Tag: tennis

  • Are you stupid? You are so bad’: Medvedev yells at referee in Australian Open semi-final

    Are you stupid? You are so bad’: Medvedev yells at referee in Australian Open semi-final

    Russian tennis star Daniil Medvedev sealed his place in a second consecutive grand slam final by beating Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 but not without drama after he lost his temper with Jaume Campistol and called him ‘stupid’ and a ‘bad’ umpire during the semi-final clash.

    Medvedev took a close first set in a tie-break but was then broken at 4-4 in the second to hand the Greek an opportunity to level the match at a set a piece.

    As both players headed to the changeover, Medvedev was warned for a “visible obscenity”, after which he started screaming up at umpire Campistol, complaining about Tsitsipas’ father and coach Apostolos talking to him about the match. (Coaching players during a match is banned in men’s tennis.)

    Campistol was unmoved, which enraged Medvedev further.

    “Are you mad? His father can’t talk every point. No, are you stupid? Can you answer my question please? Oh my God you are so bad,” Medvedev added.

    “How can you be so bad in the semi-final of a grand slam. Look at me! I’m talking to you,” he yelled.

    Campistol then called time, to which Medvedev shouted: “what time?”, and then watched as the Russian could not stop Tsitsipas serving out the set.

    “Next time, it should be a code violation. If you don’t [call it], what can I call [you]? A small cat?”

    The US Open champion took himself off court at the end of the set but as he left, once again implored Campistol to do something about what he felt was blatant coaching.

    Medvedev is shooting for back-to-back major titles after upsetting Djokovic in last year’s US Open final.

    Like in New York last September, when he stopped Djokovic from completing a calendar Grand Slam of titles, Medvedev will be trying to derail Nadal’s tilt at making men’s tennis history.

    Spanish star Nadal will be playing against world number two Medvedev in the final of the Australian Open on Sunday.

  • Unvaccinated Novak Djokovic gets green signal to play Australian Open

    Unvaccinated Novak Djokovic gets green signal to play Australian Open

    Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic received a medical exemption on Wednesday which will allow him to attend the upcoming Australian Open despite being unvaccinated against Covid-19. ⁣
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    Many people on social media found the exemption unfair. Cities like Melbourne, which hosts the tournament, were under the world’s longest lockdown in 2020, with many Australians unable to visit their families. But organisers of the tournament say the decision has come after a ‘rigorous review process’ conducted by a panel of medical experts.

    Taking to Twitter, Djokovic wrote: ” Happy New Year! Wishing you all health, love & joy in every moment & may you feel love & respect towards all beings on this wonderful planet.”

    “I’ve spent fantastic quality time with loved ones over break & today I’m heading Down Under with an exemption permission. Let’s go 2022,” he added.

    Djokovic has already won nine Australian Open titles and will be bidding for his 21st Grand Slam.

    The tournament is set to begin from January 17.

    Earlier, Australia’s Indian Premier League (IPL) cricketers had been left in limbo after the tournament was suspended in response to India’s Covid-19 crisis.

    More than 30 people abandoned in India were unable to fly home after the Australian government had imposed a travel ban and threatened citizens who attempt to return with a hefty fine or even jail. The players were later allowed to land in Sydney after two weeks of the league’s suspension.

    Players, coaches and commentators caught a charter flight from the Maldives that touched down at Sydney Airport.

  • Sania Mirza visits Nishtar Park Lahore, plays tennis with Aisam-ul-Haq

    Sania Mirza visits Nishtar Park Lahore, plays tennis with Aisam-ul-Haq

    Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza, who is also Pakistani superstar cricketer Shoaib Malik’s wife, visited Sports Board Punjab’s State of the Art Tennis Stadium in Nishtar Park Sports Complex (NPSC) Lahore on Tuesday and played tennis with Pakistani tennis star Aisam-ul-Haq.

    On her visit, Sania played practice tennis matches for one and a half hour with Pakistan’s international tennis stars Aisam-ul-Haq and Aqeel Khan.

    On the occasion, Sania appreciated the top standard facilities provided at SBP Tennis Stadium. “SBP Stadium is equipped with all modern facilities and it will help a lot in producing several top class tennis players in future,” she added.

    The 35-year-old athlete said Pakistan has plenty of tennis talent and SBP’s tennis stadium and academy are playing key roles in further nurturing the emerging male and female tennis players.

    Her visits to Karachi and Lahore have grabbed the attention of the Shoaib-Sania fans.

    In one of the videos shared earlier, she praised the taste of Karachi’s biryani. “Though I am from Hyderabad in India, the taste of Karachi’s biryani is the best.”

  • Andy Murray reveals why he was in his wife’s ‘bad books’ after his tennis shoes were stolen

    Andy Murray reveals why he was in his wife’s ‘bad books’ after his tennis shoes were stolen

    British tennis star Andy Murray is preparing to play at Indian Wells in California for the first time since 2017, where he was granted a wildcard to compete.

    But he ended up issuing a video appeal to his followers from his hotel room following the “terrible idea” to leave his damp and sweaty tennis shoes under his car to dry overnight, forgetting his wedding ring was tied to the shoelaces.

    Murray, 34, explained he left the shoes underneath his car to dry out overnight so they wouldn’t “stink the room out” but they had vanished upon his return in the morning.

    It was only when his physio asked why he wasn’t wearing his wedding ring that he realised he had left it tied to his shoes.

    “Last night after dinner I got back in the car to go back to the hotel and the car didn’t smell great,” Murray explained in an Instagram video.

    “Basically, I’d left my tennis shoes in there. It’s been 39 degrees so my tennis shoes are pretty damp, sweaty. So I decided when I got back to the hotel that the shoes needed some air, I needed to dry them out a little bit.”

    “I have no balcony in my room and I didn’t want to leave them in my room as it would stink the room out. So I thought I’m going to leave the shoes underneath the car, to get some air to them and dry them out overnight.”

    Murray, who has been married to wife Kim since 2015, continued: “Anyway, when I got back to the car in the morning, the shoes were gone. So my tennis shoes for the tournament had been stolen, so I had to go to the local pro shop and buy different shoes, different brand, which isn’t the end of the world, but obviously not ideal.”

    “But as I was preparing for my practice, my physio said to me: ‘Where’s your wedding ring?’”

    “And I thought: ‘Oh no!’ I basically tie my wedding ring to my tennis shoes while I’m playing because I can’t play with it on my hand.”

    “So, yeah…my wedding ring’s been stolen as well. Needless to say, I’m in the bad books at home, so I want to try to find it.”

    The former world number one asked his fans to share his video message to “get to the bottom of it”.

    Meanwhile, he shared another post with his shoe and the wedding ring tied to it, saying that it still stinks but he is back in the good books of his wife.

  • ‘My loved ones always gave me safe space to grow and be myself’: Sania Mirza

    ‘My loved ones always gave me safe space to grow and be myself’: Sania Mirza

    Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza has said that her loved ones have always given her a space to grow and be herself.

    During a conversation with Abish Mathew of WhatsApp-sponsored amusement ‘The Inner Circle’, Sania said that at a time when she started playing tennis, not many people could dream of playing the sport. “Therefore, it captured everyone’s imagination.”

    The tennis ace took to Instagram on Wednesday and shared a clip from the interview, which was aired last week, in which she said that she is very proud of being a sportswoman as she has inspired a lot of girls to opt for sport as a full-time profession.

    Speaking about a support system, she said that for years, whenever she won or lost a match, she always messaged her mother and her sister, Anam Mirza, who was also invited to the show.

    “It wouldn’t be a long message [but I always contacted them after a match]” said Sania. “I have been very, very fortunate that I have a family that has supported me through everything — through every decision of mine on and off the court.”

    She said that knowing that her family, including her mother, sister, father, and her husband, are there for her always gave her a sense of comfort before she stepped onto the court.

    Sania also spoke about motherhood and said that it was because of her son, Izhaan Mirza-Malik, that she decided to play tennis again.

    “I wanted him to be proud when he understands that his mother didn’t give up on her dreams after she had a baby,” she said. “Also, many people told me I can’t do it, so I had to [show them I can].

    Earlier, she took to Instagram to share a video in which she said my son wanted me to “bring him the trophy” and she got him the trophy.

  • Russia’s Medvedev wins maiden Grand Slam, beats Djokovic in US Open final

    Russia’s Medvedev wins maiden Grand Slam, beats Djokovic in US Open final

    Russian tennis player Daniil Medvedev has won his maiden Grand Slam, beating Djokovic with straight three sets (6-4 6-4 6-4) at the US Open final.

    Novak Djokovic’s bid for a record 21st major title that would have completed the calendar-year Grand Slam collapsed at the final hurdle as Medvedev, playing in his third major final, at last hoisted a Grand Slam trophy while avenging a straight sets defeat by Djokovic earlier this year in the Australian Open final.

    The Serb was trying to become the first man in over a half-century to win all four majors (Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, US Open) in the same year.

    Such was Medvedev’s domination that the only tiny bit of drama came late when the Serb was suddenly hit by a bout of nerves.

    The New York crowd had never really embraced Djokovic the way it wrapped its arms around Swiss Roger Federer and Spain’s Rafael Nadal, who have also won 20 Grand Slam titles.

    It had also shown no real love for Medvedev. But no amount of urging could lift Djokovic’s game.

    While an extraordinary women’s final on Saturday between teenagers Emma Raducanu and Leylah Fernandez had softened the spotlight’s glare in which the British player clinched her maiden win for the country after 44 years. The women’s final was the first Grand Slam to feature two unseeded players.

  • UK’s Emma Raducanu wins US Open in historic final

    UK’s Emma Raducanu wins US Open in historic final

    United Kingdom’s (UK) Emma Raducanu’s extraordinary run at the US Open finished in glorious fashion in New York as the 18-year-old became Britain’s first female singles Grand Slam champion after 44 years.

    According to details, Raducanu, the first qualifier ever to reach a Grand Slam final, once again rose to the occasion, beating the 19-year-old Canadian Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 6-3 with a remarkable display of big hitting and composure. Just three months after making her debut on the main women’s tour, Raducanu became the youngest Grand Slam singles champion since 17-year-old Maria Sharapova won Wimbledon in 2004.

    She is also the first woman ever to win the title in only her second Grand Slam tournament.

    Raducanu had made her Grand Slam debut at Wimbledon, where she became the youngest British woman in the open era to reach the fourth round. As the world No 150, she is the lowest ranked player ever to win the US Open, though Kim Clijsters did not even have a world ranking when she won the title in 2009, having just returned to competition after having a baby. Raducanu will now climb to No 24 in next week’s updated world rankings list.

    Having come through qualifying, she lifted the title by winning nine matches in the space of 17 days and without dropping a set in any of them.

  • Naomi Osaka might take another break after shocking defeat at US Open

    Naomi Osaka might take another break after shocking defeat at US Open

    “I honestly don’t know when I am going to play my next tennis match,” announced defending US Champion Naomi Osaka at her news conference after a shocking loss to 18-year-old Leylah Fernandez from Canada. Osaka broke down during the news conference after making this announcement.

    “I think I am gonna take a break from playing for a while,” added Osaka.

    “I feel like for me, recently, like when I win, I don’t feel happy. I feel more like a relief. And then when I lose, I feel very sad,” Osaka said earlier in the post-match news conference. “I don’t think that’s normal.”

    Just a few months ago, Osaka withdrew from the French Open after revealing she has struggled with her mental health since first becoming a Grand Slam champion in 2018. Osaka announced her withdrawal from Roland Garros a day after she was fined $15,000 by the French Open and warned that she could face expulsion from the tournament, following her decision not to speak with the press during the tournament.

    The 23-year-old World Number 3 also missed Wimbledon before returning to tennis at the Tokyo Olympics, where she lit the flame at the opening ceremony.

  • Djokovic levels Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal with 20th Grand Slam title

    Djokovic levels Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal with 20th Grand Slam title

    Novak Djokovic has beaten Matteo Berrettini in the Wimbledon final to win a record-equalling 20th Grand Slam title.

    Djokovic bounced back from a first-set wobble to win 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-4, 6-3.

    It was Djokovic’s sixth Wimbledon title and 20th at a major tournament, putting him tied for first on the all-time list with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

    The top-ranked Serb broke for a 4-3 lead in the fourth set when Berrettini double-faulted and earned another break in the final game.

    Djokovic had led 5-2 in the first set. Berrettini was playing in his first Grand Slam final.

    In the post-match ceremony, when asked about his 20th Grand Slam, he said: “I will not stop winning the Grand Slams and I hope they (Federer and Nadal) won’t stop either.

    “They are legends of our sport,” he said. “They are the two most important players that I ever faced in my career. They are the reason I am where I am today. They have helped me realise what I need to do to get stronger, physically, mentally and tactically.”

  • Injured Serena Williams bids adieu to Wimbledon in tears

    Injured Serena Williams bids adieu to Wimbledon in tears

    Tennis ace Serena Williams bids adieu to Wimbledon in tears on Tuesday after her latest bid for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles crown ended in injury.

    The seven-time Wimbledon winner was clearly in pain on a slippery Centre Court and sought treatment while 3-2 up in her first-round match against unseeded Belarussian Aliaksandra Sasnovich.

    Williams returned after a lengthy break but her distress was evident. She grimaced and wiped away tears before preparing to serve at 3-3 after Sasnovich had pulled back from 3-1 down.

    The 39-year-old American tennis star, who had started the match with strapping on her right thigh, then let out a shriek and sank kneeling to the grass sobbing, before being helped off the court with an apparent ankle injury.

    “Brutal for @serenawilliams but centre court is extremely slippy out there. Not easy to move out there,” Britain’s Andy Murray said on Twitter.

    Eight-times men’s singles champion Roger Federer expressed shock at Williams’ departure and voiced concern about the surface, with the roof closed on Centre Court on a rainy afternoon.

    His first-round opponent Adrian Mannarino of France also retired with a knee injury after a slip in the match immediately before Williams’.

    “I do feel it feels a tad more slippery maybe under the roof. I don’t know if it’s just a gut feeling. You do have to move very, very carefully out there. If you push too hard in the wrong moments, you do go down,” said Federer.

    Williams has been a Wimbledon finalist in her last four appearances but her bid to equal Margaret Court’s record 24 Grand Slam singles titles remains stalled since her last Grand Slam win in Australia in 2017.

    With the absence this year of world number two Naomi Osaka and third-ranked Simona Halep, it was a golden opportunity for Williams. With Williams out of Wimbledon, 18-time Grand Slam champion Chrissie Evert says, “It’s anybody’s tournament.”