Latest news with #Polish-Norwegian
The National
16 hours ago
- Sport
- The National
Jack Draper's mixed doubles US Open run over with semi-final defeat
Draper and American Jessica Pegula went into the event, played for the first time in the week before the main tournament, as the top seeds and eased through to the last four on Tuesday, including beating Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz in the first round. In front of another packed crowd on Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday, this time under the roof on a soggy New York evening, Draper and Pegula looked poised for victory when they led 8-4 in a deciding tie-break against Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud, only to lose out 3-5 5-3 (10/8). Iga and Casper are headed to the finals! They win the last 6 points of the tiebreak to defeat Pegula/Draper!#USOpen — Tennis TV (@TennisTV) August 21, 2025 Draper admitted he and Pegula had barely spoken to each other prior to forming a last-minute team after his previous intended partners Zheng Qinwen and Paula Badosa, both withdrew through injury. He was also apparently unaware of the American's prowess in doubles, and she was the key player in the opening set, while Draper and Pegula seemed to have taken a stranglehold on the match when they also led by a break in the second set. But Swiatek and Ruud came back into the contest, with Draper's lack of doubles experience evident, and the Polish-Norwegian duo finished the match by winning six points in a row. The radical change to the event with the aim of attracting the big-name players usually missing from grand slam doubles has been successful but controversial. Jack Draper strikes a forehand (Yuki Iwamura/AP) Draper was playfully chided by Pegula after describing it as an 'exhibition' on Tuesday, but he had a different feeling in the semi-final. 'I think yesterday there was times where it felt a little bit more that way from our opponents,' said the British number one. 'Whereas tonight we were in the changing rooms, you're seeing Iga and Casper, they're fully dialled in. It was intense. We both wanted to win.' Pegula added: 'You can't go out there at 7pm on Ashe knowing you could play the final, and feel like you're just out there.' The fact that there's a full crowd tonight is a massive win, kudos to @usopen on the new format — Brad Gilbert (@bgtennisnation) August 21, 2025 The really serious business for Draper begins on Sunday, though, when the singles tournament starts, with the 23-year-old bidding to follow up last year's achievement of reaching a more meaningful US Open semi-final. Getting some competitive points under his belt on the big stage could yet prove important, however, given Draper has not played a singles match since Wimbledon because of an arm injury. 'I enjoyed the competition,' he said. 'I loved it, playing alongside Jessica. I wasn't expecting probably to have as good of a time as I did. 'Honestly, I thought we played great. Tonight was a tough match. They were on good form. But just overall a really positive experience. Loved playing with you. Hope to do it again.' Victory and the heavily increased prize money of one million dollars (£743,000) went to the only established doubles team given entry, defending champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori. The Italian pair have made no secret of their desire to show that doubles prowess counts for more than star billing in this format and they claimed a 6-3 5-7 (10/6) victory over Swiatek and Ruud in the final.
The Sun
17 hours ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Errani, Vavassori fight back to retain US Open mixed doubles crown
ITALIANS Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori retained their mixed doubles title at the U.S. Open on Wednesday, overcoming Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud 6-3 5-7 10-6 in the competition's reimagined format that drew some of the top singles players. The defending champions, who needed a wild card entry into the competition that prioritised singles rankings, relied on their veteran experience to outfox the Polish-Norwegian duo. The packed house at Arthur Ashe Stadium cheered wildly when Vavassori clinched it with a lethal forehand and hoisted Errani into the air in celebration, as the pair walked away with a $1 million prize. 'We are doing something in these two years amazing,' said Vavassori, who also won the French Open title with Errani earlier this year. 'We showed today that doubles is a great product.' Swiatek and Ruud had never played together before this year and at first appeared completely outmatched as the Italians went up 3-0 in the first set. Six-times Grand Slam singles champion Swiatek broke back with a superbly placed volley in the seventh game but that momentum evaporated as her double fault helped the defending champions to another break in the eighth. Vavassori then closed the first set with an unreturnable serve. The Italians went up a break in the second set in the seventh game but Ruud and Swiatek broke back in the 10th and levelled the match when the Pole struck a backhand winner in the 12th. Errani and Vavassori went up 4-0 in the tiebreak and were helped to the finish line after a double fault from Swiatek. 'We pushed to the end, we tried to make it competitive,' said Swiatek, standing on the same court where she won the U.S. Open singles title three years ago. Organisers have tested a novel format for the competition this year, hosting it during the week before the main singles draw with eight entries based on combined singles rankings of players and eight wild cards. It was an undeniable marketing success with a star-studded lineup that included Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, but the format rankled some who felt it unfairly excluded veteran doubles players. Hundreds of fans had lined up in the rain outside Arthur Ashe Stadium 90 minutes before the first of two semi-final matches on Wednesday, hardly the crowd one might have expected for the penultimate stage of the mixed doubles in past years. 'Playing with all these people is something incredible for us,' said Errani. 'This one is for all the doubles players who couldn't play this tournament.'- REUTERS
New Straits Times
18 hours ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Errani, Vavassori fight back to retain US Open mixed doubles crown
NEW YORK: Italians Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori retained their mixed doubles title at the U.S. Open on Wednesday, overcoming Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud 6-3 5-7 10-6 in the competition's reimagined format that drew some of the top singles players. The defending champions, who needed a wild card entry into the competition that prioritised singles rankings, relied on their veteran experience to outfox the Polish-Norwegian duo. The packed house at Arthur Ashe Stadium cheered wildly when Vavassori clinched it with a lethal forehand and hoisted Errani into the air in celebration, as the pair walked away with a $1 million prize. "We are doing something in these two years amazing," said Vavassori, who also won the French Open title with Errani earlier this year. "We showed today that doubles is a great product." Swiatek and Ruud had never played together before this year and at first appeared completely outmatched as the Italians went up 3-0 in the first set. Six-times Grand Slam singles champion Swiatek broke back with a superbly placed volley in the seventh game but that momentum evaporated as her double fault helped the defending champions to another break in the eighth. Vavassori then closed the first set with an unreturnable serve. The Italians went up a break in the second set in the seventh game but Ruud and Swiatek broke back in the 10th and levelled the match when the Pole struck a backhand winner in the 12th. Errani and Vavassori went up 4-0 in the tiebreak and were helped to the finish line after a double fault from Swiatek. "We pushed to the end, we tried to make it competitive," said Swiatek, standing on the same court where she won the U.S. Open singles title three years ago. Organisers have tested a novel format for the competition this year, hosting it during the week before the main singles draw with eight entries based on combined singles rankings of players and eight wild cards. It was an undeniable marketing success with a star-studded lineup that included Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, but the format rankled some who felt it unfairly excluded veteran doubles players. Hundreds of fans had lined up in the rain outside Arthur Ashe Stadium 90 minutes before the first of two semi-final matches on Wednesday, hardly the crowd one might have expected for the penultimate stage of the mixed doubles in past years. "Playing with all these people is something incredible for us," said Errani. "This one is for all the doubles players who couldn't play this tournament."
News18
18 hours ago
- Sport
- News18
US Open: Errani-Vavassori Defend Mixed Title With Win Over Swiatek-Ruud
The Italian duo of Sara Errani, Andrea Vavassori posted a 6-3, 5-7, 10-6 win over the Polish-Norwegian pairing of Iga Swiatek, Casper Ruud in the final of the event on Thursday. Defending champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori retained their US Open mixed doubles with their win over Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud on Thursday to clinch the top prize in the revamped edition of the event. The Italian duo of Errani and Vavassori posted a 6-3, 5-7, 10-6 victory over the Polish-Norwegian Swiatek and Ruud to claim the $1m prize money on offer. 'I think this one is also for all the doubles players that couldn't play this tournament," Errani said following the title-win alongside compatriot Vavassori. 'I think this one is also for them," she added. 'It's the court where I feel goosebumps every time here," Errani said. 'I have to say that we showed today that doubles is a great product," Vavassori added. 'I think it was amazing to play on this court with so many people and I have to say thanks from the bottom of my heart for the atmosphere," he stated. 'Congratulations. You proved that, I guess, mixed doubles players are smarter tactically than singles players," the Pole said. 'But we pushed until the end. We tried to make it competitive," she added. Poland's Swiatek, a six-time Grand Slam champion ranked second in the world, endured a two-hour struggle against Jasmine Paolini to clinch the Cincinnati Open on Monday. She then swiftly traveled to New York to join forces with Norway's Ruud in the newly formatted competition. Carlos Alcaraz, the men's champion in Cincinnati, also participated, but he and his British partner Emma Raducanu were eliminated on Tuesday, along with superstar Novak Djokovic and his Serbian partner Olga Danilovic. The star names attracted large crowds, but the synergy between Italians Errani and Vavassori, honed over a two-year on-court partnership that included winning the French Open title this year, proved decisive. Errani hoped it demonstrated that dedicated doubles teams, many of whom were excluded from the field, have significant value. Errani and Vavassori surged to a 4-1 lead in the opening set of the championship match. Although Swiatek and Ruud managed to break back once, Vavassori confidently held serve to close the set. Down a break at 4-5 in the second set, Swiatek and Ruud won three consecutive games to force a 10-point match tiebreaker. The Italians secured a 4-0 lead in the tiebreaker and maintained their advantage. The initial three rounds, including the semi-finals on Wednesday night, featured short sets with no-ad scoring and a 10-point match tiebreak instead of a third set. The final reverted to traditional sets with a 10-point match tiebreak. Swiatek and Ruud clawed their way past top seeds Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper with a 3-5, 5-3, 10-8 semi-final victory, winning the last six points to advance. Errani and Vavassori breezed past the American duo Danielle Collins and Christian Harrison 4-2, 4-2 to reach the final. Vavassori admitted that he and Errani were on a 'mission" to prove themselves against the singles stars, but both enjoyed the electric atmosphere under the lights at the packed Arthur Ashe Stadium Court. Click here to add News18 as your preferred news source on Google. News18 Sports brings you the latest updates, live commentary, and highlights from cricket, football, tennis, badmintion, wwe and more. Catch breaking news, live scores, and in-depth coverage. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : Sara Errani us open view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Loading comments...
The Star
18 hours ago
- Sport
- The Star
Tennis-Errani, Vavassori fight back to retain US Open mixed doubles crown
Tennis - U.S. Open - Flushing Meadows, New York, United States - August 21, 2025 Italy's Sara Errani and Italy's Andrea Vavassori lift the trophy after winning the mixed doubles final match against Poland's Iga Swiatek and Norway's Casper Ruud REUTERS/Mike Segar NEW YORK (Reuters) -Italians Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori retained their mixed doubles title at the U.S. Open on Wednesday, overcoming Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud 6-3 5-7 10-6 in the competition's reimagined format that drew some of the top singles players. The defending champions, who needed a wild card entry into the competition that prioritised singles rankings, relied on their veteran experience to outfox the Polish-Norwegian duo. The packed house at Arthur Ashe Stadium cheered wildly when Vavassori clinched it with a lethal forehand and hoisted Errani into the air in celebration, as the pair walked away with a $1 million prize. "We are doing something in these two years amazing," said Vavassori, who also won the French Open title with Errani earlier this year. "We showed today that doubles is a great product." Swiatek and Ruud had never played together before this year and at first appeared completely outmatched as the Italians went up 3-0 in the first set. Six-times Grand Slam singles champion Swiatek broke back with a superbly placed volley in the seventh game but that momentum evaporated as her double fault helped the defending champions to another break in the eighth. Vavassori then closed the first set with an unreturnable serve. The Italians went up a break in the second set in the seventh game but Ruud and Swiatek broke back in the 10th and levelled the match when the Pole struck a backhand winner in the 12th. Errani and Vavassori went up 4-0 in the tiebreak and were helped to the finish line after a double fault from Swiatek. "We pushed to the end, we tried to make it competitive," said Swiatek, standing on the same court where she won the U.S. Open singles title three years ago. Organisers have tested a novel format for the competition this year, hosting it during the week before the main singles draw with eight entries based on combined singles rankings of players and eight wild cards. It was an undeniable marketing success with a star-studded lineup that included Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, but the format rankled some who felt it unfairly excluded veteran doubles players. Hundreds of fans had lined up in the rain outside Arthur Ashe Stadium 90 minutes before the first of two semi-final matches on Wednesday, hardly the crowd one might have expected for the penultimate stage of the mixed doubles in past years. "Playing with all these people is something incredible for us," said Errani. "This one is for all the doubles players who couldn't play this tournament." (Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
