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Andy Lapthorne beaten by Dylan Alcott in Wheelchair Tennis Masters quad final

  • Posted: Dec 02, 2018

Britain’s Andy Lapthorne was beaten in the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters quad singles final as Australian Dylan Alcott won 3-6 7-5 6-4 in Florida.

Alcott, 27, beat Lapthorne to win 2016 Paralympic gold and again in the 2017 Australian Open final.

Lapthorne, 28, beat world number one David Wagner and Koji Sugeno in Orlando during the week but suffered a fourth Masters final defeat.

Alcott moves top of the world quad rankings, with Lapthorne up to second.

“This sport is so hard,” Lapthorne said. “I’ve tried so hard and I keep putting myself out there and it’s just not meant to be right now. I’ve just got to keep trying to get better.

“Credit to him, he came back. It was a great final, a great battle, a great match and a great spectacle for the quad division.”

Lapthorne revealed that following his semi-final win over Sugeno on Saturday, he watched television coverage of British heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury’s draw with Deontay Wilder in Los Angeles.

“I’ve taken inspiration from him and his battles and one of these days one of these finals is going to fall for me,” he added.

Inspired to try a new sport?

Find out how to get into disability sport with our special guide.

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ATP World Tour Season In Review: Doubles In 2018

  • Posted: Nov 30, 2018

ATP World Tour Season In Review: Doubles In 2018

Best Of 2018: Doubles Year In Review

Continuing our Season In Review series, ATPWorldTour.com looks at the headlines that shaped 2018 on the doubles circuit.

Tale Of Two Halves: Mike Bryan Enjoys Stellar Season
Heading into their fifth tour-level final of the season at the Mutua Madrid Open, Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan had compiled a 26-6 tour-level record and looked set to challenge for the No. 1 position in the ATP Doubles Team Rankings. That soon changed as Bob Bryan was forced to retire from the championship match in the Spanish capital with a right hip injury.

That injury would keep Bob Bryan out of action for the remainder of the season, leaving brother Mike Bryan without a doubles partner. The brothers’ streak of 76 consecutive Grand Slam appearances came to an end at Roland Garros. At the Fever-Tree Championships, Mike Bryan teamed up with countryman Jack Sock, reaching the quarter-finals at The Queen’s Club, before lifting their maiden team title in dramatic fashion at Wimbledon.

Bryan/Sock won three of their four matches from the Round of 16 onwards in five sets, beating Raven Klaasen and Michael Venus in the championship match 6-3, 6-7(7), 6-3, 5-7, 7-5. Posting a 1-2 record at ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events in Toronto and Cincinnati, Bryan and Sock then entered the US Open short on match practice, but once again found their best level in Grand Slam play.

Bryan/Sock dropped just one set at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, in the semi-finals against Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah, en route to their second straight Grand Slam title. The American duo cruised past 2017 year-end No. 1 doubles team Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo 6-1, 6-3 in the championship match to capture the trophy.

Once more, Bryan/Sock struggled to replicate their form at Masters 1000 events, posting a 2-2 record in Shanghai and Paris before making their team debut at the Nitto ATP Finals. The Americans advanced to the semi-finals at The O2 with two wins from three round-robin clashes and beat Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares to reach their third final in eight events.

Meeting Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut, the team who defeated them in group play for the trophy, Bryan/Sock were once again forced to produce their best tennis in the English capital. They rallied from a set down and saved one championship point at 10/11 in the Match Tie-break before capping their extraordinary season with a 5-7, 6-1, 13-11 victory.

“This is how you want to start a partnership and end one. To win here is just an epic experience,” said Bryan. “To finish a great year off the right way, winning here, against some of the best teams in the world… [I have had] unreal memories with Jack this year. We’re closing the book on our partnership because Bob is coming back. But we’re always going to be great friends and hang out in the off-season. We’re going to spend the off-season together training.”

Marach/Pavic Finish As No. 1 Team
After ending 2017 with a victory over the Bryan brothers, as an alternate pairing at the Nitto ATP Finals, Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic continued where they left off at the start of 2018. The Austrian-Croatian duo did not drop a set en route to the title at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open, beating Murray/Soares in the final to earn their second team trophy.

Marach/Pavic didn’t take long to double that total, defeating Max Mirnyi and Philipp Oswald the following week in Auckland before claiming their maiden Grand Slam title at the Australian Open. Marach/Pavic required final-set tie-breaks in both their quarter-final and semi-final clashes, before beating Cabal/Farah 6-4, 6-4 in the final to triumph in Melbourne.

Taking their 2018 winning streak to 17-0, Marach/Pavic reached the championship match at the ABN Amro World Tennis Tournament. In the final, the pair’s unbeaten run was ended by Herbert/Mahut in a Match Tie-break. From there, the Australian Open champions posted consistent results throughout the following four months. Marach/Pavic reached the quarter-finals or better in each of their next nine events, winning their fourth trophy of the season at the Banque Eric Sturdza Geneva Open and finishing runner-up , with runner-up finishes at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters and Roland Garros.

Leading the ATP Doubles Race To London, Marach and Pavic also reached finals in Hamburg and Beijing before clinching the year-end No. 1 ATP Doubles Team Ranking. Marach (Austria) and Pavic (Croatia) are the first players from their respective countries to end a season at No. 1 in any of the ATP Rankings categories (singles, doubles, team).

Nestor, Mirnyi Retire
The 2018 season saw two of the greatest doubles players of all time finally hang up their racquets. Daniel Nestor, with 91 tour-level doubles titles and 10 stints at the top of the ATP Doubles Rankings,  will forever be remembered on the ATP World Tour by partners and rivals for his incredible success and commitment to the sport.

With more than 15 years inside the Top 10 and almost 24 consecutive years, from April 1994 until April 2018, inside the Top 100 in doubles, Nestor continued to write his name in the history books throughout his career. On 11 January 2016, the Canadian became the first player in ATP World Tour history to record 1,000 doubles match wins. The only players who have captured more tour-level doubles titles than Nestor are the Bryan brothers — Mike with 121 and Bob with 116 — who have remained a pair throughout their careers. Nestor’s 91 title runs were achieved with 11 different partners.

Nestor’s most successful partnership came alongside Mark Knowles. The pair claimed 40 tour-level doubles championships together. And while the team created countless great memories, their first Grand Slam win at the 2002 Australian Open and their second at the 2004 US Open, six years after losing two match points in the final at Flushing Meadows, stick out.

“Daniel had an incredible career,” said Knowles. “He achieved everything that there is to achieve on the doubles court. He should be celebrated for his incredible success and dedication to the sport.”

Nestor earned his 1,062nd and final tour-level victory at the TEB BNP Paribas Istanbul Open before retiring in September, shortly after making his 30th straight appearance in front of home fans at the Rogers Cup in Toronto.

Max Mirnyi will be remembered just as fondly for his illustrious career. ‘The Beast’, after 22 years as a professional and reaching No. 1 in the ATP Doubles Rankings, announced his retirement in November.

“I have come to a decision that the 2018 season was my last year competing professionally,” Mirnyi said. “It was a very difficult choice for me to make as tennis has been my life ever since I can remember myself. I was fortunate to achieve far beyond what a little boy from Minsk, Belarus, could have dreamed of.”

Mirnyi climbed to the top of the ATP Doubles Rankings for the first time on 9 June 2003, and he would spend 57 weeks atop the doubles mountain, good enough for 15th all-time. The Belarusian won 52 tour-level doubles titles (52-46), and Mirnyi recently finished his 20th consecutive doubles campaign inside the Top 100.

The six-time men’s doubles Grand Slam winner and 2012 mixed doubles Olympic gold medalist (w/ Victoria Azarenka) qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals 10 times, lifting the trophy in 2006 with Jonas Bjorkman and in 2011 with Daniel Nestor. ‘The Beast’ most recently appeared at the prestigious season finale in 2016, at 39 years old, alongside Treat Huey. Mirnyi also captured 16 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 doubles titles, including the 2003 Miami crown with Roger Federer.

Cabal/Farah Reach The Next Level
This season proved to be a breakthrough year for Cabal/Farah. The Colombian duo, who first joined forces at the Futures level in 2004 and made their tour-level main draw debut in 2011 at Wimbledon, notched 39 wins from 62 tour-level encounters to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time.

Read More: Built To Last: Bryans, Cabal/Farah, Rojer/Tecau Take The Long Road To Success

Starting the season with a maiden Grand Slam final appearance as a team at the Australian Open, Cabal and Farah did not drop a set in Melbourne before falling in the championship match to Marach and Pavic. The Colombians continued to impress, reaching their second final of the season in Buenos Aires before lifting their biggest team title at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in May. In the Italian capital, Cabal and Farah battled through three Match Tie-breaks in four matches, beating Pablo Carreno Busta and Joao Sousa to capture their maiden ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crown.

Another Masters 1000 final appearance soon followed in Cincinnati (l. to Murray/Soares) before three consecutive semi-final runs at the US Open, China Open and Rolex Shanghai Masters. After reaching the last four at the Nitto ATP Finals, Cabal and Farah’s season ended with a tight 3-6, 7-5, 5-10 loss to Roland Garros titlists Herbert/Mahut.

Herbert/Mahut Continue To Find Success
After consistent success in their previous three ATP World Tour campaigns, Herbert/Mahut only combined at 12 tour-level events in 2018. But that did not stop the Frenchmen from lifting titles and making history in the process.

Herbert/Mahut became the first team to overcome Marach/Pavic to clinch the ABN Amro World Tennis Tournament title in February and, three months later, faced the duo once again in the Roland Garros championship match. Bidding to capture their third Grand Slam crown, Herbert/Mahut dropped just one set en route to the final. The French pairing edged Marach/Pavic in a second-set tie-break and became just the third all-French team to lift the Roland Garros doubles title in the Open Era. Herbert/Mahut ended their season with a fourth consecutive appearance at the Nitto ATP Finals, reaching their first final at the season-ending event.

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Max 'The Beast' Mirnyi Finally Rests

  • Posted: Nov 29, 2018

Max ‘The Beast’ Mirnyi Finally Rests

The Belarusian totaled 53 titles in 22 years as a professional tennis player

‘The Beast’ is hanging up his racquet. After 22 years as a professional, Max Mirnyi, former No. 1 player in the ATP Doubles Rankings, has announced his retirement.

“I have come to a decision that the 2018 season was my last year competing professionally,” Mirnyi said. “It was a very difficult choice for me to make as tennis has been my life ever since I can remember myself. I was fortunate to achieve far beyond what a little boy from Minsk, Belarus, could have dreamed of.”

Mirnyi climbed to the top of the ATP Doubles Rankings for the first time on 9 June 2003, and he would spend 57 weeks atop the doubles mountain, good enough for 15th all-time. The Belarusian won 52 tour-level doubles titles (52-46), and Mirnyi recently finished his 20th consecutive doubles campaign inside the Top 100. As a singles player, he ascended as high as No. 18 in the ATP Rankings, and won 244 tour-level matches, including 16 victories against Top 10 opponents.

The six-time men’s doubles Grand Slam winner and 2012 mixed doubles Olympic gold medalist (w/ Victoria Azarenka) qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals 10 times, lifting the trophy in 2006 with Jonas Bjorkman and in 2011 with Daniel Nestor. ‘The Beast’ most recently appeared at the prestigious season finale in 2016, at 39 years old, alongside Treat Huey. Mirnyi also captured 16 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 doubles titles, including the 2003 Miami crown with Roger Federer.

Mirnyi completes his illustrious career with a combined 1,024 match wins in singles and doubles, and he did not slow down in his final season. The 41-year-old, alongside Philipp Oswald, captured titles at the New York Open and the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship.

Houston

You May Also Like: My Title: Mirnyi Remembers 2003 Rotterdam

Many will look back on Mirnyi’s standout career and think of his doubles success, but the Belarusian also performed well on the singles court before exclusively focusing on doubles in 2009. Mirnyi won the 2003 ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam, moving through a daunting set of opponents in Federer, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Ivan Ljubicic and Mario Ancic before defeating Raemon Sluiter in the final. Mirnyi also advanced to the final at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event in Stuttgart in 2001, defeating three players — Gustavo Kuerten, Pete Sampras and Yevgeny Kafelnikov — who reached the No. 1 ATP Ranking in their career, as well as former World No. 2 Goran Ivanisevic, along the way.

“Throughout my whole career I always did the best I could and treated my profession with honour and respect. Now it’s time for me to move on with my life and accept new challenges,” Mirnyi said. “I will miss the game greatly but for certain I will continue to follow it closely and love it from the sidelines. I thank everyone who took part in my development as a tennis player and as person.”

Did You Know?
Mirnyi won at least 25 tour-level doubles matches in 19 of his final 20 seasons, including 2018.

Max Mirnyi Statement
I would like to announce today that I have come to a decision that the 2018 season on the ATP World Tour was my last year as a professional player.

It’s been a very tough choice to make considering that the game of tennis has been my life ever since I can remember myself. I am absolutely thrilled to have had a chance to enjoy this game for so long!

While competing for myself or representing my country I have always treated my profession with the highest honour and respect, worked at it as hard as I could and now, stepping away from the game, I have no regrets and feel nothing but joy. I have achieved far beyond what a little boy from Minsk, Belarus could dream about at the beginning of the road.

My journey would not be possible without the continued support of my family. I owe it to my mother and father for teaching me life and sports from a young age. Very early my father became a key figure in my life, advancing with me through all levels of the game as my coach, manager and a friend. My wife and my kids gave me tremendous support and always inspire me to keep going forward.

Also, along the way I was very fortunate to meet outstanding coaches who helped me shape my game and character. Here I would like to acknowledge them and show my love to them once again:

My junior coaches Valeriy Lavrenov and Arcadi Edelman from “MAZ” tennis school: Thank you for building a good foundation and helping me fall in love with this game!

Mr. Nick Bollettieri, your family and your staff: Thank you for providing me with a home away from home at the IMG Tennis Academy in Florida. Believing in me at the time when the wins were very tough to come by and to this day you continue to be monumental in my development as a player and as a person.

Alexandr Dolgopolov Sr: Thank you for letting me be part of your family and for all your efforts in preparing me for the physicality of this sport and life on Tour. I really learned a lot from the time together and it helped me push my limits many times throughout out my career. Your wife’s lessons on flexibility planted a very valuable seed as a result of which I avoided many common injuries of the sport.

Bob Brett: Thank you for being in my corner and always providing me with very valuable advice, introducing me to Nike Tennis, which turned out to be my only apparel sponsor during my whole career.

Fritz Don: The most positive and optimistic person I have met. You helped me look at the methods of training in a different way. Tennis was always fun with you.

Brian Teacher: You made me understand the biomechanics of tennis. Your introduction to yoga helps me to stay balanced on and off the court to this day.

Scott Davidoff: I appreciate your assistance in helping me in a tough transition from my career No. 1 to career No. 2 — doubles only. Your endless scouting reports, knowledge for the game and support off the court helped me to be on the winning end of the biggest events and get excited about making career No. 2 last.

Peter Mirnyi: You pushed me with always a good vibe and your brotherly love at the time when more losses were creeping into my records and it was very easy to get negative and stop. However, we didn’t and had some memorable moments towards the end of this song.

My fitness coaches, Anthony Blair and Yutaka Nakamura: At different stages of my athletic development you recognized the most important areas where my wide and long body needed the most attention. With your help I always felt I had a physical edge over my opponents and surely never lost a match due to lack of preparation.

My medical team that looked after me and made sure I have the best chance to compete at the highest level. At different times each one of you played a crucial role into my longevity: Igor Golovnev, Pavel Malashevich, Alexsandr Razumets and Ivan Bury-sport doctors and trainers Team Belarus. Dr. Simon Small-Philadelphia (foot supports), Dr. Di Giacomo-Rome (ankle), Dr. David Dines-NY (shoulder), Dr. Angel (Barcelona) and Dr. Christopher Sforzo-Sarasota (elbow).

I will never forget the next group of people without whom my climb would also be impossible. Around the globe friends with their financial or moral support, often providing housing that helped Nikolai and I get past some difficult times.

Krutov family (Moscow, Rus), Christopher Boyer (Greenwich CT), Dubovic family (NY), Roberman family (NY), Fisher family (NY), Skrilivetsky family (NY), Grae family (NY) Trincher family (Bradenton FL), Anna Golub (Bradenton FL), Howard Winitsky (Delray Beach FL), Robets family (Lexington KY), Alex Reichel (LA) Anne and Cathy Rossiter (Chicago IL, Binghamton NY), Dima Davidov (Chicago IL), Igor Pevzner (Israel), Samir M’biota (Paris Fra), Cleon Papadopoulos (London UK), Magidov Family (RUS), Kojia Misha and Luba (Melbourne AUS), Mizue Sato (Tokyo, Jap), Kozhevnikov Oleg and Lyudmila (Dubai UAE), Kouzmenko Sergey and Irina (Minsk BLR), Frolov Vladimir and Valeria (Minsk BLR), Sergey Stutanov (RUS), Andrei Likhachev (RUS), Dmitry Gusev (RuS), Gennadi Silin (FL), Trubeev family (Sarasota FL), Zimmerman family (Sarasota FL).

For your professional and legal guidance I would like to thank my three special friends and agents: Max Eisenbud at IMG, Lisa Somermaier from Sunset consulting and Vittorio Selmi from ATP.

I would like to also address the Belarus Tennis Federation with your CEOs Simon Kagan, Mikhail Pavlov, Vladimir Peftiev, Sergey Teterin and Aleksandr Shakutin and thank you for your trust in me, the Belarus Ministry of Sport for always attending to my needs and electing me to represent the country for this long. It was a great honour and pleasure for me to do so around the world. Being the flag bearer for Team Belarus and winning a gold medal at the Olympics in London was by far the most memorable and proudest moment in my life.

I want to thank ATP and your staff for providing me with the most incredible working environment, taking me to places where I otherwise would have never been. Caring for me and guiding me on a daily basis.

To ITF, for letting me become part of your historic events and having my most memorable experiences with you.

Nike and Wilson, you have been my biggest supporters during my whole career. I am grateful that you spotted me early and stayed with me to this day. It has been an absolute honour and pleasure to be one of your athletes. You have always responded to all of my needs and gave me the chance to use the latest equipment and newest technologies. It made it so easy to keep my focus and just on the job! Thank you.

Special acknowledgment goes to all 100 of my doubles partners from 1994 to 2018 with whom I have an individual story to tell and who helped me installed a brick, large or small, in building my career wall. Thanks again to you, guys! We had a blast!!!

Sergej Skakun, Evgeni Mikheev, Vladimir Voltchkov, Kevin Ullyett, Mark Merklein, Jaime Oncins, Martin Hromec, Lars Rehmann, Robbie Koenig, Alejandro Hernandez, Scott Humphries, Ben Ellwood, Lior Mor, Tuomas Ketola, Georg Blumauer, Myles Wakefield, Justin Gimelstob, Andrei Cherkasov, Jean-Philippe Fleurian, John-Laffnie de Jager, Peter Nyborg, Brent Haygarth, Kent Kinnear, Gabor Koves, Andrei Olhovskiy, Nenad Zimonjic, David Adams, Pavel Vizner, Gustavo Kuerten, Alexander Reichel, Daniel Vacek, Michael Sell, Dusan Vemic, Denis Golovanov, Alexander Shvec, Peter Tramacchi, Olivier Delaitre, Jeff Tarango, Martin Damm, Eric Taino, Sandon Stolle, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Jonas Bjorkman, Nicklas Kulti, Lleyton Hewitt, Marat Safin, Nicolas Kiefer, Daniel Nestor, Mark Knowles, Tommy Haas, Fabrice Santoro, Patrick Rafter, David Prinosil, Jonathan Stark, Mahesh Bhupathi, Roger Federer, Julien Boutter, Michael Llodra, Mardy Fish, Jared Palmer, Jeff Morrison, Mikhail Youzhny, Sargis Sargsian, Thomas Johansson, Jurgen Melzer, Gaston Gaudio, Fernando Verdasco, Mischa Zverev, Marin Cilic, Rohan Bopanna, Tommy Robredo, Andy Ram, Sergey Betov, Jamie Murray, Aliaksandr Bury, Ashley Fisher, Robert Kendrick, Uladzimir Ignatik, Horia Tecau, Andrei Vasilevski, Feliciano Lopez, Mariusz Fyrstenberg, Scott Lipsky, Robert Lindstedt, Sam Groth, Jerzy Janowicz, Fabio Fognini, Lukasz Kubot, Grigor Dimitrov, Mehdi Jdi, Victor Estrella Burgos, Ivan Dodig, Marcelo Melo, Treat Huey, Yaraslav Shyla, Marcin Matkowski, Philipp Kohlschreiber, Ryan Harrison, Kevin Anderson, Philipp Oswald.

And lastly, I wish to thank and hug all of my fans who gave me love and support, who cheered with me in moments of glory but more importantly those that lifted me time and time again at different part of the world when matches and tournaments were lost and times were tough. You gave me the strength and motivation to wake up and keep working.

I will never forget what it is like to play in front of you, be it on the practice court or a packed house.

Going forward, it’s time for me to move on with my life and accept new challenges.

I will miss the game greatly, but for certain I will continue to follow it closely and love it from the sidelines.

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Mark Farrell: 1953-2018

  • Posted: Nov 29, 2018

Mark Farrell: 1953-2018

Liverpudlian was always great company

Mark Farrell, a Wimbledon mixed doubles runner-up in 1974 with fellow Briton Lesley Charles, has passed away aged 65 after a long illness.

Left-handed Farrell, who grew up in Liverpool and played at the Vagabonds Lawn Tennis Club, was always cheerful and terrific company. He compiled an 11-38 tour-level match record and achieved a career-high of No. 120 in the ATP Rankings on 20 December 1974. The same year, he played one Davis Cup tie for Great Britain versus Iran, partnering John Lloyd to victory in the doubles rubber.

Lloyd told ATPWorldTour.com, “I played a lot with Mark as a junior. He had a brute of a serve and was really a gentle giant. A big, tough Liverpudlian. He could also have been a very good footballer.

“One of my fondest memories was when we were very young and touring Australia, sharing a guest house with a family from Melbourne. We were lying on small beds, listening to a big music box that I used to take around with me. What I didn’t know was that he was scared of spiders and as we were listening to music, I saw out of the corner of my eye a spider coming down on it’s web on Mark’s side of the room. It landed on Mark’s check and he jumped up and screamed, and broke my music box! For the rest of the night, he didn’t want the lighted turned off!”

Farrell and Charles won five matches en route to the 1974 Wimbledon mixed doubles final, where they lost to the top seeds, Australia’s Owen Davidson and Billie Jean King of the United States, 6-3, 9-7. He also partnered Lloyd to a 1974 WCT event doubles final at the Royal Albert Hall in London and later spent many years coaching in Switzerland.

Two other career highlights, included beating 16-year-old Bjorn Borg at the 1973 Sydney International and also Stan Smith in the 1975 Nottingham second round.

Farrell, who had been confined to a wheelchair in his final months, had recently been arranging a get together of former British players for 2019.

Mark Farrell, tennis player and coach, born 6 May 1953, died 28 November 2018.

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With Delpo Serving At 40/0, It's Game Over

  • Posted: Nov 28, 2018

With Delpo Serving At 40/0, It’s Game Over

Infosys ATP Insights also shows how dominant Del Potro, other members of the Top 10 have been on serve

Serving at 40/0 versus 0/40 could not be more opposite – or the same.

An Infosys ATP Insights deep dive into these two contrasting game scores over the past four seasons for the current Top 10 identifies a massive gap in the expected chance of holding serve, as you would expect. What is also uncovered is a surprising symmetry in where first serves go when a player desperately needs a point (0/40), or has the freedom to surprise the returner with a secondary serve pattern (40/0).

Holding from 40/0 & 0/40
From 2015-2018, the Top 10 have averaged holding serve a dominant 99.4 per cent (9845/9904) of the time when leading 40/0 on serve. Juan Martin del Potro was the most successful holding from 40/0, amazingly dropping serve only one time (594/595), with John Isner and Marin Cilic dropping serve twice, and Roger Federer three times.

When the tables were turned and the Top 10 found themselves down 0/40 attempting to hold, the percentage plummeted all the way down to 20.6 (213/1032). Isner led the Top 10 holding from 0/40 at 27 per cent (20/74).

Current Top 10: Percentage Of Holding From 0/40 and 40/0 – 2015-2018

Ranking

Player

Holding from 40/0

Holding from 0/40

1

N. Djokovic

99.2%

21.4%

2

R. Nadal

99.5%

22.8%

3

R. Federer

99.7%

25.8%

4

A. Zverev

98.8%

15.9%

5

M. Cilic

98.8%

13.4%

6

J. M. Del Potro

99.8%

10.3%

7

K. Anderson

99.5%

26.8%

8

D. Thiem

99.0%

22.7%

9

K. Nishikori

98.8%

21.1%

10

J. Isner

99.8%

27.0%

AVERAGE

99.4%

20.6%

Serve Direction 40/0 & 0/40
You would suspect that serve direction would vary greatly at these two contrasting game scores, as players either elect to go with their favourite location to increase the percentages of winning the point, or surprise to a new location to keep the opponent guessing.

As it turns out, the Top 10 average exactly the same amount of first serves out wide (50 per cent), at the body (eight per cent) and down the centre T (42 per cent) at 40/0 and 0/40.

Current Top 10: Serve Direction at 0/40 and 40/0 – 2015-2018

Ranking

Player

0-40 Wide

0-40 Body

0-40 T

Total

40-0 Wide

40-0 Body

40-0 T

Total

1

N. Djokovic

24

2

24

50

257

25

220

502

2

R. Nadal

39

13

13

65

196

39

156

391

3

R. Federer

14

1

20

35

273

21

173

467

4

A. Zverev

5

3

9

17

55

9

45

109

5

M. Cilic

13

1

11

25

77

22

86

185

6

J. M. Del Potro

18

1

13

32

98

23

51

172

7

K. Anderson

5

1

15

21

113

20

80

213

8

D. Thiem

8

0

13

21

60

7

54

121

9

K. Nishikori

25

5

13

43

81

33

44

158

10

J. Isner

14

0

10

24

131

16

218

365

TOTAL

165

27

141

333

1341

215

1127

2683

PERCENTAGE

50%

8%

42%

100%

50%

8%

42%

100%

There was no set pattern of play on an individual basis, with some players switching locations, and others sticking to what they know best.

For example, Kevin Anderson served 71 per cent (15/21) of his first serves down the T at 0/40, but switched his primary target to out wide when leading 40/0, where he served 57 per cent of first serves. Some players, such as Rafael Nadal, kept the same location where they hit most serves, which was out wide for the Spaniard at both game scores.

It turns out there that 40/0 and 0/40 have a lot more in common than we ever knew.

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Nadal, Cilic Find Their Best Game Under Pressure

  • Posted: Nov 28, 2018

Nadal, Cilic Find Their Best Game Under Pressure

Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers shows how the Spaniard and Croatian buck the trend amongst Top 10 players

Scoreboard pressure affects us all. You would naturally think that a key indicator for players finishing near the top of the year-end ATP Rankings would be their ability to raise their performance in key moments of a match, such as break points.

We talk about players stepping up under pressure, or being clutch in the big moments, but when you study the numbers, in some categories, it just doesn’t wash out how we imagine.

An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of the 2018 year-end Top 10 identifies that their overall first-serve performance actually dropped on break points compared to their season average.

Below are three takeaways from this season’s year-end Top 10, using a data set of 2,255 break points that started with a first serve.

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1. Overall First-Serve Percentage Dropped On Break Point
The Top 10 averaged making 63.5 per cent (31,696/49,880) of their first serves in 2018, but when the pressure elevated on break point, they managed to make only 60.4 per cent (1787/2960) – a 3.2 percentage-point drop.

Only two players from the Top 10 made more first serves on break point than their season average, with Rafael Nadal head and shoulders above his peers. Nadal made 65.8 per cent of his first serves for the season, but that elevated to 69.8 per cent on break point. Marin Cilic was the other player who posted a gain, moving from 59.2 per cent to 59.8 per cent.

2. Ad Court = Majority Of Break Points
More than three out of four break points were contested in the Ad court, with 76.2 per cent (2255) occurring there, and 23.8 percent (705) in the Deuce court. Roger Federer played the highest percentage in the Ad court (80.7%), while Alexander Zverev played the highest percentage in the Deuce court (29.5%).

Nadal led the Top 10 in break points won in the Ad court, at 70.2 per cent (151/215), while John Isner won the most in the Deuce court, at 75.7 per cent (28/37).

3. Deuce / Ad Court Win Percentages Almost The Same
It’s interesting to note that nine of the Top 10 players are right-handed, which may signal a preference to perform better on one side of the court over the other. That simply didn’t happen.

The Top 10 averaged winning 59.9 per cent (422/705) of their break points in the Deuce court, and 60.5 per cent (1365/2255) in the Ad court – just a 0.6 percentage-point difference.

When you see a player elevate his game under pressure, it’s important to understand that it’s is not the norm. It’s actually even more impressive than we ever realised.

2018 Year-End Top 10: First-Serve Performance, Season vs Break Points

Ranking

Player

2018 Break Points: 1st Serves Made

2018 Season: 1st Serves Made

+/- Difference

2

R. Nadal

69.8%

65.8%

4.0

7

M. Cilic

59.8%

59.2%

0.6

1

N. Djokovic

65.8%

66.2%

-0.4

4

A. Zverev

63.4%

64.2%

-0.8

5

J. M. Del Potro

63.8%

65.4%

-1.6

9

K. Nishikori

56.0%

60.3%

-4.3

6

K. Anderson

59.8%

64.6%

-4.8

8

D. Thiem

52.1%

58.7%

-6.6

3

R. Federer

54.2%

62.0%

-7.8

10

J. Isner

61.6%

69.5%

-7.9

AVERAGE

60.4%

63.5%

-3.1

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Best Grand Slam Matches Of 2018: 5 To 3

  • Posted: Nov 28, 2018

Best Grand Slam Matches Of 2018: 5 To 3

ATP World Tour Season In Review: Best Grand Slam Matches

Continuing our Season In Review series, ATPWorldTour.com looks at the third through fifth best Grand Slam matches of the 2018 season.

5. Roger Federer def. Marin Cilic, Australian Open, Final – 28 January 2018 (Match Stats)
In the past, Roger Federer had cried tears of anguish at the Australian Open. Nine years ago, the Swiss couldn’t hold back his emotions after losing an epic five-setter for the championship against Rafael Nadal. This year in Melbourne, Federer’s tears were full of joy.

The 36-year-old star’s back was against the wall when he met 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic, who found some of his best tennis to overcome a break deficit in the fourth set of their Melbourne clash. Suddenly, the first Grand Slam final of the season came down to a deciding set, and Federer faced two break points in its opening game. Major title No. 20 was slipping away.

But Cilic could not put a forehand return in play on either occasion, and Federer raced away to a 6-2, 6-7(5), 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 victory to make history, joining Roy Emerson and Novak Djokovic with a record six Australian Open titles.

Federer

“All day I was thinking, ‘How would I feel if I won it, how would I feel if I lost it? I’m so close, yet so far.’ I think I was going through the whole match like this,” Federer said. “I’ve had these moments in the past, but maybe never as extreme as tonight. Getting to 20 is obviously very, very special, no doubt.”

Sure, Federer lifted the trophy, his third in five majors. But the fifth-set scoreline could be misleading. There’s no reason to think that if sixth seed Cilic converted on one of those break points in the decider’s opening game, that he would not have been the one to storm ahead to victory. Cilic seemingly grabbed control of the match as he stood on top of the baseline, hammering away at groundstrokes and taking time away from Federer, keeping him from playing aggressively himself.

“I was hitting the ball great. I was just playing phenomenal. Then first game of the fifth set was more or less crucial at the end,” Cilic said. “Just a little bit tougher game, my service game next game. It just ran away from me.”

You May Also Like: Federer Beats Cilic For 20th Major Crown

But it was Federer who came out on top once again, breaking Cilic six times in the match and winning 53 per cent of return points in the fifth set against one of the sport’s biggest servers to triumph. Suddenly, Federer was able to escape the rallies in which he was pulled from side to side by the Croat, using precise serve placement to gain the upper hand. And if you thought winning had gotten old for Federer, his tears during the trophy ceremony said otherwise.

“It’s about living the emotions that I went through tonight again at the trophy ceremony, going through a tough rollercoaster match, five-setter against Cilic, who is a great player, and then getting No. 6 here, No. 20 overall. It’s just a very special moment. Defending my title from last year, the fairytale continues,” Federer said. “It’s definitely a very special moment in my life again.”

4. Marin Cilic def. Alex de Minaur, US Open, Third Round – 1 September 2018 (Match Stats)
If some fans were unfamiliar with #NextGenATP Aussie Alex de Minaur before this year’s US Open, they certainly got to know him well in Flushing Meadows. It took Marin Cilic until 2:22 am — just four minutes shy of the tournament’s latest finish — to beat the 19-year-old 4-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 in three hours and 59 minutes.

“The atmosphere was very, very intense. Everybody was on their feet. [It was] 2 a.m. in the morning, fifth set, 5-All,” Cilic said. “It doesn’t get better for the crowd.”

The scoreline itself was epic in that Cilic battled back from two sets down for the sixth time — and just the second time in four and a half years. But the decider was what made this tilt stand out; a clash of wills that went deep into the New York night.

Read Match Report

Cilic led 5-2 in the fifth set and held a 0/40 lead on De Minaur’s serve. The Croat had found his game from the baseline, and his firepower was proving too much for the tiring Aussie speedster. At that point, it appeared the teenager’s time on centre stage was near its end.

But De Minaur simply did not go away. He found his very best on Cilic’s match points, chasing down ball after ball, when the 2014 champion didn’t necessarily do anything wrong. De Minaur found his way back on serve, and was on the verge of stunning the Croat. But Cilic finally converted his eighth match point.

“It was just incredible to find the composure, as well, also to stay focused, to stay in the moment, even though I missed so many opportunities there to finish it off, I stayed very focused,” Cilic said. “Obviously that fifth set was, as well, very emotional from both sides. I felt that he was also getting a little bit tired, but still he was pushing and pushing. Big credit to him for staying in there, almost getting to the line. What separated us was a couple points, nothing else.”

De Minaur

It’s not often a star is born in a loss. And De Minaur had already proven himself on the ATP World Tour, reaching championship matches in Sydney and Washington, D.C. But in New York, in the first classic match on the new Louis Armstrong Stadium, De Minaur showed that he is ready and willing to compete against the very best in the sport, no matter what it takes.

“Every time I step out on court, I tell myself that I’m going to play until the last point. He was going to have to beat me. Eventually that’s what he did,” De Minaur said. “But I did everything in my power to try and get back, [I gave] every ounce of energy [I had] to try and push. I managed to come back, but then he was too good at the end.”

Read: The Best ATP World Tour Matches of 2018

3. Rafael Nadal def. Juan Martin del Potro, Wimbledon, Quarter-finals – 11 July 2018 (Match Stats)
It took everything World No. 1 Rafael Nadal had to defeat the resurgent Juan Martin del Potro 7-5, 6-7(7), 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in an epic battle on Centre Court.

While the tennis was top-notch throughout, Nadal was close to taking a two-set lead. Before that match, the Spaniard was 205-2 when winning the first two sets. So with a 6/3 lead in the second-set tie-break, it appeared the top seed was on the verge of taking an insurmountable lead. But a double fault changed the trajectory of the match, allowing Del Potro right back into the clash.

Read Match Report

“Of course I was worried when I lost the second set. Winning 6/3 in the tie-break, it’s true that he played two great points with his serve, but then I made a very important mistake. That double fault was a big mistake,” Nadal said. “Then the match changed.”

Del Potro would ride his forehand to a two-sets-to-one lead, forcing Nadal to dig deep. And that’s exactly what the Spaniard did.

“He played well. I believe I increased a little bit the level in the fourth and the fifth. But the fifth, he was playing huge. It was so difficult to stop him,” Nadal said. “I am very happy the way that I survived a lot of important points in that fifth set.”

Del Potro, Nadal

Two-time former Wimbledon champion Andy Murray was commentating on the match for the BBC, and even he was in awe of the quality of tennis.

“This fifth set is one of the best sets of tennis I’ve ever seen live,” Murray said.

Del Potro gave himself plenty of chances in the fifth set, earning five break points thanks to his massive forehand and even more courageous effort, showing he was unafraid of diving across the historic grass when needed.

But Nadal was undeterred, throwing in a serve and volley on his first match point, dashing in to put away a backhand volley, turning around and lifting both arms straight in the air after sealing his triumph. On the other side of the court, the Argentine was left lying still, stomach down, on the court after stumbling in his chase after the ball. Exhaustion. Disappointment. All of those feelings hit Del Potro, and understandably so.

Nadal would step over the net and come to embrace the ‘Tower of Tandil’. As is the case in many epic matches, both players deserved to win. But only the Spaniard could move on.

“At the moment I’m feeling sad after almost five hours of running and playing this high level against the No. 1 in the world, and I lost. It’s not good for me. But maybe tomorrow or after tomorrow when I get home and I watch the match or some points again, I will be glad with my level, with my style of game,” Del Potro said. “I think Rafa in the end deserves to win once again.”

Explore the rest of ATPWorldTour.com’s Best of 2018 series

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