Featured Columns

Pancho Segura’s Great Nephew Matthew Excels In Vero Beach, Florida

February 29, 2020 by Randy Walker Leave a Comment

Matthew Segura, the ambidextrous great nephew of Hall of Fame legend Pancho Segura, won the Sea Oaks Mardy Fish “Wild Card” Championships Friday with an overwhelming 6-0, 6-0 final-round decision over ATP-ranked Emmett Ward of Delray Beach, Florida. It marked the third straight year that Segura, a 19-year-old from Apopka, Florida, has won this specially-created tournament that awards the winner a main-draw singles wild card entry into the $15,000 Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships USTA Pro Circuit event April 26-May 3 at The Boulevard tennis club.

Segura said the final against Ward, played in front of a crowd of about 300 people, was one of the best matches he has played in his career.

“There are hardly any occasions where I win 6-0, 6-0,” Segura said. “I just played really well. I was in the zone.”

Earlier Friday in the semifinals, Segura was lucky to advance when he came back from a set down and saved a match point before edging 18-year-old Quinn Snyder of New Jersey 4-6, 7-5, (14-12) in a match decided by a 10-point match-tiebreaker in lieu of a third set. Ward, ranked No. 1892 in singles and No. 1829 in doubles by the ATP Tour, also advanced to the final in a decisive 10-point match-tiebreaker, beating former U.S. Open doubles and mixed doubles competitor Brian Battistone of Las Vegas 6-4, 4-6 (10-2).

Segura heaped high praise on the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation and the fans, membership and staff at Sea Oaks for the atmosphere at this specially-created event, calling it a “mini ATP event.”

“It’s amazing playing in front of all these amazing people,” said Segura. “I like it here. The crowd here is amazing and it also kind of feels like a mini ATP event.”

Segura won this title in 2018 defeating Jack Vance of Las Vegas in the final and in 2019 beating Perry Gregg of Chicago in the final. Segura will likely play his first match at the 2020 MFCF Tennis Championships on Wednesday, April 29 at The Boulevard. Segura lost in the first round in his previous two appearances at the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships and is still seeking his first ATP ranking point.

Segura’s double-handed ambidextrous game is very similar to his great uncle Pancho, a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame who tutored his great nephew for 10 years before his death in 2017. Pancho’s knowledge, philosophy and coaching style was passed on to Matthew’s father Jeff, who continues to teach the “Segura style” to his son. The young Segura also has recently received tutoring from five-time U.S. Open champion Jimmy Connors, who himself was a pupil of Pancho Segura during his tennis career.

Tournament tickets and sponsorships for the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships are now on sale and can be purchased at www.MardyFishChildrensFoundation.org Daily tickets for the April 26-May 3 are $20, with “night session” tickets starting at 5 pm from April 27 – May 2 costing $10. Season tickets for every session of the event are $100. Admission for children 18 and under is free. Fans can follow news and developments on the tournament on Facebook and on Twitter at @VeroFutures. Detailed sponsorship information can be obtained by emailing Tom Fish at Ttfish10s@aol.com, Randy Walker at RWalker@NewChapterMedia.com or Lynn Southerly at LSouth1072@aol.com. Proceeds from the event benefit the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation, the non-profit tennis foundation benefiting at-risk children, named for Vero Beach native son Mardy Fish, the former top 10 tennis star and the current U.S. Davis Cup captain.

Founded in 2007, the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation (www.MardyFishChildrensFoundation.com) currently supports over 2,400 children in conjunction with several other nonprofit organization as well as 15 elementary schools and six middle schools in Indian River County, Florida by funding after-school exercise, nutritional and enrichment programs in a safe environment to prepare them for healthy, productive and successful lives. The Foundation introduced the “Six Healthy Habits” in 2012 which are Get Sleep; Drink Water; Exercise Daily, Eat Healthy; Brush and Floss; Make Friends. The Foundation’s story can also be seen in a video here: https://www.mardyfishchildrensfoundation.org/a-message-from-mardy/

Some of the past competitors at the USTA Vero Beach Futures have gone on to succeed at the highest levels of professional tennis, winning major singles and doubles titles, Olympic medals and Davis Cup championships and earning No. 1 world rankings. Andy Roddick, the 2003 U.S. Open champion who attained the world No. 1 ranking and helped the United States win the Davis Cup in 2007, competed in Vero Beach in 1999. Thomas Johansson of Sweden, who reached the second round of the Vero Beach Futures in 1995, won the Australian Open seven years later in 2002. Nicolas Massu, the 1998 singles runner-up in Vero Beach, won the singles and doubles gold medals at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, beating Fish in the gold medal singles match. Kyle Edmund, the 2013 champion in Vero Beach, helped Great Britain to the Davis Cup title in 2015. Other notable former competitors in Vero Beach include former world No. 2 Magnus Norman, former world No. 4 Tim Henman, 2016 Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonic and most recently world No. 50 player and teen sensation Denis Shapovalov, who played in Vero Beach in 2016. Former Vero Beach competitors have combined to win 19 titles in singles, doubles and mixed doubles at Grand Slam tournaments. Seven former Vero Beach players have gone on to play Davis Cup for the United States – Roddick, Fish, Taylor Dent, Jared Palmer, Donald Young, Ryan Harrison and Frances Tiafoe.

World TeamTennis Taps TennisONE To Be It’s Official Mobile App

February 25, 2020 by Randy Walker Leave a Comment

The TennisONE App, a comprehensive new mobile tennis app created and run by sports tech start-up Bleachr LLC, has been named the Official Mobile App for World TeamTennis. The announcement comes just days before the WTT Celebrity All-Star Match kicks off the 2020 World TeamTennis season at Omni La Costa Resort in Carlsbad, California on Sunday, March 1st with some of the top names in tennis.

World TeamTennis, set for its 45^th season in 2020, will join the growing number of international tennis events to be featured on the new TennisONE App, a year-round mobile hub for all-things-tennis. Fans who download the TennisONE App will be able to follow WTT teams and players, check live scores, watch video streams, monitor standings and enjoy social games that elevate the mobile fan experience.

The 2020 World TeamTennis season will showcase nine teams and 63 matches over 19 consecutive days from July 12-30, with its semifinals and finals at the Orleans Casino in Las Vegas, NV, August 1st & 2nd. It will mark the second-season under the stewardship of new Chief Executive Officer Carlos Silva.

“The World TeamTennis format is exciting and we’re thrilled to integrate the league and all of its teams into the TennisONE App,” said Kristin Geer, Bleachr’s Chief Executive Officer. “Carlos Silva and his team are revolutionizing World TeamTennis with a state-of-the-art live mobile fan experience, building on the legacy established by Billie Jean King so many years ago.”

Over the past three years, TennisONE has built its reputation in the tennis industry as the mobile app developer-of-choice for ATP and WTA tour events around the world. It has produced white-label apps for prestigious events such as the Miami Open, Rolex Paris Masters, Western & Southern Open, Hall of Fame Open, New York Open, BB&T Atlanta Open, Citi Open, Winston-Salem Open, Volvo Car Open, Delray Beach Open, Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic, Ladies Open Lausanne, Swiss Open Gstaad, and was ranked the #1 app in Canada during the Rogers Cup, two years in a row.

In addition to hosting the World TeamTennis League and Teams, TennisONE’s new year-round app is designed to feature live scores, draws, and action from all ATP and WTA tournaments globally, with exclusive social gaming opportunities for fans.

The Official Mobile App partner of World TeamTennis, the TennisONE App, is available on both iOS and Android and can be downloaded today in the App Store and on Google Play. For more information and to receive a link to download the app, click here.

World TeamTennis showcases the best in professional tennis with nine teams competing in the innovative team format for the King Trophy, the league’s championship trophy named after tennis icon and co-founder Billie Jean King. Since the league’s debut, virtually every major champion of the Open era has played WTT, including Andre Agassi, Venus and Serena Williams, Pete Sampras, Stefanie Graf, Andy Roddick, Kim Clijsters, Bob and Mike Bryan, Sloane Stephens, Martina Hingis, Maria Sharapova, Lindsay Davenport, John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert and Naomi Osaka. WTT is owned by innovator Fred Luddy and entrepreneur Eric Davidson. WTT’s 45th season will play from July 12-30, 2020, and conclude with the WTT Playoffs; league semifinals on Aug. 1 and the WTT Final on Aug. 2. For more information on World TeamTennis, please visit www.wtt.com.

Who Is Likely To Make Their ATP Top 10 Debut In 2020?

January 14, 2020 by Randy Walker Leave a Comment

by Bob Stockton

It’s typical to start a new ATP season by predicting who might be the next person to win their first Grand Slam. However, the sustained form and fitness of a certain trio of players have consistently made a mockery of those predictions. Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal look set to continue their dominance for a good few years, while you should never write off Roger Federer until the moment that he’s retired.

Rather than predicting who might win a Grand Slam this season, let’s set our sights a little lower and look at those seeking to break into the ATP top 10 for the first time in their career. These players may be eyeing up success at a Masters event this year as a more realistic objective than winning a Slam.

Felix Auger-Aliassime

Most teenagers have a clear weakness in their game that currently holds them back. This 19-year-old Canadian already looks like the complete package, comfortable on every surface. Auger-Aliassime may not head the betting markets at any of the Grand Slams this year, but it appears inevitable. Expect tipping experts like those at Betzcenter to back the Canadian at several points during the year – this may be one of the last seasons where there’s still value in getting behind him.

Auger-Aliassime reached a peak of #17 in the rankings in October 2019, but the top ten beckons. His best performance at a Slam last year came in his third-round run at Wimbledon, so there’s plenty of scope for Auger-Aliassime to rack up lots of new ranking points in 2020.

Denis Shapovalov

Auger-Aliassime’s compatriot boasts a career ranking of #14, with Shapovalov one decent tournament away from the top ten. Shapovalov made a stunning impact on the ATP Tour in 2017, beating Nadal on the way to the semi-final at the Rogers Cup. This made the Canadian the youngest male player to reach this stage at a Masters, so the top ten appeared an inevitability for this powerful hitter.

We’ve seen little reason to change that expectation in the following years, with Shapovalov going one better in 2019 and reaching his first Masters final in Paris. Shapovalov should start the new season in confident fashion, with Tennis365 reporting on his vow to reach more Masters finals this year. Already in sight of the top ten, Shapovalov will fancy his chances of overtaking the likes of David Goffin and Fabio Fognini in 2020.

Alex de Minaur

It’s probably worth giving a shout-out to someone who isn’t Canadian. De Minaur reached his career best ranking of #18 in October 2019, with the 20-year-old Australian impressing fans with his fighting spirit and on-court agility throughout the season. Those attributes stand him in good stead against the bigger hitters on tour, with many fearing that the heaviest ball strikers would overpower de Minaur.

However, the Australian has honed his offensive shots and worked on his strength – the proof is in the three ATP titles he claimed in 2019. De Minaur earned his first win against a top-1o opponent last year – Kei Nishikori at the US Open.

Those are three fairly safe predictions, so let’s end with a couple of dark horses. 18-year-old Jannik Sinner reached a career best of #78, but the Italian appears destined for big things – and soon. Andrey Rublev – career best #22 – is another player who could make a move up the rankings if one of his hot streaks coincides with a big tournament.

Can Osaka Win In Melbourne Again?

January 7, 2020 by Randy Walker 1 Comment

by Bob Stockton

Naomi Osaka announced herself on the tennis circuit by producing two outstanding runs to win the US Open and the Australian Open over a year ago. The Japanese tennis player defeated Serena Williams at Flushing Meadows to win her first Grand Slam at the end of 2018. She then followed it up with another brilliant surge to the final in Melbourne to claim the crown with a victory over Petra Kvitova to start 2019 in perfect fashion.

The 22-year-old would have been looking to exert her authority over the women’s game in the rest of 2019, but she was not able to match the excellence of her play in the rest of the Slams. She failed even to reach quarter-finals, progressing only as far as the fourth round of the US Open. Osaka will now return to Melbourne to attempt to defend her crown, being backed in the odds on Australian Open winner outright markets at 7/1 to come away with the title for the second year in a row. Williams is the favourite for the crown, but Simona Halep and Ashleigh Barty will also be in contention and present good value in the betting odds just behind Osaka.

Osaka has the quality to win once again in Melbourne, although she will have to put the disappointments from the majority of last year behind her. After her breakthrough at the US Open and the sustained success in the Australian Open, Osaka was expected to roll towards a period of dominance. She was the number one seed for the French Open at Roland Garros and produced a fine performance to see off Victoria Azarenka in the second round. However, unseeded Katerina Siniakova brushed aside Osaka in straight sets in the third round – with the Japanese admitting that she was struggling with the burden of being the top-ranked player in the draw.

Matters were even worse at Wimbledon as dropping down to the two seed made no difference to the outcome of her first-round match. Osaka was dumped out of the tournament by Yulia Putintseva in straight sets, including the decisive one 6-2. If the defeat was a reality check, it did not appear so in the first round of the US Open. Anna Blinkova took the Japanese into a decider after winning a tie-breaker in the second set, but Osaka found her form to advance.

Order appeared to be restored with victories over Magda Linette and the impressive teenager Coco Gauff. The 22-year-old faced a tough challenge in the form of Belinda Bencic in the fourth round. The Swiss was excellent on the day and secured the win in straight sets, sending the defending champion out of the tournament.

It has been a peculiar decline in form for Osaka at the majors over the past year, but she does have the opportunity to make a statement at the Australian Open. Osaka did win the China Open in October by beating Barty in straight sets, while a shoulder injury ended her season at the WTA Finals. The Japanese is perhaps the brightest talent in the women’s game and it would be a welcome sight to see her return to her best in Melbourne. The odds suggest that she can make a deep surge in the tournament and there is even value there to back her to go all the way. However, Osaka will have to put her disappointing 2019 season outside of her triumph in Melbourne to lift the crown again.

Can Rafa Nadal Usurp Roger Federer in 2020?

January 6, 2020 by Randy Walker Leave a Comment

by Bob Stockton

By the end of 2019, Roger Federer had won 20 Grand Slams and Rafa Nadal had won 19. So can the Spaniard catch up and maybe even surpass Federer in 2020? Or will the Swiss player extend his lead?

There have been moments in both player’s careers when it seemed they had passed their peak and could achieve no more, either through injuries or lack of form. But both have bounced back to hit new heights of greatness.

Federer’s dip

Federer went close to five years without winning a Grand Slam between 2012 and 2017 and looked destined to his finish career with a total of 17. But at the age of 35, he beat Nadal to win his sixth Aussie Open title and then added two more Grand Slams over the next 12 months to take his total to 20. Now aged 38, he has no immediate plans to retire and will be keen to fend off Nadal for as long as possible.

Nadal’s revival

Nadal had a three-year spell without a Grand Slam between 2014 and 2017 and went on to win another five, reaching seven finals in total over the next three seasons. It was his best run of form since the period between 2008 and 2010 when he won six Grand Slams in three seasons including three in 2010.

The 33-year-old Spaniard ended 2019 as World No. 1. He first achieved the feat in 2008 as a 22-year-old. At 33, Federer had won 17 majors, so Nadal has the edge in terms of age-to-Grand Slam ratios.

Who will win what in 2020?

Federer is now 38 years of age and has started picking and choosing his tournaments more carefully in an attempt to peak at the Grand Slam events. He already has his eye on the Australian Open but will face stiff competition from Novak Djokovic who has bossed the event over the last decade and will start as favourite in the Aussie Open tennis betting in 2020.

Djokovic in the equation

Despite Federer’s brilliance, it is hard to see him stopping the Serbian this time around. After a blip in 2017, the 32-year-old is back to his best and has won four of the last six Grand Slams available. A win Down Under would put him just two Grand Slams short of Nadal and three short of the Swiss.

Nadal has only won once in Melbourne and twice at Wimbledon so his best chance of overtaking Federer will come in the French Open, where he has 12 titles, and the US Open, where he is the reigning champion having beaten Daniil Medvedev in 2019. Based on current form, he will be favourite to win both and that would put him on 21 slams.

With Djokovic favourite to win in Australia and Wimbledon, we predict the season will end with Nadal on 21 Grand Slams, Federer on 20 and Djokovic on 18. The question then will be whether Djokovic can overtake Federer and catch Nadal. Tennis fans should pinch themselves as it may be some time before we see the likes of these three again.

FanHub Expands Relationship With ATP By Launching ATP Cup Bracket Challenge Game

December 26, 2019 by Randy Walker Leave a Comment

FanHub, the largest provider of casual, free to play sports-focused digital gaming platforms in the world, today announced that they have expanded their relationship with the ATP, building and launching the first-ever bracket challenge game for the inaugural ATP Cup, which will be held in Brisbane, Perth and Sydney, Australia from January 3 through 12. The six winners of each group and the two best second-placed finishers will qualify for the quarterfinals.

“Tennis has long been one of the sports where fans have enjoyed competitive gaming and being able to work with the ATP in building this bracket challenge will be a great way to expose this unique, first-time event to a global audience,” said Andrew Cronyn, Managing Director FanHub. “The free to play game enables the ATP to engage with fans throughout the tournament, giving them a reason to keep coming back to ATP’s digital platform and bringing the sport of tennis to the forefront.. We believe this will help set a year-round standard for sports like tennis and golf to consistently grow their fanbase like never before.”

“We have always enjoyed the best in class work provided by FanHub, and we believe that this new project will help us elevate the ATP Cup and enhance the fan engagement around our major season launch event to a new level through casual gaming,” said Ross Hutchins, Managing Director, ATP Cup. “While our core fans will enjoy the competition, the ability to gamify the event leads us to a bigger goal, which is having casual fans more engaged, and this will be a solid step in helping reach that point.”

Users must select the group winners from six groups, consisting of four countries, as well as the two best second placed finishers across the groups to qualify for the quarterfinals. After that, the knockout rounds: quarterfinals, semi-finals and final. Using their pre-populated bracket based on their group stage predictions, users will pick the team to progress from each knockout match through to the final, the user who predicts the complete bracket will be eligible for tickets to the 2021 ATP Cup. There will also be daily matches for fans to follow every day throughout the ATP Cup.

The game can be found at https://www.atptour.com/en/atp-cup-bracket-challenge#/

About FanHub Media

Launched in 2012, FanHub was created in Australia by a group of disruptive entrepreneurs who had a passion for engagement in sport. Now with offices in New York City, London and Melbourne, FanHub builds and operates more than 100 products annually to provide commercial opportunities such as sponsorship revenue, conversion to paid products and most importantly, significant fan engagement. Originally launched with Australian Rules Football, we now work with partners that include the NFL, NBA, MLB, MLS, Turner, the ATP, NewsUK, Draftkings and others to engage in competitive, casual gaming for more than five million fans globally. Whether it’s fantasy sports, a bracket challenge, pick ‘em, trivia, polling or anything else our clients dream up, our platform provides industry-leading reliability, performance and stability. For more details go to http://fanhubmedia.com/.

About the ATP

The ATP is the governing body of the men’s professional tennis circuits – the ATP Tour, the ATP Challenger Tour and the ATP Champions Tour. With 64 tournaments in 30 countries, the ATP Tour showcases the finest male athletes competing in the world’s most exciting venues. From Australia to Europe and the Americas to Asia, the stars of the 2019 ATP Tour will battle for prestigious titles and ATP Rankings points at ATP Masters 1000, 500 and 250 events, as well as Grand Slams (non-ATP events). The 2020 season will launch in January with the inaugural ATP Cup in Australia, and will culminate with only the world’s top 8 qualified singles players and doubles teams competing for the last title of the season at the Nitto ATP Finals in November. Held at The O2 in London, the event will officially crown the 2020 ATP World No. 1. For more information, please visit www.ATPTour.com.

Historic Tennis Book “The Pros: The Forgotten Era of Tennis” Now For Sale

December 1, 2019 by TennisGrandstand

“The Pros: The Forgotten Era of Tennis,” written by Australian doctor, writer and peace activist Peter Underwood, and which chronicles and narrates one of the most misunderstood and little-known eras of world tennis, the Professional or Pro Era, is now available for sale around the world in English, via book publisher New Chapter Press.

“The Pros” (available here via amazon.com https://www.amazon.com/Pros-Forgotten-Era-Tennis/dp/1937559912/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=The+Pros+Peter+Underwood&qid=1574131803&sr=8-1) describes the Era through the stories of eight great tennis champions – Bill Tilden, Ellsworth Vines, Don Budge, Bobby Riggs, Jack Kramer, Pancho Gonzales, Ken Rosewall and Rod Laver – who dominated the pro arenas beginning in 1930 through to the start of the “Open Era” in 1968. Underwood explains why these celebrated champions were forced into what was often called a traveling circus, and where these sporting outcasts played each other during long and rather tatty tours all over the world, far from the cushy confines of what was then the amateur game at Wimbledon, Forest Hills and Roland Garros.

The book was written by Australian doctor, academic, writer and life-long tennis enthusiast Peter Underwood, whose also works as a peace activist with the Medical Association for Prevention of War, and which achieved global fame in 2017 when the organization it had founded, the International Campaign Against Nuclear Weapons, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. A native of Perth, Australia, Underwood divides his time between peace work, medical education, growing fine wool, broadcasting and writing. A passionate student of tennis since childhood, The Pros is his first nonfiction book.

Founded in 1987, New Chapter Press (www.NewChapterMedia.com) is also the publisher of “The Greatest Tennis Matches of All-Time” by Steve Flink, “The Education of a Tennis Player” by Rod Laver with Bud Collins, “The Secrets of Spanish Tennis” by Chris Lewit, “The Bud Collins History of Tennis” by Bud Collins, “The Wimbledon Final That Never Was” by Sidney Wood, “Titanic: The Tennis Story” by Lindsay Gibbs, “Macci Magic: Extracting Greatness From Yourself And Others” by Rick Macci with Jim Martz, “Andy Murray, Wimbledon Champion: The Full Extraordinary Story” by Mark Hodgkinson, “Cattle To Courts: A History of Tennis In Texas” by Ken McAllister, “Sport of a Lifetime: Enduring Personal Stories From Tennis” by Judy Aydelott, “Trojan Tennis: A History of the Storied Men’s Tennis Program at the University of Southern California” by S. Mark Young, “Absolute Tennis: The Best And Next Way To Play The Game” by Marty Smith, “How To Permanently Erase Negative Self Talk So You Can Be Extraordinary” by Emily Filloramo, “Acing Depression: A Tennis Champion’s Toughest Match” by Cliff Richey and Hilaire Richey Kallendorf, “Your Playbook For Beating Depression: Essential Strategies For Managing and Living with Depression” by Cliff Richey and Mary Garrison, “Roger Federer: Quest for Perfection” by Rene Stauffer, “The Days of Roger Federer” by Randy Walker, “Jan Kodes: A Journey To Glory From Behind The Iron Curtain” by Jan Kodes with Peter Kolar, “Tennis Made Easy” by Kelly Gunterman, “On This Day In Tennis History” by Randy Walker, “A Player’s Guide To USTA League Tennis” by Tony Serksnis, “Court Confidential: Inside The World Of Tennis” by Neil Harman, “A Backhanded Gift” by Marshall Jon Fisher, “Boycott: Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games” by Tom Caraccioli and Jerry Caraccioli (www.Boycott1980.com), “Internet Dating 101: It’s Complicated, But It Doesn’t Have To Be” by Laura Schreffler, “How To Sell Your Screenplay” by Carl Sautter, “Bone Appetit: Gourmet Cooking For Your Dog” by Suzan Anson, “The Rules of Neighborhood Poker According to Hoyle” by Stewart Wolpin among others.

Nitto ATP Finals Caps Record ATP Attendance For 2019

November 21, 2019 by TennisGrandstand

LONDON — The 2019 Nitto ATP Finals, held for an 11th consecutive year at The O2 in London, provided a thrilling finale to the 2019 ATP Tour season, bringing attendance across the 63 ATP events throughout the year to a record 4.82 million fans, while online consumption of the season finale hit unprecedented heights.

21-year-old Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas defeated Austria’s Dominic Thiem in a memorable singles final, 6-7(6), 6-2, 7-6(4), to complete a remarkable week of matches at The O2. It was only the third time in the history of the tournament (since 1970) that the singles championship match came down to a final set tie-break (1988, Becker d. Lendl; 2005, Nalbandian d. Federer).

Tsitsipas, who had won the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan just one year earlier, captured the biggest title of his career, as well 1,300 ATP Rankings points and US$2,656,000 in prize money. At just 21 years, 3 months, the Greek became the youngest champion since 20-year-old Hewitt in 2001, and 6th-youngest champion in tournament history.

In doubles, the French pairing of Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut captured the season-ending title for the first time in their careers, defeating Raven Klaasen and Michael Venus, 6-3, 6-4.

The season finale attracted 242,883 fans to The O2 across the eight days of competition, bringing the tournament’s cumulative attendance since 2009 to 2,803,967. This year’s attendance at The O2 elevated the attendance across the ATP Tour’s 63 events in 2019 to more than 4.82 million fans, an all-time record. The previous highest attendance had been set in 2017 (4.57 million).

The 2019 Nitto ATP Finals also attracted record audiences online, as the tournament generated unprecedented levels of fan engagement across social and digital media platforms. The event received almost 400m impressions on tournament related content – a 97% increase on 2018. And with 12.4m interactions generated across ATP and Tennis TV social media platforms, the 2019 event became the best performing ATP Tour tournament on social, a 145% increase on the previous year. Tennis TV received 41.24 million video views on social media throughout the tournament, taking the platform’s total views on social media in 2019 to more than 1 billion.

Away from the match action, the ATP’s new ATP Tour app was successfully launched, while a five-year renewal of the Tour’s premier partnership with Emirates was also announced.

The ATP’s crown jewel event is to be held at The O2 in London for a 12th consecutive and final time in 2020, before moving to Turin, Italy, in 2021. Fans are able to purchase pre-sale tickets for the 2020 Nitto ATP Finals from today, by visiting: https://www.axs.com/NittoATPFinals_presale

BY THE NUMBERS:

• 399,112,369 – number of impressions across all ATP digital platforms (ATPTour.com, NittoATPFinals.com, live scoring apps, and social media platforms, and Tennis TV) throughout the event, a YOY increase of 97%.
• 69,110,871 – number of video plays on ATP digital media platforms, including ATPTour.com, NittoATPFinals.com, ATP & Tennis TV social media platforms, a year-on-year increase of 88%.
• 41,240,000 – number of Tennis TV social media video views, taking the platform’s total views on social media in 2019 to more than 1 billion.
• 12,397,163 – number or interactions (likes, comments, retweets, replies etc.) on ATP and Tennis TV social media platforms throughout the event, a year-on-year increase of 145%.
• 9,000,000 – amount of prize money (US$) on offer at the 2019 season finale.
• 6,200,000 – viewership in the UK of the BBC Breakfast programme that featured an exclusive sit-down interview with all eight singles players ahead of the season finale. The clip was also viewed on social media more than a quarter of a million times.
• 4,823,370 – number of fans that attended the 63 tournaments ATP tournaments in 2019, an all-time record.
• 2,803,964– cumulative attendance at the season-ending tournament since it moved to London in 2009.
• 2,656,000 – amount of prize money (US$) that Stefanos Tsitsipas won by capturing the title.
• 1,570,000 – number of streams on Tennis TV, the ATP’s official live streaming service, with each viewer watching an average of 475 minutes each.
• 242,880 – attendance inside The O2 arena across the eight days.
• 60,000 – number of single use plastic cups removed from the waste stream through elimination of single use cups and use of tournament take-home cups.
• 3,410 – metres of string used by Tecnifibre, Official Stringers of the Nitto ATP Finals, during the tournament.
• 1,300 – ATP Rankings points won by Stefanos Tsitsipas.
• 310 – number of racquets strung by Tecnifibre during the tournament. No plastic bags were used in the delivery of newly strung racquets to players by the official tournament stringers.
• 11 – number of years the event has been held at The O2 in London. The only city to host the season finale longer is New York, which held the season finale for 13 years from 1977-1989.
• 8 – number of different nations represented in the singles field, for the fourth consecutive year.
• 5 – number of times Nadal, Djokovic and Federer have finished the season as year-end No.1.
• 4 – number of singles players 23-and-under in the field (Tsitsipas, Zverev, Berrettini, Medvedev), the most since 2009.
• 1 – number of continents (Europe) represented in the singles field, a first in the 50-year history of the event.

Can Roger Federer Win Another Grand Slam Title?

November 16, 2019 by TennisGrandstand

There is no debate that when it comes to men’s singles tennis, Roger Federer is the G.O.A.T (Greatest Of All Time). Currently third in the ATP world rankings, but with 103 career titles to his name, Federer holds the record for the most Grand Slams with 20. His last came at the 2018 Australian Open and as we gear up to 2020’s tournament, let’s take a look at the Swiss Maestro’s career and future.

After years of dominance, injuries are starting to take their toll on the Swiss ace and this year he failed to win a major title. The two-time defending champion lost out in the fourth round of the first Grand Slam of the year. Rising star Stefanos Tsitsipas was FedEx’s opponent in Melbourne and the 14th seed turned around his losing start, going on to win 6–7(11-13), 7–6(7-3), 7–5, 7–6(7-5).

In June’s French Open, old foes Federer and Nadal met at the semi-final stage. The Spaniard is unstoppable on clay, his favoured surface, and so it proved again. He dispatched Federer in straight sets 6–3, 6–4, 6–2, before beating Dominic Thiem in the final to win a 12th French Open title, and yet another record.

Grass season came around and attention turned to Wimbledon. Federer reached the final here, his best performance of 2019’s Grand Slam calendar. Facing Novak Djokovic, the two played out the longest singles final in Wimbledon history. It took Djokovic four hours and 57 minutes to defeat Federer 7–6(7–5), 1–6, 7–6(7–4), 4–6, 13–12(7–3).
2019’s final Grand Slam, the US Open, saw Federer crash out in the quarter-finals. Unseeded Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, who has fallen down the rankings to 78th in the world, rediscovered some of his old form to come from a set down and beat Federer 3–6, 6–4, 3–6, 6–4, 6–2.

If you’re looking at the latest odds on the Australian Open, you’ll find Federer slightly down the pecking order at odds of 17/2, behind his rivals Nadal and Djokovic, and world number 4 Daniil Medvedev.

Since the US Open, Federer has only played a handful of events: the Shanghai Masters, the Swiss Indoors (which he won) and the ATP finals. But after that, he’s decided that he won’t play in any professional tournaments for almost two months. It’s a move that could pay off – after all, he reached the semi-finals of the French Open after three years away from the clay court.

Of his decision not to partake in any of the Australian Open warm-up competitions, Federer said: “I think with age and experience I can be confident about what I do in training. I’ll travel to Melbourne early to give myself the best chance to be ready. I believe I can be ready. I don’t think I need a ton of matches especially on the hard courts but maybe I’m a bit more dependent on the draw early on at the Australian Open but the key is health and if I’m healthy I know stuff can be achieved.”

Since Federer last won a Grand Slam title, Djokovic has won four and Nadal has won three. His rivals are hot on the heels of his record, with the Serbian on 16 and the Spaniard just one behind on 19. You can’t help but feel that time is running out for FedEx. Should the other two members of the ‘Big Three’ stay fit, they have the potential of overtaking his tally.

Tommy Haas Wins Oracle Champions Cup

November 14, 2019 by TennisGrandstand

HOUSTON – Tommy Haas defeated Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-4 Thursday in the one-set final of the Oracle Champions Cup Presented by RBC Wealth Management to complete an undefeated season on the Invesco Series QQQ circuit and claim the season-long points title on the North American tennis circuit for champion tennis players over the age of 30.

Haas, the former world No. 2 and silver medalist at the 2000 Olympic Games, finished the 2019 Invesco Series QQQ season with a perfect 10-0 record, winning titles in Newport Beach, Calif, Maui, Hawaii, New Haven, Connecticut, Los Angeles and in the season finale in Houston Thursday played indoors at the Tudor Fieldhouse at Rice University. Haas is the first player in the 15-year history of the Invesco Series to be an undefeated year-end points champion.

“I didn’t really think about it,” said the 41-year-old Haas of his season-long effort finishing atop the Invesco Series QQQ rankings. “Every time I come out I try to play as good as I can and I enjoy myself as well. If it ends up with a win, great. I try to just compete. If the other person is better than me then so be it. This year, it’s been working pretty good.”

Despite being retired from playing tennis full-time on the ATP Tour since 2017, Haas said that fitness is still important in his life, as he said it should be for all people to get out and exercise.

“Fitness, in general, is so important,” he said. “Even as you don’t play competitive sports anymore or whatever it is that you do, you have to keep doing something every day if you can. It’s easier said than done but even for me, I don’t go out and play tennis every day, but I try to do some kind of activity. The body just needs that otherwise you get stiff. You sit around all day, you don’t do anything. Especially when you want to come out here and try to move quite well. Line yourself up to the shot the right way and still try to have some core strength, and the leg strength, so you got to stay with it.”

Since joining the Invesco Series at the start of the 2018 season, Haas has compiled an impressive 15-3 won-loss record. Last year, he won titles in Charleston, S.C. and Kohala Coast, Hawaii.

To advance to the final in Houston, Haas defeated 2003 U.S. Open champion Andy Roddick 6-2 while Ferrero, the 2003 French Open champion and a former world No. 1, defeated for U.S. Davis Cup hero and world No. 4 James Blake 6-4. Blake’s loss to Ferrero officially clinched the points title for Haas, who finished the season with 1600 points.

Blake, a former NCAA singles finalist for Harvard, finished in second place in the season-long rankings with 1300 points, winning titles in Tampa, San Jose, California, and Toronto. Ferrero, from Spain, was appearing in his first career Invesco Series QQQ tournament.

Invesco Series QQQ tournament results from this year are as follows:

January 26 – Newport Beach, CA (Newport Beach Tennis Club) F: Tommy Haas def. Andy Roddick 7-6(2); SF: Tommy Haas def. Mardy Fish 6-3, Andy Roddick def. James Blake 6-3

April 4 – Tampa, FL (Innisbrook Resort) F: James Blake def. Jim Courier 6-3; SF: James Blake def. Mardy Fish 6-3, Jim Courier def. John McEnroe 7-6(4)

April 6 – Charleston, SC (Volvo Car Stadium) F: Lleyton Hewitt def. Andy Roddick 6-2; SF: Lleyton Hewitt def. Mats Wilander 6-3, Andy Roddick def. Jim Courier 6-4

May 4-5 – Maui, HI (Royal Lahaina Resort) F: Tommy Haas def. Mardy Fish 6-4; SF: Tommy Haas def. Mark Philippoussis 6-2, Mardy Fish def. Michael Chang 6-3

July 21 – Newport, RI (International Tennis Hall of Fame) F: Todd Martin def. Mats Wilander 6-2 SF: Todd Martin def. Yevgeny Kafelnikov 6-4, Mats Wilander def. Jim Courier 6-2

August 3 – San Jose, CA (San Jose State University) F: James Blake def. Mark Philippoussis 7-6(4); SF: James Blake def. Michael Chang 6-2, Mark Philippoussis def. Andy Roddick 7-6(4)

September 7 – New Haven, CT (Yale University) F: Tommy Haas def. Mark Philippoussis 6-4; SF Mark Philippoussis def. Andy Roddick 6-4, Tommy Haas def. James Blake 6-2.

September 26 – Toronto, ON (Mattamy Athletic Centre): F: James Blake def. Robby Ginepri 6-4; SF: James Blake def. Jim Courier 6-3, Robby Ginepri def. Andy Roddick 6-4.

October 26 – Los Angeles, CA – (Sherwood Country Club) F: Tommy Haas def. Mardy Fish 6-2, SF: Tommy Haas def. Andy Roddick 6-3, Mardy Fish def. Jim Courier 6-3

November 14 – Houston, TX – (Rice University) F: Tommy Haas def. Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-4, SF: Tommy Haas def. Andy Roddick 6-2, Juan Carlos Ferrero def. James Blake 6-4.

In 2018, Blake won his first Invesco Series QQQ year-long points championship by winning titles in Winston-Salem, New Haven and Houston, while also finishing as runner-up in Los Angeles and Orlando.

In 2017, the year-long points championship was decided in the final match of the season when Andy Roddick defeated James Blake in the Los Angeles final at the Sherwood Country Club. Roddick, the 2003 U.S. Open champion and world No. 1, won four Invesco Series QQQ titles in all in 2017, winning in Birmingham, Ala., Chicago, Lincoln, Neb., and Los Angeles. Blake, the former world No. 4 and former U.S. Davis Cup star, won series titles in Charleston, S.C., Winston-Salem, N.C. and in Lynchburg, Va.

In 2016, Mark Philippoussis won the Series points title with 1600 points and tournament titles in Memphis, Tulsa, Newport, Winston-Salem and New Haven. Roddick finished in second place, also earning 1600 points but losing the head-to-head tiebreaker with Philippoussis 5-2, while winning titles in Charleston, St. Louis, Los Angeles and Orlando. Blake finished in third place with 1100 points and tournament titles in Chicago, Portland and Brooklyn.

In 2015, Roddick won the Series points title in his second year of competing on the series with 1,600 points. Roddick won a record eight events Los Angeles, Lincoln, Chicago, Austin, Little Rock, Dallas, Richmond and Minneapolis. Blake finished second in the points rankings with 1,200 points, winning events in Boston and Cincinnati. Philippoussis finished in third with 1,100 points, winning titles in Salt Lake City and Vancouver. The year before in 2014, McEnroe won the points title for the first time in the nine-year history of Invesco Series QQQ tennis by winning events in Kansas City, Indianapolis, Nashville and Charlotte.

ABOUT INSIDEOUT SPORTS + ENTERTAINMENT
InsideOut Sports + Entertainment is a Los Angeles based producer of proprietary events and promotions founded in 2004 by former world No. 1 and Hall of Fame tennis player Jim Courier and former SFX and Clear Channel executive Jon Venison. In 2005, InsideOut launched its signature property, the Champions Series, a collection of tournaments featuring the greatest names in tennis over the age of 30. In addition, InsideOut produces many other successful events including “Legendary Night” exhibitions, The World Series of Beach Volleyball and numerous corporate outings. Since inception, InsideOut Sports + Entertainment has raised over $5 million for charity. In 2014, InsideOut Sports + Entertainment merged with Horizon Media, the largest privately held media services agency in the world. For more information, please log on to www.InsideOutSE.com or InvescoSeries.com or follow on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

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Horizon Media, Inc. is the largest and fastest growing privately held media services agency in the world. The company was founded in 1989, is headquartered in New York and has offices in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Chicago. Horizon Media was chosen as 2011 Independent Media Agency of the Year by Mediapost, 2010 U.S. Media Agency of the Year by Adweek, Brandweek, and Mediaweek as well as by Ad Age and as one of the world’s ten most innovative marketing and advertising companies by Fast Company in 2011. In 2012, Bill Koenigsberg, President, CEO and Founder, was honored by Advertising Age as Industry Executive of the Year. Most recently, in 2014, Bill Koenigsberg was named 4As Chair of the Board and is the first person from a media agency to hold this prestigious position in the 100 year history of the 4As, the marketing industry’s leading trade association. The company’s mission is “To create the most meaningful brand connections within the lives of people everywhere.” By delivering on this mission through a holistic approach to brand marketing, Horizon Media has become one of the largest and fastest-growing media agencies in the industry, with estimated billings of over $5.3 billion and over 1,200 employees. The company is also a founding member of Columbus Media International, a multi-national partnership of independent media agencies. For more information, pleasevisithorizonmedia.com.

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Invesco Ltd. is an independent investment management firm dedicated to delivering an investment experience that helps people get more out of life. NYSE: IVZ; Invesco.com, Invesco Distributors, Inc. is the US distributor for Invesco Ltd. and is a wholly owned, indirect subsidiary of Invesco Ltd.”