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Tag: Downs

  • 22-Year-Old Downs Idol Monfils In Phoenix

    22-Year-Old Downs Idol Monfils In Phoenix

    A busy Thursday at the Arizona Tennis Classic saw Alexander Shevchenko score a win that he won’t soon forget. The 22-year-old ousted French wild card Gael Monfils in the first round of the Phoenix Challenger 6-4, 6-7(2), 6-3.

    Post match, the qualifier Shevchenko posted on Instagram a message sharing his admiration for the former World No. 6.

    “Such an emotional match for me,” Shevchenko said. “[Gael] was the reason I fell in love with the game.”

    Shevchenko is coached by Gunter Bresnik, who has worked with prominent players such as Boris Becker, Patrick McEnroe, Dominic Thiem, and fittingly—Monfils.

    After sleeping on a 2-0 lead in the deciding set following rain suspending Wednesday’s play, Shevchenko held his nerve in the closing stages to advance at the Challenger 175 event.

    In other opening-round action Thursday, top seed Matteo Berrettini won 28 of 33 first serve points to defeat countryman and lucky loser Mattia Bellucci 6-4, 6-4. The 2019 Phoenix Challenger champion will next meet Aussie qualifier Aleksandar Vukic on Friday afternoon.

     

    “I’m really happy to be here and get the win, great start,” Berrettini said. “I came here to make a long run and play as many matches as possible.”

    With crowd support behind him at the Phoenix Country Club, American Aleksandar Kovacevic was firing on all cylinders en route to 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(6) victory against Christopher O’Connell. Currently World No. 104 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, Kovacevic could rise into the Top 100 should he beat third seed Richard Gasquet.

    Earlier in the day, eighth seed Emil Ruusuvuori cruised past Roberto Carballes Baena 6-3, 6-0. The Finn will meet Quentin Halys in the second round.

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  • Fritz Reaches SFs In Turin, Downs Felix In Winner-Takes-All Clash

    Fritz Reaches SFs In Turin, Downs Felix In Winner-Takes-All Clash

    With a semi-final spot on the line at the Nitto ATP Finals Thursday, it was Taylor Fritz who rose to the occasion in Turin.

    In a winner-takes-all blockbuster at the Pala Alpitour, the American clawed past Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime 7-6(4), 6-7(5), 6-2 to reach the semi-finals on debut at the prestigious year-end event.

    Both entered the match holding a 1-1 record in Green Group, aiming to join Casper Ruud in the last four. In front of an electric crowd, Fritz effectively executed his aggressive game as he handled the pressure in the crucial moments. He fired 32 winners and outlasted Auger-Aliassime during the heavy-hitting exchanges in the third set, gaining the crucial break at 3-2 in the decider to advance after two hours and 44 minutes.

    “I needed to serve well the whole time, I knew that,” Fritz said. “It was frustrating throughout the match when so many points I was one away from break point. So many times at 15/30, 0/30 when I was returning, I got myself in the points and kept losing the points. I just tried to stay patient and not get frustrated and then I capitalised when I got the chances.”

    The eighth seed was strong on serve throughout the clash, finding his spots to dominate behind his delivery in the fast indoor conditions. The World No. 9 gave Auger-Aliassime few chances on return. He won 88 per cent (50/57) of his first-service points and saved all three break points he faced, roaring in delight when he sealed victory on his first match point.

    “It is huge,” Fritz said when asked about reaching the semi-finals. “From possibly not even qualifying to now be in the semis feels great. I felt like I was going to play well here. I feel that I always play my best tennis against the best players.”

    In an impressive performance, Fritz was clinical when stepping inside the baseline, winning 80 per cent of the points when attacking.

    With his 45th tour-level win of the season, Fritz has improved to 2-0 in his ATP Head2Head series against Auger-Aliassime. Earlier this year, the 25-year-old captured his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title in Indian Wells, before he soared to crowns in Eastbourne and Tokyo.

    Auger-Aliassime, who was making his debut in Turin, finishes the round-robin stage holding a 1-2 record. The 22-year-old lost to Ruud in his opening match before he defeated Nadal. In a standout season, the Canadian captured tour-level trophies in Rotterdam, Florence, Antwerp and Basel, holding a 57-27 record on the year.

  • Draper Downs Felix At Flushing Meadows

    Draper Downs Felix At Flushing Meadows

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    Fast-rising Briton Jack Draper has stunned US Open sixth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in a result that has implications for their respective Milan and Turin qualification hopes.

    Draper’s 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 win over the Canadian Wednesday night further strengthens his commanding lead in fifth spot in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Milan as he closes in on a debut appearance at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals from 8-12 November.

    The result also deals a blow to 2021 US Open semi-finalist Auger-Aliassime’s quest to make his debut at the Nitto ATP Finals. The 22-year-old is sixth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin and had the opportunity to put distance between himself and rivals, including Andrey Rublev and Hubert Hurkacz, with a deep run at Flushing Meadows. Now he is at risk of seeing last year’s Turin qualifiers pass him in the Race this fortnight.

    “Obviously Felix is an incredibly tough opponent, that’s why he’s at the top of the game,” Draper said. “I played a really good match today, a special occasion out here.”

    Making his US Open debut, Draper claimed his second win over a Top-10 player Wednesday, backing up his victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas in Montreal earlier this month.

    Despite making less than half of his first serves, the Briton’s heavy delivery troubled Felix when put in play; the Brit won 36/43 first-serve points. The 20-year-old displayed wide variety from the baseline, including two backhand passing shots to break Felix’s serve in the second and third sets. The Canadian No. 1 only saw three break points – all while Draper was serving for the opening set – but failed to convert. Felix also struggled to find consistency during extended rallies, finishing with 41 unforced errors.

    The left-handed Draper, 9-2 in his past 11 matches, rises to No. 46 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, a vast improvement from 12 months ago, when the youngster was No. 272.

    “I’ve put in a lot of hard work the last few years. I’ve been unfortunate with injuries at a young age, I grew very quickly. I always had the tennis abilities, it’s been about staying fit and staying on court.”

    Draper joins countrymen Cameron Norrie and Andy Murray in the third round at Flushing Meadows. Daniel Evans will attempt to become the fourth Briton in the third round when he meets Australian James Duckworth Thursday.

    The #NextGenATP star Draper will face 27th seed Karen Khachanov, who defeated Brazil’s Thiago Monteiro in four sets, in the third round Friday.

      

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