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ellalineablog-blog · 6 years ago

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Rafael Nadal 2018 US Open Arthur Ashe Kids Day Practice

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Rafael Nadal 2018 US Open Arthur Ashe Kids Day Practice

Shall we brand our live here back again in Arthur Ashe Stadium with a man you may recognize the defending champion. Rafael Nadal 17 time Grand Slam sham track to sink right behind me but it’s not just any day here at the US Open it is Arthur Ashe kids day and there are thousands of kids and families around the grounds right now two stages of performances going some of your favorite players practicing on Louis Armstrong and grandstand throughout the day so keep it locked in with us on us open social media for all the behind the scenes coverage but for right now let’s get back to Rafa, we’re often a doll of course the defending champ and the world number one his first match time has been announced and it will be the nightcap on Monday tournament play officially kicking off 8:15 p.m. start on Monday.

Rafa Nadal playing against someone he is probably pretty familiar with in countryman de’vide Ferrer and at all twenty four and six all-time against Ferrer of course a former top-five player in the world himself Nadal now 32 years old world number one and a three-time US Open champion last year he cruised to the championship defeating the six-foot eight South African big serving Kevin Anderson in the final in 2010 and 2013 Rafa defeated Novak Djokovic each time in four sets, 03:26we saw Rafa out here practicing with Kevin Anderson played a practice that yesterday in a rematch of last year’s men’s final they also saw Rauf out here earlier in the week playing a practice that with three-time Grand Slam Jam Stan Wawrinka nadal always have fan-favorite the comments lighting up right now filled with Roth offends I came to see him possibly win his eighteenth Grand Slam title of course had more fire to the greatest of all time to bathe Rafa and Roger fans often get into let us know in the comments your picks for who will take home the men’s singles title this year at the US Open also let us know, what matches you’re most looking forward to first match on Ashton but Rinka against Grigor Dimitrov a battle of two incredibly talented players with brink of course a former champ and the doll coming into the tournament in top form he obviously won the French got to the semis of Wimbledon came back after Wimbledon and won the Canadian Open had a big win over in Caen straight sets had a big three-set win over former US Open champ there and chillage in the quarters before defeating the young Greek sensation sit see boss in the final Arturo in the comments picking Novak Djokovic to win the tournament this year Patricia Claudia Donna all picking Rafa Betty in the comments picking Roger Federer to win what would be a 21st Grand Slam title Roger of course won five straight US Opens between 2004 and 2008 but has not won a US Open title since Jenice and the comments saying that she can’t wait to be happy open in a week of course this is still fan week Sophie around the New York area cutting out around the grounds they are open to the public and come seeing your favorite players practice up close otherwise make sure you come out for to the open starting on Monday another comment saying Novak question mark no no Rafa wins of course the debate between Novak and Rafa fans always contentious especially after there our Wimbledon battle this year rafa nadal not only a 17 time Grand Slam champion but also a two-time gold medalist in the Olympics for time Davis Cup champion as well a lot of those Davis Cup titles coming alongside his first round at home and to be fair of course this is not just any US open with the 50th anniversary of the US Open.

Incredibly historic tornament of course many of the great legends of the game will be out here around the ground we’ve seen exhibitions throughout family from some of the greatest players in America tennis history the McEnroe brothers Michael Chang Martina Navratilova James Blake we’re all out here playing Lindsay Davenport we have a trivia question of the practice true or false. Rafa Nadal plays left-handed but writes right-handed is that true false let us know in the comments we’ll see who gets it right Christine in the commenting on the comments commenting Nadal all the way Paulina commenting vamos Rafa Linda picking Novak to win it all another comments saying with an easy draw drop is a favorite the draw is certainly something to take into account of course Novak Djokovic and not being one of the top four seeds coming into the tournament meant he could have fallen in any quarter of the draw via a random selection but at the draw unveiling on a Wednesday at the US Open experience ,we saw that he fell in the bottom quarter of the draw which is the federal quarter better the number two seed meaning that should Rafa are should Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic advanced through the early rounds they would face off in the quarterfinals it’s about as tough of a route to the finals as it gets in sure Rafa Brie the brief sigh of relief when he saw that Novak was not in his quarter and the answer to the trivia question valina Zoltan Greg Joanne all of you are correct it is true somewhat Angelique Kerber who we just saw practice earlier today Rafa writes right-handed but plays tennis left-handed.

Rafa nadal with an even 80 career titles that’s fourth all-time in the open era looking for number 81 here at the open Rapha warming up some syrups you see him working on the iconic lefty sliding serve out wide something to dull hits among the best in the world that’s are sliding out wide well past the Emirates Airline logo on the back wall yesterday in this practice match with Kevin Anderson the DA was hitting those sliding serves with such a sharp angle they were actually bouncing on one bounce over the wall of the photography pit on the side of the court we saw the doll using that sir very effectively in the practice that against Kevin Anderson yesterday in a sliding body sir the ball coming from left to right at Kevin Anderson Anderson with a six foot eight frame and not showing the most nimble of footwork was unable to regularly get around the ball was often jammed on the forehand side by that serve we also saw Nadal working quite a bit yesterday on different returning positions we saw a few games where he was a bit more aggressive with his foot positioning bit closer toward hugging that base line looking to cut off the big Kevin Anderson sir before moving into the court and other times we saw him nearly as far back as touching the back wall or within at least six to eight inches of the back wall.

#2018 us open #arthur ashe kids day #arthur ashe kids day 2017 #federer and nadal practice us open 2018 #federer us open 2018 #nadal #nadal us open 2018 practice #nadal us open 2018 training #rafa nadal us open 2018 #rafael nadal #rafael nadal 2018 #rafael nadal us open #rafael nadal us open 2018 #rafael nadal us open 2018 practice day 2 #us open #us open 2018

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restgoddehy-blog · 5 years ago

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Without Membership No Buffering 1080p Olympic Channel ATP World Tour: Rolex Paris Masters Day 5

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— ROLEX PARIS MASTERS ( RolexPMasters) 1 novembre 2017. Dominic Thiem.v. Fernando Verdasco: desperate for a win, but for different reasons On the one hand, you have Dominic Thiem. The world No. 6's ATP Tour Finals berth is already secure, but he has been struggling since the US Open, having managed one solitary win in four tournaments.

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2019 ATP Tour Masters 1000. Roger Federer Withdraws From Paris Masters - UBITENNIS. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga leaned on the home crowd and some big hitting to earn his first ATP Masters 1000 win in more than two years on Monday at the Rolex Paris 34-year-old Frenchman beat VTB Kremlin Cup champion Andrey Rublev of Russia 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 and will next meet 10 th seed Matteo Berrettini of Italy. UPDATED: 11/18/2019 06:48 PM Karen Khachanov was the defending champion, but lost to Jan-Lennard Struff in the second round... Novak Djokovic won the title for an unprecedented fifth time, defeating Denis Shapovalov in the final, 6-3, 6-4. Djokovic won his five matches without dropping a set. Rafael Nadal replaced Djokovic as the ATP no. 1 singles player at the end of the tournament.

The Rolex Paris Masters is the ninth and final ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event of the season. As the final tournament of the regular men's tennis season, the Palais Omnisports in Bercy showcases the cream of the crop as players vie to win the prestigious title and clinch the remaining qualifying spots in the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals.

Highlights: Sock Wins 1st Masters 1000 Title In Paris 2017. Watch live ATP World Tour Masters 1000 practice court. ATP World Tour. 2018 ATP World Tour Masters 1000. Language Watch Edit. Rolex Paris Masters: Dates October 30 - November 5 Surface Hard (Indoors) Location Paris, France Prize money 4,872,105 (ATP) Singles. Quarterfinals Semifinals Final. 2019 ATP Tour Masters 1000. Read in another language Watch this page Edit This is the eleventh year that the Masters Series is being called the Masters 1000, with the addition of the number 1000 referring to the amount of ranking points which are won, since it began in 2009. Rolex Paris.

Best Shots: Rolex Paris Masters 2018 Day 1.

ATP Masters 1000 Paris, Overview, ATP Tour, Tennis.

2019 Rolex Paris Masters - Singles

Paris Tennis: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga beats Andrey Rublev at the. Day 1 is here and players are ready for the start of the 2019 Nitto ATP Finals. Look back at the 2019 Next Gen ATP Finals, a week to remember for 18-year-old Italian champion Jannik Sinner. Photo Credit: Julian Finney/Getty Images. Steve Furgal's International Tennis Tours, Australian Open. The veteran Frenchman dominated world No.8 David Goffin in the last 16 of the Rolex Paris Masters, brushing him aside 6-3, 6-3 in an hour and seven minutes. "My first quarter-final at a Masters 1000 tournament, at the age of 35! he grinned, as he continued to make the most of the wild card he received for his last ever appearance at the RPM. 2018 Rolex Paris Masters. Rolex Paris Masters - Tennis Tickets & Tennis Tour Packages. Rolex Paris Masters 1000. This event is the ninth ATP World Tour Masters 1000 and the final one for this season. The players in this event are attempting to secure the final spot on the Nitto ATP Finals as they participate at the Palais Omnisports in Bercy, France.

It took 44 weeks, but the ATP World Tour has its Cinderella story of the 2017 season. Armed with an arsenal of big backhands and plenty of grit and guile, Filip Krajinovic completed an improbable run to the Rolex Paris Masters final on Saturday, edging John Isner in a deciding tie-break. Another American, Jack Sock, awaits in the championship clash. Rolex Paris Masters - Day Five - Zimbio. About the tournament, Site officiel du Rolex Paris Masters.

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loveequalsnothing · 6 years ago

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Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer practice at the Us Open 2018 (via x)

#rafael nadal #roger federer #us open

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wsmith215 · 4 years ago

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On Behind The Racquet, Noah Rubin brings tennis players’ mental, emotional struggles into focus

“This sport has a way of making you feel irrelevant while at the same time giving you this sense of entitlement … Chances are if you were once ‘talk of the town,’ that will quickly diminish over time.” — Noah Rubin, Behind The Racquet

AS THE CLOCK crept toward midnight and the winds blew off the Mediterranean and into the Puente Romano Tennis Club, Noah Rubin hunted for an escape. It was March 2018. Rubin had just lost his fifth straight professional tennis match, a disappointing two-and-a-half-hour roller-coaster ride that was a microcosm of his career.

The grounds of the chic club, founded by Bjorn Borg on the Spanish Riviera in 1979, had long ago emptied. Groundskeepers had switched off all the lights except for the ones for the court where Rubin had just lost. Security closed and locked up the café. Rubin, more than 3,500 miles from his New York home, gathered his belongings and headed into the darkness. Four courts away, he found a set of empty cement stairs. He sat down. And began to cry.

Fifteen months earlier, there had been another walk, onto the famous blue court of Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena for a second-round Australian Open match against Roger Federer. Rubin threw everything he had at Federer that sweltering January afternoon. After breaking Federer’s serve in the third set, he instinctively pumped his fist and screamed “Come on!” The outburst irked the tennis great, and Federer stared through Rubin during the subsequent break.

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“I was like, ‘I pissed off Roger Federer,'” Rubin said. “How amazing is that?”

Rubin lost in three sets that day but won the belief he belonged. A little more than a year later, after this first-round qualifying loss on the ATP Challenger Tour, tennis’ version of the minor leagues, the swagger was gone, replaced by anger, embarrassment and a plummeting sense of self-worth.

“I just didn’t feel I was worth anyone’s time,” Rubin said.

The story is a common one in tennis. Young star tastes the big time but struggles to escape the clutches of the game’s proving grounds. It’s a grueling climb, one athletes rarely discuss publicly until it’s over. Their competitive shield is too thick, the fear of vulnerability too strong. Rubin believed he had the talent — and work ethic — to be a top-50 player and build a comfortable life playing the game he loved. But he couldn’t crack the top 150 and was barely breaking even.

“I could just sort of feel my soul slipping away,” he said of that night in Spain. “I just sat there thinking, ‘What am I doing that I’m so upset and so miserable on the tennis court?’ It was my lowest point. It was also a beginning.”

“People forget we aren’t robots. People see this fantasy world and guess that everything is kind of perfect. There are true struggles that each and every player deal with that are far more important than winning or losing.” — James Blake, Behind The Racquet

NINE MONTHS AFTER the disappointment in Spain, Rubin sat in his childhood bedroom in Long Island, jet-lagged from his most recent trip to the Australian Open. It had been another up-and-down stretch for Rubin. He temporarily numbed the pain of six straight losses with an August 2018 upset of fellow American and then-No. 9 John Isner. But he then began 2019 with a second-round qualifying loss in Melbourne.

“He was down on himself and struggling, big-time,” said Tallen Todorovich, Rubin’s agent. “He was this blue-chip recruit who thought he would show up and have immediate success.”

Noah Rubin defeated Frances Tiafoe and Taylor Fritz, among others, on his way to the 2014 boys title at Wimbledon. Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

As the clock pushed past 3 a.m., Rubin scrolled through Instagram while watching “Inst@famous,” a Netflix documentary about social media influencers. He thought about “Humans of New York,” the social media project turned New York Times bestselling book profiling random New Yorkers blurred in the shuffle of the largest city in America. He wondered about applying a similar concept to tennis players lost in the pursuit of their on-court dreams.

The idea was simple, combining his passion for tennis, photography and journalism. Athletes would pose for a picture hiding their faces behind the strings of their racket. Then, in their own words, they would reveal the human struggles behind chasing greatness. Within an hour he had a name, “Behind The Racquet.” He quickly registered Instagram and Gmail accounts and purchased the URL https://bit.ly/2LKyq8l for $750.

On Jan. 19, 2019, Rubin posted the first picture for the project. It was a shot of himself, his face slightly blurred by the lime green strings of his racket. Below the photo, he revealed his greatest fear: letting down the people closest to him. It was an emotion he felt from an early age in a tennis-loving family. Rubin’s grandfather, a self-taught tennis star, passed the game on to Noah’s father, who put a racket in Noah’s crib when he was 1.

Noah’s dad was his coach early on, and Noah saw him lose work after his boss would give him an ultimatum about choosing the boy’s tennis tournaments over his work commitments. He saw his mom, who worked in education, sacrifice her summers to work at a local sports facility so Noah and his sister could receive free lessons. Then he saw his parents’ marriage fall apart. They divorced when he was 12.

“I always felt this yearning to pay my parents back,” said Rubin, now 24. “I would ask myself, ‘Am I doing enough for all their time and effort? Is all this worth it for them?’ Tennis is one of the most financially grueling sports. We were not wealthy. We were fine. But they used basically hundreds of thousands of dollars to pay for this. That’s tough.”

To the outside world, it all seemed worth it. By the age of 7, Rubin was beating kids five years older. By 12 he was competing internationally as one of the top-ranked players his age. Then at 18, with his dad watching from the stands, Rubin won the Wimbledon boys’ championship. Lawrence Kleger, the director of the John McEnroe Tennis Academy, tagged Rubin the best player to come out of New York since McEnroe himself.

It all led to a young man growing up fast. A young man sitting in his childhood bedroom on that January night in 2019 still trying to process it all. His place. His purpose. An understanding of what happiness and contentment actually looked like. Why was the game he loved making him so miserable? He’d begin to find answers through sharing the struggles of others.

“Throughout my life, I was always the youngest to do things, which added hype that I didn’t want. … I was just lost. I was confused and overthinking if this was what I wanted or what others did. It took many moments sitting, thinking and crying.” — Coco Gauff, Behind The Racquet

IN THE 16 months since launching Behind The Racquet, Rubin has shared more than 135 stories while building a following of more than 40,000 people on social media. The posts have shown the human side of sport, shining a spotlight on everything from eating disorders and speech impediments to the death of a parent and battles with depression and anxiety.

“These are humans. They have pitfalls,” says retired American tennis star James Blake, who has contributed to the site. “It’s great for young players to get that perspective. In the past, it was all kept secret. But this will help so many realize they’re not alone. It’s OK. And it’s a positive to get help.” Blake believes the pressure in tennis and other individual sports is unlike any other.

“That’s why some of the best talent isn’t always the best performer,” he said. “Every tennis player can tell you about a guy who beat them in practice but couldn’t put together the results when it came time to perform.”

Rubin does the interviews for most of the posts, then paraphrases those conversations into the subject’s voice. In one of his early interviews with his friend Darian King from Barbados, Rubin discovered that King had lost his mom in 2010 to pancreatic cancer, which he did not previously know.

“I stopped the interview,” Rubin said. “I just felt so sorry. I felt like an awful friend. But it wasn’t on him or me. It was on everybody. There just isn’t a platform to feel comfortable talking about things like that.”

Noah Rubin has featured Coco Gauff, Madison Keys, Petra Kvitova and other stars on Behind The Racquet. Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

In early 2019, Rubin connected with Jolene Watanabe, who upset Jennifer Capriati in the 1997 Australian Open. Watanabe was fighting appendix cancer and wanted to spread a message of hope and resilience. Rubin planned to run the post a few weeks later. But then he received a message from Watanabe’s husband, Sylvain Elie. The couple had just returned from the Mayo Clinic, and the news was not good. Doctors told Watanabe she had two weeks to live. She was saying her final goodbyes. Elie asked Rubin whether he could put her on Behind The Racquet before she died.

“She was basically bedridden,” Elie said. “She wasn’t using her phone that much. I told her you might want to check Behind The Racquet. She was emotional about it. It meant a lot to her.”

Added Rubin: “Here’s this dumb idea I had jet-lagged, and it becomes one of someone’s final wishes. I can’t even compute and articulate what that means. If anything, it just shows I have to keep doing this.”

In April, L’Equipe, the daily French sports newspaper, included Rubin as one of six active players in its list of the 20 most influential people in tennis. The other five: Federer, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams. The paper referred to Rubin as a “lanceur d’alerte,” a whistleblower.

There’s now a Behind The Racquet podcast, merchandise and long-term talks of a docuseries and a tabletop book. Rubin hopes to share the stories of athletes in other sports while also connecting with Talkspace, an online therapy platform, and developing mental health camps through the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

“It’s grown into something far bigger than I could have imagined,” Rubin said.

“It always affects me when people judge without any thought. It is one thing to argue but to think your opinion is the best never makes sense.” — Daniil Medvedev, Behind The Racquet

IF THERE’S ONE thing all professional athletes know, it’s that everyone has an opinion. For Rubin, it started with the passive-aggressive comments of neighborhood parents when he would miss a birthday or bar mitzvah for a tennis tournament. As a professional, it’s become the gamblers, who Rubin says reach out on social media with everything from “Your mom should die in hell” to “Hitler should have killed your people.” “The most racist, homophobic, sexist, anti-Semitic comments you can imagine,” he says. “It’s incredible.” Now the topic is Behind The Racquet. There are those who insist Rubin is complaining because he is not good at tennis, others who suggest Behind The Racquet is a distraction getting in the way of his tennis potential, and still others who insist just the opposite, that tennis is getting in the way of Behind The Racquet and his mental health work.

“Everything changes depending how I played that day,” he said. “I’m always like, ‘Just pick one, people.'”

Ignoring some fans’ wishes, Rubin intends to continue pursuing both his tennis passion and his work in mental health awareness. Barrington Coombs/Getty Images

For now, Rubin’s plan is to pursue both lanes. It’s become normal for Rubin to compete at a tournament and have a competitor tell him that he appreciates the site or that he’s thought about how he would share his own story.

“On the most basic of levels, it’s gotten people to think about these things, maybe even speak to others about them,” he said.

Rubin has spent the coronavirus pandemic back in New York with his girlfriend, practicing on the streets while using his free time to focus even more on Behind The Racquet. He says he has more than 30 interviews in his queue.

On a personal level, he has finally found a balance of happiness and contentment. His game is as strong as it’s been, he insists. And even when he does inevitably struggle, he has learned how to handle it better.

“It’s become an extreme form of therapy,” he said. “You have these deep conversations and begin to understand there is more to life than tennis. There’s more to tennis than tennis. And you can’t give up your happiness to get to the top.”

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airoasis · 7 years ago

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Motivation a type in final week of CFL Fantasy

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NHL

Toffoli leads Kings' early barrage in win over Leafs

Scheifele's hat trick leads Jets over Stars

Cullen sparks Wild in win over Price, Canadiens

Giordano, Smith help Flames beat Pens in OT

Stone, Anderson lead Sens past Wings

Hextall: Flyers won't acquire D amid injuries

Channelling Astros, Vegas gives Leafs best odds to be 2019 champs

The Quiz: What's the worst pick 6 this season?

Housley: 'We almost shot ourselves in the foot'

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Avs' Varlamov makes 57 saves in win

Miller scores in OT, Rangers beat Lightning

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Eller scores twice, adds assist as Caps beat Isles

Ovechkin starting social movement for Putin

Kapanen gets big chance against Kings

Leafs Ice Chips: Kapanen's big chance to play with mentor Komarov

CFL

Finale for Stamps, Bombers a battle of backup QBs

Tiger-Cats ready to give their all against Als

LeFevour confident with West semifinal home field on the line

Stamps still focused on beating Bombers to get set for playoff run

Motivation a key in final week of CFL Fantasy

Reilly, Ray among team finalists for outstanding player award

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Ruffles Crunch Time: From one great country and league to another

Nichols ruled out, LeFevour to start Friday vs. Stamps

Davis disappointed, feels he should be starting this week for Bombers

3 Downs: How concerning are injuries to Nichols, Harris for Bombers?

Huddle Up: Should Riders keep playing both Bridge and Glenn?

Hervey hoping for CFL return

Eskimos' Thompson out for the season

Shiltz to become 12th post-Calvillo starter for Alouettes

Coombs will start at running back in Argos' regular season finale

Banks, Masoli, Reilly named CFL top performers

CFL Fantasy: Rainey takes advantage of his opportunity

NFL

Forte rushes for two TDs, Jets run over Bills

Report: Texans' Watson tears ACL

Colts shut down Luck for season

Jones' numbers are down, but he's not sweating it

Schultz’s Week 9 picks: Take the Lions at Lambeau

49ers' Garcon on IR with neck injury

Browns WR Gordon could return this month

Game of Throws: Bills, Eagles are trade deadline winners

Statistically Speaking: Changes coming at running back

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Report: Osweiler to start at QB for Broncos

Irvin shakes his head at the latest screw up by the Browns

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After motion denied, PA seeks to block ruling so Elliott can play

Beyond the Scoreboard: How everybody can win from NFL protests

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Lillard nails game winner as Blazers top Lakers

Warriors crush injury-riddled Spurs

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Cavs forward Thompson out 3-4 weeks

NBA to hold lottery in Chicago next spring

Celtics' Hayward back in gym, but no timeline for return

Murray leads Nuggets' rout of Raptors

Cavs drop 4th straight as Pacers roll

Irving, Celtics beat Kings for sixth straight

Butler's late points lift T-Wolves over Pelicans

Simmons, Embiid dominate in 76ers' win over Hawks

Harden's 31 points lead Rockets past Knicks

Fournier, Gordon help Magic top Grizzlies

Warren's career night leads Suns past Wizards

Heat top Bulls to end three-game slide

Walker, Monk lead Hornets past Bucks

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Okafor asks Sixers for buyout

George, Thunder cruise to win over Bucks

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A Blue Jays free agency primer

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Future Watch: Arizona Fall League edition

Angels, Upton agree on five-year, $106M deal

Dodgers face decisions, luxury tax bill in off-season

Nats' Martinez: 'We're here to win the World Series'

A's exercise Lowrie's $6 million option

White Sox' Soto declines option, becomes free agent

Twins' Sano to undergo surgery for leg injury

Nats hire ex-Mets, ex-Yankees hitting coach Long

Mariners decline options on Iwakuma and Gallardo

Astros beat Dodgers for first World Series title

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Dempsey nets two as Sounders eliminate Whitecaps from playoffs

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Milan held to tie; Atalanta, Kyiv advance in Europa

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No. 25 Iowa State upsets No. 4 TCU in low-scoring game

No. 7 Clemson rebound for victory over Georgia Tech

No. 3 Georgia thumps rival Florida

No. 8 Miami stays unbeaten, tops North Carolina

No. 5 Wisconsin holds off Illinois, stays unbeaten

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St-Pierre, Bisping trade barbs ahead of UFC 217

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Del Potro beats Haase in third round of Paris Masters

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Wozniacki advances in WTA Finals

Federer moves on at Swiss Indoors

Shapovalov falls in second round to Mannarino

Garcia advances at WTA Finals

Federer, Del Potro, Cilic advance to Basel quarters

Venus Williams reaches semifinals at WTA Finals

Del Potro beats Sousa in quest for third Basel title

Wawrinka needs coach after Norman leaves

Federer beats Tiafoe in at hometown Basel event

Sock rallies to beat Pospisil at Swiss Indoors

Williams needs more than 3 hours to beat Ostapenko

Golf

Whee shoots 65 to take Las Vegas lead

Report: Olympic to get PGA, Ryder Cup

Hot putter leads to fast start for Taylor

Tiger's back, but there's a lot to be addressed

Rose keeps alive streak of winning every year since 2010

Silverman's top 10 an important finish

Woods to play in Hero World Challenge

Armour shoots 68, earns 1st career win at Sanderson Farms

Rose wins title at HSBC Champions

PGA: Sanderson Farms Championship - Rd. 4

Kerr wins in Malaysia with birdie on last hole

Johnson leads at HSBC Champions

Armour takes five-shot lead at Sanderson Farms

Woods pleads guilty to reckless driving

Johnson grabs lead with new putter at HSBC Champions

Armour takes one-shot lead at Sanderson Farms

Toms makes ace, shares lead at Sherwood

Feng shoots 65 to lead Sime Darby

Johnson would welcome a PGA shot clock

Landry, Spaun among leaders at Sanderson Farms

Hockey Canada

Spooner calls Olympic funding 'amazing'

Canada continues search for hockey talent ahead of Olympics

Canada unveils 2018 hockey jerseys

TeamSnap partners with Hockey Canada

Spooner scores twice as Canada beats U.S.

Scrivens, Lee on Canada's pre-Olympic roster

Labonte sees great development in Canadian goalies

Canada's women's team falls to U.S. in pre-Olympic matchup

Bonhomme: Coyne, Decker and Knight overpower Team Canada

Davidson discusses challenges of assembling Olympic roster

66 players chosen to represent Canada at 2017 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge

Renney discusses Canada's Olympic expectations

Olympic gold medalist Watchorn announces retirement

IIHF release Olympic hockey schedule

Canadian women's forward Campbell retires from international play

Olympian Labonte retires from women's hockey

Hockey Canada contacts Doan and Iginla for Olympics

Regina hockey legend Tuer dies at 87

McBain leads Canada over Czechs to win Ivan Hlinka

Canada beats Sweden to advance to Ivan Hlinka final

Curling

Simmons finds right fit alongside three young guns ahead of Pre-Trials

Gushue, Jones capture Masters title in Lloydminster

Big names highlight field at men's Road to the Roar Pre-Trials

Anybody's game at women's Road to the Roar

WCT Recap: Edin defends at Champery, Roth surprises at Canad Inns

WCT Recap: Carruthers defends title at Canad Inns

Canada takes silver at mixed curling worlds

Brier to be held in Brandon in 2019

Mourning the passing of Ray Turnbull

WCT/CCT Recap: Gushue, Homan just keep on winning

WCT/CCT Recap: World champions Gushue, Homan victorious

Canada to face Brazil for men's worlds curling berth

WCT Recap: Gunnlaugson, Tippin, Englot pick up wins

WCT Recap: Jacobs, Sinclair take home Shorty Jenkins

What you need to know for the women's curling season

What you need to know for the men's curling season

Curling worlds to stay in Canada until 2020

Gushue downs Walstad to claim Tour Challenge

Team Gushue captures Everest Curling Challenge

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bigyack-com · 5 years ago

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Australian Open: ‘Old school work ethic’ pays off for immaculate Roger Federer - tennis

Roger Federer has never lost in the first round at the Australian Open since his debut 20 years ago, and the Swiss great kept his incredible record intact Monday, attributing “old school work ethic” for his Melbourne Park success. The 38-year-old swatted aside Steve Johnson 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 to race into the second round, kickstarting his bid for a 21st Grand Slam title in immaculate style.Federer said ahead of the tournament that he had low expectations at the year’s opening Grand Slam after missing the warm-up ATP Cup to spend more time with his family.It left him short of match practice, but it didn’t show on Rod Laver Arena against the American.“I think for me really the first three rounds are key to get going, to get used to the pressure, stay calm, when to save breakpoint or 30-all points or whatever it may be,” he said.“This is sort of the unknown that can be a little bit scary at times.“But today there was none of that because I broke early each set and was able to get on a roll, play freely after that.” The crowd favourite knew he needed to get out of the blocks fast against the world number 75 and that’s what he did, racing to a 4-1 lead in the opening set before a 10-minute interruption for the roof to be shut due to rain.Federer returned and wrapped up the set in just 27 minutes.Johnson, known for his big forehand and slice backhand, again gave away service breaks early in the next two sets and there was no way back against a man who delivered some jaw-dropping returns and forehands.He will next play either French qualifier Quentin Halys or Serbian Filip Krajinovic, admitting “I have to be careful”.“Round-by-round, point-for-point mentality. I know other guys that are playing extremely well right now so I think it’s just important to stay very calm about things.” - ‘Learning from mistakes is key’ - Seeded three, Federer is gunning for not only a 21st Slam title but his seventh in Australia, having most recently tasted success at Melbourne Park in 2018.His earliest exit in Australia since 2000 has been the third round, and the Swiss star said hard work was key to his longevity.“At the end of the day, old-school work ethic, there is nothing wrong with that,” he said.“I do believe if you’re in a slump, not feeling well, whatever it may be, knowing how to train hard, when to train hard, with who to train hard, there is nothing wrong when it goes to those things.“And learning from your mistakes is key, as we remember our losses more than our wins. It’s just important that when you do lose, you know, you really make the most of it, because it’s actually an opportunity.” Despite his age, Federer remains a competitive force and won four singles titles last year.But he failed to add another Grand Slam with his closest call coming in the Wimbledon final, where he lost a five-set epic to Novak Djokovic.In contrast to his 2019 Major drought, Djokovic and Rafael Nadal won two apiece, with the Spaniard moving within one Slam title of Federer’s record 20. Read the full article

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pancaspe · 7 years ago

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Lin-Manuel Miranda and Vanessa Nadal in Collaboration with Prizeo Offer a Chance to Join Them at the London Opening Night of Hamilton to Benefit the Natural Resources Defense Council

Press release on NRDC.org

New York, NY —Lin-Manuel Miranda, his wife Vanessa Nadal, and Prizeo, the online platform that democratizes giving, announced today that they are offering the chance for one lucky fan and a guest to attend the West End opening night of the musical Hamilton in London on December 21, 2017.

Beginning Nov. 13, Miranda and Nadal are inviting fans to make a donation to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and UK-based nonprofit 10:10 at prizeo.com/hamilton. For only $10, donors will receive 100 entries for the grand-prize opportunity to join the opening night celebration in London’s West End, including two VIP tickets to the performance at the Victoria Palace Theatre, two tickets to the exclusive opening night after-party, a meet-and-greet and photo with Lin-Manuel, roundtrip airfare, and hotel accommodation for two at five-star Hyatt Regency London – The Churchill, located in the heart of London. The Prizeo campaign closes Dec. 6.

Lin-Manuel and his wife Vanessa announced this campaign with a video in partnership with NRDC and 10:10. Watch here: prizeo.com/hamilton.

“With Hamilton’s first international production, we think it is appropriate to tackle an issue that affects the international community: climate change,” Miranda said.

Vanessa Nadal continued, “Yes, climate change is real. The U.S. federal government just this month released a comprehensive scientific report concluding that humans are the major cause of global temperature rise. And we see that humans around the world are paying the cost with extreme weather events and resulting devastation. We want to bring awareness and help slow the tide.”

NRDC is an international environmental nonprofit working to safeguard the earth—its people, its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends—for nearly 50 years. NRDC’s team of scientists, lawyers and policy experts are at the forefront of the international fight against climate change, from informing United Nations negotiations, to blocking the Trump administration’s attempts to derail U.S. progress, and building up clean energy sources from America to Asia.

“From hurricanes to drought, wildfires to heat waves—no one, and nowhere, will be untouched by the impacts of climate change,” said NRDC President Rhea Suh. “Despite the Trump administration’s best efforts, the international community is responding. We must continue to work together to usher in a brighter, more prosperous tomorrow for our children and for future generations.”

In honor of the Hamilton opening in London, a portion of the funds will support 10:10, a London-based organization, which brings people together to take positive, practical action on climate change, at home, work, school or in their community. From installing solar panels, cooking up a vegan feast, celebrating the power of onshore wind, or lighting up places with LEDs, they are dedicated to cutting carbon. The funds raised through this initiative will support a tree-planting project in 10 communities at risk of flooding in the UK. Through the project, 10:10 is aiming to plant 100,000 trees between fall 2018 and spring 2019.

“While many around the world are already feeling the impact of a changing climate, we’re still not doing enough to protect them,” said Amy Cameron, Director of Operations at 10:10. “But we have many of the solutions, what’s needed now is action – at a local, national and international level. Hamilton reminded us of the incredible things people have done in the past to create a better world for the future, now it’s up to us to do the same.”

The Mirandas and Prizeo are coming together as concerned citizens to work together for change.

“We are thrilled to be closing out the year with yet another incredible opportunity to join our friend Lin-Manuel Miranda at Hamilton,” said Jan Friedlander Svendsen, Chief Creative Officer of Charity Network, Prizeo’s parent company. “Not only can we not wait to see the show in London – especially the portrayal of King George – but we’re genuinely honored to work with Lin-Manuel and his family, all of whom are genuine philanthropists. The Mirandas never shy away from taking on challenges, big or small. Climate change is an urgent global issue, and NRDC is the perfect partner to affect meaningful change.”

This campaign is launching in London with the support of official hotel partner the Hyatt Regency London – The Churchill, official promotional partner OfficialLondonTheatre.com and official media partner BroadwayWorld.

The Hamilton in London campaign runs from Nov. 13 through Dec. 6 at prizeo.com/hamilton.

#lin manuel miranda #vanessa nadal #ham4earth #prizeo #vanessa nadal quote

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mastcomm · 5 years ago

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For Novak Djokovic, the Goal Is Still Titles, but ‘More Than That’

MONTE CARLO — Outside an office building not far from where Novak Djokovic resides, a Lamborghini was parked on a street lined with luxury hotels, restaurants and sports cars.

Inside, Novak Djokovic was talking about hard times.

“Ten Deutsche marks, I remember 10 Deutsche marks,” said Djokovic, the 16-time Grand Slam singles title winner who went into the Australian Open this week as the reigning champion.

As he spoke, he slammed his hand on a conference room table, just as his father, Srdjan, had once slammed a 10-mark bill on the kitchen table of their cramped rented apartment in Belgrade.

This was during the violent breakup of the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s. Djokovic does not remember precisely when, but he remembers his father’s words.

“Ten Deutsche marks was like 10 dollars, and my father said, ‘This is all we have,’” Djokovic said. “And he said that more than ever we have to stick together and go through this together and figure out the way. That was a very powerful and very impactful moment in my growth, my life, all of our lives.”

By 1999, Djokovic and his family had found a way for him to leave Serbia at age 12 for Niki Pilic’s tennis academy in Munich, the start of his journey toward the top of his sport.

Djokovic has shown remarkable resilience and drive, spurred by the memories of growing up in the midst of conflict, privation and uncertainty.

But at age 32, after earning more than $100 million in prize money and hundreds of millions more from sponsorships, he is in a very different time and place.

He explained that he and his wife, Jelena, and their children — a 5-year-old son, Stefan, and a 2-year-old daughter, Tara — start their mornings in Monaco by greeting the day on the balcony of their apartment, which overlooks the Mediterranean Sea.

“We wake up early, because I take my son to school, so we prepare our juices in the morning in the kitchen, and then we go out and watch the sunrise, and then we do our hugging session and singing session,” he said. “And we do a little yoga.”

Djokovic chuckled, a bit self-consciously. But he believes the private ritual reflects how he has changed. In his view, he is no longer playing tennis to prove himself but to improve himself and the lives of those around him.

For the first 15 minutes of an interview last month, there was no need (or opportunity) to ask a question. Djokovic, who rarely gives in-depth interviews about his personal life but speaks in long, sometimes meandering paragraphs, shook hands firmly, took a seat and started riffing, apologizing intermittently for the monologue.

“Everybody talks about trophies, achievements, records, history, and I’m really blessed to be in a position to be one of the guys in the mix and in the midst of these kinds of conversations,” he said. “I am really grateful for the career I’ve had, but for me right now, tennis is more a platform than an obsession about individual achievement.”

And yet the tennis world is perhaps more focused than ever on individual achievement as Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal jostle for history and championships. Collectively, they have dominated men’s tennis for a decade.

Nadal has won 19 Grand Slam singles titles, just behind Federer’s 20, the record for men. Djokovic’s 16 rank him third, and he has a good chance for more if he continues to move, compete and serve as well as he has recently. He is nearly one year younger than Nadal, and six years younger than Federer.

Djokovic, like Nadal, is playing down the title race even if, unlike Nadal, he has made it clear that Federer’s career record is an objective. He recognizes that the numbers and his staying power present an opportunity.

“I don’t see tennis anymore only as I’m going to go there, and I’m going to win the trophy, do everything possible to achieve that, and once that’s done it’s done, and that’s the only reason I’m playing,” he said. “I’ve finished with that kind of chapter in my life. I guess through the evolution of my life I came to the stage where it’s more than that.”

He and Jelena want to grow their family foundation, which is focused on early childhood education. They want to finish a book on wellness and help answer the questions Djokovic says he gets about how to live a purposeful, healthy life.

Djokovic at this stage is speaking similarly to another champion when he was in his early 30s: Andre Agassi, the once-tormented American who found new energy for tennis after founding a school in Las Vegas, his home city.

Djokovic was never as conflicted about tennis as Agassi. But Agassi, now 49, helped coach Djokovic during one of the most difficult periods of his career — 2017 and early 2018 — before an elbow operation finally helped him shake free of a funk. Agassi, who never had a formal contract with Djokovic, has said he thought his friend was too slow to have surgery. But the two remain close, and Djokovic said he sees parallels in their lives and careers.

“He was one of the very influential people in my life, who actually allowed me to come to all of these realizations even more,” Djokovic said. He added: “If you see things from a larger perspective, it’s quite interestingly the same in terms of understanding what the next step in life is. I will eternally be grateful to him.”

Two of the current Big Three are relatively easy to label. Nadal is the fighter, the supreme in-the-moment competitor. Federer is the pleaser, preternaturally elegant on the move or at rest. But Djokovic, less beloved on a global scale than his rivals, has been harder to pin down. Perhaps his description should spring from that elusiveness. Call him the searcher.

“He is a searcher,” said Marian Vajda, his longtime coach and confidant. “It seems that the things are perfect, but suddenly he wants to change in some way.”

Through the years, Djokovic has switched to a gluten-free and dairy-free diet, practiced meditation and visualization and tinkered repeatedly — and not always successfully — with his service motion. He has used a personal hyperbaric chamber during tournaments. Most recently, he split with an analytics consultant in part because Goran Ivanisevic, one of Djokovic’s coaches, believed they needed get to back to “more basics” and not rely on “all these numbers.”

But Djokovic is committed to experimentation.

“There are so many athletes, so many tennis players, who play so well in practice, and then it comes to the match, and it’s a different story,” he said. “You might have a good match or two or a good month or two, but how can you consistently be there? That tonic or formula of success is like a holy grail for any athlete. How can I really optimize everything and be in a balanced state of mind, body and soul every season for the rest of my career and really be able to peak when I need to?

“I think the No. 1 requirement is constant desire and open-mindedness to master and improve and evolve yourself in every aspect. I know Roger has been talking about it, and it’s something I feel most top athletes of all sports agree on. Stagnation is regression.”

For Vajda and for Djokovic, the restlessness helps explain the pull of the philosophical. Djokovic is trying to channel some of his innate fire and temper it, too.

“There were the years when he was very impatient,” Vajda said. “All the time, he was saying, ‘When, when, when am I going to be No. 1?’ And I would say, ‘When it arrives, just be patient but we have to do certain things in a proper way in order to get there.’”

Djokovic can be a challenging pupil and a challenging personality. On the court, there are still times when he seems most effectively and evidently fueled by anger.

But there is also an emerging side, reflected in his marathon victory over Federer in last year’s Wimbledon final, when he saved two match points and prevailed in a five-set duel that for all its brilliant points of light and fight, felt above all like a battle of concentration with neither player wanting to break out of his tennis-sensei bubble to give the other any emotional fuel.

It was a strikingly different vibe from that of another epic final: Djokovic’s 2012 Australian Open victory over Nadal, which was full of fiery fist pumps, bulging eyes and grinding rallies that, after nearly six hours, left neither man able to stand at the awards ceremony.

“The Australian Open was an out-of-body experience,” Djokovic said. “But in Wimbledon I was more conscious of what was happening to me.”

It has been just about an hour since the interview began, and there is a knock on the door. Djokovic gets up as the door opens to reveal a slightly stooped figure wearing a sweatshirt with the hood up: Agassi.

He is in Monte Carlo, advising another player, Grigor Dimitrov, and they have the conference room booked for a team meeting.

Agassi and Djokovic do a double take.

“Do you believe in coincidences?” Djokovic says in a booming voice.

“Never, never, never,” Agassi says.

They exchange an embrace and news, including an update on Agassi’s son with his wife, Steffi Graf — Jaden, a talented pitcher who has committed to play baseball at the University of Southern California.

“The Yankees were in the house the other day, so the draft is always possible,” Agassi says. “It’s scary, different than tennis in that you don’t eat what you kill. The next level has to believe in you to get a chance.”

Agassi makes it clear he still believes in Djokovic.

“Life’s not done, and I understand everybody is still playing,” Agassi says of the Big Three. “But he’ll be recognized as the best.”

Djokovic says it helps to have a clear purpose, even if it is a different purpose.

“I had to find my reason,” Agassi says. “It’s so important to have that reason.”

Agassi soon excuses himself, and Djokovic begins speaking about parenthood. He knows he will not be slamming a 10-euro note on his kitchen table. He wants his children to know about his childhood but not to be burdened by it.

“I definitely don’t want my kids to go, ‘Oh my God. Here he goes again, saying I didn’t have this, I never had that, and you have everything,’” he says. “I don’t want that because my kids are born in this family in this way and these circumstances, and I respect that.”

There is soon another knock on the door. This time it is Dimitrov. They need the room, and Djokovic needs to pick up Stefan at school.

Down the stairs, into the street and past the Lamborghini, Djokovic breaks into a run, dodging traffic with a backpack slung over one shoulder.

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biofunmy · 5 years ago

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For Novak Djokovic, the Goal Is Still Titles, but ‘More Than That’

MONTE CARLO — Outside an office building not far from where Novak Djokovic resides, a Lamborghini was parked on a street lined with luxury hotels, restaurants and sports cars.

Inside, Novak Djokovic was talking about hard times.

“Ten Deutsche marks, I remember 10 Deutsche marks,” said Djokovic, the 16-time Grand Slam singles title winner who went into the Australian Open this week as the reigning champion.

As he spoke, he slammed his hand on a conference room table, just as his father, Srdjan, had once slammed a 10-mark bill on the kitchen table of their cramped rented apartment in Belgrade.

This was during the violent breakup of the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s. Djokovic does not remember precisely when, but he remembers his father’s words.

By 1999, Djokovic and his family had found a way for him to leave Serbia at age 12 for Niki Pilic’s tennis academy in Munich, the start of his journey toward the top of his sport.

Djokovic has shown remarkable resilience and drive, spurred by the memories of growing up in the midst of conflict, privation and uncertainty.

But at age 32, after earning more than $100 million in prize money and hundreds of millions more from sponsorships, he is in a very different time and place.

“He is a searcher,” said Marian Vajda, his longtime coach and confidant. “It seems that the things are perfect, but suddenly he wants to change in some way.”

But Djokovic is committed to experimentation.

For Vajda and for Djokovic, the restlessness helps explain the pull of the philosophical. Djokovic is trying to channel some of his innate fire and temper it, too.

Djokovic can be a challenging pupil and a challenging personality. On the court, there are still times when he seems most effectively and evidently fueled by anger.

“The Australian Open was an out-of-body experience,” Djokovic said. “But in Wimbledon I was more conscious of what was happening to me.”

He is in Monte Carlo, advising another player, Grigor Dimitrov, and they have the conference room booked for a team meeting.

Agassi and Djokovic do a double take.

“Do you believe in coincidences?” Djokovic says in a booming voice.

“Never, never, never,” Agassi says.

Agassi makes it clear he still believes in Djokovic.

“Life’s not done, and I understand everybody is still playing,” Agassi says of the Big Three. “But he’ll be recognized as the best.”

Djokovic says it helps to have a clear purpose, even if it is a different purpose.

“I had to find my reason,” Agassi says. “It’s so important to have that reason.”

There is soon another knock on the door. This time it is Dimitrov. They need the room, and Djokovic needs to pick up Stefan at school.

Down the stairs, into the street and past the Lamborghini, Djokovic breaks into a run, dodging traffic with a backpack slung over one shoulder.

Sahred From Source link Sports

from WordPress http://bit.ly/2TUSgD3 via IFTTT

#IFTTT #WordPress

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bharatiyamedia-blog · 5 years ago

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Weekend Sports activities in Temporary

http://tinyurl.com/y5ce55t3 NBA TORONTO (AP) — Klay Thompson scored 25 factors earlier than leaving with a hamstring harm, Stephen Curry had 23 and the Golden State Warriors ran off the primary 18 factors of the second half on their method to a 109-104 victory over the Toronto Raptors that tied the NBA Finals at one sport apiece. With Kevin Durant already out and Thompson ultimately becoming a member of him within the fourth quarter, the Warriors relied on a champion’s coronary heart to beat their weary our bodies. Andre Iguodala, himself sluggish to stand up after a tough fall within the first half, made the clinching 3-pointer with 5.9 seconds left after the Raptors scored 10 straight factors to chop it to 106-104. Kawhi Leonard had 34 factors and 14 rebounds for the Raptors. They’d gained 5 straight since falling behind 2-Zero within the Jap Convention finals. BASEBALL NEW YORK (AP) – David Price lastly gained at Yankee Stadium for the primary time with the Boston Red Sox, backed by early homers from J.D. Martinez and Xander Bogaerts in an 8-5 victory over New York. Boston stopped a four-game dropping streak and improved to 1-Four towards the Yankees this season, stopping a three-game sweep in a collection shortened by a rainout. Thunder and lightning crackled within the eighth inning of this one as New York tried to rally in a short rain towards frazzled reliever Matt Barnes, who appeared extremely uncomfortable on the mound even after the grounds crew utilized drying agent. Barnes spiked pitches, kicked on the mud, walked consecutive batters and balked dwelling a run. He gave up three runs earlier than lastly settling down and getting out of the inning. Brandon Workman tossed a scoreless ninth for his second profession save, each this 12 months. The third-place Purple Sox moved inside Eight 1/2 video games of the AL East-leading Yankees, who’ve a 2 1/2-game benefit over Tampa Bay. New York misplaced for under the fourth time in 19 video games. NHL ST. LOUIS (AP) – Patrice Bergeron and the Boston Bruins‘ greatest gamers took the criticism to coronary heart. They weren’t ok by means of the primary two video games of the Stanley Cup Closing and wanted to be higher. They usually have been. The celebs got here out on Saturday night time and led Boston to a 7-2 rout of the St. Louis Blues to take a 2-1 collection lead. Bergeron and defenseman Torey Krug every scored a objective and had two assists, David Pastrnak scored his first objective of the collection and the highest power-play unit was an ideal Three for 3. Boston chased Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington, silenced actor and Blues tremendous fan Jon Hamm and a raucous crowd that was fired up for the primary Cup Closing sport in St. Louis in 49 years. The Bruins survived an preliminary onslaught after which took it to the house group. Sport Four is Monday night time. FRENCH OPEN PARIS (AP) -Stan Wawrinka superior to his first Grand Slam quarterfinal in two years, outlasting Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-6 (6), 5-7, 6-4, 3-6, 8-6 in a 5-hour, 9-minute check of excellence, endurance and feelings on the French Open. He’ll subsequent face his pal and Swiss countryman Roger Federer, who hasn’t dropped a set to this point within the event. The 37-year-old Federer beat 68th-ranked Leonardo Mayer of Argentina 6-2, 6-3, 6-Three to change into the oldest males’s singles quarterfinalist in Paris since 1971. Becoming a member of Federer within the quarterfinals, oddly sufficient by the identical rating, was 11-time champion Rafael Nadal, who was by no means troubled by 78th-ranked Juan Ignacio Londero of Argentina. The 2 girls’s quarterfinals established Sunday: 2017 U.S. Open champion and 2018 French Open runner-up Sloane Stephens vs. No. 26 seed Johanna Konta, and No. 31 Petra Martic vs. 19-year-old Marketa Vondrousova. GOLF DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) – Patrick Cantlay bought one other handshake with Jack Nicklaus, this time because the Memorial winner. Beginning 4 pictures behind, Cantlay closed with an 8-under 64 for a two-shot victory. It was the bottom last spherical by a winner in event historical past, and it moved the 27-year-old Californian into the highest 10 on the earth. Martin Kaymer, attempting to finish 5 years and not using a victory, began with a two-shot lead and by no means recovered from back-to-back bogeys on the again 9. Adam Scott was the final participant with an opportunity to catch Cantlay when he ran off three straight birdies to get inside two pictures, however he fell brief. Cantlay first met the event host in 2011 when he gained the Jack Nicklaus Award as the highest participant in faculty at UCLA. Story continues CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) – Jeongeun Lee6 is No. 1 on the U.S. Girls’s Open. The 23-year-old South Korean shot a 1-under 70, enduring some shaky moments after opening up a three-stroke lead with three to play to carry off third-round co-leader Celine Boutier. Lee6 was forward by three after a birdie on the par-5 15th, however took bogeys on the 16th and 18th to present Boutier an opportunity over the ultimate two holes. However Boutier missed an extended birdie try on the 17th and put her strategy to the par-4 18th in a bunker. Her sand shot rolled off the inexperienced. Lee6, taking part in two teams forward of Boutier, was practising putts when the Frenchwoman couldn’t make the sand shot. Lee6 bent down in pleasure when her victory was safe, countrywoman and 2011 U.S. Girls’s Open winner So Yeon Ryu coming over to embrace the brand new champion. Lee6 completed at 6-under 278 to assert the USGA’s first $1 million girls’s winner test just a few days after Tiger Woods’ former swing coach, Hank Haney, made disparaging remarks about girls’s golf by predicting a ”Korean” would win and ”I might go along with Lee.” Lee6 has the quantity in her title as a result of she was the sixth participant with the title on the Korean LPGA. AUTO RACING LONG POND, Pa. (AP) – Kyle Busch gained at Pocono Raceway to maneuver right into a tie for ninth on the NASCAR Cup Sequence victory record. Busch, who topped 200 profession wins throughout all three nationwide collection earlier this season, gained for the 55th time in Cup and matched Corridor of Fame driver Rusty Wallace on the record. Busch had the dominant automobile down the stretch and gained for the primary time in practically two months. Busch has spent many of the previous few months complaining about NASCAR’s present guidelines bundle designed to extend side-by-side racing and manufacture competitors. When he was again within the pack, Busch had no hassle passing the leaders at Pocono. Busch took off on the ultimate restart with 9 laps left and cruised to the end line for his 13th top-10 end in 14 races this season. Busch and Martin Truex Jr. had been the category of the sector this season however Truex was knocked out with an engine situation within the No. 19 Toyota. He had gained three of the final 5 races. Kevin Harvick was nipping at a win till a botched pit cease and a cracked steering field took him out of rivalry. Brad Keselowski was second and Erik Jones third. DETROIT (AP) – Scott Dixon has had a number of memorable days as a five-time IndyCar champion. There is a good probability he’ll always remember what occurred Sunday. Dixon gained the Detroit Grand Prix, his first victory of the 12 months and 45th of his profession, simply hours after being honored by Queen Elizabeth II. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver from New Zealand completed practically 2 seconds in entrance of rookie Marcus Ericsson, Will Energy, Ryan Hunter-Reay and Alexander Rossi. Indianapolis 500 champion Simon Pagenaud completed 17th after colliding with Patricio O’Ward and Tony Kanaan on the opening lap. Josef Newgarden, who gained Saturday on Belle Isle, was capable of return to the race after being knocked out of it following an accident with James Hinchcliffe and completed 19th within the 22-car discipline. Felix Rosenqvist spun out late within the 70-lap race, bringing out a crimson flag to doubtlessly set the stage for a dramatic end. The race resumed with 4 laps to go and nobody may catch Dixon’s Honda-powered automobile. Dixon trails simply A.J. Foyt and Mario Andretti in IndyCar wins and solely Foyt has gained extra championships within the open-wheel collection. Dixon gained for the third time on Belle Isle, tying Helio Castroneves for essentially the most victories on the highway course alongside the banks of the Detroit River. BOXING NEW YORK (AP) – Andy Ruiz had six weeks to arrange for the battle of his life. He’ll have a lifetime to have fun one in every of boxing’s largest stunners in heavyweight historical past. Ruiz flattened Anthony Joshua twice within the seventh spherical and capped one in every of boxing’s largest upsets to win his share of the heavyweight championship Saturday night time at Madison Sq. Backyard. Ruiz gained it at 1:27 by TKO within the seventh spherical to change into the shock champ in a bout that had shades of Buster Douglas’ upset over Mike Tyson in 1990. Ruiz barely was on anybody’s heavyweight radar when he was summoned as a alternative to battle champion Joshua in entrance of a packed Backyard. All he did was dominate the British champion. The 270-pound Ruiz knocked down Joshua twice within the third spherical and did it two extra instances within the seventh earlier than referee Mike Griffin ended the battle. Source link

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todaynewsstories · 6 years ago

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Tennis: Tip-top Federer ‘where I want to be’ for Shanghai defence

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Roger Federer warned Novak Djokovic and his other Shanghai Masters rivals on Tuesday that he was in prime condition even as another long season approaches its climax.

Roger Federer says he is in top condition for his title defence. AFP/Johannes EISELE

09 Oct 2018 03:31PM(Updated: 09 Oct 2018 03:33PM)

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SHANGHAI: Roger Federer warned Novak Djokovic and his other Shanghai Masters rivals on Tuesday that he was in prime condition even as another long season approaches its climax.

The 37-year-old Swiss has been carefully managing his schedule in recent years, cutting out the clay-court segment of the season since 2017 to wring the most out of his ageing body.

It appears to be working and the 20-time Grand Slam winner opens his defence of the Shanghai Masters this week in ominously good shape.

The world number two played in a victorious Laver Cup campaign in Chicago two weeks ago, following his surprise last-16 defeat to the Australian John Millman at the US Open.

“The good thing is after feeling good in practice I played a good Laver Cup, have had also some rest after the US Open,” said Federer.

The Swiss great’s prime threats in Shanghai are likely to come from world number three Djokovic – who is in fine form – and fourth-ranked Juan Martin del Potro.

World number one Rafael Nadal, beaten by Federer in last year’s final of the Masters 1000 showpiece, is absent with injury.

Del Potro, who was hindered by cold and flu in losing Sunday’s China Open final to unseeded Nikoloz Basilashvili, said in Beijing last week that he was running on empty.

Not so Federer, it seems, who is seven years older than the Argentine.

“I feel like I’m where I want to be,” Federer said.

“I know that this is where I could be playing a lot of tennis, depending on how I play.”

Reflecting on his 2018, which included winning the Australian Open and several weeks back at world number one, Federer said: “I have actually been very successful when I played.

“I didn’t play many poor matches, to be quite honest. There is only maybe a couple that come to my mind and I have been injury-free for over a year now.”

Federer, who is chasing his fourth title this season, will face either Chinese wildcard Zhang Ze or feisty Russian Daniil Medvedev in his opener.

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freebetalerts-blog · 6 years ago

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2018 US Open Tennis: Men's Draw Preview & Betting Tips

(New post on FreeBetAlerts.com) - https://freebetalerts.com/2018/08/27/2018-us-open-tennis-mens-draw-preview-betting-tips/ #Tennis

2018 US Open Tennis: Men's Draw Preview & Betting Tips Please share.

Welcome to my preview and betting tips for the Men’s draw of the 2018 US Open Tennis Championship. Qualifying certainly threw up a lot of unpredictable results, so will we be seeing the same in the main draw over the next fortnight? It is great to see so many of the top players fit and participating in the tournament, with a few ranked lower than usual, causing some commotion in some sections of the draw, and opening up opportunities for other players. It is the first time in a while that we have Nadal, Federer, Djokovic, Murray, Wawrinka and Del Potro all in contention. Can anyone bridge the gap to Federer, Nadal and Djokovic? Will one of the NextGen team put their hand up and make a name for himself on the big stage? Only time will tell. Below you will find that my preview is split into 8 sections. I feel this is the best way to approach looking at quarters, particularly when there is a heavy favourite within the group (as it helps highlight where their may be value on a bigger price for a player that wouldn’t encounter the favourite until later in the quarter). Free Competition – Win an Ace Tennis Previews Subcription Service for FREE! Before we get started, you can win yourself a free subscription to the Ace Tennis Previews service in our free US Open Competition. Simply retweet this article as posted by the Before You Bet twitter account to go into a random draw. The winner will be chosen at 9pm Monday night – if you’re an existing Ace Tennie Previews subscriber then you will receive access to the service for the rest of the year for free! If you’re a new subscriber, you’ll get access to the US Open subscription service for free! Just retweet the Before You Bet post of this article to be in the running to win! In addition if you’re interested in joining, Ace is offering a 20% discount on the service currently, with another 20% off if you use the code USOPEN2018. Check out Ace Tennis Previews on Twitter for more details. Quarter 1 – Top Section Main players included: Nadal, Khachanov, Sock, Edmund Unseeded surprise packets: Nil I actually wanted to take a look at the odds for the whole quarter before I saw where each player fell within the section. On form, I was taken aback to see Khachanov as $20+ to win the quarter, but a potential 3rd round clash with Nadal doesn’t help his cause. On form I would put him as a good chance of beating the other seeded players in this section, and the quarter, however it may be more worthwhile seeing how he is playing in what should be straightforward round 1 and 2 matches and then assessing the potential play against Nadal in some capacity when the time comes. Edmund just hasn’t quite shown enough for me over the last couple of months. He has struggled a bit with the finishing touches on his game since Wimbledon, and some of that can be put down to his struggles with tonsillitis, barely being able to practice for periods after the grass season wrapped up. Jack Sock? Not sure anyone can select him on his form this year. Has faded out at times in the best of 3 sets arena, so I am not sure how he is going to fare in best of 5 sets in these conditions. No real surprise packets here, unless a player brings their absolute best form and maintains that level. Considering they aren’t seeded, history would suggest that those players are unable to maintain that level. Players include Basilashvili, Muller and Pospisil. I will pass on those, although may select them if the correct match-up arises. The main name here is Nadal, and with the courts playing slow through qualifying, in a similar fashion to last year where he claimed the title. I think if Nadal brings his best tennis, and one has to assume that he will as he is stepping on court, then his biggest worries lie in the other half of the draw. Unless a player like Khachanov plays lights-out tennis, which is harder to sustain over the best of 5 sets than it is the best of 3 sets the rest of the year, then Rafa looks good to come out of this section. Quarter 1 – Bottom Section Main players included: Thiem, Bautista-Agut, Shapovalov, Anderson Unseeded surprise packets: Rublev, Querrey, Johnson Bit of a funny little section here, but the fact that all of these guys get to avoid Nadal until a potential quarter final suggests why the 2nd/3rd/4th favourites to win this quarter come from this section. That being said, it is a bit of a lottery because a lot of the big names aren’t exactly in a great deal of form. Last year’s finalist Kevin Anderson is the first one to keep an eye on this fortnight. When he plays with confidence, like he has at most Grand Slams this year, his top tennis can match it with the absolute best. Not many can say they have gone the distance with Roger Federer on Centre Court at Wimbledon and come out on top the way that he did last month, however the transition back to the hardcourt hasn’t gone as smoothly as I had expected for him. He struggled in his first match against Donskoy, before overcoming Ivashka and Dimitrov. He then found himself losing to Tsitsipas from a commanding position, nearly blew a 6-1 TB lead against Chardy (won 8-6), and then lost to Goffin 2-6 4-6. I think the odds on offer for him are a touch low for my liking, in what looks to be an open draw for whoever turns up and plays their best. It is hard to gauge Roberto-Bautista Agut purely because he hasn’t been on the court recently. A few months ago he sadly lost his mother, and he hasn’t played on court for a month now. In fact he has played one tournament since he retired in Halle in late June, where he made the final in Gstaad on clay. His best tennis is right up there with the top players in the game, and he needs to be respected in this section. Dom Thiem is a hard one to catch. On one hand you watch his best tennis and cannot help but be amazed with what he can do on the tennis court. On the other hand, his decision making under fatigue, which occurs a lot due to his busy scheduling at times, leads to some poor shot selection and some losses that he perhaps shouldn’t endure. Thiem has had an up and down run with injury, however looking at the information coming out of his camp, and Thiem’s mouth, he looks to be implying that although he hasn’t spent as much time on the practice court, he is ready to go physically for what he calls his “favourite slam” – something that surprises myself and I am sure many others. I think Thiem is going to pop up as good value early in the Slam, however as the opponents become more difficult, he could be found wanting here with less match practice. Shapovalov will fall into the category of one of the great unknowns leading into this tournament. His best tennis is absolutely blistering, I just don’t know if I can trust him to maintain that level of effort across the best of 5 sets for enough matches to make a Semi Final push here and get out of this quarter. If he does, my opinion of him will go through the roof. Of the others, you have to respect Rublev, Querrey and Johnson as opponents, however with Rublev still on the comeback trail, fitness may be a worry. The other two are probably undone by the speed of the courts, as they may find it a bit more difficult to hold serve consistently against better returners of serve.

Quarter 2 – Top Section Main players included: Del Potro, Coric, Tsitsipas, Verdasco Unseeded surprise packets: Murray, Medvedev Quite the loaded section here, and one I don’t think I want to get involved in for a few reasons. The first is the fitness and form of Del Potro. A former champion here, Del Potro hasn’t had the best start to the hardcourt swing, and I don’t think there is any value in his price. To be honest, he even looks too short in round one against Donald Young. Coric, Medvedev and Tsitsipas need to show me a bit more at best of 5 set level before I become interested in a play on them, and you don’t quite know what you are going to get from Verdasco, and then how Murray will go in the best of 5 format off such little tennis. Tough call – perhaps Tsitsipas has the best chance of any at his price to stake a claim. Quarter 2 – Bottom Section Main players included: Isner, Dzumhur, Raonic, Dimitrov Unseeded surprise packets: Wawrinka Matching with the top part of this quarter, there are a couple of incredibly solid players in this section as well. Isner has never quite lived up to expectations at the US Open, so I am happy to pass over him at his odds available. I think the main player you can make a case for in this section is Milos Raonic. He has Grand Slam experience deep in tournaments, he has solid recent form (including 3 set loss to Djokovic last week), and will only have to play one of Dimitrov/Wawrinka as they both play each other in the first round. I am also happy to exclude Dzumhur due to injury concerns. At the odds, Milos Raonic seems to be the best value of any player in this section, and when you consider he is in the other part of the draw to the quarter favourite in Del Potro, it could also allow for some good trading opportunities later in the tournament if that is your thing.

Quarter 3 – Top Section Main players included: Cilic, Mannarino, Cecchinato, Goffin Unseeded surprise packets: Haase, Tiafoe, De Minaur Not going to spend too much time in this section – Cilic should make his way to the Quarter Finals if he brings something close to his best tennis. Goffin is coming in under an injury cloud, and Mannarino and Cecchinato have not set the world on fire of late on hardcourt. The only way I see Cilic being troubled is if the courts are in fact even slower than they were last year. Quarter 3 – Bottom Section Main players included: Scwartzman, Nishikori, Krajinovic, Zverev Unseeded surprise packets: Monfils I am all for a potential 3rd round between Schwartzman and Nishikori. I think we will have a fair indication of how these guys are playing after a couple of rounds, and looking through the form, you would have to think that unless Krajinovic is absolutely 100% fit, then Nishikori and potentially Schwartzman are the only two players that can prevent a Zverev Quarter finals appearance here. If Zverev brings his best tennis to the table, with the addition of Ivan Lendl, I won’t be opposing him a great deal this week. That being said, he has still had his moments in best of 5 tennis (really struggled against Gulbis at Wimbledon), so it is worth monitoring him in the first few rounds instead of backing him to win it all outright. Not a lot of standout value through the quarter, where I predict a Cilic/Zverev Quarter Final, which I tend to lean to the Croatian due to experience.

Quarter 4 – Top Section Main players included: Djokovic, Gasquet, Pouille, Carreno-Busta Unseeded surprise packets: Mayer Hard to see Novak being troubled through the first four rounds of this tournament, unless something goes horribly wrong. It is amazing what a few months can do, and this have really changed since his French Open loss to Cecchinato. You could perhaps make a case for Carreno-Busta or Pouille at their absolute best, but it is hard to stake a claim for either of them on their recent form. Quarter 4 – Bottom Section Main players included: Federer, Kyrgios, Fognini, Chung Unseeded surprise packets: Paire In a tournament where I feel Roger Federer may struggle for the first time in a while, he is surrounded by enigmatic players capable of absolutely anything on their day. It is hard to know how fit Kyrgios is for this, but a potential third round clash with Federer would be incredible viewing. Watch out of Fognini – he has played well here in the past (see comeback win over Nadal from 2 sets to 0 and a break down), and his early draw is very favourable. Momentum could really build for him and I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see him in the second week. His odds look far too long to win the quarter for someone who has a lot of upside when it all comes together – but could also lose round 1 in straight sets. Part of my reason for opposing Federer is that I think the slower hardcourt just doesn’t play in his favour at all, especially against the likes of Nadal/Djokovic, as well as the bigger hitters on tour (ie Kyrgios). I think he has been found wanting on a few occasions late in best of 3 set tennis (ie vs Coric on grass) and didn’t look to match Djokovic for long patches last week. That auro of invincibility doesn’t quite carry across to Flushing Meadows lately, and as a result I am happy to take him on. Again I would happily be proven wrong as he is one of my favourite players to watch, but the dip has to come at some point, and I think he may get knocked out in this quarter. Novak seems the logical play, with a smaller play on Fognini a suitable option at $70+. Other bet to consider – Roger Federer Stage of Elimination Rounds 1-4 ($3.25 at Unibet)

Summary of Draw Bit of a funny draw that brings about some very juicy matches in the first week, which may be a sign of things to come with only the top 16 to be seeded in Grand Slams next year. That being said, I have had trouble splitting both Djokovic and Nadal in this one, as I have them a touch ahead of Federer/Zverev/Cilic. If the courts play similar to last year (and last week in qualifying), then the speed of the courts definitely favour Djokovic/Nadal moreso than Federer/Cilic/Zverev, but it will be interesting to see how the courts play and perhaps make some observations as the tournament progresses. If I had to pick one player to win, it would be Rafael Nadal. My favourite suggestions for the tournament from a value perspective are: Raonic to win Quarter 2 ($7 at Bet365) Nadal/Djokovic as ‘Name the Finalists’ ($5.50 at Bet365) Don’t forget to retweet this column as posted by the Before You Bet twitter account to go into a draw to win a free subscription to the Ace Tennis Previews service!

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crystalracing · 6 years ago

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9:51 amJuly 14, 2018

Gavin Thomas

In my younger years I raced bikes and karts at club level. Later on I played cricket and squash and coached squash. It took me half my life to work out the most important components required to play sport. 1 – level head, 2 – strong core, 3 – soft hands, 4 – quick feet and 5 – knee position.

There are several other components required to transgress from good to exceptional but those five are important. Roger Federer has all five plus several more. Rafa Nadal does not have soft hands or correct knee position but he makes up for it in other areas. Bike racers certainly need all five components and Rossi and Marquez are good examples. It is not possible to determine if car racers have them due to the nature of the sport but I have always made the assumption that the smoother driver possess them. On that basis I would say Jim Clark, Jackie Stewart and Alain Prost are likely candidates and they may therefore have talent had in all sports.

My top five using this as a measuring criteria are Muhammad Ali, Valentino Rossi, Roger Federer, Andre Joubert and Jonah Barrington.

9:48 amJuly 14, 2018

redline

A few points to add some depth to the topic, which is really interesting:

1. In the days of Hailwood and Surtees, the cars were not aero dependant. With current F1 cars braking and cornering performance are a function of downforce, which generates grip. Learning to exploit downforce is a skill best acquired through a progression through various single seat formula. Grip on MotoGP bikes is essentially independent of aero (yes I know they have winglets, but effect is minor).

2. That said, Rossi and Lorenzo were allegedly quick… although no one has provided any lap-times or data to quantify. But it’s the last 10ths that make a difference between being an Ericsson and a Hamilton.

3. The g-force are completely different. Braking on MotoGP is 1.3-1.5g whereas in F1 it is over 6g at Monza. Similarly peak cornering forces are less than 2g on a MotoGP whereas can be over 6g in F1.

4. Riding a bike at the limit is probably a greater challenge for psychological reasons. I think the fear of falling and the perceived risks are a huge limit – it takes a special kind of nut-case to explore the limits of a MotoGP bike at the Waterfall / Turn 11 of the Sachsenring…

5. The technical skills are probably quite different because the dynamics are so different. Cornering on a motorcycle is counter-intuitive because you have to counter-steer – pressure on the inside bar, rather than the outside. Grip is also far more dynamic – a function of lean angle (contact patch changes) and weight transfer (loading) which is greatly affected by body positioning. Braking is completely different – in F1 you apply max pressure at the start of braking to exploit the downforce, and then bleed-off the pressure as you lose downforce. On a motorcycle, if you do that you would lose the front or flip end over end because of the weight transfer, so you have to build up the pressure, which peaks once the bike has settled. Roll is a major difference too – negligible on an F1 car, but can be well over 60deg in a motorcycle flicking across a change in direction. I think that managing the pitch/roll/yaw “transients” is completely different – more rapid rate of change in an F1 car, but greater dynamic range and more variables to manage on a Motogp.

6. Situational awareness. Have a look at the Assen MotoGP race from a few weeks ago. There were often 5-6 bikes in a corner at the same time, practically on top of each other, swapping paint. Made some of the recent moves we’ve seen in F1 look really cack-handed! I think the proximity, and finesse in managing lines and making moves in MotoGP would freak out the average F1 driver.

7. Another area where I think a MotoGP rider is advantaged is the feeling for tyre grip. Ferrari were extremely surprised at Rossi’s sensitivity and feeling for tyre grip across the 4 corners. This is likely due to motorcycle riders having to do far more active management of grip through lean angle and weight transfer. That said, the tyre characteristics of the current Pirelli’s is obviously tricky, and would possibly confound a MotoGP racer.

7:06 amJuly 14, 2018

Mick

I think it all comes down to feel. The bike rider has a greater sense of feel because the slightest tyre movement has a bigger affect on the trajectory of the bike than it does on the car, meaning the bike rider must judge corner entry more carefully.

The biggest difference between the 2 disciplines is corner entry lines, & this is what stops a lot of riders becoming good drivers.

I believe Rossi could well have made the transition, had he not chosen to remain in Moto GP, as the article has alluded to, but the latest candidate that could transition is Marc Marquez.

Marquez has the skills required, as shown by his play day in Austria, as well as the drive to achieve champion status, but more importantly, he still has time on his side.

Personally, I would enjoy seeing Marquez leave MotoGP, as I believe (as do many I speak with) he is the most dangerous rider in half a century, & if he tried his stupidly dangerous tactics with the 4 wheel boys, I expect they would feed Marquez into a few walls to assist him in learning some respect for racing room.

But Yes, I would love to see somebody join the list with Surtees.

12:20 amJuly 14, 2018

Brian

It is much more difficult to ‘try stuff’ on a bike. You could maybe brake 5 meters later and hit the apex but if you are wrong you will be eating tarmac and tyre walls. I’ve raced both open wheel and bikes (road racing). With open wheel you can try for 105% of the limit and you probably won’t break anything when it goes wrong. In road racing if you ever try 100.000000001% of the limit then you are screwed and it is going to be painful and expensive….but mostly painful.

I can’t see anyone rivalling Surtees as the approaches are entirely different. On a bike you start at maybe 95% and then increase a tiny bit at a time until you get to ‘f**k me that was close’. In a car you start at 90%, look at the data, try 100% which may be 98% or 105%, look at the data and adjust accordingly.

It still takes balls of steel and a ton of skill to drive a fast car quickly. I think most of joe public would probably soil themselves if you put them in the back seat of the safety car.

9:34 pmJuly 13, 2018

Carlos Marques

The basic skill set of an elite MotoGP rider can be applied to driving an F1 car fast- racing line selection, consistent and late braking points, tire management, fitness, lightning fast hand-eye coordination to make instant corrections, and the ability to feel the car.

F1 drivers are missing some of the basic skills to ride a bike fast- use their body to lean into corners, separate front and back brakes, power slides, etc.

In fact, I think MotoGP riders are more suited to drive F1 cars than drivers from other racing series like NASCAR or NHRA.

#motogp #f1

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cleopatrarps · 6 years ago

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Wimbledon proving barren ground for women

LONDON (Reuters) – The top women’s seeds continued to be scattered at Wimbledon on Wednesday, with Caroline Wozniacki’s exit meaning five of the top eight were gone before the end of the third day.

Tennis – Wimbledon – All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain – July 4, 2018 Madison Keys of the U.S. celebrates winning the second round match against Thailand’s Luksika Kumkhum REUTERS/Andrew Boyers

An unprecedented 11 men’s seeds and 10 on the women’s side failed to make it past the first round at the All England Club as the form book was ripped up.

American Madison Keys, the 10th seed, made sure she was not amongst the casualties when she beat Thailand’s Luksika Kumkhum 6-4 6-3 on Wednesday, and there were also wins for ninth seed Venus Williams and number seven Karolina Pliskova.

But so far the women’s tournament has proved wildly unpredictable — even if seven-time champion Serena Williams has made things look easy with two routine victories.

Wozniacki’s defeat by Ekaterina Makarova together with Sloane Stephen’s first-round defeat on Monday means Simona Halep will remain as world number one even if she too joins the long list of title contenders to bite the dust.

“I think it just shows the depth of women’s tennis right now,” the 23-year-old Keys told reporters.

“I think at the beginning of a tournament, you’d never know who’s going to win. There are no 100 percent winners anymore. I think every single match is competitive.”

As well as U.S. Open champion Stephens, former Wimbledon champions Petra Kvitova and Maria Sharapova lost on Tuesday.

“It’s hard. Everyone’s playing hard. No one’s giving you anything for free. Today I didn’t get anything for free. In my first round, I didn’t get anything for free,” Williams, who beat Bulgarian qualifier Viktoriya Tomova 6-1 6-4, told reporters.

Tennis – Wimbledon – All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain – July 4, 2018 Madison Keys of the U.S. serves during the second round match against Thailand’s Luksika Kumkhum REUTERS/Andrew Boyers

The 23-time Grand Slam champion remains the benchmark for women’s tennis even if her long absence from the Tour means she arrived at Wimbledon with a ranking of 181.

The scramble to seize control in her absence has been intense but inconclusive and shows just how wide open the women’s side of the draws has become when Williams is absent.

After the 36-year-old American won the 2017 Australian Open, five different players won the next five women’s majors.

“There’s just an abundance of talent but it’s very unpredictable at the top,” three-time Wimbledon champion Chris Evert said on the eve of Wimbledon where she is working as a summarizer for broadcaster ESPN.

“There’s 10 women that can win a Grand Slam. It’s unpredictable. It’s still wonderful to watch.”

Slideshow (4 Images)

Halep, who moved easily into round two, said seeds were even more vulnerable at Wimbledon where players often arrive with little grasscourt practice.

“Here on grass, you don’t know what to expect,” the Romanian said. “Some players can play best tennis. The top players can play a little bit less. You never know.”

The men’s draw has already lost sixth seed Grigor Dimitrov, 10th seed David Goffin and number seven Dominic Thiem, the latter due to an injury during his match.

French 18th seed Lucas Pouille was cast aside on Wednesday by Austrian qualifier Dennis Novak, ranked 152 places below him.

Yet there is still more predictability at the top of the men’s game with Federer and Rafael Nadal sharing the last six Grand Slam titles and Marin Cilic reaching two finals.

Former world number one Mats Wilander believes the men’s game could use a few more seismic shocks and thinks a reduction to 16 seeds from 32 next year could help.

“I think (the seeds going out) it’s way more positive than negative for women’s tennis,” Wilander, working as Eurosport’s lead analyst at Wimbledon, told Reuters.

“I hope that men’s tennis goes that way where we see more upsets. It’s great to follow Federer and Nadal, but I think 16 seeds would shake up the men’s draw.”

Reporting by Martyn Herman; editing by Clare Fallon and Hugh Lawson

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party-hard-or-die · 6 years ago