Analysis, features, news plus more – on European football and sports galore!
2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina racked up a third WTA title of the season, less than 24 hours after outlasting world no. 1 Iga Swiatek to extend her impressive deciding set record, swatting aside a wasteful Marta Kostyuk display to seal the Stuttgart spoils as the race to Roland Garros continues. Continue reading “WTA Stuttgart: Swiatek slayer Rybakina reels off third title of 2024, beats Kostyuk”
Qinwen Zheng said she had a lot of room to improve after suffering a quarter-final defeat by Aryna Sabalenka in the US Open quarterfinals and, four months later, she gets a golden opportunity to showcase those subtle developments on the biggest stage yet. The first-time finalist will play the world no. 2 on Saturday after the pair won hard-fought battles in straight-sets on Thursday. Continue reading “Zheng zooms past Yastremska to Saturday’s final – serene Sabalenka next”
Andy Murray departed the Australian Open with a painful whimper on Monday, two other former champions have decisions to make after early exits elsewhere but the former world no. 1’s dilemma feels more pressing as retirement lingers. Meanwhile, the media adulation for a returning Emma Raducanu must be tempered if she’s to blossom as many expected would happen much sooner. Continue reading “AUS OPEN 2024: Murray must regroup again, Raducanu back refreshed and more”
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”
After being criticised and ridiculed on social media for going winless during last season’s WTA Finals, US Open champion Coco Gauff has attributed a change in her perspective and learning life lessons as keys aiding her progression over the past twelve months. Kicking off the elite eight event in Cancun with a straight-sets win over three-time Major finalist Ons Jabeur is a good way to start. Continue reading “WTA Finals: Gauff grateful to seal winning start with commanding Jabeur scalp”
Aryna Sabalenka stressed finishing the year as world no. 1, rather than just having the title for a fleeting few weeks, was of paramount importance to her in the wake of a painful three-set US Open final defeat last month. If she’s to do so, the Belarusian will have been disadvantaged in the build-up after posting some rather unsatisfactory training conditions in Mexico on social media this week. Continue reading “While the Elite Trophy event is in full swing, Sabalenka unhappy at training conditions before next week’s WTA Finals”
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”
Jelena Ostapenko hit 36 unforced errors and recorded a lowly 38% first serve percentage, as the 2017 French Open champion couldn’t back up her Iga Swiatek scalp in the previous round with an in-form Coco Gauff holding firm during their baseline rally exchanges to sweep past her in straight-sets. Now, the teenage American faces Karolina Muchova in a rematch of their Cincinnati final from last month, as a first-time finalist berth awaits tonight’s victor. Continue reading “US Open 2023: Ostapenko’s vulnerabilities return, as Gauff-Muchova rematch up next”
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”
Coco Gauff completed her pre-US Open preparations in style, capping off a memorable hard court stint by winning the biggest title of her career to date – having snapped her Iga Swiatek hoodoo in the semifinals – outlasting Karolina Muchova in humid Cincinnati conditions little over 24 hours later. Armed with new coaches and more self-belief buoyed by recent results, the 19-year-old still remains a work in progress and that is a scary proposition for her rivals on tour. Continue reading “Brad Gilbert in her corner and changing mentalities, Gauff’s growth clear to see”
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”
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”
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