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2020 Australian Open draw announced with huge first round clashes
A TANTALISING fourth round match between world number one Rafael Nadal and Nick Kyrgios, and world number one Ash Barty meeting reigning title holder, Naomi Osaka in the semi-finals highlights a bumper Australian Open following the announcement of the 2020 draw tonight. The pair have shown no love lost between Kyrgios and Nadal, and they […]
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Hobart International: Day 3 – Mertens firms towards another title as top four seeds advance
WORLD number 17, Belgian Elise Mertens is firming towards a third Hobart International title, and continuing her remarkably strong record to start each season. Mertens won in Hobart in 2017 and 2018, then opted for the Sydney International last year, but managed to claim a title in Doha mid-February where she beat three top five […]
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Hobart International: Day 2 – Top seeds smash opponents as Aussie Cabrera upsets Garcia
THE top four seeds at the Hobart International have moved through to the second round with a couple of matches taking just over an hour of game play. Number one seed, Elise Mertens smashed American Christina McHale 6-1 6-1 in just 68 minutes, while third seed Elena Rybakina cruised past Slovenian Tamara Zidansek 6-1 6-4 […]
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Hobart International: Day 1 – Kuzmova wins thriller as Aussies bow out
VIKTORIA Kuzmova has survived an epic match to down China’s Lin Zhu in the opening round of the Hobart International yesterday. In a match that lasted almost three hours, the 21-year-old Slovakian came from a set down to advance through to the second round with a 5-7 6-2 7-6 victory. It was a powerful statement […]
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2020 Hobart International preview: Can Mertens win her third title?
AFTER back-to-back wins from Belgium’s Elise Mertens, then-ranked world number 56 (now 14th) Sofia Kenin won her maiden title in Hobart, defeating 25 year-old Slovakian, Anna Schmiedlova. With Mertens returning and the clear standout in the $250k tournament, the number one seed will also be joined by a host of players ranked in the top […]
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Shenzhen Open Day 6: Muguruza and Pliskova progress through to semi-finals
ONLY four matches took place on Day 6 of the Shenzhen Open with all eyes turning to the contest between fourth and fifth seeds Wang Qiang and Ekaterina Alexandrova. Three out of the four matches went to three sets highlighting the extreme intensity and closeness of the competition heading into the pointy end of the […]
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Shenzhen Open: Day 4 wrap – First seed Bencic sent packing in first round
DAY 4 of the Shenzhen Open saw plenty of key matchups, with four matches in the Round of 16 taking place while the final two matches saw two players proceed to the second round, knocking first seed Belinda Bencic out in the process. Meanwhile, China did not have a good day, with four players sent […]
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Shenzhen Open – Day 2: Round of 32 begins
DAY 2 of the Shenzhen opened with a bang, with qualifiers taking the court ahead of the Round of 32 competitors. Number three seed, Elise Mertens took on Ukrainian, Lesia Tsurenko on centre court, defeating Tsurenko in straight sets. With a number of key matchups hitting the court on Day 2, it was hard to […]
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2020 Shenzhen Open preview: Bencic rises as key challenger to Sabalenka’s title defence
SWITZERLAND’S top female player and top 10 talent, Belinda Bencic will lead the entrants at the 2020 Shenzhen Open in China. Also featuring a two-time Grand Slam winner, a couple of top 20 players and a eastern European young gun, there is plenty to like about the upcoming tournament. FAVOURITE: Bencic is one of the […]
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Year in review – 2019: Simona Halep
IF you are only going to win one tournament in a year, then a Grand Slam would be top of the list. For Romanian world number four Simona Halep, that was exactly how her year panned out. Rank: #4 Wins: 43 Losses: 17 Titles: 1 Prize Money: $6,962,442 The 28-year-old Romanian has won more titles […]