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The US Open

Pegula sweeps Swiatek for semi-final spot

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Jessica Pegula beat world No. 1 Iga Swiatek to put a second American into the US Open semi-finals while breaking a personal barrier at the Grand Slams.

The sixth seed had never reached the final-four stage at a major, but crashed through that barrier with her 6-2, 6-4 upset of the Polish top seed 

She joins compatriot Emma Navarro in the semis after losing her first six grand Slam quarter-finals.

“I thought I played a really clean match, served pretty well, returned well,” Pegula said.  “I didn’t really do anything that bad, and was able to jump on her really early and frustrate her.

“I kept level even when she picked it up in the second set. I just played all-around really good tennis today.”

Pegula will play for the Saturday final against Czech Karolina Muchova, a winner over Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-1, 6-4.

Pegula has been making up for lost time after injury forced her to miss the first four Masters tournaments of the season.

She then won Montreal last month, played the Cincinnati final and stands on new ground in New York at age 30.

“I think today I wanted to come out playing the way I wanted to play,” Pegula said of her Swiatek win. “I could tell right away she was frustrated on the serve.”

Main photo:- Jessica Pegula celebrates quarter final win – by International Sports Fotos Ltd

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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