Four-time Australian Open champion Roger Federer has survived a mid-match scare to grind out a place in the Australian Open final over Switzerland’s Stan Wawrinka 7-5, 6-3, 1-6, 4-6, 6-3. “In the fifth, I just knew I had to find my energy again… play with intensity, play more aggressive, take the ball early, believe in … Read more
Venus and Serena Williams will meet in a Grand Slam final for the ninth time after the American sisters came through their semi-finals in Melbourne. Thirteenth seed Venus, 36, beat fellow American Coco Vandeweghe 6-7 (3-7) 6-2 6-3 to reach her first major final since 2009. World number two Serena, 35, saw off unseeded Croat … Read more
Defending champion Novak Djokovic suffered a shock defeat by world number 117 Denis Istomin in the second round of the Australian Open. The six-time winner struggled for rhythm and lost 7-6 (10-8) 5-7 2-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 in four hours and 48 minutes. It is the first time Djokovic, 29, has lost in the second … Read more
Six-time Australian Open champion Serena Williams progressed to the second round with a straight-set win over Swiss teenager Belinda Bencic. The American, 35, won 6-4 6-3 in one hour and 19 minutes against the 19-year-old in Melbourne on Tuesday. The world number two, who is chasing a record 23rd singles Grand Slam title, said she … Read more
Novak Djokovic withstood a comeback from Sir Andy Murray to defend his Qatar Open title and end the Briton’s winning streak of 28 consecutive ATP Tour matches. Murray remains world number one despite the 6-3 5-7 6-4 defeat by the Serbian world number two. The Scot saved three match points to come from a set … Read more
He will miss the Australian Open due to injury concerns Olympic silver medallist Juan Martin del Potro will miss the Australian Open next month and the Auckland Classic in New Zealand due to fitness concerns. The 28-year-old has struggled with wrist problems since reaching a career-high fourth in the world in 2010. After missing most … Read more
Former world number one has recorded a poor run of results in the last four weeks Twelve-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic has parted company with coach Boris Becker. Djokovic has worked with the former Wimbledon, US and Australian Open winner for three years. The Serbian world number two won six Grand Slams under Becker … Read more
Some of women’s tennis’ best performers in recent years are missing from the year-end championships at the WTA finals in Singapore. Serena Williams — the record 22-time grand slam champion — continues to nurse a shoulder injury, Maria Sharapova is serving a drug suspension, Victoria Azarenka is pregnant and Petra Kvitova just didn’t do enough … Read more
Maria Sharapova’s two-year doping ban has been reduced to 15 months following her appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The five-time Grand Slam winner, 29, was initially banned by the International Tennis Federation for two years after testing positive for meldonium at the 2016 Australian Open. The Russian will be able to return … Read more
Maria Sharapova’s two-year doping ban has been reduced to 15 months following her appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The five-time Grand Slam winner, 29, was initially banned by the International Tennis Federation for two years after testing positive for meldonium at the 2016 Australian Open. The Russian will be able to return … Read more
Czech 10th seed Karolina Pliskova outplayed Serena Williams to reach the US Open final and end the American’s reign as world number one. Williams, 34, double-faulted on match point to lose 6-2 7-6 (7-5), and Pliskova will face German second seed Angelique Kerber in the final. The result guarantees that Kerber will overtake Williams at … Read more