Tennis

Australian Open – Qualifiers: A chance for Lebanese Tennis

Lebanese tennis player Benjamin Hassan won in three sets against Colombian Nicolás Mejía, with a score of 4-6, 7-5, 4-6.  He will face Tunisia's Aziz Dougaz in the second qualifying round of the Australian Open on Wednesday at 7:10 AM Beirut time (the match start may be delayed due to an earlier match on the same court). Meanwhile, fellow ...

Djokovic Australian Open Preparations Take Hit With Loss to Opelka

Former world number one Novak Djokovic's Australian Open preparations suffered a blow Friday as he was bundled out of the Brisbane International by towering American Reilly Opelka. The 2.11 metre (six feet 11 inches) Opelka served magnificently and returned just as well to stun the 24-time Grand Slam winner 7-6 (8/6), 6-3. Djokovic had gone into ...

Tennis: Djokovic, Sabalenka Into Brisbane Quarters as Rising Stars Impress

Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka were in ominous form ahead of the Australian Open as both powered into the Brisbane International quarter-finals on Thursday. On a day when rising stars Mirra Andreeva and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard underlined their potential, Djokovic cruised past fellow veteran Gael Monfils 6-3, 6-3 in 72 minutes. In the ...

Lebanese Sports Federation Elections Resume in Mixed Climate

The Olympic elections began early in September with the elections of the skiing and biathlon federation, which resulted in the re-election of Freddy Keyrouz for a second term as head of the federation, following a lopsided electoral “battle.” The elections of the cycling federation, chaired by Misak Najarian, were appealed to the courts, which ...

Tennis: Hady Habib Gifts Lebanon a Historic Title

Hady Habib became the first tennis player to offer Lebanon a title in a Challenger category tournament, under the supervision of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). This follows his victory on Sunday in the final of the Temuco tournament, in Chile, against Argentina's Camilo Ugo Carabelli, with a score of 6-4, 6-7 (3-7), 7-6 ...

Sinner Powers Davis Cup Holders Italy Past Australia to Final

World number one Jannik Sinner defeated Alex de Minaur in straight sets to power holders Italy into the Davis Cup final with a 2-0 victory over Australia on Saturday. The two-time winners will face Netherlands in Sunday's showpiece after the Dutch ousted Germany 2-0 on Friday to make the final for the first time in 104 years of trying. Sinner, ...

'Unique' Netherlands Beat Germany to Reach First Davis Cup Final

Netherlands reached the Davis Cup final for the first time with a battling 2-0 win over Germany on Friday, with captain Paul Haarhuis labelling the feat "unique". Tallon Griekspoor ground down Jan-Lennard Struff 6-7 (4/7), 7-5, 6-4 in the second singles rubber to eliminate the three-time winners in the semi-finals. Botic van de Zandschulp beat ...

Italy, Australia Set Up Davis Cup Semi-Final Clash

World number one Jannik Sinner triumphed in singles and doubles to help Davis Cup holders Italy beat Argentina 2-1 on Thursday to reach the semi-finals. Italy will face Australia after they earlier defeated record 32-time winners the United States with a tense 2-1 victory. Sinner won his first two Grand Slams this season, as well as triumphing ...

Dominant Sinner Cruises into ATP Finals Title Decider with Fritz

Jannik Sinner has his first ATP Finals crown firmly in his sights after crushing Casper Ruud 6-1, 6-2 on Saturday to set up a title decider with Taylor Fritz, the man he beat to win the US Open two months ago. Roared on by a partisan home crowd in Turin, Sinner extended his winning streak to 10 matches with another dominating display that showed ...

Alcaraz Beats Rublev to Open ATP Finals Account, Ruud Misses Last Four Chance

Carlos Alcaraz opened his account at the ATP Finals on Wednesday with an entertaining 6-3, 7-6 (10/8) win over Andrey Rublev, while Casper Ruud missed an early chance to reach the semi-finals after losing in straight sets to Alexander Zverev. World number three Alcaraz comfortably defeated Rublev to lift himself off the bottom of the John ...

Tennis: 'Solid' Zverez Eases Past Rublev as Alcaraz Falters Against Ruud

Alexander Zverev opened his campaign at the ATP Finals in Turin on Monday evening by dispatching Andrey Rublev 6-4, 6-4 in their round-robin opener. In the afternoon match, Casper Ruud romped through the opening set before fighting back from 5-2 behind in the second to beat an out-of-sorts Carlos Alcaraz 6-1, 7-5. Germany's Zverev had last ...