Nick Kyrgios can hardly believe the turnaround himself. Three weeks ago, the Aussie was down 6-3, 3-0 against Tennys Sandgren of the U.S. before having to retire from his second-round match at the Citi Open in Washington, D.C. because of right shoulder pain. On Sunday, Kyrgios played in his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati. “Looking back from where I was... I would have never thought I would have had my first Masters 1000 event final. So I'm pretty happy with the result. From where I was to here, it's just been amazing,” Kyrgios said. The Aussie fell short in his maiden Masters 1000 title match, losing to Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov...
It's only mid-August, but it has already been quite the U.S. summer for Alexander Zverev, whose 10-match win streak was snapped at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati on Wednesday against #NextGenATP American Frances Tiafoe. The #NextGenATP German has captured two ATP World Tour titles, including the Citi Open in Washington, D.C., his first hard-court crown, and the Coupe Rogers, his second ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title. So while Zverev was hoping to a third ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crown this week, he accepted the loss in context. “It's been great. I won back-to-back weeks, two big events. Visiting Montreal was very, very special, as well. It's been a positive summer so far,” said Zverev, who handed...
1. IT AIN'T OVER TILL IT'S OVER Is there something in the Montreal water? In three matches this week at the Coupe Rogers, a player saved not one, not two and not three but four match points. Canadian Denis Shapovalov and Diego Schwartzman of Argentina started the match point madness on Tuesday. The #NextGenATP Shapovalov erased four match points to escape Brazilian veteran Rogerio Dutra Silva 4-6, 7-6(8), 6-4. Schwartzman saved his tournament four times in an upset bid against third-seeded Dominic Thiem, winning 6-4, 6-7(7), 7-5. Frenchman Gael Monfils' followed their lead in taking out another high seed – fifth seed Kei Nishikori – 6-7(4), 7-5, 7-6(6). Not to be outdone, Alexander Zverev saved three match points in his...
What a difference a week – and saving match points – makes! Denis Shapovalov emerged as the talk of Canada and the tennis world this week after his breathtaking run to the semi-finals of the Coupe Rogers in Montreal. But had he not saved four match points in the opening round against Rogerio Dutra Silva, the 18 year old would be battling in relative obscurity next week at the ATP Challenger Tour event in Vancouver, still at around No. 150 in the Emirates ATP Rankings. History will show that Shapovalov fought off those four match points, then beat Grand Slam champions Juan Martin del Potro and Rafael Nadal en route to the Montreal semi-finals, where he pushed World No. 8...
Roger Federer had yet to hit a ball at The Championships, but the 35 year old was already smiling. Unlike a year ago, when Federer arrived at Wimbledon worrying about his knee and his back, the Swiss made his way to SW19 weeks ago unencumbered by health worries. This fortnight, the fifth seed knew he could focus on his tennis. “It was all based on health... It was all about just putting myself in a good physical state that I could compete with the best and play seven times, five sets. That was my goal. I achieved that. When I showed up here in Wimbledon, I was actually already very happy,” Federer said. The 35 year old only increased his...
