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The US Open

US Open Women’s Day 4

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Second seed Aryna Sabalenka maintained her chase for the No. 1 WTA ranking with a comprehensive 6-3, 6-2 defeat of British challenger Jodie Burrage on Thursday to reach the US Open third round.

Unlike her opening victory which was played in heavy humidity, Sabalenka said she felt well into her comfort zone in her second outing at Flushing Meadows which took just 74 minutes.

“In the first match I didn’t feel well: it was super humid, I was sweating a lot, and the towels didn’t really work well for me.

“I kept sweating and couldn’t hold my racquet. I was really struggling and couldn’t serve.”

But those problems disappeared 48 hours later as she overwhelmed her 96th-ranked British challenger after taking weather matters into her own hands.

“I brought white towels to the match, so I was ready for whatever,” Sabalenka said.

“I was hoping that it’s (humidity) not gonna happen again. And I’m happy that it didn’t. I controlled better my serve, controlled myself better. and It wasn’t that humid today.”

Katie Boulter kept the flag flying for Britain with her 5-7, 6-1, 6-4 comeback to defeat Chinese qualifier Wang Yafan in nearly two and a half hours.

“It  was an absolute battle. I worked really, really hard. I had a lot of chances

in the first set,” the winner said

“I think there were a few nerves in the first. After that set I relaxed a bit and started to be a little bit more aggressive and it really paid off.

“In the end, I just dug it out. We played some really good tennis.”

Last month’s Wimbledon winner Marketa Vondrousova advanced over Italian Martina Trevisan 6-2, 6-2.It was the ninth straight win at a major for the Czech and puts her into a match against Ekaterina Alexandrova.

Eiina Svitolina sent over a tenth ace on her third match point to complete a 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 defeat of Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

The Ukrainian also asked the chair umpire during an early changeover if her husband Gael Monfils was on court yet for his match.

“This definitely was a very tough match, I didn’t play so well, it was up and down,” Svitolina said after reaching the third round here during her last seven appearances.

The player who gave birth to a daughter last autumn and made a return to the WTA in April said she has been working on bringing more aggression into her game.

“I’m not young now so I have to hit stronger and not run as much,” the 33-year-old said.

“I’m trusting my physical condition, I’m happy to be back playing these kind of matches.”

Main photo:- US Open Day 4 Katie Boulter celebrates as she wins second round match by Roger Parker 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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