Tennis News

In a surprising turn of events, Simona Halep’s untimely exit from the 2015 Australian Open has opened the doors for an all-Russian semi-final match-up between Maria Sharapova and Ekaterina Makarova. The two competitors eased into the final four in straight sets and will now contest their sixth meeting on the tour. Sharapova leads the head-to-head series 5-0 and will be looking to maintain that undefeated streak en route to the final.

Watch the match here: Sharapova v Makarova Live Stream

While many anticipated a thrilling battle on Rod Laver Arena, the quarter-final match-up between Maria Sharapova and Eugenie Bouchard was entirely one-sided in favour of the Russian. She hit 18 winners, won 84% of her first service points and converted four break points to defeat her Canadian adversary 6-3, 6-2 in 1 hour and 18 minutes.

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“I knew I had to play a really complete match,” Sharapova said in her post-match interview. “She’s someone who really goes after it and goes after her strokes, so I knew that the second and third balls would be really important. I knew I had to take time away from her and be aggressive – I wanted to get in the rallies a little bit, but I also wanted to do something on my own first few shots today.”

Earlier in the day, the first of the two women’s semi-finals featured a surprising upset, as one of the tournament’s favourites, Simona Halep, was ousted by 10th seed Ekaterina Makarova. It was a complete blowout, as the Russian won the match 6-4, 6-0 in just 69 minutes. While she did not play a fantastic match, it was Halep who played well below her regular standard.

“I was playing my best tennis, so maybe in the second set she was a little bit upset – maybe she didn’t understand what to do,” Makarova said. “But Simona is a great player. She had such a great season last year and can always turn the match around, no matter what the score, so I had to focus.”

This marks the sixth time that these two competitors will meet on the professional tour, with Sharapova maintaining an undefeated 5-0 record against her fellow Russian. Their last meeting on the tour took place in two years ago in Melbourne – a match that Sharapova dropped a mere four games in. While Makarova is paying some fantastic tennis, she is unlikely to win more than a set against the No. 2 seed.

Prediction: Maria Sharapova in Three Sets

Tuesday evening at the Australian Open brought about some surprising results, both in the women’s and men’s draws. On the ATP side, Tomas Berdych snapped a 17-match losing streak to Rafael Nadal with a straight sets victory to advance to the semi-finals. There, he will meet Andy Murray, who cruised past Nick Kyrgios in anticlimactic fashion.

Arguably the most impressive performance of the day was the Czech No. 1, who ended a near-decade long losing-streak to Nadal with an exceptional 6-2, 6-0, 7-6(5) win to reach the final four in Melbourne.

“It just was not my day,” said Nadal. “I didn’t play with the right intensity, with the right rhythm, and the opponent played better than me. You have to play well to win against a player like Tomas. I didn’t play my best today. He played better than me and that’s it. That’s sport.

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“Sometimes, almost every time, it is simple: the player who plays better, the player who is able to maintain the better rhythm, the better concentration, play with less mistakes, is the player who has more success. And today this player has been Tomas.”

Berdych’s win sets up an encounter with Andy Murray, whom he leads 6-4 in the head-to-head series. The British No. 1 and former three-time finalist set up the encounter when he defeated rising star nick Kyrgios in straight sets 6-3, 7-6(5), 6-3.

“I’m happy. It’s nice to be in the latter stages of a slam again,” said Murray. “I’m happy with that. Obviously we want to do the best possible, but all you can do is prepare as best you can, which I certainly did over the past few weeks and months, and have given myself an opportunity. Maybe I won’t play well in a couple of days; maybe I play great. I don’t know. But I’ve given myself a good opportunity again, and hopefully I can use it to my advantage.”

As for Kyrgios, he believes this is the start of a great year, and predicts that Andy Murray could possibly win the title in Australia.

“It was a really good experience,” said Kyrgios. “That was my first Aussie Open Grand Slam match playing on Rod Laver, so that was really cool. But he was way too good for me tonight. There are some things I can take from that match and get better at. He was just way too good for me. I said to him at the net, ‘This is your time; go get him.’ I think he’s got a really good chance of winning the whole thing.”

The men’s draw at the 2015 Australian Open was not the only one to feature surprising upsets that included bagel sets. In fact, the first major upset of the day took place on Rod Laver Arena, when Simona Halep won a total of 4 games to find herself prematurely ejected from the tournament at the hands of Ekaterina Makarova.

First on court that day was Halep and Makarova, which lasted just over an hour, and ended in surprisingly dominant fashion. It was a complete blowout, as the Russian won the match 6-4, 6-0 in just 1 hour and 9 minutes. While she did not play a fantastic match, it was Halep who played well below her regular standard.

“I practiced very well in the morning, but maybe I was a little bit too stressed before I started the match. I had a bad day,” Halep said in her presser. “But she played well and everything was going in for her, so she deserves to win. I’m really sad I couldn’t play my best tennis today, but that’s tennis.”

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Makarova will next come up against arguably the most successful Russian competitor in the history of the sport, Maria Sharapova. The second seed reached the semi-final stage of the tournament with a straightforward win against Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard. She closed out the match 6-3, 6-2 to edge closer to her sixth Grand Slam title.

“I knew I had to play a really complete match,” Sharapova said in her post-match interview. “She’s someone who really goes after it and goes after her strokes, so I knew that the second and third balls would be really important. I knew I had to take time away from her and be aggressive – I wanted to get in the rallies a little bit, but I also wanted to do something on my own first few shots today.”

After being handed a smooth draw through the first week of the 2015 Australian Open, Novak Djokovic will come under the threat of losing his first set of the tournament when he faces Canada’s Milos Raonic in the quarter-final stage. This marks the third time that the two competitors will meet on the professional circuit, with the Djokovic – Raonic Head to Head standing at 3-0 – all three of which took place last season.

Watch the match here: Djokovic v Raonic Live Stream

Up against the top-ranked player on te ATP Challengers circuit, Novak Djokovic took part in a reasonably competitive affair against Gilles Muller, defeating the former junior world no.1 in straight sets 6-4, 7-5, 7-5. Djokovic hit 47 winners, 15 aces, and won 82% of his first service points to maneuver into the final eight in Melbourne.

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“I haven’t dropped a set, I’m in the quarterfinals. Yes, I had tough matches the last two rounds, but I had quality opponents. I think I dropped serve only once during the whole tournament. That is a very encouraging fact. I have to motivate myself and obviously use the off days to work on a few things. There are a few things I think I can do better. Overall it’s a positive feeling going into the quarters.”

While Djokovic’s path to the quarter-finals was a simple one, his opponent Milos Raonic was forced to contest a five-set match against Spain’s Feliciano Lopez. The Canadian eventually edged out the victory 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 6-7(7), 6-3 to set up his match-up with Djokovic. While the Canadian is aware that he is up against an opponent he has never beaten before, he expects to play a different match this time around.

“I think I’m doing things differently. I’m moving better. I feel like I have it within myself. I just got to bring it out. I’m going to, like always, focus on myself first, make sure that I get my things in order, get my things organized, play my game, then throughout the match make the adjustments I have to.”

Of their three previous meetings, all of which Djokovic won in convincing fashion, Raonic was only ever able to snatch one set in their first ever encounter at the Rome Masters. Djokovic later won their French Open encounter in straight sets, and, to the surprise of many, stormed past the Canadian in the Paris Bercy final 6-2, 6-3. Raonic will be hard-pressed to defeat Djokovic, but considering the Serb has lost in the quarter-finals thrice previously, he may have more of a chance here than many will give him credit for.

Prediction: Novak Djokovic in Four Sets

After a relatively uneventful opening week of matches in terms of chemistry and starpower on both sides of the net, the final eight of the 2015 Australian Open will likely produce their fair share of fireworks given the matches scheduled to take place. Arguably the most intriguing on Wednesday will be the battle between defending champion Stan Wawrinka and US Open runner-up Kei Nishikori. This will mark the fourth time that the two will cross paths on the tour, with Wawrinka leading the head to head series 2-1. However, he did lose to Nishikori in their most recent meeting – the quarter-final round of the US Open last year.

Follow the quarter-final here: Wawrinka v Nishikori Live

While Wawrinka was more than capable of advancing to the quarter-finals in straight sets, he somehow found himself leading 2-1 and fighting for dear life to ensure that Guillermo Garcia-Lopez does not level the match in the fourth set tiebreaker. The Spaniard led 4-0 in that decisive breaker but allowed Wawrinka to level back at 6-6, and missed several set points, which allowed the Swiss No. 2 to regain his composure and serve out the contest 7-6(2), 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(8).

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“I did maybe two mistakes, then he start to play a little bit faster, a little bit more flat. I start to be on my defensive a little bit too much. Can be quick. But, no, I’m happy to get through. Was important to win that match again. Is great for me to be in quarterfinal and get there, still there.”

Wawrinka’s upcoming opponent had a far easier time on court. Japanese No. 1 Kei Nishikori defeated Spain’s David Ferrer in straight sets 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 to advance to the quarter-finals without much of a fight. Nishikori hit 43 winners, 7 aces, and wo 72% of his first service points to close out the match in 2 hours and 7 minutes, and prepare for the riveting encounter with the Swiss star.

“It’s going to be really tough match because I seen his play on TV couple matches. Even today he was playing really good. You know, he can hit balls forehand, backhand – great backhand actually. He can hit anywhere from even at the back. Yeah, it’s going to be tough match. But obviously I’m on quarterfinals, so never easy matches coming up. Hopefully I can play another good match.”

This will mark the fourth time that Nishikori and Wawrinka will cross paths on the professional tour, and could produce the most exciting battle of the tournament to date. While Wawrinka holds the 2-1 lead, Nishikori won their most recent meeting – a five-set thriller at the US Open last year to send himself to the semi-final stage of the event. Can he replicate that feat this time around in Melbourne?

Prediction: Kei Nishikori in Five Sets

While many anticipated the rekindling of an old rivalry between Victoria Azarenka and Serena Williams, last year’s runner-up Dominika Cibulkova derailed those plans with an incredible performance to reach the final eight in Melbourne. She will now go up against the American, whom she has never defeated on the tour. Williams leads the head-to-head series 4-0.

Follow the quarter-final here: Serena Williams v Cibulkova Live

The top seed rallied from a set down to defeat her French Open vanquisher Garbine Muguruza 2-6, 6-3, 6-2. She had to deal with a particularly aggressive Spaniard and was unable to find her rhythm until the midway point of the second set. Overall, Williams hit 41 winners, 17 aces and won 78% of her first service points to clouse out the match in exactly two hours.

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In another tough three-set battle on Rod Laver Arena, Dominika Cibulkova weathered a mid-match storm from Victoria Azarenka to defeat the former champion 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. She hit 44 winners, won 58% of her first service points, and converted 7 break points en route to 2 hour and 10 minute victory. It was undoubtedly Cibulkova’s biggest win since her run at this very tournament last year.

“I would say it was a high level of tennis. The first set, the way I played, was just really, really — no mistakes. I was going for my shots and I was just doing the right things. I was really putting her under so much pressure. And then — then she stepped up in the second set much more. She started to serve better and return better. So she kept me out of the — more behind the baseline.

“Then in the third set I just knew I have to go for it more than hundred percent. I knew I have to be much more aggressive and just stay there and to go for my shots. So, yeah, today was really, really tough one, but I managed to get through. It was such a good match.”

Williams and Cibulkova has crossed paths on four previous occasions on the professional tour, all of which Williams won in convincing fashion. Cibulkova has only ever taken one set off the American but is playing some of her best tennis since last year’s Australian Open. This could end up being another tight three-set encounter, but Williams should reach the semi-finals in the end.

Prediction: Serena Williams in Three Sets

Another generational battle is scheduled to grace Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday evening, as former world No. 1 Venus Williams meets fellow American rising star Madison Keys to determine who will advance to the semi-final stage of the tournament. This is just the second ever meeting between these two professionals, with Williams leading the head to head series 1-0 with a victory two years ago at Charleston.

Follow the QF match here: Venus Williams v Madison Keys Stream

Former Australian Open finalist Venus Williams weathered a second set storm from Radwanska to defeat the Polish No. 1 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 and advance to the final eight in Melbourne. She hit 43 winners, 6 aces, and converted 5 breaks of serve to close out the match in 2 hours and 5 minutes. Williams will next face Madison Keys, who is coached by a player that Williams is all too familiar with.

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“Lindsay comments on so many matches, so I know that she I’m sure knows everyone’s game. I’m sure that’s why Madison is playing so well. I think my game has changed a lot since I used to play Lindsay, as well. I feel like I’m continually evolving, adding things to my game. I don’t think it’s the same report as it would have been at that time, however many years ago that was.”

Up against a fellow American named Madison, Keys defeated Brengle 6-2, 6-4 to arrive at her first Australian Open quarter-final. The rising star needed just 61 minutes to close out the match, and did so by hitting 38 winners, 6 aces, and 83% of her first service points. She will next come up against one of her role models in Venus Williams.

“Venus is a big hitter, has a great serve, and can be very much on the offense.”

Considering Williams and Keys have only met once previously, and that the contest took place nearly two years ago in Charleston, this will likely be a far different encounter, and will bring about varied results. The resurgent Williams has been in fantastic form since the start of 2015 and is more than capable of advancing to the semi-final stage of the tournament. However, she will be hard-pressed to defeat Madison Keys, who is already making use of her partnership with Lindsay Davenport.

Prediction: Venus Williams in Three Sets

The first of the two men’s quarter-finals came to fruition following relatively straightforward contest for their respective participants, Rafael Nadal and Tomas Berdych. Now, following their impressive displays, the two competitors will cross paths for the 22nd time on the professional tour to determine who will advance to the final four in Melbourne. Nadal leads the head-to-head series 18-3 and has won the last 17 consecutive meetings dating back to 2006.

Watch the match here: Nadal v Berdych Live Stream

In arguably his best performance in recent memory, Tomas Berdych put on a clinic against Bernard Tomic to defeat the Aussie 6-2, 7-6(3), 6-2 and find his way into the quarter-final round of the tournament. Berdych hit 52 winners, 17 aces, and won 85% of his first service points to play a near-impenetrable game. He snuffed out any chances Tomic had to break serve and limited his ability to rally on points with some fantastic serving. The match lasted just over two hours and set Berdych up with his eighth consecutive quarter-final at the Australian Open – this time against former champion Rafael Nadal.

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“I’m feeling very good. It’s been a great, great run so far. But, yeah, I just put myself in the best possible position right now. I’m just really looking forward to it. I’m going to have to, you know, add something extra again. I mean, that’s how the tournament is developing, just move forward, just be ready for it. You know, I’m feeling strong both like physically, mentally. Just looking forward to the match.”

The second men’s fourth round match saw Nadal dispatch South Africa’s Kevin Anderson in straight sets to make it evidently clear that he was back in competitive form. The win against Anderson was his highest ranked win since the French Open last season and cements his spot as one of the few players remaining in the draw that could be an imminent threat to the title. His performance overall was far cleaner than his earlier matches in Melbourne, as he struck more winners than unforced errors (33 to 25) and won 78% of his first service points to finish the match 7-5, 6-1, 6-1.

“Happy the way I played today. Is the first day that I felt that I was playing at the level that I want to play and the way that I want to play. Let’s have a chance to practice tomorrow, keep doing well the things I did today, and then try to arrive for the next match with the highest energy possible and try to be ready for it. I know it’s going to be very tough.”

This marks the 22nd time that Nadal and Berdych will cross paths on the professional tour, with Nadal leading the series 18-3. The Spaniard is also on a 17-match win streak against Berdych and will look to maintain that streak against the motivated Czech native. While Berdych is playing some fantastic tennis so far in Melbourne, he has done little overall to have the prediction lean in his favour.

Prediction: Rafael Nadal in Four Sets

While the first set of men’s fourth round matches were relatively straightforward affairs, the second pair of outings were thrilling encounters that needed well above the minimum three-set allowance to determine the victors. In the end, and to the delight of the crowds in Melbourne, British No. 1 Andy Murray and surging Aussie sensation Nick Kyrgios will meet for a spot in the semi-final round of the tournament. This is just the second time that these two competitors will meet on the tour, with the Murray v Kyrgios head to head standing at 1-0.

Watch the match here: Murray v Kyrgios Stream

The final match of the evening on Rod Laver Arena was a four-set clash between Andy Murray and Grigor Dimitrov. The contest was entertaining at parts, as the pair split the first two sets and kept foiling each other’s break point attempts. However, Murray eventually found his way into the quarter-final round with a 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-3, 7-5 scoreline. Murray hit 10 aces, 42 winners and won 77% of his first service points in the process.

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“I thought I played well. I thought he started the match extremely well. He came out very aggressive, very explosive. But, you know, it’s tough to keep that sort of level of intensity up. And then, yeah, once I got myself into the match, I felt like I was able to dictate a lot of the points. I thought tactically I played a good match.”

In undoubtedly the best match of the tournament so far this year, Nick Kyrgios rallied back from two sets down to defeat Federer-vanquisher Andreas Seppi en route to the quarter-final round of the Australian Open. The Aussie was also forced to save a match point in the process before he mounted an astonishing comeback that ended with a decisive break late in the fifth and final set. Kyrgios became the first Australian to reach the quarter-final round of home Slam since Lleyton Hewitt achieved that feat in 2005.

“I knew it was going to be a tough battle. He’s playing some of the best tennis he’s played ever since coming off that win against Roger. I knew it was going to be tough from the get-go. I just had to draw on my experiences of coming back from two sets to love. Paid off in the end.”

The 19-year-old hit 66 winners, 25 aces, and won 75% of his first service points to advance to a thrilling encounter against Murray.

“Murray, I think he’s one of the greatest athletes on the tour. He’s going to make me play a lot of balls.”

This is just the second time that Murray and Kyrgios will clash on the tour, yet the stakes are far greater this time around. Murray cruised through their first encounter at the Rogers Cup in Toronto 6-2, 6-2, but it is unlikely that he will be handed such a simple match this time around. Kyrgios appears to play his best when under the bright lights of Grand Slam stadiums, and will likely push this encounter into 4-5 sets. While Murray should edge him out eventually, it will likely be a riveting contest on Rod Laver Arena.

Prediction: Andy Murray in Five Sets

Following straightforward matches in their respective fourth round encounters, Simona Halep and Ekaterina Makarova will meet for the second time on the professional tour. The Romanian seed leads the head-to-head series 1-0, having won their lone meeting in New Haven two years ago.

Watch the match here: Halep v Makarova Live

Simona Halep eased into the quarter-final stage in Melbourne with a 6-4, 6-2 win against Yanina Wickmayer. The Romanian dropped serve twice in the match but managed to convert five of her own to earn the victory in 1 hour and 19 minutes. She also struck 23 winners and 5 aces en route to the final eight.

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“I have (a lot of confidence) now because I didn’t lose a set,” Halep said following her win. “I had good matches here in first week, so I’m really happy that I’m in second week now like last year. Here I started to play my best tennis in Grand Slams. So means a lot for me. I really have more confidence now to play the quarterfinals.”

Ekaterina Makarova needed just 69 minutes to dispatch Germany’s Julia Goerges to reach the quarter-final stage of the Australian Open. The Russian struck 15 winners and won 85% of her first service points to close out the match 6-3, 6-2.

“We played once in New Haven I think not the last year, the year before,” Makarova said of her upcoming opponent. “I lost 6-1, 7-6, something like that. She’s one of the greatest player now, and I’m really looking forward. If she wins today, depends, yeah. I will want to forward and forward step by step.”

This marks just the second career meeting between Simona Halep and Ekaterina Makarova, the first of which took place two years ago in New Haven. Halep is yet to lose a set to Makarova and will look to maintain that streak en route to the final four in Melbourne.

“I have my chance,” said Halep. “I believe in my chance next round. So I have to make my game again to be aggressive and to serve well like today.”

Prediction: Simona Halep in Straight Sets