Tennis

Australian Open: Keys upsets 2-time champion Sabalenka in women’s final for 1st Grand Slam title

rbksa — Sat, 25 Jan 2025 10:58:41 +0000

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1737802435962955100

Sat, 2025-01-25 10:51

MELBOURNE: Madison Keys of the United States upset two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 in the Australian Open final on Saturday night to collect her first Grand Slam title at age 29.
By adding this win over the No. 1-ranked Sabalenka to an elimination of No. 2 Iga Swiatek in the semifinals on Thursday — saving a match point along the way — Keys is the first woman since Serena Williams in 2005 to defeat both of the WTA’s top two players at Melbourne Park.

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Sabalenka, Keys wind up for big-hitting Australian Open final

romulo — Sat, 25 Jan 2025 04:11:19 +0000

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AFP

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Sat, 2025-01-25 07:08

MELBOURNE: The irresistible force of Aryna Sabalenka meets the unbreakable spirit of Madison Keys on Saturday in an Australian Open women’s singles final that promises to be a thunderous slugfest.

Defending champion Sabalenka was hailed by beaten semifinalist Paula Badosa as being so good it was “like she’s playing a PlayStation” after dishing out a merciless straight-sets bludgeoning to her good friend.

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Sinner to meet Zverev in Australian Open final after Djokovic exit

rbksa — Fri, 24 Jan 2025 11:27:20 +0000

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AFP

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1737696272243288700

Fri, 2025-01-24 14:22

MELBOURNE: Defending champion Jannik Sinner blew past Ben Shelton 7-6 (7/2), 6-2, 6-2 in the Australian Open semifinals on Friday to set up a showdown with Alexander Zverev for the title.

The top-ranked Italian will face the German second seed, who went through to Sunday’s final when Novak Djokovic retired injured from their last-four clash.

Sinner had to save two set points in a tight opening act, but once he took it on a tiebreak he raced past the 22-year-old in 2hr 36min on Rod Laver Arena, despite cramping late in the match.

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Update

Australian Open: Keys upsets Swiatek and will face Sabalenka in the final

abdulkareem.aldaham — Fri, 24 Jan 2025 02:33:50 +0000

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Fri, 2025-01-24 05:31

MELBOURNE: When Madison Keys finally finished off her 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (10-8) upset of No. 2 Iga Swiatek in a high-intensity, high-quality Australian Open semifinal on Thursday night, saving a match point along the way, the 29-year-old American crouched on the court and placed a hand on her white hat.

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Sabalenka, Swiatek eye final showdown at Australian Open

abdulkareem.aldaham — Thu, 23 Jan 2025 01:39:07 +0000

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AFP

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Thu, 2025-01-23 04:37

MELBOURNE: Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek are clear favorites to win their respective semifinals on Thursday and set up a blockbuster Australian Open title decider.

The men’s finalists at Melbourne Park will be decided on Friday, leaving the women in the spotlight in a night-time double-header at Rod Laver Arena.

First up at 7:30 p.m. (0830 GMT) will be the world No. 1 and defending champion Sabalenka against Spain’s 11th seed Paula Badosa, followed on to the center court by five-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek against Madison Keys.

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Australian Open: Ben Shelton will face defending champion Jannik Sinner in the semifinals

rbksa — Wed, 22 Jan 2025 15:26:54 +0000

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By HOWARD FENDRICH | AP

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1737550742485477500

Wed, 2025-01-22 18:25

MELBOURNE: Ben Shelton’s Australian Open quarterfinal foe, Lorenzo Sonego, produced the shot of the tournament — diving to his left for a volley with so much spin that the ball bounced on one side of the net, then floated back over to the other — but it was the American who ended up with the victory Wednesday.
The left-handed Shelton did some entertaining of his own, including earning cheers by doing a couple of push-ups after tumbling in the concluding tiebreaker, and he reached his second Grand Slam semifinal at age 22 by beating the unseeded Sonego 6-4, 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (4).

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Djokovic tames Alcaraz; Sabalenka keeps Melbourne hat trick alive

Sajjadkk — Tue, 21 Jan 2025 19:30:12 +0000

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AFP

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Tue, 2025-01-21 22:25

MELBOURNE: Ageless Novak Djokovic won an epic generational clash against Carlos Alcaraz on Tuesday to stay on track for an 11th Australian Open title with Alexander Zverev next in the semifinals.

The 37-year-old Serb, who is chasing a record 25th Grand Slam crown, outlasted the Spaniard, 16 years his junior, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 despite having his left thigh heavily strapped.

It was a vintage 3hrs 37mins performance and put him into the last four at Melbourne Park for a 12th time, with only Roger Federer (15) doing so more often.

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Swiatek steps into unknown against Navarro in Melbourne quarters

Sajjadkk — Mon, 20 Jan 2025 19:07:25 +0000

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AFP

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Mon, 2025-01-20 22:03

MELBOURNE: Iga Swiatek said Monday she was stepping into the unknown against Emma Navarro after the pair had wildly contrasting runs to their Australian Open quarterfinal clash.

Swiatek showed no mercy to end “lucky loser” Eva Lys’s historic run, marching into the last eight 6-0, 6-1 in an hour.

All the Pole’s wins in Melbourne have come in straight sets and she has dropped only 11 games.

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Australian broadcaster apologizes to Djokovic, Serbian fans

rbksa — Mon, 20 Jan 2025 07:01:53 +0000

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Reuters

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Reuters

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1737356349002189800

Mon, 2025-01-20 06:37

MELBOURNE: Australian broadcaster Tony Jones has apologized to Novak Djokovic and fans of the Serbian for comments he made on TV on Friday night that the 10-times Australian Open champion considered “insulting and offensive.”
Djokovic declined to do the customary on-court interview after his fourth-round victory over Jiri Lehecka on Sunday pending a public apology from Jones and Australian broadcast rights holders Channel Nine.

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Elina Svitolina rallies to reach the Australian Open quarterfinals for the third time

rbksa — Mon, 20 Jan 2025 04:53:06 +0000

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Mon, 2025-01-20 03:49

MELBOURNE: Elina Svitolina was 4-1 down before she went on a roll and took 11 of the next 12 games in a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Veronika Kudermetova on Monday to reach the Australian Open quarterfinals for the third time.
The 30-year-old Ukrainian is into the last eight at a Grand Slam for the 12th time. It’s her first time back in the quarterfinals in Australia since 2019.

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Djokovic sets up Alcaraz clash, Sabalenka surges into quarters

Sajjadkk — Sun, 19 Jan 2025 18:50:17 +0000

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AFP

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Sun, 2025-01-19 21:45

MELBOURNE: Novak Djokovic surged into an Australian Open quarterfinal clash against Carlos Alcaraz with a dominant straight-sets victory on Sunday while women’s world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka was a ruthless winner.

Double defending champion Sabalenka is on a collision course with in-form world No. 3 Coco Gauff in the semifinals in Melbourne if both win in the last eight.

On the hottest day of the tournament so far with temperatures hitting 34 degrees Celsius, Alcaraz went through when Britain’s Jack Draper retired injured.

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Swiatek destroys Raducanu as Sinner steps up Melbourne defense

rbksa — Sat, 18 Jan 2025 05:56:11 +0000

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AFP

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AFP

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1737179469254315500

Sat, 2025-01-18 05:46

MELBOURNE: Iga Swiatek demolished Emma Raducanu on Saturday to sweep into the last 16 of the Australian Open, where Jannik Sinner will later step up his title defense and young tyro Learner Tien is also in action.
In a one-sided battle of former US Open champions, Swiatek romped to a 6-1, 6-0 triumph in a statement victory as she pursues a first Melbourne crown.
Emma Navarro, the eighth seed from the United States, joined the Pole in the second week of the first Grand Slam of the year with a gritty three-set win over Ons Jabeur. Sixth seed Elena Rybakina also advanced.

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Djokovic suggests ‘nice dancers’ should come on court between sets

rbksa — Fri, 17 Jan 2025 13:10:24 +0000

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AFP

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1737118935108248000

Fri, 2025-01-17 16:09

MELBOURNE: Novak Djokovic said on Friday that tennis needs to be “more fun” and suggested dancers should be brought on court during breaks.
The Serbian veteran said while the sport had a proud history and tradition, it had been slow in keeping pace with a new generation that does not have “a great attention span.”
He was commenting after admitting he got “hot-headed” with elements of the crowd during his Australian Open third-round win against 26th seed Tomas Machac.
Some light mid-match entertainment might also help fans and players relax, he said.

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Sabalenka fights on at Australian Open, Osaka bows out injured

rbksa — Fri, 17 Jan 2025 06:34:55 +0000

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1737095467435698200

Fri, 2025-01-17 06:28

MELBOURNE: Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka was pushed to the limit in setting up an Australian Open showdown with teenager Mirra Andreeva on Friday but Naomi Osaka’s run ended with an injury retirement in round three.
Also on day six in Melbourne, Carlos Alcaraz dropped a set before surging into the last 16 and Alexander Zverev staked his claim for a first major title with a third straight-sets victory.
Novak Djokovic later steps up his quest for a record 25th Grand Slam crown.

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Lebanese sensation Hady Habib’s historic journey comes to an end at Australian Open

bassam.zaazaa — Wed, 15 Jan 2025 17:06:31 +0000

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Arab News

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Wed, 2025-01-15 20:00

BEIRUT: The journey of Lebanon’s tennis sensation Hady Habib, who on Sunday became the first Lebanese to ever win a Grand Slam match, ended at the Australian Open after he lost to France’s Ugo Humbert on Wednesday.
In front of a large Lebanese audience in Melbourne that enthusiastically supported Habib, the 26-year-old Houston-born player ended what has been portrayed as a historic journey in the Australian Open tournament after losing three straight sets (3-6, 4-6, 4-6) in the second round.

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