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The 2 Best ATP World Tour Matches Of 2018

  • Posted: Nov 27, 2018

The 2 Best ATP World Tour Matches Of 2018

ATP World Tour Season In Review: Best ATP World Tour Matches

Continuing our Season In Review series, ATPWorldTour.com looks at the two best ATP World Tour matches in 2018. (Beginning Wednesday, we look at the best five Grand Slam matches of 2018.)

2) Juan Martin del Potro d. Roger Federer, BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells Final, 18 March 2018 (Match Stats)
Entering the match on his longest winning streak to open an ATP World Tour season (17), Roger Federer started the BNP Paribas Open final full of confidence after lifting his 20th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open and returning to No. 1 in the ATP Rankings following his title run at the ABN Amro World Tennis Tournament. Standing in his way was Juan Martin del Potro, who arrived in the championship match in the California desert on a 10-match winning streak after picking up his first trophy of the year at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC in Acapulco.

After losses in each of his three previous ATP World Tour Masters 1000 finals, Del Potro was bidding to become just the second man outside of Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic to triumph in Indian Wells since 2004. With two men at the top of their games, the crowd was treated to one of the matches of the year as Del Potro saved three championship points to stun Federer 6-4, 6-7(8), 7-6(2). Read More.

“It’s so big,” said Del Potro after lifting his maiden Masters 1000 trophy. “I cannot believe I won this tournament, beating Roger in a great final and level of tennis. We played great tennis today.”

Federer targeted Del Potro’s backhand in the opener, but the Argentine replied every time, and often with power. Del Potro had Federer on the run, pounding his forehand and stringing the Swiss from side to side. But in the first game of the second set, the 27-time Masters 1000 champion pumped himself up and saved two break points. Federer tried to drag Del Potro away from his comfort zone and closer to the net, but the 6’6” right-hander looked as comfortable there as he did behind the baseline. The Argentine earned match point in the second-set tie-break, at 7/8, but he netted a forehand. After Federer evened the match, Del Potro was visibly frustrated.

“It was a horrible moment for me. I was still thinking about my forehand miss and my forehand error, mistake in the match point,” Del Potro said. “It’s my shot, my forehand from that side of the court. I never miss that forehand.”

Del Potro didn’t let his disappointment show on the scoreboard however, as he held serve and stayed even with the five-time champion in the decider. At 4-4, Federer broke for a chance to serve for the match. But this time it was Del Potro’s turn to save championship points. The ‘Tower of Tandil’ recovered from 15/40 down and saved three championship points in total, before eventually reaching a final-set tie-break.

“I lost my serve a little bit, and then he was clean and I wasn’t. And then it goes very quickly in the tie-break,” said Federer. “As close as it can be sometimes when you’re not feeling it or momentum has shifted, it’s just crazy how it can go the other way.”

With the title hanging in the balance, the Swiss hit two double faults and Del Potro sprinted to the title. Del Potro lifted his biggest trophy since the 2009 US Open final after two hours and 42 minutes, lifting his arms when Federer struck another forehand long.

“It was an unbelievable match in all the ways. I mean, we played a great level of tennis. The people were excited on every single point,” said Del Potro. “Roger and I were nervous during the whole match, and we felt that on court… Unfortunately I couldn’t stay calm in the tie-break of the second set, but then the calm came again in the end of the match and I played good in the tie-break.”

1) Novak Djokovic d. Roger Federer, Rolex Paris Masters, Paris Semi-Final, 03 November 2018 (Match Stats)
At three hours and two minutes, Djokovic and Federer contested the longest three-set meeting of their FedEx ATP Head2Head series at the Rolex Paris Masters in November. With Djokovic aiming to extend his 21-match unbeaten streak and Federer looking to move one win away from his 100th tour-level trophy, their semi-final encounter at the AccorHotels Arena required a final-set tie-break to settle the contest. It was there that Djokovic finally overcame Federer, notching a 7-6(6), 5-7, 7-6(3) win to set a final clash against Karen Khachanov. Read More.

Meeting for the 47th time in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series, Djokovic earned his fourth straight win over his great rival to extend his advantage to 25-22. Not only did Djokovic overcome 54 winners off Federer’s racquet, but his 0/12 break point conversion rate proved to be the first time he had squandered double-digit break chances in his career. The Belgrade native consistently found his best level in the big moments, digging deep in the critical stages of both tie-breaks, including a set point saved at 6/5 in the opener.

“We had epic matches throughout our rivalry but this one definitely ranks as one of the best matches we played,” said Djokovic. “High quality tennis. Next to the match I played against Nadal in the semi-finals of Wimbledon, this was definitely the most exciting match I have played this year, and probably the best quality tennis match that I was part of.

“It was also expected, because when I get to play Roger, I know I have to get the best out of myself in order to win. And that’s why our rivalries and matches are so special.”

Federer Djokovic

Djokovic, who was guaranteed to return to No. 1 in the ATP Rankings ahead of the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals, also ended Federer’s slim hopes of ending the 2018 season as No. 1 for a record-tying sixth time. The result extended Djokovic’s winning streak against Top 10 opponents, with 10 consecutive wins against that elite group since falling to Marin Cilic in the Fever-Tree Championships final in June.

In the early stages, Djokovic’s delivery proved to be untouchable. The Serbian was on the prowl with Federer serving at 3-4, but the Swiss kept pace, saving four break points in a game which included a moment of magic that put his razor reflexes to the test. A Djokovic forehand clipped the net and spun towards Federer’s head, but the 37-year-old quickly raised his racquet and struck a sublime drop volley to the delight of the Parisian faithful. The riveting first set would proceed to a tie-break and Djokovic would seize the initiative after 71 minutes, saving a set point and sealing the opener when a Federer backhand slid wide.

Coming into the match, Djokovic owned a commanding 17-1 record against Federer when winning the opener, but the Swiss turned the tables in the second set. With Djokovic serving to force another tie-break, Federer pounced. The 2011 champion reeled off nine of 11 points to suddenly snatch a late break and send the encounter to a decider, launching a forehand winner down the line to claim the set.

The drama would reach a pulsating crescendo in a final-set tie-break. It marked the third time in which a tie-break has settled a meeting between the two superstars. Djokovic entered with a 2-0 record, having prevailed in the 2007 Montreal final and 2014 Indian Wells championship match. And the trend continued as the clock edged towards 9pm in Paris. A Federer double fault gave Djokovic a second mini-break at 4/1 and the Serbian did not look back, crossing the finish line after just over three hours when a Federer forehand found the net.

You May Also Like: Best ATP World Tour Matches Of 2018 – Part 1

Coming Wednesday: The best five Grand Slam matches of 2018, part one.

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De Minaur Caps Breakout Season With Newcombe Medal

  • Posted: Nov 27, 2018

De Minaur Caps Breakout Season With Newcombe Medal

#NextGenATP Aussie climbed 177 spots in the ATP Rankings this season

Alex de Minaur’s breakout season received more recognition on Monday. The 19-year-old Aussie was awarded the prestigious Newcombe Medal, Australian tennis’ highest honour that’s presented annually and named after Aussie legend John Newcombe, who reached No. 1 and captured 34 tour-level titles during his playing career.

De Minaur started the season outside the Top 200 of the ATP Rankings, at No. 208. But he made the biggest jump out of any player on the ATP World Tour, finishing the 2018 season at No. 31 and as the top-ranked Aussie. The Sydney native was also voted by his peers as the ATP Newcomer of the Year. De Minaur ended his season by reaching the title match of the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan (l. to Tsitsipas).

This is something I definitely did not expect,” he told Tennis Australia. “It’s been a whirlwind of a year – I’ve enjoyed every second of it. I’ve just tried to keep improving each day, keep battling it out, keep fighting every single point. I’m super proud of my efforts.

Watch: Uncovered: De Minaur and Hewitt, a Perfect Combination

I could not have done it without the great team of guys I’ve got around me. Starting with my coach Adolfo Gutierrez, who’s not here right now. My manager David Drysdale, Phil Bonney, and also got to thank Lleyton Hewitt, who’s been a great mentor of mine and has helped me out a lot, helped me really believe in myself and that I do belong here on the tour.”

De Minaur shared the honour with WTA player Ashleigh Barty, the first time in the award’s history (since 2010) it has been jointly awarded. John Millman, who reached a career-high No. 33 in October, and wheelchair tennis player Dylan Alcott were also nominated.

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  • Posted: Nov 27, 2018

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Service Games Won

 Player  Service Games Won Service Games Winning Percentage
 John Isner  805  860  93.6%
 Roger Federer  686  753  91.1% 
 Milos Raonic  533  587  90.8%
 Kevin Anderson  847  951  89.06%
 Juan Martin del Potro  672  767  87.61%

Aces

 Player  Aces  Matches Played
 John Isner  1,213  54
 Kevin Anderson  1,082  66
 Milos Raonic  788  45
 Nick Kyrgios  713  36
 Karen Khachanov  655  66

First-Serve Points Won

 Player  First-Serve Points Won  First-Serve Points Winning Percentage
 Milos Raonic  1,756  2,116  83.0%
 Sam Querrey  1,693  2,076  81.6%
 John Isner  2,914  3,600  80.9%
 Roger Federer  2,208  2,753  80.2%
 Kevin Anderson  2,995  3,772  79.4%

Second-Serve Points Won

 Player  Second-Serve Points Won Second-Serve Points Winning Percentage
 Rafael Nadal  772 1,296  59.6%
 Roger Federer  988 1,686  58.6% 
 Milos Raonic  699 1,230  56.8%
 John Isner  896 1,578  56.8%
 Novak Djokovic  968 1,710  56.6%

Return Games Won

 Player  Return Games Won  Return Games Winning Percentage
 Rafael Nadal  216 591  36.6%
 Diego Schwartzman  207 675  30.7%
 David Goffin  160 524  30.5%
 Novak Djokovic  246 813  30.3%
 Fabio Fognini  236 802  29.4%

Break Points Converted

 Player  Break Points Won Break Points Winning Percentage
 Gael Monfils  149 321 46.4%
 David Goffin  160 348 46.0%
 Adrian Mannarino  131 287 45.6%
 Rafael Nadal  216 474  45.6%
 Jan-Lennard Struff  118 264  44.7%

First-Return Points Won

 Player  First-Serve Return Points Won First-Serve Return Points Winning Percentage
 Rafael Nadal  865  2,425  35.7%
 Novak Djokovic  1,191  3,463  34.4% 
 Damir Dzumhur  838  2,568  32.6%
 David Goffin  688  2,117  32.5%
 Alexander Zverev  1,156  3,568  32.4%

Second-Return Points Won

 Player  Second-Serve Return Points Won Second-Serve Return Points Winning Percentage
 Rafael Nadal  859 1,518  56.6%
 Diego Schwartzman  982 1,761  55.8% 
 Novak Djokovic  1,148 2,106  54.5%
 Gilles Simon  963 1,774  54.3%
 Roberto Bautista Agut  807 1,492  54.1%

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