Analysis, features, news plus more – on European football and sports galore!
Last year’s Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini, 2022 Australian Open quarter-finalist Gael Monfils and former world no. 1 Andy Murray are just three of those among the notable names who’ve recently announced they’ll be missing this year’s second Slam for various reasons. Continue reading “French Open 2022: Berrettini, Monfils, Murray among withdrawals before year’s second Major”
After a rough start to the new campaign, losing early in Adelaide and later stunned in R1 at the Australian Open, 2021 US Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez is understandably motivated to defend her maiden WTA singles title this week at the Monterrey Open. Having beaten Slovakia’s Anna Karolina Schmiedlova in R1, the 19-year-old faces another fresh H2H matchup tomorrow.
Continue reading “After whirlwind 2021 season, Leylah Fernandez motivated to defend her Monterrey title”
Paula Badosa and Barbora Krejcikova’s contrasting three-set wins continued their career-best Australian Open runs, on a day full of surprises. Elsewhere, defending champion Naomi Osaka had two match points on her racquet but tightened up and lost against Amanda Anisimova after Matteo Berrettini [7] was pushed to a deciding set tiebreak by rising star Carlos Alcaraz. Continue reading “Australian Open 2022: Badosa, Krejcikova win three-set battles to kick off action-packed Day 5”
After an easy R1 match, Wimbledon titlist Ashleigh Barty also breezed past Italian qualifier Lucia Bronzetti. Elsewhere in the women’s draw, some intriguing R3 matches are set after comfortable victories for Paula Badosa (#8) and Victoria Azarenka (#24). Meanwhile 20-time Major champion Rafael Nadal had to work hard but still emerged as the challenges intensify.
Continue reading “Australian Open 2022: Barty and Badosa ease into R3, Nadal tested on lowkey Day 3”
Although an unspectacular semi-final and contrasting injuries saw the night session finish within a flash on Day 9, three new Grand Slam semi-finalists were sealed – two for the first time – as 19-year-old Leylah Fernandez’s dizzying tournament continued with a dramatic win over Elina Svitolina, before compatriot Felix Auger-Aliassime fended off Carlos Alcaraz overnight.
Continue reading “US Open 2021: Three new semi-finalists confirmed but Day 9 sadly fizzles out”
On an day full of twists and turns where two teenagers booked their place in maiden Grand Slam quarter-finals, Felix Auger-Aliassime recovered from a set down, taking Frances Tiafoe’s best punches and silenced the raucous Arthur Ashe crowd to break a 12-year piece of history. Continue reading “US Open 2021: Auger-Aliassime makes history with Tiafoe win; teenagers shine on Day 7”
World number one Ashleigh Barty was made to work for it, but eventually outlasted Karolina Pliskova (#8) 6-3, 6-7, 6-3 to secure her second Grand Slam title – making history by being the first Australian since Evonne Goolagong Cawley in 1980 to win the Venus Rosewater Dish too.
Continue reading “Wimbledon 2021: Bullish Barty battles past tricky Pliskova, seals second Slam title”
Andy Murray finished later than his four-set thriller with Nikoloz Basilashvili, but importantly clinched a five-set victory over German qualifier Oscar Otte after three hours 51 minutes to secure successive Grand Slam wins for the first time since he was last here, four years ago. 12 seeds fell across both the men and women’s singles matches today, as R1 is also officially over. Continue reading “Wimbledon 2021: Murray magic ends Day 3 on a dramatic high as many seeds fall”
Casper Ruud was forced to retire midway through his first fourth-round match at a Grand Slam, no. 9 seed Matteo Berrettini didn’t take to court against Stefanos Tsitsipas (#5) with a worsening abdominal strain while Karolina Muchova (#25) recovered from 5-2 down in the first set to stun Belgium’s Elise Mertens – but also has a pre-existing ab injury and was wincing mid-match.
Continue reading “Australian Open 2021: Injuries, retirements overshadow Day 8 as more quarter-finals set”
There were routine victories for Stefanos Tsitsipas and Andrey Rublev, Matteo Berrettini had an injury scare but managed to outlast Karen Khachanov in three tight sets. That was before Rafael Nadal and world number one Ashleigh Barty found ways to grit past tricky challenges in the night session, booking their respective places into the second week in Melbourne. Continue reading “Australian Open 2021: Tsitsipas and Rublev cruise, Barty and Nadal navigate tricky wins”
Fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas needed all five sets to outlast home favourite Thanasi Kokkinakis, who again proved he can hang with the world’s best at this level – despite his injuries. Before, there was a tearful exit for defending champion Sofia Kenin while top seed Ashleigh Barty survived a scare to beat wildcard Daria Gavrilova and Elina Svitolina beat teenager Cori Gauff. Continue reading “Australian Open 2021: Kenin crashes out, Tsitsipas survives, Svitolina ruthless”
Defending champion Sofia Kenin wasn’t satisfied but crucially got the job done, while there were comfortable wins for Cori Gauff, Daniil Medvedev, Rafael Nadal and some surprising results too – David Goffin, Victoria Azarenka and Johanna Konta all crashed out on Day 2. Continue reading “Australian Open 2021: Kenin, Gauff, Medvedev win as Azarenka and Goffin stunned”
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