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Tommy Paul feels right at home on European clay. Swiatek to play Sabalenka in Italian Open final
Andrew Dampf, Associated Press | Updated May 16 - 3:44 p.m. | Save Story
Tommy Paul has produced the biggest clay-court result of his career at the Italian Open. And he's still going. The American beat ninth-ranked Hubert Hurkacz 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 to earn a spot in the semifinals at the Foro Italico after a straight-set victory over defending champion Daniil Medvedev in his previous match. Paul's semifinal opponent will be Nicolas Jarry after the Chilean rallied past Monte Carlo Masters champion Stefanos Tsitsipas 3-6, 7-5, 6-4. The other semifinal match will feature 2017 Rome champion Alexander Zverev against Alejandro Tabilo. Top-ranked Iga Swiatek will face No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka in the women's final.
Queen's Club to stage women's event next year in run-up to Wimbledon
The Associated Press | Posted May 16 - 9:25 a.m. | Save Story
The Queen's Club will stage a women's tennis tournament next year for the first time in more than a half-century though it may prove to be a one-off. The WTA event will take place the week after the French Open and usher in the start of tennis' short grass-court campaign. It puts it among the warmup tournaments for Wimbledon. The men's ATP Tour event will be held the following week. Male players have raised concerns that the quality of the grass at Queen's Club will be impacted by a women's tournament being staged there first. Lawn Tennis Association director Chris Pollard says the arrangement could end up only being for a year.
Top tennis players say they're playing too much because the tournaments are too long
Andrew Dampf, Associated Press | Posted May 16 - 5:49 a.m. | Save Story
The long-sought upgrade for the tennis tournaments in Madrid and Rome has been a bonanza for the organizers by expanding them from one to nearly two weeks. There are more competition days which means more tickets sold, more TV time and more money. But the players haven't been as enthusiastic. Recent Monte Carlo Masters champion Stefanos Tsitsipas says "You got to be some type of superhero to be consistent back-to-back 10 days in each event getting to the very end of it." Adds former No. 1 Victoria Azarenka, "We stretched the drama a bit too much" and "it kind of becomes like the 'telenova' that was too many seasons."
Danielle Collins keeps on winning even with retirement looming. She's in the Italian Open semifinals
Andrew Dampf, Associated Press | Updated May 15 - 3:32 p.m. | Save Story
Danielle Collins has been nearly unbeatable lately. Even with her announced retirement looming. The 15th-ranked American beat former No. 1 Victoria Azarenka 6-4, 6-3 to reach the Italian Open semifinals and extend her record to 19-1 since early March. Collins' semifinal opponent will be Aryna Sabalenka. Sabalenka eased past Jelena Ostapenko 6-2, 6-4. Advancing in men's action was Alejandro Tabilo who beat Zhang Zhizhen 6-3, 6-4 to follow up his upset victories over Novak Djokovic and Karen Khachanov in the previous two rounds. Tabilo's semifinal opponents will be 2017 champion Alexander Zverev. Zverev beat 11th-seeded Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-3.
The US Open men's final is shifting to ABC this year. The women's final will stay on ESPN
The Associated Press | Posted May 15 - 1:50 p.m. | Save Story
The U.S. Open men's final will shift to ABC from ESPN this year but the women's title match will remain on the cable outlet a year after Coco Gauff won the Grand Slam tennis tournament. This will be the first time ABC airs the men's final, ESPN said Wednesday. The match is on Sept. 8. The women's final in Flushing Meadows is the day before. ESPN has shown the tournament played in New York since 2009, including holding the exclusive rights for a decade. Gauff won her first major championship at the U.S. Open last year. Novak Djokovic won his 24th.
Sinner can become No. 1 even if he misses the French Open. He's already at the top for his behavior
Andrew Dampf, Associated Press | Posted May 15 - 11:02 a.m. | Save Story
Jannik Sinner is still winning even when he's out injured. The Italian tennis player has a chance to become No. 1 in the rankings even if he misses the upcoming French Open because of a hip injury that has kept him out recently. Unexpected losses for top-ranked Novak Djokovic and No. 4 Daniil Medvedev at the Italian Open mean that the second-ranked Sinner will become No. 1 if Djokovic doesn't reach the final at Roland Garros. But Sinner's rapidly growing fan base in Italy and beyond already consider him No. 1 for his model behavior.
Serena Williams to host The ESPYs in July
The Associated Press | Posted May 14 - 3:01 p.m. | Save Story
Serena Williams is returning to the sports spotlight to host The ESPYS in July. The retired 23-time major tournament winner will be the fourth woman to helm the show honoring the past year's achievements, athletes and moments. The ESPYS will air July 11 from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Megan Rapinoe, Sue Bird and Russell Wilson co-hosted the 2020 show, which was virtual because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Danica Patrick was the first woman to host solo in 2018. Williams says the gig is something she's wanted to do for as long as she can remember. She retired from tennis in 2022.
Daniil Medvedev latest to crash out of Italian Open after loss to Tommy Paul.
The Associated Press | Updated May 14 - 2:42 p.m. | Save Story
Defending champion Daniil Medvedev became the latest top player to crash out of the Italian Open as he lost to American Tommy Paul. The 14th-seeded Paul dominated to triumph 6-1, 6-4 and reach the quarterfinals. Medvedev follows 10-time champion Rafael Nadal and top-ranked Novak Djokovic with early exits in Rome. The third-seeded Alexander Zverev eased past Nuno Borges 6-2, 7-5 and will face Taylor Fritz. Top-ranked Iga Swiatek reached the women's semifinals with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Madison Keys.
French veterans Cornet and Gasquet receive French Open wild-card invitations
The Associated Press | Posted May 14 - 11:29 a.m. | Save Story
French veterans Alizé Cornet and Richard Gasquet have received wild-card invitations to play in the French Open. They were among the eight men's and eight women's wild cards given by the French Tennis Federation for the clay-court Grand Slam tournament starting May 26. The 34-year-old Cornet recently said she would be retiring after playing one last time at Roland Garros. This will be Cornet's 20th consecutive appearance at the French Open. Gasquet is 37 and currently ranked No. 113 and his best was No. 7. He reached the French Open quarterfinals in 2016 but has got past the third round since.
Swiatek on course for Madrid-Rome double; facing Keys in the quarters
The Associated Press | Updated May 13 - 5:13 p.m. | Save Story
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek remains on course for a Madrid-Rome double after beating Angelique Kerber to reach the Italian Open quarterfinals. Swiatek needed eight set points to secure the opener but had no such problems at the end of the second. She sealed a 7-5, 6-3 victory on the first match point. The two-time Rome champion will next face Madison Keys after the American player eased past Sorana Cirstea 6-2, 6-1 in a match that had to be temporarily suspended because of a protest by environmentalists. Both of the Madrid finalists are out of the men's tournament after Andrey Rublev and Felix Auger-Aliassime lost their third-round matches.
Djokovic follows Nadal to early exit at Italian Open in first match after being hit by water bottle
The Associated Press | Updated May 12 - 3:58 p.m. | Save Story
Novak Djokovic put on one of his worst performances at one of his favorite tournaments as he was upset by 29th-seeded Alejandro Tabilo in the third round of the Italian Open. Djokovic started off with a double-fault and it didn't get much better for the six-time Rome champion. The top-ranked Djokovic lost his first two service games and went on to lose the match 6-2, 6-3 in just 68 minutes amid boos at the Foro Italico. It was Djokovic's first match since accidentally getting knocked on the head by a water bottle while signing autographs after his opening win on Friday.
4A boys tennis: Desert Hills back on top for 1st time since 2011
Sean Walker, KSL.com | Posted May 12 - 12:26 a.m. | Save Story
In a state tennis tournament that has been dominated by Southern Utah schools since the start of the decade, an unfamiliar name rose to the top.
6A boys tennis: Lone Peak gets assist from region rival Skyridge for 6th title since 2016
Sean Walker, KSL.com | Posted May 11 - 9:08 p.m. | Save Story
Lone Peak's boys tennis team did just enough, and got a little help from one of a region rival, to clinch its sixth 6A state championship since 2016.
A'ja Wilson and Nike announce the Las Vegas Aces star is getting a signature shoe
The Associated Press | Posted May 11 - 2:11 p.m. | Save Story
Two-time WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson is getting a Nike signature shoe. The deal was announced Saturday as the two-time defending champion Las Vegas Aces prepared to play a preseason exhibition against the Puerto Rican national team at South Carolina. Wilson starred for the Gamecocks during her college career. The former No. 1 draft pick, five-time WNBA All-Star and Olympic gold-medal winner joins tennis greats Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka, soccer standout Megan Rapinoe and New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu on Nike's roster of signature athletes. Wilson says, "I hope when girls wear this shoe, they believe in themselves."
Rafael Nadal reconsidering his status for the French Open after a lopsided loss in Rome
Andrew Dampf, Associated Press | Updated May 11 - 9:10 a.m. | Save Story
Fifteen days before he is scheduled to play in what will likely be his final French Open, Rafael Nadal is so unsatisfied with his level of tennis that he's still debating whether or not to go to Roland Garros. Nadal's surgically repaired hip and his 37-year-old legs didn't provide him with the necessary means to be competitive enough on Saturday as ninth-ranked Hubert Hurkacz overwhelmed the 22-time Grand Slam champion on the Spaniard's beloved clay for a 6-1, 6-3 victory in the third round of the Italian Open. It was Nadal's first match against a top-10 player in 1½ years.
Djokovic says he's 'fine' after being hit on the head by a water bottle
Andrew Dampf, Associated Press | Updated May 10 - 4:57 p.m. | Save Story
Novak Djokovic needed medical attention after accidentally getting knocked on the head by a water bottle after a win at the Italian Open. A man was leaning over the railing to hand Djokovic a notebook for a signature and an aluminum-type water bottle fell out of his backpack and hit the top-ranked player on the top of his head. Organizers say Djokovic had a bump on his head and was checked by doctors. The incident happened shortly after Djokovic's 6-3, 6-1 win over French qualifier Corentin Moutet in his opening match.
Djokovic wins his opener at the Italian Open after a month off. Defending champ Rybakina withdraws
Andrew Dampf, Associated Press | Updated May 10 - 2:40 p.m. | Save Story
Novak Djokovic took a little while to get going in his first match in nearly a month. He cleaned up his game after dropping his first two service games with some sloppy play and completed a 6-3, 6-1 win over French qualifier Corentin Moutet in his opening match at the Italian Open. Djokovic then needed medical attention after accidentally getting knocked on the head by a water bottle while leaving the court. Defending women's champion Elena Rybakina withdrew before her opening match against Irina-Camelia Begu because of illness. Also advancing in second-round matches were 2017 Rome champion Alexander Zverev, Grigor Dimitrov and Ben Shelton. Sofia Kenin eliminated eighth-seeded Ons Jabeur 7-5, 2-6, 6-4.
Two more tennis players banned over links to Belgian match-fixing syndicate
The Associated Press | Posted May 10 - 8:21 a.m. | Save Story
The International Tennis Integrity Agency says two more low-ranking tennis players linked to a match-fixing syndicate in Belgium have been banned from the sport. Bolivian player Alejandro Crespo was banned for life and fined $250,000 for his "continuous pattern of corruption." Peru's Jorge Panta Herreros was suspended for three years and fined $10,000 after he was involved in fixing the result of two matches. They join at least 15 other players who have been suspended for having links with the syndicate.
Former U.S. Open champion Dominic Thiem to retire at the end of the season
The Associated Press | Posted May 10 - 6:32 a.m. | Save Story
Former U.S. Open champion Dominic Thiem plans to retire at the end of the year after struggling to return to his top form following a wrist injury. He announced his decision on a video posted on Instagram, calling it a "very sad but also very beautiful message." The 30-year-old Austrian player won the 2020 U.S. Open and has a total of 17 career titles. He reached a career-high No. 3 ranking in 2020 and stayed in the top five until he injured his right wrist in June 2021. That injury sidelined him for nine months and has continued to hamper his game. Thiem says that one reason behind his retirement was that his wrist "is not exactly the way it should be."
