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In the first weekend of February in 2018, Paolo Lorenzi was in Japan for Italy's Davis Cup tie against Japan, one he did not play in. Then 36 years old and No. 46 in the ATP Rankings, he hurt his left foot. The next week in Quito, Lorenzi broke the fascia in that foot, his first serious injury since turning professional in 2003.

“I think it was frustrating because it was the first time. I didn’t know what to expect,” said Lorenzi, who missed nearly two months. “I was thinking that when I came back on court, everything would be the same. I needed time and tennis players don’t want to wait. We want everything to be fast and easy, so it was something different. But I think it helped me grow up. You’re never too old to grow up.”

After returning at an ATP Challenger Tour event at San Luis Potosi at the end of March, things didn’t go as planned. Lorenzi lost four consecutive matches, winning just one set during that stretch. While he claimed two Challenger titles later in the year, in Sopot and Cordenons, Lorenzi won just four tour-level matches in 2018 after his return.

“I think that last year for me was tough because I was unlucky. In my tennis life I’d never had a big injury. But I had one for the first time,” Lorenzi said. “I know that it’s not easy, because I’m not young anymore, but of course I’m trying my best and I’m happy. I’m happy that I’m playing some tournaments and I’m happy to stay on the circuit. Sometimes you don’t think how lucky you are until you’re out.”

Lorenzi has found his best tennis later in his career. He first broke into the Top 100 of the ATP Rankings just before his 28th birthday, and he hit his career-high of No. 33 when he was 35, less than two years ago.

“To be there at the beginning of his career always at Challengers and striving to get to the Top 100, I think many players would have quit playing. He was always just working hard,” said fellow Italian Andreas Seppi. “Seeing him now at 37 at a good level, is of course inspiring. Physically it’s not easy, but you can see he’s still doing a good job.”

Lorenzi fell as low as No. 116 in the ATP Rankings after suffering his foot injury, and he currently sits at No. 105. Considering there are only three players older than him in the Top 200, one would expect it to be hard to battle back. But that’s not the case for Lorenzi.

“I love this sport. I love to wake up in the morning and go to practice. I like to play tournaments and I like the adrenaline of the match, so I think that’s the key,” Lorenzi said. “If you like what you do, that’s the most important thing. I’m lucky because my passion became my work, so I’m trying to enjoy it as long as I can.

“I think that I’ve always loved it. This is the key of my tennis life. I always say it doesn’t matter if I’m here to play an ATP Tour event or I’m playing a Challenger, I always love what I’m doing. I think this is the most important thing and to like what you do, you have to do it, if you can.”

Perhaps Lorenzi’s biggest win came at Kitzbuhel in 2016, when he earned his maiden ATP Tour trophy. The raw emotions of that victorious moment stays with Lorenzi to this day, the crown jewel of a successful career.

“I think I’m happy. When you start playing tennis you want to be No. 1 in the world, you want to win a Slam, at least if you tell me I would do this, I’d be really happy," Lorenzi said. "I won one ATP Tour title, I was No. 33 in the world, I was No. 1 in Italy for one year. So I think that I really enjoy what I’ve done and I think I’ve done a pretty good job.”

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Watch as Pablo Cuevas shares his thoughts after reaching the Rio Open presented by Claro second round. Watch live matches at http://www.tennistv.com.

In a meeting of past Rio Open presented by Claro titlists, 2016 winner Pablo Cuevas reached the second round after defending champion Diego Schwartzman retired with a right leg injury during their first-round encounter on Wednesday.

Cuevas, who was leading 6-1, 4-1 when Schwartzman was forced to shake hands, converted five of nine break points to earn a commanding lead on Quadra Central. Improving to 6-2 during the 2019 'Golden Swing', the 33-year-old Uruguayan will meet Cordoba Open champion Juan Ignacio Londero for a place in the quarter-finals.

Taro Daniel recovered from a set down to beat Brazilian wild card Thiago Seyboth Wild 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. The Japanese saved five of six break points to reach the second round after two hours and eight minutes.

Daniel will meet Laslo Djere for a quarter-final spot. On Tuesday, Djere upset top seed and 2017 champion Dominic Thiem 6-3, 6-3.

Stefanos Tsitsipas on Wednesday defeated Hubert Hurkacz 6-4, 6-2 to claim his first victory at the Open 13 Provence on his third appearance.

The #NextGenATP Greek, searching for form after early losses in Sofia and Rotterdam, won 85 per cent of first-serve points (28/33) to advance to the last eight after just 59 minutes. Tsitsipas improves to 2-0 in his FedEx ATP Head2Head series against Hurkacz, having also defeated the 22-year-old en route to the Next Gen ATP Finals title in Milan last November.

"It was a good match. I enjoyed it. I am moving on." said Tsitsipas. "It is nice to start so well. It was a 'no-trouble match'. Everything went smooth. Breaks happened when they had to happen. It was a solid match."

Dropping just two points behind his first serve (16/18) to open up a 5-4 lead, Tsitsipas extracted multiple errors from Hurkacz's backhand to take the first set after 33 minutes. The 20-year-old continued to impress on serve in the second set, with back-to-back service breaks at 3-2 and 5-2 securing a spot in the quarter-finals as Hurkacz fired a forehand approach into the tramline.

Tsitsipas will meet a lucky loser - Sergiy Stakhovsky or Gregoire Barrere - for a place in the semi-finals. Earlier in the day, Barrere struck 17 aces to beat Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic 7-6(3), 6-3 in 88 minutes.

"Every opponent is a serious job, even if he is a lucky loser," said Tsitsipas. "I will have to consider it as [playing against]... someone who got a second chance. These are the trickiest matches. I will have to [play] smart and play much better than today."

Mikhail Kukushkin held his nerve to beat fourth-seeded Canadian Denis Shapovalov 6-4, 7-6(4) in 82 minutes. The 31-year-old Kazakh will face Italy’s Matteo Berrettini or Andrey Rublev of Russia for a semi-final spot.

The 19-year-old Shapovalov hit 18 aces and lost eight of his first-service points (34/42), but was broken in the seventh game of the first set. Kukushkin won the first four points of the tie-break and closed the match on his third match point.

Two-time former champion Gilles Simon rallied from a set down to beat Peter Gojowczyk of Germany 4-6, 6-4, 6-2. The 34-year-old Frenchman, who lifted the trophy in 2007 and 2015, will face third seed David Goffin or countryman Benoit Paire in the quarter-finals.

"I played a very good third set," said Simon. "The beginning of the match was tough, he doesn't give you any rhythm. It feels good to be in the quarter-finals here."

In first-round action, French wild card Ugo Humbert knocked out Ernests Gulbis of Latvia 6-3, 7-6(3) in one hour and 35 minutes. Elsewhere, German qualifier Matthias Bachinger overcame Steve Darcis of Belgium 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in two hours and three minutes.

Did You Know?
At this year's Australian Open, Tsitsipas, aged 20, became the youngest Grand Slam semi-finalist since Novak Djokovic at the 2007 US Open.

Robert Lindstedt, who turns 42 in a month, is not going anywhere. The Swede might be the second-oldest player inside the Top 100 of the ATP Doubles Rankings, behind only 45-year-old Leander Paes, but Lindstedt is not planning to retire anytime soon.

“It’s more fun now than it’s ever been,” Lindstedt said. “A year or so ago I realised it’s pretty amazing what we all get to do. We actually get to travel the world and do this. There’s a lot of pressure and a lot of training that goes into it, but everybody’s got to mature sometimes and I feel at almost 42, it’s about time I do it, too.”

The 2014 Australian Open champion has accomplished plenty in his career, ascending as high as World No. 3, winning 22 tour-level titles and lifting at least one trophy in each of the past 12 seasons. So why does he continue on?

“I question that myself at times, but you can always accomplish more,” Lindstedt said. “I chase titles at this point and it’s also a good feeling to be the old guy at tournaments and still win.”

Despite turning professional in 1998, before the likes of Denis Shapovalov and Alex de Minaur were born, Lindstedt is motivated by what he’s still able to do on the court. Just last year, Lindstedt partnered Dutchman Robin Haase to the quarter-finals of Wimbledon, where the duo succumbed in four sets to Dominic Inglot and Franko Skugor. Lindstedt is currently No. 53 in the ATP Doubles Rankings.

“I want to continue to be able to win titles. I still feel I have a deep run at a Slam left in me,” Lindstedt said. “I thought Wimbledon last year was going to be it. We had chances in the quarters. But I still feel like I have that lift. I feel like when Venus and Jupiter are aligned perfectly, those are going to be my two weeks. And that’s really why I continue. It’s all about the big moments. It’s impossible for me to not train towards that.”

During the off-season, the Swede spent some time with Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan in Florida. The American twins have won 116 tour-level titles as a pair. So Lindstedt joked at practice: “I’ve hated them since ‘97, and that hatred has only grown ever since. They’ve stolen so much money from me, so many titles. We all know if they weren’t around, I would have had their careers… combined!”

"I've hated them since 97."

It's no secret that Nick Kyrgios is a massive basketball fan. The Aussie, a die-hard Boston Celtics supporter, can frequently be seen wearing an NBA jersey or tweeting about the sport.

So after earning a first-round doubles win at the Delray Beach Open by VITACOST.com on Tuesday evening alongside Jackson Withrow, Kyrgios got some shots up on the basketball court in the players' lounge. While speaking with ATPTour.com, Kyrgios even knocked down eight consecutive three-pointers.

Watch Kyrgios' Shooting Session

"I’m LeBron James," Kyrgios said, smiling. "I’m the best basketball player of the tennis players, hence I’m LeBron.

"Honestly, there are only three or four guys who can really play basketball on Tour. So I don’t like comparing it that way. But [in playing style] I’d probably compare myself to Tobias Harris."

Harris plays for the Philadelphia 76ers. He is a 6'8" forward who has scored an average of just more than 20 points per game this season. As Kyrgios put it, he is a "borderline All Star". 

Here are other ATP Tour players who Kyrgios compared to an NBA player:

Ivo Karlovic: Boban Marjanovic, Philadelphia 76ers.

Jack Sock: "He is a bit like a Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors. He’s a sharpshooter."

Gael Monfils: "He's a guy who’s really athletic, but can’t really shoot. I feel like maybe he's a Giannis Antetokounmpo-type figure."

Jamie Cerretani: Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics.

Stefan Kozlov: "He’s like a Marcus Smart, a bulldog, gets boards, makes defensive plays."

Kyrgios made a friendly joke about reigning Nitto ATP Finals champion Alexander Zverev's basketball game, saying the German is, 'like a 1,300-times worse version of Dirk Nowitzki'. Nowitzki, who hosted the third edition of the Dirk Nowitzki Pro Celebrity Tennis Classic in September at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. Former ATP Tour players Andy Roddick, Tommy Haas, Taylor Dent and Mark Knowles were among those who were there to support the cause.

"I haven’t met him before, but I met his wife at a Dallas Mavericks game because he got tickets for us. She came and met us at the suite, which was awesome," Kyrgios said. "I chat with him a little bit on Twitter, because he’s a massive tennis fan."

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Kyrgios had his eye on Nowitzki as the German played his 14th and final All Star Game on Sunday. Nowitzki is retiring after this season.

"It’s sick. My best friend’s favourite player is Dwyane Wade, so to see D-Wade and Nowitzki have one more game like that is pretty special," Kyrgios said. "They’re two of the greatest of all-time. It was pretty cool to see them do that."

Kyrgios' favourite player is Rajon Rondo of the Los Angeles Lakers. Rondo won an NBA championship with the Celtics in 2008. But the 32-year-old hit a game-winner against his former team on 7 February.

"I love Rondo. When he hit the game-winner, I honestly wasn’t even mad."

Kyrgios' ATP Tour Basketball Lineup:
Point Guard - Nick Kyrgios
Shooting Guard - Jackson Withrow
Small Forward - Jack Sock
Power Forward - Gael Monfils
Centre - Reilly Opelka

Coming off the bench, which Kyrgios says is important...
John Isner
Stefan Kozlov
Taylor Fritz

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Watch highlights as Felix Auger-Aliassime beats Christian Garin to reach the Rio quarter-finals. Watch live tennis at tennistv.com. Photo: Rio Open/FotoJump

Felix Auger-Aliassime talks about reaching the Rio Open presented by Claro quarter-finals on Wednesday. Watch live tennis at tennistv.com.

Watch as Felix Auger-Aliassime shows off his athleticism at the Rio Open presented by Claro. Watch live tennis at tennistv.com. Photo: Rio Open/FotoJump

Christian Garin breaks up the rally pattern well against Felix Auger-Aliassime at the Rio Open presented by Claro. Watch live tennis at tennistv.com.

Roger Federer has committed to play at the Mutua Madrid Open in May, which will mark his return to the European clay-court swing for the first time since 2016. The Swiss superstar is a winner of three titles at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in 2006, 2009 and 2012.

“Federer is one of the best players of all time, it’s no secret”, said Feliciano Lopez, the Tournament Director of the Mutua Madrid Open. “We are happy because his return to Madrid is a gift to the tournament, but above all the fans will be able to see a unique player in the Caja Magica. Having the Swiss player back on clay with [Novak] Djokovic and [Rafael] Nadal is going to be unmissable.”

Manolo Santana, the tournament’s Honorary President, said “Roger’s presence in the Caja Magica will make this year’s Mutua Madrid Open special. It doesn’t matter that he’s 37 because he still has that unmistakable class; the innate talent that has made him one of the best of all time. Being able to enjoy his tennis is something that no fan of the sport should miss.”

The 37-year-old Federer last competed at a clay-court tournament in May 2016 at the International BNL d'Italia in Rome, where he lost to Dominic Thiem in the third round. Eleven of his 99 career trophies have come on clay courts (214-68 match record).

In his most recent match on 20 January, 2018 Next Gen ATP Finals champion Stefanos Tsitsipas defeated Federer in the Australian Open fourth round. Federer will attempt to lift his eighth trophy at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships next week.

Juan Martin del Potro shares how he developed his legendary forehand. Video courtesy Delray Beach Open. Photo: Peter Staples/ATP Tour

Jaume Munar talks about his thrilling win against Cameron Norrie at the Rio Open presented by Claro. Watch live tennis at tennistv.com.

He'll want to clean up around the edges, including bolstering his match fitness, but Juan Martin del Potro will overall be pleased after winning his season opener 6-3, 7-5 against Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka on Tuesday at the Delray Beach Open presented by VITACOST.com.

The top seed seized enough of his chances (3/7 on break points), and although he wore a bandage on his rehabbed right knee and admitted to feeling some pain, Del Potro darted freely around the blue courts he's come to know well.

“It was a tough first round because Nishioka is a solid player from the baseline. But I played well in specific moments of the match,” Del Potro said. “I need to keep working hard on my legs because I felt tired at the end of the second set, but that's normal for [right now].”

Del Potro will face a much bigger test – literally and figuratively – when he plays 6'11" Reilly Opelka for a place in the quarter-finals. The American won his maiden ATP Tour title at the New York Open on Sunday, and the 21-year-old stayed hot, beating countryman Tennys Sandgren 6-4, 6-0.

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Del Potro, No. 4 in the ATP Rankings, hadn't played a match since 11 October, when he fractured his right patella at the Rolex Shanghai Masters. He missed the Rolex Paris Masters and the Nitto ATP Finals to finish 2018, and the Australian Open to start this year.

But, unfortunately for Del Potro, opening his season in South Florida has become somewhat of a tradition. Tuesday night marked the third time (2016, 2017) he has started his year at the ATP 250, and all three times he's celebrated a successful debut. 

The 2011 champion raised his level – and the mph on his forehand – to break in the eighth game and served out the opening set. Del Potro stumbled briefly in the second – blame his lack of matchplay – dropping his serve after breaking Nishioka.

But the Japanese left-hander sailed a backhand long on break point at 5-5 to hand Del Potro the break, and he served it out behind some of his best baseline play of the night.

“I didn't feel really well on court, but I think that's very normal for [right now]. I'm looking forward to feeling better in the next round,” Del Potro said. “I need time to get better, to feel confidence with my knee, with my body.”

Defending champion Frances Tiafoe of the U.S. was upset by Brit qualifier Daniel Evans 3-6, 7-6(1), 7-5. "It was difficult conditions. I was just fighting as hard as I could," Evans said.

Tiafoe was two points away from winning at 6-5, 30/30 in the second set, and led 4-1 in the third. “Very frustrating, very frustrating,” Tiafoe said. “I definitely shouldn't have lost tonight. I probably rushed on big points, instead of working the point a little more.”

Three-time semi-finalist (2012, 2013, 2014) John Isner saved all four break points and hit 23 aces against Canada's Peter Polansky to advance 6-3, 7-6(4). The second-seeded Isner will meet Slovakian Lukas Lacko, who knocked out Japanese qualifier Yosuke Watanuki 6-4, 6-4. "The first match out in the heat and humidity is always pretty tough," Isner said.

Steve Johnson, the fourth seed, fought off Jason Jung of Chinese Taipei 7-6(3), 6-4 to setup a second-round meeting against Italy's Paolo Lorenzi, a winner against American qualifier Tim Smyczek 7-5, 6-3.

American Jared Donaldson, playing in his first match since 6 August, fell short against Spain's Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 2-6, 6-3, 6-3. Donaldson, who played at the 2017 Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan, was sidelined with tendinitis in his right knee.

 

Reilly Opelka had the best week of his career at the New York Open, lifting his maiden ATP Tour trophy. And the American on Tuesday maintained his momentum with a 6-4, 6-0 win against compatriot Tennys Sandgren at the Delray Beach Open presented by VITACOST.com.

Never before had he lost so few games in a tour-level match. You can say it was a knockout performance. So it was only fitting that World Boxing Organisation Middleweight Champion Demtrius Andrade was in Opelka’s box cheering on the 6’11” right-hander.

“He’s from here and I met him a couple years back,” said Opelka, who began training in nearby Boca Raton at 13. “He’s doing great. He’s had an unreal year, and last year, too. He’s very professional.”

While Opelka and Andrade don’t often speak about tennis or boxing, they’ve struck up a friendship. Both men have the utmost respect for one another’s efforts in their respective fields.

“I didn’t realise how tough it is on those guys,” Opelka said. “They go a few days without even drinking much water [when they have to cut weight]. It’s brutal.”

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Andrade used to play some tennis. While he doesn’t have much time for it anymore with his boxing obligations, the 30-year-old enjoyed watching his first live tennis match.

“It was cool,” Andrade said. “It was a good experience to understand the whole game, the format of it and seeing my boy Reilly put in some work and get the ‘W’.”

Opelka is in great form, climbing to a career-best World No. 56 this week thanks to his triumph in New York. He will look to make his second consecutive quarter-final in Delray Beach when he faces Juan Martin del Potro or Yoshihito Nishioka.

“It’s great. It’s always good to see anybody doing well, especially if you know them and can support them. I had time to come support him today so I’m here and I plan on supporting him on Thursday, hoping to see him get the ‘W’ as well,” Andrade said. “Just as I support him he’s going to come out to my fights and events and support me. It’s a great experience to meet people in different sports and different levels of their life.”

While Opelka is quickly ascending the ATP Rankings and he is happy to have Andrade in his corner, you won’t see him stepping in a boxing ring against the champion anytime soon.

“No,” Opelka said, cracking a laugh. “That wouldn’t be fun.”

Before Tuesday, Serbian Laslo Djere didn't have a win on clay this season or a Top 10 win for his career. Now he has both. The 23-year-old, No. 90 in the ATP Rankings, routed No. 8 Dominic Thiem 6-3, 6-3 at the Rio Open presented by Claro.

“It was a great day. The biggest win in my career so I'm really happy right now... I hit the ball really well. He played a bit worse than normally I think, to be honest. But I had a great day. I felt the ball really well, hitting well from the baseline and then attacking well when it was time for that,” Djere said. “This is my favourite surface. So I know that I can play great tennis on clay.”

Soak it in

#NextGenATP Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime had nothing to lose on Tuesday evening against second seed Fabio Fognini, and he played like it. The 18-year-old wild card picked up one of the biggest wins of his career, dismissing the Italian 6-2, 6-3 at the Rio Open presented by Claro.

“It's at the top, for sure, with my most memorable wins,” Auger-Aliassime said. “You come here, you play the second seed, obviously you're not favoured. But you just believe in your tennis, you believe in your game. These wins, that's what you work for.”

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Serving for the match, at 5-3, 40/15, Auger-Aliassime needed three match points, but the teenager ultimately put away Fognini, who fell to 3-5 this year, including 0-3 on clay.

“After losing the first point, I got a bit worried. You always want to win the first point of the last game, but then I recovered well with some good serves, and I think I did what I had to do on the match points,” Auger-Aliassime said.

The win against Fognini, who finished 2018 at a career-high No. 13 but has since fallen to No. 16, is Auger-Aliassime's biggest win by ATP Ranking. In August, at the Rogers Cup in Montreal, he beat then-No. 18 Lucas Pouille for his first Top 20 win.

Flashback: Felix, 17, Notches 'Statement' Top 20 Win In Toronto

The teenager will next meet Chile's Christian Garin, who beat Auger-Aliassime in three sets last week at the Argentina Open in Buenos Aires. Garin advanced on Tuesday in Rio with a 7-5, 6-3 win against Germany's Maximilian Marterer.

Spain's Jaume Munar knocked out Argentine Leonardo Mayer 7-6(5), 6-4. The 21-year-old Munar will meet Brit Cameron Norrie, who needed only 59 minutes to beat sixth seed Dusan Lajovic 6-2, 6-1.

He's played more than 900 matches, but this may be a first for Spaniard Feliciano Lopez in his first-round match at Delray Beach against Denis Istomin. Video courtesy IMG and Delray Beach Open by VITACOST.com

Watch as Frances Tiafoe shares his thoughts on returning to the Delray Beach Open after an impressive start to the 2019 ATP Tour season. Photo credit: Peter Staples/ATP Tour. Video courtesy of Delray Beach Open.

Watch as Tommy Haas discusses his favourite memories of the Delray Beach Open, before reacting to the news of his induction into the Delray Beach Walk Of Fame. Video courtesy of Delray Beach Open.