Novak Djokovic had to defend himself against accusations of lacking motivation after the 12-time grand slam champion crashed out of the Australian Open. Djokovic fell victim to one of the greatest shocks in grand slam history as he lost 7-6 5-7 2-6 7-6 6-4 to Uzbek wildcard Denis Istomin.
Category: Australian Open
Australia Open 2017: Leander Paes out of men’s doubles5 min ago
Melbourne, Jan 19 : India’s doubles specialist Leander Paes and his partner Brazilian Andre Sa were knocked out of the men’s doubles of the Australian Open tennis tournament, losing 6-4, 6-7 , 4-6 to Belarus’ Max Mirnyi and Philippines’ Treat Huey in the first round on Thursday. The Indo-Brazilian pair accepted defeat to the 10th seeds after an intense 2-hour 13-minute fight on Court 15. Paes-Sa started brightly, breaking in the fifth game of the first set to take a 3-2 lead.
Australian Open 2017: Serena Williams and Milos Raonic reach round three
Coverage: Daily live commentary on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra; live text on selected matches on the BBC Sport website; TV highlights on BBC Two and online from 21 January. Six-time Australian Open champion Serena Williams reached the third round with a straight-sets win over world number 61 Lucie Safarova on Thursday.
Aus Open PIX: Raonic, Ferrer race into third round, Pliskova cruises
IMAGE: Canada’s Milos Raonic hits a shot during his men’s singles second round match against Luxembourg’s Gilles Muller at the Australian Open in Melbourne on Thursday. Photograph: Issei Kato hird seed Milos Raonic continued his machine-like advance through the Australian Open on Thursday, easing past Gilles Muller 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 to reach the third round.
Aus Open PIX: Raonic, Ferrer race into third round, Pliskova cruises
IMAGE: Canada’s Milos Raonic hits a shot during his men’s singles second round match against Luxembourg’s Gilles Muller at the Australian Open in Melbourne on Thursday. Photograph: Issei Kato hird seed Milos Raonic continued his machine-like advance through the Australian Open on Thursday, easing past Gilles Muller 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 to reach the third round.
Venus, Daniell, Sitak all draw seeded opponents for Australian Open doubles second round
Michael Venus and Swede Robert Lindstedt will play ninth seeds Ivan Dodig and Spaniard Marcel Granollers in the Australian Open second round. Making the second round of the doubles at the Australian Open came relatively easy for a trio of Kiwi players.
Venus, Daniell, Sitak all draw seeded opponents for Australian Open doubles second round
Michael Venus and Swede Robert Lindstedt will play ninth seeds Ivan Dodig and Spaniard Marcel Granollers in the Australian Open second round. Making the second round of the doubles at the Australian Open came relatively easy for a trio of Kiwi players.
Milos Raonic tops Gilles Muller to advance to third round at Australian Open
Third-seeded Milos Raonic of Canada maintained his record of reaching the third round all seven years he has contested the Australian Open. The Thornhill, Ont., product saved a set point in the third before beating Gilles Muller 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 on Thursday.
Milos Raonic tops Gilles Muller to advance to third round at Australian Open
Third-seeded Milos Raonic of Canada maintained his record of reaching the third round all seven years he has contested the Australian Open. The Thornhill, Ont., product saved a set point in the third before beating Gilles Muller 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 on Thursday.
The Latest: 2016 semifinalist Konta through to 3rd round
Johanna Konta is through to the third round of the Australian Open after a 6-4, 6-2 win over Naomi Osaka to open play at Rod Laver Arena. Konta, who advanced to the semifinals on debut here last year before losing to eventual champion Angelique Kerber, will next play either 17th-seeded Caroline Wozniacki or Donna Vekic.
I’ve never seen Venus play – China’s Duan trusts coach to guide her past American great
Duan Yingying says she has never seen Venus Williams play and will be relying heavily on her coach’s guidance ahead of their third-round clash at the Australian Open.Despite the seven-time Grand Slam winner being one of the most prominent tennis players over the past two decades, China’s Duan insisted she knew next to nothing about the American great.” I don’t know anything about Venus’ play.
Go West, young man, Nishikori tells Asian talent
Kei Nishikori urged Asia’s young tennis players to head to Europe or the United States to realize their potential after he reached the third round in Melbourne.The Japanese fifth seed, who toiled for more than 3 1/2 hours in a first-round five-setter with Andrey Kuznetsov, won 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 in just over two hours against 72nd-ranked Jeremy Chardy.Nishikori’s fourth successive victory over the Fren… Kei Nishikori urged Asia’s young tennis players to head to Europe or the United States to realize their potential after he reached the third round in Melbourne.
The Latest: Roger Federer advances to 3rd round in Melbourne
After winning the first two sets of his second-round match, Roger Federer had to really go to work in the third, recovering from 5-2 down and fending off two set points to defeat American qualifier Noah Rubin 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 . He held serve at love to force the tiebreaker and, after it got to 3-3, reeled off the last four points to clinch the match in 2 hours, 4 minutes.
Federer reaches 3rd round in return at Australian Open
Roger Federer relied on his Grand Slam experience during the most important points to beat Noah Rubin 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 on Wednesday, maintaining his record of never failing to reach the third round at the 18 Australian Opens he’s contested. After back-to-back wins over qualifiers, the degree of difficulty in his comeback from a six-month injury layoff will increase exponentially.
Czechs to miss Tomas Berdych in Davis Cup against Australia
… l and Adam Pavlasek for the Feb. 3-5 series on an outdoor hard court at the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club in Melbourne. As sports columnist, Paul Woody offers an array of commentary on the sports scene in columns and World of Woody videos.
The Latest: Seppi saves match point, upsets Kyrgios in 5
… US$40,000 and suspended for eight weeks, a period that was later reduced to three when he agreed to consult with a sports psychologist. French Open champion Garbine Muguruza has advanced to the third round at the Australian Open with a 7-5, 6-4 win …
Liverpool striker Danny Ings reunites with Georgia Gibbs
JOHN BARNES picks his dream XI from ex-Liverpool team-mates… including Dalglish’s clone and the striker who trained as a defender Tottenham have astonishing net spend of just A 1m over the last five years to put title rivals to shame LIVE: Transfer news – Conte on the hunt for new stars to beef up title bid… keep track of all the deals in January window Alonso calls it quits: Liverpool, Real and Bayern star announces he will retire at end of season after 18-year career British star Evans pulls off Australian Open shock as he knocks out No 7 seed Cilic in the second round Matip left out of Liverpool’s squad for Plymouth tie as Klopp plays it safe in ongoing row with Cameroon Plymouth star who raped a mother-of-one is axed for FA Cup tie with Liverpool after judge orders him and fellow player to pay A 100,000 to victim Juventus upset fans by ditching their crest for bold re-brand – but … (more)
Birthday greetings, Kerber into 3rd round at Australian Open
Angelique Kerber smiled and waved her arms like an orchestra conductor as the Rod Laver Arena crowd sang “Happy Birthday” after her 6-2, 6-7 , 6-2 second-round win on Wednesday at the Australian Open. The defending champion wasn’t completely on song on her 29th birthday, angrily swiping her racket in the second set in a burst of frustration that momentarily threw her off her game – and allowed Carina Witthoeft back into the match.
Canadaa s Eugenie Bouchard advances at Australian Open with win over Peng Shuai
Canadian Eugenie Bouchard is back in the third round of the Australian Open for the first time in two years after defeating China’s Peng Shuai 7-6 , 6-2 on Wednesday. Bouchard, who reached the semifinals of the Australian Open in 2014, finally closed it out after Peng saved three match points on the Canadian’s serve at 5-1 in the second set.
(Australian Open) Peng Shuai stumbles
Eugenie Bouchard is back in the third round at Melbourne Park for the first time in two years, defeating China’s Peng Shuai 7-6 , 6-2. Bouchard, who reached the semifinals of the Australian Open in 2014, finally closed it out after Peng saved three match points on the Canadian’s serve at 5-1 in the second set.
Rafael Nadal eases past Florian Mayer at Australian Open
Rafael Nadal had to apologise for his Mallorcan time-keeping but there was nothing sloppy about the Spaniard’s tennis as he swept aside Florian Mayer to reach the Australian Open second round. After defeating Mayer 6-3 6-4 6-4 on Rod Laver Arena, Nadal came into his press conference staring at his watch.
Federer’s 17 Majors Stack up Nicely Against Everyone Else
The 64 players contesting second-round matches at the Australian Open on Wednesday have won a total of 36 Grand Slam singles titles. One guy, however, has nearly half of them.
What wedding? First things first for Serena Williams
It wasn’t until after another routine opening-round beatdown that Serena Williams offered a startling glimpse into the ruthlessly compartmentalized mindset that accompanies her to the Grand Slams. She was engaged recently to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, but said she wasn’t going to fully process the life-changing, milestone event — until February.
John McEnroe says Andy Murray’s world number one status brings added scrutiny
Andy Murray’s behaviour and barking at his box will come under greater scrutiny now he’s world number one, according to former bad-boy of tennis John McEnroe. Murray eased into the Australian Open second round on Monday with a straight-sets win over Illya Marchenko but the Scot still found cause for stress.
Johanna Konta battles her way to victory in Australian Open first round
Johanna Konta could not deliver the same brilliance that won her the title in Sydney last week but still proved too strong for Kirsten Flipkens in the Australian Open first round. The British number one produced a scratchy performance in her opening match on Margaret Court Arena but it is a sign of her rising class that she could still convincingly overcome Flipkens, under-ranked at 70th in the world, 7-5 6-2.
Pliskova, Konta win 1st-round matches at Australian Open
Karolina Pliskova and Johanna Konta had their Grand Slam breakthroughs last year, and both prepared for the season’s first major with title runs in Australia. They both won their first-round matches at the Australian Open in straight sets on Tuesday, and are growing in confidence.
A victorious Roger Federer returned-and, eventually, relaxed-in Oz
“The Great Man” is how commentators invariably refer to Roger Federer in Melbourne. After watching him play there for 18 years, and win four titles, the Aussies honor this native of Switzerland as if he’s one of their own tennis legends.
Murray, Kerber win their 1st major matches as top seeds
Shelby Rogers of the United States celebrates her win over Romania’s Simona Halep in their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 16, 2017. Romania’s Simona Halep raise her arms after missing a shot while playing Shelby Rogers of the United States during their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 16, 2017.
Australian Open: New No. 1s Angelique Kerber and Andy Murray made to work hard in first round
Top seeds Angelique Kerber and Andy Murray were both given a workout in the Australian heat as they overcome tough Ukrainian opponents to reach the second round. Defending champion Kerber of Germany squandered a match point in the second set before battling past 51st-ranked Lesia Tsurenko, 6-2, 5-7, 6-2.
Top seed Kerber battles into Open second round
Germany’s Angelique Kerber celebrates her victory against Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko during their women’s singles match on day one of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 16, 2017. AFP / PETER PARKS Melbourne: World number one Angelique Kerber battled past Lesia Tsurenko to get her first Grand Slam title defence off to a stuttering start at the Australian Open Monday.
Tennis: Top seed Kerber overcomes nerves to beat Tsurenko
World number one Angelique Kerber proved too much for Lesia Tsurenko, winning 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 on Rod Laver Arena. Germany’s Angelique Kerber celebrates her victory against Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko during their women’s singles match on day one of the Australian Open.
‘I’m pretty good at this’
Venus Williams of the U.S. reacts after winning her Women’s singles first round match against Ukraine’s Kateryna Kozlova. Photo: Reuters Venus Williams survived a rocky start to reach the second round of her 17th Australian Open on Monday, putting her 7-6 7-5 victory over Kateryna Kozlova down to hard-earned experience.
Andy Murray admits the experience of Ivan Lendl could prove to be…
Sir Andy Murray believes his coach Ivan Lendl can be the key to him ending his Australian Open hoodoo and staying as world number one. Murray begins the first grand slam of the year against Ukraine’s Illya Marchenko on Monday and for the first time at a major tournament is placed top of the rankings and number one seed.
Staying number one harder than getting there, says Kerber
Melbourne Park was ground zero for the stunning breakthrough of Angelique Kerber’s tennis career so the German has naturally savoured some golden memories before the defence of her Australian Open title. The emotions bubbled to the surface as the late-blooming left-hander was driven through the Melbourne Park gates for the first time since coming back this year.
New look: Murray, Kerber start Australian Open as top seeds
… Masters which led to an eight-week suspension. The ban was reduced to three weeks when Kyrgios agreed to consult a sports psychologist, allowing to warmup for the Australian Open at the Hopman Cup. That’s where Federer made his return from six …
No Sir, confident Murray comfortable with being called ‘Andy’
Murray after all, has solid form on the blue hardcourts in Melbourne, where he is arguably the second-most consistent man at the tournament this decade — after six-times champion Novak Djokovic. The Briton has appeared in five finals at the venue since 2010, the same as Djokovic.
Murray confidence sky high despite final hurdle failures
Losing five Melbourne Park finals would leave many believing they were destined to never win the Australian Open title but world number one Andy Murray remains confident that this could be the year he lays his demons to rest. Murray after all, has solid form on the blue hardcourts in Melbourne, where he is arguably the second-most consistent man at the tournament this decade — after six-times champion Novak Djokovic.
Murray ready to end his Australian Open hoodoo
The Brit has reached the decider at Melbourne Park in five of the past seven years, losing on each occasion including four to Novak Djokovic. “I obviously feel pretty confident after the way that last season finished.
Johanna Konta: Can back up Sydney win in Melbourne
It’s a while since we’ve had a 16/5 favourite for the women’s singles at a Grand Slam and that being the case at the Australian Open suggests it’s a pretty open field. Serena Williams still holds that favourite position but the 35-year-old is clearly someone the layers are prepared to take on to a certain extent.
Sock beats Sousa to win ASB Classic
Fourth-seeded American Jack Sock made amends for the disappointment of a year ago when he beat Joao Sousa of Portugal 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 in Saturday’s final to win the ASB Tennis Classic. Sock also reached the tournament final in 2016 but had to pull out of the title match due to illness.