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Thiem, Berdych Launch 2018 Season In Doha

  • Posted: Dec 31, 2017

Thiem, Berdych Launch 2018 Season In Doha

Thiem is coming off his second consecutive appearance at the Nitto ATP Finals

Dominic Thiem and Tomas Berdych had a career-first experience to kick off the 2018 Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha.

Thiem and Berdych hit a few balls at the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development on Sunday night. The foundation is a private, non-profit organization that “strives to nurture the future leaders of Qatar”.

“[It was a] very good welcome to Doha… very nice special effects and a good atmosphere to play in,” Thiem said.

You May Also Like: Murray Eager To Test Hip During Brisbane Match Play

The Austrian, who finished his 2017 season by making his second appearance at the Nitto ATP Finals in London, is also making his second showing in Doha. In 2013, Thiem qualified but fell in the first round to Belgian Peter Gojowczyk.

Thiem, the World No. 5 and top seed, opens against Russian Evgeny Donskoy at 5:30 p.m. local time on Monday. It will be their first FedEx ATP Head2Head encounter.

Donskoy famously upset Roger Federer at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships last season. The stunner was one of the upsets of the year.

Thiem and Berdych

Thiem is going for his second ATP World Tour hard-court title and his ninth overall. On hard courts, he also won 2016 Acapulco title. His seven other crowns have come on clay courts.

Berdych also enjoyed visiting the foundation. “It was really nice. It was good to be a part of that,” he said.

The 32-year-old is beginning his 17th year on the ATP World Tour. He ended his 2017 season in October after suffering a back injury at the China Open in Beijing. But Berdych, No. 19, still finished inside the Top 20 of the Emirates ATP Rankings for the 12th consecutive season (2006-2017).

Read More: 30 Things To Watch In Week One

“It feels that it’s been very fast. Time flies so quickly but I still find myself enjoying it and that’s the most important thing. So let’s go again and let’s make it another good year,” Berdych said.

The third seed opens against German Jan-Lennard Struff. Berdych won their lone FedEx ATP Head2Head encounter at 2017 Roland Garros.

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Murray Eager To Test Hip During Brisbane Match Play

  • Posted: Dec 31, 2017

Murray Eager To Test Hip During Brisbane Match Play

Scot is the second seed in Brisbane

Andy Murray wants to enjoy playing again as he returns to competitive tennis this week at the Brisbane International presented by Suncorp for the first time since Wimbledon.

The 2016 year-end No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings was forced to shut down his 2017 ATP World Tour season after Wimbledon due to a hip injury. The Scot has seen his ranking drop to No. 16, his lowest position since May 2008.

Still recovering from the hip troubles that forced him to miss the second half of the 2017 season, Murray expressed his desire to get back to playing matches on the ATP World Tour.

“I want to enjoy playing again. I’ve really missed it the last six months or so.

“I just want to be able to play tennis. I don’t mind if it’s No. 30 in the world level. I would love it to be No. 1 in the world level, but I just want to play. When that’s taken away from you, you realise how important it is,” he said.

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Murray, a two-time champion in Brisbane (2012-13), has a perfect 9-0 record at the Queensland event. And both triumphs led to appearances in the latter stages of the Australian Open. In 2012, Murray reached the semi-final in Melbourne before falling to Novak Djokovic, and in 2013, the Scot made the Australian Open final before again coming up short against Djokovic.

Despite concerns surrounding Murray’s troublesome hip, the second seed in Brisbane expressed confidence about his ability to take to the court against the winner of Monday’s first-round match between Ryan Harrison and Leonardo Mayer.

“Unless something happens the next couple of days that goes wrong, I don’t see myself not playing because of my hip right now,” Murray said. “What I feel is that I need to play matches to see exactly where it’s at. Kind of practising and stuff and doing everything in the gym is great but playing matches is what I need.”

Read More: Raonic Seeks The Right Formula In Return From Injury

The 45-time tour-level champion finds himself in a similar position to where he was four years ago, when he started his 2014 season. Murray was looking to regain form and fitness after back surgery brought his 2013 campaign to an early conclusion.

Now, at the age of 30, Murray revealed he may take a new approach to his 2018 schedule and beyond to preserve his health and increase longevity.

“At the end of the day, health is the most important thing… giving yourself breaks, especially as you start to get older, I think, is very important and something that I’ll certainly be looking to do for however long I keep playing.

“I’ll probably make some changes to my schedule this year. I’ll certainly play less than I have in the past to give my body time to rest and recover, which maybe I haven’t done.

“I wouldn’t say I necessarily played loads of tournaments or overplayed, but just the way the schedule is there’s not lots of breaks in the year. So I’ll probably change my schedule a bit this year.”

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Home Favourite Thrills On Season's Opening Day

  • Posted: Dec 31, 2017

Home Favourite Thrills On Season’s Opening Day

Dolgopolov upsets sixth-seeded Schwartzman

It did not take long for the thrills to begin in the 2018 ATP World Tour season.

Australian #NextGenATP contender Alex de Minaur put on a show for his home crowd on the final day of 2017, earning the best win of his young career by ranking, defeating World No. 44 Steve Johnson 7-6(7), 6-4 at the Brisbane International presented by Suncorp on Sunday.

The 18-year-old wild card saved five set points — two while serving at 5-6 and three more in the ensuing tie-break — in the opening set before riding the momentum to his third ATP World Tour victory.

“It was the best way to finish off the year. I couldn’t ask for more. I beat a high-quality opponent and I’m stoked,” said de Minaur, who is No. 208 in the Emirates ATP Rankings. “I think I showed how I can play today and it’s all about maintaining that level. So next up I’ve got a very quality opponent, so I’m going to look forward to battling with him and see what I can do there.”

Despite falling behind a break, 3-4, in the second set, de Minaur bounced back to break the 28-year-old American twice in a row to close out the match. He will face fourth-seeded Canadian Milos Raonic in the second round.

But the home favourite’s triumph was not the only interesting result on the first day of the 2018 campaign. Alexandr Dolgopolov upset sixth-seeded Diego Schwartzman 6-4, 7-6(3).

The Ukrainian avenged a 2016 loss (Buenos Aires) against the Argentine, winning the first main draw ATP World Tour match of the new season.

Dolgopolov did not face a break point in the opening set and looked in control when he broke and held for a 3-0 lead in the second set. Despite faltering at the finish line — he failed to serve out the battle at 5-3 — Dolgopolov recovered to advance to a second-round encounter against the winner of Horacio Zeballos and qualifier Ernesto Escobedo in one hour, 34 minutes.

Nitto ATP Finals champions Henri Kontinen and John Peers kicked off the new doubles campaign with a 7-6(3), 6-4 triumph over Canadians Raonic and Denis Shapovalov in 73 minutes, saving all six break points they faced.

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Andy Murray will be happy to be playing at '30 in the world level'

  • Posted: Dec 31, 2017

Former world number one Andy Murray says he doesn’t mind if he is playing at “30 in the world level” as he prepares to return from six months out.

The 30-year-old Briton’s ranking has dropped to 16th in the world having out since July with a hip injury.

Murray is set to make his return at the Brisbane International as he prepares for the Australian Open in January.

“Right now the hip is the only thing that is any concern. The rest of my body feels really good,” he said.

“I just want to enjoy playing again. I’ve really missed it the last six months or so.”

Murray lost a one-set exhibition match against Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut in Abu Dhabi on Friday prior to heading to Australia.

He has a first-round bye at the Brisbane International and has been drawn to play Ryan Harrison or Leonardo Mayer in the second round at a tournament intended to act as part of his warm-up for the Australian Open, which begins on 15 January.

Many of the leading men’s players have been affected by injuries recently, with Rafael Nadal, 31, missing the Brisbane tournament with a knee issue while Novak Djokovic, 30, withdrew from the Qatar Open because of the elbow problem that has kept him out since Wimbledon.

Murray says he intends to take more breaks from the ATP Tour as he gets older in a bid to avoid further injury.

“Certainly, when you miss a period, you realise how lucky you are to be doing this as a job,” he added.

“Giving yourself breaks, especially as you start to get older, I think, is very important and something that I’ll certainly be looking to do for however long I keep playing.

“For tennis as a sport, it’s not good when so many of the top players are injured and for extended periods.

“I certainly think it’s something that should be looked at and to understand why, what the reason for that is.”

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Raonic Seeks The Right Formula In Return From Injury

  • Posted: Dec 31, 2017

Raonic Seeks The Right Formula In Return From Injury

Former champion kicks off his 2018 campaign in Brisbane

Milos Raonic is the first to admit that 2017 did not go as planned. 

The injury-plagued Canadian shut down his season prematurely, after suffering a calf ailment in Tokyo in early October. Having also endured a partially torn hamstring and wrist surgery, Raonic was forced to withdraw from five events during the year. 

Now fully healthy and with a new team surrounding him, the 27-year-old is taking it one match at a time as the calendar flips to 2018. Raonic, who saw his position in the ATP Rankings fall to No. 24, has pressed the refresh button on his career as he targets a healthy campaign. His first stop: the Brisbane International presented by Suncorp.

“I’ve also had some time to really figure things out and hopefully find some answers to the big question of how to stay healthy,” Raonic told the assembled media in Brisbane. “I feel good. I feel like I’m taking all the right steps forward. Obviously, time can only tell if I have come up with the right approaches, the right methods and the things that are going work for me.

“I won’t know that for quite a long period of time, but I have confidence in the things I’m doing and the approach I’m  taking. And the things I’m hoping to do differently that can give me that possibility to be out on court a lot more than I have been over the last 18 or so months.

“It’s just about being there, healthy, to play as many matches and tournaments as possible as close to 100 per cent, where I’m not really being hindered by anything serious. Obviously, it’s impossible to play tennis without any kind of nagging discomfort, but there’s a difference between an injury and a discomfort.”

You May Also Like: 30 Things To Watch In Brisbane, Doha & Pune

Raonic, who reached a pair of finals on the ATP World Tour in 2017 – on the hard courts of Delray Beach and clay of Istanbul – is looking to return to his top form that saw him ascend to a career-high No. 3 in 2016.

The Canadian will turn to new coach Javier Piles and a revamped fitness team to guide him into the new season. Piles, who worked with David Ferrer for more than 15 years, was hired by Raonic in October. The Canadian recently parted ways with longtime coach Riccardo Piatti.

“For now I’m just with Javier Piles at the moment, and he’s helped me out on the coaching front,” Raonic added. “Pretty much everybody on my team is new at this moment. Avi is managing the fitness side of things and then I’m using different guys here and there for physios. That’s still sort of up in the air.

“I think it’s more that to lower the intensity of the days that I’m training and to actually take less days off. So I’m doing more things throughout the year where my body is not really having many days where it completely stops. So it’s continuously moving and doing something that could be productive to progress.”

View Brisbane Draw

Right now, Raonic is hoping to play as many matches as possible in the early stages of the season, as he looks to build his stamina and rediscover his confidence. Raonic returns to Brisbane as the fourth seed, having lifted the trophy in 2016. He opens against American Steve Johnson or Aussie teen Alex de Minaur, with second seed Andy Murray looming in his half of the draw.

“Playing lots of matches means you’re winning and staying healthy. I think those are really the big questions I’m trying to answer and see and take from, because I don’t have a lot of data to survey from the last few months on the progress and the things I’ve been trying to do.

“I think if you win a lot of matches, you get closer. I think at this moment I’m just taking one step at a time and trying to deal with it as each challenge comes.”

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30 Things To Watch In Brisbane, Doha & Pune

  • Posted: Dec 31, 2017

30 Things To Watch In Brisbane, Doha & Pune

An executive summary of what every fan should know about the coming week on the ATP World Tour

The 2018 ATP World Tour season gets underway with a trio of tournaments, as today’s stars descend on Brisbane, Doha and Pune. Reigning Nitto ATP Finals champion Grigor Dimitrov is the top seed and defending champion at the Brisbane International presented by Suncorp, while Dominic Thiem leads the field at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open and Marin Cilic leads the pack at the Tata Open Maharashtra.

View Draws: Brisbane | Doha | Pune

10 THINGS TO WATCH IN BRISBANE
(1) 2018 Begins in Brisbane: The 2018 ATP World Tour kicks off with the 10th Brisbane International presented by Suncorp, where main draw play begins on New Year’s Eve. World No. 3 and Nitto ATP Finals champion Grigor Dimitrov, two-time Brisbane winner and 2016 year-end World No. 1 Andy Murray and top Aussie Nick Kyrgios are the Top 3 seeds. 

(2) From Australia to The O2: Dimitrov started and ended 2017 as a champion, defeating three Top 10 players en route to the Brisbane title and five Top 10 players to earn his most prestigious trophy at the Nitto ATP Finals. The Bulgarian is back in Brisbane at a career-high No. 3.

(3) Pair Of Returns: Not only is Murray making a comeback on the ATP World Tour, but the Scot returns to Brisbane for the first time since defeating Dimitrov to defend his title in 2013. Murray is No. 16 in the ATP Rankings — the same spot that Federer started 2017 from before ending the year at No. 2. Murray has not played on tour since the Wimbledon quarter-finals on 12 July due to a hip injury.

(4) Comeback Kids: Other seeded players returning from injury are Kyrgios (left hip), Milos Raonic (right calf) and Gilles Muller (left elbow). Raonic was the 2016 Brisbane champion.

(5) Size of the Heart: No. 6 seed Diego Schwartzman entered 2017 with 31 tour-level victories. He ended it with 39 more, breaking into the Top 50 and the Top 25. Schwartzman defeated then-No. 7 Marin Cilic at the US Open, where he became the shortest Grand Slam quarter-finalist in 23 years.

(6) Out with a Bang: In his last tournament as a #NextGenATP player, 21-year-old Hyeon Chung went 5-0 at the inaugural Next Gen ATP Finals. Chung earned a career-high $390,000 for his efforts, which began with a come-from-behind win over fellow Brisbane entrant Denis Shapovalov.

(7) Sophomore Shapo: Shapovalov followed in Chung’s footsteps when he was named the Most Improved Player of the Year in the 2017 ATP World Tour Awards presented by Moët & Chandon, an award that the South Korean won in 2015. Shapovalov’s rookie season included a win over Nadal in Montreal, where the 18-year-old Canadian became the youngest ATP World Tour Masters 1000 quarter-finalist and semi-finalist in the 28-year history of the series.

(8) #NextGenATP Watch: Shapovalov is the youngest player (18) in the main draw and he is joined by fellow teenagers American Frances Tiafoe (19) and Aussie wild card Alex de Minaur (18).

(9) Homecoming King: Brisbane native John Millman returns home as a wild card this week. Millman made his ATP World Tour debut (2010) and earned his first win (2013) in Brisbane, also pushing Murray and Federer to three sets through the years. He ended 2017 with an ATP Challenger Tour title at Hua Hin, Thailand. 

(10) Where It All Began: Fellow Aussie John Peers and Henri Kontinen are back where their budding partnership began. Kontinen and Peers won the 2016 Brisbane title in their team debut and are 10-1 overall in finals, including titles at the 2017 Australian Open and 2016 & 2017 Nitto ATP Finals. Former No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt is a doubles wild card with Jordan Thompson.

Read Brisbane Draw Preview

10 THINGS TO WATCH IN DOHA
(1) 250 of the Year: The ATP rings in the new year Monday with the award-winning Qatar ExxonMobil Open. Selected by players as the 2017 ATP World Tour 250 Tournament of the Year, Doha is the only of 40 events at the 250-level won by the Big Four of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray. 

(2) Rising Stars: Dominic Thiem and Pablo Carreno Busta ended 2017 at No. 5 and No. 10 respectively in the ATP Rankings. They are the Top 2 seeds in Doha, where both are seeking their first tournament win in their second appearance respectively. Thiem’s lone hard court title came at 2016 Acapulco while Carreno Busta won hard court titles in 2016 Winston-Salem and Moscow.

(3) Thiem’s Travails: Much of Thiem’s success in 2017 came on clay, where he went 24-5 with two semi-final finishes, two finals and one title. The Austrian was 25-22 overall and 0-6 in quarter-finals not on clay. Thiem is 3-12 lifetime in Asia with a first-round loss to Peter Gojowczyk at 2014 Doha.

(4) Along Those Lines: After falling to Thiem in the Rio de Janeiro final, Carreno Busta reached his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 semi-final at Indian Wells and Grand Slam semi-final at the US Open. But the Spaniard struggled down the stretch, ending the year with eight losses in his last nine matches.

(5) Back to the Grind: Few players had as short of an offseason as 2013 Doha champion Richard Gasquet, who helped France claim the Davis Cup crown over Belgium. Gasquet is 8-3 lifetime in Doha and in his last appearance in 2015 he reached the QFs.

(6) Gael Makes Return: Three-time Doha finalist (2006, 2012, 2014) Gael Monfils, a wild card entry, is making his eighth appearance (19-7 record) in Qatar, his first since 2014. This will be his first tournament since retiring with a season-ending right knee injury in the 3R at the US Open. 

(7) Berdych Five in a Row: This is the fifth straight Doha appearance for the No. 3 seed. He lost in the 1R in his 2014 debut, reached the final in 2015 (l. to Ferrer) and the SFs the last two years.

(8) Suddenly Seeded: No. 6 seed Filip Krajinovic begins the 2018 season at No. 34 in the ATP Rankings — 201 spots higher than when he started 2017 at an ATP Challenger Tour event in Koblenz, Germany. Krajinovic ended 2017 at Paris as the first qualifier to reach an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final in five years.

(9) Rise of Rublev: #NextGenATP player Andrey Rublev achieved a career-high ranking 12 times in 2017, breaking into the Top 150, Top 100 and Top 50. Rublev, then 19, defeated Nitto ATP Finals champion Grigor Dimitrov and runner-up David Goffin en route to the US Open quarter-finals.

(10) Doubles Draw: Top seeds Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares begin their third full season as a team in Doha and the past two years they reached the SFs.  Daniel Nestor, a winner of 91 career doubles titles, makes his 10th Doha appearance, first since 2010. He won titles in 1996 and 2001 and reached finals in 2003 and 2009. The 45-year-old Canadian plans to retire in 2018.

Read Doha Draw Preview

10 THINGS TO WATCH IN PUNE
(1) ATP Comes to Pune: The ATP World Tour rings in the new year in a new city Monday at the Tata Open Maharashtra. From Chennai to Pune, India’s only ATP event welcomes Wimbledon finalist Marin Cilic, US Open finalist Kevin Anderson and defending champion Roberto Bautista Agut. 

(2) Consistent Croat: Cilic returns to India after winning the Chennai championship in 2009 and 2010. The Croat has captured an ATP World Tour title in 10 straight seasons, highlighted by the 2014 US Open. Cilic qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals and posted Top 10 finishes in 2014, 2016 and 2017. 

(3) Tall Order: The 6-foot-8 Anderson became the tallest Grand Slam finalist in the Open Era when he met World No. 1 Rafael Nadal for the US Open title on 10 September. Ranked 32nd at the time, Anderson also emerged as the lowest-ranked US Open finalist since the inception of ATP Rankings in 1973 and the first South African US Open finalist in the Open Era. He has never played in India.

(4) Unique Streaks: Bautista Agut has finished four straight seasons with both a Top-25 ranking and 40+ wins. The Spaniard has also spent 103 consecutive weeks ranked between No. 13 and No. 23. Now ranked 20th, Bautista Agut is defending 250 points this week as the 2017 Chennai champion.

(5) Starting Over: Another player eager to start a new season in Pune is former World No. 6 Gilles Simon. The Frenchman went 16-25 in 2017 for his first losing season since 2004 (0-1). Now ranked 89th, Simon is making his first appearance in India and seeking his first final since 2015.

(6) Paire Successful in India: No. 4 seed and wild card entry Benoit Paire is making his sixth Indian appearance in seven years (except 2015). The Frenchman has a 10-5 record in Chennai, reaching the semi-finals in 2013 and the last two years.  

(7) Leaving Clay is Hard: Nicolas Kicker ended 2017 in the Top 100 after reaching his first quarter-finals at Rio de Janeiro, Lyon and Hamburg. The 25-year-old Argentine has yet to win a pro match at any level off of clay courts. Kicker is 11-15 on the ATP World Tour (11-10 on clay), 78-53 on the ATP Challenger Tour (78-53 on clay) and 128-74 on the ITF Futures Circuit (128-73 on clay).

(8) Tennys Time: American Tennys Sandgren finished in the Top 100 for the first time at No. 96 last season, highlighted by a 46-22 record and two ATP Challenger Tour titles. He went 2-6 in tour play.

(9) Local Title Hopes: There are three Indian players in the singles main draw, led by the country’s top two duo of No. 116 Yuki Bhambri and wild card No. 148 Ramkumar Ramanathan, who reached the quarter-finals in 2016. Pune native and wild card Arjun Kadhe, plays Bhambri in the first round.

(10) Strong Indian Doubles Showing: There are nine Indian players in the doubles draw, led by No. 4 seeds and defending champions Rohan Bopanna and Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan. They take on countrymen Leander Paes and Purav Raja. Paes won Chennai titles in 1997-99, 2002, 2011-12.

Read Pune Draw Preview

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Moya Weighs In On Nadal’s 2017, What Lies Ahead

  • Posted: Dec 31, 2017

Moya Weighs In On Nadal’s 2017, What Lies Ahead

Carlos Moya discusses how Rafael Nadal will maintain momentum, form following sublime 2017

Rafael Nadal will land in Melbourne on January 4 to begin preparations for the Australian Open. Despite withdrawing from the Brisbane International Presented by Suncorp, the first ATP World Tour tournament of 2018, to recover from an exhausting 2017, the Emirates ATP Rankings No.1 plans to storm into this year’s Australian Open with the same ambition and enthusiasm he showed in his run to the final last year. 

By Nadal’s side will be fellow Spaniard and former world No.1 Carlos Moya, who made a successful addition to Nadal’s team for the 2017 season. Being rested going into the first major tournament of the year is essential if Nadal is to repeat the success he achieved in 2017, according to Moya. In this interview with ATPWorldTour.com, Moya reviews his 2017 as a member of Team Nadal, and what his charge needs to do in 2018 to reach the heights he soared to in 2017.

ATPWorldTour.com: It seemed Rafa needed a rest going into this upcoming 2018 season. 
Carlos Moya: It’s important to be fresh and rested if he’s going to start the season off on the right foot. Rafa wants to be an even better version of himself this year. 

Nothing too serious in terms of injuries occurred last year but at the same time, nothing good comes from rushing things. That’s why we want him to take his time returning to the court. There’s no need to hurry matters. We know Rafa; he doesn’t slow down often, whether in training or during a match. Nadal isn’t the type of competitor to hit the brakes. For the team, then, the goal has been to convince Nadal that rushing a return to competitive play could lead to more discomfort and injuries — both of which could derail our plans for a big year. He isn’t a 20-year-old now; we have to take things step by step and be smart about his health and recuperation. 

ATPWorldTour.com: Ahead of his 2017 campaign, Nadal had an off-season of more than three months. The Spaniard won’t have the benefit of an extended “preseason” going into 2018. Will that have an effect on his performances later in the season?
Moya: When a player reaches this point of his career, the time you spend training during the off-season doesn’t matter all that much. Not everything that happened in 2017 was a result of the work we did in the weeks leading into the new year. We had a long preparation period ahead of 2017, that’s true, but the things you work on then don’t last throughout the year. We learned it’s better to take small breaks throughout the course of the year, as we did after Australia, Roland Garros and Wimbledon. That made him fresh throughout the year. 

Of course, his knees are cause for concern; they limited his play the last two tournaments he entered. In past seasons, however, it might have been his state of mind or his attitude that gave out. He held those together to close out this season. His knees failed, but he was still playing at a very high level right up until the end.

ATPWorldTour.com: Playing fewer tournaments, is that an option?
Moya: Rafa played so many matches in 2017 because he won a lot of tournaments and reached the final in quite a few others. He was almost always playing deep into tournaments. He competed in 18 events and that isn’t an exceedingly brutal schedule. Can we fit in more breaks? Yes, although it depends on our objectives as we go along. It’s also difficult because of Nadal’s nature. Even now, he’s still very ambitious and wants to chase down everything, but at the same time he’s starting to see that that isn’t always possible. Could he have turned down London? Yes, but [the Nitto ATP Finals] trophy is the only major one he has yet to win. 

ATPWorldTour.com: How about for you. Was this an exhausting season?
Moya: No. It has been a spectacular year. There’s little more I could have asked for on all levels: sports, professional, personal … I said earlier this season that this was the biggest challenge I would face as a coach. What can be better than this? Nothing; as an experience, nothing can overcome what I am experiencing right now, both in terms of results and just being a part of Rafa’s team. To be by the side of the No.1 in the world, who also happens to be one of my best friends and with whom I’ve experienced so much, little else can be asked.

ATPWorldTour.com: Does it feel better to succeed on the court or from the bench (as a coach)?
Moya: Nothing beats the success you achieve as a player. Nothing will ever beat earning a Grand Slam title or becoming No.1 in the world. Now that I can’t compete as a player, I try to be the best team player I can be, so that Rafa can be the best player possible. As a technical expert, it’s difficult to even aspire to accomplish more than I have in 2017. As for Rafa, he managed to surpass the objectives he set at the beginning of the year. 

ATPWorldTour.com: Did you meet your objectives?
Moya: I did, more or less. Rafa was more conservative when he set his goals, though. But I’m glad that I was able to convince him that he could reach those goals. 

ATPWorldTour.com: Do you discuss your tennis philosophies with Nadal?
Moya: Yes.

ATPWorldTour.com: Is that a good thing?
Moya: I think so. I like that he listens, but also that he reads. If a player’s thoughts are only based on the opinions of others, then the player won’t grow much. Sometimes, I give him a point of view that is not his own, and I’m not always right — far from it. But it’s my duty to tell him what I think is best for him. And if I have one advantage, it’s that I’m seeing things from the outside. A player might try to go for everything, to tackle more than he is capable. It’s much easier to pull someone back from the outside, than it is for the player to rein it in. It’s possible the advice I give Rafa now isn’t advice I would have accepted when I was a player. 

ATPWorldTour.com: Did you have to say things that are difficult to accept?
Moya: I’ve had to say it all, just about, so it’s important to find the right moment when dealing with an elite player like Rafa. The timing is as important as the actual message, sometimes more so. You have to know when and how to be sensitive. I spend a lot of time with Rafa, which is why I often say that a coach’s job goes way beyond the hours you spend on the court. My opinion doesn’t have to be in line with the rest of the team; in the end, Rafa is old enough and mature enough to decide what to keep with him. 

ATPWorldTour.com: Why did Nadal decide to drop in weight?
Moya: It’s not something he gave much thought to in the past, but recently it’s something he’s decided to do.

ATPWorldTour.com: Was it that important for him to cut weight?
Moya: No, but at the same time, it wasn’t for just one reason but for several reasons. He decided to lose weight because he wants to try something a little different, something that he thinks will improve his game. That alone helps him mentally. On top of that, we believe that losing weight will lower the possibility of more injuries and improve his longevity. 

ATPWorldTour.com: This upcoming season, Toni Nadal will not travel with the team. How does this affect you?
Moya: My role remains the same, so things won’t change for me. For Rafa, that’s one less person who will be with him, someone who was involved in his day-to-day life, but I’m sure he’ll be available if Nadal needs anything from him. Even for me, if I think Toni can help with something, I know without a doubt he’ll be there for us.

ATPWorldTour.com: Grigor Dimitrov’s coach, Daniel Vallverdu, said he’s been in constant communication with Grigor. Is that the case with you and Nadal?
Moya: No, it’s different. Every coach is different, every relationship is different. My approach with Milos Raonic, for example, was different from the one I have with Nadal. Different countries, different mentalities, different directions in their careers, different objectives … When Rafa’s traveling and I’m back home, I’m talking to him on the phone often. But when we complete an event like Roland Garros or Wimbledon, we might be disconnected for four or five days afterward.

ATPWorldTour.com: Do you and Nadal strategize before matches? 
Moya: We do sometimes, but I was discussing tactics a lot more with Raonic. The wrong approach, the wrong game plan, those things affected Milos much more than they do Rafa. The talks were a lot longer with Milos than with Rafa. 

ATPWorldTour.com: You’ve developed different training methods with Nadal, focusing more on specific exercises. Did that work throughout the year? 
Moya: Toward the end of 2017, we haven’t been able to train on any one specific thing. He’s done very little work on his knee, for example. There have been few workout routines since the US Open, and he came back from China with a bad knee. It’s no secret that if you can’t train a specific stroke, it’s difficult to maintain your level of fitness or to make adjustments and improvements. That’s an area we’ve been lacking, but the physical issues just didn’t allow for it. 

ATPWorldTour.com: Was not defeating Roger Federer a negative for Nadal in 2017?
Moya: The only negatives this year were in Paris-Bercy [at the Rolex Paris Masters] and in London [at the Nitto ATP Finals]. Based on how he played throughout the calendar year, I think Rafa could have won at both Paris-Bercy and in London, two tournaments he has never won. It would have been some feat, almost daunting, and in the end I guess it was asking too much of him.

ATPWorldTour.com: So, you aren’t worried about Federer?
Moya: It is clear that he has found a way to beat Rafa and we haven’t had an answer. Honestly, I think things could have turned out differently at the Australian Open final, which was very close. The truth is, things fell in favor of Federer this year but all credit to Roger. He turned the rivalry around and put a dent in Nadal in 2017. Now it’s up to us, Rafa’s team, to convince him that he has the weapons to beat Federer again. Obviously, adjustments have to be made. Nadal played an ultra-aggressive game in 2017 and maybe that works with 99 percent of his opponents, but maybe it just doesn’t against Federer. Still, I’m happy with the end result. I’m OK with Rafa losing to the same opponent several times if it means he finishes the season as No.1. 

ATPWorldTour.com: Nadal finished 2008, 2010 and 2013 on top after spectacular seasons. He also experienced subpar campaigns and/or injuries each immediate year after ending No.1. Do you fear this trend will continue in 2018?
Moya: Do I fear it? No, but those are still facts and they mean something, and I don’t believe in coincidences. When something happens several times, then it isn’t by chance. As a coach, you have to be attentive to that and as a team, we’ll try to give Rafa the battery power he needs to avoid a slump. So yes, since it happened before, we’re alerted by it. 

ATPWorldTour.com: Many top players who were sidelined in 2017 return in 2018. Do you think those players can accomplish what Nadal and Federer managed to do?
Moya: It will be difficult. What Nadal and Federer did in 2017 wasn’t simple. They made it look easy, but it wasn’t.

ATPWorldTour.com: Will Nadal and Federer dominate 2018 the same way they did in 2017?
Moya: That also won’t be easy. With Rafa, it’s about always evolving and not growing stale. Yes, there’s room for him to evolve but with each year, finding that space to grow gets smaller and smaller. The challenge is to anticipate situations, stay on top of matters and be one step ahead.

ATPWorldTour.com: Has Nadal changed much since his teenage years?
Moya: Of course he has. When you’re 17 or 18, you can count on being explosive, impulsive and playing without caution. Those factors help you at that age, but as the years go by, you grasp other aspects of the game. You might not have the same characteristics that made you successful before, but experience counts for a lot. The fact that Rafa is No.1, after all these years, it shows how he’s evolved. I can’t say that he’s a better player than he once was, but that growth, the change, it’s there.

ATPWorldTour.com: Nadal, by his own admission, has a lot of self-doubt. How have you helped to combat this?
Moya: Surrounding yourself with optimistic and positive people always helps boost self-esteem. I’ve never doubted Rafa and if I did, he’d pick up on that immediately. I’ve been honest with him from the day I started working with him. He’s surrounded by sincere people who trust and believe in him. The fact that a player of his caliber still has bouts with self-belief, though, I think that makes him a complicated person to understand. 

ATPWorldTour.com: Can Nadal compete and endure as long as Federer?
Moya: That’s hard to say but Rafa still has some years left, at least five. What Federer has achieved so far is something totally extraordinary. Nadal is going to follow Roger’s lead, on and off the court. We’ll see how far this adventure takes us.

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Thiem, Carreno Busta Set For 2018 Debut In Doha

  • Posted: Dec 31, 2017

Thiem, Carreno Busta Set For 2018 Debut In Doha

World No. 5 Dominic Thiem is joined in Qatar’s capital by Tomas Berdych and Richard Gasquet

The 26th edition of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open commences this week and with legendary former champions such as Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal (the list goes on and on…), players will be keen to get their hands on the tournament’s coveted golden falcon trophy.

The 2018 event, held at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in the Qatari capital of Doha, features Dominic Thiem as the tournament’s top seed after two-time defending champion Novak Djokovic withdrew due to an ongoing elbow injury. The World No. 5 will be arriving in Doha for the second time in his career, having qualified back in 2013 before losing in the first round to Peter Gojowczyk. 

Thiem enters the new season following a career-best year. Having excelled on his favoured clay courts through many of 2017’s spring tournaments, the tenacious 23-year-old will be looking to improve his hard court results from the year prior. He opens against Evgeny Donskoy, who in 2017 became one of just five players in 2017 to defeat Federer in a remarkable three-set upset.

Also coming off his best season to date is Pablo Carreno Busta, whose resolute and gritty defensive tennis earned him an alternate spot at the 2017 Nitto ATP Finals, where he eventually played two tough matches against the world’s best. Carreno Busta, last year’s US Open semi-finalist and the No.2 seed this week in Doha, plays #NextGenATP semi-finalist Borna Coric in a challenging opening-round encounter. 

Former Top 10 players Tomas Berdych and Richard Gasquet also join the field this week. Berdych, who reached the final in 2015 before falling to David Ferrer, kicks off his tournament against Jan-Lennard Struff, while 2013 champion Gasquet plays Victor Estrella Burgos for a place in the second round.

The doubles competition features two-time Grand Slam champions and No.1 seeds Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares, as well as Wimbledon finalists Mate Pavic and Oliver Marach.

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