2018 in review: Rafael Nadal reigns in Paris. Novak Djokovic returns
* ATP 250 Lyon: Dominic Thiem (AUT) vs Gilles Simon (FRA) 3-6 7-6(2) 6-1
World number 8 Dominic Thiem made an early exit in Rome and he didn't change his original plans, entering the ATP 250 event in Lyon just before Roland Garros and winning his 10th ATP crown, the second of the season after Buenos Aires. The Austrian took down Gilles Simon 3-6 7-6 6-1 in the title match in two hours and 25 minutes, spending a grueling eight and a half hours on the court in four matches en route to the title, not the smartest thing to do a few days before his first match in Paris. Anyhow, he managed to battle past the home player after a slow start, trailing 6-3 4-2 40-15 and facing a defeat before he raised his level to pull the break back and win the tie break 7-1, boosting his chances in the decider where he lost just one game.
This was the 200th ATP win for Thiem and he is the fourth player born in the 90's who achieved that after Milos Raonic, Grigor Dimitrov and David Goffin. The Austrian saved five out of seven break points and he won 42% of the return points, scoring four breaks from nine opportunities to emerge as a winner after finding his range in the deciding set when Simon lost the energy to continue on the level he had in the first half of the match. The Frenchman lost just five points on serve in the opening set and he broke Thiem in the sixth game when Dominic sent a backhand long, closing the set on own serve in game nine with a forehand down the line winner for a 6-3.
Nothing seemed to be working for Dominic and he sprayed another error at the start of the second set to lose serve at love, with Gilles forging a 4-2 lead after saving three break points in game six. Facing the exit door in the following game, Thiem fends off two break points with a backhand down the line winners and those shots kept him alive. Simon wasted three game points in the next game and Dominic broke back to level the score at 4-4 and extend the match and his chances. The returners have won just three points in the last four games and the winner of the set was to be decided in the tie break.
Thiem lost the opening point but he claimed seven of the following eight, clinching the set with a volley winner to send the match into a decider. Simon had nothing more left in the tank after wasting a huge lead, serving at only 39% and winning 11 points on his serve in four games to suffer three breaks. Thiem had the momentum and he broke at love in the opening game, cementing his advantage with another break in game three. He saved three break points in the following game to keep his serve intact and the trophy was in his hands after a forehand down the line winner in game seven, earning another break to book the trip to Paris with tiredness but satisfaction after his 10th ATP title.
* ATP 250 Geneva: Marton Fucsovics (HUN) vs Peter Gojowczyk (GER) 6-2 6-2
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* Grand Slam Roland Garros: Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs Dominic Thiem (AUT) 6-4 6-3 6-2
As was expected before the start of the tournament, Rafael Nadal and Dominic Thiem set up the final clash at Roland Garros and it was the Spaniard who reigned supreme once again in Paris, toppling the Austrian 6-4 6-3 6-3 in two hours and 43 minutes to defend the title and remain world number 1 on the ATP rankings list. This was the 11th Roland Garros crown for Rafa in 14 appearances and his 17th Grand Slam crown overall, trailing three behind Roger Federer who won his 20th at the Australian Open earlier this year. Starting from the Roland Garros last year, Rafa and Roger have won the last six Majors, something they couldn't achieve since 2009, and it is another testimony of their timeless quality and determination.
Thiem is the only player who defeated Rafa on clay in the last two seasons but he failed to deliver another upset in the most important match of his career, unable to match Nadal's amazing pace and to win his maiden Grand Slam title in what was his maiden final at that level. Rafa has won 86 out of 88 matches he played in Paris since 2005 and this was his 111th win in 113 matches in best-of-five matches on clay, numbers that would certainly never be reached again. Also, this is the 14th season with at least one Grand Slam title for Rafa and he is the third oldest champion in Paris in the Open era behind Andres Gimeno and Ken Rosewall, who was there to present him the trophy.
In addition, Rafa is the only player in the Open era who has won 11 titles at three different tournaments after he conquered Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Roland Garros this spring to extend his clay court dominance that lasts for 13 years now. The Spaniard served at 68% and he was very solid in his games, dominating on the first serve and keeping the second safe enough to face just three break points in the entire match and get broken once (he had to play against four break points in total in the finals of 2017 and 2018). Also, he had more winners than unforced errors as well, controlling the pace of his shots and forcing Thiem to go for risky shots and lines which drew more than 40 unforced errors from him.
Dominic served below 60% and he had to play against 17 break points, something that put an even bigger pressure on his shoulders in the most important match of his career so far. Nadal converted five of those and that was enough to seal the deal in straight sets, having the upper hand from the baseline, neutralizing rival's shots and finding an open space to land his well-balanced and tamed groundstrokes that left Thiem with no answer. The Austrian had more winners but he struggled to stay in touch with Rafa in other elements, spraying too many unforced errors and losing the edge in the mid-range and longest points to finish with the second prize.
Nadal held at love in the opening game after a volley winner and he broke at 15 in the following game when Thiem netted a forehand, making the best possible start. A forehand winner in game three gave Dominic two break points and he converted the second with a forehand winner to reduce the deficit and get his name on the scoreboard. Thiem stayed in touch with a great champion until the 10th game but he suffered a break at love after a forehand error to drop the opener 6-4, with Rafa winning eight of the last nine points.
The Spaniard earned another break in the second game of the second set, saving a break point at 4-2 with a backhand winner and closing the set with a nice hold in game nine for a 6-3, moving a set away from the title. Thiem saved break points at the start of the third set but Rafa forced an error in game three to move ahead, holding at 15 in the next game to move 3-1 ahead. Rafa struggled with the pain in the left hand in those moments but it was nothing serious, holding at love in the sixth game to increase his lead and scoring the crucial break a few minutes later to serve for the title at 5-2. After a few deuces, Nadal hit a service winner to bring the game home and celebrate his 11th Roland Garros crown, earning his 17th Major and confirming his status of the greatest clay-courter of all time once again.
* ATP 250 Stuttgart: Roger Federer (SUI) vs Milos Raonic (CAN) 6-4 7-6(3)
World number 2 Roger Federer hasn't played his best tennis in Stuttgart in the previous two seasons but everything went well for him during 2018 campaign, defeating Milos Raonic 6-4 7-6 in an hour and 19 minutes to claim his 98th ATP title and the 18th on the grass. This was the first tournament for the Swiss since the second round loss against Thanasi Kokinakis in Miami and with these 250 points he returned to number 1 position on the ATP rankings list on the following day, moving slightly ahead of Rafael Nadal. Federer claimed his 21st win in 23 matches in 2018 and this was his 11th triumph against Raonic in 14 matches, the second in a row on grass after Wimbledon last year.
Milos played rock solid tennis this week, advancing into his first final since Istanbul last year but it wasn't enough to go all the way, losing serve once in the opening set and falling in the second set tie break to miss a chance of winning the first title in two and a half years. Raonic was 14-4 in front in aces department but Roger managed to make more damage with his first serve, saving both break points he faced in the opening set and converting the only break chance he created to gain the crucial lead before the tight second set where nothing could separate them before the tie break.
Roger held after two deuces in game two and he broke Milos at 15 in the following game after a backhand return winner, delivering the first break of serve for Milos this week. Nonetheless, Raonic had a chance to pull the break back straight away, earning two break points in game four but Roger was not to be denied, saving both and bringing the game home after a forehand down the line winner. The Swiss lost one point in his last three service games, wrapping up the opener with four winners in game 10 for a 6-4.
The second set saw some good serving from both players and there were no deuces or break points, setting up a tie break where the pressure was on Milos. Federer opened it with a mini-break but Raonic got it back in the very next point and they stayed neck and neck until the eighth point when the Canadian hit a costly double fault to fall 5-3 behind. It was followed by a forehand winner from Roger who earned three match points, converting the first after a poor forehand from Raonic to celebrate his third title of the season, moving two away from the 100th ATP crown. They had an identical number of winners but Raonic made eight errors more and he failed to prevail in the most important points to send Roger over the top.
* ATP 250 s-Hertogenbosch: Richard Gasquet (FRA) vs Jeremy Chardy (FRA) 6-3 7-6(5)
Competing in his 30th ATP final, Richard Gasquet claimed his 15th ATP crown and the first since Antwerp 2016 after a 6-3 7-6 triumph over the fellow Frenchman Jeremy Chardy in an hour and 30 minutes. In addition, Gasquet won his first ATP title on grass since Nottingham 2006 and he earned it with a solid display on the second serve, getting broken twice but scoring one extra break on Chardy's serve to close the match in straight sets. Jeremy won the Challenger title on grass in Surbiton last week and he fought well in this final as well, leading 5-3 in the second set and wasting two set points on serve in game nine before he fell short in the tie break, unable to prolong his chances in the first ATP final since 2009.
The returners won just two points in the opening four games and Richard held after a deuce in game five to remain in front, finishing the game with a volley winner for a 3-2. Jeremy wasted a game point in the following game and he got broken when Richard hit a forehand winner to draw first blood. Chardy pulled the break back in the very next game to reduce the deficit to 4-3 but that didn't bring him the momentum, losing serve again in game eight after a backhand winner from Gasquet at the net. Serving for the set at 5-3, Gasquet held at 15 to grab the opener 6-3, moving a set away from the first title in almost a year and a half.
The returners won two points in each of the five straight games in the first half of the second set but there were no break points until game seven when Chardy fends off two to stay in contention, breaking Gasquet in the following game to move 5-3 up and serve for the set in the next game. He had two set points but it wasn't to be for him as Richard saved both and broke back after a huge forehand error from Jeremy that cost him a lot. A tie break saw seven mini-breaks in the opening nine points and it was Richard who sealed the deal with another one in the 12th point for his first title on grass in 12 years.
* ATP 500 Queen's: Marin Cilic (CRO) vs Novak Djokovic (SRB) 5-7 7-6(4) 6-3
World number 6 and 2012 champion Marin Cilic added the second Queen's trophy to his collection, prevailing against 2008 finalist Novak Djokovic 5-7 7-6 6-3 in two hours and 57 minutes for his 18th ATP title and the first since Istanbul last year. Marin saved a match point in the 10th game of the second set on own serve and he came from a 4-1 down in the tie break to prolong the match and bring it home with a single break in the deciding set. This was their 16th meeting and the second straight win for Marin after Paris 2016, losing the first 14 encounters against the great rival who was competing in his first ATP final since Eastbourne last year.
After struggling in the first four months of the season due to a long break he was forced to take, Djokovic found his form in Rome, Paris and here in London, heading to Wimbledon as one of the favorites together with Roger Federer and today's rival. Marin served at only 48% but he drew the most from it, firing 18 aces and saving five out of six break points to keep the pressure on Novak. Djokovic landed 74% of the first serve in and just like during the entire week his initial shot worked really well (he had the edge in the shortest points up to four strokes), repelling seven out of eight break points but losing the match due to that one late break he suffered.
In addition, following those five break points he saved in the seventh game of the opening set, Novak rattled off 11 good holds but he couldn't make an impact on the return as Cilic responded in the similar way to stay in touch until that crucial eighth game of the deciding set. Thanks to his serve and forehand, Marin had 61 winners with just 39 unforced errors while Novak stood on a 42-26 ratio that was almost good enough to secure the title for him in this excellent final. The Croat was the better player in the opening eight games, finding the zone behind his initial shot and creating a break point in game three that Novak saved when Marin's backhand hit the net.
The Serb was under even bigger pressure in game seven when he had to play against five break points, repelling them all to stay in touch with Cilic after three service winners and two mistakes from his rival. Four good holds later it was Marin who served to stay in the set at 5-6 and he struggled behind his initial shot for the first time, allowing Novak to break him on the third chance and take the opener 7-5 after grueling 67 minutes. Carried by this momentum, Djokovic sailed through his service games in set number two, winning 24 out of 28 points before the tie break and waiting for any chance on the return that would have carried him over the finish line.
Marin saved two break points in game two and he faced an ultimate challenger at 4-5 when he gave Novak that match point. It was another great serve that kept the Croat in the match, blasting two more service winners to level the score at 5-5 and never facing a break point by the end of the match again. Novak opened a 4-1 lead in the tie break but Cilic stayed in touch with two winners, reducing the deficit and taking the next two points on Novak's serve after a double fault from the Serb and his forehand that forced an error from Djokovic. Another powerful forehand earned the set point for Marin and he clinched with a forehand winner, taking the last six points to stay in the title hunt.
Novak lost his momentum on the return after wasting that match point and he squandered a game point in the eighth game of the deciding set to lose serve when his backhand found the net. Serving for his second Queen's title, Cilic blasted four service winners in game nine to wrap up the triumph and lift the first trophy in 14 months, heading to Wimbledon in the finest possible spirit and standing as one of the title contenders after playing in the final 12 months ago.
from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2EwAbEk
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