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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!

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?

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: News Roundup

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

Rafael Nadal Plays 1000th Career ATP Match
Nadal played the 1000th match of his career at the ATP World Tour Level at the Miami Open over the weekend.   He defeated Phillip Kohlschreiber 0-6, 6-2, 6-3 to gain his 822nd victory on tour.  The match was just the 3rd time in Rafa’s career that he’s come back to win the match after getting “bageled” in the first.  Nadal takes on Nicolas Mahut in the 4th round in Miami today.   Vamos!

Shania Twain Meets Stan The Man
Our fangirl worlds collided over the weekend when one of our favorite artists, Shania Twain, posted a photo with one of our favorite players, Stan Wawrinka!

Iggy The Iguana Takes Over Miami
Tommy Haas also posted a photo with the now famous “Iggy” the Iguana at the Miami Open.  Haas captured the selfie mid-match, after a giant iguana came onto the court, halting play as linesmen scrambled to catch him.  (He’s a fast one!)

Linesman Frankie Melendez, who eventually caught the iguana, is the real hero.

Jo-Wilfred Tsonga Welcomes First Child
Tsonga announced the birth of his son on social media.  We hope he gets his dad’s amazing hair (and tennis skills!)

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)

https://twitter.com/Gael_Monfils/status/843931017866067970

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!

Sports, Tennis

Tennis Tuesday: Australian Open Recap

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This Week’s Tournaments:
Davis Cup – Round 1

Last Week’s Winners:
Australian Open:
Roger Federer
Serena Williams
Henri Kontinen & John Peers
Bethanie Mattek-Sands & Lucie Safarova
Abigail Spears & Juan Sebastian Cabal

Roger Federer Defeats Rafael Nadal To Win 18th Major Title
We got the dream final we’d all been hoping for since the draw came out:  Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal!   It was the first time they’ve played against each other in a slam final since 2011.   The 5-set match was thrilling from start to finish, with Federer winning 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3.  The surprising final was especially sweet considering both players had been sidelined with injuries just months ago.  It’s wonderful seeing both players back on tour and on top of the game!  We’re looking forward to the rest of the season.

Grigor Dimitrov!
The Bulgarian fans were out in full force throughout the Australian Open, cheering on Grigor Dimitrov through the Semifinals.  Grigor was very impressive in his run to the Semis.  He pushed Nadal to 5 sets in one of the best matches of the tournament.  We’re glad to see Grigor playing at such a high level again, and can only hope this leads to a great season for him!

Mischa Zverev Reaches Career High Ranking
Zverev was a name heard frequently over the last two weeks, but it wasn’t talk of the 19-year-old #NextGen star Sascha Zverev.  His older brother, 29-year-old Mischa Zverev, reached the Quarterfinals of a slam for the first time, defeating current #1 Andy Murray in the process.  He lost to eventual champion Roger Federer in the Quarterfinals, but Mischa is now at a career high ranking of #35.


Davis Cup Round 1 Action
We’re already going through tennis withdrawl with the Australian Open ending.  Lucky for us, the 2017 Davis Cup gets underway this weekend, with first round ties happening around the world February 3-5.   Make sure you tune in and cheer for your favorite teams!
World Group Round 1: (host country in bold)
Argentina vs Italy
USA vs Switzerland
Germany vs Belgium
Australia vs Czech Republic
Japan vs France
Canada vs Great Britain
Serbia vs Russia
Croatia vs Spain

Sports, Tennis

Tennis Tuesday: Australian Open Week 1

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This Week’s Tournament:
Australian Open – Melbourne, Australia

Last Week’s Winners:
ASB Classic – Jack Sock
Apia International Sydney – Gilles Mueller

We love how the tennis season starts off with a bang – it’s just the third week of January but it’s already time for the first slam of the year!

Where to Watch: ESPN and WatchESPN
Tournament Dates: January 16 – January 29
Time:  Play nightly starts at 7pm EST
Social Media: #AusOpen @AustralianOpen

Jack Sock Wins 2nd Career Title in Auckland
Jack had a strong end to 2016, reaching the finals in Stockholm (where he lost to Juan Martin del Potro), and the Quarterfinals of the Masters tournaments in Paris and Shanghai.  He’s been working hard in the off-season and it shows!  Jack was impressive in his run to a second career title in Auckland, where he defeated Joao Sousa in a high quality final.  We’re excited to see how he’ll fare at the Australian Open!

Reilly Opelka Qualifies for First Grand Slam
Part of the #NextGen of young American players, Reilly Opelka qualified for the main draw of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time in Melbourne.  Reilly was the only player to go through qualifying without dropping a set – or dropping serve.  He’ll face David Goffin in the first round.  Other American qualifiers include Frances Tiafoe, Noah Rubin, Bjorn Frantangelo, and Ernesto Escobedo.  Let’s go USA!

Sasha Bublik Interviews “Rafa”
It’s been an awesome week in Melbourne so far for the Sasha Bublik – he qualified for the main draw of a grand slam for a first time AND managed to grab Rafael Nadal for a quick interview.   Wait a minute, for sure this is Rafa, no?

https://twitter.com/AlexanderBublik/status/819750031259406336

Lleyton Hewitt & Andy Roddick Join BNP Paribas Showdown
As if we weren’t already hype enough for the BNP Paribas Showdown coming up at Madison Square Garden on March 6th, it just got even better with the announcement that Lleyton Hewitt and Andy Roddick are joining the lineup!   We’re pretty sure that we filled out the “Who do you want to see at the BNP Paribas Showdown?” survey last year with “ANDY VS LLEYTON WOULD BE EPIC” so thank you tennis gods for making this happen!   The new format for the showdown, the 10th anniversary of the event, will be Team Americas Vs. Team World.   That means Andy Roddick, Jack Sock, Juan Martin del Potro, and Venus Williams will be taking on Lleyton Hewitt, Nick Kyrgios, Kei Nishikori, and Garbine Mugaruza.    Tickets are on sale now!

Sports, Tennis

Tennis Tuesday: Let The Season Begin!

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The 2017 tennis season has officially begun!   Nearly all the top players are back in action this week, in tournaments in Australia, Qatar, and India in the lead up to the Australian Open.   We love how tennis starts the year off strong – first slam of the year is less than two weeks away!

This Week’s Tournaments:
Brisbane International – Brisbane, Australia
Qatar ExxonMobil Open – Doha, Qatar
Aircel Chennai Open – Chennai, India
Hopman Cup – Perth, Australia

Nadal and Federer are Back in Action
Fans around the world are thrilled that both Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are back after a short hiatus.  Before this week, Federer had not played since losing to Milos Raonic in the Wimbledon semi-finals in July and dealing with a lingering knee injury.  How excited are people to see him?  Over 6,000 showed up just to watch him practice in Perth.   Nadal has been looking strong so far, with wins over David Goffin and Milos Raonic in an exhibition in Abu Dhabi.   Rafa’s playing in the Brisbane Open, which means hanging out with koalas!

 

Make That Sir Andy Murray
Andy Murray ended 2016 by becoming the #1 tennis player in the world, and he just started 2017 by being given a knighthood in Queen Elizabeth II’s New Year’s Honours List.

New Season, New Coaches
Lots of coaching changes happened in the off season.  Novak Djokovic announced he would no longer be working with Boris Becker.  Rafael Nadal added Carlos Moya to his team, while Milos Raonic’s new head coach is Richard Krajicek.

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!

 

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!

Sports, Tennis

Tennis Tuesday: US Open Preview

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It’s the greatest time of year – the US Open is here!  We’ve been counting down all year and are so excited for the final slam of the year to kick off in NYC.   Here’s what you need to know about the tournament (fangirl style)

Where to Watch: ESPN and WatchESPN
Qualifying Tournament: August 22 – 26
Draw: August 26
Tournament: August 29 – September 11
Social Media: #USOpen @usopen

Arthur Ashe Kids Day is August 27th
The action kicks off with the annual Arthur Ashe Kids Day event this Saturday, August 27th!  AAKD is a day full of fun activities, great music, and of course, tennis!   Rafael Nadal and Venus Williams are scheduled to appear as is Novak Djokovic, who will be facing off against Ansel Elgort.  Enjoy games and see the pros practice up close on the grounds of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center for free!  You can also catch up-and-coming performers like Citizen 4 and Tegan Marie on the Hess Festival Stage. Tickets to the stadium show are still available, and include performances by Flo Rida, Troye Sivan, Forever In Your Mind, Laura Marano & More!  Visit AAKD.com for a full schedule and more info on the event.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BHxUvllg0rp/?taken-by=aakidsday

 

Community Day is September 8th
For the 2nd year in a row, the US Open is offering FREE admission to fans on Thursday, September 8th.  You’ll be able to access matches around the grounds and catch the men’s and women’s doubles semi-finals, along with the Champions Invitational.  There will also be a farewell party for Louis Armstrong Stadium from 5pm to 7pm.  James Blake and Gigi Fernandez will be playing against top junior players.  And best of all, you might even get a chance to play on the legendary court before it’s gone!  Click here for more info.

 

Support American Tennis
As anyone who has been to the US Open knows, there’s nothing like a close match featuring an American player.  The crowds can get very vocal in supporting their home players, which makes for an amazing atmosphere.  Last year’s match between Donald Young and Victor Troicki on Grandstand (RIP) is one of our favorite US Open memories – the match went to 5 thrilling sets, with Donald fully crediting the crowd for getting him through.  There are 4 American seeded players this year: Stevie Johnson, John Isner, Jack Sock & Sam Querrey.   So get your USA!  USA!  chants ready and make sure to root for #Merica!

Sports, Tennis

Tennis Tuesday: News Roundup

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This Week’s Tournament:
Western & Southern Open – Cincinatti, OH

Between all the withdrawls and negativity surrounding the games, we weren’t that excited about tennis at the Olympics before it started.  But man, did this week prove us wrong!  The tennis games at the Olympics turned into a compelling and emotional week, starting with that epic match between Novak Djokovic and Juan Martin del Potro which feels like ages ago.

Men’s Singles
Gold: Andy Murray (GBR)
Silver: Juan Martin del Potro (ARG)
Bronze: Kei Nishikori (JPN)
It was just SO. GOOD.  to see Del Potro and Rafael Nadal (who finished 4th) playing well again.  SO.  GOOD.

 

Men’s Doubles
Gold: Rafael Nadal & Marc Lopez (ESP)
Silver: Florin Mergia & Horia Tecau (ROU)
Bronze: Stevie Johnson & Jack Sock (USA)
Impressive that Nadal, the flag bearer for Spain, wasn’t sure if he would even be able to play in every event on site.  He ended up making it to the semis in singles and won the gold with good friend Marc Lopez in doubles.

 

Mixed Doubles
Gold: Bethanie Mattek-Sands & Jack Sock (USA)
Silver: Venus Williams & Rajev Ram (USA)
Bronze: Lucie Hradecka & Radek Stepanek (CZE)
How awesome was it to see two American teams on the podium for the medal ceremony?  Also Jack Sock now has a Gold Medal and Bronze medal along with Wimbledon and US Open Doubles/Mixed titles.

 

Women’s Doubles
Gold: Ekaterina Makarova & Elena Vesnina (RUS)
Silver: Martina Hingis & Timea Bacsinszky (SUI)
Bronze: Lucie Safarova & Andrea Hlavackova (CZE)

 

Women’s Singles
Gold: Monica Puig (PUR)
Silver: Angelique Kerber (GER)
Bronze: Petra Kvitova (CZE)
Puig made history, winning Puerto Rico’s first ever gold medal, in ANY sport.  Great for the country and great for the sport!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BJFp0qKg9Gm/

 

US Open Wild Cards Announced
Get excited if you’re not already (or in case you haven’t been counting down since last September like us).  The US Open Qualifying Tournament starts in just ONE WEEK!  The USTA announced Wild Cards for the Main Draw & Qualifying Draw, including former champ Juan Martin del Potro.  Vamos!

Main Draw Wildcards
Juan Martin del Potro
Francis Tiafoe
Rajeev Ram
Michael Mmoh
Ernesto Escobedo
Bjorn Frantangelo
Mackenzie McDonald

Qualifying Wildcards
Reilly Opelka
Vasil Kirkov
Mitchell Krueger
Sekou Bangoura
Tennys Sandgren
Ryan Shane
Thai-Son Kwiatkowski
Christian Harrison

The US Open Qualifying Tournament starts on Tuesday, August 23rd and is free and open to the public.  Get all the info at USOpen.org!

Sports, Tennis

Tennis Tuesday: Olympics

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This Week’s Tournaments
Olympic Games – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Abierto Mexicano – Los Cabos, Mexico

Del Potro Upsets Novak Djokovic At The Olympics
Juan Martin del Potro, still making his comeback from another wrist surgery, defeated #1 Novak Djokovic in an emotional 1st round match at the Olympics.  By the end of the match, which Delpo won 7-6 (4), 7-6(2), he was crying, Djokovic was crying, WE WERE ALL CRYING.  Also, shout out to the Argentinian Men’s handball team for rescuing Delpo from an elevator before his match!


Nadal Makes His Olympic Comeback
Rafael Nadal finally got the chance to carry the flag for Spain in the Opening Ceremony, after being sidelined with injury in 2012.   Rafa is playing in the men’s singles, doubles and mixed doubles this year.  Vamos!


Nick Kyrgios Wins BB&T Open in Atlanta
After lots of drama with the Australian tennis federation as to whether or not he’d be able to play in the Olympics, Kyrgios decided to opt out of this year’s games.  Instead, Kyrgios made the most of his time by playing in the BB&T Open in Atlanta, defeating 3-time winner John Isner in the final.


Sam Querrey Goes GQ
He’s so trendy now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3E1UNxmdMA