Gael Monfils survived an injury scare, then finished strongly to down fellow Frenchman Gilles Simon 6-1, 6-4 and book a spot in the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships 2016 quarter-finals on Thursday. Monfils earned only his second victory in eight FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings with Simon, and snapped a four-match losing streak against his good friend. “In the second set, Gilles started to run a lot better. He played really great for four games or so and I knew I needed to be patient for his level to come back down a bit,” Monfils said. “At the same time, I still needed to be the aggressor. I’ve made improvements mentally, physically and technically this year, and that helped me today...
In order to run a world-class tennis tournament like the $125,000 ATP Challenger Tour event in Mons, Belgium, it helps to have someone in charge that has played in many of them. Enter Dominique Monami. During her 10-year career, she peaked at No. 9 in the WTA rankings in 1998 and won four singles titles. Since moving on to become the tournament director at the Ethias Trophy, she’s drawn from her time on tour to offer everything that a player could need during their week in Mons. The tournament debuted in 2005 and with her help, was selected as a 2015 Challenger of the Year (along with events in Braunschweig, Germany, and Monterrey, Mexico). Not only has it become one...
After graduating from college this year, Sem Verbeek is now ready to graduate onto a pro tennis career. The 22 year old from the Netherlands took another step towards that at this week’s $100,000 ATP Challenger Tour event in Stockton, California. Verbeek received a main draw wild card for his success as a player at Stockton-based University of the Pacific and fittingly drew reigning NCAA champion Mackenzie McDonald in the first round. Although he lost in straight sets on Tuesday, he said the match was an experience that will serve him well. “Coming home is always a great experience, especially getting to play at this level. There’s a lot to learn, but that’s what makes these matches exciting,” said Verbeek....
Watch highlights of Andy Murray, Alexander Zverev and others in Wednesday action at the China Open. Watch live tennis at tennistv.com. Photo: Getty Images
Top seed Andy Murray of Great Britain advanced to the final eight of the China Open after dismissing Russia’s Andrey Kuznetsov 6-2, 6-1 on Wednesday evening. The 2014 semifinalist (l. to Djokovic) won 81 per cent of first-serve points and broke his opponent seven times during the 76-minute encounter. By reaching his 11th quarter-final of the season, Murray improves to a 57-9 match record — the most wins on the ATP World Tour this season. Along the way, he picked up four titles: Rome (d. Djokovic), London/Queen’s Club (d. Raonic), the Rio Olympics (d. del Potro), and his second Wimbledon crown (d. Raonic). He next faces countryman Kyle Edmund, who dismissed Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in their...
