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The Australian Open

AO 2024 Women’s Day 6

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Holder Aryna Sabalenka wasted absolutely no time in burying Lesia Tsurenko 6-0, 6-0 on Friday to reach the Australian Open fourth round.

The invincible second seed spent just 55 minutes on court as she hammered home her double-bagel win over the Ukrainian ranked 33rd.

Sabalenka starts the business end of the 15-day major with just six games lost in three matches.

She will next line up against American Anisimova, who profitted from a mental health break which she took last season as she defeated former world No. 2 Paula Badosa 7-5 6-4, pounding out 40 winners.

“Paula is a very tough competitor. I had to dig deep. My stomach was starting to hurt in the last game of the match again. I’m happy I was able to finish,” Anisimova said.

“I was having bad stomach cramps, I just felt like I was going to throw up. It was a tricky situation, but I think the medical time-out helped me throughout the second set.

“I was still playing well, I was just trying to take my time.”

The Russian-born player earned her first spot in a Grand Slam fourth round for the first time in a year after taking a tennis pause last May to take up painting.

“The most important thing is I’m just enjoying my time out here,” Anisimova said.

“Taking a step away and just resetting myself, it gave me a different perspective going into these tournaments.”

The No. 442 who once stood 21st in the world and reached the 2019 Roland Garros semi-finals has reached the fourth round here for the third time after trailing 4-1 in the opening set.

She last won three matches in a row at Wimbledon, 2022.

Sabalenka is trying to become the first woman to defend the title here since Victoria Azarenka during 2012-2013.

Sabalenka produced the first love-love result of her Tour career and was satisfied with the effort.

“I’m just super-happy with the level I’m playing so far… hopefully it can keep going like this – or maybe better.

“I’m pleased with the win.”

With her losing record against Anisimova, Sabalenka will be taking the upcoming match extremely seriously.

“We’ve always had tough battles, I’m looking forward to a fight.”

Defending US Open champion Coco Gauff, the fourth seed, needed just 14 games and 63 minutes to dispatch American compatriot Alycia Parks 6-0, 6-2.

Teenaged prodigy Mirra Andreeva made a massive comeback to overhaul France’s Diane Parry 1-6, 6-1, 7-6 (10-5) to break fresh Grand Slam ground at age 16.

The youngster stayed cool under pressure as she won five straight games from  1-5 in the third set before her opponent rallied to take it into a 10-point match tiebreak.

No. 47 Andreeva  ran off a 7-2 lead in the decider, advancing to the fourth round on her second match point as Parry drove a forehand long.

Main photo:- 2023 title holder Aryna Sabalenka with her spoils

The Australian Open

Fashion-forward Osaka will tone it down at RG

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Tennis style icon Naomi Osaka has no plans to try for one-upmanship in the informal fashion stakes at Roland Garros.

The former world No. 1 from Japan has sometimes made more news with her style choices than her racquet, especially after taking time off several seasons ago to have a child.

But Osaka has run against the traditional tennis grain with some of her outfits, which included an exo-skeleton ensemble at January’s Australian Open, where she walked onto court for her opening match wearing a large hat, veil, and carrying a parasol combination and wearing a pair of pleated pants..

The clothing was discarded before the start revealing a tennis dress, with the quirky player explaining the get-up was inspired by “the jellyfish, then butterflies, which ties back to the butterfly moment I had here a long time ago, in 2021,” 

The world No. 16 also put on a fashion show at the spring Met Gala in New York, sporting a wedding dress-style garment combined with another huge hat..

For Osaka, it’s just another day in the office, but she said nothing special is planned when Roland Garros kicks of on Sunday in Paris.

“I don’t talk a lot, so that way I can talk through my clothes,” she said on Saturday prior to the start of the year’s second major.

“That means I can be as loud with colors or patterns or
fabric as I want.

“I think that’s the fun part.. I feel we lost that a little in tennis. I grew up with, you know, Serena’s and Venus’s (Williams) grand reveals (included beaded hair and catsuits on court).

“I know there are some kids or some people who are  similar to me that hopefully feel that same way about my outfits. 

“But, yeah, I am a little dramatic when it comes to my fashion sense.”

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ATP

Kyrgios due to resurface on German grass

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Nick Kyrgios is being touted for a return to tennis after playing just one singles match all season, with the controversial Australian due in the lineups for Stuttgart and Halle in June.

The 2022 Wimbledon finalist who turns 31 in a week, has been added to the entry lists for the pair of run-up events prior to the grass-court major which starts on June 29.

Kyrgios, who has missed months on end due to injury and motivational worries, has played just one Grand Slam match since 2022, losing in the Australian Open first round in 2025.

His lone outing this season was an ATP defeat in Brisbane on January 6.

Nevertheless, the acquired taste is feted as a crowd-puller and will have German organisers on alert as to his eventual availability.

“Nick Kyrgios has been one of the most ‌dazzling ⁠personalities in world tennis for years,” Halle tournament organisers said in a statement.

“The Australian is known for his exceptional playing style, characterised by one of the best serves on the tour, ⁠spectacular winners, and great creativity.

“At the same time, his emotional personality and charisma attract considerable attention far beyond the sport.”

Stuttgart start the day after the Roland Garros final while Halle follows a week later in northern Germany from June 13-21.

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ATP

Djoko dropping hints that career has short shelf life

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Novak Djokovic has been making it plain that the end of his career is approaching, with the 38-year-old dropping his strongest hint ever about his future on court.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion who has been keeping his ATP scheduling options open and has competed this season only at the Australian Open (finals loss to Carlos Alcaraz) and winning two rounds last month at Indian Wells.

“Tennis is still very important to me, but it’s no longer everything,” the Serb told Esquire Australia, adding that family matters and two children are starting to take precedence in his life.

“It’s one of the biggest challenges – finding the right balance between tennis and family life, especially as my children are growing and have school commitments, so they can’t travel with me as much as before.

“When I’m on the court, I’m motivated not just to win, but to set an example – to show them values like dedication, resilience, and love for what you do. That motivation is very powerful and very personal.”

Main photo:- Novak Djokovic was runner up to Carlos Alcaraz in AO26 – by ISF Ltd

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