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Angry Alcaraz out after ‘worst match’ while Sinner wins in walkover

Angry Alcaraz out after ‘worst match’ while Sinner wins in walkover
Carlos Alcaraz of Spain smashes his racket during his match against Gael Monfils of France on Day 5 of the Cincinnati Open on Friday. (USA TODAY Sports)
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Updated 17 August 2024

Angry Alcaraz out after ‘worst match’ while Sinner wins in walkover

Angry Alcaraz out after ‘worst match’ while Sinner wins in walkover
  • Alcaraz said he had never before broken a racquet in anger but this match was the exception
  • Women’s top seed Iga Swiatek defeated Marta Kostyuk for the second time this season

CINCINNATI: Carlos Alcaraz let loose his frustrations with a violent racquet smash in a 4-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 defeat on Friday at the ATP and WTA Cincinnati Open that he called the “worst match” of his career.

The reigning Roland Garros and Wimbledon champion could not match the wily skills of 37-year-old French opponent Gael Monfils, two decades in the game and a threat to any young gun.

“It was the worst match that I ever played in my career,” Alcaraz said. “I couldn’t play.

“I don’t know what happened. Honestly, I couldn’t, I couldn’t control myself. I couldn’t be better. It was impossible to win, and that’s all.”

The Spaniard added: “I came here thinking I’m going to feel good. I’m going to put in a good tennis, because I know how to play on this court.”

Alcaraz said he had never before broken a racquet in anger but this match was the exception.

The ATP No. 3 and 2023 Cincinnati runner-up heads to the US Open starting a week from Monday without a hardcourt win and only one second-round summer cement match in his legs.

“It’s really difficult to find some goodstuffs from this match — I want to forget it and try to move on to New York,” he said.

“I’ll try to practice well, to get used to those courts. And I will forget this match.”

Monfils then started a third-round catch-up match only hours after his victory, but ran out of puff as Holger Rune scraped out a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 comeback victory.

While frustrated second seed Alcaraz was fuming at his form and occasionally screaming at his team, world No. 1 Jannik Sinner celebrated a quiet 23rd birthday, with fate handing him a present in the form of a walkover.

The Italian advanced effortlessly into the quarters when Australian opponent Jordan Thompson withdrew before their match with a rib injury.

Sinner next gets a rematch of last week’s quarterfinal in Canada, which he lost to Andrey Rublev. The Russian finished a rain-delayed match over Brandon Nakashima 7-6 (7/5), 6-1.

Third seed Alexander Zverev advanced into the last eight over Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta 7-5, 7-6 (8/6).

No. 5 Hubert Hurkacz continued his quick return from July knee surgery with a 6-3,3-6, 6-1 defeat of Italy’s Flavio Cobolli.

The poor run of form for seventh seed Casper Ruud continued as the Norwegian went down 6-3, 6-1 to Felix Auger-Aliassime in 68 minutes, with the Canadian sending down 14 aces.

Women’s top seed Iga Swiatek defeated Marta Kostyuk for the second time this season, powering into the quarterfinals 6-2, 6-2.

The Pole backed up her win over the Ukrainian at Indian Wells last March and now stands 3-0 in the rivalry without the loss of a set.

Due to the morning of rain, Swiatek stepped onto the court without her usual pre-match routine, but showed no ill effects.

Top-ranked Swiatek was able to finish off victory efficiently after struggling through three sets in the previous round to defeat Varvara Gracheva.

Swiatek secured the opening set in 31 minutes and was untroubled as she rolled through the second.

“I’m happy that I kept my intensity, in the first match, it got a little bit down,” Swiatek said. “But I was ready in every game.

“I’m happy I was solid. I was disciplined with all the things that I wanted to take care of.”

Three-time semifinalist and third seed Aryna Sabalenka beat Monfils’s wife, Elina Svitolina, 7-5, 6-2 for her fourth quarter-final here.

Sixth seed Jessica Pegula won a delayed second-round match over 2023 runner-up Karolina Muchova 5-7, 6-4, 6-2.

Pegula’s second win of the day was a 6-2, 6-3 triumph over US compatriot Taylor Townsend to book a quarter-final against former US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez.

Mother-of-two Caroline Wozniacki continued her WTA comeback effort but lost to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-5, 6-4.

Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen beat Poland’s Magdalena Frech 6-1, 7-5. Teenaged Mirra Andreeva put out Italy’s Wimbledon finalist Jasmine Paolini 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.


Jannik Sinner: Quiet man of tennis basks in the limelight of Wimbledon glory

Jannik Sinner: Quiet man of tennis basks in the limelight of Wimbledon glory
Updated 22 min 32 sec ago

Jannik Sinner: Quiet man of tennis basks in the limelight of Wimbledon glory

Jannik Sinner: Quiet man of tennis basks in the limelight of Wimbledon glory
  • Jannik Sinner is the quiet man of tennis who has become a big noise, burnishing his legacy on Sunday by winning his first Wimbledon title

LONDON: Jannik Sinner is the quiet man of tennis who has become a big noise, burnishing his legacy on Sunday by winning his first Wimbledon title.

The Italian beat his fierce rival Carlos Alcaraz 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in the latest instalment of their captivating rivalry to claim his fourth Grand Slam at the age of 23.

The pair are the new dominant forces in men’s tennis, sharing the past seven Grand Slams between them as the memory of the “Big Three” era fades.

While Alcaraz is the flashy showman of the game, adored by the fans for his high-risk, high-reward tennis, Sinner stays ice-cold on the court and mild-mannered off it.

His game is based on relentless power and accuracy from the baseline, resembling that of 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic.

The Italian is getting used to life at the top, reaching his fourth successive major final at Wimbledon this year — a run that started with the US Open last season.

Sinner defended his Australian Open title in Melbourne in January but his career was put on hold after that as he served a three-month ban for twice testing positive for banned anabolic steroid clostebol last year.

Sinner has always maintained the product entered his system unintentionally through a massage from his physiotherapist, who had used a spray containing it to treat a cut.

The World Anti-Doping Agency said “Sinner did not intend to cheat” but that he would serve his suspension as he is responsible for the actions of his entourage.

Sinner returned to the court in May, reaching the final of the Italian Open, where he was beaten by Alcaraz.

Next on his schedule was the French Open and again he reached the title match, this time suffering heartbreak as Alcaraz came back from two sets down, saving three match points to defend his title.

That gave the Spaniard an 8-4 lead in the rivalry between the pair and was his fifth straight win.

But the tables were turned on Sunday as Sinner showed impressive mental strength to come back after losing the first set.

Sinner was born in German-speaking San Candido, in northern Italy, near the border with Austria.

A career in professional tennis was not a given.

He was a champion skier as a youngster and still enjoys the sport in the off-season. He was also a keen footballer.

The right-hander, who stands six feet 3 inches (191 centimeters) tall, won his first title indoors in Sofia in 2020.

The 2024 season was his breakthrough year as he collected his first Grand Slam, the Australian Open, and followed up with seven other titles including the US Open.

He became world number one — and the first Italian to reach top spot — in June last year.

Sinner’s super-power is his extraordinary ability to stay calm on court.

“I know he’s just 23 years of age, but sometimes it feels like he’s much older and wiser than what we are,” said his coach Darren Cahill. “He’s an incredible young man.”

Sinner makes no secret of the fact that he loves the job he has chosen.

“I’m very lucky because tennis started off a hobby when I was young, and now it becomes my job,” he said.

“In my mind it’s still a hobby. I love to go on court and just play. There is no better place to do it than in big stadiums with packed crowd.”


Iga Swiatek destroys Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 to win first Wimbledon title

Iga Swiatek destroys Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 to win first Wimbledon title
Updated 12 July 2025

Iga Swiatek destroys Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 to win first Wimbledon title

Iga Swiatek destroys Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 to win first Wimbledon title
  • Swiatek, 24, is just the second player in the Open era to win a major without losing a game in the final since Steffi Graf humbled Natalia Zvereva at the 1988 French Open

LONDON: Iga Swiatek demolished Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 in the most one-sided women’s Wimbledon final for 114 years to win her sixth Grand Slam title.

The Polish eighth seed was in charge from the first point and wrapped up victory in just 57 minutes in a brutal display of precision hitting on Center Court.

It is the first time a woman has won a final at Wimbledon without dropping a game since 1911, when Britain’s Dorothea Lambert Chambers triumphed by the same scoreline.

And Swiatek, 24, is just the second player in the Open era to win a major without losing a game in the final since Steffi Graf humbled Natalia Zvereva at the 1988 French Open.

“It seems super surreal,” said Swiatek, who is the first Wimbledon singles champion from Poland and has now won majors on all surfaces.

“I didn’t even dream, for me it was way too far. I feel like I am already an experienced player after winning the Slams before but I never expected this one.

“This year I really, really enjoyed it and feel I improved my form here.

“I am always going to remember the opening of champagne bottles between serves. It is a sound that will keep me awake at night.”

Swiatek lost just one set during the entire tournament as she won her first trophy on grass, two weeks after reaching the final of the grass-court event at Bad Homburg.

US 13th seed Anisimova was expected to prove a stern test after ousting world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals, but Swiatek performed a demolition job.

Anisimova made a nervous start in hot conditions on Center Court, with Catherine, Princess of Wales, watching from the Royal Box.

She was broken in the first game, soon slipping 2-0 behind and the signs looked ominous.

The American appeared to have found her feet in her next service game but the merciless Swiatek refused to give ground and recovered to move 3-0 ahead when Anisimova double-faulted.

At 4-0 down Anisimova was facing a first-set wipe-out but she was powerless to halt the rampant Swiatek, who sealed the opener 6-0 in just 25 minutes.

The American won just six points on her serve in the first set and committed 14 unforced errors.

An increasingly desperate Anisimova could not stem the tide in the second set, double-faulting again in the third game to give her opponent game point and then netting a backhand.

The crowd got behind her but to no avail as Swiatek kept up her level, serving out to win and celebrating before consoling her devastated opponent.

Anisimova made 28 unforced errors in the 12 games.

Swiatek is Wimbledon’s eighth consecutive first-time women’s champion since Serena Williams won her seventh and final title at the All England Club in 2016.

She has won all six major finals in which she has competed.

Swiatek, who now has 100 career Grand Slam match wins, has won the French Open four times and also the US Open, in 2022.

Her previous best performance at Wimbledon was a run to the quarter-finals in 2023.

The distraught Anisimova left court briefly before returning for the trophy presentation.

The American, who lost in qualifying last year, broke down in tears again during her speech on court, calling Swiatek an “incredible player.”

“I know I didn’t have enough today but I’ll keep putting in the work,” she said.

“I keep believing in myself and I hope to be back here one day. Thank you everyone.”


Swiatek and Anisimova battle to be new queen of Wimbledon

Swiatek and Anisimova battle to be new queen of Wimbledon
Updated 12 July 2025

Swiatek and Anisimova battle to be new queen of Wimbledon

Swiatek and Anisimova battle to be new queen of Wimbledon
  • Five-time Grand Slam winner Swiatek had previously never gone beyond the quarter-finals at the All England Club
  • No player has retained the crown since the now-retired Serena Williams won her seventh and final Wimbledon title in 2016

LONDON: Iga Swiatek and Amanda Anisimova clash in the Wimbledon final on Saturday with a new women’s champion guaranteed for the eighth consecutive year.

Five-time Grand Slam winner Swiatek had previously never gone beyond the quarter-finals at the All England Club while US 13th seed Anisimova is preparing for her first major final.

No player has retained the crown since the now-retired Serena Williams won her seventh and final Wimbledon title in 2016.

Aryna Sabalenka started as the hot favorite after reaching the past three Grand Slam finals but faltered in a gripping semifinal against Anisimova.

Poland’s Swiatek is seeded eighth at Wimbledon following a disappointing first half of the season, though she is back up to fourth in the rankings after reaching the final of the grass-court Bad Homburg tournament.

That run, together with her surge through the draw at All England Club, suggests the 24-year-old is cured of her grass-court allergy.

Initially she went under the radar at Wimbledon, with the focus on Sabalenka and French Open champion Coco Gauff, but she kept winning while the top seeds tumbled, dropping just one set on route to the final.

Swiatek brushed aside former Olympic champion Belinda Bencic 6-2, 6-0 in Thursday’s semifinal.

Four of her five Grand Slam titles have come on the clay of Roland Garros and she won the 2022 US Open on hard courts.

But she is finally showing an affinity with the lawns of Wimbledon, a development that has shocked even her.

“Honestly, I never even dreamed that it’s going to be possible for me to play in the final,” Swiatek said.

“So I’m just super-excited and proud of myself and, I don’t know, tennis keeps surprising me.

“I’ve been enjoying just this new feeling of being a bit more comfortable on grass.”

Swiatek has won all five of her Grand Slam finals, but standing in the way of a sixth major title and a cheque for $4 million (£3 million) is Anisimova.

The 23-year-old American shattered Sabalenka’s title bid with a shock 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 win on Thursday.

Anisimova has overcome many obstacles to make her maiden Grand Slam final.

She reached the French Open semifinals in 2019 at the age of just 17.

But in 2023 she took an eight-month break from the court for mental health reasons, tumbling out the top 400.

This time last year, she was on the comeback trail but was ranked too low to get into the Wimbledon main draw and fell in qualifying.

“If you told me I would be in the final of Wimbledon, I would not believe you. It’s indescribable to be honest,” she said.

Anisimova, whose parents emigrated from Russia in the 1990s, added: “I think it goes to show that it is possible.

“I think that’s a really special message that I think I’ve been able to show because when I took my break, a lot of people told me that you would never make it to the top again if you take so much time away from the game.”

Anisimova won the Qatar Open in February and showed she was comfortable on grass by reaching the Queen’s Club final in June.

She is guaranteed to reach the top 10 for the first time when the rankings are updated on Monday.

The two players have never met professionally, though they did face each other as juniors, with Swiatek coming out on top.

“I did lose that match against her, unfortunately,” said Anisimova. “I remember a lot of coaches were saying that she’s going to be a big deal one day. Obviously they were right.

“I’m sure it will be an amazing match. Getting to compete against an unbelievable player again is going to be super special.”


Sinner unfazed by French Open collapse as he prepares for Alcaraz rematch

Sinner unfazed by French Open collapse as he prepares for Alcaraz rematch
Updated 12 July 2025

Sinner unfazed by French Open collapse as he prepares for Alcaraz rematch

Sinner unfazed by French Open collapse as he prepares for Alcaraz rematch
  • Carlos Alcaraz had earlier dispatched US fifth seed Taylor Swift in four sets on Center Court
  • At Roland Garros, Alcaraz came back from two sets down against Jannik Sinner to win a fifth Grand Slam

LONDON: Jannik Sinner played down the impact of his painful defeat against Carlos Alcaraz in the French Open final as he prepares for a rematch at Wimbledon on Sunday.

The world number one crushed seven-time champion Novak Djokovic 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 in under two hours on Friday to set up a title showdown against the Spanish two-time defending champion.

Alcaraz had earlier dispatched US fifth seed Taylor Swift in four sets on Center Court.

Just weeks ago at Roland Garros, Alcaraz came back from two sets down against Sinner, saving three match points to win a fifth Grand Slam.

But Italy’s Sinner, 23, played down the lingering impact of that loss in the aftermath of Friday’s semifinal win against Djokovic.

“I think if it would be a lot in my head, I would not be in the situation to play a final again, I guess,” he said.

“I’m very happy to share once again the court with Carlos. It’s going to be difficult, I know that.

“But I’m looking forward to it. I try always to put myself in these kinds of situations that I really love. Sundays at every tournament are very special.”

The top seed said he would not be able to fully assess the lasting impact of his loss at Roland Garros until he stepped onto the court for his first Wimbledon final.

“I think it’s something what you feel before the match and also during the match,” he said. “I can give you answers after.

“But no, it’s different. Different match. I’m looking forward to it.”

Sinner, who has won three majors, said Alcaraz was the favorite to win a third straight title at the All England Club.

The Spaniard has the edge, winning eight of their 12 matches, including the past five.

“He won here two times in a row,” said Sinner. “He’s again in the final. It’s very tough to beat him on grass, but I like these challenges.

“I like to go head-to-head and trying to see what I can do and what I can reach.”

Sinner, who has shared the past six Grand Slam titles with Alcaraz, said it was too soon to compare their dominance with the era of the “Big Three” — Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

“You cannot compare what the big three did for 15-plus years. Six Grand Slams are one-and-a-half years. It’s not that big yet.

“Of course, we find ourselves, again, in this position. This is the second consecutive Grand Slam that we are in the final and playing each other, which is great from my side.

“I believe it’s good for the sport. The more rivalries we have from now on, the better it is, because people want to see young players going against each other.

“I’m happy to be in that position, but let’s see in the future. If we can make that happen for the next three, four years, then people can think about. Let’s see.”


Jannik Sinner mauls Novak Djokovic to reach first Wimbledon final

Jannik Sinner mauls Novak Djokovic to reach first Wimbledon final
Updated 11 July 2025

Jannik Sinner mauls Novak Djokovic to reach first Wimbledon final

Jannik Sinner mauls Novak Djokovic to reach first Wimbledon final
  • The world number one is through to his fourth successive Grand Slam title match
  • Djokovic, who was apparently not 100 percent fit, must wait for another shot at a record 25th Grand Slam title

LONDON: Jannik Sinner crushed Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon semifinals to set up the latest instalment of his gripping rivalry with defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in Sunday’s final.

The world number one is through to his fourth successive Grand Slam title match — and his first at the All England Club — after a 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 demolition on Center Court on Friday.

The 23-year-old will be desperate to avenge his painful French Open defeat against world number two Alcaraz after squandering three championship points in last month’s epic Roland Garros final.

Sinner and Alcaraz are the undisputed new kings of men’s tennis, claiming the past six majors between them.

Defeat on a baking Center Court means seven-time champion Djokovic, who was apparently not 100 percent fit, must wait for another shot at a record 25th Grand Slam title.

It is the first time he has failed to reach the Wimbledon final since 2017 and he has come up short in his bid to equal Roger Federer’s men’s record of eight Wimbledon titles.

“It’s a tournament I always watched when I was young on the television and I would have never imagined that I can play here, you know in the finals, so it was amazing,” said Sinner.

“From my side, I served very well today, I felt great on court, I was moving really well today.

“We saw in the third set that he was a bit injured. He’s been in a very difficult situation but I tried to stay calm, to play the best tennis I can.”

Italy’s Sinner was still wearing a white protective sleeve after injuring his elbow in a nasty fall against Grigor Dimitrov in his fourth-round match.

Djokovic also came into the contest, watched by Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio, with questions over his fitness after tumbling to the turf late in his quarter-final victory against Flavio Cobolli.

Top seed Sinner broke Djokovic in the third game, unleashing a barrage of relentlessly accurate groundstrokes to wear the sixth seed down.

The Serb, 38, wilted under the onslaught in the ninth game as Sinner converted his third set point.

Sinner did not let up at the start of the second set, breaking for a 2-0 lead to tighten his grip on the match.

Djokovic was struggling to gain a foothold but held for 3-1 to roars from the crowd, desperate to witness a classic battle.

Chants of “Nole” rang around the stadium as fans tried to lift Djokovic but he was powerless to prevent Sinner opening up a 5-2 lead.

He saved a set point on his own serve but that merely delayed the inevitable as Sinner wrapped up the set with only 69 minutes on the clock.

Djokovic received treatment from the trainer between sets on the upper part of his left leg, apparently on the area he hurt in the match against Cobolli.

He broke for the first time in the match as he suddenly found a new gear, but was pegged back to 3-2 and roared in frustration at the changeover.

Struggling physically, Djokovic was broken again as Sinner sealed victory with his fourth match point.

Sinner, the reigning US Open and Australian Open champion, returned from a doping ban in May, losing the Italian Open final to Alcaraz before his collapse in the Roland Garros showpiece.

Now he has chance for revenge against the man who has won the past two Wimbledon titles and is the current top dog on grass.

“It is a huge honor for me to share the court once again with Carlos,” he said. “We try to push ourselves to the limit, he is for sure one of the players I look up to.

“I love watching him, I think you all guys agree on that, what kind of talent he is but hopefully it’s going to be a good match like the last one.”

Sinner trails 8-4 in their head to head meetings, losing the past five matches.

The Italian can take heart from beating Alcaraz in the Wimbledon fourth round in 2022, his rival’s last defeat at the All England Club.