Tennis News

Nadal Message Leaves Neymar’s Son Starstruck

World No. 3 Rafael Nadal might have spent some extra time on the practice court at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell recently, but he still found time for a great gesture for one of his youngest fans.

Former FC Barcelona player Neymar posted an adorable Instagram Story featuring his son, Davi Lucca, receiving any Nadal fan’s ultimate dream: a personalised video message from the Spanish legend himself.

Turns out, the nine-year-old was one of the limited number of fans in attendance at Pista Rafa Nadal, alongside other FC Barcelona figures including club president Joan Laporta and players like Pedri Gonzalez, Riqui Puig and Francisco Trincao. But as a result of strict health and safety protocols, Davi Lucca was unable to meet the 11-time champion in person. 

“Davi Lucca, how are you?” Nadal said in the video as the youngster’s face quickly turned to shock. “I heard that you came to watch one of my matches recently. I’m sorry that I wasn’t able to greet you, but with the virus around it was impossible. Hopefully when this is all over, you can come back and we can meet properly some day. Sending a big kiss.”

The son of the Brazil and PSG star has rubbed elbows with sports megastars like Lionel Messi and Gerard Pique, but it was Nadal’s video message that left him speechless. 

“You’re kidding. Mum, you’re lying to me,” he exclaimed, before literally jumping with joy. “Mum I’m so happy! He spoke to me… Nadal!”

Top seed Nadal will be back to compete at his namesake Centre Court on Saturday, when he faces sixth seed Pablo Carreno Busta for a spot in the Barcelona championship match. 

Source link

Sabanov Twins Advance To Belgrade Final

At the Serbia Open, wild cards Ivan Sabanov and Matej Sabanov are one win away from the ATP 250 title. The twins ended Matteo Berrettini and Andrea Vavassori’s run 7-6(9), 6-3 in the semi-finals on Friday. 

The Croatians saved two set points in the tie-break before running away with the match to book a place in their first ATP Tour final. They’re tied at No. 169 in the FedEx ATP rankings, and had a 1-3 ATP Tour record going into this week in Belgrade.

In the other semi-finals, Ariel Behar and Gonzalo Escobar topped Nikola Cacic and Tomislav Brkic 6-3, 6-4. Behar and Escobar are seeking their third title of 2021, having won in Delray Beach and Marbella. The Serbia Open doubles champions will be decided on Saturday at 3 pm, followed by the singles semi-finals.

Top Seeds Advance in Barcelona
The top-seeded team of Robert Farah and Juan Sebastian Cabal secured a place in the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell final with a 7-5, 6-1 win over Jeremy Chardy and Fabrice Martin.

Farah and Cabal have yet to drop a set. They’ll get a day off while the second semi-final is played on Saturday between Rajeev Ram/Joe Salisbury and Kevin Krawietz/Horia Tecau.

Source link

Nadal, Straight To The Practice Court In Barcelona: ‘I’m Trying To Improve Daily’

After closing out a confidence-boosting win over Cameron Norrie in two sets, 11-time champion Rafael Nadal had just two words for his team at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell: “Pista 2!”

Nadal wrapped up his first straight-sets victory of the week in an hour and 35 minutes, and then went directly from his namesake Centre Court to the practice courts of the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona-1899 to continue the hard work.

“I went to the practice court to loosen up the arms,” Nadal explained in his post-match press conference. “The match was a little bit shorter today. I’m in the process of trying to improve and working hard daily to try to find the level that I want as soon as possible…

“I just wanted to pinpoint a few things after the match to work on. It’s not the first time or the fifth time that I do this, I’ve [gone straight to the practice court] many times in the past. It’s nothing new, I’m just trying to find the things that can help me be a little bit better tomorrow.”

1️⃣ Training
2️⃣ Beats Norrie
3️⃣ Back to training

? THIS IS @RafaelNadal pic.twitter.com/iAT0n0lPKx

— Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell (@bcnopenbs) April 23, 2021

Coming into his quarter-final clash against Norrie, Nadal’s level had raised some alarm bells among Spanish tennis fans as he dropped a set in each of his previous matches in Barcelona. He was taken the distance against Ilya Ivashka and two-time Barcelona champion Kei Nishikori – a rare occurrence on the Spaniard’s happiest hunting ground. 

Nadal has lifted the Trofeo de Godo 11 times, and had not previously dropped more than one set en route to any of his record Barcelona titles. In fact, he won the title without losing a set on nine occasions.

He was under pressure on Friday again, as Norrie broke his serve late in the second set to bring them to 4-4, threatening to force another three-setter. But this time, Nadal responded emphatically with a break back to love to seal his 13th semi-final berth in Barcelona.

It is also Nadal’s first semi-final of the year, after reaching the quarter-finals at each of his previous events at the Australian Open (l. Tsitsipas) and Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters (l. Rublev).

“I’m in [the] semi-finals, that’s the thing today. I’ve been able to [advance] to that round for the first time this year, so that’s a positive news for me,” Nadal said. “I’m happy with the way I was able to improve every single day. Now is the moment to keep improving if I want to have chances against a tough opponent.

“I take every day as a positive thing, and today was a straight-sets win. For moments I played at a high level, and for moments I think I can do better. But it’s a process, and I accept the challenge and I accept the process.”

Nadal will next face sixth-seeded countryman Pablo Carreno Busta, who lifted the trophy in Marbella earlier in the month, for a spot in the championship match.

Source link

Rafael Nadal beats Cameron Norrie to reach Barcelona Open semi-finals

Rafael Nadal eases past Britain’s Cameron Norrie in straight sets in the last eight of the Barcelona Open.

Source link

Nadal Speeds Past Norrie Into Barcelona Semi-Finals

Top seed Rafael Nadal powered past fellow lefty Cameron Norrie in straight sets on Friday to return to the semi-finals at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell.

Coming into his quarter-final clash, the 11-time champion had already lost two sets this week after being taken the distance against Ilya Ivashka and two-time Barcelona champion Kei Nishikori. It was cause for alarm for some Spanish tennis fans, as Nadal had not previously dropped more than one set en route to any of his record Barcelona titles, nine of which he claimed without losing a set.

But Nadal made sure to not concede another, coming out swinging against Norrie and dictating with his forehand to record a 6-1, 6-4 victory on Pista Rafa Nadal.

With the victory, Nadal improved to 2-0 in his ATP Head2Head against Norrie, making it 18 consecutive victories over left-handed players since 2017 in Montreal (l. Shapovalov). Nadal’s overall record against fellow lefties now sits at 108-15.

Into his 13th semi-final in Barcelona, Nadal awaits the winner of Buenos Aires champion Diego Schwartzman, the fourth seed, and sixth-seeded Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta, who lifted the trophy in Marbella earlier in the month. 

Source link

Tsitsipas Beats Felix In Barcelona, Now Eight Matches Unbeaten

Former finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas extended his winning streak to eight matches on Friday for a place in the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell semi-finals.

The second-seeded Greek, who captured his first ATP Masters 1000 trophy at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters (d. Rublev) last week, produced another impressive performance to beat No. 10 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-3, 6-3 in 83 minutes.

“I think my hard efforts paid off,” said Tsitsipas, who has now won 14 sets in a row. “I wouldn’t say it was the best start, but I managed to win my serve from 0/40 down [in the second game]. That got me into the match and that helped me to break him at the end. I didn’t panic, but I knew what I was doing. It feels good to be able to play the way I am. I really hope the winning streak continues.”

Tsitsipas, who captured the 2018 Next Gen ATP Finals title and went on to clinch the 2019 Nitto ATP Finals crown, will now face the youngest Barcelona semi-finalist in 16 years, Jannik Sinner of Italy. The No. 11 seed, who beat Andrey Rublev earlier on Friday, captured the 2019 Next Gen ATP Finals trophy in Milan. Tsitsipas and Sinner at tied at 1-1 in their ATP Head2Head series, with both matches coming on clay at the 2019 and 2020 Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome.

Tsitsipas lost just seven of his first service points against Auger-Aliassime (29/37), striking 11 winners and committing just nine unforced errors. The 22-year-old is now 25-5 on the season.

More to follow…

Source link

Djokovic & Karatsev Set SF Showdown

Novak Djokovic will meet 2021’s breakout star Aslan Karatsev in the Serbia Open semi-finals Saturday after both players enjoyed straight-sets quarter-final wins Friday in Belgrade.

Djokovic made quick work of fellow Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic with a 6-1, 6-3 win, moving closer to a third title at home. Later in the day, Karatsev set a replay of their Australian Open semi-final when he defeated Italian qualifier Gianluca Mager 6-3, 6-4.

“I think personally I’m feeling very well on court, moving well, hitting the ball well and, of course, enjoying the home court advantage,” Djokovic said. “So I’m really excited to go out in the semi-finals on the court again tomorrow.

“Karatsev is on fire,” Djokovic said. “He’s very confident. We know that he has had the best four, five months of his career.”

The World No. 1 is playing in just his second event since winning the Australian Open. He opened his clay-court season last week in Monte-Carlo where he was upset by Daniel Evans. On Wednesday, he comfortably dispatched Soonwoo Kwon and was just as solid against Kecmanovic, taking charge of points early and coming to the net regularly. 

It was the first meeting between the two compatriots with Djokovic in full command from first point to last. He broke the 21-year-old’s first service game and then established greater dominance by breaking him again to love for 5-1. The most competitive game was when Djokovic came through five Deuce points when he served for the first set

It was all smooth sailing until Djokovic went to serve for the match at 5-2, and got broken. The Serbian rebounded quickly, breaking right back to wrap up the win in one hour and 15 minutes.

“There is a lot more for him to improve on with his footwork and his game — for all of us really,” Djokovic said. “Kecmanovic definitely has the potential to go far. He has already won one tournament and I know that his goals, his ambitions, are high.”

Karatsev, the 27-year-old World No. 28, improved to 16-4 on the season as he moved a step closer to claiming his second title of the year &#8212 and his second at the ATP 500 level &#8212 following his triumph in Dubai. The Russian is playing just his second tour-level tournament on clay, having last week reached the second round of the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, where he lost to eventual champion Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Source link

Berrettini Eases Past Krajinovic In Belgrade

Matteo Berrettini moved into the Belgrade Open semi-finals Friday with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Filip Krajinovic. The second seed served well from start to finish, and controlled the narrative from the very start of the match with his first-strike abilities off the forehand.   

“I think I played a really solid match,” Berrettini said. “My weapons were working from the beginning really well. I’m happy with the performance. I served well. I also returned well when I had to. I’m really happy that I’m in the semis.”

The World No. 10 had been dealing with an abdominal injury for most of 2021 and is playing in just his second singles draw since withdrawing from the fourth round of the Australian Open. He dropped his first match back last week in Monte-Carlo before stringing together this run in Belgrade. It’s the 25-year-old’s first ATP Tour semi-final since Vienna in 2019.

The 25-year-old Italian started play on Center Court by breaking Krajinovic’s serve in the first game. In the second set, with Berrettini serving so well (he would hit nine aces to Krajinovic’s one), he was able to put a lot of pressure on the Serbian’s serve, getting the second, and final, break at 4-3. He dug himself out of a 0/40 hole by winning five points in a row to seal the victory, boosted by his final ace.

“I think I played really good tennis today, especially in the important moments and I feel I’m improving,” said Berrettini. “The work we’ve done is in relation to my attitude, and be focused point after point, because that’s what I’ve missed the most in not playing a lot. We were trying to play points at match intensity in practice.”

Both players faced six break points on their own serves with Berrettini saving 100 per cent of his. He improves to 2-0 in their ATP Head2Head Series. 

“It’s never easy when you’re coming back from an injury,” Berrettini said. “I played well; physically I’m feeling good so that the most important thing for me, especially in the last month. I’m reaching my best shape — that is the goal.”

Berrettini will next face the winner of Taro Daniel and Federico Delbonis. He’s also still alive in the doubles draw as he and Andrea Vavassori will play the semi-finals later on Friday.  

Source link

Sinner Topples Rublev To Reach Barcelona Semi-finals

Jannik Sinner upset in-form Andrey Rublev for the fourth Top 10 win of his career on Friday and a place in the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell semi-finals. The #NextGenATP Italian dictated the tempo and moved superbly to overcome third-seeded Russian Rublev 6-2, 7-6(6) in one hour and 36 minutes.

Sinner, 19, who captured his second ATP Tour title in February at the Great Ocean Road Open (d. Travaglia), struck 20 winners in his second ATP Head2Head meeting against Rublev, who drops to a 26-6 match record on the season. Sinner saved one set point at 5/6 in the second set tie-break.

“I am trying to get better every week,” said Sinner. “He has played many, many matches already this year and I tried to play my tennis. It was difficult to finish it off. I had three break points at 5-5 [in the second set], which I could not convert, but I’m pleased to win in the end. I am getting more experience in every tournament I play.”

Sinner, who is the youngest Barcelona semi-finalist since 2005, when 18-year-old Rafael Nadal won the first of his 11 Barcelona titles, will next challenge second-seeded Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas. Last week’s Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters champion knocked out No. 10 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada 6-3, 6-3 in 83 minutes.

Sinner came through the first set, closer than the score suggests, with Rublev a fraction slow in his movement. Rublev struck a double fault to hand Sinner the break in the third game and then the 19-year-old Italian hit a forehand winner to break for a second time and a 5-2 advantage. Sinner closed out the 32-minute set after Rublev hit a backhand return long. The Russian committed eight of his 12 unforced errors off his backhand wing.

Rublev started to fire groundstroke winners, capitalising on a slight dip from Sinner. But it was Sinner, who broke into the Top 20 of the FedEx ATP Rankings for the first time this week, who gained the first break of the second set at 3-3. Rublev immediately broke back to love, yet soon found himself at 5-5, 0/40. He did well to dig himself out of a big hole.

It was all Sinner in the early stages of the tie-break, with the Italian winning four of the first five points, but Rublev worked his way back and held one set point at 6/5. Sinner trusted his game and struck a forehand winner and soon closed out for a place in his first ATP Tour clay-court semi-final with his fourth ace.

World No. 19 Sinner, who is making his Barcelona tournament debut this week, is now 18-6 on the year.

Source link

Tokyo 2020: Benoit Paire barred from representing France over 'deeply inappropriate behaviour'

Benoit Paire is barred from representing France at the Tokyo Olympics in July because of his “deeply inappropriate behaviour”.

Source link