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Becker Hangs Up Racquets, Picks Up Books

  • Posted: Sep 16, 2017

Becker Hangs Up Racquets, Picks Up Books

The German 36 year old won one ATP World Tour title, advanced to two finals, and reached a career-high ranking of No. 35 in 2014

After 12 years competing on the ATP World Tour, former World No. 35 Benjamin Becker has decided to officially retire and return to school at Baylor University to complete his final semester of studies before graduating this coming spring.

“I had in my mind that I was going to stop this year anyway,” Becker said. “With my [hip] injury that happened in October [Vienna], I wasn’t really able to do any pre-season this year. Just kind of wasn’t able to prepare the way I wanted to… at Wimbledon I knew I wasn’t going to make US Open qualies and since I knew I wanted to stop at the end of the year anyway, I felt like it was a good time to do it then.”

After losing in the second round of qualifying at Wimbledon, the German did not completely rule out finishing the season. But after sitting down with the important people in his life a little over a month later, he eventually decided to commit to return to Baylor to complete his studies.

Becker is finishing his bachelor’s degree in management while working with his college’s men’s tennis team as a student volunteer coach. In 2004, as a player, Becker helped Baylor win its first national team championship while also winning the NCAA singles title that year.

“It’s great. The guys are very talented. They’re very eager to work,” Becker said. “I always knew I was going to enjoy it, but it’s actually been more enjoyable and I actually do more right now than I’m asked to do. So yeah, it’s been good.”

Becker has been busy taking 16 credits worth of courses this semester while working with the team and driving from Waco, Texas, to his home just north of Dallas on weekends to be with his wife and two sons. So while he hasn’t had much time to reflect on his career, Becker is certainly proud of what he accomplished.

“I guess I’m most proud that out of my 12 years, I think I was Top 100 10 times, maybe,” said Becker, who in fact spent at least part of 11 years in the Top 100. “That was always my ultimate goal, being Top 100 and being able to play the big tournaments. And to be able to do this on a pretty consistent basis and have myself always there in the elite 100 is something that I’m very proud of and that I was able to play that long.”

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Becker was also very proud that he was able to break into the Top 40 on three separate occasions (2007, 2009, 2014), which included a gap of five years, showing his resiliency despite two elbow surgeries in 2011 that kept him out for nearly seven months.

“I feel like you can make it once after having a good year, but to make it there three times is also something that I value pretty highly,” Becker said. “Especially when I had a few years in between, if it just was injury or something that held me back. But to fight my way back to Top 40 three times I think was something that is pretty special.”

The German also reached his career-high Emirates ATP Ranking of World No. 35 when he was 33 years old, nearly eight years after cracking the Top 50 for the first time. Becker won his lone ATP World Tour title in 2009 at the Ricoh Open in s-Hertogenbosch as a qualifier, defeating two of the top four seeds en route to the victory. He also reached two other finals during his career.

“On any day you can have a great day and beat somebody but to do it over the whole course of a week…it’s something very special,” Becker said. “I’m very glad I took one of those chances and have that title to have that memory of being the only guy left in singles, I was undefeated. That’s something only a few people get to experience.”

Becker has not decided what will be next for him after graduation, but said he is in a ‘testing period,’ which he will continue to evaluate over the next few months. But for now, you can find him helping out at two charity events over the next two weekends — including one run by NBA star Dirk Nowitzki Saturday — on the court with the Baylor team, and in the classroom.   

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Australia's Kyrgios levels Davis Cup semi in Belgium

  • Posted: Sep 16, 2017

Nick Kyrgios recovered from two sets to one down against Steve Darcis to pull Australia level at 1-1 in the Davis Cup semi-final against Belgium.

The 22-year-old world number 20 won 6-3 3-6 6-7 (5-7) 6-1 6-2 in three hours 36 minutes on clay in Brussels.

Earlier in the day, Belgian number one David Goffin beat John Millman 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 6-3 7-5.

In the other semi-final Serbia, who are without Novak Djokovic and Viktor Troicki, are level with France at 1-1.

  • Watch Davis Cup semi-finals on the BBC
  • Davis Cup scores & results

Playing the nine-time champions away from home, 2010 winners Serbia are underdogs to progress, but world number 80 Dusan Lajovic made up 58 ranking spots on Lucas Pouille to win 6-1 3-6 7-6 (9-7) 7-6 (7-5).

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga calmed nerves among the crowd in Lille as he saw off Davis Cup debutant Laslo Djere 7-6 (7-2) 6-3 6-3.

Kyrgios, who said this week he was still “not taking tennis seriously enough”, claimed that the Davis Cup was his “number one priority” this year.

“Captain Lleyton Hewitt and I have put so much dedication into this,” he said. “We must be favourites going into the doubles tomorrow.”

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Cilic Pushes Croatia In Davis Cup World Group Playoff

  • Posted: Sep 15, 2017

Cilic Pushes Croatia In Davis Cup World Group Playoff

ATPWorldTour.com recaps the Davis Cup World Group Playoffs

KAZAKHSTAN 1, ARGENTINA 1
Astana, Kazakhstan (Indoor clay)

Defending Davis Cup champion Argentina and Kazakhstan head into Saturday tied 1-1 in their World Group Playoff. ATP World Tour veteran Mikhail Kukushkin started the day with a 6-7(5), 7-6(5), 6-2, 6-4 win against left-hander Guido Pella. But US Open quarter-finalist Diego Schwartzman kept up his impressive play, dismissing Dmitry Popko 6-4, 6-2, 6-2.

Kukushkin will partner with Aleksandr Nedovyesov against Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni in doubles on Saturday.

COLOMBIA 0, CROATIA 1
Bogota, Colombia (Outdoor clay)

Marin Cilic moved within one win of becoming Croatia’s Davis Cup singles match-wins leader on Friday with a 6-1, 6-4, 6-1 victory against Colombia’s Alejandro Gonzalez. Franko Skugor is trying to give the visiting team a 2-0 lead against Santiago Giraldo.

SWITZERLAND 1, BELARUS 1
Biel, Switzerland (Indoor hard)

Marco Chiudinelli put the home country on the board on Friday with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory against Dzmitry Zhyrmont. Yaraslav Shyla had given Belarus a 1-0 lead by beating Henri Laaksonen 6-4, 6-2, 7-6(3).

NETHERLANDS 0, CZECH REPUBLIC 1
The Hague, Netherlands (Indoor clay)

Left-hander Jiri Vesely outlasted Thiemo de Bakker 4-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 after three hours and 44 minutes to give the visiting team a 1-0 lead. Vesely won almost 70 per cent of his second-serve points and converted six of his 25 break opportunities.

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PORTUGAL 1, GERMANY 1
Lisbon, Portugal (Outdoor clay)

World No. 90 Cedrik-Marcel Stebe upset No. 57 Joao Sousa 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 to start the play-off contest. But Portugal’s Pedro Sousa assured the home team of an even contest heading into Saturday by beating Jan-Lennard Struff 6-2, 7-5, 7-6(2).

JAPAN 2, BRAZIL 0
Osaka, Japan (Outdoor hard)

Yuichi Sugita and Go Soeda powered Japan to a commanding 2-0 lead in their Davis Cup play-off against Brazil. Sugita, who won his maiden ATP World Tour title earlier this year in Antayla, beat Guilherme Clezar 6-2, 7-5, 7-6(5). Soeda knocked out Thiago Monteiro 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-7(1), 6-4 in three hours and 41 minutes.

HUNGARY 1, RUSSIA 0
Budapest, Hungary (Outdoor clay)

World No. 113 Marton Fucsovics hung on to stave off a comeback from #NextGenATP Russian Andrey Rublev 6-2, 6-4, 5-7, 2-6, 6-3. Rublev was coming off his first Grand Slam quarter-final at the US Open (l. to Nadal).

CANADA 0, INDIA 0
Edmonton, Canada (Indoor hard)

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Norrie Riding ATP Challenger Tour to Success

  • Posted: Sep 15, 2017

Norrie Riding ATP Challenger Tour to Success

Former college star riding momentum of summer breakthrough

On Aug. 21, classes started at Texas Christian University, where Cameron Norrie was a three-time All-American. But that day, Norrie, who turned professional after the team’s spring season, was far away from Texas. The 22 year old was in New York preparing for the US Open, where he would qualify and win his first Grand Slam main draw match.

“I would much rather be at the US Open than be at syllabus week,” Norrie laughed. “I think that a lot of people would be pretty happy for me that I was there and not at school anymore.”

Less than four months ago, Norrie was the No. 1-ranked college player in the country as a junior. Now, he is taking the professional circuit by storm, especially making an impression on the ATP Challenger Tour. The left-hander won his maiden title in Binghamton, New York, followed by a semi-final run in Lexington, Kentucky, and beat second-seeded Tennys Sandgren this week in Cary, North Carolina, to earn a spot in the quarter-finals.

“I knew I had the level, but I didn’t know how quickly I was going to do this well,” Norrie admitted. “I know tennis is a real tough sport so I’ve just kind of taken advantage of the confidence and being able to back up my wins with more wins. So it’s going really well for me right now and I’m just enjoying the process.”

It is easy to gain confidence when you come from 1-4, 0/30 down in the deciding set of a final like Norrie did in Binghamton this July against World No. 86 Jordan Thompson to claim his first ATP Challenger Tour trophy. That performance guaranteed Norrie’s spot in US Open Qualifying.

“It was a great experience. I was pretty lucky to be there in the first place,” said Norrie of his trip to the season’s final Grand Slam. “I couldn’t believe I was actually in the second round of the US Open…I can use the experience for next year and so I can get better and hopefully I can make the third round next year. But I was just really satisfied with how I’m doing and it’s just really a sick moment in my life.”

In just a few months, Norrie went from college tennis to playing ATP World Tour stars Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at Wimbledon, where Norrie entered with a wild card, and eventual semi-finalist Pablo Carreno Busta in the second round of the US Open.

“I got a little bit anxious and I was pretty nervous for the match so there were a lot of things I could learn from,” said Norrie, who flew his best friend to New York for the match, of playing Carreño Busta. “I didn’t think it was going to happen that quickly, so I’m happy. I’m very fond of those two weeks in New York.”

While Norrie is ecstatic with his strong summer, which will propel him back into the Top 200 of the Emirates ATP Rankings next week, he knows that he has to maintain his focus and continue to work hard at the Challenger level. Norrie has been playing well at the Atlantic Tire Championships this week, where he will play another former No.1-ranked college player in Mackenzie McDonald (UCLA) on Friday.

“This is what you have to do to get up there,” said Norrie of playing Challengers to work his way to the top of the ATP World Tour. “It’s kind of nice to use the US Open as a base and to try to work hard until you’re only playing those level tournaments.”

Norrie was born in South Africa, moved to New Zealand at three years old, spent three years in London as a teen and now is making his training base at his old school, TCU, in Texas. So while he has grown up all over the world, Norrie will get to continue trekking the globe if he keeps up his strong play.

“I feel like I’m learning from each week and I know there’s going to be difficult times out there,” Norrie said. “I just need to be ready for those and just try and enjoy my tennis life. It’s pretty lucky to be able to play tennis for a living so I’m pretty grateful for that.”

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College Standout Kwiatkowski Adjusting To Life On Tour

  • Posted: Sep 15, 2017

College Standout Kwiatkowski Adjusting To Life On Tour

NCAA champion opens up about his first few months as a pro

Winning is never easy on the ATP Challenger Tour. Thai-Son Kwiatkowski has learned that quickly in his young professional career, as the University of Virginia standout remains in search of his first main draw victory at the Challenger level since graduating this spring.

“To be honest, I’m having a bit of a tough time,” reflected Kwiatkowski, who capped his impressive college career with an NCAA singles title this year. “I’ve been taking a lot of lumps this summer and I think the biggest thing I’ve learned is that it’s very tough week-in and week-out.”

Tuesday night was no different, as the 22 year old won five more points than lucky loser Luke Bambridge in the Atlantic Tire Championships, but fell in a third set tie-break. When Kwiatkowski got off the court in Cary, North Carolina, he received worse news — his family’s beach condo in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, had been damaged beyond repair by Hurricane Irma.

“It definitely lets you know that there are bigger things than losing a match in a third set breaker,” Kwiatkowski said. “My family evacuated and everything’s fine [with them]. Just of course major flooding in Jacksonville. Just a big storm came by.”

As competitive as Kwiatkowski is, it gave the 22 year old a moment to reflect — as much as he wants to win, there are bigger things in life than tennis.

“As long as I go out there and I treat others with respect: my coach, myself and my opponent, and I try for every point,” added Kwiatkowski. “I’m going to be okay with the result.”

This week’s loss was not the only difficult one to swallow lately, as the American had a two-sets-to-one lead in the first round of the US Open — which he entered with a wild card that came with his NCAA title — against 23rd seed Mischa Zverev. The German would claim the match in five sets and eventually advance to the fourth round.

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“Walking off the court was pretty disappointing,” admitted Kwiatkowski. “I just felt like I had a lot of chances to win the match and it would’ve been really nice to get that win in terms of points, and [because] I’ve been having a tough summer. So to have won that match would have been really nice.”

Instead, Kwiatkowski went straight back to the practice court, as he continues to look to grow his game and adapt to life on the pro circuit. He hopes that moving into his first permanent residence since leaving school – at the USTA National Campus in Lake Nona, Florida – will give him a sense of stability as he aims to improve his game.

“I definitely feel like I have the ability to play.” Kwiatkowski said. “Now I have to work really hard, trust the process that eventually I can get to that level consistently.”

Kwiatkowski will attempt to build on his position of No. 712 in the Emirates ATP Rankings this fall, playing a schedule that includes ATP Challenger Tour stops in Monterrey, Mexico, and Charlottesville, Virginia, where he attended school.

“In college, I didn’t lose a whole lot in a semester,” Kwiatkowski said. “On the tour, you’re going to lose every week most likely. So that means you have to, I don’t want to say learn how to lose, but take lessons from each loss.”

While he said he was very match tough at school, the three-time singles All-American now has to find ways to improve every single day so that those tough losses on tour turn into wins. Kwiatkowski hopes that those improvements will help him climb inside the Top 300 and gain entry into Grand Slam qualifying draws.

The American knows it won’t be easy, but understands that it is a process.

“I feel like everyone’s got to start from the bottom. Of course it’s tough. You’re going to take a lot of tough losses and the road’s not going to be easy,” Kwiatkowski said. “I’m looking forward to the journey.”

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Lajovic Pushes Serbia To Early Davis Cup SF Lead

  • Posted: Sep 15, 2017

Lajovic Pushes Serbia To Early Davis Cup SF Lead

Belgium and Australia also in action on Friday

SERBIA vs. FRANCE
Lille, France – (Outdoor Clay) 

World No. 80 Dusan Lajovic upset No. 22 Lucas Pouille 6-1, 3-6, 7-6(7), 7-6(5) on Friday to give Serbia a 1-0 lead in their Davis Cup semi-final. Lajovic won almost 60 per cent of his second-serve points and hit 29 forehand winners.

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He and Pouille had split their two prior FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings, with Pouille winning their only match-up on clay. But Lajovic stepped up to help Serbia, which is playing without Novak Djokovic, gain the early lead.

Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will try to even the semi-final when he faces World No. 95 Laslo Djere, who is making his Davis Cup debut. The semi-final is a rematch of the 2010 Davis Cup final, which Serbia won. France is attempting to reach the final for the first time since 2014 (l. to Switzerland).

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Goffin Leads Belgium vs. Australia; Serbia Faces Tsonga-Led France

  • Posted: Sep 14, 2017

Goffin Leads Belgium vs. Australia; Serbia Faces Tsonga-Led France

ATPWorldTour.com previews the Davis Cup semi-finals

AUSTRALIA vs. BELGIUM
Brussels, Belgium (Indoor Clay)

World No. 12 David Goffin will try to push Belgium into its second Davis Cup final of the past three years when the Belgians take on Australia in the Davis Cup semi-finals, which start on Friday.

Goffin and his countrymen will have their work cut out for them in Brussels. Australia is bringing World No. 20 Nick Kyrgios; John Millman, who’s coming off a third-round run at the US Open and will be making his Davis Cup debut; Jordan Thompson, who upset top-seeded American Jack Sock in New York; and John Peers, No. 2 in the Emirates ATP Doubles Rankings.

In addition to Goffin, Belgium will be represented by No. 77 Steve Darcis, No. 92 Ruben Bemelmans and No. 147 Arthur De Greef. The two countries have split their four meetings. Belgium fell in the 2015 final against an Andy Murray-led Great Britain squad.

SERBIA vs. FRANCE
Lille, France – (Outdoor Clay)

In the other semi-final, Serbia, without Novak Djokovic, will take on a star-studded squad in France. The French will try to avenge their 2010 Davis Cup final loss to the Serbians with No. 18 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, No. 22 Lucas Pouille, and the doubles team of Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut.

Serbia will counter with No. 80 Dusan Lajovic; No. 93 Laslo Djere, who will be making his Davis Cup debut; No. 111 Filip Krajinovic and Nenad Zimonjic, No. 39 in the Emirates ATP Doubles Rankings.

WORLD GROUP PLAYOFF TIES

Defending champion Argentina will try to maintain its World Group status without 2016 hero Juan Martin del Potro. The Argentines, led by US Open quarter-finalist Diego Schwartzman, will face Kazakhstan on hard courts in Astana, Kazakhstan. ATP World Tour veteran Mikhail Kukushkin will lead the host country. Sweden, in 1999, was the last team to be relegated the year after winning the Davis Cup title.

Last year’s finalist, Croatia, will try to win its fourth consecutive tie on clay when the country faces Colombia in Bogota. Colombia is trying to reach the World Group for the first time. Croatia will be led by Marin Cilic, who could become the Davis Cup singles match-wins leader if he wins two singles rubbers this weekend.

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Top 10 Wins Don't Come Easy

  • Posted: Sep 14, 2017

Top 10 Wins Don't Come Easy

Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers shows how the Top 10 remain so dominant all season

You check the draw. Who do you play in the first round?

Your heart skips a beat when you see your opponent is ranked in the Top 10 in the Emirates ATP Rankings. It’s equal parts opportunity and fear. What a great win it could be, but how likely are you to actually get the W?

An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of the Top 10 ranked players show that on average they win three out of every four matches they play. They are dominant, but they also do lose matches just like the rest of us.

The current Top 10 players have won 75 per cent (370/496) of their matches so far this season, which is exactly the same win percentage for the Top 10 in the 2016 year-end Emirates ATP Rankings.

Top 10 as of 11 September 2017: Match Win Percentage

Ranking

Player

Matches Won

Matches Lost

Total

Win Percentage

1

Rafael Nadal

56

9

65

86%

2

Roger Federer

39

4

43

91%

3

Andy Murray

25

10

35

71%

4

Alexander Zverev

47

15

62

76%

5

Marin Cilic

31

15

46

67%

6

Novak Djokovic

32

8

40

80%

7

Dominic Thiem

44

20

64

69%

8

Stan Wawrinka

26

11

37

70%

9

Grigor Dimitrov

35

15

50

70%

10

Pablo Carreno Busta

35

19

54

65%

TOTAL / AVERAGE

370

126

496

75%

Roger Federer has the highest match win percentage this season, winning 91 per cent of the time. The only other two players at 80 per cent or higher are Rafael Nadal (86 per cent) and Novak Djokovic (80 per cent).

Emirates ATP Race To Milan leader, Alexander Zverev, is the only other player above the Top 10 average, having won 76 per cent of his matches in 2017.

The next best include Andy Murray (71 per cent), Stan Wawrinka (70 per cent), Grigor Dimitrov (70 per cent), Dominic Thiem (69 per cent), Marin Cilic (67 per cent), and Pablo Carreno Busta (65 per cent).

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Players at all levels of the game are often intimidated by facing highly-ranked opponents. Sometimes the match is over before it even begins as the possibility of victory seems too daunting.

Competing against a Top 10 opponent can also have the completely opposite effect, releasing pressure since the expectation of victory is so low. We all seem to play better against somebody who is better than us, primarily because the pressure to win isn’t overwhelming.

Over the years, some players have managed to find another gear against Top 10 opponents, elevating their performance against the best of the best. They are able to rise to the moment and perform at a higher level on the biggest stage. The following table highlights players who are career leaders in specific categories against only Top 10 ranked opponents.

Career Leader vs. only Top 10 Opponents

Category

Career Leader

Win Percentage

First-Serve Points Won

Goran Ivanisevic

82.4%

Second-Serve Points Won

Pablo Cuevas

54.5%

Service Games Won

Ivo Karlovic

90.8%

First-Serve Return Points Won

Rafael Nadal

31.8%

Second-Serve Return Points Won

Alberto Berasategui

54.8%

Return Games Won

Rafael Nadal

27.3%

Break Points Converted

Felix Mantilla

44.3%

Break Points Saved

Ivo Karlovic

71.2%

Tiebreaks Won

Thomas Muster

69.2%

Average Aces / Match

Ivo Karlovic

19.5

Year-End No. 1

Of all the players that finished year-end No. 1 from 1991 to 2016, Roger Federer and Lleyton Hewitt performed best against Top 10 opponents, according to the Infosys ATP Stats LEADERBOARDS Serve, Return and Under Pressure Ratings.

Year-End No. 1 Leader versus Top 10 Opponents

  • Best Serve Rating (297.3) = Roger Federer, 2004 season

  • Best Return Rating (178.8) = Lleyton Hewitt, 2001 season

  • Best Break Points Saved (79.1%) = Roger Federer, 2004 season

  • Best Break Points Converted (51.4%) = Lleyton Hewitt, 2001 season

Defeating a Top 10 player first starts in the mind. Do you see the match with trepidation or opportunity? They will lose one out of every four matches they play. That one may as well be against you.

For more information, visit ATP Stats LEADERBOARDS

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Polansky Encouraged By Canadian Tennis Boom

  • Posted: Sep 14, 2017

Polansky Encouraged By Canadian Tennis Boom

Canadian going for career-best marks at 29 years old

Age is just a number and tennis might just be a game, but for Peter Polansky, some of his finest tennis has come with age – and it’s getting only better.

The 29-year-old Canadian has been an unassuming but tenacious competitor across all levels of professional tennis, quietly putting together a successful career that just now is seeing him start to maximise his potential. On the back of three successive ATP Challenger Tour finals earlier this year, Polansky reached a career-high of No. 115 in the Emirates ATP Rankings and looks to build on that vein of form in Asia later this year.

A veteran by his own account, Polansky has been around long enough to witness the beginnings of what now is an incredible boom in Canadian tennis talent, most recently in the form of #NextGenATP stars Denis Shapovalov and Felix Auger-Aliassime, both of whom have made record-breaking strides on the pro circuit this season.

In a country where most kids pick up hockey sticks instead of tennis racquets, the sport has seen a dramatic spike in public interest, which, according to Polansky, began with fellow Canadian Milos Raonic’s accomplishments at the top of the game.

“In Canada, before, no one really knew anything about tennis and when Milos started doing well, more and more of the general public knew more about tennis,” said Polansky. “Now, with the two young juniors we have coming up … the excitement is even [greater] because Canada feels like they have someone they can support.”

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Polansky is quite familiar with Shapovalov and Auger-Aliassime, having played them both this year on the ATP Challenger Tour, losing once to each but posting an impressive win over Shapovalov in the semi-finals of the Granby National Bank Challenger.

“They’re both really young,” said Polansky of his teenaged compatriots. “They still have so much time to improve. They’re already doing amazing but they’re going to keep getting better.

“I don’t think there’s any specific advice I can give them,” he added. “I can’t tell them they need to work on their backhand or their forehand; they have all the shots. It’s more about psychologically being in every match, competing and [to] keep moving in the right direction all the time.”

But don’t be mistaken: as compelling as this future generation of Canadian talent may be for pundits, Polansky is firmly invested in the present one – his own. The 29 year old has his sights set on a year-end Top 100 finish, as he hopes to gain direct entry into many ATP World Tour events and the Australian Open in 2018. His motivation to keep improving has never waned over the years.

“I think when you get to the later part of the career and you get older – a lot of the players start to lose motivation. Maybe they don’t train as much or they don’t do the right things; they want to enjoy other things besides tennis,” said Polansky.

“For me, I’m not at that point yet. I love competing, I love playing, and I want to keep improving,” he added. “I know in a few years I’ll have things that I can do later in life but for now I’m very focused on my career.”

Despite an early exit at this week’s Shanghai Challenger at the hands of 17-year-old Wu Yibing, another talented young champion in the making, Polansky makes no distinction in age when it comes to improvement.

“No matter what age you are, if you’re always there and you’re always committed – you will get better.”

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Rubin Happy To Be On Court Again

  • Posted: Sep 14, 2017

Rubin Happy To Be On Court Again

#NextGenATP American returns after four-month layoff

On paper, Noah Rubin’s 6-3, 6-3 win over World No. 453 Pedro Sakamoto in the first round of the ATP Challenger Tour event in Cary, North Carolina, appears ordinary. But considering it was Rubin’s first triumph since April, after missing nearly four months due to a sprained right wrist and bone bruise, it took on added significance for the #NextGenATP American.

“I almost forgot how to do it. After I won I didn’t even know what I should do out there,” Rubin joked, reflecting on Monday’s victory. “It’s great just to get the ‘W’, regardless of how I played, how he played. It was just nice to shake hands and have that winning feeling again.”

It wasn’t that long ago that Rubin was playing in the second round of this year’s Australian Open, competing inside Rod Laver Arena against eventual champion Roger Federer. Rubin competed well, earning more games than 10th-seeded Tomas Berdych would against the Swiss in the next round.

The New Yorker would win his second career ATP Challenger Tour title less than a month later in Launceston, Australia, rising to a career-high of No. 163 in the Emirates ATP Rankings. But after qualifying for the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship in April, any momentum he had gained came to a halt as the 21 year old slid into a drop shot in the fourth game of his first round match against Nicolas Kicker.

The trajectory of his slide forced the American to fall forward and onto his wrist – the same wrist where he fractured his scaphoid bone five years ago – and Rubin would retire later in the first set. While the injury did not require surgery, he did not hit a tennis ball for two months.

It was Rubin’s second unlucky injury in two seasons, as the American tripped between two cracks in the pavement while on a jog last June, spraining his ankle. While he didn’t think much of it at the time, he would not regain full mobility for months, playing just one tournament between May-August 2016.

As Rubin began to practice on and off this summer, there was still pain, especially when hitting forehands. While he has played three tournaments since his injury — ATP Challenger Tour stops in Aptos, California, and Vancouver, Canada, followed by US Open qualifying – coming back has not been easy.

“It was a struggle. I don’t want to take anything away from the guys who I played, but I was in a decent amount of pain playing those two tournaments,” Rubin added. “This is the first tournament where I feel like I’m putting some of my better tennis forward.”

The World No. 205, who played college tennis for one season in North Carolina at Wake Forest University, is not looking too far ahead, and is not worrying about reaching a certain position in the Emirates ATP Rankings. All Rubin is concerned with is working hard every day in practice.

“I trust my game. I trust my mental ability. I know I have what it takes to play with the top players. So whether it’s two months from now that I get to where I want or three years, I know where I’ll be.”

Rubin, seeded sixth, next plays another Brazilian in Joao Pedro Sorgi at the Atlantic Tire Championships on Thursday. And while it may not be Federer at the Australian Open, he is simply ecstatic to be competing again, and on his way back to full health.

“I just missed being out there. Just being in the sun, hitting tennis balls, smiling, running around the court like I always do. It’s part of my life, so it’s tough to live without it.”

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