Tag Archive | "Djokovic"

2020 Miami Open Announces ATP and WTA Player Field

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

2020 Miami Open Announces ATP and WTA Player Field


IMG_3918_Djokovic
The players’ field has been announced for the Miami Open. For the second year in a row, the tournament will be held at Hard Rock Stadium, the state of the art facilities in Miami Gardens.

As usual, the ATP and WTA’s premier players will be in attendance at the 2020 Miami Open which will be played March 23 – April 5.

Leading the men is 2020 Australian Open champion and world number one Novak Djokovic. Djokovic is a 6 time champion in Miami and will be looking for his 7th Miami title. If he captures the title he will make history on the men’s side by holding the most Miami titles. Djokovic is currently tied with Andre Agassi.

Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer will also be battling for the trophy. Nadal will be making his first appearance at Hard Rock Stadium after pulling out of the tournament last year due to a knee injury he sustained at Indian Wells. Federer returns to Miami as the defending champion. He captured his fourth Miami title in 2019 by defeating the 2018 defending champion John Isner. Isner will also be on hand attempting to make his third straight finals appearance. Other notables on the men’s side of the draw include 2020 Australian Open runner up Dominic Thiem, 2019 US Open runner up Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev and Stan Wawrinka.

Defending champion and French Open champion Ashleigh Barty returns in pursuit of her second consecutive Miami title while hometown favorite Serena Williams will try to bag a 9th Miami open title. She already holds the record in Miami with a total of 8 titles. The women’s field is stacked with Major champions including Simona Halep, Bianca Andreescu, Venus Williams, Naomi Osaka, Garbiñe Muguruza, Victoria Azarenka, Petra Kvitova, Angelique Kerber, Sloane Stephens, Jelena Ostapenko and Svetlana Kuznetsova.

Here is the official press release from the tournament:

Miami Gardens, FL (February 11, 2020) – The 2020 Miami Open presented by Itaú returns for its second year at Hard Rock Stadium, March 23-April 5, and fans will have the opportunity to see tennis’ biggest stars while enjoying all the new fan experiences at the event’s world-class venue.

The Miami Open announced today the full player field for the 2020 tournament. The player field features 19 players who have a combined 100 career Grand Slam singles titles, including all-time record holders Roger Federer and Serena Williams. Reigning Australian Open champions Novak Djokovic and Sofia Kenin top one of the strongest ATP and WTA tournament draws of 2020.

Overall, each of the top 76 ranked men and 74 ranked women have entered to compete in Miami.

Federer, the 2019 Miami Open champion, and Djokovic, lead a men’s field that includes 19-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal and boasts the next generation of ATP stars including World No. 4 Daniil Medvedev, 2019 ATP Finals Champion Stefanos Tsitsipas, World No. 7 Alexander Zverev and Australian star Nick Kyrgios.

The player field also included three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka, 2018 Miami Open champion John Isner, 2020 Australian Open finalist Dominic Thiem and nine-time ATP tour winner Gael Monfils.

The women’s field is even more impressive.

Kenin, who hails from Pembroke Pines, Florida, is fresh off her first Grand Slam title in Melbourne and joins an impressive list of Grand Slam singles champions competing in Miami.

Leading the way is 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams, who is looking to win her ninth title in Miami, and defending Miami Open champion Ashleigh Barty, the reigning French Open champion.

The list of Grand Slam champions in the 2020 Miami Open player field includes 2019 Wimbledon champion Simona Halep, defending US Open champion Bianca Andreescu, Venus Williams, Naomi Osaka, Garbiñe Muguruza, Victoria Azarenka, Petra Kvitova, Angelique Kerber, Sloane Stephens, Jelena Ostapenko and Svetlana Kuznetsova.

Other qualified players to watch include 2019 Miami Open finalist Karolina Pliskova, World No. 4 Elina Svitolina, Swiss star Belinda Bencic and American, Madison Keys.

The future stars of women’s tennis will also be on display with 18-year-old Amanda Anisimova, from Aventura, and 15-year-old Coco Gauff, from Delray Beach, in the field. Both claimed their first WTA singles title in 2019.

Following a spectacular Hard Rock Stadium debut last March, fans can expect an even greater guest experience that includes the best in art, food, fashion and music. Some new and exciting changes in 2020 include the Sky View at Hard Rock Stadium, a gondola ride that will give fans the opportunity to see the venue from a unique perspective. The site will also have increased shade structures and a new Grandstand video board.

Tickets to the 2020 Miami Open are on sale now and available by phone at 305-943-6736 or online at www.miamiopen.com. Individual session tickets start at only $16 so get your tickets today. Ticket packages, group programs, and luxury hospitality offerings also are available.

Qualifying rounds will be March 23-24 and will determine 12 additional slots in each singles draw. The Miami Open also will award wildcards to five men and eight women. The women’s main draw begins on Tuesday, March 24, followed by the first round of the men’s main draw on Wednesday, March 25.

ATP Acceptance List (as of February 11, 2020)

Name Country Rank

Novak Djokovic SRB 1
Rafael Nadal ESP 2
Roger Federer SUI 3
Dominic Thiem AUT 4
Daniil Medvedev RUS 5
Stefanos Tsitsipas GRE 6
Alexander Zverev GER 7
Matteo Berrettini ITA 8
Gael Monfils FRA 9
David Goffin BEL 10
Fabio Fognini ITA 11
Roberto Bautista Agut ESP 12
Stan Wawrinka SUI 13
Diego Schwartzman ARG 14
Kevin Anderson RSA 14 EP
Andrey Rublev RUS 15
Denis Shapovalov CAN 16
Karen Khachanov RUS 17
John Isner USA 18
Benoit Paire FRA 19
Nick Kyrgios AUS 20
Felix Auger-Aliassime CAN 21
Grigor Dimitrov BUL 22
Dusan Lajovic SRB 23
Alex de Minaur AUS 24
Kei Nishikori JPN 25
Cristian Garin CHI 26
Guido Pella ARG 27
Nikoloz Basilashvili GEO 28
Hubert Hurkacz POL 29
Pablo Carreno Busta ESP 30
Borna Coric CRO 31
Milos Raonic CAN 32
Daniel Evans GRB 33
Jan-Lennard Struff GER 34
Laslo Djere SRB 35
Taylor Fritz USA 36
Marin Cilic CRO 37
Sam Querrey USA 38
Filip Krajinovic SRB 39
Reilly Opelka USA 40
John Millman AUS 41
Albert Ramos-Vinolas ESP 42
Ugo Humbert FRA 43
Adrian Mannarino FRA 44
Casper Ruud NOR 45
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga FRA 46
Fernando Verdasco ESP 47
Pablo Cuevas URU 48
Lorenzo Sonego ITA 49
Radu Albot MDA 50
Feliciano Lopez ESP 51
Aljaz Bedene SLO 52
Tennys Sandgren USA 53
Miomir Kecmanovic SRB 54
Richard Gasquet FRA 55
Alexander Bublik KAZ 56
Gilles Simone FRA 57
Pablo Andujar ESP 58
Cameron Norrie GRB 59
Lucas Pouille FRA 60
Jeremy Chardy FRA 61
Kyle Edmund GRB 62
Jordan Thompson AUS 63
Yoshihito Nishioka JPN 64
Ricardas Berankis LTU 65
Marton Fucsovics HUN 66
Mikhail Kukushkin KAZ 67
Joao Sousa POR 68
Juan Ignacio Londero ARG 69
Tommy Paul USA 70
Egor Gerasimov BLR 71
Lu Yen-Hsun TPE 71 EP
Jiri Vesely CZE 72
Marco Cecchinato ITA 73
Vasek Pospisil CAN 73 EP
Mikael Ymer SWE 74
Steve Johnson USA 75
Corentin Moutet FRA 76
EP – Entry Protection

WTA Acceptance List (as of February 11, 2020)

Name Country Rank

Ashleigh Barty AUS 1
Simona Halep ROU 2
Karolina Pliskova CZE 3
Elina Svitolina UKR 4
Belinda Bencic SUI 5
Bianca Andreescu CAN 6
Sofia Kenin USA 7
Kiki Bertens NED 8
Serena Williams USA 9
Naomi Osaka JPN 10
Petra Kvitova CZE 11
Madison Keys USA 12
Aryna Sabalenka BLR 13
Johanna Konta GBR 14
Petra Martic CRO 15
Garbiñe Muguruza ESP 16
Marketa Vondrousova CZE 17
Alison Riske USA 18
Elise Mertens BEL 19
Angelique Kerber GER 20
Maria Sakkari GRE 21
Anett Kontaveit EST 22
Donna Vekic CRO 23
Karolina Muchova CZE 24
Elena Rybakina KAZ 25
Dayana Yastremska UKR 26
Wang Qiang CHN 27
Ekaterina Alexandrova RUS 28
Amanda Anisimova USA 29
Barbora Strycova CZE 30
Julia Goerges GER 31
Zhang Shuai CHN 32
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova RUS 33
Yulia Putintseva KAZ 34
Sloane Stephens USA 35
Zheng Saisai CHN 36
Kristina Mladenovic FRA 37
Veronika Kudermetova RUS 38
Hsieh Su-Wei TPE 39
Jelena Ostapenko LAT 40
Anastasija Sevastova LAT 41
Magda Linette POL 42
Polona Hercog SLO 43
Rebecca Peterson SWE 44
Ons Jabeur TUN 45
Caroline Garcia FRA 46
Alison Van Uytvanck BEL 47
Yaroslava Shvedova KAZ 47 SR
Iga Swiatek POL 48
Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS 49
Danielle Collins USA 50
Coco Gauff USA 51
Jennifer Brady USA 52
Victoria Azarenka BLR 53
Anna Blinkova RUS 54
Carla Suárez Navarro ESP 55
Wang Yafan CHN 56
Ajla Tomljanovic AUS 57
Fiona Ferro FRA 58
Katerina Siniakova CZE 59
Marie Bouzkova CZE 60
Alizé Cornet FRA 61
Lauren Davis USA 62
Zarina Diyas KAZ 63
Bernarda Pera USA 64
Viktoria Kuzmova SVK 65
Venus Williams USA 66
Kristyna Pliskova CZE 67
Jil Teichmann SUI 68
Sorana Cirstea ROU 69
Zhu Lin CHN 70
Daria Kasatkina RUS 71
Taylor Townsend USA 72
Laura Siegemund GER 73
Heather Watson GBR 74
SR – Secured Ranking

About the Miami Open presented by Itaú
The 2020 Miami Open will be played March 23 – April 5 at Hard Rock Stadium. The two-week combined event is owned and operated by IMG. The Miami Open is one of nine ATP Masters 1000 Series events on the ATP calendar, a Premier Mandatory event on the WTA calendar, and features the top men’s and women’s tennis players in the world. The tournament is widely regarded as the most glamorous on the ATP and WTA calendars because of Miami’s unique personality, thriving nightlife, five-star hotels and restaurants, beautiful weather and beaches, and celebrity appeal, as well as its close proximity to both Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach. For ticket information, call +1.305.442.3367 or visit www.miamiopen.com.

About Itaú
Itaú is the largest Latin America privately owned bank, with approximately 94,000 employees and operations in 19 countries throughout the Americas, Asia and Europe. Itaú’s relationship with sport goes back to the 1970s, when Itaú first sponsored the Itaú Tennis Cup in Brazil in 1970. Itaú has been a sponsor of the Miami Open for the last six years, and also sponsors the Rio Open, the only combined ATP/WTA event in South America. Itaú also supports the Brazilian Women’s Tennis Circuit, only female professional tournament in South America, certified by the Brazilian Tennis Confederation (CBT) and the International Tennis Federation (ITF), as well as the Tennis Institute Training Center, responsible for the development of young, new talent.

About IMG
IMG is a global leader in sports, fashion, events and media, operating in more than 30 countries. The company manages some of the world’s greatest sports figures and fashion icons; stages hundreds of live events and branded entertainment experiences annually; and is a leading independent producer and distributor of sports and entertainment media. IMG also specializes in sports training and league development, as well as marketing, media and licensing for brands, sports organizations and collegiate institutions. IMG is part of the Endeavor (formerly WME | IMG) network.

About Hard Rock Stadium
Hard Rock Stadium is a global entertainment destination that serves as home to the Miami Dolphins, University of Miami football team, Orange Bowl, Super Bowl LIV and the 100th anniversary of the NFL, College Football Playoffs 2021 Final, major concerts, international soccer matches and a host of world-class events. The facility has undergone a $500 million, multi-year renovation privately funded by Owner Stephen Ross.

Posted in Local News, NewsComments (0)

Federer Tops Isner to Capture Fourth Miami Open Title

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Federer Tops Isner to Capture Fourth Miami Open Title


IMG_4681_Federer
Karen Pestaina @TennisNewsTPN

Roger Federer won his fourth Miami Open title on Sunday for his 101st career trophy when he defeated defending champion, seventh seed John Isner 6-1, 6-4 in 63 minutes. Towards the end of the match Isner had some problems with his left foot and appeared to be limping in the last two games.

“I knew something was not right, the way he was moving was not well,” Federer said during the trophy ceremony. “But I can’t let that affect my game. Of course, I hope for John it’s nothing serious.”

“To stand here after so many years is absolutely incredible. John is a great player, a great person. I’m so sorry for your foot but I’m positive for you it’s all good and you’ll be playing great tennis for the rest of the year.”

“Roger, you were entirely too good today,” said Isner to Federer. “You were entirely too good this whole tournament. You were entirely too good your whole career. It’s absolutely incredible what you are doing.”

Federer started off the match by breaking Isner’s usually unbreakable serve and never letting up, breaking one of the biggest servers in the game three times in the first set. Federer won all 20 of his first-serve points and broke Isner’s serve four times total in the match.

The victory for the fourth seed Federer makes him the first person on either tour this tennis year to claim a second title. Up until Sunday 14 different women and 19 different men had claimed trophies in as many tournaments.

At 101 titles, Federer stands behind all-time male title leader Jimmy Connors at 109 and at 28 Masters Series crowns, he trails Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

Federer now leads the ATP Race to London by 55 points over No. 1 Djokovic.

The 37-year-old Swiss also has the best record on the men’s tour this year after the first three months at 18-2. He is now 16-1 versus U.S. players in finals. His lone loss coming to Andre Agassi in the 2002 Miami Open final.

Posted in Local News, NewsComments (0)

Sunday’s Line Up at the Miami Open Has Isner, Djokovic and Kyrgios Vying for a Spot in the Round of 16

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Sunday’s Line Up at the Miami Open Has Isner, Djokovic and Kyrgios Vying for a Spot in the Round of 16


IMG_3813_Isner
Six time Miami Open champion Novak Djokovic is back on court Sunday afternoon. The multiple major winner will face Argentine Frederico Delbonis as he attempts to qualify for the fourth round. This will be the first ATP encounter for these two.

John Isner continues his title defense. In the day’s initial match on stadium court, the American will be challenged by Spaniard Albert Ramos Vinolas. This will be their maiden meeting on hardcourt. They’ve split their prior two on clay.

The night session will conclude with Australian Nick Kyrgios battling Serbian Dusan Lajovic. Kyrgios walked away with the victory in their one previous showdown last year.

Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonic will finally be on court for the first time after getting a walkover into the third round. He will collide with Brit Kyle Edmund.

Here is the order of play for Sunday March 24, 2019:

STADIUM start 12:00 noon
ATP – A. Ramos-Vinolas (ESP) vs [7] J. Isner (USA)

Not Before 2:00 pm
WTA – P. Hercog (SLO) vs [2] S. Halep (ROU)
ATP – [1] N. Djokovic (SRB) vs F. Delbonis (ARG)

Not Before 7:30 pm
WTA – T. Maria (GER) vs [4] S. Stephens (USA)

Not Before 9:00 pm
ATP – [27] N. Kyrgios (AUS) vs D. Lajovic (SRB)

GRANDSTAND start 12:00 noon
WTA – Y. Wang (CHN) vs [25] D. Collins (USA)
ATP – [12] M. Raonic (CAN) vs [19] K. Edmund (GBR)

Not Before 4:00 pm
WTA – [14] D. Kasatkina (RUS) vs V. Williams (USA)
WTA – [5] Ka. Pliskova (CZE) vs A. Cornet (FRA)

Not Before 7:00 pm
ATP – [11] B. Coric (CRO) vs J. Chardy (FRA)

COURT 1 start 11:00 am
ATP – M. Gonzalez (ARG) / H. Zeballos (ARG) vs [4] J. Cabal (COL) / R. Farah (COL)

Not Before 12:00 noon
ATP – [22] R. Bautista Agut (ESP) vs [15] F. Fognini (ITA)
ATP – [17] N. Basilashvili (GEO) vs R. Haase (NED)
ATP – H. Hurkacz (POL) vs [Q] F. Auger-Aliassime (CAN)
WTA – [6] S. Stosur (AUS) / S. Zhang (CHN) vs L. Kichenok (UKR) / N. Kichenok (UKR)

BUTCH BUCHHOLZ COURT start 11:00 am
ATP – F. Lopez (ESP) / M. Lopez (ESP) vs I. Dodig (CRO) / E. Roger-Vasselin (FRA)

Not Before 12:30 pm
ATP – R. Bopanna (IND) / D. Shapovalov (CAN) vs [7] M. Granollers (ESP) / N. Mektic (CRO)
WTA – Y. Putintseva (KAZ) vs [11] A. Sevastova (LAT)
WTA – [16] E. Mertens (BEL) vs M. Vondrousova (CZE)
ATP – R. Ram (USA) / J. Salisbury (GBR) vs J. Isner (USA) / S. Querrey (USA)

COURT 6 start 11:00 am
WTA – D. Jurak (CRO) / R. Olaru (ROU) vs L. Arruabarrena (ESP) / H. Watson (GBR)

Not Before 1:00 pm
WTA – [1] B. Krejcikova (CZE) / K. Siniakova (CZE) or [WC] V. Azarenka (BLR) / A. Barty (AUS) vs A. Krunic (SRB) / A. Panova (RUS)
ATP – [6] R. Klaasen (RSA) / M. Venus (NZL) vs M. Middelkoop (NED) / D. Schwartzman (ARG)
ATP – W. Koolhof (NED) / S. Tsitsipas (GRE) vs [2] J. Murray (GBR) / B. Soares (BRA)
WTA – A. Rosolska (POL) / Z. Yang (CHN) or K. Flipkens (BEL) / J. Larsson (SWE) vs [5] G. Dabrowski (CAN) / Y. Xu (CHN)

Posted in Local News, NewsComments (0)

Miami Open: New Home with Same Residents as Serena, Djokovic and Federer Get Acclimated

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Miami Open: New Home with Same Residents as Serena, Djokovic and Federer Get Acclimated


IMG_1522_Rock
There was no azure sky to welcome the Miami Open at its new venue as a constant drizzle washed out the first round of play. Nevertheless, two weeks of exhilarating tennis prepare to unfold as many familiar faces will parade through with the goal of capturing the title.

On the gentlemen’s side, three time champion Roger Federer is on a collision course in the quarterfinals with 2018 Wimbledon Finalist Kevin Anderson. The South African surprised the former world number one in the Wimbledon quarterfinals last year after Federer was up two sets to none. Stefanos Tsitsipas, the 20 year Greek, who upended Federer a few months ago at the Australian Open could be Federer’s opponent in the semifinals.

Fresh off his biggest title at Indian Wells, Dominic Thiem will attempt to garner the rare sunshine double. However, he will likely need to go through reigning world number one Novak Djokovic, a six time titlist in Miami. Moreover, John Isner, the defending champion will have plenty to say. He is slated to clash with Djokovic in the quarterfinals.

Naomi Osaka will have to show the form that led her to capture the last two majors if she plans to walk away with her first trophy in Miami. The world number one could potentially meet Garbine Muguruza, the 2016 French Open and 2017 Wimbledon champion, in the fourth round or 2018 Australian Open winner, Caroline Wozniacki. In the quarterfinals, 2 time major holder, Angelique Kerber possibly awaits Osaka. To add to the degree of difficulty, the semifinals could be a rematch of this year’s Australian Open final with Petra Kvitová.

Still searching for her maiden trophy since the birth of her baby, Serena Williams is back at one of her favorite events. The eight time titlist will likely find world number two Simona Halep in the quarterfinals in her way. In the semifinals, defending champion Sloane Stephens or Karolina Pliskova could be Serena’s obstacle. Pliskova shocked the 23 time major holder this year in Australia down 1-5 in the third set in the quarterfinals. As a 3 time victor in Miami, unseeded big sister Venus is also a dangerous floater on Serena’s side of the draw as well.

As the storms clear, who will ultimately shine in the South Florida sun on championship day? Stay tuned.

Posted in Local News, NewsComments (0)

2019 Miami Open Player Field Announced

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

2019 Miami Open Player Field Announced


IMG_3217_Federer
The 2019 Miami Open will break ground at its new location at the Hard Rock Stadium next month.

Today, the tournament announced the players field that will be taking to courts at the state of the art facilities in Miami Gardens. The ATP and WTA field includes a total of 19 Major singles champions.

The men’s side will be highlighted by the 2019 Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic. Joining Djokovic in Miami are the likes of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Juan Martin del Potro and 2018 Miami Open champion John Isner.

The women’s side will be highlighted by the 2019 Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka. Osaka will be joined by defending Miami Open champion Sloane Stephens, Serena Williams, Simona Halep, Petra Kvitova and Caroline Wozniacki.

Here is the official press release from tournament:

Miami Gardens, FL (February 6, 2019) – The 2019 Miami Open presented by Itaú will make its debut at Hard Rock Stadium March 18-31, and fans will have the opportunity to see one of the best player fields in tennis at its new lifestyle and entertainment venue.

This year’s extraordinary lineup features 19 players who have combined to win 108 career Grand Slam singles titles including all-time record holders Roger Federer and Serena Williams. Reigning Australian Open champions, and the world’s No. 1 ranked players, Novak Djokovic and Naomi Osaka top one of the strongest ATP and WTA tournament draws of 2019.

Overall, each of the top 79 ranked men and 76 ranked women have entered to compete in Miami.

Federer and Djokovic lead a men’s field that includes 17-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal, three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka, and former US Open champions Juan Martin del Potro and Marin Cilic, along with defending Miami Open champion John Isner.

The player field also boasts the next generation of ATP stars including World No. 3 Alexander Zverev, Australian Open semifinalist Stefanos Tsitsipas, American Frances Tiafoe and Australian Nick Kyrgios.

The women’s field is even more impressive. Osaka, winner of the last two Grand Slam singles titles, leads a field that includes 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams and defending Miami Open champion Sloane Stephens. Fans also will have the opportunity to see seven-time Grand Slam Champion Venus Williams, five-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova, two-time Grand Slam winner Garbiñe Muguruza, two-time Grand Slam winner Angelique Kerber, two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, reigning French Open champion Simona Halep, 2018 Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki and 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko.

The player field however is just part of the story.

Tournament Owner IMG and Miami Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross partnered to keep the Miami Open in Miami and have worked together to build a permanent world-class tennis facility that will provide an elevated fan experience while incorporating a unique Miami look and feel. The improved amenities will allow the tournament to host a true lifestyle and entertainment event featuring the best in tennis, art, food and music.

Tickets to the 2019 Miami Open are on sale now and available by phone at 305-943-6736 or online at www.miamiopen.com. Individual session tickets start at just $28 so get your tickets today. Ticket packages, group programs, and luxury hospitality offerings also are available.

Qualifying rounds will be March 18-19 and will determine 12 additional slots in each singles draw. The Miami Open also will award wildcards to five men and eight women. The women’s main draw begins on Tuesday, March 19, followed by the first round of the men’s main draw on Wednesday, March 20.

ATP Acceptance List (as of February 6, 2019)

Name Country Rank
Novak Djokovic, SRB, 01
Rafael Nadal, ESP, 02
Alexander Zverev, GER, 03
Juan Martin del Potro, ARG, 04
Kevin Anderson, RSA, 05
Roger Federer, SUI, 06
Kei Nishikori, JPN, 07
Dominic Thiem, AUT, 08
John Isner, USA, 09

Posted in Local News, NewsComments (0)

Unmatched:  Djokovic Trounces Nadal For A Record Making Seventh Australian Open Title

Tags: , , , ,

Unmatched: Djokovic Trounces Nadal For A Record Making Seventh Australian Open Title


IMG_2381_Djokovic
The 53rd career meeting between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, world number 1 and 2 respectively, took place in the final at the Australian Open. The Serb dominated the 17 time major champion 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 to hoist the trophy for an unprecedented seventh occasion and bank his 15th major title.

Djokovic continued to display the form that garnered him the last 2 majors, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, beginning the match with a love hold. Quickly, the world number one had double break point when Nadal buried a backhand crosscourt into the net. The Spaniard had not yielded a break since the opening round. With Nadal flubbing an easy forehand, Djokovic secured the game. He bolstered the break by capturing his 8th consecutive service point for 3-0. After saving break point, Nadal finally posted a game on the board. Still, Djokovic kept on rolling extending his lead to 5-2 after his fourth hold at love. The Serb surrendered only 1 point as he shut out the opening set 6-3.

Few competitors have succeeded in frustrating Nadal or making him look ordinary, especially in a final at a major. That’s exactly what Djokovic accomplished up to this point. After Nadal pocketed a tough first game to start the second set, Djokovic breezed through to square the proceedings at 1 all. With another arduous game, Nadal had his first lead for 2-1. However, the satisfaction was short lived as Djokovic cruised again on his serve to level the score at 2-2. The next few minutes pressed into mistakes after mistakes, Nadal stared at double break point as he hit his racket in disgust. As the Spaniard’s lob landed long, Djokovic converted the break for 3-2. Nadal’s best chance came the following game at 15-30 and deuce. But, the Serb pushed harder on the accelerator to eventually consolidate for 4-2. With a forehand up the line winner, soon, Djokovic was in position to nab a double break lead. He did so when Nadal dumped another forehand stroke into the net. The Serb finished the second set by winning four successive games.

Up to this juncture, Nadal had yet to manufacture a break point. His forecourt game which had worked beautifully this fortnight had deserted him, his first serve offered no solace. As Djokovic blanketed the baseline, Nadal was literally being pushed out of the stadium with each stroke. The Spaniard needed to rethink his tactics, minimize his errors and have his rival’s level of play dip. In the third game, misfiring on a forehand down the line, Nadal gave Djokovic double break point. With the Spaniard unable to handle a forehand volley, the Serb grabbed the break for 2-1. There had never been a straight sets victory in all of their previous 7 major finals. Winning 86% of his first serves, 89% of his second, with 28 winners and 4 unforced errors up to now, Djokovic was looking to make this one the first. Subsequent to his counterpart consolidating for 3-1, Nadal quickly held to keep the deficit at one game. In the sixth game, at last, Nadal had his maiden break point of the contest when Djokovic netted a makeable forehand. Anew, Nadal’s backhand failed to clear his side of the net, the score was at deuce. Djokovic simply would not be denied. With a couple of winners, the Serb was at 4-2. Down 3-4, Nadal again pushed his opponent to deuce, but to no avail. With a let court volley winner, Djokovic marched on for 5-3. Then, after 2 hours and 4 minutes, a forehand up the line winner gave the Serb double championship point. Djokovic cashed in on his second opportunity, when Nadal’s backhand went long.

The 2009 victor had these words for his rival “many congratulations to Novak and his team. It was an amazing level of tennis tonight and during both weeks, well done.” Still for Nadal, all is not lost “even though tonight was not my best day…It’s been a very important 2 weeks for me. I have been going through tough moments during the last year. . . since the U.S. Open I was not able to play a professional match until the first round of the Australian Open. For me so important to be where I am today coming back from injury. [This] is going to be good energy, good inspiration for myself, for what’s coming. I’m going to keep fighting hard, keep working hard to be a better player. . . Sometimes, this tournament has been hard for me, in terms of injury and opponents like tonight [laughing]. But I’m going to keep practicing, putting all the things that I have to comeback and give myself better chances in the future.”

Never one to forget the spectators, the Spaniard recognized them by saying “all the people, all the fans have been fantastic. The connection with all of you is difficult to describe. When I am not playing what I miss the most is the support and the love of all of you, many thanks”.

For Nadal, it’s always about perspective “I know tennis is not forever. We are not 20 anymore. My only goal is to keep going and fight for the thing that makes [me] wake up every morning. I want to do it as long as I can. You appreciate your rivals because you share a lot of important moments in your lives”.

Collecting his seventh Norman Brooks Challenge Cup, Djokovic complemented Nadal “on a great couple of weeks. . . You were unfortunate throughout your career to go through some injuries. You are showing me, other colleagues and many young tennis players throughout the world what is the definition of the fighting spirit and resilience, thank you for that”.

Djokovic went on to say “I had surgery exactly twelve months [ago]. To be standing now in front of you today, managing to win, this title, 3 out of 4 slams, this is truly amazing. I am speechless.” Moreover, he cited “I would like to thank my team. [Tennis] is an individual sport, but you guys are always behind me, tolerating me on my bad days. You are putting together a great successful formula that is working really well. Marian [Vajda], thank you for coming back to my team. . . [to my wife and kids], trophies are even more special when I have someone so dear, so special to me in my life to share it with. They are the dearest thing next to my parents and two brothers. I want to thank them for unconditional support. Through all these years, they’ve sacrificed a lot of their time and energy for me to live my dream, I always try to remind myself and not take that for granted”.

For Djokovic, in addition to the physical, it also seemed a matter of motivation, the last couple of years. But, he certainly found it again “the very essence of why I play the sport, love and passion for the game. I had to dig deep. That kind of pure emotion got me going. Nadal historically throughout my life and career has been the greatest rival that I’ve played against. Those kind of encounters have made me the player I am today without a doubt. These are the kind of matches you live for, the finals of slams against the greatest rival, what else can you ask for”, indeed. If Djokovic maintains the kind of focus he’s demonstrated since June of 2018, he will be impossible to halt. Consequently, 2019 may be the year which marks finally a true grand slam, Djokovic holding all 4 majors in the same calendar year.

Posted in NewsComments (0)

Djokovic Vanquishes Del Potro for Third U.S. Open Crown

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Djokovic Vanquishes Del Potro for Third U.S. Open Crown


IMG_2376_Djokovic
In 2002, Pete Sampras capped his illustrious career by claiming his 14th major at the U.S. Open, a number which seemed insurmountable for future generation at the time. Today, Novak Djokovic downed Juan Martin Del Potro 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 to hoist the U.S. Open trophy, tying Sampras’ record.

What was suppose to be a routine seventh service game for Del Potro, up 40-0, turned into a nightmare as Djokovic induced a series of miscues to seize the break. Quickly, with an uneventful hold, the Serb sealed the first set.

On the surface, it was a straight sets victory. However, the match was anything but straightforward. After Djokovic broke in the opening game of the second set, Del Potro returned the favor in the fifth game. Up 4-3, the Argentine could not penetrate Djokovic’s formidable defense. Consequently, the Serb dismissed three break points in an eighth game which lasted 20 minutes. The set was decided by a tiebreaker. After the initial three points went against the server, Del Potro finally gained a 3-1 advantage with a forehand down the line winner. Yet, with the same stroke misfiring, the players were back on serve. With two consecutive errors on serve, Del Potro went down 4-5. As the Argentine’s forehand, his most ominous weapon, deserted him, a 95 minutes set terminated with Del Potro netting a crosscourt forehand.

Again it was Djokovic pocketing the early break for 3-1 in the third set. Still, Del Potro clawed his way back and ultimately levelled the score. Djokovic’s steady play put an end to Del Potro’s two game streak and the Serb moved ahead 4-3. Promptly with a forehand flub and a double fault, Del Potro stared at double break point. As the Argentine’s backhand sailed wide, Djokovic secured the 5-3 lead. Soon, a forehand down the line winner gave Djokovic match point. It was all the Serb needed as he struck an overhead winner to conclude the set and nab his third championship after 3 hours and 15 minutes.

A chant broke out from his horde of fans as the 2018 finalist stepped up to the mic during the trophy ceremony. Del Potro cited “it’s not easy to speak right now, but I love you too guys. I’m so happy to be playing the final against this magnificent idol. He is one of my friends on tour, he knows if there is one player I want to watch winning title is him. Of course, I’m sad because I [loss], but I’m happy for Novak and his team as well. You deserve to win”.

For Del Potro, the 2009 U.S. Open titlist and world number three, it’s been a long journey to his second major final. With multiple wrist surgeries, there was doubt that he would ever return to this caliber of tennis. He expressed “I never gave up. . . I was trying to fix all my injuries to be back here, I got it after nine years which is amazing to me because the U.S. Open is my favorite tournament on tour and I am very proud for that”.

Always one to look at the glass more than half full, Del Potro conveyed in Spanish “I want to thank my team, all those who have helped me to get to this stage, my friends, all the people who have supported me. Even from those in Argentina, I could feel the energy. Lastly, I believe at times one can win or lose a tournament, but the love of the people is worth as much as this trophy. I already have this trophy, so I’ll take away with me the love from all of you”.

Post elbow surgery in March, Djokovic was an average player. A semifinal run in Rome where he fell to Rafael Nadal improved his record to 7-6. After an unexpected ousting by Marco Cecchinato in the quarterfinals at Roland Garros, Djokovic may have hoped, yet, it would hard to imagine that he’d bank on triumphs at both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. He credits his resurgence to the “support of the love ones, my kids, my wife, my team, a small group of people that has been with me through difficult times as well. When I had the surgery this year, I could truly understand what Juan Martin was going through. . . You learn from adversity. . . I tried to take the best out of myself in these moments.”

What does this title signify for Djokovic, equaling Sampras’ feat, third on the all time list “I was hoping he was going to be here tonight, Pete you are my idol and I love you”. Moreover, Djokovic stated “I want to congratulate Juan Martin for what he has done, coming back last five years, having faith and belief in himself that one day he will be a top player. I wish him all the best. I know he is going to be here again with the champion trophy”.

With Nadal retiring in the semifinals with a knee injury after being down 2 sets to Del Potro, his future is uncertain. Thus, with this win, Djokovic gains traction, moving from a ranking of six to top three. As such, he has a realistic shot at ending as the year end number one.

Posted in NewsComments (0)

Djokovic Picks Up Fourth Wimbledon Trophy

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Djokovic Picks Up Fourth Wimbledon Trophy



Novak Djokovic dispatched Kevin Anderson 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 in the Wimbledon finals in order to acquire his 4th major at that the All England Club.

At the beginning of this fortnight, it’s unlikely that the odds maker had the South African on their radar. Anderson, the 2017 U.S. Open runner up, shocked Roger Federer in the quarterfinals. Never previously winning a set in their four prior meetings, he overcame a 0-2 set deficit, match point, to prevail 13-11 in the fifth, in a match lasting 4 hour and 14 minute. Two days later, clashing with John Isner, a player no stranger to marathon matches, Anderson outlasted the American 26-24 in the decisive set, he was on court for 6 hour and 36 minute. Djokovic for his part endured a 5 hour 15 minute tussle with Rafael Nadal in the semifinals over two days edging the Spaniard 10-8 in the fifth. Would fatigue be a factor as Anderson attempted to elevate his status not only to the first South African to get to the last dance, but to that of victor at this venue?

The two competitors had met 6 times before. The South African’s sole win was at the Miami Open in 2008. Anderson’s inability to connect on his most valuable asset the serve, gave Djokovic the initial game as the South African double faulted. Swiftly with another errant forehand by Anderson, Djokovic consolidated for 2-0. Later, with Anderson dumping a backhand volley into the net, Djokovic capitalized on another break point and with a love game padded his lead to 5-1. With this insurmountable advantage, Djokovic eventually captured the set.

Concern over his right elbow prompted Anderson to call the trainer for treatment, however, this was not sufficient to slow down Djokovic. A backhand miscue handed Djokovic breakpoint in the opening game. In a carbon copy of the first set, the Serb cashed in and after a hold jumped in front 2-0. Down the road, a double fault by Anderson gifted Djokovic 15-40. With the South African’s forehand up the line landing wide, Djokovic moved ahead 4-1. Serving for the set at 5-2, Djokovic’s stroke misfired off a tremendous return by his opponent. Yet, Anderson failed to convert on his first break opportunity. Djokovic went on to pocket the second set.

In the third set, with time his adversary, Anderson changed tactics slightly by coming to the net more frequently. In the eight game, a let court allowed the South African to control the point and get a break chance. However, with his backhand traveling long, Djokovic arrived at deuce and ultimately leveled the score at 4-4. The Serbian stared down two set points in his next service game. After a love hold by Anderson for 6-5, his best window to take the set came with Djokovic’s forehand down the line flub giving him 15-40. Still it was a no go. A third break point was swiftly dismissed by Djokovic. Soon with an ace, the score was 6-6. In the tiebreaker, Djokovic curled a forehand up the line pass for a winner for 3-1. Then, with Anderson’s backhand volley missing it’s target, the Serb sprinted to a 5-1 edge. With Anderson’s return finding the net, Djokovic sealed the deal at 7-3.

Anderson drove as hard as he could to make the match competitive “first and second sets, Novak beat up on me pretty bad. The whole fortnight I tried my best to keep at it, came a point or two from pushing it to the fourth set. It would have been great to play longer here. But playing against Novak isn’t easy. He is a true champion of our sport and congratulation to him.” Commenting on his physical condition, Anderson said “I am definitely not as fresh now as I was coming into the week. But this is such an amazing tournament for us players. We dedicate our whole lives to fight for a spot to be on this court. . . there’s only been a few individuals who’ve made it out here, so that’s what it takes for me to get to here, I would have given another 21 hours. It really meant a lot to me.”

After a 2 year drought, Djokovic has his 13th major “It feels amazing [to be holding the trophy] because for the first time I have someone screaming daddy, daddy. . . I’m very emotional. . . I want to congratulate Kevin and his team. . . In his first Wimbledon final, he didn’t play his best for two sets, but in the third, he was the better player. I was quite lucky to get through ”

Following his career grand slam achievement in 2016 at the French Open, Djokovic hit a dirt patch with only two titles in 2017. A round of 16 exit at the Australian Open this year finally convinced him that a niggling elbow issue could not be fixed with rehab, he underwent surgery. In addition, returning to familiar roots, coach Marian Vjada, considering today’s outcome was his most astute decision. Djokovic cited “I had to trust the process. . . I owe a great thanks to my team, last couple of years it hasn’t been easy. With a severe injury, I had many moments of doubt and did not know whether I could come back to a level to compete. . . No better place in the world to make a comeback, it’s a sacred place for the world of tennis”

When the new rankings are revealed, Djokovic will rejoin the top 10 from his current position at 21. While Anderson crack the top 5 for the first time from his spot at 8.

Posted in NewsComments (0)

Djokovic Dominates Nishikori to Win Miami Open for Sixth Time

Tags: , , , , , ,

Djokovic Dominates Nishikori to Win Miami Open for Sixth Time


IMG_2340_Djokovic
Miami, Ricky Dimon @Dimonator
Novak Djokovic pulled off a three-peat at the Miami Open and won the tournament for the sixth time in his career by defeating Kei Nishikori 6-3, 6-3 on Sunday afternoon. Djokovic got off to a relatively slow start and dropped serve twice in the first set but ended up cruising to the title in one hour and 26 minutes.

Nishikori broke right away at love for a quick 1-0 advantage in the opener only to give it right back. The world No. 1 soon found himself trailing by a break before earning another scalp of the Djokovic serve at 2-4. A somewhat bizarre first set saw Nishikori win eight return points–all of which came in two love service breaks. Djokovic held his other three service games at love.

Set two was more straightforward, with the top-seeded Serb surrendering only four points on serve. Two breaks were more than enough for Djokovic, who coasted to the finish line as Nishikori began struggling with an apparent knee problem.

“I thought he started very well breaking my serve in the first game and coming out with some big forehands and aggressive play,” the champion reflected. “I needed to answer right back, which I did in the following game…which helped me mentally to kind of continue the match in a right way. Because if you’re a break down, 2-0 down, things are a little bit different, obviously–especially against a player like Kei.

“It was best performance of the tournament (today). It came at the right time against a great, quality player.”

“I thought I wasn’t playing too bad,” Nishikori assessed. “But (at the) same time, he played great tennis. So that’s why I couldn’t play what I wanted to play. Also my serve wasn’t going (well) today. So that was [a] shame to have that, because he had a great return. I felt a little pressure on my service game.”

IMG_2396_Djokovic



















In triumphing, Djokovic gained sole possession of the all-time lead in Masters 1000 titles with 28. He also surpassed Boris Becker for 11th place on the all-time ATP Open Era victories list with 714. Additionally, Djokovic moved past Roger Federer for No. 1 on the career prize money chart and completed the Indian Wells-Miami double for a record fourth time.

“Every year that I come back to Miami, I do go through those memories from back in 2007…the first Masters I won; (it) opened a lot of doors for me, gave me a lot of self-belief,” Djokovic added. “I started to realize that I’m able to win the big trophies and to beat the best players in the world. So of course this is a particular place for me to come back to, now winning it six times. Obviously I don’t take any win for granted, and especially in the big ones.”

Ricky Dimon is a contributor to MiamiTennisNews and writes for tenngrand.com. You can follow him on Twitter under @Dimonator by clicking here.

Posted in Local News, NewsComments (0)

Djokovic Gets Past Goffin, Joined by Nishikori in Miami Open Final

Tags: , , , , , ,

Djokovic Gets Past Goffin, Joined by Nishikori in Miami Open Final


IMG_1227_Djokovic
Miami, Ricky Dimon @Dimonator
Novak Djokovic booked a spot in his 13th consecutive final at the Masters 1000 and World Tour Finals levels by defeating David Goffin 7-6(5), 6-4 in the Miami Open semis on Friday afternoon. Djokovic improved to 27-1 on the season (his only loss has come via retirement) after two hours and five minutes.

Playing in his second straight Masters 1000 semifinal, having reached the same stage in Indian Wells, Goffin got off to a blistering start. The 15th-ranked Belgian survived a marathon service game at 2-3, after which he promptly broke Djokovic for a surprising 4-3 advantage. But the top-seeded Serb broke right back for 4-4 and never relinquished the momentum.

Djokovic gave back a mini-break at 4-3 in the tiebreaker, but he regained the upper hand with a return point at 5-4 before closing out the ‘breaker at 6-5. A more straightforward second set saw the world No. 1 use a single break at 3-3 to get the job done.

“I was aware of the level that he raised his game in last couple of months,” Djokovic said of his opponent. “And the fact that he played the first semifinals of a Masters 1000 event in his career in Indian Wells gave him–obviously–confidence coming into today’s match. I knew he [was] going to try to take his chances; going to try to be aggressive.

“It was evident that we both struggled with conditions today, especially after a tough start that…I think three games went 15 minutes and then the whole first set lasted for (an) hour and 15 minutes. Physically (it was) a great battle; lots of exchanges from the baseline.”

“With Novak you have a lot of balls to hit, and sometimes you’re feeling better game after game,” Goffin commented. “Yeah, that’s why I was feeling good on my baseline, so maybe that’s why it was a good match and it wasn’t scary [going up] against Novak.”

In the nightcap, Kei Nishikori had no fear against a confident Nick Kyrgios. With a remarkably clean performance, the Japanese star quieted the 20-year-old Australian 6-3, 7-5 in one hour and 24 minutes.

IMG_1848_Nishikori

Nishikori gave back a break midway through the second set with a double-fault, but that was the only occasion on which he dropped serve. The world No. 6 made up for it by breaking Kyrgios at 6-5. He capitalized on his second match point with a lunging forehand volley at the end of an entertaining rally.

“It was tough straight from the get-go,” Kyrgios admitted. “I had pretty much one easy service game, and that was the first game. He’s just playing such good tennis. When he plays me, he plays so aggressive; doesn’t let me dictate points.”

Ricky Dimon is a contributor to MiamiTennisNews and writes for tenngrand.com. You can follow him on Twitter under @Dimonator by clicking here.

Posted in Local News, NewsComments (0)

Facebook

Twitter

Archives