Category: Tennis

• Williams to play first slam singles since 2023

• Oldest US Open singles entrant since 1981

• Seven-time major champ won in 2000 and 2001

Venus Williams will make her return to Grand Slam singles at the US Open after a two-year absence, having received a wildcard invitation on Wednesday to compete at Flushing Meadows at age 45.

Williams will be the oldest singles entrant at the tournament since Renee Richards played there at 47 in 1981, according to the International Tennis Federation.

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• Former world No 1 received diagnosis in 2022

• Disease can affect vision, speaking and swallowing

Monica Seles says she was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis – a neuromuscular autoimmune disease – three years ago.

The nine-time grand slam singles champion says she first noticed symptoms of the disease while she was swinging her racket.

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• American claims third career ATP title in Toronto

• Shelton fires 16 aces in Masters 1000 final win

• Moves to career-high world No 6 with victory

American fourth seed Ben Shelton battled from a set down to clinch his first ATP Masters 1000 title at the Canadian Open on Thursday, defeating Karen Khachanov of Russia 6-7(5), 6-4, 7-6(3).

The world No 7 capped off an impressive week that saw him beat Italian 13th seed Flavio Cobolli, Australian ninth seed Alex de Minaur and American second seed Taylor Fritz on his way to achieving his first Masters 1000 title and the biggest title of his career.

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• 18-year-old wins first WTA Tour title in Toronto

• Mboko joins Urban, Andreescu as home champs

• Osaka falls in first WTA 1000 final since 2022

Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko completed a dream run to the National Bank Open title Thursday night, overcoming a slow start to beat Japanese star Naomi Osaka 2-6, 6-4, 6-1.

The 18-year-old Mboko – ranked 85th in the world – won her first WTA Tour title and joined Faye Urban in 1969 and Bianca Andreescu in 2019 as the only Canadians to win the home event in the open era.

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• British No 1 needed replacement for Mark Petchey

• Roig will help Raducanu prepare for US Open and beyond

Emma Raducanu has added Rafael Nadal’s former coach Francisco Roig to her team on a full-time basis before this month’s US Open, it is understood.

The 2021 winner at Flushing Meadows has worked with British coach Mark Petchey on an informal basis since March and enjoyed a positive run of results. However, Petchey’s TV commitments meant he was always unable to become Raducanu’s full-time coach and after a trial with Roig following Wimbledon, the 22-year-old will begin work with him in Cincinnati this week. He has agreed a contract until the end of 2025.

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• Defending champ wins 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 in round of 16 at National Bank Open

• Australian faces top seed Alexander Zverev in last eight in Toronto

Defending champion Alexei Popyrin rallied from a set down to beat world No 9 Holger Rune 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 and reach the National Bank Open quarter-finals.

The Australian will put his growing reputation as one of the biggest giant-killers on the tour to the test when he faces Alexander Zverev in the last eight, after the top seed benefited from Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo withdrawal while the German was leading 6-4, 1-0.

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• British No 1 beaten 6-2, 6-1 in Montreal third round

• Anisimova lines up meeting with Elina Svitolina

Emma Raducanu has crashed out of the Canadian Open in straight sets, going down 6-2, 6-1 to the American fifth seed Amanda Anisimova in the third round.

Raducanu had won both of their previous meetings but rarely looked like extending that run as she held her serve just once in either set in Montreal.

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• British No 1 continues run of good form at Canadian Open

• Raducanu will now face Amanda Anisimova or Lulu Sun

Emma Raducanu continued her run of good form as she booked a place in the third round of the National Bank Open in Montreal with a straight-sets win over Peyton Stearns.

The world No 33 proved too strong for the American 32nd seed, a couple of breaks in each set clinching a 6-2 6-4 win.

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• Australian beats Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (7-3)

• Spaniard blows three chances to win first ATP Tour title

Alex de Minaur rallied from a set down and saved three match points to claim the Washington Open title with a 5-7, 6-1, 7-6(3) win over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the final of the ATP 500 event.

The Australian No 1, who lost the 2018 final to Alexander Zverev, felt he rode his luck to secure his 10th career title and ensure he will enter the top 10 in the world rankings ahead of next month’s US Open.

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• Australia’s No 1 beats Frenchman 6-4, 6-3 to book place in decider

• World No 13 to meet Ben Shelton or Alejandro Davidovich Fokina

Alex de Minaur is through to the final of the Washington Open after demolishing Frenchman Corentin Moutet.

In promising signs ahead of next month’s US Open, the Australian No 1 and seventh seed stormed to a 6-4, 6-3 victory at the event where he reached his maiden ATP 500 final back in 2018.

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• Briton falls 6-4, 6-3 after dropping first sets of tournament

• Russian to face Canada’s Leylah Fernandez in final

Anna Kalinskaya outclassed Emma Raducanu 6-4, 6-3 at the Washington Open to advance to the final, where she will face Leylah Fernandez.

After a strong start from both players, Kalinskaya secured the first break to lead 5-4 and served out the opening set, handing Raducanu her first dropped set of the tournament.

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• Briton ‘toughed it out’ to earn 6-4, 7-5 quarter-final win

• Physio checked on Raducanu as temperature hit 36C

Emma Raducanu booked her place in the semi-finals of the Washington Open for the first time with a 6-4, 7-5 win over Greece’s Maria Sakkari on a day where both players had to battle high temperatures.

After losing the opening game, Raducanu dropped serve but managed to break straight back. Raducanu broke again to make it 4-3 courtesy of a scuffed drop-volley by Sakkari, who fought back once more following another double fault by the Briton. After getting her nose in front again, Raducanu held serve to take the opening set.

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• Venus Williams loses to Magdalena Frech in DC

• Williams, 45, was chasing first streak since 2019

• Raducanu beats Osaka; Fernandez ousts Pegula

Venus Williams’ bid for her first winning streak since 2019 ended with a 6-2, 6-2 loss to 24th-ranked Magdalena Frech at the DC Open on Thursday night.

Williams is 45, and her victory in the first round Tuesday night against 35th-ranked Peyton Stearns made the seven-time grand slam singles champion the oldest woman to win a tour-level singles match since Martina Navratilova was 47 in 2004.

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• Briton wins 6-4, 6-2 to make last eight in Washington

• Cameron Norrie and Dan Evans go out in straight sets

Emma Raducanu will reclaim the British No 1 ranking after winning her first meeting with the four-time grand slam champion Naomi Osaka in confident fashion. The clash was hotly anticipated but proved to be not that much of a contest, with Raducanu comfortably clinching a 6-4, 6-2 victory to reach the quarter-finals of the Citi Open in Washington.

Speaking on Sky Sports, Raducanu said: “I thought it was going to be a really difficult match. Naomi’s won four slams, she’s been world No 1, won Masters [titles]. She’s so dangerous and on the hard courts I think she’s particularly comfortable. I knew I was going to have to play really well and manage my own service games, which I’m really proud of how I did.

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