Analysis, features, news plus more – on European football and sports galore!
Having only featured once – in Davis Cup play for Serbia – since clinching his 24th Major title at Flushing Meadows on September 10, world no. 1 Novak Djokovic began as he means to continue this week with a straight-sets win (6-3, 6-2) against Tomas Martin Etcheverry, after a whirlwind 24-hour period has seen two of the tournament’s top three seeds beaten elsewhere in the draw. Continue reading “Paris Masters: Djokovic wins clean after Alcaraz, Medvedev stunned in round two”
Six-time Major champion Boris Becker announced Thursday he’ll return to the tennis circuit as Holger Rune’s new coach, having served an eight-month prison sentence last year for failing to hand over assets and trophies, repaying debt after being declared bankrupt five years earlier. While the headlines will surround the German right now, the talented Dane needs more than new voices in his ear hopeful he can stop stuttering form as the season draws to a close. Continue reading “Holger Rune needs more than a returning Boris Becker to arrest his alarming slump”
Having struggled with poor form so far this season, two-time Major finalist Casper Ruud finished an eventful week in Estoril as a champion at ATP 250 level against a good friend in Miomir Kecmanovic, while US Open semifinalist Frances Tiafoe did the same overnight: ending a five-year wait for an ATP title, outlasting surging Argentine Tomas Martin Etcheverry in two tiebreak sets. Continue reading “Casper Ruud, Frances Tiafoe seal titles in Estoril and Houston, as Monte-Carlo gets underway”
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”
Frances Tiafoe will contest his second ATP final of 2022 after enduring a rollercoaster ride to eventually overcome Soonwoo Kwon 6-2, 0-6, 6-4 in their Japan Open semi-final. He’ll play Taylor Fritz in Sunday’s showpiece event, after his compatriot and friend similarly did things the hard way to extinguish Denis Shapovalov’s hopes of securing consecutive tour-level finals. Continue reading “Japan Open: Tiafoe outlasts Kwon after topsy-turvy clash, friend Fritz awaits in Sunday’s final”
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”
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?
Continue reading “After Munich success, who isn’t paying attention to Danish teenager Holger Rune?”
US Open quarter-finalist Carlos Alcaraz made history in Miami, becoming their youngest ever champion and equally the third-youngest player ever to win a title at Masters 1000 level after recovering from 1-4 down in set one, beating Casper Ruud 7-5, 6-4 – capping an unforgettable fortnight for the Spanish teenager, who will rise to world no. 11 in tomorrow’s rankings update. Continue reading “Miami Open: Alcaraz ascends to rally past Ruud, wins historic maiden Masters 1000 title”
Adelaide champion Madison Keys booked her place in an eighth Grand Slam quarter-final with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Sydney titlist Paula Badosa to kick off a busy day of action where multiple seeds fell, including Maria Sakkari [5] and a worryingly off-colour Alexander Zverev [3].
Continue reading “Australian Open 2022: Zverev, Sakkari and Badosa all knocked out on busy Day 7”
Paula Badosa and Barbora Krejcikova’s contrasting three-set wins continued their career-best Australian Open runs, on a day full of surprises. Elsewhere, defending champion Naomi Osaka had two match points on her racquet but tightened up and lost against Amanda Anisimova after Matteo Berrettini [7] was pushed to a deciding set tiebreak by rising star Carlos Alcaraz. Continue reading “Australian Open 2022: Badosa, Krejcikova win three-set battles to kick off action-packed Day 5”
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