DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Australia outclass Finland to return to Davis Cup final
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MALAGA, Spain, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Australia reached a second successive Davis Cup final when Alex de Minaur overpowered Emil Ruusuvuori 6-4 6-3 after Alexei Popyrin beat Otto Virtanen 7-6(5) 6-2 to earn the 28-time champions a 2-0 win over Finland on Friday. "Extremely proud moment but I could have not done it without these guys," De Minaur said, pointing to his team. Popyrin, a late switch for the injured Thanasi Kokkinakis, grabbed the first break in the second set when Virtanen hit two successive double faults as Australia sensed an opportunity. "It's nerves that I've never experienced before in my life, the nerves playing the first tie, the first rubber of a Davis Cup, winning my first live rubber of a Davis Cup. De Minaur said Australia would be tricky opponents for any team in the final and tipped the doubles duo of Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell to play a vital role.

Persons: Alex de Minaur, Emil Ruusuvuori, Alexei Popyrin, Otto Virtanen, Lleyton Hewitt's, De Minaur, Alexei hasn't, Popyrin, Thanasi Kokkinakis, Virtanen, I've, Matthew Ebden, Max Purcell, We've, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Toby Davis, Ed Osmond, Ken Ferris Organizations: Davis, Finland, Friday, men's, Finns, Ruusuvuori, Canada, Australia, Thomson Locations: MALAGA, Spain, Australia, Canada, United States, Serbia, Italy, Finland, Malaga, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Fuengirola, Bengaluru

☆ Gutsy Australia see off Czechs to make Davis Cup semi-finals
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"I've never seen anything like it live," Ebden said of their comeback victory. "I've seen it on TV back in the day, comebacks when your backs are against the wall. But what Alex did to give us the chance to come out here and fight was incredible. We were inside thinking we're one game away from being out of here and ... winning and going to the semi-finals, we couldn't be more proud. Australia were without Thanasi Kokkinakis, who was forced to withdraw from the Finals with an ankle injury.

Persons: deportes Martin, Matthew Ebden, Max Purcell, Czech Republic's Jiri Lehecka, Adam Pavlasek REUTERS, Violeta Santos Moura, Jiri Lehecka, Adam Pavlasek, Alex de Minaur, I've, Ebden, Alex, Tomas Machac, Jordan Thompson, Lleyton Hewitt's, Thompson, Machac, Thanasi Kokkinakis, Lehecka, De, De Minaur, that's, I'm, Novak Djokovic's, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Toby Davis Organizations: Australia, Palacio, deportes, deportes Martin Carpena, Czech, Rights, Davis, Novak Djokovic's Serbia, Thomson Locations: Czech Republic, Malaga, Spain, Australia, Finland, Canada, United States, Friday's, Czech, De Minaur, Italy, Netherlands, Thursday's, Bengaluru

☆ Australian Open adds an extra day to stop matches going late into the night
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The Australian Open will add an extra day to its schedule next year in a bid to reduce pressure on players and fans following a series of punishing matches in recent years that ended well into the early hours. The Australian Open has a demanding schedule in the early rounds of the tournament; five matches are regularly played each day on the show courts – three during the day session and two at night. But organizers did not mention whether there would be a cutoff time for night matches. The lack of a time cap in tennis means matches last as long as it takes players to win. Three out of the four grand slams – the Australian Open, the French Open and the US Open – currently schedule night sessions, while Wimbledon ends evening sessions at 11 p.m. with unfinished matches resuming the following day.

Persons: Andy Murray, Thanasi Kokkinakis, Murray, fuming, “ We’ve, Craig Tiley, Kokkinakis, William West, Lleyton Hewitt, Marcos Baghdatis, Roger Federer, Janko Tipsarevic, John Isner, Nicolas Mahut Organizations: CNN, Getty, Wimbledon Locations: Melbourne, AFP, Europe, North America, French

☆ Finland stun US to reach Davis Cup quarters, Australia and Canada through
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"It means a lot for the whole country and for tennis in Finland. Dusan Lajovic crashed to a 6-3 6-2 defeat by Jakub Mensik to leave Serbia in a spot of bother in Valencia. They will be joined by Australia, after last year's runners-up secured a 3-0 win over Switzerland in Group B in Manchester. We knew that we still had to win this match," Ebden said after the duo scored a 6-2 6-4 win over Huesler and Stricker. Nicolas Jarry levelled the Group A tie in Bologna by beating Gabriel Diallo 6-4 6-4 before the deciding doubles rubber.

Persons: Pabellon Fuente, Serbia's Novak Djokovic, Nikola Cacic, Adam Pavlasek, Tomas Machac REUTERS, Pablo Morano, Otto Virtanen, outlasting Mackenzie McDonald, Emil Ruusuvuori, Tommy Paul, Ruusuvuori, Novak Djokovic, Dusan Lajovic, Jakub Mensik, Laslo Djere, Jiri Lehecka, I'm, Lehecka, Thanasi Kokkinakis, Dominic Stricker, Alex de Minaur, Marc, Andrea Huesler, Max Purcell, Matthew Ebden, Ebden, Alexis Galarneau, Chile's Alejandro Tabilo, Nicolas Jarry, Gabriel Diallo, Shrivathsa Sridhar Organizations: Czech, Finland, Davis, U.S, Australia, Switzerland, Thomson Locations: Serbia, Czech Republic, San Luis, Valencia, Spain, Croatia, United States, Canada, Australia, Finland, Split, It's, Malaga, Manchester, Bologna, Bengaluru

☆ Britain see off Australia, Spain and Italy lose in Davis Cup
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MANCHESTER, Sept 13 (Reuters) - Britain battled to victory over last year's Davis Cup runners-up Australia in their Finals group stage opener on Wednesday, while Spain and Italy both suffered chastening defeats at home in the premier men's team competition. "It's amazing to play my first Davis Cup tie in the UK in this sort of arena. In Valencia, the Czech Republic took an unassailable 2-0 lead over hosts Spain, who were missing Carlos Alcaraz after the world number two decided to pull out of the squad to recover following his U.S. Open semi-final defeat. Italy also endured a disappointing day in front of home fans in Bologna, as defending champions Canada secured a comfortable Group A victory in a re-match of last year's semi-final. Italy are without Jannik Sinner and Matteo Berrettini this week but still have three top-50 singles players in the squad.

Persons: year's, chastening, Jack Draper, Leon Smith's, Thanasi, Draper, Leon, Dan Evans, Alex de Minaur, Carlos Alcaraz, Tomas Machac, Bernabe Zapata Miralles, Jiri Lehecka, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Alexis Galarneau, Lorenzo Sonego, Gabriel Diallo, Lorenzo Musetti, Denis Shapovalov, Felix Auger, Milos Raonic, Matteo Berrettini, Mackenzie McDonald, Dino Prizmic, Gojo, Frances Tiafoe, Austin Krajicek, Rajeev Ram, Ivan Dodig, Pavic, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Toby Davis Organizations: MANCHESTER, Britain, Manchester, Davis, U.S, Serbia, Canada, Croatia, Thomson Locations: Australia, Spain, Italy, Britain, Valencia, Czech Republic, Malaga, Bologna, Canada, United States, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Holder Coric beats Korda in Cincinnati opener, Fritz outlasts Lehecka
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Aug 15, 2023; Mason, OH, USA; Taylor Fritz, of the United States, reacts to scoring a point against Jiri Lehecka, of Czech Republic, during the Western & Southern Open at Lindner Family Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Albert Cesare-USA TODAY Sports Acquire Licensing RightsAug 15 (Reuters) - Defending champion Borna Coric battled past American Sebastian Korda 7-6(5) 6-4 in the Cincinnati Open first round on Tuesday, as Taylor Fritz survived a first-set thriller to beat Czech Jiri Lehecka 7-6(14) 6-2. Korda, who has suffered a handful of early exits since reaching the Queen's Club semi-finals, appeared to have the edge as he converted a break point in the third game. Earlier on Tuesday, top American Fritz mustered all of his resources in an epic 30-point first set tiebreak with Lehecka. The momentum belonged to Fritz in the second set, though, when he never faced a break point and won all but one of his first-serve points.

Persons: Taylor Fritz, Jiri Lehecka, Albert Cesare, Borna Coric, Sebastian Korda, Czech Jiri Lehecka, Croatian Coric, Korda, Coric, Hubert Hurkacz, Fritz, Monte, Amy Tennery, Ken Ferris Organizations: & Southern, Lindner, Tennis Center, Cincinnati, Monte Carlo, Thomson Locations: Mason, OH, USA, United States, Czech Republic, Czech, Croatian, Toronto, Cincinnati, New York

☆ Nick Kyrgios: Australian tennis star pulls out of Wimbledon with wrist injury
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Nick Kyrgios has pulled out of Wimbledon on the eve of this year’s tournament after failing to recover from a wrist injury. “During my comeback, I experienced some pain in my wrist during the week of Mallorca. As a precaution I had it scanned and it came back showing a torn ligament in my wrist. Wimbledon responded to the news by wishing Kyrgios a “swift recovery.”“Hope to see you back on our courts next year,” the tournament tweeted. Novak Djokovic is once again favourite to win the men’s tournament where he can equal Roger Federer’s record of eight Wimbledon men’s titles.

Persons: Nick Kyrgios, “, Novak Djokovic, ”, Roland Garros, Belgium’s David Goffin, Thanasi Kokkinaki, Roger Federer’s Organizations: CNN, Wimbledon, Australian, French Locations: Wimbledon, Mallorca

☆ Thanasi Kokkinakis: Tennis star in heated exchange with umpire over a toilet break
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

During his third-round match at the French Open, Australian tennis player Thanasi Kokkinakis was left dumbfounded after seemingly being refused a toilet break by the umpire. After losing the second set, Kokkinakis – who had taken a toilet break after the first set – approached chair umpire Katarzyna Radwan-Cho. “F**king sh*t, we get two for a match,” he added, referencing the number of toilet breaks permitted in five setters. “You have to sprint, but the problem is on [court] Simonne-Mathieu the bathrooms just aren’t quite as close as they are on Chatrier and Lenglen. “You can see his frustration because he’s trying to get there as fast as possible, but it’s just physically not going to happen … but at least it didn’t happen on court.”

Persons: Thanasi Kokkinakis, Kokkinakis –, –, Katarzyna Radwan, Cho, ”, I’ve, ” Kokkinakis, Karen Khachanov, Laura Robson, Mathieu Organizations: CNN, Eurosport Locations: Australian, British

☆ Sabalenka powers into French Open fourth round, Khachanov survives
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Shrivathsa Sridhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS, June 2 (Reuters) - Aryna Sabalenka swatted aside Kamilla Rakhimova to remind her rivals of her French Open title credentials while Russian 11th seed Karen Khachanov also moved into the fourth round by stopping wildcard Thanasi Kokkinakis on Friday. Sabalenka, the big-serving world number two, beat Russian Rakhimova 6-2 6-2 on a sunbathed Court Philippe Chatrier to set up a clash with American Sloane Stephens or Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan in her quest for a second Grand Slam title. "So I have to do it with my legs, with the brain, and try to squeeze the maximum I can." Last year's semi-finalist Kasatkina will need to show her best form again in the next round where she can potentially meet former world number three Elina Svitolina. Novak Djokovic, who is seeking a 23rd Grand Slam title, is in action against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina while world number one Carlos Alcaraz will play Denis Shapovalov in the evening session.

Persons: Karen Khachanov, Kokkinakis, Sabalenka, Philippe Chatrier, Sloane Stephens, Yulia Putintseva, Khachanov, Jessica Pegula, Elise Mertens, Mertens, Daria Kasatkina, Peyton Stearns, Kasatkina, Elina Svitolina, Anna Blinkova, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Anastasia Potapova, Novak Djokovic, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Carlos Alcaraz, Denis Shapovalov, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Pritha Sarkar Organizations: Kokkinakis, Thomson Locations: Kazakhstan, Paris

☆ Tsitsipas, Alcaraz soar at French Open, Djokovic row simmers
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Shrivathsa Sridhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Unlike after his opening match on Monday, however, there was no message on the camera lens the Serbian signed and the 22-times Grand Slam champion looked to draw a line under the issue. Djokovic missed last year's Australian Open and was deported from the country due to being unvaccinated for COVID. He won the Melbourne title this year despite a row that erupted after his father posed with some fans holding Russian flags. "A drama-free Grand Slam, I don't think it can happen for me," Djokovic added. Anna Blinkova dashed French hopes with a stunning 4-6 6-3 7-5 victory over fifth seed Caroline Garcia, wrapping up victory on her ninth match point.

Persons: Roland Garros, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Spain's Roberto Carballes Baena, Benoit Tessier, Alcaraz, Djokovic, Garcia, Tsitsipas, Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Jiri Vesely, Roberto Carballes Baena, Japan's Taro Daniel, Denis Shapovalov, Ismet Krasniqi, Amelie Oudea, Castera, Elina Svitolina, Australian Storm Hunter, Svitolina, Sabalenka, Iryna Shymanovich, Marta Kostyuk, I've, Jelena Ostapenko, Peyton Stearns, Barbora, Lesia Tsurenko, Swiatek, Suzanne Lenglen, Jessica Pegula, Camila Giorgi, Anna Blinkova, Caroline Garcia, Kokkinakis, Stan Wawrinka, Andrey Rublev, Corentin, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Toby Davis, Ed Osmond Organizations: Spain's Roberto Carballes Baena REUTERS, Tennis Federation, Serbian, Marton, COVID, Melbourne, Kosovo Olympic, International Olympic Committee, Kosovo's Olympic, International Tennis Federation, Australian Storm, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, Kosovo, PARIS, Serbia, Marton Fucsovics, Serbian, Ukrainian, Ukraine

She added the Ukrainian did not deserve to leave the main showcourt in the manner she did, but Kostyuk urged Sabalenka to take a stronger, more personal stand against the war. "She (Sabalenka) never says that she personally doesn't support this war, and I feel like journalists should change the questions you ask these athletes because the war is already there," Kostyuk said. Fifth seed Tsitsipas was made to work hard by Vesely, who is on the comeback trail following a lengthy injury absence, before winning 7-5 6-3 4-6 7-6(7). With temperatures at 22 degrees and expected to reach 26 in the afternoon, the water vending stands were busy. Serbian Djokovic is bidding for his third French Open title.

☆ 2 ex-investment bankers decided to get their hands dirty in the construction industry. Here's how they took an unusual approach to launching their startup and went on to raise $3.1 million.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( April Joyner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Construction-tech startup Suppli has raised $3.1 million in seed funding led by Equal Ventures. But his new startup, Suppli, is also at the forefront of a hot investment trend this year. Suppli, which makes credit-management tools for companies that sell and procure construction materials, has raised a $3.1 million seed round led by Equal Ventures. Having that customer list turned out to be critical a year later as they raised their seed round, Ayers said, given the shift to caution among investors. That's the same opportunity Skafidas and Ayers saw when they decided to take the plunge into entrepreneurship.

☆ Djokovic backs up Murray's concerns over 'gruelling' schedule
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

When asked for his opinion on Murray's comments, nine-times champion Djokovic told reporters: "I think that players' input is always important for tournament organisation. "I would agree with his (Murray's) points... For the crowd, it's entertaining, it's exciting, to have matches (end at) midnight, 1, 2, 3 am. "Even if you go through and win, prevail in these kind of matches, you still have to come back. Yeah, something needs to be addressed I guess in terms of the schedule after what we've seen this year." Djokovic next faces Australian Alex de Minaur in the fourth round on Monday.

☆ Marathon man Murray runs out of steam against Bautista Agut
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Ian Ransom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Between points against Bautista Agut he shuffled around the baseline like a frail senior citizen but when the ball was in play he threw himself around the court to give the Spaniard a proper scare. My legs were actually OK ... but I was struggling with my lower back," Murray told reporters. With the crowd firmly in his corner, Murray broke Bautista Agut in the first game of the fourth set to raise hopes of levelling the match but he ended up squandering a 2-0 lead before dropping serve in the ninth game. METAL HIPBautista Agut knocked Murray out in the opening round of the tournament four years ago, after the tearful Scot said his hip was shot and his career might be over. "It's more enjoyable for me when I'm playing like that, when I'm coming into a major event and really believing that I can do some damage."

☆ Hamstrung Djokovic, exhausted Murray look to soldier on at Australian Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Rohith Nair | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The injury has clearly taken its toll on the 35-year-old Serbian, who dropped a set in the second round. "My situation with my injury is not ideal," said Djokovic, who took a medical timeout during his four-set win over French qualifier Enzo Couacaud. So I'm going to keep going. I'm going to try to play and compete with, of course, a great player Dimitrov." But one player who has defied belief in advancing to the third round is three-times Grand Slam champion Andy Murray.

☆ Sinner completes epic comeback, Krejcikova wins easy at Australian Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Shrivathsa Sridhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

He went on to blank his opponent to draw huge cheers from the crowd on Margaret Court Arena, which had witnessed an epic comeback from Andy Murray only hours earlier. The former world number one was not happy to end his match at 4.05 am on Friday, describing the late finish as a "joke" and "disrespectful." "We'll always look at it, when we do the (tournament) debrief -- like we do every year. Two all-American matches are also scheduled for Saturday, meaning that a total of six American men can advance -- which would be the highest number to reach the last 16 at the Australian Open since 1995. Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Melbourne; Editing by Simon Cameron-MooreOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Murray grinds down Kokkinakis in late-night epic
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Murray, back with coach Ivan Lendl who guided him to his Grand Slam titles and to world number one in 2016, has not gone past the third round of a Grand Slam since 2017 when his hip condition first surfaced. Kokkinakis tightened with the finishing line in sight and the venom gradually went out of his shots as Murray threw caution to the wind and locked on to his target. Relentlessly Murray ground his way back into the contest to set up a deciding fifth set, sealing the fourth set with a second-serve ace. There was pandemonium when he saved four break points at 3-3 and Kokkinakis was within two points of victory when Murray served at 4-5 in the decider. "Thanks for staying, but now I think we should all get off to bed," Murray said.

☆ Exhausted Murray has energy to blast officials after late night finish
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Murray said he respected the rules but criticized having to play until 3 or 4 a.m. "and you're not allowed to go and take a piss." You know it as well.”"It’s disrespectful to you, disrespectful to the ball children, disrespectful to the players and we are not allowed to go to the toilet. "For starters, it was insane that matches at that level are played 4 to 4:30 a.m. in the morning." Most elite sports do not hold their biggest events into the wee hours of the morning after most fans have gone to bed. Reporting by Steve Keating in Toronto; Editing by Josie KaoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Nadal's exit opens up Grand Slam window of opportunity for Djokovic
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Hritika Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Nadal's injury-plagued defeat in the second round will be another boost for Djokovic, who can grab a record-extending 10th crown as well as the world number one ranking with a title run in Melbourne. "They're just numbers at the end of the day," Djokovic said when asked about the targets in his sights. The 35-year-old's tournament preparation was limited due to a left hamstring injury sustained during his title run in Adelaide, and he conceded he had some concerns before his opening round win. "The great sign was that the longer the match went, the better I felt, the better I moved. "She did great in the slams in the past, and she's very young player, very talented lefty," Garcia said.

☆ Local hope Kyrgios pulls out of Australian Open with knee injury
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MELBOURNE, Jan 16 (Reuters) - Nick Kyrgios's hopes of ending his country's 47-year wait for a homegrown men's champion at the Australian Open were shattered on the opening day when he pulled out of the tournament with a knee injury on Monday. "Obviously, I'm extremely disappointed, this is one of the most important tournaments of my career, it hasn't been easy at all," Kyrgios told reporters at Melbourne Park. The withdrawal also means Kyrgios and Kokkinakis - dubbed the 'Special Ks' - will not be able to defend the men's doubles title they won at Melbourne Park last year. Maher said he thought Kyrgios would be over the injury in time to play at the Masters tournament at Indian Wells in California in early March. "I'm not doubting that I'll be back to my full strength and will be back," Kyrgios added.

☆ ATP roundup: Jenson Brooksby rallies in Auckland
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

January 9 - Jenson Brooksby dropped a set but charged back to beat Italian Fabio Fognini 6-7 (2), 6-1, 6-3 in the first round of the ASB Classic on Monday in Auckland, New Zealand. Brooksby led the first set 5-3 before Fognini rallied to force a tiebreak. Fognini won six straight points to take that set, but from there it was all Brooksby, who finished the match with six aces and saved six of eight break points while converting six of 14. 5 seed Daniel Evans of Great Britain 7-5, 7-5 in the first round in Australia. Sixth seed Miomir Kecmanovic of Serbia, seventh seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain and Great Britain's Jack Draper also won Monday.

☆ Tennis roundup: Novak Djokovic advances in Adelaide
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

January 5 - Top seed Novak Djokovic fended off an upset bid from World No. 64 Quentin Halys to win 7-6 (3) 7-6 (5) on Thursday at the Adelaide International 1 in Adelaide, Australia. 6 seed, Jannik Sinner of Italy, who posted a 7-6 (2), 6-4 win over home-country favorite Thanasi Kokkinakis. Sinner will meet American Sebastian Korda, who ousted Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut 6-4, 6-4. ASB ClassicTop seed Coco Gauff ousted fellow American Sofia Kenin 6-4, 6-4 to advance to the quarterfinals in Auckland, New Zealand.

Search resuls for: "Thanasi"

22 mentions found