Tennis News

From around the world

Heather Watson and Laura Robson test cricket skills at Trent Bridge

  • Posted: Jun 06, 2016

British tennis stars Laura Robson and Heather Watson struggle to get to grips with batting and bowling as they turn their hands to cricket.

British number two Watson and former number one Robson were at Nottinghamshire’s Trent Bridge home prior to beginning their grass-court season at the Nottingham Open on Tuesday.

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Johanna Konta: British number one starts with a win at Nottingham Open

  • Posted: Jun 06, 2016

British number one Johanna Konta beat American Victoria Duval 6-3 6-0 in the first round of the Nottingham Open.

Konta lost in the first round of the French Open but has risen to a best-ever ranking of 18.

The 25-year-old will play either fellow Briton Freya Christie or China’s Zheng Saisai in the next round.

She started off very well so I had to dig deep,” said Konta. “It was my first match on grass so I am glad to get another opportunity to play this week.”

Konta is seeded second for the grass-court event, behind the Czech Republic’s Karolina Pliskova.

There was also some British success earlier in the day as Tara Moore booked her place in the main draw with a 6-2 6-2 qualifying win over Shuko Aoyama.

British stars Heather Watson, Laura Robson and Naomi Broady are also all in the first-round draw, as is former world number one Caroline Wozniacki.

You can listen to BBC radio commentary of the event, which runs until 12 June, by clicking this link.

Meanwhile, British number two Aljaz Bedene beat American qualifier Ernesto Escobedo in the first round of the Ricoh Open in s’Hertogenbosch.

Monday’s 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 win was the 26-year-old’s first match since being knocked out of the French Open by eventual champion Novak Djokovic.

The world number 58 will play second seed Bernard Tomic in the next round.

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Konta starts with a win in Nottingham

  • Posted: Jun 06, 2016

Johanna Konta has beaten American Victoria Duval 6-3 6-0 in the first round of the Nottingham Open.

The British number one is seeded second for the grass-court event, behind the Czech Republic’s Karolina Pliskova.

Konta was beaten by German Julia Goerges in the first round of the French Open but has risen to a best-ever ranking of 18.

The 25-year-old will play either fellow Briton Freya Christie or China’s Zheng Saisai in the next round.

British stars Heather Watson, Laura Robson and Naomi Broady are also all in the first-round draw, as is former world number one Caroline Wozniacki.

You can listen to BBC radio commentary of the event, which runs until 12 June, by clicking this link.

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Big Titles: Djokovic Closes In On Federer's Haul

  • Posted: Jun 06, 2016

Big Titles: Djokovic Closes In On Federer's Haul

Djokovic improves his strike rate at top-level tournaments

For the majority of players winning a Grand Slam, a Barclays ATP World Tour Finals or ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title remains just a dream. For a handful of players, who become serial winners, they become giants of the sport.

On Sunday, Novak Djokovic added to his ‘Big Titles’ haul. The World No. 1 etched his name in the history books with his first Roland Garros title, to become only the third player – after Don Budge (1938) and Rod Laver (1962, 1969) – to hold all four major championships at the same time. He is also the eighth player to complete the career Grand Slam.

By capturing his 12th Grand Slam championship crown, Djokovic is now just one trophy behind record-holder Roger Federer with 46 ‘Big Titles’. A five-time Barclays ATP World Tour Finals champion, Djokovic has by the far the best conversion rate of any player, past or present, winning one Big Title for every 3.15 events played at this level.

While Federer still leads the field with 47 Big Titles, including 17 Grand Slams and six Barclays ATP World Tour Finals (both records), he is third all-time with 24 Masters 1000 crowns. The Swiss has played 203 tournaments at this level, averaging one title for each 4.3 events played.

Rafael Nadal, who is currently sidelined by a wrist injury, also boasts an exceptional strike rate, winning one Big Title for every 3.5 appearances. He is joint second all-time (with Pete Sampras) for most Grand Slam titles won with 14, and outright second all-time for most Masters 1000 titles won with 28 crowns, just one behind Djokovic’s record haul.

Andy Murray, who lost to Djokovic in the Roland Garros final, has won 14 Big Titles – 12 Masters 1000s, including at last month’s Internazionali BNL d’Italia (d. Djokovic), and two majors. Murray, who has competed in the same era as Djokovic, Federer and Nadal, wins one Big Title for every 9.7 tournaments played.

Since the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 series launched in 1990, Sampras has been the only player to rival the ‘Big Titles’ strike rates of Djokovic, Nadal and Federer. A winner of 14 Grand Slam titles and five Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, the six-time year-end World No. 1 averaged one Big Title per 4.9 tournaments played.

One other player whose strike rate is in single figures is Andre Agassi, who at one time was the record Masters 1000 title holder with 17 titles, including six Miami crowns. Agassi also won eight majors and one season finale. His 26 ‘Big Titles’ from 164 tournaments played came at an average of one title per 6.3 events played.

Those historical averages put in perspective the utter dominance Djokovic has displayed in his past 22 outings at this level dating back to the 2014 BNP Paribas Masters in Paris. During that time the Serb has won one Big Title for every 1.29 events he’s played, going 5 of 6 at Grand Slams, 10 of 14 at Masters 1000s and 2 for 2 at Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.

Current and Former Champions (Records Since 1990)

Player Grand Slams Finales  1000s Total (Avg)
Roger Federer 17/67 6/14 24/122 47/203 (4.3)
Novak Djokovic  12/46 5/9 29/90 46/145 (3.1)
Rafael Nadal 14/44 0/7 28/97 42/149 (3.5)
Pete Sampras 14/52 5/11 11/83 30/146 (4.9)
Andre Agassi 8/61 1/13 17/90 26/164 (6.3)
Andy Murray 2/41 0/7 12/89 14/137 (9.7)
Gustavo Kuerten  3/33 1/3 5/67 9/103 (11.4)
Andy Roddick  1/46 0/6 5/75 6/127 (21.2)
Lleyton Hewitt  2/66 2/4 2/75 6/145 (24.2)
Patrick Rafter 2/35 0/2 2/48 4/85 (21.25)

Current Top 10

Player Grand Slams Finales 1000s Total (Avg)
Roger Federer  17/67 6/14  24/122 47/203 (4.3) 
Novak Djokovic  12/46 5/9 29/90 46/145 (3.1)
Rafael Nadal  14/44 0/7 28/97 42/149 (3.5)
Andy Murray 2/41 0/7 12/89 14/137 (9.7)
Stan Wawrinka 2/45 0/3 1/87 3/135 (45.0)
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga  0/33 0/3 2/66 2/102 (51.0)
Tomas Berdych  0/51 0/6 1/104 1/161
David Ferrer 0/53  0/7 1/106  1/166
Kei Nishikori 0/27 0/2 0/40 0/69
Milos Raonic 0/22 0/1 0/48 0/71

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Lopez/Lopez Win Roland Garros 2016 Title

  • Posted: Jun 06, 2016

Lopez/Lopez Win Roland Garros 2016 Title

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Mahut's Rich Reward

  • Posted: Jun 06, 2016

Mahut's Rich Reward

Amiable Frenchman continues to break new ground in his 30s

Nicolas Mahut is the new No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Doubles Rankings, replacing Brazil’s Marcelo Melo at the summit of the team game.

After weeks of no comment, in the end the prospect of becoming the 49th doubles No. 1 was taken out of Mahut’s hands. On Saturday, as Marc Lopez and Feliciano Lopez beat Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan for the Roland Garros title, Mahut was 288 miles away preparing for his singles title defence at the Ricoh Open in ‘s-Hertogenbosch.

“I watched the match on television, at the end of the second set I thought the Bryans would win,” Mahut told ATPWorldTour.com. “But the broadcast ended and I then followed the score on the internet and via relatives.”

Guy Forget (No. 3), Michael Llodra (No. 3), Julien Benneteau (No. 5), Henri Leconte (No. 6) and Fabrice Santoro (No. 6) were all never able to follow in the footsteps of Yannick Noah, the last French player at No. 1 in August 1987. Today, officially, it’s Mahut’s fate.

“There was a mixture of pride and fulfillment on learning that the Spaniards had won,” said Mahut, who has been in sensational form this year with partner Pierre-Hugues Herbert. “Although it’s not the same as singles, you’re the first in your discipline. I realise how hard it is to become No. 1. [Mika] Llodra, Santoro and other great French champions did not make it. It’s a special feeling.”

After dinner with Paul-Henri Mathieu on Saturday night, Mahut was able to call his wife, Virginie, and former players and coaches, who had been part of the journey. “Now that it’s done, it will free us,” said Mahut. “Unconsciously, it added more pressure. Pierre-Hugues and I can start over and look to tournament goals again.”

Over the past 18 months, Mahut and Herbert have reached eight finals, captured the 2015 US Open (d. Murray-Peers) and recently won three straight ATP World Tour Masters 1000 trophies at the BNP Paribas Open (d. Pospisil-Sock), the Miami Open presented by Itau (d. Klaasen-Ram) and the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters (d. Murray-Soares).

It could have been so different. Mahut’s career falls into two chapters: pre- and post- ‘The Longest Match’.

It’s now almost six years since Mahut was the valiant loser against John Isner in an 11-hour, five-minute three-day record-breaking match at 2010 Wimbledon. It brought instant recognition for both players, a high point for Mahut, 10 years on from an excellent junior career.

But what next?

“Nicolas had a career before his match against Isner at Wimbledon and a second career after that match,” good friend Fabrice Santoro told ATPWorldTour.com. “Even though he lost that one, people started to talk about this completely crazy match. And that loss gave him confidence.”

For a long time, ice packs compressed onto Mahut’s knees or elbows were a regular sight at tournaments. The problems hindered his progress, but the smart and amiable Frenchman never gave up. With the birth of his son, Natanel, in August 2011, also came the death of a nephew. Yet he continued to graft.

Since turning 30, the classic serve-volleyer has picked up three ATP World Tour grass-court singles titles and 11 doubles crowns. Questions about 2010 Wimbledon have subsided.

Today, at 34 years of age, Mahut adds another line to the history books: a Frenchman at No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Doubles Rankings. Congratulations, Nico.

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Djokovic Beats Murray To Claim Roland Garros 2016 Crown

  • Posted: Jun 06, 2016

Djokovic Beats Murray To Claim Roland Garros 2016 Crown

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French Open win a 'beautiful moment' – Novak Djokovic

  • Posted: Jun 06, 2016

World number one Novak Djokovic says winning the French Open is one of the “most beautiful moments” of his career, as he becomes the eighth man to have claimed all four of the sport’s Grand Slam titles.

WATCH MORE: Andy Murray needs ‘rest’ after French Open defeat

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Konta reaches highest career ranking of 18

  • Posted: Jun 06, 2016

Johanna Konta has reached her highest career ranking of 18, the first British woman to break into the top 20 since Jo Durie in 1983.

The British number one moved up three places despite losing to German Julia Goerges in the French Open first round.

Durie, who won two WTA singles titles in 1983, achieved a career-high ranking of five a year later.

Konta, 25, faces American Victoria Duval in the first round of the Nottingham Open on Monday at 12:00 BST.

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