Mission accomplished! He sat on the sidelines for nearly six months with a wrist injury, but now Kei Nishikori has returned to the winners' circle. The Japanese star, who ascended to a career-high No. 4 in the ATP Rankings less than a year ago, is back with a vengeance after claiming the title at the ATP Challenger Tour event in Dallas. Nishikori defeated American Mackenzie McDonald 6-1, 6-4 on Saturday evening at the RBC Tennis Championships of Dallas, securing his first title at any level in exactly two years (Memphis 2016). It was Nishikori's sixth victory on the Challenger circuit and first since 2010. Seeking to rediscover his rhythm and find confidence in his return to the court, the 28-year-old...
AUSTRALIA 1, GERMANY 3 Venue: Pat Rafter Arena, Brisbane, AUS (hard- outdoor) Alexander Zverev guided Germany into the quarter-finals of the 2018 Davis Cup with a commanding 6-2, 7-6(3), 6-2 victory over Australian Nick Kyrgios Sunday in Brisbane. Zverev was close to untouchable on serve, firing 15 aces, putting 71 per cent of first serves into play and winning 80 per cent of first-serve points. He also fought off all four break points he faced, while breaking Kyrgios four times. Kyrgios had won three of their four career FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings coming to the tie, including when they last met in the China Open semi-finals last year. A frustrated Kyrgios was given a point penalty in the tie-break for...
SERBIA 0, USA 3 Venue: Sportski Centar Cair, Nis, SRB (clay - indoor) The United States moved into the quarter-finals for the third consecutive year after Ryan Harrison and Steve Johnson clinched the tie with a 6-7(3), 6-2, 7-5, 6-4 victory against Nikola Milojevic and Miljan Zekic. "It feels great. I've got to thank my partner. He played great the whole time," Harrison said on court after the win. "I felt like early on I was struggling to get a little bit of rhythm but he was super-positive the whole time and picked me up a lot. I felt like after the first set we really got a rhythm going and go USA, and thanks to my partner for pulling...
AUSTRALIA 1, GERMANY 2 Venue: Pat Rafter Arena, Brisbane, AUS (hard- outdoor) After a change of nomination, Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff teamed up with Tim Puetz to move their nation one win away from a place in the quarter-finals after beating Australia’s Matthew Ebden and John Peers 6-4, 6-7(7), 6-2, 6-7(7), 6-4. Struff, who lost in three sets to Nick Kyrgios on Friday, replaced Peter Gojowczyk in the third rubber and it proved to be a masterstroke from captain Michael Kohlmann as the visitors won in a dramatic five-set encounter. Puetz and Struff hit 55 winners and made just 12 unforced errors in the rubber, which lasted nearly three and a half hours, to give Alexander Zverev a chance to book...
FRANCE 1, NETHERLANDS 1 Venue: Halle Olympique, Albertville, FRA (hard - indoor) Frenchman Richard Gasquet, competing in his 23rd Davis Cup singles rubber, drew France level at 1-1 against the Netherlands with a 6-4, 7-6(3), 3-6, 7-5 win against Robin Haase. Gasquet hit 37 winners, including 21 from his backhand, to avoid an 0-2 start for France, the defending Davis Cup champions. Earlier in the day, because of injuries to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (knee) and Lucas Pouille (neck), Davis Cup debutant Adrian Mannarino opened play for the 10-time champions. The 29-year-old, who was training in Malta on Thursday morning, was beaten by World No. 369 Thiemo de Bakker 7-6(4), 6-3, 6-3. De Bakker admitted being surprised at France’s late player substitution, but...