#NextGen star Nick Kyrgios turned in a masterful performance in defeating No. 2 seed Gael Monfils 6-4, 6-4 at the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships 2016 on Saturday. The Aussie was at his entertaining best and secured the win in 90 minutes. He will face David Goffin, who defeated Marin Cilic, in the final. It will be the pair’s first tour-level meeting. “It was an unbelievable match, we both played very well,” Kyrgios said. “The crowd loved it and we both had a lot of fun out there. Not many people on tour can hit the type of shots Gael can. He’s an unbelievable entertainer and athlete. We play different games. I rely on my serve more, but I want...
Grigor Dimitrov broke his losing streak against second seed Rafael Nadal in their quarter-final on Friday at the China Open, scoring his first victory against the Spaniard in eight tries with an impressive 6-2 6-4 performance. “I'm pretty happy with that win. I'm not going to lie. I've played Rafa quite a few times. So many times I was close or a couple times I was cramping. There was just always something happening,” said Dimitrov. "Today, I just played an excellent match. Simple as that. There's not much else to say except that I'm proud. A lot of the work is paying off.” The victory gives the Bulgarian has third Top 10 win of 2016, having already defeated Andy Murray...
World No. 2 Andy Murray won an all-British clash with Kyle Edmund on Friday to reach the semi-finals of the China Open in Beijing. The top seed overcame stiff resistance from #NextGen star Edmund in the first set before claiming a 7-6(9), 6-2 victory. “He made it very tough for me. He’s improving at a solid pace now. His [Emirates ATP] ranking is moving in the right direction,” said Murray. “He’s getting there. If he keeps going on the path he’s on just now, he’ll be up at the top of the game very soon.” Murray goes on to face fifth seed David Ferrer as he looks to reach his ninth tour-level final of the season. “Every match against him,...
Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi and Gilles Simon’s partnership at the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships 2016 continues to bear fruit, as the Pakistani and the Frenchman advanced to the semi-finals with a 6-2, 6-2 performance against Robert Lindstedt and Alexander Peya on Friday.
Qureshi’s instincts at the net were well complemented by Simon’s strong returning. The pair broke serve six times to seal victory in 58 minutes. They will next face No. 2 seeds Raven Klaasen and Rajeev Ram, who are sixth in the Emirates ATP Race To London.
Awaiting the winners of that match are Marcel Granollers and Marcin Matkowski, who beat Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah 7-6(2), 7-5 to move into the final.
#NextGen star Nick Kyrgios cruised past Gilles Muller 6-4, 6-2 in the quarter-finals of the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships 2016 on Friday. The Aussie cranked 18 aces and did not drop serve in the 70-minute win. “I thought I played great today,” Kyrgios said. “I served well, returned well and my engagement level was really good the whole time.” Kyrgios broke the left-handed Muller in the opening game of the set, then held comfortably to arrive at 5-4. Needing to break to extend the set, Muller mustered two break points but saw Kyrgios erase both with well-placed serves. The Aussie extended his advantage with spectacular, creative shotmaking to lead 5-1 in the second set and sealed victory on his...