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Barbora Krejcikova rallied from a bagel set down to end Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka’s 13-match unbeaten run with a spirited comeback win on another busy day of tennis worldwide. Andy Murray again prevailed in three sets and now faces Andrey Rublev’s conqueror Jiri Lehecka, while Felix Auger-Aliassime hopes for a different outcome at Daniil Medvedev’s expense later today – a repeat of last week’s Rotterdam quarter-final matchup beckons.
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”
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”
Ahead of Sunday’s first-round flurry of matches across both ATP and WTA circuits, an unbalanced men’s draw has predictably caused quite a stir before the year’s second Major. Read on to see which particular players will be fancying their chances of a deep run over the next fortnight on clay, while other rivals in different sections will be rueing their lack of luck… Continue reading “French Open 2022: Divisive draws announced, as Djokovic-Nadal-Alcaraz in same half”
Six months out injured, unsure if he would even be playing this tournament. Down two sets to love, seemingly out and physically drained. Rafael Nadal refused to lose faith, fighting his way back to produce a remarkable comeback and beat US Open champion Daniil Medvedev in an epic Grand Slam Final lasting more than five hours. Not a bad way to clinch a 21st Major title. Continue reading “Australian Open 2022: Nadal recovers to beat Medvedev in five-hour marathon, seals 21st Major”
Rafael Nadal withstood a spirited Denis Shapovalov comeback to oust the Canadian in five sets, before Matteo Berrettini similarly held firm under Gael Monfils’ pressure in a night session showdown lasting almost four hours, becoming the first Italian ever to reach this tournament’s semis. Elsewhere, Ashleigh Barty made quick work of her last-eight clash with Jessica Pegula and now faces another American in Barbora Krejcikova’s conqueror Madison Keys on Thursday.
Continue reading “Australian Open 2022: Nadal-Berrettini, Keys-Barty semifinals set as Day 9 excites”
Adelaide champion Madison Keys booked her place in an eighth Grand Slam quarter-final with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Sydney titlist Paula Badosa to kick off a busy day of action where multiple seeds fell, including Maria Sakkari [5] and a worryingly off-colour Alexander Zverev [3].
Continue reading “Australian Open 2022: Zverev, Sakkari and Badosa all knocked out on busy Day 7”
Paula Badosa and Barbora Krejcikova’s contrasting three-set wins continued their career-best Australian Open runs, on a day full of surprises. Elsewhere, defending champion Naomi Osaka had two match points on her racquet but tightened up and lost against Amanda Anisimova after Matteo Berrettini [7] was pushed to a deciding set tiebreak by rising star Carlos Alcaraz. Continue reading “Australian Open 2022: Badosa, Krejcikova win three-set battles to kick off action-packed Day 5”
After an easy R1 match, Wimbledon titlist Ashleigh Barty also breezed past Italian qualifier Lucia Bronzetti. Elsewhere in the women’s draw, some intriguing R3 matches are set after comfortable victories for Paula Badosa (#8) and Victoria Azarenka (#24). Meanwhile 20-time Major champion Rafael Nadal had to work hard but still emerged as the challenges intensify.
Continue reading “Australian Open 2022: Barty and Badosa ease into R3, Nadal tested on lowkey Day 3”
Madison Keys thrived in what resembled a mismatch vs. close friend Alison Riske, winning her first WTA title since Aug. 2019. Elsewhere, Paula Badosa won her second piece of silverware in three months while Thanasi Kokkinakis won his first ATP title, on home soil no less. Shortly afterwards, Aslan Karatsev’s power proved key in overwhelming a spirited Andy Murray. Continue reading “Keys, Badosa, Kokkinakis and Karatsev all clinch titles as warm-up events end”
A first meeting between American duo Coco Gauff and Madison Keys didn’t disappoint despite a sluggish start by the latter, as the US Open 2017 runner-up rallied back from a set down to outlast Gauff and earn her first WTA Final in two years. She’ll play training partner Alison Riske in tomorrow’s finale, after the 31-year-old benefited from a walkover vs. Tamara Zidansek.
Continue reading “Adelaide International 2: Keys recovers to sting Gauff, plays friend Riske in Saturday’s final”
Indian Wells champion Paula Badosa endured a spirited Belinda Bencic display during a high-quality match packed with plenty of peaks and troughs, but ultimately emerged victorious to punch her ticket into the semi-finals. She’ll play Daria Kasatkina in the Sydney semi-finals tomorrow (8am BST), after the Russian inflicted Garbine Muguruza’s first loss of the new year.
Continue reading “Sydney Tennis Classic: Badosa withstands Bencic pressure, clinches semi-final berth”
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