Aus Open: Alcaraz ends Djokovic’s perfect finals record to win first Australian Open title in Melbourne

(Credit: X/Aus Open)

Melbourne, (IANS) Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz made tennis history on Sunday, winning his maiden Australian Open men's singles title and in the process, becoming the youngest professional tennis player to achieve a career Grand Slam.

Carlos Alcaraz achieved a Melbourne milestone, overcoming a shaky start to defeat Novak Djokovic 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5 and claim his first title at the season's first Grand Slam tournament. By inflicting a first defeat on Djokovic in 11 Australian Open finals, the 22-year-old Alcaraz became the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam, which is achieved by lifting the trophy at all four majors, in the open era.

The World No.1 roared back into action after an uncharacteristically flat opening set in which Djokovic came out firing. Alcaraz locked in from the baseline to take control of his first Australian Open final. The Spaniard broke his rival’s serve twice to win the second set and appeared back to his free-flowing best in a third set featuring several stunning all-court exchanges in one of the best final encounters in Melbourne in recent times.

Djokovic dug deep in the fourth set and fended off six break points to hold in the second game. However, the 38-year-old was unable to counter and maintain his perfect championship-match record at the Rod Laver Arena and went down fighting.

Alcaraz broke decisively in the 12th game of the fourth set to seal a three-hour, two-minute triumph and ensured Djokovic’s wait for a record 25th Grand Slam title continues.

Alcaraz is now a seven-time Grand Slam singles champion, making him level with his fellow ATP No. 1 club member John McEnroe and Mats Wilander on the all-time list. The Spaniard's Melbourne victory continued the stranglehold that he and his great rival Jannik Sinner have had on the majors in recent years: the pair have won the past nine Grand Slam titles between them, dating back to Djokovic’s triumph at the 2023 US Open. Sinner lost to Djokovic in the 2026 Australian Open semifinals.

Djokovic came out fresh and strong despite playing a marathon five-set semifinal against 2024 and 2025 champion Jannik Sinner on Friday night and pummeled the ball aggressively from the first game. The 38-year-old Serbian, who was bidding to lift an all-time record 25th Grand Slam trophy and also become the oldest winner of the men’s singles title at a major in the Open Era, barely put a foot wrong in a statement opening-set display.

Just as he had against Sinner, Djokovic came out determined to dictate play with his forehand, and the Serbian carved out the opening three break points of the set in the fourth game. Although Alcaraz held his nerve to fend off the first two, Djokovic prevailed in an extended baseline rally on the third to gain an early advantage.

Alcaraz himself contested the longest semifinal in tournament history on Friday against Alexander Zverev, and he delivered a low-energy opening set. Djokovic expertly capitalised on his momentum by breaking his opponent’s serve again in the eighth game to clinch a set in which he dropped just two points behind serve, according to Infosys Stats.The Spaniard became the eighth player to complete a career Grand Slam, joining Fred Perry (1935), Don Budge (1938), Rod Laver (1962), Roy Emerson (1964), Andre Agassi (1999), Roger Federer (2009), Rafael Nadal (2010), and Djokovic (2015). Of these, Budge and Lever bagged the Grand Slam in a calendar year. Aus Open: Alcaraz ends Djokovic’s perfect finals record to win first Australian Open title in Melbourne | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

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Aus Open: Rybakina brushes past Pegula to set up final showdown with Sabalenka

Photo credit: AusOpen/X

Melbourne, (IANS) Elena Rybakina booked her place in the women's singles final of the Australian Open 2026 with a composed, hard-fought straight-sets victory over sixth seed Jessica Pegula on Thursday night, prevailing 6-3, 7-6(7) under the lights at Rod Laver Arena at Melbourne Park in Melbourne on Thursday.

The fifth seed reached her third career Grand Slam final, and her first since 2023, by withstanding a fierce late surge from Pegula, saving two set points in a tense second-set tiebreak to close out the match in just over two hours. Rybakina will now meet World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka for the title, renewing their rivalry from the 2023 Australian Open final.

Rybakina appeared in control early, dictating play with her serve and first-strike power to take the opening set. Serving at 5-3, she brushed aside a brief wobble with a series of heavy deliveries, repeatedly pushing Pegula behind the baseline. A moment of resistance came when Pegula erased one set point with a stunning backhand winner, but Rybakina quickly shut the door, finishing the set with a body serve followed by a clean forehand strike to secure it 6-3.

The second set unfolded as a far more dramatic contest. Pegula, seeking to become the first woman in the Open Era to reach her first two Grand Slam finals after turning 30, refused to fade. Down 5-3 and facing three match points on her own serve, the 2024 US Open runner-up dug deep, holding serve before breaking Rybakina twice as the Kazakhstani attempted to close out the match at both 5-4 and 6-5.

That resilience forced a tiebreak filled with momentum swings and extended rallies. Pegula struck first, winning a gruelling 19-shot exchange to set the tone, but Rybakina answered with clutch serving, firing aces at key moments to stay level. Neither player could create separation as mini-breaks were exchanged and tension mounted.

At 7-7, Rybakina found her breakthrough. A pair of aggressive returns pressured Pegula’s second serve, setting up match point. She sealed it emphatically, ripping a backhand down the line from well outside the sideline to end the contest and spark a roar from the Melbourne crowd.

The win sends Rybakina into her second Australian Open final, where she will again face Sabalenka, who won their 2023 Melbourne showdown in three sets on her way to her maiden major title and holds a narrow overall edge in their head-to-head. However, Rybakina has enjoyed greater success in their final matches, including a straight-sets victory at the 2025 WTA Finals in Riyadh.

With her serve firing and her nerve holding firm in the biggest moments, Rybakina now stands one win away from a second Grand Slam title — and a chance to settle the score on one of the sport’s biggest stages.

Rybakina and Sabalenka will contest a rare repeat Australian Open final, becoming only the fourth pair this century to meet multiple times in Melbourne. Neither player has dropped a set en route to the final, a feat last achieved at the Australian Open in 2004 and only the 23rd time in the Open Era overall.Rybakina enters the final in outstanding form, having won 19 of her last 20 matches since losing to Sabalenka in Wuhan last October, including nine straight victories over Top 10 opponents. She also improved her head-to-head record against Jessica Pegula to 4-3 with her semifinal win. Aus Open: Rybakina brushes past Pegula to set up final showdown with Sabalenka | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

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US Open: Alcaraz beats Sinner to clinch men's singles title and world No. 1 crown

New York, (IANS) Carlos Alcaraz defeated Jannik Sinner, the game’s premier hard-court player, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, to claim his sixth major title and second at the US Open.

The 22-year-old Alcaraz hit all the high notes and kept his rival at bay across the pair’s 15th career meeting and third consecutive Grand Slam final, locking up his triumph in two hours, 42 minutes.

Alcaraz and Sinner have dominated the majors since the start of 2024, winning each of the last eight, but it is the Spaniard who has taken hold of his iconic rivalry with Sinner, snagging seven of the pair’s last eight meetings, five of their last six finals, and two of the three major finals they contested in 2025.

US Open triumph makes Alcaraz the second youngest male player in history to claim six major titles, and enables a triumphant return to the top of the ATP rankings. Alcaraz will begin his 37th week at No. 1 on Monday, returning to the top spot for the first time since September 2023.

Moreover, Alcaraz has become the fourth player in history to have won multiple major titles on all three surfaces (two on hard, two on clay and two on grass). He joins Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Mats Wilander on the list.

Sinner, who was on a 27-match winning streak at hard-court majors before Sunday, was bidding to become just the seventh man in the Open Era to win three Grand Slam singles titles in the same season.

By reaching the final in New York, the Australian Open and Wimbledon champion had already become the youngest man in the Open Era to play the final at all four majors in a season: Sinner also reached the final at Roland Garros, where he held three championship points before falling to Alcaraz in an all-time classic.

Alcaraz was crisp from the get-go, and as a result, Sinner’s troubles started early, the Italian facing his first break point just four minutes into the final.

Four more minutes—and a few jaw-dropping slingshot forehands later—and Alcaraz had already drawn first blood, taking the 1-0 advantage just nine minutes in.

Firing on all cylinders, Alcaraz engineered another break for 5-2 and served out the opening set in a tidy 37 minutes, US Open reports.

Not to be outdone, Sinner clicked back into focus to start the second set and took the play to Alcaraz, registering the critical break for 3-1 with a forehand that sailed past Alcaraz for a clean winner. The break held up, as Sinner reeled off five consecutive holds to become the first man to take a set from Alcaraz at this year’s Open.

Sinner was powerless to stop his opponent in the third set, when the Spaniard raced into a 5-0 lead and finished it off having remarkably outhit his opponent by 11 winners to one.Sinner's struggles to hold serve continued into the fourth set, and the Italian was forced to fend off two break points in the opening game. The pressure ultimately told in the fifth game, however, when Alcaraz broke serve for 3-2 and a lead that he never relinquished. US Open: Alcaraz beats Sinner to clinch men's singles title and world No. 1 crown | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

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Wimbledon: Sinner claims maiden Championship with dominating win over Alcaraz

London, (IANS) Jannik Sinner claimed his maiden Wimbledon title on Sunday, defeating defending champion Carlos Alcaraz 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in a high-octane final to become the first Italian man to lift the singles trophy at The Championships

Just five weeks after suffering a heartbreaking loss to Alcaraz in the Roland Garros final — where he squandered three championship points — Sinner responded with clinical composure on Centre Court. The 23-year-old World No. 1 flipped the narrative, ending Alcaraz’s perfect 5-0 record in major finals and halting a five-match losing streak against the Spaniard.

Sinner’s victory came after three hours and four minutes of gripping tennis, where he imposed his aggressive baseline game and served with authority. After dropping the first set, the Italian broke Alcaraz early in each of the next three sets, tightening his grip as the match wore on. His relentless hitting, especially into Alcaraz’s forehand, paid dividends as the Spaniard’s level dipped as per ATP.

With the win, Sinner secures his fourth Grand Slam title, now only missing Roland Garros to complete the career Grand Slam. He also leaves London with a commanding 3,430-point lead in the PIF ATP Rankings.

The road to the final wasn’t without challenges. Sinner equalled the Open Era record for fewest games lost through three rounds, but needed an MRI after a fourth-round scare, when opponent Grigor Dimitrov retired with a pectoral injury while leading two sets to love. From there, Sinner stormed past Ben Shelton and Novak Djokovic to reach his fifth major final.

In Sunday’s final moments, Sinner didn’t blink. He converted his first match point and raised his arms in triumph as Centre Court roared in approval. Alcaraz, who was aiming to become only the second man to win Roland Garros and Wimbledon in consecutive years, fell short despite entering with a 48-5 season record.The rivalry between the two young phenoms is now tied with both men splitting the past seven majors Wimbledon: Sinner claims maiden Championship with dominating win over Alcaraz | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

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Game, set, debate: why do women only play 3 sets in tennis?

Edith Cowan University and Caitlin Fox-Harding, Edith Cowan University

Tennis fans are once again filling Melbourne Park for the 2025 Australian Open, after setting an all-time attendance record in 2024.

The Australian Open is one of four annual Grand Slam events, alongside the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open, which bring together the world’s best men’s and women’s players.

These athletes strive to claim not just the championship trophy, but precious ranking points as well as huge pay cheques: this year’s Australian Open prize pool is $A96.5 million and winners of the men’s and women’s singles events will each take home $3.5 million.

Why though, are the lengths of the men’s (five sets) and women’s (three sets) matches different?

Debating the differences

There has been long-standing debate about the appropriate length of men’s and women’s tennis matches.

In Grand Slam events, men’s matches extend to five sets, while women’s matches remain best-of-three. In most other tournaments, men and women both play best-of-three sets.

This difference is often raised when assessing equal prize money at some events, with some arguing women should not be awarded equal prize money if they play shorter matches.

Women are paid equally at all the Grand Slam tournaments but not all lower-level events.

Luckily, tennis prize money isn’t based on an hourly wage system – that’s why women don’t get less for dominating their opponents in two sets.

But what if the women played best-of-five?

Women’s history with five-set tennis

Women competed in best-of-five matches more than 130 years ago.

The United States’ national championships from 1891 to 1901 featured five set matches for women. The New York Times described the 1891 clash between Mabel Cahill and Ellen Roosevelt as being: “fought to the end with wonderful tenacity”.

But these women’s matches were shortened to best of three sets in 1901 by the United States National Lawn Tennis Association Council – a body made up entirely of men.

The decision was made despite the demonstrated ability for women to play five set matches, and does seem to parallel similar examples of men deciding with no evidence that women are not suited for sport of a particular nature.

This mindset led to the nearly 50-year ban of women playing soccer from 1921 to 1970.

In athletics, women were banned from competing in the 800-metre race from 1928 until 1960, at least partially because the media seemed shocked that in the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam, some women fell to the ground in exhaustion after sprinting for gold in the 800-metre event.

It took until 1967 before the first woman ran the Boston Marathon – and Kathrine Switzer had to do so covertly, battling men trying to push her off the course. But her efforts led to the inclusion of the women’s marathon to the Olympics in 1984.

Back to tennis.

In 1984, the Women’s Tennis Association final featured a best-of-five set format from 1984 to 1998, famously highlighted by the decider between Monica Seles and Gabriela Sabatini in 1990 at Madison Square Garden.

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Then in 1994, the Australian Open briefly considered introducing best-of-five finals for women, which would have been the first Grand Slam to do so.

Supporters of the move believed it would provide a more complete test of skill and endurance, and offer a more compelling spectacle. However, the experiment did not go forward.

Women can push the limits of physiology

The preparation and recovery management of women in tennis has improved further from when the Australian Open proposed “the experiment” in 1994.

But it should have never been a question of whether the physiology of women could handle longer events.

In fact, evidence supports women might be built for it. From marathon records continuing to fall to women excelling in ultra-endurance events, the longer the event, the better they perform.

So maybe the stamina needed for a best-of-five sets is ideal for women.

Reframing the question: are best-of-five sets better?

While society debates whether women should play five sets, a better question may be: do five sets achieve the best outcome for all players and fans in the age of shorter format versions of sports?

During five-set matches, evidence shows aspects of performance can plateau in the middle stages – first serve velocity has a parabolic approach, meaning servers hold back during the middle sets.

This is likely the athlete conserving energy, often leading to a less dynamic contest in the middle stages in preparation for the “last set”, raising the question of whether men should actually only play best-of-three sets.

Tennis fans will likely continue to debate the value of those third and fourth sets from the perspective of attention span versus tradition.

What is undeniable is that men have the opportunity to showcase their mental strength and stamina in best-of-five matches.

Why aren’t all players given this opportunity?

Sophia Nimphius, Professor of Human Performance, Edith Cowan University and Caitlin Fox-Harding, Senior Lecturer/Researcher, Edith Cowan University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Why the Australian Open’s online tennis coverage looks like a Wii sports game

Screenshot/YouTube Marc C-Scott, Victoria University

The 2025 Australian Open (AO) broadcast may seem similar to previous years if you’re watching on the television. However, if you’re watching online via the official Australian Open TV YouTube channel you’ll encounter a distinctly different kind of coverage.

The channel’s “AO Animated” coverage looks more like a Wii Sports tennis match than a real one, with players’ physical forms replaced with virtual avatars.

Fans that have viewed the live streams are divided, with comments ranging from “This is the best kinda live” to “What the hell is this? Why can’t we watch normal? This is utterly ridiculous”.

So what’s the answer? Why can’t we watch normal?

How does it work?

The system that creates the AO Animated streams uses 12 cameras that track the silhouette of the players. This data is then fed into a system and stitched to 29 points on an animated character – the player’s graphical reproduction. The result is a live stream with a two-minute delay that includes commentary and sound from the court.

For those who have seen it, you’ll notice the system is far from perfect. There are glitches with the ball, racquets vanishing and reappearing, clothes changing or appearing to have holes, and fingers remaining straight when they should be gripping the racquet. As Tennis Australia’s director of innovation, Machar Reid, notes, “It’s not as seamless as it could be.”

Although AO Animated was introduced last year, it has only recently become a major talking point among tennis fans. Many learned about the animated live streams through an X post by tennis reporter Bastien Fachan, who points them out as a way for the Australian Open to sidestep limits placed by current media rights agreements.

Nine has paid A$425 million for a five year deal (until 2029) that allows the network the domestic linear and digital rights to the Australian Open and lead-in events, including the United Cup.

Internationally, the BeIN media group has the broadcast rights for 24 countries across the Middle East and North Africa, while ESPN has held the broadcast rights for the United States and Canada since 1984 (and will remain these rights until at least 2031).

Yet the AO has found a way to sidestep these exclusive media rights deals by using animated avatars on YouTube – a decision that raises several questions about the future of sports broadcasting and media rights deals.

Future media rights

As of when this article was published, the AO Animated video of Botic van de Zandschulp playing Alex de Minaur had more than 35,000 views. The most viewed match, with more than 160,000 views, was between Andrey Rublev and Joao Fonseca.

But these are paltry numbers compared to the 1.9 million Australians who tuned into Nine’s TV broadcast of the night session on day three (in which Botic van de Zandschulp played Alex de Minaur).

A closer look at the ratings also reveals it is overwhelmingly older Australians who are tuning in, with 838,000 viewers aged 25–54, compared to 414,000 aged 16–39. You might suspect younger Australian are streaming the tennis via Nine’s video-on-demand platform, but even here an older viewership dominates.

It’s possible many young people are turning to other platforms such as YouTube, which reportedly had almost 21 million active users in Australia in 2024 (almost 80% of the population). In this light, what looks like an effort by Tennis Australia to dodge media rights deals could also be viewed as an effort to reach new, younger audiences.

It seems Tennis Australia’s Machar Reid had this in mind. He told The Guardian the AO Animated videos were targeting the “community that engages with animated or virtual or gaming products”.

This strategy makes sense. Millions of young people are already hooked on YouTube’s huge selection of gaming content. For instance, last year videos related to the viral Roblox game Dress to Impress were viewed more than 4 billion times in the US alone, according to YouTube’s data.

Similarly, more than 645 million people in the United Kingdom watched videos related to the video game franchise EA Sports FC in 2024. This number was even greater in the Middle East and North Africa, at 950 million.

AO is not the first

The AO is not the first to live-stream sports matches in which players are animated. Last year, North America’s National Hockey League used player tracking technology to stream a “MultiVersus NHL Face-Off” game. The players of Colorado Avalanche and the Vegas Golden Knights were replaced with Warner Brothers characters including Batman, Bugs Bunny and the Scooby Doo gang.

The National Football League also recreated a simulation of a live game in which players from the Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys were replaced by Simpson’s characters. The entire look and feel of the broadcast reflected The Simpsons.

These US-based examples, together with the recent AO Animated coverage, suggest animated simulations could play a larger role in future media rights deals – and could provide media rights holders unique marketing and collaboration opportunities.

In the future we may see an expansion of the AO Animated live streams. It’s possible the Mii-style characters could even be replaced with popular characters, similar to the examples above. Such a change would further enhance Tennis Australia’s ability to collaborate with its media rights holders, both domestically and internationally.

Marc C-Scott, Associate Professor of Screen Media | Deputy Associate Dean of Learning & Teaching, Victoria University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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US Open Tennis: Jannik Sinner wins second Grand Slam victory

In the US Open Tennis, Jannik Sinner clinched his second Grand Slam victory of the year by defeating Taylor Fritz 6-3, 6-4, 7-5. The world number one, who had previously triumphed at the Australian Open earlier this year, made history by becoming the first Italian man to win the US Open title. The victory marked Sinner’s 55th match win and sixth title of the season, further solidifying his position at the top of the rankings. Fritz, a home favourite, expressed deep disappointment after falling short against the top seed. The defeat marks the end of a breakthrough tournament for Fritz, who had yet to advance past the quarterfinals at a major final.US Open Tennis: Jannik Sinner wins second Grand Slam victory

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US Open: Swiatek sets QF clash with Pegula after win in milestone match

New York, (IANS): World No. 1 Iga Swiatek stormed into her second US Open and first since her title run in 2022 by defeating 16th-seed Liudmila Samsonova in the Round of 16.

In her milestone 100th Grand Slam singles match, Swiatek celebrated with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Samsonova and brought her record at the majors to 83-17. She has not yet dropped a set through four rounds.

The top seed’s win ensures she still has a chance to add to her WTA-leading season. Swiatek leads the WTA Tour with 57 match wins on the year after taking five titles, including her fourth Roland Garros crown, and an Olympic bronze medal.

Swiatek, the 2022 US women's singles champ, is bidding for her sixth Grand Slam title.

The Pole is one of three players in the top half of the draw to move through without losing a set, and she will face No.6 American Jessica Pegula on Wednesday.

Pegula is through to the quarterfinals for the second time in three years, thanks to a 6-4, 6-2 win over Diana Shnaider. The sixth seed has now won 13 of her last 14 matches, her lone loss during that stretch coming against Aryna Sabalenka in the Cincinnati Open final.

After a tough opening half of the year, former world No. 3 Pegula will attempt to reach the first major semifinal of her career when she faces Swiatek in the last eight. Her record stands at 0-7 in the quarterfinals.

Swiatek was the one who knocked Pegula out in the 2022 US Open quarterfinals.

In other major action, Beatriz Haddad Maia moved into her first US Open quarterfinal with a gritty 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 victory over former World No.1 Caroline Wozniacki in Louis Armstrong Stadium.

She became the first Brazilian woman to reach the US Open women's singles quarterfinals since Maria Bueno in 1968. She’s also the first left-handed player ever from South America to earn a spot in the final eight at Flushing Meadows, according to tournament stats.

--IANSbc/ US Open: Swiatek sets QF clash with Pegula after win in milestone match | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

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US Open: Popyrin stuns Djokovic in third round, forces earliest exit since 2006

New York, August 31 (IANS): Defending champion Novak Djokovic suffered a shock defeat against Australia's Alexei Popyrin in the third round of the US Open on Friday (local time) and made his earliest exit at Flushing Meadows since 2006.

In three hours and 19 minutes long match, Popyrin stunned Djokovic 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 while playing for the first time at Arthur Ashe Stadium in his career.

The Serbian, who was chasing his record-extending 25th major title and the 100th career title, will end the year without a Grand Slam win for the first time after 2017.

It is also the first season since 2002 when a member of the Big Three (Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal) will not win a major.

Despite Djokovic's history of eight comebacks from two sets down in Grand Slams, he couldn't rally this time in the four-set clash. Popyrin, 25, secured the biggest win of his career, reaching the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time. This loss followed the exit of 2022 champion Carlos Alcaraz, marking the first time since 1973 that the second and third seeds were ousted before the fourth round.

In stark contrast to Popyrin's 50 winners, Djokovic contributed to his downfall with a career-high 14 double faults in a Grand Slam match, including four that allowed Popyrin to take a 5-2 lead in the fourth set.

Although Popyrin was broken while trying to close out the match, he had built a sufficient lead to secure the victory two games later. Fittingly, Lleyton Hewitt, the last Australian to defeat Djokovic in a Grand Slam, was present to witness Popyrin's significant win.

Before the clash, Djokovic had a 3-0 win record against the Australian including four-set wins at the Australian Open and Wimbledon this year.

“Third time lucky (this year) I guess,” Popyrin said after the win. “Honestly, we had some battles at the Australian Open and Wimbledon. I had my chances in those matches, but didn’t take them. This match was a little different. I was able to take my chances when I had them and played some good tennis.”

“It’s unbelievable because I’ve been in the third round about 15 times in my career, but I haven’t been able to get past to the fourth round. To be able to do it against the greatest of all time to get into the fourth round is unbelievable. It’s a great feeling and the hard work has paid off," he added.

Popyrin will now take on home favorite Frances Tiafoe in his first-ever fourth-round appearance at the US Open. Tiafoe advanced after defeating last year’s semi-finalist Ben Shelton 4-6, 7-5, 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-3 in a marathon match on Arthur Ashe earlier in the day. Source: https://www.morungexpress.com/us-open-popyrin-stuns-djokovic-in-third-round-forces-earliest-exit-since-2006

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US open: Alcaraz suffers shock loss to Botic van de Zandschulp in Rd-2

New York, August 30 (IANS): No. 3 seed Carlos Alcaraz suffered a shock loss at the hands of Dutch player Botic van de Zandschulp in Round 2 of the US Open late on Thursday night.

The 21-year-old Alcaraz's 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 loss to world No. 74 Dutchman was his worst showing in four consecutive-year Flushing appearances as it broke the Spaniard’s 15-match winning streak at Grand Slam events.

Alcaraz suffered his first loss in the second round of a major since 2021 at Wimbledon, where the then-World No. 75 fell to second seed Daniil Medvedev. The 15-time tour-level titlist committed 27 unforced errors, 12 of which came on his forehand, several missing by a great distance.

In the second game of the opening set, the players engaged in two prolonged rallies featuring several net rushes, dizzying lobs, and even a tweener. Van de Zandschulp capitalized on his first break point against Alcaraz's serve, consolidated the break, and swiftly took a 4-1 lead. Van de Zandschulp kept his cool and won the first set, 6-1.

Alacaraz held his serve to open the second set. The Dutchman responded in kind. But the Spaniard simply wasn’t able to hurt his opponent, with just three winners to 12 unforced errors at that point in the match and dropped serve yet again.

At the contest’s 30-minute mark, Alcaraz was finally able to break it to level the second set at 2-2. After a few seesaw games, he stepped up to serve at 5-5. He proceeded to donate three forehand errors and, to lose the game, a double fault. When the Dutchman served next, he took the second set 7-5.

After being two sets down, Alcaraz dropped serve to go down 3-2 in the third set. But then van de Zandschulp failed to consolidate the break, hitting a double fault (his seventh in the match) to lose the game.

To level the set to 4-4, the Dutchman hit an ace and was putting pressure on the Alcaraz serve yet again. As the match turned two hours and 15 minutes old, the Dutchman had set himself up to serve it out. In a minute’s time, he was serving at 40-0. That serve was unreturned and Van de Zandschulp won the set, 6-4, and the match.

By defeating World No. 3, Van de Zandschulp earned the highest-ranked win of his career.

Alcaraz, who took the title here as a teenager in 2022, has advanced to at least the quarterfinal stage each year since his 2021 debut. Last year, he reached the semifinals as the No. 1 seed at age 20, the youngest top seed in the tournament’s history.

The 28-year-old Dutchman has had strong prior results in New York, coming through the qualifiers to play in a quarterfinal match in 2021. He’ll take on England’s Jack Draper, the No. 25 seed, who looked dominant in his straight-sets win over Argentina’s Facundo Diaz Acosta, in the third round. Source: https://www.morungexpress.com/us-open-alcaraz-suffers-shock-loss-to-botic-van-de-zandschulp-in-rd-2

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US Open: Muchova ends two-time champ Osaka's campaign in second round

New York, (IANS): Czech player Karolina Muchova ended two-time champion Naomi Osaka's US Open campaign in the second round with a 6-3, 7-6(5) win and advanced to the third round.

Muchova's opponent is Anastasia Potapova, No. 38, who defeated 2021 US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez in the first round, as well as American Varvara Lepchenko, ranked No. 199 in the second.

Osaka opened the match with her characteristic form and held serve easily. Muchova charged to the net behind her very first serve. Osaka’s first break opportunity came in the third game with her opponent serving at 1-2. She didn’t manage to convert, but won her next service game at love.

Midway through the first set, with Osaka serving at 3-3, Muchova broke her serve by executing a successful net charge followed by a surprise drop shot. Building on that momentum, Muchova quickly held serve and surged ahead 5-3. After breaking Osaka's serve again, Muchova secured the set, 6-3.

Early in the second set, Muchova won seven of 10 of her net points, hit 15 winners and threw down six aces. Tied at 3-3, Osaka’s stats were solid with just three net points won (of six), nine winners and four aces.

Then, tied at 4-4, the Japanese player appeared to switch up her style of play, going for bigger, bolder shots. Muchova, who was serving, fluffed two consecutive volleys, giving her opponent two break points. Osaka grabbed the second one and found herself serving at 5-4.Serving again at 5-6, Osaka won the game. So a tiebreak would decide the set and Muchova started it off with a serve and volley. Osaka hit some huge forehands to go up 4-2, but then threw in a double fault. At 6-4, Muchova hit an incredible passing shot to earn her first match point. Osaka survived but succumbed on the very next point as Muchova took the set, 7-6(5) to wrap up the win. US Open: Muchova ends two-time champ Osaka's campaign in second round | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

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The impossible job: Beating Rafael Nadal at the French Open

FRANCE - When a weary David Ferrer managed to win just five games in his French Open semi-final loss to Rafael Nadal in 2012, he was in no doubt over the enormity of the challenge.

"Winning a match against Rafa at Roland Garros is almost impossible," admitted a bamboozled Ferrer as he trudged off Court Philippe Chatrier.

It would have been no consolation to the gritty Ferrer that at least he won one more game than Roger Federer managed in the 2008 final against Nadal.

On the crushed red brick of Roland Garros, hardly anyone has laid a glove on Nadal.

Since his swashbuckling title-winning debut in the French capital in 2005, he has racked up 14 titles, winning 112 matches and losing just three.

Two of those defeats came against Novak Djokovic - in the last-eight in 2015 and semi-finals in 2021.

Sweden's Robin Soderling had been the first to pierce the Nadal armour in 2009. Nadal avenged that last-16 loss 12 months later in the final.

The only other time Nadal was thwarted in Paris was 2016 when a wrist injury forced a withdrawal after the second round.

In 2005, when he won the French Open at his first attempt, he was just two days past his 19th birthday.

He will turn 38 a week on Monday although the legacy of recent injury may yet shatter his dream of a farewell performance in the French capital.

When Nadal captured his record-extending 14th French Open in 2022, he was the oldest champion at 36.

It was a feat achieved despite daily painkilling injections to numb crippling pain in his foot.

Nadal made his Grand Slam debut at Wimbledon as a raw 17-year-old in 2003, but it was his maiden appearance in Paris that had fans drooling.

His 6-7 (6/8), 6-3, 6-1, 7-5 win in the final against unheralded Mariano Puerta of Argentina made him the first man since Mats Wilander 23 years earlier to triumph in the French capital at the first attempt.

- 'Like a war' -

Nadal won 11 titles in 2005, eight of them on clay including the prestigious Masters in Monte Carlo and Rome.

Entering Paris, he was on a 17-match win streak and was drawn to face Germany's Lars Burgsmuller in the first round.

"I remember that I was a little sad about the draw," Burgsmuller, ranked 96 at the time, told USA Today in 2015.

"Everyone was talking about him. Everyone knew that he would be very, very good."

Nadal would go on to claim the French Open title in each of the next three years, beating Federer in the final on all three occasions.

In the 2008 championship match, Nadal allowed his great Swiss rival just four games.

That year, he didn't drop a set. Compatriots Fernando Verdasco and Nicolas Almagro, both top 25 players, were allowed just three games apiece in their last 16 and quarter-final eviscerations.

In 2017 and 2020, Nadal again swept to the title without dropping a set.

Incredibly, in his 115 matches at Roland Garros, Nadal has been pushed to five sets on only three occasions. He won all three.

"With Rafa on clay in best of five, it's like a war," said Nadal's coach Carlos Moya.

John McEnroe, who fought legendary battles with six-time Roland Garros champion Bjorn Borg, was able to compare eras.

"I know when Borg played in my day he was like the human backboard," said McEnroe.

"He was faster than everyone, fitter than everyone, and you couldn't get a ball by the guy.

"I saw guys get exhausted in the first set, like the best clay court players in the world. It's the same thing when you play Nadal. This guy, he comes to play every match. This is a guy that just doesn't give it away."By David James. The impossible job: Beating Rafael Nadal at the French Open

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Steffi Graf appointed brand ambassador of Ayurveda in Kerala

The Kerala tourism department was given sanction to sign a pact with Graf to become Ayurveda brand ambassador as part of the department's 'Visit Kerala Scheme'. Tennis legend Steffi Graf, 46, was appointed as the Ayurveda brand ambassador of Kerala on 24 June. The state cabinet unanimously took the decision, said chief minister Oommen Chandy. The Kerala tourism department was given sanction to sign a pact with Graf, to become the Ayurveda brand ambassador as part of the department’s ‘Visit Kerala Scheme’, according to Chandy. The tourism department held discussions and reached an agreement with the former number one tennis player. Kerala’s Ayurveda, an ancient system of health care, is famous for its holistic effect on the body as well as the mind. It attracts people from all over the country and abroad, every year. Graf, who had bagged 22 Grand slam single titles, retired in 1999. She married former World No. 1 (mens’) tennis player Andre Agassi in October 2001. Graf was ranked World No 1 by Womens’ Tennis Association (WTA) for a staggering 377 weeks, in total. Source: Article, Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org

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Sharapova wins Madrid Open title

Maria Sharapova fought back to defeat Simona Halep 1-6, 6-2, 6-3 on Sunday to win her second clay title of the season at the Madrid Open, AFP reports. The Russian eighth seed, who also claimed a third straight victory last month in Stuttgart, improved to 3-0 over Romanian fourth seed Halep and 16-4 at the event where she lost the final a year ago to Serena Williams. Sharapova will rise to seventh in the rankings as a result of her 31st career trophy. Eight of her last ten titles have come on clay. Source: Article

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Novak Djokovic beats Rafael Nadal to win World Tour Finals

Novak Djokovic retained his ATP World Tour Finals title with a convincing win over world number one Rafael Nadal. The Serb, who lost the top ranking to Nadal last month, won 6-3 6-4 at the O2 Arena in London. Djokovic, 26, extended his unbeaten run to 22 matches as he claimed the season-ending title for the third time. He will now head to Belgrade, where Serbia take on the Czech Republic in the Davis Cup final from Friday. Nadal might have earned the year-end number one ranking after his remarkable return 
from injury in February, but Djokovic denied him a first ATP Finals title and laid down a marker for battles to come in 2014. Source: SAM Daily Times

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Djokovic beats Murray, wins Australian Open

Melbourne: World No. 1 Novak Djokovic of Serbia defeated US Open champion Andy Murray in four sets to win his fourth and third consecutive Australian Open title on Sunday. Djokovic also became the first man in the Open era to win three straight Australian titles, reports Xinhua. Photos:Djokovic wins third straight Australian Open title The 25-year-old Serb took three hours and 40 minutes to win 6-7(2), 7-6(3), 6-3, 6-2,
to shatter Murray's hopes of a back-to-back second Grand Slam win. After losing the opening set he probably should have won, with five break points to none for Murray, Djokovic turned the tables in the second set by grabbing the tiebreak. Murray then required a medical treatment for blisters at the changeover and failed to capitalise on 0-40 at the start of the third set. He then began to grimace between points, clearly struggling to move freely. It was Djokovic who took the first break of serve after two hours and 52 minutes. A thumping forehand into the corner set him on the way at 4-3, and despite saving two break points from 0-40, Murray could not resist any longer and netted a forehand. Djokovic went on a run of eight out of nine games as he moved two sets to one up and the Scot's serve unravelled, the double-fault count rising to five after just two in his other six matches in Melbourne. Unhappy with the chair umpire for not clamping down on shouts from the crowd, and with his movement hindered, Murray cut a dispirited figure as Djokovic powered towards another major win. With six Grand Slam victories, Djokovic matches the likes of Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg, Don Budge and Jack Crawford in the all-time list, while his rival lost in his all three appearances in the final of the Australian Open. Source: News-Bullet

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Sania, Shoaib on new pitch -Nach Baliye 5

(IANS) Tennis star Sania Mirza and her husband, Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik, are set to match steps on the dance reality show "Nach Baliye 5". Rumour mills have been abuzz about their participation in the show, but a formal announcement regarding their inclusion is set to be made here Wednesday. However, if a source is to be believed, the couple will be on the
show just as a special guest for an episode or two. When IANS questioned Nachiket Pant Vaidya, general manager, Star Plus, over Sania-Shoaib's participation, he said: "I met Sania at the BIG Star Entertainment Awards... And well, let's see." Sania and Shoaib got married in 2010. They will join 11 other celebrity couples on "Nach Baliye", which is set to go on air on Star Plus Dec 29. As many as 11 well-known couples from the TV industry have been brought together for the comeback season, to be judged by actress Shilpa Shetty, director Sajid Khan and ace choreographer Terence Lewis. Source: News-Track India, Image: photobucket.com

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Bhupathi-Bopanna win Paris Masters

Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna clinched the Paris Master, their second title of the year, after scoring a hard-fought win over Aisam-ul-haq Qureshi and Jean-Julien Rojer, in Paris on Sunday. The fifth seed Indian pair, playing their fourth final of the season, struggled past the Pakistan-Dutch combination 7-6 (6) 6-3 in the summit clash, lasting one hour and 24 minutes. Bhupathi and Bopanna had won the Dubai ATP event and ended runners-up at Cincinnati and Shanghai. The Indians could not convert a single breakpoint of the six chances in the opening set but held nerves in the tie-breaker to take the lead. They saved a crucial break chance in the second set and cashed in on both the chances on opponents' serve to seal the win. The Indians have already qualified for the season-ending finale, where they will make debut as a pair. The 38-year-old Bhupathi is a four-time runner-up at the event, losing the final in 2010 with Max Mirnyi and 1997, '99 and 2000 with Leander Paes. Bopanna, 32, had made his debut at the year-end championships last year with Qureshi. Source: Hindustan Times, ***

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Roger Federer: 287 weeks on top

On Monday Roger Federer surpassed Pete Sampras to set a new record for the most weeks on top of the ATP rankings. After claiming his seventh Wimbledon title a week ago, Federer returned to the top for the first time since June 2010. All-in-all, the Swiss star has been the best tennis player for 287 weeks, one more than Sampras, whose record looked almost unreachable ten years ago. Federer will enter the London Olympics next week as the world's top-ranked player, which means he could prolong his reign at least until the beginning of August. The 17-time Grand Slam champion says he's“extremely proud and honored to have beaten Pete's record as he was my childhood hero and I have always looked up to him.”  While AP quotes Sampras as saying that “the hardest thing to do in sports is the ability to stay on top. Roger has been able to do so by great play and durability.” Another former tennis king, Russia’s Marat Safin also believes the Swiss player’s achievement is well-deserved. “Roger has long been the best player in all aspects of play. He beat the likes of Sampras and [Andre] Agassi. His play is just excellent,” Safin told the Sovsport paper. Source: Sam Daily Times

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Serena beats Radwanska to clinch fifth Wimbledon title

Serena Williams has won her fifth Wimbledon title with an explosive start and a fighting finish to beat Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska 6-1 5-7 6-2. After becoming Poland's first grand slam finalist since 1939, Agnieszka Radwanska succumbed in three sets to USA's Serena Williams. Polish fans said that they are proud of Agnieszka Radwanska despite her losing to Serena Williams.Source: Indian Express, Source: Image

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