July is upon us and with it the third slam of the year as the pinnacle of the grass season begins on Monday. Defending champion …
Photo Ray Giubilo Defending champion Serena Williams will not be at this year’s Wimbledon due to her pregnancy,…
Novak Djokovic remained unbeaten on the grass to win his second ATP World Tour title of the season on Saturday, beating Frenchman Gael Monfils 6-3, 6-4 in 76 minutes at the Aegon International in Eastbourne.
Djokovic captures his first title since January, when he beat World No. 1 Andy Murray to kick off the 2017 ATP World Tour season at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open. The title is a positive step for the Serbian, who has since fallen to No. 4 in the Emirates ATP Rankings and was a late wild-card entry into the ATP World Tour 250 in Eastbourne.
Djokovic now heads to Wimbledon, which starts on Monday, on a four-match winning streak and full of confidence as he prepares to compete for the title at the All England Club. Djokovic is a three-time champion at the grass-court Grand Slam.
If Djokovic goes on to win his fourth Wimbledon crown, he will become the first player to win an ATP World Tour title and a Grand Slam title in consecutive weeks since Patrick Rafter swept Long Island and the US Open in 1998. Djokovic will receive 250 Emirates ATP Rankings points and €113,330 in prize money.
Monfils was trying to beat Djokovic for the first time since a Futures event on clay in Bergamo, Italy, in April 2004. Coming into Saturday, the Frenchman was 0-13 against the Serbian in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series, and Djokovic controlled the match from the start, breaking in the opening game and to close out the first set.
Although Monfils brought pace and swung aggressively throughout the match, Djokovic was more clutch in the biggest moments, again breaking Monfils to finish the match. The Belgrade native saved all three break points and won 76 per cent of his first-serve points. Monfils will receive 150 Emirates ATP Rankings points and €59,690 in prize money.
Roger Federer says ‘Big Four’ rivals Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal will still pose a major threat to his Wimbledon hopes, despite questions around each of them.
The Swiss, 35, is the bookmakers’ favourite to regain the title he last won in 2012.
Defending champion Murray is struggling to recover from a hip injury.
“If he’s anything close to 100% physically, I consider him one of the big favourites,” said Federer.
“It’s that simple. It’s the same for Novak and the same for Rafa.”
Djokovic, a three-time champion, won only his second title of the year in Eastbourne on Saturday after a poor 12 months by his standards.
Nadal returns to Wimbledon for the first time since 2015, after missing last year through injury.
Murray heads into the tournament without a win on grass this year after losing in the first round at Queen’s Club, and was hobbling during practice sessions at the All England Club on Friday and Saturday.
“I think it’s very even when we put it all out on the line,” said seven-time champion Federer.
“Everybody has their own little story right now.
“For me, everything that happened sort of before – Queen’s for Andy, whatever – doesn’t matter so much.
“I feel like Andy’s one of the best players in the first week at Wimbledon, so I don’t worry too much for him there. He can play himself into shape hopefully for week two.
“Novak is just coming back from winning Eastbourne now. Rafa is coming in red hot from the clay.
“So I see it positive for them rather than negative in some shape, which I’m sure people will try to see that way.”
Nadal, 31, has not been past the fourth round at Wimbledon since 2011 and won the last of his two titles in 2010, but arrives fully fit and having just clinched a record 10th French Open.
“I am excited to be playing here again, in a tournament that I really love, I really enjoy playing,” said the Spaniard, who plays Australian John Millman on Monday.
“At the same time, I tell you, it’s a tournament that you can go out of very early.
“But if I am able to go through at the beginning, I think I am with confidence. I am playing well since the beginning of the season, so let’s see.”
Angelique Kerber has replaced Serena Williams as the world number one since reaching last year’s final, but her form has slumped in 2017 and she is in danger of losing top spot after Wimbledon.
The German, 29, plays Irina Falconi of the US in her opening match.
“I’m starting from zero here,” said Kerber. “My mind is just day by day here, like last year.
“I will not put the pressure too high. I’m already so long the number one, I will try, of course, to keep it.
“But at the end, I am here to play round by round and focusing only on my matches, not about the numbers or the rankings, the points I have to defend, or whatever.”
Two-time champion Petra Kvitova will be the centre of much attention as she continues her remarkable comeback following a knife attack in December.
The Czech, 27, suffered lacerations to her playing hand and it was feared she might never play again.
On the contrary, Kvitova returned ahead of schedule at the French Open, and then won only the second tournament she played since her comeback, on the Birmingham grass last week.
“I’m not sure if it is the result of what happened, but maybe I feel a bit fearless because of what happened,” said Kvitova, who opens against Johanna Larsson of Sweden.
“I find out what’s important and what is not. Sometimes I’m thinking on the court that I already won the biggest fight, and if I fight in the match, it doesn’t matter if I win the last point or lost. I will still be happy to play.”
| Wimbledon 2017 on the BBC |
|---|
| Venue: All England Club Dates: 3-16 July Starts: 11:30 BST |
| Live: Coverage across BBC TV, BBC Radio and BBC Sport website with further coverage on Red Button, Connected TVs and app. Click for full times. |
Novak Djokovic proved his form for Wimbledon by beating Gael Monfils 6-3 6-4 to win the Aegon International.
The three-time Wimbledon winner has had a below-par season but did not drop a set in his first Eastbourne appearance.
It was the 12-time Grand Slam champion’s first title since January and the 68th of his career.
Djokovic, who was playing the week before Wimbledon for the first time since 2010, will play Slovakia’s Martin Klizan in the first round next week.
“This is the best possible preparation for Wimbledon so hopefully I can go on from here,” the 30-year-old said.
The Serb also confirmed that his friend and former player Mario Ancic would join his coaching team, along with Andre Agassi, at Wimbledon.
Djokovic controlled the final from the start, breaking Monfils’ serve in the opening game and again in the first set’s final game.
The second set was closely contested but the former world number one broke the Frenchman in what turned out to be the final game to seal victory in 76 minutes.
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The five best shots from Karolina Pliskova’s 6-4 6-4 win over Caroline Wozniacki to win the Aegon International at Eastbourne and underline her Wimbledon credentials.
| Wimbledon 2017 on the BBC |
|---|
| Venue: All England Club Dates: 3-16 July Starts: 11:30 BST |
| Live: Coverage across BBC TV, BBC Radio and BBC Sport website with further coverage on Red Button, Connected TVs and app. Click for full times. |
The BBC will continue to show live coverage of the Aegon International women’s tournament at Eastbourne until at least 2024.
The women’s grass court event at Devonshire Park was first held in 1974 and traditionally attracts the top female players before Wimbledon.
Free to air tournament coverage will remain on TV, radio and online.
World number three Karolina Pliskova beat ex-world number one Caroline Wozniacki in this year’s final.
Among the legendary former winners are Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, Virginia Wade, Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters.
Oliver Scadgell, the Lawn Tennis Association’s director of major events, said: “The support of the BBC in taking our sport to a wide audience helps us to capitalise on the success we have seen in the professional game, most notably from the likes of Andy Murray and Johanna Konta, and to get more people playing tennis, more often.”
| Wimbledon 2017 on the BBC |
|---|
| Venue: All England Club Dates: 3-16 July Starts: 11:30 BST |
| Live: Coverage across BBC TV, BBC Radio and BBC Sport website with further coverage on Red Button, Connected TVs and app. Click for full times. |
World number three Karolina Pliskova beat Caroline Wozniacki 6-4 6-4 to win the Aegon International at Eastbourne for the first time.
Pliskova, who had a bye into the final after Britain’s Johanna Konta pulled out with injury, took the first set with a single break of serve.
Sixth seed Wozniacki fought hard in the second set but Pliskova’s serve was too strong as the Czech sealed victory.
“Hopefully I can go far at Wimbledon,” the 26-year-old told BBC Sport.
“I think my service is definitely my biggest weapon and if it’s working it causes the other player a lot of problems.”
The last Czech player to win the Eastbourne title was Jana Novotna in 1998, who then went on to triumph at Wimbledon two weeks later.
Former British number one Sam Smith on BBC One
There was a little wobble in the second set but Pliskova came through it well and will now be installed as the favourite for Wimbledon.
She is becoming a serial winner, she’s tougher mentally and physically now, and has a great game for grass.
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Top seeds defeat Bopanna/Sa in Friday final
Top seeds Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan completed a marathon 48 hours of tennis to take the doubles title on Friday at the Aegon International in Eastbourne. After winning two matches on Thursday and a semi-final earlier on Friday, they downed Rohan Bopanna and Andre Sa 6-7(4), 6-4, 10-3 in an entertaining final.
The win gives the Bryan brothers a staggering 113th ATP World Tour doubles title and their first of the season. They last prevailed at Eastbourne in 2003 (d. Eagle/Palmer). Their last title came in May 2016 at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event in Rome. Fittingly, their latest victory comes after Bryan/Bryan reunited last month at Roland Garros with coach David Macpherson. They pick up 250 Emirates ATP Doubles Rankings point and split $34,430
Bopanna/Sa were making their team debut this week. Bopanna has won titles this year in Chennai (w/Nedunchezhiyan) and the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event in Monte-Carlo (w/Cuevas), while Sa prevailed on home soil in Sao Paulo (w/Dutra Silva). Bopanna/Sa earn 150 Emirates ATP Doubles Rankings points and split a cheque for $18,100.
Rain throughout the week forced the semi-finals and final to be played on Friday. Bryan/Bryan opened the day with a 7-6(1), 6-4 win over Andre Begemann and Andres Molteni, while Bopanna/Sa defeated Robin Haase and Dominic Inglot 7-6(4), 3-6, 11-9.
In the championship match, both teams traded service holds throughout the opening set, but Bopanna/Sa went on a three-point run at 4/4 in the tie-break to take the early advantage. The Bryans responded by earning the lone break of the match at 2-1 in the second set, then storming through the Match Tie-break to finish as the last team standing.