Tennis

Davis Cup Finals 2023: Novak Djokovic seals Serbia's win over Great Britain..By Jonathan Jurejko, BBC Sport in Malaga.

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Jack Draper was playing only his second Davis Cup match for Great Britain

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Great Britain are out of the Davis Cup after Cameron Norrie was unable to inflict a rare defeat on Novak Djokovic to keep alive their semi-final hopes.

Britain's Jack Draper lost 7-6 (7-2) 7-6 (8-6) to Miomir Kecmanovic in the opening match of the best-of-three tie.

That result meant Norrie had to beat 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic for the first time in his career.

But Djokovic showed his class as he cruised to a 6-4 6-4 win and set Serbia up for a semi-final against Italy.

"It's difficult knowing that Cam has to go and play Djokovic after, and that's seemingly a must-win match for me," Draper, 21, said.

"I back Cam but it's definitely a tough challenge to go out there knowing that there is a lot more pressure on me to win the match.

"That's the kind of pressure that if I want to be a top player, I have to cope with and perform under. It's tough not to get the win today."

Britain, who last won the Davis Cup in 2015, will not automatically qualify for the 2024 knockout stage after their quarter-final exit in Malaga.

Unless they receive a wildcard for the Final Eight, Leon Smith's team will have to negotiate the same path as this year - a qualifying tie early next year, followed by the round-robin stage.

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Despite being in the twilight of his career, 36-year-old Djokovic's powers are showing little sign of diminishing.

Djokovic's supremacy this season - and the gulf between him and most of his rivals - was further emphasised by a dominant performance against Norrie.

Norrie has been a fixture inside the world's top 20 for three successive seasons but was short of the quality needed to really damage Djokovic.

Djokovic took two of his 12 break point opportunities, while Norrie was only able to win eight points on the Serb's serve.

Serbia will now face Italy after world number four Jannik Sinner inspired them to victory over the Netherlands earlier on Thursday.

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Kecmanovic did not face a break point in the opening set, winning 21 of his 25 first-serve points and backing that up with a reliable second serve.

There was little to choose between Draper and 55th-ranked Kecmanovic - but it was the Serb who executed better in the crucial moments.

An opening set full of hard-hitting and intense rallies showcased the power of the pair, with Draper holding off two break points at 3-4 and two set points at 4-5.

That led to a tie-break where two double faults by Draper - for 2-0 and 5-2 respectively - proved costly.

Kecmanovic, 24, served out the set - much to the delight of the vocal Serb contingent - but it was a bitter blow for Draper, who had played well in a hour-long opener without being able to penetrate his opponent's superb serve.

The second set followed a similar pattern, without Draper facing the pressure he did in the opening set.

The Briton trailed 5-2 after a nervy start to the tie-break, but Kecmanovic could not capitalise before Draper saved a match point with a composed volley which clipped the sideline.

But a wide forehand - after which Draper threatened to smash his racquet into the court - set up another chance for Kecmanovic, which he took after landing another first serve.

"I wouldn't say I returned amazingly well today, but when I did get the return back it seemed like he had the answer most of the time," Draper said.

"His tennis level at times is, I think, top 10 in the world. He doesn't miss many balls. His ball speed is good off both sides, very consistent."

Great Britain men get Davis Cup wildcard, GB women in Billie Jean King Cup qualifying..

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Great Britain lost to France in the qualifying round of the Billie Jean King Cup in April but beat Sweden in their November play-off

Great Britain's men have been awarded a wildcard for next year's Davis Cup, while the women's team will enter the qualifying round of the Billie Jean King Cup in April.

GB's men have received a wildcard in three of the past five years.

They will not have to play a qualifier in February, instead entering the tournament in September's group stage.

GB's women will face France in the qualifying round for the second successive year.

France beat Anne Keothavong's team in Coventry this year, meaning they will host April's qualifiers.

By receiving a Davis Cup wildcard, Great Britain will definitely be able to host one of September's four groups. In 2022, the Lawn Tennis Association signed a multi-year deal with the International Tennis Federation (ITF) to host group stage matches.

"I think with the format we have today it's important to have some reassurance with where the group stages are going to be," said David Haggerty, president of the ITF.

"We find that this brings stability to the competition - it gives more certainty to the players for them to plan their schedule."

Seville have again been confirmed as hosts for the BJK Cup Finals in November, with Spain, wildcards Czech Republic, this year's champions Canada and runners-up Italy qualifying automatically.

Malaga will host the Davis Cup Finals knockout stage in November for the third year in a row, despite world number one Novak Djokovic saying this week that the tournament "has to travel" around the world.

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Australia captain Lleyton Hewitt, speaking after his side's 2-0 loss to Italy in the final, said the lack of home and away ties was "not ideal"

"We are playing on a surface that I'm really sick of playing on, to be honest," the former Wimbledon champion said.

"That's not what Davis Cup is about. It's playing on clay, grass, outdoor elements. It's obviously pretty frustrating."

Davis Cup tournament director and former player Feliciano Lopez said defended the decision, however, saying he had a "productive conversation" with Djokovic.

"One of the things he said is that the final leg should be rotated a little bit more," he said. "But Spain was also willing to bid for the final eight - in Madrid first, and then in Malaga.

"I think it's going to be tough to find another city in Europe that has everything Malaga is at the moment offering because the weather is attractive, the venue is fantastic, the people from this region are very welcoming.

"So we are in the right place, but I do agree that's it's not going to stay forever in Malaga."

In this year's tournament, Djokovic's Serbia knocked out GB on Thursday but were beaten in the semi-final by eventual champions Italy.

Chris Evert: 18-time Grand Slam singles champion says cancer has returned..

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Chris Evert (right) presented the trophies at the WTA Finals in November

Tennis legend Chris Evert says her cancer has returned, two years after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

American Evert, 68, was first diagnosed in December 2021 after a preventative hysterectomy and said in January 2023 she was "cancer-free".

The 18-time Grand Slam singles champion says she will now undergo another round of chemotherapy.

"While this is a diagnosis I never wanted to hear, I again feel fortunate it was caught early," Evert said.

Evert released the statement through ESPN, who she works for as a pundit.

She said she will not travel to the Australian Open, which begins on 14 January, but added she would be "ready for the rest of the Grand Slam season".

Her former playing rival, Martina Navratilova, previously credited Evert with supporting her when she was diagnosed with throat and breast cancer in 2022.

"Since I was first diagnosed with cancer two years ago, I've been very open about my experience," Evert said.

"Based on a PET CT scan, I underwent another robotic surgery this past week. Doctors found cancer cells in the same pelvic region.

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"All cells were removed, and I have begun another round of chemotherapy."

Evert won a women's record seven French Open singles titles and a joint-record six US Open titles, along with three Wimbledon titles and two at the Australian Open.

The former world number one has worked as a pundit since retiring in 1989.

Evert's sister, Jeanne, died of the same disease in 2020.

"I encourage everyone to know your family history and advocate for yourself," Evert added.

"Early detection saves lives. Be thankful for your health this holiday season."

Emma Raducanu to make WTA comeback in Auckland in January..By Russell Fuller, BBC tennis correspondent.

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Raducanu has not played since losing 6-2 6-1 to Jelena Ostapenko in Stuttgart in April

Britain's Emma Raducanu will make her comeback to the tennis tour in Auckland in the first week of January.

The 2021 US Open champion has been out of action since April and has fallen to 296 in the world rankings following three operations.

She has been awarded a wildcard into the ASB Classic, with US Open champion Coco Gauff and former world number one Caroline Wozniacki also in the line-up.

The women's tournament at the Auckland Classic takes place from 1-7 January.

The Australian Open - the first Grand Slam of the season - begins on January 14th.

Raducanu, 21, was restricted to just nine matches in 2023 and in May had surgery on both of her hands and left ankle, which she injured in Auckland at the start of the year.

The hand pain, caused by a bone very close to her wrists, had been troubling her since the end of the 2022 season.

Having been injured for more than six months, Raducanu is entitled to use a protected ranking of 103 - her ranking at the conclusion of the Madrid Open, which was the last event she entered.

That is currently just too low to earn automatic entry into the Australian Open, so Raducanu will need to make her way through qualifying - unless a wildcard is offered by Tennis Australia, or about half a dozen players withdraw.

Raducanu had been hoping to play an exhibition event in Macau last weekend but withdrew last month as she was not sure she would be ready.

She still flew to Hong Kong to fulfil some sponsor obligations but is expected to continue her preparations at the National Tennis Centre (NTC) in London later this week.

Raducanu is said to have made good progress training with LTA staff at the NTC over the past eight weeks, but she has still not firmed up the team that will accompany her on tour next year.

If Raducanu does not need to qualify for the Australian Open, then she could take the opportunity to play elsewhere.

There are WTA events in Hobart and Adelaide in the week before the Australian Open, and she could also be tempted by the chance to play exhibition matches at the Kooyong Classic in Melbourne.

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Tara Moore: British tennis player cleared of doping and ban lifted..By Jonathan Jurejko, BBC Sport.

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Tara Moore was ranked 83rd in the world at the time of her suspension

British tennis player Tara Moore is free to play again after a panel ruled that contaminated meat was the source of her failed doping test.

Moore, 31, was ranked as Britain's leading women's doubles player when she was provisionally banned in May 2022.

She maintained she had never "knowingly taken a banned substance" and intended to prove she was a "clean athlete".

An independent tribunal found Moore "bore no fault or negligence" for her adverse analytical finding.

Moore tested positive for nandrolone metabolites and Boldenone from a test when was competing in the Colombian capital Bogota in April 2022.

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) said it "has issued, and will continue to issue, information concerning the risks of meat contamination in certain parts of the world to all players".

In response to the ruling, Moore said she has suffered "19 months of lost time and emotional distress" with her reputation damaged as a result of the case.

"It's going to take more than 19 months to rebuild, repair and recuperate what we've been through," she wrote on X.

"But we will come back stronger than ever."

Emma Raducanu feels 'reborn' as she prepares for comeback at Auckland Classic..

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Emma Raducanu last played in Stuttgart in April

Britain's Emma Raducanu says she feels "reborn" as she prepares to make her tennis return in Auckland after eight months on the sidelines.

The 2021 US Open champion played just nine matches in 2023, having been out of action since April.

Raducanu, 21, had surgery on both hands and her left ankle in May, and has dropped to 298th in the world rankings.

She was offered a wildcard for next week's Auckland Classic and has drawn a qualifier in the first round.

"I feel reborn in a way. I feel fresh, I feel ready, I feel happy and I feel excited," she said.

"Overall, I'm feeling positive and lighter. I think that for two years after the US Open I felt maybe a bit more weight on my shoulders, but now I feel completely fresh."

Should she win her first match in Auckland, Raducanu - who has entered the tournament with a protected ranking - will face Danish former world number one Caroline Wozniacki or Ukrainian Elina Svitolina in the second round.

But the former world number 10 must go through qualifying to reach the main draw of the Australian Open, with the first Grand Slam tournament of 2024 starting on 14th January.

Rafael Nadal says he may continue playing beyond 2024 after starting comeback in Brisbane..By Russell Fuller, BBC tennis correspondent.

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Rafael Nadal had an operation on his hip in June and had not played since January 2023

Rafael Nadal began his comeback with a doubles loss at the Brisbane International but he has not closed the door on playing singles beyond this season.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion was beaming at the end of his first match in nearly a year but he and Marc Lopez lost 6-4 6-4 to Australians Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson.

Nadal had an operation on his left hip in June and has indicated this season will very likely be his last, but the desire to play on remains strong.

"If I am playing well - something that can happen - if I am free of injuries - something that history says is very difficult - and if I am not having too much pain on a daily basis, if all the things together happen, why not?" Nadal, 37, told BBC Sport.

"I don't want to say 100% that's going to be my last year, because I keep loving tennis and keep enjoying what I am doing."

His doubles partner in Brisbane, Lopez, is part of Nadal's coaching team and rarely plays these days, but it was useful practice before the Spaniard's singles match with 2020 US Open champion and qualifier Dominic Thiem on Tuesday.

"Competing is different than practising, but in terms of practising with the guys here, I am quite happy because I feel competitive against the players that I played in practice," said Nadal, who had not played since January's Australian Open.

"Of course I don't have the expectations that I used to have in the past."

Brisbane International: Andy Murray loses to Grigor Dimitrov in first round..

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Andy Murray won the Brisbane International in 2012 and 2013

Andy Murray made a first-round exit from the Brisbane International as Grigor Dimitrov came from behind to win in three sets.

Bulgarian second seed Dimitrov triumphed 4-6 7-5 6-2 to progress at the season-opening tournament.

The defeat is a setback for Murray's preparations for the Australian Open, which starts on 14th January.

It comes after the Briton said the 2024 season could be his last on tour if he is "not enjoying it".

The 36-year-old struggled with a shoulder injury in the latter months of 2023, while illness and a bruised knee made for what he described as a "tricky" pre-season in an interview with BBC Sport before the Brisbane event.

Playing in his first competitive singles match since October, Murray came out on top of a tight first set that went with the serve, sealing the opener on its only break point after an error-strewn Dimitrov service game.

More comfortable holds for both players followed, with Dimitrov eventually edging ahead in the ninth game - the first of the set to feature break-point opportunities.

Although Murray - a two-time champion in Brisbane - cancelled it out immediately, Dimitrov broke again before saving two break points, including one with a broken string, on his way to sealing the second set.

In the third, the world number 14 raced to a 4-0 lead, and while Scot Murray slowed Dimitrov's pace despite issues with his racquet, he could not convert a break point at 5-2 from which his opponent held.

"I've really missed this tournament," said 2017 champion Dimitrov, who will face German Daniel Altmaier or Australian qualifier Li Tu in the second round. "Here we go, kicking off the new year in style.

"I just wanted to carry [last season] on. Of course it's never easy, especially when you're playing so well at the end of the year, you put pressure on yourself to start well.

"As soon as I came out here today, I felt a little rusty to be honest. I have to keep on fighting, I have to keep on believing in the work that I've put in."

Before the Australian Open, Murray will play the Kooyong Classic exhibition in Melbourne next week.

Emma Raducanu: Briton enters main draw at Australian Open..By Russell Fuller, BBC tennis correspondent.

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Raducanu's last appearance at a Grand Slam was the 2023 Australian Open, where she lost to Coco Gauff

Emma Raducanu will not have to qualify for this month's Australian Open.

American Lauren Davis' withdrawal with a shoulder injury means the 21-year-old Briton now has direct entry into the main draw of the Grand Slam event.

Raducanu is 301st in the world, but was able to enter with a special ranking of 103 - her position before missing a minimum of six months through injury.

The Australian Open begins on 14th January in Melbourne, with the draw taking place on Thursday, 11th January.

As well as Davis' withdrawal, French Open finalist Karolina Muchova, Irina-Camelia Begu and Caty McNally have pulled out, while two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova withdrew after announcing she is pregnant with her first child.

Raducanu's most recent Grand Slam appearance was at last year's Australian Open, where she lost to Coco Gauff in the second round.

The former US Open champion returned to the tour in Auckland this week with a win over Romania's Elena Gabriela Ruse.

It was her first match since having minor operations on both hands and her left ankle in early May.

Her second round match in Auckland, against the second seed Elina Svitolina, is scheduled to begin at 05:30 GMT on Thursday.