Latest news with #quarterfinal
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Sabalenka pulls off 'crazy comeback' to defeat Rybakina at Berlin Open
Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka celebrates winning against Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina in their women's singles quarterfinal match of the Berlin WTA tennis tournament, in Berlin, Friday, June 20, 2025. (Andreas Gora/dpa via AP) Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka returns a shot to Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina, during their women's singles quarterfinal match of the Berlin WTA tennis tournament, in Berlin, Friday, June 20, 2025. (Andreas Gora/dpa via AP) Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka celebrates winning against Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina, during their women's singles quarterfinal match of the Berlin WTA tennis tournament, in Berlin, Friday, June 20, 2025. (Andreas Gora/dpa via AP) Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka celebrates winning against Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina, during their women's singles quarterfinal match of the Berlin WTA tennis tournament, in Berlin, Friday, June 20, 2025. (Andreas Gora/dpa via AP) Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka celebrates winning against Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina in their women's singles quarterfinal match of the Berlin WTA tennis tournament, in Berlin, Friday, June 20, 2025. (Andreas Gora/dpa via AP) Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka returns a shot to Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina, during their women's singles quarterfinal match of the Berlin WTA tennis tournament, in Berlin, Friday, June 20, 2025. (Andreas Gora/dpa via AP) Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka celebrates winning against Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina, during their women's singles quarterfinal match of the Berlin WTA tennis tournament, in Berlin, Friday, June 20, 2025. (Andreas Gora/dpa via AP) BERLIN (AP) — Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka staged a 'crazy comeback", saving four match points before beating Elena Rybakina 7-6, 3-6, 7-6 in the quarterfinals of the Berlin Open tennis tournament on Friday. Sabalenka was 6-2 down in the final-set tiebreak but came storming back, winning six straight points to reach her eighth semifinal of the season. Advertisement 'Elena is a great player and we've had a lot of tough battles," Sabalenka said. "I have no idea how I was able to win those last points. I think I just got lucky. 'I remember a long time ago when I was just starting, I won a lot of matches being down match points, and not so long ago I was thinking that it's been a while since I've made a crazy comeback, and here I am. 'It's amazing to win matches like that. I'm proud of myself for how I stayed in it. I was fighting, I was trying until the very last point.' Sabalenka next faces Marketa Vondrousova, who defeated Ons Jabeur 6-4, 6-1. Liudmila Samsonova also went through with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Amanda Anisimova. Samsonova will next meet Wang Xinyu or Paula Badosa. ___ More AP tennis:
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
The Jacob Fearnley train continues at speed as British No 2 seals career-first at Queen's
Jacob Fearnley is through to his first ATP quarter-final at Queen's (Getty) Be honest. A year ago, had you heard of current British No 2 Jacob Fearnley? The 23-year-old from Edinburgh, a product of Texas Christian University's impressive tennis programme, travelled back to Britain for the grass court season last June ranked a lowly 525 in the world. Even he would not have forecast the 12 months ahead. In fact, his big break – a seven-match surge to victory at the challenger-level Nottingham Trophy – almost didn't even get going. He only made the qualifying draw as an alternate and won his first match narrowly in a final-set tie-break. But Fearnley has not rested on his laurels, capitalising on his big break at some speed. Advertisement And the Fearnley train continued at pace at Queen's Club on Thursday with another new milestone: a first ATP tour quarter-final. Dressed in all-black – a curious choice you might say, given the 32C sunshine in west London – the Scot rallied and kept his head above the wizardry, tomfoolery and profanity of Corentin Moutet to seal a last-eight berth in three sets, 6-3, 2-6, 6-2. 'I'm very happy to be in my first quarter-final and it's even better to do it here in London,' he said, on-court, afterwards. 'I've dreamed of those moments, to be standing here on this amazing court in front of these amazing fans. It's really special.' Beyond his Nottingham success last June – which in effect secured him a Wimbledon wild card and a Grand Slam debut – Fearnley first entered the public consciousness when he took on Novak Djokovic in the second round on Centre Court. A dream occasion, a mere six weeks after his US college finale, Fearnley did not look overawed and stretched the 24-time major winner to four sets. From there, Fearnley's stratospheric rise through the rankings continued. He won three challenger titles on the spin – 15 matches in a row – to leap into the top-100 by the end of 2024. This year, he reached the third round at both the Australian Open and French Open and made his Davis Cup debut in Japan, defeating Grand Slam finalist Kei Nishikori. Advertisement He has taken everything in his stride with an understated, steely demeanour. While this persona might not seem too indifferent to Scotland's most famous tennis son, his composed existence on the court is in contrast to Andy Murray's regular outbursts of emotion. Beyond his heavy-hitting, quick-moving, all-court game, Fearnley's greatest strength appears to be his self-control. A quality of staying tranquil, when the pressure is sky-high. All the more so when Thursday's second round clash against Moutet – the unorthodox, short-tempered Frenchman – presented a golden opportunity to reach a first quarter-final, in his 12th tour-level tournament. While the left-handed Moutet did knock out world No 4 Taylor Fritz in the opening round, Fearnley could sniff the opportunity and started out like a man on a mission. The British No 2 kept his composure to prevail in three sets (Getty Images for LTA) A quick break ahead straight away, the 23-year-old's solidity off both wings matched up well to Moutet's slice-heavy, variety-enthused array of enthralling shot-making. When the Frenchman is on fire, it's captivating. When he's not, he's quick to lose his cool. Advertisement Fearnley took the opener comfortably, but three double faults in his opening service game of the second gifted an opening to Moutet, who did not pass up the invitation. Increasingly, the Briton was getting sucked in to quickfire net exchanges, in contrast to the more comfortable routine of baseline rallies. Fearnley was always playing catch-up and, decisively, Moutet broke again to clinch the set. A reset was palpably needed for the decider. After a toilet break, Fearnley quickly rediscovered his accuracy on attack, sealing a key early break with a pinpoint backhand pass down the line. Moutet promptly whacked a ball out of the Andy Murray Arena and received a ball abuse warning for his troubles. Corentin Moutet lost his cool towards the end of the match (Getty Images) Fearnley takes the acclaim of the crowd at Queen's (Getty Images for LTA) The Frenchman was running out of composure and options, throwing in an underarm serve in the midst of a double break claimed by Fearnley, with an exquisite backhand volley on the stretch having slipped at the net. Advertisement By the end, Moutet seemed to have tapped out. 'I want to go home,' he said, before getting embroiled in a heated row with Egyptian umpire Adel Nour, who had already given the maverick Moutet two time violations. Ignoring the late-match commotion, which included a vociferous spectator, Fearnley served out the match to love. Moutet threw his racket to his bench, a defeated man post-meltdown. Fascinatingly, Fearnley plays his quarter-final opponent – world No 30 Jiri Lehecka – in doubles alongside Cameron Norrie later today. A unique first look, therefore, at what it will take to set-up a likely semi-final with compatriot and hitting partner Jack Draper in Saturday's semi-finals. Meanwhile, top seed Carlos Alcaraz was far from his peerless best but eventually prevailed in an intoxicating tussle against Spanish compatriot Jaume Munar, 6-4, 6-7(7) 7-5 over three hours and 23 minutes, the longest main-draw match at Queen's since 1991. Advertisement Alcaraz squandered two match points in the second-set tie-break – one with a double fault – while Munar converted on his eighth set point in a second set lasting an astonishing 102 minutes. But the world No 2 is the sport's hottest property for a reason and he showed his powers of recovery once again in the third. A break of serve down, he stormed back into contention and, nearly an hour after his first match point, sealed his 15th win in a row and a spot in the quarter-finals with a beautiful backhand lob.
The Independent
a day ago
- Sport
- The Independent
British tennis player reaches Queens quarter-final in career first
British No 2 Jacob Fearnley reached his first ATP tour quarter-final at Queen's Club. Fearnley, who was ranked outside the top 500 just over a year ago, defeated Corentin Moutet in three sets (6-3, 2-6, 6-2). His rapid rise includes winning the Nottingham Trophy and taking Novak Djokovic to four sets at Wimbledon. Fearnley continued his impressive form by winning three consecutive challenger titles, entering the top 100 by the end of 2024. He is scheduled to play world No 30 Jiri Lehecka in the quarter-finals.
The Independent
a day ago
- Sport
- The Independent
The Jacob Fearnley train continues at speed as British No 2 seals career-first at Queen's
Be honest. A year ago, had you heard of current British No 2 Jacob Fearnley? The 23-year-old from Edinburgh, a product of Texas Christian University's impressive tennis programme, travelled back to Britain for the grass court season last June ranked a lowly 525 in the world. Even he would not have forecast the 12 months ahead. In fact, his big break – a seven-match surge to victory at the challenger-level Nottingham Trophy – almost didn't even get going. He only made the qualifying draw as an alternate and won his first match narrowly in a final-set tie-break. But Fearnley has not rested on his laurels, capitalising on his big break at some speed. And the Fearnley train continued at pace at Queen's Club on Thursday with another new milestone: a first ATP tour quarter-final. Dressed in all-black – a curious choice you might say, given the 32C sunshine in west London – the Scot rallied and kept his head above the wizardry, tomfoolery and profanity of Corentin Moutet to seal a last-eight berth in three sets, 6-3, 2-6, 6-2. 'I'm very happy to be in my first quarter-final and it's even better to do it here in London,' he said, on-court, afterwards. 'I've dreamed of those moments, to be standing here on this amazing court in front of these amazing fans. It's really special.' Beyond his Nottingham success last June – which in effect secured him a Wimbledon wild card and a Grand Slam debut – Fearnley first entered the public consciousness when he took on Novak Djokovic in the second round on Centre Court. A dream occasion, a mere six weeks after his US college finale, Fearnley did not look overawed and stretched the 24-time major winner to four sets. From there, Fearnley's stratospheric rise through the rankings continued. He won three challenger titles on the spin – 15 matches in a row – to leap into the top-100 by the end of 2024. This year, he reached the third round at both the Australian Open and French Open and made his Davis Cup debut in Japan, defeating Grand Slam finalist Kei Nishikori. He has taken everything in his stride with an understated, steely demeanour. While this persona might not seem too indifferent to Scotland's most famous tennis son, his composed existence on the court is in contrast to Andy Murray 's regular outbursts of emotion. Beyond his heavy-hitting, quick-moving, all-court game, Fearnley's greatest strength appears to be his self-control. A quality of staying tranquil, when the pressure is sky-high. All the more so when Thursday's second round clash against Moutet – the unorthodox, short-tempered Frenchman – presented a golden opportunity to reach a first quarter-final, in his 12th tour-level tournament. While the left-handed Moutet did knock out world No 4 Taylor Fritz in the opening round, Fearnley could sniff the opportunity and started out like a man on a mission. A quick break ahead straight away, the 23-year-old's solidity off both wings matched up well to Moutet's slice-heavy, variety-enthused array of enthralling shot-making. When the Frenchman is on fire, it's captivating. When he's not, he's quick to lose his cool. Fearnley took the opener comfortably, but three double faults in his opening service game of the second gifted an opening to Moutet, who did not pass up the invitation. Increasingly, the Briton was getting sucked in to quickfire net exchanges, in contrast to the more comfortable routine of baseline rallies. Fearnley was always playing catch-up and, decisively, Moutet broke again to clinch the set. A reset was palpably needed for the decider. After a toilet break, Fearnley quickly rediscovered his accuracy on attack, sealing a key early break with a pinpoint backhand pass down-the-line. Moutet promptly whacked a ball out of the Andy Murray Arena and received a ball abuse warning for his troubles. The Frenchman was running out of composure and options, throwing in an underarm serve in the midst of a double break claimed by Fearnley, with an exquisite backhand volley on the stretch having slipped at the net. By the end, Moutet seemed to have tapped out. 'I want to go home,' he said, before getting embroiled in a heated row with Egyptian umpire Adel Nour, who had already given the maverick Moutet two time violations. Ignoring the commotion, Fearnley served out the match to love. Moutet throw his racket to his bench, a defeated man. Fascinatingly, Fearnley plays his quarter-final opponent – world No 30 Jiri Lehecka – in doubles alongside Cameron Norrie later today. A unique first look, therefore, at what it will take to set-up a likely semi-final with compatriot and hitting partner Jack Draper in Saturday's semi-finals.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Jacob Fearnley reaches first ATP Tour-level quarter-final at Queen's
Jacob Fearnley dished out another French lesson as he reached a first career ATP Tour-level quarter-final at Queen's Club. The British number two beat volatile qualifier Corentin Moutet 6-3 2-6 6-2 at the HSBC Championships. Advertisement In doing so, Fearnley extended his remarkable, perfect record against French players to 17 wins from 17 matches. He said: 'I'm very happy to be in my first quarter-final, it's even better to do it here in the UK. It's really special for me, I've dreamed of these moments since I was a young boy. 'I tried to stick to my game plan and be aggressive. I did that better in the third set and the result speaks for itself.' Fearnley wrapped up a controlled first set with a double-ace finish, while madcap Moutet got a ticking-off from umpire Adel Nour for chucking his racket. However, the momentum shifted quickly when three double-faults from the home player gave Moutet an early break in the second. Moutet's antics earned him a warning from the umpire (Ben Whitley/PA) But Fearnley reset well in the decider, breaking Moutet with a backhand winner down the line, prompting the fiery 26-year-old to whack a ball high over the stands and earn a long-overdue warning from the chair. Advertisement A diving backhand volley secured a double break and Fearnley kept his head as Moutet lost his – bickering with the umpire and the crowd – to wrap up victory in just over two hours. Fearnley will play a fellow 23-year-old, Czech world number 30 Jiri Lehecka, in the last eight.
