Jarkko Nieminen, competing at his life tournament, talks to Alexander Zverev about life on the ATP World Tour. Video courtesy: If Stockholm Open
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Marcos Baghdatis, the 2009 champion, recorded his first win over Sam Querrey in their fourth meeting on Tuesday at the If Stockholm Open. Baghdatis lost seven of his first service points in a 7-6(2), 6-1 victory over 77 minutes and will now face Bernard Tomic.
Seventh seed Jack Sock struck 11 aces to beat Pablo Carreno Busta 6-3, 6-7(1), 6-3 in two hours and nine minutes for a second-round match against Fernando Verdasco. “It’s good to be back, as this is one of my favourite tournaments of the year,” said Sock. “It was a tough one today. It’s been my most successful season so far, winning my first title and being more consistent. I do like playing (Fernando), but it will be like a chess match out there.”
Eighth seed Gilles Muller saved eight of 10 break points and fired down 16 aces in a 6-3, 6-7(2), 6-1 win over qualifier Mischa Zverev. Steve Darcis will face Richard Gasquet, who is No. 10 in the Emirates ATP Race To London, after he defeated Adrian Mannarino 7-6(4), 6-4.
Watch Tuesday highlights from Vienna as David Ferrer, John Isner and Gael Monfils advance. Watch live matches at TennisTV.com
ATP World Tour Uncovered goes behind the scenes at the 2015 Shanghai Rolex Masters, featuring interviews Rafael Nadal, Tomas Berdych and Andy Murray.
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ATP World Tour Uncovered looks at the Emirates ATP Race To London with two singles spots left up for grabs at next month’s Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.
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Jarkko Nieminen calls time on his singles career at the Stockholm Open.
For many of the game’s rising stars, the Challenger circuit serves as a springboard to success on the ATP World Tour. It’s safe to say Taylor Fritz’s springs have been well oiled in recent weeks. Armed with an unflappable serve and stoic demeanor, Fritz is keeping his cards close to his chest as he continues his dramatic ascent up the Emirates ATP Rankings.
The 17 year old from Rancho Santa Fe, California, is in the midst of one of the most impressive starts to a pro career after capping his junior career with a US Open title last month. He has not lost a match since, saving a combined 47 of 51 break points in capturing back-to-back crowns on the ATP Challenger Tour in Sacramento and Fairfield. His formidable form has put him in elite company, becoming the ninth player to win multiple titles while under the age of 18, joining the likes of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Juan Martin del Potro and Tomas Berdych. He is only the second player to do so in consecutive weeks, with the late Horst Skoff.
The youngest American titlist on the Challenger circuit since Donald Young in Aptos 2007, Fritz has enjoyed a staggering rise from World No. 694 to No. 232 in just two weeks. He is also one of 12 teens to win a match on the ATP World Tour this year, having ousted Pablo Carreno Busta on the grass of Nottingham in June.
Watch: Meet Taylor Fritz
With his sights set on a third consecutive Challenger title this week in Las Vegas, Fritz talked to ATPWorldTour.com, reflecting on his dominant run of form and revealing his ambitions for the coming months.
You had mentioned that the US Open was the perfect ending to your junior career and winning in Sacramento was the perfect beginning to your pro career. How did you adjust going from facing players your age to those at the professional level?
I just worked really hard [at the USTA training facility] in Carson for a couple weeks after the Open. The biggest thing was keeping my focus up the whole time at the Challengers and playing the big points with lots of urgency.
It proved to me that I’m fitter than I used to be. Even in juniors, I’ve never played two tournaments without getting tired or fatigued. I just went back to back at the Challenger level, which is more draining on the body when you’re playing this type of players. It proved to me that my physical level is getting a lot better and the confidence I have from winning all these matches is helping me a lot knowing that I should be here. It’s reassuring because I had a tough decision to make between turning pro and going to college.
Have you had time to digest what you’ve accomplished in recent weeks? You’re in elite company.
It’s been a really good two weeks and it’s a really big accomplishment, but I need to stay humble. I’m only No. 240 now [in the Emirates ATP Rankings] and I need to keep my head down and keep working hard. Hopefully I can keep it going.
You said you originally had a two-month training block planned after Fairfield, but have decided to cut that down and enter more Challenger tournaments. Why did you make that decision?
It’s probably best because while I had those two great results, I have no points to defend until this time next year. I still want to get my ranking up, so when it comes around next year I’m not so dependent on these points.
You saved 47 of 51 break points faced these two weeks and while you want to avoid putting yourself in those situations, how much confidence does your strong serve give you?
I don’t feel much pressure when I’m down break points. Obviously you don’t want to get into those situations, but I feel like I’m always saving something that I haven’t done that I can do on a break point. I try and play it how I would play any other point and make the person beat me. If they can play a big point and beat me then it’s just too good.
Will you pull out something different with your serve on a break point and try to mix up the pace and location?
I might. I definitely don’t want them to predict what I’m going to do on break points. I’ll change it up based on what I think they are thinking. There are a lot of mind games that go into my shot selection on break points.
You are part of a special group of rising Americans and you all seem to be close friends. While you are tight off the court, how do you push each other to be even better?
We all push each other because when one of us does well, the rest of us think that we could do that too. And we want to do that. It’s all friendly competition. We all want to do better than each other. I know the other guys want to come back and do the same thing when one of us does well. That’s going to help us all become better players in the end.
Tell us more about who Taylor is off the court. What are your interests outside of tennis?
I like to spend a lot of time with friends and play video games, especially FIFA. I like to go to the beach too. I’m from San Diego so going to the beach and hanging out with friends there is a lot of fun when I’m home.
With your parents both having played professional tennis, how much of an influence have they been and what is the most important lesson you’ve picked up?
All these things on the court my dad has drilled into my head since I was a little kid. Usually when I miss a ball I know what I’m doing wrong because I’ve heard it a million times. They’ve helped me so much with scheduling and decision making along the way because they’ve been there. They have also taught me to have fun with it because there are no expectations and pressure.
Who have you looked up to the most over the years and modeled your work ethic after?
If we’re talking tennis, it’s Pete Sampras. He’s my favourite player of all time for sure. The way he played and everything he did on and off the court, there was a lot to like. For work ethic, I’d say Cristiano Ronaldo.
What are your immediate goals for the rest of 2015 and moving forward next year?
After I lost in US Open qualifying I said that next year I want to be there off of my ranking and now we’re only a month past that. I want to be Top 150. I think that’s doable and I’ll go from there. I just got here so I don’t really know what tough goals are that are doable.
The year was 1997 and Andre Agassi was battling back from a wrist injury that sidelined him for much of the season. His position in the Emirates ATP Rankings dipped from the top spot to World No. 141 and the American would embark on a late-season ATP Challenger Tour campaign, seeking to rediscover his elite form and return to prominence. A local resident of Las Vegas, Agassi entered his home Challenger as the fifth seed and he would reach the final, eventually falling to Germany’s Christian Vinck.
The tournament would later disband after the 2000 season and 15 years later is a welcome addition to the Challenger calendar. Tennis in Las Vegas is close to Agassi’s heart and with the Andre Agassi Foundation’s support, the tournament’s revival has become a reality.
“The Andre Agassi Foundation for Education was thrilled to be asked to be the partnering charity for the 2015 Las Vegas Tennis Open,” said foundation CEO Steve Miller. “Although the Agassi Foundation is primarily involved in educational activities, it also has a long history with local tennis events. We were pleased to learn the event was coming back to our community and Andre’s hometown.”
Top seed Austin Krajicek, a recent quarter-finalist at the ATP World Tour 500 event in Tokyo, leads a strong field in Las Vegas that also includes rising American teens Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, Michael Mmoh and Jared Donaldson. Nine different players in the draw have won ATP Challenger Tour titles in 2015, including Krajicek, Fritz and Donaldson.
View Draw
The tournament, held on the campus of the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, is following a familiar recipe for success, with a multitude of off-court activities and entertainment on display to further engage the fans. A player party on the iconic Las Vegas strip, a kids day with over 100 children from the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy, as well as circus and acrobatic shows are among the highlights.
The Andre Agassi Foundation seeks to transform public education and works to provide children in Las Vegas with a first‐class education to prepare them for excellence in college and beyond. Through state and national advocacy, the Foundation strives to increase investment in, and accountability for, public schools. To support the Andre Agassi Foundation for Education or to obtain additional information, please visit www.agassifoundation.org.
No. 2 seeds Jamie Murray and John Peers defeated Americans Mike Bryan and Steve Johnson 7-6(8), 6-3 in Vienna on Monday. The British-Australian duo secured the win in 71 minutes after saving a set point in the first set tie-break and squandering a match point on their opponents’ serve at 5-2 in the second set.
It was a milestone match for Bryan, who was playing with fellow Californian Steve Johnson for the first time. In fact, Bryan had not taken to the doubles court at a tour-level event (excluding Davis Cup) with anyone other than his twin brother Bob Bryan since winning the Long Island title with Mahesh Bhupathi in August 2002. Bob is home with wife Michelle, as the couple is expecting the birth of their third child.
Seeds Advance In Moscow, Tight Battles In Stockholm
At the Kremlin Cup by Bank of Moscow, No. 4 seeds Rameez Junaid/Igor Zelenay moved into the second round with a 6-4, 6-2 win over the all-Russian pairing of Evgeny Donskoy/Konstantin.
At the If Stockholm Open, Chris Guccione/Andre Sa teamed up for a tight 6-1, 6-7(3), 10-5 decision over Swedes Isak Arvidsson/Fred Simonsson. Also moving on to the second round were Mate Pavic/Michael Venus, 1-6, 6-4, 10-5 winners over Argentines Federico Delbonis/Leonardo Mayer.
© Kremlin Cup by Bank of Moscow
Teymuraz Gabashvili moves into the second round in Moscow.
ATP Staff
Russian sets up Troicki battle
Teymuraz Gabashvili needed just 63 minutes to get past wild card Cem Ilkel in the first round of the Kremlin Cup By Bank Of Moscow on Monday. The Russian won seven games in a row from 2-2 in the first set and secured the win on his second match point. Gabashvili will face No. 3 seed Viktor Troicki in the second round, and will attempt to overcome a 0-3 FedEx Head2Head record against the Serb.
Russian Andrey Kuznetsov will join his compatriot in the second round. The 24 year old saved two of three break points faced to defeat Moldova’s Radu Albot 6-4, 6-2 in 79 minutes.
Daniel Gimeno-Traver ousted No. 7 seed Joao Sousa 7-6(2), 4-6, 7-5 after two hours and 14 minutes to move into the second round. The Spaniard saved a break point at 5-5 in the deciding set, then broke the Portuguese’s serve minutes later to secure the win.
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