Former ATP Finals champions Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau ended their title drought on Saturday at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. The Dutch-Romanian duo rallied past Marcin Matkowski and Rohan Bopanna 4-6, 6-3, 10-3 in one hour and 20 minutes to lift the trophy, firing six aces and saving three of four break points. Rojer and Tecau claimed their first ATP World Tour title since the 2016 Mutua Madrid Open, clinching a 13th crown in total as a team. Two years removed from their triumph at The O2 in London, the tandem are looking to hit their stride once again. They have won titles at five different ATP World Tour 500 events, also including Washington, Beijing and Valencia in...
Andy Murray wasted no time in securing his 45th tour-level crown on Saturday, dominating the final of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships over Fernando Verdasco. Murray extended his ruthless run in ATP World Tour 500 events with a 6-3, 6-2 victory in just one hour and 13 minutes. The World No. 1, who claimed his first title of the season, has now lifted trophies in four straight 500-level events entered, posting a 19-0 record. The Scot improved to an impressive 13-1 in his FedEx ATP Head2Head series against Verdasco, having won eight straight encounters since a fourth-round defeat at the Australian Open in 2009. Murray takes home $523,330 in prize money and 500 Emirates ATP Rankings points. Murray's 500-Level...
Dominic Thiem has found a home on the Latin American Golden Swing, surging to the title at the Rio Open presented by Claro on Sunday. Thiem fought past Pablo Carreno Busta 7-5, 6-4 in one hour and 34 minutes to lift the trophy at the Jockey Club Brasileiro. With Brazilian legend Gustavo Kuerten in attendance, the World No. 8 claimed his eighth ATP World Tour crown, second at the 500 level and third on the Golden Swing, having previously triumphed in Buenos Aires and Acapulco in 2016. He fired 25 winners, including 14 on his forehand wing and seven aces to prevail over Carreno Busta. Thiem also converted four of eight break chances in extending his FedEx ATP Head2Head edge...
Second seeds Raven Klaasen and Rajeev Ram picked up their first ATP World Tour doubles title of 2017 on Sunday at the Delray Beach Open, prevailing in a tight 7-5, 7-5 final over third seeds Treat Huey and Max Mirnyi. “It seems like I’m just the sideshow here in Delray Beach. I just have to make sure I’m not the reason we’re losing matches!” joked Klaasen. “I think Rajeev and I have done some good things to improve our games and this week was another progression for us as a team. The crowd has been great all week. People really enjoy their doubles here and that makes it fun for us." The South African-American pair earned their fourth ATP World...
It's as if they do this together every week. Frenchmen Julien Benneteau and Nicolas Mahut, playing together for the first time since 2012, won the Open 13 Marseille doubles title on Sunday. The top seeds prevailed 6-4, 6-7(9), 10-5 against Dutchman Robin Haase and Brit Dominic Inglot, who were going for their first team doubles crown. “When Julien asked me to play with him I immediately said yes. For me, this victory is very important and it means a lot,” Mahut said. Benneteau/Mahut won nearly 80 per cent of their first-serve points and saved four of six break points faced. Years ago, the two were a consistent pairing on the ATP World Tour. They won two titles together – 2003...
