Wimbledon 2021: Ash Barty holds off Karolina Pliskova to win second Slam
Barty’s most significant wobble came late in the second set. Because of the threat of showers, Barty and Pliskova shared a warmup session under the roof at No. She lobbed Pliskova, who at 6-foot-1 is 8 inches taller than the 5-foot-5 Barty, to win a point. The key stat by the finish probably was this: Barty won 22 of 31 points that lasted nine strokes or more. Pliskova finally got the measure of her strokes in the second set, in which she twice trailed by a break before pulling it out.
mlive.comHow to Watch the Wimbledon Ladies’ Singles Semifinals | Channel, Stream, Time
Only four of the best tennis players remain in London, with a chance for a couple to make their first trips to the championship match at Wimbledon. The top-seed is continuing to stay on track as she heads to her third Grand Slam semifinal, and her first of the year. Angelique Kerber took hom the crown back in 2018, but has not been to a Grand Slam Final since. Karolina Pliskova is having her best Wimbledon performance of her career, and is competing in her first Grand Slam semifinal since Australia in 2019. WIMBLEDON LADIES’ SINGLES SEMIFINALSWhen: Thursday, July 8Time: 8:00 a.m.Where: All English Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (London, England)Channel: ESPNStream: FuboTV (7-day free trial)WOMEN’S DRAW (All times ET)
mlive.comHow to Watch the Wimbledon Ladies’ Quarterfinals | Channel, Stream, Time
Only eight remain in the ladies’s singles draw at Wimbledon, just hours removed from their Round of 16 contests. After dropping a set in her first match against Carla Suarez Navarro, Barty has not lost a set heading into Tuesday. Watch the Wimbledon Championships on FuboTV (7-day free trial)The first quarterfinal of the day will feature Czech Republic native Karolina Pliskova taking on Viktorija Golubic. Karolina Muchova will meet former Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber. WIMBLEDON LADIES’ SINGLES QUARTERFINALSWhen: Tuesday, July 6Time: 8:00 a.m.Where: All English Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (London, England)Channel: ESPN (Main Court), ESPN2 (Seconday Court)Stream: FuboTV (7-day free trial)WOMEN’S DRAW
mlive.comHobbled Daniil Medvedev limps to 3rd-round win at Miami Open
Daniil Medvedev, of Russia, walks gingerly to the net after defeating Alexei Popyrin, of Australia, during the Miami Open tennis tournament, Sunday, March 28, 2021, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)MIAMI – Daniil Medvedev could barely walk, much less run. The top-ranked Medvedev held his final two service games despite being hobbled by cramps and beat Alexei Popyrin 7-6 (3), 6-7 (7), 6-4 in the third round at the Miami Open. “Winning a Grand Slam final in straight sets doesn’t feel the way I felt after the match point today,” he said with a grin. Medvedev failed to convert three match points in the second set after taking a 5-2 lead. When Popyrin misfired on a backhand on the final point, Medvedev shuffled to the net with a smile that turned into a wince.
Muchova upsets Barty and will face Brady in Australian semis
Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic receives medical treatment during her quarterfinal against Australia's Ash Barty at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021. (AP Photo/Andy Brownbill)MELBOURNE – Top-ranked Ash Barty built a big lead in the Australian Open quarterfinals before her opponent took a medical timeout and left the court. Brady reached her second Grand Slam semifinal, following a run that far at the U.S. Open in September. Muchova played poorly at the start of her second major quarterfinal, and Barty raced to a 5-0 lead while losing only six points. This was the first Grand Slam tournament since last year's Australian Open to permit thousands of people to sit in the stands.
Australian Open goes quiet as lockdown keeps crowds away
Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic serves to compatriot Karolina Pliskova during their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021. Crowds were gone from the Australian Open on Saturday because of a five-day hard lockdown imposed by the state government to contain an outbreak of COVID-19 cases. And with the lack of fans, players were faced with an all-too-familiar feeling: a distinct lack of buzz. The Australian Open was allowed to continue during the lockdown — but without fans. He struggled without a crowd in a warm-up tournament before the Australian Open.
The Latest: Greek player tested negative in Australia
(AP Photo/Hamish Blair)MELBOURNE – The Latest from the Australian Open (all times local):12:45 a.m.Australian Open organizers say the player from Greece’s 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.
Feeling pressure: 2020 champ Kenin loses at Australian Open
United States' Sofia Kenin leaves the court following her second round loss to Estonia's Kaia Kanepi during at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)MELBOURNE – Sofia Kenin knew this would be a tough test at the Australian Open, a potentially early end to her first attempt to defend a Grand Slam title. Upon realizing she probably would be playing big-hitting veteran Kaia Kanepi in the second round, Kenin acknowledged, she “maybe kind of broke down a little bit.”Kenin was right to be worried. Kenin walked off the court crying after a 6-2, 6-2 loss last week in a tuneup event at the site of the Australian Open and explained afterward that her left leg was sore. 21 Alex de Minaur and Mackenzie McDonald, who beat 22nd-seeded Borna Coric 6-4, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4, and 39-year-old Feliciano Lopez.
The Latest: Nadal beats Mmoh in straight sets in Melbourne
Spain's Rafael Nadal celebrates after defeating United States' Michael Mmoh during their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)MELBOURNE – The Latest from the Australian Open (all times local):11:50 p.m.Rafael Nadal shrugged off some heckling from a spectator before beating American qualifier Michael Mmoh 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 in the second round of the Australian Open. The Australian Open is the first major in a year to allow sizeable crowds with the government allowing up to 50% capacity. Ad___11:20 p.m.Fabio Fognini and Salvatore Caruso clearly still hadn’t had enough of their all-Italian second-round duel at the Australian Open even after four hours and five sets. ___9:30 p.m.Fifth-seeded Elina Svitolina beat 16-year-old Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-3 in the second round of the Australian Open.
'17 French Open champ Ostapenko wants more; Shapovalov upset
2 seed Karolina Pliskova at the French Open on Thursday, the conversation quickly turned to 2017. And just, like, the world doesn’t stop with winning only one Grand Slam. That’s not very different from where she was three years ago in Paris, ranked 47th and just two days past her 20th birthday when she became an impossible-to-predict Grand Slam champion. Pliskova, who came into the French Open dealing with a leg injury, was not the most gracious foe after Thursday’s loss. The first time I’m in the third round in a Grand Slam.
Does Djokovic's next foe have hope? 'I was wondering that'
Serbia's Novak Djokovic serves against Lithuania's Ricardas Berankis in the second round match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)PARIS – At the mere mention of Novak Djokovic’s name, at the mere thought of sharing a court with a 17-time Grand Slam champion and the French Open’s No. He used these phrases: “really, really excited” and “really, really happy” and “really, really special.”Galan is, after all, ranked 153rd and never had won so much as one main-draw match at any major tournament until this week. Jelena Ostapenko, the 2017 French Open champ, plays 87th-ranked Paula Badosa, who arrived in Paris with a 1-5 Grand Slam record. “Well,” came Galan’s reply, “I was wondering that, to be honest.”And then he launched into a story about how he was “really, really nervous” before playing former top 10-member David Goffin in the Davis Cup Finals last November.
The Latest: Carballes Baena reaches 3rd round for 1st time
Shapovalov committed 106 unforced errors in the match compared to 42 for Carballes Baena and twice served for the match. The Canadian also had more winners than Carballes Baena with 65 to the unseeded Spaniard's 31. Carballes Baena sank to his knees after Shapovalov hit a forehand long and let out a loud shout of delight. Carballes Baena will next play 18th-seeded Grigor Dimitrov. Pliskova's twin sister, Kristyna, was also playing a former French Open champion when she faced 2016 winner Garbiñe Muguruza.
Mladenovic pins French meltdown on US Open lockdown, no-call
France's Kristina Mladenovic plays a shot against Germany's Laura Siegemund in the first round match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)PARIS – Kristina Mladenovic blamed her French Open meltdown on her U.S. Open lockdown — and she wasn’t too pleased about a no-call on a double bounce that helped her opponent avoid ceding the first set Wednesday, either. Mladenovic was furious that chair umpire Eva Asderaki didn’t spot the extra bounce that came during a 10-stroke exchange. “If she would have done it, she would have all my respect and be super fair play,” Mladenovic said. “It’s brutal for the body when you (have) eight days (of) lockdown in a hotel room,” Mladenovic said Wednesday.
DQ forgotten, Djokovic leaves French Open foe 'suffocated'
Serbia's Novak Djokovic reacts after missing a shot against Sweden's Mikael Ymer in the first round match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020. “Winning a 6-love first set is the best possible way to start a Grand Slam," he said. With Dominic Thiem, the U.S. Open champion and two-time French Open runner-up, watching from the stands in a black winter coat, Djokovic broke Ymer nine times and ended up with a 32-12 edge in total winners. Others feeling that way on Day 3 at the year’s last Grand Slam tournament included No. Tsitsipas trailed Jaume Munar before advancing 4-6, 2-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-4, while Rublev knelt on court and covered his face with his hands after turning things around to beat Sam Querrey 6-7 (5), 6-7 (4), 7-5, 6-4, 6-3.
The Latest: Djokovic drops only 5 games in French Open debut
Serbia's Novak Djokovic plays a shot against Sweden's Mikael Ymer in the first round match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)PARIS – The Latest from the French Open (all times local):___5:55 p.m.Novak Djokovic's first Grand Slam action since his disqualification at the U.S. Open went as smoothly as can be. ___3 p.m.Danish teenager Clara Tauson earned her first tour-level victory by beating U.S. Open semifinalist Jennifer Brady 6-4, 3-6, 9-7 in the opening round of the French Open. ___1:20 p.m.Second-seeded Karolina Pliskova advanced to the second round of the French Open by beating Mayar Sherif 6-7 (9), 6-2, 6-4. The big-hitting Latvian player won the French Open that year.