Andy Murray set his sights on a deep run at the Citi Open to bolster his fundraising for war-hit Ukrainian children, as Hollywood actor Ben Stiller sent a message of support.

Three-time grand slam winner Murray has a 19-11 win-loss record in 2022 and wants to improve that substantially before the year is out.

In March, the Scot pledged to donate the rest of his season's winnings to UNICEF's Ukraine mission, as the country endures a heavy toll of death and destruction during Russia's invasion.

A disappointing second-round loss to John Isner at Wimbledon was followed by a quarter-final exit to Alexander Bublik at the Hall of Fame Open in Newport, with those results not meeting Murray's expectations.

He is being driven by his own hunger for better results, but also an eagerness to put together a big pot of money for UNICEF's appeal.

Citi Open chairman Mark Ein announced his foundation would match Murray's winnings this week and commit that sum to the effort in Ukraine.

"You can't just forget about this," Murray said of the war. "It's still going on. People are still getting killed, children are still having to flee their homes, and are in really, really tragic situations.

"I think it's important that the media continues to shine a light on it, keep talking about it. Hopefully what the tournament is doing here can help a little bit with that.

"I just want to try and win as many matches as possible and raise as much money as I can. It will be a significant amount hopefully by the end of the year. Hopefully it makes a difference."

Stiller is a big tennis fan and has often been seen in front-row seats at the sport's top events.

He tweeted: "So much respect for ⁦@andy_murray⁩ shining a light on the millions of people - and children - still affected by this senseless war in #Ukraine."

The Reality Bites, Zoolander and There's Something About Mary actor has been a long-time Murray fan, meeting him at the 2013 US Open, a year after the British star took the Flushing Meadows title.

Murray, 35, begins his challenge at the Citi Open, staged in Washington, DC, against Sweden's Mikael Ymer on Monday.

He hailed Ein's Ukraine pledge as "brilliant", adding: "I think it really helps. It shows when the players and the tournaments work together, that really good things can happen." week.”

Alex de Minaur booked his place in the Atlanta Open final with a come-from-behind 5-7 6-2 6-2 win against Ilya Ivashka on Saturday.

It was a tight first set, which was interrupted at 5-5 by a three-hour rain delay. Upon returning, Ivashka broke instantly and served out the set – but it would be his last break of serve.

De Minaur had to save two break points to hold in the opening game of the second set, but from that point on he took over, collecting two breaks in the frame.

The Australian, who is the tournament's third seed and ranked 30th in the world, controlled the decider, winning 69 per cent of his points on serve compared to 50 per cent for Ivashka as he figured out the Belarusian's serve, allowing no aces down the stretch.

He will meet Jenson Brooksby in the final after the American put on an impressive showing against compatriot Frances Tiafoe, winning 6-1 6-4.

Brooksby has been in great touch this tournament, running over Mackenzie McDonald in the quarter-final in what was meant to be a competitive matchup, and then upsetting second seed John Isner in the semi-final, breaking his incredibly tough serve three times.

Against Tiafoe, the story was about how dominant Brooksby was early on when he got the chance to see a second serve, winning 87 per cent (11-of-14) of the points off Tiafoe's second serve in the opening set.

Tiafoe never really got a chance to fight back in the second frame, getting broken in the opening game, and from there Brooksby closed the door, not allowing a single break point opportunity.

Carlos Alcaraz's defence of his Croatian Open title will go down to the wire, with the Spaniard set to face Jannik Sinner in Sunday's final.

Alcaraz, the number one seed, defeated Giulio Zeppieri over three sets in Saturday's semi-final – securing his 42nd win of the year. That is the joint-most victories in 2022 on the men's tour alongside Stefanos Tsitsipas, and extends his record in Umag to 8-0.

The 7-5 4-6 6-3 win sees Alcaraz reach an ATP Tour-leading sixth final in 2022 and will lift him to fourth in the world rankings ahead of Tsitsipas – a career high for the 19-year-old.

"It's amazing to be in a final here again. I enjoy playing here in Umag and I'm really happy with the win today," Alcaraz said in an on-court interview.

Alcaraz will bring up his first century of ATP matches when he tackles Italian Sinner.

"It would be amazing in my 100th match to get the win, and of course it is amazing to be number four on Monday," Alcaraz said. "It's something great for me, but right now I am just focused on the final."

Sinner, who beat Alcaraz at Wimbledon to set up a quarter-final against Novak Djokovic, saw off compatriot Franco Agamenone 6-1 6-3 in Saturday's other semi-final.

The 20-year-old Sinner is looking for his first title of 2022, having won at Antwerp, Sofia, Washington and Melbourne last year. He has reached the quarter-finals in two of the three grand slams played so far this year.

Roberto Bautista Agut made light work of underdog Filip Misolic in the Austrian Open final on Saturday.

Bautista Agut entered the day's play not knowing the identity of his opponent, as Misolic's semi-final against Yannick Hanfmann had been halted in a third-set tie-break.

Misolic – a 20-year-old from Graz ranked 205th in the world – was the man to advance, continuing his dream run with a 6-2 2-6 7-6 (7-4) success.

But his fairytale campaign came to a disappointing conclusion soon after as he was quickly thrust into action against the ruthless Bautista Agut.

Misolic scarcely laid a glove on the third seed, unable to convert any of his three break points in a 6-2 6-2 defeat.

Bautista Agut insisted afterwards this had been no straightforward task as he celebrated his 11th ATP Tour title, but only his second on clay, following on from a 2014 victory in Stuttgart.

"I enjoyed the final," he said. "I think I managed the pressure very well.

"I knew I was a little bit the favourite today, but he had so many good wins this tournament and I knew it was going to be difficult. I played a very good match."

Misolic added: "I want to congratulate Roberto. I have watched you on television, and to play here against you in the final is an honour for me."

Novak Djokovic hopes he could still be allowed to play at the US Open despite refusing a coronavirus vaccination.

The 35-year-old Wimbledon champion has his route to Flushing Meadows blocked by red tape at present, with the United States refusing to allow unvaccinated foreign visitors to enter the country.

US tennis authorities have pledged to adhere to government rulings surrounding coronavirus protocols, despite including Djokovic on their entry list.

For Djokovic to be allowed into the United States, it appears he would require a change of policy from law-makers, or he would have to be considered suitable for an exemption.

Among those who would be eligible for such an exemption are "persons whose entry would be in the national interest".

Djokovic said in a statement on Saturday: "I am preparing as if I will be allowed to compete, while I await to hear if there is any room for me to travel to US. Fingers crossed!"

With 21 grand slam titles, Djokovic sits second on the men's all-time list behind Rafael Nadal, who has 22 victories at the majors.

Djokovic was not allowed to play in Australia, where issues surrounding his visa ended with him being deported from Melbourne on public health grounds due to not taking the vaccine.

The three-time US Open winner senses a pull of public support for his situation, as he insists he will not consider receiving a vaccine.

In his message on Saturday, Djokovic said: "I just wanted to take a moment and say to all of you how grateful I am to see so many messages of support and love from all around the world these days.

"I wasn't expecting it, and that's why it feels so mindblowing. Just wanted to say THANK YOU.

"It feels special that people connect with my tennis career in such a loving and supportive way and wish for me to continue to compete."

He has found backing from John McEnroe, the American tennis great, who told Tennis 365 in July: "I hope someone finds a way to sort this out. It's crazy that Novak misses the US Open at this stage."

Djokovic lost to Daniil Medvedev in last year's men's singles final in New York, when the current entry rules were not in place.

Senator Marsha Blackburn also spoke out, saying last week that it was "absurd that Novak Djokovic is not allowed to enter the USA".

Frances Tiafoe was an impressive winner of his quarter-final matchup against Brandon Nakashima in Friday's action at the Atlanta Open, cruising in straight sets 6-4 6-2.

Tiafoe, the fourth seed, was in control throughout, capitalising on a pair of double faults in the first set to grab the early break. 

He also had a clear advantage with his second serve, winning 76 per cent of those opportunities (13-of-17) compared to 36 per cent for Nakashima (five-of-14).

Tiafoe will play Jenson Brooksby in the semi-final after he defeated big-serving 37-year-old John Isner 3-6 6-1 6-4.

Isner's serve was uncharacteristically vulnerable after the first set, winning 90 per cent of his successful first serves in the opener, before that number plummeted to 46 per cent in the second, and 59 per cent in the last.

Ilya Ivashka pulled off the upset of the day by knocking out fifth seed Tommy Paul, continuing a terrific run of form. Ivashka is now 7-3 from his past 10 matches, with his three-losses coming against superstars Stefanos Tsitsipas and Daniil Medvedev (twice).

He will play Australian Alex de Minaur in the other semi-final after he came from a set behind to run over the top of Adrian Mannarino 4-6 6-3 6-0.

Mannarino showed he has what it takes to compete with a top-30 talent like De Minaur, but the 34-year-old simply ran out of gas towards the end of the second set.

In the deciding set, De Minaur won 70 per cent of his points on serve (14-of-20) and 72 per cent of his return points (13-of-18).

Roberto Bautista Agut beat Albert Ramos-Vinolas in straight sets to reach the Austrian Open final, but the Spaniard must wait until Saturday to discover his opponent.

Third seed Bautista Agut proved too strong for compatriot Ramos-Vinolas as he prevailed 6-3 7-6 (7-3) in a little over two hours, despite squandering three match points.

The world number 20 now can now look forward to a first clay-court final since suffering defeat to Matteo Berrettini at the 2018 Swiss Open Gstaad.

However, the other semi-final between Yannick Hanfmann and home wild card Filip Misolic was dramatically suspended in a third-set tie-break due to heavy rain.

Misolic, who had earlier beaten Dusan Lajovic in a clash delayed from Thursday, led 1-0 in the breaker against Hanfmann when play was halted and ultimately called off until Saturday.

The final between Bautista Agut and either Hanfmann or Misolic is still scheduled to go ahead as planned shortly after that second semi-final concludes.

At the Croatian Open, defending champion Carlos Alcaraz beat Facundo Bagnis 6-0 6-4 and will now face Giulio Zeppieri, who saw off Bernabe Zapata Miralles in straight sets.

Jannik Sinner is also through to his first semi-final of 2022 after beating Roberto Carballes Baena 6-4 7-6 (7-5), with Franco Agamenone up next after overcoming Marco Cecchinato.

The top seeds were all victorious in Thursday's action at the Atlanta Open, with John Isner prevailing 7-6 (10-8) 4-6 7-6 (7-3) in an all-American showdown against Ben Shelton to close the day's play.

Isner, 37, relied as he usually does on his trusty serve to get the job done in tiebreakers, winning the match despite not breaking Shelton's serve a single time.

The second seed won 85 per cent (60-of-71) of his successful first serves, while Shelton was similarly stout, converting 83 per cent (50-of-60).

Isner will meet fellow American Jenson Brooksby in the quarter-finals after he came back from an early break to defeat Mackenzie McDonald 6-3 6-4.

The biggest differentiating factor between the two players was Brooksby's effectiveness off his second serve, winning 61 per cent (14-of-23) of those opportunities compared to just 22 per cent (four-of-18) from McDonald.

Fourth seed Alex de Minaur defeated fellow Australian James Duckworth 6-4 6-4 in a competitive match, but De Minaur simply created more chances for himself, with five break point opportunities while Duckworth had two.

De Minaur will play France's Adrian Mannarino after he defeated American Andres Martin 7-5 6-3.

Mannarino's main advantage was with his return game, securing four breaks of serve while dropping his own serve only once.

Carlos Alcaraz got his Croatia Open title defence off to a strong start with a straight-sets victory over Norbert Gombos on Thursday.

The Spaniard, who this week became the second-youngest player to break into the top five of the ATP rankings this century, behind only compatriot Rafael Nadal, saw off Gombos 6-2 6-3 in Umag.

Alcaraz, handed a first-round bye, will now face Facundo Bagnis in the last eight after the Argentinian beat Corentin Moutet 6-3 6-1.

Despite the straightforward nature of his victory over Gombos, the top seed was regularly tested on his own serve.

"It was a really tough match," said Alcaraz, whose triumph in Umag last year marked his first ATP Tour-level title.

"It wasn't as easy as the result seems. Norbert played a really good game and the first round of every tournament is never easy. 

"I had to get used to the conditions. It was tough for me, but at the end I found a way to play better and get the win."

Franco Agamenone also advanced to his first ATP Tour quarter-final with a 3-6 6-1 7-5 comeback over Sebastian Baez, while Marco Cecchinato upset Lorenzo Musetti 6-4 6-3.

At the Austrian Open, Dominic Thiem was eliminated in the quarter-finals of his home tournament by Yannick Hanfmann, the former world number three going down 6-4 3-6 6-4 in a rain-affected contest.

Roberto Bautista Agut prevailed 4-6 7-5 7-5 against Jiri Lehecka in a match lasting nearly three hours. A meeting with fellow Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas, who defeated Pedro Martinez 6-4 6-2, is his reward.

It was smooth sailing for the seeded competitors in action on Wednesday at the Atlanta Open, with Tommy Paul, Frances Tiafoe and Brandon Nakashima all advancing in straight sets.

Fifth seed Paul started the day off with a straightforward 6-3 6-3 win against South Korea's Kwon Soon-woo thanks to a clear advantage with his serving. He won 73 per cent (36-of-49) of his points on serve, while Kwon could only muster 53 per cent (34-of-64).

Paul will meet Belarus' Ilya Ivashka in the quarter-finals after he successfully navigated the challenge of America's Steve Johnson 4-6 6-2 6-4 after Johnson was a late injury replacement for top overall seed Reilly Opelka.

Ivashka is now 6-3 in his nine matches since the French Open, with his only losses against top-five talents Stefano Tsitsipas and twice against Daniil Medvedev.

Fourth seed Tiafoe was impressive against Japan's Taro Daniel, creating eight total break point opportunities, and capitalising on three. 

Tiafoe will play Nakashima in the quarter-finals, with the American surviving a tough first set tiebreaker to eventually defeat Australia's John Millman 7-6 (10-8) 6-4.

In a closely contested match, Nakashima avoided getting into many sticky situations, saving the only break point he faced.

Dominic Thiem battled his way into the quarter-finals of the Austrian Open at the expense of compatriot Sebastian Ofner on Wednesday.

Thiem reached his first semi-final since May 2021 at the Swiss Open last week and is looking to make further strides on home soil this week, having endured an injury nightmare.

The 2020 US Open champion made it through to the last eight in Kitzbuhel but had to dig deep for a 6-2 3-6 6-3 victory over qualifier Ofner.

Thiem only lost one point in the opening two games and wrapped up the first set in commanding fashion, but Ofner claimed the only break of the second set to force a decider.

The former world number three twice came from a break down in the final set to ensure he will face Yannick Hanfmann for a place in the semi-finals.

Seeds Aslan Karatsev and Joao Sousa bowed out, losing to Dusan Lajovic and Jiri Lehecka respectively.

Spanish trio Roberto Bautista Agut, Albert Ramos-Vinolas and Pedro Martinez advanced in straight sets.

Two of the top five seeds were knocked out of the Croatia Open, with Holger Rune and Alex Molcan falling in the round of 16.

Bernabe Zapata Miralles got the better of third seed Rune 3-6 6-3 6-2, while Roberto Carballes Baena ousted Molcan 3-6 6-2 6-3. Jannik Sinner and Giulio Zeppieri secured their quarter-final spots in Umag.

Dominic Thiem started his bid for a second Austrian Open title with a comfortable triumph over Alexander Shevchenko.

Thiem, a 2019 winner at the tournament in his home country, prevailed 6-4 6-2 in Kitzbuhel.

He will next face compatriot Sebastian Ofner as he seeks a first title since his grand slam breakthrough at the US Open in 2020.

Ofner came from a set down to beat former world number seven Richard Gasquet 1-6 7-5 7-5.

Meanwhile, seventh seed Pedro Martinez saved six out of six break points en route to a 7-6 6-3 victory over Chilean Nicolas Jarry.

At the Croatia Open in Umag, Bernabe Zapata Miralles set up a round of 16 meeting with third seed Holger Rune by beating Croatian Dino Prizmic, who retired when facing a 6-4 3-0 deficit.

Alex Molcan is safely through to the next round after defeating Duje Ajdukovic, while French 23-year-old Corentin Moutet cruised to a straight-sets victory over sixth seed Daniel Altmaier.

Brandon Nakashima needed all three sets to deal with gritty Australian Jordan Thompson, ultimately prevailing 7-6 (7-5) 3-6 6-3 in the first round of the Atlanta Open.

America's Nakashima – who took Nick Kyrgios to five sets at Wimbledon – was the highest seed in action as things kicked off on Monday, and the difference in the match proved to be his quality ground strokes.

Both players won at least 79 per cent of their successful first serves, but while Thompson's effectiveness dipped to 39 per cent on his second serve, Nakashima's stayed up at 65 per cent, only allowing two break point opportunities all match.

Nakashima will meet John Millman in the next round after Millman defeated fellow Australian Alexei Popyrin 7-6 (7-1) 4-6 6-3.

Popyrin clearly had the serving advantage, winning the ace count 12-to-four, but in a match where each player only one had break of serve each, Millman found the important points when it really mattered.

Japan's Taro Daniel came back from a rough start to handle the challenge of America's Sebastian Korda 1-6 6-1 6-3.

Korda was in total control early, winning 12 of his 13 points on serve (92 per cent) in the opening set, but that number dipped sharply to 37 per cent (13-of-35) as Daniel turned the match on its head and found a way to counterpunch the American.

The last singles contest saw Kwon Soon-woo win a hard-fought clash with Marcos Giron 7-6 (7-3) 4-6 7-5. The match was so closely contested that Kwon won 51 per cent of the total points (104-of-204), while Giron won 49 per cent (100-of-204).

Meanwhile, Kyrgios was the biggest name in action, taking the doubles court in his Australian Open-winning partnership with Thanasi Kokkinakis, defeating Nicolas Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin 7-6 (10-8) 6-3.

Former world number 17 Cristian Garin was beaten 6-4 7-5 by Federico Coria in the first round of the Austrian Open in Kitzbuhel, while Matteo Berrettini and defending champion Casper Ruud withdrew from the tournament.

2017 runner-up Joao Sousa cruised past Vit Kopriva 6-1 7-5 and Jurij Rodionov set up a Round of 16 meeting with third seed Roberto Bautista Agut with a straight-sets victory over Hernan Casanova.

Dominic Thiem, who won the 2019 edition of the competition, will face Alexander Shevchenko tomorrow while Richard Gasquet will take on Sebastian Ofner.

2016 Croatia Open winner Fabio Fognini will not be regaining his title in Umag this year, after the seventh seed was knocked out by Colombian Daniel Galan in a 3-6 7-5 3-6 defeat.

Galan will play Giulio Zeppieri in the next round, who came from one set down to overcome world number 90 Pedro Cachin 3-6 6-1 6-4.

Fifth seed Alex Molcan plays his first game tomorrow against Duje Adjukovic, and sixth seed Daniel Altmaier will take on French 23-year-old Corentin Moutet.

Carlos Alcaraz has his sights set on climbing to the summit of the ATP rankings after becoming the youngest player to crack the top five since Rafael Nadal.

The Spaniard was downed in the Hamburg European Open final by Lorenzo Musetti over the weekend but nevertheless saw a rise in his stature to a career-high position of fifth.

In doing so, it makes the 19-year-old the second-youngest male to break into the top five this century, trailing only Nadal and bettering Novak Djokovic by a matter of months. 

"It means a lot," Alcaraz stated. "The hard work that I put in every day for reaching my dreams, [number] 1, and little by little I'm reaching my dream.

"Top five for me is pretty amazing and I will keep going to be [number] 1."

Had Alcaraz won in Hamburg, he would have risen to fourth, while other movements in the rankings include a rise to number 31 for Musetti and a return to the top 200 for Dominic Thiem, at number 199.