MOST WIMBLEDON SEMI-FINAL APPEARANCES

 

CAMERON NORRIE EQUALS IMPRESSIVE ANDY MURRAY FEAT WITH SHOCK WIMBLEDON WIN

Cameron Norrie has matched an excellent Andy Murray record with a surprise second round Wimbledon win over Frances Tiafoe.

The 2022 semi-finalist came from a set down to beat the American 12th seed 4-6 6-4 6-3 7-5 on No.1 Court in the tournament's latest shock result.

Norrie has claimed his second career win over TiafoeCredit: Getty

Tiafoe has become the 14th top 32 seed in the men's singles event to lose either their first or second round matches in SW19.

But it's Norrie who has made the headlines with a victory that sees him go level with tennis legend Murray at Grand Slams.

He is just the second Brit after Murray to beat ATP top 20 opposition at all four major events since the rankings were introduced in 1973.

Norrie will face the winner of Jiri Lehecka vs Mattia Bellucci in back-to-back third round appearances at Wimbledon.

During his post-match interview with the BBC, the 29-year-old spoke on his delight with another crucial victory on home turf.

"I was really happy when I saw the schedule and that I was on Court One, it's my favourite court and has an amazing atmosphere," he said.

"I think we both played at a really high level and I stayed so calm. I was just playing point for point, I served so well and I was enjoying the battle.

"It was really nice to play Frances in a big match here at Wimbledon and I was really happy with my level. I didn't drop too much and I was happy to get over the line in the end."

Norrie was all smiles when walking onto the court and when asked about his delight, he added: "It’s so special. You forget so quickly.

"I walked around the corner and you just feel goosebumps and I feel this as such a special court, a special tournament, so much tradition and you walk out with a different sort of feeling.

Norrie has been loving life at Wimbledon so far in 2025Credit: Getty

"I was just trying to take it all in and enjoy it and smile as much as I could. It was a really nice experience today and I was happy with my level and enjoyment factor."

Norrie is in the third round at Wimbledon for the fourth time in his career.

Tiafoe on the other hand has been sent packing early as the top seeds continue to struggle at the All England Club.

He has now equalled a feat that only Murray was able to boastCredit: Getty

Four of the top ten - Alexander Zverev, Lorenzo Musetti, Holger Rune and Daniil Medvedev - have all exited.

Ugo Humbert, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Denis Shapovalov are some of the other notable losers as of day three.

- Robert Calcutt

MOST MASTERS 100 MATCH WINS | TENNIS 🎾

 

TENNIS 🎾 LEGENDS

 

Rafa Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.

#NovakDjokovic #djokernole #andymurray #rafaelnadal #nadal #RafaNadal #RogerFederer #Federer #tennis #goat

LYNDSEY VONN THINKS HER NEW TITANIUM KNEE COULD START A TREND IN SKIING, AND PRO SPORTS IN GENERAL

AP

ST. MORITZ, Switzerland (AP) — When Lindsey Vonn last raced on the World Cup circuit nearly six years ago, the constant pain in her knee left her in tears and led to retirement.

Flash forward to Vonn’s comeback race on a titanium knee at age 40 last weekend, and the American skiing standout couldn’t have felt more different.

No more pain. No more swelling. No more tears.

"The last few years of my career were so much different than they are right now. I’m skiing without thinking about my knee, which I really haven’t done since I first tore my ACL in 2013. So it’s been a long time that I felt this good,” Vonn said Saturday after placing 14th in a super-G in St. Moritz. “I’m a little bit older, but honestly I’m a hell of a lot stronger than I once was.”

So much stronger that she’s talking up her knee replacement surgery — the first of its kind in World Cup skiing — as a new frontier for the sport.

In April, Vonn had a robot-assisted replacement performed by Martin Roche, a South Florida-based orthopedist specializing in complex knee disorders. Part of the bone in her right knee was cut off and replaced by two titanium pieces. A month later, she was planning her comeback.

It’s a lot better than my non-existent cartilage,” said Vonn, one of the most successful skiers of all time with 82 World Cup wins. “I’ve talked to a lot of skiers already about it and I really think that it could be something that should be considered.

“I feel amazing. I mean, obviously not everyone responds the same way to surgeries. For some reason, I bounce back pretty well from surgery. But I think it’s something to seriously consider for athletes that have a lot of knee problems.”

Knee replacement are usually reserved for older people

Federation’s head physician and an orthopedist who has operated numerous times on Vonn’s good friend and fellow downhiller, Sofia Goggia, said knee replacements are usually performed on patients older than 50.

“This is definitely the first time in World Cup history that such a young athlete has raced with one,” Panzeri told The Associated Press. “And I’m not aware of any other elite-level athletes in other sports competing with one, either.”

Panzeri performs knee replacements. But he had never even thought about doing one on a World Cup skier — until he saw Vonn competing with one.

"Partial prosthetics, like the half-knee ones, are definitely the ones that offer the best performance and we’re seeing that (with Vonn),” Panzeri said. “I don’t think her decision is going to change pro sports. But it could provide more motivation for so-called ‘normal’ people to try a prosthetic.”

Three-time Grand Slam tennis champion Andy Murray played with an artificial hip at the end of his career. Vonn’s former skiing teammate Julia Mancuso also redid her hip a few months after she retired in 2018 and maintains an active lifestyle.

“I, for sure, would have considered a comeback if I didn’t have kids,” Mancuso told The AP recently. “So I can totally relate to Lindsey.” 

But Panzeri said that “hips have different biomechanics than a knee and many more people are able to play sports with a hip prosthetic than a knee prosthetic.”

Three-time Grand Slam tennis champion Andy Murray played with an artificial hip at the end of his career. Vonn’s former skiing teammate Julia Mancuso also redid her hip a few months after she retired in 2018 and maintains an active lifestyle.

“I, for sure, would have considered a comeback if I didn’t have kids,” Mancuso told The AP recently. “So I can totally relate to Lindsey.” 

But Panzeri said that “hips have different biomechanics than a knee and many more people are able to play sports with a hip prosthetic than a knee prosthetic.”

Knee replacement are not likely to become like Tommy John surgery 

Elan Goldwaser, a sports medicine physician at Columbia University Medical Center who works with the U.S. Ski Team, has seen many athletes come to his clinic for knee replacements but not elite-level competitors.

So, is Vonn’s operation going to be a trend-setter in skiing?

“I wouldn’t say it’s the go-to like in baseball with Tommy John surgery,” Goldwaser said in St. Moritz. “But if it’s necessary said in St. Moritz. “But if it’s necessary, it’s a good procedure to do.”

Vonn's coach says her fitness level helped her deal with the replacement 

Chris Knight, Vonn’s personal coach, said they had questions over whether her titanium knee would hold up to the forces required to navigate downhill skiing turns at 80 mph (130 kph) as she hurls herself down steep mountains.

“There was not a lot of research out there with high-level athletes and partial knee replacements,” Knight said. “It is a new frontier. But so far everything’s working really well... And I would not be surprised if other people do it because the results that Lindsey’s had, with no pain and no swelling, have been unbelievable.

Granted, she stayed in great shape the entire time she hasn’t been racing. So, that probably helped. I mean, if you’re sitting around as a non-active skier and not doing anything with your fitness, then maybe it wouldn’t be as effective. But if you’re an athlete who’s got some knee problems, from what I’m seeing, I wouldn’t be saying no to them.”

Vonn’s new knee also left an impression on U.S. Ski Team head coach Paul Kristofic.

“I’m definitely due for one myself,” Kristofic said. “I’m going to talk to her.”

Still, there are doubters.

Four-time overall World Cup champion Pirmin Zurbriggen told Swiss tabloid Blick last week that “there is a risk that Vonn will tear her artificial knee to pieces.”

But Panzeri said the titanium does not rupture.

“Absolutely not,” he said. “It’s a small prosthetic that doesn’t break.”

Vonn will race next in St. Anton, Austria, Jan. 11-12.

- Andrew Dampf, AP

IN-DEPTH INTERVIEW WITH ANDY MURRAY | A DAY AFTER RETIRING FROM TENNIS

OLYMPICS: ANDY MURRAY'S FAREWELL COMES ON HIS OWN TERMS

Martin Rickett/PA Images via Getty Images

 PARIS -- The final days of Andy Murray's tennis career won't play out like most of the others that came before. It won't involve a singles match, nor is it likely that he will make a stirring run to a final or a classic comeback. His ongoing recovery from a spinal cyst procedure has potentially scuppered his chance to repeat greatness. "My back is still not perfect," he admits. But there will be positive differences, too. This week, for example, he won't be alone.

Instead, he has spent the past few days soaking up the final moments of his career in a six-person apartment that houses Team GB's men's tennis side, including his doubles partner, Dan Evans. Six like-minded guys hanging out and enjoying the athletes' village; it's an experience that the professional tennis circuit rarely offers to it's players. "When you're on your own on the tour, at times it is a little bit lonely," Murray says.

These days in Paris, then, are about reliving memories and making some new ones. Outside of the apartment, there are unique experiences to savour and Murray has been lapping it up. There's an ongoing contest between the six friends to collect as many pin badges as possible and Murray, a gleeful Olympic enthusiast, is winning. "The biggest talking point over dinner is how Andy's been using his fame to an unfair advantage," Evans wrote in a Daily Mail column this week. "Everyone recognises Andy so they ask him for a selfie and he grabs their badge in return. The rest of the guys don't stand a chance."

Winning at the Olympics is not new to Murray. It's why these Games make for the perfect setting for his final farewell to tennis. He is a two-time Olympic men's singles champion, and he has described those wins as the most memorable days of his career. His gold medals from London 2012 and Rio 2016 have bookended the most successful period of his career which included winning the U.S. Open (2012) as well as two Wimbledon titles (2013 and 2016).

"It feels like you're part of something bigger than just yourself or your own sport," Murray says. "I just know when I'm around the other athletes and in the village that it feels different to me. It feels more important."

He admits that tends to happen when you can reminisce over wins rather than heartbreak. That checks out for Murray. His London 2012 triumph changed something in him -- the month before, he stood on Wimbledon's Centre Court and cried after losing the men's final to Roger Federer despite going a set up -- and when he returned and became Olympic champion he was able to tell himself and the rest of the country that he really was ready to win on the big stage.

He claimed victory at the U.S. Open -- his first Grand Slam title - later that summer against Novak Djokovic. He won Wimbledon the following year, the first British man since Fred Perry in 1936. By the time Rio 2016 came around, he had just lifted another Wimbledon title, and he won his second Olympic final, defeating Argentina's Juan Martín del Potro inside four sets.

"The Olympics are really special," Murray says.

This time, his experience is unlikely to be so defined by the final result. He has already shown that in his preparation. Shortly after Wimbledon, where he played doubles alongside his brother, Jamie, he travelled to Greece with his family, as well as 17-year-old Scottish player Charlie Robertson who acted as his hitting partner. "I was there for one week," Murray says. "I trained with him in the mornings there and had a holiday with the family in the afternoons."

The trip was a sign that Murray had one foot out the door. He opened up to reporters on Wednesday, revealing his strategy for what would come next, with his most immediate plans involving spending quality time with his wife, Kim, and his three kids, Sophia, Edie and Teddy.

He aims to get back on the golf course. "I want to become a scratch golfer," Murray says. "That's something that I'll definitely try and do." As for tennis, though, he is unlikely to ever play publicly again after he hears the last "game, set and match" call in Paris.

"I don't see myself playing any of the invitational things or those sorts of events. I would expect that I would still hit some balls and stuff. I still enjoy playing tennis. I love being out there on the court. But when I play sport, I like to compete. I want to be competitive. I don't want to just have a hit and giggle."

Instead, it's more likely that he will find himself up in the coaches box, and he added that he would love to be involved in the next Olympics "in some capacity."

For now though, Murray must say goodbye. This is not the first time he has bid farewell -- he retired briefly in 2019, a painful experience to endure as two hip surgeries forced him away from the sport while he was still at the top of his game. There have been several moments since then when retirement could have been on the cards, but it just didn't feel right.

Murray says it's different now. "I had been struggling with my back through most of the clay court season after the ankle injury. I knew that it was the right time and I'm happy about it now.

"I didn't feel that way a few months ago when I thought this was when I was going to stop. I didn't really want to, whereas now I want to and I know that it's the right time for me, so I feel good about it."

These Games in Paris will close the chapter on Murray's playing career for good. It's another reason why these days will feel different than before.

- Connor O'Halloran

RANKING THE WIMBLEDON FIELD: THE FIVE CONTENDERS WHO CAN WIN EACH TITLE

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner is also our top pick to win the title -- though Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic should make it tough. Frey/TPN/Getty Images

 WIMBLEDON, England -- After an emotional start at the All England Club with Andy Murray's final matches, we've officially reached the quarterfinals.

There have been some surprising results, injuries and upsets -- including the first-round exit of defending champion Marketa Vondrousova and upsets of No. 1 Iga Swiatek and No. 2 Coco Gauff -- and a mixture of favorites and relative unknowns remains in the hunt for the title in both draws.

But who has the best chance in each draw to ultimately be victorious? Here are our completely unscientific rankings of the top five remaining players in each draw:

Men

1. Jannik Sinner: Playing as the top seed in a major for the first time, the 22-year-old has certainly looked the part so far. Sinner, the 2024 Australian Open champion, was challenged in his second-round match against a resurgent Matteo Berrettini. He needed tiebreaks to win the opening two sets against the 2021 Wimbledon finalist, and then had no answers in the third set. But Sinner dug in during the fourth set and earned the 7-6 (3), 7-6 (4), 2-6, 7-6 (4) win behind a strong serving performance and composure under pressure.

He then responded on Friday with a clinical straight-sets victory over Miomir Kecmanovic in just 96 minutes. Sinner later told reporters he felt "much better on court" than he had on Thursday and was pleased with the result.

Sinner, who won his first career grass title at Halle last month, looked even more in control with a straight-sets win over Ben Shelton on Sunday. He will have his toughest test yet against Daniil Medvedev, a fellow 2023 semifinalist, on Tuesday, but he certainly has seemed up to the task so far.

2. Carlos Alcaraz: After relatively routine matches in his first two rounds, the defending champion faced a familiar foe in the round of 32 on Friday against Frances Tiafoe. In a rematch of their classic 2022 US Open semifinal, No. 29 seed Tiafoe pushed No. 3 seed Alcaraz to the brink and had him six points away from an early exit during the fourth set. However, Alcaraz found a way to raise his level to force a tiebreak and then a final set, which he dominated. After nearly four hours of play, Alcaraz emerged victorious 5-7, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (2), 6-2.

The match served as a reminder that he can fend off some of the toughest of opponents on any surface -- and is extremely tough to beat in five sets.

"In every match that I've played fifth sets, I played really close or my best tennis," Alcaraz said on Saturday. "I realized that I'm good at it and I believe that I'm going to win. I think that's the good point for me."

Alcaraz entered the tournament as the co-favorite with Sinner but will have to fend off a tricky Tommy Paul on Tuesday if he wants to set up a semifinal showdown with Sinner. That won't be easy. Alcaraz has shown vulnerabilities on the grass this season, and Paul is on a nine-match win streak. Not to mention, they have a 2-2 head-to-head record.

3. Novak Djokovic: It's hard to believe that just over a week ago Djokovic's status to play in the tournament was in doubt following his surgery on a torn medial meniscus in his right knee last month. While he has been wearing a gray knee brace during matches and his movement isn't entirely where he wants it to be, he has been dominant in his first four matches. Even when he lost the opening set to Alexei Popyrin in the round of 32, Djokovic remained unflustered and fought his way back to win the next three sets.

Against No. 15 seed Holger Rune on Monday, Djokovic wasted no time and frustrated his younger opponent from the start by winning the first 12 points of the match. Djokovic advanced to his 15th Wimbledon quarterfinals with perhaps his most straightforward victory of the tournament, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2, in just over two hours.

Playing in the opposite side of the draw from Sinner and Alcaraz, Djokovic will play No. 9 seed Alex de Minaur on Wednesday. De Minaur, who lost to Djokovic in the 2023 Australian Open fourth round, said that match was "quite the challenge" and said he wasn't surprised to see Djokovic already back to a high level after surgery.

"Back in the fourth round playing some great tennis, looking like he never left," de Minaur said on Monday ahead of Djokovic's win. "It's just what Novak does."

If Djokovic were to defeat de Minaur, who sustained a minor hip injury during match point of his fourth-round match, he would take on Taylor Fritz or Lorenzo Musetti with a spot in the final on the line. Then he'd have a chance to compete for his eighth Wimbledon title.

Djokovic has a 9-0 record against Fritz, including most recently at the Australian Open quarterfinals, and a 5-1 record over Musetti.

4. Taylor Fritz: There's perhaps no one with more momentum and confidence than the 26-year-old American right now. Fritz won the title at Eastbourne in the final lead-in event and staged a valiant comeback over Alexander Zverev after losing the first two sets of their fourth-round clash on Monday.

A 2022 quarterfinalist, Fritz narrowly missed out on the semifinals after losing a deciding-set tiebreak to Rafael Nadal, but two years later looks poised to take it at least one step further. He will next play Musetti on Wednesday with a chance to advance to his first major semifinal. Knowing how devastating the loss was to Nadal, expect Fritz to do everything in his power to reverse his fortunes this time around. Even Zverev seemed to think he would do just that.

"He is playing great," Zverev said about Fritz after their match. "I think he is also going to be in the semifinals of Wimbledon. I do expect him to win in the quarters."

5. Tommy Paul: As mentioned above, Paul is on a nine-match win streak. He won the first grass-court title of his career last month at Queen's Club, where he defeated Musetti in the final in straight sets and had previously beaten Jack Draper, who had upset Alcaraz in the round before.

At Wimbledon, Paul has continued to look increasingly comfortable on the surface and easily dispatched No. 23 seed Alexander Bublik 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in the third round. He then advanced to his first quarters at the All England Club with another straight-sets victory on Sunday against Roberto Bautista Agut. It will be an uphill battle to defeat the defending champion in the quarters, but Paul has beaten Alcaraz before and is excited about the challenge.

"We both play a pretty aggressive style of tennis," Paul said of Alcaraz. "He's been playing pretty well and ultra aggressive. I mean, it's fun for people to watch. Honestly, it's fun to play against. I'm really excited for the matchup."

Women

1. Elena Rybakina: The only remaining Wimbledon champion in the women's draw, Rybakina looks to have rediscovered her 2022 form, and, with the absences and exits of many of the other top players, is the heavy favorite to win her second major title.

After a tough match in the second round against Laura Siegemund, the 25-year-old responded with a prolific performance against former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki, 6-0, 6-1, and was on her way to another lopsided result on Sunday before Anna Kalinskaya had to retire with injury.

With a game well-suited to grass, and with proven results on the surface, Rybakina said she is feeling much more comfortable during the 2024 campaign than she did in 2022.

"I think before going further in the draw I was pretty nervous in 2022," Rybakina said Monday. "But now I feel just more confidence playing match by match. It is different. At the same time when you go on the court you are still nervous a little bit. I think now with all the experiences, I just enjoy it much more on the court."

While she certainly has the odds in her favor, she doesn't have the easiest path to the final. Playing in the top half of the draw, in which three major champions remain, she will first have to get past 2023 semifinalist Elina Svitolina. The two have a 2-2 career record against one another, with Rybakina having won their last meeting at the French Open last month. If she can do that, either Jelena Ostapenko or Barbora Krejcikova will await in the semifinals. Two potentially tough matches to be sure, but if anyone is capable from this side of the draw, it's Rybakina.

2. Emma Navarro: The 19th-seeded American continued her dream run at Wimbledon with an impressive 6-4, 6-3 victory over Gauff on Sunday to advance to the first major quarterfinal of her career. It was her second victory over a former major champion at the All England Club after defeating Naomi Osaka 6-4, 6-1 in the second round. She has dropped just one set throughout the tournament. Even Navarro seemed somewhat surprised by how well she has fared against big-name opponents in front of large crowds.

"I've kind of been just way more comfortable playing on that stage than I would have thought I would have felt," Navarro said after the win over Gauff. "I let the practice that I've put in and the hours of work that I've put in just take control I guess."

Playing in the far more wide-open and inexperienced bottom portion of the draw, Navarro now has a chance to reach the semifinals. She will face No. 7 seed Jasmine Paolini, who reached the French Open final last month, on Tuesday. The winner of Tuesday's other quarterfinal clash between Lulu Sun or Donna Vekic would then stand in her way before the final. Navarro, a former NCAA champion, wasn't exactly a favorite entering the tournament, but it now seems like a final appearance is well within reach.

3. Jelena Ostapenko: The 2017 French Open champion (and Lil Wayne's favorite player) hasn't reached a major semifinal since Wimbledon in 2018 but looks ready to this week. In her first four matches at the All England Club, Ostapenko hasn't dropped more than five games in a match, and her longest outing was just 69 minutes.

On Monday, against Yulia Putintseva, who upset Swiatek in the third round, Ostapenko continued to display her dominance with a 6-2, 6-3 rout. Ostapenko, the 2014 junior champion at Wimbledon, was candid about how she was feeling about her play after the match.

"I'm probably more confident and more mature on the court this tournament especially," she said. "I kind of know what I have to do, and I'm doing it quite well, especially in deciding moments. I'm just doing the things that I've been doing before, like when I won [the] French Open, when I was back in top 10. Yeah, I feel like I'm doing those things better than before."

But Ostapenko will face Krejcikova, her first seeded opponent of the tournament and fellow French Open champion, on Wednesday, and that could put her newfound confidence and maturity to the test. If she's able to escape Krejcikova, she could make things interesting against Rybakina in the semifinals.

4. Elina Svitolina: The 2023 Wimbledon surprise semifinalist is having another momentous run this year. She stunned Ons Jabeur, who reached the past two Wimbledon finals, on Saturday in the third round -- needing just 80 minutes for the 6-1, 7-6 (4) victory. And on Monday, she was even more impressive with a resounding 6-2, 6-1 win over Xinyu Wang in under an hour.

She played the match with a black ribbon pinned to her shirt in memory of the victims of the Russian missile attack on a children's hospital in her native Ukraine earlier in the day on Monday. Fighting back tears, she explained it had been "extremely tough" to play after such a tragedy.

"I have to put my head down and show up and do my best, my very best," Svitolina said. "Every Ukrainian is using their own way to raise awareness, to raise money, to help in every possible way they can. My way is through tennis. This is what's really motivated me today to do something. I tried to be focused on my job, tried to be focused on what I can control. Just do what I can in a way.

"I'm playing, of course, such an amazing event as Wimbledon. I have to also think about how I can use that in a way for Ukrainian people. At least with my win today, it was a small light that brought a happy moment for Ukrainian people."

5. Lulu Sun: From relative unknown to Wimbledon quarterfinalist, the 23-year-old from New Zealand is having the tournament of her life in just her second major main draw. The seventh female qualifier in the Open era to reach the quarterfinals, Sun shocked No. 8 seed Qinwen Zheng 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 for her first victory at a major in the first round and then silenced the Centre Court crowd on Sunday as she defeated British star Emma Raducanu in three sets.

And it's not just that she has won, it's how she's done it. Playing an aggressive style of tennis, Sun hit 52 winners against Raducanu, the most by any woman all tournament. Her fearless yet composed ballstriking and movement could certainly help propel her past Vekic in the quarters and into the semifinals.

A week ago, many people would have said, "Who?" when seeing her name, but now, and with every match she plays, she's proving just how dangerous she can be and how strong the depth of talent is in the women's game. And Sun, who remains relatively unbothered by the newfound attention, said she didn't find her quarterfinal run surprising.

"Playing all these players up until now, it's just opportunity, a new opportunity each time," Sun said on Sunday. "Yeah, I'm super grateful to be able to play another match here."

- D'Arcy Maine, ESPN.com

WAWRINKA VS. MURRAY | ROUND 1 HIGHLIGHTS | FRENCH OPEN 2024

ATP ROUNDUP: JAKUB MENSIK CLAIMS UPSET WIN IN DOHA

Jakub Mensik.Reuters

 Jakub Mensik of the Czech Republic and Christopher O'Connell of Australia each recorded an upset victory on Tuesday in the first round of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha.

The 18-year-old Mensik won 70 percent of his first serves to notch a 7-6 (3), 6-4 victory over fifth-seeded Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain in 93 minutes. O'Connell, in turn, posted a 6-4, 6-4 triumph over sixth-seeded Jan-Lennard Struff of Germany to set up a second-round match versus Finland's Emil Ruusuvuori, who outlasted Italian Giulio Zeppieri, 7-6 (2), 7-5.

Also on Tuesday, Frenchmen Hugo Grenier and Richard Gasquet each won their respective first-round matches while countryman Alexandre Muller was not as fortunate. Grenier seized a 7-6 (5), 7-5 win over Germany's Maximilian Marterer, and Gasquet secured a 6-4, 6-4 triumph over Kazakhstan's Alexander Shevchenko.

Former World No. 1 Andy Murray of Great Britain snapped a six-match skid with a 6-1, 7-6 (5) win over Muller, however. Murray will square off versus Mensik in the second round.

Rio Open

Two of the top three seeds, Spain's Carlos Alcaraz and Nicolas Jarry of Spain, were eliminated in their first-round matches in Rio de Janeiro.

Alcaraz. Reuters 

Alcaraz, the top seed, retired due to a right ankle injury with the score 1-1 against Brazilian wild-card entrant Thiago Monteiro.

Jarry, the third seed, fell 6-1, 1-6, 7-5 against Germany's Yannick Hanfmann in 1 hour, 54 minutes. Hanfmann got an early service break for a 2-0 lead in the third set, but Jarry broke back in the seventh game. With Jarry serving to force a tiebreaker, Hanfmann got a match-clinching service break.

Jarry. Reuters 

Other first-round winners included three Argentines, No. 5 Sebastian Baez, Facundo Diaz Acosta and qualifier Mariano Navone, as well as Chile's Cristian Garin, Serbia's Dusan Lajovic and Brazilian qualifier Felipe Meligeni Alves.

Mifel Tennis Open

Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka needed just 49 minutes to oust Italian qualifier Flavio Cobolli 6-1, 6-0 in first-round action at Los Cabos, Mexico.

Nishioka never faced a break point and converted six of his seven break opportunities. He won 18 of the 20 points on Cobolli's second serve.

Nishuoka. Reuters 

Australia's Rinky Hijikata scored a 6-3, 7-6 (2) victory over sixth-seeded Miomir Kecmanovic of Serbia. Eighth-seeded Jordan Thompson of Australia defeated Mexican wild-card entrant Ernesto Escobedo 6-4, 6-3.

Portugal's Nuno Borges and U.S. players Marcos Giron and Emilio Nava also advanced. Australia's Aleksandar Vukic squeezed past Rodrigo Pacheco Mendez 7-6 (5), 7-6 (10), as the 692nd-ranked Mexican wild-card entrant failed to take advantage of one set point in the opening set and four in the second-set tiebreaker.

- Reuters 

ANDY MURRAY, MCDONALD & MLRE | DAY 2 | ZHUHAI OPEN 2023

 

ANDY MURRAY VS. GRIGOR DIMITROV | HIGHLIGHTS | US OPEN 2023

 

SAUDI ARABIA TO HOST NEXT GEN ATP FINALS FROM 2023 TO 2027

AP

The season-ending Next Gen Finals for men's under-21 tennis players will be held in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah from 2023 to 2027 as the ATP makes its first competitive foray into the Gulf state, the men's governing body said on Thursday.

The award of the tournament marks the latest move in world sport by Saudi Arabia which has pumped massive amounts of money into golf and soccer among others in recent years, drawing some scrutiny in the process.

The hardcourt tournament, which has been played in Milan since it began in 2017, will also have its prize money increased to a record $2 million, up from $1.4 million last year.

The ATP launched a bidding process in March to evaluate host cities in several regions before finalising on the Saudi Arabian port city of Jeddah, with the King Abdullah Sports City indoor facility staging the event this year from Nov. 28-Dec. 2.

CARLOS ALCARAZ PRODUCED A THRILLING COMEBACK TO BEAT HURKACS | CANADIAN OPEN 2023

USA TODAY Sports 

World number one Carlos Alcaraz produced a thrilling comeback to beat Hubert Hurkacz 3-6 7-6(2) 7-6(3) on Thursday and reach the quarter-finals of the Canadian Open as the Wimbledon champion continues to refine his game ahead of the upcoming U.S. Open.

The swashbuckling Spaniard got off to a nightmare start as Hurkacz jumped out to a 3-0 first set lead in just six minutes en route to capturing the first set.

Trouble mounted further for Alcaraz when he was broken at the start the second but he broke back for 1-1 and from there began to pick up the pace on his forehand while the Pole's serving cooled off.

Alcaraz dominated the second set tiebreak and appeared in complete control when he whipped a sensational crosscourt forehand winner for a 5-2 lead in the decider that brought the Toronto crowd to their feet.

MURRY TOP 5 PLAYS AGAINST LORENZO SONEGO

 

DJOKOVIC WINS IN NICK OF TIME | ALCARAZ SHINES | BRITS OUT

Reuters 

Novak Djokovic showed again why he remains invincible at Wimbledon, young rival Carlos Alcaraz graced Centre Court for the first time and Andy Murray's hopes ended in Greek tragedy on another marathon day at the grasscourt slam on Friday.

Serbia's Djokovic, chasing records on multiple fronts, left it late to book his place in round four, beating Stan Wawrinka 6-3 6-1 7-6(5) just before Wimbledon's 11pm curfew.

Spain's world number Alcaraz is a round behind because of this week's rain but picked up speed with a 6-4 7-6(2) 6-3 victory against Frenchman Alexandre Muller.

Women's top seed Iga Swiatek continued her serene progress with a third successive straight sets win -- this time against Croatia's Petra Martic 6-2 7-5.

MURRY'S NIGHT-TIME DRAMA ENDS ON A WIMBLEDON CLIFF-HANGER

Reuters 

If guts and grit win grand slam titles just hand the Wimbledon trophy to Andy Murray right now.

Of course it doesn’t work like that though and the Scot must come back on Friday to earn a spot in the third round after an epic battle with Greek powerhouse Stefanos Tsitsipas was halted with the clock approaching 11pm local time on Thursday.

The scoreboard under the lights showed Murray leading the hard-fought contest 6-7(3) 7-6(2) 6-4.

It had been a fascinating match played out in a heady Centre Court atmosphere with nothing to separate twice champion Murray and his flaxen-haired fifth-seeded opponent.

A WIMBLEDON REUNION | ANDY MURRAY ON THE MIC, ROGER FEDERER'S IN THE ROYAL BOX

 

RYAN PENISTON VS. ANDY MURRAY | WIMBLEDON 2023

 

WITHOUT RACKET, FEDERER WOWS CENTER COURT

Reuters 

Retired Swiss great Roger Federer made a surprise appearance on his favourite stage to the delight of a packed Centre Court at Wimbledon on Tuesday.

Federer, whose 20 Grand Slam singles titles include a record eight at Wimbledon and who many regard as the greatest player of all time, retired last year at the age of 41.