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Qatar Open: Iga Swiatek continues title defence as Naomi Osaka falls to Karolina Pliskova

World number one Iga Swiatek continued her bid for a third straight Qatar Open title, while Japan's Naomi Osaka was knocked out in Doha.

Swiatek needed just 74 minutes to beat Belarusian former world number one Victoria Azarenka 6-4 6-0.

The Pole, who is on an 11-match winning run in Doha, will play an in-form Karolina Pliskova in the semi-finals.

Czech Pliskova ended Osaka's best run in nearly two years with a 7-6 (8-6) 7-6 (7-5) win.

Four-time major winner Osaka returned to tennis last month after giving birth to her daughter Shai in July.

Her quarter-final meeting with Pliskova was the furthest she had gone in a tournament since reaching the Miami Open final in April 2022, losing to Swiatek.

Pliskova, who won her first WTA title in four years at the Transylvania Open on Sunday, was broken by Osaka in her opening service game but hit back immediately and came out on top of the first-set tie-break.

Osaka saved a match point at 5-4 and two more at 6-5 to force a tie-break in the second set, but Pliskova sealed the success at the fourth time of asking after one hour and 43 minutes.

On the other side of the women's draw in Doha, 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina sealed her last-four spot as she fought back from 4-1 down in the opening set to beat Canadian Leylah Fernandez 6-4 6-2.

The Kazakh third seed will face Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who defeated Danielle Collins 7-5 6-4.


BBC
 
British number one Cameron Norrie suffered a surprise defeat by Federico Coria in the Argentina Open.

The second seed received a bye into the second round and lost 6-2 4-6 6-3 to home hope and world number 106 Coria.

The defeat means Norrie, a finalist in Buenos Aires last year, will drop out of the world's top 20 when the rankings are updated on Monday.

Norrie will hope to avoid falling further down the rankings when he tries to defend his Rio Open title next week.


BBC
 
Carlos Alcaraz beats Andrea Vavassori to reach semi-finals

Reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz moved into the semi-finals of the Argentina Open in Buenos Aires.

The 20-year-old Spanish world number two gained a 7-6 (7-1) 6-1 victory in the quarter-finals against Italy's Andrea Vavassori, ranked 152nd.

Alcaraz will face Nicolas Jarry of Chile or Argentina's Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the semi-finals.

Earlier on Friday, Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner advanced into the semi-finals of the Rotterdam Open.

He was 7-6 (7-4) 1-1 ahead when opponent Milos Raonic had to withdraw during the second set because of a right hip injury.

Sinner had saved two set points in the 10th game before taking the opening set tie-break and it was level in the second set when former Wimbledon finalist Raonic pulled out to hand Sinner his 200th win on the ATP Tour.

Italian Sinner, who will go third in the world rankings if he wins the indoor tournament, faces Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands in the semi-finals on Saturday.

"He is for sure one of the toughest opponents to play against," said Sinner of Raonic in his post-match interview.

"From the past two rounds I was struggling a little bit to find myself on the court. I felt like he was playing better than me the first set.

"This is not how you want to win this match. He had so many injuries throughout his career and hopefully he will have a speedy recovery."

The second semi-final in the Netherlands will be between Australian Alex de Minaur and Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov, who beat Andrey Rublev and Alexander Shevchenko respectively.

There is guaranteed to be a home finalist in the Argentina Open as the second semi-final is between Facundo Diaz Acosta and Federico Coria.

Alcaraz is the firm title favourite at this stage, and after beating Vavassori he said: "In the first set he played at such a high level with his serve and he was really tough to return in really challenging conditions with the wind.

"I played better in the second set and his level went down a bit and I took my chances."

BBC
 
Rotterdam Open: Jannik Sinner beats Alex de Minaur to rise to third in world

Jannik Sinner will climb to a career-high third in the world ranking after beating Alex de Minaur in straight sets to win the Rotterdam Open.

The Australian Open champion will become Italy's highest-ranked male player in history after beating world number 11 De Minaur 7-5 6-4.

It is a 12th career title for Sinner, who has now won 15 consecutive matches.

"I'm really proud of the level I played at throughout this whole week," said the 22-year-old.

"We have done a really good job some weeks ago [at the Australian Open] and now we did a very, very good job here."

The Italian has not lost since a straight-set defeat to Novak Djokovic at the ATP Tour finals in November.

After a tight opening, Sinner broke in the fifth game of the first set to go 3-2 in front.

De Minaur, 24, then showed resilience to save two set points before breaking back in a see-saw 10th game that took more than 15 minutes to complete.

Sinner, though, broke straight back in the next game before closing out the set on his serve.

The second set was just as close but, as the Australian began to tire, Sinner made the decisive break in the seventh game to go 4-3 ahead - and it was a lead he did not relinquish.

De Minaur has now lost all seven matches against his friend and former doubles partner Sinner.

"I asked him jokingly if he's going to lose a match this year," said the runner-up.

"He's playing an incredible level and just too good. I'll get you back next time."


BBC
 
World number one Iga Swiatek claimed the Qatar Open title for the third year in a row with a straight-set victory over Elena Rybakina.

Poland's Swiatek trailed by a double break in the first set but regrouped to beat Kazakhstan's Rybakina 7-6 (10-8) 6-2 in Doha.

Source: BBC
 
ATP Rio Open: Briton Cameron Norrie beats Hugo Dellien

British number one Cameron Norrie started the defence of his ATP Rio Open title with a routine 6-3 6-2 win over over Bolivian Hugo Dellien in Brazil.

Norrie, 28, made light work of an opponent who gave him a tough time at the quarter-final stage in 2023.

It took Norrie, who offered up just one break point in the match, one hour and 21 minutes to seal victory.

He will meet Chile's Tomas Barrios Vera for the first time in his career in the next round.

"I served much better than last week, and I was a bit more patient," said Norrie.

"I knew I had to play point for point and really make the rallies a bit longer. I think I learned from last week with that, and I'm just happy to be back in Brazil."

In Mexico, Britain's Dan Evans reached the second round of the Los Cabos Open with a 6-2 6-4 victory over Russia's Roman Safiullin.

Evans will face Thanasi Kokkinakis in the next round after the Australian beat Briton Jack Draper 4-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-4.

Earlier, another defending champion, top-seed Taylor Fritz, defeated American compatriot Tommy Paul 6-2 6-3 to win the rain-delayed Delray Beach Open in Florida.

The win stretched world number nine Fritz's winning streak in ATP finals to six matches.

Britain's Julian Cash and American partner Robert Galloway claimed their first ATP Tour title by winning the doubles final.

They beat top seeds top seeds Mexican Santiago Gonzalez and British partner Neal Skupski 5-7 7-5 10-2.

BBC
 
Qatar Open: Andy Murray beats Alexandre Muller in Doha

Andy Murray earned his first win of the 2024 season with a superb performance to beat France's Alexandre Muller in the Qatar Open first round.

Britain's Murray ended a six-match losing streak with a 6-1 7-6 (7-5) victory over the world number 75.

A manic celebration showed what it meant to the 36-year-old, who also raised his arms in relief when reminded it was his first victory of the year.

Murray, ranked 50th, plays 18-year-old Czech Jakub Mensik in the second round.


BBC
 
British number one Cameron Norrie started the defence of his ATP Rio Open title with a routine 6-3 6-2 win over over Bolivian Hugo Dellien in Brazil.

Norrie, 28, made light work of an opponent who gave him a tough time at the quarter-final stage in 2023.

It took Norrie, who offered up just one break point in the match, one hour and 21 minutes to seal victory.

He will meet Chile's Tomas Barrios Vera for the first time in his career in the next round.


BBC
 
Aryna Sabalenka's first appearance since winning the Australian Open ended in defeat by Croatia's Donna Vekic at the Dubai Tennis Championships.

Sabalenka lost 12 of the last 13 games as Croatia's Vekic won 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 6-0 in their second-round match.

World number one Iga Swiatek, who took the Doha title last week, won 6-4 6-4 against Sloane Stephens, while third seed Coco Gauff also progressed.

Gauff, who turns 20 next month, won 6-1 7-5 against Italy's Elisabetta Cocciaretto, but it was far from straightforward to close out for the US Open champion.

With service games proving difficult for both players, Gauff was unable to see out victory at 5-4 but instantly broke back for 6-5 and ended a run of six successive breaks to take her second opportunity.

Gauff will face in-form Czech Karolina Pliskova in the last 16, while Swiatek meets Ukraine's Elina Svitolina with the chance to avenge a defeat in the Wimbledon quarter-finals last year.

Source: BBC
 
Britain's Andy Murray was unable to back up his first win of 2024 as he lost to 18-year-old Jakub Mensik in a rollercoaster Qatar Open match.

Murray, 36, ended a run of six defeats by beating Alexandre Muller on Tuesday but lost 7-6 (8-6) 6-7 (3-7) 7-6 (7-4) to 116th-ranked Mensik 24 hours later.
 
Qualifier Anna Kalinskaya stunned world number one Iga Swiatek to reach the Dubai Tennis Championships final.

Kalinskaya, 25, took one hour and 42 minutes to seal a 6-4 6-4 win against the four-time Grand Slam champion.

It is just a second loss in 26 matches for Swiatek, 22, after she won the Qatar Open title last week.


BBC
 

Cameron Norrie reaches Rio Open semi-finals with victory over Thiago Seyboth Wild​

British number one Cameron Norrie moved into the semi-finals of the Rio Open with a 6-1 3-6 6-2 victory over home favourite Thiago Seyboth Wild.

Defending champion Norrie wrapped the first set up in 30 minutes but an error-strewn second set allowed the Brazilian to level.

The 28-year-old raced to a 5-1 lead in the decider and sealed victory with his fifth match point.

"I was just really proud of how I fought hard," said Norrie.

"It was so humid and it was tough physically. I managed to break there in the end, so I'm proud of myself."

Norrie, ranked 23rd, has reached his first ATP Tour semi-final since May and will face 22-year-old Argentine qualifier and world number 113 Mariano Navone.

The other semi-final sees an all-Argentine encounter between Francisco Cerundolo and Sebastian Baez.

"I had a tough patch at the end of last year and I just wanted to stay strong. It's wins like this that make it count," added Norrie.

No player has won the Rio Open twice, while Norrie has joined Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz in reaching the semi-final of the tournament the year after winning it.

At the Los Cabos Open in Mexico, Norway's Casper Ruud beat Greece's defending champion Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4 7-6 (7-4) and will face either German top seed Alexander Zverev or Australian Jordan Thompson in the final.

Source: BBC
 
Defending champion Cameron Norrie lost in straight sets to Argentine qualifier Mariano Navone in the semi-finals of the ATP Rio Open.

Norrie, 28, was aiming to win back-to-back titles at the Brazilian clay court tournament after defeating Carlos Alcaraz in last year's final.

But the British number one struggled in hot and humid conditions in Rio.

The 22-year-old Navone, ranked 113th in the world, won 6-4 6-2 to reach his first ATP final.

He will face compatriot Sebastien Baez after the world number 30 won 7-5 6-4 against another Argentine, Francisco Cerundolo.


BBC
 
Karen Khachanov won his sixth ATP tour title at the Qatar Open as he defeated teenager Jakub Mensik in straight sets 7-6 (14-12) 6-4.

World number 17, Khachanov, 27, of Russia, did not drop a set in the tournament.

Czech player Mensik, 18, was the first teenager to reach the Qatar Open final.

Mensik hit 16 aces in the final and Khachanov said: "For a minute, I thought I was playing John Isner and not Jakub Mensik today."

Mensik, who is ranked 116th in the world, had beaten Andy Murray and world number five Andrey Rublev en route to the final.

Source: BBC
 
British number three Jack Draper raced into the second round of the Mexican Open with a straight-set win over American seventh seed Tommy Paul.

Draper held serve throughout and converted four of his five break-point opportunities to win 6-0 6-4 in one hour and 26 minutes in Acapulco.

He will next face Japanese lucky loser Yoshihito Nishioka.

Draper's compatriot Dan Evans went out after losing 2-6 7-5 7-6 (7-5) to American Ben Shelton.


BBC
 
Great Britain's Andy Murray hopes to compete at another Olympic Games before he retires.

The 36-year-old suggested on Monday he may only have a "few months" left in his playing career.

However, Murray - who won gold in the men's singles at London 2012 and Rio 2016 - told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme he wants another shot at glory in the Olympics.

"Hopefully I can get the chance to compete at another one," Murray said.

The three-time Grand Slam champion ranks his gold medal from 2012, when he defeated Roger Federer in the final, as the top achievement in his career.

Murray expressed doubts about his future in the sport as far back as 2019 but resurrected his career after having hip-resurfacing surgery.

"When the time is right I will probably say something before I play my last match and my last tournament," he said.

"Whether I say anything months ahead of the time I don't know."

The Scotsman lost his opening four matches of the 2024 season and said he was in a "terrible moment" but that he "won't quit".

"There's no right way of finishing your career and everyone is different so what might be the right way for [Roger] Federer might not be the right way for [Rafael] Nadal, might not be the right way for [Novak] Djokovic," he added.

The 2024 Paris Olympics starts on 24 July, less than two weeks after the end of Wimbledon which runs from 1 July to 14 July.

Murray will play fifth seed Ugo Humbert of France in the second round of the Dubai Tennis Championship on Wednesday after he claimed his second win of 2024 on Monday by defeating Canada's Denis Shapovalov.

BBC Sport

www.bbc.com

Andy Murray wants to play in Olympic Games before retirement

Great Britain's two-time gold medallist Andy Murray wants to compete at another Olympic Games before he retires.
www.bbc.com
 
That's exciting news from Andy Murray. It's great to hear that he's hoping to be in Paris this summer.
 
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) and the governing body of men’s professional tennis, ATP Tour, announced on Wednesday a new multi-year strategic partnership, in a move that further elevates the Kingdom’s position in the global sports scene.

The partnership marks a “significant shared commitment to enhancing global tennis for players, fans, tournament organizers and stakeholders at all levels of the sport,” both PIF and ATP said in a statement.

As per the agreement, the PIF will become the official naming partner of ATP rankings and will also be a partner at the Nitto ATP Finals, the ending of the ATP tour season championship, held in Italy’s Turin until 2025.

Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund is also set to be a partner in ATP tournaments in Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid, Beijing as well as the Next Gen ATP Finals, that will be hosted in Jeddah until 2027.

“Through our collaboration with ATP, PIF will be a catalyst for growth of the global tennis landscape, developing talent, fostering inclusivity and driving sustainable innovation,” Mohamed AlSayyad, Head of Corporate Brand at PIF, said in the statement.

“This strategic partnership aligns with our broader vision to enhance quality of life and drive transformation in sport both within Saudi and across the world,” AlSayyad said.

The PIF, according to the statement, will also actively contribute to ATP’s OneVision Strategic Plan, which focuses on driving unity, enhancing fan experiences and leveraging scalable growth opportunities.

“Our strategic partnership with PIF marks a major moment for tennis. It’s a shared commitment to propel the future of the sport,” Massimo Calvelli, ATP CEO, said.

Calvelli said that with PIF’s dedication to the next generation “the stage is set for a transformative new period of progress."

According to the joint statement, tennis is “rapidly” becoming a key sport in the Kingdom.

It noted that between 2019 and 2023, the number of registered players increased by 46 percent.

With this reality, the PIF will “leverage ATP’s expertise to develop further opportunities for young Saudis in tennis, including via state-of-the-art facilities, coaching, and an enhanced player pathway in Saudi Arabia.”

The news of the multi-year strategic partnership comes a month after 22-time Grand Slam champion Spainard Rafael Nadal was announced as a Saudi tennis ambassador. The partnership will include the building of a Rafa Nadal Academy in the Kingdom.

Nadal, along with Novak Djokovic and three other Grand Slam winners, will also partake in a new elite tennis exhibition that will be hosted in Saudi Arabia.

The announcement also comes at the backdrop of a debate that emerged over potentially moving the Women’s Tennis Association Finals to Saudi Arabia after former tennis players Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova objected to any such move.

Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to the US Princess Reema bint Bandar, rejected such criticism saying that “these champions have turned their back on the very same women they have inspired, and it is beyond disappointing.”

Al Arabiya

 
Saudi Arabia is about to become the next giant in the world of sports. They have completely transformed themselves.
 
Britain's Emma Raducanu has been given a wildcard to play at the Miami Open next month.

The 21-year-old has not played since losing to Ukraine's Anhelina Kalinina in Doha on 12 February.

Raducanu is ranked 252nd in the world as she continues her comeback from an eight-month injury lay-off.

Former major champions Venus Williams, 41, and Caroline Wozniacki, 33, have also been given wildcards for the hard-court tournament in Miami.

The event, which is one of the biggest outside of the four Grand Slam tournaments, starts on 17 March.

It is is still unclear if Raducanu will play before then at the Indian Wells event in California, which precedes Miami as part of the 'Sunshine Double' and begins on 6 March.

On Thursday, she posted an Instagram story appearing to show that she was arriving in Los Angeles.


BBC
 
Jack Draper continued his fine form at the Mexican Open by beating Miomir Kecmanovic to reach the semi-final.

The British number three broke twice in each set as he cruised past the Serb, who is ranked three places below him in the world at 53rd, 6-3 6-3 in Acapulco.

Draper, 22, takes on defending champion and world number nine Alex de Minaur in the last four on Saturday.

The Australian fought back to beat Greek fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas 1-6 6-3 6-3 in his quarter-final.

Draper beat both Kecmanovic and American Tommy Paul, who he defeated in his opening match in Acapulco, en route to the final of the Adelaide Open in January, where he lost to Czech player Jiri Lehecka.

Danish second seed Holger Rune faces the winner of the quarter-final match between American Ben Shelton and Norwegian Casper Ruud in the other semi-final.

Source: BBC
 
Andrey Rublev has been disqualified from the Dubai Tennis Championships for unsportsmanlike conduct.

The Russian second seed screamed in the face of a line judge following a disputed call in the third set of his semi-final with Alexander Bublik.

A Russian-speaking official told ATP supervisor Roland Herfel that Rublev had sworn at the line judge in Russian.

Rublev denied he was speaking Russian, but was defaulted for unsportsmanlike conduct by umpire Miriam Bley.

The world number five, who was trailing 6-5 in the final set, will lose all of his prize money and ranking points for the week.


BBC
 
British number one Katie Boulter stormed through to her first WTA 500 semi-final with a straight-set victory over Croatia's Donna Vekic at the San Diego Open.

Boulter overcame strong winds in California to wrap up a 6-4 6-3 win over the seventh seed.

The 27-year-old will play Daria Saville of Australia or American third seed Emma Navarro in the last four.



BBC
 

Mexican Open: Britain's Jack Draper forced to retire from semi-final​

Britain's Jack Draper was forced to retire in the third set of his Mexican Open semi-final in Acapulco.

The 22-year-old had treatment from the physiotherapist and tournament doctor in the second set against Australian defending champion Alex de Minaur.

De Minaur had taken the opening set 6-3 before the British number three came back to win the second 6-2 thanks to some strong returns.

Draper was trailing 4-0 in the decider when he withdrew from the match.

He later wrote on Instagram: "I hate to pull out but I was feeling really unwell today. Congrats to Alex de Minaur and good luck for the final!"

The Australian world number nine wished the Briton "a speedy recovery".

De Minaur added: "Even though I dropped that second set, I knew he was hurting from then and I just told myself to bring up the intensity, try and get a head start in the third set and make it a little bit harder for him.

"He's a hell of a player, a hell of a talent and I hope it's nothing too serious."

In the final, De Minaur will play Norwegian Casper Ruud, who defeated Denmark's Holger Rune 3-6 6-3 6-4.

Source: BBC
 
Katie Boulter won her first WTA 500 title by fighting back from a set down to defeat Marta Kostyuk in the San Diego Open final.

The 27-year-old Briton won 5-7 6-2 6-2 in the biggest triumph of her career so far.

After a close first set, Boulter dominated Ukrainian Kostyuk to secure a victory that lifts her to a career-high ranking of 27th in the world.

"I don't know what just happened," Boulter said after the match.

"This week has been very, very special for so many different reasons. This one is pretty amazing, I've worked very hard for it, I played some incredible tennis all week.

"Today was a complete battle, with myself as well, because I was a little bit nervous. But I managed to get over the line, and that I'm very proud of."

Boulter converted seven of her 11 break points and also saved seven of the 11 that she faced.

She recovered from 5-2 down in the first set to get back to 5-5, saving five set points in the process, but Kostyuk took the opener when the Briton double-faulted.

Boulter found her form and dominated from that point, breaking Kostyuk three times in the second set to force a decider. In the final set, she broke serve twice more and served out the match by hitting her first two aces of the match and a forehand winner on championship point.

Boulter was greeted by her boyfriend, Australian player Alex de Minaur, who flew from Acapulco early in the morning after retaining his title at the Mexican Open on Saturday.

"I want to say a small special thank you to my boyfriend," Boulter added.

"He finished last night at midnight and I really want to embarrass him. He got on a 4.15 taxi this morning and six o'clock flight to be here today, so I do appreciate it."

The WTA Tour includes 250, 500 and 1,000-level events - the categories denoting the number of rankings points awarded to the champion.

Boulter's only other tour title was won at last year's Nottingham Open, a WTA 250 event.

www.bbc.com

Katie Boulter beats Marta Kostyuk to win San Diego Open title

Britain's Katie Boulter recovers from a set down to beat Marta Kostyuk in the San Diego Open final.
www.bbc.com
 
Andrey Rublev won his appeal against losing his ranking points and prize money after being disqualified from the Dubai Tennis Championships.

The Russian was defaulted for unsportsmanlike conduct in his semi-final with Alexander Bublik.

Rublev screamed in the face of a line judge following a disputed call in the third set.

A Russian-speaking official told ATP supervisor Roland Herfel that Rublev had sworn at the line judge in Russian.

Source: BBC
 
BREAKING: The Court of Arbitration for Sport has reduced Simona Halep's four-year ban for doping to nine months.

The former world No.1 can return to tennis immediately.
 
The International Tennis Federation (ITF) and partner Tennium announced on Tuesday that the 2024 Hopman Cup would be postponed to 2025 due to the Olympic Summer Games in Paris.
 
Dan Evans has just two wins from six events this year as the British number three lost to Russian Roman Safiullin in the first round at Indian Wells.

Evans' last victory came with a 6-2 6-4 win over the world number 42 at the Los Cabos Open last month.

But Safiullin avenged that defeat with a 6-1 5-7 6-2 success to hand the world number 45 a third straight loss.

He broke serve twice to lead 5-0, and although Evans rallied, Safiullin had two more breaks in the deciding set.

Safiullin will go on to face American Sebastian Korda in the second round.


BBC
 

Indian Wells: Iga Swiatek and Angelique Kerber through to third round​

World number one Iga Swiatek is through to the third round at Indian Wells, while Angelique Kerber's successful comeback continues.

Poland's Swiatek beat Danielle Collins 6-3 6-0, having broken the American's serve to make it 5-3 before breezing through the second set.

Kerber, 36, recovered to beat Latvia's 10th seed Jelena Ostapenko 5-7 6-3 6-3.

However, reigning women's champion Elena Rybakina withdrew before her opening match because of illness.

Rybakina was due to face Argentina's Nadia Podoroska.

Victory was only Kerber's third since the German former world number one gave birth to her first child just over a year ago.

Three-time Grand Slam winner Kerber reached the top of the world rankings in 2016, but is currently ranked 607th - this is just her fourth event since she returned to the WTA Tour at the end of December.

Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki, who also recently returned to the tour after becoming a mother, also progressed with a 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 win over Donna Vekic.

American Katie Volynets, ranked 131st in the world, pulled off a major upset after she beat Tunisian sixth seed Ons Jabeur 6-4 6-4.

Another contender who was knocked out in the second round was Russian 15th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, beaten 7-5 6-1 by Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva.

Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic, seeded seventh, went through 6-0 6-2 against American Bernarda Pera.

Italian Jasmine Paolini eased to a 6-3-6-3 win over Germany's Tatjana Maria while Russian Veronika Kudermetova clinched a 6-1 7-5 win over Japan's Nao Hibino.

Source: BBC
 
British number one Cameron Norrie beat Lorenzo Sonego 6-4 6-4 to reach round three at Indian Wells.

Norrie, 28, enjoyed a straightforward opening set, breaking Italy's Sonego once and holding on to his own service games to win it.

He broke twice in the second set to lead 5-2 but Sonego, also 28, fought back to win two games before Norrie served out for the win.

World number one Novak Djokovic is also through after beating Aleksandar Vukic.


BBC
 
Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz reached the fourth round at Indian Wells with a comfortable straight-set win over Felix Auger-Aliassime.

World number two Alcaraz, 20, cruised to a 6-2 6-3 victory over the Canadian to set up a meeting with Hungary's Fabian Marozsan in California.

Italian third seed Jannik Sinner also progressed in straight sets, beating German Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3 6-4.

Greek 11th seed Stefanos Tsitsipas beat American Frances Tiafoe 6-3 6-3.

Alcaraz did not drop a set on his way to winning the Indian Wells title last year but he had been forced to come back from a set down in his opening match against Italian Matteo Arnaldi.

He faced no such difficulties as he hit form against the 31st seed Auger-Aliassime.

After winning five successive games to take the first set in 32 minutes, Alcaraz carried that momentum into the second set as he clinched an immediate break of serve to take firm control of the match.

Auger-Aliassime survived two break points when trailing 3-1 to stay in contention, but Alcaraz sealed an impressive victory by taking his first match point on his opponent's serve.

"It was almost the perfect match for me," said Alcaraz.

"I played at a really high level, so much higher than the first round.

"My confidence has gone down a little bit, I've been struggling during practice every day. I'm trying to keep my confidence as high as I can."

Upcoming opponent Marozsan, the world number 58, beat Brazilian qualifier Thiago Seyboth Wild 6-2 6-2 to progress.

Australian Open champion Sinner, 22, needed just 74 minutes to get past 25th seed Struff and he will now look forward to a meeting with American 16th seed Ben Shelton following his 7-6 (7-5) 3-6 7-6 (7-5) win against Argentina's 22nd seed Francisco Cerundolo.

Tsitsipas, who in February dropped out of the top 10 in the world rankings for first time in five years, faces Jiri Lehecka in the next round after he beat Russian fifth seed Andrey Rublev 6-4 6-4.

Czech 32nd seed Lehecka, who lost in the second round against Rublev last year, is appearing at just his second Indian Wells.

German sixth seed Alexander Zverev beat Tallon Griekspoor 7-6 (9-7) 6-3 to set up a match against Australian 10th seed Alex de Minaur, who overcame Alexander Bublik 7-5 6-0.

Source: BBC
 
British number one Cameron Norrie suffered a third-round loss to Frenchman Gael Monfils after a gruelling three sets at Indian Wells.

Former champion Norrie, 28, took the first set in a tie-break but eventually fell to a 6-7 (5-7) 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 defeat after more than three hours.

Monfils, 37, has now won all four matches he has played against Norrie.

He will face Norwegian ninth seed Casper Ruud or French teenager Arthur Fils for a place in the quarter-finals.
 
World number one Novak Djokovic was beaten by 20-year-old lucky loser Luca Nardi in round three at Indian Wells.

Italian Nardi, ranked 123 in the world, had originally been knocked out in qualifying but reached the main draw after another player's withdrawal.

He hit 34 winners in a 6-4 3-6 6-3 win over the 24-time Grand Slam champion, converting match point with an ace.

"It's crazy," said Nardi, the lowest-ranked player to beat Djokovic at ATP Masters 1,000 or Grand Slam level.

"I don't know [how I held my nerve], I think it is a miracle, because I am a 20-year-old guy, and beating Novak."

Nardi will play Tommy Paul in the last 16, with the American progressing courtesy of a 6-4 6-4 win over France's Ugo Humbert.

Daniil Medvedev beat Sebastian Korda 6-4 5-7 6-3 and will play Grigor Dimitrov in the next round.

Holger Rune, Casper Ruud and Taylor Fritz also made it through to the last 16.

Source: BBC News
 
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Former world number one Naomi Osaka will make her first grass-court appearance for nearly five years after she and Madison Keys were confirmed to play at Eastbourne in June.

BBC
 
Carlos Alcaraz clinched a straight-set victory over Fabian Marozsan to reach the quarter-finals and continue his title defence at Indian Wells.

The Spaniard needed 75 minutes to wrap up a 6-3 6-3 win against the Hungarian.

World number two Alcaraz is bidding to become the first player to defend the title since Novak Djokovic in 2016.

He will face Alexander Zverev in the last eight after the German sixth seed recovered from a slow start to beat Australia's Alex de Minaur 5-7 6-2 6-3.

After taking the first set, 10th seed De Minaur broke serve in the first game of the second set.

However, Zverev immediately broke back and did not lose serve for the rest of the match, converting five of his seven break opportunities and saving eight of 11 break points faced.

"I don't remember having a better match in wind than I did today," Zverev said.

"When you're down a set and a break, you have to figure it out if you're going to continue, or you're going to be off the court in 20 minutes. I had to play differently from both sides, and I managed it well today."

Also in California, Greek 11th seed Stefanos Tsitsipas fell to a surprise 6-2 6-4 defeat by Jiri Lehecka.

The Czech 32nd seed won his first ATP title in January by beating Britain's Jack Draper in the final of the Adelaide International.

Lehecka will play Jannik Sinner in the quarter-finals after the Italian third seed beat American Ben Shelton 7-6 (7-4) 6-1.

Sinner has won 18 successive matches stretching back to last season and is chasing a third tournament victory of 2024 after lifting the Australian Open and Rotterdam Open titles.

Djokovic knocked out by lucky loser Nardi

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Two-time major winner Alcaraz said he was "nervous" before his meeting with Marozsan, having lost to the world number 58 in straight sets at last year's Italian Open.

"I was nervous before, I'm not going to lie. Playing against someone who beat you easily, I remembered I had no chances to win the game in Rome so it was difficult for me," he said.

"Today I knew what I had to do better than I did in Rome."

Alcaraz broke twice in the opening set and claimed the decisive break in the sixth game of the second to seal his place in the last eight for a third consecutive year at Indian Wells.

The 20-year-old added: "I did a few mistakes that I didn't want to make so that's what I want to be better. I want to serve better. It doesn't mean today I served bad but I want to keep improving and putting good tennis on the court."

Source: BBC
 
World number two Aryna Sabalenka fell to a surprise defeat by American Emma Navarro in the fourth round of Indian Wells.

Sabalenka, who successfully defended her Australian Open title in January, lost 6-3 3-6 6-2 to the 23rd seed.

The home hope was cheered on by the California crowd as she reached her first WTA 1000 quarter-final.

Navarro will face Greek ninth seed Maria Sakkari or France's Diane Parry on Thursday.


BBC
 
World number two Aryna Sabalenka fell to a surprise defeat by Emma Navarro in the fourth round of Indian Wells.

Belarusian Sabalenka, who successfully defended her Australian Open title in January, lost 6-3 3-6 6-2 to the 23rd seed.
 
Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner extended his winning run to 19 matches with a comfortable win over Jiri Lehecka to reach the semi-finals at Indian Wells.

The Italian beat the Czech player, ranked 32 in the world, 6-3 6-3.

Sinner will face defending champion Carlos Alcaraz or German Alexander Zverev in the last four.


BBC
 
Carlos Alcaraz was stung on the side of the forehead when a swarm of bees descended on his Indian Wells quarter-final against Alexander Zverev.

Umpire Mohamed Lahyani was forced to suspend play in the third game as the bees invaded the court in California.

The match was delayed for one hour and 40 minutes before defending champion Alcaraz won 6-3 6-1.


BBC
 
Maria Sakkari beat US Open champion Coco Gauff in a rain-hit match to set up an Indian Wells final against world number one Iga Swiatek.

Greece's Sakkari let a 5-2 second-set lead slip but regrouped to beat third seed Gauff 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 6-2.

BBC
 
Carlos Alcaraz ended Jannik Sinner's 19-match unbeaten run to set up a final against Daniil Medvedev at Indian Wells.

Australian Open winner Sinner was 2-1 up in the first set when the match was interrupted by a three-hour rain delay.

The Italian won the opener when they resumed before Spaniard Alcaraz fought back to claim a 1-6 6-3 6-2 victory.

Russia's Medvedev also came back from a set down to win his semi-final 1-6 7-6 (7-3) 6-2 against American Tommy Paul.

The final will be a repeat of last year's which Alcaraz won comfortably.


BBC
 
World number one Iga Swiatek dominated ninth seed Maria Sakkari to win the Indian Wells final 6-4 6-0 and claim the title for a second time in the California desert on Sunday.
 
World number two Carlos Alcaraz defended his Indian Wells title with a straight-set win over Daniil Medvedev in a repeat of last year's final.

Alcaraz, 20, beat the Russian world number four 7-6 (7-5) 6-1 to claim his first title since Wimbledon in July.

BBC
 
Great Britain will meet Canada, Finland and Argentina in the Davis Cup Finals group stage in Manchester in September.

The top two teams from each of the four groups qualify for the knockout stage of the Finals in Malaga in November.

The toughest group appears to be in Valencia, where Spain will take on Australia, France and the Czech Republic.

Defending champions Italy face the Netherlands, Belgium and Brazil in Bologna.

Germany, the USA, Slovakia and Chile will feature in the group being staged in Zhuhai.

The city was chosen to host it even though China are not involved.

It will mean a long flight from New York for some of the players, as the group stage begins just two days after the conclusion of the US Open.


BBC
 
Aryna Sabalenka intends to play in the Miami Open following the death of her boyfriend, former ice hockey player Konstantin Koltsov.

Koltsov, who represented Belarus at the 2002 and 2010 Winter Olympics, has died at the age of 42.

He also spent three years in the NHL with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Compatriot Sabalenka, 25, is seeded second in Miami and due to enter the tournament at the second-round stage later this week.

She has a first-round bye and will play the winner of Tuesday's match between Simona Halep and Paula Badosa on Thursday or Friday.

Source: BBC
 
Miami Open: Andy Murray beats Matteo Berrettini, Jack Draper also through

Britain's Andy Murray earned a much-needed win by beating former Wimbledon runner-up Matteo Berrettini - who almost fainted in the second set - in a tricky Miami Open first-round draw.

Murray, 36, fought back to win 4-6 6-3 6-4 as Italy's Berrettini indicated he was struggling with dizziness.

Murray, who plans to retire later this year, was able to earn only his fourth win in 11 matches this season.

He wrote "life in the old dog yet" on a camera lens after sealing victory.

British number four Murray, ranked 62nd in the world, will next face Argentine 29th seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry, who beat him in a subdued Australian Open first-round exit earlier this year.

Fellow Briton Jack Draper, 22, is also through to the second round in Miami after a confident display against Japan's Taro Daniel.

The British number two won 6-3 6-2 to set up a meeting with Chilean 22nd seed Nicolas Jarry.

Murray earns morale-boosting win

Murray's scrawled message on the television camera - which is customary for the winner - indicated his satisfaction at extending what is expected to be the two-time champion's final appearance in Miami.

The former world number one, who turns 37 in May, recently said he does not "plan on playing much past the summer" when pressed about his retirement plans.

Murray has been candid about his struggles in recent months and looked to be heading to another defeat against former world number six Berrettini, who was playing his first ATP Tour match in almost seven months.

Berrettini, whose own career has been stalled by a succession of long-term injuries, demonstrated he has not lost his strong service game by landing 78% of his typically-hefty first serves in an impressive first set.

Three-time major champion Murray, rarely one to roll over, improved considerably in the second set and turned the match around.

More proactive in the points and making fewer unforced errors, the Scot was rewarded by taking his third break point of the game for a 4-2 lead.

Then came a dramatic and concerning moment when Berrettini, serving to stay in the set at 5-2, wobbled as he was preparing to play.

The 27-year-old needed treatment from a doctor for dizziness before being able to continue, but also took a long break off the court before the deciding set.

With Berrettini still looking uncomfortable, Murray maintained his intensity to break at the fourth time of asking in a 12-minute opening game and it was enough to secure a much-needed success.

His celebration was respectfully reserved given the circumstances and he made sure his first act was to ask Berrettini how he felt when they shook hands at the net.

Draper impressive with career-high ranking in sight

While Murray is coming towards the end of his career, Draper is still only just getting going - and the signs are increasingly encouraging.

One of his main targets this year is taking over the British number one ranking which Murray held for so many years, and he is hot on the heels of current incumbent Cameron Norrie.

Draper's talent - characterised by a powerful serve and explosive forehand - has never been in doubt, but there have been constant concerns about his physical and mental durability.

The Miami Open is known for its difficult and humid conditions, but Draper - who headed straight to Florida to acclimatise following his early exit at Indian Wells in California - showed no problems in an assured performance against Daniel.

Draper used his biggest weapons to great effect, hitting 10 aces as he won 97% of his first-serve points and dropping only eight points on serve.

He also broke Daniel three times and was able to keep the points short in a victory which took little over an hour.

Now Draper turns his attention to Jarry, who received a first-round bye, as he looks to go on a run at the ATP Masters 1000 event which would help him surpass his previous career-best ranking of 37th in the world.

BBC
 
British number one Katie Boulter is through to the Miami Open third round after 16-year-old opponent Brenda Fruhvirtova was forced to retire through illness.

Boulter, who has made a strong start to 2024, led the second-round match 7-6 (7-5) 1-0 when Fruhvirtova withdrew.


BBC
 
World number two Aryna Sabalenka started her Miami Open campaign after an emotional week with an impressive win over her close friend Paula Badosa.

Two-time Australian Open champion Sabalenka, 25, played her second-round match four days after the death of her former partner Konstantin Koltsov.

Koltsov, an ex-ice hockey player, died in Miami aged 42 in what police described as an "apparent suicide".

Sabalenka decided to play the event and won 6-4 6-3 against Spain's Badosa.


BBC
 
British number one Katie Boulter is out of the Miami Open after a fourth-round defeat by Victoria Azarenka of Belarus.

The 27-year-old, ranked 30th in the world, lost 7-5 6-1.
 
Top seed Carlos Alcaraz defeated Gael Monfils in straight sets to reach the last 16 at the Miami Open.

The 20-year-old Spaniard came through 6-2 6-4 to set up a meeting with Italy's Lorenzo Musetti.

Alcaraz is aiming for back-to-back tournament wins after his triumph at Indian Wells.

Elsewhere, German fourth seed Alexander Zverev came through a tricky opening set before defeating American Christopher Eubanks 7-6 (7-4) 6-3.


BBC
 
Miami Open: Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner & Daniil Medvedev reach quarter-finals

Top seed Carlos Alcaraz reached the Miami Open quarter-finals with a 6-3 6-3 win over Italy's Lorenzo Musetti.

Spaniard Alcaraz, 20, will next play Bulgarian 11th seed Grigor Dimitrov, who beat Poland's 2021 champion Hubert Hurkacz 3-6 6-3 7-6 (7-3).

Italian Jannik Sinner and Russia's Daniil Medvedev also progressed.

Australian Open champion Sinner won 6-4 6-3 against Australian Christopher O'Connell, while Medvedev defeated German Dominik Koepfer 7-6 (7-5) 6-0.

Indian Wells champion Alcaraz is aiming to complete the Sunshine Double by winning the two prestigious American hard-court tournaments in the same season.

The 2022 Miami Open champion took a comfortable first set against Musetti with a double break and, after being broken in the seventh game of set two, Alcaraz responded immediately before serving out the match.

World number three Sinner, who triumphed in his first Grand Slam final in Melbourne in January, will play Czech Tomas Machac for a semi-final place.

Sinner fell a break of serve behind against 66th-ranked O'Connell but reeled off four successive games to turn around the first set, before striking early in the second.

Machac, who ended Briton Andy Murray's hopes in the third round, beat Italy's Matteo Arnaldi 6-3 6-3.

Medvedev set up a meeting with 22nd seed Nicolas Jarry, who overcame Norwegian world number eight Casper Ruud 7-6 (7-3) 6-3.


BBC
 
Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner reached the Miami semi-finals by ending Tomas Machac's stunning run at the ATP Masters event.

Second seed Sinner used his explosive power and precision to win 6-4 6-2 against his 60th-ranked Czech opponent.


BBC
 
German fourth seed Alexander Zverev moved into the Miami Open semi-finals with a dominant win which ended the run of Hungary's Fabian Marozsan.

Zverev, 26, won 6-3 7-5 to reach the last four at the event for the first time since 2018.

The Olympic champion used his serve to great effect, while taking four of the seven break points he created against 57th-ranked Marozsan.

Zverev will play Spain's Carlos Alcaraz or Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov next.


BBC
 
Carlos Alcaraz says he was made to feel like a "13-year-old" by Grigor Dimitrov after being beaten in the quarter-finals of the Miami Open.

Bulgarian Dimitrov won 6-2 6-4 to set up a last-four meeting with Germany's fourth seed Alexander Zverev.
 
Jannik Sinner produced a stunning performance to demolish defending champion Daniil Medvedev in straight sets and reach the Miami Open final.

In a rematch of this year's epic Australian Open final, in which Medvedev led by two sets to love before Sinner stormed back to claim his first grand slam title, the 22-year-old made light work of his opponent this time out.

Sinner dropped only three games as he romped to a 6-1 6-2 victory in just 69 minutes to reverse the result of last year's final.


SKY Sports
 
Jannik Sinner needed only 69 minutes to breeze past defending champion Daniil Medvedev and reach the Miami Open final

Second seed Sinner dominated a one-sided semi-final and swept aside Russian Medvedev 6-1 6-2.

The match was a repeat of January's Australian Open final, which Italian Sinner, 22, won in five sets.

He will face Grigor Dimitrov in the final after the Bulgarian beat Alexander Zverev 6-4 6-7 (4-7) 6-4.

Sinner has only lost one match so far this season, falling to a last-four defeat at Indian Wells two weeks ago to eventual winner Carlos Alcaraz, and if he wins in Florida he will move up one place in the world rankings to number two - replacing the Spanish double Grand Slam champion.

"I felt great on court," Sinner told Sky Sports. "I served very well, especially in important moments.

"I handled the situation well in the beginning of each set. [Medvedev] had some break chances - if he makes them then it's already much different, so I'm very happy."

World number four Medvedev - who beat Sinner last year to lift the Miami title - made 22 unforced errors during the match and was jeered by the crowd inside the Hard Rock Stadium after two wild mistakes in the second set.

Dimitrov's win over fourth-seeded German Zverev, which follows his victory over Alcaraz in the last eight, is set to see him climb back into the world's top 10 for the first time since 2018.

"I think the consistency of beating top players, that to me is a bigger success than anything else," said the 32-year-old.

"If you do that, you get the ranking. If you do that, things are just getting better for you. I think the discipline brought me to this moment. There is nothing else. I didn't kind of deviate from my target.

"I had small targets throughout - every single week I had a target, and also to be able to put my body through all that on a daily basis was also very important for me. When you start putting all that together, I think it's what I'm most proud of."

www.bbc.com

Miami Open: Jannik Sinner reaches final against Grigor Dimitrov

Jannik Sinner needs only 69 minutes to breeze past defending champion Daniil Medvedev and reach the Miami Open final.
www.bbc.com
 
American Danielle Collins beat fourth seed Elena Rybakina in straight sets to win the Miami Open - the first WTA 1,000 title of her career.

Collins, who plans to retire at the end of the 2024 season, beat Kazakhstan's Rybakina 7-5 6-3.

It marks a third career title for the 30-year-old, and her first since 2021.


BBC
 
Italy's Jannik Sinner cruised past Grigor Dimitrov in straight sets to win the Miami Open men's title.

Australian Open champion Sinner, who previously finished as runner-up in Miami in 2021 and 2023, defeated the Bulgarian 6-3 6-1.

It marks a third title of 2024 for the 22-year-old, following his successes in Melbourne and Rotterdam.

Sinner has lost just one match so far this season and will rise to a career-high second in the world rankings.


BBC
 
Queen's Club: Andy Murray, Jack Draper, Cameron Norrie & Dan Evans on entry list

Britain's Jack Draper plans to make a return to Queen's Club as part of his preparations for Wimbledon this summer.

Draper, 22, missed last year's Cinch Championships because of a shoulder injury which ruled him out of the entire British grass-court season.

This year, he has climbed to a career-high ranking of 37th in the world.

Draper is set to be joined at Queen's by compatriots Cameron Norrie and Dan Evans, while Andy Murray hopes to play if he is fully fit.

The Cinch Championships take place at the west London club from 15-23 June.

Television coverage of the pre-Wimbledon tournament will be shown live on BBC Two, BBC Red Button and iPlayer.

Former world number one Murray, a record five-time champion in the singles, ruptured ankle ligaments at the Miami Open recently and has not yet put a timeframe on his return.

The 36-year-old Scot has indicated he does not "plan to play much past summer" as he contemplates retirement.

The four Britons are on an entry list that also includes reigning Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz, plus fellow top-25 players Holger Rune, Alex de Minaur, Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe.

Grand Slam champions Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski will lead the British interest in the men's doubles, while wheelchair major winners Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid will compete in an exhibition match.


BBC
 

Saudi Arabia to host the WTA Finals for next three years and provide record prize money​


Saudi Arabia will host the WTA Finals for the next three years and offer record prize money of $15.25m (£12.04m).

The event, featuring the top eight singles players and doubles teams of the year, will be the highest-profile tennis tournament held in the country.

The WTA came close to staging the 2023 Finals in Saudi, before going to Cancun in Mexico.

This year's Finals will take place from 2 to 9 November in Riyadh.

The Next Gen ATP Finals, which features the best men under 21, was held in Saudi Arabia last year.

Saudi Arabia has been accused of using events to 'sportswash' its reputation amid accusations of violating human rights and restricting women's lives and freedom of speech.

In January, Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert said hosting the WTA Tour's flagship event in the kingdom would be a "step backward" for women's tennis.

But the WTA chief executive Steve Simon says that by choosing Riyadh, women's tennis is "supporting significant change being made within the region".

"The WTA has been breaking down barriers for more than 50 years," Simon told BBC Sport.

"We want to create more opportunities for women to play tennis at the elite level, and I think by doing this, we believe that we can inspire more women and girls to get involved with the sport.

"We are a global sport. The WTA now has all of these events and people from around the world that do reflect different cultures and systems."

The WTA says it assessed "multiple bids from different regions" and evaluated potential hosts on three criteria, including support for the organization's ambition to achieve equal prize money for women.

Prize money will rise to $15.5m (£12.24m) in 2025 and 2026, a significant increase on the $9m (£7.11m) prize fund offered at last year's heavily criticized Finals.

The WTA has pledged to introduce equal prize money at all bar the smallest events by 2033. By way of comparison, the prize fund at last year's ATP Finals in Turin was $15m (£11.84m).

Saudi Arabia has hosted exhibition events before - including a match between Aryna Sabalenka and Ons Jabeur in December - but had not staged an official tennis event before last November's Next Gen ATP Finals.

Even though the country has wider experience in hosting Formula 1, boxing and golf, crowds and atmosphere have often been hard to generate.

Attracting a crowd worthy of the WTA Finals will be a challenge, Simon admits.

"The presentation of the Next Gen event was very strong," he said.

"Attendance was lighter during the early rounds: it got better for the weekend, which is not uncommon for tennis.

"They do have a lot of experience of putting on world-class events in the region - Formula 1 is a good example - and one of the areas that we will have to work on with them, like we had to in China and in Singapore, is audience delivery. We have shown, with what we did in Singapore and in China, that we can do that."

Criticism of the long-anticipated move to Saudi Arabia has been led by Navratilova and Evert, who wrote an opinion piece for the Washington Post in January.

"Taking a tournament there would represent a significant step backward, to the detriment not just of women's sport, but women," the pair wrote.

Human Rights Watch told the BBC in December that Saudi courts had shocked people for promoting homosexuality online and added "LGBT people in Saudi Arabia have to practice extreme self-censorship to survive their daily lives."

Daria Kasatkina, who is in a same-sex relationship, is the only top player to have voiced opposition about a move to Saudi. Jabeur previously said she would be "very excited" to play in the country.

Critics say unprecedented spending on sport has been used to improve the oil-producing kingdom's reputation over its human rights record and its environmental impact.

But the Saudi government says the investment is boosting the economy, opening it up to tourism and inspiring people to be more active.

"We have had direct discussions with the players, and a couple of the trips we had over there we had some people join us from the LGBTQ+ community," Simon continued.

"We have also done a lot of research for some of the other sporting events that have been held over there, and they only had positive experiences within the region."

Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, Minister of Sport and President of the Saudi Arabian Olympic and Paralympic Committee, says the announcement is a significant moment for the country.

"To have a women's tournament of this magnitude and profile is a defining moment for tennis in Saudi Arabia," said Al Faisal.

"The WTA Finals has the power to inspire far beyond the sport, especially for our young girls and women."

Arij Almutabagani, who in 2021 became the first woman elected to run one of the country's sports federations, said: "Everyone will be made to feel extremely welcome.

"Our country is moving forward. Much has been achieved already and many historic steps taken by women in all sectors in recent years, with sport driving much of the progress across our entire society.

"Hosting the WTA Finals is absolutely huge for the future of tennis in Saudi Arabia and growing sport in general, especially among our young girls. And that's entirely our focus, to inspire future generations of players and celebrate women's tennis."

www.bbc.com

Saudi Arabia to host the WTA Finals for next three years and provide record prize money

The WTA Finals will be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the next three years and will also offer record prize money.
www.bbc.com
 
Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios says he will start hitting balls next week in his bid to return to the circuit.

ABC News
 

Nick Kyrgios plans ATP Tour return from injury and still has 'fire in the belly'​


Nick Kyrgios says he still has "fire in the belly" as he prepares to return to training.

Australian Kyrgios missed all four majors in 2023 because of wrist, knee and foot injuries and has played just one ATP Tour match since October 2022.

As a result, in January the former Wimbledon finalist said he did not want to play tennis any more.

But speaking to the Australian Open Show podcast, Kyrgios, 28, said he is ready to reignite his career.

"It's arguably been one of the hardest years of my life tennis-wise," Kyrgios said.

"I've had some really hard conversations with myself, if I want to keep doing this. So I know there's still fire in the belly, which is good, it's healthy."

After so many injury troubles, which required knee and wrist surgery, Kyrgios is cautious about setting a timeframe for his return to playing.

His last competitive match was in June 2023, when he lost to China's world number 64 Wu Yibing in Stuttgart.

"I'm hitting for the first time next week, so as soon as I get back out on court I guess it's just going to be starting up, getting that load back through my wrist and my body," Kyrgios said.

"But I definitely will be coming back. It's just hard to put an exact date on it because the injury was quite severe."

An exceptionally talented player, Kyrgios added that he wants to find his enjoyment of tennis again after such a challenging recovery process.

In 2022, he reached his first Grand Slam singles final at Wimbledon, losing out to Novak Djokovic.

He also won a doubles major in the same year as he and compatriot Thanasi Kokkinakis took the men's doubles title at the Australian Open.

www.bbc.com

Nick Kyrgios plans ATP Tour return from injury and still has 'fire in the belly'

Australian Nick Kyrgios is preparing to return to training after missing most of the last 18 months through injury.
www.bbc.com
 
World No. 10 Hubert Hurkacz passed a stern test on Saturday at the clay-court ATP 250 in Portugal with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 semi-final triumph against Cristian Garin to seal his spot in his first tour-level final on clay.
 
Matteo Berrettini beat Roberto Carballes Baena in straight sets to win a first title in almost two years.

The Italian eased past his Spanish opponent with a 7-5 6-2 victory at the Grand Prix Hassan II in the Moroccan city of in Marrakesh.

Berrettini ended Baena's nine-match winning streak, breaking his opponent's serve twice in each set to win in one hour and 46 minutes.

It was Berrettini's first title since his win at Queen's Club in June 2022.

The tournament was just his third since returning from an ankle injury, which kept him sidelined for six months.

The 27-year-old dropped just two sets during the tournament.

Elsewhere, Hubert Hurkacz won his first ATP title of the season with a 6-4 6-4 victory against Pedro Martinez at the Estoril Open in Portugal.

The world number 10's win is his eighth ATP title of his career, and his first on clay.


BBC
 

Monte Carlo Masters results: Cameron Norrie and Dan Evans lose in first round​

Cameron Norrie was beaten in straight sets by 15th seed Karen Khachanov in the first round of the Monte Carlo Masters.

Norrie fought hard in a match lasting two hours and 25 minutes but went down 7-5 7-6 (7-3) to the Russian.

The British number one had two set points to level the match at one set all before Khachanov came through in the tie-break.

Fellow Briton Dan Evans was beaten 6-1 6-4 by Austria's Sebastian Ofner.

Norrie broke at the first time of asking to go 2-0 up in the first set but Khachanov immediately broke back.

The Russian secured the decisive break, the last of five in opening set, in the 11th game and broke again to start the second set.

Norrie responded in the next game and broke again for a 5-3 lead but could not serve out the set.

He had another chance to break and force a deciding set but two set points went begging and the momentum was with Khachanov as he stormed ahead in the tie-break.

Norrie managed to save two match points but Khachanov converted the third and advances to play Argentina's Francisco Cerundolo in the second round.

Meanwhile, world number 50 Evans, playing his second match of the season on clay, lost a 70-minute match to Ofner.

Evans had two break points in the opening game but could not convert and went on to lose the next four games.

He dropped serve early in the second set and, despite a late wobble from Ofner, could not force a decider.

British number three Evans has not won back-to-back singles matches on the ATP Tour this year.

The event in Monte Carlo is one of the nine Masters tournaments, which are the biggest men's tour events outside of the four Grand Slams.

Jack Draper takes on Poland's 10th seed Hubert Hurkacz on Tuesday.

Source: BBC
 

Monte Carlo Masters: Britain's Jack Draper loses to Hubert Hurkacz in first round​

Britain's Jack Draper suffered a narrow first-round defeat by Hubert Hurkacz at the Monte Carlo Masters.

World number 39 Draper lost 6-4 3-6 7-6 (7-2) to the Polish 10th seed in a close clay-court meeting.

Draper had broken Hurkacz as he served for the match at 5-4 in the third to stay in contention but could not make inroads in the tie-break.

Novak Djokovic made light work of his first clay-court match of the year with a 6-1 6-2 win over Roman Safiullin.

World number one Djokovic has not won the Monte Carlo title since 2015 but is aiming to peak for this summer's Paris Olympics, which are held on the Roland Garros clay.

Draper had been the last Briton standing in the singles after Cameron Norrie and Dan Evans lost on Monday.

He was the better of the two in the second set, taking advantage of an increasingly faltering opponent to break to love for a 3-2 lead, and closed the set on a wild Hurkacz forehand.

The refocused Pole, who won his first clay-court title at the Estoril Open on Saturday, broke quickly in the third but could not serve out the match at the first attempt as Draper upped his return game.

However, Hurkacz was the stronger in the resulting tie-break to set up a meeting with Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut.

Earlier, third seed Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from the tournament with a muscle injury in his right forearm.

The Wimbledon champion had been due to play Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime on Wednesday and practiced in Monte Carlo with his forearm taped.

Alcaraz is the defending champion at the Barcelona Open, which begins on 13 April.

Source: BBC
 
Emma Raducanu produced a superb comeback to beat Caroline Garcia and level Great Britain's Billie Jean King Cup qualifying tie against France.

Raducanu grew in confidence as she beat world number 28 Garcia 3-6 6-3 6-2 on the clay court in Le Portel.

Anne Keothavong's side had been on the back foot after British number one Katie Boulter suffered a chastening 6-2 6-0 loss to Diane Parry.

The best-of-five tie concludes on Saturday.


BBC
 
Stefanos Tsitsipas defeated World No. 2 Jannik Sinner 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 to reach Monte-Carlo final where he will play against Casper Ruud who defeated top seed Novak Djokovic 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 in the second semi-final.
 

Billie Jean King Cup qualifying: Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter earn GB win over France​

Emma Raducanu withstood a late surge from France's Diane Parry to secure Great Britain's place in the Billie Jean King Cup Finals.

Raducanu came from a set down to hold a 5-2 lead in the third set and had two match points on serve before being pegged back by an inspired Parry.

But Raducanu kept her nerve to win 4-6 6-1 7-6 (7-1) and give Britain an unassailable 3-1 lead in Le Portel.

Katie Boulter earlier beat Clara Burel 7-5 6-0 to put GB ahead.

This was a superb victory for Britain, who were facing a tough task away against a French team that mixed clay-court experience with youthful exuberance.

However, Raducanu led the way for Britain, staging comebacks in both her singles ties to beat French number one Caroline Garcia and then Parry.

Saturday's win for former US Open champion Raducanu followed a superbly gritty performance from Boulter, who put aside a chastening loss to Parry on Friday to return and beat Burel in convincing fashion.

An emotional Raducanu teared up at the end, sharing a warm hug with Parry before the British team celebrated together.

"Being a set down, I was backed up against a wall and I didn't want to go to the doubles because they're a very strong doubles team," Raducanu said.

"Boults helped us go 2-1 up and [we had] the support on the bench to help us go out again.

"It's a massive shout-out - it is not just me out there."

Source: BBC
 

Reigning champion Alcaraz withdraws from Barcelona Open with injury​


Reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz has pulled out of the Barcelona Open due to a right arm injury that also forced the Spanish world number three to miss this week's Monte Carlo Masters, the ATP 500 tournament organisers said on Sunday.

The 20-year-old two-times Grand Slam champion won the tournament in 2022 and 2023. He has taken one title this year, at Indian Wells last month.

"(He) has suffered from the injury sustained in Monte Carlo, and did not have a good feeling in his training on Sunday and, despite having tried until the last moment, he will not be in the Barcelona Open," organisers said on social media platform X.

The main draw of the Barcelona Open starts on Monday, with the tournament concluding next Sunday.

www.reuters.com

Reigning champion Alcaraz withdraws from Barcelona Open with injury

Reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz has pulled out of the Barcelona Open due to a right arm injury that also forced the Spanish world number three to miss this week's Monte Carlo Masters, the ATP 500 tournament organisers said on Sunday.
www.reuters.com www.reuters.com
 
Stefanos Tsitsipas beat Casper Ruud 6-1 6-4 to win his third Monte Carlo Masters title in four years.

Greece's Tsitsipas, 25, dominated the opening stages and sealed the first set inside 36 minutes.

Norwegian Ruud fought valiantly in a tense second set, which was level at 4-4 before Tsitsipas pulled away in the final two games.


BBC
 
Cameron Norrie cruised into the quarter-final of the Barcelona Open with a 6-4 6-3 over Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut.

The British number one sealed the victory inside one hour and 24 minutes, and will face either Tomas Etcheverry or Brandon Nakashima in the last eight.

It was Norrie's 200th tour win of his career.


BBC
 
Britain's Emma Raducanu produced a dominant display against Linda Noskova to set up a last-eight meeting with Iga Swiatek at the Stuttgart Open.

Raducanu needed 81 minutes to claim a straightforward 6-0 7-5 victory.

The 21-year-old will face world number one and defending champion Swiatek in the quarter-finals after the Pole defeated Elise Mertens 6-3 6-4.

Swiatek, who is on a nine-match unbeaten run in Stuttgart, has a 2-0 win record against Raducanu.


BBC
 
Cameron Norrie missed out on a semi-final spot at the Barcelona Open with defeat by Tomas Martin Etcheverry.

British number one Norrie, 31st in the world, sits just one place lower than Etcheverry in the ATP rankings.

There was little to separate the pair, but the Argentine stormed through the tie-breaks to win 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-1).

British number two Jack Draper also fell at the quarter-final stage of the Bavarian International, losing to American third seed Taylor Fritz.

Fritz fought back from a set down to claim a 4-6 6-3 7-6 (7-1) victory and will face either top seed Alexander Zverev of Germany or Chile's Cristian Garin in the last four of the ATP 250 tournament.

Meanwhile, Etcheverry will play Norwegian third seed Casper Ruud or Italy's Matteo Arnaldi next.

Source: BBC
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Emma Raducanu has been knocked out of the Stuttgart Open despite a spirited quarter-final display against world number one Iga Swiatek.

Britain's Raducanu, who is continuing her comeback from an injury-hit 2023 season, lost 7-6 (7-2) 6-3 against the clay-court specialist from Poland.

Swiatek is on a 10-match winning run in Stuttgart, having won the last two editions of the WTA 500 tournament.

She will face Kazakhstan's fourth seed Elena Rybakina next.


BBC
 
Stefanos Tsitsipas will face Casper Ruud in the final of the Barcelona Open a week after beating the Norwegian to win the Monte Carlo Masters.

Greece's world number seven Tsitsipas overcame Serbia's Dusan Lajovic 5-7 6-4 6-2, while Ruud edged past Argentine Tomas Etcheverry 7-6 (8-6) 6-4.

Source: BBC
 
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