Federer back at No.1
"Ageless" was how the comedian Will Ferrell described Roger Federer when they met earlier this season, and who would disagree when the Swiss is to return to No.1 on Monday morning?
Such an elevation in status, coming less than two months before he turns 37, was the reigning Wimbledon champion's reward for beating Australia's Nick Kyrgios in a third set tie-break to reach the final of the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart. Once again, Federer will extend his own record for the greatest number of weeks at the top - it will be his 310th - and also his record as the oldest man in history to hold that ranking. As if to emphasise Federer's general superiority over players several tennis generations younger than him, his semi-final opponent was 13 years his junior - the first time Federer held the No.1 ranking, in 2004, Kyrgios was eight years old.
"I'm very happy, very relieved," Federer said after coming from a set down for his 6-7(2), 6-2, 7-6(5) victory, propelling him above Rafael Nadal in the ATP Rankings.
Whatever happens in Sunday's final against Canadian Milos Raonic, this has already been a fine comeback for Federer, who is playing his first tournament for almost three months after skipping the clay court season. Of course, Federer would very much like to win the Stuttgart tournament, which could give him a 98th singles title. Should that happen, and if he also lands next week's Halle title, he would go into this summer's Wimbledon seeking his 100th singles title, as well as a ninth triumph at the All England Club.
Raonic, who defeated Frenchman Lucas Pouille on Saturday, is into his first final in over a year.
Konta to meet Barty in the final
The Nottingham grass has been good to Jo Konta, who is into the final of the Nature Valley Open for the second successive summer. Konta, who was the runner-up to Donna Vekic last summer, beat the Croatian 6-2, 6-3 on Saturday to progress into Sunday's final, where the Briton will face Australia's Ashleigh Barty, a 6-3, 6-4 winner over Japan's Naomi Osaka. This is Konta's deepest run anywhere in the world since she appeared in the semi-finals of last summer's Wimbledon.
Blockbuster return for Murray against Kyrgios
Easing back into competition is not a luxury that Andy Murray will have at next week's Fever-Tree Championships at the Queen's Club - his first tournament for 11 months - after he was paired in the first round with Kyrgios. Murray, who had a hip operation in January, decided on Saturday that he will play on the London grass for what will be his first competitive tennis since last summer's Wimbledon. Should Murray beat Kyrgios on Tuesday, there is the possibility of a second-round match against fellow Briton Kyle Edmund.
Flipkens to play Krunic for the 's-Hertogenbosch title
Belgium's Kirsten Flipkens, a former Wimbledon semi-finalist but unseeded this week at the Libema Open in 's-Hertogenbosch, will play Serbia's Aleksandra Krunic in Sunday's final. There will be an all-French denouement at the men's tournament at the same venue, with former Wimbledon semi-finalist Richard Gasquet to play Jeremy Chardy.