Latest news with #Tiley
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Australian tennis great Fred Stolle has died at age 86
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Fred Stolle, a two-time major winner and member of three Davis Cup-winning teams, has died, Tennis Australia said Thursday. He was 86. Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley described Stolle as an 'iconic figure' in tennis as a player and later as a commentator for Australia's Nine Network and for CBS and Fox Sports. Tiley did not provide a cause of death. Tiley said Stolle was part of Australia's successful era in the 1960s as tennis progressed from an amateur to a professional sport. 'His legacy is one of excellence, dedication, and a profound love for tennis," Tiley said. "His impact on the sport will be remembered and cherished by all who had the privilege to witness his contributions. 'A star member of Australia's Davis Cup team, Fred made significant contributions to the sport following his decorated career, as a coach and astute commentator." Stolle lost the first five Grand Slam singles finals he reached — including four times to fellow Australian Roy Emerson — before beating Tony Roche to win the 1965 French Open. He won the U.S. Open in 1966, beating John Newcombe in the final, and held the No. 1 ranking. He won 10 men's doubles titles at Grand Slams from 1962-69. He also won seven mixed doubles at the majors. Stolle was born in Sydney but lived in the United States after his playing career. Tennis Australia said Stolle is survived by his wife, Pat, his son Sandon — a former tennis professional — and daughters Monique and Nadine. Rod Laver, an Australian who won 11 major titles including the calendar-year Grand Slams in 1962 and 1969, posted a tribute to Stolle on X. 'As I wrote in my book on the Golden Era of Aussie tennis, Fred Stolle was too nice a guy to hold a grudge. He won many Grand Slams and was in the finals of many more. It took the best to beat the best,' Laver posted. 'We never tired of reliving the past as we travelled the world looking into the future with an enduring love of the sport.' ___ AP tennis: The Associated Press
Asharq Al-Awsat
06-03-2025
- Sport
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Australian Tennis Great Fred Stolle has Died at Age 86
Fred Stolle, a two-time major winner and member of three Davis Cup-winning teams, has died, Tennis Australia said Thursday. He was 86. Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley described Stolle as an 'iconic figure' in tennis as a player and later as a commentator for Australia's Nine Network and for CBS and Fox Sports. Tiley did not provide a cause of death, The Associated Press reported. Tiley said Stolle was part of Australia's successful era in the 1960s as tennis progressed from an amateur to a professional sport. 'His legacy is one of excellence, dedication, and a profound love for tennis," Tiley said. "His impact on the sport will be remembered and cherished by all who had the privilege to witness his contributions. 'A star member of Australia's Davis Cup team, Fred made significant contributions to the sport following his decorated career, as a coach and astute commentator." Stolle lost the first five Grand Slam singles finals he reached — including four times to fellow Australian Roy Emerson — before beating Tony Roche to win the 1965 French Open. He won the US Open in 1966, beating John Newcombe in the final, and held the No. 1 ranking. He won 10 men's doubles titles at Grand Slams from 1962-69. He also won seven mixed doubles at the majors. Stolle was born in Sydney but lived in the United States after his playing career. Tennis Australia said Stolle is survived by his wife, Pat, his son Sandon — a former tennis professional — and daughters Monique and Nadine. Rod Laver, an Australian who won 11 major titles including the calendar-year Grand Slams in 1962 and 1969, posted a tribute to Stolle on X. 'As I wrote in my book on the Golden Era of Aussie tennis, Fred Stolle was too nice a guy to hold a grudge. He won many Grand Slams and was in the finals of many more. It took the best to beat the best,' Laver posted. 'We never tired of reliving the past as we travelled the world looking into the future with an enduring love of the sport.'
Daily Tribune
27-01-2025
- Sport
- Daily Tribune
Tiley Confident in Djokovic's Return to Australian Open After Injury Setback
Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley has expressed optimism about Novak Djokovic's return to the Grand Slam next year, despite the Serbian legend's latest campaign ending in heartbreak. Djokovic, chasing a record 25th Grand Slam title, retired from his semi-final match against Alexander Zverev on Friday after losing the opening set. The 37-year-old cited a hamstring injury sustained during his quarter-final clash with Carlos Alcaraz as the reason for his withdrawal. The 10-time Australian Open champion faced a mixed reception, with parts of the crowd jeering as he exited Melbourne Park. However, Tiley remained supportive of Djokovic, who has been a dominant figure in the tournament's history. 'Novak has been an incredible ambassador for the Australian Open. I'm confident we'll see him back next year, fighting for more titles,' Tiley told reporters. Djokovic's retirement marked a disappointing end to a campaign filled with anticipation as he sought to further cement his legacy in the sport.
Khaleej Times
27-01-2025
- Sport
- Khaleej Times
Australian Open director Tiley confident Djokovic will return
Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley said he is confident Novak Djokovic will return to the season-opening Grand Slam next year after injury ended the 37-year-old's latest challenge in the semifinals at Melbourne Park. Djokovic was jeered by some sections of the crowd when he retired due to a hamstring injury after losing the opening set to Alexander Zverev on Friday. The Serb, who has won 10 titles at Melbourne Park and is chasing a record 25th Grand Slam crown, sustained the injury in his quarterfinal win over Carlos Alcaraz. "There was some talk about Novak (not coming back here) – Novak will return," Tiley told Australian media on Monday. "He leaves today and he's with his family, his team left on Friday. "We'll see Novak back and I look forward to catching up with him in the next couple of weeks." Djokovic took aim at his critics the day after his exit from the tournament, posting photos of an MRI scan of the injury on social media and Tiley was certain the Serb had done everything possible to be ready for the semifinal. "He had a good warm-up that morning and his team were confident that he'd be able to get out there and play," Tiley said. "I haven't met a player that does as much pre-preparation and has as big a focus on it as Novak does, and he would do everything he possibly can to get on the court." Jannik Sinner and Madison Keys won the men's and women's titles as record numbers attended the Australian Open's latest edition, with more than 1.1 million spectators making their way to Melbourne Park. However, crowd behaviour made headlines at times during the two-week event and Tiley said organisers would consider capping the number of fans admitted if necessary. "The objective is, right from the beginning, is that the quality of the experience is the most important thing," he said. "Our customer satisfaction scores are higher than they were last year, and we're going through all those numbers ... but so far the initial reports have been very positive. "If ever there becomes a moment where we're getting to a number that's not satisfactory for that experience, we'll make a change."
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Wimbledon desperately needs to expand to catch up with sprawling Australian Open
The blue planet that is Melbourne Park has never teemed with so much life as it has this year. Total attendance at the Australian Open reached 1.1 million, including qualifying week, and the 99-acre grounds were full of fresh experiments such as the child-friendly Topcourt area near the Yarra River. This is the most ambitious and far-sighted of the four slams, perhaps because it has the ingrained inferiority complex that comes with being the youngest of four siblings. Nevertheless, over 20 years as tournament director, Craig Tiley has transformed the Australian Open beyond recognition. Now Tiley's grand designs are heaping extra pressure on the All England Club, as they strive to add another 73 extra acres to their bijou 42-acre site. The planned expansion into neighbouring Wimbledon Park Golf Course has been inching along for seven years, but despite a positive planning verdict in September from London's City Hall, it remains stuck in development hell. To the AELTC's dismay, the well-organised 'Save Wimbledon Park' campaign is now challenging the verdict via a judicial review, while a separate debate is considering whether the land might be protected by a statutory trust. Legal experts suggest that we are still a couple of years from resolution, and even then, it would still take five or six years for the new grass courts to bed down. In the best-case scenario, the expanded site is unlikely to be ready before 2033. Every additional delay is a dagger to the heart of the AELTC committee. As they fly around the world for their grand-slam board meetings, chair Debbie Jevans and chief executive Sally Bolton see the other majors expanding into three-week operations. Sports fans are increasingly clocking on to the attractions of qualifying – a three-round mini-tournament that whittles 256 men and women down to 32 – as well as the appeal of open practice sets contested by high-profile names. These preliminary weeks drew 116,000 people at this Australian Open and 219,000 at September's US Open. I don't have a figure for the French Open, but since the recent stylish redevelopment of Roland Garros, attendance in Paris is also on the up. It's profoundly frustrating that the Wimbledon equivalent cannot be staged on-site because of the need to keep the grass courts pristine until the first ball is hit on the opening Monday. For the moment, qualifying is held three miles away at what used to be the Bank of England Sports Ground (now renamed as the Wimbledon Qualifying and Community Sports Centre Roehampton). But there are many disadvantages here. For one thing, the site has a maximum capacity of 5,000 spectators. For another, the land is only leased from the Bank of England, so its use cannot be guaranteed beyond 2035. While one understands the local residents' strength of feeling about the golf-course expansion, there is one part of their argument which simply doesn't stack up. The campaigners say that, as tennis's oldest tournament and the only grass-court major, Wimbledon's future is assured without the need for expansion. But that's because they don't work in tennis. It's easy to forget that sports rise and fall, and so do individual events. Think of the decline of athletics as a whole, or the way golf's Open Championship now plays second fiddle to the Masters. Anyone who spends time at these tournaments can see how quickly the All England Club is being left behind. As one high-ranking administrator put it last week, 'When does traditional become old-fashioned?' The AELTC would love to seek out younger audiences with a Kids' Day – as happens at all the other majors during qualifying week – and a buggy park like the one that Tiley has instituted in Melbourne. On a corporate level, it would like to provide better facilities for sponsors. But none of this is possible while the club is handcuffed by its own spatial limitations. It's not as if Wimbledon will ever take on the same vibe as the Australian Open – an event which, like Tommy Steele, sees itself as an all-round entertainer. As a parent, you could quite happily take your family to Melbourne Park and spend the day on the climbing walls and the ping-pong tables without even worrying about going on court. The All England Club is much more focused on the sport itself, casting Wimbledon as a temple of tennis, and creating a sense of aspirational exclusivity. The tournament's image is predicated on quality rather than quantity, which is another reason why it wouldn't try to compete with Melbourne's crowd numbers. Wimbledon's capacity is set at 42,000 for the moment, and the best guess is that it might rise by another 10,000 when the new facilities are completed. On second thoughts, we should say 'if' the new facilities are completed. Despite the recent green light from the Greater London Authority, SWP campaigners remain confident that they can nix the whole project through their latest legal challenges. Such an outcome would condemn Wimbledon to a slow decline towards heritage status. If development becomes impossible, the less constrained majors – especially in Melbourne and New York – will gradually eclipse their old-world counterparts, largely on the grounds of space. As with so many sports, the British codified tennis, only to see it adopted with great enthusiasm by other nations. After Madison Keys's thrilling victory on Saturday, the Americans have won 352 majors, the Australians 166, and Great Britain 98. At this rate, a similar pecking order will soon apply to the grand-slam events themselves. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
