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Sport

Unseeded American Collins hammers Kerber to reach Australian Open quarters

Collins

Melbourne (Australia), Jan. 20, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) Unseeded American Danielle Collins took less than an hour to thrash 2016 champion Angelique Kerber 6-0 6-2 and power her way into the quarter-finals of the Australian Open on Sunday.

The unheralded 25-year-old had not won a match in her previous Grand Slam appearances.

However, after smashing 29 winners against triple Grand Slam champion Kerber she has now made it to the last eight in her first main draw showing at Melbourne Park.

“I may not have won a Grand Slam match before this (but) I got to tell you I think it’s going to keep happening,” Collins said.

“When I was in college, my coaches told me to go out, go after it and believe in my shots.

“All kudos to my coaching squad over there in the corner, they gave me a plan and I just did the job.”

Ranked 35th in the world, Collins breezed through the opening set in 20 minutes with three service breaks, hitting winners on all sides of the court against the second seed.

After an early trade of breaks in the second set, Collins smashed a backhand to break Kerber’s serve and take a 4-2 lead.

She then broke the German once again to seal victory on her first match point in 56 minutes.

Wimbledon champion Kerber mumbled to herself constantly, unable to show any fight she threw down her racquet in frustration that brought a warning from the umpire.

“I go out fearless, I’ve been working hard my whole life, I just give it my all,” said Collins, after the match.

She will next play either fifth seed Sloane Stephens or Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who meet in the last match of the evening. (Reuters/NAN)

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Sport

Barty keeps home hope alive to reach Australian Open quarters with win over Sharapova

Barty

Melbourne (Australia), Jan. 20, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) Ashleigh Barty rallied from a set down to beat former world number one Maria Sharapova 4-6 6-1 6-4 at Melbourne Park on Sunday.

She has now become the first Australian woman in a decade to reach the quarter-finals at her home Grand Slam.

The 22-year-old, converted her fourth match point with an ace to seal the victory in two hours and 22 minutes.

Five-time Grand Slam champion Sharapova looked in control after converting her third breakpoint in the ninth game of the first set and following it up with a service hold to love to take the opening stanza.

But Barty fought back to break twice in the second set and level the match, as more unforced errors crept into the Russian’s game, and then broke twice more in the decider to race into a 4-0 lead.

Sharapova, the 2008 champion, rallied to win three straight games but could not prevent Barty closing out the match and becoming the first Australian woman to reach the quarters since Jelena Dokic in 2009.

“It was a little close, wasn’t it?” a beaming Barty said. “I gave myself a lot of opportunities in the third set and just didn’t take it.

“She’s an absolute champion and she never ever was going to go away. I can match it with the best and when I execute, I know that I can.

“This is unreal, playing on this beautiful court in front of a packed house, there’s nothing better.”

Meanwhile, Barty will meet twice Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova in the quarter-finals after the eighth seed thrashed American teenager Amanda Anisimova 6-2 6-1 earlier in the day.

The Australian lost her last meeting to Kvitova in Sydney before the year’s first Grand Slam.

“It doesn’t get any easier at all, it’s just another challenge and I’ll try to come out and play my best tennis,” Barty said. (Reuters/NAN)

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Sport

Australian Open: Kvitova hammers Anisimova to reach quarter-finals

Kvitova

Melbourne (Australia), Jan. 20, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova steamrolled American teenager Amanda Anisimova 6-2 6-1 to sail into the quarter-finals of the Australian Open after a year in the Grand Slam wilderness.

The eighth-seed dominated Anisimova’s serve in the early match at Rod Laver Arena and smacked 18 winners to end the 17-year-old’s fairytale run at Melbourne Park after less than an hour.

Lefthander Kvitova booked her first quarter-final appearance in Melbourne since her run to the 2012 semi-finals and first at a Grand Slam since the 2017 U.S. Open.

The Czech will meet either Maria Sharapova or Ashleigh Barty for a place in the semi-finals. (Reuters/NAN)

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Sport

Birthday boy Tiafoe topples Dimitrov to reach Australian Open quarters

Tiafoe

Melbourne (Australia), Jan. 20, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) American Frances Tiafoe celebrated his 21st birthday by stunning Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov 7-5 7-6(6) 6-7(1) 7-5 in the fourth round of the Australian Open on Sunday.

Tiafoe, the last American man standing at Melbourne Park, fended off four early break points in a sluggish start before taking opportunities on Dimitrov’s serve to claim the opening set.

Former Melbourne semi-finalist Dimitrov had three sets points to draw level, but Tiafoe refused to wilt under the pressure and reeled off five straight points to move two sets ahead.
Dimitrov, who slipped just outside the top 20 in the world after early exits in his last three Grand Slams appearances, dug deep to fight his way back, claiming the third set in another tiebreak.

But Tiafoe was back on top in the fourth set, clinching a decisive break in the 11th game before serving out to seal a quarter-final against either Rafa Nadal or Tomas Berdych. (Reuters/NAN)

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Sport

World number one Halep geared up for best player Serena

Clash
Melbourne (Australia), Jan. 19, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) Simona Halep might be the current number one in women’s tennis but the Romanian believes the best player in the world will be awaiting her when she takes on Serena Williams.

Both players meet in the fourth round of the Australian Open.

The 37-year-old American took a year off after the birth of her daughter Alexis Olympia in September 2017.

She returned to action last season when she reached the finals at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.

Serena was eight weeks pregnant when she won the last of her 23 Grand Slam titles at Melbourne Park.

And though she has played selective tournaments since motherhood, the American is still the player to beat in the women’s draw at Grand Slams.

French Open champion Halep has topped the rankings since October 2017.

“In my opinion, to be number one in the world and to be the best player in the world, it’s a little bit different,” Halep told reporters on Saturday after a 6-2 6-3 third round win against the older Williams sister, Venus.

“In this moment, I’m number one in the world, so I will take that. I feel like I have been there many months, many weeks.

“But for sure she’s the best player in the world because she won so many Grand Slams. She’s been a lot on number one. I cannot compare my results to her.

“But in this moment, I’m confident that I’m in this position, and I’m positive about it.”

The losses in the finals in London and New York left Serena, who is seeded 16th at Melbourne Park, still seeking a 24th Grand Slam singles title..

It will enable her to equal Margaret Court’s all-time record.

She has lost only nine games this week in her first three rounds.

“I only beat her once in my life. So, I cannot say much about this match,” Halep said, referring to her nine overall meetings with Serena.

“Just that it’s going to be a huge challenge for me. It’s always great to play against Serena because every time I have to learn something from the match.”

Halep admitted that she used to be intimidated by Serena when she was younger, but said the “great champion” will be just another opponent in the last 16 clash.

“I’m used to this pressure. I’m used to facing her,” Halep said. “I’m in a good position. I feel confident. I played very well today. But that doesn’t mean it’s going to be the same against her.

“Definitely, it’s the toughest draw I’ve ever had… it’s a huge challenge. Every time I face the (Williams) sisters is a big challenge for me.

“I just want to try to play my best tennis because I have nothing to lose against them.” (Reuters/NAN)
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)

Sport

Australian Open: Tsitsipas leads “Next Gen’’ charge against Federer

Tsitsipas
Melbourne (Australia), Jan. 19, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) Blessed with great athleticism and impeccable technique, Greek youngster Stefanos Tsitsipas will represent the new generation in their challenge to usurp the old guard.

His biggest test will however come on Sunday when he faces Roger Federer at Melbourne.

Next Gen Finals champion Tsitsipas enjoyed a breakthrough 2018 campaign and has surged to a career high ranking of 15.

Federer, making his 20th Melbourne appearance, is expecting a clash of styles against Tsitsipas, who pushed the Swiss maestro to two tiebreaks at the Hopman Cup earlier this month.

“I’m happy I played against him at the Hopman Cup. I think he played really well there. I actually did too. I thought it was really high-quality tennis,” the 37-year-old told reporters.

“This is obviously a different type of match, it being best of five, it being a fourth round of a slam, where we know now how we feel on this court.

“I like how he mixes up his game and also comes to the net — so will I. I think we will see some athletic attacking tennis being played.”

Big-hitting Czech Tomas Berdych, who spent a big chunk of last season on the sidelines with a back injury, will look to renew his rivalry with second seed Rafa Nadal.

Nadal has a 19-4 head-to-head advantage, but Berdych will hope for a repeat of his Melbourne quarter-final win in 2015.

Ashleigh Barty, bidding to become the first home winner of the Australian Open since Chris O’Neill in 1978, will face her biggest test when she takes on a rejuvenated Maria Sharapova.

The Russian displayed her title credentials with a commanding third-round performance to knock out last year’s winner Caroline Wozniacki.(Reuters/NAN)
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)

 

Sport

Federer serves up Fritz blitz to reach Australian Open last 16

Federer

Melbourne (Australia), Jan 18, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) Roger Federer celebrated his 100th match at the Australian Open on Friday by giving young American Taylor Fritz a centre court schooling to reach the last 16.

Six-time champion Federer was in devastating touch against the talented 21-year-old, breaking him four times while not giving an inch on serve in the 6-2 7-5 6-2 master class at Rod Laver Arena.

The third seed, bidding for a third straight title at Melbourne Park, reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam for a record-extending 63rd time in the professional era.

The former world number one will take on Greek young gun Stefanos Tsitsipas for a place in the quarter-finals as he continues his quest for a 21st Grand Slam title. (Reuters/NAN)

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Edited by Ese E. Ekama

 

Sport

Australian Open: American teenager Anisimova humbles Sabalenka

Australian-Open

Melbourne (Australia), Jan. 18, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) Young American Amanda Anisimova upstaged 11th seed Aryna Sabalenka 6-3 6-2, hitting her way into the fourth round of the Australian Open on Friday.

The fearless 17-year-old bullied her much higher ranked opponent who looked shell-shocked by the power being generated at the other end of the court.

It was Anisimova’s third consecutive straight sets win, which included a 6-0 6-2 destruction of 24th seed Lesia Tsurenko, signaling the arrival of a genuine new talent in the women’s game.

Anisimova, the youngest competitor in the draw, will play the winner of Petra Kvitova and Belinda Bencic in the fourth round. (Reuters/NAN)
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Edited by Edwin Nwachukwu/Ese E. Ekama

 

Sport

Nishikori survives huge Australian Open scare against Karlovic

Scare

Melbourne (Australia), Jan 17, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) Kei Nishikori survived a huge scare against Croatian Ivo Karlovic before reaching the third round of the Australian Open with a 6-3 7-6(6) 5-7 5-7 7-6(7) win on Thursday.

On a sweltering afternoon at Margaret Court Arena, eighth seed Nishikori appeared set to coast to victory after taking the first two sets.

He was, however, dragged into a dogfight by the big-serving 39-year-old.

But after weathering 59 aces from Karlovic, the Japanese held firm in the final tense 10-point tiebreak.

He slumped to his knees in relief when the Croatian failed to deal with his final first serve.

Nishikori will play the winner of Joao Sousa and Philipp Kohlschreiber for a place in the fourth round. (Reuters/NAN)

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Edited by Abdulfatah Babatunde

Sport

Osaka bashes through to Australian Open 3rd round

Osaka

Melbourne (Australia), Jan 17, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) U.S. Open champion, Naomi Osaka, eased through to the third round of the Australian Open on Thursday with a dominant 6-2 6-4 win over unseeded Slovenian Tamara Zidansek.

The Japanese number one took a tablet from a trainer when leading 2-1 in the second set and then dropped serve to trail 4-2.

The temporary setback handed 78th-ranked Zidansek hope of making a game of it at Margaret Court Arena.

However, fourth seed Osaka ramped up her power game to break back immediately and roared through the next three games.

She then closed the match with a fierce second serve.

Osaka will play Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-Wei for a place in the fourth round. (Reuters/NAN)

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Edited by Abdulfatah Babatunde