Tag: tennis
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Sharapova slams ‘second-hand’ Brisbane event as men take over
Brisbane, Australia, Jan 8 (AFP/APP): Five-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova said the Brisbane International felt like “a second-hand event” with women relegated to outside courts to make way for men playing the inaugural ATP Cup. The WTA tournament is being run alongside the Brisbane leg of the men’s new team tournament, which has taken…
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Serena powers past Giorgi for first win of 2020
Auckland, Jan 7 (AFP/APP): Serena Williams found her power game after a sluggish start as she overcame qualifier Camila Giorgi to open her 2020 season with a straight-sets victory at the Auckland WTA Classic on Tuesday. With an eye on the Australian Open later in the month, the 38-year-old worked her way into a blistering…
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Smoke delays unlikely at Australian Open, say organisers
Sydney, Jan 7 (AFP/APP): Smoke from bushfires is unlikely to delay the Australian Open tennis Grand Slam, organisers said on Tuesday, insisting they have pulled out all the stops to protect the health and safety of players. With the opening major of 2020 due to start at January 20, Melbourne has been blanketed by haze…
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Nadal on fire as Spain crush Uruguay at ATP Cup
Perth, Australia, Jan 6 (AFP/APP): World number one Rafael Nadal sharpened his serve and cruised to a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Pablo Cuevas at the ATP Cup on Monday in a flawless display as he fine tunes for the Australian Open. The 19-time Grand Slam champion hit 26 winners and fired down seven aces against…
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No longer angry Serena glad to be back in New Zealand
Wellington, Jan 6 (AFP/APP): Serena Williams returns to the Auckland WTA Classic on Monday for the first time since her “miserable” debut appearance three years ago, determined to put the record straight. “I’m in a really different frame of mind,” she said ahead of her opening match on day one — a marquee doubles appearance…
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‘She smelled expensive’ – Naomi Osaka reveals Beyonce pep talk
Brisbane, Australia, Jan 6 (AFP/APP): Japanese sensation Naomi Osaka has revealed her excitement at meeting her idol Beyonce, saying the US singer “smelled expensive” and gave her a morale-boosting pep talk at a low point last year. The two-time Grand Slam champion, who will be defending her Australian Open title this month, bumped into Beyonce…
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Svitolina says she’s on the right path for Slam glory
Brisbane, Australia, Jan 5 (AFP/APP): Elina Svitolina believes the progress she made in 2019 will help her achieve her ultimate goal of becoming the first Ukranian woman to win a Grand Slam singles title. Speaking ahead of the season-opening Brisbane International, the 25-year-old insisted she was ready to take the next step after promising so…
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Dimitrov relishing being ATP Cup playing-captain
Sydney, Jan 5 (AFP/APP): Grigor Dimitrov Sunday said he was relishing the opportunity to be a playing-captain at the innovative ATP Cup after steering Bulgaria to two wins out of two. The majority of teams at the 24-nation event have standalone skippers, mostly leading former players such as Boris Becker and Marat Safin. But the…
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Japan make statement at ATP Cup
Perth, Australia, Jan 4 (AFP/APP): Yoshihito Nishioka thrashed higher-ranked Pablo Cuevas with a 6-0, 6-1 rout, as injury-hit Japan made a statement against Uruguay on the second day of the inaugural ATP Cup Saturday. Japan suffered major blows before the 24-team event with the withdrawals of injured star Kei Nishikori and world number 81 Yasutaka…
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Serena, Kuznetsova to resume rivalry in Auckland
Wellington, Jan 4 (AFP/APP): Multiple Grand Slam winners Serena Williams and Svetlana Kuznetsova are set to resume their 16-year rivalry after being drawn Saturday to face each other in the first round of next week’s Auckland WTA Classic. Tournament top seed Williams, 38, and Kuznetsova, 34, are in a competitive half of the draw in…