Analysis, features, news plus more – on European football and sports galore!
A niggling back injury has clearly played its role, but Stefanos Tsitsipas’ rough form across all surfaces over the past six months has seen many critics question what he’s doing, if anything, to keep pace with his younger counterparts at a juncture in the sport where the new generation – led by Carlos Alcaraz and new first-time Major champion Jannik Sinner – are quickly breaking new ground. Continue reading “Keen to steady his form, Tsitsipas knows Alcaraz and Sinner forcing him to evolve”
![Ons Jabeur [6] during her match against Marketa Vondrousova in their Ladies' Singles Final during day thirteen of The Championships Wimbledon 2023 at...](https://media.gettyimages.com/id/1559846406/photo/ons-jabeur-6-during-her-match-against-marketa-vondrousova-in-their-ladies-singles-final.jpg?s=612x612&w=0&k=20&c=zFF5EuPNGxLccJlWJQyR45Csp1ZQD0DENsCQUmM_69M=)
Wimbledon runner-up Ons Jabeur is the latest to miss an upcoming event through injury, while Denis Shapovalov – who made the tournament’s semifinals in 2021 – finds himself enduring similarly bad injury luck at a crucial juncture of the calendar as far as their season goals are concerned… Continue reading “Tennis news round-up: Jabeur, Shapovalov sidelined with knee injuries, FAA’s Alcaraz warning and Halep update”
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”
Lorenzo Musetti ended Cameron Norrie’s hopes of a deep run, while Stefanos Tsitsipas and Daria Kasatkina were also comfortable winners across the two draws on Day 6. Denis Shapovalov crumbled against Carlos Alcaraz, while Hubert Hurkacz was stunned by a plucky Peruvian but despite a three-set defeat against Novak Djokovic, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina did himself proud. Continue reading “Shapovalov crumbles, Hurkacz stumbles – Davidovich Fokina shines in Djokovic loss”
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”
Jessica Pegula ended a four-match losing streak against the world no. 1, while Martina Trevisan played spoiler to sting Greece as the United Cup semi-finals got underway. Elsewhere, there were big wins for Sebastian Korda and Linda Noskova, while two first-time finalists will play each other in Pune. It’s always fun to get a Djokovic-Medvedev matchup too, right? Continue reading “USA and Italy lead in United Cup semis, Noskova-Jabeur and Djokovic-Medvedev confirmed”
Novak Djokovic recovered from 5-2 down in set one and emerged without enduring a three-set battle against another determined Frenchman, setting up another intriguing clash with Denis Shapovalov. Coco Gauff avenged a defeat three years in the making, before Emma Raducanu tearfully withdrew after sustaining a freak ankle injury midway through her R2 match… Continue reading “Tennis: Djokovic, Gauff edge their way to tight victories while Raducanu retires with ankle injury”
Frances Tiafoe will contest his second ATP final of 2022 after enduring a rollercoaster ride to eventually overcome Soonwoo Kwon 6-2, 0-6, 6-4 in their Japan Open semi-final. He’ll play Taylor Fritz in Sunday’s showpiece event, after his compatriot and friend similarly did things the hard way to extinguish Denis Shapovalov’s hopes of securing consecutive tour-level finals. Continue reading “Japan Open: Tiafoe outlasts Kwon after topsy-turvy clash, friend Fritz awaits in Sunday’s final”
US Open semi-finalist Frances Tiafoe is into his third ATP tour-level semi-final of 2022 after a remarkable start – firing on all cylinders – proved key in helping him overpower Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic in a tussle between two players on similar trajectories. The 24-year-old American will next play either Pedro Martinez or Soonwoo Kwon in little over 24 hours time, with multiple factors meaning a winnable path has seriously opened up in this week’s ATP 500 event.
Continue reading “Japan Open: Tiafoe’s blistering start helps him overwhelm Kecmanovic in quarter-finals”
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”
Playing only his fourth match of 2022 after enduring a troublesome year packed with persistent injuries, the US Open champion showed enough in his 6-3, 6-4 defeat to be happy about, against a legendary Major winner who turns 35 later this month but has persisted when things looked increasingly ominous, having himself struggled with injuries for over a half decade now. Continue reading “Murray’s R1 Madrid Open win over Thiem should also give Austrian some perspective”
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