Latest news with #MayaJoint
Arab News
40 minutes ago
- Sport
- Arab News
Alexandra Eala makes tennis history for Philippines by reaching Eastbourne final
EASTBOURNE, England: Alexandra Eala became the first Filipino to reach a WTA Tour final as she beat fellow qualifier Varvara Gracheva 7-5 2-6 6-3 at the Eastbourne Open on Friday, while lucky loser Jenson Brooksby will meet holder Taylor Fritz in the men's final. Left-hander Eala, 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 the 20-year-old 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 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 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.' Three-times champion Fritz overcame Spanish sixth seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-3 3-6 6-1 and will now face fellow-American Brooksby after the lucky loser beat French fourth seed Ugo Humbert. Fritz broke the Spaniard's first service game as he comfortably won the first set, and while Davidovich Fokina fought back to force a decider, the American broke twice in the last set to reach the final for the fourth time. Brooksby won his first ATP title in April at the US Men's Clay Court Championship, where he began as a wildcard in the qualifying rounds and his 6-7(7) 6-4 6-4 win over Humbert sees the American make it to another final. 'I think it's a lot less pressure when you don't expect to be in the main draw and get the opportunity,' Brooksby said. 'You just want to make the most of it.' Humbert came from 5-3 down to win the opening set on a tiebreak, before Brooksby bounced back despite the Frenchman's battling spirit. The American took a 3-0 lead in the next two sets and Humbert drew level on both occasions, but Brooksby clinched both sets with a break of serve.
The Guardian
6 hours ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Maya Joint at home on grass as Australian teenager marches into Eastbourne final
Australian teenager Maya Joint has reached another WTA final at the age of just 19, giving herself the perfect pre-Wimbledon boost by powering into the championship match in the traditional Eastbourne International curtain-raiser. The US-born Queenslander, competing in just her second senior grass-court event, took another illustrious scalp on Friday following her wins over Ons Jabeur and Emma Raducanu as she defeated Russia's former French Open finalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-5 6-4 in the semi-final. Joint now has the chance to go into next week's main draw at Wimbledon, where she'll face another Russian, 19th seed Liudmila Samsonova, with a maiden grass-court title under her belt. The teenager, who was 5-3 down in the first set before taking control against the 33-year-old with her crisp hitting and sharp movement, was left astonished by her achievement. 'Super exciting. I think if you told me at the beginning of the week that I'd be in the final, I wouldn't believe you,' said Joint. 'I've definitely learned to love grass this week.' In Saturday's final, she will face another of the game's rising stars, 20-year-old Alexandra Eala, who 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 in the other semi. It will be the youngest final at the event since two American teens, Tracy Austin and Andrea Jaeger, did battle in the 1981 showdown at Devonshire Park. For Joint, there are echoes of her run to her first WTA title on the clay at the Morocco Open in May when her victory came just a couple of days before she was due to play in her first French Open outing. If she wins the title in Eastbourne on Saturday, becoming the first ever Australian women's winner in the event's 50-year history, she will then dash straight to London 120km up the road from the seaside venue to prepare for her maiden Wimbledon, where she'll be ranked for the first time in the world's top 50. 'I can take confidence that I won it last time [in Rabat], and maybe I'll be a little bit less nervous this time, but I'm just really excited to come out here and play another final,' she said. Sign up to From the Pocket: AFL Weekly Jonathan Horn brings expert analysis on the week's biggest AFL stories after newsletter promotion 'I'm super excited to play Alex, we're gonna have a great match. She's a really nice girl, and, yeah, we're looking forward to it.' Up to No 41 if she wins her second title in five weeks, Joint's rise has been quite astonishing since starting the year at No 116. In just 18 months since deciding to base herself back in Queensland after leaving the US and choosing to work with her Australian coach, Chris Mahony, she's shot up from No 1384. Left-hander Eala, now a national figure in the Philippines after her own extraordinary breakthrough season in which she beat Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek en route to the Miami Open semis, was left almost lost for words about her success.
ABC News
9 hours ago
- Sport
- ABC News
Maya Joint into Eastbourne Open final with win over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova as Wimbledon prospects grow
Australian teenager Maya Joint has reached another WTA final at the age of just 19, giving herself the perfect pre-Wimbledon boost by powering into the championship match in the traditional Eastbourne Open curtain-raiser. The US-born Queenslander, competing in just her second senior grass-court event, took another illustrious scalp following her wins over Ons Jabeur and Emma Raducanu as she defeated Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-5, 6-4 in the semifinal. Joint now has the chance to go into next week's main draw at Wimbledon, where she will face another Russian, 19th seed Liudmila Samsonova, with a maiden grass-court title under her belt. The teenager, who was 5-3 down in the first set before taking control against the 33-year-old with her crisp hitting and sharp movement, was left astonished by her achievement. "Super exciting. I think if you told me at the beginning of the week that I'd be in the final, I wouldn't believe you," said Joint. "I've definitely learned to love grass this week." In Saturday's final, she will face another of the game's rising stars, 20-year-old Alexandra Eala, who 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 in the other semi. It will be the youngest final at the event since two American teens, Tracy Austin and Andrea Jaeger, did battle in the 1981 showdown at Devonshire Park. For Joint, there are echoes of her run to her first WTA title on the clay at the Morocco Open in May when her victory came just a couple of days before she was due to play in her first French Open outing. If she wins the title in Eastbourne on Saturday, becoming the first ever Australian women's winner in the event's 50-year history, she will then dash straight to London to prepare for her maiden Wimbledon, where she will be ranked for the first time in the world's top 50. Up to number 41 if she wins her second title in five weeks, Joint's rise has been quite astonishing since starting the year at number 116. In just 18 months since deciding to base herself back in Queensland after leaving the US and choosing to work with her Australian coach, Chris Mahony, she has shot up from number 1,384. AAP
BBC News
12 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
'I deserve it' - GB qualifier wants prize money change
British qualifier Oliver Tarvet has called for a change in United States college rules after being unable to claim all the prize money he will earn from reaching the Wimbledon main 21, moved into the first round - where players receive £66,000 - after winning his third and final qualifying match on Englishman studies at the University of San Diego and has developed his game in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA rules, players are restricted in how much they can claim from professional Friday, Tarvet explained players are allowed $10,000 (£7,290) in profit every year, as well as any expenses incurred during the events."I know there have been complaints about it but I don't want to speak too much about it and overstep the mark," he said. "But in my opinion, I've worked hard to get this money. I don't feel like it's undeserved the money that I've got. "I think it would be good to see a change in the rules of the NCAA, but at the same time, I don't want to get involved. It's not really my place. "But I've done well this week. I think I deserve this money."Earlier this year, American college player Reese Brantmeier launched a class action, external against the NCAA over the 20, was joined by Australian player Maya Joint - who forfeited more than $200,000 (£145,000) in US Open prize money after reaching the fourth round last year - as a co-plaintiff. Black players still 'face barrier' in tennis Britain's Jay Clarke believes there is still a "barrier" stopping young black tennis players from developing in the month, the LTA launched its 'equity, diversity and inclusion plan', saying it will "not be satisfied until the diversity of everyone involved in tennis reflects the diversity of the communities in the country".Clarke, 26, is among several British top-200 players with black or mixed heritage, including Heather Watson, Paul Jubb and George Loffhagen."It is nice to see more black players breaking through and hopefully we can inspire more kids to pick up a racquet," said 26-year-old Clarke, who plays Dan Evans in the Wimbledon first round."I think there is still a barrier and the sport is not amazingly accessible for black players. "The LTA have done good things to resurface park courts and give people opportunities."The most important thing is seeing people like yourself playing and doing well on the big stages. Representation is important."This summer, Wimbledon is marking the 50th anniversary of Arthur Ashe's victory at the All England Club - the first black tennis player to win a Grand Slam men's singles titleAshe, who won three major titles, has been one of Clarke's biggest inspirations after being told the American player's story."Having a black man win Wimbledon was amazing for my dad to see and that was passed on to me," Clarke added."I watched highlights of him when I was younger and my dad used to get me to play differently - that's how I learned to play the sport."
The Advertiser
13 hours ago
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Aussie teen sensation Joint reaches Eastbourne final
Australian teenager Maya Joint has reached another WTA final at the age of just 19, giving herself the perfect pre-Wimbledon boost by powering into the championship match in the traditional Eastbourne International curtain-raiser. The US-born Queenslander, competing in just her second senior grass-court event, took another illustrious scalp on Friday following her wins over Ons Jabeur and Emma Raducanu as she defeated Russia's former French Open finalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-5 6-4 in the semi-final. Joint now has the chance to go into next week's main draw at Wimbledon, where she'll face another Russian, 19th seed Liudmila Samsonova, with a maiden grass-court title under her belt. The teenager, who was 5-3 down in the first set before taking control against the 33-year-old with her crisp hitting and sharp movement, was left astonished by her achievement. "Super exciting. I think if you told me at the beginning of the week that I'd be in the final, I wouldn't believe you," said Joint. "I've definitely learned to love grass this week. In Saturday's final, she will face another of the game's rising stars, 20-year-old Alexandra Eala, who 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 in the other semi. It will be the youngest final at the event since two American teens, Tracy Austin and Andrea Jaeger, did battle in the 1981 showdown at Devonshire Park. For Joint, there are echoes of her run to her first WTA title on the clay at the Morocco Open in May when her victory came just a couple of days before she was due to play in her first French Open outing. If she wins the title in Eastbourne on Saturday, becoming the first ever Australian women's winner in the event's 50-year history, she will then dash straight to London 120km up the road from the seaside venue to prepare for her maiden Wimbledon, where she'll be ranked for the first time in the world's top 50. "I can take confidence that I won it last time (in Rabat), and maybe I'll be a little bit less nervous this time, but I'm just really excited to come out here and play another final," she said. "I'm super excited to play Alex, we're gonna have a great match. She's a really nice girl, and, yeah, we're looking forward to it." Up to No.41 if she wins her second title in five weeks, Joint's rise has been quite astonishing since starting the year at No.116. In just 18 months since deciding to base herself back in Queensland after leaving the US and choosing to work with her Australian coach, Chris Mahony, she's shot up from No.1384. Left-hander Eala, now a national figure in the Philippines after her own extraordinary breakthrough season in which she beat Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek en route to the Miami Open semis, was left almost lost for words about her success. Australian teenager Maya Joint has reached another WTA final at the age of just 19, giving herself the perfect pre-Wimbledon boost by powering into the championship match in the traditional Eastbourne International curtain-raiser. The US-born Queenslander, competing in just her second senior grass-court event, took another illustrious scalp on Friday following her wins over Ons Jabeur and Emma Raducanu as she defeated Russia's former French Open finalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-5 6-4 in the semi-final. Joint now has the chance to go into next week's main draw at Wimbledon, where she'll face another Russian, 19th seed Liudmila Samsonova, with a maiden grass-court title under her belt. The teenager, who was 5-3 down in the first set before taking control against the 33-year-old with her crisp hitting and sharp movement, was left astonished by her achievement. "Super exciting. I think if you told me at the beginning of the week that I'd be in the final, I wouldn't believe you," said Joint. "I've definitely learned to love grass this week. In Saturday's final, she will face another of the game's rising stars, 20-year-old Alexandra Eala, who 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 in the other semi. It will be the youngest final at the event since two American teens, Tracy Austin and Andrea Jaeger, did battle in the 1981 showdown at Devonshire Park. For Joint, there are echoes of her run to her first WTA title on the clay at the Morocco Open in May when her victory came just a couple of days before she was due to play in her first French Open outing. If she wins the title in Eastbourne on Saturday, becoming the first ever Australian women's winner in the event's 50-year history, she will then dash straight to London 120km up the road from the seaside venue to prepare for her maiden Wimbledon, where she'll be ranked for the first time in the world's top 50. "I can take confidence that I won it last time (in Rabat), and maybe I'll be a little bit less nervous this time, but I'm just really excited to come out here and play another final," she said. "I'm super excited to play Alex, we're gonna have a great match. She's a really nice girl, and, yeah, we're looking forward to it." Up to No.41 if she wins her second title in five weeks, Joint's rise has been quite astonishing since starting the year at No.116. In just 18 months since deciding to base herself back in Queensland after leaving the US and choosing to work with her Australian coach, Chris Mahony, she's shot up from No.1384. Left-hander Eala, now a national figure in the Philippines after her own extraordinary breakthrough season in which she beat Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek en route to the Miami Open semis, was left almost lost for words about her success. Australian teenager Maya Joint has reached another WTA final at the age of just 19, giving herself the perfect pre-Wimbledon boost by powering into the championship match in the traditional Eastbourne International curtain-raiser. The US-born Queenslander, competing in just her second senior grass-court event, took another illustrious scalp on Friday following her wins over Ons Jabeur and Emma Raducanu as she defeated Russia's former French Open finalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-5 6-4 in the semi-final. Joint now has the chance to go into next week's main draw at Wimbledon, where she'll face another Russian, 19th seed Liudmila Samsonova, with a maiden grass-court title under her belt. The teenager, who was 5-3 down in the first set before taking control against the 33-year-old with her crisp hitting and sharp movement, was left astonished by her achievement. "Super exciting. I think if you told me at the beginning of the week that I'd be in the final, I wouldn't believe you," said Joint. "I've definitely learned to love grass this week. In Saturday's final, she will face another of the game's rising stars, 20-year-old Alexandra Eala, who 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 in the other semi. It will be the youngest final at the event since two American teens, Tracy Austin and Andrea Jaeger, did battle in the 1981 showdown at Devonshire Park. For Joint, there are echoes of her run to her first WTA title on the clay at the Morocco Open in May when her victory came just a couple of days before she was due to play in her first French Open outing. If she wins the title in Eastbourne on Saturday, becoming the first ever Australian women's winner in the event's 50-year history, she will then dash straight to London 120km up the road from the seaside venue to prepare for her maiden Wimbledon, where she'll be ranked for the first time in the world's top 50. "I can take confidence that I won it last time (in Rabat), and maybe I'll be a little bit less nervous this time, but I'm just really excited to come out here and play another final," she said. "I'm super excited to play Alex, we're gonna have a great match. She's a really nice girl, and, yeah, we're looking forward to it." Up to No.41 if she wins her second title in five weeks, Joint's rise has been quite astonishing since starting the year at No.116. In just 18 months since deciding to base herself back in Queensland after leaving the US and choosing to work with her Australian coach, Chris Mahony, she's shot up from No.1384. Left-hander Eala, now a national figure in the Philippines after her own extraordinary breakthrough season in which she beat Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek en route to the Miami Open semis, was left almost lost for words about her success. Australian teenager Maya Joint has reached another WTA final at the age of just 19, giving herself the perfect pre-Wimbledon boost by powering into the championship match in the traditional Eastbourne International curtain-raiser. The US-born Queenslander, competing in just her second senior grass-court event, took another illustrious scalp on Friday following her wins over Ons Jabeur and Emma Raducanu as she defeated Russia's former French Open finalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-5 6-4 in the semi-final. Joint now has the chance to go into next week's main draw at Wimbledon, where she'll face another Russian, 19th seed Liudmila Samsonova, with a maiden grass-court title under her belt. The teenager, who was 5-3 down in the first set before taking control against the 33-year-old with her crisp hitting and sharp movement, was left astonished by her achievement. "Super exciting. I think if you told me at the beginning of the week that I'd be in the final, I wouldn't believe you," said Joint. "I've definitely learned to love grass this week. In Saturday's final, she will face another of the game's rising stars, 20-year-old Alexandra Eala, who 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 in the other semi. It will be the youngest final at the event since two American teens, Tracy Austin and Andrea Jaeger, did battle in the 1981 showdown at Devonshire Park. For Joint, there are echoes of her run to her first WTA title on the clay at the Morocco Open in May when her victory came just a couple of days before she was due to play in her first French Open outing. If she wins the title in Eastbourne on Saturday, becoming the first ever Australian women's winner in the event's 50-year history, she will then dash straight to London 120km up the road from the seaside venue to prepare for her maiden Wimbledon, where she'll be ranked for the first time in the world's top 50. "I can take confidence that I won it last time (in Rabat), and maybe I'll be a little bit less nervous this time, but I'm just really excited to come out here and play another final," she said. "I'm super excited to play Alex, we're gonna have a great match. She's a really nice girl, and, yeah, we're looking forward to it." Up to No.41 if she wins her second title in five weeks, Joint's rise has been quite astonishing since starting the year at No.116. In just 18 months since deciding to base herself back in Queensland after leaving the US and choosing to work with her Australian coach, Chris Mahony, she's shot up from No.1384. Left-hander Eala, now a national figure in the Philippines after her own extraordinary breakthrough season in which she beat Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek en route to the Miami Open semis, was left almost lost for words about her success.
