Top-seeded Grigor Dimitrov moved closer to securing his first appearance in the Nitto ATP Finals with a tightly contested victory over qualifier Jerzy Janowicz, 7-5, 7-6(5) in the second round of the Intrum Stockholm Open on Thursday. The 2013 champion struck nine aces and dropped just five points on his first serve to triumph and begin his campaign toward another title in Sweden. “I knew it was going to come down to a few points in the first or the second set,” said Dimitrov, who entered the match holding a 2-2 record in his FedEx ATP Head2Head series against Janowicz. “He’s a super-talented player, especially indoors. He served unbelievable, so I was struggling quite a bit to find my way...
Karen Khachanov will compete at the Next Gen ATP Finals next month, joining fellow Russian Andrey Rublev and Alexander Zverev of Germany at the inaugural event, to be held 7-11 November in Milan. Khachanov qualified based on results at ATP World Tour 250 events on Thursday. Buy Tickets Now The 20-year-old Moscow native has received rave reviews from the tennis world this year, his second season on the ATP World Tour. The 6'6” right-hander has reminded longtime tennis fans and pundits of another big-hitting and quick-moving Russian, 6'4” Marat Safin, who reached No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings and won 15 tour-level titles before retiring in November 2009. Khachanov celebrated his first ATP World Tour title more than a...
Germany not only welcomed a new ATP Challenger Tour event this week in Ismaning, but an all-time great paid a visit to the tournament, too. Boris Becker, the new Head of Men's Tennis for the German Federation, visited Ismaning for a press conference earlier this week to discuss the future of tennis in his native Germany, and the importance of a Challenger event like the inaugural Wolffkran Open in developing talent. “We now have eight players among the Top 100 and players who are also capable of reaching the second round of Grand Slams,” said Becker, who was joined by German Davis Cup captain Michael Kohlmann, tournament director Dr. Peter Aurnhammer and the event’s third seed, Yannick Hanfmann. “As Head...
South African Kevin Anderson stepped up his bid on Thursday for one of the four remaining places at the Nitto ATP Finals when he knocked out #NextGenATP South Korean Hyeon Chung 6-3, 6-2 for a place in the Intrum Stockholm Open quarter-finals. The second seed struck 18 aces and won 28 of his 32 first-service points to improve to a 32-18 mark on the season. “In the beginning I felt I was hitting the ball great and I was creating opportunities,” said Anderson. “He was hanging in there and it took me quite a few attempts to break serve. He defends so well and is a great athlete, so for me to come off the court with that scoreline feels...
