Analysis, features, news plus more – on European football and sports galore!
World no. 1 Novak Djokovic looks to make more history at the Major where he’s been most successful during his illustrious career, while Aryna Sabalenka returns to the scene of her career-best achievement twelve months ago knowing no woman has successfully defended their title since Serena Williams in 2014. Judging by the draws, completed yesterday, it’s easy to see why. Continue reading “Australian Open 2024: Draw analysis, storylines as year’s first Major beckons”
Germany survived an inspired Alex de Minaur singles display to punch their ticket into the United Cup finals, where they’ll play last year’s semifinalists Poland overnight. Elsewhere, a rematch of last season’s Australian Open final serves as just one of three intriguing finals across Australia and New Zealand on both tours as the warm-up events before the year’s maiden Major hot up. Continue reading “Poland vs. Germany to decide United Cup as Sabalenka-Rybakina, Gauff-Svitolina and Rune-Dimitrov finals set elsewhere”
Two champions, with seven Major titles between them at different stages of their respective careers, are poised to return at the United Cup (Dec. 29 – Jan. 7) after a year-long absence as both were pregnant with their first children – Kerber giving birth to daughter Liana in February, while Osaka welcomed baby girl Shai five months later. Now, they’ll ramp up training over the coming weeks before travelling down under in December to kick off an intriguing 2024 season. Continue reading “Osaka and Kerber set to return at United Cup over the new year, entry list reveals”
Ajla Tomljanovic, a Wimbledon quarter-finalist in consecutive seasons, has announced she won’t feature at SW19 this year as the year’s third Major comes too soon to return from a persistent knee injury that has stopped her from competing in any events this term. Elsewhere, the women’s defending champion Elena Rybakina remains a doubt after an Eastbourne withdrawal. Continue reading “Wimbledon 2023: Tomljanovic remains out with knee issue, Rybakina’s virus persists”
There were routine R1 wins for the sport’s two world no. 1s, sandwiched between a welcome return for the King of Clay. Elsewhere, the women’s defending titlist was stunned by a determined Frenchwoman on home soil, before two Major winners almost 15 years apart in age both showed steely resilience, recovering from precarious situations to seal their R2 berths. Continue reading “French Open 2022: Swiatek, Nadal, Djokovic all progress; Krejcikova, Kontaveit ousted”
Having announced her retirement on Dec. 1, Britain’s Johanna Konta – a three-time Major semi-finalist and former world no. 4 – was plagued by troublesome injuries and some streaky form, underselling the country’s greatest hope in the women’s game across the last decade and more. Here, I look back as the 30-year-old waved goodbye quietly before the new year. Continue reading “Johanna Konta’s retirement: Injuries don’t cloud her legacy as Britain’s tireless hope”
The seven-time Grand Slam champ has delivered his verdict on what Emma Raducanu should look to do in 2022 and beyond, as the British teenager’s world has been transformed this year after a record-breaking run to the US Open title as an 18-year-old qualifier in September. Continue reading “Mats Wilander: Emma Raducanu needs to have fun and develop on her own”
On an day full of twists and turns where two teenagers booked their place in maiden Grand Slam quarter-finals, Felix Auger-Aliassime recovered from a set down, taking Frances Tiafoe’s best punches and silenced the raucous Arthur Ashe crowd to break a 12-year piece of history. Continue reading “US Open 2021: Auger-Aliassime makes history with Tiafoe win; teenagers shine on Day 7”
Emma Raducanu’s US Open campaign continued with a 6-2, 6-4 win over China’s Zhang Shuai but Britain’s teenage qualifier said it was much less one-sided than the scoreline suggested. By contrast, Olympic champion Alexander Zverev (#4) blasted past Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-1, 6-0, 6-3 in 75 minutes while world no. 1 Ashleigh Barty, Belinda Bencic and Iga Swiatek all prevailed.
Continue reading “US Open 2021: Raducanu, Zverev earn contrasting straight-set wins on Day 4”
After earning a 7-5, 2-6, 6-3 win over 2019 Roland Garros finalist Marketa Vondrousova, Belinda Bencic is an Olympic gold medallist. Having also clinched silver in the doubles alongside Viktorija Golubic, the 24-year-old must believe this memorable moment is the first of many in a career that has already promised much but delivered infrequently in Grand Slam competition. Continue reading “Tokyo Olympics: After seizing gold for Swiss, can Belinda Bencic build on this?”
World number one Ashleigh Barty was made to work for it, but eventually outlasted Karolina Pliskova (#8) 6-3, 6-7, 6-3 to secure her second Grand Slam title – making history by being the first Australian since Evonne Goolagong Cawley in 1980 to win the Venus Rosewater Dish too.
Continue reading “Wimbledon 2021: Bullish Barty battles past tricky Pliskova, seals second Slam title”
Saturday afternoon will feature two first-time Wimbledon finalists, as world no. 1 Ashleigh Barty and 2016 US Open runner-up Karolina Pliskova (#8) were victorious in their respective semi-final matches earlier today – against former SW19 titlist Angelique Kerber and Aryna Sabalenka (#2). Continue reading “Wimbledon 2021: First-time finalists Barty and Pliskova to collide on Saturday”
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