Thursday, 30 September 2021
ATP - San Diego 2R start
WTA - Chicago 2 - 2R complete
WTA - Nur-Sultan 2R complete
Second round results:
- Yulia Putintseva (1) defeated Vera Lapko 6-4 6-4
- Anastasia Gasanova defeated Ana Konjuh (5) 2-6 7-6(4) 6-2
- Wildcard Anastasia Potapova defeated Kristina Mladenovic (3) 1-6 6-4 6-3
- Rebecca Peterson (6) defeated Zarina Diyas 6-2 6-2
- Jaqueline Cristian defeated Clara Burel (8) 6-7(3) 6-1 6-2
- Qualifier Aleksandra Krunic defeated Kaja Juvan 6-4 6-3
- Varvara Gracheva (7) defeated qualifier Lesia Tsurenko 6-2 6-4
- Alison van Uytvanck (2) defeated Anna-Lena Friedsam 6-4 3-6 6-4
Quarter final match ups
Yulia Putintseva (1) v Anastasia Gasanova
Wildcard Anastasia Potapova v Rebecca Peterson (6)
Jaqueline Cristian v qualifier Aleksandra Krunic
Varvara Gracheva (7) v Alison van Uytvanck (2)
ATP - Sofia 2R start
First round results:
- James Duckworth defeated Emil Ruusuvuori 3-6 6-4 6-4
- Filip Krajinović (5) defeated wildcard Alexandar Lazarov 6-0 6-3
- Qualifier Illya Marchenko defeated qualifier Andreas Seppi 6-4 6-2
- Ilya Ivashka defeated Pablo Andujar 6-4 6-3
Second round results:
- Gianluca Mager defeated Miomir Kecmanovic 7-6(3) 6-3
- Lucky loser Kamil Majchrzak defeated wildcard Dimitar Kuzmanov 7-5 6-1
Wednesday, 29 September 2021
Laver Cup - fix it
The Laver Cup is a team competition where, upon invitation, a group of male tennis players from Europe are matched against some from the rest of the world.
It has attracted most of the top players and been a huge success.
However, it is not good for tennis.
It is a millionaires benefit, and the ATP is allocating a large slice of its budget to ensuring bank accounts of these privileged athletes are increased substantially.
In fact the Laver Cup is a bunch of exhibition matches, having no effect on rankings points.
The event is placed amid the tennis season, and is competing with tournaments that actually are important for rankings, and for some players end of year finals spots.
The ATP should be devoting more resources and prize money to these events instead of helping prop up an exhibition which can stand on its own feet with existing sponsorship, and the names of those competing. Roger Federer is inextricably linked to it.
The Laver Cup concept is fine, but the event should be held in the off season, and this would allow its competitors to be available for ATP tour tournaments which today are clashing.
In 2021, while the millionaires were happily having a hit with each other and heavily lining their pockets, Hubert Hurkacz was winning a 250 tournament in France for valuable points, but earning a relative pittance.
Others in France were battling to earn a living in that same event, also in Kazakhstan and elsewhere in the world.
Priorities for the ATP should be to look to the welfare of all its players, especially those lower in the rankings, where prize money and sponsorship offer barely enough to survive.
The Laver Cup, while exciting to witness, is sadly symptomatic of a class division existing and growing in professional tennis.
ATP - San Diego 1R continued
ATP - Sofia 1R continued
First round results:
- Qualifier Egor Gerasimov defeated Vasek Pospisil 5-7 7-6(8) 6-3
- Wildcard Dimitar Kuzmanov defeated Lorenzo Musetti 6-7(4) 7-6(3) 6-3
- Laslo Djere defeated qualifier Pedro Martinez 7-6(5) 6-3
- John Millman (8) defeated Mikael Ymer 6-2 6-4
- Marcos Giron defeated Jaume Munar 6-7(2) 6-1 6-4
WTA - Chicago 2 - 2R start
WTA - Nur-Sultan 1R complete
First round results:
- Yulia Putintseva (1) defeated Ekaterine Gorgodze 6-1 6-2
- Vera Lapko defeated Jule Niemeier 7-5 4-6 6-4
- Ana Konjuh (5) defeated lucky loser Ursula Radwanska 7-6(6) 6-1
- Kristina Mladenovic (3) defeated wildcard Anna Danilina 6-4 6-7(5) 6-4
- Wildcard Anastasia Potapova defeated Lesley Pattinama Kerkhove 7-5 6-1
- Zarina Diyas defeated qualifier Anastasia Zakharova 7-6(6) 4-6 7-5
- Rebecca Peterson (6) defeated Stefanie Voegele 7-5 4-6 6-3
- Clara Burel (8) defeated Mandy Minella 5-2 (retired)
- Jaqueline Cristian defeated qualifier Natalia Vikhlyantseva 4-6 7-5 6-2
- Kaja Juvan defeated Greet Minnen (4) 2-6 7-6(5) 6-4
Tuesday, 28 September 2021
ATP - San Diego 1R start
WTA - Chicago 2 - 1R start
ATP - Sofia 1R start
First round results:
- Benoit Paire defeated Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (7) 6-4 7-5
- Gianluca Mager defeated Adrian Mannarino (6) 6-3 6-2
- Miomir Kecmanovic defeated wildcard Adrian Andreev 7-6(7) 6-4
WTA - Nur-Sultan 1R start
First round results:
- Anastasia Gasanova defeated qualifier Yuliya Hatouka 6-1 6-1
- Qualifier Aleksandra Krunic defeated qualifier Katie Boulter 3-6 6-3 7-5
- Varvara Gracheva (7) defeated Kristyna Pliskova 6-3 7-6(5)
- Qualifier Lesia Tsurenko defeated Vitalia Diatchenko 6-1 3-1 (retired)
- Anna-Lena Friedsam defeated Arina Rodionova 4-6 6-4 6-2
- Alison van Uytvanck (2) defeated wildcard Zhibek Kulambayeva 6-3 6-4
Monday, 27 September 2021
ATP - San Diego
The following players withdrew after entering but before the main draw was published:
- Seventh seed Cristian Garín replaced by Dominik Koepfer
Lorenzo Sonego was instated as ninth seed
- David Goffin replaced by Sebastian Korda
- Dusan Lajovic replaced by Lloyd Harris
- Reilly Opelka replaced by Federico Delbonis
Andrey Rublev, world number 5, is top seed.
The other 7 seeds are all in the top 23
The top four seeds have first round byes.
ATP - Sofia
The following players withdrew after entering but before the main draw was published:
- Roberto Bautista Agut replaced by James Duckworth
- Marin Cilic replaced by Gianluca Mager
- Mackenzie McDonald replaced by Emil Ruusuvuori
Jannik Sinner world number 14, is top seed.
The other 7 seeds are all in the top 55
The top four seeds all have first round byes.
WTA - Nur-Sultan
The following players withdrew after entering but before the main draw was published:
- Irina-Camelia Begu replaced by Ekaterine Gorgodze
- Polona Hercog replaced by Jaqueline Cristian
- Nao Hibino replaced by Vitalia Diatchenko
- Anhelina Kalinina replaced by Stefanie Voegele
- Nuria Parrizas Diaz replaced by Mandy Minella
- Liudmila Samsonova replaced by Jule Niemeier
- Anna Karolina Schmiedlova replaced by Kristyna Pliskova
- Nina Stojanovic replaced by Anna-Lena Friedsam
- Clara Tauson replaced by Lesley Pattinama Kerkhove
- Vera Zvonareva replaced by Vera Lapko
Yulia Putintsev, world number 47, is top seed.
The other 7 seeds are all in the top 89
There are no byes.
WTA - Chicago 2
The following players withdrew after entering but before the main draw was published:
- Sorana Cirstea replaced by Hsieh Su-wei
- CoCo Gauff replaced by Ann Li
- Daria Kasatkina replaced by Amanda Anisimova
- Sofia Kenin replaced by Andrea Petkovic
- Johanna Konta replaced by Madison Brengle
- Petra Kvitová replaced by Misaki Doi
- Petra Martic replaced by Maria Camila Osorio Serrano
- Jelena Ostapenko replaced by Lauren Davis
- Karolina Pliskova replaced by Kaia Kanepi
- Alison Riske replaced by Jasmine Paolini
- Aryna Sabalenka replaced by Sloane Stephens
- Maria Sakkari replaced by lucky loser Olga Govortsova
- Elena Vesnina replaced by Marie Bouzkova
Elina Svitolina, world number 6, is top seed.
The other 15 seeds are all in the top 38
The top eight seeds have first round byes.
Hurkacz secures 3rd title for 2021
Kontaveit triumphs in Ostrava
Final:
Maria Sakkari (4) (Greece) v Anett Kontaveit (Estonia)
Sakkari led Kontaveit 6-4 in head to head matches before the final. In three contests this year, Sakkari had won the last two - in Madrid and at the Tokyo Olympics.
Sakkari was aiming for her second WTA title in her third final, having won her only trophy in May 2019 in Rabat.
This would be final number 10 for Kontaveit, and if successful it would be her third title, previously winning in Rosmalen, June 2017 and Cleveland last month.
In set one, Kontaveit didn’t face a break point, in fact winning 16 of 18 points on her serve. The Estonian broke Sakkari in the fourth game, and Sakkari was broken again when serving at 2-5 to stay in the set. 6-2 Kontaveit.
In game one of set two, Kontaveit saved the first break point that she had faced in the match.
No more break chances eventuated for the next eight games, and Sakkari went to the line, serving at 4-5 to remain in the match.
A double fault and a loose volley put Sakkari in danger at 0-30. Forehand and backhand winners at the net from the Greek racquet levelled it at 30-30.
A Kontaveit backhand winner brought it to deuce. Another of her winners, this time a forehand down the line, and a second game point for Sakkari disappeared. Deuce again.
Exchange of winners and a third deuce. Sakkari ultimately held serve for 5-5.
Kontaveit survived 0-30 and deuce to lead 6-5.
Serving a second time to stay alive, Sakkari committed two unforced errors and trailed 0-30. A Kontaveit forehand down the line winner gave her three match points. A forehand cross court winner sealed the match for Anett Kontaveit 6-2 7-5.
Two titles within a month and Kontaveit jumps 10 places to #16 in the 2021 WTA Race.
Sunday, 26 September 2021
Soonwoo Kwon wins his first ATP title
WTA - Ostrava semi finals
Semi final results:
Maria Sakkari (4) defeated Iga Swiatek (1) 6-4 7-5
Anett Kontaveit defeated Petra Kvitová (2) 6-0 6-4
Final will be between:
Maria Sakkari (4) (Greece) v Anett Kontaveit (Estonia)
ATP - Metz semi finals
Saturday, 25 September 2021
ATP - Nur-Sultan semi finals
ATP - Metz quarter finals
WTA - Ostrava quarter finals
Quarter final results:
Iga Swiatek (1) defeated Elena Rybakina (7) 7-6(5) 6-2
Maria Sakkari (4) defeated wildcard Tereza Martincova 7-5 6-3
Anett Kontaveit defeated Belinda Bencic (3) 6-4 6-3
Petra Kvitová (2) defeated Jil Teichmann 6-4 6-4
Semi final match ups
Iga Swiatek (1) v Maria Sakkari (4)
Anett Kontaveit v Petra Kvitová (2)
ATP - Nur-Sultan quarter finals
Friday, 24 September 2021
ATP - Metz 2R complete
WTA - Ostrava 2R complete
Second round results:
- Elena Rybakina (7) defeated qualifier Magda Linette 6-3 2-6 6-1
- Maria Sakkari (4) defeated wildcard Jelena Ostapenko 6-4 6-2
- Wildcard Tereza Martincova defeated Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (5) 7-6(5) 7-6(6)
- Belinda Bencic (3) defeated Sara Sorribes Tormo 6-2 6-3
- Jil Teichmann defeated Alison Riske 6-3 1-6 6-4
Quarter final match ups
Iga Swiatek (1) v Elena Rybakina (7)
Maria Sakkari (4) v wildcard Tereza Martincova
Anett Kontaveit v Belinda Bencic (3)
Jil Teichmann v Petra Kvitová (2)
ATP - Nur-Sultan 2R complete
Thursday, 23 September 2021
ATP - Metz 2R start
WTA - Ostrava 2R start
First round results:
- Wildcard Jelena Ostapenko defeated lucky loser Anna Blinkova 6-4 6-0
- Alison Riske defeated qualifier Fiona Ferro 6-4 1-6 6-4
Second round results:
- Iga Swiatek (1) defeated Yulia Putintseva 6-4 6-4
- Petra Kvitová (2) defeated qualifier Anastasia Potapova 6-1 6-7(4) 6-3
- Anett Kontaveit defeated Paula Badosa (9) 6-3 6-4
ATP - Nur-Sultan 2R start
Wednesday, 22 September 2021
WTA - Ostrava 1R continued
First round results:
- Yulia Putintseva defeated Zhang Shuai 5-7 7-6(7) 6-4
- Elena Rybakina (7) defeated Veronika Kudermetova 6-1 6-3
- Wildcard Tereza Martincova defeated wildcard Katerina Siniakova 5-7 6-4 7-6(7)
- Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (5) defeated qualifier Ana Konjuh 7-6(3) 6-1
- Jil Teichmann defeated Angelique Kerber (6) 6-2 6-3
ATP - Metz 1R continued
ATP - Nur-Sultan 1R continued
Tuesday, 21 September 2021
WTA - Ostrava 1R start
8th seed Karolina Muchova withdrew after the main draw was published due to an abdominal injury, and was replaced by lucky loser Anna Blinkova
Paula Badosa was instated as ninth seed and moved in the draw to the place previously occupied by Muchova.
First round results:
- Qualifier Magda Linette defeated qualifier Oceane Dodin 6-2 7-6(3)
- Paula Badosa (9) defeated lucky loser Varvara Gracheva 6-2 6-2
- Anett Kontaveit defeated Sorana Cirstea 6-4 6-4
- Sara Sorribes Tormo defeated qualifier Anastasia Zakharova 6-3 6-3
- Qualifier Anastasia Potapova defeated wildcard Caroline Garcia 6-2 7-6(6)
ATP - Metz 1R start
ATP - Nur-Sultan 1R start
Monday, 20 September 2021
Paolini’s 1st WTA title in Portorož
ATP - Metz
The following players withdrew after entering but before the main draw was published:
- Carlos Alcaraz replaced by Marco Cecchinato
- Jeremy Chardy replaced by alternate Mikael Ymer
- David Goffin replaced by Arthur Rinderknech
- Yoshihito Nishioka replaced by Richard Gasquet
- Jannik Sinner replaced by Pedro Martinez
Hubert Hurkacz, world number 13, is top seed.
The other 7 seeds are all in the top 36
The top four seeds have first round byes.