Analysis, features, news plus more – on European football and sports galore!
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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