ATP
Djoko resumes normal service with first match since Wimbledon
Novak Djokovic made an efficient return to the courts in the US Open first round – his first match since a July 11 Wimbledon semi-final loss to Jannik Sinner – with the four-time champion teaching a 6-1, 7-6 (3), 6-2 lesson to Learner Tien.
The 38-year-old Djokovic was carrying an unexplained injury over the summer and arrived in New York without a match to his name.
The black-clad Serb showed his intentions with a 24-minute opening set where he produced just four unforced errors and never let his teenaged opponent into the mix in the night session showpiece.
The seventh seed was treated for a toe blister and twice came back in the third set from a break down before winning five of the final six games to advance in two and a half hours.
“I don’t have any injury or anything. I just struggled a lot to stay in long exchanges and recover after points,” Djokovic said.
“There was quite a bit of tension on the court, playing a young American, night session. I haven’t played an official match, (for) six weeks.
“I had to deliver my A-game, which I did I think in the first set. In the second, it was surviving on the court. But in the important moments I just put one ball more in the court than he did.”
The father of two and 24-time Grand Slam champion said he chose not to play during the hardcourt summer due to family reasons.
“I’ve put in a lot of training in the last three, four weeks. It’s just not any more prioritizing the heavy schedule as I used to.
“I’m not chasing the rankings… it’s really about where do I find motivation and joy? And Slams are obviously the four main tournaments where I always feel the most motivation.”
The grim news continued for 2021 tournament winner Daniil Medvedev, who lost at a third straight major in the first round.
The ATP No. 13 was defeated by Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi 6-3, 7-5, 6-7(5), 0-6, 6-4, a fourth loss in Medvedev’s previous five matches. He had reached the second week during his six previous appearances here.
“I have no idea, it was crazy. I may have got some new fans,” Bonzi said. “The energy was wild. Match point in the third, then crazy scenario, then exhausted in the fourth, and give all I have in the fifth.”
“I never experienced something like that.”
A Bonzi match point at 5-4 in the third set had to be-replayed when a photographer accidentally stepped onto the court between serves, resulting in a temporary lifeline for Medvedev.
The win was the second for Bonzi over Medvedev in a Grand Slam first round after repeating the victory he took only weeks ago at Wimbledon. The French winner had to deal with hand cramping in the closing stages as he completed the upset over the former No. 1.
“I’m very proud of myself, the scenario of the match, the match point in the third,” Bonzi said. “It’s my best victory ever. It’s very special to do it here.”
Two-time champion Casper Ruud had to work for more than two and a half hours to overcome Jaime Faria, the Portuguese who put out Stan Wawrinka in the first round at the Gstaad Swiss Open on Thursday.
Faria was riding the momentum from Tuesday’s defeat of three-time Grand Slam winner Stan Wawrinka, set to retire this season and beaten in an opening match at his home venue.
Faria had his eye on a second upset as he faced Ruud, who lifted the trophy at this elite alpine village in 2021 and 2022.
Ruud ahd to dodge a bullet and mount a comeback to get through the second-round test against the Portuguese.
After dropping the opening set in a tiebreaker, Ruud played patiently as Faria saved five break points in the sixth game of the second set before failing on the sixth.
Ruud then pulled away for a 6-7 (1), 6-4, 6-2 victory, his first since Roland Garros.
“Sometimes it is hard to say when you get a good feeling and you start to win some games in a row,” the winner said.
“You try from the first game to the last, but suddenly something clicked in the middle of the second for me, luckily.”
He added: “I had to really fight hard and if I played one bad game in the second and he serves well, it could be over and it would be time to go home. But luckily I can extend the stay.”
The Scandinavian could join Spaniards Sergi Bruguera and Alex Corretja as three-time winners in the Alps, with Ruud now standing 10-1 here over his career.
Stefanost Tsitsipas said he slept soundly prior to finishing off a darkness-interrupted match on Thursday as he eliminated local Jerome Kym at the Gstaad Swiss Open.
The Greek who once cracked third in the world and the 186th-ranked Swiss returned to the clay after darkness on Wednesday night left them hanging at 5-all in the third set.
Tsitsipas revved up his game from the resumption to emerge into the quarter-finals 6-4, 6-7 (2), 7-6 (5).
The second seed now standing 85th in the world after several poor seasons and a split with his father as his coach, said getting his rest was not a problem after the interruption.
“It was strange going to bed and not being finished. I visualised what I wanted to do, my shot patterns.
“It worked out pretty well.
“I had a good night’s sleep, I was not too stressed and I recovered to get ready for the continuation.”
After saving break points in the first game on Thursday, Tsitsipas triumphed in the final-set tiebreaker
“I’m relieved I was able to save a couple of break points.. I put my game together and made it )victory) happen again.”
The Greek now faces off against Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech for a semi-final spot.
“I’m expecting a lot of big serves, the altitude (1050m) helps. I’ll try to build consistency around my own serve.”
Stefanos Tsitsipas was handed a reprieve due to fading light with his second round match at the Swiss Open Gstaad stopped with the Greek deadlocked with local Jerome Kym 6-4, 6-7 (2), 5-5.
The math had to be halted as night fell and electronic linecalling computers could not read the path of the ball on the clay in contrast to humans who could have carried on for a few additional minutes..
The 27-year-old Tsitsipas was taking the worst of it in the concluding stage after a promising start.against a journeyman opponent ranked 186.
Tsitsipas, his ranking down to 85th after once standing third in the world, lashed out verbally in the last few games, apparently frustrated with his racquet reactions.
The Greek was quick to make his point of an overnight stoppage to the chair umpire while Kym – who reached 5-all with a love service hold – left the court with a defiant fist pump for his public in this alpine resort village.
The cutoff came after just over two hours of play, with the contest to be concluded on Thursday. The winner reaches the Friday quarter-finals.
Tsitsipas produced his last notable result in April with a fourth-round showing at the Madrid Masters,
He is aiming for his second quarter-final of the season after Doha in February and his 2025 Barcelona 15 months ago.
Tsitsipas stands 10-1 vs. players ranked outside the top 100 this season with a sole loss to No. 104 Italian Matteo Arnaldi at the Roland Garros second round.
History repeats for Argentine spoiler in Gstaad
Ruud survives a scare to secure Gstaad quarters
Tsitsipas finishes off Kym after overnight pause
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