bluetornados
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Sept 18, 2022 21:24:32 GMT
Post by bluetornados on Sept 18, 2022 21:24:32 GMT
Davis Cup: Andy Murray hopes still to be selected for Great Britain.ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/480/cpsprodpb/12CEC/production/_126763077_murray.jpgAndy Murray says he hopes to "still be selected for the Davis Cup in the future" after he helped Great Britain to a 2-1 victory over Kazakhstan. The Scot beat Dmitry Popko 6-3 6-4 in GB's consolation tie after earlier losses to the USA and the Netherlands. Cameron Norrie lost 4-6 3-6 to Alexander Bublik later on Sunday. But Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski defeated Bublik and Aleksandr Nedovyesov 7-6 (7-2) 6-7 (9-11) 7-6 (7-4) in the decider in Glasgow. The deciding matched stopped shortly before 20:00 BST as players, coaches and supporters observed a minute's silence to pay respect to Queen Elizabeth II. Murray, who inspired GB to the Davis Cup title in 2015, said: "I love playing Davis Cup. It's different to anything we experience playing on the tour." Asked whether he thought this could be his last Davis Cup match in Glasgow, Murray said: "I only thought about it at about 5-2 today in the second set. "I lost my focus a bit and felt a little bit emotional about that. "Maybe that's the last time I play here or get to play for Britain in front of a crowd like that. "If it is the last time, it's been amazing what they've done for our team." After missing out on this year's knockout stage, GB are now likely to be in qualifying action early next year.
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bluetornados
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Sept 24, 2022 20:49:40 GMT
Post by bluetornados on Sept 24, 2022 20:49:40 GMT
Emma Raducanu retires from Korea Open semi-final against Jelena Ostapenko with injury.ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/800/cpsprodpb/67B9/production/_126835562_emmaraducanu_getty.jpgRaducanu's loss to Ostapenko means the 2021 US Open champion misses out on her first final of a regular WTA Tour event Great Britain's Emma Raducanu is out of the Korea Open after retiring injured from her semi-final against top seed Jelena Ostapenko. The 19-year-old took a medical timeout during the second set as she struggled with a left glute injury. She carried on as Ostapenko claimed the second set but conceded the match to the Latvian at 4-6 6-3 3-0. Ostapenko will face second seed Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia, who beat Germany's Tatjana Maria 6-2 6-4. British number one Raducanu, who was playing in her first semi-final of a regular WTA Tour event, has struggled with various injuries and has retired mid-match on a number of occasions since winning the US Open in 2021.
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bluetornados
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Sept 24, 2022 20:52:19 GMT
Post by bluetornados on Sept 24, 2022 20:52:19 GMT
Roger Federer: 20-time Grand Slam champion retires after Laver Cup lossichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/800/cpsprodpb/1219/production/_126833640_federer.jpgFederer has won 20 Grand Slam singles titles and spent a total of 310 weeks as world number one A tearful Roger Federer waved goodbye to professional tennis after teaming up with fellow great Rafael Nadal on an emotional night at the Laver Cup. The 41-year-old received a long ovation after walking off court for the final time as he retired as a professional. The Swiss, who won 20 Grand Slam singles titles, is considered one of the best players in tennis history. "It's been a wonderful day. I'm happy, not sad. It feels great to be here. I'm happy I made it through," he said. Federer cried as he hugged Nadal and other players, then took acclaim from the thousands of fans who chanted his name at the O2 Arena in London. Nadal also could not hold back the tears. The 36-year-old Spaniard cried as he sat alongside Federer while the pair listened to British singer Ellie Goulding, who rounded off a memorable night with a performance. The key numbers in Federer's career
20 Grand Slam singles titles. 310 weeks as world number one. 103 ATP titles. 28 Masters 1,000 titles. 6 ATP Finals victories. 31 Grand Slam finals. 1 Davis Cup triumph. £114m career prize money. ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/800/cpsprodpb/974D/production/_126833783_federer.jpgFederer and Nadal have been long-time rivals and opponents in some of the sport's greatest moments, but have also become good friends ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/800/cpsprodpb/4829/production/_126837481_laver.jpgFederer is still part of the Europe team in London, supporting and coaching his team-mates
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bluetornados
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Oct 4, 2022 7:48:54 GMT
Post by bluetornados on Oct 4, 2022 7:48:54 GMT
Nick Kyrgios seeks dismissal of assault case on mental health grounds.ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/800/cpsprodpb/B90E/production/_126547374_gettyimages-1419721088.jpgLawyers for Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios have said they will apply to have an assault charge against him dismissed on mental health grounds. Kyrgios, who is currently playing in the Japan Open in Tokyo, was not required to attend the hearing in Canberra on Tuesday. The charge against the 27-year-old relates to an alleged assault in December 2021 on a former partner. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of two years in prison. Kyrgios's lawyer Michael Kukulies-Smith said he was making the application having reviewed his client's "medical history since 2015, including public disclosures of his mental health struggles". Under section 334 of the Australian Capital Territory's Crimes Act, the magistrates court has the power to dismiss a case if it is satisfied the accused is mentally impaired and the facts or other relevant evidence supports the person being dealt with under this rule. However, the bar for a case to be thrown out on these grounds is high, and needs approval from the director of public prosecutions. A hearing on the application will take place on 3 February. Mr Kukulies-Smith told Magistrate Glenn Theakston that his client's work meant he spent large periods of time overseas. But it was Kyrgios's preference for the hearing to take place as soon as possible and for him to attend in person, the ACT Magistrates Court heard. The tennis star, currently ranked number 20 in the world, has spoken openly about his mental health struggles in the past, including in posts on Instagram. This week he insisted that the looming court case was not making it difficult to focus on his tennis.
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bluetornados
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Oct 6, 2022 21:37:14 GMT
Post by bluetornados on Oct 6, 2022 21:37:14 GMT
Emma Raducanu withdraws from Transylvania Open with a wrist injury.British number one Emma Raducanu has pulled out of the Transylvania Open in Romania with a wrist injury. The 19-year-old, whose father was born in Romania, reached the quarter-finals of the tournament last year. Raducanu has struggled with injuries during her first full year on the WTA tour as she has tried to build on her 2021 US Open victory. Most recently, she retired injured from her Korea Open semi-final against Latvian Jelena Ostapenko. Raducanu, who is 67th in the women's rankings, then played at the Ostrava Open but lost to world number 11 Daria Kasatkina, of Russia, in the first round. Earlier this year, Raducanu was knocked out in the second round of Wimbledon by France's Caroline Garcia. "Sadly, Emma Raducanu is forced to withdraw from Transylvania Open due to a wrist injury. Get well fast, Emma! We're looking forward to see you soon," said tournament organisers on social media. The Billie Jean King Cup begins in Glasgow on 8 November and Great Britain captain Anne Keothavong will announce her line-up for the event on Monday. ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/800/cpsprodpb/10B43/production/_126991486_gettyimages-1243399373.jpg
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bluetornados
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Oct 10, 2022 21:34:49 GMT
Post by bluetornados on Oct 10, 2022 21:34:49 GMT
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bluetornados
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Oct 11, 2022 23:53:14 GMT
Post by bluetornados on Oct 11, 2022 23:53:14 GMT
Emma Raducanu: Coach Dmitry Tursunov parts ways with British tennis player.ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/800/cpsprodpb/13BAF/production/_127051808_whatsubject.jpgEmma Raducanu recently pulled out of the Transylvania Open in Romania with a wrist injury Emma Raducanu's promising partnership with coach Dmitry Tursunov will go no further as the Russian has decided to pursue other opportunities. Tursunov is the fourth coach to leave the team in the past 15 months - following the departures of Nigel Sears, Andrew Richardson and Torben Beltz. Raducanu has won eight of her 15 matches, including reaching a semi-final in Seoul last month, since starting work with Tursunov after Wimbledon. My understanding is the 19-year-old wished to continue working with him, but Tursunov may have factored in the short-term nature of Raducanu's recent coaching relationships. The British number one is currently recovering from a wrist injury, but still hoping to represent Great Britain in November's Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Glasgow. The focus of the next couple of months will be the training which should make her less prone to injuries next year. And with that very much in mind Raducanu will be working with the physical trainer Jez Green, who played such an important part in Andy Murray's physical development. Murray won the US Open, Wimbledon and an Olympic gold medal during their time together, before Green went on to work with Tomas Berdych, Alex Zverev and Karolina Pliskova. He is currently working with Dominic Thiem, but will be able to spend part of his time advising Raducanu in the weeks ahead.
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bluetornados
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Oct 21, 2022 15:14:07 GMT
Post by bluetornados on Oct 21, 2022 15:14:07 GMT
Simona Halep: Former world number one provisionally suspended for doping offence..
ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/800/cpsprodpb/3533/production/_127291631_halep_wimby.jpgTwo-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep has been provisionally suspended from tennis after testing positive for a banned substance. The former world number one provided a sample, which tested positive for roxadustat, at August's US Open. Roxadustat is an anti-anaemia drug which stimulates the production of red blood cells in the body. Romanian Halep, now ranked ninth in the world, said the positive result came as the "biggest shock of her life". "Today begins the hardest match of my life: a fight for the truth," the 31-year-old wrote on Twitter. "Throughout my whole career, the idea of cheating never even crossed my mind once, as it is totally against all the values I have been educated with. "Facing such an unfair situation, I feel completely confused and betrayed." Halep, who won the French Open in 2018 and Wimbledon the following year, said that she had tested positive for roxadustat "in an extremely low quantity", adding she would "fight until the end". She is the highest-profile tennis player to fail a drugs test since Maria Sharapova in 2016. "It's not about titles or the money," said Halep. "It's about honour, and the love story I have developed with the game of tennis over the last 25 years." In September, Halep announced she had undergone nose surgery to improve her breathing and was ending her 2022 season early. She has won two titles on the WTA Tour this year, with her best Grand Slam result coming at Wimbledon, where she reached the semi-finals. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) said Halep had exercised her right to have her B sample analysed, which confirmed the finding of roxadustat. The medication is used in the treatment of patients with kidney problems. In a statement, it said: "While provisionally suspended, the player is ineligible to compete in or attend any sanctioned tennis events organised by the governing bodies of the sport."
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bluetornados
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Oct 27, 2022 13:44:49 GMT
Post by bluetornados on Oct 27, 2022 13:44:49 GMT
Emma Raducanu: Dmitry Tursunov says 'red flags' convinced him to end coaching trial..
ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/800/cpsprodpb/2539/production/_127392590_tursunov_body_getty.jpgDmitry Tursunov says "red flags" convinced him to stop coaching British number one Emma Raducanu. The Russian says he advised former US Open champion Raducanu, 19, and her team that she needed to listen to "one voice". Tursunov, Raducanu's fourth coach in 15 months, said: "I felt like there were going to be problems later." Raducanu won eight of 15 matches alongside Tursunov before their split two weeks ago. "We didn't agree on the terms and there were some red flags that just couldn't be ignored," 39-year-old Tursunov told tennismajors.com. "She's probably a two-and-a-half-year project. Her game is very raw. "It's going to take some time, but as I said to her and to pretty much everyone on her team, 'I think you just need to have one voice and just try that for a bit'." Raducanu shocked the tennis world with her victory at the 2021 US Open, becoming the first qualifier in the Open era to win a Grand Slam and the first British woman in 44 years. She was unable to build on that success in her first season on the WTA Tour as she struggled with injuries and changed coaches. Raducanu has worked with Britons Nigel Sears and Andrew Richardson, but has been without a full-time coach since parting with German Torben Beltz in April. She began working with Tursunov on a part-time basis after losing in the second round at Wimbledon this summer. The trial with Tursunov was due to finish after the US Open - Raducanu was knocked out in the first round - but they remained together for a further month. In that time she reached the Seoul Open semi-finals, her first on the WTA Tour since her US Open victory. "I could have stuck around, I could have agreed on everything that her team proposed, but, deep down, I felt like that wasn't the right thing to do," said Tursunov, who previously helped Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka break into the world's top 10 and now works with Switzerland's Olympic champion and world number 13 Belinda Bencic. "She's absolutely great, she's a hard worker and she doesn't think or act like she's a superstar," Tursunov said of Raducanu. "She is hungry to improve and is obsessed with tennis. It's quite a rare combination. "So I really loved working with her, and I really wanted to make it work. It was a very difficult decision for me to walk away from a player that I like and respect. "I felt it was going to be an interesting project. I was really hoping to find a solution to continue, but, in the end, we just couldn't agree on the terms so I had to leave." ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/480/cpsprodpb/4C49/production/_127392591_raducanu_tursunov_getty.jpg
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bluetornados
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Oct 28, 2022 21:35:57 GMT
Post by bluetornados on Oct 28, 2022 21:35:57 GMT
Emma Raducanu: Injury forces British number one to miss Billie Jean King Cup Finals..ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/800/cpsprodpb/9D9F/production/_127415304_72b4f1fc79152a258c0497c40c6e3bd556fad8f8.jpgEmma Raducanu made her debut in the tournament - formerly known as the Fed Cup before a rebrand in 2020 - in April against the Czech Republic British number one Emma Raducanu will miss November's Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Glasgow because she has not recovered from her right-wrist injury. The 2021 US Open champion had been chosen to lead the Great Britain team. Raducanu, 19, pulled out of the Transylvania Open in Romania earlier this month with the same injury. "It's disappointing to get the news from the doctors that I won't be ready in time, particularly with it being on home soil," said Raducanu. The Billie Jean King Cup begins in Glasgow on 8 November. Great Britain have been drawn in a group with Kazakhstan and Spain, with only the winners progressing to the semi-finals. Raducanu made her debut in the tournament in April's qualifier against the Czech Republic and was selected alongside Harriet Dart, Katie Boulter and Heather Watson, with a fifth player added at a later date, for the Finals. "I tried to do everything possible to get it ready in time," added Raducanu. "Since my last tournament I've been working every day on physical training and rehab. I've got confidence in my team-mates and look forward to playing next year." As things stand, Raducanu is next due to play against Ons Jabeur in an exhibition in Abu Dhabi on 16 December.
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bluetornados
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Nov 2, 2022 15:09:11 GMT
Post by bluetornados on Nov 2, 2022 15:09:11 GMT
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bluetornados
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Nov 2, 2022 22:05:22 GMT
Post by bluetornados on Nov 2, 2022 22:05:22 GMT
Emma Raducanu: Briton's injury 'under control' says Anne Keothavong..ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/800/cpsprodpb/9978/production/_127488293_gettyimages-1243680139.jpgEmma Raducanu made her debut in the tournament - formerly known as the Fed Cup - in April against the Czech Republic Emma Raducanu's wrist injury is "under control" according to her Billie Jean King Cup captain Anne Keothavong. Raducanu withdrew from the British team for next week's Finals at the end of last week after testing her right wrist on court. The 19-year-old was also forced out of last month's Transylvania Open in Romania with the same injury. "Right now, from what I understand, it's something she will recover from - and she's confident of that," Keothavong told BBC Sport. "She just needs a bit more time and Billie Jean King Cup is too soon. "Wrist injuries are never easy, but I think this one is under control. She's got good people around her, and she's used her time to really work on other areas of her fitness." Radcuanu is currently working with Andy Murray's former physical trainer Jez Green at the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton. Her next target is a pre-season exhibition in Abu Dhabi on 16 December. "She's been putting the hours in - she's looking super fit," added Keothavong. "She's been putting a lot of physical effort in in the gym, and I think she will be a stronger player come next year. "She did everything she could have done to be fit, but it just wasn't going to happen. "She went to the court and tried hitting a few balls, but it wasn't ideal and she just needs more time." Keothavong has named the fourth and fifth members of her team for the finals in Glasgow. The established doubles pair of Alicia Barnett and Olivia Nicholls will join Harriet Dart, Katie Boulter and Heather Watson in the team for the group matches with Kazakhstan and Spain. Katie Swan made herself unavailable because of injury, while Jodie Burrage - at a career high ranking of 128 - misses out on selection. Barnett and Nicholls reached two WTA Finals this year - and won their first title in the second of those finals in Canada in August. Ranked 60 and 63 respectively, they could now make their competition debuts, although Dart and Watson remain a strong doubles option. All of the team, barring Katie Boulter, are practising this week at the National Tennis Centre. Boulter has opted for some match practice at the $100,000 (£87,200) World Tennis Tour event being played at the Shrewsbury Club. On Tuesday she beat Bosnia's Nefisa Berberovic to reach the second round.
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bluetornados
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Nov 3, 2022 15:47:57 GMT
Post by bluetornados on Nov 3, 2022 15:47:57 GMT
Paris Masters: Carlos Alcaraz beats Grigor Dimitrov to reach quarter-finals..
ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/800/cpsprodpb/0C11/production/_127498030_gettyimages-1438642854.jpgThis 19 year old wonder-kid is going to be the new Rafael Nadal, left handed and Spanish. He has already earned over $9m prize money and breaking many of Nadal's past records. He has won 6 career titles including the 2022 US Open and has a 89-30 (74.8%) win rate. Carlos really has the world at his feet, just when Novak & Rafa are nearing their swansongs.
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bluetornados
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Nov 8, 2022 12:38:59 GMT
Post by bluetornados on Nov 8, 2022 12:38:59 GMT
Today: Billie Jean King Cup Finals: Great Britain's 'underdogs' inspired in Glasgow by past experience.ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/800/cpsprodpb/2A52/production/_127543801_gettyimages-1439627085.jpgCaptain Anne Keothavong (far right) acknowledges her Great Britain team are underdogs in their bid to advance from their group in Glasgow ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/800/cpsprodpb/CBB2/production/_127264125_bbc-sport-h2h-square--4f0d1219-a86e-4903-869d-04150117be40.pngSchedule (all times GMT)
Tuesday, 8th November: Australia v Slovakia (10am); Kazakhstan v Great Britain (4pm) Wednesday, 9th November: Switzerland v Italy (10am), Belgium v Slovakia (10am); United States v Poland (4pm), Spain v Kazakhstan (4pm) Thursday, 10th November: Australia v Belgium (10am), Italy v Canada (10am); Spain v Great Britain (4pm), Czech Republic v Poland (4pm) Friday, 11th November: Switzerland v Canada (11am); Czech Republic v United States (4:30pm) Saturday, 12th November: Semi-finals (10am and 4pm) Sunday, 13th November: Final (2pm) More Info:www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/63314399
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bluetornados
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Nov 10, 2022 15:05:20 GMT
Post by bluetornados on Nov 10, 2022 15:05:20 GMT
United Cup: Great Britain drawn with Australia and Spain in new tournament in December..ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/800/cpsprodpb/1245/production/_127577640_gettyimages-1244440570.jpgWorld number 14 Cameron Norrie is Great Britain's highest-ranked player at the event Great Britain have been drawn against Rafael Nadal's Spain and Nick Kyrgios' Australia in the inaugural United Cup starting next month. The mixed team event will take place in Brisbane, Perth and Sydney in the build-up to January's Australian Open. British men's number one Cameron Norrie will play, but 2021 US Open women's champion Emma Raducanu has not entered. The tournament, which runs from 29 December to 8 January, features 18 teams and $18m (£15m) in prize money. Greece, led by men's world number three Stefanos Tsitsipas, are the top seeds, while women's world number one Iga Swiatek plays for second seeds Poland. Serbia, whose team could have included 21-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, did not enter. Djokovic, who missed this year's Australian Open after being deported because he is not vaccinated against Covid-19, is banned from entering the country until 2025. However, Australian Open officials have said he can play in 2023 if he obtains a visa. The British team, who will play in Perth, are completed by Dan Evans, Harriet Dart, Katie Swan, Anna Brogan, Jonny O'Mara, Jan Choinski and Ella McDonald. The three host cities will each host two groups of three countries competing in a round-robin format. Each tie features two men's and two women's singles matches and one mixed doubles. The group winners in each city will play off, with the winners of those three matches joined by the next best performing side in the semi-finals.
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bluetornados
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Nov 10, 2022 23:12:37 GMT
Post by bluetornados on Nov 10, 2022 23:12:37 GMT
Billie Jean King Cup Finals: Great Britain avoid elimination after Spain beat Kazakhstan..
Great Britain avoided being eliminated from the Billie Jean King Cup Finals before even playing their second group tie after Spain beat Kazakhstan to keep the hosts' hopes alive in Glasgow.
Britain, without the injured Emma Raducanu, lost their opening tie against Kazakhstan on Tuesday.
The Kazakhs would have progressed to the semi-finals and eliminated Britain if they had beaten Spain on Wednesday.
But Spain's win means Anne Keothavong's team can still qualify on Thursday.
Britain's team of Harriet Dart, Katie Boulter, Heather Watson, Olivia Nicholls and Alicia Barnett take on Spain in Group C's final tie in Glasgow's Emirates Arena.
They need to win all of the matches - two singles and the doubles rubber - in the best-of-three tie to progress.
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bluetornados
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Nov 10, 2022 23:15:23 GMT
Post by bluetornados on Nov 10, 2022 23:15:23 GMT
Billie Jean King Cup: Great Britain beat Spain 3-0 to reach semi-finals..Great Britain pulled off a huge upset to reach the Billie Jean King Cup semi-finals for the first time in 41 years.Alicia Barnett and Olivia Nicholls, who only made debuts in the competition on Tuesday, won the doubles match that sealed a 3-0 win over Spain in Glasgow. Singles victories for Harriet Dart and Heather Watson against much higher ranked opponents had set up a tense finale with GB needing a clean sweep. ***Great Britain will face Australia in the last four on Saturday..***Watched by their team-mates, who could barely sit still in their seats in the nervy moments and leapt out of them in the exciting ones, Barnett and Nicholls hugged each other before joining the others in a celebratory huddle. "This is something really special," Keothavong said. "I'm just so proud of this team, every single player has done themselves proud, the team spirit has been so high." Barnett added: "It's pure passion out there. These girls are playing for each other, we've had so much fun. There have been rippers out there." Ranked lower than both of their Group C rivals, and without the injured Emma Raducanu, Great Britain had been described as underdogs by their captain Anne Keothavong and many others before this week's finals began. When they lost their opener against Kazakhstan on Tuesday, they faced even more of an uphill challenge to advance and only a 3-0 win against five-time champions Spain would put them through. But a fired-up Watson was in a ruthless mood, winning seven games in a row on her way to a 6-0 6-2 win over Nuria Parrizas Diaz, who is ranked 61 places above the Briton. It was then over to world number 98 Dart, who stunned 13th-ranked Paula Badosa 6-3 6-4 to leave Great Britain tantalisingly close to an unlikely victory. While Dart said her own performance had been inspired by Watson's and the home crowd, that same momentum carried on into the doubles where Nicholls and Barnett - who earlier in the week had simply spoken of their excitement of being involved at all - took centre stage and delivered in style. They edged a close first set and then got an early break in the second as they sealed a 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 victory over Aliona Bolsova and Rebeka Masarova, Barnett hitting the winning volley on match point to trigger wild celebrations in the arena. ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/800/cpsprodpb/5973/production/_127599822_gettyimages-1440612249.jpgichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/480/cpsprodpb/13FEB/production/_127599818_gettyimages-1440607476.jpgichef.bbci.co.uk/live-experience/cps/624/cpsprodpb/vivo/live/images/2022/11/10/5424f296-68ac-484b-a231-a0358e3e2176.jpgichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/240/cpsprodpb/15C01/production/_127598098_gettyimages-1440604060.jpg
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bluetornados
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Nov 17, 2022 12:26:06 GMT
Post by bluetornados on Nov 17, 2022 12:26:06 GMT
Novak Djokovic 'happy' visa ban overturned and he can play at Australian Open..ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/800/cpsprodpb/BA27/production/_127655674_gettyimages-1244794613.jpgNovak Djokovic confirmed he will play at next year's Australian Open, saying he was "very happy" his visa ban had been overturned. The Serb, a nine-time champion, was deported before this year's event after his visa was cancelled in a row over his Covid vaccine status. He was automatically banned for three years from entering Australia, but on Tuesday learnt a visa would be granted. "I could not receive better news," the 21-time Grand Slam champion said. Speaking to reporters at the ATP Finals in Turin after reaching the semi-finals, the former world number one added: "It was a relief obviously knowing what I and people closest to me in my life have been through this year with what happened in Australia and post Australia obviously. "[The] Australian Open has been my most successful Grand Slams. I made some of the best memories there. "Of course, I want to go back there, I want to play tennis, do what I do best, hopefully have a great Australian summer." When Djokovic arrived in Australia in January, Covid cases were skyrocketing and government rules required anyone entering the country to be vaccinated, unless they had a valid medication exemption. He did not meet the requirements for entry, the government said, so his visa was cancelled and he was automatically not allowed to return to Australia until 2025. But Immigration Minister Andrew Giles - whose government came to power in May - has overturned the ban. Djokovic's detention and deportation dominated the headlines in the build-up to this year's Australian Open.
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bluetornados
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Nov 21, 2022 22:51:02 GMT
Post by bluetornados on Nov 21, 2022 22:51:02 GMT
ATP Finals: Novak Djokovic beats Casper Ruud to equal Roger Federer's record..ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/800/cpsprodpb/6024/production/_127721642_gettyimages-1244939407.jpgFormer world number one Novak Djokovic beat Casper Ruud for a record-equalling sixth ATP Finals title. The 35-year-old Serbian overcame his Norwegian opponent 7-5 6-3 in Turin on Sunday. Victory for Djokovic in the season-ending event caps a year in which he was forced to miss two majors because of his reluctance to take a Covid-19 vaccination. He last won an ATP Finals title in 2015 and has matched Roger Federer's mark. Earlier, Britain's Joe Salisbury and American partner Rajeev Ram triumphed in the men's doubles event. Salisbury became the first Briton to win the doubles title as he and Ram beat Croatian pair Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic 7-6 (7-4) 6-4. Djokovic took the biggest pay cheque in tennis, worth $4,740,300 (£3.985m), for going through the tournament unbeaten. Having sealed the success with one of nine aces in the match, he said the seven-year wait for the title made the triumph "even sweeter". "It feels deeply satisfying and, at the same time, a huge relief because of the circumstances that I have been through this year, situations earlier this year, of course, with Australia," added Djokovic. "That had an effect obviously on my start of the year. For the first several months, I was trying to find that balance game-wise but also mentally in order to be able to come back to the court and find that tennis level that I need. "I don't know what the future holds but I know that what I hold in my mind is a huge hunger still to win trophies."
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bluetornados
Predictions League
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Tennis
Nov 24, 2022 9:19:05 GMT
Post by bluetornados on Nov 24, 2022 9:19:05 GMT
Jamie Murray: Doubles player wants to play into his 40s after 500th tour win..ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/800/cpsprodpb/019D/production/_127731400_gettyimages-1326800810.jpgDoubles specialist Jamie Murray has won seven doubles Grand SlamsJamie Murray believes hitting the landmark of 500 tour level wins is "a cool thing to have achieved" and hopes to keep playing into his 40s. Murray, 36, achieved the milestone partnering Matthew Ebden at the recent Rolex Paris Masters. The Scot has won seven Grand Slam titles in men's and mixed doubles. "To be honest I had absolutely no idea I was on 499 or was even close to that," Murray told BBC Scotland. "It is a cool thing to have achieved. It probably just means I have been playing forever but I am still ultra-competitive. I still love playing, love travelling, really enjoy the tour and hopefully I can rack up a few more wins before I call it quits. "We have been on the tour a long time now. I could probably play, maybe until I am 40, maybe 41. If I look after myself and my body feels good, I will play as long as I can, as long as I feel like I am still competitive and in with a chance to win big tournaments." The former world doubles number one was speaking in Aberdeen to promote next month's Battle of the Brits - Scotland v England tournament, which is taking place in the city. Jamie and his younger brother Andy will be the star attractions at the event, which had to be cancelled last year because of Covid-19. Three-time Grand Slam winner Andy began the year well outside the world's top 100, but has since climbed up to 49th in the global men's standings. "The biggest thing was that he was pretty much fit to play a full season, which was a big step forward for him," said the older Murray brother. "He missed a few tournaments in the second quarter of the year, he played a lot of good tennis, he had a few good wins, I think he probably would have liked to have pushed on more than maybe he did but for him the big confidence is that he knows that he can play a full season on the tour and hopefully that will relax him. "He still has a lot of great tennis in him. I am sure he still believes he can, otherwise he wouldn't still be playing I don't think, so I'm hoping for good things for him. There are opportunities there at the top of the men's game for him to get back up there, I really believe that."
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