DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Alcaraz signs up for relaunched Hopman Cup
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Feb 28 (Reuters) - World number two Carlos Alcaraz will headline the Hopman Cup as the relaunched mixed-gender team event returns to the tennis calendar after a four-year absence in June. The 19-year-old Alcaraz will be part of the Spain team, one of three confirmed by the International Tennis Federation on Tuesday, alongside Paula Badosa. "Alongside the Billie Jean King Cup and Davis Cup, the Hopman Cup is another ITF event that gives players the opportunity to represent their countries, and compete for something bigger than themselves," ITF President David Haggerty said at a news conference. The last edition of the competition, which began in 1989 and was named after Australian great Harry Hopman, saw Roger Federer lead Switzerland to the title against Germany. The Hopman Cup has a rival in the United Cup mixed-gender team event, featuring 18 nations playing matches across three Australian cities, taking place before this year's Australian Open.

☆ Krejcikova stuns top-ranked Swiatek to claim Dubai crown
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 25 (Reuters) - Barbora Krejcikova beat an out-of-sorts Iga Swiatek 6-4 6-2 in the Dubai Tennis Championships final on Saturday to end the top-ranked Pole's winning run in the Middle East swing and capture her first WTA title of 2023 and sixth overall. It was the first set that Doha champion Swiatek had dropped in the past two weeks and the 21-year-old found herself trailing 4-2 in the second set as Krejcikova took control of the match. Krejcikova, who defeated Australian Open champion and world number two Aryna Sabalenka in the quarter-finals and the third-ranked Jessica Pegula in the semis, closed out the match on serve to join an elite club. "It's a huge achievement," Krejcikova, who won her first WTA 1000 title, added. Krejcikova is set to climb from number 30 to 16 when the rankings are updated on Monday.

☆ WTA roundup: Coco Gauff reaches Dubai semis
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Tennis - WTA 1000 - Dubai Tennis Championships - Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates - February 23, 2023 Coco Gauff of the U.S. celebrates winning her quarter final match against Madison Keys of the U.S. REUTERS/Satish KumarFebruary 24 - Fifth-seeded Coco Gauff won an all-American quarterfinal on Thursday at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, beating Madison Keys 6-2, 7-5 in the United Arab Emirates. Gauff saved the only break point she faced in the 81-minute match, and she converted four of her five break opportunities. The result moves Gauff into a semifinal matchup with top-seeded Iga Swiatek of Poland, the reigning French Open champion. The other semifinal will feature third-seeded Jessica Pegula of the United States and Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic. In the last match of the night, fourth-seeded Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic downed Belgium's Ysaline Bonaventure 6-0, 7-5.

☆ WTA roundup: Top seeds roll in Dubai
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

February 22 - The top two seeds in the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships lost a combined three games while cruising to second-round wins on Tuesday in the United Arab Emirates. 1 Iga Swiatek of Poland, the reigning French Open and U.S. Open champion, routed Canada's Leylah Fernandez 6-1, 6-1, and No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, the reigning Australian Open champion, demolished the United States' Lauren Davis 6-0, 6-1. Third-seeded Jessica Pegula of the United States, who lost to Swiatek in the Doha final, got past Bulgaria's Viktoriya Tomova 6-2, 5-7, 6-1 in the second round at Dubai. Stephens, the 2017 U.S. Open champion, had lost her first-round matches at Auckland, New Zealand; Hobart, Australia; and the Australian Open to begin the year.

☆ Swiatek says WTA must grow and continue push for pay equality
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WTA Tour events, however, still often offer less prize money than those on the men's tour which operates its own circuit. "For sure, I'd like to see the WTA expanding business-wise, getting more popular, cutting the difference between WTA and ATP in terms of prize money and attracting fans," Swiatek told reporters in Dubai. There's something you can find in women's tennis that you're not going to find on the ATP," Swiatek said. American Jessica Pegula, the world number three and a member of the WTA player council, echoed Swiatek. "I hope we can keep pushing for equal prize money at all events, being on TV more," Pegula said.

☆ Sabalenka says Grand Slam win has fuelled hunger for success
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

I believed in myself but I was waiting for so long, working so hard and couldn't get it. I had tough losses in the semi-finals," said Sabalenka, who will return to the tour for the first time since her Melbourne Park triumph. Sabalenka said her major win had "definitely changed" her mindset a little bit but she would not get complacent. Adelaide champion Sabalenka, who is unbeaten in 11 matches this year, will meet Jill Teichmann or Linz champion Anastasia Potapova in the Dubai second round after being handed a bye but said she was not too focused on the draw. Sometimes you look too far, then you lose the first match because you're already thinking about your semi-final match," Sabalenka said.

☆ Dominant Swiatek wins second straight Doha title
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The victory capped off a dominant campaign during which Swiatek recorded 6-0 6-1 wins over both Danielle Collins and Veronika Kudermetova and received a quarter-final bye, dropping just five games in three matches. It is Swiatek's first title of a year, and follows her shock fourth-round exit in the Australian Open at the hands of Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina. "I feel like I found my rhythm here after a tough beginning to the season," said Swiatek, after claiming her 12th WTA singles title. Swiatek lent her support to the people in Ukraine following her win in the last edition of the tournament, and reiterated that message on Saturday. "I feel like we all have pretty short memories, but we should all support Ukraine and Ukrainians in everything they cope with every day," Swiatek said.

LOS ANGELES, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Briton Emma Raducanu has been handed a wild card for next month's WTA 1000 event at Indian Wells, tournament organisers announced on Thursday. Raducanu, who became an international sensation when at 18 years old she won the 2021 U.S. Open as a qualifier, struggled with injuries and inconsistent play last year and has seen her world ranking plummet to 80. Last month she suffered an ankle injury in Auckland before falling to American teenager Coco Gauff in the second round of the Australian Open. Raducanu was troubled by pain in her abs early on against Gauff but bounced back to force a second set tiebreak in a match that offered fans a tantalising glimpse into the future of women's tennis. Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Editing by Ken FerrisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Jabeur pulls out of Doha, Dubai to have minor surgery
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 8 (Reuters) - World number three Ons Jabeur has pulled out of WTA tournaments in Doha and Dubai later this month after opting to have minor surgery, the 28-year-old said on Wednesday. My medical team have decided that I need to get a minor surgery in order to be able to be back on the courts and perform well," Jabeur, last year's Wimbledon and U.S. Open runner-up, said on Instagram. "I will have to retire from Doha and Dubai and this is breaking my heart. I would like to say sorry to all the fans out there in the Middle East that waited for this reunion. The Qatar Open was scheduled to be held from Feb. 13-18 with the Dubai Duty Free Championships taking place the next week.

☆ WTA roundup: Alycia Parks, Lin Zhu win first singles titles
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

February 5 - Alycia Parks won her first WTA singles title, defeating No. She won points on 85 percent of her first serves and saved all four break points she faced. She converted 80 percent of her first serves into points and staved off two break points until championship point, when she double faulted on the final break point of the match. Thailand OpenLin Zhu of China was another first-time WTA tour winner, defeating Lesia Tsurenko 6-4, 6-4 in Hua Hin. And in a match that saw 23 break point opportunities, Zhu cashed in on eight of nine attempts but saved only eight of 14 break points on her serve.

☆ Belarusian Sabalenka crowned first 'neutral' Grand Slam champion
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Ian Ransom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The big-hitting Belarusian overhauled Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina 4-6 6-3 6-4 in the final at Rod Laver Arena on Saturday while barred from representing the eastern European nation. Had Rybakina not switched allegiance to Kazakhstan in 2018, the Russia-born player would also have competed as a neutral. "I think everyone still knows that I'm Belarusian player. Asked whether missing Wimbledon made her Australian Open win sweeter, Sabalenka was non-committal. The Belarus tennis federation was quick to extend congratulations to the country's second tennis player to win a Grand Slam, following on from twice Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka, who was knocked out in the semi-finals.

☆ Rybakina meets Sabalenka in clash of big hitters for Australian Open crown
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Shrivathsa Sridhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

While that victory brought prestige and financial reward, it did not boost her up the rankings. Rybakina would have climbed into the top 10 had the ranking points been available but she has proved she belongs in the spotlight at Melbourne Park, knocking out three Grand Slam champions en route to this year's title clash. "I think it was a great challenge for me because for sure, they have experience of winning Grand Slams, so it was nothing new for them," Rybakina, who beat Azarenka 7-6(4) 6-3 in the semi-finals, said. With Russian and Belarusian players only allowed to compete as individual athletes without national affiliation at Melbourne Park, Sabalenka could become the first neutral athlete to win a Grand Slam. Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Melbourne; Editing by Peter RutherfordOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Azarenka up for the challenge as Sabalenka seeks calm
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Although Sabalenka and Magda Linette of Poland will be playing in their first semi-finals at Melbourne Park, Azarenka returns to final-four action after a decade away when she takes on Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina. Now a self-confessed "obnoxious" soccer mom, the 33-year-old Azarenka looked every inch the player who won back-to-back Australian Open titles in 2012 and 2013 when she took apart in-form third seed Jessica Pegula in the quarter-finals. "It will be a great matchup," said Belarusian Azarenka, who lost their only meeting in straight sets at Indian Wells last year. Sabalenka, who has played three previous Grand Slam semi-finals and lost them all, knows that her biggest battle on Thursday will most likely be with her own emotions. "I think it's going to be a great test for me, if I can actually keep myself calm in key moments," Sabalenka said.

☆ Belarusian and Russian charge in Melbourne throws spotlight on Wimbledon ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Martyn Herman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

On Friday, Russia's Karen Khachanov faces Stefanos Tsitsipas as he bids to reach his first Grand Slam final. With the conflict in Ukraine showing no sign of ending, a decision about Russian and Belarussian players competing at the All England Club is pressing. Australian Open organisers even banned Russian and Belarusian flags from Melbourne Park last week after a complaint from Ukraine's ambassador to the country. 'SITUATION NO-ONE WANTS'Nine-times Australian Open champion Djokovic has urged Wimbledon to allow Russian and Belarus players to enter the 2023 tournament, a view also backed by American great John McEnroe. "I disagreed with it last year that Wimbledon didn't allow the Russians or Belarusian players to play.

☆ Zhang wishes WTA could return to China
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Ian Ransom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MELBOURNE, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Chinese number one Zhang Shuai hopes the WTA tour can return to her country this season as it opens up after abandoning the "zero-COVID" policy but said the Peng Shuai issue was out of her control. Former WTA player Peng accused a senior Chinese government official of sexual assault in 2021 in a post on social media that was soon removed from the country's internet. Peng's post caused an international outcry over her safety and led the WTA to suspend tournaments in China - a decision expected to cost the women's tour hundreds of millions of dollars in broadcasting and sponsorship. The WTA has said a return to China would require a resolution to the Peng situation and its 2023 tour calendar lists events only up to the U.S. Open, with no clarity on tournaments to be held in China. read moreAsked whether Peng should meet with the WTA as a step to resolving the impasse, Zhang declined to offer a view.

☆ Czech teen Fruhvirtova downs Vondrousova to reach fourth round
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 19, 2023 Czech Republic's Linda Fruhvirtova reacts during her second round match against Australia's Kimberly Birrell REUTERS/Sandra SandersMELBOURNE, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Czech teenager Linda Fruhvirtova marched into the fourth round of the Australian Open on Saturday with a battling 7-5 2-6 6-3 victory over compatriot Marketa Vondrousova. At 17 years and 273 days, Fruhvirtova is the youngest woman remaining in the draw. Playing in only her second Grand Slam main draw, Fruhvirtova showed extraordinary composure to rally from 3-1 down in the decider and beat her more fancied opponent. Vondrousova has struggled to replicate the form that helped her reach the 2019 Roland Garros final but the 23-year-old had looked set for a deep run in Melbourne after beating second seed second seed Ons Jabeur in the last round. Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Melbourne; Editing by Peter RutherfordOur 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.

☆ Gauff outshines Raducanu to win battle of the prodigies
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Shrivathsa Sridhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"I just told myself to hang in there," Gauff said in her on-court interview. "Emma was playing really good tennis towards the end of the match and the whole match was great. "In the beginning we both started off rocky but I think the match was good quality for the most part. "This was a long anticipated match since the draw came out so I'm glad the match was good for you guys." Gauff next takes on the winner of the match between fellow American Bernarda Pera and China's Zheng Qinwen, hoping to win and match her best run at Melbourne Park three years ago.

☆ Rublev tames Thiem, Sabalenka and Garcia stroll as Melbourne sizzles
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Thiem, a finalist at Melbourne Park and U.S. Open champion in 2020, is on the comeback trail after a wrist injury and was able to compete only to a certain extent against the power of the rangy Russian. Thiem was simply unable to get a foothold in the contest and the 25-year-old Rublev, a quarter-finalist at the Australian Open in 2021, served out for the match after little more than two hours on court. Tennis Australia on Tuesday morning banned fans from bringing flags of either nation into the Melbourne Park precinct after a Russian tricolour was hung on a bush next to a court where Ukrainian Kateryna Baindl was playing on Monday. "It wasn't that easy a match and I'm super happy to start with a win," said the Belarusian. Novak Djokovic will begin his bid for a record-extending 10th title at Melbourne Park against Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena in the final match of the day on Rod Laver Arena.

☆ 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.

☆ All eyes on American Pegula after breakout year
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MELBOURNE, Jan 12 (Reuters) - A career breakthrough year has all eyes on American Jessica Pegula, who could shake Polish world number one Iga Swiatek's stranglehold on the women's field when the Australian Open main draw begins next week. Now number three in the world, Pegula said she's taking this season one step at a time. "I don't think I really am putting pressure on myself to duplicate that year because I think it was very special and something that probably won't be duplicated," Pegula told reporters on Sunday. 1 player," said Patrick McEnroe, the brother of John McEnroe and a former doubles Grand Slam winner who is an analyst for ESPN. He told reporters that he believes Pegula could possibly even win in Melbourne - if Australia's iconic blue hard courts are playing to her favour.

☆ Top DAZN exec reveals how the streamer is gearing up to super-serve fans in 2023, moving beyond boxing, and betting big on women's sports
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

We've also invested heavily in women's boxing. You are starting to see real, meaningful growth in women's sport now and that comes in different forms. The professionalism of the production in women's sport, we've been central to driving that forward. In the US, boxing fans in this country are disproportionately Hispanic relative to the wider population. The real business for us is the ongoing monthly subscription relationship that we have with boxing fans in this country, or soccer fans in Germany or Italy, and baseball fans in Japan.

Tennis star Naomi Osaka announced her pregnancy Wednesday, explaining why she withdrew from the Australian Open a few days prior. She told fans that this year will be one "full of lessons" and that she hopes to see everyone at next year's Australian Open. 1 by the WTA, Osaka won both the Australian and U.S. opens twice from 2018 to 2021. She made headlines in May 2021 when she announced she would not compete at the French Open, citing anxiety over post-match news conferences. Despite the tumultuous year, Osaka finished the 2021 season remaining ranked No.

☆ Naomi Osaka announces she is expecting her first child
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 11 (Reuters) - Four times Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka said on Wednesday that she is expecting her first child, days after withdrawing from the Australian Open. The 25-year-old said this week that she was pulling out of the year's first Grand Slam after not competing on the WTA Tour since the Pan Pacific Open in September. loadingAug 30, 2022; Flushing, NY, USA; Naomi Osaka of Japan hits to Danielle Collins of the United States on day two of the 2022 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. But she said on Wednesday that she would return to competition and expected to be at the Australian Open in 2024. Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York Editing by Toby DavisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ WTA roundup: Belinda Bencic, Danielle Collins cruise in Adelaide
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

January 9 - Belinda Bencic of Switzerland and Danielle Collins were among those to win their first-round matches at the Adelaide International on Monday in Australia. 8 seed, beat Garbine Muguruza of Spain 6-3, 6-4 in 79 minutes. Collins, the American 10th seed, handled Karolina Pliskova of Czech Republic in 76 minutes. Hobart InternationalFourth seed Sloane Stephens lost her first-round match to fellow American Lauren Davis 6-2, 6-2 in Hobart, Australia. 1 seed Marie Bouzkova of Czech Republic beat Jaqueline Cristian of Romania 7-6 (2), 6-3.

Search resuls for: "WTA"

25 mentions found