Familiar foe threat to Murray’s Australian bid January 27, 2015 BRITAIN’S Andy Murray has played down the threat of Tomas Berdych’s insider knowledge after setting up an Australian Open semi-final against the in-form Czech. Murray made swift work of ending a 15,000 sell-out Melbourne crowd’s hopes of a famous home victory by thrashing 19-year-old rising star Nick Kyrgios in straight sets yesterday. The Scot, seeded [...]
Murray ready to tame Wild Thing and home crowd January 26, 2015 BRITAIN’S Andy Murray is well versed in shouldering the hopes of a nation starved of tennis success – something his opponent in today’s Australian Open quarter-final, Nick Kyrgios, is learning all about. Kyrgios, 19, is the cocky, fluoro-clad next big thing Down Under who shot to fame by knocking Rafael Nadal out of Wimbledon and [...]
Murray stays up late to maintain grand slam run January 25, 2015 RELIEVED Andy Murray admitted he had been lucky after beating 10th seed Grigor Dimitrov at the Australian Open to reach a 16th consecutive grand slam quarter-finals. Murray finally saw off Dimitrov 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 7-5 in a fluctuating match that lasted three and a half hours and finished after midnight in Melbourne yesterday. The [...]
Top seeds make Australian Open progress as title bids gather pace January 22, 2015 WORLD No1 Novak Djokovic’s quest for a fifth Australian Open title remains on course after dismantling Russia’s Andrey Kuznetsov in the second round at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne yesterday. Djokovic showed few signs of the virus which has hampered him in recent weeks and secured a straight-sets 6-0, 6-1, 6-4 victory in just [...]
Murray ready for Sousa after romp past Matosevic January 21, 2015 WHILE the Australian Open draw means Britain’s Andy Murray will have to beat some decorated players to reach the latter stages, the third round sees him pitted against a man widely regarded to be his country’s best ever. Murray will come up against Joao Sousa early tomorrow morning, a player he thrashed in Melbourne two [...]
Glandular fever fears as ill Watson suffers Australian Open exit January 20, 2015 BRITISH No1 Heather Watson has played down concerns she could be suffering a recurrence of the glandular fever that paralysed her career after wilting in the first round of the Australian Open yesterday. Watson, 22, needed medical attention on court after complaining of blurred vision, nausea and feeling faint during a 6-4, 6-0 defeat to [...]
Murray seeded sixth for Australian Open January 14, 2015 BRITAIN’S Andy Murray will be seeded sixth for the Australian Open when the draw for the year’s first Major, which starts on Monday, takes place tonight. The three-time finalist is ranked behind top seed Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Stan Wawrinka and Kei Nishikori. Compatriot Heather Watson is afforded no protection in the women’s [...]
Federer warms up for Australian Open by recording 1,000th win January 11, 2015 WORLD No2 Roger Federer became the first man for more than two decades to reach 1,000 career wins on the ATP Tour as he landed the Brisbane International title yesterday. Federer beat Canada’s Milos Raonic 6-4, 6-7 (2-7), 6-4 to claim his 83rd tournament victory and extend his record of winning at least one title [...]
Tennis chiefs to cut funding December 11, 2014 UNDERACHIEVING British tennis players face having their funding withdrawn if they fail to meet strict new ranking-based targets drawn up by the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA). Under the policy, which is set to be implemented over the next year, aspiring stars are to have support provided in the form of access to LTA-contracted coaches rather [...]
Boris Johnson avoids talking tennis by pulling on his sparring gloves July 24, 2014 It looks like the “will he, won’t he” tennis match between Boris Johnson and the Chernukhins (the Russian couple who paid £160,000 at a fundraiser to play BoJo and David Cameron) will go ahead, after Boris said he was going to get in training for it yesterday. Now we think we know how he’s getting [...]