ATP
Anyone for a kebab?

CARLOS Alcaraz may have just picked up £2.35 million for beating Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon final, but the 20-year-old new superstar of tennis headed back to ‘normality’ after his victory.
No Rafa-style mansion, or Monte Carlo pad a la Djoko. No, for Carlos it was back to a humble apartment in southern Spain, an apartment over a Turkish kebab shop in Murcia.
The apartment, worth about 10% of his Wimbledon prize money, is owned by Alcaraz’s parents and sits above the ‘Turquesa Kebab & Pizza’.

Dad, Carlos Alcaraz González, who watched his son at Wimbedon, is a former real estate agent in Murcia, a couple of hours south of Alicante on Spain.
He also ran a local tennis academy where his son once trained.

Media reports that Alcaraz is now planning to build a new home for his parents with the millions he has earned from his exploits.
The new ‘mansion’ is to be built on three plots of land Alcaraz junior has bought, about 15 minutes drive from the current family home.

THERE’S low and then there’s Hungarian low … Amarissa Toth shocked the tennis world last week at the clay-court Budapest Open whe she deliberately removed a ball mark with her foot to deny her opponent, veteran opponent Zhang Shuai.
Shuai retired from the event in tears after an argument over a line call against her 20-year-old opponent.
To put it in context, the dram unfolded in the first set when a ball was called out that the Chinese player was convinced was in.
Even commentators agreed it was in.
Shuai argued with the umpire for several minutes before the event supervisor came on court.
Toth then walked towards the contested ball marking and scuffing it out with her foot.
Shuai yelled from her side of the net: “Wait, wait, wait, keep the mark! What are you doing? Why would you do that?”
Toth replied: “Because you’re making problems, that’s why.”
A visibly distressed Shuai had to then seek the assistance of a doctor.

The 34-year-old then retired from the match.
Amazingly, and totally wrong, Shuai was even booed off court by partisan Hungarian fans.
“All efforts on practice was wrong, because when you wanted hitting closer to the line, even touched the line still OUT,’ Shuai wrote afterwards on social media.
Toth’s conduct has since been crticised worldwide.
Australian Ellen Perez declared her disgust over the issue.
“Well that’s a quick way to lose respect from your peers. I’m actually shook by the level of disrespect from this girl,” Perez wrote of Toth.
“If I see this girl tomorrow I will tell her how disgusted I am.”
Another Aussie, Ajla Tomljanovic, was also angry.
“Absolutely disgusting behaviour,” she wrote on Twitter.
Daria Saville didn’t hold back when she posted: “Zero respect for this Toth girl. ZERO! I am so so so mad. I feel so bad for Shuai.”

NOVAK Djokovic was hit with a ‘record’ fine of $8000 for his racket abuse at Wimbledon last weekend.
But this ‘record’ is pitiful when you look at his earnings from the event.
Djokovic’s net worth is estimated to be $240 million and he picked up a cool $1.4 million for his runner-up finish.
Djokovic struggled to control his anger in a fit of rage during the fifth set, which saw him smashing his racket into the net post.
Surely it is time to change this farcical fines rule to a percentage of earnings instead of a set figure.
10 per cent of earnings to go to charity would be a far better option – and might, just might deter this insane behaviour.
DJOKOVIC has been branded the LOAT (Loser of all time) by a tennis fan, and it has angered Novak’s dad.
In response to the comments, Djokovic Snr told Republika: “May God help that man. If he can even be helped, and if he really means everything he wrote.”
Montenegrin journalist Nebojsa Sofranac posted on Facebook: “What did you do to him, Carlitos?
“So many illegal crazy volleys, slices and bombs that should be banned. And to inflame so much anger among lumberjacks who don’t even know how to count games, but know enough to curse a 20 -year-old boy who amazed the world?
“How many shepherds will stop watching tennis and cry in anguish on my wall? The Spaniard has given Novak a new nickname. LOAT, as many as 12 lost finals, the most in the Open Era, he is the ‘loser of all times’.”


SAUDI Arabia is looking to buy the United Cup – and the move is not going down well with fans.
The United Cup was introduced last year as a replacement for the ATP Cup as part of the Australian Open buildup.
The mixed teams competition with teams of 4 to 5 players from both the ATP and WTA Tours in a team format against each other has been a success Down Under.
According to the London Daily Mail, the Saudis are in talks with Tennis Australia about buying the event.

Photo: Roger Parker International Sports Fotos Ltd
INJURED Nick ‘King’ Kyrgios will step into the coaching booth this weekend at the Ultimate Tennis Showdown in Los Angeles, helping out Frances Tiafoe.
Kyrgios was to play the event but was replaced by Benoit Paire, and had previously said he would take part in some capacity.
“I will still be coming to LA and the UTS event,” he said on Tuesday.
He added: “Maybe I’ll coach… any suggestions?”
The decision is an odd one, given that Kyrgios himself has been ‘uncoached’ for many years.
JUST A THOUGHT:
The BBC’s viewing figure announcement last that 15 million people in the UK watched Sunday’s men’s final between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon, but only 4.4 million watched the women’s final the day before explains perfectly the commercial realities as to why men’s tennis earns so much more than its female counterpart.
ATP
Rune rises to the occasion with defeat of Alcaraz

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
ATP
Zverev grabs a birthday gift with third Munich title

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
ATP
Zverev fulfils home fan dreams to line up against Shelton

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
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