You might expect Stan Wawrinka to feel frustrated, maybe even upset. Here he is, 31 years old, tennis' retirement age decades ago, and still playing some of the best tennis of his life. On Sunday, Wawrinka played in his fourth ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title match in Indian Wells. Yet his friend and older countryman Roger Federer, who at 35, is four years older, is still finding ways to one-up Wawrinka for the game's biggest trophies. On Sunday, Federer beat Wawrinka 6-4, 7-5 in the BNP Paribas Open final. Wawrinka, though, said he bears no angst against his long-time friend. “No. From that side, I think it's more positive. That means you can still play your best tennis at...
1. NEW CONTENDERS ARE EMERGING FOR NO. 1 RANKING Andy Murray unseated Novak Djokovic this past October for the top spot in the Emirates ATP Rankings, but Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka are showing they may challenge for the top spot this season. While Djokovic and Murray have piles of Emirates ATP Rankings points to defend for the remainder of 2017, Federer has minimal points to defend during the clay-court swing and nothing in the second half of the year. He’s already established himself as the dominant player of 2017 by winning the first Grand Slam and first Masters 1000 title of the year. Meanwhile, Wawrinka’s early exits last year in Masters 1000 events seem to have been halted with...
The incredible comeback continues. Roger Federer won a record-tying fifth BNP Paribas Open crown on Sunday as he defeated Stan Wawrinka 6-4, 7-5 in an all-Swiss final at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. The Swiss endured a six-month injury layoff at the end of 2016, but returned to tour-level action at the start of the season in spectacular fashion, capturing his 18th Grand Slam championship at the Australian Open with a five-set victory over Rafael Nadal. “It’s been just a fairytale week once again,” said Federer. “I’m still on the comeback. I hope my body is going to allow me to keep on playing. I was very sad when I couldn’t come here last year. Just being here is a beautiful...
A LOOK BACK Challenger Banque Nationale Drummondville (Drummondville, Canada): #NextGenATP player Denis Shapovalov delighted the home crowd with his first Challenger title by defeating fourth seed Ruben Bemelmans of Belgium 6-3, 6-2. He is the youngest Challenger winner this year and the first 17-year-old Challenger titlist since Norwegian Casper Ruud prevailed last September in Seville, Spain. Drummondville has become a second home on tour for Shapovalov. having won his first Challenger match there last year and first title today. Shapovalov’s time in Drummondville this year is also projected to push him into the Top 200 of the Emirates ATP Rankings on Monday, making him the youngest player currently in that echelon. Shapovalov is just the third Canadian champion since 2014,...
