Kenya's Okutoyi not giving up on Olympic tennis dream
Kenyan tennis player Angella Okutoyi has launched an appeal to organisers in a bid to feature at the Paris Olympic Games.
Kenyan tennis player Angella Okutoyi has launched an appeal to organisers in a bid to feature at the Paris Olympic Games.
Emil Ruusuvuori continues to thrive in the role of spoiler on British soil. The Finn extended his perfect record against British players in Great Britain to 6-0 Tuesday at the Rothesay International with a 7-6(9), 6-3 win against Cameron Norrie in the Eastbourne opening round.
The 25-year-old snapped a five-match grass-court losing streak (including matches on the ATP Challenger Tour) by improving to 10-3 against Brits at all levels and 2-1 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head against Norrie.
“Cam is one of the toughest players out there,” the Finn said post-match. “But playing a Brit here is good. I got on centre court and just tried to enjoy it. I played a very good level today in tough moments, so it was very good.”
[ATP APP]Ruusuvuori saved all seven break points against him, according to Infosys ATP Stats, including two as he served out the match. He also saved two set points in an extended opening-set tie-break before snatching the lone break of the match in the sixth game of set two. The Finn lost just two points on second serve (16/18), winning those points at an 89 per cent clip in the 95-minute match.
He will next meet China’s Shang Juncheng, who beat Tomas Martin Etcheverry 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(4) on Monday.
Thiago Seyboth Wild also advanced early on Tuesday with a 6-4, 6-4 win against Aussie John McCabe. The Brazilian saved five of six break points in the victory to set up a second-round showdown with top seed Taylor Fritz.
This Hustle from @gileshussey 🚀😮💨@the_LTA | #RothesayInternational pic.twitter.com/Hj6AkmKuuG
— ATP Tour (@atptour) June 25, 2024
Great Britain’s Giles Hussey earned a win on home soil in his tour-level debut, upsetting sixth seed Mariano Navone 6-4, 6-2. The 27-year-old lucky loser picked up his second victory against an opponent inside the Top 100 of the PIF ATP Rankings this week; he beat World No. 98 Arthur Cazaux in the first round of qualifying before losing to Shang.
Hussey will next meet Flavio Cobolli, a 6-4, 7-5 winner against Arthur Rinderknech. Lorenzo Sonego (d. Henry Searle), Miomir Kecmanovic (d. Zhang Zhizhen) and Yoshihito Nishioka (d. Liam Broady) also advanced in straight sets Tuesday.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Cameron Norrie’s disappointing season continues with a first-round defeat by Emil Ruusuvuori at Eastbourne.
British number ones Katie Boulter and Jack Draper are both seeded at Wimbledon for the first time – this is how they got there.
Jay Clarke denies former world number eight Diego Schwartzman one final trip to Wimbledon by beating him in straight sets in the first round of qualifying.
Emma Raducanu has “rekindled” her love for tennis in recent weeks as she prepares to take on Sloane Stephens at Eastbourne.
Gael Monfils rode an outstanding day on serve to snap a six-match losing streak against Dominic Thiem at the Mallorca Championships presented by Waterdrop.
Monfils came into the match with an 0-6 Lexus ATP Head2Head record against the Austrian, but fired 13 aces, won 90 per cent of first-serve points and did not face a break point en route to a 6-3, 7-6(3) win.
[ATP APP]The 37-year-old Frenchman advances to play Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena, who defeated countryman Pablo Carreno Busta in a third-set tie-break on Sunday. Improving to 14-13 on the year, Monfils seeks to reach his first quarter-final since making the Doha semi-finals in February.
“Today was a good match, I served good,” Monfils said.
Thiem, who has announced that the 2024 season will be his last, was acknowledged by the tournament during a brief post-match ceremony. “I have been here many times before the tournament and twice for the tournament and it has been great,” Thiem said. “I’m really looking forward to coming back to this nice club to watch the tournament in the future.”
Earlier, Italian veteran Fabio Fognini saved three of four break points faced to defeat Dutch lucky loser Gijs Brouwer 7-6(4), 7-6(5).
Australian Rinky Hijikata, who comes into the week just five places below his career-high PIF ATP Ranking of 70 after last week reaching the Queen’s quarter-finals, defeated Luca Nardi 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 after seeing the Italian save 14 of 18 break points faced.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]
Novak Djokovic says he will only play at this year’s Wimbledon if he can “fight for the title”.
#NextGenATP star Shang Juncheng earned victory in his first tour-level grass-court match on Monday at the Rothesay International, where he moved past seventh seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(4).
The 19-year-old qualifier fired 39 winners and hung tough in the third-set tie-break to advance after two hours and 27 minutes.
The Chinese lefty, who sealed victory with a forehand winner, now holds a 9-10 record against Top 50 opponents. Shang, currently third in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah, plays Cameron Norrie or Emil Ruusuvuori in the second round.
[ATP APP]American Marcos Giron continued his strong start to the grass season when he took out fifth seed and defending champion Francisco Cerundolo 7-6(5), 7-6(4)
Giron last week defeated former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini en route to the Halle quarter-finals after beginning the swing with victory over two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray in Stuttgart, where he pushed eventual champion Jack Draper to three sets.
Giron, who is 15-15 on the season, is now just one spot away from his career-high PIF ATP Live Ranking of No. 44. Against Cerundolo the California native dropped just five points on first serve and won 70 per cent of second serves.
British wild card Billy Harris backed up last week’s run to the quarter-finals at Queen’s by reaching the second round in Eastbourne. The 29-year-old downed countryman Jacob Fearnley 6-4, 7-6(7).
Harris is competing at a career-high No. 139 in the PIF ATP Rankings after reaching his first tour-level quarter-final in London. He will next meet Queen’s champion Tommy Paul.
Australian lucky loser Aleksandar Vukic beat Hungarian Fabian Marozsan 6-2, 6-4. Vukic advanced to the last eight on grass at the ATP 250 event in ‘s-Hertogenbosch earlier this month. Vukic next plays third seed Alexander Bublik
Australian Max Purcell defeated Serbian Laslo Djere 6-1, 4-6, 6-3. Purcell struck 10 aces according to Infosys ATP Stats to advance after two hours. With his win, the 2021 semi-finalist snapped a four-match losing streak.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic and more of the world’s biggest stars have arrived at Wimbledon to begin their preparation for the grass-court major.
Alcaraz, the defending champion, will try to secure his second consecutive Grand Slam title after lifting the Coupe des Mousquetaires at Roland Garros. The No. 3 player in the PIF ATP Rankings was working hard on the practice court Monday under the watchful eye of Samuel Lopez.
[ATP APP]Alcaraz began his grass-court season at the cinch Championships in London, where he lost in the second round to in-form Briton Jack Draper. The Spaniard is 17-3 in tour-level grass-court matches according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index.
<img src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/06/24/14/59/djokovic-wimbledon-2024-practice.jpg” style=”width:100%;” alt=”Novak Djokovic” />
Photo: John Walton/PA Images via Getty Images
Seven-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic has also arrived at The Championships.
The Serbian has been working hard following recent knee surgery. Djokovic withdrew ahead of the Roland Garros quarter-finals due to a meniscus tear in his right knee.
One year ago, Alcaraz defeated Djokovic in a memorable Wimbledon final. The players, who have shared five Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings (Djokovic leads 3-2) embraced Monday at the tournament site one week before the action begins.
Djokovic moved ahead of Alcaraz in the No. 2 spot in the PIF ATP Rankings this week after the Spaniard’s early loss at Queen’s. Jannik Sinner will enter the tournament as World No. 1 and as the top seed at a major for the first time in his career.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]A familiar embrace, one year on from the 2023 Gentlemen’s Singles final 🤝<a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/Wimbledon?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#Wimbledon | @DjokerNole | @carlosalcaraz pic.twitter.com/R50cIyNlrA
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) <a href=”https://twitter.com/Wimbledon/status/1805246417218187751?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>June 24, 2024