Carrying the insignia of Olympic champion is no easy task, to be able to conquer a title that can only be attained every 4 years can change any player’s life and Monica Puig knows and treasures this well. After acing Rio 2016 Puig’s life gave a 180-degree spin. The Puerto Rican player encountered new obligations she wasn’t accustomed to but she made her way through them.

“It was a hard transition, at that time I didn’t know how to deal with such pressures and such that came along with winning the gold. At this moment I feel confident and feel prepared to keep on competing and playing my best”, shared the Boricua, “it was a drastic change and my team and I learned from the moment our hits and mistakes so now we’re working on maintaining this game like I did in Doha and Dubai which were great tournaments”.

When in Doha Puig, made it to semifinals and fell against Danish Caroline Wozniacki and when in Dubai she only reached 3R defeated by Angelique Kerber.

Up until now her best result so far, in addition to the Olympic gold, is the Strasbourg title and, although she didn’t come out victorious, the final round in Sydney last year was a great performance. This year she is back in Acapulco for the third time, where she is more than welcomed back by fans that expect to see her again after Puig’s performance last year where she was cut short during the second round.

Monica has her heart set on the title “success, to me, is to play knowing that I’m giving out my best, and to learn from every play, not so much for the result, because as long as I’m always doing my best that what will lead me to success which is being a better player and the rest will follow”.

Puig’s life has being full of lessons, perhaps the most important one is to be patient, “I understand now that I have to be patient because good opportunities come within time; I will not always win every contest and that the “best player” title will not necessarily be mine forever, but one must be very assertive and keep training day after day to reach your goals. Knowing all this gives me peace of mind”. After working so much on such virtue serenity and patience is a quality the medalist values greatly “I like those who are calm, that know how to have fun, how to handle life’s stress; there’s nothing better than a person who smiles and spreads happiness. You never know, you might brighten someone who is having a depressing day with a smile and that is always important, to brighten your days”.

The player from Puerto Rico is enjoying the moment and has a mission in mind: “I’d like to be an inspiration for young people, a role model for them to see that if you work hard daily you can accomplish anything you desire”.

Monica is getting ready for her opening tournament match against 2011 France Open finalist Francesca Schiavone from Italy and will give her absolute best to snatch the Acapulco title along with Mexican fans’ hearts.

Yoshihito Nishioka amazed the public by qualifying to the main draw at the Acapulco Open after taking down  German Tobias Kamke first and Memphis Open champ Ryan Harrison next with partials 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. This is Nishioka’s (86 ATP) first main draw since being eliminated during the same phase in previous tournaments: the Australian, Memphis and Delray Beach Open.    

Next Generation player Taylor Fritz had a fabulous comeback after taken aback during the first set and won 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 against Australian Jordan Thompson. Meanwhile Frances Tiafoe from USA imposed himself after a great battle against Molavia native Radu Albot with scores 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. Fourth qualifier is USA player Stefan Kozlov that defeated fellow national Jared Donaldson 7-5 and 6-3.

In the meantime WTA player and first seed Jennifer Brady (USA) left co-national Asia Muhammad behind with a 6-1 and 6-3 score. Simultaneously, Fiona Ferro took German Tatjana Maria down by 6-4 and 6-3. Second fellow American to Brady, Jamie Loeb had no problem defeating by 6-4 and 6-0 over Marina Erakovic from New Zeland. Bethanie Mattek-Sand (USA) coiled Colombian Mariana Duque-Mariño 6-0 and 6-1. Last American to make it to the main draw is player Taylor Townsend who won over counterpart Sachia Vickery after a difficult 7-6 and 7-5 and is moving on to 1R along with Chloe Paquet (FRA) who defeated Paraguayan Veronica Cepede Royg with partials 7-5 and 6-3. 

** Both players will be making their tournament debut

Two of the most expected players of the 2017 Acapulco Open, Novak Djokovic and Juan Martín del Potro, raised the excitement amongst tennis fans in Acapulco. After a surprise confirmation of his attendance to the XXIV edition of the tournament, Djokovic arrived this Sunday in a private flight and had his first trainment in the main court in Mextenis.

According to the main draw, the No. 2 world ranked player will kick off the first round against 27 year old, Slovanian, Martin Klizan (ATP 65), more than a month after his unexpected elimination at the Australian Open, and his last match during the first rounds of the Cup Davis against Rusia where he worked particularly hard to win due to Daniil Medvev’s exit, Nole returns with a strong will to regain confidence and continue to score points to maintain his fight for the ATP and snatch the main position from Andy Murray.

On the other hand, Juan Martín del Potro is playing his second tournament of the 2017 season in Acapulco where he hadn’t been able to participate due to previous injuries. In past days, the Argentinian player played in the Delray Beach ATP 250 where he reached the semifinals and lost to Canadian Milos Raonic.

Three victories in the Florida tournament have given Delpo enough self-confidence to aspire to a good result in this year’s AMT (Acapulco Open). 

In addition to entertaining, the Acapulco Open also fulfills fans’ dreams.

During today’s afternoon fans got to be very close to their idol Rafael Nadal after finding out he was going to give a press meeting with a small selection of press. The crowd curiously swirled around and got their cameras, mobile phones and oversized tennis balls out and took position as they quickly knew that Nadal would be present hunting for a precious autograph or selfie.

As soon as Rafa arrived the screams and calls of fans filled the atmosphere. The 2^nd seed gave a smile to his followers and proceeded to answer his interviewers’ questions going through the different tables arranged for such purpose. Those hunting for autographs would closely and avidly wait for Nadal to finish the current interview and move to the next table to snatch a picture with their mobile device. 

Minutes later, the appearance of Eugenie Bouchard caused frenzy among the present fans. Dressed in a white T-shirt, neon orange and yellow shorts, and same colored tennis shoes, the Canadian player gave her best smile for the media. Eugenie, who recently posed for Sports Illustrated, was sought after by fans, which patiently waited for Bouchard to complete her activities and do as they did with Nadal.

When Rafa finished his round the crowd surrounded him immediately, but few were the ones who achieved the coveted prize since the Main Stadium was ready for the Spaniard’s afternoon training session.

Meanwhile, Cilic and Bouchard held a photo shoot at the beach. The fans began to disperse as they watched them go towards the their photo session…

Acapulco Open fans are excitedly looking forward to a highly possible final match between Serbian player Novak Djokovic and Spanish player Rafael Nadal after the draw ceremony of the 2017 Acapulco Open sponsored by Telcel and HSBC. Nole (2 ATP) is the first seed while Rafael (6 ATP) is the second seed after Canadian player Milos Raonic’s (4 ATP) last minute drop out.

Djokovic will kick off the Acapulco tournament with a match against Martin Klizan from Slovakia (65 ATP) and if he comes out triumphant from such game he will face another great favorite: Argentinian Juan Martín del Potro (42 ATP) next. During Quarter-finals there is a high probability of a clash between Nick Kyrgios (16 ATP) who is playing against Dudi Sela beforehand, and a semi final against David Goffin (10-ATP) whose first opponent in this tournament will be Frenchman Stephane Robert (80 ATP).

Nadal’s first match will be demanding for he will be measured against German Mischa Zverev (33 ATP). The two players have played against each other once during the second found of the Brisbane tournament this year and Nadal came out victorious. For his second duel he will be measured against the winner of the Paolo Lorenzi-Yen Hsun Lu match, and later either to the delray Beach champion Jack Sock or Spaniard Feliciano Lopez.

Former Acapulco Open champion and this year’s fourth seeded Austrian player Dominic Thiem will collide first against French player Gilles Simon.

David Goffin, who witnessed the draw ceremony spoke, “it is a very intense main draw but I’ll do my best. Every game will be tough but I know it will be a good tournament for me and all of the players… I’ll have to play game by game”.  Goffin was part of the Acapulco Open in 2014 and was ranked 107 ATP at that time so he had to win his pass to the main draw after playing qualification rounds and then lost against Latvian tennis player Ernests Gulbis.

Another first face-off with high expectations is the clash between the third seeded and 7 world ranked Marin Cilic and Ukrainian Alxandr Dolgopolov that hold a 1-1 H2H, although their most recent match was in 2012 during the Umag tournament were Cilic came out triumphant. Mexican tennis player Lucas Gomez, who received a wild card, is playing against Croatian Borna Coric in his first match.

For the women’s main draw,  Australian Open finalist and Acapulco Open’s first s seed Mirjana Lucid-Baroni will face Belinda Bencic while sixth seeded, Canadian Eugénie Bouchard will begin her journey with a face-off against Croatian Ajla Tomljanovic. On the other hand, Rio 2016 Olympic Champion Monica Puig from Puerto Rico will face Italian Francesca Schiavone while Renata Zarazúa (WC) will face Belgian Kirsten Flipkens (74 WTA).

Raúl Zurutuza, head of the tournament, is overjoyed about this year’s main draw since it is the best in the Mexican Open’s history. “This speaks about how this tournament is becoming more and more important to the players. We are ready to enjoy a great event”. 

Memphis’ champion plays during qualification rounds in Acapulco

Febru 25, 2017. Acapulco, Guerrero

With a two set win, American Player Ryan Harrison kicked of Qualies rounds for the 2017 Mexican Open sponsored by Telcel. Harrison (former champion of the Memphis ATP 250 and the Dallas Challenger) won by 6-3 and 6-3 over Australian player Matthew Ebden in the Caliente.MX Grand Stand.

Ranked 43 ATP, the Shreveport born player had summed up 11 consecutive wins after being eliminated during second rounds in the Aussie Open against Czech Tomas Berdych. 

During the Memphis finals Harrison triumphed over Nikoloz Basilashvilli from Georgia, to win his first ATP tour title. Meanwhile, in the Dallas Challenger he won over co-patriot Taylor Fritz.

This is the third time Harrison plays during qualification rounds; during the 2015 Abierto Mexicano de Tenis (Mexican Open) he surprised everyone when he made it all the way to semifinal rounds but fell defeated against Spaniard David Ferrer, a year later he unexpectedly triumphed over Croatian Marin Cilic but fell against Ukranian Ilya Marchenko.

During his second game during qualies looking to snatch a place in Acapulco’s Tournament main draw Harrison will face Japanese Yoshihito Nishioka who defeated German Tobias Kamke by 6-4 and 6-2.

Men’s 1^st Qualification Round

Ryan Harrison (EEUU) 6-3, 6-3 Matthew Edben (Australia)
Yoshihito Nishioka (Japan) 6-4, 6-2 Tobias Kamke (Germany)
Jordan Thompson (Australia) 6-1, 6-2 Alan Rubio (Mexico)
Stefan Kozlov (USA) 6-2, 6-2 Hyeon Chung (Korea)
Jared Donaldson (USA) 6-4, 6-3 Manuel Sánchez (Mexico)
Frances Tiafoe (USA) 6-3 Kevin Carpenter (Mexico)
Radu Albot (Moldavia) 5-7, 6-0, 6-2 Santiago Giraldo (Colombia)
Taylor Fritz (USA) 7-6, 6-1 Konstantin Kravchuk (Russia)

Women’s 1^st Qualification Round

Jennifer Brady (USA) 6-0, 6-3 Emma Reyes (México)
Marina Erakovic (NZL) 6-2, 6-2 Giovanna Manifacio (México)
Marie Bouzkova (Czech Republic) 6-1, 7-5 Asia Muhammad (USA)
Tatjana Maria (Germany) 6-3, 6-1 Nadia Podoroska (Argentina)
Fiona Ferro (France) 3-6, 7-5, 7-5 Samantha Crawford (USA)
Jamie Loeb (USA) 6-2, 6-2 Jacqueline Cako (USA)
Verónica Cepede Royg (Paraguay) 6-1, 6-2 Victoria Rodríguez (Mexico)
Bethanie Mattek-Sands (EEUU) 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 Giuliana Olmos (Mexico)
Sachia Vickery (USA) 6-0, 4-6, 6-1 Deniz Khazaniuk (Israel)
Mariana Duque-Mariño (Colombia) 6-1, 6-4 Francoise Abanda (Canada)
Taylor Townsend (USA) 6-1, 6-4 Catalina Pella (Argentina)
Chloe Paquet (France) 7-6, 6-3 Elitsa Kostova (Bulgaria)

After an early goodbye during the 2016 Acapulco Open the Croatian player comes back to the 2017 tournament with a thirst for triumph.

Marin Cilic, winner of 16 ATP titles -which includes one Grand Slam at the US Open in 2014- is undoubtedly one of the great attractions of the 2017 Abierto Mexicano de Tenis (Mexican Open) sponsored by Telcel.

After falling against Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga during the quarterfinal rounds of the Rotterdam ATP Tournament, the Davis Cup finalist and ranked no. 7 by ATP, traveled earlier to Mexico to become familiarized with the Imperial Princess World’s hard courts and Acapulco’s climate.

Not everything has been intense training under the intense Acapulco sun, Cilic has used his time to carry out touristy beach-destination activities such as riding jet skis around the Acapulco Diamante Bay surprising both fans as fellow vacationers.

“It was an incredible experience to ride in the sea of ​​Acapulco. Now I understand why visitors and tennis players themselves speak so well about this place,” shared the Croatian 28 year old 6.5ft player. “The Acapulco Open will be a great tournament, there are several top ten ATP players and people deserve these kind and I know it will be a great spectacle for tennis fans,” added the fourth seeded.

This will be Cilic’s second participation during the Acapulco Open, last year the player was defeated during the first round by American Ryan Harrison, so he is ready for payback. This year Marin Cilic has to work hard during such tournament since his H2H against his top ten ATP rivals are not in his favor: 1-14 favoring Novak Djokovic; 1-3 in favor of Rafael Nadal, 1-1 with Raonic, 0-1 in favor of Dominic Thiem, and 1-3 against Goffin.

Federer Back In Top 10

Roger Federer is back in the Top 10 of the Emirates ATP Rankings after winning his 18th Grand Slam championship at the Australian Open.
After missing the last six months of the 2016 ATP World Tour season to rehab his knee following arthroscopic surgery in February, the 35-year-old Swiss started the new year at No. 17, his lowest standing since May 2001. But his stunning triumph at Melbourne Park, where he beat Rafael Nadal in a five-set finale, saw Federer jump seven places to re-join the game’s elite.
“I think this one will take more time to sink in,” admitted Federer, who had waited almost five years to taste Grand Slam glory against after his 2012 Wimbledon victory. “When I go back to Switzerland, I’ll think, ‘Wow’.
“The magnitude of this match is going to feel different. I can’t compare this one to any other one except for maybe the French Open [at Roland Garros] in 2009. I waited for the French Open, I tried, I fought. I tried again and failed. Eventually I made it. This feels similar.”
The 2017 Australian Open turned out to be a Grand Slam of fairy tales. Federer facing his great rival Nadal across the net was nothing short of remarkable, considering the way 2016 ended for Nadal, nursing a wrist injury and finishing his season early in October. The Spaniard’s run in Melbourne sees him return to No. 6 in the Emirates ATP Rankings.
But no-one lit up Melbourne Park more than Mischa Zverev. At 29-years-old, the German stunned World No. 1 Andy Murray to reach his first Grand Slam quarter-final (l. to Federer) and captured the hearts of the Australian public, who learned that just two years ago Zverev had been ranked outside the Top 1000. It has been a long road back for Zverev, who almost quit playing as injuries took hold. But he is now at a career-high No. 35 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, eclipsing his previous career-high of eight years ago by 10 spots.
“There’s a lot of positive things I can take with me, hopefully take with me through the whole season, use the confidence to do well in many more tournaments to come,” said Zverev.
“Half a year ago I was hoping I could maybe be in the Top 100. Now I’m ranked a lot higher. So you never know where the game’s going to take you. If I stay healthy, then a lot of things are possible this year.”

SERENA SOARS TO TOP SPOT

Serena Williams came away with more than just a record-breaking 23rd Grand Slam title and a return to the No.1 rankings. The American is also in pole position to return to the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global for the first time since winning it in 2014.
Serena missed back-to-back WTA Finals due to injury, but looked healthy and fit through the fortnight in Melbourne, racing to her seventh Australian Open crown without the loss of a set.
Not far behind is sister Venus Williams, who served notice in Australia by reaching her first Grand Slam final since 2009, falling to Serena in two tight sets. Venus won the WTA Finals in 2008, but hasn’t qualified in seven years, when she reached the final in another all-Williams affair.
Johanna Konta narrowly missed out on Greatest Eight qualification in 2016, but her strong start to the season brings her up to No.3 on the Road to Singapore leaderboard after winning her second career title at the Apia International Sydney and reaching the last eight in Melbourne.
Meanwhile, the doubles Road to Singapore leaderboard is also starting to take shape, with Australian Open champions Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lucie Safarova leading the pack, while finalists Andrea Hlavackova and Peng Shuai settle for second place.

Raonic Beats Bautista Agut

World No. 3 Milos Raonic, the highest seed remaining at the Australian Open, secured his place in the quarter-finals for the third successive year by beating Spanish No. 13 seed Roberto Bautista Agut 7-6(6), 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 in two hours and 51 minutes on Monday.
Raonic, who hit 75 winners – including 33 aces (for a total of 93 aces at the major championship), will meet ninth seed and 2009 champion Rafael Nadal on Wednesday. Raonic trails Nadal 2-6 lifetime in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series.
“I was very fortunate to get the win today – there were some moments when it wasn’t looking so good,” said Raonic, during an on-court interview. “I was happy that I was able to find a way to pull through. And this atmosphere – especially when the roof closed, the noise stays in a little bit more, so it was great to be here. We live to see another day.”
Raonic opened up a 3-0 lead in the first set, but Bautista Agut worked his way back and led 5/1 in the tie-break. Raonic capitalised on his comeback with a service break to start the second set, but Bautista Agut found holes in the Canadian’s baseline game.
Bautista Agut held three break points in the ninth game of the third set, after the match was briefly suspended due to a rain delay at 3-3, but Raonic escaped. At 4-5, Bautista Agut double-faulted and then hit a forehand long to gift Raonic a commanding lead. Raonic then cruised to a 5-0 lead in the fourth set.
Looking back on his Brisbane quarter-final against Nadal, Raonic said, “We both tried to be the aggressors early on. I fought through a difficult moment midway through that second set. Then, I thought I had it pretty handily after that point. I broke towards the end of that second set. Broke right away in the third. Had a lot of 0/30 games [and] had a lot of break chances following after that, holding quite easy.”