The US Open
Sabalenka subdues dark flashbacks to reach second USO final
Aryna Sabalenka will try to go one step better than a year ago at the US Open as she faces Jessica Pegula in Saturday’s women’s final at the last major of the season,
The world No. 2 who lost the 2023 title match to Coco Gauff, will now face a test against another American after Pegula booked her spot with a 1-6, 6-4, 6-2 fightback over Czech Karolina Muchova.
Sabalenka moved through her semi-final with relative ease, defeating Emma Navarro of the US 6-3, 7-6 (2) but still had to grapple with outbursts from a pro-home crowd.
“That was a very difficult match,” Sabalenka said. “At the end of the second set I got a little emotional and had this little flashback (on a hostile crowd atmosphere) on last year’s final.
“I’m really glad for the lessons learned; I was able to control my emotions and close this match in two sets.”
She added: “With a sizable proportion of the notoriously rowdy New York fans cheering the home player – daughter of a hedge fund billionaire – Sabalenka had to submerge dark memories of poor form by the public from her loss to Gauff 12 months ago.
“Today wasn’t that crazy, actually. They (crowd) were loud, but during the point they were respectful and chill.
“Last year they were just super loud, even during the point. It was so loud, (that) it was blocking my ears… so much pressure.
“Today I was, like, No, no, no, Aryna, it’s not going to happen again. You have to control your emotions. You have to focus on yourself.
“There were people supporting me. I was trying to focus on them.
“I’m thinking, come on, there are so many people supporting you. There is your team in the box. There is your family. Just focus on yourself and just fight for it.”
Sabalenka produced her win in 93 minutes, hitting 34 aces and the same number of winners. Navarro went 13/13 while breaking the double Australian Open winner twice.
“I had really tough lessons here in the past, (and) so many opportunities that I didn’t use it for different reasons.
“I wasn’t ready. Then I got emotional. Then I just couldn’t handle the (2023) crowd.
“But every time I’m coming back here, I have this positive thinking; every time I’m hoping that one day I’ll be able to hold that beautiful trophy.”
The final will be a repeat of last month’s Cincinnati title match won by Sabalenka over Pegula, who will be competing in her first Grand Slam final.
Sabalenka,who missed the Olympics after picking up a shoulder injury at Wimbledon, admitted that being forced to lighten her summer playing load might have helped her at Flushing Meadows.
“I decided to sacrifice the Olympics for the hard court season – I have no regrets on that decision.
“It looks like it was the right one. We had a little camp before the hard court season. I was able to reset my mind and clean my thoughts and starteverything from the beginning.”
In the second semi, Pegula had to turn her match around after trailing 6-1, 2-0 against Muchova. one of the revelations of the fortnight as she makes a return from injury.
The 30-year-old American – also from a billionaire, pro sports team-owning family, began her fightback to become the oldest American woman to play her first Grand Slam final.
The New Yorker ran to the final after spring injuries which forced her from four 1000-level tournaments as well as Roland Garros.
But last month she won the Toronto title and lost the Cincinnati final to Sabalenka.
The winner of 15 of her last 16 matches was thrilled with her showing:
“That was quite the match,” Pegula said. “Obviously I’m happy to be here saying that I turned it around, but it was looking a little rough there for a while.
“Somehow I found a way and was actually able to play some really good tennis and keep that momentum through that third set and close it out.
“We had some really good tennis at the end of the second and into the third. I’m just happy with the way I was able to compete.”
Pegula said that holding serve for 1-2 in the second set and saving a break point helped her start reversing the momentum.
“The crowd really helped me get some adrenaline into me. I was just very, very flat. I wasn’t even nervous. I was just super flat, and she’s really tough to play when you’re flat.”
Pegula called her finals berth “amazing, a childhood dream. It’s what I wanted when I was a kid.”
She added: “I’m just happy to be in a final, but obviously I come here wanting to win the title.
“If you would have told me at the beginning of the year I’d be in the finals of the US Open, I would have laughed so hard, because that just was where my head
was, thinking that I would be here.
“To overcome all those challenges and say that I get a chance at the title Saturday is what we play for.
“To be able to do that in my home country here, in my home slam.. it’s perfect, really.”
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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