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French Open 2018: Rafael Nadal beats Maximilian Marterer in last 16

  • Posted: Jun 04, 2018
French Open 2018
Venue: Roland Garros, Paris Dates: 27 May-10 June
Coverage: Daily live radio and text commentaries on BBC Radio 5 live, the BBC Sport website and app.

Ten-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal moved into the 2018 quarter-finals with a 6-3 6-2 7-6 (7-4) victory over Germany’s Maximilian Marterer.

Nadal, 32, lost his opening service game and trailed 2-0 in the first set in Paris before recovering well.

He broke Marterer’s serve early in the second set and fought back from 3-1 down in the third for a straight-set win against the unseeded 22-year-old.

The Spaniard will play 11th seed Diego Schwartzman, 25, in the last eight.

  • Live scores, schedule and results
  • Williams withdraws from French Open because of injury
  • Second seed Wozniacki beaten by Kasatkina

The Argentine recovered from two sets down to beat South African sixth seed Kevin Anderson 1-6 2-6 7-5 7-6 (7-0) 6-2 to move into the second Grand Slam quarter-final of his career – and first at Roland Garros.

Nadal, meanwhile, has reached at least the quarter-finals in 12 of the 14 years he has played in the French Open.

The world number one has won 37 consecutive sets in the tournament, though he needed a tie-break in the third set to secure Monday’s win over world number 70 Marterer.

Nadal, who celebrated his birthday on Sunday, is now third on the all-time list for most match wins at Grand Slams, moving clear of Jimmy Connors with his 234th.

“I don’t feel old, but I am 32, and I have been here since 2003, so it’s a long way, a lot of years,” said Nadal.

“I started very young. That’s a real thing. But, no, I feel happy to be here. I hope to keep doing this for a while.”

Schwartzman delight at ‘David and Goliath’ win

Schwartzman, who is 5ft 7in, said his victory over 6ft 8in Anderson was like “David and Goliath”.

“I read it when I was young in school, and I just try to think that when I see Kevin or the guys who are two metres (tall),” he said.

“When you’re not as strong or you’re not as tall as Anderson, you can still win the match. I think people like me more, as well, for that, because they were supporting me.

“They wanted me to remain in the game and the fact he was twice as tall as me was a reason for me to try and remain. But you can have a very good serve whether you’re tall or small. That didn’t have anything to do with it.”

Nadal, who has won all his five previous meetings with Schwartzman, said of the Argentine: “It’s always good to see him in the quarter-final because he’s a good friend, a good person.

“He’s a worker, and I’m happy to see him having all this success. Hopefully not too much.”

Schwartzman’s compatriot Juan Martin del Potro also moved into the last eight with a 6-4 6-4 6-4 win over American ninth seed John Isner.

Del Potro, seeded fifth, faces either third seed Marin Cilic of Croatia or Italian 18th seed Fabio Fognini in the quarter-finals.

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'It was so painful': Injured Williams pulls out of French Open

  • Posted: Jun 04, 2018
French Open 2018
Venue: Roland Garros, Paris Dates: 27 May-10 June
Coverage: Daily live radio and text commentaries on BBC Radio 5 live, the BBC Sport website and app.

Serena Williams pulled out of the French Open before her fourth-round match with Maria Sharapova because of an injury that affected her serve.

The 23-time Grand Slam winner recently returned to tennis after giving birth to her first child, but looked in good form in her opening matches.

“I’ve had issues with the right pectoral muscle to the point where I can’t serve,” said the 36-year-old.

“I’ll have a scan. I won’t know about Wimbledon until I get the results.”

Williams said she first felt the problem during her third-round win over German 11th seed Julia Gorges on Saturday.

She played in a doubles match with sister Venus on Sunday, saying she wanted to try to manage the problem before her match with Sharapova.

“I tried lots of taping and support to see how it felt in match circumstances,” Williams said.

“It is hard to play when I can’t physically serve. I’ve never had this injury before, I’ve never felt it in my life and it was so painful.

“I don’t know how to manage it.”

Williams said she will have an MRI scan in Paris on Tuesday and will stay in the French capital at least until the extent of her injury is clear.

Sharapova said she was “looking forward” to playing Williams and “disappointed” the American had to withdraw.

“I wish her a speedy recovery and hope she returns to the tour soon,” she added.

The 31-year-old Russian, a two-time winner at Roland Garros, will play 2016 champion Garbine Muguruza. The Spaniard was 2-0 up in the opening set of her match against Lesia Tsurenko when the Ukrainian retired hurt.

Rivalry was set to be renewed

The possibility of Williams facing Sharapova had been grabbing attention since the draw was made at Roland Garros 10 days ago.

And the meeting of the two former champions, both making comebacks at Roland Garros this year, was set up when Williams beat Gorges shortly after Sharapova beat Czech sixth seed Karolina Pliskova.

Williams has recently returned after giving birth to daughter Olympia in September, while 28th seed Sharapova is back in the draw after being refused a wildcard last year as she returned from a 15-month drugs ban.

The pair have had a frosty relationship since they first met on court in 2003, although Williams said in her pre-match news conference on Saturday that she did not have any “negative feelings” towards the Russian.

There has not been much of a rivalry on court in recent years, Williams having won 19 of their 21 meetings. Both of Sharapova’s wins came in 2004 – including that year’s Wimbledon final.

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Six matches in six days takes its toll – analysis

Tennis correspondent Russell Fuller at Roland Garros

Williams had been in astoundingly good form in the first week, but footage of the final set of Sunday’s doubles – which she and sister Venus lost 6-0 – showed Serena rolling in a number of slow first serves.

The three-time champion chose to play doubles as well as singles because she knew she needed matches under her belt. But six matches in six days – after just four in the previous 16 months – appears to have taken its toll. A pectoral injury is most commonly associated with overuse.

Tuesday’s MRI scan will reveal more, but if there is no serious damage, then Wimbledon may still be very much within Williams’ sights. There are still four weeks to go, and not being able to play a grass-court warm-up event beforehand should not be a concern: only twice in her career has she done so.

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Lopez/Lopez Save 1 MP To Beat Kontinen/Peers

  • Posted: Jun 04, 2018

Lopez/Lopez Save 1 MP To Beat Kontinen/Peers

Jun042018

Spaniards led 6-4, 3-0 before eventually securing SF spot

Feliciano Lopez and Marc Lopez saved one match point to book their place in the Roland Garros semi-finals on Monday, defeating third seeds Henri Kontinen and John Peers 6-4, 6-7(2), 7-6(3).

The 2016 champions moved one step away from their second final in three years at the clay-court Grand Slam championship, saving match point at 4-5 (30/40) in the deciding set before breaking serve and securing victory after two hours and 21 minutes.

The Spaniards, who won their third team title at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell in April, led by a set and a double break before the Nitto ATP Finals champions rallied to force a decider. Kontinen and Peers broke first, but the No. 12 seeds held their nerve, breaking back in the 10th game to extend the match before clinching victory on their first match point in the third-set tie-break.

Lopez/Lopez won 70 per cent of first-serve points throughout the last-eight contest and converted four of nine break points en route to victory. They will meet fifth seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah or ATP Doubles Race To London leaders Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic for a place in the final.

Did You Know?
Feliciano Lopez and Marc Lopez are bidding to become the first Spanish duo in the Open Era to win multiple titles at Roland Garros. In 2016, they became just the second all-Spanish team to lift the trophy in the Open Era, following in the footsteps of 1990 champions Sergio Casal and Emilio Sanchez. Sanchez did win two doubles titles at the event, but his first triumph in 1988 came alongside Ecuador’s Andres Gomez.

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French Open: Caroline Wozniacki beaten by Daria Kasatkina in last 16

  • Posted: Jun 04, 2018
French Open 2018
Venue: Roland Garros, Paris Dates: 27 May-10 June
Coverage: Daily live radio and text commentaries on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra, the BBC Sport website and app.

Australian Open champion and second seed Caroline Wozniacki is out of the French Open, beaten 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 by Daria Kasatkina in the last 16.

Russia’s Kasatkina, 21, raced away with the last three games of a match that had been halted at 3-3 in the second set on Sunday because of bad light.

The 14th seed will face American 10th seed Sloane Stephens in the last eight.

World number one Simona Halep, runner-up in 2014 and 2017, beat 16th seed Elise Mertens of Belgium 6-2 6-1.

The Romanian, 26, broke her opponent’s serve six times as she won in 59 minutes, with the second set taking just 22 minutes.

“I was a bit nervous at the start of the match but I played my best match here at Roland Garros,” said Halep.

“I need to be more aggressive and try to finish the points because I don’t hit so many winners.”

Halep will take on either seventh seed Caroline Garcia of France or German 12th seed Angelique Kerber in the last eight.

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Andy Murray still aiming to be fit for grass-court season – Judy Murray

  • Posted: Jun 04, 2018

Britain’s Andy Murray is still aiming to be fit for the grass-court season and will make a statement this week, says his mother Judy.

The Scot, who has not played competitively since Wimbledon last year, had a hip operation in January.

Murray, 31, has won Wimbledon twice and this year’s tournament starts on 2 July.

“He’s doing the rehabilitation. He’s been back on the court in the last couple of days,” Judy told BBC Sport.

“His goal was always to try and be ready for the grass-court season and that is still his goal, so fingers crossed.”

The next event the former world number one could play in is the grass-court Libema Open in Rosmalen, the Netherlands, from 11 to 17 June.

But former Fed Cup captain Judy says her son – now the British number two behind Kyle Edmund – will not risk playing at Wimbledon if he is not ready.

“Any player who has been out injured, it takes you a bit of time to get back to top form,” she said.

“When he had his back surgery in 2013 he was back playing within three months, but it took him the best part of a year to get back to his top form.

“You need matches to build up your match fitness. You are not going to come back and start where you left off.

“He will be guided by his body and how he feels. He is the only person who knows how he feels.

“The most important thing is he gets fit again for the long term and any top athlete would tell you they would not come back until they felt they could give 100%, especially in a major like Wimbledon.”

Murray missed the first six months of the 2004 season because of a knee injury and had surgery two months after his first Wimbledon title in 2013 because of a problem with his lower back.

“He is not a stranger to rehabilitation and this one has taken longer than anyone probably expected and certainly longer than he would have liked,” said Judy.

“It has been incredibly frustrating for him and his team and you have to develop resilience. Fortunately he is very resilient, always working really hard and doing what he has to do.

“He knows what he still wants to achieve in the game. He is getting closer to where he wants to be and you will all hear from him in the next couple of days.”

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Dellien Continues Hot Streak With Third Title Of 2018

  • Posted: Jun 04, 2018

Dellien Continues Hot Streak With Third Title Of 2018

Jun032018

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
Internazionali di Tennis Citta’ di Vicenza (Vicenza, Italy): The hottest player on the ATP Challenger Tour continued his dominant run of form. Hugo Dellien notched a tour-leading third crown of the year with a 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 victory over Matteo Donati in Sunday’s Vicenza final.

With the partisan Italian crowd firmly in his opponent’s favour in both the semi-finals and final, Dellien earned new fans with his impressive performances. Wins over home hopes Gian Marco Moroni on Saturday and Donati on Sunday vaulted the Bolivian to the winners’ circle at the Tennis Palladio 98.

It has been a rapid rise for the 24-year-old, with all of his three titles – on the green clay of Sarasota and Savannah and red dirt of Vicenza – coming in the past seven weeks. In fact, Dellien has posted an 18-1 record in that span, with his only Challenger defeat to Noah Rubin in the Tallahassee semi-finals.

Dellien, whose triumph in Sarasota made him the first Bolivian winner on the circuit in 35 years, will get a significant boost in his Top 100 pursuit. Having entered the month of April at No. 259 in the ATP Rankings, he is projected to surpass his career-high of No. 129 one week from Monday.

Dellien will look to continue his strong form as he shifts to the clay of Shymkent, Kazakhstan for the $50,000 event. He is seeded second at the tournament, which is in its second edition. Last year’s runner-up Yannick Hanfmann leads the field.

A LOOK AHEAD
The grass season has arrived! The three-week swing kicks off in the London suburb of Surbiton for the 15th edition of the Fuzion 100 Surbiton Trophy. Jeremy Chardy, Alex de Minaur, Jordan Thompson and Yuki Bhambri lead the singles draw, with former World No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt teaming with Alex Bolt in doubles. Nick Kyrgios is also competing in the doubles competition, alongside Jackson Withrow.

You May Also Like: Back On Grass: Stars Abound In Stacked Surbiton Draw

The Moneta Czech Open, a €127,000 event in Prostejov, celebrates its 25th anniversary this week. Guillermo Garcia Lopez is the top seed, with Pablo Cuevas seeded second and home hope Jiri Vesely a three-time champion. Vesely has won three of the past four editions (2014-15 & ’17).

In Poznan, Poland, Alexey Vatutin looks to defend his title. He is joined by an impressive field that includes Taro Daniel, Miomir Kecmanovic, Martin Klizan and Victor Estrella Burgos.

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Giants Clash & Nadal Continues Quest On Day 9

  • Posted: Jun 03, 2018

Giants Clash & Nadal Continues Quest On Day 9

Jun032018

ATPWorldTour.com previews Monday’s fourth-round action in Paris

A certain 10-time champion continues his quest, while giants collide on Court Suzanne-Lenglen and a 5’7″ Argentine eyes another Grand Slam breakthrough. It’s all happening on Day 9 at Roland Garros. 

[1] Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs. Maximilian Marterer (GER)
First FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting
The quest for La Undécima rolls on. Nadal blasted into the Round of 16 without dropping a set and has endured little resistance thus far. But that could all change against Germany’s unseeded star Maximilian Marterer, who is hoping his fairytale run on the terre battue has another moment of magic in it.

While Nadal will certainly be the favourite as they take to Court Philippe-Chatrier, Marterer will be eager to carry the momentum from his second-round upset of Denis Shapovalov and dominant display against Jurgen Zopp on Saturday. Having never won a Grand Slam match entering the year, the 22-year-old followed up a third round result at the Australian Open with an appearance in the second week in Paris.

Despite Marterer’s strong run of form, Nadal will have history on his side when they meet for the first time. The Spaniard has reached the quarter-finals in 11 of 13 appearances at Roland Garros and owns a perfect 17-0 mark against German opponents on clay. In fact, he has lost just two sets in total – to Daniel Brands at Roland Garros in 2013 and to Alexander Zverev two weeks ago in Rome.

[5] Juan Martin del Potro (ARG) vs. [9] John Isner (USA)
Del Potro leads FedEx ATP Head2Head 6-4
It will be a clash of giants when 6’6″ Del Potro duels with 6’10” Isner on Court Suzanne-Lenglen. The Argentine and the American have combined to launch 111 aces thus far in Paris and the fireworks will continue to fly as they resume their rivalry.

Champions at the March Masters events this year, with Del Potro taking his maiden ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crown in Indian Wells and Isner following suit in Miami, the pair are set to battle for the 11th time. In April, the North Carolina native prevailed in straight sets en route to the title at the Miami Open presented by Itau. But while Isner has reeled off consecutive wins over Del Potro, the Argentine will be buoyed by a 6-4 overall edge in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series.

There is plenty at stake in the first clay-court meeting between the Top 10 stars. Del Potro is seeking his first trip to the Roland Garros quarter-finals since 2012, as he continues his push towards a Top 5 return. Isner, meanwhile, has appeared in the last eight at a Grand Slam just once in his career (2011 US Open) and will be eager to earn a significant breakthrough.

[3] Marin Cilic (CRO) vs. [18] Fabio Fognini (ITA)
Cilic leads FedEx ATP Head2Head 2-1
It’s an Italian renaissance in Paris. On Sunday, Marco Cecchinato stunned David Goffin to reach the quarter-finals at Roland Garros. And on Monday, Fognini will have a chance to join his countryman in the last eight.

The spotlight will be shining bright on the 18th seed, who takes on Cilic on Court Philippe-Chatrier to conclude Day 9 action. Fognini will face a tall order against the 6’6″ Croatian, as he seeks his first Top 5 win at a major (0-6) and second appearance in the Roland Garros quarter-finals (2011). The only other occasion in which multiple Italians appeared in the last eight at a major was in Paris in 1973 (Bertolucci & Panatta).

But as eager as Fognini will be to spring the upset, Cilic is poised to continue his march towards a momentous Roland Garros final, which would see him complete the set of reaching all four major championships. The third seed has turned in an impressive run to the second week, dropping just one set along the way.

While the pair have met on three previous occasions, they are completely different players now. Their last encounter came seven years at the China Open in Beijing, after splitting clay-court clashes in Monte-Carlo in 2009 and in Umag in 2011.

[6] Kevin Anderson (RSA) vs. [11] Diego Schwartzman (ARG)
Anderson leads FedEx ATP Head2Head 2-0
“What makes him so good is he’s one of the best returners in the game. He’s one of the best movers in the game. He’s one of the best fighters in the game. He’s a great ball striker from the baseline.”

Anderson has done his homework. The sixth-seeded South African will face Schwartzman on Court Suzanne-Lenglen on Monday, and he knows very well the threat the Argentine poses. It will be a great contrast in styles, as the powerful 6’8″ Anderson battles the agile 5’7″ Schwartzman for a coveted spot in the quarter-finals.

One of just two players to reach the fourth round without dropping a set (also Nadal), Schwartzman has been a dominant force throughout his stay in Paris. A 7-5, 6-3, 6-3 dismissal of an in-form Borna Coric secured his best result at Roland Garros and third straight appearance in the second week of a Slam. 

On the other side of the net, Anderson will be buoyed by a 2-0 edge in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series. He took their lone previous major meeting at the 2015 Australian Open and only clay-court encounter, two years ago in Nice. Also in search of his first appearance in the Roland Garros quarter-finals, Anderson would become the first South African in the Open Era to achieve the feat.

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Marach/Pavic Continue Sensational Season

  • Posted: Jun 03, 2018

Marach/Pavic Continue Sensational Season

Jun032018

No. 2 seeds to face Colombians Cabal & Farah for semi-final spot

Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic have had a sensational season, winning four tour-level titles and reaching two additional finals. And based on their efforts thus far at Roland Garros, the Austrian-Croatian pair shows no signs of slowing down.

Marach/Pavic overcame a second-set hiccup to beat Salvadorian Marcelo Arevalo and American Jamie Cerretani 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 on Sunday in Paris to advance to the quarter-finals. They are now 34-6 on the season and are currently No. 1 in the ATP Doubles Race To London. They will get a chance to improve that record against fifth seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah, who battled from a set down to defeat Dutch/Australian duo Wesley Koolhof and Artem Sitak 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 

The Colombians, who captured the Internazionali BNL d’Italia title in Rome two weeks ago and reached the Australian Open final earlier in the year against Marach and Pavic, needed just more than two hours to book their place in the next round.

Marach and Pavic are the highest seeds remaining in the draw after Rohan Bopanna and Edouard Roger-Vasselin upset top seeds Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo 6-4, 7-6(1) in the Round of 16.

Maximo Gonzalez and Nicolas Jarry moved past Frenchmen Calvin Hemery and Stephane Robert 7-5, 6-3. A day earlier, the Argentian-Chilean team knocked out fourth seeded Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares. Gonzalez and Jarry will either meet Pierre-Herbert Hugues and Nicolas Mahut, or Americans Steve Johnson and Jack Sock. The sixth-seeded Frenchmen defeated Robin Haase and Matwe Middelkoop 7-5, 7-6(6) in the previous round.

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