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‘It Acts As A Memoir’: Tsitsipas Opens Up On #StefTheTweeter

Stefanos Tsitsipas’ passion and drive have made him one of the most feared competitors on the ATP Tour, yet the World No. 5 is also renowned for his relaxed off-court demeanour. This is clearly reflected in the 23-year-old’s Twitter feed, where he regularly shares a mixture of humorous, philosophical, and heart-warming messages.

“They are mostly meant to be fun,” Tsitsipas recently told ATPTour.com. “It’s like I have a wall and I write different things, and people can say their stuff. It’s just such a fun thing to do. I like the fact that I can look back to them in one or two years and I have a feed where I can preview all my past quotes and opinions I might have had. It kind of acts as a memoir.”

Tsitsipas has moved confidently to the third round this week at Wimbledon, where he faces Nick Kyrgios in a blockbuster third-round clash on Saturday. The Greek has won a Tour-leading 42 matches in 2022, and admitted his ability to keep calm under pressure has been a key factor in his success on Tour in general. This is a sentiment that was reflected when he tweeted out the message, “The quieter you become, the more you can actually hear.”

The quieter you become, the more you can actually hear.

— Stefanos Tsitsipas (@steftsitsipas) December 13, 2021

“I think sometimes you just need to... listen, absorb as much information as you can, and you can always just pick whatever you want," Tsitsipas said. "You’re always allowed to pick your information that you want to keep for yourself.

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Koolhof/Skupski Seal Third-Round Spot At Wimbledon

After picking up five ATP Tour titles in their first six months together, can Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski transfer their success to the Grand Slam stage?

The third seeds overcame Pedro Martinez and John-Patrick Smith 7-6(6), 6-2, 7-6(6) at Wimbledon on Friday to book a third-round spot at the grass-court major in London. Koolhof and Skupski reached the quarter-finals at the Australian Open and Roland Garros in their two previous Grand Slam campaigns as a team, and they have made a perfect start in London with two straight-sets victories.

Sixth seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah are also yet to drop a set at SW19 after a 7-5, 6-4, 6-2 triumph against Nuno Borges and Francisco Cabral. The 19-time tour-level titlists, who lifted the trophy at the All England Lawn Tennis Club in 2019, are chasing their first crown of the season.

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Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies enjoyed a comfortable second-round win of their own, but only after coming through a tight first set against home wild card pairing Arthur Fery and Felix Gill. The 11th-seeded German duo pressed on after taking the opener, eventually running out 7-6(5), 6-3, 6-4 winners.

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Tiafoe, Paul Continue American Success With Third-Round Wimbledon Wins

After eight American men advanced to the Wimbledon third round — the most to reach that stage of a Grand Slam since the 1996 US Open — Frances Tiafoe and Tommy Paul ensured at least two will be among the last 16 with Friday victories.

"We are damn good," a smiling Tiafoe said of the American contingent. "We're playing great tennis. I think we always feed off each other. We all believe it, all believe we can be even doing better than what we are doing currently. One guy does well, the next guy wants to step up. It's all good. I think we've just got to keep going."

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Tiafoe, the 23rd seed, came through a 3-6, 7-6(1), 7-6(3), 6-4 battle with Alexander Bublik to advance to the fourth round for the first time at SW19. After dominating both tie-breaks, the American surrendered an early break advantage and needed a clutch ace to save a break point at 4-4 in the fourth set.

That sparked a late surge as he won seven of the match's final eight points, sealing victory with his third break of the match on No. 2 Court.

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Improving Alcaraz Races Into Fourth Round, Awaits Sinner

Carlos Alcaraz wasted no time in improving his best Wimbledon run, booking a trip to the fourth round with a 6-3, 6-1, 6-2 victory over Oscar Otte. Playing at SW19 for the second time, the 19-year-old is now the youngest man to reach that stage at The Championships since Bernard Tomic reached the 2011 quarter-finals at the age of 18.

Alcaraz played his cleanest match of the fortnight — and the best grass-court match of his young career — leaving the 32nd-seeded German no chance with powerful and precise hitting throughout the one-hour, 38-minute contest. He finished with 37 winners and just eight unforced errors, winning 88 per cent (35/40) of his first-serve points.

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The Spaniard set the tone on No. 1 Court by winning the first eight points of the match, then won the first five games of set two to power home his advantage and put the match beyond doubt. He improves to 4-1 on the grass, with his only two tour-level events on the surface coming at Wimbledon.

The Spaniard saved the only break point he faced while breaking serve on six of 20 chances in a dominant victory. He has shown great improvement through the rounds this fortnight and has now won eight sets in a row dating back to his opening round victory against Jan-Lennard Struff, in which he escaped a two-sets-to-one deficit.

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Sinner Outserves Isner, Sets Alcaraz Showdown At Wimbledon

Jannik Sinner will face Carlos Alcaraz in a fourth-round Wimbledon blockbuster after a nearly flawless performance on Friday against John Isner.

The American broke the world record for career aces in the second game of the match, but Sinner dominated from there in a 6-4, 7-6(4), 6-3 victory. The Italian did not face a break point in his two-hour, 20-minute triumph.

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Sinner will now play Alcaraz in a battle of former Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals champions. Alcaraz, who dismissed Oscar Otte in the third round, defeated Sinner in their only previous ATP Head2Head meeting 7-6(1), 7-5 at last year's Rolex Paris Masters.

But the 20-year-old Sinner will be confident after his performance against Isner, who ousted two-time champion Andy Murray in the second round. The 10th seed withstood 24 aces from his opponent and converted two of his four break points.

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Couple Goals: De Minaur, Boulter Thriving Off Mutual Support At Wimbledon

Alex de Minaur may have been taking on a home favourite in Jack Draper on Thursday at Wimbledon, but the Australian was not completely lacking support from the British contingent in the crowd during his second-round victory.

The 19th-seeded Australian’s girlfriend, WTA player Katie Boulter, cheered him on to a 5-7, 7-6(0), 6-2, 6-3 win against #NextGenATP Briton Draper at the grass-court major. Just hours earlier, it was De Minaur who had played the role of cheerleader from the stands, as Boulter pulled off a 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-4 second-round upset of sixth seed Karolina Pliskova on Centre Court.

Speaking at his post-match press conference, De Minaur spoke of the extra positivity that Boulter’s heroics had brought him before he stepped on court for his own match.

“I think it's amazing. What she was able to do today was an amazing effort,” he said of Boulter. The 25-year-old dedicated her win to her grandmother, who passed away earlier in the week. “I mean, under all the circumstances, she got out there on Centre Court, and beat last year's runner-up. So, I think that's pretty special.

“I'm just stoked for her. This is her home Slam. She gets to enjoy it. I know she was a little bit nervous going in, but she's gone out and put on a brilliant performance.”

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Five Things To Know About Djokovic's Next Opponent: Tim Van Rijthoven

Tim van Rijthoven has enjoyed a dream surge this grass-court season. When he arrived at the Libema Open in ’s-Hertogenbosch earlier this month, he had never won a match at an ATP Tour event. Not only did he claim the title at the ATP 250, but the Dutchman is now into the fourth round at Wimbledon, where he will play top seed Novak Djokovic.

Before this year, van Rijthoven had never played qualifying at a major. Now the wild card will have a chance to stun a 20-time Grand Slam champion.

Before the match, here are five things to know about the 25-year-old.

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He Dreamt Of Playing Djokovic
When Djokovic defeated Miomir Kecmanovic on Friday, he made van Rijthoven’s dream come true. The Dutchman is eager to play the six-time Wimbledon champion.

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Djokovic Masterclass Seals Fourth-Round Berth

There was no slowing down for Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon on Friday afternoon.

The Serbian cruised to a high-class 6-0, 6-3, 6-4 third-round win against countryman Miomir Kecmanovic at the grass-court major. Having dropped just seven games in defeating Thanasi Kokkinakis in the second round, Djokovic matched that number with another sublime all-around display to overwhelm his opponent on Centre Court, breaking the Kecmanovic serve six times on the way to a one-hour, 52-minute victory.

“I think I’ve been playing better and better as the tournament progresses," said Djokovic in his on-court interview. "That’s obviously something that you always wish for as a player, that every match that you play you raise a level of tennis up a notch at least, and I think that is what is happening at the moment.

"I know I can always do better, I always expect the highest from myself, but I think so far, so good, and looking forward to the next challenge.”

It was Djokovic’s 24th consecutive win on grass, drawing him level with Australian great Rod Laver in third place on the Open Era list for longest tour-level winning streaks on the surface. The six-time champion next faces another man in red-hot form on the grass in Tim Van Rijthoven. The Dutch wild card dispatched Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 earlier on Friday to ease into the fourth round on his Grand Slam main draw debut.

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John Isner Sets New World Record For Aces Served

With his fifth ace on Friday in his Wimbledon third-round match against Jannik Sinner, John Isner broke the world record for aces on the ATP Tour. The 6-foot-10 American now stands alone with 13,729 untouchable serves and counting, passing Ivo Karlovic's previous leading mark of 13,728. Record-keeping began in 1991 with ATP Match Stats, part of the Infosys ATP Scores & Stats Centre.

Isner needed just two service games to break the record Friday on Wimbledon's No. 2 Court, firing the record-breaking ace at 1-1, 15/30.

"It's actually really cool. It's something I'm really proud of," Isner said before his third-round match, looking ahead to breaking the record. "I will be the all-time leader. I'll keep playing, keep adding to my total... I don't know if [the record] will get broken. I could be up there for a long time."

The American also leads the 2022 ace race with 629 on the season entering Friday. The 37-year-old has finished first on the ATP Tour in aces in seven seasons and eclipsed the 1,000-aces mark seven times, including a career-high of 1,260 in 2015. Isner accomplished both feats for the first time in 2010 after turning pro in 2007 following a standout career at the University of Georgia.

As Isner closed in on the aces record, Andy Roddick helped settle a debate on Twitter about who has the better serve between the two: "Isner's serve is the best ever," he wrote, backing up the opinion of longtime Georgia head coach Manny Diaz. "I'd trade my old one for his immediately without thinking twice."

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Van Rijthoven Seals Fourth-Round Spot In Style

The grass-court gains keep on coming for Tim van Rijthoven.

The Dutchman’s dream Grand Slam debut continued in style on Friday at Wimbledon, where he took out 22nd seed Nikoloz Basilashvili with an impressive 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 third-round victory.

Van Rijthoven had not won a tour-level match prior to the Libema Open in ‘s-Hertogenbosch three weeks ago, but the 25-year-old stormed to the title at the ATP 250 event in his homeland with a run that included victories over Taylor Fritz, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Daniil Medvedev.

He has maintained that form at Wimbledon, where the 25-year-old is competing as a wild card at the grass-court major. Van Rijthoven dropped serve just once in his opening wins over Federico Delbonis and Reilly Opelka, and the Dutchman was the dominant force again in his third-round clash. He wrapped up a one-hour, 42-minute victory over Basilashvili to set a fourth-round clash with top seed Novak Djokovic or World No. 30 Miomir Kecmanovic.

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Day 5 Preview: Alcaraz Continues Grass-Court Education

As the Wimbledon third round commences on Friday, seeded players begin to square off for the first time at The Championships. Three such matches are on the Day 5 docket, with Carlos Alcaraz meeting Oscar Otte, Novak Djokovic facing fellow Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic and Jannik Sinner taking on John Isner.

Ninth seed Cameron Norrie will close the day's play on Centre Court against American Steve Johnson following Djokovic's match.

In doubles action, third seeds Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski join sixth-seeded Colombians Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah as the day's headliners.

View Singles Draw | View Doubles Draw | View Schedule

[5] Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) vs. Oscar Otte (GER)

Alcaraz's wait for his Centre Court debut continues, with this matchup slated for Court 1, but the Spaniard's bid to extend his best Wimbledon run is firmly in his own hands. The 19-year-old will look to control the proceedings against Otte with his all-action style as he continues to adapt his game to the grass.

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What If John Isner Only Hit First Serves?

Here's a thought experiment: If John Isner hit ONLY first serves, would he win or lose more service games than his career average?

For clarity, the 37-year-old would still get two serves every point. But if he missed his first serve, he would hit another full-pace serve instead of a traditional second serve with more spin and less pace.

“I have a buddy who is super into analytics, and he is a really smart guy and he is a firm believer that is something I should do. Just going for two first serves,” said Isner, who on Friday is likely to set a new world record for most career aces, needing just five against Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon third round to pass current leader Ivo Karlovic.

“There have been some situations where I have had the mindset of doing that, where my second serves have been massive. Less of a kick, more two first serves and it has served me well in the past. The key is to really, really commit to it."

If only there were a way to stress test the idea. Enter Alex Michaels, a data scientist for TennisViz, the provider driving new statistical insights for Tennis Data Innovations, including new metrics such as Balance of Power, Conversion and Steal scores.

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Nadal Heaps Praise On Swiatek, Raducanu, Gauff At Wimbledon

Rafael Nadal spread the love after his second-round Wimbledon victory on Thursday, speaking at length about three of the WTA Tour's biggest stars. In his post-match press conference, the Spaniard was asked about Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff — both of whom were also victorious on Day 4 — as well as reigning US Open champion Emma Raducanu.

Nadal has been the subject of admiration from all corners of the tennis world, with many WTA players commending his legendary fighting spirit and his strong start to the 2022 season. World No. 1 Swiatek was on hand to see the Spaniard win the Australian Open final in January, and Nadal revealed he has been watching the Polish star throughout her 37-match win streak as well.

"I texted her a couple of times because it's unbelievable the way that she's playing," Nadal said. "It's unbelievable the way that she's able to hold the concentration and the winning spirit for such a long time. I think it's something very difficult to make that happen."

[ATP APP]

Swiatek has not lost a match since February, winning six titles on her winning streak. Nadal gave his opinion on why she has been so tough to beat.

"I think when she's playing well, it's very difficult to stop her because her shots are little bit different, with a lot of power. She's able to move well. When she's [playing] with confidence, I think she has shots that are very difficult to stop for the rest of the girls.

"I like her. I think she has a very positive attitude, fresh air for the world of tennis. Happy that a good girl like her is having a lot of success."

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Nadal Challenged Again, But Advances At Wimbledon

Rafael Nadal has been challenged in his first two matches at Wimbledon, but he is through to the third round without facing any significant danger.

The two-time champion defeated Lithuanian Ricardas Berankis 6-4, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 after three hours and two minutes on Thursday in the second round of The Championships. The second seed will next play 27th seed Lorenzo Sonego, who reached the fourth round at SW19 last year.

"Every day is a challenge, that's the truth. All the opponents are difficult. We are playing against the best players of the world and especially even in these conditions, it will be more [difficult]. I didn't play much on grass for the past three years," Nadal said in his on-court interview. "Every day is an opportunity to improve and today I'm through, so that gives me the chance to keep going. [I am] very happy for that."

It was not a perfect performance from Nadal, who lost his serve twice and dropped a set for the second consecutive match (also against Argentine Francisco Cerundolo). But he is now 32-3 on the season and continues his pursuit of the Grand Slam, having triumphed at the Australian Open and Roland Garros.

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Nakashima Leads American Charge At Wimbledon

#NextGenATP American Brandon Nakashima earned his first Top 20 win Thursday when he upset World No. 16 Denis Shapovalov 6-2, 4-6, 6-1, 7-6(8) to reach the third round at Wimbledon for the first time.

The 20-year-old played consistently as he led the American charge on Day 4 at the grass-court Grand Slam. Nakashima fired 22 winners, while he committed just 14 unforced errors to advance after two hours and 19 minutes in his first ATP Head2Head meeting against the Canadian.

“It felt amazing out there. To play against such a high-level player on one of the biggest stages, it doesn’t get much better than that,” Nakashima said. “The crowd was great out there today. I am happy with the way I played and I am looking forward to the next match.”

[ATP APP]

A semi-finalist at the 2021 Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals, the American will look to advance to the fourth round at a major for the first time when he faces Colombian Daniel Elahi Galan. Last month, Nakashima reached the third round at Roland Garros in a run that gave him further confidence.

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Ram/Salisbury, Cabal/Farah Victorious In Wimbledon Openers

Top seeds Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury enjoyed a smooth start to their Wimbledon campaign on Thursday in London. Champions at the Australian Open in 2020 and the US Open in 2021, the duo opened its quest for a first Wimbledon title with a 6-3, 7-6(5), 7-6(6) victory against Daniel Altmaier and Carlos Taberner.

After lifting the trophy at Ram's home Slam last year in the United States, the team is bidding for similar success in doubles World No. 1 Salisbury's home major in Great Britain. Quarter-finalists or better at each of the past four Grand Slams, the pair is seeking to improve upon a semi-final finish last year at SW19.

Ram/Salisbury saved the only break point they faced in the opening round early in the first set, finishing with an 85 per cent win rate (53/62) on first-serve points. The Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters champions advance to face Fabrice Martin in Hugo Nys after the French-Monagesque pair advanced in five sets on Wednesday.

[ATP APP]

Sixth seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah, the 2019 Wimbledon and US Open champions, also opened with a straight-sets victory at the All England Lawn Tennis Club. The Colombians scored a 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 win against Frenchmen Adrian Mannarino and Ugo Humbert, capitalising on four of their six break chances. 

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Tsitsipas Sets Blockbuster Kyrgios Clash

Stefanos Tsitsipas set a blockbuster clash with Nick Kyrgios on Thursday when he cruised past Jordan Thompson 6-2, 6-3, 7-5 to reach the third round at Wimbledon for just the second time.

The Greek looked sharp throughout his two-hour and four-minute clash against Thompson on Court 1, opening his shoulders to dictate from the baseline. The fourth seed, who is making his fifth appearance at Wimbledon, struck 29 winners and broke the Australian six times to improve to 2-0 in their ATP Head2Head series.

"It was a great match today. I got the crowd involved and even though I am not a Brit, I really felt the love from the crowd and that pushed me,” Tsitsipas said in his on-court interview.

“Last year was a completely different story [compared] to this year,” he added. “I wasn’t really that involved with [my movement] behind the ball. It is great to see that evolution this year. I feel grass suites my game perfectly. I am happy when I see the level of tennis I played today. As long as everything works, I am happy to see where that will lead me.”

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Kyrgios Blasts Past Krajinovic, Faces Tsitsipas Next

A pumped-up Nick Kyrgios produced a serving masterclass Thursday to dispatch Filip Krajinovic 6-2, 6-3, 6-1 and reach the Wimbledon third round for the sixth time.

In one of his best performances of the season, the Australian fired 24 aces and won 93 per cent (37/40) of his first-serve points as he blasted the Serbian off the court in 85 minutes.

The World No. 40, who reached the quarter-finals on debut at The Championships in 2014, will next play fourth-seeded Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas.

"I want to remind people that I'm pretty good," Kyrgios deadpanned in his on-court interview to the delight of fans. "This is the tournament I circle on my calendar, which I look forward to all year. It's the Grand Slam where I have the best opportunity."

[ATP APP]

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Wimbledon Celebrates 100 Years Of Centre Court

A tournament steeped in history, Wimbledon has reached a major milestone this year. The Championships 2022 mark 100 years of Centre Court at the All England Lawn Tennis Club.

While the tournament and its show court have modernised over the years, including the addition of the Centre Court roof in 2009, the event remains faithful to its early roots and traditions.

King George V officially opened the new grounds at Church Road in 1922 with three bangs of a percussion instrument. Fourteen years later, Great Britain's Fred Perry won his third straight Wimbledon title in 1936 on Centre Court. Perry was the last British man to claim his home trophy until Andy Murray's famous victory in 2013.

The new roof was not the only construction completed on the famous court in its history. While The Championships were suspended during World War II, Centre Court was hit by a bomb in October 1940, when a corner of the stand was damaged. The event resumed in 1946 before repairs were completed the following year.

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Coach Roig On Nadal’s Wimbledon Return

After beating Francisco Cerundolo in the first round of Wimbledon, his first match on grass for three years, Rafael Nadal retreated to the courts of Aorangi Park for a one-hour session to prepare for his next outing at the tournament; a second-round clash with Ricardas Berankis.

Accompanied by Francis Roig and Marc Lopez, two of his coaches, the 22-time Grand Slam champion continued working on his transition to the surface, with one eye on the challenges that await him at the All England Tennis Club.

At 36 years of age and having captured his 14th Roland Garros crown, Nadal underwent two pulsed radiofrequency sessions in an effort to combat Muller-Weiss syndrome, a dysplasia of the tarsal navicular he has suffered from since 2005 in his left foot.

He did so with a clear goal: to continue playing, to keep having chances, to fight to extend one of the greatest careers in the history of the sport. And, of course, to return to Wimbledon, a place that holds a special place in his career.

“That tells me that he really wanted to play on grass again because his game was in great shape,” Roig told ATPTour.com in London. “He had a monkey on his back. Obviously, as long as he is competing for Grand Slams he’ll keep playing. He enjoys it and he likes competing.

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