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Gulf Today
23 minutes ago
- Sport
- Gulf Today
Eala makes history as first Filipina to reach WTA Tour final; Alcaraz seeks Wimbledon hat-trick
Carlos Alcaraz will start his Wimbledon defence against Fabio Fognini while world number one Jannik Sinner faces a potential semi-final clash against Novak Djokovic following Friday's draw. On the women's side, reigning champion Barbora Krejcikova will begin her campaign against rising star Alexandra Eala on Centre Court if she can recover from injury. Spain's Alcaraz, who has beaten Djokovic in the past two finals at the All England Club, returns to Wimbledon, which starts on Monday, on a career-best 18-match winning streak. He is aiming to become just the fifth man to win at least three straight Wimbledon titles in the Open Era after Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and Djokovic. The Spaniard, 22, has a 2-0 head-to-head record against Italian Fognini, who is 38. Sinner's pursuit of a maiden Wimbledon crown could hinge on a heavyweight semi-final clash with seven-time champion Djokovic. The Italian, who lost to Alcaraz in the recent French Open final, opens against compatriot Luca Nardi at the grass-court major. Djokovic, competing at his lowest seeding (sixth) since 2018, will begin his campaign for a record-tying eighth Wimbledon men's title against Frenchman Alexandre Muller. The Serb, who has been in every final since 2018, is seeded for a quarter-final meeting with British fourth seed Jack Draper, who meets Argentina's Sebastian Baez in the first round. Djokovic is aiming to win a record 25th Grand Slam, which would take him clear of his tie with the long-retired Margaret Court, and has the added incentive of matching Roger Federer's record tally of Wimbledon men's titles. World number three Alexander Zverev, who starts against France's Arthur Rinderknech, is seeded to meet Taylor Fritz in the quarter-finals. Fifth-seeded American Fritz faces big-serving Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard from France. Krejcikova missed the first five months of 2025 with a back injury and was forced to withdraw from this week's Eastbourne quarter-finals due to a thigh injury. Top seed Aryna Sabalenka, hoping to progress beyond the semi-finals at Wimbledon for the first time, opens against fast-rising Canadian qualifier Carson Branstine. The Belarusian has won three Grand Slams but lost in the Australian Open final and the French Open final this year. Her potential third-round opponents include 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova, Nottingham winner McCartney Kessler and 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu. Home favourite Raducanu takes on British qualifier Mingge Xu in the first round. Second seed Coco Gauff, who beat Sabalenka at Roland Garros, starts against Nottingham finalist Dayana Yastremska. Meanwhile, Alexandra Eala became the first player from the Philippines to reach a WTA Tour final after beating Varvara Gracheva 7-5, 2-6, 6-3 in the last four at Eastbourne on Friday. Eala survived a tense clash lasting more than two hours to make history in the Wimbledon warm-up event on the grass at Devonshire Park. In a final featuring two of the rising stars of the women's game, the 20-year-old will face Australian teenager Maya Joint on Saturday. Joint, 19, ranked 51 the world, beat Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-5, 6-3. 'There were tough moments where she was playing well, and I didn't know how to get out of it,' Eala said. Eala's run to the final underlined the world number 74's emergence as one to watch. Swiatek enters Bad Homburg final: Five-time Grand Slam winner Iga Swiatek reached her first ever grass-court final on Friday defeating last year's Wimbledon runner-up Jasmine Paolini in the semi-finals at Bad Homburg. The former world number one swept past second seed Paolini 6-1, 6-3 in just over an hour to reach her first final in a year since she lifted her fourth French Open trophy at Roland Garros. Swiatek will bid for her 23rd career title on Saturday against US top seed Jessica Pegula, who rallied past Czech Linda Noskova 6-7 (2/7), 7-5, 6-1 in the northern suburbs of Frankfurt. Agencies
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Five women to watch at Wimbledon
Wimbledon 2025 Dates: 30 June-13 July Venue: All England Club Coverage: Live across BBC TV, radio and online with extensive coverage on BBC iPlayer, Red Button, Connected TVs and mobile app. Full coverage details. Advertisement There have been eight different women's singles champions at the past eight editions of Wimbledon. World number one Aryna Sabalenka arrives this year as the favourite, having reached the past three Grand Slam finals. However, Sabalenka has won just one of those three majors - and she has not played at Wimbledon since 2023. The Belarusian, a big server with even bigger groundstrokes, should be well-suited to the grass courts at SW19. But grass is an unpredictable surface - and there are plenty waiting in the wings to shock her. Coco Gauff - the French Open champion Coco Gauff beat Aryna Sabalenka in the 2023 US Open final and again in this year's French Open showpiece [Reuters] Age: 21 Country: United States Ranking: 2 Strength: Athleticism Advertisement If Sabalenka is the title favourite, then French Open champion Gauff is one of the few players who can truly disrupt and frustrate her. An outstanding mover, Gauff can get every ball she faces back, extending the rallies and drawing the errors out of the big hitters like Sabalenka. Wimbledon was where Gauff broke through as a 15-year-old qualifier, reaching the fourth round at her first major. Gauff lost her first - and only - grass-court match since her Paris triumph, but her title run there, where she came through a few tricky matches, will serve her in good stead. Full of confidence, and backed by a slightly tweaked service motion to address her previous troubles, Gauff stands a good chance of going beyond round four for the first time. Elena Rybakina - the former champion Elena Rybakina beat Ons Jabeur in the 2022 Wimbledon final [Getty Images] Age: 26 Country: Kazakhstan Ranking: 11 Strength: Serve Advertisement Rybakina lifted her only Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2022. She has a game seemingly made for grass, anchored by her huge serve and flat, punchy forehand. She leads the way in aces on the WTA Tour, having hit 235 across 40 matches. It has not been easy for Rybakina since her Wimbledon triumph. She reached the Australian Open final in 2024 but illness, form and injury have plagued her since then. Former coach Stefano Vukov has also been banned from the WTA Tour following an independent investigation into his behaviour towards her. She has also struggled with closing out matches, missing four match points in a three-set loss to Sabalenka in Berlin. Advertisement But when everything clicks, Rybakina is still one of the best grass-court players on the tour, and a real title contender. Marketa Vondrousova - the unseeded threat Marketa Vondrousova reached the French Open singles final as a teenager in 2019 [Getty Images] Age: 25 Country: Czech Republic Ranking: 73 Strength: Return Vondrousova made history with her Wimbledon triumph in 2024, where she became the first unseeded player to win the women's singles. Twelve months later, she was the first women's defending champion in 30 years to lose in the first round after an injury-plagued season. Shoulder surgery, a lengthy rehab stint and several false starts followed for the Czech, who arrived at June's Berlin Open with just six wins in six months. Advertisement She left as the champion, having won five matches in six days, including a stunningly dominant performance against Sabalenka. Having previously been as high as six in the world, Vondrousova's current ranking means she will not be seeded at Wimbledon - and the top seeds will be watching nervously to make sure she does not land in their part of the draw. Mirra Andreeva - the teenage star Mirra Andreeva reached the fourth round at Wimbledon in 2023 [Getty Images] Age: 18 Country: Russia Ranking: 7 Strength: Redirection Andreeva made history in February when, aged 17, she became the youngest player to win a WTA 1000 title with victory in Dubai. She then made it two huge titles in almost as many weeks with a stunning comeback to shock Sabalenka and win Indian Wells. Advertisement Andreeva has a framed photo of a tweet Andy Murray sent about her in 2024, where he praised her mental strength, and she has already achieved much as a teenager. She can still battle with her emotions on court, having struggled against a partisan Paris crowd when playing home favourite Lois Boisson at Roland Garros. But, equipped with a thudding backhand, Andreeva can redirect rallies at will, forcing opponents to go on the defensive, and has good anticipation of their next shot. Madison Keys - the big-hitter Madison Keys beat Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka - the top two players in the world - to lift the Australian Open title [Getty Images] Age: 30 Country: United States Ranking: 6 Strength: Serve Keys left Wimbledon in tears last year after injuring herself when serving for the match against eventual runner-up Jasmine Paolini. Advertisement She had to retire from the fourth-round match - but she arrives at SW19 this year as a Grand Slam champion after her superb Australian Open victory. The American beat then world number two Iga Swiatek and two-time defending champion Sabalenka back-to-back to clinch her first, long-awaited major. Shots may not always land where she intends, but Keys is one of the most exciting and watchable players on the WTA Tour. A devastating ball-striker, Keys' huge serve and equally giant forehand will stand her in good stead on the grass courts.
BBC News
an hour ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Five men to watch out for at Wimbledon
Wimbledon 2025Dates: 30 June-13 July Venue: All England ClubCoverage: Live across BBC TV, radio and online with extensive coverage on BBC iPlayer, Red Button, Connected TVs and mobile app. Full coverage details. Carlos Alcaraz will begin his bid for a third Wimbledon title in a row when the Grand Slam begins on question is - can anyone stop him?The Spanish world number two defeated seven-time champion Novak Djokovic in the previous two men's finals on Centre Court at 22-year-old could follow Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and Djokovic as only the fifth man in the Open era to win three straight Wimbledon his epic French Open final triumph over world number one Jannik Sinner, Alcaraz clinched the Queen's title to start his grass-court season on a Jack Draper leads Britain's hopes of a home champion, BBC Sport takes a look at who else could challenge Alcaraz over the coming fortnight. Novak Djokovic - the history chaser Age: 38 Country: Serbia Ranking: 6 Strength: Defence Djokovic had won four Wimbledon titles in a row before losing a five-set thriller to Alcaraz in also swept Djokovic aside a year later to again deny the former world number one a record-equalling eighth men's continues to pursue an outright-record 25th major singles title since drawing level with Margaret Court at the 2023 US Open.A new era in men's tennis has dawned, with Alcaraz and Sinner sharing the past six slams between them - and seven of the past eight since Alcaraz's first Wimbledon title two years Djokovic, behind only Roger Federer for men's titles won at SW19, remains an ever-present threat on the sport's biggest stages - not least on grass - as he pursues yet another historic feat. Jannik Sinner - the world number one Age: 23 Country: Italy Ranking: 1 Strength: Precision Sinner was devastated by his loss to Alcaraz at Roland Garros, missing three championship points after taking a two-set lead in a five-and-a-half hour has reached at least the quarter-finals at Wimbledon in the past three years, with his best result a semi-final defeat by Djokovic in a surprise second-round loss to Alexander Bublik at the Halle Open this month cut short the world number one's has maintained his stranglehold on the top ranking for 12 months, despite serving a three-month doping suspension earlier this means he can only meet second seed Alcaraz in the final - something that would be eagerly anticipated after their Roland Garros thriller. Alexander Bublik - the unpredictable threat Age: 28 Country: Kazakhstan Ranking: 30 Strength: Drop shot Bublik's resurgence continues to gather Kazakh's career had stagnated to the point that he considered quitting tennis after losing in the Wimbledon third round last lost eight of his first 10 matches in 2025 as he fell to 82 the rankings, but his coach's suggestion of a "Hangover"-style reset in Las Vegas appears to have worked reaching his first major quarter-final with a superb run at the French Open, the unpredictable Bublik won the Halle Open to rise to 30th in the victory over Sinner was one of four wins over the top-eight seeds on his way to an emotional title triumph - proving that, on his day, he is a match for anyone. Daniil Medvedev - the nearly man Age: 29 Country: Russia Ranking: 9 Strength: Return A Wimbledon semi-finalist in each of the past two editions, can Medvedev take the next step this year?Medvedev is one of just five active men's players to win a major, having triumphed at the 2021 US Open - but he has lost his five other major former world number one is a hard-court specialist - his six major finals have been split between the Australian Open and US Open - but he has a solid recent record at was stopped by eventual champion Alcaraz in the last four in both 2023 and 2024, winning the first set in last year's meeting on Centre Court before being prepared for this year's tournament by reaching the Halle final, losing to Bublik in straight sets, and will expect another deep run at Wimbledon. Jiri Lehecka - the dark horse Age: 23 Country: Czech Republic Ranking: 25 Strength: Forehand Lehecka crashed the party at Queen's by beating Draper on route to the final, where he offered admirable resistance in a three-set loss to 23-year-old reached a career-high rank of 22 in February after winning his first eight matches of the year, clinching the Brisbane title before losing to Djokovic in the Australian Open fourth round.A run to the Madrid Open semi-finals last year - where he beat the great Rafael Nadal and Medvedev - was ended by an unfortunate back injury, which ultimately ruled him out of to full fitness this year, he demonstrated his grass-court pedigree at Queen's and will look to maintain that momentum to improve on his fourth-round appearance at Wimbledon in 2023.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
New-look Wimbledon prepares for life without line judges
Line judges have been part of the furniture at Wimbledon for nearly 150 years (ANDREJ ISAKOVIC) Wimbledon is guaranteed to be picture-perfect when it gets under way next week but the courts will never look the same again after the demise of line judges. For the first time in the tournament's storied 148-year history, the men and women stationed at the back of the courts, calling "out" and "fault", will be missing. Advertisement The Grand Slam announced in October that it was scrapping its smartly dressed officials in favour of electronic line-calling (ELC) from 2025, following the general trend in tennis. The Australian Open and the US Open have already gone down this route, leaving the French Open as the only one of the four Grand Slams still to use humans in the role. Wimbledon is cherished for its traditions, from the white kit worn by players to the strawberries and cream served to fans and the sumptuous flowers that colour the grounds. But the All England Club must balance that unique heritage with innovation. Tournament director Jamie Baker emphasised the point in an interview with AFP this week. Advertisement "We are very much plugged into the wider tennis ecosystem, the wider tennis industry, on everything that we do," said the former professional player. "And this was something that we've been talking about for many years, because we could see the way that it was going. "And as you would imagine, for us, balancing the tradition with innovation is really a thing that we look at in pretty much every single decision we make." Baker emphasises that Wimbledon is careful to protect its heritage, including the "untouchable" white clothing rule, which he says is observed more strictly now than two decades ago. Advertisement - Competition integrity - But the former British number two said the integrity of the competition was the most important element. "First and foremost for us here, we've got to get the competition aspects right, he said. "That's such an important part of everything. "And player expectation now, across the professional game at the highest level, is that the lines will be called in this way." Baker believes the people who will least notice the change are the players, who are so used to the technology. The decision to switch to live ELC, which builds on existing ball-tracking and line-calling technology, was made following extensive testing at last year's Championships. Advertisement Since 2007, Hawk-Eye has assisted officials at Wimbledon on certain courts, with players able to challenge a number of calls. Its introduction added a new element for spectators. There was a buzz of excitement when the umpire signalled a video replay of a line judge's decision, followed by rhythmic clapping as it was shown on the big screen. More than 450 cameras have been installed at Wimbledon and at the qualifying tournament in nearby Roehampton this year, with machines making the decisions previously made by humans. But around 80 former officials will be employed as match assistants, with two on each court offering support to the umpire, while they will also provide back-up should the electronic system fail. Advertisement So does the demise of line judges remove a bit of Wimbledon's magic? Baker thinks the opposite. "I think that's a massive positive move for us in terms of the actual look and feel of the court and the recognisable Wimbledon brand, which is green grass courts, players wearing white tennis clothes -- it's instantly recognisable," he said. "So the more emphasis that's on that, the better. But also, just if you get back to the very nature of the sport itself, it's gladiatorial, it's one-on-one, everything that happens on the stage should be focused around that." jw/smg/ea
New Straits Times
7 hours ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Eala makes history for Philippines by reaching Eastbourne final
EASTBOURNE, England: Alexandra Eala became the first player from the Philippines to reach a WTA Tour final as she beat fellow qualifier Varvara Gracheva 7-5 2-6 6-3 on the Eastbourne grass on Friday. The 20-year-old left-hander, ranked 74th in the world, edged a tight first set before losing five games in a row in the second as the match appeared to be slipping away. But she regrouped in the decider and survived a tough seventh game before breaking her French opponent's serve to lead 5-3. She then enjoyed a love service game hold to seal victory. In Saturday's final she will face 19-year-old Australian Maya Joint who beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-5 6-3. It will be the youngest Eastbourne final since 1981 when Tracy Austin faced fellow American Andrea Jaeger. "I'm super happy because that was a tough match and there were some really tough moments," an emotional Eala, who is based in Mallorca and trains at the Rafa Nadal Academy, said on court. "It was tough physically and mentally because she is a tough player and also came from qualifying." Eala's run will not have gone unnoticed by reigning Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova, who has been drawn to play her in the first round at the All England Club next week. Krejcikova reached the quarter-finals at Eastbourne but withdrew with a thigh injury on Thursday. Joint continued her impressive run as she reached her first WTA final on grass, coming from 5-3 behind in the opening set against Pavlyuchenkova to take control. "I'm very excited," the 51st-ranked Joint said on court. "I've learned to love playing on grass this week."
