Analysis, features, news plus more – on European football and sports galore!
Andy Murray’s final hurrah – injury permitting – Novak Djokovic testing his limits again less than a month after knee surgery, new world no. 1 Jannik Sinner looking to unseat defending champion Carlos Alcaraz while Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter fly the Brits’ flag in an intriguing women’s draw. Will any Americans make some noise? How about youngsters with little to lose? Continue reading “Wimbledon 2024: Draw analysis as SW19 beckons again with storylines brewing”
Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz recovered from a puzzling third set collapse, one set away from a painful defeat. The 21-year-old composed himself once more and produced expert shot-making painting the lines in clutch moments to eventually outlast Olympic gold medallist Alexander Zverev in a four-hour battle of attrition between two first-time French Open finalists.
Continue reading “Alcaraz beats nerves and Zverev in five-set rollercoaster for maiden French Open title”
Continue reading “Theatre closed indefinitely as Djokovic undergoes surgery after Cerundolo win”
Novak Djokovic was trailing and in trouble against Lorenzo Musetti as a shock result looked likely in the early hours on Sunday. He clicked into gear and produced some inspired tennis under duress, just as the Italian’s level dropped, and now the Serb is into the business end of another Major – where his steely defiance is magnified. A first H2H meeting with Francisco Cerundolo beckons. Continue reading “Cerundolo the next challenge as Djokovic recovers to beat Musetti in five-set thriller”
World number one Novak Djokovic made his return to court with a straight-sets victory in Rome, though headlines afterwards centred around him being accidentally struck in the head by a water bottle from up above as he signed autographs post-match. After medical checks, the Serb is okay and will face Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo on Sunday as his pursuit of perfection resumes.
Continue reading “Djokovic well-rested, plans a successful summer peak as Rome fortnight continues”
Although successful with ongoing tweaks, we’ve seen how divisive the introduction of VAR has been for football recently. Tennis needs something similar, all year-round, as the teething problems clear on clay – the biggest being incorrect line calls – continue to surface but the sport’s decision-makers would be wise to implement more transparent accountability for umpires too. Continue reading “Whether that be VAR or an officiating shakeup, tennis calling for a change soon”
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”
A week removed from his long-awaited first Miami Open title, world number two Jannik Sinner is back among home comforts on the French Riviera with another Masters 1000 event already in full swing. Having reached the tournament’s semifinal stage twelve months ago, can the Italian surpass that achievement on his return to clay as the sport’s in-form player right now? Continue reading “Having made history Stateside, Sinner looks to eclipse last year in Monte-Carlo”
Third time’s a charm after all. Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner was in scintillating form and dropped just four games en route to his first Miami Open title, and second Masters 1000 silverware, dismissing an error-prone Grigor Dimitrov display during Sunday’s final – a result which sees him rise to world no. 2, a feat no other Italian regardless of gender has achieved in the sport. Continue reading “Miami Open: Sinner sinks Dimitrov easily to clinch second career Masters 1000 title”
Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner will hope it’s third time lucky in Miami come Sunday, when he contests another final after producing a clinical showing to outclass Daniil Medvedev, inflicting his joint-worst career defeat in their semi-final. The Italian will now play an in-form Grigor Dimitrov, who overcame Olympic champion Alexander Zverev in three pulsating sets of tennis overnight.
Continue reading “Miami Open: Sinner sublime to sweep Medvedev, Dimitrov now in Sunday’s final”
After a disappointing start to 2024 by his exceedingly high standards, 24-time Major champion Novak Djokovic’s announcement this week that he was ending his highly successful five-year coaching partnership with Goran Ivanisevic was both ruthless and said all it needed to. The world no. 1 is wading through another wave of talent hungry to knock him off his perch permanently. Continue reading “Djokovic’s Ivanisevic decision typifies the cost of being king – for better and worse”
He was aggressive, served beautifully for large periods and kept the defending champion honest during their longer rallies, but it wasn’t enough as Taylor Fritz suffered yet another defeat to Novak Djokovic as his Australian Open campaign ended in the last-eight. The American no. 1 should take heart from his display nonetheless, as Jannik Sinner prepares to face the Serb in Friday’s semifinals. Continue reading “AUS OPEN 24: Fritz faltered sure, but American can take heart from four-set loss”
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