Jannik Sinner overcomes Alexander Shevchenko to reach the third round in Rome - UBITENNIS
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Jannik Sinner overcomes Alexander Shevchenko to reach the third round in Rome

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Jannik Sinner battled past Alexander Shevchenko 6-3 6-7 (4-7) 6-2 in the night match to set up a third round match against Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome. 

 

Shevchenko earned an early break in the second game to take a 2-0 lead. Sinner broke straight back in the third game. Sinner broke twice in the seventh and ninth games to win the first set 6-3. 

Shevchenko went up an immediate break in the first game of the second set to take a 2-0 lead.  Sinner fended off a break point in the fifth game. The Italian star was not able to convert two break points in the 14-point eighth game, but he broke back in the tenth game to draw level to 5-5. 

Sinner went up a 2-1 lead in the tie-break, but Shevchenko won five consecutive points to take a 6-2 lead. The Russian player sealed the tie-break 7-4 on his third set point. 

The third set went on serve until the fifth game, when Sinner converted his first break point to take a 3-2 lead. The Italian held serve in the sixth game before earning his second break to take a 5-2 lead, when Shevchenko hit a forehand into the net. Sinner went down 0-40 when he was serving for the match, but he saved three break points to hold serve on his first match point. 

“I think I was quite in the zone, trying to play every point in the maximum. I missed a couple of points, especially in the second set and in the tie-break, but you have to cut this part away, and then try to be ready for the third set, which I have done. I reacted very well”, said Sinner. 

Stefanos Tsitsipas advannced to the third round with a 6-3 6-3 win over Nuno Borges. 

Tsitsipas was leading by a set and a break at 6-3 4-3 when the match was suspended by rain on Saturday. As the match resumed on Sunday, Tsitsipas won 8 of the 11 points to seal the win in straight sets.

Tsitsipas set up a third round match against Lorenzo Sonego. 

Holger Rune cruised past Fabio Fognini 6-4 6-2 in 1 hour and 16 minutes. Rune broke serve twice in the third and fifth games to open up a 5-2 lead. Fognini pulled one break back in the eighth game to close the gap to 4-5, as Rune hit a smash into the net cord wide. Rune held serve with a forehand in the 10th game to serve out the first set on his second opportunity. 

Rune broke twice in the first and third games to open up a 3-0 lead in the second set and held on his next service games to win the second set 6-2. 

Alexander Zverev came back from one set down to beat David Goffin 5-7 6-3 6-4 in a clash between two former top 10 setting up a third round match against J.J Wolf. 

Zverev earned an immediate break in the first game, but Goffin pulled back on serve in the second game. Zverev took control of the match by earning two consecutive breaks in the third and fifth games to open up a 4-1 lead. Goffin pulled one of the breaks back for 2-4. Zverev earned two set points at 5-4, but he was not able to convert them. Goffin won four consecutive games from 3-5 down with two breaks to close out the first set 7-5. 

Goffin won his sixth consecutive game from 3-5 down to open up a 2-0 lead in the second set with a break in the second game. Zverev broke straight back in the third game and held serve to draw level to 2-2. Zverev converted his fourth break point in the seventh game to take a 4-3 lead. The German player sealed the second set 6-3 with another break in the ninth game. 

The third set went on serve. Zverev was not able to convert two break points in the second game. The German player closed out the match with a a break on his first match point in the 10th game when Goffin made an unforced error. 

Casper Ruud edged Alexander Bublik 6-1 4-6 7-6 (7-0) in an entertaining match to reach the fourth round. Ruud broke serve in the second and fourth games to win the first set 6-1. Both players went on serve until the 10th game when Bublik broke Ruud to win the second set 6-4 forcing the match to the decider. The third set went on serve en route to the tie-break. Ruud earned four mini-breaks to win the tie-break without dropping a point. Ruud reached the semifinals in his past two appearances in Rome. 

“It’s been a very good tournament for me in my career. I have reached the semifinals twice and I lost to Novak Djokovic both times. It shows that I have been beating a lot of players up until facimg one of the best ever”, said Ruud. 

Lorenzo Musetti beat Matteo Arnaldi 6-4 6-4 in the all-Italian match. Arnaldi saved four break points in the fifth game of the first set, but Musetti converted his fifth chance to take a 3-2 lead. As the 2022 Hamburg and Neaples champion served for the first set at 5-4, he had to save two break points. He won four consecutive points from 15-40 to seal the first set 6-4. 

Musetti broke serve in the third game. He did convert a break point in the fifth point and came back from 0-30 down to seal the win on his second match point.  

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Nick Kyrgios Opens Up About His Self-Harm Battle And Murray’s Support

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Nick Kyrgios (AUS) playing against Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) in the third round of the Gentlemen's Singles on No.1 Court at The Championships 2021. Held at The All England Lawn Tennis Club, Wimbledon. Day 6 Saturday 03/07/2021. Credit: AELTC/Jonathan Nackstrand

Nick Kyrgios says he became addicted to pain during his battle with self-harm that lasted between 18 and 24 months.

 

In an exclusive interview with Piers Morgan Uncensored on TalkTV, the former Wimbledon finalist spoke about his mental health issues. Kyrgios has previously spoken publically about the topic but has now revealed further details about the extent he went through and the role Andy Murray played in supporting him. He was admitted to a psychiatric ward in London and contemplated suicide following the 2019 Wimbledon Championships.

“It was pretty dark to be honest,” Kyrgios told Morgan. “I won tournaments on the professional tour, drinking every night, self-harming, burning things on my arm, cutting myself for fun. It became an addiction of pain. I hated myself. I hated waking up and being Nick Kyrgios.”

One of those who tried to help the Australian address his self-harm problem was three-time Grand Slam champion Murray who noticed cuts on Kyrgios’ arms during one of their practice sessions four years ago. According to The Times, the former world No.1 then alerted Kyrgios’ manager John Morris about the cuts.

Paying tribute to the Brit, Kyrgios says Murray has supported him throughout his career. The 28-year-old has been ranked as high as 13th in the world and has won seven ATP titles. Besides his run to the Wimbledon final last year, he has also reached the quarter-final stage of a major on three other occasions.

“Andy was always a big supporter of me,” Kyrgios said. “As soon as I came on the tour, he kind of saw a work in progress and took me under his wing. Then he realised later in my career that I don’t think I was coachable or I was on my own path, but he was always someone that was looking out for me.
“He saw it [the self-harm] and he said, ‘What’s that on your arm?’ It was pretty bad at that stage. Andy obviously was trying to give me advice on it. But I was just so stuck in my ways at that time that I didn’t listen. Obviously I’m very thankful. I thank him a lot.”

Kyrgios, who has only played one match on the Tour this season due to injury, hopes that he can help others by speaking publicly about his mental health battle. Something he describes as ‘the most powerful thing in his career.’

“I feel like I’ve helped so many people after I opened up about it and put it on social media,” Kyrgios said.
“I’ve almost been a beacon for people who are struggling. When they feel like they’re overwhelmed and they’re going towards drinking, drugs and stuff, they open up and they feel like I’m relatable.
“That’s been the most powerful thing in my career; people coming to me with genuine issues.
“They send me photos in my Instagram, direct messages, self-harming and genuinely wanting to commit suicide.
“I have conversations with these people. Sometimes I’ve had phone calls with these people. That’s making a real difference and I’m just really proud.”

Kyrgios recently had a stint in broadcasting after working for The Tennis channel during the ATP Finals in Milan. He is continuing his rehab from injury but it is unclear as to when he will make his return to professional tennis.

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Hamad Medjedovic earns first place in Red Group at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah

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Hamad Medjedovic beat Abdullah Shelbayh 3-4 (6-8) 4-2 4-3 (7-5) 4-2 to earn first place in the Red Group with a perfect 3-0 record at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah. 

 

Medjedovic needed to win at least one set to reach the semifinals, while Shelbayh needed to win the match in three or four sets. Luca Van Assche qualified as the second-placed player from the Red Group.

Medjedovic will face Dominic Stricker in the semifinal, while Van Assche takes on Arthur Fils.  

Medjedovic fired 18 aces and won 88 % of his first-serve points. He saved all three break points against Shelbayh. 

Medjedovic fired a tournament-leading 45 aces and was broken twice. 

Medjedovic saved three break points to hold serve in the fourth game of the first set. Shelbayh went up a mini-break twice, but Medjedovic pulled back on serve both times. Shelbayh won the final three points to clinch the tie-break 8-6. Both players went on serve in the first five games before Medjedovic earned the break to win the second set 4-2. 

The third set went on serve with no break points en route to the tie-break. Shelbayh earned the first mini-break to take a 3-2 lead. Medjedovic pulled back on serve to draw level to 3-3. The Serbian player earned a second mini-break to close out the tie-break 7-5. 

Medjedovic started the fourth set with an early break in the first game. He held on his next service games and sealed the win on his first match point. 

Medjedovic set up a semifinal match against Dominic Stricker. Luc Van Assche will face Arthur Fils in an all-French semifinal.“It was a great match. I played really good after the first set He is a very good friend of mine. He is a very good player and obviously the crowd here loves him and I respect that. It was a pleasure to play in front of the crowd”, said Medjedovic. 

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Dominic Stricker cruises past Luca Nardi at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah

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Third seed Dominic Stricker cruised past Luca Nardi 4-1 4-1 4-2 in 54 minutes in the fastest match in the history of the Next Gen Finals at the Next Gen ATP Finals at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah bouncing back from his defeat in the first match against Flavio Cobolli on Tuesday. 

 

Stricker converted four of his six break points and hit 13 winners, including 3 aces. 

Stricker came back from 15-40 down in the first game after two double faults from Nardi and broke serve with a return winner on the deciding point to take a 1-0 lead. The world number 94 saved three break-back-back points in the second game from 15-40 down before breaking for the second time in the fifth game to win the first set 4-1. 

Stricker broke serve at 30 in the second game of the second set and held serve at love in the third game to race out to a 3-0 lead. Stricker served it out on his second set point. 

Stricker earned an early break in the first game of the third set on the deciding point and held his next service games. Nardi saved the first match point but he hit his backhand into the net on the second match point after the longest rally of the match. 

“We had a long discussion yesterday evening about how to do it today. I think it was really good that we talked a lot after what maybe was not my best performance. Now to come out today like that, I think nobody expected that. I am just happy that I did it and now I am going to try my best to recover for the third group match”, said Stricker. Stricker is now 1-1 in Green Group. The Swiss player is aiming to reach his second consecutive semifinal at the Next Gen Finals. He is looking to crown a good year after reaching the fourth round at the US Open. 

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