Tennis

Montreal Masters: Sinner and Rublev Set for Heavyweight Quarterfinal ClashMontreal, Canada - The National Bank Open in Montreal is set for a thrilling Saturday night showdown as world No. 1 Jannik Sinner and world No. 8 Andrey Rublev, two of the top players in the world, will face off in a heavyweight quarterfinal clash.Both Sinner and Rublev advanced to the last eight with impressive victories earlier in the day. Sinner, the defending champion, extended his winning streak in Canada to six matches with a 6-3, 6-4 triumph over No. 15 seed Alejandro Tabilo of Chile. Rublev, meanwhile, raced into the quarterfinals with a dominant 6-2, 6-2 win over American Brandon Nakashima.Rublev's victory marked a significant milestone in his career, as he completed the boxed set of quarterfinals at ATP Masters 1000 level. Despite having reached the last eight at all eight other Masters 1000 events, he had never before progressed this far in Canada.In the other quarterfinal on Saturday night, resurgent Japanese star Kei Nishikori will take on 23-year-old Italian Matteo Arnaldi. Nishikori, who upset Stefanos Tsitsipas in the second round, sealed his first ATP Masters 1000 quarterfinal berth since 2019 with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Portugal's Nuno Borges. Arnaldi, meanwhile, reached his first Masters 1000 quarterfinal when Alejandro Davidovich Fokina retired with Arnaldi ahead 4-6, 7-6(5), 3-0.In delayed second-round action, No. 4 seed Hubert Hurkacz made a winning return from a knee injury that he suffered at Wimbledon, while Washington, D.C. champion Sebastian Korda extended his winning streak to seven matches. Hurkacz outlasted Australian Thanasi Kokkinaki 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(6) in the second round, while Korda received a walkover into the third round after No. 6 seed Casper Ruud withdrew from their anticipated clash due to illness.The Montreal Masters is shaping up to be an exciting tournament, with several top players still in contention for the title. The Sinner-Rublev quarterfinal promises to be a particularly intriguing matchup, as both players are in excellent form and will be eager to prove their worth on the hard courts of Canada.

The National Bank Open, an ATP Masters 1000 hard-court tournament, kicks off in Montreal on August 6th. With Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz absent, the field boasts a star-studded lineup including Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, and Daniil Medvedev.The tournament's fast court conditions favor power players and big servers. Past champions include Rafael Nadal (2018-2019), Daniil Medvedev (2021), and Pablo Carreno Busta (2022).Players to Watch:* Daniil Medvedev (+600): The former world No. 1 returns to hard courts after a disappointing Olympics. He faces a favorable draw until a potential fourth-round clash with Stefanos Tsitsipas.* Taylor Fritz (+2500): The American has a clear path to a deep run, with winnable matches against Sebastian Korda, Casper Ruud, and Alexander Zverev.* Jannik Sinner (+150): The Italian is the favorite despite recent health issues. His elite serving and returning abilities make him a formidable opponent on fast surfaces.Pick to Win:Jannik Sinner (+150) is the player to beat in Montreal. His absence of rivals Djokovic and Alcaraz, combined with his exceptional skills on fast courts, makes him the most likely candidate for victory.

Jannik Sinner Withdraws from Paris Olympics Due to TonsillitisItalian tennis star Jannik Sinner has announced his withdrawal from the upcoming Paris Olympics, citing tonsillitis as the reason. The 22-year-old, who was ranked as the top seed in both singles and doubles, expressed his disappointment at missing the Games, which he had identified as a major goal for the season.Sinner's withdrawal comes after a strong week of clay training, during which he began to feel unwell. A subsequent doctor's visit revealed tonsillitis, prompting medical advice against playing. "Missing the Games is a huge disappointment as it was one of my main goals for this season," Sinner wrote on social media. "I couldn't wait to have the honor of representing my country in this very important event."Sinner's absence from the Olympics will have a significant impact on the men's tennis field. Novak Djokovic, who had been seeded second, will now take over as the top seed, while Carlos Alcaraz moves up to No. 2. Daniil Medvedev, competing as a neutral athlete, jumps from No. 5 to No. 4, while top-ranked American Taylor Fritz is raised from No. 9 to No. 8.Sinner's last competitive outing was at Wimbledon, where he reached the quarterfinals before being eliminated by Medvedev. The Italian had been hoping to make his Olympic debut in Paris, but his health issues have unfortunately prevented him from doing so.

The transition from the era of tennis legends Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi to the current dominance of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer was a gradual and competitive process. However, the transition to the era of Carlos Alcaraz (21) and Jannik Sinner (22) has been remarkably smooth.Djokovic had an exceptional year in 2023, winning three Grand Slams, reaching the final of the fourth, claiming the ATP Tour Finals, and finishing the season as World No.1 for a record eighth time. Yet, Alcaraz and Sinner have demonstrated their potential to challenge the established order.Alcaraz's stunning straight-sets victory over Djokovic in the Wimbledon final on Sunday marked a significant moment in the transition. It was the third Grand Slam title of 2024 for Alcaraz, who had previously won the French Open and Roland-Garros. Sinner, too, has shown his mettle, winning the Australian Open earlier this year."Being with Jannik, winning Grand Slams... I think it is good for tennis to have new faces," said Alcaraz after his Wimbledon triumph. "I'm really glad to have him [Sinner]. We have a really good rivalry and it is great for the sport."The mental fortitude of Alcaraz and Sinner has been a key factor in their success. Sinner's victory over Djokovic in the Australian Open semifinal and Alcaraz's wins in the last two Wimbledon finals have proven that they have the resilience to compete at the highest level."Both of them are the best this year by far," Djokovic admitted. "I'm not at that level. To really have a chance to beat these guys in Grand Slam later stages or Olympics, I'll have to play much better than I did [vs. Alcaraz]."While Djokovic remains a formidable opponent, Alcaraz believes he is still the "Superman" of tennis. However, the 37-year-old knows he faces a tough task in catching up to the younger generation."I'm going to work on it," said Djokovic. "It's not something I haven't experienced before. In the face of adversity, normally I rise and I learn and get stronger. That's what I'm going to do."The transition to the era of Alcaraz and Sinner has been a seamless one, with the two young stars proving their worth on the biggest stages. As they continue to develop and challenge the established order, the future of tennis looks bright.

Vijay Amritraj, a former world No. 18 Indian tennis player, believes that the current generation of players, such as Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, have the mindset to challenge and defeat Novak Djokovic. Amritraj, who defeated tennis greats like Bjorn Borg, John McEnroe, and Jimmy Connors during his career, said that he knew he could beat them on his good days."When I played with Borg, Connors, McEnroe, the best of my generation, I believed that on my good day, no one could beat me. I was going to beat them," Amritraj said. "I knew that, they knew it, and I knew that they knew it."Alcaraz and Sinner have both defeated Djokovic in Grand Slam matches in the past year. Alcaraz defeated Djokovic in the 2023 Wimbledon final, while Sinner defeated him in the 2023 Australian Open semifinals."Now in their mind, they (Alcaraz and Sinner) know how to win against him (Djokovic) as well. Djokovic knows that, Alcaraz knows that, and Djokovic knows that Alcaraz knows that," Amritraj said.Amritraj believes that Alcaraz and Sinner have learned from their early matches against Djokovic and have developed a strategy to beat him."The important thing for Sinner and Alcaraz was what they learnt from the early times they played Novak. The thing that younger players tend to do against a great champion is when push comes to shove, they tend to force the issue. They don’t take a step back and say — you know what, I’m fitter than he is, I can stay with him longer over the course of a point, so I don’t have to force the issue and overdo stuff. Which is what would happen in the early matches. And that’s why Sinner was able to win in Australia and Alcaraz was able to win last year (at Wimbledon)," Amritraj said.Amritraj believes that Djokovic's fitness will be a key factor in the Wimbledon final. Djokovic withdrew from the French Open quarterfinals due to a knee injury, but he has looked strong in his matches at Wimbledon."Look, when everyone says, ‘Novak is done, he’s just had knee surgery, he’s wearing a brace, he’s not moving as well he used to’, the first thing I tell them is, do not bet against greatness," Amritraj said. "That is always going to be in Djokovic’s DNA. He knows how to handle his body. He wasn’t going to play this tournament to win one or two matches; he’s in it to win seven."

In a highly anticipated Wimbledon quarterfinal, world No. 1 Jannik Sinner faced off against fifth seed Daniil Medvedev in a rematch of the Australian Open final. Despite Sinner's recent dominance over Medvedev, the Russian emerged victorious in a thrilling five-set battle that lasted over four hours.The first set was a marathon, with neither player able to break serve. Medvedev eventually took the tiebreaker 7-5, but Sinner responded by breaking early in the second set. However, Medvedev remained composed and leveled the match.In the third set, Medvedev broke again to take a 2-1 lead, but Sinner called for a medical timeout due to dizziness. Upon returning, Sinner struggled physically but managed to break back and force a tiebreaker. Medvedev saved two set points to win the tiebreaker and take a 2-1 lead.Sinner stormed through the fourth set, but Medvedev regained control in the decider. He broke Sinner early and held on to secure a 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 2-6, 6-3 victory.Medvedev's win sets up a semifinal clash with defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, who also overcame a set deficit to defeat Tommy Paul.

Wimbledon's quarter-finals promise thrilling encounters as the tournament's next generation of stars take center stage. Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, the world's top-ranked players, will face off in a highly anticipated clash, while Lulu Sun, a qualifier from New Zealand, aims to make history.Sinner vs. Medvedev: A Rivalry RenewedWorld number one Jannik Sinner and fifth-ranked Daniil Medvedev have a storied rivalry, with Sinner winning the last five of their 11 meetings. Their Wimbledon quarter-final will be a rematch of the Australian Open final, where Sinner triumphed in a thrilling five-set battle. Medvedev acknowledges Sinner's remarkable improvement, praising his consistency and power.Alcaraz Eyes Double GloryDefending champion Carlos Alcaraz faces American Tommy Paul, hoping to reach his sixth Grand Slam semi-final. Alcaraz, who is also a close friend of Spain's Euro 2024 captain, is eager to finish his Wimbledon match in time to support his national team. Alcaraz is aiming to become the sixth player to win the French Open and Wimbledon back-to-back.Sun Shines BrightLulu Sun, the first New Zealand woman to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals, is making waves with her aggressive style. Despite being ranked 123rd, Sun has defeated top players like Zheng Qinwen and Emma Raducanu. Her opponent, Donna Vekic, is also in her first Wimbledon quarter-final but has previous experience in the last eight at the US Open and Australian Open.Paolini's Cinderella RunJasmine Paolini, ranked seventh in Italy, has exceeded expectations by reaching her first Grand Slam quarter-final. After a runner-up finish at Roland Garros, Paolini faces Emma Navarro, who stunned Coco Gauff in the fourth round. Navarro has a 3-0 record against Paolini, but the Italian is determined to continue her Cinderella run.

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner will face Daniil Medvedev in a highly anticipated Wimbledon quarterfinal on Tuesday. The match is a rematch of the 2024 Australian Open final, where Sinner rallied from a two-set deficit to claim his first Grand Slam title.Since then, Sinner has continued to play exceptional tennis, including a dominant 6-1, 6-2 victory over Medvedev in Miami. This marked Sinner's fifth consecutive win over the Russian.Despite Sinner's recent dominance, experts believe Medvedev has a chance of taking at least one set. Medvedev's last performance against Sinner was disappointing, but he has a strong record on grass and is known for his ability to hold serve.While Sinner has been impressive at Wimbledon, he has also shown some vulnerability. He dropped a set against Yannick Hanfmann in the first round and against Matteo Berrettini in the second round. He also faced a few set points against Ben Shelton in the fourth round.Medvedev, on the other hand, will be well-rested after Grigor Dimitrov retired against him in the first set of their fourth-rounder. Medvedev's health issues prevented him from winning another Grand Slam title in Melbourne.Experts believe that Medvedev may have found a strategy to challenge Sinner by playing more aggressively and coming to the net more often. This could help him gain an advantage in rallies and put pressure on Sinner's serve.Overall, while Sinner is the favorite, Medvedev has the potential to make this match competitive and take at least one set.

The Wimbledon fortnight has witnessed a rollercoaster ride for the top three seeds in the men's draw: Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, and Carlos Alcaraz. While they have all advanced to the second week, their performances have been far from flawless.Sinner, the top seed, has dropped two sets and faced a set point in a third. Alcaraz, the defending champion, has surrendered three sets and nearly lost to Frances Tiafoe. Djokovic, recovering from knee surgery, has also lost two sets and has struggled with his movement.Djokovic's struggles have been evident in his close fourth-set victories over Jacob Fearnley and Alexei Popyrin. He has admitted to feeling "lucky" to escape trouble and has acknowledged that his knee is still not at its best. However, Djokovic's experience and ability to rise to the occasion could prove crucial in the later stages.Alcaraz, on the other hand, has faced issues with consistency and feel for the ball. He has endured significant dips in his level, particularly against Tiafoe and Ugo Humbert. However, the Spaniard has shown resilience by clinging to his serve and turning around grim situations. His 12-1 record in fifth sets is a testament to his mental fortitude.Sinner has arguably been the most consistent of the top three, winning his last two matches in straight sets. However, he has also experienced lulls, such as losing the feel on his forehand against Ben Shelton. Nonetheless, Sinner's confidence and ability to find a way in the end remain strong.Despite their challenges, the top three seeds remain the favorites for the title. Sinner faces a tough road ahead, with Daniil Medvedev, Alcaraz, and potentially Djokovic or Alexander Zverev standing in his way. However, the Italian's steady play and determination make him a formidable opponent.