Ninth seed Tomas Berdych survived a scare on Monday when he fought past qualifier Andrey Kuznetsov, currently No. 78 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the final match of the day at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters. Berdych goes on to face Benoit Paire or 39-year-old Tommy Haas, the oldest player in the draw, for a place in the third round. Berdych, who is playing at the Monte-Carlo Country Club for the 13th time in the past 14 years, drew on his big-match experience to prevent Kuznetsov recording one of the biggest wins of his career. The 2015 finalist required two hours for his 14th match win of the season. [ALSO LIKE] Having survived one break point in...
The Spanish contingent enjoyed the Monday sun at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters with four countrymen progressing to the second round. Pablo Carreno Busta, the No. 13 seed, earned a thrilling win over Italian Fabio Fognini to remain perfect at 5-0 against the Italian in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series with a third clay-court win. After an intense 7-6(0), 6-7(4), 6-3 victory in two hours and 23 minutes, Carreno Busta awaits #NextGenATP Karen Khachanov or Nicolas Mahut. [ALSO LIKE] Roberto Bautista Agut, the No. 12 seed, overcame a slow start to battle past Nikoloz Basilashvili, making his main draw debut, 1-6, 6-3, 7-5 in two hours and seven minutes. Bautista Agut, the winner of five ATP World Tour titles, including the...
#NextGenATP German Alexander Zverev silenced a pro-Andreas Seppi crowd on Monday with a memorable display of power and touch to oust the experienced Italian 6-1, 6-2 in 68 minutes at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters. Zverev, the No. 14 seed, saved one break point and broke three times in the 27-minute opening set under sun-kissed skies, executing a number of fine drop shot winners from the baseline. Wild card Seppi held his nerve in a 16-point service hold for 1-1 in the second set of their first FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting. Zverev broke Seppi in the sixth and eighth games for his 12th match win of the year, which includes the Open Sud de France crown (d. Gasquet). “I like playing...
Fourth seeds Julio Peralta and Horacio Zeballos won their fourth ATP World Tour team doubles title on Sunday, holding off the first-time pairing of Dustin Brown and Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 7-5, 10-6 to take the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship in Houston. Peralta of Chile and Zeballos of Argentina saved 10 of 12 break points in the one-hour and 37-minute final. The champions won the final four points of the Match Tie-break to claim their first championship trophy of the season. [ALSO LIKE] The South American pairing also played in the Quito final earlier this year (l. to Cerretani/Oswald). Peralta/Zeballos won all three of their other team crowns last season – Sao Paulo, Gstaad and Metz....
Fourth seed Steve Johnson has covered plenty of ground in the past three weeks, traveling from the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event in Miami to a Davis Cup tie in Australia and then back stateside for the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship in Houston. But after countless miles in the air and in his legs on court this week, the American captured the title after fighting off cramps and a determined eighth seed Thomaz Bellucci 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(5). “To win on U.S. soil and win when you’re not feeling great is a testament to my willpower and competitiveness,” said Johnson. “My body has just physically run out of gas after this week. Coming in from...
