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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."

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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.

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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.”

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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.

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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.

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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."

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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.

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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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Tsitsipas Loses Against Kyrgios, But Well-Positioned For Rest Of 2022

Stefanos Tsitsipas lost a fiery four-set match against Nick Kyrgios on Saturday at Wimbledon, but the Greek departs London in good position for the rest of the season.

The 23-year-old is guaranteed to lead the ATP Tour in wins after Wimbledon with 42, regardless of results for the rest of the fortnight. The World No. 5 went 8-3 during his grass-court season, including a run to his first tour-level title on the surface in Mallorca.

2022 Match Wins Leaders (as of 2 July)

 Player  2022 Record 
 1) Stefanos Tsitsipas  42-14
 2) Carlos Alcaraz  35-4
 3) Rafael Nadal  33-3
 4) Casper Ruud  31-12
 T5) Jannik Sinner  30-8
 T5) Felix Auger-Aliassime  30-15
 T5) Cameron Norrie  30-15

Tsitsipas is second in the Pepperstone ATP Race To Turin as he aims to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the fourth consecutive year. Tsitsipas lifted his biggest trophy at the season finale in 2019, when the event was held at The O2 in London. 

In addition to his recent triumph in Mallorca, Tsitsipas claimed his second ATP Masters 1000 title at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters in April and made the final of the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome.

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Kyrgios Wins Tense Clash Against Tsitsipas At Wimbledon

Nick Kyrgios advanced to the fourth round at Wimbledon for the first time since 2016 on Saturday with a feisty 6-7(2), 6-4, 6-3, 7-6(7) victory against fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Kyrgios, who will next play #NextGenATP American Brandon Nakashima, claimed his first win at a major against a Top 10 opponent since the third round of The Championships in 2015. The 27-year-old will try to reach his third major quarter-final and his first since the 2015 Australian Open.

"Honestly it was a hell of an atmosphere, amazing match. I honestly felt like the favourite coming in. I played him a couple weeks ago. But I knew that it was going to be a tough match," Kyrgios said in his on-court interview. "He's a hell of a player. I had my own tactics out there and he knows how to play me, he's beaten me once. Obviously I've had success. It was a hell of a match."

The tension began to build at the end of the first set when Kyrgios was unhappy with a linesperson's call on the baseline. For the rest of the match, the Australian had constant discussions with the chair umpire, the crowd and his player’s box. But ultimately, he emerged victorious after three hours and 16 minutes.

"I'm just super happy to be through. He was getting frustrated at times and it's a frustrating sport, that's for sure," Kyrgios said. "I have the ultimate respect for him. Whatever happens on the court [is] on the court. I love him and I'm close with his brother."

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Ruthless Nadal Dispatches Sonego

Rafael Nadal wasted little time in booking his place in the Wimbledon fourth round on Saturday evening, racing past Italian Lorenzo Sonego 6-1, 6-2, 6-4.

In his best performance of the week, the Spaniard lit up Centre Court with his aggressive striking and all-court game. The 36-year-old blasted the ball past Sonego from all angles, while demonstrating deft touches at the net to advance after two hours and four minutes.

"It was probably my best match without a doubt here at The Championships against the most difficult player I have faced yet,” Nadal said in his on-court interview. “I was able to raise my level, so I am super happy for that. I wish Lorenzo all the very best for the rest of the season.”

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The display was a contrast to Nadal’s first two matches at The Championships, where he struggled to find his best level in four-set victories over Francisco Cerundolo and Ricardas Berankis. However, against Sonego, the World No. 4 showed his title rivals that he means business in his quest for a record-extending 23rd Grand Slam title.

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From Farmer To Thrill Seeker: The Life Of Tommy Paul

In a couple of weeks, Tommy Paul will be on his mother’s farm in New Jersey, taking care of more than 100 animals, operating a tractor and pulling trees. But for now, the American is focussed on continuing one of the best tournaments of his career at Wimbledon.

Three years after losing in the final round of qualifying to Jiri Vesely, Paul turned the tables to down the Czech and reach the fourth round at a Grand Slam for the first time.

Victory on Court No. 3 marked another breakthrough moment for the 25-year-old, who is making his main draw debut at The Championships this week. After enjoying a standout junior career, which saw him win the 2015 Roland Garros boys’ singles title, Paul captured his first tour-level title in November, while he is at a current career-high No. 32 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings .

Following his success, Paul is now accustomed to the lights and glamour of the Tour. However, it is a world away from his life back in the United States, where he frequently swaps his racquet for farm tools when he visits his mom in New Jersey.

“My mom and stepdad live on a farm in South Jersey, where they have roughly 100 chickens, six sheep, two dogs, a horse and a cat. I grew up in North Carolina, but my mum moved back to South Jersey when I turned pro. That is where she grew up,” Paul told ATPTour.com. “The animals have built up. It is something to do for her. When she is not at work, she is outside on the farm.

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Nakashima, Fritz Continue Historic Wimbledon For American Men

Brandon Nakashima may have been in unchartered territory at Wimbledon on Saturday, but the #NextGenATP American did not blink.

Nakashima backed up his second-round upset of 2021 semi-finalist Denis Shapovalov with a confident 6-4, 6-4, 6-1 against Daniel Elahi Galan. The 20-year-old had not won a match at the grass-court major prior to his first-round victory against Nicola Kuhn, but he is now the youngest American man to reach the Round of 16 at Wimbledon since Andy Roddick in 2003.

Nakashima joins Frances Tiafoe, Tommy Paul, and Taylor Fritz in the fourth round. That represents the most American men in the last 16 at the All England Lawn Tennis Club since 1999, and the most to reach the fourth round at a major since the 2011 US Open.

Nakashima, who reached the semi-finals at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan last November, is into the fourth round of a major for the first time. The World No. 56 won 84 per cent (43/51) of points behind his first delivery and faced just one break point in his maiden ATP Head2Head meeting with the Colombian.

Nakashima faces a tough fourth-round assignment if he wants to extend his run at SW19 further — he next meets fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas or Nick Kyrgios.

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Glasspool/Heliovaara Survive Blumberg/Ruud Test At Wimbledon

Fifteenth seeds Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara advanced to the third round at Wimbledon for the second consecutive year on Saturday when they clawed past American William Blumberg and Norwegian Casper Ruud 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.

The British-Finnish duo has enjoyed success this grass-court season, advancing to the Cinch Championships final at The Queen’s Club. They also made the Roland Garros quarter-finals one month ago.

It will not get any easier when Glasspool and Heliovaara play second seeds Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic next. The Croatians defeated Americans Nicholas Monroe and Tommy Paul 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Seventh seeds John Peers and Filip Polasek also advanced when they eliminated Portugal’s Joao Sousa and Australian Jordan Thompson 7-6(2), 7-5, 6-4. The 2021 Indian Wells champions have won six consecutive sets after rallying from two sets down in the first round.

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