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☆ Australia's Maxwell out of England game with concussion after golf accident
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Maxwell was riding on the buggy following playing a round of golf ahead of their contest against the defending champions in Ahmedabad on Saturday, when he fell off the back. Cricket Australia's concussion protocols mean that Maxwell's condition will be monitored for a few days. I think it rattled everyone to be fair once it came to the conclusion there was a concussion and he was going to miss a game. Maxwell broke his leg in a freak accident at a birthday party in Melbourne last November and had also missed Australia's recent tour of South Africa with an ankle issue. Maxwell has been in superb form in the tournament and hit a 40-ball hundred against the Netherlands.

Persons: Arun Jaitley, Glenn Maxwell, de Leede, Adnan Abidi, Andrew McDonald, Maxwell, McDonald, it's, Glenn's, Marcus Stoinis, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Alison Williams Organizations: Cricket, ICC Cricket, de, de Leede REUTERS, Rights, England, Thomson Locations: Australia, Netherlands, New Delhi, India, Ahmedabad, Melbourne, South Africa, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bengaluru

☆ ITF will encourage Nadal to compete at Paris Games, says chief
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Shrivathsa Sridhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BENGALURU, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Uncertainty surrounds the recovering Rafa Nadal's 2024 campaign but the International Tennis Federation (ITF) will do everything it can to encourage him to compete in the Paris Olympic Games, the global tennis body's chief David Haggerty told Reuters. Nadal had previously said he expects to retire following the 2024 season and hoped to play in the Paris Games with the tennis tournament set to take place at Roland Garros, where he has won 14 of his 22 Grand Slam titles. The Spaniard won the Olympic singles gold medal in the 2008 Beijing Games and the doubles gold eight years later in Rio. Whether he does or not, will be up to him," Haggerty told Reuters in a video call on Monday. Knowing that it's in Paris, at Roland Garros, where he's had such tremendous success would be a great venue for him to be able to compete at."

Persons: Rafa Nadal's, David Haggerty, Mackenzie McDonald, Nadal, Roland Garros, Haggerty, he's, Craig Tiley, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Pritha Sarkar Organizations: International Tennis Federation, Paris Olympic Games, Reuters, Paris Games, Spaniard, Beijing, Melbourne, Thomson Locations: BENGALURU, Rio, Paris, Bengaluru

☆ ITF chief happy with Davis Cup format, expects big crowds for knockouts
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Shrivathsa Sridhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BENGALURU, India, Oct 30 (Reuters) - The International Tennis Federation will continue to work towards improving the Davis Cup amid low attendances in some ties in September but the governing body is happy with its existing format, ITF chief David Haggerty told Reuters. "This year the Davis Cup group stages (in September) were great. "We have many fans that are travelling with their teams, so we're excited about the Davis Cup and the format and where we're going." Boosting premier team competitions like the Davis Cup and the women's Billie Jean King Cup is also a big priority. Also, the Grand Slams have said how important both of these team competitions are, so to have their support as well is great," Haggerty said.

Persons: David Haggerty, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Haggerty, Spain didn't, Germany's Dietloff von Arnim, Billie Jean King, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Ken Ferris Organizations: Tennis Federation, ITF, Reuters, Kosmos, Davis, Thomson Locations: BENGALURU, India, Malaga, Canada, Finland, Australia, Czech Republic, Italy, Netherlands, Serbia, Britain, Spain, Bengaluru

☆ Sabalenka aiming to thwart Swiatek at WTA Finals, keep top spot
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 29 (Reuters) - Aryna Sabalenka has enjoyed a stellar 2023 and the Belarusian will head into the season-ending WTA Finals on Sunday in Cancun, Mexico, aiming to fend off Iga Swiatek and secure the year-end world number one ranking. Australian Open champion Sabalenka leapfrogged four-time major winner Swiatek and claimed the top ranking for the first time after the U.S. Open last month. I won a Grand Slam," said French Open champion Swiatek, who will be making her third consecutive WTA Finals appearance." Joining the mix are U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff and fellow American Jessica Pegula, who are also partners in the doubles competition. Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova, Kazakh world number four Elena Rybakina, Tunisian world number seven and Greek world number nine Maria Sakkari will also challenge the field as they look to add gloss to their seasons.

Persons: Sabalenka, Iga, Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Marketa Vondrousova, Elena Rybakina, Maria Sakkari, Shrivathsa Sridhar Organizations: U.S, China, Wimbledon, Thomson Locations: Belarusian, Cancun , Mexico, Flushing Meadows, Polish, Kazakh, Mexico, Guadalajara, Bengaluru

☆ World Cup title defence in shreds but England relishing India clash
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( Saurabh Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LUCKNOW, India, Oct 28 (Reuters) - England's World Cup title defence may be in tatters after four defeats in five matches but assistant coach Marcus Trescothick said on Saturday their sagging fortunes won't stop them from relishing their blockbuster clash with hosts India. England won the title on home soil in 2019 and came into the showpiece as favourites after also capturing the Twenty20 World Cup last year, but defeats by New Zealand, Afghanistan, South Africa and Sri Lanka have left them on the brink of elimination. "Playing against India in a World Cup in their own country is a special part of the game. You get these opportunities that come around - you know there'll be a big crowd, there'll be a wonderful occasion," Trescothick told reporters. Trescothick said England had not lost faith in the 50-overs format having lifted the title at the last World Cup.

Persons: Marcus Trescothick, Trescothick, there'll, Saurabh Sharma, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Hugh Lawson Organizations: England, New, India, Thomson Locations: LUCKNOW, India, tatters, New Zealand, Afghanistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, England, Lucknow, Jos, Bengaluru

☆ Buttler shocked by England's World Cup slide after latest loss
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Shrivathsa Sridhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"We're a really good team, done a lot of good things in the recent past in white-ball cricket and 50-over cricket," Buttler told reporters. "I think you're always questioning as captain how you can get the best out of players, how you can get the team moving in the right direction," Buttler said. England face the daunting task of playing unbeaten hosts India on Sunday and Buttler said they were determined to get back to playing good cricket. "It looks like it could need a few miracles that we'd have to win every game and things go our way to progress further in this tournament," Buttler said. "But for the games that we have left, we want to play the cricket we know we can play."

Persons: Jos Buttler, Buttler, that's, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Christian Radnedge Organizations: Thomson Locations: BENGALURU, England, Sri Lanka, tatters, Bengaluru

☆ A Hazy Issue for Couples: One Smokes (Pot), the Other Doesn’t
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Sridhar Pappu | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Ms. Sparks has ridden down that slope through 14 years of marriage with Mr. Pietrangeli. “If I’m stoned and hungry,” Mr. Pietrangeli said, “I will come back with so much random stuff. And she’s just like, ‘What are you doing?’”“When you’re in that mind-set,” he continued, “it’s hard to see what you look like. That translates to one hit or gummy after Ms. Sparks has gone to bed. She said her first marriage ended, in part, because her ex-husband smoked too much marijuana, in her view.

Persons: Sparks, Pietrangeli, Mr, “, ”, Tules Organizations: Costco Locations: Brooklyn

☆ Sri Lanka's Theekshana hails Mathews impact after England upset
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Shrivathsa Sridhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BENGALURU, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka spinner Maheesh Theekshana praised all-rounder Angelo Mathews for adding discipline to their bowling attack after the veteran claimed two wickets in miserly spells during Thursday's thumping victory over defending world champions England. Theekshana credited Mathews and player of the match Lahiru Kumara (3-35) for getting them back on track after England made a good start with 59 runs in the first 10 powerplay overs on a dry wicket in Bengaluru. "In the initial four or five overs, we conceded a few runs due to our inability to find the right length," Theekshana told reporters. So, we had a chance to take wickets, that's what we planned here." "I think they underestimated our team, because we also lost three games and we only won against the Netherlands," he said.

Persons: Maheesh Theekshana, Angelo Mathews, Mathews, Matheesha Pathirana, Theekshana, Kumara, Angelo, Lahiru, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Ken Ferris Organizations: England, Pakistan, Thomson Locations: BENGALURU, Sri Lanka, England, Bengaluru, Netherlands

☆ Sri Lanka restrict lacklustre England to 156 in World Cup clash
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Shrivathsa Sridhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BENGALURU, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka restricted England to a below-par 156 all out in 33.2 overs in a must-win clash between the World Cup's stragglers on Thursday, with only Ben Stokes offering some resistance in a dismal batting display by the defending champions. Stokes (43) took the attack to Sri Lanka on a dry wicket at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium after England's middle-order collapsed in the face of some incisive bowling, but he holed out to Dushan Hemantha in the deep off Lahiru Kumara (3-35) in the 31st over. Sri Lanka earlier put the brakes on England's scoring as returning veteran Angelo Mathews (2-14) removed opener Dawid Malan (28) and helped run out Joe Root, before Kumara struck twice to leave the holders in trouble at 85-5. Sri Lanka, who came into the contest with the same record as England with three defeats in four matches, ran through the tail to lay the platform for a big upset. Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; editing by John Stonestreet and Christian RadnedgeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ben Stokes, Stokes, Kumara, Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow, Kasun, Angelo Mathews, Dawid Malan, Joe Root, Mathews, Matheesha, snared Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Shrivathsa Sridhar, John Stonestreet Organizations: England, Thomson Locations: BENGALURU, Sri Lanka, England, Bengaluru

☆ Moeen backs England to end slump with aggressive approach
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Shrivathsa Sridhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"The thing is, Bazball is in test cricket. One day cricket's different and we've been playing different all the time," Moeen told reporters ahead of Thursday's match against the 1996 champions at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. "We've been playing aggressive cricket throughout since 2015 and done it quite well. Probably the lack of that way of cricket has cost us a little bit in this tournament. "We haven't been playing that way in my opinion and we need to play that way without slogging the ball.

Persons: Moeen Ali, Brendon, Baz, Moeen, Matthew Mott, we've, We've, We're, you've, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Christian Radnedge Organizations: England, Thomson Locations: BENGALURU, England, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Bengaluru

☆ South Africa thump Australia to stay unbeaten at World Cup
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Saurabh Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LUCKNOW, India, Oct 12 (Reuters) - South Africa crushed Australia by 134 runs to cruise to their second victory at the World Cup, as Quinton de Kock struck back-to-back tons and Aiden Markram made a half-century before the bowlers ripped through the five-times champions on Thursday. South Africa's win was built on a platform provided by De Kock, who made 109 while Markram hit 56 to help the Proteas post 311-7 in 50 overs. South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma (35) gained two reprieves as Australia failed to hold onto difficult chances before Glenn Maxwell (2-34) snared him, but the Proteas marched on as De Kock twice hit Josh Hazlewood into the stands in the 23rd over. Cummins could have had two more wickets but Marcus Stoinis and Mitchell Starc put down chances on a sloppy day in the field but a double strike by Starc (2-53) in the last over kept South Africa from swelling the score. Reporting by Saurabh Sharma in Lucknow; Writing by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris and Toby DavisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Quinton de Kock, Aiden Markram, Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Marnus Labuschagne, De Kock, Markram, Pat Cummins, Temba Bavuma, Glenn Maxwell, snared, Proteas, Josh Hazlewood, Spinner Adam Zampa, der, Cummins, Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Starc, Saurabh Sharma, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Ken Ferris, Toby Davis Organizations: Australia, Sri, South, Thomson Locations: LUCKNOW, India, South Africa, Australia, Africa, Sri Lanka, Lucknow, Bengaluru

☆ Australia's Stoinis in fray for World Cup clash with South Africa
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Saurabh Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LUCKNOW, India, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Australia all-rounder Marcus Stoinis has shaken off a hamstring problem and is available for their World Cup meeting with South Africa on his familiar hunting ground of Lucknow, captain Pat Cummins said on Wednesday. "He's fit so yeah, we'll announce a team tomorrow but it's a ground he knows pretty well," Cummins told reporters. The wicket looks really good so yeah, he's someone we'll look at pretty closely." The five-times champions will be wary of South Africa, who smashed 428-5 in their opening win over Sri Lanka. "I haven't had a look at it today, but last night it looked really good, really even.

Persons: Marcus Stoinis, Pat Cummins, Stoinis, Cummins, it's, Adam Zampa, Saurabh Sharma, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Christian Radnedge Organizations: Giants, Indian Premier League, IPL, Sri, Thomson Locations: LUCKNOW, India, Australia, South Africa, Lucknow, Chennai, Sri Lanka, Bengaluru

☆ New Zealand's Williamson, Southee set to return against Bangladesh
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BENGALURU, Oct 11 (Reuters) - New Zealand's regular skipper Kane Williamson could feature in the World Cup game against Bangladesh in Chennai having built up match fitness following his knee injury, head coach Gary Stead said on Wednesday. "He's had a great last five or six days, really ramped up the fielding aspect of things," Stead told reporters. "We've got two more trainings still to get through but at this stage, all things are looking good for Kane to return in this game. We still say that with an air of caution but we're really pleased with the way he has been coming on." Rachin Ravindra has impressed batting at number three in the absence of Williamson with an unbeaten 123 against England and 51 against the Dutch.

Persons: Kane Williamson, Gary Stead, Williamson, Stead, He's, Kane, We've, we're, Rachin Ravindra, Jimmy Neesham, Tim Southee, Tim, he's, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Peter Rutherford Organizations: Bangladesh, England, Thomson Locations: BENGALURU, Chennai, Netherlands, Bengaluru

☆ Flawless Swiatek powers past Samsonova to claim Beijing title
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The season finale, where the top eight singles players and doubles teams in the world face off, begins on Oct. 29. For sure, it was the last thing I expected at the beginning of the tournament," Swiatek said. French Open champion Swiatek also became the first player since American Serena Williams to claim five or more titles in successive years. Swiatek also became the player with the most WTA 1000 titles before turning 23 with six, eclipsing Caroline Wozniacki's five. "It was an amazing week," said Samsonova, whose run to a second WTA 1000 final of the season ensured she will return to the top 20.

Persons: Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, Samsonova, Serena Williams, Williams, Caroline Wozniacki's, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Christian Radnedge Organizations: WTA, Beijing, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Russian, China, Belarusian, Cancun , Mexico, Tokyo, Bengaluru

☆ Swiatek ends Gauff's 16-match winning streak to reach Beijing final
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

But Swiatek, who had surrendered her top ranking to Aryna Sabalenka after losing to Jelena Ostapenko in the fourth round of the season's final Grand Slam last month, regained her grip on her rivalry with Gauff to reach a seventh final this year. Up next for Swiatek is Samsonova, who beat former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina 7-6(7) 6-3 to improve her head-to-head record over the Moscow-born Kazakh world number five to 4-0. "Every time it's a battle with Elena ... She's a champion," Samsonova said. The 24-year-old Samsonova, who is ranked 22, has now beaten three former Grand Slam champions in Beijing with victories over Petra Kvitova and Ostapenko in earlier rounds. Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Hugh LawsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Coco Gauff, Florence Lo, Swiatek, Coco Gauff's, Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka, Jelena Ostapenko, I'm, It's, Elena Rybakina, Elena, Samsonova, Petra Kvitova, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Hugh Lawson Organizations: National Tennis Center, United, United States REUTERS, Rights, China, Russian, Cincinnati, U.S ., Wimbledon, Kazakh, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, United States, Rights BEIJING, Moscow, She's, Bengaluru

☆ Australia's Polmans apologises for hitting ball into umpire's face
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Aug 4, 2019; Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Marc Polmans of Australia plays a shot against Bernard Tomic of Australia (not pictured) during the Rogers Cup tennis tournament at Stade IGA. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports/file photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 4 (Reuters) - Australian Marc Polmans said he had apologised to the chair umpire after accidentally hitting him in the face with a ball in a Shanghai Masters qualifying match on Tuesday. The world number 140 was leading Italian Stefano Napolitano 7-6(3) 6-6(6-5) when he hit a volley into the net on his second match point before launching the ball in frustration, catching chair umpire Ben Anderson in the face. Polmans was immediately disqualified after the incident, which brought back memories of a similar one in 2017 when Denis Shapovalov inadvertently smashed a ball into the face of umpire Arnaud Gabas, leaving him with a fractured eye socket. Polmans will lose any prize money and ranking points picked up during the qualifying tournament.

Persons: Marc Polmans, Bernard Tomic of, Eric Bolte, Italian Stefano Napolitano, Ben Anderson, Polmans, Denis Shapovalov, Arnaud Gabas, Anderson, Ben, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Peter Rutherford Organizations: Rogers, Stade IGA, Shanghai Masters, Thomson Locations: Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Australia, Italian, Bengaluru

☆ Sinner powers past Alcaraz to book Beijing final with Medvedev
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Earlier, second seed Medvedev had an easier than expected 6-4 6-3 semi-final win over familiar rival Alexander Zverev. This was the fifth meeting between the pair this year and although Russian world number three Medvedev won three of the previous four, Zverev had won their most recent clash in Cincinnati. The American's frequent doubles partner Jessica Pegula also had to dig deep for a 6-7(2) 6-2 6-1 win over Anna Blinkova. The 29-year-old faces 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko seeking a fourth win in their fifth meeting. World number two Iga Swiatek progressed with a 6-4 6-1 win over Varvara Gracheva and fifth seed Elena Rybakina beat Tatjana Maria 7-5 6-0 after Ons Jabeur lost 7-6(5) 6-1 to Marta Kostyuk.

Persons: Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, Medvedev, Alexander Zverev, Zverev, I'm, Aryna Sabalenka, Katie Boulter, Jasmine Paolini, Sabalenka, Wells, Indian Wells, Coco Gauff, Croatia's Petra Martic, Veronika Kudermetova, Gauff, Martic, Jessica Pegula, Anna Blinkova, Pegula, Jelena Ostapenko, Iga Swiatek, Varvara Gracheva, Elena Rybakina, Tatjana Maria, Marta Kostyuk, Trevor Stynes, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Pritha Sarkar Organizations: China, Tokyo, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Russian, Cincinnati, Chengdu, Indian

☆ Swiatek on board with WTA's performance byes
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Shrivathsa Sridhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Byes are usually reserved for top seeds at events but the performance rule meant world number two Swiatek, who lost in the Tokyo quarters, went into the first round in China. World number one Aryna Sabalenka and number three Coco Gauff missed out on byes as they had not played since the U.S. Open. The Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo was a WTA 500 event, while the China Open is a WTA 1000 tournament. The WTA said it would continue to implement performance byes on a trial basis at its events during the rest of the season and throughout 2024, with adjustments made when required. Elena Rybakina pulled out of last week's Pan Pacific Open citing fitness issues, days after slamming the women's governing body for the introduction of performance byes at the event.

Persons: Iga, Slovenia's Kaja Juvan, Brendan Mcdermid, Swiatek, Jessica Pegula, Maria Sakkari, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Veronika Kudermetova, Coco Gauff, it's, Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, Sakkari, Caroline Garcia, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Peter Rutherford, Pritha Organizations: Tennis, Slovenia's Kaja Juvan REUTERS, Tokyo, U.S ., Pan, WTA, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Flushing Meadows , New York, United States, Tokyo, China, Guadalajara, Mexico, Bengaluru

☆ Medvedev books China Open semi-final with familiar foe Zverev
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"I'm happy that I managed to raise my level in important moments, except a game in the second set," Medvedev said. "It's great that I managed to still find in this tough match these moments of consistency, which is enough to win. The 10th-ranked German has lost three times to Medvedev this year but flipped the script in their last meeting in Cincinnati. I'm really happy with that. The Tunisian, who is looking to qualify for the season-ending WTA Finals, plays Marta Kostyuk in the second round.

Persons: Russia's Daniil Medvedev, France's Ugo Humbert REUTERS, Florence Lo, Daniil Medvedev, Ugo Humbert 6, Alexander Zverev, Medvedev, Humbert, Zverev, Chile's Nicolas Jarry, it's, He's, Carlos Alcaraz, Casper Ruud, Grigor Dimitrov, Jannik, Spain's Sara Sorribes Tormo, Frenchwoman Varvara Gracheva, I've, Swiatek, I'm, Coco Gauff, Ekaterina Alexandrova, Ashlyn Krueger, She's, Marta Kostyuk, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Clare Fallon Organizations: China, National Tennis Center, Rights, Chile's, Beijing, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING, Rotterdam, Doha, Dubai, Miami, Russian, Chengdu, Cincinnati, Ningbo, Osaka, Bengaluru

☆ Sabalenka shines in first match as No. 1, Vondrousova crashes in Beijing
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The win handed Belarusian Sabalenka a measure of redemption following a stunning defeat by the 2020 Australian Open champion in the Rome second round earlier this season. "I'm super happy with the win, I think I played really great tennis today," Sabalenka said. But it was the end of the road for Czech world number eight Vondrousova, who fell to Rome runner-up Kalinina despite making a strong start to their first tour-level meeting. "Today was a perfect match for me," said Alcaraz, who is making his debut in Beijing. It was a great match.

Persons: Coco Gauff, USTA Billie Jean King, Danielle Parhizkaran, Aryna Sabalenka, Sofia Kenin, Marketa Vondrousova, Katie Boulter, Magdalena Frech, Sabalenka, Kalinina, Carlos Alcaraz, Lorenzo Musetti, Alcaraz, Casper Ruud, Tomas Martin Etcheverry, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Clare Fallon Organizations: USTA Billie, USTA Billie Jean King Tennis Center, Rights, Sofia, China, Wimbledon, U.S, Belarusian, Thomson Locations: Flushing , NY, USA, United States, Rights BEIJING, Beijing, China, Rome, Czech, Bengaluru

☆ Flawless Kudermetova dismantles Pegula to claim Tokyo title
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

It was Kudermetova's second win over Pegula this season - following her victory in the Madrid quarter-finals - and a fifth win in her last six matches against top-10 opponents. It's my second title and I'm proud of myself," said Kudermetova, whose previous title was also a WTA 500 crown at Charleston in 2021. "I prepared myself for a tough match as Jessica is a great player and a great fighter... Pegula counted the positives after a good week in which she did not drop a set until the final. "It's always great to give yourself a chance to win the tournament," Pegula said.

Persons: Russia's Veronika Kudermetova, Jessica Pegula, Androniki, Veronika Kudermetova, Iga, I'm, Jessica, It's, Pegula, Aryna, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina, Shrivathsa Sridhar, William Mallard, Michael Perry Organizations: Pan, Ariake, U.S, REUTERS, Rights, Pan Pacific, Charleston, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, American, Russian, Madrid, Beijing, Cancun , Mexico, Bengaluru

☆ Pegula books clash with Kudermetova in Tokyo final
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The 29-year-old American, gunning for her second title of the season following her triumph in Montreal, will take on Russian Veronika Kudermetova on Sunday. The pair traded breaks early in the second set before Pegula stepped up the pressure again, firing a sizzling forehand winner en route to a 4-2 lead. Pegula finished the job when she forced Sakkari into making a mistake from the back of the court. Earlier, Kudermetova outlasted former French Open runner-up Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-6(6) 6-7(2) 6-3 in a gruelling battle lasting three hours and 25 minutes to make her second final of the season. "But today I'm really happy that I managed to win the match and to be in the final."

Persons: Jessica Pegula, Greece's Maria Sakkari, Androniki, Maria Sakkari, gunning, Russian Veronika Kudermetova, Pegula, Sakkari, Kudermetova, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Roland Garros, Shrivathsa Sridhar, William Mallard Organizations: Pan, Ariake, Greece's Maria Sakkari REUTERS, Rights, Pan Pacific, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, United, Montreal, Russian, Guadalajara, Bengaluru

☆ Djokovic says future looks bright after emergence of Alcaraz
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

But the Serbian bounced back to beat Alcaraz in a thrilling final at Cincinnati before going on to claim a record-equalling 24th major at the U.S. Open earlier this month. "I think tennis, definitely the future is looking good with Carlos leading that field," Djokovic told Sky Sports during the All Star Match in the build-up to golf's 44th Ryder Cup. Djokovic and Alcaraz have split their four meetings on tour and the veteran hoped they would continue having matches. Grand Slams are the ones that count the most for me at this point of my career, they're the ones where I want to play my best tennis. "This year, (winning) three out of four Slams and another final, I couldn't ask for more."

Persons: Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Djokovic's, Carlos, Djokovic, We've, Roland Garros, I've, Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, Andy Murray, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Muralikumar Organizations: Wimbledon, Alcaraz, Cincinnati, U.S, Sky Sports, Ryder, Thomson Locations: tennis, Serbian, Cincinnati, Bengaluru

☆ Alcaraz says 'beautiful battle' with Djokovic drives him on
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Sept 27 (Reuters) - Carlos Alcaraz is relishing his "beautiful battle" with Novak Djokovic for the year-end world number one ranking, with the 20-year-old Spaniard saying on Wednesday it will give him extra motivation heading into the China Open. Ahead of his return to action in Beijing this week, world number two Alcaraz said he would be thinking about the top spot every time he trains and plays in a bid to close the gap on Djokovic. "We have a really beautiful battle to be world number one, especially after the great performance Novak had in America," Alcaraz told reporters, referring to Djokovic's triumphs in Cincinnati and Flushing Meadows. "Right now he's number one, so I come here with extra motivation to try to get him back and place first in the race. Alcaraz is joined in a strong Beijing field by several big names including world number three Daniil Medvedev, who beat him in the U.S. Open semi-finals.

Persons: Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Alcaraz, Novak, It's, Daniil Medvedev, Yannick Hanfmann, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Christian Radnedge Organizations: China, Wimbledon, U.S, German, Thomson Locations: Beijing, America, Cincinnati, Flushing Meadows, Bengaluru

☆ China's Wang claims maiden WTA title in Guangzhou
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The 22-year-old Wang's victory marked the fourth time that a Chinese player has been crowned champion in Guangzhou, following Wang Qiang (2018), Zhang Shuai (2013, 2017) and Li Na (2004). "It was very exciting and it's a very emotional moment because in this tournament, every player is really tough," Wang said. "I wanted a title from the first day, even when I started tennis. China last hosted a WTA tournament in 2019, before the COVID crisis wreaked havoc on the global sports schedule. The WTA was widely praised for suspending tournaments in China but reversed its decision in April.

Persons: Wang Xiyu, Russia's Mirra Andreeva, Toby Melville, Magda Linette, Wang Qiang, Zhang Shuai, Li Na, Wang, I'm, Zhu Lin, Hua Hin, Zheng Qinwen, Peng Shuai, Peng, Shrivathsa Sridhar Organizations: Lawn Tennis, Croquet Club, WTA, Guangzhou, women's, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Guangzhou, Palermo, China, Bengaluru

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