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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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Food Court: Goffin Reveals The One Food He Will Not Eat

David Goffin faces Frances Tiafoe on Sunday at Wimbledon, where the former World No. 7 is bidding to reach the last 16 for the fourth time at the grass-court Grand Slam.

Possessing an all-around game on the court, the Belgian also likes to branch out when it comes to food. As long as it isn’t oysters, Goffin will eat it, and the 31-year-old isn’t shy to put his own cooking skills to the test either.

In this edition of Food Court, Goffin reveals to ATPTour.com how he fared on a celebrity cooking show for French TV, why his eating habits change during Grand Slam weeks and the reason he can’t eat cereal bars during matches.

[ATP APP]

Let’s say you have to cook tonight for friends or family. What would you cook?
I don’t know if I have time or not, but if it is an emergency and it is almost summer, I would go for a barbeque. Nice meat on a barbeque. It is very easy. Otherwise I would go for pasta, a good carbonara. That is something I can do. I am not a huge chef, but I have some good skills in the kitchen.

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De Minaur Speeds Past Broady To Round Four At Wimbledon

Serving out for Grand Slam victories is never easy, but Alex de Minaur held firm on Saturday to see off Liam Broady and reach the fourth round at Wimbledon for the first time.

The Australian produced a high-class performance to seal 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 win against the British wild card. Some late resistance from Broady saw De Minaur forced to fend off four break points when serving at 6-5 in the third set, but the Australian dug deep to convert his third match point for a two-hour, 24-minute victory.

“I’m just relieved,” said De Minaur in his on-court interview. “It was definitely harder at the end there than I wanted it to be, but at the end of the day this is tennis and anything can happen. Nerves playing in front of an amazing crowd, [on] an amazing court against a Brit, so it’s never easy. More than anything [I'm] just relieved to be in the second week of Wimbledon.”

De Minaur was making his second appearance in the third round at SW19, having fallen to Rafael Nadal at the same stage in 2018. In contrast to that occasion, the Australian entered the contest as the pre-match favourite and the 23-year-old showed why with a classy performance against the spirited Broady.

“It’s incredibly special,” said De Minaur. “Wimbledon in itself is such a special tournament, so to be able to come and play here, it’s a true honour. I’m just enjoying every second I can on the grass and trying to ride this wave.”

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Day 7 Preview: Alcaraz Meets Sinner In Heavyweight Wimbledon Clash

A battle of #NextGenATP alumni headlines the Sunday action at Wimbledon, where Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner take centre stage as the fourth-round action begins at the grass-court major in London.

The meeting between six-time champion Novak Djokovic and the in-form Dutch wild card Tim van Rijthoven is another intriguing matchup at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, while Cameron Norrie seeks to keep the British flag flying in the singles when he takes on 30th seed Tommy Paul. The American's countryman, 23rd seed Frances Tiafoe, meets 2019 quarter-finalist David Goffin.

ATPTour.com looks at the fourth-round matchups on Day 7 in the UK capital.

View Schedule | View Singles Draw | View Doubles Draw

[5] Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) vs. [10] Jannik Sinner (ITA)

One Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals crown — check. Five ATP Tour titles — check. Two Grand Slam quarter-finals — check.

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Summer Singing & Steph Curry: Get To Know Lorenzo Sonego

Fans will get to know Lorenzo Sonego’s game on Saturday when he plays Rafael Nadal in the third round at Wimbledon, but there is far more to the Italian than forehands and backhands.

You can add Sonego to the list of musically inclined players on the ATP Tour, which also includes Denis Shapovalov and Corentin Moutet. Just one week ago, the 27-year-old and his longtime friend, “AlterEdo”, released their newest song: “Sing”.

“We did some songs together when we were young for a hobby,” Sonego told ATPTour.com earlier this year. “And then, we tried to do something together for enjoyment in the summer and only to enjoy the moment and do something different, not always [focus on] tennis.”

This is not the first song they have released together. Last European summer, they released “Un Solo Secondo”, which has received more than 14,000 views on YouTube. Sonego's friend writes the songs, but the former World No. 21 contributes vocals.

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Day 6 Preview: Tsitsipas, Kyrgios Renew Rivalry

The Wimbledon third round concludes on Day 6 at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, with the wide-open bottom half of the men's singles draw back in action. Stefanos Tsitsipas and Nick Kyrgios headline No. 1 Court, where Alex de Minaur opens play against home favourite Liam Broady, while Rafael Nadal and Lorenzo Sonego close the day's play on Centre Court.

Other seeded players in action include Taylor Fritz, Botic van de Zandschulp and Jenson Brooksby.

In doubles action, top seeds Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury continue their bid for a maiden Wimbledon title while second seeds Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic continue their title defence.

View Singles Draw | View Doubles Draw | View Schedule

[4] Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) vs. Nick Kyrgios (AUS)

Two of the biggest personalities on the ATP Tour are set to square off for the fifth time in a rematch of their Halle meeting two weeks ago, won by Kyrgios in three sets. While neither man will be particularly pleased to see such a dangerous opponent in the third round, both are relishing the opportunity.

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TopCourt: Gilbert’s Modern Methods

A true legend of the game, Brad Gilbert knows a thing or two about adapting to new trends.

The American has been at the forefront of tennis for decades, picking up 20 ATP Tour titles as a player before coaching stars such as Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick and Andy Murray. With a long and diverse tennis journey, Gilbert has become a master at acknowledging the constant changes happening within the game.

Now having joined TopCourt, Gilbert shows fans his latest tips and drills, suitable for club players as well as aspiring pros, with the help of WTA star and fellow TopCourt coach Eugenie Bouchard. He also reveals how a split-second decision from his father shaped his tennis career, shares unheard stories from his time guiding ATP legend Agassi, and reveals how he boosted Roddick’s confidence playing on grass.

Technique: Gilbert encourages you to stay aggressive when moving forward to play the so-called ‘dunk volley.’ A short but intense move forward ending with a hard and short swing, it enables you to finish points with authority after executing a big play.

Drills: “Most pros hit anything between 60-70 per cent forehands,” says Gilbert. This is reflected in the American’s TopCourt class, in which he places an emphasis on efficiency of movement. With his six-ball “Find the Forehand” drill, Gilbert shows you how to raise your intensity as you run around your backhand to take control of the point with your forehand.

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‘It Acts As A Memoir’: Tsitsipas Opens Up On #StefTheTweeter

Stefanos Tsitsipas’ passion and drive have made him one of the most feared competitors on the ATP Tour, yet the World No. 5 is also renowned for his relaxed off-court demeanour. This is clearly reflected in the 23-year-old’s Twitter feed, where he regularly shares a mixture of humorous, philosophical, and heart-warming messages.

“They are mostly meant to be fun,” Tsitsipas recently told ATPTour.com. “It’s like I have a wall and I write different things, and people can say their stuff. It’s just such a fun thing to do. I like the fact that I can look back to them in one or two years and I have a feed where I can preview all my past quotes and opinions I might have had. It kind of acts as a memoir.”

Tsitsipas has moved confidently to the third round this week at Wimbledon, where he faces Nick Kyrgios in a blockbuster third-round clash on Saturday. The Greek has won a Tour-leading 42 matches in 2022, and admitted his ability to keep calm under pressure has been a key factor in his success on Tour in general. This is a sentiment that was reflected when he tweeted out the message, “The quieter you become, the more you can actually hear.”

The quieter you become, the more you can actually hear.

— Stefanos Tsitsipas (@steftsitsipas) December 13, 2021

“I think sometimes you just need to... listen, absorb as much information as you can, and you can always just pick whatever you want," Tsitsipas said. "You’re always allowed to pick your information that you want to keep for yourself.

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Koolhof/Skupski Seal Third-Round Spot At Wimbledon

After picking up five ATP Tour titles in their first six months together, can Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski transfer their success to the Grand Slam stage?

The third seeds overcame Pedro Martinez and John-Patrick Smith 7-6(6), 6-2, 7-6(6) at Wimbledon on Friday to book a third-round spot at the grass-court major in London. Koolhof and Skupski reached the quarter-finals at the Australian Open and Roland Garros in their two previous Grand Slam campaigns as a team, and they have made a perfect start in London with two straight-sets victories.

Sixth seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah are also yet to drop a set at SW19 after a 7-5, 6-4, 6-2 triumph against Nuno Borges and Francisco Cabral. The 19-time tour-level titlists, who lifted the trophy at the All England Lawn Tennis Club in 2019, are chasing their first crown of the season.

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Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies enjoyed a comfortable second-round win of their own, but only after coming through a tight first set against home wild card pairing Arthur Fery and Felix Gill. The 11th-seeded German duo pressed on after taking the opener, eventually running out 7-6(5), 6-3, 6-4 winners.

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Tiafoe, Paul Continue American Success With Third-Round Wimbledon Wins

After eight American men advanced to the Wimbledon third round — the most to reach that stage of a Grand Slam since the 1996 US Open — Frances Tiafoe and Tommy Paul ensured at least two will be among the last 16 with Friday victories.

"We are damn good," a smiling Tiafoe said of the American contingent. "We're playing great tennis. I think we always feed off each other. We all believe it, all believe we can be even doing better than what we are doing currently. One guy does well, the next guy wants to step up. It's all good. I think we've just got to keep going."

[ATP APP]

Tiafoe, the 23rd seed, came through a 3-6, 7-6(1), 7-6(3), 6-4 battle with Alexander Bublik to advance to the fourth round for the first time at SW19. After dominating both tie-breaks, the American surrendered an early break advantage and needed a clutch ace to save a break point at 4-4 in the fourth set.

That sparked a late surge as he won seven of the match's final eight points, sealing victory with his third break of the match on No. 2 Court.

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Improving Alcaraz Races Into Fourth Round, Awaits Sinner

Carlos Alcaraz wasted no time in improving his best Wimbledon run, booking a trip to the fourth round with a 6-3, 6-1, 6-2 victory over Oscar Otte. Playing at SW19 for the second time, the 19-year-old is now the youngest man to reach that stage at The Championships since Bernard Tomic reached the 2011 quarter-finals at the age of 18.

Alcaraz played his cleanest match of the fortnight — and the best grass-court match of his young career — leaving the 32nd-seeded German no chance with powerful and precise hitting throughout the one-hour, 38-minute contest. He finished with 37 winners and just eight unforced errors, winning 88 per cent (35/40) of his first-serve points.

[ATP APP]

The Spaniard set the tone on No. 1 Court by winning the first eight points of the match, then won the first five games of set two to power home his advantage and put the match beyond doubt. He improves to 4-1 on the grass, with his only two tour-level events on the surface coming at Wimbledon.

The Spaniard saved the only break point he faced while breaking serve on six of 20 chances in a dominant victory. He has shown great improvement through the rounds this fortnight and has now won eight sets in a row dating back to his opening round victory against Jan-Lennard Struff, in which he escaped a two-sets-to-one deficit.

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Sinner Outserves Isner, Sets Alcaraz Showdown At Wimbledon

Jannik Sinner will face Carlos Alcaraz in a fourth-round Wimbledon blockbuster after a nearly flawless performance on Friday against John Isner.

The American broke the world record for career aces in the second game of the match, but Sinner dominated from there in a 6-4, 7-6(4), 6-3 victory. The Italian did not face a break point in his two-hour, 20-minute triumph.

[ATP APP]

Sinner will now play Alcaraz in a battle of former Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals champions. Alcaraz, who dismissed Oscar Otte in the third round, defeated Sinner in their only previous ATP Head2Head meeting 7-6(1), 7-5 at last year's Rolex Paris Masters.

But the 20-year-old Sinner will be confident after his performance against Isner, who ousted two-time champion Andy Murray in the second round. The 10th seed withstood 24 aces from his opponent and converted two of his four break points.

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Couple Goals: De Minaur, Boulter Thriving Off Mutual Support At Wimbledon

Alex de Minaur may have been taking on a home favourite in Jack Draper on Thursday at Wimbledon, but the Australian was not completely lacking support from the British contingent in the crowd during his second-round victory.

The 19th-seeded Australian’s girlfriend, WTA player Katie Boulter, cheered him on to a 5-7, 7-6(0), 6-2, 6-3 win against #NextGenATP Briton Draper at the grass-court major. Just hours earlier, it was De Minaur who had played the role of cheerleader from the stands, as Boulter pulled off a 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-4 second-round upset of sixth seed Karolina Pliskova on Centre Court.

Speaking at his post-match press conference, De Minaur spoke of the extra positivity that Boulter’s heroics had brought him before he stepped on court for his own match.

“I think it's amazing. What she was able to do today was an amazing effort,” he said of Boulter. The 25-year-old dedicated her win to her grandmother, who passed away earlier in the week. “I mean, under all the circumstances, she got out there on Centre Court, and beat last year's runner-up. So, I think that's pretty special.

“I'm just stoked for her. This is her home Slam. She gets to enjoy it. I know she was a little bit nervous going in, but she's gone out and put on a brilliant performance.”

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Five Things To Know About Djokovic's Next Opponent: Tim Van Rijthoven

Tim van Rijthoven has enjoyed a dream surge this grass-court season. When he arrived at the Libema Open in ’s-Hertogenbosch earlier this month, he had never won a match at an ATP Tour event. Not only did he claim the title at the ATP 250, but the Dutchman is now into the fourth round at Wimbledon, where he will play top seed Novak Djokovic.

Before this year, van Rijthoven had never played qualifying at a major. Now the wild card will have a chance to stun a 20-time Grand Slam champion.

Before the match, here are five things to know about the 25-year-old.

[ATP APP]

He Dreamt Of Playing Djokovic
When Djokovic defeated Miomir Kecmanovic on Friday, he made van Rijthoven’s dream come true. The Dutchman is eager to play the six-time Wimbledon champion.

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Djokovic Masterclass Seals Fourth-Round Berth

There was no slowing down for Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon on Friday afternoon.

The Serbian cruised to a high-class 6-0, 6-3, 6-4 third-round win against countryman Miomir Kecmanovic at the grass-court major. Having dropped just seven games in defeating Thanasi Kokkinakis in the second round, Djokovic matched that number with another sublime all-around display to overwhelm his opponent on Centre Court, breaking the Kecmanovic serve six times on the way to a one-hour, 52-minute victory.

“I think I’ve been playing better and better as the tournament progresses," said Djokovic in his on-court interview. "That’s obviously something that you always wish for as a player, that every match that you play you raise a level of tennis up a notch at least, and I think that is what is happening at the moment.

"I know I can always do better, I always expect the highest from myself, but I think so far, so good, and looking forward to the next challenge.”

It was Djokovic’s 24th consecutive win on grass, drawing him level with Australian great Rod Laver in third place on the Open Era list for longest tour-level winning streaks on the surface. The six-time champion next faces another man in red-hot form on the grass in Tim Van Rijthoven. The Dutch wild card dispatched Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 earlier on Friday to ease into the fourth round on his Grand Slam main draw debut.

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John Isner Sets New World Record For Aces Served

With his fifth ace on Friday in his Wimbledon third-round match against Jannik Sinner, John Isner broke the world record for aces on the ATP Tour. The 6-foot-10 American now stands alone with 13,729 untouchable serves and counting, passing Ivo Karlovic's previous leading mark of 13,728. Record-keeping began in 1991 with ATP Match Stats, part of the Infosys ATP Scores & Stats Centre.

Isner needed just two service games to break the record Friday on Wimbledon's No. 2 Court, firing the record-breaking ace at 1-1, 15/30.

"It's actually really cool. It's something I'm really proud of," Isner said before his third-round match, looking ahead to breaking the record. "I will be the all-time leader. I'll keep playing, keep adding to my total... I don't know if [the record] will get broken. I could be up there for a long time."

The American also leads the 2022 ace race with 629 on the season entering Friday. The 37-year-old has finished first on the ATP Tour in aces in seven seasons and eclipsed the 1,000-aces mark seven times, including a career-high of 1,260 in 2015. Isner accomplished both feats for the first time in 2010 after turning pro in 2007 following a standout career at the University of Georgia.

As Isner closed in on the aces record, Andy Roddick helped settle a debate on Twitter about who has the better serve between the two: "Isner's serve is the best ever," he wrote, backing up the opinion of longtime Georgia head coach Manny Diaz. "I'd trade my old one for his immediately without thinking twice."

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Van Rijthoven Seals Fourth-Round Spot In Style

The grass-court gains keep on coming for Tim van Rijthoven.

The Dutchman’s dream Grand Slam debut continued in style on Friday at Wimbledon, where he took out 22nd seed Nikoloz Basilashvili with an impressive 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 third-round victory.

Van Rijthoven had not won a tour-level match prior to the Libema Open in ‘s-Hertogenbosch three weeks ago, but the 25-year-old stormed to the title at the ATP 250 event in his homeland with a run that included victories over Taylor Fritz, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Daniil Medvedev.

He has maintained that form at Wimbledon, where the 25-year-old is competing as a wild card at the grass-court major. Van Rijthoven dropped serve just once in his opening wins over Federico Delbonis and Reilly Opelka, and the Dutchman was the dominant force again in his third-round clash. He wrapped up a one-hour, 42-minute victory over Basilashvili to set a fourth-round clash with top seed Novak Djokovic or World No. 30 Miomir Kecmanovic.

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Day 5 Preview: Alcaraz Continues Grass-Court Education

As the Wimbledon third round commences on Friday, seeded players begin to square off for the first time at The Championships. Three such matches are on the Day 5 docket, with Carlos Alcaraz meeting Oscar Otte, Novak Djokovic facing fellow Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic and Jannik Sinner taking on John Isner.

Ninth seed Cameron Norrie will close the day's play on Centre Court against American Steve Johnson following Djokovic's match.

In doubles action, third seeds Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski join sixth-seeded Colombians Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah as the day's headliners.

View Singles Draw | View Doubles Draw | View Schedule

[5] Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) vs. Oscar Otte (GER)

Alcaraz's wait for his Centre Court debut continues, with this matchup slated for Court 1, but the Spaniard's bid to extend his best Wimbledon run is firmly in his own hands. The 19-year-old will look to control the proceedings against Otte with his all-action style as he continues to adapt his game to the grass.

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What If John Isner Only Hit First Serves?

Here's a thought experiment: If John Isner hit ONLY first serves, would he win or lose more service games than his career average?

For clarity, the 37-year-old would still get two serves every point. But if he missed his first serve, he would hit another full-pace serve instead of a traditional second serve with more spin and less pace.

“I have a buddy who is super into analytics, and he is a really smart guy and he is a firm believer that is something I should do. Just going for two first serves,” said Isner, who on Friday is likely to set a new world record for most career aces, needing just five against Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon third round to pass current leader Ivo Karlovic.

“There have been some situations where I have had the mindset of doing that, where my second serves have been massive. Less of a kick, more two first serves and it has served me well in the past. The key is to really, really commit to it."

If only there were a way to stress test the idea. Enter Alex Michaels, a data scientist for TennisViz, the provider driving new statistical insights for Tennis Data Innovations, including new metrics such as Balance of Power, Conversion and Steal scores.

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