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Mike Bryan Clinches No. 1 By Reaching Wimbledon SF With Sock

  • Posted: Jul 10, 2018

Mike Bryan Clinches No. 1 By Reaching Wimbledon SF With Sock

Mike Bryan, 40, to become the oldest No. 1

It hasn’t been the same for Mike Bryan at Wimbledon this fortnight. The American is playing without his twin brother Bob (hip injury) for the first time at the All England Club.

But with countryman Jack Sock, Mike has forged ahead, and he even secured himself some history on Tuesday. Bryan/Sock advanced to the semi-finals, beating Indian Divij Sharan and Artem Sitak of New Zealand 7-6(4), 7-6(5), 6-7(3), 6-4.

With the win, Mike Bryan guaranteed that he will return to No. 1 in the ATP Doubles Rankings on Monday, when the new rankings are released. He will become the oldest No. 1 in the history of the ATP Rankings and ATP Doubles Rankings. Mike will be 40 years, 78 days old on Monday.

Daniel Nestor previously held the record. He was 40 years, five days old when he was last No. 1 on 9 September 2012.

Mike Bryan isn’t finished at SW19 yet, either. The seventh seeds will next face Dominic Inglot of Great Britain/Franko Skugor of Croatia. Inglot/Skugor, the 15th seeds, beat Dutchman Robin Haase and Robert Lindstedt of Sweden 6-3, 6-7(2), 7-6(1), 6-4.

Frederik Nielsen of Denmark and Brit Joe Salisbury stopped 14th seeds Ben McLachlan of Japan and German Jan-Lennard Struff from reaching their second Grand Slam semi-final of the season (Australian Open) 7-6(6), 4-6, 7-6(2), 7-6(4). Nielsen/Salisbury will meet 13th seeds Raven Klaasen of South Africa and Michael Venus of New Zealand, who beat fifth seeds Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares 6-7(5), 7-6(5), 5-7, 7-6(4), 6-4.

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Wimbledon No Longer 'House of Horrors' For Isner

  • Posted: Jul 10, 2018

Wimbledon No Longer ‘House of Horrors’ For Isner

Top American meets Raonic in QF

For years, John Isner’s results at Wimbledon read like stuck vinyl: first round, second round, second round, first round, second round, third round, third round, third round, second round. Ten years, and not one trip to the fourth round at the All England Club.

He had his high moments: Namely 2010, when he won that match against France’s Nicolas Mahut 70-68 in the fifth. But there have been far more disappointments than triumphs at SW19 for Isner.

The past three years, he lost in the fifth set. In 2015, he fell 12-10 to Marin Cilic; in 2016, he lost 19-17 to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga; and last year, Isner led Israel’s Dudi Sela two sets to one but lost 6-7(5), 7-6(5), 5-7, 7-6(5), 6-3.

This tournament, since that long match, has sort of been a house of horrors for me. I’ve lost a lot of close ones since that match in 2010, a lot of very, very close ones,” Isner said.

There was certainly some doubt. When you have left this tournament the last nine, 10 years pretty disappointed with my result, gone home sort of hanging my head a little bit. But not the case this year.”

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The ninth seed has built upon what had been his best start to a season, which was highlighted in April with his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title at the Miami Open presented by Itau.

Isner has continued his aggressive return strategy, and he’s also been quick to attack the net on the London grass. During his fourth-round match against Greece’s #NextGenATP star Stefanos Tsitsipas, Isner charged forward 33 times, winning almost 70 per cent of his tries (22/33).

When I find myself in a good place on the court mentally, not getting frustrated when I miss a chance, things just generally turn out well for me. That was the case (on Monday),” Isner said.

Read More: SW19 QF Preview: Federer, Nadal Look To Keep Marching Onwards

His thundering serve, as always, has helped. The 6’10” right-hander hasn’t been broken yet, having erased all six break points he’s faced. He leads the Wimbledon field with 134 aces.

I’ve always told myself, ‘Just keep doing what you do, keep giving myself more chances.’ I want to keep coming to this event feeling good, playing well. That was the case this year. I’ve made good on that,” Isner said.

He has more than a standing chance of advancing to his first Grand Slam semi-final as well. Isner leads his FedEx ATP Head2Head series against Raonic 3-1.

It’s going to come down to a few points here and there. It’s strength on strength, for sure. He serves exceptionally well. He does other things very well, too. He attacks well. He looks for his forehand a lot, which is effective on this surface,” Isner said. “If one of us gets a crack, a few chances, we’re going to have to take it.”

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Missing Wimbledon the best decision I could have made – Murray

  • Posted: Jul 10, 2018

Andy Murray is not playing at Wimbledon this year as he continues his recovery from a hip injury, but he has been at the All England Club this week and will be co-commentating for BBC Sport on Wednesday.

In his regular BBC Sport column, the 31-year-old Scot talks about his fitness, his preparations for the American hard-court season, why he thinks Novak Djokovic can win Wimbledon, and not asking Tim Henman for commentary tips…

Not playing Wimbledon was the best decision I could have made – I have no regrets about it.

Last year I came in when the hip was bad, managed to get through to the quarter-finals but ended up missing a whole year because of it.

I didn’t want to go in this year, potentially play four or five matches, and do any damage.

Obviously I was very disappointed I wasn’t able to play, but I wasn’t going to win the tournament and I wasn’t well enough prepared.

It was a hard decision but a smart one.

The positive things were being able to spend some more time with the family while I’m here at home, and being able to practise on the hard courts.

As soon as I got on the hard courts I felt better. When you’re coming back on an unstable surface you worry about every step.

So I felt more comfortable and hopefully that will help my movement and free up the hip. The impact on a hard court is greater than on grass but it felt more positive.

My plan is to play in Washington, which starts on 30 July.

I’m going to be here in London for the next 10 days, practising on the hard courts, and then I’ve got a friend’s wedding.

I’ll be going to that and then heading over to the States, having a week’s training either in Washington or maybe Miami before getting back on the match court.

Feeling better than I did at Queen’s

I’ve been practising since last Monday, so when the tournament started it felt a bit odd because I was practising about 10 minutes away in Raynes Park.

I feel good and a lot better this week than I did at Queen’s a couple of weeks ago, so that’s positive. Hopefully it keeps going the same way.

I’ve not been playing more sets than I was in the run-up to Wimbledon, I’ve just been getting used to the hard courts again.

I practised with Thanasi Kokkinakis on Tuesday and I’m practising with Jeremy Chardy on Wednesday so I have got some good sessions lined up over the next few days.

Then hopefully I will start playing more sets towards the end of next week.

Conditions perfect for Rafa

I’ve been following the Championships, of course, although I thought it would be harder watching than it has been.

I haven’t watched every match but when I’ve finished my training I’ve watched a lot – I saw Juan Martin del Potro playing Gilles Simon, Rafael Nadal against Jiri Vesely, Kyle Edmund against Novak Djokovic – pretty much each day I’ve watched some and seen what’s going on.

The conditions are perfect for Rafa right now.

When it is hot like this, the courts are hard and the ball bounces up so he gets more movement with his serve as well. With the problems he’s had with his knees, the ball bouncing up higher makes it is easier on his body too.

In the top half of the draw, Roger Federer has a brilliant record against all of the guys. He looks like he is playing extremely well and he is moving well.

Djokovic winning Wimbledon would not surprise me

Novak could beat both Roger and Rafa. From what I have seen in the past couple of days, he looks to be playing really, really well.

He’s not been in the latter stages of major events so much recently, Queen’s was his first final in almost a year and it looked like he had doubts in that match against Marin Cilic.

But I think his level is back to where he wants to be and mentally he is where he needs to be.

Novak said the mental side has been difficult for him. Last year he suffered from a slight dip in motivation which is normal because of what he achieved in 2016, when he won the French Open to complete the career Grand Slam.

It must take an incredible amount out of you. Winning the French Open must have been huge for him but then where do you go next?

Maybe the injury and being away from the sport helped him realise how much he misses it and what it means to him.

It wouldn’t surprise me if he went on to win this tournament.

I tell Henman he talks rubbish on TV!

On Wednesday I will be commentating on one of the men’s quarter-final matches for BBC TV.

I’ve done bits and pieces on radio before but not a whole match. I’ve not had any tips from Tim Henman – I would get tips off someone different. From one of the experts!

I’m always messaging him when he’s commentating, telling him he’s talking rubbish! Of course, that’s a joke.

Who is my favourite commentator? I like listening to Mark Petchey. I know him well, he coached me, and I think he is knowledgeable about the game.

I’ve not had any tips from him either – I might give him a text later. I’m a bit nervous about it to be honest.

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Wimbledon 2018: Jamie Murray loses doubles quarter-final

  • Posted: Jul 10, 2018
Wimbledon 2018 on the BBC
Venue: All England Club, Wimbledon Dates: 2-15 July
Coverage: Watch live on BBC TV, BBC iPlayer, BBC Red Button, Connected TVs and the BBC Sport website and app; Live Radio 5 live and 5 live sports extra commentary; Text commentary online.

Britain’s Jamie Murray and Brazilian Bruno Soares were knocked out of the men’s doubles in the quarter-finals after a five-set thriller at Wimbledon.

The fifth seeds led twice against Raven Klaasen and Michael Venus before dropping serve twice in the final set.

Play was suspended after Murray and Soares won the fourth set tie-break while the roof covered Centre Court.

The match lasted more than four hours before the 13th seeds won 7-6 (7-5) 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 6-7 (4-7) 4-6.

Murray is still aiming to defend his mixed doubles title after reaching the third round with Belarusian and former world number one Victoria Azarenka.

The Scot won the event at Wimbledon and the US Open with now-retired partner Martina Hingis last year.

  • Williams into women’s semi-finalss
  • Kerber to face Ostapenko in semi-finals
  • Del Potro sets up Nadal quarter-final
  • Has Djokovic rediscovered his mojo?

Meanwhile, Britain’s Joe Salisbury and Dominic Inglot progressed to the semi-finals with victories in their quarter-finals.

Salisbury and Denmark’s Frederik Nielsen will play South Africa’s Klaasen and New Zealand’s Venus in the semi-finals after they defeated 14th seeds Ben McLachlan and Jan-Lennard Struff 7-6 (8-6) 4-6 7-6 (7-2) 7-6 (7-4).

Inglot and Croatian partner Franko Skugor defeated Robin Haase and Robert Lindstedt 6-3 6-7 (2-7) 7-6 (7-1) 6-4 and will face former world number one Mike Bryan and fellow American Jack Sock in the semi-finals.

British 15th seed Inglot has won three outdoor ATP titles in 2018 but had not gone further than the third round at Wimbledon prior to this year.

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Elsewhere, compatriots Jay Clarke and Harriet Dart are in the quarter-finals of the mixed doubles after they comfortably defeated Mate Pavic and Gabriela Dabrowski 6-3 6-4 in the third round.

But British 16th seed Heather Watson and Finland’s Henri Kontinen were knocked out in the third round by third seeds Ivan Dodig and Latisha Chan after losing 2-6 6-7 (4-7).

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Can anyone stop Federer & Nadal? Men's quarter-final preview

  • Posted: Jul 10, 2018
Wimbledon 2018 on the BBC
Venue: All England Club, Wimbledon Dates: 2-15 July
Coverage: Watch live on BBC TV, BBC iPlayer, BBC Red Button, Connected TVs and the BBC Sport website and app; Live Radio 5 live and 5 live sports extra commentary; Text commentary online.

Ten years ago, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal contested a Wimbledon final which many believe is the greatest tennis match ever played.

Now aged 36 and 32 respectively, the top-seeded pair are each two wins away from a romantic rematch.

But first they have to negotiate their quarter-final matches on Wednesday.

While Federer, Nadal and fellow all-time great Novak Djokovic are old hands at reaching this stage, there are three debutants in the SW19 quarter-finals in Kevin Anderson, Kei Nishikori and John Isner.

Meanwhile, 2016 runner-up Milos Raonic and 2009 US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro are in familiar territory.

Here, with the help of two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray, BBC Sport looks at how the last eight men standing match up…

  • Has Djokovic rediscovered his mojo?
  • Live scores, schedule and results

Roger Federer (Swi) [1] v Kevin Anderson (SA) [8]

Federer’s progress through the draw has been smooth and serene, not dropping a set nor losing a service game on his way to an Open era record 53rd Grand Slam quarter-final.

Another straight-set win over Anderson will see the Swiss great better his record run of 34 consecutive sets at SW19, which he enjoyed between the third round in 2005 and the final in 2006.

“I don’t think it’s something anybody aims for, to win every match in straight sets,” Federer said.

“I hope I get off to a good start, go from there. If it happens, it happens.”

Anderson, 32, is one of the biggest servers on tour and the hot conditions are helping his game. However, the 2017 US Open finalist has never taken a set off Federer in four previous meetings.

Andy Murray’s verdict: “Roger is playing well and moving well, and against Anderson he leads 4-0 in their head-to-head. So I feel comfortable he would get through.

“It would take an unbelievable serving performance from Anderson. If he serves 80% first serves and Roger has a really bad serving day, then he might have a chance.”

Milos Raonic (Can) [13] v John Isner (US) [9]

A battle of the big servers is likely to see plenty of baseline rallies and not much court-craft.

Between them, Raonic and Isner occupy the top two places in the ace count and fastest serves standings.

Isner has a higher percentage of landed first serves than anyone else, while only Federer has won more points on his first serve than Raonic.

“There’s a good chance it’s going to come down to a few points here and there,” said Isner. “It’s strength on strength, for sure.”

Raonic has the greater experience at Wimbledon, however, reaching at least the last eight in four of his past five appearances here – including a run to the 2016 final where he was beaten by home favourite Andy Murray.

“It’s a surface that’s going to allow me to come forward more,” he said. “It’s going to help my volleys when I’m at the net stay a little bit lower, these kind of things.

“It’s harder for other guys to move. If they’re not moving as well, it’s hard for them to be in balance for passing shots.”

Andy Murray’s verdict: “This is tie-breaks. Isner is 3-1 up head to head and that’s a bit surprising for me. Raonic is maybe a little bit more comfortable on the grass than John but that is an impossible match to pick. I wouldn’t want to bet on that one.”

Novak Djokovic (Ser) [12] v Kei Nishikori (Jpn) [24]

To claim Djokovic is back to his 12-time Grand Slam winning best would be a tad premature, but the 31-year-old Serb is getting closer to it.

The three-time champion, who has not reached a Slam semi-final since the 2016 US Open, clinically despatched Karen Khachanov in the last 16 and will be considered favourite to beat Nishikori.

Djokovic has beaten the Japanese 24th seed in 13 of their 15 meetings.

“So far four matches have been really, really good for me,” said Djokovic, who eliminated British number one Kyle Edmund in the third round.

“I haven’t spent too much time on the court. I feel physically, mentally ready, fit, positive.”

Former world number four Nishikori, who has never faced Djokovic on grass, has lost twice to him this year on clay.

“It’s always like a big war for me,” said Nishikori on facing Djokovic. “It’s always a big challenge.”

Andy Murray’s verdict: “In terms of his level and the way he’s playing, I think Novak is back to where he wants to be. Mentally he looks where he needs to be – looks fired up and motivated. He’s got a great shot.”

Juan Martin del Potro (Arg) [5] v Rafael Nadal (Spa) [2]

Like his great rival Federer, Nadal has reached the last eight without dropping a set.

The 32-year-old looks refreshed following his decision to pull out of Queen’s and now, unlike Del Potro, has had the benefit of a day off.

Del Potro was forced to finish his last-16 match against Gilles Simon on Tuesday because of fading light on Monday, but said afterwards he felt he would be in a “good condition”.

The Argentine is one of the most popular players among tennis fans, not least because he has had to overcome serious wrist injuries which left him contemplating retirement.

But he persevered through dark times and is rewarded with his second successive Slam quarter-final – the first time he has done that since reaching the last eight at both the Australian Open and Roland Garros in 2012.

The fifth seed lost to Nadal in the Paris semi-finals last month, however.

“It will be a different match that we played in Paris few weeks ago,” he said. “I will try to hold my service games most of the time.

“If I want to beat him, I have to come to the net very often and play hard with my forehands, with my backhands, and try to take all the chances.”

Murray’s verdict: “Nadal faces a tough match against Del Potro. If Del Potro is physically there – I saw some of his match against Gilles Simon on Monday and he seemed to have some issues – that’s not an easy match.”

Federer makes rare appearance on Court One

Eight-time champion Federer will play on Court One for the first time since the 2015 quarter-finals, with former world number one Djokovic’s match against Nishikori put on Centre.

The Serb has only played once on Centre this year – his third-round win over Edmund.

He has played twice on the 11,000-capacity Court One this year, and once on the 4,000-seater court two for his second-round clash against Horacio Zeballos.

Murray’s verdict: “Rafa and Del Potro has to be on Centre – that is the best match of the quarters.

“The fans on Court One will love seeing Roger and while some ticket holders on Centre might be upset, they have two brilliant matches to look forward to.”

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Braunschweig Venue Steeped In Centuries Of History

  • Posted: Jul 10, 2018

Braunschweig Venue Steeped In Centuries Of History

The Sparkassen Open in Braunschweig celebrates its 25th edition on the ATP Challenger Tour this week

This week, the Sparkassen Open in Braunschweig, Germany, welcomes players and fans for the 25th time. Last year, Spanish teen Nicola Kuhn lifted his first ATP Challenger Tour trophy, joining Alexander Zverev as recent 17-year-old champions.

The prestigious event has set the standard on the circuit for years and is celebrating a fourth straight Tournament of the Year award. The honour is representative of the clay-court event’s steadfast commitment to growing the game in a world-class environment.

Under the watchful eye of tournament director Volker Jäcke, the tournament has greatly evolved and is considered a top destination for players and fans. The Sparkassen Open founded the concept of ‘Tennistainment’, which refers to the notion that premier tennis and off-court entertainment create a first-rate experience with a festive atmosphere. It continues to be the soul of the tournament, with nightly concerts on the grounds.

The event began with a small Centre Court and one catering tent, and the main stadium has since been upgraded to hold a capacity crowd of 2,000 patrons, with a big stage for the concerts and over 50 concession tents for catering and exhibitions. But while the tournament’s famous entertainment scene has garnered much attention, it is its rich and storied history that is arguably its most intriguing aspect.

Braunschweig2

The Sparkassen Open is played at the Braunschweiger Tennis und Hockey Club on the grounds of the Bürgerpark. Today, it is a large expanse of public land, but many centuries ago, it was the sprawling home of Duchess Augusta, wife of Duke Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand. The estate included the duchess’ residence, known as Schloss Richmond (Richmond Castle) and the tennis courts. The wall that enclosed the city was removed and in 1901, the park opened to the citizens of Braunschweig and the tennis club was officially founded.

“This was the missing link at the time, to open the city and make the Burgerpark for all the citizens of the city to come and rest,” said club president Ralf Hinrichs. “It’s an open space with different flowers and trees. They took different types of trees from all over the world and brought them here. They make it a very special place for the citizens of Braunschweig. It’s a gift to the people here. That was in 1900 and the club was founded a year later.”

During World War II, Braunschweig became a stronghold for the Nazis and the city was destroyed. The club partially survived the bombings, as the front gate, two small cabins on either side of the gate and many stone statues that lie around the main entrance and inside the club remain. So does the front facade of the former castle, with a series of Roman-style columns left undamaged from the time of the duke and duchess. The unique rococo style of the 1700s remains a constant reminder of pre-war Germany, when an architecture movement swept through the country.

Braunschweig

After the war ended, for more than 50 years, the German National Championships were hosted at the Braunschweiger Tennis und Hockey Club, featuring a teenage Boris Becker and Steffi Graf, before the ATP Challenger Tour staked its claim to the historic venue in 1994. The Sparkassen Open was born.

“I don’t feel like it’s a Challenger, it’s more like an ATP World Tour event,” said Germany’s Oscar Otte, No. 166 in the ATP Rankings. “The hotel is not that far and it’s amazing. You walk through the park to get there. The Centre Court gives you a nice feeling playing in front of many people from your country.”

In its 25-year history, the tournament has boasted Top 10 players Gaston Gaudio, Tomas Berdych and Zverev as champions, with former World No. 2 Michael Stich serving as tournament director in the early 2010s.

“What makes the tournament so special is that after the tennis there are a lot of activities there,” Zverev told ATPWorldTour.com after winning in 2014. “It’s like the [ATP World Tour] events in Umag and Bastad where there’s a lot of nightlife and the players really like it. It’s great fun for the players and the fans.”

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