MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Serena Williams brushed off concerns about her fitness on Saturday and declared herself “at 130 percent” for her Australian Open title defence. The 21-times grand slam singles champion has played almost no competitive tennis since the U.S. Open last September and pulled out of the Hopman Cup two weeks ago with knee […]
WELLINGTON (Reuters) – Roberto Bautista Agut won the Auckland Classic for his third ATP title on Saturday after Jack Sock retired ill while trailing 6-1 1-0 in the final of the Australian Open warm-up tournament. Sock had complained of suffering flu-like symptoms when he stunned four-times champion and world number eight David Ferrer in the […]
REUTERS – France’s Alize Cornet thrashed an error-prone Eugenie Bouchard 6-1 6-2 to win the Hobart International title on Saturday, bringing the Canadian former Wimbledon semi-finalist’s nascent resurgence to a shuddering halt. Cornet dominated the contest on a blustery day in Tasmania, winning the first set at a canter after an early exchange of breaks […]
MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Novak Djokovic deserves a “little star” next to his name for a spectacular 2015 season that saw him win three grand slams among his 11 titles but the men’s game is not simply a matter of the Serb versus the rest, Roger Federer said on Saturday. The world number one’s dominance has […]
MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Maria Sharapova says her Australian Open preparations have gone smoothly despite her lack of recent on-court action, all barring a mix-up at the Melbourne Park laundry over a pair of leopard print underwear. Sharapova, Australian Open champion in 2008, pulled out of her title defence at the Brisbane International two weeks ago […]
MELBOURNE (Reuters) – After two years of injury frustration and bouts of depression, Victoria Azarenka is hoping a little bit of motorcycle riding and some street art will change people’s perceptions and help her to a third Australian Open title. The 26-year-old Belarusian is one of the favourites for the year’s opening grand slam that […]
MELBOURNE (Reuters) – For someone who was the only man to beat world number one Novak Djokovic in a grand slam in 2015, Stan Wawrinka was indifferent about the attention on the feat heading into this year’s Australian Open. Djokovic was virtually untouchable last year as he compiled an 82-6 win-loss record and won three […]
By Greg Stutchbury MELBOURNE (Reuters) – World number two Andy Murray has repeated, emphatically, that he will abandon the pursuit of his first Australian Open title if his wife goes into labour early. The men’s final of the year’s opening grand slam is scheduled for Jan. 31 and with his wife Kim expecting their first […]
MELBOURNE (Reuters) – With a heart-breaking injury record at the Australian Open, few would blame Rafa Nadal for a feeling of trepidation every time he enters Melbourne Park but the fit and healthy Spaniard will begin this year’s campaign full of “happy feelings”. After winning his sole Australian Open title in 2009, Nadal was forced […]
MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Novak Djokovic spent 2015 relentlessly trampling on the hopes and dreams of would-be challengers and the world number one again looms as the reality check to their new season ambitions when the Australian Open gets underway on Monday. The defending champion will start as raging favourite for a sixth title at the […]
MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Ailing knees, Father Time and even a resurgent Victoria Azarenka stand in the way of Serena Williams clinching her seventh Australian Open title and giving her one more shot at an achievement that would cap her storied career. Williams, already considered one of the all time greats, has 21 grand slam singles […]
