Looking for Tennis and Racket Sports International News?

The RacketSTAR Tennis News Blog and Article Feed gives you up to the minute news and information about the Players and Sports Updates.

Awesome Alcaraz Aces Musetti Test At Roland Garros

Carlos Alcaraz completed a revenge mission in style Sunday at Roland Garros, where the top seed cruised past Lorenzo Musetti 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 with a scintillating fourth-round performance at the clay-court major.

The Spaniard responded to losing the opening two games of the match by claiming 18 of the next 23 to seal a two-hour, eight-minute victory. Alcaraz clubbed the ball with purpose off both wings from the baseline and frequently showcased his delicate touch at the net to power into his second consecutive Roland Garros quarter-final.

“I think I played such a great level,” said Alcaraz in his on-court interview. “A really high quality of shots, playing really aggressive. I think I played a really complete match, [from the] first ball to the last one, and I’m really happy to get through this really tough round against Lorenzo.”

Musetti had beaten Alcaraz on clay in the pair’s only previous ATP Head2Head meeting, in the Hamburg final last July, but he never looked likely to repeat that result despite making a bright start on Court Philippe-Chatrier. Alcaraz outhit Musetti by 42 winners to 17 and converted seven of 14 break points he earned to set a quarter-final clash against Stefanos Tsitsipas or Sebastian Ofner.

[BREAK POINT]

Continue reading

Copyright

© Tennis - ATP World Tour

  219 Hits
Tags:

Doctor On Nadal’s Surgery: 'We Have A High Chance Of Success'

Ángel Ruiz Cotorro was one of three doctors who were present at Rafael Nadal’s operation on Friday in Barcelona, along with Jaume Vilaró and Marc Philippon, through whose hands other players such as Gustavo Kuerten, Milos Raonic and Lleyton Hewitt have passed.

The arthroscopic surgery on the left psoas tendon injury, which has kept Nadal sidelined since this year’s Australian Open, consisted of cleaning the fibrotic and degenerated areas of the tendon both proximal and distal, as well as stitching it to adequately reinforce it. The team also tended to an old injury to the labrum of the Spaniard’s left hip.

On Saturday, after the operation was completed, Ruiz Cotorro returned from Barcelona to Paris to continue to help the Spanish players who are still in Roland Garros. There, he spoke about Nadal’s procedure.

“We reached this situation for various reasons,” explained the doctor. “We had a core issue — injuring a muscle is not the same as a tendon. When we put it under large loads, the tendon was not responding because it was not strong enough.”

However, going under the knife was not something that the 22-time major champion’s medical team was considering.

Continue reading

Copyright

© Tennis - ATP World Tour

  191 Hits
Tags:

Bryan Shelton Becomes Ben's Full-Time Coach: 'He Hasn't Scratched The Surface'

Father and son are reunited.

Former World No. 55 Bryan Shelton announced on Friday he is stepping down from his role as head men’s tennis coach at the University of Florida. Having led a women’s team (Georgia Tech, 2007) and men’s team (Florida, 2021) to national championships, he will embark on a new journey — coaching son Ben Shelton on the ATP Tour.

“The dream team is back together baby‼️” Ben wrote on Instagram. “Can’t wait to have you out on tour with me, and see what we can accomplish together.”

Bryan’s overwhelming feeling at the moment is gratitude. After his professional career, the American has become one of the most respected coaches in college tennis and even coached Ben for two years, during which the Florida Gators won the national championship as a team and Ben captured singles glory.

Continue reading

Copyright

© Tennis - ATP World Tour

  203 Hits
Tags:

Dominant Djokovic Charges Into Roland Garros QFs

Twelve sets played, 12 sets won at Roland Garros for Novak Djokovic.

The two-time champion delivered his most comprehensive victory of the fortnight Sunday, when he eased past Juan Pablo Varillas 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 to reach a record 17th Roland Garros quarter-final.

Djokovic dominated his No. 94-ranked opponent on Court Philippe Chatrier, where he struck the ball cleanly off both wings throughout his one-hour, 57-minute victory. He fired 35 winners and converted six of the 12 break points he earned to book a clash against Karen Khachanov in the last eight in Paris.

“[There was] great energy on the court, from the crowd and myself as well,” said Djokovic after the match. “I really enjoyed it, my best performance in the tournament so far.

“It came exactly at the right time, as I’m coming in to the second week and obviously playing another quarter-final, the matches are going to get tougher. Bigger challenges, but I like the way I’m playing and the way I’m feeling, so I look forward to a new challenge.”

Continue reading

Copyright

© Tennis - ATP World Tour

  197 Hits
Tags:

Preview: Alcaraz Seeks Musetti Revenge, Roland Garros QF Return

The Roland Garros men's singles draw is down to 16 title hopefuls after three rounds on the Paris clay. The loaded top half of the men's draw returns to action on Sunday with three of the Top 5 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings set to compete.

Top seed Carlos Alcaraz meets 17th seed Lorenzo Musetti on Court Philippe-Chatrier following Novak Djokovic's matchup against Peru's Juan Pablo Varillas. On Court Suzanne-Lenglen, fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas meets Austrian qualifier Sebastian Ofner after 11th seed Karen Khachanov takes on Italy's Lorenzo Sonego earlier in the day.

ATPTour.com looks ahead at Day 8 by scouting the Sunday schedule in Paris.

[BREAK POINT]

[1] Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) vs. [17] Lorenzo Musetti (ITA)

The lone previous ATP Head2Head meeting between these young stars was a memorable one, particularly for Musetti. The Italian upset Alcaraz in the 2022 Hamburg final, recovering from five missed match points in the second set to claim his first ATP Tour title with a 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-4 triumph.

Continue reading

Copyright

© Tennis - ATP World Tour

  207 Hits
Tags:

Zverev Edges Tiafoe In Late-Night Roland Garros Thriller

The most gripping match of the Saturday slate at Roland Garros was saved for last, with Alexander Zverev and Frances Tiafoe thrilling the night-session crowd for three hours, 41 minutes in a hugely entertaining encounter. After four sets of spectacular shotmaking and countless twists and turns, Zverev emerged victorious with a 3-6, 7-6(3), 6-1, 7-6(5) result.

The 22nd-seeded German improved his ATP Head2Head record against Tiafoe to 7-1 with the win. By beating the American in the pair's first clay-court meeting, Zverev advanced to the Roland Garros fourth round for the sixth straight year and continued his chase for a third straight Paris semi-final.

For Tiafoe, his best Roland Garros run ended in the third round, with the match finishing after midnight on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

[BREAK POINT]

Zverev, whose 2022 Roland Garros campaign ended in agony when he injured his ankle midway through his semi-final against Rafael Nadal, showed glimpses of the form that helped him challenge the Spaniard in that epic match one year ago. While Zverev's form ebbed and flowed against Tiafoe, he held firm in the two tie-breaks either side of a dominant third set.

Continue reading

Copyright

© Tennis - ATP World Tour

  241 Hits
Tags:

Cerundolo Fires Past Fritz To Extend Best Roland Garros Run

After entering Roland Garros without a main-draw win at the event, Francisco Cerundolo has secured his best Grand Slam result by reaching the fourth round in Paris. The Argentine defeated ninth seed Taylor Fritz 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 on Saturday evening to continue his run, improving to 6-7 against Top 10 opponents with the victory.

Cerundolo was without a win in four Grand Slam main-draw appearances prior to 2023, but reached the third round at the Australian Open before his success at Roland Garros. His Paris campaign will continue with a showdown against sixth seed Holger Rune on Monday.

[BREAK POINT]

The 24-year-old, who has moved up three places from his current career-high to No. 20 this week in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, frustrated Fritz with his big forehand to earn the victory on Court Suzanne-Lenglen after two hours and 50 minutes. After surrendering an early break advantage in a dramatic fourth set, Cerundolo saved a set point on serve at 4-5 with a majestic topspin lob and ultimately won the final three games of the match behind his baseline brilliance.

Beautiful from @FranCerundolo ?@rolandgarros | #RolandGarros

pic.twitter.com/WGlt7Be7Mg

Continue reading

Copyright

© Tennis - ATP World Tour

  243 Hits
Tags:

Koolhof/Skupski Reach Roland Garros QFs

Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski reached the Roland Garros quarter-finals as a team for the second consecutive year Saturday when they defeated Aleksandr Nedovyesov and Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela 7-5, 6-4.

Koolhof and Skupski won 86 per cent (31/36) of their first-serve points and broke three times to advance after one hour and 29 minutes.

The top seeds won seven tour-level titles last season but have yet to triumph this year. Chasing their first major trophy in Paris, the Dutch-British tandem will next meet 10th seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos or Marcelo Melo and John Peers.

Defending champions Marcelo Arevalo and Jean-Julien Rojer also advanced, overcoming Jamie Murray and Michael Venus 6-2, 6-2. Murray and Venus clinched the crown in Geneva last week but were unable to topple the third seeds.

Arevalo and Rojer are aiming to clinch their third tour-level title of the season this week, having won in Adelaide and Delray Beach. They will next play Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara or Matwe Middelkoop and Andreas Mies.

Copyright

© Tennis - ATP World Tour

  206 Hits
Tags:

Nadal Successfully Undergoes Surgery

Rafael Nadal is expected to recuperate for five months after successfully undergoing arthroscopic surgery to check his left psoas muscle on Friday.

"Hello everyone. As you know last night I had surgery. Everything went well and the arthroscopy was on the left psoas tendon that has kept me out of competition since January," wrote Nadal in Spanish on social media on Saturday.

"An old injury to the labrum of my left hip was also [fixed] which will surely help the better evolution of the tendon. I want to thank doctors Marc Philippon, Jaume Vilaro and Angel Ruiz-Cotorro for their work.

"I will start progressive functional rehabilitation immediately and the normal recovery process they tell me is 5 months, if all goes well."

Hola a todos. Como sabéis anoche tuve una intervención quirúrgica. Todo ha ido bien y la artroscopia fue en el tendón del psoas izquierdo que me ha tenido apartado de la competición desde enero.

Continue reading

Copyright

© Tennis - ATP World Tour

  194 Hits
Tags:

Rune Races Into Fourth Round

Holger Rune wasted little in reaching the fourth round at Roland Garros for the second consecutive year on Saturday when he ended Genaro Alberto Olivieri’s run with a 6-4, 6-1, 6-3 win.

The 20-year-old received a second-round walkover from Gael Monfils and looked fresh throughout the clash against the Argentine qualifier. The sixth seed took large cuts at the ball to strike 35 winners, while he returned with relentless aggression and depth to advance after two hours.

"I played my first round on Tuesday and unfortunately I could not play the second round against Gael. I wish him all the best, he is an incredible player. I was super happy with my level today," Rune said. "It was difficult and very windy. Olivieri played a good tournament so I had to be sharp."

[ATP APP]

Rune advanced to the quarter-finals on debut in Paris last year and will aim to reach that stage again when he meets ninth seed Taylor Fritz or 23rd seed Francisco Cerundolo in the fourth round.

Continue reading

Copyright

© Tennis - ATP World Tour

  194 Hits
Tags:

Ruud Seals Fourth Round Spot At Roland Garros

Is this the fortnight Casper Ruud wins his first major title?

The Norwegian continued to make smooth progress at Roland Garros on Saturday, recovering from a slow start to dispatch Chinese player Zhang Zhizhen 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-4.

The fourth seed Ruud, who is the highest seed remaining in the bottom half of the draw, emphatically pounced on short balls throughout the two-hour, 38-minute third-round clash. He stepped forward effectively to dictate with his heavy forehand, using a mixture of spins in the lively conditions on Court Suzanne-Lenglen to earn his 14th clay-court win of the season.

"It was tough. It was a bit frustrating in the beginning. I didn't hit as well as I would have hoped," said Ruud, who improved as the match went on. "I didn't really find any hole in his game, but luckily at 5-4 in the second set, he played some sloppy shots and I got the break. That gave me confidence and I started playing better and better in the third and fourth [sets]. The French crowd was helping me a lot."

[ATP APP]

Continue reading

Copyright

© Tennis - ATP World Tour

  213 Hits
Tags:

Inspired By Nadal, Varillas Makes History For Peru In Paris

Editor's note: This story was translated from ATPTour.com/es.

Juan Pablo Varillas claimed the biggest win of his life on Friday by seeing off Hubert Hurkacz to book a place in the fourth round of Roland Garros, becoming the first Peruvian to reach the last 16 since Jaime Yzaga in 1994. To do so he has had to fend off three fifth-set match points: against Chinese player Juncheng Chang in the first round, Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut in the second round, and finally against Hurkacz.

In the process, Varillas also managed to do something else; he sent a message of hope to the young people of Peru.

“I think it’s a very good thing for my country,” said Varillas. “Being a professional tennis player is not an option there, so this is a good example for the children. With hard work, discipline, perseverance and belief in yourself, I think it’s possible. It will be a good boost for the children to continue to pursue their dreams of being professional tennis players so that their parents don’t pressure them.

“It’s an incredible feeling and it’s difficult to describe because this triumph is a result of many years of hard work, of coming through the ranks, of making sacrifices all the time, of the support of my team, my family and the people around me. That leads you to experience and enjoy moments like this.”

Continue reading

Copyright

© Tennis - ATP World Tour

  207 Hits
Tags:

Preview: Tiafoe & Zverev Face Off For Fourth-Round Spot

The third-round action draws to a close Saturday at Roland Garros, where Frances Tiafoe and Alexander Zverev meet in an intriguing matchup at the clay-court major. Top 10 stars Casper Ruud, Holger Rune and Taylor Fritz are also in action as they chase a fourth-round berth in the bottom half of the draw.

ATPTour.com looks ahead at some standout matches from the Day 7 schedule in Paris.

[BREAK POINT]

[12] Frances Tiafoe (USA) vs. [22] Alexander Zverev (GER)

A first clay-court meeting between Tiafoe and Zverev will bring two of the biggest baseline hitters on Tour together on Court Philippe Chatrier. The two-time semi-finalist Zverev has impressed upon returning to Roland Garros for the first time since he retired from his 2022 semi-final against Rafael Nadal after rolling his ankle, notching straight-sets victories against Lloyd Harris and Alex Molcan.

Zverev leads Tiafoe 6-1 in the pair’s ATP Head2Head series, but the pair has not met since 2021 in Vienna. Since then, Tiafoe has risen to the brink of the Top 10 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings and reached his maiden Grand Slam semi-final at the 2022 US Open. Now into the third round at Roland Garros for the first time, can the World No. 12 down Zverev for another breakthrough at a major tournament?

Continue reading

Copyright

© Tennis - ATP World Tour

  253 Hits
Tags:

Austrian Qualifier Ofner Reaches First Grand Slam Fourth Round

Sebastian Ofner has been one of the surprise packages this year at Roland Garros, with the Austrian qualifier advancing to a Grand Slam fourth round for the first time. He had played just one tour-level match this season, a defeat in Estoril, before picking up three wins in Paris.

Those three tour-level victories match his win tally from the entirety of the 2021 and 2022 seasons. But for those plugged into the ATP Challenger Tour, the 27-year-old's Roland Garros run may not have come as a shock.

Ofner entered Paris at a career-high Pepperstone ATP Ranking of World No. 118, having reached the final and semi-finals in two May Challenger events. But he had faced a Top 100 player just once this season before he opened his Roland Garros main-draw campaign with upsets wins against World No. 44 Maxime Cressy and No. 24 seed Sebastian Korda. After dismissing both Americans in straight sets, Ofner scored a five-set victory against former Top 10 player Fabio Fognini on Friday.

[BREAK POINT]

With his 5-7, 6-3, 7-5, 1-6, 6-4 win against the Italian, Ofner eclipsed his previous best major run to the 2017 Wimbledon third round and lifted himself to No. 80 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings — a 38-spot jump on the week.

Continue reading

Copyright

© Tennis - ATP World Tour

  226 Hits
Tags:

'Mr. Five-Setter' Varillas Upsets Hurkacz To Extend Fairytale Paris Run

Juan Pablo Varillas continued his dream run Friday at Roland Garros, where he earned the highest-ranked win of his career after he upset 13th seed Hubert Hurkacz 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-2 in the third round.

The Peruvian, who had not won a Grand Slam main draw match heading into Paris, has survived three consecutive five-set thrillers to set a fourth-round clash against 22-time major champion Novak Djokovic. Incredibly, all five of Varillas’ career Grand Slam appearances have gone the distance.

It’s been a dramatic reversal of fortune for Varillas at Roland Garros, where last year he squandered a two-sets-to-love lead against Felix Auger-Aliassime in the opening round. This year, in his first two matches, Varillas battled back from two-sets-to-love down against Shang Juncheng and Roberto Bautista Agut.

[ATP APP]

The Lima native will look to add to his run by collecting his first Top 5 win against the third seed Djokovic. Varillas, who is at a career-high No. 60 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, is the first Peruvian to reach the Roland Garros fourth round since Jaime Yzaga in 1994.

Continue reading

Copyright

© Tennis - ATP World Tour

  203 Hits
Tags:

Alcaraz Dominates Shapovalov At Roland Garros In Pair's First Meeting

Competing in his third Roland Garros, top seed Carlos Alcaraz advanced to the fourth round for the second time with a dominant victory against Denis Shapovalov on Friday night. The Spaniard earned a 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 result in an entertaining evening matchup on Court Philippe-Chatrier, with both competitors thrilling the late-night crowd over the course of the two-hour, 12-minute match.

A quarter-finalist last year in Paris, Alcaraz will next face Italy's Lorenzo Musetti as he bids to match that result. In his post-match press conference, the Spaniard was asked to compare his opening week this year to the first week of his 2022 campaign at the major.

"I remember Roland Garros last year I was more in trouble. I saved match point against Ramos [Albert Ramos-Vinolas]. I remember that match really clearly," he said with a smile, recalling the second-round thriller. "But after that match, I think it was great.... It's totally different for me the first week into the second one."

With a win in his first ATP Head2Head meeting with 26th-seeded Shapovalov, Alcaraz improved to 22-2 against opponents outside the Top 20 at the Grand Slams. He also lifted his record to 33-3 this season, including a 23-2 mark on clay.

One more for @carlosalcaraz #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/wjX5OCrzXM

Continue reading

Copyright

© Tennis - ATP World Tour

  210 Hits
Tags:

Nadal Undergoes Surgery

Rafael Nadal is currently undergoing arthroscopic surgery to check his left psoas muscle that has kept him out of competition since January.

The procedure is being conducted in Barcelona by Dr. Philippon, Dr. Vilaró and Dr. Ruiz-Cotorro.

Two weeks ago the 14-time Roland Garros champion announced that he would miss this year's French Open. At a press conference at his academy Nadal said that the 2024 season would 'probably' be his last.

Nadal has played just four matches this year: two representing Spain at the inaugural United Cup and two at the Australian Open, where he fell to Mackenzie McDonald in the second round.

Nadal has won 92 titles during his career, including a joint-record 22 majors and 37 ATP Masters 1000 titles. His career match record is 1068-220.

[ATP APP]

Copyright

© Tennis - ATP World Tour

  211 Hits
Tags:

Tsitsipas Eases Past Schwartzman Into Roland Garros Fourth Round

Stefanos Tsitsipas played his best match of this Roland Garros fortnight to earn a dominant victory against Diego Schwartzman on Friday night in Paris. The fifth-seeded Greek was in command from start to finish in a 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 win on Court Suzanne-Lenglen, a result that secured his passage to the fourth round for the fifth straight year at the clay-court Grand Slam.

Now 20-6 at Roland Garros, the 2021 finalist will meet surprise package Sebastian Ofner, a qualifier from Austria, for a place in the quarter-finals.

"It wasn't easy at all," Tsitsipas said of his straight-sets win. "I know it was three sets, [but it was] so far my most difficult match in terms of concentration and having to stay in there on every single point. Diego did a great job fighting on every single point and not giving me any free points. I knew that I was dealing with that today and that was the biggest asset of his game which I had to take away. Patience — that's what I learned today."

The Greek quickly set the tone by racing out to a 3-0 lead in the opening set. Thanks to his dominance on serve and from the baseline, his lead was never truly under threat — in the opening set or in the match — though Schwartzman made a final push in a titanic start to the final set with the help of some well-timed drop shots. 

[BREAK POINT]

Continue reading

Copyright

© Tennis - ATP World Tour

  219 Hits
Tags:

Djokovic Digs Deep To Down Davidovich Fokina At Roland Garros

Novak Djokovic cut through the tie-break tension in style on Friday at Roland Garros, where the third seed overcame a fierce challenge from Alejandro Davidovich Fokina to seal a 7-6(4), 7-6(5), 6-2 third-round victory.

The two-time champion Djokovic withstood a barrage of big hitting from the 29th seed Davidovich Fokina in two richly entertaining opening sets on Court Philippe-Chatrier. The Serbian then took control in the third set for a hard-earned three-hour, 36-minute victory.

"I knew it was going to be a very difficult match, a very physical match," Djokovic said. "We played three hours for only two sets. He contested very well. He is an amazing fighter and an amazing player. He has very few weaknesses in his game. Congratulations to him for fighting. Bad luck, but he played a great match."

Djokovic is now into the fourth round at Roland Garros for the 14th year in a row as he chases a record 23rd major trophy, as well as a return to No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, this fortnight in Paris. His next opponent in the French capital will be 13th seed Hubert Hurkacz or Juan Pablo Varillas.

"A win is a win. The first two sets, three hours, I thought if I lose the second set, I will probably be playing five hours today," Djokovic said. "You have to be ready. That is what Grand Slams are all about, playing best of five. You have to believe in yourself and make the most out of it. I am proud of the performance today."

Continue reading

Copyright

© Tennis - ATP World Tour

  172 Hits
Tags:

Top Seeds Koolhof/Skupski Advance At Roland Garros

Top seeds Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski continued their quest for their first major title as a team on Friday when they defeated Pedro Cachin and Wu Yibing 6-4, 6-2 at Roland Garros.

The Dutch-British pair won 92 per cent (23/25) of their first-serve points to advance after 70 minutes. Koolhof and Skupski won seven tour-level titles last season but are still seeking their first crown in 2023. They will meet Aleksandr Nedovyesov and Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela in the third round.

Marcelo Melo, who earned his 600th tour-level doubles win earlier this week, and John Peers moved past Rome champions Hugo Nys and Jan Zielinski 7-6(5), 6-4. They will next play Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos.

Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury advanced after Roberto Carballes Baena and Jaume Munar were forced to retire when trailing 2-3 in the first set. Matwe Middelkoop and Andreas Mies defeated Jonathan Eysseric and Harold Mayot 7-5, 6-3.

Two-time champion Kevin Krawietz maintained his impressive Roland Garros record when he teamed with Tim Puetz to down Roman Arneodo and Sam Weissborn 6-4, 6-2.

Continue reading

Copyright

© Tennis - ATP World Tour

  215 Hits
Tags:

RacketStar.com