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Humbert, Etcheverry Cruise To Bordeaux Challenger Final. Argentine Etcheverry ousts top seed Struff.

Ugo Humbert and Tomas Martin Etcheverry will contest for the ATP Challenger Tour 175 crown in Bordeaux, France after they each advanced in straight sets Friday.

The 24-year-old Humbert continued his form by winning an all-French semi-final against Richard Gasquet 6-0, 6-2 at the BNP Paribas Primrose. Humbert hammered any ball that his countryman left in the middle of the court, while also showing deft feel on numerous drop shots.

Despite getting broken in the opening game of the second set, the World No. 50 Humbert quickly regrouped to oust Gasquet in one hour, 16 minutes. Humbert, who beat another tour veteran, Stan Wawrinka, in the quarter-finals, delivered a strong-serving performance Friday, winning 75 per cent of first-serve points, compared to Gasquet’s 40 per cent.

When Humbert has competed at Challenger Tour events this year, he’s been a dominant force, tallying a 13-2 Challenger-match record. Earlier this month, the Metz native triumphed at the Cagliari Challenger, where he fended off two match points in his quarter-final against Taro Daniel to stay alive.

Humbert reached a career-high No. 25 in 2021 and will next aim for a second consecutive Challenger 175 crown Saturday, when he clashes against Etcheverry.

Should the Frenchman win a ninth Challenger title, he would return to the Top 40 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings for the first time since 31 January, 2022.

The heavy-hitting Etcheverry earned the highest-ranked win of his career by upsetting top seed and World No. 28 Jan-Lennard Struff 6-4, 6-2 in the semi-finals.

The 23-year-old Etcheverry took a deep return stance that Struff often countered with a serve-and-volley. But the Argentine stayed steady from the baseline, displaying lethal inside-out forehands en route to a one-hour, 14-minute victory. Etcheverry dropped just one point on serve in the opening set and didn’t face a break point all match.

^{Tomas Martin Etcheverry signs autographs following a semi-final win in Bordeaux. Credit: Jared Wickerham/ATP Tour}

Seeded seventh, Etcheverry has played his best tennis this season. He was a finalist at the ATP 250 events in Santiago and Houston and last month reached a career-high No. 59, which he is guaranteed to surpass this upcoming Monday. A three-time Challenger champion, the La Plata native will next attempt for his biggest career title against Humbert, who defeated him in five sets at Wimbledon last year.

In Bordeaux doubles action, top seeds Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara will contest third seeds Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul in Saturday’s championship match.

Turin:
Whoever lifts the trophy at the Challenger 175 event in Turin, Italy will have to complete double duty Saturday after rain cancelled the entirety of Friday’s schedule.

Top seed Sebastian Baez will face Italian qualifier Federico Gaio in the semi-finals at the Piemonte Open Intesa Sanpaolo while second seed Daniel Elahi Galan will clash against German Dominik Koepfer. The semi-finals will take place at 11:30 a.m. local time, with the final being not before 4:00 p.m.

Baez, who is playing in his first Challenger since March 2022, has captured both of his ATP tour-level titles and all six of his Challenger Tour trophies on clay. Earlier this season, the Argentine claimed the ATP 250 event on the red dirt in Cordoba and reached a career-high No. 30 last month.

Gaio, 31, will compete in his first Challenger semi-final since April 2022 and aim for his first Top-50 win since April 2021, when he defeated the-then World No. 35 Benoit Paire at the ATP 500 event in Barcelona.

The Colombian Galan was a semi-finalist at this month’s Challenger 175 event in Cagliari and finished runner-up last month at the Sarasota Challenger. The 26-year-old will battle against the in-form Koepfer, who has competed in three Challenger finals this year, including his triumph at the Mexico City Challenger in April.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/bordeaux-turin-challenger-2023-friday

SF Preview: Can Ruud Maintain Perfect Record Against Rune In Rome? Norwegian leads Dane 4-0 in ATP Head2Head series.

Is this the week Casper Ruud or Holger Rune win their first clay-court ATP Masters 1000 title?

The Norwegian and Dane will meet at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia on Saturday in the first Masters 1000 all-Scandinavian semi-final since Jonas Bjorkman defeated Thomas Enqvist in Paris in 1997.

Ruud arrived in Rome having had a modest season by his standards. The fourth seed lifted his 10th trophy in Estoril but struggled at Masters 1000 events, failing to advance beyond the third round in Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo or Madrid. The 24-year-old has looked back to his best on the clay in Rome, though, where he has earned victories against Arthur Rinderknech, Alexander Bublik, Laslo Djere and Francisco Cerundolo to reach the semi-finals in the Italian capital for the third consecutive time.

"Tennis is a strange sport, as we all can tell. And I think I've really lived through it the last 12 months or so, some of my best moments of my career and some tougher losses in the past couple of months," Ruud said following his quarter-final win. "But here we are back in Rome and I feel great. I know that I've had success in Italy before in my career, here [I made] two times [the] semi-finals, Turin last year was amazing for me... It's something in the food maybe, I don't know."

Standing in his way from a second ATP Masters 1000 final (Miami 2022) is Rune, who stunned World No. 1 Novak Djokovic to advance to the last four on his debut in Rome. The 20-year-old has reached at least the semi-finals in three of his past six Masters 1000 events, highlighted by his title run in Paris last year.

A regular on the big stage now, the seventh seed has had a strong clay-court season again. Rune enjoyed a run to the final in Monte-Carlo, before he clinched his fourth tour-level title in Munich. Holding a 12-2 record on the surface this season, he will look to take confidence from his victory against Djokovic as he aims to earn his first win against Ruud.

"I stay humble of course. I have a lot to achieve," said the Dane, who will rise to No. 6 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings if he reaches the final. "I think you should always be humble. I think I am, I hope so and I hope people see me this way. I'm a huge fighter on the court and I leave everything when I play my matches.”

Rune demonstrated his explosive game against Djokovic, hammering his groundstrokes with precision and power to outlast the Serbian. The 20-year-old, who has held serve in 42 of his 47 games in Rome, will look to impose his all-court game against Ruud, an opponent Rune has struggled against in the past.

The fourth seed leads the seventh seed 4-0 in their ATP Head2Head series, with all four matches coming on clay. Despite his impressive record, Ruud is aware of the threat Rune holds.

"He's improved so much. I played him a couple times in 2021 and a couple of times in 2022, and his improvement is just really, really good," Ruud said. "You can see that his confidence is good on court and [he] really deserves [to be] where he is at the moment.

"He has big goals for his career and is going through one goal by another so I'm just going to try to think about what I've done well against him before — I have a winning record against him. Tennis is always open, it's never over until it's over, and I'm just going to try to fight."

With both chasing their second titles of the season, fireworks will be expected when they walk onto center court on Saturday.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/ruud-rune-rome-2023-sf-preview

SF Preview: Medvedev & Tsitsipas Meet In Rome Blockbuster. Medvedev chasing sixth Masters 1000 crown, Tsitsipas aiming for third.

Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas will renew their long-running rivalry when they meet for a place in the Internazionali BNL d'Italia final on Saturday.

Medvedev and Tsitsipas arrived in Rome last week having had contrasting fortunes at the clay-court event. Medvedev had never won a match in three previous appearances in the Italian capital, while Tsitsipas held a 10-5 record, advancing to the championship match last year.

The third seed Medvedev has found his best level in the Italian capital this fortnight, though, defeating Alexander Zverev en route to his second ATP Masters 1000 clay-court semi-final (Monte-Carlo 2019). The 27-year-old has enjoyed a standout season, earning a Tour-leading 37 wins, with 18 coming at ATP Masters 1000 events. Medvedev, who is currently first in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin, has captured five ATP Masters 1000 titles, more than semi-finalists Tsitsipas (2), Rune (1) and Ruud (0) combined.

The third seed has never clinched a tour-level crown on clay, though, and downplayed his chances of winning his fifth trophy of the season in Rome when asked by a journalist following his quarter-final win against German qualifier Yannick Hanfmann.

“I definitely don't put myself as a favourite,” Medvedev said. “But I have been playing extremely well here, feeling extremely well. So if I manage to play this well in the semi-finals, I'm sure I'm going to give a hard time to my opponent. That's what I want to do. Hopefully I can go even further and try to win two more matches.”

Medvedev leads Tsitsipas 7-4 in their ATP Head2Head series, with the pair locked at 1-1 on clay. Tsitsipas’ two ATP Masters 1000 triumphs both came on the clay in Monte-Carlo and the Greek looks in good shape to add to his tally this weekend in Rome. The 24-year-old, who has won three of his past four clashes against Medvedev, has not dropped a set en route to his 14th ATP Masters 1000 semi-final.

“He's been playing well and I'm playing [well] also," Tsitsipas said on court of his upcoming match against Medvedev. "I feel good on court, regardless if it's a night session or a day session and I really hope to bring the best out of me against him. I feel like he's playing better than the years before."

Tsitsipas used a good mix of power and creativity in his 13th clay-court win of the season against Borna Coric, changing the spin on his shots and executing the drop shot effectively to pull the Croatian around. With Medvedev favouring a deep court position to soak up his opponent’s aggression, Tsitsipas could look to use similar tactics against the third seed to disrupt his rhythm on center court.

Seeking his first trophy of the season in Rome, the Greek will rise to third in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin if he reaches the final, surpassing Novak Djokovic. Medvedev currently leads the Race To Turin and will climb to No. 2 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings if he clinches the crown in Rome.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/medvedev-tsitsipas-rome-2023-sf-preview

Who's better at the Cup Challenge? Watch Tsitsipas, Rublev, Shelton, Shapovalov and Davidovich Fokina as they play to find out! Minute To Win It: CUp Challenge.

 

 

Djokovic & Sabalenka Make History | Australian Open 2023 Film | Official Trailer.

 

 

Roger Federer: Best Ever Shots In Rome!

 

 

Casper Ruud vs Holger Rune | Monte-Carlo 2022 Extended Highlights.

 

 

Daniil Medvedev vs Stefanos Tsitsipas Extended Highlights | Nitto ATP Finals 2022.

 

 

Medvedev, Tsitsipas, Ruud & Rune Prepare Semi-Finals | Rome 2023 Practice & Behind-The-Scenes.

 

 

Koolhof/Skupski vs Haase/van de Zandschulp | Rome 2023 Semi-Final Highlights.

 

 

Nys - Zielinski vs Zeballos - Granollers Semis Match Highlights #IBI23

 

 

Stefanos Tsitsipas Post Match Interview (vs Coric) #IBI23

 

 

Veronika Kudermetova vs. Anhelina Kalinina | 2023 Rome Semifinal | WTA Match Highlights.

 

 

Elena Rybakina vs. Jelena Ostapenko | 2023 Rome Semifinal | WTA Match Highlights.

 

 

Photos: Nadal at his press conference for 2023 Roland Garros withdrawal.

MANACOR, SPAIN - MAY 18: Rafael Nadal of Spain speaks during a press conference to announce that he will not play the French Open 2023 at Rafa Nadal Academy on May 18, 2023 in Manacor, Spain. (Photo by Cristian Trujillo/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)

 

MANACOR, MAJORCA BALEARIC ISLAN, SPAIN - MAY 18: Tennis player Rafael Nadal's wife, Xisca Perello, during a press conference with Nadal, at the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar, on 18 May, 2023 in Manacor, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain. Nadal has confirmed that he will not attend the Roland Garros tournament to be held in Paris from May 22 to June 11 in order to recover from the muscle injury he suffered in Australia last January. In addition, during the press conference he has informed his intention that 2024 will be the 'last year' of his professional career as a tennis player. (Photo By Isaac Buj/Europa Press via Getty Images)

 

Nadal's career stats in a nutshell.

Career finals
Discipline	Type	Won	Lost	Total	WR 1
Singles	Grand Slam Tournaments	22	8	30	0.73
	Olympic Games	1	0	1	1.00
	Year-end championships	0	2	2	0.00
	ATP Masters 1000 2	36	17	53	0.68
	ATP Tour 500	23	6	29	0.79
	ATP Tour 250	10	5	15	0.67
	Total	92	38	130	0.71
Doubles	Grand Slam tournaments	–	–	–	–
	Olympic Games	1	0	1	1.00
	Year-end championships	–	–	–	–
	ATP Masters 1000 2	3	0	3	1.00
	ATP Tour 500	1	2	3	0.33
	ATP Tour 250	6	2	8	0.75
	Total	11	4	15	0.73
Total		103	42	145	0.71

1) WR = Winning Rate
2) Formerly known as "Super 9" (1996–1999), "Tennis Masters Series" (2000–2003), "ATP Masters Series" (2004–2008), "ATP World Tour Masters 1000" (2009–2018).

Top 10 star power in semifinal @ 2023 Rome Masters (ATP). First time champion awaits.

No.1 seeds Gauff and Pegula battle into Rome doubles final Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula needed a decisive match-tiebreak to outlast Desirae Krawczyk and Demi Schuurs in the Internazionali BNL d'Italia semifinals. They will face Storm Hunter and Elise ...

......Mertens in the final.

No.1 seeds Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula squeaked into their third straight WTA 1000 doubles final with a comeback semifinal win at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia on Thursday.

The all-American pairing of Gauff and Pegula fought back from a set and a break down to outlast No.3 seeds Desirae Krawczyk of the United States and Demi Schuurs of the Netherlands 4-6, 7-6(5), [10-8] after 1 hour and 53 minutes of play in Rome.

In Saturday's final, Gauff and Pegula will face No.4 seeds Storm Hunter and Elise Mertens, who defeated unseeded Marie Bouzkova and Bethanie Mattek-Sands 7-5, 6-4 in Thursday's second semifinal.

This week's finalists met earlier this year in the Miami quarterfinals on hard court, where Gauff and Pegula edged Hunter and Mertens 6-7(4), 7-5, [10-2] on their way to the title.

WTA 1000 excellence: Gauff and Pegula have been the dominant team at the most recent WTA 1000 events, winning the title on the hard courts of Miami and finishing as runners-up to Victoria Azarenka and Beatriz Haddad Maia on the Madrid clay.

After the tight victory over Krawczyk and Schuurs in Rome on Thursday, Gauff and Pegula have now won 13 of their last 14 matches at WTA 1000-level. Gauff and Pegula are a win away from their fourth WTA 1000 title as a duo, and their sixth team title overall.

Key moments: Krawczyk and Schuurs went up a double-break at 5-2 in the opener before holding on for the one-set lead. They broke Gauff's serve in the opening game of the second set to claim the set-and-a-break advantage.

But Schuurs dropped serve with a double fault to level the second set at 4-4. In a closely-contested second-set tiebreak, Pegula fired a deft lob beyond Schuurs to convert her team's first set point at 6-5, tying up the match.

Exactly half the points went to the returners in the decisive match-tiebreak, where Gauff and Pegula reached double match point at 9-7 after Krawczyk netted a rally backhand. On their second match point, Gauff fired a backhand passing winner down the line to attain victory.

Gauff and Pegula had six more winners and six fewer unforced errors than their opponents in the match.

Hunter and Mertens advance: In the evening semifinal, Hunter of Australia and Belgium's Mertens came back from a break down in both sets and prevailed in 1 hour and 38 minutes. It is their first team final, having paired up for the first time at the start of this year. 

Hunter and Mertens were down 5-2 in the opening set before they reeled off five straight games to eke out the one-set lead en route to victory. Hunter and Mertens finished the match with 24 winners to 16 unforced errors, and they converted half of their 10 break points.

https://www.wtatennis.com/news/3421305/no-1-seeds-gauff-and-pegula-battle-into-rome-doubles-final

Rome semifinal preview: Grand Slam rivals, resurgent stars ready to battle In the Internazionali BNL d'Italia semifinals, Elena Rybakina and Jelena Ostapenko face a rematch of their Australian Open quarterfinal, while Veronika Kudermetova and Anhelina....

.......Kalinina resume a rivalry that goes back to their junior days.

ROME -- The Internazionali BNL d'Italia semifinals are set. Two Grand Slam champions will play for the fourth time in the top half of the draw, while in the bottom half, two resurgent players will compete to make their first final at a WTA 1000-level event.

Here's how the matchups between Elena Rybakina and Jelena Ostapenko, and Veronika Kudermetova and Anhelina Kalinina break down.

Quarterfinal reports: Kudermetova beats Zheng Qinwen | Kalinina outlasts Haddad Maia | Ostapenko downs Badosa | Rybakina advances after Swiatek retires

 

[7] Elena Rybakina (KAZ) vs. [20] Jelena Ostapenko (LAT)

Rybakina repeated her Australian Open win, defeating Swiatek to set up a showdown with Ostapenko. 

An intriguing rivalry is developing between Rybakina and Ostapenko, with the upcoming semifinal marking their fourth encounter, one across each surface. Ostapenko took the first two on indoor hard courts (Linz 2019) and grass (Eastbourne 2021), but Rybakina got on the board on outdoor hard courts at the Australian Open this year.

In those meetings, the result has hinged on the small differences between these two big hitters. Ostapenko is more explosive off the ground and dynamic with her shot selection, but Rybakina is more reliable, particularly behind her serve.

Could clay introduce a new dimension to the game? Ostapenko, a former Roland Garros champion, certainly believes so.

"She's a great server and she's been playing well this year, but I don't know if clay is her best surface," Ostapenko said after defeating Paula Badosa. "Here it's a bit slower, so the players who are big servers have a bit of a disadvantage because after a few games, the ball gets heavier and doesn't fly as much.

"I like this surface and I know how to move on it. I move better, I'm way faster than a few months ago. The courts and atmosphere fit me well here."

This fortnight, Ostapenko has put together a few streaks that have shown she can reduce opponents to spectators. Among her highlights were winning 28 out of 31 points in a streak against Barbora Krejcikova, sweeping Daria Kasatkina in a 6-0 third set and tallying 18 winners against Badosa's none in their first set.

However, Ostapenko's performances have also been marked by inconsistency. She lost 16 consecutive points to Krejcikova, and both the Kasatkina and Badosa matches were extended to three sets. 

Rybakina's form is harder to assess. After early exits in Stuttgart and Madrid, two of the Wimbledon champion's four wins in Rome have come via retirement. But she was ruthlessly efficient at shutting down Marketa Vondrousova in the fourth round and scrapped hard to snatch the second set against Swiatek before the top-ranked player was forced to retire in the third.

 

[11] Veronika Kudermetova vs. [30] Anhelina Kalinina (UKR)

There are a few parallels between the semifinals runs of Kudermetova and Kalinina this week. Both players made significant moves up the rankings in 2022 and were at career highs in the first quarter of 2023. Kudermetova started the year at No.9, and Kalinina hit No.28 in March.

Before the clay season, they had been backsliding. Kudermetova won one out of six matches between the Doha semifinals and her renaissance in Madrid, where she made her first WTA 1000 semifinal. Prior to Rome, Kalinina had not won consecutive matches since the Australian Open, and her ranking had fallen to No.48.

Kudermetova and Kalinina have both rediscovered their form in style to arrest these mini-slumps. Kudermetova ascribes her turnaround to her opening Charleston loss to 19-year-old Diana Shnaider, an opponent she noted was "even younger than my sister." (Relevant, too, was the fact that Kudermetova's 19-year-old sister Polina had managed to defeat Shnaider in an ITF event last summer.)

As "depressed" as Kudermetova says she was after that match, it was also the moment she realized she needed to "start to think positively" again. In Madrid and Rome, she has been playing with renewed intensity, pairing her powerful groundstrokes with fine reflexes at net. This week, she has managed to hold off the young guns, outlasting Anastasia Potapova and Zheng Qinwen in three sets.

Kalinina's form became apparent when she overcame former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin, fresh off an impressive victory against No.2 seed Aryna Sabalenka, in the third round. However, her quarterfinal performance was a turning point. Overcoming a 3-0 deficit in the third set, Kalinina won the longest tour-level match of 2023, a grueling 3-hour and 41-minute battle against Beatriz Haddad Maia.

"Each player needs this kind of matches to understand they can do this," Kalinina said. "I'd never had such a long match. Before, I was like, 'Oh, two-and-a-half hours, I did a good job. But now I know I can really play four."

The smart money would be on another extended battle. The two 26-year-olds have been facing off since their junior days, and every one of their encounters has gone to three sets. At the pro level, they're all square at one win apiece, with Kalinina taking the most recent 6-3, 5-7, 7-5 in this year's Dubai first round. Their only previous clay meeting was in juniors, at the 2012 Berlin Grade 1 event, which Kalinina also won 2-6, 6-1, 7-5.

Injury-hit Swiatek's French Open title defence on knife edge.

 

Reigning champion Iga Swiatek is anxiously awaiting the results of tests on a thigh injury she has suffered just over a week before the French Open

French Open champion Iga Swiatek says she will know in the coming days how serious her thigh injury is and whether she can defend her title at Roland Garros which gets underway on Sunday week.

The 21-year-old world number one retired from Wednesday's Italian Open quarter-final with Kazakhstan's Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina.

The match was delicately poised at one set apiece and 2-2 in the decider when the two-time defending champion felt unable to continue.

"We're checking it (the injury)," tweeted the Polish star, who also won the French Open in 2020.

"During the second set I got a thigh injury. The diagnostic is in progress.

"More info in the following days. Will keep you updated."

Swiatek, the reigning US Open champion, had roared through the first set but after receiving treatment she called a halt.

https://sports.yahoo.com/injury-hit-swiateks-french-open-083353673.html

The impossible job: Beating Rafael Nadal at French Open.

 

A star is born: Rafael Nadal returns the ball to Roger Federer during their French Open semi-final in 2005

When a weary David Ferrer managed to win just five games in his French Open semi-final loss to Rafael Nadal in 2012, he was in no doubt over the enormity of the challenge.

"Winning a match against Rafa at Roland Garros is almost impossible," admitted a bamboozled Ferrer as he trudged off Court Philippe Chatrier.

It would have been no consolation to the gritty Ferrer that at least he won one more game than Roger Federer managed in the 2008 final in Paris.

On the crushed red brick of Roland Garros, hardly anyone laid a glove on Nadal who on Thursday said he would miss this year's tournament through injury.

Since his swashbuckling title-winning debut in the French capital in 2005, he racked up 14 titles, winning 112 matches and losing just three.

Two of those came against Novak Djokovic -- in the last-eight in 2015 and semi-finals in 2021.

Sweden's Robin Soderling had been the first to pierce the Nadal armour in 2009. Nadal avenged that last-16 loss 12 months later in the final.

The only other time Nadal was thwarted in Paris was 2016 when a wrist injury forced a withdrawal after the second round.

His combined successes at Roland Garros swelled his bank balance by more than $26 million.

In 2005, when he won the French Open at his first attempt, he was just two days past his 19th birthday.

When he captured his record-extending 14th in 2022, he was the championship's oldest champion at 36.

Nadal made his Grand Slam debut at Wimbledon as a raw 17-year-old in 2003, but it was his maiden appearance in Paris that had fans drooling.

His 6-7 (6/8), 6-3, 6-1, 7-5 win in the final against unheralded Mariano Puerta of Argentina made him the first man since Mats Wilander 23 years earlier to triumph at the first attempt.

- 'Like a war' -

Nadal won 11 titles in 2005, eight of them on clay including the prestigious Masters in Monte Carlo and Rome.

Entering Paris, he was on a 17-match win streak and in the French capital he was drawn to face Germany's Lars Burgsmuller in the first round.

"I remember that I was a little sad about the draw," Burgsmuller, ranked 96 at the time, told USA Today in 2015.

"Everyone was talking about him. Everyone knew that he would be very, very good."

Nadal would go on to claim the French Open title in each of the next three years, defeating Federer in the final on all three occasions.

In the 2008 championship match, he allowed his great Swiss rival just four games.

That year, he didn't drop a set. Compatriots Fernando Verdasco and Nicolas Almagro, both top 25 players, were allowed just three games apiece in their last 16 and quarter-final eviscerations.

In 2017 and 2020, Nadal again swept to the title without dropping a set.

Incredibly, in his 115 matches at Roland Garros, Nadal was pushed to five sets on only three occasions.

He won all three.

"With Rafa on clay in best of five, it's like a war," said Carlos Moya, who was Nadal's coach in recent years.

John McEnroe, who fought legendary battles with Bjorn Borg, was able to compare eras.

"I know when Borg played in my day he was like the human backboard," said McEnroe.

"He was faster than everyone, fitter than everyone, and you couldn't get a ball by the guy.

"I saw guys get exhausted in the first set, like the best clay court players in the world. It's like the same thing when you play Nadal. This guy, he comes to play every match. This is a guy that just doesn't give it away."

https://sports.yahoo.com/impossible-job-beating-rafael-nadal-142518134.html

Rafael Nadal: Grand Slam warrior and people's champion.

 

The King of Clay Rafael Nadal will have to wait for his final year on the circuit in 2024 to see if he can add a record-extending 15th French Open crown

Rafael Nadal was born on the Spanish island of Mallorca, known for its sandy beaches, but the tennis star will be forever associated with another surface -- as the undisputed "King of Clay".

The 36-year-old has lifted the French Open a record 14 times, among 22 men's singles Grand Slam triumphs.

However, he faces a major fight to add to those titles after pulling out of this year's Roland Garros, Wimbledon and most likely the US Open revealing that 2024 will be his final season.

Nadal's athleticism, power, mental strength and brilliant forehand make him one of the greatest ever, although the debate over the best rages on.

Along with Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, Nadal formed part of tennis's dominant "big three" for over a decade.

Nadal started playing in his hometown of Manacor, focussing on tennis over football and being coached by his influential uncle Toni Nadal from 2005 to 2017 who helped him develop his signature forehand.

"Nadal played forehand and backhand (with two hands) until he was about 10 years old," explained his uncle.

"When we started playing the forehand one-handed, he did so with the left. And that's how it turned out. It is still astonishing."

Another of his uncles, Miguel Angel Nadal, played professional football for Barcelona, with the sporting gene running in the family, although the tennis star supports Real Madrid.

Nadal turned professional at 14 and made his Wimbledon debut in 2003 at 17.

The Spaniard won his first Grand Slam in 2005 at Roland Garros, retaining it in 2006 against Federer, the start of a long and thrilling rivalry.

Nadal was defeated by the Swiss at Wimbledon that summer in the final, but despite the loss he proved he was not only a clay court specialist, but a contender on any surface.

Two more French Open titles, won against the same opponent, sandwiched another final defeat by Federer at Wimbledon in 2007.

At the third time of asking in London he beat Federer the following year in an epic final and also won gold at the Beijing Olympics.

Nadal won his first Australian Open in 2009, against Federer again -- his opponent for seven of his first eight Grand Slam finals.

- Career Golden Slam -

In 2010, arguably his peak, Nadal became the first male player to win Grand Slams on three different surfaces in a single year, including beating Djokovic at the US Open to complete the rare career Golden Slam.

In the men's game only Nadal and Andre Agassi have won all four Grand Slams and earned singles gold at the Olympics.

Nadal's glittering career boasts four US Open titles and two Wimbledon and Australian Open victories each, along with his 14 French Open triumphs.

Showing remarkable mental resilience to escape desperate situations, drawing on endless stamina and lethally picking off opponents with his powerful, precise forehand, Nadal was an unforgiving machine.

Between 2005 and 2007 he went on a record 81-match winning streak on clay, eventually snapped by Federer in Hamburg.

It is the longest winning run for a male player on one surface in the Open Era.

During that time Nadal won 13 consecutive titles on clay, and across his career he won 92 ATP singles titles.

Between 2005 and 2014 Nadal won the French Open every year, except for 2009, when he was defeated by runner-up Robin Soderling.

Nadal continued to shine in his later years despite niggling injury problems, winning the Australian and French Opens in 2022.

He also reached the Wimbledon semi-finals but was forced to pull out with an abdominal issue.

"The older he has got, the more willing he has been to change his game and do a little bit more with the ball, some slices and drop shots and serve and volley a bit," said Swedish seven-time Grand Slam champion Mats Wilander in May 2022.

"Both him and Novak are becoming smarter on the court, as maybe Father Time is catching up. They never stop learning, it's incredible."

- 'The GOAT' -

Some consider Nadal the tennis "GOAT" -- greatest of all time -- although it is a tough battle with long-time rival and friend Federer and the relentless Djokovic.

Maria Sharapova, Stan Wawrinka and Iga Swiatek among other players have heralded him as the sport's best ever.

Nadal's main concern was being remembered as a fine man instead of worrying about his place in the tennis pantheon.

"The important legacy is that all the people I have met during these 20 years have a good human memory of me," he said.

"At the end of the day, the personal issue, education, respect and the affection you can treat people with comes before the professional issue, because that is what remains."

https://sports.yahoo.com/rafael-nadal-grand-slam-warrior-144213087.html

Nadal v Djokovic -- the most contested rivalry.

 

Fierce rivals: Rafael Nadal beat Novak Djokovic in their 59th meeting at the 2022 French Open

Rafael Nadal's rivalry with Roger Federer will forever be remembered for a series of classic clashes, but his head-to-head record against Novak Djokovic has featured more matches and been more closely fought.

A record-breaking 59 meetings have seen Djokovic come out on top 30 times, although Nadal has won 11 of 18 Grand Slam matches.

In the Open era, no men have met more often on the ATP Tour, with Djokovic and Federer having played 50 times.

It remains to be seen how often they will meet again after Nadal on Thursday withdrew from the French Open and revealed that 2024 is likely to be his last season.

Between them, Djokovic and Nadal have won a staggering 44 of the last 71 major tournaments, dating back to 2005.

"My greatest rival is Novak Djokovic," Nadal told Globo Esporte last November.

"After all, he is the one who is closest to the number of Grand Slams. And for all the times we face each other, for our history."

Djokovic has reigned supreme on hard courts for much of his career, winning a record 10 Australian Opens and three US Open titles.

He leads Nadal 20-7 on the surface, although Nadal holds a 20-8 edge on clay, on which he has powered to 14 French Open crowns.

The pair have only played four times on grass courts, with two victories apiece.

"I respect Rafa, probably more than any other player in the world -- he is the biggest rival I had in my life," Djokovic said in 2021.

- Teenage Djokovic -

Nadal first faced a teenage Djokovic in the 2006 French Open quarter-finals, easing to victory as the Serb retired injured after losing the first two sets.

He won 14 of their first 18 matches, before Djokovic reeled off three straight victories on hard courts in 2009.

Their first major final meeting came the following year at the US Open, when Nadal won in four sets to complete the career Grand Slam.

The early 2010s confirmed their rivalry as a battle for the ages, with several marathon matches on the biggest stages.

Djokovic fought back from 4-2 down in a deciding set to win the longest ever Grand Slam final at the 2012 Australian Open, lasting five hours and 53 minutes.

Nadal continued to live up to his billing as the 'King of Clay', defeating Djokovic later that year at Roland Garros in a final played over two days due to rain.

Probably their greatest clash on the red dirt came 12 months later, when Nadal kept Djokovic waiting for the career Slam with a memorable French Open semi-final triumph, prevailing 9-7 in the fifth set.

The duo had also faced off in the 2011 Wimbledon showpiece, which Djokovic took in four sets to win the title for the first time.

Their only other Wimbledon clash came seven years later, but was another classic.

Nadal was denied a first final at the All England Club since 2011 as Djokovic won 10-8 in a fifth set before seeing off Kevin Anderson to win the trophy.

The Spaniard has maintained his dominance on clay, taking his French Open record against Djokovic to 8-2 with a dramatic quarter-final victory last year.

Despite that, Djokovic enjoyed the limelight of being responsible for two of only the three defeats Nadal suffered in Paris -- in the 2015 quarter-finals and semi-finals in 2021, the year he captured a second Roland Garros crown.

https://sports.yahoo.com/nadal-v-djokovic-most-contested-144651621.html

Iga Swiatek says thigh injury ‘shouldn’t be anything serious’ ahead of French Open.

ROME — The right thigh injury that forced top-ranked Iga Swiatek to retire during her Italian Open quarterfinal “shouldn’t be anything serious,” the Polish player said.

Swiatek had to stop playing during the third set against Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina.

“I felt pain in my right thigh. It was pretty sudden. At the beginning I didn’t really know if it was serious or not,” Swiatek said. “We did an examination with the physio afterwards. It shouldn’t be anything serious, so I’m pretty positive that I’ll be back soon.”

Swiatek will be aiming for a third French Open title – and second straight – when the clay-court Grand Slam begins in 10 days.

“To be ready for Roland Garros I need to recover right now. I’m going to take couple of days off. … Since Stuttgart I wasn’t really able to recover with that tight schedule that we have on WTA,” Swiatek said, referring to a tournament in Germany last month.

Swiatek won the French Open in 2020 and 2022. She was also a two-time defending champion in Rome and was on a 14-match winning streak at the Foro Italico.

It was 2-2 in the third when Swiatek stopped after more than two hours of play. She won the first set 6-2 before Rybakina took the second set 7-6 (3).

During the second-set tiebreaker, Swiatek grasped her right knee after shifting directions a few times behind the baseline. Close to tears, she took a medical timeout after the set and left the court. When she returned, her upper right thigh was bandaged. Then after four more games, she retired.

https://sports.yahoo.com/top-ranked-swiatek-retires-italian-031558507.html

Rafael Nadal v Novak Djokovic - five great matches.

 

Clay master: Rafael Nadal reacts after beating Djokovic for the 29th and final time at last year's French Open

Rafael Nadal on Thursday pulled out of the French Open and revealed that 2024 is likely to be his last season in tennis after a career which has brought him 22 Grand Slam titles and an epic rivalry with Novak Djokovic.

The pair have met 59 times with the Serbian edging their rivalry 30-29.

Here, AFP Sport looks at five of their best meetings:

2012 Australian Open final

Djokovic 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7 (5/7), 7-5

-- In the longest ever Grand Slam final at five hours and 53 minutes, Djokovic came back from 4-2 down in the fifth set. It was the third successive Grand Slam final that Djokovic and Nadal had contested, and saw the Serb extend his winning streak over Nadal to seven straight matches.

"I think it comes out on the top because, just the fact that we played almost six hours is incredible," said Djokovic when asked if it had been his greatest ever match.

An exhausted Nadal added: "Physically it was the toughest match I ever played."

2012 French Open final

Nadal 6-4, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5

-- In a final that was played over two days due to several rain delays, Nadal hit 34 winners to 29 unforced errors, and led two sets and a break before the Serb took eight consecutive games and a 2-1 lead in the fourth set, with a break, into Monday.

When play resumed, Nadal broke back and went on to wrap up victory in three hours and 49 minutes for what was his seventh title in Paris.

"It is an honour and for me the most important tournament, the greatest in my eyes. This is an unforgettable moment," said Nadal.

Djokovic added: "The playing conditions were not good. But it's not anybody's fault, and it's not the reason why I lost today."

2013 French Open semi-final

Nadal 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-7 (3/7), 9-7

-- Djokovic was trying to become the eighth man to complete the career Grand Slam while Nadal was bidding for an eighth title in Paris. Djokovic had earlier in the season defeated the Spaniard on clay in Monte Carlo, ending Nadal's 46-match win streak.

In the Roland Garros semi-final, Nadal was 6-5 up in the fourth set and two points from victory but Djokovic hit back and then led 4-2 in the final set before Nadal dug deep to triumph after four hours and 37 minutes.

"I want to congratulate Novak, he's a great champion and he will win here at Roland Garros one day, I'm sure," said Nadal.

World number one Djokovic added: "It's been an unbelievable match but all I can feel now is disappointment. I congratulate him, that's why he's a champion."

2018 Wimbledon semi-final

Djokovic 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (11/9), 3-6, 10-8

-- Just weeks before Wimbledon, Djokovic had suffered a shock quarter-final exit at the French Open at the hands of Marco Cecchinato, the world number 72 from Italy, and had even threatened to skip the grasscourt Grand Slam.

The semi-final was another classic with Djokovic saving five break points in the fifth set before triumphing after five hours and 15 minutes.

"One of the longest matches of my career. I am overwhelmed," said Djokovic.

Nadal said: "I have not much more inside me. I gave it my best."

2022 French Open quarter-final

Nadal 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7/4)

-- Nadal edged a late-night classic to reach his 15th French Open semi-final.

The Spaniard won the pair's 59th career meeting after a four-hour-and-12-minute quarter-final on a raucous Court Philippe Chatrier.

Nadal sealed his eighth victory in 10 French Open matches against defending champion Djokovic at 1:16 am local time.

"I'm very emotional. For me it's incredible to play here," said Nadal.

Head-to-head: Djokovic 30-29.

https://sports.yahoo.com/rafael-nadal-v-novak-djokovic-145332862.html

Rafael Nadal v Roger Federer - five great matches.

 

Bromance: Roger Federer and a tearful Rafael Nadal at the 2022 Laver Cup in London where the Swiss star played for the last time in his career

Five great matches between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer after the Spanish great announced Thursday that 2024 will likely be his final season before retirement:

2004 - Miami

-- On March 28, 2004, a 17-year-old Nadal, ranked at 34, and world number one Federer met for the first time at the Miami Masters and the Spaniard came out on top 6-3, 6-3 in just 70 minutes.

Federer had already won a second major at the Australian Open earlier in the year and arrived in Florida having captured the Indian Wells title.

However, Nadal was untroubled as he became the youngest player to defeat a world number one, victory moving him into the last 16 where he was defeated by big-hitting Fernando Gonzalez.

2006 - Rome

-- In a blueprint of their epics to come, Nadal recovered from 1-4 down in the final set of the Italian Open and saved two match points to win 6–7 (0/7), 7–6 (7/5), 6–4, 2–6, 7–6 (7/5).

The final took more than five hours to play and moved Nadal to 53 straight wins on clay, matching Guillermo Vilas' record.

2007 - Wimbledon

-- Playing in a ninth successive Grand Slam final, Federer equalled Bjorn Borg's record of five Wimbledon titles with a 7-6 (9/7), 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 2-6, 6-2 victory over Nadal, but the Spanish star did more than enough to suggest that he would be holding the famous trophy himself sooner rather than later.

"He's playing phenomenal tennis," said Federer of Nadal after the two played a second successive final at the All England Club.

"He came so close today - he deserves a title here. It is building up to one of the great rivalries."

Nadal was left to regret failing to convert two break points in the deciding set.

"Maybe to compare myself with Roger is not possible yet - he has 11 Grand Slams, I have three - but I'm young and I'm improving every season."

2008 - Wimbledon

-- Twelve months later, they met again in the Wimbledon final, one of the greatest ever played.

In almost complete darkness after a final interrupted by rain, Nadal won his fifth Grand Slam title and first outside of the French Open.

He missed two championship points in the fourth set but steadied to triumph 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-7 (8/10), 9-7.

With his victory in four hours and 48 minutes, Nadal became the first man since Bjorn Borg in 1980 to win the French Open and Wimbledon back-to-back.

"For me, it was the most emotional match I ever played in, probably the best," said Nadal.

"I tried everything, but Rafa is a deserving champion, he just played fantastic," said Federer, who converted just one of 13 break points.

2017 - Australian Open

-- In their ninth and last Grand Slam final clash, 35-year-old Federer became the second oldest man in the Open era to win a Grand Slam since 37-year-old Ken Rosewall at the 1972 Australian Open.

Federer came from a break down in the final set to win 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 to capture his first Slam title in almost five years. The previous year, Federer had sat out six months with a knee injury.

"It's been a difficult last six months. I didn't think I was going to make it here," said Federer after lifting his 18th major and fifth Australian Open.

Nadal said: "It is amazing how he is playing after all this time away from the tour. I am very happy for you."

The overall head-to-head is Nadal 24, Federer 16.

https://sports.yahoo.com/rafael-nadal-v-roger-federer-150249156.html

A fine bromance: Nadal's epic rivalry with Federer.

 

A fine bromance: Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal at the 2022 Laver Cup in London where the Swiss star played for the final time

Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer's rivalry started in the sweltering heat of Miami and ended almost two decades later in tears and hand-holding in an emotional London farewell.

In between, the great friends met 40 times, battling out epics on European clay, London grass and hard courts from the United States to Australia.

Nadal edged their head-to-head count 24-16, coming out 9-3 on top in Grand Slam finals including his stunning Wimbledon triumph in 2008, widely regarded as one of the greatest finals at the majors.

However, the statistics only scratch the surface.

"When Roger leaves the tour, an important part of my life is leaving too," admitted a tearful Nadal as he played Laver Cup doubles alongside 41-year-old Federer in the Swiss star's final appearance last September.

The two clasped hands as Federer hobbled into retirement.

On Thursday, Nadal revealed that he too is facing the end of the line with 2024 likely to be his swansong after withdrawing from this year's French Open with a hip injury.

"Very proud to be part of his career but even for me happier to finish our career as friends after everything we shared on court as rivals," said Nadal.

When Nadal equalled Federer's haul of 20 Grand Slam titles by lifting his 13th French Open in 2020, the Swiss described it as the "greatest achievement in sport".

Federer never begrudged Nadal moving past him to 22 majors.

"I can call up Rafa and talk about anything," said Federer at his emotional farewell in London.

"We enjoy each other's company. We have a million topics to cover. I always feel like any evening we ever spent together we never have enough time."

Nineteen years earlier, it was another time, another place.

The only thing they had in common then was respect.

When they met for the first time in March 2004 at Miami, Nadal was just 17 and ranked at 34.

Federer was the world number one and had already captured the Australian Open and Indian Wells titles that year.

However, a fearless Nadal swept to a 6-3, 6-3 victory in 70 minutes.

"I was very worried about him beating me 6-1, 6-1 or 6-1, 6-2, but I really wanted to play this match against the world number one," said Nadal.

Nadal fretted if his friends back home could follow the match "on Teletext" while Federer correctly predicted more meetings to come.

"I was impressed with what I saw," said Federer.

- Wimbledon epic -

The pair met at least once every year from 2004 until 2015 while Federer would go on to claim seven of their last eight clashes.

Fittingly, they split their last meetings in 2019 -- Nadal breezing to a semi-final triumph at the French Open with Federer coming out on top in the last four at Wimbledon just weeks later.

Epics were often guaranteed.

Federer avenged his 2004 loss to Nadal 12 months later, winning the final in Miami in five sets from two sets down.

Nadal had to dig deep to protect his king of clay reputation in 2006, also needing five sets to defeat the Swiss in the Rome final.

Federer struggled to chip away at Nadal's mastery of clay, winning just two of 17 meetings.

At the Swiss star's second home of Wimbledon, he defeated Nadal in the 2006 and 2007 finals before the Spaniard claimed one of his greatest victories 12 months later.

In almost total darkness after a final interrupted by rain, Nadal won his fifth Grand Slam title and first outside of the French Open.

He missed two championship points in the fourth set but steadied to triumph 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-7 (8/10), 9-7 after four hours and 48 minutes.

"For me, it was the most emotional match I ever played in, probably the best," said Nadal.

They would meet again in three more Slam finals -- Nadal taking his first Australian Open title in a five-setter in 2009 and the 2011 French Open before Federer claimed the 2017 Australian Open in another marathon.

Federer's win in Melbourne came after he had spent six months sidelined by injury the previous year.

"Tennis is a tough sport," said Federer who was 35 at the time and had gone 10 years without a victory over Nadal at the Slams.

"There are no draws. If there were, I would have been happy to accept one and share it with Rafa."

https://sports.yahoo.com/fine-bromance-nadals-epic-rivalry-150610347.html

Rafael Nadal in quotes.

 

Rafael Nadal talks at his press conference

Tennis legend Rafael Nadal on Thursday withdrew from the French Open and revealed that 2024 is likely to be his final season after a career that has yielded 22 Grand Slam titles including a record 14 French Open crowns.

AFP Sport picks 10 of the best quotes by the 36-year-old Spaniard:

"I have no sense of humour about losing."

-- Nadal in his 2012 biography 'Rafa - My Story'

"It's true that with Novak I played more matches than with Roger, but I started it with him (Federer). Someone I have admired, whom I have rivalled and also with whom I have shared many beautiful things on and off the court. A part of my life left with him."

-- Nadal in November 2022 declaring his rivalry with Roger Federer was a little more special than with Novak Djokovic.

"It's something that does not bother me if Novak (Djokovic) wins 23 (Grand Slams) and I stay at 22. I think my happiness will not change at all, not even 1%."

-- Nadal to CNN in June 2022.

"It's important to have people around you with enough confidence to say if you are not acting in a good way. Normally, when you are at the top, people say everything is fantastic. Probably in that moment it is what you want to hear, but it's best to be reminded how to act properly."

-- Nadal to The Guardian in 2009.

"I love fishing for three reasons: the calm and tranquillity, the beauty of the sea –- and, of course, the satisfaction of catching your dinner. I can forget about everything. No one can call me, because I keep my mobile switched off, so I can relax and not think about tennis."

-- Nadal to the Daily Mail in 2007.

"My parents' divorce made an important change in my life. It affected me. After that, when I can't play Wimbledon, it was tough. For one month I was outside the world."

-- Nadal to The Guardian 2009 on his mother Ana Maria Parera and father Sebastian's divorce.

"To underestimate the value of her role in everything that has come my way, to see her importance as less than Toni's, for example, would be as blind as it would be unjust."

-- Nadal to Essentially Sport in 2022 on the crucial role his mother played in his march to greatness.

"Every year I go to Broadway to see a musical - I like the music. I saw 'Mamma Mia;' I saw 'Les Miserables;' I saw 'Phantom of the Opera' like six, seven times."

-- Nadal gives an insight to outside interests to Elle.com in 2013.

"Being home alone at night makes me a bit nervous. If I'm at home alone, I have to sleep on the sofa -- I can't face going to bed. I'm there with the TV on and all the lights on. I'm not very brave about anything in life. In tennis, yes. In everything else, not very."

-- To Vogue in 2009.

"I'll never have a tattoo -- I just don't like them, and when you're old they can look a disaster. As for piercings, I don't like them on men."

-- Nadal to Life Beyond Sport magazine.

https://sports.yahoo.com/rafael-nadal-quotes-151220106.html

Rafael Nadal - Press Conference after Final | Roland-Garros 2022.

 

 

French Open betting: Odds shift with Rafael Nadal missing Roland Garros.

 

Rafael Nadal won't play in this year's French Open. (Photo by Cristian Trujillo/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)

The King of Clay, Rafael Nadal, announced Thursday that he will miss this year’s French Open, which starts May 28. Rafa holds a 112-3 record and 14 titles at Roland Garros, the most by any male or female player at any single major in tennis history. Nadal hasn’t played since the Australian Open in January because of a hip injury and he said that he expects 2024 to be his final season. This will mark Rafa’s first absence from Roland Garros in 18 years.

With this news, the odds to win the French Open have shifted.

Current men's odds to win the French Open

Carlos Alcaraz +125

Novak Djokovic +185

Holger Rune +700

Stefanos Tsitsipas +900

Jannik Sinner +1400

Since 2005, only four men have won a title at Roland Garros: Nadal (14), Djokovic (2), Stan Wawrinka (1) and Roger Federer (1). Only Djokovic and Wawrinka have an opportunity to keep the trend alive.

Looking at the men's draw is more important than ever with Nadal out. However, if you are looking to grab a futures wager early, here are two players to consider pre-draw who are not Alcaraz or Djokovic.

Holger Rune +700

The 20-year old could win the Italian Open with Casper Ruud as his next opponent Saturday in the semifinal after defeating Djokovic in three sets. Since winning ATP Masters 1000 Paris in early November by defeating Djokovic in the final, he’s reached the final at ATP Masters 1000 Monte-Carlo and won ATP 250 Munich last month. Rune’s style of play is starting to look more like Djokovic's: great returns, strong from the baseline, power forehand and killer drop shots. He has the speed to hit every shot and the stamina to play a baseline game, while having force in both his forehand and backhand. If Rune is granted the good fortune of a friendly draw, I’d be looking to him to not only win his quarter but also make the final.

Casper Ruud +1800

The Norwegian could be peaking at the right time ahead of Roland Garros. Ruud didn’t have a proper offseason and didn't take a break in order to recharge. Instead, he played some exhibition matches and then jumped straight into tournaments. At one point, he admitted that he simply fatigued and his 2023 record of 11-9 reflects that. Known to be a clay-court specialist, he is currently 6-3 on clay this year with Round of 16 exits both in Monte-Carlo and Barcelona and an opening-round loss at Madrid. However, Ruud is having a great Italian Open, which includes a strong straight-set victory over fellow clay-court specialist Francisco Cerúndolo. Regardless of whether Ruud wins or loses to Rune in the Italian Open semifinal, it gives Ruud a solid starting point to peak in the French Open.

Ruud has a solid game. He’s not only strong from the baseline but has made improvements with his backhand, while also showing the ability to make adjustments mid-match. Ruud has patience and reached the French Open final last year, losing to Nadal. Having that experience under his belt is huge, and Ruud can certainly look to capitalize on that.

It’s a good idea to wait for the draw before placing a futures wager on which man will win the next title at Roland Garros. However, these are the best pre-draw options to consider outside of Alcaraz and Djokovic.

https://sports.yahoo.com/french-open-betting-odds-shift-with-rafael-nadal-missing-roland-garros-214205090.html

SENSATIONAL STEF 💎 @steftsitsipas is through to his third Rome semi-final without dropping a set! @InteBNLdItalia | #IBI23

 

SENSATIONAL STEF 💎@steftsitsipas is through to his third Rome semi-final without dropping a set! @InteBNLdItalia | #IBI23 pic.twitter.com/B7bz7pfGXA

— ATP Tour (@atptour) May 18, 2023

 

Your final 4️⃣ in Rome! 🇮🇹 @InteBNLdItalia | #IBI23

Novak Djokovic v Andy Murray Full Match | Australian Open 2013 Final.

 

 

Victoria Azarenka vs. Iga Swiatek Extended Highlights | 2020 US Open Round 3.

 

 

Rafael Nadal's Greatest Point at the US Open?

 

 

Iga Swiatek vs. Elena Rybakina | 2023 Rome Quarterfinal | WTA Match Highlights.

 

 

Ruud Earns Revenge In Rome, Ousts Cerundolo For SF Spot. Fourth seed will next play seventh seed Rune.

Casper Ruud continued his Rome resurgence on Wednesday evening.

The fourth seed defeated 24th seed Francisco Cerundolo 7-6(5), 6-4 to reach the semi-finals of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia. The Norwegian has advanced to the last four at the Foro Italico in three consecutive appearances and will next face Holger Rune, who upset Novak Djokovic earlier in the day.

"I'm just very happy to play good tennis and be in the semi-finals," Ruud said in his on-court interview. "It's going to be a very, very fun one, hopefully."

Ruud stepped onto centre court having lost two consecutive matches against Cerundolo, including a straight-sets defeat just weeks ago in Barcelona. But the 24-year-old earned revenge on the Roman clay after two hours and five minutes.

The 2022 Roland Garros finalist has rounded into form in recent weeks. He claimed his first ATP Tour title of the season in Estoril and is now two victories from earning his first ATP Masters 1000 title.

"Tennis is a strange sport, as we all can tell. And I think I've really lived through it the last 12 months or so, some of my best moments of my career and some tougher losses in the past couple of months," Ruud said. "But here we are back in Rome and I feel great. I know that I've had success in Italy before in my career, here [I made] two times [the] semi-finals, Turin last year was amazing for me... It's something in the food maybe, I don't know."

Cerundolo made him work hard for his triumph on the Italian clay. Both players made plenty of unforced errors — 28 for Ruud and 47 for Cerundolo — as they attempted to find an edge in rallies.

The players were largely content to battle from behind the baseline, lacing heavy balls back and forth. Ruud earned more opportunities on return, with 14 break points, but Cerundolo saved 11 of them.

After squeaking through a tight tie-break, Ruud made the critical move at 4-4 in the second set. Cerundolo missed an aggressive inside-out forehand wide and the Norwegian served out his victory.

The fourth seed will next face Rune, against whom he owns a 4-0 ATP Head2Head advantage. Their most recent clash came in last year’s Roland Garros quarter-finals.

"He's improved so much. I played him a couple times in 2021 and a couple of times in 2022, and his improvement is just really, really good," Ruud said. "You can see that his confidence is good on court and [he] really deserves [to be] where he is at the moment.

"He has big goals for his career and is going through one goal by another so I'm just going to try to think about what I've done well against him before — I have a winning record against him. Tennis is always open, it's never over until it's over, and I'm just going to try to fight."

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/ruud-cerundolo-rome-2023-qf

Nadal: 'I Don't Think I Deserve To End Like This'. Spaniard reflects on withdrawal from Roland Garros and his future.

Rafael Nadal is determined to end his career on his own terms. The Spaniard reflected on his outlook Thursday after announcing his withdrawal from Roland Garros.

"I don't like the word but I feel strong enough to say it:  I don't think I deserve to end like this,” Nadal said in Spanish. “I’ve worked hard enough throughout my career for my end not to be in a press conference.”

Nadal explained that his plan is to take time off. Although he is unsure when he will return, the Spaniard added the 2024 season will “probably” be his last. 

“After that you never know what can happen,” Nadal said. “I’m going to try to make my last year not just a party, I'm going to try to compete at the highest level, give myself the option to try to compete and win tournaments on this clay tour. The reality is that we'll have to wait for that.”

The 22-time major champion and former World No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings did not rush to his decision and instead listened to what his body told him.

"The first thing you do is not talk, you listen to yourself and you understand what is happening. You have to accept and go through a process of honesty with yourself,” Nadal said. “But decisions are not dramatic, everything has a beginning and an end, unfortunately. I am just one more of all these endings of all the people who have been able to stand out in any field of life.” 

The reason Nadal is taking time off now is so that he can give himself the best chance for a proper final run. 

“My idea is that this last effort is worth leaving everything so that the last year will be something special,” Nadal said. “My tennis and above all my body will tell me what will happen."

When Nadal retires, he said it will be the end of a stage of his life he has “been very happy with”.

“From then on I will start another stage, which will be different. But it doesn't have to be any less happy,” Nadal said. “I have to take things naturally. I have plans for the next few months that I haven't made in the last 20 years.”

World No. 3 Daniil Medvedev was asked about the Nadal news after his quarter-final win in Rome. Medvedev said: "Rafa on clay in general, but especially in Roland Garros, is just unreal. I honestly don't know how this is possible because me, I feel like I'm a good tennis player, but you can always have a bad day, or your opponent has a very good day. Like in Madrid, I felt like I was not playing that bad against [Aslan] Karatsev. But I lost, and after the match I was like, 'He played well. Okay, that's it.'

"Rafa didn't have these matches in Roland Garros, except maybe the match with Soderling where Robin played the match of his life and managed to win. This is unbelievable. I think in tennis, at least for the moment, there no comparison."

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/nadal-may-2023-press-conference-reaction

Nadal Withdraws From Roland Garros, Hints 2024 Season May Be His Last. Spaniard is a 14-time champion at the clay-court major.

Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from Roland Garros, he announced on Thursday at the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar. The 14-time champion will not play in the season’s second major for the first time since his tournament debut in 2005. The 22-time major winner added that he will stop for an undetermined length of time and that 2024 is "probably" going to be his last year on the professional tour.

"I was even working as much as possible every single day for the last four months. It has been very difficult months because we were not able to find the solution to the problem that I had in Australia," Nadal said. "Today I'm still in a position that I am not able to feel myself ready to compete at the standards that I need to be [at] to play a Roland Garros. I am not the guy that is going to be at Roland Garros and just try to be there and put myself in a position that I don't like to be [in]."

The 36-year-old has not competed since January at the Australian Open, where he suffered an injury to the iliopsoas muscle in his left leg. Nadal and his team were expecting a recovery period of six to eight weeks, but the lefty has not returned to action. 

The Spaniard was happy with his on-court results, like when last year he won the Australian Open and Roland Garros. But he "was not able to enjoy [his] daily work" because of his physical problems.

“Since after the pandemic, my body was not able to hold the practices and to hold the daily work in a good way. So I was not able to enjoy the practices and the competition because [there were] too many problems, too many times having to stop for physical issues and too many days of going here practising but with with too much pain,” Nadal said. “So after I said that I need to stop. I need to stop for a while. So my decision is to stop. I don't know when I'm going to be able to come back to the practice court, but I'm going to stop for a while. Maybe two months, maybe one month and a half, maybe three months, maybe four months.

“I don't know, I am not the guy who likes to predict a lot the future, so I'm just following my my personal feelings and just following what I really believe is the right thing to do for for my body and for my personal happiness now.” 

Nadal added that he is stopping to give himself an opportunity to enjoy 2024, which he said will "probably" be his last as a professional tennis player.

“I can't say 100 per cent that [it is] going to be like this because you never know what can happen. But my idea and my motivation is [to] try to enjoy and try to say goodbye [to] all the tournaments that have been important for me in my tennis career during [next] year and just try to enjoy that that, being competitive and enjoying being on court,” Nadal said. “[That is] something that today is not possible. I really believe that if I keep going now, I will not be able to make that happen. I don't know if I stop if I will be able to make that happen, but I think the chances are much higher if I stop."

In addition to his record 14 trophies at Roland Garros, Nadal owns a 112-3 record across 18 career appearances at the major (one mid-tournament withdrawal). His 112 match wins and his 97.4 per cent win rate both stand alone as records, as does his perfect 14-0 mark in finals. 

"I'm not the kind of guy who comes to play at Roland-Garros only to be there. I need to stop. Just for a moment. Maybe a month, two or three before going back to training. It is the best thing to do for my health." @RafaelNadal

🎙️ https://t.co/EOiMFTH7HT pic.twitter.com/3KAHhYiTmM

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 18, 2023

"Of course [in] the tournament [there are] going to be super interesting matches that I will be happy to follow and my speech [is not] going to change now [from] a couple of years ago when Novak didn't play in Australia," Nadal said. "Tournaments stay forever. Players play and leave, so Roland Garros will be always Roland Garros with or without me, without a doubt.

"The tournament is going to keep being the the best event in the world of clay and there is going to be one Roland Garros champion. It's not going to be me, [there is] going to be another one and that's life."

Last year in Paris, Nadal defeated Casper Ruud in a three-set championship match to win a record-breaking 22nd Grand Slam singles title — a mark Novak Djokovic has since equalled. 

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/nadal-roland-garros-2023-withdrawal

Medvedev Reaches Rome SFs. Third seed next plays Tsitsipas.

Daniil Medvedev broke new ground at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia on Thursday when he cruised past German qualifier Yannick Hanfmann 6-2, 6-2 to reach the semi-finals in Rome for the first time.

The third seed had never won a match in the Italian capital before this fortnight, but has produced some of his best tennis to advance to the last four at an ATP Masters 1000 clay-court event for just the second time (Monte-Carlo 2019).

"I said before the tournament I was feeling really great in practice," Medvedev said. "It is always a danger to say this if you lose the first round and you think, 'Why did I say this'. But I am feeling great. The transition from Grand Stand to center court was not easy. He was struggling more than me and I am happy with the win and being in the semis."

In a dominant performance against Hanfmann, Medvedev sat deep behind the baseline to soak up the German’s powerful hitting, striking a number of stunning passing winners. The third seed moved well on centre court and timed the ball cleanly off both wings to advance after one hour and 20 minutes.

"I knew I had to put as many balls into the court as possible because he plays aggressively," Medvedev said. "There aren't going to be many points where you dictate, it will be mainly him. But what you have to do is play deep and try and make him miss. Maybe he didn't play his best match but that is how it works, you can't play your best match every day and I am happy I could neutralise his attacking style."

Medvedev has now earned a Tour-leading 18 ATP Masters 1000 wins this season, highlighted by his run to the title in Miami last month. The 27-year-old, who defeated Alexander Zverev in the fourth round, will continue the quest for his fifth trophy of the season when he takes on Stefanos Tsitsipas or Borna Coric in the semi-finals on Saturday.

Medvedev is currently first in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin and will extend his lead to 845 points if he wins his sixth ATP Masters 1000 crown this week after second-placed Carlos Alcaraz lost in the third round in Rome.

In one of his best performances of the season, Medvedev was zoned in from ball one against Hanfmann. In an impressive first set, the third seed won 80 per cent (16/20) of his first-serve points and was aggressive throughout, striking 14 winners to lead. The second set followed a similar story, with Medvedev controlling the baseline exchanges with his weight and depth of shot to earn his 37th win of the season.

Hanfmann was competing in the quarter-finals at an ATP Masters 1000 for the first time after upsetting Top 10 stars Taylor Fritz and Andrey Rublev en route to the last eight. The 31-year-old German has climbed 37 spots to No. 64 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings following his dream run in Italy.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/medvedev-hanfmann-rome-2023-thursday

Tsitsipas Ousts Coric To Set Medvedev Showdown In Rome. Greek triumphs in straight sets.

Stefanos Tsitsipas earned a commanding 6-3, 6-4 win over Borna Coric at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia on Thursday evening to set a blockbuster semi-final against third seed Daniil Medvedev. 

"He's been playing well and I'm playing [well] also," Tsitsipas said on court of his upcoming match against Medvedev. "I feel good on court, regardless if it's a night session or a day session and I really hope to bring the best out of me against him. I feel like he's playing better than the years before."

Tsitsipas is now 13-3 this clay-court season and he has earned all four of his victories at the Foro Italico in straight sets. The 2022 Rome finalist saved three of the four break points he faced against Coric to advance after one hour and 36 minutes.

Coric has long been a tough opponent for Tsitsipas. Entering Thursday’s clash, the Croatian had won three of their five ATP Head2Head meetings and one of Tsitsipas’ victories came by first-set retirement.

They met last year in the final of the Western & Southern Open, a match Coric won in straight sets. But Tsitsipas earned his ATP Masters 1000 revenge in Rome, where he was sharp throughout his triumph.

The Greek used a good mix of power and creativity, changing the spin on his shots and using his drop shot well. Coric missed a defensive backhand long to allow Tsitsipas to serve for the first set, which he did successfully.

The fifth seed appeared in full control when he hit a forehand passing shot to break in the second set, but he gave back his advantage in the next game.

Tsitsipas did not panic against a player who has rallied against him before. He earned his third service break of the match and then successfully served for his place in the semi-finals.

"This is clay-court tennis, things escalated quite quickly. And there was a turning point, but accompanied by my great shotmaking, at the very important moments, I was able to retrieve that and get back and hold," Tsitsipas said. "[I played] a great service game in the very last game, serving excellently and just feeling the energy point by point."

Medvedev leads Tsitsipas 7-4 in their ATP Head2Head series. However, the Greek has won three of their past four clashes, including a straight-sets victory two years ago in the Roland Garros quarter-finals.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/tsitsipas-coric-rome-2023-qf

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