Fils, Stricker among qualifiers for tennis’ Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah

World No. 36 Arthur Fils will take part at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah. (Supplied)
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Updated 09 November 2023
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Fils, Stricker among qualifiers for tennis’ Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah

  • Jordan’s Abdullah Shelbayh secures wild-card spot at 21-and-under event starting Nov. 28

JEDDAH: Tennis players Arthur Fils, Dominic Stricker, Luca Van Assche, and Flavio Cobolli have qualified for the Next Gen ATP Finals, to be held in Jeddah.

And Jordan’s Abdullah Shelbayh has received a wild card for the 21-and-under event, being staged at King Abdullah Sports City from Nov. 28 to Dec. 2.

Frenchman Fils, 19, has broken new ground on the Association of Tennis Professionals Tour this season after beginning the year at No. 251 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

The world No. 36 captured his first tour-level title in Lyon and reached the title match in Antwerp last month. Fils also enjoyed runs to the semi-finals in Montpellier, Marseille, and Hamburg and is now set to make his debut in Jeddah.

Fils’ countryman Van Assche will also line up at the Next Gen ATP Finals after qualifying for the first time. The 19-year-old has won two ATP Challenger Tour titles this year, with his best result on the ATP Tour a quarterfinal showing at the ATP 500 in Hamburg.

Swiss left-handed player Stricker will make his second appearance at the 21-and-under event after reaching the semi-finals last year. The 21-year-old has continued his development this season, highlighted by his run to the fourth round at the US Open. Stricker cracked the top 100 for the first time after his performance in New York.

Meanwhile, Cobolli’s standout end to the year has helped him seal his spot in Jeddah.

The 21-year-old Italian won an ATP Challenger Tour title in Lisbon in August and made finals at that level in Romania and Italy in recent weeks. The world No. 100 advanced to the quarterfinals in Munich in April.

Shelbayh will be the first Jordanian player to compete at the event after receiving a wild card. The 19-year-old has earned tour-level wins in Banja Luka and Metz this season and became the first player from Jordan to win an ATP Challenger Tour title when he triumphed in Charleston in October.

Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz and Dane Holger Rune are competing at the Nitto ATP Finals this month and are therefore exempt, while American Ben Shelton and Italian Lorenzo Musetti have withdrawn due to medical and personal reasons, respectively.


China’s Zheng downs Rybakina at WTA Finals

Updated 04 November 2024
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China’s Zheng downs Rybakina at WTA Finals

  • Zheng rebounded from her opening round-robin defeat by Aryna Sabalenka by claiming her first win from three meetings with Rybakina

RIYADH: Zheng Qinwen improved her chances of advancing to the semifinals at the WTA Finals with a 7-6 (7/4), 3-6, 6-1 victory over world No. 5 Elena Rybakina in Riyadh on Monday.

The seventh-seeded Zheng rebounded from her opening round-robin defeat by Aryna Sabalenka by claiming her first win from three meetings with Rybakina.

Meanwhile, Rybakina suffered a second defeat in as many matches this week in Saudi Arabia and is facing elimination, with one more round-robin clash to go against Sabalenka on Wednesday.

During her on-court interview, Zheng apologized to the Chinese fans in the stands for “losing control” of her emotions at one point during the match, admitting she was “harsh” in her reaction to them, and thanked them for their support.

“I’m really happy to have won this match because I never beat her before and she’s one of the greatest players right now on tour, huge serve and great groundstrokes,” said Zheng.

“I didn’t take my chances in the second set but I was able to come back in the third and I stayed focused.

“I had to stay really focused on my service games, because here, both of us are destroying our serves, it’s really tough to return.”

Zheng arrives in Riyadh on the back of an impressive second half of the season that saw her win titles in Palermo and Tokyo, and an Olympic gold medal in singles in Paris. No woman has won more matches than her within that span.

The first Chinese player to qualify for the WTA Finals since Li Na in 2013, Zheng amassed a 12-2 win-loss record during the Asian swing last month and is the tour leader in most aces struck and percentage of first-serve points won.

Rybakina’s second part of 2024 could not have been more different.

The Kazakh had played just two matches between Wimbledon and the WTA Finals as she struggled with allergies, insomnia, and a back injury.

After saving a pair of break points on her own serve in the third game, Zheng made her move, breaking Rybakina en route to a 4-1 advantage.

Rybakina wiped out her deficit, attacking Zheng’s second serve, and was soon on level terms at 4-4.

The set fittingly went to a tie-break which Zheng sealed on a long forehand from Rybakina on the 58-minute mark.

In a pattern similar to the opening set, Zheng carved out a lead in the second frame, only for Rybakina to strike back and even the score. This time though, the big-hitter took four games in a row to claim the second set and force a decider.

Zheng shook off early trouble on her serve in the final set before surging ahead 4-1. It was the boost she needed to wrap up the win — the ninth of her career against a top-10 opponent.


Sporting superstars attend opening of WTA Finals

Updated 04 November 2024
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Sporting superstars attend opening of WTA Finals

  • Al-Hilal star Neymar performs official coin toss on first day of the tournament
  • Arab tennis icon Ons Jabeur meets with fans

RIYADH: The stars of world sport came together for the opening day of the Women’s Tennis Association Finals in Riyadh on Saturday, adding excitement to this groundbreaking event.

Brazilian footballer Neymar carried out the official coin toss — which determines who serves first — ahead of the Paolini vs. Rybakina match. Tunisian tennis star Ons Jabeur also attended the opening ceremony alongside Saudi Tennis Federation President Arij Mutabagani and WTA Finals Tournament Director Garbine Muguruza.

Afterwards, Jabeur engaged with fans in the tournament fan village and took part in a Q&A session on stage, signing autographs and sharing her journey.

The fan zone also welcomed stars from the Ladies European Tour, who competed in the Aramco Team Series earlier in the week at Riyadh Golf Club, including golfers Anne Van Dam, Olivia Cowan and Marianne Skarpnord.

Monday’s play sees Elena Rybakina take on Olympic champion Qinwen Zheng, followed by world number one Aryna Sabalenka facing Jasmine Paolini.

The season-ending finals, which take place until Nov. 9, mark the first WTA tournament to be held in Saudi Arabia. They feature the world’s top eight female singles players and doubles pairings who are competing for the top spot in the PIF WTA World Rankings for the 2024 season.


Zverev dispatches Humbert in straight sets to win Paris Masters

Updated 04 November 2024
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Zverev dispatches Humbert in straight sets to win Paris Masters

  • The third-seeded Zverev was in total control of the final to earn his seventh Masters 1000 title, his first in the French capital
  • Zverev became the second German player to win in Paris after Boris Becker

PARIS: Alexander Zverev was imperious in dispatching Frenchman Ugo Humbert 6-2, 6-2 to win the Paris Masters on Sunday.

The third-seeded Zverev was in total control of the final to earn his seventh Masters 1000 title, his first in the French capital. The win also moved him past top-ranked Jannik Sinner for the most wins on the ATP tour this year, at 66.

Zverev’s big serve, excellent returns and great attacking shots did not take long to extinguish the hopes of the partisan crowd as Humbert never got into the match.

Humbert won’t have fond memories of his first Masters final. He tried to play aggressively from the start and to take all the risks to shorten rallies. But he could not find his range while Zverev defended extremely well.

The German quickly solved his rival’s serve and had his first break chance in the third game. He took it when Humbert sent a forehand into the net.

Humbert continued to make unforced errors. Trailing 3-1, he saved two break points but dropped his serve again when another shanked forehand sealed the game.

Zverev dropped just one point on his serve in the opening set and sealed it at love with an ace.

The 15th-seeded Humbert walked back to the locker room after the first set. The interlude didn’t change anything.

The Frenchman double-faulted on his return to the court, continued to make poor tactical decisions and was immediately broken with a forehand into the net. Another break gave Zverev a 3-0 lead as Humbert wasted a 40-0 lead and was never able to stage a comeback.

Zverev became the second German player to win in Paris after Boris Becker. He will overtake Carlos Alcaraz to move into second place in the new ATP rankings and will be a top contender at the ATP Finals gathering the top eight players of the season from Nov. 10-17 in Turin, Italy.


Swiatek and Gauff make winning starts to WTA Finals campaign in Riyadh

Updated 03 November 2024
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Swiatek and Gauff make winning starts to WTA Finals campaign in Riyadh

  • Polish superstar began her title defense with an almighty comeback
  • American had a more straightforward evening

RIYADH: Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff enjoyed winning starts to their WTA Finals campaigns in Riyadh on Sunday, albeit in contrasting fashion.

Swiatek began her title defense with an almighty comeback, rallying back from a set and a double-break down to overcome eighth-seeded Barbora Krejcikova 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 in two hours and 33 minutes.

The win was crucial for the Polish second seed to keep her hopes of wrestling back the number one ranking from Aryna Sabalenka alive.  

Meanwhile, third-ranked American Gauff had a more straightforward evening, completing a 6-3, 6-2 win over her compatriot and US Open finalist Jessica Pegula in 75 minutes.

“It was a tough match. She's always a tough opponent. And these conditions against her, it’s tough,” said Gauff, who snapped a three-match losing streak to Pegula.

“But overall, I think I'm just happy with how I played. Sometimes it was sloppy, sometimes it was great, but that's tennis. I thought we both were playing at a high level. I think I just, was able to break through on some of the more important points.”

Earlier at King Saud University Indoor Arena, making her first competitive appearance in two months, Swiatek fell behind 4-6, 0-3 before she mounted a successful comeback against Krejcikova.

"For sure it wasn’t easy. At the beginning I felt a bit rusty but I’m happy I found a way to play a little bit more solid," said Swiatek, who finished the match with a total tally of 10 aces.

"I tried to do the usual stuff that I do to control the ball a bit more because it was flying like crazy off my racquet.

"I knew I had this game in me, I just needed to find it. It was hard to be patient with that but at the end I’m glad I just kept it going and didn’t think what the score was."

Swiatek, a five-time major champion, skipped last month’s Asian swing and hadn’t played a match since her US Open quarter-final exit in early September.

The 23-year-old Pole parted ways with her coach of three years Tomasz Wiktorowski and debuted her new partnership with Belgian coach Wim Fissette at these WTA Finals.

Krejcikova is ranked 13 in the world but claimed a place in Riyadh as one of the tour’s best eight players due to a new rule implemented this season that gives priority to a grand slam champion that maintains a ranking between nine and 20 over the eighth-ranked player in the Race.

FIGHTBACK

Swiatek stared down three consecutive break points in her opening service game. She saved the first two but overcooked a forehand, sending it long to get broken at the start of the match.

A costly double fault saw Krejcikova fall behind 0-40 but the Czech swept the next five points to get out of trouble and inch ahead 4-2.

Swiatek saved a set point with a good serve in the ninth game to hold but Krejcikova was unnerved as she comfortably served out the set to take the lead in 47 minutes.

The two-time Grand Slam champion looked on her way to a comfortable straight-sets victory when she went up 3-0 with a double-break in the second set, punishing Swiatek’s second serve and benefitting from her opponent’s mistimed shots.

But that only sparked a fightback from Swiatek, who erased her deficit by grabbing the next four games to take the lead for the first time in the match.

Krejcikova double-faulted at a crucial moment, handing Swiatek two set point opportunities in game 12. Swiatek converted her second chance to clinch the set and force a decider.

That took the wind out of Krejcikova’s sails as Swiatek quickly carved a 5-0 gap. 

Swiatek got broken while serving for the match but quickly self-corrected, breaking Krejcikova in game eight to seal the win.

With Sabalenka’s opening round win over Zheng Qinwen on Saturday, Swiatek will now need to win the title, while winning at least two round robin matches, in order to secure the year-end number one ranking.


Sabalenka kick offs WTA Finals campaign with win over Olympic champ Qinwen

Updated 02 November 2024
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Sabalenka kick offs WTA Finals campaign with win over Olympic champ Qinwen

  • Sabalenka is eyeing a maiden trophy at the prestigious season finale in Riyadh after finishing second two years ago

RIYADH: World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka commenced her WTA Finals campaign in Riyadh on Saturday with her fifth victory in as many meetings with the current Olympic champion, China’s Zheng Qinwen, posting a 6-3, 6-4 result.

Facing off for the fifth time in the last 14 months, Sabalenka and Zheng opened the action at the first-ever professional women’s tennis tournament in Saudi Arabia in front of a near capacity crowd at King Saud University Indoor Arena.

The Belarusian top seed needed just one hour and 24 minutes to defeat Zheng, dropping a mere two points behind her first serve throughout the contest.

A runner-up at the WTA Finals in Fort Worth, Texas two years ago, Sabalenka is eyeing a maiden trophy at the prestigious season finale, which would also guarantee her the year-end top ranking.

“It’s going to mean everything for me, that’s one of my dreams and I really worked hard in the past years and I really hope that one day I’ll be able to hold this beautiful trophy,” said Sabalenka, 26, on court.

“Qinwen is such a great player and we always had great battles against each other. She’s playing really aggressive tennis. I’m super happy with the win, especially against such a tough opponent.

“I think I served really well today and I put her under so much pressure on her serve. So I think my serve helped me tonight.”

Saudi Tennis Federation President Arij Mutabagani, tournament director and former world No. 1 Garbine Muguruza, and the highest-ranked African and Arab player in history, Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur, kicked-off proceedings by welcoming the crowd and the tennis tour to Riyadh in a pre-match opening ceremony.

Very little separated the players in the opening set as both dominated the points behind their first serves, Sabalenka winning 18/19 and Zheng winning 13/16.

But it was the second serve where Sabalenka found an edge, and after she saved a break point in the third game, the top seed broke for a 4-2 advantage and sealed a one-set lead in 39 minutes.

With Chinese supporters representing the majority of the crowd and rallying behind their Olympic hero, Zheng was near clinical through the first eight games of the second set.   

But Sabalenka upped the ante in game nine, converting her second break point opportunity to inch ahead and she closed out the win on her own serve minutes later.

In a bizarre incident, Sabalenka had to wait at the net for a short moment before Zheng realized she had actually lost the match.

Sabalenka, a three-time Grand Slam champion, has now won her last seven consecutive matches against top-10 opposition.