Berrettini, Ruud, Rublev give Team Europe 3-1 Laver Cup lead
The pandemic-delayed fourth edition of the Laver Cup — and first without Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic participating — began Friday with Team Europe taking a 3-1 lead over Team World thanks to victories in singles from Matteo Berrettini, Casper Ruud and Andrey Rublev. Italy's Berrettini, the runner-up to Djokovic at Wimbledon in July, saved 12 of 13 break points and came back to edge Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime in a match tiebreaker 6-7 (3), 7-5, 10-8.
news.yahoo.com'Not normal': Djokovic raises quarantine-injury connection
Italy's Matteo Berrettini, left, receives medical treatment during a break while playing Russia's Karen Khachanov during their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021. 1-ranked Djokovic, who sees what is happening all around Melbourne Park and draws a direct connection to the 14-day quarantines imposed because of the coronavirus pandemic when players arrived in Australia in January. Ad“It's too many injuries, honestly,” Djokovic said, then sighed heavily, during an on-court interview after his four-set quarterfinal victory against Alexander Zverev. “I'm just hoping this is all temporary, so we can kind of go back to what we are kind of used to, without interruptions of practice,” Djokovic continued. It's really — it's taken its toll, unfortunately, on all of us.”Zverev's midsection, like Djokovic's, was taped up for their match.
Early-bird Thiem advances to 4th round at French Open
Austria's Dominic Thiem plays a shot against Norway's Casper Ruud in the third round match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, Friday, Oct. 2, 2020. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)PARIS – Waking up early Friday for his third-round match at the French Open, Dominic Thiem was surprised to see that the morning skies were still dark. Yup, Roland Garros in autumn, when the sun is slower to rouse itself than during the usual May-June slot, takes some getting used to. Svitolina defeated two-time French Open quarterfinalist Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-4, 7-5. Ruud was bidding to become only the second Norwegian to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam.