Page 17 - Tennis

Olympics 2024: Iga Swiatek loses to Zheng Qinwen in tennis semifinal

Iga Swiatek lost to Zheng Qinwen of China 6-2, 7-5 in the Paris Olympics semi-finals Thursday, a surprising setback for the No. 1-ranked woman and champion at the French Open four of the past five years. The result was hard to predict for several reasons. Swiatek entered the day with a 6-0 edge in their head-to-head matchups. She has led the WTA rankings for nearly every week since April 2022, while Zheng is No. 7. Plus, just when Swiatek appeared to be getting back into the match with a 4-0 lead in the second set, she faltered. The stunning part? Swiatek is as good as it gets on red clay and at this particular place. The 23-year-old from Poland has been dominant at Roland Garros, the facility used for the annual French Open and the site for tennis during these Summer Games. The 21-year-old Zheng, the runner-up to Aryna Sabalenka at the Australian Open in January, assured China of its first singles medal in Olympic tennis since the sport returned to the Games in 1988. In Saturday'

Paris Olympics: Andy Murray's tennis career extended with doubles win

Andy Murray's tennis career was extended for at least one more match in dramatic style when he and British partner Dan Evans saved five match points during a first-round doubles win at the Paris Olympics. Murray and Evans rallied past the Japanese pair of Taro Daniel and Kei Nishikori 2-6, 7-6 (5), 11-9 on Sunday. The Brits trailed 9-4 in the decisive tiebreaker, which is held in place of a third set in doubles. The 37-year-old Murray announced before the Summer Games that it would be the final event of his career, and then pulled out of the singles bracket, leaving him only in doubles. He is a three-time Grand Slam champion and the only tennis player with two Olympic singles golds from London in 2012 and Rio de Janeiro in 2016. His first Wimbledon championship, in 2013, made Murray the first man from Britain to win that trophy in 77 years. Murray has dealt with a series of injuries in the latter stages of his career, including a hip replacement in 2019. Most recently, he needed .

Paris Olympics: Lakshya's win over Cordon deleted as his opponent withdraws

Star Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen's victory over Kevin Cordon in the opening men's singles Group L match won't be counted as his Guatemalan opponent pulled out of the Paris Olympics due to a left elbow injury. "Guatemalan men's singles player Kevin Cordon has withdrawn from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games Badminton Competition due to a left elbow injury," Badminton World Federation (BWF) said in an update. "His remaining Group L matches against Indonesia's Jonatan Christie (Court 2, 2pm local time, 29 July 2024) and Julien Carraggi of Belgium (Court 3, 'Not Before' 9.20am local time, 31 July 2024) will not be played. Matches on these courts in each respective session have been rescheduled. "As per BWF General Competition Regulations for group stage play, the results of all matches played, or yet to be played, involving Cordon in Group L are now considered deleted," the sport's global governing body added. The withdrawal of Cordon, a Tokyo Olympics semifinalist, means Group L will now b

Paris Olympics 2024 highlights, Day 2: HS Prannoy wins opener; Manu Bhaker wins Bronze

Olympics 2024 highlights: HS Prannoy has won his group K opener vs GER. Rafael Nadal's his 1st round match. Manu wins bronze in shooting. Check Paris 2024 highlights here

Olympics 2024: Swiatek, Alcaraz, and Djokovic begin gold chase with wins

Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz got the Paris Olympics tennis competition started with first-round victories under closed roofs at Roland Garros, the site of their French Open titles less than two months ago. Novak Djokovic also won in straight sets as he, like Swiatek and Alcaraz, opened a bid for a first Olympic gold medal. Djokovic's second-round opponent could be longtime rival Rafael Nadal, who was scheduled to play his opening singles match Sunday but said he isn't sure whether he will remain in that event. Tomorrow, I don't know what's going to happen, Nadal said Saturday. I don't know if I'm going to play or not. In Saturday's last match, Angelique Kerber defeated Naomi Osaka 7-5, 6-3 in a contest between two women who have been ranked No. 1 and own multiple Grand Slam titles. Kerber has said she will retire after representing Germany at these Games; Osaka was hoping for a deeper run than her third-round exit at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago after lighting the cauldron

Swiatek starts Olympics tennis event with win at French open truimph site

Iga Swiatek shook off a bit of a dip in the first round of the Paris Olympics tennis competition and grabbed the last four games to beat Romania's Irina-Camelia Begu 6-2, 7-5 on Saturday under a closed roof at Roland Garros, the site of the No. 1-ranked Polish player's four French Open titles. Swiatek, who won a third consecutive championship at Court Philippe Chatrier just seven weeks ago, got broken in that same stadium to trail 5-3 in the second set before getting back to her usual clay-court expertise. She wrapped up the victory by breaking at love when Begu double-faulted on the last point. Day 1 of tennis began with showers that might have contributed to slow lines for umbrella-toting spectators at the facility's security checks near entrances and postponed by hours the start of matches at the 10 courts without retractable roofs. It's a good thing the French tennis federation built a pair of covers recently: 15,000-capacity Chatrier added one in 2020, and the second-largest ..

Paris Olympics: Djokovic and Nadal could could lock horns in 2nd round

Top-seeded Novak Djokovic could meet his longtime rival Rafael Nadal in the second round of the Paris Olympic tennis tournament. Djokovic was drawn Thursday against Australian Matthew Ebden and Nadal faces Hungary's Marton Fucsovics, with the winners of those matches meeting in Round 2. The 38-year-old Nadal won a record 14 of his 22 major trophies at the French Open. He won gold in singles at Beijing in 2008, and in doubles with Marc Lpez at Rio de Janeiro in 2016. French Open champion Carlos Alcaraz takes on Lebanese player Hady Habib. Top-ranked Iga Swiatek of Poland faces Irina-Camella Begu of Romania in the opening round of the women's draw with second-seeded American Coco Gauff taking on Australian Ajla Tomljanovic.

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