Borna Coric ousted second seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas to reach the semi-finals of the Grand Prix Hassan II on Friday. The 20-year-old #NextGenATP player from Croatia came back from a set down to advance with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory in two hours and 30 minutes.

Coric, who last reached a semi-final at this ATP World Tour 250 tournament a year ago, next faces the winner of the match between Paolo Lorenzi and Jiri Vesely.

Granollers Records 300th Doubles Win

Marcel Granollers recorded a personal milestone 300th doubles match win as he and partner Marc Lopez advanced to the final in Marrakech. The second-seeded Spanish team defeated fourth seeds Florin Mergea and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi 7-6(9), 6-7(4), 10-4 to reach the championship match. They will face either Raven Klaasen/Rajeev Ram or Dominic Inglot/Mate Pavic.

For nearly two hours, 39-year-old Tommy Haas was about even with Jack Sock, who’s been one of the hottest players on the ATP World Tour this season. But the 24 year old eventually pulled away from the former World No. 2 on Thursday, moving into the quarter-finals and winning what will likely be Haas’ final match at the Fayez Sarofim & Co. US Men’s Clay Court Championship in Houston.

The top-seeded American saved four of five break points – all four saved came in the final set – to beat Haas 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 and take the lead in their FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry. Haas, who won the Houston title in 2004, had captured their first meeting at 2013 Roland Garros but Sock had prevailed in straight sets in Auckland in 2014.

“I knew it was going to be fun to go out there. Who knows how many he has left in him,” Sock said. “He gave his all. I had to come through with some good tennis in the end to win.”

The American will face Spaniard Feliciano Lopez, who beat #NextGenATP player Hyeon Chung of South Korea 4-6, 6-2, 6-1. Sock is looking to win his second Houston crown after winning the tournament in 2015 for his maiden ATP World Tour title.

 Watch Full Match Replays

The Nebraska native finished off a perfect 5-0 day for Americans in Houston. Second seed John Isner hit 20 aces and didn’t face a break point to outlast Argentine qualifier Leonardo Mayer 6-7(5), 7-6(3), 6-3 in two hours and 16 minutes. Third seed Sam Querrey needed only 72 minutes to dismiss Argentina’s Horacio Zeballos 6-4, 6-4. Steve Johnson broke Germany’s Dustin Brown twice to win 7-6(12), 6-4.

In the quarter-finals, Johnson will try to earn his first win against Spaniard Fernando Verdasco, who advanced to the last eight 7-6(4), 6-1 against Argentina’s Nicolas Kicker. Verdasco leads his FedEx ATP Head2Head series against Johnson 4-0, three of which have come on clay.

The youngest American remaining in the draw celebrated reaching his first ATP World Tour quarter-final. #NextGenATP player Ernesto Escobedo won 89 per cent of his first-serve points to prevail past Brazilian Thiago Monteiro 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.

On Wednesday, the 20-year-old Escobedo, who received a wild card into the main draw, earned his first ATP World Tour win on clay. The California native will meet Isner in the last eight.

“First quarter-final and it’s on clay. Would never have thought about that at all,” Escobedo said. “I feel really comfortable here. It’s a great environment.”

Which component of our game is most closely linked to becoming a Top 10 player?

The ATP Stats LEADERBOARDS, powered by the Infosys Information Platform, track six Serve categories, three Returning, and four Under Pressure areas of our game. This Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis focuses on how many in the Top 10 of the Emirates ATP Rankings in the 2016 season, and also the first month of 2017, featured in the Top 10 in each of those categories.

The winner was Second Serve Points Won.

Six of the Top 10 players in the world during this period also featured in the Top 10 in Second Serve Points Won. The leaders were Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, who both won 56.4 per cent, followed by Stan Wawrinka (56.3 per cent), Milos Raonic (55.3 per cent), Kei Nishikori (55.3 per cent), and Marin Cilic (54.8 per cent).

It appears that the age-old adage that you are only as good as your second serve really holds true under a statistical microscope. It was a three-way tie for the next best category, with Service Games Won, Return Games Won and Deciding Sets Won all featuring five of the Top 10 players in the world from the 2016 season.

Interestingly, the three lowest totals were Average Aces Per Match, Average Double Faults Per Match and Tie-Breaks Won, which all had just two Top 10 players in the Top 10 of their specific list. No player featured in the Top 10 in all 13 statistical categories, but Djokovic, who finished last season ranked No. 2, performed the best. He appeared in the Top 10 in eight of the 13 categories.

Novak Djokovic 2016 Season

The beating heart of Djokovic’s game clearly centers around second serves, as he finished No. 1 in Second Serve Points Won (56.4 per cent) and No. 1 in Second Serve Return Points Won (58.5 per cent). Taking that a step further, Djokovic actually fares better returning his opponent’s second serve than he does when the point starts with his own second serve. That’s also a clear message for players at all levels of the game: During practice, reduce the baseline grinding and spend more time developing these two key “first-strike” elements.

Rafael Nadal was the second best performer, appearing in the Top 10 in seven statistical categories, including No. 1 in First Serve Percentage (70.4 per cent), First Serve Return Points Won (35.5 per cent), and Return Games Won (40.8 per cent).

Raonic was next best, appearing in six Top 10 categories, leading the Top 10 in First Serve Points Won (80 per cent) and Service Games Won (90.6 per cent).

Nishikori and Federer appeared in four Top 10 ATP Stats LEADERBOARDS, while Wawrinka, Cilic and Gael Monfils were in three. Tomas Berdych made two, and Dominic Thiem reached one – second best in the Top 10 in Deciding Sets Won at 87.5 per cent.

The breakdown of these numbers clearly shows that you don’t need to be good at everything you do on a tennis court, but you must have multiple weapons to reach the elite level.

Tommy Robredo stated his intention of another title-winning run in Marrakech on Thursday as he ousted top seed Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 1-6, 6-1 to reach the quarter-finals of the Grand Prix Hassan II.

The Spaniard has an 11-1 record at this ATP World Tour 250 clay-court tournament, winning the title in 2013 (d. Anderson) and reaching the final in 2011 (l. to Canas) when it was held in Casablanca. His victory over Dimitrov marked his first Top 20 win since beating No. 11 Dimitrov in the third round at Indian Wells in 2015.

The 34-year-old Robredo extended his FedEx ATP Head2Head series lead over Dimitrov to 3-1 as he defeated the Bulgarian one hour and 49 minutes. It was Dimitrov’s debut in Marrakech, but the right-hander, who is fourth in the Emirates ATP Race To London, was broken three times in defeat.

“Grigor is a great player,” said Robredo. “I’m very happy with my victory today. I played a great first set, but then got broken quickly in the second even though I was up 40/0 in the first game. I’m glad I managed to bounce back in the third set. I really like Marrakech. I came here for a holiday last year and now I’m back playing the tournament.”

Robredo is searching for his first ATP World Tour title in what has been an injury-hit four years and goes on to face France’s Benoit Paire. The sixth-seeded Paire, who was runner-up at an ATP Challenger Tour event in France last week, defeated Radu Albot 6-2, 6-2.

Jiri Vesely reached his second ATP World Tour quarter-final of the season as he upset fourth seed Mischa Zverev 6-4, 6-4 in one hour and 38 minutes. Vesely goes on to face fifth seed Paolo Lorenzi, who edged qualifier Gianluigi Quinzi 7-6(5), 2-6, 6-4 in an all-Italian clash.

World No. 59 Jan-Lennard Struff advanced to the quarter-finals with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over wild card Amine Ahouda.

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

Fayez Sarofim & Co. US Men’s Clay Court Championship – Houston, U.S.A.

#NextGenATP Americans Reilly Opelka, Frances Tiafoe, Jared Donaldson and Ernesto Escobedo helped kick off the 2017 Fayez Sarofim & Co. US Men’s Clay Court Championship by inspiring the next wave of tennis stars during Kids’ Day in Houston.

“All the kids were having a blast, for sure,” said Opelka. “You can tell that some of them will end up playing a long time. It was pretty fun… I love playing tennis all the time, it doesn’t matter with who, and little kids are always a lot of fun since they’re always having a blast.”

Tiafoe, alongside Dustin Brown, also grabbed the mic to play fashion police and interview peers at the players’ party. A couple of the ATP stars, including Brown, confessed to shopping right before the party in order to meet the dress code.

Andre Sa and Santiago Gonzalez helped with the on-court clinic at Ladies’ Day, while John Isner, Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah walked on water – the catwalk over the pool – as they stopped by the Fashion Show.  

Bradley Klahn and Jose Hernandez-Fernandez paid a visit to the Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital, where they signed autographs and played video games with young fans.

Grand Prix Hassan II – Marrakech, Morocco

Top seed Grigor Dimitrov got a taste of local culture on his first trip to Marrakech. “The tournament is well organised and the facilities are great,” he said. “I’ve been here for a few days and I got a chance to see the dromedaries and go for a walk around the city.”

A day before main draw action at the Grand Prix Hassan II got underway, he joined Borna Coric, Diego Schwartzman and Sergiy Stakhovsky on a dromedary ride through the Palmeraie district. The players took in the architecture of the “red city” while riding the Arabian one-humped camels.

Rohan Bopanna, Jan-Lennard Struff, Marcelo Demoliner, Dominic Inglot, Treat Huey and Guillermo Duran took part in a sightseeing tour of the world-famous Jemaa el Fna square. Struff and Duran even got up close and person with the snakes, one of the main attractions on the square.

On Tuesday night, a magician entertained ATP stars including Paul-Henri Mathieu, Fabrice Martin, Benoit Paire, Marcel Granollers, Marc Lopez and Radu Albot at the players’ party at the Pearl hotel.

Fifth seed Fernando Verdasco remained perfect on clay against Kevin Anderson on Wednesday, edging the South African 7-6(4), 7-6(4) to move into the second round of the Fayez Sarofim & Co. US Men’s Clay Court Championship in Houston.

After taking the first set tie-break, the Spaniard was broken to start the second set but broke right back to even the set at 1-1. Verdasco would win the final two points of the second set tie-break to finish the one-hour and 57-minute contest. The 33-year-old left-hander now leads their FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry 3-2, having won their previous match-ups on clay in 2011 (Estoril) and 2012 (Barcelona).

Anderson, though, had won their past two contests, at the 2013 Australian Open and 2016 Nottingham. Verdasco, who won the Houston title in 2014, will meet Argentine Nicolas Kicker in the second round. “It was a really complicated, tough first round,” Verdasco said. “He has one of the best serves on tour. Even if he’s on clay he’s super tough to return… I feel lucky that I’ve been able to win both tie-breaks.”

Verdasco’s countryman Feliciano Lopez hit 14 aces in a 7-5, 6-4 victory against American wild card Bjorn Fratangelo. Lopez, the sixth seed, will face #NextGenATP player Hyeon Chung of South Korea in the second round. The 20-year-old Chung grinded out a 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 win against three-time Quito champion Victor Estrella Burgos, who was going for his first Houston win in his third attempt.

Eighth seed Thomaz Bellucci made a successful Houston debut, outlasting #NextGenATP player Frances Tiafoe 7-5, 1-6, 6-2. The Brazilian broke the 19 year old three times in the decider. “I couldn’t play much better in the third set,” Bellucci said.

The left-hander will meet Argentine wild card Maximo Gonzalez, who prevailed past #NextGenATP American Jared Donaldson 6-4, 5-7, 6-3. Donaldson’s countryman 20-year-old Ernesto Escobedo was more fortunate: The #NextGenATP player earned his first ATP World Tour win on clay by beating compatriot Tennys Sandgren 6-3, 6-3.

“I feel comfortable on the surface. I’ve been practising a lot on clay recently because I feel like with my game style I could do pretty good on the clay, just because I play super aggressive with a lot of spin. So I just have to adapt to it,” said Escobedo, who received a wild card into the main draw. “It’s an awesome opportunity for me here. It’s a great chance for me to do well at an ATP [World Tour] tournament.”

Read More: First Time With American Sock

#NextGenATP player Borna Coric ended the run of local favourite Reda El Amrani on Wednesday, beating the Moroccan wild card 6-2, 3-6, 7-6(5) at the Grand Prix Hassan II in Marrakech.

Coric, a finalist last year, saved eight of 11 break points and broke El Amrani four times in the two-hour and 42-minute victory. The 28-year-old El Amrani, No. 667 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, had reached the Marrakech quarter-finals in 2010 and was going for his second ATP World Tour win of the season. The right-hander advanced to the second round when defending champion Federico Delbonis of Argentina retired because of a left leg injury down 6-7(3), 0-1.

Coric will meet second seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the last eight. The Spaniard also needed three sets to avoid an upset, eliminating Serbian qualifier Laslo Djere 6-7(4), 6-1, 6-4 in two hours and 27 minutes. Ramos-Vinolas won 70 per cent of his first-serve points and didn’t face a break point in the third set. The left-hander won his only previous FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting against Coric, at the Australian Open last year.

In first-round action, sixth seed Benoit Paire was blanked in the first set tie-break but came back to beat Argentine Carlos Berlocq 6-7(0), 6-3, 6-2. Fifth seed Paolo Lorenzi broke Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez three times to advance 7-6(4), 7-5.

In doubles, top seeds Raven Klaasen and Rajeev Ram didn’t face a break point and won 88 per cent of their service points (53/60) to advance past Spaniards David Marrero and Tommy Robredo 7-6(4), 7-5 in one hour and 16 minutes.

Read More: First Time With #NextGenATP Escobedo

Ahead of his first match as the top seed at the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship, the 2015 Houston champion reveals his first memorable moment on the ATP World Tour and the first time he flew business class.

First moment I realised I loved tennis
Pretty much as soon as I started playing at eight years old. My parents said I was obsessed with it right from the beginning.

First tournament I played
I was nine years old. I grew up in Lincoln (Nebraska), but was playing in Kansas City at a place called The Plaza. I was pretty horrible [smiles], but thought I’d try it just to see how I could do.

First coach and most important lesson he/she taught me
My very first coach in Lincoln was a guy named Magnus Grahn. He taught me a very good backhand, which a lot of people wouldn’t believe today! It was my best shot until I got to my older teens and met my first long-term coach, Mike Wolf, who still helps me in Kansas City to this day. He taught me my forehand grip and changed it over.

First pinch-me moment on the ATP World Tour
Probably playing Andy Roddick at the US Open in 2011. It was Friday night, my first time in Arthur Ashe Stadium, and my first televised match on ESPN. Playing a guy that I grew up watching and kind of idolising was a pretty cool moment.

First pet
We had a couple of samoyed dogs growing up. Big, white ones.

First time I flew business class
The first one I remember internationally, where it really matters [smiles], was my second time going to Australia. I flew there on coach the first time and it was a little rough, but after that, I saw it as a financial investment. It was worth it, for sure.

First concert
It was in 2013. I didn’t really go to a lot of concerts growing up, but saw my first two in one week. I saw John Legend at the Nokia Theatre, and then two nights later saw Beyonce and Jay Z at the Staples Center.

As they battle to secure their place in Milan at the end of the year, the #NextGenATP stars have been lighting it up on the ATP World Tour and ATP Challenger Tour with an array of hot shots.

ATPWorldTour.com has chosen the best five and now it’s up to you, the fans, to decide which is the best hot shot from a #NextGenATP player in the first quarter of the season.

Click through to watch the Top 5 and cast your vote!

Tickets to the Next Gen ATP Finals go on sale Friday, 14 April.

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