No woman has defended the Australian Open singles title in a decade, but the last time it happened, it was done by a Belarusian player.
Could this be a sign that the stars are aligning for the World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka to win her second Grand Slam? For starters, the 25-year-old powerhouse is one of the Top 5 favorites to win the Australian Open.
In fact, the bookmakers rate Sabalenka as the second favorite to retain her title, behind World No. 1 Iga Swiatek. But here is the fun part. The Australian Open has been the one Slam that no Wta player has had quite a stranglehold for the last ten years.
One of the reasons is because, at the start of the season, the possibility of top players being caught cold is very high, so we see many upsets. That's why we have seen an increasing number of established stars take...
Could this be a sign that the stars are aligning for the World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka to win her second Grand Slam? For starters, the 25-year-old powerhouse is one of the Top 5 favorites to win the Australian Open.
In fact, the bookmakers rate Sabalenka as the second favorite to retain her title, behind World No. 1 Iga Swiatek. But here is the fun part. The Australian Open has been the one Slam that no Wta player has had quite a stranglehold for the last ten years.
One of the reasons is because, at the start of the season, the possibility of top players being caught cold is very high, so we see many upsets. That's why we have seen an increasing number of established stars take...
- 12/26/2023
- Tennis-Infinity
The tennis season is about to start on a clean slate in under a month, with hundreds of tennis players making the trip Down Under.
The Grand Slam journey begins at the Australian Open, a tournament that has witnessed a surge in first-time winners. The women's tour is as unpredictable as they come. This explains why no player won more than one major title in the whole of 2023, which crowned three new winners.
If that trend continues in 2024, the chances of crowing a first-time Grand Slam champion will increase significantly, and in this article, we shall list the five women who can pull this off.
5. Mirra Andreeva
It takes a super-talented teenager to thrust her name into Grand Slam contention, and Mirra Andreeva fits the bill. The 2023 Wta Newcomer of the Year punched above her weight last season, finishing with a year-end ranking of 57.
Andreeva played on the junior circuit...
The Grand Slam journey begins at the Australian Open, a tournament that has witnessed a surge in first-time winners. The women's tour is as unpredictable as they come. This explains why no player won more than one major title in the whole of 2023, which crowned three new winners.
If that trend continues in 2024, the chances of crowing a first-time Grand Slam champion will increase significantly, and in this article, we shall list the five women who can pull this off.
5. Mirra Andreeva
It takes a super-talented teenager to thrust her name into Grand Slam contention, and Mirra Andreeva fits the bill. The 2023 Wta Newcomer of the Year punched above her weight last season, finishing with a year-end ranking of 57.
Andreeva played on the junior circuit...
- 12/16/2023
- Tennis-Infinity
Roger Federer was named the Icon Athlete of the Shanghai Masters days ago, and he was on hand to receive the award during the on-curt ceremony on Friday.
The Swiss tennis legend had just come back from a sightseeing trip in Japan this past week and jetted in China and in one of the cities he reigned supreme on two occasions during his playing career. Federer won the title in Shanghai in 2014 and 2017.
Federer's on-court presentation happened just before the second quarterfinal of the day between Andrey Rublev and Ugo Humbert and was live-streamed on the tournament's official YouTube channel. The 20-time Grand Slam champion was joined on stage by Chinese stars of past and present.
International Tennis Hall of Famer and retired Wta star Li Na and current China's No. 1 on the men's tour Zhang Zhizhen made their way onto the court. Federer was quick to acknowledge the overwhelming...
The Swiss tennis legend had just come back from a sightseeing trip in Japan this past week and jetted in China and in one of the cities he reigned supreme on two occasions during his playing career. Federer won the title in Shanghai in 2014 and 2017.
Federer's on-court presentation happened just before the second quarterfinal of the day between Andrey Rublev and Ugo Humbert and was live-streamed on the tournament's official YouTube channel. The 20-time Grand Slam champion was joined on stage by Chinese stars of past and present.
International Tennis Hall of Famer and retired Wta star Li Na and current China's No. 1 on the men's tour Zhang Zhizhen made their way onto the court. Federer was quick to acknowledge the overwhelming...
- 10/14/2023
- Tennis-Infinity
Emma Raducanu continues to make some steady progress as she strives to make a successful comeback to the Wta Tour after a number of injury issues.
Raducanu had always been touted for big success by many well-respected British coaches, who trained and coached her from an early age. But the timing of her 2021 US Open title success really was stunning and remarkable.
Even the most knowledgable of coaches were left stunned at the timing. Raducanu rallied through the qualifying rounds and seven subsequent main draw matches without dropping a set and pulled off one of the most memorable Grand Slam triumphs in modern tennis history .
Injuries and fitness have certainly been problematic since that rise to fame. The Brit took time away from the sport in May to undergo multiple minor surgeries on both wrists and her ankle. Now she is looking to make more noise on the tour once she is fit to return.
Raducanu had always been touted for big success by many well-respected British coaches, who trained and coached her from an early age. But the timing of her 2021 US Open title success really was stunning and remarkable.
Even the most knowledgable of coaches were left stunned at the timing. Raducanu rallied through the qualifying rounds and seven subsequent main draw matches without dropping a set and pulled off one of the most memorable Grand Slam triumphs in modern tennis history .
Injuries and fitness have certainly been problematic since that rise to fame. The Brit took time away from the sport in May to undergo multiple minor surgeries on both wrists and her ankle. Now she is looking to make more noise on the tour once she is fit to return.
- 9/11/2023
- Tennis-Infinity
Rome, May 15 (Ians) The No. 22 seed Zheng Qinwen overcame her Chinese compatriot Wang Xiyu 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 to reach her first tour-level quarterfinal on clay at the Italian Open, here on Monday.
The result also marked No.21-ranked Zheng’s second Wta 1000 quarterfinal of her career.
She will next face either No.11 seed Veronika Kudermetova or No.27 seed Marie Bouzkova in a bid to reach her second semifinal of the season, following Abu Dhabu in February.
It was the third time that two Chinese players had met in the last 16 of a Wta 1000 event. At Miami 2019, Wang Qiang defeated Wang Yafan 7-5, 6-4; and at Beijing 2012, Li Na overcame Peng Shuai 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(3).
Zheng reached her first Wta 1000 quarterfinal in Toronto last year via defeats of Ons Jabeur and Bianca Andreescu. Her run this fortnight has improved her 2023 record to 16-8 (14-8 in Wta main draws).
–Ians
bc/bsk...
The result also marked No.21-ranked Zheng’s second Wta 1000 quarterfinal of her career.
She will next face either No.11 seed Veronika Kudermetova or No.27 seed Marie Bouzkova in a bid to reach her second semifinal of the season, following Abu Dhabu in February.
It was the third time that two Chinese players had met in the last 16 of a Wta 1000 event. At Miami 2019, Wang Qiang defeated Wang Yafan 7-5, 6-4; and at Beijing 2012, Li Na overcame Peng Shuai 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(3).
Zheng reached her first Wta 1000 quarterfinal in Toronto last year via defeats of Ons Jabeur and Bianca Andreescu. Her run this fortnight has improved her 2023 record to 16-8 (14-8 in Wta main draws).
–Ians
bc/bsk...
- 5/15/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
Madrid, May 7 (Ians) Despite taking a loss on clay in the Madrid Open final, World No.1 Iga Swiatek remains inspired as she builds on a growling rivalry with No.2 Aryna Sabalenka and said that she doesn’t have any big regrets.
The Polish player, who suffered a rare loss on clay, is keeping her fortnight in perspective following the year’s first Wta 1000 clay-court event.
“We just played on a good level, but [Sabalenka] was better today. Maybe sometimes I could be more proactive, but honestly, I think we both played well. I don’t have any big regrets,” Swiatek said in her post-match press conference on Saturday night.
Swiatek still has a stellar 27-2 win-loss record on clay since the start of 2022, with her only other loss on that surface in that timeframe coming to Caroline Garcia in the 2022 Warsaw quarterfinals.
“Sometimes it’s tougher, sometimes it’s easier. That...
The Polish player, who suffered a rare loss on clay, is keeping her fortnight in perspective following the year’s first Wta 1000 clay-court event.
“We just played on a good level, but [Sabalenka] was better today. Maybe sometimes I could be more proactive, but honestly, I think we both played well. I don’t have any big regrets,” Swiatek said in her post-match press conference on Saturday night.
Swiatek still has a stellar 27-2 win-loss record on clay since the start of 2022, with her only other loss on that surface in that timeframe coming to Caroline Garcia in the 2022 Warsaw quarterfinals.
“Sometimes it’s tougher, sometimes it’s easier. That...
- 5/7/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
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