Daniil Medvedev goading the crowd and Nick Kyrgios getting hot under the collar in a sport comically perfect for rebels, what’s not to love?Purely in terms of tournament sass, it was predictable Novak Dojokovic would be booed off court after retiring from injury at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday night after once again deciding to graciously gift an opponent a win. The US Open is operating at Liberace levels of theatrics and is highly watchable for it.Djokovic had already sworn at the crowd and threatened a spectator during one practice session. “I’ll come find you after the match,” he glowered. “Trust me, I’ll come find you.” Retweeting the footage, Nick Kyrgios added the words “I’m scared” and an emoji suggesting...
After a decade between US Open appearances, the 27-year-old is finally putting it all together – and still putting off 9-to-5 lifeA few hours after her inspired first-round victory under the US Open night lights against 2004 champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, 27-year-old American Kristie Ahn was scrolling through congratulatory messages on Instagram when one arrested her attention. It was eerie. At the 2008 US Open, Ahn was 16, ranked 758th and unknown to most when she burst unexpectedly from qualifying and into the main draw. In the first round, Ahn fell to Dinara Safina in straight sets. Eleven years later, there Safina was congratulating her on her first ever victory at a major tournament.“It’s funny because she reached out to me...
A review of the golfing year features McIlroy’s disastrous start at Portrush and Hinako Shibuno’s fairytale win at the British OpenAs the freshly plundered FedEx truck disappears down the lane, not so much as a bronze centime left rattling around the back, now seems as good a time as any to take stock of the year in golf. So here are our (slightly less valuable) end-of-season prizes.Anti-climax of the year Related: Lightning strikes Tour Championship and leaves six spectators in hospital Related: Scottish golf’s biggest handicap? Its elitist clubs. But change is in the air... | Kevin McKenna Continue reading...
The 15-times major winner is missing at East Lake, raising questions over his ability to compete next seasonIt was the best of times to precede the best of times. That Tiger Woods had lived through the worst of times merely added to the cacophony of emotion.For Woods not to have qualified among the PGA Tour’s leading 30 players for this week’s season finale at East Lake will not prevent glances back to 11 months ago. It was at this Atlanta venue that Woods, memorably mobbed by giddy spectators on the 72nd fairway, delivered his first tournament victory in five years. The seal had been broken, with one of the finest sporting comebacks in sporting history complete as Woods prevailed again,...
After the Larry Nassar saga USA Gymnastics should not exist but Biles continues to bring her sport dignity – and moneyOn Sunday night Simone Biles, on her way to securing her sixth US gymnastics title, performed a triple-double in her floor routine, one of two moves she executed during the contest that had never been accomplished before in women’s competition gymnastics. Have you seen it? You honestly have to see it, and then see it again in slow motion. I haven’t spoken to any physicists on the matter but, as someone who watched the move multiple times on my phone while eating a packet of crisps, I can assure you: she defied gravity. Biles finished an astonishing 4.95 points ahead...