News

New York (US), Aug 27 (Ians) Former World No.2 Spaniard Paula Badosa and 2019 champion Bianca Andreescu of Canada have withdrawn from the US Open due to injuries.

Badosa was set to face Venus Williams in the first round of the tournament on Tuesday. Williams will now face either a qualifier or lucky loser.

The Spaniard has been unable to play since she was forced to retire from her second-round match at Wimbledon due to a back injury.

Currently ranked No.47, Badosa posted to social media that the injury has forced her to shut down her season.

“After struggling for many months to compete again, I am ending my season,” she wrote on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). “Those of you who know me know how much I like to compete and how difficult it has been to make this decision. We have tried everything together with my team but the...

Cincinnati (USA), Aug 20 (Ians) American young sensation Coco Gauff advanced to her first Wta 1000 final after upsetting world No.1 Iga Swiatek 7-6(2), 3-6, 6-4 in a thrilling three-set semifinal at Cincinnati Masters.

Saturday’s win was Gauff’s first over Swiatek, having lost their seven prior meetings. Their last meeting came at Roland Garros, where Gauff played one of her best matches against the World No.1 only to lose 6-4, 6-2 in the quarterfinals.

The American become the seventh teenager to make a Wta 1000 final, joining Victoria Azarenka, Caroline Wozniacki, Belinda Bencic, Jelena Ostapenko, Bianca Andreescu and Swiatek.

In Sunday’s final, Gauff will face French Open finalist Czech player Karolina Muchova, who came from behind to upset No.2 seed Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals.

In a rematch of the pair’s Roland Garros semifinal, which Muchova saved match points to win in June after trailing 5-2 in the third set,...

London, July 15 (Ians) Unseeded Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic won the first Grand Slam title of her career after defeating No.6 seed Ons Jabeur of Tunisia in the 2023 Wimbledon final, here on Saturday.

Vondrousova, who is ranked 42nd in the world, handled the nerves of the occasion better than World No.6 Jabeur to win 6-4, 6-4 in the final, which lasted for 80 minutes on Centre Court.

With this, Vondrousova became the first unseeded Wimbledon champion in the Open Era, the second ever, after Billie Jean King (1963). The 24-year-old was the second-lowest ranked player to win here, after Serena Williams in 2018.

Notably, Vondrousova, a year ago, was a spectator at the All England Club with a cast on her left wrist.

“I don’t really know what’s happening right now. It’s an amazing feeling. I had a cast last year this time. This is amazing I can stand here,...

The dust has barely settled from the 2023 French Open, but the top tennis players in the world are already headed across the channel to England! Four days of singles qualifying for The Championships, Wimbledon (usually shortened to just Wimbledon) begin on Monday, June 26 at 6 a.m. Et on ESPN+. There are only 16 slots each for men and women open, but who will win their way into the prestigious Grand Slam tournament? Find out with a Subscription to ESPN+.

How to Watch 2023 Wimbledon Qualifying When: Starts Monday, June 26 at 6 a.m. Et TV: ESPN Stream: Watch with a Subscription to ESPN+ Sign Up Now $9.99 / month espnplus.com About 2023 Wimbledon Qualifying

Wimbledon qualifying will be held on the grass courts at the Community Sport Centre Roehampton, just down the road from the Wimbledon district of London. The tournament starts on July 3, but before it can get going the field of competitors must be set.

‘s-Hertogenbosch (Netherlands), June 13 (Ians) Former World No.1 Venus Williams crashed out of the Wta Libema Open here, losing to Celine Naef in an inter-generational first-round encounter between wild cards.

Naef came back from a set and a breakdown to score a memorable win on her Wta main-draw debut, beating Venus Williams 3-6, 7-6(3), 6-2 in 2 hours and 18 minutes.

Williams, 42, owns seven Grand Slam singles crowns, five of which have come at Wimbledon. Naef, 17, is a former junior No.4 who had never played a tour-level match before. The Swiss teenager was born on June 25, 2005 — midway through the third of Venus’ Wimbledon title runs. In a further wrinkle, Naef’s childhood coach was Melanie Molitor, the mother of Venus’ old rival Martina Hingis, the Wta said in a report on their website.

A hamstring injury sustained in Auckland at the start of the year had sidelined Venus since January. But she came out in great form,...

Paris, June 8 (Ians) Japan’s Miyu Kato and Germany’s Tim Puetz clinched the French Open mixed doubles title on Thursday, defeating Bianca Andreescu and Michael Venus 4-6, 6-4, [10-6] in the final, here.

The French Open is Kato’s first Grand Slam title and capped off an emotional week for the 28-year-old Japanese doubles specialist, who was disqualified from the women’s doubles competition after inadvertently hitting a ball girl with a ball in the third-round match.

“It has been really challenging for me for the past few days. I want to thank all the players, coaches, everyone for their heartfelt messages of support,” Kato was quoted as saying by Wta.

Andreescu and Venus climbed from a break down to take the opening set (4-6) but Kato and Puetz struck back to level the match, taking the second set 6-4.

The Japanese/German duo built a 6-3 lead in the...

Paris, June 4 (Ians) Defending champion Iga Swiatek swept into the Round of 16 at the French Open with a dominant 6-0, 6-0 victory over 80th-ranked Wang Xinyu on Court Philippe Chatrier, here on Saturday.

World No.1 Swiatek of Poland took just 51 minutes to dismiss Wang in their first clash at the tour level. Swiatek had edged Wang in their two very close meetings during their junior careers, but this time around, the top seed cruised to a win.

Swiatek, the champion in 2020 as well as last year, has won her last ten matches at Roland Garros and is 24-2 throughout her career at the tournament.

After winning her first two matches this week by identical 6-4, 6-0 scorelines, Swiatek had an even easier time of it against Chinese No.5 Wang. Swiatek brings a comprehensive 19-game winning streak into the next round.

The 22-year-old Swiatek never faced a breakpoint on Saturday, and...

Paris, May 31 (Ians) Canada’s Bianca Andreescu rallied from a set and a break down to defeat 18th seed Victoria Azarenka, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the first round of the French Open, here.

The victory is Andreescu’ first of the clay season and second Top 20 win of the year. The former World No.4 will face Emma Navarro in the second round.

In a rare opening-round match between two major champions, Andreescu snapped a three-match losing streak by overcoming a 6-2, 3-1 deficit. The 22-year-old from Mississauga, Ontario withstood Azarenka’s return pressure to save 12 of 16 break points in the hotly-contested 2-hour and 30-minute match.

“I’m going to be honest, this match I started thinking about my grandmother because she’s getting old, and I’m very close to her,” Andreescu said.

“She said, ‘Bianca, I really want to watch you win another major. So I had that in the...

Bianca Andreescu took the tennis world by storm back in 2019, winning the Rogers Cup at age 19 — the first Canadian to do so in a half-century — and defeating Serena Williams to win the U.S. Open.

Since then, she’s candidly discussed the struggles she’s had with mental health, and it’s a conversation she wants to continue with her appearance in “The Real Me” series from Modern Health and the Women’s Tennis Association (Wta).

“I really honestly, like I am an open book, as people like to say,” the Canadian tennis sensation said in a recent interview with Et Canada.

Read More: Canada’s Bianca Andreescu Defeats Serena Williams To Win U.S. Open

“I’m super vulnerable. Like, I’m the type of person who wears their heart on their sleeve and I’m very open about literally everything in my life. And I think a big...

Rome, May 15 (Ians) The No. 22 seed Zheng Qinwen overcame her Chinese compatriot Wang Xiyu 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 to reach her first tour-level quarterfinal on clay at the Italian Open, here on Monday.

The result also marked No.21-ranked Zheng’s second Wta 1000 quarterfinal of her career.

She will next face either No.11 seed Veronika Kudermetova or No.27 seed Marie Bouzkova in a bid to reach her second semifinal of the season, following Abu Dhabu in February.

It was the third time that two Chinese players had met in the last 16 of a Wta 1000 event. At Miami 2019, Wang Qiang defeated Wang Yafan 7-5, 6-4; and at Beijing 2012, Li Na overcame Peng Shuai 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(3).

Zheng reached her first Wta 1000 quarterfinal in Toronto last year via defeats of Ons Jabeur and Bianca Andreescu. Her run this fortnight has improved her 2023 record to 16-8 (14-8 in Wta main draws).

–Ians

bc/bsk...

Madrid, April 28 (Ians) The No. 10 seed Petra Kvitova fell victim to the first major upset in the Madrid Open while China’s Zhang Zhizhen sailed into the second round of the clay court event.

The Czech player, who won in Miami earlier this month, lost 7-6(9), 6-1 to Jule Niemeier of Germany here on Thursday. Croatia’s 20th-seeded Donna Vekic also bowed out, following a 6-1, 7-6 (5) loss to Spain’s Rebeka Masarova.

Dominic Thiem advanced into the last 64 with a convincing 6-4, 6-1 victory against Kyle Edmund of Britain, who is still working his way back to his best after a knee injury, reports Xinhua.

In the men’s tournament, China’s Zhang Zhizhen qualified for the second round, earning a 7-6(6), 6-4 victory over Jurij Rodionov of Austria in a match that lasted one hour and 30 minutes.

The 26-year-old Madrid Open debutant came back from one break down...

Miami (USA), March 28 (Ians) After being forced to retire due to a left ankle injury in her fourth-round match at the Miami Open, Bianca Andreescu has provided an update on her health condition.

Facing Ekaterina Alexandrova on Monday night, Andreescu made a move for a ball in the third game of the second set and subsequently collapsed to the court in agonising pain.

After being attended to by medical staff, she was wheeled off the court in a wheelchair before heading to the hospital for tests.

“Woke up with a brace on my foot…anyone knows what happened?” Andreescu wrote on Twitter.

“On a serious note tho… that was the worst pain I’ve ever felt…praying for nothing serious. Still waiting on official results. Thank you everyone for your thoughts and kind words, doesn’t go unnoticed,” she added.

The emotional scenes on the court on Monday night were...

Miami (USA), March 23 (Ians) In a matchup of former US Open champions, Bianca Andreescu edged Emma Raducanu in the first round of the Miami Open, here.

Andreescu knocked off Raducanu 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 in 2 hours and 33 minutes on Wednesday night.

Andreescu, the 2021 finalist here, won their first-round match in Rome last year after Raducanu retired trailing 6-2, 2-1 with a lower back injury. This time round, the opponents went toe-to-toe for three captivating sets.

The 22-year-old Canadian will next take on No.7 seed Maria Sakkari in the second round. She has split two previous meetings with Sakkari, both of which came down to the wire.

Andreescu won 7-6(7), 3-6, 7-6(4) in the 2021 Miami semifinals, but Sakkari got a 6-7(2), 7-6(6), 6-3 win in the fourth round of the US Open a few months later.

“You never know what to expect. I just came in here wanting to play my best with what I had today,...

Indian Wells (USA), March 14 (Ians) World No 1 Iga Swiatek narrowly escaped Bianca Andreescu 6-3, 7-6 (1) to reach the Round of 16 at Indian Wells Masters in breezy, heavy conditions, here.

After playing a terrific match, Andreescu couldn’t contain Swiatek in the tiebreak, losing seven of eight points on Monday night.

“She changed the rhythm pretty well and with this surface it can get tough. But I’m pretty happy I was solid most of the time, at least. And that I could be recomposed in the tiebreaker because I really knew that I could get my focus up. I’m even glad that I got a chance to kind of play under pressure some more and see how I’m going to cope with it,” Swiatek was quoted as saying by Wta.

“I feel like the vibe is similar to the US Open, so, yeah, for sure playing under pressure it’s tough,...

Indian Wells (USA), March 12 (Ians) Defending champion Iga Swiatek eased into the round of the Indian Wells Masters with a comfortable 6-0, 6-1 victory over American Claire Liu.

The world No. 1 won the first 11 games of the match before easing to victory in just over an hour, the fifth time this season she’s dropped just one game in winning a match.

With Saturday’s victory, Swiatek improved to 13-3 in the 2023 season. Interestingly, all 13 of those wins have come in straight sets.

The top seed will next face 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu in a battle of former Indian Wells champions. Swiatek won the only previous meeting with Andreescu, a 7-6(2), 6-0 win over the Canadian en route to the Rome title last year.

In other actions, Australian Open finalist Elena Rybakina won the battle of major champions, edging Sofia Kenin in two tiebreaks to advance to the third round of the tournament.

Indian Wells (USA), March 7 (Ians) World No.1 Iga Swiatek is back to defend her crown at the Indian Wells Masters, as the Pole sits at the top of the draw as the No.1 seed player.

Main-draw play at the Wta 1000 event starts on March 8, with World No.1 and defending champion Swiatek leading the field. Her run to the title last year was part of her 37-match winning streak, the longest of the 2000s.

Like all of the 32 seeded players, Swiatek has received a first-round bye. She will play the winner of the first-round match between Claire Liu and Alison van Uytvanck.

Two of the four former Indian Wells champions in the field could face off in the third round, with No.32 seed and 2019 champion Bianca Andreescu as a potential opponent for Swiatek.

No.5 seed Caroline Garcia is the other Top 10 seed in the first quarter. Also in this quarter are 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu,...

Melbourne, Jan 16 (Ians) American teen sensation Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula and Britain’s Emma Raducanu opened their 2023 Australian Open campaign with a victory here on Monday.

The 18-year-old Gauff advanced to the second round with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Czech Republic’s Katerina Siniakova.

Playing in her fourth Australian Open, Gauff opened up play on Rod Laver Arena and powered through the first set in just 22 minutes. Siniakova struck back in the second set and looked primed to take the match to a third set after winning the longest rally of the match — 22 strokes — and breaking Gauff to lead 4-2.

Gauff broke back immediately and once again to earn a chance to serve out the win. In the longest game of the match, Siniakova gamely saved six match points before the American closed out the win with a backhand volley winner.

Another American Pegula, after guiding her country to United Cup success in Sydney,...

Melbourne, Dec 21 (Ians) World No.1 Iga Swiatek leads the entry list for next year’s Australian Open, which is based on the Wta rankings of the week beginning December 5.

Reigning Roland Garros and US Open champion Swiatek is one of 13 current or former Grand Slam winners who have entered the first major of 2023, which begins on January 16. The Pole, who reached her first Australian Open semifinal this year, will be bidding to add a fourth Grand Slam title to her haul so far.

Three former Australian Open champions are in the line-up — Victoria Azarenka (2012-13), Naomi Osaka and Sofia Kenin (2020) — as well as three former Australian Open runners-up, Petra Kvitova (2019), Garbiñe Muguruza (2020) and Danielle Collins (2022). This year’s champion, Ashleigh Barty, retired from professional tennis in March and will not defend her title.

Alongside Swiatek, Azarenka, Osaka, Kenin, Kvitova and Muguruza, the remaining roster of Grand Slam champions with direct entry comprises Jelena Ostapenko,...

Auckland, Dec 21 (Ians) Seven-time Grand Slam winner and former No.1 Venus Williams will be a wildcard entry into the Asb Classic, starting here, next month.

The 42-year-old, who retired from regular tournament play in 2021, has a wildcard to compete in the Australian Open, and accordingly sought a spot in the Asb Classic as a lead-in to the grand slam event.

Williams has played in the tournament on five occasions, with one of her 49 career victories coming in Auckland in 2015 over Caroline Wozniacki.

“We are absolutely thrilled to have one of the greatest players returning to the Asb Classic,” said Tournament Director, Nicolas Lamperin.

“Venus is not just one of the best players in the history of the sport, but she loves it here in New Zealand. When her agent contacted us, we were more than pleased to offer her a wildcard into the Asb Classic. She loves it here in...

Adelaide, Dec 17 (Ians) The Adelaide International 2 boasts a stellar entry list, which includes the entirety of the Wta Tour’s Top 4, including World No.1 Iga Swiatek and No.2 Ons Jabeur.

World No.3 Jessica Pegula and Wta Finals champion Caroline Garcia have also entered the Wta 500 event, which takes place during Week 2 of the new 2023 season and begins on January 9.

Notably, Adelaide 2 is the second leg of Adelaide’s Festival of Tennis, a two-week span that sees the city host back-to-back Wta 500 events at The Drive. The tournament is the last Wta 500 tournament before the Australian Open, which begins on January 16.

With a main-draw cutoff at No.22, Adelaide 2 also features No.8 Daria Kasatkina, No.9 Veronika Kudermetova. 2022 Adelaide 250 champion Madison Keys has also entered the tournament, as well as 2022 Sydney champion Paula Badosa.

As per Wta, Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, who advanced to the final in her last appearance in Adelaide last year,...

Melbourne, Dec 8 (Ians) World No.1 Iga Swiatek leads the entry list for next year’s Australian Open, which is based on the Wta rankings of the week beginning December 5.

Reigning Roland Garros and US Open champion Swiatek is one of 12 current or former Grand Slam winners who have entered the first major of 2023, which begins on January 16 in Melbourne. The Pole, who reached her first Australian Open semifinal this year, will be bidding to add a fourth Grand Slam title to her haul so far.

Three former Australian Open champions are in the line-up — Victoria Azarenka (2012-13), Naomi Osaka and Sofia Kenin (2020) — as well as three former Australian Open runners-up, Petra Kvitova (2019), Garbiñe Muguruza (2020) and Danielle Collins (2022).

This year’s champion, Ashleigh Barty, retired from professional tennis in March and will not defend her title.

Alongside Swiatek, Azarenka, Osaka, Kenin, Kvitova and Muguruza, the remaining roster of Grand Slam champions...

Glasgow (Scotland), Nov 11 (Ians) Last year’s Billie Jean King Cup runners-up Switzerland returned back in the semifinals after victories by Olympic medallists Belinda Bencic and Viktorija Golubic propelled them past Canada 2-0 in Friday’s group stage matches.

Bencic clinched the tie by defeating Leylah Fernandez 6-0, 7-5 in the second singles match. Bencic converted six of her 10 break points to triumph in 89 minutes and level her head-to-head against Fernandez to 2-2.

“I feel like I’m moving really well, and I’m just trying to grind and fight for every point. I think then you get into the rhythm a little bit, and of course, it feels great to be pushed by my team and just to have the heart on the sleeve,” Bencic said on the court, after her win.

Brilliant backhands by Bencic helped give her the first seven games of the match. Fernandez’s timing...

San Diego (USA), Oct 11 (Ians) Canadian tennis player Bianca Andreescu defeated Russia’s Liudmila Samsonova 7-6(1), 4-6, 6-2 in the first round of the San Diego Open, here.

Samsonova came into San Diego on a red-hot tear with three wins in her past four tournaments, including her most recent run to the title at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo.

“The match was very tight and it could have gone either way. I felt towards the end I felt I was putting a little bit more pressure than she was and I was a little bit more consistent,” Andreescu said after her win on Monday night.

Playing her first tournament since making the third round of the US Open, Andreescu kept the pressure on Samsonova’s service games, generating 15 break points in the match and breaking five times.

The 22-year-old Andreescu led by a set and a break before Samsonova...

San Diego (USA), Oct 11 (Ians) Canadian tennis player Bianca Andreescu defeated Russia’s Liudmila Samsonova 7-6(1), 4-6, 6-2 in the first round of the San Diego Open, here.

Samsonova came into San Diego on a red-hot tear with three wins in her past four tournaments, including her most recent run to the title at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo.

“The match was very tight and it could have gone either way. I felt towards the end I felt I was putting a little bit more pressure than she was and I was a little bit more consistent,” Andreescu said after her win on Monday night.

Playing her first tournament since making the third round of the US Open, Andreescu kept the pressure on Samsonova’s service games, generating 15 break points in the match and breaking five times.

The 22-year-old Andreescu led by a set and a break before Samsonova...

San Diego (California), Oct 8 (Ians) Women’s world No. 1 and winner of two majors this year, Poland’s Iga Swiatek, heads the draw at the San Diego Open — a Wta 500 event –, where a rematch of the French Open final against American Coco Gauff could be on the cards in the third round.

Besides Swiatek, the winner of the French and US Open this year, the other top players in the fray include Americans Jessica Pegula and Gauff and Canada’s Bianca Andreescu and Leylah Fernandez.

The top four seeds — Swiatek, Paula Badosa, Aryna Sabalenka and Pegula — have received byes into the second round. Swiatek will face either Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina or Spain’s Garbine Muguruza, with a potential rematch of the French Open final looming in the third round against Gauff. The teenage American is set to play her first tournament since making her Top-10 debut and will open against a qualifier,...

New York, Sep 3 (Ians) Serena Williams, the winner of a mind-boggling 23 singles major titles, brought the curtains down on an illustrious career after she lost to Ajla Tomljanovic of Australia 7-5, 6-7(4), 6-1 in a third-round match in front of a packed Arthur Ashe Stadium, at the US Open on Saturday (Ist).

Williams, 73-time winner on the Wta Tour who also won a record-equalling six US Open titles, was given a standing ovation as she exited the court one last time with some of the most magical numbers of all time.

Several top players including American Coco Gauff and Japan’s Naomi Osaka, among other, paid tributes to the 40-year-old champion who is only fifth on the all-time list of winners on the Wta Tour.

In terms of the Wta Tour titles, Martina Navratilova leads the all-time list with 167, followed by Chris Evert (157), Steffi Graf (107), Margaret Court (92) and Williams, with 73.

Beyond the cold numbers,...

New York, Sep 1 (Ians) World No. 48 Bianca Andreescu advanced to the third round of the ongoing US Open 2022 after defeating No 15 seed Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-2, 6-4, here on Thursday.

The 22-year-old Canadian put in a vintage performance to set up an exciting third-round clash with France’s Caroline Garcia. Coming off an up-and-down three-set win over Harmony Tan in the first round, Andreescu played a physical and disciplined match to defeat the surging Brazilian.

Haddad Maia has been in fantastic form during the summer, winning back-to-back titles in Nottingham and Birmingham and making the biggest final of her career in Toronto. She earned her first main-draw win at the US Open in the first round with a dominating 6-0, 6-0 win over Ana Konjuh.

“I actually like playing these tougher opponents because I think I’m more on my A-game when I play higher ranked players, which is a...

Bianca Andreescu has apologized to her sponsor Nike after she blamed a piece of clothing manufactured by the popular corporation for affecting her game during the first-round match at the US Open on Monday.

The former champion was up against Harmony Tan on the Grandstand court when the winds at the open arena continued to blow her skirt up, ultimately forcing her to approach the chair umpire to request an additional bathroom break to change her choice of wardrobe.

Read More: Bianca Andreescu Calls Out Tsn For Not Airing Her Full Wimbledon Game

“Will this not count as one of my changeovers? I mean, it’s not my fault, it’s Nike’s fault,” Andreescu told the umpire. “This dress is so, so bad… I need to go (change), this is really bad.”

The 22-year-old returned to the court wearing a different skirt, paired with a white tank top. She...

New York, Aug 12 (Ians) American teenager Coco Gauff will reach the highest ranking of her career after the 18-year-old defeated world number six Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (7-4) in the third round of the Canadian Open.

Gauff, who has never been ranked higher than her current spot of 11th, will overtake Great Britain’s Emma Raducanu and likely Russian Daria Kasatkina to move up to ninth when the next rankings are released after prevailing in an exceptionally tight match against her Belarussian opponent, reports Dpa. Incredibly, both Gauff and Sabalenka won exactly 131 points each, posting identical success rates on service points (77-of-131) and return points (54-of-131).

Gauff will be considered one of the favourites in the tournament after world number one Iga Swiatek was sensationally eliminated by Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia. Swiatek was sloppy, committing nine double faults to just one from her opponent.

Two-time grand slam...

Toronto (Canada), Aug 11 (Ians) Canada’s Bianca Andreescu registered a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 win over France’s Alize Cornet in 2 hours and 26 minutes to reach the Round of 16 at the National Bank Open, here.

It was Andreescu’s first win over Cornet, who had troubled her mightily in the past. After her victory on Wednesday night, Andreescu has now won eight matches in a row at the event when it is held in Toronto, which is the nearest major city to her hometown.

“I think it was just the fighting spirit of both of us. She’s very consistent and I really had to push through, especially in the tough moments. I think I played those key moments a bit better today,” Andreescu reflected on the match.

“I think especially in these tight matches, those are the key moments that you really need under your belt. And when you have...

Bad Homburg (Germany), June 24 (Ians) The unseeded Bianca Andreescu reached the Bad Homburg Open final after a neck injury forced No 4 seed Simona Halep to withdraw ahead of their semifinal, here on Friday. This week marked the first time in the Canadian’s career that she had won consecutive main-draw matches on grass. The […]...

Rome, May 13 (Ians) World No 1 and defending champion Iga Swiatek extended her winning streak to 26 with a 7-6(2), 6-0 defeat of Canada’s Bianca Andreescu to reach the semifinals of the Italian Open, here on Friday. The 20-year old Swiatek now owns the joint-fifth longest streak this century, matching the 26 consecutive wins […]...

Stuttgart (Germany), April 22 (Ians) No.3 seed Aryna Sabalenka defeated Bianca Andreescu in the second round of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, triumphing 6-1, 3-6, 6-2 in 1 hour and 52 minutes here on Thursday. Earlier on Centre Court, No.2 seed Paula Badosa had also survived a three-setter, holding off Elena Rybakina 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(4) […]...

Paris, June 7 (Ians) No.21 seed Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan on Sunday created a massive upset as she defeated three-time champion and seventh seed Serena Williams of the USA 6-3, 7-5 in the fourth round and entered the quarterfinals of the French Open.

Elena stunned the 23-time Grand Slam champion in one hour and 17-minute. The Kazakh was playing in her first ever round-of-16 match in a Grand Slam tournament and her 64th.

Elena converted five of her seven break points, besides winning nearly 60 per cent of points returning the Serena's second service.

Elena will face Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the quarterfinals.

Anastasia, 29, fought back from a set down to beat No.15 seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 5-7, 6-3, 6-2 and enter the quarterfinals, 10 years after her maiden French Open quarterfinal appearance, in 2011. This is the seventh Grand Slam quarterfinal for Anastasia, and her first outside Australia in five years.

Meanwhile,...

Paris, June 6 (Ians) Slovenia's world No. 85 Tamara Zidansek's dream run at the French Open continued as he delivered a masterful performance to beat a higher-ranked Romanian Sorana Cirstea 7-6(4), 6-1 and move into her first Grand Slam quarter-final on Sunday.

Tamara will meet Paula Badosa of Spain in the quarterfinals. World No.35 Paula defeated Czech Republic's Marketa Vondrousova 6-4, 3-6, 6-2.

Tamara, 23, also became the first Slovenian player to enter the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam event since the country attained independence in 1991.

Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, 29, fought back from a set down to beat No.15 seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 5-7, 6-3, 6-2 and enter the quarter-finals 10 years after her maiden French Open quarter-final appearance, in 2011.

This is the seventh Grand Slam quarter-final for Anastasia, and her first outside Australia in five years.

Anastasia will meet the winner of the pre-quarterfinal match between No.7 seed American Serena Williams and No.

Rome, May 17 (Ians) Polish teenager Iga Swiatek, who won the Italian Open on Sunday to add to last year's French Open crown and the Adelaide Open this year, jumped six places on the Wta Tour rankings to enter the top 10 on Monday.

The 19-year-old player is now ninth, behind American legend Serena Williams, winner of 23 Grand Slams, on the list released on Monday.

Iga is the only new entrant in the Top-10 following her title triumph against the Czech Republic's Karolina Pliskova in the Italian Open on Sunday. The top three slots continue to be retained by Australia's Ashleigh Barty, Japan's Naomi Osaka and Romania's Simona Halep, respectively.

With her title run in Rome, Iga becomes the fifth teenager to make her top 10 debut since 2008, joining Canada's Bianca Andreescu, Switzerland's Belinda Bencic, Belarus' Victoria Azarenka, the Netherland's Caroline Wozniacki, and Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska.

Prior to winning the French Open in October last year,...

Melbourne, Feb 10 (Ians) Top seed Novak Djokovic and third seed Dominic Thiem were among those that advanced to the third round of the men's singles event at the 2021 Australian Open as the Indian challenge came to an end at Melbourne Park on Wednesday. In women's singles, second seed Simona Halep overcame a scare against Australian world No.72 Ajla Tomljanovic.

Serbian Djokovic beat American Francis Tiafoe in four sets to advance to the third round where he faces Tiafoe's compatriot Taylor Fritz. Djokovic won the match 6-3, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (2), 6-3.

Meanwhile, Austrian Thiem eased past Germany's Dominik Koepfer 6-4, 6-0, 6-2 to set up a big ticket showdown against Australian star Nick Kyrgios in the third round.

German sixth seed Alexander Zverev beat American qualifier Maxime Cressy 7-5, 6-4, 6-3 and will face France's Adrian Mannarino. Swiss 17th seed and former champion Stan Wawrinka, meanwhile, lost in a five-set marathon to...

Melbourne, Feb 10 (Ians) Twenty-three time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams on Wednesday eased into the third round of the Australian Open while 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu faced a crushing defeat to bow out of the competition.

No.10 seed Williams, in search for a record-tying 24th Grand Slam title, defeated Nina Stojanovic of Serbia 6-3, 6-0 in one hour and nine minutes at the Rod Laver Arena to claim a third-round spot in Melbourne for the 19th time in her 20 appearances at the event.

The 39-year-old, who has played and won more matches at this major than any other woman in the tournament's history, improved her win-loss record at the Australian Open to 89-12. Her first-round victory over Laura Siegemund was her 100th Australian Open singles match.

"It's really about finding that key balance there for me," Williams said in her post-match press conference as per the Wta website.

She...

Melbourne, Dec 24 (Ians) Tennis legends Serena Williams and Roger Federer have been confirmed among entries for the upcoming Australian Open.

Apart from the star duo, world number one Ash Barty and eight-time champion Novak Djokovic (Srb) will lead the fields at the tournament slated to be held from February 8-21.

There was a question mark over Federer, who warned this month he was in a "race against time" to be fit after two rounds of knee surgery. But the Swiss legend has begun training in Dubai and was among those entered to play at Melbourne Park.

At the Melbourne Park, Serena will set herself up to equal Margaret Court's record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles by winning an eighth Australian Open crown.

"Although the Ao will look a bit different to previous years, the safety of everyone is our top priority. We have the opportunity to stage a very safe,...

Hitting like tennis icons Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal on a real court may be close to impossible. Tennis World Tour 2 will give fans the chance to at least hit like some of their favorite pros on the virtual court. The new game from Nacon and Big Ant Studios will feature 38 professional players, including a few tennis legends.

The roster announcement came just a day after Domenic Thiem won a thrilling fifth-set tiebreak to capture his first U.S. Open title. The newly crowned Grand Slam winner is one of the playable pros in Tennis World Tour 2. On the Wta side, world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty, American Madison Keys, Canadian Bianca Andreescu, and Czech Petra Kvitova are amongst the playable pros in the women’s game. You can find the full list of players in Tennis World Tour 2 below.

The tennis sim is set to launch on September 24th on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC,...

Following this week’s historic all-Canadian special, Stronger Together, Tous Ensemble, it was announced today that more than $6 million has been raised to date to provide immediate support to Food Banks Canada during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mike Myers, Stronger Together, Tous Ensemble

Credit/Copyright: Cnw Group/Bell Media

With donations still being tallied, more than 140,000 individuals were inspired and reached out to support the good works by local food banks. Canadians can continue to donate to Food Banks Canada by texting Covid to 30333 or visiting FoodBanksCanada.ca/StrongerTogether.

The biggest multi-platform broadcast ever is now the most-watched (non-sports) Canadian broadcast on record. Nearly one in three Canadians watched some part of the broadcast on 44 television networks, reaching 11.5 million viewers overall. Audiences peaked at more than 6.1 million viewers during the world premiere of ArtistsCAN’s multi-artist “Lean on Me” charity single. Overall, the 90-minute special has a preliminary overnight audience of...

More than four dozen big-name Canadians have signed on for the historic broadcast Stronger Together, Tous Ensemble, it was announced today.

Airing commercial-free Sunday, April 26 at 6:30 p.m. across all markets/7 p.m. Nt and now on hundreds of platforms, Canadian artists, activists, actors, and athletes will share their stories of hope and inspiration in a national salute to frontline workers combatting Covid-19 during the 90-minute show.

The unprecedented event, in support of Food Banks Canada, has become the biggest multi-platform broadcast in Canadian history, with 15 broadcasting groups led by Bell Media, CBC/Radio-Canada, Corus Entertainment, Groupe V Média, and Rogers Sports & Media presenting the star-studded show on hundreds of TV, radio, streaming, and on demand platforms.

With a mix of music, messages, and more, Stronger Together, Tous Ensembles features Canadian talent uniting to show everyone working on the front lines of this pandemic that we are all #StrongerTogether.

Tennis fans tuned in en masse to Sunday’s U.S. Open men’s final to watch Rafael Nadal outlast Daniil Medvedev in a five-set thriller. Overnight ratings for the match from Flushing Meadow jumped by 33% over last year and earned the best numbers for a men’s final since 2015.

Nadal-Medvedev served up a 2.0 overnight rating for the five-hour, 15-minute telecast, clobbering the 1.5 for last year’s final, when Novak Djokovic dispatched Juan Martín del Potro in straight sets. Sunday’s match drew best ratings for a U.S. Open men’s final since Djokovic beat Roger Federer in 2015. That match at Arthur Ashe Stadium drew a 2.4 overnight rating.

In winning the tournament’s first five-set men’s final since 2012, Spaniard Nadal scored his fourth U.S. Open title and the 19th Grand Slam of his career, dating the to 2005 French Open. A game Medvedev, from Russia, came back from...

The upset by Canadian teenager Bianca Andreescu over superstar Serena Williams at the Us Open Women’s tennis tournament propelled the network to a 2.7 overnight rating for its three-hour telecast. That’s ESPN’s best for the event and up 13% from a 2.4 year ago, the previous high.

The two-hour match portion, which saw Andreescu triumph 6-3, 7-5, earned a 3.0, and the rating peaked at a 3.9 rating from 5:45-6:00 p.m. Et, during the closing moments of the second set.

The 2.7 is tied for ESPN’s highest all-time Us Open rating with a telecast of quarterfinal action September 8, 2015, the first year ESPN had exclusivity and aired the entire tournament. That evening’s matches included Serena Williams playing Venus Williams.

For the tournament to date, ESPN is averaging a 1.0 overnight rating across ESPN and ESPN2, up 25% from a 0.8 at this point a year ago.

Later today in the men’s tournament,...

Bianca Andreescu has made history. The 19-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., defeated tennis legend Serena Williams  6-3, 7-5 to win the U.S. Open in New York on Saturday. She was the first Canadian to make it to a final at the U.S. Open, and the only one to win a Grand Slam singles title. Andreescu has taken the tennis...

Meghan Markle is back on American soil this weekend, dressing casually and chic, letting her hair down and being in her element. And being there for her dear friend. The 38-year-old Duchess of Sussex attended the 2019 U.S. Open in New York on Saturday to cheer on Bff Serena Williams as she faces off against Bianca Andreescu to try to secure a record-tying 24th Grand Slam singles title. Meghan was all smiles as she sat in her friend's private box, wearing what appeared to be a $118 J.Crew denim shirtdress with a tie belt, paired with a light gray overcoat and a beige Carolina Herrera "Mariola" shoulder bag, according to Meghan's Mirror. Fresh off her maternity leave, Meghan had...

Last night’s women’s semifinals at the U.S. Open, which saw Serena Williams defeat Ukrainian fifth seed Elina Svitolina 6-3, 6-1, earned a 1.6 rating for ESPN. That’s up 14% from a year ago and equals the sports network’s best for that round since 2017 when all four players were Americans. The telecast’s rating peaked at 2.2, from 8:15-8:30 Pm Et, during the final moments of the match.

Six-time champion Williams will face Canadian 19-year-old Bianca Andreescu in Saturday’s final in New York. In the coverage that begins at 4 Pm Et on ESPN, Williams will attempt – for the fourth time – to win a Major final which would secure her 24th Grand Slam title, tying the all-time record currently held by Margaret Court. Andreescu is playing in her first U.S. Open and only her fourth Major overall. She has not lost a completed match since March.

Fresh off her maternity leave, Meghan Markle is headed back home to American soil for a very special reason. The 38-year-old Duchess of Sussex boarded a commercial flight on Friday to New York to embark on a weekend trip to watch her longtime friend Serena Williams compete in the 2019 U.S. Open Final. The tennis star is set to face off against Bianca Andreescu on Saturday to try to secure a record-tying 24th Grand Slam singles title.  "It is a last-minute trip," a source told the The Times newspaper in London. "Excited to support her friend, and then come back."  Meghan reportedly is traveling without Prince Harry or their baby boy Archie Harrison, and is...

A battle between young tennis titans Coco Gauff of the Us and top-seeded Naomi Osaka of Japan at the Us Open tennis tournament drew a 1.9 overnight rating for the 90-minute segment on ESPN2, according to Nielsen.

The match – in which Osaka prevailed 6-3, 6-0 – peaked in its final quarter hour, 8:15-30 p.m. Et, at a 2.3 rating. Both numbers are high points for a match and a peak rating for the tournament to date. The entire evening session averaged a 1.4, up nearly triple from a 0.5 last year. The entire 12-hour day earned a 1.1 rating, up 83% from last year’s 0.6.

The world has gone gaga over 15-year-old Gauff, who made a strong Wimbeldon appearance that caused some to predict she’s the next big thing, particularly as Venus and Serena Williams age. The match with the equally heralded Osaka was viewed by many as a glimpse of the future of women’s tennis,...

The 2019 U.S. Open coverage on ESPN has grown in the ratings compared with last year on each of its first four days, the network said Friday. And that’s before Saturday’s primetime showdown in the year’s final tennis Grand Slam tournament featuring 15-year-old U.S. phenom Coco Gauff against defending champ (and 21-year-old) Naomi Osaka of Japan.

ESPN reported that viewership through Thursday’s two rounds, dominated by storylines in the women’s draw, has averaged 691,000, up 26% over last year, with each window outperforming the comparative one in 2018. That peaked last night with ESPN2’s coverage of Gauff’s three-set victory over Timea Babos to reach the third round of the New York-set tournament.

Viewership for the match peaked at 2.16 million late in the match, which Gauff pulled out in front of 14,000 at the main Louis Armstrong Stadium. She became the youngest female to advance this far...