Surely Only CoCo Can Deny Serena Now?
Locker Room
January 25, 2017
Who can stop Serena Williams from making history now? Can anyone seriously stand in her way? After Serena disposed of the in-form Brit, Johanna Konta with relative ease, it seems likely that the younger Williams sister will edge ahead of the great Steffi Graf within days. She looks set to become the most decorated Grand […]
How Can Roger Federer Beat Stan Wawrinka?
Locker Room
January 24, 2017
Roger Federer’s dream comeback continues, after he took just 92 minutes to defeat Mischa Zverev 6-1, 7-5, 6-2. That leaves the 35-year-old plenty of fuel left in the tank to face his younger compatriot, Stan Wawrinka. Federer has won five of their last six meetings, and yet Wawrinka is fancied by many to win the […]
Rampant Rafa Fends Off Comeback From Flamboyant Monfils
Locker Room
January 23, 2017
Rafael Nadal has reached the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam for the first time since 2014. Now he faces Milos Raonic, who beat him only a few weeks ago. Gael Monfils provided sparkling entertainment as always. And he probably should have taken Nadal to a fifth set, at which point anything could have happened. But […]
Incredible Federer Downs Nishikori In Five
Locker Room
January 22, 2017
Roger Federer jumped for joy after reaching his 49th Grand Slam quarter-final with yet another scintillating display. And that spontaneous demonstration of child-like delight told an important story. For it is Federer’s boyish enthusiasm for the game that has driven him to fresh heights, just when we thought he was almost ready to call it […]
Andy Murray Is Knocked Out Of Australian Open In Huge Shock
Locker Room
Andy Murray has squandered his best ever chance of winning the Australian Open. ‘It’s a tough one to lose,’ he admitted. ‘I wanted to go so far.’ The Brit became the first world number one to be dumped out of the tournament at such an early stage since Lleyton Hewitt fouteen years ago. Tennis legend […]
Magnificent Nadal Refuses To Be Upstaged By Wunderkind
Locker Room
January 21, 2017
Rafael Nadal dug deep to win an extraordinary war of attrition against Alexander “Sascha” Zverev, the 19-year old German described by Rafa himself as ‘the future of tennis.’ The entire match revolved around a 37-shot rally in the fifth game of the fifth set. The crowd gasped and murmured in disbelief, even as the brutal […]
Federer Fans In Dreamland As The Greatest Hits Fresh Heights
Locker Room
January 20, 2017
It had to be seen to be believed. Even then it was hard to take in. Roger Federer fans and all Wimbledon tennis fans are in dreamland. The great man is back. No, not the 35-year-old version, though that is undeniably Federer’s biological age. This is the return of the real Federer. The one who […]
Djokovic Out In Melbourne Stunner After Five-Hour Onslaught
Locker Room
January 19, 2017
Novak Djokovic is out of the Australian Open, beaten by a 117-ranked, wild card Uzbek called Denis Istomin. Andy Murray will never get a better chance to win this Slam at last and add to his collection, while consolidating his position as world number one. After four hours and fifty minutes, Djokovic succumbed as the […]
Federer Battles Through To Face Berdych in Round Three
Locker Room
January 18, 2017
Roger Federer rolled back the years with flashes of effortless brilliance to overcome American hot-shot Noah Rubin at the Australian Open. But he won’t want to remember the earlier stages of the third set too often – even though he eventually fought his way through a mini-crisis to win through 7-5, 6-3, 7-6(3). The great […]
Vulnerable Murray Progresses in Melbourne
Locker Room
January 16, 2017
Andy Murray struggled to find his best form in a wobbly opening match at the Australian Open in Melbourne. Just as well he could still crack a joke as he warned Kim to mind her language during his matches, now that he has been knighted. Not that he had taken his own advice during a […]