Analysis, features, news plus more – on European football and sports galore!
Losing to eventual two-time champion Jannik Sinner is no disgrace, though Australia’s brightest hope faded during the business end of another Grand Slam tournament. Having fallen short at the final hurdle against Sinner’s closest rival Carlos Alcaraz in their Rotterdam showpiece, the 25-year-old is now battling a select few contenders as the sport’s third-best to another duopoly. Continue reading “Alex de Minaur among many contenders looking to break the Sincaraz duopoly”
Having split their two previous H2H meetings in Lyon and Paris, it felt fitting that Cameron Norrie would show his steely resolve on the road back from niggling injuries and outlast Corentin Moutet to reach his first ATP tour-level final for almost two years as the arduous 2024 calendar grinds to a close. Continue reading “Metz: Norrie beats Moutet to reach first ATP final for 21 months after injury woes”
Former world no. 1, three-time Major champion and double Olympic gold medallist Andy Murray waved farewell to the Philippe Chatrier court for perhaps a final time in his illustrious career, painfully hobbling off after being worn down during a straight-sets defeat by longtime foe and 2015 champion Stan Wawrinka – a fitting nightcap on Day 1 at this year’s tournament. Continue reading “French Open 2024: Wawrinka downs Murray in nightcap as r-word looms large”
In what has become an increasingly unpredictable week of Masters 1000 play on the men’s side, Taylor Fritz will next face a familiar foe in old junior rival Andrey Rublev in Friday’s day session after their contrasting victories over Francisco Cerundolo and Carlos Alcaraz respectively at the quarter-final stage.
Continue reading “Madrid: Fritz finds his groove, reaches 250 career wins as old foe Rublev next in semis”
A week removed from his long-awaited first Miami Open title, world number two Jannik Sinner is back among home comforts on the French Riviera with another Masters 1000 event already in full swing. Having reached the tournament’s semifinal stage twelve months ago, can the Italian surpass that achievement on his return to clay as the sport’s in-form player right now? Continue reading “Having made history Stateside, Sinner looks to eclipse last year in Monte-Carlo”
He was aggressive, served beautifully for large periods and kept the defending champion honest during their longer rallies, but it wasn’t enough as Taylor Fritz suffered yet another defeat to Novak Djokovic as his Australian Open campaign ended in the last-eight. The American no. 1 should take heart from his display nonetheless, as Jannik Sinner prepares to face the Serb in Friday’s semifinals. Continue reading “AUS OPEN 24: Fritz faltered sure, but American can take heart from four-set loss”
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”
Novak Djokovic didn’t have the easiest week on his return to tour-level action, being on the brink of defeat on three consecutive days but holding his nerve to reach another final, where he reclaimed a title he knows well: the Paris Masters 1000 trophy, his penultimate event of the 2023 campaign. Grigor Dimitrov was a deserving finalist this week, but ran out of steam in a straight-sets scoreline.
Continue reading “Paris Masters: Djokovic earns record-extending seventh title after Dimitrov win”
Having sustained a stress fracture in his back en route to the French Open quarterfinals, the two-time Major semifinalist secured a first ATP title since 2018 after enduring a forgettable few months rehabbing from an issue that saw him miss Wimbledon and ice his aspirations for another deep US Open run. Continue reading “After nagging back injury wiped out his summer, Karen Khachanov riding high”
If there’s anyone on tour who knows and respects Jack Draper’s game, it’s Andrey Rublev – having played him twice in three months last year – openly expecting the 21-year-old Brit to succeed before another injury-plagued 2023 season. That’s why it felt symbolic the tournament’s eighth seed withstood his best efforts to prevail in a four-set tussle yesterday, setting up another meeting with childhood friend and 2021 champion Daniil Medvedev in the process. Continue reading “US Open 2023: Draper down in four to Rublev, but can be heartened by his run”
Elina Svitolina returned to the Wimbledon semifinals, four years after her career-best Major achievements, but had to do it the hard way against world no. 1 Iga Swiatek – eventually ousting her in three sets. Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic was down a set before clicking into gear and holding his nerve when it mattered most against Andrey Rublev, as Jannik Sinner awaits him on Friday.
Continue reading “Wimbledon 2023: Svitolina stifles Swiatek, Djokovic punishes Rublev in quarterfinals”
Having led in both sets, with three set points on his racquet in the first, Hubert Hurkacz has a mountain to climb against Novak Djokovic after their entertaining R4 encounter paused due to curfew rules overnight. Andrey Rublev and Iga Swiatek battled back to prevail elsewhere as five maiden Wimbledon quarterfinalists sealed their place into the second week proper on Day 7. Continue reading “Wimbledon 2023: Rublev rallies, Swiatek saves match points, Hurkacz’s big task”
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