Looking for Tennis and Racket Sports International News?

Hubert Hurkacz has his eyes on the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin.

The Pole captured his second ATP Masters 1000 title on Sunday at the Rolex Shanghai Masters and has now climbed to 11th in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin, 335 points behind Holger Rune, who currently occupies the all-important eighth spot.

“Coming to this couple of weeks starting here in Shanghai I knew I [had] to give myself a chance, I need to be winning tournaments, so that's a pretty good start,” Hurkacz said of his Turin hopes. “I mean, just an amazing week here in Shanghai. I really enjoyed it here with the team, but ultimately, we just want to get better every single day and improve, enjoy those moments, but we're just going to try our best and then just keep fighting and keep competing.”

The 26-year-old, who competed at the prestigious year-end event in 2021, battled hard against Andrey Rublev in Sunday’s final, saving one match point en route to his seventh tour-level crown. Hurkacz holds a 7-1 record in tour-level finals.

“Andrey was playing some really good tennis, and I knew I had to produce the shots, so I was just trying to stay out there and compete as hard as I could and to keep positive self-talk and then keep the belief until the end,” Hurkacz said. “At the end of the day, it's a final, and you want to just give it all you got out there.”

With just four weeks until the Nitto ATP Finals, the home stretch of the 2023 season continues this week with action in Tokyo, Stockholm and Antwerp.

Defending champion Taylor Fritz returns to the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships as the top seed at the ATP 500, while defending champ Holger Rune is back at the BNP Paribas Nordic Open in Sweden and Stefanos Tsitsipas leads the field at the European Open in Belgium.

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

[ATP APP]

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN TOKYO

Hubert Hurkacz captured his second ATP Masters 1000 title in dramatic fashion on Sunday at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, where he saved one match point to defeat Andrey Rublev 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(8).

In a heavy-hitting final, the Pole used his booming serve to great effect in key moments. He fired 21 aces, won 81 per cent (57/70) of his first-serve points and hung tough deep in the third set, saving one championship point at 5/6 in the third-set tie-break before converting on his fourth opportunity to earn his second Top 10 win of the season after two hours and nine minutes.

"It was such a battle," Hurkacz said. "Especially emotionally. I had a match point and Andrey hit an amazing serve and then he had a match point and then I had some match points. It was back and forth and such a tricky match. Andrey was playing some great shots. I was trying to respond. It was one of those matches and I kept believing and I am super happy with how I managed at the end.

"It is such a big tournament and so much tradition. It is a huge event and I am really happy now."

Never forget ?

The moment @HubertHurkacz wins the biggest title of his season.#RolexShanghaiMasters | @SH_RolexMasters pic.twitter.com/RWYlTRqJIC

Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos captured their fifth ATP Masters 1000 title and first of the season together on Sunday when they overcame fourth seeds Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden 5-7, 6-2, 10-7 at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.

The seventh seeds did not drop a set en route to the final but were made to work hard by Bopanna and Ebden, who were chasing their third trophy of the season as a team.

After dropping serve in the 12th game of the first set to lose the opener, Granollers and Zeballos responded by racing into a 4-0 lead in the second set. They won 53 per cent (8/15) of points on Bopanna and Ebden’s first serves in the set to level before converting on their third match point in the Match Tie-break to triumph after 84 minutes.

"We were playing against a great team," Zeballos said. "They were serving very well, doing great stuff but I think the most important thing was to stay confident and keep talking. At the end we were playing really good tennis."

[ATP APP]

Two of the ATP Tour's great power players will meet on Sunday in the Rolex Shanghai Masters singles final. While both Andrey Rublev and Hubert Hurkacz are sure to light up the radar gun, the two competitors —  both in search of a second ATP Masters 1000 crown — will attack the match in very different ways.

Rublev, this year's Monte-Carlo champion, is most effective from the ground. His bruising baseline game helped him to the biggest triumph of his career earlier this season on the Monaco clay, and it has provided the foundation for the fifth seed's run to the Shanghai final.

"Andrey, obviously, hits every single ball 200 kilometres per hour, and he just goes after the shots," Hurkacz said of Rublev, who has not lost a set in five wins. "He just brings so much energy on the court. He's a great competitor."

[ATP APP]

Hurkacz's game is largely built around his booming serve, a weapon that helped him defeat Sebastian Korda without facing a break point in the semi-finals. The Pole's prime deliveries often set him up to attack on serve (if they come back into play) and also free him up to be aggressive on return.

They may be good friends off the court, but Andrey Rublev and Grigor Dimitrov held nothing back during their semi-final clash Saturday at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.

It was the fifth-seeded Rublev who prevailed 7-6(7), 6-3 in a highly physical encounter to book a championship-match meeting with Hubert Hurkacz at the ATP Masters 1000 event in China. Rublev saved a set point before claiming a lung-busting 76-minute first set in a tie-break and then rallied from 0-2 in the second set to reach Sunday’s final.

“It’s not easy when you win matches against friends, because you feel both sides,” reflected Rublev, who is now into his fourth Masters 1000 final. “You feel sad, but at the same time you want to win. It’s a mix of feelings.”

The quest for multiple Masters 1000 titles in a season is ?@AndreyRublev97 defeats Grigor Dimitrov 7-6(7), 6-3 to make the final in Shanghai.#RolexShanghaiMasters | @SH_RolexMasters pic.twitter.com/VL6J4ov0oh

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 14, 2023

Despite each pushing their opponent to their physical limits by continuously striking firmly off both wings from the baseline, the pair’s mutual respect was showcased at a key moment in the first-set tie-break. Rublev led 3/2 and fired an unreturned first serve which Dimitrov believed had clipped the net, but no let was detected by the on-court system. Rublev graciously offered to replay the point, but Dimitrov insisted the call should stand.

Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden delivered a dominant display in tie-breaks on Saturday to book their spot in the championship match at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.

The fourth seeds prevailed 7-6(0), 4-6, 10-2 against Fabien Reboul and Sadio Doumbia at the Chinese ATP Masters 1000 event. Bopanna and Ebden raised their level in the first-set tie-break and again in the Match Tie-break to claim a one-hour, 40-minute triumph inside Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena.

With their victory, Bopanna and Ebden sealed qualification for the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals. It will be their team debut at the prestigious season-ending event.

In Saturday’s semi-final clash in Shanghai, Doumbia and Reboul saved all four break points they faced but were still unable to advance to their maiden Masters 1000 final. Bopanna and Ebden, champions in Indian Wells and Doha already this season, cruised through the Match Tie-break to set a championship-match meeting with seventh seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos in China.

Can Hubert Hurkacz’s booming delivery help the Pole go all the way at the Rolex Shanghai Masters?

The 16th-seeded Pole produced a serving masterclass on Saturday to down Sebastian Korda 6-3, 6-4 and reach the championship match at the ATP Masters 1000 event. Hurkacz did not face a break point as he consistently found unreturnable deliveries to prevent Korda making any inroads on return, and he notched a break in each set to ease to a 77-minute victory.

With his triumph, Hurkacz advanced to a Masters 1000 final for the third consecutive season. The Pole lifted the trophy in Miami in 2021 and was a finalist in Montreal in 2022. He will take on fifth seed Andrey Rublev or 18th seed Grigor Dimitrov in Sunday’s championship match.

More to follow…

In their first season as a team, Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden will compete in the Nitto ATP Finals. The Indian-Australian duo qualified for the season finale by reaching the final of the Rolex Shanghai Masters.

Bopanna and Ebden will join Ivan Dodig/Austin Krajicek and Wesley Koolhof/Neal Skupski at the year-end championships, which will be held at the Pala Alpitour in Turin from 12-19 November.

After losing their first two matches together this season, Bopanna and Ebden made the final in Rotterdam. They have not looked back since.

The duo triumphed at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Indian Wells and also lifted the trophy in Doha. Bopanna and Ebden also reached a major final at the US Open and another Masters 1000 final in Madrid.

This will be Bopanna’s fourth appearance in the Nitto ATP Finals and his first since 2015. All four of his qualifications have come with different partners. Ebden will compete in the season finale for the first time.

The ATP regrets to confirm the cancellation of the 2023 Tel Aviv Watergen Open (scheduled 5-11 November) due to security concerns following the outbreak of war in the region.

“The violence and acts of terror witnessed in Israel are beyond comprehension. We strongly condemn any form of terrorism and mourn the loss of innocent lives across this conflict. We hope and pray for peace in the region,” said Andrea Gaudenzi, ATP Chairman.

The decision to cancel the ATP 250-level tournament was taken in close consultation with security experts, with the safety of players, staff and fans as a priority.

Former ATP Tour player and University of Southern California coach Dick Leach passed away Tuesday, 10 October at the age of 83. Leach led USC to four NCAA men’s championships as the head coach of his alma mater, where he also achieved All-American honours as a player.

Leach earned a program record 540 wins in his 23-year USC coaching career from 1980-2002. He won four NCAA championships, including three in four years (1991, 1993 and 1994) and ended his USC coaching career with a national title in 2002. During his tenure, the Trojans collected three NCAA doubles titles and two NCAA singles crowns.

A three-time ITA Coach of the Year, Leach was inducted into the USC Athletics Hall of Fame in 2003. His USC teams won seven conference championships, with Leach earning five Pac-12 Coach of the Year honours.

A memorable moment came when Leach’s two sons, Rick and Jon, contributed to USC’s success under their father’s tutelage. A four-time All-American, Rick won two NCAA doubles titles (1986 and 1987) and Jon, who was a two-time All-American, was a fixture on his father's first three national championship teams.

Before his coaching career started, the California native Leach earned a 12-11 record on the ATP Tour. Leach was a three-year letterwinner at USC (1959-61) under former head coach George Toley.

Borna Coric dreamed up a well-rounded creation when he sat down with ATP Uncovered to build his perfect player.

He began with two ground strokes that "cannot miss" — Juan Martin del Potro's forehand and Novak Djokovic's backhand — citing the dependable power of Del Potro and the unmatched control of Djokovic. "The last time he missed it was probably 10 years ago," he said of the Serbian's backhand.

[ATP APP]

Coric selected a mix of past and present stars, including legends of the sport when looking at net play and the serve.

Of one International Tennis Hall of Famer, Coric said: "I was always looking up to him... He was my idol."

After an illustrious 24-year career on the ATP Tour, how is Roger Federer adapting to life in his first 12 months away from the court? The 20-time major champion is relishing time with family and maintaining a busy schedule while also staying in shape and keeping tabs on the sport.

“I have tried to go to the gym four times a week, which I can't believe I'm actually doing,” Federer said. “At home, I put some machines in that I got literally the week after the Laver Cup in London. So it was like after my career, I finally had a gym. A little bit weird to have it once I was retired, so now I have to use it. So I do that well. I don't play so much tennis anymore so I have to be a little bit more careful what I eat and stuff. I’d still like to play some exhibitions down the road. So I want to stay in shape.”

Federer retired at last year’s Laver Cup, where in his final match he partnered longtime friend and rival Rafael Nadal against Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe. Despite not competing anymore, the Swiss remains close to the Tour.

[ATP APP]

“I follow results almost daily. I like to see what's going on out there," Federer said in his extended interview with Ursin Caderas of ATP Media. "Mostly highlights, I maybe go on YouTube and check four or five minute highlights to get a bit of a feel for the match a bit more. It's hard for me to sit through matches, just because I don't have the time to be honest. With the children and all the stuff that's going on in my life, it's hard to say like, ‘Okay, on that day, I will watch that match.’

Even in retirement, Roger Federer's popularity in China shows no sign of waning.

The former World No. 1 and 103-time tour-level titlist was honoured Friday at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, where Chinese fans had the chance to pay tribute to the Swiss great for the first time since his retirement in September 2022.

Federer was presented with an Icon Athlete Award in a ceremony that also featured home WTA legend Li Na and the No. 1 Chinese player in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, Zhang Zhizhen.

“It’s been great to see tennis grow in China. One icon is standing here and a future superstar in the making there,” said Federer of Li and Zhang, the latter of whom this year became the first home player to reach the fourth round at Shanghai's Masters 1000 event.

Zhang Zhizhen, Roger Federer and Li Na on Friday in Shanghai. Photo Credit: Wang Zhao/AFP via Getty Images

Andrey Rublev moved to within two wins of capturing his second ATP Masters 1000 title on Friday at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.

The World No. 7, who is the highest-ranked player remaining in the draw, defeated Frenchman Ugo Humbert 6-2, 6-3 to reach the semi-finals in China and further boost his Nitto ATP Finals qualification chances.

Rublev played on the front foot throughout the one-hour, 31-minute clash, striking his flat groundstrokes with power to push Humbert deep. He also recovered from a squandering a break advantage in the second set, winning the final four games to improve to 3-2 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series against Humbert and avenging his defeat to the Frenchman in Beijing earlier this month.

"The match in Beijing, both of us played great tennis and I had chances. I was serving for the match. He was playing really well that match and I tried to analyse what I did wrong that match," said Rublev, who struck 14 winners. "I tried to not make the same mistakes today and I did really well. I am happy to win in straight sets. I played a great match and I am happy to win today."

Rublev now holds a 17-6 record at ATP Masters 1000 events in 2023, highlighted by his title run in Monte-Carlo. Into his sixth semi-final at this level, the 25-year-old will next meet Grigor Dimitrov as he continues the pursuit of his third title of the year.

Grigor Dimitrov backed up his upset of Carlos Alcaraz in style on Friday at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, where the Bulgarian downed Nicolas Jarry 7-6(2), 6-4 to reach the semi-finals for the first time at the Chinese ATP Masters 1000 event.

The 18th-seeded Dimitrov delivered a rock-solid display in the face of a big-serving barrage from Jarry to advance to the last four in Shanghai for the first time in seven attempts. He made just three unforced errors in his one-hour, 39-minute victory, frequently showcasing his high-quality movement around the court and delighting the crowd inside Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena with some breathtaking hand skills.

“I think there were many components going the right way today,” said Dimitrov, who himself dropped just four points behind first serve in the match. “For me, he is one of the best servers right now. I’ve played him a couple of times, and I feel like every time it gets tougher and tougher to return against him. In the most important moments, I was able to be just solid, nothing else.

“I don’t think I did anything crazy in those moments, I just kept on believing in my game, kept going after my shots. You don’t get many opportunities against him, especially in the beginning it’s very difficult because he doesn’t give you any rhythm… I was trying to apply pressure with the hope that he might make a few mistakes, and he did.”

Dimitrov had notched his biggest win of the season by beating World No. 2 Alcaraz in the fourth round in Shanghai, but he entered Friday’s match with Jarry having lost both of the pair’s previous Lexus ATP Head2Head clashes. He appeared the more settled throughout, however, as he dominated the first-set tie-break before claiming a decisive break in the seventh game of the second set. It was just the second time the Chilean had dropped serve all tournament.

Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos’ red-hot run at the Rolex Shanghai Masters continued Friday. The Spanish-Argentine pair eased past Rinky Hijikata and Cameron Norrie 6-2, 6-3 to reach the final at the ATP Masters 1000.

The seventh-seeded Granollers and Zeballos converted four of seven break points they earned in a 63-minute triumph inside Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena. They have now won all eight sets they have played this year in Shanghai, where they are seeking their fifth Masters 1000 title as a team and their first since Cincinnati in 2021.

Next stop: Masters 1000 final ?@HoracioZeballos and @M_Granollers defeat Cameron Norrie and Rinky Hijikata 6-2, 6-3 to reach the doubles final in Shanghai.#RolexShanghaiMasters | @SH_RolexMasters pic.twitter.com/8AEMIFOCA9

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 13, 2023

Granollers and Zeballos’ Shanghai run has already boosted their hopes of qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals for the fourth straight year. They have risen two spots to fourth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings as a result of their exploits so far in China.

Standing in their way in Sunday’s championship match will be the winner of Saturday’s semi-final clash between fourth seeds Rohan Bopanna/Matthew Ebden and Sadio Doumbia/Fabien Reboul.

The Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships is the longest-running ATP Tour tournament in Asia, first held in 1972. Former champions include Stefan Edberg, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

Here's what you need to know ahead of the tournament in Japan:

When is the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships?

The ATP 500 event will be held from 16-22 October. The hard-court tournament will take place at the Ariake Tennis Forest Park. The tournament director is Shigefusa Kanroji.

Who is playing at the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships?

Taylor Fritz, Casper Ruud, Alexander Zverev and Alex de Minaur are among those in action.

When is the draw for Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships?

Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships singles draw will be made on Saturday, 14 October at 12 p.m.

What is the schedule for the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships?

* Qualifying: Saturday, 14 October at 11 a.m. and Sunday, 15 October at 11 a.m.
* Main Draw: Monday, 16 October - Thursday, 19 October at 11 p.m and 6 p.m. Friday, October 20 at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday, 21 October at 2 p.m.
* Doubles Final: Sunday, 22 October at 2 p.m.
* Singles Final: Sunday, 22 October not before 4:30 p.m.

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

What is the prize money and points for the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships?

The prize money for the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships is $1,857,660 and the Total Financial Commitment is $2,022,700.

Andrey Rublev cannot qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals during the Rolex Shanghai Masters, but he can put himself on the doorstep of Turin. 

The highest-seeded player remaining in the ATP Masters 1000 draw, Rublev has a big opportunity to move closer to securing his fourth appearance at the season finale, which will be played from 12-19 November at the Pala Alpitour in Turin.

The 25-year-old began the tournament 105 points ahead of sixth-placed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin. By the end of the event, he would hold a 1,060-point lead over the Greek should he win the title.

Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin Standings

Players	Points
5) Andrey Rublev	3,855
6) Stefanos Tsitsipas	3,615
7) Alexander Zverev	3,415
8) Holger Rune	3,110
9) Taylor Fritz	2,875
10) Casper Ruud	2,795

The players currently between sixth and 14th in the Live Race all lost before the quarter-finals in Shanghai and only two members of that group — 10th-placed Casper Ruud and 11th-placed Tommy Paul — reached the Round of 16.

At his best, Sebastian Korda’s game appears effortless. The American crushes the ball with smooth strokes and often takes the racquet out of his opponent’s hand. It is that aggressive tennis that has helped the 23-year-old reach his first ATP Masters 1000 semi-final this week at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.

But finding this level has not been easy for Korda, who has struggled throughout the year with a wrist injury.

“My injury actually started last year, probably around this time. I was battling with a wrist, then it was okay, then it got progressively worse during the training block right before the Australian Open,” Korda said. “I played in Adelaide, it was okay. As I started playing best-of-five, a lot of matches, against a lot of really big servers, especially going to the forehand, it was difficult. It started hurting a lot.

“Then, it was just a super long journey from there. I was out for three months, and just had to re-learn, basically, all the tennis stuff that I did, especially with the wrist. Basically every single practice, every single forehand that I hit, I was kind of just praying that it would stop hurting, and it just never would."

KORDAAAAA!!

Seb Korda reaches his first Masters semi-final in a nail-biting match against fellow American Shelton 6-7(10), 6-2, 7-6(6)!#RolexShanghaiMasters | @SH_RolexMasters pic.twitter.com/2K2qrYY9cT