Howdy. Well, I’m back from a four-day weekend at Little View Farm, our country place in rugged, game-rich Andes, our Catskill Mountains hideout. I spent a lot of time mowing hay (although I kept breaking the shear-bolt on the tractor’s PTO—if you’re a farm boy, write!) and did a fair

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Top-seeded Simona Halep eased to a 6-2, 6-0 win over Daniela Hantuchova at the Dubai Tennis Championships on Tuesday. Except for six double faults, Halep put on a solid performance, saving the one break point she face, which came in her opening service game. ''I

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP)—Serena Williams started the defense of her Australian Open title with a dominating 6-2, 6-1 win Tuesday over Polish teenager Urszula Radwanska. Williams also only lost three games in her previous match at Melbourne Park: a 6-0, 6-3 win over now No. 2-ranked Dinara Safina in last year’s

A towering image of Ana Ivanovic loomed on the big screen over her shoulder while the window of opportunity was closing right before Maria Sharapova's eyes. In a battle of former world No. 1 players, Ivanovic spent nearly two sets treating Sharapova's second serve like road kill and cracked a

In a year that’s already seen a player ranked outside of the Top 100 make a Grand Slam semifinal, many others reach career highs in the rankings, tour veterans win their first titles and so much more, the first several months of the 2021 ATP season has been quite unpredictable.

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. -- Novak Djokovic rallied to beat Marin Cilic 1-6, 6-2, 6-3 in the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open on Wednesday, avoiding the upsets that knocked out two other top-10 players. Djokovic didn't face a break point on his serve after the first set in the

The last time the world’s top two players met at the WTA Finals was in 2012, a match that saw world No. 2 Maria Sharapova take out world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka in the semifinals. On Saturday, seven years later, top-ranked Ashleigh Barty battled past second-seeded Karolina Pliskova, 4-6, 6-2,

These health-care specialists keep tennis stars playing at their peak. For every five-set marathon match, give credit not just to the players holding the racquets, but also to the health and fitness pros who help them achieve peak performance. “The behind-the-scenes professionals—from the sports nutritionist who recommends the right foods

This was the type of day the ATP had in mind when it created the mandatory Super 9 series—later to be renamed the Masters—two decades ago. In those days, the top players were often scattered to the four corners of the earth, chasing appearance fees and avoiding each other for

After a year of closed-door meetings with tennis players seeking a greater say in the sport and a larger slice of Grand Slam revenues, the U.S. Open is making big changes. New York's Grand Slam tournament will increase its annual prize money to $50 million by 2017 -- roughly double

NEW YORK (AP)—Down a set in the first round of the U.S. Open, Maria Sharapova sat in her changeover chair, briefly closed her eyes, and took some deep breaths. “I knew,” she would say later, “that it wasn’t over.” Whatever problems she encountered Tuesday, whatever the level of her game,

WASHINGTON -- Coaches often tell players to practice the way you play. That strategy didn't work out for Sloane Stephens. Playing her first match since Wimbledon, the No. 2-seeded Stephens fell to Olga Puchkova 7-5, 6-3 in the first round of the Citi Open on Monday. "Leading up, I didn't

Rafael Nadal is back among the living, tennis-wise, and I’d say his rivals better watch out. Those gray shorts the 26-year-old King of Clay dons are long enough to resemble the “piratas” he favored during his remarkable rise to a grass- as well as clay-worthy champion, and top-ranked player. Earlier

PARIS(AP) For comic relief, Robby Ginepri did a couple of push-ups on center court during his fourth-round match Monday at the French Open. The laughs didn't last. Two points later Ginepri lost a pivotal game, and Novak Djokovic went on to win 6-4, 2-6, 6-1, 6-2, eliminating the last American

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Top-seeded Ash Barty can earn no greater praise than to have her slice shot compared with the great Roger Federer. Multiple Grand Slam singles champion Jim Courier made that observation as a TV commentator watching the local favorite drop just two games to beat American Jessica

LONDON (AP) A game away from a third Wimbledon championship and ninth Grand Slam title, Novak Djokovic sized up a 108 mph serve from none other than Roger Federer and stretched to smack a cross-court forehand return winner. Two points later, Djokovic again took the measure of a serve from

I’ve noticed that there are many ways to serve. Some players rock to the back heel and then bring the back foot to the line (Andy Roddick). Some, like Roger Federer, don’t move the back foot at all. Is one of these motions better than the other?—unsigned from Atlanta There

Andy Roddick tells AFP that he does not expect any substantial changes to be made with what he and other star players consider to be an overly taxing schedule. "It's a little tedious," Roddick said. "I think in 2001, 2002 we finished around Halloween (late October) at Paris Bercy. We've

The WTA’s unpredictable season has taken another turn this Fall with the dramatic rise of Carolina Garcia. Coming off an 11-match win streak and two titles in Wuhan and Beijing, she’s unquestionably the hottest player on the Tour. And with Johanna Konta’s recent withdrawal from Moscow, she’s now the eight

All of the major tournaments have players who have become synonymous with the event—inseparable from it, as if they were born to play there. Andre Agassi at the Australian Open. Björn Borg, Chris Evert and Rafael Nadal at the French Open. Martina Navratilova, Pete Sampras and Roger Federer at Wimbledon.