Latest news with #OllieTarvet
The Independent
6 hours ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Oliver Tarvet's Wimbledon battle with Carlos Alcaraz flies flag for US college route to tennis
Play the ball, not the player, said Ollie Tarvet before the biggest match of his life against reigning Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz. The flaw was that the ball came at the world No 733 faster than ever before, with more topspin revs and at a more devilish angle. It was still the same sport as his wins on the US college scene in front of a few dozen spectators. And yet this was almost another game entirely, like how laying cheese on bread under the grill is, only technically, cooking. Alcaraz's 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 victory came in two parts. The first set felt like a regular muggle playing tennis against the world No 2 on Centre Court. Never before had Tarvet faced a player who combines such extreme levels of speed and spin with unerring accuracy, such that Alcaraz's groundstrokes rushed over the net before dipping into far-flung corners of the court, hitting 38 winners in all. 'I've played against really good players before but not quite the level of Alcaraz,' Tarvet said. 'As soon as I dropped to 95 per cent focus, I lost the game. When I missed the first serve, the guy's up on the baseline [for the second serve] and it's intimidating, he's ready to make you run.' Alcaraz generates around 3,200 rpm on his forehand compared to an average of 2,700 rpm on the ATP Tour, he averages 78mph from the baseline compared to a Tour average of 75mph, and his shot quality is rated as 8.62 by the ATP's data bods, above Djokovic (8.54) and behind only Jannik Sinner (8.80). The result was that routine groundstrokes stunned the Centre Court crowd, like a moment midway through the first set when he cracked a cross-court missile which brought audible gasps. 'He's so effortless,' Tarvet said. 'It doesn't feel like he's hitting the ball that hard but it comes through so quick and so heavy.' Alcaraz produced moments of magic, like at the start of the second set when he whipped the ball around the net post and on to the line – Tarvet's challenge gave the crowd the chance to appreciate Alcaraz's accuracy on the big screen. Yet the latter two sets of his victory were different. Tarvet's eyes began to calibrate, adjusting to the flight of the ball in the same way players adjust from clay to grass. He broke serve in the second set, and again in the third as if to prove it was no fluke. How many Centre Court debutants wilt in the spotlight against great champions? The 21-year-old blossomed in the afternoon sunshine, fist-pumping his way around the court, each point a little confirmation of what he already suspected: that he could cope out here. It proved Tarvet is far better than his lowly world ranking suggests. He has deliberately delayed his ascent to the professional ranks by taking the college route, enrolling at the University of San Diego on a communications and marketing course in order to mature in the nurturing, high-tech US system which shaped fellow Britons Cameron Norrie and Jacob Fearnley. Along the way he has won college tournaments and ITF Tour titles, the third tier of men's tennis, honing his game in a sophisticated training environment against capable opposition. It is a route not commonly trodden by elite European players, who tend to get out on the professional circuit far quicker. But it offers access to elite coaching and facilities, and a place to grow physically and mentally without the financial pressures that come with travelling around the pro tour, even if the college system's draconian rules mean Tarvet can scoop only £10,000 of his £99,000 winnings for reaching the second round. US college sport is a popular choice with European golfers, helping to mould Jon Rahm and Ludvig Aberg, and it is increasingly showing itself as road to professional tennis. Norrie says he got 'stronger, smarter, and learned how to compete at a high level consistently' at Texas Christian University, while coaches extol the virtues of their programmes. 'A lot of European kids are technically sound but not physically ready at 18,' said former Georgia Tech & Florida coach Bryan Shelton. 'College gives them a runway without sacrificing competition.' On only his second pro tour match, Tarvet rose to the occasion, playing with his chest out and chin up, roaring at hard-fought winners and vital holds of serve. He started to get a foothold late in the first set and then broke the Alcaraz serve to rouse the crowd, even if the threat of an upset was snuffed out a couple of minutes later when the Spaniard summoned Deity Mode to immediately break back. The third set was tighter still and afterwards Alcaraz embraced Tarvet at the net, congratulating his opponent and telling him to keep working hard. 'The level we can see in college is pretty high,' Alcaraz said, pointing out the record number, 26, of US college students and graduates playing at Wimbledon this year. 'It's his second match on the tour and I just loved his game to be honest.' So perhaps it is no surprise that Tarvet will not be dropping out of college just yet, even if a career in the professional game is calling. 'Nothing's changed based on the last 10 days. I still want to go back to University of San Diego, it's been incredible. I think I have a few things, a few creases in my game I need to iron out. I think if you give me a year, especially with the coaches that we have at USD, I think I'll be in a much better spot.'
Washington Post
16 hours ago
- Sport
- Washington Post
Alcaraz gets past 733rd-ranked Tarvet in straight sets at Wimbledon
LONDON — For one game at least, it looked like Carlos Alcaraz could be in for another surprisingly tough encounter on Wimbledon's Centre Court. But after saving three break points in his opening service game against 733rd-ranked Ollie Tarvet , things got a bit more comfortable for the defending champion, who saw out a 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 second-round win over the unheralded collegiate player from Britain.
CNA
17 hours ago
- Sport
- CNA
Tarvet's Wimbledon journey ends with Alcaraz lesson in mental toughness
LONDON :As his Wimbledon journey was brought to a close by holder Carlos Alcaraz, Ollie Tarvet discovered the hard way that the difference between the very best and the rest is frequently in the astonishing mental strength of the elite. Britain's Tarvet, ranked 733 in the world, went toe-to-toe with Alcaraz for large chunks of his 6-1 6-4 6-4 defeat, exchanging punishing shots from the baseline and chasing down every last ball to keep the pressure on his illustrious opponent. But in the brief moments he let his focus drift, five-times Grand Slam champion Alcaraz was ready to pounce, inflicting maximum damage in short, sharp bursts that took the contest out of the reach of the British qualifier. "I think just a big difference, something I learned today, was just how difficult mentally it is," he said. "I've played against some really good players before, but not quite the level of Alcaraz. "I feel like as soon as I had 95 per cent focus, I lost a game. You saw that today when I made a big emotional push to break him twice, and then I got broken to love straight back. "It was because I gave everything, kind of emptied the tank for that game to break him. Then you have to hold. Again, it's just really, really difficult to keep that 100 per cent focus and 100 per cent intensity." Tarvet is a college student in the United States and has no immediate plans to join the full-time grind of the men's tour. His prize money for losing in the second round was 99,000 pounds ($134,966) but due to his amateur status he is only allowed to pocket a maximum of $10,000 under National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) rules. He had to battle through qualifying to earn his spot in the tournament and was the lowest-ranked player to begin the men's singles draw. Tarvet had his moments against Alcaraz, firing up the home crowd with his never-say-die attitude and sporadically flashing winners past the Spaniard, who was perhaps not at his best. Yet in the crunch moments, the world number two seemed to have other gears at his disposal that Tarvet lacked. "I feel like a thing is he's so effortless," the Briton said. "It doesn't feel like he's hitting the ball that hard, but it comes through so quick and so heavy ... He's such a complete tennis player." The 21-year-old admitted that he had woken up a couple of times in the night, while his heart was beating more quickly in the car en route to Wimbledon. Yet the experience of testing himself against the twice defending champion on Wimbledon's famous Centre Court in front of a crowd desperate for him to succeed was one he would not forget. "Even though it was not the result that I wanted today, it was definitely the most special day of my life," he said. ($1 = 0.7335 pounds)
The Independent
18 hours ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Ollie Tarvet's Wimbledon battle with Carlos Alcaraz shows an alternative route to professional tennis
'A big thing for me is playing the ball, not the player,' said Ollie Tarvet before the biggest match of his life against reigning Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz. Except the ball came at the world No 733 faster than ever before, with more topspin revs at a more devilish angle. Tarvet was right: it was the same ball played in the same parameters as his wins on the US college scene in front of a few dozen spectators. And yet this was almost another game entirely, like how laying cheese on bread under the grill is, technically, cooking. This second-round match came in two parts. The first set felt like what it might look like if a regular muggle played tennis against the world No 2 on Centre Court. Tarvet has played opponents who hit the ball hard, but never before had he faced a player who combines such extreme levels of speed and spin with unerring accuracy, such that Alcaraz's groundstrokes rushed over the net and dropped magnetically into far-flung corners of the court time and time again, hitting 38 winners in all across three sets. 'I've played against really good players before but not quite the level of Alcaraz,' Tarvet said. 'As soon as I dropped to 95% focus, I lost the game. When I missed the first serve, the guy's on the baseline and it's intimidating, he's ready to make you run.' Alcaraz generates around 3,200 RPM on his forehand compared to an average of 2,700 RPM on the ATP Tour; he averages 78mph from the baseline compared to a Tour average of 75mph; his shot quality is rated as 8.62 by the ATP's data bods, above Djokovic (8.54) and behind only Jannik Sinner (8.80). The result was that routine groundstrokes stunned the Centre Court crowd, like a moment midway through the first set when he took a sideways step before cracking a cross-court missile which brought audible gasps. 'He's so effortless,' Tarvet said. 'It doesn't feel like he's hitting the ball that hard but it comes through so quick and so heavy.' Alcaraz produced moments of magic, like the start of the second set when he whipped the ball around the net post and on the line – Tarvet's challenge gave the crowd the chance to appreciate Alcaraz's accuracy on the big screen. Even his misses had spectators grinning to one another at the thrill of what they'd just seen, like the blind flick he attempted running back towards his own baseline, or the diving passing shot which saw his racket go flying and sent the ball just the wrong side on the tramline. Yet the latter two sets of his 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 victory were different. Tarvet's eyes began to calibrate, adjusting to the flight of the ball in the same way players adjust from clay to grass. He broke serve in the second set, and again in the third as if to prove it was no fluke. How many Centre Court debutants wilt in the spotlight against great champions? The 21-year-old blossomed in the afternoon sunshine, fist-pumping his way to hard-earned points, each a little confirmation of what he already suspected: that he could cope out here. It proved Tarvet is far better than his lowly world ranking suggests. He has deliberately delayed his ascent to the professional ranks by taking the college route, enrolling at the University of San Diego on a communications and marketing course in order to mature in the nurturing, high-tech US system which shaped fellow Britons Cameron Norrie and Jacob Fearnley. Along the way he has won college tournaments and ITF Tour titles, the third tier of men's tennis, honing his game in a sophisticated training environment against capable opposition. It is a route not commonly trodden by elite European players, who tend to get out on the professional circuit far quicker. But it offers access to elite coaching and facilities, and a place to grow physically and mentally without the financial pressures that come with travelling around the pro tour, even if the college system's draconian rules mean Tarvet can scoop only £10,000 of his £99,000 winnings for reaching the second round. US college sport is a popular choice with European golfers, helping to mould Jon Rahm and Ludvig Aberg, and it is increasingly showing itself as road to professional tennis. Norrie says he got 'stronger, smarter, and learned how to compete at a high level consistently' at Texas Christian University, while coaches extol the virtues of their programmes. 'A lot of European kids are technically sound but not physically ready at 18,' said former Georgia Tech & Florida coach Bryan Shelton. 'College gives them a runway without sacrificing competition.' Tarvet insists he will not be quitting university to go professional. 'Nothing's changed based on the last 10 days. I still want to go back to University of San Diego, it's been incredible. I think I have a few things, a few creases in my game I need to iron out. I think if you give me a year, especially with the coaches that we have at USD, I think I'll be in a much better spot.' On only his second pro tour match, Tarvet rose to the occasion, playing with his chest out and chin up, roaring at hard-fought winners and vital holds of serve. He started to get a foothold late in the first set and then broke the Alcaraz serve to rouse the crowd, even if the threat of an upset was snuffed out a couple of minutes later when the Spaniard summoned Deity Mode to immediately break back. The third set was tighter still and afterwards Alcaraz embraced Tarvet at the net, congratulating his opponent and telling him to keep working hard. 'The level we can see in college is pretty high,' Alcaraz said, pointing out the record number, 26, of US college students and graduates playing at Wimbledon this year. 'It's his second match on the tour and I just loved his game to be honest.' Tarvet was equally magnanimous. 'Credit to him, he plays the big points incredibly well. And that's the difference, you feel like you're in the set and you lose 6-1. It's not every day that you get to play against maybe the best player in the world. And even though it was not the result that I wanted today, it was definitely the most special day of my life.'
Daily Record
19 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Carlos Alcaraz shows true colours with Wimbledon charm offensive despite ending British underdog story
Qualifier Ollie Tarvet saw his SW19 journey ended by the World No.2 who said all the right things after his second round triumph Carlos Alcaraz was charm personified in front of the Wimbledon crowd as he ended Ollie Tarvet's SW19 journey. The British qualifier shocked Switzerland's Leandro Riedi in the first round to set up a clash with the two-time Wimbledon champ. But the Spaniard showed why he is chasing a third successive men's crown at the home of the LTA and had too much for the home crowd hero, winning in straight sets despite Tarvet giving a good account of himself. It was the 21-year-old's first ever appearance on Centre Court, where Alcaraz ran out a 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 victor. However, he said all the right things in the aftermath and had the crowd eating out if the palm of his hand with his post match comments on them and his opponent. "First of all I have to give a big congratulations to Oliver," Alcaraz began. "It's his second match on the tour, I just loved his game to be honest, the level he played in the first match on centre court which I know is very difficult. "He had great tennis and I knew at the beginning that I had to be really focused and play my best tennis. I was really happy with my performance today. "I'm really grateful for the support I am receiving here after every match, every day and every practice, it's unbelievable to be honest. "Playing against someone from here and playing at home is not easy but they were really respectful to me, to the match and to the umpire as well. I love playing in this court and I enjoy it so much." You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Rangers and Celtic pages, and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season. We're also WhatsApp where we bring all the latest breaking news and transfer gossip directly to you phone. Join our Rangers community here and our Celtic community here.
