Thiem, Tsitsipas reach Paris Masters third round

Associated PressOct 30, 2019, 2:54 PM EDT

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PARIS — Dominic Thiem withstood 30 aces from big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic to win 7-6 (5), 5-7, 6-4 on Wednesday and reach the third round of the Paris Masters.

The two-time French Open runner-up also saved nine break points out of 10, and then broke Raonic for the first time in the ninth game of the deciding set before serving out the match.

The fifth-seeded Austrian player, who won the Erste Bank Open in Vienna last Sunday for an ATP Tour-leading fifth title this year, next faces Grigor Dimitrov.

Seventh-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas looked more comfortable reaching the third round, serving 13 aces and facing no break points in beating Taylor Fritz 7-6 (3), 6-3. The 21-year-old Greek player next plays Alex de Minaur, a 20-year-old Australian who lost the Swiss Indoors final to Roger Federer on Sunday.

Federer is skipping this tournament, but top-ranked Novak Djokovic and No. 2 Rafael Nadal were playing later Wednesday in the second round.

Another big server went out as 15th-seeded American John Isner – the 2016 runner-up – lost 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4) to Cristian Garin of Chile despite having 25 aces.

Denis Shapovalov of Canada used 14 aces in rallying to beat No. 11 Fabio Fognini 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 and plays No. 6 Alexander Zverev in the third round.

De Minaur upset ninth-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut 7-6 (2), 7-6 (1), while in other second-round matches Dimitrov beat No. 12 David Goffin 7-5, 6-3, and Frenchman Gael Monfils won 6-4, 7-6 (4) against countryman Benoit Paire.

Later, Djokovic was facing lucky loser Corentin Moutet and Nadal took on another unseeded Frenchman in Adrian Mannarino.

Nadal can guarantee the year-end top ranking for the fifth time in his career by winning the indoor tournament for the first time.

Djokovic, a four-time champion at the Bercy Arena, seeks a record-tying sixth year-end finish as No. 1.

Gael Monfils withdraws from French Open with wrist injury

Associated PressJun 1, 2023, 11:34 AM EDT

Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports

PARIS — A thrilling five-set victory took a toll on Gael Monfils, whose withdrawal from the French Open handed No. 6 Holger Rune a walkover to the third round.

The 36-year-old Frenchman said he has a strained left wrist and can’t continue.

He battled Sebastian Baez for nearly four hours on Court Philippe Chatrier before beating the Argentine 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, 1-6, 7-5 in a first-round match that ended at 12:18 a.m. local time.

The victory was Monfils’ first at tour level this year, as the veteran was coming back from heel surgery.

“Actually, physically, I’m quite fine. But I had the problem with my wrist that I cannot solve,” he said. “The doctor say was not good to play with that type of injury. Yesterday was actually very risky, and then today definitely say I should stop.”

Monfils reached the semifinals at the French Open in 2008 and made it to the quarterfinals on three other occasions.

Mikael Ymer fined about $40K after default for hitting umpire stand with racket

Associated PressMay 31, 2023, 3:55 PM EDT

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

PARIS — Swedish tennis player Mikael Ymer was docked about $40,000 after being disqualified for smashing his racket against the umpire’s chair at a tournament the week before he competed at the French Open.

An ATP Tour spokesman said Ymer forfeited about $10,500 in prize money and 20 rankings he earned for reaching the second round of the Lyon Open. Ymer also was handed an on-site fine of about $29,000.

The spokesman said the ATP Fines Committee will conduct a review of what happened to determine whether any additional penalties are warranted.

The 56th-ranked Ymer, who is 24 and owns a victory over current No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, was defaulted in Lyon for an outburst late in the first set against French teenager Arthur Fils last week.

Ymer was upset that the chair umpire would not check a ball mark after a shot by Fils landed near a line. As the players went to the sideline for the ensuing changeover, Ymer smacked the base of the umpire’s stand with his racket twice – destroying his equipment and damaging the chair.

That led to Ymer’s disqualification, making Fils the winner of the match.

After his 7-5, 6-2, 6-4 loss to 17th-seeded Lorenzo Musetti in the first round at Roland Garros, Ymer was asked whether he wanted to explain why he reacted the way he did in Lyon.

“With all due respect, I think it’s pretty clear from the video what caused it and why I reacted the way I reacted. Not justifying it at all, of course,” Ymer replied. “But for me to sit here and to explain? I think it’s pretty clear what led me to that place. I think that’s pretty clear in the video.”