Cuevas Gunning for Record Third Consecutive Brasil Open Title

Posted on March 5, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Pablo Cuevas is gunning for a three-peat …

The 31-year-old Argentine-born Uruguayan tennis player will go for a record third consecutive Brasil Open title on Sunday.

Cuevas dismissed top seed Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain 6-3, 7-6(2) on Saturday in Sao Paulo to give himself a chance for the three-peat.

The third-seed won 82 percent of his first-serve points and feasted on Carreno Busta’s second serves, taking 70 percent of those points.

Since the first edition of the Brasil Open, in 2001, no player has won back-to-back-to-back titles at the ATP World Tour 250 tournament.

Spaniard Nicolas Almagro won back-to-back crowns in 2011-2012 but fell in the quarter-finals to David Nalbandian in 2013.

Cuevas has avoided such slip-ups this week.

He’ll try to win his sixth career ATP World Tour title – all on clay – against second seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas.

Cuevas leads their head-to-head series 3-1. The Spaniard erased a match point on Saturday against Portuguese Joao Sousa to win his semifinal 6-7(5), 7-5, 6-2 on the red clay.

Sousa had the match on his racquet, serving at 5-4 in the second set. The fourth seed fell behind 0/40 but crawled back into the game and led at ad-in. But Ramos-Vinolas erased the match point with a sharp forehand up the line that Sousa netted.

The Spaniard would earn the break and take the final nine of 11 games to claim the three-hour and three-minute semi-final.

Ramos-Vinolas last played in an ATP World Tour title match in October at the Chengdu Open in China (l. to Khachanov). He’ll be going for his second ATP World Tour crown after taking his maiden title last July on clay at the Swedish Open in Bastad (d. Fernando Verdasco).

Carreno Busta Defeats Nikola Mektic to Send Spain Into Davis Cup Quarterfinals

Posted on February 6, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Pablo Carreno Busta has helped keep Spain alive in Davis Cup play…

The 25-year-old Spanish tennis player defeated Nikola Mektic 7-6 (4), 6-1, 6-4 as Spain edged depleted Croatia to reach the quarterfinals on Sunday with a 3-2 victory.

Earlier Sunday, Roberto Bautista Agut defeated Croatia’s Franko Skugor 6-1, 6-7 (4), 6-3, 7-6 (6) to put Spain level at 2-2 and send the match into the deciding rubber.
Croatia won the doubles on Saturday for a surprise 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series.

Croatia, last year’s World Group runner-up, played with a reserve lineup as it missed its four top players — Marin Cilic, Ivo Karlovic, Borna Coric and Ivan Dodig.

Spain was without Rafael Nadal.

Spain will play Serbia in the quarterfinals which completed its 4-1 rout of Russia on Sunday.

Lopez to Replace Rafael Nadal for Spain’s Next Davis Cup Series

Posted on January 31, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Feliciano Lopez is ready to rumble…

The 35-year-old Spanish tennis player will replace Rafael Nadal on Spain’s Davis Cup team.

Nadal decided to take time off after his Australian Open final loss to Roger Federer.

The Spanish tennis federation said Nadal has been dropped from Spain’s Davis Cup team because of fatigue following his five-set loss to Federer in Sunday’s final.

Lopez will now fill in for Nadal at next weekend’s best-of-five series at Croatia in the first round of the World Group.

The federation said the decision was made after a recommendation by doctor Angel Ruiz Cotorro, who said Nadal’s recovery time would be too short. He said it was taken into consideration that Nadal played a significant number of matches after a four-month layoff because of a wrist injury.

“Rafa’s wear and tear in the last month was very significant,” Spain captain Conchita Martinez said. “He needs to recover from his recent efforts and certainly will be with us again in the next rounds.”

The 14-time Grand Slam champion is expected to return to action in Rotterdam from Feb. 13-19.

Nadal, ranked No. 6 in the world, helped Spain defeat India last year to secure its return to the World Group, although he missed his singles match because of the lingering wrist injury.

The other Spanish players to face Croatia are Roberto Bautista Agut, Pablo Carreno Busta and Marc Lopez.

Carreño Busta Beats Fabio Fognini at the Kremlin Cup to Claim Second Career ATP Title

Posted on October 23, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Pablo Carreño Busta is back in the winner’s circle…

The 25-year-old Spanish professional tennis player came back from a set down to beat Italy’s Fabio Fognini on Sunday and win the Kremlin Cup.

Carreño Busta won his second career title 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 despite needing treatment on his ankle midway through the second set.

Fognini saved two match points in the final game before Carreño Busta secured the win, dropping to his knees in celebration.

The victory caps a strong season for Carreño Busta, who won his first ATP title at the Winston-Salem Open in August.

He is 2-2 in career finals, while Fognini drops to 4-8.

Soares & Jamie Murray Win Men’s Doubles Title at the US Open

Posted on September 11, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

It’s proving to be a banner year for Bruno Soares…

The 34-year-old Brazilian tennis player and his doubles partner, Jamie Murray, have won the US Open men’s doubles title.

Soares and Murray, seeded fourth, beat Spain’s unseeded Pablo Carreno Busta and Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-2 6-3.

It gives Soares and Murray a second major title after they won their first Grand Slam together at the Australian Open in January.

Soares becomes the first Brazilian to win more than one Grand Slam doubles title.

Murray and Soares went into the final in a confident mood after beating defending champions and top seeds Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut in the semifinals, and they outclassed surprise finalists Carreno Busta and Garcia-Lopez.

The Spaniards broke serve in the opening game but Murray and Soares levelled immediately and went on a run of seven straight games to take a grip on the contest.

There was some concern for Murray when he called the trainer to work on his neck midway through the first set, but it did not have any visible effect on his performance.

An interception volley at the net by the British Davis Cup winner earned an early break in the second set and, with Soares dictating matters from the back of the court, they left little for Carreno Busta and Garcia-Lopez to attack.

Murray had failed to serve out the match at this year’s Australian Open, but he showed no nerves this time as he wrapped up victory after only 78 minutes.

“I am glad we got together,” said Soares. “It is our first season. To win in Australia and here is extremely special.”

Carreño Beats Roberto Bautista Agut at Winston-Salem Open to Win First Career Title

Posted on August 28, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

The third final’s the charm for Pablo Carreño Busta…

The 25-year-old Spanish professional tennis player won his first ATP World Tour title on Saturday, beating countryman Roberto Bautista Agut in three sets in the Winston-Salem Open final.

Carreño, ranked 49th in the world, overcame dropping a first-set tiebreaker at the Wake Forest Tennis Center to upset 17th-ranked Agut 6-7 (8), 7-6 (1), 6-4 and win his first tour title in three final-round appearances, all coming in 2016.

Carreño needed just over 2½ hours to become the sixth first-time winner on the ATP World Tour this season, and the first to do so in an American tournament.

Agut was trying to win his third tournament this season, becoming the fifth player on tour to win three or more titles, and the fifth of his career. He won earlier this year at Auckland, New Zealand, and Sofia, Bulgaria.

Almagro Defeats Pablo Carreno Busta to Win the Estoril Open

Posted on May 2, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Nicolas Almagro’s ATP title drought is officially over…

The 30-year-old Spanish tennis player rallied from a set down to beat fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta 6-7 (6), 7-6 (5), 6-3 on Sunday to claim the Estoril Open title.

It’s Almagro 13th career title — all on clay — and his first since winning the Open de Nice Côte d’Azur in May 2012.

Almagro twice wasted chances to serve out the first set and squandered a 6-2 lead in the opening tiebreaker. Almagro completed the fight back in just under three hours. He had 12 aces and converted five of 19 break chances to beat the eighth-seeded Carreno Busta.

Almagro will now move on to the Madrid Masters event, where he’ll play Borna Coric in the first round.

Almagro Defeats Nick Kyrgios to Reach the Estoril Open Final

Posted on May 1, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Nicolas Almagro is one win away from ending a four year drought…

The 30-year-old Spanish tennis player and clay-court specialist beat second-seeded Nick Kyrgios 6-3, 7-5 at the Estoril Open on Saturday to reach his second final of the season.

Almagro will face fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta, who upset third-seeded Benoit Paire of France 6-3, 6-3 in the other semifinal at the clay-court tournament.

The 71st-ranked Almagro saved the only two break points he conceded in the entire match and served seven aces to reach his second final after losing to Dominic Thiem in Argentina in February.

Almagro has 12 career ATP titles, all on clay. He hasn’t won a tournament in four years.

The eighth-seeded Carreno Busta, 24, upset top-seeded Gilles Simon in Friday’s quarterfinals.

The 50th-ranked Spaniard played in his first final at the Brazil Open in February, losing to Pablo Cuevas.

Robredo Defeats Pablo Carreno Busta to Reach Croatia Open Semifinals

Posted on July 26, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Tommy Robredo is two matches away from defending his title at the Croatia Open…

The 32-year-old Spanish tennis player, who defeated Fabio Fognini in the finals last year, advanced to the semifinals after beating fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta 6-1, 6-4.

The 18th-ranked Robredo next faces third-seeded Marin Cilic, who eased past Czech Lukas Rosol 6-0, 6-2.

Robredo won the first set in only 23 minutes. Carreno Busta was twice a break up in the second set before Robredo responded to win the last three games of the match.

Meanwhile, Fognini, the tournament’s top seed this year, rallied to defeat Borna Coric of Croatia 5-7, 7-6 (4), 6-3 in the quarterfinals.

Also, Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay beat Teymuraz Gabashvili of Russia 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 to become the first qualifier in the event’s semifinals since Viktor Troicki in 2007.

Cuevas hit 12 aces for his sixth straight win in Umag, including three qualifying rounds.

He’ll next play Fognini, who was one set and a break down before he managed to turn the match around.

Berlocq Defeats David Ferrer to Reach Swedish Open Semifinals

Posted on July 12, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Carlos Berlocq has taken down the No. 1 seed…

The 31-year-old Argentine tenista and defending champion upset top-seeded David Ferrer in a 6-3, 6-3 victory at the Swedish Open quarterfinals on Friday.

Berlocq, the seventh-seed who happened to win his first ATP world tour at this tournament in Bastad last year, defeated Ferrer in 85 minutes.

Third-seeded Fernando Verdasco reached the semifinals with a 7-5, 6-3 victory over fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta.

On Saturday, the 30-year-old Verdasco faces 111th-ranked Pablo Cuevasof Uruguay, who beat Reno Olivo of Argentina 6-2, 6-4.

In the other semifinal, Berlocq faces fifth-seeded Joao Sousa of Portugal, who ousted Serbian Dusan Lajovic 6-4, 6-4.

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