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 […]
Turkish qualifier upsets Pole in Tokyo
AN EARLY upset on day one saw Turkish qualifier Zeynep Sonmez take out seventh seed Magdalena Frech to reach the second round of the WTA 500 event in Tokyo. Sonmez – ranked 148th in the world – defeated Frech 1-6 6-4 6-3, coming back from the brink to post the victory in an hour and […]
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: 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 […]
Sorribes Tormo survives four-hour marathon in Beijing
SPANIARD Sara Sorribes Tormo survived the fourth longest WTA Tour match in Open era history with a come-from-behind win over Chinese wildcard Gao Xinyu in an epic four-hour and 15-minute battle at the China Open in Beijing. In what can only be described as a battle of attrition, the 104th ranked Sorribes Tormo came back […]
2024 US Open preview: Women’s singles
LAST year’s US Open threw up plenty of surprises for the women’s singles, with American young gun Coco Gauff riding a wave of support to claim her first Grand Slam title in a come-from-behind victory. Can she go back-to-back or will another top star stand up and lift the trophy aloft? Top eight seeds Gauff […]
Sabs storms into Cincinnati Open final
WORLD number three Aryna Sabalenka will return to second in the world after toppling top seed and rival Iga Swiatek in the Cincinnati Open semi-finals overnight. The Belarusian will take on world number six Jessica Pegula for the title tomorrow in what promises to be a ripping decider. Sabalenka trailed Swiatek 3-8 in the pair’s […]
Gauff gone: Putintseva defeats defending champ
IN A massive upset, Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva finished strongly to stun top five talent and number two seed Coco Gauff in the Cincinnati Open overnight. Putintseva – who was coming off a title in Birmingham – fought back from a break down in the deciding set to defeat Gauff, 6-4 2-6 6-4. The world number […]
Sun keeps shining as Kiwi qualifier causes upset
NEW Zealand rising talent Lulu Sun‘s incredible 2024 season rolled on after causing an upset over Czech teenager Linda Noskova in the Cincinnati Open overnight. The Kiwi left-hander entered the 2024 WTA Tour season ranked 219th in the world, but rose to a career-high 53rd having won 31 of 45 matches so far, and is […]
