Doha finalists defeated in Dubai
MAKING the final in the Qatar Open proved to be a poison chalice for the Dubai Tennis Championships as both Doha champion Amanda Anisimova and runner-up Jelena Ostapenko suffered shock losses in the first round overnight. Ansimova had just cracked the Top 20 for the first time but went down to compatriot McCartney Kessler 6-2 […]
Parks piles on pain for Shnaider in Doha
AMERICAN qualifier Alycia Parks caused a huge boilover against 11th seed Diana Shnaider to reach the second round of the 2025 Qatar Open overnight. The hard-hitting but often inconsistent Parks smashed her way to victory as one of three unseeded players to knock off seeded opponents. Parks won 6-4 7-6 in 95 minutes, blowing her […]
Lys’ lucky loser ride continues into week two
ONE OF the most remarkable stories of this year’s Australian Open is that of German Eva Lys. From missing out on the final round of qualifying to becoming a lucky loser with five minutes notice, she is now into the second week of the Australian Open after defeating Jaqueline Cristian yesterday. In a hard fought, […]
Ostapenko gets title defence off to perfect start
REIGNING Adelaide International champion Jelena Ostapenko got her title defence off to the perfect start yesterday after winning her opening match of the 2025 edition against Magdalena Frech. It was a tough three set match, but the Latvian ultimately prevailed 4-6, 6-1, 6-1. Although Ostapenko served more aces than Frech, she also served significantly more […]
Gao-ing well – China upsets Brazil in United Cup
NO QINWEN Zheng, no worries as it turns out for China after world number 175 Xinyu Gao produced the biggest win of her career, downing Top 20 Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia to help guide her nation to victory at the United Cup last night. In the first of the night ties in Perth, Gao came […]
2025 United Cup: Group E preview
MISSING a couple of talents from making the group really interesting, reigning champions Germany looms as the obvious choice to advance through in Group E of the 2025 United Cup. Both Brazil and China have quality prospects, but no Next Gen ATP Finals winner in Brazilian Joao Fonseca or Chinese Olympic gold medallist Qinwen Zheng […]
Bia’s back allows Bibi boost into Tokyo quarters
THERE was a sense of empathy coming from one side of the net to the other when injury-prone Bianca Andreescu shook hands with second seed Beatriz Haddad Maia after just three games. Haddad Maia suffered a left back injury and had to retire at 0-3 down in the opening set of the pair’s Pan Pacific […]
Katie Boults into Tokyo second round
BRITISH ninth seed Katie Boulter wasted no time in dismissing Australian qualifier Priscilla Hon to race into the Round of 16 at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo overnight. The sole seed in action, and only match that did not contain a local Japanese hope, Boulter needed just 77 minutes to get past Hon 6-1 […]
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 […]
