Rafael Nadal marked his return to competitive play on Monday night with a devastating blend of power tennis and excellent movement at the Australian Open. The World No. 1, competing for the first time since appearing at the Nitto ATP Finals in November 2017, swept past Victor Estrella Burgos of the Dominican Republic 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 in just one hour and 34 minutes on Rod Laver Arena. “It was a positive start with a good result,” said Nadal. “I started with positive feelings - that's [the] most important thing for me now. Of course, there are things to improve, but the things that I need to improve, matches will give me. Victories are the most important thing now.” The 31-year-old...
Denis Shapovalov emerged victorious in the only first-round match between #NextGenATP players at the Australian Open, defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-1, 6-3, 7-6(5) on Monday. After early losses at both the Brisbane International presented by Suncorp and the ASB Classic in Auckland, Shapovalov dispatched Tsitsipas in one hour and 56 minutes to notch his first career win at the tournament. The Canadian hit 33 winners to his opponent’s 11 and broke serve on five occasions. And for the second time in as many Grand Slams, Shapovalov will face Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the No. 15 seed, who cruised past American qualifier Kevin King 6-4, 6-4, 6-1. Tsonga took advantage of five of 15 break chances while saving all five opportunities held against...
Jack Sock suffered a shock exit at the Australian Open on Monday as Yuichi Sugita booked his place in the second round 6-1, 7-6(4), 5-7, 6-3. Competing as the first American top-eight seed at a Grand Slam championship since Mardy Fish (Australian Open 2012), Sock struggled to reach the heights which saw him triumph at the Rolex Paris Masters in November 2017. Sugita looked impressive throughout with a 75 and 60 per cent success rate on points behind his first and second serves respectively as he recorded his first career Top 10 win (1-5 lifetime). The Japanese No. 2 has now reached the second round at three consecutive Grand Slam events and will face Ivo Karlovic, who dispatched on Laslo...
If you want to be inspired and witness unbreakable faith; a steadfast resilience that awakens when your very livelihood is under threat, listen to, and watch, Juan Martin del Potro today. The splintered career of the Argentine star evokes, unlike almost any other tennis player over the past decade, not only great admiration, but also genuine and universal sympathy for what has happened; what might have been and for how, in spite of repeated setbacks and long periods of doubt, his charm and personality remain unaltered. Almost nine years after he first broke into the Top 10 of the ATP Rankings, del Potro has overcome all manner of hardships and is deservedly back among the sport’s elite competitors. View Latest...
After a tremendous comeback in 2017, having thought his career could be over, Rafael Nadal is ready to launch his campaign for a 17th Grand Slam championship at the Australian Open.
