Analysis, features, news plus more – on European football and sports galore!
Russians ruled supreme on day three, as there were straight-sets victories for Daniil Medvedev (#2) and Daria Kasatkina (#25), while Andrey Rublev (#5) had a fiery response after relinquishing three set points to oust Spain’s Pablo Martínez in four. There were also comfortable wins for Garbine Muguruza and Simona Halep while defending champ Naomi Osaka had a walkover. Continue reading “US Open 2021: Rublev, Medvedev win but Ruud stunned in four sets on rainy Day 3”
On an opening day marred by several injury-enforced withdrawals, 2012 US Open champion Andy Murray and world number three Stefanos Tsitsipas were engaged in a five-set epic battle, lasting four hours 50 minutes, to start the year’s final Grand Slam tournament with aplomb. Continue reading “US Open 2021: Murray-Tsitsipas lives up to the billing on eventful Day 1”
With the first round of matches at this year’s final Grand Slam starting from Flushing Meadows today, a look back at a memorable matchup from the first: Naomi Osaka saving two match points against Garbine Muguruza during their enthralling fourth-round encounter. She went on to win her fourth Major, and second in Australia, after an eventful fortnight seven months ago.
Continue reading “Match rewind: Naomi Osaka’s remarkable Aus Open recovery win vs. Garbine Muguruza”
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 “Tokyo Olympics: After seizing gold for Swiss, can Belinda Bencic build on this?”
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”
Ons Jabeur recovered from a set down to knock out 2017 Wimbledon titlist Garbine Muguruza, tournament debutant Sebastian Korda rode the wave of momentum well enough to oust Britain’s no. 1 Dan Evans in four sets before another youngster – tenth seed Denis Shapovalov – oozed quality as he ruthlessly ended the hopes of a favourite in Andy Murray on Centre Court. Continue reading “Wimbledon 2021: Key wins for Jabeur and Korda, Shapovalov ends Murray’s run”
Serena Williams’ quest for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam triumph, on the surface where she’s clinched six Major titles since beating older sister Venus to first win in 2002, is over on Day 2 – but not as you’d expect. The sixth seed slipped awkwardly behind the baseline, limped towards her chair and it was quickly clear she wouldn’t be able to continue through the pain. Continue reading “Wimbledon 2021: Serena Williams withdraws mid-match, sustains ankle injury”
Naomi Osaka (#3) saved two match points, world no. 2 Simona Halep set up an exciting quarter-final clash vs. Serena Williams after both earned gritty three-set wins over Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka respectively. Elsewhere, Aslan Karatsev’s historic run continued against all odds while Novak Djokovic continued his unbeaten H2H streak at Milos Raonic’s expense.
Continue reading “Australian Open 2021: Comebacks aplenty as Osaka, Halep and Karatsev all recover”
Ashleigh Barty capped her long-awaited return with a win over Garbine Muguruza in the Yarra Valley Classic final, while Britain’s Dan Evans has a new career-high world ranking (#26) after beating Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime in his warm-up event final. It’s provided the pair with welcome preparation ahead of the Australian Open, which gets underway in a matter of hours. Continue reading “Australian Open 2021: Ashleigh Barty, Dan Evans and more clinch warm-up event titles”
Sofia Kenin (#1) survived match point to fight back, edging the second set tiebreak before winning in three tightly-contested sets: 3-6, 7-6, 6-4 – vs. Yulia Putintseva (#13), to book an intriguing quarter-final matchup with Maria Sakkari on Monday, who blasted past Garbine Muguruza 7-5, 6-4 three hours earlier as the action from WTA’s Abu Dhabi 500 event continues. Continue reading “WTA Abu Dhabi: Kenin saves match point to beat Putintseva, Sakkari next in quarter-finals”
Despite troublesome serving and a sluggish start, Maria Sakkari (#9) recovered from 3-0 down early in the first set to emphatically overcome American teenager Cori Gauff in straight sets: 7-5, 6-2 – setting up a third-round WTA Abu Dhabi encounter vs. Garbine Muguruza (#5) tomorrow. Continue reading “WTA Abu Dhabi: Sakkari recovers to beat Gauff in straight sets, Muguruza next”
Today features the start of 2021’s first WTA 500 event of the year from Abu Dhabi, with world number 15 Muguruza among those battling for the title as preparation for next month’s Australian Open. A beaten finalist in Melbourne last year, the Spaniard is excited at returning for the start of a new season, one where she’s reassured by health protocols and attention to detail. Continue reading “Garbine Muguruza: Excited for new tennis season, reassured of safety in Australia”
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