GRASSY TIME
Nadal to prepare for Wimbledon at Hurlingham event
WORLD No 2 Rafa Nadal has entered next week’s Aspall Tennis Classic in Hurlingham to get some grass court play under his belt ahead of next month’s Wimbledon Championships.
The tournament organisers confirmed Nadal, who has opted to skip competitive tennis since his 12th French Open title triumph earlier this month, will participate in two exhibition matches next Wednesday and Friday.
“I am always happy to play at The Hurlingham Club and be close to UK tennis fans,” the 33year-old Spaniard said in a statement.
“It is a prestigious ground in one of the best settings in the UK, making it the perfect way to warm up for Wimbledon.”
The tournament will also feature last year’s Wimbledon runner-up Kevin Anderson, Nick Kyrgios, Marin Cilic, Lucas Pouille, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Marcos Baghdatis.
Nadal, a 18-times Grand Slam winner, will be bidding for his third title at Wimbledon, which kicks off on July 1, after winning the tournament in 2008 and 2010.
HALLE WESTFALEN (GERMANY):
Reigning champion Borna Coric reached the quarter-finals of the ATP 500 tournament in Halle on Wednesday after battling his way to a 7-6 (7-4), 5-7, 7-6 (7-4) win over Portugal’s Joao Sousa.
The fourth-seeded Croatian got the better of Sousa in a threehour slog to set up a quarter-final tie with France’s Pierre-Hugues Herbert.
Herbert fought back to beat Ukrainian Sergiy Stakhovsky 2-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-4 and reach the quarter-finals earlier on Wednesday.
“This is my first time in Halle, so I am very happy,” said Herbert.
Local hero Jan-Lennard Struff went down fighting against third seed Karen Khachanov in his first ever second-round appearance in Halle.
Russian Khachanov prevailed over a hard-fought three sets to beat Struff 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 and book his place in the last eight.
“I won’t dwell on this defeat. I’ve never started the grass season this well,” said Struff, who reached the semi-finals in Stuttgart last week.
Belgium’s David Goffin came from behind to beat Moldovan Radu Albot 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 and set up a potential quarter-final clash with home favourite Alexander Zverev.
World No 5 Zverev had his second round game against Steve Johnson pushed back to yesterday as he attempts to recover from a minor knee injury.
The German slipped and hurt himself during his first-round win over Robin Haase on Monday, and pulled out of the doubles draw a day later.