Analysis, features, news plus more – on European football and sports galore!
Taylor Fritz beat Arthur Rinderknech in four sets before shushing the fervently partisan Suzanne-Lenglen spectators that had been hounding him all evening long, which didn’t go down well. Elsewhere, a compelling battle between two teenagers awaits between Mirra Andreeva and last year’s runner-up Coco Gauff, while Jannik Sinner lost despite having match point… Continue reading “French Open 2023: Fritz becomes the villain, Sinner stunned and more on Day 5”
Andrey Rublev twice recovered from the brink to avenge his Paris Masters defeat by Holger Rune in a deciding set tiebreak, earning another Major quarter-final berth in the process. He’ll face the tournament’s nine-time champion Novak Djokovic on Wednesday, after the Serb was supreme as he purred to victory against Australia’s remaining hope Alex de Minaur. Elsewhere, Aryna Sabalenka and Magda Linette were big winners and more on an early-ending Day 8. Continue reading “AUS OPEN 2023: Rublev saves match points vs. Rune, Djokovic dismantles de Minaur and more on Day 8”
Today’s results mean there could be as many as five more first-time quarterfinalists in this year’s Australian Open, including teenage duo Holger Rune and Linda Fruhvirtova. Rune will face Andrey Rublev after the Russian was on form vs. Dan Evans, while the 17-year-old ousted compatriot Marketa Vondrousova with Donna Vekic next. Elsewhere, Grigor Dimitrov made Novak Djokovic sweat before Roberto Bautista Agut ended Andy Murray’s memorable run. Continue reading “AUS OPEN 2023: Straightforward victories for most on Day 6, as Fruhvirtova and Shelton big winners”
2023 brings a new year packed with resolutions, time-specific targets and compelling storylines too. With the year’s first Major tournament set to begin on Monday in Melbourne, here’s a news round-up before the big occasion finally gets underway – from player withdrawals, injury scares, progress reports from recent tournaments and my draw analysis for both tours.
Continue reading “AUS OPEN 2023: Nadal, Swiatek and more in round-up, draw analysis as year’s first Major starts Monday”
Rafael Nadal’s slow start to the 2023 season continued as home favourite Alex de Minaur became the latest to mount a stirring comeback against the reigning Australian Open champion in the United Cup, while Alexei Popyrin and Linda Noskova were just a few with surprise victories elsewhere as the main draw of other tournaments continued to unfold today. Continue reading “Popyrin powers past Auger-Aliassime, De Minaur stuns Nadal and more on another busy day of tennis”
While defending champion Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal remain on course for a much-anticipated rematch of their French Open quarter-final, there are ten players into the last-eight at SW19 for the first time across both draws, including Indian Wells champion Taylor Fritz and Jannik Sinner, who extinguished Carlos Alcaraz’s aspirations in an entertaining four-set battle. Continue reading “Wimbledon 2022 – Days 7-8: Nine maiden quarterfinalists in men, women’s singles draws”
It wasn’t as straightforward as the scoreline may suggest, but world no. 1 Novak Djokovic marked his highly-anticipated 2022 debut with a straight-sets win over exciting Italian teenager Lorenzo Musetti in the night session at this year’s ATP Dubai – who memorably pushed him to the brink of a surprise Grand Slam defeat on Parisian clay at Roland Garros last summer. Continue reading “ATP Dubai: Djokovic’s long-awaited 2022 debut ends with straight-sets win over Musetti”
Iga Swiatek, Kaia Kanepi and Stefanos Tsitsipas all had to recover from losing positions before punching their ticket into the Australian Open last-eight, after French veteran Alize Cornet stunned Simona Halep in three sets to reach her first Major quarter-final, on her 63rd attempt.
Continue reading “Australian Open 2022: Swiatek, Kanepi, Tsitsipas win ugly after Cornet makes history on Day 8”
Garbine Muguruza’s pursuit of an elusive Australian Open title continues after Alize Cornet stunned the WTA Finals champion. Elsewhere, Anett Kontaveit (#6) and Diego Schwartzman (#13) were among the latest seeds to fall, while US Open semi-finalist Aryna Sabalenka had to save her blushes before disappointing three-set defeats for Andy Murray and Emma Raducanu.
Continue reading “Australian Open 2022: Muguruza, Kontaveit both lose as shocks flow across Day 4”
Olympic champions Alexander Zverev and Belinda Bencic both got off to a winning start in straight-sets against Sam Querrey and Arantxa Rus respectively, while David Goffin (#27) and Karen Khachanov (#25) were among the seeds to fall within the men’s game. Elsewhere, there was a winning start for Emma Raducanu on her US Open main draw debut as Day 2 unfolded. Continue reading “US Open 2021: Olympic champs Zverev, Bencic progress as Raducanu wins on Day 2”
Carla Suarez Navarro bid farewell with a valiant three-set defeat to world no. 1 Ashleigh Barty on Centre Court, while there were routine wins for Alexander Zverev (#4) and Britain’s Daniel Evans (#22). Daniil Medvedev overcame some adversity to prevail elsewhere, while multiple-time champions Roger Federer and Serena Williams experienced contrasting injury incidents.
Continue reading “Wimbledon 2021: Barty and Medvedev through but de Minaur, Serena crash out”
After impressive wins over seventh seed Felix Auger-Aliassime and most recently Alex de Minaur in Rotterdam this week, the 31-year-old is hoping he can sustain these high levels of performance before ultimately reaching the world’s top ten ATP rankings once again – something he hasn’t done since a third-round loss to de Minaur at the US Open in 2019. Continue reading “Rotterdam 2021: Kei Nishikori confident he can return to tennis’ top 10 rankings”
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