Jo-Wilfried Tsonga won the inaugural Open Parc Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes Lyon two years ago. And the former World No. 5 appears ready to push for a second title at this ATP 250 tournament this year.

Tsonga defeated fifth seed and recent Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters finalist Dusan Lajovic 7-6(4), 6-4 on Sunday to reach the second round, in which he will face Aussie Bernard Tomic or Canadian qualifier Steven Diez.

Tsonga played the big points well against the Serbian, saving three of the four break points he faced while converting two of his three chances to advance after one hour and 45 minutes. The Frenchman now leads Lajovic 3-0 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series, winning eight of the nine sets they have played.

The 34-year-old has done well to bounce back from a left knee surgery that kept him out for seven months last year. At Montpellier in February, he captured his first ATP Tour title since Antwerp in 2017. At the time, Tsonga was a 210th-ranked wild card. But the 17-time ATP Tour champion is already up to No. 85 in the ATP Rankings.

Tsonga has long enjoyed success in his home country, lifting nine of his trophies in France. He is trying to win multiple titles at a French tournament for the third time (also Marseille, Metz).

Also advancing Sunday was Aussie John Millman, who defeated Spaniard Pablo Andujar 6-1, 6-3 in 67 minutes. Millman will try to make his first quarter-final since Acapulco when he plays fourth seed and #NextGenATP Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime in the second round.

Rafael Nadal has never been one to dwell on the past and he made that clear throughout the week at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.

“You don’t complain when you play bad, when you have problems, when you have pains. You put [on] the right attitude [and] the right face. You go on court every day with the passion to keep practising,” said Nadal. “That’s something that I did during all of my career…that’s why I was able to always have the chance to be back. Here we are. Important title, important moment. Now is the moment to keep going.”

The Spaniard was reluctant to talk about his losses throughout the European clay swing or why he hadn’t won a title this season, marking the first time since 2004 that he hadn’t prevailed at an ATP Tour event in the first four months of the year. But with his victory over Novak Djokovic in Sunday’s final in Rome, Nadal was very willing to revel in the moment.

“You were asking for titles. Finally, I have a title,” said Nadal. “For me, the most important thing is feeling myself playing well and healthy, with the energy that I need. If that happens, the experience is that I’m going to fight for titles sooner or later.

“Of course, playing against Novak is always a special thing because it’s part of the history of this sport. It’s always a special feeling. Today was for me and the last couple of times have been for him, but I’m happy for the title more than winning against Novak. I am especially happy because the level was very high.”

Nadal was in top form from the first ball in Rome, dropping 13 games to reach the final and recording four 6-0 sets throughout the week. His 6-0 opening set in Sunday’s final against Djokovic marked the first time either player achieved that score in their 54 FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings. But while the opening set sent shockwaves through the Foro Italico, the Spaniard was far more pleased with his performance.

“I don’t care about winning 6-0 or 6-4, to be honest,” said Nadal. “I played a great first set in all aspects. No mistakes, playing so aggressive, changing directions. These kind of days happen, but it’s not usual and probably will not happen again.

“The first set is just an important part of the match. It showed that I was able to play at this level. That’s important for today, important for tomorrow.”

Nadal was characteristically candid about his struggles the European clay swing season, describing his semi-final loss at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters to Fabio Fognini as a “low moment” and first-round win at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell over Leonardo Mayer as “a disaster.” But the Spaniard continued to work tirelessly to find solutions and his efforts paid off in Rome.

Nadal will head to Roland Garros as the favourite to win a 12th crown in Paris. He’s made it clear with his tennis this week that it will take a top player in top form to halt him.

“Every day was a little bit better. Yesterday was probably my best match on clay so far this season before today, because today I played better than yesterday. So that’s it. I’m happy to reach that level in the last tournament before a Grand Slam,” said Nadal. “But, as I said, don’t want to talk about Grand Slams now. I never did in the past. For me, what means a lot is that every tournament is so special for me. [To] have the chance to win again here in Rome is unique.”

Serving at 4-3, 0/40 in the Rome doubles final on Sunday, Juan Sebastian Cabal/Robert Farah did what they’ve done all week at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia: Stayed calm and rallied.

The Colombians were down 2/7 in the Match Tie-break during their quarter-final against Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan, but saved four match points to reach the semi-finals. On Saturday evening, the longtime Colombian pairing lost the first set 6-2 after only 29 minutes against top seeds Lukasz Kubot/Marcelo Melo, yet recovered to prevail in another Match Tie-break.

On Sunday, however, Cabal/Farah skipped the heroics, beating Raven Klaasen/Michael Venus 6-1, 6-3 in only 59 minutes to repeat as Rome champions and win their second ATP Masters 1000 title.

“I kept repeating to myself and to [Cabal], ‘If we come back from this game, we got it. Let’s just focus to come back from this game,’” Farah said. “And I feel like when you win tournaments, things go your way. That’s the way it is. I don’t know what it is, I don’t know how to explain it… When it’s yours, it’s yours.”

Cabal/Farah have now won two of the biggest ATP Tour titles this European clay-court swing, having won the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell last month, and they will head into Roland Garros as one of the favourites to make a deep run.

Read Flashback: Cabal/Farah Win Barcelona Title

“We just keep fighting, keep fighting point by point,” Cabal said. “We got the level. We know we can beat anyone and that’s what we focus on.”

Cabal/Farah gained two early breaks en route to a 5-0 lead before serving out the opener. Klaasen/Venus rebounded in the second, but the Colombians won eight of the final nine points. The pairing will receive 1,000 ATP Doubles Rankings points and split €284,860.

“Every time you win a 1000 event, it’s something very special. There are no words to describe it. To go back-to-back is even more impressive,” Farah said. “It just builds up our confidence as a team.”

Klaasen/Venus were going for their first Masters 1000 team title. They will receive 600 ATP Doubles Rankings points and split €139,020.

“We got off to a somewhat sloppy and slow start and that cost us,” Klaasen said. “We had a few chances, but we obviously aren’t happy with how things went out there, and they were too good for us today.”

A treasured rivalry will be renewed on Sunday as Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal square off for the title at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia. This is their eighth meeting in Rome. Nadal edges Djokovic 4-3 in their mini-series at the ATP Masters 1000 event, which includes four finals (2-2). Djokovic leads their FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry 28-25.

More to come…

Enter the grounds of the NECKARCUP in Heilbronn and your immediate impression is one of a modern facility, built especially for a world-class tennis tournament.

Turn to the left and you’ll find a corridor of entertainment, featuring a stage for concerts and comedy shows, and nationally renowned dining, including Thomas Gödtel’s Tenno Sushi Lounge. Then shift to the right and stroll past the two main show courts, weaving through the VIP centre and a sponsor village that features a 3D printing machine.

On Thursday, the NECKARCUP celebrated its second consecutive ‘Tournament of the Year’ honour on the ATP Challenger Tour, lifting the trophy in front of the home fans. The TC Heilbronn Trappensee was packed with the German faithful to witness the occasion, as tournament directors and founders Metehan and Mine Cebeci hoisted the award for all to see.

But despite its lush ambiance, this venue actually has quite a long and storied history. One of the longest on the Challenger circuit, in fact.

Turn back the clock more than a century and you will find this very stadium at the forefront of German tennis. Not only is the TC Heilbronn Trappensee the second-oldest tennis club in all of Germany, but it is also the third-oldest on the ATP Challenger Tour today.

Oldest Challenger Venues

Founded in 1892, it celebrates its 127th anniversary this year. Only the grass-court facilities in Ilkley (1880) and Surbiton (1881) have a longer legacy on the circuit, but Heilbronn boasts arguably the most colourful history.

The original site was constructed on the expanse of land adjacent to the current stadium, but during World War II, the city was the target of numerous bombings by the British and United States Air Forces. In April 1945, the U.S. military seized control of Heilbronn and the persistent air raids culminated in a nine-day battle. Located along the Neckar River, the city was an important battleground towards the end of the war.

The Cebecis say that troops from the United States army were stationed in the region immediately surrounding the city, which was nearly entirely destroyed by more than 1,000 allied bombs.
Following the war, the American forces helped the locals rebuild the tennis club, assisting in the construction of the current indoor facility that today houses three carpet courts. During the tournament, the building is transformed into a sprawling player lounge, dining area and event offices.

Today, the surrounding region is home to hundreds of vineyards. Heilbronn is known for its bustling wine industry, with more than 1,300 acres of land dedicated to the craft. Tucked in the southwest corner of Germany, less than an hour north of Stuttgart, the city’s tranquility provides players with an ideal setting for a tournament.

And that’s exactly why the Cebecis established the event. In just six years, it has become one of the premier stops on the ATP Challenger Tour, serving the players with all the amenities they need, from round-the-clock shuttle service to buffet lunches and dinners, a large warm-up and cool down area and six practise courts.

“This tournament is for the players,” said Mine. “We know we provide a nice fan experience too, but our philosophy is ‘players first’. If they are happy, we are successful.”

The tournament has been fortunate to have a glittering list of champions, with four of the five winners going on to crack the Top 50 of the ATP Rankings. World No. 5 Alexander Zverev lifted the trophy in 2015, with Jan-Lennard Struff, Nikoloz Basilashvili and Filip Krajinovic also featuring in the winners’ circle. Last year, 17-year-old Rudolf Molleker became the youngest Challenger titlist in 2018 with his maiden title in Heilbronn.

Moreover, the NECKARCUP is well advertised and promoted in the region, with live media coverage from multiple outlets spanning the entire week. From online publications to newspaper, TV and radio, the tournament is covered from top to bottom. And the public has taken notice, with nearly 6,000 people filling the stands throughout the week.

Metehan’s father, Erdogan, was an iconic figure at the club for many years. He served as the chief tennis intructor since immigrating from Turkey and taught Metehan how to play as a child.

“My father was one of the first tennis teachers to come from Turkey to Germany. He moved in 1972 and helped grow the club. At first, there were only six courts, but it has grown to nine, with three also indoors. And when we first started, there were 200 club members and now we have 740. They are all here for tennis.”

In 1988, Metehan moved from Turkey to Heilbronn at the age of 17. One year later, he and Mine met in the city and in 1990 they were married. Today, they live in Heilbronn and with their 21-year-old daughter helping with tournament operations and their 16-year-old son working as a ball boy, it truly is a family affair.

“You feel at home here,” said Germany’s Dominik Koepfer. “The player area is the best you will find on tour. There’s plenty of food, enough bikes and a great place to cool down and warm up. You have your privacy too, which is important. They pick you up from the train station and airport too, which is 40 minutes away. You don’t get that at all Challengers. Transport is every 30 minutes and the hotel is very good. There are enough practice courts too. It’s just a great tournament, which really helps this time of year.”

“It’s always great to play at home and this is my fourth time here,” added Oscar Otte. “Every year the tournament is improving and getting better. The whole organisation is great and the player area is a really high level for a Challenger. There’s also a lot of spectators supporting the Germans. We all like to play here. For me, it’s the best Challenger.”