Alexandr Dolgopolov saved two match points to oust fifth seed Karen Khachanov 7-6(5), 3-6, 7-6(2) and reach the semi-finals of the SkiStar Swedish Open on Friday. The 28 year old from Ukraine withstood 20 aces from his #NextGenATP opponent in the match, which clocked in at exactly two hours. "He was serving at 3-0 [in the third set] with a double break and my leg was troubling me a bit on serve," said Dolgopolov. "But the game went my way and I made a fast break and kept it to just one break. I was just playing my game, relaxed, not expecting anything because I was down a lot. I wasn't being too tough on myself and it just went...
Former World No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero has joined the coaching team of Alexander Zverev. The 20-year-old Zverev is also coached by his father, Alexander Zverev Sr. Ferrero has been in the United States with Zverev since the middle of July, consulting during the training sessions of the #NextGenATP star as he prepares for the US Open Series. After two weeks of preparation together on the American hard courts, Ferrero, who reached the US Open final in 2003 (l. to Roddick), will accompany Zverev to the ATP World Tour 500 tournament in Washington, which begins on 31 July. "Zverev is a different player, he has the manner of a champion," said Ferrero, speaking from his Equelite Academy. The Spaniard held...
Peter Gojowczyk ousted Dell Technologies Hall of Fame Open defending champion and second seed Ivo Karlovic, saving a match point en route to a tight 7-6(5), 6-7(1), 7-6(4) victory on Thursday. "I'm very happy. It's my second [semi-final]," said Gojowczyk. "I was once in 2013 in Doha. I was there, playing well, too, and now I'm here in Newport and enjoying it." The 28-year-old German withstood 30 aces from his Croatian opponent and saved all three break points he faced to advance to the semi-finals after two hours and 26 minutes. Gojowczyk improved his FedEx ATP Head2Head record against Karlovic to 2-0. "In the end it didn't go my way. That's life, that's tennis. That's how it goes sometimes," said Karlovic,...
Matthew Ebden has never experienced a run like it. The 29-year-old Aussie won his fifth match in as many days on Thursday to reach his first ATP World Tour semi-final at the Dell Technologies Hall of Fame Open in Newport. After his big win against German Tobias Kamke, Ebden, who reached a career-high No. 61 in the Emirates ATP Rankings in 2012 and 2014, sat down with ATPWorldTour.com to talk about his “ATP Firsts”. First coach and most important lesson he taught me Coach Alf Neal. We always used to have a lot of fun, playing games and competitive games. I just remember one thing, on the volley he used to say, “Stop.” Like a stop sign, you know when...
If you were one of the best in the world at one part of your job, but you really wanted to pursue another aspect, in which you were very good but still growing and learning, which would you choose? For now, Pierre-Hugues Herbert chooses both – doubles, in which he's won nine titles, including four ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crowns – and singles, in which he's reached an ATP World Tour final and is No. 72 in the Emirates ATP Rankings but eager to climb. “It's not an easy thing. Playing both is really tough. Every week you're playing two tournaments,” Herbert said. “And it's not easy to choose the tournaments you want to play.” This week, the 26-year-old...
