Tennis

World number one Novak Djokovic grabbed the Japan Open Sunday, dispelling any concerns about his shoulder injury that pulled him out of the US Open. The Serb crushed Australian qualifier John Millman 6-3, 6-2, to mark his 10th win in a tournament main draw debut in his celebrated career, which includes 16 Grand Slams. Djokovic, who played his first Japanese ...

Naomi Osaka won a second tournament on the spin as she fought back from a set down to defeat world number one Ashleigh Barty in the China Open final on Sunday. The Japanese two-time Grand Slam champion emerged victorious after 110 minutes in chilly Beijing, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Naomi Osaka said that she had just two hours’ sleep before crushing title-holder Caroline Wozniacki to sweep into the China Open final on Saturday. The 21-year-old Japanese will play world number one Ashleigh Barty of Australia in Sunday’s championship match in Beijing – and will hope to have had a bit more rest. The Australian Open champion said that she ...

Wimbledon champion Simona Halep was left disappointed Wednesday after suffering a fresh injury setback in China that forced her to retire from the Wuhan Open with a lower back problem. Halep said the problem that caused her to quit her third-round match felt different to the herniated disc she had suffered at the China Open in Beijing a year ago ...

Two-time grand slam champion Naomi Osaka has now won two WTA titles this season. Naomi Osaka has hailed her first Pan Pacific Open title win in her hometown as “special” after defeating Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in straight sets. Osaka, 21, who had finished runner-up on two previous occasions at the tournament, beat the Russian 6-2 6-3. The Osaka-born world number four ...

WUHAN, China: Venus Williams´ first visit to Asia since 2017 was cut short as she crashed out of the Wuhan Open first round on Sunday 7-5, 7-6 (7/5) to fellow American Danielle Collins. The 39-year-old Williams, a 2015 Wuhan champion now 59th in the world rankings, squandered a lead in the first set before eventually losing to Collins, who recorded ...

Kim Clijsters is to make her tennis comeback at the age of 36 with a return to the WTA Tour in 2020. The Belgian, who first retired in 2007 to start a family, says she has been “inspired” by other mothers such as Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka. The ex-world number one returned in 2009 and won three more Grand ...

Johanna Konta will not play any tournaments in Asia this autumn and so will not be able to qualify for the season-ending WTA Championships. The British number one has withdrawn from the China Open in Beijing because of “slight knee pain” and did not enter next week’s lucrative tournament in Wuhan in China. She is next expected to play in ...

World number one Novak Djokovic will begin his 2020 season in Brisbane, Rafael Nadal in Perth and Roger Federer in Sydney after Monday’s draw for the ATP Cup, the new world tennis team event. The championship, which will take place from January 3-12 in the lead-up to the year’s first Grand Slam, the Australian Open in Melbourne, will feature 24 ...

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has said the upcoming Davis Cup tie between Pakistan and India has been rescheduled for the week commencing November 15 in Islamabad. The ITF in its statement regarding the Asia/Oceania Group I tie between Pakistan and India said, “The Davis Cup Committee has determined that the Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Group I tie between Pakistan and ...