He might have preferred a tidier match, but Alexander Zverev will definitely be happy with his result from the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC in Acapulco on Wednesday. The second seed saved three set points in the first set and eventually overcame countryman Peter Gojowczyk 7-6(6), 6-3 to move into the quarter-finals in Mexico. Zverev was serving at 5-6 in the first set but fell behind 15/40 only to save both set points, and in the tie-break, he erased another set point at 5/6. A break at 4-3 in the second set sealed the match. [ALSO LIKE] The World No. 5 converted both of his break-point chances while erasing eight of the nine break points he faced. Gojowczyk had...
The sun rises. The tax bill comes due. And Pablo Cuevas wins at the Brasil Open. Such things seem to be guaranteed these days. The Uruguayan stretched his winning streak to 14 matches in Sao Paulo on Wednesday, beating Austrian Sebastian Ofner 6-4, 7-6(4) to make the quarter-finals. “I'm so happy to win today... I feel fantastic. I have very good memories in Sao Paulo,” Cuevas said. [ALSO LIKE] The reigning three-time champion dropped only three first-serve points (32/35) and will next meet fifth seed Leonardo Mayer, who advanced to his third Brasil Open quarter-final (2012, 2015) with a 7-5, 6-4 win against fellow Argentine Carlos Berlocq. Mayer will try to reach his first Sao Paulo semi-final. “I'm very happy...
In the locker room, where players let down their guard and opinions often fly around, there has been an animated, yet sensitive presence, well versed over the past 20 years as a player, a diplomat and as an ambassador. Today, as Andre Sa transitions from playing to a coaching career, charged with overseeing his compatriot, Thomaz Bellucci, a political future — inside the sport he’s played for the past 32 years — has been mapped out. For four years, Sa was a knowledgeable, perceptive and respected advocate for the development of tennis on the ATP Player Council between 2012 and 2016, a period highlighted by greater prize money distribution at Grand Slams, ATP Challenger Tour and player pension enhancements, and...
Former champion Dominic Thiem looked like a hard-court king on Wednesday. The 2016 Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC champion dismissed #NextGenATP Canadian Denis Shapovalov 6-2, 6-3 in just 75 minutes. The third seed won 77 per cent of his service points and didn't face a break point. Thiem also benefitted from 20 unforced errors from the left-handed Shapovalov. “I'm very happy because... everybody knows how good he can play and how dangerous he is, but I kept him kind of down from the first point on, and it was really good,” Thiem said. “I was really on from the first point... Today was almost perfect.” [ALSO LIKE] The Austrian has won nine ATP World Tour titles – seven of...
Juan Martin del Potro arrived in a cheerful mood, even if he was a little out of his comfort zone. The Argentine, more at ease on the court than in the stands, took his place in a box suite at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel, where the sixth seed is set to play his second-round match against David Ferrer on Wednesday. From his vantage point, del Potro could view the practice matches taking place down below. The likes of past winners Rafael Nadal, Carlos Moya, David Ferrer and Sam Querrey were on court. The Pacific Ocean was also in sight. The view of Acapulco was captivating, but del Potro still made time to answer media questions, including those from ATPWorldTour.com. How...