Nadal Excited For Indian Wells 2017 Campaign
Nadal Excited For Indian Wells 2017 Campaign
Mar112017
Professional tennis players are creatures of habit. Often reluctant to accept change in their daily routine and training regimen, even the most minor of tweaks is often a significant step. But for Steve Johnson, the most impactful change was the easiest to make.
During the offseason, the American committed himself to a stricter diet, ditching his favourite fatty foods for healthier options. With the competition on the ATP World Tour stronger than ever, Johnson is hoping the extra edge will aide in his ascent up the Emirates ATP Rankings.
“It’s taken a few months of planning,” Johnson told ATP World Tour Uncovered. “It’s something that I’ve really wanted to implement over the years, but I just wasn’t able to find exactly what works best for me.
“It’s about being very disciplined with what you eat and how much. For my body type, there are certain things I have to cut out completely and certain things I have to cut out at different times of the day. Some guys are a little more fortunate with their body styles and metabolism. They can eat whatever they want and stay thin, but that’s just not in the cards for me. I’m not crazy over the top, but I’m very conscious about it.”
Johnson impressively dropped close to 20 pounds during just two offseason months, limiting his daily calorie intake when he’s not engaged in intense training. He also added sports physiotherapist Christian LoCascio, who has helped transform the California native’s body. LoCascio previously worked with former World No. 7 Mardy Fish and was integral in his own physical transformation. Fish shed more than 30 pounds in 2010, before seeing his career skyrocket to new heights. Able to sustain longer rallies and quicker around the court, Johnson is hoping to replicate his countryman’s success.
“I just want to give myself another tool to draw back on in tough moments to win those tough matches,” Johnson added. “I love to go to dinner and munch on those dinner rolls that sit out. I loved to eat them out of boredom. For me, not having as many carbs in the late afternoon and at night, unless I’m playing a match, is something that I needed to cut out. It’s been hard, just because they’re sitting right in front of you and it’s tough not to eat it. But it’s been great so far, knowing that I’m doing everything in my power to be a better tennis player.”
Healthier diets have become a focal point on the ATP World Tour in recent years, with Novak Djokovic’s famous shift towards a gluten-free lifestyle earning the most attention.
“You see these guys raise the bar to another level and you know you have to try as hard as possible to get to their level as well. As an athlete, I want to get to be the best I can in this sport. I want to leave no stone unturned. It was tough in the beginning, but now it’s normal. It’s been quite a process and it’s helped my movement on court and my energy. I’m not huffing and puffing as much. With better stamina and movement, I’m getting to balls that I wasn’t getting to before. It’s been a great transition.”
Johnson has been a Top 30 stalwart for the past year and is looking to make the jump to the next level. The 27 year old is up to No. 27 in the Emirates ATP Rankings after reaching the semi-finals at the ASB Classic in Auckland to open the year and advancing to three straight quarter-finals in February – Memphis, Delray Beach and Acapulco. He says he is feeling strong and ready to continue challenging for big titles on the ATP World Tour.
“The days where you don’t play so well and you have to find a way to win are the most satisfying. I know what it’s like to be around the Top 40. Now I want to finish the year in the Top 30 or even the Top 20 and keep getting better and better. Hopefully I have many more good years in this sport. I know at some point my time will come where I will put it all together and I can push my limits even further.”
Seeded 24th this week at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Johnson opens against Kevin Anderson on Sunday.
Evans, Vesely advance on Friday
In an all-American first-round clash at the BNP Paribas Open on Friday, Donald Young overcame #NextGenATP player Stefan Kozlov 7-5, 7-6(5) in just under two hours.
Young, who goes on to face another American in No. 23 seed Sam Querrey, enjoyed strong showings on home soil last month, reaching back-to-back semifinals in Memphis (l. to Harrison) and Delray Beach (l. to Sock). He has an 8-4 mark on the season and is now bidding to reach the third round at this ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament for the fourth time.
Ninth seed Roger Federer will open his bid for a fifth Indian Wells crown against Stephane Robert after the Frenchman defeated Dudi Sela 6-4, 6-4.
Great Britain’s Daniel Evans set a second-round clash with fourth seed Kei Nishikori after surging through his opener with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Dustin Brown in 53 minutes. The right-hander will face Nishikori for the third time, having beaten the Japanese player in their first meeting at the US Open four years ago.
The 26-year-old Evans is enjoying a career-best start to the season, reaching his first ATP World Tour final in Sydney (l. to Muller) and going on to make the fourth round of the Australian Open (l. to Tsonga). He is currently a career-high No. 41 in the Emirates ATP Rankings.
There was disappointment for #NextGenATP player Borna Coric, who was beaten 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 by Swiss qualifier Henri Laaksonen. World No. 123 Laaksonen, who is playing at an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament for the first time, goes on to face No. 17 seed Jack Sock.
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Fritz, Anderson advance on Friday
Kyle Edmund got his BNP Paribas Open campaign off to a flying start on Friday, scoring a convincing 6-1, 6-3 win over Gastao Elias at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.
Edmund didn’t drop serve and broke Elias twice in each set to secure the win in 66 minutes. He will now face three-time defending champion Novak Djokovic in the second round.
“The things [Djokovic] does well are making a lot of balls and being quick around the court. It’s tough to get the ball by him and break him down,” said Edmund. “These are things that I’ve experienced the last two times I’ve played him. I’ll try and use that on Sunday.”
American #NextGenATP player Taylor Fritz recorded his first win in Indian Wells by defeating Benoit Paire 6-3, 6-2. The 19-year-old Fritz is aiming for a good showing in Indian Wells as he bids to return to the Top 100 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, having been as high as No. 53 this past August. The right-hander made great strides at the beginning of last year, reaching his first ATP World Tour final in Memphis (l. to Nishikori) and the quarterfinals in Acapulco (l. to Querrey).
“I always think I play well here. This is where I’m from. I’ve played in Indian Wells since I was eight years old, come down here for tournaments. Just being from San Diego my whole life and having a lot of family that lives out here in the desert, it’s like a second home to me,” said Fritz. “I have been telling everyone that I think I have been playing my best tennis ever this week. It’s been going really well in practice, and I just hope that I can bring that onto the court in my next match.”
Fritz goes on to face sixth seed Marin Cilic in the second round.
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Kevin Anderson claimed his first win in more than four months as he defeated qualifier Federico Gaio 6-1, 6-4. The South African made his comeback from injury last month in Memphis (l. to Dzumhur) and Delray Beach (l. to del Potro) after being sidelined at the start of the season due to a hip problem. Next up for Anderson is No. 24 seed Steve Johnson.
In other matches, Mikhail Youzhny set a second-round clash with reigning Australian Open semi-finalist Grigor Dimitrov after beating fellow Russian Daniil Medvedev 6-4, 6-4. Other players to advance on Friday include Malek Jaziri, Jan-Lennard Struff and Federico Delbonis.
British number one Johanna Konta beat her compatriot Heather Watson 6-4 6-4 to reach the third round of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells.
Konta, ranked 11th to Watson’s 108th, struggled for rhythm in the first set but dominated the second to lead 5-1.
Watson served nine double faults before fighting back but Konta came through.
In the men’s event, Kyle Edmund beat Portugal’s Gastao Elias 6-1 6-3 to set up a second-round meeting with world number two Novak Djokovic.
Fellow Briton Dan Evans will play Germany’s Dustin Brown later on Friday.
Konta, who had a first-round bye, goes on to face Caroline Garcia or Evgeniya Rodina in round three in California.
“It was definitely a brilliant experience for both of us as Fed Cup team-mates and I am very happy to have come through it,” said Konta, who was playing her first match in a month after a foot injury.
It was the first meeting on the WTA Tour between Britain’s two leading women.
Their only previous contest was at a second-tier tournament in Barnstaple in 2013 when Watson retired after losing the first four games.
Watson broke serve first but then gifted the advantage back as she made three double faults in the third game.
With both players making errors, the pair traded serves again before Konta struck the decisive blow by winning the ninth game.
She went on to hold her serve to love to take the first set.
Konta won eight points without reply at the start of the second set and looked on course for a quick victory.
Watson, who threw her racquet in frustration after making three more double faults in the sixth game, found herself 5-1 down before she rallied.
Konta served two double faults in the seventh game and won only two points as Watson, 24, won three consecutive games.
But the 11th seed composed herself to seal her place in the next round after 94 minutes.
Top ATP World Tour stars feature in doubles play on day two
• The bottom half of the main draw action at the BNP Paribas Open on Friday features four #NextGenATP players: American wild cards Taylor Fritz and Stefan Kozlov along with Daniil Medvedev of Russia and Borna Coric of Croatia.
• In the lone men’s singles match on Stadium 1, Frenchman Benoit Paire takes on Fritz for the first time. Fritz was the ATP Star of Tomorrow recipient last season for becoming the youngest player to finish in the Top 100 Emirates ATP Rankings at No. 76. Fritz is trying to break a 13-match losing streak against Top 50 opponents. Paire is ranked No. 40.
• There are three matches on Stadium 2 with 2013-14 quarter-finalist Kevin Anderson of South Africa taking on Italian qualifier Federico Gaio, who is making his second ATP Masters 1000 tournament showing (2015 Rome). In the next match on, Dustin Brown of Germany meets British No. 2 Daniel Evans, who won the previous meeting 62 63 on Feb. 28 in the 1R of Dubai. In the last singles match, Americans Donald Young and Kozlov square off for the second time (Young leads 1-0). Kozlov, who turned 19 on February 1, is the youngest player in the draw. Young held that title often after breaking into the Top 100 at the age of 18. Now 27, Young already owns wins over all four 19-year-old Americans in the field: Kozlov, Fritz, Frances Tiafoe and Reilly Opelka.
• In the opening match on Stadium 3, Russian #NextGenATP star Medvedev plays countryman Mikhail Youzhny.for the second time. Youzhny won in straight sets in the 2R in January 2016 at the Bangkok-2 Challenger en route to the title. Medvedev is the No. 2 Russian and he opened the season by reaching his maiden ATP World Tour final in Chennai (l. to Bautista Agut). In the next match on, British No. 3 Kyle Edmund meets Gastao Elias of Portugal for the first time.
• On Stadium 4, Coric takes on the top Swiss player not named Federer or Wawrinka: in No. 123rd-ranked qualifier Henri Laaksonen, who is making his Indian Wells debut.
• Also in first-round singles action are the Top 2 doubles players in the world: Nicolas Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herbert of France. Mahut meets Malek Jaziri and Herbert takes on Thomaz Bellucci. Their countryman Julien Benneteau faces Facundo Bagnis in a rematch from the 2014 Roland Garros first round, when the Argentine edged the Frenchman 18-16 in the fifth set.
• First round doubles play gets underway with five Top 10 singles stars in action. No. 1 Andy Murray (w/Evans) vs. No. 5 seeds Feliciano Lopez & Marc Lopez, No. 2 Novak Djokovic (w/Troicki) vs. Rohan Bopanna & Pablo Cuevas, No. 3 Stan Wawrinka (w/Dimitrov) vs. Treat Huey & Max Mirnyi, No. 6 Rafael Nadal (w/Tomic) vs. Pablo Carreno Busta & Joao Sousa, and No. 9 Dominic Thiem (w/Kohlschreiber) vs. Alexander & Mischa Zverev.
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Watch your favourite players work on their games by taking in a live stream at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.
Fognini completes stirring comeback on day one
At four minutes past midnight, Damir Dzumhur held on for a 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 victory over Ryan Harrison in two hours and 10 minutes at the BNP Paribas Open. The Bosnian advanced to a second-round match-up with Albert Ramos-Vinolas as he broke Harrison in the final game of the match, having saved 10 of the 13 break points he faced.
The No. 67-ranked Dzumhur is coming off a run to the Dubai quarter-finals, where he upset Stan Wawrinka in the first round.
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Vasek Pospisil battled through to a second-round clash with World No. 1 and 2009 finalist Andy Murray on Thursday evening as he came from behind to defeat Yen-Hsun Lu 6-7(6), 6-4, 6-3 in two hours and 30 minutes.
The Canadian, who came through qualifying, struck 10 aces and converted six of his nine break points to set up the clash with Murray, whom he last played in the 2015 Wimbledon quarter-finals.
Having slipped as low as No. 137 in the Emirates ATP Rankings last November, Pospisil is looking for a good run in the desert as he bids to make a return to the Top 100. The Canadian, who was in the Top 25 three years ago, won the doubles title at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden two years ago with Jack Sock.
Fabio Fognini staged an improbable comeback as he rallied from a 0-6, 2-5 deficit to defeat Konstantin Kravchuk 0-6, 7-5, 6-4 in two hours and 19 minutes. The Italian goes on to face seventh seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
One day after facing each other in the final round of qualifying, Yoshihito Nishioka and Elias Ymer crossed paths again in the main draw first round. With Ymer having won Wednesday’s contest 6-3, 6-1, he found Nishioka across the net again after he claimed a lucky loser spot in the main draw and this time it was the Japanese who prevailed, recording a 6-4, 6-1 victory in one hour and 48 minutes.
“Yesterday I wasn’t playing that great and I got down on myself mentally pretty quickly,” said Nishioka. “I couldn’t fight yesterday and that’s why I lost so quickly. Today, I could not lose to him again. I had to get revenge. I focused on how to win against him. I fought every point from the first point. I didn’t lose my mentality and kept fighting. It was tough for him.”
Next up for Nishioka will be 19th seed Ivo Karlovic. The 21 year old is a career-high No. 70 in the Emirates ATP Rankings this week after reaching the quarterfinals (l. to Nadal) as a qualifier last week in Acapulco.
Alexandr Dolgopolov, who beat Rafael Nadal en route to reaching the semi-finals in the desert three years ago, is through to the second round after defeating Viktor Troicki 6-1, 6-4. The Ukrainian ended a five-year title drought last month when he defeated Kei Nishikori to win the Buenos Aires crown on clay.
Jeremy Chardy set a second-round clash with eighth seed Dominic Thiem after beating qualifier Radu Albot 7-6(6), 6-2 in one hour and 47 minutes.