Tag: US OPEN

Categories
Sports

Jessica Pegula beats Kvitova to reach first quarterfinal

Pegula, who had reached the quarterfinals both at the Australian Open and at Roland Garros, lost in the third round at Wimbledon…reports Asian Lite News

No. 8 seed American Jessica Pegula won six games in a row in the second set to beat two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova in straight sets and storm into the women’s singles quarterfinals at the Arthur Ashe Stadium here on Monday.

Down 0-2 in the second set after winning the first easily. Pegula stormed back to take control of the match and won six games in a row in their fourth-round clash halted once by rain on Monday.

The 28-year-old American won the match 6-3, 6-2 in one hour and 13 minutes to make the quarterfinals for the first time in the US Open.

Pegula capitalised on her solid returns — 27/44 points won on return (61 percent) as compared to Kvitova who claimed 22/53 points (42 percent). She also made fewer unforced errors — 13 as against 24 by Kvitova and won six of the seven break points that ame her way whereas Kvitova could manage to win only two of the six chances she bagged. Though Kvitova had 18 winners as against seven by her American opponent, the 32-year-old from Czech Republic served five double faults to none by Pegula.

Pegula, who had reached the quarterfinals both at the Australian Open and at Roland Garros, lost in the third round at Wimbledon.

Coco Gauff and Caroline Garcia had advanced to their first US Open quarterfinals on Sunday.

ALSO READ-Nadal reaches US Open 4th round with 18th consecutive win

Categories
Sport Sports

Nadal reaches US Open 4th round with 18th consecutive win

Nadal won the first nine games of the two hour, 17-minute clash before Gasquet got his side of the scoreboard ticking, thanks to a Nadal return error…reports Asian Lite News

Spanish stalwart Rafael Nadal, bidding for a record-extending 23rd singles Grand Slam title, cruised into the US Open fourth round with a 6-0, 6-1, 7-5 victory against world No. 7 Richard Gasquet of France inside the Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday (IST).

The 37-year-old Nadal, who was tested in his second-round clash by Italy’s Fabio Fognini, faced no such issues against Gasquet as the Spaniard won his 18th consecutive match against the Frenchman.

“My best match in the tournament… Easy to say that because the other day was tough. But, yeah, important improvement. But I need to keep going. It’s a good victory for me. Straight sets for the first time. Third set (was) a challenge. He increased the level,” Nadal, bidding for his fifth US Open trophy, was quoted as saying by atptour.com.

“I went through some difficult moments. That’s something that is good, that I went through that and (was) safe (in those) moments with positive feelings. Happy to be in the fourth round, without a doubt.”

Nadal won the first nine games of the two hour, 17-minute clash before Gasquet got his side of the scoreboard ticking, thanks to a Nadal return error.

Gasquet holds the record for most losses against Nadal without a win (18). Second on the list is another Frenchman, Paul-Henri Mathieu, who lost all 10 of his clashes against the left-handed Nadal.

Nadal will next play American Frances Tiafoe. Tiafoe overcame Argentine Diego Schwartzman 7-6(7), 6-4, 6-4.

“I thought it was a hell of a match. Especially that first set, one of the craziest sets I’ve played in my career,” Tiafoe said. “It had everything in it. Down two breaks, serving again at 6-5, me down 6/3 in the breaker. Unbelievable how I even won the set.”

Nadal leads the ATP head-to-head record against Tiafoe 2-0.

“Second week against a great player like Frances, I need to be ready to play and to raise my level,” Nadal said. “I hope to be able to make that happen. I know it’s the right moment to make an improvement if I want to keep having chances to keep going on the tournament.”

ALSO READ-Sri Lanka beat Afghanistan by four wickets in Super Four

Categories
Sport Sports

Kvitova beats Muguruza to reach US Open fourth round

The clash of two-time Grand Slam champions, the seventh edition of a rivalry dating back to 2015, was a barnburner to the end…reports Asian Lite News

Two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova stormed into the fourth round of the US Open for the seventh time after overcoming No. 21 seed Garbie Muguruza in three sets on Saturday.

Kvitova, the No. 21 seed who won the Wimbledon women’s singles title in 2011 and 2014, saved two match points to beat Muguruza, the 2016 French Open and 2017 Wimbledon winner, 5-7, 6-3, 7-6(10) in 2 hours and 38 minutes.

The clash of two-time Grand Slam champions, the seventh edition of a rivalry dating back to 2015, was a barnburner to the end. Muguruza served for the match at 5-3 in the third set and held two match points on Kvitova’s serve at 6-5, but the Czech escaped both situations to eventually convert her own fourth match point in the super-tiebreak.

Midway through the grass swing, Kvitova’s 2022 record was in the red at 10-13. But a title in Eastbourne has turned her season around: since then, the 32-year-old has gone 15-3, also including a runner-up showing in Cincinnati two weeks ago.

ALSO READ-Azarenka beats Kostyuk to reach third round in US open

Categories
Sport Sports

Azarenka beats Kostyuk to reach third round in US open

Azarenka’s next opponent could be No. 4 seed Paula Badosa, who faces Petra Martic later on Thursday…reports Asian Lite News

Two-time Grand Slam winner Victoria Azarenka, who’s reached three finals at the US Open, eased into Round 3 at the Flushing Meadows on Thursday, with a straight sets victory over Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk.

Azarenka, the No. 26 seed and former world No. 1, won 6-2, 6-3 to open Thursday’s play on Court 17 as she got the lead and never let up.

The 88-minute win was in stark contrast to Azarenka’s Round 1 victory against American teenager Ashlyn Krueger, played on Tuesday. In that match, she built a 6-1, 4-1 lead but needed to win in three, 6-1, 4-6, 6-2.

Azarenka, who also won the Australian Open in 2012 and 2013, thrived on a sunny hard court. Though Kostyuk hit more winners (23 to 13), she also totaled more unforced errors (31 to 15). Staying steady, Azarenka broke Kostyuk’s serve five times and won six straight games from 4-2 in the first.

Azarenka is through to Round 3 for the 13th time in 15 career appearances in New York. In a second quarter of the women’s draw that also featured Naomi Osaka, Venus Williams, Emma Raducanu, and Elena Rybakina when the event began, Azarenka is the only major winner left.
Azarenka’s next opponent could be No. 4 seed Paula Badosa, who faces Petra Martic later on Thursday.
Also in this section of the draw are former world No. 1 Karolina Pliskova, the 2016 US Open finalist and No. 22 seed; No. 19 seed Danielle Collins, the reigning Australian Open finalist; and No. 6 seed Aryna Sabalenka. Also in the fray is Aliz  Cornet, the veteran Frenchwoman who is in her record 63rd Grand Slam main draw and had beaten Raducanu in Round 1.

ALSO READ-Suryakumar’s fireworks seal India’s Super Four spot after 40-run win over Hong Kong

Categories
Sport Sports

Serena and Venus receive doubles wild card to US open

Venus Williams will play her first-round match on Tuesday against Belgium’s Alison Van Uytvanck…reports Asian Lite News

Serena Williams and Venus Williams will reunite for doubles at the U.S Open after receiving a wild card for the tournament, which is set to begin on Monday.

The William sisters are two-time champions at the U.S Open and will pair for the first time since 2018 Roland Garros. In addition to their 14 major doubles titles, the last of which came at 2016 Wimbledon, Serena and Venus have teamed to win three Olympic gold medals in doubles, winning in 2000, 2008, and 2012.

The duo is the most recent team to hold all four major doubles titles at one time, having won 2009 Wimbledon, 2009 U.S Open, 2010 Australian Open, and 2010 French Open.

Earlier this month, Serena confirmed the U.S Open would be her final tournament before evolving away from tennis. In singles, she is set to face Montenegro’s Danka Kovinic in the first round on Monday night.

Venus Williams will play her first-round match on Tuesday against Belgium’s Alison Van Uytvanck.

The USTA also announced additional doubles wildcards going to the other teams: Sophie Chang and Angela Kulikov, Robin Montgomery and CoCo Vandeweghe, Katrina Scott and Elizabeth Mandlik, Peyton Stearns and Ashlyn Krueger, Hailey Baptiste and Whitney Osuigwe Clervie Ngounoue and Reese Brantmeier.

The doubles competition begins on Wednesday.

ALSO READ-Blasters register first win in Durand Cup

Categories
Sport Sports

Serena announces retirement after US Open

The 40-year-old admitted afterwards she was “getting close to the light at the end of the tunnel” with regards to her remarkable career, before furthering that statement with her article…reports Asian Lite News

Serena Williams, the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, on Tuesday hinted towards her retirement, saying that she is “evolving away from tennis” after the US Open.

Writing for Vogue, the American said she is moving towards “other things that are important to me”, adding she does not like the word “retirement”.

Williams made her singles return at Wimbledon in June after a lengthy injury lay-off that had led to speculation about her retirement. She registered her first singles win in 14 months, beating Spain’s Nuria Parrizas Diaz to reach the second round of the National Bank Open in Toronto on Monday.

The 40-year-old admitted afterwards she was “getting close to the light at the end of the tunnel” with regards to her remarkable career, before furthering that statement with her article.

“I have never liked the word retirement. It doesn’t feel like a modern word to me. I’ve been thinking of this as a transition but I want to be sensitive about how I use that word, which means something very specific and important to a community of people,” Williams wrote in Vogue.

“Maybe the best word to describe what I’m up to is evolution. I’m here to tell you that I’m evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me.

“I’ve been reluctant to admit that I have to move on from playing tennis. It’s like a taboo topic. It comes up, and I start to cry. I think the only person I’ve really gone there with is my therapist,” she added.

The star player was knocked out by Harmony Tan at Wimbledon in her first singles match for a year earlier this summer, but has her sights set on the US Open in what could prove her farewell tournament.

Williams’ last Grand Slam title came in 2017 to take her tally to 23, leaving her one shy of a 24th that would bring her level with Margaret Court’s record for most majors.

“Unfortunately I wasn’t ready to win Wimbledon this year. And I don’t know if I will be ready to win New York. But I’m going to try. And the lead-up tournaments will be fun,” she added in the article.

“I know there’s a fan fantasy that I might have tied Margaret that day in London, then maybe beat her record in New York, and then at the trophy ceremony say, ‘See ya!’, I get that. It’s a good fantasy. But I’m not looking for some ceremonial, final on-court moment. I’m terrible at goodbyes, the world’s worst.”

ALSO READ-Lanka Premier League 2022 to start on December 6

Categories
Europe Sport Sports

Djokovic remains out of contention for US Open

“There is absolutely no reason at this stage of the pandemic to not allow Djokovic to play at the US Open 2022,” said the change.org petition, which was launched on June 21…reports Asian Lite News

The 21-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic remains out of contention for the US Open unless there is some substantial change before the tournament starts at the end of August.

The Serbian will not be able to play in the Grand Slam because the organisers of the tournament have once again insisted that they will respect the US government’s Covid protocols.

However, almost 12,000 people around the world have now signed an online petition calling for the United States Tennis Association (USTA) to work with the country’s government to allow Djokovic to compete in the US Open despite his refusal to take the Covid-19 vaccine.

The 35-year-old – a three-time champion at Flushing Meadows – was named on the entry list for the final Grand Slam of the year on Wednesday, but that is routine, rather than an indication that he will be allowed to play.

“There is absolutely no reason at this stage of the pandemic to not allow Djokovic to play at the US Open 2022,” said the change.org petition, which was launched on June 21.

“(The) US Government and USTA must work together to allow him to play … MAKE IT HAPPEN, USTA!”

Djokovic’s stance already cost him the chance to compete in the Australian Open earlier this year and it looks likely to do so again.

The Serb, who retained his Wimbledon crown with a win over Australia’s Nick Kyrgios earlier this month, in February said he was prepared to miss Grand Slam tournaments rather than take the Covid-19 vaccine.

The main draw at the US Open begins on August 29.

ALSO READ-Los Angeles Summer Olympics dates announced