Tennis: Kyrgios overcomes tricky Davidovich Fokina in Cincinnati opener

CINCINNATI -- Nick Kyrgios began the last major US Open tune-up with a 7-5, 6-4 win over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina on Tuesday at the ATP/WTA Cincinnati Masters.

The Australian marched through with 29 winners - including 10 aces - and three breaks of the Spaniard's serve to reach the second round.

The 28th-ranked Kyrgios has won all 11 of his first-round matches this season and won his 22nd match since returning to the ATP in June after skipping the clay season.

He now faces good friend Taylor Fritz after the American crushed Sebastian Baez 6-1, 6-1.

"Physically, I didn't feel the best, but you have to keep pushing, keep trying," Kyrgios said.

"Alejandro's a hell of a player, he's got a lot of shots at his disposal. I had to serve well and dictate," the Montreal quarter-finalist aded.

"It was tricky conditions out there, the courts are a lot more lively than Montreal, it was harder to control the ball."

Kyrgios took 50 minutes to secure the first set, wrapping it up after a break in the penultimate game with back-to-back serve winners.

He went up an early break to start the second set but lost it three games later as the dissatisfied Australian kept up a frustrated gripe session with his three-strong support box as Davidovich Fokina made it 2-2.

Kyrgios struck straight back with a love break to regain control 3-2 and ran out the winner in 91 minutes on his second match point.

It marked a happy return to Cincinnati for Kyrgios, who was fined a record $113,000 during a spectacular meltdown at the tournament in 2019 when he smashed two racquets in the locker room in a loss to Karen Khachanov.

Kyrgios acknowledged his turbulent history at the tournament after Tuesday's win.

"I've played some amazing tennis here and had some crazy outbursts," he said. 

"It's a flip of the coin as to which Kyrgios shows up here.

"Hopefully this time around it's just a calm, collected -- I just want to have a good week before I continue on the good habits and give myself all the best for preparation for the US Open.

"I have been an emotional kind of tennis player my entire career. Ever since I picked up a racquet, my mum used to watch me throw tantrums and cry on the court and be emotional when I lost.

"That's just me showing that I do care about the result - I think that's important. 

Agence France-Presse

Tennis: Aussie Kyrgios beats Japan's Nishioka for ATP Washington title

WASHINGTON -- Wimbledon runner-up Nick Kyrgios won his seventh ATP title and first in three years by defeating Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka in Sunday's men's final at the ATP and WTA Washington Open.

The 27-year-old Australian downed 96th-ranked left-hander Nishioka 6-4, 6-3 for his first ATP title since capturing the 2019 Washington crown.

"It's emotional for me to be back here again and claim another title," Kyrgios said.

Kyrgios, who lost to Novak Djokovic last month in his first Grand Slam final, made back-to-back tour-level finals for the first time in his career and didn't allow a service break all week.

"It's just very emotional for me to see where I was at last year to now. It's just an incredible transformation," Kyrgios said. "I've been in some really dark places.

"There are so many people who have helped me get there but myself, I've shown some serious strength to just continue and just persevere and get through all those times and be able to still perform and win tournaments like this one."

World number 63 Kyrgios fired 12 aces and 32 winners against four double faults and 20 unforced errors while taking 22 of 25 first-serve points to defeat Nishioka in 81 minutes.

"I came out with great energy," Kyrgios said. "I knew I had experience on my side. I'm really happy with myself."

Kyrgios improved to 4-0 against Nishioka, the most recent prior win coming in the third round of his 2019 Washington title run.

In the women's final, Liudmila Samsonova won her second career WTA title by beating Estonia's Kaia Kanepi 4-6, 6-3, 6-3. Her first title came at last year's German Open on Berlin grass.

Kyrgios was set to join American Jack Sock in the later doubles final, trying to become the first man to sweep singles and doubles titles in the US capital event's 53-year history.

Nishioka netted a backhand to surrender a break in the opening game and Kyrgios denied the Asian southpaw's lone break chance with a backhand winner in the sixth game, holding out to claim the first set with his seventh ace.

Kyrgios broke in the first game of the second set when Nishioka sent a forehand long and again in the final game when Nishioka netted a backhand on the Aussie's third match point.

Nishioka, who captured his only ATP crown in 2018 at Shenzhen, hadn't won a tour-level match since March until this week, when he upset eighth-ranked Andrey Rublev in the semi-finals. He will jump 42 spots to 54th in Monday's world rankings.

"At the beginning of the year I had a nightmare," Nishioka said. "I thought if I can't make the top 50 again I will retire. Now I think maybe I can play a few more years."

Kyrgios will leap to 37th in the world rankings. He would have been 15th had world ranking points been awarded at Wimbledon.

- Kanepi drought extended -

World number 60 Samsonova fired 10 aces and 27 winners to beat Kanepi. The 23-year-old Russian had a six-week layoff before Washington after Russian and Belarus players were not allowed at Wimbledon due to the invasion of Ukraine.

Kanepi, ranked 37th at age 37, was foiled in her bid to end a nine-year WTA title drought. She last won a WTA crown at the 2013 Brussels Open.

"Overall the week was very good," Kanepi said. "She served better than me and maybe that was the key."

Samsonova dispatched three of the top six seeds, ousting reigning US Open champion Emma Raducanu and fifth seed Elise Mertens before eliminating sixth seed Kanepi.

Agence France-Presse

'Worst nightmare': Kyrgios tackles Djokovic for Wimbledon title

LONDON -- Nick Kyrgios can become one of Wimbledon's most controversial champions on Sunday when he faces Novak Djokovic in a final set to showcase flamboyant shot-making punctuated by likely dark mood swings.

The maverick Australian crowd-pleaser is in his first Slam final at the age of 27 after a roller-coaster career.

There have been tempestuous outbursts, spats with players, officials and media and fines that he has previously estimated have cost him $500,000.

When Rafael Nadal's injury-enforced withdrawal gave him a free passage into Sunday's final, the Daily Telegraph asked if it represented "Wimbledon's worst nightmare".

Kyrgios, bidding to become Australia's first Grand Slam men's champion since Lleyton Hewitt at Wimbledon 20 years ago, has been box office on and off the court at the All England Club.

In a campaign of all-out attack, he has fired a tournament-leading 120 aces, 292 winners, the second-fastest serve of 137 miles (220 kilometers) per hour while being broken only six times.

But he has picked up $14,000 in fines, spat in the direction of fans and was even accused of having an "evil side" and being a "bully" by third-round rival Stefanos Tsitsipas.

He also has the added distraction of a court appearance in Australia next month, related to an allegation of assault.

"I never thought I'd be here at all, to be brutally honest with you," said the 27-year-old.

"I'm just super proud and I'm just ready to go. Once you are able to raise a Grand Slam trophy, that's like, I mean, kind of what else is there to achieve?"

Kyrgios, ranked 40, said that, win or lose on Sunday, he has already put his many detractors in their place.

"Since I was born, only eight people have ever won this title, like eight people. I'm just going to give it my best shot."

The final will be a clash between two men who have rarely seen eye-to-eye.

When Djokovic organized his ill-fated Adria Tour during the coronavirus pandemic, Kyrgios accused him of "lacking leadership and humility".

- 'Bromance' -

He once described the Serb's post-match victory celebrations as "cringeworthy".

Djokovic hit back last year when he said: "Off the court, I don't have much respect for him, to be honest."

However, Kyrgios performed an about-turn by becoming one of the few players to offer Djokovic support in his Australia deportation saga in January, related to his Covid vaccination status.

"We definitely have a bit of a bromance now, which is weird," said Kyrgios on Friday.

"We actually message each other on DMs in Instagram now and stuff. Earlier in the week, he was like, 'Hopefully I'll see you Sunday'."

Kyrgios knows how to beat Djokovic, winning their only two meetings in 2017 in Acapulco and Indian Wells without dropping a set.

Victory on Sunday would make him only the third unseeded man to lift the trophy after Boris Becker in 1985 and Goran Ivanisevic in 2001.

Djokovic is in his eighth Wimbledon final and record 32nd at all the majors.

He is chasing a seventh title to pull level with Pete Sampras and sit one behind Roger Federer's men's record of eight.

Victory would take him to 21 Grand Slams, one ahead of Federer and one behind Nadal.

Djokovic admits that he has warmed to Kyrgios but stopped short of agreeing they were at the "bromance" level.

- 'Better relationship' -

"We definitely have a better relationship than what it was probably prior to January this year," said the top seed.

"When it was really tough for me in Australia, he was one of the very few players that came out publicly and supported me and stood by me. That's something I truly appreciate. So I respect him for that a lot."

Djokovic, 35, praised Kyrgios for playing "lights-out every time he steps out onto the court".

He believes his experience could be crucial against a player whose previous best performance at the Slams were quarter-final runs at Wimbledon in 2014 and the Australian Open the following year.

"But he's a big-match player. The best tennis he's played is always against the top guys. That's why we all respect him, because we know what he can come up with.

"I'm glad that he's in the final because he's got so much talent."

Agence France-Presse

Tennis: Kyrgios faces court over assault allegation

SYDNEY, Australia -- Australian tennis ace Nick Kyrgios has been summoned to appear in court over an allegation of assault, his barrister told the Canberra Times newspaper Tuesday.

The news broke as the 27-year-old, one of the most polarizing figures in tennis, prepared to play in the Wimbledon quarter-finals on Wednesday, with organizers saying Kyrgios remained on schedule for his match.

Police in the Australian Capital Territory, where Canberra is located, released a statement without identifying the player.

"ACT Policing can confirm a 27-year-old Watson man is scheduled to face the ACT Magistrates Court on the 2nd of August in relation to one charge of common assault following an incident in December 2021," the statement said.

Barrister Jason Moffett told the Canberra Times that his client was aware of the allegation.

"It's in the context of a domestic relationship," he was quoted as saying.

"The nature of the allegation is serious, and Mr Kyrgios takes the allegation very seriously."

The barrister said Kyrgios would not comment because it was a court matter, but would release a statement "in the fullness of time".

Law firm Johannessen Legal subsequently released a statement on behalf of Kyrgios saying the tennis star "is not considered charged with an offence until the first appearance (in court)".

The firm added that "Kyrgios is committed to addressing any and all allegations once clear".

The world number 40 will face Chile's Cristian Garin on Wednesday for a place in the semi-finals.

It will be Kyrgios's first quarter-final at the Slams since the 2015 Australian Open.

A spokesperson for the All England Club said the tournament organizers "have been made aware of legal proceedings involving Nick Kyrgios in Australia, and as they are ongoing, we are not in a position to offer a comment."

In a statement, the spokesperson added: "We are in touch with Nick's team and he remains scheduled to play his quarter-final match tomorrow."

Wimbledon chief executive Sally Bolton addressed the controversial character of Kyrgios on Monday.

"We don't have a clear view of what is considered to be a perfect champion," she told reporters. "And it's a long way to the final so let's see what happens."

Agence France-Presse

Tennis: Tsitsipas says Kyrgios is 'a bully' with 'evil side'

LONDON -- Stefanos Tsitsipas branded Nick Kyrgios "a bully" with an "evil side" after losing a stormy Wimbledon clash on Saturday.

"It's constant bullying, that's what he does," the Greek fourth seed said in his post-match press conference after their third-round match.

"He bullies the opponents. He was probably a bully at school himself. I don't like bullies.

"He has some good traits in his character, as well.

"But... he also has a very evil side to him, which if it's exposed, it can really do a lot of harm and bad to the people around him."

The mercurial Australian prevailed 6-7 (2/7), 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (9/7) in the match, during which both players were handed code violations by the umpire.

Kyrgios even demanded the Tsitsipas be defaulted for hitting the ball into the crowd.

Tsitsipas admitted he deliberately hit the ball at Kyrgios at one stage in an effort to quieten the Australian.

"I was aiming for the body of my opponent but I missed by a lot," he said.

"This needs to stop. It's not okay. Someone needs to sit down with him and talk. I'm not used to play this way. 

"But I cannot just sit there, act like a robot and act like someone that is completely cold and ignorant.

"It felt like a bit of a circus. You get tired of the constant talking, the constant complaining," he added.

Kyrgios, in his own press conference, said he understood why Tsitsipas would be upset after losing two times in recent weeks, including in Halle.

"Maybe he should figure out how to beat me a couple more times first and then get to that," he said.

Kyrgios claimed he had been the victim of bullying on the court.

"I'm not sure how I bullied him. He was the one hitting balls at me, he was the one that hit a spectator, he was the one that smacked it out of the stadium. I didn't do anything.

- 'Stefanos 'soft' -

"I did nothing towards Stefanos today that was disrespectful."

"He's soft to come in here and say I bullied him. We're not cut from the same cloth. If he's affected by that, then that's what's holding him back," he added.

After sealing his victory, the 2014 quarter-finalist said he had fancied his chances coming into the match after his recent win against the fourth seed on the grass in Germany.

"He's a hell of a player. He knows how to beat me -- he's beaten me once," said the 40th-ranked Australian, who now has a 4-1 winning record against the Greek player.

"It's amazing, everywhere I go I seem to have full stadiums. The media loves to say I'm bad for the sport but clearly I'm not."

Kyrgios, who received an obscenity warning, did not lose his serve in the entire match, saving all five break points he faced and winning 81 percent of his first-serve points.

- Drama -

There was little hint of the drama to come when 23-year-old Tsitsipas edged a first-set tie-break.

But the match descended into mayhem when a frustrated Tsitsipas hit the ball into the crowd after losing the second set, for which he received a warning.

Kyrgios said Tsitsipas should be kicked out of Wimbledon, recalling the incident at the US Open in 2020 when Novak Djokovic was defaulted from the tournament after hitting a line judge with a ball.

In astonishing scenes, the Australian called the umpire a "disgrace", demanding to speak to supervisors and saying he would not continue until the situation was resolved.

"You can't hit a ball into the crowd and hit someone and not get defaulted," he said.

At that point Tsitsipas left the court but returned to boos in an increasingly volatile atmosphere on Court One.

Kyrgios, now on top against a clearly rattled Tsitsipas, broke in the fourth game of the third set.

Later in the set, Tsitsipas was given a point penalty for hitting the ball in frustration towards the back of the court after a Kyrgios underarm serve.

The 2019 ATP Finals champion appeared to aim shots in the direction of the Australian while Kyrgios continued to talk between points and bowed to the crowd at 5-3 following a winning drop shot.

Kyrgios won the set and immediately put pressure on Tsitsipas at the beginning of the fourth set but neither player could force a break despite multiple opportunities.

At 4-4 play was suspended for the roof to be closed and the match went to a nail-biting tie-break.

Tsitsipas had set points to draw level in the match but it was Kyrgios who came out on top when his opponent netted after a drop shot.

The Australian will play 20-year-old American Brandon Nakashima, the world number 56, in the last 16.

Agence France-Presse

Kyrgios fined $113,000 for Cincinnati meltdown, faces suspension

CINCINNATI - Controversial Australian star Nick Kyrgios was Thursday fined $113,000 after his explosive Cincinnati Masters meltdown which saw him smash two racquets, launch an abusive tirade at the chair umpire before appearing to spit at the official.

The ATP said the massive sanction included individual fines for ball abuse, leaving the court without permission, an audible obscenity and unsportsmanlike conduct during his second round loss to Russia's Karen Khachanov.

Kyrgios, 24, was warned that he could also face another suspension from the sport once a full investigation has taken place.

After the world number 27 lost 6-7 (3/7), 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 to Khachanov on Wednesday night, he called umpire Fergus Murphy a "fuckin' tool", refused to shake his hand while spitting in the direction of the chair.

He had earlier been handed a time violation, docked a point and was warned again after leaving the court without permission at the end of the second set after which he was seen to destroy two racquets in the corridor.

Kyrgios screamed at Murphy that he was the "worst umpire, hands down".

The various Kyrgios infractions included four fines of $20,000 each for unsportsmanlike conduct plus another $20,000 for verbal abuse.

"In addition to the on-site fines, the ATP is looking further into what happened during and immediately after the match to see if additional action is warranted," said an ATP statement.

"That could result in an additional fine and/or suspension."

Kyrgios also had a run-in with Murphy at Queen's Club in June after he accused a line judge of "match-rigging" and was given a code violation by the umpire.

At the Italian Open in Rome on the eve of Roland Garros, he was disqualified and fined for throwing a chair on to court.

He has also been at loggerheads with the world's top two players, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal this year.

He accused Djokovic of trying too hard to be liked and blasted the Serb's post-match "cup of love" celebrations as "cringeworthy".

DJOKOVIC, NADAL CLASHES

After beating Nadal in Acapulco earlier this year, the Spaniard said the Australian "lacked respect".

The pair met in a bad-tempered Wimbledon second round match in which Kyrgios admitted deliberately spearing a forehand directly at Nadal.

"Why would I apologise? I mean, the dude has got how many slams, how much money in the bank account?" said Kyrgios after his four-set defeat.

"I think he can take a ball to the chest, bro. I'm not going to apologize to him at all."

For good measure, Kyrgios picked up a code violation for unsportsmanlike behaviour and described the umpire as a "disgrace", claiming his handling of the Centre Court blockbuster as "pathetic" for failing to warn the Spaniard over what he claimed was his pedestrian pace of play.

In 2015, in one of his more notorious outbursts, Kyrgios was fined for making a sexually disparaging remark in Canada about the girlfriend of three-time major winner Stan Wawrinka.

The following year, he was banned for eight weeks after being accused of not trying at the Shanghai Masters.

German legend Boris Becker said he was saddened by Kyrgios's behaviour.

"Absolutely agree that spitting/foul language/tanking should be punished hard but we have dilemma since we want strong personalities lead the sport(Roger/Rafa/Nole)," the six-time Grand Slam title winner tweeted.

"NK has the game/charisma/guts but not yet the clarity of thought/maybe never ....it's a shame."

str-dj

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Tennis: Kyrgios edges Medvedev to win ATP Washington Open title

WASHINGTON -- Shaking off back spasms to blast 18 aces, Australia's Nick Kyrgios kept his composure and captured the ATP Washington Open title Sunday, defeating Russia's 10th-ranked Daniil Medvedev 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/4).

The 24-year-old Aussie, who struggled through the opening set, claimed the $365,390 top prize and his sixth career ATP crown at the US Open tuneup event.

"This is probably my best memory of a final," Kyrgios said. "I left it all on the court."

Kyrgios, 5-1 this year against top-10 rivals, won his second title of the season after Acapulco in March and will jump 25 positions to 27th in Monday's new rankings, his first top-30 appearance in 43 weeks.

"This has been one of the greatest weeks of my life. I've made massive strides," Kyrgios said. "This whole week has been amazing. It's a week I won't forget."

Known for his fiery temperament and inconsistency, Kyrgios was resilient all week, breaking racquets but holding his emotions together -- "super proud" of his composure.

"In the past six months, it's crazy to think how much I've been able to turn it around," Kyrgios said. "I'm working hard to be better as a player and a person.

"I lost faith that I could still have weeks like this and be happy. I've got to thank (my family) for not losing faith.

"I just wanted to clean myself up and have a healthy attitude. I showed what I can do this week."

While saying his best memory of the week was "how professional I was off the court," Kyrgios also noted, "I've got a long way to go."

American Jessica Pegula captured her first WTA singles title by ripping Italy's Camila Giorgi 6-2, 6-2 in the Washington women's final.

The 25-year-old daughter of NFL Buffalo Bills owner and natural gas magnate Terry Pegula took a $43,000 top prize.

Kyrgios won a match that featured no break points or deuces after 94 minutes with back-to-back aces, the last his tournament-best 110th of the week.

Medvedev, 23, was broken only twice this week but lost his lone sets to Kyrgios. He'll equal his career-best ranking of ninth on Monday.

"I know how well Nick can play when he wants to play. This week, I think he wanted to play and it was tough," Medvedev said.

"He was determined and it seemed like he wants to win. And that's what we don't see all the time."

Kyrgios, who beat Medvedev on Rome clay in May in their only prior meeting, would face him again in the second round next week at Montreal if Kyrgios beats Britain's Kyle Edmund.

"It's never easy to play Nick," said Medvedev, adding with a laugh. "I hope Kyle wins."

Kyrgios first grabbed his back at 2-all, stretching and twisting during a changeover but having no troubles after treatment between sets from a physiotherapist.

"I just happened to get through that first set, which was massive," he said.

His running and service speed were hampered at times during his seventh match in as many days counting doubles, but while Medvedev took 24 of 25 points on his serve, Kyrgios matching up into the tie-breaker.

Kyrgios denied Medvedev on set point with a 124-mph ace, then hit a passing winner and won it when Medvedev sent a forehand wide. In the last breaker, two Kyrgios aces made his Washington's first unseeded ATP champion since 2011.

- Pegula powers to crown -

Pegula's only other WTA singles final was last September at Quebec City, where she lost to France's Pauline Parmentier.

Pegula, who will jump 25 spots to a career-best 54th on Monday, broke early in each set and closed matters just inside an hour with an ace.

"It's extremely gratifying," she said. "The journey makes it all that much sweeter because it's hard. I really pushed myself this week. It's amazing. I'm excited.

"Hopefully I can take the momentum and keep riding it."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

US Open: Federer hands Nick Kyrgios masterclass; ex-champ Angelique Kerber falls

Five-time champion Roger Federer found a new way to amaze Saturday as he reached the US Open last 16 with a 6-4, 6-1, 7-5 victory over Nick Kyrgios.

The second-seeded Swiss withstood an early onslaught from the unpredictable Aussie, firing 51 winners that included an unlikely forehand flicked around the net post that Kyrgios couldn't believe.


"Definitely a bit of luck and good feet," Federer said of the shot that had Kyrgios wide-eyed at the net.

The wonder shot was the talk of the day, but the night belonged to 2014 champion Marin Cilic and 19-year-old Australian Alex de Minaur, who battled for four hours on Louis Armstrong Stadium before Cilic pulled off a 4-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 victory.

De Minaur, ranked 45th in the world, pushed seventh-ranked Cilic until the bitter end, saving seven match points as he rallied from 5-2 down in the fifth set before finally succumbing after four hours on court.

"Incredible fighting spirit," Cilic said of de Minaur after the young Aussie kept him on court until 2.22 am (0622 GMT) Sunday morning -- the second-latest finish in US Open history.

"This is a moment to remember," added Cilic, who booked a fourth-round meeting with Belgian David Goffin.

Federer will take on Australian John Millman, who reached the last 16 of a major for the first time with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, 6-3 victory over Kazakhstan's Mikhail Kukushkin.

If he makes it past Millman, Federer could find Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic waiting in the last eight.

Djokovic, winner of US Open titles in 2011 and 2015, extended his dominance over Richard Gasquet with a 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 victory in front of a rowdy night crowd on the massive Ashe Stadium.

"It was the best match of the week so far without a doubt, and one of the best performances of the hardcourt season after Wimbledon," said Djokovic, who warmed up for Flushing Meadows by beating Federer in the Cincinnati Masters final. 

Djokovic saved all five break points he faced to book a meeting with Joao Sousa of Portugal, a 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/5) winner over France's Lucas Pouille.

- Kerber can't get it done -

The third round was the end of the line for men's and women's fourth seeds from Germany -- Alexander Zverev and Angelique Kerber. 

Kerber, the 2016 US Open winner trying to become the third woman in the last 20 years to win both Wimbledon and the US Open in the same season, was bundled out by Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Zverev, the 21-year-old sensation, who has lifted titles in Munich, Madrid and Washington this year and reached finals in Miami and Rome, fell 6-7 (1/7), 6-4, 6-1, 6-3 to veteran compatriot Philippe Kohlschreiber.

It was another Grand Slam disappointment for Zverev, touted as the youngster most likely to end the major dominance of Federer, Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.

Kohlschreiber will seek a quarter-final berth against 2014 runner-up Kei Nishikori after the Japanese downed Argentine Diego Schwartzman 6-4, 6-4, 5-7, 6-1.

Kerber's defeat followed the early exits of world number one Simona Halep and No. 2 Caroline Wozniacki -- who were both also seeking a second Grand Slam title of the year.

Fifth seed Petra Kvitova was also ousted, the two-time Wimbledon champion falling 7-5, 6-1 to rising Belarussian star Aryna Sabalenka.

In all just three of the top 10 women made it through to the fourth round, although Kerber didn't blame a domino effect for her departure.

"I'm not looking around who was winning or who was losing," she said. "You have sometimes days where you are trying everything, but it's not really working as you wish."

Cibulkova, the 29th seed, moves on to face 2017 finalist Madison Keys, who shook off a slow start to beat Serbian Aleksandra Krunic 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.

Sixth-seeded Caroline Garcia of France also departed, beaten 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) by Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro, and Czech teenager Marketa Vondrousova sprang a surprise, too, with a 7-6 (7/4), 2-6, 7-6 (7/1) victory over 13th-seeded Belgian Kiki Bertens.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Relentless Cilic edges Kyrgios to set up Djokovic final

LONDON - Top seed Marin Cilic ended Nick Kyrgios's entertaining run at the Fever-Tree Queen's Club championships with a 7-6(3) 7-6(4) victory on Saturday as he reached the final for the fourth time.

A high-level semi-final full of thundering serves boiled down to two tiebreaks in which the ice-cool Cilic proved the more composed player to set up a Sunday showdown with former world number one Novak Djokovic.

Unseeded Djokovic was given some trouble by Jeremy Chardy in the opening set but prevailed 7-6(5) 6-4 to take his record over the Frenchman to 11-0 and 26-0 in sets.

World number six Cilic was out-aced 16-11 but never gave Australian maverick Kyrgios a sniff of a service break.

"It's special to play here and I've played great tennis throughout the week and it's great to have another shot at the title," the 2012 Queen's champion said on a sunny centre court.

"Nick is serving so good and it was tough to get a look on the service returns. As expected a couple of points made the difference in the tiebreaks."

Kyrgios, ranked 21, had served 82 aces on his way to the semi-final and was in scintillating form against defending champion Feliciano Lopez on Friday.

He could not quite reach that level again but was still happy with his grasscourt form having lost narrowly to Roger Federer in the Stuttgart semis last week and beaten former Wimbledon champion Andy Murray for the first time at Queen's.

"The last couple of weeks, I feel pretty untouchable on serve. Today I just didn't have any chances to break at all," the 23-year-old told reporters.

POTENT WEAPON

His serve was a potent weapon again and in the eighth game of the first set he bashed down three consecutive aces before playing one of his trademark 'tweeners' to level at 4-4.

Cilic, runner-up to Roger Federer at Wimbledon last year and this year's Australian Open, was relentless, however, and seized on a couple of Kyrgios groundstroke errors in the opening tiebreak to pocket the first set.

Kyrgios saved the only break points of the match, recovering from 15-40 at 2-2 in the second set.

As the set sped towards another tiebreaker, the pressure was beginning to tell on Kyrgios as he yelled "I can't focus".

Sure enough a Kyrgios double-fault at the start of the tiebreak gave the initiative to Cilic who quickly built a 6-3 lead and although he netted on his first match point he converted the second when Kyrgios skewed a backhand wide.

While Kyrgios will be frustrated, his level during the week augurs well for his Wimbledon prospects.

"I've played some good tennis, have played some tough opponents. I played a lot of three-setters and a lot of tennis. That's a positive. My body feels pretty good," he said.

Wildcard Djokovic seemed agitated at times as Chardy, who has won 12 of 13 matches on grass over the past three weeks, proved a tricky opponent.

The Frenchman made several errors in the tiebreak though and was broken at 4-4 in the second -- the only break of serve in the day's two semi-finals -- before Djokovic sealed the win.

He has a 14-1 winning record over Cilic but might be second-favourite on Sunday with the Croatian in superb form.

"I will play with two racquets! One in the right hand and one in the left hand!" Djokovic said when asked how he would cope with the power of Cilic's serve. 

(Reporting by Martyn Herman Editing by Edmund Blair and Jon Boyle)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Nadal thrashes Kyrgios to win China Open title

World number one Rafael Nadal produced a ruthless performance to thrash Australian Nick Kyrgios 6-2 6-1 in the China Open final on Sunday for his 75th career singles title.

The 31-year-old was given a tough fight early on but Kyrgios's challenge faded after he lost his temper and was docked a penalty point at 2-5 in the first set.


Nadal's previous title at the tournament came 12 years ago.

"I had very tough draw here," Nadal, who saved match points in his opening round against Frenchman Lucas Pouille, said.

"I was lucky the first day saving the two match points but after that I think I played one of my best events of the year."

World number 19 Kyrgios matched Nadal early on, winning his opening two service games but became involved in a debate with umpire Mohamed Lahyani over a close line call against him.

"I can't play at 100 percent if that stuff happens -- and then you expect me not to be angry," Kyrgios told Lahyani.

He continued to argue the toss with the official who eventually awarded a penalty point against the Australian during the changeover when he trailed 2-5, meaning he began the eighth game already 0-15 behind.

Nadal was well in control by then and he raced into a 5-0 lead in the second set before Kyrgios slightly delayed the inevitable as the Spaniard sauntered to his 12th consecutive win.

"He played well. I played terrible. He's in great form. He just destroyed me today, so it was too good," Kyrgios, who struck 20 winners but 35 unforced errors, said.

"I put in a pretty good week, had some good wins. It's tough to find positives when you won three games in the final. But I guess there were positives. In the semi-final I played well, obviously beating Alex (Zverev)."

Kyrgios still has a chance of qualifying for the ATP World Tour Finals as he is 15th in the Race standings with several tournaments remaining to close the gap on those in front.

Nadal, winner of the French Open and U.S. Open titles this year, has won six tournaments in a season for the first time since 2013 and strengthens his position at the top of the rankings ahead of Roger Federer.

(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Toby Davis and Christian Radnedge)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Tennis: Europe tops World in Laver Cup openers

PRAGUE - Marin Cilic, Dominic Thiem and Alexander Zverev won their opening singles to put Team Europe ahead of Team World after day one of the inaugural Laver Cup in Prague on Friday.

Nick Kyrgios and Jack Sock then handed Team World their first point by beating Tomas Berdych and world number one Rafael Nadal in the day's closing doubles rubber to round off the score at 3-1 for Europe.

"I'm happy the way the day went, we had a couple of wins that were super close and we could lose," said Roland Garros and US Open champion Nadal.


"We have a good result for our team. Happy to go to back to bed with 3-1 and tomorrow is another day."

With four matches a day -- three singles and a doubles, the players can earn a point for each win on Friday, two on Saturday and three on Sunday.

World number five Cilic beat 72nd-ranked Frances Tiafoe, a replacement for the injured Argentinian Juan Martin del Potro, 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/0) in the tournament opener.

The big-serving Croat and the 19-year-old American held on to their serves in the first set before earning a break apiece in the second, with Cilic showing better nerves in both tie-breakers.

Seventh-ranked Austrian Thiem then put Europe 2-0 ahead, beating world number 17 John Isner 6-7 (15/17), 7-6 (7/2), 10/8.

Isner offered his regular dose of aces as both held on to their serves throughout the rubber, taking it to the 10-point super tie-break used to decide games tied after two sets.

Isner went 4-0 up in the super tie-break, but the patient Austrian came back to win the rubber.

In a clash of the teams' youngest players, the 20-year-old world number four, Zverev, overpowered 18-year-old Canadian Denis Shapovalov 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/5) in another rubber without breaks.

In the doubles, Berdych lost his serve halfway through the first set as off-court friends Kyrgios and Sock seemed far more comfortable on the black court of Prague's O2 Arena.

Berdych and Nadal regained some momentum in the second set, but the Team World duo grabbed the super tie-break.

Skippering Team Europe, Bjorn Borg decided to rest world number two Roger Federer on Friday while John McEnroe decided not to use his highest-ranked player, 16th-ranked Sam Querrey.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Kyrgios thinks ban will help him push for top 10 in 2017

SYDNEY - Australian world number 13 Nick Kyrgios thinks his ATP-imposed suspension will stand him in good stead when he makes a push for the top 10 next season.

The 21-year-old rose to a career high ranking this year but his tour season ended with a $25,000 fine and a two-month ban from the ATP for not trying in a match at the Shanghai Masters.

The ban was reduced to three weeks after he agreed to see a sports psychologist.


"The ATP wanted me to see a psychologist to help me out and I've been doing that," Kyrgios told Fox Sports after helping the Singapore Slammers to the Indian Premier League Tennis title in Hyderabad on Sunday.

"It's actually been good, just relaxing a little bit, spending more time with my family and my girlfriend as well.

"So the suspension, one way to look at it, is getting more time off with the people you love and I've been training as well, so it's set me up in good stead for 2017.

"Obviously I wouldn't have wanted to get suspended but it gave me time to think about and analyse what I've got to get better at."

The tempestuous Kyrgios, Australia's brightest hope of a men's grand slam champion since Lleyton Hewitt, clinched his first three titles this year in Atlanta, Marseille and Tokyo.

He also dubbed his effort losing to Andy Murray at Wimbledon as "pretty pathetic", however, and withdrew himself from contention for the Olympics after a public slanging match with Australia's team leader for the Rio Games.

A week after his Tokyo triumph, he clashed with fans as well as the chair umpire at the Shanghai Masters and walked off court midway through a point against Mischa Zverev.

"It's been a rollercoaster, we had a lot of highs, a lot of lows," Kyrgios added.

"But ultimately, my ranking jumped from about 30 to 13, so that's a successful year.

"I've got a couple of guys in my team who hopefully can help me push for that top 10 spot next year.

"It was a fun year. I did a lot of fun things. I got Australia back in the world group of the Davis Cup, won a couple of titles, so it's been a good year so hopefully I can back it up in 2017."

(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Amlan Chakraborty)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Kyrgios lights up damp first day at French Open

PARIS - Australian Nick Kyrgios did his best to enliven a damp and dismal Parisian day with eye-catching play and habitual rants as the French Open began without some of its familiar settings on Sunday.

The volatile 17th seed mainly let his racket do the talking during an impressive 7-6(6) 7-6(6) 6-4 defeat of Italian debutant Marco Cecchinato, although he did receive a code violation for snapping at a ball boy in the first set.

Women's 10th seed Petra Kvitova was another early starter and was nearly sent packing in the opening skirmish on Philippe Chatrier Court, the twice Wimbledon champion coming within a game of defeat by Montenegro's Danka Kovinic.

She eventually won 6-2 4-6 7-5 in two hours 16 minutes watched by ticket holders wrapped up in colourful anoraks and with a multitude of umbrellas primed for action.

Long lines of fans formed outside Roland Garros as security was visibly beefed up in light of November's deadly attacks in the city and once inside the historic grounds there was a feeling that things were not quite where they should be.

Three courts, numbers seven, nine and 11, which used to flank the Chatrier showcourt, have disappeared, replaced by a muddy hole in the ground -- the start of a controversial re-development that will included a new stadium court by 2020.

Leafing through their programs the fans would also have noticed the name of Roger Federer absent from the men's draw for the first time since 1998 after the Swiss 17-times grand slam champion withdrew injured.

With rain dogging players and spectators throughout, an anti-climactic opening day was called off at around 6.30 p.m. local time with only 10 of the 32 scheduled matches completed.

At least Kyrgios, enjoying a consistent year which hints at a more level-headed approach, provided some entertainment for those huddled together on Court One.

The volatile 21-year-old fired down 17 aces and fended off two set points in the second-set tiebreak before dispatching 124th-ranked Cecchinato and setting up a second-round clash with Dutch lucky loser Igor Sijsling.

The match was not without some of the outbursts that have made Kyrgios one of the most talked-about players on Tour.

Towards the end of the first set he barked at a ballboy and was warned by umpire Carlos Ramos.

"A code violation for saying 'towel' loud?" Kyrgios said in a fiery exchange with Ramos.

"Now I've seen it all. That's bullshit... are you kidding?"

There was a maturity about his display though and he produced his best tennis when he needed it -- saving one set point with a nonchalant drop shot before taking control.

Kvitova, a semi-finalist in 2012, began confidently in light drizzle that followed the torrential early-morning rain, but from a position of strength got bogged down on the damp clay.

Kovinic served for the match at 5-4 in the third set but Kvitova roused herself to rattle off three games in a row.

"Definitely the serve," Kvitova, who racked up 10 double faults, said when asked what she needed to improve on.

Her fellow Czech Lucie Safarova, a surprise runner-up last year to Serena Williams, dropped only two games as she made short work of Russia's Vitalia Diatchenko.

Home favourite Benoit Paire, one of 16 Frenchman to start in the main draw, produced a topsy-turvy display against Moldovan qualifier Radu Albot before winning in five sets.

Spain's Garbine Muguruza, the women's fourth seed, did not make it on court for her match against Slovakian Anna Karolina Schmiedlova while men's fifth seed Kei Nishikori did, but was interrupted by the rain when he was leading by two sets.

(Editing by Ed Osmond and Clare Fallon)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

TENNIS: Djokovic denies match-fixing report, Hewitt faces Ferrer

Djokovic denies report that 2007 loss to Santoro was fixed

Reuters
Novak Djokovic has denied an Italian media report he deliberately lost a match in 2007 that has been linked to a wider scandal involving alleged corruption in tennis.

The 28-year-old world number one, who easily beat French teenager Quentin Halys on Wednesday to advance to the Australian Open third round, was asked about a report in Italian newspaper Tuttosport that he had deliberately lost to now-retired French player Fabrice Santoro at the Paris Masters.

"It's not true," the Serb said with a shrug and shake of his head. "What it is to say? I've lost that match.

"Anybody can create a story about that match or for that matter any of the matches of the top players losing in the early rounds, I think it's just absurd."

Djokovic was asked about the media reports on Monday, saying that he had indirectly been offered $200,000 to throw a match while still a teenager.

The offer was immediately rejected by the person it had been made to, he said.

Hewitt facing final farewell against brick wall Ferrer

Reuters

Spain's David Ferrer could be the man to bring the curtain down on Lleyton Hewitt's illustrious career in what could be an emotional Rod Laver Arena night session on day four of the Australian Open on Thursday.

Home favourite and former world number one Hewitt will retire after his 20th and final home grand slam and while he will fight the way only he knows how, he could meet his match in tenacious eighth seed Ferrer.

Wild card Hewitt remains the only player Australian to beat Ferrer at a grand slam tournament though and will relish a toe-to-toe scrap with the former French Open runner-up.

"He's like a brick wall out there," twice grand slam champion Hewitt said of Ferrer. "He's a tough customer for nearly anyone. But, yeah, I give myself a fighting chance."

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Sixth seed Kvitova ousted by Australia's Gavrilova in Melbourne

Reuters

Twice Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova was sent tumbling out of the Australian Open in the second round by Daria Gavrilova on Wednesday, stunned 6-4 6-4 by the 21-year-old local.

The sixth seed, a semi-finalist at Melbourne Park four years ago, made 35 unforced errors and was broken five times in the 89-minute contest, to the delight of the partisan crowd on Margaret Court Arena.

Kvitova rallied to save a match point and break back for 5-4 in the final set but Gavrilova claimed the victory when the world number seven went long with a forehand in the next game.

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Kyrgios overcomes shorts mix-up to set up Berdych clash

Agence France-Presse
Rising star Nick Kyrgios overcame a mix-up with his shorts to beat Pablo Cuevas in straight sets and set up an Australian Open showdown with Tomas Berdych on Wednesday.

Despite needing to change his shorts midway, the exciting 20-year-old Australian beat the 41st-ranked Cuevas 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 (7/2) in almost two hours before a partisan home crowd on Hisense Arena.

Krygios, whose first pair of shorts apparently didn't have pockets deep enough to hold balls while he was serving, smashed 50 winners as he broke the Uruguayan's serve four times.

"Just a bit of a mix-up before the game. I guess it will be fixed by the next round," shrugged the 29th seed, whose next opponent, Berdych, has reached the last two semi-finals at Melbourne Park.
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Uncle Toni open to Nadal coaching change

Agence France-Presse

Rafael Nadal's coach and uncle Toni Nadal hasn't ruled out the possibility that the 14-time Grand Slam champion may seek a new or expanded coaching team in a bid to arrest his slide in form.

Nadal lost in the first round of a Grand Slam for just the second time in his career to fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco at the Australian Open on Tuesday.

"I understand that in sport results come first and if you have to make a change, you have to do it," Toni Nadal told Spanish radio station Cadena Cope on Wednesday.

"To lose so early in Australia is one of the biggest disappointments we have had because in the last four months we had been playing well.

"I hope it is only a blip and we move forward."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Murray wraps up IPTL stint, looks to Australian Open

MANILA, Philippines – World No. 6 Andy Murray ended his stint in the inaugural edition of the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) by beating up-and-coming Australian Nick Kyrgios, and is now looking forward to his preparations for the 2015 Australian Open.

Murray dragged the big-serving Kyrgios into a five-minute shootout, which ended in dramatic fashion when the Australian's last forehand hit the net seconds before the final buzzer, giving Murray a 7-5 win in the shootout.

"Personally, I hadn't won a match this week," said Murray. "I lost a couple of close ones in the first day."

Murray said he and the rest of the Manila Mavericks "wanted to try and win to finish the weekend."

"I thought everyone performed better," he said. "The attitude of the team was very good throughout."

Murray won't play in any of the other legs of the IPTL, which moves to Singapore, New Delhi, and then Dubai. Instead, he is set to start his preparations for the first Slam of the year, the Australian Open.

"The immediately plan is obviously the Australian Open," Murray said. "I start training for that in about five or six days, I'm going to Miami. I've got about six weeks before the beginning of the tournament, so that's the immediate goal."

Murray won the Wimbledon in 2013 but had an up-and-down season in 2014 as he struggled to recover from his back injury. He failed to defend his Wimbledon title but saw his form improved late in the season, making it to the ATP World Tour Finals.

"It was tough. There were some good moments and some bad moments," Murray said of his 2014 campaign. "You go through that in sport. It's not always perfect, not always how you want it."

"You need to accept that, you need to respect that as well," he said. "In the beginning of the year, I was finding that difficult to handle, coming back from the back surgery. But as the year went on, I started to deal with it better, and my form improved."

"I hope next year, I can play my best tennis again."

Murray reached the finals of the Australian Open in 2013, losing to Novak Djokovic.

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Raonic into Wimbledon semis, ends Canada's 106-year wait

LONDON - Milos Raonic became the first Canadian man to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals in 106 years on Wednesday when he ended the giantkilling run of Australian teenager Nick Kyrgios.

The eighth-seeded Raonic will tackle seven-time champion Roger Federer for a place in Sunday's final after seeing off world number 144 Kyrgios, who beat Rafael Nadal in the fourth round, 6-7 (4/7), 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4).

Federer had earlier reached the semi-finals for the ninth time with a 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-4, 6-4 victory over compatriot Stan Wawrinka.

Robert Powell in 1908 was the last Canadian man to make the last-four at the All England Club.

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Wimbledon: Australian teen ousts Nadal

LONDON - Australia's world number 144 Nick Kyrgios caused one of the greatest Wimbledon sensations on Tuesday when he sent world number one and 14-time Grand Slam title winner Rafael Nadal crashing to a shock defeat.

The 19-year-old Kyrgios, making his Wimbledon debut, clinched a fearless 7-6 (7/5), 5-7, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 victory to become the first wildcard in 10 years to make the quarter-finals at the All England Club.

He is also the first player ranked outside the top 100 to defeat a world number one since Andrei Olhovskiy stunned Jim Courier in the Wimbledon third round in 1992.

It was a performance of brutal inventiveness and uninhibited bludgeoning from a man who had had to save nine match points in his second round win against Richard Gasquet and his reward is a clash with Canada's Milos Raonic for a place in the semi-finals.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com