Much like their tennis careers have evolved over the years, so, too, has Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka's friendship. Years ago, Wawrinka would frequently ask his compatriot for tips on how to play certain guys. Federer would kindly oblige, and Wawrinka would execute the game plans that Federer shared. “That showed me that he's a great player, that he's got a mind of somebody who understands what I'm trying to explain to him,” Federer said after his Australian Open quarter-final win. “Some players, you tell them something, they've just got no clue what to do, what it means. Stan had that early on, so I think he was a great learner.” Years passed, Federer kept hauling titles, but Wawrinka also...
Fourth seeds Henri Kontinen and John Peers reached their first Grand Slam semi-final together on Wednesday night at the Australian Open as they defeated Sam Groth and Chris Guccione 7-5, 6-3 on Rod Laver Arena. Watch Highlights Kontinen and Peers, who finished 2016 with back-to-back titles at the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris and the ATP Finals in London, are bidding to win their first major title. The Finnish/Australian duo has dropped only one set on their route through to the semi-finals, beating Groth and Guccione in 64 minutes with only nine points dropped on serve. Watch: Kontinen/Peers Visit St. Kilda Beach Peers is looking to reach his third Grand Slam final, having finished runner-up at Wimbledon and the US...
Hear the thoughts of the two protagonists as Stan Wawrinka gets ready to face Roger Federer in an all-Swiss semi-final at the Australian Open on Thursday night.
What a difference a year makes. Twelve months ago, Rafael Nadal was digesting a shock five-set loss to Fernando Verdasco in the first round of the Australian Open. Today, after a sublime performance that saw him dismiss World No. 3 Milos Raonic in straight sets, Nadal is through to his first Grand Slam semi-final since winning Roland Garros in 2014. It’s been a challenging couple of years for Nadal, whose health and injury struggles contributed to a lack of confidence on the court and on the big stages. He came into the 2017 Australian Open having brought his 2016 campaign to a premature end, following a first-round loss to Viktor Troicki at the Shanghai Rolex Masters in October. Much hard...
“It isn’t over yet,” was the message from Grigor Dimitrov after reaching his second Grand Slam semi-final at the Australian Open on Wednesday. His straight-sets victory over David Goffin was the latest win in what has been a gathering wave of momentum for the Bulgarian, who is unbeaten as yet in 2017. Trusting in the hard work he has done and the team around him, including coach Dani Vallverdu, Dimitrov is ready to go all the way to his first major title at Melbourne Park. “I feel like I have all the tools to go further, and my job isn't over yet,” said Dimitrov, who faces Rafael Nadal or Milos Raonic for a place in the final. “I'm looking forward...