Sports
Paes-Hingis pair out of Australian Open
Indian tennis ace Leander Paes and his Swiss partner Martina Hingis crashed out of the mixed doubles competition of the Australian Open with a straight-set defeat in the quarterfinals here on Thursday. Paes and Hingis lost 3-6 2-6 to the local pair of Sam Groth and Samantha Stosur in a quarterfinal match that lasted 55 minutes. The Australian duo dominated the match and broke serve of the Indo-Swiss combination in the fifth game to nose ahead before sealing the first set 6-3 with another service break. In the second set, Paes and Hingis were broken in the fourth game to trail 1-3. The Indo-Swiss pair were 2-5 down when Hingis served only to be broken by the Australians, who sealed the match comfortably.
Stan Wawrinka joins Rafa Nadal in Brisbane International
Swiss world No.3Stan Wawrinka will use theBrisbane International as his warm-up event to the Australian Open in January, tournament organisers said on Monday. The US Open champion will join 14-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal and women's world No.1 Angelique Kerber at the year-opening tournament. Wawrinka heads to Brisbane after beating Novak Djokovic for his third Grand Slam title in New York and reaching his highest-ever ranking behind the Serb and Briton Andy Murray. "I'm excited to be heading to the Brisbane International for the first time in my career," Wawrinka said in a statement. "I've heard such great things about the event and it feels like the right time to change up the start of my season." Wawrinka will be chasing his second Australian Open crown after beating Nadal in the 2014 Melbourne final. Apart from Kerber, the Brisbane International, from January 1-8, will also feature French Open champion Garbine Muguruza of Spain in the women's draw.
Poor results in recent times led to split: Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis
Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis maintained that the decision to end their astonishing partnership was due to the failure to achieve the "desired results" and added they would play together one last time in the season-ending WTA Finals in October. In an unexpected development, Sania and Hingis decided to end their partnership that took the tennis world by storm last year when they won nine titles including the year-end WTA championship.
Paes, Bopanna seal Davis Cup play-off place with easy win
Veteran Leander Paes and Rohan Bopanna outclassed the Korean pair of Seong Chan Hong and Hong Chung in straight sets to guide India to the Davis World Group Play-offs as the hosts took an unassailable 3-0 lead in the Asia/Oceania Group I tie on Saturday. The Indian pair dished out a dominating performance to trounce the visitors 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in just one hour and 41 minutes at the grass courts of Chandigarh Club. Saketh Myneni and Ramkumar Ramanathan had won their respective singles on Friday to hand India a 2-0 cushion. The reluctant partners for the Rio Olympics did not face any competition from the Koreans in what was their only competitive match together before the Games. Even as the Koreans managed to break Paes in the third set, they did not present any challenge to the Indians. But it was a treat for the fans, little more than a thousand, to watch the Indian pair cruise to the win under overcast and friendly conditions. Captain Anand Amritraj would be delighted to see that his idea of playing on the grass worked out for his side.
Federer pulls off great escape to reach Wimbledon semis
Roger Federer put his global army of "Fed-Head" fans through the wringer for four nerve-shredding sets before he kept alive his pursuit of a record eighth Wimbledon title with a 6-7(4), 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(9), 6-3 win over Marin Cilic the quarter-finals on Wednesday. Novak Djokovic's shock third round exit had raised hopes that this could be the week when the Swiss finally ends his four-year hunt for an 18th Grand Slam title, as the Serb had been the only man to beat him at the majors over the past year. However, all those expectations appeared to be heading for the dustbin as Cilic stood one point away from victory -- not once, not twice but three times in a pulsating fourth set that had everyone on the edge of their seats.
Federer overtakes Murray as world number two
Andy Murray has lost the world number two spot to Roger Federer in the latest ATP rankings released on Monday, after his defeat to Novak Djokovic in the Madrid Masters final. The Scot played well in Spain, but by failing to successfully defend his title, he drops below Federer ahead of the Italian Open this week. Djokovic, an 11-time major champion, retains his massive lead on his closest challengers at the top of the rankings after claiming a record 29th Masters title. Australian youngster Nick Kyrgios moves back into the top 20 thanks to his run to the quarter-finals in Madrid.
Nishikori extends winning sreak in Barcelona
Defending champion Kei Nishikori extended his unbeaten run at the Barcelona Open to 11 matches with a comfortable 6-4, 6-2 win over the Netherlands' Thiemo de Bakker on Wednesday. The Japanese needed just over an hour to dispose of the world number 102 as he broke in the first game of each set and held serve throughout to win his first match of the season on clay.
Djokovic retains ATP rankings lead, Kyrgios into top 20
Novak Djokovic remains streets ahead of the rest in the ATP world rankings, after claiming a record-equalling sixth Miami Open title on Sunday. The Serb beat world number six Kei Nishikori in straight sets in the final to add to his Indian Wells success. There are no movers in the top 10, but 20-year-old Australian Nick Kyrgios has broken into the top 20 for the first time by reaching the semi-finals. Belgian David Goffin jumps a couple of places despite losing to Djokovic in the last four. ATP world top 20 1. Novak Djokovic (SRB) 16,540 pts 2. Andy Murray (GBR) 7,815 3. Roger Federer (SUI) 7,695 4. Stan Wawrinka (SUI) 6,370 5. Rafael Nadal (ESP) 4,955 6. Kei Nishikori (JPN) 4,490 7. Tomas Berdych (CZE) 3,630 8. David Ferrer (ESP) 3,370 9. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) 3,130 10. Richard Gasquet (FRA) 2,840 11. Marin Cilic (CRO) 2,770 12. Milos Raonic (CAN) 2,740 13. David Goffin (BEL) 2,560 (+2) 14. Dominic Thiem (AUT) 2,420 15. John Isner (USA) 2,235 (-2) 16. Gael Monfils (FRA) 2,220 17. Robert Bautista Agut (ESP) 2,015 (+1) 18. Kevin Anderson (RSA) 1,930 (-1) 19. Gilles Simon (FRA) 1,900 20. Nick Kyrgios (AUS) 1,765 (+6)
Nadal and Djokovic book semi-final clash
Novak Djokovic set up a mouthwatering Indian Wells semi-final showdown with nine-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal, who the world number one Serb considers his biggest rival on the ATP Tour. Both Nadal and Djokovic eased through their Indian Wells quarter-final contests in straight sets on Friday and will now square off in a match worthy of a title clash. "It is going to be a game of cat and mouse," Djokovic said. "I enjoy the rivalry against Rafa. It is probably the most exciting rivalry I have had in my career." World number five Nadal survived an early assault to defeat Japan's Kei Nishikori 6-4, 6-3 in the joint ATP and WTA Tour hardcourt tournament in the California desert. The Nadal-Nishikori match kicked off a star-studded pair of Indian Wells quarter-finals on Friday featuring four of the world's top 10 players.
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