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Australian Open: Nick Kyrgios beats Rogerio Dutra Silva

  • Posted: Jan 15, 2018
2018 Australian Open
Dates: 15-28 January Venue: Melbourne Park
Coverage: Watch highlights on BBC Two, the BBC Sport website and app. Live commentary on the best matches on BBC Radio 5 live, 5 live sports extra and online.

Nick Kyrgios made a confident start to his Australian Open campaign with victory over Brazil’s Rogerio Dutra Silva in 87 minutes.

The 22-year-old Australian, seeded 17th, raced to a 6-1 6-2 6-4 victory in round one.

Kyrgios won the warm-up tournament in Brisbane, raising Australian hopes of a first men’s singles champion in Melbourne since 1976.

He will face Serbia’s Viktor Troicki in the second round on Wednesday.

“I was very nervous coming out here, first match at the Australian Open,” Kyrgios said.

“I didn’t think I played as well as Brisbane but hopefully I continue to improve and find my feet out here.

“A couple of years ago I made the quarter-finals here and I’m just trying to emulate that and maybe go a little bit further.”

  • Top seed Nadal cruises into second round
  • Live scores, schedule and results
  • BBC coverage times

There was an early warning for Kyrgios when umpire Fergus Murphy took exception to his admonishment of the crowd for calling out, and a debate ensued between the pair at the changeover.

However, Kyrgios remained focused where it mattered, dominating against world number 98 Dutra Silva on Hisense Arena.

Sixteen aces and no breaks of serve illustrated his strength in that department, but the Australian’s return was equally impressive.

Kyrgios got 76% of returns in play, breaking the Brazilian’s serve five times as the pressure told.

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Nadal Opens With A Bang!

  • Posted: Jan 15, 2018

Nadal Opens With A Bang!

Spanish star will remain at No. 1 if he reaches the quarter-finals

Rafael Nadal marked his return to competitive play on Monday night with a devastating blend of power tennis and excellent movement at the Australian Open.

The World No. 1, competing for the first time since appearing at the Nitto ATP Finals in November 2017, swept past Victor Estrella Burgos of the Dominican Republic 6-1, 6-1, 6-0 in just over 90 minutes on Rod Laver Arena.

The 31-year-old Spaniard improved to 52-11 at Melbourne Park, scene of his 2009 triumph over Roger Federer, and will play Argentina’s Leonardo Mayer in the second round. Mayer knocked out Nicolas Jarry of Chile 6-2, 7-6(1), 6-3 earlier in the day.

Nadal, who will remain at No. 1 in the ATP Rankings should he reach the quarter-finals, is bidding to become only the third player in the tennis history — after Australians Roy Emerson and Rod Laver — to win each of the fourth Grand Slam championship titles twice.

Nadal completed the 23-minute first set with a perfect drop shot winner, which left Estrella Burgos flat-footed. World No. 81 Estrella Burgos broke Nadal for the first time on his sixth break point opportunity at 5-0 in the second set. Nadal struck 28 winners, winning 86 total points to 41 for his 37-year-old opponent.

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Australian Open 2018: Grigor Dimitrov beats Dennis Novak in first round

  • Posted: Jan 15, 2018
2018 Australian Open
Dates: 15-28 January Venue: Melbourne Park
Coverage: Watch highlights on BBC Two, the BBC Sport website and app. Live commentary on the best matches on BBC Radio 5 live, 5 live sports extra and online.

Grigor Dimitrov reached the Australian Open second round with a straight-set win over Austrian Dennis Novak.

Dimitrov, 26, won 6-3 6-2 6-2 in one hour 38 minutes on Rod Laver Arena.

“I just tried to be compact, focused, used every opportunity I had and tried to save some energy,” said the Bulgarian, a semi-finalist last year.

Eighth seed Jack Sock lost 6-1 7-6 (7-4) 5-7 6-3 to Yuichi Sugita as 10 of 12 Americans lost in the men’s and women’s singles on day one in Melbourne.

John Isner, the 16th seed, was among the casualties, going down 6-4 3-6 6-3 6-3 to Australia’s Matthew Ebden.

Canadian 18-year-old Denis Shapovalov reached the second round, seeing off Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-1 6-3 7-6 (7-5).

Russian Andrey Rublev, 20, outlasted Spanish veteran David Ferrer to win 7-5 6-7 (8-10) 6-2 6-7 (8-10) 6-2, while Croatia’s sixth seed Marin Cilic beat Canadian qualifier Vasek Pospisil 6-2 6-2 4-6 7-6 (7-5).

  • Live scores and results
  • Edmund beats Anderson in five sets
  • Williams knocked out by Bencic
  • Stephens loses to Zhang

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Dimitrov Cruises In Melbourne Opener

  • Posted: Jan 15, 2018

Dimitrov Cruises In Melbourne Opener

Last year’s semi-finalist makes strong start

Third seed Grigor Dimitrov made a strong start to his 2018 Australian Open campaign, dismissing Austrian qualifier Dennis Novak 6-3, 6-2, 6-1 on Monday at Melbourne Park.

The Bulgarian finished 2017 by winning the biggest title of his career at the Nitto ATP Finals in London, where he beat David Goffin. After another strong effort at the ATP Training Camp in Monte-Carlo in December, Dimitrov opened his 2018 season with a semi-final showing in Brisbane, is now looking to win his first Grand Slam championship. He reached the semi-finals in Melbourne last year, losing a heart-breaking five-set contest against Rafael Nadal.

WATCH: ATP Training Camp

READ: Dimitrov – How Did I Lose That Match?

Against the No. 226-ranked Novak, who was making his Grand Slam main draw debut, Dimitrov struck 21 winners and won almost twice as many points (95-57) as his opponent. He booked his spot in the second round in one hour and 38 minutes.

Dimitrov goes on to face a qualifier, either Elias Ymer or Mackenzie McDonald.

No. 16 seeded John Isner had won all three of his previous FedExATP Head2Head meetings against Matthew Ebden without dropping a set. But the Australian, who rose 619 spots into the Top 100 of the ATP Rankings in 2017, defeated the big-serving American 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Ebden was certainly opportunistic, seizing all four break point chances he earned in the match, while saving two of the three held against him. Isner was second on the ATP World Tour in 2017, saving 71 per cent (140/197) of break points.

It is a disappointing loss for Isner, who came within two victories of qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time in 2017 when he advanced to the semi-finals of the Rolex Paris Masters, before suffering a shocking exit at the hands of qualifier Filip Krajinovic. Meanwhile Eden, who pushed eventual champion Nick Kyrgios to three sets in the second round of the Brisbane International presented by Suncorp, moves on to the second round at Melbourne Park for the third time in his career.

Ebden will face Alexandr Dolgopolov, who ousted Andreas Haider-Maurer in straight sets.

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Australian Open 2018: Kyle Edmund beats Kevin Anderson in five sets

  • Posted: Jan 15, 2018
2018 Australian Open
Dates: 15-28 January Venue: Melbourne Park
Coverage: Watch highlights on BBC Two, the BBC Sport website and app. Live commentary on the best matches on BBC Radio 5 live, 5 live sports extra and online.

Kyle Edmund claimed the best win of his career as he knocked out 11th seed Kevin Anderson in five sets at the Australian Open.

Edmund, the only British man in the singles draw, won 6-7 (4-7) 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-4 in the first round in Melbourne.

The 23-year-old, ranked 49th, twice came back from a set down and recovered from 2-0 behind in the final set to win in a minute short of four hours.

He goes on to face Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin in the second round.

  • BBC coverage times
  • Live scores and results

Edmund had lost his only previous encounter with Anderson over five sets at last year’s French Open, and he was in no mood to suffer a similar defeat.

US Open finalist Anderson, 31, was predictably dominant for periods on serve, using his 6ft 8in frame to good effect as he finished with 35 aces to Edmund’s 11.

Edmund had been working on his returns in the off-season, however, and it paid off.

After losing a tight first set on the tie-break, Edmund’s heavy forehand began to find its range as he broke for 4-2 on his way to taking the second.

Anderson’s experience told in the third set as he reeled off six of seven points following a rain delay to move ahead once again.

However, urged on by a large British contingent on court three, Edmund broke early in the fourth and roared as he held on from 0-40 to consolidate.

Memories of Paris stirred when Anderson took control of the fifth set at 2-0, but this time Edmund hit straight back.

A shoulder rub was required as the match clock approached four hours but Edmund continued to play aggressively, forcing the errors from Anderson to break serve for a fourth time.

The Briton admitted before the match that he had lost too many matches from wining positions last year and he made no mistake this time, sweeping his 31st forehand winner of the day to clinch victory.

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Federer An Underdog In Melbourne No More

  • Posted: Jan 14, 2018

Federer An Underdog In Melbourne No More

After winning the title as the No. 17 seed, Federer is once again a leading favourite

Roger Federer was, somewhat unbelievably, an underdog entering the 2017 Australian Open — seeded 17th after missing six months due to injury.

But the Swiss did the seemingly impossible, shocking himself and the world by ousting four Top 10 players in the ATP Rankings to claim his first major trophy since 2012 Wimbledon. He trailed Kei Nishikori 0-5 in the first set of their Round of 16 encounter before winning in five sets. He fell behind 1-3 in the deciding fifth set of the final against Rafael Nadal. No matter, Federer still found a way to triumph despite his last official tournament prior to that coming at 2016 Wimbledon.

“It was more of a ‘let’s see what happens’ kind of tournament,” Federer said on Sunday. It just so happens that it turned into one of the best of his career. “It was the tournament of the year for me, no doubt about it.”

But now, whether Federer agrees with it or not, he is back in his usual favourite status, arriving at Melbourne Park as the second seed for 2018’s first Grand Slam.

“Having no expectations was so nice after all these years always having expectations, like now this year again,” Federer said. “With age, I feel like, you know, I play down my chances just because I don’t think a 36-year-old should be a favourite of a tournament, it should not be the case. That’s why I see things more relaxed, you know, at a later stage of my career.”

And while Federer may play down his chances, he might be the only one to do so. At 36, the right-hander led the ATP World Tour with seven titles in 2017, including two Grand Slams (Australian Open, Wimbledon) and three ATP World Tour Masters 1000 triumphs (Indian Wells, Miami, Shanghai).

Federer dominated on hard courts especially, winning 91 per cent (40-4) of matches on the surface. There were only two other players who earned 40 or more victories on hard court — David Goffin (43-17, 72 per cent) and Nadal (40-9, 82 per cent).

You May Also Like: Three Reasons Why Federer May Win The 2018 Australian Open

Thanks to those efforts, the Swiss even has an outside chance at leaving Melbourne with the No. 1 ATP Ranking — he would have to retain the title with Nadal failing to advance to the quarter-finals. It would be the first time he held the top spot since the week of 29 October 2012.

But while there are many things that have been impressive about Federer’s resurgence, one thing stands out — the 36-year-old is having an absolute blast.

“I’ve always enjoyed it. Do I enjoy it more now? It’s unfair if I say yes, because I felt like I loved the time when I was coming up and playing my heroes from TV. I mean, that was extremely cool. It’s like a little boy in the candy store back in the day,” Federer said. “When I was No. 1 in the world, winning all these tournaments, that was a lot of fun, too.

“Now it’s different. Now I have a big family. I have a lot of friends that travel the world with me. I get to see familiar faces again at all these events because I’ve made so many friends over the course of my career… It’s definitely great times. Is it the best ever? I’m not sure. It’s definitely a lot of fun right now.”

And while Federer has fun, nobody in Melbourne will enjoy facing him this fortnight. The 19-time Grand Slam champion begins his quest for major title No. 20 against Aljaz Bedene on Tuesday evening on Rod Laver Arena.

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From Commonwealth gold to retiring at 26

  • Posted: Jan 14, 2018

Jocelyn Rae has her Scottish-born father to thank for the golden moment of a tennis playing career she has ended at the age of 26.

Born and brought up in Nottinghamshire, Rae was thrust unexpectedly into the limelight as part of Scotland’s Commonwealth Games squad heading for Delhi in 2010.

She left India with a glittering prize and a lifelong memory, having won the mixed doubles title with Colin Fleming.

It was all made possible by father Robert – still “a proud Scot” despite having left Plean, near Stirling, as a child – phoning team organisers to check her eligibility.

“It was very out of the blue as the Commonwealth Games was not on my radar,” Rae told BBC Scotland.

  • WATCH: Retiring Rae excited by future
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“It was probably one of the best things he has every done.

“My mum and dad are both proud, but my dad is like a whole other level. He still watches the re-runs of the tapes today.”

The 19-year-old Rae was suddenly being talked about as the successor to Elena Baltacha – potentially the next Scot to break into the world’s top 100.

But a foot injury the following year meant she never surpassed the ranking of 450 in singles she achieved at the time of her Commonwealth gold – and ultimately was a major contributor to her decision to quit the game in December.

“The main reason for my decision was injuries,” she explained. “I was plagued with them growing up, as most professional athletes are, and I sustained quite a bad injury on my left foot in 2011.

“It was only a few months after the Commonwealth Games success and so that was a big blow.

“It meant I had to give up singles after two years out of the game after surgery.

“So that was something I always had to manage along the way through the rest of my career.

“And, in my last tournament, I actually woke up with a sore shoulder and, for me, I don’t know what it was, it just clicked that I can’t mentally do the injury side of things any more.”

Rae still managed to make her mark in the doubles game, reaching a highest ranking of 67 in February 2016 and being part of the British team for five Fed Cup campaigns.

However, with wedding plans in place, she will now concentrate on helping develop potential champions after accepting a coaching position with the Lawn Tennis Association.

“I am also a massive home person and, as much as a life of a tennis player is exciting and you obviously get to see beautiful places around the world, do what we love in nice conditions, it was just starting to get a little bit on top of me,” she said.

“It is a lot of travelling. When you are playing the lower tournaments, you can go to a particular country and stay for two, three or four weeks and get a good tour out of that.

“But, when you make it on to the main tour, that’s the goal and where you want to get to, it is tricky. It means you are all over the world.

“It’s tiring sat in the economy side of things. Being 6ft 2in, it is a bit tough on the back and legs.

“It is non-stop. The season is pretty much constant and I was just starting to miss home a lot.

“When I was travelling, I was lucky – I got on really well with my doubles partner, Anna Smith, and we kept each other sane probably.

“I had a coach with me for a few weeks here and there when I could afford it. But, at the end of the day, you are pretty lonely.

“It is a tough place to be, but also I’ve had the best memories and experiences from doing that, so it is a double-edged sword.”

Rae was pleased to have gone out on a high, winning the Odlum Brown VanOpen doubles title with Jessica Moore in August, having reached the Wimbledon mixed doubles quarter-finals with Ken Skupski a month earlier.

“I had such an amazing last year,” she said. “I played Fed Cup for the fifth or sixth time and we got promoted.

“Then Wimbledon and making the quarter-finals, which I had never done before, and not only that – getting to play on Number One Court for the first time and an hour after that being told we had been drawn to face Jamie Murray and Martina Hingis on Centre Court the next day.

“That was like three dreams come true in the space of 48 hours.

“It was a great way to finish it for me because Wimbledon obviously holds a special place in most players’ hearts and especially us Brits.

“We enjoyed the experience and tried really hard, but they were just too good on the day and went on to win the title.

“At the time, I was thinking it was probably going to be my last Wimbledon, so every moment was even more special really.”

Yet it is that moment in the Delhi sunshine, when she and Fleming overcame top seeds Paul Hanley and Anastasia Rodionova of Australia, that she will remember most.

“It was such an unexpected run,” she said of her Commonwealth Games experience. “I had met Colin literally the night before our first match, which we almost lost against two good Australian players.

“After that, I settled into it, we got to know each other a bit more and we just flew from there.

“The whole experience was incredible and to come away with gold was the cherry on top.

“That was an absolute whirlwind of a couple of weeks and was probably my main highlight.”

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