Japanese superstar Kei Nishikori lost in the first round at Roland Garros in 2014 against Martin Klizan. But the No. 19 seed showed no intentions of letting that happen again this year. Nishikori moved past French wild card Maxime Janvier 7-6(0), 6-4, 6-3 in two hours, 19 minutes, advancing to the second round at the clay-court Grand Slam for the fourth year in a row. "It wasn't easy. He was playing pretty good tennis. I didn't know him, so I checked a little bit, but I had to check in the match," Nishikori said. "I think I was a little lucky to finish in three sets... he was playing pretty good." Last year in Paris, Nishikori earned his seventh Grand...
Roland Garros has been the site of many memories for 2017 Nitto ATP Finals runner-up David Goffin. Some, like his first Grand Slam quarter-final in 2016, are great. Others, like being forced to retire due to a fluke accident — he got his foot stuck in a tarpaulin cover — last year in the third round, are not as great. When he trailed two sets to none against Robin Haase on Sunday evening, it appeared the No. 8 seed's tournament was heading toward the latter category. But Goffin battled back to oust the Dutchman, beating Haase 4-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-0 to advance to the second round for the fourth consecutive year. The 27-year-old won 17 of the match's final...
Grigor Dimitrov adapted well to the challenge of facing a late replacement in the draw on Sunday, beating lucky loser Mohamed Safwat 6-1, 6-4, 7-6(1) to reach the second round at Roland Garros. “We spent a bit of time [together] when we played juniors,” revealed Dimitrov. “I [have] known him for quite some time. He's a great guy.” Dimitrov had prepared to face Viktor Troicki in the opening match of the tournament on Philippe-Chatrier Court before the Serb withdrew with lower back pain, handing Egypt’s Safwat a place in the main draw. Safwat, the first Egyptian man to compete at a Grand Slam since Tamer El Sawy at the 1996 US Open, only discovered he was playing Dimitrov one hour...
Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic won their fourth tour-level title of the season on Saturday, saving one championship point to defeat Ivan Dodig and Rajeev Ram 3-6, 7-6(3), 11-9 at the Banque Eric Sturdza Geneva Open. "I am very happy to win this tournament here," said Marach. "I won last year in Gstaad, so I guess I like Switzerland a lot." The top seeds won three straight points from 8/9 down in the Match Tie-break to win the title after one hour and 47 minutes. Marach and Pavic, who will move to No. 1 in the ATP Doubles Race to London on Monday, won 83 per cent of first-serve points and saved seven of the nine break points they faced...
It has been nearly four decades since Hungary last celebrated a champion on the ATP World Tour. But that finally changed on Saturday at the Banque Eric Sturdza Geneva Open. Marton Fucsovics secured his maiden ATP World Tour title in front of a packed crowd in Geneva, capping an impressive week on the Swiss clay. The Budapest resident ousted Peter Gojowczyk 6-2, 6-2 in one hour and eight minutes to emerge with the biggest trophy of his career. The 26-year-old is the first Hungarian to claim a tour-level crown since 1982, when Balazs Taroczy won the last of his 13 titles in Hilversum, Netherlands. And Fuscovics is also assured of becoming the first from his country to break into the...
