Tennis

Emma Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion, continued her impressive start to the grass-court season with a dominant 6-4, 6-0 victory over Sloane Stephens at the Rothesay International Eastbourne.Raducanu, who received a wild card into the tournament, displayed her exceptional form, winning the final nine games of the match to secure a second-round clash against No. 2 seed Jessica Pegula.The 21-year-old Brit started the match cautiously, with Stephens, a former world No. 3, proving to be a formidable opponent. Stephens broke Raducanu's serve to take a 4-3 lead in the first set.However, Raducanu's resilience shone through as she fought back to win the first set 6-4. From that point on, she dominated the match, not dropping a single game.Raducanu's performance was characterized by her aggressive play and impressive shot-making. She hit 24 winners to Stephens' 11, while keeping her unforced errors to a minimum (13 compared to Stephens' 15).The victory marks Raducanu's second win over Stephens, having previously defeated the American in three sets at the 2022 Australian Open.Raducanu's success at Eastbourne comes after a semifinal finish in Nottingham, where she narrowly lost to Katie Boulter. She opted to skip Roland Garros to focus on preparing for the grass- and hard-court seasons, a decision that appears to have paid off.In the next round, Raducanu will face Pegula, who is also enjoying a strong comeback after winning the title in Berlin. The match promises to be an exciting clash between two of the most promising players on the WTA Tour.

Marketa Vondrousova Commences Grass-Court Season with Victory in BerlinBERLIN, Germany - Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova kicked off her grass-court campaign with a 6-4, 6-3 triumph over qualifier Rebeka Masarova in the opening round of the Berlin Ladies Open on Monday.The fifth-seeded Vondrousova displayed her dominance on the surface, breaking Masarova's serve three times throughout the match. She sealed her victory with a decisive forehand winner, mirroring her success against the Spaniard at the start of the French Open.Vondrousova's next opponent in the second round will be Anna Kalinskaya. The Czech star is aiming to replicate her historic Wimbledon triumph last year, where she became the first unseeded woman to lift the trophy. In the final, she overcame 2022 runner-up Ons Jabeur in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4.Vondrousova's victory in Berlin marks a promising start to her grass-court season. She will be eager to continue her momentum and challenge for another Grand Slam title at Wimbledon, which begins on June 26th.

Jannik Sinner, the newly crowned ATP world No. 1, is set to make his debut at the Terra Wortmann Open in Halle, Germany, where his tennis journey began five years ago.Sinner, the first Italian to reach the top of the men's rankings, received a congratulatory cake upon his arrival in Halle. Before embarking on his grass-court season preparations, he returned to his hometown of Sexten, Italy, to celebrate his historic achievement with his family and friends."It was nice to share this moment with my little hometown," Sinner said. "It was a funny story because I was supposed to do something with the kids after Australia. We set the date already for this, so I went home after Roland Garros when I also became No. 1. So we celebrated everything together."Sinner's journey to the top began in Halle in 2018, when tournament director Ralf Weber granted him a qualifying wild card. Although he didn't advance past the qualifying rounds, the gesture left a lasting impression on the young player."This is a place where they believed in me, they gave me a wild card in qualies back in the day," Sinner said. "So I'm happy to come back here and hopefully I can show some good tennis early on."Sinner will open his campaign against Tallon Griekspoor, a seasoned grass-court competitor who won the title in 's-Hertogenbosch last year. Griekspoor has won three matches in Den Bosch this week, but his title defense bid was ended by Sebastian Korda in the semifinals.Sinner has won their first four meetings, all on hard courts, but Griekspoor picked up his first set in the series during a third-round defeat at the Miami Open in March.Sinner is eager to make a strong start to his grass-court season and prove that he deserves his place at the top of the rankings. With his exceptional talent and determination, he is poised to make a deep run in Halle and continue his ascent as one of the most promising players in the world.

Barbora Krejcikova, the 2021 Roland Garros champion, has endured a challenging season marred by injuries and illness. Despite her struggles, the Czech star maintains her sense of humor, as evidenced by a recent social media post where she joked about her lack of success on the court.Krejcikova's season began promisingly, with a quarterfinal appearance at the Australian Open. However, a back injury forced her to withdraw from several tournaments, including Doha, Dubai, Indian Wells, and Miami. While recovering from the injury, she contracted a severe flu that left her bedridden. Complications from the illness led to her withdrawal from Charleston and Rome.Despite her setbacks, Krejcikova remains optimistic and is looking forward to the grass-court swing. She is entered in Birmingham and Eastbourne ahead of Wimbledon, where she hopes to rediscover her form.Joining Krejcikova in her quest for a resurgence is fellow Czech Karolina Muchova. Muchova, who reached the Roland Garros final last year, has not played since the US Open due to wrist surgery. She recently resumed practicing and is hoping to make her 2024 debut in Eastbourne.Over the weekend, Krejcikova and Muchova reunited for a training session in Prague. Both players are eager to make an impact at Wimbledon, where they will be among the contenders for the title.Krejcikova's struggles have been a reminder of the challenges that athletes face in maintaining their peak performance. However, her resilience and determination are a testament to her character and her unwavering belief in her abilities. As she embarks on the grass-court season, Krejcikova will be hoping to put her injury woes behind her and rediscover the form that made her a Grand Slam champion.

Matteo Berrettini, the two-time champion at the BOSS Open, made a hard-fought return to the grass-court season with a 7-6 (8), 5-7, 7-5 victory over Roman Safiullin in Stuttgart on Tuesday.Berrettini, who missed Roland Garros for the third consecutive year due to fitness concerns, displayed resilience and determination throughout the match. Despite losing a 5-2 lead in the first-set tie-break, he rallied to win it and take an early advantage.However, Safiullin fought back in the second set, leveling the match. Berrettini faced pressure in the decider but held his ground, saving multiple break points and converting his fourth match point to secure the victory."I'm really proud of the way I fought on court," Berrettini said after the match. "The tennis wasn't my best level, but I didn't expect anything different after not playing for months."Denis Shapovalov will be Berrettini's next opponent in the second round. The Canadian defeated Matteo Martineau of France in straight sets.Meanwhile, Andy Murray's hopes of a strong start to his grass-court campaign were dashed by Marcos Giron. The American broke Murray's serve once in each set to win 6-3, 6-4. Giron will face Jack Draper in the next round.Fifth seed Lorenzo Musetti also advanced, defeating Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in a tight match that went to two tie-breaks. Brandon Nakashima won an all-American clash with Chris Eubanks, setting up a quarterfinal meeting with lucky loser Richard Gasquet.With top seed Alexander Zverev withdrawing from the tournament, Nakashima has a chance to make a deep run in Stuttgart.