Nike suspends £43m Maria Sharapova endorsement deal following failed drug test at Australian Open March 8, 2016 Maria Sharapova could lose millions in future sponsorship earnings, after partners such as Nike, Tag Heuer and Porsche moved responded with concern to her admission of failing a drugs test. Sportswear giant Nike said it was "saddened and surprised" by Sharapova's confession that she had tested positive for meldonium, a substance added to the World [...]
Maria Sharapova career in doubt after testing positive for banned substance at Australian Open 2016 March 7, 2016 Former world No1 and five-time grand slam winner Maria Sharapova has shocked the tennis world by announcing she had failed a drugs test at this year’s Australian Open. The Russian tested positive for banned substance meldonium, which she has been taking since 2006 for health reasons. Meldonium has been on the banned list since 1 January [...]
Murray eyes Davis Cup title defence after epic five-set tussle against Kei Nishikori dispatches Japan March 6, 2016 World No2 Andy Murray has vowed to do everything in his power to fire defending champions Great Britain to successive Davis Cup titles after dispatching Kei Nishikori and ultimately rivals Japan in a gruelling five-set showdown in Birmingham. The 28-year-old’s 7-5, 7-6 (8-6), 3-6, 4-6, 6-3 victory in four hours and 54 minutes – the joint longest [...]
Great Britain begin defence of Davis Cup title against Japan: When is it? Where can I watch it? Who is playing? March 3, 2016 Andy Murray and team-mates can take heart from Great Britain’s impressive history of defending the Davis Cup when they begin their title defence with a first-round tie against Japan in Birmingham tomorrow. The last time Great Britain won the competition before last year’s triumph, it marked a fourth straight year that they had won tennis’s [...]
Australian Open 2016: Novak Djokovic’s fourth win from five grand slams leaves Serb out in front on his own January 31, 2016 World No1 Novak Djokovic insists he is resisting the temptation to conclude that his recent dominance has extinguished the era of a so-called big four in men’s tennis. Djokovic’s emphatic straight-sets dismissal of Andy Murray in yesterday’s Australian Open final brought the Serb a record-equalling sixth title in Melbourne, where he has lost just once [...]
Australian Open 2016: Andy Murray faces Milos Raonic with belief that he is back to his grand slam-winning best January 28, 2016 Britain's Andy Murray believes he is close to achieving the glory of a third grand slam title as he bids to reach the final of a tournament that has caused him more anguish than perhaps any other. Murray takes on Canadian 13th seed Milos Raonic on Friday morning in the semi-finals of the Australian Open, [...]
Australian Open 2016: Johanna Konta beaten by Angelique Kerber and insists historic run has not changed her January 28, 2016 She may have made British tennis history and secured a place in the top 30 of the women’s world rankings for the first time, but Johanna Konta insists her fairytale Australian Open has not changed her. Konta’s odds-defying run to the semi-finals ended today with a nervy 7-5, 6-2 defeat against German seventh seed Angelique Kerber, [...]
Australian Open 2016: Andy Murray’s joy – and surprise – as he and Johanna Konta make history in Melbourne January 27, 2016 World No2 Andy Murray toasted a landmark day for British tennis after he and Johanna Konta ended the country’s 39-year wait to have both men’s and women’s semi-finalists at the same grand slam. Konta penned the latest chapter of her fairytale run at the Australian Open by defeating Chinese wildcard Shuai Zhang 6-4, 6-1 to [...]
Australian Open 2016: Novak Djokovic ready for latest instalment of titanic rivalry with Roger Federer after they join women’s champion Serena Williams in sweeping into the last four January 26, 2016 Defending champion Novak Djokovic is braced for another epic tussle with former world No1 Roger Federer after both men swept into the semi-finals of the Australian Open on Tuesday. Djokovic put an error-strewn fourth-round match behind him with a ruthless display against Kei Nishikori, beating the Japanese seventh seed 6-3, 6-2, 6-4. Federer was almost [...]
Australian Open 2016: Johanna Konta becomes first Briton to reach a grand slam quarter-final for 32 years January 25, 2016 Rising star Johanna Konta insists she is no overnight success after becoming the first British woman for 32 years to reach the quarter-finals of a grand slam tournament. Konta, 24, continued her giddy ascent yesterday by beating No21 seed Ekaterina Makarova 4-6, 6-4, 8-6 in a titanic fourth-round slug-fest – the biggest win of her [...]