Friday February 1, 2008
Aussies stunned by Indonesia
The Australian Fed Cup team has suffered a shock 2-1 loss to Indonesia in the Asia/Oceania zone group one competition in Bangkok, Thailand yesterday.
Federer is out of this world, says Rocket
LOS ANGELES: Rod Laver says his greatest pleasure as a tennis
spectator has come from watching world No.1 Roger Federer.
Thursday January 31, 2008
Maria Sharapova's dogged determination to find love
Tennis pin-up Maria Sharapova has forewarned her future husband that he will literally have his hands full - once when she finally fulfils her ambition to find true love.
Tuesday January 29, 2008
Djokovic family rejoices after clown prince Novak dethrones king Roger
Does Serb's victory herald a new force in tennis? Mum Dijana thinks so, writes Jessica Halloran.
Sobering news for Federer, Nadal as Djokovic pledges no let-up
NOVAK DJOKOVIC had a surprisingly clear head yesterday morning, and a focus to match. Having achieved his ambition for 2008 in the first month of the year, he now has Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and the world's No.1 ranking in his sights.
Monday January 28, 2008
Ali, Ana and lots of target practice
Whether it was taking aim at fans, Federer's throne, or Casey's shopping trips, another Open hit the mark, writes Peter Hanlon.
Sharapova's a cut above
WITH a hulking security guard cradling her trophy, Maria Sharapova skipped along the white corridor, rallying her team. "C'mon Michael," the 20-year-old cried out, willing her coach to join in the celebrations. "OK, I'm coming," her coach, Michael Joyce, replied as he tried to wind up an interview.
Djokovic makes it three at the top
NOVAK DJOKOVIC had amused the centre court crowd at the Australian
Open by impersonating a grand slam champion. Last night he bemused
many in the same Rod Laver Arena by becoming one.
New kid at the top - giant killer goes all the way
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA floated and he stung, but in the end it was the Serbian Novak Djokovic who smacked the Frenchman off the court to take the Australian Open crown last night.
Future of tennis is in short pants and a Target tank top
FIRST there was bubbly Casey Dellacqua who told us about her love for her 1991 Commodore and thumped a former world No.1.
Sunday January 27, 2008
Sharapova victory a triumph over demons
MARIA SHARAPOVA had not planned the poised and gracious victory
speech she delivered at Rod Laver Arena yesterday, and nor, a
couple of hours later, could she recall much of what she had said.
Just another lowly match for Tsonga
ROGER FEDERER and Rafael Nadal will disagree but Serbian upstart Novak Djokovic says his match-up with unseeded Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga tonight - two tennis tyros chasing history - is the Australian Open final everyone wants to see.
Aussie ace youngest winner of grand prize
AUSTRALIAN 15-year-old Bernard Tomic became the youngest boys'
grand slam champion in tennis history when he won the Australian
Open junior final in Rod Laver Arena yesterday.
Champion banishes last year's humiliation
MARIA SHARAPOVA'S victory over Serbia's Ana Ivanovic is redemption for her humiliation at the hands of Serena Williams in last year's final at Melbourne Park.
Game losing out to lure of big bucks
THERE'S growing discontent within the diehard Australian tennis fraternity about the increasing commercialisation of Tennis Australia under chief executive Steve Wood.
More night matches likely, thanks to TV
A REVIEW of the Australian Open's night-session policy is set to take place at the completion of this year's events, but it seems the power of television is likely to hold sway with yet another night session to be added to next year's schedule.
Beyond a choke
DJOKOVIC, or Choke-ovich? Serbia's Novak Djokovic enters tonight's Australian Open final with one dark cloud hanging over his head - his last appearance in the decider of a major championship was the mother of all chokes.
Saturday January 26, 2008
Tomic becomes youngest ever grand slam winner
Australian 15-year-old Bernard Tomic became the youngest boys' grand slam champion in tennis history when he won the Australian Open junior final in Rod Laver Arena.
Sharapova wins Australian Open
Russian Maria Sharapova won her third grand slam singles title today, downing Serbia's Ana Ivanovic 7-5 6-3 in the Australian Open final.
Ali is the new Balboa
JO-WILFRIED Tsonga didn't just wipe Rafael Nadal off the court on Thursday evening, he washed away capsicum spray, the ludicrous 4.33am finish of Hewitt-Baghdatis and the cut-throat antics of Yuri Sharapov. He became the story of the Australian Open.
Reason a casualty of fervour
SINCE taking a long and not particularly well-earned break from this space, it is remarkable how much things have changed since last casting what regular readers have described as an "offensive", "blinkered", "ignorant", "potty-mouthed" and "just plain nasty" eye over the world of sport. (Never ask your family for constructive criticism.)
Preparations complete - and if I don't freeze I can win my first slam title
ICE baths, Prison Break, press conferences, TV interviews, practice, and watching the Federer-Djokovic match: that was my preparation yesterday for today's final. You can probably guess which activity I enjoyed the least!
No Djok anymore for Fed
IN THE wake of an upset that some had anticipated yet most still
found difficult to comprehend, it remained difficult to tell which
proposition was more shocking: That Novak Djokovic or Jo-Wilfried
Tsonga will win the Australian Open tomorrow night. Or that Roger
Federer will not.
Sugar and ice, all things nice - these girls got it made
IF TENNIS were wholly, rather than largely, about marketing, the battle for the most photogenic elite match-up in the women's game has already been won. Today's all-gorgeous decider has been billed in London as "possibly the most glamorous grand slam final in history". Or, elsewhere, as the game's highest off-court earner against its rising endorsement star. After the events of Friday, others prefer the Shrieker versus the Squeaker. Tennis, anyone?
Expect substance and style in blonde v brunette glam slam
ONLY the naive would bother to suggest that cover-girl good looks do not matter when it comes to building a brand in women's tennis, and today the Australian Open will host the most photogenic grand slam final in history. In the blonde corner, Maria Sharapova; in the brunette, Ana Ivanovic.
