Analysis, features, news plus more – on European football and sports galore!
Elena Rybakina, Coco Gauff, Naomi Osaka. Now it’s the turn of world number one and reigning French Open champion Iga Swiatek as the latest top player searching for a new coach before the 2025 campaign begins, having announced her split from Tomasz Wiktorowski after three successful seasons together. Continue reading “Coaching carousel continues as Swiatek splits from Wiktorowski after three years”
Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka experienced contrasting starts to their respective Australian Open title defences on Day 1 this year, where Croatian teenage qualifier Dino Prizmic pushed his idol to unexpected waters in a four-hour battle on Rod Laver to kick off the night session. Sabalenka meanwhile, will hope to produce more of the same devastating hitting given her draw… Continue reading “Australian Open 2024: Djokovic-Prizmic thrilled, Kyrgios’ media musings and more”
Liam Broady produced some career-best tennis en route to a five-set win over world no. 4 and French Open finalist Casper Ruud, setting up a Denis Shapovalov showdown in round three, before Elena Rybakina defended well against Alize Cornet as a Brit awaits her on Saturday: Katie Boulter. Elsewhere, the 11pm curfew struck as Murray-Tsitsipas was bubbling up nicely… Continue reading “Wimbledon 2023: Broady downs Ruud in five, Rybakina fends off Cornet on Day 4”
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”
New career-highs sealed, valuable points for the year-end finals secured, records broken and more besides across the tennis circuit. Taylor Fritz, Novak Djokovic, Elise Mertens and Barbora Krejcikova all won their respective finals across Europe, Asia and Africa – read on for more.
Continue reading “Fritz downs Tiafoe in Japan while Djokovic, Mertens and Krejcikova seal titles on busy Sunday”
Jannik Sinner recovered from a set down to ice a home hopeful in the night session, after Petra Kvitova was pushed into a deciding set ten-point tiebreak as she edged past two-time Major champion Garbine Muguruza. Elsewhere, Cameron Norrie and Frances Tiafoe prevailed before Naomi Osaka’s conqueror Danielle Collins added another tricky opponent onto her resume.
Continue reading “US Open 2022: Muguruza, Bencic among big losers as Rublev-Shapovalov taken to brink on Day 6”
Defending champion Emma Raducanu fought hard, but was undone on her Flushing Meadows return by Alize Cornet’s devastating drop shots and masterful defensive skills. Elsewhere, Rafael Nadal recovered to overwhelm 21-year-old Australian wildcard Rinky Hijikata after Iga Swiatek, Carlos Alcaraz, Aryna Sabalenka and Hubert Hurkacz were all comfortable winners on Day 2.
Continue reading “US Open 2022: Swiatek and Nadal progress, Slam champs Raducanu and Rybakina ousted on Day 2”
With this year’s final Major tennis tournament set to start on Monday in New York, here’s a round-up of news related to the big occasion that awaits at Flushing Meadows – from player withdrawals, injury scares, making marginal improvements and draw analysis on both tours.
Continue reading “US Open 2022: Nadal, Raducanu and more in round-up, draw analysis as year’s final Major upon us”
Nick Kyrgios recovered from a set down to beat fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas during an eagerly-anticipated clash not without controversy and multiple flashpoints. Elsewhere, there were morale-boosting victories for Rafael Nadal and his compatriot Paula Badosa, after Iga Swiatek’s 37-match winning streak was snapped by giantkiller Alize Cornet. Read on for more. Continue reading “Wimbledon 2022 – Day 6: Cornet snaps Swiatek’s win streak, Kyrgios-Tsitsipas delivers and more”
20 months after announcing her return from an eight-year second retirement, four-time Major champion Kim Clijsters has definitively pulled the curtain on a professional career lasting almost 25 years at the age of 38 as the Belgian Hall of Famer revealed this week she cannot effectively commit to the sport’s demands with her schedule as a mother with three children. Continue reading “Decision felt inevitable: Clijsters confirms third retirement, 20 months after comeback”
US Open champion Daniil Medvedev saved a match point and recovered to ultimately overwhelm Felix Auger-Aliassime in a gripping five-set clash. Next, the world no. 2 plays a spirited Stefanos Tsitsipas after the Greek oozed class en route to a straight-sets win vs. Italian youngster Jannik Sinner. Beforehand, Danielle Collins [27] and Iga Swiatek [7] set up a second H2H meeting by reaching their second Grand Slam semi-finals – in contrasting circumstances.
Continue reading “Australian Open 2022: Collins-Swiatek, Tsitsipas-Medvedev semis sealed on memorable Day 10”
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”
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