I don't know what upset me more, that John Isner won the title in Newport (for the fourth time) -- beating 22-year-old Alexander Bublik, 7-6(2), 6-2 -- or that the Republican gland freak is actually growing into his looks to the point that I had to admit he looked kind of handsome. (At one point Bublik pulled a Kyrgios hitting a tweener for no reason and it got me thinking maybe the ATP is right to fine players for not giving 100 percent.)
Reuters reports that Chile’s Nicolas Jarry joined his grandfather in the ATP title-winners club on Sunday, beating sexy Argentine Juan Ignacio Londero 7-6(7) 6-4 to clinch his maiden crown at the Swedish Open.
Jaime Fillol, who claimed six tour-level titles between 1971-1982 and drove me wild with his curly hair, introduced the sport to his grandson in Santiago and the 23-year-old repaid the faith with a breakthrough title in his third career final.
“He’s one of the best Chilean tennis players. He taught me the sport since I was little. He took me to great tournaments,” Jarry said about his grandfather, who reached a career-high ranking of number 14 in 1974.
Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina became the 10th player to collect a maiden WTA Tour title this year as she strolled past Patricia Maria Tig 6-2, 6-0 in the Bucharest Open final on Sunday. Reuters reports that the 20-year-old, who is ranked 106 in the world, was in complete control against Romanian home favorite Tig as she fired 30 winners against only 14 unforced errors.
The unseeded Rybakina did not drop a set throughout the claycourt tournament, becoming the fourth player to achieve that feat this season following Sofia Kenin in Hobart, Ash Barty in Birmingham and Karolina Pliskova in Eastbourne.
Still, a great effort for the 25-year-old Tig who is returning from a series of injuries and
having a baby in November, fathered by her 42-year-old coach.
Fiona Ferro claimed her first WTA singles title after stunning French compatriot Alize Cornet in the Swiss Open final Sunday.
ESPN reports that No. 98 Ferro overcame defending champion Cornet 6-1, 2-6, 6-1 in one hour and 40 minutes.
It was the first all-French WTA final in 10 years and Ferro clinched the crown with her seventh break of serve from nine chances when Cornet sent a forehand long.
"I'm very happy and very relieved," Ferro told the reporters after the final. "It was a very tough match against a fellow French player and a friend -- it was very difficult to stay calm and to stay in the moment.
And in the most noteworthy final of the weekend, 29-year-old Serbian Dusan Lajovic notched another milestone on Sunday at the Croatian Open in Umag when he claimed his maiden ATP title ...
Around the net ...
I would say this "celebratory" tweet had something lost in translation. But poor Karolina Pliskova probably hasn't had a moment's rest having to keep one eye constantly on her
CAD HUBBY.
Maybe Stan would like some company in Nikola Mektic?
Diego Schwartzman and five of his closest friends look like they had a
GREAT TIME in Mexico.
Normally I hate when "influencers" try to sell me stuff, but ...
Oh, Daddy!
Woof!
And last but not least: Was sad to hear about the passing of Peter McNamara, who like me used a Prince Woodie in his heyday. The handsome Aussie who joined forces with Paul McNamee to become one of the best doubles teams of the early 1980s, winning three Grand Slams crowns, and reached the singles Top 10 in the ATP Rankings died on Saturday, at his home in Sonthofen, Germany, after a long and private battle with prostate cancer. McNamara had coached Mark Philippoussis and Grigor Dimitrov, and more recently Matthew Ebden and Wang Qiang. RIP.
