Analysis, features, news plus more – on European football and sports galore!
Lorenzo Sonego took on Joao Fonseca and a rowdy Brazilian contingent but emerged victorious during a busy day’s play, where four seeds fell but Iga Swiatek and Alex de Minaur won comfortably as Madison Keys kicked off the night session with a three-set victory before compatriot Learner Tien produced a thrilling display over five sets vs. three-time runner-up Daniil Medvedev. Continue reading “AUS OPEN 25: Sonego stifles Fonseca in five, Tien topples Medvedev in thriller”
Jannik Sinner’s superb 2024 concluded with an impressive Davis Cup defence as he again led Italy, this time over an overachieving Netherlands side in Sunday’s final. Yet the 23-year-old admitted the off-court unknown surrounding doping accusations and his future has been heartbreaking as he awaits WADA’s appeal over being exonerated after two positive drugs tests for clostebol in March. Continue reading “Exhausting wait over doping appeal a sour note on Sinner’s sensational 2024 season”
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”
Yesterday, Jannik Sinner and team Italy were one point from being knocked out in the Davis Cup semifinals. Today, they can celebrate after the world no. 4’s gritty comeback win over Novak Djokovic helped them pip Serbia to Sunday’s showpiece event – where they emerged victorious vs. Australia without needing the decisive doubles rubber, capping a career-best year for the 22-year-old. Continue reading “Sinner stars in singles, doubles to finish career-best year as Italy clinch Davis Cup”
It was a bittersweet day as two players enjoying career-best Wimbledon runs had them cut short via injury against a defending champion and former world no. 1 respectively, while Christopher Eubanks continued his inspiring run with a rousing five-set victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas and the 27-year-old’s compatriot recovered from a set and 4-1 down to end a talented teenager’s run elsewhere.
Continue reading “Wimbledon 2023: Haddad Maia + Lehecka retire injured, Eubanks stuns Tsitsipas”
Britain’s no. 1 Cameron Norrie was bested in four sets, Casper Ruud’s conqueror Liam Broady led early but suffered the same fate while Andy Murray was left to rue what might’ve been as Stefanos Tsitsipas recovered from an overnight deficit to beat him in a decider. Katie Boulter is now the country’s last remaining singles hope, Aryna Sabalenka survived a scare and more seeds fell.
Continue reading “Wimbledon 2023: Tsitsipas topples Murray, while Eubanks earns big win over Norrie”
Ajla Tomljanovic, a Wimbledon quarter-finalist in consecutive seasons, has announced she won’t feature at SW19 this year as the year’s third Major comes too soon to return from a persistent knee injury that has stopped her from competing in any events this term. Elsewhere, the women’s defending champion Elena Rybakina remains a doubt after an Eastbourne withdrawal. Continue reading “Wimbledon 2023: Tomljanovic remains out with knee issue, Rybakina’s virus persists”
French Open finalist Casper Ruud has withdrawn from next week’s ATP500 event in Halle, Nick Kyrgios and Matteo Berrettini – Wimbledon runner-ups over the previous two seasons – suffered frustrating defeats on their respective returns to grass, and more besides as the season’s cycle continues to turn… Continue reading “Casper Ruud’s Halle withdrawal, Kyrgios and Berrettini’s losing returns and more”
The world no. 4, twice a Major finalist over the last twelve months, has slipped to a 5-6 win-loss record on what has quickly proven an arduous start to the season following a rough three-set defeat by Botic van de Zandschulp overnight in Miami – dropping over 500 ranking points as his struggles with form persist. Continue reading “Casper Ruud’s alarming slump continues, after painful Miami defeat overnight”
Australia’s Jordan Thompson is into R3 at a Masters 1000 event for the third time in his career, after holding his nerve against a compromised Stefanos Tsitsipas, winning in a deciding set tiebreak. Elsewhere, Japan’s Taro Daniel added another impressive win to his ever-increasing resume against top players after Olympic champion Belinda Bencic was bested on her Indian Wells debut. Continue reading “Indian Wells: Tsitsipas stunned, Daniel downs Berrettini and Bencic bounced too”
If only he could get the job done in straight-sets. Andy Murray doesn’t do things the easy way, but that makes his tennis more pulsating – win or lose – as the former world no. 1 was clutch again: rallying from 5-4 down in the deciding set to beat Olympic champion Alexander Zverev, earning a Qatar Open quarterfinal where he’ll play French qualifier Alexandre Muller tomorrow. Continue reading “Qatar Open: After Sonego scalp, Murray produces another nailbiting three-set win against Zverev”
Andy Murray ended a near five-year long wait to down a top-20 player in a Major, saving a match point en route to outlasting last year’s semifinalist Matteo Berrettini. Elsewhere, Alexander Zverev and Ons Jabeur both survived some uncomfortable situations while volatile weather – from extreme heat to heavy rain – limited play elsewhere during a disrupted Day 2. Continue reading “AUS OPEN 2023: Murray saves match point against Berrettini, Zverev and Jabeur survive on Day 2”
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