to stave off four match point to slip past Rohan Bopanna and Pablo Cuevas in the quarterfinals, then won their last two matches in match tiebreaks, stopping brothers Bob and Mike Bryan in the semifinals before downing Dodig and Granollers. It was their eight tour-level doubles title as a team. “Pierre-Hugues really held it for us at the start of the week, and I’ve had my best match in the final, I think,” Mahut said. “It’s a great reward for us.”

 

STUMBLING AGAIN

The horrible season continues for the world’s top-ranked player. Andy Murray suffered yet another bad defeat. This time it was Italy’s Fabio Fognini who ousted the defending Italian Open champion, 6-2 6-4. That was the fifth of Murray’s unexpected losses this year: Mischa Zverev at the Australian Open, Vasek Pospisil at Indian Wells, Albert Ramos-Vinolas at Monte Carlo, Borna Coric at Madrid, and now Fognini. While admitting he has not been moving well the past couple of weeks, Murray praised Fognini’s play. “He was taking the ball early, hitting the ball close to the lines and dominating most of the points,” Murray said. “The only chance I really got was when he was making errors.”

 

SICK BAY

Garbiñe Muguruza retired from her semifinal match while trailing eventual champion Elina Svitolina 4-1 in the opening set. Muguruza’s normally solid ground strokes were not in evidence as Svitolina easily broke her Spanish opponent’s serve. After the fifth game, Muguruza called for the trainer. She had a lengthy talk with the tournament doctor before retiring from the match citing a neck injury. “I just want to wish a fast recovery to Garbiñe, she has such a big tournament ahead in Roland Garros, which is very tough as she’s the defending champion,” Svitolina said. “It’s going to be very tough for her and hopefully she will recover quickly.”

 

SUPER PAIR

Martina Hingis and Chan Yung-Jan are at the top of their game just as they prepare for the French Open. The pair won their fourth title as a team at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, stopping Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina in the final. That ran their victory string to eight straight matches.

 

SEEKING HELP

Andre Agassi is coming, hopefully to rescue Novak Djokovic’s game. The former world number one said Agassi will coach him at the French Open. “I spoke to Andre the last couple weeks on the phone and we decided to get together in Paris,” Djokovic said. “So, he’s going to be there. We’ll see what (the) future brings. We are both excited to work together and see where it takes us.” According to the Serb, Agassi “will not stay the whole tournament. He’s going to stay only to a certain time, and then we’ll see after that what’s going to happen.” The second-ranked Djokovic split with his longtime coach Marian Vajda, fitness coach Gebhard Phil Gritsch and physiotherapist Miljan Amanovic at the start of the month. Djokovic also was coached by Boris Becker the past three seasons, but they split last year. “Andre is someone that I have tremendous respect for as a person and as a player,” Djokovic said. “He has been through everything that I’m going through. On the court he understands the game amazingly well.”

According to the French sports newspaper, L’Equipe, Sebastien Grosjean will become a part-time coach of Nick Kyrgios. The newspaper reported the 22-year-old Australian will have Grosjean help him at some of the bigger events and during training periods. Grosjean, who once coached Richard Gasquet, is a former Top 10 player. Kyrgios has been without a coach since 2015, but has won three titles and reached the Top 15 since.

 

SAYONARA

Juan Monaco has retired. “Although it creates me a lot of nostalgia, I am sure I am making the right decision,” said Monaco, who once was ranked as high as 10th in the world.  The 33-year-old Argentine won eight of his nine career titles on clay, including four in 2012. He also won three doubles titles, including Doha in 2015 when he teamed with Rafael Nadal.

 

SON BORN

Winning the US Open may be only the second-best thing that has happened to Flavia Pennetta. The Grand Slam tournament winner and her husband, ATP player Fabio Fognini, gave birth to a son. Fognini had another big moment during the week, upsetting top-ranked Andy Murray before losing to Alexander Zverev, the eventual winner of the Rome tournament.

 

SO YOUNG

When Marta Kostyuk won the XIXO Open in Dunakeszi, Hungary, she became the first 14-year-old to win an International Tennis Federation (ITF) Pro Circuit singles title since 2015, when American Claire Liu captured a pro tournament. “I was a little nervous since this was my first ITF final,” the Ukrainian teenager said. Kostyuk beat American Bernarda Pera 6-4 6-3 in the title match and did not drop a set all week. “I am very thankful for the organizers giving me a wild card,” Kostyuk said. “Without that I could not make it.” A number of other players have won tournaments when they were 14, including Hall of Famer Justine Henin, Anna Kournikova and Dinara Safina.

 

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Bordeaux: Purav Raja and Divij Sharan beat Santiago Gonzalez and Artem Sitak 6-4 6-4

Busan: Hsieh Cheng-Peng and Peng Hsieh-Yin beat Sanchai Ratiwatana and Sonchat Ratiwatana 7-5 4-6 10-8 (match tiebreak)

Rome (men): Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut beat Ivan Dodig and Marcel Granollers 4-6 6-4 10-3 (match tiebreak)

Rome (women): Chan Yung-Jan and Martina Hingis beat Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina 7-5 7-6 (4)

Trnava: Naomi Broady and Heather Watson beat Chuang Chia-Jung and Renata Voracova 6-3 6-2

 

SURFING

Geneva: http://http//banqueericsturdzagenevaopen.com/

 

Lyon: http://http//openparc.com/

Nürnberg: www.nuernbergercup.de/

Strasbourg: www.internationaux-strasbourg.fr/en

Paris: www.rolandgarros.com/en_FR/index.html

 

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

 

MEN

$588,203 Banque Eric Sturdza Geneva Open, Geneva, Switzerland, clay

$588,203 Open Parc Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Lyon, Lyon, France, clay

 

WOMEN

$226,750 Nürnberger Versicherungs Cup, Nürnberg, Germany, clay

$227,750 Internationaux de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France, clay

 

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN and WOMEN

French Open, Paris, France, clay (first week)

Alexander Zverev
Alexander Zverev

John Isner Successfully Defends His Atlanta Open Title – Mondays with Bob Greene

by

Mondays with Bob Greene

 

STARS

Pablo Cuevas beat Tommy Robredo 6-3 6-4 to win the Vegeta Croatia Open in Umag, Croatia

John Isner beat Dudi Sela 6-3 6-4 to win the BB&T Atlanta Open in Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Elina Svitolina beat Bojana Jovanovski 6-1 7-6 (2) to win the Baku Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan

Pablo Andujar beat Juan Monaco 6-3 7-5 to win the Crédit Agricole Suisse Open in Gstaad, Switzerland

Peng Shuai beat Liu Fangzhou 6-2 3-6 6-3 to win the Zhonghong Jiangxi International Women’s Open in Nanchang, China

Ricardas Berankis beat Marsel Ilhan 7-5 5-7 6-3 to win the President’s Cup in Astana, Kazakhstan

Vitalia Diatchenko beat Cagla Buyukakcay 6-4 3-6 6-2 to win the President’s Cup women’s singles at Astana, Kazakhstan

 

SAYING

“Tennis taught me to be a warrior and to fight until the last point, and that is how I’m battling daily.” – Catalina Castano of Colombia, revealing she has breast cancer.

“This is my favorite time of year.” – John Isner, after winning his second straight BB&T Atlanta Open.

“I finished with an ace, the only ace I hit the whole match.” – Pablo Andujar, after besting Juan Monaco to win in Gstaad, Switzerland.

“You deserve to win this trophy in this nice city. This is the most beautiful place to play tennis.” – Juan Monaco.

“Had a great day today. Good practice this morning and then I went to Prague to meet the Czech president :)” – Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, in a blog.

“I hope I will have more weeks like this. I had a great week here. It was my first time in Umag and hopefully not the last one.” – Lukas Rosol, who teamed with Frantisek Cermak to win the Vegeta Croatia Open doubles.

“It’s always important to get along on and off the court and I think we have a great mix there. With my aggressive serve-and-volley style and his baseline style, it matches up well. We played well at the French Open already and I was hoping to get a title with him.” – Andre Begemann, who with Robin Haase captured the doubles title in Gstaad, Switzerland.

“It’s our third tournament together, we played well and hopefully we can get another one next week.” – Robin Haase.

“The mental aspect of tennis is a huge part of the game. When you win so many matches it builds confidence. I never believed I was going to lose.” – Jared Donaldson, a 17-year-old American after posting a 15-0 record in June and winning three consecutive Futures tournaments.

“I love clay. I could, like, roll in the clay.” – Katerina Stewart, after winning the USTA Girls 18s Clay Court Championships.

“Everyone thinks my brother’s a fool – he’s actually a good guy. It really frustrates me a lot.” – Sara Tomic, sister of Australian pro Bernard Tomic.
SUCCESS, FINALLY

It’s been more than two years since Pablo Andujar has wound up with the biggest trophy at a tournament. He did just that at the Crédit Agricole Suisse Open, capturing the crown by defeating Juan Monaco in the title match. By doing so, Andujar became the 13th Spaniard since 1990 to win the Gstaad, Switzerland, tournament. “It was a very tough match. I knew it was going to be a fight. I played aggressively in the important and final points,” said Andujar, the final point coming on his only ace of the day. It was the first tournament title for the 28-year-old since he captured the Grand Prix Hassan II in April 2012.  “I have worked a lot and it is amazing to win a trophy,” he said. Monaco was attempting to become the fifth Argentine to capture the Suisse Open, following in the footsteps of Guillermo Vilas, Jose-Luis Clerc, Martin Jaite and Gaston Gaudio.

 

STRONG PERFORMANCE

The 6-foot-10 (2.08m) John Isner turns into a giant on the tennis courts in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Playing in his fourth Atlanta final in five years, Isner won the BB&T Atlanta Open for the second straight year by stopping Israel’s Dudi Sela in the title match. Ranked 12th in the world, Isner blasted 15 aces to end the run of his 5-foot-9 (1.75m) opponent, who was playing in his first ATP World Tour final in six years. “Right from the very beginning I felt great,” the victorious American said. “These (hot) conditions favor me quite a bit. I couldn’t ask for better conditions.” Isner was runner-up in Atlanta to Mardy Fish in both 2010 and 2011, then beat South African Kevin Anderson in the final a year ago. He is now 16-3 in his career at the Atlanta Open. Sela said he was playing for more than just himself. “I wanted the win today for my people in Israel,” he said. “It’s not easy the situation over there and hopefully it will be better. I tried to play for (that) theme, but John was too tough for me today.” The Atlanta tournament is the first in the US Open Series which offers a USD $1 million bonus for the player who wins both the series and the US Open. Isner took a big step in that direction. “I’m off to a very good start again,” he said. “I look forward to playing Washington DC again (this week). I’ve played well there my whole career.”

 

SUPERB SUNDAY

Uruguay’s Pablo Cuevas may have had to qualify to get into the main draw of the Croatia Open, but he was the one who put on a masterful tennis show on the tournament’s final day. Forced by rain to play two matches on the last Sunday, Cuevas first eliminated top-seeded Fabio Fognini in a semifinal, then clobbered defending champion and second seed Tommy Robredo to capture the title. It was Cuevas’ second ATP World Tour title – both coming this month. He captured the Swedish Open two weeks ago. Cuevas also became the second qualifier to win an ATP World Tour tournament this year. Slovakia’s Martin Klizan won as a qualifier at Munich, Germany, in May. “I was happy to win the first title, now two in a row make me even happier,” Cuevas said. “And this one was tougher to win, because I had to play in qualifying as well. I was very focused during the week, now I am really tired.” This was Cuevas’ third time playing Umag. In his first two trips to the Croatian city he failed to get past the second round. This time it was different. “Pablo played a great match, he made no mistake,” Robredo said. “There were some balls that might have changed the match, but it did not go my way.”

 

SVITOLINA AGAIN

No wonder Elina Svitolina loves the hard courts in Baku, Azerbaijan. For the second straight year the Ukrainian teenager has captured the Baku Cup, this time stopping Bojana Jovanovski in the final. Not only was it Svitolina’s second Baku championship, it was her second WTA title. It took only 22 minutes for the 19-year-old to clinch the opening set. The second was much tougher as neither player dropped serve. But Svitolina won the first four points of the tiebreak and never was in trouble after that. Svitolina lost serve only once all week, in her semifinal win over 2010 French Open champion Francesca Schiavone. Jovanovski, on the other hand, went three sets in three of her four matches en route to the final, including rallying from 6-4 4-2 down in her quarterfinal match and from 4-1 down in the final set of her semifinal. Svitolina is the first teenager to win multiple WTA titles since Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova won her second in 2010 and her third in 2011.

 

SHUAI TOPS YOUNGSTER

Liu Fangzhou may be the future of Chinese tennis, but she had to bow to her elder at the inaugural Zhonghong Jiangxi International Women’s Open. Top-seeded Peng Shuai needed all three sets before prevailing over her 18-year-old opponent. Ranked 422nd in the world, Liu was the final player to gain direct entry into the new WTA 125K Series event. And she knocked off a string of higher-ranked opponents to reach the final, dropping just one set along the way. Then, after winning the second set to draw even with Peng, Liu pulled off a brilliant down-the-line backhand to take a 15-40 lead in the opening game of the final set. Peng, however, slammed two consecutive aces to pull to deuce, then survived a third break point before finally holding serve. The eventual champion won the last three games of the match to complete the victory.

 

SHANGHAI SIGNATURE

With two Grand Slam tournament titles in her trophy case, Li Na has received an even bigger honor. She now has a building in Shanghai named after her. Nike unveiled its new China headquarters by continuing its tradition of naming its buildings after some of the best athletes in history. Buildings on the campus of Nike’s global headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon, USA, are named for Michael Jordan, John McEnroe and Pete Sampras. The new Nike Greater China campus, located in Yangpu District in Shanghai, includes the nine-story office building bearing Li’s name, a full-size soccer field and an indoor basketball court. “Nike has been with me through all of my tennis career and seeing my name on the building is one of the biggest honors I’ve received in my life,” Li said. “Nike has always respected and honored its athletes, so it’s not just my name that’s up there on the building, it stands for all outstanding Chinese athletes that Nike represents.”

 

STILL THE CHAMPION

With Martina Hingis leading the way, the Washington Kastles won their four straight World TeamTennis title and fifth in six years, tying the record for consecutive titles set by Sacramento in 2000. The 33-year-old Hingis won three events, including beating Olga Govortsova 5-2 in women’s singles, and was selected the most valuable player of the finals, which were held in Springfield, Missouri, USA. “’It was a great day here in Springfield for me, obviously with getting the finals MVP,”’ Hingis said. ‘”I don’t know if I have been as nervous before in my career with playing in the finals for my team, because you have no time to miss anything. Everything is quick. You have to keep it sweet.” Hingis also teamed with Anastasia Rodionova to beat Govortsova and Liga Dekmeijere-Thomas 5-1 in women’s doubles and with Leander Paes to win the mixed doubles 5-4 over Govortsova and Ross Hutchins. Bobby Reynolds beat Michael Russell 5-4 in men’s singles, then teamed with Paes to beat Russell and Hutchins 5-2 in men’s doubles.

 

SPECIAL CALL

Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova has a big ally on her side. Having won her second Wimbledon singles title earlier this month, Kvitova planned to keep a low profile on returning to the Czech Republic. That’s because some in her country, including Social Democrat (CSSD) deputy Stanislav Huml, have recently proposed that Kvitova should lose her Czech citizenship because she has moved to Monaco because of lower taxes. But she received a telephone call she couldn’t refuse. So Kvitova met with Czech President Milos Zeman at Prague Castle. “I know that as one of the successful people you are envied,” Zeman said. “One of the reasons for our meeting is that I would like to voice my support for you against the envious people. I beg you to ignore them because they cannot do anything but envy.” Zeman also received Czech tennis players Barbora Zahlavova Strycova and Klara Koukalova. He told Kvitova that he would welcome her both after victories and defeats. “I do not wish them to you, but defeats are also a part of life,” the president said. “That is why I have invited all the Olympic participants irrespective of whether they won or lost.” During their meeting, Kvitova presented Zeman with an honorary ticket for the Fed Cup final which will be held in Prague in November.

 

SOLO DOUBLES

Taylor Townsend had to feel out-numbered during her World TeamTennis doubles match. Actually, she was. The young American was forced to play a doubles match all alone when her partner, Liezel Huber, went out with an injury. The unusual match – one against two – occurred at a World TeamTennis event where every point counts. The scoring is cumulative of the five sets played, so Townsend had to try to win a few points or even a set. She actually did win a few points, playing alone against Martina Hingis and Anastasia Rodionova, but her effort was also hampered by the rules. She was not allowed to return a serve on her partner’s side of the court. Huber was injured when she was hit in the back of the head by a Townsend forehand.

 

STAYING AWAY

A nagging right knee injury will keep Gael Monfils from playing in the Citi Open in Washington, DC, USA. The Frenchman had abruptly pulled out of the ATP World Tour event in Atlanta, where he was the number three seed. Monfils hasn’t played since losing a five-set, second-round match at Wimbledon to Jiri Vesely.

Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard, who reached the final at Wimbledon, has withdrawn from the women’s portion of the Citi Open. Bouchard hasn’t played since losing the Wimbledon title match to Petra Kvitova, but officials didn’t provide a reason for her decision to withdraw from the Washington, DC, tournament. Ranked seventh in the world, Bouchard had been scheduled to be the tournament’s top seed, a spot now taken by Wimbledon semifinalist Lucie Safarova.

Wimbledon semifinalist Grigor Dimitrov also has pulled out of the Citi Open after doctors diagnosed him with the flu and a sinus infection. Dimitrov had been seeded third in the tournament behind Tomas Berdych and Milos Raonic. “We will miss having Grigor as a part of this year’s tournament, but his health is priority number one,” tournament director Jeff Newman said. “We hope he gets better quickly and wish him great success for the rest of the year.” Dimitrov has won three of his four career ATP World Tour titles this year and is currently ranked ninth in the world.

 

STOPPED BY CANCER

Catalina Castano’s latest battle is not on a tennis court. The 35-year-old Colombian is battling breast cancer. “It was really hard to hear the news. I didn’t know what to do or where to go. I cried for several days, hiding from my parents and sisters,” Castano said. “I decided to do what the doctors recommended, which was chemotherapy as quickly as possible.” Castano is the most decorated player in Colombia’s Fed Cup history, holding the record for most ties played, years played and match wins. She helped Colombia to third place in the Americas Group I in February, but has since been undergoing chemotherapy in what she describes as “the toughest match” of her life. Castano reached a career-high ranking of 35th in the world in 2006 and has played in 50 ties since making her Fed Cup debut at the age of 16. She said she has been overwhelmed by the support she has received since making public her latest battle. “It has been impressive,” she said, “I’ve received many kind and sweet messages and it makes me very happy to see people who I shared many moments with caring about me. I live day by day because with cancer you never know when everything suddenly ends.”

 

STRAIGHT IN

Nicole Gibbs will be playing in her third consecutive US Open this year. The first two times was because of her results as a college player. This time she earned a wild card berth with her results on the USTA Pro Circuit. Gibbs clinched the wild card when Madison Brengle defeated Melanie Oudin in the semifinals of the USTA Pro Circuit event in Lexington, Kentucky, USA. Oudin was the only player who could have caught Gibbs in the US Open Wild Card Challenge race. A 21-year-old native of Santa Monica, California, USA, Gibbs competed in the US Open main draw as a wild card in 2012 and 2013 as the NCAA champion.

 

SINGLES FOR TWO

Tommy Paul of Coconut Creek, Florida, and Katerina Stewart of Miami, Florida, each won USTA 18s National Clay Courts singles titles to earn wild card entries into this year’s US Open Junior Championships. Paul, last year’s USTA Boys’ 16s Clay Court and Hard Court winner,  beat Reilly Opelka of Palm Coast, Florida, in this year’s Boys 18s final in Delray Beach, Florida. Stewart, who won last year’s Girls’ 16s hard court title, captured the Girls’ 18s by beating Kennedy Shaffer of Rossford, Ohio. Steward has won her last 34 matches, including singles titles at three USTA Pro Circuit USD $10,000 clay-court events. Besides the US Open junior wild card entries, Paul and Steward each receive a wild card into a future USTA Pro Circuit event.

 

SATISFIED

Andy Murray apparently is happy with Amelie Mauresmo as his coach. Consequently an announcement that the two will continue working together is expected soon. Murray has made it clear he would like to continue working with the former women’s world number one player who won Wimbledon and the Australian Open during her playing career. The two began working together earlier this summer, but since then he failed to defend titles at both Queen’s Club and Wimbledon and has fallen to 10th in the world rankings. Working with his previous coach, Ivan Lendl, Murray won the gold medal at the London Olympics, the 2012 US Open and last year’s Wimbledon.

 

SUSPENDED

Neil Harman has been suspended as chief tennis correspondent of The Times of London after he confessed to plagiarizing copy written by others when compiling his Wimbledon yearbooks. There is no suggestion that Harman has been guilty of plagiarism in his articles for The Times. The chief tennis correspondent at The Times since 2002, Harman earlier resigned from the International Tennis Writers’ Association and was fired by Wimbledon authorities after they were informed about plagiarism in three annuals written under Harman’s name.

 

SPONSOR

The Chia Co, identified as world innovators in health foods, has signed a three-year agreement to be an official sponsor of the US Open. The Chia Co will offer Chia Pods, a ready-to-eat product with chia seeds, coconut milk and fruit, from a branded promotional space at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, site of the years’ fourth Grand Slam tournament. The sponsorship marks The Chia Co’s first entry into tennis and expands its existing sports sponsorships. To supports its involvement with the tournament, The Chia Co will run a promotion in which one lucky winner will receive a trip for two to New York and courtside seats to the 2014 US Open men’s semifinals.

 

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Atlanta: Vasek Pospisil and Jack Sock beat Steve Johnson and Sam Querrey 6-3 5-7 10-5 (match tiebreak)

Astana (men): Sergei Bubka and Marco Chiudinelli beat Chen Ti and Huang Liang-Chi 6-3 6-4

Astana (women): Vitalia Diatchenko and Margarita Gasparyan beat Michaela Boev and Anna-Lena Friedsam 6-4 6-1

Baku: Alexandra Panova and Heather Watson beat Raluca Olaru and Shahar Peer 6-2 7-6 (3)

Gstaad: Andre Begemann and Robin Haase beat Rameez Junaid and Michal Mertinak 6-3 6-4

Nanchang: Chuang Chia-Jung and Junri Namigata beat Chan Chine-Wei and Xu Yi-Fan 7-6 (4) 6-3

Umag: Frantisek Cermak and Lukas Rosol beat Dusan Lajovic and Franko Skugor 6-4 7-6 (5)

 

SURFING

Washington: www.citiopentennis.com/

Kitzbühel: www.bet-at-home-cup.com/de/

Stanford: www.bankofthewestclassic.com/

Vancouver: www.vanopen.com

Toronto: www.rogerscup.com/men/english/home.php

Montreal: www.rogerscup.com/women/english/home.php

Aptos: http://seascapesportsclub.com/challenger

 

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

(All money in USD)

MEN

$1,654,295 Citi Open, Washington, DC, USA, hard

$685,893 bet-at-home Cup, Kitzbühel, Austria, clay

$100,000 Odlum Brown Vancouver Open, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, hard

 

WOMEN

$710,000 Bank of the West Classic, Stanford, California, USA, hard

$250,000 Citi Open, Washington, DC, USA, hard

$100,000 Odlum Brown Vancouver Open, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, hard

 

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN

$3,146,920 Rogers Cup, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, hard

$100,000 Comerica Bank Challenger, Aptos, California, USA, hard

WOMEN

$2,139,320 Coupe Rogers présentée par Banque Nationale, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, hard

 

John Isner
John Isner