Tennis News

Djokovic: I Couldn’t Find ‘Additional Shots’

After Daniil Medvedev smacked a forehand winner on match point to take down the World No. 1, 6-3, 6-3 in just 81 minutes, he tapped a ball toward the backstop, and nonchalantly approached the net, where Novak Djokovic gave him a fist bump. The Russian didn’t pump his fists, raise his arms in the air or even smile. But Novak did, extending a warm salute to his young rival, who seemingly beat him at his own aggressive baseline game and has now prevailed against him in three of their past four ATP Head2Head encounters.

It was far from his best performance, but Nole, as he’s affectionately called in the Balkans, could still afford to smile because the Nitto ATP Finals is the only tournament of the year where you can lose and still win. The 17-time major champion still has his eyes on the prize: a record-tying sixth title overall and fifth at The O2.

The Serb was upbeat in the press conference, given the circumstances. But when a reporter noted that it seemed like he was breathing heavily at times during the match, he acknowledged that he went through a spell of 15 to 20 minutes during the match where he didn’t feel well.

“Well, I was, to be honest [not feeling well] a little bit, especially towards the end of the first set, beginning of the second,” said Djokovic, 33. “I kind of regrouped and felt better… towards the end of the match. But, yeah, just unfortunate 15, 20 minutes for me that resulted with seven games in a row lost… I made some unforced errors. I dropped the level of [my] game and fitness just in general. I struggled to… find the right rhythm for 15 minutes or so…You know, against a player like Medvedev, the match is done.”

Djokovic also credited his opponent for a match well played.

“I cannot allow these things to happen when you’re playing one of the top players of the world,” he said. “He was just better, no question about it… He’s serving tremendously well, moving great. [He didn’t] give me too many unforced errors and free points. Yeah, I mean, just not a great match from my side. I thought I could have and should have done better, but credit to him for playing on a high level.”

The Serb said that Medvedev’s first serve, strong backhand and fluid movement caused problems for him all match.

“He’s a tall guy and he moves well, he rarely misses backhands, and he’s just a smart player, very smart player,” he said. “[He] knows how to make you run, make you play, and he always asks additional shots from the back of the court… from his opponent. If you start making unforced errors and maybe if you’re not playing at your best, he uses it. You know, he was a better player. [He] deserved to win, no doubt about it.”

The defeat dropped Djokovic’s still-exceptional record to 40-4 on the season. He was an uncharacteristic minus nine in winners (13) versus unforced errors (22) in the match, compared to Medvedev’s plus nine (17/8). Djokovic served five double faults and the trim Russian belted 10 aces. Novak’s next opponent in the tournament’s round-robin phase is Alexander Zverev, who is also 1-1 in the group after beating Diego Schwartzman this afternoon. It’ll be a winner-moves-on, loser-goes-home match that could be a classic.

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Tsitsipas: Against Nadal, It’s ‘Every Man For Himself’

To get a sense of the mood and stakes leading into Thursday night’s win-and-advance, lose-and-go-home clash between Stefanos Tsitsipas and Rafael Nadal, scroll through the Greek millennial’s recent Instagram posts.

The defending Nitto ATP Finals champion’s first post upon arriving in London, before play started, was about being kind. After his first match, he posted, “Action first, prayer second”. And after his prayers were answered in his win against Andrey Rublev Tuesday, he set the stage perfectly for his must-win match against Nadal: “Every man for himself.”

The Inferno—the first part of Dante Alighieri’s epic 14th Century poem describing his journey through the nine circles of Hell also could be a preview of what may be one of the matches of the season Thursday night. “There is no greater sorrow then to recall our times of joy in wretchedness.”

Tsitsipas said, in essence, after his win Tuesday that he’s ready to descend through at least three circles, or sets, of the fiery gates of Hell to get past Nadal and into the event’s semi-finals. “I know it will require a lot of physical effort, and I’m going to have to go through a lot of pain and suffering, so it is going to be difficult match,” said Tsitsipas, 22. “Yeah, I’m expecting a fight from my side.”

Providing the fight of his life is exactly what the Mallorcan great will have in mind after playing unbelievably good tennis against Dominic Thiem but still coming up short. He blasted 25 winners against 16 unforced errors but it wasn’t enough to defeat the Austrian. After the match, Nadal credited his opponent, as he always does, but insisted that, despite the loss, he’s feeling more confident now than he was before the tournament began.

“[Thiem] played, I think, an amazing match, and I played well too,” said Nadal, 33, who recently notched his 1,000th tour-level win at the Rolex Paris Masters. “So my feeling is not negative… I think my chances are bigger to have a very good result now than five days ago because the level of tennis, even if I lost today, for me is much higher.”

The Spanish legend has just about every other trophy imaginable in his museum in Manacor, so there’s no doubt that he’ll leave everything on the court against Tsitsipas to avoid being sent home early. With both men entering the match with 1-1 round-robin records, Nadal might be a slight favourite based upon his exceedingly strong form and the fact that he’s won five of their six ATP Head2Head clashes.

But Tsitsipas took Nadal to the brink in their thrilling match at The O2 last year, falling to the Spanish southpaw 7-5 in the third set. Nadal’s resume is one of the best in the history of the game, but the young Greek has the one big title that’s eluded the Spaniard. And so, expect a close, physical contest that will likely be decided by who plays the break points better.

In his match against Thiem, Nadal was 17-11 in rallies of nine shots or longer, but just 64-74 in rallies of nine shots or less. And so he’ll be aggressive when opportunities arise, but he’ll also be looking to extend points and make Tsitsipas suffer as much as possible.

After his match Tuesday, Nadal said he has nothing to prove to anyone, even himself, because he believes in his game.

“I really, I don’t want to pretend to be arrogant at all. Because I am not,” said Nadal. “But I really don’t need to show even to myself or to no one that if I am playing my best tennis, I think I can win in every surface and against any player, no.
It is true, [that] I never won the Nitto ATP Finals. That’s the real thing at the same time. So, no problem about that.”

No question, the man’s legacy is secure, even if he never wins another match in his life. But no one who has followed his career doubts for a moment that he’ll take the court Thursday night with anything less than his very best tennis. Coping with an in-form Nadal can be a wretched ordeal for any opponent. And so, the time for kindness is over for the young, but not-too-young Greek, who says that he hopes to provide a brave bit of hellish resistance against a legend of the game.

“At the end of the day, it’s just being brave and using your braveness through your experience,” he said.

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Preview: Rublev, Thiem Seek Different Prizes

Andrey Rublev and Dominic Thiem spilled their guts on the court Tuesday, with different results but the same extraordinary level of intensity. Thiem beat Rafael Nadal in a pair of tie-breaks in the matinee with tennis that was off the charts good.

And then the Russian boxing aficionado took a body blow in his first set against Stefanos Tsitsipas, losing 6-1 in 21 minutes. But he dusted himself off, won the second set, and had a match point in the third set tie-break, which he lost on a double fault. Tsitsipas took the next two points and the match, knocking Rublev out of contention for the tournament’s semi-finals.

It was a heart-breaking loss for Rublev, but he said that he was happy with how he stayed mentally tough in the match.

“This is the only thing I can take to play against Dominic, because against
Dominic you need to have really strong mental [strength] and then you have to play [an] amazing match,” said Rublev, 23, a Moscow native who is No. 8 in the FedEx ATP Rankings.

For his part, Thiem comes into his final round-robin match against the Russian assured of winning Group London 2020 and coming off of what he characterised as one of the best wins of his life. “Honestly, I think that today I played a little bit higher level than at the US Open and [this] was maybe the best match for me since the restart of the Tour,” he said after his Tuesday victory against Nadal.

Thiem will also want to emerge unbeaten from the round-robin stage with full confidence heading into the semi-finals, with the possibility of becoming the first unbeaten champion at the tournament since Grigor Dimitrov in 2017.

For Rublev, who wildly exceeded his expectations with five titles and 40 match wins in a pandemic-affected season, pride will be on the line. After a season of such highs, he won’t want to finish winless on his debut at the season finale.

The men have split four ATP Head2Head matches, with Rublev upsetting the Austrian champ indoors at last month’s Erste Bank Open in Vienna. They also split matches on clay in Hamburg (Rublev) and Monte Carlo (Thiem), and Thiem won their first encounter, also at the Erste Bank Open, in 2017, when Rublev was just 20.

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Medvedev Magnificent In Djokovic Upset, Earns SF Spot

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic got beaten at his own game on Wednesday evening at the Nitto ATP Finals.

Daniil Medvedev grinded out the five-time champion 6-3, 6-3 on Centre Court at The O2 for the third win in their past four ATP Head2Head meetings, guaranteeing his spot in the semi-finals at the season finale. 

“I like to play Novak because he is one of the greatest champions in the history of our sport,” Medvedev said in an on-court interview. “When I was eight years old, I was already watching him on TV winning Grand Slams. He was still young. It is always a dream come true to play against him.

“Of course, [I am] really happy to beat him. I was serving good and playing safe enough in the most important moments. That is why I got the win.”

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One year ago, the Russian lost all three matches in London on his tournament debut. He has already clinched the top spot in Group Tokyo 1970 after moving to 2-0. The 24-year-old, who from 2-3 down in the first set won seven straight games, is trying to become the fourth player to lift the Nitto ATP Finals trophy the season after a winless debut (Djokovic, Stich, Edberg).

“To be completely honest, I am sure he didn’t play his best today. But still, it happens for everybody,” Medvedev said. “I always say the Big Three are the champions because it happens less for them than for other players. It is still tough to beat them, even on their bad days so I am really happy about the win. I am feeling good [and] confident right now… I knew I had to take my chances [and] serve good.” 

Medvedev booked his semi-final berth with an impressive defensive display in which he did to Djokovic what the Serbian does to the rest of the ATP Tour. The Russian gave the top seed no free points and repelled all his offence, frustrating Djokovic. As the 17-time Grand Slam champion’s level waned, Medvedev remained rock-solid, forcing his rival to beat him.

“He’s getting a little taste of his own medicine,” former World No. 1 Jim Courier said while broadcasting the match for Tennis Channel.

It was like watching the game ‘Pong’. No matter what Djokovic did, Medvedev had an answer. The 6’6” righty showed off his wheels at the back of the court, neutralising the Serbian’s aggression. While the top seed’s service games were full of lengthy rallies, Medvedev did well to keep things shorter, winning 61 per cent of his second-serve points compared to 43 per cent for Djokovic.

The 33-year-old fell to 6-7 in his second round-robin match at the year-end championships. Djokovic will try to recover for his final Group Tokyo 1970 match against 2018 champion Alexander Zverev, with the winner advancing to the semi-finals.

“It was just difficult to break his serve. He’s serving tremendously well, moving great. Hasn’t given me too many unforced errors and free points,” Djokovic said. “Just not a great match from my side. I thought I could have and should have done better, but credit to him for playing on a high level.”

Medvedev went unbroken in his triumph and now only trails 3-4 in the pair’s ATP Head2Head series.

The World No. 1 saved the first four break points he faced with clutch, patient tennis. But once he missed an awkward low forehand at 3-3 to lose his serve, the gates opened for Medvedev. Djokovic grew impatient in rallies, using drop shots ineffectively and allowing Medvedev to stick with his successful defensive game plan.

Medvedev struck nine aces and only faced one break point, completing his victory with a forehand winner. He will play Diego Schwartzman on Friday.

Did You Know?
Medvedev is the first Russian to reach the semi-finals at the Nitto ATP Finals since Nikolay Davydenko lifted the trophy in 2009.

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Melzer/Roger-Vasselin Save 5 Match Points!

Jurgen Melzer and Edouard Roger-Vasselin saved five match points and didn’t have a single break point in the match but still prevailed in a thrilling, come-from-behind win, 2-6, 7-6 (4), 12-10 over the sixth seeds Michael Venus and John Peers at the Nitto ATP Finals Wednesday.

Both teams came into the match sitting in the basement of Group Bob Bryan and hungry for a win, after having lost their first round-robin matches. And with the result, all four teams are still alive for a semi-final berth in what’s turned out to be a remarkably even and entertaining group.

Venus—a Kiwi who lives in London and went to college in the United States—wore a black top with neon green flames on his arms and torso, bounced around in between points like a boxer with his shorts on fire, waiting to land some blows. And indeed he was on fire early, using his lethal forehand and strong net play to inflict damage on the Austrian/French pair.

A doubles match wouldn’t be much fun without plenty of body blows and in this match there were plenty. Venus blasted an overhead at Melzer’s feet on the first point of the match, and a few points later, his partner hit Roger-Vasselin in the torso with a mishit overhead and won the point anyways.

Peers, the son of former pro tennis player Elizabeth Little and the brother of tennis player Sally Peers, mixed his serve beautifully and held comfortably in the first set.

Venus hopped out of the way of a tough body serve from Melzer up 2-1 in the first set on a deciding-point break chance and spun a crafty forehand winner into the tram lines for the match’s first service break. The wrecking crew from the Antipodes then cinched the double break and the first set, 6-2, in 25 minutes when Melzer, 39, double faulted on break point down.

Neither team faced a break point in the second set until the 60-minute mark of the match, when Roger-Vasselin staved one off with a well-placed 112 mile per hour serve out wide that induced a Peers’ backhand error, levelling the score at 5-5.
The match then headed into the tournament’s ninth (doubles) tie-break in eight matches. (Last year there were also nine tie-breaks in the doubles draw’s 15 matches.)

The match’s momentum shifted on the first point as Venus double faulted, giving the French-Austrian team a mini-break. Venus then netted a volley at 1-3 for a second mini-break but his quick hands helped them take that mini-break right back at 2-4. Down 2-5, Venus let a Melzer forehand passing shot go while at the net and it dropped well in to give the opposition a commanding 6-2 advantage. Suddenly the man who had been the most dominant player on the court had gone cold. Melzer sealed the comeback set 7-4 in the tie-break, with a cracking forehand volley winner to send the match into a Match Tie-break. Five of the eight doubles contests so far at this tournament have required a Match Tie-break.

The French-Austrian pair had only won three of 11 match tie-breaks this season, compared to three of five for Peers and Venus, but Melzer and Roger-Vasselin seemed to have the wind at their backs on this moment until Peers and Venus seized that momentum back at 2-2, capturing the first mini-break off a booming overhead smash from Peers. Then at 5-3 up, Venus hit a brilliant topspin lob over Melzer’s head that landed just inside the line for a clean winner that gave them a second mini-break and a 6-3 lead. Roger Vasselin hit a brilliant backhand service return though at 3-7 down to get that mini-break right back in a see-saw affair.

Roger-Vasselin saved a set point with some brilliant net play at 6-9. Then on match point number three, he fired an ace to bring his team to 8-9. On match point number four, Melzer blasted a forehand winner up the line and passed Venus to level the match at 9-9. A sharp backhand volley winner from Venus on the next point set up match point number five, which Melzer coolly staved off with a big first serve.

At 10-10 Roger-Vasselin tagged Peers on the leg with a nice volley, giving his team its first match point at 11-10. Peers then netted a routine bouncing overhead smash, giving Melzer and Roger Vasselin an improbable victory.

“I picked up my game after the first set; that was the key,” Melzer said in an on-court interview after the match. “I couldn’t have played worse in the first set. We said we’re going to stick together no matter what and it paid off.”

His partner said the key was staying positive while down essentially the entire match.

“We just tried our best and fought till the last point and are so happy we got the win,” he said. “In doubles, every point counts.”

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Murray's Twitch Take On Underarm Serve: 'It's Completely Legitimate'

Former World No. 1 Andy Murray was watching Daniil Medvedev’s match against Alexander Zverev on Monday when the Russian successfully used an underarm serve late in the second set.

On his daily Nitto ATP Finals Twitch stream with Gael Monfils, Murray admitted he “certainly wasn’t expecting it”, and he had no issue with the play.

Watch Monfils & Murray’s Twitch Stream

“It’s quite interesting because always when that happens, the commentators and the pundits start going, ‘Is it disrespectful to hit an underarm serve?’… and I don’t understand it,” Murray said. “I don’t understand why that should be disrespectful if players are going to stand six, seven metres behind the baseline to return the serve. I think it’s a completely legitimate play and I think as we’ve seen, it actually has been at times pretty successful.”

Murray added that he believes players only use the tactic when they feel they can gain an advantage in a point with it.

“It’s not like players are doing it just to mess around or make fun of the opponent,” Murray said. “It’s used as a legitimate tactic when players are standing that far behind the baseline.”

Monfils said the only time he’s used an underarm serve was against Dominic Thiem at Roland Garros last year. The Frenchman won the point.

“It’s also not that easy to do it,” Monfils said. 

Watch Monfils and Murray’s Nitto ATP Finals Twitch stream at 7p.m. GMT through the end of the tournament.

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ATP Finals 2020: Alexander Zverev beats Diego Schwartzman to keep alive finals hopes

Watch the best shots as Alexander Zverev boosts his ATP Finals hopes with victory over Diego Schwartzman in London.

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ATP Finals 2020: Alexander Zverev beats Diego Schwartzman to keep alive hopes

Former champion Alexander Zverev boosts his ATP Finals hopes with victory over Diego Schwartzman in London.

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Zverev Overcomes Schwartzman To Improve Semi-Final Chances

Alexander Zverev claimed his first win in Group Tokyo 1970 on Wednesday, as he overcame Diego Schwartzman 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 to boost his chances of semi-final qualification at the Nitto ATP Finals.

The 2018 champion landed 10 aces and saved six of nine break points to improve to 8-6 at The O2 in London. Zverev, who lost in straight sets to Daniil Medvedev on Monday, improved to 1-1 in round-robin play. The German is attempting to qualify for the semi-finals for the third straight year.

“It was much better than on Monday,” said Zverev in an on-court interview. “Diego is a very difficult player. He deserves to be here… There are no easy matches, but I am happy to get the win. I am happy to give myself a chance to go to the semi-finals and I am excited for Friday.”

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The 23-year-old started strong to earn a commanding 6-3, 3-1 lead, but Schwartzman continued to battle and forced a deciding set. The 6’6” right-hander regrouped in the decider and earned his third ATP Head2Head win in five matches against Schwartzman after two hours and 11 minutes. Zverev owns a 13-2 record on indoor hard courts this year, with his only losses coming against Medvedev.

One of the key features of Zverev’s win was his serve. The 13-time tour-level titlist, who will meet Novak Djokovic in his final round-robin match on Friday, landed 73 per cent of his first serves and he raised that figure to 89 per cent in the final set. Zverev also kept his double fault count to a minimum, with each of his three double faults coming in the first set. The last time Zverev lost to Schwartzman at the US Open, he struck 17 double faults.

“Friday is going to be the most difficult match you can have here against Novak,” said Zverev. “We played twice here already, so I am looking forward to it.”

After trading breaks early in the first set, Zverev proved the more consistent player from the baseline and struck forehand winners to establish a 5-2 lead. The German struggled with double faults in the opener, hitting three of them, but powerful first serves helped him escape danger and take the first set.

Zverev took the initiative at the start of the second set, as he used his forehand to dictate rallies and earn his third break of the match. But Schwartzman recovered well to force a deciding set. After holding an extended service game at 1-3, the Argentine was gifted a route back into the match as Zverev committed unforced errors. Schwartzman hit two forehand winners and capitalised on forehand errors from his opponent to level the match.

Zverev served with confidence in the final set and made the crucial breakthrough at 2-2. The fifth seed came out on top in multiple extended rallies and moved up the court to break serve with a low backhand volley. Zverev earned a fifth break to close the match as Schwartzman fired a forehand into the net. 

Schwartzman falls to 0-2 in Group Tokyo 1970. The Argentine, who is making his debut at the season finale, will meet Medvedev in his final round-robin match on Friday.

“I’m happy because I almost did a good comeback,” said Schwartzman. “The match was going all his way quickly in the first set and second set. Then I found a way to win the second set and fight [in] the third… I think he deserved to win because he played better than me in important moments, but the serve was the difference today in the third set, not in the first.”

In the evening session, Djokovic and Medvedev will both aim to become the second man to qualify for the semi-finals. Djokovic needs to beat Medvedev in two sets to qualify on Wednesday, while Medvedev will reach the last four with a win over the World No. 1. Dominic Thiem is already through to the last four as the winner of Group London 2020.

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Granollers/Zeballos Earn Second Win In London

Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos solidified their position at the top of Group Bob Bryan on Wednesday with a 7-6(4), 6-7(4), 10-8 victory against Mate Pavic and Bruno Soares at the Nitto ATP Finals.

The fourth seeds saved all six break points they faced, including four deciding points, to boost their chances of reaching the semi-finals in London. Granollers and Zeballos move to 2-0 in round-robin play, having also defeated John Peers and Michael Venus in straight sets on Monday. The Rome champions will qualify for the last four at The O2 if Peers and Venus defeat Jurgen Melzer and Edouard Roger-Vasselin in the evening session.

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Granollers and Zeballos have taken a 2-1 lead in their ATP Head2Head series against Pavic and Soares. The teams split their first two meetings earlier this year at the US Open (Pavic/Soares) and the Internazionali BNL d’Italia (Granollers/Zeballos).

Granollers and Zeballos were put under pressure in the first set, but they found big serves to save three break points and reach a tie-break. Zeballos found success on his return as he attacked Soares at the net and he fired an ace out wide to claim the first set.

The second set followed a similar pattern, with Granollers and Zeballos holding their nerves to save three more break points at the net. After saving match point on his serve at 5-6, deciding point, Soares extracted a volley error from Granollers and showed great reflexes at the net to clinch the second set.

Granollers and Zeballos outmanoeuvred their opponents at the net with a mix of power and precision to earn a 5/2 lead in the Match Tie-break. The Rome champions converted their fourth match point to end the two-hour, four-minute contest.

Pavic and Soares drop to 1-1 in Group Bob Bryan. The Croatian-Brazilian pair is also attempting to reach the semi-finals at The O2 on their tournament debut. Pavic and Soares will meet Peers and Venus in their final round-robin match on Friday.

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