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Kyrgios: 'I'm Just Trying To Stay In The Moment'

Nick Kyrgios refused to get carried away on Monday despite reaching the quarter-finals at a Grand Slam for the first time since 2015.

The Australian clawed past #NextGenATP American Brandon Nakashima in five sets to equal his best run at Wimbledon and set a last-eight showdown against Chilean Cristian Garin.

“I'm not thinking about lifting a trophy or making semi-finals or making the final. I'm just thinking about my habits every day, just trying to put in a good performance on the court, then put in a good practice session,” Kyrgios said in his post-match press conference.

“[I am] trying to stay positive… Once I'm off the court, enjoy time with my team, my girlfriend, and just really enjoy that. Then [I] get into game mode. I'm not thinking about anything ahead or any [title] goals. I'm just really trying to stay in the moment.”

The 27-year-old, who advanced to the quarter-finals at SW19 in 2014 and at the Australian Open in 2015, struggled with a shoulder problem throughout the match, with the physio regularly called to court.

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Djokovic On Son Stefan: 'He's In Love With Tennis Right Now'

A fun sight throughout Wimbledon has been Novak Djokovic’s son, Stefan, joining the six-time champion on the practice court. What might be surprising is that it appears Stefan is developing a Rafael Nadal-like forehand, with his follow through whipping over his head.

“He likes to do that. He likes to intimidate me on the court with finishing the swing here. He knows I don't like that particularly. I'm trying to teach him to finish the hand here, the swing, over the shoulder,” Djokovic said. “He does that, but he does this as well. Whenever he does that he always laughs because he knows. We have these kind of funny moments on the court.”

Start them young ?@DjokerNole | @Wimbledon | #wimbledon pic.twitter.com/Ya1SHN84Jd

— ATP Tour (@atptour) July 4, 2022

Djokovic might be pursuing his seventh trophy at The Championships and his 21st major title, but he has made sure to enjoy every moment he has been able to share with Stefan, on or off the court.

“I try to use every available opportunity, possibility, time to play with him because he's right now fully immersed into tennis. Everything around tennis, how he can play, he's watching, he's analysing. We're talking,” Djokovic said. “[Saturday] night when I was putting him to bed, he was asking me questions: What is the difference between the racquet head sizes, the strings, why somebody is stringing less tension, all these basic questions that kids are very curious about.

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Fritz Flies Past Kubler To Wimbledon QFs

Taylor Fritz had not reached a Grand Slam quarter-final prior to Monday afternoon, but the American broke that barrier in style at Wimbledon with a classy 6-3, 6-1, 6-4 fourth-round victory against Australian qualifier Jason Kubler.

The 11th seed produced an impressive display of clean hitting off both wings to end the World No. 99 Kubler’s spirited run at the grass-court major. Fritz crushed 40 winners and broke his opponent’s serve five times to complete a two-hour win on No. 1 Court.

“A first Grand Slam quarter-final, it’s a really big deal,” said Fritz in his on-court interview. “To be a part of the final eight, and I’m glad I could get the win on the fourth of July, being an American. It’s great, being in my first quarter-final, it just shows that all the hard work I’m putting in is paying off.”

[ATP APP]

His run to the Wimbledon quarter-finals continues a breakthrough year for the 24-year-old Fritz, who lifted his maiden ATP Masters 1000 crown at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells in March. His win against Kubler improved his match record for 2022 to 29-10, and the American admitted it felt good to be rewarded for his efforts behind the scenes.

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Kyrgios Wins Five-Set Thriller To Return To Wimbledon QFs

After a seven-year wait, Nick Kyrgios is a Grand Slam quarter-finalist again.

In front of a full house on Centre Court, the Australian combined power with guile to edge #NextGenATP American Brandon Nakashima 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(2), 3-6, 6-2 in a hard-fought three-hour and 10-minute thriller.

The 27-year-old, who upset World No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas in the third round, recovered from a slow start and a right shoulder problem to strike his groundstrokes more freely as the match went on. The World No. 40 hammered 78 winners and broke the 20-year-old Nakashima's serve three times to improve to 11-2 on grass in 2022.

“First I want to say, a hell of an effort by Brandon. Just 20 years old to do that. It was anywhere near my best performance, but I fought really hard and I am super happy to get through,” Kyrgios said in his on-court interview.

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Garin Saves 2 MPs, Caps Epic De Minaur Comeback At Wimbledon

Cristian Garin broke new ground in the most dramatic way possible on Monday at Wimbledon, where the Chilean engineered a stirring comeback victory against Alex de Minaur to reach his maiden Grand Slam quarter-final.

The World No. 43 raised his level to spectacular effect halfway through the pair’s fourth-round clash, recovering a two-sets-to-love deficit to complete a 2-6, 5-7, 7-6(3), 6-4, 7-6(10-6) win. After a slow start, the Chilean’s aggressive ballstriking began to penetrate the De Minaur defences from the third set onwards. Garin held his nerve to save two match points before prevailing in a tense deciding-set tie-break to cap a remarkable four-hour, 34-minute victory.

“Honestly, I don’t have any words right now,” said Garin in his on-court interview. “I just gave everything I have. It was a very tough fight. It was a battle. I think Alex is an incredible player, for me one of the best on grass.

“I am exhausted. I just gave my best, and I think in the fifth set it was for him or for me. We both fought a lot… Nobody knows what [can] happen in the tie-break. I tried to be aggressive, went to the net, and tried to be aggressive with my serve as well. I think that was the key.”

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Gutierrez On Long-Term Charge De Minaur: ‘There Are No Secrets Between Us’

For the first time in his career, Alex de Minaur has earned himself a place in the fourth round at Wimbledon. On Monday, the Australian will face Cristian Garin in a bid to reach the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam for the second time in his career, having also reached that stage at the 2020 US Open. Before the match, Adolfo Gutierrez, De Minaur’s lifelong coach, spoke to ATPTour.com about his student’s current form, his year so far, and the secret to their long, successful relationship.

“Being in the last 16 at a Grand Slam is always significant for a player’s confidence, seeing that the hard work and dedication brings rewards,” explained Gutierrez in London. “Ultimately, all tournaments are important, but the majors are special, and we always want to do as well as possible in these weeks because of what it means to the players.

“This year we started very well, and we’ve had some continuity with good results that we hope to continue having during the second half of the season. We have a good chance to pick up points, as we didn’t have a good second half of the year in 2021.”

After a lifetime together, the player and coach maintain a healthy and successful relationship that continues to bear fruit, as they have demonstrated this week at Wimbledon. The key is very simple.

“A lot of people ask us that, but ultimately, any relationship is simple if you maintain respect, good communication and honesty,” said Gutierrez. “I have no secrets of any kind with Alex and that helps maintain peace of mind within the team. It’s the same with Emilio, our trusted physio and fitness coach, as well as with Jose Antonio, the psychologist. We’re all kind of from the same mould and they have always respected the way I work with Alex, and they fit in well. That helps keep us united and working in the best conditions possible.”

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Van Rijthoven Sees 'Big Win' In Djokovic Defeat

Wimbledon debutant Tim van Rijthoven has been the breakout star of the ATP Tour's grass-court season behind victories in his first eight tour-level matches on the surface. While his Cinderella run ended in the fourth round at The Championships courtesy of Novak Djokovic, the Dutchman leaves SW19 grateful for the experience.

"Obviously a very big match for me, playing for the first time on Centre Court against one of the greatest players of all time," he said in his post-match press conference following a 6-1, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 defeat. "[It] was for me already a big win, the fact that I was on Centre Court. Really the first couple games I felt that, was a little nervous."

[ATP APP]

The 25-year-old put a scare into the three-time defending champion, taking a hard-fought second set by saving four break points to serve it out after six deuces. But Djokovic snapped back with an immediate response, locking down from the baseline to recover.

"I grew in the match, started to play better," van Rijthoven continued. "Actually got the second set. Then Novak did his Novak thing and played very, very well. He had all the answers. I tried to make it more of a fight, but just wasn't possible today."

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Coach Vendrell On Garin: "He’s A Thoroughbred"

In April, Pepe Vendrell became Cristian Garin’s coach. It may have been less than three months, but the new setup already has the Chilean World No. 43 moving in the right direction.

On Monday, Garin will play in the round of 16 at Wimbledon against Alex de Minaur. After concluding a successful spell overseeing Roberto Bautista Agut, Vendrell believes his latest charge has all the tools at his disposal to ensure the good results can continue.

“He [Garin] is a thoroughbred,” Vendrell told ATPTour.com in London. “A very powerful player who likes making decisions, dictating the game, being aggressive, dominating points. That’s the player I was presented with. He has a lot of inner strength, and that’s what he has to control and balance. Find a good balance so that his tennis becomes more consistent and more stable.

“Garin is a player with huge potential. He’s already proved his quality on tour. When he’s confident, with his A-game, his shots are pure quality.”

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Alcaraz: 'I'm Going To Be A Great Player On Grass'

Despite losing to Jannik Sinner in the fourth round on Sunday, Carlos Alcaraz believes that the grass-court experience he has gained at Wimbledon will greatly benefit him in the future.

The 19-year-old Spaniard, who was making just his second appearance at The Championships, downed Lan-Lennard Struff, Tallon Griekspoor and Oscar Otte as he brought his all-court game to the lawns in London.

“I felt really good here at Wimbledon playing on grass,” Alcaraz said in his post-match press conference. “I got a lot of experience playing on grass. Now I'm thinking that I could be a great player on grass. Next year I hope to play some tournaments before Wimbledon to adapt my game to get more used to playing here. But I would say I'm going to be a great player here on grass.”

Alcaraz’s clash against Sinner on Centre Court pitted two of the brightest talents on the ATP Tour against each other. In a heavy-hitting clash, it was the 19-year-old Italian who advanced in the youngest match (in terms of combined age) at Wimbledon in the fourth round or later since 17-year-old Boris Becker defeated 21-year-old Henri Leconte in the quarter-finals in 1985.

Alcaraz is excited by the prospect of a long-running rivalry with Sinner, with the former Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals champions now locked at 1-1 in their ATP Head2Head series.

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Steady Djokovic Pulls Away Late, Awaits Sinner In QFs

With a pair of impressive grass-court win streaks on the line Sunday in the Wimbledon fourth round, Novak Djokovic extended his run to 25 consecutive victories on the surface. He ended the perfect 8-0 grass season of Dutch wild card Tim van Rijthoven with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 victory on Centre Court to bring the Dutchman's dream Grand Slam debut to a close.

The top-seeded Djokovic was challenged by his opponent's powerful serve and multi-faceted forehand, but showed his championship pedigree by locking down with his baseline game to produce a brilliant response to his second dropped set of the tournament.

[ATP APP]

After van Rijthoven fought off four break points to serve out the second set, sending Djokovic slipping to the turf with well-disguised hitting, the Serbian raced to a 5-0 lead in the third to re-estabish himself as the dominant force in the contest. He made just two unforced errors in the third set as he found his groove on return, eliminating the free points that served to boost van Rijthoven's confidence in the early stages.

Attacking the Dutchman's backhand corner, Djokovic secured an instant break in the fourth set to quell any thoughts of a turnaround. Ever the perfectionist, he let out a roar of frustration after a rare miss later in the set before he closed out the match with ease after two hours, 37 minutes.

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Botic On Nadal Challenge: 'Maybe I Can Hurt Him'

Five weeks ago, Botic van de Zandschulp lost to childhood idol Rafael Nadal in the third round at Roland Garros.

On Monday, the Dutchman will get another crack at the 22-time Grand Slam champion when the pair face off in the fourth round at Wimbledon

“I played him at Roland Garros and I think at the moment, [that is] the biggest challenge in tennis," van de Zandschulp said. "I think it's going to be [a] tough one here [at Wimbledon], but, [I have] more confidence here to really make a shot… Maybe I can hurt him on grass.”

[ATP APP]

Van de Zandschulp has enjoyed a strong run in London, dispatching Feliciano Lopez, Emil Ruusuvuori and Richard Gasquet to reach the last 16 at The Championships for the first time.

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Cabal/Farah Cruise To Wimbledon QF Spot

Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah enjoyed a comprehensive triumph on Sunday at Wimbledon to reach the quarter-finals at the grass-court major for the third consecutive time.

The Colombian sixth seeds, who lifted the trophy at SW19 in 2019, broke Radu Albot and Nikoloz Basilashvili four times to seal a 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 third-round victory. Cabal and Farah’s opponents in the London quarter-finals will be 13th seeds Santiago Gonzalez and Andres Molteni or all-American duo Denis Kudla and Jack Sock.

[ATP APP]

Things weren’t so straightforward for Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic. The second seeds did manage to keep their defence of their 2021 title alive, but not without a scare along the way.

The all-Croatian team regained its composure in a decisive fifth set to edge Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara with a 6-4, 7-6(6), 4-6, 2-6, 6-3 third-round victory. Mektic and Pavic appeared to be cantering to the quarter-finals when they led Glasspool and Heliovaara by two-sets-to-love on Court 12, but an inspired comeback from the British-Finnish pairing turned a comfortable afternoon for the second seeds into a three-hour, 14-minute epic.

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Day 8 Preview: Nadal Faces Van De Zandschulp In Roland Garros Rematch

Monday's play at Wimbledon will complete the fourth round, setting the quarter-final stage at The Championships. Only four seeded players remain in a wide-open bottom half of the men's singles draw, led by second seed Rafael Nadal, with Nick Kyrgios among the unseeded contenders.

Both men will compete on Centre Court on Day 8, when Nadal faces Botic van de Zandschulp and Kyrgios takes on Brandon Nakashima. Eleventh seed Taylor Fritz will meet Australia's Jason Kubler on No. 1 Court, while 19th seed Alex de Minaur battles Chile's Cristian Garin on No. 2 Court.

In doubles action, third seeds Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski seek a quarter-final place as they take on Australian Open finalists Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell, while seventh seeds John Peers and Filip Polasek meet ninth seeds Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares.

View Singles Draw | View Doubles Draw | View Schedule

[2] Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs. [21] Botic van de Zandschulp (NED)

As the lone Top-10 seed remaining in the bottom half of the draw, Nadal will be quietly confident of his chances to reach his sixth Wimbledon final (and first since 2011). His performance in a straight-sets third-round victory against Italian Lorenzo Sonego only added to that belief.

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Sinner Sinks Alcaraz In Style At Wimbledon

In a battle between two #NextGenATP prodigies, it was Jannik Sinner who found his groove on the grass on Sunday afternoon at Wimbledon.

The Italian produced a high-quality all-around performance to secure a 6-1, 6-4, 6-7(8), 6-3 fourth-round win against Carlos Alcaraz at the grass-court major. Despite Alcaraz finding some rhythm to save two match points and clinch the third-set tie-break, it was not enough to hold off an accomplished display from Sinner, who had not won a tour-level match on grass prior to his first-round win over Stan Wawrinka.

The 10th seed showcased some relentless ballstriking in his three-hour, ?-minute victory on Centre Court. He read the Alcaraz serve to great effect, frequently finding blistering returns to heap pressure on the Spaniard’s delivery. Four breaks of the Alcaraz serve combined with a solid serving display proved enough for Sinner to level his ATP Head2Head series with the 19-year-old at 1-1.

Sinner will face top seed Novak Djokovic or wild card Tim van Rijthoven in his maiden quarter-final at the All England Lawn Tennis Club.

More to follow…

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Goffin Graft Edges Out Tiafoe In Wimbledon Epic

David Goffin dashed Frances Tiafoe’s Grand Slam hopes for the second consecutive major on Sunday at Wimbledon, where the Belgian held his nerve to clinch a thrilling five-set fourth-round victory on the London grass.

The former World No. 7 rallied in the final two sets to seal a 7-6(3), 5-7, 5-7, 6-4, 7-5 win against the 23rd-seeded American on No. 2 Court. Goffin also prevailed in the pair’s second-round meeting on the clay at Roland Garros just five-and-a-half weeks ago.

“It was an amazing battle, I had to stay mentally in the match the whole time,” said Goffin in his on-court interview after his four-hour, 36-minute triumph. “Just after the match point, I was mentally dead, because I had to stay fresh all the time to keep my serve, to fight to come back after losing the third set. It was a tough one.

“It was an amazing atmosphere on this court, another epic match against Frances, so I’m very happy to be in the quarter-finals again.”

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Norrie Soars Into First Slam QF

Cameron Norrie broke new ground Sunday at Wimbledon, where he overcame American Tommy Paul 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals at a Grand Slam for the first time.

In an accomplished display on Court No. 1, the Briton outlasted Paul as he demonstrated great energy to cover the court, while he flattened out his backhand to turn the table in points and advance after two hours and 21 minutes.

“To make the quarters for the first time, in front of my family and friends here from college is so special,” Norrie said in his on-court interview. “In a huge match, to play the way I did, was really good. To execute everything. I really enjoyed it. It is pretty crazy, I have a lot of feelings.

[ATP APP]

Norrie, who had never been beyond the third round at a major before this week, now leads the 25-year-old Paul 3-1 in their ATP Head2Head series. The 26-year-old is first British man to reach the last eight at The Championships since two-time titlist Andy Murray in 2017, while he is just the fifth British man overall to achieve the feat.

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Kubler Reaping The Rewards After Years Of Turmoil

It has been some journey for Jason Kubler.

Five years ago, the 29-year-old was forced to turn his hand to coaching as he tried to make ends meet and support his injury-plagued professional career. On Monday, the Australian qualifier will compete in the fourth round at a Grand Slam for the first time after producing a series of standout performances on the lawns at Wimbledon.

A run of this nature would have seemed a distant dream for the World No. 99 in 2016, when he had just undergone his fifth knee surgery in as many years due to a hereditary knee condition.

"There have definitely been tough times, just like I'm sure with a lot of tennis players," said Kubler, who only played on clay from 2011 to 2014 due to his knee problems. "There have been times where I've gone, 'Maybe I'll look into something else'.

"The closest would have been when I was doing the coaching [in 2017]. I did a bit of coaching and hitting with some players. I probably did that for two or three months when I didn't have so much money.

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Federer At Centre Court Celebration: 'I Hope I Can Come Back One More Time'

Roger Federer joined a parade of former Wimbledon champions on Centre Court Sunday to celebrate the centenary of the famous show court. The Swiss has not competed since his quarter-final run one year ago at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, but was thrilled to be back on the court which has provided many of the best memories of his career.

"I've been lucky enough to play a lot of matches on this court," the 40-year-old said in the on-court ceremony. "It's great to be here with all the other champions. This court has given me my biggest wins and my biggest losses."

[ATP APP]

Federer recalled his 2001 victory over seven-time Wimbledon champion Pete Sampras — his first Centre Court win — as one of his favourite personal highlights.

"He has inspired a lot of us [that are here] today to just try to also be successful here and represent the sport well," Federer said of the American. "I hope I did that and I hope I can come back here one more time."

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Former Champions Attend Centre Court Centenary Celebrations

It was a day of celebration on Sunday at Wimbledon, where a host of former champions partook in an emotional ceremony to celebrate the 100th year of Centre Court.

Three-time titlist John McEnroe and former World No. 3 Sue Barker led the ceremony, which looked back on iconic moments with former winners.

In front of a packed crowd and full Royal Box, an array of Wimbledon champions were greeted onto court by a standing ovation, with Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Bjorn Borg, Billie Jean King and Rod Laver among the returning stars.


Photo Credit: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

"I want to say first that it's an honour and privilege to be here with the legends of our sport and people that have paved the way for myself and many generations," Djokovic said as he addressed the crowd. "I feel more nervous now than when I'm playing!

"This court has been truly special from my childhood and the first image of tennis I've seen when I was four or five-years-old I saw Pete Sampras wining his first Wimbledon. This is where dreams come true and I was blessed in 2011, probably the highlight of my career, to win the tournament and so when I step out on this court I relive these memories. Truly an honour."

Venus Williams/Billie Jean King
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The Wimbledon Queue: One Of Sport's Greatest Traditions

From strawberries and cream to players sporting all-white kits, Wimbledon is an event that has been steeped in tradition since 1877. It is a day out that underpins the British summer, with thousands of fans attending the action at SW19.

The majority of supporters turn up fresh-faced following a good night’s sleep. For others, though, their Wimbledon experience begins less than a mile away from the All England Lawn Tennis Club in a park, where they sleep overnight in a tent.

Since 1922, thousands of fans have camped out and joined the Wimbledon Queue in order to secure a ticket for the grass-court Grand Slam, with 1,500 tickets offered up daily across the show courts, while several thousand grounds passes are handed out.

[ATP APP]

Over the years, The Queue has become its own phenomenon, moving from the pavement on Church Road to the park in 2008 as its popularity grew. It is a key aspect of the Wimbledon experience and it is not hard to see why.


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