Juan Martin del Potro believes he is gaining momentum on clay, despite a third-round exit on Thursday at the Mutua Madrid Open. “I'm feeling good,” said Del Potro, who returned this week to the ATP World Tour for the first time since late March. “It's not the same to be training than to be competing. That's why two matches perhaps are not too much, but for me it's okay. I think I am getting some momentum.” The popular Argentine remained positive after a 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(6) loss to Serbian qualifier Dusan Lajovic at the Caja Magica, and now travels to compete at next week’s Internazionali BNL d’Italia. [ALSO LIKE] “I think there are always positive things that you can take...
Alexander Zverev showed no signs of fatigue on Thursday in a business-like performance to reach the Mutua Madrid Open quarter-finals for the second consecutive year. Second seed Zverev out-hit and overpowered Leonardo Mayer of Argentina 6-4, 6-1 in 70 minutes. [ALSO LIKE] The German, who has now won nine of his past 10 matches, arrived in the Spanish capital on the back of lifting his seventh ATP World Tour title at the BMW Open by FWU (d. Kohlschreiber). He completed his opening win at the Caja Magica against Russian qualifier Evgeny Donskoy at 12:15 a.m. local time on Thursday. Zverev set up a Friday encounter against seventh-seeded American John Isner, who hit 32 aces to beat Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay...
For Rafael Nadal, the formula has been simple thus far during the clay season — step on the court, play excellent tennis, win matches and break records. After claiming historic 11th titles at Monte-Carlo and Barcelona, the World No. 1 has not stopped. Nadal extended the number of consecutive sets he was won on clay to 50 with his victory at the Mutua Madrid Open on Thursday, defeating No. 13 seed Diego Schwartzman 6-3, 6-4 to eclipse John McEnroe’s Open Era record of 49 straight sets won on a single surface (carpet, 1984). "I really don't think much about that. All these things, probably after I finish my career will be the time to think about it," Nadal said. "I...
It was not completely shocking that Serbian Dusan Lajovic, who had never beaten a Top 10 opponent (0-10), was nervous as he served on his second match point against one of the hottest players on the ATP World Tour. But Lajovic played a patient baseline rally at 7/6 in the third set tie-break to outlast Juan Martin del Potro, the recent BNP Paribas Open champion, to send shockwaves through the Caja Mágica and clinch the biggest win of his career, a 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(6) victory. Lajovic will look for his second Top 10 win in the quarter-finals against South African Kevin Anderson. "It's for sure my best win, and definitely one of the best matches I've played. I really felt...
Denis Shapovalov took a big career step on Thursday when he beat compatriot Milos Raonic, Canada’s No. 1 since 2010, in a first-time meeting at the Mutua Madrid Open for a place in the quarter-finals. It denied Raonic the 300th match win of his career. Shapovalov belied his 19 years, playing with great maturity to beat fellow big-server Raonic 6-4, 6-4 in 82 minutes. He is through to his second ATP World Tour Masters 1000 quarter-final, nine months on from upsetting Rafael Nadal en route to the 2017 Rogers Cup semi-finals in Montreal. “[It was] definitely one of my best days on clay,” said Shapovalov. “To be on the court against such a legend for me, and for my country,...
