Tennis Frontier News from the ATP Tour.
David Goffin of Belgium defeated Dominic Thiem of Austria on Saturday at the Bet-at-Home Cup, 4-6, 6-1, 6-3. It was the first ATP final for either man, and therefore the 23-year-old Goffin’s first title. Thiem is a young player on the rise, just 20 years old, but even the support of the local crowd couldn’t get him through to his first trophy.
[divider]
Cover Photo (Creative Commons License): Marianne Bevis
A right wrist injury has forced Rafael Nadal to withdraw from Toronto and Cincinnati, the two Masters 1000 tournaments which lead up to the US Open, according to a report from Ben Rothenberg of the New York Times. Nadal is the defending champion at both, as well as the US Open.
In a statement released by the Cincinnati Masters, Nadal said, “After the tests I have undergone today in Spain, including an M.R.I., and checking with my doctors, I will have to stay out of competition for at least 2-3 weeks.”
[divider]
Cover Photo (Creative Commons License): Marianne Bevis
John Isner won his ninth career title on Sunday, defending his win last year at the BB&T Atlanta Open, by defeating Israel’s Dudi Sela, 6-3, 6-4. The U.S. No. 1 player, with arguably the best serve in the men’s game today, was playing probably the best returner in the tournament. However, Isner broke Sela immediately in the first set, and only a bit later in the second, which gave him comfortable control of the match to the end.
The doubles were an all-North American affair, with Vasek Pospisil of Canada and Jack Sock of the U.S. defeating Steve Johnson and Sam Querrey, both of the U.S., 6-3, 5-7, 10-5.
[divider]
Cover Photo (Creative Commons License): Carine06
Pablo Andújar defeated Juan Mónaco, of Argentina, 6-3, 7-5 to take his third ATP title, the previous cups both won in Casablanca in 2011 and 2012, and all on the red clay.
After dropping the first set, Mónaco broke Andújar in the second to go up 3-0. But the Spaniard reeled off a series of games to even the set, and finally broke in the 12th game, holding his serve for the straight sets win.
Both players will see a big lift in their rankings after today. Andújar will rise from No. 71 to No. 44 when the ATP rankings are published on Monday, a move of 27 places, and Monaco, who has been as high as No. 10 in the world, and as recently as 2012, but has struggled recently with injury and form, will climb 24 spots back into the Top 100, to No. 81.
It has been noted in the Spanish press that, in the seven months of the tennis year so far, Spanish players hold the most titles of any country with eleven: Rafa Nadal (Doha, Río de Janeiro, Madrid, Roland Garros), David Ferrer (Buenos Aires), Roberto Bautista (‘s-Hertogenbosch, Stuttgart), Guillermo García-López (Casablanca), Fernando Verdasco (Houston), Feliciano López (Eastbourne), and Pablo Andújar (Gstaad.) It may be aging, but the Armada sails on.
[divider]
Cover Photo (Creative Commons License): si.robi
Pablo Cuevas had to get through qualifiers just to make the main draw at the Vegeta Croatia Open, but on Sunday he hefted the trophy, beating Spain’s Tommy Robredo, the defending champion at the event, 6-3, 6-4.
The win gave Cuevas his second consecutive title win, having won in Bastad two weeks ago, for his first and second career cups on the ATP tour, at age 28. His ranking will jump a full 20 points from No. 60 to No. 40 when the new rankings are published on Monday.
[divider]
Cover Photo (Creative Commons License): Carine06
Bernard Tomic’s recent woes came to an end with a hard-fought victory over Ivo Karlovic to win the final of the Claro Open in Bogota, Colombia.
The Australian won a final set tiebreak against the huge serving Karlovic to win the second title of his career.
Tomic had entered the tournament as a wildcard and returns to the Top 100 a few days after being unceremoniously dumped by his IMG management team. His $129,835 will go some way to repairing the damage.
[divider]
Cover Photo: carine06 (Creative Commons License)
Argentine Leonardo Mayer claimed the first ATP title of his career by defeating top seeded David Ferrer in three sets, 6-7(3), 6-1, 7-6(4), at the Bet-at-Home Open in Hamburg, Germany.
Mayer, 27, had a break in the first set and a chance to serve it out at 5-4 before being broken by Ferrer and losing the subsequent tiebreak.
The second set was a more decisive affair with 46th ranked Mayer brushing off his earlier nerves and dominated proceedings to take the second stanza 6-1.
The third set was another close affair with Mayer again being broken back when serving for the set (and in this case, the match). Unlike the opening set, Ferrer wasn’t able to capitalize and the Argentine was able to close out victory in 2 hours 20 minutes to take the €272,300 winner’s cheque.
[divider]
Cover Photo: carine06 (Creative Commons License)
Six men from Victoria, Australia, have been arrested in a police sting against match-fixing.
The investigation leading to the arrests was carried out by the Australian specialist Purana Task Force, following allegations that matches were predetermined by one or more of the players. All six have been arrested in relation to offences under the Crimes Amendment Act relating to sporting integrity.
Tennis Australia confirmed that they are working with the police.
The International Tennis Hall of Fame inducted its “Class of 2014” at the annual Newport Tennis Championships. The class of 2014 comprised of the following figures from the sport:
Nick Bollettieri (Contributor)
Lindsay Davenport (Recent Player)
Jane Brown Grimes (Contributor)
John Barrett (Contributor)
[divider]
Cover Photo: WorldIslandInfo.com (Creative Commons license)
Lleyton Hewitt completed a rare double at the Newport Hall of Fame Tennis Championships by winning both singles and doubles events.
He won the singles event defeating huge serving Croatian Ivo Karlovic in a deciding third set tiebreak to take the match 6-3, 6-7(4), 7-6(3), then followed up by partnering with fellow Australian Chris Guccione to win the doubles title 7-5, 6-4 over Jonathan Erlich and Rajeev Ram.
The victory over Karlovic was Hewitt’s 30th career singles title, and propels the 33-year-old up to No. 41 in the ATP world rankings.
[divider]
Cover Photo: Simon Williams (Creative Commons license)