Czech teenager Jakub Mensik shocks Novak Djokovic to win Miami Open

Czech teenager Jakub Mensik shocks Novak Djokovic to win Miami Open
Jakub Mensik, of Czech Republic, holds the Butch Buchholz Championship Trophy after defeating Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, left, in the men’s singles final match at the Miami Open tennis tournament Sunday in Miami Gardens, Florida. (AP)
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Updated 31 March 2025
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Czech teenager Jakub Mensik shocks Novak Djokovic to win Miami Open

Czech teenager Jakub Mensik shocks Novak Djokovic to win Miami Open
  • The 19-year-old, ranked 54th in the world, claimed his first title on the ATP Tour with an outstanding display of powerful tennis
  • The match between the 37-year-old Djokovic and Mensik was the biggest age gap difference in a Masters 1000 final and the biggest age gap of any tour-level final since 1976

MIAMI GARDENS, Florida: Czech teenager Jakub Mensik upset Novak Djokovic 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/4) to win the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday, denying the Serb his 100th career title.

The 19-year-old, ranked 54th in the world, claimed his first title on the ATP Tour with an outstanding display of powerful tennis.

The final was delayed by almost six hours due to heavy rain and when the players emerged it was clear that Djokovic had an eye infection. He used eye-drops during a changeover in the first set.

Mensik started strongly, breaking Djokovic’s first serve game to go 2-0 up and the tall, big-serving Czech was dominating until, at 4-2 Djokovic broke back when Mensik found the net.

The set remained on serve from then on, but in the tie-break Mensik’s powerful serve, with two aces, put him in charge from the outset. He opened up a 5-0 lead and although 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic fought back the youngster sealed the set with an overhead volley.

It was the first set that Djokovic had lost in the entire tournament. Twice he lost his footing and ended up on his back, and he changed his footwear between sets.

Mensik had beaten Djokovic by the exact same margin in the first set of their only other meeting in Shanghai before losing in three sets.

This time, however, the momentum appeared to be with him.

The second set was a nip and tuck affair, though, with neither player able to break. Once again Mensik’s power proved decisive in the tie-break and when Djokovic went long on a return to hand him victory he fell to his back in celebration.

“To be honest I don’t know what to say. It feels incredible, obviously,” Mensik said in his on-court interview.

“It was probably the biggest day of my life and I did super, which I’m really glad (about), to show the performance and keep the nerves outside of the court before the match.

“I feel just super happy and I think that the feelings will come later,” he said.

Mensik has made no secret of the fact that he grew up with Djokovic as his idol and after receiving the trophy he said that he started his career in the hope of emulating the Serb.

“There is no harder task for a tennis player than to beat you in the final of a tournament,” he said.

“I am pretty sure that this was just the first of many,” Mensik added, before revealing that he had been close to pulling out of the tournament before his first match due to a knee injury before last minute physiotherapy produced the desired results.

After the match Djokovic admitted he had not felt at his best.

“It’s unfortunate for me. Two tiebreaks, just very weird match, weird day with rain delay and all the things that (were) happening. Honestly, yeah, I didn’t feel my greatest on the court, but it is what it is. Nothing to take away from his victory,” he said.

Asked specifically about his eye problem, the Serb said: “I really prefer not to talk about — there are quite a few things, but I prefer not to... just congratulate him. That’s it. I don’t want to sound like I’m giving excuses here for my loss.”

Djokovic said he had spotted Mensik’s talent a few years ago and invited him to train at his club.

“I saw him play when he was 15 or 16 and invited him, we had some training blocks together. He was training at my club in Belgrade, and, you know, to see his development and evolution is really great, amazing,” he said.

“Never really happy to lose, but he’s one of the very few players that I would be happier to lose to, to be honest.”

The match between the 37-year-old Djokovic and Mensik was the biggest age gap difference in a Masters 1000 final and the biggest age gap of any tour-level final since 1976.


Paolini parts ways with coach after early Wimbledon exit

Paolini parts ways with coach after early Wimbledon exit
Updated 08 July 2025
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Paolini parts ways with coach after early Wimbledon exit

Paolini parts ways with coach after early Wimbledon exit
  • Jasmine Paolini last year became the first Italian woman in the Open era to reach the Wimbledon final
  • Paolini won her second WTA 1000-level crown at the Italian Open under coach Marc Lopez

World number four Jasmine Paolini has parted company with coach Marc Lopez just days after her second-round exit from Wimbledon, the Italian said.

Paolini, who last year became the first Italian woman in the Open era to reach the Wimbledon final, lost 4-6 6-4 6-4 to Russian Kamilla Rakhimova last week.

The 29-year-old began working with Lopez in April after ending a decade-long partnership with Renzo Furlan.

Under the guidance of Lopez, a former doubles world number three who was once part of Rafa Nadal’s coaching team, Paolini won her second WTA 1000-level crown at the Italian Open and also lifted the women’s doubles title at the French Open.

“We had some great results together. Especially in Rome and Paris,” Paolini wrote on social media on Monday. “I appreciate all the hard work and energy Marc gave every day.

“Now that this part of the season is over, I’ve decided to make a change. “I’ve learned a lot and made good progress. And now I’m taking the time to reflect on what the next step will be. Thank you again, Marc, for everything.”


Bencic downs Alexandrova to break Wimbledon 4th-round barrier

Bencic downs Alexandrova to break Wimbledon 4th-round barrier
Updated 07 July 2025
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Bencic downs Alexandrova to break Wimbledon 4th-round barrier

Bencic downs Alexandrova to break Wimbledon 4th-round barrier
  • Bencic, who has been knocked out in the fourth round here three times before, said she turned the tide by being more courageous

LONDON: Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic reached her first Wimbledon quarterfinal in nine attempts on Monday, dismissing 18th-seeded Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova 7-6(4) 6-4 in just under two hours on a breezy Court One.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion, 28, shed tears after she finally broke the fourth-round barrier 15 months after giving birth to her daughter Bella and said she felt very proud of herself.

But she needed six match points to down 30-year-old Alexandrova, who just last month beat Bencic with the loss of only three games at the Den Bosch grasscourt tournament in the Netherlands.

Bencic, who has been knocked out in the fourth round here three times before, said she turned the tide by being more courageous.

“I think I tried to be more brave. I had more matches under my belt and it turned out better than the last time I played her,” she said.

“I always got stuck in the fourth round. It was so important for me to break through to the quarterfinals,” she added.

Alexandrova, who has also never passed the fourth round at the All England Club, blew hot and cold in the first set, dropping two service games before turning on the aggression, improving her second serve and fighting back to force a tiebreak.

But Bencic, calm and businesslike, won four points in a row in the tiebreak and sealed the set after an hour and one minute when Alexandrova sent a backhand long.

Bencic broke Alexandrova’s serve in the eighth game of the second set but was unable to capitalize when serving for the match in a mammoth eight-deuce game that lasted some 15 minutes and during which the Russian saved five match points.

But Bencic came fighting back on the Russian’s serve with a forehand winner for a sixth match point, converting it when Alexandrova put a forehand long.

The Swiss, ranked 35 but a former world number four, was one of nine mothers in the draw, but the only one to reach the fourth round. She gave birth in April last year and was back playing competitively within six months even reaching the fourth round of the Australian Open in January 2025.

“I’m really proud of myself and the whole team. We did an amazing job coming back,” she said.

“It’s amazing to share the memories together as a family. I’m enjoying it more. I juggle it like every mum does.”


Wimbledon blames ‘human error’ for embarrassing line-calling glitch

Wimbledon blames ‘human error’ for embarrassing line-calling glitch
Updated 07 July 2025
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Wimbledon blames ‘human error’ for embarrassing line-calling glitch

Wimbledon blames ‘human error’ for embarrassing line-calling glitch
  • Officials apologize to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Sonay Kartal after the malfunction during their fourth-round match
  • A fully automated system has replaced human line judges at Wimbledon in 2025, in line with the Australian Open and the US OpeN

LONDON: Wimbledon chiefs on Monday blamed human error for an embarrassing failure of the tournament’s electronic line-calling system.

Officials apologized to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Sonay Kartal after the malfunction during their fourth-round match on Center Court on Sunday, which Pavlyuchenkova won in straight sets.

After an investigation, organizers admitted the technology was turned off in error on a section of the court for a game, with the mistake only becoming apparent when a shot from Britain’s Kartal that clearly missed the baseline was not called out.

Had the call been correct, it would have given Russia’s Pavlyuchenkova a 5-4 lead in the first set, but instead umpire Nico Helwerth ruled the point should be replayed, with Kartal going on to win the game.

The Russian accused the official of home bias, saying: “Because she is local, they can say whatever. You took the game away from me.”

Wimbledon issued a statement on Sunday saying the system had been “deactivated in error” for one game by those operating the system.

“In that time, there were three calls not picked up by live ELC on the affected part of the court. Two of these were called by the chair umpire, who was not made aware that the system had been deactivated,” it said.

“Following the third, the chair umpire stopped the match and consulted with the review official. It was determined that the point should be replayed.

“The chair umpire followed the established process. We have apologized to the players involved.”

Sally Bolton, chief executive of the All England Club, told reporters on Monday that the system was “working optimally.”

“The issue we had was human error in terms of the tracking system having been inadvertently deactivated, and then the chair (umpire) not being made aware of the fact that it had been deactivated,” she said.

She added: “We’ve spoken to the players, we’ve apologized to them, we’ve very quickly moved into reviewing everything that had happened yesterday afternoon and putting in place the appropriate changes to the processes.”

A fully automated system has replaced human line judges at Wimbledon in 2025, in line with the Australian Open and the US Open.

But the glitch in Sunday’s fourth-round match follows concerns raised by other players about the technology, including British stars Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper.

Around 80 former line judges are employed as match assistants, with two on each court offering support to the umpire.

But Bolton said there was no need to put them back on the courts.

“The system was functional,” she said. “It had been deactivated. We didn’t need to put line judges back on the court again, we needed the system to be active.”

Automated line-calling technology has become standard across tennis, with all events on the men’s ATP Tour and many WTA tournaments using it.


Sabalenka downs former doubles partner to power into Wimbledon quarters

Sabalenka downs former doubles partner to power into Wimbledon quarters
Updated 06 July 2025
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Sabalenka downs former doubles partner to power into Wimbledon quarters

Sabalenka downs former doubles partner to power into Wimbledon quarters
  • Sabalenka has never reached a final at the All England Club
  • Now she is the only one of the top six seeds in the women’s draw still standing

LONDON: World number one Aryna Sabalenka marched into the Wimbledon quarter-finals on Sunday as her former doubles partner Elize Mertens fell short of upsetting the US Open champion.
Sabalenka has never reached a final at the All England Club but is the player to beat as the only one of the top six seeds in the women’s draw still standing.
The 27-year-old missed last year’s Wimbledon due to injury and was banned in 2022 as part of a blanket suspension on Russian and Belarusian athletes due to the invasion of Ukraine.
Sabalenka looks determined to make up for lost time and, just like in her third-round victory over Emma Raducanu, had to overcome a tough test from Mertens to progress 6-4, 7-6 (7/4).
The pair won the 2019 US Open and 2021 Australian Open together as a doubles partnership, but Sabalenka has now won their last 10 meetings against each other in singles.
“It’s tough to play against someone you know quite close, it’s tricky facing her,” said Sabalenka.
“I know how smart she is, I know she is going to fight until the very end.
“She really challenged me today and I’m super happy with the win.”
A fast start from Sabalenka saw her stretch out to a 4-1 first set lead, only for Mertens to battle back and level at 4-4.
The three-time Grand Slam winner responded in style, winning eight of the next 11 points, to take the set.
Mertens got the early break in the second, but the world number 23 could not hold on.
Sabalenka broke back to tie up the second set at 3-3 and after six straight holds of serve, the match was decided in a tie-break.
Mertens again had the early advantage, but Sabalenka’s blistering ground strokes forced the Belgian onto the back foot before a volleyed winner sealed victory in just over 90 minutes on court.
Sabalenka faces Germany’s Laura Siegemund in the last eight on Tuesday.
“It’s such a beautiful tournament. I always dreamed of winning it,” she added of potentially claiming a first Wimbledon title.
“I’m just trying to give my best and really hope for the best.”
 


Sinner demolishes Martinez to reach Wimbledon last-16

Sinner demolishes Martinez to reach Wimbledon last-16
Updated 05 July 2025
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Sinner demolishes Martinez to reach Wimbledon last-16

Sinner demolishes Martinez to reach Wimbledon last-16
  • “Obviously very happy but I think we all saw that he was struggling with his shoulder,” said Sinner
  • The Italian said his first week at Wimbledon “couldn’t have gone better“

LONDON: Imperious Wimbledon top seed Jannik Sinner made short work of Spain’s Pedro Martinez on Saturday to reach the the last 16 without dropping a set.

The Italian three-time Grand Slam champion eased past his 52nd-ranked opponent, who was struggling with a shoulder problem, 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 in less than two hours.

“Obviously very happy but I think we all saw that he was struggling with his shoulder,” said Sinner.

“He couldn’t serve very well. Especially on this surface when you don’t serve well, then it’s not easy to play.”

The Italian said his first week at Wimbledon “couldn’t have gone better.”

“Every time when you reach the second week of a Grand Slam it’s a very special occasion,” he said.

“Even more special here in Wimbledon, so I’m very happy to be in the second week.”

Sinner, a Formula One fan, said he would organize his practice schedule around the British Grand Prix, which takes place at Silverstone on Sunday.

He will face either 19th seed Grigor Dimitrov or Sebastian Ofner in the fourth round at the All England Club.

The 23-year-old took a vice-like grip on the Center Court match from the start, racing into a 5-0 lead.

Martinez was given a time-out at that point and received treatment on his right shoulder before winning the next game to love on his own serve but Sinner wrapped up the set in the following game.

The second set was tighter until Sinner broke in the fifth game, repeating the feat to take the set.

Martinez required further treatment before the third set but it had little impact as Sinner raced into a 5-0 lead.

The Spaniard, 28, held up a finger to the crowd after clawing a game back but that only delayed the inevitable.

Sinner has lost just 17 games in total across his three matches in the first week of Wimbledon, in contrast to defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, who has shown patchy form.

The Italian returned from a doping ban in May, losing the Italian Open final to Alcaraz and squandering three championship points against the same opponent in the French Open final.

His best performance at Wimbledon was a run to the semifinals in 2023 and he reached the quarters last year.