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Fabio Loses Racquet, Wins Point!

  • Posted: Feb 20, 2018

Fabio Loses Racquet, Wins Point!

World No. 21 pulls off miracle to win point against Bellucci

Fabio Fognini completed a tremendous comeback from down a set and 0-4 in the second to oust home favourite Thomaz Bellucci 6-7(5), 7-5, 6-2 in the first round of the Rio Open presented by Claro on Monday evening.

But the comeback was not the only impressive part of the World No. 21’s performance.

At 6-5 40/30 in the second set — on set point, no less — Fognini’s racquet went flying out of his hand as he served. But somehow, not only did the serve go in, but the racquet bounced vertically off the red clay and Fognini snatched it straight out of the air. He miraculously went on to win the point.

“The replay of that point was incredible. I don’t know how [I did it],” Fognini said. “It’s really humid. I was just serving on set point and the racquet went flying. I think it was lucky, also. That was something incredible.”

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'Crazy' 2017 Behind Him, Shapovalov Ready For First Full Year On Tour

  • Posted: Feb 20, 2018

‘Crazy’ 2017 Behind Him, Shapovalov Ready For First Full Year On Tour

#NextGenATP Canadian has bulked up and learned from his first few months on the ATP World Tour

The demands of a pro tennis player can be omnipresent. The autographs. The media interviews. The travel. And they can arise at any moment, such as when you’re standing outside the Silverball Pinball Museum in Delray Beach after playing arcade games, including NBA Hangtime, with Hyeon Chung of South Korea, ahead of the Delray Beach Open.

“Denis Shapovalov,” a woman says, walking towards you, “can I get a picture of you with my husband?”

Shapovalov kindly obliges, smiling with the gentleman as the woman snaps the photo. The 18-year-old with wavy blonde hair looks as if nothing phases him.

But last year, the travel, the media, the autographs, it all was a little overwhelming for the teenager. During the Asian swing and the European indoor series, the home stretch of the ATP World Tour season in late September and October, Shapovalov became homesick and was physically ill with flu-like symptoms. He was thousands of miles away from home during one of the hardest parts of his first season on tour.

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It was my first really long swing, and it was so far from home,” Shapovalov told ATPWorldTour.com.

Shapovalov, however, said he’s learned from the second half of last season. He feels more mature having spent three months on the ATP World Tour and an off-season preparing for his first full year among the best in the world. He’s excited to handle the next 10 months.

“I just think I’ve matured from last season. I was a little bit overwhelmed with all the travel… It’s a lot of press. It’s a lot of switching hotels every week. Switching countries. You’re going through different continents. It’s absolutely crazy at times,” Shapovalov said.

Shapovalov

“I had some time to sit down with the team and just discuss what I really want to do this year and I’ve pretty much learned from it. I’ve learned to deal with all the media stuff, with all the travel, I’ve learned to embrace it and to enjoy it and that’s been the biggest change, I think, for me.”

It was hard to notice, judging by his on-court play, that Shapovalov had any struggles last season. The left-hander introduced himself to the sports world at the Coupe Rogers in Montreal, beating Juan Martin del Potro and then-World No. 2 Rafael Nadal to become the youngest Masters 1000 semi-finalist in the series’ 28-year history.

He qualified and then won three consecutive matches at his first US Open, beating then-World No. 12 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga en route. Two months later, Shapovalov was a tie-break away from reaching the semi-finals at the inaugural Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan.

“Last year it was a little bit crazy, being the youngest. But I don’t see myself as the youngest anymore. I just see myself as equal to any of these players. I think they see me the same way. I feel like everyone really respects me in the locker room. I feel pretty comfortable on tour. I feel like I can compete with any of the players,” Shapovalov said.

Shapovalov

He’s shown that confidence this season as well, pushing Tsonga again, this time to five sets before surrending a 5-2 lead in the fifth set of the second round at the Australian Open.

“I had one of my best matches ever against a top player like Jo. It was tremendous tennis from both of us, and I feel like I’m really able to play at the highest level with these guys,” Shapovalov said.

The self-belief also comes from an off-season well spent. The Canadian bulked up everything – his upper body, his core and his legs.

We spent a lot of time in the gym, out in the field, just working on fitness for the first couple weeks. It was a big priority,” he said. “I feel like all that was improved significantly.”

Shapovalov will have plenty of support during his first full year on tour. He’s in Delray Beach with his coach, Martin Laurendeau, his mother, Tessa, who still coaches him, and his physio, Stefano Depirro, who previously worked with Lucas Pouille and Dominic Thiem.

Read More: Raonic Holds Alligator, Lives Dangerously In Delray Beach

Shapovalov would love to again finish his season in Milan, making a return trip to the 21-and-under event.

It’s a really cool event hopefully I can play it for… however many years I can play it. Definitely looking forward to it,” Shapovalov said.

But, when it comes to his biggest goal for 2018, Shapovalov is concentrated on his maiden ATP World Tour trophy.

Focusing on winning my first ATP title hopefully and breaking through the rankings even more,” he said, “and if I do have good results I am sure [Milan] will come.”

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Cilic Cruises In Rio de Janeiro Debut

  • Posted: Feb 20, 2018

Cilic Cruises In Rio de Janeiro Debut

Ramos-Vinolas survives against home favourite Dutra Silva

World No. 3 Marin Cilic arrived in Rio de Janeiro seeking his first title of the 2018 ATP World Tour season. And the Croat made an impressive start, ousting qualifier Carlos Berlocq 6-3, 6-2 in 80 minutes to begin his campaign at the Rio Open presented by Claro on Monday evening.

Cilic is fresh off of his second championship match appearance in the past three Grand Slams at the Australian Open (l. to Federer). There is little doubt that his recent form will make the top seed a leading favourite this week in Brazil as he attempts to win a tour-level title for the 11th consecutive season.

The 29-year-old extended his FedEx ATP Head2Head series lead against the Argentine to 2-0, with their only previous meeting coming at 2011 Rome, also on clay.

Cilic dropped just three points on his first serve in the match and saved all three break points held against him. The top seed could face a tough test in the second round, as he will play the winner between recent Qatar ExxonMobil Open champion Gael Monfils and Horacio Zeballos.

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Fourth seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas also moved forward on Monday, despite trailing 2-4 in the final set, with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 victory against home favourite Rogerio Dutra Silva.

The win puts the Spaniard back on track after faltering in his first match at last week’s Argentina Open against Aljaz Bedene, who advanced to the final.

Ramos-Vinolas has already reached one final this year, at the Ecuador Open in Quito. He will continue pursuing a second ATP World Tour title (2016 Bastad) against Chilean Nicolas Jarry, who ousted veteran Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-3, 7-6(3).

Also in action was eighth seed Fernando Verdasco, who overcame a second-set hiccup to defeat Leonardo Mayer 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. The left-hander will face three-time Quito champion Victor Estrella Burgos or Nicolas Kicker, who advanced to the quarter-finals in Rio de Janeiro last year (l. to Ramos-Vinolas).

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Chung Wins First Match After Melbourne Run

  • Posted: Feb 20, 2018

Chung Wins First Match After Melbourne Run

Top seed Jack Sock in action Monday evening

Hyeon Chung won his first match since advancing to the Australian Open semi-finals, defeating lucky loser Cameron Norrie 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 at the Delray Beach Open on Monday afternoon in one hour, 41 minutes.

“It was a really tough match today because the wind was really strong,” Chung said. “However, I tried to stay calm. The guy played really well at the baseline so I was just trying to focus every point.”

Just a year ago, Chung lost in Delray Beach qualifying. But after soaring from No. 104 to 58th in the ATP Rankings in 2017 — and also winning the inaugural Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan — the South Korean has quickly become a star on the ATP World Tour. The 21-year-old is now World No. 30.

“I’m trying to enjoy it all the time, because it’s my second time in Delray Beach,” Chung said. “I’m already better than last year.”

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Chung will face the winner of an all-qualifier match between #NextGenATP Kazakh Alexander Bublik and Franko Skugor.

American Donald Young also got off to a strong start in Delray Beach, ousting qualifier Ramkumar Ramanathan 6-1, 6-2 in 69 minutes for his first win of the season. The left-hander will play inaugural New York Open champion Kevin Anderson or Evgeny Donskoy in the second round.

Top seed Jack Sock will be in action Monday evening, as the American plays qualifier John-Patrick Smith in the final match of the day. 

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Johanna Konta beats Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova at Dubai Duty Free Championships

  • Posted: Feb 19, 2018

British number one Johanna Konta reached the last 16 of the Dubai Duty Free Championships with a straight-set win over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

Konta, the world number 12 and seventh seed, beat the Russian 7-6 (7-2) 6-2 to become the first British woman to win a main-draw match at the tournament.

The 26-year-old will play Russia’s Daria Kasatkina in the next round.

“I’m very happy to have come through that,” said Konta, who reached the Qatar Open quarter-finals last week.

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