women's professional tennis – TheNewsHub https://thenewshub.in Sat, 05 Oct 2024 05:30:39 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7 US Open women’s semifinals: Coco Gauff and Madison Keys lead American quest for home glory | CNN https://thenewshub.in/2024/10/05/us-open-womens-semifinals-coco-gauff-and-madison-keys-lead-american-quest-for-home-glory-cnn/ https://thenewshub.in/2024/10/05/us-open-womens-semifinals-coco-gauff-and-madison-keys-lead-american-quest-for-home-glory-cnn/?noamp=mobile#respond Sat, 05 Oct 2024 05:30:39 +0000 https://thenewshub.in/2024/10/05/us-open-womens-semifinals-coco-gauff-and-madison-keys-lead-american-quest-for-home-glory-cnn/



CNN
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It began with 128 contenders, but now the women’s draw at the US Open is down to just four.

After almost two weeks of grueling action in the searing heat in New York, the semifinalists have been confirmed for the fourth and final grand slam of 2023.

American teenager Coco Gauff faces Czech world No. 10 Karolína Muchová, while world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka takes on local favorite Madison Keys.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the US Open women’s semifinals.

Gauff and Muchová kick off proceedings in Arthur Ashe Stadium at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, with Keys and Sabalenka following them.

Viewers in the US can watch all the action on ESPN, while Sky Sports will broadcast the matches in the UK.

For those eagle-eyed fans, you might remember this specific match-up taking place very recently.

The two took to the court just under three weeks ago in the final of the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, with Gauff winning in straight sets to claim to biggest title of her career.

Her victory in Ohio came in the midst of Gauff’s best period of form in her blossoming tennis career, momentum she’s continued into the US Open.

The American’s most recent outing at Flushing Meadows was another impressive performance, beating Jelena Ostapenko with ease for her 10th victory in a row.

It has been somewhat of a coming-of-age tournament for Gauff, who looks like a serious contender to win her maiden grand slam title, but she insists she’s not getting ahead of herself.

“There’s still a lot of tennis left to play,” Gauff said. “I’m still in the mindset that I’m in the beginning of the tournament. Before I would think close to the end, but right now, I have the mentality that I told myself I still have another two weeks to play.

“Right now, I feel emotionally fresh, which I think was the problem in the past in grand slams. I would emotionally be drained.”

Muchová is very much seen as the underdog against Gauff, despite also showing excellent form recently to rise up to a career-high ranking of No. 10 in the world.

The Czech, who lost in the final of the French Open earlier in the year, has only dropped one set en route to the semifinal as she continues an extraordinary comeback season after suffering a series of injuries last year which threatened her career.

“Mental strength … how would I describe it?” Muchová asked. “I always feel that I’m a pretty tough cookie in life. That helps with tennis. But yeah, some days are better; some days not.

She added: “I don’t really want to say all the keys with the tactics. So I’ll just focus on myself. She’s very athletic. She never gives up. Runs for every ball. Doesn’t do many mistakes. She has all the strokes.”

The second semifinal of the day will also see an American with the crowd behind her taking on a European as Keys faces Belarus’ Sabalenka.

No. 17 seed Keys is enjoying a revival at the tournament, having lost in the final to Sloane Stephens in 2017.

She has already beaten three seeded players on her way to the semifinals, most recently blitzing past Wimbledon champion Markéta Vondroušová in the quarterfinals as she continues to draw on the home crowds to inspire her victories.

“I think I have had just a really good mindset going into the matches. I’ve been trying to be maybe just a little bit more emotionally balanced,” Keys said on her US Open success after her victory over Vondroušová.

Keys returns a shot to Liudmila Samsonova during the third round of the US Open.

It was her 26th career victory over a top-10 player and sets up a heavyweight clash against Sabalenka, who is currently the in-form player in women’s tennis having not dropped a set on her path to the semifinals.

The Belarussian eased past Zheng Qinwen in the quarterfinals to reach her fifth consecutive grand slam semifinal and continue her remarkable record in major quarterfinals – she has now won her first seven grand slam quarterfinal matches, second on the all-time list behind Chris Evert who, amazingly, won her first 48.

The 25-year-old will be crowned as the new world No. 1 when the new rankings are released on Monday and, after claiming her first grand slam title at the Australian Open earlier in the year, Sabalenka is the favorite to win her second of the year.

Sabalenka celebrates during a match at the US Open.

She’s the first woman to reach the semifinals at all four grand slams in a year since Serena Williams in 2016 and says she has learned a lot from her prior results.

“I had a couple of really tough losses this year,” Sabalenka said. “But as I said, we’re not losing, we’re learning. I’m just getting more experience and getting stronger.”

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Nine-year-old Brazilian becomes youngest ever to attempt US Women’s Open qualification | CNN https://thenewshub.in/2024/09/25/nine-year-old-brazilian-becomes-youngest-ever-to-attempt-us-womens-open-qualification-cnn/ https://thenewshub.in/2024/09/25/nine-year-old-brazilian-becomes-youngest-ever-to-attempt-us-womens-open-qualification-cnn/?noamp=mobile#respond Wed, 25 Sep 2024 09:29:39 +0000 https://thenewshub.in/?p=341



CNN
 — 

When 19-year-old South Korean prodigy Inbee Park lifted the first of her seven major championships at the 2008 US Women’s Open, she became the tournament’s youngest ever champion.

Bella Simões would not be born for around another six years. On Tuesday, she attempted to qualify for the major.

At nine years old, the Brazilian is the youngest player ever to attempt qualification to the tournament, set to tee off at California’s acclaimed Pebble Beach course for the first time in its 78-year history in July.

Simões hit the very first shot of her qualifying group at The Club at Mediterra in Naples, Florida. An impeccable swing technique – posted to the USGA’s Twitter account – drew plenty of plaudits.

Yet that should come as no surprise given Simões’ already-impressive résumé. A US Kids Golf World champion for the under-seven’s category in 2020, she defended her title a year later before clinching another victory in the eight-year-olds competition in 2022.

It’s a youth tournament with pedigree: World No. 7 and 2014 Chevron Championship winner Lexi Thompson was twice a champion before she became one of the game’s elite players.

Thompson became the youngest golfer ever to qualify for the US Women’s Open when she – at 12 years old – made it to the 2007 edition of the major.

Simões still has a few attempts left to usurp that title but will have to wait at least another year after finishing tied-59th in the 67-player field. The Brazilian shot 23-over par, as two players – Lindy Duncan and Brooke Matthews – secured automatic qualification with scores of 10-under and 8-under respectively.

The USGA announced a record number of entries for July’s championship, with 2,107 applicants from 47 US states and 62 countries dwarfing the previous record of 1,874 set last year, when Minjee Lee went on to clinch victory at Pine Needles.

Players must have a handicap index of 2.4 or below, or be a professional, to attempt qualification. Several groups are exempt and receive an automatic invitation, including the last 10 champions and the top 75 players in the world rankings.

Kimberly Williams, a 60-year-old pro from Bethesda, Maryland, was the oldest player to attempt qualification this year, according to the USGA.



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