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Tommy Paul saved three match points on his way to victory at the ATP Houston US Men's Clay Court Championship on Sunday (Kenneth Richmond) American fourth seed Tommy Paul saved three match points before scoring a battling three-set victory over unseeded Argentine Roman Burruchaga to win the ATP Houston US Men's Clay Court Championship on Sunday. Paul, 28, held his nerve in a nail-biting third set to dig out a 6-1, 3-6, 7-5 triumph in 2hr 40min to claim the fifth ATP title of his career. The American had looked to be heading for defeat after the 77th-ranked Burruchaga engineered a trio of match points while leading 5-3 on Paul's serve in the decisive third set. But Paul showed tremendous resilience to put out that fire and hold, and then broke Burruchaga in the next game to square the match at 5-5. Buoyed by that narrow escape, Paul then held to love to go 6-5 up, and suddenly the pressure was all on the 24-year-old from Buenos Aires, playing in his first ATP final. Burrucha...

Argentina's Thiago Tirante is through to the semi-finals of the ATP clay court tournament in Houston after an upset win over top-seeded American Ben Shelton (Kenneth Richmond) Thiago Tirante stunned top-seeded Ben Shelton 7-6 (7/5), 3-6, 6-4 on Friday to book a semi-final showdown with friend and fellow Argentinian Roman Burruchaga at the ATP clay court tournament in Houston, Texas. Tirante, ranked 83rd in the world, notched his second career win over a top-10 player as he sent the ninth-ranked Shelton packing to reach the second ATP semi-final of his career. "I knew that Ben was a very difficult player, a great player, so I had to take more risks at some times of the match," said Tirante, who fended off a break point early in the third set and broke Shelton for a 5-4 lead before serving it out with a comfortable hold. "I did sometimes good, I did sometimes bad, but that's the key. (I had to stay) mentally strong all the time and try to break the serve -- he serv...

Defending champion Jessica Pegula won a three-set thriller to reach the WTA Charleston Open quarter-finals (MATTHEW STOCKMAN) Defending champion and top seed Jessica Pegula fought back to reach the WTA Charleston Open quarter-finals on Thursday, requiring a final-set tiebreak to see off Italy's Elisabetta Cocciaretto 1-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7/1). A resilient Pegula, the world number five from the United States, eventually progressed just a day after laboring more than three hours to beat 72nd-ranked Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan. The latest hard-fought win, clocking in at just over two hours, was revenge for Pegula, who was stunned by Cocciaretto at Wimbledon last year. Cocciaretto, ranked 43rd in the world, dominated the first set. Pegula's serve was notably wayward, with the American winning just 25 percent of first serve points. "I don't know what I was doing out there... Oh my gosh, that's horrible," said Pegula after. Pegula rallied in the second set, but was imm...

US top seed Taylor Fritz defeated Croatian Marin Cilic to reach the final of the ATP Dallas Open (Sam Hodde) Taylor Fritz blasted 22 aces in advancing to the ATP Dallas Open final on Saturday by defeating Croatian Marin Cilic 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/3). American top seed Fritz, ranked seventh in the world, reached his 20th career ATP final and first since last September's Japan Open. "I did a really good job just holding serve, getting through a lot of those games," said Fritz, who never faced a break point. "I think I generated good opportunities to grab a break on him but he played really well, served really well on all the break points." Fritz seeks an 11th career title and first since collecting his fourth Eastbourne crown last June. Cilic, the 37-year-old from Croatia who won the 2014 US Open, fired 16 aces but also had eight double faults. Fritz will play for the crown on Sunday against the later winner between defending champion Denis Shapovalov, the seventh se...

US top seed Taylor Fritz rallied to defeat compatriot Sebastian Korda and reach the semi-finals of the ATP Dallas Open (Sam Hodde) Top seed Taylor Fritz captured the last five points in a deciding tie-breaker to defeat fellow American Sebastian Korda and advance to the ATP Dallas Open semi-finals on Friday. World number seven Fritz fought back to defeat 53rd-ranked Korda 6-7 (2/7), 6-4, 7-6 (7/5) and book a place against Croatian Marin Cilic, the 2014 US Open winner, in a Saturday semi-final. Fritz, now 4-1 lifetime against Korda, fired 22 aces and won all four break points he faced to conclude matters in two hours and 30 minutes. "Just (proud of) the way I handled those big moments in that match," Fritz said. "He was constantly putting a lot of pressure on my serve. He was playing really well. "He put me in a lot of tough situations but every time I was down break points or in the tie-breaks I came through and played great tennis." Fritz also fought back a...

Novak Djokovic has pulled out of the Adelaide International ahead of the Australian Open (Brenton EDWARDS) Serbian great Novak Djokovic Tuesday pulled out of the Adelaide International, saying he was "not quite physically ready" as prepares for the Australian Open. The 38-year-old was planning to use the event from January 12 as a springboard to the opening Grand Slam at Melbourne Park where he is targeting an 11th title and elusive 25th major crown. "To all my fans in Adelaide, unfortunately I'm not quite physically ready to compete in the Adelaide International next week," Djokovic said on Instagram. "It's personally very disappointing to me, as I have such great memories of winning the title there two years ago. I was really excited about returning as it truly felt like playing at home. "My focus is now on my preparation for the Australian Open and I look forward to arriving in Melbourne soon and seeing all the tennis fans in Australia." Th...

Venus Williams salutes the crowd with partner Leylah Fernandez of Canada to reach the quarter-finals of the US Open women's doubles (MATTHEW STOCKMAN) Venus Williams prolonged her stay at the US Open on Monday, partnering Leylah Fernandez to reach her first Grand Slam doubles quarter-final in nearly a decade. The 45-year-old American tennis icon and Fernandez, who was born three years after Williams won the first of her 14 Grand Slam doubles titles in 1999, defeated Russia's Ekaterina Alexandrova and China's Zhang Shuai 6-3, 6-4. It is the first time Williams has reached a Grand Slam doubles quarter-final since 2016. Williams is playing in the doubles after receiving a last-minute invitation from US Open organisers to play in the tournament she won twice alongside younger sister Serena. The Williams-Fernandez pair could face top seeds Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic and American Taylor Townsend in the quarter-finals.  The seven-time Grand Slam singles champion ...

Ben Shelton saw his US Open dreams scuppered by injury (ANGELA WEISS) Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe both crashed out in the third round of the US Open on a bleak day for a host nation without a men's Grand Slam champion in over 20 years. Sixth seed Shelton, a 2023 semi-finalist and recent Toronto champion, saw his bid derailed by a shoulder injury that forced him to retire against Frenchman Adrian Mannarino. Tiafoe, who had reached the semi-finals in New York twice in the past three years, followed Shelton through the exit door shortly after on Friday as he lost in straight sets to German qualifier Jan-Lennard Struff. Shelton led Mannarino by two sets to one before hurting his shoulder at the start of the fourth set. He attempted to play through the pain but eventually threw in the towel after the 77th-ranked Mannarino took the match to a deciding set. "I'm not a guy who would retire if I could continue," said a dejected Shelton, who fought back tears as he walked of...

Philippines' Alexandra Eala plays a return during her upset of Danish 14th seed Clara Tauson at the US Open (Kena Betancur) Alexandra Eala produced a jaw-dropping late comeback to carve out a piece of tennis history at the US Open on Sunday, becoming the first player from the Philippines to win a Grand Slam singles match with a first round upset of Danish 14th seed Clara Tauson. The 20-year-old from Quezon City recovered from a 5-1 deficit in the deciding set to score a thrilling 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (13/11) triumph. "I'm super over the moon with what I was able to do today, especially coming back in the third," Eala said. "It's a very special win for me." Eala's breakthrough comes at the end of a season where she had already served notice of her talent. She took down Australian Open champion Madison Keys and former world number one Iga Swiatek during a giant-killing run to the semi-finals of the Miami Open in March. But Sunday's triumph on the Grandsta...

French qualifier Terence Atmane of France waves to fans after falling to top-ranked Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals of the ATP-WTA Cincinnati Open (MATTHEW STOCKMAN) French qualifier Terence Atmane said his Saturday Cincinnati Open semi-final against world number one Jannik Sinner will remain his brightest tennis memory despite absorbing a 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 loss to the defending champion. The 23-year-old who credits mental training with helping him evolve from a racquet-smashing Tour wild child to a serious contender, defines himself as something of a tennis Renaissance man, with a multitude of interests off the court. "I'm a tennis player but I also collect Pokemon cards and always look for good coffee places on the tour," he said. "I love Japanese culture and food. "I have three cats waiting for me at home in France. I like space, the universe and this world that we live in." While he donned a local Cincinnati Reds baseball cap after wins over...

Defending champion Jannik Sinner plays a forehand on the way to a fourth-round win over Adrian Mannarino at the ATP-WTA Cincinnati Open (Dylan Buell) Jannik Sinner ignored a mid-match rain interruption lasting nearly three hours as he booked his quarter-final spot at the ATP-WTA Cincinnati Open with a 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) victory over Adrian Mannarino. The world number one, playing his first tournament since lifting the trophy at Wimbledon, notched his 24th consecutive hardcourt match win to enter his fifth quarter-final of the season. The win required patience, with the Italian who turns 24 on Saturday passing some of the afternoon weather pause by playing cards with his team. Sinner and Mannarino returned to action with Sinner leading 6-4, 1-2. But the Frenchman's tricky game took a toll as Sinner was broken while trying to serve out a straight-set win. The second set instead went to a tiebreak, with the Italian firing his 11th and 12th aces to clinch victory. "...

Top-seeded American Coco Gauff waves to fans after beating Veronika Kudermetova in the third round of the WTA Canadian Open in Montreal (Minas Panagiotakis) World number two Coco Gauff battled through another tough three-setter Thursday, rallying from a set and a break down to beat Veronika Kudermetova and reach the fourth round of the WTA Canadian Open. The top-seeded American, who won her second Grand Slam title at Roland Garros, again struggled with her serve but held her nerve for a 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 victory over former world number nine Kudermetova. "The goal of the game is to survive and advance," Gauff said. "It's not my best, but it was good enough for today and that's all I can ask for." Gauff arrived in Montreal having lost her tournament openers at Wimbledon and Berlin in the wake of her French Open triumph. She struggled mightily in her first match in Montreal but came up with a win over Danielle Collins despite 23 double faults. The numbers weren...

Germany's Alexander Zverev got some advice from retired Spanish legend Rafael Nadal after his first-round exit at Wimbledon (Glyn KIRK) Alexander Zverev returns to tennis with his confidence under repair after losing in the Wimbledon first round a month ago. And the world number three, playing as top seed at the ATP Toronto Masters, is bolstered by the unique insight from one-time rival Rafael Nadal. Zverev confirmed on Sunday in Toronto that he had sought advice -- and possibly a new coach -- as he travelled to Mallorca this month to visit Nadal's training academy on the Spaniard's home island. While apparently failing to sign Nadal's uncle Toni as his travelling coach, Zverev did have a chance to chat with Nadal, who retired last season. "(Toni is) a great coach, no question about that, but he's a personality that I think can give you confidence as well," the German said. "When he speaks and when Rafa speaks, you listen. ...

Britain's Cameron Norrie defeated Italy's seven-ranked Lorenzo Musetti to reach the third round at the ATP and WTA DC Open (Adrian Dennis) Britain's Cameron Norrie rallied to defeat world number seven Lorenzo Musetti 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 on Tuesday, reaching the third round at the ATP and WTA DC Open. Norrie, seeking his sixth ATP title, captured his first victory over a top-10 player in 2 1/2 years by eliminating the second seed at the first hardcourt tuneup for the US Open. "I made it very difficult for him," Norrie said. "My backhand was coming through the court low. My forehand was jumping. I'm just enjoying my tennis a lot more these days." Norrie, whose most recent title was in February 2023 at Rio, snapped a 14-match losing streak against top-10 foes with a fightback after taking a time violation to reset in the fifth game of the last set. "I was sweating so much I literally had to, my sweatband was moving on my arm and my shirt was bothering m...

Venus Williams will return from a 16-month hiatus to compete in the WTA DC Open (AL BELLO) Venus Williams will make her return from a 16-month layoff at this week's DC Open, the seven-time Grand Slam singles champion saying Sunday she is not sure of anything beyond that. The 45-year-old American overcame a serious health scare last year and after enjoying a visit to Wimbledon decided to accept a wildcard into the US capital tournament, the first hardcourt tuneup for the US Open. "I think I know what I want to do, but I don't always want to talk about it," Williams said. "I'm just here for now. And who knows? Maybe there is more. I hold my cards close, but at the moment, I'm focused just on this." Williams will open against 23-year-old American Peyton Stearns, ranked 34th in the world. Stearns won her only WTA title last year on clay at Rabat. The older sister of 23-time Grand Slam singles champion Serena Williams has not played since a first...

Iga Swiatek will face Elina Svitolina in the quarter-finals at Roland Garros (JULIEN DE ROSA) Carlos Alcaraz fought past American Ben Shelton in a tight four-set match to reach the French Open quarter-finals on Sunday, while Iga Swiatek staged a comeback to defeat Elena Rybakina and keep her bid for a fourth straight title alive. Reigning champion Alcaraz clinched a 7-6 (10/8), 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 victory after three hours and 19 minutes on Court Philippe Chatrier to book a last-eight berth for a fourth straight year. Alcaraz will take on Tommy Paul in the quarter-finals, after the 12th seed saw off Australia's Alexei Popyrin 6-3, 6-3, 6-3. "Today I fought against myself in the mind," he said. "In some moments I was mad, I was thinking not very good things. But I'm really happy that I didn't let the bad thoughts play against me... I tried to calm myself down and keep going." The four-time Grand Slam champion saved three set points in a dramatic opening-set tie...

Aryna Sabalenka celebrates after defeating Jessica Pegula of the United States in the women's final of the Miami Open. (AL BELLO) World number one Aryna Sabalenka won the Miami Open on Saturday, beating American Jessica Pegula 7-5 6-2 in the WTA 1000 final at Hard Rock Stadium. The title was the Belarusian's first at Miami and her second of the season following her January triumph in Brisbane. Having lost the final at Indian Wells to Russian 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva earlier this month, Sabalenka was determined not to fall at the last hurdle again. "Winning this trophy is super special," said Sabalenka, who paid tribute to Pegula's performance after repeating her win over her from last year's US Open final. Both players struggled to hold their serve in the first set, which saw seven breaks of serve, with Pegula causing Sabalenka some trouble when she brought her up to the net. But the momentum shifted when Pegula was serving to stay in the set at 6-5 down and...

Alexander Zverev of Germany serves against Jacob Fearnley of Great Britain at the Miami Open on Saturday. (AL BELLO) Britain's Jack Draper, the winner at Indian Wells, came back down to earth with a bump on Saturday, beaten by 54th ranked Czech Jakub Mensik in his opening match at the Miami Open. Draper moved into the top 10 of the world rankings for the first time in his career with his triumph over Holger Rune in the Indian Wells final last Sunday, having beaten Carlos Alcaraz in the last four. But the 19-year old Mensik rose to the occasion, winning two tie-breaks to enjoy a 7-6 (7/2) 7-6 (7/3) win. "It was tough, obviously I came up against someone today who was playing incredibly well," said Draper. "He served 10 out of 10, I couldn't get a read or a look on his serve at all. There were some things I could do better and obviously a big change in surface from last week," he said, noting he had struggled to adjust to the faster courts. Rune was caught out...