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David (Goffin) vs. Goliaths

The abiding memory is of a brittle-looking youth, who appeared fresh out of high school, explaining, in an insightful post-match interview, how he had had the audacity, the feel and instinct to worry one of his heroes, Roger Federer, whose posters adorned his bedroom wall. Six years have passed since David Goffin blazed a trail into the 2011 Roland Garros fourth round, when, as a 21-year-old lucky loser, his fluid movement and anticipation came to the fore on a global scale, over four sets. It was a pre-cursor of the future. He appeared to be blissfully unaware of the ceiling of his talent, but today, as he steps out to practise in Paris, ahead of the clay-court major, the Belgian...

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Tribute: Pavic Completes Rise To No. 1

Mate Pavic was going through final match preparations with his Austrian partner Oliver Marach on Friday, stretching his muscles, with one eye on a nearby television screen, when he learned — below ground level at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, prior to competing on the picturesque Pietrangeli court — that he had achieved one of his long-time goals. In officially becoming the 52nd player since March 1976 to rise to No. 1 in the ATP Doubles Rankings today, replacing Poland’s Lukasz Kubot in the top spot of tennis’ team discipline, the 24-year-old Croatian has become the youngest player for 22 years to fulfill a dream that every child, who picks up a racquet, nurtures. “It means a lot for sure,” Pavic...

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Novak & Rafa: The Rivalry

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have met more than any other two players in the Open Era, a record 51 times. Djokovic leads their FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry 26-25 and has won seven of their past nine contests, with the Spaniard claiming their two most recent meetings. Here is a history of the duo's 51 career matches: 2018 Internazionali BNL d'Italia SF, clay, Nadal d. Djokovic 7-6(4), 6-3 Entering the pair's first meeting in more than a year, Nadal was the clear favourite. The top seed had won 50 consecutive sets on clay — a record for the most sets claimed in a row on a single surface — before falling in the Madrid quarter-finals the previous week. And it...

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