World Tennis Challenge – Daily Update

Tuesday 10 January 2012



It wasn’t the 41 degree weather of a week ago but the opening night of the 2012 World Tennis Challenge served up an engaging evening’s play, topped up a couple of doubles matches for all seasons.

The iconic John McEnroe, commuting from New York to Adelaide for the third consecutive January, took centre stage as expected, his match against old foe Brad Gilbert the anticipated highlight for many.

An almost shivery start to the day had dissipated long before the nine to fivers and holiday crowds began flocking in, the mercury low at 21, sunshine and breeze the dominant early elements.

With dark came the cold but the on-court entertainment and quality was never in doubt

Alexander Dolgopolov, the highest ranked player on show, all quick , unorthodox action stormed into an early lead against Michael Llodra, a veteran of both the mens tour and Adelaide.

It looked a routine victory for the highly promising Ukranian, and a win by proxy for the home crowd courtesy of the ‘Dog’s’ South Australian coach Jack Reader.

But Llodra, angles and the occasional volley to the fore kept his calm to take the first set 7/5, with a repeat performance in the second, despite an early three game deficit, taking the match on a tie break and thoroughly deserved too.

Tommy Haas meanwhile showed rumours of his calf strain to be just that and though he didn’t quite manage a level of 10 years back , when he was number in the world, he pushed Stan Wawrinka to two very close sets before succumbing to the Swiss, world ranked top 20 player.

Aussie Pat Rafter, back at the WTC after a two year hiatus, proved a man in form despite his lack of recent match practice, the ever flamboyant Henri Leconte despatched 8/6.

The battle of the ‘greys’ meanwhile, Mac and Brad, proved a tumultuous struggle, the long and pivotal fifth game, interrupted by a succession of queries from both sides, the New Yorker eventually prevailing over the Californian 8/4.

Perhaps the weather had something to do with it, blustery and increasingly cold, Gilbert, hit the ground running, his serve particularly steady and fierce. The initial assault over, Mac regained his momentum, sized up the man in all black , the final result to Mac as expected but a close and dogged contest.

The evening really warmed up with the doubles, Mac and Mansour teaming up for America, Mac sleeveless against the long sleeved Gilbert for the second time within the hour. And on the occasion, a win too, 6/2 for the international offering.

The final game to finish had a progressively comical touch, Mansour stepping in, successfully, for Llodra for a couple of games, Europe coming through on the tie break 7/6.

http://worldtennischallenge.com

Inside the Life of Alexandr Dolgopolov- Australian Open 2012

(Youtube/WilsonRacquet)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Waj9jk5LgI&feature=player_embedded#!

Ils pourraient vous surprendre

13/01/2012 - 09:13 - Mis à jour le 13/01/2012 - 13:22

L'Open d'Australie est historiquement le tournoi qui réserve le plus de surprises. Voici quatre joueurs suceptibles d'exploser cette année et faire parler d'eux à Melbourne: Alexandr Dolgopolov, John Isner, Milos Raonic et Kei Nishikori. Samedi, nous nous pencherons sur les quatre premiers Français.

Voici une sélection de quatre joueurs qui n'ont jamais intégré le Top 10, mais qui pourraient le faire cette saison. Nous suivrons leur progression en 2012, à commencer par l'Open d'Australie où leur tableau leur promet diverses fortunes.

ALEXANDR DOLGOPOLOV
14e mondial
Ukrainien / 23 ans
1 quart en Grand Chelem
Meilleur résultat en Australie: 1/4

Où il en est
Dolgopolov a débuté 2012 par une finale à Brisbane perdue face à Murray. En Australie, il a battu Stepanek et Simon avant de buter sur l’Ecossais. Un parcours qui lui a redonné confiance après une fin d’année 2011 compliquée où il a perdu cinq de ses six derniers matches. Auparavant, il s’était illustré avec un quart de finale en Masters 1000 à Shanghai, une demi-finale à Metz et un huitième à l’US Open, perdu face à Djokovic en trois sets.

Son tableau
Opposé à l'Australien Jones (N.198) au 1er tour, il sera sur la route de Verdasco au 3e tour, puis de Federer en huitièmes.

La stat
2: A ce jour, Dolgopolov n’a battu que deux joueurs du Top 10: Ferrer, alors N.7, à Nice et surtout Söderling, N.4 mondial en Australie. C'était en 2011 dans les deux cas.

La question
Arrivera-t-il à confirmer son quart de finale à Melbourne l'an dernier?

L'avis de P.Mouratoglou
"Il a des qualités de jeu naturelles énormes, une vitesse de bras et de jambes monstrueuses. Mais il est dur à cadrer. Très fantasque."

www.eurosport.fr

Dolgopolov s'en sort bien

lundi 16 janvier 2012 à 08:47

Révélation de l'édition 2011, sortant successivement Jo-Wilfried Tsonga et Robin Söderling avant de céder face à Andy Murray, Alexandr Dolgopolov a bien failli connaître un passage beaucoup plus bref en 2012, malmené par l'Australien Greg Jones. Devant son public, ce dernier a mené deux sets à rien avant de craquer et de permettre à la tête de série n°13 ukrainienne de s'en sortir en cinq manches (1-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-1, 6-2) et de se qualifier pour le deuxième tour.

www.ouest-france.fr

Dolgopolov edges wildcard

Monday, 16 January, 2012 by Matt Trollope

Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov has recovered from two-sets-to-love down to knock out local wildcard Greg Jones on Margaret Court Arena late on Monday afternoon.

While it began extremely promisingly for the Sydneysider, the 13th seed and 2011 Australian Open quarterfinalist began to find the range on his powerful groundstrokes and eventually proved the fitter of the two men, wrapping up a 1-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-1, 6-2 win in two-and-a-half hours.

Part of the reason for Dolgopolov’s slow start may have been his own health.

He said he was feeling the effects of a blood condition.

“I was feeling really bad ... Greg helped me a bit in the third set and he had some problems in the fourth and fifth set I believe so it was a pretty ugly match,” he said.

“But I’m through so I guess that’s good, and I hope I’ll be feeling better in the next match.”

Before a lively home crowd, Jones opened impeccably, precise serving and big hitting from the baseline helping him hold his service games comfortably.

Dolgopolov, the more explosive yet erratic of the pair, was taking massive cuts at the ball with intermittent success and his errors helped Jones to 0-40 in the fourth game.

The Australian went on to break serve to lead 3-1, and soon the unforced errors were tumbling from the Ukrainian’s racquet, his forehand in particular deserting him. Jones enjoyed a streak of eight consecutive winning points to take the set in just 21 minutes.

Jones was a perfect eight-from-eight points won at net, and continued to attack with success in the second set. Hitting his way out of trouble when facing a deficit in the opening game to lead 1-0, games continued on serve until the fifth game.

There, Dolgopolov’s frustration at yet another error finally boiled over, and he sent his racquet slamming into the Plexicushion. His anger was compounded on the next point when Jones hit a winner that Dolgopolov challenged, only to discover that Hawkeye was malfunctioning.

Jones broke serve and moved ahead 4-2 in the next game, but the 13th seed broke back to love when Jones dished up a handful of his own errors.

The erratic nature of the match continued in the next game when Dolgopolov again began misfiring, and Jones broke to give himself a chance to serve for the set.

He held firm, opening the game with a volley winner and securing a two-sets-to-love lead with a powerful smash, at exactly the same time compatriot Bernard Tomic smacked a final forehand winner to dismiss No.22 seed Fernando Verdasco in five sets across on Rod Laver Arena. Things, it seemed, were looking extremely rosy for the host nation.

However, the match would take a dramatic turn as the groundstrokes Dolgopolov had been spraying wide began to find their mark.

Over the course of the next two sets he pounded 23 winners while only 11 errors, his trigger-happy, go-for-broke style completely denying Jones any rhythm. A shell-shocked Jones was simply obliterated and found himself in a fifth set just 50-odd minutes after he took his two-set lead.

“I went to the toilet after the second set and thought (about) how I have to play now and change up to compete in these conditions and (with) the way I was feeling so I just tried to risk more,” Dolgopolov said.

In the fifth, Jones put up a little more resistance, staving off break points in the fourth game. But fading physically – the result of cramp and possibly a blister on his right toe requiring treatment in the third set – Jones was unable to eek out the game, falling behind 3-1.

Thanks to two errors from Jones four games later, Dologopolov had secured his passage into the second round, where he will face German Tobias Kamke, a straight-set winner over Victor Hanescu. 3 ukrainienne de s'en sortir en cinq manches (1-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-1, 6-2) et de se qualifier pour le deuxième tour.

http://www.australianopen.com

Dolgopolov a lutté

Alexandr Dolgopolov a eu toutes les peines du monde pour venir à bout de Tobias Kamke, en l'emportant 8-6 au cinquième set lors du deuxième tour de l'Open d'Australie (4-6, 6-1, 6-1, 3-6, 8-6). L'Ukrainien, 13e joueur mondial, affrontera soit Sam Querrey, soit l'Australien Bernard Tomic au prochain tour.

www.sports.fr

Dolgopolov dehors

11/04 19h01 - Tennis, Casablanca

Alexandr Dolgopolov a mordu la poussière dès son entrée en lice à Casablanca, battu par Flavio Cipolla, spécialiste de terre battue. La tête de série numéro 2 s’est inclinée en deux manches (6/4 6/1).

www.sport24.com

Dolgopolov Sets Tomic Clash

by ATP Staff | 16.04.2012

Alexandr Dolgopolov notched his first main draw win in three visits to the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters on Monday as he defeated Juan Ignacio Chela 6-2, 6-2. The 16th-seeded Ukrainian broke serve four times from five opportunities and won 74 per cent of points on serve to claim victory over the experienced Argentine in 57 minutes.

The 23-year-old Dolgopolov improved to an 11-8 match record on the season, highlighted by reaching the final at the Brisbane International (l. to Murray). He goes onto face Australia’s Bernard Tomic, whom he lost to in five sets in the third round of the Australian Open in January.

www.atpworldtour.com

Dolgopolov en huitièmes

Le 18/04/2012 à 12:23:00

Alexandr Dolgopolov s'est qualifié mercredi pour les huitièmes de finale à Monte-Carlo. L'Ukrainien a eu raison de l'Australien Bernard Tomic en trois sets (6-2, 5-7, 6-1). Il jouera le vainqueur du match opposant Novak Djokovic à Andreas Seppi.

www.lequipe.fr

Rome (ATP): Dolgopolov abandonne

Créé le 14/05/2012 - 13:09

Tombeur de Jo-Wilfried Tsonga la semaine passée à Madrid, Alexandr Dolgopolov a été contraint à l'abandon au premier tour du Masters 1000 de Rome, lundi, face à Fernando Verdasco (6-0, ab.). Alors qu'il a semblé se plaindre des abdominaux, l'Ukrainien laisse donc son adversaire accéder au deuxième tour. L'Espagnol affrontera son compatriote David Ferrer, pour une place en huitièmes de finale.

www.sports.fr

Tennis - Roland Garros (H) : Dolgopolov à la trappe

Séparés par la tombée de la nuit, lundi, à deux manches partout, Alexandr Dolgopolov et Sergueï Stakhovsky ont dû se départager ce mardi sur le court n°14. Vite breaké, Dolgopolov n'a pu revenir et s'est finalement incliné (6-7 [4], 6-4, 7-6 [4], 3-6, 6-3). C'est une grosse déception pour la tête de série n°16, plutôt à l'aise sur terre battue et qui était arrivée en quarts de finale aux Masters 1000 de Madrid en écartant notamment Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

www.lequipe.fr

Dolgopolov sort Bogomolov

26/06 14h36 - Tennis, Wimbledon

Alexandr Dolgopolov jouera le deuxième tour de Wimbledon. L'Ukrainien s'est qualifié en dominant Alex Bogomolov Jr., en trois sets (6/3 6/4 7/5). Il pourrait retrouver Benoît Paire au tour suivant si ce dernier parvient à dompter Mattew Ebden.

www.sport24.com

Umag 2012: Dolgopolov écarte Berlocq

Vendredi 13 Juillet 2012, 21:30

Direction les demi-finales pour Alexandr Dolgopolov dans cet ATP Studena Croatia Open 2012. Tête de série n°3, il a eu besoin de deux manches pour se défaire de l'Argentin Carlos Berlocq, tête de série n°5, sur le score de 6/4, 6/4 sur le Center Court de l'ATP Stadium. Dolgopolov tentera ainsi de se hisser en finale et il affrontera, pour ce faire, Marin Cilic qui s'est défait de Wayne Odesnik.

www.TennisTemple.com