Santiago González Claims First-Ever Masters 1000 Doubles Title at Miami Open

Posted on April 1, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Santiago González is celebrating a special Sunshine State victory…

The 40-year-old Mexican professional tennis player and his doubles partner Édouard Roger-Vasselin defeated Nicolas Mahut and Austin Krajicek to win 7-6 (4), 7-5 to claim the Miami Open title.

With the win, Gonzalez claimed his first Masters 1000 title.

In addition, he has now reached a career high ATP Tour doubles ranking of No. 19 in the world.

“It was my dream, of course, to lift this type of title at 40 years of age, I’m happy, I’m happy to be here today, it’s my son’s birthday, so I’m going to remember this day for the rest of my life, so I’m happy”, said González.

The only time other time Gonzalez competed in a Masters 1000 final was in Indian Wells last year, also with Roger-Vasselin as a partner, losing to John Isner and Jack Sock.

Juan Sebastian Cabal & Robert Farah Become First Colombian Players to Win a Grand Slam Men’s Doubles Title at Wimbledon

Posted on July 14, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah are coming home as heroes…

In their 31st Grand Slam appearance as a team, the 33-year-old Colombian tennis player and his 32-year-old compatriot became the first Colombian players to win a Grand Slam men’s doubles title on Saturday at Wimbledon.

Cabal and Farah,the second seeds at the All England Club, defeated Nicolas Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin 6-7(5), 7-6(5), 7-6(6), 6-7(5), 6-3 to lift their first major trophy after four hours and 57 minutes, extending their tour-level winning streak to 10 matches.

Before claiming their maiden grass-court tour-level title at the Nature Valley International last month, Cabal and Farah had never earned more than two straight tour-level match wins on the surface as a team.

“For Colombia, it’s huge… We just won Wimbledon for Colombia,” said Cabal. “It’s huge. I don’t know how to explain it, but it’s huge for our country. I hope everybody enjoys us.”

The Colombian pairing, which improves to 34-10 this season, has now clinched four tour-level crowns this season following title runs in Barcelona, Romeand Eastbourne.

Cabal and Farah own 15 team trophies from 31 championship matches.

Cabal and Farah receive 2000 ATP DoublesRanking points and split £540,000 in prize money.

“To do this for Colombia… it’s just crazy. I mean, to be part of it is just amazing,” said Cabal.

Nadal Celebrates 1,000th ATP Tour Level Match with a Win at the Miami Open

Posted on March 28, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Rafael Nadal has joined an elite team of tennis stars…

The 30-year-old Spanish tennis star celebrated his 1,000th tour level match by beating German veteran Philipp Kohlschreiber in a topsy-turvy, come-from-behind victory at the Miami Open.

Nadal is safely through to the fourth round, despite failing to win a game in a stunning first set. Luckily, he recovered to prevail 0-6, 6-2, 6-3.

Kohlschreiber was unstoppable in the early stages and romped through the opening set in just 21 minutes.

It was the first time Nadal had failed to win a game in the first set of an ATP Tour encounter since 2008.

But the fifth seed was undaunted and fought back in determined fashion to claim the 822nd win of his illustrious career and a last-16 tmatch against France’s Nicolas Mahut, who beat Guido Pella 6-4 6-3.

Nadal joins an 11-strong group headed by Jimmy Connors (1,535) to have played at least 1,000 matches on tour.

“One thousand matches is a lot of matches,” said Nadal afterwards. “Obviously that’s good news, because that says I am having a long career.

“During a lot of years, I heard that I’m going to have a short career, so it’s something important for me.

“I remember the first match very well because it was at home in Mallorca. It was my first victory on the ATP and was a great feeling.”

Soares & Jamie Murray Win Men’s Doubles Title at the US Open

Posted on September 11, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

It’s proving to be a banner year for Bruno Soares…

The 34-year-old Brazilian tennis player and his doubles partner, Jamie Murray, have won the US Open men’s doubles title.

Soares and Murray, seeded fourth, beat Spain’s unseeded Pablo Carreno Busta and Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-2 6-3.

It gives Soares and Murray a second major title after they won their first Grand Slam together at the Australian Open in January.

Soares becomes the first Brazilian to win more than one Grand Slam doubles title.

Murray and Soares went into the final in a confident mood after beating defending champions and top seeds Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut in the semifinals, and they outclassed surprise finalists Carreno Busta and Garcia-Lopez.

The Spaniards broke serve in the opening game but Murray and Soares levelled immediately and went on a run of seven straight games to take a grip on the contest.

There was some concern for Murray when he called the trainer to work on his neck midway through the first set, but it did not have any visible effect on his performance.

An interception volley at the net by the British Davis Cup winner earned an early break in the second set and, with Soares dictating matters from the back of the court, they left little for Carreno Busta and Garcia-Lopez to attack.

Murray had failed to serve out the match at this year’s Australian Open, but he showed no nerves this time as he wrapped up victory after only 78 minutes.

“I am glad we got together,” said Soares. “It is our first season. To win in Australia and here is extremely special.”

Armisen to Star in the HBO Original Comedy Film “7 Days in Hell”

Posted on July 24, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Fred Armisen has landed a Hell of a role…

The 47-year-old half-Venezuelan actor and former Saturday Night Live star has landed a role in HBO’s original comedy movie 7 Days in Hell, starring Armisen’s former SNL cast mate Andy Samberg and Game of Thrones’ Kit Harington.

Based on an original concept by Murray Miller, who wrote the screenplay, and Samberg, the sports mockumentary centers on two fierce tennis rivals in an epic, seven-day match at 2004 Wimbledon.

The location is hardly random — the longest tennis match on record was held on Court 18 at Wimbledon during the 2010 championships when John Isner and Nicolas Mahut battled it out for 11 hours over three days, with the American ultimately clinching a victory, 70-68 in the fifth set.

In addition to Samberg, Harington and Armisen, the all-star cast includes Lena Dunham, Will Forte, Karen Gillan, Howie Mandel, Michael Sheen, Mary Steenburgen and June Squibb. Additionally, broadcast journalist

Soledad O’Brien will appear in the HBO movie as herself.

Based on breakdowns reported by Deadline.com, Samberg’s character, named Aaron Williams, is tennis’ superstar bad boy, while Harington’s character, named Charles Poole, is channeling Andy Murray, a tennis prodigy and certified truck driver.

Adding to their rivalry is Gillan’s supermodel Lily, Charles’ childhood friend who made a sex tape with Aaron. Steenburgen plays Charles’ psychotic and controlling mother, while Forte plays a tennis historian.

Jake Szymanski is set to direct the film.

Falla Ousts No. 11 Seed John Isner at Wimbledon…

Posted on June 26, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

Alejandro Falla has dispatched the United States’ greatest hope in the men’s draw at Wimbledon…

The 28-year-old Colombian tenista—currently ranked No. 73 in the world—came back from the brink of defeat to take down the top-ranked American John Isner in the first round of the grass tournament on Monday.

Isner, ranked No, 10 in the world, failed to convert a match point in the fourth set and lost to Falla by a final score of 6-4, 6-7 (7), 3-6, 7-6 (7), 7-5.

Isner— best known for winning the longest match in tennis history two years ago in the first round at the All England Club, when he edged Nicolas Mahut 70-68 in the fifth set—has been eliminated in five sets in each of the past three Grand Slams.

“I’m just really down on myself right now,” he said. “I’m trying not to feel the outside pressure. There are some good things expected of me, and I’m glad I’m in that position, but I’m just not performing right now. It’s just ugly right now.”

The 6-foot-9 Isner notched 31 aces and said he has been pleased with his serve, but not the rest of his game.

“Sometimes, and lately it has been happening quite a lot, I get out there in the match and I’m just so clouded,” he said. “I just can’t seem to figure things out. I’m my own worst enemy out there. It’s all mental for me, and it’s pretty poor on my part.”

Isner held a match point with Falla serving at 6-7 in the fourth set. The Colombian was on the ropes again serving at 5-all in the final set when he faced three break points, but Isner failed to convert them, then lost serve in the final game.

“I didn’t put my opponent away,” Isner said. “I had my chances, and I didn’t do it. It’s all on me.”

Meanwhile, this is Falla’s latest upset of a Top 10 player in a major tournament…

At the 2006 Wimbledon tournament, Falla upset 9th seed Nikolay Davydenko and at the 2007 Sony Ericsson Open he beat 9th seed Tommy Haas in straight sets.

Falla next faces Isner’s history-cohort Mahut in the second round.

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