Serena and Venus Williams held their nerve after a few shaky moments, tournament favourite Naomi Osaka was ruthlessly decisive while French Open champion Iga Swiatek was solid en route to a comfortable first-round win. Elsewhere, a three-time Slam winner was knocked out in rather emphatic fashion and more besides as Day 1 of the 2021 Australian Open got underway. Continue reading “Australian Open 2021: Williams sisters, Osaka and Swiatek get off to winning start”
Tag: WTA
Australian Open 2021: Ashleigh Barty, Dan Evans and more clinch warm-up event titles
Ashleigh Barty capped her long-awaited return with a win over Garbine Muguruza in the Yarra Valley Classic final, while Britain’s Dan Evans has a new career-high world ranking (#26) after beating Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime in his warm-up event final. It’s provided the pair with welcome preparation ahead of the Australian Open, which gets underway in a matter of hours. Continue reading “Australian Open 2021: Ashleigh Barty, Dan Evans and more clinch warm-up event titles”
Australian Open 2021: Injuries pile up as warm-up events draw to close
Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka are just three of the high-profile players who’ve withdrawn from their respective Australian Open warm-up events with niggling injuries as a precaution, just days before the year’s first Grand Slam gets underway in Melbourne. Continue reading “Australian Open 2021: Injuries pile up as warm-up events draw to close”
Australian Open 2021: Serena Williams reveals delay helped Achilles injury recovery
Serena Williams, a seven-time Australian Open champion, revealed she wouldn’t have featured in this year’s first Grand Slam if not for the COVID-19 enforced delays. Her Achilles injury sustained at the US Open took longer than expected to fully heal, but she’s recovered in time. Continue reading “Australian Open 2021: Serena Williams reveals delay helped Achilles injury recovery”
Australian Open 2021: Johanna Konta grateful, reflecting on quarantine period
Johanna Konta, world number 14, has revealed how grateful she is to have been one of the lucky ones permitted to practice for five hours a day – considering 72 others, including compatriot Heather Watson (#58), have been locked in their hotel rooms for two weeks after positive COVID-19 cases were confirmed on flights taking players to Australia earlier this month.
Continue reading “Australian Open 2021: Johanna Konta grateful, reflecting on quarantine period”
Australian Open 2021: Andy Murray withdraws, unresolved issues after positive COVID-19 test
Despite efforts to find a resolution after news of his positive COVID-19 test broke last week, three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray has confirmed he will not be taking part in next month’s Australian Open after all – having been granted a wildcard to feature just last month. Continue reading “Australian Open 2021: Andy Murray withdraws, unresolved issues after positive COVID-19 test”
WTA Abu Dhabi: Sabalenka beats Kudermetova for ninth WTA title, first of 2021
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.
Continue reading “WTA Abu Dhabi: Sabalenka beats Kudermetova for ninth WTA title, first of 2021”
WTA Abu Dhabi: Sabalenka swiftly dismantles Sakkari for 14th straight win
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 “WTA Abu Dhabi: Sabalenka swiftly dismantles Sakkari for 14th straight win”
WTA Abu Dhabi: Sakkari rallies to earn for big win vs. Kenin, Sabalenka in semis
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 “WTA Abu Dhabi: Sakkari rallies to earn for big win vs. Kenin, Sabalenka in semis”
WTA Abu Dhabi: Kenin saves match point to beat Putintseva, Sakkari next in quarter-finals
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 “WTA Abu Dhabi: Kenin saves match point to beat Putintseva, Sakkari next in quarter-finals”
WTA Abu Dhabi: Sakkari recovers to beat Gauff in straight sets, Muguruza next
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 “WTA Abu Dhabi: Sakkari recovers to beat Gauff in straight sets, Muguruza next”
Garbine Muguruza: Excited for new tennis season, reassured of safety in Australia
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 “Garbine Muguruza: Excited for new tennis season, reassured of safety in Australia”
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