Around The Tour: All-Russian final set for Ningbo
THOUGH the Japan Open in Osaka got washed out, there was still plenty of semi-finals action taking place across both the WTA and ATP Tours overnight. The WTA 500 final contestants in Ningbo were determined, with an all-Russian duo scheduled for the decider in fifth seed Daria Kasatkina and unseeded teenager Mirra Andreeva winning their […]
Around the Tour: Upstaged in Antwerp; upsets galore
THERE was no shortage of upsets across multiple ATP and WTA Tour events overnight, but the major results came in Antwerp where three of the lower ranked players took out the top three seeds. In what was a dismantling day, number one seed Alex de Minaur, number two seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and number three seed […]
Around the Tour: Saito strikes in Osaka
PROMISING Japanese teenager Sara Saito is through to the quarter finals on WTA debut in her home tournament. The 18-year-old and former junior world number two upset talented fifth seed Elina Avanesyan to book her place in the last eight of the WTA Tour Japan Open. Saito had to work hard early, saving two set […]
Around the Tour: Ito crafts third straight upset
ADMITTING she has not got “any power” and she is “skinny”, Japanese qualifier Aoi Ito has made a name for herself in Osaka. The 188th ranked Japanese hope knows where her strengths and weaknesses lie, and focuses on what she can do, rather than she cannot, leading her to a quarter finals appearance in the […]
Around the Tour: Saito strikes on debut in Osaka
JAPANESE teenager Sara Saito had a WTA Tour debut to remember, picking up an upset win over Spaniard Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in Osaka overnight. The junior girls world number two earned a wildcard into the WTA 250 event and played her first main draw match against the 22-year-old world number 62, coming away with the […]
Around the Tour: Mirra magic as Kenin curbed
IN THE wake of the respective WTA and ATP Tour 1000 events in Wuhan and Shanghai that were won by tournament top seeds Aryna Sabalenka and Jannik Sinner respectively, a lot of the lower ranked players headed to tournaments across the globe. In today’s Around the Tour, we take a look at the sole 500 […]
Sabalenka shrugs off Zheng for Wuhan three-peat
A RARE three-peat of Wuhan Open titles will feature in world number two Aryna Sabalenka‘s trophy cabinet after the top seed defeated local hope Qinwen Zheng in a hard-fought WTA Tour 1000 final overnight. The Belarusian had her tightest encounter with China’s top player yet, winning 6-3 5-7 6-3 in two hours and 40 minutes. […]
Sinner ascends to seventh heaven in Shanghai
WORLD number one Jannik Sinner‘s incredible 2024 ATP Tour season continued in Shanghai overnight as the Itlian star took out his eighth title by denying former world number one Novak Djokovic his first this year. While Djokovic has a gold medal to his name from his success in Paris, he is still chasing his maiden […]
A Sinner stands in the way of Djoker’s first 2024 title
FORMER world number one Novak Djokovic is in an unusual spot heading into mid-October, having not won an ATP Tour title in 2024 to-date, but is now one victory away from achieving that feat in Shanghai. The ATP 1000 Masters final will see Djokovic – who did breakthrough for Olympic gold – take on the […]
Zheng zips into Wuhan quarters
PROVIDING a local chance in the final four, fifth seed Qinwen Zheng overcame Leylah Fernandez for the first time in three meetings. The Chinese hope has reached the last eight in her past three tournaments, being the US Open, China Open and now Wuhan Open, the latest coming from a huge 5-7 6-3 6-0 triumph […]
Rafa rides into sunset with retirement
IT WAS hardly a surprise, but that did not make the news that Spanish champion Rafael Nadal will retire at year’s end any easier. The 38-year-old was recently named in Spain’s Davis Cup Finals side and yesterday the 22-time Grand Slam winner confirmed the Malaga event would be the last of his professional career. In […]
Experienced Erika wins battle of the Andreevas
DESPITE being ranked 51 spots lower in the world and only reaching the main draw of the Wuhan Open due to a lucky loser spot, Erika Andreeva crushed younger sister Mirra in the pair’s first ever professional match against one another. Three years her senior, Erika had won 33 of 57 matches coming into Wuhan, […]
