Latest news

Andreescu looking for a fresh start on the grass in Berlin

The world No.7 speaks out about getting her her French Open loss, separating from her long-time coach and potentially facing a rematch against Amanda Anisimova in Germany this week.

Published

3 months ago

14/06/2021

Elias Laradi

After falling in the first round of Roland Garros to Tamara Zidansek Bianca Andreescu is back in action this week with the beginning of the grass season culminating with Wimbledon.

Andreescu met the media on Sunday to answer questions about her health and also took the time to go into more detail with the mutual separation from her long time coach Sylvain Brunneau.

“It was really hard but after one or two days I had to get over it and bounce back,” she commented on her French Open loss. “I started playing on grass at the racing club in Paris which was great and I prepared well to come here to Berlin.’
“I practice on the courts and they are really nice, and I am feeling very good”.

Zidanesk ended up going all the way to the semifinals at Roland Garros and the Canadian is happy to see her go that far.

“I’m super happy and she deserves it, she played really well against me, and to get to a grand slam semifinal is not easy so kudos to her,” Andreescu said.

Andreescu admits deciding to mutually part ways with her coach was one of the hardest things she has had to do and confirmed she won’t be hiring a replacement anytime soon.

“That was such a hard conversation for me because I’ve been with him for four years and it still is a relationship but It felt very committed. For me ending it was hard and there was a lot of crying but I felt it was the best decision for me at the moment. He’s fine, I’m fine and were ready to move on and start a new chapter”.
” I won’t be working with anybody for I don’t know and right now I’m good with where I am at. (I) have to heal first and move on from that area of my life but now I am here with my physio, my fitness trainer and with my spiritual guide”. She added.

Andreescu as a top seed is the top seed in Berlin this week and has received a first round bye. She will either face Alize Cornet or Amanda Anisimova in her first match and she was asked about a potential rematch with her American counterpart.

” I know it’s not going to be an easy match. The match in Miami was super hard and she hits very flat so on grass that’s going to be very effective so I know it’s not going to be easy but I am looking forward to it”.

To wrap things up the Toronto native who is of origin from Romania was asked about the new WTA event in Cluj Napoca which is scheduled the first week of August and coincides with the Tokyo Olympics.

“Hopefully one year and having a tournament in Romania is incredible and it’s basically my second home, it’s my heritage and for me, to one day play that tournament would be incredible and I can have my whole entire family come watch me play hopefully with no COVID and it would be awesome.” She concluded.

Latest news

Emil Ruusuvuori upsets Aslan Karatsev in Nur Saltan

Published

20 hours ago

24/09/2021

sampaolo

Emil Ruusuvuori upset Aslan Karatsev 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 to advance to the quarter finals at the Astana Open in Nur Sultan.

Ruusuvuori has reached the semifinals in Atlanta and Winston Salem and beat Alexander Zverev en route to the fourth round at the Miami Open last April.

The world number 84 set up a quarter final match against Ilya Ivashka in the quarter finals. Ruusuvuori will be bidding to take a re-match against Ivashka, who won their previous head-to-head match in Winston Salem last August.

Alexander Bublik came back from one set down to beat Miomir Kecmanovic 2-6 6-3 7-5. Bublik set up a quarter final match against Carlos Taberner, who rallied past Egor Gerasimov 5-7 7-6 (7-5) 7-5.

Soonwoo Kwon knocked out Dusan Lajovic 7-5 6-4 after 1 hour and 38 minutes setting up a quarter final against Laslo Djere.

James Duckworth edged Filip Krajinovic 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 to get through to his first quarter final of the season. Duckworth will take on reigning Astana Open champion John Millman.

Latest news

Hubert Hurkacz beats Lucas Pouille to advance to the quarter finals in Metz

Published

1 day ago

23/09/2021

sampaolo

Top seed Hubert Hurkacz eased past Lucas Pouille 6-2 6-3 with three breaks to advance to the quarter final at the Moselle Open in Metz after 68 minutes. Hurkacz has extended his lead to 3-1 in his head-to-head against Pouille.

Hurkacz broke twice in the second and eighth games to win the first set 6-2. He claimed the second set with another break in the fourth game.

Hurkacz was playing for the first time since his second round defeat against Andreas Seppi at the US Open. The Polish player, who won at Delray Beach and the Miami Open last March and is currently ranked ninth in the ATP Race to Turin, set up a quarter final against Andy Murray.

“It was a good match from my side. Lucas is a great player. He is playing very aggressively. H eis coming back and I have high hopes I will see him closer to the top 10, he has the game. It was really great to play here in front of you guys, it was a lot of fun. I was able to practise here a couple of times on this court, so that helped for sure. I played two doubles matches with my friend Jan Zielinski. I really enjoy playing here and it is nice to see the crowd. It is a great atmosphere. ”, said Hurkacz.

Gael Monfils beat Phillip Kohlschreiber 7-6 (7-2) 6-4. The first set went on serve with no breaks en route to the tie-break. Monfils earned two mini-breaks to win the tie-break 7-2. Monfils went up a 2-0 lead with a break in the first game of the second set. Kohlschreiber broke back in the fourth game to draw level to 2-2. Both players traded breaks in the seventh and eighth games to draw level to 4-4. Monfils broke for the third time in the ninth games and served out the win at love.

Monfils set up a quarter final match against Nikoloz Basilashvili, who came back from one set down to beat Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 0-6 6-4 7-6 (7-4).

Davidovich Fokina broke serve three times at deuce to win the opening set 6-0. Basilashvili claimed the second set 6-4 with a break in the first game.

Davidovich Fokina earned the first break of the third set on the fourth deuce to take a 2-0 lead. Basilashvili broke back in the seventh game to draw level to 4-4. Basilashvili saved four break points in the 10th game. Davidovich Fokina fended off five break points to hold serve in the 11th game after 10 deuces. Basilashvili earned three match points at 6-3 with three mini-breaks. Davidovich Fokina saved a match point, but Basilashvili sealed the win on his second chance.

German qualifier Peter Gojowczyk edged past Karen Khachanov 6-3 7-6 (7-2) to advance to his third quarter final of the season. Gojowczyk claimed the first set 6-3 with a break in the fourth game. The second set went on serve with no break points en route to the tie-break. Gojowczyk got three mini-breaks to win the tie-break 7-2.

Gojowczyk set up a quarter final against Marcos Giron, who upset Alex De Minaur 7-5 7-6 (7-5). De Minaur went up a 5-1 lead with two breaks. Giron pulled both breaks back to draw level to 5-5. Giron won the final two games with a break in the 12th game. De Minaur broke serve in the 11th game to take a 6-5 lead. Giron converted his second break-back point to draw level to 6-6. In the tie-break Giron went up a 3-1 lead with a mini-break. De Minaur broke back to draw level to 3-3 and earned another break to take a 5-4 lead, but Giron won the final three points to claim the tie-break 7-5.

Latest news

Maria Sakkari beats Jelena Ostapenko to reach the quarter final in Ostrava

Published

1 day ago

23/09/2021

sampaolo

Number 4 seed Maria Sakkari beat Jelena Ostapenko 6-4 6-2 after 1 hour and 23 minutes in his opening match at the J&T Banka Ostrava Open to reach her seventh quarter final of the year.

Sakkari and Ostapenko were tied 1-1 in their previous head-to-head matches. Ostapenko beat Sakkari 6-2 4-6 6-2 on green clay at Charleston 2017. Sakkari took a re-match over Ostapenko with a 6-1 3-6 6-2 win over her Latvian rival.

Sakkari has continued her successful season highlighted by two Grand Slam semifinals at Roland Garros and at the US Open. Ostapenko reached the final in Luxembourg last week.

Ostapenko saved two break points in her first three service games at deuce. Sakkari converted another break point in the eighth game to take a 5-3 lead. The Greek player broke serve in the first game of the second set with a forehand winner.

Sakkari got a double break in the third game and held his next service games to close out the second set 6-2.

Number 7 seed Elena Rybakina qualified for her sixth quarter final of the season with her 6-3 2-6 6-1 win over qualifier Magda Linette after 1 hour and 37 minutes.

Rybakina earned her first break in the third game to take a 2-1 lead. The Kazakh player saved three break-back points in the fourth game and sealed the first set 6-3 with a double break in the ninth game at deuce. Linette earned an early break in the first game of the second set. Rybakina broke back in the fourth game to draw level to 2-2. Lynette won the final four games with a double break to take the second set 6-2.

Rybakina earned her first break point in the third game at 2-1 lead, as Linette made a double fault. The Kazakh player broke serve at love in the fourth and sixth games to win the third set 6-1. Rybakina set up a quarter final clash against number 1 seed Iga Swiatek in their first head-to-head clash. They have never met at WTA Tour level. They met twice at junior level a 1-1 tie in their two head-to-head matches. Swiatek beat Rybakina 6-2 6-2 on hard court at Repntiny 2018. Rybakina this defeat by beating her Polish rival 1-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 on clay in the final of the Trofeo Bonfiglio in Milan.