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Tag: Grand Slam

  • McIlroy completes career Grand Slam with Masters

    McIlroy completes career Grand Slam with Masters

     Rory McIlroy ended his long wait for a Masters title with a birdie on the opening hole of a sudden-death playoff to beat Justin Rose and claim the career Grand Slam after a nerve-wracking final round on Sunday.

    After missing a five-foot par putt at the 18th  in regulation that forced the playoff, McIlroy made sure he did not let his latest chance at major glory slip away and returned to the same hole in the playoff and put his approach two feet from the cup.

    When the winning putt dropped, McIlroy raised his arms toward the clear sky and let his putter fall behind him as he dropped to his knees overcome with emotion.

    McIlroy then embraced his wife Erica and daughter Poppy as chants of “Rory! Rory!” rang out around the green while he made his way toward Butler Cabin to collect the Green Jacket that he almost threw away earlier after a back-nine stumble.

    “There was a lot of pent-up emotion that just came out on that 18th green,” McIlroy said just before slipping on the Green Jacket during the presentation ceremony. “A moment like that makes all the years and all the close calls worth it.”

    Read Also: Michael Johnson’s new Grand Slam Track league to start in Jamaica

    With the win, McIlroy joins Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as the only golfers to win each of the four major championships.

    The 35-year-old McIlroy arrived at the year’s first major, where in 2011 he blew a four-shot lead on the back nine, seeking his first major since August 2014 to end a barren run that came with its fair share of near misses.

    For a while late in the closing round it looked like McIlroy was once again headed for major heartbreak as golfers were trading positions on the leaderboard at a mind-bending pace.

    McIlroy had been in complete control when he reached the turn but shockingly relinquished a seemingly comfortable four-shot lead and then delivered two of the best shots of his career late to keep his hopes alive.

    At the par-five 15th , McIlroy smacked a remarkable draw that curved around some branches and over the pond fronting the green where his ball settled six feet away. He missed the eagle putt but the birdie moved him one shot clear of Rose.

    After Rose, who was playing five groups ahead, drew level with 20-footer for birdie at the 18th, McIlroy again dug into his bag of tricks with a masterful stroke at the par-four 17th where his approach from 197 yards stopped two feet from the cup.

    “This is my 17th  time here, and I started to wonder if it would ever be my time,” said McIlroy, the first European to earn a career Grand Slam of the four men’s majors. “I think the last 10 years coming here with the burden of the Grand Slam on my shoulders and trying to achieve that, yeah, I’m sort of wondering what we’re all going to talk about going into next year’s Masters.”

  • I often pinch myself to believe my Grand Slam wins – Federer

    Roger Federer is an amazingly talented player but he never took success in tennis for granted. Unlike Rafael Nadal, Federer did not win a Grand Slam title at 18 years of age. In 2000, when Federer was 19, Queen’s Tennis Club declined to give him a wild card, Federer received a wild card from the Gerry Weber Open in Halle and the rest, as they say, is now history.

    “The road was long and rocky, but to win all the grand slams that I did … I often have to pinch myself to believe it but it’s been an amazing journey — it has made me tougher as a person and taught me to handle situations,” Federer admitted in an interview with Gulf News. “Life has been good for me and I wish all players go through this phase.”

    Federer once revealed he left his home in Basel at the age of 14 in order to train at the Swiss National Tennis Center in Ecublens, and in the train ride to the tennis centre, he used to cry a lot because he used to miss his parents.

    “I have had also to take tough decisions along the road, but in a nice way. You also have to remember why you are in such a privileged position, I can’t thank enough my fans, my team, the tournament officials — so many of them have touched my life along the way.”

    Federer won his first-round match at the Dubai Open on Monday against Philipp Kohlschreiber.

  • Feminism: Count me out! Declares Venus Williams

     

    Feminists who believe that women are marginalised and have limited opportunities have been told to tell that to the marines as the situation has since changed for the better with women having more opportunities to touch the sky.

    American tennis idol and seven Grand Slam winner Venus Williams made the submission in an interview with ELLE’s Magazine June edition, entitled modern Love.

    The 37 year old elder sister of glamour lady and 23 Grand Slam winner Serena Williams stated point blank that she does not believe in labels, insisting that there is nothing limiting women in pursuit of their dreams.

    She said: ‘I don’t like labels, though I do think as women we have much more power and opportunities in our hands than ever before.

    ‘We truly don’t know how powerful we are. There’s nothing like a powerful woman walking into a room; her presence is like nothing else.’

    Venus said she is grateful for the opportunities available for women in sport in this day and age.

    She said: ‘There are so many emerging forces; there’s been so much growth for women in sports. It’s very exciting.

    ‘You have to be able to stand up for what you believe in and I think I’ve done a good job. I guess I don’t have too many regrets.’ Venus was asked about equality and women’s rights:

    She said: ‘For me, the conversation [around equality] was never there. There are always challenges that you have to overcome on a daily basis. 

    ‘Unfortunately, people have the tendency to want to dominate one another, but fortunately, there are people who want to build other women up. It’s up to those people who want to build to hopefully eliminate all that negativity.’

    Despite being ranked one of the world’s best tennis players, Venus said she has had to make sacrifices along the way.

    She continued: ‘ I’ve worked so hard all of my life, so one of my personal goals is to actually have a life.’

    Her sister Serena, 36, also spoke to the magazine, where she praised her sibling.

    She offered: ‘I think Venus’s best qualities are just how incredibly strong and powerful she is – she is a true overachiever. She’s one of the best tennis players in the world and still always has that desire to continue to better herself.

    ‘Venus is someone who has overcome so many obstacles – from tennis to her health – and she runs two businesses. She faces obstacles every day. I think that everything she’s gone through, from age 18 to now, has shaped her to become the amazing woman she is.’

    Serena also credited her sister for being someone who has protected her throughout her life.

    She said: ‘I have a lot of memories of Venus, mostly of me doing whatever she did. She always set an example for me.

    ‘I remember playing with Venus in the yard when we were kids. It was back when we were in elementary school, and some of the other kids were picking on me.

    ‘I was a grade younger than her and was about to defend myself, but I hadn’t even opened my mouth and she was somehow there – it was so weird…. That’s how it’s been my whole life. Venus has been there, protecting me.’

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Serena enjoys winning return at Indian Wells

    Serena enjoys winning return at Indian Wells

    Serena Williams conceded she had been rusty on her return to professional tennis after more than a year away from the game.

    She did enough to secure a 7-5 6-3 win over Zarina Diyas in the first round of the BNP Paribas Open on Thursday.

    Williams, who had not played a singles match since winning the 2017 Australian Open while pregnant, chalked up 27 unforced errors with 34 winners.

    This helped her to defeat her 53rd-ranked opponent in front of a large and enthusiastic crowd in California.

    “It was incredible. It’s been over a year and a kid later. I get to go home to her now and I’m excited about that,” Williams said.

    “It definitely wasn’t easy but it was good. I’m a little rusty but it doesn’t matter. I’m just out here on this journey doing the best I can.”

    Williams was only two points from dropping the opening set but showed the sort of poise that has earned her 23 Grand Slam singles titles.

    Read Also:  Serena ready for long-awaited return at Indian Wells

    After taking a deep breath, she unleashed a second serve that kicked up viciously, forcing Kazakh Diyas to reach high for her return, unable to get it back into play.

    Holding serve to level at 5-5, Williams broke in the next game, letting out a scream and clenching her left fist as Diyas netted.

    The second set was a fairly even contest, with Williams again coming through on most of the big points.

    The 36-year-old gave birth to daughter Alexis Olympia on Sept. 1, but says post-childbirth health complications that included blood clots in her lungs were almost fatal.

    She is now healthy again, but skipped this year’s Australian Open because she did not consider herself tournament-ready.

    Williams is unseeded at Indian Wells, which is why she had to play the first round while the seeds, including Sister Venus, enjoyed a bye.

    The Williams sisters could meet in the third round.

    Serena plays Dutch 29th seed Kiki Bertens in the second round, while Venus takes on Romanian Sorana Cirstea.

    Former world number one Victoria Azarenka also made a winning comeback after eight months out of action, beating Britain’s Heather Watson 6-4 6-2.

    She last played at Wimbledon in July before the legal battle over the custody of her son kept Azarenka off the court for the rest of the season.

    The two-time Grand Slam winner also withdrew from the Australian Open in January.

    A commanding display in the first set saw Azarenka race to a 5-1 lead but Watson fought back to make it 5-4 before the Belarusian regained control to clinch the set.

    The second set was more competitive with Azarenka taking a 4-2 lead before being pushed in a 12-deuce game between the duo.

    But the 28-year-old held on to make it 5-2 and charge to victory.

    “It was tough, especially in moments that I have been out of the game…,” the two-time champion said after the match.

    “It’s a pretty good start. I had my heart out playing here and that’s the most important.”

    Azarenka has now won all six of her matches against Watson and will play U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens in the next round.

    NAN

  • Djokovic relishing return to tennis action

    Djokovic relishing return to tennis action

     

    Novak Djokovic is relishing his return to tennis after being out of the game for nearly six months.

    The 12-time Grand Slam winner has not played since abandoning his Wimbledon quarter-final against Tomas Berdych in July.

    Djokovic did not pick up a racket for almost four and a half months after having surgery on his right elbow.

    But the 30-year-old Serb will return to action at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi – little more than two weeks before the first Grand Slam of 2018, the Australian Open, gets under way.

    ‘It’s been a real roller-coaster ride for me for a year and a half with this issue,’ Djokovic said in an interview with Sport360 in Abu Dhabi.

    ‘I’ve never had surgery in my life, I’ve never had any major injuries that kept me away from the tour for such a long time. Never missed a grand slam in my professional career. It was a big decision, a big call to make.’

    ‘I’ve learned a lesson because I really want to avoid getting to that stage of an injury ever in my career after this.

    ‘I can’t wait to get back on the competition level but it was a great experience for me to have.

    ‘And it was a somewhat necessary experience because I got maybe too comfortable with not having major injuries.’

    Djokovic started hitting balls in Monaco four weeks ago when he began working with Radek Stepanek.

    The recently-retired Czech player has joined Andre Agassi to coach Djokovic for the 2018 season.

    Djokovic hired Agassi in May to work with him at the grand slams, but has been without a touring coach since splitting from long-time mentor Marian Vajda in the same month.

    ‘I was hitting the ball well from the first practice but the thing is that your muscles, and bone structures and ligaments and joints,’ said Djokovic, who has slipped down to 12 in the world rankings following his enforced break.

    ‘Everything has to get stronger and fall into place and get used to the stress of hitting the ball and all this stuff.

    ‘I’ve always had a lot of good times on the court in Abu Dhabi but also off the court I think it’s a very pleasant tournament to be part of.

    ‘It allows all of us players to kind of check where we are with our game and in competition play.

    ‘And obviously for me it will be the first match after Wimbledon – and that’s why I think I’m probably looking forward to it more than any other player in the tournament.’

    Three-time Abu Dhabi winner Djokovic joins a six-strong field that also features Dominic Thiem, Kevin Anderson, Pablo Carreno Busta, Roberto Bautista Agut and Andrey Rublev.

  • Sharapova named in India housing project probe

    Sharapova named in India housing project probe

     

    Five-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova is under investigation in India for cheating and criminal conspiracy after the collapse of a luxury housing project that she endorsed, police and a lawyer said Tuesday.

    The firm behind the development is alleged to have taken millions of dollars from homebuyers before the project folded.

    “We have registered a case of cheating on directions from the court,” local police officer Arvind Sharma told AFP.

    He said Sharapova and the firm behind the development, Homestead Infrastructure Development, were named in the case.

    The 30-year-old tennis star travelled to India in 2012 to launch the luxury high-rise apartment complex – later named Ballet by Sharapova – which prospective buyers were told would house a tennis academy, a clubhouse and a helipad.

    The website of the project quotes Sharapova as saying her goal was to “make the owners feel like they own something special and different”.

    “Any celebrity who endorses any product technically becomes an agent for that company. No one would have invested in the project if Sharapova’s name was not there,” said Piyush Singh, a lawyer representing the complainant.

    The project in Gurgaon – a satellite city of the capital New Delhi – was supposed to be ready in 2016 but, Singh said, construction work was abandoned after builders collected millions from homebuyers.

    Calls to the developers went unanswered. Sharapova has not yet commented on the case.

    Sharapova, a former world number one, made almost $30 million in 2015, according to Forbes, with $23 million of that coming from endorsements.

    She has had a stop-start season since her controversial return to the game in April, following a 15-month doping ban.

  • Hingis quits for third and ‘final’ time

    Hingis quits for third and ‘final’ time

     

    Swiss tennis great Martina Hingis announced her “definite” retirement on Thursday, signaling the end of a career which took her from 1990s teenage superstar to doubles world number one some 20 years later.

    The 37-year-old “Swiss Miss” has retired twice before – once after testing positive for a metabolite of cocaine – but she said the ongoing WTA Finals in Singapore will be her last tournament.

    “I think now it’s definite. It’s different, because before I walked away thinking I might come back,” Hingis told reporters after her 6-3, 6-2 doubles win alongside Chan Yung-Jan over Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Kveta Peschke.

    “After a season like this, I think it’s also perfect timing. You know, you want to stop on top and not when you’re already going backwards.

    “I couldn’t ask for a better finish.”

    Fellow Swiss star Roger Federer credited Hingis with helping him become a record 19-time Grand Slam champion.

    “Martina was partially the one who showed me how it was all done,” 36-year-old Federer said in Basel where he is playing at the Swiss Indoors tournament.

    “It was great for Switzerland to have someone of her calibre. We were very lucky.

    “I’m not sad to see her retire, she’s been in the game for long enough, she seems at peace with her decision – that’s wonderful. I’ve always been a fan of her and I always will be.”

    Hingis could end her career on a high in Singapore, with a semi-final looming against Timea Babos and Andrea Hlavackova. “We have a pretty decent chance. I think we are the ones to beat right now,” she said.

    Slovakian-born Hingis took the tennis world by storm when she won her first three major titles, the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open, in 1997 at the age of just 16, opening a period of dominance when she spent 209 weeks as world number one.

    It was a run that inspired a young Roger Federer, the leading light of the group of Swiss players – also including Stan Wawrinka and Belinda Bencic – who followed Hingis onto the world stage.

    Hingis, coached by her mother, Melanie Molitor, had five Grand Slam singles titles to her name when injuries drove her into her first retirement in 2003, when she was just 22.

    She returned two years later but the comeback was short-lived and Hingis stepped away from the sport again after failing a drugs test at Wimbledon in 2007.

    But she has enjoyed considerable success since her reincarnation as a doubles specialist, and ends her career at the top of the rankings and with 20 major titles in doubles and mixed doubles.

    “Here we are for the third, and final time,” Hingis posted on Facebook. “Looking back now, it’s hard to believe that almost exactly 23 years ago I made my professional debut.

    “The years that followed have been some of the most rewarding years of my life, both personally and professionally, but I believe the time has come for me to retire, which I will be doing after my last match here in Singapore.”

    Hingis said she would remain involved in the sport, perhaps in a coaching capacity – which could raise questions over a potential match-up with Federer.

    “I’ll always be part of the game of tennis,” she said. “Somehow we will be connected. I will definitely take some time out. I have done coaching before. I can help my mom, her tennis school.

    “I’m definitely not going to miss that day-in, day-out grind.”

  • Tennis star Minella reveals pregnancy bump after 1st round exit

    Tennis star Minella reveals pregnancy bump after 1st round exit

     

    It was a case of out with a bump in the first round for Luxembourg tennis player Mandy Minella at Wimbledon Tuesday.

    The 31-year-old crashed out in the Women’s singles to Italian Francesca Schiavone, beaten 6-1, 6-1 in two sets.

    In the post match press conference, the world number 82 revealed to journalists that she is expecting her first child, playing while four-and-a-half-months’ pregnant – and today posted a black-and-white snap of her husband Tim Sommer kissing her bump court-side.

    According to the Luxemburger Wort newspaper, Minella said: ‘Wimbledon is my last tournament this season. I want to compete again at Wimbledon in 2018 – and bring the baby buggy.’

    Minella is also due to compete in the doubles competition at Wimbledon with Latvian Anastasija Sevastova.

    The mum-to-be will apply for a protected ranking while she takes time out from the game, allowing her to return to the tour without her position in the standings being affected.

    According to NHS guidelines, it’s perfectly safe to keep up your normal level of exercise in pregnancy whether that’s yoga, running or dancing.

    The more active and fit you are during pregnancy, the easier it will be for you to adapt to your changing shape and weight gain.

    It will also help you to cope with labour and get back into shape after the birth.

    However, pregnant women are advised against contact sports such as judo, scuba diving, exercise that involves long periods lying on your back and exercising at altitude.

    Many players have returned to tennis after becoming mothers in the past, and new mum Victoria Azarenka, who gave birth to son Leo in December, was among the first-round Wimbledon winners on Monday and is hotly tipped to do well this year.

    Meanwhile, the women’s tour’s other pregnant player – world number one Serena Williams has been offering a glimpse into her pregnancy training regime.

    The US star and current Wimbledon champion, who has vowed to come back to tennis after her first child with Alex Ohanian, posted a video of herself doing a few ‘easy drills’ on the tennis court.

    The expecting tennis star was working on her forehand in the very short clip as she hasn’t appeared to lose her step.

    The 23-time Grand Slam winner captioned the video: ‘Wimbledon got me like: Easy standing drills this morning. Go easy.’

    The world-beating athlete also posted a snap of herself cradling her blossoming baby bump while posing on the clay court.

  • Venus heartbroken over crash that killed a man

    Venus heartbroken over crash that killed a man

     

    Venus Williams has spoken out for the first time after she was involved in a crash that left a 78-year-old man.

    The US tennis star said she is ‘devastated and heartbroken’ over the fatal car crash that Jerome Barson’s family says will prompt them to file a wrongful death suit against her.

    In a post on her Facebook page, the 37-year-old wrote: ‘I am devasted [sic] and heartbroken by this accident.

    ‘My heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends of Jerome Barson and I continue to keep them in my thoughts and prayers.’

    Williams, 37, is a seven-time Grand Slam champion who won five Wimbledon titles from 2000 to 2008 plus the 2000 and 2001 US Opens.

    Seeded 10th in her 20th Wimbledon appearance, Williams is set to face Belgium’s Elise Mertens in a first-round match Monday on the England grass courts.

    Attorney Michael Steinger told ABC television Friday that Barson’s family will file a wrongful death suit over the incident in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

    Barson, who suffered head injuries in the accident, died two weeks later on June 22.

    A Palm Beach Gardens police report said Williams’ 2010 Toyota Sequoia SUV and a 2016 Hyundai Accent driven by Barson’s wife, Linda Barson, collided in an intersection

    The accident remains under investigation and Williams has not been charged.

    Williams’ attorney, Malcolm Cunningham, said police estimated Williams was traveling only 5 mph when struck by Barson’s car.

    ‘This is an unfortunate accident and Venus expresses her deepest condolences to the family who lost a loved one,’ he said.

    Cunningham said Williams entered an intersection on a green light that turned red during her turn, but she was stuck in the intersection because of traffic.

    The police report said Williams was deemed at fault for blocking the right of way of the other vehicle.

    Police say there was no evidence Miss Williams was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or that she was distracted by a phone.

  • Serena returns to world number one

    Serena returns to world number one

     

     

    Serena Williams kept up her pursuit of a record Grand Slam title and a return to world number one on Monday as she reached the Australian Open quarter-finals without dropping a set.

    A day after defending champion and top seed Angelique Kerber fell by the wayside, Williams overcame Barbora Strycova 7-5, 6-4 to set up a last-eight clash with Britain’s Johanna Konta.

    The American great would gain much from winning in Melbourne, as she would overtake Steffi Graf’s Open-era record of 22 Grand Slam titles and end Kerber’s short reign as world number one.

    In hot conditions, she fought off the tenacious Strycova in two tight sets, following her sister Venus into the quarter-finals and staying on track for a possible all-Williams final.

    “I have absolutely nothing to lose in this tournament,” said Williams, 35. “Everything here is a bonus for me. Obviously I’m here to win. Hopefully I can play better, I can only go better.”

    Konta, the ninth seed, also reached the last eight with a perfect record in sets after a convincing 6-1, 6-4 victory over Russia’s Ekaterina Makarova.

    Despite the task facing her, Konta was delighted to be playing Williams, a childhood idol, for what would be her second straight Australian Open semi-final.

    “I’m really looking forward to the challenge, and I’m looking forward to being on court with her and competing against her,” said the 25-year-old.