Analysis, features, news plus more – on European football and sports galore!
Three notable names have confirmed they will not feature at this season’s Australian Open, headlined by last year’s quarterfinalist Barbora Krejcikova. A pair of former world no. 1-ranked players in Caroline Woznaicki and Karolina Pliskova also withdrew, a week before the tournament’s main draw begins.
Continue reading “AUS OPEN: Krejcikova’s lingering back issue forces her into unwanted withdrawal”
18 months after her last competitive appearance on tour following injury and a reduced drugs suspension, former world no. 1 and two-time Major champion Simona Halep made an encouraging return to action in America’s sunshine state but predictably ran out of steam against Paula Badosa in a tricky first-round contest as one of the tournament’s marquee wildcard entries this week. Continue reading “Miami Open: Halep hustles on return, but Badosa earns three-set comeback win”
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”
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”
Today marks one month since Coco Gauff clinched her first Major title, and it felt fitting that career-best achievement came at her home Grand Slam tournament too – against the new world no. 1 in Aryna Sabalenka, from a set down no less. Having reeled off a series of gritty victories during last month’s event and since reaching the Beijing semifinals this past week, here’s a look at how the teenager reached the mountain top six months before her 20th birthday. Continue reading “One month on: Coco Gauff’s US Open triumph, and how she managed such a feat”
Swiss qualifier Dominic Stricker and Zhizhen Zhang produced some nerveless tennis when it mattered, en route to career-best victories against two-time Major finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas and Casper Ruud – who reached last year’s final – punching their ticket into round three with aplomb. Elsewhere, Novak Djokovic and Caroline Wozniacki won in contrasting conditions on Day 3. Continue reading “US Open 2023: Tsitsipas and 2022 finalist Ruud stunned in five sets on frantic Day 3”
Merely three weeks after the conclusion of this season’s French Open finals, we’re onto another surface on grass and Major tournament as SW19 gets underway proper this coming Monday. Before then, the draws for both tours was confirmed today so here’s a news round-up – one prominent player’s sad farewell and the return of a former world no. 1 – as well as my draw analysis. Continue reading “Wimbledon 2023: Main draw set – Djokovic, Rybakina + more find their fate”
Read below for my 2020 Australian Open preview, with a special guest contributor providing his thoughts too as we look ahead to the first Grand Slam tournament of the new decade…. Continue reading “2020 Australian Open Preview: Djokovic, Serena, Wozniacki’s last Slam and more”
It’s a tough question to ask, and one that is increasingly harder to answer as time passes. Serena Williams’ 36th birthday was earlier this week and in a few months, she’ll make the long-awaited return to professional tennis after having had her first child.
Continue reading “Analysis: Will Serena continue to dominate upon her return?”
Mo and Sports 