The men’s champion and Caroline Wozniacki withstood the intense temperatures which affected so many playersThis turbulent Australian Open has been about longevity, endurance and iced towels, three of the defining features of the modern game.The wonder of Roger Federer’s victory against the 29-year-old Marin Cilic on Sunday was not just that it gave him his 20th major in a record 30th final but that the 36‑year‑old Swiss fashioned a fortnight of such sweet perfection to get there, spending less than 11 hours on court while his younger rivals laboured in the killing heat for much longer. Cilic clocked up 17hr 3min en route. At the end it showed. Related: Caroline Wozniacki ends years of doubt with maiden grand slam | Simon Cambers...
Despite Serena Williams’s absence, the women’s draw provided more excitement than the men’sWith close friend Caroline Wozniacki competing for her maiden grand slam, seven-time Australian Open champion Serena Williams went to bed, “too nervous to watch”. This is not the first time Williams has publicly admitted to “turning the channel” on a tournament she has made her own, but this time the inference could not have been more different. The irony is that in this case Williams missed a classic; an epic all the more impressive given her sizeable absence.After all, publicity for the 2018 women’s draw began with Craig Tiley doing his best to hype Williams’ possible return, at one point promising there was “no question” she would be...
Simona Halep, Maria Sharapova and others seem set to ensure when the winner of 23 grand slams rejoins the WTA Tour it will be anything but dullWhen Serena Williams returns to tennis as expected in the new year, with a baby daughter, Alexis, in her entourage and a spring in her 36-year-old step, the remarkable American will find the game in a state of pleasing but predictable flux.There is still plenty to play for, not least the prospect of her surpassing Margaret Court as the most decorated player in the history of her sport – men’s or women’s, as Andy Murray might remind us – and, if Melbourne comes too soon for Williams to pull alongside the Australian’s tally of...
The British No1’s Miami Open triumph was the result of improving her win percentage and adopting a methodical approachIt takes a lot to impress Martina Navratilova but her considered judgment that Johanna Konta can take her tennis to higher places after her breakthrough win in Miami will be worth much more than any hype generated in the heat of celebration. Related: Johanna Konta announces her arrival at the next level of her sport | Kevin Mitchell Continue reading...