Page 13 - Tennis

Paris Olympics: Murray withdraws from men's singles, to focus on doubles

Two-time Olympic tennis gold medalist Andy Murray pulled out of singles at the Paris Games on Thursday and will only compete in doubles with Dan Evans. Murray, a 37-year-old from Britain, said these Olympics will be the final event of his career. He's dealt with a series of injuries, including a hip replacement in 2019, and most recently needed surgery last month to remove a cyst from his spine. Murray pulled out of singles at Wimbledon this month and played one match in doubles alongside his older brother, Jamie. I've take the decision to withdraw from the singles to concentrate on the doubles with Dan. Our practice has been great and we're playing well together, Murray said Thursday. Really looking forward to getting started and representing GB one more time. His withdrawal announcement came shortly before the draw for the Olympic tennis tournament. The play begins on Saturday. Murray won singles gold medals in London in 2012 and Rio de Janeiro in 2016, making him the only ten

Legendary players Leander Paes, Amritraj inducted into Tennis Hall of Fame

Legendary Indian tennis players, Leander Paes and Vijay Amritraj, the heroes of many a historic triumph transcending generations, on Sunday became the first two exponents of the sport from Asia to be inducted into the International Hall of Fame. Paes, 51, whose list of achievements include the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games men's singles bronze, eight men's doubles and 10 mixed doubles grand slam crowns besides several famed Davis Cup victories, was given the rare honour in the 'Player Category'. Vijay Amritraj, 70, reached the men's singles quarterfinals at the Wimbledon and US Open twice each besides guiding India to the Davis Cup finals twice -- in 1974 and 1987. At his peak, he was ranked No.18 in the world in singles and No. 23 in doubles. He along with Richard Evans was inducted into the Hall of fame in the 'Contributor Category'. "Paes was inducted in the Player Category, while Amritraj and Evans were recognised as a part of the Contributor Category: honoring visionary leaders,

Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray likely to bid adieu to tennis at Olympics 2024

When he first discussed the likelihood that 2024 would be his final season as a professional tennis player, Rafael Nadal made sure to refer to the Paris Olympics as one of the important competitions I would like to be at. If, indeed, this is his last hurrah, and if, indeed, he does make it to the Summer Games a little more than a year after hip surgery neither of which is an absolute certainty it would be fitting that the site of the French Open is also the site of this goodbye. No event, at least in this sport, defines an athlete's legacy the way the clay-court Grand Slam tournament does for Nadal. And, the opposite is true, too, which is why there is a statue of the 38-year-old Spaniard at Roland Garros, the site of a record 14 of his 22 major trophies and where the Olympic tennis matches begin on July 27. Rafael Nadal skipped Wimbledon before the Olympics Nadal skipped Wimbledon to avoid going from clay to grass and back to clay at the Paris Games, where he has been planning t

Had no idea of Wimbledon win, can't say what's next: Barbora Krejcikova

Barbora Krejcikova points out that she couldn't possibly have known she could claim a Grand Slam singles title until, that is, she actually did, three years ago at the French Open. So it stands to reason as Krejcikova mentioned to a small group of reporters at the All England Club on Saturday night while wearing her new purple pin signifying having won a championship at Wimbledon that she couldn't possibly have known she would manage to collect a second major trophy, either. And after she did get No. 2, via a 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 victory over Jasmine Paolini in the final at Centre Court, Krejcikova explained that no one can predict what comes next for her. Well, who knows what I can do? And what I cannot do? I mean, I don't know, the 28-year-old from the Czech Republic said. Before Roland Garros, I didn't know I can win a Slam. Before here, I didn't know that I can win another Slam. So who knows what I'm capable of? For me, the most important thing is to enjoy the journey. To be happy o

Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, receives standing ovation at Wimbledon

Britain's Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, received a standing ovation as she arrived at the Wimbledon Championships here on Sunday for a rare public appearance since her cancer diagnosis and abdominal surgery earlier this year. The senior royal, a tennis player and enthusiast was accompanied by her nine-year-old daughter Princess Charlotte and sister Pippa Matthews as she took her seat in the Royal Box to watch the men's tennis singles final clash between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic. In her role as Patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club since 2016, she will present the coveted Wimbledon trophy to the winner of this year's Grand Slam title. Great to be back at Wimbledon! There's nothing quite like The Championships, her official Kensington Palace account posted on X with images of the Princess of Wales meeting players. Princess Kate, 42, arrived less than an hour before the final was due to begin on Sunday afternoon and met players, including Britain's Emma

Djokovic and Alcaraz's key stats and records ahead of Wimbledon 2024 final

As Djokovic eyes record titles and young sensation Alcaraz looking to stamp his authority with back-to-back Wimbledon titles, Check records and key stats of both tennis stars in their Tennis career

Barbora beats Jasmine in Wimbledon final; wins her second Grand Slam title

Barbora Krejcikova won Wimbledon for her second Grand Slam title with a 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 victory over Jasmine Paolini in the final on Saturday. Krejcikova is a 28-year-old from the Czech Republic who adds this trophy to her championship at the French Open in 2021. She was unseeded in Paris back then and was only the 31st of 32 seeds at the All England Club after illness and a back injury this season limited her to a 7-9 record entering this tournament. Krejcikova is the eighth woman to leave Wimbledon as the champion in the past eight editions of the event. Last year's champion also is from the Czech Republic: unseeded Marketa Vondrousova, who lost in the first round last week. The seventh-seeded Paolini was the runner-up at the French Open last month and is the first woman since Serena Williams in 2016 to get to the finals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon in the same season.

Paris Olympics: What to know, who to watch during table tennis competition

A roadmap to follow for the table tennis competition at the Paris Olympics: Athletes to Watch: Ma Long, China: The 35-year-old table tennis icon is the reigning Olympic champion. He also won the Olympic gold medal in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. Sun Yingsha, China: Sun is the top-ranked woman and helped China win gold at the Tokyo Games in the women's team competition. Wang Chuqin, China: No. 1 in the men's singles ranking, Wang was an alternate for the Chinese team at the Tokyo Games. Felix Lebrun, France: The 17-year-old Lebrun is considered one of the rising stars in the sport. At No. 5 in the world, Lebrun is the highest-ranked player from anywhere outside of China. Timo Boll, Germany: The 43-year-old will retire from international table tennis after the Paris Games, ending a 25-year career. He will become the sixth table tennis player to participate in seven different Olympic Games. Storylines to Follow: China aims to increase its dominance of the sport that was added to the Ol

Nick Kyrgios may return at US Open but it might have been a joke: Djokovic

No one knows for sure when 2022 Wimbledon runner-up Nick Kyrgios will return to competition after nearly two years away from the tour because of injuries. But perhaps Kyrgios dropped a hint to Novak Djokovic while the two were practising this week at the All England Club. "He hit a really good serve, and he said, Well, I might come back at the US Open.' So I don't know if he was joking about it or not," Djokovic said after winning his semifinal on Friday. "But let me tell you, he's hitting the ball as good as ever, really." Kyrgios, a 29-year-old Australian, lost to Djokovic in the Wimbledon final two years ago, before knee and wrist problems sidelined him. Kyrgios has played just one official singles match since October 2022. He has been doing TV commentary during Wimbledon. The US Open starts in late August. "Yeah, I think that the return is near, but it's hard to say, really, because (it's) one thing ... really practising for like an hour or two, but completely something differ

Defending champion Alcaraz beats Medvedev; storms into Wimbledon final

Now the Spaniard is one victory away from joining Boris Becker and Bjorn Borg as only men in the Open era, which began in 1968, with multiple championships at All England Club before turning 22

Wimbledon Men's singles SF: Djokovic vs Musetti live match time, streaming

The Djokovic vs Musetti semifinal match in Wimbledon 2024 will begin after the conclusion of the first semifinal. Star Sports Select 1 HD/SD will live telecast the Djokovic vs Musetti match today.

Wimbledon Men's singles SF: Alcaraz vs Medvedev live match at 6 PM IST

Live match to streaming: All you need to know about Alcaraz vs Medvedev's semifinal match in Wimbledon 2024 men's singles 1st semifinal.

Paolini beats Vekic to reach 2nd consecutive Grand Slam final at Wimbledon

Jasmine Paolini reached her second consecutive Grand Slam final with a 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (8) victory over unseeded Donna Vekic at Wimbledon on Thursday in a rollicking match that lasted 2 hours, 51 minutes, making it the tournament's longest women's semifinal on record. Paolini kept coming back, coming back, coming back after dropping the opening set, after being two games from defeat at 4-all in the second, after twice trailing by a break in the third at 3-1 and 4-3. But the No. 7-seeded Paolini never went away, eventually converting her third match point when Vekic sent a forehand wide. This showing on the grass courts of the All England Club follows Paolini's runner-up finish to Iga Swiatek on the red clay at Roland Garros last month. The 28-year-old Italian is the first woman to get to the title matches at the French Open and Wimbledon in the same season since Serena Williams in 2015 and 2016. These last months have been crazy for me, Paolini said with a laugh. On Saturday, she w

One tennis player I would love to bat with has to be Federer: Tendulkar

Batting icon Sachin Tendulkar has picked the legendary Roger Federer as one tennis player he would have loved to bat with given the latter's "cricket connection" and interest in the sport. A regular at the Wimbledon over the years, Tendulkar met Federer when he visited the center court in London to watch some tennis action on Saturday. "One tennis player I would love to bat with has to be Roger because also he's got cricketing connections," Tendulkar told Star Sports on the sidelines of Wimbledon. "His mother is from South Africa and he follows cricket and when we sat together and chatted we discussed a lot of cricket not just tennis so it has to be Roger." The 51-year-old from Mumbai also said he loved playing tennis with the late Australian spin great Shane Warne and former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh and described them as cricketers who would make best doubles partners. "There are two strong contenders unfortunately we lost Shane Warne a couple of years ago but I enjoyed pla

'It was amazing': Taylor Fritz as he beats Alexander Zverev at Wimbledon

After Taylor Fritz deposited a backhand that Alexander Zverev didn't even chase, wrapping up the American's comeback from a two-set hole in Wimbledon's fourth round, the men met at the net for what turned into a longer-than-usual chat. Zverev, playing with a bone bruise in his right knee, said he was bothered by some of the cheering coming from Fritz's guest box in the fifth set. When Fritz began to move away, Zverev stuck his chest to block the path and continued the mostly one-sided exchange. It wasn't the 13th-seeded Fritz's only noteworthy postmatch interaction at the All England Club this fortnight he told an earlier opponent to have a nice flight home but he shrugged this one off, more interested in thinking about the way he turned things around to defeat two-time Grand Slam finalist Zverev 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (3), 6-3 and reach the quarterfinals. It was amazing," said Fritz, a 26-year-old from California, to do that on Centre Court (at) Wimbledon, two sets down. Zverev

Novak Djokovic slams Wimbledon fans for 'disrespect' amid victory over Rune

Novak Djokovic swept aside Denmark's Holger Rune to reach his 15th Wimbledon quarterfinal in London, later accused fans of showing him disrespect

Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz opens Wimbledon with straight-set win

Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz had goosebumps walking onto Centre Court before his opening match at Wimbledon on Monday, a 7-6 (3), 7-5, 6-2 win over qualifier Mark Lajal. Lajal proved to be something of a speedbump for Alcaraz, who acknowledged that his 269th-ranked Estonian opponent surprised me a little bit" on Day 1 at the All England Club. Alcaraz, who won his third major championship at the French Open three weeks ago, defeated Novak Djokovic in last year's final on the grass at Wimbledon but said he was still nervous before Monday's match. When I walk into the court, I got goosebumps. I remembered last year. It was a great feeling," the 21-year-old Spaniard said in his on-court interview. But I try not to think about it. It's a new year totally different tournament. I have to be focused on my game just to play at the same level as last year if I want to repeat the same (success) as last year." Earlier, Aryna Sabalenka and Victoria Azarenka both pulled out of the tournam

US Open: Rajawat, Malvika into quarters; Gayatri-Treesa too advance

India's Priyanshu Rajawat has stormed into the men's singles quarterfinals with a straight-game win over Chinese Taipei's Huang Yu Kai in the US Open Super 300 badminton tournament here. Eighth seed Rajawat, who had won the Orleans Masters in 2023, notched up a 21-18 21-16 win over Huang to set up a clash with fourth seed Lei Lan Xi of China. Commonwealth Games bronze medallists Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand also advanced to the women's doubles quarterfinals with a 16-21 21-11 21-19 win over Chinese Taipei's Hsieh Pei Shan and Hung En-Tzu in the second round. The second seeded Indian pair, who received a bye in the opening round, will next face sixth seeded Japanese Rui Hirokami and Yuna Kato. Also making it to the last eight is Malvika Bansod, seeded seventh. She beat Czech Republic's Tereza Svabikova 15-21 21-19 21-14 in a women's singles match. Malvika will face a tough test against third seed Kristy Gilmour of Scotland.

4 Grand Slam champions get wild cards for Wimbledon; tournament from July 1

Former Grand Slam champions Naomi Osaka, Caroline Wozniacki, Angelique Kerber and Emma Raducanu have all been awarded wild cards for Wimbledon. The grass-court tournament starts on July 1. Osaka a four-time major champion and former No. 1 player and three-time Grand Slam winner Kerber returned from maternity leave at the start of this season. Currently ranked 113th, Osaka was the only player to take a set from top-ranked Iga Swiatek at the French Open and followed that up with a quarterfinal spot last week in 's-Hertogenbosch, a warm-up event for Wimbledon. Former US Open champion Raducanu made her breakthrough at Wimbledon by advancing to the fourth round in 2021. She will be playing there for the first time in two years after undergoing wrist and ankle surgery in 2023. Kerber won the 2018 Wimbledon title and was runner-up at the All England Club in 2016. She is also a former top-ranked player. Wozniacki returned from maternity leave last August. She's never got past the fourt

Tennis stars Sabalenka, Jabeur rule out Olympics to avoid risking health

Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka and two-time Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur ruled themselves out of the Olympic Games in Paris. Both top-10 players said they didn't want to switch from grass at Wimbledon back to clay at Roland Garros for the Olympic tournament and then immediately start the hard-court season in North America. World No 3 Sabalenka from Belarus said she'd rather have a break. It's too much for the scheduling and I made the decision to take care of my health, she said in Berlin, where she's warming up for Wimbledon. I prefer to have a little rest to make sure physically and health-wise I'm ready for the hard courts. I'll have a good preparation before going to the hard-court season. I feel that this is safer and better for my body." World No. 10 Jabeur from Tunisia wrote on X that not being able to play at a fourth consecutive Olympics was unfortunate. We (and my medical team) have decided that the quick change of surface and the body's adaptation required w