Three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka is planning a return to competition in time for this year’s Roland Garros, having been absent from the ATP tour since undergoing left foot surgery after last March’s Qatar Open. Meanwhile, Olympic gold medallist Belinda Bencic said she’s still struggling with the after-effects of COVID-19 after contracting the virus in December.
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Tag: WTA
Australian Open 2022: Barty secures third Major, first home champion in 44 years
This wasn’t vintage tennis but didn’t need to be. World no. 1 Ashleigh Barty recovered from a 5-1 second set deficit to overcome Danielle Collins in straight-sets (6-3, 7-6), clinching a heavily-anticipated home Major for Australia and doing so without dropping a set all tournament long. Continue reading “Australian Open 2022: Barty secures third Major, first home champion in 44 years”
Australian Open 2022: Barty and Collins ease to straight-sets wins, setting up Saturday’s Final
Ashleigh Barty needed just 62 minutes to become the first Australian player to reach the Australian Open Final since Wendy Turnbull in 1980, dropping just four games against an underwhelming Madison Keys display. She’ll play Keys’ compatriot Danielle Collins [27] on Saturday night, after the 28-year-old utilised a blistering start to blast past Iga Swiatek 6-4, 6-1.
Continue reading “Australian Open 2022: Barty and Collins ease to straight-sets wins, setting up Saturday’s Final”
Australian Open 2022: Collins-Swiatek, Tsitsipas-Medvedev semis sealed on memorable Day 10
US Open champion Daniil Medvedev saved a match point and recovered to ultimately overwhelm Felix Auger-Aliassime in a gripping five-set clash. Next, the world no. 2 plays a spirited Stefanos Tsitsipas after the Greek oozed class en route to a straight-sets win vs. Italian youngster Jannik Sinner. Beforehand, Danielle Collins [27] and Iga Swiatek [7] set up a second H2H meeting by reaching their second Grand Slam semi-finals – in contrasting circumstances.
Continue reading “Australian Open 2022: Collins-Swiatek, Tsitsipas-Medvedev semis sealed on memorable Day 10”
Australian Open 2022: Nadal-Berrettini, Keys-Barty semifinals set as Day 9 excites
Rafael Nadal withstood a spirited Denis Shapovalov comeback to oust the Canadian in five sets, before Matteo Berrettini similarly held firm under Gael Monfils’ pressure in a night session showdown lasting almost four hours, becoming the first Italian ever to reach this tournament’s semis. Elsewhere, Ashleigh Barty made quick work of her last-eight clash with Jessica Pegula and now faces another American in Barbora Krejcikova’s conqueror Madison Keys on Thursday.
Continue reading “Australian Open 2022: Nadal-Berrettini, Keys-Barty semifinals set as Day 9 excites”
Australian Open 2022: Swiatek, Kanepi, Tsitsipas win ugly after Cornet makes history on Day 8
Iga Swiatek, Kaia Kanepi and Stefanos Tsitsipas all had to recover from losing positions before punching their ticket into the Australian Open last-eight, after French veteran Alize Cornet stunned Simona Halep in three sets to reach her first Major quarter-final, on her 63rd attempt.
Continue reading “Australian Open 2022: Swiatek, Kanepi, Tsitsipas win ugly after Cornet makes history on Day 8”
Australian Open 2022: Zverev, Sakkari and Badosa all knocked out on busy Day 7
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].
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Australian Open 2022: Sabalenka surges into week two after another gritty comeback win on Day 6
Despite questions over her patchy form and serving issues, Aryna Sabalenka [2] once again recovered from a precarious situation to ultimately prove too much vs. 2019 Roland Garros runner-up Marketa Vondrousova [31] in the early hours on Saturday. Post-match, she joked about only serving ten double-faults here, an improvement from a rough 19 from her R2 victory over China’s Xinyu Wang. Up next? Kaia Kanepi, entering uncharted territory in Melbourne…
Continue reading “Australian Open 2022: Sabalenka surges into week two after another gritty comeback win on Day 6”
Australian Open 2022: Badosa, Krejcikova win three-set battles to kick off action-packed Day 5
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”
Australian Open 2022: Muguruza, Kontaveit both lose as shocks flow across Day 4
Garbine Muguruza’s pursuit of an elusive Australian Open title continues after Alize Cornet stunned the WTA Finals champion. Elsewhere, Anett Kontaveit (#6) and Diego Schwartzman (#13) were among the latest seeds to fall, while US Open semi-finalist Aryna Sabalenka had to save her blushes before disappointing three-set defeats for Andy Murray and Emma Raducanu.
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Australian Open 2022: Barty and Badosa ease into R3, Nadal tested on lowkey Day 3
After an easy R1 match, Wimbledon titlist Ashleigh Barty also breezed past Italian qualifier Lucia Bronzetti. Elsewhere in the women’s draw, some intriguing R3 matches are set after comfortable victories for Paula Badosa (#8) and Victoria Azarenka (#24). Meanwhile 20-time Major champion Rafael Nadal had to work hard but still emerged as the challenges intensify.
Continue reading “Australian Open 2022: Barty and Badosa ease into R3, Nadal tested on lowkey Day 3”
Australian Open 2022: Muguruza and Swiatek through, Ruud injured and more on Day 2
There were comfortable straight-set wins for multiple Grand Slam champions, including two title contenders in WTA Finals winner Garbine Muguruza and Iga Swiatek, while more seeds fell on Day 2 of this year’s Australian Open. Andy Murray made history after gritting through another five-set battle, while Nick Kyrgios and Emma Raducanu shone in the night session.
Continue reading “Australian Open 2022: Muguruza and Swiatek through, Ruud injured and more on Day 2”
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