The Swiss will rarely have had to fight harder than he did to subdue Stan Wawrinka in the Australian Open semi-final and become the oldest man to reach a grand slam final since 1974, yet he did so with grace and panacheIt was as nailed-on that there would be a Swiss player in the men’s final of the 2017 Australian Open on Sunday as it was that an American would win the women’s title on Saturday. The odds that their combined ages would be at least 70 were a little tougher to see at the start of the fortnight but it crystallized into stunning reality here on the 11th day of a tournament that has had more twists than the...
The 35-year-old Swiss was seeded to meet the world No1 in the quarter-finals at the Australian Open but now Sunday’s final beckonsIt may ease Andy Murray’s pain to learn that Roger Federer is sure the Scot can win the Australian Open one day – except not on his day, not on Sunday when, against all expectations, the Swiss could now be taking Murray’s place in the final. Related: Roger Federer beats Kei Nishikori in epic five-set Australian Open match Related: ‘It’s just tennis’ – Andy Murray’s words after shock Australian Open loss Related: Andy Murray crashes out of Australian Open to inspired Mischa Zverev Continue reading...
In a season for the true believers, the A-League delivered a round full of certainties, but there is a fine line between dependable and boring. One more Sydney FC win and the drama of the Premiership race will be snuffed outGood old dependable A-League, there when we need it most. While a skittish world fixated on events in Washington D.C. Australia’s professional football league delivered a comforting round full of certainties.Sydney FC won (of course), Adelaide United and Central Coast Mariners lost (as they’ve become accustomed to) and Melbourne Victory continued their miserable run of form against Perth Glory (now eight games without a win). There was an unjust game-changing red card, Liam Reddy saved another penalty, and Kenny Lowe...
Australian was two sets up and coasting against the Italian veteran but another meltdown on court has left him searching for answersIn answer to the first question – which was: what the hell can you do to retrieve a situation like this other than offer an earnest, pitch‑perfect mea culpa? – Nick Kyrgios had a quite predictable, wordless answer before he had sat down at his press conference on Wednesday. He rocked his head back and laughed self‑deprecatingly as a door swung open and he walked into the room.He is used to that part, and delivered a media performance to rival his fascinating on-court meltdown against the Italian veteran Andreas Seppi, from whom he took two brisk sets before shambling...
Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic have changed their games to reduce the strain but can still expect to beat the rest and meet each other in the final in MelbourneAndy Murray and Novak Djokovic can only play each other in the first major of the season in the final, which is a fortnight on Sunday. If it comes to pass, it must be like having a never‑ending appointment with a mad dentist armed with a rusty drill, given they have spent 20 hours and 41 minutes on court here in five brutal matches – nearly a day out of their lives.As everyone is aware, Djokovic has prevailed each time, winning finals in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2016. In 2012, he...