Latest news with #OlgaDanilovic
CNA
02-07-2025
- Sport
- CNA
Keys stays on course for rare Australian Open-Wimbledon double
LONDON :There is nothing flashy about Madison Keys, but she knows how to get the job done and that priceless quality was on display as she eased past Olga Danilovic 6-4 6-2 on Wednesday to reach the Wimbledon third round. The Australian Open champion is on the hunt for further Grand Slam glory at the All England Club and could become the first woman since the great Serena Williams to win those two majors in the same season. Yet whereas Williams' ferocious weapons were clear for all to see, Keys is more the model of consistency. She has a big forehand and serve, but a potent part of her arsenal is being able to step up when it matters most. The 37th-ranked Danilovic put up a brave fight, which included saving five break points in one game in the second set, but Keys' consistency meant she never looked like causing an upset. On paper, the numbers were fairly even. The winners' count was 19-15 in Keys' favour while Danilovic made marginally more unforced errors - but Keys broke her opponent four times and lost her own serve once. After a nervy opener when she beat Romania's Elena-Gabriela Ruse in three sets, this was far more comfortable for the American - and with rain returning to Wimbledon after scorching temperatures on the first two days, Keys was much happier. "I definitely felt a little more comfortable today, it's the cloudy rainy England we know and love so I felt a little more normal," she said. "I knew that she could play really great tennis, I really just wanted to get a lead and run with it."
Daily Mail
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Russian star of tennis' 'most beautiful pairing' withdraws from Wimbledon singles - a day before their doubles campaign gets underway
Russian star Anastasia Potapova - one half of the duo dubbed 'the most beautiful in tennis' has withdrawn with the Wimbledon women's singles draw. The 24-year-old grabbed headlines earlier this month when she teamed up with Serbian player Olga Danilovic for just the second time in over five years to compete at Roland-Garros. The eye-catching duo's run to the quarter-finals earned legions of new fans, with one Serbian outlet dubbing them the 'most beautiful' pairing 'of all time'. Potapova had hoped to make her mark in the singles draw at the All England Club but has been forced to withdraw from the competition ahead of her first round clash against the Pole Magdalena Frech. Canadian's Vicky Mboko, a qualifier who won two matches at Roland-Garros last month before being eliminated by Qiwen Zhang in the Round of 32, has replaced her in the draw. Potapova had been hoping to turnaround her recent singles fortunes, having failed to make the quarter-finals in any of her last nine competitions. She also suffered mid-event injury-related withdrawals at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart in April and the German Open last month. The reason for her withdrawal at Wimbledon has not been disclosed. Her absence will come as a major blow to fans and raise concern that she will not be able to partner Danilovic in London, with the women's draw getting underway on Wednesday. Potapova and Danilovic have been drawn against Alexandra Eala and Eva Lys in the first round. Both Danilovic and Potapova were able to extend their time in Paris with a run in the doubles, with neither of the pair making the second week in the singles draw. Danilovic, 23, is a fine talent who has been nurtured in part by her compatriot and Serbian tennis icon Novak Djokovic. The pair have played United Cup doubles representing their home country together, and has described Djokovic as her 'hero'. In a twist of fate, Danilovic beat Potapova at the age of 17 to claim her first junior singles title in Moscow over six years ago, and since then, the world No 37 has claimed a number of eye-catching wins at Grand Slams. The Serbian beat US No 1 Jessica Pegula at the Australian Open, who was seeded seventh in Melbourne. The athletes cut a striking dash in the dirt in their matching Nike dark maroon tennis dresses in paris But on the red clay of Paris, world No1 Aryna Sabalenka proved too challenging an opponent for the younger woman, who was downed 6-2, 6-3 in the third round. Potapova was stopped one round earlier after her first-round defeat of No 29 seed Linda Noskova as she lost to the Ukrainian Yulia Starodubtseva in straight sets. After their Paris exit, both Danilovic and Potapova seemed delighted with their travails, with Danilovic sharing a sweet message of support to her team-mate. 'Love sharing the court with you (heart emoji),' Danilovic wrote on her Instagram Stories as she shared a picture of them playing with the caption: 'This brunette-blondie energy (lightning bolt emoji).' Both athletes cut stylish figures on the court sporting the same Nike dark maroon tennis dress and bright white visors. Danilovic and Potapova's partnership has had just two previous outings, with the pair debuting in 2019 at the Brisbane Open.
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Naomi Osaka's Post After Win in Germany Catches Attention
Naomi Osaka's Post After Win in Germany Catches Attention originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Naomi Osaka marked a special moment at the Bad Homburg Open after the tennis star kicked off the season by securing her first grass-court victory. Advertisement The Japanese player faced a hard-fought match after beating Serbian qualifier Olga Danilovic in her first game with a 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (7-4) win on Monday. To celebrate the milestone, the former world No. 1 took to social media to share highlights from her trip to Germany. Although she was in the middle of the competition, the 27-year-old kept fans engaged by offering a behind-the-scenes look at her tournament run. On Instagram, she shared photos from her training sessions, a snapshot in front of the Berlin Wall and glimpses of her city escapes. 'Germany so far,' she wrote. The post was flooded with overwhelming reactions from fans who were also celebrating Osaka's small win. Advertisement 'NAOMIIIII!!! Yes yes yes!! Saw your grit today!!! That's what I saw!!' a user wrote. 'Posting mid-tourney?!? She must be feeling great y'all! Should be a deep run!' a fan noted. 'Congratulations on the first round,' a follower added. Fans continued to cheer for her as they looked forward to her upcoming matchup. 'Great match!!!! Amazing serving. Good composure. Nice swagger. You're doing great. You can beat Navarro. Let's go!' a user wrote. Of course, fans also took notice of her game-day fit and outfit selections during her trip. 'Congrats Naomi. Today's outfit was cute,' a commenter mentioned. 'your dope outfit is always right on the spot,' another added. Advertisement 'Those jeans are so cool!' said one follower. 'You looked good today! 85% serving got you through… Ground strokes were nice … sprayed a few but looked solid' a fan remarked. Naomi Osaka (JPN) reacts after winning the first set against Liudmila Samsonova (not pictured) on day three of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Burke-Imagn Images With Osaka advancing to the next round, she will be facing Emma Navarro. The two previously faced off at Wimbledon last year, where the American claimed a 6-4, 6-1 victory. Related: Naomi Osaka Flexes Outfit While Teasing Wimbledon Return This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 24, 2025, where it first appeared.
Japan Times
24-06-2025
- Sport
- Japan Times
Osaka earns first grass win of the season with victory over Danilovic
Four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka fired 16 aces past Serbian qualifier Olga Danilovic to earn a 7-6(6) 7-6(4) victory at the Bad Homburg Open in Germany on Monday for her first win on grass this season less than a week before the start of Wimbledon. The 27-year-old Japanese player, who had lost in the first round at her last two tournaments — the French Open and the Berlin Open — had won her first title in May in almost two years following a maternity break. Osaka, who had reached the third round of the Australian Open in January before retiring injured, has not had back-to-back wins on any surface since the Italian Open in May. She is currently ranked 56th in the world. "It's my first grass-court win of the year," Osaka said. "I am excited about that. I am super excited to play here and be back for my next round." Asked whether she was on track to improve her form on the surface, she said: "I hope so. I think I have potential but everyone is really good so I cannot take it for granted." The pair held serve to take the first set into a tiebreak — Osaka snatched it on her second set point. Osaka was 40-0 up on her opponent's serve at 2-2 in the second set but she could not bag the first break of either player in the match, with Danilovic holding serve with her eighth ace of the match. Osaka, however, got the mini-break she needed in the tiebreak when she challenged a Danilovic first serve that was then ruled out, with the qualifier then double-faulting. She held on to that slim advantage to earn a spot in the round of 16 where she will face fifth-seed Emma Navarro. Russian eighth-seed Ekaterina Alexandrova also eased into the next round with a 6-1 6-2 win over Swiss Belinda Bencic. Croatia's Donna Vekic made equally light work of sixth seed southpaw Diana Shnaider for a 6-3 6-3 victory. Clara Tauson of Denmark needed to work harder and battle from a set down before snatching a 6-7(6) 6-3 6-3 against Poland's Magdalena Frech.
Asharq Al-Awsat
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Osaka Earns First Grass Win of the Season with Victory over Qualifier Danilovic
Four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka fired 16 aces past Serbian qualifier Olga Danilovic to earn a 7-6(6) 7-6(4) victory at the Bad Homburg Open on Monday for her first win on grass this season less than a week before the start of Wimbledon. The 27-year-old Japanese player, who had lost in the first round at her last two tournaments -- the French Open and the Berlin Open -- had won her first title in May in almost two years following a maternity break. Osaka, who had reached the third round of the Australian Open in January before retiring injured, has not had back-to-back wins on any surface since the Italian Open in May. She is currently ranked 56th in the world. "It's my first grasscourt win of the year," Reuters quoted Osaka as saying. "I am excited about that. I am super excited to play here and be back for my next round." Asked whether she was on track to improve her form on the surface, she said: "I hope so. I think I have potential but everyone is really good so I cannot take it for granted." The pair held serve to take the first set into a tiebreak where Osaka snatched it on her second set point. Osaka was 40-0 up on her opponent's serve at 2-2 in the second set but she could not bag the first break of either player in the match, with Danilovic holding serve with her eighth ace of the match. Osaka, however, got the mini-break she needed in the tiebreak when she challenged a Danilovic first serve that was then ruled out, with the qualifier then double-faulting. She held on to that slim advantage to earn a spot in the round of 16 where she will face fifth-seed Emma Navarro. Russian eighth-seed Ekaterina Alexandrova also eased into the next round with a 6-1 6-2 win over Swiss Belinda Bencic. Croatia's Donna Vekic made equally light work of sixth seed southpaw Diana Shnaider for a 6-3 6-3 victory. Clara Tauson of Denmark needed to work harder and battle from a set down before snatching a 6-7(6) 6-3 6-3 against Poland's Magdalena Frech.
