Borna Coric led three #NextGenATP players into the quarter-finals of the Winston-Salem Open Wednesday, in the process handing two-time champion John Isner his first defeat at the event. Coric, who on Monday slipped to fourth in the Emirates ATP Race To Milan behind Jared Donaldson, will move back ahead of the American after reaching his first quarter-final since his strong run to the last eight at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament in Madrid, where he took out then-World No. 1 Andy Murray.

The 20-year-old Croatian claimed three breaks of serve against 6’ 10” Isner, who also dropped serve three times in his opening win Tuesday over Russian Andrey Kuznetsov. World No. 62 Coric will next meet German Jan-Lennard Struff, who reached his first quarter-final since Munich with a tough 6-3, 6-7(3), 7-6(3) win over Italian veteran Andreas Seppi.

 Korean Hyeon Chung and American Taylor Fritz are the other #NextGenATP Finals contenders who will appear in Thursday’s quarter-finals. Chung advanced when French veteran and former finalist Julien Benneteau retired early in the second set with an elbow injury. Currently eighth in the Emirates ATP Race to Milan, Chung will play Bosnia & Herzegovina’s Damir Dzumhur after the 25-year-old beat Argentine veteran Horacio Zeballos 7-5, 6-3.

Fritz, who at 14th in the Race has much work to do to qualify for Milan, toughed out a 7-6(3), 7-6(5) win over Italian veteran Paolo Lorenzi. Fritz converted all three break chances he earned, but also dropped serve three times himself.

“I did a really good job taking advantage of the chances on his serve to break.,” Fritz said. “My service games were a little tougher than i wanted them to be. He made some adjustments and had we gone to a third set I felt I would have been in a lot of trouble.”

A total of six Americans advanced to the second round of qualifying at the US Open on Wednesday, with #NextGenATP Michael Mmoh leading the pack. Blasting his forehand and backhand with precision, Mmoh earned a routine 6-3, 6-2 win over Igor Sijsling in 59 minutes.

“It definitely feels very special to get through, especially at a home tournament here at the US Open,” Mmoh told ATPWorldTour.com. I didn’t know what to expect. A few years ago he was ranked around 50 in the world and beat guys like Tsonga, so I knew he could play. I just had to be on my toes and expect anything that was coming to me.”

Mmoh enters in strong form after clinching his second ATP Challenger Tour title earlier this month in Lexington. He joins Reilly Opelka, who won his opener on Tuesday, as #NextGenATP Americans to reach the second round of qualifying. Mmoh will next face Turkey’s Cem Ilkel next, while Opelka is set to square off against eighth seed Peter Gojowczyk.

Other Americans carrying the flag into the second round include veteran Tim Smyczek, who reached the third round in 2013, as well as Mitchell Krueger, Austin Krajicek, Evan King and Raymond Sarmiento. Krueger rallied for a grueling 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 victory over Brayden Schnur, reeling off the last four games of the match from 5-3 down in the decider. Krajicek also fought back from a third-set break deficit, defeating Mohamed Safwat 4-6, 7-6(2), 7-6(4) after two hours and 22 minutes.

“I’m not really sure how I pulled that out,” said Tampa, Florida native Krajicek. “I just found a way. “He played lights out at first and I just tried to stay in it and make some first serves. Getting the break in the third made the difference and I was able to close it out from there. It could have gone either way. I’m just trying to enjoy the moment. It was just great to pull a match out like that today.”

Making his return to the US Open after a four-year hiatus, Cedrik-Marcel Stebe got off to a winning start with a 6-4, 6-2 triumph over Aldin Setkic. World No. 106 Stebe is close to becoming one of the biggest movers to the Top 100 this year, having started the season at No. 471.

Meanwhile, four other #NextGenATP stars joined Mmoh as winners on Day Two, with Stefanos Tsitsipas rallying past Di Wu 4-6, 6-1, 6-1, Matteo Berrettini posting a 6-2, 7-6(0) victory over Marcelo Arevalo, Duckhee Lee downing Gerald Melzer 6-4, 6-3 and Christian Garin securing a 6-3, 6-4 win over Marcos Giron under the lights. Garin and 21-year-old Nicolas Jarry lead the Chilean contingent in qualifying.

Jarry claimed five of 10 break chances to defeat Calvin Hemery 7-5, 6-3 in 75 minutes. The Santiago native is up to a career-high No. 130 in the Emirates ATP Rankings in his comeback from a broken wrist. He enters New York with considerable momentum at his back after picking up his first ATP Challenger Tour title last month in Medellin, Colombia.

“It’s amazing,” Jarry told ATPWorldTour.com. “The atmosphere here in New York is just amazing. There’s so much energy. We’ve rented an apartment in Manhattan and to go downstairs in the evening and hear all the typical New York noises and the taxis is pretty cool. I’m happy to win my first match here.”

All second round matches will be contested on Thursday, with coveted spots in Friday’s final round on the line. Matches to watch include fourth seed Sergiy Stakhovsky facing 17-year-old Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime, an all-#NextGenATP clash between Tsitsipas and Berrettini, and Jarry battling Darian King of Barbados. Denis Shapovalov, Leonardo Mayer, Casper Ruud and Nicolas Mahut are other big names still in contention.

“The Next Generation Of Men’s Tennis Has Arrived” headlines Vogue, presenting a special feature on two of tennis’ most exciting young players, Alexander Zverev and Dominic Thiem, on the eve of the US Open.

Alongside a photograph taken together at Wimbledon, Zverev and Thiem are interviewed about their nature as tennis players and their interests away from the court.

“It was a sight long anticipated but rarely seen: Rafael Nadal, the greatest clay-court player in history, in the middle of one of his best-ever seasons, getting soundly beaten—not by Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Roger Federer, or Stan Wawrinka, but by a young player, Dominic Thiem. At the Italian Open in May, the Austrian drove Nadal into the backcourt corners with huge cuts and heavy topspin, winning in straight sets. Thiem was then knocked out by Djokovic in the semifinal—order restored. Until another young player, a 20-year-old German named Alexander Zverev, shocked Djokovic in the final. Was a generational shift coming, at long last, to men’s tennis?

“It so happens Zverev (nicknamed “Sa­scha”) and Thiem, 23, are good friends. They share a language, have been known to road-trip between tournaments, and are prone to chummy posts on social media. So far Thiem has dominated their head-to-head record, 4–1, but every match has been tight, and the potential for a rivalry between them is tantalizing (Zverev is currently ranked 7th in the world, and Thiem is 8th). Like Federer and Nadal, Zverev and Thiem have contrasting styles. Zverev’s game is built on poise and balance, his forehand sweet and flat, while Thiem throws his body into every shot.”

Read the full article at Vogue.com

Cedrik-Marcel Stebe had his doubts if he would ever play professional tennis again. Every player has a breaking point and the 26 year old was closing in on discovering his, as he sat at home recovering from a multitude of injuries… for nearly three years.

“I was struggling with myself. I was thinking ‘What did I do to deserve this?’ I didn’t do anything wrong. Was there something wrong with my body? It was as much of a mental struggle as it was a physical one.”

Hip impingement surgery. Lower back ailment. Pubic bone inflammation. Pelvic surgery to insert netting. Stress fracture of the pubic bone.

The list is nearly as painful to read as it was for Stebe to endure. But when the body fails, perseverance prevails. As the German returns to the US Open for the first time since 2013, roaming the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, memories have been flooding back. But as the former World No. 71 has learned throughout his comeback, these moments of nostalgia are exactly what fuel him to rediscover his top level and return to the Top 100.

“I’m playing different now than I was when I was 71 in the world (in 2012),” Stebe told ATPWorldTour.com. “Your game is always developing in every direction. I’m trying to play a little more aggressive now than I used to. There are many young players that try to hit it hard and have a good serve. You need to adjust it as well.”

To say that Stebe has been on a tear since returning to full-time competition on the ATP Challenger Tour and ATP World Tour in March 2016, would be an understatement. This time last year, the 26 year old was attempting to qualify for a Challenger in Alphen, The Netherlands. Now, up nearly 500 spots in the Emirates ATP Rankings, the World No. 106 is back in New York seeking a successful US Open qualifying campaign to push him inside the Top 100 and beyond.

Stebe has significant momentum at his back as he enters the final Grand Slam of the year, after cruising to the title at the Odlum Brown VanOpen – a $100,000 ATP Challenger Tour event – on Sunday. A 6-0, 6-1 rout of 74th-ranked Jordan Thompson in the final capped a dominant week on the hard courts of Hollyburn Country Club.

“I wasn’t missing any balls and made just a few unforced errors. Mentally I was feeling really good and I was just playing really well. I was right on point. Maybe he wasn’t feeling 100 per cent, maybe 95, but that is usually not good enough against me.”

Stebe looks back on the entire five-year experience as a wake-up call. Nothing is guaranteed in life, especially as a professional tennis player. At age 21, the German was playing the best tennis of his young career before undergoing surgery for a hip impingement in 2013. He explains that walking on crutches afterwards led to lower back problems as he shifted weight to one side of his body.

Seeking a swift recovery from the setback, he started practising again, but the pain returned. This time, it was above his pelvis. An MRI revealed inflammation, which persisted for 10 months. Surgeons needed to insert netting to stabilize the gut and prevent it from creating tension against the muscles and pubic bone. Hoping the worst was behind him, Stebe suffered another blow to his comeback soon after returning to the court. A second MRI showed a stress fracture on the other side of the pelvis.

“I was struggling with myself. You may have a surgery or an injury, but then you recover from it and start playing again. For me, I was almost tournament ready and then I got knocked out again. I visited many doctors and it’s just been a mental struggle for me. I wasn’t always positive.”

.@cedrikstebe lifts his second #ATPChallenger trophy of the year after streaking to the @vanopentennis title on Sunday. pic.twitter.com/SlXzwuqdaP

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) August 21, 2017

Stebe says the turning point in his comeback was a run to the quarter-finals at the Banque Eric Sturdza Geneva Open in May. A lucky loser, it was his first appearance in the last eight of an ATP World Tour event in five years. He would also score his first Top 50 win since the 2012 US Open, upsetting countryman Jan-Lennard Struff.

Stebe’s success in Geneva was the catalyst for his surge up the Emirates ATP Rankings, subsequently claiming the title at the Challenger in Poprad Tatry, Slovakia and finishing runner-up on home soil in Marburg two week later. He would reach the second round at the ATP World Tour 500 event in Hamburg as a qualifier, before notching a second Challenger title of the season in Vancouver.

“It means a lot to me. I didn’t know if I was ever going to come back after such a long time away,” Stebe added. “Nothing is certain at this stage. I was just really thrilled that I am playing this well. It feels great to be there again and it also feels unreal. I didn’t expect to be playing this well, to be honest. I don’t know how I’m doing it, but I am. It’s really a weird feeling, but I’m happy about it.

“I knew I could play some good tennis if I’m healthy. If I could make it again, I could be in the Top 100. I used to be there and I know how to get there. That kept me going. My girlfriend and my family were always there for me. I needed some time off during the period. There was a while that I didn’t follow tennis at all. Otherwise I would have gone crazy for sure.”

Sitting at No. 471 in the Emirates ATP Rankings to open 2017, Stebe has had to constantly reassess his goals as the season has progressed. An initial target of Top 200 by the end of the year has transformed to a goal of finishing in the Top 100 and solidifying his place in the main draw of the Australian Open. But, despite his resurgent run, he stresses that it is important to put everything in perspective and avoid unnecessary pressure.

“Everything else is pretty much a bonus. After winning in Poprad I thought the Top 100 could be a goal if I’m playing like this. I don’t want to put any pressure on myself. If I’m No. 103 by the end of the year, I don’t care. To be this high after starting the season near the Top 500, it’s great. I just want to play good matches and everything else will come by itself. If you perform well, the rest will come.”

Seeded ninth, Stebe opens his US Open qualifying campaign against Bosnia’s Aldin Setkic on Wednesday. The match is fourth on Court 7.

Follow all the latest off-court action on MyATP. Download the app for iPhone, Android and visit MyATP.com

Winston-Salem Open – Winston-Salem, U.S.A.

Julien Benneteau was on hand at the draw ceremony in McCreary Tower on Friday, while home hope Steve Johnson and #NextGenATP pair Hyeon Chung and Andrey Rublev helped to inspire the next generation of fans the following day at kids clinics.

Borna Coric posted on Instagram after meeting young fans at an ACEing Autism clinic on Sunday, where he joined the children in a series of activities on the court. More On ACEing Autism

Elsewhere, Dominic Inglot, Scott Lipsky, Fabrice Martin, Max Mirnyi, Leander Paes, Alexander Peya, Purav Raja and Andre Sa leant their support to a Doubles Pro-Am, while Gilles Simon, Fernando Verdasco, Pablo Carreno Busta and Johnson met fans at a series of autograph sessions.

On the most demanding of surfaces, Roger Federer has been pre-eminent this year. The World No. 3 leads the year-to-date Win-Loss Index with the best winning percentage on cement with a 23-2 (.920) record ahead of the US Open, the final Grand Slam championship of the year. His two losses have come at the hands of Russian Evgeny Donskoy at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships in February and #NextGenATP German Alexander Zverev at the Coupe Rogers in Montreal earlier this month.

The Swiss, just like second-placed Grigor Dimitrov – with an ATP World Tour-best 24-6 mark (.800) on hard courts – has won three titles on the surface this year. While 63 of Federer’s 93 career crowns have come on hard courts, Dimitrov has captured five of his seven trophies on cement. The Bulgarian is 34-14 overall (.708) in 2017.

Federer’s form suggests that he enters the US Open, the final Grand Slam championship of the year, as the favourite to add to his 2004-2008 crowns. He has a 35-3 match record this season (.921), including five titles (two majors) from six finals.

Visit FedEx ATP Performance Zone

Andy Murray is 12-3 (.800) on hard courts, matching the 2017 mark of the sidelined Novak Djokovic. Nick Kyrgios, who finished runner-up to Dimitrov in the recent Western & Southern Open final in Cincinnati, is 26-12 on the season (.684) – predominantly made up of a 23-7 record (.767) on hard courts.

Milos Raonic, who reached the US Open fourth round in 2012-14, is 13-4 (.765) on hard courts in 2017, while World No. 1 Rafael Nadal, the ATP World Tour match wins leader this year with a 49-9 mark (.845), is 22-7 (.759) on cement. The 2010 and 2013 US Open champion has won 16 of his 73 career trophies on hard courts.

The 20-year-old Zverev will be looking to improve upon his second-round exit in New York City last year, boosted by his solid form in 2017 that has reaped five titles and a 46-14 match record. He is 21-7 (.750) on hard courts this year, with four of his six career titles won on the surface.

Here’s a detailed look at the Top 10 hard-court match wins’ leaders in 2017 (as of 23 August):

Two-time champion John Isner claimed his 350^th match win at his hometown tournament in Winston-Salem Tuesday night, clinching back-to-back breaks against World No. 70 Russian Andrey Kuznetsov to close out the match 2-6, 7-6(5), 6-3.

Isner had dropped serve just three times all summer (Newport, Atlanta, Montreal, Cincinnati) but was broken twice in the opening set and three times overall. But in an encouraging sign, he converted all three break point chances he accrued. The 6’ 11” American came into the tournament having held 146 of his past 149 service games. He was not broken in five matches en route to the semi-finals of the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati last week.

“After the end of the second set I had to change my clothes; I was sweating profusely out there,” Isner said of the draining win. “I wasn’t feeling great to be totally honest. But at 3-all [in the third] I found a burst of energy. I got up 0-30 in that game and the next thing I knew I was off; it was crazy. I think I rattled off 12 of the last 13 points [and 16 of 17], something like that. I got a second wind. All of a sudden it came to me. It’s just one of those things.”

Isner improved to 9-0 in tie-breaks in Winston-Salem. The No. 3 seed has not lost a match on the courts of Winston-Salem since he made his debut in 2011. He is 13-0 at this event. His only early exit came in 2014, when he was forced to withdraw at the quarter-final stage.

Top seed Roberto Bautista Agut exchanged eight service breaks with Dusan Lajovic before advancing 6-4, 6-3 to the third round, where he will meet veteran Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis.

“It was a tough first match here in Winston-Salem, adjusting to the heat, the fast conditions,” said the Spaniard, last year’s runner-up. “I hope to play even better tomorrow. It’s going to be a tough week and a tough match tomorrow against Baghdatis.”

Three #NextGenATP players advanced Tuesday: 14th seed Borna Coric, of Croatia, American wild card Taylor Fritz and 13th-seeded Korean Hyeon Chung. Fritz enjoyed a decisive 6-3, 6-2 win over in-form 10th-seeded Japanese Yuichi Sugita 6-3, 6-2.

But Coric and Chung both had to rally from a set down. Coric, currently fourth in the Emirates ATP Race To Milan, defeated American Donald Young 4-6, 6-4, 6-2. Chung, eighth in the Race but 102 points behind seventh-placed Daniil Medvedev, defeated another Milan rival from Russia, Andrey Rublev (sixth in the Race), 5-7, 6-1, 6-1.