Top seeds Jamie Murray and John Peers – playing together for the first time in more than three years – were knocked out of the Grand Prix Hassan II in Marrakech in the first round.
Britain’s Murray and Australian Peers were beaten 7-6 (7-3) 6-7 (7-9) 10-6 by Denmark’s Frederik Nielsen and the Netherlands’ Matwe Middelkoop.
Murray and Peers split after reaching the ATP World Tour Finals in 2015.
Elsewhere, Germany’s Alexander Zverev reached the singles second round.
The top seed beat Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin 6-4 6-4 and will play Spain’s Jaume Munar next.
When you’re losing 0-6 0-5 and facing match point, the chances are there is no way back.
But the old saying goes that winners never quit – and Tara Moore refused to give up when she found herself in that exact position on Tuesday.
In a show of extraordinary grit, the British number nine saved herself from being double bageled at 30-40 down, and went on to beat French third seed Jessika Ponchet 0-6 7-6 6-3 at the ITF World Tour event in Sunderland.
The greatest comeback in tennis history? Well, the 26-year-old said on social media that it had been “never in doubt”.
Moore has won nine ITF singles titles and reached the second round of Wimbledon in 2016.
She will face either Germany’s Yana Morderger or Romania’s Elena-Teodora Cadar in the second round in Sunderland.
Czech Jiri Vesely recorded his biggest match win for nine months on Tuesday at the Grand Prix Hassan II with an impressive 7-6(2), 6-2 victory over second seed Fabio Fognini in one hour and 46 minutes. It was his second straight win over the World No. 18, nine months on from beating Diego Schwartzman and Fognini at Wimbledon in July 2018.
“As expected it was a tough match,” said Vesely, who will next play Argentine Juan Ignacio Londero in the second round. “Fabio is unpredictable and he can play Top 5 level. I got a bit nervous when he started playing unbelievably well at 5-1 in the second set. I’m coming back from a few injuries, so I still need to build my confidence [and] this is obviously a very important win.”
Laslo Djere and Fernando Verdasco were also among seeded casualties at the ATP 250 clay-court tournament. World No. 103 Lorenzo Sonego lost five of his first-service points in a 6-3, 6-3 win over fifth seed Djere, while fellow qualifier Adrian Menendez-Maceiras recorded his first tour-level match win for 14 months by beating sixth seed Verdasco 5-7, 6-2, 6-2. In February 2018, the 33-year-old Menendez-Maceiras qualified and reached the New York Open quarter-finals (l. to Mannarino).
Elsewhere, seventh-seeded German Philipp Kohlschreiber recovered from 0-3 down in the first set and 1-4 in the second set to defeat Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, a Spanish qualifier, 7-6(4), 7-5.
Two Frenchmen — eighth seed Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Benoit Paire — also opened their campaigns with victories. Herbert struck 13 aces in a 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-1 win over Italian Thomas Fabbiano, while Paire won the final three games of his 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 victory over Aljaz Bedene of Slovenia.
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Spaniard Marcel Granollers went a decade without competing in Houston. But you wouldn’t know it by how at home he looked on Monday evening. The 2008 champion upset fifth seed Taylor Fritz 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 to reach the second round of the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship.
“[It feels] very good. To come back here to Houston, of course for me it’s a good tournament. I have great memories here. I won in 2008,” Granollers said on Tennis Channel. “I came back after 10 years so I’m very, very happy to play in front of the crowd and play on this centre court.”
Granollers arrived in Texas with just one tour-level win this year, but he put on an entertaining all-court display, including a lot of drop shots, to oust the 2018 semi-finalist after one hour and 53 minutes. The 32-year-old, currently 112th in the ATP Rankings, is now 7-1 at this ATP 250 tournament.
“Taylor is a player who can hit very hard. He hits very hard from the baseline and I needed to change rhythm,” Granollers said. “If I hit good drop shots, I think it’s a good option against him and I think today it worked.”
The Spaniard will next face Aussie Bernard Tomic or home favourite Denis Kudla.
In other action, American Ryan Harrison dismissed 40-year-old Ivo Karlovic 6-3, 6-4 in just 58 minutes. Harrison is hoping to achieve a career-best showing in Houston, where he made the quarter-finals in 2012 (l. to Russell). He will next play sixth seed Mackenzie McDonald or Swiss qualifier Henri Laaksonen.
#NextGenATP Norwegian Casper Ruud battled past Bolivian Hugo Dellien 7-6(7), 6-4. Earlier this year, Ruud lost just one game against Dellien in their first FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting in Sao Paulo, but he had to battle much harder this time, advancing after one hour and 41 minutes. Ruud will try to upset New York Open champion Reilly Opelka next.
Chilean Christian Garin also moved forward on Monday, defeating Uruguayan veteran Pablo Cuevas 4-6, 6-4, 6-2. Garin will next face second seed Jeremy Chardy.
Former World No. 3’s doctor provides fans with an update on Del Potro’s knee
Juan Martin del Potro sat out four months after fracturing his patella last October. The Argentine attempted a comeback this February at the Delray Beach Open by VITACOST.com, but the ‘Tower of Tandil’ has not competed since, recently implementing a ‘new regenerative treatment’ in the hopes that doing so, along with a special rehab program, will help speed up his recovery.
“The doctors say I need time if I want to be 100 per cent, but I don’t want to be home watching the tournaments on TV. I’ve done that before and it was really bad for me,” Del Potro said in Delray Beach. “It’s hard to win matches when you can’t move at 100 per cent.”
Del Potro’s team provided an update — but did not identify a target comeback tournament— on Monday, as Dr. Ángel Cotorro released a statement about the former World No. 3’s recovery:
“Juan Martin del Potro visited the Mapfre Clinic last week because of the fracture in his right knee cap he suffered almost six months ago. Since the beginning he was advised to take a conservative approach with his treatment. After participating in Delray Beach he began a regenerative treatment with Dr. Alejandro Rolón in Buenos Aires. He later had multiple medical tests done in Barcelona and considering his progress in the past few weeks, it’s been decided to implement a new regenerative treatment. Also, he will follow a specific rehabilitation program led by his physiotherapist, Diego Rodriguez, which will progressively allow the player to incorporate further training and compete on tour again in the near future.”
Britain’s Kyle Edmund will play Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the last 16 of the Grand Prix Hassan II in Marrakech.
The 24-year-old third seed beat Frenchman Ugo Humbert 6-3 6-2 in the first round, while French wildcard Tsonga beat Cedrik-Marcel Stebe in straight sets.
Edmund lost to Spaniard Pablo Andujar in last year’s final – his first at ATP level.
Britain’s Jamie Murray is top seeded in the men’s doubles alongside John Peers.
They start their campaign against Denmark’s Frederik Nielsen and the Netherlands’ Matwe Middelkoop on Tuesday.
World number three Alexander Zverev is top seed in the men’s singles and faces Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin in the first round.
Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga may still be on the comeback trail from a seven-month layoff last year due to left knee surgery. But the 33-year-old continues to show signs that he is returning closer to the form that helped him ascend as high as fifth in the ATP Rankings.
Tsonga overpowered German Cedrik-Marcel Stebe, who was competing for the first time since the 2018 Australian Open, 6-1, 7-6(3) on Monday in one hour and 21 minutes to reach the second round of the Grand Prix Hassan II in Marrakech. Tsonga has never lost a set at this Moroccan ATP 250 tournament, having cruised to the 2008 semi-finals when the event was held in Casablanca before withdrawing due to injury.
“It was my first match on clay in a while. So I’m happy that I won today. I did what I needed to do today and played well during the first set,” said Tsonga, whose last outdoor clay match came at 2017 Roland Garros. “It has been almost two years since I didn’t play on outdoor clay. It’s nice to be back on clay.”
Watch ATP Uncovered: Inside Tsonga’s Journey Back To Health & Good Form
It is Tsonga’s 12th tour-level win of the season after only earning five victories in 2018 due to his injury. While Tsonga is currently 116th in the ATP Rankings, he has shown good form so far this season. The veteran lifted the Montpellier trophy (as World No. 210), his first ATP Tour triumph since 2017 Antwerp, helping him stand at 26th in the ATP Race To London.
“I have been working well,” Tsonga said. “I hope that the work will pay off.”
Tsonga will need his best if he is to reach the quarter-finals, as he will play third seed Kyle Edmund in a second-round blockbuster. The Brit ousted Frenchman Ugo Humbert 6-3, 6-2.
In Edmund’s Marrakech debut last season, he advanced to his maiden ATP Tour final before falling to three-time champion Pablo Andujar. Edmund went on to earn his first title in Antwerp. He had little difficulty moving past the #NextGenATP Humbert on the red clay, saving all three break points he faced to move on after one hour and 19 minutes.
The player who benefitted from Tsonga’s 2008 semi-final withdrawal was Gilles Simon, who went on to capture the title. Simon is the fourth seed this year, and he played well to defeat Slovak Jozef Kovalik 6-4, 6-1 in 90 minutes.
“I’m happy with the match today. The first set was very tough and important to win,” Simon said. “This tournament is always a good start into the clay court season. I like it here, the conditions are good and I have good memories from when I won the tournament in Casablanca.”
Simon has long enjoyed success at this event, reaching the semi-finals in 2006 and the quarter-finals on three additional occasions, including last year. The Frenchman will next face Argentine Guido Andreozzi, who defeated Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-3, 7-6(5).
Did You Know? Reigning Nitto ATP Finals champion Alexander Zverev, a wild card in Marrakech, begins his tournament on Tuesday against Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin.
Garbine Muguruza defended her Monterrey Open title after Victoria Azarenka was forced to retire with a leg injury.
Former world number one Azarenka, playing her first singles final in three years, required a medical timeout after losing the first set to have strapping applied to her right calf.
The Belarusian, 29, carried on but was clearly restricted before withdrawing when trailing 6-1 3-1.
“I’m very happy with this week,” said Spain’s Muguruza, 25.
“It’s a great feeling to come back and defend a title – it’s never easy.”
It is two-time Grand Slam champion Muguruza’s first title since winning in Mexico last year.
Azarenka last contested a singles final in April 2016, winning both Indian Wells and Miami within two weeks before announcing her pregnancy later that year and giving birth to son Leo in December.
She returned to the sport competitively the following summer but has been involved in a custody battle with her son’s father which has impacted on her tennis.
Live scores, schedule and results
Keys wins first clay title
Earlier, Madison Keys beat Caroline Wozniacki in straight sets to win the Charleston Open – her first title on clay.
The American, 24, won 7-6 (7-5) 6-3, hitting 54 winners against Danish fifth seed Wozniacki, the 2011 champion.
It marks a fourth career title for Keys and her first since 2017.
The eighth seed beat three Grand Slam champions – Wozniacki, Sloane Stephens and Jelena Ostapenko – en route to victory, as well as reigning Olympic champion Monica Puig.
Wozniacki – playing in her third Charleston final, having finished as runner-up in 2009 – said Keys was “just too good”.
World number 18 Keys is the first American winner of the tournament since Stephens three years ago.
Brown Blast-Off: Dreddy Dashes To First Title Since 2016
Apr072019
Revisit the week that was on the ATP Challenger Tour as we applaud the achievements of those on the rise and look ahead to who’s in action in the week to come
A LOOK BACK Mouratoglou Open (Sophia Antipolis, France): Dustin Brown is back with a vengeance! After an injury-plagued 2018 campaign, the 34-year-old German surged to the title at the ATP Challenger Tour stop in Sophia Antipolis.
Brown survived a murderers’ row of opponents, downing Robin Haase 6-4, 6-3 and rallying past both 15th seed Kimmer Coppejans and 14th seed Rudolf Molleker from a set down. In Sunday’s championship, he would sprint to the title, defeating Filip Krajinovic 6-3, 7-5 in one hour and 31 minutes.
The German is on the mend after a back injury derailed the majority of his 2018 season. Brown would find his form in a flash on the clay courts of the Mouratoglou Tennis Academy, using his vast arsenal shots and spins to constantly rattle his opponents. He was a Hot Shot machine all week, endearing himself to the French faithful from the start.
It was Brown’s eighth Challenger crown in total and first since 2016, when he prevailed on the grass of Manchester. Having fallen outside the Top 250 of the ATP Rankings, he is projected to rise to No. 167 on Monday.
So, how excited is the man they call ‘Dreddy’?
“I’m going to have a couple beers, take a bath and stay up all night watching some TV series so that this day never ends.”
Ferrero Challenger Open (Villena, Spain): We’re running out of superlatives to describe Pablo Andujar’s sensational comeback campaign. The 33-year-old Spaniard entered the Challenger stop in Alicante on the heels of a title run in nearby Marbella, Spain, and he refused to take his foot off the gas. Andujar extended his win streak to 10 straight with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 win over countryman Pedro Martinez on Sunday, adding to his victory at last week’s Casino Admiral Trophy.
Located at former World No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero’s academy in the town of Villena, the tournament was celebrating its second edition this week. After also lifting the trophy in its inaugural edition a year ago, Andujar successfully defended his crown with aplomb. He dropped just one set all week, improving to 6-0 in finals since returning to action after undergoing three shoulder surgeries in 2017.
One year ago, Andujar entered Villena just inside the Top 600 of the ATP Rankings. Now, he leaves at No. 70 and will look to retain his crown at yet another tournament next week – the ATP 250 stop in Marrakesh.
In other news, a pair of teenagers stole the headlines earlier in the week. At the age of 15, Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz Garfia earned his first Challenger match win, becoming the fourth-youngest to do so in 20 years. He is the first player born in 2003 to emerge victorious. One day earlier, in Sophia Antipolis, Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti became the first player born in 2002 to claim his first win. Both earn their first ATP Rankings points.
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Abierto GNP Seguros (Monterrey, Mexico): Alexander Bublik and Emilio Gomez will take centre stage at Club Sonoma in Monterrey on Sunday night. Bublik is bidding for his third title of the year, which would secure his return to the Top 100 of the ATP Rankings. One year ago, the Kazakh suffered a broken ankle at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, but a 17-5 record has seen him rediscover his form in a hurry in 2019.
Gomez, meanwhile, is eyeing a maiden title at the age of 27. Son of former World No. 4 and 1990 Roland Garros champ, he is appearing in his first final. The Guayaquil native is bidding to become the first Ecuadorian champion on the ATP Challenger Tour since Giovanni Lapentti in 2011.
Winner of Tournament of the Year in 2015, the Abierto GNP Seguros embarked on a new era this year. The event moved from October to April, becoming just the second combined ATP Challenger/WTA Tour tournament on the calendar (also Nottingham).
A LOOK AHEAD Lloyd Harris is the top seed at the Santaizi ATP Challenger in Taipei City, Taiwan, with Evgeny Donskoy and Sergiy Stakhovsky also leading the charge. Last week, Poland’s Kamil Majchrzak won his maiden title in Saint-Brieuc, France, and now he will vie for a second straight crown, seeded sixth in Taipei.
The Spanish swing concludes with the inaugural Murcia Open. Pedro Sousa is the top seed, with Roberto Carballes Baena leading the home charge. Former World No. 9 and 13-time ATP Tour champion Nicolas Almagro is set to conclude his storied career, appearing in his last professional tournament.
Meanwhile, in Barletta, Italy, players and fans are welcomed for the tournament’s 20th edition. Italians comprise seven of the Top 8 seeds, with Gianluigi Quinzi leading the way. Seeded 10th, Thanasi Kokkinakis will appear in his first tournament since retiring from the Australian Open with a shoulder injury.
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