The United States has four women in the US Open quarter-finals for the first time in 15 years – and none of them are named SerenaThe perpetual hand-wringing over the future of American women’s tennis can take pause, at least for a few days. The false dawns of the past decade have given way to hard-won dividends and the best could be yet to come.When Madison Keys pounded a backhand winner down the line at 11.41pm on Monday night to punctuate a gritty 7-6 (2), 1-6, 6-4 comeback win over No4 seed Elina Svitolina, the 22-year-old gave the United States four women in the US Open quarter-finals for the first time in 15 years – and none of them are...
Swiss No3 seed happy despite taking five sets against an American teenager while Spain’s French Open champion is annoyed despite a much easier rideRoger Federer and Rafael Nadal have survived many crises in their parallel careers, and both are relieved to remain on schedule for a semi-final showdown at the 2017 US Open after dealing with contrasting challenges in the first round. However, the Swiss, who had to go five sets, seems considerably more content than the Spaniard, who was back in the locker room after only minor inconveniences in his match.The look on Federer’s face when the American teenager Frances Tiafoe stumbled inches from the line as he came within a few tantalising shots of what would have been the...
The 22,547-seat behemoth’s size means most fans are isolated from the action on court. The once sparkling newcomer has become a loathsome dinosaurTwenty years ago, Arthur Ashe Stadium opened as the centerpiece of the USTA’s National Tennis Center with a stirring dedication ceremony headlined by Whitney Houston. It’s been mostly downhill from there.Aerial shots of the US Open’s octagonally shaped main show court have become a signal of New York City glamor beamed round the world. But while the pictures may look attractive to the millions who will never get the chance to attend the season’s final grand slam in person, the real-life experience is anything but. Clumsy design, tepid atmosphere and just plain bad luck have all conspired to...
Will Johanna Konta recover from her Wimbledon loss? Can Simona Halep thrive under pressure? And how will the returning Maria Sharapova leave her mark?Karolina Pliskova: Last year’s beaten finalist probably had different visions of how she would become the new world No1. She was on holiday in Monaco when it happened and only found out about her new status after checking to see if Simona Halep had won her Wimbledon quarter-final against Johanna Konta. Halep’s defeat confirmed Pliskova’s ascent – five days after losing in the second round at SW19. The circumstances weren’t ideal, feeding the theory that Pliskova is merely a lucky beneficiary of Serena Williams’s absence, but despite lukewarm recent form, the big-serving 25-year-old has a good chance...
As football, cricket and tennis fans have all discovered, there is a unique and seductive allure to night-time competitionOne of the great things about being a fan of sport is the licence to rail against modernity. Complain about the intranet at work and no doubt, in time, you will be disciplined. Complain about sprinters pulling faces for the cameras on the start line and millions will be with you.This antediluvian attitude ought to make the positive noises which greeted the day-night Test involving England and the West Indies all the more surprising. Rather than bemoan the creation of an entirely new meal break, coined ‘trunch’ by my colleague Andy Bull, the Edgbaston crowd were bang into it. Perhaps even a...