In fact, Opelka won only three points in five return games. Above all, the world No 6 captures all the attention. Giustino-Moutet: Marathon match shows tennis’ weirdness, Nadal off to routine start in bid for 13th French Open title, French Open 2020: Serena Williams set for New York repeat, Keys and Kerber crash out, Ruud rolls at Roland-Garros, Giustino beats Moutet in six hours, French Open 2020: Nadal starts quest for 13th Roland Garros title in routine fashion, Serena starts slow but sprints past Ahn for convincing first-round win, Second in the standings thanks to four wins in six matches, “The Hammer” must strike while the iron is hot. The Frenchman replaced Dominic Thiem during the first weekend of the UTS. Outsider is a label he would like to get rid of over the next two weeks. "At 5-4, I think he was 40-0... it was just pure luck," said the Croat, one of four players to test positive for Covid-19 after playing on the ill-fated Adria Tour earlier this year. The answer is a big yes. 7th in the UTS rankings, Alexei Popyrin has been defeated three times in six games. But Gasquet is still in the top four and playing breathtaking tennis at 34 years old. The next day, Gasquet struck down an impotent Dustin Brown, who suffered beneath a barrage of forehands from the Frenchman. Borna Coric rallied from 5-1 down in the fourth set to stun the Greek 6-7 (2-7), 6-4, 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7-4) and send the fourth seed tumbling out in the third round. Our experienced tipsters have been bashing bookies and finding value in betting for years, and we want to let you in on the secret. He reached a career high ATP singles ranking of No. Not a single victory in five games, a right ankle injury that forced him to miss Sunday’s action, where he was replaced by Elliot Benchetrit for his match against Goffin. It’s really difficult. You have reached your limit of subscriber-only articles this month. He was defeated by Popyrin (3-1), then dominated Lucas Pouille (3-2), before falling back into oblivion. No. The reserved David Goffin sticks to his nickname, with his excellent ground coverage and his ability to play one more shot. Sign up for our daily updates here and get the latest news delivered to your inbox. The Frenchman replaced Dominic Thiem during the first weekend of the UTS. After placing a dropper, the French responded with another of his own, between the legs … Following a lob from the German, Moutet finally took “The Artist” in the opposite direction. From the first weekend of competition, the Greek God admitted that this nickname was “hard to wear” and that he should “assume it on the court”. “I got lucky, Raonic admitted. Get The Straits Times app and receive breaking news alerts and more. Compared to today and yesterday, I would say Opelka’s serve was more difficult to return. Tsitsipas must now show that he is just as divine against the Top 10. The gift link for this subscriber-only article has expired. With five wins in six games, Stefanos Tsitsipas leads the UTS rankings. SPH Digital News / Copyright © 2020 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. Co. Regn. He’s an inspirational player, and he breaks free of the chains and plays a unique brand of tennis. Or, if he is in the final against Tsitsipas, “the Roman God”. Félix Auger-Aliassime (French pronunciation: [feliks oʒe aljasim]; born August 8, 2000) is a Canadian professional tennis player. During his duel against Matteo Berrettini, when the Italian had just won several points by kissing the lines, “The Rebel” yelled: “All my life I will have a lack of ‘chaaatte! Grandiloquent phrases that never leave us wanting. The Tornado is going in gusts for now. He will have the opportunity on Saturday evening against Stefanos Tsitsipas, the world No 6. With that in mind, we now take the time to rank the UTS players according to the relevance of their nickname, based on what they have shown on the court. “Bombs everywhere!”, exclaimed Richard Gasquet last Saturday, after his heavy defeat against the Italian (4-0). NEW YORK • Stefanos Tsitsipas suffered one of his most heartbreaking losses, as his bid for a first Grand Slam title at the US Open ended on Friday after he squandered six match points. After an opening loss against Richard Gasquet (3-1), he honored his status as world No 3 by winning against three Top 10 players back-to-back-to-back. The Underdog resurfaced Sunday. The Greek enjoyed a much easier day the office against the other huge-serving American giant. “I think Opelka’s second serve is more aggressive and jumps really high. It’s a personal choice, I guess. 6 said when asked whose serve is better between Isner and Opelka. Elliot Benchetrit looks like the new student who arrived in the middle of the school year and slowly takes his place. “Domi” is the nickname that accompanies Dominic Thiem for his weeks on the ATP circuit. Corentin Moutet has brought a breath of fresh air to UTS since entering the tournament. It’s going to be another tough challenge and hopefully I can step up.”, Nadal off to routine start in bid for 13th French Open title, Ruud rolls at Roland-Garros, Giustino beats Moutet in six hours, French Open 2020: Nadal starts quest for 13th Roland Garros title in routine fashion, Serena starts slow but sprints past Ahn for convincing first-round win, Kvitova cruises, Muchova falls to McHale in French Open first round, Auger-Aliassime out of Roland-Garros in straight sets to Nishioka, Thiem takes care of Cilic in battle of Grand Slam champions, Roland-Garros Day 1 recap: minor upsets, but top favorites cruise, All the draws from Western and Southern Open, Imperious Djokovic to play Bautista Agut in semi-finals, Resilient Osaka to meet consistent Mertens in Cincinnati semi-finals, Osaka withdraws from Cincinnati semifinals as protest for social justice, Nishikori withdraws from US Open despite recovering from Covid-19, ATP FRENCH OPEN: MONDAY'S FIRST-ROUND RESULTS. Helpless against Stefanos Tsitsipas (3-1) last Sunday, the Sniper’s face gradually decomposed, his mouth shivering and his gaze lost in space. I think it’s difficult, especially when you play against him in a court with a high response — it is difficult to return. The latter even took the lead in the UTS rankings, which had been abandoned the previous weekend. Sunday, the Belgian renewed his long exchanges against Benchetrit (3-1). Last Sunday, when he met Feliciano Lopez, Paire put the umpire under constant pressure, when he felt that the strikes of the Spaniard were landing out (and not being called). The Artist is not ridiculous, however, and it is no coincidence that he took part in discussions that marked this first UTS. First, shouting “I don’t wear one today, it’s unreal!” Then by crying: “I am completely null!” A few minutes later: he did his best Mike Tyson impression, boxing the back fence to vent his frustration. First by defeating the world number 3, Dominic Thiem, during the second week. Since the start of the tournament, the world No 8 has relied on destructive forehands and explosive first serves (35 aces) to suffocate his opponents. The Virtuoso had frustrated the Austrian, partly with two one-handed backhands that left Thiem stranded on the back foot. Beast mode @ThiemDomi's Week 3 showreel is out of this world. The Greek God, Stefanos Tsitsipas. The Home of Free Sports Betting Tips Welcome to Free Super Tips. He will have the opportunity on Saturday evening. Tsitsipas is through to a semifinal showdown against Milos Raonic, who saved a match point during a win over Filip Krajinovic. The world No 208 will be able to continue UTS, following the early withdrawal of Dominic Thiem. The world No 10 does not have the game style that best matches the atypical format of matches, which reward offensive players who are prone to attacking the net. He never concedes to being beaten in a quarter and always hangs on until the end, regularly ending up having the last word. 259 Likes, 7 Comments - Apostolos Tsitsipas (@apostolostsitsipas) on Instagram: “We had some great moments in Asia with @stefanostsitsipas98 this year. The United States Tennis Association then engaged in "collaborative dialogue" with health officials, and he found out at 4.40pm that he was permitted to play after all. It is up to him to confirm his participation by making his presence felt more deeply before all is said and done. Elliot Benchetrit looks like the new student who arrived in the middle of the school year and slowly takes his place. We both can't wait to be…” He is also the author of the tournament’s best exchange with Dustin Brown, on a net rush followed by several tweeners and a mad scramble to finish the point. El Torero often uses his precise and powerful service in conjunction with the “winners count three” card. #UTShowdown pic.twitter.com/rBPSym24cE, — Tennis Majors (@Tennis_Majors) July 3, 2020. It is assigned by the organization at the start of the tournament – with each players’ agreement, of course. Concerning Feliciano Lopez (38), semi-retired and a late replacement for Félix Auger-Aliassime, the question was whether the Spaniard would get used to the challenging and innovative format on the French Riviera. A legit UTS master. “That’s an unbelievable question, to be honest with you,” the world No. Popyrin has slipped into the habit of grumbling on the court, as against Corentin Moutet (4-0) two weeks ago. 198402868E. Mission accomplished. The Frenchman, who replaced Lucas Pouille when he went down with a right elbow injury, has an average record: two wins in four matches. But they are pretty close; they are pretty close. Earlier, fifth seed Alexander Zverev defeated Adrian Mannarino 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 in a mystery-laden third-round match that was delayed by three hours. We're gonna miss this freak of nature. The 30th-ranked Canadian blasted 24 aces compared to just four double-faults while advancing in a hard-fought two hours and 42 minutes. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now. "This is probably the saddest and funniest at the same time thing that has ever happened in my career!" The Underdog resurfaced Sunday to face David Goffin after Dustin Brown’s injury. Best of Stef @StefTsitsipas is top of the table at #UTShowdown because of authoritative tennis like this pic.twitter.com/xAW1SqbtDx, — Tennis Majors (@Tennis_Majors) July 1, 2020. “The Greek God uses his winner counts three UTS card.” “12-10, The Virtuoso.” At Ultimate Tennis Showdown, the umpire takes the liberty of having fun with the players’ assigned names. On Sunday, he smothered Matteo Berrettini (3-1), covering the whole court. 2 on June 6, 2016. He is the UTS ace leader through six matches with 48. Get unlimited access to The Straits Times and more at S$ 0.99/month. The Artist’s tour is not a great success for the moment. Looks like we’ll have to wait a bit longer to see how this matchup would turn out. I would go for Opelka; I would go for Opelka.”. But a log-in is still required for our PDFs. With five wins in six games, Stefanos Tsitsipas leads the UTS rankings. He is just as capable of blasting past Feliciano Lopez, who led two quarters to zero against him on Saturday before losing in sudden death (3-2), as he is to be seen humming “Apologize” in the middle of his match against Alexei Popyrin. He lost to the world number 10 (3-1), but displayed good resistance. The Hammer is perfect. Young, hyperactive, grumpy: the Frenchman lives up to his nickname. When I first played Isner at Wimbledon few years ago, to me back then it seemed incredible. But his “storm” could well intensify by the end of the regular phase. Milos Raonic, who stands at 6’5”, recovered from a set and a break down to beat Filip Krajinovic 4-6, 7-6(2), 7-5 in the nightcap on Wednesday. He repeated it several times: “I can’t dream of better than being here!”. Matteo Berrettini is certainly the player who best bears his nickname at UTS. "That was big news for me. The margins are small.”, “It’s going to be tough (against Tsitsipas). Petra Kvitova (Cze) bt Jessica Pegula (USA) 6-4 6-3, Angelique Kerber (Ger) bt Ann Li (USA) 6-3 6-4, Naomi Osaka (Jpn) bt Marta Kostyuk (Ukr) 6-3 6-7 (4-7) 6-2, Anett Kontaveit (Est) bt Magda Linette (Pol) 6-3 6-2. As if he was playing with his rivals to better punish them at the right time. '” (meaning “bad luck” in French slang) An expression that has become mythical, and one which he had already uttered at Roland-Garros 2019. Not a broken racket, as he has done so much on the circuit, or a shorted fuse in the middle of a match. @ReillyOpelka retires due to a knee injury.#CInCyTENNIS pic.twitter.com/M9aPTtUNqV, — Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) August 26, 2020. New York state apparently staged a last-minute intervention to try to prevent him from playing in the match scheduled for 2.30pm. Novak Djokovic (Srb) bt Jan-Lennard Struff (Ger) 6-3 6-3 6-1, Denis Shapovalov (Can) bt Taylor Fritz (USA) 3-6 6-3 4-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-2, David Goffin (Bel) bt Filip Krajinovic (Srb) 6-1 7-6 (7-5) 6-4. A trick up his sleeve to climb into the Final Four. Everyone’s trying to play well this week heading into the US Open after a long hiatus. From the first weekend, the Belgian was trapped by Gasquet (3-2) and Berrettini (3-1), players capable of playing fast. 39 had done well to remain on serve, but he needed to save two break points in order to do so and he never came close against the Tsitsipas serve. “It is like you tell me, ‘white bread or black bread?’ It’s like…I don’t know. A forehand error on Coric's second match point ended proceedings at 1.09am local time. Great art. All rights reserved. By accelerating the pace since then, Goffin obtained results and moved to sixth place in the rankings. Benoît Paire lives up to his reputation. NEW YORK • Stefanos Tsitsipas suffered one of his most heartbreaking losses, as his bid for a first Grand Slam title at the US Open ended on Friday after he squandered six match points. When the umpire begged him to calm down,  Paire retorted in French: “You too, calm down!” Later, he made it clear how he felt: “I get fucked every time,” he said. “Efficient, simple and clean like my baseline game,” he said in his tournament presentation video. They can read the article in full after signing up for a free account. The Italian, an overpowered Taurus sponsored by Red Bull, was also rolled by the Matador (4-0). “I kept plugging away and I got very lucky for it in the sense that he was serving for it in the second and the match point in the third. Mission accomplished. 17 on October 14, 2019 and a career high ITF junior ranking of No. Moutet also stood out in his loss to Richard Gasquet on Sunday (3-1). Tsitsipas twice served for the match in the fourth set and was up a break in the fifth but could not put the gritty 27th seed away. The Croat made a remarkable comeback at an empty Louis Armstrong Stadium to face Australian Jordan Thompson for a spot in his first Major quarter-final. the 22-year-old, who won the ATP Finals last season, wrote on Twitter after skipping the press conference due to the late finish. Far ahead of Matteo Berrettini, second, with 35. Berrettini tripled his points gleaned in three exchanges, climbing quickly on the fly thanks to good first serves. Thiem outlasted Stefanos Tsitsipas (3-1), thanks to lethal passing shots, then floored David Goffin (3-1) who never led in the first three quarters. But the real Goffin quickly resurfaced. The world No 208 will be able to continue UTS, against Stefanos Tsitsipas, the world No 6. He was defeated by Popyrin (3-1), then dominated Lucas Pouille (3-2), before falling back into oblivion. UTS and the use of cards. I mean, I was ready to go on court," Mannarino said of tournament organisers telling him the state's health department had contacted them to say he should be quarantining in his hotel room. Brown accomplished the most beautiful exchange of the UTS with Corentin Moutet. This article is now fully available for you, Please verify your e-mail to read this subscriber-only article in full. France's Mannarino was one of several players under enhanced safety protocols earlier in the week after compatriot Benoit Paire tested positive for Covid-19. Yet another player in the same mold will be on the other side of the net during semifinal action on Thursday. But he doesn’t always seem comfortable at UTS. Day 7: Singtel TV Ch114/115 & StarHub Ch208/209, 10.50pm. He must now turn it into a victory. Tsitsipas made just one double fault in his first 29 service games, but hit two in the final-set tie-break. In addition to time-outs, interviews between 10-minute quarters, bonus cards and a relaxed code of conduct, each player is given a nickname to call his own. It was all over after 11 games for the underdog, who had struggled with the same problem during his second-round defeat of Diego Schwartzman. He lost to Dominic Thiem (3-1), and has yet to face Matteo Berrettini and David Goffin. Some highlights: The German took pleasure in his winning, feathered volley against Benoît Paire; a successfully used “Winners count three” card. I got very close to breaking him towards the end and had opportunities where it was 30-all, but he served unbelievably well there and didn’t give me much of an option. Seeking a quarterfinal berth on Tuesday at the Western & Southern Open, Stefanos Tsitsipas did it the hard way — battling past John Isner in two tiebreakers. In the third and fourth sets he was playing unbelievable tennis and I felt I had absolutely no chance.". In-depth analyses and award-winning multimedia content, Get access to all with our no-contract promotional package at only $0.99/month for the first 3 months*. Level of nickname relevance: 8/10; From the first weekend of competition, the Greek God admitted that this nickname was “hard to wear” and that he should “assume it on the court”. The World No 50 surprises and enchants with his level of play. The Virtuoso Richard Gasquet has enjoyed himself since the start of UTS. Share gift link below with your friends and family. We have been experiencing some problems with subscriber log-ins and apologise for the inconvenience caused. Far from the hunter’s instinct. On the contrary, The Wall uses a defense-oriented game. Tsitsipas’ showdown with 6’11” Reilly Opelka ended abruptly when Opelka retired up 6-5 in the first set due to a knee injury. Seeking a quarterfinal berth on Tuesday at the Western & Southern Open, Stefanos Tsitsipas did it the hard way — battling past John Isner in two tiebreakers. A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on September 06, 2020, with the headline 'Tsitsipas throws away his big chance'. Tsitsipas has now gotten past three of the tallest players and biggest servers on tour : Kevin Anderson (6’8”), Isner (6’10”), and Opelka (6’11”). The Australian has been noted more for his ability to lose confidence when his matches take a bad turn than for his clinical forehands and the quality of his service (“only” 24 aces since the start of UTS). ATP & WTA tennis players at Tennis Explorer offers profiles of the best tennis players and a database of men's and women's tennis players. The unseeded world No. Lopez, thanks to an impeccable mastery of the use of cards and time-outs, appears to be some sort of seer. Thiem outlasted Stefanos Tsitsipas (3-1), The reserved David Goffin sticks to his nickname, to face David Goffin after Dustin Brown’s injury, following the early withdrawal of Dominic Thiem, Good to hear an outside voice: Players are not alone at UTS, As finish line approaches, UTS heading for fitting finale, Six-hour match that didn't follow the rules, ATP FRENCH OPEN: MONDAY'S FIRST-ROUND RESULTS. A symbol, perhaps. The official website of Novak Djokovic with exclusive photos, videos, results, biographical information, articles and interviews. Encore, Benoît! His unorthodox style brings a welcome dose of unexpected. Until we resolve the issues, subscribers need not log in to access ST Digital articles. Brown’s potential is there. Helped by a relaxed code of conduct in this UTS, the Frenchman flies off the handle in every match. Second in the standings thanks to four wins in six matches, “The Hammer” must strike while the iron is hot. Free Super Tips is the home of free sports betting tips. You can read this subscriber-only article in full, All done! Above all, the world No 6 captures all the attention. “Domi” as we said. Coric admitted that he was fortunate to get through in 4hr 36min. The “Sniper” is trigger happy, but he may have forgotten to remove the safety from his weapon of choice.