12:02 AM ET Australian Open boss Craig Tiley is optimistic the grand slam will remain in Melbourne next year despite fears the tournament could be moved overseas. The federal government’s prediction in last week’s budget of international borders remaining closed until mid-2022 was a worrying development. Despite an ABC report on Monday identifying Dubai and
Tennis
2:23 PM ET Associated Press ROME — Rafael Nadal beat a tired Novak Djokovic 7-5, 1-6, 6-3 on Sunday for a record-extending 10th Italian Open title. The Spaniard recovered from a potentially dangerous fall after tripping over a raised line to take the latest installment of the most-played rivalry in modern men’s tennis. It also
9:55 AM ET Associated Press If Iga Swiatek continues playing like this, she might have no problem defending her French Open title when the year’s second Grand Slam starts in two weeks. The 19-year-old Pole routed Karolina Pliskova 6-0, 6-0 with what is known as a “double bagel” score in an Italian Open final that
8:27 AM ET Associated Press ROME — Top-ranked Novak Djokovic regained his cool after throwing his racket off the court in a grueling, rain-delayed 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 quarterfinal victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas at the Italian Open on Saturday. Djokovic fought back from breaks of his serve in each of the final two sets to reach
9:47 AM ET Associated Press ROME — Rafael Nadal ended a run of three straight losses to Alexander Zverev with a convincing 6-3, 6-4 win over the German player Friday to reach the Italian Open semifinals. Zverev had beaten Nadal in straight sets at the same stage in Madrid a week ago, but their latest
1:05 PM ET Associated Press ROME — When it comes to long, grueling clay-court battles, nobody is better than Rafael Nadal. Nearing his 35th birthday, the Spanish great showed he still has the stamina to withstand much younger challengers in a 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (3) comeback win over 22-year-old Denis Shapovalov on Thursday that secured
8:17 AM ET Andy Murray has entered the qualifying rounds for the French Open later this month but tournament director Guy Forget said the former world No. 1 “deserves” a wildcard spot for the claycourt Grand Slam. Three-times Grand Slam champion Murray has fallen to 123rd in the world rankings after long injury lay-offs because
6:03 AM ET Associated Press PARMA, Italy — Serena Williams has accepted a wild-card invitation to play at the Emilia-Romagna Open in Parma starting this weekend. The move came immediately after Williams lost in straight sets to Nadia Podoroska at the Italian Open on Wednesday in her first match in nearly three months. “Maybe I
7:00 AM ET It’s time for the 10th Annual Luke Walton All-Stars, honoring journeymen and guys who have fought to stick in the NBA. (Learn about the origins of the column here.) Brown walked into the Detroit Pistons practice facility in November when his phone blew up: After a solid second season, the Pistons were
1:05 PM ET Associated Press ROME — Serena Williams‘ 1,000th tour-level match ended in defeat as she marked her return to action with a 7-6 (6), 7-5 loss to Nadia Podoroska on Wednesday in the second round of the Italian Open. The eighth-seeded Williams, who is 851-149 for her career but hadn’t played since the