Latest news with #SunshineDouble
Independent Singapore
13 hours ago
- Sport
- Independent Singapore
Tennis: 'Does Miami still deserve 1000 status?' Redditor asks
In tennis, the Miami Open is one of the professional hard-court tournaments that is highly anticipated by fans. Happening in late March to early April at the Miami Gardens, Florida, and Hard Rock Stadium, this event is part of the ATP Masters 1000 on the men's ATP Tour, and the WTA 1000 on the women's ATP Tour. Moreover, it forms the so-called 'Sunshine Double' alongside the Indian Wells Open, which both happen in early spring. Over the past years, there have been improvements in how organizers manage the Indian Wells and, recently, the Cincinnati Open. With this, a curious Redditor started a discussion on Reddit with a question: 'Does Miami still deserve 1000 status?' The Redditor expressed that people have been talking about the improvements made in other events, and with all the changes in the other 1000 tournaments, the Miami Open feels like a 'second-class citizen'. The Redditor said: ' I mean it's played in the parking lot of an NFL stadium with the stadium court being shoehorned inside the NFL stadium.' See also US Open: Who will be the next American to win it? Redditor asks Moreover, he/she also stated some of the mishaps that had happened in Miami. It was stated that athlete Casper Ruud complained about the athlete's condition at the said event. Furthermore, there were complaints about poor scheduling as well. Other Redditors responded to the post with their own observations and opinions about the subject matter. The top comment stated: 'I don't really mind bad facilities, but I do mind a soulless tournaments, and the venue make the tournament feels tacked on.' This gained a response which remarked: 'Kinda feels bad when you're expecting a masters tournament but you end up sitting in a parking lot.' Another Redditor commented about the venue of the Miami Open: ' Miami really should improve their facilities, no doubt. It's never going to lose its status, however.' There is another comment stating that playing in a parking lot is absurd, and that the set-up— 'a stadium within a stadium'—is not a good sight to see. More fans admitted that the previous locations of the tournament were a lot better. One response shared: 'At Crandon, it was an amazing tournament with outdated facilities. The stadium, locker rooms, and general facilities were old. But the aura, atmosphere, and location was amazing. You could walk with players to their court…. Once it moved to the parking lot of an NFL stadium, it lost all of that. The commute is somehow worse despite it no longer being on an island. The stadium court is AWFUL. Everything is hot because it's A FREAKING PARKING LOT IN MIAMI. Construction everywhere getting ready for F1. It's generally just not enjoyable.' Another fan commented that the Miami Open should be downgraded to a 500, and tournaments in Halle and Berlin should be given a 1000 status. Considering that the Miami Open is part of the 'Sunshine Double', a comment suggests: 'Miami is a part of the Sunshine double, so I'd say that the tournament must stay, but further improvements are necessary.' Despite the unfavorable comments, there were some who shared that their experience at Miami was one to remember. One commenter stated: 'I've been to Miami, Indian Wells, and Montreal. Of those three, I think Miami is the best fan experience and has the best layout.'
New York Post
7 days ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Taylor Fritz vs. Andrey Rublev odds, predictions: ATP Toronto picks, best bets Tuesday
Gambling content 21+. The New York Post may receive an affiliate commission if you sign up through our links. Read our editorial standards for more information. It's been a strange season for Andrey Rublev. Once considered one of the most predictable and consistent players on the ATP Tour, Rublev's results have been all over the place in 2025. The Russian was bounced in Round 1 of the Australian Open, then won a title in Doha a few weeks later, and then lost in the first round in both legs of the Sunshine Double before putting together a wildly inconsistent clay-court season in Europe. It looked like Rublev found his game at Wimbledon, but he started the subsequent North American hard-court swing with two wins followed by consecutive losses. Things now seem to be pointing in the right direction for the World No. 11, as he's one win away from a trip to the semifinals at the Canadian Masters, where he finished as runner-up in 2024. ATP Toronto: Fritz vs. Rublev odds, predictions Player Odds Andrey Rublev +175 Taylor Fritz -225 Odds via bet365 While Rublev has been erratic throughout the season, it's hard to poke holes in Taylor Fritz's game right now. The American was taken to a third-set tiebreaker against Jiri Lehecka last round, but that was a serving clinic from both competitors, and nothing to be worried about from Fritz's POV. Taylor Fritz has won 18 of his last 21 matches. AP Overall, Fritz is 18-3 in his last 21 matches and has two trophies in that span. If he keeps this up, he'll be a trendy third choice to Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open later this month. If Rublev has found his form, he has every chance of coming out ahead in this match. That said, we've seen the 27-year-old tease a resurgence plenty of times this season, only to watch him hit the skids. Get the lowdown on the Best USA Sports Betting Sites and Apps Rublev is 2-8 against top-10 opponents over the last 52 weeks, and he's lost his last four encounters with Fritz on hard courts. There's a real chance that Fritz makes this look easy. The Play: Fritz -1.5 sets (+120, bet365) Why Trust New York Post Betting Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
New York Post
11-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Wimbledon picks, predictions: Carlos Alcaraz vs. Taylor Fritz semifinal odds, best bets Friday
Gambling content 21+. The New York Post may receive an affiliate commission if you sign up through our links. Read our editorial standards for more information. Not too long ago, it looked like 2025 was going to be a 'down year' for Carlos Alcaraz. The Spaniard had just lost back-to-back matches to Jack Draper and, shockingly, David Goffin during the Sunshine Double in March, and his main rival, Jannik Sinner, captured the first Grand Slam of the season at the Australian Open to cement his spot as World No. 1. Alcaraz, now all the way down to No. 3, needed a big performance on the clay, his best surface, to heap some pressure on Sinner, who was suspended for three months for testing positive for a banned substance. He went above and beyond, winning titles in Monte Carlo and Rome, while finishing runner-up to Holger Rune in Barcelona. The 22-year-old defeated Sinner in a thrilling French Open final and then won another trophy at Queen's Club before setting his sights on a three-peat at Wimbledon. All of a sudden, Alcaraz's sluggish (by his standards) start to 2025 was a distant memory. He goes into Friday's semifinal against Taylor Fritz not only riding an 18-match winning streak at Wimbledon, but also a career-best 23-match winning streak overall. Oddsmakers have Alcaraz as the -138 favorite to win Wimbledon, and he owns -600 odds to defeat Fritz in the first semifinal Friday. Fritz vs. Alcaraz betting odds, preview Player Odds Carlos Alcaraz -600 Taylor Fritz +400 Odds via bet365 What's most astonishing about Alcaraz's parallel streaks is that he's not whitewashing opponents. Fabio Fognini, the World No. 138, took him to five sets in Round 1 last week, and Alcaraz had to come from behind against Andrey Rublev in the Round of 16. Alcaraz also dropped sets to Damir Dzumhur and Fabian Marozsan at Roland Garros. Despite being under pressure, Alcaraz has always found a way to raise his level at the perfect time, sucking the wind out of the sails of his opponents. In best-of-five tennis, you need to be able to outwit, outlast and outplay Alcaraz, which means you can't just rely on one part of your game to get by him. Taylor Fritz is into the Wimbledon semifinals for the first time in his career. Getty Images Eventually he will adjust, forcing you to beat him with a Plan B. Very few players, if any, have a Plan B good enough to defeat Alcaraz. The good news for Fritz is that his Plan A is elite. Perhaps the most dangerous server in the sport right now, the Californian should be able to rack up enough cheap points against the World No. 2 to at least give himself a platform in this match. If Alcaraz figures out Fritz's serve, the lights will be turned out, so the underdog better hope he's built up a big enough lead to get over the line by that point. Get the lowdown on the Best USA Sports Betting Sites and Apps Fritz vs. Alcaraz pick These two have been among the best players in the world for a number of years now, but they've got very little history against one another. Alcaraz is technically 2-0 against Fritz, but one of those matches came at the Laver Cup, which is a unique team event. The only other contest was in Miami in 2023, with Alcaraz winning in straight sets. The unfamiliarity should help Fritz, and give Alcaraz a lot to think about, especially in the early stages of the match. Ultimately, Alcaraz should have too much to offer across five sets, but Fritz could surprise the tournament favorite out of the gates. Back Fritz to win the first set, and then look for your opportunity to buy back in on Alcaraz after that. The Play: Fritz to win the first set (+240, bet365) Why Trust New York Post Betting Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
How the Andy Murray-Novak Djokovic relationship fell apart
Novak Djokovic caught the tennis world unawares when he announced that his new coach would also be one of his greatest rivals: Sir Andy Murray. Six months on, results have been mixed. A couple of strong runs, in Melbourne and Miami, were counterbalanced by a string of first-round exits. And now, as of Tuesday morning, the partnership is officially over. So, how did this collaboration play out? The most surprising announcement of the tennis year dropped while I was driving to a college reunion. My first thought was 'This has to be a hoax'. My second was, 'Damn, I'm going to be late for dinner.' But then I started to muse – and realised that there was a certain logic to Murray's new role as Djokovic's coach. For Murray, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn from the best player in history. For Djokovic, a way of reinvigorating his interest in the tour. The superstar collaboration began near Marbella. Djokovic has a house there with an outdoor hard court attached, where the two men put in just over a week of pre-season preparation. Murray missed the Brisbane International, where Djokovic lost his first match to 7ft serving machine Reilly Opelka, because of a family skiing holiday which had been booked before the coaching offer came in. The real work began in Melbourne, venue for the Australian Open, where there were a few teething issues during Murray's first match as a courtside coach. First, Djokovic seemed to complain of a lack of audible encouragement during the first set against unknown Indian 19-year-old Nishesh Basavareddy. Then, after coming back to beat Basavareddy in four sets, he waved his entourage away grumpily as he walked up for the handshake. Yet relations seemed to improve during the tournament. Djokovic peaked during a magnificent quarter-final win over Carlos Alcaraz. This match was a tactical masterclass, revealing how effective the two master strategists could be when they put their heads together. Here was the undoubted highlight of the partnership. An exultant Djokovic came bounding straight over to Murray after the win, and later told reporters that 'This was a huge win for all of us, including Andy and myself, you know, for the relationship.' Unfortunately, it turned out that Djokovic had torn a hamstring during the match. He withdrew from the tournament after one set of the semi-final. Djokovic played only one tournament – and only one match – in the whole month, losing to Matteo Berrettini in Doha. Murray did not attend. The boys got the band back together for the so-called 'Sunshine Double': the two big American two-weekers that run back-to-back and occupy the whole month of March. Djokovic had not been a regular visitor to Indian Wells, appearing there only once in the previous five years. Asked if the chance to reunite with Murray had helped influence his decision to attend, he replied: 'To some extent, yes, because I wanted to get back on the court with him sooner rather than later. I still feel like we are going through the process of getting to know each other on the court in a different way than we have known each other for 25 years. It's obviously a new role for him [and] he's also exploring it and trying to understand how he can excel in it.' Yet when Djokovic walked onto the match court three days later, he lost to Botic van de Zandschulp to make it three defeats on the trot: his worst sequence on the tour for seven years. And so to Miami, where Djokovic finally returned to winning ways against Rinky Hijikata of Australia. After the match, the subject of his relationship with Murray came up again. Asked what he had learnt about his former rival, he replied: 'I didn't know how good of a golfer he is. Great humour. I mean, we knew that before. Just super-nice guy that cares about relationships with people, that cares about this coach/player relationship we have, and he wants me to do well. He's just very genuine guy. I enjoy spending time with him, for sure.' The tournament was a restorative one for Djokovic's fortunes, as he reeled off four more straight-sets wins to reach the final, before being blasted off the court by the 135mph serve of 19-year-old Czech prodigy Jakub Mensik. Another barren month for Djokovic, who lost his opening matches to Alejandro Tabilo in Monte Carlo and Matteo Arnaldi in Madrid. Murray was absent from the first but present at the second, not that it seemed to make any difference. Djokovic was flat and error-prone in both matches. Interestingly, there were no more press-conference conversations about Murray. Reporters had stopped asking about the partnership. Fans had stopped discussing it. The honeymoon was over, and with it the buzz. Djokovic would normally have played the Masters 1000 Rome as his main tune-up event for the imminent French Open, but instead he has opted for the smaller ATP event in Geneva next week. Not that it will make any odds to Murray. On Tuesday morning, another announcement informed the world that this brief tennis marriage had been dissolved. My mind went back to the one and only interview that Murray gave during the collaboration, which had come at the National Tennis Centre in Melbourne in early January. His most revealing answer came when I asked him if he was enjoying the new role. His lip curled slightly as he replied 'High performance [sport] is not supposed to be laughs and jokes and messing around. In all the times I've been on tour, I haven't seen that from any of the best players in the world. I've seen it from some of the lower-ranked players, and that's one of the reasons why they're not there.' We know that Djokovic expects great things from his support staff. Murray's predecessor Goran Ivanisevic described working for him as 'very stressful, very demanding,' while the Serb's former fitness coach Marco Panichi has said that 'there were moments when Novak turned into a pressure cooker … it wasn't all hearts and flowers'. Such sacrifices are justified when you are working with a world-beater, but Djokovic's indifferent performances this year suggest that he may struggle to stand among the world's eight leading players when the ATP Finals field is decided in November. With the new-coach bounce declining, and the wins drying up. Tuesday's message did not feel like a huge shock. It was certainly far more predictable than that first exciting missive from November last year.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Emma Raducanu vs Jessica Pegula LIVE: Miami Open latest score and updates
Raducanu has beaten two seeds en route to her meeting with fourth seed Jessica Pegula (Getty Images) Emma Raducanu is through to her first-ever WTA 1000 quarter-final at the Miami Open, the second half of the famous 'Sunshine Double'. The British No 2 has dispatched two Americans and two seeds - eighth seed Emma Navarro in the second round and 17th seed Amanda Anisimova in the last-16 - en route to her quarter-final. Up next is another seeded American, fourth seed and world No 4 Jessica Pegula, twice a semi-finalist in Florida. Advertisement Raducanu has been playing without a coach in Miami after ending a trial with Vladimir Platenik and has instead had mentors Jane O'Donoghue and Mark Petchey in her box. The 22-year-old has said taking a relaxed approach at the tournament with her team has allowed her to 'express' herself on court and play in an 'authentic' way - with brilliant results so far. Follow all the build-up and action with our live blog below: Emma Raducanu vs Jessica Pegula LIVE Raducanu to face fourth seed Pegula for place in first Miami semi-final Relaxed Raducanu playing 'authentic' tennis - despite lacking a coach Match follows men's quarter-final between Cerundolo and Dimitrov Miami Open latest 23:57 , Jamie Braidwood Poor Grigor Dimitrov appeared to be on the brink of defeat as he trailed Francisco Cerundolo 3-0 in the deciding set, but the veteran Bulgarian has roared back to level it at 3-3. Emma Raducanu set for huge rankings boost at Miami Open 23:49 , Jamie Braidwood Advertisement Emma Raducanu is set to return to the world's top 50 as a result of her results in Miami. Having reached the quarter-finals, Raducanu is set to rise 12 places to 48 in the rankings. And, if she can beat fourth seed Jessica Pegula, Raducanu would reclaim her status of British No 1 from Katie Boulter. Iga Swiatek under increased protection after being abused by 'aggressive' fan at Miami Open 23:30 , Flo Clifford That win for Eala came after Iga Swiatek was given extra security in Miami - like Raducanu had in Indian Wells - after being abused by an 'aggressive' fan from the stands during a practice session on Saturday. Advertisement This was reportedly not an isolated incident, with her team revealing that the same man previously sent abusive messages to her on social media, in another troubling incident of female players facing threats to their safety on the tour. Iga Swiatek abused by 'aggressive' fan at Miami Open Order of play update 23:29 , Jamie Braidwood We're heading to another third set in the men's quarter-finals. Grigor Dimitrov has levelled it up against Francisco Cerundolo, winning the second 6-4 after losing the first on the tiebreak. A 37-minute second set means we'll have to wait a little longer for Raducanu and Pegula to take to the court. Who next? 23:20 , Flo Clifford Advertisement Whoever wins this encounter will play Alexandra Eala, who continued her dream run in Miami with a straight-sets win over an out-of-sorts world No 2 Iga Swiatek in the earlier quarter-final on Wednesday. On the other side of the draw, top seed Aryna Sabalenka plays sixth seed Jasmine Paolini in the other semi-final. Emma Raducanu vs Jessica Pegula: Head-to-head 23:10 , Flo Clifford Raducanu won their last meeting on the grass at Eastbourne last year, a result that was her first victory over a top-10 opponent. Pegula won their only other meeting on the hard courts of Cincinnati in 2022. 2024: Eastbourne, last-16 (grass): Raducanu won 4-6 7-6 7-5 Advertisement 2022: Cincinnati, last-16 (hard court): Pegula won 7-5 6-4 Pegula's best result in Miami has been reaching the semi-finals twice, in 2022 and 2023. Order of play update 23:00 , Flo Clifford We're expecting Raducanu and Pegula to not be on court until at least 11.30pm UK time, with the final men's match on Stadium before them - Francisco Cerundolo vs Grigor Dimitrov - having only just entered a second set. Cerundolo won the first 7-6(8-6) after a topsy-turvy, tricky opener for both players, with both struggling with unforced errors. Dimitrov had seven set points but couldn't close any of them out. Emma Raducanu vs Jessica Pegula 22:50 , Flo Clifford Advertisement The pair have only played each other twice, splitting the spoils evenly, but Pegula - last year's US Open finalist and the fourth seed - is a hugely tricky opponent, whose consistency at the business end of tournaments has seen her rise to fourth in the world. Emma Raducanu has 'come a long way' after reaching Miami Open quarter-finals 22:40 , Flo Clifford Since ended her coaching trial with Vladimir Platenik on the eve of the Miami tournament Raducanu has been working with former mentors Mark Petchey and Jane O'Donoghue during the fortnight. And Raducanu said the change of approach and working with people who she 'trusts' has helped her 'have fun' off the court and contributed to her performances in matches. Emma Raducanu has 'come a long way' after reaching Miami Open quarter-finals Emma Raducanu parts ways with latest coach after just one match - but breezes through at Miami Open 22:30 , Flo Clifford Advertisement There has been further disruption in the Raducanu camp after she ended a trial with Slovakian coach Vladimir Platenik after two weeks. The Brit had worked with Nick Cavaday until he stepped down after the Australian Open for health reasons, and is yet to appoint a permanent replacement. But no coach, no problem, it seems. Emma Raducanu parts ways with another coach - but breezes through at Miami Open Today's action on Stadium 22:20 , Flo Clifford WTA – Alexandra Eala 6-2, 7-5 Iga Swiatek (POL) Not Before 7:00 PM GMT ATP – [1] Alexander Zverev (GER) 6-3, 3-6, 4-6 [17] Arthur Fils (FRA) ATP – [23] Francisco Cerundolo (ARG) vs [14] Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) Advertisement Not Before 11:00 PM GMT WTA – Emma Raducanu (GBR) vs [4] Jessica Pegula (USA) Not Before 00:30 AM GMT ATP – [24] Sebastian Korda (USA) vs [4] Novak Djokovic (SRB) Emma Raducanu moves on from Dubai incident but looks to improve 'everything' in her game 22:15 , Flo Clifford Raducanu's run in Miami has been all the more impressive given what immediately preceded it: a well-documented ordeal with a stalker, who followed her across multiple tournaments in Asia before being given a restraining order. She then lost her first match after that ordeal came to light, in Indian Wells, the last tournament she played before coming to Florida. Emma Raducanu moves on from Dubai incident but looks to improve 'everything' Raducanu's run in Miami 22:00 , Flo Clifford Advertisement Raducanu has enjoyed a brilliant run in Miami - in fact, her best since her run to the US Open title as a qualifier in 2021. Here's how she's fared so far: Round 1: 6-2, 6-1 win over Sayaka Ishii (wildcard) Round 2: 7-6(6), 2-6, 7-6(3) over Emma Navarro (8th seed) Round 3: 6-1, 3-0 win over McCartney Kessler (retired) Last-16: 6-1, 6-3 win over Amanda Anisimova (17th seed) How to watch 21:30 , Flo Clifford The tournament is being shown live on Sky Sports Tennis. If you're not a Sky customer, you can grab a NOWTV Day Pass here to watch without a subscription. When does play start? 21:15 , Flo Clifford Emma Raducanu vs Jessica Pegula is the fourth match scheduled on Stadium, the main court in Miami, and the final quarter-final in the women's draw. Play is not slated to start until after 7pm local time (11pm UK time). That could be pushed later, however, if the earlier matches on Stadium go the distance. Good evening 21:00 , Flo Clifford Welcome to live coverage of Emma Raducanu's Miami Open quarter-final against fourth seed Jessica Pegula.
