The US Open
US Open Women’s Day 5
Top seed Iga Swiatek showed no mercy to friend and practice partner Kaja Juvan as the defending champion crushed the Slovene qualifier 6-0, 6-1 on Friday to book a predictable place in the US Open fourth round.
Swiatek, with four Grand Slam titles in her resume, extended her Flushing Meadows win streak to 10 matches as the Pole heads towards the business end of the final major of the season.
Swiatek and the 145th-ranked Juvan are best tennis friends with the pair going back a decade as juniors.
But the top seed put emotion on the back burner as she crushed her longtime mate in just 49 minutes to advance to her third consecutive victory in the one-way series.
“My level was high, and I didn’t make a lot of unforced errors,” Swiatek said. “I’m happy with my performance and overall with the way I started.
“I was disciplined and didn’t change my level till the end of the match.”
Swiatek added: “I wanted to focus on myself, and because I knew it would be a little bit harder for me to focus because (she’s) my best friend,
“I’m happy that I could do that and I was fully professional.”
Swiatek is working to defend a title for the fifth time in her career.
The Pole is also fighting off a challenge to her WTA ranking superiority and must advance one round further here than hot rival Aryna Sabalenka, the second seed.
Swiatek polished off the out-matched Juvan with 21 winners against just two for her opponent, with the winner never facing a break point
The top seed now takes on 2017 Roland Garros winner Jelena Ostapenko – a three-time winner in their series – who defeated Bernarda Pera 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 in a third-round encounter.
The comeback of former No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki continued at pace, with the Danish mother of two defeating American Jennifer Brady 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, with the 33-year-old winning 10 of the last 11 games.
“I played really, really well the last set and a half,” the Wozniacki said.
“I didn’t play for a very long time (January, 2020). I didn’t even touch my racquets. I didn’t know where they were.
“I didn’t miss (tennis). I’ve played since I was very, very young. It’s been part of my life and my lifestyle for so long. I needed a break.”
American Brady, 28, also has a comeback story (injury) after not playing for two years from late 2021.
“The toughest part is just not knowing when you’re going to compete again. The unknown is something that – it’s scary. It’s tough, but I’m here, I’m feeling pretty good,” the No. 433 said .
.The 10th-seeded Karolina Muchova hammered No. 132 Taylor Townsend 7-6 (0), 6-3 to equal her fourth-round best here from 2020 as she fought back from an early break down.
This season’s Roland Garros and Cincinnati finalist will aim for a breakthrough New York quarter-final in the next round as she plays No. 53 Wang Xinyu, who reached the second week of a major for the first time through a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 defeat of Anna Karolina Schmiedlova.
Muchova found 25 winners while Townsend hit 39 unforced errors in defeat.
“The match was played really, really great from the start,: Muchova said. “I’m glad I refocused very well for the (first-set) tiebreak – I played well there.
“At the start of the second set it was a little bit more in my hands.”
Main photo:- Mother of two children, Olivia and James,Caroline Woniacki celebrates victory – by Roger Parker International Sports Fotos Ltd
Rome Masters
Alarm bells ring as Raducanu quits practice
Emma Raducanu’s Wimbledon participation was flashing red on Saturday as the Briton quit a practice session while delaying her media availability by a day.
The Queen’s club finalist a fortnight ago stopped a training session with Anna Kalinskaya 10 minutes early while trailing 0-4 in a practice set.
The ove sparked frenzied British speculation about her fitness after the 2021 US Open winner was seen wearing a support cast on a foot earlier in the week.
Reports indicated that Raducanu might have been trying to avoid a mistake she made last month in Rome, where she did pre-event media and then withdrew injured from the Masters 1000 tournament.
Raducanu is due to begin her tournament in the first round against Croat Antonia Ruzic.
Main photo:- Emma Raducanu practices with her ankle strapped – by Roger Parker/ISF Ltd
Monterrey Open
Vekic needs five match points to win Queen’s
Donna Vekic dominated the opening set but had to come from a double break down in the second to win the Queen’s club title on Sunday 6-0, 7-6 (6) over Emma Raducanu.
The victory denied the British runner-up her first trophy since winning the US Open as a teenaged qualifier half a decade ago.
The one and three-quarter hour victory for the Croat lucky loser from qualifying round was match of two halves, with Vekic unchallenged in the first but made to battle before finally lifting victory with a second-set tiebreaker.
Raducanu was playing in her third career final and won her only title at the 2021 US Open. Vekic won her first trophy since Monterrey three years ago.
The 29-year-old Vekic, ranked 76th, was thwarted on her first four match point chances late in the second set.
Raducanu, cheered by a home crowd in west London, took the second set into a tiebreaker as Vekic drove long as the fight went into a decider.
The Brit rallied from 4-1 down before Vekic set up her fifth match point with a down-the-line winner and Raducanu’s shot landed wide a point later
The winner revealed that she had called upon her longtime coach from childhood to come join her team for the summer.
“Growing up and playing on the Tour, I was always jealous that the boys got to play on this grass,” she said of an event which only brought back the women’s event a year ago after a pause of half a century. .
“But since last year, we have the opportunity also.”
Vekic explained her coaching situation: “The coach that I worked with from age 12 agreed to come back and help this grass season.
“Without him, I would have not know about grass – my favourite surface. And without you I would not be here with this trophy.”
Raducanu made vast improvements this week which should aid her Wimbledon buildup.
“What a week it’s been,” the finalist said. “It was incredible for me to make the fina, playing in my home city where I feel the buzz.
“The crowd support was incredible and helped me to fight back in the second set.
“Today was a really tough match, Donna played well from start to finish.”
Raducanu will travel north for next week’s WTA event in Nottingham.
Main photo:- Lucky loser qualifier Donna Vekic wins Queens Title – by Mark Greenwood/ISF Ltd
ATP
Agassi seeking answers to Alcaraz wrist injury mystery
Andre Agassi is keen to unravel the mystery of the alleged wrist injury which has kept Carlos Alcaraz off court for nearly two months.
The 56-year-old Agassi asked the hard question during a tennis podcast, suggesting that the Spaniard owed the world an explanation on what is actually bothering him.
Alcaraz has not competed since April 14 in Barcelona, a day before handing in a second-round injury walkover, reportedly with a wrist problem
“It would be really helpful if he or someone close to him could clearly explain the exact nature of his injury, because at this point we can only speculate,” Agassi said.
Since his spring home pullout on home clay, Alcaraz has missed the Madrid and Rome Masters plus Roland Garros.
He is also out for Queen’s and Wimbledon with his availability for the North American summer hardcourt run a complete mystery.
“If it’s a form of tendonitis, is it a specific inflammation like dorsal capsulitis or a carpal tunnel syndrome-type issue? What exactly are we talking about, and what are the treatment options? I don’t know precisely what he has,” Agassi said.
The former world No. 1 American added: “If he only needs to manage pain or inflammation and opts for conservative treatment before considering surgery, then it’s a smart decision, even if it means missing some Grand Slam tournaments.
“If the situation is more serious and requires more complex interventions, the right decisions must be made very carefully, and the best specialists must be consulted. It is essential to allow the injury time to heal properly, because he still has many years of his career ahead of him.”
Despite his growing doubts, Agassi is able to look on the bright side of the situation.
“We could see an even more determined and aggressive Carlos Alcaraz upon his return, provided he manages to solve his only real problem right now.”
Main photo:- Carlos Alcaraz will miss Wimbledon this year – by Roger Parker ISF Ltd
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