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☆ Danielle Collins: US star takes shock Miami Open win in emotional farewell season
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-31 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The 30-year-old American, who reached the 2022 Australian Open final, stunned No. 53, produced an imperious display filled with powerful hitting to become the lowest ranked woman to ever win the Miami Open. Collins defeated the 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina in the Miami Open final. And when the Kazakh faltered and conceded three set points at 6-5, Collins pounced to take the first set. Despite her success in Miami, Collins said she will not reconsider her decision to retire.

Persons: Danielle Collins, Elena Rybakina, Collins, ” Collins, “, Frey, Collins pounced, Rybakina, ”, Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Sloane Stephens Organizations: CNN, Miami, Kazakh, WTA, Sky Sports Locations: American, Miami

We'll show you everything you need to know about where to watch the Miami Open women's final, including how to tune in free from anywhere. Where to watch Miami Open women's final in the USThe entirety of the Miami Open, including the women's singles final, is live streaming through the Tennis Channel in the US. For cord-cutters, this will mean trying a live TV cable alternative that carries the Tennis Channel, like Sling TV or Hulu + Live TV. Hulu + Live TV Hulu + Live TV includes over 90 channels, along with Hulu's on-demand library and access to Disney Plus and ESPN Plus. Shop at HuluWhere to watch Miami Open women's final in New ZealandIn New Zealand, the Miami Open women's singles final is available to stream for free through TVNZ.

Persons: Danielle Collins, Elena Rybakina, Iga Świątek, Coco Gauff, Naomi Osaka, Caroline Garcia, Collins, Rybakina, Ekaterina Alexandrova, Victoria Azarenka, Sloane Stephens, We'll, you'll, Hulu's, ExpressVPN Organizations: Business, Miami, Victoria, Tennis Channel, Tennis, Hulu, Sling, Disney, ESPN, Disney Plus, TVNZ, You'll, WTA Locations: United States, Kazakhstan, New Zealand, Hulu

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Sloane Stephens picked up her first win at the Australian Open since 2019 when she beat wild-card entry Olivia Gadecki 6-3, 6-1 on Tuesday to reach the second round. The 30-year-old American, who won the U.S. Open in 2017, won five straight games from 2-0 down in the opening set and eased through the second to clinch victory in just under an hour. Political Cartoons View All 253 ImagesSwiatek plays another American, 2020 Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin. Swiatek is looking to win her fifth Grand Slam title but first in Australia. Alcaraz, last year's Wimbledon winner, plays Richard Gasquet in the last match of the night session on Rod Laver Arena.

Persons: — Sloane Stephens, Olivia Gadecki, Really, ”, Stephens, “ I’ve, Carlos Alcaraz, Sofia Kenin, Richard Gasquet, Rod Laver Organizations: U.S, Alcaraz, Wimbledon, ___ Locations: MELBOURNE, Australia, Melbourne

☆ WTA roundup: Ashlyn Krueger wins 1st title at Japan Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] FILE PHOTO:Aug 6, 2023; Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Camila Giorgi (ITA) hits a forehand against Ashlyn Krueger (USA) (not pictured) in second round qualifying play at IGA Stadium. 123 in the world, Krueger, 19, entered the week without a main-draw win on hard court this year and had never advanced past a quarterfinal of a WTA event. Krueger had the edge in aces, 7-3, and never had to save a break point in the 96-minute match. She broke Zhu on her first service game of the match, and Zhu was 1-for-2 in saving break points. "I think I was very aggressive today, playing a lot of really aggressive tennis and using my serve," said Krueger, who recorded 28 winners to 13 for her opponent.

Persons: Camila Giorgi, Ashlyn Krueger, Eric Bolte, Ashlyn Krueger didn't, Zhu Lin, Krueger, China's Zhu, Zhu, Grace Min, Elise Mertens, Yanina, Mertens, Jasmine Paolini, Louisa Chirico, Karolina Pliskova, Ena Shibahara, Sloane Stephens, Ann Li, Canada's Leylah Fernandez breezed, Asia Muhammad, Taylor Townsend, Hailey Baptiste, Eugenie Bouchard of Canada, Dayana, Martina Trevisan, Cristina Bucsa Organizations: IGA, Japan, WTA, Dallas, United, Thomson Locations: Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Osaka, Guadalajara, Mexico, Ukraine, United States, Italy, Czech, Japan, U.S, Asia, Alycia, Spain, Belarus

☆ Opinion: Thanks to Coco Gauff, we can dream big
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Kirsi Goldynia | Opinion Roxanne Jones | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Coco Gauff has been crowned America’s new tennis darling after her amazing US Open championship win against Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus. Like Serena, Gauff is unafraid to speak out on social issues or speak up after a bad call from the umpire. “[Venus and Serena] are the reason why I have this trophy today, to be honest,” Gauff told media after her US Open win. Growing up there weren’t too many black tennis players dominating the sport. Despite the many obstacles, Black tennis thrived back in the early 1900s.

Persons: Roxanne Jones, Jones, ”, CNN — Coco Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka, Joe Biden, Barack Obama, Serena Williams, Serena, she’d, Coco Gauff, She’s, That’s, Gauff, Coco, Serena —, Venus —, ” Gauff, Williams, ’, you’ll, Lucy Diggs Slowe, Slowe, Arthur Ashe, Althea Gibson, Lori McNeil, Zina Garrison —, Gibson, Lucy Slowe, Lindsay Davenport, Naomi Osaka, Sloane Stephens, Madison Keys, Zina Garrison Organizations: ESPN The Magazine, ESPN, New York Daily News, Philadelphia Inquirer, CNN, US, “, United States Tennis Association, USTA, tennis, American Tennis Association, Black, Wimbledon, Twitter, Madison Locations: Belarus, Serena

☆ Factbox: U.S. Open women's singles champion Coco Gauff
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

CAREER TO DATE* A former world number one junior, Gauff started her professional career on the ITF circuit in 2018. * Reached the fourth round of the Australian Open in 2020 and cracked the top 50 in the world for the first time. Gauff also reached the U.S. Open women's doubles final with McNally. * Lost to Iga Swiatek in the French Open final in 2022. * Gauff claimed the biggest title to date of her career at the Cincinnati Open in 2023.

Persons: Coco Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka, Mike Segar, Laura Siegemund, Mirra, Elise Mertens, Caroline Wozniacki, Jelena Ostapenko, Karolina Muchova, Serena, Venus Williams, Gauff, Simona Halep, Caty McNally, Barbora Krejcikova, McNally, Jessica Pegula, Sloane Stephens, Aadi Nair, Toby Davis Organizations: Belarus, Aryna Sabalenka REUTERS, Belarusian Aryna, U.S, United States WTA, ITF, WTA, Wimbledon, Parma, Cincinnati, Washington D.C, U.S ., Thomson Locations: Flushing Meadows , New York, United States, Belarusian, Germany, Russia, Belgium, Denmark, Latvia, Czech Republic, Linz, Washington, Bengaluru

☆ American teenager Coco Gauff fights back to beat Aryna Sabalenka and win U.S. Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( Amy Tennery | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

With the win, sixth seed Gauff became the first American to win a U.S. Open singles title since Sloane Stephens in 2017. The crowd urged on Gauff, the first American teenager to reach the U.S. Open singles final since Serena Williams in 2001. But Sabalenka blocked out the noise and used her mighty forehand to convert on a break point chance in the fifth game. The Belarusian was helped to another break in the seventh as Gauff double faulted and made two more costly forehand mistakes. Gauff produced an overhead smash to break in the opening game of the third set and converted another in the third game.

Persons: Coco Gauff, Mike Segar, Gauff, Sloane Stephens, Arthur Ashe, Sabalenka, Roland Garros, Serena Williams, Aryna, Billie Jean King, chuckling, They've, Amy Tennery, Frank Pingue, Ken Ferris, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Tennis, U.S, Open REUTERS, Wimbledon, Indian, Thomson Locations: Flushing Meadows , New York, United States, American, Gauff, Belarusian, Washington, Cincinnati, Flushing Meadows

☆ Sabalenka fights back to snuff out home hopes of all-American final
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

It would end two tie-breaks later with the Belarusian walking off court into her second Grand Slam final of the season. Soaking up the energy of the home crowd, the 17th seed unleashed a barrage of winners and broke Sabalenka three times to open the match 6-0. Keys broke the Australian Open champion for a fourth time for a 2-1 lead in the second, leaving a frustrated Sabalenka screaming and smashing her racquet. But with Keys serving for a place in the final the Sabalenka who players fear finally appeared. For Keys, who played in the last all-American women's final in 2017, losing to Sloane Stephens, is was a missed opportunity to return to her home final that left her in tears.

Persons: Sabalenka, Madison Keys, Mike Segar, Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, Karolina Muchova, Arthur Ashe, Keys, Sloane Stephens, Steve Keating, Peter Rutherford Organizations: Tennis, Madison, U.S, REUTERS, Madison Keys, American U.S, Thomson Locations: Flushing Meadows , New York, United States, Belarus, American, Belarusian, New York

NEW YORK (AP) — Way down and almost out, Aryna Sabalenka just kept reminding herself the match wasn't over until the final point. Sabalenka refocused after a premature victory celebration to wrap up a 0-6, 7-6 (1), 7-6 (10-5) victory over Madison Keys on Thursday night and reach her first U.S. Open final. “Then, from the second set, it just got a lot closer. “I think everyone at the start of the tournament would obviously be really, really excited to be in the semis,” Keys said, breaking into tears. But I just think being able to take this and turn it to a positive is really possible.”___AP tennis coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Persons: Aryna Sabalenka, hadn't, Sabalenka, Madison Keys, Coco Gauff, you’ll, ” Sabalenka, “ Lucky, she'd, Keys, ” Keys, Sloane Stephens, “ Organizations: Madison, U.S Locations: U.S, New York, Belarus

☆ Sabalenka targets second Grand Slam final in stellar season
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"When you get to the last stages of the tournament, you're going to think about what if, what I want, what I would like and you're dreaming," Sabalenka told reporters after crushing China's Zheng Qinwen on Wednesday. "I'm not trying to block the stats, because when you're trying to block something it's going to keep getting in your head and it can get annoying. When you're not trying to block it, it actually goes away. Keys, meanwhile, is hoping to fulfil her own dream of reaching Saturday's final for another shot at a maiden Grand Slam trophy. Czech Muchova is also gunning for a first Grand Slam title after coming close in Paris in her bid to join an elite list of compatriots that includes Jana Novotna, Petra Kvitova, Barbora Krejcikova and Vondrousova.

Persons: Madison Keys, Sabalenka, Iga, Keys, Zheng Qinwen, I'm, Marketa Vondrousova, Coco Gauff, Roland Garros, Karolina Muchova, Gauff, Sofia, ", Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Sloane Stephens, I'd, gunning, Jana Novotna, Petra Kvitova, Barbora, Karolina Pliskova, Ash Barty, Muchova, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Ken Ferris Organizations: U.S, Madison, Belarusian, Wimbledon, Cincinnati, Sofia Kenin's, Thomson Locations: New York, Flushing Meadows, American, Melbourne, Grand, Czech, Paris, Bengaluru

☆ Alcaraz downs Zverev to complete all-star US Open semi-final lineup
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/6] Tennis - U.S. Open - Flushing Meadows, New York, United States - September 2, 2023 Spain's Carlos Alcaraz in action during his third round match against Britain's Daniel Evans REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Sept 6 (Reuters) - World number one Carlos Alcaraz vanquished Alexander Zverev 6-3 6-2 6-4 on Wednesday to complete an all-star U.S. Open men's semi-final lineup that features three Flushing Meadows champions and a big-hitting American wildcard. Daniil Medvedev, the 2021 winner, overcame brutal heat and fellow Russian Andrey Rublev 6-4 6-3 6-4 to set up a Friday meeting with defending champion Alcaraz. By the time Alcaraz and Zverev appeared on Arthur Ashe for the late match much of the sting had been taken out of the brutal conditions that Medvedev and Rublev faced. German Zverev, a U.S. Open finalist in 2020, showed up ready to fight but after some initial resistance the tank emptied and it was a straightforward win for Alcaraz in the end. "I'm feeling really comfortable playing in this court, playing here in New York," said Alcaraz.

Persons: Spain's Carlos Alcaraz, Britain's Daniel Evans, Shannon Stapleton, Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, Russian Andrey Rublev, Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Ben Shelton, Medvedev, Shelton, Marketa, Coco Gauff, Keys, Sloane Stephens, Sabalenka, China's Zheng Qinwen, Arthur Ashe, Rublev, Zverev, Jannik Sinner, Frank Pingue, Steve Keating, Toby Davis, Peter Rutherford Organizations: Tennis, Britain's Daniel Evans REUTERS, Flushing Meadows, U.S, Alcaraz, Madison Keys, Wimbledon, Flushing, Thomson Locations: Flushing Meadows , New York, United States, Flushing, Russian, Flushing Meadows, U.S, New York, Toronto

Third seed Daniil Medvedev once again worked the U.S. Open graveyard shift on Saturday, beating in-form Sebastian Baez 6-2 6-2 7-6(6) to end the Argentine's 12 match winning streak. Against the 26th seeded Evans the 20-year-old Spaniard mixed moments of brilliance with lapses in focus but was never really threatened on his way to 6-2 6-3 4-6 6-3 win. Top seeded Briton, number 16 Cameron Norrie, was dumped out 6-3 6-4 6-3 by Italian Matteo Arnaldi while American Peyton Stearns pushed the last British woman Katie Boulter to the exit with a 6-4 6-3 victory. Joining Pegula were 2017 finalist Madison Keys, a 5-7 6-2 6-2 winner over 14th seed Liudmila Samsonova, Stearns and sixth seed Coco Gauff, who booked her spot on Friday with a win over Elise Mertens. Reporting by Steve Keating and Amy Tennery in New York, editing by Lincoln FeastOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Spain's Carlos Alcaraz, Britain's Daniel Evans, Shannon Stapleton, Carlos Alcaraz aced, women's, Aryna Sabalenka, France's Clara Burel, Arthur Ashe, Czech Marie Bouzkova, Jabeur, Bouzkova, Daniil Medvedev, Sebastian Baez, Medvedev, Christopher O'Connell, Roger Federer, Evans, Alcaraz's, Jack Draper, Michael Mmoh, Draper, Winston, Cameron Norrie, Matteo Arnaldi, Peyton Stearns, Katie Boulter, Jessica Pegula, Ukraine's Elina Svitolina, Pegula, Madison Keys, Liudmila Samsonova, Stearns, Coco Gauff, Elise Mertens, Pete Sampras, Serena Williams, Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, Tommy Paul, Ben Shelton, Sloane Stephens, Keys, Andy Roddick's, Jannik, Stan Wawrinka, Alexander Zverev, Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, Steve Keating, Amy Tennery, Lincoln Organizations: Tennis, Britain's Daniel Evans REUTERS, U.S, Czech, American, Bulgarian, Thomson Locations: Flushing Meadows , New York, United States, U.S, New York, Salem, British, Flushing, Flushing Meadows

☆ Pegula and Keys into last 16 as American buzz builds at U.S. Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

After straight set romps in her first two matches, Pegula received her first test in the form of gritty veteran Svitolina, a U.S. Open semi-finalist in 2019. Pegula had the only break in a tight opening set but that would be all she needed for a 1-0 lead. In the second it was Svitolina finally getting her first break chance and making the most of the opportunity to pull level. The last time Flushing Meadows had a chance to celebrate a homegrown women's champion was in 2017 when Sloane Stephens beat Keys in an all-American final. Keys is back and making another run after taming 14th seed Liudmila Samsonova 5-7 6-2 6-2 to set up the clash with Pegula.

Persons: Jessic, Elina Svitolina, USTA Billie Jean King, Robert Deutsch, Jessica Pegula, Ukraine's Elina Svitolina, Madison Keys, Pete Sampras, Serena Williams, Coco Gauff, Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, Pegula, Svitolina, Sloane Stephens, Keys, Gauff, Belgian Elise Mertens, Peyton Stearns, Katie Boulter, Steve Keating, Ken Ferris Organizations: USTA Billie, USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, U.S, Canadian, Belgian, Thomson Locations: Flushing , NY, USA, Ukraine, Flushing, Flushing Meadows, U.S, New York

☆ Four Americans set to play in US Open men’s fourth round for first time in more than a decade
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Frances Tiafoe, Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul and Ben Shelton will all be in action on Sunday – Paul and Shelton playing each other while Tiafoe will face Australia’s Rinky Hijikata and Fritz will take on Switzerland’s Dominic Stricker. Taylor Fritz has never reached the fourth round of the US Open before. Mike Stobe/Getty Images“We’ve all been hearing about who’s going to be the next American (after) Andy Roddick 20 years ago our entire careers. Sarah Stier/Getty Images“Obviously around the grounds, everyone is really stoked and excited about the Americans,” Paul told the Washington Post. Coco Gauff is so far the only American woman to reach the fourth round of this year’s tournament, though Madison Keys and Jessica Pegula are still in contention at time of publication.

Persons: Andy Roddick, Frances Tiafoe, Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul, Ben Shelton, Paul, Shelton, Hijikata, Fritz, Dominic Stricker, Mike Stobe, ” Fritz, “, ”, ” Tiafoe, Arthur Ashe, France’s Adrian Mannarino, Timothy A, Clary, Taylor, he’s, Roddick, Sarah Stier, ” Paul, ’, Sloane Stephens, Coco Gauff, Madison Keys, Jessica Pegula Organizations: CNN, American, Reuters, Eurosport, “, Flushing, Getty, Washington Post Locations: Flushing Meadows, AFP, American

☆ Murray, Isner come up short at U.S. Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Amy Tennery | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"I'm aware what I'm doing, it's unbelievably challenging to play at the highest level as I am now. And yeah, some days it's harder than others," Murray said. Isner, 38, won the longest professional tennis match in history against Frenchman Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon in 2010, which lasted 11 hours and 5 minutes and took place over three days. The third seed has played second fiddle to Alcaraz and 23-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic at Flushing Meadows but put the field on notice with a first-round demolition of Attila Balazs. Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Ken Ferris and Ed OsmondOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Andy Murray, Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov, Brendan Mcdermid, John Isner, Aryna Sabalenka, Briton Murray, Grigor Dimitrov, Arthur Ashe, Murray, Isner, Frenchman Nicolas Mahut, Michael Mmoh, Jack Sock, Jodie Burrage, France's Clara Burel, Carlos Alcaraz, Lloyd Harris of, Alcaraz, Jessica Pegula, Romanian Patricia Maria Tig, Ashe, Sloane Stephens, Russian Daniil Medvedev, Louis Armstrong, Australian Christopher O'Connell, Novak, Attila Balazs, Amy Tennery, Ken Ferris, Ed Osmond Organizations: U.S, Wimbledon, New, Australian, Flushing, Thomson Locations: Flushing Meadows , New York, United States, Belarusian, Flushing Meadows, Lloyd Harris of South Africa, Romanian, New York, Russian

☆ Americans Pegula, Keys cruise into U.S. Open second round
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, Aug 29 (Reuters) - Third seed Jessica Pegula and former finalist Madison Keys each punched their tickets into the second round of the U.S. Open with routine victories on Tuesday that bolstered hopes for a homegrown winner at the year's final Grand Slam. Pegula, whose U.S. Open tune-up included a triumph in Montreal just over two weeks ago, earned a 6-2 6-2 victory over Italy's Camila Giorgi shortly after 2017 runner-up Keys beat Dutchwoman Arantxa Rus 6-2 6-4. "I think we are all hoping that we hit the right form going into a slam, especially if you get through the first week trying to hit that stride in the second week," Pegula said during her on-court interview in Arthur Ashe Stadium. Tennis is so day-to-day, you can feel great one week and then you can feel terrible the next. So you are just tying to really get through the first few rounds and try and get better each match."

Persons: Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys, Pegula, Italy's Camila Giorgi, Dutchwoman, Sloane Stephens, Keys, Giorgi, Arthur Ashe, Louis Armstrong, Frank Pingue, Toby Davis Organizations: U.S, Dutchwoman Arantxa Rus, Louis, Thomson Locations: Montreal, American, Toronto

☆ Haddad Maia knocks out former champion Stephens in U.S. Open first round
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Tennis - U.S. Open - Flushing Meadows, New York, United States - August 28, 2023 Brazil's Beatriz Haddad Maia in action during her first round match against Sloane Stephens of the U.S. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Aug 28 (Reuters) - Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia proved she was no pushover even when her back was up against a wall as she battled past 2017 champion Sloane Stephens with a 6-2 5-7 6-4 victory in the first round of the U.S. Open on Monday. Roland Garros semi-finalist Haddad Maia saved 11 of 15 break points across the match as the American suffered yet another early Grand Slam exit. While Stephens was left to reflect on a miserable year at the majors, where her best showing was a fourth round appearance at Roland Garros, Haddad Maia set up a meeting with Stephens' compatriot Taylor Townsend. After levelling the contest to one set all, Stephens could not absorb the Brazilian's firepower in the third set, where Haddad Maia sent over 20 winners. "I was expecting a big battle," Haddad Maia said.

Persons: Brazil's Beatriz Haddad Maia, Sloane Stephens, Shannon Stapleton, Beatriz Haddad Maia, Roland Garros, Haddad Maia, Stephens, Taylor Townsend, Amy Tennery Organizations: U.S, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Flushing Meadows , New York, United States, New York

☆ Swiatek recharges for U.S. Open defence with Sabalenka hot on her heels
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Shrivathsa Sridhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Aug 19, 2023; Mason, OH, USA; Iga Swiatek (POL) returns a shot against Coco Gauff (USA) during the Western and Southern Open tennis tournament at Lindner Family Tennis Center. "I'm not even going to regret a lot because I'm happy I'm going to have days off." The French Open champion said she would try not to be hard on herself ahead of her U.S. Open title defence. "I'm going to take it easy on myself and just try to do everything step by step." I'm going to give it my all in the U.S. Open.

Persons: Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Katie Stratman, Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, Ash Barty's, Sabalenka, I'm, Elena Rybakina, Roland Garros, Jessica Pegula, Gauff, Sloane Stephens, Caroline Wozniacki, Dane, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Peter Rutherford Organizations: Southern Open, Lindner, Tennis Center, Montreal, U.S, Wimbledon, Indian Wells, Flushing, U.S ., Tunisian trailblazer, York, Thomson Locations: Mason, OH, USA, New York, Cincinnati, Melbourne, U.S, Montreal, French, Flushing Meadows, Bengaluru

☆ Best of the rest: Another surprise in store in U.S. Open women's draw?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Aadi Nair | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

While her greatest success has come on grass, 2022 Wimbledon champion Rybakina's style can be devastating on hard courts, as she showed in some key clashes with major rivals on the surface this year. The 24-year-old beat Sabalenka in the Indian Wells final and got the better of Swiatek in straight sets at both the Australian Open and Indian Wells. Muchova will be feeling particularly confident, having reached the final of the Cincinnati Masters with wins over two top-10 ranked players -- Sabalenka and Sakkari. Muchova's compatriot Vondrousova will be hoping to build on her title-winning Wimbledon run, while two-time Wimbledon champion Kvitova is one of the most experienced players in the draw and will prove a tough test for any opponent. The presence of former world number ones Venus Williams and Caroline Wozniacki, who have been given wild cards by organisers, adds another layer of unpredictability to the draw.

Persons: Elena Rybakina, KAZ, Daria Kasatkina, David Kirouac, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Rybakina, Maria Sakkari, Sakkari, it's, Caroline Garcia, Garcia, Sloane Stephens, Marketa Vondrousova, Karolina Muchova, Petra Kvitova, Barbora Krejcikova, Marketa, Muchova, Vondrousova, Kvitova, Venus Williams, Caroline Wozniacki, Wozniacki, Williams, Veronika Kudermetova, Aadi Nair, Toby Davis Organizations: IGA, U.S, Wimbledon, Sabalenka, Indian Wells, Australian, Cincinnati, Kazakh, Washington, U.S ., WTA, Tennis, Thomson Locations: Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Flushing Meadows, Indian, Indian Wells, Washington, Cincinnati, Czech Republic, Bengaluru

☆ Swiatek survives Zheng scare to reach Cincinnati quarter-finals
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Aug 17 (Reuters) - Iga Swiatek used an outfit change to help her reset after a poor start and beat China's Zheng Qinwen 3-6 6-1 6-1 on Thursday and set up a Cincinnati Open quarter-final clash with Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova. "Honestly, it's because of my coach," Swiatek said about her outfit change. "I thought this was a bad (idea) but I tried this time and it worked, so thank you coach." Awaiting Swiatek in the next round will be Vondrousova, who converted four of five break points during a 7-5 6-3 victory over Sloane Stephens. Greek eighth seed Maria Sakkari also advanced with a 3-6 6-2 6-3 win over Czech Karolina Muchova.

Persons: Swiatek, China's Zheng Qinwen, Marketa Vondrousova, Zheng, Sloane Stephens, Elena Rybakina, Jasmine Paolini, Maria Sakkari, Czech Karolina Muchova, Frank Pingue, Ed Osmond Organizations: Cincinnati, Wimbledon, U.S, Czech, Thomson Locations: Toronto

☆ Azarenka upsets Krejcikova, Wozniacki loses Cincinnati opener
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Aug 15 (Reuters) - Twice champion Victoria Azarenka upset Czech 11th seed Barbora Krejcikova 6-3 7-5 on Tuesday to reach the Cincinnati Open second round while Danish wildcard Caroline Wozniacki, in her second tournament out of retirement, lost her opening match. The 34-year-old unseeded Belarusian Azarenka broke Krejcikova four times, saved three of five break points and won the final five games of a match lasting one hour 45 minutes. Krejcikova battled to get the opener back on serve but Azarenka broke right back and then went on to serve out the first set in the following game on her second set point. Former world number one Wozniacki had her chances but failed to convert any of her nine break points while Gracheva's backhand proved too much for the Dane to handle. Czech ninth seed Petra Kvitova, a Cincinnati finalist last year, also booked her spot in the second round with a 7-6(2) 6-0 win over Russian Anna Blinkova.

Persons: Victoria Azarenka, Caroline Wozniacki, Belarusian Azarenka, Krejcikova, Azarenka, Wozniacki, Varvara Gracheva, Dane, Petra Kvitova, Anna Blinkova, Jelena Ostapenko, Karolina Pliskova, Elena Rybakina, Ukraine's Anhelina Kalinina, Holder Carolina Garcia of, Sloane Stephens, Frank Pingue, Ken Ferris Organizations: Cincinnati, Belarusian, Wimbledon, Court, U.S, Thomson Locations: Czech, Montreal, France, Tunisian, Toronto

☆ Williams upsets Kudermetova, Stephens beats Cocciaretto at Cincinnati
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Mandatory Credit: Cara Owsley-USA TODAY SportsAug 14 (Reuters) - Venus Williams upset 16th-ranked Veronika Kudermetova 6-4 7-5 at the Cincinnati Open on Monday, as her unseeded American compatriot Sloane Stephens overcame a sluggish start to beat Italy's Elisabetta Cocciaretto 7-5 6-2. The Russian missed another opportunity to win the second set when Williams fended off a break point in the ninth game with an unreturnable serve. Cocciaretto took control early on and built a 5-2 lead that gave her two chances to serve out the set. But Stephens dialed up the pace and broke to love on each occasion as she used a five-game winning streak to wrap up the opening set. Stephens can expect a tougher test against sixth seed Garcia, who is 4-2 all-time versus the American including a pair of first-round wins at the Cincinnati Open.

Persons: Venus Williams, Veronika Kudermetova, Cara Owsley, Sloane Stephens, Italy's Elisabetta Cocciaretto, Williams, outmatched, Kudermetova, Stephens, Cocciaretto, Caroline Garcia, Garcia, Elina Svitolina, Caroline Wozniacki, Wozniacki, Varvara Gracheva, Frank Pingue, Amy Tennery, Rory Carroll, Ken Ferris, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: & Southern, Lindner, Tennis Center, USA, Cincinnati, Wimbledon, U.S ., Thomson Locations: Mason, OH, USA, Russian, Guadalajara, Toronto, New York, Los Angeles

☆ WTA roundup: Nao Hibino upsets Linda Noskova for Prague title
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Aug 7, 2023; Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Venus Williams (USA) waves to the crowd after her loss against Madison Keys (USA) (not pictured) in first round play at IGA Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY SportsAugust 8 - Japan's Nao Hibino ended a four-year title drought Monday with a 6-4, 6-1 defeat of No. 4 seed and home favorite Linda Noskova at the Livesport Prague Open in the Czech Republic. After taking the opening set rather easily, Keys needed nine match points to put Williams away. "You have to find that balance between playing risky, aggressive, but not too risky, not too much, because then (Swiatek's) not going to give you many points," Pliskova said.

Persons: Venus Williams, Eric Bolte, Nao Hibino, Linda Noskova, Romania's Jaqueline Cristian, Hibino, Noskova, Keys, Williams, Karolina Pliskova, Lin Zhu of, Pliskova, Katie Boulter, Belinda Bencic, Cirstea, Victoria, Italy's Jamine Paolini, Marie Bouzkova, Sloane Stephens, Jennifer Brady Organizations: Madison Keys, IGA, Livesport, WTA, Hiroshima, Omnium Banque, Venus, Iga, Victoria Azarenka of, Thomson Locations: Montreal, Quebec, Canada, USA, Czech Republic, Tashkent, Omnium, Czech, Lin Zhu of China, Switzerland, Romanian, Victoria Azarenka of Belarus

☆ Azarenka and Pliskova slog way into second round of rainy Canadian Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Aug 7, 2023; Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Victoria Azarenka serves against Magda Linette (POL) (not pictured) in first round play at IGA Stadium. Azarenka was unfazed by the rain, charging ahead 5-2 in the opening set before closing it out with a break just before play was stopped a second time. She romped through the second set, winning 24 of 31 points and breaking Poland's Linette three times. When play restarted, Zhu pounced, winning two points to clinch the tie-break 10-8. But the 31-year-old Czech quickly refocused in the decider, applying pressure and breaking Zhu three times to move onto the second round and a meeting with Polish world number one and reigning US Open champion Iga Swiatek.

Persons: Victoria Azarenka, Magda Linette, Eric Bolte, Karolina Pliskova, Azarenka, Sloane Stephens, Ukraine's, Pliskova, Zhu Lin, Sascha Bajin, Zhu, Zhu pounced, Iga Swiatek, Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, Steve Keating, Jamie Freed Organizations: Victoria, IGA, Canadian, Warsaw, Thomson Locations: Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Stuttgart, Pliskova, Czech, Toronto

☆ Pegula produces dazzling display to reach first Wimbledon quarters
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( Pritha Sarkar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, July 9 (Reuters) - Jessica Pegula enjoyed one of those scarcely believable days straight out of fantasy land as her racket oozed winners left, right and centre in a 6-1 6-3 fourth-round destruction of luckless Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko at Wimbledon on Sunday. Pegula took full advantage of her opponent's woes as she walloped thunderous winners from the baseline to streak into a 5-0 lead in 18 blinding minutes. Tsurenko was lucky not to be completely wiped out from the opening set as the American fourth seed missed a set point in the sixth game. That respite, however, was brief as Pegula went on another three-game winning spree to take a 6-1 2-0 lead. I am so glad to make the final eight and I hope I get my name on a wall, or something."

Persons: Jessica Pegula, Tsurenko, Pegula, Ana Bogdan, Marketa, Serena Williams, Madison Keys, Sloane Stephens, Pritha Sarkar, Clare Fallon Organizations: Wimbledon, Madison, Thomson Locations: Ukrainian, American

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