Carlos Alcaraz Wins Twice on Sunday to Lead Team Europe to Laver Cup Title

Posted on September 22, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Carlos Alcaraz has helped lead Team Europe to victory at the Laver Cup.

The 21-year-old Spanish tennis star, a four-time Grand Slam champion defeated Taylor Fritz 6-2, 7-5 as Team Europe rallied to beat Team World 13-11 on Sunday and claim the Laver Cup title.

Alcaraz broke Fritz, the US Open runner-up, in the 11th game and then closed out the victory on serve, sparking celebrations as the Europe team rejoiced with captain Björn Borg.

Team World was favored to win the Laver Cup for a third straight time after leading 8-4 on points heading into the last of the three days.

Europe began the comeback Sunday when Alcaraz and Casper Ruud won the doubles 6-2, 7-6 (6) against Americans Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe. But Shelton then downed Australian Open finalist Daniil Medvedev 6-7 (6), 7-5, 10-7 to move the World team into pole position.

Tiafoe, who reached the US Open semifinals, could’ve sealed it but he lost to French Open finalist Alexander Zverev 6-7 (5), 7-5, 10-5, setting up the decider between Alcaraz and Fritz.

The Laver Cup is formatted like golf’s Ryder Cup, with the first team to 13 points winning the contest. Each of the four matches Sunday was worth three points.

Europe’s only win in Saturday’s four matches came from Alcaraz, who won the French Open and Wimbledon this year.

On Sunday, Alcaraz showed his big-match temperament once again.

Alejandro Tabilo Helps Team World Take Lead at Laver Cup with Impressive Doubles Win

Posted on September 21, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Alejandro Tabilo has helped Team World take a decisive lead at this year’s Laver Cup.

The 27-year-old Chilean professional tennis player teamed up with Ben Shelton to defeat Team Europe‘s Casper Ruud and Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-1, 6-2 on Saturday to give Team World an impressive win.

Team World just needs two more match wins to claim the Laver Cup a third straight time.

Team World won three of four matches from Team Europe on Saturday to take an 8-4 points lead into the third and final day.

After Friday’s matches were split evenly, Frances Tiafoe and Taylor Fritz beat top-five opponents before Shelton and Tabilo claimed their doubles victory.

Team Europe’s only win came from Carlos Alcaraz, the French Open and Wimbledon champion. He beat Shelton 6-4, 6-4 with one break in each set.

Alcaraz saved all five break points he faced. Shelton conceded his first sets in his fifth career Laver Cup match.

Tiafoe, who reached the US Open semifinals, beat No. 5 Daniil Medvedev 3-6, 6-4 (10-5) for the first time in six attempts.

“Midway in the second [set] and in the tiebreak, I felt like I was Roger Federer, honestly,” Tiafoe joked while smiling at Federer, who was in the stands.

No. 7-ranked Fritz, the US Open finalist, upset No. 2 Alexander Zverev 6-4, 7-5 for his third consecutive win over the German. Fritz hit 27 winners to Zverev’s 11.

The day ended with Shelton’s and Tabilo’s doubles rout.

The Laver Cup is formatted like golf’s Ryder Cup. The first team to 13 points wins. There are four matches on Sunday, each worth three points.

Alejandro Tabilo Defeats Zhizhen Zhang at Italian Open to Reach His First Masters 1000 Semifinal

Posted on May 15, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Alejandro Tabilo’s dream run continues in Rome, Italy…

The 26-year-old Chilean-Canadian tennis player advanced to the semifinals of the Italian Open on Wednesday after dismissing Zhizhen Zhang 6-3, 6-4 in the quarterfinals.

Tabilo previously defeated World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and No. 16 seed Karen Khachanov earlier in the tournament.

Tabilo’s run at this year’s Italian Open has been nothing short of historic…

In beating Djokovic, he became the first Chilean player in 17 years to beat a world No. 1 since Fernando Gonzalez defeated Roger Federer at the 2007 ATP Finals

He reached the quarterfinals of a Masters 1000 for the first time in his career defeating Khachanov.

He reached the first Masters 1000 semifinal in his career by defeating Zhang and became the first Chilean to reach that level since Gonzalez in 2009 at the same event.

Tabilo will next face No. 3 seed Alexander Zverev, who defeated No. 11 seed Taylor Fritz, for spot in Sunday’s final.

Tabilo will move up to a minimum of No. 25 in the world when Monday’s rankings are released.

Francisco Cerundolo Upsets Alexander Zverev to Reach Madrid Open Quarterfinals

Posted on April 30, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Francisco Cerundolo has reached his fourth ATP Masters 1000 quarterfinal.

The 25-year-old Argentine professional tennis player earned his third Top 5 win on Tuesday at the Madrid Open, after upsetting World No. 5 Alexander Zverev 6-3, 6-4.

Cerundolo saved both break points he faced and won 79 percent (33/42) of his first-serve points, according to Infosys ATP Stats, to overcome the two-time Madrid champ Zverev after 90 minutes.

Cerundolo is the first Argentine quarterfinalist in Madrid since Juan Martin del Potro reached the last eight in the Spanish capital in 2012.

Cerundolo, who captured a tour-level clay-court title in Bastad in 2022, will aim to reach his second ATP Masters 1000 semifinal (Miami 2022) when he takes on American Taylor Fritz.

If Cerundolo defeats Fritz, he will move to No. 17 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings. He eached a previous career-high No. 19 in June last year.

Fritz defeated Hubert Hurkacz 7-6(2), 6-4 in 88 minutes to advance to his first Masters 1000 quarterfinal this season.

Cristian Garin Ousts Top Seed Alexander Zverev to Reach BMW Open Semifinals

Posted on April 19, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Cristian Garin is celebrating a major upset…

The 27-year-old Chilean professional tennis player defeated top seed Alexander Zverev on Friday in the BMW Open quarterfinals.

In the process, Garin picked up his fourth career Top 10 victory.

Two of those have now come against Zverev in Munich.

He previously ousted the German tennis star five years ago in three sets at the same 250-level event.

Playing in cold, windy and damp conditions, Garin saved both break points he faced in the opening set—one at 2-1 after breaking Zverev and one when serving for it at 5-4.

In a pivotal 18-point game midway through the second set, the world No. 5 dropped serve for the second time. Garin engaged the bulk of the finishing rally to Zverev’s backhand side, eventually getting enough weight behind an inside-out forehand to force an error.

Zverev, who opted to layer up with a long-sleeved undershirt and compression leggings, couldn’t warm up enough to combat his opponent’s ball-striking. Garin served out the contest on his second match point when Zverev shanked a forehand return.

“Maybe this weather’s good for my game,” laughed Garin during his on-court interview.

“I just tried to play my game, to be focused because it’s not easy to play in these conditions. I’m so happy with the way I’m playing this week. I’ve been fighting for every point.”

Garin will return to the Top 100 next Monday with his effort this week.

In 2019, Garin backed up his upset win over Zverev by riding the momentum to the title. Third seed Taylor Fritz stands between him and another championship match opportunity.

Fritz equaled his 2023 showing by rallying past sixth seed Jack Draper, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (1).

Carlos Alcaraz Defeats Max Purcell to Advance to Cincinnati Open Semifinals

Posted on August 18, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Carlos Alcaraz has advanced to the semifinals…

The 20-year-old Spanish professional tennis player and tournament’s top seed staved off an upset bid by Australian qualifier Max Purcell, winning 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 to earn a rematch with Hubert Hurkacz in the Cincinnati Open semifinals.

“I didn’t know him so much before the match,” Alcaraz said of Purcell. “He impressed me a lot. It was really tough for me. I’m really happy to get through.”

It was the third time this week that the Wimbledon champion needed three sets to win.

The top-ranked Alcaraz needed two tiebreaks to beat Hurkacz last week in Toronto.

“When we played in Toronto, we had a great match,” Alcaraz said. “Here in Cincinnati, the court’s a little faster than Toronto. So it probably suits better to his game. We need to be at the best level to beat him.”

In the nightcap on center court, No. 2 seed Novak Djokovic beat ninth-seeded American Taylor Fritz 6-0, 6-4. Djokovic will face Alexander Zverev, the 2021 tournament champ, in the semifinals on Saturday.

Alex de Minaur Defeats Alejandro Davidovich Fokina to Reach His First ATP Masters 1000 Final

Posted on August 12, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Alex de Minaur has advanced to his maiden ATP Masters 1000 final…

In red-hot form, the 24-year-old Uruguayan & Spanish Australian professional tennis player wasted little time booking his spot in the Canadian Open championship match with a 6-1, 6-3 triumph over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina on Saturday in Toronto.

de Minaur stayed largely solid to ease to victory against his under-par opponent in just 78 minutes, breaking in all but one of the Spaniard’s eight service games to reach his fourth ATP Tour final of the season.

“It was a very tough day. Very tricky conditions out here,” said de Minaur. “Very windy, and not easy to play tennis, so from the first point I just told myself to stay positive. I was going to try and win every point, try to be solid and not expect perfect tennis. I think that made the difference today.”

Now 16-5 since the beginning of the grass-court season in June, de Minaur will meet seventh seed Jannik Sinner on Sunday at Sobeys Stadium as he chases the biggest title of his career.

His run in Toronto, where he took out Top 10 opponents Taylor Fritz and Daniil Medvedev prior to Davidovich Fokina, has lifted him five spots to 10th in the ATP Live Race To Turin.

Davidovich Fokina’s low-energy performance on Saturday suggested he may have been feeling the effects of his previous exertions this week in Toronto, where he upset seeded players Alexander Zverev and Casper Ruud.

de Minaur was clinical in capitalizing on his opponent’s struggles, cruising to become the first Australian to reach the Canadian Open final since Patrick Rafter in 2001.

Even when Davidovich Fokina found some rhythm on return, he was unable to regain control as he offered up 38 unforced errors to de Minaur’s nine overall. The Australian claimed the only hold of the second set in the second game before the windy conditions contributed to seven straight breaks of serve to finish the match.

“[I‘m proud of] bringing out the level that I knew I always could and being able to back it up day after day,” said de Minaur, who had not been past the last 16 of a Masters 1000 prior to this week. “That’s been one of the goals of mine, to stay consistent and keep bringing this level, and give myself chances to play in the deep ends of tournaments. To play against the best in the world and go toe to toe with them.

“I gave myself the chance this week, I’ve taken that opportunity, and tomorrow I get to play another final.”

de Minaur has now risen six spots to No. 12 in the ATP Live Rankings as a result of his run in Toronto, three clear of his career-high No. 15. He is set up nicely for a bid to crack the Top 10 for the first time across the rest of the North American hard-court swing.

“For a couple of years now I’ve been chasing that goal, and probably put a lot of stress on myself to try to achieve that,” said De Minaur. “I’m always going to get the absolute most out of myself. I’m not content where I am, so I’m just going to keep on pushing.”

Alex de Minaur Outlasts Taylor Fritz at Canadian Open to Reach First-Ever ATP Masters 1000 Quarterfinals

Posted on August 10, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Alex de Minaur is celebrating an impressive comeback.

The 24-year-old Uruguayan & Spanish Australian professional tennis player completed a stunning first-set comeback at the Canadian Open en route to a 7-6(7), 4-6, 6-1 victory against American Taylor Fritz.

With his win, de Minaur has reached the quarterfinals at an ATP Masters 1000 event for the first time in his young career.

de Minaur trailed 1-5 in the first set against Fritz, who squandered two set points on serve. The Australian eventually sealed the opener on his sixth set point and took advantage of some loose hitting from Fritz in the third set to advance after two hours and 28 minutes.

Fritz is ninth in the ATP Live Race To Turin and was hoping to boost his chances of qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals with a deep run in Toronto. However, he struggled to find consistency against de Minaur, committing 55 unforced errors.

”It feels great to finally break that barrier,” de Minaur said when asked about reaching the last eight at a Masters 1000 event for the first time.

“It’s just a never-say-die attitude. It doesn’t matter what the score is. I’m always going to fight till the end. Being able to compete and stay positive got me into the match. I knew even if I lost that set I’d be in the match and playing a lot better.”

Earlier this year the 24-year-old captured the biggest title of his career at the ATP 500 in Acapulco. He has now won six of his past seven matches, after advancing to the title match in Los Cabos last week (l. to Stefanos Tsitsipas).

He will next fight Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinals.

Francisco Cerundolo Defeats Taylor Fritz to Reach Fourth Round at French Open

Posted on June 3, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Francisco Cerundolo is having a moment…

After entering the French Open without a main-draw win at the event, the 24-year-old Argentine professional tennis player has secured his best Grand Slam result by reaching the fourth round in Paris.

Cerundolo, the No. 23 seed, defeated ninth seed Taylor Fritz 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 on Saturday evening to continue his run, improving to 6-7 against Top 10 opponents with the victory.

Cerundolo was without a win in four Grand Slam main-draw appearances prior to 2023, but reached the third round at the Australian Open before his success at Roland Garros.

His Paris campaign will continue with a showdown against sixth seed Holger Rune on Monday.

Cerundolo, who has moved up three places from his current career-high to No. 20 this week in the ATP Live Rankings, frustrated Fritz with his big forehand to earn the victory on Court Suzanne-Lenglen after two hours and 50 minutes.

After surrendering an early break advantage in a dramatic fourth set, Cerundolo saved a set point on serve at 4-5 with a majestic topspin lob and ultimately won the final three games of the match behind his baseline brilliance.

The back-and-forth match saw a combined 10 breaks of serve, with Cerundolo converting on six of 21 break chances and Fritz claiming four of his 15 break points. Fritz, whose defeat means that five of the Top 10 seeds are out after three rounds at Roland Garros, fired nine aces to Cerundolo’s one. But the American was second-best in many of the neutral rallies as Cerundolo moved him from side to side with power and width.

Cerundolo, a quarterfinalist at the ATP Masters 1000s in Miami and Rome this season, was one of three Argentines in action on Saturday. While Rune breezed past Genaro Alberto Olivieri, Tomas Martin Etcheverry upset 15th seed Borna Coric 6-3, 7-6(5), 6-2 earlier in the day. With the victory, the 23-year-old Etcheverry — who reached his first two ATP Tour finals this season in Santiago and Houston — extended his best major run.

Etcheverry owned just one Grand Slam main-draw win prior to Roland Garros, his victory coming earlier this season at the Australian Open.

Next up for the unseeded Argentine is a fourth-round meeting with 27th seed Yoshihito Nishioka, a 3-6, 7-6(8), 2-6, 6-4, 6-0 winner against Brazilian qualifier Thiago Seyboth Wild on Saturday.

Nicolas Jarry Defeats Alexander Zverev to Reach Geneva Open Final

Posted on May 26, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Nicolas Jarry is one win away from his second ATP Tour title of the year…

The 27-year-old Chilean professional tennis player defeated third-seeded Alexander Zverev 7-6 (3), 6-3 at the Geneva Open on Friday in a rematch of their 2019 final of the Swiss tournament.

Jarry sealed the win with a delicate, low backhand volley at the net, one day after ousting top-seeded Casper Ruud, the two-time defending champion.

Zverev and Ruud combined to win the past three editions of the French Open warmup event and neither had lost at the lakeside park venue until running into the tall 54th-ranked Chilean.

Jarry, who chasing his second title this year after also winning on clay at his hometown Santiago event in March, will face Grigor Dimitrov, who advanced to his first final on the ATP Tour in more than five years by beating Taylor Fritz 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (2).

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