American Steve Johnson upset countryman and friend John Isner 6-3, 4-7, 7-6(3) in two hours and 14 minutes on Thursday for a place in the ASB Classic semi-finals. Johnson won 85 per cent of his first-serve points and overcame 19 Isner aces. Isner netted a forehand volley to bring up three match points for Johnson in the third-set tie-break. He'd need only one, though, as he hit a forehand net-cord winner on the next point. Johnson, the seventh seed, will meet fourth-seeded American and last year’s finalist Jack Sock, who converted four of his 25 break point opportunities to beat Jeremy Chardy of France 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 in two hours and 10 minutes. Sock hit 12 aces to Chardy’s 14...
World No. 67 Daniel Evans recorded the biggest win of his career on Thursday at the Apia International Sydney for a place in his second ATP World Tour semi-final (2014 Zagreb). The 26-year-old Briton notched his first victory over a player in the Top 10 of the Emirates ATP Rankings (1-4 lifetime) after beating No. 8-ranked Dominic Thiem, the top seed, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 in two hours and two minutes. "It’s probably my best win," said Evans. "It was a good match. I fought really hard to try and get the win and come out on top. I tried to come forward a bit more in the second set, so I played the first set sort of on his terms....
Four-time former champion Roger Federer could run into a Top 16 seed early at the Australian Open, having been listed outside the Top 10 seeds for the first time since the 2002 US Open (No. 13 seed). The Swiss superstar, who has won 17 Grand Slam championship titles, has been named as the No. 17 seed. Pete Sampras was No. 17 seed when he won his 14th and final major at the 2002 US Open. World No. 1 Andy Murray will attempt to go one better than his five runner-up finishes, while No. 2-ranked Novak Djokovic is bidding to capture a record-breaking seventh Australian Open crown. Rafael Nadal, the 2009 titlist, is the ninth seed. The 2017 Australian Open draw...
The 2017 BNP Paribas Open, to be held 6-19 March, will showcase major renovations currently underway at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden (IWTG), designed to enhance the overall fan experience and substantially upgrade Stadium 1. Ranging from a massive expansion of the Stadium Plaza to renovating all the suites and hospitality spaces to adding 21 new restaurants and concessions, the full scale changes are sure to delight fans who attend over the fortnight to watch the best WTA and ATP World Tour players in the world. Buy Tickets Now Stadium Plaza, Suites & Hospitality – A fan favourite and gathering place, The Plaza is now a permanent part of the Stadium and the Superwall is substantially larger (33 per cent...
Andy Murray has committed to compete in the Aegon Championships at The Queen’s Club for the duration of his career, and the BBC will cover the tournament until at least 2024. Murray won a record fifth title in 2016 and then The Championships, Wimbledon for a second time three weeks later, before finishing the year as World No. 1. He was voted BBC Sports Personality Of The Year for a third time in December, and received a knighthood in the New Year Honours list. “I’ve always loved playing the event and I’m really happy to know that I will play at Queen's for the rest of my career,” said Murray. “My first ATP World Tour match-win came at Queen’s in...