The X Blog - Dysfunctional Tennis Blogging at its Finest

Top Seed Hurkacz Advances To Marseille Final To Face Bonzi

Posted by Staff on February 25th, 2023 @ 6:23 pm

Top seed Hubert Hurkacz reached the Marseille final easing past Alexander Bublik 6-4, 7-6(4).

Hurkacz pounded 22 aces and never dropped serve and improves to 5-1 against Bublik. He grabbed the lone break to go up 3-2 in the first set.

“I’ve known Sasha since I was 11 or 12 years old, so we’ve been through a lot, even played some doubles as juniors,” said Hurkacz to the ATP. “He’s such a …

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Medvedev Denies Murray For Doha Title, Extends Win Streak To Nine

Posted by Staff on February 25th, 2023 @ 3:15 pm

Andy Murray’s magical run in Doha came to an end as Daniil Medvedev topped the Scot 6-4, 6-4 in a match-up of former No. 1s.

“A tough match,” said Medvedev told the ATP. “It was a little bit windy today, so both of us were struggling to find our rhythm… Today was a big fight for both of us. Sometimes we were playing bad, then suddenly both of us were playing …

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Krejcikova Pulls Off Dubai Stunner, Defeats Swiatek In Title Match

Posted by Staff on February 25th, 2023 @ 3:07 pm

The last two French Open champions met in the Dubai final Saturday and the title went to Barbora Krejcikova who handed the red-hot Iga Swiatek a 6-4, 6-2.

The 27-year-old Krejcikova wins her 6th career title and first of the year and first at the 1000 level. It was her second Dubai final.

“I think I showed my best tennis this week,” Krejcikova told the WTA. “I’m really happy with the way …

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Murray Saves More Match Points Denying Lehecka, Will Face Medvedev For Doha Title

Posted by Staff on February 24th, 2023 @ 4:45 pm

Andy Murray continues to make magic. The 35-year-old won yet another deciding set and yet against saved match points in doing so. Murray edged 21-year-old Jiri Lehecka 6-0, 3-6, 7-6(8-6), saving five match points in the process.

The rising Czech star Lehecka served for the match at 5-4, 40-0 but collapsed under the weight of the win and Murray rose up and took the breaker, saving match points once again this …

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Swiatek Pushed By Gauff In Dubai, Krejcikova Upsets Pegula To Make Final

Posted by Staff on February 24th, 2023 @ 4:28 pm

After a string of routs, Iga Swiatek was finally pushed, if you can call it that. Today in the Doha semifinals, Swiatek kept on her run with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Coco Gauff.

Swiatek is now 6-0 against the American teen winning all 12 of their sets. Today’s match saw the world No. 1 capitalize on a slew of forehand errors from Gauff.

“Coco is a great player and I knew …

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Alcaraz Overcomes Fognini To Make Rio QFs

Posted by Staff on February 23rd, 2023 @ 8:42 pm

The match of the day in Rio lived up to the billing as top seed Carlos Alcaraz came from a set down to defeat the feisty Fabio Fognini 6-7(5-7), 6-2, 6-4.

The match featured 13 total breaks of serve but the Spaniard came out head after losing a 3-0 lead in the first. Alcaraz broke Fognini twice in the third for a 3-0 lead then hung on for the win, his …

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Medvedev, Auger-Aliassime To Meet In Doha SFs; Murray Rallies Again

Posted by Staff on February 23rd, 2023 @ 8:29 pm

In Doha, Qatar, at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in quarterfinals action the Czech Republic’s Jiri Lehecka shocked the top seeded Andrey Rublev in three sets 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.

The 21-year-old Lehecka broke serve twice in the match and lost serve just once. Lehecka broke serve in the second game of the third set for 2-0 and rode out the match.

Lehecka collects his first career Top 5 win and he advances …

Gauff Sets Swiatek SF In Dubai; Krejcikova Upsets Sabalenka

Posted by Staff on February 23rd, 2023 @ 8:13 pm

Coco Gauff set up a super semifinal showdown Friday with Iga Swiatek. The American teen eased past her countrywoman Madison Keys 6-2, 7-5.

“Staying present in the moment and just accepting the good shots she hit,” Gauff said to the WTA. “I knew it was going to be a tough match, and I’m glad I was able to stay stable when I needed to.

“This is the third time we’ve played against …

Swiatek Drops One Game To Samsonova In Dubai, Gauff Gets Walkover From Rybakina

Posted by Staff on February 23rd, 2023 @ 12:06 am

In Dubai, world No. 1 seed Iga Swiatek kept rolling crushing the 14th-seeded Liudmila Samsonova in two sets 6-1, 6-0.

Swiatek broke the Russian five times and never faced a break point. The top seed won the last 11 games of the contest.

“I’m just trying to be really solid and focused on every point,” said Swiatek. “I’m happy it’s working. I realized in Australia that my mindset wasn’t great, I …

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Norrie Reaches Rio QFs; Alcaraz v Fognini Thurs.

Posted by Staff on February 22nd, 2023 @ 11:50 pm

Second-seeded Cameron Norrie advanced to the quarterfinals in Rio besting Brazil’s best hope Thiago Montiero 7-5, 7-5.

“It was a great match,” Norrie told the ATP. “I had a lot of opportunities in that first set and I could have been a lot more comfortable but he fought back strong and played really well in the bigger moments and served really well. Credit to him, but I was able to tough …

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Marathon Murray Wins Again, Beats Zverev In Doha; Medvedev, Rublev Advance

Posted by Staff on February 22nd, 2023 @ 11:37 pm

Andy Murray is becoming the king of long matches. Today, the former No. 1 won yet another marathon needing over three hours to dispatch Alexander Zverev 7-6(5), 2-6, 7-5 to reach the Doha quarterfinals.

“It makes a big difference for the players when we come and get a lot of energy and a great atmosphere from the crowd,” Murray told the ATP. “Hopefully that continues the rest of the week, but …

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Bautista Agut Wins In Title Defense Opener In Doha; Murray To Meet Zverev

Posted by Staff on February 21st, 2023 @ 6:59 pm

In Doha, Qatar, at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in first round action the 5th-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut got through Marton Fucsovics of Hungary in a match that went the distance 7-6(9-7), 5-7, 6-4. Bautista Agut won the title last year and has now won three of four meetings with Fucsovics.

Rising 21-year-old Emil Ruusuvuori upset 6th-seeded Daniel Evans 7-5, 6-4.

No. 8 seed Botic Van De Zandschulp eliminated Ilya Ivashka 6-2, …

Swiatek Cruises Past Fernandez In Dubai, Sabalenka Wins; Rybakina v Gauff Wed.

Posted by Staff on February 21st, 2023 @ 6:51 pm

Iga Swiatek continued her dominant form. The world No. 1 won Doha dropping just five total games, and today in her Dubai opener she surrendered just two in a 6-1, 6-1 rout over former US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez.

Swiatek was broken once but broke serve six times in the match with the top seed winning the final eight points of the match.

“It wasn’t that easy for sure. It was much …

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Rybakina Ousts Andreescu In Dubai Opener; Sabalenka, Gauff, Swiatek v Fernandez Tues.

Posted by Staff on February 20th, 2023 @ 6:16 pm

The first round continued Monday at the WTA 1000 in Dubai on Monday. The big match of the day saw former Grand Slam champions Elena Rybakina and Bianca Andreescu colliding, and it was the 23-year-old Rybakina coming ahead 6-3, 6-4.

The ninth-seeded Wimbledon winner Rybakina cracked six aces and broke the Canadian four times. She won eight of the last 10 points of the match and the last four games.

Rybakina captured …

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Fritz Takes Delray Beach Title Over Kecmanovic

Posted by Staff on February 19th, 2023 @ 11:18 pm

Taylor Fritz collected his first title of the season in South Florida winning in Delray Beach over Miomir Kecmanovic 6-0, 5-7, 6-2.

“My first time back here in quite a while and the event was amazing,” Fritz told the ATP. “The fans especially, the turnout was incredible and it makes me really proud to be an American playing at a home event, with how many people were in the stands.”

“This year …