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      Paula Badosa Outlasts Victoria Azarenka to Win Indian Wells

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      Badosa won her first top-tier title on Sunday with a hard-fought 7-6 (5), 2-6, 7-6 (2) victory over Azarenka in a final that required three hours and four minutes.INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — In its usual March dates, the BNP Paribas Open has been a launching pad for major talent in recent years.Naomi Osaka won the title in 2018 and then won the U.S. Open by upsetting Serena Williams in the final. Bianca Andreescu won the title in 2019 and did the same.Time will tell on the 27th-ranked Paula Badosa, who won her first top-tier championship on Sunday with a 7-6 (5), 2-6, 7-6 (2) victory over Victoria Azarenka in a final that required three hours and four minutes of effort and resilience in temperatures approaching 90 degrees.Badosa’s unexpected run through a brutal draw was not the only big surprise in Indian Wells. Cameron Norrie, a British player seeded 21st, also won his first Masters 1000 title, defeating Nikoloz Basilashvili of Georgia on Sunday in the men’s final.At 23, Badosa is older than either Osaka or Andreescu were when they made their breakthroughs at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. But she was once a teen prodigy herself and is now doing justice to her talent. On Monday, she will break into the top 20 for the first time at No. 13.“I think the first thing that I’ve learned this week is that nothing is impossible,” Badosa said. “If you fight, if you work, after all these years, you can achieve anything. That’s the first message that I see that could happen. And to dream. Sometimes you have tough moments. In my case I have been through tough moments. I never stopped dreaming. That’s what kept me working hard and believing until the last moment.”Badosa was born in New York where her Spanish parents were living and working, but the family soon moved back to Spain where she began playing tennis.She was identified early as someone with the kind of drive and talent to become Spain’s next great women’s player after Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, Conchita Martinez and Garbiñe Muguruza.She played her first professional satellite tournament at age 14, won two rounds at the Miami Open as a wild-card entrant at age 17 in 2015 and won the French Open junior title later that year. But she struggled with the expectations and the tour, going through a full-blown depression that left her struggling to get out of bed, much less train for competition.Badosa sought professional help, and found a new coach who helped retool her game and rebuild her confidence, and in January 2019, she qualified for her first Grand Slam tournament at the Australian Open.She has chosen to be open about her mental-health issues, recording a video in 2019 that recounted her journey. But her rise into the elite began in earnest after the five-month hiatus of the professional tours forced by the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. Badosa reached the fourth round of the French Open, which had been delayed from the spring until October, and after strong preparation in the off-season she was ready to do well at this year’s Australian Open only to end up, like Azarenka, in hard quarantine after the charter flight to Melbourne.Both players ended up losing in the first round, but Badosa has gone on to have a breakthrough season: winning her first WTA Tour title in Belgrade in May and then following that with a run to the quarterfinals at the French Open, the fourth round of Wimbledon and the quarterfinals of the Tokyo Olympics.At 5-foot-11, she has physical presence and big power on her serve, forehand and two-handed backhand. But she is also a natural mover, capable of counterpunching from the corners and chasing down the drop shots that the crafty Ons Jabeur tried against her in the semifinals on Friday.Victoria Azarenka was two points away from victory but unforced errors cost her the opportunity.Clive Brunskill/Getty ImagesAzarenka posed a very different challenge. While Jabeur relies on spin and abrupt changes of pace, Azarenka is a straight-line player at her most dangerous when she can take a full cut at a return or step into the court and find a sharp angle with her best shot: her two-handed backhand. She is also highly effective at the net, where she often thrived on Sunday.A former No. 1, Azarenka has not had her finest season in 2021. But she is at her most dangerous on hardcourts, and Indian Wells has long been one of her happiest hunting grounds.There are no major tournaments in Belarus, Azarenka’s home country. But this parched part of the United States is an area that also feels like home. After leaving her home city of Minsk to find better training opportunities, she lived in Arizona as a teenager and later bought a home in Manhattan Beach, Calif., in the Los Angeles area.She won the singles title in Indian Wells in 2012 and 2016, the year in which she looked ready to resume dominating the women’s game. Instead, she became pregnant with her son Leo and left the tour for nearly a year. After her return, she was unable to compete consistently and was unable to leave California at one stage because of a long-running custody battle with her former boyfriend Billy McKeague.But she has still hit some high notes: above all her run to the U.S. Open final last year. And she is still one of the purest ball strikers and best returners in the women’s game.“I was seeing you many times,” Badosa said to the 32-year-old Azarenka in the post-match ceremony on Sunday. “I remember saying to my coach that I hope one day I can play like her.”“Thank you for inspiring me so much,” Badosa added. “I wouldn’t be here without you.”Azarenka was close, very close, on Sunday to becoming the first three-time women’s singles champion in Indian Wells. After losing the marathon first set in one hour and 19 minutes, she roared quickly back to win the second set as Badosa struggled to produce the same consistency from the baseline.Paula Badosa won her second career title. She won her first earlier this year in Belgrade, Serbia.Mark J. Terrill/Associated PressAzarenka exuded positive energy throughout the match, pumping her fist and moving purposefully between points. Though Badosa jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the final set, Azarenka did not falter. She fought back to 2-2 and then broke the Spaniard’s serve at 4-4 for the chance to serve for the match.At 30-0, Azarenka was just two points from victory but after nearly three hours of chasing the title, she lost her way, making unforced errors on the next four points to lose her serve and allow Badosa back in the hunt at 5-5.She did not squander the opportunity, taking command of the ensuing tiebreaker by taking a quick 3-0 lead, cracking a forehand winner to extend the lead to 4-1 and then closing out the match on her first championship point with another forehand winner.It was quite a finishing touch on the biggest victory of Badosa’s career, and she immediately dropped her racket, fell to the court and began sobbing, her hands covering her face.“A dream come true,” she said as she thanked her support team and tournament director Tommy Haas after the victory.“I know it’s been very tough times, so I appreciate all you’ve done,” Badosa said to Haas.It has indeed been an unusual and challenging edition of this prestigious tournament, canceled in 2020 because of the pandemic and delayed until October this year. But though women’s stars like Ashleigh Barty, Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams were missing and the crowds were significantly smaller than usual, the 2021 BNP Paribas Open did have a final worthy of the event’s hard-earned reputation.If all goes according to plan, no guarantee in the coronavirus era, Badosa will defend her biggest title in just five months time. The 2022 edition is scheduled to be played in its usual window from March 7 to 20. More

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      Paula Badosa, Victoria Azarenka in Surprise Indian Wells Final

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      Many tennis stars have shut down their seasons or pleaded fatigue after a long year, but Azarenka and Badosa have thrived in the California desert.INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — Victoria Azarenka’s and Paula Badosa’s tennis seasons did not begin on a high note.Both had to go through hard quarantine in their hotel rooms in Melbourne, Australia: 14 days for Azarenka and 21 for Badosa, who also tested positive for the coronavirus.Shortly after their release in February, both lost in the opening round of the Australian Open, and they still wince at the memory of their trip down under.“It was damaging mentally, the end of it,” Azarenka said on Friday of her quarantine. “It was damaging physically the most for me. I’ve never stopped for two weeks not doing anything. In no way that was helpful.”But not for the first time, Azarenka and Badosa have proved resilient, and near the end of a grueling season they will face off on Sunday in a surprise women’s singles final at the BNP Paribas Open.Azarenka, a former No. 1, has fallen back in the rankings with injuries and off-court problems. Badosa, a former teen prodigy from Spain, has openly spoken about experiencing depression and struggling to manage her own and others’ expectations.But while other tennis stars have shut down their seasons or pleaded fatigue in Indian Wells after a year of bubbles, jet lag and virtual news conferences, Azarenka and Badosa have found the energy and the inspiration to thrive in the California desert: defeating a series of higher-ranked players.Azarenka, a 32-year-old from Belarus, has won the title twice in Indian Wells but not since 2016. Badosa, a 23-year-old Spaniard in the midst of a breakthrough season, is playing in the main draw here for the first time in singles.“I’m tired as well,” Badosa told me late Friday night. “I can’t wait to have a few days’ rest, to go home, to be honest. But I love to compete. I love tennis. Every time I’m on court, I’m enjoying, even though I’m suffering, but I know that’s part of the game. I forget everything: that I’m tired, all those things, because I love to be here.”It has been a strange edition of the tournament. Usually staged in March, it was canceled shortly before it was set to begin in 2020 and was then postponed to October this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.With a ban on unvaccinated fans during the tournament, children under 13, who are not yet eligible for Covid vaccine shots, have not been allowed on site, and the crowds have been about half the usual size. Most of the game’s biggest stars skipped or missed the tournament altogether, including the men’s No. 1 Novak Djokovic and the women’s No. 1 Ashleigh Barty. But the favorites who did choose to take part have not prospered.This is the first Masters 1000 event in the 31-year history of the category in which no men’s player ranked in the top 25 was able to reach the semifinals. No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas and No. 4 Alexander Zverev were both upset in the quarterfinals in three sets: Tsitsipas by Nikolas Basilashvili and Zverev by Taylor Fritz, an American from nearby San Diego who had to save two match points before securing his most significant victory.“What gave me a lot of success early on in my career was just that fearlessness to trust myself in the big moments,” he said. “It’s just really nice to kind of have that feeling back.”Azarenka and Badosa are both outside the top 25 as well, although not for long. Badosa will break into the top 20 for the first time on Monday, and Azarenka will break back in if she again claims the title.Victoria Azarenka signing balls for fans after defeating Jelena Ostapenko to advance to the women’s final.Mark J. Terrill/Associated PressIt has been, on balance, a frustrating season for Azarenka. A former No. 1, she looked ready to return to dominance in 2016 when she completed the so-called Sunshine Double by winning the tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami. But she soon left the tour, pregnant with her son Leo, and then was unable to return to the circuit full time because of a continuing custody battle with Leo’s father.She remains at her best on hardcourts. When she beat her longtime rival Serena Williams in a three-set thriller to reach the 2020 U.S. Open final, it appeared she was in position to return to the fore this year. But she failed to make deep runs at the Grand Slam tournaments in 2021, and Sunday’s match will be her first tour singles final of the season.“I think my season has been tricky,” she said. “There were parts where I physically couldn’t bring that extra level, extra fight, which was very frustrating. Then there were parts where I felt that I was looking for something to add, and I didn’t necessarily know what it was. It was lot of searching.”Persistence was certainly required in her high-velocity, high-intensity semifinal with Jelena Ostapenko, the sturdy and powerful Latvian who can pound a tennis ball like few on the planet and rarely deprives herself of the pleasure. Many of her 45 winners were well beyond the 6-foot Azarenka’s reach. But after dominating the opening set, Ostapenko’s trademark high-risk approach resulted in more errors. Azarenka adjusted to the pace and began capitalizing on Ostapenko’s often-shaky second serve.Azarenka came within two points of defeat late in the third set and had to fight off three break points in the final game: saving the last with a rare and gutsy drop shot that she followed to net, where she read Ostapenko’s passing shot perfectly and hit a lunging volley winner.“Can you be more brave than that?” Azarenka said.She soon closed out her 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory, and Badosa followed her into the final by defeating Ons Jabeur 6-3, 6-3 but only after failing to convert her first five match points. When Jabeur’s last shot sailed wide, Badosa dropped to the court, relieved and overwhelmed.Ranked 70th at the end of last season, she reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal at this year’s French Open and the fourth round at Wimbledon before splitting with Javier Martí, the coach who had helped build the foundation for her strong season.She now works with Jorge Garcia, a Spaniard who coached her in her youth, and as she has proved on the relatively slow hardcourts in Indian Wells, she is a multi-surface threat. She has powerful groundstrokes, full-stretch defensive skills and an ability to come quickly forward to chase down dropshots or finish off exchanges at the net.Her serve remains a flickering flame, but her future looks floodlight bright even if the depth in women’s tennis has made it difficult for any player to go deep in draws consistently.She and Azarenka have never played each other, but despite the gap in their ages, they have traversed common ground: from big expectations after junior success to Aussie quarantine.Both are also open to sharing their vulnerabilities, and Badosa, after securing her spot in the final, gave an on-court interview in which she referred to the “tough events” in her life and her depression, which peaked in 2017 and 2018 and required professional help.“As you can see, other players, they’re passing through this right now, so I’m not the only one,” she said later. “I think it’s important to talk about that, because it’s something very normal. It’s something very tough, because it’s a very tough sport. You pass through a lot of things. When I achieve something like this, the first thing that passes through my head is that: the tough moments. When I was there, I never believed that I could be in a final.”It will be real on Sunday, however, and it could be a great final if she and Azarenka can play with the same conviction and controlled power that they have displayed so far in the desert. More

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      2021 French Open: What to Watch on Sunday

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      Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Serena Williams lead the charge as the round of 16 begins at Roland Garros.How to watch: 5 a.m. to noon Eastern time on the Tennis Channel, noon to 2 p.m. on NBC and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Peacock; streaming on the Tennis Channel+ and Peacock apps.Both singles draws at the French Open have narrowed to just 16 competitors from 256 in the course of the past week. There are a few inspiring debutantes making their first appearance in the second week of a Grand Slam tournament, such as Tamara Zidanšek and Federico Delbonis. Although it is possible for them to push on, there are many former champions standing in their way.Here are some matches to keep an eye on.Because of the number of matches cycling through courts, the times for individual matchups are estimates and may fluctuate based on when earlier play is completed. All times are Eastern.Court Suzanne-Lenglen | 9 a.m.Daniil Medvedev vs. Cristian GarinBefore this year, Daniil Medvedev, the second seed, has never been past the first round at Roland Garros. Even this year, his clay court season had not gone well, with the 25-year-old Russian exclaiming in the middle of a match that he didn’t “want to play here on this surface.” Now, into the round of 16, Medvedev is starting to see results by leaning on his natural abilities and not becoming discouraged by the slights that the clay courts throw his way.Cristian Garin, the 22nd seed, will provide a much sterner challenge for the Russian. Garin is a clay court specialist, winning the Junior French Open in 2013. All five of his ATP titles have come at clay court events over the past couple of years. This will be his first round of 16 appearance at a major tournament, and although he has dropped sets in each of his first three rounds, they have been quintessential “dirt rat” matches, with long grueling points that played into Garin’s overall strategy. If he can push points in that direction throughout the match against Medvedev, Garin will certainly have a chance to make his first Grand Slam quarterfinal.Victoria Azarenka hitting a backhand during her third round match.Yoan Valat/EPA, via ShutterstockCourt PhiliPpe-Chatrier | 7 a.m.Victoria Azarenka vs. Anastasia PavlyuchenkovaVictoria Azarenka, the 15th seed, missed six Grand Slam events between 2016 and 2018 because of various personal issues, and she spent several years trying to find the same abilities that led her to two Grand Slam titles earlier in her career. After a finals appearance at the U.S. Open in 2020, it seemed that she was prepared to contend once again. But, with early exits at the 2020 French Open and 2021 Australian Open, it wasn’t clear whether or not Azarenka’s performance in Flushing Meadows was a fluke. Seemingly not; Azarenka has not dropped a set at Roland Garros on her way to the round of 16, and she is playing some of her best tennis of the year as she focuses on the second week of play.Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, the 31st seed, upset Aryna Sabalenka, the highest rated player left through the third round, on Friday in three sets. Pavlyuchenkova, who won two Junior Grand Slam tournament titles, has never been past the quarterfinals of a major event on the WTA Tour in a career marked by inconsistent performances. After a run to the semifinals at the Madrid Open in May, Pavlyuchenkova will feel that she is in good form, and that she is capable of finally making that big push. While her flat baseline shots are not well suited to clay, if she can power through and move Azarenka around the court, there are plenty of opportunities for an upset.Court Suzanne-Lenglen | NoonAlejandro Davidovich Fokina vs. Federico DelbonisOn Friday, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina upset the 15th seed, Casper Ruud, in a grueling five-set match that grew more intense with each passing minute. Even after four-and-a-half hours of play, Fokina was still constructing aggressive and precise points as he strove to reach his first Grand Slam round of 16. Now, after two five-set matches in consecutive rounds, Fokina’s endurance will be put to the test as he looks to better Federico Delbonis.Delbonis, ranked No. 51, upset the 27th seed, Fabio Fognini, in straight sets on Friday. The 30-year-old Argentine has never been past the second round of the French Open, but all four of his career ATP finals have been on clay. Delbonis does not fit the archetypal profile of a clay court specialist; he is 6-foot-4, with a two-handed backhand that he can hit down and flatten out with ease. Delbonis will look to use his powerful shots and experience to run Fokina ragged and push through to the quarterfinals.Serena Williams in action during her third round match on Friday.Benoit Tessier/ReutersCourt PhilipPe-Chatrier | NoonSerena Williams vs Elena RybakinaThere were concerns throughout the clay court swing that Serena Williams was not prepared for the French Open. Williams, the seventh seed, has slowly played herself into form over the past week, delivering a sensational straight-set performance against her fellow American, Danielle Collins, on Friday. Now Williams is the only top 10 player remaining in her half of the draw, with a much clearer path to the final next week. However, the WTA Tour has a deep bench of talented youngsters looking to make champions of the past fade away.Elena Rybakina, the 21st seed, has not dropped a set so far at this year’s French Open. The 21-year-old reached five WTA Tour finals in 2020, a tour best for the year, but she has not been able to recreate that success so far in 2021. With a career best run to the round of 16, she has made up for it, and now will need to summon her considerable power on both wings to try and unseat Williams and reach her first major quarterfinal.Here are a few more matches to keep an eye on.Tamara Zidanšek vs. Sorana Cîrstea; Court Suzanne-Lenglen, 5 a.m.Paula Badosa vs. Marketa Vondroušová; Court Suzanne-Lenglen, 7 a.m.Elise Mertens/Hsieh Su-wei vs. Iga Swiatek/Bethanie Mattek-Sands; Court Simonne-Mathieu, 7 a.m.Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. Pablo Correno Busta; Court Philippe-Chatrier, 9 a.m.Alexander Zverev vs. Kei Nishikori; Court Philippe-Chatrier, 3 p.m. More

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      2021 French Open: What to Watch on Saturday

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      Iga Swiatek, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic feature on Court Philippe-Chatrier on the second day of third round action.How to watch: 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. Eastern time on the Tennis Channel, noon to 2 p.m. on NBC and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Peacock; streaming on the Tennis Channel+ and Peacock apps.It is difficult to ignore the fact that Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal will all be playing on Saturday afternoon in Paris. As appealing a draw as they might be, against three unseeded players, there are minuscule chances for upsets as the “Big Three” march forward.Direct your attention to the women’s draw; packed with exceptional matches from dawn on the East Coast until dusk in Paris. Although last year’s champion, Iga Swiatek, will be the main focus, plenty of other contests are sure to entertain.Here are some matches to keep an eye on.Because of the number of matches cycling through courts, the times for individual matchups are estimates and may fluctuate based on when earlier play is completed. All times are Eastern.Suzanne Lenglen Court | 8 a.m.Sofia Kenin vs. Jessica PegulaSofia Kenin, the fourth seed, has had a pair of tough matches to start at Roland Garros. The former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko was an early test in the first round. Kenin reached the final last year but lost at the Australian Open in the second round earlier this year. Now, with a couple of wins under her belt, it seems that Kenin is regaining the confidence necessary to push into the second week of the French Open.Jessica Pegula, the 28th seed, has had an excellent run of form this year. She reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open in February, recording a pair of upsets over Victoria Azarenka and Elina Svitolina along the way. In the past few months, she has also recorded multiple victories over Karolina Plíšková and Naomi Osaka. With this in mind, Pegula will feel she is well matched to challenge Kenin, even though Kenin came out victorious in their match earlier this year.Rafael Nadal returns the ball to France’s Richard Gasquet during their second round match.Anne-Christine Poujoulat/Agence France-Presse — Getty ImagesSuzanne Lenglen Court | 10 a.m.Rafael Nadal vs. Cameron NorrieCameron Norrie, ranked No. 45, has had a breakout year. He has reached the third round of a Grand Slam event in three of his past four attempts and reached the final of two clay court events in May. This run will push him into the top 40 for the first time in his career, but Rafael Nadal is likely to end Norrie’s French Open.Nadal, the 13-time French Open champion, has won 102 of his 104 matches played on the grounds of Roland Garros. It’s a stunning statistic, even without considering the caliber of players that he has battled against throughout the years. He has once again looked dominant, not dropping a set on his way to the third round. For the time being, there doesn’t seem to be any challenger worth discussing as a successor for Nadal, and it makes his march to the final an almost foregone conclusion.Coco Gauff playing a forehand during her second round match.Adam Pretty/Getty ImagesSuzanne Lenglen Court | 1 p.m.Coco Gauff vs. Jennifer BradyJennifer Brady, the 13th seed, needed steely determination to push through her second round match against Fiona Ferro. Brady was down a break on two occasions in the final set, but she managed to fight back, using her powerful forehand strokes to force Ferro around the court. The match took over two hours, and it will be interesting to see whether Brady can bring that same energy into her next challenge against talented Coco Gauff.Gauff, the 24th seed, has slowly been establishing herself as a serious contender on the WTA Tour. After breakout performances at the U.S. Open and Wimbledon in 2019, Gauff had a quiet 2020 season, but she is now working her way up the rankings. Although she has lost her only match against Brady, Gauff’s game has progressed well since then, and she will be confident that she can edge out an upset in this competitive matchup.Court 14 | 7 a.m.Jannik Sinner vs. Mikael YmerJannik Sinner, the 18th seed, is at the lead of an Italian renaissance in tennis. The 19-year-old reached the quarterfinals of the French Open in 2020, and the finals of the Miami Open, a masters level event, earlier this year. Although he has looked slightly inconsistent on clay over the past few months, there have been shining moments, even in defeat to some of the best players on the tour. If he can settle into matches early and try to control them from the start, anything could be possible.Mikael Ymer, ranked No. 105, upset the 14th seed, Gael Monfils, in the second round over four sets. Ymer has begun to show serious results in 2021, reaching the third round at the Australian Open and now again at Roland Garros. Ymer’s hard-striking baseline game is not particularly well suited to clay, but his athleticism can help him overcome deficiencies in his play on any given day.Here are a few more matches to keep an eye on.Sloane Stephens vs. Karolina Muchová; Simonne-Mathieu Court, 5 a.m.Elina Svitolina vs. Barbora Krejčíková; Philippe-Chatrier Court, 6 a.m.Novak Djokovic vs. Ričardas Berankis; Philippe-Chatrier Court, 8 a.m.Ons Jabeur vs. Magda Linette; Court 14, 10 a.m.Iga Swiatek vs. Anett Kontaveit; Philippe-Chatrier Court, 11 a.m.Roger Federer vs. Dominik Koepfer; Philippe-Chatrier Court, 3 p.m. More

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      2021 French Open: What to Watch on Friday

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      Serena Williams, John Isner and Victoria Azarenka will play on Court Philippe-Chatrier as the third round of the French Open begins.How to watch: 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time on Tennis Channel; streaming on Tennis Channel+ and the Peacock app.The third round of the French Open begins on Friday, and 12 Americans will play singles matches in the next two days. John Isner and Reilly Opelka, who are seeded, will be looking to fix a recent issue: There are no American men ranked in the top 30 for the first time in more than 50 years. There are no such issues on the women’s side, with Sofia Kenin and Serena Williams in the top 10 and five more Americans behind them in the top 30.Here are some matches to keep an eye on.Because of the number of matches cycling through courts, the times for individual matchups are estimates and may fluctuate based on when earlier play is completed. All times are Eastern.Court Philippe-Chatrier | 6 a.m.Victoria Azarenka vs. Madison KeysVictoria Azarenka of Belarus, the 15th seed, reached the semifinals of the French Open in 2013, but has not been past the third round since. In the past year, she reached the U.S. Open final, but was also knocked out in the first round of the Australian Open. After injuring her back at the Madrid Open in early May, it was unclear whether Azarenka, 31, would be able to play at Roland Garros. So far, Azarenka, a former world No. 1, has performed well, but she will be facing a formidable opponent in the third round.Madison Keys of the United States, the 23rd seed, has also struggled in 2021, not winning consecutive matches until this week at the French Open. Keys, 26, reached the semifinals in 2018 and the quarterfinals in 2019, but lost in the first round last year. Both players are hard-hitting baseliners. It should be an electric match.Court Philippe-Chatrier | 10 a.m.Serena Williams vs. Danielle CollinsSerena Williams celebrated after winning a long point in a tough match against Mihaela Buzarnescu in the second round on Wednesday.Pete Kiehart for The New York TimesSerena Williams, the seventh seed, showed signs of vulnerability in the second round against Mihaela Buzarnescu of Romania. After losing the second set, Williams, 39, limited her errors and ended up storming through the third set, 6-1, with a dominant performance returning serves. After some early-round exits during the clay-court swing, Williams must take every challenge seriously.Danielle Collins, an American ranked No. 50, swept past Anhelina Kalinina in the second round, losing only two games. Collins, who had surgery for endometriosis in the spring, did not play a tournament on clay in preparation for the French Open, but she has shown match fitness in the first two rounds. Collins, 27, will be a troublesome opponent for Williams. When the two met on hardcourts in January, Williams barely won in a third-set tiebreaker. Now, on a less favorable surface, there is the potential for an upset.Court Philippe-Chatrier | 3 p.m.Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. John IsnerJohn Isner has a booming serve, but his ground game will be tested in the third round.Clive Brunskill/Getty ImagesJohn Isner, the 31st seed, does not have a game that would traditionally favor clay. Isner, a 6-foot-10 American, has a booming serve that favors him on hardcourts and grass, but he has worked in recent years to improve his ground game. This helped him as he broke his second-round opponent, Filip Krajinovic, three times in the second set. Now, Isner’s ground game will be tested to its limit as he looks for an upset.Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece, the fifth seed, has had a strong clay-court season, winning the Monte Carlo Masters and the Lyon Open and reaching the final of the Barcelona Open. Tsitsipas, 22, swept through the first two rounds of the French Open without dropping a set, and is a favorite to reach the final from his half of the draw. On Friday, he will have to find a way to adjust to Isner’s strong serve. If he can settle in on return games and get some early breaks, he should be able to control the flow of the match.Court 14 | 5 a.m.Casper Ruud vs. Alejandro Davidovich FokinaCasper Ruud, the 15th seed, has spent the last few years knocking down national records that were once held by his father, Christian. This time, he will look to be the first Norwegian player to reach the round of 16 at more than one Grand Slam event after doing so for the first time at the Australian Open this year. Ruud picked up his second ATP title, and his second on clay, in Geneva last week.Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, ranked No. 46, struggled in a five-set match against Botic van de Zandschulp in the second round. The match lasted 3 hours 42 minutes, with far more errors than winners coming from both players as they attempted to grind out long points and exhaust each other. It will be a challenge for Fokina, 21, to recover in time.Here are a few more matches to keep an eye on.Aryna Sabalenka vs. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova; Court Simonne-Mathieu, 5 a.m.Pablo Carreño Busta vs. Steve Johnson; Court Simonne-Mathieu, 10 a.m.Daniil Medvedev vs. Reilly Opelka; Suzanne Lenglen Court, 10 a.m.Paula Badosa vs. Ana Bogdan; Court Simonne-Mathieu, noon. More

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      2021 French Open: What to Watch on Sunday Morning

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      Opening round matches feature Naomi Osaka and Dominic Thiem, who are both pursuing their first French Open title.How to watch: 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. Eastern time on the Tennis Channel and noon to 3 p.m. on Peacock; streaming on the Tennis Channel+ and Peacock apps.In 2020, the French Open was played in October, rescheduled because of the coronavirus pandemic. Now, back in the usual spring slot and with friendlier weather, the red clay welcomes a full field. The first round of play is spread across three days of competition, with plenty of excellent matches to watch.Here are some matches to keep an eye on.Because of the number of matches cycling through courts, the times for individual matchups are estimates and may fluctuate based on when earlier play is completed. All times are Eastern.COURT PHILIPPE-CHATRIER | 5 a.m. SundayNaomi Osaka vs. Patricia Maria TigNaomi Osaka, the second seed, has won the previous two Grand Slam events that she has played, the United States Open in 2020 and the Australian Open in February. In between, she passed on the fall edition of the French Open, watching from home as Iga Swiatek swept through the field to win her first Grand Slam. Osaka’s powerful baseline play has never fared well on clay. She has never reached the final of a clay court tournament, and has never made it past the third round at Roland Garros.Patricia Maria Tig, ranked No. 63, has never made it to the second week of a Grand Slam event, but her only WTA Tour title came on clay at the Istanbul Open in 2020. A back injury forced Tig to the sidelines in 2018, but she has worked her way back up the rankings. For Tig to cause a first-round upset, she will have to exploit Osaka’s discomfort on clay and keep her from settling into a rhythm that allows Osaka to rely on her blazing forehand.Dominic Thiem listens to his coach Nicolas Massu. He has reached the French Open final twice.Adam Pretty/Getty ImagesCOURT PHILIPPE-CHATRIER | 7 a.m. SundayDominic Thiem vs. Pablo AndujarDominic Thiem, the fourth seed, has reached the final of the French Open twice before, losing on both occasions to Rafael Nadal. Recently, however, Thiem has demonstrated unusually poor form. When asked about the potential for a deep run, he said, “I think the way I’m coming into that tournament, the way I also played the past weeks, the only thing I can focus on is the first round, I shouldn’t focus at all on who is in my quarter or even who is in my half.”Pablo Andujar may be the perfect opponent for the occasion. Andujar, ranked No. 68, is a clay court specialist, with all nine of his ATP finals, including four titles, coming on the surface. Last week, he beat Roger Federer in the second round of the Geneva Open before reaching the semifinals where he lost to the eventual champion, Casper Ruud.The five-set format of the Grand Slam tournaments significantly favors Thiem. Even if he is struggling, Thiem will have a lot of time to adjust to Andujar’s grinding style of play. Longer points will allow him to establish a steadier rhythm.COURT PHILIPPE-CHATRIER | 10 A.m. SundayVictoria Azarenka vs. Svetlana KuznetsovaSome matchups seem to be pulled from previous eras. When longtime tennis fans see them in the early rounds of a Grand Slam, they feel joy that only a matchup heavy with history can offer.Victoria Azarenka and Svetlana Kuznetsova are both two-time Grand Slam champions who debuted on the WTA tour in the early 2000s. They have faced each other 10 times over the past 14 years, and each is deeply familiar with the arsenal of shots that they will need to overcome.However, neither has played extensively on clay before the French Open. Azarenka withdrew from the Madrid Open in the second round, citing fitness issues, while Kuznetsova has not played a single clay court event this year. This match may come down to who can most quickly adapt their powerful baseline shots to the crushed red brick of Roland Garros.Fabio Fognini of Italy plays with an intensity that can go either way.Laurent Gillieron/EPA, via ShutterstockCourt Suzanne-Lenglen | 5 A.m. SundayFabio Fognini vs. Gregoire BarrereFabio Fognini, the 27th seed, is a volatile player. At last year’s French Open, Fognini lost in the first round but has reached the round of 16 in three of his last six Grand Slam events. Often, his matches can be decided by his intensity; a double-edged sword that can produce wild unforced errors or powerful forehand winners.Gregoire Barrere received a wild-card entry into the French Open, a perk that pleases each of the national federations that host a Grand Slam event. Barrere, ranked No. 122, has never been past the second round of a major tournament, understandable for a player who has often had to push through qualifying rounds.While Fognini will be heavily favored, a home crowd rooting against the Italian may unsettle him. At the least, it should be an entertaining match with plenty of spectator spirit. Fan capacity will be at 35 percent over the first 10 days of the tournament, and will increase to 65 percent for the quarterfinals and beyond.Here are a few more matches to keep an eye on.Márton Fucsovics vs. Gilles Simon; Court Simonne-Mathieu, 7 a.m. SundayAryna Sabalenka vs. Ana Konjuh; Court Suzanne Lenglen, 10 a.m. SundayCorentin Moutet vs. Laslo Dere; Court Simonne-Mathieu, 10 a.m. SundayAmanda Anisimova vs. Veronika Kudermetova; Court 9, 1 p.m. Sunday More

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      How a ‘Hard Quarantine’ Benefited a Player at the Australian Open

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      #masthead-section-label, #masthead-bar-one { display: none }The Australian OpenWhat to Watch TodayHow to WatchThe Players to KnowFans in Virus LockdownAdvertisementContinue reading the main storySupported byContinue reading the main storyHow a ‘Hard Quarantine’ Benefited a Player at the Australian OpenWhile some players blamed strict virus measures for their troubles at the event, Jennifer Brady of the United States thinks it might have helped her advance.Jennifer Brady after her win over Kaja Juvan in the third round.Credit…Asanka Brendon Ratnayake/ReutersFeb. 13, 2021, 6:48 p.m. ETThe talk of the Australian Open is not just who made the arduous journey to the second week, but whether a so-called “hard quarantine” has taken a toll on players who did not.Several had to remain in their hotel rooms around the clock — deprived of a five-hour break for training and treatment afforded to everyone else — for 14 days after arriving if a passenger on their flight had tested positive for the coronavirus.Though Tennis Australia has not released a complete list of the players who were in hard quarantine, at least 26 players in the women’s singles draw were in the stiffer quarantine, including 12 of the 32 seeded players.Two former Australian Open champions, Victoria Azarenka and Angelique Kerber, lost their first-round matches after going through the hard quarantine. Six other women who had endured it reached the third round, but all lost in decisive straight sets.“I mean, there’s no escaping the fact that we were in the room for two weeks before a Slam — that’s not how you prepare for a Slam,” said the 21st-seeded Anett Kontaveit, who lost on Saturday evening to Shelby Rogers.Brady said she believed a strict quarantine benefited her physically and mentally.Credit…Matt King/Getty ImagesYet consider the case of Jennifer Brady, the only woman who was in hard quarantine to advance to the second week.Seeded 22nd, Brady has not only survived, but soared: She defeated Aliona Bolsova, 6-1, 6-3, in the first round on Tuesday and went on to victories over Madison Brengle (6-1, 6-2) in the second round on Thursday and Kaja Juvan (6-1, 6-3) in the third round on Saturday.“At first I was a little bummed, and then I was like, OK, I’m fine,” Brady, of Pennsylvania, said of the hard quarantine in an interview on Saturday. “There’s worse things out there in the world than being stuck in a room for 14 days. It’s not the ideal preparation before a Grand Slam, but if you looked at it, you’d see you still have eight days before your first match at the Grand Slam.”Brady said she slept more than usual during the 14 days, often not waking up until around 11 a.m. She worked out twice a day, at noon and around 5 p.m. Brady’s coach, Michael Geserer, said that while Brady used tennis balls, a stationary bicycle and weights, her most important work was mental.“We couldn’t simulate on-court practice, but we tried as best we could to adapt to this new situation,” Geserer said. “The most important thing was the mind-set. We were not complaining. We were taking it.”Geserer said he admired Brady’s positive attitude.“She has bad days, but she tries to make the best out of her bad days,” he said. “That’s also important in matches: You won’t play your best tennis, but she tries to find a way to win.”For Brady, who surged up the rankings last season as she won her first WTA title and reached the United States Open semifinals, the forced confinement proved a welcome respite.“Coming out of the quarantine, speaking for myself, I was definitely a lot fresher mentally,” Brady said. “It was a long year for me last year. I didn’t really take a break. Deep down inside, I was a little bit fortunate that I had the 14 days in lockdown. It kind of helped me reset mentally — and physically, also.”As she eased herself back into physical activity when the quarantine ended, Brady was relieved by how she felt on the court.“The first two hits I had I was trying to feel the ball, and just get my feel for the court and moving, not trying to overdo it because I didn’t want to risk injury,” Brady said. “I was afraid I was going to be super-sore, which I actually wasn’t.”Far from being sore, Brady has been craving more time on the court. After her win over Juvan, which was straightforward except for an 18-minute service game midway through the second set, Brady immediately booked herself a practice court to hone her technique.Brady admitted, ultimately, that she did not expect things to work out as they had, finding herself in the second week of the Australian Open after her compromised confinement.“Yeah, I’m a little bit surprised,” she said.One aspect of this unusual Open for which Brady may be uniquely prepared is the lack of spectators. Because of a five-day “circuit breaker” lockdown enacted by the state of Victoria, matches are being played before empty stands, as they were at the United States Open in September.“I think especially in the first couple games of the match, having that atmosphere of having people cheer for you and wanting you to win, you put a little extra pressure on yourself,” Brady said. “Having no fans, it’s just you and your opponent out there.”AdvertisementContinue reading the main story More

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      2021 Australian Open: What to Watch on Monday Night

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      AdvertisementContinue reading the main storySupported byContinue reading the main story2021 Australian Open: What to Watch on Monday NightOne of the several young Americans taking the court, Sofia Kenin will begin her defense of her 2020 Australian Open title.Sofia Kenin won the 2020 Australian Open.Credit…Graham Denholm/Getty ImagesFeb. 8, 2021, 7:00 a.m. ETHow to watch: 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern on ESPN and 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. on ESPN2 in the United States; streaming on the ESPN+ app.The first round of the Australian Open is set to finish on Monday, with a few previous champions on the schedule. Rafael Nadal and Ashleigh Barty will both be featured on the court at Rod Laver Arena in the early hours of the morning for fans on the Eastern Seaboard. For those who don’t want to stay up too late on a school night, there are plenty of exciting matches planned for the evening.Here are some matches to keep an eye on.Because of the number of matches cycling through courts, the times for individual matchups are guesses at best and certain to fluctuate based on when earlier play is completed. All times are Eastern.Rod Laver Arena | 7 p.m. MondaySofia Kenin vs. Maddison InglisSofia Kenin, the defending women’s singles champion in Melbourne, had a breakthrough year in 2020. In addition to her first Grand Slam victory, she reached the final at the French Open and the round of 16 at the United States Open, finishing the year at No. 4 in the world. Kenin, 22, is one of four women who have won their first Grand Slam titles in the past two years, creating a cluttered field of players with heightened expectations. Inevitably, some won’t live up to them. Kenin’s aggressive baseline play and well-concealed drop shots are potent weapons on the fast hard courts of Melbourne Park. Kenin, who had a leg injury going into the tournament, will hope to have an easy time against Maddison Inglis in her first round matchup.Maddison Inglis received a wild card into the main draw. She has never advanced past the first round of a Grand Slam main draw.Credit…Mike Owen/Getty ImagesInglis, an Australian who received a wild card into the main draw, has never progressed past the first round at a Grand Slam. Her counterattacking style has trouble holding up against some of the harder hitters on the WTA Tour, although she certainly shows moments of brilliance. Getting her first main draw victory will be a tall order, especially against Kenin. But this match should help illuminate whether Inglis was able to improve on her previous performances and make the improvements necessary to succeed on the tour in the future.Margaret Court Arena | 9 p.m. MondayVictoria Azarenka vs. Jessica PegulaVictoria Azarenka, a two-time Australian Open champion and former world No. 1, struggled with her return to the tour after injuries and a mentally draining custody battle. Last year, she reached her first Grand Slam final since 2013 and proved that she was still capable of challenging for titles, winning the Western and Southern Open before the U.S. Open. Azarenka is one of the tour’s veterans, but her game does not look out of place among the young power hitters seeking to supplant former champions.Jessica Pegula pushed Sofia Kenin to three sets in a tournament leading up to the Australian Open.Credit…David Gray/Agence France-Presse — Getty ImagesJessica Pegula, the world No. 61, has had some recent success on hard courts. She reached the third round of the 2020 U.S. Open, and pushed Kenin to three sets at the Yarra Valley Classic in Melbourne last week. Pegula’s focus on deep, consistent shotmaking is an asset, but it can be undercut if she doesn’t move her opponents on the court well enough to unsettle them. If she can take control of points, there’s a possibility of an early upset.John Cain Arena | 10 p.m. MondayCoco Gauff vs. Jil TeichmannCoco Gauff, a 16-year-old American, and Jil Teichmann, a 23-year-old Swiss player, played each other just last week in the first round of the Gippsland Trophy, with Gauff winning in three sets. Both players represent the brightest hope for the future of women’s tennis in their countries.Teichmann has found the most success on clay, having won WTA titles in 2019 at the Prague Open and Palermo International. Gauff won her first title at the Linz Open in 2019 but has raised her profile most on the Grand Slam stage. She has reached the round of 16 twice, including last year at the Australian Open.Like their last match, this one is bound to be close. Gauff’s tenacity and mental strength have been on display recently, although Teichmann has shown a little more inventiveness in her play, continually searching for her opponent’s weaknesses.Rod Laver Arena | 5 a.m. TuesdayStefanos Tsitsipas vs. Gilles SimonStefanos Tsitsipas, of Greece, the fifth seed in the men’s singles draw, was in good form during the ATP Cup this month, defeating Alex de Minaur and Roberto Bautista Agut in straight sets. But inconsistency has been an issue throughout his career. His shotmaking is on par with many of the other top players, but he has struggled with securing victories on the biggest stages. A 2019 ATP Finals championship has been the highlight of his career, but aside from that he has won only ATP 250 events, the lowest rung of events on the ATP Tour.Stefanos Tsitsipas is the fifth seed in the men’s singles draw. Aside from his 2019 ATP Finals championship, Tsitsipas has won only ATP 250 events, the lowest rung on the tour.Credit…/EPA, via ShutterstockGilles Simon, of France, who reached a career-high ranking of No. 6 in 2009, emphasizes mental toughness as the most important aspect of tennis. A lack of focus on that part of the game, he suggests in his recent autobiography, is the main problem with the development of young tennis players in France. Although his best days are behind him, he can still provide a formidable challenge to Tsitsipas if he can create opportunities for winners through clever shot placement and prevent Tsitsipas from unloading his favored one-handed backhand.Matches for the Night Owls:Nikoloz Basilashvili vs. Tommy Paul — midnightKevin Anderson vs. Matteo Berrettini — 3 a.m.Karolina Muchova vs. Jelena Ostapenko — 3 a.m.AdvertisementContinue reading the main story More