AUSTRALIA 2, USA 0 Venue: Pat Rafter Arena, Brisbane, AUS (hard - outdoor) Nick Kyrgios earned Australia a commanding 2-0 lead over the United States in the Davis Cup quarter-finals on Friday courtesy of a 7-5, 7-6(5), 7-6(5) victory against John Isner in Brisbane. The 21-year-old Aussie broke Isner twice in the two-hour and 24-minute contest and out-aced the 6'10” American, 20 to 15. Kyrgios improves to 2-2 against Isner in their FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry. “That was a lot of fun. The crowd was unbelievable,” Kyrgios said. Earlier on Friday, World No. 79 Jordan Thompson gave the hosts a perfect start with a 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-4 triumph over World No. 15 Jack Sock, who was coming off a...
Davis Cup action resumes this weekend with four World Group quarter-final ties. World No. 2 Novak Djokovic looks to continue his Davis Cup success, while Belgium continues their quest for a first title. SERBIA vs. SPAIN Aleksandar Nikolic Arena, Belgrade, Serbia (Indoor Hard) After a right elbow injury forced him to withdraw from Miami, Djokovic has declared himself fit and ready to go for this tie against Spain. He and Viktor Troicki will be tested thoroughly against a tough Spanish squad led by Pablo Carreno Busta and Albert Ramos-Vinolas. Djokovic has not dropped a set in his FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalries against Carreno Busta (1-0) and Ramos-Vinolas (2-0). However, Ramos-Vinolas leads his FedEx ATP Head2Head with Troicki 2-0. Spain defeated...
The season is only three months old but there's already a plethora of storylines to track. Here are the top seven stories of 2017 so far: 1. Roger Federer's Surprise Start Federer, arguably the greatest player of all-time, has been the story of 2017. The Swiss star is still bringing his love for tennis that has helped millions of fans adore him. But Federer's ability to change might be the most impressive detail about his comeback so far. The right-hander has surprised and impressed most with his new flattened-out backhand, aided by his bigger, 97-inch racquet. Heck, the fact that Federer still wants to tinker with his game – at 35 years old, in his 20th year on tour and...
The first quarter of 2017 is in the books, so let's see who had the hot hand to start the new year. The big picture clearly shows Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal out in front in the Emirates ATP Race To London. But what about the specifics of serving, returning and elevating in the pressure moments? That’s where the specific metrics of our game step in to paint a clearer picture. An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of the first quarter identifies four players who are outperforming their peers, laying the foundation for a rise up the Emirates ATP Rankings this season. No. 1 Service Games Won = Nick Kyrgios 93.3% (208/223) Ivo Karlovic has been the leader in...
The very best parts of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal's FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry will remain unquantifiable forever. How their games have evolved throughout their careers. The passion they share for tennis. The feelings of excitement they've provided millions of fans during the past two decades. But certain aspects of their rivalry, one of the best in all of sport, can be counted. And when you've played each other 37 times over 14 years and your match-ups have decided 23 tour-level titles, the numbers add up quickly. To begin: They've spent a lot of time together. Nadal and Federer have been on court together for the equivalent of almost four full days – three days, 17 hours and 16 minutes,...