MELBOURNE, Australia — There will be a new-generation men’s semifinal at the Australian Open when Dominic Thiem faces Alexander Zverev for a chance to face Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic in the final. Both defeated members of tennis’s old guard in the quarterfinals, with Thiem finishing off a thrilling victory over No. 1 Rafael Nadal […] More
MELBOURNE, Australia — In downtown Melbourne, Ashleigh Barty is nearly impossible to avoid. Her image adorns posters not just for tennis apparel but also for things like sunblock, watches and even Vegemite, the savory spread that is an Australian classic. The displays embody a hope — unfulfilled for more than 40 years — for someone […] More
MELBOURNE, Australia — Andre Agassi, one of tennis’s better players and deeper thinkers, used to say that one of the things he found most maddening and fascinating about the game was that it had no predetermined finish line. “You can’t run out the clock in tennis,” he said. But a clock certainly seemed to be […] More
How to watch: The Tennis Channel, 7-9 p.m. Eastern; ESPN, 9 p.m.; streaming on ESPN+ and ESPN3, 9 p.m. Tuesday’s schedule: Men | Women Rafael Nadal vs. Dominic Thiem Rafael Nadal, the world No. 1, won his first Grand Slam tournament at the French Open in 2005. Fifteen years later, he has continued to improve […] More
MELBOURNE, Australia — Roger Federer’s record of 20 Grand Slam titles could be equaled by Rafael Nadal at this Australian Open. But Federer’s own run here nearly ended before that could happen, at the hands of a player considerably further down the pantheon of greats. Tennys Sandgren, a Tennessean ranked 100th, had seven match points […] More
How to watch: ESPN, 9 p.m. Eastern; streaming on ESPN+ and ESPN3, 9 p.m. Monday’s schedule: Men | Women Roger Federer vs. Tennys Sandgren On his way to Monday night’s quarterfinal match at this Australian Open, third-seeded Roger Federer, a 20-time Grand Slam tournament winner, did not play a seeded player. Although he struggled in […] More
MELBOURNE, Australia — Rafael Nadal defused the most unpredictable threat in men’s tennis on Monday, defeating Nick Kyrgios 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (4) in the fourth round of the Australian Open. As at Wimbledon last year, it was a duel full of emotion, all-court athleticism and entrancing shots. As at Wimbledon, the key swing […] More
MELBOURNE, Australia — It was a tale of two worlds. One was angry, insistent on forcing social change. The other was walled off from the concerns of the first, insulated by race, privilege and wealth, inside the comforting cocoon of tennis. In the warm late morning on Sunday, the first balls were struck in what […] More
