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US Open: Zverev storms into semis, Raducanu continues her dream run

The victory leaves Zverev one win away from returning to a second consecutive US Open final

Fourth seed Alexander Zverev extended his winning streak to 16 matches by easing past South African Lloyd Harris 7-6(6) 6-3 6-4 and into the semifinals of the US Open on Wednesday where the German looms large as a potential roadblock to Novak Djokovic’s bid for a calendar-year Grand Slam.

The victory leaves Zverev one win away from returning to a second consecutive US Open final and another shot at a first career major title after losing to Dominic Thiem last year.

Zverev will await the winner between top seed Djokovic and Italian Matteo Berrettini, who meet later on Wednesday in a rematch of the Wimbledon final.

The path to what would be a record 21st major title has become very steep for the history-hunting Serb, who must first get through sixth seed Berrettini with Zverev now waiting in the wings.

Meanwhile, British teenager Emma Raducanu produced yet another electrifying performance to become the first qualifier to reach the US Open semifinals on Wednesday, defeating Olympic champion Belinda Bencic 6-3 6-4 on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Down an early break, the 150th-ranked Briton recovered swiftly to win four straight games to close out the first set in which she had seven forehand winners and three aces.

Like Raducanu, Bencic had reached the last eight without dropping a set over the past nine days but on Wednesday she struggled with her first serve and misfired a pair of costly double faults in the opening set.

Raducanu maintained her momentum in the second set, fending off three break points in the second game.

A frustrated Bencic handed Raducanu a break with a double fault in the fifth game and her frustration boiled over as the match progressed, with the Swiss smacking her racket to the ground.

https://www.khaleejtimes.com/sport/tennis/us-open-zverev-storms-into-semis-raducanu-continues-her-dream-run
 
Britain's Emma Raducanu continued to rewrite the history books as she became the first qualifier ever to make a Grand Slam final, sweeping into Saturday's US Open final against fellow teenager Leylah Fernandez.
 
MenInG said:
Britain's Emma Raducanu continued to rewrite the history books as she became the first qualifier ever to make a Grand Slam final, sweeping into Saturday's US Open final against fellow teenager Leylah Fernandez.
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Outstanding achievement, hoping she pulls of the miracle for Britain
 
World number one Novak Djokovic won a gruelling five-setter against Alexander Zverev to set up a US Open final against Daniil Medvedev and keep his bid for a calendar Grand Slam on track.

Russian second seed Medvedev had earlier kept alive his hopes of a first major title with a 6-4 7-5 6-2 win over Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime.

Djokovic then recovered from falling a set behind to win 4-6 6-2 6-4 4-6 6-2.

He now has the chance to win a record 21st men's Grand Slam singles title.

Victory over Medvedev on Sunday at Flushing Meadows would move Djokovic clear of the 20 majors won by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

History-chasing Djokovic would also become the first man to win all four majors in the same year since Rod Laver in 1969.

"There's only one match left, all in, let's do it. I'm going to put my heart and my soul and my body and my head into that one," Djokovic said.

"I am going to treat the next match like it is the last match in my career."
 
The final starring our British no.1 will be on Amazon Prime at 8pm, may try to check it out
 
Didnt know either of the finalists at the start of the tournament and now both are going to have a shot at something remarkable. Women's tennis is a breath of fresh air really

Both these teenagers have Asian heritage too, another reason to celebrate
 
shaz619 said:
The final starring our British no.1 will be on Amazon Prime at 8pm, may try to check it out
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Shame they couldn't get the Sunday one too.

Djokovic has effectively had a procession to a Grand Slam. The level on display the ATP is a disgrace. Had the other two has a tournament with neither Djokovic and Federer/Nadal, they'd likely have done the same. He was always going to be the one that prevailed and it was an inevitability in any case. He'll round of off with the ATP in Turin. A dominance not seen in any sport, ever. Laver had many mitigating factors.
 
Emma serving for the championship now. She has been brilliant out there

Off topic: Love the Romanian colors on her attire. Proud of her roots
 
And she wins. Remarkable story. No sets drop on the way to Championship as a qualifier
 
18-year-old tennis player Emma Raducanu has won the women's U.S. Open final becoming the first British woman to win a Grand Slam title in 44 years after beating Canada's Leylah Fernandez
 
OldWarHorse said:
Emma serving for the championship now. She has been brilliant out there

Off topic: Love the Romanian colors on her attire. Proud of her roots
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I was under the impression her mother was Asian? Anyway, was mightily impressed with her at Wimbledon, but had no idea she was this close to winning a Grand Slam. Her rise has been almost Boris Becker-like. From exciting prospect to champion in the space of a few short months.
 
great win, hopefully she can keep up the performance and go and win some more. needs tonnes of focus tho, because the whole world will fall at her feet as far as non tennis related activities go.
[MENTION=48620]Cpt. Rishwat[/MENTION] she is eurasian ethnically, half chinese half romanian.
 
Cpt. Rishwat said:
I was under the impression her mother was Asian? Anyway, was mightily impressed with her at Wimbledon, but had no idea she was this close to winning a Grand Slam. Her rise has been almost Boris Becker-like. From exciting prospect to champion in the space of a few short months.
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Her father is Romanian and mother Chinese
 
SpiritOf1903 said:
Shame they couldn't get the Sunday one too.

Djokovic has effectively had a procession to a Grand Slam. The level on display the ATP is a disgrace. Had the other two has a tournament with neither Djokovic and Federer/Nadal, they'd likely have done the same. He was always going to be the one that prevailed and it was an inevitability in any case. He'll round of off with the ATP in Turin. A dominance not seen in any sport, ever. Laver had many mitigating factors.
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Nope, nonsense. Total and utter garbage, the disrespect for what Djokovic is trying to do is off the charts. He's had easy and rough draws, he's had young and old opponents, he's had power players and grinders across the net and he's had big servers and quality returners to face. Guess what, he's come out on top in every slam match this year so far.

Try as hard as you may to convince yourself and others that he's only doing it because of the "weak field", the truth is he's been the most dominant player of the last decade and in process accumulated a resume that is already greater than Nadal and Federer's. He's done that with those two guys pretty much there all of the way with some exceptions.

Tonight if he wins, he's not doing it to become the greatest male player of the Open era, he's already got that under his belt. Tonight he's doing it to become the undisputed great and to truly seperate himself from the pack.
 
Saj said:
18-year-old tennis player Emma Raducanu has won the women's U.S. Open final becoming the first British woman to win a Grand Slam title in 44 years after beating Canada's Leylah Fernandez
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Emma Raducanu ended Britain's 44-year wait for a women's Grand Slam singles champion as she beat Leylah Fernandez to win the US Open in the most thrilling style.

The 18-year-old ended her scarcely believable run in New York with a 6-4 6-3 win over her 19-year-old Canadian opponent in a high-quality final.

Raducanu threw herself to the floor in disbelief as she fired down an ace to conclude what has been the most remarkable journey.

Raducanu served for the match at 5-3 but cut her leg as she went break point down, leading to a medical time-out and a clearly irritated Fernandez expressing her frustration to the match official.

However, Raducanu shrugged off the delay, saving a further break point before closing out her third championship point.

The two shared a warm hug before Raducanu headed up the stairs at Arthur Ashe Stadium to celebrate with her support box.

Raducanu was cheered on by an emotional Virginia Wade, who was the last British woman to win a major trophy at Wimbledon in 1977.

"It means so much to have Virginia Wade here and also Tim Henman," Raducanu said in her on-court speech.

"They are British icons and for me to follow in their footsteps gave me the belief I could do it."

With the victory, Raducanu becomes:

The first British female winner at Flushing Meadows since Virginia Wade in 1968
The first qualifier in the Open era to win a Slam
The youngest women's Slam champion since Maria Sharapova at Wimbledon in 2004
The youngest Briton to win a Grand Slam title
The first woman to win the US Open without dropping a set since Serena Williams in 2014
She will take home £1.8m in prize money, rise to 23 in the world rankings and will become the British number one on Monday.

Raducanu will also know that she has starred in one of the biggest moments in British sporting history - and captured the imagination of the fans at home and in New York.
 
OldWarHorse said:
Her father is Romanian and mother Chinese
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Yes I read about this in the news today in an article about her parents. She actually spoke quite positively about visiting China with her mother, but I can understand why she might not want to display her ethnic heritage from her mum's side too publicly in the current climate.
 
A British teenager, daughter of immigrants, wins the US Open without dropping a set. Now there’s something to admire.
 
bones said:
Nope, nonsense. Total and utter garbage, the disrespect for what Djokovic is trying to do is off the charts. He's had easy and rough draws, he's had young and old opponents, he's had power players and grinders across the net and he's had big servers and quality returners to face. Guess what, he's come out on top in every slam match this year so far.

Try as hard as you may to convince yourself and others that he's only doing it because of the "weak field", the truth is he's been the most dominant player of the last decade and in process accumulated a resume that is already greater than Nadal and Federer's. He's done that with those two guys pretty much there all of the way with some exceptions.

Tonight if he wins, he's not doing it to become the greatest male player of the Open era, he's already got that under his belt. Tonight he's doing it to become the undisputed great and to truly seperate himself from the pack.
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Stop crying. Not everyone is going to worship Djokovic like you and a lot of his cult do. We are free to dislike him.
 
What a wonderful result for tennis. While the ATP is full of spineless cowardly young players who are allowing a 34 year old to dominate, WTA is full of young talented players who aren't scared to beat the top players when it matters. That is exactly what both Raducanu and Fernandez did and both of them should be so proud of their efforts. Emma is a breath of fresh air and she is a British player that I can finally get behind. She has a got a good attacking game and wonderful attitude on court. All hail women's tennis.
 
bones said:
Nope, nonsense. Total and utter garbage, the disrespect for what Djokovic is trying to do is off the charts. He's had easy and rough draws, he's had young and old opponents, he's had power players and grinders across the net and he's had big servers and quality returners to face. Guess what, he's come out on top in every slam match this year so far.

Try as hard as you may to convince yourself and others that he's only doing it because of the "weak field", the truth is he's been the most dominant player of the last decade and in process accumulated a resume that is already greater than Nadal and Federer's. He's done that with those two guys pretty much there all of the way with some exceptions.

Tonight if he wins, he's not doing it to become the greatest male player of the Open era, he's already got that under his belt. Tonight he's doing it to become the undisputed great and to truly seperate himself from the pack.
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federer was number 1 for about 5 years and the guys he had behind him were nadal, djok, murray who were all some years younger than him but obviously had the ability to be atg players, and two will go down as atg from that list. murray and del potro had the ability but failed to convert it.

federer barely plays anymore and is nearly 40, and nadal is waaaay past his physical peak at 35, yet they are both still in the top 10. there is no doubt the men's field is weaker today than when fed was at his peak. excluding nadal the other 3 in the top 5 havn't even won a slam i dont think. who from the current top 10 do u think has the ability to be an atg?

djok is an atg, but peak nadal and peak federer were still better on clay and non-clay respectively, imo.
 
Queen's message to Emma Raducanu following her US Open win:

I send my congratulations to you on your success in winning the United States Open Tennis Championships. It is a remarkable achievement at such a young age, and is testament to your hard work and dedication. I have no doubt your outstanding performance, and that of your opponent Leylah Fernandez, will inspire the next generation of tennis players. I send my warmest good wishes to you and your many supporters.

ELIZABETH R.

https://www.royal.uk/queens-message-emma-raducanu-following-her-us-open-win
 
Djokovic 2 sets down and a break down in the US Open final vs Medvedev...

Looks like the wait for the 21st slam will continue. He looks a shadow of himself, missing countless basic shots.
 
Not to mention Novak's calendar Grand Slam is on the line!
 
Firebat said:
Djokovic 2 sets down and a break down in the US Open final vs Medvedev...

Looks like the wait for the 21st slam will continue. He looks a shadow of himself, missing countless basic shots.
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He aimed for too much. The Golden Slam would have cancelled sport as a concept. Japan took a lot out of him and he's had some tough rounds here as a result. Still won't say he's lost here!.
 
Medvedev serving for the championship, but double faults then hits it into the net to give Novak the break!

Still a break up, but the momentum has shifted!
 
The crowd's a disgrace and Novak isn't even encouraging them.

Shame Thiem couldn't do it properly and never liked Daniil but kudos
 
Medvedev beats Djokovic in straight sets (6-4, 6-4, 6-4) to win the US Open final! Totally one-sided final, absolutely faultless from Medvedev (apart from a couple of shaky 3rd set games) to win his first Grand Slam against the best player in the world.

Just the 2nd non-Federer/Nadal/Novak player in the last 5 years to win a Grand Slam.
 
SpiritOf1903 said:
The crowd's a disgrace and Novak isn't even encouraging them.

Shame Thiem couldn't do it properly and never liked Daniil but kudos
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I couldn't believe how much they were cheering Medvedev's double faults, the guy that was gunning for his first Grand Slam and shaking at a crucial moment. Felt horrible for him.
 
Firebat said:
I couldn't believe how much they were cheering Medvedev's double faults, the guy that was gunning for his first Grand Slam and shaking at a crucial moment. Felt horrible for him.
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Inexcusable but Djokovic should get 21 in Melbourne and Tsitsipas let tennis down and must be feeling worse now.
 
Was unbelievably good tonight Daniil. Djokovic just couldnt keep up with his intensity
 
Djokovic is crying more than the guy who just won his maiden slam.
 
What a glorious result for tennis. Don't get me wrong. Djokovic will definitely win 21 next year and break the slam record. But can you imagine if a 34 year old past his physical peak Djokovic won the grand slam? That would be a disaster for tennis. Medvedev saved tennis today. He finally became a man today. Lets hope Zverev & Tsistipas can become men next year as well.
 
The_KING said:
What a glorious result for tennis. Don't get me wrong. Djokovic will definitely win 21 next year and break the slam record. But can you imagine if a 34 year old past his physical peak Djokovic won the grand slam? That would be a disaster for tennis. Medvedev saved tennis today. He finally became a man today. Lets hope Zverev & Tsistipas can become men next year as well.
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You don't strike me as knowing much about tennis at all.

Prior to the match, almost many of the pundits and former players said the same, the rarity of the CYGS and the difficulty of it meant it's unlikely to happen again anytime soon, especially on the men's side and they wanted to see history.

Gilbert, Henman, Rusedski, McEnroe Snr, McEnroe Jnr, Cahill, Navritilova, Tracy Austin, Wilander and Courier to name a few all said they wanted to see history - it wasn't about the player so much as the achievement.

Why would someone - anyone achieving such a rare feat and bringing even more attention to the sport be a bad thing?

The only reason you think it would have been bad for tennis is your favourite player/s didn't come as close to it. It would have been the final nail in the coffin as to the GOAT debate.

As a massive Novak fan it was painful last night, but it's sport and these can happen. It was an awful crowd - so disrespectful towards Medvedev. The irony is, 6 years ago Djokovic beat Federer in perhaps an even more horrible atmosphere. It was a wretched performance from Djokovic, the legs were taken by those long matches en-route the final. It was as awesome win for Medvedev - glad he beat one of the big 3 for his maiden slam.
 
OldWarHorse said:
Was unbelievably good tonight Daniil. Djokovic just couldnt keep up with his intensity
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His legs and the pressure got to him. Yes Medvedev played very well - particularly on serve but that was a well below par Djokovic. Can't complain about much, you get some easy draws and he did (AO and W for example) and you get some tough draws (RG & USO), you've got to find a way.
 
Daniil Medvedev: US Open champion finally celebrates - and says title is anniversary present for his wife

Winning his first Grand Slam at the US Open was enough for Daniil Medvedev to finally celebrate - and he pulled out a move from a video game.

The Russian has said before that not celebrating wins is his "thing" - the most emotion he showed when he won the season-ending ATP Tour finals last year was a shrug of the shoulders.

But the second seed, having dominated world number one Novak Djokovic to win 6-4 6-4 6-4 at Flushing Meadows on Sunday, changed his mind.

He jumped and fell to the floor after he converted his third championship point - a reference to the brick fall/dead fish goal celebration in the Fifa video game.

"Only legends will understand, what I did at last was L2+left," he told the New York crowd.

Medvedev produced a near flawless performance to beat Djokovic and end the Serb's hope of a calendar Grand Slam and a men's record 21st major singles title.

He revealed afterwards that he had thought up the celebration while struggling to sleep on tour one night.

"To not celebrate is going to be too boring, because I do it all the time," Medvedev said.

"I need to do something, but I want to make it special.

"It's not easy to make it on hard courts. I got hurt a little bit, but I'm happy I made it legendary for myself."

After winning his first Slam, he shared an embrace with Djokovic at the net before standing with his arms outstretched, taking in the applause.

He then returned to his seat to allow the moment to sink in and appeared to ask his support box to calm their own celebrations.

Medvedev reached his first Grand Slam final at Flushing Meadows two years ago, where he battled back from two sets down before losing in five to Rafael Nadal.

He took on the role of a pantomime villain during his 2019 run, telling the crowd that their boos had given him "so much energy" to win.

By the time of the final, he had won them over, as he was given several lengthy standing ovations while he fought hard against Nadal.

He referenced his experiences from two years ago in his winner's speech, saying: "I want to thank you guys [the crowd]. Today it was maybe a little bit more for Novak but that's completely understandable.

"Throughout the week you guys gave me a lot of energy. Starting from 2019 long ago, it helped me through to today. It was not easy but thanks a lot guys."

Medvedev also paid tribute to his wife, Daria, joking that it was a good job that he won the title on his wedding anniversary as he had not bought her a present.

"During the tournament I couldn't think of a present. When I made the final, I thought if I lose I need to find a present fast," the 25-year-old said.

"I have no time to find a present, I have to win this match."

While the crowd were largely for Djokovic - they cheered so loudly after he held for 5-4 in in the third set that it reduced him to tears - Medvedev had plenty of support on Arthur Ashe.

It is the second time the two have met in a Slam final this year after Djokovic rolled past Medvedev to win the Australian Open in February.

Djokovic was bidding to become just the sixth player to win a calendar Slam and the first man to do it since Rod Laver in 1969.

"I am sorry for you the fans and Novak. We all know what he was going for today," Medvedev told the crowd.

"What you have achieved this year and throughout your career, for me, I have never said this before, you are the greatest tennis player in history."

Medvedev is the first Russian since Maria Sharapova, who was in the crowd on Sunday, to win a US Open singles title after her victory in 2006.

He is also the first man since Nadal in 2010 to drop just one set on his way to the title.

"Medvedev is a fantastic athlete, has a big serve and all the shots," former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"He was the best player in the tournament, without doubt - losing just one set the whole way through and beating Djokovic in the final convincingly.

"He is a very good player on any surface."

https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/58540035
 
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bones said:
You don't strike me as knowing much about tennis at all.

Prior to the match, almost many of the pundits and former players said the same, the rarity of the CYGS and the difficulty of it meant it's unlikely to happen again anytime soon, especially on the men's side and they wanted to see history.

Gilbert, Henman, Rusedski, McEnroe Snr, McEnroe Jnr, Cahill, Navritilova, Tracy Austin, Wilander and Courier to name a few all said they wanted to see history - it wasn't about the player so much as the achievement.

Why would someone - anyone achieving such a rare feat and bringing even more attention to the sport be a bad thing?

The only reason you think it would have been bad for tennis is your favourite player/s didn't come as close to it. It would have been the final nail in the coffin as to the GOAT debate.

As a massive Novak fan it was painful last night, but it's sport and these can happen. It was an awful crowd - so disrespectful towards Medvedev. The irony is, 6 years ago Djokovic beat Federer in perhaps an even more horrible atmosphere. It was a wretched performance from Djokovic, the legs were taken by those long matches en-route the final. It was as awesome win for Medvedev - glad he beat one of the big 3 for his maiden slam.
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The pundits and ex players love to praise top players. It doesn’t matter whether it’s Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Murray. They will always overhype the top players.

It’s good for tennis to see a new grand slam champion. Big 3 have won enough. What’s good for tennis is young player like Raducanu win grand slams. A 34 winning a calendar grand slam shows the weakness of the young players, which is why Medvedev beating Djokovic was a great result for tennis.

You keep harping on about the GOAT debate. I started supporting Federer when he had one title to his name, all the way back in 2002. I couldn’t care less if he isn’t the GOAT. But it seems that you are obsessed with Djokovic being the GOAT and everyone accepting that he is the GOAT. Talk about living vicariously through the achievements of your favourite player.
 
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Winning his first Grand Slam at the US Open was enough for Daniil Medvedev to finally celebrate - and he pulled out a move from a video game.

The Russian has said before that not celebrating wins is his "thing" - the most emotion he showed when he won the season-ending ATP Tour finals last year was a shrug of the shoulders.

But the second seed, having dominated world number one Novak Djokovic to win 6-4 6-4 6-4 at Flushing Meadows on Sunday, changed his mind.

He jumped and fell to the floor after he converted his third championship point - a reference to the brick fall/dead fish goal celebration in the Fifa video game.

"Only legends will understand, what I did at last was L2+left," he told the New York crowd.

Medvedev produced a near flawless performance to beat Djokovic and end the Serb's hope of a calendar Grand Slam and a men's record 21st major singles title.

He revealed afterwards that he had thought up the celebration while struggling to sleep on tour one night.

"To not celebrate is going to be too boring, because I do it all the time," Medvedev said.

"I need to do something, but I want to make it special.

"It's not easy to make it on hard courts. I got hurt a little bit, but I'm happy I made it legendary for myself."

After winning his first Slam, he shared an embrace with Djokovic at the net before standing with his arms outstretched, taking in the applause.

He then returned to his seat to allow the moment to sink in and appeared to ask his support box to calm their own celebrations.

Medvedev reached his first Grand Slam final at Flushing Meadows two years ago, where he battled back from two sets down before losing in five to Rafael Nadal.

He took on the role of a pantomime villain during his 2019 run, telling the crowd that their boos had given him "so much energy" to win.

By the time of the final, he had won them over, as he was given several lengthy standing ovations while he fought hard against Nadal.

He referenced his experiences from two years ago in his winner's speech, saying: "I want to thank you guys [the crowd]. Today it was maybe a little bit more for Novak but that's completely understandable.

"Throughout the week you guys gave me a lot of energy. Starting from 2019 long ago, it helped me through to today. It was not easy but thanks a lot guys."
 
Firebat said:
Djokovic is crying more than the guy who just won his maiden slam.
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I missed his defeat, thought he would have won it easily. I might watch the re-run on Amazon prime just to check in on Djoko's misery. I'm not a fan, and he's won plenty so can afford a few setbacks.
 
Is this Med guy the next big thing or did he pull off the fluke of the century?
 
Mamoon said:
Is this Med guy the next big thing or did he pull off the fluke of the century?
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Is he gonna have the career of the big 3? No. But he is the best of the next group of players. His game is extreme ugly on the eye and he isn’t gonna bring a lot of new fans to the game, but he is a talented player and I can see him win 6-7 majors.
 
Raducanu could become a billionaire if she keeps winning. With her beauty and lovely smile she’s an ad exec’s dream girl.
 
Robert said:
No male athlete ever traded off his looks of course.
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Raducanu deserves her success but if she was a white man, the hype wouldn’t be this much. The fact that she is a woman of mixed race, she is getting way more attention for obvious reasons.
 
Robert said:
Raducanu could become a billionaire if she keeps winning. With her beauty and lovely smile she’s an ad exec’s dream girl.
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She is very attractive, but that only adds to her genuine talent and athleticism. But for me her biggest asset is her public pride in her Chinese heritage. In today's Britain that takes a certain amount of courage, and it seems her words have endeared her to the Chinese as well. That as much as anything might lead to her becoming a billionaire. She appeals to both east and western audiences.
 
Andy Murray defeated Canada's Vasek Pospisil to move into the quarter-finals of the Moselle Open in France.

The British former world number one, 34, won 6-3 6-3 to set up a tie against either France's Lucas Pouille or top seed Hubert Hurkacz of Poland.

"I've not played this many tournaments in a while and my body feels good," said Murray.

"I'm gaining confidence and seeing the points develop. The results are coming and my tennis is getting better."

On Tuesday, Murray fought back from a set down to defeat world number 26 Ugo Humbert 4-6 6-3 6-2 in the first round.

Murray, ranked 113th in the world, is making only his second appearance in Metz, having reached the final in 2007.

Humbert was the highest-ranked player Murray has beaten this season and he followed that with success against Pospisil, who is 66th in the rankings.

Three-time Grand Slam winner Murray, who has undergone two surgeries on his right hip in the past three years, has now gained victories in 684 tour-level matches.
 
https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/58682151

British number one Emma Raducanu has split with the coach who guided her to a first major title at the US Open.

Andrew Richardson was hired for the summer tournaments in the United States, which ended with the 18-year-old's improbable victory in New York.

Raducanu had entered the tournament as a qualifier, and the world number 150.

"At this stage of my career I really need someone that has had that WTA Tour experience at that high level," she explained.

"Especially right now as I'm so new to it, I think I really need someone just to guide me who has already been through that themselves.

"Never did I even dream of winning the US Open and now I'm ranked 22 in the world, which is pretty crazy to me."

Raducanu was speaking after a 'Homecoming Party' staged by the LTA at the National Tennis Centre in London.

Joe Salisbury, Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid - Britain's other 2021 US Open champions - were also on the stage, and fielded questions from children from three local schools.

Earlier they had played tennis with the Duchess of Cambridge, who is a patron of the LTA.

"She has a great game, and a great forehand," according to Raducanu.

The new British number one says she has no prospective coach in mind, and would like to do some trials once the season is over.

Her thoughts are now turning to the remainder of this season, and she is likely to decide over the weekend whether to play in next month's prestigious BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, California.

"I got back on court a few days ago, and yesterday I did a full training day," she said.

"I was feeling pretty good about myself and my game, and I am very excited to compete again.

"All the opportunities I am getting have been very fun, but where I really want to be is on the tennis court, as I'm just thriving out there.

"I haven't decided on my schedule yet - I will decide in the next few days where I am going to go to - but wherever I play next, I'm going to make sure I'm ready. I don't want to jump into things too early."

Indian Wells starts on 6 October, but if Raducanu prefers to wait, she has entered the Kremlin Cup in Moscow a fortnight later.

The enticing prospect of qualifying for the WTA Finals may possibly sway her.

Raducanu is currently 14th in the annual race for the eight places in November's year end finals in Guadalajara, Mexico.

But with Ashleigh Barty and Naomi Osaka by no means certain to take part, Raducanu could qualify with a strong end to the season.

"The WTA Finals I would never even dream of before, because it was just so far out of reach and out of sight, but coming reasonably close to it now, I think it would be great if I qualified.

"But if not, it's a complete bonus, because my priority is just putting in the best possible pre-season that I can, so I can start strong next year and next season."
Click to expand...
 
Britain's US Open champion Emma Raducanu has been given a wildcard into the Indian Wells main draw.

It will be the 18-year-old's first tournament since her stunning victory in New York earlier this month.

Although she is now ranked 22 in the world, the entry list for Indian Wells was published during the US Open, when she was outside the top 100.

The tournament, one of the biggest outside of the Grand Slams, takes place in California from 4-17 October.

Raducanu has also entered tournaments in Russia and Romania in October.

World number one Ashleigh Barty withdrew from Indian Wells earlier in the week.
 
The ATP is investigating domestic abuse allegations made by world No. 4 Alexander Zverev's ex-girlfriend, the governing body for men's professional tennis announced Monday.

The ATP said in a statement it "fully condemns any form of violence or abuse and will investigate such allegations related to conduct at an ATP member tournament."

In an interview with Slate in August, the German's ex-girlfriend, Olya Sharypova accused him of physically and emotionally abusing her at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Shanghai in 2019.
 
Indian Wells: Emma Raducanu says it has been a 'very cool three weeks' since US Open win

Emma Raducanu says it has been "pretty cool" to receive the congratulations of other players at Indian Wells, but now is the time to get back to business.

The US Open champion, 18, has a bye to the second round of the BNP Paribas Open in California as the 17th seed.

She will face either Colombia's Maria Camila Osorio Serrano or Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus in her first match since winning in New York.

"It's really nice," the Briton said of the congratulations of her peers.

"All the players are very friendly. I'm still very new on the tour - so it's pretty cool.

"But I haven't really spent too much time hanging around. I've just been training and getting about my business, and then leaving."

Since becoming the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam singles title, Raducanu has attended the Met Gala and the London premiere of the new James Bond film.

She added: "It's been a very cool three weeks. I got to experience some great things that I probably never would have got to do before."

Raducanu is currently without a permanent coach having decided against extending her short, but incredibly successful, partnership with Andrew Richardson.

She is being assisted in Indian Wells by Jeremy Bates, who works with the British number six Katie Boulter as part of his duties as a Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) national coach.

"Jeremy is part of women's tennis at the LTA, so while he's here, he's helping me out," Raducanu said.

"But going forwards, I'm just going to wait and try and find the right person. I'm not going to rush into anything. I want to make sure I make the right decision.

"I'm just looking for the general things in a coach, really. Someone you get along with well, and someone who can push you."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/58797409
 
Britain's Emma Raducanu lost her first match as a Grand Slam champion, beaten in straight sets by Belarus' Aliaksandra Sasnovich at Indian Wells.

World number 22 Raducanu was seeking an 11th successive victory, having won the US Open last month as a qualifier.

But Sasnovich, ranked 100th in the world, beat the 18-year-old 6-2 6-4 in round two of the BNP Paribas Open.

Raducanu, who received a first-round bye, is next scheduled to play at the Kremlin Cup in Moscow in 10 days' time.

The Briton was competing without a permanent coach having ended her partnership with Andrew Richardson, whom she has known since the age of 10, after her US Open success.

Speaking after the match, she told BBC Sport: "We had some great memories together - at the US Open and also previous to that - but I'm looking forward to the next chapter and I think that what I am doing right now is definitely the best for me and my tennis."

Raducanu made an excellent start against Sasnovich - holding to love in the opening game in front of a supportive crowd of about 4,000 for the night session.

But a loose service game followed, and with her 27-year-old opponent playing some excellent defensive tennis, the US Open champion was forced into too many errors.

Raducanu seemed anxious to close out rallies quickly on the slow court, and Sasnovich broke again to love and took the opening set.

It was the first set Raducanu had lost since a three-set defeat by Clara Tauson in the final of the Challenger event in Chicago on 22 August.

Sasnovich broke first in the second set too, as she showed off the attacking side of her game.

But two double faults followed in the next game and with Raducanu beginning to find some composure, the teenager was able to open a 4-2 lead.

The improvement was short-lived, however, and Sasnovich won the final four games of the match to complete a straight-set victory.

The Belarusian will play two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep, after the Romanian overcame Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine 7-6 6-1, in the third round on Sunday.

Raducanu said: "I think Aliaksandra played a great match. She was better than me today so she deserves to win.

"I'm kind of glad that what happened today happened so I can learn and take it as a lesson.

"There's going to be disappointment after any loss. I didn't go in there putting any pressure on myself because in my mind I'm so inexperienced that I'm just taking it all in."

Sloane Stephens, who beat Britain's Heather Watson in the first round, lost in straight sets to American compatriot Jessica Pegula in their second-round match.

Stephens, appearing at the tournament for the 10th time, suffered a 6-2 6-3 defeat to the 19th seed.

Canada's Leylah Fernandez, who lost to Raducanu in the US Open final, defeated Alize Cornet of France 6-2 6-3 to advance to the third round.

Fernandez will play ninth seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova following the Russian's emphatic 6-3 6-1 win over USA player Madison Keys.

Polish second seed Iga Swiatek is into the last 32 after a comfortable 6-1 6-3 win against Croatia's Petra Martic.

Meanwhile, Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic, seeded seventh, breezed through with a 6-2 6-2 win over Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands.

BBC
 
MenInG said:
Britain's Emma Raducanu lost her first match as a Grand Slam champion, beaten in straight sets by Belarus' Aliaksandra Sasnovich at Indian Wells.

World number 22 Raducanu was seeking an 11th successive victory, having won the US Open last month as a qualifier.

But Sasnovich, ranked 100th in the world, beat the 18-year-old 6-2 6-4 in round two of the BNP Paribas Open.

Raducanu, who received a first-round bye, is next scheduled to play at the Kremlin Cup in Moscow in 10 days' time.

The Briton was competing without a permanent coach having ended her partnership with Andrew Richardson, whom she has known since the age of 10, after her US Open success.

Speaking after the match, she told BBC Sport: "We had some great memories together - at the US Open and also previous to that - but I'm looking forward to the next chapter and I think that what I am doing right now is definitely the best for me and my tennis."

Raducanu made an excellent start against Sasnovich - holding to love in the opening game in front of a supportive crowd of about 4,000 for the night session.

But a loose service game followed, and with her 27-year-old opponent playing some excellent defensive tennis, the US Open champion was forced into too many errors.

Raducanu seemed anxious to close out rallies quickly on the slow court, and Sasnovich broke again to love and took the opening set.

It was the first set Raducanu had lost since a three-set defeat by Clara Tauson in the final of the Challenger event in Chicago on 22 August.

Sasnovich broke first in the second set too, as she showed off the attacking side of her game.

But two double faults followed in the next game and with Raducanu beginning to find some composure, the teenager was able to open a 4-2 lead.

The improvement was short-lived, however, and Sasnovich won the final four games of the match to complete a straight-set victory.

The Belarusian will play two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep, after the Romanian overcame Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine 7-6 6-1, in the third round on Sunday.

Raducanu said: "I think Aliaksandra played a great match. She was better than me today so she deserves to win.

"I'm kind of glad that what happened today happened so I can learn and take it as a lesson.

"There's going to be disappointment after any loss. I didn't go in there putting any pressure on myself because in my mind I'm so inexperienced that I'm just taking it all in."

Sloane Stephens, who beat Britain's Heather Watson in the first round, lost in straight sets to American compatriot Jessica Pegula in their second-round match.

Stephens, appearing at the tournament for the 10th time, suffered a 6-2 6-3 defeat to the 19th seed.

Canada's Leylah Fernandez, who lost to Raducanu in the US Open final, defeated Alize Cornet of France 6-2 6-3 to advance to the third round.

Fernandez will play ninth seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova following the Russian's emphatic 6-3 6-1 win over USA player Madison Keys.

Polish second seed Iga Swiatek is into the last 32 after a comfortable 6-1 6-3 win against Croatia's Petra Martic.

Meanwhile, Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic, seeded seventh, breezed through with a 6-2 6-2 win over Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands.

BBC
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Sheh shouldn't have been so incongruous toward her coach she shared a maiden slam win with.
 
Ons Jabeur will become the first Arab player to crack the top 10 of the world rankings after reaching the Indian Wells semi-finals on Thursday.
 
Paula Badosa will face Victoria Azarenka in the Indian Wells final after upsetting Ons Jabeur on Friday.

Spain's Badosa, playing the tournament for the first time, defeated 13th seed Jabeur, one of the most in-form players on the Tour this year, 6-3 6-3.

Azarenka came from a set and break down to beat Jelena Ostapenko 3-6 6-3 7-5.

The 32-year-old Belarusian will aim to become the first woman to win the tournament three times after victories in 2012 and 2016.

Jabeur saved five match points before 21st seed Badosa sealed the win when the Tunisian hit a backhand wide.

Jabeur, who will move into the world's top 10 for the first time on Monday, struggled to take her chances against Badosa, converting only one of 10 break points.

Badosa, 23, will now look to seal her second WTA Tour title after victory in Belgrade in May.

"I thought the most important thing was my fight, that I can be really proud of," Azarenka said.

"Overall, she was playing incredible in the first set. I was just trying to find opportunity, create opportunity, for me to get back into the match, to take a little bit more control in the match, really fight for every ball."

BBC
 
Britain's Cameron Norrie reached his first Masters 1,000 final at Indian Wells as he breezed past Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov in straight sets.

The world number 26 dominated the semi-final to win 6-2 6-4 in California.

Norrie's run means he will replace Dan Evans as British number one and on Sunday he will challenge for the biggest title of his career.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/58940867
 
Emma Raducanu asks for patience as she prepares for Transylvania Open

US Open champion Emma Raducanu says "everyone should be patient" as she attempts this week to earn a first win since her Grand Slam success.

The 18-year-old Briton stunned the sport by lifting the title in New York last month, despite never having won a WTA match in her fledging career.

In her only tournament since, she lost in the Indian Wells first round and on Tuesday plays in the Transylvania Open.

"I am going to find my tennis, I just need a little bit of time," she said.

Raducanu, seeded third in the event, plays Slovenia's world number 124 Polona Hercog at about 17:00 BST on Tuesday.

Still without a coach after parting ways with Andrew Richardson, who helped her triumph in New York, she is aiming for a first victory in a WTA event.

Raducanu has lost in the opening round at previous tournaments in Nottingham, San Diego and Indian Wells.

"I don't think there is any pressure on me," said the world number 23. "I feel like everyone should just be a little patient with me.

"I feel like I am the same person. I still go out there, approaching the same as before.

"I am really enjoying my tennis right now. I feel it will be in a great place. In the long term, I know it will be up and down, the past few weeks I have learned a lot about myself."

Raducanu hopes to appoint a new coach before the 2022 season and has been training with Johanna Konta's former coach Esteban Carril this month.

The Spaniard, who helped Konta climb into the world's top 20, is not with Raducanu in Cluj-Napoca this week.

Instead she says she is learning to coach herself in Romania, which is where her father Ian was born.

Raducanu's grandmother lives in Bucharest and the teenager got a warm welcome in Cluj-Napoca, where she spoke in Romanian to the crowd after a practice session at the weekend.

"I am really excited for the next chapter. This end of the season and the next year I can play on the tour, like a full year, and that is the most exciting thing," she added.

"Patience is key. Because, as I said, there are a lot of lows, where you learn about your game. You adjust to each level gradually.

"I kind of went from zero to the top of the game. So, it's obviously going to take some time to adjust and adapt but hopefully with some good work I will be able to do that."

Via : https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/59042621
 
Emma Raducanu fought back at the Transylvania Open to win her first game since becoming the US Open champion.

The 18-year-old Briton was beaten in the second round at Indian Wells following that historic victory at Flushing Meadows last month.

But the world number 23, seeded three in Romania, had the perfect response against Slovenia's Polona Hercog, 30.

Playing in her father's homeland for the first time, Raducanu won 4-6 7-5 6-1 to move into the second round.

Despite being a Grand Slam champion, this was her first WTA tour match and the hard-fought victory came in front of a limited gathering in Cluj-Napoca due to Covid-19 restrictions, although it did include her 88-year-old grandmother Niculina, who lives in Bucharest.

Raducanu smiled and laughed throughout her post-match interview, during which she spoke almost entirely in Romanian and was even asked about her favourite local dish.

"This means a lot to play in my dad's country," she said.
 
Emma Raducanu new coach: Torben Beltz as new coach

US Open champion Emma Raducanu is set to announce Torben Beltz as her new coach.

The German, 44, worked with Angelique Kerber when she won the Australian Open and the US Open in 2016.

They reunited for this season but Kerber announced on Monday they would not be working together in 2022.

The Telegraph first covered the story

after unearthing an image of Beltz with the 18-year-old and her agent Chris Helliar in a coffee house in Orpington.

The photograph was posted on a Raducanu Instagram fan site on 20 October - the week in which the British player is known to have been conducting some trials at nearby Bromley Tennis Centre.

Esteban Carril was one of the coaches involved but he is with Andy Murray in Stockholm this week with a view to joining the former world number one's team on a permanent basis next season.

Beltz is not in Austria this week, where Raducanu is the top seed at the Upper Austria Ladies event in Linz.

The Briton plays Wang Xinyu in the second round later on Tuesday in what will be her final event of the year.

It is understood terms have now been agreed but Raducanu was cautious when questioned about her new coach on Sunday.

"I'm really feeling positive about my coaching situation," she said.

"I had some trials and they went well - I'm going to have someone in place and I'm really excited to get some good work done in pre-season."

Raducanu has been without a coach since parting company with Andrew Richardson shortly after becoming the first qualifier to win the US Open in September.

She has been searching for someone with more experience of the WTA Tour, and Beltz certainly fits the bill having worked for many years with Kerber as well as Croatia's Donna Vekic.

Former world number one Kerber told the Porsche Newsroom on Monday that her fourth spell with Beltz had come to an end.

"I would like to take on more responsibility," the three-time Grand Slam singles champion said.

"I'm very grateful for our time together and for everything we experienced and achieved as a team."

Raducanu and Beltz are expected to begin to work together in earnest when the new British number one begins pre-season training at the end of the month.

Via : https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/59220748
 
Australian Open 2022: Unvaccinated players unable to compete at Grand Slam

Unvaccinated players will not be allowed to compete at the 2022 Australian Open, says tournament director Craig Tiley.

There had been confusion over the issue in recent months with contradictory statements from leading Australian politicians.

Defending men's champion Novak Djokovic has said he does not want to publicly reveal his vaccination status.

"Novak knows he will have to be vaccinated to play," Tiley said.

"We would love to have him here."

Tiley also confirmed that the tournament, which runs from 17-30 January in Melbourne, would be played in front of capacity crowds.

A significant number of tennis players remain unvaccinated. In late October, 35% of those on the men's ATP Tour were unvaccinated. The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) is yet to provide BBC Sport with the vaccination uptake percentage among its players.

The WTA players' council sent a letter to players in October stating it had been told all competitors would be able to travel to Melbourne.

The letter also stated that all players, regardless of vaccination status, would have to show proof of a negative test within 72 hours of departure.

However, Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said in October that he did not think an unvaccinated tennis player would be given a visa to enter Australia.

Australia has had some of the strictest restrictions on travel and movement during the pandemic.

Players, officials and support staff who travelled for the 2021 tournament were required to complete a 14-day quarantine period on their arrival in Australia.

Some were not allowed to leave their rooms after coronavirus cases were detected on their flights, leading them to set up makeshift practices in their rooms.

England's men's cricket team, who are currently in Australia for the Ashes, spent two weeks in quarantine at a Gold Coast resort before they could begin fully their preparations.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/59356156
 
Emma Raducanu: US Open champion wins Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year

Emma Raducanu has been named Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year following her historic triumph at the 2021 US Open.

The 19-year-old rose to worldwide prominence with her sensational September triumph as she became the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam singles title - and the first British woman to win one since Virginia Wade in 1977.

It was just her second Grand Slam appearance following her debut at Wimbledon, where she reached the fourth round - becoming the youngest British woman to progress to the last 16 in the Open era.

Raducanu, who is currently 19th in the WTA world rankings, won the award ahead of fellow nominees Emily Campbell (weightlifting), Kate French (modern pentathlon), Laura Kenny (cycling), Lauren Price (boxing), and Sarah Storey (cycling).

https://www.skysports.com/tennis/ne...ion-wins-sunday-times-sportswoman-of-the-year
 
https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/59466439

Britain's former world number four Johanna Konta has announced her retirement from professional tennis.

Konta, 30, reached the Wimbledon semi-finals in 2017 - the first British woman to achieve the feat in 39 years.

She also made the last four at the 2016 Australian Open and the 2019 French Open, while her best result at the US Open was a quarter-final run in 2019.

Konta said it had taken many months to come to the decision and ultimately that she "ran out of steam".

"For me, it's just about putting my emotional, mental, physical well-being in the position to put that energy and work in to be able to do that. It's that link of being able to convince yourself to be in pain," she told WTA Insider.

"So when you get to that point, you can't put your best self on display because you haven't put in the work for it and you just don't have the energy to put in the work for it."

Born to Hungarian parents in Australia before moving to the UK aged 14, Konta switched allegiance in 2012 and went on to become the most successful British female player of her generation.

In an impressive career, Konta earned a number of accomplishments that no other woman from the nation had achieved for more than 30 years.

As well as her Grand Slam performances and ranking among the world's best, she also won four titles on the WTA Tour and represented Britain in the Fed Cup.

Konta made the announcement of her retirement on social media, saying she was "grateful" for the career she had had.

"Through my own resilience and through the guidance of others, I got to live my dreams," she posted. "I got to become what I wanted and said as a child. How incredibly fortunate I count myself to be."

Konta's future had been unclear for a little while, having dropped to 113th in the world after struggling for form and fitness.

Since making the quarter-finals for a third successive Grand Slam at the 2019 US Open, where she lost in straight sets to Ukrainian fifth seed Elina Svitolina, Konta has won only one match in five majors.

Her last tour match came at the Cincinnati Open in August, when she lost to Czech Karolina Muchova in the first round.

Konta told WTA Insider that her decision to retire eventually came soon after her return from the United States.

"I held my racquet because I was putting it away and I started crying," she said.

"In that sense, it is a break-up. But it is amicable because I don't look back on my career and judge it according to everything that it took from me."

In the past few seasons she has dealt with tendonitis in her right knee, something she said in June she would have to manage for the rest of her career.

Further disruption to her career has been caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Because of the tour being stopped in early 2020, and her doubts about travelling once it resumed in August, Konta was only able to play nine tournaments last season.

This year, Konta showed glimpses of her best form when she won the Nottingham Open - leading to hopes she could have another deep run at Wimbledon in July.

Johanna Konta won four WTA Tour titles in her career, with the most prestigious coming at Miami in 2017
But more bad luck came her way. She was ruled out of her home Grand Slam on the eve of the tournament because one of her team tested positive for Covid, then contracted the virus herself and was ruled out of the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Since then she has only played twice, in Montreal - where she beat third seed Svitolina - and Cincinnati.

She was replaced by Emma Raducanu as British number one on the teenager's way to winning the US Open in September, with Konta dropping out of the world's top 100 last month for the first time since 2015.

Anne Keothavong, Great Britain's Billie Jean King Cup captain: "What Johanna accomplished on the court was incredible, but her professional aptitude is what set her apart. As a Billie Jean King Cup player representing her country, she laid it all out there, led by example and who can forget her marathon performances in 2019 during our first home ties in more than quarter of a century?"

Iain Bates, LTA head of women's tennis: "Johanna is a tremendous inspiration for so many in British tennis and everyone at the LTA and involved in the sport is immensely proud of what she has achieved... She leaves a legacy of perseverance, determination and professionalism that will be carried forward by the current and next group of players."

Greg Rusedski, former British number one: "Well done on a brilliant tennis career. You should be so proud of everything you have achieved."
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Feel really bad for Jo Konta. A rough ride of injuries led to a chain reaction which in the end cost her so much form, confidence, and motivation — and, consequently, her career as well. She had a good run overall, but it could have been a great one.
 
Seven-time champion Serena Williams won’t play Australian Open

MELBOURNE: Not long after Serena Williams’ name was absent from the entry list for the Australian Open, she confirmed the obvious: the seven-time champion won’t play the 2022 edition of the season-opening major in January.

The 40-year-old Serena hasn’t played since retiring from her first-round match at Wimbledon with a right hamstring injury and her ranking has slipped to No. 41. She won the last of her 23 Grand Slam singles titles at the 2017 Australian Open, and was beaten in the semifinals this year by Naomi Osaka in straight sets.

The Australian Open’s website on Wednesday said, “The seven-time women’s singles champion would not compete in Melbourne following advice from her medical team.”

“While this is never an easy decision to make, I am not where I need to be physically to compete,” Serena told the website.

“Melbourne is one of my favourite cities to visit and I look forward to playing at the AO every year. I will miss seeing the fans, but am excited to return and compete at my highest level.”

Ash Barty tops the women’s entry list and will continue her quest to end a long drought for Australian women at the tournament. No Australian woman has won the singles title since Chris O’Neil in 1978.

On Monday, Bianca Andreescu, the 2019 U.S. Open champion said she will take a mental break from tennis and sit out the start of next season, including the Australian Open.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1662681/seven-time-champion-serena-williams-wont-play-australian-open
 
Britain's Andy Murray looked sharp as he beat old rival Rafael Nadal in straight sets at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship.

Murray, 34, won 6-3 7-5 against the 20-time major champion in the semi-finals of an exhibition event in Abu Dhabi.

The match was 35-year-old Nadal's first since a foot injury ruled him out of the final months of the 2021 season.

Murray will face Russian world number five Andrey Rublev in the final on Saturday.

"Me and Rafa have played so many tough matches over the years," said Murray. "Both of us have gone through injury troubles and it's just great to have the opportunity to be with him on court again."

Nadal added: "For me, this is a comeback. It wasn't a bad match for me. After a long time on a professional court, so positive feelings."

Three-time Grand Slam winner Murray and Spaniard Nadal had not faced each other on court since the Madrid Masters semi-final in 2016, with the Scot even joking before the match he hoped the pair could "put on a good performance for a couple of old guys".

Nadal eased his way back into action after his long injury lay-off, holding his first two service games to love before Murray managed to break and take a 4-2 lead on his way to claiming the first set.

The crowd were entertained throughout as the two former world number ones executed some impressive shots and engaged in a number of lengthy rallies during a tight second set.

Errors ultimately cost Nadal a winning return as Murray was able to take advantage thanks to a crucial break with the game poised at 5-5, before serving out to secure victory in under two hours.

Nadal said he was "super happy" to see Murray, who has struggled to regain his form following serious hip surgery in January 2019, playing "at this great level".

In the other semi-final, Rublev overcame Canadian Denis Shapovalov 7-6 (5) 3-6 6-4. Nadal will face 22-year-old Shapovalov in the third-place play-off before the final.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/59706340
 
Andy Murray was unable to cap a strong week in the Middle East with a win as he lost the Mubadala World Tennis Championship final in straight sets to Andrey Rublev.

The Russian world number five won 6-4 7-6 (7-2) to secure the title at the exhibition event in Abu Dhabi.

Murray, 34, battled back in the second set, but faltered in the tie-break.

He had beaten fellow Briton Dan Evans and 20-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal to reach the final.

Rublev controlled much of the first set and got the decisive break of serve in the fifth game.

The 24-year-old then broke the Scot in the first game of the second but his serve temporarily deserted him as he hit three double faults during the eighth game, allowing Murray to break back with a superb backhand winner.

Rublev managed to compose himself and held to love to force the tie-break, which he won comfortably as Murray's challenge ran out of steam.

Despite the defeat, Murray said he was optimistic as he continues to try and reignite his career after having two major hip operations.

"I have been pretty healthy over the last three months, I've got to play a lot of matches," said the three-time Grand Slam winner, who is working with coach Jan de Witt after his split with Jamie Delgado.

"I just need to find a way of turning some of these matches against the top players around and hopefully I can have some big runs in the biggest tournaments again, that's my goal.

"I'm trying as hard as I can to do that."

Murray is preparing to play in the Australian Open for the first time since 2018 with the first Grand Slam of 2022 starting in Melbourne on 17 January.

Earlier, Canadian Denis Shapovalov beat Nadal 6-7 (4-7) 6-3 10-6 in the third-place play-off with the Spaniard returning to tennis in Abu Dhabi, having not played since August because of a foot injury.
 
Australian Open organisers are still unsure if defending men's champion Novak Djokovic will play at next month's Grand Slam.

Serbia's Djokovic, 34, has not spoken publicly about his vaccination status.

All players and staff at the Australian Open must be vaccinated or have a medical exemption granted by an independent panel of experts.

"If Novak shows up, he'll be vaccinated or have a medical exemption," said tournament director Craig Tiley.

However, Tiley is confident Spain's Rafael Nadal will be there despite testing positive for Covid-19 this week.

The Australian Open starts in Melbourne on 17 January, with players starting to arrive in the country over the next week for warm-up events.

Djokovic, who would be going for a record 21st men's Grand Slam title and 10th Australian Open title, is down on the entry list.

He is also named in the field to play for Serbia in the ATP Cup, which starts in Sydney on 1 January.

Tiley said "a small percentage" of unvaccinated players and staff would be granted medical exemptions. He said he was not aware of any players informing organisers they had an exemption.

Tennis Australia said applications for an exemption would initially be reviewed by an independent panel of doctors from the fields of immunology, infectious disease and general practice.

Applications that meet the national guidelines set by the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) will be subjected to a second review, conducted by a government-appointed panel of medical experts, the Independent Medical Exemption Review Panel.

"We want to have the best players here, I'd love to have Novak here. If he meets those conditions then great, if not, it's disappointing," added the Tennis Australia chief executive.

"Medically, he doesn't talk to anyone about it. I'm not going to ask Novak that, it's none of my business.

"[If he is here] I will know that he fulfils one of those conditions."

Nadal, who is tied with Djokovic and Switzerland's Roger Federer on 20 major titles, tested positive for Covid-19 after returning to Spain from the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi.

Nadal was the fourth player to return positive tests after travelling to the event.

Britain's US Open champion Emma Raducanu withdrew before the start of the tournament, while Switzerland's Belinda Bencic and Tunisia's Ons Jabeur have both tested positive in recent days.

"I'm confident Rafa will be here," said Tiley.

"Players that are testing positive now will complete a period of time until they are no longer infectious and they will be fine. If you are going to test positive and you want to play the Australian Open, your timing would be now."

BBC
 
Andy Murray has been given a wildcard for the main draw of the Australian Open in January.

The 34-year-old Briton missed the 2021 tournament after he was not allowed to travel to Melbourne following a positive test for coronavirus.

The five-time Australian Open runner-up last played at the event in 2019 when he thought it might be his last match as a professional because of injury.

"I'm really excited to be back playing at the Australian Open," said Murray.

"I've had some great times in Australia playing in front of the amazing crowds and I can't wait to step back out on court at Melbourne Park."

Tournament director Craig Tiley added: "Andy is renowned for his fighting spirit, passion and love of the game and I'm delighted to welcome him back to Melbourne in January."

BBC
 
Austrian world number 15 Dominic Thiem has pulled out of January's Australian Open with a long-standing wrist injury.

The 28-year-old former world number three has not played since he sustained the injury at June's Mallorca Open.

The issue meant Thiem could not defend the US Open title he won in 2020 a month after reaching the Australian Open final.

The Melbourne Park tournament begins on 17 January and will feature Britain's Andy Murray, who was given a wildcard.

Tournament organisers are still unsure if defending men's champion Novak Djokovic will play, while women's 2021 runner-up Jennifer Brady has also withdrawn because of a foot injury.

Thiem, whose 2022 season will start at the Cordoba Open in Argentina at the end of January, said of his withdrawal: "We believe this is the right decision in order to have a good return to competition."

BBC
 
World number one Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from Serbia's ATP Cup team.

There remains uncertainty over whether the 34-year-old will compete at the Australian Open, which begins in Melbourne on 17 January.

All players and staff at the 2022 Australian Open must be vaccinated or have a medical exemption granted by an independent panel of experts.

However defending champion Djokovic has not spoken publicly about his vaccination status.

The nine-time Australian Open winner has been replaced by world number 33 Dusan Lajovic for Serbia in the 16-country ATP Cup, which begins in Sydney on Saturday.

Austria have been replaced by France at the event following the withdrawals of Dominic Thiem, ranked 15th, and Dennis Novak.

Djokovic, who defeated Russia's Daniil Medvedev in the 2021 final to claim a record-extending ninth Australian Open men's singles title, is on the entry list for the first Grand Slam of 2022.
 
Great Britain will seek to build on the successes of 2021 when the new men's tennis season begins with the ATP Cup.

British number one Cameron Norrie, who climbed to world number 12 this year, leads the country at the team event in Sydney, which starts on Saturday.

Barely a month after losing to Germany in another men's team tennis event - the Davis Cup - Great Britain open against those same opponents.

They are in a tough Group C, which also features Canada and the United States.

Norrie faces world number three Alexander Zverev in his first match on Sunday after British number two Dan Evans takes on Jan-Lennard Struff in the opening singles rubber of the best-of-three tie.

Zverev missed the Davis Cup because he said it was not "the real Davis Cup" and it should not have changed its format two years ago.

That change, coupled with the introduction of the ATP Cup to the calendar in 2020, has resulted in two very similar events being played just weeks apart.

Several top players, including Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, have called for the two events to be merged. Conversations between the ITF, which organises the Davis Cup, and the ATP have been more productive in recent months, as the two organisations consider combining the events.

But for now, we go again as the Russian team seek to defend their ATP Cup title four weeks after also winning the Davis Cup.

What is the ATP Cup?
This is the third edition of the ATP Cup, which features 16 countries competing in four groups at two venues in Sydney - the Ken Rosewall Arena and Qudos Bank Arena.

While there are many similarities with the Davis Cup, in terms of a 'World Cup of tennis' type of event where ties consist of two singles and a doubles rubber, there are also differences.

Qualification for the ATP Cup is based on the ATP ranking of each country's top-ranked singles player, while there are also rankings points on offer.

A player who plays and wins all possible singles matches can earn 750 ATP rankings points. The only events where more points are on offer are at the four Grand Slams (2,000 for winner), ATP Finals (1,500) and nine Masters events (1,000).

The number of rankings points awarded depend on the ranking of the opponent and the round of the result. Doubles rankings points are also offered.

Like at the Davis Cup, the singles matches are best-of-three tie-break sets. But the difference in the doubles at the ATP Cup is that there is no-advantage scoring and a match tie-break instead of a third set.

Each team plays three group matches and the four group winners will advance to the semi-finals.

The nine-day $10m (£7.4m) event culminates in the final on 9 January, which is just over a week before the start of the opening Grand Slam of the year, the Australian Open.

Who is in the Great Britain team?
Great Britain have made one change to the team who played at the Davis Cup Finals, with Jamie Murray coming in for Neal Skupski for the doubles alongside Joe Salisbury.

Liam Broady, who was in the team but did not play, is the fifth member - and also captain - although is once again likely to be cheering on his higher-ranked team-mates in the singles.

Norrie enjoyed a breakout season in 2021, winning the prestigious Indian Wells title and appearing at the ATP Finals as an alternate as well as storming up the rankings, while Evans also had an excellent year, winning his first ATP title.

"A lot of the time last year, I was being the underdog, going out and hunting those guys. Whereas now, I think, some of the time, it's going to be people hunting me," he told ATPTour.com in Sydney.

"The pressure only gets more, but I'm looking forward to it. feel good physically and excited to kick off the year in such a great team event."

They are, however, in a tricky group with Canada, boasting world number 11 Felix Auger-Aliassime and 14 Denis Shapovalov.

"It's been good to be around the guys," added Evans.

"It's a different event and you can have a lot more fun being around team-mates. Normally, you're very selfish and looking after your own preparations, but it's cool to see everybody else out there getting ready. We're all in it as one this week."

Salisbury, ranked third in the world in doubles, said: "There's a good chance that some of [the ties] will come down to the doubles and be won after the singles. We'll be ready for that. It's nice to be playing in a situation [with] some big matches."

Germany not only have Zverev, but also Struff, who beat Norrie in the singles in the Davis Cup.

The other team in Group C, the United States, have world number 23 Taylor Fritz as their highest-ranked player.

Who else is playing at the ATP Cup?

While seven of the men's top 10 players will feature at the event, the traditional 'big three' of Djokovic, Nadal and Roger Federer are absent.

It is something tennis will need to get used to.

"I guess that's how it is going to be generally in a few years' time, potentially maybe in three years' time," said world number four Stefanos Tsitsipas, who will be leading the Greek team's hopes.

"So getting used to it earlier, it's pretty much a new reality. Let's see how tennis works out without the top three. I really want to see which players are going to prevail at this point."

Serbian world number one Djokovic withdrew on Wednesday with organisers not giving a reason, Nadal is recovering after Covid-19 and Federer has had knee surgery.

The strongest team on paper is Italy, who have two top-10 players in Matteo Berrettini and Jannik Sinner.

The Russian defending champions are led by world number two and US Open champion Daniil Medvedev, but their team has been weakened by the withdrawal of Andrey Rublev, Aslan Karatsev and Evgeny Donskoy because of positive Covid-19 tests.

BBC
 
Dan Evans and Jamie Murray won their deciding doubles tie to seal a 2-1 win for Great Britain in their ATP Cup opener against Germany.

Evans and Murray beat Alexander Zverev and Kevin Krawietz 6-3 6-4.

Earlier, Evans had breezed past Jan-Lennard Struff 6-1 6-2 in his singles encounter before world number three Zverev levelled with a 7-6 (7-2) 6-1 win over Cameron Norrie.

Great Britain face their next group C opponents Canada on Tuesday.

Speaking after his singles success, British number two Evans said: "It's a good way to start 2022.

"I've been practising well, but I didn't expect to play the match this well."

This is the third edition of the ATP Cup, which features 16 countries competing in four groups at two venues in Sydney - the Ken Rosewall Arena and Qudos Bank Arena.

What is the ATP Cup?
Earlier on day two, Russia's world number two Daniil Medvedev suffered a shock defeat by France's Ugo Humbert.

After Medvedev's team-mate Roman Safiullin had beaten Arthur Rinderknech in three sets in the opening singles rubber, world number 35 Humbert won 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 7-6 (7-2).

But Medvedev and Safiullin then clinched the deciding doubles tie 6-4 6-4 to ensure a 2-1 Russia victory.

In the other tie in Britain's group, the United States beat Canada 3-0.

BBC
 
Andy Murray loses to Facundo Bagnis in Melbourne Summer Series opener

Andy Murray suffered a losing start to 2022 as he was beaten by world number 76 Facundo Bagnis in the first round of the Melbourne Summer Series.

The 34-year-old produced an error-strewn display as he lost 6-3 5-7 6-3 to the Argentine.

The Scot slammed his racket into his bench in frustration during the deciding set.

Bagnis broke Murray in the fifth game of the set before serving out to take the match.

Murray came into the tournament with confidence having reached the final of an exhibition event in Abu Dhabi in December, losing the decider to world number five Andrey Rublev.

But he struggled with a poor ball toss and a disappointing second-serve percentage against an opponent who has never gone past the third round of a Grand Slam tournament.

It leaves the three-time Grand Slam winner with plenty of work to do before this month's Australian Open. Murray has accepted a wildcard for the tournament and will be appearing two years on from what, at the time, looked set to be his final match in the event as he prepared for hip surgery.

Meanwhile, Nick Kyrgios has withdrawn from the men's event in Melbourne because of asthma.

The 26-year-old played only 15 matches in 2021, winning seven of them and has not been in action since late September because of knee issues, slipping to 93rd in the rankings.

He was set to take on Slovakian Alex Molcan but will now begin his 2022 season at next week's Sydney Tennis Classic.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/59865328
 
Adelaide International: Ashleigh Barty fights back to beat Coco Gauff

Australia's world number one Ashleigh Barty marked her return to the court with a gritty win against American teenager Coco Gauff in Adelaide.

It was the Wimbledon champion's first competitive match since the US Open in September after ending her 2021 season early because of quarantine rules.

Gauff, 17, led 6-4 4-3 and had a double break point, only for Barty to save it and then turn the match around.

Barty levelled before dominating the deciding set to seal a 4-6 7-5 6-1 win.

Two-time Grand Slam champion Barty is the favourite to win the Australian Open, which starts in Melbourne on 17 January, and will be looking to become the first home player to win the Grand Slam since 1978.

"I felt like I played a pretty good quality match considering it was my first match in a few months," said 25-year-old Barty, who faces American Sofia Kenin or fellow Australian Ajla Tomljanovic in the quarter-finals.

"Coco played great and forced me to hit a lot of balls. I felt I got better and better as the match went on. It was nice to get some court time."

Second seed Aryna Sabalenka suffered a shock exit in Adelaide, losing 7-6 (7-6) 6-1 to Slovenia's Kaja Juvan, who is ranked 100th in the world.

In Melbourne, British number three Harriet Dart lost to American Madison Keys in the first round of the Summer Set Two event.

Dart, 25, won two qualifying matches to reach the main draw of the tournament, which is one of a pair of WTA 250 events being held at Melbourne Park before the Australian Open starts.

The world number 123 was unable to earn another victory as Keys, the 2017 US Open finalist who is now ranked 56th, won 6-3 7-6 (7-2).

https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/59811349
 
Andy Murray overcame Georgia's world number 23 Nikoloz Basilashvili in three sets to make the last eight in Sydney.

Britain's former world number one, 34, prevailed 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 in an encounter that stretched over three and a quarter hours.

The Scot wasted set point in the first and another four in the second before winning the tie-break to pull level.

Basilashvili could have extended the match further, but Murray saw off break point to serve out the deciding set.

Murray, who accepted a wildcard to next week's Australian Open, was cheered as he continues to improve on the first-round defeat in Melbourne that marked the start of his 2022 season.

"It was an unbelievably tough match. He's hitting the ball consistently bigger than anyone on the tour," Murray said after a match in which Basilashvili hit 59 winners to his own tally of 24.

"I was having to do a lot of defending, a lot of running. My legs stood up well, really well in the last set."

Murray, a five-time runner-up at the Australian Open, has not played at the tournament since a 2019 appearance that seemed set to be his last before major hip surgery.

Earlier in the day, British number two Dan Evans continued his winning start to 2022 with a comfortable 6-2 6-3 win over Spain's Pedro Martinez.

The 31-year-old third seed was dominant in all areas, converting all four of his break points to snuff out world number 61 Martinez's hopes.

Evans will play either Serbia's Dusan Lajovic or American Melbourne runner-up Maxime Cressy in the quarter-finals, while Murray will take on Belgium's David Goffin, who he beat in the decisive rubber of Britain's Davis Cup final win in 2015.

Evans started 2022 with a clean sweep of his five matches at the ATP Cup.

He beat Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff, Canada's Denis Shapovalov and American John Isner in singles as well as pairing with Jamie Murray for two doubles victories.

He is ranked 26th in the world and will be looking to carry his recent form into next week's Australian Open, where he has not been beyond the second round since 2017.

Katie Swan will not join compatriots Evans and Murray in the main draw at Melbourne Park after losing 6-0 7-5 to Bulgaria's Viktoriya Tomova in qualifying.

Harriet Dart, the only Briton remaining in women's qualifying, will play Australian wildcard Kimberly Birrell on Thursday for a place at the tournament proper.



BBC
 
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