Sports

Quadri halted at Doha table tennis tourney

Ihesiulo Grace 13 March 2021 0

Africa’s number one table tennis player, Aruna Quadri, has crashed out of the prestigious Qatar Open in Doha, at the quarter-final stage to a better-ranked Japanese player. Ranked 20th in the world and first, in Africa, Quadri’s performance is thought to be very good and should change his

Sports

US Open: Former champion Kuznetsova latest to withdraw

Ihesiulo Grace 10 August 2020 0

World number 32 and former US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova has joined a growing list of players who have decided not to play in this year’s tournament due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic. Kuznetsova announced her decision via Instagram adding that she would skip the Western and Southern Open being held in New York […]

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Tennis : Americans ‘selfish’ to go ahead with U.S. Open – Kyrgios

Ihesiulo Grace 16 June 2020 0

Australian Nick Kyrgios says the United States Tennis Association is being “selfish” by pressing ahead with the U.S. Open on its original dates from Aug. 31 to Sept. 13. Multiple media reports on Monday said the USTA would confirm the Grand Slam tournament would go ahead without fans despite New York City still recording hundreds […]

Sports

Floyd: Osaka speaks up against police brutality

Ihesiulo Grace 1 June 2020 0

Two-time Grand Slam tennis champion Naomi Osaka joined the chorus of athletes condemning the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police, Derek Chauvin posting pictures of protests from the Minnesota city on her Instagram account. “Just because it isn’t happening to you, doesn’t mean it isn’t happening at all,” wrote Osaka, whose mother […]

News

India’s tennis governing body plans domestic circuit for struggling players

Ihesiulo Grace 18 April 2020 0

India plans to launch a domestic tennis circuit from July, the country’s tennis body (AITA) said on Saturday. The circuit is to support India’s players who are struggling financially during the sport’s shutdown due to the novel coronavirus outbreak. The tennis season was halted in early March due to the pandemic, leaving players in the […]

Sports

Indian Wells Tennis Tournament Canceled Because of Coronavirus Outbreak

Ihesiulo Grace 10 March 2020 0

One of the world’s leading tennis tournaments, will not be held this month because of the spreading coronavirus, making it one of the highest-profile sporting events canceled in the outbreak. Organizers of the event, in the Riverside County community of Indian Wells, made the decision on the eve of its start on Monday after county […]

Sports

Why Maria Sharapova said goodbye to Tennis

Ihesiulo Grace 27 February 2020 0

Berlin – Maria Sharapova, the Russian five-time Grand Slam champion who became one of the highest-paid sportswomen in the world, announced she was ending her career at the age of 32 on Wednesday. Siberia-born Sharapova, whose Wimbledon victory over Serena Williams in 2004, aged 17, propelled her to superstardom and riches, broke the news in […]

Featured Sports

Tennis: Bertens battles past wildcard Zheng to reach WTA Elite Trophy final

Ihesiulo Grace 26 October 2019 0

Dutch top seed Kiki Bertens clawed her way back from a set down to beat China’s Zheng Saisai 2-6 6-3 6-4 on Saturday and advance to the final of the WTA Elite Trophy in Zhuhai, China. The world number 10 Bertens, dropped her first set in the tournament and was a break down in the […]

Sports

Rafa Nadal to wed childhood sweetheart Maria Francisca Perello on Saturday

Ihesiulo Grace 18 October 2019 0

Rafa Nadal is set to marry his childhood sweetheart on Saturday at a British-owned fortress in Majorca where Gareth Bale wed earlier this year. An enormous marquis went up yesterday at the spectacular estate, owned by Conservative party donor Lord Lupton. READ ALSO Federer beats Nadal to reach Wimbledon final against Djokovic Juan Carlos I, […]

Sports

Roger Federer to play French Open in 2020

Ihesiulo Grace 18 October 2019 0

Roger Federer will again compete in the French Open next year. The 20-time Grand Slam champion, 38, returned to Roland Garros in 2019 after a three-year absence but was beaten by Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals. The Swiss player who has only won the French Open once, in 2009 will also compete at next year’s […]

Sports

Tennis: Kvitova qualifies for WTA finals in Shenzhen

Ihesiulo Grace 8 October 2019 0

The world number seven Petra Kvitova has become the sixth player to qualify for the season-ending World Tennis Association (WTA) Finals in Shenzhen, the WTA said on Monday. The 29-year-old Czech, who won the title on her debut in 2011, will join Ash Barty, Karolina Pliskova, Simona Halep, Bianca Andreescu and Naomi Osaka at the […]

News

Serena Williams reach quarters despite injury

Ihesiulo Grace 2 September 2019 0

It has been a rough year of injuries for the former world No. 1, Serena Jameka Williams. 37 -year- old overcame a rolled right ankle to advance to the quarterfinals of the US Open. Williams, seeded eighth, suffered the injury in the middle of the second set against Petra Martic but managed to finish out the 6-3, 6-4 […]

Sports

Tennis: Medvedev stamps himself a contender for the US Open

Ihesiulo Grace 20 August 2019 0

Daniil Medvedev, coming off back-to-back ATP finals defeats, held off David Goffin 7-6 (7/3), 6-4 to win the ATP Cincinnati Masters. The ninth-seeded Russian finished with an ace after saving break points in the final game, lifting a first Masters 1000 trophy after settling for runner-up finishes to Nick Kyrgios in Washington and Rafael Nadal […]

News

Victoria Azarenka: I thought my career was over after pregnancy

Ihesiulo Grace 21 May 2019

Former world number one Victoria Azarenka was afraid becoming pregnant in 2016 would end her tennis career, but says she returned to the game stronger after the birth of her son. The two-time Grand Slam champion was ranked sixth in the world when she left the WTA tour in July 2016 and returned to the […]

Sports

Roger Federer, Kevin Anderson advance to 4th round in Miami

Ihesiulo Grace 27 March 2019

Roger Federer overcame a sluggish start to defeat Filip Krajinovic 7-5 6-3 and advanced to the fourth round of the Miami Open on Monday. Kevin Anderson’s booming serve proved too much for Joao Sousa as he also advanced to the fourth round. Serb Krajinovic broke Federer to jump to an early 2-1 lead and it […]

Sports

#WomensDay: Serena Williams pledges to start playing tennis again professionally

Ihesiulo Grace 7 March 2018 0

Tennis legend, Serena Williams, today made a pledge to her fans to begin playing the game again, professionally. Serena, says she will begin for the first time after the birth of her daughter in commemoration of the Women’s month, and she will commence with her first match on the day of the International women’s day, […]

Opinion Sports Tennis

Modern day bravery in sports could really just be ignorance

Ihesiulo Grace 22 November 2017 0

At the 2017 ATP Finals in London, male tennis’ highest ranked player and world number one, Rafael Nadal was all set to face opponent David Goffin in the first match of his group. Having withdrawn from the Paris Masters only a week before due to a knee injury, it came as a surprise for most […]

Sports

Bulus bags silver in ITF Junior Circuit

Ihesiulo Grace 25 September 2017 0

Nigeria’s Christopher Bulus failed in his bid to land a major international title over the weekend, following a 0-6, 1-6 loss to Eliakim Coulibaly of Cote d’Ivoire in the final of the ITF U18 Circuit in Togo. The 16-year-old Aces Tennis Club of Lagos player went into the game with a bright chance as he […]

Sports Tennis

Nishikori Retains Barcelona Title

Ihesiulo Grace 28 April 2015 0

Barcelona Kei Nishikori was crowned Barcelona Open champion for the second consecutive year after a hard-fought 6-4, 6-4 victory over surprise Spanish finalist Pablo Andujar on Sunday. It was the ninth career title for the top-seeded Japanese, who again showed his improved endurance as he battled to come out on top against the world number […]

Sports Tennis

Nadal: I'll Fight Djokovic to Keep ‘King of Clay Crown’

Ihesiulo Grace 22 April 2015 0

Rafael Nadal says he does not fear Novak Djokovic’s challenge to his French Open crown any more than usual, despite the world No.1’s incredible run of form. Djokovic defeated Nadal in the semi-finals of the Monte Carlo Masters before beating Tomas Berdych in Sunday’s final, yet the Spaniard says the threat is no different to […]