Beyond Big Three: Djokovic sets sights on Serena, Court

Not content with challenging Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for the men’s Grand Slams record, Novak Djokovic has Serena Williams and Margaret Court in his sights after claiming an astonishing ninth Australian Open title.

The world number one’s bold statement followed Sunday’s final, when he ended a turbulent tournament marked by a muscle injury and media attacks by humbling an in-form Daniil Medvedev.

Djokovic’s 18th major crown placed him within striking distance of the men’s record of 20, jointly held by Nadal, who lost in the quarterfinals, and Federer, who was absent through injury.

But the Serb also raised the prospect of a bigger goal: reaching the 23 held by Williams, and even the 24 won by Court straddling the amateur and Open era.

“Getting closer to maybe Roger’s, Rafa’s record, Serena, Margaret,” said Djokovic, when asked about his goals and schedule for this year.

“Everyone has their own journey and their own way of making history. They’ve made history already. They made a tremendous mark in our sport.

“I think about winning more Slams and breaking records, of course. And most of my attention and my energy from this day forward, until I retire from tennis, is going to be directed in majors, trying to win more major trophies.”

Djokovic, 33, said he would play a slimmed-down schedule focusing on the majors, rather than the rankings, now he’s guaranteed to surpass Federer’s record of 310 weeks as world number one on March 8.

‘Three knights of tennis’

His triumph follows a difficult tournament, after he suffered a muscle tear in the third round and was criticized for requesting better conditions for players during quarantine.

“It hurts,” he said of the criticism. “I’m a human being. I have emotions.”

The Serb’s 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 win over the 25-year-old Medvedev, who was on a 20-match winning streak, was also a sobering moment for the younger players hoping to dislodge the ‘Big Three’.

“The three knights of tennis,” Djokovic smiled.

“Roger and Rafa inspire me,” he added. “I think as long as they go, I’ll go. In a way it’s like a race who plays tennis more and who wins more.

“It’s a competition between us in all areas. But I think that’s the very reason why we are who we are, because we do drive each other, we motivate each other, we push each other to the limit.”

Djokovic’s coach Goran Ivanisevic said the Big Three were producing “better and better tennis” and also noted that Court’s record was on the horizon.

“I don’t know where is the end. Maybe they’re going to overtake Margaret Court and Serena, maybe not,” he said.

“But it’s amazing what they doing on the court. It’s amazing how they perform in the big matches.”

And Djokovic, dubbed the “king of Melbourne” by Medvedev, had a warning for the generation coming up behind the Big Three.

“Roger, Rafa, myself are still there for a reason,” he said. “We don’t want to hand it to them and we don’t want to allow them to win Slams.

“I think that’s something that is very clear. Whether you communicate that message or not, we are definitely sending that vibe out there.”

Agence France-Presse 

US Open umpire who earned Serena Williams' ire says he is 'fine'

LISBON, Portugal — The chair umpire who penalized Serena Williams in the US Open final has spoken publicly for the first time since the match, saying he is “fine.”

Ramos, who is from Portugal, spoke briefly to Portuguese newspaper Tribuna Expresso this week.

“I’m fine, given the circumstances,” Ramos said, according to the newspaper. “It’s a delicate situation, but umpiring ‘a la carte’ doesn’t exist. Don’t worry about me.”

The newspaper said Ramos received hundreds of messages of support from family, colleagues, players and former players. He said he has avoided social media and only reads “balanced” articles about the incident. He also refrained from going out the day after the final to avoid problems, according to the report.

The International Tennis Federation has defended Ramos for his actions during the final. The US Open fined Williams for her three code violations.

The WTA later called for equal treatment of all tennis players and coaching to be allowed across the sport.

Ramos has been assigned to officiate the Davis Cup semifinal matches between the United States and Croatia, a best-of-five series which begins Friday and ends Sunday in Zadar, Croatia.

source: philstar.com

Net gain: Williams into 9th US Open final, will face Osaka

NEW YORK — Serena Williams was a bit shaky at the start of her US Open semifinal.

For all of six minutes.

That’s how long it took her to drop the opening two games Thursday night (Friday in Manila). Williams spent the next hour playing flawlessly, particularly up at the net, grabbing 12 of 13 games to beat No. 19 seed Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia 6-3, 6-0 and reach her ninth final at Flushing Meadows and 31st at all Grand Slam tournaments.

“I’ve been working hard on my volleys. I have won a few doubles championships, so I know how to volley,” Williams said with a laugh, before adding this punch line: “I just usually come in only to shake hands.”

With one more victory, Williams will earn her seventh US Open championship and her 24th major singles trophy, equaling Margaret Court for the most in tennis history. Williams already owns the mark for the most in the half-century professional era; Court won some of hers against amateur competition.

On Saturday, Williams will face No. 20 seed Naomi Osaka, a 20-year-old who is the first Japanese woman to reach a Grand Slam final.

Osaka saved all 13 break points she faced Thursday and defeated 2017 runner-up Madison Keys 6-2, 6-4.

Asked during her on-court interview how she managed to stave off all of those break chances, Osaka replied with a laugh, “This is going to sound really bad, but I was just thinking, ‘I really want to play Serena.’”

Why?

“Because she’s Serena,” Osaka said. “Like, what do you mean?”


Williams had lost in the semifinals in her previous two trips to New York — against Roberta Vinci in 2015 while bidding for a calendar-year Grand Slam, and against Karolina Pliskova in 2016.

A year ago, Williams missed the U.S. Open because she gave birth to her daughter, Olympia, during the tournament. She then dealt with complications related to blood clots.

The American returned to the tour in February and to Grand Slam action at the French Open in May, when she had to withdraw from the field with an injured chest muscle. At her second major back, Wimbledon, she was the runner-up.

Now comes a chance to take a title and become, a few weeks shy of turning 37, the oldest woman to win a Slam in singles.

“It’s honestly really incredible. A year ago, I was fighting for, literally, my life at the hospital after I had the baby,” Williams said, her voice wavering. “So every day I step out on this court, I am so grateful that I have an opportunity to play this sport, you know? So no matter what happens in any match — semis, finals — I just feel like I’ve already won.”

Sevastova was participating in a major semi for the first time at age 28. While she began the evening well enough in Arthur Ashe Stadium by turning in two error-free games for a quick 2-0 lead, that all soon changed.

The roof was closed hours earlier because of a forecast calling for rain and strong wind, and so the screams and applause reverberated through the place whenever spectators roared for Williams, during the pre-match introductions, when she stepped to the baseline to serve in the opening game, and then after nearly every point she won.

And there were plenty of those.

Total winners? Williams led 31-10 in that category. And Sevastova’s penchant for drop shots did not pay off: She lost three points in the first set alone with miscues that landed on the wrong side of the net.

“She got a little bit lucky, I think, on some breaks in the first set. Then she started feeling better. When she’s in front, it’s tough to play,” said Sevastova, who retired from tennis in 2013, then returned to the tour in 2015. “She stayed focused in the second set.”

The key for Williams, really, was something of a new wrinkle: moving forward as much as possible.

Sevastova changes speeds and angles a lot, which helped her eliminate defending champion Sloane Stephens in the quarterfinals. In order to avoid too many lengthy exchanges from the baseline, Williams and her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, thought it made more sense to press Sevastova.

It worked. And how.

Williams won 24 of the 28 points when she went to the net. Add that to her usual powerful baseline game and always superb serve, which reached 120 mph (194 kph), and this really was no contest at all.


“To come this far, so fast,” Williams told the fans afterward, “I’m just beginning, you guys.”

Osaka is at the beginning of what could be a marvelous career. She is the youngest woman to reach a U.S. Open final since 2009 and only has one tour-level title so far, which came on a hard court this season.

She was born in Japan, but moved to New York at the age of 3 and is now based in Florida. Her coach is Sascha Bajin, who used to be Williams’ hitting partner.

“Mom, I did it. I love you. Thank you,” Osaka said during her interview. Up in the stands, her mother put two thumbs up and applauded.

Encouraged to direct a message to Williams, Osaka said, “I love you,” then giggled and covered her face, before adding, “I love everybody.”

source: philstar.com

Serena Williams hits 18 aces in US Open win; Isner into quarters

NEW YORK — Serena Williams' yells of "Come on!" crescendoed right along with the tension in a fourth-round US Open match that began as a rout and suddenly became riveting.

When she ripped a backhand winner to claim the third set's opening game Sunday (Monday Manila time), Williams let out her loudest shout of the day, leaning forward and rocking both arms. This turned into a test, and she passed it.

Williams reached the quarterfinals at Flushing Meadows for a 10th consecutive appearance — she wasn't there last year because she gave birth to her daughter during the tournament — by picking her level up after a lull and using 18 aces to beat Kaia Kanepi of Estonia 6-0, 4-6, 6-3.

"It was a 'Serena scream.' I don't try to do it. It just comes out, and it's just emotions," said Williams, a six-time US Open champion who finished with more than twice as many winners as Kanepi, 47-22.

"This is my job and this is what I do. This is how I earn a living. I'm going to do it the best I can," she added. "Winning a big game and a very important game and a really tight game, I think it was just a relief."

This match was filled with big hitting by both women, along with all manner of shifts in momentum and quality of play. In the 18-minute shutout of the first set, Kanepi's strokes were off and Williams' were pretty much perfect as she grabbed 24 of 30 points.

But after compiling 14 winners and only two unforced errors in that set, Williams began making mistakes, becoming less and less comfortable as Kanepi grew increasingly so. Kanepi is ranked only 44th, but she's been a top-20 player in the past and has made it to Grand Slam quarterfinals a half-dozen times. Sure, that's nothing compared to Williams' 23 major titles, but it's something. Plus, it's worth remembering this: Kanepi eliminated No. 1 Simona Halep on Day 1 of this tournament.

In a blink, Williams had a match on her hands. Kanepi was matching Williams' power with booming groundstrokes of her own. She was getting better reads on Williams' serves. And Williams began making more and more mistakes.

When Williams shanked a backhand return of a 103 mph serve, the match was a little more than an hour old, and it was all tied at a set apiece. That was the first set she had lost against Kanepi of the 10 they'd played to that point, and the first set Williams had lost at the 2018 U.S. Open, a run that included a 6-1, 6-2 victory over her older sister Venus in the third round Friday night.

After that scream-inspiring hold to begin the final set, Williams broke right away to lead 2-0. She then faced a break point, but Kanepi wasted that chance by sending a backhand wide. From there, Williams smacked an ace at 118 mph, followed by a service winner at 113 mph to go up 3-0, and that essentially was that.

Kanepi's take on Wiliams' serve? "Unreturnable," she called it.

Next for the 36-year-old American comes a quarterfinal against 2016 runner-up Karolina Pliskova, who beat Williams in the US Open semifinals that year.

"I really was feeling great that year. I'm feeling great now, too. But it was a little bit different story, 2016. I was, like, a dark horse. Nobody was expecting me to get that far," Pliskova said after beating No. 18 Ashleigh Barty 6-4, 6-4.

"I know she was the best at that time, but I just wanted to win. So that's why I won, because I believed I have a chance," the No. 8-seeded Pliskova said. "I have a game to beat her."

The other quarterfinal on the top half of the draw will be defending champion Sloane Stephens of the US against No. 19 Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia in a rematch from the same round last year.

Stephens got there by beating No. 15 Elise Mertens of Belgium 6-3, 6-3 at night, while Sevastova defeated No. 7 Elina Svitolina 6-3, 1-6, 6-0.

Recalling her 2017 quarterfinal victory over Sevastova, which was decided by a third-set tiebreaker, Stephens said: "I had to dig really deep."

The defending men's champion Rafael Nadal reached his fourth Grand Slam quarterfinal of the season, and 36th of his career, by getting past Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-3, 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-4, while No. 11 John Isner of the US made it that far at Flushing Meadows for the first time since 2011. Isner defeated No. 25 Milos Raonic of Canada 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 and now faces 2009 champion Juan Martin del Potro who pounded 18 forehand winners in a 6-4, 6-3, 6-1 victory over No. 20 Borna Coric and hasn't dropped a set through four matches.

Nadal has been spending a lot more time on court, going four sets in each of his past two outings.

"Now is the moment to make the next step, step forward, play more aggressive. I did a lot of things well during the whole season. (It) is the moment to make it happen again," said the No. 1-ranked Nadal, who has won 26 of his past 27 matches. "I hope to be ready to make that happen."

He gets two days' rest before taking on No. 9 Dominic Thiem for a semifinal berth in what will be rematch of this year's French Open final, which Nadal won in straight sets.

Thiem prevented a rematch of last year's US Open final by eliminating 2017 runner-up and No. 5 seed Kevin Anderson 7-5, 6-2, 7-6 (2).

This will be Thiem's first quarterfinal at a major other than the French Open — and his first match against Nadal on a surface other than red clay.

"On clay, I think it's one of the biggest challenges in sports to beat this guy or to compete with this guy," Thiem said. "I hope that it's a little bit more comfortable on hard court, but I'm not sure."

source: philstar.com

After Wakanda-inspired outfit, Serena Williams launches fashion collection

NEW YORK (AP) — Serena Williams has launched a fashion collection soon after participating in her first major tennis tournament in 16 months, dressed in a black "warrior princess" catsuit, no less.

But don't look for her French Open outfit among the athleisure, office and evening clothes on her new namesake website, the only place her duds are available.

Following collaborations with HSN and Nike, Williams' "Serena" line includes an "S'' motif and comfortable price points.

The letter adorns bralettes and high briefs, along with a T-shirt with the name of her childhood home, Compton.


She says she hopes to inspire women to own their own "s'' words, like strong, sexy, sophisticated, sassy, smart, silly and spontaneous.

Prices range from $40 for the logo T-shirt to $215 for a gold and black anorak jacket.

Williams considers the black bodysuit she wore at the French Open much more than a fashion statement.

There's a practical reason for the full-length legs on the skintight outfit: The aim is to protect her because of past bouts with blood clots.

There also is a message she wanted to send about self-worth and feeling powerful as she returned to Grand Slam action with a first-round victory at Roland Garros on Tuesday, about nine months after giving birth to a daughter.

"It feels like this suit represents all the women that have been through a lot mentally, physically, with their body to come back and have confidence and to believe in themselves," Williams said after beating Kristyna Pliskova 7-6 (4), 6-4 at Court Philippe Chatrier. "I definitely feel like it is an opportunity for me to inspire a whole different group of amazing women and kids."

The outfit called to mind Williams' black "catsuit" that she wore at the 2002 U.S. Open. It also was reminiscent of the white bodysuit that American player Anne White wore at Wimbledon in 1985.
Williams referred to what she wore Tuesday as the "catsuit — the new version, 2.0."

"I call it, like, my Wakanda-inspired catsuit," referring to the fictional nation in the film "Black Panther."

"We designed it way before the movie," she said, "but still, it kind of reminds me of that."

Williams said she feels "like a warrior princess, kind of," when she wears the outfit.

"I'm always living in a fantasy world," she added. "I always wanted to be a superhero, and it's kind of my way of being a superhero."

Tuesday's match was the first at a major tournament for the 23-time Grand Slam champion in 16 months.

She gave birth on Sept. 1, then dealt with complications related to a pulmonary embolism.

"I had a lot of problems with my blood clots, and, God, I don't know how many I have had in the past 12 months. So it is definitely a little functionality to it," Williams said. "I have been wearing pants in general a lot when I play, so I can keep the blood circulation going. It's a fun suit, but it's also functional, so I can be able to play without any problems." — Reports from Howard Fendrich, AP

source: philstar.com

Serena Williams named Sportsperson of 2015 by Sports Illustrated

Serena Williams, who owned the tennis world this year even as she battled illness and injury, was named sportsperson of 2015 on Monday by Sports Illustrated.

The magazine said it was honoring the 34-year-old icon both for her positively stunning numbers and her pluck in achieving what it called one of the greatest late-career runs in the history of any sport.

Williams won three major titles, triumphed in 53 of the 56 matches she played and ranked number one for every week of the season for the second straight year.

And for six weeks this season, Williams had twice as many ranking points as the world number two player. Sports Illustrated said this was a first in the 40-year history of the WTA rankings.

But those stats mask a year that was “all internal discord and quelled revolts; Williams battled her body like never before,” Sports Illustrated said.

To wit: a cough and cold that had her vomiting during a match at the Australian Open, which she won anyway; bone bruises in both knees — “the residue of 20 years of pounding” — a right elbow strain and nasty flu at the French Open (again, she won).

In a powerful statement against racism, Williams also returned to play a tournament at Indian Wells, California, for the first time since 2001. That year she was greeted with boos and her family says she even endured racial slurs.

Williams called that return her “greatest moment in tennis.”

“Serena has made a very strong case as not only the greatest tennis player of her generation but of all time, and after the string of performances she put together in 2015, she is one of the most dominant athletes playing today,” Sports Illustrated Group Editor Paul Fichtenbaum said.

“This year was spectacular,” Williams said of her latest accolade.

“For Sports Illustrated to recognize my hard work, dedication and sheer determination with this award gives me hope to continue on and do better. As I always say, it takes a village — not just one person. This is not just an accomplishment for me, but for my whole team and all my fans. I am beyond honored,” she said, according to Sports Illustrated.

source: interaksyon.com

Serena Williams wins historic 6th Wimbledon title, holds another ‘Serena Slam’

Serena Williams won a sixth Wimbledon title on Saturday as the world number one became the oldest woman to win a Grand Slam crown with a 6-4, 6-4 victory against Garbine Muguruza in Saturday’s final.

At 33 years and 289 days, Serena surpasses Martina Navratilova as the oldest player to win Wimbledon, and any of the other three Grand Slams, in the Open era.

Serena’s sixth Wimbledon crown brought with it a slew of other remarkable landmarks that underline her credentials as one of the greatest female athletes of all time.

The American’s 21st Grand Slam crown and 68th tour-level title earned her a cheque for £1.8 million ($2.7 million, 2.5 million euros)

But it is her legacy rather than her bank balance that concerns Williams these days and she now holds all four Grand Slam titles at the same time — the rare ‘Serena Slam’ she last achieved in 2002-03.

“It feels so good. Garbine played so well. I didn’t even know it was over because she was fighting so hard at the end. She will be holding this trophy very, very soon. I am happy it was such a great match,” said Williams.

“I can’t believe I am standing here with another Serena Slam. It is so cool. It has been a pleasure and an honour to give so many years in this unbelievable place.”

Serena is the first woman to land the French Open and Wimbledon back-to-back since she last won that difficult double in 2002.

Lifting the Venus Rosewater Dish for the first time since 2012 also leaves Serena needing only to defend the US Open to become the first woman since Steffi Graf in 1988 to claim a calendar Grand Slam.

She is just one major title behind Graf on the Open era leaderboard and within three of all-time record holder Margaret Court’s tally of 24.

She is the first player since Graf in 1988 to win Wimbledon and the Australian and French Opens in the same year.

Given Serena’s 39-1 record in 2015 and her astonishing streak of 28 consecutive Grand Slam match victories, few would bet against the American making more history in New York in August.

Regardless of her defeat, Muguruza, 21, has emerged as one of the brightest young stars on the women’s tour after a bravura display in her first Grand Slam final appearance that often left Williams rattled.

“I enjoyed it a lot. I don’t have words to say how I feel. I’m very proud and happy to be here,” said Muguruza.

“A Grand Slam final for me is a dream come true and I also want to say congrats to Serena, showing that she’s world number one.”

Williams’ thunderous serve was strangely out of sync in a nervous start to the first set and, after serving a double fault on the first point, she threw in two more to gift Muguruza a surprise break.

Enough power

Muguruza had more than enough power to trade blows from the baseline and she came out on top so often in the early stages that the frustrated American screamed “that’s so bad” after losing another point.

Muguruza, born in Venezuela and raised in Barcelona, had insisted facing Serena was a task to be relished rather than feared.

She was proving true to her bold claim and, by the time Muguruza moved into a 4-2 lead, it seemed an epic shock was on the cards.

However, Serena had recovered from worse predicaments earlier in the tournament.

And with the pressure ratcheted up, the inevitable Serena break back arrived in the eighth game when Muguruza missed with a wild forehand.

Williams scented blood and Muguruza crumbled, a double-fault on set point gift-wrapping the lead to Serena in a set that had been the underdog’s for the taking.

Williams had won 28 of her last 30 tour-level finals, including her last nine at the majors, and, in her eighth Wimbledon final, she was finally back in that muscular groove.

Serena’s fierce grimace and clenched fist after breaking in the fourth game of the second set suggested the finish line was in sight

But, serving for the match with 5-1 and then 5-3 leads, Williams was gripped by a bad case of nerves and Muguruza broke twice to prolong the contest.

Finally able to compose herself, Serena broke in the next game to seal yet another legacy-defining success.

source: interaksyon.com

Serena Williams, Andre Agassi to play for Singapore’s ‘Slammers’ in IPTL

Serena Williams and Andre Agassi join a stellar cast of tennis superstars who will headline the International Premier Tennis League, a new team tennis competition to be played across selected cities in Asia including Manila.

Williams and Agassi will represent the “Slammers” of Singapore alongside Tomas Berdych, Daniela Hantuchova, Bruno Soares, Lleyton Hewitt, Patrick Rafter and Nick Kyrgios.

“The IPTL is a great idea and with the best tennis players in the world taking part, it should be a wonderfully entertaining experience for tennis lovers,” Singapore Slammers co-owner Sunil Gavaskar said. “I am sure tennis lovers will be in for a feast of top class tennis and the Singapore tennis fans will come out in huge numbers to support their team.”

Other teams that will take part in the tournament are the “Royals” of the United Arab Emirates, the “Aces” of India and the “Mavericks” of Manila, which will be bannered by Maria Sharapova, Andy Murray, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Kirsten Flipkens, Daniel Nestor, Carlos Moya and Treat Huey.

The Manila leg of the IPTL is slated from November 28 to November 30 at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum. The tournament will until December 13 with legs in Singapore, Dubai and Delhi.

In its effort to bring a different style of tennis, the IPTL will introduce a unique set of rules, from player timeouts during the game, faster scoring format to fasten pace of the matches up to shootouts to determine a winner.

The winning team in the tournament will win a prize money worth $1 million.

source: interaksyon.com