Sramk-ova for ‘Danimal’ as Slovakia stuns USA
DESPITE bringing a half-strength side to the Billie Jean King Cup, few would have predicted that super power tennis national the United States could not get past Slovakia in the first round of the knockout stage. However that was exactly the case with the world number fives suffering a shock 2-1 defeat to the 10th […]
2024 BJK Cup Finals preview
TWELVE teams remain in the hunt for the 2024 Billie Jean King Cup title, which kicks off overnight with the first of the knockout matches. While four nations – Canada, Australia, Czech Republic and Italy – have a first round bye, another eight are battling it out to reach the quarter finals. We take a […]
WTA Tour winners: Lamens storms to maiden title
DUTCH qualifier Suzan Lamens is officially a WTA Tour title winner after defeating fellow qualifier Kimberly Birrell in a comprehensive 72-minute rout at the Japan Open overnight. Lamens had a tournament to remember, with the world number 125 ending up favourite in the final despite being a qualifier, destroying Birrell 6-0 6-4. There was always […]
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 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 […]
Osaka begins China Open with big win
FORMER China Open winner Naomi Osaka got her 2024 campaign at the tournament off to a perfect start, defeating Italian Lucia Bronzetti 6-3, 6-2 on the opening day of the tournament. Although she ultimately finished with a lower first serve percentage than her Italian opponent, Osaka absolutely blitzed Bronzetti on the aces count, winning it […]
Ange Kerb’s Naomi’s influence to win in Paris
RETIRING German Angelique Kerber ensured her swan song had at least one more chapter after defeating Naomi Osaka in a battle of the former world number ones in the first round of the Paris Olympics. Kerber won 7-5 6-3 to book her place in the second round as she looked to go out on a […]
Spaniard shocks Wimbledon defending champion
IN ONE of the biggest upsets in some time at Wimbledon, and certainly the largest shock of day two, world number 83 Spaniard Jessica Bouzas Maneiro knocked out defending champion and sixth seed Marketa Vondrousova in the first round of the Grand Slam event. Vondrousova was one of the favourites to take out the title […]
Gracheva stuns Sakkari in Roland Garros boilover
FORMER Top 40 talent Varvara Gracheva has stunned the Roland Garros crowd by coming from behind to knock over sixth seed Maria Sakkari. The current world number 88 – who was playing her first Roland Garros under the French flag since changing allegiances from Russia – is yet to win a WTA Tour title, but […]
Wildcard Eala upsets former top 30 player in Madrid
SHE might be her nation’s only ranked player, but Phillipines’ Alexandra Eala showed she can punch above her weight with the world number 170 getting the job done against former top 30 player, Lesia Tsurenko, at the Madrid Open. The 18-year-old talent came back from a set down on Arantxa Sanchez Stadium to post a […]
