Luxembourg’s Gilles Muller got the better of Italian Andreas Seppi for the fourth successive time on Thursday for a place in the Diema Xtra Sofia Open quarter-finals. In a tense seventh FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting, third seed Muller struck 23 aces to edge past Seppi 4-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(2) in two hours and 34 minutes. "To play Andy is never easy; he's a great competitor," said Muller. "In a close match like that, you have be lucky, and luck was a little bit on my side at the end. Overall, I'm happy with my performance." When asked about his comeback from a set down, Muller added, "You just have to hang in there. I had a few chances to come back...
Second seed Gilles Muller started his campaign to retain the Sydney International title on Wednesday with a gritty 7-6(5), 6-4 victory over Australian wild card John Millman. Muller, who was broken in the third game, saved two set points on Millman’s serve at 4-5 and later grew in confidence at the scene of his first ATP World Tour crown 12 months ago. The 34-year-old Luxembourg native broke for a 3-2 lead in the second set, and although he could not convert one match point at 5-3, with Millman serving at 40/30, minutes later he completed the one-hour and 36-minute victory. “I was looking forward for a long time to come back,” said Muller, afterwards. “I was very happy when I...
Watch highlights as defending champion Gilles Muller beats Aussie John Millman at the 2018 Sydney International. Video courtesy Tennis Australia. Visit sydneyinternational.com.au for more video. Playback not available in Australia. Getty Images photo.
At every barrier Gilles Muller crossed during his career-best 2017 – the usual ups and downs of a season, the elbow injury and the mental wear of it all – the left-hander had two people on his mind: Lenny, 6, and Nils, 5 – his two sons. Ever since the boys were born, Muller had sought to share tennis with them. The Luxembourg native wanted to extend his career long enough so that he would still be playing at a high level once Lenny and Nils were old enough to remember Dad's tennis life. Read & Watch: Muller's First Title Like A Movie “I always wanted to see them in the stands, watching me play,” Muller exclusively told ATPWorldTour.com. A...
Continuing our Season In Review series, ATPWorldTour.com pays tribute to the first-time winners of the 2017 season. In part one of our two-part series, we look at the year's first four first-time winners. Gilles Muller – Sydney [First-Time Winner Spotlight] It was one of the warmest moments of the 2017 ATP World Tour season. A hard-working and well-liked veteran, with his wife and two young sons in the stands, crying after a career triumph he thought might never come. Gilles Muller had lost his first five ATP World Tour finals. In 2016, the left-hander held three championship points against Ivo Karlovic at the Dell Technologies Hall of Fame Open in Newport, but lost them all. The 33-year-old from Luxembourg wondered...
