ATP
All bets are off: Fritz fury over gambling ads
SPORTS betting has often been described as a ‘necessary evil’ that allows different sports to levy a percentage of those bets to grow their commercial activities.
Like alcohol sponsorship before it, betting though, is now seen as a dangerous activity that could undermine the integrity of a sport or an event.
And it’s fraught with other dangers, as American Taylor Fritz revealed recently.
Athletes and anyone working with the sport are banned from placing bets or from promoting betting on matches and events.
Doubles stars Mardy Fish and Bob Bryan broke this rule and were fined – but it still continues.
Fritz spoke of Davis Cup advertising of a sports betting company, adding: “everybody in tennis is making a profit off of betting, except for the players.”
The American acknowledged that it would not be right for players to bet – “I get that,” he said, but then talked of the harassment players often receive.
“We get all the harassment from betting. We get 50 to 100 death threats after every match you lose,” Fritz said.
“Awful messages, all the hate and all of the negative side of gambling, but we don’t get any of the positives.
“By no mean tennis players should tell people to bet on tennis, but I don’t think it should be a problem when is something outside of tennis. What happened to Bob and Marty is unfortunate. Times are changing and the rules probably needs to change again.”
Many will argue that an outright ban on betting companies sponsoring sports will only drive it underground, but allowing it to continue is surely a bigger danger to society.
TENNIS Australia boss Craig Tiley is playing a dangerous political game after declaring on Friday the Melbourne Slam could move to either Sydney or China.
Tiley’s comments were without doubt a deliberate attempt to extract millions from the City of Melbourne and the state of Victoria to fund his expansion plans.
The tough-talking South African is using recent investment in facilities in Paris, Wimbledon and New York as an example of what he believes Melbourne needs to do to maintain their Slam status.
TA used up its $80m reserves during the Covid pandemic as the city and the State enforced the world’s toughest and most brutal lockdown – costing businesses millions.
Crowd restrictions and the cost of player quarantine would have hurt the bottom line, but where does he think this expansion money is going to come from?
Sydney has been hinted as one option – the State if NSW has always fought its southern rival for sporting events – so their inclusion in the story is no great surprise.
And China?
The WTA is still asking serious questions over the disappearance of Peng Shuai.
Tiley is a well-versed and seasoned ‘politico’ but his latest words may yet come back to bite him.
PERHAPS Novak Djokovic could help out …. still defiantly unvaxxed, Djokovic flew into Australia last week to prepare for the Australian Open.
The Serb, who was deported from the country in January before the 2022 event, is in Adelaide where he will start his 2023 season next week.
Reaction to his re-appearance in Melbourne will undoubtably be mixed, given millions of citizens endured the world’s toughest lockdown and vaccination rules.
Djokovic is still banned from the US due to their vaccination requirements.
AND despite the plea of poverty from Tennis Australia, pay rises are in store for players at the 2023 Australian Open with a 3.4 per cent boost in the total purse to a record $76.5 million (US$51.6 million).
The winners of the men’s and women’s titles will both take home $2.975m with players beaten in earlier rounds also getting more.
First round losers will receive $106,250 and second-round losers will get $158,850.
Australian Open prize money has increased by more than 321 per cent in the last 20 years, from $18.18m to $58.32m today.
AUSTRALIA believes Nick Kyrgios can win the first slam of 2023, well some do.
“Contrary to what many people think, there are few players who understand the game like Nick Kyrgios,” Patrick Mouratoglou wrote on Instagram recently.
Sam Stosur told local media she thought he was primed for success.
Kyrgios clearly thinks he can as well.
His withdrawal from the United Cup showed he was concentrating on one event only.
- The New York Post pulled no punches when it reported the latest Kyrgios spat with coach Lleyton Hewitt over his late withdrawal from the United Cup.
‘Tennis brat uses Netflix defense over now-show controversy’ was their headline.
FRENCH star Caroline Garcia stopped off on her way to Australia in Bali, taking a 12-day solo trip, where she said it was wonderful because “no one knew who I was.”
RAFA Nadal’s wife Maria and his newborn son were present at his practice session in Sydney ahead of the United Cup.
Nadal and Maria welcomed their son on October 8. The Spaniard said earlier this month that his son was doing well and sleeping well.
“At the moment he is doing well, sleeping. If he is right-handed or left-handed, I still don’t know,” Nadal said.
“The first event I play like a father without the baby with me, I lost first round. Second event, traveling with the baby, I was out of the group stage. At the end I won my last match, but I need to keep improving, no?” Nadal said.
“We have some help. No problem at all. Just I need to organise little bit my life, as everybody needs to do when you have a child in your life.”
AND finally…
THE dictionary definition of a narcissist: a personality disorder in which people have an unreasonably high sense of their own importance. They need and seek too much attention and want people to admire them.
Carlos Alcaraz ended a four-and-a-half month injury exile with a resounding 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 defeat of Roman Safiullin on Monday at the US Open to mark his return to the courts after a wrist injury.
The defending champion now ranked third is hoping to become the first man to successfully defend the title here Roger Federer won US Open over five consecutive editions (2004-2008).
“For me it’s been a really tough five months. Being able to step on Arthur Ashe and being able to compete again.. as I said before the tournament, I couldn’t decide to come back in a better tournament than here in New York,” Alcaraz said.
“It’s a really special tenement for me. I tried to enjoy as much as I can. I missed it. I missed the crowd. The energy. I missed competition. I missed everything. 🥹 I’m just really really happy I was able to compete again.”
“On this (Ashe) court, I made my dream. First major. First time becoming No. 1 in the world.
“The warm welcome I receive every time I come here is crazy. I really appreciate it. I really feel the love from the people.”
One-time top 10 regular Stefanos Tsitsipas unleashed a major surprise on Cincinnati winner Arthur Fils with a turnaround 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-1, 6-4 win as the French youngster failed to earn a two-set-to-love lead over the Greek.
“I don’t have the answer,” the 10th-seeded Fils said after his collapse in form. “Once the energy went down at the end of the second, I never felt again a good energy.
“I have to talk with my team, but at my level, to do such a mistake is almost unprofessional.”
He added: “I was trying to fight; at one point I broke back early in the fourth, so I was trying to find a way, but not accurate enough on the serve.
“The ball was not going very well out of my racquet. Even if I was fighting, was tough.”
Fils had beaten No. 53 Tsitsipas in all five of heir previous matches
The Greek, playing unseeded for the first time here, reaching the second round for the sixth time as he came from a set and 5-2 down.
Former ATP No. 3 Tsitsipas pronounced himself “speechless” at his success. “It’s an amazing start to the tournament, I’m very proud of myself.
“I’m taking it a day at a time. I don’t wanna be looking too far away. I prefer to stay grounded in the moment. A win like this today matters a lot to me.”
:French veteran Adrian Mannarino, aged 38, fought back from two sets to love down for only the second time in his career to advance past Thiago Tirante 4-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.
The loss ended the dream of the 42nd-ranked Argentine who beat Novak Djokovic in the Cincinnati second round last month as the Serb competed for the first time since Wimbledon at the pre-Open event.
The first-round match began on opening day but was interrupted by night-time rain and concluded on Monday.
Andrey Rublev wore down lucky loser Otto Virtanen as the Finn cramped in the closing stages on the way to a 6-7 (5), 6-7 (0), 6-0, 6-2, 7-6 (5). Virtanen entered the draw as former champion Marin Cilic withdrew.
Main photo:- ‘New look” Carlos Alcaraz celebrates first round win on return from injury – ATPTour.com
Novak Djokovic hit the wall as the 24-time Grand Slam winner vomited at the back of the court and was treated by the trainer during a disheartening first round loss which ended early Monday morning on opening day of the US Open.
The 39-year-old Serb fell ill – he said things have been this way for weeks – as he took a loss to Mariano Navone 7-6 (5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1.
In addition to his stomach problems, the ailing Serb was seen by the trainer, the doctor and used an inhaler as he complained of cramping and general poor health during a stress test lasting nearly four and three-quarter hours.
The defeat came a fortnight after Djokovic was knocked out in his opening match in Cincinnati after reaching a Wimbledon semi-final.
“It was obvious that it was an awful feeling on the court for me. It’s something I’ve been carrying, unfortunately, pretty much every match this year,” Djokovic said early Monday.
“Vomiting, throwing up, a serious issue there. Then my whole body starts to collapse, basically cramping and pain.
“The back just gave up in the end and shoulder, and I couldn’t close it out.
He added: “I was up a break up in the fourth, but just struggled all the way since the fourth game of the match. Congrats to him. He’s a nice guy, a fighter.
But, you know, I didn’t enjoy myself.”
The disappointing end was Djokovic’s earliest Grand Slam exit in two decades and cut off a run of 78 Grand Slam first-round victories going back to a loss to Paul Goldstein at the 2006 Australian Open.
“From the perspective of the crowd and support, it was incredible, honestly from the beginning. They were trying to lift me up in important moments,” Djokovic said.
“I’m very sorry that I, you know, didn’t perform as well as I should have or could have… but the love and appreciation they gave me in the end really touched my heart.”
Seventh seed and 2021 champion Daniil Medvedev came good after losing here a year ago in the first round, posting a win over Hugo Gaston 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 for his 33rd victory of the season.
Montreal quarter-finalist Daniel Merida defeated Marton Fucsovic 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 to earn the fist straight-set men’s win of the fortnight.
Jiri Lehecka put out two-time semi-finalist Pablo Carreño Busta 6-1, 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-2. The win served as revenge after the veteran Spaniard beat the Czech in the Roland Garros first round.
No. 101 Dino Prizmic spent nearly four hours before completing a win over Alexander Shevchenko to advance in five sets.
The 2-6, 6-3, 6-3, 5-7, 7-5 success was hard-fought, with Prizmic leading 5-2 and serving for it in the fourth set but needing to go all the way to claim his first victory here after saving two match points.
The Croat has threatened top 10 names in the past, beating Novak Djokovic in Rome and Ben Shelton in Madrid.
Cincinnati quarter-finalist Tommy Paul recovered after losing the opening set, storming back for a 6-7 (3), 6-1, 6-3, 6-3 win over Hong Kong qualifier Coleman Wong.
Day 1 British results were mixed, with Cam Norrie going down in an upset loss to Frenchman Luca van Assche 6-7 (6), 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 while debutant Toby Samuel’s earned the biggest win of his career as he stunned Czech Tomas Machac 6-2, 6-3, 6-2.
Former finalist Casper Ruud made a last-minute pull out on Sunday as the US Open began, with the Norwegian still affected by the back injury which forced his retirement only days ago in Cincinnati.
The runner-up four years ago to Carlos Alcaraz has been carrying the problems for several weeks and pulled the plug on his participation on opening day of the season;s final major.
Ruud becomes the 20th player to withdraw,, a list led by world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who is dealing with a knee injury and who has not played since winning Wimbledon in July.
Ruud was due to start in New York against Juan Manuel Cerundolo, whom he defeated last month in Montreal.
Ruud now faces a rush to fitness if he is to compete at the Laver Cup in London from September 25.
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