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Day 4 was fun. 18-year-old Next Gen champion Joao Fonseca made a jolt with a straight-sets win over Andrey Rublev 24 hours earlier, but besides that, there wasn’t much to speak of as the first-round matches were finally concluded. The same couldn’t be said as round two began, with seven seeds falling across both draws while another teenage talent made noise in a memorable night session. Continue reading “AUS OPEN 25: Sabalenka tested, Bencic-Osaka set as Draper relishes the moment”
Olympic champion Belinda Bencic’s return after having her first child, daughter Bella, adds a new layer of intrigue before the 2025 campaign as the 27-year-old believes her best tennis could still be unlocked in future. Building back match sharpness is one thing, holding your own among top players again is another but chaining everything together with consistency? A different equation. Continue reading “New mum Bencic insists she’s not coming back to be average, eyes more success”
Attack the forehand as they might, Coco Gauff bounced back from her Wimbledon disappointment and produced an excellent week’s worth of tennis – not dropping a set – en route to her first WTA 500 title in Washington, after beating Maria Sakkari 6-2, 6-3 on Sunday night. How does she build from here? Continue reading “Coco Gauff’s aggression key as she collects Washington title, her first at WTA 500 level”
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”
Britain’s no. 1 Cameron Norrie was bested in four sets, Casper Ruud’s conqueror Liam Broady led early but suffered the same fate while Andy Murray was left to rue what might’ve been as Stefanos Tsitsipas recovered from an overnight deficit to beat him in a decider. Katie Boulter is now the country’s last remaining singles hope, Aryna Sabalenka survived a scare and more seeds fell.
Continue reading “Wimbledon 2023: Tsitsipas topples Murray, while Eubanks earns big win over Norrie”
Last season’s Wimbledon runner-up Nick Kyrgios withdrew from this year’s tournament at the eleventh hour before his first-round match against David Goffin, having sustained a torn wrist ligament in Mallorca during the build-up to SW19. On Day 1, the French Open champions won clean before American pair Sofia Kenin and Coco Gauff battled during a pulsating three-set encounter. Continue reading “Wimbledon 2023: Kyrgios again injured before Swiatek, Djokovic earn solid wins”
Monday was busy as the R1 ties in this year’s French Open continued. There were predictably a few surprising results – including early exits for Felix Auger-Aliassime, Olympic champion Belinda Bencic and two-time semifinalist Petra Kvitova. As for the Brits, Jack Draper’s injury woes sadly continued before Cameron Norrie was composed to fend off a motivated Benoit Paire in five sets. Continue reading “French Open 2023: Auger-Aliassime axed, Bencic bounced, Norrie edges it on Day 2”
Australia’s Jordan Thompson is into R3 at a Masters 1000 event for the third time in his career, after holding his nerve against a compromised Stefanos Tsitsipas, winning in a deciding set tiebreak. Elsewhere, Japan’s Taro Daniel added another impressive win to his ever-increasing resume against top players after Olympic champion Belinda Bencic was bested on her Indian Wells debut. Continue reading “Indian Wells: Tsitsipas stunned, Daniel downs Berrettini and Bencic bounced too”
Belinda Bencic made her return to tennis action a triumphant one this past week – having lost to eventual winner Aryna Sabalenka at last month’s Australian Open. The Olympic champion won a trio of matches in straight-sets, but needed to save three match points and recover from a set down to overwhelm Russia’s Liudmila Samsonova in yesterday’s Abu Dhabi Open. Continue reading “Bencic gutsy, saves three match points in Samsonova scalp to clinch Abu Dhabi title”
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”
Casper Ruud’s four-set loss to Jenson Brooksby – on a brilliant Day 4 for American players not named Taylor Fritz – marks the first time a Grand Slam’s top two seeds have been knocked out before round three since this very tournament 21 years ago. Elsewhere, Aryna Sabalenka faces her Major-winning doubles teammate in the next round, Daniel Evans will meet a familiar foe while Andy Murray surpassed his Matteo Berrettini scalp after the longest match of his career.
Continue reading “AUS OPEN 2023: Ruud, Zverev and Fritz all stunned, Murray weaves his magic again in epic on Day 4”
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