ATP
Medvedev back from the brink at 3.40am
Daniil Medvedev came back from two sets down to beat Emil Ruusuvuori 3-6, 6-7 (1) 6-4 7-6 (1) 6-0 after a match lasting 4 hours and 23 minutes which ended at 3.40 am local time Melbourne.
The Finn won the first set in which Medvedev made 16 unforced errors.
Medvedev hit 51 winners to 63 unforced errors overall.
In his post match interview Medvedev said “It was tough.
I think the only two matches when I went two sets to love down and won, it was here, on the court.
So that’s a good memory for sure. This one is for sure going to stay in my memory at 3.40 in the morning.
It was not easy to start the match and in the first set I was missing too much.
I was missing all over the place. Then I changed my raquets and finally found one where I felt like I was playing better.
Sometimes it is just something you create in your mind. I stayed with this raquet. I started with it at the beginning of the third set and stayed with it until the end of the match”, said Medvedev.
The 2021 and 2022 Australian Open finalist improved his win-loss record to 23-7.
He faces a third-round match against Felix Auger Aliassime, who beat qualifier Hugo Grenier 6-1 3-6 6-1 6-2.
Big questions need to be answered as tennis was taken to the brink of farce as the clock edged past 3.30am on Rod Laver Arena.
Following heavy criticism of late finishes at last year’s Australian Open, tournament chief Craig Tiley claimed he had made “a big move to ensure a repeat would not be possible in 2024”
Well before Daniil Medvedev and Emil Ruusuvuori finished their second round match in front of a sparse crowd the Australian Open took tennis to a new level of stupidity.
No other sport orders its top players to begin a match after 11pm at night and doesn’t appear to have any concern for their well-being as they are still playing almost four and a half hours later?
In any other sport, the head of the organisation would be charged with bringing the game into disrepute”
Outspoken veteran John McEnroe has slammed the Australian Open expansion to a 15-day event as a “money grab” which will benefit only the organiser – not the players.
The former Grand Slam champion and distinguished television commentator, expressed his outrage on ESPN.
The Open has moved the starting day to Sunday, scheduling 16 matches and running out the first round to a leisurely three days.
But the plan claimed by AO boss Craig Tiley as a way to help players with their match scheduling and hopefully cut out late-night, post-midnight finishes, is a non-starter according to Mac.
“First of all, it’s a money grab as far as I’m concerned,” he said in a conference call with American broadcaster ESPN.
“They just found another way to make some money. I don’t agree with it.
Holger Rune battled past injured Carlos Alcaraz to spoil the Spanish Easter party at the Barcelona Open, with the Dane lifting the trophy 7-6 (6), 6-2.
The pair of 21-year-olds were familiar foes, having played 20 times in juniors before hitting the Tour; Rune won the first 500 series title of his career and his fifth overall.
Alcaraz was treated three times in the second set after an apparent injury to his upper right thigh/groin after duelling hard in the opening set at the Real Club.
The loss will send Alcaraz back to third in the rankings, with Alexander Zverev moving back to second behind Jannik Sinner as a result of winning the Munich title on Sunday.
Rune, a first-round victim last week in Monte Carlo, reversed his clay momentum in Spain, handing Alcaraz a first loss of a set for the week.
The Spanish top seed’s two final shots both clipped the top of the net and fell back as Rune raised his hands in celebration after 97 minutes on court in the Catalan capital.
“This means the world,” the winner said. “I started the match stressed, he was playing big-time tennis.
“I was able to find my rhythm after he broke me (3-2 in the opening set) and I got more into the match.
“The first set was a big battle with a lot of important points. It was super-important to win the set and gain momentum.
“I’m so proud of myself.”
Rune ended with 18 winners while the ailing Alcaraz produced 33 unforced errors. The Dane claimed his 50th match win on clay and levelled his Tour record in the series to 2-2.
Rune said he channeled Novak Djokovic’s Paris Olympic gold medal win from last summer over Alcaraz as he struggled to turn his game around in Barcelona.
“I asked myself what Novak did to win that final. I (realised) that I didn’t need to hit every ball on the line. I need to make him play and hit a lot of balls.”
Rune, who won the elite Paris Bercy Masters 1000 title in 2022, finally began reversing a 13-match loss streak against top five opponents.with his title victory.
Alcaraz may be racing for fitness with the Madrid Masters starting on Wednesday as the ATP ploughs ahead with an unpopular two-week format for Masters tournaments despite growing protest from exhausted players.
Main photo:- Holger Rune celebrates Barcelona win – by ATPTour.com
Alexander Zverev turned 28 on Sunday and awarded himself a third title on his home Munich clay as he beat Ben Shelton 6-2,6-4 to win the ATP event.
The 2017 and 2018 champion here is now threatening Carlos Alcaraz as the pair duel for the world No. 2 position which the Spaniard took over last week after winning Monte Carlo.
Zverev schooled lefthander Shelton in 70 minutes for a second win in their series. The winner becomes the second to hold three Munich titles after countryman Philipp Kohlschreiber (2007, 2012, 2016).
“I’m enjoying my birthday so far,” Zverev said. “It’s extremely special to win in Germany, the most special thing I can do.
January’s Australian Open finalist added: “It’s definitely a great birthday present, I knew I had to play my best today, conditions were very hot and very fast.They were perfect for me.”
The winner broke three times while never facing a challenge to his serve from Shelton as he claimed a sixth career title at the 500-Tour level.
Main photo:- Alexander Zverev with his “birthday” trophy – by BMW Open/Bitpanda
Alexander Zverev gave fans in Munich what they were after as the top seed rolled into the final of the clay ATP in Bavaria with a 7-6 (3), 6-3 defeat of Fabian Marozsan.
World No. 3 Zverev, who won the titles in 2017 and 2018 needed 91 minutes to advance into a title match with Ben Shelton.
The American earned his spot with a .2-6, 7-6 (7), 6-4 defeat of Argentine Francisco Cerundolo.
Zverev advanced with nine aces and broke twice in the tidy win over his Hungarian opposition.
“It’s awesome. The entire week has been great. Everybody is really enjoying the weather as well as the new Center Court,” the winner said. .
“I’m enjoying myself and hopefully I will have another great day tomorrow.”
Shelton reached his fourth career final, becoming the first American man to reach a clay final above ATP 250 level since Andre Agassi won the Rome Masters 23 years ago.
“It’s a big win for me. To get a win on clay against a guy like him gives me a lot of confidence,” Shelton.
“I’m really happy and excited to be in a 500-level final in Europe, my second clay-court tournament this season.
“I’ve been playing well this week and I’m not too stressed right now.”
Main photo:-Alexander Zverev winning in front of his home crowd – by ATPTour.com
Sabalenka hoping to turn her luck in Stuttgart
Rune rises to the occasion with defeat of Alcaraz
Zverev grabs a birthday gift with third Munich title
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