Tennis

Melbourne:Maria Sharapova is not sure if she will be at the Australian Open next year, with a first-round exit meaning she is set to drop out of the world’s top 350. The five-time Grand Slam champion, who won at Melbourne Park in 2008, lost 6-3 6-4 to Croatian 19th seed Donna Vekic. It was only the Russian’s second competitive outing ...

Serena Williams thrashed fellow American Amanda Anisimova in just 43 minutes to reach the final of the Auckland International. The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, searching for her first title since the 2017 Australian Open, hammered the 18-year-old 6-1 6-1. Williams, 38, will face Jessica Pegula in the final after the unseeded American overcame Williams’ doubles partner Caroline Wozniacki. Pegula ...

US Open champion Bianca Andreescu has withdrawn from the Australian Open in Melbourne as she continues her recovery from a knee injury. The Canadian, ranked sixth in the world, picked up the injury at the season-ending WTA Finals in October. Andreescu beat Serena Williams at Flushing Meadows in September to win her maiden Grand Slam title. “I have to respect ...

Rafael Nadal will play Novak Djokovic as Spain take on Serbia in the inaugural ATP Cup final in Sydney. Top-ranked Nadal came from a set down to beat Australia’s Alex de Minaur 4-6 7-5 6-1 and give Spain an unassailable 2-0 lead over the hosts. World number two Djokovic had earlier beaten US Open finalist Daniil Medvedev 6-1 5-7 6-4 ...

LAHORE: Director General Sports Punjab Adnan Arshad Aulakh said young players exhibited excellent performance in the First SBP Junior Tennis Championship 2020 and this championship will play an important role in further popularizing the game of tennis in the province; he expressed these views while talking to media at the closing ceremony at State of the Art Nishtar Park Sports Complex Tennis Stadium ...

LAHORE: Director General Sports Punjab Adnan Arshad Aulakh, on Thursday, said First Sports Board Punjab Junior Tennis Championship 2020 is a wonderful event for young boys and girls to express their tennis talent. “We are quite hopeful that several promising boys and girls will emerge through this championship,” he expressed these views in a statement on the second day of ...

Russia’s Maria Sharapova will compete at the Brisbane International in January after receiving a wildcard. The 32-year-old former world number one played just 15 matches in 2019 because of a long-term shoulder injury. Five-time Grand Slam champion Sharapova last played a competitive match in the first round of the US Open in August. “Brisbane, I’ve missed you and I’m so ...

Britain lost their opening ATP Cup tie after Jamie Murray and Joe Salisbury were beaten in a thrilling match in Sydney. With the tie with Bulgaria locked at 1-1 after the singles, Salisbury and Murray lost 7-6 (7-5) 6-7 (2-7) 11-9 to Grigor Dimitrov and Alexandar Lazarov. The Britons were unable to convert two match points in the match tie-break. ...

Australian Open organisers have increased the prize money to more than £38m with the biggest gains for those losing in the earlier rounds. The overall prize fund for the tournament has increased by 14% to 71m Australian dollars (£38.1m). Players who exit in the first round will receive 20% more than last year while money for losers in the opening ...

London:British number oneBritish number one Johanna Konta is hopeful she will be ready to play in the Australian Open after revealing the extent of a knee injury. Konta, 28, said the problem is similar to tendonitis and she has been managing it throughout a year in which she played three Grand Slam quarter-finals. She plans to travel to Australia on ...