MURRAY & WOZNIACKI WIN AGAIN; SERENA & KYRGIOS DONE FOR THE YEAR

This Week In Tennis
​Vol. 41

Another week in tennis, another big "scandal." This time Nick Kyrgios is the player grabbing headlines a week after Maria Sharapova received news that her two year suspension for doping would be reduced to 15 months. Kyrgios, days after winning Tokyo, had an emotional collapse in Shanghai which started on court and spilled over into his press conference. The top-ranked Australian received a pair of fines and an 8 week suspension for the incident. 

Meanwhile, Andy Murray won his second tournament on the trot and Caroline Wozniacki captured her second title in a month. Shuai Peng and Dominika Cibulkova were the other titlists last week. Peng, once ranked as high as #14, won the first title of her career, while Cibulkova clinched a spot at the WTA Finals in Singapore. ​​If you've missed any of the recent action, #ThisWeekInTennis recaps the last week of tennis through tweets, press conferences, articles, podcasts, and rankings. ​​

Photo credit: Andy Wong/AP

RUNDOWN

• Andy Murray continued his tear through the Asian swing with his second title in as many weeks in Shanghai. The world #2 now finds himself within striking distance of Novak Djokovic for the top spot in the ATP rankings, 2415 points behind the Serbian. 
• Caroline Wozniacki won the 25th WTA title of her career last week in Hong Kong. The 26-year-old, ranked #74 entering the U.S. Open, continues her resurgence after having won in Tokyo as well last month. 
• Dominika Cibulkova wins her third title of 2016 in Linz and qualifies for the WTA Finals in Singapore. 
• Serena Williams announced her withdrawal from the WTA Finals in Singapore. 
• Shuai Peng won the first WTA singles title of her career in Tianjin. Known for playing with two hands off both wings and making the U.S. Open semifinals in 2014, Peng rises 74 spots to #108 in the latest WTA rankings. She also teamed with Christina McHale to win the doubles title in Tianjin.
• Days after the biggest title of his career, Nick Kyrgios had the biggest meltdown of his career in Shanghai. The fallout: Kyrgios hasbeen suspended by the ATP Tour for eight weeks and fined twice to the tune of $42,500. 
• Prior to Serena Williams' withdrawal from the WTA Finals, the eight qualifiers appeared to have been decided. With the world #1's withdrawal, Jo Konta, Suarez Navarro, and Svetlana Kuznetsova all remain in the running for the eighth and final spot.
• Rafael Nadal lost his opening match in Shanghai to Viktor Troicki. The top-ranked Spaniard cast doubt on his participation in ATP events for the remainder of 2016 in his post-match press conference. 
• Jack Sock and John Isner won the Shanghai doubles title 
• Sania Mirza reaches 80 consecutive weeks as world #1 in doubles.

​PRESS

Q. Can you understand why some of the fans were booing and jeering? There was an argument at one point. Do you understand their frustration of what they saw?
NICK KYRGIOS: Not at all. I feel like if they knew what they were talking about they'd be on the tennis court and being successful, as well.
No, I can't really understand it at all. They don't know what I'm going through, so, no, I don't understand it. Do you?

Q. Do you not think that they, having paid money to come in and watch you, deserve perhaps a little better?
NICK KYRGIOS: I don't owe them anything.

Q. (Question off microphone.)
NICK KYRGIOS: What does that even mean? I'm good at hitting a tennis ball at the net. Like, big deal. I don't owe them anything. It's like it's my choice.
If you don't like it, I didn't ask you to come watch. Just leave. If you're so good at giving advice and so good at tennis, why aren't you as good as me? Why aren't you on the tour?

Q. People have paid money to watch that and they have seen what you've done before, how you played in Tokyo last week. You can't understand why they are disappointed in what they saw today?
NICK KYRGIOS: Well, that's your choice. You want to buy a ticket? Come watch me. You know I'm unpredictable. It's your choice.
I don't owe you anything. Doesn't affect how I sleep at night.

Q. Do you want to qualify for London or you're not bothered?
NICK KYRGIOS: I couldn't care less, to be completely honest with you.

Q. Why? Because you just had enough of tennis at the moment?
NICK KYRGIOS: Just -- big deal.

Q. Congratulations, Andy. You're having a sensational year. Can you put your finger on what's been the difference this year compared to previously?
ANDY MURRAY: I mean, it's obviously difficult to say exactly why, but, you know, obviously the middle part of the year, really after the French Open -- I had done well over the clay court season, but obviously having Ivan back on my team helped during that period. And winning Wimbledon was really a big boost to my confidence after I had had, you know, quite a few tough losses in the slams the last few years. That kind of gave me a lot more belief in myself that, you know, that I could win the major competitions again.
You know, it helped motivate me. I have obviously quite a different team this year with Ivan and Jamie. You know, since, yeah, really since the French Open, you know, played the best three months of tennis of my career.

Q. When you say you need to make some adjustments and to work on things, can you just tell what kind of area of your game or fitness or whatever you're thinking of when you say that?
RAFAEL NADAL: I need to recover the forehand. I know I need to hit forehands. I need to -- every time that I hit the forehand, I need to create pain to the opponent, something that is not happening today. Maybe because I had an injury on the wrist and I am scared. Maybe because I still have some limitation in there.
But at the end of the day, nobody cares about that and I don't care about that. The real thing that I care is I need to create pain with my forehand to opponent. No, is something that is not happening very often now, and is something that needs to happen for the next year.
So I need to know what's the best way to try to make that happen. If that happens, then for sure I need to recover a little bit the electricity on the legs. Need to move faster to hit more forehands. But I need to be more confident with the forehand to make that happen. Everything is a cycle. I need to do the things together.

Una semana inolvidable, subcampeón del Masters 1000 de Shanghai!! □□□ □□□□ pic.twitter.com/SLdyDoPJmv

— Roberto BautistaAgut (@BautistaAgut) October 16, 2016

See you next year #China ! Thank you all for the big support during the Asian Tour □□□ pic.twitter.com/6fPX3nl0pi

— David Goffin (@David__Goffin) October 14, 2016

Not good enough today on many levels, I'm better than that. I can go on about excuses but there are none. Sorry #StillAWorkInProgress □□□□

— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) October 12, 2016

A much needed stop at "home" for a few days. □□□□ #sanctuaryforthemind #vernon pic.twitter.com/HufdDEdPVU

— Vasek Pospisil (@VasekPospisil) October 16, 2016

Title #25!!! □□□□□□□□ thank you Hong Kong for a great week!! Asia, it's been fun! Till next time!! #europeherewecome pic.twitter.com/72e76HNlLj

— Caroline Wozniacki (@CaroWozniacki) October 16, 2016

Haha no, ? is when you're 21 here. I'm 19 now so I still can't ? Thank you for the birthday wishes ❤️ https://t.co/bisCz20169

— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@Naomi_Osaka_) October 16, 2016

Received a gift from a very thoughtful Russian fan after my match today! #gibbsypillow □ pic.twitter.com/GI25pGNDl7

— Nicole Gibbs (@Gibbsyyyy) October 16, 2016

Cheers @andy_murray // someone with a bit of perspective...

— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) October 14, 2016

​RANKINGS WATCH

• ​ATP: Raonic (+2 to #4), Bautista Agut (+6 to #13), Tsonga (-3 to #16), Simon (+7 to #25), Paire (+5 to #42), Edmund (+5 to #43), Anderson (-8 to #48), Jaziri (-8 to #57), M Zverev (+42 to #68), Brown (-10 to #74), Schwartzman (-8 to #77), Kravchuk (+23 to #79), Olivo (+18 to #87), Seppi (-7 to #100)

​

• ​WTA​​: Cibulkova (+2 to #8), Wozniacki (+5 to #17), Riske (+15 to #41), Mladenovic (+12 to #42), Jankovic (-10 to #47), Golubic (+8 to #54), Larsson (-9 to #56), Friedsam (-10 to #68), Kovinic (-9 to #72), Dodin (+6 to #83), Peng (+74 to #108)

​ON THE WEB

Comeback Kids: Peng, Cibulkova, Wozniacki Cap Resurgent Weeks with WTA Titles
Why we might resist caning Nick Kyrgios and perhaps just ask if he’s OK​
​An Interview with Commentator and Coach Darren Cahill
​My happy memurrays: Tennis ace Andy’s grandad Roy Erskine opens his scrapbooks
​The More Andy Murray Trusts his Forehand, the Better off he is 
Is the Best - and Being the Best - Still to Come for Andy Murray?
Liking La Goff: Tennis Could use more Players like David Goffin
Wozniacki: I Never Doubted Myself
​Sport needs balance between tradition and modernity
​Andy Murray: Nick Kyrgios needs more protection
​Want your kid to become a tennis player? Prepare to spend big
Human after all: What's Next for Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams?
​Still a great show, even if the peerless Serena doesn't show
​Bringing Change by Serving his Sport

PODCASTS

The Body Serve - Anatomy of Two Suspensions
​No Challenges Remaining - The Sharapova Resolution
The Main Draw - Rebranding Maria Sharapova
​Realz Tenis Fanz - ​Uninspired in Asia!!!
​The Tennis Podcast - Sharapova Decision, Kyrgios Suspension, Serena Pull-out, Djokovic Burnout, No.1 Murray (?) ​