Tag Archives: Borna Coric

Sports, Tennis

Tennis Tuesday: News Roundup

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This Week’s Tournaments:
Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters – Monte Carlo, Monaco

Last Week’s Winners:
US Men’s Clay Court Championship – Stevie Johnson
Grand Prix Hassan II – Borna Coric

Borna Coric Wins 1st ATP World Tour Title in Marrakech
20-year old Borna Coric won his first ATP Tour Title at the Grand Prix Hassan II in Marrakech!  Borna had an incredible comeback in the final against Phillip Kohlschreiber, saving 5 match points in the 2nd set and coming back from 0-3 down in the 3rd.  This was Borna’s second final in Marrakech, and his third final overall.   The win puts Borna back in the top 50 of the rankings and up to #2 in the #NextGen race to Milan, just behind Sascha Zverev.  Borna had knee surgery late last Fall after being forced to withdraw from his match at the US Open.  We’re glad to see him back on court and playing well!

Monte Carlo = The Most Beautiful Tournament of the Year
Forget Wimbledon.  The tournament in Monte Carlo is at the top of our tennis tournament bucket list.  The Monte Carlo Country Club hosts the tournament, and center court is surrounded by view of the mountains and sea.  Tune in to Tennis Channel all week for some spectacular views and tennis!

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15000 personnes attendues aujourd'hui #MCRM2016

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Rafael Nadal Going for Perfect 10
Rafa, the undisputed King of Clay, has already won a record breaking 9 titles in Monte Carlo, Barcelona, and Roland Garros.  He is the only player in the open era to have won a tournament at least 9 times.  Could he go even further and make it a perfect 10?

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#Practice 👍🎾 @rafanadalacademy

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Stevie Johnson Wins 2nd Title in Houston
After a rough start to 2016, Stevie Johnson has been on a roll since last year’s grass court season.  He picked up his first ATP World Tour Title in Nottingham, made the 4th round of a slam for the first time, and picked up a bronze medal at the Olympics.  Stevie worked hard in the off season, shedding nearly 20 pounds, and it’s shown!   He won the 2nd title of his career, and his 1st on clay, at the Men’s Clay Court Championships in Houston.  Stevie took out Jack Sock in the semifinals before defeating Thomaz Bellucci in the finals.   And as is the tradition at the tournament, Stevie celebrated the victory by jumping into the pool at the River Oaks country club!

Sports, Tennis

Tennis Tuesday: Meet the ATP #NextGen

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Last week marked the official start of the clay season, with Federico Delbonis defeating Borna Corcic in the finals in Marrakech, and Juan Monaco defeating 2015 winner Jack Sock at the Men’s Clay Tournament in Houston.  The Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters is underway, which is one of the most beautiful stops on the tour.  It’s worth tuning in for the views alone!

This Week’s Tournament:
Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters – Monte Carlo, Monaco

ATP #NextGen
Earlier this season, the ATP World Tour announced their roster of #NextGen players.  We thought we’d introduce you to each of the players – Secret Fangirl style.  We highly suggest keeping up with your faves on social media.

Taylor Fritz (USA)
Instagram: @taylor_fritz
Twitter: @taylor_fritz97
Fritz, a California native, has been on a roll since winning the US Open Juniors title in 2015, rising to #69 in the rankings.  He reminds us of a young Pete Sampras, whom Fritz got to practice with on his 18th birthday. #MERICA.


Frances Tiafoe (USA)
Instagram: @bigfoe1998
Twitter: @ftiafoe
Also on the #MERICA squad is Frances Tiafoe, from Maryland.  After a big win over fellow American Taylor Fritz in Indian Wells, Tiafoe got to practice with his idol, Juan Martin del Potro.  Tiafoe’s inspirational story is definitely worth a read.


Borna Coric (CRO)
Instagram: @bornacoric
Twitter: @borna_coric
Coric has made it to 2 finals already in 2016, and is the youngest player in the top 50.  Coric has a tattoo on his forearm that says “there is nothing worse in life than being ordinary” and likes to show off his yoga poses on Instagram.


Alexander Zverev (GER)
Instagram: @alexzverev123
Alexander Zverev, AKA Sasha, had a great week in Indian Wells, taking out Grigor Dimitrov and pushing Rafael Nadal to 3 tough sets.  He also has an adorable dog, Lovik, who gets his own credentials!

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Welcome to your first U.S. Open lovik

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Quentin Halys (FRA)
Instagram: @quentinhalys
Twitter: @QuentinHalys
We love all of the French players for their flair and style when they play.


Nick Kyrgios (AUS)
Instagram: @k1ngkyrg1os
Twitter: @NickKyrgios
Love him or hate him, Nick keeps things interesting on the court.  He’s a talented player and you never know what he’ll do next – even take a mid-match selfie.


Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS)
Instagram: @the_kokk1
Twitter: @TKokkinakis
We’ve missed Thanasi out on tour this year, as he’s recovering from shoulder surgery.  He was present at the AUS-USA Davis Cup tie in March, and gets an A+ for cheerleading for his squad all weekend (and rocking some frosted tips).  We hope he’s back on court soon!


Elias Ymer (SWE)
Instagram: @eliasymer
Twitter: @eliasymer
Ymer qualified for all 4 grand slams in 2015.  His father is a professional long-distance runner and while he hoped Elias would follow in his footsteps, he found tennis instead.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BDnx6MXLafp/?taken-by=eliasymer&hl=en


Andrey Rublev (RUS)
Instagram: @andreyrublev
Twitter: @AndreyRublev97
When he’s not working on his tennis game, Rublev is also in a boyband.


Karen Khachanov (RUS)
Instagram: @karenkhachanov
Twitter: @karenkhachanov
Another Russian #NextGen player, who has teamed up with Rublev for doubles.  Maybe he can join the band, too?


Yoshihito Nishioka (JAP)
Twitter: @yoshihitotennis
Nishioka has been off to a great start in 2016, reaching the Quarterfinals in Memphis and the 4th round in Miami, taking out Feliciano Lopez on the way.


Hyeon Chung (SKR)
Instagram: @hyeon519
Chung hails from South Korea and trained at the IMG Academy in Florida.  Fun fact: he started tennis because his parents were told it could help his eyesight.  While he’s become one of the top teenagers on the tour, he still rocks glasses!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BDO4o2-AoyL/?taken-by=hyeon519


Kyle Edmund (GBR)
Instagram: @kyleedmund8
Twitter: @kyle8edmund
Edmund was part of Great Britain’s winning Davis Cup squad in 2015.

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GB DAVIS CUP CHAMPIONS!!!🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧

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header photo via ATP World Tour

Friday Five, Sports, Tennis

The Friday Five: Australian Open Preview (Fangirl Style)

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The Australian Open kicks off this weekend in Melbourne!  It’s time for our annual bae-watch list. Here are some of the (many) players we’ll be rooting for for the next two weeks.

1. Borna Coric

Coric finished 2015 as the youngest player in the top 100. He is definitely one of the top young guns to watch in 2016 – he already has a win over Rafael Nadal, and played his first ATP World Tour final last week in Chennai. And is it just us or does anyone else get a little Jake Miller vibe from him?

Ice bath after good match!!!!

A photo posted by Borna Coric (@bornacoric) on

2. Jack Sock

The young American has started 2016 with a bang, beating top players Kevin Anderson and David Ferrer en route to the finals in Auckland. Jack has a powerful, aggressive forehand and the game to match. But he’s also known for his great sportsmanship, suggesting his opponent Lleyton Hewitt challenge a call during Hopman Cup last week.

just about sums up the week 🤗😜 #hopmancup

A photo posted by Jack Sock (@jack.sock) on

3. Pierre-Hugues Herbert (AKA P2Hugz)

P2Hugz is p2cute. He teamed up with fellow Frenchman Nicolas Mahut to win the US Open doubles trophy last Fall. The duo also made it to the finals of the 2015 Australian Open, so they will be confident playing on these familiar courts. Pierre-Hugues is also looking to qualify for the singles draw (ALLEZ!!!)

Last round tomorrow against my friend Édouard Roger-Vasselin! #Lacoste #Round3 #Qualifying #Court10 #2ndafter12:30

A photo posted by Pierre Hugues herbert (@pierrehuguesherbert) on

4. Taylor Fritz

Taylor is another young American player on a hot streak. Since winning the US Open Juniors title a few months ago, he has gone on to win 3 ATP Challenger titles and risen to 154 in the rankings. Fritz is also playing qualifying st this years tournament.

5. Benoit Paire

We’re not sure which Benoit will end up at this year’s tournament: the one who beat Nishikori at the US Open or the one who has on court meltdowns. But we can guarantee he’ll be entertaining to watch either way! We also suggest following him on Instagram for heart- eyes worthy photos.

 

😍

A photo posted by Benoit Paire (@benpaire) on

BONUS: Lleyton Hewitt

The Australian Open is sadly Hewitt ‘s last tournament as a professional. We’ll be cheering Aussie Aussie Aussie OY OY OY until the last point. We expect him to go down fighting in some epic 5 set matches.