Top related persons:
Top related locs:
Top related orgs:

Search resuls for: "Azarenka"


25 mentions found


Welcome to the Wimbledon briefing, where The Athletic will explain the stories behind the stories on each day of the tournament. For world No 2 Coco Gauff, the draw at this year’s Wimbledon has been more than kind: It’s been positively loving. There are no Wimbledon champions in this half of the draw, but there is still a four-time slam winner. (Glyn Kirk / AFP via Getty Images)Can Frances Tiafoe make this the first day of the rest of his tennis life? Tiafoe came back from two sets down for the first time in his career, winning 6-7(5), 2-6, 6-1, 6-3, 6-3.
Persons: Casper Ruud, Aryna Sabalenka, Frances Tiafoe, Casper Ruud’s, Ruud, Alexander Zverev, Alex Bolt, Henry Nicholls, I’m, , Swiatek, you’ve, Coco Gauff, Victoria, Zheng, Lulu Sun, Mirra, , Brenda Fruhvirtova, Jasmine Paolini, Maria Sakkari, Gauff, Caroline Dolehide, Naomi Osaka, Diane Parry, Glyn Kirk, Tiafoe, Mateo Arnaldi, ” Tiafoe, He’s, Roland Garros, craves, Borna Coric, — Carlos Alcaraz, Ben Stansall, Erika Andreeva, Britain’s Sonay Kartal, Aryna, Linda, Erika, Donna Vekic, rika, ade, ound, hird, Ber, G, 🇦🇷 18 S. Baez, 🇿 J., Kor, Borge, Dan, 🇪 E., Diaz, Hurkacz 🇲🇩 R, 🇸 J., . Ju, Kar, J, Fearnley, 🇹 1, Nakashima 🇦 🇺 J., F. J, 🇷 P., eva 🇩🇪, 🇦, A. Pot, Colli, 🇸, . Wozniacki, Bro, Fer, U vardy, Tomova 🇺 🇸, 🇴, K, 🇿 K., Yastrems, 🇷, Wang, 🇹, Danilo, eva, 🇯, Nava Organizations: Wimbledon, London, Getty, Tennis, Victoria Azarenka, U.S, 🇬, Monfils, ritz, emi, eni, Sta Locations: Wimbledon, Halle, Germany, Queen’s, London, Norway, Swiatek’s, Italy, AFP, Roehampton, Russian, Croatia, novi, Bou, Ste
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
Losing the U.S. Open final last September gave her the extra motivation. In the semifinals, she avenged her U.S. Open final loss to No. “For the second time, it’s just such a relief.”Only two things slowed down Sabalenka's progress Saturday to her second Grand Slam singles title. In the third game of the second set, with Zheng serving, the match was interrupted after an activist started yelling out. Then, when she was serving for the match, Sabalenka had three championship points at 40-0 but missed two with unforced forehands errors and another with Zheng's clever drop shot.
Persons: Sabalenka, Zheng Qinwen, Elena Rybakina, , it’s, don’t, Zheng, Coco Gauff, Barbora Krejcikova, Amanda Anisimova, “ I’m, ” Sabalenka, , Serena Williams, Jason Stacy, Stacy, Li Na, ” Zheng Organizations: , U.S, U.S ., Victoria Azarenka Locations: MELBOURNE, Australia, Melbourne, New York
CNN —Aryna Sabalenka successfully defended her Australian Open women’s title on Saturday, dismantling China’s Zheng Qinwen 6-3 6-2 in the final in Melbourne and completing a dominant tournament in which she did not drop a single set. And she clinched her second grand slam title in similar fashion, becoming the first woman to win two consecutive Australian Open titles since her compatriot Victoria Azarenka achieved the feat more in 2012-13. China's Zheng Qinwen hits a return against Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka during the women's Australian Open final. Aryna Sabalenka serves against Zheng Qinwen in the final. And by sealing victory with such a dominant display, she became the first woman since Serena Williams in 2007 to win the Australian Open final without dropping a single service game.
Persons: Aryna Sabalenka, Zheng Qinwen, Victoria Azarenka, “ It’s, , I’m, Zheng, China's Zheng Qinwen, Lillian Suwanrumpha, Sabalenka, David Gray, Serena Williams Organizations: CNN, Belarus, Getty Locations: Melbourne, Belarusian, AFP, Zheng’s
CNN —Iga Świątek’s bid for a fifth grand slam title came to a shock end on Saturday as she was defeated by 19-year-old Czech star Linda Nosková in the third round at the Australian Open. Poland’s Świątek looked in control of the third-round contest when it was on serve at 4-3 in the second set, but Nosková, ranked No. Her victory also means that there is only one former grand slam champion in the top half of the women’s draw at this year’s tournament, Belarus’ Victoria Azarenka. After starting the year with a run to the semifinals of the Brisbane International, Nosková defeated compatriot Marie Bouzková and American McCartney Kessler in the first two rounds at Melbourne Park. Against Świątek, she hit 10 aces, including a crucial one in the final game of the match, and 35 winners.
Persons: Iga, Linda Nosková, Rod Laver, Poland’s Świątek, Nosková, Opta, Amélie Mauresmo, Lindsay Davenport, “ I’m, ” Nosková, , I’m, Cameron Spencer, Elina Svitolina, Golubic, Belarus ’ Victoria Azarenka, Marie Bouzková, McCartney Kessler, Organizations: CNN, Nosková, Australian, Belarus ’ Victoria, Brisbane International, Melbourne Locations: Czech, Belarus
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Ukrainian qualifier Dayana Yastremska equaled her best Grand Slam performance as she beat 27th-ranked Emma Navarro 6-2, 2-6, 6-1 to reach the fourth round at the Australian Open on Saturday. 93, Yastremska clinched victory after one hour, 46 minutes to set up a meeting with either 11th-ranked Jelena Ostapenko or two-time former champion Victoria Azarenka. Yastremska had lost in the first round in her past seven Grand Slam appearances. “I told myself just don’t be too focused on your neck in the third set because it really takes my attention away. 2 Carlos Alcaraz plays Shang Juncheng of China in the afternoon session while women’s No.
Persons: Dayana Yastremska, Emma Navarro, Yastremska, Jelena Ostapenko, Victoria, , , Carlos Alcaraz, Shang Juncheng, women’s, Iga Swiatek, Linda Noskova Organizations: Victoria Azarenka, Wimbledon Locations: MELBOURNE, Australia, China
For those Ukrainian players competing at the Australian Open in Melbourne, it’s a gesture that has more meaning than ever. I think it’s important to remember about it and do everything.”Kostyuk said journalists need to keep the news alive. “They want the drama, they wanted news, they wanted all this heating between players and everything,” she said. I still don’t understand what all these (Russian and Belarusian) players are doing here.”When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the plight of Ukrainian players was uppermost in everyone’s minds, with Wimbledon banning Russian and Belarusian players from competing that year and numerous fund-raising events held around the tennis world. Since the war began, Ukrainian players have made a point of not shaking the hands of Russians and Belarusians, sometimes to the confusion of crowds, who have blamed the loser.
Persons: Lesia Tsurenko, Aryna Sabalenka, Tsurenko, Marta Kostyuk, Elina Avanesyan, Dayana Yastremska, ” Kostyuk, , , Victoria Azarenka, Elina Svitolina, it’s, Yastremska, Svitolina, Varvara Gracheva Organizations: Wimbledon, ATP, WTA Tours, U.S, Melbourne Locations: MELBOURNE, Australia, Belarusian, Melbourne, Belarus, , Ukraine, Sabalenka, Russia, Brisbane, Yastremska
First of all, there's no such thing as a “game clock” in tennis, in general, and no such thing as “too late” at the Australian Open and U.S. Open, in particular. … I haven’t been able to sit through one,” two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka said. The women's and men's professional tours announced just before the start of the Australian Open that they're instituting new rules this month to try to cut back on play after midnight. One problem: Those rules apply only to events run by the WTA and ATP — not Grand Slam tournaments. WHEN DOES MEDVEDEV PLAY NEXT?
Persons: Daniil Medvedev's, Rod Laver, Zero, Medvedev, , let’s, Emil Ruusuvuori, That's, , John Isner, Isner, — Medvedev, Ruusuvuori, Anna Blinkova's, Elena Rybakina —, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, ” Djokovic, Lleyton Hewitt, Marcos Baghdatis —, Carlos Alcaraz, haven’t, Victoria Azarenka, “ It’s, Andy Murray, ” Murray, you’re, Coco Gauff, Felix Auger, ” Medvedev, John Pye, ___ Howard Fendrich, howard, fendrich Organizations: Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Park, Wimbledon, Australian, England, U.S ., U.S, WTA, ATP, Tennis Australia, NEXT Locations: Melbourne, New York, Australia
Djokovic, Norrie and Fruhvirtova were not prepared to blame the ever-changing types of tennis balls used year-round at the sport's highest levels, but they weren't necessarily ready to absolve that issue completely, either. He said when the ATP asks male players at the end of each season what they think can be improved about the sport, he always mentions the fluctuations among the fuzzy tennis balls. Ten brands of tennis balls — and 19 distinct types — were used across the WTA in 2023. "It does change week by week." One significant difference between tennis and some other sports is that surfaces change, prompting ball changes.
Persons: Novak, Cam Norrie, Brenda Fruhvirtova, Norrie, Fruhvirtova, , Milos Raonic, Taylor Fritz, didn’t, I’ve, ” Fritz, “ It’s, It’s, it’s, Katie Boulter, Carlos Alcaraz, Fritz, Alcaraz, Victoria Azarenka, ” Azarenka, AP Sports Writers John Pye, Andrew Dampf, ___ Organizations: Australian, Melbourne Park, WTA, ATP, , Wimbledon, NHL, Major League Baseball, FIFA, U.S ., U.S, Victoria, AP Sports Writers Locations: California, Melbourne, British, Australia, Turin, Italy
Sabalenka, Rybakina to open new season in Brisbane
  + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com   time to read: +1 min
[1/2] Tennis - WTA Finals - Cancun, Mexico - November 5, 2023 Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka in action during her semi final match against Poland's Iga Swiatek REUTERS/Henry Romero Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Nov 28 (Reuters) - World number two Aryna Sabalenka and number four Elena Rybakina will open their 2024 seasons at the Brisbane International warm-up for the Australian Open, organisers said on Tuesday. The 25-year-old will join her fellow Belarusian and twice Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka in the 48-player Brisbane field as she prepares for her first Grand Slam title defence at Melbourne Park. "Australia holds a special place in my heart after winning my first Grand Slam there," Sabalenka said in a news release. "I can't wait to make my debut at the Brisbane International and play in front of the Queensland tennis fans." Russian-born Kazakh Rybakina, the Wimbledon champion in 2022, lost to Sabalenka in this year's Melbourne final.
Persons: Poland's Iga Swiatek, Henry Romero, Elena Rybakina, Naomi Osaka, Sabalenka, Nick Mulvenney, Peter Rutherford Organizations: Poland's Iga Swiatek REUTERS, Rights, Brisbane International, WTA, United, Victoria Azarenka, Brisbane, Melbourne, Queensland tennis, Wimbledon, Thomson Locations: Cancun, Mexico, Belarus, Perth, Sydney, Russia, Ukraine, Australia, Kazakh
WTA roundup: Jelena Ostapenko upset in Seoul
  + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com   time to read: +2 min
Wild card Dayeon Back, down 5-2 in the third set, rallied to beat second-seeded Jelena Ostapenko 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (4) in two hours, 13 minutes to advance. It was the first time two South Koreans won their opening matches in Seoul since 2013. 569, was able to force Ostapenko into long rallies, and the mistakes piled up for Ostapenko. In other first-round action, Liudmila Samsonova of Russia, fresh off her finals appearance in the China Open, continued her strong play with a 6-3, 6-3 defeat of Germany's Tatjana Maria. Another Russian, Kamilla Rakhimova, beat eighth seed Varvara Gracheva of France 6-3, 6-2, and Czech Linda Fruhvirtova topped seventh-seeded Peyton Stearns in three sets.
Persons: Jelena Ostapenko, Russia's Liudmila Samsonova, Florence, Jeong Jang, Sofia Kenin, Jang, Kenin, Jessica Pegula, Viktoria, Marie Bouzkova, Vera Zvonareva, Veronika Kudermetova, Zvonareva, Germany's Tatjana Maria, Daria Kasatkina of, Petra Martic, Laura Siegemund, Zhuoxuan Bai, Canadian Leylah Fernandez, Victoria, Fernandez, Anna Blinkova, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Martina Trevisan, Kamilla, Varvara Gracheva, Czech Linda Fruhvirtova, Peyton Stearns Organizations: National Tennis Center, Hana Bank, South Koreans, Ostapenko, Viktoria Hruncakova, WTA, China . Hong Kong, Victoria Azarenka, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Hana Bank Korea, Seoul, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Zhengzhou, Russia, Daria Kasatkina of Russia, Croatia, Germany, China . Hong, Canadian, Italy, France, Czech
"I'm very happy, very proud of myself," said Kenin, who is bidding to make her first WTA 1000 final. In the semi-finals, Kenin will take on American world number 111 Caroline Dolehide who saved four matchpoints to beat Martina Trevisan 3-6 7-6(9) 6-3. "To be honest, I had to find a way today to win," Dolehide said after reaching her first Tour-level semi-final. "I just played with my kick, played with my best shots and I ended up winning that set. The Frenchwoman meets second seed and last year's runner-up Maria Sakkari, who eased past Emiliana Arango 6-3 6-4.
Persons: Sofia Kenin, Canada's Leylah Fernandez, Henry Romero, Leylah Fernandez, Kenin, I've, Caroline Dolehide, Martina Trevisan, Dolehide, Caroline Garcia, Garcia, Maria Sakkari, Emiliana Arango, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Stephen Coates Organizations: Panamerican Tennis Center, Canada's Leylah Fernandez REUTERS, Rights, San Diego Open, Victoria Azarenka, Thomson Locations: Guadalajara, Mexico, Rights GUADALAJARA, Melbourne, Bengaluru
WTA roundup: Greet Minnen, Yulia Putintseva advance in China
  + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com   time to read: +2 min
The unseeded Putintseva eliminated third seed Tatjana Maria of Germany 6-4, 6-7 (6), 6-0. Putintseva converted six of 12 break points and saved nine of 11, overcoming Maria's 6-1 edge in aces. Minnen, the seventh seed, ousted fourth seed Lucia Bronzetti of Italy 6-7 (8), 6-4, 6-1. Top seed Magda Linette of Poland avoided the upset in defeating fifth seed Rebeka Masarova of Spain 7-5, 7-6 (6). In the semifinals, Dolehide will face countrywoman Sofia Kenin, who was a 6-4, 6-7 (6), 6-1 winner over Canada's Leylah Fernandez on Thursday.
Persons: Belgium's, Minnen, Venus Williams, Shannon Stapleton, Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva, Putintseva, Tatjana Maria, Lucia Bronzetti, Magda Linette, Rebeka, China's Xiyu Wang, Wang, Linette, Caroline Dolehide, Martina Trevisan, Dolehide, Trevisan, countrywoman Sofia Kenin, Canada's Leylah Fernandez, Maria Sakkari, Colombia's Emiliana Arango, Caroline Garcia of Organizations: Tennis, U.S, REUTERS, Guangzhou, Slovakian Viktoria Hruncakova, Guadalajara Open Akron, Caroline Garcia of France, Victoria Azarenka, Thomson Locations: Flushing Meadows , New York, United States, China, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Putintseva, Guadalajara, Mexico
WTA roundup: Russian teen wins opener at Guangzhou
  + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com   time to read: +2 min
Shnaider won six straight games in the first set and came back from a 2-0 hole in the second set to win in 75 minutes. Denmark's Clara Tauson eliminated Fruhvirtova 6-2, 7-6 (6). In other second-round matches, Martina Trevisan upset 15th-seeded Jasmine Paolini 7-5, 6-2 in an all-Italian matchup, and seventh-seeded Veronika Kudermetova of Russia downed Canada's Eugenie Bouchard 6-2, 6-7 (4), 6-4. Colombia's Emiliana Arango knocked out 11th-seeded Russian Anastasia Potapova 6-4, 6-3, and Italy's Camila Giorgi defeated Egypt's Mayar Sherif, the No. 14 seed, 7-5, 6-3.
Persons: Maria Sakkari, Russia's Diana Shnaider, Carl Recine, Diana Shnaider, Claire Liu, Shnaider, Liu's, Linda Fruhvirtova, Denmark's Clara Tauson, Magda Linette, Jodie Burrage, Minnen, Harriet Dart of, Akron Hailey, Karolina Pliskova, Baptiste, Pliskova, Martina Trevisan, Jasmine Paolini, Veronika Kudermetova, Canada's Eugenie Bouchard, Victoria, Caroline Dolehide, Emma Navarro, Sofia Kenin, Sachia Vickery, Colombia's Emiliana Arango, Anastasia Potapova, Italy's Camila Giorgi, Egypt's Mayar Sherif Organizations: Melbourne, Guangzhou, Harriet Dart of Great Britain, Guadalajara, Akron, D.C, WTA, Victoria Azarenka, Thomson Locations: Melbourne, Australia, China, Czech Republic, Poland, Britain, Spain, Belgium, Harriet Dart of Great, Akron Hailey Baptiste, Washington, Guadalajara, Mexico, Russia, Belarus, United States
NEW YORK (AP) — Alexander Zverev felt he had to react when he heard a fan use language from Adolf Hitler's Nazi regime during his U.S. Open match. That made the ejection of the Zverev fan — who was not arrested — an easy decision. Less clear is a situation like the Djokovic fan, whose behavior is normal at a basketball or football game, where spectators don't hold their applause until play has stopped. “Again, if the rule one day is going to change, I’m not going to argue against this anymore, because that’s the rule,” Medvedev said. It’s the rule.”Tiafoe advocates tennis encouraging fans to cheer and move around freely, like team sports.
Persons: — Alexander Zverev, Adolf Hitler's Nazi, Zverev, , ” Zverev, Novak Djokovic's, Taylor Fritz, Djokovic, ” Djokovic, You’ve, , Arthur Ashe, Victoria Azarenka, ” Frances Tiafoe, It's, Daniil Medvedev, Laura Siegemund, Coco Gauff, Medvedev, I’m, ” Medvedev, Azarenka Organizations: U.S, U.S ., Labor, Azarenka Locations: Miami, South,
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
Wozniacki shifts focus to U.S. Open after early Cincinnati exit
  + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com   time to read: +2 min
"I still have about 10 days to prepare for the U.S. Open. There is quite a few things that I feel like I need to do better," Wozniacki told reporters. Wozniacki, citing her desire to start a family with her husband, former NBA player David Lee, retired from tennis after the 2020 Australian Open. Despite only having three competitive matches since her return, Wozniacki feels she has what it takes to eventually meet the expectations for her to make a splash. Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Ken FerrisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Persons: Caroline Wozniacki's, Wozniacki, Varvara Gracheva, Marketa, Gracheva, Elina Svitolina, David Lee, Dane, Olivia, James, Serena Williams, Kim Clijsters, Victoria Azarenka, Frank Pingue, Ken Ferris Organizations: U.S ., Cincinnati, Canadian, Wimbledon, Montreal, NBA, U.S, Thomson Locations: France, Cincinnati, Toronto
[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
[1/3] Aug 8, 2023; Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) hits a forehand against Kimberly Birrell (AUS) (not pictured) during first round play at IGA Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY SportsAug 8 (Reuters) - Caroline Wozniacki, in her first competitive match after more than three years away to start a family, cruised by Australian qualifier Kimberly Birrell 6-2 6-2 in Montreal on Tuesday to reach the second round of the Canadian Open. Wozniacki, citing her desire to start a family with her husband, former NBA player David Lee, retired from tennis after the 2020 Australian Open. Wozniacki, the 2018 Australian Open champion, has also been given wild cards to compete in next week's Cincinnati Open and the Aug. 28-Sept. 10 U.S. Open. Also advancing to the second round in Montreal were Danielle Collins, a 6-2 6-2 winner over Ukraine's Elina Svitolina, 10th-seed Daria Kasatkina and 15th-seed Liudmila Samsonova.
Persons: Caroline Wozniacki, Kimberly Birrell, Eric Bolte, " Wozniacki, I'm, Wozniacki, Neil Diamond's, Caroline, Birrell, Vondrousova, Sherif, David Lee, Olivia, James, Dane, Serena Williams, Kim Clijsters, Victoria Azarenka, Danielle Collins, Ukraine's Elina Svitolina, Daria Kasatkina, Frank Pingue, Clare Fallon Organizations: IGA, Australian, Canadian, Wimbledon, NBA, Cincinnati, Samsonova, Thomson Locations: Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Danish, Australian, Egypt, Toronto
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
Svitolina, Andreescu get Washington Open wild cards
  + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com   time to read: +1 min
[1/2] Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - May 30, 2023 Canada's Bianca Andreescu in action during her first round match against Belarus' Victoria Azarenka REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach/File PhotoJuly 26 (Reuters) - Former Ukrainian world number three Elina Svitolina and 2019 U.S. Open champion Bianca Andreescu have been handed wildcards to compete in the Washington Open later this month, the organisers said on Wednesday. The 28-year-old Svitolina, ranked 27th, reached the semi-finals of Wimbledon earlier this month just nine months after giving birth to daughter Skai. Canadian Andreescu, 23, reached the third round at the grasscourt Grand Slam. Former world number four Kei Nishikori, Frenchman Gael Monfils and South African Kevin Anderson were given wildcards into the men's draw. The Washington Open will be held from July 31-Aug. 6.
Persons: Roland Garros, Bianca Andreescu, Victoria Azarenka, Kai Pfaffenbach, Elina Svitolina, Skai, Sofia Kenin, Danielle Collins, Kei Nishikori, Frenchman Gael Monfils, Kevin Anderson, Pearl Josephine Nazare, Pritha Sarkar Organizations: Belarus, Victoria, Victoria Azarenka REUTERS, Washington, Wimbledon, Frenchman, South, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, Ukrainian, Bengaluru
CNN —Tennis player Amarissa Toth has apologized to her opponent Zhang Shuai after their match at the Hungarian Grand Prix ended in controversy on Tuesday. The Hungarian later celebrated as a tearful Zhang retired from the match. “I’m extremely sorry for what happened,” Toth said in a video posted by the Hungarian Grand Prix’s Instagram page Thursday. “I respect Zhang Shuai as a person and just as much as an athlete. A visibly distressed Zhang was heard asking, “Why did you do that?” as Toth retorts, “You’re making problems.”A tearful Zhang later opted to retire from the match, where she was trailing 6-5, prompting Toth to celebrate.
Persons: Amarissa Toth, Zhang Shuai, Toth, Zhang, , ” Toth, , Australia’s, Victoria, Victoria Azarenka tweeting, ” Zhang Organizations: CNN — Tennis, Victoria Azarenka Locations: Hungarian, Ukrainian
CNN —Chinese tennis player Zhang Shuai retired from a match in tears after a tense incident with Amarissa Toth at the Hungarian Grand Prix saw Toth use her foot to erase a contested ball mark from the court. In Tuesday’s opening set, Zhang hit a crosscourt forehand that appeared to land on the line, with a line judge and later an umpire calling the ball out. Though the match continued for another point, the disputed call remained a sore point, and Zhang continued to question the decision. Zhang was incensed by the call during Tuesday's match in Budapest, Hungary. A number of tennis players decried Toth’s actions, with Australia’s Ajla Tomljanović criticizing Toth’s actions as “absolutely disgusting behaviour.”“Shuai is a better person than a lot of us for shaking the ref and that girl’s hand,” Tomljanovic wrote on Twitter.
Persons: Zhang Shuai, Amarissa Toth, Toth, Zhang, , , Australia’s, ” “ Shuai, ” Tomljanovic, Victoria Azarenka, Ellen Perez Organizations: CNN, WTA, Twitter, ” CNN Locations: Hungarian, Budapest, Hungary
CNN —Markéta Vondroušová reached her first Wimbledon final after a scintillating performance against Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, winning 6-3 6-3 in just an hour and 14 minutes. The 24-year-old Czech star is the first unseeded woman in the Open Era to reach the Wimbledon final and her exquisitely varied game was too much for Svitolina to handle. It was an inspired performance from Vondroušová, who rose to the occasion on Centre Court and got the better of her opponent with a potent mix of speed, spin and power to reach the second grand slam final of her career. Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty ImagesAfter reaching the French Open final in 2019 as a 20-year-old, Vondroušová looked set to become a force at the top of the women’s game. After trailing 4-0 in the second set, Svitolina showed all the resiliency and grit that has been on display during her incredible run in SW19 to break Vondroušová back twice and make it 4-3.
Persons: Markéta Vondroušová, Elina Svitolina, I’m, Elina, ” Vondroušová, , ” Elina Svitolina, Adrian Dennis, Vondroušová, she’s, Svitolina, Venus Williams, Skaï Monfils, – Venus Williams, Sofia Kenin, Victoria Azarenka, Iga, Markéta, Adam Davy Organizations: CNN, Wimbledon, Court, Getty, Press Association, Lawn Tennis Club Locations: Vondroušová, SW19, Ukrainian, AFP, Czech
I don't know how many years I will be playing more... You practice for these big moments. "We've played a few times, so we know each other," said Vondrousova, who has taken out four seeds in the tournament. That's why she's doing well this season and especially here at Wimbledon," Sabalenka added. Jabeur, who lost to Sabalenka in the quarter-finals in 2021, said she had to stay focused for what will be a different test. "Aryna is more emotional than Elena, so maybe it could be a good or bad thing, I'm not sure.
Persons: Ukraine's Elina Svitolina, Poland's Iga Swiatek, Toby Melville LONDON, Elina Svitolina, Vondrousova, Svitolina, Venus Williams, Sofia Kenin, Skai, Ash Barty, We've, Aryna, Roland Garros, Elena Rybakina, Sabalenka, Jabeur, Elena, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Ken Ferris Organizations: Lawn Tennis, Croquet Club, Poland's Iga Swiatek REUTERS, Wimbledon, Victoria Azarenka, Melbourne, Kazakh, Madison Keys, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Ukrainian, Czech, Ukraine, Moscow, Belarusian, Sabalenka, Jabeur, Swiatek, Wimbledon, Bengaluru
Total: 25