Google Play App Download

Tennis News

From around the world

‘Locked In’ Kyrgios/Kokkinakis Into Doubles QFs

  • Posted: Jan 23, 2022

Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis continue to wreak havoc in the Australian Open doubles draw.

“Honestly, I feel like the favourites out there on the doubles court”, said Kyrgios after he and Kokkinakis beat 15th seeds Ariel Behar and Gonzalo Escobar 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in the third round on Sunday afternoon. “The way he [Kokkinakis] is playing right now, he’s obviously very confident after the last month, which is amazing to see. I feel like we’re locked in, it’s probably the best doubles we’ve played together.”

The crowd-pleasing duo emphasised the impact of the fans on Kia Arena as they backed up their impressive second-round defeat of top seeds Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic against Uruguayan-Ecuadorian pairing Behar and Escobar.

“Having that crowd support, you’ve seen how much it helps,” said Kokkinakis. “It feels like a party atmosphere out there. When we enjoy ourselves, first and foremost, I think that brings the best focus out of us.”

The Aussies had won only one of four previous Australian Open matches together coming into this year’s tournament, but they slammed 38 winners, including 23 aces, on Kia Arena to reach the quarter-finals of their home slam for the first time.

“Another win at the Australian Open, you’re not going to take that for granted,” added Kyrgios. “I definitely think we’ve got a good shot at winning this.”

Another Australian, John Peers, partnered Slovak Filip Polasek to a comfortable 6-1, 6-2 victory over German 12th seeds Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies. Peers and Polasek, the fifth seeds and US Open semi-finalists who won the Sydney Tennis Classic leading in, won 50% (24/48) of return points as they never allowed the German pairing to settle.

Their quarter-final opponents will be third seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos, who also enjoyed a straight-sets win over Spanish pairing Pablo Andujar and Pedro Martinez. Spaniard Granollers and Argentine Zeballos won 85% (39/46) of points behind first serves and outhit their opponents by 32 winners to 17 as they advanced to a first Australian Open quarter-final together with a 7-5, 7-5 victory.

Italians Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini claimed another upset after beating eighth seeds and 2016 Australian Open champions Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares 3-6, 7-6(7), 6-3. Sydney runners-up Bolelli and Fognini hit just 20 winners to their opponent’s 32 but saved the best until last as they broke twice in the third set to back up their impressive second-round win over ninth seeds Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo.

Source link

Zverev: 'One Of My Worst Matches Since Wimbledon'

  • Posted: Jan 23, 2022

It was a swing that promised so much but ultimately delivered relatively little for Alexander Zverev.

The World No. 3 German ended his Australian Open campaign with a straight-sets loss to World No. 14 Denis Shapovalov Sunday at Melbourne Park. Coming into the Australian summer with the confidence of having beaten the world’s best to win his second Nitto ATP Finals title in November, the 6’ 6” German had every reason to believe big things were in store.

A shot at his first Grand Slam title and the potential to vie for World No. 1 in the first quarter of the season were realistic goals. But it all ended with a disappointing 6-3, 7-6(5), 6-3 defeat to the Canadian on Margaret Court Arena.

“At the end of the day, I’ve got to do better. I came here with a goal to win, and maybe to become No. 1 and all that,” Zverev said. “But if I play like that, I don’t deserve it. It’s as simple as that.

“I think after a match like this, it’s very silly to talk about [No. 1]. I think I need to figure myself out first.”

Zverev said that Shapovalov surprised him by standing farther back and putting more returns into play, but that he didn’t take a lot of confidence into the match.

The third seed began his year with strong wins over Cameron Norrie and Taylor Fritz at ATP Cup, but he also suffered a three-set loss to Felix Auger-Aliassime. At Melbourne Park he had three straight-sets wins over Daniel Altmaier, John Millman and Radu Albot, but he said he never felt at the top of his game.

“I was playing bad the whole week. To be honest, I didn’t think I was playing that great,” Zverev said. “Except against John Millman maybe I had a good match, but the other two matches weren’t great either…

“To be honest, there is not much I can say or take away that was positive from today. Maybe since Wimbledon, [it’s] one of the worst matches I have played. It’s just tough.

“I give credit to Denis. It’s incredible he’s in the quarters. I think he deserves it. He’s done a lot of work. He’s improved his game. But I’ve got to look at myself, as well. Today was just awful from my side.”

Zverev said that he had a good preparation during the off season and hopes that he can quickly turn around his mixed start to 2022.

“It’s no one else’s fault. It’s not the coach’s fault, it’s not my team’s fault, it’s no one else’s fault. It’s purely me. At the end of the day, as the world No. 3, I have to take responsibility for the things I do and don’t do. Today was just not good enough to beat someone like Denis.”

Source link

Shapo Stuns Zverev To Set Nadal Showdown

  • Posted: Jan 23, 2022

The hot Melbourne sun couldn’t stop an ice-cold Denis Shapovalov from extinguishing the Australian Open hopes of World No. 3 Alexander Zverev on Sunday afternoon.

The Canadian 14th seed had joked about sleeping in an ice bath after his marathon five-set second-round win over World No. 54 Soonwoo Kwon, and he kept a cool presence throughout as he brushed past an inconsistent Zverev 6-3, 7-6(5), 6-3 in the fourth round.

“It’s probably the one I least expected to finish in three,” said Shapovalov in his on-court interview. “I’m very happy with my performance, definitely happy with where my game is at.”

Having also come through the big-serving test of Reilly Opelka in the third round, World No. 14 Shapovalov’s return game looked finely tuned on Margaret Court Arena. He broke Zverev early for 3-1, the German dropping just his third service game of the tournament on the way to also losing his first set in Melbourne this year.

Zverev showed his frustration as Shapovalov broke again immediately in the second, but seven double faults in the set from the Canadian let the German back in. Despite serving for the set at 5-3, Zverev’s top level continued to elude him at crucial moments and Shapovalov was able to force a tie-break, already his seventh of the tournament in just four matches. The practise under pressure showed as the Canadian looked the more comfortable in the situation, taking it 7/5.

Shapovalov looked sharp throughout, hitting 35 winners and winning 81 per cent (22/27) of points at the net. Zverev battled but could find no answers as the 22-year-old Canadian sealed victory to complete just his second win against a Top 5 player and reach a third Grand Slam quarter-final.

“I think off the ground I was playing really well, really feeling my shots off both wings,” said Shapovalov. “I played pretty smart today, it felt like things were going my way early on. I lost a little bit of momentum mid-way in the second set but fought well to come back and just kind of rolled with it after.”

Shapovalov’s opponent in the last eight will be Rafael Nadal, after the sixth-seeded Spaniard beat Adrian Mannarino 7-6(14), 6-2, 6-2. Nadal holds a 3-1 ATP Head2Head series lead over Shapovalov, and the Canadian knows what to expect from the 20-time Grand Slam champion.

“It’s always an honour to go up against a guy like Rafa,” said Shapovalov. “It’s always going to be a battle against him. It’s going to be a tough one and I’m definitely going to enjoy it.”

Source link

Ebden & Purcell Upset Fourth Seeds At Australian Open

  • Posted: Jan 22, 2022

The home crowds continue to inspire Aussie pairings in the doubles at the Australian Open. After Friday’s heroics from Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis against No. 1 seeds Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic, it was Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell’s turn to delight the fans on Saturday.

Ebden and Purcell channelled the vociferous home support to recover from a set down and beat Colombian fourth-seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 on 1573 Arena.

The Australian pairing hit 30 winners and just five unforced errors as it maintained a foothold in the match before striking at the crucial time, breaking for 6-5 in the third set.

Ebden served it out to set a third-round clash with 13th seeds Raven Klaasen and Ben McLachlan.

American Rajeev Ram and Briton Joe Salisbury remain on track as they bid for a third consecutive final at Melbourne Park. The second seeds and 2020 champions didn’t offer up a break point and converted four of their own as they brushed past New Zealand’s Marcus Daniell and Denmark’s Frederik Nielsen 6-1, 6-2 in under an hour.

Sydney Tennis Classic finalists Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini showed more good form in ousting ninth-seeded Croatian-Brazilian pairing Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo. The Italian duo won six consecutive points on the way to winning the first set tie-break, before sealing a 7-6(2), 6-3 victory. Eighth seeds and 2016 Australian Open winners Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares await in the third round.

Germany’s Tim Puetz and New Zealand’s Michael Venus beat Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena and Frenchman Hugo Gaston 6-1, 6-4. Sixth seeds Puetz and Venus hit 25 winners to their opponents’ 11 as they advanced to set a third-round clash with another all-Aussie duo, wild cards Jason Kubler and Christopher O’Connell.

Source link