MELBOURNE – Maria Sharapova began her second-round match versus 14th-seeded Anastasija Sevastova as if she were double-parked. A brisk 13 minutes into the match, Sharapova dashed across the court to hit a leaping running backhand swing volley to go up 4-1. Soon enough, she’d wrapped up the first set, 6-1.

NEW YORK -- American teenager Victoria Duval stunned 2011 U.S. Open champion Sam Stosur in the tournament's first round Tuesday. The 17-year-old qualifier, ranked 296th, won 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, leaping into the air in celebration after converting her fourth match point with a forehand winner. Duval was playing in just

by Pete Bodo Somehow, we all knew, or hoped, that sooner or later it would come down to this—sooner being the Madrid Masters, later the Italian or French Open. We could have predicted it when Novak Djokovic tagged Rafael Nadal in the final at Indian Wells, we became convinced when,

NEW YORK (AP) — No one, not even Maria Sharapova herself, knew quite what to expect from her return to Grand Slam tennis at the U.S. Open. It had been 19 months since she had entered a major tournament. She played only nine times anywhere since a 15-month doping suspension

One step back, one step up: That’s how it worked this weekend for the tours' tournament winners, Roger Federer, Grigor Dimitrov, and Ana Ivanovic. All three bounced back quickly from French Open disappointments and brightened their Wimbledon prospects considerably. Here’s a look at each of their performances. Together they reminded

Technically, I’d say Andy Murray looks better with short hair. But he really seems more himself—more Muzzardly—when he lets it fly high and wild and ragged. As much as he’s cleaned and clipped and polished himself up over the years, Andy is never going to be slick. And hallelujah for

When did you know that the 2024 Wimbledon men’s final wasn’t going to be a repeat of last year’s classic, but a blowout instead? You could make a case that the moment came in the opening game of the match, which lasted 13 minutes and 20 points, and ended with

MELBOURNE, Australia -- Victoria Azarenka had to endure some anxious moments before and after her win over American teenager Sloane Stephens. Li Na wasn't flustered at all in an easy victory over No. 2-ranked Maria Sharapova. The result is that Li will play for the Australian Open title against Azarenka,

MELBOURNE, Australia(AP) Dinara Safina advanced to the fourth round of the Australian Open on Friday, winning her first match on the major's marquee court since her lopsided loss to Serena Williams in last year's final. Jelena Jankovic just keeps running into trouble at the Grand Slams. Second-seeded Safina beat Britain's

MELBOURNE—Roger Federer was on fire at the Australian Open on Saturday night, winning his third-round match against Richard Gasquet in just an hour and 59 minutes, 6-2, 7-5, 6-4. Here are five amazing stats from the five-time Australian Open champion’s win over the Frenchman: 1. He scored his milestone 90th

21-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal continued his perfect start to the 2022 season in Acapulco on Saturday night, defeating Cameron Norrie in the final of the ATP 500 event, 6-4, 6-4, to improve to 15-0 on the year. It’s his fourth career title in Acapulco, winning it twice on

Svetlana Kuznetsova continued to turn back the clock at the Western & Southern Open on Saturday, beating world No. 2 Ashleigh Barty in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4, to reach the final of the Premier 5 event in Cincinnati. Barty would’ve returned to No. 1 by reaching the final; now, Naomi

MARSEILLE, France (AP) — Daniil Medvedev's coach wasn't impressed with the Russian's attitude against Jannik Sinner in the second round of the Open 13 on Thursday. The top-seeded Medvedev rallied to beat the 18-year-old Italian 1-6, 6-1, 6-2 and reach the quarterfinals, but his performance in the first set exasperated

What the dynamic Spaniard’s game can teach you. 1. Don’t play the score. Nadal has become one of my favorite players to watch because of his sensational attitude. Whether he’s up 5-0 or down 0-5, he maintains his intensity. The only thing on his radar screen is winning the next

A congenial Kim Clijsters walked alongside Maria Joao Koehler prior to their first-round match as if giving the 19-year-old Grand Slam debutante a guided tour of Rod Laver Arena's hallways. A chatty Clijsters led her opponent to the court and helped her hang around for a set before finding her

The second Grand Slam of the year, the French Open, was supposed to have started this past week. With global events, though, shaking up the calendar, the players are still at home instead of sliding across the clay courts at Roland Garros. For some of them, their recent results before

Deep Roland Garros runs are in the forecast for a few promising players that have proved themselves not only in 2021 but for quite some time. Sizzling Stars takes a closer look at these piping hot competitors that are ready to serve up bagels and French baguettes.

First-round Wimbledon upsets: They happen to the best of them. And they’ve happened to a lot of them over the first couple of days at the Grand Slam this year. Title contenders like Sloane Stephens and Grigor Dimitrov; former champions, such as Petra Kvitova and Maria Sharapova; and consistent Top-10

You’ve probably heard the saying, “You’re only as good as your second serve.” With the way players return the ball these days, it’s truer than ever. If you don’t have a reliable and strong second delivery, you’re not going to win many matches. A good second serve requires courage. No

Practice partners on Monday, Roger Federer and Juan Martin del Potro squared off for the silverware in Rotterdam today. It wasn't long before Federer turned the final into an educational experience. A clinical Federer issued a tennis tutorial using the entire shot spectrum in racing to a 5-0 lead before