Category Archives: ATP Tour

Menacing Phantoms

Montreal Masters, Day Two Whatever one’s expectations had been coming into this year’s Montreal Masters – I had few beyond an early loss for Bernard Tomic and ultimate triumph for Mikhail Youzhny – I doubt whether even ardent Canadian patriots … Continue reading

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An Aversion to Sequins

Having availed myself of an unanticipated and therefore unannounced break from civilisation, I am now back on deck, and thoroughly enchanted at the thought of writing about whatever meagre tennis remains in the US Summer. I’m disappointed to note I … Continue reading

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Imploring the Heavens

Hamburg, Final (12) Fognini d. (Q) Delbonis, 4/6 7/6 6/2 Fabio Fognini has won Hamburg’s German Tennis Championships, his second tournament victory in as many weeks, proving that anything can become habitual once you develop the knack for it. Speaking … Continue reading

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If Not Fast Then Furious

Hamburg, Semifinals (12) Fognini d. (3) Almagro, 6/4 7/6 (Q) Delbonis d. (1) Federer, 7/6 7/6 The final of the German Tennis Championships will be contested by Fabio Fognini, who has never reached this stage at any tournament so august, … Continue reading

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Never Seen That

BÃ¥stad, Stuttgart, Newport: Finals (With an excursion through cricket and cycling.) An Argentine, an Italian and a Frenchman all walk into a joke. Stop me if you’ve heard it. It’s a good one. Within the space of a few hours … Continue reading

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Detailed prophecy is not our business

Halle, Final (1) Federer d. Youzhny, 6/7 6/3 6/4 Roger Federer has defeated Mikhail Youzhny in the final of the Gerry Weber Open, a result that, as ever, prompted a number of categories, great or obscure, to increase their value … Continue reading

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Heart of Grass

Halle and Queens, Quarterfinals It is entirely consistent with a grass season that ends too soon that it should also commence too suddenly. Main draw matches in Halle started less than twenty-four hours after the participants in the French Open … Continue reading

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‘Dreadful, indeed, is the lion’s lair…’

Rome Masters, Final (5) Nadal d. (2) Federer, 6/1 6/3 Rafael Nadal today won his seventh Rome title, in the process claiming his twenty-fourth Masters trophy and establishing a favouritism for Roland Garros so clear that to go on denying … Continue reading

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Fascinating Problems

Rome Masters, Semifinals (5) Nadal d. (6) Berdych, 6/2 6/4 (2) Federer d. Paire, 7/6 6/4 Roger Federer today defeated Benoit Paire in crooked straight sets, simultaneously reaching his first final of the season, and ensuring he achieved the least … Continue reading

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Minor Miracles

Rome Masters, Rounds One – Three Of the nine Masters 1000 tournaments unevenly studding the ATP calendar, Rome’s Internazionali BNL d’Italia is my favourite. For one thing, the location is perfect, and perfectly peculiar. Whatever the Foro Italico’s provenance – … Continue reading

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