Category: Tennis Players

Nishikori Beats Wawrinka, Reaches First Brisbane Final

Kei Nishikori corrected his bad record in Brisbane International semifinals by beating U.S. Open champion Stan Wawrinka 7-6 , 6-3 on Saturday to reach the final for the first time at the season-opening tournament. Wawrinka, who won the Chennai tournament in India in the first week of the season for the three previous years, had treatment on his lower left leg at the end of the first set tiebreaker and twice again in the second set.

Defending champ Djokovic to face top-ranked Murray in final

Defending champion Novak Djokovic survived five match points to beat Fernando Verdasco and set up a final against top-ranked Andy Murray, who had far less trouble winning his semifinal as he recorded a seventh straight victory against Tomas Berdych. On another day of chilly and windy weather Friday, Djokovic prevailed 4-6, 7-6 , 6-3 after the 42nd-ranked Verdasco, a crafty left-hander and former top-10 player, controlled the first two sets until the latter stages of the tiebreaker.

Raonic beats Nadal, keeps Brisbane title defence on track

Rafael Nadal was up a set and had a break point against defending champion Milos Raonic when he sent a forehand just wide. Raonic made the most of the reprieve, holding serve in that fifth game of the second set and then attacking Nadal’s serve in the eighth to swing the momentum his way in a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 quarterfinal win Friday at the Brisbane International.

Raonic beats Nadal, keeps Brisbane title defense on track

Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts after winning a point in his quarterfinal match against Milos Raonic of Canada at the Brisbane International tennis tournament in Brisbane, Australia, Friday, Jan. 6, 2017. Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts after winning a point in his quarterfinal match against Milos Raonic of Canada at the Brisbane International tennis tournament in Brisbane, Australia, Friday, Jan. 6, 2017.

Ana Konjuh, Lauren Davis to meet in Auckland WTA final

Eighth-seeded Ana Konjuh prevented a complete rout of seeded players at the ASB Tennis Classic when she beat 2016 runner-up Julia Goerges 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 on Friday to join American Lauren Davis in the final. Seven seeds had fallen by the time Konjuh took the court for her semifinal against Goerges, who was in hot form after eliminating former world No.

Will Serena Williams Return As the No. 1 Player in 2017?

Serena Williams lost a second-round match at the ASB Classic on Wednesday, but it will only awaken the American superstar to find her form before the Australian Open draw on Jan. 13. After not playing competitive tour tennis since the U.S. Open and all but relinquishing her No. 1 ranking to Angelique Kerber, Serena is putting on her game face.

Classic a reminder of sport’s unpredictability

At the start of this week, no one could have predicted the semifinal lineup that we will have on Friday, with all four players outside the top 40. With two days of the tournament still to play, the top six seeds have gone, including Serena Williams, sister Venus and another former World No 1 Caroline Wozniacki. It’s been a mini-disaster for the organisers, who would have ideally wanted one or two of their big names to be around on Saturday.

Defending champion Raonic into Brisbane International QFs

” Defending champion Milos Raonic advanced to the quarterfinals of the Brisbane International with 6-3, 6-2 win over Diego Schwartzman on Thursday. The top-seeded Raonic, who had a first-round bye, fired 12 aces in the 70-minute, second-round match and had four service breaks, including three in the second set.

Wozniacki beaten in ASB Classic quarterfinals

” The ASB Tennis Classic was shorn of the last of its big-name contenders on Thursday when former world No.1 Caroline Wozniacki wasted a match-winning position and lost 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the quarterfinals to Germany’s Julia Goerges. The tournament had boasted the strongest field in its history when four former No.

Roger Federer loses close match to Zverev at Hopman Cup

Roger Federer found himself overmatched _ just _ by a younger and stronger-serving opponent on Wednesday, losing 7-6 , 6-7 , 7-6 to 19-year-old Alexander Zverev of Germany at the Hopman Cup Roger Federer loses close match to Zverev at Hopman Cup Roger Federer found himself overmatched _ just _ by a younger and stronger-serving opponent on Wednesday, losing 7-6 , 6-7 , 7-6 to 19-year-old Alexander Zverev of Germany at the Hopman Cup Check out this story on USATODAY.com: http://usat.ly/2j39V5R FILE – In this July 8, 2016, file photo, Roger Federer of Switzerland returns to Milos Raonic of Canada during their men’s semifinal singles match at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London.

Frustrated Serena Williams loses in second round at Auckland

Serena Williams lost her second-round match Wednesday at the ASB Classic and the 22-time Grand Slam singles champion didn’t leave quietly Frustrated Serena Williams loses in second round at Auckland Serena Williams lost her second-round match Wednesday at the ASB Classic and the 22-time Grand Slam singles champion didn’t leave quietly Check out this story on USATODAY.com: http://usat.ly/2hQWIzj AUCKLAND, New Zealand – Serena Williams lost her second-round match at the ASB Classic and the 22-time Grand Slam singles champion, frustrated by swirling winds, didn’t leave quietly. “At least I can get out of these conditions,” No.

Sport24.co.za | Serena bundled out of Auckland Classic

Top seed Serena Williams suffered a shock defeat to fellow American Madison Brengle in the second round of the WTA Auckland Classic on Wednesday to bring an abrupt end to her return to the court. In her first tournament since losing in the semi-finals of the US Open four months ago, Williams was bundled out 6-4, 6-7 , 6-4 by the world number 72 in a two-hour, 13-minute arm wrestle.

Nadal continues comeback with a first win in Brisbane

Rafael Nadal was in need of some sleep, so he didn’t waste much time against Alexandr Dolgopolov on Tuesday. The 14-time major champion, playing his opening match at the Brisbane International a day after arriving in Australia following a win in an exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi, beat the Ukrainian 6-3, 6-3 after getting on court at almost 10:30 p.m. local time.

Serena Williams wins opening match in Auckland

Serena Williams mixed flashes of form and occasional bouts of frustration as she ended four months on the sidelines with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Pauline Parmentier on Tuesday in the first round of the ASB Classic United States’ Serena Williams hits a forehand during her first round match against Pauline Parmentier of France at the ASB Classic tennis tournament in Auckland, New Zealand, Tuesday, Jan 3, 2017. Williams won in straight sets 6-3, 6-4.

Serena shakes out rust to advance in Auckland

World number two Serena Williams shook out any cobwebs from four months away from tennis with a 6-3 6-4 victory over France’s Pauline Parmentier in the first round of the Auckland Classic on Tuesday. The 35-year-old had not played a competitive match since she lost to Karolina Pliskova in the semi-finals of the U.S. Open last September, withdrawing from all tennis to deal with a persistent shoulder injury.

Muguruza beats Stosur in 1st round at Brisbane International

French Open champion Garbine Muguruza finished off a first-round match for the first time at the Brisbane International, and extended Sam Stosur’s unhappy run in the process with a 7-5, 6-7 , 7-5 win on Monday. The fourth-seeded Muguruza saved three set points in the first and rallied from a break down in the third to finish off in 2 hours, 45 minutes on a humid afternoon.

Bernard Tomic’s blonde girlfriend Emma Blake-Hahnel courtside at Brisbane International

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Judy Murray believes ‘it would be hard to top this year’ after sons …

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Somdev Devvarman bids adieu to pro tennis

New Delhi , Jan 1 : While many of the sports personalities are entering the New Year 2017 hoping to reach greater heights, Indian tennis ace Somdev Devvarman has decided to take retirement from professional tennis. Taking to micro blogging website Twitter, Devvarman insisted that he is starting 2017 on a new note by calling time on his career.

My heart wasn’t in it anymore, says Ivanovic

Former women’s tennis world number one Ana Ivanovic admitted Saturday she retired this week because she felt both physically and mentally unfit to carry on after years of battling injuries. Ana Ivanovic was world number one for a spell in 2008, the same year she won her sole Grand Slam title at the French Open The 29-year-old Serbian — whose sole Grand Slam success came in the 2008 French Open one of her 15 WTA titles — added she wanted to retire while she still loved the sport.

Andy Murray is a five-time runner up at the Australian Open

World number one Andy Murray returns to the court in Abu Dhabi on Friday hoping a change of preparations can help deliver an elusive Australian Open title next month. The Scot ended the 2016 tour at the top of the ATP Rankings after claiming both the Wimbledon and Olympic crowns, and defeating previous top seed Novak Djokovic to win the year-ending ATP World Tour Finals in London.