Looking for Tennis and Racket Sports International News?

Former Top 3 stars Stan Wawrinka and Dominic Thiem could meet in the second round at the Astana Open, where top seed Tallon Griekspoor leads the field.

The Swiss Wawrinka is the eighth seed at the ATP 250 hard-court event and opens against American Marcos Giron. If he advances, he could play debutant Thiem in the second round if the Austrian can overcome Juan Pablo Varillas.

Wawrinka and Thiem have not met since 2017, when the former triumphed in a deciding-set tie-break in Indian Wells. Three-time Grand Slam champion Wawrinka leads Thiem 3-1 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

[ATP APP]

Home favourite Alexander Bublik is also in the same quarter. The third-seed Kazakhstani, who reached the semi-finals in Astana in 2021, opens against Marton Fucsovics or Sebastian Ofner. Second seed Sebastian Baez is chasing his fourth title of the season. He is in the bottom half of the draw and is seeded to meet eighth seed Adrian Mannarino in the quarter-finals.

Alexander Zverev repeatedly kept his cool under pressure to down Grigor Dimitrov on Monday at the Chengdu Open to move within one match of his second ATP Tour title of the season.

The top seed at the Chinese ATP 250 saved all five break points he faced in his 6-3, 7-6(2) semi-final victory. Zverev fired 21 winners, including nine aces, as he delivered a classy all-round showing to improve to 7-1 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series.After pulling through three-set battles against Pavel Kotov and Miomir Kecmanovic in his first two matches in Chengdu, the World No. 10 believes he is gaining momentum as he prepares to face Roman Safiullin in Tuesday’s championship match.

“For sure it was the best match I’ve played [in Chengdu],” said Zverev after his one-hour, 50-minute win. “Even though I think yesterday’s match was a very high level and Kecmanovic was playing extremely well. I’m very happy to be in the final, that’s what I came here for and hopefully it’s going to be another high-level match tomorrow.”

Zverev is now 45-21 for the season and seventh in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin as he seeks to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals, where he is a two-time champion. His next hurdle in Chengdu is a second tour-level meeting with Safiullin, who will be competing in his maiden ATP Tour final. The German is all too aware of Safiullin’s improvement since he defeated the now-World No. 55 in straight sets at Roland Garros in 2021.

“I think this tournament he has been one of the most dangerous players,” said Zverev of Safiullin. “He is somebody that plays very fast, hits the ball extremely hard and he is somebody that maybe sometimes lacks consistency. This week obviously he’s playing extremely well, and when he’s playing like that, he’s one of the most dangerous players.”

Karen Khachanov snapped a five-match semi-final losing streak on Monday at the Huafa Properties Zhuhai Championships, where he defeated Sebastian Korda 7-5, 6-4 to reach his first title match of the season.

The top seed, who last competed in a tour-level final in Adelaide in January 2022 (l. to Monfils), red-lined the ball throughout the one-hour, 47-minute clash. He edged a tight first set, gaining the crucial break at 5-5 when Korda could only find the net with a drop shot.

Khachanov then put his foot down in the second set, hitting the ball with greater depth, weight and precision to dominate the baseline exchanges and improve to 3-2 in the pair's Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

[ATP APP]

The 27-year-old was competing for just the fourth time in singles since his quarter-final match at Roland Garros, where he suffered a stress fracture in his back. He fell in the first round at the US Open, but has recorded three wins in Zhuhai, also defeating Alex Bolt and Mackenzie McDonald.

ATP and Tennis Data Innovations (TDI) have announced the launch of Tennis IQ, a brand-new performance analytics platform that democratises access to cutting-edge data and insights for players on the ATP Tour.

Launching today, Tennis IQ gives ATP singles players access to advanced match analytics, all in one simple and intuitive platform. Tennis IQ combines rich historical datasets and live in-match data to provide the most comprehensive and up-to-date insights – helping players optimise their preparation, on-court performance, and post-match analysis. The creation of TDI, the joint-venture between ATP and ATP Media for the central management of data across the ATP Tour, has been critical in facilitating this.

Ross Hutchins, ATP Chief Tour Officer, stated: "Never before have high-quality analytics been as readily available to so many players, as it is with this platform. Tennis IQ will help create a level playing field across the Pepperstone ATP Rankings – enabling more players and their teams to perform at their best. It also reflects the emphasis we are putting on data innovation as a business. We're thrilled to see Tennis IQ in action and to continue advancing the product.”

Tennis IQ's features set includes interactive court graphics, allowing players to easily visualise their own performance data. This empowers deep dives into their most and least successful patterns of play during matches, helping drive informed decisions on the court. Metrics include the full suite of TDI-developed insights such as Shot Quality, In Attack and Steal Score.

The scout section enables players to access detailed information on upcoming opponents. This unlocks comprehensive analysis of player tendencies and patterns. Players are also able to compare performance against individual players or see how they stack up against ATP Tour averages, facilitating a deeper understanding of their strengths and areas for improvement.

The tables have well and truly turned for Team World in the history of the Laver Cup.

After four defeats in the first four editions of the annual team event, John McEnroe’s men backed up their 2022 triumph in London with a resounding 13-2 victory against Team Europe this weekend in Vancouver. Yet team captain McEnroe is already thinking about further success.

“On behalf of Team World, I am proud of these guys,” said the American ATP Tour legend at his team's post-event press conference. “We brought together a great group of some youth and experience, guys that have been here before. Everybody played well. It was an awesome week. We kicked some ass, baby. That's what we did.

“We're already thinking about next year because winning is a whole lot better than losing. We struggled the first couple years, and now we have tasted winning, and it feels good.”

Three members of McEnroe’s six-strong roster had not played a Laver Cup match prior to this week. Tommy Paul, Ben Shelton and Francisco Cerundolo contributed to eight of the 13 points won by Team World and all three spoke about the thrill of making their debut at Roger’s Arena.

Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe put the finishing touches on Team World’s convincing Laver Cup victory Sunday.

The Americans held their nerve to defeat Team Europe’s Hubert Hurkacz and Andrey Rublev 7-6(4), 7-6(5) and secure the Laver Cup 13-2, claiming the event for the second consecutive year. The Vancouver crowd was treated to exciting rallies, with both teams demonstrating quick reflexes and deft touch in the forecourt throughout the one-hour, 37-minute clash.

Shelton and Tiafoe relied on their firepower and were dominant on serve, winning 40 of their 48 first-serve points to clinch the title. A key moment came when Shelton and Tiafoe won three consecutive points from 4/5 in the second-set tie-break to close the match.

On top of the world once more ?@BenShelton and @FTiafoe secure #LaverCup 2023 for Team World. pic.twitter.com/hOhOWJXWCC

"It's been crazy for me and I've enjoyed being in a team environment," Shelton said. "I've enjoyed playing for Johnny Mac. Team World really brought the energy this week. It's easy for me to play when I'm amped up and hyped and the bench has done a great job of hyping me up all week. I hope I've done a good job of hyping them up too. Playing with Frances speaks for itself, easiest guy to play with, most fun guy to be on court with."

Ahead of Sunday’s Laver Cup action, Rod Laver answered fan questions on Twitter. The Australian was asked questions related to the past, present and future of tennis.

Who is Laver's favourite young player?

Shelton is the new player on the tour. We're going to see him winning a Slam, he's got one of the biggest serves, a big left-hander, he doesn't make many mistakes. He sees an opening and he goes for it.

The 20-year-old Ben Shelton, who is No. 19 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, is one of the fastest rising stars in the sport. This time last year, Shelton was World No. 177. The lefty has enjoyed a breakthrough season, with a career-best run coming at his home Slam, where he was a semi-finalist.

Shelton was also a big part of Team World's convincing Laver Cup victory against Team Europe. The 2022 NCAA singles champion earned a singles victory in his Laver Cup debut and also earned two doubles wins, alongside Felix Auger-Aliassime and Frances Tiafoe. The 25-year-old Tiafoe is another player who Laver anticipates great success from.

Trailing a set and gasping for breath after several lung-busting rallies against MackenzieMcDonald, Karen Khachanov posed to soak in the Zhuhai applause on Sunday. The competitiveness of his 4-6 6-4 6-4 triumph over McDonald and the crowd’s responsethroughout their Huafa Properties Zhuhai Championships quarter-final delighted him.

It is these experiences the World No. 15 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings missed the most during his absence from the Tour following a semi-final loss to Novak Djokovic at Roland Garros.

“I was missing the energy of the crowd. Here today, it was almost full, and I always enjoyplaying in front of people in full stadiums, so I was really missing it,” Khachanov said. “I am mentally ready. I had a kind of unexpected vacation and now I'm motivated, determined, excited to be back playing and trying to bring on this game again.”

[ATP APP]

The top seed will next experience a similar challenge and atmosphere when he meets American Sebastian Korda in Monday’s semi-finals. It will be the fifth Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting between the pair. If their history and recent form in Zhuhai is a guide, it shapes as an intriguing clash in a tournament resplendent with exciting matches.

Is this the week Lorenzo Musetti captures his first trophy of the year?

The 21-year-old Italian advanced to his third tour-level semi-final of the season on Sunday when he moved past Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech 6-3, 6-3 at the Chengdu Open.

The second seed played with flair throughout the one-hour, 28-minute clash, striking 32 winners at the ATP 250 hard-court event. He timed the ball cleanly off both wings and hit an array of acute angles to outmanoeuvre Rinderknech.

"It was a step forward from yesterday. Yesterday's match gave me a lot of confidence and today I started very well," Musetti said. "Breaking him immediately and that was the key to my win. A really solid performance from the baseline and I am really happy to be in the semi-finals."

[ATP APP]

Karen Khachanov continued his comeback with a thrilling victory on Sunday at the Huafa Properties Zhuhai Championships.

The top seed was pushed hard by sixth seed Mackenzie McDonald, advancing 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in two hours and 38 minutes to reach his third tour-level semi-final of the season.

In hot conditions at the Chinese ATP 250 hard-court event, Khachanov recovered from a slow start, upping his intensity and depth off the ground to improve to 4-0 in his ATP Head2Head series against the American.

"It was very tough," Khachanov said. "A mental and physical match. I was behind from the beginning and he was leading the match. I had to try to push and bring all the energy to change the momentum and the way the match was going and I think in the second set from 4-4 I was able to push through and win the second set. It gave me extra confidence and in the third set to be more in a leading position towards the end of the match."

Khachanov, who is chasing his first title since 2018, will meet Sebastian Korda in the last four.

Frances Tiafoe faced pressure Saturday evening when he stepped on court at the Laver Cup. Not only was the American trying to halt Team Europe's momentum after Casper Ruud won the second match of the day, but Tiafoe was trying to flip the script against Hubert Hurkacz, who had won their past three Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings.

Mission accomplished for the 25-year-old. Tiafoe defeated Hurkacz 7-5, 6-3 to give Team World an 8-2 lead in the teams competition.

The No. 11 player in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, Tiafoe had lost three consecutive singles matches entering the encounter. But after earning a doubles victory alongside Tommy Paul on Friday evening, Tiafoe rose to the occasion in Vancouver. He harnessed the energy of the crowd to withstand 11 aces from Hurkacz.

[ATP APP]

In the critical moments, it was the American who thrived. Tiafoe saved the only break point he faced while converting three of his five opportunities to triumph after one hour and 13 minutes.

After a perfect 4-0 start for Team World on Friday at the Laver Cup, Taylor Fritz maintained the trophy-holders' perfect record in Vancouver on Saturday afternoon. The American played his best early and late in a 6-2, 7-6(3) win against Team Europe's Andrey Rublev, extending his team's lead to 6-0 by earning two points for his Day 2 victory.

In a battle of aggressive baseliners, Fritz's clean ball-striking helped him dictate more of the action on the indoor hard courts. Rublev had his moments, including several screaming return winners, but Fritz's steadier tennis — and dogged defence at times — made the difference.

Fritz immediately carried over the momentum from Friday by breaking in the opening game and easing to a one-set lead. Rublev, seeking to win Team Europe's first singles set at this year's event, started well in set two but saw his 3-0 lead erased as Fritz came on strong late.

[ATP APP]

Both players fought off a break point late in set two, with Rublev's break chance doubling as a set point at 6-5. In the decisive tie-break, Fritz hit two brilliant half-volleys to help seal the match.

Aslan Karatsev overcame former World No. 1 Andy Murray once again on Saturday to reach the quarter-finals at the Huafa Properties Zhuhai Championships.

The 30-year-old defeated Murray in the Sydney final in their only previous Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting in January 2022 and ensured he maintained his 100% record against the Scot with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory at the Chinese ATP 250 hard-court event.

Karatsev was aggressive off both wings throughout the two-hour and 54-minute clash. Murray offered up an increasing number of short balls as the match went on, with Karatsev hitting through the 36-year-old to seal his sixth Top 50 win of the year.

The World No. 63, who is chasing his first tour-level title since Sydney in 2022, will next face second seed Cameron Norrie or Australian qualifier Marc Polmans in his third quarter-final of the year.

Murray was aiming to reach his second tour-level quarter-final of the year after advancing to the final in Doha in February. The Scot has lifted five titles on Chinese soil, including three Shanghai crowns.

One of the most graceful players in ATP Tour history, Grigor Dimitrov has never been one to focus on cold, hard numbers. That is not to say the Bulgarian’s career stats do not hold up.

On Saturday, Dimitrov defeated Juan Pablo Varillas at the Chengdu Open for his 400th tour-level win, a milestone he later acknowledged he was unaware of while completing his 6-3, 6-4 victory.

“I’m a person that loves the game and I’ve, in a way, lived for the game,” the 32-year-old told ATPTour.com. “I think this [milestone] has been something for me that was not the most important thing, but at the same time I try to do the right things for the sport itself. I think when you do these things and you win, it adds up.

“This is an achievement in itself. For me, I never set myself a goal to have 500 or 300 wins or whatever it is. You just never know how it is going to be, but I’ve been on Tour for 14 years now so it’s nice when you have that approval and you’ve done it yourself out there. You’ve gone out there 400 times and won, so I think it’s pretty cool.”

Grigor Dimitrov poses for a selfie with fans after claiming his 400th tour-level win at the Chengdu Open. Photo Credit: Chengdu Open.

Surging towards the Top 20 and in the best form of his career, 2023 was going brilliantly for Jan-Lennard Struff until he lunged for a volley in Bordeaux shortly before Roland Garros.

A week earlier the German had come from qualifying to reach his first ATP Masters 1000 final when beaten by World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz in three sets in a high-quality decider.

This followed a string of strong Masters 1000 efforts where, after starting in qualifying, he won main draw matches at Indian Wells, Miami and Monte-Carlo in the first half of the year. That saw the 33-year-old’s Pepperstone ATP Tour Ranking jump from 150 at the start of 2023 to a career-high 21 leading into his preferred stint of the season.

But then Struff, who plays Yoshihito Nishioka in a quarterfinal of the Huafa Properties Zhuhai Championships on Sunday, felt a sharp pain during an ATP Challenger in Bordeaux.

“I thought, ‘Mmmm, that is a strange feeling’, but I finished the match with no problems. And then, in the evening, I felt more of a problem,” he said. “When I woke up in the morning, I could not tie up my shoe laces, because I could not reach my shoes, so that was very tough.”

Roger Federer’s record-breaking career ended 12 months ago. The Swiss legend lifted 103 tour-level titles and faced many great battles during his playing days, competing against the world’s best in all corners of the globe year after year.

Today he no longer has the challenge of going toe-to-toe with long-time rivals Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. However, the tests have continued to come for the 42-year-old…

Speaking at an on-court Q&A with Jim Courier at the Laver Cup on Friday, Federer gave insight into his life post-retirement and was quickly quizzed on life as a parent to four children, including two teenage twin girls.

“Days are long but at the same time, I feel I don’t have enough time because I pack my schedule up. Four kids will do that to you as well. I am a professional driver nowadays, organiser, logistics man. It is a test on another level,” Federer joked.

“I am just happy to be able to be allowed to live in my own house still," added Federer when asked specifically about his two teenage daughters. "They are amazing, I love them. But my god, I can’t believe who they are right now at 14. I feel like I have taught them everything and more and at the moment it is complicated but in a good way.

Team World had never finished Day 1 of the Laver Cup with a lead heading into this year’s edition of the team event. John McEnroe’s men set that record straight in style on Friday in Vancouver as they forged a 4-0 lead over Team Europe with a dominant evening session display.

After Ben Shelton and Francisco Cerundolo had earlier opened a 2-0 lead for Team World, Felix Auger-Aliassime downed Gael Monfils 6-4, 6-3 in the third and final singles clash of the day at Rogers Arena. Tommy Paul and Frances Tiafoe then held firm for a 6-3, 4-6, 10-6 triumph against Arthur Fils and Andrey Rublev in the first doubles clash of the three-day event.

Another win: sorted ☑️

Tiafoe and Paul secure Team World’s 4th win of the day ??@LaverCup | #LaverCup pic.twitter.com/4pY8dqwMDr

Auger-Aliassime, who has struggled to find his best form for much of 2023, broke Monfils’ serve twice in a five-game streak from 4-4 in the first set to take control of the pair’s encounter. The 23-year-old held firm behind serve, ultimately winning 85 per cent of points behind his first delivery en route to securing a 3-0 lead for his team.

“It felt nice,” said Canadian favourite Auger-Aliassime, who improved to 3-2 in Laver Cup singles matches with his triumph. “Last year, it was an amazing win in London, but if we can win on home soil for the first time, that would also be cool. It was our first win last year for Team World.

Grigor Dimitrov earned his 400th tour-level win on Saturday at the Chengdu Open, where he moved past Peruvian Juan Pablo Varillas 6-3, 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals at the ATP 250.

The Bulgarian, who is making his third appearance at the Chinese hard-court event, struck the ball cleanly in his first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting against Varillas. He also recovered from squandering a break advantage in the second set to advance after one hour and 26 minutes.

The 32-year-old captured his first win at an ATP Tour event in Rotterdam in 2009, defeating Tomas Berdych in three sets. Dimitrov has since lifted eight tour-level titles, rising to a career-high No. 3 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

Dimitrov will next face Christopher O’Connell as he continues his quest for his first title of the season. Earlier this year, the World No. 20 reached the final in Geneva.

Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech also advanced, defeating Marcos Giron 7-6(2), 6-4 to reach his second tour-level quarter-final of the season. Rinderknech will next meet Lorenzo Musetti or Philip Sekulic.

One year ago, the sporting world stopped to watch Roger Federer say goodbye to competitive tennis at the Laver Cup in London.

The Swiss legend returned to the court one final time to team with his longtime friend and rival Rafael Nadal, treating fans to one last glimpse of his majestic game. Following a memorable doubles match against Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe, which was decided in a Match Tie-break, Federer was celebrated in an on-court ceremony.

"We'll get through this somehow, will we? Right?,” an emotional Federer said during his on-court interview. “I’m happy, I’m not sad. It feels great to be here and I enjoyed tying my shoes one more time.

"Everything was the last time. The match was great, I couldn't be happier. It's been wonderful."

The former World No. 1 spoke at length, reflecting on his history-making career and thanking all those who played a part in his successes throughout the years.

Frances Tiafoe has become one of the most popular players on the ATP Tour in recent years, with his high energy, fun personality gaining him fans both in the stands and in the locker room.

The American, who starred in the first season of Break Point, recently showed off his fun side when he answered questions that were asked by his fellow stars on the ATP Tour and Hologic WTA Tour.

Quizzed by Andrey Rublev, Coco Gauff, Casper Ruud, Sebastian Korda, Mike Bryan and Jessica Pegula, Tiafoe recalled funny memories with Rublev, pushed off banter from Ruud and Pegula and discussed his love-hate relationship with his brother.

To learn what he said, watch the full video below.