For the second consecutive Davis Cup tie, India are relying on doubles specialist N Sriram Balaji to do the singles duty
The ATP suspended its professional men's tennis tour for six weeks on Thursday, citing concerns over the coronavirus outbreak, which has upended major sporting events across the globe. The announcement came moments after Miami-Dade County said it would suspend the Miami Open and on the heels of Sunday's last-minute cancellation of the Indian Wells tournament in Southern California.
Federer was joined by his wife Mirka, who herself made a pretty picture in a black collared gown.
Balaji also showed that he can quickly adapt to conditions when he was asked to do the singles duty during the Davis Cup tie against Pakistan on grass. The rival was not of the highest quality but Balaji showed that he was willing to come out of his comfort zone if the team demands.
Yuki Bhambri and his Dutch partner Robin Hasse went down in straight sets to Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
Novak Djokovic proved to be a calming influence throughout
Sumit Nagal, who recently became the first Indian to beat a seeded player in a Grand Slam tournament, will spearhead the Indian challenge in the men's singles competition of the Chennai Open ATP Challenger 100 tournament beginning on Sunday.
Nagal is coming off a title triumph during the Heilbronn Challenger last week, which happens to be his second Challenger title this season after the Chennai Challenger in February.
Daniil Medvedev fired Russia to victory in the $7.5 million ATP Cup with a dominant performance against Italy in Melbourne on Sunday.
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek of Poland faces Irina-Camella Begu of Romania in the opening round of the women's draw with second-seeded American Coco Gauff taking on Australian Ajla Tomljanovic.
World No. 72 Nagal has a tough road ahead as he is placed in the same section of the draw as top seed and World No. 1 Jannik Sinner
Not that cash will be the motivator for world number one Novak Djokovic, Rafa Nadal, Dominic Thiem, Tsitsipas, Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Zverev and debutants Andrey Rublev and Diego Schwartzman when the tournament's 50th edition starts on Sunday.
Brad Drewett, executive chairman and president of the men's ATP Tour since 2012, died aged 54 on Friday from Motor Neurone Disease, the ATP said in a statement.
Rafael Nadal overcame a temporary blip on his way to victory at the ATP Cup on Saturday
Sumit Nagal got the big break as he was the highest ranked player in that draw.
Jannik Sinner is primed for a Wimbledon title tilt after picking up his first grasscourt trophy at Halle
World number two Rafael Nadal criticised the ATP on Thursday for promoting a court surface he said was the toughest on the bodies of the players.
French Open and Wimbledon champion Alcaraz, who won both of his previous meetings with Sinner this year, recovered from a slow start to wrap up victory in three hours, 21 minutes and improve his head-to-head record with the Italian to 6-4.
Rafa Nadal suffered a setback in his Paris 2024 Olympics preparations on Sunday as he was beaten 6-3 6-2 in the Swedish Open final by Portuguese seventh seed Nuno Borges.
Stuns World No 1 Djokovic to win 'biggest title of career'
Yuki Bhambri made his first doubles semi-finals of the ATP 500 tour.
The Railway Board has reduced the speed of semi-high speed trains Gatimaan Express and Vande Bharat from 160 kmph to 130 kmph till the automatic train protection system gets operational.
India's non-playing Davis Cup captain Rohit Rajpal on Saturday clarified that his "shut-up" remark was meant for a few "agenda-driven" people consistently targeting him and was not directed at the country's tennis community as has been projected.
Chilean 21st seed Nicolas Jarry outclassed American Tommy Paul 6-3, 6-7(3), 6-3 to reach the Italian Open on Friday as former champion Alexander Zverev recovered from a slow start to beat Chilean Alejandro Tabilo 1-6, 7-6(4), 6-2.
Rafael Nadal teamed up with Norwegian Casper Ruud to register a 6-1, 6-4 win over second seeds Guido Andreozzi and Miguel Reyes-Varela on the Swedish clay.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Saturday
India's first and only tennis medal in the history of Olympic Games came way back in 1996, when Leander Paes claimed the singles bronze in Atlanta.
Nadal was much more than a claycourt bully, though. He spent more than 900 successive weeks from 2005 in the ATP's top 10, 209 of them at number one and at the age of 24 became the youngest player to complete the career Grand Slam.
Fresh from his exploits in India's first-ever title-winning campaign at the Chess Olympiad, Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi has decided against defending his crown at the 10th Vugar Gashimov Memorial Chess Super Tournament in Azerbaijan for an audience with Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on Wednesday.
Alexander Zverev has agreed a settlement after the mother of his child accused him of physical abuse and a German court closed the case on Friday, the French Open semi-finalist's lawyers said
Cilic, eliminated after two three-set losses, was hoping to end his year on a high in the city where his Wimbledon dream was ended in this year's final by Federer - the Croatian sobbing on court after suffering blisters.
With Federer certain, young Austrian Dominic Thiem is third in the ATP race to London, followed by Stan Wawrinka, Alexander Zverev, Djokovic, world number one Andy Murray, and Belgium's David Goffin.
Laura Siegemund entered the record books with her defeat of fifth-seeded Xiyu Wang of China in four hours, nine minutes at the Thailand Open in Hua Hin on Wednesday.
Russian Nikolay Davydenko has won his appeal against a fine for not trying hard enough during a match.
The ATP has pushed for changes in scoring rules and qualifying methods for doubles competitions at tour events
India's Rohan Bopanna and his partner Daniel Nestor grabbed their second ATP title.
Japan's Kei Nishikori dispatched error-strewn Swiss Stan Wawrinka 6-2, 6-3 in a disappointingly one-sided clash at the ATP World Tour Finals on Monday.
Both Balaji and Bhambri have got some decent results on clay in lead up to the Roland Garros, where the action will unfold during the Summer Olympics from July 27.
