Analysis, features, news plus more – on European football and sports galore!
There’s just something about Thanasi Kokkinakis in Australia, especially his Adelaide home city, that brings out the electricity and justifies why there has always been optimism about his top-30 potential even now at age 28. He acknowledged as much after a thrilling three-hour victory over the tournament’s eight seed in Tomas Martin Etcheverry (7-5, 4-6, 7-6). Continue reading “Thanasi thrills! Kokkinakis keeps producing moments, this time in Adelaide”
The pre-US Open parties and media duties have been completed, top-ranked players spending valuable time on court practising and getting acclimatised to the conditions while the last hopefuls from across the globe battle out for a main draw qualifying berth are now set in stone. Today marks the beginning of the year’s final Major and with that, more questions than answers as usual. Continue reading “US Open 2024: Main draw analysis across both tours, as year’s final Major begins”
Mirra Andreeva celebrated her 17th birthday on Madrid clay by earning a quarter-final berth at a Masters 1000 tournament for the first time, backing up her second career top-10 win – over Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova – with a similarly gritty victory to knock out Jasmine Paolini 24 hours later. Continue reading “Birthday girl Andreeva’s maturity in Madrid a welcome sign for years to come”
Sometimes the stories write themselves. Florida-born Danielle Collins kept her nerve, stayed aggressive against a power hitter and showed steely execution in the match’s biggest pressure points to topple 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, sealing a first Masters 1000 title for the 30-year-old on home soil in Miami – ten weeks after announcing 2024 would be her final season as a pro.
Continue reading “Miami Open: Collins comes up clutch to pip Rybakina, secures career-best title in style”
2023 brings a new year packed with resolutions, time-specific targets and compelling storylines too. With the year’s first Major tournament set to begin on Monday in Melbourne, here’s a news round-up before the big occasion finally gets underway – from player withdrawals, injury scares, progress reports from recent tournaments and my draw analysis for both tours.
Continue reading “AUS OPEN 2023: Nadal, Swiatek and more in round-up, draw analysis as year’s first Major starts Monday”
Jannik Sinner recovered from a set down to ice a home hopeful in the night session, after Petra Kvitova was pushed into a deciding set ten-point tiebreak as she edged past two-time Major champion Garbine Muguruza. Elsewhere, Cameron Norrie and Frances Tiafoe prevailed before Naomi Osaka’s conqueror Danielle Collins added another tricky opponent onto her resume.
Continue reading “US Open 2022: Muguruza, Bencic among big losers as Rublev-Shapovalov taken to brink on Day 6”
Defending champion Emma Raducanu fought hard, but was undone on her Flushing Meadows return by Alize Cornet’s devastating drop shots and masterful defensive skills. Elsewhere, Rafael Nadal recovered to overwhelm 21-year-old Australian wildcard Rinky Hijikata after Iga Swiatek, Carlos Alcaraz, Aryna Sabalenka and Hubert Hurkacz were all comfortable winners on Day 2.
Continue reading “US Open 2022: Swiatek and Nadal progress, Slam champs Raducanu and Rybakina ousted on Day 2”
After sending the tennis world into shockwaves late on Tuesday by announcing her immediate retirement from the sport, world number one Ashleigh Barty fielded questions and was content discussing the decision alongside head coach Craig Tyzzer with assembled media reporters in a press conference today – just 53 days after cruising to a historic Australian Open triumph.
Continue reading ““No perfect time, but this was mine” – Barty discusses shock retirement in press conference”
This wasn’t vintage tennis but didn’t need to be. World no. 1 Ashleigh Barty recovered from a 5-1 second set deficit to overcome Danielle Collins in straight-sets (6-3, 7-6), clinching a heavily-anticipated home Major for Australia and doing so without dropping a set all tournament long. Continue reading “Australian Open 2022: Barty secures third Major, first home champion in 44 years”
Ashleigh Barty needed just 62 minutes to become the first Australian player to reach the Australian Open Final since Wendy Turnbull in 1980, dropping just four games against an underwhelming Madison Keys display. She’ll play Keys’ compatriot Danielle Collins [27] on Saturday night, after the 28-year-old utilised a blistering start to blast past Iga Swiatek 6-4, 6-1.
Continue reading “Australian Open 2022: Barty and Collins ease to straight-sets wins, setting up Saturday’s Final”
US Open champion Daniil Medvedev saved a match point and recovered to ultimately overwhelm Felix Auger-Aliassime in a gripping five-set clash. Next, the world no. 2 plays a spirited Stefanos Tsitsipas after the Greek oozed class en route to a straight-sets win vs. Italian youngster Jannik Sinner. Beforehand, Danielle Collins [27] and Iga Swiatek [7] set up a second H2H meeting by reaching their second Grand Slam semi-finals – in contrasting circumstances.
Continue reading “Australian Open 2022: Collins-Swiatek, Tsitsipas-Medvedev semis sealed on memorable Day 10”
Iga Swiatek, Kaia Kanepi and Stefanos Tsitsipas all had to recover from losing positions before punching their ticket into the Australian Open last-eight, after French veteran Alize Cornet stunned Simona Halep in three sets to reach her first Major quarter-final, on her 63rd attempt.
Continue reading “Australian Open 2022: Swiatek, Kanepi, Tsitsipas win ugly after Cornet makes history on Day 8”
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