Page 2 - Tennis

Muchova ends Sabalenka's 15-match winning streak in China Open quarters

Karolina Muchova ended second-ranked Aryna Sabalenka's 15-match winning streak with a 7-6 (4), 2-6, 6-4 victory in the China Open quarterfinals on Friday. The 49th-ranked Muchova saved set points in the first set and came from 4-2 down in the third to win in 2 hours, 46 minutes. It was the third consecutive time that Muchova, a U.S. Open semifinalist last month, has won against the three-time major winner and the Czech player now leads their head-to-head series 3-1. Sabalenka's streak had started with a title at Cincinnati in August and continued with a run to the championship at the U.S. Open last month. She also won the Australian Open earlier in the year. She also had a previous career-best streak of 15 wins across the 2020-21 seasons. Muchova will meet Paris Olympics gold medalist Zheng Qinwen in the semifinals after the 21-year-old rallied to beat Mirra Andreeva of Russia and keep alive her bid to become Beijing's first home-grown champion. The fifth-seeded Zheng had to fight

Shanghai Masters: Pair of Rohan Bopanna and Ivan Dodig enters round 2

India's Rohan Bopanna and his Croatian partner Ivan Dodig cherished their first win after joining forces, moving to the second round of the ATP Shanghai Masters with a straight-set victory over Pablo Carreno Busta and Pedro Martinez, here Friday. The fifth-seed Indo-Croatian pair won 6-4 6-3 in the opening round match that lasted 63 minutes. Bopanna and Dodig fired five aces to none of their rivals, and converted three of the eight break points they faced. They also saved four break chances on their service games, dropping serve only once in the match. India's singles challenge has already ended with both Sumit Nagal and Ramkumar Ramanathan making first round exits. Ramkumar had made it to the main draw through qualifying round while Nagal had earned a direct entry.

Jannik Sinner to play Alcaraz in China Open final, Pegula crashes out

Top-ranked Jannik Sinner will play rival Carlos Alcaraz in the final of the China Open after recording a 6-3, 7-6 (3) victory against home favorite Bu Yunchaokete in the semifinals on Tuesday. Sinner and Alcaraz accounted for all four Grand Slam titles this year between them. Alcaraz leads the head-to-head series 5-4 including wins at both their meetings this year but Sinner doesn't believe that recent history will have a bearing on Wednesday's final. It's going to be a tough match," Sinner said. "We know each other very well now, but every match is different, so the situation on the court is also a bit different than it was the last two matches. But let's see. The 23-year-old Italian is the defending champion and hasn't appeared distracted by the World Anti-Doping Agency announcing Saturday it was seeking a ban of one to two years for the U.S. Open champion, who tested positive twice for an anabolic steroid in March. Chinese wild card Yunchaokete, ranked 96th, held his own in th

Aryna Sabalenka extends winning streak, Osaka to play Gauff at China Open

Aryna Sabalenka's dominant hard-court season showed no signs of slowing down as she cruised to a 6-2, 6-2 win over Ashlyn Krueger at the China Open on Monday for her 14th consecutive victory. The three-time Grand Slam winner started her streak with a title at Cincinnati in August and continued with a run to the championship at the U.S. Open earlier this month. She also won the Australian Open earlier in the year. The second-ranked Sabalenka converted five of her seven breakpoint opportunities in a lopsided contest against Krueger and will next face Madison Keys, hoping to equal her career-best 15 consecutive victories set in 2020-21. Keys had a 6-3, 6-3 win over Beatrice Haddad Maia of Brazil. Haddad Maia won the Korea Open last week but struggled to combat the baseline power of Keys. Former No. 1 Naomi Osaka continued her positive start with new coach Patrick Mouratoglou with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Katie Volynets, advancing to a round of 16 match against sixth-ranked Coco Gauff.

China Open: Rohan Bopanna and Ivan Dodig pair knocked out of round 1

Indian tennis star Rohan Bopanna and his Croatian partner Ivan Dodig suffered a shock loss to the pair of Francisco Cerundolo and Nicolas Jarry in a first round match of the China Open ATP 500 tournament here on Saturday. The second-seeded Indo-Croatian pair lost 5-7 6-7 to the unseeded Cerundolo (Argentina) and Jarry (Chile) duo in the round of 16 match that lasted one hour 31 minutes. Bopanna's regular partner Matthew Ebden of Australia chose not to participate in the ATP 500 event. Bopanna has had stints partnering Dodig in the past -- in 2017 and 2021 -- with their best result being reaching the final at the 2017 ATP Montreal Masters 1000 event. The 44-year-old Indian won two titles this year -- Australian Open Grand Slam event and Miami Open. Bopanna and Ebden had lost in the round of 16 stage in the US Open doubles earlier this month.

Jannik Sinner has steroid case appealed by the World Anti-Doping Agency

The steroid case involving top-ranked tennis player Jannik Sinner was appealed by the World Anti-Doping Agency, the Montreal-based body known as WADA, announced Saturday. WADA said it is seeking a ban of one to two years for the U.S. Open champion but indicated that it does not plan to back date an eventual ban which would mean that Sinner could keep his second Grand Slam title if he is found guilty. The announcement was made while Sinner was on court against Roman Safiullin at the China Open in Beijing. Sinner tested positive twice for an anabolic steroid in March but was not banned in a decision by an independent tribunal announced by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) on Aug. 20 because the ITIA determined he was not to blame. Sinner's accepted explanation was that the banned performance-enhancer entered his system unintentionally through a massage from his physiotherapist, who used a spray containing the steroid to treat their own cut finger. WADA said it filed

State associations withdraw motion against AITA President Anil Jain

The proposed no-confidence motion against All India Tennis Association (AITA) President Anil Jain has been withdrawn, sources told PTI on Saturday. Eight state tennis associations, affiliated with AITA, had proposed to move a no- confidence motion against Jain and an Extra Ordinary General Meeting (EGM) was called on Saturday ahead of the Annual General Meeting (AGM). Jain had moved the court seeking a stay on the EGM but the plea was not entertained. He had also alleged that certain candidates, who filed nominations for posts, were in violation of the Sports Code. "The no-confidence motion has been withdrawn, so EGM was not required," a source told PTI without sharing the details. Jain, who is a BJP Rajya Sabha MP, faced charges of "loading the association with his personal 'entitled' expenses by travelling with his family abroad several times." The state units that proposed the no-confidence motion were: Assam, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana Maharashtra, Punjab, Tamil Nadu

Wimbledon expansion plan approved by authorities despite resident concerns

A proposal by Wimbledon organizers to expand the site of the Grand Slam tournament with 39 new tennis courts has been given the green light by local authorities. The All England Club's plans which include a new 8,000-seat show court with a retractable roof were approved Friday by the Greater London Authority despite protests by local residents. The planned expansion in Wimbledon Park, which is adjacent to the All England Club, would allow Wimbledon's qualifying tournament to be held on site rather than at nearby Roehampton Community Sports Centre. But some locals have objected to the plans over concerns about the environmental impact. Protesters assembled outside City Hall ahead of the hearing on Friday and a number spoke in the chamber during a morning session lasting more than three hours. But Jules Pipe, London's deputy mayor for planning, said "the proposed development would facilitate very significant benefits. I agree with my officers that these benefits clearly outweigh th

Going to take another 10 years to produce Grand Slam champion: leander Paes

Tennis legend Leander Paes believes India needs at least a decade to produce another Grand Slam champion, urging former players to nurture young talent to transform the nation into a sports superpower capable of not only hosting the 2036 Olympics but also winning medals. "I think it's probably going to take another 10 years to produce a Grand Slam champion. I think that the focus needs to be on the grassroots base level and then the feeder system coming up, then you churn out the numbers," Paes said on the sidelines of the auctions of the Tennis Premier League (TPL) here on Wednesday. "I 100% believe we have tremendous talent in India, but I believe it's people like myself along with the governance, along with the whole sporting fraternity, to reach out to that talent in rural areas in places where maybe those children are not as fortunate as you and I, to have the parents who gave us that platform to stand on. "I think it's a responsibility for us to reach out there and find that

Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz on Spain's roster for the Davis Cup Finals

Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz were named to Spain's roster for the Davis Cup Finals on Monday, raising the possibility of a renewal of their Nadalcaraz doubles partnership from the Paris Olympics. Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam champion who is 38, hasn't competed anywhere since the Paris Games, where he lost in the second round of singles to longtime rival Novak Djokovic and paired with Alcaraz to get to the quarterfinals of men's doubles before exiting against Americans Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram. Nadal then withdrew from the U.S. Open and the Laver Cup while still dealing with health issues that have limited him to competing only sparingly over the past two seasons. Alcaraz earned the men's singles titles at the French Open in June and Wimbledon in July to raise his career total to four at the age of 21. Spain will take on the Netherlands in the quarterfinal round of the Davis Cup Finals, an eight-team event Nov. 19-24 in Malaga, Spain. The other opening matchups are: defen

Alcaraz clinches Laver Cup for Team Europe in 13-11 victory over Team World

Four-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz overcame Taylor Fritz 6-2, 7-5 as Team Europe rallied to beat Team World 13-11 and win the Laver Cup. Alcaraz broke the U.S. Open runner-up Fritz in the 11th game and then closed out victory on serve, sparking celebrations as the Europe team rejoiced with captain Bjrn Borg in Berlin. Team World was favorite to win the Laver Cup for a third straight time after leading 8-4 on points heading into the last of the three days. Europe began the comeback Sunday when Alcaraz and Casper Ruud won the doubles 6-2, 7-6 (6) against American pair Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe. But Shelton then downed Australian Open finalist Daniil Medvedev 6-7 (6), 7-5, 10-7 to move the World team into pole position. Tiafoe, who reached the U.S. Open semifinals, could have sealed it for them but he lost to French Open finalist Alexander Zverev 6-7 (5), 7-5, 10-5, setting up the decider between Alcaraz and Fritz. The Laver Cup is formatted like golf's Ryder Cup with

Defending champions Italy to take on Argentina in Davis Cup Finals

Defending champion Italy will take on Argentina in the opening round of the Davis Cup Finals in November. Thursday's draw for the last eight in the southern Spanish city of Malaga also set up the United States against Australia, Germany against Canada and the Netherlands against Spain. Italy, Spain, Canada and the US were the seeded nations after winning their groups last week when the qualifying competition was played in four different cities. The winner of the Italy-Argentina tie will meet the US or Australia in the semi-finals. The winner of Germany-Canada will take on the Dutch or Spain. Italy won its first Davis Cup titles since 1976 by beating Australia in last year's final, which also took place in Malaga.

Sumit Nagal demands $50, 000 to represent India, calls it standard practice

The All India Tennis Association on Thursday claimed that Sumit Nagal demanded an annual fee of USD 50,000 to play Davis Cup ties for India but the country's top singles player defended himself, saying it is "standard practice" for athletes to be paid for their services. Nagal had opted out of the recent Davis Cup tie against Sweden, citing a back strain that also forced him out of the US Open men's doubles competition last month. It was India's best chance to beat Sweden in their own backyard but competing without a singles specialist, the team received a 0-4 hammering. Packed with doubles players and debutants, the team could not even win a set in the World Group I tie. AITA, on Tuesday, made its displeasure clear by saying that the country's top players, including Nagal, Yuki Bhambri and Sasikumar Mukund, refused national duty. Nagal had entered the ATP 250 Hangzhou Open and was scheduled to play on Thursday but withdrew citing the same back issue. "You tell me why should a pla

Davis Cup 2024: Argentina enters final after a hard fought win over Finland

Argentina clinched a berth in the eight-team Davis Cup Final with a tense 3-0 win over Finland. The Argentines have reached the quarterfinals in Malaga, Spain, in November for the first time in five years. They had to battle in Group D in Manchester after an opening loss to 2022 champion Canada. They beat host Britain on Friday and overcame a gritty Finland, a semifinalist last year but without its best player on Saturday. Tomas Martin Etcheverry beat 703rd-ranked Eero Vasa 7-6(5) 6-3, then Francisco Cerundolo outlasted Otto Virtanen 6-7(4) 6-1 6-0. Argentina needed the doubles, and Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni delivered against Patrick Kaukovalta and Harri Heliovaara 6-7(3) 6-4 6-3. The result forces Britain to have to beat Canada 3-0 on Sunday to advance at Canada's expense. In Bologna, Brazil beat Belgium 2-1 after losses to Italy and the Netherlands in Group A. Three-set wins by Joao Fonseca and Thiago Monteiro followed by a doubles loss took more than six hours to comp

Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal withdraws from Laver Cup in Berlin

Rafael Nadal withdrew Thursday from next week's Laver Cup in Berlin, leaving it unclear when the Spanish great will play again. The Laver Cup the tournament where Roger Federer retired in 2022 after teaming up with Nadal in doubles would have been Nadal's first event since the Paris Olympics and potentially one of his last ever. I'm really disappointed to share that I won't be able to compete at the Laver Cup in Berlin next week," the 38-year-old Nadal said. This is a team competition and to really support Team Europe, I need to do what's best for them and at this moment there are other players who can help the team deliver the win. The 22-time Grand Slam champion didn't address his current fitness after a spate of injuries in recent years, or when he might play again. Nadal withdrew last month from the U.S. Open, meaning he missed three of the four Grand Slam tournaments in 2024. He last played in reaching the men's doubles quarterfinals at the Olympics, where he also lost in th

Davis Cup 2024: United States takes unassailable 2-0 lead over Chile

Brandon Nakashima and Reilly Opelka won their singles matches Wednesday to give the United States an unassailable 2-0 lead over Chile in the group stage of the Davis Cup Finals at Zhuhai, China. Nakashima beat Alejandro Tabilo 7-6 (5), 2-6, 7-6 (3) after Reilly Opelka defeated Cristian Garin 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (3) to give the Americans an early lead following the 2 hour, 26-minute opener. The two singles matches lasted more than five hours, and there was a doubles match still to be played. Four groups are playing in four cities this week to qualify for the Final 8 knockout stage to be held in Malaga, Spain, in November. The top two countries in each four-team group will advance. The US, which has a leading 32 Davis Cup titles its most recent in 2007 was over Russia is bidding to reach the quarter-finals for the second time since the Davis Cup Finals were introduced in 2019. In the qualifiers this year, the Americans defeated Ukraine 4-0 on neutral ground in Vilnius, Lithuania. Later .

Jannik Sinner is already world number 1 and has 2 Grand Slams at 23

New US Open champion Jannik Sinner is making big strides in a short amount of time. And that, he figures, bodes well for what's to come. Just 23, Sinner already reached No. 1 in the ATP rankings a few months ago and, on Sunday, collected the second Grand Slam trophy of his career and of the year by defeating Taylor Fritz 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 in the final at Flushing Meadows. Add that to his Australian Open in January, and Sinner is the first man since Guillermo Vilas all the way back in 1977 to pick up major titles No. 1 and No. 2 within the same season. I've gone through a lot things quickly, said Sinner, Italy's second US Open singles title winner, joining 2015 women's champ Flavia Pennetta. I'm still young. That gives me confidence I still can get better, because at 23, you haven't perfected everything. So my team and I know we have to improve. In what ways? He pointed to the match against Fritz. Today, I played well from the back court. I felt good there, said Sinner, who was ...

Navarro reaches career high no 8 in ATP rankings, Fritz back in top 10

US Open men's runner-up Taylor Fritz returned to the top 10 in the ATP rankings at No. 7 on Monday, and women's runner-up Jessica Pegula rose to No. 3 in the WTA list, while semi-finalist Emma Navarro climbed to a career-best No. 8. Men's champion Jannik Sinner nearly doubled his lead as the ATP's No. 1 a spot he's held since June a day after defeating Fritz 6-3, 6-4, 7-5, and women's champion Aryna Sabalenka stayed at No. 2 in the WTA behind Iga Swiatek, who lost to Pegula in the quarter-finals. I mean, I'm not trying to focus on ranking, to be honest. Not like I'm checking where I'm going to be after the tournament, Sabalenka said Saturday after her 7-5, 7-5 victory over Pegula in the final. I'm just trying to focus on myself, and I know that if (at) each tournament I'll be able to play my best tennis ... I'll be able to become world No. 1 again. So, my focus is on myself, on improving myself as a player and as a person. Hopefully, one day, I'll see myself (back) on the top of t

US Open 2024 men's singles final, live telecast and streaming

Taylor Fritz will be looking to create history as he is the first American man to play in a Grand Slam final in over 15 years. Sinner will be aiming to add a US Open title to his collection.

US Open: Aryna Sabalenka beats Jessica Pegula to win 3rd Grand Slam title

Aryna Sabalenka left the U.S. Open in tears 12 months ago as the runner-up. She exited in the semifinals each of the two years before that, other losses that were difficult to digest. On Saturday, Sabalenka was in a joking mood after winning her first championship at Flushing Meadows and the third Grand Slam title of her career. Sabalenka, the No. 2 seed, got past No. 6 Jessica Pegula 7-5, 7-5 in a rollicking final under a closed retractable roof at Arthur Ashe Stadium, displaying her typical power while sprinkling in some variation to add this triumph to those at the Australian Open each of the past two seasons. I had a lot of tough lessons here ... especially last year, Sabalenka, a 26-year-old from Belarus, said after grabbing the last two games of the first set and the last four of the match. In those tough moments (Saturday), I was just trying to stay strong and trying to remind myself that I have been through a lot and I'm strong enough to hold under this pressure. Sitting n