Aryna Sabalenka (#4) continued where she left off to cap another memorable week with her ninth WTA title and a new career-high world ranking no. 7 after dispatching unseeded Veronika Kudermetova in straight-sets – 6-2, 6-2 – extending an impressive win streak to 15 ahead of next month’s Australian Open, where the 22-year-old hopes to begin improving her Slam record.
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Aryna Sabalenka (#4) wasted no time in overpowering Maria Sakkari (#9) – 6-3, 6-2 in just under an hour’s play – booking her place in tomorrow’s final with a ruthless showing of striking accuracy and purposeful serving too. She’ll play new world number 36 Veronika Kudermetova in the Abu Dhabi finale, hoping to futher extend an impressive 14-match winning streak. Continue reading
Maria Sakkari (#9) dropped her first set of the week, but duly responded emphatically: winning ten games in a row en route to her fifth career win over a top-five player, with a third set bagel against the tournament’s top seed Sofia Kenin. Aryna Sabalenka (#4) awaits in tomorrow’s semi-finals, after she outlasted Elena Rybakina (#6) in three sets earlier on as Day 7 continued. Continue reading
Sofia Kenin (#1) survived match point to fight back, edging the second set tiebreak before winning in three tightly-contested sets: 3-6, 7-6, 6-4 – vs. Yulia Putintseva (#13), to book an intriguing quarter-final matchup with Maria Sakkari on Monday, who blasted past Garbine Muguruza 7-5, 6-4 three hours earlier as the action from WTA’s Abu Dhabi 500 event continues. Continue reading
Despite troublesome serving and a sluggish start, Maria Sakkari (#9) recovered from 3-0 down early in the first set to emphatically overcome American teenager Cori Gauff in straight sets: 7-5, 6-2 – setting up a third-round WTA Abu Dhabi encounter vs. Garbine Muguruza (#5) tomorrow. Continue reading
Today features the start of 2021’s first WTA 500 event of the year from Abu Dhabi, with world number 15 Muguruza among those battling for the title as preparation for next month’s Australian Open. A beaten finalist in Melbourne last year, the Spaniard is excited at returning for the start of a new season, one where she’s reassured by health protocols and attention to detail. Continue reading
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Tennis Australia have announced the first wildcards for next year’s first Grand Slam, with former world no. 20 Daria Gavrilova headlining the notable selections – six Australian players across the men and women’s draw – granted an opportunity to shine in their home tournament. Continue reading
Polish teenager Iga Swiatek dropped just three games against Nadia Podoroska to book her first Grand Slam Final, where she’ll play this year’s Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin on Saturday after the 21-year-old edged a competitive straight-sets win over Petra Kvitova. Continue reading
Ten days after losing to him in their Hamburg final on the eve of this year’s rescheduled Roland Garros tournament, world number six Stefanos Tsitsipas made relative light work of Andrey Rublev to reach the second Grand Slam semi-final of his career. He’ll play world no. 1 Novak Djokovic on Friday, who recovered from a set down to beat Pablo Carreno Busta on Wednesday. Continue reading
Diego Schwartzman needed five hours and eight minutes to outlast close friend and US Open winner Dominic Thiem during a gripping five-set encounter, progressing into the first Grand Slam semi-final of his career to date. His reward? Facing 12-time tournament champion Rafael Nadal on Friday, who came through a difficult test against Italian teenager Jannik Sinner. Continue reading
Just minutes before she was scheduled to go on court in her second-round match against world no.132 Tsvetana Pironkova, three-time Roland Garros champion Serena Williams pulled out of the French Open today – revealing she’s been ordered to rest an Achilles injury that has worsened since sustaining it against Victoria Azarenka at the US Open earlier this month. Continue reading
Naomi Osaka came back from a set and a break down to clinch her second US Open title, and third Grand Slam of her young career – thus ending Victoria Azarenka’s triumphant return to Flushing Meadows in just under two hours during Saturday’s entertaining showpiece event. Continue reading
