Tour report - Mahut overtakes Federer in Newport
Did tennis start again the Monday after Wimbledon? Yes it did. Wimbledon.com explores where and when and who was left holding trophies...
The Monday after Wimbledon, Andy Murray spent the day back at the All England Club performing the various media requests befitting of a champion. And while he did so, the country, and tennis world, reflected on what he had achieved, wrote word after word and took a collective moment during the traditional post-Grand Slam lull. But tennis never stops, and while Murray was having tea with the Prime Minister and going to the dentist, while other players went on holiday, the ATP and WTA both hosted tournaments last week.
Nicolas Mahut, forever known as one half of the tennis's greatest feat of endurance (pictured above), achieved a somewhat surprising statistic. The Frenchman overtook Roger Federer in titles won this year as he defeated Lleyton Hewitt to win the grass court tournament in Newport. Mahut, whose natural serve and volley style comes into its own on grass, came from behind to defeat the former Wimbledon champion 5-7, 7-5, 6-3 and ensure that he will return to the top 100.
Mahut's first title of the year had also come on grass, in 's-Hertogenbosch the week before Wimbledon, and his performance at both events has turned around his year.
“A month ago I was playing to make the cut for the qualies at the US Open, I was [ranked] 240 with some points to defend. I told my coach, I have to play great on grass to make the cut for the qualies. A month later I have two titles,” Mahut said.
Hewitt meanwhile, who with Mahut contested the second over-30 final this year, was seeking his first ATP title in three years, the last coming, funnily enough, on grass in Basel.
Also in Newport... Martina Hingis, winner of 15 Grand Slam singles, doubles and mixed doubles titles, was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
"I can only find words to express feelings I have now being a member of such an elite group our sport has elected to represent millions and millions of people worldwide playing tennis," Hingis said. "I could repeat the words said so many times before here, that our sport has given me everything in my life, and it would be the truth."
Elsewhere on the ATP, Fabio Fognini enjoyed getting back onto clay, beating Philipp Kohlschreiber 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 for his first title of the year in Stuttgart. "I played great, great tennis this week. I am really happy to have won the final," Fognini said, the first Italian to win the German clay court event. It was Stuttgart's penultimate year as a clay court tournament - in 2015 it will become a grass court event and move into the pre-Championships season.
There was a first-timer of a different sort in Bastad as Argentina's Carlos Berlocq won his first ATP title, upsetting Fernando Verdasco 7-5, 6-1.
On the WTA, Roberta Vinci made it sixth time lucky against good friend and doubles partner Sara Errani, defeating her fellow Italian 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 to win in Palermo.
Simona Halep won her third title in five weeks in Budapest, winning 6-3 6-7(7) 6-1 over Yvonne Meusburger.
In some off court news, Maria Sharapova has recruited Jimmy Connors as her coach.
So everyone's been busy then.
Still suffering from a post-Wimbledon hangover? Review what we learned from Wimbledon 2013
