Month: October 2021

Andy Murray and Kim Clijsters have been awarded wildcards for Indian Wells in October. 

Former world number one Murray will take part in the Indian Wells Masters for the first time since 2017. 

The Scot is competing in San Diego after opting to play the Moselle Open last week in a bid to improve his world ranking following a first-round loss to Stefanos Tsitsipas at the US Open. 

Murray has now been handed a chance to improve on his career-best semi-final finish at Indian Wells in 2015, while Clijsters will also feature at the event, which will take place from October 4-17. 

Clijsters, another former world number one, started her comeback in 2019 after a seven-year break from tennis and will return to the tournament for the first time since 2011. 

The four-time major champion underwent knee surgery last year and made her first WTA Tour appearance since the 2020 US Open at the Chicago Fall Tennis Classic this week, losing to Hsieh Su-Wei in the first round. 

A two-time winner of the Indian Wells Open, Clijsters will be joined by Catherine McNally, Claire Liu, Katie Volynets and Katrina Scott. Newly crowned US Open champion Emma Raducanu was already a main-draw wildcard, with Ashlyn Krueger and Elsa Jacquemot also granted a place in the first round. 

A trio of Americans will join Murray in the men’s draw, namely Jack Sock, Jenson Brooksby and Zach Svajda, with Denmark’s Holger Rune also handed his debut as a main-draw wildcard. 

Emma Raducanu has been given a wildcard entry to the Indian Wells Open in her first tournament since winning the US Open.

The 18-year-old claimed a sensational triumph at Flushing Meadows earlier this month, becoming the first qualifier to take a major title.

Raducanu defeated fellow unseeded teenager Leylah Fernandez 6-4 6-3 in the final of only her second grand slam.

The Briton did not drop a set throughout her fairytale run and climbed from 150th in the WTA rankings to now sit 22nd.

And Raducanu’s remarkable display has earned her the opportunity to enjoy further stateside success at Indian Wells, having missed the cut when the entry list was first announced during the US Open.

She still has an outside chance of making the WTA Finals in Guadalajara, with appearances planned at tournaments in Russia and Romania later in October.

Raducanu’s hopes of another deep run at Indian Wells have been boosted by the absence of superstar pair Naomi Osaka and Ash Barty, who have both withdrawn from the event.

Fifth seed Filip Krajinovic made a comfortable start to his Sofia Open campaign on Wednesday, defeating Alexandar Lazarov 6-0 6-3.

Krajinovic was the only seeded player in action and he was dominant against home hope Lazarov, who is ranked 462 in the world.

The Serbian swept the first set without conceding a break point and finished the job by claiming the last four games in the second despite Lazarov putting up more of a fight.

Elsewhere, Krajinovic’s compatriot Miomir Kecmanovic crashed out to Italian Gianluca Mager, who fired down 11 aces and forced 10 break-point opportunities to earn an impressive 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 win.

Australian James Duckworth, meanwhile, had to launch a comeback before ultimately prevailing 3-6 6-4 6-4 against Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori to book a round two match with Benoit Paire.

The number one seed and defending champion Jannik Sinner will begin his campaign on Thursday with a last-16 contest against Egor Gerasimov.

Second seed Gael Monfils will play Ilya Ivashka, who defeated Pablo Andujar in straight sets, with the winner to face Mager, who is the first man in the quarter-finals.

Alex de Minaur will also be in action against American Marcos Giron.

Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the Indian Wells Masters, the tournament confirmed on Wednesday. 

World number one Djokovic was set to return to action at the rescheduled event after losing the US Open final to Daniil Medvedev in straight sets. 

However, the Serbian – one of two five-time winners of the competition alongside Roger Federer – has decided to pull out for an unspecified reason.

“I am sorry I won’t get to see my fans in Indian Wells and play in the desert, my favourite place to go. I hope to see you next year!” Djokovic said in a statement. 

Tournament director Tommy Haas added: “We are disappointed that Novak will not be able to joins us at the BNP Paribas Open this fall. 

“We hope to see him back in Tennis Paradise next March to contend for a record-setting sixth title in the desert.” 

Djokovic’s defeat against Medvedev in Flushing Meadows ended his hopes of claiming a record-breaking 21st major title, the 34-year-old having already won the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon in 2021. 

He fell short in his aim to become the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to win all four majors in a single season but has already booked his place at this year’s ATP Finals. 

Aryna Sabalenka will not play at Indian Wells after announcing she has tested positive for coronavirus.

In an Instagram Story post, the world number two revealed she feels “okay” while isolating after her COVID-19 result, though is “really sad” not to be playing in the tournament this year.

Sabalenka had been due to return to action for the first time since losing at the semi-final stage of the US Open last month.

“Unfortunately, I’ve tested positive at Indian Wells and won’t be able to compete,” the Belarusian posted on Sunday.

“I’ve started my isolation and I’ll be staying here until I’m cleared by the doctors and health officials. So far I’m feeling okay but really sad to not be able to play this year.”

The absence of Sabalenka is a further blow for the event, considering world number one Ash Barty had already pulled out.

Naomi Osaka is another big-name absentee, along with Serena Williams, while the men’s edition is minus Novak Djokovic after the five-time champion opted to withdraw.

Emma Raducanu will be involved, however, after the US Open champion accepted a wild card, while Kim Clijsters has done the same as she prepares to continue her comeback with a first appearance at Indian Wells in a decade.

Andy Murray is a wild-card entrant for the men’s tournament, with the main draw beginning on Wednesday.

Jannik Sinner eased to another Sofia Open title with a 6-3 6-4 final win over Gael Monfils in a battle of the top two seeds.

Sinner’s first ATP Tour final had come at this event in 2020, where he opened his account by beating Vasek Pospisil in three sets – a sterner test than he was given by Monfils.

The Italian had since tasted victory twice more, while Monfils’ previous final had been in February 2020, although his success this week extended a run of seasons with final appearances to 17 in a row.

The most recent three of the Frenchman’s prior 31 had ended in glory, but he was no match for defending champion Sinner.

The 20-year-old had already passed up a break point before consecutive superb forehand winners brought the breakthrough, the second clipping the net on its way through.

A marathon rally saved the second of two break points Sinner faced in the seventh game, yet that was as close as he came to being stopped.

After Sinner served out the opener, Monfils paid the price for losing his focus at the start of the second, adamant he had landed the first point of the set inside the line as a narrow call went against him.

Monfils’ wild backhand then went long to give Sinner the lead in the second, one he never relinquished as he coasted through to serve out the match to love.

“I’m happy to be one more time the winner here in Sofia,” Sinner said. “I think it’s a very, very nice tournament.

“For sure it was the best match [he played in the tournament], because I had to. It’s never easy to play against him. We’ve had very tough matches, I think everyone knows that.

“Today, in the [key] moments, I was a little bit luckier than him, so that helped a lot.”

Casper Ruud rolled past Cameron Norrie at the San Diego Open for this fifth ATP Tour title of the season.

Ruud – the second seed – was too strong for Brit Norrie, winning 6-0 6-2 in Sunday’s ATP 250 final.

Norway’s Ruud earned his first hard-court trophy at the expense of Norrie and Tour-leading fifth title of 2021, ahead of world number one Novak Djokovic, US Open champion Daniil Medvedev and Olympic Games gold medallist Alexander Zverev (all four).

Ruud broke serve five times to boost his chances of qualifying for next month’s ATP Finals in Turin.

“Special thanks to Rod, obviously the legend. I think you need to come to all my matches now because I’m playing really good when you come and watch,” Ruud said after receiving the trophy from Rod Laver.

“I hope you will come to Indian Wells next week to watch, so let’s see [what happens there]!”

Domestic abuse allegations made against Alexander Zverev are being investigated by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), the governing body has confirmed.

Zverev’s former partner Olga Sharypova alleged in an interview last year that the German physically and emotionally abused her during a tournament in Shanghai in 2019.

World number four Zverev has strenuously denied the allegations.

After commissioning an Independent Safeguarding Report earlier this year, with the aim of ensuring all adults and minors involved in professional tennis are safe and protected from abuse, the ATP is now looking into the claims made by Sharypova.

A statement on Monday read: “The ATP fully condemns any form of violence or abuse and will investigate such allegations related to conduct at an ATP member tournament.”

ATP chief executive Massimo Calvelli added: “The allegations raised against Alexander Zverev are serious and we have a responsibility to address them. 

“We hope our investigation will allow us to establish the facts and determine appropriate follow-up action. 

“We understand Zverev welcomes our investigation and acknowledge that he has denied all allegations. 

“We will also be monitoring any further legal developments following the preliminary injunction obtained by Zverev in the German Courts.”

Last year’s US Open champion Dominic Thiem has revealed he will not require surgery on his injured wrist.

The Austrian former world number three has not played since June when he sustained the injury at the Mallorca Championships.

The 28-year-old announced in August, when he confirmed he would not defend his title at Flushing Meadows, that he would not return this season due to a detachment of the posterior sheath of the ulnar side of the right wrist.

Surgery had not been ruled out for Thiem who had been recovering since a setback in August but the Austrian revealed on Twitter that he would not go under the knife.

“I had a very important thing today,” Thiem said. “I was in Belgium to decide if I need surgery on my wrist or not and luckily I have very, very good news. I won’t need the surgery.

“It’s really stable and it’s looking good, my wrist. The next week I have to make it more flexible and strengthen my wrist, do everything to prepare to slowly start playing tennis again.

“I’m really looking forward to it. It’s been a pretty long time without a racquet and I honestly miss it.”

Thiem holds a 9-9 record for the 2021 season, with his ranking slipping to eighth.