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The Australian Open

AO 2024 Women’s Day 9

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Dayana Yastremska knocked off two -time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka 7-6 (6), 6-4 to start the final week of the major with her first trip to a Grand Slam quarter-final.

The 23-year-old Ukrainian ranked 93rd will play for the semi-finals against Czech teen prodigy Linda Noskova, who advanced to a career best after opponent Elina Svitolina was forced to quit after losing the first three games of their fourth-round match with back pain.

Yastremka sealed the upset against 18th seed Azarenka with a break for 4-3 and the second set and seized victory three games later as she sent a winning into the corner after just over two hours.

The outsider from qualifying rounds finished with 37 winners as she played through fatigue.

 “Today I felt a little bit tired,” the winner said. “But I looked at my box and they were telling me to try and just play two shots (on each point).

“But I’m tired just standing here even if I’m pretending not to be.”

Yastremska’s previous best at a major was the Wimbledon fourth round five years ago.

“I need to breathe, my heart feels like it’s jumping out of my body. But I’m a fighter, that’s why I won this match.

“I like to play aggressive, but I don’t like making mistakes.”

Noskova, who knocked out world No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the third round, spent just 20 minutes on court before Svitolina had to quit their match.

“I got a spasm, a shooting pain in the last two points of the first game,” Svieolina said.

“I could not do anything,  it completely blocked my back.

“It’s just very sad of course. I’ve never had anything like this before.

“It came out of nowhere, it felt like someone shot me in the back.”

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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