Gael Monfils, the No. 2 seed at the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships 2016, is a hit wherever he goes. The flashy Frenchman believes that his fan appeal originates from the sincerity with which he approaches the sport. “I’m a very natural person on the court. I try to be myself and forget about the pressure,” Monfils said. “Some may think that I am really trying to be entertaining, but for me that’s just the way that I enjoy playing the game. I’m happy to see that people like the way I play and that I help them have fun.” The 30 year old’s charm has won him many fans in Tokyo, where he reached the semi-finals twice in three...
At the start of the season, Novak Djokovic’s position atop the Emirates ATP Rankings appeared certain for at least another 12 months. The Serb defeated Andy Murray in the Australian Open final to further distance himself from the second-placed Scot and gathered pace in the spring with back-to-back Masters 1000 titles in Indian Wells and Miami. But Murray came roaring back. Between the Mutua Madrid Open in May and the US Open, Murray compiled a 41-4 mark, winning the Rome title, finishing runner-up at Roland Garros, claiming his fifth Aegon Championships crown followed by a second Wimbledon, then later, a second Olympic gold medal in Rio de Janeiro. It was a titanic stretch that saw Murray significantly close the gap...
Raven Klaasen and Rajeev Ram boosted their chances of qualifying for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals as they captured their second ATP World Tour team title with a 7-6(2), 7-5 victory over Pablo Carreno Busta and Mariusz Fyrstenberg on Sunday in the final of the Chengdu Open. "This week we came with a goal in mind to improve our performance after the US Open," said Ram. "We felt like we didn't play as well as we could have there. We got through this whole tournament without losing a set. I think it’s a really good step in the right direction for us to finish of the season." The South African/American duo is currently seventh in the Emirates ATP Doubles...
A near-capacity crowd was on hand for the 10th edition of ATP Sunday at the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships 2016. The annual pre-tournament event allowed fans to see ATP World Tour stars such as Kei Nishikori, Gael Monfils, Marin Cilic and Feliciano Lopez from up-close, while giving the players an opportunity to practise in front of a boisterous crowd before main draw action gets underway Monday. After battling Marcos Baghdatis in a friendly match, Nishikori was the honouree in a short on-court ceremony where he received a trophy for his bronze-medal showing at the Rio Olympics. The Japanese No. 1 topped Rafael Nadal in the third-place match and became the first Japanese player to win an Olympic tennis medal...
It was one of the more riveting matches of the year: a five-set thriller between Rafael Nadal and Lucas Pouille less than a month ago at the US Open. Ready for an encore? The second-seeded Spaniard and sixth-seeded Frenchman are on a collision course for a quarter-final rematch at next week's China Open. Nadal must go through Paolo Lorenzi, followed by either Albert Ramos-Vinolas or a qualifier for his potential shot at revenge. Pouille, who prevailed in a dramatic deciding tie-break, enters in top form after lifting his first ATP World Tour trophy at the Moselle Open in Metz. He opens against wild card Yen-Hsun Lu. View Draw The potential encounter could have significant implications in both players' bids to...