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☆ Players face 'mental torture' at Wimbledon, says sports psychologist
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Martyn Herman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The All England Club's lawns will be the focus of the tennis world over the next fortnight as the world's leading players battle opponents and often their own psychological demons. UNIQUE CHALLENGES"There are a number of unique challenges elite tennis players have to face. Tennis players probably are only playing tennis for about 10 minutes of every hour they're on court," she said. Considering how much expectation he has shouldered at Wimbledon down the years, the 36-year-old has coped admirably, according to Mobed. "He is a fantastic example of someone that has worked so hard to uncover his mental strength," she said.

Persons: Toby Melville LONDON, Jana Novotna, Steffi Graf, Serena Williams, Czech Karolina Pliskova, Gaston Gaudio, Guillermo Coria, Gaudio, Katie Mobed, Novak Djokovic, Elena Rybakina, Andy Murray, Martyn Herman, Ken Ferris Organizations: Lawn Tennis, Croquet Club, Wimbledon REUTERS, Tennis, Wimbledon, Czech, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, England, British

☆ WTA roundup: Iga Swiatek wins first grass-court match in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

June 26 - It took World No.1 Iga Swiatek a little time on Monday to acclimate to the grass under her feet in the first round of the Bad Homburg Open. Swiatek, who won the French Open on the clay courts in Paris earlier this month, won her first grass-court match of the season against 2022 Wimbledon semifinalist Tatjana Maria 5-7, 6-2, 6-0 in Bad Homburg, Germany. Swiatek has yet to win a WTA tournament on grass, and she hasn't made it past the Round of 16 on the grass courts in London. Keys was a 7-6 (4), 6-4 winner over Tereza Martincova, a lucky loser who got a spot in the main draw when fellow Czech Linda Fruhvirtova withdrew. Qualifier Camila Osorio of Colombia toppled Rogers 6-4, 6-4, and local favorite Jodie Burrage of Great Britain got past Davis 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Persons: acclimate, Tatjana Maria, Swiatek, hasn't, Teichmann, Claire Liu, Mayar Sherif, German Anna, Lena Friedsam, Bianca Andreescu, Varvara Gracheva, Cristian, Katerina Siniakova, Elisabetta Cocciaretto, Shelby Rogers, Lauren Davis, Keys, Tereza, Czech Linda Fruhvirtova, Camila Osorio, Jodie Burrage, Davis, Daria Kasatkina of, Anhelina Kalinina, Karolina Pliskova, Pliskova, Elise Mertens Organizations: Bad, Wimbledon, Czech Republic, Madison Keys, Rogers, Eastbourne, Belgium, Thomson Locations: Paris, Bad Homburg, Germany, London, Egypt, German, Canada, Russia, Romanian, Czech, Italy, Rothesay, Eastbourne, England, Colombia, Daria Kasatkina of Russia, Ukraine, Czech Republic

☆ Racist abuse of players is getting worse, says Stephens
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Karolos Grohmann | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

PARIS, May 29 (Reuters) - Racist behaviour directed at athletes is getting worse and even software designed to protect them from it has little impact, world number 30 Sloane Stephens said on Monday. The American, speaking after her straight-sets victory over Karolina Pliskova in the French Open first round, said she had had to endure it her whole tennis career. "Yes, it's obviously been a problem my entire career," said Stephens, who is Black. Tennis players, including greats Serena and Venus Williams, have been the targets of such abuse as have professional athletes in all sports, with Real Madrid soccer player Vinicius Jr. the most notable recent case. Tottenham Hotspur were working this month with the Metropolitan Police to investigate an allegation of racial abuse towards South Korean striker Son Heung-min.

☆ Djokovic canters into French Open round two as Stephens lays down marker
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Julien Pretot | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The twice Roland Garros champion breezed through the first two sets before encountering resistance from the 24-year-old American whose lack of experience then showed in the tiebreak on the world's biggest clay court. Djokovic ended the contest with a sizzling service return on his first match point and will face Hungarian journeyman Marton Fucsovics for a place in the third round. "It's always a pleasure to come back here, one of the best tournaments in the world," said Djokovic, who made his Roland Garros debut in 2005. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova celebrated her return to Roland Garros with a dominant win over Czech Linda Fruhvirtova after fearing for her career a year ago due to a knee problem. Sloane Stephens, runner-up at Roland Garros in 2018, dismantled former world number one Karolina Pliskova 6-0 6-4.

☆ Stephens puts down marker on 'favourite court in the world'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Karolos Grohmann | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - May 29, 2023 Sloane Stephens of the U.S. celebrates winning her first round match against Czech Republic's Karolina Pliskova REUTERS/Clodagh KilcoynePARIS, May 29 (Reuters) - Sloane Stephens relished every moment she spent on her favourite court in the world as the she cruised to a 6-0 6-4 first-round victory over former world number one Karolina Pliskova on Monday to put down an early marker at the French Open. "This is my favourite court in the world and I am super happy to be back," said Stephens, currently ranked 30th. Stephens came into the tournament in improving form on clay after winning her first WTA 125 event and reaching the semi-finals on clay in Rabat last week. "To start like that on your favourite court and favourite surface is great. I wanted to get matches under my belt this year (before the tournament) and I was feeling confident," Stephens said.

☆ Pliskova withdraws from Madrid Open with knee injury
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

April 24 (Reuters) - Karolina Pliskova has withdrawn from the Madrid Open due to a knee injury but the former world number one said she hopes to recover in time for next month's event in Rome ahead of the French Open. Pliskova, 15th in the world rankings, said on Twitter she suffered the injury during her quarter-final defeat by Iga Swiatek at the Stuttgart Open last week. loadingThe Italian Open runs from May 9-20 before Roland Garros, the second Grand Slam of the year, begins on May 28. Pliskova's best result at the claycourt major came in 2017 when she reached the semi-finals. Reporting by Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter RutherfordOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Iga Świątek returns from injury and wins in Stuttgart
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

1 Iga Świątek enjoyed a winning return from injury as she defeated China’s Zheng Qinwen 6-1 6-4 at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany. Świątek, who is defending her title in Stuttgart in preparation for the French Open next month, broke Zheng’s serve four times over the course of the match. “I’m pretty happy that I’m not rusty and I could perform good tennis, even though I had a break,” Świątek said after the win. Świątek will be looking to win her third French Open title and fourth grand slam overall when the tournament gets underway in Paris on May 28. She was forced to withdraw from the Miami Open and Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers in recent weeks but announced before competing in Stuttgart that she is now injury free.

☆ 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.

☆ Pliskova rues misfiring serve after Australian Open exit
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The former world number one slipped into the second week of the tournament with little fanfare and reached her second straight Grand Slam quarter-final after her run at last year's U.S. Open. "Super disappointed about today, because I just thought this was a match which I should win and I could win," Pliskova, who missed last year's tournament due to an arm fracture, told reporters. "Obviously the serve was not great today at all. I have been serving really well for like all my matches, and pretty much like for the last two, three weeks." "I think she really made it like difficult for me, not missing many balls, not giving anything for free, any mistakes.

☆ Determined Linette reaping rewards after overcoming 'painful' injury layoff
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Linette withdrew from the 2021 Australian Open one day before her flight to Melbourne because of a knee injury that took 11 weeks to diagnose and kept her sidelined for five months. "It was honestly the most painful experience of my life," Linette told reporters on Wednesday. "I had meniscus surgery, but because it was kind of tricky where the injury was, nobody could really see what was happening. I changed a lot in my life and made some tough decisions, and I think I'm getting rewarded for it now." Linette will meet the fifth seed, Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, for a place in the final.

☆ Djokovic romps on towards 10th Australian title, Linette stuns Pliskova
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Shrivathsa Sridhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Djokovic is making a mockery of the theory that the second week of Grand Slam tournaments get tougher. Fifth seed Rublev has now lost all seven Grand Slam quarter-finals which he contested. "I'm really excited, man. So I'm really grateful." Linette had no problems serving out her quarter-final against twice Grand Slam finalist Pliskova, whose 36 unforced errors sabotaged yet another bid to win a first major.

☆ Linette stuns Pliskova to reach first Grand Slam semi
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 25, 2023 Poland's Magda Linette celebrates after winning her quarter final match against Czech Republic's Karolina Pliskova REUTERS/Carl RecineMELBOURNE, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Unheralded Pole Magda Linette continued her dream run into the semi-finals of the Australian Open on Wednesday, stunning former world number one Karolina Pliskova in a deserved 6-3 7-5 victory on Rod Laver Arena. The world number 45 played wonderfully controlled tennis in the opening set as twice Grand Slam finalist Pliskova racked up 14 unforced errors under the blazing sun on the main showcourt. Pliskova had to raise her game in the second set but Linette had the answer to everything the Czech threw at her and broke for 6-5 before serving out nervelessly for the win. Linette will battle for a place in the final against fifth seed Aryna Sabalenka or Donna Vekic, who face off in Wednesday's second women's quarter-final. Reporting by Nick Mulvenney in Sydney; Editing byOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Anyone but Djokovic: Rublev targets first Grand Slam semi-final
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Hritika Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

In a moment of disarming honesty after his five-set win over Holger Rune, Rublev conceded he was not relishing the opportunity to face 21-times Grand Slam champion Djokovic on his favourite court. "No one wants to face Novak," Rublev blurted out with a laugh on Rod Laver Arena, albeit prematurely as Djokovic had yet to play his own fourth-round match. "He's an established top-five, top-10 player already for a few years," Djokovic said of Rublev, who has now reached a Grand Slam quarter-final seven times but never cracked the final four. The other men's match on Wednesday features unseeded Americans Ben Shelton and Tommy Paul, with both reaching their first Grand Slam quarter-final to continue the success of the U.S. men this year. Fifth seed Aryna Sabalenka has yet to drop a set in 2023 and will aim to reach her first Australian Open semi-final when she faces unseeded Croatian Donna Vekic.

☆ Pliskova back in the Melbourne quarter-finals and feeling good
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"I've been feeling quite good since I came to Australia," she told reporters. Only two top 10 seeds, Jessica Pegula and Aryna Sabalenka, remain in the quarter-finals, leaving Pliskova as one of the more experienced Grand Slam campaigners. "I feel like these days there is not just top 20 tough opponents, there is like 150 tough opponents," the world number 31 added. "Then the rest, Pegula, I think she's playing great tennis. "If I play like I played today, I think it's tough for anybody to compete with that.

☆ Rublev rolls on, Pliskova through to last 16 at Australian Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Ian Ransom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 21, 2023 Britain's Dan Evans reacts during his third round match against Russia's Andrey Rublev REUTERS/Hannah MckayMELBOURNE, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Fifth seed Andrey Rublev avoided a third round banana skin in the form of Briton Dan Evans at the Australian Open on Saturday after former world number one Karolina Pliskova sailed into the last 16 of the women's tournament. Red-headed Russian Rublev has found Evans a handful in the past but swept aside the 25th seed 6-4 6-2 6-3 with 60 winners on a glorious afternoon at Melbourne Park. A quarter-finalist two years ago, Rublev had unleashed on the chair umpire in his previous match after being warned for an audible obscenity. Unseeded Croatian Donna Vekic joined Bencic in the last 16 with a 6-2 6-2 win over Spain's Nuria Parrizas Diaz. After a lengthy medical time-out, the 19-year-old returned to complete an impressive 6-4 6-2 7-6(5) win over the Frenchman.

☆ 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.

☆ 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.

☆ Azarenka digs deep to beat Kalinina in Adelaide
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 3 (Reuters) - Former world number one Victoria Azarenka overcame a shaky start to beat Anhelina Kalinina 7-6(9) 7-6(5) in a gruelling match at the Adelaide International 1 on Tuesday and reach the second round of the WTA 500 tournament. Twice Australian Open champion Azarenka found herself in trouble trailing 5-1 but she summoned up her fighting spirit to save five set points before edging a tense tiebreaker. "When you talk about first matches that are never easy this one was definitely at the top of the list," Azarenka said. Former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko plays Czech Karolina Pliskova later on Tuesday. Top-seeded American Coco Gauff made short work of Tatjana Maria, beating the Wimbledon semi-finalist 6-4 6-1 to snap a five-match losing streak.

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.

☆ S-a decis finala de la Wimbledon! Ce sportive se vor lupta pentru marele trofeu
▼ + stars: | 2021-07-09 | by ( ) www.jurnal.md time to read: +1 min

Sursa foto: AFP7S-a decis finala de la Wimbledon! Ce sportive se vor lupta pentru marele trofeuAshleigh Bartey, liderul WTA, şi Karolina Pliskova, locul 13 WTA, vor disputa finala de la Wimbledon. Acesteia i s-a alăturat în finală jucătoarea cehă Karolina Pliskova, locul 13 WTA şi cap de serie numărul 8, în urma victoriei din semifinale în faţa Arinei Sabalenka (Belarus, locul 4 WTA şi cap de serie 2). Cele două se vor duela în finală sâmbătă, 10 iulie, de la ora 16. Câştigătoarea dintre Bartey şi Pliskova va prmi un premiu impresionat, deşi mult mai mic decât în ediţiile anterioare, de 1,7 milioane de lire sterline.

Persons: Acesteia, Karolina, Pliskova Organizations: WTA, australiană Locations: Wimbledon, Sabalenka, Belarus

☆ Ashleigh Barty s-a retras de la turneul de Mare Șlem de la Roland Garros
▼ + stars: | 2021-06-03 | by ( Publika.Md - Aici Sunt Știrile | ) www.publika.md time to read: +1 min

Tenismena australiană Ashleigh Barty s-a retras de la turneul de Mare Șlem de la Roland Garros din cauza unei accidentări. În partida cu poloneza Magda Linette, liderul mondial a pierdut primul set cu 1-6, iar în setul secund, la scorul de 2-2, a renunțat.Barty, campioană la Paris în 2019, a acuzat dureri la șoldul stâng și a preferat să nu forțeze. Astfel, Linette s-a calificat în turul trei, unde va juca cu Ons Jabeur din Tunisia.A părăsit turneul și tenismena cehă Karolina Pliskova, numărul 10 mondial. Aceasta a cedat în fața americancei Sloane Stephens cu 5-7, 1-6.Stephens va înfrunta în turul trei o altă jucătoare din Cehia, Karolina Muchova.Între timp, ucraineanca Elina Svitolina, numărul 6 mondial, s-a impus în fața tenismenei din China, Ann Li, cu scorul de 6-0, 6-4.Svitolina urmează să joace în turul trei cu cehoaica Barbora Krejcikova.Într-o altă partidă, americanca Sofia Kenin, finalista ediției din 2020 a turneului de la Roland Garros, a dispus de compatrioata sa, Hailey Baptiste, cu 7-5, 6-3. În următoarea fază a competiției, Kenin va întâlni o altă tenismenă din SUA, Jessica Pegula.

Persons: australiană Ashleigh, Roland, Magda Linette, Linette, Sloane Stephens, . Stephens, Karolina, Ann Li, Svitolina, Roland Garros, Baptiste, Kenin, Jessica Pegula Locations: australiană, Roland Garros, Paris, Tunisia.A, cehă, Cehia, China, Sofia Kenin, SUA

După ce a Mertens (25 ani, 16 WTA), cap de serie numărul 13 în capitala Spaniei, a luat primul ghem, Halep a reuşit să se desprindă şi să aibă 3-1 pe tabelă. În actul al doilea, Mertens a început mai bine şi a avut 2-0 şi 3-1, Halep a reuşit să revină şi a câştigat trei ghemuri la rând, trecând în avantaj, 4-3. În decisiv, Halep a avut 3-1, însă a fost egalată, 3-3. A reuşit un nou break, dar din cauza problemelor la serviciu a fost egalată, 4-4. Halep a încheiat meciul cu 10 duble greşeli, în timp ce Mertens a avut 3 aşi şi 9 duble greşeli.

Persons: . Simona, Halep, Românca, . Halep, Roland Garros, Simonei, Simona Halep, Simonei Halep, Simona, Karolina Pliskova Organizations: Australian Open, Australian Open . Locations: Spaniei, Madrid, Praga, Stuttgart, Roma, Cehia

☆ Tenisemna Karolina Pliskova a pierdut în fața rusoaicei Anastasia Gasanova
▼ + stars: | 2021-01-09 | by ( Publika.Md - Aici Sunt Știrile | ) www.publika.md time to read: 1 min

Tenisemna cehă Karolina Pliskova, cap de serie numărul 3, a pierdut în fața rusoaicei Anastasia Gasanova. O altă rusoaică Vera Zvonariova a avut mai puțin noroc. Ea a cedat în fața Elinei Svitolina, a doua favorită la câștigarea competiției din Emiratele Arabe Unite, scor 4-6, 1-6. Ucraineanca a avut nevoie de doar o oră şi zece minute pentru a-şi adjudeca victoria. Svitolina a reuşit doi aşi şi a făcut doar două duble greşeli faţă de adversara sa care a avut patru duble greşeli şi tot acelaşi număr de aşi.

Persons: Anastasia Gasanova, Vera Zvonariova, Ea, . Ucraineanca, Svitolina Organizations: cehă Locations: Dhabi, Emiratele Arabe Unite, americanca Sofia

☆ Tenismena Karolina Plișkova și-a găsit un nou antrenor
▼ + stars: | 2020-11-28 | by ( Publika.Md - Aici Sunt Știrile | ) www.publika.md time to read: 1 min

Tenismena Karolina Plișkova și-a găsit un nou antrenor. Cehoaica va fi antrenată în 2021 de neamțul Sascha Bajin. Anunțul a fost făcut de jucătoarea clasată pe locul șase în clasamentul mondial pe rețelele de socializare.Karolina Plișkova l-a angajat pe antrenorul alături de care Naomi Osaka a cucerit două titluri de Mare Șlem, pe care sportiva din Cehia nu le are în palmares. Plișkova a ajuns cel mai departe într-un turneu de Grand Slam în finala competiției de la US Open, în 2016.Neamțul cu origini sârbe, Bajin, a antrenat-o până nu demult pe ucraineanca Daiana Iastremska. În 2018, el a fost desemnat cel mai bun antrenor al anului.Sascha Bajin s-a făcut remarcat în tenis din postura de sparring partener al Serenei Williams, pe vremea când americanca făcea furori în tenisul mondial.

Persons: Tenismena Karolina Plișkova, Cehoaica, neamțul Sascha Bajin ., Naomi Osaka, Plișkova, Williams Organizations: Slam, US Open Locations: neamțul, Cehia

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