The Latest: Greek player tested negative in Australia
(AP Photo/Hamish Blair)MELBOURNE โ The Latest from the Australian Open (all times local):12:45 a.m.Australian Open organizers say the player from Greeceโs ATP Cup team who tested positive for COVID-19 on arrival in South Africa had returned a negative result the day he left Melbourne. Michail Pervolarakis played in the Greek team with Stefanos Tsitsipas last week in one of the six tuneup tournaments for the Australian Open. The Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported that Tennis Australia confirmed Pervolarakis tested negative for the coronavirus on Feb. 9. He reached the fourth round at Melbourne Park for the 14th time in 16 trips. The top-seeded Australian beat Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia 6-2, 6-4 to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open for the third straight year.
Lockdown: Tennis players getting on with life in Australia
Italian tennis player Simone Bolelli, left, and Argentina's Maximo Gonzalez are escorted to their training session in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 18, 2021. (Luis Ascui/AAP Image via AP)With no way out, tennis players in lockdown are figuring out ways to keep themselves fit within the confines of their Melbourne hotel rooms as they prepare for the Australian Open. Angelique Kerber, who won the Australian Open in 2016, spent her birthday in quarantine on Monday. But local government, tennis and health authorities have said all players were warned of the risks well in advance. โWeโve got to do whatever we can to make it as fair as possible for those players that are in lockdown.โ___More AP tennis: https://apnews.com/apf-Tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
72 tennis players in lockdown after virus cases on flights
Italian tennis player Simone Bolelli, left, and Argentina's Maximo Gonzalez are escorted to their training session in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 18, 2021. The number of players in hard quarantine swelled to 72 ahead of the Australian Open after a fifth positive coronavirus test was returned from the charter flights bringing players, coaches, officials and media to Melbourne for the season-opening tennis major. Some players have expressed anger at being classified as close contacts merely for being on board those flights with people who later tested positive. But local government, tennis and health authorities have said all players were warned of the risks in advance. The Australian Open starts Feb. 8 following a week of warmup tournaments at Melbourne Park and the ATP Cup.
Barty, Svitolina advance at WTA Finals
(AP Photo/Andy Wong)SHENZHEN Top-ranked Ash Barty advanced Saturday to the final of the WTA Finals where she faces defending champion Elina Svitolina, a player she has never beaten in five previous attempts. Barty, like Svitolina, dropped the opening set of her semifinal before beating second-ranked Karolina Pliskova of Czech Republic 4-6, 6-2, 6-3. Belinda Bencic retired in the third set as Svitolina outlasted the injured Swiss to win 5-7, 6-3, 4-1 and reach her second straight final at the WTA Finals. "It's still kind of like not realizing that I'm in the final," Svitolina said, but added "it's tough to play someone who has been injured." After holding serve to lead 6-5 in the first set against Svitolina, Bencic received a medical timeout to have treatment during the changeover.
Serena Williams to face Canadian Bianca Andreescu in US Open final
Serena Williams moved into a 10th US Open final and picked up a record-equaling 101st win in New York by routing Elina Svitolina 6-3, 6-1. On the other side of the net will be fellow North American Bianca Andreescu, the 19-year-old Canadian who rallied to defeat Belinda Bencic 7-6(3) 7-5 and make a maiden grand slam final. Williams booked a spot in the final almost exactly 20 years after appearing in her first grand slam final at the 1999 US Open, before Andreescu was even born. Williams was once unbeatable in grand slam finals, winning eight straight from 2012-2015. If she upsets Williams, Andreescu would become her country's first grand slam singles champion and the first female teen to win a major since Maria Sharapova at the 2006 US Open.
Defending US Open champion Naomi Osaka upset by Belinda Bencic
Naomi Osaka is eliminated from the U.S. Open by Belinda Bencic. FLUSHING, N.Y. - Naomi Osaka authored an indelible mark on the US Open when she comforted the sport's newest sensation, Coco Gauff, following their highly anticipated third-round match. Osaka entered the US Open under an injury cloud, having retired at her previous event in Cincinnati with a knee injury two weeks ago. Bencic, 22, has had plenty of injury problems herself, so the win over Osaka is sure to be even sweeter for her. In her maiden grand slam quarterfinal, Vekic might have the edge over Bencic since she prevailed when they met at the French Open.
Defending champion Naomi Osaka ends Coco Gauff's US Open run, then comforts Gauff afterward
NEW YORK (CNN) - Coco Gauff will not match her magical Wimbledon run -- and Naomi Osaka's quest to defend her US Open title continues. "I don't think I'm a mentor," Osaka said to ESPN, and then turned to Gauff's player box, which included the teen's parents. "You guys raised an amazing player," Osaka said, before breaking down into tears herself. She was looking to be youngest player to reach the fourth round at US Open since Anna Kournikova in 1996. The youngest player in the draw, Gauff was making her US Open singles debut as a wild card.