Sabalenka easy as Yue goes in Toronto
WORLD number two Aryna Sabalenka showed a fierce determination in her opening round match at the National Bank Open, dismanting China’s Yue Yuan in a breezy 92-minute match on the Toronto hardcourt. Sabalenka disappointingly fell at the semi-final stage of the Citi Open last week in a shock loss to Czech Marie Bouzkova, but quickly […]
Tsurenko overcomes early Bia bagel
UNPREDICTABLE Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko showed the best and worst of her game in a three-set win over local hope Bianca Andreescu in Toronto’s National Bank Open. The world number 85 – who has the most match retirements or walkovers on Tour with 20 in the past three years – looked in danger early after losing […]
Czeched out: It’s Schmiedl-ova for Wimbledon champ
GIANT-KILLING Slovakian Anna Karolina Schmiedlova is the major surprise packet through to the 2024 Paris Olympics medal matches with a straight sets victory over ninth seed and Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova. Already a Olympic gold medalist in doubles, Krejcikova’s quest for a singles medal is over at the final step, losing in the quarter finals. […]
Svitolina shocks Pegula but others have an easier time
NOT too many seeds have fallen yet in the women’s singles yet at these Olympics, but American Jessica Pegula added her name to that list after Elina Svitolina beat her 4-6, 6-1, 6-3. In a match that lasted an hour and 47 minutes, once Svitolina got going she progressively got through the sets at a […]
PREVIEW | 2024 Paris Olympic Games
PARIS will place host to a second massive tennis event in a couple of months when the Olympic Games gets underway this weekend. We took a look at some of the top players representing their countries, and who might lift the trophies. In an article tomorrow, Rookie Me Central will take a deep dive into […]
Brilliant Badosa evicts Kasatkina’s bakery
AFTER three bagels in four sets and only losing three games in the other set, no one on Court 3 was expecting Russian Daria Kasatkina to come away with anything other than a win against the talented, but inconsistent Paula Badosa. However in a match that lasted two hours and 51 minutes – well longer […]
Dart on point in all-Brit battle
IN A hard-fought come-from-behind battle, world number 100 Harriet Dart spoiled the party of British number one, Katie Boulter. Despite 71 ranking places separating them, both players know each other’s games intimately and put on a show on Court 1, with the lower ranked compatriot winning 4-6 6-1 7-6 in two hours and 57 minutes. […]
Raducanu returns to roll Renata
BRITISH wildcard Emma Raducanu has returned to the scene where he career exploded three years earlier, winning in straight set in the first round of Wimbledon. In front of a passionate home crowd, the nation’s talented young gun who rose to fame in 2021 after reaching a fourth round at the All-England club then remarkable […]
Around the Tour: Osaka breaks grass drought
FORMER world number one Naomi Osaka cruised to her first win on grass court since the 2019 Birmingham Classic, taking care of Belgian Elise Mertens at the Libema Open. Osaka won 6-2 6-4 at the ‘s-Hertogenbosch event in the Netherlands, needing 69 minutes to knock off the 32nd ranked Belgian. Holding a wildcard at the […]
Penko powers into Roland Garros second round
LATVIAN world number 11 Jelena Ostapenko advanced through to the second round of Roland Garros overnight, defeating Romanian Jaqueline Cristian in a tough two-set match. The ninth seed had to work for her win, eventually getting up 6-4 7-5 to book her place in the Paris Round of 64. The former Roland Garros champion has […]
