Marcos Giron was the highest seed in action on Wednesday at the San Diego Open, and he had little trouble dispatching Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-4 6-3.

Giron, the third seed, was a force a from the baseline, collecting 18 winners in the first set, while Etcheverry could only muster six. While he was not as dominant in the second frame, Etcheverry helped him out with 14 unforced errors and five winners.

Giron will meet James Duckworth next after the Australian defeated America's Mitchell Krueger 6-3 7-6 (7-4).

Duckworth has now won six of his past eight matches, and he showed off his impressive serve against Krueger, winning the ace count 11-to-one.

Meanwhile, Mackenzie McDonald has earned a shot against his American compatriot and second seed Jenson Brooksby after hammering Switzerland's Henri Laaksonen 6-0 6-2.

McDonald was strong in all areas, but particularly in limiting his errors, finishing the match with no double faults and six unforced errors with 19 winners.

Rising Chilean talent Alejandro Tabilo used his powerful serve to overwhelm the similarly hard-serving Steve Johnson, winning 7-5 6-2.

Tabilo served 11 aces with no double faults, and won 80 per cent (41-of-51) of his total points on serve, while Johnson had three double faults with his seven aces and could only manage a 60 per cent (34-of-57) success rate on serve.

In an all-Australian matchup, Christopher O'Connell advanced past Jason Kubler after the latter was forced to retire due to injury with the match tied at 4-6 6-3 heading into the last set.

Stan Wawrinka will face Daniil Medvedev in the second round of the Moselle Open after beating Joao Sousa in straight sets.

Wawrinka came through two qualifying matches to take his place in the main draw before defeating Sousa 7-6 (7-1) 6-2 in Metz on Wednesday.

The three-time grand slam champion's victory was only his fourth in a main draw at tour-level this year following a 13-month absence due to a foot injury.

Wawrinka said after setting up a showdown with top seed Medvedev: "It's the first time I won three matches in the same tournament for more than two years, so it's great.

"I'm getting confidence from winning a few matches, so I'm feeling a bit more relaxed, the way I'm moving. I think the level was good from me, and I'm happy with the win."

Dominic Thiem also advanced at the indoor hard-court event, seeing off Richard Gasquet 6-3 7-6 (7-3). 

Sebastian Korda was the first man to seal a quarter-final spot, sending third seed Lorenzo Musetti packing with a 6-3 7-6 (8-6) victory in the last match of the day.

Meanwhile, Alexander Bublik, Gregoire Barrere and Benjamin Bonzi were the other first-round winners.

 

Ahead of his retirement from tennis, Roger Federer has said he "totally overachieved" in the game.

The 20-time grand slam champion announced last week he will bring an end to a highly decorated career after the upcoming Laver Cup.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Federer admitted his disappointment in being forced to retire through injury, but reflected on one of the most impressive careers the sport has ever seen.

"The last three years have been tough to say the least," he said. "I knew I was on very thin ice for the last year ever since I played Wimbledon.

"I tried to come back but there was a limit to what I could do. And I stopped believing in it, to be honest."

After a scan earlier in the year that Federer said was "not what I was hoping for", he added: "Very quickly we realised this was it.

"Then the question becomes 'How do you announce and when do you announce?' This is when it becomes reality. It was OK but stressful."

The 41-year-old had been spending the last few weeks preparing his retirement statement, and said that part of the process almost felt like "rehab".

"It's been an emotional few weeks to go through those words to try to get them right, that they reflect how I'm feeling and thanking all the people who have helped along the way," he said.

"I always pushed my retirement thoughts away. I said, the more I think about it, the more I'm already halfway retired and this is not the way to go to work, you know, for me as a tennis player, so we'll deal with it when it comes. And it did. And I dealt with it.

"I think writing those words was, for me parts, partially also like rehab, like going myself through all those words, feeling them."

 

Federer has spent 750 weeks in the top 10 of the men's singles rankings, the highest tally for a male player since they were first published in 1973.

The Swiss maestro has also won more men's singles main draw matches in grand slam tournaments than any other player in the Open Era (369).

"I don't think anybody grows up and thinks they're gonna win this much," he added. "You know, you're happy with winning a Wimbledon title, which is already crazy, or becoming number one, being the best.

"But then you don't think how many weeks, this is only the media and the fans talking about breaking records.

"Before it was just, I hope to be on tour one day. Just to make it into the top 100 is a huge deal. Coming from a small country, we don't have a base of so many players.

"I totally overachieved in my mind. It's been an absolute dream that I've had for so long. And I know that, and that's why I'm totally happy to step away as well."

Federer also praised the "incredible storytelling" in the game, and reminisced about the period of dominance after his emergence was followed by Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray through the 2000s.

"When I came up, we didn't expect it either," he said. "We were more on a bit of a downslope after [Pete] Sampras retired. What's gonna come next, right? Well, here I came, and then came Rafa. And then there was Novak, and then Andy, all together.

"All of a sudden, there was this beautiful mix, we're all winning for 10 plus years, all the same tournaments, almost nobody else could win anything else. It was like a lock on the big tournaments.

"So I think, also for the fans, it's been a joy to watch, and I'm sure some fans will be sad I'm leaving, of course, but then again, there will always be wonderful new people.

"I think our tour allows for incredible storytelling so that's why I know that the game is very safe, and I'm sure it will see incredible new superstars."

Taro Daniel has booked a matchup against top overall seed at the San Diego Open Daniel Evans after defeating Emilio Nava 6-4 6-3 in the opening round on Tuesday.

Daniel started beautifully, securing a break in the first game of the match, and his superior returning ability would carry him through the first set, winning 51 per cent (21-of-41) of his return points in the opening frame.

It was Daniel's serve which controlled the second set, winning 80 per cent (16-of-20) of his service points while allowing no break point opportunities for Nava, finishing the job in 94 minutes.

He will play world number 25 Evans next, who he has beaten in two of their past three meetings, although they have only gone head-to-head once since 2015 – in 2019, when Daniel won in straight sets.

Meanwhile, Mitchell Krueger ended a three-match losing streak against American compatriot Christopher Eubanks with a 6-4 6-4 triumph.

Eubanks had the power advantage, winning the ace count nine-to-four and the winner count 25-to-18, but he was also far sloppier, committing all four of the match's double faults as well as totalling 20 unforced errors to Kreuger's four.

In a clash between two veterans, 30-year-old Denis Kudla proved to be too much for 38-year-old Fernando Versaco, winning 6-3 6-3 to relegate the Spaniard to four losses from his past five matches.

In the final match of the night, Brandon Nakashima overcame Zachary Svajda 7-5 7-6 (7-5) after a gruelling 69-minute second set, contesting 96 points in the second frame after 66 in the first.

David Goffin fell to a first-round exit at the Moselle Open in Metz on Tuesday, as Nikoloz Basilashvili received a reprieve courtesy of Zizou Bergs' retirement.

Goffin, who won the event in 2014, fell to a 6-3 6-3 defeat to three-time champion Gilles Simon, who is set to retire at the end of the 2022 campaign.

Simon needed 93 minutes to wrap up his victory over the four-time grand slam quarter-finalist, teeing up a round-of-16 meeting with Italy's Lorenzo Sonego. 

"We've known each other for a very long time and I’m always happy to play against [Goffin] one more time before the end," Simon said after the win. 

"It was really perfect from the start until the end and that's how I won this one."

Elsewhere, Basilashvili was a set down in his meeting with Bergs when the Belgian qualifier was forced to retire through injury, allowing the fifth seed to progress to a meeting with Arthur Rinderknech.

Rinderknech downed Spain's Jaume Munar in three sets to reach the next round, while Emil Ruusuvuori comfortably saw off Jiri Lehecka 6-4 6-4.

Seventh seed James Duckworth edged compatriot Alexei Popyrin in three sets, while eighth seed J.J. Wolf got past Stefan Kozlov in the San Diego Open first round on Monday.

Duckworth sent down 14 aces, winning 85 per cent on his first serve, and hit 53 winners as he got past Popyrin 7-5 4-6 6-1 in two hours and 20 minutes.

Popyrin could only manage 35 winners with 18 unforced errors. Duckworth will face one of the American qualifiers, Mitchell Krueger and Christopher Eubanks in the next round.

Wolf needed one hour and 52 minutes to topple countryman Kozlov 6-2 7-6 (8-6), converting three of his six break points, getting the edge by winning 50 per cent on Kozlov's second serve.

In the battle of the Argentines, Tomas Martin Etcheverry defeated Facundo Mena 7-6 (8-6) 6-3. Mena hit 28 winners but was undone by 23 unforced errors.

Frenchman Constant Lestienne fought back from a set down to win over American wild card Brandon Holt 5-7 7-6 (7-5) 6-3.

Sebastian Korda and Lorenzo Sonego progressed to the second round of the Moselle Open on Monday, while Stanislas Wawrinka came through qualifying.

Korda was playing his first indoor match since the decider of the Next Gen ATP Finals last November, and Hugo Gaston represented a tough opening test.

But the American prevailed in straight sets against the home favourite, winning 6-3 7-6 (7-2) after defending set points in the second set and blowing his opponent away in the subsequent tie-break.

Another tricky opponent awaits, with number three seed Lorenzo Musetti up next in the second round.

Musetti's Italian compatriot Sonego also succeeded in Monday's only other main-draw match, beating sixth seed Aslan Karatsev 7-5 6-3 to set up a last-16 clash with either Gilles Simon or David Goffin.

In the qualifying section, three-time grand slam champion Wawrinka beat Zsombor Piros 6-7 (4-7) 6-2 6-0 to reach the first round, where Joao Sousa awaits.

The winner of that match will face top seed Daniil Medvedev in the last 16.

Roger Federer will make a "last-moment decision" on his participation in next week's Laver Cup, according to fitness coach Pierre Paganini.

The 20-time grand slam champion announced on Thursday he will retire from top-level tennis after the tournament at London's O2 Arena.

However, Federer has not competed since Wimbledon 2021, after which he underwent a third knee operation.

And Paganini has cast doubt over whether the Swiss will be able to link up with the likes of Novak Djokovic, Rafal Nadal and Andy Murray in what is supposed to be his farewell event.

"This will probably be a last-moment decision," Paganini told Bilk. "He's practised at a level in order to determine exactly if playing is a good idea or not."

Federer is bringing down the curtain on a remarkable career that saw him win 103 ATP Tour-level titles – only Jimmy Connors (109) boasts more in the Open Era.

Among an array of other notable achievements, the 41-year-old spent a record 750 weeks in the top 10 of the men's singles rankings.

But Paganini says it "became clear a return to the Tour would be impossible" around July as injury problems took their toll on the all-time great.

In a more positive update, fellow coach Severin Luthi indicated Federer is on course to be fit to play at least some part in the Laver Cup.

"His aim is to play something, though whether it's singles or doubles we'll have to see," Luthi told Blick. "His aim is still to play at the Laver Cup – definitely.

"We train for three hours in the morning, then another two hours in the afternoon. He trained last week and is training again this week."

Andy Murray said it would be "really special" to get one last chance to share a tennis court with Roger Federer after the Swiss star announced his retirement.

The upcoming Laver Cup in London will be Federer's farewell event after he admitted defeat in his battle to overcome a knee problem.

Even Murray is unsure how much of an active part Federer will be able to play in London next week, but he would love to form a doubles alliance with the 20-time grand slam winner.

For many years, Murray was considered a part of a 'Big Four' in men's tennis alongside Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. They were the quartet who dominated the latter stages of the grand slams and the most prestigious regular tour events.

It latterly became known as a 'Big Three' as Murray fell away due to injury, also proving unable to keep pace with the extraordinary major-winning standards set by Federer, Nadal and Djokovic.

Federer led the head-to-head 14-11 against Murray, with the Scot getting his biggest win over the Swiss in the 2012 Olympic Games final at Wimbledon.

Three-time slam champion Murray said of Federer: "Obviously he was an amazing player. I was lucky to get to compete against him in some of the bigger matches, in the biggest tournaments, on the biggest stages in our sport.

"At the time I probably didn't appreciate it as much but looking back it's pretty amazing. It's incredible what he achieved and also what Rafa and Novak have done as well."

Federer announced his retirement on Thursday, and while Murray said that marked "a sad, sad day for the sport", he was keen to celebrate "an unbelievable career".

There is an irony about Murray wishing Federer well in retirement, given Federer did likewise with Murray in January 2019, when it seemed the former Wimbledon and US Open champion was destined to hang up his racket. A new hip has allowed Murray to unexpectedly continue on tour.

Murray said of Federer: "The longevity he's had and what he did, the way that he played the game, conducted himself, all of those things. All of the players respected him for that.

"I don't know how much he'll be able to play [at the Laver Cup], I haven't spoken to him about that, but maybe I get to share a court with him in doubles or something like that, and that would be really special."

Carlos Alcaraz fell to a defeat to fellow youngster Felix Auger-Aliassime in his first match as world number one.

Alcaraz triumphed at the US Open on Sunday, beating Casper Ruud to clinch his first grand slam title and, in the process, become the youngest world number one since the rankings were first published in 1973.

The 19-year-old is the second-youngest male player to win the title at Flushing Meadows in the Open Era, and only the third player since the majors welcomed professionals in 1968 to win the US Open title at his first or second main draw appearance after Arthur Ashe and Rod Laver (in the first two editions of the tournament).

Yet back on home soil in Spain on Friday, Alcaraz was unable to claim victory in his first match since becoming number one, as he went down 6-7 (3-7) 6-4 6-2 to Auger-Aliassime in the Davis Cup Finals.

Canada's Auger-Aliassime did not concede a break point as he dragged his country level in their tie with Spain in Valencia, teeing up a doubles decider after Roberto Bautista Agut defeated Vasek Pospisil 3-6 6-3 6-3.

Auger-Aliassime, 22, has won both of his career matches against Alcaraz, after defeating him in the US Open quarter-finals last year.

Roger Federer "set the tone" for a new breed of tennis high achievers and his retirement brings time for reflection, his long-time rival Novak Djokovic said on Friday.

At the age of 41, battling knee trouble, Federer has decided to call it a day and intends to have a send-off on court at next week's Laver Cup.

Djokovic will join him on Team Europe for the match against Team World in London, with Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray also due to be involved.

An emotional finale to Federer's career is assured, in the city where he won eight Wimbledon men's singles title, just one of many records he established in a 24-year professional career.

Djokovic wrote on Instagram: "Roger it's hard to see this day and put into words all that we've shared in this sport together. Over a decade of incredible moments and battles to think back on.

"Your career has set the tone for what it means to achieve excellence and lead with integrity and poise. It's an honour to know you on and off court, and for many more years to come."

Djokovic holds a 27-23 head-to-head winning record against Federer, although their careers did not run precisely side by side, with Federer six years the Serbian's senior.

By the time Djokovic began to make a major impact on tour, Federer had arguably already hit his peak. From Wimbledon 2005 to the US Open in 2007, Federer reached 10 consecutive slam finals, a record that has not been matched.

He went past Pete Sampras' record of 14 majors in 2009, and Djokovic and Nadal have followed in his wake.

His longevity since has set a high standard for those two chief rivals, who have both recently edged ahead of Federer on the all-time list of men's grand slam singles title winners.

Federer won his 20th singles slam at the 2018 Australian Open, going closest to a 21st when he lost a thriller to Djokovic in the 2019 Wimbledon final, squandering two match points. Djokovic has 21, while Nadal leads the way with 22 titles.

Swiss great Federer retires with the most grand slam men's singles main draw wins in the Open Era (369), and as the only man to win 100-plus matches at two different slams (105 in Wimbledon and 102 at the Australian Open).

Addressing Federer, and pointing to his family, Djokovic added: "I know that this new chapter will hold amazing things for you, Mirka, the kids, all your loved ones, and Roger fans still have a lot to look forward to.

"From our family to yours, we wish you much joy, health, and prosperity in the future. Looking forward to celebrating your achievements and seeing you in London."

Serena Williams has paid tribute to retiring 20-time grand slam winner Roger Federer, describing her admiration for him and welcoming him "to the retirement club".

The 41-year-old confirmed on Thursday that he would bring an end to his illustrious playing career after the Laver Cup later this month.

Federer's announcement comes only weeks after 23-time major winner Williams declared her intention to step away from tennis, culminating at the US Open earlier this month where she bowed out in the third round.

The Swiss icon will bow out with 20 major titles to his name, a feat bettered by only two male players – Rafael Nadal (22) and Novak Djokovic (21). Williams sits behind only Margaret Court (24) for women's singles major titles.

"I wanted to find the perfect way to say this, as you so eloquently put this game to rest – perfectly done, just like your career," Williams wrote on Instagram.

"I have always looked up to you and admired you. Our paths were always so similar, so much the same.

"You inspired countless millions and millions of people – including me – and we will never forget. I applaud you and look forward to all that you do in the future.

"Welcome to the retirement club. And thank you for being you @rogerfederer."

Williams has deliberately avoided the use of the word retirement since declaring her intention to 'evolve' away from tennis, meaning the latter comment is of note.

The 40-year-old American has teased at a potential return to tennis, saying on Good Morning America this week that "Tom Brady started a really cool trend", referencing his decision to come out of retirement.

Both Lleyton Hewitt and Richard Gasquet used their media availability at the Davis Cup on Thursday to give their respect to Roger Federer after he announced his retirement on social media.

Federer, 41, won the first of his grand slams in 2003 at Wimbledon, and in that tournament it was Hewitt who was the reigning champion after becoming the youngest ever world number one back in 2001.

They came through in the same era, with Federer quickly overtaking the Australian as the sport's top attraction, and he would retain that mantle for over a decade as he and Rafael Nadal began their legendary rivalry.

Reflecting on their time on tour together, Hewitt called him "nearly unbeatable" as he shared his admiration.

"Yeah, he was from my kind of era, I guess," he said. "We were the same age, we grew up together in juniors. 

"I knew Roger extremely well and probably saw him slightly different to everyone else as well, because we grew up together. But he was the greatest of that time. 

"You know, obviously there are a couple of other guys now that are really putting their hand up, but he went clear easily from a grand slam perspective and really just his win-loss ratio [in the] mid-2000s era, he was nearly unbeatable. 

"It was pretty much only Rafa [Nadal] that could get him, especially on the clay. But most of all he's been a great ambassador for our sport. 

"I've always said that you don't want to push those guys out of the game too early. 

"Everyone wants to talk about retirement. When are they going to retire? You want to hold on to those greats. They've done so many special things for our sport. 

"But yeah, obviously, the body – you get to my age and his age now, and it's not easy. He's done everything in the sport that you could ever dream of."

In his own interview, Gasquet shared the sentiment, declaring "there is only one Roger Federer".

"It is a big shock – he is a legend of the game," he said. "It's not easy for anybody, I know it will be a big thing at the Laver Cup. I'm sure it will be wonderful there. 

"It's a tough loss for tennis. It will be different after that. It's still tennis, but it won't be the same without Federer.

"I was leading 1-0 against him [head-to-head], I won in Monte Carlo – but after that I lost maybe 20 times. I'm not the only one of course, it was incredible when I got to face him. 

"He is a legend of the game, everybody knows it. The technique, the charisma – everything was crazy. There is only one Roger Federer."

The greatest quarterback in NFL history took the opportunity on Thursday to pay his respect to fellow sporting icon Roger Federer after arguably the best player of his generation announced his retirement.

It is hard to imagine anyone will ever eclipse Brady's record seven Super Bowl wins, while Federer's mark of 20 grand slams will also likely stand the test of time as the new generation coming through share them around.

Brady, 45, is four years older than Federer, and gave retirement a go earlier this year before announcing his return 40 days later, so he knows exactly what kind of emotions Switzerland's greatest ever sportsman is going through.

When asked about his thoughts on Federer during Thursday's press conference, Brady shared his admiration.

"Phenomenal," he said. "Just a great player. He is just a great competitor and I think all those guys… we all work so hard. 

"We're all just working hard trying to be the best we can be at it, and he had a great run.

"He was great, always respectful of everybody and it meant a lot. He cared a lot. He maximised his opportunities. That's all we can all ask of ourselves."

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