A LOOK BACK
The Hague Open (Scheveningen, Netherlands): Thiemo de Bakker has waited years for this moment. In 2010, the Dutchman rose to a career-high No. 40 in the ATP Rankings, but a series of setbacks including chronic back and shoulder issues would derail De Bakker’s ascent.

That is, until now. The 29-year-old claimed his 11th ATP Challenger Tour title and first since 2015, lifting the trophy on home soil in Scheveningen. After starting the year outside the Top 400, the 29-year-old has climbed to No. 238 in the ATP Rankings.

It was a well deserved victory for De Bakker, as he continues to plot his comeback on the Challenger circuit. He dominated the latter stages of the tournament, dropping a combined eight games in the semi-finals and final, capped by a 6-2, 6-1 rout of top seed Yannick Maden. Earlier in the week, he rallied from a set down on two occasions, upsetting second seed Adam Pavlasek and denying Italy’s Alessandro Giannessi.

The local hero, who was born in The Hague, is the 10th Dutchman to triumph on home soil.

It’s Thiemo’s time!@Thiemodebakker is the champion in Scheveningen, taking the title 62 61 over top seed Yannick Maden

10th ?? winner in @TheHagueOpen history. pic.twitter.com/uqPZd1JuxL

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) July 22, 2018

President’s Cup (Astana, Kazakhstan): Competing in his 30th ATP Challenger Tour main draw, Austria’s Sebastian Ofner finally made his big breakthrough. The 22-year-old lifted his first trophy at the $125,000 event in Astana, ousting Daniel Brands 7-6(5), 6-3 in Sunday’s final. Ofner, who dropped just one set all week, rises to No. 151 in the ATP Rankings. 

World No. 8 Dominic Thiem has carried the flag for Austria in recent years, and the European nation has much to look forward to with Ofner and #NextGenATP star Jurij Rodionov. Both Ofner and Rodionov have lifted their first Challenger crowns this year, with both coming in Kazakhstan.

Challenger Banque Nationale de Gatineau (Gatineau, Canada): The $75,000 event in Gatineau crowned its third champion on Sunday, with American Bradley Klahn celebrating a return to the winners’ circle. The former World No. 63 is on a tear in recent months as he looks to return to the Top 100 following years of injury problems.

Klahn lifted his first trophy in four years with a 6-3, 7-6(5) win over 20-year-old Frenchman Ugo Humbert. It was his seventh Challenger title in total.

The California native, who sat on the sidelines for 21 months in 2015-16 after undergoing back surgery, is returning to his top form this year. Also a finalist in Newport Beach, he most recently reached the second round at Wimbledon as a qualifier. Klahn is now up to No. 122 in the ATP Rankings.

American Winners In 2018

San Benedetto Tennis Cup (San Benedetto del Tronto, Italy): Ofner wasn’t the only first-time winner of the week. Colombia’s Daniel Elahi Galan also notched his maiden ATP Challenger Tour title on Sunday, triumphing on the clay of San Benedetto, Italy. He defeated Sergio Gutierrez-Ferrol 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 on Sunday. Galan, age 22, is the first titlist from the South American nation since 2016. The highest-ranked Colombian is up to a career-high No. 166 in the ATP Rankings.

A LOOK AHEAD
There are five tournaments this week in Europe and North America. At the $100,000 event in Granby, Canada, Pierre-Hugues Herbert is the top seed, while Jordan Thompson leads the pack in Binghamton, USA. 

Meanwhile, on the clay of Europe, the longest-running Challenger celebrates its 37th edition in Tampere, Finland. Hugo Dellien is the top seed, with Scheveningen champion Thiemo de Bakker opening against #NextGenATP star Nicola Kuhn. In Prague, Yannick Maden leads the pack, while Gerald Melzer is the top seed at the inaugural tournament in Padua, Italy.

It was like déjà vu.

Aussie Thanasi Kokkinakis was finally feeling healthy during the Miami Open presented by Itau in March. The 22-year-old, who’s already battled more than a career’s worth of injuries, qualified for the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event and then earned one of his biggest wins, handing then-No. 1 Roger Federer only his second loss of 2018.

Kokkinakis was back. Or so it seemed.

Three weeks later, though, his mystifying bad luck returned. At the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, Kokkinakis chased a deep, looping mishit from Russian Karen Khachanov and stumbled on a sponsor sign. He finished the match – a straight-sets loss – but had to sit out more than a month because of a small fracture in his left kneecap and a deep bone bruise.

Just like that, Kokkinakis had returned to the frustrating cycle of “rehab, play, success”. “It’s been very stop-start for me,” he told ATPWorldTour.com.

The Aussie, however, is back at the third stage of that process. On Sunday, he beat Poland’s #NextGenATP right-hander Hubert Hurkacz, who made his Wimbledon debut earlier this month, 6-2, 7-6(6) to reach the main draw of the BB&T Atlanta Open.

Kokkinakis will make his first appearance at the ATP World Tour 250-level tournament this week and will play doubles with countryman Nick Kyrgios, the tournament’s 2016 singles champion.

Read More: 30 Things To Watch In Atlanta, Gstaad & Hamburg

“I’ve been playing all right in my matches but I’ve just been getting a bit nervous at the end, in trying to finish, and I think you saw that again today,” said Kokkinakis, who led 5/2 in the second-set tie-break.

It’s the first time he has come through qualifying in his past four attempts. He fell in the second round of qualifying at Roland Garros and the final round at the Fever-Tree Championships at The Queen’s Club in London and at Wimbledon.

“Felt like I should have qualified for Wimbledon… Should have qualified for Queen’s… So I didn’t want to let it happen again,” Kokkinakis said. “I got a bit tense towards the end. My feet stopped moving. It’s because I haven’t played many matches. I think the more matches I play the more comfortable I’ll get, and hopefully these matches become easier to close out.”

The 6’5” right-hander has played only seven tour-level matches this season (3-4) and only the one since Miami. But the free-spirited Aussie, although frustrated, isn’t dwelling on what could have been the past few months.

“It’s tough right now. My ranking is not where I want it to be. I don’t feel like I should be in this position. Some things have happened and I just gotta get back and keep working my way through qualies, if need be, and go from there,” he said.

At No. 172 in the ATP Rankings, Kokkinakis is 103 spots down from his career-high of No. 69, which he last reached in July 2015. That same year he finished No. 80 in the year-end ATP Rankings and became one of four teenagers, along with Borna Coric, Hyeon Chung and Alexander Zverev, to finish in the Top 100.

A lot has happened to Kokkinakis since then, especially injuries: shoulder, groin, pectoralis, ankle and ab problems have derailed him. But he’s also had some of his best moments since July 2015 – beating No. 6 Milos Raonic at the 2017 Fever-Tree Championships for his first Top 10 win; reaching his first ATP World Tour quarter-final, semi-final and final last year at Los Cabos (d. Fritz, Berdych and l. to Querrey); and his career-best victory over Federer in March.

The highlights of the past few years, the big wins against some of the biggest names; those are what Kokkinakis chooses to focus on as he tries to work his way back into the Top 100 once more.

“You gotta take good matches… take those things and use them. Just know that, ‘OK if my body’s right, if I’m healthy, this is what I can do’. So I think people around the Tour know what I’m capable of, but I’ve just got to be a bit more professional, a bit more disciplined, and start playing more tournaments, it’s pretty simple. I just got to play more matches,” said Kokkinakis. “I’m just hoping the whole body stays in one piece.”

The Dell Technologies Hall of Fame Open was full of upsets, with just two seeded players advancing to the quarter-finals, where top-seeded Adrian Mannarino was ousted. But one tournament favourite never faltered on the grounds of the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Third seed Steve Johnson did not lose more than three games in a set en route to the final, where he defeated first-time ATP World Tour finalist Ramkumar Ramanathan 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 on Sunday to claim his fourth tour-level trophy.

It is the first time that the 28-year-old has won multiple titles in one campaign, after retaining his trophy in Houston earlier this year. Johnson had never moved past the quarter-finals in three previous main draw appearances in Newport. But he won 83 per cent of first-serve points against the World No. 161 to triumph on grass for the second time.

Johnson, who is one of just two players on the ATP World Tour this season (also Roger Federer) to win titles on multiple surfaces, will climb 14 spots to No. 34 in the ATP Rankings thanks to the 250 points he adds to his tally. He will also take home $99,375 in prize money.

Ramanathan was attempting to become the first Indian ATP World Tour titlist since Leander Paes was victorious at the International Tennis Hall of Fame 20 years ago. He earns 150 points for the best result of his career, as well as $52,340.

Julio Peralta and Horacio Zeballos captured their fifth team title on Sunday, defeating Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini 6-3, 6-4 to win the SkiStar Swedish Open.

Peralta and Zeballos lifted their first title since the 2017 Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship to deny Fognini a clean sweep on Sweden’s west coast. Earlier in the day, Fognini defeated Richard Gasquet to lift his seventh tour-level singles trophy.

The Chilean-Argentine tandem was dominant on second-serve returns, winning 73 per cent of points in the category to emerge victorious after 71 minutes. Peralta and Zeballos improve to 45-25 as a team at tour-level and 2-0 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series against their Italian opponents.

Zeballos has now won nine tour-level doubles titles, while each of Peralta’s five title runs have come alongside his current partner.

Bolelli and Fognini were bidding to win their first tour-level title together since the 2015 Australian Open. The Italians drop to 3-5 in tour-level championship matches.

Peralta and Zeballos receive 250 ATP Doubles Ranking points and split €27,170 in prize money for lifting the trophy. Bolelli and Fognini gain 150 points and share €14,280.

Did You Know?
Since 1982, only 11 editions of the SkiStar Swedish Open doubles event have not featured a Swedish champion. The last home titlist was Johan Brunstrom, alongside Nicholas Monroe, in 2014.

Fabio Fognini captured his second tour-level trophy of the season on Sunday, beating Richard Gasquet 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 at the SkiStar Swedish Open.

The third-seeded Italian, who lifted the Brasil Open title in February, converted five of 11 break-point chances en route to the victory. Fognini has now won seven tour-level crowns, with each of his triumphs coming at outdoor clay-court events.

The World No. 15 improves to 7-9 in tour-level finals after securing his 31st victory in 45 matches at tour-level in 2018. Gasquet was also bidding to clinch his second ATP World Tour title of the season after winning his 15th tour-level trophy at the Libema Open in June.

“[Fabio] is a very good player. He played well and he deserved this win,” said Gasquet. “It was my first time in Båstad… I am very happy to be here, finally. It is one of the best tournaments… for sure I will come back next year and try to win.”

As a result of the one-hour, 47-minute win, Fognini levels his FedEx ATP Head2Head record against Gasquet at 2-2. The 31-year-old has won both of their encounters on clay, while Gasquet has emerged victorious in their two hard-court clashes.

Gasquet made the first move on a bright day on Sweden’s west coast, capitalising on a series of groundstroke errors to clinch the first break of the match. But Fognini soon found his rhythm, hitting with great depth and approaching the net at times to flip the set on its head. The Italian reeled off five consecutive games to lead 5-2, before closing out the set, after 32 minutes, with a love service hold.

Three consecutive double faults from Fognini gifted Gasquet an early lead in the second set and, despite surrendering the break in the following game, the Frenchman soon re-established his advantage with strong defensive skills from the backhand corner.

Consistent backhand aggression earned Fognini an immediate break of serve in the deciding set and with increased confidence in his service games, the Italian soon moved towards victory. After wearing his opponent down, in an extended rally, to earn a second break, Fognini converted his fourth championship point as Gasquet fired an aggressive forehand beyond the baseline.

Later in the day, Fognini will aim to add a second Båstad title to his trophy cabinet. The Italian, alongside countryman Simone Bolelli, will contest the doubles final against Julio Peralta and Horacio Zeballos. Fognini and Bolelli have won three doubles titles from seven tour-level finals as a team, including the 2015 Australian Open.

“For sure, I am going to be tired. I have another final to play. I need to take a shower, eat a little bit and try to be ready,” said Fognini.

Fognini receives 250 ATP Ranking points and collects €89,435 in prize money for lifting the trophy. Gasquet gains 150 points and receives €47,105.

Did You Know?
With 31 tour-level match wins already this season, Fabio Fognini is just five victories short of equalling his 2017 match-win total. The Italian ended his 2017 campaign with 36-23 tour-level record.

Jonathan Erlich and Artem Sitak were an unstoppable force on Saturday, taking the doubles title at the Dell Technologies Hall of Fame Open in just 53 minutes.

The Israeli-Kiwi duo prevailed 6-1, 6-2 over fourth seeds Marcelo Arevalo and Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela to complete a ruthless campaign on the grass of Newport. They dropped just one set all week, including victory over Lleyton Hewitt and Jordan Thompson, before defeating a trio of seeded opponents. 

Competing together for just the second time, Erlich and Sitak notched their first team title. They previously teamed up at the 2015 US Open, falling in the first round. But this time, 41-year-old Erlich and 32-year-old Sitak found their rhythm from the first ball. The Israeli scored his 20th tour-level title and first on grass since 2011, while the Kiwi celebrated his fourth crown.

“We just played each other at Wimbledon (Sitak/Sharan d. Erlich/Matkowski in five sets) and I thought he played really well there,” said Sitak. “I knew we could go all the way this week. We just focused point after point. It’s great to have his experience and he played all the big points just like the big boss he is. He made everything and I’m really happy the way we played today.”

Erlich’s 20th title carries added significance, considering his first also came in Newport. He teamed up with countryman Harel Levy for the 2000 crown in his ATP World Tour debut.

“I can’t believe it was 18 years ago,” said Erlich. “I’m proud of myself that I’m still going and I played great this week. I have great chemistry with Artem and great energy together. I’m glad we connected quickly here and from the first match we played solid together. We helped each other to play the best. That’s why I have a young guy like him.”

The champions split $30,190 in prize money and earn 250 ATP Doubles Rankings points, while runners-up Arevalo and Reyes-Varela take home $15,870 and 150 points. It was the first ATP World Tour doubles final for both players.

Did You Know?
Erlich’s 20 titles have come with six different partners. He has one each with Sitak, Levy, Novak Djokovic, Colin Fleming and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi, with the majority of his success coming with compatriot Andy Ram (15 titles together).