Alexander Zverev will have a chance to reach the second week of a Grand Slam for the first time this Wimbledon fortnight. The 20-year-old German, No. 12 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, dismissed fellow #NextGenATP player Frances Tiafoe 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 to advance to the third round of a Grand Slam for the fourth time. “It's always nice to get a quick one in the beginning of the tournament. I've had two three-set matches now, which is very, very nice. I felt pretty good out there. Serving well, playing well from the baseline... I'm very happy to be through,” Zverev said. Zverev also reached the third round at last year's Roland Garros and Wimbledon, and at the 2017 Australian Open....
If Novak Djokovic is to lift a fourth title at The Championships, he has to come through a minefield of potential grenades. If he does so, and potentially returns to No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, then his return to peak form will perhaps be his finest achievement. The sea air of Eastbourne, where Djokovic captured his 68th tour-level title at the Aegon International last week, appears to have worked wonders and in the early stages of his 13th Wimbledon campaign, the Serbian is beginning to thrive. [ALSO LIKE] Although Djokovic wasn’t at the top of his game in the early stages of his second-round win over Czech Adam Pavlasek on Wednesday, the three-time champion began to purr in...
Sixth seed Milos Raonic arrived at Wimbledon short on grass-court matches as he looks to do one better than his runner-up finish last year at the All England Club. The Canadian suffered a first-round setback at the Aegon Championships to Thanasi Kokkinakis, but got just the match he needed with a challenging 3-6 7-6(4), 6-4, 7-5 second-round win on Thursday against Mikhail Youzhny. "I think I'm getting better and better with each match. I'm making good steps forward," said Raonic. "If that continues to be the case, and hopefully the momentum can speed up, I'll be giving myself a possibility to achieve what I'd like." The Russian is no stranger to success on grass, reaching the Wimbledon quarter-finals in 2012...
Ernests Gulbis, en route to the 2014 Roland Garros semi-finals, memorably admitted he was "jumping on the last train" of his career. Today, after reaching the third round at The Championships, the Latvian is reconsidering his words. "I was wrong. Maybe now is the last chance train. Maybe it's going to be another last chance in five years. Who knows." Gulbis, who once declared he'd like to be World No. 1, a dream held by many professionals, but achieved by only 26 players since 1973 in the history of the Emirates ATP Rankings, has had his fair share of injuries in recent years. Having overcome shoulder, right wrist and calf problems over the past couple of seasons, the former World...
Top seeds Henri Kontinen and John Peers came through a tough first-round test on Thursday at Wimbledon, rallying from a set down to defeat the Italian duo of Fabio Fognini and Andreas Seppi 2-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-1. Kontinen/Peers won 15 of the last 18 games to advance in two hours and 12 minutes. Seeking their first title since winning their maiden Grand Slam crown at this year’s Australian Open, they take on wild cards Scott Clayton and Jonny O’Mara in the next round. Second seeds and defending champions Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut had arguably the toughest opening round in Roland Garros finalists Santiago Gonzalez and Donald Young, but hung tough for a 6-3, 7-6(3), 4-6, 7-6(1) victory. Herbert/Mahut have...
