Latest news with #mixeddoubles
Reuters
20 hours ago
- Sport
- Reuters
Pegula backs US Open mixed doubles overhaul but urges more dialogue
Aug 12 (Reuters) - World number four Jessica Pegula said the controversial mixed doubles event at the U.S. Open could generate strong spectator interest but urged organisers to improve communication with players before making major format changes. The year's final Grand Slam announced in February that its mixed doubles competition, which will offer $1 million in prize money, would take place from August 19-20 ahead of the singles main draw the following week. The competition's format was also overhauled to feature a field of 16 teams - half of the 32 teams that competed last year - with eight entries based on the combined singles rankings of players and eight wild cards. Matches will be best of three sets, with short sets to four games, with no-advantage scoring, tiebreakers at four-all and a 10-point tiebreak in lieu of a third set. The final will be a best-of-three set match to six games. The move was described by defending U.S. Open champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori as a "profound injustice" to doubles players, and Pegula, who is part of the WTA Player Council, said more communication was needed between organisers and players. "I'm honoured that they asked me to play. It's going to be great, it's going to be fun and the fans will really enjoy it," Pegula told reporters at the ongoing Cincinnati Open. "At the same time, how they went about it, I didn't think was really great ... We were like, Okay, you guys went rogue and changed the format and didn't tell anybody. You just did it. "Did you talk to the players? Did you get their input about how it could be better? That's something that we as players are trying to work with them on, having that line of communication be a lot smoother. "I feel like maybe if there was feedback about the format, then the (reaction) would be a little different, not so all over the place." The U.S. Open said previously it understood the feedback from players but stressed that the reimagined event will elevate mixed doubles with a bigger spotlight and inspire more people to play the sport. Pegula, who will team up with fellow American Tommy Paul in the competition that also features pairs such as Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu and Jannik Sinner and Emma Navarro, said the move to limit the field could impact doubles players' earnings. "It's not good when you have players saying they're upset that now they can't play, or that it's a way for them to make money and now they don't have that," Pegula added. "It's going to be a really fun event, but at the same time, I wish that they would have been communicating with us a little bit better."
Malay Mail
3 days ago
- Sport
- Malay Mail
Wee Yee Hern-Chan Wen Tse win Thailand International Series 2025 against top seeds
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 10 — National mixed doubles pair Wee Yee Hern-Chan Wen Tse pulled off an upset over top seed Ratchapol Makkasasithorn-Nattamon Laisuan to claim their maiden title at the Thailand International Series 2025 in Nakhon Ratchasima, today. The world number 144 pair and third seeds took 33 minutes to deny the world number 64 pair a chance to taste their glory on home soil in Terminal 21 Korat, 22-20, 21-16. This is Yee Hern-Wen Tse's second win over the Thais in three matches since they first crossed paths in the Sri Lanka International Challenge 2025 last February. Yee Hern-Wen Tse are next slated to feature in the Malaysia International Challenge 2025, which will be held in Perak from this Tuesday until Aug 17. They will take on Australian duo Timotius Elbert-Sarita Suwanakuboriharn. — Bernama
Malay Mail
02-08-2025
- Sport
- Malay Mail
Tang Jie-Ee Wei fall to Danish pair in Macau Open semi-final, miss all-Malaysian final
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 2 — Malaysia's top mixed doubles pair Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei crashed out of the Macau Open today, falling to Denmark's Mathias Christiansen and Alexandra Boje in the semi-finals. According to Free Malaysia Today (FMT), the world No. 3 duo lost 21-15, 17-21, 11-21 in a 54-minute match after a strong start. Despite comfortably taking the first game, they were undone by unforced errors in the next two, allowing the world No. 4 Danes to take control. The win marked Christiansen-Boje's first victory over the Malaysians in three meetings, the report said. Their exit ends hopes for an all-Malaysian final, after national underdogs Jimmy Wong and Lai Pei Jing — ranked world No. 127 — pulled off a shock win over a top Indonesian pair earlier to reach the World Tour Super 300 final. Meanwhile, Bernama reported that Malaysia's men's singles shuttler Justin Hoh continued his fine run by coming from behind to defeat India's Tharun Mannepalli 19-21, 21-16, 21-16 in an epic 81-minute battle — marking his second win over Tharun in three meetings. Justin will next face Indonesia's Alwi Farhan, who earlier stunned second seed Lakshya Sen of India with a commanding 21-16, 21-9 victory. Also through to the final are national men's doubles pair Wan Arif Wan Junaidi-Yap Roy King, who cruised past compatriots Choong Hon Jian-Muhammad Haikal Nazri 21-13, 21-15 in just 34 minutes. They will meet either Indonesia's Sabar Karyaman Gutama-Moh Reza Pahlevi Isfahani or Taiwan's Lee Fang Chih-Lee Fang Jen in tomorrow's final, acording to the report.
The Independent
30-07-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz granted wildcard as US Open confirms pairings for controversial mixed doubles event
The US Open has confirmed 14 teams that will feature in its controversial, revamped mixed doubles tournament this year, with a further two wildcard spots to be allocated at a later date. The organisers announced in February that the mixed doubles event would be radically overhauled, moving to a two-day event before the start of the official tournament, with sets played to four games with a tiebreak at 4-4, no-ad scoring, and a 10-point tiebreak instead of a third set. The quicker format, the move to qualifying week, and the huge increase in prize money - up to $1m, an $800,000 increase from the 2024 edition - was designed to attract singles stars to the event. And of the 14 teams confirmed as participants this week, only one team is an established mixed doubles pairing: last year's champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori. Recent Wimbledon mixed doubles champions Katerina Siniakova and Sam Verbeek are not on the list, but could still receive a wildcard entry closer to the tournament start. Both were among many doubles specialists - Errani and Vavassori included - who objected to the changed format and emphasis on singles players. 'It's a shame they decided to do it,' Siniakova told BBC Sport during Wimbledon. 'I think it's a marketing step, but they are taking (away the) chance of doubles players.' Verbeek added: 'I'm not going to actively root against it for it not to be a success. The positive I can think of is that there's going to be more people that can see the top single stars earlier in the tournament when they are maybe a bit more accessible to the public. But as a doubles athlete, my heart is bleeding.' The teams include eight which have directly earned a place as a result of their combined singles ranking, while Errani and Vavassori are one of six teams granted wildcards, with two more to follow. Nine grand slam singles champions are on the list of confirmed pairings, including recently-crowned Wimbledon champions Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek, who have direct entry into the draw alongside partners Emma Navarro and Casper Ruud, respectively. Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz have been given a wildcard, along with all-American pairings Madison Keys and Frances Tiafoe, and Taylor Townsend - the women's doubles No 1 - and Ben Shelton. Venus Williams, who recently made her singles comeback in Washington, and Reilly Opelka have also been granted a wildcard, as have Serbia's Olga Danilovic and Novak Djokovic. British No 1 Jack Draper had entered the draw alongside Zheng Qinwen, but has now been granted direct entry alongside Spain's former world No 2 Paula Badosa after Zheng withdrew following elbow surgery. The small draw and popularity of the event among singles players means it's not just established doubles pairings who will miss out: Alex de Minaur took to social media after the announcement to say, 'Katie [Boulter, his fiancee] and I would like to ask for a WC pretty pretty please'.
Khaleej Times
30-07-2025
- Sport
- Khaleej Times
Venus Williams gets US Open mixed doubles wild card spot
Venus Williams, who made a comeback last week after more than a year's hiatus from competitive tennis, will compete alongside Reilly Opelka in mixed doubles at the US Open. Williams, a seven-time Grand Slam singles champion who turned 45 last month, and US compatriot Opelka were among 14 teams named on Tuesday to the revamped August 19-20 event by the US Tennis Association. Williams won her opening singles and doubles match at the DC Open last week in her first WTA tournament since last year's Miami Open. She is also set to play as a wild card in next month's Cincinnati Open and could ask for a US Open singles wild card. Those are expected to be announced in about two weeks. The US Open winning mixed doubles team will receive $1 million. Eight teams received direct entry into the field by combined singles rankings, including top-ranked Jannik Sinner of Italy -- the reigning US Open, Wimbledon and Australian Open singles champion -- with American Emma Navarro. Other duos making the field on rankings included Britain's fifth-ranked Jack Draper and Spain's Paula Badosa, Germany's third-ranked Alexander Zverev and Swiss Belinda Bencic, fourth-ranked American Taylor Fritz and Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, Dane Holger Rune and American Amanda Anisimova, 2021 US Open winner Daniil Medvedev and fellow Russian Mirra Andreeva, Americans Jessica Pegula and Tommy Paul and Poland's Iga Swiatek and Norway's Casper Ruud. Other wild card entry teams include five-time Grand Slam singles champion and world number two Carlos Alcaraz of Spain with Britain's Emma Raducanu, Americans Madison Keys and Frances Tiafoe, world women's doubles number one Taylor Townsend and fellow American Ben Shelton, Italians Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori and Serbians Olga Danilovic and Novak Djokovic -- who has won a record 24 men's Grand Slam singles titles. Two other wild card teams will be announced later.
