Rafael Nadal now with as many French Open titles as Bjorn Borg had major titles overall: 11. He might have played his best after his hand cramped. Beats Thiem 64 63 62.
#RG18
These days we're lucky enough to be able to expect an unreal match from Nadal & Thiem, and get an unreal match. When Rafa's last lob went up, I flashed back to Nadal-Djokovic at the 08 Beijing Olympics—same result, a missed smash on match point.
Love redemption stories, love seeing Grand Slam curses end, but Simona Halep's is special because of what happened here last year, & because of how honest she's always been about her nerves, and her mental ups and downs. This time she makes the comeback to beat Stephens 36 64 61
Angie Kerber had to come from 1-3 down in the third, save MPs, and survive on moonballs and drops shots to beat Frech 26 63 75. But somehow it seemed like she orchestrated the whole thing. Great Court 6 scenes at
#RolandGarros
"Hubert is a really nice person, he has a really good heart. He gives everything out there and he has fun and he is always smiling - it's a joy to play with him."
@felixtennis
on playing with
@HubertHurkacz
😉
#RolexParisMasters
They've played 58 times, but today it feels like we don't get to see Djokovic vs. Nadal nearly enough. Djokovic wins one of the best sets of their rivalry 7-6(4) to go up 2-1. So good they've let the fans break curfew and stay.
#RG21
"This trophy means everything to me today. The personal satisfaction the way I resisted all these tough moments is very high." Last look back at
@RafaelNadal
's 4th
@usopen
title. (Photos:
@anitaguilar08
)
Amazing performance from Simona Halep in her first Wimbledon final. Makes 3 unforced errors in beating Serena Williams 62 62 in 56 minutes. Her second Slam title.
"Get them as high as you can," Sloane Stephens said when she was asked for her philosophy on souvenir ball hitting
@usopen
. "Those people pay money too. Got to show them some love." Though she looks a little scared about the result this time. 📷
@anitaguilar08
Rafael Nadal ends 2019 by winning one of the tensest sets of the year over Denis Shapovalov, 9-7 in a tiebreaker, to give Spain its 6th Davis Cup since 2000.
Politically, athletically, attitudinally, men's tennis can use Andy Murray right now. How he made the Open feel like the Open again for a few hours on Tuesday
Nadal says, foot permitting, he'll try to play Wimbledon, where he would try for the 3rd leg of the Grand Slam. Amazing that at 36, he's won the first two Slams of the season for the first time.
“I leave here with very positive energy in all ways.”
Rafael Nadal, Spain’s greatest sportsman, didn’t say good-bye to Madrid in triumph. But he did leave the way we'll remember him best: With a fight.
Intense reaction from Rafa. Amazing that as well as Diego played and as up and down as Rafa was, that it was straights. Only other year Nadal made the semis of all four Slams was '08. "Now is the time to keep going," he says.
Rafael Nadal’s Grand Slam season ended with a twinge instead of a triumph, but it was an epic run.
@SteveTignor
on Rafa’s wins, losses, and perspective in 2018:
(📸:
@anitaguilar08
)
As in his last match, Nadal's level goes up and down for a few sets, and then he dials in completely and basically cannot miss at the end. He beats Djokovic in 4.
#RolandGarros
Rafael Nadal's loss at Roland Garros doesn't prove he's human; it reminds that what he's done at that venue over the last 16 years has been anything but. On his latest classic with Novak Djokovic, and how Djokovic changed the ending
Jannik Sinner's ceiling just keeps rising. He beats Novak Djokovic twice, in singles and doubles, to lead Italy past Serbia and into the Davis Cup Final against Australia tomorrow.
#DavisCupFinal
Simona Halep d. Sloane Stephens 76(6) 36 64 in the best edition yet of this budding rivalry. 111-109 in points, and that's how close it felt most of the way.
#CoupeRogers
Last two points. Alcaraz so calm on the last forehand—had just lost two match points (one by an inch or less), had to generate all the pace from behind the baseline...and he did, without a hitch
“It’s going to look ridiculous.”
Felix Auger-Aliassime fired up at chair umpire after he makes controversial call to end match against Jack Draper.
Watch the situation unfold ⬇️
#CincyTennis
Pam Shriver to Carlos Moya, after Rafa wins 1st set 6-3: "What would you like to see Rafa improve in the 2nd set?"
Moya: "I think doing the same thing would be good."
I hadn't seen David Ferrer leave his bandanna on the court during his farewell court yet; he does it today after losing to Nadal and saying good-bye to Barcelona.
Love the first day of grass; it's like getting a new sport to watch. Highlight this year is the winning return of Milos Raonic, hair intact, after two years away.
The Miami crowd didn't get Carlos Alcaraz tonight, but it did get Grigor Dimitrov. He follows up one huge win, over Alcaraz, with his first win over Alexander Zverev in 10 years. He's into the Miami final, and back into the Top 10, at 32.
The last 10 years at the Miami Open have included 5 wins for Novak Djokovic, 2 for Roger Federer, and now 1 for Hubert Hurkacz. Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.
Had to feel good for Simona Halep to finish with a service winner, after all her struggles with that shot. She wins tough-it-out matches over Gauff, Pegula, and Haddad Maia for third title in Canada, and most important so far with Patrick Mouratoglou.
Tommy Robredo, 36, and Patty Schnyder, 39, join Felix Auger-Aliassime, Genie Bouchard, Donald Young, Heather Watson, South Africa's Lloyd Harris, and others in qualifying for the
#USOpen
main draw. Nicolas Mahut got a hug from his son.
Hard to ask for a more stellar final 16 on the women's side at
#AusOpen
The bottom 4 matches start at 7:00 tonight, EST
Halep-Serena
Pliskova-Muguruza
Osaka-Sevastova
Svitolina-Keys
Kvitova-Anisimova
Sharapova-Barty
Sloane-Pavlyuchenkova
Kerber-Collins
Coco Gauff and her new coaching team off to a pretty fair start. 11-1 record; first title in the States, in D.C.; first win over No. 1 Iga Swiatek; first Masters 1000 title, at
#cincytennis
Naomi Osaka, to Tennis Channel's
@Steve_Weissman
in Charleston today: "I don't want to be the person who's super-confident, and thinks they can win every match. I just want to go into a match just being really grateful to even play."
What does tennis need? More sideline interviews with Goran Ivanisevic would be a start. "I think in general it's a terrible match," he tells Pam Shriver of Querrey-Raonic so far. Starting a 3rd set now.
#BNPPO2018
Taylor Townsend's win over Simona Halep was, among other things, a victory for a style of play. She showed that the pressure of serve and volley can still win, and still rivet a crowd
How do you celebrate an around-the-net winner? (GIF:
@anitaguilar08
) "Arthur Ashe Stadium here in New York, night session. It's difficult to be better," Rafa said.
Petra Kvitova d. Kiki Bertens 76(6) 46 63 in 2 hrs. 52 in
#MutuaMadridOpen
final. 4th title and 30th match win of 2018; 3rd title in Madrid; 12-2 in 3-set matches this year; 11th straight win in last two weeks.
We've been talking about a Nadal-Federer reunion final at Wimbledon, but a Nadal-Djokovic semi wouldn't be too shabby, either. They've dropped one set between them so far.
Singapore commentator, to Chris Evert: "Chris Evert, you were one of the best movers we've ever seen..."
Evert: "Obviously, you weren't born when I was playing."
#WTAFinalsSG