Ex-champion Sofia Kenin out in 1st round of Australian Open
Sofia Kenin was the Australian Open champion in 2020, and made it to the final of the French Open, too, that year, when she climbed to a career-high ranking of No. 4. The 11th-seeded Kenin was beaten by 2017 U.S. Open runner-up Madison Keys 7-6 (2), 7-5 in an all-American matchup. Keys, also a former Top 10 player who reached the Australian Open semifinals in 2015, used 16 aces to extend her recent run of success: She is coming off a hard-court title at Adelaide on Saturday.
news.yahoo.comHobbled Daniil Medvedev limps to 3rd-round win at Miami Open
Daniil Medvedev, of Russia, walks gingerly to the net after defeating Alexei Popyrin, of Australia, during the Miami Open tennis tournament, Sunday, March 28, 2021, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)MIAMI – Daniil Medvedev could barely walk, much less run. The top-ranked Medvedev held his final two service games despite being hobbled by cramps and beat Alexei Popyrin 7-6 (3), 6-7 (7), 6-4 in the third round at the Miami Open. “Winning a Grand Slam final in straight sets doesn’t feel the way I felt after the match point today,” he said with a grin. Medvedev failed to convert three match points in the second set after taking a 5-2 lead. When Popyrin misfired on a backhand on the final point, Medvedev shuffled to the net with a smile that turned into a wince.
Djokovic ties Federer in weeks at No. 1; Gauff up to No. 38
(AP Photo/Hamish Blair)Novak Djokovic is gaining on Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in the Grand Slam standings, and he’s already caught Federer in another significant statistic: As of Monday, Djokovic has been No. And no matter what happens over the next week, Djokovic is assured of breaking Federer’s mark on March 8. Djokovic’s Australian Open championship last month gave the 33-year-old from Serbia 18 Grand Slam singles trophies. That would make Medvedev the first man other than Federer, Nadal, Djokovic or Andy Murray to be first or second since International Tennis Hall of Fame electee Lleyton Hewitt was No. 1, followed by Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka, Simona Halep, Sofia Kenin and Elina Svitolina.
The Latest: Nadal loses to Tsitsipas in 5 at Australian Open
(AP Photo/Hamish Blair)MELBOURNE – The Latest on Day 10 of the Australian Open (all times local):11:55 p.m.Rafael Nadal’s bid for a men’s-record 21st Grand Slam title has ended with a five-set loss to Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Australian Open quarterfinals. He has been pushed to a fifth set by Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Australian Open quarterfinals. ___10 p.m.Rafael Nadal's Grand Slam set streak has ended at 35 after he dropped one against Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Australian Open quarterfinals. The pair were teammates when Russia won the ATP Cup team event on the eve of the Australian Open. Kenin lost to Kaia Kanepi in straight sets in the second round of her title defense at the Australian Open last week.
Feeling pressure: 2020 champ Kenin loses at Australian Open
United States' Sofia Kenin leaves the court following her second round loss to Estonia's Kaia Kanepi during at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)MELBOURNE – Sofia Kenin knew this would be a tough test at the Australian Open, a potentially early end to her first attempt to defend a Grand Slam title. Upon realizing she probably would be playing big-hitting veteran Kaia Kanepi in the second round, Kenin acknowledged, she “maybe kind of broke down a little bit.”Kenin was right to be worried. Kenin walked off the court crying after a 6-2, 6-2 loss last week in a tuneup event at the site of the Australian Open and explained afterward that her left leg was sore. 21 Alex de Minaur and Mackenzie McDonald, who beat 22nd-seeded Borna Coric 6-4, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4, and 39-year-old Feliciano Lopez.
The Latest: Fognini unapologetic after spat with Caruso
Italy's Fabio Fognini, right, speaks as compatriot Salvatore Caruso walks away after their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)MELBOURNE – The Latest from the Australian Open (all times local):11:20 p.m.Fabio Fognini and Salvatore Caruso clearly still hadn’t had enough of their all-Italian second-round duel at the Australian Open even after four hours and five sets. ___9:30 p.m.Fifth-seeded Elina Svitolina beat 16-year-old Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-3 in the second round of the Australian Open. After her first-round win, Kenin talked about how nervous she was as the defending champion at a major for the first time. Kenin won her first Grand Slam singles title last year with a three-set victory over Garbiñe Muguruza at Melbourne Park.
No sign of Grand Slam drought ending soon for American men
The last American man to win a Grand Slam tournament was Andy Roddick at the U.S. Open in 2003, and there's no sign the drought will end anytime soon. “But I don’t see it being what it once was ever again.”AdOpelka, for one, isn’t surprised the United States has the same number of seeded men in Melbourne as, say, Bulgaria or Norway. The United States has four seeded women in Melbourne, including Kenin and Serena Williams. That’s a challenge, because those kids want to play basketball and football.”The United States Tennis Association has inner-city programs in more than 250 locations. Opelka (ranked 38th), Fritz (ranked 31st), Tommy Paul (53rd) and Frances Tiafoe (64th) are all 23 and good friends who root for each other.
Nadal, Barty advance in straight sets at Australia Open
Spain's Rafael Nadal reacts during his first round match against Serbia's Laslo Djere at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021. Daniil Medvedev extended his winning streak to 15 matches with a 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 win over Vasek Pospisil and seventh-seeded Andrey Rublev beat Yannick Hanfmann 6-3, 6-3, 6-4. 9 Matteo Berrettini defeated Kevin Anderson, a two-time finalist at majors, 7-6 (9), 7-5, 6-3. Barty lost to Sofia Kenin in the Australian Open semifinals last year and then skipped the U.S. Open and her title defense at the French Open because she stayed in Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic. AdTwo-time Australian Open quarterfinalist Tennys Sandgren also went through the hard lockdown.
Serena Williams, Osaka drawn in same half at Australian Open
3 Naomi Osaka, the U.S. Open champion. Two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka, Johanna Konta and Elina Svitolina are also in Kenin's quarter. Williams already has won seven Australian Open titles and her 23 major titles is a record in the Open era. In the top half, Djokovic’s bid for a third consecutive Australian title — and ninth overall — could get tricky. Djokovic and Zverev were playing against each other in an ATP Cup doubles match when the draw was made for the Australian Open.
Williams withdraws from semifinals in Australian Open tuneup
United States' Serena Williams makes a forehand return to compatriot Danielle Collins during a tuneup event ahead of the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Feb. 5, 2021. (AP Photo/Andy Brownbill)MELBOURNE – Serena Williams withdrew from an Australian Open tuneup tournament citing a right shoulder injury on Friday within hours of setting up a semifinal match against top-ranked Ash Barty. Garbine Muguruza beat defending Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin 6-2, 6-2 to advance to the semifinals, reversing their result of their 2020 final at Melbourne Park. On either side of a delay on outside courts because of rain, former Wimbledon, U.S. Open and Australian champion Angelique Kerber beat No. 4 Borna Coric out in the quarterfinals after wins over Australian players earlier in the day.
COVID case at Australian Open hotel cancels play at tuneups
An Australian Open courtesy car waits outside the Grand Hyatt hotel in central Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021. The Australian Open is scheduled to begin Monday. Australian Open organizers didn’t immediately have details of how many players were ordered to isolate. Williams won her last major title at the 2017 Australian Open, when she was pregnant with her daughter, Olympia. On the bottom half of the draw, defending Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin rallied from a set and a break down to fend off Jessica Pegula 5-7, 7-5, 6-2.
Nadal sidelined, team Djokovic wins to open ATP Cup defense
Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates after defeating Canada's Denis Shapovalov in their ATP Cup match in Melbourne, Australia, Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2021. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)MELBOURNE – Rafael Nadal didn't make it for Spain's ATP Cup opener because of a sore back, deciding it wasn't worth the risk a week ahead of the Australian Open. Back at Melbourne Park, where he has won a record eight Australian Open titles, he had plenty of energy to feed off. Osaka, who won the U.S. Open last year and the Australian Open in 2019, will next face No. Two-time Australian Open quarterfinalist Tennys Sandgren also advanced, winning his first match since coming out of the hard lockdown.
Sandgren gets OK to fly to Australia despite COVID-19 result
FILE - In this Jan. 28, 2020, file photo, Tennys Sandgren of the U.S. reacts after losing a point to Switzerland's Roger Federer during their quarterfinal match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man, File)Tennys Sandgren forced an early clarification of the COVID-19 rules as the first of 15 charter flights began flying Down Under to deliver players for the Australian Open. The two-time Australian Open quarterfinalist was given a special clearance to board one of the flights from Los Angeles to Melbourne despite testing positive to COVID-19 in November and again on Monday. Upon completion of that review he was cleared to fly.”The Australian Open has already been delayed three weeks because restrictions in place for the COVID-19 pandemic, and is set to open on Feb. 8. The women qualifiers include two-time Australian Open and Roland Garros doubles champion Timea Babos of Hungary and British player Francesca Jones, who has a rare genetic condition.
Kenin beats Putintseva to reach Abu Dhabi quarterfinals
Kenin is the top-seeded woman in Abu Dhabi, where the first womens tour-level tennis event of 2021 begins main-draw play on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Michel Euler, File)ABU DHABI – Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin of the United States came back from match point down to beat Yulia Putintseva and reach the quarterfinals of the Abu Dhabi Open on Saturday. Kenin posted 57 unforced errors to Putintseva's 43 but still prevailed 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 over the 13th-seeded Putintseva. Kenin dropped the opening set for the second consecutive match in Abu Dhabi. Also, Aryna Sabalenka recorded her 12th consecutive win in tour matches with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Ons Jabeur.
Kenin voted WTA Player of Year; Azarenka gets Comeback honor
Sofia Kenin collected the WTA Player of the Year award on Tuesday after winning the Australian Open in January for her first Grand Slam title and finishing as the runner-up at the French Open in October. Kenin entered this year with an 11-11 career mark in Grand Slam tournaments and zero trips beyond the fourth round at any of the sport’s top four events. That triumph made Kenin the youngest Australian Open champion since 2008, when Maria Sharapova was 20. Kenin went on to get to the fourth round at the U.S. Open, then the final at the pandemic-postponed French Open before losing to Swiatek for the title. Mladenovic and Babos won two Grand Slam doubles titles this season, at the Australian Open and French Open.
French Open champ Swiatek rises to 17th; Djokovic, Nadal 1-2
2, followed by U.S. Open champion Dominic Thiem and Federer. The 19-year-old Swiatek entered the French Open at No. 54 and became the lowest-ranked female champion at the clay-court Grand Slam tournament since the WTA computer rankings began in 1975. The top three in the women’s rankings remained as they were before the French Open, with Ash Barty at No. Halep did compete at the French Open, but her 6-1, 6-2 loss to Swiatek in the fourth round didn’t affect the three-time major champion’s ranking.
Just 19, ranked 54th, Swiatek wins French Open for 1st Slam
(AP Photo/Christophe Ena)PARIS – Minutes after suddenly becoming a Grand Slam champion at age 19, while ranked just 54th, Iga Swiatek held a microphone during the French Open trophy presentation and was hesitant for pretty much the only time over the past two weeks. “Two years ago, I won a junior Grand Slam, and right now I’m here. This was, after all, only her seventh major tournament; she'd never been past the fourth round. So it made sense that Swiatek would handle the fourth-seeded Kenin, even if the 21-year-old from Florida won the Australian Open in February and entered Saturday 16-1 in Grand Slam play this year. “Everybody is stressed when they’re playing Grand Slam finals.
The Latest: Australian champ Kenin cries after French loss
Kenin was looking to win her second major title of the year after winning the Australian Open. ___4 p.m.Polish teen Iga Swiatek won the first set 6-4 against fourth-seeded Sofia Kenin in the French Open final. The women’s French Open final between fourth-seeded American Sofia Kenin and unseeded teen Iga Swiatek has begun on Court Philippe Chatrier. Kenin is looking to win her second major title of the year after winning the Australian Open. The 31-year-old Gerard was playing in his second major final after losing in the Australian Open final four years ago.
No. 1 Djokovic escapes in 5, will face No. 2 Nadal in final
(AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)PARIS – Novak Djokovic seemed well on his way to yet another ho-hum victory, yet another French Open final, yet another matchup against rival Rafael Nadal. It will be their 56th meeting, the most between two men in the professional era (Djokovic leads 29-26), 16th at a major (Nadal leads 9-6) and eighth at the French Open (Nadal leads 6-1). Tsitsipas broke again to steal that set when Djokovic netted a forehand, then got things to a fifth. After the fourth set, Djokovic changed socks and shoes, and Tsitsipas got a medical visit for a check of his left leg. Then there was this: Schwartzman upset Nadal in straight sets on clay at the Italian Open last month.
Kenin, 21, will face unseeded Swiatek, 19, in French final
4-seeded Kenin moved into the French Open final by beating No. Kenin will carry a 16-1 mark in Grand Slam action this season into Saturday’s championship match against Iga Swiatek of Poland. Swiatek vs. Podoroska was the first women’s semifinal at Roland Garros between unseeded opponents since 1983 — and only one, Swiatek, truly seemed ready for the stage. Swiatek does it with tremendous play at the baseline, picking up balls early and smacking big groundstrokes with thick topspin. I’m, like, not letting my opponents play their best tennis,” Swiatek said.
The Latest: Polish teen Swiatek reaches French Open final
Poland's Iga Swiatek plays a shot against Argentina's Nadia Podoroska in the semifinal match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)PARIS – The Latest from the French Open (all times local):___4:20 p.m.Polish teenager Iga Swiatek has become the seventh unseeded player to reach the French Open final in the Open era after beating Argentine qualifier Nadia Podoroska 6-2, 6-1. Swiatek will next face either two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova or Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin in Saturday's final. ___3:45 p.m.Polish qualifier Iga Swiatek has won the first set against Argentine qualifier Nadia Podoroska 6-2 in the first semifinal of the day on Court Philippe Chatrier. ___12:25 p.m.Polish teenager Iga Swiatek and Argentine qualifier Nadia Podoroska will open play in the main stadium at the French Open.
Djokovic's body acts up at French Open; faces Tsitsipas next
Carreño Busta, for his part, had at least a bit of doubt about what was going on. Nadal eyes a 13th championship at the French Open, which would give him 20 majors overall, equaling Roger Federer's record for men; Schwartzman never has played in a Slam semifinal. At the U.S. Open, Tsitsipas failed to convert a half-dozen match points in a third-round loss. Then, against Rublev in the final of the clay-court Hamburg Open on Sept. 27 — Day 1 of the French Open — Tsitsipas served for the victory but wound up absorbing another disheartening defeat. At the changeover before the second set, Djokovic was attended to by a trainer, who returned for another massage three games later.
The Latest: Djokovic has arm issue but wins at French Open
(AP Photo/Christophe Ena)PARIS – The Latest from the French Open (all times local):___9:50 p.m.Novak Djokovic has overcome a bothersome left arm and early deficit to reach the French Open semifinals for the 10th time. 5 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in one of Friday’s semifinals as he seeks a second French Open championship and 18th Grand Slam title. ___5:15 p.m.Polish teenager Iga Swiatek has reached the French Open semifinals in both singles and doubles. ___4:50 p.m.Laura Siegemund has taken issue with the chair umpire for giving her a time violation during her 6-3, 6-3 loss to Petra Kvitova in the French Open quarterfinals. Rublev won their final at the clay-court Hamburg Open on the same day main-draw competition began at the French Open.
'Both gave everything': Schwartzman tops Thiem; Nadal next
A reporter wanted to know whether Schwartzman would be watching Nadal vs. Sinner. “For sure, I’m going to be awake,” said Schwartzman, who defeated Nadal at a clay-court tuneup in Rome last month. The ninth break put Schwartzman up 4-2 in the fifth when Thiem netted a backhand, and the last ended it, when Thiem put two drop shots into the net. From early on against Schwartzman, Thiem would bail out of points by trying mediocre drop shots, a bit of foreshadowing of the day’s denouement. He led the fourth 5-3, and held three set points while serving for it at 5-4.
The Latest: Schwartzman tops Thiem in 5 sets at French Open
(AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)PARIS – The Latest from the French Open (all times local):___8:45 p.m.Diego Schwartzman came back to beat U.S. Open champion Dominic Thiem in five sets across more than five hours at the French Open to reach the first Grand Slam semifinal of his career. ___8:05 p.m.Dominic Thiem and Diego Schwartzman are heading to a fifth set in their French Open quarterfinal after more than 4 1/2 hours on court already. U.S. Open champion Thiem is trying to reach the semifinals at Roland Garros for the fifth year in a row. ___2:55 p.m.Nadia Podoroska is the first female qualifier in the Open Era to reach the French Open semifinals. This was her best run at the French Open while Collins had never previously been past the second round here.
Coach? Motivator? Kenin's dad moves, Paris match changes
“First of all, I mean, I don’t know, like, why HER coach sat in that section,” said Kenin, who is seeded No. Djokovic is seeking a second French Open championship and 18th major trophy overall. Tsitsipas and Rublev both dropped the first two sets they played in Paris last week — and now both are making a French Open quarterfinal debut. Their meeting Wednesday comes 10 days after Rublev beat Tsitsipas in three sets in the final of the Hamburg Open on Sept. 27 — Day 1 of the French Open. “I know he’s a tough cookie.”___AP Tennis Writer Fendrich reported from Washington; AP Sports Writer Pugmire reported from Paris.
Djokovic leads been-there-done-that crew at wild French Open
Is it the two-week gap from the end of the U.S. Open to the start of the French Open? The women’s matchups established Saturday: Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin against Fiona Ferro; two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova against Zhang Shuai; Paula Badosa against Laura Siegemund; and No. “You can go out any round,” said Garbiñe Muguruza, the 2016 French Open champion who was beaten by the 57th-ranked Collins 7-5, 2-6, 6-4 in Saturday's last match. The 22-year-old from Spain, ranked 87th, defeated 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko 6-4, 6-3. “It’s really nice, I think, overall for tennis to see new faces, young players,” Djokovic said.
The Latest: Collins beats 2016 champ Muguruza at French Open
(AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)PARIS – The Latest from the French Open (all times local):___11:10 p.m.Danielle Collins grabbed the last four games to come back and beat 2016 champion Garbiñe Muguruza 7-5, 2-6, 6-4 in the last third-round singles match at the French Open. Next up for Djokovic as he pursues a second French Open title and 18th Grand Slam trophy overall: No. ___4:20 p.m.Fifth-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas reached the fourth round at the French Open for the second year in a row. He came through the qualifying tournament to reach the French Open main draw. ___1:10 p.m.Andrey Rublev advanced to the French Open fourth round with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 win against the unseeded South African Kevin Anderson.
'17 French Open champ Ostapenko wants more; Shapovalov upset
2 seed Karolina Pliskova at the French Open on Thursday, the conversation quickly turned to 2017. And just, like, the world doesn’t stop with winning only one Grand Slam. That’s not very different from where she was three years ago in Paris, ranked 47th and just two days past her 20th birthday when she became an impossible-to-predict Grand Slam champion. Pliskova, who came into the French Open dealing with a leg injury, was not the most gracious foe after Thursday’s loss. The first time I’m in the third round in a Grand Slam.
World TeamTennis plans to have fans at West Virginia matches
If World TeamTennis gets its way, Grand Slam champions Sofia Kenin and Sloane Stephens could be among the first tennis players to compete in front of fans after the coronavirus pandemic prompted lockdowns around the globe. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili, File)If World TeamTennis gets its way, Grand Slam champions Sofia Kenin and Sloane Stephens could be among the first tennis players to compete in front of fans after the coronavirus pandemic prompted lockdowns around the globe. WTT said Tuesday it is planning to allow up to 500 spectators at each of its outdoor matches during a three-week season from July 12 to Aug. 2 at a resort in West Virginia. Because of the pandemic, World TeamTennis is bringing all nine of its teams to one site The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia instead of having matches played around the United States. And unlike smaller exhibition tennis events around the world that have been staged without any fans present, WTT intends to sell tickets for one-fifth of a 2,500-seat outdoor stadium.
U.S. tennis star Sofia Kenin wins her first Grand Slam title at Australian Open
The American wouldn't lose another game on her way to earning a Grand Slam title at age 21. The 14th-seeded Kenin won the first major final of her career Saturday by coming back to beat a fading Muguruza 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 at Melbourne Park. "My dream has officially come true," she told the crowd. "Dreams come true. So if you have a dream, go for it, and it's going to come true."
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