Rafael Nadal and Daniil Medvedev – last year’s champion and runner-up – won in contrasting circumstances. A genuine title contender withdrew through injury and needs surgery, while Iga Swiatek was pushed by a determined Jule Neimeier, an intriguing contest between Emma Raducanu and Coco Gauff is set for R2 and much more besides. Read on, for Day 1’s round-up. Continue reading
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.
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Wimbledon quarterfinalist Ajla Tomljanovic held her nerve and a second-set fightback to silence the crowd and outlast 23-time Major champion Serena Williams in a gruelling battle lasting over three hours, ending the legend’s iconic singles career this weekend. Elsewhere, there was contrasting disappointment for Andy Murray and Jack Draper… Read on for more. Continue reading
After beating Danka Kovinic on Monday night, retiring legend Serena Williams showed she’s still got a little left in the tank after overcoming a stunning set two fightback to outlast world no. 2 Anett Kontaveit 7-6, 2-6, 6-2. Hours later, 20-year-old Brit Jack Draper completed an impressive straight-sets win over last year’s semifinalist Felix Auger-Aliassime [6] on a busy third evening. Continue reading
Serena Williams’ last US Open campaign got underway with a hard-fought 6-3, 6-3 win over Danka Kovinic, before a celebratory ceremony for the 23-time Major champion as her illustrious career enters its final days. Casper Ruud and defending titlist Daniil Medvedev eased through in the day session, while Simona Halep and Stefanos Tsitsipas were among the Day 1 casualties… Continue reading
24 hours after adding role model Dominic Thiem to the ever-growing list of players he’s beaten so far this year, Switzerland’s Marc-Andrea Huesler ultimately proved too much for Jack Draper to handle during their competitive Winston-Salem quarter-final clash overnight. Draper has a chance to avenge his Queen’s defeat by Emil Ruusuvuori on Monday, in his US Open debut. Continue reading
It’s easy to declare post-match that you’ll learn lessons from a loss, especially a humbling one during the notoriously short grass court season, but 20-year-old Jack Draper’s case feels slightly different than most. Considering Wimbledon’s just around the corner, here’s why… Continue reading
Andy Murray picked his moments against an erratic Denis Shapovalov display to set up a first meeting in almost five-and-a-half years with familiar foe Novak Djokovic, securing successive ATP victories for the first time since January. Beforehand, British young duo Jack Draper and Emma Raducanu suffered contrasting three-set defeats as this year’s Madrid Open continues. Continue reading
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
Earning the biggest win of his career on Wednesday, dismantling Olympic champion Alexander Zverev 6-3, 6-2 wasn’t enough. Dropping just two games against Emil Ruusuvuori on his 19th birthday, then recovering from a 4-1 first set deficit to overwhelm last year’s breakout man in home favourite Oscar Otte, Holger Rune can become the third-youngest champion in the Open Era if he beats Botic van de Zandschulp tomorrow. Inspired by a certain someone?
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Frances Tiafoe earned his first top-5 win at the 12th attempt to end French Open finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas’ tournament just hours into an eventful Day 1 packed with action, while there were big wins for Sloane Stephens and two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray among others elsewhere on a memorable return to the grass in south London after a two-year absence. Continue reading
British teenage wildcard Jack Draper, who beat Jannik Sinner and Alexander Bublik at Queen’s last week, faces defending champion Novak Djokovic on Centre Court – one in a handful of intriguing first-round encounters. French Open finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas faces a tough test in America’s Frances Tiafoe, while Andy Murray vs. Nikoloz Basilashvili has potential to be good…
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