Cuevas Gunning for Record Third Consecutive Brasil Open Title

Posted on March 5, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Pablo Cuevas is gunning for a three-peat …

The 31-year-old Argentine-born Uruguayan tennis player will go for a record third consecutive Brasil Open title on Sunday.

Cuevas dismissed top seed Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain 6-3, 7-6(2) on Saturday in Sao Paulo to give himself a chance for the three-peat.

The third-seed won 82 percent of his first-serve points and feasted on Carreno Busta’s second serves, taking 70 percent of those points.

Since the first edition of the Brasil Open, in 2001, no player has won back-to-back-to-back titles at the ATP World Tour 250 tournament.

Spaniard Nicolas Almagro won back-to-back crowns in 2011-2012 but fell in the quarter-finals to David Nalbandian in 2013.

Cuevas has avoided such slip-ups this week.

He’ll try to win his sixth career ATP World Tour title – all on clay – against second seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas.

Cuevas leads their head-to-head series 3-1. The Spaniard erased a match point on Saturday against Portuguese Joao Sousa to win his semifinal 6-7(5), 7-5, 6-2 on the red clay.

Sousa had the match on his racquet, serving at 5-4 in the second set. The fourth seed fell behind 0/40 but crawled back into the game and led at ad-in. But Ramos-Vinolas erased the match point with a sharp forehand up the line that Sousa netted.

The Spaniard would earn the break and take the final nine of 11 games to claim the three-hour and three-minute semi-final.

Ramos-Vinolas last played in an ATP World Tour title match in October at the Chengdu Open in China (l. to Khachanov). He’ll be going for his second ATP World Tour crown after taking his maiden title last July on clay at the Swedish Open in Bastad (d. Fernando Verdasco).

Puig Beats Garbine Muguruza to Reach Quarterfinals at the 2016 Rio Games

Posted on August 10, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Monica Puig is one step closer to gold…

The 22-year-old Puerto Rican tennis player, competing in her first Olympics, routed French Open champion Garbine Muguruza 6-1, 6-1 on Tuesday to reach the 2016 Rio Games quarterfinals, notching the biggest win of her career.

“You just go in shock,” she said.

Even with the big lead, keeping it together through those last couple of games was tricky.

“You start getting emotional, and there’s no hiding it,” Puig said. “You start feeling those butterflies, those nerves. It’s all of that coming out.

Ranked 34th in the world, Puig has never reached the quarterfinals at a Grand Slam. Now she’s two wins from an Olympic medal.

She’ll face a player with a similar ranking for a spot in the semifinals: No. 32 Laura Siegemund, a 28-year-old German who is having a career year. Siegemund won her first WTA title at the Swedish Open last month.

At the 2013 French Open, Puig became the first woman representing Puerto Rico to reach the third round at a major in the Open era, which began in 1968. But at her first Olympics, her nationality takes on much more resonance.

“When I’m playing in the WTA, it’s more like I’m playing for myself — my job, let’s say,” she said. “Here, it’s not really my job. It’s for my country, and I think nothing in the world can compare to that. It’s the most special feeling when you put on your colors of your country and you’re walking around the Olympic Village and everybody looks to see your country on the back of your shirt.”

Muguruza is already a major champion. But after beating Serena Williams in the final at Roland Garros for her first Grand Slam title, the Spaniard lost in the second round at Wimbledon. She had 29 unforced errors to 15 winners on Tuesday.

Ramos-Vinolas Claims First-Ever ATP Title at the Swedish Open

Posted on July 18, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Albert Ramos-Vinolas will always remember Sweden…

The 28-year-old Spanish tennis player defeated countryman Fernando Verdasco 6-3 6-4 in the Swedish Open final to win his first ATP World Tour singles title.

Ramos-Vinolas, seeded No. 3 in the tournament, triumphed in 86 minutes to end a three-match losing streak against fifth-seed Verdasco and lift the winners’ trophy, which was presented to him by former world No 1 Bjorn Borg.

Ramos-Vinolas, ranked No. 35 in the world, never looked back after racing to a 4-1 lead in the opening set courtesy of breaks in the third and fifth games. Despite dropping serve in the sixth, he broke Verdasco again to take it 6-3.

Verdasco squandered three break points in the second set before being broken for a fourth time to trail 5-3 and although Ramos-Vinolas dropped his serve in the next game, he broke again to seal the set 6-4 and take the title.

Ramos-Vinolas is expected to compete in singles at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.

Ramos-Vinolas Upsets No. 1 Seed David Ferrer to Reach Swedish Open Final

Posted on July 17, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Albert Ramos-Vinolas is one win away from his first ATP World Tour title…

The 28-year-old Spanish tennis player beat No. 1 seed David Ferrer 7-5, 6-4 on Saturday for the first time in seven tries and will now play in his second career final at the Swedish Open in Bastad.

The third seed will meet another countryman in Sunday’s final: Fifth seed Fernando Verdasco swept Gastao Elias of Portugal 6-3, 6-1.

Elias was playing in his first ATP World Tour semifinal.

Ramos-Vinolas had been 0-6 in his head-to-head series against Ferrer, a two-time champion in Bastad (2007, 2012). But the left-hander broke Ferrer five times to move into the final in an hour and 48 minutes.

“I’m very happy. I beat a great player and one of the best on clay in the last five, six years,” Ramos-Vinolas said.

Ramos-Vinolas last played in a final in 2012 (Casablanca, l. to Andujar). He’ll also try to reverse his head-to-head series against Verdasco as the 32-year-old leads the series 3-1, including a 2014 win in Bastad.

Verdasco reached his second tour-level final of the season with dominant serving. The left-hander won 75 per cent of his service points. He also landed almost eight of 10 first serves. Verdasco, though, was broken once, the first time he’s lost his serve in Bastad (32/33).

The seven-time ATP World Tour titlist will go for his second crown of the season (also Bucharest, d. Pouille).

“It’s a final,” Verdasco said. “A final is never easy.”

Ferrer Beats Dustin Brown to Advance to Swedish Open Semifinals

Posted on July 16, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

David Ferrer continues to roll…

The 34-year-old Spanish tennis player battled past Dustin Brown 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 to reach the semifinals of the Swedish Open on Friday.

Ferrer, the top seed and two-time champion at the tournament, improved his head-to-head record versus the German player to 4-0 following the 92-minute win, which was watched in the stands by Swedish tennis legend Bjorn Borg.

Ferrer will next face his compatriot, third seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas.

“He’s playing his best tennis of this season so I’m going to have to play very good and very consistent to have a good chance to be in the final,” said Ferrer of his opponent.

Ramos-Vinolas reached his second semifinal of 2016 as he defeated Andrea Arnaboldi. The Spaniard saved six of the 11 break points he faced to outlast the Italian 5-7, 7-5, 6-0 in what was their first tour-level meeting.

Fifth seed Fernando Verdasco eased into the last four in Bastad with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Facundo Bagnis in 68 minutes. The Spaniard will continue to bid for his eighth ATP World Tour singles title when he faces Gastao Elias.

“It’s great for me to be in the semifinals here again. Today I’m one step closer and hopefully tomorrow I will keep playing as good as today or even better,” said Verdasco. “I’m feeling pretty good. I’ve been playing better and better every day. Tomorrow I will face a Portuguese player and they are both playing good this week. I know that it’s going to be difficult.”

Elias reached his first ATP World Tour semifinal by upsetting second seed Joao Sousa 6-2, 6-2.

The 25-year-old Portuguese tennis player capitalized on five of his seven break point chances to notch his first win over his compatriot (Sousa now leads rivalry 2-1) in 62 minutes.

Cuevas Defeats Steve Darcis to Reach Swedish Open Semifinals

Posted on July 24, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Pablo Cuevas is two matches away from defending his title…

The 29-year-old Uruguayan tennis player, currently ranked No. 25 in the world, defeated Belgium’s Steve Darcis 6-3, 6-4 in the Swedish Open quarterfinals on Friday.

In the semifinals, the third-seeded Cuevas faces France’s Benoit Paire, who easily defeated Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan 6-4, 6-2 in just under an hour.

Also, two-time Bastad champion and second-seeded Tommy Robredo of Spain defeated France’s Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-3, 6-3.

It took three sets for Germany’s Alexander Zverev to beat sixth-seeded Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil 5-7, 6-4, 6-2.

Cuevas Beats Tommy Robredo to Win the Croatia Open and Claim His Second ATP Title

Posted on July 28, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

It’s turning out to be a memorable month for Pablo Cuevas…

The 28-year-old Uruguayan tennis player beat defending champion Tommy Robredo of Spain 6-3, 6-4 on Sunday to win the Croatia Open final and claim his second ATP title in July.

Cuevas’ victory comes hours after he ousted top-seeded Fabio Fognini in the semifinals after heavy rain on Saturday caused the delay of their their match.

The second-seeded Robredo had two break points at 1-1 in the first set, but it was Cuevas who first broke in the sixth game for a 4-2 lead.

Cuevas went ahead 2-0 in the second set and broke the 32-year-old Robredo’s serve once more in the fifth game. Robredo had a break point to level to 4-4.

Robredo hit 36 winners compared to Cuevas’ 26, but had 36 unforced errors against 19 for Cuevas.

Cuevas won his maiden ATP title earlier this month at the Swedish Open in Bastad. He’s the second qualifier to win an ATP World Tour tournament this year after Slovakia’s Martin Klizan at Munich in May.

“I was happy to win the first title, now two in a row make me even happier,” Cuevas said. “And this one was tougher to win, because I had to play in qualifying as well. I was very focused during the week, now I am really tired.”

In his past two attempts in Umag, Cuevas had never gone beyond the second round.

“Pablo played a great match, he made no mistake,” Robredo said. “There were some balls that might have changed the match, but it did not go my way. He was better than me in the first set from the baseline, so I had to change tactics, to be more aggressive.”

Robredo reached the final by defeating third-seeded Marin Cilic of Croatia 7-6 (10), 6-3 earlier Sunday, while Cuevas upset Fognini 6-3, 6-4.

Cuevas Upsets Andreas Seppi to Reach the Croatia Open Quarterfinals

Posted on July 25, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Pablo Cuevas is on an impressive roll…

The 28-year-old Uruguayan tenista, who won his first-ever ATP title at the Swedish Open earlier this month, upset sixth-seeded Andreas Seppi on Thursday to become the first qualifier to reach the Croatia Open quarterfinals in seven years.

Cuevas, riding the confidence of his maiden ATP title in Sweden, didn’t drop serve, played patiently from the baseline, and pushed Seppi into unforced errors.

Seppi failed to convert three break points while trailing 5-3 in the first set, and never recovered. He won the first game of the second set, then lost the next six, winning only four points on Cuevas’ serve.

Cuevas will play Teymuraz Gabashvilion Friday, after the Russian came from a set and a break down to beat João Sousa of Portugal, a rising star on the tour.

Cuevas Loses Only Three Games in the Swedish Open Final to Claim His First-Ever ATP Title

Posted on July 14, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a memorable first for Pablo Cuevas…

The 28-year-old Uruguayan tenista took down Portugal’s João Sousa in the Swedish Open final on Sunday at the Bastad Tennis Stadium to claim his first ATP tournament title.

Cuevas, who beat sixth-seeded Jérémy Chardy and third-seeded Fernando Verdasco en route to the final, defeated the fifth-seeded Sousa in straight sets, 6-2, 6-1.

Cuevas, who has fought a serious knee injury for the past three years, was ranked No. 111 going into the tournament.

He’ll now move up to No. 61 in the ATP rankings following his stellar performance at the Swedish Open, losing only one set in five matches.

Berlocq Defeats David Ferrer to Reach Swedish Open Semifinals

Posted on July 12, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Carlos Berlocq has taken down the No. 1 seed…

The 31-year-old Argentine tenista and defending champion upset top-seeded David Ferrer in a 6-3, 6-3 victory at the Swedish Open quarterfinals on Friday.

Berlocq, the seventh-seed who happened to win his first ATP world tour at this tournament in Bastad last year, defeated Ferrer in 85 minutes.

Third-seeded Fernando Verdasco reached the semifinals with a 7-5, 6-3 victory over fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta.

On Saturday, the 30-year-old Verdasco faces 111th-ranked Pablo Cuevasof Uruguay, who beat Reno Olivo of Argentina 6-2, 6-4.

In the other semifinal, Berlocq faces fifth-seeded Joao Sousa of Portugal, who ousted Serbian Dusan Lajovic 6-4, 6-4.

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