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Andy Murray won a battle of Wimbledon champions Wednesday at the Infosys Hall of Fame Open in Newport. The two-time singles titlist at SW19 worked hard to find a way past the slice-and-dice game of Max Purcell, who won the Wimbledon doubles title on Saturday alongside Matthew Ebden.

In a 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 victory, Murray needed time to find a way through the unorthodox Purcell, who sliced nearly all of his ground strokes in the two-hour, 23-minute match. The Australian's tactic frustrated his opponent early on the grass court, but after falling behind 1-5 in the opening set, Murray found a way to attack the lack of pace.

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Playing in Newport for the first time since 2006, Murray moved to the brink of victory with a battling hold to make it 4-1 in the third set. He let out a roar when a big serve saved a break point, then celebrated again when an ace sealed the hold — one of his eight in the contest.

Murray appeared to tweak his inner thigh or groin as he slipped to the turf early in the final set, but managed to close out the match despite some discomfort in the final stages.

Felix Auger-Aliassime is currently seventh in the Pepperstone ATP Race To Turin as he tries to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time. On Monday, the Canadian gained special insight into a very different race.

The 21-year-old, who is competing in this week’s Infosys Hall of Fame Open in Newport, visited 11th Hour Racing Team's sailboat and spoke with its co-skipper, Charlie Enright, as he prepares to sail around the world in The Ocean Race 2022-23.

“We just came on a very spectacular sailboat that’s actually preparing to go across the globe next winter, so pretty fascinating to see,” Auger-Aliassime said. “I don’t get to see those kinds of things every day. Charlie, one of the members of the team, who is going to be going around the world, he showed me around the boat.”

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Enright and his team are more than just sailors, though. They raise awareness for ocean health and help educate others on sustainability.

Francisco Cerundolo held off his own nerves and a strong comeback from defending champion Casper Ruud to cause a second-round upset and earn his first Top 10 win at the Nordea Open in Bastad on Wednesday afternoon.

Cerundolo broke Roland Garros finalist Ruud’s serve three times to run out a 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 winner at the ATP 250 event in Sweden. Despite the World No. 5 Ruud raising his level after a slow start to pile the pressure on the 23-year-old Argentine, Cerundolo clinched a decisive break in the 12th game of the third set to reach the quarter-finals in Bastad for the first time.

“I think I was playing really well in the first one-and-a-half sets, and then I got a little bit tight,” said Cerundolo. “I started missing a little bit and he started serving better. He’s a great player, a French Open finalist, so it was a great challenge for me and I’m really happy to get through.”

A First Top 10 Win! ?@FranCerundolo upsets World No. 5 Casper Ruud with a 6-4 3-6 7-5 win in Bastad#NordeaOpen @NordeaOpen pic.twitter.com/Zk7bNOX7O3

Cerundolo and Ruud’s sole previous meeting came in the semi-finals of the Miami Open presented by Itau in March. The Norwegian was a comfortable straight-sets winner on that occasion, but Cerundolo was clinical at key moments on Wednesday as Ruud struggled to find his rhythm in his first match on clay since he fell to Rafael Nadal in the Roland Garros championship match in early June.

Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini survived a scare to reach the quarter-finals at the Nordea Open Wednesday, edging Ariel Behar and Tomislav Brkic 7-6(3), 2-6, 10-3 in Bastad.

The second seeds, who enjoyed a run to the final together at the ATP 250 event in 2018, raised their level in the Match Tie-break to ensure they started their title quest with victory, advancing after one hour and 43 minutes.

The Italians are aiming to capture their second tour-level crown of the season as a team this week, having lifted the trophy in Rio de Janeiro in February. They will next play Pablo Carreno Busta and Joao Sousa at the clay-court tournament.

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Rafael Matos and David Vega Hernandez continued their strong season, downing Filip Bergevi and Lukasz Kubot 7-5, 6-1 to advance to their ninth quarter-final of the year. The fourth seeds captured titles in Marrakech and Mallorca earlier this season.

Playing at the Infosys Hall of Fame Open for the first time since 2006, Andy Murray carried his strong grass-court form into Newport with a 6-2, 6-0 victory over Sam Querrey on Tuesday.

"It's obviously amazing to be back here and playing on this court again after 16 years," Murray said in his on-court interview. "A lot has happened in that time: four kids, married and all that stuff. But I'm happy to be back." 

After falling to another big-serving American in John Isner in the Wimbledon second round, the 35-year-old  beat Querrey on his opponent's home turf to return to winning ways. The sixth-seeded Briton improved to 6-2 on the grass this season, including a run to the Stuttgart semi-finals last month, when he lost to eventual champion Matteo Berrettini.

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Murray was a perfect six-for-six on his break chances in the match as he dragged Querrey into rallies on return throughout the 54-minute contest. The Briton dropped serve in the opening game of the match but was firmly in control beyond that, coping with the blustery conditions far better than his opponent. 

Andres Molteni and Hugo Nys earned victory on their team debut Tuesday, overcoming Belgians Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen 6-4, 6-4 to reach the second round at the Nordea Open in Bastad.

The Argentine-French tandem saved both break points they faced to advance after 74 minutes. They will next play fourth seeds Rafael Matos and David Vega Hernandez or Lukasz Kubot and Filip Bergevi.

Fabrice Martin and Franko Skugor provided the shock of the day, upsetting top seeds Rohan Bopanna and Matwe Middelkoop 7-6(3), 6-3. The French-Croatian pair, who were playing together for the first time, won 81 per cent (38/47) of first-serve points to triumph.

In other action, Pablo Carreno Busta and Joao Sousa defeated Aslan Karatsev and Philipp Oswald 7-6(3), 7-6(5), while Marc-Andrea Huesler backed up his singles win over Holger Rune by teaming with Pavel Kotov to eliminate Leo Borg and Elias Ymer 6-1, 6-4 in 55 minutes.

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It has been a long wait, but Dominic Thiem is a winner on the ATP Tour once again.

The former World No. 3 battled to a 3-6, 6-1, 7-6(5) first-round victory against Emil Ruusuvuori on Tuesday afternoon at the Nordea Open in Bastad. It was the Austrian’s first tour-level win for 14 months, nine of which the 2020 US Open champion spent out of action due to a wrist injury.

“It’s a long time,” said Thiem in his on-court interview. “My last victory was in Rome in 2021, it feels like a different world somehow. Many, many things happened. It was tough, but it was also a very good experience, I think, for life in general. I’m so happy that I got this first victory here today.”

Thiem was under pressure early against the World No. 43 Ruusuvuori in the pair’s first ATP Head2Head meeting. The Finn raced to an unassailable 5-1 lead in the opening set, but Thiem raised his level to roar back into contention by reeling off five games in a row in the second set to level proceedings.

Despite some nervous moments in the deciding-set tie-break, Thiem stayed solid to clinch just his second win at any level in 2022 having saved eight from 12 break points against the clean-hitting Finn.

Steve Johnson, the 2018 Infosys Hall of Fame Open champion, made a good start to his pursuit of a second Newport title on Monday.

The American defeated countryman Stefan Kozlov 7-5, 6-3 to reach the second round at the final tour-level grass-court event of the season.

"[My level was] decent when it needed to be decent and average when it needed to be better. I thought I played well at the end of sets, but there was a stretch there in the middle of both sets that I didn't like the way I was playing and executing," Johnson said. "But when you're not doing that and you still get a win, that's a good sign."

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This was the fourth time this year at all levels that Johnson and Kozlov have clashed. After Kozlov took the first two meetings, Johnson has now claimed two in a row, with both coming on grass.

While all eyes were on Wimbledon last week, three legends of the sport made an impact of their own away from the grass courts of the All England Club.

On 4 July, Roger Federer joined fellow Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award winner Richard Krajicek and wheelchair tennis icon Esther Vergeer for a clinic at Krajicek Playground Reigersbos in Amsterdam, providing a special day for children supported by the Krajicek Foundation and the Esther Vergeer Foundation.

“It was a pleasure playing tennis with all the children. Tennis has connected Esther, Richard and myself throughout our whole career, so I think it’s nice for us to stand on a court together and motivate and inspire the new generation of players,” Federer said. “It’s great that the Roger Federer Foundation, The Krajicek Foundation and Esther Vergeer Foundation are all connected through the Postcode Lottery.  I enjoyed myself a lot here in the Netherlands. And I hope I will see a future champion from here.  

“I want to congratulate Richard and Esther on everything they do with their foundation and also on their incredible careers.”

Photo Credit: Gilian van Twist
The Krajicek Foundation serves vulnerable children in the Netherlands by helping them play sports in a safe environment. The Foundation, which received an ATP ACES For Charity grant in 2020, builds Krajicek Playgrounds to help create leaders who can make an impact on other children in their community.

Former Canadian player Peter Burwash, one of the world’s most influential entrepreneurs and coaches, passed away last Thursday (7 July) aged 77.

Burwash earned a physical education degree at the University of Toronto, where he played both ice hockey and tennis. He won 19 singles and doubles titles as a touring tennis pro from 1968 to 1975, when he founded Peter Burwash International (PBI), a leading tennis management company.

Burwash, one of the Association of Tennis Professional founders in 1972, went on to introduce new standards to the teaching industry as an original USTPA Master Professional member. Burwash and his coaching team worked with the likes of Venus and Serena Williams, Leander Paes, Greg Rusedski and Sebastien Lareau.

Burwash also used his experience as a motivational speaker to influence the health, hospitality, business and travel industries. He worked as a colour television commentator for CBC and TSN, was a CBS radio host, contributed to Tennis magazine for 25 years and was the author of 13 books, ranging from tennis, aerobics and vegetarianism.

Burwash, who had been inducted into six Hall of Fames, passed away in his hometown of Carmel, California, and is survived by his wife, Lynn, and their daughters Kimberley and Skyler.

With the 2022 edition of Wimbledon in the books, let's relive some highlights through memorable quotes from The Championships. 

Who called first-time Grand Slam finalist Nick Kyrgios a "tennis genius"? Which WTA star – Emma Raducanu, Iga Swiatek or Serena Williams – mentioned that she's always "rooting for Rafa"? Which American enjoyed a breakthrough win on the 4th of July?

Let's find out how closely you followed the action at Wimbledon. Take this quiz, share your results and challenge your tennis friends!

Pablo Carreno Busta could not have asked for a much tougher first-round draw at the Nordea Open in Bastad on Monday, but the Spaniard found an impressive level to overcome 16-time tour-level titlist Stan Wawrinka at the ATP 250 event.

The fifth-seeded Carreno Busta claimed a break in each set to prevail 7-5, 6-4 in a high-quality encounter against the former World No. 3, who showed flashes of his trademark thunderous groundstrokes in just his sixth tour-level tournament since missing 13 months with a foot injury.

“It was a very tough match for me in the first round,” said Carreno Busta in his on-court interview. “Against Stan it is always very difficult to start the tournament, so I’m happy because I thought my level was good. I played very solid from the baseline. It was a bit difficult with the wind, but I thought my serve was very good throughout the match. It was very important to my game.”

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Carreno Busta has endured a tough run on the clay of late, going 1-4 on the surface since reaching the final at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell in April. Yet despite Wawrinka firing 10 aces and winning 90 per cent (27/30) of points behind his first serve to keep the Spaniard under pressure in Sweden, Carreno Busta was clinical in converting two of his six break point opportunities to triumph in one hour, 24 minutes.

It was a familiar scene on Centre Court Sunday. Just moments after securing another Wimbledon title, the Serbian knelt down, pulled a piece of grass from the court and tasted his victory.

On this occasion, that bite was extra sweet. Djokovic claimed his first major title of the season and his 21st Grand Slam overall by defeating Nick Kyrgios in an exciting four-set final.

“Obviously over the moon with joy and happiness of experiencing this moment once again. I've said it many times, this tournament is extra special for me because it has been the first tournament that I've ever watched as a kid that got me to start playing tennis,” Djokovic said. “I don't take any wins for granted, and particularly not [at] Wimbledon. In contrary, actually every time feels a bit different, special in its own way. Of course, having family and close people in my life here to share this victory with them, it was beautiful.”

This time one year ago, Djokovic earned his third major of the 2021 season and positioned himself for a run at the Grand Slam — lifting all four major trophies in a calendar year. Entering this edition of The Championships, however, he had only claimed one trophy for the season.

That did not spoil the Serbian’s confidence, though. The 35-year-old has now won four straight Wimbledon titles and has not lost a completed match at the tournament since the third round in 2016 against Sam Querrey.

The longest rally had the biggest effect on the final outcome.

Novak Djokovic defeated Nick Kyrgios 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(3) in the Wimbledon final on Sunday, turning around his fortunes early in the second set by finding his consistency and rhythm in a 23-shot rally when serving at 1-1, 30/30. It was the longest point of the match, and the exact tonic Djokovic needed to reinvigorate his game after dropping the opening set. He won that long point and a 19-shot rally on the next point at 40/30.

Those two points were the dividing line in the match. They signaled exactly when the momentum shifted and where Djokovic took control of the match with his championship mojo. The following breakdown identifies the change in fortunes in extended rallies before this moment in time and after it.

Rallies Of 9+ Shots
First 8 Rallies (Up to 1-1, 30/30, Second set): Kyrgios won 7/Djokovic won 1
Rest Of The Match: Kyrgios won 3/Djokovic won 16

Djokovic’s confidence was suddenly brimming after hammering home his advantage in longer rallies, and he broke Kyrgios’ serve to love in the next game. It was the first time Djokovic had broken Kyrgios in just more than five sets of tennis, dating back to their two matches in 2017, which the Australian won. Breaking serve broke the focus and concentration of Kyrgios, whose body language became increasingly irritated for the remainder of the match.

Novak Djokovic clawed closer to Rafael Nadal’s men’s singles record of 21 Grand Slam titles on Sunday when he defeated Nick Kyrgios in the Wimbledon final. The Serbian’s coach, 2001 Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic, was ecstatic for his charge.

“For me he was a favourite here. Before the tournament he really played some unbelievable tennis. But you still need to win the tournament, so it was not easy,” Ivanisevic said. “But [a] Grand Slam is a Grand Slam. He [has] 21. He really deserves it. He really deserves it.”

At the same time, Ivanisevic was highly complimentary of first-time major finalist Kyrgios, who pushed Djokovic to a fourth-set tie-break. The Croatian explained what makes facing the Australian so difficult.

“You cannot prepare [for a] match against Nick Kyrgios. Nick Kyrgios is a genius, tennis genius. He doesn't know what he's going to play next in the point,” Ivanisevic said. “We just concentrate [on] what Novak has to do, the things he has to do, the things he has to be careful [of]. When somebody [is] serving like Nick Kyrgios — for me [he] is the best server in the game by far. Unbelievable tennis player. [He] is very unpredictable.”

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Nick Kyrgios believes he has the game to challenge for the biggest titles in the future as he looks to take confidence from his run to his first Grand Slam final at Wimbledon.

The Australian won the first set against Novak Djokovic Sunday, before the Serbian turned the tables to clinch his seventh crown at The Championships on Centre Court.

“My level is right there. I feel like you look at what Novak has done to some other opponents, it's not a good feeling. But I'm right there,” Kyrgios said in his post-match press conference. “I'm not behind the eight ball at all. I played a Slam final against one of the greatest of all time, and I was right there.

“[I will take] confidence. It was a hell of an occasion… I came out in the first set and I looked like I was the one who had played in a lot of finals. I thought I dealt with the pressure pretty well.”

The Australian, who felt he ‘belonged’ on the biggest stage during his defeat against the Serbian, leaves London holding a 12-3 record on grass in 2022.

Novak Djokovic defeated Nick Kyrgios on Sunday in a thrilling four-set Wimbledon final that captured the world's attention.

Stars from inside and outside the tennis world, including Juan Martin del Potro, Andy Roddick, Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova reacted to Djokovic's seventh triumph at The Championships on social media.

Great champion!!! Idemo Nole!!! ? https://t.co/nQwvPIFeLO

So impressive. Congrats to Nole ! Cheers tweeps. Thanks for watching w me!

Congratulations on winning your 7th Wimbledon Novak Djokovic, that was a controlled and masterful performance. Bad luck Nick, you have so much talent, I hope to see you in another Slam final soon. ?

After Rafael Nadal narrowed the 'Big Titles' race by lifting the Roland Garros trophy, Novak Djokovic extended his advantage on Sunday by defeating Nick Kyrgios for the Wimbledon title.

Djokovic battled past Kyrgios 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(3) for his seventh triumph at The Championships and his 21st major crown. The Serbian now owns 64 'Big Titles', putting him five ahead of Nadal and 10 in front of Roger Federer. A 'Big Title' is a trophy at a Grand Slam championship, the Nitto ATP Finals, an ATP Masters 1000 tournament or an Olympic singles gold medal.

The 35-year-old also drew closer to Nadal in the race for the most men's singles Grand Slam titles. Djokovic now has 21, putting him one behind Nadal. Federer has lifted 20 major trophies.

The Serbian also tied his idol Pete Sampras and William Renshaw for the second-most men's singles titles in Wimbledon history with seven. Only Federer, an eight-time champion at the grass-court major, has emerged victorious more at the event.

Djokovic improved his 'Big Title' win rate to one victory for every 3.2 events played (64/207), while Nadal has claimed one 'Big Title' for every 3.4 tournaments he has played (59/202). Only Federer (4.4, 54/240) and Pete Sampras (4.9, 30/147) have claimed a 'Big Title' at a rate of greater than once per five events played.

Novak Djokovic has moved within a set of his seventh Wimbledon title after a returning masterclass took the top seed to the third set against Nick Kyrgios in Sunday's championship match at the grass-court major.

Djokovic, chasing his fourth consecutive title at SW19, leads the Australian 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. His current winning streak of 27 matches at the grass-court major is the fourth-longest men’s singles winning streak at the event in the Open Era.

Should the Serbian complete his first tour-level win in three attempts against Kyrgios, he will move within one of Rafael Nadal’s record 22 Grand Slam titles. It would also draw the 35-year-old level with legendary American Pete Sampras’ tally of seven trophies won at the All England Lawn Tennis Club.

Kyrgios, who had never been beyond the quarter-finals at a Grand Slam prior to this fortnight in London, is seeking his maiden Grand Slam crown. Should he defeat Djokovic in London, the 27-year-old will be the first Australian man to win the Wimbledon singles title since Lleyton Hewitt in 2002.

The No. 40 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, Kyrgios has the most tour-level match wins on grass in 2022 with 12. The Australian is chasing is maiden title on the surface, with all six of his ATP Tour crowns coming on hard courts.

The action will take place on two continents and on two different surfaces this week on the ATP Tour, with established stars competing on clay at the Nordea Open in Bastad, Sweden, and on grass at the Infosys Hall of Fame Open in Newport, Rhode Island, United States.

Casper Ruud headlines the field in Bastad as he aims to retain his title, while Felix Auger-Aliassime and Andy Murray are among those competing in Newport.

ATPTour.com looks at five things to watch at each ATP 250 event.

View Draws: Bastad | Newport

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