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Kei Nishikori wins opening match against Reilly Opelka in Dubai

Published

2 years ago

14/03/2021

Former US Open finalist Kei Nishikori came back from one set down to beat Reilly Opelka 3-6 6-3 6-4 becoming the first player to reach the second round at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

Opelka got the first break of the match in the eighth game to take a 5-3 lead and served out the first set to love. Nishikori broke serve in the fourth game of the second set to take a 3-1 lead, but he suffered a right ankle problem and needed it to be strapped. Nishikori saved a break point to hold serve at deuce in the seventh game and served out the second set on his first opportunity.

Nishikori earned the crucial break, as Opelka double faulted in the seventh game of the third set. Nishikori will face David Goffin in the second round. The Japanese player won all his previous three head-to-head matches against his Belgian rival.

“I played a very solid match today. I tried to focus on my first service game because I knew there would not be many chances on my return game. I tried to make my first serve and I think I did quite enough. I surprised myself how I returned on break points”, said Nishikori.

This year’s Australian Open semifinalist Aslan Karatsev saved five of the seven break points he faced en route to his 6-4 6-4 win over Egor Gerasimov. Karatsev started the match with an immediate break, but Gerasimov converted his second break-back point to draw level to 1-1. Karatsev continued the streak of three conseutive breaks in the third game to take a 2-1 lead. Karatsev saved a break point to hold serve in the sixth game and won his next service games and served out the first set on this third set point in the 10th game. Karatsev will play against Daniel Evans in the second round.

Gerasimov saved three break points to hold serve in a five-deuce first game. Gerasimov converted his second break point to open up a 2-0 lead. Gerasimov broke straight back on his third opportunity and held his serve in the fourth game to draw level to 2-2. Karatsev earned the decisive break in the seventh game at deuce to take a 4-3 lead and served out the second set 6-4 after saving two break points.

Alexander Bublik edged past Yoshihito Nishioka 6-4 7-6 (7-4). The Kazakh player claimed the first set 6-4 with his only break in the opening game. Both players traded breaks in the first two games of the second set and held their next service games en route to the tie-break. Bublik earned two mini-break in the tie-break to open up a 6-1 lead earning five match points. Nishioka saved three match points but Bublik converted his fourth chance to claim the tie-break 7-4.

Jeremy Chardy battled past Albert Ramos Vinolas 6-3 3-6 6-4. Chardy converted his third break point to take a 2-0 lead in the first game. Ramos Vinolas broke straight back in the third game, but Chardy earned his second break to take a 2-1 lead. The Frenchman saved two break points to serve out the first set 6-4 a four-deuce 10th game. The second set started with a trade of breaks in the first two game. Ramos Vinolas converted his fourth break point at deuce to win the second set 6-3. The decider went on serve until the 10th game when Chardy got the decisive break to seal the third set 6-4.

Alexei Popyrin overcame Dennis Novak 7-6 (7-3) 7-5. Novak got the first break in the 11th game at love earning a set point a 6-5, but Popyrin broke straight back sending the first set to tie-break. Popyrin won the tie-break 7-3 with two mini-breaks. The second set went on serve until the ninth game when Popyrin got a break at 15 to take a 5-4 lead earning a chance to serve for the match. Novak broke straight back to draw level to 5-5, but Popyrin converted his fourth break point in the 11th game to claim the second set 7-5. Popyrin will face Karen Khachanov in the second round. Malek Jaziri advanced to the second round after Jo-Wilfried Tsonga withdrew from the match at 3-3 in the opening set.

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Novak Djokovic reaches the semifinal in Tel Aviv

Published

10 hours ago

30/09/2022

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Novak Djokovic beat Canadian lucky loser Vasek Pospisil 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 to reach the semifinal at the Tel Aviv Watergen Open.

Djokovic has improved his record to 6-0 in his head-to-head matches against Pospisil. He has won all 13 sets they have played.

Both players went on serve en route to the tie-break. Djokovic earned two mini-breaks to race out to a 4-0 lead. Pospisil won five of the next six points to draw level to 5-5. Djokovic won the next two points to seal the tie-break 7-5.

Djokovic went up a break at the start of the second set. Pospisil broke back in the fifth game to reduce the deficit to 2-3. Djokovic broke again in the eighth game before serving out for the match in the next game.

Djokovic set up a semifinal against Roman Safiulin. The Serbian player is aiming to win his third title this season after his previous triumphs in Rome and Wimbledon. He is currently ranked 15^th in the ATP Race to Turin. As he won a Grand Slam title at Wimbeldon this year, he will qualify for the ATP Finals if he remains in the top 20.

“It was a great and positive win. Vasek is one of my best friends on the tour. We have known each other for many years. It is never easy playing someone you respect so much and like so much, but we are both professionals and wanted to win the match and you can see that. ”, said Djokovic.

Constant Lestienne came back from one set down to beat Maxime Cressy 6-7 (4-7) 6-3 7-6 (7-3) setting up a semifinal against Marin Cilic, who reached his fifth semifinal this year after receiving a walkover from Liam Broady.

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Jannik Sinner reaches his third consecutive semifinal at the Sofia Open

Published

11 hours ago

30/09/2022

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Jannik Sinner cruised past Aleksandar Vukic 6-2 6-3 to advance to his third consecutive semifinal at the Sofia Open. Sinner scored his 45^th tour.level win this season moving up to 12^th in the ATP Race to Turin. He will rise to 10^th if he wins his third consecutive title in Sofia.

Sinner has extended his winning streak to 11-0 at the Sofia Open. He claimed the trophy at this tournament at the Sofia Open in 2020 before he successfully defended his title last year.

Sinner faced four break points after three double faults in the first game of opening set. Vukic saved a break point with a forehand at 1-2. Sinner broke twice in the sixth and eighth games to win the first set 6-2.

Sinner built up a 3-0 lead with a break at the start of the second set. Vukic broke back in the seventh game for 3-4. Sinner earned his second break in the eighth game. Sinner missed out on his first match point with his fifth double fault. Vukic fended off a second match point with a forehand passing shot. Sinner saved a break point with an ace before sealing the win on his third match point.

“I hope to raise my level in the next match. I am happy to reach the third semifinal at this tournament. I feel at home in Sofia. I will try to play my best tennis in every match”, said Sinner,

Sinner will face a semifinal match against Holger Rune, who will face Ilya Ivashka 6-2 5-7 6-4 after 2 hours and 22 minutes.

Rune broke in the fifth and seventh games to win the first set 6-2. Ivashka saved four break points in th third game before breaking for the first time in the match in the 12^th game to close out the second set 7-5.

Rune earned a break in the third game to take a 2-1 lead. Ivashka broke back in the sixth game to draw level to 3-3. Rune broke for the second game in the ninth game and held serve on his second match point.

Lorenzo Musetti moved past world number 132 player Jan-Lennard Struff 7-6 (7-3) 6-1 after 1 hour and 16 minutes to reach his second ATP Tour semifinal of the season.

Struff earned an early break in the second game to open up a 3-0 lead. Musetti came back from 15-40 down to break back in the fifth game with a backhand passing shot winner. Musetti went down 0-2 in the tie-break, but he rallied by winning seven of the next eight points to seal the tie-break 7-3. Musetti broke twice in the second and fourth games and sealed the win on his first match point with a forehand winner after 77 minutes. Musetti set up a semifinal match against Marc Andrea Huesler, who saved two match points in the tie-break of the second set to beat Kamil Majchrzak 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (8-6) 6-3.

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Casper Ruud and Stefanos Tsitsipas qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin

Published

16 hours ago

30/09/2022

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Casper Ruud and Stefanos Tsitsipas have qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals singles tournament in Turin, Joining Australian Open champion Rafael Nadal and US Open winner Carlos Alcaraz.

Ruud secured his spot in the year-end championships by winning his second-round match in Seoul.

Ruud reached his first ATP Masters 1000 final in Miami and two Grand Slam finals at Roland Garros and at the US Open. He also won three ATP Tour titles in Buenos Aires, Geneva and Gstaad. The Norwegian player has scored 47 ATP Tour-level wins and is ranked third behind only Alcaraz (52) and Tsistipas (49).

Ruud made his first appearance at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin last year. He won his round robin matches against against Cameron Norrie and Andrey Rublev before losing to Danil Medvedev in the semifinal.

“I just got the news that I qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin and I am looking forward to coming back to Italy. I had such a great time last year. It’s a great country for tennis”, said Ruud.

Tsitsipas has become the fourth player to qualify to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals. The Greek player will make his fourth consecutive appearance at the year-end tournament. He won the title in 2019 beating Novak Djokovic in the final. Tsitsipas started the 2022 season with a semifinal at the Australian Open last January. He advanced to the final in Rotterdam where he finished runner-up to Felix Auger Aliassime.

The 2019 Next Gen ATP Finals champion won his second consecutive title at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters. Last May Tsitsipas finished runner-up to Novak Djokovic in the final of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome. During the US hard-court season the Athens native player lost to Borna Coric in the final of the Cincinnati Masters 1000 tournament.