Vinci Cracks Serena’s Code
Locker Room
September 11, 2015
They were supposed to be the bridesmaids. Now one of them is about to be crowned US Open champion. Italian tennis has never seen a day quite like this. Flavia Pennetta and Roberta Vinci played with a complete lack of inhibition and their reward is a climax no one saw coming – an all-Italian final. […]
Wawrinka Starts Mind Games With Federer
Locker Room
September 10, 2015
Something’s got to give. Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka are in irresistible form and now they must meet in the dream, all-Swiss semi-final at Flushing Meadows. The statistics say is has to be Federer. He has won 16 out of their 19 meetings and Stan has never beaten Roger on a hard-court surface. ‘I don’t […]
Murray Out Before Quarters
Locker Room
September 8, 2015
Kevin Anderson played the match of his life to defeat Andy Murray 7-6 (7-5), 6-3, 6-7 (2-7), 7-6 (7-0) at the US Open – and now he faces Stan Wawrinka in his first ever Grand Slam quarter-final. Just when it seemed the Scot had regained the momentum in an absorbing match that lasted more than […]
Two sets up and out: Rafa’s nightmare
Locker Room
September 5, 2015
Rafa Nadal, losing a match after going two sets up? It’s unheard of…until now. As his dashing conqueror, Fabio Fognini pointed out afterwards: ‘It’s always tough playing Rafa. But playing against him when you’re two sets down is especially tough. You go a break up in the final set and you start thinking too much. […]
Can Coco’s Tantrum Help Serena?
Locker Room
September 3, 2015
It sounds crazy. But that racquet-smashing tantrum, the one that has made Coco Vandeweghe so famous, could help Serena Williams realise her ultimate dream. Serena just has to choose to use it wisely. On the face of it, there is little similarity between the psychological struggles of Vandeweghe and Williams. Coco lost her inner fight […]
Murray Through In Kyrgios Thriller
Locker Room
September 2, 2015
Andy Murray emerged triumphant from a scintillating clash with Aussie rebel Nick Kyrgios, using all his experience to prevail under pressure 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 6-1. But the shot of the match came from the 20-year-old, whose delayed, sizzling hot-dog split the New York night air with such searing speed that Murray did well to get […]
Nishikori and Ivanovic Fall At First Hurdle !
Locker Room
August 31, 2015
Benoit Paire provided one of the great shocks at the US Open in the very first round by defeating fourth seed Kei Nishikori 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 7-6, 6-4. The Frenchman didn’t waver when he served for the match, after coolly re-taping his racquet during the last changeover. At 3-5, Nishikori had stayed in the […]
It’s the US “Wide Open!”
Locker Room
August 28, 2015
Could it be Federer or Nishikori? How about Murray or Wawrinka? Just for once, we go into a Grand Slam with no clear favourite among the men. Feels strange, doesn’t it? And very exciting. SHIFT What has caused this shift in the landscape? The indifferent form of Novak Djokovic, at least by his own extraordinary […]
Fabulous Federer Shocks Djokovic
Locker Room
August 23, 2015
What more can you say about a sporting legend who just keeps on doing it? Roger Federer provided a master-class for the world number one and shocked everyone who expected a closer battle in Cincinnati. It was Federer’s 87th career title, his 24th Masters 1000 title, his seventh in Cincinnati, and richly deserved in […]
Braveheart Murray Beats Djokovic At Last
Locker Room
August 16, 2015
After more than two years and eight consecutive defeats, Andy Murray finally defeated Novak Djokovic. In doing so he won the Montreal Masters 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 and returned to number two in the world. Murray certainly wasn’t second-best to Djokovic in Canada, whatever the latest rankings say. A backhand at its exquisite best and […]