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Tag: Novak Djokovic

  • Djokovic, Sabalenka hit Brisbane Int’l quarter-finals

    Djokovic, Sabalenka hit Brisbane Int’l quarter-finals

    Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka were in ominous form ahead of the Australian Open as both powered into the Brisbane International quarter-finals.

    On a day when rising stars Mirra Andreeva and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard underlined their potential, Djokovic cruised past fellow veteran Gael Monfils 6-3, 6-3 in 72 minutes.

    In the women’s draw, world number one Sabalenka – who is aiming to win the Australian Open for the third time in a row – beat Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva 7-6 (7⁄2), 6-4.

    Djokovic and Monfils played an entertaining match, but the 37-year-old Serb was always in control as he notched his 20th  straight win over the Frenchman.

    Former world number one Djokovic plays giant American Reilly Opelka in the last eight.

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     “We’ve been playing a long time, I’ve known Gael since I was 15 and he was 16,” said Djokovic, who is pursuing a record 25th  Grand Slam singles title when the Australian Open begins on January 12.

     “I’ve had a good score against him over the years but we’ve had some incredible battles on different surfaces.

     “Hopefully we can play some more before we both retire.”

    The 17-year-old Russian Andreeva demolished Linda Noskova 6-3, 6-0 in the women’s draw while Mpetshi Perricard downed fourth-seeded American Frances Tiafoe 6-4, 7-6 (7⁄4) to reach the quarter-finals.

    A year after losing to the same player at the season-opening event, Andreeva displayed her improvement over 2024 with a 63-minute romp over the Czech Republic’s Noskova.

    The teenager faces Ons Jabeur of Tunisia next.

     “Last year she (Noskova) almost killed me in the quarter-finals so I was thinking it’s time to take my revenge,” Andreeva said.

    The Russian started the year ranked 16th  in the world and is tipped by many to challenge for a Grand Slam in 2025.

     “My number one goal for the 2025 season is to crack the top 10,” said Andreeva, who is coached by former Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez.

    The towering Mpetshi Perricard, 21, who beat Australian Nick Kyrgios in an entertaining round-one clash, again served superbly to defeat US Open semi-finalist Tiafoe.

    After serving 36 aces in his three-set win over Kyrgios, the Frenchman sent down another 20 against the more experienced Tiafoe.

    Mpetshi Perricard plays the 19-year-old Czech Jakub Mensik.

     “It was a good match, not very easy to play against Francis,” Mpetshi Perricard said. “The first set was very tight on serve but I managed to put some pressure on his second serve and it worked.”

  • Sinner denies Djokovic’s 100th  single title at Shanghai Masters

    Sinner denies Djokovic’s 100th  single title at Shanghai Masters

    Novak Djokovic’s bid to add a 100th singles title to his trophy cabinet was dashed after he was beaten 7-6(4) 6-3 by world number one Jannik Sinner in Sunday’s  Shanghai Masters final.

    The Serb had been hoping to become only the third man to win 100 singles titles on the tour in the professional era after Jimmy Connors (109) and rival Roger Federer (103), who was watching on from the stands alongside four-times Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz.

    In front of a packed crowd at the Qi Zhong Stadium, 23-year-old Sinner came out on top in a tiebreak in an enthralling opening set, before taking the one-sided second set to become the youngest-ever champion in Shanghai.

    “He was serving great the first set, I really couldn’t find a way to break him,” Sinner said.

    “Then I played a very good tiebreaker in the first set, which gave me the confidence to start off well in the second set. I’m obviously very happy about my performance throughout this whole tournament. It’s a very special one.”

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    There were no breakpoints in a tense opening set where both players dominated on serve. Djokovic, who owns 24-times Grand Slam titles among his haul, gave away just five points in six service games.

    It took a tiebreak to separate the two and Sinner, who improved his record in tiebreakers this year to 24-8, took the first four points in a row before clinching the first set when a Djokovic return flew wide.

    Djokovic’s serve lost some of its potency in the second set and two-times Grand Slam champion Sinner broke for a 3-1 lead after blasting a forehand winner down the line.

    Two more service holds put Sinner within reach of victory and he crossed the finish line with an emphatic ace to wrap up the final in an hour and 37 minutes.

    U.S. Open and Australian Open champion Sinner, who levelled his head-to-head record against Djokovic at 4-4, has won seven ATP titles this year and ensured the year-end number one ranking earlier this week.

    Sinner has won his last three matches against Djokovic and became the first player to have not faced a single breakpoint in back-to-back matches against the 37-year-old.

    Asked if he had found the key to unlocking Djokovic’s game, Sinner said: “It’s tough to tell you a secret because he doesn’t have any weaknesses.

    “You just have to try to use the really small amount of chances he gives you. But there are not so many throughout the whole match and you have to try to believe in every moment.”

    The victory in Shanghai also ensured Sinner’s fourth ATP Masters 1000 title overall and his third this year, adding to his wins in Cincinnati and Miami.

    Djokovic said he just could not match Sinner’s level, adding: “He was just too good today, too strong, too fast and well done. You’re having an incredible year. You deserve this.

    “Also, it’s nice to see Roger. I’m not used to seeing you in the stands. I wish you were here on the court playing with us.

    “It’s probably the first time that I’m playing in front of you, so I had a little pressure today, but it’s great. Thanks for being here. Carlos as well. Thank you for coming out.”

  • Djokovic admits ‘toughest’ Wimbledon win

    Novak  Djokovic admitted his epic, record-breaking Wimbledon final triumph over Roger Federer on Sunday was the “toughest mentally” he had ever endured.

    He also revealed he was able to turn the overwhelmingly pro-Federer, 14,000-strong Centre Court crowd in his favour by training his mind.

    “When the crowd is chanting ‘Roger’ I hear ‘Novak’,” said the Serb.

    The world number one saved two match points to clinch a fifth Wimbledon title and 16th major, shattering Federer’s bid to become the oldest Grand Slam champion in the longest final ever played at the tournament.

    Despite being outplayed by the 37-year-old Swiss for large parts of the knife-edge encounter, the top seed emerged victorious 7-6 (7/5), 1-6, 7-6 (7/4), 4-6, 13-12 (7/3).

    At 4 hours and 57 minutes, it was the longest Wimbledon final ever played and settled by a final set tiebreak for the first time.

    Djokovic is the first man in 71 years to win the title from match points down.

    “It was probably the most demanding, mentally, match I was ever part of,” said the 32-year-old Djokovic.

    “I had the most physically demanding match against (Rafael) Nadal in the final of Australia that went almost six hours (in 2012).

    “But mentally this was a different level, because of everything.

    “I’m thrilled and overjoyed with emotions to be sitting here in front of you as a winner but I was one shot away from losing the match. It could have gone easily his way.”

    Djokovic saved the match points in the 16th game of the deciding set, which ran for over two hours and was settled by a 12-12 tiebreak for the first time in a singles match at the tournament.

    It was a display of stunning mental fortitude by Djokovic.

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    However, he has been in similar predicaments in the past against Federer — saving two match points in both of his semi-final victories over the Swiss at the 2010 and 2011 US Opens.

    “I just try to never lose self-belief, just stay calm, just focus on trying to get the ball back, return, which wasn’t serving me very well today.

    “But in the most important moments, all three tiebreaks I guess, if I can say so, I found my best game.”

    Djokovic also insisted he had pictured how the final would play out, appreciating that Federer was, as always, the sentimental favourite.

    “I like to translate it in a way: When the crowd is chanting ‘Roger’ I hear ‘Novak’. It sounds silly, but it is like that. I try to convince myself that it’s like that,” he said.

     

  • Super Sunday: Federer, Djokovic battle to finish in Wimbledon final

    Battle from one arch rival to another, that perhaps captures the case of Eight-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer as he aims to claim a 9th one on Sunday.

    The 37 year old overcame Rafael Nadal in the semifinal to set up another clash with world number one Novak Djokovic

    The Swiss can clinch a record-extending 21st major if he manages to break free of the world No. 1’s stranglehold.

    Four-time Wimbledon winner and defending champion Djokovic enjoys a 25-22 edge in career meetings, stretching back 13 years. The Serb has won 14 of their last 20 meetings and eight of the last 10.

    Federer has lost all four of their most recent meetings at the Slams and it’s now seven years since he triumphed over the 32-year-old at the majors. That was 2012 in four sets in a Wimbledon semi-final.

    However, Federer, who will be 38 next month, insists such statistics are meaningless as he attempts to succeed Ken Rosewall, at the 1972 Australian Open, as the oldest Slam champion of the Open era.

    “It’s been a rock solid year for me. I won in Halle [on grass on the eve of Wimbledon]. The stars are aligned right now,” said Federer.“ From that standpoint, I can go into the match very confident.”

    Federer, who passed the 100-win mark at Wimbledon in his quarter-final victory over Kei Nishikori, is feeling especially confident after seeing off Rafael Nadal in four sets in the semi-final.

    That win was crucial coming as it did just a month after his old rival had condemned him to his worst Slam loss in 11 years in the semi-finals at Roland Garros.

    Appearing in his 12th final at the All England Club, and 16 years after his maiden Wimbledon title triumph, Federer believes there is little new that either he or Djokovic can do to prepare for Sunday’s showdown.

    “This is like at school — on the day of the test you’re not going to read, I don’t know, how many books you can read that day.

  • Zverev can definitely give Djokovic a match, says Becker

    Alexander Zverev is finding top form at just the right time, and is set to present a considerable Roland Garros barrier to top seed Novak Djokovic, said Boris Becker.

    Djokovic and Zverev had been due to clash later on Wednesday in the top quarter-final, but persistent rain has meant no singles play has started, and it is looking increasingly unlikely that the pair will manage to play.

    Becker, who coached Djokovic for three years, thinks his fellow German is primed to give him a run for his money.

    “Djokovic has been in top form from the first round onwards,” said Becker, in the French capital as a pundit for Eurosport.

    “He hasn’t been tested mainly because of his level. On the other hand, Sascha (Zverev) has been struggling with some long matches, with two five-setters, and for the first time, I saw a very good Sasha Zverev against (Fabio) Fognini.

    “He really stepped up to the plate and maybe played his best match of the season, and that’s what he has to do to give Novak a run for his money.”

    Becker, a champion at Wimbledon, the US and Australian Opens, never conquered the Paris clay, falling in the semi-finals three times.

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    He knows only too well the problems his compatriot might encounter. “Slow competitions don’t favour Zverev as it takes off a bit of speed from the serve, allowing Novak to get more returns,” he said.

    “But in his last couple of matches, Zverev has been winning the longer rallies, he’s being more patient, waiting for the right moments to play the right shots, which I think you have to be against Novak.

    “On paper, Novak is definitely the favourite, but on a good day, Sascha can definitely give him a match.”

    Austrian Dominic Thiem was also due to play for a spot in the semis, facing Russia’s Karen Khachanov. The wet weather will favour Thiem, Becker says.

    “Dominic Thiem’s run at the French Open in the last few years has been very impressive, but Khachanov is in his first ever Grand Slam quarter-final and an up-and-coming star, so can definitely cause problems.”

    He beat (Juan Martin) Del Potro, one of the biggest hitters on the tour. He wasn’t fazed in that match at all.

    “If it’s heavy and slow, it favours Thiem, but if it’s quick and the ball is travelling through the court fast, then it favours Khachanov. Thiem is still the favourite for me, but an intriguing match no doubt.”

  • Federer insists he could beat Rafael Nadal

    There is not a fat lot of evidence to suggest that Roger Federer will beat Rafael Nadal in the French Open semi-final. Yes, one may argue that the Swiss may have won his last five meetings but in their 15 previous encounters on clay, Federer has only won twice.

    Five of their clay-court battles have come at Roland Garros. Federer has not won any of them.

    Indeed, only two players have been able to triumph over the ‘King of Clay’ on his favourite court: Robin Soderling and Novak Djokovic.

    Their last contest on the dirt came in Rome in 2013, where 33-year-old Nadal wiped the floor with his great rival in the final, but the most recent encounter here, in 2011 final, was a much closer four-set affair.

    Federer’s best winning streak against his rival has coincided with his avoidance of competing on the crushed brick.

    Nadal grinned when asked about the 37-year-old skipping the 2018 clay-court swing in Monte Carlo a year ago: ‘He says he will love to play against me again in best-of-five sets on clay.

    ‘He said that a couple of days ago – and I thought he would play Roland Garros. Then a few days later he says he will not play in one event, so there’s a little bit of controversy with that.’ Federer, a champion in these parts in 2009, will no doubt take confidence from his recent winning record but knows that Nadal on clay is an entirely different beast. That said, the third seed insists their match is no foregone conclusion. ‘Like against any player, there is always a chance,’ Federer said after beating Stan Wawrinka in the quarter-finals.

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    ‘Otherwise, nobody will be in the stadium to watch because everybody already knows the result in advance. And I think sport does that to you, that every match needs to be played before it’s decided. ‘And that’s exactly what everybody believes by facing Rafa. They know it’s going to be tough. But you just never know. He might have a problem. He might be sick. You never know.

    ‘You might be playing great or for some reason, he’s struggling. Maybe there’s incredible wind, rain, 10 rain delays. You just don’t know. That’s why you need to put yourself in that position.

    ‘For me to get to Rafa is not simple. It took five matches here for me to win to get there. That’s why I’m very happy to play Rafa, because if you want to do or achieve something on the clay, inevitably, at some stage, you will go through Rafa, because he’s that strong and he will be there. ‘I knew that when I signed up for the clay that hopefully, that’s gonna happen. If I would have had a different mindset to avoid him, then I should not have played the clay. So I think by that mindset, I think it helped me to play so well so far this tournament.’

    Eleven-time champion Nadal, meanwhile, believes their match-up is continually evolving.

    ‘There are no two matches the same,’ Nadal said after thumping Kei Nishikori. ‘All the matches are different because we always try things. Let’s see. Let’s see what’s going on.

    ‘I really expect that he gonna play aggressive, changing rhythms, going to the net. That’s my feeling, that he gonna try to play that way because he’s playing well and he has the tennis to make that happen. ‘I have to be solid. I have to hit the ball enough strong to don’t allow him to do the things from good positions. I need to let him play from difficult positions, so from there he gonna have fewer chances to go to the net or to play his aggressive game.

    ‘So at the end of the day is play well. If I am able to play good tennis and play well with my forehand and backhand, I hope to put him in trouble. If not, I will be in trouble.’

  • Djokovic wins third Madrid Open

    Delighted world number one Novak Djokovic said he was back to his best after winning a third Madrid Open title on Sunday, defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3 6-4.

    Djokovic’s victory was also a record-equalling 33rd Masters 1000 title for the Serbian, drawing him level with great rival Rafa Nadal at the top of the all-time list.

    “I wasn’t playing my best tennis after the Australian Open. So, I was looking to regain momentum,” Djokovic told reporters.

    “I played some of my best tennis here. It’s a big win obviously for me today and in this tournament. I’m really looking forward to continuing this streak in Rome (at the Italian Open).”

    “He’s [Tsitsipas] very talented. He beat Rafa yesterday, he had a late night and he wasn’t as dynamic in his movement and that was probably due to his long match.”

    The Greek eighth seed rarely threatened to reproduce the stunning display he had conjured up on Saturday when he knocked out home favourite Nadal.

    Fifteen-times Grand Slam winner Djokovic was in command throughout as he continued his impressive French Open preparations.

    He had not dropped a service game all week in Madrid.

    The Serb raced into a 3-0 lead as he broke his opponent’s first service game under blue skies and soaring temperatures in the Spanish capital.

    He achieved this with his trademark backhand down the line causing Tsitsipas problems throughout.

    Tsitsipas, who is enjoying a breakthrough season, rallied in the second set with the backing of the crowd.

    But Djokovic broke in the ninth game to go 5-4 up, before serving out the match.(Reuters/NAN)

  • Modric beats Djokovic to win Balkan athlete of year

    Croatia captain Luka Modric was named Balkan Athlete of the Year on Thursday, becoming only the second soccer player to scoop the prize after Bulgaria’s former European Footballer of the Year Hristo Stoichkov in 1994.

    Ballon d’Or winner Modric won the Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup with his Spanish club Real Madrid as well as being instrumental in helping Croatia reach the World Cup final in Russia.

    He was awarded the tournament’s Golden Ball Award.

    The 33-year-old, who received 75 points in the 46th poll, organised by Bulgarian News Agency (BTA), beat Serbia’s world number one tennis player Novak Djokovic, who topped the annual poll five times in a row between 2011 and 2015.

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    Another tennis player, Romania’s Simona Halep, who finished the year as women’s world number one for the second consecutive season, came third in the poll, which is conducted by the state-run news agencies in nine Balkan countries.

  • Live Tennis Results

    The tennis season is coming to its end, however, there are many interesting competitions ahead of us, which you can follow at our platform.

    This season the tournaments of the Grand Slam series were quite intriguing. This is particularly true for the women half of the championships, where every time a different athlete won the title, and a whole number of players were real contenders for the victory. Serena Williams who could have won both Wimbledon and the US Open is back; however, the American lost in the finals of both tournaments.

    Novak Djokovic is a great example of how to rise from the ashes. Many experts have already pensioned the Serbian tennis player off and did not see him as a real contender for winning the major tournaments. However, he managed to shame the critics, and did it twice. Unlike Serena Williams, Novak succeeded at both Wimbledon and the US Open finals, so he is back to the elite of world tennis.

    Free livescore today is always fully available at our website. This is your chance to follow several competitions simultaneously, which is especially important at the initial stage of the major tournaments, when dozens of matches take place during one day.

    However, attention is paid not only to tennis, but to many other sports disciplines. The most popular are:

    •        basketball;

    •        football;

    •        hockey;

    •        volleyball.

    We regularly increase the number of events so that our customers can receive the necessary information in full.

    Conclusion of Tennis Season

    Despite the completion of the Grand Slam series this year, the remaining months of 2018 will still hold many competitions that will certainly please fans from all over the world. They are important both in terms of winning rating points and earning prize money.

    It is now very easy to follow them using your mobile device. Our Internet portal provides the latest information on tournaments from around the globe. This allows you to always stay informed and know the names of the key favorites of confrontations. The closing tennis season will surely be remembered by fans for a long time, because there were both triumphant comebacks and the rise of previously unknown athletes who in the future will shine even brighter.

    You can always find out about their successes, as well as the latest news at our platform.

  • Ondo first lady launches 2018 Summer Tennis Clinic for children

    The Wife of Ondo State Gov., Mrs. Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, on Friday launched the 2018 State Summer Tennis Clinic for children between four and 13 years old.

    Speaking at the ceremony, which took place at the Township Stadium in Akure, Akeredolu expressed joy that the dream of initiating the tennis clinic was gradually being realised.

    She said that she was impressed that the children who participated in last year’s edition attended other competitions and won laurels.

    “This clinic is essentially to identify and develop talents in our children.

    “It is important to encourage sports development among youths in the state, particularly at the grassroots level.”

    She said that the essence was to discover and develop the latent potential and skills of young ones who were capable of becoming champions.

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    “The benefits of catching our youth’s young, especially in sports, are enormous.

    “Let us look at champions like Venus and Serena Williams. They all started as young children.

    “Today, they have become world champions winning numerous awards. We have Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Billie Jean King, just to mention a few.

    The governor’s wife said that the programme “is not a government thing”.

    “You can give into it. Let nobody wait for the governor to bring money here,” she said.

    Mr Saka Yusuf-Ogunleye, the state Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, commended the governor’s wife for the initiative.

    Yusuf-Ogunleye said that the programme would go a long way in building future tennis players for the state and Nigeria.

    A participant, Aanuoluwapo Efunsile, said the participants would use the opportunity provided by Akeredolu to develop themselves and become great tennis players.

    300 students are participating in the programme holding from August. 23 to Septemper.1, 2018.

    It is organised by the Office of Wife of Ondo Governor in collaboration with the Ondo State Sports Council.