Less than ten days before the first “Italian” ATP Finals we have the complete list of the 8 players who will compete for the title of “Master of 2021”: Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Zverev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Andrey Rublev, Matteo Berrettini, Casper Ruud and … Hubert Hurkacz. The Pole is the last to remove the pass for the event scheduled in Turin from 14 to 21 November at the Pala Alpitour. The official came thanks to the success, suffered, in the quarter-finals of the Paris Masters-Bercy against the Australian James Duckoworth who surrendered in the third set after more than hard hours of play: 6-2 6-7 7-5 the final score. Hurkacz needed access to the semifinal in the last 1000 of the year to mathematically prevent a Jannik Sinner to undermine the eighth place next week in the ATP 250 in Stockholm. The South Tyrolean, at the moment, is there first reserve in case of forfeit and in the Swedish capital he will have to defend his status against the trap Cameron Norrie, 70 points away. Precisely in this sense, the conditions of Stefanos Tsitsipas who retired in the second round on Wednesday with an elbow problem remain to be evaluated.
The updated Race ranking
- Hubert HURKACZ 3315 (qualified)
- Casper RUUD 3275 (qualified)
- Jannik SINNER 3015 (first reserve)
- Cameron NORRIE 2945 (second reserve)
ATP, Paris
Musetti makes Duckworth sweat, but gives up in the 3rd set
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03/11/2021 A 12:21
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Hurkacz’s 2021
A well-deserved eighth place in the Race, the result of surprising results in this 2021: the 1997 class of Wroclaw won, in order, the ATP 250 in Delray Beach, the Masters 1000 in Miami (beating Sinner in the final), reached the Wimbledon semifinal (beating Federer in the quarterfinals and then surrendering to Matteo Berrettini), won the ATP 250 in Metz and finally centered the second semifinal 1000 in his career at Paris-Bercy (where he awaits the winner of Djokovic-Fritz) with a difficult path . After his complicated debut with Tommy Paul (7-5 7-6), in the second round and in the quarter he was made up first by Dominik Koepfer and then by James Duckworth, winning in the third set thanks to the higher quality of his shots (both the German that the Australian are out of the top50) and serve.
Hubert Hurkacz e Jannik Sinner a Miami 2021
Credit Foto Getty Images
The match report
In the third set the services dominate again (only Duckworth risks in the opening by saving a break point). On 5-5 Hurkacz gets back from 40-0 and then takes refuge in the first and climbs 6-5. The wasted chance costs dear to the Australian who has to save two match points in the next game. The first is granted an extraordinary diagonal backhand volley, while the second is canceled by a winning service. On a tie, however, Duckworth’s backhand in slice (a double-edged sword for the whole game) goes out at the net and Hurkacz can close in lob by raising his arms to the sky: 7-5.
In closing we would like to underline once again the fantastic season of Jannik Sinner whose race in Turin, after the defeat against Alcaraz in the second round, was now hanging by a thread. The mere fact of fighting for a place in the ATP Finals at the age of 20 is a symptom of the infinite class of the boy from San Candido who in the future will continue to give us emotions. We are sure of it.
Caruso-Duckworth in 3 minutes: the blue greets Paris
ATP, Vienna
Hurkacz ko and favor to Sinner: possible Finals, combinations
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25/10/2021 A 22:22
ATP, Sofia
Sinner in the semifinals in Sofia: Duckworth defeated
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01/10/2021 A 17:08
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