Page 23 - Tennis

Davis Cup: Ramkumar to lead Indian challenge against Pakistan on grass

Ramkumar Ramanathan was on Sunday named in a five-member squad for the grass court challenge against Pakistan -- a clear sign that an Indian Davis Cup side is preparing to play on Pakistan soil for the first time in 60 years even as AITA awaits ITF tribunal's decision on its appeal against travel to neighbouring nation on security concerns. India last travelled to Pakistan way back in 1964 when they beat the hosts 4-0. India have never lost to Pakistan in the Davis Cup competition in eight ties against each other. Ramkumar, whose serve and volley game style suits the grass surface, will lead the squad that includes N Sriram Balaji, Yuki Bhambri, Niki Poonacha and Saketh Myneni as All India Tennis Association (AITA) on Sunday named the team for the February 3-4 World Group I play-off tie. The team has only Ramkumar and 2019 national champion as singles players while the three others now play only doubles on the ATP Tour. It will not be a surprise if captain Rohit Rajpal asks Bhambri

Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka win ITF World Champion awards for 2023

Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka were honored as the International Tennis Federation's 2023 ITF World Champions after being the only singles players to reach at least the semifinals at all four Grand Slam tournaments this season. Djokovic, who finished at No. 1 in the ATP rankings for a record-extending eighth time, won the Australian Open, French Open and U.S. Open to raise his major trophy total to a men's-leading 24 and was the runner-up at Wimbledon. He went 56-7 and led the men's tour with seven titles. This is his eighth ITF World Champion award, also a record. Sabalenka received the honor for the first time after winning the Australian Open for her first Grand Slam title, finishing as the runner-up at the U.S. Open and making it to the semifinals at the French Open and Wimbledon. Sabalenka made her debut at No. 1 in the WTA rankings in September, before finishing the year at No. 2 behind Iga Swiatek, the WTA Player of the Year. Other ITF World Champions included Storm Hun

Paes, Amritraj become first Asian men in International Tennis Hall of Fame

Former doubles world No. 1 Leander Paes and broadcaster and promoter Vijay Amritraj of India have become the first Asian men to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Besides the duo, renowned journalist and writer Richard Evans have also been elected in the Ultimate Honour in Tennis. Paes, an 18-time Grand Slam champion in doubles and mixed doubles, has been selected in the player category, while Amritraj and United Kingdom's Evans are inductees in the contributor category, which is considered for election every two years. The contributor category recognises true pioneers, visionary leaders, or individuals/groups who have made a transcendent impact on the sport. The Class of 2024 will be officially inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame on Saturday in Newport, Rhode Island. Paes, Amritraj and Evans will join an elite group of 264 inductees from 27 nations with India set to become the 28th nation represented in the Hall of Fame. "It has been my life

Iga Swiatek equals Serena, wins WTA Player of the Year twice in a row

Iga Swiatek's second consecutive season-ending No. 1 ranking helped her collect a second consecutive WTA Player of the Year award, making her the first woman since Serena Williams to claim that honor twice in a row. Williams, who retired last year, was the WTA Player of the Year every season from 2012-15, the final four of the seven total times the American claimed that award. Swiatek went 68-11 in 2023 with a tour-leading six titles, including at the French Open in June. That was Swiatek's third championship at Roland Garros and fourth overall at a Grand Slam tournament. The 22-year-old from Poland wrapped up the season with an undefeated run at the WTA Finals in Cancun, Mexico, last month, which allowed her to overtake Aryna Sabalenka atop the rankings. Swiatek held the No. 1 spot from April 2022 until this September, before regaining it to close the year. In other WTA awards announced Monday, Zheng Qinwen of China was the Most Improved Player of the Year, Mirra Andreeva of Russi

Many chances it will be my last year, says Rafael Nadal on retirement

In a recent video, the 22-time Grand Slam champion discussed the potential of retiring, adding that there is even a chance he will retire midway through the season if his body does not cooperate

Rafael Nadal to return to playing with Brisbane International in January

Rafael Nadal will return to playing at the Brisbane International in Australia in January, the 22-time Grand Slam champion said Friday. "After a year of not competing, it is time to come back," Nadal said in a video posted on social media. "It will be in Brisbane in the first week of January. See you there." The 37-year-old Spaniard has not played on tour since last January, when he hurt his hip flexor during a loss in the second round of the Australian Open. In May, a little more than a week before the start of the French Open, Nadal announced that he would miss the tournament he's won a record 14 times and wasn't exactly sure when he might return to play.

Australian Open 2024: Rafael Nadal, Naomi Osaka, Wozniacki set to return

Three former Australian Open champions Naomi Osaka, Caroline Wozniacki and Angelique Kerber are set to return to Melbourne Park in January following maternity leave, joined by 2022 winner Rafael Nadal and hometown favorite Nick Kyrgios. Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley told the tournament launch Wednesday that Nadal (left hip flexor) and Kyrgios (knee, wrist) are expected to return from major injuries in a bid to challenge Novak Djokovic's dominance at Rod Laver Arena, where he's clinched 10 of his record 24 Grand Slam titles. "Our 2022 champion Rafa Nadal has been working hard on his rehab for most of this year," Tiley said. "He always brings his best to Melbourne and no one can doubt how hard he competes. I've been in touch with his team and he's now back on the court and looking forward to returning to Melbourne in January." Tiley said Djokovic and No. 2-ranked Carlos Alcaraz are expected to lead the men's contingent, while leading players Aryna Sabalenk a and I

Asian Games Highlights, Day 7: IND thrash PAK in hockey, Squash; medals- 38

Asian Games 2023, Day 7 Highlights: India thrashed Pakistan 10-2 in hockey and beat them 3-2 in Squash to win the men's team gold. The contingent finished with 10 Gold, 14 Silver and 14 Bronze medals

Asian Games: Manika Batra becomes 1st Indian singles player to reach TT QFs

She will be playing Wang Yidi for a spot in the final four and an assured medal

Asian Games: Duo Saketh-Ramanathan bow out with silver in tennis final

Saketh and Ramkumar registered a loss by 4-6 4-6 to the Chinese Taipei duo of Yu-hsiou Hsu and Jason Jung

Asian Games 2023 September 29 schedule: India event timings, streaming

India will hope for a rich medal haul from the athletics contingent who will begin their campaign on Friday, Day 6 of the Asian Games 2023. Saketh Myeneni and Ramkumar Ramanathan will play for gold

Asian games: Manika, Sharath, Sathiyan storm into pre-quarterfinals

Star Indian paddlers Manika Batra, Sharath Kamal and G Sathiyan dominated their opponents en route their pre-quarterfinals entry in the table tennis competition at the Asian Games here on Thursday. Sharath, a team bronze winner in 2018 Asian Games, never gave a chance to Mohammed Shaffan Ismail, his opponent from Maldives before winning 11-9, 11-2, 11-7, 11-7. Sathiyan, who had won a bronze medal in the team event in Jakarta Games 2018, too was equally overwhelming against Turki Lafi Almutairi of Saudi Arabia while registering a 11-5, 11-6, 11-9, 11-2 victory. The Saudi player tried to claw his way back in the third set going closer to the Indian at 9-7, but Sathiyan's experience proved at the crucial juncture. In the fourth game, Sathiyan just brushed aside his rival giving away just two points. Manika, a 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medallist and a bronze winner in mixed doubles at the Jakarta Asian Games, blanked Nabita Shresthta of Nepal 4-0 (11-5, 11-4, 11-3, 11-2) in just 20

India's singles tennis players to return empty-handed from Asian Games

India's singles tennis players will return empty-handed from the Asian Games for the first time since 2006 as Sumit Nagal and last edition's bronze medallist Ankita Raina exited the continental championship following quarterfinal defeats, here on Wednesday. Up against top seed and home favourite Zhizhen Zhang, it was always going to be a herculean task for Nagal to go past the world number 60. To his credit, Nagal took a set off the Chinese before losing steam in the men's singles quarterfinals, which he lost 7-6(3) 1-6 2-6 in two hours and 16 minutes. Somdev Devvarman had won a men's singles gold in 2010 and after that Yuki Bhambri (2014, Incheon) and Prajnesh Gunneswaran (2018, Jakarta &Palembang) won a bronze each in the following editions. In the 2006 Doha Games, Rohan Bopanna and Karan Rastogi could not reach the medal rounds in the men's singles. Raina, who had become only the second Indian to win a singles bronze in 2018, waged a gritty battle against Japan's Haruka Raji ..

Asian Games 2023 September 27 schedule: India event timings, streaming

India will hop for a big medal haul from shooters as they will be in action in six medal events. Indian women's hockey team will open their campaign against Singapore as well

Asian Games 2023 September 26 schedule: India event timings, streaming

Indian shooters will once again be the main source of medal hopes on Tuesday, September 26, the third Day of the Asian Games 2023 competition. Indian men's hockey team will also play

Asian Games: Tennis players Rohan Bopanna-Rutuja Bhosale move to next round

The Indian duo won the match in straight sets 6-2, 6-4 in just 1:04 minutes at the HOC Tennis Centre

Asian Games: Ankita, Rutuja reach pre-quarterfinals stage in tennis singles

In her round of 32 match, Ankita defeated Uzbekistan's Sabrina Olimjonova by 6-0, 6-0 in two straight sets in a matter of 51 minutes. She captured both the sets in less than 30 minutes

Asian Games 2023 Day 2 Highlights: With 2 Golds, India 6th in medals tally

Asian Games 2023 Day 2 Highlights: Women won gold in cricket while Shooters won gold in the 10m Air Rifle Team event as Indian contingent ended day two with 11 medals to be placed 6th in medals tally

Asian Games 2023 Day 1 Highlights: India bag 5 medals in rowing, shooting

Asian Games 2023 Day 1 Highlights: The Indian team won five medals in rowing and shooting while it secured a medal by qualifying for final in women's cricket

Asian Games: Sumit Nagal beats Ho Tin Marco, enters men's single last 16

India's top tennis player Sumit Nagal moved to the men's singles pre-quarterfinals of the Asian Games without losing a game as he expectedly thrashed Macau's hapless Ho Tin Marco Leung, here on Sunday. It was expected to be an easy second-round match for the 159th ranked Nagal, whose rival does not even have a ranking on the ATP computer. The fifth seed Nagal, who had got a first round bye, needed just 45 minutes to dispatch his opponent 6-0 6-0. He will next take on Kazakhstan's Beibit Zhukayev, who advanced after his Tajikistani rival Firuz Mukhidinov retired from the contest. Zhukayev was leading 3-0 in the match when Mukhidinov decided to concede the contest. The second seeded Indian pair of Saketh Myneni and Ramkumar Ramanathan outplayed Nepal's Abhishek Bastola and Pradip Khadka 6-2 6-3 in another easy match in their men's doubles opening round that lasted just 57 mins.