Latest news with #SunshineDouble
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.
The Independent
26-03-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Emma Raducanu vs Jessica Pegula LIVE: Miami Open latest score and updates
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. 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 The Independent 's liveblog below: Good evening Welcome to live coverage of Emma Raducanu's Miami Open quarter-final against fourth seed Jessica Pegula. Flo Clifford26 March 2025 21:00 When does play start? 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. Flo Clifford26 March 2025 21:15 How to watch 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. Flo Clifford26 March 2025 21:30 Raducanu's run in Miami 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 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) Flo Clifford26 March 2025 22:00 Emma Raducanu moves on from Dubai incident but looks to improve 'everything' in her game 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 will head to the Miami Open and start work under new coach Vladimir Platenik following her first-round defeat at Indian Wells Flo Clifford26 March 2025 22:15
The Independent
25-03-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Who is Mark Petchey? Emma Raducanu turns to Andy Murray's old coach at Miami Open
As Emma Raducanu has broken new ground at the Miami Open, she has done so thanks to the help of a couple of old faces. The 22-year-old arrived in Florida for the second leg of the 'Sunshine Double' and made headlines as a result of the latest turn of her coaching carousel. Her opening victory over Sayaka Ishii in Miami was somewhat overshadowed by the revelation that her coaching trial with Vladimir Platenik had been brought to an end after two weeks, following her first-round exit from Indian Wells. A statement explained that Raducanu felt her partnership with Platenik 'wasn't quite heading in the right direction' and so, on the eve of the Miami Open, a decision was made that it would not continue. If Raducanu wasn't convinced, she did not want to waste any time on a coach that did not work for her. It was a brave and bold call, especially given the optics. After Raducanu had found some stability under childhood coach Nick Cavaday, who stepped down after the Australian Open due to health issues, the Briton risked returning to the hire-and-fire approach that followed her US Open victory in 2021, as she looks for a permanent presence in her box alongside fitness trainer Yutaka Nakamura. In Miami, however, Raducanu has found a short-term solution which she feels is bringing the best out of her on and off the court. Jane O'Donoghue, Raducanu's childhood mentor and former LTA coach, has returned to her corner, joined by Mark Petchey, a former coach of Andy Murray and now a well-known commentator and broadcaster on the Tennis Channel. Both have stepped in to help Raducanu during the Miami Open. 'This week I have some really good people around me who I trust and who I have fun with off the court as well, and that is extremely important,' Raducanu told Sky Sports. following her win over Amanda Anisimova in the last-16. 'When I play my best I am definitely authentic, true to myself and creative. I feel when I am boxed into a regimented way then I am not able to express myself in the same way.' Those comments could be seen as a criticism of Platenik as much of praise for O'Donoghue and Petchey, but her current environment is clearly working. Raducanu's progress to the quarter-finals is her best run at a tournament since her US Open triumph in 2021, winning four matches in a row for the first time since that unlikely victory in New York, and it is the first time she has reached the last-eight of a WTA 1000 event. Petchey had a wide grin as Raducanu defeated Anisimov 6-1 6-3 to book her quarter-final place. A former Davis Cup player for Great Britain, he was involved in Raducanu's development as a teenager in the years before her US Open victory. He is balancing his work with Raducanu in Miami, which include on-court hitting during practice days, alongside his broadcasting commitments. Interestingly, Petchey's work in the media means his thoughts on Raducanu's game and ideas for where she could improve and there for all to see. In January, following her third-round trashing at the hands of Iga Swiatek at the Australian Open, Petchey was quoted saying Raducanu's forehand and backhand had not developed since 2021, urging her to recreate it. Perhaps a backwards step has led to forward progress. O'Donoghue, meanwhile, has a career in banking after spending 10 years with the LTA as women's national coach. A former player, O'Donoghue stepped in to help Raducanu ahead of Wimbledon in 2022 and at points last year when Cavaday was ill. O'Donoghue had previously flown out to Doha to support Raducanu in February. Neither are long-term solutions as Raducanu looks for the right fit as coach, but her comments to Sky Sports and form in Miami clearly indicate the sort of bubble that the 22-year-old would like to create.
Gulf Today
23-03-2025
- Sport
- Gulf Today
Goffin stuns Alcaraz as Djokovic makes winning rreturn
Carlos Alcaraz fell 5-7 6-4 6-3 to Belgian David Goffin in the Miami Open second round on Friday while Novak Djokovic tied Rafa Nadal for most ATP Masters 1000 match wins and Russia's Mirra Andreeva took another step toward a 'Sunshine Double'. Goffin led the second seed by a break in each of the three sets and secured the victory on his second match point when a sliding Alcaraz was unable to retrieve a forehand the Belgian ripped into the corner. Up next for Goffin is Brandon Nakashima, a 6-4 4-6 6-3 winner over Roberto Carballes Baena. Six-times champion Djokovic made his long-awaited Miami Open return and defeated Australian Rinky Hijikata 6-0 7-6(1) to reach the third round. It marked Djokovic's first Miami appearance since 2019 and the Serbian fourth seed's victory was his 410th ATP Masters 1000 match win, tying him with Rafa Nadal atop the all-time list. It was all one-way traffic in the opening set as Djokovic showcased his superior shotmaking from the baseline along with a lethal service game to make a perfect start and needed just 27 minutes to wrap up the opening set. But Hijikata refused to back down and his confidence grew during a tightly-contested second set where neither player could manage a break but Djokovic took over in the tiebreak where he won the final six points. Russian seventh seed Daniil Medvedev, the 2023 Miami champion who arrived this year fresh off a run to the Indian Wells semi-finals, crashed out at the first hurdle as he fell 6-2 6-3 to Spaniard Jaume Munar. Former Miami finalists Casper Ruud and Grigor Dimitrov both advanced while Australian Kyrgios, who this week earned his first win since 2022, fell 7-6(3) 6-0 to Karen Khachanov. On the women's side, Andreeva, making her Miami Open debut fresh off winning the first leg of the Sunshine Double at Indian Wells, was a 6-0 6-2 winner over Veronika Kudermetova and will next face Doha champion Amanda Anisimova. Polish second seed Iga Swiatek beat Caroline Garcia for the second time in as many tournaments with a 6-2 7-5 victory that sets up a third-round clash with Belgian Elise Mertens, a 6-4 6-1 winner over American Peyton Stearns. Australian Open champion Madison Keys advanced with a 6-3 6-3 win over Armenia's Elina Avanesyan to set up a third round clash with Filipino wildcard Alexandra Eala, who beat Latvian 25th seed Jelena Ostapenko 7-6(2) 7-5. Meanwhile Britain's Emma Raducanu won an epic battle over eighth-seeded American Emma Navarro at the Miami Open on Friday and said the win meant even more than some of her victories in her famous run to the 2021 US Open title. The 21-year-old, who became an instant sensation when she won at Flushing Meadows has had plenty of ups and downs in her career since but in a marathon two-hour 53-minute contest she answered any doubts about her grit with a 7-6 (8/6), 2-6, 7-6 (7-3) win. "Today I completely left everything on the court. I think there were moments in the third set I thought I was completely down, completely out. I didn't see a way back from it, to be honest, physically," she said. "But then I managed to, I don't know where, find a source of energy from and I think I was running on adrenaline...I'm really proud of how I fought," she added. In the third set, Raducanu was broken for 5-4 and then broke back against Navarro, who was serving out at 6-5, she was able to find an extra push to win the tie-break. Raducanu is now down at 60th in the world after spells of injury and disappointing results but she said the feeling compared, in some ways, to her US Open victory. "It was a lot of emotions when I won. I know I won the US Open, but I think having been through so much in the last few years, it's like the wins now mean so much more," she said. "Not necessarily more in terms of magnitude, but I would say emotionally, just a lot more aware of all of the suffering as well, because, you know, when I won the US Open, I just won 10 matches in straight sets. I didn't have, like, the losses, the downs, the months of, like, losing streaks. "To come out of it now, I'd say it means a lot more than certain matches at the US Open, yeah," she said. At times she has appeared to struggle with the high expectations that her maiden Grand Slam title brought while there have been a series of short-lived coaching changes. Her life took a more sinister turn in February when she was targeted by a stalker in Dubai. The man was escorted away by security, subsequently given a restraining order and banned from attending WTA Tour events. Indian Wells was her first tournament back after that ordeal and she went out in the first round to Japan's Moyuka Uchijima. "I don't think it's been an easy couple of months. I have had a lot going on -- on and off the court," she said. "I think my goal is to just get to a place where I feel a lot more set and stable with my surroundings. This week I have amazing people who have known me for a very long time. I feel very secure and happy and wanting to fight for them, as well," she said. In her Miami opener she beat another Japanese player in wildcard Sayaka Ishii and after battling her way past Navarro she will be up against American McCartney Kessler on Sunday. Raducanu said she is glad for the day's rest and may use it to practice the American football skills that she is now using in her warm-ups. "I have been learning how to throw an American football pretty well this week. My trainer has been teaching me, he's lived in America and knows how to throw it really well. I have just been working on tightening the spiral a little bit," she said with a laugh. Agencies
