Jo Wilfried Tsonga wins in four against Jack Sock for fourth-round place in Australia - UBITENNIS
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Jo Wilfried Tsonga wins in four against Jack Sock for fourth-round place in Australia

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7 years ago

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Tsonga is into the fourth round at the one slam he has reached the final of in the past. (Zimbio.com)

Jo Wilfried Tsonga played a largely composed match against the in-form Jack Sock to progress into the fourth round of the Australian Open, winning 76 75 76. Tsonga edged the first two sets, before a bad error cost him the third. The twelfth seed quickly recovered, breaking early in the fourth, and winning to earn a meeting with either Dan Evans or Bernard Tomic.

 

Sock had won the Auckland title the week before the tournament began, and had not dropped a set in defeating Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Karen Khachanov. Tsonga had dropped a set against Thiago Monteiro in round one, before a rather more comfortable win in the second against Dusan Lajovic.

The first set went comfortably with serve, as neither man faced break point. Tsonga came closest by forcing a deuce game at four-five, but Sock pulled through without major difficulty.

The inevitable tiebreak saw Tsonga face adversity on the first point. Sock followed an aggressive return into the net, before Tsonga played a perfect lob. Tsonga’s finishing volley then caught a section of the line, despite a challenge from Sock. It proved key as Tsonga then struck a forehand winner on his second shot of the next point, going behind Sock for the mini-break. Tsonga handed the mini-break back when he found the net with a big forehand. Tsonga retrieved the lead with a backhand cross-court passing shot. A forehand error on a net approach from Sock then handed the first set to the Frenchman.

Sock was the first to force pressure in the second set, earning a break point in the first service game. It was to be the only such opportunity that Tsonga offered, though the set was more open than the first, with Tsonga forcing his own break point chances shortly after. It would not be until the penultimate game of the set that fans on Margaret Court Arena would see the first break, as a Tsonga forehand caught Sock off-balance, and another forehand sealed the break. Tsonga gave an exhibition in serving to close out the set to love to leave the American down two sets.

Sock again tried to make headway early in the third, only to be continually denied by the 2008 runner-up. Sock faced a tough deuce game at four-all, but held, as did Tsonga through the rest of the set to force another tiebreak.

Tsonga again took the lead, racing into an early four-love lead with the American’s trademark forehand breaking down. However, Tsonga is known for inconsistencies himself, and allowed Sock back in. The American saved a match point with an ace at five-six, and earned a set point when Tsonga dumped a backhand into the net. Tsonga saved though, and a beautiful touch at the net earned him another match point again against the Sock serve, but could only miss into the tramlines.

Sock then won the set, with a great defensive shot, hoisting the ball up after a attacking Tsonga forehand. Tsonga played the smash a little deeper than the service line, but missed into the net to give the American a lifeline.

Tsonga quickly atoned for the aberrational smash however, breaking Sock immediately in the fourth when the American ripped a forehand into the net. The two parts of Sock’s game that he relied on had broken down in the serve and the forehand. Sock nearly went down a second break, but instead held. He improved his game to really challenge as Tsonga served the match out, forcing a deuce game, but it was ultimately the Frenchman who held firm to reach the fourth round.

In the other early men’s match, Andreas Seppi continued his fine form by knocking out Belgium’s Steve Darcis 46 64 76 76.

 

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Danil Medvedev is on a collision course for a potential quarter final against Jannik Sinner in Shanghai

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6 hours ago

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02/10/2023

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This year’s US Open finalist Danil Medvedev returns to the Shanghai Masters 1000, where he won in 2019, when the Chinese tournament was last held in 2019. Medvedev is aiming to win his sixth ATP Tour title after his triumphs in Rotterdam, Doha, Dubai, Miami and Rome. 

 

Medvedev will take on either Cristian Garin or a qualifier in the second round. Medvedev is seeded to meet a potential fourth round match against 14th seed Felix Auger Aliassime. 

Medvedev is on a collision course for a blockbuster quarter final match against Jannik Sinner. Medvedev leads 6-0 in his head-to-head series against Sinner. 

This year’s US Open semifinalist Ben Shelton could face a possible third round match against 2019 Shanghai Open finalist Alexander Zverev in Sinner’s section of the draw. 

This year’s Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz will make his debut in the Shanghai Masters 1000 tournament against either Nuno Borges or Gregoire Barrere. Alcaraz is seeded for a fourth round match against this year’s Zhuhai winner Karen Khachanov and could face either Taylor Fritz or Frances Tiafoe. 

Alcaraz will chase his seventh ATP Tour title this year after winning in Buenos Aires, Indian Wells, Barcelona, Madrid, Queen’s and Wimbledon. He will face Sinner in the semifinal at the China Open in Beijing. The Spaniard would arrive 315 points behind Novak Djokovic if he wins the title in the Chinese capital. 

Stefanos Tsitsipas and Andrey Rublev have been drawn in the same half as Alcaraz. Tsitsipas will start his campaign against either Laslo Djere or a qualifier and is seeded to play against Cameron Norrie in the Round of 16. 

Rublev, who won his first Masters 1000 title in Monte-Carlo this year, will play against either Quentin Halys or Aslan Karatsev in the second round and is seeded to meet this year’s Australian Open semifinalist Tommy Paul. 

This year’s Monte-Carlo and Rome Masters 1000 finalist Holger Rune will play in the second round against either Brandon Nakashima or Bernabe Zapata Miralles. 

Casper Ruud is seeded to meet this year’s Toronto Masters 1000 finalist Alex De Minaur in the fourth round and Rune in the quarter final. 

The most interesting first round matches are Andy Murray vs Roman Safiulin, Stan Wawrinka vs Dusan Lajovic and Shang Juncheng vs Yosuke Watanuki. 

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Jannik Sinner beats Grigor Dimitrov to set up semifinal against Carlos Alcaraz

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8 hours ago

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02/10/2023

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Jannik Sinner overcame Grigor Dimitrov 6-4 3-6 6-2 to set up a blockbuster semifinal match against Carlos Alcaraz at the China Open in Beijing. 

 

Sinner converted his fourth break point in the first game. The Italian player saved the second break point with a forehand drop-shot. The Toronto Masters 1000 champion held on his next service games to close out the first set 6-4. 

Sinner missed the chance to close out the match in straight sets when he was unable to convert eight points across three games in the second set. He wasted four break points when he was leading 0-40 at 3-3. Dimitrov brke serve in the eighth game to take a 5-3 lead. The Bulgarian player saved two break-back points in the ninth game to hold serve for 6-3. 

Sinner broke serve in the second game of the third set with a crosscourt backhand winner and held serve at 30 with a passing shot. 

Dimitrov held his first service game of the third set for 1-3. Sinner saved a break point with a forehand to hold serve at deuce for 4-1. Dimitrov saved a break point at deuce in the sixth game. 

Sinner fended off two break points in the seventh game to hold serve with a passing shot. The Wimbledon semifinalist closed out the third set with a break at love to reach his eighth semifinal in 2023. 

Sinner clinched his 47th match of the season. 

“I had one game 15-40, one game 0-40 where I made some unforced errors and he also prayed quite aggressive. This is tennis. Obviously it’s easier if you take some chances. In the third set I thought I handled the situation well, when I was serving at a tough moment at 4-2. I am very happy to be in the next round”, said Sinner.  

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Iga Swiatek beats Sara Sorribes Tormo to reach the second round in Beijing

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10 hours ago

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02/10/2023

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Four-time Grand Slam champion and world number 2 Iga Swiatek beat Sara Sorribes Tormo 6-4 6-3 on her debut at the China Open in Beijing. Swiatek broke seven times and hit 27 winners to 25 unforced errors. 

 

Both players traded breaks at the start of the opening set. Swiatek earned her second break in the seventh game to take a 4-3 lead. The Polish player fired 17 winners and won 15 of her 17 net points in the first set. 

There were eight breaks in nine games. Swiatek won 12 of the first 14 points of the second set to race out to a 3-0 lead with a double break. Sorribes Tormo broke three times in the second set, but Swiatek broke in all five of her service games.  

Swiatek set up a second round match against Varvara Gracheva.

“Today I felt really confident and comfortable because I have been practicing that a lot. I am pretty proud of my performance at the net because, technically, I feel like my volley has changed. I am really happy with that. I think against some players it’s necessary to go to the net. Today that was that kind of a match”, said Swiatek. 

Jelena Ostapenko reached the Round of 16 via walkover after Linda Noskova withdrew from the match due to illness.

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