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CNA
11 hours ago
- Sport
- CNA
Sinner's Halle defence over after loss to former winner Bublik
World number one Jannik Sinner's bid to win back-to-back Halle Open titles was ended on Thursday following a 3-6 6-3 6-4 defeat by Alexander Bublik in the last 16, the top seed's first defeat to a player outside the Top 20 since 2023. Going into the contest Sinner held a 4-1 win-loss record against Kazakhstan's Bublik, including a recent victory at the French Open. However, in Halle, Bublik now holds a 2-0 advantage over his Italian rival having also beaten Sinner en route to winning the grasscourt event in 2023. The Italian began brightly as he sailed into a 3-0 lead on his way to winning the first set but eventually came unstuck as Bublik hit 36 winners, including 15 aces. "I don't know. I kept serving. I tried to get back whatever I can," world number 45 Bublik said when asked how he turned things around. "He's an unbelievable player. I was not thinking I could beat him. "If I would have a few chances and I executed them well and I kept serving, I had for certain a better chance than at Roland Garros," he added referring to his quarter-final defeat at the claycourt major. Bublik saved three break points in the first game of the second set before gaining the crucial break to lead 4-2 and smashed three aces when holding serve to force the decider where a break to go 4-3 up proved decisive. "It's a very fast surface. He gave me a chance. I had an amazing forehand to break him in the third set," Bublik said. "I just kept serving and putting him in uncomfortable positions. It worked well." Sinner's last loss to a player ranked outside the Top 20 came against Dusan Lajovic, then number 66 in the world, at Cincinnati in August 2023. Bublik will meet Tomas Machac in the quarter-finals after the Czech seventh seed eased to a 6-2 6-3 win over Hungary's Fabian Marozsan. German second seed Alexander Zverev, still looking to win his first grasscourt title, overcame Italian Lorenzo Sonego 3-6 6-4 7-6(2). Zverev, a twice beaten finalist in Halle, recorded his fifth win over the Italian in as many meetings, having also beaten Sonego at the same stage of last year's tournament. He next faces another Italian, Flavio Cobolli. Cobolli squeezed past Canadian Denis Shapovalov 7-6(2) 4-6 7-6(5). Another two-time losing finalist, Andrey Rublev, exits the tournament after a three-hour battle in which the Russian fourth seed was beaten 6-3 6-7(4) 7-6(6) by Argentine Tomas Etcheverry. Etcheverry, who saved two match points in the deciding tiebreak, will meet another Russian, Karen Khachanov. The eighth seed beat Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-3 1-6 6-3.
Reuters
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Reuters
Sinner's Halle defence over after loss to former winner Bublik
June 19 (Reuters) - World number one Jannik Sinner's bid to win back-to-back Halle Open titles was ended on Thursday following a 3-6 6-3 6-4 defeat by Alexander Bublik in the last 16, the top seed's first defeat to a player outside the Top 20 since 2023. Going into the contest Sinner held a 4-1 win-loss record against Kazakhstan's Bublik, including a recent victory at the French Open. However, in Halle, Bublik now holds a 2-0 advantage over his Italian rival having also beaten Sinner en route to winning the grasscourt event in 2023. The Italian began brightly as he sailed into a 3-0 lead on his way to winning the first set but eventually came unstuck as Bublik hit 36 winners, including 15 aces. "I don't know. I kept serving. I tried to get back whatever I can," world number 45 Bublik said when asked how he turned things around. "He's an unbelievable player. I was not thinking I could beat him. "If I would have a few chances and I executed them well and I kept serving, I had for certain a better chance than at Roland Garros," he added referring to his quarter-final defeat at the claycourt major. Bublik saved three break points in the first game of the second set before gaining the crucial break to lead 4-2 and smashed three aces when holding serve to force the decider where a break to go 4-3 up proved decisive. "It's a very fast surface. He gave me a chance. I had an amazing forehand to break him in the third set," Bublik said. "I just kept serving and putting him in uncomfortable positions. It worked well." Sinner's last loss to a player ranked outside the Top 20 came against Dusan Lajovic, then number 66 in the world, at Cincinnati in August 2023. Bublik will meet Tomas Machac in the quarter-finals after the Czech seventh seed eased to a 6-2 6-3 win over Hungary's Fabian Marozsan. German second seed Alexander Zverev, still looking to win his first grasscourt title, overcame Italian Lorenzo Sonego 3-6 6-4 7-6(2). Zverev, a twice beaten finalist in Halle, recorded his fifth win over the Italian in as many meetings, having also beaten Sonego at the same stage of last year's tournament. He next faces another Italian, Flavio Cobolli. Cobolli squeezed past Canadian Denis Shapovalov 7-6(2) 4-6 7-6(5). Another two-time losing finalist, Andrey Rublev, exits the tournament after a three-hour battle in which the Russian fourth seed was beaten 6-3 6-7(4) 7-6(6) by Argentine Tomas Etcheverry. Etcheverry, who saved two match points in the deciding tiebreak, will meet another Russian, Karen Khachanov. The eighth seed beat Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-3 1-6 6-3.
Arab News
13 hours ago
- Sport
- Arab News
Coco Gauff loses in Berlin in first match since French Open title, turns attention to Wimbledon
BERLIN: Newly crowned French Open champion Coco Gauff was stunned on her return to action Thursday, losing to Chinese qualifier Wang Xinyu 6-3, 6-3 at the Berlin Open. The second-ranked Gauff, who won at Roland-Garros less than two weeks ago for her second Grand Slam title, amassed 25 unforced errors and seven double faults in her loss to Wang. Gauff had a bye to the second round at the grass-court tournament, a warmup for Wimbledon. 'It was a tough one today but happy to be back on court,' Gauff wrote on her social media accounts. 'Tried my best to adjust with the quick turnaround but it wasn't enough. As always, I'm learning as I go so I hope to do better next time.' The 21-year-old Gauff added that she is 'excited to get some more practices in to be ready for Wimbledon,' which starts June 30. She has not made it past the fourth round at the All England Club. Wang, ranked No. 49, said she would have been pleased just with the first set Thursday, considering the level of her opponent. 'After I won the first set, I just told myself 'OK let's take a minute and enjoy this, I'm playing the French Open champion, and I won the first set,'' she said in her on-court interview. 'No matter how the second and third go, I was like, 'OK let's just enjoy it for a second,'' said Wang, who will face Paula Badosa in the quarterfinals. 'I'm really happy with how I played today. I was serving good and putting a lot of pressure on the return, especially second-serve return.' Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka finished off Rebeka Masarova 6-2, 7-6 (6) in a match that was suspended Wednesday after one set because of a slippery court. Sabalenka had lost to Gauff at the French Open final and later apologized to the American for making 'unprofessional' comments after the Paris title match. Sabalenka will meet 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina in the quarterfinals.
Times
13 hours ago
- Sport
- Times
Katie Boulter overcomes heat to beat Sonay Kartal at Nottingham Open
Katie Boulter is on home territory at the Nottingham Open, returning to courts she has played on since childhood, but even the British No2 was surprised at the problems posed by temperatures of 28C as she battled to a 6-4, 1-6, 7-5 victory over Sonay Kartal. She was less surprised by the stiff challenge posed by Kartal, the upwardly mobile British No3 who has risen rapidly up the rankings in the past year. Although grass is not her favoured surface, she forced Boulter to dig deep to keep alive her hopes of a third consecutive victory in this tournament. After Boulter had moved smoothly through the first set, Kartal hit back to dominate the second and build a 4-2 lead in the third. But Boulter kept her cool and rediscovered her rhythm, with the help of a few ice towels and the local support, putting pressure back on Kartal's serve, edging a compelling contest that lasted 2hr 26min, sapping the energy of both players.
Associated Press
15 hours ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
Coco Gauff loses to Wang Xinyu in Berlin in her first match since French Open title
BERLIN (AP) — Newly crowned French Open champion Coco Gauff was stunned on her return to action Thursday, losing to Chinese qualifier Wang Xinyu 6-3, 6-3 at the Berlin Open. The second-ranked Gauff, who won at Roland-Garros less than two weeks ago for her second Grand Slam title, amassed 25 unforced errors and seven double faults in her loss to Wang. Gauff had a bye to the second round at the grass-court tournament, a warmup for Wimbledon. Wang, ranked No. 49, said she would have been pleased just with the first set, considering the level of her opponent. 'After I won the first set, I just told myself 'OK let's take a minute and enjoy this, I'm playing the French Open champion, and I won the first set,'' she said in her on-court interview. 'No matter how the second and third go, I was like, 'OK let's just enjoy it for a second.' I'm really happy with how I played today. I was serving good and putting a lot of pressure on the return, especially second-serve return.' ___ More AP tennis:
