Page 5 - Tennis

Novak Djokovic sinks Australian Open bid before it begins

Novak Djokovic's abrupt exit from the Australian Open gives new meaning to the term "unforced error." Just to be clear, Djokovic could have steered clear of the entire mess by getting vaccinated like Rafa Nadal, his greatest rival, and just about all the other players, officials, staff members and even fans who set foot inside Melbourne Park when the tournament begins Jan. 17. Or like the "handful" of other players that Australian Open director Craig Tiley acknowledged were also granted exemptions, he could have simply shown up, shut up and kept his fingers crossed hoping that nobody noticed. Instead, just before his flight from Dubai to Australia, Djokovic bragged about it on Twitter. "I've spent fantastic quality time with loved ones over break & today I'm heading Down Under with an exemption permission," Djokovic wrote. "Let's go 2022." Not so fast. Djokovic is almost unbeatable at tennis, but politics is a whole other game. By the time he landed at Melbourne's Tullamarine ..

No immediate deportation for Djokovic; to stay in Australia till Monday

Novak Djokovic won his court bid and as a result, there would be no immediate deportation, allowing the defending Australian Open champion to stay in Melbourne until at least Monday

Novak Djokovic medical exemption sparks Australian Open debate

The exemption allows the top-ranked Djokovic entry to the tournament regardless of his vaccination status

Poland beats Argentina to secure semifinal spot at ATP Cup

Hubert Hurkacz beat Diego Schwartzman 6-1, 6-4 to secure Poland's victory over Argentina on Wednesday and a spot in the ATP Cup semifinals

Novak Djokovic says he has 'exemption permission' for Australia

Novak Djokovic looks to be heading to the Australian Open. The top-ranked Djokovic said in a post on Instagram on Tuesday he has got an exemption permission to travel to Australia. Djokovic has continually refused to reveal if he is vaccinated against the coronavirus, a requirement to play in Melbourne. If he plays at the year's first major, he will seek a record-breaking 21st Grand Slam singles title. He is tied with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal on 20.

Tennis: Sania-Kichenok, Ramkumar-Bopanna advance in Adelaide

On an all-win day for Indian tennis players, Sania Mirza and the pair of Ramkumar Ramanathan and Rohan Bopanna emerged victorious in their respective first round matches, albeit in contrasting fashion

No Novak Djokovic yet but rest of tennis prepares for Australian Open

In Adelaide, there is a joint ATP and WTA tournament this week. Next week, both Adelaide and Sydney will hold joint ATP-WTA tournaments.

John Fritz, Taylor Isner give Americans win over Canada at the ATP Cup

John Isner and Taylor Fritz beat their Canadian opponents on Sunday to give the United States a winning 2-0 lead in their ATP Cup match.

Serbian player not sure of Novak Djokovic's Australian Open plans

Serbian tennis player Dusan Lajovic says he's not sure whether Novak Djokovic will play the Australian Open and he and other teammates don't know the reason why Djokovic pulled out of the ATP Cup.

Novak Djokovic named best Balkan athlete for record seventh time

The 34-year-old Serbian tennis great is ranked No. 1 in the world

With eye on ATP Cup, world No. 2 Daniil Medvedev hits the Sydney courts

World No. 2 Daniil Medvedev hit the practice courts here as the countdown to the multi-nation ATP Cup -- the first tournament in the New Year -- began

Dominic Thiem to miss 2 Sydney tournaments ahead of Australian Open

Former US Open champion Dominic Thiem's lengthy recovery from a right wrist injury has forced him to miss the ATP Cup and another tournament in Sydney ahead of next month's Australian Open.

Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai says never made sexual assault claims

Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai said on Sunday that she had never accused anyone of sexual assault and was not going to travel abroad.

Nadal looking forward to new season as he sets sights on 21st major

Spanish tennis stalwart Rafael Nadal has said that he is looking forward to the new season after recovering from a recurring foot injury that forced him to withdraw from the US Open.

News of Djokovic seeking vax exemption for Australian Open false: McNamee

Paul McNamee added he is "very confident" the Serbian is vaccinated and will play in the opening major of the year.

Chinese internet silenced Tennis star Peng Shuai in 20 minutes

China silenced Tennis star Peng Shuai in 20 minutes after she went online and accused Zhang Gaoli, a former vice-premier, of sexual assault

Can't give certainties about safety of Chinese tennis player Shuai: IOC

After five weeks of concern about the safety of tennis player Peng Shuai in China, the International Olympic Committee said it cannot give any certainties about her case.

2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu pulls out of Australian Open

2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu became the first high-profile woman player to pull out of the Australian Open due to mental health issues arising from "quarantining".

Davis Cup: Croatia beats Serbia in doubles after Djokovic fails to impress

Croatia beat Serbia in doubles to advance to the Davis Cup final after Novak Djokovic couldn't follow up his single's win in the decider. Croatia will seek its third Davis Cup on Sunday against the winner of Saturday's other semifinal between Russia and Germany. Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic, the top-ranked doubles pair, beat Djokovic and partner Filip Krajinovic 7-5, 6-1 on the Madrid Arena's indoor hard court on Friday. In a meeting pitting the world's No.1-ranked singles player against its best pair, Mektic's and Pavic's well-honed teamwork proved too much for the 20-time Grand Slam winner. Djokovic had already done what he could to force the doubles match by beating Marin Cilic 6-4, 6-2 to even the tie at 1-1. Borna Gojo put Croatia in front by upsetting Dusan Lajovic 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the opening singles. Serbia won the previous two Davis Cup meetings with Croatia since they became independent nations following the breakup of Yugoslavia.

WTA stance on women's tennis in China could be unique, cost millions

WTA President and CEO Steve Simon did not set out to lead the way for how sports should confront China when he announced that the women's tennis tour would suspend tournaments there