Aussie teen stuns Raducanu in pre-Wimbledon upset
Australia's Maya Joint defeated former US Open champion Emma Raducanu at the pre-Wimbledon Eastbourne International.
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ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
Alex de Minaur heads to Wimbledon relaxed, refreshed and with 'no excuses'
Alex de Minaur says the downcast figure he posed in Paris is a thing of the past, replaced by a rejuvenated optimist at Wimbledon who has put himself first. But Australia's main man is not about to make any predictions about another stirring run to match his surge to the quarters last year at Wimbledon, saying: "It's now up to my tennis to do the talking." Questions have swirled around de Minaur's form and confidence since his dejected second-round exit at Roland Garros was followed by him losing his only tour grass-court match of the season at Queen's Club. Back at another grand slam after a revitalising break in London that featured golf, relaxation around Wimbledon with fiancee Katie Boulter and a lone exhibition win over fellow Aussie Alexei Popyrin, de Minaur sounded a bit more like his normal chipper self. He admitted his return to his favoured surface had been a bit tentative this year as he recalled the freakish hip injury, caused by "an unnecessary slide" at the end of his Wimbledon fourth-round win over Arthur Fils that eventually stopped him taking the court against Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals. "But I've been able to really start to feel comfortable again and start to move the way I was last year, and not be afraid to kind of go out there and slide, which is a very good sign for me," said 11th seed de Minaur, who will begin his campaign on Tuesday against Spain's world number 74 Roberto Carballes Baena. De Minaur took an enforced break after the disappointment of the French Open, something he believes has put him in a much better position for the season's third major. "I was able to take a step back, accept what has happened, and put myself first for the first time in a while, and I think that was quite crucial," he said. "And even though it didn't bring out the result I wanted in Queen's [being beaten by eventual finalist Jiri Lehecka], I do now feel in a very good head space going into Wimbledon. "I feel refreshed. I feel full of energy. And now it's up to my tennis to do the talking, right? But there's no excuses, whether physically or mentally. I feel like I'm ready to go." De Minaur's lapse at Roland Garros, when he was two sets up against Alexander Bublik and then felt he lost his way, was a rare recent grand slam calamity for the 26-year-old, who had reached at least the last 16 in his six previous majors. Reflecting that he could give himself a "pat on the back" for that consistency, he also admitted his constant demanding schedule eventually took a toll. "I think I speak for the vast majority of tennis players [by saying] that ideally what we would like to have is a shorter schedule that allows us to have a proper off-season," he said. "So I would shorten the schedule and give players more time off at the end of the year, and then you would see less injuries, over-use injuries and less mental fatigue, which will allow a better level as a whole for the tour, for the spectator, for the sport, and a better atmosphere for everyone." AAP
ABC News
2 hours ago
- ABC News
Maya Joint digs deep at Eastbourne Open to beat Alexandra Eala for maiden grass-court title
Teenage sensation Maya Joint has earned an epic, back-to-the-wall victory at the Eastbourne Open to give Australia's challenge at Wimbledon the perfect launch pad. The US-born 19-year-old, who has been making a stratospheric rise in the sport since relocating to Queensland less than two years ago, saved four match points on her way to defeating fellow rising star Alexandra Eala in a pulsating tie-break finale on Sunday (AEST). It meant Joint became the first Australian player to win the women's title in the 50-year history of the British seaside event, which has become the traditional curtain raiser for the grass-court grand slam, which begins on Monday. "It's been an amazing year, an amazing two years," Joint said at Devonshire Park, while saluting Aussie coach Chris Mahony, who she credits with transforming her career. "Thank you for everything you've done. You're a lifesaver." The astonishing 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (12/10) win will rocket Brisbane-based Joint, who only turned 19 in April, to number 41 in the world when she kicks off her maiden Wimbledon with a tough opener against Russian number 19 seed Liudmila Samsonova on Tuesday. "I'm very happy right now, feeling very relieved as well. It was a very difficult match," Joint said. "I'm proud of myself for coming back and staying in the match, even though I'd lost about nine of the last 10 games." Joint had been 5-2 down, and almost out, in the final breaker, having to come up with fabulous defensive scrabbling to stay in contention as Eala came agonisingly close to becoming the Philippines's first ever WTA champion. But the teenage daughter of former Sydney squash professional Michael Joint demonstrated real courage and calm in a terrific showdown which, after a nervy spell from both players as they both homed in on the title, really hit the heights in the youngest final since Tracy Austin and Andrea Jaeger in 1981. For Eala, who has become a young heroine in the Philippines, it was all so crushing after Joint sealed the deal with a backhand cross-court winner that the 20-year-old was in tears, with the Australian trying to console her that "we will definitely play in more finals". Remarkably, Joint's run to her first WTA title on the clay at the Morocco Open five weeks ago also came on the weekend before a grand slam, and she then got knocked out in the first round by Ajla Tomljanović. "It's really great preparation. I've got a lot of matches in before Wimbledon, and hopefully I can be in Wimbledon a little bit longer than I was in the French," Joint said. "I think this time's a tiny bit different. I get one more day of rest, and I'll just detach myself a little bit more from the last match, and just focus on the match coming up. "But I'm just really excited to get to London later today and step into Wimby for the first time." AAP
Perth Now
2 hours ago
- Perth Now
I'm good with Coco: Sabalenka buries Gauff fall-out
Wimbledon top seed Aryna Sabalenka says she has cleared the air with Coco Gauff after she raised eyebrows with her remarks in the aftermath of her French Open final loss to the American. An emotional Sabalenka described the match as the "worst tennis" she had played for many months and that her mistakes, rather than Gauff's excellence, had been the decisive factor. Sabalenka wrote to Gauff to apologise soon after, labelling her remarks "unprofessional" and the two rivals were seen chatting happily on the Wimbledon practice courts this week. "We've always been really good with Coco. Honestly, as I said in the statement and I messaged to her, I didn't really want to offend her," said Sabalenka, 27, who is aiming for her first Wimbledon title. "I was just completely, like, upset with myself, and emotions got over me. I just completely lost it. "Of course, she's got my respect. She knew it. She knows it. I'm happy that she was, like, 'yeah, it's all good, don't worry.' I was talking, we are good, we are friends. I hope the US media can be easy on me right now. "I did what I did. I get what I deserved, I believe. It was a tough time for me," she added, saying she has immersed herself in reading books to take her mind off her Paris heartache. Gauff won that error-strewn French final 6-7(5-7) 6-2 6-4 and is seeded No.2 at Wimbledon and the likelihood is that their compelling rivalry could continue in the final in a fortnight. Asked whether she would relish the chance to avenge the loss by beating Gauff in the Wimbledon final, Sabalenka sounded unsure. "I don't know, in this case maybe I don't want to see Coco if I make it to the finals. But if she's going to be there, I'm happy because I want to get the revenge!", said Sabalenka, who starts on Monday against Canadian qualifier Carson Branstine Gauff has an added reason to achieve Wimbledon success, the completion of a rare Channel Slam. The last woman to achieve the Channel Slam -- winning Wimbledon and the French Open in the same year -- was Serena Williams, who accomplished the feat in 2002 and 2015. The 21-year-old Gauff, who became the first American woman since Williams in 2015 to win on the Roland Garros clay, said: "I understand why it (a Channel Slam) hasn't been done that often. Except I guess Carlos (Alcaraz), he makes it look pretty easy. Novak (Djokovic), too. I didn't realise it was 10 years since Serena.I would love to do that." Meanwhile Jessica Pegula showed she could be a Wimbledon contender as she beat five-time major champion Iga Swiatek 6-4 7-5 in the final of the Bad Homburg Open. With agencies
