Two-time champion John Isner fended off a match point to keep his hopes for a third Auckland title alive on Wednesday. The second seed outlasted No. 56 Malek Jaziri of Tunisia 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(6) at the ASB Classic. Jaziri had a match point at 6/5 on Isner's serve in the third-set tie-break, but Isner erased it with a stiff backhand volley. The 6'10” right-hander then charged the net during the next two points as well, finishing the match with a backhand volley down the line. [ALSO LIKE] Isner will meet countryman Steve Johnson in the second round. Johnson, the seventh seed, lost only two points on his first serve (31/33) to dismiss Yen-Hsun Lu 6-4, 7-6(4). Robin Haase opened up...
Qualifying veterans and #NextGenATP stars both started making their way to the main draw of the Australian Open on Wednesday as qualifying matches got underway in Melbourne. Top seed Radek Stepanek took his opening qualifying match 6-3, 6-7(2), 6-2 against American Sekou Bangoura. Stepanek, 38, is trying to reach his 15th Australian Open singles main draw. The right-handed Czech will face Slovenian Blaz Kavcic next. Second seed Frances Tiafoe, a member of the ATP World Tour's Next Generation, also advanced in three sets. The 18-year-old American won 75 per cent of his first-serve points to beat Italian Marco Cecchinato 6-3, 5-7, 7-5 in two hours and 14 minutes. Tiafoe is attempting to reach his first Australian Open main draw. [ALSO...
Qualifying veterans and #NextGenATP stars both started making their way to the main draw of the Australian Open on Tuesday as qualifying matches got underway in Melbourne. Top seed Radek Stepanek took his opening qualifying match 6-3, 6-7(2), 6-2 against American Sekou Bangoura. Stepanek, 38, is trying to reach his 15th Australian Open singles main draw. The right-handed Czech will face Slovenian Blaz Kavcic next. Second seed Frances Tiafoe, a member of the ATP World Tour's Next Generation, also advanced in three sets. The 18-year-old American won 75 per cent of his first-serve points to beat Italian Marco Cecchinato 6-3, 5-7, 7-5 in two hours and 14 minutes. Tiafoe is attempting to reach his first Australian Open main draw. [ALSO...
Yen-Hsun Lu held his nerve to beat #NextGen ATP star Karen Khachanov, who recovered from a 3-5 deficit in the deciding set and held two match points, in a thrilling 4-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(9) victory on Tuesday at the ASB Classic. Lu, the 2014 finalist, could not convert two match point opportunities at 5-4 in the third set, and at 6/5 and 8/7 in the tie-break. He saved match points at 6/7 and 8/9 before completing a memorable win, over two hours and 39 minutes, with a forehand winner. He will next play seventh seed Steve Johnson. Joao Sousa started his 2017 with a 6-1, 7-5 victory against fifth seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas. Sousa won 55 per cent of his second-serve points...
Sixth seed Gilles Muller saved one match point at 4-5 in the deciding set to beat Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 in two hours and seven minutes. Muller, a semi-finalist in Sydney for the past two years, struck 14 aces and will next challenge qualifier Matthew Barton. Eighth seed Marcel Granollers required two hours and 37 minutes to beat lucky loser Santiago Giraldo, a replacement for the fatigued Fernando Verdasco, 6-7(5), 7-5, 6-3. Watch Highlights This month only keeps getting better for 17-year-old Alex De Minaur. Last week, the young Aussie qualified for an ATP World Tour event for the first time. On Tuesday, the Sydney native captured his first ATP World Tour match win, beating Frenchman Benoit Paire 6-3,...