Tennis News
British No 1 beaten 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 by Croatia’s Antonia Ruzic
World No 67 reels off six games in a row to claim victory
Emma Raducanu lost the final six games in a 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 defeat against Antonia Ruzic in the opening round at the Dubai Tennis Championships.
The British No 1, whose original opponent Elisabetta Cocciaretto withdrew at late notice because of fatigue, fought back in the second set to level the match and led 2-0 in the decider before losing all momentum.
Continue reading...Australian produces some fine tennis to win Rotterdam Open
First indoor title comes after 6-3, 6-2 win over Felix Auger-Aliassime
Alex de Minaur sealed a landmark week by delivering a masterful performance to defeat the red-hot Felix Auger-Aliassime and finally land one of the biggest titles of his career at the Rotterdam Open.
The Australian produced some of his finest tennis on Sunday (Monday AEDT) to crush the Canadian world No 6, who had won the Montpellier Open just a week earlier and whose service had been seemingly unbreakable.
Continue reading...Briton forced to pull out when 2-0 down in deciding set
Qualifier Camila Osorio into Qatar Open second round
Emma Raducanu retired during the third set of her first-round match with the qualifier Camila Osorio at the Qatar Open, having tried to play on after taking a medical timeout.
The British No 1 was looking to move swiftly on from the disappointment of losing in straight sets on Saturday against the home favourite Sorana Cirstea in the Transylvania Open final, a match she described as “very difficult emotionally and physically”.
Continue reading...British No 1 beaten 6-0, 6-2 by Sorana Cirstea
Final in Cluj was Raducanu’s first since 2021 US Open
Emma Raducanu missed the chance to win her first title since her US Open triumph in 2021 after losing in straight sets to home favourite Sorana Cirstea in the Transylvania Open final.
Top seed Raducanu appeared to be feeling the effects of her marathon semi-final win against Ukraine’s Oleksandra Oliynykova on Friday, losing out to Cirstea 6-0, 6-2 in little over an hour in Cluj.
Continue reading...Briton beats Oleksandra Oliynykova in three tough sets
British No 4 Katie Boulter also makes final in Ostrava
Emma Raducanu has reached her first final since the 2021 US Open. The British No 1 beat Oleksandra Oliynykova 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 in a tough semi-final to take her place in Saturday’s Transylvania Open final in Cluj.
She now has a shot at winning her first title since her incredible success at Flushing Meadows in 2021 when she announced herself as a real force on the WTA Tour.
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Continue reading...At only 22, Carlos Alcaraz said it was a 'dream come true' to become the youngest man to complete the career grand slam, a record formerly held by Don Budge since 1938, 87 years ago. He beat Novak Djokovic in four sets on Sunday night in the men's singles final. There was little fanfare after the match, with Alcaraz saying gaming with his brother and friends was 'more than enough' to celebrate the win
Continue reading...As Elena Rybakina and Carlos Alcaraz celebrate victory, we take a look at some of the best images from both finals
Continue reading...Carlos Alcaraz came from a set down to beat Novak Djokovic in four becoming, at 22 years and eight months, the youngest man to achieve a career grand slam
Our players are ready to come out. This is going to be special.
I keep saying it, but it bears repetition: we’re at the start of a golden age in women’s tennis. Sabalenka, Rybakina, Gauff, Swiatek and Osaka at their peaks, Anisimova coming, Andreeva getting there, then Mboko, Baptiste and Jovic on the match; ooooh yeah.
Continue reading...Australian duo Kubler and Polmans beaten 7-6 (4), 6-4
‘Christian has given me a new lease of life this year’
Neal Skupski continued Britain’s impressive recent record in men’s doubles by winning the Australian Open title in tandem with American Christian Harrison. The newly-formed pair, playing in just their second tournament together, defeated the Australian wildcard duo Jason Kubler and Marc Polmans 7-6 (4), 6-4 on Rod Laver Arena.
It is the third time in the past five grand slam tournaments that there has been at least one British winner, with Henry Patten lifting this trophy last year alongside Finn Harri Heliovaara before the duo of Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool triumphed at Wimbledon.
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Continue reading...44-year-old last played professionally at 2022 US Open
American refuses to be drawn on future in TV interview
Serena Williams has refused to rule out making a shock return to tennis. The 44-year-old has not played professional tennis since losing to Ajla Tomljanovic at the 2022 US Open, although she branded her departure as “evolving away” from the sport rather than a retirement.
Williams brushed off speculation in December she was considering a comeback despite re-entering the sport’s drug testing pool. But the 23-time grand slam singles champion was not as dismissive about a return in an interview on NBC’s The Today Show.
Continue reading...Aryna Sabalennka, twice Australian Open champion, walloped Elina Svitolina, then Elena Rybakina saw off Jess Pegula to set up a repeat of the 2023 final
Sabalenka to serve, ready … play.
You can’t argue with Svitolina’s run to the last four. She’s beaten Shnaider, Andreeva and Gauff – who, admittedly, had her absolute worst day – without losing a set, won in Auckland before that, and won’t ever have felt better about her game. I’m excited to see what her plan is, because we can be sure she’ll have one.
Continue reading...Jannik Sinner, seeking a third Australian Open title in a row, thumped Ben Shelton in straight sets to set up a last-four meeting with Novak Djokovic
*Shelton 1-1 Sinner A big serve makes 15-0, but a decent return on to the line incites a netted forehand. No matter, Shelton shows good variety in the next rally, an inside-out backhand clipping the sideline for a winner, before an ace makes 4-15. But caught at the net having not done enough with the volley, he’s passed, then a netted slice takes us to deuce, and pressure. Shelton cannot afford to be be broken in the first game; he punishes down an ace, but is immediately hauled back, then another big serve allows the clean-up forehand. Ach, but just when a fantastic serve out wide looks to have set up the point, an overhit forehand restores deuce, and Shelton, despite nailing 10/10 first serves in this game, is having to deploy his entire array of shots to hold. He makes advantage again, sends down a decent second serve with the wind behind it, and a quality return renders it useless; back to deuce we go, Sinner slowly extracting his soul, but this time, Shelton makes advantage and closes out the game. Already, this is a lot of fun.
Shelton 0-1 Sinner* (*denotes server) Sinner hooks a forehand long, a shot that looks pretty relative to the mustard trainers, olive top and white hat, shorts and socks he’s been handed – why do they continually dress him in nonsense? Why does he let them? He soon makes 30-15 and Shelton misses the chance to properly get after a short second serve … but a framed forehand sends the ball into orbit and at 30-all, he has the sniff of a sniff. And this is more like it, the American coning in off a deep forehand, and it earns him break point; here we go. Ahahahaha, but you know what’s coming next: yes, a service winner that makes it 23 out of 29 break points saved in the tournament, backed up with a succession of forehands which facilitate the overhead putaway then, when Shelton goes with a drop, but down the line, not cross, which allows Sinner to rush in and mete out forehand treatment. He’s into the match.
Continue reading...American was caught on camera smashing racket following defeat
‘It would be nice to have some privacy,’ says Polish second seed
Iga Swiatek backed up Coco Gauff’s complaints about a lack of privacy at the Australian Open by claiming tennis players are treated like zoo animals.
Gauff sought a spot away from public view to let her frustration out by smashing a racket following her quarter-final loss to Elina Svitolina on Tuesday, only to find out she was on camera after all.
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