Pedro Martinez Edges Past Defending Champion Casper Ruud to Reach Estoril Open Final

Posted on April 6, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Pedro Martinez has pulled off the upset while logging his first win against an ATP Top 10 player …

The 26-year-old Spanish professional tennis player reached the final of the Estoril Open by edging past Norway’s Casper Ruud, the top seed and defending champion, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 at Clube de Ténis do Estoril on Saturday evening.

In what was a match-of-the-week contender, the pair battled it out for three hours, seven minutes in the semifinal clash – well over the length of Ruud’s previous two matches combined.

Both played at a high level, with Ruud coming back from 5-1 down in the deciding set, including an epic 16-minute game at 5-2 that saw Ruud overcome three match points.

Martinez, however, played brilliant attacking tennis, and now moves into his third ATP final. He is on a nine-match winning streak as well, having claimed the Challenger in Girona last week.

“If I wanted to win I had to play my best, and even if like this, I might not win,” said Martinez after his victory over Ruud. “At the end I was a little bit nervous, but I’m happy I got the win.”

This was the first top 10 victory for world No 77 Martinez in seven attempts. Next up, he’ll face another top 10 player in Hubert Hurkacz, the second seed.

“Casper is a top 10, Hubert is a top 10,” declared Martinez. “For sure if I want to win again it’s going to be a big battle, I’m going to give everything.”

Earlier in the tournament, the Spaniard won against Germany’s Daniel Altmaier (6-4, 6-2), Roberto Bautista Agut (7-5, 6-4) and French lucky loser Richard Gasquet (6-4, 6-4).

Ruud, ranked No 8, defeated Botic van de Zandschulp (6-1, 6-2) and Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics (6-3, 6-2) in the previous rounds of the Estoril tournament.

Hurkacz beat Cristian Garin 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, in the Estoril ATP 250 final.

Carlos Alcaraz Claims First Career ATP Tour Title in First Attempt at Croatia Open

Posted on July 26, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Carlos Alcaraz didn’t have to wait long to claim his first ATP Tour title…

The 18-year-old Spanish tennis player and #NextGenATP star, competing in his first-ever ATP Tour final, defeated former World No. 7 Richard Gasquet emphatically 6-2, 6-2 to triumph at the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag.

In winning the title on Sunday evening in Umag, Alcaraz becomes the youngest champion in more than a decade.

Alcaraz is the youngest tour-level champion since 18-year-old Kei Nishikori emerged victorious in Delray Beach in 2008.

”It’s amazing. I have a lot of emotions. I’m really, really happy with this victory, this win, my first ATP [title],” Alcaraz said. “I’m going to enjoy this moment a lot.”

Alcaraz crushed a final forehand winner to close out his victory before launching a ball high into the Croatian night. Alcaraz’s coach and mentor, former World No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero, rose from his seat and pumped his fist while sporting a wide smile across his face to celebrate his charge’s breakthrough. Shortly thereafter, the pair shared a warm embrace.

This was an ironic matchup in Alcaraz’s first championship clash. Gasquet was also a highly regarded teenager, who claimed his first tour-level match win as a 15-year-old in 2002, more than a year before Alcaraz was born. The Frenchman remains the youngest match winner in ATP Tour history (since 1990).

Alcaraz has had plenty of eyes on him since bursting onto the ATP Tour in Rio de Janeiro in 2020, when he also won three ATP Challenger Tour titles. It was a matter of when, not if he would position himself for tour-level glory. And on his first opportunity, the teen showed no nerves. The seventh seed overwhelmed the 15-time ATP Tour titlist with impressive power and poise over one hour and 17 minutes.

“I had a lot of good moments in this tournament. I beat five great tennis players,” Alcaraz said. “I think that I grew up a lot in this tournament and I keep a lot of experience from this tournament. It’s going to be useful for the future.”

Gasquet has one of the most picturesque one-handed backhands of his generation and a great ability to mix up spins and speeds to trouble his opponents. But Alcaraz was never flustered against the veteran, unleashing one lethal strike after another. He broke the Frenchman’s serve four times without losing serve himself.

The 18-year-old set the tone early in the first set, cracking a rocket-like inside-in forehand for a winner to break for a 2-1 advantage, and he never looked back. Gasquet double faulted to give his younger opponent a break advantage in the second set, and he was never able to work his way back into the match.

The Frenchman earned three break points at 1-4 in the second set, but he was never able to control the rally on big points. Gasquet, who needed three hours and 11 minutes to win his semi-final against Daniel Altmaier on Saturday, was trying to win his first ATP Tour title since ’s-Hertogenbosch in 2018.

“It was tough for me to play [with] full intensity. I had a tough match yesterday. It was tough, and especially with a guy like Carlos, who is playing really fast with a lot of energy and spin,” Gasquet said. “He’s playing unbelievable. He’s only 18 and of course he has a great future and I just couldn’t play at his level and his intensity. That was the key of the match and he didn’t lose a point. He played well, very solid. He’s a great player.”

Alcaraz is the youngest Spaniard to win an ATP Tour title since countryman Rafael Nadal claimed his first trophy in Sopot in 2004. Nadal was just eight days younger that day than Alcaraz is today.

Rafael Nadal Ties Jimmy Connors for Third-Most Major Wins in Men’s Tennis History

Posted on June 2, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Rafael Nadal has tied an American tennis legend…

The 31-year-old Spanish tennis star, the defending champion, has advanced to the fourth round of the French Open on Saturday with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 win against Richard Gasquet, improving to 16-0 against the Frenchman.

Nadal recorded his 233rd major match win, matching Jimmy Connors for the third-most in men’s tennis history.

Gasquet trailed 5-0 in the first set before winning the next three games and moving 30-0 ahead on Nadal’s serve.

It was only a brief rally, as Nadal responded in his usual clinical way.

He streaked ahead 4-0 in the second set and did the same in the third before Gasquet finally held serve after a long fifth game. After earning applause from Nadal following a superb cushioned drop shot at the net, he ended that game with an ace.

Nadal, whose winning streak against Gasquet dates to 2004, clinched victory on his first match point when Gasquet chopped a backhand long.

“He respects me,” Gasquet told L’Equipe newspaper before Saturday’s match. “But in the meantime, he often gives me a beating.”

Nadal is chasing a record-extending 11th title at Roland Garros. He next faces unseeded German Maximilian Marterer in their first career meeting.

López Defeats Robin Haase to Claim Swiss Open Title

Posted on July 24, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Feliciano López is a Swiss champion…

The 34-year-old Spanish tennis player beat Robin Haase 6-4, 7-5 in the Swiss Open final on Sunday to claim his first career clay-court title.

It’s the fifth career ATP World Tour title for Lopez, the tournament’s top seed, and his first in more than two years. He previously won two titles on grass and two on hard courts.

Ten years after losing the Gstaad final to Richard Gasquet of France, Lopez lifted the trophy on his seventh trip to the Swiss Alps venue.

Lopez arrived ranked No. 21 in the world and should return to the top 20 when the rankings are updated on Monday.

The 95th-ranked Haase had his service broken once in the first set and twice in the second as Lopez completed the victory in less than 80 minutes.

del Potro to Compete on Clay for First Time Since 2013

Posted on April 26, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Juan Martin del Potro is ready for some clay action…

Following his return to the ATP Tour after 11 months of inactivity, and having taken part in only six tournaments since January 2014, the 27-year-old Argentine tennis player will return to competitive play on clay for the first time since 2013.

del Potro has been working on his clay game for the past few weeks. He started his training in his hometown of Tandil, Argentina, and then continued in Buenos Aires. His first tournament action will begin this week in Munich with Madrid and Roland Garros to follow.

del Potro will have a small entourage assisting him, as has been the case since his return. Without a coach since he parted ways with Franco Davin, del Potro traveled to Europe accompanied only by Diego Rodriguez, his physiotherapist.

Rodriguez, who has previously worked with David Nalbandian, will be key to del Potro’s recovery during the tour. Clay is a physically demanding surface, with longer points, greater physical impact and more body wear. For that reason, del Potro has been avoiding the slow surface at times when he didn’t feel strong enough or when he was recovering from his long stretches of inactivity because of wrist injuries. So the mere fact that del Potro is appearing on clay is a positive sign.

“The rehab is going as expected,” del Potro explained a few weeks ago, when he announced his entry in Munich and Madrid. While we must be patient, I’m very happy to confirm two tournaments in consecutive weeks, which is something I’ve been unable to do since my return.”

del Potro’s last appearance on clay came at the Rome Masters in 2013, where he lost his second match. A few weeks before, he had done the same in Monte Carlo. That was it on clay for the year — four matches and a 2-2 record.

This came a year after one of his best campaigns on clay, on which he won a title in Estoril (defeated Stan Wawrinka and Richard Gasquet along the way) and reached the semifinals at the Madrid Masters and the quarterfinals at the French Open.

It should be noted that del Potro has four titles on clay (18 in total). And interestingly, the first two of his career (in Stuttgart and Kitzbuhel in 2008) were both on clay. His other two were both in Estoril (2011 and 2012). del Potro’s career clay-court record: 62-24.

Currently No. 340 in the world, del Potro has played three tournaments this year. He reached the semifinals in Delray Beach, with solid wins against Denis Kudla, John-Patrick Smith and Jeremy Chardy, and made the second round at Indian Wells and Miami.

Now he’ll take on the challenge on clay.

Nadal to Face Roger Federer in the Swiss Indoors Final

Posted on November 1, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Rafael Nadal is set to face Roger Federer in a title match for the first time since May 2013.

The 29-year-old Spanish superstar advanced to the Swiss Indoors final on Saturday after beating Richard Gasquet of France 6-4, 7-6 (7).

Nadal played his best tennis of the week to set up his match against Federer, who eased to a 6-3, 6-4 win in 64 minutes against unseeded Jack Sock of the United States in the semifinals.

Almost 2½ years after Nadal beat Federer in two sets for the Rome Masters title, the 34th matchup of their careers will come at Federer’s hometown event.

“I have played against Roger hundreds of times around the world,” said Nadal, who has a 23-10 hold over his old rival. “In Madrid a couple of times in finals, but I have never played him in his home.”

Outside of finals, their last competitive meeting was in January 2014, when Nadal won an Australian Open semifinal in three straight sets.

After three straight three-set matches at Basel, Nadal finally got a more straightforward win.

Nadal overcame dropping his serve in the opening game of each set and saved two set points for the fifth-seeded Gasquet in the tiebreaker. He clinched the victory on his second match point when Gasquet sent a backhand wide.

Nadal seemed in trouble trailing 4-3 in the first set when he called for the trainer at a changeover.

Returning with tape below his right knee, Nadal quickly turned the match around and broke Gasquet’s serve twice to take the first set, clinching it with a fierce forehand topspin passing shot.

“I had one scary moment but then it’s fine,” Nadal said. “I am happy with the way the knee answers after that.”

Again, Nadal struggled on serve to start the second set, though Gasquet needed seven break-point chances before finding a winner in an exchange of volleys at the net. Nadal leveled when Gasquet served for the set leading 5-4.

Nadal suggested Federer would start as the favorite Sunday with a better record on indoor hard courts.

“I don’t have the ideal opponent to win again, but I won on grass [against Federer] after a couple of years without winning,” said the two-time Wimbledon champion.

Lopez Defeats Richard Gasquet to Successfully Defend His Aegon International Title

Posted on June 22, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Feliciano Lopez is a back-to-back champion…

The 32-year-old Spanish tennis player beat top seed Richard Gasquet of France 6-3, 6-7 (5), 7-5 on Saturday to complete a successful title defense in the Aegon International final.

It’s the first time the third-seeded Lopez has retained an ATP title, and the first time he has beaten Gasquet in their six career meetings.

Lopez, who held championship point against Grigor Dimitrov last week at Queen’s Club but couldn’t seal the deal, is the first player to reach back-to-back grass-court finals before Wimbledon since 2001, when Lleyton Hewitt won at Queen’s and s-Hertogenbosch, and Thomas Johansson won Halle and Nottingham.

There was little to separate him and Gasquet, with two breaks giving the Spanish left-hander the opening set, and Gasquet, the 2005 and 2006 champion, winning the tiebreaker in the second.

In the third set, games went with serve until Lopez broke to lead 6-5 and then served out the match for the fourth title of his career.

Nadal Breezes Past Richard Gasquet to Reach US Open Final

Posted on September 8, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Rafael Nadal has punched his ticket to the US Open Men’s Final…

The 27-year-old Spanish tennis star defeated Richard Gasquet, his one-time junior rival, in straight sets 6-4, 7-6, 6-2.

Nadal will next take on World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in a sixth grand slam final at the championship on Monday.

“It’s just amazing. After what happened last year, to have the chance to play in the final is a dream for me. Novak is an amazing competitor. He’s been in the final here a lot of times, he’s a great champion and it will be a tough final for me,” said Nadal, who has now reached the final on his last three visits to the US Open having missed last year through injury.

Before Nadal even took the court, all the signs were in Nadal’s favor for the win.

He hadn’t lost to Gasquet in 10 professional meetings, had not lost a hard-court match in 2013 and had not so much as had his serve broken at Flushing Meadows.

Gasquet at least managed to end that statistic, breaking Nadal in his 74th service game of the tournament.

But the Frenchman, whose second grand slam semi-final came six years after his first, couldn’t muster up enough game to really challenge Nadal.

Gasquet didn’t help his cause, dropping his first service game in each set and serving double faults to start and finish the second-set tie-break.

And he’d played back-to-back five-setters heading into the match, so it was not too surprising that he ran out of steam, ending the match with consecutive double faults as well.

Djokovic has won three of his five slam finals against Nadal, while they have one victory each in New York.

Ferrer Earns His Place in the Sony Open Men’s Final

Posted on March 29, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

David Ferrer has earned his ticket to the Sony Open men’s final after a come-from-behind victory…

The 30-year-old Spanish tenista rallied from a set down to beat Tommy Haas 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 on Friday afternoon and book his spot in the final of the Miami tournament.

Ferrer wasn’t at his highest level throughout the semifinal contest, but he did manage to take advantage of the German’s inconsistency to claim victory in just over two hours, earning his first-ever berth in the championship match of the elite hard-court event.

In the first set, Haas showed the form that propelled him to a stunning upset of world No. 1 Novak Djokovic earlier in the week, breaking Ferrer’s serve in the fifth game and again in the seventh.

Ferrer improved in the second set, however, and also benefited from a lack of patience on the part of his 34-year-old opponent, whose error count rose quickly.

The final set began with three consecutive service breaks before Haas finally held for a 3-1 lead.

The German would not win another game, however, as Ferrer, the No. 5 player in the world proved more solid in the players’ punishing baseline rallies.

Next up for Ferrer in Sunday’s final will be the winner of Friday’s night match between France’s Richard Gasquet and Britain’s Andy Murray.

Ferrer holds an 8-1 career head-to-head advantage over the Frenchman but has not fared as well against Murray, losing six of their 11 encounters and five of six on hard courts.

del Potro Claims Second Consecutive Estoril Open Title

Posted on May 6, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

It’s Lucky No. 11 for Juan Martin del Potro…

The 23-year-old Argentinian tenista claimed his eleventh title of his professional tennis career on Sunday by beating France’s Richard Gasquet to win the Estoril Open title.

del Potro, who was seeded first in the tournament, used a strong serve to beat Gasquet in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2.

“I felt it was my best match of the week,” del Potro said. “I felt really confident on my forehand and I grew in confidence every game.”

Along with earning his eleventh career title, the victory gives del Potro his second consecutive Estoril Open title and his second title of the year.

Del Potro, currently ranked No. 12 in the world, didn’t give up a break chance and had six aces in the match to improve his record against Gasquet to 4-1.

“He’s very tall and has a good second serve and was hitting the ball very well,” Gasquet said. “He was the better player today.”

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