20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer announced Thursday this week will be his final one as a professional – poised to feature at the Laver Cup in London – thus ending an illustrious sporting career after 24 years. Meanwhile this weekend, there were WTA 250 tournament victories for doubles specialist Katerina Siniakova and Czech teenage talent Linda Fruhvirtova. Continue reading
Tag: Elena Rybakina
Rybakina reigns supreme vs. Jabeur: Where was Ladies’ Wimbledon final won and lost?
Despite a sluggish, unflattering start which saw the Kazakh spray a whopping 17 unforced errors and skew makeable shots wide, Elena Rybakina rallied from a set down to earn her first Major title and banish Ons Jabeur’s chances of making more history after a whirlwind fortnight run to the finale for both was concluded last weekend. But how was this final won and lost? Continue reading
Wimbledon 2022 – Day 11: Jabeur-Rybakina in Saturday’s final, Nadal withdraws with torn ab injury
There will be a pair of maiden Major finalists in Saturday’s ladies final, when Tunisian trailblazer Ons Jabeur [3] faces Simona Halep’s conqueror Elena Rybakina [17]. Elsewhere on Thursday evening, 22-time Major champion Rafael Nadal withdrew from his proposed semi-final against Nick Kyrgios after revealing his torn abdominal muscle injury had worsened. Continue reading
Wimbledon 2022 – Day 10: Nadal-Kyrgios, Rybakina-Halep semis confirmed after whirlwind wins
Rafael Nadal produced a vintage comeback while physically compromised to sting Taylor Fritz in their five-set quarter-final battle, after Elena Rybakina rallied from a set down, overwhelming Ajla Tomljanovic to punch her ticket into a maiden Major semi-final – where she’ll play Amanda Anisimova’s conqueror and 2019 champion Simona Halep on Thursday. Continue reading
Wimbledon 2022 – Days 7-8: Nine maiden quarterfinalists in men, women’s singles draws
While defending champion Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal remain on course for a much-anticipated rematch of their French Open quarter-final, there are ten players into the last-eight at SW19 for the first time across both draws, including Indian Wells champion Taylor Fritz and Jannik Sinner, who extinguished Carlos Alcaraz’s aspirations in an entertaining four-set battle. Continue reading
Adelaide International 2: Gauff ousts Kostyuk in three-set battle of attrition
In a duel between two promising teenagers, the tournament’s third seed Coco Gauff was pushed to the brink but battled to win in a competitive three-set clash vs. Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk – winning 6-3, 5-7, 6-3. She’ll play Croatia’s Ana Konjuh in the Adelaide 2 quarter-finals tomorrow (2.30am BST), after the Croatian’s gutsy comeback win over Marketa Vondrousova. Continue reading
Sydney Tennis Classic: Ruthless Rybakina makes quick work of returning Raducanu
After losing last week’s Adelaide final, Elena Rybakina returned to winning ways with aplomb – dismantling US Open champion Emma Raducanu in less than an hour, cruising to a 6-0, 6-1 win to kick off this week’s Sydney Tennis Classic. The 22-year-old will play France’s Caroline Garcia for a spot in the tournament’s quarter-finals, after she overcame Jessica Pegula this morning. Continue reading
Tokyo Olympics: After seizing gold for Swiss, can Belinda Bencic build on this?
After earning a 7-5, 2-6, 6-3 win over 2019 Roland Garros finalist Marketa Vondrousova, Belinda Bencic is an Olympic gold medallist. Having also clinched silver in the doubles alongside Viktorija Golubic, the 24-year-old must believe this memorable moment is the first of many in a career that has already promised much but delivered infrequently in Grand Slam competition. Continue reading
WTA Abu Dhabi: Sabalenka beats Kudermetova for ninth WTA title, first of 2021
Aryna Sabalenka (#4) continued where she left off to cap another memorable week with her ninth WTA title and a new career-high world ranking no. 7 after dispatching unseeded Veronika Kudermetova in straight-sets – 6-2, 6-2 – extending an impressive win streak to 15 ahead of next month’s Australian Open, where the 22-year-old hopes to begin improving her Slam record.
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WTA Abu Dhabi: Sabalenka swiftly dismantles Sakkari for 14th straight win
Aryna Sabalenka (#4) wasted no time in overpowering Maria Sakkari (#9) – 6-3, 6-2 in just under an hour’s play – booking her place in tomorrow’s final with a ruthless showing of striking accuracy and purposeful serving too. She’ll play new world number 36 Veronika Kudermetova in the Abu Dhabi finale, hoping to futher extend an impressive 14-match winning streak. Continue reading
WTA Abu Dhabi: Sakkari rallies to earn for big win vs. Kenin, Sabalenka in semis
Maria Sakkari (#9) dropped her first set of the week, but duly responded emphatically: winning ten games in a row en route to her fifth career win over a top-five player, with a third set bagel against the tournament’s top seed Sofia Kenin. Aryna Sabalenka (#4) awaits in tomorrow’s semi-finals, after she outlasted Elena Rybakina (#6) in three sets earlier on as Day 7 continued. Continue reading
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