Klizan Reflects On Rotterdam Final Run 2016
Klizan Reflects On Rotterdam Final Run 2016
Feb132016
Spaniard into semi-finals
David Ferrer had all night to think about how to finish off Pablo Cuevas, finally winning a rain-delayed 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 quarter-final match on Saturday in Buenos Aires.
The match was slated to finish on Friday night, but a warm and humid day turned into a stormy evening, forcing tournament organizers to interrupt play midway through the first set. Ferrer and Cuevas had not met at tour-level since 2010 (2-0 for Ferrer), and the Uruguayan finally won his first set in their FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry before succumbing.
The second-seeded Ferrer will return to the court later on Saturday to face countryman Nicolas Almagro in the semi-finals. Almagro is in top form, having upset third seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Friday, but has never topped Ferrer in 15 tour-level confrontations. They will take to the court at 3:30pm local time.
Spain’s Rafael Nadal lost in the semi-final of the Argentina Open, going down 4-6 6-4 6-7 to Austrian Dominic Thiem.
Nadal, the world number five and defending champion, failed to convert a match point at 5-4 in the final set.
The nine-time French Open winner is top seed for a tournament in Rio de Janiero next week that also includes British number two Aljaz Bedene.
Thiem, 22, will be looking for his first ATP singles title of the season in Sunday’s final.
“It was a tough match. I had a chance to win and missed it but Thiem played well,” said 29-year-old Nadal, who has won 47 titles on clay.
“I’m not worried. I just lacked consistency and need to make fewer unforced errors, but that’s nothing.”
Thiem will face Nicolas Almagro in Sunday’s final after the Spaniard came through 6-4 7-5 against compatriot David Ferrer, who had earlier played a rain-delayed quarter-final against Pablo Cuevas.
Australian Open champion Gordon Reid made it consecutive tournament successes with victory in the final of the ABN World Wheelchair Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam.
The Scot, who is ranked fifth in the world, defeated world number 10 Stefan Olsson of Sweden 6-3 7-6 (9-7).
To reach the final, Reid beat the new world number one Stephane Houdet of France in three sets.
“It’s a strong field and nice to get back-to-back tournament wins,” he said.
“I lost my focus at the end of the second set but I’m happy to win and for us to have the chance to play alongside the ATP event.”
The 24-year-old contracted Transverse Myelitis – a disease affecting the spinal cord – aged 13 and claimed his first Grand Slam singles title in Melbourne last month.
Rafael Nadal and Dominic Thiem will be squaring off for the second time in their careers when they battle for a spot …
Top seed aiming for fourth straight title
Kei Nishikori may not know much about country music or barbecued ribs, but the Japanese sure knows a thing or two about winning in Tennessee.
The three-time defending champion recorded his 15th consecutive win at the Memphis Open with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Mikhail Kukushkin on Friday night, advancing to an ATP World Tour semi-final for the first time since Toyko last fall (l. to Paire). He has not dropped a set against the Kazakh since 2012.
Nishikori will next face Sam Querrey, who also has a history of success in Memphis. The American reached the semi-finals of the Memphis Open for a third time by dismissing Yoshihito Nishioka 6-3, 6-4.
“We had a lot of close games, it was a tough match,” Querrey said. “I kept hitting through the court, and I didn’t lay off on many balls. I was happy with the way I played.
“I didn’t know much about Nishioka, except that he’s a crafty lefty. It was tough to hit the ball through him but I kept pressing.”
The Japanese lefty had expressed excitement about the prospect of facing compatriot Nishikori for the first time in an ATP World Tour event, but Querrey, who made the final four in last year’s event, gave the qualifier nothing to work with. The fourth seed fired 11 aces, saved both break points faced and closed out the win in just 72 minutes.
Querrey will have a chance to avenge last year’s 5-7, 7-6(5), 7-6(5) semi-final loss to Nishikori. The Japanese leads the FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry 4-3, and has won the pair’s past three meetings.
Former World No. 4 Juan Martin del Potro will take on American Denis Kudla in the first round of the Delray Beach Open, which kicks off on 15 February. It will be the pair’s first tour-level meeting.
The Argentine, who only took part in two ATP World Tour events in the past year due to wrist surgery, has experienced comeback success in Delray Beach before, having won the 2011 title (d. Tipsarevic) without dropping a set after entering the draw at No. 166 in the Emirates ATP Rankings.
Del Potro is in the same half as top seed Kevin Anderson and could face third seed Ivo Karlovic in the second round.
Monfils, Kohlschreiber to play for spot in Rotterdam final
Before Gael Monfils stepped on the court Friday night at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament, three seeded players had already fallen in their quarter-final matches.
“I tried not to think about it,” said the fifth-seeded Frenchman. “I know that every match is tough. I knew I had a tough opponent tonight so I was focused only on this game.”
Up against 18-year-old Sascha Zverev, who upset Gilles Simon the previous day, Monfils prevailed 7-6(4), 6-3 to match his best result in Rotterdam (2009). Monfils saved seven of eight break points faced during the one-hour, 34-minute match.
“He was playing very [well],” said Monfils. “It’s already a good sign for him to be in the quarters, so I knew I would have to fight. He beat Gilles in the round before, so I expected a tough match and I think he gave it to me, so I was pleased with my performance today.”
Had Zverev won the tournament, he would have overtaken Borna Coric for the honour of being the highest-ranked teen on the ATP World Tour.
Monfils will next face Philipp Kohlschreiber, who scored his best win of 2016 by upsetting second seed Marin Cilic 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. The German, No. 32 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, is enjoying his best run in Rotterdam (QFs 2007 and 2014) and improves to 6-3 on the year.
Cilic fired 15 aces in the two-hour, nine-minute encounter, but Kohlschreiber frequently extended the Croat’s service games and converted two of nine break points to advance to his first semi-final of the year.
“It was a very close match from the beginning,” said the German. “First set and second set, I think he was the stronger player and had more opportunities. He put a little more pressure on my service game, and I think it was very important to stay in the match. I had some tough situations, managed to come through, and finally I played a very good returning game and got the break, and it lifted my game and my confidence to another level.”
Monfils leads Kohlschreiber 11-2 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series.
Less than 24 hours after an unexpected win, 18-year-old Taylor Fritz showed his mental toughness in a 6-4, 5-7, 7-6(5) win over German veteran Benjamin Becker at the Memphis Open. Becker served for the match at 6-5 in the deciding set, but Fritz broke back at 15 to force a tie-break.
“It’s incredible, I can’t believe it,” Fritz said. “To come back in that way, with him serving for the match, I’ll never forget that.
“I told myself that the balls were worn out, and that I just had to make him play. I tried to make him beat me under pressure.”
The Californian made a quick turnaround, both physically and mentally, after Thursday night’s upset win over second seed and practice partner Steve Johnson and became the youngest American in an ATP World Tour semi-final since 17-year-old Michael Chang won the 1989 Wembley title.
Fritz fired 13 aces and saved six of 11 break points in the two-hour, 20-minute battle.
Facing the rising star in the semi-finals will be Lithuanian Ricardas Berankis, who saw off third seed Donald Young 7-6(3), 6-1. No. 102 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, Berankis came into the match ranked 54 places below Young. However, he also knew what it took to get the better of the American left-hander, having won the pair’s lone tour-level meeting in San Jose five years ago.
“I’m very happy to be in my second ATP semi-final,” Berankis said. “Maybe it wasn’t Young’s best day today. He didn’t really have a plan B and thought I would put myself in trouble with fast shots and mistakes, but it didn’t work out for him.”
Unusually, Berankis went back on the court after his match to work on a few details ahead of his next match.
“(I hit some) extra serves, forehands, just to clean up some things in my game and to feel better tomorrow.”
Fritz will be looking to reach his first ATP World Tour final while Berankis has not taken part in one since Los Angeles 2012 (l. to Querrey).