SHARAPOVA BAN REDUCED AS MURRAY, AGA & KYRGIOS WIN

This Week In Tennis
​Vol. 40

Maria Sharapova's drug suspension was reduced from 24 to 15 months last week as per the decision handed down by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Sharapova then embarked on a victory tour of sorts - appearing on Charlie Rose and The Today Show - which culminated with a return to the court at the WTT Smash Hits charity event. Sharapova will now be eligible to return in time for next year's French Open rather than January of 2018 as previously dictated by her original suspension.

Amidst the Sharapova frenzy, tennis crowned three high-profile champions last week in Andy Murray, Agnieszka Radwanska, and Nick Kyrgios. It was a big week overall for Brits in tennis; in addition to Murray's title, Jo Konta cracks the top 10 for the first time, while Kyle Edmund makes his maiden leap into the top 50. ​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: AFP

RUNDOWN

• Andy Murray won the China Open for the 40th ATP title of his career. Moreover, Murray becomes just the 16th player in the Open Era to capture 40 career ATP titles. 
• Agnieszka Radwanska won her 20th career WTA title in Beijing, beating Jo Konta in straight sets. Radwanska is only the fourth active player to win at least three Premier Mandatory titles.
• Johanna Konta becomes only the fourth British woman to crack the WTA top 10 after reaching the final in Beijing. Konta is also the first British woman to do so since 1984.
• Nick Kyrgios beat David Goffin in the final of the Japan Open to win his third title of 2016 and his career. 
• Grigor Dimitrov, once ranked as high as #8 in the world, saw his ranking fall to #40 in July this year. With his finals appearance in Beijing, the Bulgarian is now ranked #18.
• ​David Goffin has held steady in the rankings between 11-20 since May of 2015, rising as high as #11 for seven weeks in the middle of 2016. His finals run in Tokyo leaves him at #12, some 650 points behind Thiem at #10.
• Frances Tiafoe is the fourth teenager ranked inside the ATP top 100 after winning his second ATP Challenger Tour title in Stockton. Tiafoe joins Zverev, Coric, and Fritz.  
• Rafael Nadal won the 11th doubles title of his career, alongside Pablo Carrreno Busta. Meanwhile, Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lucie Safarova won their third event in a row on the WTA Tour.
• Zhang Shuai received a wildcard into the WTA Elite Trophy event in Zhuhai. For a look at the current contenders for the year-end event, click here. 
• Serena Williams, off the WTA Tour until the WTA Finals, made an appearance alongside Beyonce onstage at the final concert of the singer's Formation World Tour.
• The second edition of Tie Break Tens will take place in Austria on October 23. 
• WADA issued a statement regarding the reduction of Sharapova's suspension while Sharapova's legal team may be readying to sue the ITF.
• The USTA announced that Mary Joe Fernandez will relinquish her role of Fed Cup captain.

PRESS

Q. You had a lot of points to defend here in Asia. You've played well in Tokyo, Wuhan, now here. What do you think you're doing differently the last three weeks than maybe you had been earlier in the season?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Well, a good question. To be honest, I didn't really change anything. I didn't really play differently. Sometimes it's just that you feel good. Something clicked. I could win this kind of tournament without losing a set.
Well, I think pretty solid, good game. I'm just very happy I could really play my best tennis against top players from the first round.
But, to be honest, I didn't really do anything different.

Q. So many fans call you the Queen of Hot Shot. I want to know what is your opinion of this name?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Well, I'm just very happy with those nicknames. But I saw actually Kirsten Flipkens was also making a nice shot. I think she won last month.
It's always very good to hear that my tennis is very entertaining and fans love my shots, that people love watching my tennis.

Q. Now that you're entering the top 10 for the first time, what are your thoughts about that?
JOHANNA KONTA: Yeah, it's pretty cool. But, yeah -- actually I don't know. I don't know.
I think because I'm so immersed in this tournament still, it's obviously something that's really humbling and really nice to hear. But, you know, I work my hardest to be able to go into the latter stages of every tournament I play. To be able to play on the Sunday here, I think that's what I'm most looking forward to. Yeah, really giving my best tomorrow and see where that takes me.

Q. In terms of the disappointment from the loss today, is it specific to the loss? Is it specific to the tournament? Is it specific to the broader picture of the chase is ongoing?
MADISON KEYS: It kind of all sucks, yeah. Losing is sucky. Then it being a semifinal makes it worse. Then not qualifying for Singapore, just icing on the cake today (smiling).

Q. Through the match, there was a close-up on your notes that you were reading. There were some tactical points on what you have to do against Grigor. Also one thing, Stay calm and breathe. Can you explain how those notes are helping.
ANDY MURRAY: I don't like when they go into my bag to look at it because they're personal notes. I try to keep them covered because I want to keep them for me. They're literally standing right there. I don't like that.
But anyway, yeah, I think obviously sometimes when there's pressure, important moments, it can be easy to think about other things or get distracted. Sometimes just at the end of games or at the change of ends, to look and just have some things that help you concentrate on the things that are going to help you win the match rather than something else. You know, I've found that it helps me a little bit, so that's why I do it.
But I don't like when the camera guys go right into my bag to look because it's personal to me. It's not for everyone else to see otherwise I'd stick them up on the umpire's chair so everyone else could see it.

Q. Although you said you're disappointed right now, you still showed good momentum in this tournament, beating Rafa and coming to the final. Will this motivate you or give you more confidence in the next tournament?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: Yeah, I think I'm motivated pretty much every single day to wake up and just get better in whatever I do.
Obviously when you get to a final, the disappointment is a little bit -- I mean, you're a little bit harder on yourself. So obviously right now I can't think really clear about how well I played this week or take the positives. So I'm not very appreciative at the moment, I guess.
Obviously I have to play the day after. There's not that much time to think. I have to put everything on the side or on hold and just focus. As I said, I have to play the day after tomorrow. There's no time to dwell on anything.

□□□□□□□□□ pic.twitter.com/SE0mMerLdg

— Aga Radwanska (@ARadwanska) October 9, 2016

Thank you all for your support during this week in #Tokyo. I had a great time with you guys, you are amazing fans ! See you next year ✌□️□□ pic.twitter.com/F7hX89cIm5

— David Goffin (@David__Goffin) October 9, 2016

Dream Team. #ChinaOpen pic.twitter.com/26uSZwcEfS

— judy murray (@JudyMurray) October 9, 2016

□□□□ that was unnecessary and you know it. https://t.co/Jy4FQEBJU8

— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@Naomi_Osaka_) October 7, 2016

Thank you to everyone that made this week possible. Genuinely very humbled right now. @rakutenopen & fans, thank you. □□□ #SeeYouNextYear

— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) October 9, 2016

Shanghai bound now and back to it all over again. No time to stop and savour anything. #TourGrind #ThatsHowItGoes

— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) October 9, 2016

Thank you @ChinaOpen for a week of unforgettable memories! Look forward to coming back and making many more.... https://t.co/zrNJoPnD4f

— Johanna Konta (@JoKonta91) October 9, 2016

My full @CharlieRoseShow sit down interview. Honored to have been on his show. https://t.co/hROMkIfrTu

— Maria Sharapova (@MariaSharapova) October 5, 2016

To all the people betting on my matches.... you can keep the verbal abuse to me please. Leave my mother out of it

— Bjorn Fratangelo (@BjornFratangelo) October 5, 2016

I know I'm not some super star with tons and tons of fans, but I gotta say, the ones I do have are pretty amazing. Feeling thankful □□□□

— Nicole Gibbs (@Gibbsyyyy) October 10, 2016

I have the absolute best fans in the world □ #grateful

— Madison Keys (@Madison_Keys) October 9, 2016

​RANKINGS WATCH

• ​ATP: Nishikori (+1 to #4), Nadal (-1 to #5), Zverev (+3 to #21), Paire (-10 to #47), Edmund (+6 to #48), Fognini (-7 to #50), Marchenko (-13 to #62), Monaco (+19 to #70), Fritz (-13 to #71), Melzer (+15 to #72), Lu (-16 to #79), Struff (+14 to #95), Stepanek (+10 to #96), Tiafoe (+17 to #100)

​

• ​WTA​​: Muguruza (-2 to #6), Konta (+5 to #9), Svitolina (+4 to #15), Zhang (+9 to #27), Shvedova (+7 to #32), Gavrilova (+11 to #38), Errani (-12 to #46), Cornet (+9 to #49), Petkovic (-11 to #55), Ivanovic (-23 to #61), Lucic-Baroni (-10 to #78), Lisicki (+9 to #96)

​ON THE WEB

​An Interview with Kevin Anderson (Part Two)
​How Maria Sharapova's Attack on ITF Further Damages Her Reputation Among Peers
​The Tennis Rally is Simply a Piece of Intricate Beauty
Kerber Redefines the Rules
​Andy Murray 'stalked' by arm-stroking maid
​Novak Djokovic: "I'm Not Feeling that Internal Joy of Playing Anymore"
​Agnieszka Radwanska, now with 20 Titles, Continues to Wow us with her One-of-a-Kind Game
​Proper Food can be the Ace up a Tennis Player's Sleeve
​Tennis Fans Have an Odd Way of Showing Their Affection
Through the Ups and Downs, Madison Keys Just Keeps Pushing Forward
Tennis Racquet is not Magic Shield Against Mental Illness

​PODCASTS

Beyond The Baseline - Dick Enberg on broadcasting career, Wimbledon
​Tennis Connected - Previewing the 2016 Shanghai Rolex Masters
Realz Tenis Fanz - For Serena and Us, Black Lives Matter!!!
Realz Tenis Fanz - ​Live with our Gurl Meldonium
Mind The Racket - ​Rethinking the Game #1
Tennis.com - Sharapova's Suspension Reduced; WTA CEO Speaks Out