Conjuring memories of a maiden run to an ATP World Tour final 12 months ago, Taylor Fritz is again tasting success at the Memphis Open. The #NextGenATP player saved three match points in his opening round to take down No. 8 seed Yen-Hsun Lu 4-6, 7-6(4), 7-6(7) in a thrilling two-hour, 10-minute affair on Tuesday. The 19-year-old did not break serve throughout and was forced to fend off three match points in the deciding-set tie-break before he clinched the match on his first. Australian qualifier Matthew Ebden is next. “It was tough. I was just thinking, don’t think about it,” Fritz said. “These are the moments I play for, these pressure moments. They’re my favourite things about the sport. “One...
Had any other 18 year old experienced such a year, it would have been a dream debut season. During Taylor Fritz's first full year on the ATP World Tour, the American reached the final of the Memphis Open presented by ServiceMaster in only his second ATP World Tour tournament. He went on to make the quarter-finals in Acapulco and Atlanta. The #NextGenATP star finished the season even stronger, ending the year as the youngest player in the Top 100, which earned him the ATP Star Of Tomorrow presented by Emirates award. “That was a big thing for him to get the award from the ATP [World Tour],” said David Nainkin, Fritz's lead coach. Yet both Fritz and Nainkin look back...
Darian King would have deemed his Memphis Open a success had he qualified for just his second ATP World Tour main draw. Having done that, however, the 24-year-old entered uncharted territory on Tuesday when he took down No. 5 seed Bernard Tomic in the opening round to become the first player from Barbados in the Open Era to win an ATP World Tour match. The World No. 140 in the Emirates ATP Rankings prevailed 6-4, 6-4. “Playing against Bernard, the No. 5 seed is a dream come true, playing on Centre Court especially,” King said. “The discipline in Barbados is not as big so to come from there and compete against these guys as you can see, it’s a lot...
Robert Lindstedt had played at the Memphis Open three times prior to this year. But the Swede had always begged off on visiting St. Jude Children Research Hospital, which is headquartered in downtown Memphis. The hospital is a beneficiary of the Memphis Open and is often visited by ATP World Tour players during the tournament. Lindstedt had always passed on the trip because he knew what he'd see: Children battling life-threatening illnesses. St. Jude treats only children with catastrophic diseases, primarily cancer, sickle cell disease and paediatric HIV. The not-for-profit hospital doesn't charge its patients any money, instead relying on donations and grants to run the hospital, its eight affiliate clinics and its 24 partner sites throughout the world. [ALSO...
1. Darian King is playing in the main draw of the Memphis Open. The 24-year-old King qualified for the Memphis Open earlier this week. King beat Britain's Andrew Watson 6-2, 6-3 and was up 6-1, 3-0 against Tatsuma Ito when the Japanese retired. It's the second ATP World Tour tournament that King has qualified for, having also reached the Citi Open main draw in 2015. King is the first player from Barbados to play at the Memphis Open. “For me, I think it's a huge achievement. Coming all the way from Barbados, a small country, where discipline is not as big, and for me to come out here and compete with these guys who do it day in and day...
