Professional Tennis
It is just a couple of days into the 2016 tennis season, but the upsets have already begun. On Tuesday, top-seeded American Venus Williams and second-seeded Serb Ana Ivanovic were both ousted in the first-round of the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand. Following a resurgent 2015 season, a lot of people were expecting big…
Defending champion Maria Sharapova and top-seed Simona Halep both withdrew from the Brisbane International due to injury, each announced Tuesday. “I hurt my forearm in practice a couple of days ago and need to precautionarily withdraw, with the Australian Open starting in just a matter of time,” said Sharapova, who was just hours away from…
American Sloane Stephens began her 2016 campaign with a victory on Monday, downing Slovenian Polona Hercog 6-3, 6-3 at the ASB Classic in Auckland, Australia. The fifth-seed Stephens raced out to an early lead, winning 12 of the first 13 points. And despite Hercog making a late surge in the opening set, Stephens closed out…
The Ukraine team beat the team from the United States on the second day of the Hopman Cup on Monday, led by Elina Svitolina and Alexandr Dolgopolov. American Serena Williams was schedule to play for the U.S., but withdrew before the contest because of knee inflammation, and Vicky Duval was tabbed to replace her in…
The 2016 tennis season is officially underway as a number of players head to tournaments to prepare for the year’s first Grand Slam, the Australian Open. The Brisbane International is always one that attracts a lot of top talent as is the case once again this year, and Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov and Belarusian Victoria Azarenka…
For months now, the Miami Open has been threatening to leave its home in Key Biscayne’s Crandon Park, and a Third District Court of Appeal decision on Wednesday may have pushed the tournament directors past the point of no return. The tournament and Miami-Dade County have an eight-year commitment, but the tournament says that the…
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic has been named the European Sportsman of the Year. The world number one earned the award that polled 22 different European news agencies, conducted by the Press Agency of Poland, receiving 199 votes. Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain finished in second while Track and Field star Dafne Schippers of…
France’s Richard Gasquet has withdrawn from the Australian Open with a back injury, tournament organizers announced via Twitter on Tuesday. “Sorry to report that [Gasquet] has withdrawn from the [Australian Open] with a back injury,” the official account of the Australian Open tweeted. “We wish him a speedy recovery.” Gasquet is currently ranked ninth in…
American Serena Williams’ banner 2015 season continued over the weekend as she was named the Associated Press (AP) Female Athlete of the Year for the fourth time in her career. The award is voted on by U.S. editors and news directors at AP, and Serena received 50 first-place votes, more than 36 more than soccer…
The Davis Cup tie between the United States and Australia on March 4-6 will be held at the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club in Melbourne, Australia, Tennis Australia announced on Thursday. The Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club is the former home of the Australian Open and is known as “The Spiritual Home of Australian Tennis”. The tie…