LONDON: Men’s world No. 1 Novak Djokovic (pix) has been named the 2021 ITF world champion for a record seventh time while women’s No. 1 Ash Barty has picked up her second crown, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) said on Thursday. Djokovic, who finished the year as No. 1 for a record seventh time, won … Read more
PRAGUE: Wimbledon finalist Karolina Pliskova (pix) will miss the Australian Open in January after breaking her forearm in training, her husband and manager Michal Hrdlicka said on Thursday. “Karolina broke her radius… in a fitness room at a training camp in Spain,” Hrdlicka said in a statement, adding that treatment would take about four weeks. … Read more
LONDON: Former British No. 1 Johanna Konta (pix) announced her retirement from tennis on Wednesday. The 30-year-old has struggled with persistent knee trouble over the past couple of seasons and has slipped to 113 in the world rankings – a far cry from her career high of No. 4. Konta, who reached the semifinals of … Read more
TURIN: Defending ATP Finals champion Daniil Medvedev maintained his perfect start to this year’s tournament but found it hard going against Alexander Zverev, eventually winning 6-3, 6-7(3), 7-6(6) in their Red Group clash on Tuesday. Medvedev had won his opening match against Hubert Hurkacz while Zverev was given a walkover in his opener on Sunday … Read more
TURIN: Novak Djokovic (pix) moved into the last four of the ATP Finals for the 10th time with a comfortable victory over Andrey Rublev in Turin on Wednesday. The world No. 1, bidding to equal Roger Federer’s record of six titles at the season-ending event, brushed aside fifth seed Rublev 6-3, 6-2 to secure his … Read more
TURIN: World No. 1 Novak Djokovic began his quest for a sixth title at the season-ending ATP Finals with a 7-6(4), 6-2 victory over Norway’s Casper Ruud in their round robin encounter in Turin on Monday. Djokovic suffered a fall and lost his opening service game but recovered to find his rhythm against Ruud, who … Read more
TURIN: Andrey Rublev began his ATP Finals campaign with a victory over Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas but three hours before the match, the Russian had no idea what day it was after waking up dazed and confused following a pre-match nap. Rublev beat world number four and 2019 champion Tsitsipas 6-4, 6-4 on Monday on the … Read more
LINZ: Britain’s Emma Raducanu said she will not let her off-court commitments get in the way of training as she looks to return to the kind of form that earned her a maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open. Raducanu became the first qualifier to win the US Open in September and has since … Read more
ABU DHABI: Rafa Nadal (pix) is aiming to return from injury at an exhibition event in Abu Dhabi next month before playing another tournament in his buildup to the Australian Open, the world number five said. Nadal struggled with back issues at the start of this year and pulled out of Wimbledon and the Tokyo … Read more
ROMANIA: US Open champion Emma Raducanu had to work hard for her first win on the WTA Tour after her fairytale New York triumph as she recovered from a set down to beat world No. 124 Polona Hercog 4-6 7-5 6-1 in the Transylvania Open in Romania on Tuesday. Raducanu announced herself on the grandest … Read more
INDIAN WELLS: Andy Murray (pix) plans to skip the Davis Cup because he is uncertain he “deserves to play” for Britain and the former world No. 1 also said he needs some time off before competing at the Australian Open. Britain are due to play France and the Czech Republic in Innsbruck in the group … Read more
WASHINGTON: Two-time Grand Slam champion Garbine Muguruza (pix) and Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur advanced to the WTA Chicago Fall Classic final on Saturday with only one full set played in the semi-finals. Spanish second seed Muguruza advanced to Sunday’s championship match by walkover when Czech Marketa Vondrousova, the Tokyo Olympic runner-up, pulled out due to injury. … Read more
CALIFORNIA: U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu will play in her first tournament since stunning the tennis world at Flushing Meadows after being handed a wildcard for next month’s WTA 1000 tournament at Indian Wells, organisers said on Tuesday. The 18-year-old Briton became the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam earlier this month when she … Read more