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Preview: Karatsev To Battle Medvedev In Rome

Tuesday at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia will see Daniil Medvedev and Aslan Karatsev face off in a highly anticipated night match.

On Monday, Karatsev beat Miomir Kecmanovic 7-6(2), 6-4 to improve his season record to 20-6. Medvedev is 18-4 this year, but 1-1 on clay and 0-2 in his previous Rome appearances.

Though it’s their first meeting, Medvedev and Karatsev helped Russia win this year’s ATP Cup. With Medvevdev and Andrey Rublev playing singles, Karatsev was delegated to the doubles court.

“Aslan, I’m not joking, was a secret weapon for doubles,” Medvedev said in February. “He didn’t manage to show it because we didn’t have a 1-1 match, but he was our secret weapon.”

Russia’s secret weapon would reach the semi-finals of the Australian Open as a qualifier with wins over Diego Schwartzman, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Grigor Dimitrov. He followed up his breakthrough run with an ATP 500 title in Dubai and a final showing in Belgrade. Since starting the year outside of the Top 100 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, the 27-year-old has established himself inside the Top 30.

“I think nobody can understand. I’m honest. I think only he can try to explain at least what’s going on,” Medvedev said about Karatsev in Miami. “In Dubai, I watched his matches. He was playing definitely I would say Top 10, Top five level. He beat some amazing guys in amazing ways there. Hopefully, he can keep the momentum going throughout his career. Four Russians almost in the Top 20 is unbelievable.”

Russia’s Karen Khachanov is ranked No. 24, while Karatsev is No. 27. Although he is up to World No. 2 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, Medvedev has yet to find his footing on clay. After testing positive for COVID-19 in Monte-Carlo, he lost in the third round of Madrid to Cristian Garin.

Novak Djokovic will play Taylor Fritz following Madrid finalist Matteo Berrettini’s match with Nikoloz Basilashvili. Djokovic last competed in Belgrade, where he lost against Karatsev in the semi-finals.

“I didn’t have too many matches,” Djokovic said. “I didn’t play so great in Monaco and Belgrade, but I’m hopefully going to change that here in Rome and then another week in Belgrade before the French.”

Also on Tuesday, Grigor Dimitrov will have his hands full against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and eighth seed Schwartzman will play Auger-Aliassime. Italian wild card Lorenzo Musetti will take on Reilly Opelka as he looks to back up his breakthrough third-round run from last year.

ORDER OF PLAY – TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021
CENTER COURT start 10:00 am

WTA – [WC] M. Trevisan (ITA) vs [DA SR]
WTA – Y. Shvedova (KAZ)
First Round
[9] M. Berrettini (ITA) vs N. Basilashvili (GEO)

[1] N. Djokovic (SRB) vs T. Fritz (USA)

Starting At 6.00PM
WTA – [16] J. Konta (GBR) vs J. Ostapenko (LAT)

GRAND STAND ARENA start 10:00 am

[Q] A. Davidovich Fokina (ESP) vs [16] G. Dimitrov (BUL) 
L. Sonego (ITA) vs [14] G. Monfils (FRA)

WTA – [12] G. Muguruza (ESP) vs A. Pavlyuchenkova (RUS)

WTA – A. Kerber (GER) vs [Q] A. Cornet (FRA)

Not Before 7:00 pm

A. Karatsev (RUS) vs [3] D. Medvedev (RUS)

PIETRANGELI start 10:00 am

WTA – [LL] S. Stephens (USA) vs M. Keys (USA)

WTA – V. Kudermetova (RUS) vs [14] E. Mertens (BEL)

K. Nishikori (JPN) vs [11] P. Carreno Busta (ESP)

[8] D. Schwartzman (ARG) vs F. Auger-Aliassime (CAN)

[Q] F. Delbonis (ARG) vs [12] D. Goffin (BEL)

COURT 1 start 10:00 am

[10] R. Bautista Agut (ESP) vs [Q] T. Paul (USA) 
[13] D. Shapovalov (CAN) vs [Q] K. Majchrzak (POL)
S
[WC] L. Musetti (ITA) vs R. Opelka (USA)

After suitable rest – [WC] L. Sonego (ITA) / A. Vavassori (ITA) vs A. Mannarino (FRA) / B. Paire (FRA)

COURT 3 start 10:00 am

WTA – [LL] L. Siegemund (GER) vs N. Podoroska (ARG)

WTA – [Q] B. Pera (USA) vs [Q] T. Zidansek (SLO)

Alternate vs L. Kubot (POL) / F. Skugor (CRO)

A. de Minaur (AUS) / J. Struff (GER) vs [3] I. Dodig (CRO) / F. Polasek (SVK)

[1] J. Cabal (COL) / R. Farah (COL) vs [WC] F. Fognini (ITA) / L. Musetti (ITA)

COURT 4 start 10:00 am

J. Millman (AUS) vs D. Lajovic (SRB)

[Q] R. Carballes Baena (ESP) vs [Q] C. Norrie (GBR)

[WC] M. Cecchinato (ITA) / S. Travaglia (ITA) vs [7] W. Koolhof (NED) / J. Rojer (NED)

[8] K. Krawietz (GER) / H. Tecau (ROU) vs M. Cilic (CRO) / M. Melo (BRA)

[Alt] M. Arevalo (ESA) / M. Middelkoop (NED) vs D. Evans (GBR) / N. Skupski (GBR)

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Demoliner/Medvedev Eliminate Murray/Soares In Rome

Marcelo Demoliner and Daniil Medvedev recovered from a set and a break down on Monday to upset sixth seeds Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares 3-6, 7-6(5), 10-4 at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome.

Demoliner and Medvedev trailed 6-3, 4-3 on Court 4, but they quickly recovered and dominated the Match Tie-break to reach the second round after one hour and 41 minutes. The Brazilian-Russian tandem also caused an upset at last week’s Mutua Madrid Open, where they overcame Miami and Monte-Carlo finalists Daniel Evans and Neal Skupski.

Demoliner and Medvedev will attempt to reach their third ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final as a team this week. The pair advanced to the last eight at back-to-back clay-court Masters 1000 tournaments in Monte-Carlo and Madrid in 2019.

Ariel Behar and Gonzalo Escobar needed a 30-point Match Tie-break to defeat Henri Kontinen and Edouard Roger-Vasselin 3-6, 7-6(5), 16-14. The Delray Beach and Marbella champions saved five match points during the Match Tie-break, before they converted their third opportunity to reach the second round after one hour and 39 minutes.

Marcus Daniell and Philipp Oswald saved all six break points they faced to beat Rohan Bopanna and Denis Shapovalov 6-4, 6-4. The unseeded duo won 86 per cent of their first-serve points (30/35) to move past the Madrid quarter-finalists in 71 minutes.

John Peers and Michael Venus claimed a 7-6(7), 7-6(4) win against Austin Krajicek and Oliver Marach to earn their place in the second round. Peers and Venus, who saved a set point at 5/6 in the first-set tie-break, are making only their third 2021 appearance as a team this week.

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Tokyo 2020: Naomi Osaka 'not sure' Olympics should happen amid rise in Covid-19 cases

Naomi Osaka says she is “not really sure” the Olympics should go ahead this summer amid rising Covid-19 cases in Tokyo.

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Sinner Sets Up Nadal Blockbuster In Rome Second Round

Jannik Sinner set up a blockbuster second-round clash against Rafael Nadal, the nine-time former champion, at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia on Monday afternoon.

The #NextGenATP Italian recorded his 20th match win of the season by moving past Ugo Humbert of France 6-2, 6-4 in 90 minutes on Center Court at the Foro Italico.

The 19-year-old will now meet his training partner in Australia three months ago. The pair met for the first time in October last year in the Roland Garros quarter-finals, which Nadal won 7-6(4), 6-4, 6-1.

Sinner overpowered Humbert with his returns to gain an early break in the third game. Humbert tried to match the World No. 18 from the baseline but was unable to find a way back in the one-sided first set.

Humbert was gifted a 2-0 lead in the second set, courtesy of a double fault, but Sinner immediately responded in a run of four straight games for a 4-2 advantage. The Italian hit 14 winners and won 13 of 15 points in rallies over nine shots.

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Karatsev Claims Milestone Win In Rome

Aslan Karatsev became the third player to reach 20 wins this season on Monday with a 7-6(2), 6-4 victory against Miomir Kecmanovic at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome.

Karatsev dropped just seven points behind his first serve (31/38) and saved two of the three break points he faced to advance after one hour and 42 minutes. The Russian holds a 7-3 record on clay this season, highlighted by his run to the Serbia Open final (l to Berrettini).

The Dubai champion has joined FedEx ATP Race To Turin leader Stefanos Tsitsipas and Monte-Carlo runner-up Andrey Rublev on the list of players to achieve 20 or more wins this year. Tsitsipas and Rublev are tied at the top of the leaderboard with identical 27-7 records in 2021.

2021 ATP Tour Wins Leaderboard

Later in the day, Jannik Sinner and Alexander Bublik will attempt to join Karatsev on 20 wins this year. Sinner will meet Ugo Humbert on Center Court, while Bublik will face former World No. 3 Marin Cilic on Pietrangeli.

Karatsev will meet ATP Cup teammate and third seed Daniil Medvedev in the second round. The 27-year-old owns a 4-3 record against Top 10 opposition this year, which includes his three-hour, 26-minute semi-final victory against World No. 1 Novak Djokovic last month in Belgrade.

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Fritz To Play Djokovic After Evans Win In Rome

Taylor Fritz bounced back from a slow start on Monday at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia to break a three-match losing streak.

The American won five straight games from a 1-3 deficit in the first set en route to a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Briton Daniel Evans, the recent Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters semi-finalist.

“I was really frustrated to give away the early break,” said Fritz. “He played two pretty good points, then I missed two forehands. I thought I was hitting the ball really well right from the beginning. I just told myself not to get too upset about it, as I was playing well. Dan has been playing well lately, beating Novak in Monte-Carlo, so it’s great to get a strong win. I am going to try my best [against Djokovic].”

The 23-year-old Fritz, who reached the last four at the Sardegna Open in Cagliari (l. to Sonego), is now 11-9 on the season and will play World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, the five-time Rome champion, in the second round.

“We played twice on clay in 2018, in Monte-Carlo and Madrid,” said Fritz, looking ahead to the Djokovic match. “I got beaten pretty bad those two times. I feel better prepared to play him now, after the match in Australia.”

Djokovic beat Fritz 7-6(1), 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-2 in the Australian Open third round in February.

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Italian Open: Dan Evans loses to Taylor Fritz in Rome

British number one Dan Evans loses in the first round of the Italian Open against American opponent Taylor Fritz.

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Queen's: Andy Murray and Dan Evans set to play London event

Former world number one Andy Murray and British number one Dan Evans are set to play at Queen’s Club when the tournament returns next month.

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Zverev Closes On Djokovic, Medvedev In Race

Alexander Zverev enjoyed a tremendous week at the Mutua Madrid Open, where he defeated Rafael Nadal, Dominic Thiem and Matteo Berrettini to lift his second trophy at the Caja Magica. But not only does the German depart the Spanish capital with a trophy, he is in the thick of the battle in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin, which will determine the eight competitors at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin from 14-21 November.

Zverev arrived in Madrid eighth in the Race, but he has soared into fifth, hot on the heels of third-placed Novak Djokovic and fourth-placed Daniil Medvedev. Zverev now trails Djokovic by only 250 points, and he is within 150 points of Medvedev leading into the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.

FedEx ATP Race To Turin Standings

“I just won a Masters. It’s my fourth one. I’m happy with that. That’s for me one of the most important things right now,” Zverev said. “Obviously I want to be happy for about 30 seconds, then obviously Rome is next. There [are] still big tournaments coming up.”

The 2018 Nitto ATP Finals champion is trying to qualify for the season finale for the fifth consecutive year. The player Zverev beat in the Madrid final, Berrettini, has also clawed his way into contention.

The Italian No. 1 is now in eighth place in the Race, 90 points clear of countryman Jannik Sinner, who reached the Miami final earlier this year. Berrettini qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time in 2019.

Earlier in the year, the Rome native struggled with an abdominal injury. But after winning a title in Belgrade and making his impressive run to the Madrid final, Berrettini has put himself in a good position in the Race, and he is focussed on continuing to improve.

“Obviously everybody looks at the Race, but it’s too soon now,” Berrettini said. “The most important thing is to be healthy. Once I’m healthy, I can reach my best level. I think this week just showed that I can play [at] this level.”

Stefanos Tsitsipas, who lost against Casper Ruud in the third round at the Caja Magica, still leads the Race with 2,930 points. Andrey Rublev, who also fell in the third round, remains second with 2,580 points.

One of the week’s biggest climbers was semi-finalist Dominic Thiem, who soared 34 places to 22nd after his first tournament since Dubai. The Austrian star has made the championship match at the Nitto ATP Finals in each of the past two seasons.

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How Zverev Critically Tamed Berrettini's Slice In The Madrid Final

Crunch time roared to life with Alexander Zverev serving at break point at 1-2 in the third set of the Mutua Madrid Open final against Matteo Berrettini on Sunday. The match was two hours and 11 minutes old and everything that came before this moment was simply the prelude.

In a pivotal two-game sequence at 1-2 in the third set, Zverev initially imploded with two double faults and he strategically struggled figuring out what to do with Berrettini’s wicked crosscourt backhand slice. But from break point down at 1-2, 40/Ad, Zverev won seven of the next eight points to suddenly find himself up a break at 3-2 in the decider. He was not threatened again, pulling away for a 6-7(8), 6-4, 6-3 victory to claim his second Madrid title.

A key to Zverev’s impressive turnaround early in the third set was how he tactically adjusted to Berrettini’s slice backhand, intelligently countering with his feet more than his racquet. Overall, Berrettini hit 210 forehands from the back of the court and just 127 backhands, with many of them struck with severe backspin, crossing the net like a frozen rope. They bounced low, staying below Zverev’s strike zone, making them almost impossible to attack. Berrettini loves this backhand slice, as his opponent typically has to play defence off of it, and the slower ball that returns allows him ample time to feast on run-around forehands in the Ad court. 

With Zverev serving at 1-2, 40/30, Berrettini hit one of his signature laser-beam backspin crosscourt backhands that Zverev boldly tried to attack with an inside-in forehand down the line. The heavy backspin dragged his low, offensive forehand straight into the net. It was a risky play for Zverev that didn’t pay off, also giving Berrettini confidence that this specific shot would be a valuable asset as he tried to close out the match.

Berrettini went to the backhand slice a few points later with Zverev serving at Ad/40. The German saw it coming early and quickly moved forward in the Ad court to make sure that it would not get too low on him again. The pressure of moving forward also served to shrink the target area for Berrettini. If the backhand landed short, Zverev would already be there for it. The Italian was forced to try to attempt to hit it deeper, pressuring the error in the net.

This same dynamic happened on the very next point, which was the opening point of Berrettini’s service game at 2-2. Zverev saw the backhand slice coming and quickly scurried forward towards the baseline to make sure it would not get too low. Berrettini saw Zverev improve his court position and changed direction down the line at the last minute and missed it badly in the alley.

It was the kind of miss that shakes your confidence. It’s amazing to think Zverev took away a strength of Berrettini’s game by simply improving his court position, moving closer to the baseline.

Berrettini went to his lethal slice again at 15/15, and Zverev quickly moved forward to take it early, this time hitting a high percentage forehand approach back behind Berrettini to the Italian’s backhand. The ensuing lob from the eighth seed went long. With the backhand slice quickly moving from an asset to a liability in this critical juncture of the match, Berrettini then tried to do more with his forehand and two wild errors followed on the next two points to gift the break.

Berrettini struck a lonely pose post-match as he sat on his chair shaking his head wondering how he got so close to victory but couldn’t finish. You can give all the credit to Zverev and his awareness to counter the backhand slice by moving up inside the baseline to take the low ball as high as possible before it became unplayable.

Victory was snatched from the jaws of defeat by Zverev’s court position and tactical counter-moves as much as anything else.

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