ATP
Say hello to Esther, your new practise partner
LOOKING for a new practise partner?
Look no further than Matthew Gombolay.
Matthew who? We hear you say.
Actually it’s Professor Matthew Gombolay and he’s a professor of robotics at Georgia Tech University in the US.
Professor Gombolay has for the past couple of years, been building Esther, a tennis-playing robot that mimics the movements and strokes of a human.
Not just a ball machine, but a robot that goes a fair bit beyond that.
Esther is an acronym for Experimental Sport Tennis Wheelchair Robot, and a tribute to Dutch wheelchair player Esther Vergeer.
The robotic device has a racquet connected to a single arm, and is able to cover both ends of a tennis court on wheels. And Gombolay’s team at Georgia Tech have been able to program Esther to recognise when a ball is coming towards it, and hit a return.
Now they plan to program it to be able to play a rally.
“What really excites me is that it could be a partner for me one day,” Gombolay said recently.
“It can also be my opponent. It can help me train. I could have it pretend to be the one guy I always lose to because he can exploit this weakness in my game.”
We can see the ads now, for the US Open in 2030 … ‘Sponsored by AI’. Or maybe sooner?
AUSSIE Henry Young made history during the week, becoming the first competitor aged 100 to compete at the ITF Masters World Individual Championships.
Mr Young, from Adelaide, was a fighter pilot in World War II and celebrated his 100th birthday last month.
The 2023 ITF Masters World Individual Championships is for players aged 65 and over.
“It’s nice to be the first,” he said of his record-breaking achievement.
“It’s something that nobody can ever take away from me.”
Young proved he is not just making up numbers in the 90+ category either. He had a 6-2 6-3 victory over 95-year-old Spaniard Mateo Camps Simon in the opening round.
WIMBLEDON’S controversial expansion plans took a positive turn last week after planning officials gave local councillors the green light to grant planning permission.
The plan includes 38 grass courts and an 8,000-seater show court, but has been met with objections from residents, environmental groups and local MPs.
A 450-page planning report recommended that councillors give permission when they meet next week.
It is the first step in the process as the application also has to be approved by Wandsworth Council, whose borders also cover part of the proposed site.
The decision would then be referred to the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and the Greater London Authority.
The planning application, which was initially tabled in July 2021, is in two parts.
Part one is for 38 grass courts for Wimbledon qualifying, lake alterations, a new boardwalk and maintenance buildings and part two includes initial planning permission for the 8,000-seater show court.
The objections from several local resident groups continues though with a coalition of groups vowing to stop the development, which is given the green light, will not be completed until 2030 at the earliest.
Photo: Roger Parker International Sports Fotos Ltd
RAFA Nadal’s return to the court at the Australian Open in January is not as clear cut as many may think.
Nadal admitted last week the is still in pain and training is not as straight forward as he or his advisors may have planned.
“My first realistic option to be back on the professional court would be January in Australia,” Nadal said.
“But right now, I really can’t confirm something I don’t know. Nothing has changed in the last few weeks except for the fact that I’m training a bit more than before, which is an accomplishment for me and my mental health.
“I’m not training without pain. I’m in less pain than I used to be, but I’m still in pain.
“However, this pain allows me to do more and more things eventually. Things would be different if I had zero pain. I could give you a date for my return if I had zero pain because I would have time to prepare myself for that.”
FORMER World No. 1 Ash Barty shared a gorgeous picture of herself carrying her son Hayden last week, while again stating she had no time on her hands to look at a return to the court.
Barty joked that another Aussie great, Pat Rafter, stood a higher chance of picking up the racket than she does.
“I don’t have the time. I don’t have the time to train, I don’t have the time to prepare,” she said.
I’m certainly not coming out of retirement. Pat may be more likely, than me.”
CROATIAN news magazine Nacional has reported that Goran Ivanisevic is earning “between €6-10k” every week for coaching Novak Djokovic. ($6.5-11k US).
An annual earn of somewhere between €300-500k, or between $320 and about $550k.
Ivanisevic also, according to the magazine, has bonuses that earn him 10 per cent of Djokovic’s prize money whenever the Serb wins a Grand Slam.
In 2023, that equates to three Grand Slam wins and not dar short of half a million dollars!
SAUDI Arabia is closing in on hosting a new ATP Masters 1000 event, or a combined ATP and WTA 1000 event, in 2025. The country has never held an ATP or WTA 1000 event.
IF a Twitter or X comment is any indication, former World No.1 Naomi Osaka and rapper boyfriend Cordae, are no longer an item.
In July, Osaka and Cordae became parents when Osaka gave birth to a baby girl they named Shai.
But months later Osaka has sparked rumours of a split after her cryptic post on X. “I just want someone that will watch the sunset with me.”
Osaka and Cordae are no longer following each other on social media and Cordae didn’t make any posts about Osaka’s birthday on last week.
EMMA Raducanu has opened up on her merry-go-round of coaches saying the reason may be because she “asks too many questions”.
“I ask my coaches a lot of questions,” she told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
“On certain occasions they haven’t been able to keep up with the questions I’ve asked and maybe that’s why it ended.”
The 2021 US Open winner split with her fifth coach in two years in June when she parted ways with Sebastian Sachs.
The Brit has not played since losing to Jelena Ostapenko in Stuttgart in April.
Raducanu is hoping to get back into competitive action soon.
“I will be coming back with probably a lower ranking, but I’m actually looking forward to starting again, kind of resetting,” she said.
“I still have new goals, new things I want to achieve. But I’ve still got like 15 years left in my career, so there’s no rush.”
AND finally …
Talk of Boris Becker returning to Wimbledon next year seem to be way off the mark.
Becker will coach young Danish player Holger Rune, but he will be unable to attend Wimbledon because of his conviction for tax evasion.
Becker was deported from the UK after serving eight months of a 2½-year sentence and would not be able to return for some time.
Under UK law post-conviction travel bans can last for many years, with some predicting his deportation order could last for 10 years.
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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