Tennis
Osaka knocked out of U.S. Open
After missing the entire North American hardcourt season, American Danielle Collins showed no signs of rust battling past twice U.S. Open champions Naomi Osaka 7-6(5) 6-3 on Tuesday and into the second round at Flushing Meadows.
The exit of Osaka, the tournament winner in 2018 and 2020, followed reigning champion Emma Raducanu’s departure hours earlier as Flushing Meadows bid a first round farewell to its past two champions.
The last first round match on the schedule was one of the most intriguing, pitting two players who produce their best on hard courts. Collins was the losing finalist to Ash Barty at this year’s Australian Open and Osaka is a two-time winner of the same tournament, in addition to her U.S. Open titles.
Both players arrived in New York on the comeback trail after injury-interrupted campaigns.
Collins missed the entire North American hardcourt swing, withdrawing from San Jose, Toronto and Cincinnati, because of a neck injury.
“I lost to Naomi three times before, so going into the match I had a lot of information on what I kind of needed to do better, areas I could improve,” said Collins. “I felt happy just to be out here playing.
“I think when you face as many challenges as I’ve faced with some of the things I’ve been dealing with, you’re kind of more grateful to kind of be out here.”
Osaka, who lost to Amanda Anisimova in the first round of the French Open, sat out the entire grasscourt season before falling in the opening round of the Toronto and Cincinnati events.
The 24-year-old said she was happy to have played through the match without her back flaring up and only began serving on Sunday.
“Honestly, I just wanted to play without my back being in pain because it’s kind of been bad for the entire hard court season since Toronto,” Osaka told reporters. “I didn’t serve until two days ago so I was really happy with how it went.
“Overall I wouldn’t say that I played well … I felt like I was on my back foot a lot,” she added. “Everyone deals with injuries. For me, it’s been more prominent this year, but it’s something that I can learn (from).
“I learned a lot more about my body, I learned what’s weak, what I can do to prevent it. I would say the sport is definitely very physical, but it’s kind of my job to stay on top of it.”
Despite the layoffs, Collins and Osaka delivered high-energy tennis that was welcomed by fans who stuck around for a match that got underway late on Tuesday evening and finished early on Wednesday morning.
Osaka had dominated their three previous head-to-head meetings with Collins unable to take even a single set from the Japanese former-world number one, and in two of those contests she was chased off the court in less than an hour.
But the 19th seeded American came out determined, taking a tense opening set in a tie-break 7-5.
In the second set, Osaka would grab the early break and a 2-1 lead but Collins would immediately break back and then again at 5-3 and hold serve to clinch victory.
The 28-year old American will next face Spanish qualifier Cristina Bucsa who was 6-4 6-4 winner over Slovenian Kaja Juvan.
-Reuters
Argentina’s 36-year-old Marco Trungelliti proved tennis dreams do not come with an expiration date when he became the oldest first-time tour-level finalist in the Open Era after beating the top seed at the Grand Prix Hassan II semi-finals in Marrakech on Saturday.
Trungelliti, who came through the tournament’s qualifiers, upset Italy’s defending champion Luciano Darderi 6-4 7-6(2) to break the previous record held by Victor Estrella Burgos of the Dominican Republic, who reached his first final aged 34 years in 2015.
Darderi, ranked 19 in the world, was only six-years-old when Trungelliti turned pro in 2008. With the victory, Trungelliti secured just his second career top-20 win.
“Of course, I believed it, that’s one of the reasons that I’m here. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be possible,” Trungelliti said in the on-court interview.
“I’ve worked a lot, me and my team and also my wife, my kid. We all believed in breaking the record basically and that’s exactly what we have done now.”
The milestone caps a remarkable journey for Trungelliti, who made his first ATP Tour semi-final in 2018 in Umag, Croatia – 402 weeks ago.
Having entered the tournament ranked 117 in the world, Trungelliti’s breakthrough week has already guaranteed he will crack the top 100 for the first time. He is currently ranked number 75 in the live rankings.
“It’s been happening the whole week, leaving the court with a victory,” added Trungelliti, who has dropped only one set at the tournament. “So hopefully (there) is one more to go.”
He will face Rafael Jodar on Sunday after the Spaniard prevented an all-Argentine final with a 6-2 6-1 victory over Camilo Ugo Carabelli.
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Serena Williams has been listed as eligible to return to tennis by the sport’s drug-testing body (ITIA) as of February 22, though it remains unclear whether the 23-time Grand Slam champion will make a stunning comeback to the women’s tour.
The 44-year-old raised eyebrows late last year after rejoining the tennis anti-doping testing pool, though she denied at the time the move signalled she was preparing to return to the sport she dominated for nearly two decades.
She reignited speculation last month when she deflected questions about a possible return during an appearance on NBC’s “Today” show.
The Women’s Tennis Association did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside normal business hours.
Williams, who won her last Grand Slam singles title in 2017, has not competed since the 2022 U.S. Open.
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Serena Williams has re-entered the tennis anti-doping testing pool but the 23-times Grand Slam champion denied on Tuesday that the move had anything to do with her making a return to the sport she dominated for nearly two decades.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency confirmed to Reuters that Williams, who has not competed since the 2022 U.S. Open, was among the list of players in its testing pool, which requires individuals to provide their whereabouts at any given time, every day, and participate in random testing
But as the story of 44-year-old Williams’ inclusion on the list, first reported earlier on Tuesday by The Athletic, gained traction and sparked talk about her potential return, the tennis great took to social media to deny a comeback was in her plans.
“Omg yall I’m NOT coming back. This wildfire is crazy,” Williams wrote on X.
Her agent did not immediately respond to an email from Reuters asking why the player had re-entered the testing pool.
Williams’ name appears on the ITIA website’s list of retired players and would be able to return to a sanctioned event after making herself available for out-of-competition testing for at least six months.
Last week former world number one Williams posted a series of photos on Instagram showing herself on a tennis court with her youngest daughter, Adira River, whom she gave birth to in August 2023.
In August 2022, ahead of her final U.S. Open, Williams announced in a Vogue article that she was “evolving away from tennis.”
Williams, who won her last Grand Slam singles title in 2017, had been chasing an elusive 24th crown that would have drawn her level with Australian Margaret Court, who holds the record.
The American came tantalisingly close to achieving that feat, featuring in four major finals since giving birth to her first daughter, Olympia, in 2017.
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Hosts Mexico Defeat South Africa 2-0 To Launch FIFA World Cup 2026
German players to pay for 600 fans’ stadium trip amid soaring transport costs
World Cup 2026 Begins With History Repeating Itself
Breaking! Uzoho suspended from Super Eagles’ next match with Sierra Leone
No longer Super League as CAF changes name of its new clubs competition
NIGERIAN FOOTBALL CHIEF EXECUTIVE, SANUSI CHARGES NIGERIAN COACHES TO BE UPRIGHT, DILIGENT
- World Cup1 week ago
Rema, Davido, Burna Boy and Ayra Starr Make FIFA’s Star-Studded World Cup 2026 Official Album
- World Cup7 days ago
Shakira to Headline FIFA World Cup 2026 Opening Ceremony in Mexico
- World Cup7 days ago
FIFA bans vuvuzelas from World Cup stadiums
- International Football4 days ago
Eriksen Suffers Fresh Collapse During Denmark Friendly, Reviving Memories of Euro 2020 Ordeal
- World Cup5 days ago
Pelé’s 1970 World Cup Hideaway Becomes Tourist Attraction as Mexico Hosts Tournament for Record Third Time
- Uncategorized6 days ago
Iran World Cup squad still in visa limbo 10 days before first match, ambassador says
- World Cup5 days ago
Strike Threat Looms Over USA-Paraguay World Cup Match at SoFi Stadium
- World Cup7 days ago
FIFA Unveils Fan-Centric Pre-Match Ceremony for 2026 World Cup