Scouting Report: Alcaraz, Medvedev, Sinner Headline Shanghai Return - 4時間前  ATP World Tour

For the first time since 2019, the ATP Tour returns to Shanghai for the Rolex Shanghai Masters, which is now a 12-day event. Top seed Carlos Alcaraz will be joined by Beijing finalists Daniil Medvedev and Jannik Sinner (who will play for that title on Wednesday) among the trophy favourites, with 19 of the Top 20 players in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings in the draw. ATPTour.com looks at 10 things to watch at the season's penultimate ATP Masters 1000. [ATP APP] 1) Top Seed Alcaraz Seeks First Title Since Wimbledon: Carlos Alcaraz has enjoyed a strong hard-court campaign following his success at ...morethe All England Club, but despite a 14-4 record across four events, he is still seeking his first hard-court crown since Indian Wells. After a run to the Beijing semi-finals in his successful debut on Chinese soil, Alcaraz will open against Nuno Borges or Gregoire Barrere in Shanghai. 2) Defending Champion Medvedev Eyes More Chinese Success: Medvedev followed his US Open final run — which included a victory against Alcaraz in the semis — with another trip to the title match in Beijing. The Shanghai second seed won the previous staging of the ATP Masters 1000 without losing a set in 2019, when he beat Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev in the last two rounds. Medvedev will meet Cristian Garin or Aleksandar Kovacevic in his opener. 3) Can Sinner Continue Late-Season Surge?: Sinner won his first ATP Masters 1000 title in Toronto in August and reached the Beijing final earlier this week. Can he back up his big run in the Chinese capital, which included a dominant semi-final win against Alcaraz? Sinner's Beijing success will see him compete in Shanghai at a new career-high Pepperstone ATP Ranking of World No. 4 and as a first-time member of the Top 5. The Italian will face Marcos Giron or Daniel Elahi Galan in his first match. 4) Zverev Aims For Third Straight Deep Run In China: A Shanghai finalist in 2019, Zverev enters the 2023 event on the back of a title in Chengdu and a semi-final showing in Beijing. His recent success has given him a cushion of more than 300 points in seventh place in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin, with Holger Rune and Taylor Fritz behind him. 5) Tsitsipas, Rune Look To Break Out Of Slumps: Stefanos Tsitsipas has not strung together consecutive singles wins since his run to the Los Cabos title in August, while Holger Rune has not done so since he reached the Wimbledon quarters. Rune snapped a four-match losing streak with a big win against Felix Auger-Aliassime in the Beijing opening round last week, only to be turned back by Grigor Dimitrov in the second round. 6) Zhang, Shang Lead Four Chinese Entrants:Zhang Zhizhen and Shang Junchengare joined by fellow home favourites Te Rigele andBu Yunchaoketein the main draw. World No. 60 Zhang is the lone direct entrant, while his three countymen all received wild cards. Zhang will meet Richard Gasquet in the first round, while the 18-year-old Shang meets Yosuke Watanuki for the right to face Taylor Fritz in the second round.Chinese World No. 100Wu Yibing, who has not competed since his second-round US Open run, withdrew from Shanghai. 7) Fritz Heads Six American Seeds: The seventh-seeded Fritz is joined by 10th seed Frances Tiafoe, 12th seed Tommy Paul, 19th seed Ben Shelton, 26th seed Sebastian Korda and 29th seed Christopher Eubanks in the Shanghai draw. J.J. Wolf, Mackenzie McDonald, Brandon Nakashima, Giron and Kovacevic round out the American interest. 8) Ruud Among Four Top 10 Debutants: Half of the 32 seeds are making their Shanghai debuts, includi...

Who Got It Right? Looking Back At ATP Stars' 2023 Predictions - 10時間前  ATP World Tour

Throughout the 2023 season, ATP Uncovered asked players to showcase their tennis knowledge by making predictions for the year. As the campaign nears its conclusion, and the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin heats up, we take a look back to see who made the best picks. There was plenty of love for Andrey Rublev, who had three backers choose him as a first-time ATP Masters 1000 champion — in addition to himself... sort of. "Hopefully I can win at least one. Someday, some year, some life," Rublev told the cameras in what seemed more like a wish than a prediction. Either way, it came true w...morehen he won Monte-Carlo. [ATP APP] Rafael Nadal was among three players to correctly predict Jannik Sinner's first ATP Masters 1000 title. The 22-year-old defeated Alex de Minaur to win the Toronto crown in August, finally picking up a trophy at the prestigious level after defeats in the Miami final in both 2021 and 2023. Among the other topics: dark horse, Top 10 breakthrough, and surface-specific predictions. Carlos Alcaraz's grass-court sweep at The Queen's Club and Wimbledon proved a surprise to many — but not Andy Murray — while one player was brave enough to pick Daniil Medvedev to claim his first clay-court title. Find out whose risky pick was vindicated by "Mr. Octopus" winning the Rome title in the video below.

Medvedev Defeats Zverev To Reach Beijing Final - 13時間前  ATP World Tour

Daniil Medvedev extended his Lexus ATP Head2Head advantage in his longrunning rivalry with Alexander Zverev on Tuesday to advance to China Open final. With a 6-4, 6-3 victory, Medvedev advanced to his eighth tour-level final of the season. Already owning a personal-best five titles this year, he will seek to add to that tally against Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner in Wednesday's final. Medvedev improves to 10-7 in his series with Zverev, including a 4-1 mark this season. He has now won five of their past six meetings and nine of their last 11 following an 0-4 start in the Lexus ATP Head2Head....more His Beijing victory also served as a measure of revenge after Zverev won their most recent previous meeting in Cincinnati. In a Beijing semi-final filled with lung-busting rallies, Medvedev saved all four break points he faced (two in each set) with strong serving, and he secured a late break in each set to earn the win. More to follow...

Lammons/Withrow Triumph In Astana - 17時間前  ATP World Tour

Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow continued their standout season together on Tuesday at the Astana Open, where they defeated fourth seeds Mate Pavic and John Peers 7-6(4), 7-6(7) to win their fourth tour-level title of the year. The Americans won 81 per cent (42/52) of their first-serve points and saved two set points in the second set, eventually advancing on their third match point after one hour and 38 minutes. With their title run at the ATP 250, the second seeds have boosted their hopes of qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals. Lammons and Withrow are currently eighth in the ATP Live D...moreoubles Teams Rankings, 158 points ahead of ninth-placed team Hugo Nys and Jan Zielinski. [ATP APP] Earlier this year Lammons and Withrow captured titles on hard courts in Atlanta and Winston-Salem and on grass in Newport. Pavic and Peers were teaming for the first time this week. They advanced to the final without dropping a set but were unable to capitalise on return in the crucial moments against Lammons and Withrow. Pavic, 30, lifted the trophy with Nikola Mektic in Astana last season. Peers was chasing his second title of 2023 after triumphing with Marcelo Melo in Halle.

Koolhof/Skupski To Meet Khachanov/Rublev In Beijing SFs - 1日前  ATP World Tour

Second seeds Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski relied on a strong serving performance Monday to advance to the China Open semi-finals. The Dutch-British duo cruised past Hugo Nys and Jan Zielinski 6-2, 6-3 after winning 24 of their 31 first-serve points and saving all six break points faced. Wimbledon champions Koolhof and Skupski, who are second in the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings, will next meet Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev, who booked their semi-final spot on Sunday. Fourth seeds Santiago Gonzalez and Edouard Roger-Vasselin survived Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos 6...more-7(5), 7-6(5), 10-5. The Mexican-French pair will next face top seeds Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek. Lammons/Withrow Advance In Astana Second seeds Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow overcame Ariel Behar and Adam Pavlasek 6-3, 2-6, 10-4 to reach their eighth tour-level final of the season at the Astana Open. The Americans Lammons and Withrow have earned three tour-level titles this year and are currently eighth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings. Aiming to boost their Turin hopes, Lammons and Withrow will clash against fourth seeds Mate Pavic and John Peers in the championship match after the Croatian-Australian team downed Robin Haase and Botic van de Zandschulp 6-2, 6-1 in the last four.

Alcaraz Stays Perfect Against Ruud, Reaches Beijing SFs - 1日前  ATP World Tour

Carlos Alcaraz boosted his hopes of finishing ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by Pepperstone for a second consecutive year on Monday when he downed Casper Ruud 6-4, 6-2 to reach his 12th semi-final of the season. The Spaniard became the first player to earn 60 tour-level wins this season when he defeated Lorenzo Musetti in the second round and quickly moved to 61 with an aggressive display against Ruud. The top seed recovered from falling 0-3 behind in the first set, hitting with too much power and intensity for Ruud, who was seeking his first win against Alcaraz in his fourth attempt. With his ...morewin, Alcaraz set a last-four clash against Jannik Sinner or Grigor Dimitrov. The 20-year-old is currently 635 points behind first-placed Novak Djokovic in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin but can move to within 415 points with the title. Alcaraz, who is seeking his seventh crown of the season this week, now holds a 12-1 record in quarter-finals in 2023. He struck 30 winners against Ruud and broke the seventh seed's serve four times to advance after one hour and 45 minutes. Ruud leaves Beijing 10th in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin, 410 points behind eighth-placed Holger Rune, who is in the final qualification spot. The 24-year-old advanced to the title match at the Nitto ATP Finals in 2022.

Sinner, Zverev, Felix Land In Medvedev's Quarter In Shanghai - 1日前  ATP World Tour

Defending champion Daniil Medvedev will have to overcome a series of difficult tests if he is to retain his title at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, where Jannik Sinner, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Alexander Zverev have landed in his quarter. The 27-year-old triumphed at the Chinese ATP Masters 1000 event when the tournament was last held in 2019. Returning this week, Medvedev will face Cristian Garin or a qualifier in the second round, with 14th seed Auger-Aliassime a potential fourth-round opponent. Medvedev, who has captured four tour-level titles on hard courts this year, is seeded to meet sixth...more seed Jannik Sinner in the quarter-finals. The World No. 3 leads the Italian 6-0 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series. Ben Shelton could face 2019 finalist Alexander Zverev in the third round in Sinner’s section. [ATP APP] At the top of the draw, Carlos Alcaraz will face Nuno Borges or Gregoire Barrere on debut in Shanghai. The top seed is seeded to play Karen Khachanov in the fourth round and could take on Taylor Fritz or Frances Tiafoe in the quarter-finals. The Spaniard will be looking for a deep run in Shanghai to boost his hopes of finishing ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by Pepperstone for a second consecutive year. Still alive in Beijing, the 20-year-old would arrive in Shanghai 315 points behind Novak Djokovic in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin if he wins the title in Beijing. [BREAK POINT] Fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and sixth seed Andrey Rublev are also in Alcaraz’s half. Tsitsipas begins against a qualifier or Laslo Djere and could play Turin hopeful Cameron Norrie in the last 16. Rublev starts against Quentin Halys or Aslan Karatsev and is seeded to meet Tommy Paul in the fourth round. American Paul is 12th in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin, 665 points behind eighth-placed Holger Rune, who is in the bottom half and opens against Brandon Nakashima or Bernabe Zapata Miralles. Casper Ruud is 10th in the Live Race To Turin and 410 points behind Rune. The Norwegian could play Alex de Minaur in the fourth round and Rune in the quarter-finals. De Minaur is 11th in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin, 185 points behind Ruud. Three-time champion Andy Murray begins against Roman Safiullin, while former World No. 3 Stan Wawrinka starts against Dusan Lajovic. #NextGenATP Chinese star Shang Juncheng plays Japan’s Yosuke Watanuki....

Sinner Surges Past Nishioka To Beijing QFs - 2日前  ATP World Tour

After battling through a tough three-setter to open his China Open campaign, Jannik Sinner put his foot down to accelerate past Yoshihito Nishioka on Sunday and reach the quarter-finals in Beijing. Sinner prevailed 6-2, 6-0 against the Japanese World No. 38 to reach his 12th tour-level quarter-final of the season. The Italian’s 67-minute triumph was in stark contrast to his first-round win against Daniel Evans, and he later acknowledged it had taken him time to settle after arriving in Beiing for his debut at the ATP 500 event. “The first couple of days [in China] I was sick, and I tried s...moreomehow to get through the first round and I knew then I would have one day off,” said Sinner. “Every day is different. I feel physically much better, and I think when I have this shape of physicality, the way I play is a little bit easier. “Today I played well. Maybe on serve I have to improve a little bit, the percentage, but I think all the rest was really good today.” .@janniksin in full flight 🤩@ChinaOpen | #ChinaOpen pic.twitter.com/wPZ3i5gXHZ— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 1, 2023 Sinner and Nishioka exchanged breaks of serve in the first two games of the match but the World No. 7 dominated from that moment on to improve his Lexus ATP Head2Head series lead against the Japanese to 2-0. Sinner won 11 straight games from 1-2 in the first set and powered 18 winners, including eight aces, in a display full of his trademark clean ballstriking. “There were some key moments of this match that made my confidence grow,” said Sinner. “Playing this evening was a little bit like indoors. The ball was a little bit slower than during the day. When you play during the day it is quite tough, with the sun and everything. Today I think I handled the situation very well.” Sinner’s 46th tour-level win of 2023 consolidated his position in fourth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin. He is chasing a second appearance on home soil at the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals, where he competed as an alternate in 2021. Next up for the 22-year-old Beijing is a last-eight clash with third seed Holger Rune or Grigor Dimitrov. [NEWSLETTER FORM]...

Alcaraz Cruises Past Musetti In Beijing, Earns 60th Win Of 2023 - 2日前  ATP World Tour

Carlos Alcaraz became the first player to earn 60 tour-level wins in 2023 on Sunday when he defeated Italian Lorenzo Musetti 6-2, 6-2 to reach the quarter-finals at the China Open in Beijing. The top-seeded Spaniard overpowered Musetti with his explosive groundstrokes, striking 18 winners and breaking the Italian's serve four times to improve to 2-1 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series against the 21-year-old. With his 81-minute victory, Alcaraz improved to 16-1 at ATP 500 events, highlighted by title runs in Barcelona and at The Queen’s Club. The 20-year-old will look to earn his 17th win ...moreat this level when he takes on Casper Ruud in the last eight. Last Six Players To Earn 60+ Tour-Level Wins In A Season Player Year Wins Carlos Alcaraz 2023 60* (active record) Stefanos Tsitsipas 2022 61 Felix Auger-Aliassime 2022 60 Daniil Medvedev 2021 63 Alexander Zverev 2018 60 Rafael Nadal 2017 68 Alcaraz began the Asian Swing behind World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin, but could close that gap to 315 points by winning his first title since Wimbledon in Beijing. The Spaniard has earned a Tour-leading six trophies in 2023.

Serve Secrets Helping Rodionov Build Further Success In Kazakhstan - 3日前  ATP World Tour

Facing two straight match points in the first round of the Astana Open on Thursday, Jurij Rodionov wanted to hit aces against Gregoire Barrere. The left-handed qualifier not only pulled it off at 4-5 in the third set, but did so going against his preferred serving patterns. “At that point I felt he was stronger than me from the baseline, so I wanted to avoid the rallies as much as possible, and I was just going for it,” said the Austrian. “I went out wide on the deuce side and down the tee on the ad-side, which are my least favourite serves. “Usually I use the lefty advantage, but I went...more against that and surprised him.” Rodionov edged a third-set tie-break, then upset second seed Sebastian Baez in straight sets on Friday for a place in his second career ATP Tour quarter-final. In the first one, on grass in Stuttgart in 2021, he also saved a match point against Alex de Minaur en route to the semi-finals. “Maybe it’s a pattern,” Rodionov said. [ATP APP] Judging by his past performances, perhaps it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the 24-year-old is flourishing in Kazakhstan. His maiden title on the ATP Challenger Tour came as a qualifier in Almaty in 2018 and a month later, Rodionov found himself in the semi-finals of a Challenger in Astana. In 2021, Rodionov landed in the final of yet another Challenger in Astana. He likes the people and atmosphere in Kazakhstan, while speaking the language puts him at ease. “Maybe I got a bit lucky winning my first Challenger in Almaty,” he said. “And since then, I think you can say it’s my lucky charm.” Rodionov knew that victory over Baez would lift him beyond the career-best No. 100 achieved in late August in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings and was pleased it didn’t hinder his performance. The former junior World No. 7’s rise means he is getting ever closer to a direct berth into January’s Australian Open, where he has never competed in the main draw. Defeating 2020 Astana finalist and fellow lefty Adrian Mannarino on Sunday would boost Rodionov’s prospects even further. The Austrian notched his first Top 50 win against the Frenchman at a Challenger in Rennes in 2019. “Honestly, I don’t really like playing against lefties because it’s very uncomfortable,” said Rodionov, despite winning nine of his last 10 matches versus left-handers. Overall he calls this season his best so far, despite some “ups and downs”. Even when those ‘downs’ occur — Rodionov had lost six of seven matches entering Astana — his mantra is to “just hang in there.” “Never give up, try to improve day by day and always try to be positive because no matter how bad things look, there is always going to be a way out,” he said. “Just try to do the best you can.” An Austrian semi-finalist is guaranteed in Astana, where Dominic Thiem plays Sebastian Ofner in the other quarter-final in the bottom half of the draw. It marks the first time that three Austrians have reached the last eight of the same ATP Tour event. Former World No. 3 Thiem holds a 3-0 record against Ofner, having beaten him most recently in three sets on clay at this year’s Millennium Estoril Open. “I’m looking forward to it, because I think he is playing better right now,” Ofner said. “I’m also in good shape.” Top-seed Tallon Griekspoor challenges fifth-seed Sebastian Korda, with fourth-seed Jiri Lehecka encountering 20-year-old wild card Hamad Medjedovic at Kazakhstan’s National Tennis Center. Both are first-time meetings. [NEWSLETTER FORM]...

Top Seeds Dodig/Krajicek, Koolhof/Skupski Set Beijing Doubles Final Showdown - 9時間前  ATP World Tour

Tuesday semi-final victories for each of the top two seeds at the China Open set up a marquee final in Beijing. Top seeds Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek won their second straight Match Tie-break at the ATP 500, edging fourth seeds Santiago Gonzalez and Edouard Roger-Vasselin 4-6, 7-5, 10-6. The Croatian-American duo is seeking its fifth tour-level title of a sensational 2023 season that includes triumphs at Roland Garros and in Monte-Carlo. Second seeds Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski have yet to drop a set this year in Beijing. The reigning Wimbledon champions continued their dominant run in ...morethe Chinese capital with a 7-6(3), 6-2 win against Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev. [ATP APP] Wednesday's final will double as a shootout for first place in the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings. Dodig and Krajicek currently have a 160-point lead in their bid to finish the season as the ATP Tour's No. 1 team. The two teams have met once before this season, with Dodig/Krajicek winning in the Adelaide 2 semi-finals in January.

Sinner Races Away From Alcaraz After Marathon Start In Beijing SFs - 11時間前  ATP World Tour

Jannik Sinner completed a methodical turnaround against Carlos Alcaraz on Tuesday in the China Open semi-finals to become the first player to register four tour-level wins against the Spaniard. With a 7-6(4), 6-1 victory, the Italian improves to 4-3 in the pair's Lexus ATP Head2Head and rises to No. 4 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, setting himself up for a new career high. Sinner will become the second Italian in the history of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings to reach the Top 5, joining Adriano Panatta. Now 5-3 this season in semi-finals, Sinner will meet Daniil Medvedev in Wednesday's fin...moreal, when the Italian will bid for his third tour-level singles title of 2023 and his ninth overall. [ATP APP] Following his second win against Alcaraz in three meetings this season, the Italian talked up the pair's blossoming Lexus ATP Head2Head rivalry. "For sure in the very top [of the big matches I've played]," he said of Tuesday's win. "I would say every match against him is very tough.We always show great respect, we both play great. When we play against each other, we try to stay on our limits. "Today I played a little bit better in the important moments. In the second set, it was 6-1 but he had a lot of chances and I just tried to stay focussed. And obviously the first set was a little more of a roller coaster and I tried to stay there mentally and obviously I'm very happy with the performance." Sinner twice trailed by a break in the opening set and fought off two break points to avoid a disaster 0-3 start in Beijing. From midway through the one-hour, 13-minute set, he began to take control of the match with brilliant directional control from the baseline and what finished as a perfect 15-for-15 mark on net points. After winning a tie-break in which he never trailed, Sinner broke to open set two and then fought off a combined five break points in consecutive return games to build a 3-1 lead. Those battling holds seemed to break Alcaraz's spirit, as Sinner rattled of four games in succession to close out the match. The Italian benefitted from 20 forehand unforced errors from Alcaraz, with that wing beginning to show cracks in the opening tie-break. "I think the execution went really well," Sinner said of his game plan. "Mostly trying to stay aggressive, because when he has a lot of time he he plays really good and really aggressive." Alcaraz had not lost a set en route to the semi-finals. He fell to 9-4 against the Top 10 this season with the defeat. All three of this season's Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings between Sinner and Alcaraz have come in semi-finals, with Alcaraz winning in Indian Wells and Sinner triumphing in Miami....

Mannarino Captures Astana Crown - 14時間前  ATP World Tour

Adrian Mannarino became the first Frenchman since 2020 to win multiple tour-level titles in one season on Tuesday when he earned a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 comeback victory against Sebastian Korda in the Astana Open final. The 35-year-old trailed Korda by a set and a break but rallied, winning five consecutive games to level the match before outlasting the American in the lengthy exchanges in the decider to clinch his fourth tour-level title. Mannarino, who also triumphed in Newport earlier this year, fell in the Astana title match against John Millman in 2020. He ensured he would not suffer more heartbr...moreeak at the ATP 250 event, defeating Korda after two hours and 10 minutes in the pair’s first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting. The Frenchman has earned a personal-best 37 tour-level wins this year, surpassing his previous career-high of 33 in 2017. With his latest win, Mannarino has climbed to No. 23 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, just one spot off his career-high No. 22. Korda was aiming to win his first title since Parma in 2021. The American, currently No. 26 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, has now lost all five tour-level finals he has played on hard courts. Earlier this year the 23-year-old held championship point against Novak Djokovic in Adelaide before falling.

Shelbayh Makes ATP Challenger Tour History - 1日前  ATP World Tour

Abdullah Shelbayh completed a historic run Sunday, when he became the first player from Jordan to win an ATP Challenger Tour title. The 19-year-old triumphed at the LTP Challenger in Charleston, South Carolina, where he defeated American wild card Oliver Crawford 6-2, 6-7(5), 6-3 in the final. Shelbayh, who is one of four Challenger champions this week, is the youngest player from an Arab country to win a title at that level. “It’s something special for me to represent Jordan at such tournaments at a high level. Being able to win such a great event is such a big title for me, the...more biggest of my career so far,” Shelbayh told commentator Mike Cation. [ATP APP] Shelbayh made a breakthrough this February when he made the Manama Challenger final before falling to Thanasi Kokkinakis. The following week, the lefty made his ATP Tour debut in Doha. A 2021 graduate of the Rafa Nadal Academy, Shelbayh hopes to build upon his momentum after capturing his maiden Challenger title. “I think the main part is physical strength. I feel like my body hasn’t grown fully. As I keep working in the gym with my fitness coach and with time, I think that will help me a lot to improve the skills that I have,” said Shelbayh. The Charleston Challenger final was a duel between two former University of Florida stars. Crawford, who was competing in his first Challenger final, played college tennis at the University of Florida before turning pro in 2020. Shelbayh played one season for the Gators before turning pro in 2022. In other Challenger action, Czech Tomas Machac ousted four of the top eight seeds en route to the Co’met Orleans Open title. The 22-year-old overcame eighth seed Jack Draper 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 in the final to lift his fifth Challenger title and first of this season. “I’m super happy that I showed myself that I can be a great player and beat great players,” Machac said. “[In the final], the first set was my best tennis, second set was okay, and the third set was amazing from my head, energy, and everything. I was just fighting and trying to give him my game.” Tomas Machac wins the Challenger 125 event in Orleans, France. Credit: Co'met Orleans Open Machac, who is at a career-high No. 96 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, ended his three-match skid in Challenger finals while ending Draper’s perfect 4-0 record in Challenger finals. “I was in the zone and just focussing on myself,” Machac said. “I played the last two games unbelievably physically and mentally.” Germans Constantin Frantzen and Hendrik Jebens collected their season-leading sixth Challenger team title in Orleans, where they survived Henry Patten and John-Patrick Smith 7-6(5), 7-6(12) in the final. Oriol Roca Batalla was crowned champion at the Braga Open in Portugal, where he rallied past Croatian Duje Ajdukovic 4-6, 6-1, 6-1 in the final. Roca Batalla, 30, is the second-oldest player this year to win his maiden Challenger title, only behind the 31-year-old Arthur Weber, who won in Zhuhai. Oriol Roca Batalla wins the Challenger 75 event in Braga, Portugal. Credit: FPT/Sara Falcao Competing in his 96th Challenger main draw, the Spaniard Roca Batalla won seven matches in eight days as he went from qualifying to the winners' circle. Thiago Agustin Tirante won his second Challenger title of the season at the Directv Open Bogota. In the final, the 22-year-old Argentine, who also won in Morelos, Mexico in April, was given a walkover by Brazil's Gustavo Heide, who was dealing with a st...

Sinner Downs Dimitrov, Sets Alcaraz Beijing Blockbuster - 1日前  ATP World Tour

Jannik Sinner has set a blockbuster China Open semi-final clash with top seed Carlos Alcaraz after defeating Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 in Beijing Monday. Sinner, who rallied from a set down to beat the Spaniard in the Miami semi-finals earlier in the year, will look to take a 4-3 lead in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with the World No. 2. [ATP APP] Having already this week climbed to an equal-best No. 6 in the Pepperstone Live ATP Rankings, the 22-year-old Italian will surge to World No. 4 should he push onto the Beijing final. Sinner, who said that he wasn't feeling 100 per cent, mis...moresed the chance to close out the match in straight sets when he failed to convert eight break point opportunities across three games in the second set. The match turned when he blew four break points when leading 0/40 at 3-all and then dropped serve himself after going down 0/40 in the following game. "I had one game 15/40, one game 0/40 where I made some unforced errors and he also played quite aggressive. This is tennis," Sinner said. "Obviously it's easier if you take those chances... in the third set I thought I handled the situation well, especially when serving at a tough moment at 4-2. I'm very happy to be in the next round." Sinner collected his 47th match win of the year, matching his 2022 haul. He is on track to reach the 50-wins milestones for the first time, having topped out at 49 in 2021. He is fourth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin, next in line to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals, to be held 12-19 November.

Korda Survives Medjedovic Test, Reaches Astana Final - 1日前  ATP World Tour

Is this the week Sebastian Korda wins his first tour-level title of the season? The American survived a major test at the Astana Open on Monday when he defeated #NextGenATP Serbian Hamad Medjedovic 6-7(8), 7-6(2), 7-6(3) to reach the final. Korda was pushed by the wild card, who took big cuts at the ball to push the American from side to side. Korda remained strong on serve, though. He hit 18 aces and won 87 per cent (66/76) of his first-serve points to remain in contention, finding consistency in the third-set tie-break to advance after two hours and 49 minutes. [ATP APP] The 23-year-old, who...more lifted his only previous tour-level title in Parma in 2021, will meet Frenchman Adrian Mannarino or Austrian Sebastian Ofner in the championship match on Tuesday. By reaching the final at the ATP 250, Korda has matched his best result of the season. He also advanced to the title match in Adelaide in January, when he held championship point against Novak Djokovic before falling. Korda is up three spots to No. 25 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, matching his previous career-high. Medjedovic was competing in his second tour-level semi-final after advancing to the last four in Gstaad. The 20-year-old is up to eighth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Jeddah following his run in Kazakhstan.

Medvedev Books Beijing SF Berth - 1日前  ATP World Tour

Daniil Medvedev earned his 41st hard-court win of the season on Monday when he recovered from a mid-match dip to down Ugo Humbert 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 at the China Open. The second seed, who has recorded the most hard-court wins on Tour in 2023, struggled to find his best level throughout the first two sets, misfiring from the baseline to give Frenchman Humbert a foothold. Medvedev upped his intensity in the third set, though, not committing an unforced error to advance after two hours and seven minutes. “I'm kind of happy that I managed to raise my level in important moments, except a game in the se...morecond set,” Medvedev said. “It's great that I managed to still find in this tough match these moments of consistency, which is enough to win. That's what you have to do. “I am happy to be in the semi-finals. When you come to the tournament, you always want to go as far as possible. Happy to still be here tomorrow. The further we go, the tougher the matches, the tougher the opponents. That's normal.” [ATP APP] Medvedev has now advanced to the semi-finals at 10 of the 18 tour-level events he has played this year. He will aim to reach his eighth title match when he takes on Alexander Zverev or Nicolas Jarry. Earlier this year, Medvedev captured hard-court titles in Rotterdam, Doha, Dubai and Miami. The 27-year-old is chasing his second trophy on Chinese soil and his third in Asia overall at the Beijing Olympic Green Tennis Center, having triumphed in Tokyo in 2018 and at the Rolex Shanghai Masters in 2019. He is making his debut in Beijing, where he has also defeated Tommy Paul and Alex de Minaur.

Khachanov/Rublev Reach Beijing SFs - 2日前  ATP World Tour

Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev moved past Alexander Erler and Lucas Miedler 7-5, 7-6(4) to reach the semi-finals at the China Open on Sunday. The ATP Tour singles stars rallied from a break down in the first set before holding their nerves deep in the second set to advance after one hour and 40 minutes. They will next play Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski or Hugo Nys and Jan Zielinski. Khachanov and Rublev have tasted success together on Tour this year, capturing the ATP Masters 1000 crown in Madrid. Pavic/Peers Advance In Astana Mate Pavic and John Peers advanced to the Astana Open semi-fin...moreals on Sunday when they defeated Romain Arneodo and Sam Weissborn 7-6(5), 6-4 at the ATP 250 event. Fourth seed Pavic and Peers, who are teaming for the first time this week, will meet Robin Haase and Botic van de Zandschulp in the last four after the Dutchmen beat Francisco Cabral and Rafael Matos 6-1, 6-4.

#NextGenATP Medjedovic Downs Lehecka In Astana QFs - 2日前  ATP World Tour

Hamad Medjedovic captured the biggest win of his career Sunday at the Astana Open, where the #NextGenATP Serbian overcame fourth seed Jiri Lehecka 6-3, 6-4 to reach the semi-finals. A single break of World No. 29 Lehecka’s serve in each set was enough for Medjedovic to book his last-four spot at the ATP 250 in Kazakhstan. The 20-year-old, who also reached the semi-finals on clay in Gstaad in July, saved all four break points he faced en route to his 69-minute triumph. “Honestly, it feels amazing,” said Medjedovic in his on-court interview. “It’s an amazing feeling to be in the semi-finals ...moreof Astana. It’s my second ATP 250 semi-final, but I think this one feels pretty special because I beat very good players and especially on indoor hard courts. I’m very happy with the win and let’s try to win some more matches.” HUGE win! 🤌@MedjedovicHamad reaches his second ATP semi-final after getting the better of No. 4 seed lehecka 6-3, 6-4!@ktf_kz | #AstanaOpen pic.twitter.com/hhllFo11ay— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 1, 2023 Medjedovic has defeated countryman Laslo Djere, Alexander Shevchenko and Lehecka in Astana so far. His run has propelled him 16 spots to No. 104 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, and he is likely to crack the Top 100 for the first time if he can defeat top seed Tallon Griekspoor or Sebastian Korda in Monday’s semi-finals. The 20-year-old, who has enjoyed guidance and financial support from World No. 1 Novak Djokovic during his transition from juniors to the pros, is also on track to qualify for the season-ending Next Gen ATP Finals. Medjedovic is eighth in the Pepperstone ATP Race To Jeddah and will leapfrog Dominic Stricker and Luca Van Assche into sixth if he can reach the Astana final.

Top Seeds Dodig/Krajicek Make Fast Start In Beijing - 3日前  ATP World Tour

Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek made a confident start to their first tournament together on Chinese soil with a 6-2, 6-4 triumph against Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz at the China Open. The top seeds Dodig and Krajicek converted four of five break points they earned in Saturday’s first-round clash to book a quarter-final spot in Beijing. The Croatian-American pair is chasing its fifth tour-level crown of the year in the Chinese capital, and its first on outdoor hard courts. The leading team in the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings as they chase a second consecutive appe...morearance at the Nitto ATP Finals, Dodig and Krajicek will take on Marcelo Melo and Alexander Zverev in the last eight. Dodig is a defending champion in Beijing, where he lifted the trophy at the previous edition of the ATP 500 event in 2019 alongside Filip Polasek. Fourth seeds Santiago Gonzalez and Edouard Roger-Vasselin also reached the quarter-finals with a 6-2, 6-2 triumph against Tomas Martin Etcheverry and Nicolas Jarry. Hugo Nys and Jan Zielinski beat Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen 7-6(5), 6-4, and experienced duo Marcel Granollers/Horacio Zeballos overcame singles stars Alex de Minaur/Jannik Sinner 7-6(2), 6-3. [ATP APP] Cabral/Matos Spring Upset In Astana Francisco Cabral and Rafael Matos stunned top seeds Jamie Murray and Michael Venus 6-3, 6-2 on Saturday at the Astana Open, where the Portuguese-Brazilian team converted four of its six break points to charge to a 68-minute first-round win. There were no such problems for second seeds Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow, who beat Tallong Griekspoor and Bart Stevens 6-4, 7-5. Meanwhile Ariel Behar and Adam Pavlasek became the first team to reach the semi-finals when they defeated Gonzalo Escobar and Aleksandr Nedovyesov 6-3, 4-6, 10-5. [NEWSLETTER FORM]