Alcaraz sets up Italian Open semifinal clash with Musetti, Sabalenka falls

Alcaraz sets up Italian Open semifinal clash with Musetti, Sabalenka falls
Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz plays a backhand return to Britain’s Jack Draper during their quarterfinal match at the ATP Rome Open tennis tournament at the Foro Italico in Rome on Wednesday. (AFP)
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Updated 15 May 2025
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Alcaraz sets up Italian Open semifinal clash with Musetti, Sabalenka falls

Alcaraz sets up Italian Open semifinal clash with Musetti, Sabalenka falls
  • Madrid Open winner Sabalenka was sent packing in the quarterfinals by Chinese eighth-seed Zheng Qinwen 6-4, 6-3
  • Current world No. 2 and defending champion Zverev lose his Rome crown in addition to his ranking as he went down to home hope Musetti 7-6 (7/1), 6-4

ROME: Carlos Alcaraz set up a semifinal meeting with Lorenzo Musetti at the Italian Open on Wednesday with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Jack Draper in the last eight, while women’s world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka was knocked out.

Madrid Open winner Sabalenka was sent packing in the quarterfinals by Chinese eighth-seed Zheng Qinwen 6-4, 6-3.

Third seed Alcaraz, meanwhile, produced what he called one of his best displays of the season to book a last four date with the man he beat in Monte Carlo last month.

The Spaniard’s impressive win over Draper kept alive his chances of a third title of the season and also moved him up to No. 2 in the world rankings behind Jannik Sinner.

“I lost focus a little bit in the second set but it wasn’t (for) too long, so it was pretty good,” said the four-time Grand Slam winner in search of a first Rome crown.

“Probably it was one of the most complete matches that I played this year.”

Alcaraz had to be at his best to down fifth seed Draper, who put in another strong showing on clay in Italy after losing the Madrid Open final to Casper Ruud.

The Briton lost control of the first set when, after taking a two-game lead, he was broken twice by Alcaraz who then took the lead in the match.

And Alcaraz made sure of victory by breaking Draper to love to go 5-4 ahead in the second set before serving out the match.

The day’s final match saw current world No. 2 and defending champion Zverev lose his Rome crown in addition to his ranking as he went down to home hope Musetti 7-6 (7/1), 6-4.

After trading breaks earlier in the set, Zverev looked set to seal the opener after breaking Musetti at 5-5 and then leading on his next service game 40-0.

But the Italian improbably saved four set points to force a tiebreak, which he swept 7-1 in front of a raucous center court.

An angered Zverev argued with the umpire in the second set but kept his cool on the court up to 4-4.

The German had looked the more likely to make a breakthrough until the ninth game when a stunning backhand winner gave Musetti break point, which he duly converted before holding to 30 to reach his third semi of the year on clay.

“I felt the adrenaline and energy from the first point, even if it was not an easy start, but I managed to come back and find a way, and that’s the key of this match,” said Musetti.

Ruud’s attempt at a Madrid and Rome double has a Sinner-shaped obstacle in its way after the world No. 7 won his postponed match with Jaume Munar 6-3, 6-4 to reach the quarterfinals where he will face the top seed on Thursday.

Sabalenka’s stunning clay-court form deserted her at the Foro Italico as she fell in straight sets to Olympic gold medalist Zheng.

It was seventh time lucky for the world No. 8 as she at last got the better of her Belarusian opponent with a confident display under the lights in Rome.

After surviving early pressure on her own serve, Zheng broke Sabalenka to take a 3-2 lead in the first set before serving out.

Zheng then pounced in Sabalenka’s first service game in the second frame to go up a break.

Sabalenka showed determination to make gritty holds in the fifth and seventh games of the set, but she could not make inroads on Zheng’s service as the 22-year-old powered into the semis.

“It’s been a long time I haven’t arrived in semifinals,” Zheng told Sky Sports after securing her first semifinal appearance of the season.

“It was not easy for me because at the beginning of the year I got some struggles with my arm.

“So right now I’m just perfectly in shape and trying to play better tennis all the time.”

Zheng will meet Coco Gauff in the last four after the American earlier beat Mirra Andreeva 6-4, 7-6 (7/5).

Gauff has guaranteed herself No. 2 in the women’s world rankings with her solid displays in Rome, where she saw off seventh seed Andreeva.

Former US Open winner Gauff said that she had “a lot of confidence” for the last four, where she will face an opponent against whom she holds a 2-0 record.

Gauff, 21, is looking for her first title of the season ahead of Roland Garros, after losing the Madrid final to Sabalenka.


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.


Coach Ivanizevic slams Tsitsipas after early Wimbledon exit

Coach Ivanizevic slams Tsitsipas after early Wimbledon exit
Updated 05 July 2025
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Coach Ivanizevic slams Tsitsipas after early Wimbledon exit

Coach Ivanizevic slams Tsitsipas after early Wimbledon exit
  • Stefanos Tsitsipas was forced to retire from his Wimbledon first-round match while trailing to French qualifier Valentin Royer
  • ‘He wants to but he doesn’t do anything. All ‘I want, I want’, but I don’t see that progress… I was shocked’

Goran Ivanizevic gave a scathing assessment of Stefanos Tsitsipas, saying he has “never seen a more unprepared player” in his life following the Greek world number 26’s opening round exit at Wimbledon.

Tsitsipas, the 2021 French Open and 2023 Australian Open runner-up, was forced to retire from his Wimbledon first-round match while trailing 6-3 6-2 to French qualifier Valentin Royer on Monday due to a back injury.

The 26-year-old, who said he had no answers to his ongoing fitness problems after his elimination, appointed Croatian Ivanizevic as his coach in May after a string of disappointing results at the Grand Slams.

Tsitsipas, a former world number three, has reached only one quarter-final in his last nine Grand Slam tournaments.

“It’s simple and it’s not simple. I’ve talked to him a lot of times. If he solves some things outside of tennis, then he has a chance and he’ll return to where he belongs, because he’s too good a player to be out of the top 10,” Ivanizevic told Serbian network Sport Klub after Tsitsipas’ exit.

“He wants to but he doesn’t do anything. All ‘I want, I want’, but I don’t see that progress... I was shocked, I have never seen a more unprepared player in my life. With this knee, I am three times more fit than him. This is really bad.”

Ivanizevic, who won Wimbledon as a player in 2001, helped Novak Djokovic claim nine of his 24 Grand Slam titles before leaving his team in March last year. He then had a short stint with Kazakh world number 11 Elena Rybakina this season.


Sabalenka fights off Raducanu, Alcaraz marches on, Keys and Osaka crash at Wimbledon

Sabalenka fights off Raducanu, Alcaraz marches on, Keys and Osaka crash at Wimbledon
Updated 05 July 2025
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Sabalenka fights off Raducanu, Alcaraz marches on, Keys and Osaka crash at Wimbledon

Sabalenka fights off Raducanu, Alcaraz marches on, Keys and Osaka crash at Wimbledon
  • A record 36 seeds in the men’s and women’s singles failed to reach round three and the upsets continued Friday as women’s sixth seed Madison Keys and four-time major winner Naomi Osaka departed

LONDON: Women’s top seed Aryna Sabalenka fought off inspired home favorite Emma Raducanu in a cauldron-like Center Court atmosphere to keep her Wimbledon quest on track but it was the end of the road for two other Grand Slam champions on Friday.

Sabalenka edged a ferocious contest under the roof after requiring eight set points in the opening set and then roaring back from a 4-1 deficit in a sizzling second.

“Wow! What an atmosphere, my ears are still hurting, it was super loud,” a relieved Sabalenka said on court after wrapping up the win on her third match point.

Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, chasing a third successive Wimbledon title, was also put through the wringer by Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff before sealing a last-16 spot with a 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 win.

A record 36 seeds in the men’s and women’s singles failed to reach round three and the upsets continued on Friday as women’s sixth seed Madison Keys, the Australian Open champion, and four-time major winner Naomi Osaka departed.

Japan’s Osaka looked every bit the Grand Slam great for a set before losing 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 to Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. American Keys racked up 31 unforced errors in a 6-3, 6-3 loss to Germany’s Laura Siegemund, at 37 the oldest woman left in the singles draw.

Sabalenka is the only top-10 seed left in the top half of the draw and, with only three remaining in the bottom, she might be starting to think this could be her year.

If she does win the trophy to add to her two Australian Opens and one US Open, she will look back on Friday night under the Center Court roof as perhaps the turning point.

Had she lost the opening set the partisan crowd might well have roared former US Open champion Raducanu to victory.

Even after clinching the first set with a deft volley, Sabalenka found herself in trouble as 40th-ranked Raducanu blazed ahead and had a point for a 5-1 lead. But she then switched on the after burners to overwhelm the flagging Briton.

“Emma played such incredible tennis and she pushed me really hard to get this win,” said the 27-year-old Belarusian. “I had to fight for every point to get this win.”

Home hopes

Raducanu’s loss ended hope of a British hat-trick on day five after Sonay Kartal and Cameron Norrie sailed through to the last 16 in impressive fashion.

Local favorite Kartal moved on with a remarkable display against French qualifier Diane Parry, claiming nine games in a row to come from 1-4 down to win 6-4, 6-2.

Norrie kept the home flag flying in the men’s singles by beating Italian Mattia Bellucci 7-6(5), 6-4, 6-3 to set up a meeting with Chilean qualifier Nicolas Jarry, who overcame Brazilian wonder kid Joao Fonseca 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(4).

Kartal had earlier reeled off nine games in a row after a slow start to beat French qualifier Diane Parry 6-4, 6-2 and set up a clash with Russian Pavlyuchenkova.

French Open winner Alcaraz extended his winning run to 21 matches by beating Struff but it was a Jekyll and Hyde performance as he again showed vulnerability.

“I was suffering in every service game... 0-30s and breakpoints down. It was stressful. Every time he could push me, he did. I was trying to survive,” Alcaraz said.

The 22-year-old will face Russian 14th seed next after he beat French qualifier Adrian Mannarino 7-5, 6-2, 6-3.

Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton and Amanda Anisimova ensured there would be some Fourth of July celebrations for Americans.

After being taken the distance in his first two matches, fifth seed Fritz had a slightly easier ride as he beat Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-4, 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-1 to reach the last 16 where he will face unseeded Australian Jordan Thompson.

Despite spending more than nine hours on court, Fritz said he felt fresh ahead of his Sunday assignment with Thompson.

“This is going to sound crazy,” said Fritz, who has been suffering tendinitis in his knee and had to deal with a bruised arm after a fall. “My body is actually feeling better after each match. I feel like somehow it felt the worst after my first round but now it’s getting better.”

Anisimova, the 13th seed, also reached the fourth round with a 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 win over Hungarian Dalma Galfi.

Shelton, who was left seething after his second-round clash with Rinky Hijikata was suspended late on Thursday with him about to serve for the match, needed around one minute to finish the job on Friday, hitting three aces and an unreturned second serve to take his place in the last 32.

French showman Gael Monfils also had to resume his match but the 38-year-old could not prevent a 6-4, 1-6, 4-6, 7-6(5) 6-4 defeat by Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics.

“I don’t really know. I wish I could win this match today but that’s sport. I’m going to rest a couple of days and go back on court and try to be ready for the US tour.”

It was the end of the road for Monfils’s wife Elina Svitolina too as the Ukrainian 14th seed fell 6-1 7-6(4) against 24th seed Elize Mertens.