Kto wygra swój pierwszy turniej w 2018?

[Barty]

W tym samym momencie się kapnęliśmy. Jeszcze pominęliśmy Taro Daniela.

[Barty]

First-Time Winner Spotlight: Taro Daniel

Spoiler:

Japanese thought he'd play qualifying in Estoril, wins maiden title in Istanbul
Taro Daniel arrived at the TEB BNP Paribas Istanbul Open having never advanced to an ATP World Tour semi-final. The Japanese right-hander was on the verge of falling short again, trailing 0-4 in the deciding set of his quarter-final. But after an impressive performance Sunday against fellow first-time tour-level finalist Malek Jaziri, Daniel raised his first ATP World Tour trophy.

Daniel spoke to ATPWorldTour.com after the match about what the victory means to him, how he approached the moment and more.

How does it feel to be holding your first ATP World Tour trophy?
Obviously I’m very happy. But I’m very surprised, mostly. I lost in the first round of a Challenger two weeks ago, so winning an ATP World Tour event is amazing.

Was your goal growing up always to one day win an ATP World Tour trophy?
It’s something I always dreamt of, but I was never the kind of guy to say, ‘Oh, it would be so good to win something’. I just always trusted the process. It’s been a really fun road.

It was the first final for both of you today. What was your mindset and approach and how did you feel when you walked on the court?
I think we were both nervous because it was a great opportunity for us to win our first ATP [World Tour title]. Maybe he was more nervous — he had more to lose than me. I kept telling myself that, because I was nervous. But if he was more nervous, then I could be a little bit more relaxed.

Can you talk about your road to the final? You came down from a break in the third set twice in the semi-finals against Jeremy Chardy and then you also came back in the quarter-finals against Rogerio Dutra Silva.
When I won the first match here against [Matteo] Berrettini, I felt very good. It was a good match, and I felt like I could do something decent here. And then I beat [Aljaz] Bedene really well. I played extremely well in that match and then I had faith to win. I beat Dutra Silva and Chardy in very tough matches, a little bit lucky because I was down in both matches in the third set. But then when you win those, you think anything can happen.

You May Also Like: Daniel Does It! Taro Lifts Maiden Trophy
What did you do best this week? Was it that you came down in matches that you almost lost?
Coming into this tournament was very chaotic because I actually went to Estoril to play qualies and then I ended up coming here at the last minute, so I didn’t have much time to think about anything. That made me play a little bit looser and without much to lose.

You came into the tournament at a season-low in the ATP Rankings and on Monday you’ll crack your career-best, reaching No. 82. Can you talk about that ranking improvement?
I’ve been in the Top 100 or 110 the past two and a half years or maybe even three years. So it’s great to finally have a career-high again. When you think about winning an ATP event, I thought I was going to jump a little bit higher. But these 250 points are going to allow me to be patient for results again.

Now that you have reached a new career-high ATP Ranking, do you have any new ranking goals for this season?
It would be great to break into the Top 80, which is something I’ve never done. We’ll see. I never play well when I think about what I want to achieve in terms of rankings or results, so I just want to keep concentrate on my process of improving.

Is there anyone you want to thank for helping you to this moment in your career?
My parents, especially my Dad because he’s the one who got me into tennis. He’s always been there. He never pressured me like maybe some of the other parents, so I’m very thankful for that. And obviously all the coaches that I’ve encountered, but especially the ones now that I’m working with in the Japanese federation.

https://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/fi ... anbul-2018

[Barty]

First-Time Winner Spotlight: Marton Fucsovics

Spoiler:

Hungarian wins first ATP World Tour title in Geneva
Marton Fucsovics clinched his first ATP World Tour title on Saturday, beating Germany's Peter Gojowczyk 6-2, 6-2 at the Banque Eric Sturdza Geneva Open. The 26-year-old dropped just four games to become the first Hungarian to win a tour-level title since former World No. 12 Balazs Taroczy in 1982 (Hilversum) and will make his debut inside the Top 50 of the ATP Rankings on Monday 26 May.

Fucsovics is the seventh first-time winner on the ATP World Tour this season, which equals the total number of maiden titlists throughout the 2017 season.

First-Time ATP World Tour Champions In 2018

Player Tournament
Daniil Medvedev Sydney
Mirza Basic Sofia
Roberto Carballes Baena Quito
Frances Tiafoe Delray Beach
Marco Cecchinato Budapest
Taro Daniel Istanbul
Marton Fucsovics Geneva
After the 67-minute triumph, Fucsovics spoke to ATPWorldTour.com:

How does it feel to become a first-time ATP World Tour champion?
[It is a] great feeling. It is good to experience it. I was always dreaming about it and finally I achieved it.

What was your approach heading into today's final?
I was very confident before the match. I was feeling the ball very well all week. I beat good players. I beat Wawrinka in the quarter-finals and I beat Johnson from a set and 3-0 down. I was very confident, I came into the match with a lot of energy. I really wanted to win this title.

You only lost one set en route to the title, what did you do so well this week?
I think I did everything well. I was serving very well, the court fitted to my game very well. I really liked the ball. I could use my strategy to hit big winners, come in to the net and play aggressively; that was the key I think.

You are the first Hungarian champion on the ATP World Tour since Balazs Taroczy in 1982, how does that feel?
It is special for me. He was the last one and it was a long time ago. Tennis was not the top sport in Hungary and now I am a Top 50 player so hopefully it will be even more popular in Hungary.

Now you are in the Top 50 of the ATP Rankings, what are your goals for the rest of the season?
My goal was to stay in the Top 100 at the end of the year, now I am in the Top 50. My biggest goals and dreams [are] to be a Top 10 player or... win a Grand Slam.

You started the 2018 season reaching a final on the ATP Challenger Tour in Canberra before making the fourth round at the Australian Open, what did that good start do for your confidence?
I had a good preparation working with my coach day-by-day. I started the year with the No. 85 ranking and after the Australian Open I was No. 63, now I [will be] No. 45. We are working day-by-day. I had a very bad start to the clay season, but at the end it ended up [going] well.

Who are the people that helped you get to this level that you are at now and who would you like to thank?
My coach. He helped me a lot, he changed my mind. I was No. 270 when we started to work together and now I am a Top 50 player; big thanks to Attila [Savolt]. My family who were always supporting me, even in the hard times. My fiancee who came into my life two years ago. My manager, my friends, my fitness coach and my team who were working with me day-by-day.

Which ATP World Tour players did you look up to when you were younger and who did you admire growing up?
I really liked the Swiss players. Federer was always my idol and then I started to like Wawrinka. That is why it is a little bit special for me to win here.

When you are not on the tennis court, what are your interests besides tennis?
I like to stay at home and play with my dog, go to the cinema, relax at home and hang out with friends.

https://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/fu ... eneva-2018

[Barty]

First-Time Winner Spotlight: Mischa Zverev

Spoiler:

German wins first ATP World Tour title in Eastbourne

It was well worth the wait for Mischa Zverev. Three years ago, the German was contemplating his future in pro tennis after struggling with a catalogue of injuries. Now, he is an ATP World Tour champion.

Zverev lifted his maiden trophy at the Nature Valley International, defeating Lukas Lacko 6-4, 6-4 on the grass of Eastbourne. With the win, he becomes the eighth first-time winner in 2018, matching last season's total. It marks the fourth consecutive year in which a player over the age of 30 has entered the winners' circle for the first time.

First-Time ATP World Tour Champions In 2018

Player Tournament
Daniil Medvedev Sydney
Mirza Basic Sofia
Roberto Carballes Baena Quito
Frances Tiafoe Delray Beach
Marco Cecchinato Budapest
Taro Daniel Istanbul
Marton Fucsovics Geneva
Mischa Zverev Eastbourne
Congratulations, Mischa. How does it feel to hold your first ATP World Tour singles trophy?
Feels amazing, yes. It was definitely one of the emotional moments in my life. Beating Andy Murray in Australia was special, but there you win a match, you're still in it and the tournament's not over. But here you're the last one standing, pretty much, at the end of the week, and you have the trophy, so it's
definitely a very unique feeling.

Was winning this title something you'd always wanted to achieve when you decided to become a tennis player?
I always wanted to win at least a title. For many years I didn't believe in myself. I didn't think I was going to do it, especially when I was ranked 1100. But thank God I have my family and my brother and the whole team, my wife who is always telling me, 'No, you can achieve things, you can do big things. Just believe in yourself, work hard, and it's going to pay off one day.' Luckily I have them, and luckily I was able to listen to them, believe in myself, and just keep working and wait for it. Finally, I'm here. It's incredible.

You May Also Like: Mischa's Maiden Moment: Zverev Takes Eastbourne Title
You reached your first tour-level final nearly eight years ago in Metz. Has lifting this first trophy weighed on you at all?
I don't know. I need to digest the week and just wake up tomorrow and see how I feel and also see how I feel in my next matches. But it's definitely something that I can put a check mark on the box. It's just phenomenal. I don't know what to say. As a player, you work towards being the best, even if it's not maybe No. 1 in the world, but being the best in the tournament in that particular week.

There are so many tournaments, but it doesn't matter. If you're the last one there on Sunday or Saturday, that means you were the best in that week at this place. And this is something that everyone works for. It's just a unique and great feeling. I hope it's going to help me in the future. It's going to take pressure off of me. It's going to give me more confidence, show me that I can play five matches and win them all and win the tournament and I can do it physically and mentally. So I hope it's going to help me.

Zverev

You have just registered your 125th tour-level singles victory in your career. How does this victory today rank among all of them?
It's probably the most important as far as getting the trophy. I mean, would I say was it the best performance, the best match or most emotional match? Probably not. I can think of matches like against Andy Murray in Australia or even John Isner in Australia where I was two sets to love down, match point down. Definitely incredibly emotionally different, but winning a trophy is just unique.

Last year was arguably the best of your career. You reached World No. 25. You beat Andy at the Aussie Open, as you said. Now that you have won this title, what's the next goal you have set your sights on?
Actually, try to improve my career-high [ATP] ranking. Just see what I still have in me. Just be up there. I think I want to finish in the Top 50 and try to play well and stay healthy and be ranked Top 100 for as many years as possible.


How motivating has your brother Sascha's success been? Obviously he's playing very, very well at the moment. Did he give you a call yesterday or this morning before the final?
Actually he gave me a lot of tips against Denis Shapovalov, because he played him a few times. He wasn't really able to help me out today because he hasn't played Lacko, and I think he hasn't
even practised with him in the past years.

But overall, he's someone who inspired me, who always made me believe in myself, because when we practise with each other, we have close matches and I can see that we're somewhat playing equally good. Then he goes on and wins big tournaments. That also makes me believe, okay, maybe I'm not too far off and I still have something inside of me which I can show one day.
So he's definitely been a big inspiration.

Is there anyone in particular you'd like to acknowledge or thank for getting you to this milestone in your career?
Anyone in particular? Probably I can't say, because it would be my mom, my dad, my brother, and my wife, because they are the closest people to me that help me 24 hours a day. But also, [physical trainer] Jez Green has been I think an unbelievable help, because since we started working, I was able to reach so many new goals and just achieve incredible things, which I wasn't even able to dream of before meeting him.

So he's definitely been a great, great support and he's done an amazing job with me. I was struggling with my physical condition back in the day, and now I actually feel like I can play five days in a row and I feel fine, or I can play best-of-five sets and I feel fine. He's someone that I want to really thank. He's done an unbelievable job with both of us, my brother and I.

And lastly, aside from tennis, what would you say are your favorite interests and hobbies?
Flying. I have a pilot's license. I love flying. Before going to bed almost every night I read up on airplanes, flying, and that's my passion outside of tennis.

https://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/fi ... eastbourne

[Barty]

No i Hamburg to bodajże pierwszy w tym roku turniej ATP500, który ma debiutującego zwycięzcę, wcześniej same 250-tki.

[Damian]

Zawodnicy, którzy w poszczególnych latach wygrywali swój pierwszy turniej w karierze.

[Barty]

Na razie w tym roku płyniemy szybciej niż rekordowa kreska.

[DUN I LOVE]

Nowe rozdanie, są jakieś analogie do tego 2004 (na niższym poziomie rozgrywkowym).

[Barty]

Dopisujemy Nishiokę.

First-Time Winner Spotlight: Yoshihito Nishioka

Spoiler:

Japanese captures maiden trophy in Shenzhen

From qualifying, Yoshihito Nishioka won seven matches in eight days to capture his first ATP World Tour crown at the Shenzhen Open. The 23-year-old, who saved two match points in the second round against Denis Shapovalov, is the sixth qualifier to lift an ATP World Tour title this season. Having been sidelined for ten months after tearing his left ACL in March 2017, Nishioka re-enters the Top 100 in the ATP Rankings in the form of his life.

You May Also Like: Nishioka Lifts Maiden Trophy In Shenzhen
Nishioka spoke to ATPWorldTour.com after the match:

How does it feel to be holding your first ATP World Tour trophy?
For sure, it is a wonderful feeling. I have been working to get a trophy, so it is a special moment for me. I had a tough time last year and coming back from injury, after ten months [on the sidelines], with a trophy [after nine months] at an ATP World Tour event is pretty quick.

Was it a goal, growing up as a junior, to win an ATP World Tour singles title?
Yes, everybody wants to get an [ATP World Tour] singles title. When I was young I was thinking about getting a trophy at an ATP World Tour event. Still, I believe this is the beginning. I want to get more titles at ATP World Tour 250-level as well as [at the] 500 and [Masters] 1000 events.

Talk about your incredible week, coming from qualifying and beating two seeds along the way?
It was a very long week for me from qualifying. Winning seven matches is not easy. Shapovalov had match points, I thought I had lost already but I got some luck... I believe in myself and try to do my best in every match, that is all. I am always fighting and I never give up when I am losing. That is why I think I won this tournament.

What was your approach and mindset going into your first ATP World Tour final?
I was a little bit nervous, but I just focussed on the opponent. It doesn't matter [if it is] a final or first-round situation. not to think like that and just tried to think how I should play against Pierre... If I [tried to play], thinking it was a final that I had to win, it would have been very tight and I wouldn't have been able to play the way I wanted to play. So, I tried to just think about how I should play against my opponent.

Now that you have won your first ATP World Tour title and are back in the Top 100 in the ATP Rankings, what are your goals for the rest of the season?
I am very happy to be back in the Top 100, this was my goal for the year... I'm going to try and play a few more tournaments this season and try to get my ATP Ranking higher [so I can] play more ATP World Tour tournaments next year.

Who were the players you most admired growing up and why?
When I was very young, like seven or eight years old, I loved to watch Rafael Nadal. I wanted to hit my forehand like that, but I don't have enough muscle so I stopped copying his forehand after having pain in my elbow. I loved Verdasco's forehand, I watched him many times on TV, and when I went to the United States when I was 15 years old, Nick Bollettieri told me I need to watch Marcelo Rios as I could learn more from his matches. I didn't know that much about him, but when I watched him he was playing amazing. He always played so fine, it was very interesting watching his tennis and I loved [watching him] play. Right now my hero is Rios, I can still learn many things from him.

Read: Nishioka Channeling Inner Rios In Comeback

You were at No. 362 in the ATP Rankings just four months ago, could you ever imagine holding an ATP World Tour trophy so soon after your knee injury?
When I was just coming back from the knee injury, I couldn't imagine winning a trophy in an ATP World Tour event. I was working just to get a Top 100 ATP Ranking, but I couldn't imagine [lifting] a trophy. This is pretty surprising for me as well. Before I was injured I was World No. 58, I was playing against top players, so I knew I had the chance to win the tournament.

You are the third different Japanese champion on the ATP World Tour in the past two years, joining Taro Daniel and Yuichi Sugita. What is the state of Japanese tennis at the moment?
When Sugita won I was injured and when Daniel won I was just coming back [from injury]. At the time I was very happy for them, but also I had a little bit of jealousy with them because I was thinking if I didn't get injured and had to have surgery, maybe I would have had a chance to win before. If they are doing well, my own mental belief is pumping up and I need to do more. I go harder in training and practice and I want to get a trophy as well. If they are doing well, I want to do more... I think it is really good for Japanese tennis right now.

Is there anyone you would like to acknowledge for helping you get to this point in your career?
So many people have helped me. My mom, dad, brother, my coaches, the Japanese Federation and sponsors. So many people helped me, but I think the one person is Masaaki Morita... He has the Masaaki Morita Tennis Fund which supports junior players and sends them to the IMG Academy. I went to the IMG Academy with support from his fund and I am very appreciative of him. He is the best guy I ever met and he helped me a lot.

What are your interests and hobbies away from tennis?
I love so many things. I love to play games, the internet, watch YouTube, reading manga and I love to do other sports. I love golf, ping pong and, I can't do it yet, but I want to play soccer. I love to play darts. I have so many hobbies... I want to try new things more.

https://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/fi ... nzhen-2018

[Barty]

Przyszedł czas na Tsitsipasa i Edmunda, razem mamy już 13 szczęśliwców w tym roku.

[DUN I LOVE]

Najlepszy wynik od 2004 roku, kiedy też 13 graczy otworzyło swoje konto, w tym ten największy.

[Damian]

13 & Counting, 2018's First-Time Titlists' List Continues To Grow

Spoiler:

Nine of 13 first-time winners this year aged 25 or under
Two days ago, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Kyle Edmund both reached a milestone moment in their careers by clinching their first ATP World Tour titles at the Intrum Stockholm Open and European Open, respectively. Not only did those two victories provide fans with a glimpse into the future, they added to the hefty list of first-time tournament winners this season.
No season since 2004, when Rafael Nadal won his maiden trophy in Sopot, has seen this many first-time champions. Tsitsipas and Edmund's triumphs lifted this year's total to 13, with three regular season events still to be contested in Basel, Vienna and Paris. Overall, players attempting to capture their first trophy own a 13-18 record in championship matches this year.
2018 First-Time ATP World Tour Champions
Player Age Tournament City
1) Daniil Medvedev 21 Sydney
2) Roberto Carballes Baena 24 Quito
3) Mirza Basic 26 Sofia
4) Frances Tiafoe 20 Delray Beach
5) Marco Cecchinato 25 Budapest
6) Taro Daniel 25 Istanbul
7) Marton Fucsovics 26 Geneva
Mischa Zverev 30 Eastbourne
9) Matteo Berrettini 22 Gstaad
10) Nikoloz Basilashvili 26 Hamburg
11) Yoshihito Nishioka 23 Shenzhen
12) Stefanos Tsitsipas 20 Stockholm
13) Kyle Edmund 23 Antwerp
This year also marks the first time since 2006 that nine first-time champions were aged 25 or under. #NextGenATP stars Frances Tiafoe and Stefanos Tsitsipas are the youngest maiden titlists this year, with each triumphing at the age of 20. Both men have already qualified for the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan, to be held from 6-10 November.
2004 First-Time ATP World Tour Champions
Player Age Tournament City
1) Antony Dupuis 30 Milan
2) Joachim Johansson 21 Memphis
3) Vincent Spadea 29 Scottsdale
4) Fernando Verdasco 20 Valencia
5) Filippo Volandri 22 St. Poelten
6) Santiago Ventura 24 Casablanca
7) Michael Llodra 24 's-Hertogenbosch
Rafael Nadal 18 Sopot
9) Ricardo Mello 23 Delray Beach
10) Tomas Berdych 19 Palermo
11) Robin Soderling 20 Lyon
12) Jerome Haehnel 24 Metz
13) Feliciano Lopez 23 Vienna

https://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/fi ... tober-2018