2018 in review: Juan Martin del Potro and Frances Tiafoe lift trophies
* ATP 500 Rio de Janeiro: Diego Schwartzman (ARG) vs Fernando Verdasco (ESP) 6-2 6-3
The 6th seed Diego Schwartzman was last man standing at the ATP 500 event in Rio de Janeiro, overpowering Fernando Verdasco 6-2 6-3 in an hour and 23 minutes for his second and biggest ATP title in a career so far that propelled him into the top-20 on the following day. This was their second meeting and the Argentinian had the upper hand from start to finish, saving eight out of nine break points to keep the pressure on Verdasco and stealing the Spaniard's serve four times from five chances to claim a commanding win without losing a set and join Rafael Nadal, David Ferrer, Pablo Cuevas and Dominic Thiem on the list of champions here in Rio.
This was the second tournament of the Golden swing for Diego after Buenos Aires a week earlier and he notched triumphs over Casper Rudd, Federico Delbonis, Gael Monfils, Nicolas Jarry and the Spanish veteran to grab his first title at this level. Unlike his matches against Dominic Thiem or Fabio Fognini in the previous rounds, Verdasco was unable to impose his shots and Diego penetrated his second serve with ease, winning more than 50% of the return points and taking the upper hand in the most important points to emerge as a winner. It was a rather slow start on both sides, with back-to-back breaks in the opening two games and three more break chances up for grabs for Verdasco in game three.
Schwartzman finally found his shots to repel them all and this gave him the confidence that carried him through the rest of the set. He broke at love in game six after a poor forehand from Fernando and once again in game eight following a loose backhand from the Spaniard to claim the opener 6-2 in just 32 minutes. The second set was more competitive and Verdasco was in the better position to earn an early lead and take control over the scoreboard. Diego saved a break point with a smash winner in game three and he was in even bigger problems in the service game that followed, facing four break points at 2-2!
Fernando had a chance in all of those but he failed to make that one last step and score a break, making error after error to squander all the opportunities. As it often happens, the Spaniard wasted three game points in the following game to get broken after a forehand error and he couldn't pull it back, with Schwartzman closing the match with a hold at 15 after a service winner in game nine for his first title in almost two years.
* ATP 250 Marseille: Karen Khachanov (RUS) vs Lucas Pouille (FRA) 7-5 3-6 7-5
The 21-year-old Karen Khachanov lifted his second ATP title in Marseille, beating the 3rd seed Lucas Pouille 7-5 3-6 7-5 in an hour and 49 minutes for his first ATP crown since Chengdu in 2016. This was their first meeting on the Tour and Karen had the upper hand with his second serve, creating 10 break points and scoring three breaks, including the pivotal one in the last game of the match that decided the winner. The Russian lost just 21 points in 16 service games and he played against only three break points, losing serve once in set one and two.
They were neck and neck in the first 10 games of the third set and Pouille lost his focus in the worst possible moment, getting broken while serving to send the match into a deciding tie-break and missing the opportunity to win the second title of the season in front of the home crowd after conquering Montpellier two weeks ago. Karen was in the league of his own in the opening four service games and he broke in game three when Lucas sent a forehand long. The Russian served for the set at 5-4 but instead of an easy hold, Pouille broke him with a backhand down the line winner to level the score at 5-5 and prolong the set.
The Frenchman couldn't build the momentum on this and he suffered another break in game 11 to let Karen serve for the set again. Khachanov made no mistake like in the previous game and a service winner gave him the opener after 36 minutes, moving closer to the finish line. The second set was also very close, with one loose service game for each player, and this time it was Lucas who prevailed in the crucial moment to grab it 6-3. Khachanov earned two break points in the first game of the set but he couldn't capitalize and gain the advantage.
He had to pay the price in game six when Pouille broke to move 4-2 ahead and the set was in his hands after a solid backhand down the line that Karen failed to return over the net at 5-3. They saved the best tennis for the final set and returners won only 10 points in the first 11 games, leaving Pouille to serve to stay in the match at 5-6. The Russian pulled his best returns when it mattered the most and he wasted a match point with a poor smash that he could have hit better. Nonetheless, another match point followed and this time he moved over the top when Lucas netted a forehand. Karen won only five matches in the opening four tournaments of 2018 and this was his only good results for the next couple of months as well before he found the form in the closing stages of the year to almost crack the top-10.
* ATP 250 Delray Beach: Frances Tiafoe (USA) vs Peter Gojowczyk (GER) 6-1 6-4
Frances Tiafoe arrived in Delray Beach pumped after his first ATP quarter-final in New York in the previous week and he received a wild card to play in the main draw in Florida. Ranked 91st, Frances took down Matthew Ebden, Juan Martin del Potro, Hyeon Chung, Denis Shapovalov and Peter Gojowczyk to go all the way and lift his first career title! In the title match, Frances defeated Gojowczyk 6-1 6-4 in 61 minutes for his biggest result so far and he also became the first player born in 1998 who managed to win an ATP title.
The young American saved four out of five break points to keep the pressure on Peter and the German was nowhere near his form from the previous matches, serving at only 48% and getting broken four times from six opportunities he offered to Frances. Tiafoe fired 13 aces and also seven double faults and his first serve stood as an unsolved enigma for the German, winning 24 out of 27 points after landing it in. He also had the advantage in the rallies, pushing rival's backhand to the limits and winning almost 50% of the points on the return to roundup his triumph in style. Tiafoe was hoping for a good start and he earned a break already in the second game when Gojowczyk sprayed a backhand error.
The American fends off a break point with an ace in the next game and he earned another break in game four with a return winner, increasing his lead to 4-0 and gaining confidence before the rest of the encounter. A service winner pushed Frances 5-0 in front and he closed the set with another good hold in game seven when shaky Gojowczyk failed to return rival's serve after just 25 minutes. Peter wasted a break point in the second game of set number two that could have given him some confidence and breathing space and he got broken a few minutes later after another sharp return from Tiafoe who was now in full control.
The German managed to stop rival's assault in game four when he scored his only break to level the score at 2-2 but his momentum lasted only for one game as Frances broke again in the following game after a terrible forehand from Gojowczyk to restore the order. The youngster held at love in game six with three unreturned serves to move 4-2 ahead and they both served well in the remaining games, with Tiafoe serving for the crown at 5-4. In one of the most important games of his career up to that point, Frances delivered a hold at love to fall to the ground in disbelief and become the youngest American champion on the Tour since Andy Roddick in Houston 2002.
* ATP 500 Dubai: Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) vs Lucas Pouille (FRA) 6-3 6-4
The top seed Grigor Dimitrov had to leave Dubai after the first round, losing to Malek Jaziri, and there were the second and third seed Lucas Pouille and Roberto Bautista Agut who reached the final and saved the honour for the seeded players. After an hour and 21 minutes, the Spaniard defeated the Frenchman 6-3 6-4 for his second ATP title of the season and the eight overall, the first above ATP 250 level! This was their fourth meeting, the first since the US Open 2016 and Roberto grabbed the third win, saving three out of four break points and stealing rival's serve three times to emerge as a champion and become the first Dubai winner from Spain since 2006 and Rafael Nadal.
Bautista Agut broke in game four to seize the opening set and he came from a 3-1 down in set number two to close the match in straight sets and cross the finish line. The Spaniard controlled the pace in the opening set, losing just five points on serve and keeping the pressure on Lucas, who couldn't endure it. The Frenchman served at only 55% and he faced six break points, losing serve in game four after a double fault to send Roberto 3-1 up. A backhand down the line winner got Bautista Agut out from jail in game five and he could have broke Pouille again in the following game after creating two break points.
Lucas saved them to stay within one break deficit but he didn't have a chance to get the break back in the rest of the set as Roberto sealed it with a service winner in game nine for a 6-3 after 34 minutes. The Frenchman struggled more and more with his first serve and it dropped down to 43% in set number two, facing three more break points. Still, he grabbed the lead in game four when Bautista Agut played a loose forehand but it was a short-lived one, getting broken at 15 in the very next game to lose his advantage following a deep return from the Spaniard.
The crucial moment came in game nine when Bautista Agut broke again to gain a 5-4 lead and he sealed the deal with a solid forehand attack in the next game to celebrate his biggest title in a career. In addition, Roberto became the first player outside the Top 10 to lift the title in Dubai since Fabrice Santoro in 2002 and this was the best way to end the three-match losing streak.
* ATP 500 Acapulco: Juan Martin del Potro (ARG) vs Kevin Anderson (RSA) 6-4 6-4
World number 9 and the 6th seed Juan Martin del Potro lifted his 21st ATP crown from 31 finals after a 6-4 6-4 triumph over the 5th seed Kevin Anderson in an hour and 40 minutes. This was the first ATP 500 title for del Potro since 2013 when he conquered Rotterdam, Washington, Tokyo and Basel and his fourth in the last five seasons overall. Interestingly, this was their seventh meeting and Anderson is yet to beat the Argentinian, winning just two sets in total against a former Grand Slam champion.
Del Potro made the difference with his second serve, dropping just 16 points in 10 service games and never facing a break point, waiting for the chance on the return patiently and converting two out of three break points, one in each set to bring the match home without too much trouble. It was a steady and smart performance from Juan Martin, using his slice to keep Kevin out of the comfort zone and taming his shots to reduce the number of unforced errors. Anderson was in a fine form before the final, winning the title in New York before heading to Acapulco but he didn't stand a chance against such a strong rival who did just about everything right on the court.
Both players served well in the opening six games and del Potro created a break point with a forehand winner in game seven, converting it after a backhand error from Anderson to move 4-3 ahead. The Argentinian held after a deuce in the following game with two winners to cement the break and he earned a set point on the return a few minutes, playing much better than his rival in those moments. Kevin saved it with an ace to prolong the set and he again reached a deuce on the return in game 10 when Juan Martin served for the set. Del Potro kept his composure and he brought it home with an ace, hoping for more of the same in set number two.
The second set was more fluid, offering only one break point and no deuces, and it was decided in the third game after a forehand winner from del Potro (Kevin fell down in the previous point and he asked for a medical timeout which took the rhythm out of him). The Argentinian lost just five points in five service games and he sealed the deal with three winners in that last game to celebrate the title, happy with the way he performed after a poor run in Melbourne and Delray Beach.
* ATP 250 Sao Paulo: Fabio Fognini (ITA) vs Nicolas Jarry (CHI) 1-6 6-1 6-4
The Italian number one and the 2nd seed in Sao Paulo claimed his sixth ATP title and the first since Gstaad last year after a 1-6 6-1 6-4 win over the Chilean Nicolas Jarry in an hour and 33 minutes. Fabio lost in the semi-final of Rio de Janeiro in the previous week and he managed to go two steps further here to keep himself in the Top 20 ahead of Sam Querrey. This was the first ATP final for Jarry and he was off to a perfect start, winning the opening set in dominant style before Fognini seized the control to claim set number two by the same scoreline, sending the match into a decider.
He opened it with a break before Nicolas pulled it back in game four, only to get broken again at 3-3 which sealed his fate, unable to make another comeback and win his fifth three-set match at this tournament and claim the maiden title. Jarry had just six aces and his second serve was in trouble, although he created the same number of breakpoints as Fabio, with both having to play against eight. The Italian scored four breaks and he gave his serve away on three occasions, all coming down to that extra break in the third set that he scored. Jarry was the only player on the court in the opening three games, winning the first 13 points of the match and breaking Fognini in game two for a commanding lead.
The Chilean lost just six points on serve in the entire set, setting the pace with his initial shot and forehand and breaking Fabio for the second time in game six when the Italian netted an easy forehand. Nicolas completed an almost perfect set with a forehand winner at 5-1 and he was on a good trail towards the first ATP crown. The second seed was in the real danger of losing this final in about an hour and he started to play better in the crucial points of the second set, saving all five break points in the opening two service games and stealing Jarry's serve twice to grab the set 6-1 and force a decider.
Nicolas lost the edge he had in the first part of the match and he couldn't stay in touch with his rival once Fognini found the range on the return and how to tame the youngster's forehand. The momentum was on Fabio's side and he opened the final set with a break at love after a backhand error from Jarry but Nicolas found the way to recover and break back in game four with a powerful forehand that stayed out of Fognini's reach, levelling the score at 2-2 for more drama. By the end of the match, we saw five easy holds and one loose service game from Jarry that cost him the title. He sent a wild forehand in game seven to drop serve and Fabio wrapped up the win with a service winner in game 10, celebrating his first ATP title since July 2017.
from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2QM8jBX
No comments