Western and Southern Open News

Dominic Thiem is seeded second at Flushing Meadows in the absence of Rafa Nadal and is expected to pose the strongest challenge for top-ranked Novak Djokovic. Thiem, however, managed to win just three games in his second-round match against Serbia`s Filip Krajinovic at the Western & Southern Open after getting a first-round bye. The 2020 US Open is slated to take place from August 31 to September 13.

Paire, seeded 17th at the US Open, was scheduled to face Poland`s Kamil Majchrzak in the first round of the Grand Slam event on Tuesday. The 31-year-old arrived in New York to play the Western & Southern Open last week, but he did not complete his first-round match against Croatia`s Borna Coric. The U.S. Open is being played without fans due to the pandemic, but several high-ranking players skipped the tournament due to COVID-19 fear.

World No.5 Medvedev is the third seed in the men`s draw, behind Novak Djokovic and Dominic Thiem, for the US Open that starts on Monday. Prior to this week`s Western and Southern Open, Medvedev had not played since February due to the COVID-19 shutdown. Medvedev said that he felt safe with the bio-security measures put in place by Western and Southern Open organisers, which includes playing without crowds.

Novak Djokovic kept his unbeaten streak in 2020 alive with a 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over Milos Raonic in the final of the Western & Southern Open. With the victory in the summit showdown of the tournament, the 17-time Grand Slam winner extended his 2020 winning run to 23-0. The victory over Raonic also saw Djokovic clinch his 80th career title and equaling Rafael Nadal`s record of 35 Masters 1000 wins.

Djokovic overcame a sore neck to defeat Spain`s Roberto Bautista Agut 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(0) in the semi-finals of the Western & Southern Open. The Serbian kept his 2020 unbeaten streak alive, extending his record to 22-0 with his latest victory. Western and Southern Open is the final tune-up event before US Open 2020, beginning from Monday, August 31.

On Thursday, Djokovic eased past Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3, 6-1 in a one-sided quarter-final contest. Djokovic will look to clinch his first hard-court victory over Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut since the 2015 US Open. Meanwhile, British tennis star Johanna Konta will lock horns with Belarusian player Victoria Azarenka for a place in the summit showdown.

It took the COVID-19 pandemic to put a brake on Novak Djokovic`s 18-match unbeaten run in 2020. Djokovic organised the ill-fated Adria Tour, an exhibition tournament during which he and three other players contracted COVID-19. A victory on Septemer 13 at the Arthur Ashe stadium will give him his 18th Grand Slam crown.

Djokovic will now lock horns with Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut in the semi-final of the tournament. In another semi-final tie, Tsitsipas will play Milos Raonic, a 4-6 7-6(2) 7-5 winner over Serbian Filip Krajinovic, for a spot in the final. With the win, Djokovic tied Jimmy Connors, Stefan Edberg, Roger Federer and Bill Talbert`s semi-final totals at the ATP Masters 1000 event.

Serena Williams was sent spinning out of the Western and Southern Open 7-5 6-7(5) 1-6 by Maria Sakkari on Tuesday. 23-times Grand Slam champion Williams blew a first set lead against the World No. 21 Sakkari from Greece. The Western and Southern Open is the final tune-up event before the US Open 2020 , which begins on August 31.

Bopanna and Shapovalov went down fighting 4-6, 6-7(1) against 2019 US Open runner-ups Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos. The tournament is serving as the build-up to the US Open, which will take place from August 31. It was the first match for Bopanna since March this year when he and Leander Paes played a Davis Cup clash against Croatia.

Top seed Karolina Pliskova and number two seed Sofia Kenin crashed out of the Western and Southern Open on Sunday. Czech Pliskova lost 7-5, 6-4 to Russia`s Veronika Kudermetova, while Australian Open champion Kenin lost 6-1, 7-6(7) to France's Alize Cornet. The Western and Southern Open is a key tune-up event to the upcoming US Open, beginning from August 31.

Andy Murray claimed a hardfought 7-6(6), 3-6, 6-1 first-round win over American Frances Tiafoe. In another clash,Canadian Milos Raonic eased past Sam Querrey 6-4, 6-4 to set up a second-round clash with either Dan Evans or Andrey Rublev. The ATP Tour has made a jarring return with the Western and Southern Open following a five-month COVID-19 hiatus.

With the win, Keys has lifted her second title of the season after winning the Volvo Car Open in April.