Karen Chaczanow

[Damian]

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6BTvcO ... A&index=21[/youtube]

[Damian]

Khachanov Charges Into Maiden Masters 1000 Final

Spoiler:

Russian to face Djokovic or Federer for the title
Karen Khachanov has enjoyed the best season of his young career in 2018, and now you can argue that this has been his best week. The Russian defeated sixth seed Dominic Thiem 6-4, 6-1 on Saturday in just 71 minutes at the Rolex Paris Masters to reach his maiden ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final.

Entering the tournament, the 22-year-old held just a 3-16 record against opponents inside the Top 10 of the ATP Rankings. But Khachanov has earned three victories against the elite group this week alone, defeating World No. 9 John Isner, No. 5 Alexander Zverev and now No. 8 Thiem.

"What I’m happy about is that each match I think I was increasing the level. That shows that I’m improving in my consistency, I’m becoming a better player, playing from the beginning of the tournament better and better, so that’s a good thing," Khachanov said. "In this match I think it was really intense the first couple of games and then at 4-4 when it more pressure was coming, I could break him, and then I took the lead."


Khachanov had won four matches at Masters 1000 events before this season began. The Russian No. 2 now has 15 match wins at this level this year, including a trip to the semi-finals of the Rogers Cup in Toronto. Khachanov has also won two ATP World Tour titles in 2018 with triumphs at the Open 13 Provence and the VTB Kremlin Cup.

"I think especially the second part of the year I’m playing really my best tennis. I’m having the best season, so far," Khachanov said. "I’m confident and I’m in the final, so I’m really happy about it."

It was the first FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting between Khachanov and Thiem, two of the biggest hitters on the ATP World Tour. But throughout the match, it was Khachanov who controlled the baseline, landing his heavy groundstrokes deep in the court to push the Austrian back and control the baseline. The Russian also did well to use angles to force Thiem to go for low-percentage shots from awkward positions.

That showed in the statistics, as Khachanov broke Thiem in his final five service games of the match. Entering the week, Thiem was eighth on the ATP World Tour in service games won on hard courts in 2018, claiming 87.9 per cent of those games according to Infosys ATP Scores & Stats.

"He played a great match for sure. Put me under big pressure from the first ball, actually," Thiem said. "I have to give all the credit to Karen. He was serving well and returning well, and didn't let me really get into the rally. That's what I would have needed, so he was making everything right today."

Watch Live

Khachanov will try to lift the biggest trophy of his career against four-time champion Novak Djokovic or 2011 titlist Roger Federer on Sunday. He broke into Top 20 of ATP Rankings on 22 October and reached a new career-best of No. 18 this week. But if the 2017 Next Gen ATP Finals competitor wins the title, Khachanov will soar to No. 11.

"Let’s see," Khachanov said. "I’m enjoying being on court here in Paris. It’s really nice, a lot of people come and support you, so any scenario is good for me."

Did You Know?
Khachanov has been impressive on return in two consecutive matches against Top 10 players. Against Thiem, the Russian won 51 per cent (28/55) of return points, and in the quarter-finals against Zverev, he captured 56 per cent (38/68) of return points.

https://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/th ... 8-saturday

[DUN I LOVE]

12. Karen w entry, zagra jutro o 11. miejsce i rolę drugiego rezerwowego w O2 Arena.

[arti]

[Del Fed]

Khachanov Stuns Djokovic For Maiden Masters 1000 Crown

Spoiler:

Karen Khachanov captures biggest title at Rolex Paris Masters

Karen Khachanov sprung one of the biggest upsets of the year on Sunday, stunning World No. 2 and four-time champion Novak Djokovic 7-5, 6-4 for the Rolex Paris Masters title.
Hitting big and refusing to allow Djokovic to find his rhythm, Khachanov claimed his maiden ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crown in dramatic fashion on the indoor hard courts of Paris-Bercy. The 22-year-old Russian announced himself to the tennis world with the biggest victory of his young career. He reeled off four straight Top 10 wins (d. Isner, Zverev, Thiem and Djokovic), finishing his 2018 campaign at a career-high No. 11 in the ATP Rankings.
"It means the world to me," Khachanov said after the match. "I couldn't be happier to finish the season like this."
Coming into the match, all attention was on Djokovic's bid for a record-tying 33rd Masters 1000 title and 23rd straight match win, but it was Khachanov who extended his own run of 11 wins in 12 matches. He improves to 4-0 in ATP World Tour title matches, having also lifted trophies in Marseille and his home capital of Moscow this year.

Djokovic burst out of the gates with a quick break for 3-1. The Serbian applied immediate pressure on Khachanov's serve, as the 22-year-old had no answer for his opponent's baseline blows. But the change in momentum was swift and impressive. Khachanov quickly snatched the break back, reeling off 10 straight points and finding great depth off his forehand side to put Djokovic on his heels.
The Russian's surge continued in the latter stages of the set. He gave Djokovic a taste of his own medicine, turning defense into offense in a flash at 5-5 30/40 to grab another break and close out the opener in efficient fashion. He sealed the set with his third ace after 58 minutes.
Khachanov refused to relinquish his stranglehold as the second set got underway, racing to a set and a break lead. Djokovic saved a pair of break chances at 1-1 15/40, but his 22-year-old opponent struck a running forehand winner to earn at third opportunity, which he would not squander.
He would hold his nerve when serving out the match, sealing a 7-5, 6-4 win in one hour and 39 minutes.
"One thing that with Novak you cannot just go to the net because he has unbelievable passing shots," Khachanov added. "You have to really prepare your coming through. You have to really sort out the right shots when you can step in and go to the net.

"So of course, the best scenario if I'm hitting left-right and I'm coming to the net with a shorter ball, sometimes it was not possible, but sometimes I did it really well. But in general, my game is aggressive and I have to try to step in more and to play the way I played, actually."

Recent First-Time Masters 1000 Champions
Player Year Maiden Masters 1000 Title
Karen Khachanov 2018 Paris
John Isner 2018
Miami
Juan Martin del Potro 2018 Indian Wells
Jack Sock 2017 Paris
Grigor Dimitrov 2017 Cincinnati
Alexander Zverev 2017 Rome

With the win, Khachanov becomes the first Russian to win an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title since Nikolay Davydenko in Shanghai in 2009. Along with 22-year-old Daniil Medvedev, also a three-time winner this year, and Next Gen ATP Finals qualifier Andrey Rublev, the European nation is trending skyward as 2018 comes to a close.
In addition, No. 18 Khachanov is the lowest-ranked player to claim a Masters 1000 trophy since No. 26 Ivan Ljubicic in Indian Wells in 2010. While Djokovic, Federer and Nadal continue to set the bar, this also marks the second straight year with three first-time Masters 1000 champions.
Djokovic will next head to the Nitto ATP Finals, where he enters as World No. 1 in the ATP Rankings. He was appearing in his 47th Masters 1000 final and 104th title match at the tour-level.
"I want to talk about how well he played all week," said Djokovic. "He absolutely deserved to win the match today. So all the credit to him. He deserves it. He's a young player up and coming. But already an established player, a top player. And he showed great quality today and he showed why we're going to see a lot of him in the future.
"I'm satisfied of course and I'm going to be No. 1 tomorrow officially. What more can I ask for? I mean, I won 20-plus matches in a row and had a most amazing last five months of the year."
Revenge was sweet for Khachanov, who fell in straight sets in their lone previous FedEx ATP Head2Head encounter at Wimbledon earlier this year.

https://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/pa ... v-djokovic

[arti]

[Rroggerr]

#4) Paryż-Bercy 2018


eurosport.com

R1 Filip Krajinović (SRB) 7-5 6-2
R2 [LL] Matthew Ebden (AUS) 6-2 2-0 i krecz
R3 [8] John Isner (USA) 6-4 6-7(9) 7-6(8)
QF [4] Alexander Zverev (GER) 6-1 6-2
SF [6] Dominic Thiem (AUT) 6-4 6-1
W [2] Novak Djoković (SRB) 75 64

[DUN I LOVE]

Zawsze byłem trochę takim rusofilem i bardzo mnie cieszy, że Rosja doczekała się poważnego grajka. Różnie to może oczywiście się potoczyć, ale w pierwszej połowie sezonu Karen grał w tym roku na tyle słabo, że nieznacznie poprawiając wyniki Top-10 powinno samo się zrobić (np. jak Isnerowi odpadnie Miami).

[Barty]

[Żilu]

[Żilu]

[Lleyton]

10 Things To Know About Karen Khachanov

Spoiler:

22-year-old upsets Novak Djokovic to win maiden ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title

Karen Khachanov made the biggest statement of his young career on Sunday, claiming his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crown at the Rolex Paris Masters. The 22-year-old stunned World No. 2 and four-time champion Novak Djokovic 7-5, 6-4 for the title. It was the first Masters 1000 crown for a Russian since Nikolay Davydenko in 2009 (Shanghai).

Here are 10 things to know about Karen...

(1) Flawless In Paris
Entering the week in Paris, Khachanov had just three Top 10 wins in his young career. He would match that and then some. The Russian reeled off four in a row, dropping one combined set in toppling World No. 9 John Isner, No. 5 Alexander Zverev, No. 8 Dominic Thiem and No. 2 Djokovic. He also claimed straight-set wins over 2017 finalist Filip Krajinovic and Matthew Ebden.

You May Also Like: Khachanov Stuns Djokovic For Maiden Masters 1000 Crown

(2) Undefeated In ATP World Tour Finals
Khachanov improved to an unblemished 4-0 in tour-level title matches with his victory in the French capital. His maiden crown came two years ago in Chengdu and he would add a trio of titles in 2018, prevailing on the indoor hard courts of Marseille, Moscow and Paris.

(3) Made In Moscow
His childhood dream became a reality last month. The Moscow native triumphed in his hometown, kicking off an 11-1 run to conclude his 2018 campaign. In front of friends and family, he raised the trophy with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Adrian Mannarino. But it wasn't the first time Khachanov had tasted success at the VTB Kremlin Cup. As a 17-year-old, he stunned third seed Janko Tipsarevic to reach the 2013 quarter-finals. At No. 808 in the ATP Rankings, it was just his second pro tournament at any level.

(4) On Precipice Of The Top 10
Entering Paris at No. 18 in the ATP Rankings, he became the lowest-ranked Masters 1000 champ since Ivan Ljubicic in 2010 (Indian Wells). After adding 1,000 points to his haul, he rises to a career-high No. 11 on Monday. The Top 10 beckons in 2019.

(5) Had Rafa On The Ropes In New York
If you weren't familiar with Khachanov entering the latter stages of the season, you certainly are now. After reaching the semi-finals at the Rogers Cup in Toronto, he gave Rafael Nadal all he could handle in the third round of the US Open. The 22-year-old led by a set and a break and forced Nadal to play some of his best tennis to prevail 5-7, 7-5, 7-6(7), 7-6(3) in more than four hours.

(6) Former #NextGenATP Star
Khachanov turned 22 on 21 May, making him ineligible for the 2018 Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan. But the Russian featured in the inaugural event last year, going 1-2 in group play, including a straight-set win over Jared Donaldson.

(7) Following In His Idol's Footsteps
Since first picking up a racquet at the age of three, Khachanov idolised countryman Marat Safin. At 6'6", with a thunderous serve and forehand, it's easy to see why. On Sunday, he followed in the former World No. 1's footsteps, becoming the third Russian to triumph in Paris. Safin won the tournament on three occasions - 2000, 2002 and 2004.

(8) Back With Childhood Coach
At the age of 15, Khachanov began training with Croatia's Vedran Martin, former coach of Goran Ivanisevic. After parting ways in 2014, the duo rejoined forces for the 2018 season. The move has paid dividends, with Khachanov rising from No. 48 to No. 11 in the ATP Rankings.

(9) Karen The Intellectual
It's no surprise Khachanov has the mental fortitude to succeed on the ATP World Tour. In his free time, he enjoys testing his mind by playing chess and reading classic Roman novels. He's also studying long-distance for a degree in physical education at the University of Moscow.

"Education is always important and after I finished high school, I tried to be in the university as much as I can. Now, I study online. And I like to play chess. It's one of my favourite hobbies. I also like to read classic Roman novels."

(10) Integral Part Of Russian Renaissance
Russian tennis is in good hands. It is the only nation with multiple players aged 22 & under in the Top 40 of the ATP Rankings. Khachanov is joined by close friend Daniil Medvedev, who was also a three-time titlist this year. And with 21-year-old Andrey Rublev, who is making his second straight appearance at the Next Gen ATP Finals, the trio is one to watch for years to come.

https://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/pa ... ten-things

[arti]

[Damian]

05.11.2018

Najwyższy ranking w karierze: 11

[Wujek Toni]

Gdyby nie czołk z Isnerem, wziąłby ten turniej bez straty seta. Ładnie Rosjanin pograł.

[Lleyton]

[arti]

Karen Chaczanow: Nie mogłem sobie wymarzyć lepszego zakończenia sezonu

Spoiler:

Novak jest inspiracją. Ale myślałem: "Dobra, może nie mam 70 czy 80 mistrzostw, ale zdobyłem trzy. I nigdy nie przegrałem finału" - mówił Karen Chaczanow po sensacyjnym zwycięstwie w turnieju ATP World Tour Masters 1000 w Paryżu.
W drodze po niespodziewany triumf w turnieju ATP Masters 1000 w Paryżu Karen Chaczanow wyeliminował czterech tenisistów z czołowej "10" rankingu ATP - Johna Isnera (ATP 9), Alexandra Zvereva (ATP 5), Dominika Thiema (ATP i Novaka Djokovicia (ATP 2), którego w finale pokonał 7:5, 6:4. - To znaczy dla mnie więcej niż cały świat. Nie mogę być bardziej szczęśliwy - mówił Rosjanin, dla którego to największy tytuł w karierze.



22-latek z Moskwy ocenił, że zwycięstwo w finale zawdzięcza agresywnej, lecz kontrolowanej grze. - Grając z Novakiem, nie możesz po prostu atakować przy siatce, bo on posyła niewiarygodne minięcia. Aby ruszyć do przodu, musisz naprawdę dokładnie to zaplanować i dobrać odpowiednie uderzenia - wyjaśniał.






- Moja gra jest agresywna, więc w niedzielę też starałem się tak prezentować - kontynuował. - W idealnym scenariuszu rozrzucałem go po korcie i wtedy atakowałem przy siatce, ale nie zawsze to było możliwe. W pewnym momencie zmieniłem intensywność swojej gry. Zacząłem wchodzić w kort i zmuszać go do biegania. Być może on nie spodziewał się, że tak postąpię.
Moskwianin wyjawił, że nie denerwował się przed niedzielnym pojedynkiem. - Novak jest inspiracją ze względu na to, ile zdobył tytułów, oraz jak przetrwał trudne chwile, które przeżywał w ubiegłym roku, i wrócił na pierwsze miejsce w rankingu. Ale myślałem: "Dobra, może nie mam 70 czy 80 mistrzostw, ale zdobyłem trzy. I nigdy nie przegrałem finału".


Dzięki triumfowi w Paryżu Chaczanow awansuje na najwyższe w karierze, 11. miejsce w rankingu ATP. - Nie mogłem sobie wymarzyć lepszego zakończenia sezonu - dodał pierwszy od dziewięciu lat i sukcesu Nikołaja Dawidienki w Szanghaju rosyjski triumfator imprezy rangi ATP Masters 1000.

https://sportowefakty.wp.pl/tenis/78667 ... nia-sezonu

[Lucas]

Forehand Fear Factor: Coilin' Karen Leaves Opponents Snakebit

Spoiler:

Karen Khachanov's backswing on his forehand looks like a serpent coiling to strike. It's big and menacing and his extreme wrist bend provides opponents with no clue where this venomous shot is going to bite them.

Khachanov stunned Novak Djokovic 7-5, 6-4 in the final of the Rolex Paris Masters Sunday, with the Russian's forehand running rampant all over the court.

Djokovic at times looked exhausted from his three hour, three minute semi-final encounter with Roger Federer, and a week-long battle with the flu, but Khachanov still had to reach out and claim the biggest title of his career, with his unorthodox forehand being the driving force.

Khachanov Forehand Winners = 12

The most efficient strategy Khachanov employed to set up a forehand winner was to hit it as his first shot after a serve. He hit six Serve +1 forehand winners, with half rocketing past Djokovic's forehand wing and the other three directed to the backhand. The Russian also chipped in with a forehand return winner.

The other five forehand winners displayed the versatility of the 6'6" Russian's game. One was a standard groundstroke from the baseline, one was at the front of the court, another was an approach, and the other two were scintillating, on-the-run passing shots that brought the Parisian crowd to their feet and Djokovic to his knees.

Of the 13 forehand groundstroke errors Djokovic committed in the match, six came from a Khachanov forehand groundstroke, and one from a forehand return.


The backswing on Khachanov's forehand is extremely difficult to decipher any clues from as to what destination it will ultimately rocket towards, and his patterns of play are equally confounding.

Khachanov hit 41 per cent of his forehands to the outer third of the Ad court (to Djokovic's backhand), and 42 per cent to the outer third of the Deuce court, stretching Djokovic wide off the court to hit his own forehand. Only 17 per cent of Khachanov's forehands landed in the middle of the court. When Khachanov created time to wind up and crush a big forehand, it was simply unreadable for Djokovic to predict where it was going.

Khachanov was also far more likely to step forward to the ball on his forehand side to attack than off his backhand wing. The Russian made contact with 25 per cent of his forehands inside the baseline, but only managed to do that 11 per cent of the time on his backhand side.

Khachanov hit some blistering forehands in the match, but surprisingly he averaged hitting his forehand slower than Djokovic overall. The Russian would quite often add heavy spin with his extreme western grip to create a short angle and run Djokovic or hit it higher over the net with more shape to get the ball up out of the Serb's strike zone.

Average Rally Speed
Forehands

Khachanov = 113kph
Djokovic = 120kph



Backhands
Khachanov = 108kph
Djokovic = 111kph

Both players ended up hitting slightly more backhands than forehands for the match, but Khachanov was able to do more damage with his when he did get to hit it.



Total Groundstrokes

Khachanov = 105 forehands / 121 backhands
Djokovic = 109 forehands / 111 backhands

Djokovic took control of the match early in the first set, leading 3-1, 30-0 on serve, but inexplicably lost 10 straight points to lose all his early momentum. Khachanov's forehand had a lot to do with that purple patch, striking four forehand winners in the span of six points, with an additional two Djokovic groundstroke errors coming after a Khachanov forehand.

Khachanov's funky forehand technique may very well come with a "do not try this at home" label, but it was his weapon of choice that helped capture the biggest title of his career in Paris. He makes it work, and then some.



- Hawkeye data used in this story is courtesy ATP Media.

- Craig O’Shannessy is a member of Novak Djokovic’s coaching team.

https://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/br ... v-forehand

[Barty]

Przypomniały mi się teraz początki Karena na poziomie ATP. Jakieś kilka lat temu otrzymał dziką kartę, bodajże do turnieju w Moskwie i zdołał wygrać jeden albo dwa mecze. Już wtedy ktoś na forum podniósł temat tego młodzieńca (16-latka?) i zwrócił uwagę na jego talent.

Oby ten turniej w Paryżu był momentem przełomowym, a nie tylko przypadkowym zwycięstwem.

[Żilu]

Welcome to the 'Next Big Thing' club, Karen Khachanov

Spoiler:

Karen Khachanov's impressive win against new No. 1 Novak Djokovic in Sunday's Paris Masters final established the 22-year-old Russian as the latest in an impressive list of players hailed as the "Next Big Thing." It's a popular pastime, finding the successors to the Big Four.

Khachanov is a rangy 6-foot-6 power-server whose recent wins (he also swept Moscow) vaulted him to No. 11 in the rankings -- and up the NBT ladder.

"He deserves the label," Craig O'Shannessy, an adviser to Djokovic and analyst for the ATP told ESPN.com. "I see him as a top-five guy. His defense is good; he moves well for his size and he hits a very big ball on the forehand side. That's the difference between him and, say, [Alexander] Zverev. Plus, Karen volleys well, and his attitude is ridiculously good."


Only 22 years old, Karen Khachanov is one of the brighest prospects on the ATP Tour. Ian Langsdon/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
If it sounds too good to be true, perhaps it is. After all, we've been here before. The parade of "Next Big Things" sometimes seems endless. Yet only three men outside the Big Four have broken through to win a major since the French Open of 2005.

Because of Khachanov's accomplishment, how about we refresh your memory with a list of those NBT players of the past five years who finally had their breakthrough moment (in chronological order)?

Grigor Dimitrov
Age: 27
Rank: No. 19 (Career-high: No. 3, Nov. 20, 2017)
Next Big Thing moment: In 2014, Dimitrov made the semifinals at Wimbledon and won three titles as he rose from No. 23 to No. 11.

Since the day he came on to tour, Dimitrov was dubbed Baby Fed because of his smooth style, particularly in his one-handed backhand. His breakout in 2014 was followed by a year of turmoil and regression, and it's been that way ever since. Dimitrov did mount another charge in a surprisingly consistent 2017, capped by an impressive win at the ATP World Tour Finals. That result that vaulted him to No. 3 in the rankings. But he's fallen off the pace again.

Nick Kyrgios
Age: 23
Rank: No. 37 (career-high: No. 13, Oct. 24, 2016)
Next Big Thing moment: Kyrgios' upset of Rafael Nadal in the fourth round of Wimbledon in 2014 catapulted the mercurial Aussie to stardom.

It became clear soon after that breakout tournament that, for all his talent, Kyrgios was not destined to take a straight and narrow path to the top. His complicated personality, as well as that unusual, hit-or-miss game, have kept him on a winding trail leading to who knows where. Add the frequent injuries and cavalier attitude and all those rousing paeans to his talent just make you shrug.

Khachanov stuns Djokovic to win Paris Masters
Karen Khachanov upset a tired-looking Novak Djokovic 7-5, 6-4 to win the Paris Masters title and deprive Djokovic the chance on Sunday of matching Rafael Nadal's record of 33 Masters titles.


Injured Pliskova out of Fed Cup final vs. U.S.
Karolina Pliskova has been ruled out of the Czech Republic team in the Fed Cup final against the defending champion United States next weekend due to calf muscle and wrist injuries. She was replaced by rookie Barbora Krejcikova.


Nadal cites health setback in ending season
Rafael Nadal says his season is over because of health concerns. Nadal, overtaken by Novak Djokovic to fall to No. 2 in the world rankings, finished his season with five titles that included another French Open championship

Age: 22
Ranked: No. 47 (career-high: No. 19, April 2, 2018)
Next Big Thing moment: An 18-year-old wild card at the ATP 250 event in Memphis in 2016, Fritz upset Steve Johnson and Ricardas Berankis to become the youngest American to reach an ATP final since Michael Chang in 1988.

Is it possible to want something too much? Despite his obvious volume of talent and excellent physique (he's a lean 6-foot-4), Fritz has been hampered by his earnestness and all those comparisons to Pete Sampras. Paul Annacone, a Tennis Channel analyst who's been helping Fritz, told ESPN.com: "Taylor has worked hard at trying to play perfect tennis, which is the wrong mindset. You have to work hard so that no matter what level you bring on a given day you are able to win with it."

Dominic Thiem
Age: 25
Rank: No. 8 (career-high: No. 4, Nov. 6, 2017)
Next Big Thing moment: Early in 2016, Thiem won titles, on a clay and hard court, then punched through to the semifinals at the French Open. He rose from No. 20 to No. 9 at year's end.

Thiem's biggest problem can be summed up in two words: Rafael Nadal. Were it not for the greatest clay-court player of all time, the Austrian baseliner could have as many as three French Open titles and a handful of Masters wins earned on Euroclay. But Thiem has been unable to step up very effectively at the other three majors. Still, he has an infinite capacity for work, a blazing serve and forehand, and he's improved on hard and grass courts.

Alexander Zverev
Age: 21
Rank: No. 5 (career-high: No. 3, Nov. 6, 2017)
Next Big Thing moment: If you were paying attention, Zverev's triumph against No. 3 Stan Wawrinka in the 2016 St. Petersburg final (Zverev's third final of the year, but his first win) was the launching pad for the then 19-year-old sensation.

Zverev already owns three Masters 1000 titles. But there's a reason he hired coach Ivan Lendl. It's that underwhelming record in the majors, the sense Zverev is spinning his wheels. O'Shannessy believes Zverev has a tendency to back off on his forehand "when push comes to shove," and that he also gets down on himself too easily. "You see him lose a lot of deciding sets that aren't very close," O'Shannessy said. "He stops hitting his forehand, he throws his arms up, he looks at his box and just spends too much time beating himself up."

Denis Shapovalov
Age: 19
Rank: No. 27 (career-high: No. 23, June 11, 2018)
Next Big Thing moment: Shapovalov, a Canadian, knocked out Juan Martin del Potro and Nadal in back-to-back matches en route to the semifinals at the Canada Masters in 2017.

This has been a year mainly of treading water -- and learning -- for Shapovalov. He's coming to grips with the pressure and new challenges of his position. "A young guy has to adjust to two things when he breaks through," O'Shannessy said. "Guys start to figure out ways to play him, and he can't go out there feeling like he has nothing to lose anymore."

Hyeon Chung
Age: 22
Rank: No. 25 (career-high: No. 19, April 2, 2018)
Next Big Thing moment: Chung stunned everyone when he broke through to the Australian Open semifinals this year, beating Zverev and Novak Djokovic along the way.

Chung, the surprise champion of the 2017 #ATPNextgen finals, was forced to retire because of blisters in Melbourne. Plagued by injuries, he did well enough just to hold his ground going forward. The problem for Chung is that his only real weapon is his legs, and that might not be enough these days. Chung's serve is still open to attack, and his forehand, while improved, is still not very impressive.

Frances Tiafoe
Age: 20
Rank: No. 40 (Career-high, No. 38, Aug. 13, 2018)
Next Big Thing moment: At Delray Beach in March, Tiafoe took down del Potro, along with Chung and Shapovalov, to win his first ATP Tour title.

Tiafoe backed up his breakthrough with some excellent performances, including a fourth-round performance in Miami, but he was 2-5 against generational rivals through the rest of the year. "We still have to see if the way Frances hits that unconventional forehand, with that big drop of the wrist, will hold up under pressure," O'Shannessy said. "The serve and backhand are great, but his agility could improve."

Stefanos Tsitsipas
Age: 20
Rank: No. 15 (Career-high, current)
Next Big Thing Moment: In Barcelona in April, Tsitsipas upset a number of excellent clay-court players, including No. 3 seed Thiem, before he was stopped in the final by Nadal.

The best men's player ever to come out of Greece, Tsitsipas was ranked No. 63 during Barcelona, but he consolidated his breakthrough impressively. "I think he's as high as he'll get for a little while because it all came so fast," O'Shannessy said. "Guys are scrambling to figure him out and then he may fall off a bit."

Borna Coric
Age: 21
Rank: No. 12 (Career-high, current)
Next Big Thing moment: In June, Coric stunned Roger Federer on the grass in the Halle final. He would tag Federer again in the Shanghai Masters semis last month.

Doesn't it seem like he's been around forever? In 2015, this impetuous, self-confident Croat declared, "When I'm at my best I am more like [Novak] Djokovic game-wise. When I'm not, I'm more like [Andy] Murray." A prodigy, Coric did not break through overnight, due largely to his lack of a major weapon and a forehand that can still be broken down. "He has trouble with that forehand when he has to hit on the run," O'Shannessy said, "But that backhand is solid."

http://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/2 ... -khachanov