Gauff powers through at Australian Open ahead of Osaka comeback

Gauff powers through at Australian Open ahead of Osaka comeback

US Open champion Coco Gauff swept into the Australian Open second round on Monday but Wimbledon winner Marketa Vondrousova was sent packing as Naomi Osaka readied for her Grand Slam comeback. Fourth seed Gauff said ahead of the opening Grand Slam of the year at Melbourne Park that she wanted to win "multiple" major titles after her breakthrough at Flushing Meadows. The 19-year-old put the plan into motion with […]

January 15, 2024 2

Sport

Cramps and tears as Medvedev beats brutal heat at Australian Open

Frenchman Terence Atmane smashed his racquet, served underarm and retired in tears as he dealt with serious cramp in pushing third seed Daniil Medvedev hard at the Australian Open on Monday. The qualifier struggled in the searing heat on Margaret Court Arena, stunning the Russian by taking the first set but was unable to continue when trailing 5-7, 6-2, 6-4, 1-0. "The conditions were brutal," said two-time tournament finalist Medvedev. […]

January 15, 2024 2

Sport

Murray : “Curbing late finishes will make tennis more professional”

Andy Murray has welcomed a move by global tennis bodies to minimise the scourge of late finishes, saying it will make the game "a wee bit" more professional. The British veteran's five-hour, 45-minute epic against Thanasi Kokkinakis at last year's Australian Open led to renewed calls for change. Three-time Grand Slam winner Murray memorably asked during his gruelling victory: "Why are we playing at 3 am?". The match finally ended […]

January 12, 2024 1

Sport

Top seed Shelton ousted in Auckland Classic semi-finals

Top seed Ben Shelton suffered a surprise semi-final exit from the Auckland Classic on Friday, beaten in straight sets by Japan's Taro Daniel. Days out from the Australian Open, powerhouse American Shelton couldn't match the consistency of his unseeded opponent, who won 7-5, 7-6 (11/9) to qualify for his second career ATP final. World number 16 Shelton was only broken once but the 21-year-old couldn't capitalise on any of […]

January 12, 2024 5

Sport

Wozniacki targets more Australian Open glory with kids in tow

Caroline Wozniacki admits ultimately she will "never be cool" to her two young children even as they watch her pursue more Grand Slam glory at the Australian Open. The Dane made a shock return to tennis last year after retiring in 2020, reaching the fourth round at the US Open in her first major for three years. Now the former world number one is back at Melbourne Park -- the […]

January 12, 2024 8

Sport

Australian Open fitness fears for Norrie after Auckland pullout

Britain's world number 19 Cameron Norrie pulled out of the Auckland Classic with a wrist injury on Thursday, leaving his fitness in doubt just three days before the Australian Open. American top seed Ben Shelton had just powered past Spain's Roberto Carballes Baena 6-4, 6-3 when second seed Norrie withdrew from his quarter-final, handing Chile's Alejandro Tabilo a walkover. Tournament director Nicolas Lamperin said Norrie had woken with […]

January 11, 2024 5

Sport

Australian Open Men’s Seeds

Melbourne, Jan 10, 2024 (AFP) - Men's singles seeds for the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the year, which starts on Sunday at Melbourne Park: Men's singles 1. Novak Djokovic (SRB), Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) 3. Daniil Medvedev (RUS), 4. Jannik Sinner (ITA), 5. Andrey Rublev (RUS), 6. Alexander Zverev (GER), 7. Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE), 8. Holger Rune (DEN), 9. Hubert Hurkacz (POL), 10. Alex de Minaur (AUS), […]

January 10, 2024 7

Sport

Australian Open Women’s Seeds

Women's singles seeds for the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the year, which starts on Sunday at Melbourne Park: Women's singles 1. Iga Swiatek (POL), 2. Aryna Sabalenka (BLR), 3. Elena Rybakina (KAZ), 4. Coco Gauff (USA), 5. Jessica Pegula (USA), 6. Ons Jabeur (TUN), 7. Marketa Vondrousova (CZE), 8. Maria Sakkari (GRE), 9. Barbora Krejcikova (CZE), 10. Beatriz Haddad Maia (BRA), 11. Jelena Ostapenko (LAT), 12. […]

January 10, 2024 7

Sport

Pegula digs deep to stay alive in Adelaide

Adelaide, Australia, Jan 10, 2024 (AFP) - World number five Jessica Pegula rallied from a slow start on Wednesday to overcome 69th-ranked Bernarda Pera and set up a quarter-final against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova at the Adelaide International. The second seed needed two-and-a-quarter hours to win the all-American battle 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 at Memorial Drive. After splitting the first two sets, Pegula started the deciding set with a break, but lost it […]

January 10, 2024 1