Rafael Nadal reclaims top spot in ATP rankings, Roger Federer slips to second
June 25, 2018 18:06 ISTRafael Nadal returned to the top spot in the ATP world singles rankings released on Monday while Switzerland's Roger Federer came in second.
Rafael Nadal returned to the top spot in the ATP world singles rankings released on Monday while Switzerland's Roger Federer came in second.
Kvitova hadn't dropped a set in Birmingham but was tested by Rybarikova before eventually prevailing 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.
The top-seeded Croat first won the Wimbledon warm-up event in 2012, but was the runner-up in 2013 and also lost to Feliciano Lopez in last year's final.
Federer, who skipped the entire clay-court season for the second year in a row, had been going for his 99th title, one week after taking his 18th grass-court title in Stuttgart.
Djokovic will face Marin Cilic in Sunday's final after the top-seeded Croat defeated Nick Kyrgios 7-6 (3), 7-6 (4).
Federer fired 12 aces and saved six of the seven break points he faced to end Kudla's 10-set winning streak in Halle.
After winning a record-extending 11th French Open title earlier this month, the Spaniard withdrew from the Queen's Club Championships, a key Wimbledon tune-up played in London from June 18 to June 24.
Federer, who won his 18th grass-court title in Stuttgart, is just three match wins away from matching Jimmy Connors' all-time record of 174 victories on grass.
Federer extended his grass-court winning streak to 18 matches, including his titles in Stuttgart last week and at Halle and Wimbledon last year.
Halep has not played since beating Sloane Stephens for the Roland Garros title earlier this month.
The Swiss great, who is assured of reclaiming the No. 1 ranking from Rafael Nadal, beat Raonic 6-4, 7-6 (3) to mark his return.
Federer, in his first tournament since March, was trailing Nadal by 100 points at the start of the week and is guaranteed of taking the top spot on Monday regardless of how Sunday's final goes.
The three-time major winner has not played since last year's Wimbledon due to a hip injury and subsequent surgery.
Despite the 75th-ranked Argentine producing one of his best matches on grass, Federer was hardly troubled.
AITA had exempted the country's top singles player Yuki considering that playing at the Grand Slams is crucial to secure ranking points, which would earn him a direct entry into the Tokyo Olympics.
Prajnesh, who qualified into the tournament and stunned world number 23 Denis Shapovalov in the opening round, lost to Guido Pella 6-7(4) 4-6.
Federer hadn't played since March, when he lost to Thanasi Kokkinakis and Juan Martin del Potro in Miami and Indian Wells, respectively.
After playing 27 matches on clay the past two months, the 32-year-old Spaniard feels he needs time to recover.
Sara Errani original two-month ban was served from August to October 2017, that period will count toward her new 10-month suspension.
Federer or Nadal have won each of the past six major tournaments, equalling their second-longest stretch of dual dominance, their other six-slam streak came way back in 2008-09.
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