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Tag: Australian Open

  • Sinner to meet Gaston in Australian Open first round

    Sinner to meet Gaston in Australian Open first round

    • Sabalenka to play French wildcard

    Defending champion Jannik Sinner will meet French world number 94 Hugo Gaston in the first round of the Australian Open in his bid for a third straight title at Melbourne Park, while women’s top seed Aryna Sabalenka takes on French wildcard Tiantsoa Rakotomanga.

    Men’s top seed Carlos Alcaraz will play 79th -ranked Australian Adam Walton in the Spaniard’s quest for a first Australian Open crown to become the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam.

    At the draw ceremony at Melbourne Park, 10-times champion Novak Djokovic, the fourth seed, was bracketed next to 71st -ranked Spaniard Pedro Martinez for the opening round of the Grand Slam starting on Sunday.

    Serb Djokovic, who is gunning for an all-time record 25th  Grand Slam title to break clear of a tie with Margaret Court, could face rising Italian Lorenzo Musetti, the fifth seed, in the quarter-finals before a possible semi-final against Sinner.

    Italian Sinner has a smooth first week but fans will hope it includes a third round match-up with 28th-seeded Brazilian Joao Fonseca should the exciting, 19-year-old talent prove fit following recent back problems.

     “The draw is very difficult, it doesn’t matter who you play,” said Sinner at the draw ceremony. “We are the best players in the world and the way is very, very long.”

    Alcaraz has home hero Alex de Minaur in his quarter of the draw but the Australian sixth seed must pass a tricky first test against Italian Matteo Berrettini, the Wimbledon runner-up in 2021.

    Read Also: AFCON 2025: Fans decry poor officiating in Nigeria’s loss to Morrocco

    Twice champion Sabalenka has few threats in her quarter of the draw before a potential semi-final against third seed Coco Gauff, who opens against 55th -ranked Uzbek Kamilla Rakhimova.

    Women’s second seed Iga Swiatek will meet a qualifier in the first round but her path to a first Australian Open title and seventh Grand Slam crown overall could mean a crunch quarter-final against the resurgent Kazakh Elena Rybakina.

    Former Wimbledon champion Rybakina, the fifth seed, looms as a dangerous proposition after clinching her maiden WTA Finals trophy in November in a major return to form.

    Defending champion Madison Keys will face unseeded Ukrainian Oleksandra Oliynykova but the American ninth seed has a tough road to the title.

    Keys could meet sixth-seeded compatriot Jessica Pegula in the fourth round before a potential quarter-final against another American in fourth seed Amanda Anisimova.

    Home favourite Thanasi Kokkinakis, who had a protected ranking for the Australian Open due to injury, pulled out of the men’s draw on Thursday after suffering a shoulder injury at the Adelaide International.

  • Australian Open : Zverev stun Alcaraz to book semi with Medvedev

    Australian Open : Zverev stun Alcaraz to book semi with Medvedev

    Alexander Zverev battled through the pain barrier to stun Carlos Alcaraz and book an Australian Open semi-final against Daniil Medvedev, weathering a big fightback from the world number two.

    The German sixth seed eventually prevailed 6-1, 6-3, 6-7 (2⁄7), 6-4 for a phenomenal win on Rod Laver Arena to make the last four at a Grand Slam for a seventh time.

    Zverev, still searching for a breakthrough major title, will meet Medvedev next after the Russian third seed battled past Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz in five gruelling sets.

     “He’s been kicking my ass  a lot the last year or so. But maybe this’ll be it, this’ll be the place,” Zverev said of Medvedev.

    He had to dig deep to get past Alcaraz, who was 2-5 down in the third set and seemingly out for the count.

     “I’m playing one of the best players in the world, especially over the last two years… he’s won two Grand Slams,” said the German.

     “When you’re up 6-1, 6-3, 5-2, you start thinking. We’re all human. It’s a great honour to play against guys like this and when you’re so close to winning your brain starts going and it’s not always helpful.

     “But I’m happy that I fought back quite well in the fourth set and didn’t let go.”

    The 26-year-old last made the semis in Melbourne in 2020 and has only once been to a Grand Slam final, when he lost the 2020 US Open decider to Dominic Thiem despite holding a 2-0 lead.

    He managed to down Alcaraz despite toenail pain that needed treatment during the match.

    Read Also: Sick Raducanu crashes out of Australian Open

     “I have a lot of blood under my toenails, that’s quite painful,” he said. “But you know what, I would much rather feel the way I’m feeling right now with a bit of pain here and there and be in the semi-finals than be at home.

     “I’m fine, and I’m happy to be here and ready to get going.”

    Before meeting Zverev, Alcaraz had only dropped one set and a single service game and had spent five hours less on court than the German.

    But he did not know what had hit him in the opening set, with an ultra-aggressive Zverev ripping through it in 29 minutes, getting 16 of 18 first serves in play and winning 14 of those points.

    The Spaniard refocused and was more authoritative in the second set, hitting his groundstrokes and getting to the net.

    But Zverev saved two break points in the sixth game then swooped in the next, coming to the net for a winner to move 4-3 ahead and breaking again to take the set.

    A shell-shocked Alcaraz struggled to find a way back, with a double fault gifting the German a third break point, which he converted to pull 3-1 clear in the third set.

    Zverev moved 5-2 ahead and it looked all over when he served for the match at 5-3, but the Spaniard flicked a switch and produced some sensational tennis to break for the first time.

    It went to a tiebreak and with the crowd roaring him on Alcaraz took it to a fourth set.

    Zverev appeared exhausted, but he found another wind and forced errors from Alcaraz for a crucial break and a 5-4 lead in the fourth and this time made no mistake serving for the match.

  • Getting to know the Australian Open a little bit more

    Getting to know the Australian Open a little bit more

    Everyone who loves tennis as a sport, plays tennis or even just likes to bet on tennis matches on any of the tennis betting sites in Germany, is well aware of the grandiose and prestige of the four Grand Slams. They are the absolute kings of tennis championships, the ultimate tournaments, and the most iconic and legendary tennis competitions that players can ever participate in and of course win.

    The commencement of the season is done with the Australian Open, which takes place in mid-January till the end of the month. Then it is the Roland Garros or French Open which takes place in late May, then it is Wimbledon which is held at the end of June and the fourth Slam is the US Open which takes place in late August. 

    Although Wimbledon and Roland Garros typically generate most of the attention, due to their deep-rooted tradition and the fact that they go way back in history, the Australian Open is also an event that attracts the attention of all fans around the globe, especially in the last years, where some of the most memorable confrontations between legendary player shave taken place there. 

    Due to the fact that Australia is a country in a different hemisphere, with totally different weather, the AO is the only Slam that takes place during our winter! For many of us, the mid of winter is not the typical tennis tour period and as such we may not really know much about this event. But since it is one of the majors, we’d better get to know it a little bit more. 

    How it all started

    The tennis championship in Australia, known then as the Australian Championship, dates back to the beginning of the 20th century, and in fact in 1905 when it was first held in Melbourne.

    For nearly 65 years it was the ultimate tennis competition where all famous players would meet. In 1969 it was renamed to Australian Open and began to take place in a number of Australian and New Zealand cities until it settled once again in Melbourne in 1996. Melbourne Park in Melbourne remains until today the official host of the AO. 

    The surface and the trophies

    Although the AO started with grass courts, it was not until the late 1980s that the decision to abandon this type of surface led to today’s famous blue hard court of the Slam. 

    As for the trophies, they have a history of their own too. The AO  men’s singles trophy is the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup, which has been named after the Aussie tennis champion Sir Norman Brookes or “The Wizard”, while the winner of women’s singles is presented with the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup, which has also been named in honor to the exceptional tennis player who suffered a tragic death. Both trophies are state-of-the-art artifacts and they are kept at AO, while the winners get a replica of those. 

    Participation in the Australian Open

    There are both seeding and qualification criteria to get to the Australian Open. This means that players who are top seeds will get into right away and then a certain number of players will come from qualification rounds. 

    The qualification phase runs in the first days of the tournament and once it is over the first round of the Singles begins. This is when the knock-out stage actually commences, up until we reach the quarter-finals, the semi-finals and of course the finals, which constitute the absolute tennis event, for everyone involved – from the umpires and the players to the crowd and the sports bettors who are searching for the best sports odds across online bookmakers. During this time, the Doubles also begin.

    Record winners

    The absolute star of the Australian Open is Novak Djokovic with a total of 10 titles and a record of three consecutive wins of the AO. That’s no wonder. Djokovic is the absolute king of tennis with a total of 24 Grand Slam titles in his career!

    Roger Federer comes second with 9 titles in the Australian Open, while Rafael Nadal has only won two times this championship. 

    On the women’s side, Serena Williams is the indisputable champion with seven AO titles in her career!

    Well, I guess we’ve gotten a bit closer to the Australian Open, one of the four greatest tennis championships and most prestigious sporting events in the world!

  • Serena sends tongues wagging in custom skin-tight bodysuit

     

    There is always something to look forward to when American tennis star Serena Williams steps on the court. If you are not attracted by her pattern of play then it could be her outfit which could appear tantalizing to others and irritable to some.

    The French Open courted controversy in August last year, when they banned Serena Williams from wearing her catsuit at this year’s tournament.

    And on Tuesday at the first round of the Australian Open in Melbourne, the American tennis champion had a defiant message for her critics.

    The 37-year-old sported a custom-made, revealing green Lycra jumpsuit by Nike, teamed with fishnet stockings.

    The mother-of-one’s body-hugging attire caused mixed reactions, with some loving the look and others finding it ‘distasteful’.

    In her first-round victory over Germany’s Tatjana Maria, Serena took to centre court in a sleeveless green lycra jumpsuit featuring black and white panels across the bust and waist, the hemline finished at mid-thigh, revealing every contour of

    her figure.

    Viewers flocked to Twitter to comment on her eye-catching ensemble, with the majority on the positive side.

    ‘Loving @serenawilliams outfit. She’s giving me #AussieRules meets SuperHero. Stunning. Feisty. A winner,’ wrote one.

    Another followed with: ‘I’m living for Serena Williams outfit that she is wearing for the Aus Open today. So fab.’ ‘That outfit is bangin!!! And perfect for the weather!!’ one also said.

    It was however certain that not all that file out to watch the game are actually focusing on the game as one of those who reacted on social media said “‘Serena Williams in this green jumpsuit is redirecting the blood flow from my brain to other parts of my anatomy’

    However not all comments were positive, with one posting: ‘Serena, you can’t wear this on a tennis court!’

    Another wrote: ‘Looking like the green Power Ranger.’

    Ms Williams, who is known for her bold and risqué tennis attire, made headlines in August last year, when the French Open banned her from wearing her black catsuit at this year’s tournament.

    President Bernard Giudicelli said in the 500th issue of Tennis Magazine that stricter rules will be in place as ‘sometimes we go too far.’

    Referring to Ms Williams’ black catsuit, which she wore to the tournament last year, Mr Giudicelli said: ‘It will no longer be accepted. One must respect the game and the place.’

    In defence, Ms Williams said the skin-tight outfit helps with preventing blood-clots, a condition she has covered in depth in her HBO series, Being Serena.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Murray bows out of Australian Open after epic comeback

    Andy Murray’s hopes of a fairytale swansong at the Australian Open were crushed in the first round on Monday in Melbourne.

    Roberto Bautista Agut held off a thrilling fight back from the ailing Briton to claim a 6-4 6-4 6-7(5) 6-7(4) 6-2 epic.

    Though locked in a losing battle with his troublesome right hip, the former world number one whipped the Melbourne Arena crowd into frenzy.

    Read Also: Murray: I don’t know how long I’ll last

    This was when he battled back from two sets down to push the match into a fifth.

    It seemed the momentum was all Murray’s, but it was all a mirage as Bautista Agut rallied to break the Scot twice and roar to a 5-1 lead.

    Murray raised his racquet to salute the crowd before his final service game.

    But his fans could not prevent Bautista Agut serving out the match to love and ending the Scot’s brave resistance after four hours and nine minutes.

    NAN

  • Serena to miss out on seeding as French Open follows rankings

    Former Tennis World number one, Serena Williams will not be seeded at this year’s French Open, according to the organisers of the May 27-June 10 clay court grand slam.

    Williams, a three-time champion at Roland Garros, discovered she was pregnant after winning the 2017 Australian Open and following her return from maternity leave in March, the American suffered early defeats in Indian Wells and Miami.

    The 36-year-old subsequently withdrew from Madrid and Rome clay court events and the 23-times grand slam champion has seen her world ranking tumble to number 453.

    “This year again, tournament officials will establish the list and ranking of the women’s seeds based on the WTA ranking,” the French Tennis Federation told The Associated Press.

    “Consequently, (the seeds) will reflect this week’s world ranking,” the organisers added.

    Williams, who gave birth to daughter Alexis last September, can compete at Roland Garros under the WTA’s special ranking rule.

    The rule allows players returning from a long spell out to use their ranking at the start of their absence.

    Reuters/NAN

  • Serena ready for long-awaited return at Indian Wells

    Serena ready for long-awaited return at Indian Wells

    Serena Williams believes now is the “perfect time” to return to the WTA Tour in order to gauge her progress ahead of the year’s remaining Grand Slam Tournaments.

    Williams claimed a 23rd grand slam title at last year’s Australian Open before hanging up her racket for the season upon discovering she was pregnant with her first child.

    The American also skipped this year’s tournament in Melbourne.

    After using the time to work on her fitness, Williams featured in a Fed Cup doubles match for the United States last month.

    She is now scheduled to play at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells which starts this week.

    “My expectations, I don’t know what they are,” the 36-year-old American told the BBC.

    “I can’t go and say I expect to lose because that is something I will never say. It’s just a little different. I’m just expecting to see where I am more than anything.

    “This is a good time to start for the summer. If I want to play in those grand slams and play well, I think now is the perfect time to start.”

    The 2018 French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open are yet to be decided and Williams remains motivated to chase down Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24 grand slam singles titles.

    She is also hoping to give her now six-month-old daughter a chance to have some memories of watching her mother in action.

    “I’ve always been an extremely motivated person,” said.

    “But my main thing is that I would love for my daughter to be around with me doing great, and playing amazing, so that definitely gives me some motivation,” she added.

    “I would have thought I would have retired six years ago, but I’m still here and I’m playing great, and I think I’ll still be playing good.”

    Unseeded Williams is scheduled to open her Indian Wells campaign with a first round tie against Zarina Diyas of Kazakhstan on Thursday.

    Reuters/NAN

  • Wozniacki claims maiden Grand Slam title

    Wozniacki claims maiden Grand Slam title

     

    An emotional Caroline Wozniacki is finally a Grand Slam champion and world No 1 again after edging Simona Halep out of an epic Australian Open final.

    There was ecstasy for the 27-year-old Dane and only bitter disappointment for Halep after she finally wrapped up a 7-6, 3-6, 6-4 victory that took two hours and 49 minutes to win what was her third Grand Slam final.

    Wozniacki collapsed to the floor in tears after Halep hit a backhand into the net to be broken for the fifth time. She will return to the world No 1 position exactly six years after giving it up – the longest gap in reclaiming the position in WTA history.

    Wozniacki will return to the top of the WTA rankings six years after she last did, the longest gap in the history of tennis

    ‘I dreamt of this moment for so many years, it’s a dream come true,’ said Wozniacki. ‘It was an incredible match, an incredible fight. I’m sorry I had to win, Simona. I was a nervous wreack this morning I wanted to win so badly.’

    Halep not only loses that status, but is left waiting for a first major, having looked on the verge of cramp at several points in a gruelling encounter.

    ‘I want to congratulate Caroline, you played amazing. Of course I’m sad but Caroline was too good for me today,’ said a gracious Halep, who lost her third Grand Slam final.

    Wozniacki turned the deciding set around after taking a medical timeout at 3-4 in the third set – breaking twice thereafter to claim the £2.3million cheque for the victor. The players ran each other to a standstill in one of the best women’s finals at a big tournament in recent years.

    There could hardly have been more riding on this match, given the ranking situation, prize money and both players’ desperation to leave the club of being a world No 1 never to have won a Grand Slam.

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Federer powers into  30th Grand Slam final

    Federer powers into  30th Grand Slam final

     

    Roger Federer is within sight of an incredible 20th Grand Slam title after Hyeon Chung abruptly retired during their Australian Open semi-final.

    The 21-year-old Korean stopped and shook hands when 6-1 5-2 down to the Swiss master due to severe blistering on the bottom of his left foot.

    That is not dissimilar to what happened in the Wimbledon final against the man Federer now faces, Croatian Marin Cilic, who on Thursday ousted Kyle Edmund.

    It will be their second meeting in the final of the last three Grand Slams, and Federer will be perfectly fresh. He has not dropped a set en route to what is his seventh final at Melbourne Park.

    Federer was given an easy workout by the Korean, and it was all over after just 63 minutes, much to the obvious disappointment of the crowd inside Rod Laver Arena.

    ‘I know he has had a problem with a blister, I’ve played with them a lot and they hurt a lot,’ said Federer.

    ‘It is better to stop. I’m incredibly happy to be in the final but not like this. He has had such a wonderful tournament.

    ‘His attitude, he was fighting until the end. I knew something was wrong. He has great composure; I think he is going to achieve next level excellence. I can see why he beat Novak (Djokovic) and (Alex) Zverev.’

    As with Edmund, Chung’s retirement is a reminder of how physically gruelling it can be to make the latter stages of a Grand Slam.

    Last year Federer arrived after a six-month lay-off before winning the title. Asked how he would have reacted then when being told he would be on the cusp of yet another triumph he replied: ‘Nice joke.

    ‘I wouldn’t be thinking this way, I know how hard it is to win any major. I didn’t give up hope but I would have taken one more major before I retired, now I’ve got two more and one match away from another.’

     

     

     

     

     

  • Could Kedders be the new Andy Murray?

    Could Kedders be the new Andy Murray?

     

    The grandfather of Britain’s new tennis sensation Kyle Edmund spoke of his family’s pride after he roared into the semi final of the Australian Open.

    Nicknamed ‘Kedders’, the Yorkshireman stunned the sporting world with a shock win against World Number 3 Grigor Dimitrov – Nicole Scherzinger’s boyfriend.

    The 23-year-old is now on course to leapfrog Murray, who is out injured, to become the new British No1 – but needs to reach the final first.

    The victory in Melbourne means Edmund will take home at least £509,000 – adding to his career earnings of £1.5million. He will play Croatian Marin Cilic in the semi-final.

    Grandfather Jean Visloo, 81, is setting an alarm for 3am to watch the Open from his home in South Africa – where Edmund was born.

    Mr Visloo, who has six grandchildren including Edmund, described the player as a ‘determined character with a mind of his own’.

    He told MailOnline: ‘I follow every stroke of every one of Kyle’s games, if I can get it on my TV.

    ‘I set the alarm and I am watching very closely, it is just so exciting to watch him. I sit alone these days as my wife Aletha died the year before last, it would be nice to have company, share my pride in him.

    ‘We have a family WhatsApp group so we keep in touch that way, and I spoke to Denise, Kyle’s mother today.

    ‘She is not with him in Australia, his father Steven is with him. Denise has been the backbone of the whole story, she is the one who got him into lessons and then encouraged him as he just got better and better.’

    Mr Visloo, who is known as ‘oups’ (oupa means grandfather in Afrikaans) to Edmund, admitted he was sad when Denise and the family moved to Britain.

    He added: ‘I remember him as a child, he had a mind of his own, a very determined little character.

    ‘Whatever he chose to do he was very focused about it, so determined to get it done and do it right. He was a good soccer play as well, he just really goes for it when he puts his mind to something.

    ‘I would love to see him get to a Wimbledon final or something, I would jump on a plane for that at a drop of a hat if I could get my finances right.

    ‘It was very sad when Denise and the family moved to the UK, but the opportunity was good for them and they are making the most of it.

    His sister, Kelly, 21, celebrated her big brother’s amazing victory by retweeting various pictures and videos of the moment he beat Dimitrov, with one tweet branding him ‘King Kyle’.

    Murray, who is recovering from hip surgery, praised his understudy tweeting: ‘Wow @kyle8edmund’.

    Speaking after the game, he said: ‘I know what it feels like to be Andy Murray for the last eight years or so.

    ‘It’s an amazing feeling, very happy, with these things you are so emotionally engaged you don’t really take it in.

    ‘I’m just trying to enjoy the moment. It was my first match on this court, very special.

    Born in Johannesburg in 1995, he moved to east Yorkshire at three when his parents Steven, 49, and Denise, 50.