Halep, Venus Added to Rash of Seeded Exits at Australian Open
Posted by Staff on January 19th, 2016 @ 9:06 am
Oh the humanity!
After a flurry of upsets on the women’s side on Day 1 at the Australian Open, Day 2 showed no letup. The current world No. 2 and a former No. 1 were among five more seeds upended in Melbourne on Tuesday.
Leading the rush to the tarmac was No. 2 Simona Halep, who entered the event suffering an Achilles problem, and exited 6-4, 6-3 to China’s Zhang Shuai.
“She had …
Milos Raonic Explains The Hiring Of New Coach Carlos Moya
Posted by Tom Gainey on January 19th, 2016 @ 8:59 am
Among the many off season coaching moves, one interesting one was Milos Raonic tapping Carlos Moya as his new coach following the split with Ivan Ljubicic. The two joined this week at the Australian Open where in their debut Raonic won comfortably over Lucas Pouille.
After the match Raonic answered why he chose the former Australian Open finalist who has never really coached anyone before:
Q. Why did you choose Carlos …
Nadal Shocked, Wawrinka Gets Worm at Australian Open
Posted by Staff on January 19th, 2016 @ 8:28 am
Rafael Nadal wants you to know he is going to keep trying.
During this off-season the 14-time Grand Slam champion looked to put his epic confidence issues from 2015 behind him.
It didn’t work.
The 29-year-old Spaniard, losing in the first round of a Slam for only the second time in his career, fell on Tuesday to No. 45-ranked compatriot Fernando “Hot Sauce” Verdasco in five sets, blowing a 2-1 set lead 7-6(6), …
Rafael Nadal Knocked Out Of Australian Open In 5-Sets By Fernando Verdasco
Posted by Staff on January 19th, 2016 @ 4:31 am
Rafael Nadal’s Grand Slam struggles continued Tuesday at the Australian Open where Nadal suffered his earliest exit ever at the event losing to countryman Fernando Verdasco in five sets 76(6), 46, 36, 76(4), 62.
“The biggest problem was the first set, in my opinion,” Nadal said. “He was not playing that well in the first set. I should take advantage there, but I didn’t. Then you lose the first. You play …
Djokovic Still Darling; Paire Rips Rubin After Loss at Australian Open; X-Notes
Posted by Staff on January 18th, 2016 @ 9:17 am
On a scorcher in Melbourne that caused three player retirements, world No. 1 Novak Djokovic looked cool and collected in turning back South Korea’s Chung Hyeon 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 to start his campaign on Day One of the 2016 Australian Open.
“Having to play somebody for the first time, especially somebody that is as young as him, he’s only 19, it can be tricky,” said the defending champion Djokovic. “Obviously getting …
World No. 1 Serena Wins, 7 Seeds Don’t; Stephens Rants on Day 1 at Australian Open
Posted by Staff on January 18th, 2016 @ 8:13 am
World No. 1 Serena Williams made her case for an uninjured, dominant campaign against a tough opponent on Monday at the Australian Open, while carnage in the lower seedings saw seven seeded exits, including a former world No. 1 and a former Slam champ.
Williams, showing no symptoms of the knee injury that forced her out of pre-Aussie Open events, topped the free-swinging Camila Giorgi of Italy 6-4, 7-5.
“I think I …
Roger Federer: I Want To Hear The Names Of The Match Fixers, Otherwise The Report Is Just Nonsense
Posted by Tom Gainey on January 18th, 2016 @ 7:56 am
The big topic of the day at the Australian Open was not the tennis, but unfortunately it was about match fixing. With a report surfacing claiming they have evidence that the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) isn’t doing their job policing the sport and preventing match-fixing, Roger Federer wants to hear names.
“I would like to hear the name,” Federer said. “I would love to hear names. Then at least it’s concrete …
Novak Djokovic Discusses When He Was Once Offered $200,000 To Fix A Match!
Posted by Tom Gainey on January 18th, 2016 @ 7:53 am
With the match-fixing scandal sweeping day one at the Australian Open, Novak Djokovic was asked to detail an incident in 2007 when his team was approached to throw a match in St. Petersburg for $200,000.
“I was approached through people that were working with me at that time, that were with my team. Of course, we threw it away right away,” Djokovic said. “It didn’t even get to me, the …
Australian Open, Pro Tennis Reject Match Fixing Claims
Posted by Staff on January 18th, 2016 @ 7:33 am
A match fixing allegation rocked day one at the Australian Open Monday in Melbourne. A report from the BBC/Buzzfeed suggested that the Tennis Integrity Unit was suppressing or dismissing past match fixing allegations and evidence.
“16 players who have ranked in the top 50 have been repeatedly flagged to the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) over suspicions they have thrown matches,” the report said without revealing names, some of those are …
Defending Champions Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams Headline Blockbuster Day 1 Australian Open
Posted by Staff on January 17th, 2016 @ 12:27 am
What a blockbuster start to the 2016 Grand Slam calendar with defending champions and world No. 1s Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams on the Monday.
Djokovic will face youngest Hyeon Chung as he seeks a sixth Australian Open title.
“This has been the most successful Grand Slam tournament, and probably one of my two, three most successful tournaments of my career. I won it five times. Every time I go back to …
2016 Australian Open TV Schedule: ESPN, Tennis Channel
Posted by Staff on January 17th, 2016 @ 12:01 am
The 2016 Australian Open begins Sunday night in the U.S. Once again the season’s first Slam will be aired on both ESPN and the Tennis Channel.
ESPN will offer over 100 hours of live coverage plus live streaming on their ESPN3 and WatchESPN services. The commentary crew includes familiar faces Darren Cahill, Brad Gilbert, Pam Shriver, Chris McKendry, Patrick McEnroe, Chris Fowler, Jason Goodall, Mary Joe Fernandez, Chrissie Evert and Cliff …
Rafael Nadal Wary Of First Rounder Against Fernando Verdasco
Posted by Tom Gainey on January 16th, 2016 @ 4:00 pm
In the most compelling first round match of the Australian Open, Rafael Nadal will meet Fernando Verdasco in a rematch of their 2009 semifinal epic won by Rafa.
“Very tough first round,” Nadal said. “Not a lucky first round, I think, for me. For him either. Will be a tough match. I need to be ready to play a very good tennis if I want to be through.
“Obvious that that …
Andy Murray: My Child, My Wife Are More Important Than Any Tennis Match
Posted by Tom Gainey on January 16th, 2016 @ 3:47 pm
Andy Murray made it clear again, he’s leaving the Australian Open if his wife Kim is having the baby early. Murray stated that means he will leave even if it’s the finals!
“For me, my child is more important to me, and my wife is more important to me than a tennis match, yeah,” he said when asked if he pull out of the final and fly home.
Despite the baby distraction, …
Upset Expert Cornet Beats Bouchard for WTA Hobart, Targets Halep
Posted by Jeremy Davis on January 16th, 2016 @ 1:42 pm
France’s Alize Cornet sent out a warning on Saturday — broadly to the rest of the WTA tour, but most specifically to world No. 2 Simona Halep.
Cornet on Saturday crushed Genie Bouchard, the former heir apparent to Maria Sharapova’s win-some-but-rake-in-the-sponsors image empire, by a 6-1, 6-2 scoreline to win the Hobart International title.
“I was very focused for the whole tournament and the whole match today, and now I can let …
Sick Sock Sucks, Then Succumbs in ATP Auckland Final
Posted by Staff on January 16th, 2016 @ 1:23 pm
In the end it was all a bit much for Jack Sock.
Amazed at how he steamrolled top-seeded David Ferrer after being a set down in the Friday semifinals, and marveling at his victory while suffering through what could be a cold or the beginning of the flu, Sock could not duplicate such magic in the Saturday final.
Trailing 1-6, 0-1 in the ASB Classic Auckland final to Roberto Bautista Agut, Sock …