►🎾★🎾 🏆 FK Tennis Court 🏆 🎾★🎾◄ New Year, New CHALLENGES

[BangaloreaN]

Superb Keys stuns Sabalenka to win Australian Open

Underdog Keys beats Sabalenka to win Australian Open


Madison Keys is the first woman to beat the top two seeds at a major since Svetlana Kuznetsova at the 2009 French Open

American underdog Madison Keys finally got her hands on a Grand Slam trophy after holding off defending champion Aryna Sabalenka to win the Australian Open women's title.
Keys, playing her second major final and first for more than seven years, overcame the world number one 6-3 2-6 7-5.
Only three other women have been older than the 29-year-old Keys when winning their first Grand Slam title.
Keys, seeded 19th in Melbourne, clasped her head in amazement before sharing an emotional hug with husband and coach Bjorn Fratangelo.
"I have wanted this for so long. I never knew if I'd be in this position again," said Keys.


Belarus' Sabalenka, 25, had been attempting to claim a rare third successive victory at the opening major of the season.
After Keys secured victory, Sabalenka warmly hugged her opponent at the net before her mood quickly soured.
She smashed a racquet then covered her head with a towel before walking off court.
When she returned a few minutes later she received a warm ovation from the 15,000 fans on Rod Laver Arena.
"Madison was incredible and I couldn't do anything," said Sabalenka.
"Next time I play Madison I will bring better tennis."


Keys caps incredible run

Patience can be a precious commodity in sport and even Keys thought her chance of winning one of tennis' greatest prizes had slipped by.
Her only previous Grand Slam final appearance had seen her lose the 2017 US Open title to Sloane Stephens.
The seven-and-a-bit years between Keys' first and second major finals is the longest gap in the Open era on the women's side.
After reaching the French Open and US Open semi-finals in 2018, Keys dropped outside of the world's top 50 after struggling with injuries.
She returned to the top 10 in early 2022 after making the Australian Open semi-finals and also had a run to the last four at the 2023 US Open.
Keys was denied a place in the final of her home Grand Slam by Sabalenka - a crushing defeat in which she regretted playing "too safe".
"I'm glad I've got you back," Keys joked afterwards.
After another injury-hit season last year, which forced her to miss the Australian Open, Keys was unsure if she would "be able to do it all again".
A bold move to change racquet manufacturer in the off-season has paid dividends, with Keys keeping her explosive power while playing with a level of confidence she previously lacked.
Beating Sabalenka was the pinnacle of a title run where has beaten a host of star names.
Keys also beat second seed Iga Swiatek in the semi-finals, becoming the first player to beat the top two Australian Open seeds since Serena Williams in 2005.
That came on the back of previous victories over former Melbourne finalists Danielle Collins and Elena Rybakina, plus 2023 Wimbledon semi-finalist Elina Svitolina.

[renjuus]

Sinner was incredible. Brilliant hard court player. Really eager to see how he develops his game in clay & grass,

[BangaloreaN]

Simona Halep bids farewell: “I make this decision with peace of mind. In the end, it’s all worth it”



“It’s a bit hard for me to speak,” said Simona Halep into the microphone on the purple court at the Transylvania Open, standing before packed stands—full of people, full of emotion and, in a way, full of fear that they were about to hear an announcement they weren’t ready for.

“This is my home, here in Romania. This is where I feel my best, where I have always felt surrounded by so much love. I’ve won many matches here, I’ve lost some as well, but in the end, the beautiful memories remain. Your energy has always filled my heart. No matter where I played, I felt the best here. And you could see it today—I could barely breathe on the court. It’s a special kind of emotion.
I have so many friends here today who came to see me—my team, and people from the tennis world who have supported me and helped me reach where I am. As an athlete, I feel truly fulfilled. I never even dreamed, as a child, that I would achieve all this. But I worked incredibly hard for it. My family is here as well, the ones who have always supported me. My parents have been by my side from the very first moment, and without them, I wouldn’t be who I am today. I want to thank them and tell them how much I love them because they’ve always been with me, no matter what decisions I made.”
“I feel both sadness and joy—both emotions are running through me right now,” Simona continued. “But I take this decision with peace of mind. My body can no longer endure what it takes to reach the level I once was at. It’s too difficult to get back there and I know what kind of effort that requires. That’s why I came here to Cluj, to play in front of you and to say goodbye. Even though today’s performance wasn’t my best, I am so happy you came.

I don’t want to cry. I reached World No. 1, I won Grand Slam titles, I achieved everything I ever wanted. Life goes on after tennis and I hope we will see each other as often as possible. I will still play tennis, but to be competitive at the highest level takes so much more and at this moment, it’s no longer possible for me.
To all the kids out there, I want to wish you ambition and the desire to reach the top, because it is truly wonderful up there. I played for many years—it was exhausting, and draining, but also beautiful. The adrenaline of those moments cannot be found anywhere else. So, dear children, fight, work hard, because in the end, it’s all worth it.”