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Tennis Tuesday: Roland Garros Week 2

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This Week’s Tournament:
Roland Garros – Paris, France

Roland Garros 101
Where to Watch: Tennis Channel and NBC
Tournament Dates:  May 28 – June 11
Time:  Play starts daily at 5am EST
Social Media: #RG17 @RolandGarros

Rafa Celebrates 31st Birthday
Rafa has been celebrating his birthday at Roland Garros for many years now, as it usually falls about halfway through the tournament.  He celebrated his 31st birthday on June 3rd, with lots of support from fans as he goes for a record 10th title.

Quarterfinals Set
We’re down to the final 8!   Quarterfinal action starts today in Paris.  Rafael Nadal is taking on Pablo Carreño Busta while Dominic Thiem will face Novak Djokovic.   Wednesday will see Stan Wawrinka vs Marin Cilic and Andy Murray vs Kei Nishikori.

Sportsmanship Highlight of Week 1
One of the biggest stories of the first week of Roland Garros was the sportsmanship and compassion on display.   Juan Martin del Potro comforting Nicolas Almagro when he had to withdraw with a knee injury.  Horacio Zeballos carrying David Goffin’s bag off court when he suffered a nasty fall, tearing muscle in his ankle.  Dominic Thiem offering comforting words to Stevie Johnson at the net after the loss of his father.  It’s wonderful to see and one of the many reasons why we love this sport.

Sports, Tennis

Tennis Tuesday: News Roundup

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This Week’s Tournaments:
Banque Eric Sturdza Geneva Open – Geneva, Switzerland
Open Parc Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Lyon – Lyon, France
Roland Garros Qualifying – Paris, France

Last Week’s Winners:
Internazionali BNL d’Italia – Sascha Zverev

Sascha Zverev Wins 1st Masters 1000 Title
Sascha got revenge for his good friend Dominic Thiem’s semifinal loss to Novak Djokovic, with a strong 6-4, 6-3 win over Djokovic in the finals in Rome.  The win is the first Masters 1000 title for Sascha, who at 20-years-old is the youngest to win a Masters title since Novak Djokovic in 2007.   Sasha will also enter the Top 10 for the first time in his career with the title in Rome.  We think Sascha has officially gone from #NextGen to #GenerationNow.

Thanasi Kokkinakis Makes Return to Singles
The young Aussie is playing in his first ATP World Tour level event in singles since he made a (brief) comeback in January.  Kokkinakis has had a rough time with injuries so early in his career, and we’re so glad to see him back on court!  Unfortunately, he lost in the first round to Denis Istomin in Lyon but we hope this is just the beginning of a strong comeback for him.

Novak Djokovic Announces Andre Agassi as New Coach
Rumors had been swirling for a while that Andre Agassi would be joining Djokovic’s coaching team.  Djokovic confirmed the rumors in his post-match conference in Rome, following his loss to Zverev.  Djokovic will officially start working with Agassi in Paris on a trial basis.

Dominic Thiem Beats Rafael Nadal in 3rd Straight Try
The hottest new rivalry on tour lately has been Rafa vs Domi.   The two met in the finals in both Barcelona and Madrid, with Rafa emerging as the winner of both titles.  Domi came closer to victory each match, and finally figured out a way to beat Rafa in the quarterfinals in Rome.  Thiem won the match 6-4, 6-3, showing off his aggressive and powerful playing style.  Bamos!

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Rome 2017 😊 #mygame

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Roland Garros Qualifying Underway
It’s hard to believe that it’s already time for the second slam of the season!   Roland Garros Qualifying is officially underway.  In the US, you can watch the action on Tennis Channel Plus.   Players to watch include young Americans Reilly Opelka, Dennis Novikov, and Stefan Kozlov, and new pros Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Casper Ruud.

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What a city 🇫🇷

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Sports, Tennis

Tennis Tuesday: News Roundup

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This Week’s Tournaments:
Internazionali BNL d’Italia – Rome, Italy

Last Week’s Winners:
Mutua Madrid Open – Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal Wins 3rd Consecutive Title in Madrid
Rafa’s outstanding clay season continues, as he won his 3rd consecutive title on clay so far this season.    Rafa has been on a roll winning Monte Carlo, Barcelona and now Madrid.   The King of Clay defeated arguably the best clay court player of the younger generation, Dominic Thiem (the Prince of Clay?), in both the Barcelona and Madrid finals.  The Madrid title was especially sweet as Rafa defeated Novak Djokovic for the first time in 7 matches, in their record 50th career meeting.

Juan Monaco Announces Retirement
“Pico” made a surprise announcement that he would be retiring from professional tennis on Monday on social media.  He had only played 3 matches so far this year.  Monaco turned pro in 2002 and had won 9 ATP World Tour Titles, reaching a career high of #10 in the world.    We wish Pico all the best!  (and maybe more game show appearances?)

Frances Tiafoe Wins Aix en Provence Challenger
The #NextGen American won his second clay court challenger title of the year over the weekend in Aix en Provence.  The win brings Frances up to a career high of #65 in the ATP World Tour rankings and to #3 in the ATP #NextGen Race to Milan.  #BigFoeOnTheComeUp indeed.

Sports, Tennis

Tennis Tuesday: News Roundup

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This Week’s Tournaments:
Mutua Madrid Open – Madrid, Spain

Last Week’s Winners:
Millennium Estoril Open – Pablo Carrena Busta
BMW Open – Alexander Zverev
TEB BNP Paribas Istanbul Open – Marin Cilic

Sascha Zverev Wins 3rd Title in Munich
20-year-old Sascha Zverev won his 3rd career title, and his 2nd title of the year at the BMW Open in Munich.   The title is Sascha’s first on home soil in Germany.  The young German beat Guido Pella in the final, 6-4, 6-3.

Thiem Throwback
Riccardo Bellotti, fellow player and close friend to Dominic Thiem, posted this throwback photo on Instagram of him, Domi, and Dennis Novak.  We love the early 00s boyband vibes they’ve got going on – especially Rico’s JT inspired hair!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BTzBZv2Aiby/?taken-by=ricobellotti

Novak Djokovic Splits With Longtime Team
Novak Djokovic has been struggling to find his form lately, ever since winning the French Open last year.   He announced this week he was cutting ties with his long time team:  coach Marian Vajda,  fitness coach Gebhard Phil Gritsch and physiotherapist Miljan Amanovic, after over 10-years working together.   Djokovic shared the news on his website with theheadline, “I want to find the winning spark on the court again.”


Tennys Sandgren Wins USTA Roland Garros Wildcard
26-year-old American Tennys Sandgren has qualified for the main draw of a grand slam for the first time in his career.  Tennys (yes, it’s pronounced like “tennis”) won the USTA Roland Garros Wildcard challenge by reaching the finals of the challenger in Sarasota and winning the challenger in Savannah.

Sports, Tennis

Tennis Tuesday: News Roundup

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This Week’s Tournaments:
Millennium Estoril Open – Estoril, Portugal
BMW Open – Munich, Germany
TEB BNP Paribas Istanbul Open – Istanbul, Turkey

Last Week’s Winners:
Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell – Rafael Nadal
Gazprom Hungarian Open – Lucas Pouille

Rafael Nadal Wins “La Decima” in Barcelona
Welcome to Rafa’s house!   Literally.  Just days after the center court at the Barcelona Open was renamed “Court Rafa Nadal,” Rafa won his 10th title at the tournament.   He defeated Dominic Thiem, one of the best clay court players of the younger generation, in an entertaining final, 6-4, 6-1.   Rafa celebrated by jumping in the pool at the club after his victory.   10 in Monte Carlo…10 in Barcelona…can he make it 10 at Roland Garros?  Vamos!

Grigor Dimitrov Shows Off Dancing Skills
We’re glad Grigor takes his side hustle as a member of the One Handed Backhand Boys seriously.   He showed off his dancing skills at a charity event over the weekend, and he’s got some serious moves.  (Don’t forget about that time he sang a Backstreet Boys song, too!)

Juan Martin del Potro Kicks Off Clay Season in Estoril
Delpo is back in action in his first tournament since the Miami Open.  He is starting his clay season at the Estoril Open in Portugal, with just 3 weeks to go until Roland Garros!

Roger Federer Attends Met Gala
Federer is taking some time off from the tour, with his next tournament likely at Roland Garros at the end of the month.   He’s been keeping busy in the meantime!  He hosted a charity event in Seattle over the weekend with Bill Gates, John Isner, and Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready, bringing in over 2 million for the Roger Federer Foundation.   Fed then flew to NYC for the Met Gala, rocking a Gucci suit with a crystal cobra on it.  (Don’t forget he is GQ’s reigning Best Dressed Man)

Lucas Pouille Wins 2nd Title in Budapest
Frenchman Lucas Pouille won the 2nd title of his career, and his first on clay at the Gazprom Hungarian Open.  This was the first ATP World Tour Event ever held in Budapest.  Lucas defeated Aljaz Bedene in the final 6-3, 6-1.

Sports, Tennis

Tennis Tuesday: News Roundup

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This Week’s Tournament:
Miami Open – Miami, FL USA

Last Week’s Winner:
BNP Paribas Open – Roger Federer

Introducing the (One-Handed) Backhand Boys
Roger Federer may have won the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells over the weekend, but he also won the internet and the hearts of fangirls around the world with the return of the Backhand Boys.  Federer joined fellow one-handed backhanders Grigor Dimitrov and Tommy Haas for a singalong of Chicago’s “Hard to Say I’m Sorry.”  You might recall the trio singing  together back at the Australian Open, and this new video shows they’ve been working on their moves and their vocals.  Tour soon?

As much as we love the Backhand Boys, we think they could use a couple of extra members to make up the classic 5 member boyband!   We’d love to see Stan Wawrinka, Dominic Thiem, Richard Gasquet or Feliciano Lopez join the lineup.  Auditions in Miami?

The Backhand Boys could use a rival boyband just to keep things fresh.  May we present *NSYDE OUT led by some of the best forehands on the ATP Tour: Juan Martin del Potro, Jack Sock, and Rafael Nadal with Vasek Pospisil (he so needs/wants to be in a boyband) and Pierre-Hugues Herbert.

Denis Shapovalov Wins 1st Challenger Title
#NextGenATP player Denis Shapovalov won his first challenger title over the weekend in his native Canada at the Challenger Banque Nationale Drummondville.  At 17-years-old, Denis is the youngest ATP Challenger winner so far this year and now the youngest player in the top 200.  Denis defeated his friend and countryman Felix Auger-Aliassme in the semi-finals en route to the title.

Gael Monfils Out With Injury
Gael Monfils is one of the most entertaining players in tennis, with an explosive game and incredible athleticism.   Unfortunately, his big game has led to quite a few injuries over the years, and Gael’s latest setback is a tear in his Achilles’ heel and chondropathy Patella.  He is out of the Miami Open and will start rehab.  We hope to see Gael back on court soon!  (so we can see more shots like this)

ATP University Class of 2017 Graduate in Miami
Every year in Miami, the ATP World Tour hosts “ATP University” for the youngest players on tour.  The 3-day program teaches the players about life on tour including player relations, social media, nutrition, and finance.  It also gives the new players a chance to get to know each other and adjust to their hectic new schedule.  This year’s class included young Americans Reilly Opelka, Noah Rubin, Michael Mmoh, and Stefan Kozlov.

Roger Federer Covers GQ‘s April Issue
Things can be rough for a tennis fan in the off-season.  It’s hard to fill the time normally spent with following scores and matches across the globe with some non-tennis related activities.  Which is how back in December, with no brackets to fill out, tennis fans made it their priority to vote Roger Federer as the Best Dressed Man in GQ‘s Most Stylish Man poll.   Federer won the poll in a landslide, taking out Kanye West, Ryan Gosling, and more in the process.  With his new honor, Federer is on the cover of GQ‘s April issue.  Read the story here!

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Tennis Tuesday: News Roundup

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This Week’s Tournaments:
ASB Classic – Auckland, New Zealand
Apia International Sydney – Sydney, Australia

Last Week’s Winners:
Brisbane International – Grigor Dimitrov
Qatar ExxonMobil Open – Novak Djokovic
Aircel Chennai Open – Roberto Bautista Agut
Hopman Cup – France (Richard Gasquet & Kiki Mladenovic)

Grigor Dimitrov Wins First Title Since 2014
It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly 3 years since Grigor Dimitrov won his last title, at Queen’s Club in 2014.  That same year he reached the top 10 for the first time, and made it to the semi-finals a at Wimbledon.  It’s been a tough couple of years for Grigor, who has been working hard to get back in top form.  He started 2017 in commanding fashion, taking out 3 top 10 players (Dominic Thiem, Milos Raonic, Kei Nishikori) on his way to the Brisbane title.  He also took one of the cutest and most excited trophy winning photos of all time.  More of this in 2017, please!

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🏆

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Dominic Thiem Hits The Beach
One of the hardest working men in tennis, Dominic Thiem, hit the “beach” in Sydney ahead of the tournament there this week.   Our dream job would be planning and supervising these ATP player field trips during tournaments.  Where can we sign up?   (Also someone please take Grigor back to a zoo while he’s in Australia so we get more of this)

James Blake Wins 2016 Powershares Season Finale in Brooklyn
Professional tennis made it’s return to Brooklyn for the first time since  1935 on a snowy Saturday night at the Barclays Center.   James Blake won the Powershares QQQ Cup, the last event on the 2016 Champions Tour.  James defeated Andy Roddick in the first semi-final, breaking Andy in the final game of the set.   (Andy’s serve is still on point in case you were wondering).  John McEnroe beat Jim Courier 6-3, before losing to James in the final.   The final set was an entertaining battle of the New Yorkers, with an energetic crowd cheering on both players.

Taylor Fritz Expecting First Child
Tennis Channel just casually mentioned that Taylor Fritz is expecting his first child any day now!   Fritz wed his longtime girlfriend Raquel Pedraza over the Summer.   Congrats Taylor and Raquel!

Sports, Tennis

Tennis Tuesday: News Roundup

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This Week’s Tournaments:
Erste Bank Open 500 – Vienna, Austria
Swiss Indoors Basel – Basel, Switzerland

Juan Martin del Potro Wins First Title Since 2014
Delpo won the first title of his 2016  comeback at the If Stockholm Open in Sweden.  He defeated Jack Sock in the final 7-5, 6-1.  With the win, Delpo is back in the top 50 (where he belongs!).   Impressive considering Delpo started 2016 ranked 1041.  Welcome back!

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Qué felicidad!!! // So happy!!! 😀🏆

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Richard Gasquet Wins Inaugural European Open
Gasquet won his 14th career title at the new 250 ATP tournament in Antwerp, Belgium.   2016 has been an up and down year for Gasquet, who battled some injuries.  The title is his second of the year and puts him up to #18 in the race to London.

 

Thiem Dominates Tie Break Tens in Vienna
Homeboy Dominic Thiem won the Tie Break Tens exhibition in Vienna, kicking off the Erste Bank Open.  The event featured round robin play, with each “match” consisting of one 10-point tiebreak.  Thiem defeated Jo-Wilfred Tsonga, Tommy Haas, and Goran Ivanisevic en route to the final, where he played against Andy Murray in a winner-take-all tiebreak.  Wimbledon hero Marcus Willis was also in lineup, playing entertaining tiebreaks against Murray and Ivanisevic.

 

Rafael Nadal Ends 2016 Season Early
After struggling with a wrist injury for the second half of the season, Rafa officially shut down his 2016 season last week.  We’re looking forward to a well rested and healthy Rafa next year!

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Tennis Tuesday: News Roundup

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This Week’s Tournaments:
Chengdu Open – Chengdu, China
Shenzhen Open – Shenzhen, China

Lucas Pouille Wins 1st Title in Metz
Pouille has had a terrific year so far – he reached the quarterfinals of both Wimbledon and the US Open, where he defeated Rafael Nadal.  The 22-year-old Frenchman just hit another milestone and won his first ATP World Tour Title at the Moselle Open in Metz, France, defeating #1 seed Dominic Thiem in the final 7-6(5), 6-2.  Pouille is now #16 in the rankings and on the rise.  Allez!

Alexander Zverev Wins St. Petersburg Open
19-year-old Sascha Zverev became the first teenager to win an ATP title since Marin Cilic in 2008.   Zverev defeated Stan Wawrinka to win his first title in St. Petersburg 6-2, 3-6, 7-5.  It’s fun to see another #NextGen player on the rise and we’re looking forward to seeing much more from him in the future!

2017 Davis Cup Draw Revealed
The draw for the 2017 Davis Cup was held last week in London.  First round action will take place from February 3-5, with some intriguing matchups.  Stay tuned for site selection announcements in the coming weeks.  (We’re hoping we can make it to USA vs. Switzerland!)

Argentina vs Italy
Germany vs Belgium
Australia vs Czech Republic
USA vs Switzerland
Japan vs France
Canada vs Great Britain
Serbia vs Russia
Croatia vs Spain

In the meantime, we still have the Davis Cup Finals coming up November 25-27, with Argentina taking on Croatia in Zagreb.

Sports, Tennis

Tennis Tuesday: News Roundup

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This Week’s Tournaments:
Moselle Open – Metz, France
St. Petersburg Open – St. Petersburg, Russia

2016 Davis Cup Final Set
After a drama filled weekend, it will be Argentina taking on Croatia in the Davis Cup Final in November!   Juan Martin del Potro defeated Andy Murray in the 1st rubber in Argentina’s tie against Great Britain, in a match that lasted over 5 hours.  (And Delpo made us cry.  Again).  The tie went to a decisive 5th rubber, with Leonardo Mayer defeating Dan Evans to win the tie for Argentina (and Delpo).  Marin Cilic was Croatia’s MVP, winning his 2 singles matches and the doubles against the French #1s, Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut.

2017 Davis Cup Draw on September 22nd
Since this year’s final is set, it’s time to get excited about next year!  The World Group playoffs were also completed over the weekend, with 16 nations in the draw.  Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, Spain and the USA will be drawn against the 8 seeded nations below:
1. Argentina
2. Croatia
3. Great Britian
4. Czech Republic
5. Switzerland
6. France
7. Belgium
8. Serbia

Dominic Thiem Leads Moselle Open Field
The #1 seed and #1 in our hearts, Dominic Thiem, is back in action this week at the Moselle Open in Metz, France.  We last saw Thiem forced to retire in his match against Del Potro at the US Open with a knee injury, so we’re hoping he’s fully recovered and fit to play.  Other players in action in Metz include Benoit Paire, Dustin Brown, Nicolas Mahut, and Gilles Simon.

 

Stan The Man Returns in St. Petersburg
Stan Wawrinka is playing his first tournament since winning the US Open in New York.  He leads a strong field in St. Petersburg that includes Milos Raonic, Sascha Zverev, and Tomas Berdych.