Top Five Challenger Hot Shots July 2017
Top Five Challenger Hot Shots July 2017
Aug012017
Former World No. 2 Haas opens his bid later today against Struff
There were plenty of keenly contested first-round encounters on Tuesday at the Generali Open, in the medieval ski resort town of Kitzbühel.
Colombian qualifier Santiago Giraldo extended his perfect record to 4-0 against 2011 and 2012 titlist Robin Haase mid-afternoon in a 7-6(6), 4-6, 6-4 win over two hours and 13 minutes. Fifth seed Haase hit 19 aces, but, having managed to save two set points at 5-6 in the first set, could not convert his lone opportunity at 6/5 in the tie-break. Giraldo now challenges Austrian wild card and last year’s semi-finalist Gerald Melzer or Carlos Berlocq of Argentina.
German and Kitzbühel resident Philipp Kohlschreiber, who captured the 2015 title (d. Mathieu) having reached the 2012 final (l. to Haase), didn’t have things all his own way in a 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 win over Argentinean qualifier Facundo Bagnis over two hours and 11 minutes. Kohlschreiber led by a set and 2-0 in their first meeting since the 2014 US Open. He now goes onto face seventh-seeded Czech Jiri Vesely, who was a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Yannick Hanfmann, last week’s J. Safra Sarasin Swiss Open Gstaad (l. to Fognini).
Bagnis’ compatriot, eighth seed Horacio Zeballos, saved four match points and broke Rogerio Dutra Silva’s serve just once (nine of 10 break points saved) in a two-hour and 54-minute victory, 2-6, 7-6(11), 7-6(4). Zeballos first held a set point on Dutra’s Silva’s serve at 5-6, 30/40 in the second set, before converting his fourth chance in the tie-break. Dutra Silva, who would recover from a 2-4 deficit in the deciding set, squandered match point opportunities at 6/5, 8/7, 10/9 and 11/10 in the second set tie-break. Zeballos will now face fellow Argentinean Renzo Olivo or Brazilian lucky loser Thiago Monteiro in round two.
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Frenchman battles to the end
Frenchman Jerome Golmard, a winner of two ATP World Tour titles, passed away on Monday aged 43 following a battle with Motor Neurone Disease (also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease). He was first diagnosed with the disease in January 2014 and soon established Association Jerome Golmard, Combattre la maladie de Charcot.
Golmard, who, for much of his career had a residence in Boca Raton, Florida, where a number of French players made their home, first began playing tennis aged six with his parents by hitting against the wall of his local club. In a 14-season injury-plagued professional career, Golmard reached a career-high No. 22 on 22 April 1999, shortly after capturing his first ATP World Tour title at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships (d. Nicolas Kiefer). The left-hander also won the 2000 Aircel Chennai Open (d. Markus Hantschk) among four final appearances, and he was the top French player for a total of 14 weeks.
MND has previously impacted the tennis family. Former Australian player Brad Drewett, who was the ATP Executive Chairman and President until his passing in May 2013, and Angie Cunningham, the WTA’s former Vice President of Player Relations and On-Site Operations, who passed away in October 2016, both succumbed to the disease. Former Australian player Peter Doohan also lost his battle on 21 July 2017.
Golmard is survived by two sons.
Jerome Golmard, tennis player, born 9 September 1973, died 31 July 2017.
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TRIBUTES
Jérôme Golmard, ancien 22ème mondial, est décédé à l’âge de 43 ans. Toutes nos condoléances à sa famille.
— FFT (@FFTennis) August 1, 2017
RIP le Dje @golmardjerome #missyou #respect #courage
— Sébastien Grosjean (@sebboca29) August 1, 2017
RIP mon Djé ?! @golmardjerome
— yves allegro (@yvesallegro) August 1, 2017
#respect #courage #missyou #champion pic.twitter.com/OjcT7kdgi5
— Henri Leconte (@henrileconteoff) August 1, 2017
So sad to hear that our friend and ex- tennis player Jérôme Golmard passed away! All my love to his family and friends! RIP AMIGO!
— Alex Corretja (@AlexCorretja74) August 1, 2017
RIP jerome golmard… sad news and sad day for tennis……
— xmalisse (@xmalisse) August 1, 2017
R.i.p. Jerome Golmard! Thoughts and prayers to his family. a special guy left us way to early….
— Julian Knowle (@Jknowle) August 1, 2017
Today the @ATPWorldTour lost one of our good guys. May u rest in peace my friend Jérôme Golmard. We will raise a glass 4U. #gone2soon
— Nicolás Pereira (@nicolaspereira) August 1, 2017
#JeromeGolmard such a fighter. RIP, my unlucky friend.
— Giorgio Di Palermo (@Giorgiodipa) August 1, 2017
Our condolences to the family of former top 25 ???Jerome Golmard & @FFTennis.
He went down swinging & smiling in his final #USOpen match… pic.twitter.com/oTGDLqB8Kr
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 1, 2017
“The cycles of poverty, discrimination, and sexism are much, much harder to break than the record for Grand Slam titles.”
Maria Sharapova beat Jennifer Brady 6-1 4-6 6-0 as she returned from injury at Stanford’s Bank of the West Classic.
Sharapova, who returned in April after a 15-month doping ban, had been out with a thigh problem since 16 May.
The 30-year-old, given a wildcard to play in the United States for the first time since March 2015, was given a testing time in the first round.
“I feel like I just want to hug everyone and say thank you,” said Sharapova, ranked 171st in the world.
“It’s my first match in the States in a really long time, and it’s the closest thing to home for me.”
Sharapova was denied a wildcard for the French Open earlier this year, and was unable to take part in qualifying for Wimbledon because of injury.
Having missed the entire grass-court season, the five-time Grand Slam champion will not gain direct entry into the US Open, which starts on 28 August.
She will be eligible for qualifying but will need a wildcard from the United States Tennis Association if she is to automatically make the main draw.
Monday’s match against American Brady lasted two hours and two minutes, and Sharapova will play Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko in the second round.
“I feel like I face a lot of things: not competing for a long time, an opponent who’s able to play some great tennis,” said Sharapova.
“I feel like I’m playing catch-up against everyone who’s had a head start.
“All that matters is that I keep playing. As long as I’m the one winning the last point, I get to play another match, and another.
“The more I play, the better I’ll do. That’s the goal.”
Jared Donaldson and Tommy Paul are off to the perfect starts in their respective 2017 Citi Open campaigns. The 20-year-old NextGenATP Americans ground their way through first-round clashes on Monday in contrasting fashion.
Donaldson, the world No. 69 in the Emirates ATP Rankings and seventh in the ATP Race to Milan, prevailed in a tight 6-7(6), 6-4, 6-3 result over Israel’s Dudi Sela. Paul, who reached his first ATP World Tour quarter-final last week as a qualifier in Atlanta, led Casper Ruud 3-6, 7-5, 3-0 before the Norwegian retired with headaches and dizziness due to dehydration.
Donaldson dropped just seven points on his first serve and saved four of five break points faced against Sela. He will next meet lucky loser Marc Polmans. The Australian received a first-round bye after John Isner withdrew due to a right knee injury.
Paul surged 14 spots to No. 20 in the ATP Race to Milan with his run in Atlanta last week. It was his first meeting with fellow NextGenATP player Ruud. No. 7 seed Lucas Pouille is next.
A viral illness denied Stefan Kozlov the chance to make it a three-from-three start for the NextGenATP Americans on Monday. Qualifier Yuki Bhambri, of India, led 7-5, 2-0 before Kozlov called it quits. Defending champion Gael Monfils awaits.