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The US Open

Gauff pours cold water on Sabalenka title dream

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Coco Gauff splashed herself in the face with water during a pause after losing the first set of the US Open women’s final to Ayna Sabalenka.

And the shock wet awakening worked wonders for the 19-year-old as she fulfilled her tennis dream with a 2-6, 6-3, 6-2  comeback victory over the newly crowned world No. 1 to win the home Grand Slam title.

The first American woman to lift the New York trophy since Sloane Stephens in 2017,said she gave herself a serious talking-to in the off-court restroom after dropping the opener to her Eastern European opponent.

“I went to the bathroom because I was nervous. I was washing my hands, I put some water on my face, and I was, like, Okay,
I’ve got to just reset and redo it,” she said.

“I went into this match like it was any other match. I honestly wasn’t nervous going in. 

“She was just playing great tennis, and I knew today was going to be one of those problem-solving tough matches because she’s a tough opponent.

“I’m obviously happy with the result.”

The winner’s accomplishment fulfilled the hopes which accompanied her breakthrough as a young teen who won her first title in Linz in 2019 as a lucky loser from the Austrian qualifying rounds.

Saturday’s victory at Flushing Meadows capped a standout summer hardcourt season for the Florida player, who has surged on cement since losing in the Wimbledon first round.

She picked up a 500 series title in Washington last month and then won Cincinnati a fortnight later to move into position for her Open triumph.

‘When I lost the first set I still felt I was into the match,” she said.  “I said I would  give it my all, whatever happens happens.

“Even on  match point, 40 – love, technically the match was on my racquet. 

“It didn’t feel like I had (almost) won. It was crazy. I was just trying my best to just focus on the point ahead of me.”

Gauff’s Grand Slam title came less than 18 months after she lost the Roland Garros final last season to Iga Swiatek.

“This (2023) French Open (quarter-final finish) is honestly where it changed,” she said.

“I felt pressure to back up the final, and I obviously didn’t. So I had to to reset.  Wimbledon was a tough, tough loss.

“I thought I was playing good tennis leading up to that.”

Gauff said her title performance at Flushing Meadows “wasn’t really a change in the match mentality. I felt like I was playing as good as I could in the moment. 

“She’s a tough power player, you’re always playing on your back foot honestly against her. I was just trying my best.”

Gauff said the match tide turned thanks to support from her home crowd of 24,000 in the Ashe stadium.

“The momentum did shift a little bit when I passed her on the backhandcrosscourt pass and I got the crowd involved, 

“After that I just felt like I knew I was coming home with this (trophy).

ATP

Positive vibes after RG takes player crisis meeting

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The peace talks came after a Friday interview boycott by most top players, who limited their pre-event interactions with media to 15 minutes while snubbing TV broadcasters.

Players are asking for a larger share of Grand Slam prize money, aiming for a rise from 15 to 22 per cent, a figure well below payouts in other spots.

French federation (FFT) officials promised a response to the demands in the immediate future. Confrontations with Wimbledon and the US Open are also likely to proceed during the Paris fortnight.

The Australian Open has already sided with the players when the issue first arose earlier this season.

The FFT “has committed to responding to the players’ proposals in the coming weeks,” the ruling body said.

Players are seeking a closer involvement in the big decisions of the sport along with increased health insurance and retirement benefits.

Sinner, with USD 56 million already in career prize money at age 24, might do well to follow the example of retired icon Roger Federer, who earned 130 million on court and much more off it,

The Swiss, reportedly now a tennis billionaire, often said he would not be needing his ATP pension but was happy to work on behalf of other  players.

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Strasbourg

Raducanu plays coaching lottery with return to her OG

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Emma Raducanu has gone back to the future with her latest choice of coach, choosing to re-group with the mentor who helped her to a US Open title five long years ago.

The Briton whose career has been a patchwork of changing coaches and near-constant injuries and illness since her 2021 big day in New York, revealed she has re-employed Andrew Richardson, her OG coach.

The pair split not long after then-teenaged Raducanu won the Open title from an unprecedented qualifying start.

She has since struggled and wil head to Roland Garros from next Sunday with only one clay tournament, a late wild-card entry into Strasbourg.

“Grateful to have reconnected with someone who has known me for over a decade now and looking forward to building together one iteration at a time,” she posted on social media.

The WTA no. 30 has played just 15 matches this season – none on clay – with her last one more than two months ago.

Main photo:- Emma Raducanu with her coach, Andrew Richardson at the 2021 US Open

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The Australian Open

Wimbledon goes modern with electronic reviews

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Wimbledon will bow to the high-tech future by introducing limited electronic reviews of line calls on major courts at the Championships, the club revealed on Saturday.

The All England Club will allow the technology on showcourts including Centre Court, No. 1 and four others. During controversial moments, competitors will be allowed to ask the chair umpire for a review of the point in question.

The wizardry is coming late to Wimbledon having been used at the US Open since 2023 and later adapted by the Australian Open. Roland Garros relies on marks in its clay surface to determine line calls.

Under the rules, players can ask for the review any number of times, with electronic line-calling now in effect at the grass-court major for a second year after the 2025 elimination of human line judges.

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