Latest news with #AustralianOpen
Straits Times
29 minutes ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Olympic champion Zheng still to solve grass court puzzle
Tennis - Wimbledon - All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain - July 1, 2025 China's Qinwen Zheng in action during her first round match against Czech Republic's Katerina Siniakova REUTERS/Isabel Infantes LONDON - China's Zheng Qinwen struck gold on the red clay of Paris and reached the Australian Open final on hard courts last year but she has yet to solve the puzzle of Wimbledon's grass. It looked a little ominous for the 22-year-old fifth seed when she was drawn to face Czech doubles specialist Katerina Siniakova in the opening round, a player to whom she had lost twice before on grass, including at Wimbledon two years ago. And so it proved as Zheng suffered a third successive Wimbledon first-round exit, going down 7-5 4-6 6-1. "I believe if I get through the first match, I will start to play better and better (on grass)," Zheng, who proved she could play on grass by beating Britain's Emma Raducanu on the way to the semi-final at Queen's Club last month, told reporters. "The problem is the first match for me is complicated. But also for myself, I made the match complicated." Especially complicated against a craft player who knows her way around the lawns of London SW19. Siniakova is a three-time Wimbledon doubles champion and she utilised her net game to great effect to subdue Zheng. She battled back from a 3-5 deficit to win the first set and although Zheng responded to win the second on a muggy Court Three, Siniakova ran away with the decider. "I don't consider that it's such a challenge for me to play on grass," Zheng said. "Maybe it's I just should put my level a bit more high today because I gave her a lot on my service games, especially when I was leading 5-3 in the first set. "I had a lot of chances but just didn't take them. I'm not going to let this get into my head. It's just another match I lost here on grass, okay. I'm just going to see what's coming in the future, and I will always keep fighting." Zheng's defeat, the second shock of the day after American Jessica Pegula, the third seed, was dismantled 6-2 6-3 by Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto, meant the second-round showdown with four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka will not happen. Siniakova's victory meant she avoided four successive Grand Slam first-round losses and she will fancy her chances of another upset against Japan's Osaka. REUTERS
The 42
an hour ago
- Sport
- The 42
Top seed Sinner eases into Wimbledon second round
TOP SEED JANNIK Sinner eased into the Wimbledon second round on Tuesday, brushing aside fellow Italian Luca Nardi in straight sets. Unfazed by the searing heat, Sinner barely broke sweat in a 6-4, 6-3, 6-0 victory lasting just one hour and 48 minutes on Court One. 'I'm very happy to come back here to such a special place for me,' Sinner said. 'Playing an Italian is very unfortunate but one has to go through and luckily it was me.' Sinner last week insisted his surprise decision to part with two of his coaching staff on the eve of Wimbledon would not affect his bid to win the tournament for the first time. He opted to move on from Marco Panichi and Ulises Badio, his trainer and physiotherapist, as he looks for a new direction following his painful French Open final loss to Carlos Alcaraz. The pair had been employed by Sinner since September 2024, helping him retain the Australian Open crown in January and reach the Roland Garros showpiece in June. Asked if the decision might jeopardise his Wimbledon challenge over the next fortnight, Sinner was adamant it would be beneficial, with coaches Simone Vagnozzi and Darren Cahill still on his staff. On the evidence of his dominant display against Nardi the world number one, who returned from a three-month doping ban in May, will be just fine regardless of the coaching shake-up. 'We worked a lot after Halle (grass-court tournament) on the serve and in important moments I felt I was serving very well,' Sinner said. Advertisement 'First matches are never easy, so I'm very happy with the performance. It's a new tournament, new challenges. 'If you don't enjoy to play on these courts, I don't know where you will enjoy. I will try to keep going.' Elsewhere, world number three Jessica Pegula struggled to explain her shock Wimbledon exit as she praised the 'insane' performance of opponent Elisabetta Cocciaretto. Last year's US Open runner-up crashed out following a 6-2 6-3 defeat to the Italian world number 116 in just 58 minutes. Seeded third, Pegula became the highest-profile casualty of the women's draw so far as Cocciaretto celebrated the greatest win of her career. Asked what went wrong, the 31-year-old American, who lost in the first round of a grand slam for the first time since the 2020 French Open, replied: 'I don't know. She played absolutely incredible tennis. 'Do I think I played the best match ever? No. But I definitely don't think I was playing bad. 'It's really a bummer to lose. I haven't lost first round of a slam in a very long time, so that sucks. 'I'm upset that I wasn't able to turn anything around. But at the same time, I do feel like she played kind of insane. Hats off to her. Kudos to her for playing at a high level that I couldn't match it today.' Cocciaretto, who had only once before defeated a top-10 player, spectacularly turned the tables on Pegula, having suffered a 6-4 6-0 round-three loss to her in SW19 in 2023. Queen's champion Tatjana Maria, who reached the semi-finals in 2022, also made an early exit as she lost in three sets to American Katie Volynets.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Wimbledon day 2 prediction, best bets and 27/1 accumulator: Light work for Sinner and Djokovic?
Wimbledon Day 2 Betting Preview Under 26.5 games in Jannik Sinner v Luca Nardi - 13/10 Unibet Over 2.5 sets in Petra Kvitova vs Emma Navarro - 9/5 BetMGM Under 28.5 games Alexandre Muller v Novak Djokovic 23/20 Unibet Under 18.5 games in Elisabetta Cocciaretto vs Jessica Pegula - 11/10 BoyleSports Four-fold accumulator - 26.6/1 Unibet The first day of Wimbledon didn't disappoint, and we are expecting another one packed with upsets, British success and ice packs as the heat plays a key role at SW19. Reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz was taken to five sets by veteran Fabio Fognini, while seven Brits reached the second round, including Katie Boulter, Sonay Kartal and Arthur Fery, who all knocked out seeds. Advertisement There are nine more home-grown players in action on Tuesday, including Jack Draper, Dan Evans and Heather Watson. We've put together a four-fold accumulator from the pick of the action, which pays 26.6/1 on Unibet and equivalent betting sites. Jannik Sinner vs Luca Nardi prediction World number one Jannik Sinner is yet to really shine at Wimbledon, with a semi-final place in 2023 his best appearance so far, and he would love to go one better this year. He started 2025 by winning the Australian Open and was beaten in a five-set instant classic in the recent French Open final by Alcaraz, so can he make it three grand slam finals in a row at SW19? Advertisement He gets his campaign underway on Court One against fellow Italian Luca Nardi, who is currently ranked 95 in the world. This is his second appearance in the main draw at Wimbledon, but he goes into the game with just one match on grass this season. He played the qualifiers at Eastbourne but was beaten by Brit Billy Harris in straight sets. Tennis betting sites are offering 1/66 on Sinner to win, and you can get 50/1 on the shock, but we can't see any chance of that happening, especially when you can only get 2/7 on Sinner winning in three sets. Wimbledon Day 2 prediction 1: Under 26.5 games in Jannik Sinner v Luca Nardi - 13/10 Unibet Petra Kvitova vs Emma Navarro prediction Two-time winner Petra Kvitova is back at Wimbledon after missing last year's tournament as she was pregnant with her first child. Advertisement She returned to action earlier this year, but she has won just once on tour so far and was given a wild card to take part in her 16th and final Wimbledon after announcing she will retire following the US Open. She won the tournament in 2011 and 2014 and reached the fourth round last time out, and this time she faces the 10th seed, Emma Navarro. The American reached the quarter finals in 2024 before she was beaten in straight sets by Jasmine Paolini. She has reached the quarter finals at both Queens and the Bad Homburg Open in recent weeks, but will know what Kvitova is capable of, especially in her last hurrah - we all know what Fognini did against Alcaraz. Betting sites are offering 7/2 on a Kvitova win and you can get 1/4 on Navarro bringing an end to her excellent Wimbledon career - this one really could go either way, and we're expecting another close call. Advertisement Wimbledon Day 2 prediction 2: Over 2.5 sets in Kvitova vs Navarro - 9/5 BetMGM Alexandre Muller vs Novak Djokovic prediction Novak Djokovic gets his 20th Wimbledon campaign underway against Frenchman Alexandre Muller, who is playing at SW19 for the third year in a row. The world number 41 has reached the second round in his previous two appearances, but in the seven-time champion, he faces a far tougher opponent. The two players have met once before, at the US Open in 2023, when Djokovic won 6-0 6-2 6-3 on his way to winning the tournament and his last grand slam to date. Wimbledon odds of 23/20 are available for Djokovic to take care of business without breaking a sweat at the All England Club or alternatively a stunning upset from Muller. Advertisement Wimbledon Day 2 prediction 3: Under 28.5 games Muller v Djokovic - 23/20 Unibet Elisabetta Cocciaretto vs Jessica Pegula prediction Jessica Pegula is always a threat on grass, and she won the recent Bad Homburg Open in Germany, beating Iga Swiatek in straight sets 6-4, 7-5, which should give her a lot of confidence going into this one. The third seed faces Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto, who is currently ranked 116th in the world, and playing in her third Wimbledon after reaching the third round the last time she competed in 2023, when she was beaten in straight sets by Pegula. Cocciaretto picked up just four games that day, and Pegula is a far more complete player now, and we are expecting another easy afternoon. Advertisement Wimbledon Day 2 prediction 4: Under 18.5 games in Cocciaretto vs Pegula - 11/10 BoyleSports Please gamble responsibly When having a bet, it's vital to practice responsible gambling. Betting can be addictive and it's important to stay in control of your betting. Never treat gambling as a way to make money, never bet more than you can afford and when the fun stops, stop. Gambling sites offer punters tools, like deposit limits, profit and loss trackers and self-exclusion options, to help them stay in control. But if you ever feel like you need help or advice on gambling addiction, don't hesitate to contact one of the charities or organisations below. Advertisement We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Line judges missed at Wimbledon as AI takes their jobs
Line judges were as much a part of the Wimbledon tennis championships as strawberries and cream. But their demise in favour of technology is being felt by both players and fans alike. John McEnroe famously ranted and raved at the smartly dressed on-court officials but they have called "out" for the final time and been replaced by an electronic line-calling (ELC) system. Advertisement Some players say they find the new calls too quiet while others lament the passing of a 148-year-old tradition at the All England Club in southwest London. "It was part of the joy of going to Wimbledon -- the tradition. I just used to love it when they all walked out in their uniforms," said company director Fiona Jones, 52. "Technology is good but I think it's definitely lost something by not having them there," she said, adding that the back of the court now seemed "empty". Line officials had been working in tandem with technology since 2007. When the umpire signalled a video replay of a line judge's decision a ripple of excitement would spread through spectators followed by rhythmic clapping as it was shown on the big screen. Advertisement Tech worker Marie Sal, 26, said she missed the fun of the audience participation. It was nice to get a definitive decision quickly, she said, but the "energy, the drama" was now missing. Last October Wimbledon announced it was finally scrapping its line officials in favour of ELC, following the lead of the Australian Open and US Open, emptying its courts. "The voice, I cannot really hear it, it is a bit too low," said China's Yuan Yue after her first-round match on an outside court. "I asked the referee can you (turn) it up a little bit? He said he cannot. I don't really mind, I just want to hear it clearly," she said. Advertisement - 'AI took my job' - More than 450 cameras have been installed to make the decisions previously made by humans. Those rulings are then relayed via on-court speakers. American 12th seed Frances Tiafoe said the new technology lacked the theatre and "fanfare" of the old system. "If I were to hit a serve on a big point, you go up with the challenge, is it in, is it out? The crowd is, like, 'ohhh'. There's none of that," he said. "If I hit a good serve now and they call it 'out', you may still think it's in, but it doesn't matter. I think that kind of kills it," he said. Advertisement The former line judges are not completely redundant. Around 80 are employed as match assistants, with two on each court offering support to the umpire. They will also be on hand to resume work should the machines malfunction. Their plight attracted the support of two English students concerned about the wider threat from artificial intelligence to their own future job prospects. Gabriel Paul, 26, and Harry Robson, 27, dressed as line judges and held up placards reading "AI took my job" and "Don't sideline humans" outside the gates of the All England Club . "We're students –- we're graduating in three months and worrying about the whole jobs market," said Paul. Advertisement But he said tournament staff had given them a good reception, possibly fearing that they too could be replaced. "They don't seem to mind. There's been a lot of cheering for us from the stewards," he added. But Wimbledon is upbeat about the new system, with operations director Michelle Dite saying the introduction of ELC had been "very successful". "There were one or two players that commented about the audio," she said. "And I think it's really important that we review and monitor that all the time, like we do with everything else." har/jw/phz
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Line judges missed at Wimbledon as AI takes their jobs
Academy Empower your mind, elevate your skills Line judges were as much a part of the Wimbledon tennis championships as strawberries and cream. But their demise in favour of technology is being felt by both players and fans McEnroe famously ranted and raved at the smartly dressed on-court officials but they have called "out" for the final time and been replaced by an electronic line-calling (ELC) players say they find the new calls too quiet while others lament the passing of a 148-year-old tradition at the All England Club in southwest London."It was part of the joy of going to Wimbledon -- the tradition. I just used to love it when they all walked out in their uniforms," said company director Fiona Jones, 52."Technology is good but I think it's definitely lost something by not having them there," she said, adding that the back of the court now seemed "empty".Line officials had been working in tandem with technology since the umpire signalled a video replay of a line judge's decision a ripple of excitement would spread through spectators followed by rhythmic clapping as it was shown on the big worker Marie Sal, 26, said she missed the fun of the audience was nice to get a definitive decision quickly, she said, but the "energy, the drama" was now October Wimbledon announced it was finally scrapping its line officials in favour of ELC, following the lead of the Australian Open and US Open, emptying its courts."The voice, I cannot really hear it, it is a bit too low," said China's Yuan Yue after her first-round match on an outside court."I asked the referee can you (turn) it up a little bit? He said he cannot. I don't really mind, I just want to hear it clearly," she than 450 cameras have been installed to make the decisions previously made by rulings are then relayed via on-court 12th seed Frances Tiafoe said the new technology lacked the theatre and "fanfare" of the old system."If I were to hit a serve on a big point, you go up with the challenge, is it in, is it out? The crowd is, like, 'ohhh'. There's none of that," he said."If I hit a good serve now and they call it 'out', you may still think it's in, but it doesn't matter. I think that kind of kills it," he former line judges are not completely 80 are employed as match assistants, with two on each court offering support to the will also be on hand to resume work should the machines plight attracted the support of two English students concerned about the wider threat from artificial intelligence to their own future job Paul, 26, and Harry Robson, 27, dressed as line judges and held up placards reading "AI took my job" and "Don't sideline humans" outside the gates of the All England Club ."We're students -- we're graduating in three months and worrying about the whole jobs market," said he said tournament staff had given them a good reception, possibly fearing that they too could be replaced."They don't seem to mind. There's been a lot of cheering for us from the stewards," he Wimbledon is upbeat about the new system, with operations director Michelle Dite saying the introduction of ELC had been "very successful"."There were one or two players that commented about the audio," she said. "And I think it's really important that we review and monitor that all the time, like we do with everything else."
