Swiatek shuts down Vika in dominant win
WORLD number one Iga Swiatek showed little mercy for fellow Grand Slam champion Victoria Azarenka as the top seeded Pole stormed into the 2024 Qatar Open semi-finals overnight. Swiatek won 6-4 6-0 in just 75 minutes, winning the last nine games of the match. The turning point came in the seventh game where Azarenka lead […]
Former top 30 Junior seeks return with upset
STARTING June last year as the world number 22 on the Junior Girls’ ITF circuit, former German now Kazakh Sonja Zhiyenbayeva, had slipped outside the top 100 this year. At that stage, she had reached a third round of the Australian Open Juniors and second round at Roland Garros – losing to 2024 Aus Open […]
Hubi survives Lehecka scare in Rotterdam
AN EPIC third set tiebreaker saw fourth seed Hubert Hurkacz survive an almighty scare from Czech talent Jiri Lehecka to reach the Round of 16 at the ABN AMRO Open in Rotterdam. The pair went to back-to-back tiebreakers lasting 20 points apiece, before the Pole finally saluted, 6-3 6-7 7-6. In a match that lasted […]
Osaka earns breakthrough milestone in Doha
FORMER world number one Naomi Osaka earned back-to-back victories on the WTA Tour for the first time in almost two years overnight, defeating another former top 15 player in Petra Martic, 6-3 7-6. The Japanese star missed all of 2023 after giving birth to her daughter Shai, but is now into the Round of 16 […]
Darderi joins Italian young guns in top 100
ITALIAN 21-year-old Luciano Darderi broke through for his maiden ATP Tour title in Cordoba over the weekend, winning the ATP 250 event to rise up an incredible 60 places on the world rankings. Darderi became the sixth Italian inside the top 100, and fifth aged 22 or under in what shapes as a blossoming future […]
Joint makes Aussie history with Burnie title
AUSSIE teenager Maya Joint became the youngest Australian to win an ITF W75 title over the weekend, with the 17-year-old saluting in a come-from-behind win over Japan’s Aoi Ito in Burnie. Joint, who punched well above her weight throughout the tournament – her second consecutive tournament at the venue – finished off strongly to win, […]
Humbert seals fifth title in Marseille
FRENCHMAN Ugo Humbert won his fifth ATP Tour title overnight, defeating Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov in the Open 13 Provence final, 6-4 6-3. In front of a home crowd, the French talent played some fantastic tennis when it counted to stand up against the veteran and lie the ATP 250 trophy in Marseille, his second in […]
Rybakina rises to second WTA title in 2024
TOP FIVE talent Elena Rybakina won her second WTA Tour title in four tournaments, putting aside her Australian Open disappointment to take out the 2024 Abu Dhabi Open overnight. The world number five looked far too strong against fellow Russian-born seed Daria Kasatkina, as the 2022 Wimbledon champion won 6-1 6-4 against the world number […]
Rybakina rolls past Collins in comeback win
TOP Abu Dhabi seed Elena Rybakina fought back from a set down to defeat American qualifier Danielle Collins and reach the quarter finals of the WTA 500 event. Taking on the powerful former Australian Open finalists and top 10 player, Rybakina found herself a set down before working her way back into it to salute, […]
Sorana stuns Sakkari to reach Abu Dhabi quarters
A GOBSMACKING performance from Sorana Cirstea resulted in the Romanian world number 26 completely dismantling Greek third seed Maria Sakkari to reach the WTA 500 Abu Dhabi quarter finals overnight. Though Cirstea had a 2-1 head-to-head record over the top 10 talent, few could have seen the 33-year-old winning 6-2 6-1 in an hour and […]
Collins storms away from Osaka in Abu Dhabi win
FORMER Australian Open finalist Danielle Collins proved too good for two-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, with the American qualifier storming to victory in Abu Dhabi after a tight first set. In what was billed as a potential classic in the WTA 500 event, Collins used her extra match fitness to power past the Japanese […]
Career-high WTA Tour rankings | February 5
FOLLOWING the first week of tournaments in February, five players – including three inside the top 100 – moved up to career-highs. Two of those entered the top 50 for the first time, and we take a look at how they, along with the other bolters have stepped up. Clara Burel (France)24/03/2001 | Previous best: […]
