Tennis in General - Results and Comments

NEXT WEEKS SCHEDULE :

The Second Grand Slam Tournament of the 2020 Season :

[hidden link - please register]

Location : New York City, New York (United States of America)
Venue : USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Flushing Meadows
Date : 31 August - 13 September
Edition : 140th
Prize Money : $ 53.402.000
Surface : Hard

Official Site : [hidden link - please register]
Schedule of Play : [hidden link - please register]

DEFENDING CHAMPIONS :

Men' s Singles : Rafael Nadal (ESP), but he won' t defend the title due to safety concerns
Women' s Singles : Bianca Vanessa Andreescu (CAN), but she won' t defend the title due to a knee injury
Men' s Doubles : Juan Sebastian Cabal / Robert Farah (COL)
Women' s Doubles : Elise Mertens (BEL) / Aryna Sabalenka (BLR)
Mixed Doubles : The tournament has been cancelled for this year

ATP & WTA FINALS OF THE WEEK :

ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati (played in New York) : Novak Djokovic (1) won his 80th ATP tournament in career (35th ATP Masters 1000 and second
"Western & Southern Open"), defeating Milos Raonic 1-6, 6-3, 6-4

WTA Premier 5 Cincinnati (played in New York) : Victoria Azarenka won her 21st WTA tournament in career (fourth WTA Premier 5 and second
"Western & Southern Open") without even playing, due to Naomi Osaka (4, wc) walkover for a left hamstring injury

ATP & WTA SEMIFINALS OF THE WEEK :

ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati (played in New York) : M. Raonic def. S. Tsitsipas 7-6 (5), 6-3
N. Djokovic (1) def. R. Bautista-Agut (8) 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (0)

WTA Premier 5 Cincinnati (played in New York) : V. Azarenka def. J. Konta (8) 4-6, 6-4, 6-1
N. Osaka (4, wc) def. E. Mertens (14) 6-2, 7-6 (5)

The tennis world has taken the unprecedented decision to suspend a major tournament for 24 hours in support of the "Black Lives Matter" protests. The move came after Naomi Osaka announced she would withdraw from her match to show her solidarity with the movement. The fourth seed, who had been due to play Elise Mertens in today's Semi-final, put out a statement on social media this morning condemning the "continued genocide of black people at the hand of police". It follows the NBA's decision to postpone today's scheduled playoff matches, after Milwaukee players failed to take the floor for their match against Orlando. The protests come in the wake of the shooting of black man Jacob Blake by police in Wisconsin, the latest in a string of race-related incidents in the United States.
Here' s the tournament statement :

[hidden image - please register]

2020 US OPEN SEEDED PLAYERS :

Men' s Singles : 1. Novak Djokovic (SRB)
2. Dominic Thiem (AUT)
3. Daniil Medvedev (RUS)
4. Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE)
5. Alexander Zverev (GER)
6. Matteo Berrettini (ITA)
7. David Goffin (BEL)
8. Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP)
9. Diego Sebastian Schwartzman (ARG)
10. Andrey Rublev (RUS)
11. Karen Khachanov (RUS)
12. Denis Shapovalov (CAN)
13. Christian Garin (CHI)
14. Grigor Dimitrov (BUL)
15. Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN)
16. John Isner (USA)
17. Benoit Paire (FRA)
18. Dusan Lajovic (SRB)
19. Taylor Fritz (USA)
20. Pablo Carreno-Busta (ESP)
21. Alex De Minaur (AUS)
22. Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO)
23. Daniel Evans (GBR)
24. Hubert Hurkacz (POL)
25. Milos Raonic (CAN)
26. Filip Krajinovic (SRB)
27. Borna Coric (CRO)
28. Jan-Lennard Struff (GER)
29. Guido Pella (ARG)
30. Casper Ruud (NOR)
31. Marin Cilic (CRO)
32. Adrian Mannarino (FRA)

Women' s Singles : 1. Karolina Pliskova (CZE)
2. Sofia Kenin (USA)
3. Serena Williams (USA)
4. Naomi Osaka (JPN)
5. Aryna Sabalenka (BLR)
6. Petra Kvitova (CZE)
7. Madison Keys (USA)
8. Johanna Konta (GBR)
9. Petra Martic (CRO)
10. Garbine Muguruza (ESP)
11. Elena Rybakina (KAZ)
12. Marketa Vondrousova (CZE)
13. Alison Riske (USA)
14. Maria Sakkari (GRE)
15. Angelique Kerber (GER)
16. Anett Kontaveit (EST)
17. Elise Mertens (BLR)
18. Donna Vekic (CRO)
19. Dayana Yastremska (UKR)
20. Karolina Muchova (CZE)
21. Ekaterina Alexandrova (RUS)
22. Amanda Anisimova (USA)
23. Yulia Putintseva (KAZ)
24. Shuai Zhang (CHN)
25. Magda Linette (POL)
26. Sloane Stephens (USA)
27. Ons Jabeur (TUN)
28. Veronika Kudermetova (RUS)
29. Kristina Mladenovic (FRA)
30. Anastasija Sevastova (LAT)
31. Rebecca Peterson (SWE)
32. Caroline Garcia (FRA)

RANKINGS AT AUGUST 24TH :

ATP TOUR (FIRST 15 PLACES) : 1. Novak Djokovic SRB 10.220 points
2. Rafael Nadal ESP 9.850 points
3. Dominic Thiem AUT 7.045 points
4. Roger Federer SUI 6.630 points
5. Daniil Medvedev RUS 5.890 points
6. Stefanos Tsitsipas GRE 4.745 points
7. Alexander Zverev GER 3.630 points
8. Matteo Berrettini ITA 2.860 points
9. Gael Monfils FRA 2.860 points
10. David Goffin BEL 2.555 points
11. Fabio Fognini ITA 2.400 points
12. Roberto Bautista-Agut ESP 2.360 points
13. Diego Schwartzman ARG 2.265 points
14. Andrey Rublev RUS 2.234 points
15. (17.) Stanislas Wawrinka SUI 2.185 points

WTA TOUR (FIRST 15 PLACES) : 1. Ashleigh Barty AUS 8.717 points
2. Simona Halep ROU 6.356 points
3. Karolina Pliskova CZE 5.205 points
4. Sofia Kenin USA 4.590 points
5. Elina Svitolina UKR 4.580 points
6. Bianca Vanessa Andreescu CAN 4.555 points
7. Kiki Bertens NED 4.335 points
8. Belinda Bencic SUI 4.010 points
9. Serena Williams USA 3.975 points
10. Naomi Osaka JPN 3.625 points
11. Aryna Sabalenka BLR 3.615 points
12. Petra Kvitova CZE 3.566 points
13. Madison Keys USA 2.962 points
14. Petra Martic CRO 2.850 points
15. Johanna Konta GBR 2.803 points

RANKINGS AT AUGUST 17TH :

ATP TOUR (FIRST 15 PLACES) : 1. Novak Djokovic SRB 10.220 points
2. Rafael Nadal ESP 9.850 points
3. Dominic Thiem AUT 7.045 points
4. Roger Federer SUI 6.630 points
5. Daniil Medvedev RUS 5.890 points
6. Stefanos Tsitsipas GRE 4.745 points
7. Alexander Zverev GER 3.630 points
8. Matteo Berrettini ITA 2.860 points
9. Gael Monfils FRA 2.860 points
10. David Goffin BEL 2.555 points
11. Fabio Fognini ITA 2.400 points
12. Roberto Bautista-Agut ESP 2.360 points
13. Diego Schwartzman ARG 2.265 points
14. Andrey Rublev RUS 2.234 points
15. Karen Khachanov RUS 2.120 points

WTA TOUR (FIRST 15 PLACES) : 1. Ashleigh Barty AUS 8.717 points
2. Simona Halep ROU 6.356 points
3. Karolina Pliskova CZE 5.205 points
4. Sofia Kenin USA 4.590 points
5. Elina Svitolina UKR 4.580 points
6. Bianca Vanessa Andreescu CAN 4.555 points
7. Kiki Bertens NED 4.335 points
8. Belinda Bencic SUI 4.010 points
9. Serena Williams USA 3.975 points
10. Naomi Osaka JPN 3.625 points
11. Aryna Sabalenka BLR 3.615 points
12. Petra Kvitova CZE 3.566 points
13. Madison Keys USA 2.962 points
14. Petra Martic CRO 2.850 points
15. Johanna Konta GBR 2.803 points

WTA FINALS OF THE WEEK :

WTA International Prague : Simona Halep (1) won her 21st WTA tournament in career (8th WTA International and on red clay), defeating
Elise Mertens (3) 6-2, 7-5

WTA International Lexington : Jennifer Brady won her first WTA tournament in career, defeating Jil Belen Teichmann 6-3, 6-4

NEXT WEEKS SCHEDULE :

New York City (United States), 22-28 August : "2020 Western & Southern Open"
Categories : ATP World Tour Masters 1000 & WTA Premier 5
Prize Money : $ 2.108.865 (ATP) & $ 2.091.135 (WTA)
Surface : Hard

WTA SEMIFINALS OF THE WEEK :

WTA International Prague : E. Mertens (3) def. Kr. Pliskova 7-5, 7-6 (4)
S. Halep (1) def. I-C. Begu 7-6 (2), 6-3

WTA International Lexington : J. B. Teichmann def. S. Rogers 6-3, 6-2
J. Brady def. C. Gauff 6-2, 6-4

The ATP has issued further updates to the 2020 Tour calendar, setting a provisional schedule for the remainder of the regular season. The revised calendar marks a continuation of the plan to resume the ATP Tour season, following suspension in March due to COVID-19. Under the updated schedule the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Rome, the "Internazionali BNL d' Italia", will now be scheduled one week earlier, in the week previously assigned to the recently cancelled "Mutua Madrid Open", and will have a Monday final. The Rome event will be followed by the ATP 500 Hamburg "European Open" in the week prior to Roland Garros. The updated schedule includes the final section of the calendar comprising the European indoor swing, including events in Saint Petersburg (St. Petersburg Open), Antwerp (European Open), Moscow (VTB Kremlin Cup), Vienna (Erste Bank Open), Paris (Rolex Paris Masters), Sofia (Sofia Open) ahead of the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals in London. Among the changes, the St. Petersburg Open will be elevated to ATP 500 status for its 2020 edition. Andrea Gaudenzi, ATP Chairman, said : "Tennis is starting to find its way back and, while we must first and foremost look after the health and safety of everyone involved, we are hopeful we will be able to retain these playing opportunities and produce a strong finish to the season. I would like to commend the tournaments for their continued commitment, flexibility and resourcefulness in finding solutions to operate under these challenging circumstances". The ATP continues to explore options for additional events to be added to the schedule, including opportunities to issue a limited number of single-year licenses for the remainder of the 2020 season. The provisional calendar remains subject to change and continued assessments will be made relating to health & safety, international travel policies, and governmental approval of sporting events. All events will be held under strict guidelines related to health & safety, social distancing, reduced or no fans on-site. The revised calendar also provides confirmation that the "Next Gen ATP Finals" in Milan will not take place in 2020 due to the impact of COVID-19.

RANKINGS AT AUGUST 10TH :

ATP TOUR (FIRST 15 PLACES) : 1. Novak Djokovic SRB 10.220 points
2. Rafael Nadal ESP 9.850 points
3. Dominic Thiem AUT 7.045 points
4. Roger Federer SUI 6.630 points
5. Daniil Medvedev RUS 5.890 points
6. Stefanos Tsitsipas GRE 4.745 points
7. Alexander Zverev GER 3.630 points
8. Matteo Berrettini ITA 2.860 points
9. Gael Monfils FRA 2.860 points
10. David Goffin BEL 2.555 points
11. Fabio Fognini ITA 2.400 points
12. Roberto Bautista-Agut ESP 2.360 points
13. Diego Schwartzman ARG 2.265 points
14. Andrey Rublev RUS 2.234 points
15. Karen Khachanov RUS 2.120 points

WTA TOUR (FIRST 15 PLACES) : 1. Ashleigh Barty AUS 8.717 points
2. Simona Halep ROU 6.076 points
3. Karolina Pliskova CZE 5.205 points
4. Sofia Kenin USA 4.590 points
5. Elina Svitolina UKR 4.580 points
6. Bianca Vanessa Andreescu CAN 4.555 points
7. Kiki Bertens NED 4.335 points
8. Belinda Bencic SUI 4.010 points
9. Serena Williams USA 3.915 points
10. Naomi Osaka JPN 3.625 points
11. Aryna Sabalenka BLR 3.615 points
12. Petra Kvitova CZE 3.566 points
13. Madison Keys USA 2.962 points
14. (15.) Petra Martic CRO 2.850 points
15. (14.) Johanna Konta GBR 2.803 points

WTA FINAL OF THE WEEK :

WTA International Palermo : Fiona Ferro won her second WTA tournament in career (both WTA International and on red clay), defeating
Anett Kontaveit (4) 6-2, 7-5

NEXT WEEK SCHEDULE :

Prague (Czech Republic), 10-16 August : "2020 J&T Banka Prague Open"
Category : WTA International
Prize Money : $ 225.500
Surface : Red Clay

Lexington (United States), 10-16 August : "2020 Top Seed Open presented by Bluegrass Orthopaedics"
Category : WTA International
Prize Money : $ 225.500
Surface : Hard

WTA SEMIFINALS OF THE WEEK :

WTA International Palermo : A. Kontaveit (4) def. P. Martic (1) 6-2, 6-4
F. Ferro def. C. Giorgi 2-6, 6-2, 7-5

On Tuesday morning, the Mutua Madrid Open announced in a statement that the tournament is officially canceled. “As an act of responsibility in view of the current situation caused by Covid-19, and having thoroughly evaluated the circumstances that the pandemic continues to generate, together with the competent authorities, it has been decided that 2020 Mutua Madrid Open will not take place this year having previously been moved to 12-20 September”, the statement begins. Tournament director Feliciano Lopez helped stage a virtual, video-game Mutua Madrid Open earlier this year, and held out hope that the real thing could be held as a lead-in to Roland Garros, which along with the Internazionali BNL d'Italia is still on the ATP and WTA schedule. After Monday's widespread belief that the event was all but nixed, the unfortunate reality hit today. “We have given our all to stage the tournament”, said Lopez. “After the first cancelation in May, we got to work on the September date with the hope of being able to enjoy first-class tennis in the Caja Mágica during this year which has been so hard for everyone. However, the continued instability is still too great to hold a tournament like this in complete safety. Once again, we would like to thank the Madrid City Council and all of our sponsors and suppliers for being by our side during every step we have taken”. The ATP and WTA issued a joint statement on the decision, applauding the efforts of tournament organizers and stating that an updated schedule would be forthcoming. Both Andrea Gaudenzi, ATP Chairman, and Steve Simon, WTA Chairman and CEO, looked forward to the clay-court tournament's return in 2021.

NEXT WEEK SCHEDULE :

Palermo (Italy), 3-9 August : "31° Palermo Ladies Open"
Category : WTA International
Prize Money : $ 275.000
Surface : Red Clay

The "Toray Pan Pacific Open" in Tokyo has been cancelled for 2020 due to safety fears amid the COVID-19 pandemic, organisers of the annual women's tournament said on Tuesday. Last week, the men's ATP Tour and the women's WTA were forced to cancel all of their remaining tournaments in China for this year in the wake of the country's ban on international sporting events due to the pandemic. "The executive committee, together with the WTA, has been exploring various measures to hold the tournament, such as holding matches without spectators", the organisers of the Premier level tournament said in a statement. "But we have come to the tough conclusion that the cancellation of the tournament was the best decision in the interest of public health, especially in light of the concern about the second wave of infection spreading in Japan". The Pan Pacific Open is part of WTA's Asian swing and has been held every year since its 1984 start. It was originally scheduled to be held in September but was postponed to November. Following this cancellation, the "Korea Open" in Seoul is the only event left in Asia on WTA's provisional calendar for 2020.