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☆ Nadal Prepares His Comeback. But Can He Be Rafa Again?
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Joshua Robinson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The strangest year of Rafael Nadal’s career—the one where he played no competitive tennis for the first time since childhood—is about to come to an end. The 22-time major tournament winner is planning to return from injury for one last lap around the pro circuit next month in Australia before he says farewell to the game. But after 12 months away and a painstaking process to rehabilitate nearly every part of his body, even Nadal isn’t sure what to expect. In an ideal world, he would find his feet again, round into form for the clay-court season, delight his fans at the French Open, and possibly sign off with Olympic gold at Paris 2024, when the tournament will be held on the red courts at Roland-Garros that became his living room.

Persons: Rafael Nadal’s, —, Nadal, Garros Organizations: Paris, Roland Locations: Australia

☆ Jannik Sinner: Why the Carota Boys are ‘finding a lot of love’ for Italian tennis star
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Go to a major tennis tournament and it’s hard to miss the Carota Boys, a team of six men decked in full-body, bright-orange carrot costumes. It’s only over the past seven or so months that the Carota Boys’ love for Sinner has really blossomed, endearing themselves to the tennis public in the process. The conception of the Carota Boys originates with the friends’ tradition of buying tickets for tennis tournaments to celebrate each other’s birthdays. The Carota Boys attend the ATP Tour Finals in Turin, Italy, watching Sinner take on Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas. “Jannik and all the Carota Boys are born in a place near the mountains.

Persons: Sinner, – Lorenzo Ferrato, Francesco Gaboardi, Gianluca Bertorello, Enrico Ponsi, Alessandro Dedominici, Alberto Mondino –, TIZIANA FABI, Ferrato, Lavazza, Novak Djokovic, “, ” Ferrato, “ Jannik, Clive Brunskill, “ Let’s, let’s, we’ve, Jannik, ”, Valentino Rossi, Max, Michael, Schumacher, Daniil Medvedev, Valerio Pennicino, Carlos Alcaraz, Denmark’s Holger Rune, Djokovic, ” Djokovic, he’s, Sinner’s Organizations: CNN, Carota Boys, ATP, Getty, CNN Sport, Boys, Wimbledon, Davis, ITF Gaboardi, Italy, Australia, “ Locations: Italy, It’s, Turin, Revello, Rome, AFP, Vienna, Austria, Paris, London, New York, Malaga, Spain, Formula

☆ Rafael Nadal to make his tennis comeback in Brisbane next month
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Samuel Joseph | Sam Joseph | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Tennis great Rafael Nadal has said he will make his long-awaited return from injury at the Brisbane International in January. “After a year away from competition, it’s time to come back,” Nadal said in a video posted on multiple social media platforms Friday. “It will be in Brisbane the first week of January.”Nadal last competed at the Australian Open in January. He is also widely expected to make a grand slam return at the Australian Open. In October, before Nadal had officially announced a comeback, tournament director and Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley stated that Nadal would be among the field at the 2024 edition of the competition.

Persons: Rafael Nadal, “, ” Nadal, American Mackenzie McDonald, Nadal, Hannah Mckay, ”, Craig Tiley Organizations: CNN, Tennis, Brisbane International, American, Rome, McDonald, Tennis Australia, Nadal Locations: Brisbane, Madrid

☆ Novak Djokovic wins record seventh ATP Finals title after defeating Jannik Sinner to cap stunning year for world No. 1
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Novak Djokovic won an outright record seventh title at the ATP Finals on Sunday, defeating Jannik Sinner 6-3 6-3 in Turin, Italy. The victory capped off a stunning year for Djokovic, adding to the grand slam titles he won at the Australian, French and US Opens. “Playing Sinner tonight in front of his home crowd and the way I finished the tournament and finished the season is amazing,” Djokovic told reporters. 4 Sinner had beaten Djokovic earlier in the tournament but the Serbian star was comfortably the better player in Sunday’s final. Now, the 24-time grand slam champion can begin to turn his attentions to next year’s lofty goals.

Persons: CNN — Novak Djokovic, Jannik, “, ” Djokovic, Sinner, Djokovic, Novak, Roger Federer, that’s, Carlos Alcaraz, Holger Rune, I’ll, you’re, ” Organizations: CNN, ATP, Djokovic, Paris, Wimbledon, ” Locations: Turin, Italy, Serbian, Sunday’s, Danish

☆ Djokovic looking to cap off 'almost perfect' year with ATP finals win
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Djokovic has won the Australian Open, French Open and U.S. Open this year to take his tally up to 24 Grand Slam titles and overtake rival Rafa Nadal. He also surpassed Steffi Graf's record for the most weeks as world number one. "I had an almost perfect season, Grand Slam season," Djokovic told reporters after his 6-3 6-2 win over Alcaraz on Saturday. Djokovic will take on local favourite Sinner in the final later on Sunday, where the world number one will be out for revenge after losing to the Italian in the group stage. "But I don't think it's going to prevail because he's been playing well, he's going to have crowd on his side.

Persons: Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Sinner, Djokovic, Rafa Nadal, Steffi Graf's, I'm, I've, he's, Aadi Nair, Kim Coghill Organizations: Alcaraz, Won, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

The top-ranked Djokovic won a record-breaking seventh ATP Finals title on Sunday with a straight-set victory over home favorite Jannik Sinner. Djokovic took 1 hour, 43 minutes to win 6-3, 6-3 as the Serbian continues to reach new heights at the age of 36. 1 ranking for a record-extending eighth time by winning his opening match at the ATP Finals. After this tournament, Djokovic will become the first player to hold the No. It was also only the second time in the last 15 years that a player has made the finals of all four Grand Slam tournaments and the ATP Finals.

Persons: — Novak Djokovic, Djokovic, Rafael Nadal's, Carlos Alcaraz, I’ve, ” Djokovic, “, Roger Federer, Alcaraz, Medvedev, Sinner, ___ Organizations: Wimbledon, U.S ., Sunday's, Djokovic, ATP Locations: TURIN, Italy, Serbian, Jannik, Turin

Rafael Nadal is sure he'll be returning to competition after missing nearly all of 2023 with a hip injury that required surgery. And now he says he'll be revealing his comeback plans soon. Nadal wrote Thursday on social media: “I confirmed yesterday I'll be back” and punctuated that message with a smiling emoji. Next season begins in late December, with the year's first major tournament, the Australian Open, scheduled to begin main-draw matches on Jan. 14. He won the Australian Open, French Open and U.S. Open and reached the final at Wimbledon.

Persons: Rafael Nadal, he'll, Nadal, “, he’ll, ” Novak Djokovic, Mackenzie McDonald, he's, ” Nadal, Roger Federer, Djokovic, ” Djokovic, ” Organizations: ATP, Nadal, Wimbledon Locations: Turin, Italy, Barcelona, Spanish, Serbia

☆ ATP Finals: Carlos Alcaraz beaten by Alexander Zverev on tournament debut
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Carlos Alcaraz suffered defeat on his ATP Finals debut on Monday, as Alexander Zverev battled back from a set down to win 6-7 (3-7) 6-3 6-4. “It’s the only tournament where a loss does not knock you out,” Alcaraz said, per the ATP. At the end of the second set and the start of the third, I hit three or four shots out straight away. “I watch Novak, for example, and he doesn’t give anything away straight away. My consistency was really lacking against Zverev.”Alcaraz hadn’t played since that shock defeat Safiullin on October 31 after being forced to withdraw from an ATP tournament in Basel with foot and back injuries.

Persons: CNN — Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, Grigor Dimitrov, Roman Safiullin, Alcaraz, Andrey Rublev, “, ” Alcaraz, Novak, Alcaraz hadn’t, Safiullin, Clive Brunskill, he’s, “ It’s, ”, ” Zverev, Zverev, Daniil Medvedev Organizations: CNN, ATP, Shanghai, Paris, Zverev Locations: Turin, Italy, Basel, China, Germany, Paris

☆ Raducanu withdraws from Macau exhibition match
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Tennis - WTA 500 - Stuttgart Open - Porsche Arena, Stuttgart, Germany - April 18, 2023 Britain's Emma Raducanu during her round of 32 match against Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko REUTERS/Angelika Warmuth/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 13 (Reuters) - Former U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu has pulled out of a December exhibition match at the Macau Tennis Masters as she continues to recover from wrist and ankle surgery, her management company IMG said on Monday. Raducanu was poised to return to action after her May surgeries but, on her 21st birthday, has decided to extend her time on the sidelines. Raducanu started light training in August and said she is targeting a comeback for next season. The inaugural Grand Slam of the year kicks off in Australia on Jan. 15. Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk; Editing by Ken FerrisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Emma Raducanu, Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko REUTERS, Angelika Warmuth, Raducanu, Tommy Lund, Ken Ferris Organizations: Porsche, Former U.S, Macau Tennis Masters, IMG, Briton, Wimbledon, Thomson Locations: Stuttgart, Germany, Former, New York, Australia, Gdansk

☆ Naomi Osaka set to return to tennis at Brisbane International less than six months after giving birth
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Four-time grand slam champion Naomi Osaka is set to return to tennis at the Brisbane International less than six months after giving birth. “I am really excited about getting back out on court and competing,” the 26-year-old Osaka said. “I always love starting my season in Brisbane and can’t wait to return. Two of Osaka’s four grand slam titles have come Down Under, her most recent victory coming in 2021. Osaka said in an interview with ESPN last month that she intends to play a busy schedule in 2024.

Persons: Naomi Osaka, hasn’t, Cordae, “, Osaka, ”, Matthew Stockman, Andy Murray, he’ll, Holger Rune Organizations: CNN, Brisbane International, WTA, Brisbane, ESPN, Osaka, Getty Locations: Osaka, Brisbane

☆ 15 Years After Novak Djokovic Won His First ATP Finals, He’s Still Dominant
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Cindy Shmerler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

For Novak Djokovic, his 2008 season, just a few years after he turned pro, was great by any measure. He not only won his first of six ATP Finals, but he began 2008 taking the Australian Open, the first of his 10 titles there and what would become 24 major championships overall. In the semifinals he upset the top seed, Roger Federer, and beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the final. By season’s end, Djokovic had won two other tournaments, including Masters 1000s in Indian Wells and Rome. That year solidified Djokovic as a bona fide member of what was to become known as the Big Three, alongside Federer and Nadal.

Persons: Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Jo, Wilfried Tsonga, Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Federer, Nadal Organizations: United States, Federer Locations: Indian Wells, Rome

☆ Slovenia beat Australia in BJK Finals opener
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Kaja Juvan got outsiders Slovenia off to a flyer with a 6-4 6-1 defeat of a rusty Ajla Tomljanovic. Former French Open semi-finalist Tamara Zidansek then overcame Daria Saville 6-1 6-4 to give Slovenia an unassailable lead, although a doubles rubber was still to be played. A strong-looking Kazakhstan team are the other country in Group B. The 12 qualifying nations are split into four sections of three with the group winners progressing to the semi-finals. Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Ken FerrisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Billie Jean King, Tamara Zidansek, Australia's Daria Saville, Marcelo Del Pozo, Kaja Juvan, Daria Saville, Martyn Herman, Ken Ferris Organizations: La, Billie Jean King Cup, Australia, French, Kazakhstan, Switzerland, Thomson Locations: Seville, Spain, Slovenia, Czech Republic

☆ Iga Świątek regains world No. 1 ranking after thrashing Jessica Pegula to win WTA Finals title
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Iga Świątek brushed aside Jessica Pegula to win the WTA Finals on Monday and return to the top of the world rankings. The win means Świątek replaces Aryna Sabalenka as the world No. “Coming back to world number one, it’s a dream come true, for sure,” Swiatek told reporters after winning her first WTA Finals title. So I’m really happy.”Since her last-16 defeat at the US Open, Świątek has won 12 out of the 13 matches she’s played, picking up titles at the China Open and now Cancún. It capped off a controversial WTA Finals, with players unhappy with the organisation of the event, run by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA).

Persons: Jessica Pegula, Sabalenka, ” Swiatek, “, I’m, Świątek, she’s, “ We’ve, Matthew Stockman, ”, Pegula, Martina Navratilova, Steve Simon, Simon, ” Świątek Organizations: CNN, WTA, China, Getty, Women’s Tennis Association, Tennis, Amazon, Sports Locations: Cancún, Mexico

☆ Swiatek wins WTA Finals, regains world number one ranking
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/8] Tennis - WTA Finals - Cancun, Mexico - November 6, 2023 Poland's Iga Swiatek celebrates with the trophy after winning her final match against Jessica Pegula of the U.S. REUTERS/Henry Romero Acquire Licensing RightsNov 6 (Reuters) - Iga Swiatek dominated American Jessica Pegula 6-1 6-0 to win the season-ending WTA Finals in Cancun on Monday and regain her world number one ranking from Aryna Sabalenka. The Pole broke Pegula five times and won the final 11 games in a 59-minute slaughter to capture her first WTA Finals title in a match delayed by a day due to rain. "I want to thank my team who have been with me for the whole season," Swiatek said during the trophy ceremony. The 29-year-old Pegula, who struggled on her serve and failed to match Swiatek's energy level, was gracious in defeat. "Congrats on ending the year number one and winning this tournament, it's really incredible" she said.

Persons: Iga, Jessica Pegula, Henry Romero, Swiatek, Aryna, We've, it's, Rory Carroll, Ken Ferris Organizations: U.S, REUTERS, WTA, U.S ., Thomson Locations: Cancun, Mexico, Los Angeles

CANCUN, Mexico (AP) — Iga Swiatek earned her first WTA Finals title and the year-end No. She is the youngest WTA Finals champion since Petra Kvitova was 21 in 2011. Pegula called it “an amazing year.”“You continue to push me to be a better player every single year,” Pegula said. In Cancun, Swiatek defeated Sabalenka in a semifinal that began Saturday, was suspended by rain, then finished on Sunday. The singles and doubles title matches both originally were scheduled to be contested Sunday, then were pushed back after a series of showers affected play during the WTA Finals.

Persons: Iga Swiatek, Jessica Pegula, Swiatek, Pegula, Justine Henin, “ We've, ” Swiatek, Petra Kvitova, ”, ” Pegula, “, that’s, Aryna Sabalenka, Sabalenka, Pegula hadn't, Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina, Laura Siegemund, Vera Zvonareva, Nicole Melichar, Martinez, Ellen Perez, hasn't Organizations: WTA, tennis, U.S ., Russia Locations: CANCUN, Mexico, Poland, Cancun, U.S, New York, Florida, Germany, Australia

☆ Swiatek overcomes early deficit to beat Vondrousova at WTA Finals
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 30 (Reuters) - Iga Swiatek erased a 5-2 first set deficit and ultimately rolled to a 7-6(3) 6-0 win over Marketa Vondrousova in the Pole's first match of the group stage of the season-ending WTA Finals in Cancun on Monday. Swiatek completed the first set comeback on a double fault and a disillusioned Vondrousova went quietly in the second set. She came into her third WTA Finals with a ton of momentum, however, after winning her first WTA 1000 title of the season in Beijing, and has a chance to retake the top spot from Aryna Sabalenka in Cancun. Vondrousova, who made her top-10 debut after emerging as the surprise winner of Wimbledon, is making her first appearance at the season-ending Finals, which features the top eight singles players and doubles teams in the world. Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Editing by Muralikumar AnantharamanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Marketa, Swiatek, Vondrousova, Rory Carroll, Muralikumar Organizations: Wimbledon, Thomson Locations: Cancun, Beijing, Vondrousova, Los Angeles

☆ Coco Gauff thrashes Ons Jabeur in near-perfect start to WTA Finals campaign
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

7 Ons Jabeur, needing less than an hour to win 6-0, 6-1 in her first match of this year’s WTA Finals on Monday. The American won the first seven games of the match before Jabeur was momentarily saved by a lengthy rain delay in Cancun, Mexico. After returning to court, Jabeur finally won a game, but the respite was short-lived as third-seed Gauff raced to a straight-sets victory. French Open champion Świątek also started her WTA Finals campaign with a win, fighting back from 5-2 down in the first set to beat Wimbledon champion Markéta Vondroušová 7-6 (7-3) 6-0. “She played a correct match, didn’t make a lot of mistakes.

Persons: Coco Gauff, Jabeur, Gauff, ” Gauff, I’m, Billie Jean King Trophy, Iga Świątek, Świątek, Markéta, Clive Brunskill, Caroline Wozniacki, “, ” Jabeur Organizations: CNN, American, WTA, Gauff, Wimbledon, Pere Riba Locations: Cancun , Mexico

☆ 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

☆ WTA Finals: How to watch and everything you need to know
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —After a season filled with absorbing storylines, the top players on tour will converge at the WTA Finals this week with the year-end No. After reaching at least the semifinals in every grand slam and winning the Australian Open, Sabalenka is currently the world No. 1 and will be joined by Wimbledon champion Markéta Vondroušová, US Open champion Coco Gauff, French Open champion Świątek, Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur, Elena Rybakina and US star Jessica Pegula. In one group Sabalenka, Rybakina, Pegula and Sakkari will face each other while Swiatek, Gauff, Jabeur and Vondrousova will play each other in the other. Sabalenka defeated Rybakina in the Australian Open earlier this year, while Rybakina exacted her revenge in the Indian Wells final.

Persons: Coco Gauff, Świątek, Markéta Vondroušová, Elena Rybakina, Jessica Pegula, Swiatek, Emmanuel Wong, Muchová, Greece’s Maria Sakkari, Vondrousova, Sabalenka, Rybakina, “ I’m, ” Gauff, ” Coco Gauff, Gauff, Elise Mertens, Storm Hunter, Veronika Kudermetova Organizations: CNN, WTA, Tennis, Tennis Channel, Amazon Prime, Wimbledon, Świątek, Getty, Indian Wells, “ Locations: USA, Ireland, French, Indian, Cancun, Mexico, Guadalajara

☆ WTA Finals: Records, history and the evolution of showpiece event of women’s tennis
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —By pitting the world’s best players against each other every year, the WTA Finals have been a celebration of women’s tennis for over half a century. The end-of-year championship sees the eight top-ranked singles players and eight top-ranked doubles pairings battle it out to be crowned the ultimate champions of the year. In 1973, after a meeting with more than 60 other players, King founded the WTA – a new tour uniting all of women’s professional tennis. Mark Foley/APWith women’s tennis entering a new, more prosperous era, the WTA Finals returned for a second year. This year’s WTA Finals begin on October 29, with the final taking place on November 5.

Persons: Chris Evert, Billie Jean King, King, Bobby Riggs, ” Chris Evert, Mark Foley, Evert, Serena Williams, Julian Finney, Monica Seles ’, Gabriela Sabatini, Caroline Garcia, Aryna Sabalenka, Markéta Vondroušová, Coco Gauff, Iga Świątek, Elena Rybakina, Jessica Pegula, Muchová, Greece’s Maria Sakkari, Aryna, Sarah Stier, Gauff, Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf, Margaret Court, Virginia Wade Organizations: CNN, WTA, Virginia Slims, American, women’s, Garden, Apple, Getty, Guadalajara, Wimbledon Locations: Boca Raton , Florida, “, Los Angeles, New York’s, Oakland, Spain, Turkey, Singapore, Cancun , Mexico, Mexico, French

☆ 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

☆ Coco Gauff loses to Iga Świątek at China Open to snap 16-match win streak
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

2 Iga Świątek in the semifinals of the China Open on Saturday, ending her 16-match win streak. But that all came to end as Świątek cruised to a 6-2 6-3 win against the American in Beijing. “I’m really proud of myself,” Gauff said afterwards, according to the China Open. They have faced each other more than any other opponent and the match almost always ends in Świątek favor. 22 Liudmila Samsonova for the China Open title on Sunday.

Persons: Coco Gauff, Gauff, Serena Williams, Świątek, “ I’m, ” Gauff, ”, Florence Lo, Reuters Świątek, I’m, ” Świątek, “ It’s Organizations: CNN, China, WTA, Reuters Locations: American, Beijing, Świątek

☆ 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

☆ Australian Open adds an extra day to stop matches going late into the night
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The Australian Open will add an extra day to its schedule next year in a bid to reduce pressure on players and fans following a series of punishing matches in recent years that ended well into the early hours. The Australian Open has a demanding schedule in the early rounds of the tournament; five matches are regularly played each day on the show courts – three during the day session and two at night. But organizers did not mention whether there would be a cutoff time for night matches. The lack of a time cap in tennis means matches last as long as it takes players to win. Three out of the four grand slams – the Australian Open, the French Open and the US Open – currently schedule night sessions, while Wimbledon ends evening sessions at 11 p.m. with unfinished matches resuming the following day.

Persons: Andy Murray, Thanasi Kokkinakis, Murray, fuming, “ We’ve, Craig Tiley, Kokkinakis, William West, Lleyton Hewitt, Marcos Baghdatis, Roger Federer, Janko Tipsarevic, John Isner, Nicolas Mahut Organizations: CNN, Getty, Wimbledon Locations: Melbourne, AFP, Europe, North America, French

☆ Serbian president says reports about troop build up on the Kosovo border ‘not fully accurate’
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Sugam Pokharel Claire Calzonetti Duarte Mendonca Sana Noor Haq | Sugam Pokharel | Claire Calzonetti | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Soldiers with the NATO-led international peacekeeping force, the Kosovo Force, in the ethnically divided city of Mitrovica, in northern Kosovo, on September 28. A top Kosovo Serb politician, Milan Radoicic said this weekend that he took part in the gun battle, Reuters reported. The confrontation comes months after ethnic Serbs attacked dozens of NATO peacekeepers in the town of Zvecan, in northern Kosovo, in May. The violence has ratcheted tensions in the Balkan region as the EU and US mediators attempt to finalize yearslong talks to normalize ties between Serbia and Kosovo. Following his first-round victory against American Aleksandar Kovacevic, Djokovic wrote “Kosovo is the [heart] of Serbia.

Persons: Aleksandar Vučić, CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Vučić, “, ” Vučić, Stringer, Vjosa Osmani, Milan Radoicic, Radoicic, “ I’m, yearslong, Novak Djokovic, Djokovic, American Aleksandar Kovacevic Organizations: CNN, Serbian, NSC, National Security Council, NATO, ”, Kosovo Force, Getty, Kosovar, Kosovo Serb, Reuters, European, EU, American, “ Locations: Serbian, Kosovo, United States, Mitrovica, AFP, Serbia, Banjska, Belgrade, European Union, Brussels, Pristina, Zvecan, “ Kosovo

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