Serena Williams & The Live Ultimate Run
Serena Williams hosted the second annual Serena Williams Live Ultimate Run on the weekend. How did she do? Which other WTA legend ran the race? Find out right here.
Serena Williams hosted the second annual Serena Williams Live Ultimate Run on the weekend. How did she do? Which other WTA legend ran the race? Find out right here.
Thanasi Kokkinakis d. Bernard Tomic 3-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 8-6/R64/Roland Garros
Two sets down to fellow Aussie young gun Bernard Tomic in the second-round in Paris, 19-year-old Thanasi Kokkinakis brought the Court 7 crowd to its collective feet, roaring back and saving three match points to score an unlikely 3-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 8-6 victory in in three hours and 24 minutes.
In doing so, the No. 84-ranked Australian became the first teen to reach the third round at Roland-Garros since Latvian Ernests Gulbis in 2008.
The 6-foot-5 young guns had already faced off twice in 2015, Tomic emerging victorious on both occasions. But in this dramatic encounter, he would let three match points slip away at 5-2 in the fifth.
“I was going mental in the first two sets when I couldn’t take a break point,” said Kokkinakis. “I don’t know what my conversion rate was [23 per cent/five of 22], but it was driving me insane. But I kept hanging in there. I trusted my fitness, and it paid off.”
“It was an emotional celebration,” Kokkinakis added. “Second time I have come back from two sets to love.”
Kokkinakis had saved four match points in defeating 11th seed Gulbis in the opening round of the Australian Open 5-7, 6-0, 1-6, 7-6(2), 8-6.
Nick Kyrgios d. Andreas Seppi 5-7, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(5), 8-6/R16/Australian Open
His 7-6(5), 5-7, 7-6(5), 6-3 Round of 16 shocker against Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon in 2014 was indeed a grand introduction to the ATP World Tour for Nick Kyrgios. But it was at the 2015 Australian Open that the 19-year-old Greco-Malaysian-Aussie truly stepped into the spotlight when he stormed back from a two-set deficit to defeat Andreas Seppi 5-7, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(5), 8-6, becoming his home-nation Slam’s breakout star.
An electric, filled-to-capacity Hisense Arena crowd roared in delight as Kyrgios saved a match point to secure his second-ever Grand Slam quarter-final in only his seventh major tournament appearance. He became the first Australian man to reach the elite eight at the event since Lleyton Hewitt in 2005.
Kyrgios, who became the first teen since Roger Federer in 2001 to reach multiple Grand Slam quarter-finals, would call it “the best feeling I ever had”.
“This is actually the most nervous I’ve ever been, going out against Seppi in the fourth round,” said Kyrgios. “When I saw I had finally won the match it was incredible.”
The turning point came early in the third set, when Kyrgios scored an all-important break in the second game to stem the tide.
“That just established that I wasn’t going to go away,” he said. “I was just going to compete till the very end. I started playing really well in the third set. I knew if I could just hang on some way and take it to a fifth set, it’s anyone’s match.”
“I just played a couple bad games at the beginning of the third set,” said Seppi, who a round earlier had dispatched 17-time Slam champion Federer. “I missed three easy forehands for the break. He played a little bit more relaxed after that.”
Donald Young d. Viktor Troicki 4-6, 0-6, 7-6(3), 6-2, 6-4/R32/US Open
It was only fitting. How better to bid farewell to the aging 6,000-seat Grandstand, an intimate venue unlike any other in the sport. Where else in tennis can you so easily shuttle back and forth between show courts (Grandstand and Louis Armstrong Stadium)? What other court features a walkway upon which fans can look directly into a player’s eyes as they toss the ball skyward on serve? Over the years, the one-of-a-kind venue has played home to some of the US Open’s most thrilling matches, and the Donald Young vs. Viktor Troicki affair — the last official singles match to be played on the court before its scheduled demolition — will rank right up there with the very best.
The left-hander had already battled back from a two-sets-to-love deficit in the opening round, shocking 11th-seeded Frenchman Gilles Simon 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. On the brink of defeat once more, the American brought the rowdy and decidedly one-sided home crowd to its feat as he fought his way past the Serb with aggressive shotmaking and never-say-die attitude.
Young, 26, needed three hours and 33 minutes to clinch the win. He had two match points on his racquet at 5-3, but sealed the victory in the following game with a down-the-line forehand winner.
“Showing you can fight and come back is a great feeling at the end of the day. It was 90 per cent you guys, 10 per cent me,” he told the crowd, which chanted “U-S-A” throughout the match. “I am so happy to be able to do it in front of you guys. Thanks for the support. It definitely did [feel a bit like Davis Cup]. I was on the other end of a match like this earlier this year in Scotland against Andy Murray, so to have you guys 100 per cent for me felt amazing. I really appreciate that.”
A sparkling new 10,000-seat Grandstand will be unveiled on the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in 2016, while the old facility — a remnant of the 1964 World’s Fair — will serve as a practice facility until its demolition.
Coming Tuesday: The Two Biggest Grand Slam Comebacks of 2015
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Ο Στέφανος Τσιτσιπάς στα μονά, και η Ελένη Χριστοφή στα διπλά, κατέκτησαν τη δεύτερη θέση στη μεγάλη διοργάνωση Grade A της ITF, ” Metropolian Orange Bowl 2015 “.
Ο Στέφανος Τσιτσιπάς έχασε τον τίτλο στο tie break(7-5), μετά απο ένα αμφίρροπο αγώνα, με πολλές εναλλαγές συναισθημάτων. Στα δύο σετ που προηγήθηκαν, ο Σέρβος αντίπαλος του, Miomir Kecmanovic πήρε το πρώτο σετ με σκορ 6-3, και ο Στέφανος το δεύτερο σετ με το εντυπωσιακό σκορ 6-2. Στο tie break ο τίτλος χάθηκε στις λεπτομέρειες με τον παράγοντα τύχη να παίζει στην τελευταία μπαλιά.
Η καθοριστική στιγμή για τον τίτλο, αποτυπώνεται στο παρακάτω βίντεο.Ο Kecmanovic σερβίρει ενώ προηγείται με 6-5 στο tie break, ο Στέφανος επιστρέφει τη μπάλα και ανταλλάσσονται άλλες δύο μπαλιές. Αυτό είναι το τένις…
Στον άλλο αγώνα με Ελληνικό ενδιαφέρον, στον τελικό των διπλών, η Ελένη Χριστοφή και η συμπαίκτρια της Anastasia Detiuc, ηττήθηκαν απο τις Pranjala Yadlapalli και Tamara Zidansek, με σκορ 6-2, 6-2 και κατέκτησαν τη δεύτερη θέση.
Η γλυκόπικρη γεύση της ήττας στους τελικούς μιας τόσο μεγάλης παγκόσμιας διοργάνωσης δεν μειώνει καθόλου το μέγεθος της επιτυχίας. Ευχόμαστε στους αθλητές μας καλή συνέχεια, τους καμαρώνουμε και τους ευχαριστούμε για τις μεγάλες συγκινήσεις που μας προσφέρουν.
LOS ANGELES, CA, USA – Maria Sharapova and friends lit up Centre Court at the UCLA Tennis Center on Day 1 of aptly-named exhibition event Maria Sharapova & Friends, presented by Porsche.
The highlight of the day was the hostess herself, Sharapova, taking on American rising star Madison Keys – and the five-time Grand Slam champion and former World No.1 squeaked by, 6-7, 6-1, 11-9.
Sharapova spoke about how excited she was about the new exhibition event. “I’ve been coming here to practice for so many years and felt part of the community here,” she explained. “I wanted to give the tennis fans in Los Angeles something back and support professional tennis in the United States.”
Elsewhere, Mardy Fish outlasted Andy Roddick in a men’s singles match, 7-6, 4-6, 12-10, Keys and Fish beat Roddick and Laura Robson in mixed doubles, 6-4, and, in a celebrity mixed doubles match, the all-female team of Sharapova and Chelsea Handler outdid all-male team Roddick and Will Arnett.
And that’s not all – Sunday’s schedule sees Sloane Stephens face Shelby Rogers, Kei Nishikori play Jack Sock, Sharapova and Nishikori play Robson and Sock, and Sharapova and Handler play another celebrity mixed doubles match. Find out where you can watch it all live on the Tennis Channel.
A part of the proceeds from the weekend will go to the Maria Sharapova Foundation – read more here.
And here are some of the best photos from Maria Sharapova & Friends, all courtesy of Porsche:
LOS ANGELES, CA, USA – Madison Keys says the decision to end her partnership with coach Lindsay Davenport was driven by her need for a full-time coach who could commit to tennis’ grueling week-by-week schedule.
Speaking ahead of her appearance at the Maria Sharapova & Friends exhibition on the campus of UCLA on Saturday, Keys confirmed the split was a mutual one.
“I got to a point where at this point of my career I wanted someone to be able to be there every single day and be there at the tournaments,” Keys told WTA Insider. “Lindsay was obviously such a huge help last year. We did so much and she helped me so much. We just kind of went as far as we could. We’re still close and we still talk.”
Davenport’s coaching role grew out of an off-season training block that evolved into something more. But given her family commitments as well as her commentating duties, the three-time Slam champion could not travel with Keys full-time. Had she been able to, Keys said they would still be working together.
“It wasn’t like we had some big blow out fight and we hate each other,” Keys said. “That’s not the case. Obviously we want to still work with each other. She just has so much. Our tennis travel is insane. A mother of one wouldn’t be able to do it. A mother of four who has commentating and all of the other stuff? It just became a lot.”
Keys will go into the 2016 season with former ATP pro Jesse Levine as her full-time coach. Levine reached a career-high ranking of No.69 in 2012 and the two have known each other for years from training at the Evert Tennis Academy in Boca Raton, Florida. The idea for the partnership came from Keys’ agent Max Eisenbud, who used to represent the Canadian.
“He had to flatten out his forehand for me because my arm is going to fall off,” Keys said, laughing. “I can’t hit above my head like Rafa. I’m like, ‘Please stop. I’m not a dude. My arms will fall off my body.'”
As for Davenport, she may not be in Keys’ coaching box, but she’ll always be in her corner. “She’s always said if you ever need anything call me, let me know,” Keys said. “Always there for you.”
“I would never expect that I could do it twice,” Tsitsipas said. “Now I’m going for it. Last year, I had many opportunities in the final to win this tournament, but I didn’t use them. This year I’m looking forward to winning this title.”
Με αυτή τη λιτή δήλωση ο Στέφανος Τσιτσιπάς δηλώνει αποφασισμένος να πάρει φέτος τον τίτλο. Είναι κάτι που το πιστεύουν και οι διοργανωτές του τουρνουά, γι αυτό η φωτογραφία και η δηλώσεις του φιγουράρουν στην πρώτη σελίδα του Metropolia Orange Bowl 2015…
Η Ελένη Χριστοφή με συμπαίκτρια τη Μολδαβή Anastasia Detiuc, πήραν το εισητήριο για τον τελικό των διπλών του Metropolia Orange Bowl 2015, και ετοιμάζονται να σηκώσουν το χαρακτηριστικό έπαθλο, που είναι ένα μπωλ γεμάτο πορτοκάλια. Απόψε νίκησαν τη Ρουμάνα Jaqueline Cristian με συμπαίκτρια την Αμερικανίδα Michaela Gordon, με σκορ 6-4, 7-5.
Στον τελικό θα αντιμετωπίσουν την Ινδή Pranjala Yadlapalli με συμπαίκτρια την Tamara Zidansek απο τη Σλοβενία. Εύχομαστε στην Ελένη και την Anastasia να είναι αύριο οι νικήτριες του τελικού.
On the International Premier Tennis League’s last night in New Dehli, the four women who nabbed headlines on Friday were equally on song Saturday, as Belinda Bencic, Karolina Pliskova, Agnieszka Radwanska, and Sania Mirza went 4-0 in the two matches played.
First up was Pliskova, who won a 6-4 set of mixed doubles with Dustin Brown; the fire-and-ice pair needed 27 minutes to fend off Kirsten Flipkens and Leander Paes. Bencic, by contrast, needed no time at all to dispatch Flipkens, 6-1, in just under 20 minutes in women’s singles. Pliskova and Bencic’s OUE Singapore Slammers ultimately won an otherwise closely contested 24-22 match against the Legendari Japan Warriors. The Slammers remain in second place overall.
Mirza and Radwanska won by identical scores to their Slammer counterparts. Playing for the Micromax Indian Aces, Mirza and Rohan Bopanna won their mixed doubles set, 6-4, against Kristina Mladenovic and Daniel Nestor. Mladenovic reemerged in women’s singles; despite showing off some of her signature flashy play, dropped a 6-1 set of women’s singles to Radwanska, who ended her WTA season on a high by winning the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. In first place overall, the Aces defeated the OBI UAE Royals, 30-19.
Check out some of the best tweets of the night:
“@MirzaSania:'Gol gappa' tasting&guess what?They loved it,ok except @KikiMladenovic ? @rogerfederer @NickKyrgios pic.twitter.com/9MnOIZRy5l”???
— Kristina Mladenovic (@KikiMladenovic) December 12, 2015
This is also what happen when you have friend like @DreddyTennis, @BelindaBencic. ✌️?#Slammers pic.twitter.com/Hq8YClgXdR
— #TeamBelinda (@FanOfBencic) December 12, 2015
No worries, it will be “3rd time lucky” ? @BelindaBencic @KaPliskova.? pic.twitter.com/BOZO7H61bj
— #TeamBelinda (@FanOfBencic) December 12, 2015
Another win for @KaPliskova and @DreddyTennis ,more used to the mix dub game,better team work!#Slammers pic.twitter.com/7aBdCEMmQI
— KaPliskova Fans (@kpfanclub_CN) December 12, 2015
@KikiMladenovic, ladies and gentlemen. #IPTL2 pic.twitter.com/EDK1JYlUO0
— Noémie. (@Saschatard) December 12, 2015
Thank you Delhi for such a massive atmosphere! DUBAI WE ARE COMING HOME @UAERoyals ??? pic.twitter.com/S6U19jtriP
— Kristina Mladenovic (@KikiMladenovic) December 12, 2015
Close shave! #Tenfie #BreakTheCode @Charlymoya @marcelomelo83 @BelindaBencic @NickKyrgios @KaPliskova @DreddyTennis pic.twitter.com/3lsBJdVtGg
— IPTL (@iptl) December 12, 2015