Max Mirnyi, who is contesting his 25th season as pro, recorded his 1,000th overall match win — both in singles and doubles — on Friday when he partnered Philipp Oswald to the ASB Classic final. The 40-year-old Belarusian has now notched 756 doubles victories and 244 as a singles player. He has a 50-44 record in doubles title matches, with his lone singles crown coming at the 2003 ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament (d. Sluiter). Mirnyi and Oswald booked their places in a second ATP World Tour final as a team (2017 VTB Kremlin Cup) with a 7-6(7), 7-6(6) victory over second seeds Raven Klaasen and Michael Venus in one hour and 39 minutes. They will take on the in-form...
Juan Martin del Potro, the charismatic Argentinean star, earned a shot at winning his second ASB Classic trophy on Friday after coming through a keenly contested 11th meeting against four-time former champion David Ferrer. Already assured of a return to the Top 10 in the ATP Rankings on Monday, the second seed played with great focus to beat seventh-seeded Ferrer 6-4, 6-4 over one hour and 46 minutes in the Auckland semi-finals. The 29-year-old will now play 2016 champion Roberto Bautista Agut, the fifth seed, in their fifth hard-court meeting. Del Potro, who leads their series 3-1, has won their past three FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings. “I’m happy to have reached the final again, playing good tennis against one of...
The crowd didn't want it to end. Fifth seed Roberto Bautista Agut and Dutchman Robin Haase fought for two hours and 52 minutes at the ASB Classic in Auckland on Friday. There were frequent momentum swings and plenty of “Are you kidding me?” hot shots. [ALSO LIKE] The semi-final had it all, including an epic match point, when Bautista Agut floated a backhand lob that touched the baseline to clinch his 6-7(7), 7-6(3), 7-6(5) victory. “When I saw the ball in, I went crazy,” said Bautista Agut, who fell to a knee in celebration. “I'm so happy that I won... It was an unbelievable battle on the court.” "The end was unbelievable, no?" Yes, it was. #ASBClassic pic.twitter.com/dMlqI7lhA3 — Tennis...
Juan Martin del Potro, who will return to the Top 10 of the ATP Rankings for the first time since August 2014 next week, swept through to the ASB Classic semi-finals on Thursday night. The popular Argentinean star, competing this week at the ATP World Tour 250 tournament for the first time since his 2009 title (d. Querrey), struck 11 aces and didn’t face a break point in a 7-6(4), 6-3 victory over Russian Karen Khachanov in one hour and 33 minutes. "I took all of my chances and I played solidly on my service games," said del Potro. "I ran a lot today, more than yesterday, which is good for my physical condition and I’m sure I will run...
For the eighth time in 13 attempts, David Ferrer is among the last four standing at the ASB Classic in Auckland. The four-time champion routed Next Gen ATP Finals champion Hyeon Chung on Thursday 6-3, 6-2 to advance to the semi-finals. Ferrer has yet to drop a set in Auckland this week and is looking very much like the Ferrer of 2007, 2011, 2012 and 2013, the four years he took home the Auckland trophy. “I tried to play consistent and aggressive because with Chung, he plays with power, and it's never easy,” Ferrer said on court. “He has a really great future.” [ALSO LIKE] Ferrer broke the 21-year-old South Korean five times during the 75-minute victory. The seventh-seeded Spaniard...
