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Coaches' Corner: Russell on Fritz's comeback & what he learned from Wimbledon QF against Nadal

Taylor Fritz earned a thrilling two-sets-to-none comeback victory against Alexander Zverev on Monday in the Wimbledon fourth round. It was the third time he has rallied from two sets down and now he will face 25th seed Lorenzo Musetti for a place in the semi-finals.

ATPTour.com caught up with Fritz's coach, Michael Russell, who detailed his charge's comeback, what the American has learned from his previous major quarter-finals, facing Musetti and more.

You've coached Taylor in a lot of big matches. How would you describe how he was able to make that comeback?
His composure and collectiveness in the pressure moments and being down two sets to love was so perfect. It really was. He didn't panic. He was playing excellent from the ground. Sascha was just having one of those service days where he was serving 80 per cent first serve, he's averaging 133 miles an hour on the first and 111 on the second and hitting spots. So you look over at the scoreboard, you're down two sets to love, but you're playing well.

He played maybe a little tentative in the second-set tie-break. But in this sport, especially on grass, it's the smallest of margins that can turn a match around, and Taylor did a great job of just staying in it and focusing on his service games, making sure he takes care of his service games and then kept putting the pressure on on Sascha. He was able to gut out a break in the third and the whole match just completely changes because now it's two sets to one and you're in for a dog fight.

How big of a sign was the double fault at 4-4 in the third set?
He hadn't really double-faulted very much. So as soon as you see that, you think of the psychological factor, he's feeling a little bit of pressure getting into the deeper end of the match. And that's a big confidence booster for Taylor, because he sees that as well, because for two sets, the guy was infallible.

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Djokovic dispatches Rune to reach Wimbledon QFs

Novak Djokovic earned a statement win on Monday at Wimbledon, dismissing Holger Rune 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in the latest chapter of the pair’s rivalry to reach the quarter-finals.

Djokovic has been pushed to the limit by Rune in the past, with the Dane winning two of their previous five Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings, including the Rolex Paris Masters final in 2022.

However, the 21-year-old struggled to impose his aggressive game on Djokovic under the roof on Centre Court, where the Serbian hugged the baseline to control the tempo of the match. The seven-time champion dominated on serve throughout, winning 75 per cent of first serves and an eye-popping 72 per cent of second serves. Djokovic also saved the two break points he faced to earn his most impressive win of this year’s Championships after two hours and three minutes.

"I am very pleased. I don't think he played close to his best to be honest. It was a tough start for him," Djokovic said. "He lost the first 12 points and I think that got to him mentally. Waiting all day to come onto the court is not easy. The tension is building up every hour and you feel more and more tense and stressed.

"On my end, I think I did things the right way in the right moments. I stayed solid. I faced a couple of break points. Things could have looked different if I had dropped my service games but a very solid performance in the end and I am glad to get through in three sets."

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Willis back on the Wimbledon stage: 'This is what we dreamed of'

One year ago, Marcus Willis attended Wimbledon on the grass-court major’s opening Monday with a friend who had never been to the tournament before.

“I had great fun showing him around and stuff. But as a player you want to be back,” Willis told ATPTour.com. “I was 230 in the world last year. Not quite there. I hadn't done well enough in Challengers and I was disappointed not to be here. So naturally I was enjoying the tennis, I love Wimbledon. But that was a weird feeling I had of, ‘I'm not comfortable here’. But yeah, I'm comfortable again now.”

Willis, known for his dream run at The Championships in 2016 when he advanced from pre-qualifying to facing Roger Federer on Centre Court in the second round of the main draw, is back competing at The All England Club. Now No. 96 in the PIF ATP Doubles Rankings, Willis received a wild card into both men’s doubles (with Jay Clarke) and mixed doubles (with Alicia Barnett).

“It's been great. When I got the wild cards, I was really happy. Obviously, over the moon. It sort of didn't sink in for a couple of days, and then I got a little bit emotional about it,” Willis said. “It's been seven years since I last played here, I've come a long way very quickly.”

Two years ago Willis did not have a PIF ATP Doubles Rankings and now he is in the Top 100 and competing at SW19, where he first made his name.

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Fritz rallies to stun Zverev for spot in Wimbledon QFs

Taylor Fritz on Monday earned one of the most stunning victories of Wimbledon.

The 13th seed rallied from two sets down to shock fourth seed Alexander Zverev 4-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(3), 6-3 for a spot in the quarter-finals of The Championships. The American will face 25th seed Lorenzo Musetti for a place in the semi-finals.

"It was amazing to do that on Centre Court from two sets down," Fritz said. "I thought it would really suck to be playing this well and to lose in three straight. I had the belief. I thought I was playing really good tennis... and that it was just a couple of points here and there. I thought I could take it one set at a time and turn it around."

FANTASTIC FRITZ ?

Incredible comeback from @Taylor_Fritz97 to reach the quarter-finals!@Wimbledon | #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/GDONeh4a9e

— ATP Tour (@atptour) July 8, 2024

It marked the third time the American has battled back from two sets down and emerged victorious. Fittingly, the first player Fritz achieved the feat against was Zverev’s older brother, Mischa Zverev (R1, 2018 US Open), who was in the Centre Court players' box cheering on 'Sascha'.

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How Tennis Balls are Made

Tennis balls undergo a detailed manufacturing process that involves several stages to ensure they meet the necessary standards for play. Here's a step-by-step overview of how tennis balls are made: 1. Raw MaterialsRubber: The primary material for the ball's core. High-quality natural rubber and synthetic rubber are used.Felt: Made from a mix of woo...

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Musetti ends Mpetshi Perricard's run, reaches first major QF

Lorenzo Musetti is a Grand Slam quarter-finalist.

The Italian reached the last eight at a major for the first time on Monday at Wimbledon, where he ended the run of French lucky loser Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 victory.

Mpetshi Perricard was celebrating his 21st birthday and entered the match high in confidence. The big-serving Frenchman defeated Sebastian Korda, Yoshihito Nishioka and Emil Ruusuvuori en route to his first fourth-round appearance at a major, hitting 105 aces across his first three matches.

The Lyon champion was unable to fire at his best level against Musetti in the pair’s first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting. The 25th seed broke Mpetshi Perricard’s serve five times and was the more consistent in the baseline exchanges, committing just eight unforced errors compared to 42 from his opponent.

[ATP APP]

With his two-hour, five-minute win on No. 2 Court, Musetti joined World No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the quarter-finals. It is the first time in history that multiple Italian men have reached the last eight at SW19, with Musetti becoming just the seventh Italian man in history to advance to that stage.

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Skupski's journey from getting Federer & Nadal's autographs to shining bright at Wimbledon

At the 2001 Wimbledon boys’ singles event, Ken Skupski qualified and advanced to the quarter-finals of the main draw, a run that featured a victory against Robin Soderling. While the 18-year-old Briton was making a name for himself at the grass-court major, his 11-year-old brother, Neal Skupski, was autograph hunting.

“When I wasn't watching Ken, I would be standing at Aorangi waiting for autographs the whole time, all day,” Neal told ATPTour.com. “[My] best autograph? Roger Federer. I've still got the books. I've got like a flipbook probably the size of a credential and it's full of just old tennis players, guys that I didn't know were going to be very good like Roger Federer, Djokovic. I've gotten Nadal. And then I've got some of the greats like Lleyton Hewitt. I've got Stan Smith in there, McEnroe, Navratilova. So it was time well spent out at Aorangi.”

Now Neal is one of the players kids seek out for autographs. In 2021 and 2022, two decades on from his glory days as an autograph hunter, Skupski claimed mixed doubles glory at The All England Club. Last year, he triumphed in men’s doubles alongside Wesley Koolhof.

“I’d hope to think I haven't changed one bit. Obviously for me, it's a nice thing to kind of be men's doubles champion at Wimbledon,” Neal said. “I see my name on the board, which is an amazing thing for the rest of my life. But anybody that knows me, family, friends, nothing's changed. I'm still normal Neal.”

Skupski never competed in the juniors at Wimbledon like his older brother. But the venue is still where Neal’s love of the sport came to life.

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Eubanks & King spring upset in day of doubles surprises at Wimbledon

Christopher Eubanks and Evan King headlined a day of doubles upsets Sunday at Wimbledon, where they ousted sixth seeds Santiago Gonzalez and Edouard Roger-Vasselin 6-3, 7-6(3) to reach the third round.

Alternates Eubanks and King played their first tour-level event as a team at Roland Garros, where they advanced to the second round. They will next face ninth seeds Neal Skupski and Michael Venus, who clawed past Rinky Hijikata and John Peers 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-4. Skupski won the title last year with Wesley Koolhof.

Koolhof will not lift the trophy two years in a row. Home wild cards Charles Broom and Arthur Fery ousted seventh seeds Koolhof and Nikola Mektic 7-6(4), 7-6(5).

[ATP APP]

There was another upset when Andreas Mies and John-Patrick Smith upset third seeds Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Smith had made the second round at The Championships six times, but never advanced further. Now the Australian and partner Mies will play 15th seeds Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson.

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Football fever! Alcaraz hoping for Spanish success at the Euros

Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz earned victory against Frenchman Ugo Humbert on Sunday at Wimbledon. In two days, Spain will face France in the semi-finals at the European Championships in Germany.

Alcaraz watched Spain’s quarter-final victory against Germany in the locker room following his win against Frances Tiafoe on Friday and the 21-year-old is excited to give his country his full backing from west London once again.

“I have a really good relationship with a few players in the team. In particular, Alvaro Morata. He's a really good friend,” said Alcaraz, who is scheduled to face Tommy Paul on Tuesday at SW19. “I support them. [The Euros] is every four years, so right now it's time to support them, as I know they support me when I'm playing matches or I'm playing tournaments. It's my turn.

“Hopefully on Tuesday we are not going to play at the same time. But let's see. Hopefully I will be able to see a little bit from the match.”

On court against Humbert, Alcaraz produced moments of magic and he will be hoping Spain produces similarly against France. On set point in the second set, the third seed lost his footing mid-way through the point, but somehow regained control to scamper around the court and clinch the set.

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Medvedev advances at Wimbledon after Dimitrov retires

Daniil Medvedev returned to the quarter-finals at Wimbledon on Sunday when Grigor Dimitrov was forced to retire while trailing 3-5 in the first set.

The Bulgarian slipped at 2-3 in the first set before he received a medical timeout for a knee issue. He continued on for three more games before eventually stopping after 35 minutes on No. 1 Court.

Medvedev reached the semi-finals at the grass-court major in 2023 and has looked impressive in the crucial moments during this year’s event. The fifth seed defeated Alexandre Muller and Jan-Lennard Struff in four sets earlier this week and will next face World No. 1 Jannik Sinner in his biggest challenge so far.

[ATP APP]

Medvedev leads the Italian 6-5 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series, but has lost their past five meetings. The 28-year-old is chasing his second major title and first at any tour-level event since Rome last year.

Dimitrov was competing in the fourth round at Wimbledon for the fourth time. His best result came in 2014 when he reached the semi-finals.

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Sinner shines against Shelton, reaches Wimbledon QFs

Jannik Sinner very much looked the part of the No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings on Sunday at Wimbledon.

The Italian dismissed dangerous 14th seed Ben Shelton 6-2, 6-4, 7-6(9) to reach the quarter-finals at The Championships for the third consecutive year. The 22-year-old is the first Italian man in history to make the last eight at Wimbledon three times.

B O O M ?

4 set points saved by @janniksin as he downs Shelton to book his place into the quarter-finals!@Wimbledon | #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/qUNl0wgwlk

— ATP Tour (@atptour) July 7, 2024

Sinner had to work hard in his first two matches (both four-setters), especially in a second-round blockbuster against countryman Matteo Berrettini, who pushed him to a fourth-set tie-break. He has not lost a set in two matches since.

The top seed needed to be sharp against Shelton, who loves competing on the biggest stages against the top players. Last year in October the American defeated the Italian in a final-set tie-break. It was not outlandish to think Shelton could cause problems for this year’s Australian Open champion with his booming serve on the No. 1 Court grass. 

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Alcaraz overcomes Humbert in tough battle at Wimbledon

Carlos Alcaraz passed another significant test at Wimbledon on Sunday, where he moved past free-hitting Frenchman Ugo Humbert 6-3, 6-4, 1-6, 7-5 to reach his ninth major quarter-final.

In a hard-fought clash, Humbert outplayed Alcaraz for large periods, but the Spaniard produced trademark moments of magic at crucial times to resist the 16th seed and move to within three wins of successfully defending his Wimbledon title.

"Playing a lefty is always tricky. I played a lefty at Queen's and learned a bit from that match. I felt great playing today. I played at a really high level," Alcaraz said.

With his two-hour, 59-minute victory under the roof on Centre Court, the 21-year-old drew level with coach and one-time major champion Juan Carlos Ferrero in third for the most quarter-final appearances at Grand Slam tournaments by Spaniards in the Open Era.

Most Major QF appearances by Spaniards

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Djokovic & Rune set for Wimbledon showdown: 'We'll see a lot of fireworks'

Novak Djokovic brings the best out of Holger Rune. Will that be enough for the Dane to upset the seven-time Wimbledon champion on Monday in their fourth-round clash at The All England Club?

Rune has won two of the pair’s five Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings, and those two have been among the biggest victories of his young career.

“I'm expecting a tough battle. I think that's always how it's going to be when you play Novak,” Rune said. “He's one of the toughest competitors of all time and one of the most successful players, so I'm expecting nothing but a great level from him.”

Djokovic is set to compete in the second week at Wimbledon for the 16th time. This is just Rune’s 12th Grand Slam tournament.

But a disparity in experience has never scared Rune. The 21-year-old has already earned 15 wins against opponents inside the Top 10 of the PIF ATP Rankings. He owns the seventh-best winning percentage against the Top 10 (45.5%) among active players, trailing only Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, Andy Murray, Daniil Medvedev and Jannik Sinner.

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Singles Strategies

Singles tennis strategies are essential for players looking to improve their game and win more matches. Here are some key strategies for singles play: 1. Serve and VolleyDescription: This strategy involves serving and immediately approaching the net to volley the return.When to Use: Effective on faster surfaces like grass or hard courts.Key Points:...

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Carlos Alcaraz: The story behind his new & improved serve

When Carlos Alcaraz put the finishing touches on his comeback against Frances Tiafoe in the third round of Wimbledon, stopping the clock at three hours and 50 minutes, the match statistics showed that the Spaniard had reeled off 16 aces, with a fastest serve of 135mph and a serving average of 116mph during the encounter. The upshot of these numbers is clear, the 21-year-old has made significant progress in his delivery.

“It’s something I’ve improved quite a lot,” celebrated Alcaraz after claiming his win over the American. “It’s been on my to-do list for many years: Trying to improve my serve.”

Against Tiafoe, in a clash that was replete with nail-biting moments, Alcaraz’s serve was a lifeline. It was a weapon he turned to when he found himself in a hole, such as to save a 0/30 at 4-4 in the fourth set, when his opponent was enjoying a 2-1 lead in sets.

“In situations like today’s I had to try and get points from my serve,” explained Alcaraz. “I had to make it significant, a key part of my game, at difficult moments. The first day, I didn’t serve well, but it’s been improving. The second round was much better and today, at key moments, my serve saved me from a lot of trouble. On grass, it’s even more important than on other surfaces. I’m happy to see we’ve improved it, and that we’ll continue to improve it.”

[ATP APP]

Alcaraz is a player who has constantly evolved since bursting onto the ATP Tour, where he has enjoyed astonishing success, claiming three Grand Slam titles (US Open 2022, Wimbledon 2023, Roland Garros 2024) and becoming No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings in 2022.

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Humbert returns to Wimbledon fourth round, faces Alcaraz next

Ugo Humbert beat the rain to wrap up a four-set victory against Brandon Nakashima on a gloomy Saturday at Wimbledon. The 16th-seeded Frenchman closed out a a 7-6(9), 6-3, 6-7(5), 7-6(8) victory in a brief window of play on the outer courts.

In a match that was delayed from Friday, Humbert and Nakashima's wait was further extended by early rain on Saturday before play began around 1 p.m. While play lasted for less than 30 minutes on the outer courts, that was enough time for Humbert to win the fourth-set tie-break.

The 16th seed, through to the Wimbledon fourth round for the first time since his 2019 debut, will next meet defending champion Carlos Alcaraz.

[ATP APP]

Humbert clinched victory on his fourth match point after leading 6/3 in the decisive tie-break. The Frenchman is up one place to No. 15 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings this week; his career-high PIF ATP Ranking is No. 13, achieved in April.

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Big-Match Ben: 'Fearless' Shelton ready for Sinner showdown

The secret is the smile.

Ben Shelton has electrified crowds around the world with his flamethrower of a serve, which he could zip like a dart or carve like a master smith with any spin he chooses. But when the American starts cracking his trademark smile, you know he is having fun and embracing the moment. That is the signal that Big-Match Ben is in full flight.

Many tennis players dream just to play in “big matches”. Shelton lives to compete in them. And Big-Match Ben has proven an ability to rise to the moment no matter the occasion. He will hope to do so again on Sunday in the fourth round of Wimbledon against Jannik Sinner.

“He's one of the guys who has had the most success on tour so far this year as the World No. 1,” Shelton said. “I think it's a great opportunity for me, a great challenge and test — the biggest challenge in tennis playing the top-ranked player in the world.”

Do not expect Shelton to shy away from the challenge of facing the No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings. Ten months ago, they opened their Lexus ATP Head2Head series in Shanghai, where Shelton was trying to reach his first ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final.

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Djokovic pulls past Popyrin to reach Wimbledon R4

Novak Djokovic was made by Alexei Popyrin to dig deep at a major for the second time this year on Saturday evening at Wimbledon.

Popyrin tested Djokovic with his big-serving, big-hitting game on Centre Court, but the seven-time champion raised his level at key moments to secure a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(3) third-round triumph and set a meeting against 15th seed Holger Rune.

Djokovic, who also needed four sets to shake off Popyrin at January’s Australian Open, reacted well to dropping the opener in the pair’s third Lexus ATP Head2Head clash. The No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings dialled in on serve and during the match became just the sixth player to record 1000+ aces at Wimbledon, while his consistency from the baseline was also key to wearing his opponent down.

He's done it again ?

Djokovic takes the win over Popyrin 4-6 6-3 6-4 7-6(3)@Wimbledon | #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/eOi016ZZnQ

— ATP Tour (@atptour) July 6, 2024

“It was another tough match. I didn’t expect anything less than what we experienced on the court today from Alexei,” said Djokovic in his on-court interview. “I knew he was going to come into the match with confidence, with a lot of self-belief. He was close to winning that match we played against each other in Australia earlier this year.

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With Federer in the stands, Shelton survives Shapovalov at Wimbledon

Ben Shelton survived his third five-setter of the fortnight Saturday to reach the fourth round at The Championships for the first time, setting a clash against top seed Jannik Sinner.

The 14th seed battled past 2021 Wimbledon semi-finalist Denis Shapovalov 6-7(4), 6-2, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 in three hours and four minutes to become the first left-handed American man to make the fourth round at SW19 since John McEnroe in 1992.

"I definitely feel confident in how fit I am right now, how prepared I am to go the distance," Shelton said. "I know I'm going to fight until the end out there."

Ben bringing the energy as always ⚡️

R4 awaits after a win against Shapovalov ?@Wimbledon | #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/qCoJ79vjkX

— ATP Tour (@atptour) July 6, 2024

Shelton did it with a familiar face in the stands. Eight-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer was at No. 1 Court to check out the action with his parents and longtime agent Tony Godsick. Federer’s agency, TEAM8, manages Shelton.

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Purcell/Thompson book third-round spot as Bopanna/Ebden upset at Wimbledon

Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson’s fast start to Wimbledon continued on Saturday afternoon, when the Australian duo eased into the third round at the grass-court major.

The 2022 champion Purcell and his partner Thompson overcame Fabrice Martin and Matwe Middelkoop 6-4, 7-5 to make it four sets played, four sets won this week at the All England Club. They won 85 per cent (34/40) of points behind first serves en route to an 86-minute triumph on Court 8.

Purcell and Thompson are chasing their fourth tour-level title of the season this fortnight in London. They triumphed on hard courts in Dallas and Los Cabos in February, before notching a title on clay in Houston in April.

[ATP APP]

There was a major upset on Court 8, where Constantin Frantzen and Hendrik Jebens defeated second seeds Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden 6-3, 7-6(4). The German duo will take on Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen or Lloyd Glasspool and Jean-Julien Rojer next.

Other teams to book their third-round spot on Saturday included Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic, who beat Romain Arneodo and Sem Verbeek 6-4, 6-4. The top duo in the PIF ATP Live Doubles Team Rankings, Arevalo and Pavic will meet Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul next. The 16th seeds overcame Julian Cash and Robert Galloway 6-7(5), 6-4, 7-6(10-4).

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