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  • Raonic Overcomes Compatriot in All-Canadian Final at Citi Open

    Raonic Overcomes Compatriot in All-Canadian Final at Citi Open

    Milos Raonic

    The Canadian Milos Raonic moved a step higher in his bid to become a significant Top 10 player by winning his first ATP 500 title at the Citi Open in Washington, DC. He bested his compatriot, Vasek Pospisil, in the first-ever all-Canadian ATP final. Pospisil, who was forced to play his quarterfinal and semifinal matches yesterday, due to weather, seemed very much gassed in the first set. He rallied in the second to make a match of it, but Raonic, the more seasoned player, prevailed to win it 6-1, 6-4.

    It was Pospisil’s first ATP final. Raonic now has six titles to his credit.

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    Photo credit:  Kiu  (© Tennis Frontier)

  • Goffin Wins First Title in Kitzbuhel

    Goffin Wins First Title in Kitzbuhel

    David Goffin

    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.

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    Cover Photo (Creative Commons License): Marianne Bevis

  • Wrist Injury Forces Nadal to Withdraw from Toronto and Cincinnati

    Wrist Injury Forces Nadal to Withdraw from Toronto and Cincinnati

    Rafael Nadal

    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.”

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    Cover Photo (Creative Commons License): Marianne Bevis

  • Isner Repeats in Atlanta

    Isner Repeats in Atlanta

    John Isner

    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.

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    Cover Photo (Creative Commons License): Carine06

  • Alpine Victory for Andujar in Gstaad

    Alpine Victory for Andujar in Gstaad

    Pablo Andujar

    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.

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    Cover Photo (Creative Commons License): si.robi

  • Uruguay’s Cuevas Takes Title in Umag

    Uruguay’s Cuevas Takes Title in Umag

    Pablo Cuevas

    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.

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    Cover Photo (Creative Commons License): Carine06

  • Svitolina Defends Title in Baku

    Svitolina Defends Title in Baku

    Elina Svitolina

    Elena Svitolina of Ukraine defeated Bojana Jovanovski of Serbia in the final in Azerbaijan on Sunday 6-1, 7-6(2).

    The second-seeded Svitolina, ranked No. 38, took the opening set in 22 minutes, breaking the Serbian twice, and won the second set tiebreak at 2.  Svitolina, 19, is the first teenager to win multiple WTA titles since Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who won three titles in 2010 and 2011 before turning 20.

    Jovanovski, age 22 and ranked No. 36, was the 2012 champion at Baku, and had been going for her third career title.

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    Cover Photo (Creative Commons License): Firuza48

  • Mona Barthel Wins Swedish Open

    Mona Barthel Wins Swedish Open

    Mona Barthel

    German Mona Barthel won her third career WTA title at the Swedish Open by beating South African Chanelle Scheepers 6-3, 7-6(3).

    Barthel fought from 5-3 down in a tough second set to claim victory and end Scheepers’s hopes.

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    Cover Photo: si.robi (Creative Commons License)

  • Caroline Wozniacki Wins Istanbul Cup

    Caroline Wozniacki Wins Istanbul Cup

    Caroline Wozniacki

    Caroline Wozniacki returned to top form with a victory in the final of the Istanbul Cup in Turkey over Roberta Vinci.

    Wozniacki served up two bread-sticks en route to a comfortable 6-1, 6-1 victory behind a dominant service game.

    “I served well and pushed her around the court,” said Wozniacki, who held serve for the duration of the match.

    The victory moves Wozniacki back up to No. 13 in the world rankings. Hours later, former fiance Rory McIlroy won the British Golf Open at Royal Liverpool.

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    Cover Photo: Andrew Campbell (Creative Commons License)

  • Bogota Bliss for Bernard Tomic

    Bogota Bliss for Bernard Tomic

    Bernard Tomic

    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.

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    Cover Photo: carine06 (Creative Commons License)