MELBOURNE: Rafael Nadal reduced Roger Federer to tears as he won a classic Australian Open final to secure his first hard-court Grand Slam title and stop the Swiss equalling the all-time Majors record on Sunday. Nadal, the world number one, miraculously recovered from his five-hour semi-final to take the gripping five-setter 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (7/3), ... Read more
Tennis
Top seed bounced at Aussie Open
MELBOURNE, Australia — Jelena Jankovic went out in the fourth round of the Australian Open on Sunday and No. 3 Dinara Safina was twice a point away from following the top-ranked player to the exit. In consecutive matches at Rod Laver Arena, Frenchwomen took it to the top seeds. Jankovic was ousted by No. 16 ... Read more
Feisty Sugiyama, giantkiller Lu bow out of Aussie Open
MELBOURNE : Fiesty Japanese number one Ai Sugiyama and Taiwanese giantkiller Lu Yen-Hsun bowed out of the Australian Open on Friday, leaving China’s Zheng Jie and Peng Shuai as Asia’s last hopes. Veteran Sugiyama, playing in her 60th Grand Slam, put up a brave fight on centre court against world number one and top seed ... Read more
Tennis: Champ Djokovic through at Aussie Open as violence flares
MELBOURNE: Defending champion Novak Djokovic survived a scare against Bosnian-American Amer Delic as violence flared between rival groups of fans after their match on Friday. Bosnian-born Delic, ranked 127, shocked Djokovic when he took the second set and forced a tense fourth-set tie-break before the Serbian third seed won 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/4). Moments ... Read more
Ethnic violence again mars Australian Open
Agence France-Presse Melbourne: Ethnic violence again marred the Australian Open on Friday when rival Serbian and Bosnian fans hurled chairs and missiles at each other, sparking condemnation from players and police. Some 30 people in their late teens and early 20s were evicted after the clashes, which left one woman injured, following Serbian Novak Djokovic’s ... Read more
Nadal and Jankovic top seeds for Australian Open
REUTERS MELBOURNE: Spain’s Rafael Nadal and Jelena Jankovic of Serbia have been confirmed as the top seeds for this year’s Australian Open, which begins on Monday. Roger Federer was listed as second seed in the men’s draw ahead of defending champion Novak Djokovic and Briton Andy Murray for the year’s first Grand Slam. Former champion ... Read more
It will take time to be at top level: Sania
PTI NEW DELHI: She toppled the world number 25, dished out a tough fight against world number 18 and is moving faster than ever on the courts, yet Sania Mirza — on a comeback-trail — does not want to jump the gun in saying that she has got back the touch which once perched her ... Read more
Safina wins opening match at Sydney
AP, Sydney Second-seeded Dinara Safina continued her tuneup for the Australian Open with a 6-2, 6-1 win Monday over Sorana Cirstea of Romania at the Sydney International. Playing her first WTA tournament of the year after teaming with her brother, Marat Safin, to represent Russia at the Hopman Cup last week, Safina took advantage of ... Read more