ANGELIQUE KERBER stopped Maria Sharapova’s Aussie Open comeback dead in its tracks. What was supposed to be a classic duel between two former Melbourne champions and world No 1s was a mostly one-sided affair. Kerber, apart from a lull in the second set, seemed back to her best as she stormed to a 6-1 6-3 victory. […]
IT WAS NEARLY “Bye, Simona” but the top seed showed the knack of a world No 1 to claim an incredible victory. Simona Halep saved three match points in the titanic, 142-minute final set of an amazing clash with world No 76 Lauren Davis before winning 4-6 6-4 15-13. Halep, still nursing the ankle she […]
KYLE EDMUND took his incredible win with a big pinch of salt. Because that is what he needed to help his body recover from more than 3½-hours and five sets of gladiatorial combat with Nikoloz Basilashvili in 104F heat. The British No 2, who barely had the energy to celebrate his third-round triumph, said: “I was […]
RAFAEL NADAL enjoyed another straight sets win to complete smooth progress to the last 16. Damir Dzumhur had the audacity to break the Nadal serve early in the second set. But the world No 1 soon regained the advantage he had built up and ran out a 6-1 6-3 6-1 winner against No 28 seed […]
ELINA SVITOLINA left teenager Marta Kostyuk in tears after giving her a tennis “lesson”. Kostyuk’s Australian Open fairytale ended in a 6-2 6-2 defeat by fellow Ukrainian Svitolina, the No 4 seed. Kostyuk, 15, was asked why she was so upset after a breakthrough tournament in which she had become the youngest player for more […]