Looking for Tennis and Racket Sports International News?

Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah enjoyed a comprehensive triumph on Sunday at Wimbledon to reach the quarter-finals at the grass-court major for the third consecutive time.

The Colombian sixth seeds, who lifted the trophy at SW19 in 2019, broke Radu Albot and Nikoloz Basilashvili four times to seal a 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 third-round victory. Cabal and Farah’s opponents in the London quarter-finals will be 13th seeds Santiago Gonzalez and Andres Molteni or all-American duo Denis Kudla and Jack Sock.

[ATP APP]

Things weren’t so straightforward for Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic. The second seeds did manage to keep their defence of their 2021 title alive, but not without a scare along the way.

The all-Croatian team regained its composure in a decisive fifth set to edge Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara with a 6-4, 7-6(6), 4-6, 2-6, 6-3 third-round victory. Mektic and Pavic appeared to be cantering to the quarter-finals when they led Glasspool and Heliovaara by two-sets-to-love on Court 12, but an inspired comeback from the British-Finnish pairing turned a comfortable afternoon for the second seeds into a three-hour, 14-minute epic.

Monday's play at Wimbledon will complete the fourth round, setting the quarter-final stage at The Championships. Only four seeded players remain in a wide-open bottom half of the men's singles draw, led by second seed Rafael Nadal, with Nick Kyrgios among the unseeded contenders.

Both men will compete on Centre Court on Day 8, when Nadal faces Botic van de Zandschulp and Kyrgios takes on Brandon Nakashima. Eleventh seed Taylor Fritz will meet Australia's Jason Kubler on No. 1 Court, while 19th seed Alex de Minaur battles Chile's Cristian Garin on No. 2 Court.

In doubles action, third seeds Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski seek a quarter-final place as they take on Australian Open finalists Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell, while seventh seeds John Peers and Filip Polasek meet ninth seeds Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares.

View Singles Draw | View Doubles Draw | View Schedule

[2] Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs. [21] Botic van de Zandschulp (NED)

As the lone Top-10 seed remaining in the bottom half of the draw, Nadal will be quietly confident of his chances to reach his sixth Wimbledon final (and first since 2011). His performance in a straight-sets third-round victory against Italian Lorenzo Sonego only added to that belief.

In a battle between two #NextGenATP prodigies, it was Jannik Sinner who found his groove on the grass on Sunday afternoon at Wimbledon.

The Italian produced a high-quality all-around performance to secure a 6-1, 6-4, 6-7(8), 6-3 fourth-round win against Carlos Alcaraz at the grass-court major. Despite Alcaraz finding some rhythm to save two match points and clinch the third-set tie-break, it was not enough to hold off an accomplished display from Sinner, who had not won a tour-level match on grass prior to his first-round win over Stan Wawrinka.

The 10th seed showcased some relentless ballstriking in his three-hour, ?-minute victory on Centre Court. He read the Alcaraz serve to great effect, frequently finding blistering returns to heap pressure on the Spaniard’s delivery. Four breaks of the Alcaraz serve combined with a solid serving display proved enough for Sinner to level his ATP Head2Head series with the 19-year-old at 1-1.

Sinner will face top seed Novak Djokovic or wild card Tim van Rijthoven in his maiden quarter-final at the All England Lawn Tennis Club.

More to follow…

David Goffin dashed Frances Tiafoe’s Grand Slam hopes for the second consecutive major on Sunday at Wimbledon, where the Belgian held his nerve to clinch a thrilling five-set fourth-round victory on the London grass.

The former World No. 7 rallied in the final two sets to seal a 7-6(3), 5-7, 5-7, 6-4, 7-5 win against the 23rd-seeded American on No. 2 Court. Goffin also prevailed in the pair’s second-round meeting on the clay at Roland Garros just five-and-a-half weeks ago.

“It was an amazing battle, I had to stay mentally in the match the whole time,” said Goffin in his on-court interview after his four-hour, 36-minute triumph. “Just after the match point, I was mentally dead, because I had to stay fresh all the time to keep my serve, to fight to come back after losing the third set. It was a tough one.

“It was an amazing atmosphere on this court, another epic match against Frances, so I’m very happy to be in the quarter-finals again.”

[ATP APP]

Cameron Norrie broke new ground Sunday at Wimbledon, where he overcame American Tommy Paul 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals at a Grand Slam for the first time.

In an accomplished display on Court No. 1, the Briton outlasted Paul as he demonstrated great energy to cover the court, while he flattened out his backhand to turn the table in points and advance after two hours and 21 minutes.

“To make the quarters for the first time, in front of my family and friends here from college is so special,” Norrie said in his on-court interview. “In a huge match, to play the way I did, was really good. To execute everything. I really enjoyed it. It is pretty crazy, I have a lot of feelings.

[ATP APP]

Norrie, who had never been beyond the third round at a major before this week, now leads the 25-year-old Paul 3-1 in their ATP Head2Head series. The 26-year-old is first British man to reach the last eight at The Championships since two-time titlist Andy Murray in 2017, while he is just the fifth British man overall to achieve the feat.

It has been some journey for Jason Kubler.

Five years ago, the 29-year-old was forced to turn his hand to coaching as he tried to make ends meet and support his injury-plagued professional career. On Monday, the Australian qualifier will compete in the fourth round at a Grand Slam for the first time after producing a series of standout performances on the lawns at Wimbledon.

A run of this nature would have seemed a distant dream for the World No. 99 in 2016, when he had just undergone his fifth knee surgery in as many years due to a hereditary knee condition.

"There have definitely been tough times, just like I'm sure with a lot of tennis players," said Kubler, who only played on clay from 2011 to 2014 due to his knee problems. "There have been times where I've gone, 'Maybe I'll look into something else'.

"The closest would have been when I was doing the coaching [in 2017]. I did a bit of coaching and hitting with some players. I probably did that for two or three months when I didn't have so much money.

Roger Federer joined a parade of former Wimbledon champions on Centre Court Sunday to celebrate the centenary of the famous show court. The Swiss has not competed since his quarter-final run one year ago at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, but was thrilled to be back on the court which has provided many of the best memories of his career.

"I've been lucky enough to play a lot of matches on this court," the 40-year-old said in the on-court ceremony. "It's great to be here with all the other champions. This court has given me my biggest wins and my biggest losses."

[ATP APP]

Federer recalled his 2001 victory over seven-time Wimbledon champion Pete Sampras — his first Centre Court win — as one of his favourite personal highlights.

"He has inspired a lot of us [that are here] today to just try to also be successful here and represent the sport well," Federer said of the American. "I hope I did that and I hope I can come back here one more time."

It was a day of celebration on Sunday at Wimbledon, where a host of former champions partook in an emotional ceremony to celebrate the 100th year of Centre Court.

Three-time titlist John McEnroe and former World No. 3 Sue Barker led the ceremony, which looked back on iconic moments with former winners.

In front of a packed crowd and full Royal Box, an array of Wimbledon champions were greeted onto court by a standing ovation, with Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Bjorn Borg, Billie Jean King and Rod Laver among the returning stars.

Photo Credit: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

"This court has been truly special from my childhood and the first image of tennis I've seen when I was four or five-years-old I saw Pete Sampras wining his first Wimbledon. This is where dreams come true and I was blessed in 2011, probably the highlight of my career, to win the tournament and so when I step out on this court I relive these memories. Truly an honour."

From strawberries and cream to players sporting all-white kits, Wimbledon is an event that has been steeped in tradition since 1877. It is a day out that underpins the British summer, with thousands of fans attending the action at SW19.

The majority of supporters turn up fresh-faced following a good night’s sleep. For others, though, their Wimbledon experience begins less than a mile away from the All England Lawn Tennis Club in a park, where they sleep overnight in a tent.

Since 1922, thousands of fans have camped out and joined the Wimbledon Queue in order to secure a ticket for the grass-court Grand Slam, with 1,500 tickets offered up daily across the show courts, while several thousand grounds passes are handed out.

[ATP APP]

Over the years, The Queue has become its own phenomenon, moving from the pavement on Church Road to the park in 2008 as its popularity grew. It is a key aspect of the Wimbledon experience and it is not hard to see why.

Stefanos Tsitsipas lost a fiery four-set match against Nick Kyrgios on Saturday at Wimbledon, but the Greek departs London in good position for the rest of the season.

The 23-year-old is guaranteed to lead the ATP Tour in wins after Wimbledon with 42, regardless of results for the rest of the fortnight. The World No. 5 went 8-3 during his grass-court season, including a run to his first tour-level title on the surface in Mallorca.

2022 Match Wins Leaders (as of 2 July)

Tsitsipas is second in the Pepperstone ATP Race To Turin as he aims to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the fourth consecutive year. Tsitsipas lifted his biggest trophy at the season finale in 2019, when the event was held at The O2 in London. 

In addition to his recent triumph in Mallorca, Tsitsipas claimed his second ATP Masters 1000 title at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters in April and made the final of the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome.

Nick Kyrgios advanced to the fourth round at Wimbledon for the first time since 2016 on Saturday with a feisty 6-7(2), 6-4, 6-3, 7-6(7) victory against fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Kyrgios, who will next play #NextGenATP American Brandon Nakashima, claimed his first win at a major against a Top 10 opponent since the third round of The Championships in 2015. The 27-year-old will try to reach his third major quarter-final and his first since the 2015 Australian Open.

"Honestly it was a hell of an atmosphere, amazing match. I honestly felt like the favourite coming in. I played him a couple weeks ago. But I knew that it was going to be a tough match," Kyrgios said in his on-court interview. "He's a hell of a player. I had my own tactics out there and he knows how to play me, he's beaten me once. Obviously I've had success. It was a hell of a match."

The tension began to build at the end of the first set when Kyrgios was unhappy with a linesperson's call on the baseline. For the rest of the match, the Australian had constant discussions with the chair umpire, the crowd and his player’s box. But ultimately, he emerged victorious after three hours and 16 minutes.

"I'm just super happy to be through. He was getting frustrated at times and it's a frustrating sport, that's for sure," Kyrgios said. "I have the ultimate respect for him. Whatever happens on the court [is] on the court. I love him and I'm close with his brother."

Rafael Nadal wasted little time in booking his place in the Wimbledon fourth round on Saturday evening, racing past Italian Lorenzo Sonego 6-1, 6-2, 6-4.

In his best performance of the week, the Spaniard lit up Centre Court with his aggressive striking and all-court game. The 36-year-old blasted the ball past Sonego from all angles, while demonstrating deft touches at the net to advance after two hours and four minutes.

"It was probably my best match without a doubt here at The Championships against the most difficult player I have faced yet,” Nadal said in his on-court interview. “I was able to raise my level, so I am super happy for that. I wish Lorenzo all the very best for the rest of the season.”

[ATP APP]

The display was a contrast to Nadal’s first two matches at The Championships, where he struggled to find his best level in four-set victories over Francisco Cerundolo and Ricardas Berankis. However, against Sonego, the World No. 4 showed his title rivals that he means business in his quest for a record-extending 23rd Grand Slam title.

In a couple of weeks, Tommy Paul will be on his mother’s farm in New Jersey, taking care of more than 100 animals, operating a tractor and pulling trees. But for now, the American is focussed on continuing one of the best tournaments of his career at Wimbledon.

Three years after losing in the final round of qualifying to Jiri Vesely, Paul turned the tables to down the Czech and reach the fourth round at a Grand Slam for the first time.

Victory on Court No. 3 marked another breakthrough moment for the 25-year-old, who is making his main draw debut at The Championships this week. After enjoying a standout junior career, which saw him win the 2015 Roland Garros boys’ singles title, Paul captured his first tour-level title in November, while he is at a current career-high No. 32 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings .

Following his success, Paul is now accustomed to the lights and glamour of the Tour. However, it is a world away from his life back in the United States, where he frequently swaps his racquet for farm tools when he visits his mom in New Jersey.

“My mom and stepdad live on a farm in South Jersey, where they have roughly 100 chickens, six sheep, two dogs, a horse and a cat. I grew up in North Carolina, but my mum moved back to South Jersey when I turned pro. That is where she grew up,” Paul told ATPTour.com. “The animals have built up. It is something to do for her. When she is not at work, she is outside on the farm.

Brandon Nakashima may have been in unchartered territory at Wimbledon on Saturday, but the #NextGenATP American did not blink.

Nakashima backed up his second-round upset of 2021 semi-finalist Denis Shapovalov with a confident 6-4, 6-4, 6-1 against Daniel Elahi Galan. The 20-year-old had not won a match at the grass-court major prior to his first-round victory against Nicola Kuhn, but he is now the youngest American man to reach the Round of 16 at Wimbledon since Andy Roddick in 2003.

Nakashima joins Frances Tiafoe, Tommy Paul, and Taylor Fritz in the fourth round. That represents the most American men in the last 16 at the All England Lawn Tennis Club since 1999, and the most to reach the fourth round at a major since the 2011 US Open.

Nakashima, who reached the semi-finals at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan last November, is into the fourth round of a major for the first time. The World No. 56 won 84 per cent (43/51) of points behind his first delivery and faced just one break point in his maiden ATP Head2Head meeting with the Colombian.

Nakashima faces a tough fourth-round assignment if he wants to extend his run at SW19 further — he next meets fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas or Nick Kyrgios.

Fifteenth seeds Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara advanced to the third round at Wimbledon for the second consecutive year on Saturday when they clawed past American William Blumberg and Norwegian Casper Ruud 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.

The British-Finnish duo has enjoyed success this grass-court season, advancing to the Cinch Championships final at The Queen’s Club. They also made the Roland Garros quarter-finals one month ago.

It will not get any easier when Glasspool and Heliovaara play second seeds Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic next. The Croatians defeated Americans Nicholas Monroe and Tommy Paul 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Seventh seeds John Peers and Filip Polasek also advanced when they eliminated Portugal’s Joao Sousa and Australian Jordan Thompson 7-6(2), 7-5, 6-4. The 2021 Indian Wells champions have won six consecutive sets after rallying from two sets down in the first round.

[ATP APP]

David Goffin faces Frances Tiafoe on Sunday at Wimbledon, where the former World No. 7 is bidding to reach the last 16 for the fourth time at the grass-court Grand Slam.

Possessing an all-around game on the court, the Belgian also likes to branch out when it comes to food. As long as it isn’t oysters, Goffin will eat it, and the 31-year-old isn’t shy to put his own cooking skills to the test either.

In this edition of Food Court, Goffin reveals to ATPTour.com how he fared on a celebrity cooking show for French TV, why his eating habits change during Grand Slam weeks and the reason he can’t eat cereal bars during matches.

[ATP APP]

Let’s say you have to cook tonight for friends or family. What would you cook?
I don’t know if I have time or not, but if it is an emergency and it is almost summer, I would go for a barbeque. Nice meat on a barbeque. It is very easy. Otherwise I would go for pasta, a good carbonara. That is something I can do. I am not a huge chef, but I have some good skills in the kitchen.

Serving out for Grand Slam victories is never easy, but Alex de Minaur held firm on Saturday to see off Liam Broady and reach the fourth round at Wimbledon for the first time.

The Australian produced a high-class performance to seal 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 win against the British wild card. Some late resistance from Broady saw De Minaur forced to fend off four break points when serving at 6-5 in the third set, but the Australian dug deep to convert his third match point for a two-hour, 24-minute victory.

“I’m just relieved,” said De Minaur in his on-court interview. “It was definitely harder at the end there than I wanted it to be, but at the end of the day this is tennis and anything can happen. Nerves playing in front of an amazing crowd, [on] an amazing court against a Brit, so it’s never easy. More than anything [I'm] just relieved to be in the second week of Wimbledon.”

De Minaur was making his second appearance in the third round at SW19, having fallen to Rafael Nadal at the same stage in 2018. In contrast to that occasion, the Australian entered the contest as the pre-match favourite and the 23-year-old showed why with a classy performance against the spirited Broady.

“It’s incredibly special,” said De Minaur. “Wimbledon in itself is such a special tournament, so to be able to come and play here, it’s a true honour. I’m just enjoying every second I can on the grass and trying to ride this wave.”

A battle of #NextGenATP alumni headlines the Sunday action at Wimbledon, where Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner take centre stage as the fourth-round action begins at the grass-court major in London.

The meeting between six-time champion Novak Djokovic and the in-form Dutch wild card Tim van Rijthoven is another intriguing matchup at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, while Cameron Norrie seeks to keep the British flag flying in the singles when he takes on 30th seed Tommy Paul. The American's countryman, 23rd seed Frances Tiafoe, meets 2019 quarter-finalist David Goffin.

ATPTour.com looks at the fourth-round matchups on Day 7 in the UK capital.

View Schedule | View Singles Draw | View Doubles Draw

[5] Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) vs. [10] Jannik Sinner (ITA)

One Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals crown — check. Five ATP Tour titles — check. Two Grand Slam quarter-finals — check.

Fans will get to know Lorenzo Sonego’s game on Saturday when he plays Rafael Nadal in the third round at Wimbledon, but there is far more to the Italian than forehands and backhands.

You can add Sonego to the list of musically inclined players on the ATP Tour, which also includes Denis Shapovalov and Corentin Moutet. Just one week ago, the 27-year-old and his longtime friend, “AlterEdo”, released their newest song: “Sing”.

“We did some songs together when we were young for a hobby,” Sonego told ATPTour.com earlier this year. “And then, we tried to do something together for enjoyment in the summer and only to enjoy the moment and do something different, not always [focus on] tennis.”

This is not the first song they have released together. Last European summer, they released “Un Solo Secondo”, which has received more than 14,000 views on YouTube. Sonego's friend writes the songs, but the former World No. 21 contributes vocals.

The Wimbledon third round concludes on Day 6 at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, with the wide-open bottom half of the men's singles draw back in action. Stefanos Tsitsipas and Nick Kyrgios headline No. 1 Court, where Alex de Minaur opens play against home favourite Liam Broady, while Rafael Nadal and Lorenzo Sonego close the day's play on Centre Court.

Other seeded players in action include Taylor Fritz, Botic van de Zandschulp and Jenson Brooksby.

In doubles action, top seeds Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury continue their bid for a maiden Wimbledon title while second seeds Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic continue their title defence.

View Singles Draw | View Doubles Draw | View Schedule

[4] Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) vs. Nick Kyrgios (AUS)

Two of the biggest personalities on the ATP Tour are set to square off for the fifth time in a rematch of their Halle meeting two weeks ago, won by Kyrgios in three sets. While neither man will be particularly pleased to see such a dangerous opponent in the third round, both are relishing the opportunity.