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☆ Nadal launches title defence as Australian Open ushers in new era
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( Ian Ransom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MELBOURNE, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Rafa Nadal will kick off his Australian Open title defence on Monday with a first round test against rising Briton Jack Draper as a new era begins on the blue hardcourts of Melbourne Park. The top seed has had only one win since September's U.S. Open and admitted his title defence was vulnerable to an early shock after two straight defeats in the lead-up. The reigning French and U.S. Open champion opens her campaign against Jule Niemeier in the first evening match at Rod Laver Arena, the German who gave Swiatek a huge scare in the U.S. Open fourth round. With American tennis looking for a new champion in the post-Serena era, Coco Gauff will open the day session at Rod Laver Arena against Czech Katerina Siniakova. Medvedev, the men's seventh seed, will return to the scene of last year's final heartbreak when he faces unseeded American Marcos Giron in the late match at Rod Laver Arena.

☆ Kyrgios braces for pressure as home favourite at Australian Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Ian Ransom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MELBOURNE, Jan 14 (Reuters) - With Ash Barty enjoying a comfortable retirement, Nick Kyrgios will be far and away the top drawcard for home fans at the Australian Open, feeling both privilege and pressure to meet expectations after his best season in 2022. "I walked in here at the Australian Open maybe eight, nine years ago as a wild card. 'How are you feeling about Australian Open? Though having not completed a tour match since October, Kyrgios has still managed to hog the limelight in the leadup to Melbourne Park. But the pair have become much closer since Kyrgios defended Djokovic during his deportation ordeal in the run-up to last year's Australian Open.

☆ Swiatek the favourite as Melbourne Park set for new champion
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MELBOURNE, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Iga Swiatek is the strong favourite to land her fourth Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, but the picture is considerably less clear if the world number one fails to live up to her top seeding. DIFFERENT PROPOSITIONSwiatek was thrashed 6-4 6-1 by Danielle Collins at Melbourne Park last year in her first hardcourt Grand Slam semi-final, and the American looms this year in the last 16 if the seedings hold. Charismatic American teenager Coco Gauff would be a popular champion, not least in the Australian Open marketing department. Last year's French Open finalist is in form, having opened the season with the title at the Auckland Open. Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina's big serve gives her a chance of a second Grand Slam title, while world number four Caroline Garcia is enjoying a late-career renaissance and won the WTA Finals on hardcourt last year.

☆ Djokovic faces Carballes Baena, Swiatek meets Niemeier at Australian Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Shrivathsa Sridhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Second seed Casper Ruud - twice a runner-up on the Grand Slam stage last year - plays Tomas Machac. A pre-tournament practice match between Nick Kyrgios and Djokovic saw tickets sold out in 58 minutes and the pair could potentially meet in a blockbuster quarter-final. Five-times runner-up Andy Murray plays Matteo Berrettini while fifth seed Andrey Rublev meets wildcard Dominic Thiem in other first-round matches. The Polish player could face seventh seed Coco Gauff in the quarter-finals and third seed Jessica Pegula in the semi-finals. Women's world number two Ons Jabeur will begin her latest attempt to become the first Arab player to claim a Grand Slam singles title when she plays Tamara Zidansek.

☆ 'One of the best', Kyrgios ready for tilt at Australian Open title
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Nick Mulvenney | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Tennis great and compatriot Rod Laver said after the U.S. Open that only self-belief was preventing Kyrgios from joining the Grand Slam winners' club. "I'm definitely going to go into any tournament, the Australian Open, with confidence, and I think I've proven I can go deep at a Grand Slam. 47-YEAR DROUGHTHis best run at his home major was seven years ago when he reached the quarter-finals, with fourth-round appearances in 2018 and 2020 his other ventures into the second week of the Australian Open. Ash Barty last year rode a tidal wave of support to end the long wait for a homegrown singles champion at the Australian Open - a drought that stands at 47 years for the men's title. Unlike the now-retired three-times Grand Slam champion, Kyrgios has not always been popular with all of his compatriots as a result of his frequent clashes with officialdom and fans.

☆ Noskova stuns Jabeur in Adelaide to set up Sabalenka showdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Tennis - Adelaide International - Memorial Drive Tennis Club, Adelaide, Australia - January 7, 2023 Czech Republic's Linda Noskova in action during her semi final match against Tunisia's Ons Jabeur REUTERS/Loren ElliottJan 7 (Reuters) - Qualifier Linda Noskova continued her giant-killing run at the Adelaide International 1 on Saturday, as the 18-year-old toppled ailing world number two Ons Jabeur 6-3 1-6 6-3 to set up a final against second seed Aryna Sabalenka. She returned rejuvenated to grab the second set dropping only one game, but found herself a break down at 1-3 in the decider and Noskova held her nerve to grab the victory. "I'm happy with the level I played today, especially with her different game," Sabalenka said of Begu. The American will meet 2016 Junior Roland Garros singles champion Rebeka Masarova of Spain, who downed fellow qualifier Ysaline Bonaventure of Belgium 6-3 6-3. Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru Editing by Christian RadnedgeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Barty to mentor local wildcard Gadecki at Australian Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 4 (Reuters) - Retired Australian Open champion Ash Barty is returning to Melbourne Park for this year's event to mentor local hope Olivia Gadecki, who received a wildcard for the season's first Grand Slam. Former world number one Barty called time on her career last March, shortly after ending her country's 44-year wait for a home champion at the Australian Open. World number 202 Gadecki said at the United Cup in Sydney that Barty would be in her camp at Melbourne Park for the Jan. 16-29 tournament. The 20-year-old will begin her Australian Open preparations at next week's Hobart International. Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter RutherfordOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Mental health not helped by tough tour demands, says Federer
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 19 (Reuters) - The demanding schedule on the ATP and WTA circuits can have a negative impact on the mental health of players, tennis great Roger Federer said on Saturday. But we're not machines, we’re human beings," Federer said at a press conference in Tokyo. “When players retire at a super young age, I totally understand it. Nobody is allowed to say, 'I'm tired today,' because it looks like you're weak, and that's why players sometimes end up with mental problems." Federer added that the strict doping regime also puts pressure on players, who have to inform relevant authorities about their whereabouts on a daily basis.

☆ Swiatek poised for picture-perfect finish to 2022 at WTA Finals
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 29 (Reuters) - World number one Iga Swiatek is the hot favourite when the season-ending WTA Finals kick off on Monday in Fort Worth, Texas, as she looks to put the cherry on top of a blockbuster 2022. The 21-year-old Pole collected her second Roland Garros title and won four WTA 1000 tournaments amid a staggering 37-match unbeaten streak before hoisting the trophy at the U.S. Open this year. Tunisian fan favourite Ons Jabeur will feature for the first time with revenge on the agenda after losing in back-to-back Grand Slam finals, most recently in Flushing Meadows against Swiatek. Like Sakkari, U.S. Open semi-finalists Caroline Garcia and Aryna Sabalenka will also be making their second appearances at the finals, which are played in a round-robin format. The WTA Finals run from Oct. 31 through Nov. 7.

Oct 16 (Reuters) - World number one Iga Swiatek collected her eighth title of the year with a 6-3 3-6 6-0 win over Croatia's Donna Vekic in the San Diego Open final on Sunday. "I wanted to go all in," Swiatek said of her approach going into the deciding set of the new WTA 500 event. Another backhand error handed Swiatek the first set, prompting Vekic to throw her racket to the court in frustration. However, Vekic refused to go down without a fight and leveled the match on the strength of her powerful serve and groundstrokes. Swiatek, who rose to world number one in April following Ash Barty's retirement, is now 64-8 on the season.

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