Google Play App Download

Tennis News

From around the world

Albot/Chung Upset Kontinen/Peers In Melbourne

  • Posted: Jan 19, 2018

Albot/Chung Upset Kontinen/Peers In Melbourne

Jan192018

Ninth seeds Lopez & Lopez fall in the second round

Radu Albot and Hyeon Chung, the Next Gen ATP Finals titlist, scored a massive upset in the Australian Open doubles second round on Friday when they knocked out defending champions Henri Kontinen and John Peers 6-4, 7-6(5) in one hour and 35 minutes.

Marginally stronger on serve, Albot and Chung survived a power barrage from the second seeds, who struck 29 winners, to convert one of their three break point opportunities for a place in the third round. They now await the winners of 15th seeds Marcin Matkowski and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi, and Robert Lindstedt and Franko Skugor.

Elsewhere, sixth seeds Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan, who lost to Kontinen and Peers in the 2017 title match, earned another hard-fought victory over Max Mirnyi and Philipp Oswald 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-4. It was their 70th match win overall at Melbourne Park (70-12). The six-time former champions, seeking their first Australian Open crown since 2013, will now face Australians Nick Kyrgios and Matt Reid or Frenchmen Jeremy Chardy and Fabrice Martin.

In-form seventh seeds Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic, who are competing together at the Australian Open for the first time, got the better of Wesley Koolhof and Artem Sitak 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-4. Marach and Pavic captured back-to-back ATP World Tour crowns at the start of the 2018 season at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open (d. Murray/Soares) and the ASB Classic (d. Mirnyi-Oswald). They will next challenge No. 10 seeds Rohan Bopanna and Edouard Roger-Vasselin.

Another seeded team joining Kontinen and Peers, this year’s Brisbane International presented by Suncorp titlists, on the sidelines on day five were ninth-seeded Spaniards Feliciano Lopez and Marc Lopez. They lost to Ben Mclachlan and Jan-Lennard Struff 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Watch Live

Watch Live

Source link

Svitolina ends 15-year-old Kostyuk's dream run

  • Posted: Jan 19, 2018
2018 Australian Open
Dates: 15-28 January Venue: Melbourne Park
Coverage: Watch highlights on BBC Two, the BBC Sport website and app from 20 January. Live commentary on the best matches on BBC Radio and online.

Ukrainian fourth seed Elina Svitolina outclassed 15-year-old compatriot Marta Kostyuk to reach the Australian Open fourth round.

Svitolina, 23, won 6-2 6-2 in 59 minutes against world number 521 Kostyuk.

The youngest player since 1997 to reach the third round of a Grand Slam, Kostyuk was aiming to be the youngest since 1996 to progress to the last 16.

Svitolina will play world number 130 Denisa Allertova in round four.

“It was sad that I was playing a Ukrainian girl,” said Svitolina. “It’s always difficult playing someone from your own country, but I’m happy that I’m still alive in this tournament.

“She’s a great fighter, she fought right until the end and has a great future.”

The Ukrainian pair’s match was played in 40C heat on Rod Laver Arena while France’s Alize Cornet had her blood pressure taken by a doctor during her defeat by Elise Mertens on the Hisense Arena.

  • Edmund battles extreme heat to reach fourth round
  • Live scores, schedule and results
  • BBC coverage times
  • Tennis news sent to your phone

Source link

Roger Federer: Players ready to fight for more prize money

  • Posted: Jan 19, 2018
2018 Australian Open
Dates:15-28 JanuaryVenue:Melbourne Park
Coverage:Watch highlights on BBC Two, the BBC Sport website and app. Live commentary on the best matches on BBC Radio 5 live, 5 live sports extra and online.

Roger Federer has called for the Grand Slams to up their levels of prize money and said players are “bored’ of having to push the issue.

The subject has been raised at the Australian Open after Novak Djokovic reportedly initiated a players-only meeting on the eve of the tournament.

Federer, 36, is a former president of the ATP player council, the same position Djokovic now holds.

“They could definitely pay more, no doubt about it,” Federer said.

  • Novak Djokovic denies boycott claims over prize money
  • Djokovic should involve women in prize money fight – Martina Navratilova
  • Australian Open: Roger Federer ‘should not be favourite at 36’

In 2012 there was talk of a player boycott if the major tournaments did not take action to increase prize money.

That was followed by pay increases, particularly for players losing in the early rounds.

“We’re not partners. We’re just players. It’s always hard to rally,” said Federer, a 19-time Grand Slam winner.

“We had a good agreement, in my opinion, that made the Grand Slams happy, the players pretty happy. It seems like that has run its course.

“The moment that happens, there’s not the same increases any more, so players have to rally, get back together again, put in the effort. The Grand Slams know that. They will only react when we do so. We’re ready to do it. It’s going to be the same process over and over again.

“It’s a bit boring, to be honest, always having to ask for stuff. If you look at the revenue, the sharing process, it’s not quite where it’s supposed to be.

“But you can’t go from here to right there in a day. We know that. We just hope they realise and they do appreciate us maybe more all the time and not just in waves.

“We have good contacts with the slams. It’s all good. But it’s going to be a never-ending story.”

It has been reported that Djokovic raised the prospect of forming a players’ union separate from the ATP.

Source link