Kokkinakis Makes Long Awaited Return At Bordeaux Challenger 2017
Kokkinakis Makes Long Awaited Return At Bordeaux Challenger 2017
May172017
World number one Angelique Kerber was knocked out of the Italian Open in a surprise straight-set defeat by Estonia’s Anett Kontaveit on Wednesday.
The world number 68 won 6-4 6-0 in 56 minutes, meaning both Kerber and men’s top seed Andy Murray exited the Rome tournament at the second-round stage.
British number two Kyle Edmund also suffered a straight-set defeat by Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro.
The 22-year-old world number 53 lost 7-5 6-4 in one hour and 46 minutes.
Fellow Briton Aljaz Bedene was also knocked out in the second round by world number two Novak Djokovic.
Del Potro, the 2009 US Open champion, will face Japan’s Kei Nishikori in the last 16.
Meanwhile, Rafael Nadal eased through to the third round when opponent Nicolas Almagro retired after injuring his knee early in the first set.
Nadal raced to a 3-0 lead before Spanish compatriot Almagro withdrew with less than half an hour played.
Del Potro and Edmund compete later on day four
Seventh seed Kei Nishikori overcame fellow baseliner David Ferrer for the second time in as many weeks on Wednesday at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia. Nishikori showed few signs of the right wrist pain that had forced his withdrawal from last week’s Mutua Madrid Open in a 7-5, 6-2 second-round victory over 2010 finalist Ferrer, who is just one of 13 players in ATP World Tour history to record 700 match wins.
The Japanese star, who broke Ferrer’s serve five times in the 81-minute win, is now 18-6 on the season that includes runner-up finishes in Brisbane (l. to Dimitrov) and Buenos Aires (l. to Dolgopolov). Nishikori awaits the winner of Kyle Edmund and former World No. 4 Juan Martin del Potro, who play later today. Del Potro leads Nishikori 4-1, but the Florida-based Japanese did win their October 2016 meeting in Basel.
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British number one Johanna Konta is among seven of the world’s top 10 players set to compete at the Aegon International in Eastbourne.
Former winners Dominika Cibulkova, Caroline Wozniacki, Agnieszka Radwanska and Svetlana Kuznetsova will join Konta, 26, at the tournament – which runs from 23 June to 1 July.
French Open champion Garbine Muguruza and Karolina Pliskova will also play.
Britain’s Kyle Edmund, Aljaz Bedene and Dan Evans take part in the men’s event.
The Aegon International takes place in the week before Wimbledon, which begins on 3 July.
World number one Andy Murray can find “no reason” for his “struggle” with form following defeat in the second round of the Italian Open.
The 30-year-old lost 6-2 6-4 to Fabio Fognini in Rome and has now won one title from eight events in 2017.
The French Open begins on 28 May but Murray has only reached one semi-final in his last four clay court events.
“I’m just not playing good tennis and need to try to work out how to turn it around,” he said. “I believe I will.”
He added: “The last couple of weeks have definitely been a struggle and a long way from where I’d like to be. There is no reason for it from my end.
“Movement the last two weeks has not been good. My movement has been a big help, the last couple of years, but certainly the last couple of weeks, that’s been a problem.”
The Scot insists his difficulties are nothing to do with the pressures of being world number one.
But he admitted he found it hard to create chances against world number 29 Fognini, as he suffered a fifth defeat in 10 matches.
Murray’s last title came in Dubai in February, a contrast to the form he showed in winning five events in a row to end 2016.
He will arrive in Roland Garros – he was beaten by Novak Djokovic in last year’s final – with his run to the semi-final of the Barcelona Open in April as his best return on clay in 2017.
Since that loss to Dominic Thiem, he has gone down to world number 50 Borna Coric at the Madrid Open before a straight sets defeat by Fognini.
Ivan Lendl – who coaches Murray on a part-time basis – will join up with the team later this week for the grand slam event in Paris.
BBC Sport tennis correspondent Russell Fuller:
Andy Murray will be the world number 1 during Wimbledon, but will have to play exceptionally well if he is to remain at the top come the autumn.
That is because tennis’ ranking system is calculated on an annual basis, with players defending points they won in the same week the previous year.
Murray has shed a significant number of points by losing early in both Madrid and Rome, as last year he was the runner-up in Spain and the champion in Italy.
He has nearly 4000 points to defend at the French Open, The Queen’s Club and Wimbledon, and an even greater number in October and November – the one down side of winning his final five tournaments of 2016.
Fourteen years ago at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, David Ferrer recorded his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 match win when he recovered from a first-set bagel to stun World No. 1 Andre Agassi 0-6, 7-6(3), 6-4. On Tuesday, the 35-year-old Spaniard celebrated another memorable moment in Rome. He defeated Feliciano Lopez to earn his place alongside 12 other players, including Agassi, in the ATP World Tour’s exclusive 700-wins club.
Of his victories, a quarter of which have come at the Masters 1000 level (178-111), Ferrer picked his triumph at the 2012 Tennis Paris Masters as the most memorable. That week in Paris-Bercy, he posted back-to-back wins over Stan Wawrinka and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga before defeating Jerzy Janowicz for the title.
Ferrer, who also reached six other finals at this elite level, reflected on his Masters 1000 highlights and favourites in this exclusive Q&A with ATPWorldTour.com.
Why are the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 so special?
There are really good matches from the first round. A Top 15 player can face a Top 10 in the opening round. Regardless of the round, there aren’t easy matches for the seeded players.
Which is your favourite Masters 1000 tournament?
My favourite Masters 1000 is Monte Carlo because of its history, organisation and beauty of the club. The centre court is amazing. You’re stunned looking at it. [It’s] my favourite Masters 1000 court.
Which Masters 1000 tournament has the loudest fans?
Rome
What was your best Masters 1000 match?
Well, definitely not the Miami final (in 2013). I lost against Andy Murray after having match point. I would say the Masters 1000 final I won in Paris-Bercy. It was a great opportunity for me. I was a little bit nervous because all the top seeds had been knocked out. I feel proud for having assumed that with serenity. It was a match for me to win, and I won.
Who is the strongest competitor in Masters 1000 history?
Rafael Nadal, no doubt. His numbers speaks for themselves.
Which is the Masters 1000 you would most like to win?
Right now, I would like to win the Mutua Madrid Open because my inner circle would be around me. It would be an special occasion. It is played in Spain and some people who are close to me could come. It would be a great moment to share with them.
Which is the most player-friendly Masters 1000?
Monte Carlo. Everything is within reach, the organisation is very precise, it is a spectacular tournament. Being held in a small city, everything is easier for the players.
Which player would you have liked to play against in a Masters 1000?
It would have been great to face Marcelo Ríos on the centre court of Miami.
What is your dream match at a Masters 1000?
My dream match would be to win a Masters 1000 against Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer because they are the two best players of history.
What is the greatest match you’ve ever watched at a Masters 1000?
Rafael Nadal with Andre Agassi in Montreal (2005).
French Open organisers had “no grounds to penalise” Maria Sharapova by denying her a wildcard entry to the tournament, says the Women’s Tennis Association.
The Russian, 30, was ranked too low to gain direct entry as she continues her return from a 15-month drugs ban.
The French Tennis Federation (FFT) chose not to hand Sharapova a wildcard to “protect” the sport’s standards.
“I don’t agree with the basis for their decision. She has complied with the sanction,” said WTA chief Steve Simon.
“There are no grounds to penalise any player beyond the sanctions set forth in the final decisions resolving these matters.”
Two-time French Open winner Sharapova needed a wildcard, which are awarded at the discretion of tournament organisers, to play in either the main draw or the qualifying tournament.
But on Monday, FFT chief Bernard Giudicelli Ferrandini said: “There can be a wildcard for the return from injuries – there cannot be a wildcard for the return from doping.
“I’m very sorry for Maria, very sorry for her fans. They might be very disappointed, she might be very disappointed, but it’s my responsibility, my mission, to protect the high standards of the game played without any doubt on the result.”
Shortly after learning of her Roland Garros snub, Sharapova withdrew injured from her second-round Italian Open match against Mirjana Lucic-Baroni.
The French Open begins on 28 May.
That will be enough to at least earn a qualifying spot at Wimbledon next month.
Sharapova needed to reach the semi-finals of the Italian Open to qualify for Wimbledon’s main draw but retired in the second round on Tuesday when leading Lucic-Baroni 4-6 6-3 2-1.
“I apologise for having to withdraw from my match with a left thigh injury,” she said. “I will be getting all the necessary examinations to make sure it is not serious.”
Sharapova will now have to wait until 20 June to discover whether she is among the wildcards at the All England Club.
The former world number one has not played a Grand Slam since she tested positive for heart disease drug meldonium at the 2016 Australian Open.
That brought an initial two-year ban, later reduced to 15 months after the Court of Arbitration for Sport found she was not an “intentional doper”.
BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller
The ongoing fight against doping is more important than the line-up for the French Open – that was the message from the French Federation’s president.
It is a brave and principled decision, which will upset some fans and broadcasters. Ratings may suffer, but Roland Garros will ultimately be stronger for it.
How could the public take the sport’s anti-doping message seriously if one of the Grand Slams had invited a player who was not ranked high enough because of time served for a doping offence?
It is worth noting, though, that the FFT have awarded a qualifying wildcard to Constant Lestienne, a French player who was banned for seven months last autumn for betting on matches.
Guidicelli’s argument is that he has “paid his debt” – as his wildcard for Roland Garros was rescinded at the last moment last year when he first came under investigation.
Sharapova has, in contrast, earned her place in qualifying for Wimbledon, even though injury has now deprived her of the chance to play herself into the main draw.
And assuming she is fit, she is likely to want to play at least two warm-up events. The Lawn Tennis Association has already offered her a wildcard into the WTA event in Birmingham. If Sharapova also wants to play the week before, she has Nottingham and the Dutch town of Rosmalen to choose between.
Ben Rothenberg, New York Times: Sharapova’s Tuesday: 1) Denied French Open wild card; 2) Injured vs Lucic, retires; 3) Misses out on direct entry to Wimbledon main draw.
Jose Morais, GQ Portugal: Roland Garros will have neither Roger Federer, nor Maria Sharapova nor Serena Williams competing for the first time since 1997. Whoa.
David James, AFP: Roland Garros double standards? Frenchman Constant Lestienne gets wild card in qualifying despite serving ban for illegal betting.
Stuart Fraser, The Times: Sharapova will require around 290 points from grass season (likely Birmingham/Wimbledon) to make US Open main draw (cut on July 17).
What happens if you take a 50-50 battle, and tip it just five percentage points in your favour?
You become the No. 1 player in the world.
An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of year-end No. 1 players since 1991, when statistics were first recorded in tennis, uncovers that reaching the pinnacle of our sport is predicated on winning with a lot smaller margin of victory than we realise.
The following breakdown shows how many times a player finished as year-end No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, and the percentage of points he won that season.
1991-2016: Year-End No. 1 Winning Percentage of Points Played
|
Points: Winning Percentage |
Year-End No. 1 Total |
|
55% |
12 |
|
54% |
7 |
|
53% |
4 |
|
56% |
3 |
|
TOTAL |
26 |
The lowest average number of points won for a year-end No. 1 since 1991 is 53 per cent. Those players:
Year-End No. 1 Winning 53% Of Points
1991 Stefan Edberg
1996 Pete Sampras
2000 Gustavo Kuerten
2001 Lleyton Hewitt
The highest average of points won for a season is 56 per cent. Those players:
Year-End No. 1 – Winning 56% Points
2015 Novak Djokovic
2011 Novak Djokovic
2006 Roger Federer
We can see definitive improvement at the top level of our sport. Since 2010, the lowest average number of points won has been 55 per cent, and no year-end No. 1 since 2001 has been below 54 per cent.
Infosys Nia Data reveals that current World No. 5 Rafael Nadal has won the highest percentage of points of the Top 10 so far in 2017. The Spaniard is winning 55 per cent (2711/4927) of his points and has gone 29-5 with two titles.
Federer currently leads the Emirates ATP Race To London (Nadal is second), with the Swiss winning 54.5 per cent (1921/3526) of his points so far in 2017.
Current Top 10 Points Won in 2017
|
Ranking |
Player |
Points Won/Total |
Points Won Percentage |
|
1 |
Andy Murray |
(1738/3244) |
53.6% |
|
2 |
Novak Djokovic |
(1500/2832) |
53% |
|
3 |
Stan Wawrinka |
1857/3603) |
51.5% |
|
4 |
Roger Federer |
(1921/3526) |
54.5% |
|
5 |
Rafael Nadal |
(2711/4927) |
55% |
|
6 |
Milos Raonic |
(1426/2705) |
52.7% |
|
7 |
Marin Cilic |
(1611/3072) |
52.4% |
|
8 |
Kei Nishikori |
(1793/3402) |
52.7% |
|
9 |
Dominic Thiem |
(2485/4784) |
51.9% |
|
10 |
David Goffin |
(2616/5008) |
52.2% |
|
– |
– |
AVERAGE |
53% |
To win 55 per cent of the points in a season also means that the best players in the world lose 45 per cent of all points they play.
In 2015, Novak Djokovic assembled the best winning record in recent times, winning 93 per cent (82-6) of his matches, collecting 11 titles and more than $21 million in prize money.
But the 93 percent win rate in matches was predicated on winning just 55.8 per cent (7507/13455) of points played. The Super Serbian competed in 15 finals in 2015, winning 11 and losing four. He won 73 per cent of the title matches, but won only 51.7 per cent of the points (1430/2765) in those 15 finals.
Success in tennis is built upon very small margins. Losing 45 per cent of all points you play is actually a world-class day at the office.
|
Year |
Year-End No. 1 |
Percentage Points Won |
|
2016 |
Andy Murray |
55% |
|
2015 |
Novak Djokovic |
56% |
|
2014 |
Novak Djokovic |
55% |
|
2013 |
Rafael Nadal |
55% |
|
2012 |
Novak Djokovic |
55% |
|
2011 |
Novak Djokovic |
56% |
|
2010 |
Rafael Nadal |
55% |
|
2009 |
Roger Federer |
54% |
|
2008 |
Rafael Nadal |
55% |
|
2007 |
Roger Federer |
55% |
|
2006 |
Roger Federer |
56% |
|
2005 |
Roger Federer |
55% |
|
2004 |
Roger Federer |
55% |
|
2003 |
Andy Roddick |
54% |
|
2002 |
Lleyton Hewitt |
54% |
|
2001 |
Lleyton Hewitt |
53% |
|
2000 |
Gustavo Kuerten |
53% |
|
1999 |
Andre Agassi |
55% |
|
1998 |
Pete Sampras |
54% |
|
1997 |
Pete Sampras |
55% |
|
1996 |
Pete Sampras |
53% |
|
1995 |
Pete Sampras |
54% |
|
1994 |
Pete Sampras |
55% |
|
1993 |
Pete Sampras |
54% |
|
1992 |
Jim Courier |
54% |
|
1991 |
Stefan Edberg |
53% |
|
– |
AVERAGE |
55% |
Fabio Fognini will remember this one.
In front of a packed Campo Centrale, the Italian No. 1 played one of the best matches of his career, blasting 23 forehand winners to upset World No. 1 and defending champion Andy Murray 6-2, 6-4 on Tuesday during Murray’s Internazionali BNL d’Italia opener in Rome.
Fognini becomes the first Italian to beat a World No. 1 since Filippo Volandri in 2007, who defeated Roger Federer 6-2, 6-4 in the third round, also in Rome. Since then Italians had lost 22 in a row vs. World No. 1s.
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Murray, who didn’t drop a set in Rome last year, becomes the first defending champion to lose in his opener in almost 10 years, since 2008, when Rafael Nadal fell to Juan Carlos Ferrero in his first match.
But past history mattered little on Tuesday evening, when Fognini hit Murray, a 14-time ATP World Tour Masters 1000 champion, off the court. The 29-year-old Italian jumped on the Scot from the start, breaking twice to lead 4-0. He held to love to take the opener in 40 minutes.
The onslaught continued in the second set, as the Italians grew comfortable and stayed boisterous at Foro Italico. Murray slapped a backhand long to give Fognini a set and a break lead at 2-1. Two games later, on Murray’s serve, Fognini played as if he could do no wrong with his forehand, wielding the shot for a winner at 15/15 and 15/30.
At 30/40, Fognini, who finished with 31 overall winners, ripped another forehand that Murray couldn’t handle at the net, and the Italian had a double-break lead in the second set.
The second-round shocker is Fognini’s 10th victory against a Top 10 opponent in 56 matches (10-46), a winning percentage of about 18 per cent. Fognini will face Serbian Viktor Troicki or #NextGenATP star Alexander Zverev in the third round.
Learn More In Fognini’s FedEx ATP Win/Loss
Murray arrived in Rome looking to turn around his 2017. The Scot, who turned 30 on Monday, hasn’t played in a tour-level final since February, when he won his 45th tour-level title in Dubai (d. Verdasco).