Hyeon Chung, No. 58 in the ATP Rankings, and Tennys Sandgren, No. 97, will play in the Australian Open quarter-finals. Raise your hand if you had that penciled into your men's draw before the fortnight began. Yeah, didn't think so. The unlikely runs of Chung and Sandgren have captivated audiences across the globe, as Koreans and Americans have clung to their computers and televisions to cheer on their respective compatriot. Chung became the first South Korean – male or female – to reach a quarter-final of a Grand Slam when he upset 14th seed and six-time former champion Novak Djokovic in the fourth round. “I'm just looking for Novak, Roger, Rafa. They're all my role models, my idols. I'm just...
It was a historic resurgence in 2017 for Rafael Nadal, who became the oldest player in history to finish atop the ATP Rankings, claiming the year-end top spot for the fourth time in his career at age 31. But the top seed can make more history at Melbourne Park, as he tries to become the first player in the Open Era to win all four Grand Slam titles twice, which he can finish off with a win at this Australian Open. But the Spaniard will have his work cut out for him in the quarter-finals against one of the other two Grand Slam champions left in the draw — No. 6 seed Marin Cilic. View FedEx ATP Head2Head for the...
There are few who will be surprised that 2017 Nitto ATP Finals champion Grigor Dimitrov is into the quarter-finals at the Australian Open. After making his mark at Melbourne Park in 2017 in an epic five-setter in the semi-finals against Rafael Nadal, the Bulgarian went on to have a career season on the ATP World Tour, winning his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati, triumphing at the season finale in London and climbing to a career-best No. 3 in the ATP Rankings. But before the tournament, few could have expected that World No. 49 Kyle Edmund, who had only once previously advanced to the fourth round of a Grand Slam championship, would make his way to the...
In the years to come, Grigor Dimitrov and Nick Kyrgios may meet for Grand Slam titles. But on Sunday, two of the most talented players on the ATP World Tour will face off for a spot in the quarter-finals at the Australian Open. Dimitrov won what was at the time the biggest title of his career at last August's Western & Southern Open by defeating Kyrgios — claiming his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title. However, Kyrgios has arguably seized momentum in the rivalry — despite trailing in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series 1-2 — ahead of their enticing encounter. Just two weeks ago, Kyrgios won his first ATP World Tour title in his home country, Australia, at the...
Before Tennys Sandgren pulled off a headline-grabbing upset at the Australian Open so far, beating 2014 champion Stan Wawrinka on Thursday, the American was already familiar with the Swiss' game. Sandgren sat in a bar just a little over two weeks after he lost in the first round of qualifying at the 2016 US Open, and watched in amazement as Wawrinka hoisted his third Grand Slam trophy. “I was having a few beers. I was watching the tennis,” Sandgren, who at the time had never played a Grand Slam championship main draw, told the press after his second-round match. “That's insane, an inhuman level of tennis.” The 26-year-old’s viewpoint was far different Thursday on Margaret Court Arena, where he broke...
