Analysis, features, news plus more – on European football and sports galore!
The pre-US Open parties and media duties have been completed, top-ranked players spending valuable time on court practising and getting acclimatised to the conditions while the last hopefuls from across the globe battle out for a main draw qualifying berth are now set in stone. Today marks the beginning of the year’s final Major and with that, more questions than answers as usual. Continue reading “US Open 2024: Main draw analysis across both tours, as year’s final Major begins”
Jacob Fearnley’s main experience at SW19 came six years ago, as a practice partner for then-defending champion Roger Federer. Ranked outside the world’s top 500 in early June, the 22-year-old – fresh out of US college like many other rising Brits – seized this wildcard with both hands, pushing seven-time champion Novak Djokovic during what proved a competitive R2 four-set defeat. Continue reading “Wimbledon 2024: Fearnley’s firepower a welcome sign despite Djokovic loss in four”
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”
It wasn’t plain sailing all the way through, but Victoria Azarenka’s experience in tight moments paid dividends as the two-time Major champion outlasted British number one Katie Boulter during two contrasting sets of tennis to punch her ticket into the Miami Open quarter-finals for the first time in six years. Continue reading “Miami Open: Azarenka content, but not satisfied after notching gritty Boulter win”
She started slowly, leaked 13 total double-faults and could’ve easily faltered after losing set one to 21-year-old Ukrainian talent Marta Kostyuk but Britain’s Katie Boulter recovered from a set down for the second time this week to clinch a maiden WTA 500 title, cracking into the world’s top 30 for the first time too.
Continue reading “WTA San Diego: Boulter recovers against Kostyuk to win her maiden WTA 500 title”
It would’ve been easy to lose motivation and succumb to another spirited defeat against a top player after dropping the first set, but Katie Boulter responded well from a precarious position and produced some brilliant tennis en route to a three-set win over world no. 5 Jessica Pegula, clinching a new career-best singles result by ranking after their pulsating United Cup encounter.
Continue reading “United Cup: Boulter recovers to seal career-best win over Pegula in three sets”
Attack the forehand as they might, Coco Gauff bounced back from her Wimbledon disappointment and produced an excellent week’s worth of tennis – not dropping a set – en route to her first WTA 500 title in Washington, after beating Maria Sakkari 6-2, 6-3 on Sunday night. How does she build from here? Continue reading “Coco Gauff’s aggression key as she collects Washington title, her first at WTA 500 level”
Liam Broady produced some career-best tennis en route to a five-set win over world no. 4 and French Open finalist Casper Ruud, setting up a Denis Shapovalov showdown in round three, before Elena Rybakina defended well against Alize Cornet as a Brit awaits her on Saturday: Katie Boulter. Elsewhere, the 11pm curfew struck as Murray-Tsitsipas was bubbling up nicely… Continue reading “Wimbledon 2023: Broady downs Ruud in five, Rybakina fends off Cornet on Day 4”
Having come close in Surbiton the week before, Britain’s new number one Katie Boulter beat a quartet of compatriots – including Jodie Burrage in Sunday’s final – clinching a maiden WTA Tour-level title at her home tournament in Nottingham. As she conceded afterwards, a career-high attainment this week cannot be understated but consistency is key, starting today in Birmingham. Continue reading “After Sunday’s Nottingham triumph, Katie Boulter must maintain her momentum”
Rafael Nadal and Iga Swiatek – the reigning French Open champions – must improve if they’re to experience straightforward Saturday assignments in round three. Heather Watson’s gritty win over Kaja Juvan means she’s into R4 of a Major for the first time as a 13-year professional, while we’re set for an eagerly-anticipated Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. Nick Kyrgios matchup on Day 6 after both won clean on Thursday. Read about all that and more, in this latest SW19 review. Continue reading “Wimbledon 2022 – Days 4-5: Nadal, Swiatek strained, Watson wins again, Tsitsipas-Kyrgios and more”
US Open champion Emma Raducanu and Andy Murray both suffered frustrating defeats on Centre Court, as Day 3 featured a host of surprising losses for high-seeded players – including French Open runner-up Casper Ruud and two-time Major winner Garbine Muguruza. Continue reading “Wimbledon 2022 – Day 3: Raducanu, Muguruza and Murray among biggest losers on lively third day”
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”
Mo and Sports 