Analysis, features, news plus more – on European football and sports galore!
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.
Continue reading “AUS OPEN 2023: Nadal, Swiatek and more in round-up, draw analysis as year’s first Major starts Monday”
Four seeds fell on Day 1 at this year’s French Open, but none bigger than 2016 champion Garbine Muguruza – despite being a set and 3-2 up against Kaia Kanepi. Ons Jabeur similarly lost from a commanding position against Magda Linette, though the youngster who beat the Tunisian here in R4 last year showed edge to progress without playing well. Read on for more. Continue reading “French Open 2022: Gauff grits through R1 on opening day; Jabeur, Muguruza crash out”
US Open champion Daniil Medvedev saved a match point and recovered to ultimately overwhelm Felix Auger-Aliassime in a gripping five-set clash. Next, the world no. 2 plays a spirited Stefanos Tsitsipas after the Greek oozed class en route to a straight-sets win vs. Italian youngster Jannik Sinner. Beforehand, Danielle Collins [27] and Iga Swiatek [7] set up a second H2H meeting by reaching their second Grand Slam semi-finals – in contrasting circumstances.
Continue reading “Australian Open 2022: Collins-Swiatek, Tsitsipas-Medvedev semis sealed on memorable Day 10”
Iga Swiatek, Kaia Kanepi and Stefanos Tsitsipas all had to recover from losing positions before punching their ticket into the Australian Open last-eight, after French veteran Alize Cornet stunned Simona Halep in three sets to reach her first Major quarter-final, on her 63rd attempt.
Continue reading “Australian Open 2022: Swiatek, Kanepi, Tsitsipas win ugly after Cornet makes history on Day 8”
Despite questions over her patchy form and serving issues, Aryna Sabalenka [2] once again recovered from a precarious situation to ultimately prove too much vs. 2019 Roland Garros runner-up Marketa Vondrousova [31] in the early hours on Saturday. Post-match, she joked about only serving ten double-faults here, an improvement from a rough 19 from her R2 victory over China’s Xinyu Wang. Up next? Kaia Kanepi, entering uncharted territory in Melbourne…
Continue reading “Australian Open 2022: Sabalenka surges into week two after another gritty comeback win on Day 6”
Having sown the seeds for her progression last year with new career-high Grand Slam finishes in Melbourne and Flushing Meadows, Estonian rising star Anett Kontaveit [9] is said to be in disbelief after surpassing Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur to officially qualify for next week’s WTA Finals – another career first as her resume continues to blossom. There’s no reason she should be. Continue reading “Anett Kontaveit astonished by top 10 rankings surge, but she really shouldn’t be”
Emma Raducanu’s US Open campaign continued with a 6-2, 6-4 win over China’s Zhang Shuai but Britain’s teenage qualifier said it was much less one-sided than the scoreline suggested. By contrast, Olympic champion Alexander Zverev (#4) blasted past Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-1, 6-0, 6-3 in 75 minutes while world no. 1 Ashleigh Barty, Belinda Bencic and Iga Swiatek all prevailed.
Continue reading “US Open 2021: Raducanu, Zverev earn contrasting straight-set wins on Day 4”
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”
Mo and Sports 