Focus

Rogers Cup Saturday Preview: The Men’s & Women’s Match of the Day

While all-time greats Serena and Rafa will be heavy favourites, the day’s best semifinals will involve some of tennis’ most promising young talents.

Published

3 years ago

10/08/2019

Tony Fairbairn

Bianca Andreescu (@SportsCentre - Twitter)

By Matthew Marolf

Due to rain in Montreal last night, the last quarterfinal between Roberto Bautista Agut and Gael Monfils will be played at 1pm local time today, with the winner’s reward being a match with Rafael Nadal just a few hours later. In between those two matches, we’ll see the first-ever all-Russian semi-final at a Masters 1,000 event.

In Toronto, Serena Williams will headline the evening session against a 21-year-old qualifier, who benefited from the retirement of Simona Halep last night. The afternoon session will see a 19-year-old Canadian favourite face a 20-year-old American, both of whom have quickly become two of the WTA’s fiercest competitors.

Bianca Andreescu vs. Sofia Kenin

Just as she did at Indian Wells back in March, Andreescu just won’t die at this tournament. She’s now won four consecutive three-setters in the last four days, including wins over both the third and fifth seeds. Yesterday she appeared to be completely down and out against Karolina Pliskova. After losing the second set 6-2, she left the court to have her upper leg taped up. Bianca was clearly in pain, and her movement hampered, yet managed to hold her serve and capitalize on a terrible Pliskova service game at 4-4 to claim victory.

Today she faces the last player to defeat her in a completed match on a hard court. In Acapulco earlier this year, Kenin overcame a third set deficit to prevail 7-5. Andreescu would avenge that loss just a few weeks later in Miami. They were scheduled to play again at Roland Garros, but Bianca withdrew due to injury. Kenin would go on to upset Serena Williams at that tournament, one of many impressive wins she’s accumulated this year. Sofia herself defeated both the top seed and sixth seed this week.

The biggest factors today will be Andreescu’s leg injury, as well as the amount of physical and emotional energy she’s already spent this week. Kenin has spent considerably less time on court, playing only one three-setter. The American should be favoured to reach the biggest final of her career.

Karen Khachanov (6) vs. Daniil Medvedev (8)

This is a battle between two 23-year-olds to be the Russian No.1. Khachanov currently holds that title, but Medvedev would surpass him in next week’s rankings with a win today. Khachanov is playing for his second Masters 1,000 final, while it would be the first for Medvedev. Neither man was tested in yesterday’s quarterfinals, so they should be fully fresh today. They’ve split their two previous meetings: Medvedev prevailed at the 2017 Next Gen Finals, but Khachanov won in three in their home country of Russia last October. Khachanov has achieved more success on big stages, with his Masters 1,000 title last year at the Paris Indoors, and his Major quarterfinal at this year’s French Open.

Medvedev is yet to get beyond the fourth round of a Major, but he’s easily been the most consistent performer outside the Slams. Daniil owns an astounding 61 match wins over the past 52 weeks, with three titles and three additional finals. One of those finals was just last week in Washington, where Nick Kyrgios bested him in two tiebreak sets. And Medvedev has followed that up by destroying his opposition this week, dropping only 13 games in six sets played.

There isn’t too much to separate these two, considering their similar playing styles, making this a hard one to call. But I’m giving the slight edge to Khachanov, who has more big match experience, and flourishes while playing in French-speaking cities. In a match of this importance between two countrymen of the same generation, the advantage goes to the player with more belief.

Other notable matches on Saturday:

In the only quarterfinal still to be played, Roberto Bautista Agut (10) vs. Gael Monfils (16), with the winner to face Rafael Nadal in the evening.

Serena Williams (8) vs. Marie Bouzkova (Q). Serena looked fierce in gaining her first victory over Naomi Osaka last night.

ATP

Laver Cup Daily Preview: Team Europe Goes for a Fifth Straight Laver Cup

Published

1 day ago

25/09/2022

Matthew Marolf

The lineup for Day 3 (twitter.com/lavercup)

Heading into Day 3, the 2022 Laver Cup is feeling extremely familiar. Team Europe has an 8-4 advantage, and only needs two wins on Sunday to secure their fifth consecutive Laver Cup. Team World needs to win three matches to pull off the upset and obtain their first.

Sunday’s play gets underway in London at 12:00pm local time. And each match on Sunday is worth three points.

Matteo Berrettini and Andy Murray (Team Europe) vs. Felix Auger-Aliassime and Jack Sock (Team World) – 12:00pm

Berrettini was victorious in both singles and doubles on Saturday, defeating Auger-Aliassime in singles, and teaming with Djokovic to overcome Sock and de Minaur in doubles. So Matteo gained victories over both of his Sunday opponents on Saturday. Murray lost to de Minaur in singles on Friday. Andy and Jack are the most accomplished doubles players in this match, as Sock is pretty much Team World’s doubles specialist. If he and Felix cannot pull of the victory on Sunday, it could be a pretty short day.

Novak Djokovic (Team Europe) vs. Felix Auger-Aliassime (Team World)

Like Berrettini, Djokovic won in singles and doubles on Saturday, comfortably dispatching of Tiafoe in singles. While it was his first match in over two months, Novak showed no rust whatsoever. Auger-Aliassime’s loss to Berrettini on Saturday will not help his confidence against the 21-time Major champion.

Novak and Felix have only played once before, and that occurred four months ago in Rome on clay. It was a pretty tight affair, but Djokovic prevailed 7-5, 7-6(1). And there’s not much evidence to support a different outcome on Sunday. Novak is surely eager to re-assert his authority after missing so much of this season due to his vaccination status.

Stefanos Tsitsipas (Team Europe) vs. Frances Tiafoe (Team World) – If Necessary

Tsitsipas easily beat Diego Schwartzman on Friday, dropping just three games. He is 3-2 against Tiafoe, and 3-1 on hard courts. However, Frances claimed their most recent encounter, last fall in Vienna, which was also on an indoor hard court.

Casper Ruud (Team Europe) vs. Taylor Fritz (Team World) – If Necessary

Ruud defeated Sock on Friday, while Fritz defeated Norrie on Saturday. If this match takes place, it will be their first career meeting.

The full Laver Cup schedule is here.

Focus

Roger Federer Claims Happiness Over Tennis Retirement In Emotional Last Match

It was an emotional evening in London as Roger Federer said goodbye to tennis.

Published

2 days ago

24/09/2022

Tony Fairbairn

Roger Federer (@LaverCup - Twitter)

Roger Federer has said that his retirement from tennis was full of joy not sadness after an emotional occasion at the Laver Cup.

The career of one of the greatest tennis players of all time is over after 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer played his last match of his career at the O2 Arena in London.

Federer teamed up with Rafael Nadal to take on Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock with the American pairing claiming victory 4-6 7-6(2) 11-9 to level the tie for Team World at 2-2.

However celebration was limited as the whole venue celebrated, cried and soaked up the emotion that Roger Federer’s career was over.

All the Fedal feelings.#LaverCup pic.twitter.com/WKjhcADFoe
— Laver Cup (@LaverCup) September 24, 2022

There were tears from Federer, his family as well as rivals Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic as the end of an era was upon Tennis.

Even a performance from Ellie Goulding saw the Arena’s emotion get stronger as the Swiss maestro said goodbye to a sport he has played since he was a kid.

However despite the tears Federer claimed after the match that it was a day of celebration not sadness as he closed a big chapter of his life, “It’s been a wonderful day. I’m happy, not sad. It feels great to be here. I’m happy I made it through,” Federer told the BBC website.

“It’s been the perfect journey. I’d do it all again. Everyone’s here, the boys and girls. My wife has been so supportive. She could have stopped me a long, long time ago but she didn’t.

“Being with the guys and having family and friends, I didn’t feel the stress so much even if I felt something would go during the match. I am so glad I made it through and the match was great. I couldn’t be happier.”

After 1,750 matches in his career, Federer now faces the prospect of leaving the sport he has know for over 20 years as a professional tennis player.

But Federer gave the biggest hint yet that he wants to continue to be apart of the sport for the future.

Speaking to the press Federer claimed that he wants to travel around the world to say thanks to those who didn’t have a chance on Friday evening, “Hopefully we’ll see each other again on a different type of tennis court, somewhere around the world,” Federer was quoted as saying by the BBC website.

“I think the message from me was just making sure I relay my passion for the sport to the fans. I have no plans whatsoever, where, how, when. All I know, I would love to go and play places I have never played before or go say thank you for years to come to all the people that have been so supportive of me.

“The hard part about the Laver Cup was that tickets were already sold out. The people who maybe would have also loved to be here couldn’t make it. Maybe there is another way down the stretch we can party all together.”

An incredible career was celebrated, rejoiced and soaked in by the whole of Tennis and now Federer gets to reflect on a once in a lifetime career.

ATP

Laver Cup Daily Preview: Novak Djokovic to Play Singles and Doubles on Saturday

Published

2 days ago

24/09/2022

Matthew Marolf

The lineup for Day 2 (twitter.com/lavercup)

In the wake of Roger Federer’s incredibly emotional retirement on Day 1, the focus of this event shifts to the rest of the competitors on Day 2. And for the first time in the five-year history of the Laver Cup, Team World goes into Day 2 without a deficit. With both Federer and Rafael Nadal replaced by alternates for Day 2 and Day 3, is this Team World’s opportunity to capture their first Laver Cup?

Each day, this preview will look at all four scheduled matches, while taking an extended look at the most notable match of the day. Saturday’s day session gets underway in London at 1:00pm local time, and the night session at 7:00pm. And each match on Saturday is worth two points.

Matteo Berrettini (Team Europe) vs. Felix Auger-Aliassime (Team World) – 1:00pm

These two good friends have played four times, with Berrettini winning on three of those occasions. Matteo’s wins came three years ago in the final of Stuttgart on grass, in the quarterfinals of last year’s Wimbledon, and a year ago in this event. Auger-Aliassime’s only win occurred last summer in Cincinnati. Matteo is coming off a quarterfinal run in New York, as well as three victories last week in Davis Cup. Felix was upset in the second round of the US Open by Jack Draper, and went 2-1 in Davis Cup.

Cameron Norrie (Team Europe) vs. Taylor Fritz (Team World) – Second in the Day Session

Norrie was also an alternate in last year’s Laver Cup, but did not play. Fritz was a part of Team World in 2019, when he went 1-1 in singles, defeating Dominic Thiem during Sunday’s play in a must-win match to keep his team alive. Cam is now 45-22 on the year, while Fritz is 36-17. Both men achieved their best-ever Major performances two months ago at Wimbledon. They played each other just last week in Davis Cup, with Norrie prevailing after three tight sets. Overall they have split 10 previous meetings.

Novak Djokovic (Team Europe) vs. Frances Tiafoe (Team World) – 7:00pm

Is Tiafoe ready to upset another member of “The Big Three” on Saturday? He earned the biggest win of his career by taking out Rafael Nadal at the US Open, and defeated Nadal and Federer in doubles on Day 1 alongside Jack Sock. Meanwhile, this will be the first match for Djokovic in over two months, since he won the Wimbledon final over Nick Kyrgios. The unvaccinated Novak was unable to travel to North America for the hard court summer season.

Djokovic has only played seven tournaments this year, amassing a record of 23-5. Tiafoe is 26-19, and is coming off his exciting semifinal run in New York. Their only previous matchup was at the 2021 Australian Open, when Novak defeated Frances in four sets. Frances is certainly the much more match-tough player on this day. But despite his recent inactivity, Djokovic should still be considered the favorite.

Matteo Berrettini and Novak Djokovic (Team Europe) vs. Alex de Minaur and Jack Sock (Team World) – Second in the Night Session

Novak will have only a few minutes of rest ahead of this doubles match, so the length of his match with Tiafoe could impact the result here. This will be Novak’s first time playing doubles since last year’s Davis Cup finals. Berrettini played three doubles matches this past January at the ATP Cup, going 1-2. De Minaur overcame Andy Murray in singles on Friday in what was a grueling contest, while Sock was defeated in singles and victorious in doubles.

The full Laver Cup schedule is here.