LOS ANGELES (AFP) – World number one Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from next month’s ATP/WTA Indian Wells tournament in California, organisers confirmed on Wednesday (Sept 29). “We are disappointed that Novak will not be able to join us at the BNP Paribas Open this fall,” tournament director Tommy Haas said. Djokovic has not played since... » read more
NEW YORK (REUTERS) – US Open champion Emma Raducanu will play in her first tournament since stunning the tennis world at Flushing Meadows after being handed a wildcard for next month’s WTA 1000 tournament at Indian Wells, organisers said on Tuesday (Sept 28). The 18-year-old Briton became the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam... » read more
AMSTERDAM (AFP) – Denzel Dumfries scored a dramatic late winner as the Netherlands marked their long-awaited return to a major tournament with a 3-2 victory over Ukraine in a remarkable Euro 2020 game in Amsterdam on Sunday (June 13). Dumfries, the PSV Eindhoven full-back, headed in a cross from substitute Nathan Ake to complete a... » read more
CALIFORNIA (REUTERS) – The BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament in Indian Wells, California that was scheduled to be held in March will now take place in October, the ATP said on Thursday (May 20). The dual ATP-WTA hardcourt event was planned for March 8-21 but was postponed due to Covid-19 concerns, the second consecutive year... » read more
STUTTGART, GERMANY (AFP) – Former Stuttgart champion Laura Siegemund will face world number one Ashleigh Barty of Australia in the second round of the clay-court WTA tournament after seeing off qualifier Mona Barthel on Tuesday (April 20). Siegemund, 33, who won the Stuttgart tournament in 2017 and reached the 2016 final, needed just over two... » read more
SINGAPORE – Bigger and richer e-sports events are firing their way into Singapore, as local publisher and game developer Garena announced on Friday (March 19) that the Free Fire World Series 2021 Singapore (FFWS 2021 SG) will be held here in May. It is the third e-sports tournament that will take place in Singapore this... » read more
The upcoming ATP 250 Singapore Tennis Open will start on Monday behind closed doors but up to 250 fans may be allowed for the semi-finals and final if there are no tournament-related positive coronavirus cases, among other factors like local transmissions, organisers said yesterday. At least 200 players, staff and officials from overseas are expected... » read more
BANGKOK • Women’s badminton world No. 1 Tai Tzu-ying breezed into the quarter-finals of the Yonex Thailand Open yesterday, sweeping aside South Korea’s Kim Ga-eun 21-16, 21-10 in less than half an hour. The 26-year-old’s victory came as the Badminton World Federation (BWF) declared the tournament safe to continue following the latest round of Covid-19... » read more
TOKYO • Record-breaking sumo champion Hakuho has tested positive for Covid-19 just days before the New Year tournament, the Japan Sumo Association (JSA) said yesterday. The JSA said Hakuho was tested after noticing a loss of smell, and that other members of the Miyagino stable who are thought to have come into contact with him... » read more
PARIS • Spanish veteran Feliciano Lopez has said that the vastly reduced prize money on offer for tennis players is the “best we can have” after setting up a Paris Masters second-round tie against Rafael Nadal. The final ATP Masters event of the season started at Bercy Arena on Monday behind closed doors, just days... » read more