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Ferrero Focused On Zverev’s Long-Term Growth

  • Posted: Jan 19, 2018

Ferrero Focused On Zverev’s Long-Term Growth

Zverev seeks his first appearance in the fourth round at Melbourne Park

Alexander Zverev’s 2017 season was the definition of an eruption. The 20-year-old talent went from a very respectable 24th in the ATP Rankings at the start of the year to fourth at the end of it, finishing behind only Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Nitto ATP Finals champion Grigor Dimitrov.

Coach Juan Carlos Ferrero knows what it takes to expand on that, to get to the top, and to win a Grand Slam. The 2003 Roland Garros champion and former World No.1 is keen on keeping Zverev on track and not skipping steps in the young player’s growth process.

“Sascha’s goal is to keep growing and, in order to grow, [he] needs to keep playing matches and experiencing things — both good and bad,” Ferrero said. “In Spain, we say you go ‘from day to day and match by match.’ The immediate focus is on the next match; after that, it’s [to win] the tournament.”

When it came to winning both matches and tournaments, Zverev didn’t miss out on many opportunities in 2017: The German triumphed in Montpellier, Munich, Washington, D.C., the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 in Rome and the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 in Montreal.

Despite those accomplishments, Zverev is eager for more — specifically, better performances at Grand Slam events. His best result to date at a major event was a fourth-round loss to Milos Raonic at Wimbledon in 2017.

“I think improving on the Grand Slam performances is one thing [to work on],” Zverev said. “The furthest I got was to the fourth round of Wimbledon. A lot of times it wasn’t because I played badly, but because I played very good opponents; I lost to [Rafael] Nadal. I lost to Milos Raonic at Wimbledon. Both times in five sets. That’s nothing to worry about too much. But obviously that’s one goal for me this year.”

Not reaching a goal is never easy to digest. That’s where Ferrero has stepped in. Where Zverev might look at the negatives in a loss, Ferrero, aware of Zverev’s standard for excellence, redirects his pupil’s attention to the positives. The Nitto ATP Finals was a particular case.

“It was his first time playing in London. The objective was to get to the semi-finals but after the match against Federer, Zverev was listed as the favorite over [Jack] Sock,” Ferrero said. “Being the favorite just doesn’t benefit you. That was an intense match and you could tell Zverev wasn’t experienced in handling those situations.

“Sascha is a perfectionist; he likes to train a lot, he’s very professional in everything he does, which makes losing that much harder to swallow. No one likes losing. He’s bothered by defeat but that also makes him think, it makes him grow and makes him understand the importance of having a team around him, with a lot of experience.”

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If not knowing how to lose is Zverev’s biggest issue, then Ferrero is ready to fix that.

“That’s something normal because he’s only 20 years old and not knowing how to lose won’t hurt him in the long run,” Ferrero said. “In difficult matches, you have to adjust and learn how to play as though it’s a training match and handle the tension that way.”

The pressure that comes with competing in the spotlight and under high expectations are also matters that Ferrero is equipped to deal with.

“Being in constant focus at this age isn’t easy,” Ferrero said. “It’s a day-to-day burden because now, in every tournament and in the Grand Slams, it becomes a matter of ‘let’s see if he wins.’ That’s not easy to cope with. As a team, we try to create a bubble around him, so these things don’t affect him as much.

As for Saturday at the Australian Open, Ferrero expects a tough outing against inaugural #NextGenATP champion Hyeon Chung. The Korean holds a FedEx ATP Head2Head advantage over Zverev, 1-0. Ferrero knows the contest will be a tricky one for his charge.

“Chung is a difficult player to defeat,” Ferrero said. He’s a very rubbery player who plays a level game and it makes things uncomfortable. Still, we have a good feeling about this.

“The early rounds of a Grand Slam are never easy, but Sascha will benefit most from reaching the third or fourth round. His match tomorrow is hard and if he wins, he’ll have to play Albert [Ramos] or [Novak] Djokovic. But [Zverev] learns from these situations. Let’s see how it goes.”

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Will Smith Hitch-es Up With Tennis' Fresh Prince Kyrgios

  • Posted: Jan 19, 2018

Will Smith Hitch-es Up With Tennis’ Fresh Prince Kyrgios

Star actor watches Kyrgios defeat Tsonga to advance to the fourth round

Hollywood seems to have moved to Melbourne Park — for the fortnight, at least.

After Will Ferrell made several appearances at the Australian Open earlier in the week, fellow actor Will Smith watched the tennis on Rod Laver Arena Friday evening, as Nick Kyrgios thrilled the home crowd by ousting No. 15 seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in four sets.

“That was amazing. No joke, he’s like my favourite actor,” Kyrgios said. “I get asked if one person were acting your life, I’d always pick him. It was surreal seeing him tonight.”

Kyrgios still watches Smith’s television show “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and says Smith stars in his two favorite movies, “Focus” and “Seven Pounds”. The right-hander even chatted with him intermittently in the third set.

“Every time he got shown on the screen, they cheered louder for him than any of the shots we were making,” Kyrgios said. “I was like, ‘Man, you may as well just stay out here, they probably enjoy that more than the tennis’. I said, ‘I watched a load of your movies a bunch of times’. It was pretty cringe, but it broke the ice.”

Former World No. 1 Jim Courier spoke to Smith during the match, and he was impressed by what he was seeing in his first Grand Slam visit, especially from Kyrgios.

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“I love, he does this little bow in his wrist I love, it looks like a power thing,” Smith said. “I don’t know a lot about tennis, but watching him I was like man, I think I might have to take this up a little bit!”

Courier asked Kyrgios on court after the match how he felt seeing the actor in attendance.

“When I saw him [Smith] out here, I was so nervous, no joke,” Kyrgios said. “I was like ‘Oh my God’, people think I’m cool but I just wanted him to think I was like the coolest person ever!”

Smith smiled, and gave the Aussie a big thumbs up. Kyrgios beat his idol Tsonga and got props from his favourite actor — not bad for a night’s work.

“I shook hands with Jo at the net. He was like, ‘Great match’. I was kind of staring at him. I didn’t really say anything. He kind of just smiled, kind of embraced me,” Kyrgios remembered. “I was nervous for both honestly. I was nervous for both of them.”

Much to Kyrgios’ delight, the 22-year-old got to meet Smith after the match.

“He was really nice,” Kyrgios said. “He was really genuine. Yeah, it was nice to meet him.”

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Ostapenko suffers shock defeat but Wozniacki goes through

  • Posted: Jan 19, 2018
2018 Australian Open
Dates: 15-28 January Venue: Melbourne Park
Coverage: Watch highlights on BBC Two, the BBC Sport website and app. Live commentary on the best matches on BBC Radio 5 live, 5 live sports extra and online.

World number seven Jelena Ostapenko was beaten by Estonia’s Anett Kontaveit in the third round of the Australian Open.

The French Open champion suffered a 6-3 1-6 6-3 defeat by world number 33 Kontaveit in one hour and 53 minutes.

Kontaveit, who has reached the fourth round for the first time in Melbourne, will next play Spain’s world number 39 Carla Suarez Navarro.

Elsewhere, second seed Caroline Wozniacki reached the last 16 with a straightforward win over Kiki Bertens.

Wozniacki beat her Dutch opponent 6-4 6-3, saving four break points in the final game before serving out the match.

The Dane will next face Slovakia’s Magdalena Rybarikova.

  • Edmund defies heat to win in five sets
  • Fifteen-year-old Kostyuk’s dream run ends
  • Live scores, schedule and results

Ostapenko’s exit means that Angelique Kerber and Maria Sharapova – who play each other on Saturday – are the only two Grand Slam champions remaining in the women’s draw.

There were 11 double faults in a scrappy affair on Margaret Court Arena, with Latvia’s Ostapenko losing all five of her service games in the first set.

Ostapenko took a medical timeout before the second set for treatment on her thigh and she found enough rhythm to take the game into a third set.

Despite some solid defence from Ostapenko, Kontaveit got the decisive break before winning eight of the final 10 points of the match to claim victory.

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Australian Open: Nick Kyrgios beats Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to make last 16

  • Posted: Jan 19, 2018

Nick Kyrgios kept home hopes very much alive in the men’s singles at the Australian Open with victory over France’s Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

The 22-year-old 17th seed beat 15th seed Tsonga 7-6 (7-5) 4-6 7-6 (8-6) 7-6 (7-5) in the third round.

Kyrgios goes on to face Bulgarian third seed Grigor Dimitrov in the last 16.

On a day when temperatures peaked in the afternoon at 40.2C, Kyrgios benefited from playing in the cooler night session.

Tsonga, 32, was one of the Australian’s childhood heroes and a finalist in Melbourne 10 years ago.

  • Edmund defies heat to win in five sets
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The Frenchman gave a serious examination of the man most likely to end Australia’s 32-year wait for a male champion, but Kyrgios held his nerve impressively in three tie-breaks.

“He is a great guy, a champion of the game, someone I looked up to as a kid,” said Kyrgios of his opponent afterwards.

“To be in the locker room with these guys, the first year especially, was surreal.

“Grigor Dimitrov is an amazing athlete who finished the year strongly last year, and the best-of-five sets might suit him. It will be a tough match.”

Match stats
Kyrgios Tsonga
28 Aces 28
3 Double faults 4
66 First serve % 69
79 Pts won behind first serve 87
1/4 Break points converted 2/5
54 Winners 70
142 Total points 144

The margins were slim between two of the game’s bigger servers – both men finished with 28 aces – a Tsonga double-fault handing over the first set, before a delicate drop shot earned him the only break of the second.

Both had their chances in the crucial third set tie-break but it was Kyrgios who took his first opportunity with a backhand return.

Break points went begging early in the fourth, with Kyrgios finding a superb second serve under pressure at 30-30, 4-5, before Tsonga looked to be forcing a fifth set when he led 5-2 in the third tie-break.

A knee issue then looked to disrupt him and Kyrgios took full advantage, reeling off five points in a row to seal victory.

Tsonga was asked after the match about an altercation he had with a spectator in the third set, which prompted a furious response from the Frenchman.

“The guy was talking to me and telling me, ‘You are under pressure now, you are under pressure now,’ when I was bouncing my balls,” he said.

“That’s it. I lost it and I drive a little bit crazy. You know, it’s not fair. It’s not fair. But that’s it.

“The guy was feeling safe because he was upstairs. I just tell him, ‘Come now to see if you feel the pressure or not.’ That’s it.”

‘The heat didn’t scare me’

Dimitrov earlier came through a tough match against 30th seed Andrey Rublev in the heat of the afternoon.

The Bulgarian needed over three hours to win 6-3 4-6 6-4 6-4 on Rod Laver Arena.

“These are most important matches when things are not working and I am able to find a way,” Dimitrov, 26, said.

“Physically I am feeling good and the heat didn’t scare me. That is a good sign.”

Asked about the prospect of facing Kyrgios, and the majority of the crowd, Dimitrov said: “I’ve done it many times before.

“I’ve played against the local, so to speak. That’s part of the game.”

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Rafael Nadal coasts past Damir Dzumhur and into Australian Open last 16

  • Posted: Jan 19, 2018

World number one Rafael Nadal continued his straightforward progress through the Australian Open with a 6-1 6-3 6-1 win over Bosnia’s Damir Dzumhur.

The 31-year-old, who has won only one of his 16 Grand Slam titles in Australia, wrapped up his third-round victory in an hour and 50 minutes.

The Spaniard is yet to drop a set so far in the tournament and will face Argentine Diego Schwartzman next.

Nadal has won all three of his previous matches against the world number 26.

The Spaniard is seeded to meet Marin Cilic in the quarter-finals before a last-four meeting with Grigor Dimitrov and a final against Roger Federer.

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  • Live scores, schedule and results

Dzumhur never looked like derailing those plans, slipping 5-0 down in the opening set and offering up a total of 16 break points in the face of constant Nadal pressure.

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Albot/Chung Upset Kontinen/Peers In Melbourne

  • Posted: Jan 19, 2018

Albot/Chung Upset Kontinen/Peers In Melbourne

Ninth seeds Lopez & Lopez fall in the second round

Radu Albot and Hyeon Chung, the Next Gen ATP Finals titlist, scored a massive upset in the Australian Open doubles second round on Friday when they knocked out defending champions Henri Kontinen and John Peers 6-4, 7-6(5) in one hour and 35 minutes.

Marginally stronger on serve, Albot and Chung survived a power barrage from the second seeds, who struck 29 winners, to convert one of their three break point opportunities for a place in the third round. They now await the winners of 15th seeds Marcin Matkowski and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi, and Robert Lindstedt and Franko Skugor.

Elsewhere, sixth seeds Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan, who lost to Kontinen and Peers in the 2017 title match, earned another hard-fought victory over Max Mirnyi and Philipp Oswald 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-4. It was their 70th match win overall at Melbourne Park (70-12). The six-time former champions, seeking their first Australian Open crown since 2013, will now face Australians Nick Kyrgios and Matt Reid or Frenchmen Jeremy Chardy and Fabrice Martin.

In-form seventh seeds Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic, who are competing together at the Australian Open for the first time, got the better of Wesley Koolhof and Artem Sitak 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-4. Marach and Pavic captured back-to-back ATP World Tour crowns at the start of the 2018 season at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open (d. Murray/Soares) and the ASB Classic (d. Mirnyi-Oswald). They will next challenge No. 10 seeds Rohan Bopanna and Edouard Roger-Vasselin.

Another seeded team joining Kontinen and Peers, this year’s Brisbane International presented by Suncorp titlists, on the sidelines on day five were ninth-seeded Spaniards Feliciano Lopez and Marc Lopez. They lost to Ben Mclachlan and Jan-Lennard Struff 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.

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Svitolina ends 15-year-old Kostyuk's dream run

  • Posted: Jan 19, 2018
2018 Australian Open
Dates: 15-28 January Venue: Melbourne Park
Coverage: Watch highlights on BBC Two, the BBC Sport website and app from 20 January. Live commentary on the best matches on BBC Radio and online.

Ukrainian fourth seed Elina Svitolina outclassed 15-year-old compatriot Marta Kostyuk to reach the Australian Open fourth round.

Svitolina, 23, won 6-2 6-2 in 59 minutes against world number 521 Kostyuk.

The youngest player since 1997 to reach the third round of a Grand Slam, Kostyuk was aiming to be the youngest since 1996 to progress to the last 16.

Svitolina will play world number 130 Denisa Allertova in round four.

“It was sad that I was playing a Ukrainian girl,” said Svitolina. “It’s always difficult playing someone from your own country, but I’m happy that I’m still alive in this tournament.

“She’s a great fighter, she fought right until the end and has a great future.”

The Ukrainian pair’s match was played in 40C heat on Rod Laver Arena while France’s Alize Cornet had her blood pressure taken by a doctor during her defeat by Elise Mertens on the Hisense Arena.

  • Edmund battles extreme heat to reach fourth round
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