‘Still in shock' – Tennis star, 22, breaks down in tears in post-match interview after revealing heartbreaking news
The Dane, 22, booked her place in the National Bank Open semi-finals by brilliantly beating Australian Open champion Madison Keys 6-1 6-4 in Montreal.
4
Tauson had beaten recent Wimbledon winner Iga Swiatek in the previous round.
Between the Swiatek and Keys contests, the world No19 received tragic news.
Speaking on court after last night's match, Tauson revealed: "Two days ago, my grandfather unfortunately passed away - so I really wanted to win for him today.
"I was told the day after I beat Swiatek, so yesterday, and I really wanted to come out here and show my best tennis for him.
"Hopefully he's watching."
Tauson took just 29 minutes to win the first set against an out-of-sorts Keys, converting both of her break point opportunities.
The No16 seed then broken Keys in the opening game of the second set, with the rest of the contest going with serve, Tauson eventually serving it out to love.
Tauson is bidding to win the first Masters 1000 event of her career, having lost to Mirra Andreeva in the Dubai final back in February.
BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK
4
She will meet Naomi Osaka in the semi-finals, in a rematch of their Auckland final from the start of the season.
Osaka had been leading the contest 6-4 before having to retire with injury, handing Tauson her third career title in strange circumstances.
Ben Shelton in tense exchange with Flavio Cobolli on live TV after controversial gesture ahead of US Open
Four time Grand Slam champion Osaka defeated popular Ukrainian Elina Svitolina 6-2 6-2 last night.
Previewing her clash with Tauson, the Japanese star said: "She's really tough.
"I played her in Auckland this year and I had to stop halfway because I was injured.
"So, I'm really excited that I'm healthy and I hope that it's a good match for everyone that comes and watches."
In the other semi-final, home hopeful Victoria Mboko will take on 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina.
The winner of the tournament will earn 1000 ranking points, as well as a cool $752,275 (£565k) in prize money.
4
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Emma Raducanu most confident about US Open chances since 2021 slam win
Emma Raducanu said she will return to New York feeling calmer and more confident about herself and her prospects at the US Open than she has since she won the title there four years ago. She put together a brilliant performance against Aryna Sabalenka in the third round of the Cincinnati Open on Monday, narrowly losing 7-6 (3), 4-6, 7-6 (5) after three hours and nine minutes. Her impressive level was a reflection of the significant progress she has made in a positive summer on the North American hard courts. 'This year is my first year on tour playing most of the calendar,' she said. 'I had a tough start to the year and it was very difficult to change that. But in the last few months I've been building and the level has been increasing. The players I'm losing to, they're all top players so that gives me confidence.' The confidence Raducanu is competing with marks a significant contrast to her inconsistent presence on tour last year due to injuries and training blocks scheduled during the season. The 22-year-old did not compete for four weeks in the lead-up to the US Open last year, where she lost in the first round to Sofia Kenin. 'Last year I didn't play these tournaments, I went home and and came back and it was a really difficult time in New York,' she said. 'Since I won the tournament, it's not been easy for me there. But this year I feel different, I'm a lot calmer behind the court. 'On the court, I take more confidence in the big moments. I've been playing those big points pretty well for the most part so I'm looking forward to having some time to practise, improve and then get ready to play there.' Sign up to The Recap The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action after newsletter promotion Since becoming the first to win a grand slam title from the qualifying tournament at the US Open, Raducanu has not won a match in New York. Zheng Qinwen and Paula Badosa have already withdrawn from the tournament due to injury, meaning Raducanu's live ranking of No 34 would be enough for a seeding. However, numerous players could still overtake her at the Cincinnati Open this week. Either way, her positive progress and form mean that few players would be keen to face her early in New York.
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Emma Raducanu ‘proud' of pushing Aryna Sabalenka to limit in Cincinnati Open
Emma Raducanu says she is proud of the improvements she displayed on Monday afternoon as she pushed Aryna Sabalenka to the limit in their punishing tussle. Five weeks on from their memorable third-round match at Wimbledon, Raducanu showed her continued progress by making life even more difficult for the world No 1 in Cincinnati and coming close to pulling off the best individual victory of her career. After three hours and nine minutes on court, Raducanu lost 7-6 (3), 4-6, 7-6 (5). 'She's world No 1 for a reason and I pushed her more than I did at Wimbledon so that's an improvement,' said Raducanu. 'And also, it was good to have this result on a hard court because it's very different to grass. I was always thinking that grass suits me a lot more and I still believe that so to have pushed her on a hard court like that, I'm pretty proud of it.' The 30th seed continued: 'I think starting the point is a big takeaway. I think she did that incredibly well in the big moments, she served and returned really well. Me too in certain moments of the match. To hold that level on starting the point in the match is a big thing to me.' After losing the first set, Raducanu recovered brilliantly, serving well for large stretches and then finding a way through an incredible 13-deuce service game at 3-4 in the final set. In the end, Sabalenka showed her mental toughness by saving her best tennis for the most important moments. 'You take the lessons from this,' said Raducanu, 22. 'I was able to play some good tennis for patches of the match, but I think it also dropped off for other patches of the match. So I think with work and going on the practice court, I can do it for longer and hold the level high for longer. But that being said, we had a three-hour match and I felt pretty good out there for the most part against Aryna who's achieved everything she has, so it's mostly positives.' Raducanu's defeat also marks an end to her first tournament with her new coach Francisco Roig, a former member of Rafael Nadal's coaching team, who has been working with the Briton since last Tuesday. After her comfortable second-round win against Olga Danilovic, this was their first big match together. Roig was extremely vocal throughout with encouragement and specific tactical advice. 'I think the first week went well,' said Raducanu. 'I think we practised well. I made some improvements and I think for certain moments, you could see some stuff we practised peek through. But given that it's only been a week, I think there's been improvements.'
Reuters
2 hours ago
- Reuters
Another Eagles guard goes down with injury
August 12 - Offensive line insurance policy Kenyon Green is out for multiple weeks with a shoulder injury and could miss the rest of the preseason for the Philadelphia Eagles. With Pro Bowl guard Landon Dickerson expected to be sidelined while recovering from a knee injury, the 24-year-old Green was a candidate to step into a more significant role before the injury put his preseason in jeopardy, ESPN reported Tuesday. Green, acquired from the Texans in the offseason trade that sent safety CJ Gardner-Johnson to Houston, is viewed as "week-to-week" according to the report. Green, a first-round pick (15th overall) in the 2022 NFL Draft, spent nearly six weeks on injured reserve last season due to a shoulder injury and missed the entire 2023 season with a torn labrum in his shoulder. That injury was sustained in the preseason. Dickerson remains optimistic about returning for the Super Bowl champion Eagles' opener on Sept. 4 against the Dallas Cowboys, according to NFL Network. --Field Level Media
