It is fair to say that many matches on the ATP World Tour are like wild rides with many momentum shifts and plenty of ups and downs. But before the action got started this week at the Grand Prix Hassan II in Marrakech, some of the tournament’s stars got to enjoy a new kind of wild ride. Radu Albot, Pablo Andujar, Kyle Edmund, Robin Haase, Matwe Middelkoop and Gilles Simon ventured just outside of the city Sunday afternoon into the Palmeraie district, where they rode quad bikes. “It’s nice to go out of the city and drive around the Palmeraie. It was good fun,” said Edmund, the second seed in Morocco. “When I go to South Africa we do similar...
Robin Haase and Matwe Middelkoop are doubles champions once again this season, claiming a 5-7, 6-4, 10-4 victory over Nikola Mektic and Alexander Peya at the DIEMA XTRA Sofia Open. The Dutchmen, who earlier this season claimed their first title together in Pune (d. Herbert/Simon), overcame their opponents in just one hour, 13 minutes. Despite winning the same amount of total points as Mektic and Peya, Haase and Middelkoop were better in the bigger moments, saving seven of nine break points faced and converting on two of five break points themselves. "Of course it doesn't happen often that you win titles, especially in the same city," said Middelkoop, the 2016 champion with Wesley Koolhof. "Sofia is a special one and...
Gilles Simon entered the Tata Open Maharashtra doubles final looking to complete the tournament sweep after winning his first ATP World Tour singles title since 2015 earlier Saturday. A victory with Pierre-Hugues Herbert would have made Simon the first player to win both events at India’s ATP World Tour 250 tournament since Xavier Malisse in 2007. But Robin Haase and Matwe Middelkoop spoiled the French party, winning their first title as a team in a back-and-forth thriller, 7-6(5), 7-6(5). “To play the final there with three unbelievable athletes, it’s an honour to play there,” Middelkoop said. “I will never forget this for the rest of my life. This is my fifth title and I will come back here next year...
Roman Jebavy and Matwe Middelkoop captured their first ATP World Tour doubles together on Sunday as they defeated top seeds Julio Peralta and Horacio Zeballos 6-4, 6-4 in the St. Petersburg Open final. It is the 27-year-old Jebavy's second ATP World Tour title after lifting the Istanbul trophy with Czech countryman Jiri Vesely in May. Middelkoop claimed his fourth career crown and second of the year, following victory in Sydney with Wesley Koolhof. "We always wanted to play together but it was about finding the right moment," said Middelkoop. "We first played in Gstaad a few months ago and then decided to play here and it was an excellent choice. We had great energy and I think that gave us...
KAZAKHSTAN 2, ARGENTINA 1 Astana, Kazakhstan (Indoor clay) Defending Davis Cup champion Argentina’s hopes of maintaining its spot in the World Group for the 17th consecutive year are in jeopardy, as Kazakhstan’s Timur Khabibulin and Aleksandr Nedovyesov beat Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni, 5-7, 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 to earn a 2-1 lead in the tie. The defending champions will turn to US Open quarter-finalist Diego Schwartzman to keep his nation’s hopes alive in the fourth rubber against Mikhail Kukushkin. Argentina looks to avoid becoming the third nation to win the Davis Cup before getting relegated from the World Group the next year. If Schwartzman wins, World No. 73 Guido Pella is scheduled to play #NextGenATP Dmitry Popko. NETHERLANDS 1, CZECH...
