T32, T35: Waszyngton, Winston-Salem 2020

[DUN I LOVE]

Właśnie to odkryłem na stronie ATP i szybko udałe się do tematu. Tym razem byłeś szybszy tylko o 5 godzin.

Można było się spodziewać takiej decyzji.

[Damian]

Właśnie to odkryłem na stronie ATP i szybko udałe się do tematu. Tym razem byłeś szybszy tylko o 5 godzin.

Luz.

Pewnie jeszcze nie wszyscy gracze o tym wiedzą.

[DUN I LOVE]

[Damian]

ATP Announces Cancellation Of The 2020 Citi Open

Spoiler:

The decision has been made due to continued uncertainty related to the COVID-19 pandemic
The ATP and organisers of the Citi Open, the ATP 500 event in Washington, D.C., have announced the cancellation of the 2020 Citi Open.

The tournament, which was scheduled to begin on 13 August, marked the planned resumption of the ATP Tour following the suspension of professional tennis in March. However, with continued uncertainties affecting the ability to meet key event planning deadlines, the decision has been made to cancel the event. The ATP continues to work closely with the USTA on the Western & Southern Open and the US Open, which are scheduled to take place back-to-back in New York, beginning on 20 August.

“It’s disappointing that due to these unprecedented times, the Citi Open will not be able to go ahead this year,” said Andrea Gaudenzi, ATP Chairman. “I know how hard Mark Ein and his team have worked to adapt to new and continually changing conditions and would like to recognize their outstanding commitment to staging the event. Unfortunately for the moment there are still large factors at play which are outside of our control. We look forward to the Citi Open returning as one of our signature American events in 2021.”

“After months of tireless work by our team and close collaboration with our many stakeholders, we are heartbroken to announce that we must unfortunately postpone the 52nd Citi Open until the summer of 2021,” said Mark Ein, Chairman, Citi Open. “With only 23 days left until the start of the tournament, there are too many unresolved external issues, including various international travel restrictions as well as troubling health and safety trends, that have forced us to make this decision now in fairness to our players, suppliers and partners, so that they can have certainty around their planning.”

The ATP continues to work on the revised 2020 calendar with a further update expected in the next fortnight on a provisional schedule of events including the final section of the season through to the Nitto ATP Finals in November.

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[Damian]

[Kamileki]

[Damian]

Agassi, Bryans Lead American Success Stories In Washington, D.C.

Spoiler:

Learn more about the Citi Open, an ATP 500 event

First contested in July 1969, the Citi Open is one of 13 prestigious ATP 500 events on the calendar. The 2020 edition of the tournament was due to take place this month, before its cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

ATPTour.com looks at five things to know about the event.

An Elite Honour Roll
Held at the Rock Creek Park Tennis Center, the Citi Open has welcomed some of the greatest names in tennis history over the past 50 years. In fact, 46 of the previous 51 editions of the singles event have been won by players who have reached the Top 10 in the FedEx ATP Rankings during their careers.

Six former World No. 1s — Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl, Stefan Edberg, Andre Agassi, Lleyton Hewitt and Andy Roddick — have triumphed at the tournament. Agassi owns a record five titles in Washington, D.C., while Connors and Roddick each claimed three trophies.

In doubles, Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan have won a record four team titles (2005-07, 2015). The American twins share the record for most trophies at the event with countryman Marty Riessen. The American won back-to-back doubles crowns with Tom Okker (1971-72) and also lifted the title alongside Tom Gorman (1974) and Sherwood Stewart (1979).

<a href='/en/players/andy-roddick/r485/overview'>Andy Roddick</a> captured his third <a href='/en/tournaments/washington/418/overview'>Citi Open</a> title in 2007.

Agassi Sets The Mark
From 1990 to 2000, Agassi won five titles from six final appearances in Washington, D.C. The Las Vegas native captured his first trophy in the American capital in his second tournament appearance, winning each of the 10 sets he contested to claim the 1990 crown. Agassi repeated that feat the following year, beating Petr Korda in the championship match.

In a classic 1995 final, Agassi outlasted Edberg 6-4, 2-6, 7-5 to claim his third trophy at the event. Across his five title runs at the ATP 500, the second set of that final against Edberg was the only set he lost. Agassi added his fourth and fifth Washington, D.C. titles in 1998 and 1999, beating Scott Draper and Yevgeny Kafelnikov in the championship matches.

Agassi fell short of winning his sixth tournament trophy in 2000. Once again, the 1999 year-end World No. 1 advanced to the final without dropping a set, but Alex Corretja claimed the title with a 6-2, 6-3 victory. Agassi finished his career with a record 44 match wins in the United States' capital.

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Delpo’s Unbeaten Run
After losing his tournament debut in 2007, Juan Martin del Potro claimed 14 straight victories across his next three appearances at the ATP 500 to enter the history books. The Argentine captured his maiden Washington crown in 2008, beating Viktor Troicki in the championship match, and doubled his trophy tally the next year.

Del Potro survived two final-set tie-breaks against former World No. 1s en route to the 2009 title. The Tower of Tandil rallied from a set down to overcome Hewitt in the Round of 16 and outlasted Roddick in the final to lift his second straight trophy at the event.

With a three-set triumph against John Isner in the 2013 championship match, Del Potro joined fellow three-time winners Guillermo Vilas, Connors and Roddick in an exclusive club. Only five-time champion Agassi has won more trophies in Washington, D.C.

"It’s amazing. I’m so happy to win here once again," said Del Potro. "Always when you win a tournament, it’s special, it’s big.”


Bryan Brothers Equal Riessen’s Record
Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan are the only doubles team to win three consecutive trophies in Washington, D.C. The pair achieved the feat between 2005 and 2007, dropping just three sets across 12 victories to complete their first three title runs in the District of Columbia.

The Bryan Brothers had to wait another eight years before they returned to the championship match. The American twins, aiming to equal Riessen’s tournament record haul of four doubles trophies, beat Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo in straight sets to claim their record-equalling fourth crown in 2015.

Bryans

Zverev Goes Back-To-Back
Alexander Zverev has reached the quarter-finals or better in each of his four appearances at the Citi Open. After compiling a 6-2 record across his opening two visits, the German claimed 10 straight wins to become only the fourth player in tournament history to win consecutive singles trophies at the event.

Zverev claimed his maiden ATP 500 crown in Washington, D.C. in 2017 with consecutive wins against Daniil Medvedev, Kei Nishikori and Kevin Anderson. One year later, the 6’6” right-hander returned to the final with wins against Nishikori and Stefanos Tsitsipas. Zverev confirmed his place alongside fellow back-to-back tournament winners Agassi, Michael Chang and Del Potro with a 6-2, 6-4 victory against Alex de Minaur in the championship match.

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[Damian]

Tie-Break King: Isner Announces Arrival In Washington Debut

Spoiler:

American finishes runner-up at 2007 event
John Isner wasn’t even supposed to be in the main draw of the 2007 Citi Open. By the end of the week, the American captivated fans with a dream run to the final and established a pattern of producing clutch tennis in tie-breaks that has remained a staple of his career.

Isner, then 22 and sitting at No. 416 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, completed his college tennis career a month earlier at the University of Georgia. He expected to play the qualifying draw in Washington, D.C., but received a main draw wild card at the last minute after Fernando Gonzalez withdrew due to a back injury.

Competing in only his second tour-level event, Isner put the opportunity to use and scored his maiden ATP Tour win with a 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(3) victory against Tim Henman. The match provided most fans with their first glimpse at Isner’s rocket serve, which regularly exceeded 135 miles per hour.


But he was far from finished. Isner scored four more third-set tie-break wins against Benjamin Becker, Wayne Odesnik, Tommy Haas and Gael Monfils to advance to the championship match. Monfils served for their semi-final battle at 6-5 in the third set, but Isner fought back and eventually collapsed to the ground in jubilation after prevailing 6-7(4), 7-6(1), 7-6(2). The American's inspired run made him the first player to win five consecutive third-set tiebreaks at a tour-level event.

"If I had one win this week I would have called it successful, let alone five," Isner said. “I would have been proud of just having a good showing against Henman.

"I was able to pull that match out and then it was just a snowball thing. I was getting more and more confident.”

You May Also Like: My Point: Isner Inspired By Mom's Courage
Isner was finally brought back to earth against Andy Roddick. In a battle of big serves and crunching forehands, the top seed secured the lone service break in the opening set and held his nerve to close out a 6-4, 7-6(2) win. Despite the loss, Isner was more than satisfied with his week.

“I’ll always remember playing Andy Roddick in an ATP Tour final. You can never take that away from me,” Isner said. “It’s a dream come true, an unbelievable honour. I’ll never, ever forget it.”

The run in Washington, D.C. propelled Isner inside the Top 200. He made his Top 100 debut just six months later and has remained a perennial staple on Tour ever since.

Did You Know?
According to the ATP Performance Zone, Isner ranks second in the Open Era with 438 tour-level tie-break victories (438-284). The American only trails Roger Federer, who has won 460 (460-244).

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[Damian]

[Damian]

Resurfaced: A Shared Dream - 50 Years Of Tennis In Washington, D.C.

Spoiler:

With exclusive insight, ATPTour.com looks back at the history of Rock Creek Park tennis in Washington, D.C.

Editor's Note: ATPTour.com is resurfacing features to bring fans closer to their favourite players and tournaments during the current suspension in tournament play. This story was originally published on 30 July 2018.

The Citi Open is celebrating its 50th edition this year with one of the best fields in the history of the ATP 500 tournament. While the muggy heat of Washington, D.C., which tests out every players’ physical conditioning, endures, back in 1969, in the infancy of Open tennis, when doors were — in some cases, reluctantly opened to amateur, contract and professional players — a small group of dedicated individuals took tennis out of the traditional country clubs to a racially integrated district of the city. The original tournament team was small in number and facilities at Rock Creek Park were far from world-class, as they are today.

Donald Dell, one of the sport’s leading powerbrokers for more than 50 years, relays the story of how his father would drive Arthur Ashe back home through the night from far-flung junior tournaments, knowing full well that the shameful reality of race in the 1950s meant that if they stopped, they would not be able to stay in the same hotel. A decade later, a lifelong friendship already cemented and months before the first US Open, which Ashe won in September 1968, the pair was driving around Washington, D.C. and an idea was floated. “Why don’t we run a tournament here?” Ashe asked. “I’d like to play in it, but it has to be in an integrated area so black faces come out and watch the tennis. If you do it at a public park, a public facility and not a country club, I’ll play the event."

Dell, and his childhood friend John Harris, had already run a number of exhibition matches for the Washington Area Tennis Patrons Foundation [founded in 1955], which had helped Dell for expenses to get him into junior tournaments. Now named the Washington Tennis & Education Foundation, the organisation helps to provide children with equipment, instruction, and financial means to play tennis. “In 1963 we ran the first exhibition and Chuck McKinley played, earning an extra $500 for help towards playing tournaments,” Harris told ATPWorldTour.com. “In 1966, the U.S. captain George MacCall rang up in May or June asking us for help to raise money for the Davis Cup team. He wondered if we could put together a preview to that year’s final, between American and Australian teams. We needed to guarantee $10,000, but the event raised $9,000-10,000 for the Foundation, its biggest cheque to date. It was after that point that we tried to work towards getting a sanction for a fully-fledged tournament.”

One year later, an exhibition match — a part of the ‘Summer in the Parks’ program — was held in the middle of a Washington, D.C. street near Lincoln Park, with Dell and Charlie Pasarell facing Ashe and Senator Bobby Kennedy. Dell, an advance man [looking after every public appearance] for Kennedy in 1966 and the presidential campaign of 1968, recalled to ATPWorldTour.com, “We had 4,000 people turn up, in the inner city. It was the final precursor to the inaugural tournament.” Harris adds, “We opted for Rock Creek Park, because it was a nice location and a huge park. Not many other clubs could host an event, for parking and the growth we foresaw. Buses took people to the park. We also wanted to help the Foundation in helping inner-city kids, so the tournament needed to be fully integrated.”


Early international calendars published for 1969, didn’t feature Washington, D.C., which would be held on green clay courts in the vast 2,000-acre park of a soon-to-be affluent African-American neighbourhood the week before the first grass-court tournament on U.S. soil at Merion Cricket Club, a private club in Haverford, Pennsylvania. Only the Swedish International Championships in Bastad [now named the SkiStar Swedish Open] and the Irish Championships in Dublin, held in the week immediately after the conclusion of The Championships at Wimbledon, are published for the week of 7 July 1969.

Raising funds and getting a title sponsor quickly in 1969 became a major concern for Dell, Harris and their three-man tournament team. “We needed to raise $25,000, which was an awful lot of money in 1968,” says Dell. “We managed to get four friends, Washington businessmen, to each guarantee $5,000. I put up $5,000, anonymously, myself. Incredibly, our long search for a title sponsor — The Washington Star newspaper — ended just six weeks before the event was due to begin." There had been only two prize-money tournaments — the Pacific Southwest in Los Angeles and the US Open — in the United States in 1968, when the sport went open to amateurs and professional players, with purses totalling $150,000. In 1969, there were five open events out of 14 on U.S. soil, and prize money had nearly trebled to $440,000.

Dell, in his final year as captain of the Unites States Davis Cup team, was largely responsible for such an influx of banknotes and made North America a profitable tennis circuit. Bud Collins, writing for The Boston Globe, noted, “Acting en bloc, with their captain behind them, the [10-player] team informed USLTA [now the United States Tennis Association] tournament officials that they would appear at no tournament, which did not put up substantial prize money. They also made it clear they would enter into none of the old-style expense deals, and that they would boycott tournaments that did so with other players.”

Cliff Richey, who stayed at the Washington Hilton for the inaugural tournament, told ATPWorldTour.com, “Washington, D.C. preceded Cincinnati and Indianapolis. Washington had a $25,000 prize money pot, with $5,000 to the titlist. Cincinnati had a $17,500 prize money pot and less for the champion. It was Donald Dell who organised the U.S. tournaments that summer to offer the winner $5,000 each, to standardise prize money and professionalise how tournaments were organised.”


First known as The Washington Star International (1969-1981) — then, subsequently, as the Sovran Bank Classic (1982-1992), the Newsweek Tennis Classic (1993), the Legg Mason Tennis Classic (1994-2011) and the Citi Open (since 2012) — the venue had little in the way of on-site facilities. Players arrived on-site already in their tennis attire. There were no showers, media and tournament officials set up their desks beside fans in tents, while wooden bleachers were erected around one of three clay courts.

“Wooden bleachers had to be erected each year, there were tents and trailers for ball boys, volunteers, linesmen, players and tournament officials,” Harold Solomon, the 1974 champion, told ATPWorldTour.com. “A changing facility was built in the early 70s with a locker room, but to say it was modest would be an understatement. There were wall-mounted air conditioners, which barely got the temperature down to 90 degrees on hot days, plastic matts on the shower floor, metal lockers, with only room for a very small number of players at a time and limited bathroom facilities. Towels were at a premium, escaping the heat was the trick.”

“We once had Colonel Powell [the statesman and four-star general of the U.S. Army] as the referee for a while and he made sure the tournament was run like the Army. In fact, one time, after a particularly long break from a severe thunderstorm, my doubles partner Zan Guerry and I were defaulted by the Colonel when Zan was a few seconds late following the deluge. He was in the parking lot running up to the courts and the Colonel had his stop watch out and he counted him out while being two seconds past the allocated time!”

Magazine 1969

Thomaz Koch, who beat Arthur Ashe 7-5, 9-7, 4-6, 2-6, 6-4 in the 1969 Washington, D.C. final, recalled to ATPWorldTour.com, “I remember talking to Donald Dell before the final, asking to play best of three sets otherwise I would miss my flight back to Brazil. Well, in those days most of the finals were played over the best-of-five sets and this match was no different. After being two sets up, I got very angry to have to play another three sets and I was sure, by that time, my flight would be long gone. I finished my match in a big hurry. Donald provided me to be escorted by the police to the airport and the flight was even delayed so that I could make my flight and later connection.”

Harris, who was the head of Potomac Ventures, Inc., a firm which managed office and commercial space, also remembers, “At the trophy presentation, after giving a brief speech, Thomaz put his hand on my shoulder saying, ‘$5,000 is too much for one player.’”

Washington, D.C.-born Solomon said, “There was a certain air of excitement and open tennis was in its infancy. It was more like a family atmosphere. Fans were there not necessarily to be seen, but to be a part of an emerging sport that many of them and their families were participating in. It soon became an annual event that the community had taken on as its own.”

The tournament soon grew in appeal among Senators, Congressmen, business leaders and the well-to-do, with family members of former U.S. Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton watching matches or presenting the trophy in the first 30 years of the tournament. "A sitting President has never attended, but the WTEF had two dinners at the house of George H. Bush, when he was the Vice President,” remembers Harris. "Tim Henman once visited the White House and dined with one-time Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice."

From 992 seats on the west side of the main court in the first year, Harris, the tournament co-chairman until 1994, says, “We added 1,500 seats on the south side and a further 1,500 the following year, when we also created a locker room with showers." In 1972, there was a major development when Dell and Harris donated the tournament sanction to the WTEF, making it the sole owner and charity benefactor. "In 1972, we gave them the sanction, so now they’re maybe the only charity in the United States that owns a professional event. " By 1977, when a pro shop was built, there were 5,700 seats around the main court.

For the first 10 years, attendance records were smashed year-on-year, but in 1978 there was the threat of a shift in tournament week from the U.S. Pro Championships, played in Boston, on clay courts one week prior to the start of the US Open, which was being held at its new site in Flushing Meadows, New York. Longwood Cricket Club in suburban Brookline favoured shifting the U.S Pro tournament week to early summer in 1979, but did not believe it ought to change the surface to hard, as the US Open had done after three years of clay competition. Dell and Harris held firm, arguing that Washington, D.C. had built up a tradition as being the first major tournament in the United States after Wimbledon.

The green clay courts made way for hard courts in 1987, the year of Ivan Lendl’s second title, when the whole U.S. circuit reverted to cement. Jimmy Connors, Guillermo Vilas, John McEnroe, Lendl, Stefan Edberg, Andre Agassi, Michael Chang, Andy Roddick, Andy Murray and Juan Martin del Potro have all walked through the park and tested their skills at the ATP Tour 500-level tournament. Today, the Stadium court seats 7,500 spectators. From the original five-man team in 1969, there are now 500 volunteers all on hand in or around the William H.G. Fitzgerald Tennis Center, which has become a world-class venue and, since 2011, a WTA Tour stop.

WASHINGTON, D.C. TOURNAMENT ALL-TIME MATCH WINS LEADERS

Player Match Record Finals Record Tournament Appearances
1) Andre Agassi (USA) 44-12 5-1 17
2) Guillermo Vilas (ARG) 38-7 3-2 10
3) Andy Roddick (USA) 30-6 3-1 9
4) Harold Solomon (USA) 25-13 1-1 14
5) John Isner (USA) 25-9 0-3 9
6) Eddie Dibbs (USA) 25-12 0-1 12
7) Jose-Luis Clerc (ARG) 25-5 2-1 7
Michael Chang (USA) 25-5 2-0 8
9) Jimmy Connors (USA) 25-4 3-0 7
10) Arthur Ashe (USA) 24-7 0-2 8
There has been one constant that no player has ever been able to avoid. The summer heat of Washington, D.C. has always played a contributing factor in how well any player will perform at Rock Creek Park. There are stories aplenty when order of play start times had to be adjusted as the conditions tested a player’s physical conditioning to the maximum.

Marty Riessen, runner-up in 1971 and 1972, told ATPWorldTour.com, “I’ve never played in any other place like it. Playing in D.C. in the summer was hot and humid, more of an endurance contest. I remember my match with Tony Roche [in the 1972 final] when I had match point. I served and came in for an easy volley, but I was perspiring so much that my hand slipped on my grip and I couldn’t make the volley.”

Solomon recalls, “I was playing the Australian Phil Dent in a hot and muggy night match [in 1977]. We had this long, long match and I started getting cramps badly all over my body in the third set and after almost three hours, somehow, I won the final point and walked up to shake Phil's hand and my hand cramped around his and I collapsed onto the court and had to be lifted off. The next day in the paper there was a picture of me victorious, but still shaking his hand while collapsed on the court in agony!”

Lendl, the 1982 and 1987 titlist, one of the fittest players of his era, told ATPWorldTour.com, “I still remember how hot it was! Both David Wheaton and I cramping in my three-set win over him in 1987.”

Andre Agassi, who earned a record five trophies from six Washington, D.C. finals, in addition to 44 match wins from 17 tournament appearances, admitted, “I always loved playing in the heat, but it was a constant negotiation. It was the only tournament in the world where I went through two or three shirts a set.
“I have so many memories, such as playing Stefan Edberg [in the 1995 final] and winning 7-5 in the third set on one of the hottest days and literally being sick in the tree planter by the side of the court. We were so tired, I hit the ball high up in the air and was sick. It was one of the first times both of us sat down during the trophy ceremony. We were so spent. Another memory is playing Petr Korda in the 1991 final and when we got to the net to flip the coin, I realised I had played all night matches and he all day matches. He had sun blisters all over his head. He was burned to a crisp and thought it was slightly unfair.”

At this year's Citi Open, the focus of American attention will be on John Isner, who is looking to master the conditions and potentially become the 13th different American to lift the Washington, D.C. trophy - and the first since Andy Roddick in 2007. The 33-year-old arrives in the capital of the United States on the back of winning his fifth title at the BB&T Atlanta Open on Sunday. “I have made the Washington final three times, but I’ve never won it,” Isner told ATPWorldTour.com. “I’ve always played very well in D.C. I won five three-set tie-breaks in a row to reach the final out of no-where. No one knew who I was, I was fresh out of college. I certainly won’t forget my match against [Gael] Monfils in the semi-finals for a long time.” Isner, in the form of his life, will compete in one of the strongest fields for the 50th edition, boasting the likes of former World No. 1 Murray, Stan Wawrinka, defending champion Alexander Zverev and Kei Nishikori.

The Citi Open has always been a tournament dedicated to, and for the people, of Washington, D.C. Through the dedication of Dell, who acted as Ashe’s manager for 23 years and was a founding father of the ATP in 1972, and Harris, who stage-managed the tournament from his one-room office for the first 13 editions, the sport was brought to the masses — not just the privileged elite — in one of the biggest cities in the United States, a setting that combines history, beauty and a great atmosphere.

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[Damian]

Resurfaced: When Tiafoe Learned Not To Turn His Back On Medvedev

Spoiler:

Rally featured as Play of the Day on ABC's Good Morning America

Editor's Note: ATPTour.com is resurfacing features to bring fans closer to their favourite players and tournaments during the current suspension in tournament play. This story was originally published on 2 August 2019.

One of the golden rules in sport is to never take your eyes off the ball.

But, during a remarkable rally at the 2019 Citi Open, Frances Tiafoe believed he had done enough to win the first point in a crucial game against Daniil Medvedev. He was wrong.

ATP Heritage: Milestones. Records. Legends.

The exchange, which was featured as Play of the Day on ABC’s breakfast programme, Good Morning America, saw home favourite Tiafoe bring Medvedev to the net with a drop shot before flicking a backhand volley past his opponent and turning his back on the court. But, with impressive speed, Medvedev changed direction to track down the ball and chip it into the vacant space for a winner.

Despite his lapse in concentration with Medvedev serving for the match, Tiafoe did manage to eventually break serve and reach 5-5. But Medvedev responded quickly to claim the win two games later, setting a quarter-final clash against Marin Cilic. The Russian reached the final, losing against Nick Kyrgios.

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[Damian]

[Damian]

[Damian]

Flashback: Del Potro's Washington Hat Trick

Spoiler:

Argentine prevails in three consecutive appearances
Juan Martin del Potro always brings his best tennis to the North American hard-court swing and the Citi Open has become the most successful hunting ground of his career.

The Argentine prevailed in three of his five appearances in Washington, D.C., (2008-2009, 2013) enabling him to rack up a 15-match run at this event before Kei Nishikori snapped his winning streak in 2017. It remains the only tournament in which Del Potro has stood in the winner’s circle on three occasions.

ATPTour.com looks back at Del Potro’s trio of thrilling runs.

2008
Del Potro was on a confidence high as he rode a three-tournament, 14-match winning streak. The 19-year-old Argentine prevailed at clay-court events in Stuttgart and Kitzbühel before completing a hat trick in Los Angeles by defeating Andy Roddick in the final.

Playing with the confidence of a man who hadn't lost in several weeks, he charged through the draw and overpowered Viktor Troicki 6-3, 6-3 in the final. After falling behind 1-3 in the opening set, Del Potro quickly recovered and wrapped up his perfect week with an ace on championship point. The victory made Del Potro the first man in ATP Tour history to win his first four singles finals.

“Today I was very, very nervous because I was the favourite to win the tournament,” Del Potro said. “In a final, if you play your best you can win, for sure, but I think today I played more with my mind than my body.”



2009
Despite being the defending champion, Del Potro arrived in a different mood having not won a title in seven months. After struggling to victory in his first two rounds, he benefitted from receiving a walkover in his quarter-final against Robin Soderling and soon found himself facing Roddick on championship Sunday.

The sweltering conditions wore both men down as they battled from the baseline for more than two hours. With almost nothing left to give physically, the Argentine turned to his serve and cracked five aces in the third-set tie-break to prevail 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(6). Del Potro squandered his first three championship points, but made good on his fourth chance and became the first man to successfully defend his title at this event since Andre Agassi (1998-1999).

"I did my best serves ever in my life,” Del Potro said. “After the first set, I couldn't move any more. It was impossible. It was serve and one more ball. If you run, you die.”

Buoyed by his second title of the year, the Argentine went on to capture his maiden Grand Slam crown one month later at the US Open (d. Federer).


2013
Del Potro delighted local fans by returning to this event after a four-year absence and quickly made up for lost time. After marching to the final without dropping a set, he shook off a slow start in the final to defeat John Isner 3-6, 6-1, 6-2.

The Argentine became energised early in the second set after returning a timid overhead from Isner with a clean forehand winner. Del Potro repeated that effort later in the set and stole the momentum from his opponent to sprint through the remainder of the match.

"It’s amazing. I’m so happy to win here once again," Del Potro said. "Always when you win a tournament, it’s special [and] it’s big. In the third set, I played my best tennis of the tournament.”

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[Damian]

[Damian]

[Damian]

Brotherly Love: When Sascha Beat Mischa In All-Zverev Battle

Spoiler:

Alexander Zverev to face winner of Nishikori and Shapovalov
Editor's Note: ATPTour.com is resurfacing features to bring fans closer to their favourite players and tournaments during the current suspension in tournament play. This story was originally published on 2 August 2018.

It took 539 tour-level main draw matches for brothers Alexander Zverev and Mischa Zverev to finally meet on the ATP Tour. So when the brothers posed for a picture after the coin flip at the 2018 Citi Open, the emotions of the moment truly set in.

"We walked back, and the crowd was cheering, I almost had tears in my eyes," Mischa told Tennis Channel. "I was like, 'This feels so special. I wonder what my parents are thinking right now?' I needed a few seconds to actually bite my tongue and focus. To me, that was incredibly special."

Once the match got going, it was ‘Sascha Zverev', as chair umpire Mohamed Fitouhi referred to him during the match, who beat his older brother 6-3, 7-5 to reach the quarter-finals in Washington, D.C. in the first tour-level meeting between brothers since the 2016 Generali Open, where Gerald Melzer beat Jurgen Melzer.


The Zverev brothers had met on two previous occasions at the professional level — in qualifying of an ATP Challenger Tour event in Dallas six years ago and in qualifying of the 2014 Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship. But it was the 21-year-old Zverev who clinched their first FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting after one hour, 51 minutes.

"[It was] very special. As Mischa said, who can say you played your brother in one of the biggest tournaments in the world?" Sascha said. "It was unbelievably special. I hope this is not the last time. I hope we play a final one day or something like that. So hopefully [this was] the first of many."


And while the stats show that Sascha saved two of three break points he faced while breaking his older brother three times, the memory they will retain came after Mischa sprinted forward and hit a drop shot into the net on match point. The brothers made a lengthy embrace on Sascha's side of the court.

Sascha, the top seed, is the reigning champion in Washington, D.C. He is also the defending titlist at the Rogers Cup, which means he is defending a massive 1,500 ATP Rankings points between this week and next. Zverev is at a career-high World No. 3, and he has done well to back up his breakthrough five-title 2017. The 21-year-old clinched his third ATP Masters 1000 triumph at the Mutua Madrid Open, and also reached the final at the Miami Open presented by Itau and the Internazionali BNL d'Italia.

Nishikori

Zverev will next face seventh seed Kei Nishikori, who defeated ninth seed Denis Shapovalov 7-6(1), 6-3. The Canadian had won their only previous FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting earlier this year on the hard courts of Acapulco, but the Japanese star evened their series with more consistent play from the baseline throughout the match.

Nishikori is into his fifth tour-level quarter-final of the season, as he continues his comeback from a right wrist injury. The 2015 Washington, D.C. champion's clash against Zverev will be a rematch of the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters semi-finals, which Nishikori won in three sets to become the first Japanese player to reach the final of the event. The pair also played in the Citi Open semi-finals one year ago, with the German coming out on top.

"I've got to do something better," Nishikori said. "I'll try to do my best, and see what happens."


Did You Know?
The Zverev brothers were opponents for just a moment. Later the same evening, they completed their rain-delayed first-round doubles match, ousting top seeds Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic.

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[Kamileki]

Brotherly Love: When Sascha Beat Mischa In All-Zverev Battle

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© Peter Staples/Citi Open

Alexander Zverev and Mischa Zverev embrace after their first tour-level meeting on Thursday at the CIti Open in Washington, D.C.
Brotherly Love: When Sascha Beat Mischa In All-Zverev Battle
Aug092020
ATP Staff
Alexander Zverev to face winner of Nishikori and Shapovalov

Editor's Note: ATPTour.com is resurfacing features to bring fans closer to their favourite players and tournaments during the current suspension in tournament play. This story was originally published on 2 August 2018.

It took 539 tour-level main draw matches for brothers Alexander Zverev and Mischa Zverev to finally meet on the ATP Tour. So when the brothers posed for a picture after the coin flip at the 2018 Citi Open, the emotions of the moment truly set in.

"We walked back, and the crowd was cheering, I almost had tears in my eyes," Mischa told Tennis Channel. "I was like, 'This feels so special. I wonder what my parents are thinking right now?' I needed a few seconds to actually bite my tongue and focus. To me, that was incredibly special."

Once the match got going, it was ‘Sascha Zverev', as chair umpire Mohamed Fitouhi referred to him during the match, who beat his older brother 6-3, 7-5 to reach the quarter-finals in Washington, D.C. in the first tour-level meeting between brothers since the 2016 Generali Open, where Gerald Melzer beat Jurgen Melzer.

The Zverev brothers had met on two previous occasions at the professional level — in qualifying of an ATP Challenger Tour event in Dallas six years ago and in qualifying of the 2014 Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship. But it was the 21-year-old Zverev who clinched their first FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting after one hour, 51 minutes.

"[It was] very special. As Mischa said, who can say you played your brother in one of the biggest tournaments in the world?" Sascha said. "It was unbelievably special. I hope this is not the last time. I hope we play a final one day or something like that. So hopefully [this was] the first of many."

And while the stats show that Sascha saved two of three break points he faced while breaking his older brother three times, the memory they will retain came after Mischa sprinted forward and hit a drop shot into the net on match point. The brothers made a lengthy embrace on Sascha's side of the court.

Sascha, the top seed, is the reigning champion in Washington, D.C. He is also the defending titlist at the Rogers Cup, which means he is defending a massive 1,500 ATP Rankings points between this week and next. Zverev is at a career-high World No. 3, and he has done well to back up his breakthrough five-title 2017. The 21-year-old clinched his third ATP Masters 1000 triumph at the Mutua Madrid Open, and also reached the final at the Miami Open presented by Itau and the Internazionali BNL d'Italia.

Nishikori

Zverev will next face seventh seed Kei Nishikori, who defeated ninth seed Denis Shapovalov 7-6(1), 6-3. The Canadian had won their only previous FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting earlier this year on the hard courts of Acapulco, but the Japanese star evened their series with more consistent play from the baseline throughout the match.

Nishikori is into his fifth tour-level quarter-final of the season, as he continues his comeback from a right wrist injury. The 2015 Washington, D.C. champion's clash against Zverev will be a rematch of the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters semi-finals, which Nishikori won in three sets to become the first Japanese player to reach the final of the event. The pair also played in the Citi Open semi-finals one year ago, with the German coming out on top.

"I've got to do something better," Nishikori said. "I'll try to do my best, and see what happens."

Did You Know?
The Zverev brothers were opponents for just a moment. Later the same evening, they completed their rain-delayed first-round doubles match, ousting top seeds Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic.
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[Damian]

Winston-Salem: A Unique Setting For An ‘Amazing Event’

Spoiler:

Learn more about the Winston-Salem Open, an ATP 250 event

Established in 2011, the Winston-Salem Open is one of five American events during the North American hard court swing. The 2020 edition of the tournament was due to take place this month, before its cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

ATPTour.com looks at five things to know about the event.

An Award-Winning Tournament
Held at the Wake Forest University, the stars of the ATP Tour can take advantage of many sporting facilities at the Winston-Salem Open. The university's tennis complex features 11 available practice courts and players also have opportunities to work out on campus, including on the football field, which is adjacent to the Wake Forest Tennis Complex.

The facilities have proved a hit with players since the tournament made its debut on the ATP Tour calendar in 2011. Just five years later, the event was awarded the 2016 ATP 250 Tournament of the Year award alongside the Stockholm Open. The award is voted for by ATP Tour players.

“Every player comes up and says, 'What an amazing event. It's so friendly. Loads of practice courts. Good facilities.' So no wonder it won the best ATP 250 award on Tour. I can see why it won. It's brilliant,” said former ATP Executive Chairman and President Chris Kermode in 2016.

Mullane

Early Success For Isner
John Isner is the only player to have won multiple singles trophies in Winston-Salem. The 6’10” right-hander was forced to five deciding sets in the opening two editions of the event in 2011 and 2012, but held his nerve on each occasion to claim back-to-back titles.

Isner beat Marcos Baghdatis, Andy Roddick and Julien Benneteau to clinch the 2011 crown and returned the following year to successfully defend his title. From the semi-finals, the American won consecutive final-set tie-breaks against Top 10 rivals Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Tomas Berdych to lift the trophy.


Rojer/Tecau’s Perfect Record
Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau have never lost a set in Winston-Salem. The pair has made two appearances at the ATP 250 and won each of the eight matches it has contested.

In 2017, Rojer and Tecau beat Julio Peralta and Horacio Zeballos to capture their 15th tour-level crown as a team. The following year, Rojer and Tecau claimed their second straight Winston-Salem trophy with a 6-4, 6-2 final win against Jamie Cerretani and 2013 titlist Leander Paes.

Rojer Tecau

Hurkacz Ends Polish Title Drought
Hubert Hurkacz ended a 37-year wait for a Polish ATP Tour singles titlist in Winston-Salem last year. The Wroclaw native rallied from a set down against Frances Tiafoe and beat Denis Shapovalov in straight sets to reach his maiden tour-level final.

In the final, Hurkacz broke Benoit Paire on five occasions to claim the trophy and become the first tour-level singles titlist from his country since Wojtek Fibak lifted the WCT Chicago title in 1982.

“That is a lot of time [without a Polish champion]. I am so glad that I have been able to win an ATP Tour event,” said Hurkacz. “I hope many more guys will join me soon and that I will win some more. It means a lot to me and I am glad that I won this tournament here."

<a href='/en/players/hubert-hurkacz/hb71/overview'>Hubert Hurkacz</a> is the 14th first-time champion on the ATP Tour this year.

The Final Preparation For The US Open
Usually held the week before the US Open, the Winston-Salem Open provides players with their last opportunity to gain match practice ahead of the final Grand Slam event of the year. Since the tournament began in 2011, two singles champions have built on their success in North Carolina with runs to the US Open quarter-finals.

Isner reached the last eight in New York in 2011, where he fell in a fourth-set tie-break to Andy Murray. Four years later, Kevin Anderson matched Isner’s run in style. The South African defeated Dominic Thiem and Murray in back-to-back matches to reach the quarter-finals.

In doubles, Rojer and Tecau used their 2017 success in North Carolina as a springboard for their successful US Open title bid. The Dutch-Romanian tandem won 10 matches across the two events to double their 2017 trophy count to four titles. Alongside different partners in 2013, Paes also claimed the Winston-Salem and US Open trophies in the same year.

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[Damian]

Resurfaced: Duckhee Lee Breaks Ground For Deaf Athletes In Winston-Salem

Spoiler:

South Korean beat Laaksonen to make history
Editor's Note: ATPTour.com is resurfacing features to bring fans closer to their favourite players and tournaments. This story was originally published on 19 August 2019.

As a child, Duckhee Lee was discouraged by others to pursue his dreams of being a professional tennis player. The 21-year-old South Korean firmly proved his naysayers wrong on Monday at the Winston-Salem Open, defeating Henri Laaksonen 7-6(4), 6-1 to become the first deaf player to win an ATP Tour main draw match.

“People made fun of me for my disability. They told me I shouldn’t be playing,” said Lee. "It was definitely difficult, but my friends and family helped me get through. I wanted to show everyone that I could do this.

“My message for people who are hearing impaired is to not be discouraged. If you try hard, you can do anything.”


The milestone moment was met with celebration from his peers, all of whom admire his relentless pursuit to make the most of his potential.

"I beat him a few years ago and he came up to me with a Google translator after the match and said, ‘What are my weaknesses?’ recalled Tennys Sandgren. “For someone who’s deaf and doesn’t speak English well at all, to put yourself out there like that… I wouldn’t do it! It was really cool.

"You learn so much about how your opponent hits the ball based on the sound of the shot. If you can’t hear it… You have to have insane skill and insane talent.”

Matches on the ATP Tour are often decided by the smallest of margins, an unforced error at a crucial moment or a clutch winner at 5/5 in a tie-break. Players admitted that walking on court already giving up the advantage of hearing is unfathomable to them.

“If I was to play with headphones on, it’s unbelievably difficult to pick up the speed of the ball, the spin that’s coming off the racquet… We use our ears a lot to pick things up,” added Andy Murray. “It’s obviously a huge disadvantage, so to be able to do what he’s doing is a huge effort.”


The basic aspects of a tennis match that players take for granted are things that Lee, who was diagnosed as deaf at age two, has never relied on. He can’t hear line calls or the score being called, forcing him to rely on signals from the umpire or people on his team.

When a scoreboard malfunction at 5-1 in the second set against Laaksonen showed him up 40/15 when the score was actually 30/15, Lee was unable to communicate his score question to the chair umpire or understand the umpire's responses. Both men found themselves at a brief standstill, unsure of how to proceed. A tournament volunteer then held up three fingers to indicate “30,” which he understood.

Read: Lee Overcomes Disability To Succeed (July 2015)

Lee does not know sign language because he was taught to read lips in Korean as a child. However, his speech isn’t always clear to native speakers. During his post-match interview, a tournament volunteer translated English questions in Korean to his fiancee, Soopin, and she gave them to Lee. He then responded to Soopin, who clarified the answers in Korean to the translator, and the final response was fed to local reporters in English.

But Lee’s success as a professional has been much more seamless. He played his first ATP Challenger Tour event at age 14 and has remained a staple at that level for the past four years. After playing almost exclusively in Asia until now, his hard-court swing in the United States has paid dividends. Prior to his Winston-Salem breakthrough, he reached his first ATP Challenger Tour final in nearly three years this June in Little Rock.

“I ate the spaghetti here and loved it,” said Lee, smiling. “I think that America has a good environment. Everything seems to fit well for me, so I’ve been having fun.”

Watch Live

The fun will continue on Tuesday when he meets third seed Hubert Hurkacz. But while the opportunity is the biggest of his young career as he looks to soon crack the Top 100 of the ATP Rankings, his approach will remain the same.

“I’m going to go to the match with the same attitude,” said Lee. “I’m going to do my best and see what happens.”

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