ATP
Chris a winner? Eu bet he is
HE’S the new hero of men’s tennis in the US, and tipped to go deep in New York next month, but can Christopher Eubanks live up to the growing media hype and deliver?
Eubanks, no youngster at 27, has had a remarkable 2023 season, rising to a lofty No.29 in the ATP rankings – a year ago he wasn’t even in the top 120.
A great run at the Miami Open, where he reached the quarter-finals, a maiden ATP title in Mallorca and a magical appearance at Wimbledon, where he beat fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the round of 16.
Now he is being tipped for more success, with many saying he’s the ‘dark horse’, easily capable of making the last four at the US Open next month.
After his Wimbledon success he said “All of this gives me a lot of confidence in my ability to compete with some of the best in the world, which maybe wasn’t clear to me a few years ago.
“I’m enjoying the journey, we’ll see where my career takes me, I want to keep working as hard as I’ve done so far.
I’m probably having the most fun playing tennis so I’ll try to keep that momentum going and see where it takes me.”
Eubanks has credited his rise to last year’s US Open, where he beat Pedro Martinez to earn a main draw win, having entered as a qualifier.
“A lot of it kind of started I would say a little bit last year, kind of getting the burden I felt like off my shoulders of never having a Grand Slam win, and I got my first one in at the US Open,” he said.
“I told friends of mine, I said, ‘All right, now I actually feel like a pro.’ Because I felt like for years there were guys who maybe were ranked lower than me at the time but hit third round US Open, or had gotten Grand Slam wins under their belt, and I think I might have been, like, 0-5 or 0-6.”
“Getting my first win under the belt, and then things just kind of started to grow a little bit … and it’s grown a little bit ever since then.
A seed possibly this year? Maybe, and what a story that is. He could well be everyone’s ‘second favourite’ in New York – a place where local partisan support will be loud and in his corner.
ECO-CLOWNS disrupted Andy Murray’s marathon match against Taylor Fritz in Washington on Friday, launching giant tennis balls, pictured below, onto the court before they were escorted from the event by security.
Waving a banner and shouting, the protest was the latest this summer across many sporting events.
Last month Wimbledon suffered from similar protests.
Despite the distraction, Murray had break points for a 4-2 lead in the deciding set before Fritz fought back to take the points to wrap up a win.
IGA Swiatek’s first practice session in Montreal has sparked interest after the world Np.1 wore tape on her mouth.
The Pole was caught with tape on her mouth during a session – a system to improve nasal breathing, allowing for more efficient oxygen intake.
Nasal breathing is also linked to oxygen transmission to key muscles in the body and leads to better performance.
In hot conditions, as New York will likely be, breathing problems can be a problem for players.
WORLD No.1 Carlos Alcaraz has warned fans about scammers asking for money to meet him.
Alcaraz last week issued a warning after discovering con men pretended to be his representatives and asked for money in exchange for meeting him.
In an Instagram story posted on Thursday, Alcaraz wrote:
“It has been brought to my attention that there are individuals who are falsely claiming to represent me and offer fans to meet with me if they pay.
“My team and I are not behind any of this soliciting, nor do I participate in meetings like this! My fans are the best and I am saddened that individuals are trying to take advantage of them.”
SHE’S back… but for how long? That’s the question the tennis world is asking, after Emma Raducanu took her first steps back onto the court last week after months away with injury and then surgery on an ankle and wrist.
The 2021 US Open champion, yes, remember that, posted pictures of herself at the National Tennis Centre in the UK.
Raducanu’s last practice was on April 25 at the Madrid Open. Then followed a media interview which lasted less than a minute. We remember that as well.
Anxious and frustrated that attempts to resolve wrist problems, she announced her withdrawal from the event and then came news she be undergoing surgery.
Raducanu posted on Wednesday a video of herself on court with former British No.1 Kyle Edmund, spotted using a soft Wilson ball that is oversized and used by beginners.
‘August2nd. The fun part. 1st time back on court,’ she posted.
Since surgery Raducanu a has become a globetrotter as she recovers, sharing images of herself in Mexico, Paris and Greece.
Raducanu, who is currently looking for another coach after splitting with German Sebastian Sachs recently, is now ranked outside the top 150.
What a difference two years makes.
BOSNIAN tennis coach Robert Biletic has been banned from tennis for six months after breaking Tennis Anti-Corruption Program rules.
In 2021, Biletic was tournament director at an ITF 25k event and offered a player wildcard entry into the event in exchange for money.
The unknown player reported Biletic to the International Tennis Integrity Agency for investigation.
As part of the ban, Biletic cannot attend, enter or spectate at any ATP, WTA, or ITF event.
NOVAK Djokovic is enjoying a break from tennis before heading for the New York and the US Open.
And Djokovic has a new image – a beard – which has cased mixed feelings among supporters.
“Novak with a mustache and a beard. He doesn’t look like he’s hiding at all, he often wears a cap and glasses,” one said.
“A break from shaving, huh? My husband says it’s a nuisance. Will he shave before leaving for America? What do you guys think? Yes or no?,” asked another.
The comment that caught everyone’s attention was the one comparing Novak to Lionel Messi.
“He is more handsome with a beard, he looks like Messi in his ‘beard mode’. It would be good if he kept it for good and never shaved it,” another said.
Others added that “he is on vacation” and that “shaving is not a priority.”
UNBELIEVABLE… or just a PR gimmick?
Naomi Osaka announced last week she now likes journalists.
During an interview with Mountaintop Conversations Osaka said: “Sometimes I say stuff that I shouldn’t say in the press room, and it often gets me into trouble.
“But it’s because I like journalists, I don’t think they know this but I like talking to them and I like clearing their questions and for me, it’s cool that someone cares enough about me to ask me questions like that.”
She then recalled the French Open controversy.
“But slowly as I started becoming more known, there have been people that I feel their energy is to exploit. So I felt myself becoming more closed-off and I felt my character changing and I didn’t really like that,” she said.
“So at this point when I was thinking ‘I need to take a break, but I can’t take a break from it because then I’ll get fined’.
But then I thought I’d rather take the fine than go through that with my energy.”
At the 2021 French Open, Osaka refused to attend the press conferences, citing mental health concerns. The tournament slapped a $15,000 fine on the Japanese player.
IS there no civility left in tennis?
At the DC Open in Washington last week, Bianca Bianca Andreescu encountered an unwanted hindrance and refused to play before a heckler was removed from the arena.
Andreescu, who was playing Marta Kostyuk, was verbally harassed by the heckler when she missed a serve, cheering and shouting ‘out’.
The Canadian then replied to the man, screaming ‘shut up’ and refusing to play until security removed him.
Security was called to remove the man from the stadium.
Where has decent fan etiquette gone?
AND finally … a touching moment between Andy Murray and a fan in Washington last week.
Alexander Zverev cooled the jets of a teenaged tearaway on Tuesday, schooling Spaniard Rafael Jodar 7-6 (3), 6-1, 6-3 to power to his fifth career semi-final at the French Open.
The world No. 3 German finished runner-up in Paris two years ago and is still seeking his first trophy at one of the majors.
Zverev has been a consistent presence at the business end of the event here, figuring iin five of the past six semis.
But the achievement doesn’t amount to much for the seed, who has his eye on the big prize.
“I want to keep going. I don’t really care so much about a semi-final,” he said. “I want to win all the matches in front of me.
“Today was a tough test against a good player – that’s it for now.”
The 29-year-old who becomes the ninth man to play five Paris semi-finals, got away slowly as the 19-year-old Jodar showed his intentions with an early break..
But the seed began turning the tables on his young opponent while trailing 5-2 in the opening set after dropping serve in the eight-minute opening game.
Jodar’s unravelling began as he served for the first set leading 5-4 but was unable to close it out.
From then on, Zverev was in control.
The German won the opener in a tiebreaker and dominated the second to claim that chapter also.
In the third, he broke the fading youngster in the first and last games of the set
before closing out the win with a running forehand down the line on match point.
“He had perfect rhythm in the first set and I didn’t,” the winner said. “I was playing too short and too defensive.
“The ball was also not bouncing as high as it did in (last week’s) heat, I had to flatten out my shots.
“He outplayed me at the beginning of the first, but I managed to come back.
he seemed a bit nervous when he served for (the set).
“I took my chances, it was a good match for me.”
Main photo:- Alexander Zverev in control at Roland Garros – by ATPTour.com
Matteo Berrettini took Italian revenge on Monday against the Argentine who knocked out Jannik Sinner with a 6-3, 7-6 (2), 7-6 (6) fourth-round demolition of Juan Manuel Cerundolo at the French Open.
Former top 10 player Berrettini, now mended after several seasons of intermittent injury absences sent the South American packing in a solid clay display.
The Italian saved three Cerundolo set points in the third-set tiebreaker, with Berrettini claiming a match point on an inside-out forehand, and following up with a serve winner..
“I feel great,” Berrettini said. “I’m happy with the support in a full stadium.
“This is why we train and fight, I’m enjoying the atmosphere with my team and family.”
Fourth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime booked the last eight as he put out another South American in Canadian-born Chilean AlejandroTabilo 6-3, 7-5, 6-1.
FAA becomes the first Canadian man to complete the set of quarter-finals at all four Grand Slam tournaments.
The 30-year-old Berretini from Rome is competing at Roland Garros for the first time since 2021 when he also reached the last eight here.
The current No. 105 is the lowest-ranked men’s quarter-finalist in Paris since in 2007.
Cobolli lost his first set of the tournament as he ran up against an American with negligible experience on clay, defeating Zach Svajda 6-2, 6-3, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (5).
The 10th-seeded Italian’s victory put him into his second Grand Slam and his first in Paris.
“I was a little bit nervous to close the match today,” the winner said. “It means a lot, this tournament, for me.
“Sometimes it’s not easy when you have to close, especially when you are up in the score like I was today.
“But also Zachary played a really good match today after the second set… tennis is like this. At the end, I was happy, and that’s the important thing.”
Svajda came to the major with only one career match win on clay. He began correcting that in the third round by beating Francisco.Cerundolo.
Cobolli cruised through the first two sets but his perfect set record took a dent in the third as Svajda forced a tiebreaker and saved a match point after closing the Italian’s 5-1 lead and forcing a tiebreaker.
It took a tiebreak fourth set to settle the outcome after more than three and a quarter hours.
Alexander Zverev stayed on track for a possible fourth Grand Slam final as the highest seed remaining in the men’s draw at the French Open moved efficiently into the quarter-finals on Sunday.
The German who has finished runner-up at the Australian and US Open plus Roland Garros, defeated qualifying lucky loser Jesper de Jong 7-6 (3), 6-4, 6-1.
With this week’s second-round losses by world No. 1 and top seed Jannik Sinner and 24-time Grand Slam singles champion Novak Djokovic, Zverev could have one of his best chances at lifting a major trophy.
The 29-year-old reached his eighth Roland Garros quarter-final as he beat his Dutch opponent on de Jong’s 26th birthday.
He needed a tiebreak to secure the opening set but picked up momentum before crushing it in the third set to get off court in a relatively quick two and a quarter hours.
“I had some early difficulties but he started well,” the winner said. “But once I found my rhythm I felt comfortable on the court.
“That is important for my game. It’s (his game) is there, I just have to show it on the match court.”
With the recent 10-day heatwave now gone, temperatures dropped into the mid-20s Celsius, which should make for more comfortable conditions.
But Zverev is not so sure: “To be honest, I like the heat, I prefer it. My ball flies a lot faster through the air and opponents struggle a bit more.
“I also spend a lot of time in Florida so I’m used to the heat. But we have to make the best of it, things can change within one day.”
Zverev will bid for the semi-finals in a matchup against Rafael Jodar, the prodigy who won an all-Spanish fourth-rounder 4-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 over Pablo Carreno Busta.
The fightback took nearly three and three-quarter hours and put the 19-year-old into his first last-eight spot in only his second Grand Slam appearance.
He has reached the last eight here for a sixth straight year.
Jodar, ranked No. 707 a year ago, is the fifth man this century to reach the quarters in his main draw debut at the event.
The youngster made a 4-1 start in the opening set but soon found himself in a five-set dogfight against a 34-year-old dealing with a shoulder injury.
The winner of a clay title in March has now taken victory in 19 of his last 22 matches.
“He’s young and incredibly talented,” Zverev said of his next opponent. “He came onto the clay scene in two months.
“He will be a difficult challenge but I’ll be ready for it.”
Main photo:- Favourite Alexander Zverev wins third round match – by ATPTour.com
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