Marcos Giron Defeats Alex Michelsen at Hall of Fame Open to Claim First-Ever ATP Tour Title

Posted on July 21, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Marcos Giron has claimed his first-ever ATP Tour title…

The 30-year-old Argentine and Ecuadorian American professional tennis player defeated Next Gen ATP countryman Alex Michelsen 6-7 (4), 6-3, 7-5 to claim the trophy in at the Hall of Fame Open in Newport, Rhode Island.

Giron saved match point with an ace at 4-5, 30/40 in the deciding set and clinched the victory with his 13th ace of the match.

“Better late than never. We’ll take it!” Giron said with a laugh. “There are so many people I can thank and couldn’t be more lucky to have them in my life. Family, coaches, friends. For this, it’s really special for me but also for all their help and support though the years.”

Giron, a former college tennis star at UCLA who underwent right hip surgery in December 2015 and left hip surgery in February 2016, reached his first two ATP Tour finals two years ago in San Diego and earlier this season in Dallas.

After a gritty two-hour, 37-minute victory against 19-year-old Michelsen, the veteran Giron can now call himself a tour-level champion.

A critical moment for Giron came when he served at 2-3 in the deciding set. Facing break point, the new No. 38 player in the ATP Live Rankings crushed a courageous forehand winner to escape trouble.

Michelsen was then a shot away from the championship with Giron serving at 4-5, but the older of the two Americans did not allow him to touch the ball with an ace down the T.

The second-seeded Giron saved eight of the nine break points he faced, according to Infosys ATP Stats. He won 82 per cent of his first-serve points and hit 41 total winners.

“Honestly, Alex, unbelievable tournament, unbelievable match,” Giron told his countryman. “It’s unreal, 19 [years old]. We’ve been practising together. On court, he’s so mature, he’s so good. He’s got such a bright future. I’m happy to get the win now while I can!”

Michelsen did not lose serve en route to the final, his second consecutive championship match appearance in Newport. One year ago, aged 18, the American advanced to the final of the ATP 250 event when he had never previously won a tour-level match.

The teen was trying to become the youngest American ATP Tour champion (and first teenager) since Andy Roddick in Houston in 2002.

Alejandro Tabilo Outlasts Gael Monfils to Reach Mallorca Championships Final

Posted on June 28, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Alejandro Tabilo is heading to another ATP Tour final…

The 27-year-old Chilean professional tennis player came from behind to defeat Gael Monfils 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (3) on Friday in the semifinals of the Mallorca Championships, an ATP 250 tournament played on the outdoor grass courts of Mallorca Country Club in Santa Ponsa, Mallorca, Spain one week prior to the Wimbledon Championships.

The match lasted 1 hour and 54 minutes.

Tabilo will next face Sebastian Ofner in the final.

Alejandro added to his prize money €34,095 ($36,551) after winning the match. In total, he has earned €82,715 ($88,674) at the tournament.

If he wins in the final, Tabilo will add €59,080 ($63,336) to his earnings for a tournament grand total of €141,795 ($152,011) in total.

This will be the second time Tabilo and Ofner meet. Tabilo lost that match.

With his performance at the Mallorca Championships, Tabilo has made it to his third final of the season and fourth in his career.

As a result, he’ll reach the Top 20 in the rankings on Monday, July 1, 2024.

He has also reached the doubles final with partner Diego Hidalgo at the Mallorca tournament.

Alex de Minaur Defeats Sebastian Korda to Claim Libema Open Title

Posted on June 16, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Alex de Minaur has earned a second title in 2024…

The 25-year-old Spanish & Uruguayan Australian tennis player dispatched Sebastian Korda 6-2, 6-4 to triumph at the Libema Open to add a second title to his stellar 2024 season.

de Minaur, the tournament’s top seed, produced some trademark elite defense and counterpunching to nullify Korda’s power on the ‘s-Hertogenbosch grass.

With his ninth ATP Tour title, de Minaur on Monday will rise two spots to a career-high No. 7 in the ATP Rankings.

“It achieves a new career-high for me, so that’s always a great little bonus,” said de Minaur in his on-court interview. “My first week on grass couldn’t have gone any better, so I’m looking forward to next week at Queen’s and the whole grass-court season with a smile on my face. I’m glad I was able to get a win here in Holland.”

Competing as the top seed at an ATP Tour event for the first time this week, de Minaur did not drop a set en route to the title at the Dutch grass-court ATP 250.

Against Korda, he reeled off six straight games from 2-2 to seize control of the match. de Minaur ultimately prevailed after breaking his opponent’s serve three times in the second set.

“Obviously it was a great match. Tricky conditions, and Seb is a hell of a player,” said de Minaur. “I’m looking forward to playing doubles with him next week at Queen’s. I’m super happy with the week. It’s been great. Happy days.”

de Minaur converted five of 14 break points he earned in the final, according to Infosys ATP Stats, and the Australian now holds a 33-11 record for the year. Having also defended his title at the ATP 500 in Acapulco in February, this year marks the third time he has won multiple tour-level crowns in one season.

Sebastian Baez Defeats Francisco Cerundolo at Rio Open to Reach His First ATP 500 Final

Posted on February 24, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Sebastian Baez has reached the biggest ATP Tour final of his career…

The 23-year-old Argentine professional tennis player faced three set points at 4-5 in the opening set on Saturday at the Rio Open. He saved each one under pressure from compatriot Francisco Cerundolo and didn’t lose another game en route to a 7-5, 6-0 victory at the ATP 500.

Baez’s nine-game tear earned him the win in his first semifinal above ATP 250 level. He will now play for his fifth and biggest tour-level title on Sunday.

While Baez twice beat Cerundolo on the ATP Challenger Tour in 2021, Saturday’s win was his first in the pair’s ATP Head2Head series, which is now level at 1-1.

“We know each other too much, I think more than I want,” Baez joked after the win. “All matches are different. Today it’s going to my side. In the first set, I gave many break points to him. I had to take it because it’s so hard for both.”

After an early trade of breaks, Baez saved six consecutive break points in the one-hour, 24-minute match. He converted on four of his seven break chances and won more than half of his return points, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

“It’s hard but I always try to be focused on the next point, on the next game, every time thinking about my game and what I have to do,” Baez said of his surge through the finish line.

Cerundolo, who was also bidding to reach his first final above the ATP 250 level, struggled with 39 unforced errors, including 26 off his backhand wing. Despite the loss, he will return to the Top 20 in the ATP Rankings on Monday.

Baez is up seven places to No. 23 this week in the ATP Live Rankings, setting himself up for a career high. He could move up to No. 21 with the Rio title.

Sebastian Baez Defeats Dominic Thiem to Win Generali Open Title

Posted on August 6, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Sebastian Baez has taken down the hometown favorite…

The 22-year-old Argentine professional tennis player crashed the crashed the Generali Open party of home favorite Dominic Thiem in style on Saturday, when the he delivered a stunning championship-match performance to triumph at the ATP 250.

Baez produced a near-flawless display of heavy hitting through the Kitzbühel clay to prevail 6-3, 6-1 against 2019 champion Thiem and lift his second tour-level title of the year.

Baez opened up an ultimately unassailable 4-1 lead en route to the opening set, and put together another streak of four straight games in the second to complete his 80-minute win.

“I know all the people wanted Domi to win because he is from here, sorry” said Baez to the crowd in his on-court interview. “I’m happy not just for today, but the whole week. All the people, the crowd, made me feel so comfortable here this week. I know this weather is not the best, but this place is amazing, and I enjoyed every day. I’m happy to take the match.

“Congrats to Domi and his team. It was a great week [for them], so I hope he comes back to his best level.”

Although Thiem appeared fatigued after pulling through three consecutive three-set wins during his fairytale run to the final, Baez was clinical in nullifying the vocal home support in the Austrian Alps. Rain delayed the start of the match by approximately 90 minutes, but when play did begin the Argentine excelled in the heavy conditions and converted four of six break points he earned to improve his ATP Head2Head lead against Thiem to 2-0.

All three of Baez’s ATP Tour titles have come at clay-court ATP 250s, after he previously triumphed in Estoril in 2022 and at home in Cordoba in February this year.

He had won one match in his previous five tournaments before arriving in Kitzbühel, but he dropped just one set — against top seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the semifinals — en route to the trophy. With his title run, the Argentine has risen 25 spots to No. 47 in the ATP Live Rankings.

“I just want to enjoy this moment. It was an amazing week,” said Baez. “I will try to enjoy it with [my team]. We know the past few weeks were not the best results, so we will try to enjoy this moment.”

Despite his final disappointment, Thiem is set to return to the Top 100 on Monday as a result of his Kitzbühel run. The 29-year-old is currently up 27 spots to No. 89 in the ATP Live Rankings.

Nicolas Jarry Defeats Grigor Dimitrov to Win Geneva Open Title

Posted on May 27, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Nicolas Jarry is celebrating a big win…

The 27-year-old Chilean professional tennis player, unseeded in the tournament, defeated Grigor Dimitrov 7-6 (1), 6-1 on Saturday to win the Geneva Open final and is poised to rise to his best ranking in a career that was stalled by a doping case.

The former No. 3-ranked Dimitrov was seeking his first title since the 2017 ATP Tour Finals, which lifted him to that career-best ranking.

Instead, the 54th-ranked Jarry eased to his second title this season, converting his first match point when Dimitrov could not return a powerful serve to his backhand.

Jarry celebrated by crossing the court to where his family was watching and passed his racket up to his infant son.

In Jarry’s standout week in Geneva, he beat current or former top-10 players on three straight days — two-time defending champion Casper Ruud, Alexander Zverev and Dimitrov.

It was Jarry’s third career ATP title, all of them coming at clay-court events in the lowest 250-level.

“It’s been a great year after a very tough couple of years. I’m very happy for that,” said Jarry, who was runner-up at Geneva in 2019 against Zverev.

Jarry is now set to rise above the career-high No. 38-ranking he reached in 2019 before a failed doping test interrupted his career.

He completed an 11-month suspension in 2020 after he tested positive for two banned substances, including an anabolic steroid, at the Davis Cup finals. The International Tennis Federation accepted that Jarry was not at significant fault for ingesting a tainted vitamin supplement made in Brazil.

Dimitrov was playing in his first final since February 2018 when he lost to Roger Federer at Rotterdam.

“It’s been a while since I’ve done one of those,” the 33rd-ranked Dimitrov said when collecting his runner-up trophy. “It’s been a bumpy road but I’m very grateful to be back here and to be part of the final.”

The Geneva Open is the last warmup event on clay before the French Open starts Sunday.

At Roland Garros, Jarry will face 160th-ranked Hugo Dellien of Bolivia in the first round. The winner could then face 16th-seeded American Tommy Paul.

Dimitrov is seeded No. 28 in Paris and will first play 147th-ranked Timofey Skatov of Kazakhstan.

Alex de Minaur Defeats Tommy Paul to Win Mexican Open

Posted on March 5, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

It’s Lucky No. 7 for Alex de Minaur.

The 24-year-old Uruguayan & Spanish Australian professional tennis player rallied to win the biggest title of his career, beating Tommy Paul 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 on Saturday night in the final of the Mexican Open.

de Minaur won his seventh career title and first at the ATP 500 level.

He won his previous six titles at ATP 250 events, most recently last year at Atlanta.

de Minaur will move to No. 18 in the rankings.

His career-best ranking is No. 15 in 2021.

Paul had reached the final by beating fifth-ranked Taylor Fritz on Friday in a match that lasted 3 hours, 25 minutes. He has one career title, at Stockholm in 2021.

Diego Schwartzman to Face Novak Djokovic in First Group Stage Match at Maiden ATP Finals

Posted on November 15, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Diego Schwartzman is preparing for the big dance…

The 28-year-old Argentine professional tennis player, who clinched the final spot at the prestigious season-ending ATP Finals, will play ATP Tour World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in his first group stage match.

Schwartzman, competing in his first-ever ATP Finals, will be the first Argentine player to compete at the tournament since Juan Martin del Potro in 2013.

Schwartzman is the eighth singles player from Argentina to feature in the 50-year history of the tournament, following in the footsteps of 1974 titlist Guillermo Vilas (1974-77, ’79-82), Jose-Luis Clerc (1980-83), Guillermo Coria (2003-05), 2005 champion David Nalbandian (2003, ’05-06), Gaston Gaudio (2004-05), Mariano Puerta (2005) and 2009 runner-up del Potro (2008-09, ’12-13).

Schwartzman joins fellow debutant Andrey Rublev of Russia, alongside former qualifiers Djokovic of Serbia, Spain’s Rafael Nadal, Dominic Thiem of Austria, Russia’s Daniil Medvedev, defending champion Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece and Germany’s Alexander Zverev in the 2020 singles field.

There will be four players aged 24 and under at the ATP Finals for the second straight year. The last time this happened in back-to-back years was in 2008-09.

Schwartzman broke into the Top 10 of the ATP Rankings for the first time at No. 8 on 12 October after a run to his first Grand Slam championship semi-final at Roland Garros (l. to Nadal). A few weeks earlier, the Buenos Aires resident beat Nadal en route to his first ATP Masters 1000 final at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome (l. to Djokovic).

As the first Argentine in the Top 10 since del Potro in May 2019, Schwartzman also finished runner-up at two ATP 250 events in a reduced 2020 season — at the Cordoba Open (l. to Garin) in February and at the bett1HULKS Championship runner-up in Cologne (l. to Zverev) in October.

At 5’7”, Schwartzman is the shortest player in the Top 10 since 5’6″ Harold Solomon, whose last week in the Top 10 began on 27 July 1981.

Albert Ramos-Vinolas Reaches Swiss Open Final

Posted on July 28, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Albert Ramos-Vinolasis one win away from his first title of the season…

The 31-year-old Spanish tennis player has reached his first ATP Tour final of the season at the Swiss Open Gstaad on Saturday with a 7-6(3), 6-4 victory against 2014 champion Pablo Andujar.

“I’m really happy,” Ramos-Vinolas said. “I have a chance to play another final tomorrow here in Gstaad. I love this tournament, I feel great. I’m really happy and I’m ready to give my 200 percent.”

Ramos-Vinolas has won all eight of his sets this week, defeating three of the ATP 250tournament’s seeds.

Entering the semifinals, Ramos-Vinolas had only emerged victorious in one of seven previous head to head meetings against Andujar, but Ramos-Vinolas claimed 43 percent of his first-serve return points en route to victory in one hour and 54 minutes.

Ramos-Vinolasis into his first tour-level final since Quito last year. Ramos-Vinolas has made six championship matches, with his lone ATP Tourtitle coming at Båstad in 2016.

The former World No. 17 was broken first in the match, giving Andujar a 5-3 lead after Ramos-Vinolas couldn’t stave off a sixth break point of the game. But he broke back immediately, and stormed to a 4/0 lead in the first-set tie-break, never looking back from there.

There was a rain delay with two points remaining in the match, but Ramos-Vinolas won two points upon the resumption to go through.

“It’s never easy, but I felt good,” Ramos-Vinolas said. “I won a little bit of a lucky point the last point before we stopped… it was difficult for me, but I thought it was more difficult for him.”

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