Djokovic Back On Track With Rogers Cup Win

World number one Novak Djokovic won his first title since his surprise exit from Wimbledon with a straight-sets win over Japan’s Kei Nishikori in the final of the Rogers Cup in Toronto.

Djokovic won 6-3, 7-5 in a largely commanding performance.

The 29-year-old, who has now won seven titles this year, has beaten the Japanese on nine successive occasions.

Djokovic, who was beaten in the third round at Wimbledon by Sam Querrey, will represent Serbia at the Rio Olympics.

“I don’t need to explain that every athlete dreams of being a part of the Olympic Games,” he said. “I’m competing in singles and doubles.

“Hopefully I’ll get at least one medal.”

BBC

Djokovic Back On Track With Rogers Cup Win

Federer, Nadal And Murray To Miss Rogers Cup

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have pulled out of the Rogers Cup as has Wimbledon champion Andy Murray, tournament organizers have confirmed.

This leaves the Toronto tournament without three of the world’s top four men’s tennis players.

World No. 2 Murray said he would not defend his Rogers Cup title this year citing fatigue.

Federer is coming off a run to the semifinals at Wimbledon, where he lost in five sets to Canada’s Milos Raonic.

Fourth-ranked Nadal has not played since withdrawing from the French Open after suffering a wrist injury.

”I only started practicing a week ago after my wrist injury and I am not ready to play such an important event,” Nadal said in a statement.

”I am very much looking forward to playing in Toronto in a couple of years since I have always been treated great in that tournament and have a lot of great Canadian fans,” he added.

Top-ranked Novak Djokovic and Raonic, whom Murray beat in three sets in the Wimbledon final, remain part of the Rogers Cup field this year.

The tournament begins with the start of qualifying on Saturday.

Federer, Nadal And Murray To Miss Rogers Cup

Wimbledon 2016: Venus Williams Equals Grand Slam Record

Venus Williams saved two set points in the opening set against Croatia’s Donna Vekic

Five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams equalled the record number of appearances at a Grand Slam as she survived an early scare.

The 36-year-old saved two set points when 6-5 down to Croatia’s Donna Vekic in the first set before taking a tie-break, going on to win 7-6 (7-3) 6-4.

The world number eight now has 71 Grand Slam appearances, equalling American Amy Frazier’s record set in 2006.

She now faces world number 115 Maria Sakkari of Greece in round two.

Sakkari took one hour and 22 minutes to see off China’s SaiSai Zheng, almost half-an-hour less than Williams required to progress in one hour 51 minutes.

“The first set there were some hairy moments, down some set points, but I guess that’s where experience sets in,” said Williams, playing in her 19th Wimbledon.

Serena Williams gets her Wimbledon campaign under way on Tuesday

BBC

Wimbledon 2016: Venus Williams Equals Grand Slam Record 

Serena Williams Thrown Out of The Miami Open

Defending champion Serena Williams suffered a shock defeat in the fourth round of the Miami Open.

 

The World Number had been out of the tournament for less than 20 minutes when she climbed into her white Mini Cooper with the checkerboard top and pulled away from the players’ parking lot, fastening her seat belt as she drove.

 

Williams’ 20-match winning streak at Key Biscayne ended Monday with a 6-7 (3), 6-1, 6-2 loss to Svetlana Kuznetsova in the fourth round of the upset-filled Miami Open.

 

Williams was bidding for her ninth title in the event and her fourth in a row. But after a grueling first set that lasted nearly an hour, the 21-time Grand Slam champion faded on a sweltering afternoon.

 

It was her earliest exit at Key Biscayne since 2000, when she lost in the fourth round to Jennifer Capriati.

 

“I did the best I could,” she said during a post-match news conference that lasted less than three minutes before she cut it off. “I can’t win every match. These players come out and play me like they’ve never played before in their lives. I have to be 300 percent every day.”

 

Williams, 34, will retain the No. 1 ranking, but she hasn’t won a tournament since earning her 69th title at Cincinnati in August.

Serena Williams Thrown Out of The Miami Open

Serena Toppled By Azarenka In Indiana Wells Final (Video Highlights)

Azarenka, whose career was disrupted terribly by a foot injury in 2014, triumphed 6-4 6-4 in the final of the BNP Paribas Open on Sunday, a result which seals her return to the world’s top 10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbujoUSrLp4

A break of serve in the very first game proved enough for Azarenka to claim the opening set, although Williams often threatened on the Belarusian’s serve, failing to convert five break points.

Azarenka at the start of the second too and when Williams lost her serve again to fall 3-0 down she let out her frustration.

Throwing her racquet into the court earned her a warning from the umpire and when she sat down and reached for a new one, that did not even make it out of its plastic wrapper before it was smashed by the American. She subsequently had to start the next game 15-0 down.

Azarenka served for the match at 5-2 but looked nervous and a double fault allowed Williams to break for the first time in the match. It was soon 5-4 and the 13th seed was really wobbling when she fell 0-30 down in the 10th game.

Serena Toppled By Azarenka In Indiana Wells Final (Video Highlights)

Sharapova Admits Doping

Russian tennis stars Maria Sharapova  faces being ban from the sport of tennis as she tested positive for a banned substance at the Australian open in January.

 

The five – times Grand slam champion and the world highest paid athlete announced yesterday that she tested positive for a recently banned substance drug Meldonium.

 

Sharapova in a press conference said “i made a huge mistake. and i’ve let my fans down. Ive let this sport down that i have been playing since the age of four and that i love so deeply.”

 

Even though the International Tennis Federation (ITF) has not yet announced, Sharapova has already admitted of taking meldonium which she has been taking for several years until it was included recently in the list of banned substances by the ITF.

 

The Russian admitted not clicking the link sent to her by the ITF , which contained the list of banned drugs.

Sharapova Admits Doping