Stefanos Tsitsipas beats Andrey Rublev to win the Mubadala World Tennis Championships in Abu Dhabi - UBITENNIS
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Stefanos Tsitsipas beats Andrey Rublev to win the Mubadala World Tennis Championships in Abu Dhabi

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World number 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas beat defending champion Andrey Rublev 6-2 4-6 6-2 to win the title at the 14th edition of the Mubadala World Tennis Championships at the International Tennis Centre, Zayed Sports Centre, in Abu Dhabi. 

Tsitsipas followed up with straight-set wins over Cameron Norrie and Casper Ruud with a three-set win over Rublev. 

Tsitsipas converted a break point in each of the first and third games and held his serve easily to race out to a 4-0 lead. The Greek player saved two break points in a marathon sixth game featuring six deuces to hold for 5-1 and served out the first set with a hold to 30 in the eighth game. 

Both players went on serve until the 10th game when Ruud earned his first break on the set point to win the second set 6-4. 

Rublev went up 40-15 in the first game of the decisive set but committed errors to face a break point. Tsitsipas broke twice in the first game, as Rublev slammed a forehand wide. Tsitsipas broke for the second time in the third game and closed out the third set 6-2 with a love service hold. 

Tsitsipas reached the final in his previous appearance at the Mubadala World Tennis Championships. 

“It was great. I felt very on the court. I was covering the court much better. My serve was very consistent, which helped a lot. I know it’s an exhibition and I wish to be playing like this in ATP events, but regardless, I see it as a big positive and, hopefully, I can keep building in this way”, said Tsitsipas. 

Despite the defeat Rublev enjoyed a good week in Abu Dhabi highlighted by wins over Borna Coric in the quarter finals and Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinal. 

“I feel great about the week. All the players are here to play against top players, to feel the tension, to feel the atmosphere and emotions before the season. I have said before, normally I face guys like Alcaraz and Tsitsipas in the quarter finals and the semifinals but her I play them straight away, so it helps to prepare for the season”, said Rublev. 

World number 3 Casper Ruud beat Carlos Alcaraz 6-1 6-4 to claim third place in a re-match of this year’s US Open final. 

Ruud beat Alcaraz twice in exhibition tournaments. Alcaraz won his previous official ATP Tour matches in two top finals at the Miami Open and at the US Open. 

Ruud raced out to a 4-0 lead in the opening set. Alcaraz pulled one break back in the fifth game for 1-4, but Ruud broke at love in the sixth game to close out the opening set 6-1 after 26 minutes. 

Ruud saved five break points in the second and sixth games of the second set. The Norwegian player earned the break in the ninth game for 5-4 and closed out the match with a hold at love in the 10th game. 

Ruud had been on a Latin American Tour of exhibition matches with Rafael Nadal and spent a one-week holiday before the Mubadala World Tennis Championships. Alcaraz came back from an abdominal injury which forced him to miss the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin. 

“Carlos had a little bit of tough end to the year, was struggling a little bit end with injury and has played a lot better than he did today. For me it gives me a good indication. After yesterday, I thought I was quite far behind but after today maybe I am a bit further ahead than I thought and if I am playing well, I can beat good players. I have had some really good days of practice which is the most important thing to get ready for next year, so I am happy to start my pre-season in Abu Dhabi and for sure got what I wanted from the trip”, said Casper Ruud. 

Despite the defeat Alcaraz is confident that he will be in top shape for the Australian Open. 

“In the process of practice, I have been working to recover my level and feel more comfortable on court. That’s the aim, to try and feel comfortable on court”, said Alcaraz. 

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Alexander Zverev beats Roberto Carballes Baena to reach the second round at Wimbledon

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Alexander Zverev cruised past Roberto Carballes Baena 6-2 6-4 6-2 in 1 hour and 53 minutes under the closed roof of Court one to reach the second round for the seventh time in his eight appearances at Wimbledon. Zverev hit 46 winners, including 18 aces. 

Carballes Baena saved three break points in the first game of the match to hold serve. Zverev broke serve in the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead, when Carballes Baena sent a backhand long. Zverev broke for the second time in the seventh game before closing out the first set in in little more than 30 minutes. 

Zverev broke serve in the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead. Carballes Baena saved two set points, as he was serving to stay in the match. Zverev served out the second set on his first set point. 

Zverev broke in the first game of the third set. The German player saved three break points to hold serve in the second game. The 2021 Olympic champion broke for the second time in the seventh game and saved out the win on his first match point after saving a set point. 

Zverev has improved his record to 12-2 in Grand Slam matches this  season after reaching the semifinal at Roland Garros and the final at Roland Garros.

Zverev set up a second round match against either Marcos Giron and Henry Searle. 

“I have struggled over the years on these beautiful courts, but I feel different this year, somehow much more into it and more alive on these courts. Hopefully I can show that in the next few matches. For some reason, very early in my career I decided that I hate grass courts, then for some reason I decided that I love them”, said Zverev. 

Argentine Francisco Comesana upset Andrey Rublev 6-4 5-7 6-2 7-6 (7-5) in just his second grass court match.

Comesana broke serve in the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead and served out the first set on his fourth set point. Rublev converted his third break point in the second game to open up a 3-0 lead. Comesana broke back in the fifth game and held serve in the sixth game to draw level to 3-3. The Argentine player saved three set points in the 10th game. Rublev converted his third break point in the 12th game to win the second set 7-5. 

Comesana broke twice in the third and fifth games to open up a 5-1 lead and served out the third set with a hold at 30. 

The fourth set went on serve en route to the tie-break. Comesana earned a mini-break to take a 3-2 lead. Rublev pulled back on serve to draw level to 5-5. Comesana served out the win with his second mini-break. 

Comesana set up a second round match against Australia’s Adam Walton, who beat Federico Coria 6-3 6-3 7-5. 

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Ranking Points Should Be Awarded At The Olympics, Says Caroline Wozniacki

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Caroline Wozniacki – Australian Open 2024 (foto: X @AustralianOpen)

Former world No.1 Caroline Wozniacki has come out in favour of awarding ranking points at the Olympic games due to its status and other tournaments doing so in the same week. 

In recent years points have not been given at the four-year sporting extravaganza, whose tennis event is overseen by the International Tennis Federation. A separate governing body to the ATP and WTA. The last time points were awarded was at the 2012 Games in London when gold medal winners earned 750 points in the men’s draw and 685 in the women’s. 

Wozniacki, who is set to play in her fourth Olympic Games later this year, has called for the system to be brought back. She argues it is logical to do so due to the number of top names participating. 

“I do think the Olympics should have ranking points because it’s usually the best players in the world playing,” said Wozniacki.
“It’s such a huge event and something that means a lot too. It’s special to me personally as well.
“I think ranking points should be awarded to the Olympics. There are tournaments that are going parallel with the Olympics that have ranking points, so there’s no reason why the Olympics shouldn’t have it when they have the top players in the world playing.”

Coinciding with the Paris games this year will be the Citi Open in Washington, which is classed as a 500 event for both men and women. Besides points, prize money will also be on offer. 

Before the Olympics, Wozniacki’s current focus is on Wimbledon where she got off to a dream start on Tuesday. Playing her first Tour-level match at the Grand Slam since 2019, the Dane stormed to a comprehensive 6-2, 6-0, win over Alycia Parks. 

“I’m just happy to be through to the next round,” she commented. 
“When you play a girl like that, you just never know what to expect. That was just a match that I needed to get through. Keep my head down, keep my focus all the way through and that was that.”

Wozniacki will next face 30th seed Leylah Fernandez.

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Is Being A World Class Athlete Down To Genetics? Seb Korda Gives His View

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Sebastian Korda – ATP Queen's 2024 (foto via Twitter @atptour)

Last summer a study by Anglia Ruskin University found that some people have a natural advantage when it comes to endurance training based on their genetics. 

In an eight-week study on 45 participants in the UK aged between 20 and 40, they found 18 single nucleotide polymorphisms which were directly associated with endurance improvements. SNPs explain how a genetic sequence or a single gene can vary from person to person or population to population. Their findings follow up on a separate study which claims up to 44% of a person’s endurance response is down to genetics.

Given these findings, Ubitennis was keen to know what one of the world’s best tennis players who has a sporting family think about this topic. Sebastian Korda is currently ranked 21st in the world and has one ATP title to his name. He is the son of former Australian Open champion Petr Korda and former WTA top 30 player Regina Rajchrtova. Meanwhile, his sisters, Jessica and Nelly, are pro golfers on LPGA Tour.

“I don’t think it really has anything to do with it,” Korda said at Wimbledon on Tuesday.
“My parents did all they could do to allow us to have the opportunity to play professional sports and we’re all very grateful for that.
It definitely helps when you have athletes in your family, they can help you in certain situations.
“But at the end of the day, you gotta work hard and you gotta wank to improve every day. Those are the keys for any athlete in the world.”

Korda’s Wimbledon journey came to an abrupt end in the first round where he suffered a shock 7-6(5), 6-7(4), 7-6(6), 6-7(4), 6-3, loss to big-serving Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard who hit an incredible 51 aces during the five-set thriller. It is a bitter pill for the American to swallow after he impressed on the grass in the warm-up events. Reaching the final in ‘s-Hertogenbosch and then the semi-finals in Queen’s.

“I wasn’t surprised,” Korda replied when asked about his opponent’s high level of tennis.
“I thought it wasn’t going to be as good as that, but I knew he was an unbelievable server. I’ve watched some videos of him. I watched him when he won his title in Lyon at the French a little bit. 
“I’m sure he’s only going to get better for the years to come and I wish him all the best.”

As for the near future, a disappointed Korda was unsure when asked if he might now take a brief break from the sport. 

“I don’t know what I’m gonna do right now. It’s too, too soon to know what’s going on.” He concluded. 

It is the first time the 23-year-old has lost in the first round at Wimbledon since 2019. 

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