World Tennis Magazine

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Kyle Edmund

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

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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

 

Kyle Edmund
Kyle Edmund

Rising British Tennis Talents Aiming for the Top 100

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On the face of things, British tennis appears to be quite rosy considering the success of Andy Murray. The Scot remains one of the top three men in the ATP singles rankings despite a frustrating year with injury problems.

Meanwhile, Johanna Konta continues to make good progress in her career, particularly in 2017 by winning two women’s titles and heading into October, featuring seventh in the overall WTA singles rankings.

Beyond this pair, you have to look much further down the respective rankings to find the remaining British pro tennis talents. Amongst the men, there are some who have the potential to keep climbing and are making signs of positive progress, with Kyle Edmund and Aljaz Bedene remaining inside the top 50. Only Heather Watson remains among the top 100 women, while Naomi Broady and Laura Robson have fallen well outside that stratosphere of tennis talent.

These names still fall short of that of Andy Murray, of course, and Britain’s tennis favourite is tipped at odds of +350 to win the Australian Open in 2018. A glance at emerging British players suggests that compared to other leading countries, producing top tennis professionals who consistently break into the top 100 of the respective men’s and women’s rankings, is increasingly difficult.

Producing players with enough talent and potential to win tournaments or even reach finals, seems to be an even more monumentally difficult task, amidst suggestions there is a shortage of young players coming through in the British game. A lack of affordable facilities, or players not possessing the same mental strength and determination compared to compatriots of Spain or France, Russia or the USA, are some of the reasons mentioned.

However, there are some up and coming British talents who have broken into the professional game already, that are well worth keeping an eye on over the next couple of years; some of whom were handed wildcard entry at the 2017 Wimbledon tournament and have since continued to make positive progress.

Amongst the men, whilst 22-year-old Kyle Edmund remains the leading young British prospect within the ATP top 50, there are others who have continued to develop their game well in 2017. Beyond Johanna Konta in the WTA rankings, although there are currently no British women in the top 100, there are several prospects making steady progress.

Twenty-two-year-old Cameron Norrie headed into October at a career high of 136 after climbing 140 places in 2017, winning the Binghampton Challenger and the Tiburon Challenger. As one of the top 5 British men, his swift rise is expected to continue and in 2018, and it would be no surprise to see him break into the ATP top 100 some time soon. Meanwhile, 23-year-old Liam Broady could finish 2017 inside the top 200, plus 19-year-old Jay Clarke began October having shot up 253 places in the rankings, to 282nd, inside a year.

Amongst the best young British women at present, 21-year-old Katie Boulter is considered the best prospect around, and for good reason. In 2017, she climbed 148 ranks and heading into October, was 214th in the classifications, and is expected to keep climbing in 2018. Although much further down the current rankings, consistent progress is being made by young British women, with more genuine prospects compared to men.

Twenty-two-year-old Katy Dunne and 21-year-old Harriet Dart are two who could push towards the top 200 in 2018. Meanwhile, 19-year-old Gabriella Taylor and 18-year-old Katie Swan aren’t far behind, plus 18-year-old Jodie Anna Burrage in her first pro season is widely considered one to watch.

Cam Norrie
Cam Norrie

Great Britain Advances in Davis Cup on Disqualification – Mondays with Bob Greene

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Mondays with Bob Greene

 

STARS

Kristina Mladenovic beat Yulia Putintseva 6-2 6-7 (3) 6-4 to win the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy in St. Petersburg, Russia

Elina Svitolina beat Peng Shuai 6-3 6-2 to win the Taiwan Open in Taipei, Taiwan

Ryan Harrison beat Taylor Fritz 6-3 6-3 to win the RBC Tennis Championships of Dallas in Dallas, Texas, USA

Tatjana Maria beat Naomi Broady 6-4 6-7 (6) 6-4 to win the Dow Tennis Classic in Midland, Michigan, USA

 

DAVIS CUP

World Group

First Round

Argentina and Italy tied 2-2 at Buenos Aires, Argentina

Belgium beat Germany 4-1 at Frankfurt, Germany

Australia beat Czech Republic 3-1 at Melbourne, Australia

United States beat Switzerland 5-0 at Birmingham, Alabama, USA

France beat Japan 4-1 at Tokyo, Japan

Great Britain beat Canada 3-2 at Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Serbia bear Russia 4-0 at Nis, Serbia

Spain beat Croatia 3-2 at Osijek, Croatia

 

Group I – First Round

Americas Zone: Ecuador beat Peru 5-0 at Guayaquil, Ecuador; Chile beat Dominican Republic 5-0 at Santo Domino, Dominican Republic

Asia/Oceania Zone: Uzbekistan beat Korea 3-1 at Gimcheon, Korea; India beat New Zealand 4-1 at Pune, India

Europe/Africa Zone: Bosnia/Herzegovina beat Poland 5-0 at Zenica, Bosnia/Herzegovina; Belarus beat Romania 3-2 at Minsk, Belarus; Portugal beat Israel 5-0 at Lisbon, Portugal

 

Group I – Second Round

Europe/Africa Zone: Hungary beat Slovakia 3-1 at Bratislava, Slovakia

 

Group 2 – First Round

Americas Zone: Barbados beat Paraguay 3-2 at Asuncion, Paraguay; Guatemala beat Mexico 3-1 at Guatemala, Guatemala; El Salvador beat Bolivia 3-2 at San Salvador, El Salvador; Venezuela beat Bahamas 5-0 at Doral, Florida, USA

Asia/Oceania Zone: Pakistan beat Iran 3-2 at Islamabad, Pakistan; Hong Kong beat Vietnam 3-2 at Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam; Philippines beat Indonesia 4-1 at Manila, Philippines; Thailand beat Kuwait 3-1 at Meshref, Kuwait

Europe/Africa Zone: Sweden beat Tunisia 3-2 in Tunis, Tunisia; Turkey beat Cyprus 4-1 in Nicosia, Cyprus; Lithuania beat Madagascar 3-2 in Siauliai, Lithuania; Georgia beat Finland 3-2 in Tbilisi, Georgia; Norway beat Latvia 5-0 at Jelgava, Latvia; Denmark beat Morocco 4-1 in Aarhus, Denmark; South Africa beat Estonia 4-1 in Centurion, South Africa; Slovenia beat Monaco 3-2 in Maribor, Slovenia

 

SAYING

“You never know in Davis Cup.” – Steve Darcis, who led Belgium to a 4-1 victory over favored Germany.

“This is the last time I’m going to do anything like that. I’m going to learn from it.” – Denis Shapovalov of Canada, who was disqualified in the fifth rubber for hitting the umpire with the ball, giving Great Britain the 3-2 Davis Cup victory.

“I believe everyone is limitless, and it’s just about moving forward with the mentality.” – Kristina Mladenovic, after winning her first WTA singles title.

“It was the end of the tournament, and the nerves are always there. Finals come down to who can handle nerves better.” — Elina Svitolina, after winning in Taipei.

 

SUCCESSFUL STRUGGLE

Neither Kristina Mladenovic nor Yulia Putintseva were supposed to still be playing when it came time for the final. Tell that to the pair as Mladenovic grabbed her first WTA singles title by beating Putintseva in a thrilling conclusion to the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy. “It was my fourth final, and I’d lost three before that,” Mladenovic said. “The wait was definitely worth it.” Mladenovic beat Venus Williams and defending champion Roberta Vinci on her way to the final. Putintseva, who was also unseeded, knocked off third-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova and second-seeded Dominika Cibulkova during the week. In the final, Mladenovic was sailing along with a 6-2 5-2 lead before her nerves got the best of her and a persistent Putintseva finally began showing the game that got her to the title match. “We were both tight and there were ups and downs from both sides, but I never gave up,” Putintseva said. Mladenovic failed to serve out the match three times before finally prevailing. “Physically, I felt great, through sometimes the nerves made my legs feel heavy,” Mladenovic said. “But it came down to fighting spirit.”

 

SWIFT END

Great Britain won its first-round Davis Cup tie when Canada’s Denis Shapovalov was defaulted for hitting the umpire in the face with the ball. Kyle Edmund was in control of the deciding fifth match when the reigning Wimbledon junior champion angrily smashed the ball from mid court. The ball struck Arnaud Gabas of France flush in the left eye. Shapovalov rushed to the chair and apologized before the umpire was taken to a hospital for observation. An International Tennis Federation spokesperson said Gabas had swelling and bruising around his left eye. Great Britain and Canada were tied 2-2 going into the decisive rubber. With the victory, Great Britain will face France in the quarterfinal round. “I feel incredibly embarrassed and ashamed and feel awful for letting my team and my country down,” Shapovalov said. “I want to apologize to the umpire and referee; it was unacceptable from me.”

 

SUPERB DARCIS

Steve Darcis won both of his singles to give Belgium a surprising first-round Davis Cup win over Germany. The 32-year-old Darcis beat Philipp Kohlschreiber on the first day, then upset Alexander Zverev in the reverse singles 2-6 6-4 6-4 7-6 (8) to clinch Belgium’s spot in the quarterfinals. “They said it would be an easy match for Germany,” said Darcis, who has a 21-8 Davis Cup record in singles. “That’s why we love the Davis Cup. There are surprises and we had one today. The difference between us and them is that we are really a team. They have so many great players but we play with heart, for our country and for the people here.” Belgium’s chances were considered slim since it’s top player, David Goffin, didn’t play. Instead, Darcis was the clutch performer. Although Zverev had more winners, 28-20, and more aces, 21-7, than his Belgian foe, Zverev had 73 unforced errors.

 

SVITOLINA STARS

Elina Svitolina credits her mental approach to her winning tennis these days. That and an improved physical game gave Svitolina her fifth career WTA title, the Taiwan Open. “Today I was playing very well and stayed solid mentally and physically. That’s a positive,” Svitolina said after beating Peng Shuai. “I came here to Taipei trying to improve my game, to push myself and see what I could do. This week, then, was very positive.” Her Chinese opponent had won their only previous career meeting, that in 2014 at the Connecticut Open. “She’s always been really aggressive from the baseline,” Svitolina said of Peng. “The change was in myself because when I played her in 2014 I physically was much worse, which is why she had the opportunity to get on top of my game. I changed a lot. I improved my serve, return and baseline game. The difference came down more to me than her, because I played more solid today.”

 

SIMONA INJURED

An injury to her left knee forced Simona Halep to withdraw from her quarterfinal match at the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy. “I’m really disappointed that I had to withdraw …, but my knee is not OK,” the Romanian said. “After the last match I felt pain, and I feel it’s risky to continue here.” The tournament’s top seed, Halep said she has been suffering from tendinitis in the same knee since the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore in October and when she lost her first-round Australian Open match to Shelby Rogers last month. The 25-year-old Halep had beaten Ana Konjuh is straight sets in her first match before she started feeling pain in her knee.

 

STOPPED

Camila Giorgi has been banned for nine months and fined by the Italian Tennis Federation for refusing to play Fed Cup. The ban prevents Giorgi from training at federation facilities and from receiving a wild card for the Italian Open in May. Her father and coach, Sergio Giorgi, said she asked the federation for a break from national team play so she could compete in qualifying for the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany. Giorgi missed the Italian Open last year for the same reason. She has played five Fed Cup ties and won the only point in Italy’s quarterfinal loss to France last year.

 

SHOCKER

A thrilling comeback is becoming a habit for Yulia Putintseva. She reached her first WTA final by shocking second-seeded Dominika Cibulkova 3-6 6-4 6-4 at the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy. “It’s unbelievable,” the 22-year-old from Kazakhstan said. “I’m very happy that the crowd was behind me this time around.” The crowd was pulling for her opponent in the quarterfinals when Putintseva upset third-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova. “I never give up and always try to dictate my game, no matter what,” she said. Against Cibulkova, Putintseva won the final four games to grab a spot in the final.

 

STRAIGHT THROUGH

Ryan Harrison didn’t drop a set the entire week as he became the first top-seeded player to win the RBC Tennis Championships of Dallas in the 20 years the tournament has been on the ATP Challenger Tour. And he did it by defeating Taylor Fritz in an all-American battle. Fritz was looking for his first title since January 2016. It was Harrison’s fourth ATP Challenger Tour crown, but first since January 2015.

 

SWEEP

Jack Sock and Steve Johnson led the way as the United States swept its first-round Davis Cup tie against a Switzerland team that didn’t include either Roger Federer or Stan Wawrinka. Sock won his opening singles match against Marco Chiudinelli, then teamed with Steve Johnson to capture the doubles, giving the USA a clinching 3-0 lead. Johnson won the fifth rubber to complete the sweep. John Isner won his singles match on the opening day and Sam Querry won a reverse singles battle in straight set. The Swiss won only one set over the weekend, Henri Laaksonen and Adrien Bossel capturing the first set of the doubles before losing the next three.

Viktor Troiki won his singles match and partnered player-coach Nenad Zimonjic to victory in the doubles as Serbia blanked Russia 4-0, the only other World Group tie that had one team win every match played. The fifth rubber was not played. Novak Djokovic and Dusan Lajovic won Serbia’s other singles.

Argentina and Italy played a decisive fifth rubber on Monday after darkness halted play Sunday night in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with the two teams tied 2-2.

 

SHARED PERFORMANCES

 

MEN

Dallas: David O’Hare and Joe Salisbury beat Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan and Christopher Rungkat 6-7 (6) 6-3 11-9 (match tiebreak)

Midland: Ashley Weinhold and Caitlin Whoriskey beat Kayla Day and Caroline Dolehide 7-6 (1) 6-3

St. Petersburg: Jelena Ostapenko and Alicja Rosolska beat Darija Jurak and Xenia Knoll 3-6 6-2 10-5 (match tiebreak)

Taipei: Chan Hao-Ching and Chan Yung-Jan beat Lucie Hradecka and Katerina Siniakova 6-4 6-2

 

SURFING

Fed Cup: www.fedcup.com

Quito: www.ecuadoropen.com.ec/

Sofia: http://www.eventim.bg/bg/tursi/

Montpellier: www.opensuddefrance.com/fr/home

Doha: www.qatartennis.org

Rotterdam: www.abnamrowtt.nl/en

Memphis: http://memphisopen.com

Buenos Aires: http://argentinaopenatp.com/atp/

 

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

MEN

$540,310 Ecuador Open, Quito, Ecuador, clay

$577,748 Garanti Koza Sofia Open, Sofia, Bulgaria, hard

$577,748 Open Sud de France, Montpellier, France, hard

$100,000 Kunal Patel San Francisco Open, San Francisco, California, USA, hard

 

FED CUP

Group I

Americas Zone in Metepec, Mexico, Round-robin, hard: Pool A: Canada, Bolivia, Paraguay, Venezuela; Pool B: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Mexico

Asia/Oceania Zone in Astana, Kazakhstan, Round-robin, hard: Pool A: Thailand, Kazakhstan, Korea; Pool B: China, India, Japan, Philippines

Europe/Africa Zone in Tallinn, Estonia, Round-robin; hard: Pool A: Poland, Austria, Georgia; Pool B: Croatia, Bosnia/Herzegovina, Hungary; Pool C: Great Britain, Latvia, Portugal, Turkey; Pool D: Bulgaria, Estonia, Israel, Serbia

 

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN

$1,999,120 ABN Amro World Tennis Tournament, Rotterdam, Netherlands, hard

$720,410 Memphis Open, Memphis, Tennessee, USA, hard

$624,340 Argentina Open, Buenos Aires, Argentina, clay

 

WOMEN

$710,900 Qatar Total Open, Doha, Qatar, hard

 

DAVIS CUP

World Group

Group I – First Round

Asia/Oceania Zone: Chinese Taipei vs. China at Kaohsiung, Taiwan, hard

 

Denis Shapovalov
Denis Shapovalov

Despite Andy Murray, Milos Raonic Absences, Canada – Great Britain Davis Cup Series Provides Intrigue

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The Canada vs. Great Britain Davis Cup series Feb. 3-5 in Ottawa, Canada is one of the most intriguing of the 2017 Davis Cup first round matches.

It’s gained a lot of attention not for who is playing, but who is not playing.

The series was supposed to feature world No. 1 Andy Murray for Great Britain and world No. 4 Milos Raonic of Canada. However, both stars have pulled out this series due to burnout/exhaustion (Murray) and injury (Raonic).

Murray’s absence provides another excellent opportunity for Dan Evans, one of the most improved players in men’s tennis in the last year. Evans had a match point against eventual champion Stan Wawrinka at last year’s U.S. Open and has moved steadily up the rankings from No. 174 a year ago on Feb. 1, 2016.

After his recent run to the fourth round of the Australian Open, he is at a career-high No. 45 in the ATP World Tour rankings, leap-frogging his Davis Cup teammate Kyle Edmund as the new British No. 2 at No. 45 – marking the first time three Brits have ranked in the top 50 of the ATP rankings in 11 years (Murray, Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski.) He and Edmund will anchor the British singles effort against Canada, while Murray’s brother Jaime and Dominic Inglot will still provide for a strong doubles team.

The absence of Raonic from Canada’s team will place added pressure on Vasek Pospisil, the former world No. 25 and Wimbledon quarterfinalist in 2015. Pospisil has been in a major slump of late, seeing his ranking drop down to his current perch of No. 133. He’s capable of beating just about anyone, but his confidence is low. Peter Polansky, at No. 128, is actually Canada’s top-ranked singles player in this series, but tennis enthusiasts should take a look at 17-year-old Denis Shapovalov, the 2016 Wimbledon junior champion, who could make some noise in this series. He is ranked No. 234 in singles, but is targeted by many to potentially turn into a future top 10 player, with a wicked left-handed serve and devastating groundstrokes. He has had a big win on Canadian soil before, beating Nick Kyrgios in the first round of the Canadian Open last summer. Could this Davis Cup series provide him another stage for him to grab the spotlight?

In doubles, Canada’s timeless wonder, 44-year-old Daniel Nestor, will play alongside Pospisil and will have an entertaining, top-level doubles clash with Murray and Inglot.

Canada is more hurt by Raonic’s absence than Britain without Murray, which will affect the Canada vs. Great Britain betting odds. However, strange things happen in Davis Cup and don’t underestimate a team playing in front of a home crowd. Perhaps this will be another stage where Shapovalov will continue his rise in men’s tennis.

 

Dan Evans
Dan Evans

A Common Thread For US Open Rabble-Rousers Kyle Edmund, Anastasija Sevastova – Vero Beach, Florida

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By Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

 

Vero Beach, Florida is one of the best – if not the best – tennis town in the United States. I’m a bit biased, being a part-time Vero resident, but passing through the town on the east coast of Florida – for training or an event – may give you good fortune.

Just ask Kyle Edmund and Anastasija Sevastova, two of the break-out surprises at the 2016 US Open.

Edmund, who upset Richard Gasquet and John Isner to reach the US Open’s fourth round, came through Vero Beach in 2013 when he won the USTA Pro Circuit Futures event, now called the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships.

Sevastova, who upset French Open champion and No. 3 seed Garbine Muguruza also en route to the fourth round, spent 10 days training in Vero Beach this March at the Windsor Club. Sevastova’s coach and boyfriend Ronald Schmidt is a good friends with Jony Leitenbauer, the assistant tennis pro at Windsor and hosted the duo following the Miami Open last March.

“They really loved Vero Beach, but especially Windsor,” said Leitenbauer.

“We loved having them at Windsor,” said Tom Fish, the head tennis pro at Windsor and the father of Vero Beach’s favorite tennis pro Mardy Fish. “Anastasija is a delightful young woman and worked very hard during her stay with us. It’s nice to see all the hard work that she is putting in paying off with some high-profile success.”

Ranked No. 48, Sevastova registered the upset of the tournament so far with her win over Muguruza, who had a chance to take over the No. 1 ranking at the event. To Sevastova’s credit, she followed up the biggest win over her career with another solid win, taking out former US Open quarterfinalist Kateryna Bondarenko 6-4, 6-1 in the third round.

Edmund registered his best result in a major with his 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (5) win over Isner, the top-ranked American player. Edmund, 21, is now ranked No. 84 in the world and played singles next to Andy Murray last year when Great Britain won the Davis Cup final against Belgium.

In 2013, Edmund came to Vero Beach to compete in the USTA Futures as an 18-year-old just getting his first taste of professional tennis. Former US Open runner-up Greg Rusedski was also in tow as a coaching consultant.

You can read Rusedski’s comments at the time, from the story that I wrote at the time here http://www.worldtennismagazine.com/archives/9227 after his semifinal victory in Vero Beach and after winning the championship in this story entitled “Young Kyle Edmund May Provide Glimpse of the Future of British Tennis” here http://www.worldtennismagazine.com/archives/9234

Perhaps the biggest Vero Beach presence at the 2016 U.S. Open is Ivan Lendl, who has returned to his coaching role with Andy Murray, the No. 2 seed. Since Lendl returned to coaching Murray, the Scot has won Wimbledon and the Olympics and has lost only one match – to Marin Cilic in the final of Cincinnati.

 

Louis Armstrong Stadium During Kyle Edmund vs. John Isner match
Louis Armstrong Stadium During Kyle Edmund vs. John Isner match

Young Kyle Edmund May Provide Glimpse of the Future of British Tennis

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By Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

 

VERO BEACH, Fla. — Kyle Edmund gave the nearly 300 fans watching Sunday’s singles final of the $10,000 SorensenRealEstate.com USTA Futures of Vero Beach a glimpse of what the next generation of British may look like.

The 18-year-old won his second career singles title on the entry-level “Futures” tier of pro tennis with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Carsten Ball of Australia at The Boulevard Club in this central Florida coastal town.

Ball, a veteran professional who lost to Sam Querrey in the final of the ATP tour event in Los Angeles in 2010, was hobbled by a right knee injury in the final, causing him to default the doubles final, but it didn’t take away from the solid play all week from Edmund. The young, fair-skinned Brit did not lose a set in his five singles matches and should sneak into a new career high ATP ranking inside the top 500 with his singles victory.

“I’ve played well all week and in a lot of different conditions each day,” said Edmund. “It was windy one day, wet another, hot and dry another. I lost early in the last two tournaments, so I had eight or nine days off where I just had to get my head down and train. Training is tough sometimes but when you have days like this, it’s all worth it.”

While British players will usually be better fast court players, having grown up on fast indoor courts or grass, Edmund said he prefers the clay and will next set his sights on winning the French Open juniors in four weeks time.

“I really like clay a lot,” he said. “I’ve played on it a lot. As I have got older, I started to understand the court. It benefits my game being able to hit high balls, spin, kicking it up off the court, angles. Your shots get rewarded whatever shot you hit. I’ve got one more (clay court tournament) next week and then it’s the French Open. Being a Grand Slam on clay, I’d like to win the junior event.”

When asked if he felt he could win the French Open junior boys’ title, Edmund replied, “I’d like to think so. I have to focus on one match at a time. I’m feeling good. It’s about four weeks before the French so hopefully I can keep the ball rolling.”

Edmund was born in South Africa and moved to Britain when he was three and did not start playing tennis until he was 10. He recalled his first experience on clay being at about age 11, but it wasn’t until he played in many European tournaments in the 14-and-unders where he received extended exposure on the surface.

“It’s all about learning on this stuff,” he said of playing on clay. “You got to have an open mind and be patient and if it you are not willing to learn how good you are, you are going to get found out.”

During his semifinal and final matches in Vero Beach, Edmund was under the careful eye of former US Open singles finalist Greg Rusedski, who is working with Edmund for two events as part of his role as a coach with Britain’s Lawn Tennis Association and in the absence of Edmund’s full-time coach Colin Beecher. Rusedski shouted words of encouragement from behind The Boulevard’s Stadium Court, wrote notes in a paper binder and even took photos of Edmund during the post-match presentation from his mobile phone.

“He’s got a good attitude,” said Rusedski of Edmund. “He works hard. He’s got all the ingredients, so his future looks very bright.”

 

Kyle Edmund with USTA Futures of Vero Beach Tournament Director Mike Rahaley
Kyle Edmund with USTA Futures of Vero Beach Tournament Director Mike Rahaley

Greg Rusedski In Tow With Young Brit Kyle Edmund In Vero Beach

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By Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

 

VERO BEACH, Fla. — Former US Open singles finalist Greg Rusedski of Britain was in tow coaching young 18-year-old Kyle Edmund as the British upstart advanced Saturday into his third career final at the “Futures” level of professional tennis.

With Rusedski sitting behind the baseline on the stadium court at The Boulevard Club in this central coastal Florida tennis paradise, Edmund dominated 17-year-old Yoshihito Nishioka of Japan 6-3, 6-1 to advance to the final of the $10,000 SorensenRealEstate.com USTA Futures of Vero Beach to face former Australian Open Davis Cupper Carsten Ball.

Rusedski is working with Edmund in Vero Beach – and at next week’s event on the USTA Pro Circuit in Orange Park, Florida – as part of his duties as a coach for Britain’s Lawn Tennis Association and subbing for Edmund’s full-time coach Colin Beecher, who had been traveling with Edmund the last four weeks.

“I enjoy my work with the youngsters,” said Rusedksi, who lost to Patrick Rafter in the 1997 US Open singles final. “We have a good crop of boys. All of the coaches have done a great job. Colin has done a great job with Kyle and Kyle is working hard.”

Edmund has a soft boyish voice with small patches of reddish blond peach fuzz on his chin but he has the crushing forehand of the toughest man. Ranked No. 513 in the world – and No. 72 in the world among juniors 18 and under – Edmund advanced into the Vero Beach final without the loss of a set in his four matches.

“He’s in his last year of juniors,” said Rusedski of Edmund. “He’s playing more of the Futures events right now. That’s what you have to do at this age rather than playing the juniors. You have to make that transition. He has a good attitude. He works hard. He’s got all the ingredients.”

Edmund agreed with the assessment that the tide of British tennis has risen with the success of Andy Murray, who became the first British man to win a major singles title in 76 years when he won the US Open last September. Edmund said he has benefited for practice sessions with Murray.

“I’ve hit with Andy,” said Edmund. “He’s been really good when he is back in the UK and he is looking for someone to hit with. He’s asked me a few times, which has been great for me. A really nice experience to hit with him. It’s just all about taking in as much information as you can from him. He’s been through all of this. He knows what it takes to get to the top, so to hit with him is a good thing.”

Edmund’s two previous final showings at Futures events also came on American “green” clay courts late in 2012. He beat American Chase Buchanan to win the title in Birmingham, England but then lost to Buchanan in the final of Destin, Fla.

Ball advanced into the final with a 7-5, 6-3 win over 19-year-old American Mitchell Krueger.

Greg Rusedski
Greg Rusedski