| US Open |
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| Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York Dates: 29 August-11 September |
| Coverage: Live commentary on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra plus live text on the big matches on the BBC Sport website and app |
US Open finalist Angelique Kerber says that being able to call herself the new world number one “sounds amazing”.
Kerber, 28, beat Caroline Wozniacki in her semi-final as current number one Serena Williams lost against Karolina Pliskova to end 186 weeks at the top.
Germany’s Kerber will officially become her country’s first number one since Steffi Graf in 1996 when the new rankings are released next week.
“To be number one in the world sounds amazing,” said second seed Kerber.
“For me it’s amazing to be, after Steffi, the number one player from Germany,” added Kerber, who is also the first German singles player to reach a US Open final since Graf in 1996.
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“Steffi is a great champion, a great person and I think she’s proud of me to be the next number one after her.”
In becoming number one, she also protects her compatriot’s record of consecutive weeks at the top of the rankings as Williams’ defeat to Pliskova of the Czech Republic leaves the American tied with Graf on 186 weeks.
Australian Open champion and Wimbledon runner-up Kerber, who won Olympic silver in Rio, will take on Pliskova in Saturday’s final in New York, as she attempts to win a second Grand Slam title.
Novak Djokovic was already favoured to win the US Open but will be seen as a much bigger favourite now with the shock exit of…
Fresh off his shock comeback win over Andy Murray in the quarter-finals, Kei Nishikori will look to build on that by defeating…
Giant of Australian journalism and winner of ATP’s Ron Bookman Media Excellence Award passes away
Melbourne writer Alan Trengove – once regarded as the ‘The White Knight’ of journalism after his compassion and fascination for ‘the drama of human affairs’ – died in Melbourne on Thursday night aged 87.
Best known for his coverage of sports, in particular tennis, Trengove was the founder of Australian Tennis Magazine and the author of 16 non-fiction books including half a dozen about tennis, most notably The Story of Australia and the Davis Cup and The Art of Tennis.
But his subjects were far ranging, whether interviewing political leaders, entertainers, super sports heroes, industrialists, business giants, scientists or controversial figures like the founder of scientology, Lafayette Ronald Hubbard.
He met them all with a sense of curiosity, open-mindedness and balance, penning stories, reports and opinion on weighty topics from the effects of apartheid on sport and the Cuban missile crisis to the 1964 Test tour of England and Arnold Palmer’s two British Open triumphs. He wrote with a lucid, direct style, sparkling with wit and wisdom, always thoroughly researched and polished.
Born in Fulham, London on 6 July 1929 to an Australian cobbler, William, and a charlady, Nell, Trengove was a World War 2 evacuee, boarding with a family at Guildford in the Surrey countryside from the age of 10-16.
This period sparked his interest in journalism, reading accounts of the war from foreign correspondents in the Daily Express. Despite a self-proclaimed bashfulness and introversion that he feared might engulf him in the hurly burly of Fleet Street, Trengove persisted with his passion and secured his first job as a copy boy at Reuters News Agency, quickly followed by a position with the local 12-page tabloid Fulham Gazette. He was 16 and writing everything from police court cases, inquests, murders, weddings, local government affairs, theatre reviews and sports.
Trengove was captivated by Australian sports stars and used his press pass to attend as many events as he could. Acutely aware of his Australian roots and less content about his native land in post-war England with its all pervading class consciousness and scarcity of sporting facilities, Trengove persuaded his working class parents to return to Melbourne.
Following a casual stint on The Age newspaper, Trengove was advised to sharpen his knowledge of Australian life and – with the help of a persistent aunty in Wagga Wagga – he secured work on a daily newspaper and trained as a professional athlete. He didn’t win many track races but half a century later carried the Olympic torch in Seymour ahead of the Sydney Games.
Trengove met his soul mate Joan in Wagga, the pair marrying and moving to Melbourne where he obtained a city job with the Australian Broadcasting Commission as a D-grade reporter writing copy for newsreaders. This was ultimately unfulfilling but in 1953 he seized a rare chance to establish a career as a sports writer on the The Argus, the oldest of Melbourne’s three morning papers.
‘Melbourne was a good place to be a sports writer,’ he wrote in his autobiography, Saints and Sinners (And How They Made Me). “No other city of comparable size had produced so many world champions in such a variety of sports, or so consistently attracted such large crowds to sporting venues.”
The major ingredient for all sports writers, he said, was ‘energy and enthusiasm.’ Add to this, ‘a facility to convey the drama, petty disasters and triumphs of sport, a flair for the colourful phrase, and a resilient liver.’
He cautioned against an obsession for statistics, and heralded boldness and certainty. These traits made Trengove, not only the leading sports writer of his time, but also a notable features writer. Within three years of arriving in Australia, he was writing on tennis and golf, ‘with all the assurance of one who had invented both games.’
In July 1955, Trengove was head-hunted by the Sun News-Pictorial, Australia’s first tabloid. He stayed for 20 years and spent three years as the Herald group’s London correspondent in the early 60s.
Trengove was immersed in tennis, covering Davis Cups, and major championships during the hey dey of the sport in Australia, mingling with and reporting the feats of Lew Hoad, Ken Rosewall, Frank Sedgman, Rod Laver, John Newcombe and a dynasty of greats caught up in the split between amateur and professional ranks. He never wasted an opportunity to criticise those responsible for the division in tennis and covered more than 130 Grand Slam tennis tournaments from 1953 to 2010.
Along with sport and forever entwined with tennis, he branched into specialist feature writing, producing stories on any topic and earning a reputation as a journalist championing a good cause, hence the moniker, The White Knight.
Raising his young family in Clayton, he was a close neighbour to the exceptional middle distance runner Herb Elliot and in 1961 published the first of many sports books, The Golden Mile, timed for the Rome Olympics where Elliott won the 1500 gold medal in record time.
Over the next 50 years Trengove wrote books on a variety of subjects: John Grey Gorton, a biography of the Liberal Prime Minister, What’s Good For Australia …! The story of BHP, Menzies, A Pictorial Biography, and cricketer Keith Stackpole’s autobiography, Not Just For Openers among them.
‘He always had a book on the go,’ remembers wife Joan, who proof-read every single one and provided on-going editorial support when Trengove launched Australia’s first tennis magazine in 1976.
Trengove continued to seek new writing challenges throughout his life, including forays into television comedy and film, and a comic strip with cartoonist George Haddon titled, Wonders of Wildlife. He freelanced for The Bulletin, Sydney Morning Herald, New York Times, the Canberra Times and the Independent in England.
Alan was awarded the ATP’s Ron Bookman Award for Media Excellence in 2008, presented at Wimbledon by the late executive chairman and president Brad Drewett. He was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1990 and recognised for his contribution to the sport of tennis at the 2005 Australian Sports Commission Media Awards.
After a long illness, Alan died surrounded by his close-knit family. He is survived by wife Joan, children Chris, Deborah and Kim, and his seven grand-children, Eleanor, Megan, Laura, Anna, Jessy, Bede and Nathaniel.
– Writer Kim Trengove is Alan’s daughter and Tennis Australia’s Manager of Digital & Publishing
Czech 10th seed Karolina Pliskova outplayed Serena Williams to reach the US Open final and end the American’s reign as world number one.
Williams, 34, double-faulted on match point to lose 6-2 7-6 (7-5), and Pliskova will face German second seed Angelique Kerber in the final.
The result guarantees that Kerber will overtake Williams at the top of the rankings after the US Open.
Williams had also hoped to win an Open-era record 23rd major singles title.
She remains tied with Steffi Graf for both Grand Slam titles, and the WTA record of 186 successive weeks as world number one.
“Karolina played great today,” said Williams, who revealed she had been hampered by a sore left knee since earlier in the tournament
“I think if she had played any less then maybe I would have had a chance. So I think I wasn’t at 100%, but I also think she played well. She deserved to win today.”
Australian Open champion Kerber beat Denmark’s Carolina Wozniacki 6-4 6-3 to reach her first US Open final.
“It’s just incredible, it’s a great day,” said Kerber. “To be here in the final for the first time means a lot and to be number one in the world – it sounds amazing.”
Pliskova went into the match on a 10-match winning streak, and with the most aces on the WTA Tour this year, and it was that shot which carried the Czech to victory.
It took Williams 50 minutes to earn her first break point as the Czech nullified her returns, while attacking the American’s second serve.
That brought Pliskova two breaks as she raced through the first set in just 26 minutes, and the home crowd on Arthur Ashe Stadium urged on Williams as the six-time champion fell behind midway through the second set.
Williams sparked into life, finally breaking Pliskova’s serve – to love – but the anticipated comeback was cut short in the tie-break.
There were a few signs of nerves as Pliskova let a 3-0 lead slip but from 5-4 in front, Williams produced a forehand wide, a backhand long and a double fault to end with 31 unforced errors.
“I don’t believe it,” said Pliskova, who had never made it past the third round of a Grand Slam in 17 prior attempts.
“I knew I had the chance to beat anyone if I played my game. I am excited to be in the final and to beat Serena as she is such a great champion.
“Even when she was down a set and break she was still fighting. I had to fight hard to win.”
Pliskova saved a match point against Venus Williams in round four and becomes only the fourth woman to beat both Williams sisters in the same Grand Slam tournament.
Russell Fuller, BBC tennis correspondent: “This was a nerveless and brilliant all-round performance by Pliskova, who – despite her success on tour – had not made it past the third round of a Grand Slam before this US Open.
“She has a big serve, and she used it, but also returned superbly throughout.
“The confidence gained from saving a match point to beat Venus Williams on the same court, in front of a similarly partisan crowd, in the fourth round helped Pliskova enormously.
“If she wins the final, there will have been four different Grand Slam champions in the women’s singles in 2016.”
Kerber, 28, was asked about her new-found number one status as she headed to court for the second semi-final, but said: “I’m just thinking about this match.”
That appeared the case as she raced into a 4-0 lead after just 16 minutes, her aggression from the baseline too much for Wozniacki, a former world number one now down at 74th in the rankings.
The Dane, 26, grabbed a foothold in the contest and there appeared to be a real edge between the two players, with Kerber complaining at length to the umpire about the noise emanating from Wozniacki’s player box.
Wozniacki saved two set points with backhand winners, but Kerber then served it out and powered into a 5-1 lead in the second that all but secured victory.
There was a final flurry of resistance from Wozniacki, who strung together nine points in a row to cut the deficit, before Kerber closed it out to become the 22nd WTA number one – and Germany’s second following Steffi Graf.
“For me, it’s just amazing to be, after Steffi, the next number one player in Germany,” said Kerber. “Steffi’s a great player and a great person, and I think she’s proud of me, to be the next one after her.”
When Andy Murray fails to make the final of a Grand Slam these days, it takes a lot of people by surprise.
Here in New York, he was attempting to do what no man has ever done by winning Wimbledon, the US Open and Olympic gold in the same year. The three events were crammed into an 11-week period, and in the end the 29-year-old came up just short as he lost his quarter-final to Kei Nishikori in five sets.
Knowing when to play, and when to rest, is a vital skill. Murray opted out of the Davis Cup quarter-final in Serbia the week after Wimbledon (even though he did travel to Belgrade as supporter in chief) and decided not to defend his title at the Toronto Masters.
Perhaps he could also have pulled out of the Cincinnati tournament, where he lost to Marin Cilic in the final, but his exploits over spring and summer may still have caught up with him.
Murray has played 45 matches since he took to the court in Madrid for his opening round on May 4th. He has won 41 of them, and reached the final of each of the seven events which preceded the US Open.
A stretch like that exerts both a physical and a mental toll on a player, and as a phenomenally talented athlete, who – mercifully – is currently free of injury, Nishikori was able to take full advantage.
Murray allowed himself to be too easily distracted during the fourth set of the quarter-final.
The appearance of a butterfly – or was it a moth? – irked him, and he had a long discussion with both umpire Marija Cicak and supervisor Wayne McKewen after the sound system burst into life and a let was called in the middle of an important rally.
Yes, it was a bad break, as Murray led by two sets to one and was in control of the rally as he tried to convert a break point. But as his conversation with the officials dragged on, he lost the set 6-1.
The language directed towards his players’ box was much more negative that it has been in recent months. That is a sign, for me, of the stress Murray was feeling on court – and his own lack of confidence in the outcome.
He says he felt flat in his laboured third round win over Paolo Lorenzi, and perhaps this was a match he suspected he might not be able to bend to his will, however great the desire.
Murray is already back at home for a couple of days of rest before travelling to Glasgow for next week’s Davis Cup semi-final against Argentina. And he will need to be well rested – as his first opponent at the Emirates Arena is likely to be Juan Martin del Potro.
Del Potro’s defeat by Stan Wawrinka in Wednesday night’s quarter-final means he will remain Argentina’s second-ranked player.
Assuming he does not sit out the opening day (either for tactical reasons, or because he does not feel fully recovered from his excellent runs in both Rio and New York), then next Friday he will face the British number one, whose identity has not been in any doubt for many years.
After Glasgow, Murray will have a two-week break from competition. He is currently scheduled to play in Beijing and Shanghai in the first half of October, with the Paris Masters and the ATP World Tour Finals in London to follow in November.
Ranking points gathered there will be crucial to Murray’s chances of overhauling Novak Djokovic as the world number one some time next spring. Djokovic still has a large lead over Murray, but there has been little to separate them over the past six months.
If Djokovic wins this US Open, then the two will have accumulated an almost identical number of points since the European clay season began in April.
The rankings are calculated on an annual basis, so if Murray finishes the season strongly, then he will be in a position to challenge Djokovic’s supremacy at the Australian Open and then on the hard courts of Indian Wells and Miami.
The Serb has dominated those events in recent years, but Murray likes a target, and over half a calendar year at least, he can call himself the equal of the world number one.
Inductees to be announced in first quarter of 2017
Former World No. 1 Andy Roddick has been nominated for the highest honor in the sport of tennis: induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. The American is on the ballot in the Recent Player Category for induction in the Hall of Fame Class of 2017.
“I’m incredibly honored to be considered for the Hall of Fame,” said Roddick, the 2003 US Open champion. “I put my all into our sport for many years, and I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to compete with some of the best athletes tennis has ever known, many of whom were idols I looked up to all my life. It is a huge honor for me to have my name be considered to be alongside theirs in the International Tennis Hall of Fame. I’d like to extend my thanks to the nominating committee for including me on the ballot.”
Roddick, 34, held the World No. 1 ATP Ranking for 13 weeks, and he was year-end No. 1 in 2003. Roddick finished the season in the Top 10 for nine straight years (2002 – 2010), and was inside the world Top 5 for 187 weeks during the course of his career.
In 2003, Roddick defeated Juan Carlos Ferrero to win the US Open title, closing out the match on three straight aces. He returned to the finals in 2006, and he was also a three-time finalist at Wimbledon. Roddick won 32 singles titles, including five ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournaments.
Roddick was a dedicated team member of the United States Davis Cup team for 10 years. In 2007, he was instrumental in leading the U.S. to defeat Russia for their 32nd Davis Cup victory.
Known for his incredibly fast and powerful serve, Roddick set multiple records for fastest serve recorded at specific tournaments over the years. His personal best was a 155 mph ace at the 2004 Davis Cup, which was the fastest serve in tennis history at the time.
Roddick is the founder of the Andy Roddick Foundation, a non-profit that is dedicated to offering enrichment programs for kids outside of the classroom to provide growth opportunities literacy, STEM, art, and sports. Since retiring from the ATP World Tour, Roddick has stayed active in the sport, competing in WorldTeam Tennis and PowerShares Series events. He has also worked in broadcast for Fox Sports and the BBC.
Former WTA No. 1 Kim Clijsters has also been nominated in the Recent Player Category alongside Roddick. Monique Kalkman, a Paralympic gold medalist and notable Dutch wheelchair tennis player of the 1990s has been nominated in the Recent Player Category for Wheelchair Tennis. In recognition of their commitment to the development of the sport, two individuals are nominated in the Contributor Category. Vic Braden, a renowned tennis instructor who was among the first to apply sports science to his instructional tactics, has been nominated posthumously. Steve Flink, a distinguished tennis historian, broadcaster, and journalist has also been nominated.
“Kim Clijsters and Andy Roddick are two incredibly dynamic athletes who certainly left their mark on tennis history. They were both relentlessly committed to the sport, and as a result they reached the top of the game. Monique Kalkman was an inspiration to many and her success in the Paralympics and significant tournaments places her at the pinnacle of wheelchair tennis,” said Stan Smith, International Tennis Hall of Fame President and 1987 Hall of Famer, who also serves as Chairman of the Enshrinee Nominating Committee. “In addition to the athletes who excel at the top levels of the sport, growth and engagement in tennis worldwide also hinges on dedicated industry leaders who are so passionate about the game, such as Vic Braden in his teaching and Steve Flink in his work as a journalist and historian. Congratulations to all the nominees on this great recognition of their careers.”
Located in Newport, Rhode Island, the International Tennis Hall of Fame is a non-profit organization committed to preserving and promoting the history of tennis and celebrating its greatest champions. Induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame recognizes the sum of one’s achievements at the highest possible level.
Voting for the Hall of Fame Class of 2017 will take place this fall, and the inductees will be announced in the first quarter of 2017.
Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares beat defending champions Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut of France to reach the US Open doubles final.
Britain’s Murray and Brazilian Soares upset the world number one pairing 7-5 4-6 6-3 at Flushing Meadows.
They will play Spain’s unseeded Pablo Carreno Busta and Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in Saturday’s final.
Murray and Soares won the Australian Open title in January – their first Grand Slam tournament together.
The Scot, 30, has now reached the final in four of his last six Grand Slam events, and two of four since teaming up with Soares at the start of 2016.
Murray lost to Herbert and Mahut in last year’s US Open final when he was playing with Australian John Peers, and asked what he had learned from that experience, he said: “Don’t lose. It’s not much fun to lose in finals.
“We’ve had a great tournament so far. We’ll give it our very best to try to win – it would be a great end to the week.”
Soares, 34, added: “I’m very proud, they’re a very tough team.
“They’re the best team this year, defending champions, playing an amazing level, but I thought we did extremely well.
“We served well and I think we played really well under pressure, which at this stage of the tournament is important.”
With Angelique Kerber matching her step for step, making the semi-finals in the other half of the draw, Serena…