Jordan Thompson

[Damian]

[Damian]

[Damian]

[Damian]

Thompson saved three match points in a 4-6, 7-6(1), 7-6(7) victory against American Aleksandar Kovacevic that finished after midnight at the ATP 250. Clocking in at three hours, 34 minutes, the marathon match set a new mark for longest in the tournament's recorded history.

"I was up against it for most of the match. I was really struggling on serve but somehow found a way," said the sixth seed. "I guess that's the beauty of clay, it's just a long gruel."

The Aussie saved the first of those match points on serve at 5-6 in the second set and fought off another two — one on serve and another on return — at 5/6 and 6/7 in the third-set tie-break. He sealed the victory with his third ace of the match, avenging a February defeat to the American in Acapulco.

The week before Acapulco, Thompson saved three match points to beat Alex Michelsen en route to his first ATP Tour title in Los Cabos. He also erased three match points to beat Rafael Nadal to start the 2024 season is Brisbane. But the 29-year-old is hoping to kick that habit with more straightforward wins in the future.

"To be honest, I think it's just making me tired and upset and not happy," he said of his penchant for long-running thrillers. "So hopefully they don't keep happening."

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[Art]

[Damian]

[Damian]

[Damian]

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[Damian]

First-time team Korda/Thompson keeps cool for Madrid final spot

Spoiler:

American-Australian duo will play Behar/Pavlasek in championship match
May 03, 2024
Sebastian Korda and Jordan Thompson defeat Jamie Murray and Michael Venus on Friday in Madrid.Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour
Sebastian Korda and Jordan Thompson defeat Jamie Murray and Michael Venus on Friday in Madrid.
By ATP Staff
Will a scratch pairing of singles stars lift the doubles trophy at the Mutua Madrid Open?

Sebastian Korda and Jordan Thompson’s dream run at the clay-court ATP Masters 1000 continued Friday with a tense 3-6, 6-3, 10-8 semi-final victory against Jamie Murray and Michael Venus. Competing in their first tour-level event together, Korda and Thompson reacted well to dropping their first set of the week in the Spanish capital, where they rallied past the 11th seeds in 75 minutes.


A year ago, Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev, two other players better known for their singles prowess, lifted the doubles trophy in Madrid. Korda and Thompson will on Saturday play for the trophy after entering the draw using a spot reserved for singles players, part of a new trial format being used this week in Madrid. They have beaten a seeded team made up of doubles specialists in all four of their matches so far, including top seeds Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden in the first round.

Their championship-match opponents at the Caja Magica will be another pair of established doubles regulars in Ariel Behar and Adam Pavlasek. The Uruguayan-Czech team advanced to their maiden Masters 1000 final after Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos withdrew prior to their semi-final clash due to a Zeballos leg injury. Despite their withdrawal, Granollers and Zeballos will on Monday become joint World No. 1s in the individual PIF ATP Doubles Rankings for the first time in their careers.

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In a first set dominated by serve, Murray and Venus clinched the only break in the fourth game. The British-Kiwi duo then held a break point in the opening game of the second set, but they were unable to convert and soon found themselves in a Match tie-break as Korda and Thompson grew into the occasion inside Manolo Santana Stadium.

Korda and Thompson stood three points from victory at 7/4, but the duo still had to hold off a late comeback from their opponents. From 7/7, Korda and the five-time tour-level doubles champion Thompson kept their nerve to seal a hard-earned win.

A strong serving performance was the foundation for Korda and Thompson’s comeback triumph. The American-Australian duo won 86 per cent (31/36) of points behind first serve, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

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[Lucas]

[Lucas]

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[Damian]

‘Shake & bake’ prevails! Singles stars Korda/Thompson sweep to Madrid doubles title

Spoiler:

Scratch pair defeated five established doubles teams for trophy
May 04, 2024
Highlights: Scratch pair Korda/Thompson clinch Madrid 2024 crown
Watch extended highlights from Saturday's doubles final at the Mutua Madrid Open, where Sebastian Korda and Jordan Thompson lifted the trophy. Watch live & on demand at TennisTV.com.

Sebastian Korda and Jordan Thompson lift the trophy Saturday at the Mutua Madrid Open.
By ATP Staff
Sebastian Korda and Jordan Thompson’s first week competing together on the doubles court ended in Mutua Madrid Open glory on Saturday afternoon in Spain.

The scratch team of singles stars defeated Ariel Behar and Adam Pavlasek 6-3, 7-6(7) to clinch the trophy at the ATP Masters 1000 event. After entering the draw using a spot reserved for singles players as part of a new doubles format being trialled in Madrid, Korda and Thompson dropped just one set across five matches en route to the title.

“We practised a tonne, and this was our first tournament together,” said Korda after winning his maiden tour-level doubles title. “It was a pretty good one, and [we will play] next week again in Rome. It was a lot of fun playing with Jordan this week and looking forward to next week.”

Thompson stepped on court sporting a cut above his left eye. After clinching a 77-minute victory alongside Korda, the Australian explained that the pair’s morning practice was to blame.

“He hit too good of a return and I just smoked myself in the head,” explained Thompson, who is now a six-time ATP Tour doubles champion. “I thought I was heading for the ER. It wasn’t that bad. A bit of a headache, but not bad. [The trophy] will help smooth things out.”

<a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/jord ... ew'>Jordan Thompson</a>/<a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/seba ... >Sebastian Korda</a>
Jordan Thompson and Sebastian Korda in action on Saturday in Madrid. Photo Credit: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour

In singles, Korda and Thompson are No. 26 and No. 33, respectively, in the PIF ATP Rankings. It is the second consecutive year that the Madrid doubles trophy has been lifted by players more renowned for their singles prowess, after Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev won the title in 2023.

Korda and Thompson were ice cool under pressure beneath the Madrid sun to seal their win. They saved all six break points they faced against Behar and Pavlasek, according to Infosys ATP Stats, and Korda later revealed they had developed a fixed plan on serve at the start of their partnership.

“Our slogan at the beginning of the week was Shake & Bake,” said the American. “That’s kind of been our motto this whole week. It’s been working.”

Korda and Thompson clinched a decisive break in the fourth game on the way to winning the first set inside Manolo Santana Stadium. Also chasing their first ATP Tour crown as a team, Behar and Pavlasek raised their level in the second set but were crucially unable to convert their only set point at 7/6 in the tie-break.

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[Damian]