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ATP Champions Tour Bids Adieu To Royal Albert Hall

November 29, 2021 by Randy Walker Leave a Comment

The ATP Champions Tour’s Champions Tennis at the Royal Albert Hall came to a close on Sunday night, with team Greg taking home the trophy. Across the four days, tennis fans laughed, cheered – and some even had the chance to play – with some of the world’s greatest players, with 2021 wrapping up 24 years of Champions Tennis at the iconic British venue.

During the evening session, Tommy Haas defeated Tomáš Berdych, 4-1, 4-3(1), Xavier Malisse defeated Marcos Baghdatis 4-2, 4-3(2), and the final match of the evening saw Radek Štěpánek defeat Fernando González 4-2, 4-3(0).

At the end of the four day event, Team Greg lifted the trophy above their heads as the clear victors in this year’s tournament, with Team Mark coming in second and Team Goran in third.

Over the last 24 years, Champions Tennis has seen players through the ages who have held the World No. 1 ranking, reached a Grand Slam singles final or been a singles player in a victorious Davis Cup team, compete in a mixture of team and individual events in both singles and doubles.

Across the four days some of the biggest legends of the game took to the stage in front of a full house, including British star and US Open champion Emma Raducanu who faced Romanian and Hamburg European Open winner Elena-Gabriela Ruse. Other stars included British favourite Greg Rusedski, fan favourite Mansour Bahrami, Chilean Fernando González, Spaniard David Ferrer, 2006 Australian Open runner up Marcos Baghdatis, and former doubles number four player Radek Štěpánek. Other players who competed in the tournament include ‘X-Man’ Xavier Malisse, Australian legend Mark Philippoussis, 2010 Wimbledon finalist Tomáš Berdych, former top-fiver Thomas Enqvist, former Russian number one Mikhail Youzhny, German Tommy Haas, Swede and Canada Masters winner Mikael Pernfors, and Spaniard Nicolás Almagro.

2021 also marked the last time the tournament was held at the historic Royal Albert Hall.

Paul McCann, VP, Tennis Events at IMG said: “For 24 years we’ve given fans the amazing opportunity to watch their favourite tennis superstars play in the iconic Royal Albert Hall, and this year has been like no other. It’s fantastic to see the players compete on the court again, and for a final time, cheered on by the roar of the packed crowd.”

Sponsors of Champions Tennis at Royal Albert Hall include: Original Penguin, Rado, Lacoste Fragrances Dunlop ,Superstars, OneStream Software, Brewin Dolphin, Stella Artois, Harrogate, Vodafone, Jaguar, Nyetimber, onefinestay, Adnams, Lavazza. For more information please visit Champions Tennis on Twitter @ChampionsTennis and on Instagram @champions_tennis. This year’s Champions Tennis tournament was live streamed on ATPChampionsTour and on Facebook at The ATP Champions Tour

Hallmark WTA Rankings For 2021 Season

November 24, 2021 by TennisGrandstand Leave a Comment

The WTA celebrated the historic ranking milestones achieved across the 2021 season following the announcement of the 2021 year-end rankings.

Highlights from a record-breaking year include six women making their Top 10 debuts across the season, with three countries – Tunisia, Greece and Estonia – being represented in the Top 10 for the first time in WTA history, and six teenagers finishing inside the Top 100.

In addition, the 2021 WTA Year-End World No.1 Ranking in singles and doubles belongs to Ashleigh Barty and Katerina Siniakova respectively, four players finished in the Top 50 in both singles and doubles, while overall 35 countries and regions are represented in the singles year-end Top 100.

A breakdown of the Top 10 year-end finishers is below, and for more record-setting and notable information on the 2021 WTA year-end rankings, click here.

1.Ashleigh Barty: For the third consecutive year, Barty finishes the year at No.1, joining Stefanie Graf, Martina Navratilova, Serena Williams and Chris Evert as the only players to finish as year-end No.1 for three consecutive years.

2.Aryna Sabalenka: The 23-year-old Belarusian becomes the 33rd different woman to finish the year in the Top 2 since the rankings were introduced in 1975.

3.Garbiñe Muguruza: After three consecutive year-end Top 10 finishes (from 2015 to 2017), Muguruza’s AKRON WTA Finals Guadalajara title lifts her to a No.3 year-end ranking after finishing last season ranked No.15.

4.Karolina Pliskova: This is Pliskova’s sixth consecutive Top 10 finish, the longest active streak.For the first time since 1986, there are two women representing the Czech Republic ranked in the year-end Top 5 as Pliskova finishes at No.4 and Krejcikova at No.5. In 1986, Hana Mandlikova finished at No.4 and Helena Sukova at No.5.

5.Barbora Krejcikova: Krejcikova’s previous-best year-end ranking was No.65 (2020). She is the only woman to finish the year in the Top 10 in singles (at No.5) and doubles (at No.2).

6.Maria Sakkari: The first Greek woman to finish the year in the Top 10, Sakkari has improved her year-end ranking for the 11th consecutive year.

7.Anett Kontaveit: With her ranking of No.7, Kontaveit posts the highest year-end finish by an Estonian, previously belonging to Kaia Kanepi, who finished 2012 ranked No.19. Kontaveit’s previous season-ending best ranking was No.21 (2018).

8.Paula Badosa: For the first time since 2000, Spain has two women in the year-end Top 10 as Badosa joins Muguruza. In 2000, Conchita Martinez (No.5) and Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario (No.9) both finished in the Top 10.

9.Iga Swiatek: The 20-year-old becomes the second Polish woman to finish the year in the Top 10, joining Agnieszka Radwanska, who finished in the year-end Top 10 eight times during her illustrious career.

10.Ons Jabeur: A breakthrough year for Jabeur concludes with yet another milestone as she becomes the first Arab woman to finish in the Top 10 at No.10 after climbing as high as No.7 on November 1.

What To Look Out For When Choosing A Tennis Betting Offer

November 9, 2021 by TennisGrandstand Leave a Comment

When it comes to betting on your favourite sports, simplicity is usually the key – however, in the world of tennis, strategy is crucial to ensure you win.

With a multitude of available ways to easily bet on the outcome current and future matches, which may appear complicated on the surface, it is essential that you look for the type of bet suitable to your finances and your desired outcome, alongside the specific terms of such.

Whether you choose to bet via spreads, moneylines, or totals, it is integral that before you place your bet there is a cohesive understanding of how these vary and what you need to look for to maximise your betting potential.

The Right Market

With an extensive list of tennis betting markets to choose from, selecting the one that suits your desired gambling experience can be complicated. The most frequented markets are:

Head-to-Head bets.
Set and match handicaps.
Number of sets.
Amount of aces.
Correct set score.
Outright tournament winner.

Depending on which demographic suits your finances and which type of bet offers the best odds, the ideal market can be established. However, be wary of placing huge wagers on the favourite in the initial rounds of the tournaments, as you will often receive very minute odds and may not receive many winnings from your bet unless the favourite triumphs for a majority of the tournament.

Therefore, the need to correctly identify the market that corresponds with your willingness to take risks is essential prior to placing any bets.

Clear Terms and Conditions

Whilst a majority of gambling companies that provide facilities in which you can use to freely bet on Tennis focus on being straightforward with the process, yet many sportsbooks differentiate when it comes to the terms of use.

Also due to the procedural variations between sportsbooks companies, there may be payment restrictions only included within the fine print. These restrictions can make withdrawing your earnings complicated due to requirements that are not always attainable. Whilst most sportsbooks that offer bets on tennis have minimal requirements before permitting you to release any funds, some draw gamblers in with tempting initial offers, yet place extensive requirements that often withhold funds from betters.

In order to avoid any potential regulatory complications or fees during your betting experience, ensure that you understand and consent to the terms and conditions after thoroughly reading them.

The Best Value For Your Money

Due to the excess of fantastical promotions and deals boasting unrealistic odds and free bets, it is crucial to determine the genuine value of these promotions. With various platforms competing for your attention and your bets, it is important to be able to distinguish between deals that are trying to exploit your finances, compared to those trying to maximise your bets.

If the promotion is only applicable if you’ve made a specific number of prior bets with a minimum spend – then perhaps this is not the most accessible promotion for the occasional better around the prime tennis seasons each year, such companies like Unibet offer great signup bonuses like €/£40 for new tennis customers.. Yet a promotion offering to double your bet or provide you with an incentive applicable for use on a second bet, is a more probable option.

In order to gauge the best value for your money, identifying the nature of your betting habits is a key way to ensure you can maximise the potential of your tennis bets.

Know Your Players

Normally during a tennis season, the seasoned favourites have a tendency to excel within the first opening matches – yet placing your bets on the favourite is not always the most beneficial strategy.

It is crucial to understand the playing style of a broad variety of the players; knowing their performance against left handed players, or knowing their average performance on different pitches; all of which is essential to establishing players potential for success.

Also gaining knowledge on less popular players or the ‘underdogs’ could prove beneficial for hypothesising their performance further into the tournament and provide an insight as to the potential they have at successfully winning against more seasoned players.

In gathering more cohesive knowledge of the players, you could be at a more advanced standpoint and be able to make more sensible bets that aren’t based on biases, simply tactic and performance.

Taking a more active approach in your betting strategy could unlock a series of potential opportunities for you to win big and maximise your betting success when watching your favourite tennis tournaments.

No Vax, No Australian Open, Says Victorian Government

October 24, 2021 by Randy Walker Leave a Comment

The Australian state of Victoria announced that no athlete who has not been fully vaccinated will be allowed to participate in major events, including the upcoming Australian Open in January 2022.

Federal Immigration Minister Alex Hawke confirmed the state’s ruling during a radio interview with local news outlet ABC News on Wednesday morning.

“The government, in establishing its borders, has said that you’ll need to be double vaccinated to visit Australia,” said Hawke.

“That’s a universal application, not just to tennis players. I mean that every visitor to Australia will need to be double vaccinated.”

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has remained firm that exemptions would not be made for anyone.

“[The virus] doesn’t care what your tennis ranking is, or how many Grand Slams you’ve won. It’s completely irrelevant. You need to be vaccinated to keep yourself safe and to keep others safe,” he said on Tuesday.

One of the most vocal opponents to player vaccine mandates has been Serbia’s World No.1 Novak Djokovic, who has refused to comment on his vaccination status.

“I will not reveal my status, whether I have been vaccinated or not. It is a private matter and an inappropriate inquiry,” he said to the online edition of Serbian daily Blic.

The ban could put Djokovic’s chances of a Grand Slam in jeopardy.

This month, Andrews announced a vaccine mandate for all domestic professional athletes requiring them to have received their first dose by October 15 and their second by November 26.

Forest Hills Seeking More Davis Cup, Pro Events After Successful South Africa – Venezuela Tie

September 23, 2021 by Randy Walker Leave a Comment

Davis Cup was played last weekend at the historic Forest Hills Stadium at the West Side Tennis Club for the first time since 1959.

The club hopes it won’t be another 62 years before it happens again.

South Africa defeated Venezuela 4-0 in the Davis Cup by Rakuten Group II Playoff Series, highlighted by victories in singles and doubles by rising ATP star Lloyd Harris, fresh off reaching the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open the previous week just three miles down the road also in Queens, New York. With the execution of this event under its belt, the long-time former home of the U.S. Open and U.S. Championships is in the market to host more Davis Cup matches or other big tennis events in the near future.

“We would love to host more Davis Cup matches or other big pro events at Forest Hills Stadium,” said Jason Weir-Smith. “The West Side Tennis Club has proven to be a suitable and enjoyable site for players and fans with an unparalleled tennis history in the United States. With New York, and specifically the borough of Queens, being one of the most ethnically diverse communities in the world, Forest Hills would be particularly attractive for national team events or tournaments with popular international tennis stars.”

The South Africa vs. Venezuela Davis Cup series was pulled together with just over one month of lead time. While Tennis South Africa, the host nation for the series, chose not to pay associated production and permitting fees to allow for the event to be ticketed for the general public, the club received almost a thousand email inquiries for tickets for the event. The event was attended by 200 enthusiastic invitation-only guests.

“People are nostalgic for tennis at Forest Hills and those who perhaps are too young to see pro tennis here have certainly seen videos and pictures that display the majesty, beauty and history of the club,” said Weir-Smith.

Following his opening singles victory over Venezuela, Harris, the South African No. 1 player, said competing on the Forest Hills Stadium court was “very special.”

“This is an incredible venue, so much history,” Harris said. “I learned so much about this venue and its history over the last few days. I’m obviously very, very honored to be playing and in a special place.”

“It’s a great honor for me to represent my country, especially at a place like this,” said South African No. 2 Philip Henning. “We love our sport, and this place is one of the places with the most history for tennis. I think a lot of big names played on this court.”

Said Venezuelan No. 1 player Ricardo Rodriguez following his singles loss to Henning, “As a player you always dream to be in the historic venues and the important sites and the most famous stadiums and arenas all over the world, and this is one of them. So, even though I lost, I still feel proud. I still feel lucky to be here.”

The West Side Tennis Club features 40 tennis courts on five surfaces, grass, red clay, Har-Tru courts, DecoTurf hard courts and synthetic grass. The 13,000-seat horseshoe-shaped Forest Hills Stadium was christened on August 11, 1923 with the Wightman Cup matches and hosted the finals of the U.S. Championships and U.S. Open from 1923 to 1977. The stadium last hosted Davis Cup in 1959 when Rod Laver, Roy Emerson and Neale Fraser led Australia to the Davis Cup title with a 3-2 victory over the United States team led by Alex Olmedo, Butch Buchholz and Barry MacKay.

South African Davis Cup Team at Forest Hlls — South African Davis Cup Team at Forest Hills

Naomi Osaka joins HBO’s The Shop: Uninterrupted this Friday

September 21, 2021 by TennisGrandstand Leave a Comment

The Sports Emmy^®Award winning series THE SHOP: UNINTERRUPTED returns with a new episode FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24 (9:00-9:30 p.m. ET/PT) on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max.

Joining Maverick Carter are four-time Grand Slam tennis singles champion Naomi Osaka; actor, comedian and writer Wanda Sykes; NBA All-Star from the Cleveland Cavaliers, Kevin Love; multi-platinum hip-hop artist Jadakiss;and the SpringHill Company’s chief marketing officer, Paul Rivera.

THE SHOP: UNINTERRUPTED, staged periodically throughout the year, offers conversation and debate between a unique ensemble of some of the biggest names in sport and entertainment. Past guests include Tom Brady, Jay-Z, Drake, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Lena Waithe, Diddy, Jimmy Kimmel, Patrick Mahomes, Lil Nas X, Will Smith, Megan Rapinoe, Kevin Hart, Tiffany Haddish, Rob Gronkowski, Stacey Abrams and former President Barack Obama.

THE SHOP: UNINTERRUPTEDis presented by HBO Sports and UNINTERRUPTED; executive producers, LeBron James, Maverick Carter, Jamal Henderson, Devin Johnson and Philip Byron; directed by Robert Alexander; produced by Kevin McGrail, Brandon Riley and Rob Roediger; co-executive producer, Camille Maratchi; created by Paul Rivera and Randy Mims.

Tommy Haas Continues Champions Series Tennis Dominance At The Greenbrier

September 14, 2021 by TennisGrandstand Leave a Comment

Tommy Haas defeated Andy Roddick 6-2 in the one-set championship match Monday to win the Greenbrier Classic in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia for his 14^th career title on the Champions Series Tennis circuit.

Haas, 43, continued his dominant play on the North American tennis tour for champion tennis players over the age of 30, now winning 24 of his last 26 matches, including all six so far this year. He has won all but five of the Champions Series Tennis he has played in since he joined the Champions Series Tennis circuit in 2018 shortly after retiring from the ATP Tour.

In his post-match interview with commentator Brett Haber after the final, Haas was asked why his game has seemingly not dropped since he retired from the ATP Tour.

“I just like to play tennis overall,” said Haas, the 2000 Olympic silver medalist and former world No. 2. “It’s something I have been doing my whole life. I hope to continue for many, many years to come basically until the later stages of my life. I like coming out here and competing. That always makes me feel good. Playing against legends of the game, colleagues and friends, it’s as good as it gets.”

The Greenbrier Classic marked the conclusion to resort’s Salute to Heroes Weekend that commemorated the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the United States and benefitted the First Responders Children’s Foundation. The tennis tournament marked the return of pro tennis to The Greenbrier resort after the intimate Creekside Stadium successfully hosting the entire World TeamTennis season in 2020.

“Hopefully we will be back here next year, also for some more days to really enjoy this place,” said Haas of The Greenbrier. “It’s a special place here.”

The Greenbrier Classic also marked the Champions Series Tennis debut of 2006 Australian Open runner-up Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus, who was defeated by Roddick 6-2 in the semifinals. Haas beat James Blake 6-3 in the first semifinal of the afternoon. Haas collected the first prize paycheck of $25,000 to increase his 2021 prize money earnings to $75,000. Roddick earned $15,000 for his runner-up showing while Baghdatis and Blake pocketed $10,000 each. The matches will be televised on Fox Sports Net affiliates and Tennis Channel on tape delay in future weeks. All Champions Series events feature two one-set semifinal matches followed by a one-set championship match.

Earlier this year, Haas swept both titles at the Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, California, losing only five games combined in both events while beating Blake and Bob Bryan both by 6-1 margins in each respective final.

In 2020, Haas won the season-long points title for a second straight season, winning four titles – two at the Sherwood Country Club and two titles in Orlando – and finished with a 10-2 series match record.

In 2019, Haas finished with a perfect 10-0 record to win the year-long points championship for the first time. He won titles in Newport Beach, Calif., Maui, Hawaii, New Haven, Connecticut, Los Angeles and Houston to become the first player in the 15-year history of the Champions Series to be an undefeated year-end points champion.

In 2018, Blake won his first Champions Series 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 Champions Series 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 1,600 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.

Champions Series Tennis began in 2005 and over the last 16 years has featured some of the greatest names in men’s tennis, including Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg, Ivan Lendl, Stefan Edberg, Jim Courier, Michael Chang among others. Courier won the first Champions Series Tennis event held in 2005 in Houston at the Westside Tennis Club.

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.

ABOUT HORIZON MEDIA

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, please visit horizonmedia.com.

2021 U.S. Open Completes “Greatest Return”

September 13, 2021 by TennisGrandstand Leave a Comment

Following a 2020 US Open that was contested without spectators for the first time, the 2021 US Open welcomed back fans and all competitions for an event that lived up to its billing of the ‘Greatest Return,’ on the court and off.

Among the highlights from the 2021 US Open:

On-the-Court
• Two new MAJOR singles champions were crowned in 25-year old Daniil Medvedev (RUS) and 18-year old Emma Raducanu (GBR). Raducanu defeated 19-year-old Leylah Fernandez (CAN) in the first all-teenage US Open women’s final since 1999 to become the youngest US Open women’s singles champion since Serena Williams that year. Medvedev defeated Novak Djokovic (SRB), who was bidding to win the first ‘Calendar Grand Slam’ since 1969.
• Led by Raducanu and Fernandez, teenagers took the US Open by storm, including 18-year-old Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, who became the youngest man to reach the US Open quarterfinals in the Open Era. Further, 17-year-old American Robin Montgomery won the girls’ junior singles and doubles titles, the first American to accomplish that since Lindsay Davenport in 1992.
• Dylan Alcott (AUS) and Diede de Groot (NED) each completed the ‘Golden Slam’ in wheelchair tennis, having won their respective events – Alcott in quad singles and de Groot in women’s singles – in all four majors and the Tokyo Olympics. Meanwhile, the British wheelchair men’s doubles team of Gordon Reid and Alfie Hewett became the first team to win the Calendar Grand Slam in wheelchair men’s doubles.
• Marking one of the most competitive tournaments in history, 36 five-set matches were played – the most ever at a US Open.

Attendance
• Total attendance for the 2021 US Open was 631,134 – 85 percent of 2019’s record-setting attendance of 737,919.

Digital and Social
• The US Open’s social media channels set a record with over 500 million total interactions and video views, while the US Open’s Instagram account surpassed 2 million followers.
• Nearly 9 million (8.9 million) unique devices visited USOpen.org and the US Open App over the two weeks, while total traffic to USOpen.org was up by 1 percent over 2019.
Food and Beverage
• 189,942 signature Honey Deuce drinks were sold throughout the two weeks of the main draw.

Celebrities
• The tournament opened and closed in star-studded fashion, beginning with the USTA Foundation’s Opening Night Gala, which raised a record $2 million amid the likes of Alec Baldwin, Vera Wang, Daymond John and Lindsey Vonn.
• Meanwhile, Sunday’s men’s final featured a celebrity lineup befitting a Gala event, featuring Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Bradley Cooper, Kate Hudson, Lupita Nyong’o, Gayle King, Rosario Dawson, Spike Lee, Frank Ocean, Jon Hamm, James Corden, Ben Stiller, Christine Taylor, Rami Malek, Claire Danes, Megan Rapinoe, Maria Sharapova, Diane von Furstenburg, Sharon Stone, John Krasinski, Rosario Dawson and Jamie Foxx, among many others.

Daniil Medvedev wins the US Open 2021

September 13, 2021 by TennisGrandstand Leave a Comment

Daniil Medvedev has won the US Open 2021. In two hours and 15 minutes Medvedev defeated ambitious Serb Novak Djokovic in straight sets: 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. Medvedev is nine years younger than the 33 year old multiple Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic.

First Grand Slam for Daniil Medvedev

With his win, Medvedev has finally won his first Grand Slam tournament. Medvedev reached the Australian Open finals earlier in 2021 but lost to Novak Djokovic. Two years ago Medvedev also reached the finals of the US Open but lost in a thrilling five set match versus Spaniard Rafael Nadal.

Djokovic, one match short of Calendar Slam

Novak Djokovic had great ambitions for 2021 and he doesn’t go home empty handed either. Djokovic won the Australian Open, Roland Garros and Wimbledon. His goal however was to win the Golden Slam which consists of the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, US Open and Olympic Gold. Something that hasn’t been done since Steffi Graf won it in 1988. So his ambitions incredibly high. However, Djokovic lost to Zverev at the Olympics in Tokyo and now to Medvedev.

Djokovic had the chance to become only the sixth person to win that rare Calendar Slam. Don Budge (1938), Maureen Connolly (1953), Rod Laver (1962 and 1969), Margaret Court (1970) and Steffi Graf (1988) went before him. Unfortunately for Djokovic, Medvedev played the match of his life. Wheelchair tennis players Diede de Groot and Dylan Alcott managed to get their Golden Slam. For wheelchair players the Golden Slam consists of all the Grand Slam tournaments + paralympic Gold.

Medvedev’s explosive start at the US Open 2021 finale

Daniil Medvedev’s win was not unexpected if you looked at the start he has had. He immediately broke Djokovic’ serve and managed to take advantage of Djokovic sloppiness but also forced his opponent into defense.

Djokovic never managed to break Medvedev’s serve and thus after 37 minutes Medvedev took the first set.

Djokovic got visibly frustrated after failing to cash in on two breakpoints in the second set and failed to do so again two games later. Medvedev held his composure at those crucial moments and cashed in on one of the breakpoints and took the second set.

Djokovic fights to hold back his tears

Medvedev only lost one set to Botic van de Zandschulp at the US Open 2021 managed to keep his serve in the third act of the match but didn’t shy away to show Djokovic who is king of the hill at the moment on the ATP Tour.

With the loss of the second set, Djokovic resistance appeared broken because Medvedev hit 4-0 at warpspeed. At 5-2 , the Russian got his first Matchpoint of the match but failed to cash it in due to a double fault and lost his service game.

During the changeover Djokovic fought to hold back his tears but in the ninth game after a few beautiful rallies, Medvedev cashed in on his third matchpoint and won the US Open 2021 which is also his first Grand Slam tournament title.

Medvedev apologizes to Djoker fans for taking away his dream

Medvedev showed true sportsmanship after he took the US Open title by apologizing to the fans for getting in the way of Djokovic’ ambitions of winning the Calendar Slam.

“I want to say sorry for you, the fans, and Novak because we all know what he was going for today,” he said on court after winning the championship. “Today maybe you were a little bit more for Novak, but it’s completely understandable.”

But before the match he also commented on the absence of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

“I don’t feel the change of the energy,” said Medvedev. “I don’t care if Roger or Rafa is here. I want to win the tournament. It’s going to be tougher if they were here, and of course it would be tougher if they would be 30 years old. But I just want to do my best, so I don’t care if they are here or not.”

A Summary of Olympic Tennis From Tokyo – Belinda Bencic and Alexander Zverev Are Champs

August 2, 2021 by Randy Walker Leave a Comment

Alexander Zverev of Germany follows up his semifinal upset of world No. 1 Novak Djokovic by winning the Olympic gold medal in men’s singles at the Tokyo Olympic Games, defeating Karen Khachanov of Russia 6-3, 6-1 in the Gold Medal match.

“There is nothing better than this,” says Zverev, the world No. 5 and whose previous best career result was a runner-up finish at the 2020 U.S. Open. “A gold medal at the Olympics, for me, the value is incredible because you’re not only playing for yourself, you’re playing for your whole country.”

Zverev needs only 79 minutes for the one-sided win over his 25th-ranked opponent to join 1988 Olympic gold medalist Steffi Graf as the only Germans to win Olympic singles gold. Boris Becker and Michael Stich of Germany paired to win Olympic gold in doubles in 1992.

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach watched his fellow German win the title in a stadium only filled with officials and team delegation members due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. The ban on fans attending any Olympic events allowed for a group of about 10 anti-Olympic protesters across the street from the Ariake Tennis Park to be heard inside center court during the first set of the final, but did not interrupt play.

Team Russia, branded the Russian Olympic Committee or “ROC” at the Tokyo Olympics due to the doping sanctions, however is able to secure a gold medal in mixed doubles in an all-Russian final, Andrey Rublev and Anastasia Pavlyvuchenkova beating Aslan Karatsev and Elena Vesnina 6-3, 6-7 (5), (13-11) for the Gold Medal.

“We are winning gold for …. the ROC,” says Rublev, playing in his first ever mixed doubles tournament.
In the women’s doubles gold medal match, Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Sinaikova beat Belinda Bencic, the Olympic gold medal winner in singles, and Viktorija Golubic of Switzerland 7-5, 6-1.

Belinda Bencic of Switzerland achieves something that her two fellow Swiss who ranked No. 1 world could not do in their career, winning Olympic gold in singles. The No. 12-ranked Bencic beats No. 42-ranked Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic 7-5, 2-6, 6-3 to win an unpredictable women’s singles event.

Federer lost the 2012 Olympic final to Andy Murray but did pair with Stan Wawrinka to win gold in men’s doubles in 2008. Hingis did not compete in the Olympics in 2000, 2004, 2008 or 2012 but won silver in women’s doubles in 2016 with Timea Bacsinszky.

“I think I accomplished it for them,” Bencic said. “They did so much in their careers. I don’t think I will ever be able to accomplish what they did. So it’s for Martina and Roger.”

Marc Rosset was the only previous Swiss player to win gold in Olympic singles when he was the surprise winner at the 1992 Games in Barcelona. Bencic’s previous best career result prior to the Olympics was reaching the semifinals of the 2019 U.S. Open.

Bencic took a medical timeout midway through the third set to have the big toe on her right foot treated for an apparent blister. But she came back out and didn’t appear troubled.

“I really don’t know how it worked out for me,” Bencic said. “I really had a lot of belief in myself.”

In the bronze-medal playoff, Elina Svitolina of Ukraine defeated Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan 1-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 to win Ukraine’s first ever medal in tennis in the Olympic Games. Svitolina was competing in his first event since marrying fellow pro Gael Monfils, a member of France’s Olympic tennis team.

In the men’s bronze medal match, dominant world No. 1 is not able to shake off his upset loss in the semifinals the previous night to Alexander Zverev and surprisingly falls to Pable Carreno Busta of Spain 6-4, 6-7 (6), 6-3.
Djokovic then withdraws from the mixed doubles bronze medal match with partner Nina Stojanovic, handing the walkover victory to Ash Barty and John Peers in what have been an interest match featuring the world No. 1 woman against the world No. 1 man.

Croatia’s Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic defeated countrymen Marin Cilic and Ivan Dodig to win men’s doubles gold 6-4, 3-6 (10-6). The bronze medal went to Marcus Daniell and Michael Venus as they defeated Americans Austin Krajicek and Tennys Sandgren 7-6(3), 6-2 to capture an historic first Olympic tennis medal for New Zealand.