Rafael Nadal to Face Pablo Carreno Busta in His Return to ATP Tour at the Italian Open

Posted on September 12, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Rafael Nadal is heading back to competitive tennis play…

The 34-year-old tennis star will make his return to the ATP Tour against US Open semifinalist Pablo Carreno Busta at the Italian Open in Rome.

In his first appearance since the ATP Tour suspension in March, the nine-time titlist will need to be at the top of his game when he meets his countryman for the sixth time in their head-to-head series (Nadal leads 5-0).

Carreno Busta has made a strong return to the ATP Tour, reaching his second US Open semi-final earlier this week. The Spaniard also lifted his maiden doubles trophy at the Western & Southern Open last month.

Nadal and Carreno Busta most recently met in the third round of this year’s Australian Open, with Nadal winning in straight sets. If he gets past Carreno Busta, he could meet Western & Southern Open finalist Milos Raonic in the third round. Nadal shares the bottom quarter of the draw with eighth seed Diego Schwartzman and US Open quarterfinalist Andrey Rublev.

The five-time year-end World No. 1 enters Rome with a 13-3 record this year. At his most recent event in February, Nadal did not drop a set en route to his 85th tour-level trophy at the Acapulco Open in Mexico.

Chasing his 10th title at the Foro Italico, the Spaniard will look to add to his 61-6 record at the ATP Masters 1000 event. Nadal is currently on a 10-match winning streak in Rome, having won the past two editions of the tournament. The 35-time ATP Masters 1000 winner won three-set battles against Alexander Zverev in the 2018 championship match and Novak Djokovic in last year’s final.

If Nadal triumphs for the third straight year in Rome, he will capture a 10th trophy at a single event for the fourth time in his career. He owns 12 French Open trophies and has won 11 crowns at both the Monte Carlo Masters and the Barcelona Open. Roger Federer is the only other player to have reached double digits at a single ATP Tour event in the Open Era. He owns 10 trophies at the Noventi Open in Halle and the Swiss Indoors Basel.

Guido Pella Outlasts Milos Raonic at Wimbledon to Reach First Grand Slam Quarterfinals

Posted on July 9, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Guido Pella’s remarkable run at the All England Clubcontinues…

The 29-year-old Argentine tennis player outlasted former Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonic in five strenuous sets.

Pella, competing in his first-ever fourth round match at a Grand Slam, bounced back from two-sets down to eliminate the Canadian 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(3), 8-6.

Pella will meet Roberto Bautista-Agutin the quarterfinals. It will be his first career Grand Slam quarterfinal appearance.

In the third round, the Argentine eliminated the reigning finalist, Kevin Anderson, in straight sets. Last year, he defeated the former finalist, Marin Cilic in the second round.

Former World No. 3, Raonic had a remarkable beginning in the first set. He didn’t drop a single point on his first serves and he broke and consolidated for a 4-1 lead in the opening set. A similar form of tennis continued in the second set and Raonic moved one set closer to a place in the quarterfinal.

However, the clay-courter, Pella produced some magnificent grass court tennis and kept his quarterfinal hopes alive.

Guido Pella Defeats Kevin Anderson at Wimbledon to Reach Fourth Round at a Grand Slam for First Time Ever

Posted on July 6, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Guido Pella is making a habit of big-name upsets at Wimbledon…

The 29-year-old Argentine professional tennis player beat 2018 runner-up Kevin Anderson 6-4, 6-3, 7-6(4) on Centre Court on Friday afternoon. Twelve months ago, Pella had never won a grass-court match in his career, but edged past 2017 finalist Marin Cilic on No. 1 Court en route to the third round.

Pella, whose fastest serve clocked 124 miles per hour in comparison to 136 from Anderson, played with great variety and kept his fourth-seeded South African opponent on the move for victory in two hours and 34 minutes.

He’s now through to the fourth round of a Grand Slamchampionship for the first time in his career, where he’ll play 2016 finalist Milos Raonic, the No. 15 seed from Canada, on Monday.

“I haven’t played him,” said Raonic. “It’s going to be tough. He played well here last year, beating Marin, obviously getting a good win today, and even in his last match over [Andreas]Seppi, who has always played well on grass…. He’s been on tour for a long time, and I don’t know if he’s been to this stage of a Grand Slam. But to beat Kevin here, that’s a job very well done.”

Pella twice came within one point of a set and 4-1 lead, before Anderson worked his way back to 3-3 in the second set. But Anderson, contesting just his fourth tournament of 2019 as a result of a right elbow injury, struggled on second serve and in controlling his backhand.

Pella clinched the first set with a break when Anderson hit a forehand into the net; the second set turned once more in his favour when Anderson failed to cleanly run down and strike back a well-placed lob, while clinical play in the third set tie-break sent Pella on his way to a 26th match win this season.

In the penultimate point of the pair’s first ATP Head2Head meeting, No. 26 seed Pella dropped to the floor fist-pumping after winning a 17-stroke rally at close quarters with a forehand volley. The same shot, coupled with good anticipation, helped him seconds later to a memorable victory.

Both players have won ATP Tour titles this year: Anderson at the Tata Open Maharashtra in Pune (d. Karlovic) and Pella at the Brasil Open in Sao Paulo (d. Garin). Anderson returned from his injury at the Fever-Tree Championships last month for the first time since Miami. Pella is tied with Rafael Nadalfor most clay-court match wins this year (21).

Opelka saved eight break points to Raonic’s three prior to the first set tie-break, which the Canadian wrapped up when Opelka made a forehand error. Opelka’s challenge quickly faltered. He hit three double faults at 2-3 in the second set, then committed three groundstroke errors at 2-5 to hand Raonic a commanding lead. Opelka won just six points in the third set.

“I thought it was good. I did the things I wanted to do. When it was important, I played as well as I could have,” said Raonic. “All the break points I had in the first set, he did his part in making sure I had really no chance other than one. Maybe I would have taken back that attempt of a lob and tried to go through him, but other than that I don’t think I hesitated much or made many poor decisions out there.”

Juan Martin del Potro Advances to Finals at the BNP Paribas Open

Posted on March 18, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Juan Martin del Potro is back in the finals at the BNP Paribas Open…

The 29-year-old Argentine tennis player defeated Canada’s Milos Raonic in straight sets to advance to the finals against Roger Federer at Indian Wells on Sunday.

del Potro breezed past No. 32 Raonic 6-2, 6-3 in 66 minutes for his 10th consecutive match victory and the 400th of his injury-plagued career.

“It was surprising to see him [Raonic] serving not too hard, and I broke his serve very quick in both sets,” del Potro said. “That gave me the control of the match.”

del Potro has fought back from left wrist surgeries in 2014 and 2015 (twice) and another one on his right wrist in 2010 that nearly caused him to quit tennis. He is 16-3 this year with one title in Acapulco.

“I didn’t play him before his injuries, but his backhand was probably one of the things that was overlooked because the forehand was so hard,” Raonic said. “But the backhand, I remember when he won the U.S. Open, he could hit it crosscourt without any guys being able to have the freedom of running around or anything. He’s gotten that back quite a bit.”

del Potro previously appeared in the finals back in 2013, losing to Rafael Nadal 4–6, 6–3, 6–4.

Juan Martin del Potro Advances to Semifinals at the BNP Paribas Open

Posted on March 16, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Juan Martin del Potro survives scare to advance at Indian Wells.

The 29-year-old Argentine tennis player has earned a spot in the semifinals at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.

del Potro defeated Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to reach the semis.

For a second-straight match, the world No. 9 found himself needing to win two straight sets after a sluggish first.

del Potro was out of sorts when this match started, having trouble with the way Kohlschreiber was mixing things up. The German was moving del Potro around as much as he could, and he was also making excellent use of the drop shot.

del Potro would not stay down for long. The new set invigorated del Potro, who took out some frustration on his racquets. Settled in, he took care of business in the second set to force a decider.

The third set was even more straightforward, as del Potro began to play his best tennis right when Kohlschreiber started to play his worst. del Potro’s forehand was at its fearsome best late in the match, and Kohlschreiber was unable to handle it.

The icing on the cake for the world No. 9 came when he gave Kohlschreiber a taste of his own medicine, utilizing a drop shot of his own to help hold serve and go up 4-2 in the third.

del Potro will face 32nd-seeded Milos Raonic on Saturday.

Nadal Defeats Gael Monfils at the Australian Open to Reach His 30th Career Grand Slam Quarterfinal

Posted on January 24, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Rafael Nadal is one step closer to a real comeback…

The 30-year-old Spanish tennis star and former World No. 1, who hasn’t won a Grand Slam since taking the French Open title in 2014, defeated sixth-seeded Gael Monfils in four sets on Monday to reach the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam for the 30th time.

Nadal’s victory is even prompting talk of a possible Australian Open final against Roger Federer.

With No. 1-ranked Andy Murray and No. 2 Novak Djokovic — the two most consistent performers in the past six years at Melbourne Park — upset in the first week, Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonic, Nadal’s next opponent, is the highest-ranked player left in the draw.

He advanced to the last eight here for the third straight year with a 7-6 (6), 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 win over No. 13 Roberto Bautista Agut.

Nadal, seeded No. 9 at this tournament, is the only major winner still in contention on the bottom half of the draw, although he hasn’t added to his tally of 14 majors since the capturing the French Open in 2014.

Federer, in the top half of the draw, plays Mischa Zverev on Tuesday, and would have to beat him and either Stan Wawrinka or Jo-Wilfried Tsonga — the other quarterfinalists playing Tuesday — to advance to the final.

Nadal’s 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 win over US Open semifinalist Monfils in the fourth round was his first over a top-10 player at a Grand Slam since that run to his last title at Roland Garros. It also ended a four-match losing streak against top-10 players.

“Being in the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam after couple of years not being there is very special for me,” said Nadal, who last progressed this far at the 2015 French Open.

It also showed that after a couple of months off to rest his injured left wrist, he is still a contender at the majors. He hasn’t won an Australian title since 2009.

He went up a break early in the first two sets, had his chances in the third before Monfils rallied, and then traded breaks in the fourth before breaking the acrobatic Frenchman to win. Overall, he converted six of 17 break point chances.

Nadal Enlists the Coaching Help of Former World No. 1 Carlos Moya

Posted on December 19, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Rafael Nadal is getting help from a fellow former No. 1 player…

The 30-year-old Spanish tennis star has added his compatriot Carlos Moya to his coaching team ahead of the 2017 season.

The 14-time Grand Slam champion said in a statement Saturday that Moya will work together with Toni Nadal and Francis Roig.

“To have someone like Carlos, who is not only a friend but also a very important person in my career, is something special,” Nadal said. “He will be next to me on my practice and competition.”

Moya, who won the 1998 French Open as a player and reached No. 1 in the world in March 1999, parted ways earlier this month with Milos Raonic after leading the Canadian to his most successful year on the tour. Raonic reached his first Grand Slam final at Wimbledon and moved up to a career-high ranking of No. 3. Moya had joined Raonic’s team in January.

“To be able to help Rafa is something special for me and I am sure that together with Toni, Francis and the rest of the team we have a great common project,” Moya said. “Rafa is a special player and above all a great person and friend on which I have a lot of trust and confidence that will be able to continue winning important titles.”

Toni Nadal, the player’s uncle and main coach, said Moya will also join projects involving the Rafa Nadal Academy.

“When I knew Carlos had stopped with Raonic I called him since we think he can join all our projects,” Toni Nadal said. “Carlos has always been a special person for us … We understand it is the right moment to have him join our team.”

Ramos-Vinolas Defeats Milos Raonic to Reach His First-Ever Grand Slam Quarterfinal

Posted on May 29, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Albert Ramos-Vinolas continues his upsetting ways…

The 28-year-old Spanish tennis player, who ousted No. 23 seed Jack Sock in the third round, emphatically defeated No. 8 seed Milos Raonic in the fourth round at the French Open.

Ramos-Vinolas, who advances to his first-ever Grand Slam quarterfinal, beat the Canadian in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4, 6-4.

The 55th-ranked player had never made it past the second round in his 18 previous Grand Slam tournament appearances. It’s only the second time he has beaten a top 10 player.

Cool and very cloudy weather appeared to take some bite out of Raonic’s serve. The quarterfinalist at Roland Garros in 2014 and semifinalist at this year’s Australian Open also complained of an aching left hip in his previous match.

Ramos-Vinolas earned the victory with aggressive shot-making and some terrific defensive play. He broke Raonic five times and only lost serve once himself, saving 6 of 7 break points.

“I have no words to explain how I feel,” he said. “It was four years in a row losing in the first round.”

Raonic beckoned over the chair umpire in the last game to inspect a shot that gave Ramos-Vinolas two match points. She ruled it in, pointing out that the ball had nicked the line.

The Spaniard couldn’t capitalize on either of those match points. But he made no mistake with his third match point, earned with an ace served out wide, sealing the win in 2 hours, 20 minutes with a smash.

Ramos-Vinolas, who celebrated his win by firing a spare ball into the air in delight, will next face No. 3 seed Stan Wawrinka.

Ramos-Vinolas Defeats Jack Sock to Reach French Open Fourth Round

Posted on May 27, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Albert Ramos-Vinolas has recorded his best showing at a Grand Slam tournament…

The 28-year-old Spanish tennis player defeated Jack Sock, the No. 23 seed, to reach the fourth round of the French Open.

Ramos-Vinolas, ranked No. 55 in the world, beat Sock in a thrilling five-set match, 6-7 (2), 6-4, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.

The match lasted 4 hours, 11 minutes.

Ramos-Vinolas will next face No. 8 seed Milos Raonic.

Lopez Upsets Kei Nishikori to Reach BNP Paribas Open Quarterfinals

Posted on March 19, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Feliciano Lopez has pulled off the upset…

The 33-year-old Spanish tenista took down No. 5 seed Kei Nishikori in straight sets to to reach the quarterfinals at the BNP Paribas Open on Wednesday.

Lopez pulled ahead in the first set, and then survived a hard-fought second set to win 6-4, 7-6 (2).

“I really had one bad game at 5-4,” Nishikori said. “Until then I was playing better. I was dominating the strokes. He was hitting good serves, but I had all the chances.”

Lopez reached the quarterfinals at Indian Wells for the first time in 13 tries. Lopez has previously been stretched to three sets in his first two matches.

He next faces Any Murray in the quarterfinals on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Rafael Nadal advanced with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Gilles Simon to stay on track for a shot at his fourth career title in the desert.

Nadal next plays sixth-seeded Milos Raonic, who defeated 17th-seeded Tommy Robredo 6-3, 6-2 in a fourth-round match.

Nadal served a love game to close out his match that began as a dust storm swirled outside the stadium under overcast skies. He connected on 70 percent of his first serves in beating Simon for the seventh time in eight meetings.

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