LONDON: As the new tennis season gets underway this weekend, several top players are in flux with questions over their form and fitness. We look at the varying fortunes of seven big names.
SERENA WILLIAMS
The American great is attempting one of the great comebacks in sport as she returns to the court just four months after becoming a mother. Williams, who welcomed her first child, Alexis Olympia, in September, lost her comeback match yesterday, an exhibition match in Abu Dhabi against French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko. Williams, who hasn’t played since she won the Australian Open 11 months ago — while pregnant — is expected to defend her title in Melbourne next month. Williams, 36, has won an Open-era record of 23 Grand Slam singles titles, and now stands to equal Margaret Court’s all-time mark of 24. She will take heart from the example of Belgium’s Kim Clijsters, who retired for two years and started a family before winning the 2009 US Open, in what was dubbed the “mother of all comebacks.”
MARIA SHARAPOVA
Russia’s Sharapova will look for a strong start to her season at the Shenzhen Open after a mixed return to the circuit in April following a 15-month drugs ban. The five-time major-winner, one of the highest earners in women’s sport, suffered a string of early defeats before she broke through to win the Tianjin Open in October — her first title since 2015. Next month, Sharapova will play her first Australian Open since 2016 after improving her ranking to 59th. Her best Grand Slam performance of 2017 was reaching the last 16 at the US Open.
RAFAEL NADAL
Defying all expectations, Nadal brilliantly revived his glory days in 2017, winning his 10th French Open and third US Open title, and finishing the season as world No. 1. But familiar injury doubts have made for an uncertain start to the new campaign as Nadal, 31, pulled out of the Brisbane International saying he was “not ready.” Reports have cast doubt over Nadal’s recovery from a right-knee injury after he earlier withdrew from an exhibition appearance in Abu Dhabi. However, Nadal said he’ll play the Australian Open and he has made a habit of overcoming fitness problems throughout his long career.
ROGER FEDERER
The 36-year-old also rolled back the years in 2017 and is showing no signs of slowing down as he builds toward his Australian Open title defense. Federer said he’s fit and ready after a “great” off-season and he made a winning return to action at the Hopman Cup in Perth yesterday. Much will depend on the health of his Big Four rivals, but Federer could continue to set new standards for longevity this year.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC
Can the “Djoker” regain his smile? King Novak ruled tennis for nearly two years until a sudden loss of form, coinciding with speculation over his private life, in mid-2016. The 12-time major-winner hasn’t played since retiring from the Wimbledon quarterfinals with an elbow injury in July, and he shapes as an unknown quantity heading into the new season. Djokovic, who has Andre Agassi in his coaching team, has his first hit-out against Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut in Abu Dhabi on Friday.
ANDY MURRAY
Fitness doubts linger over the British former world No. 1, who has also been off the circuit since July after suffering a hip injury. Murray, 30, began last season as the world No. 1 but he has far more modest goals heading into 2018. “I want to get back to playing tennis, I want to be fit and healthy and that is what is driving me just now,” he told Sky Sports this week. “I was pretty unhealthy for most of this year and I am getting there but it is a slow process.”
VICTORIA AZARENKA
Azarenka’s return from maternity leave this year was complicated by a custody battle over her one-year-old, which forced her to miss much of the season. With her ranking down at 210, the Belarusian former world No. 1 has been handed a wildcard to play the Australian Open, a tournament she has won twice. However, as the legal case drags on, Azarenka announced her withdrawal from next month’s Auckland Classic for personal reasons, casting doubt over her participation in Melbourne.
Plenty to ponder for tennis' big guns
Plenty to ponder for tennis' big guns
Real Madrid handed shock home loss as Celta Vigo spring surprise
- Celta jumped from 14th to 10th while the defeat ended Real’s 100 percent home league record this season after six successive wins
MADRID: Real Madrid suffered a shock 2-0 loss and finished with nine men against Celta Vigo in LaLiga on Sunday after Williot Swedberg scored an audacious goal with his heel and a second in stoppage time to leave the hosts four points off leaders Barcelona.
Swedish substitute Swedberg cleverly diverted a cross from Bryan Zaragoza past Thibaut Courtois in the 53rd minute to put Celta ahead and had an easy finish three minutes into added time, going around the goalkeeper to wrap up the points.
Real’s cause was not helped by the 64th minute dismissal of Fran Garcia, who picked up two yellow cards in 60 seconds, but they laid siege to the visitors’ goal for the last 20 minutes as Celta went into a defensive shell to hold onto their advantage.
Real defender Alvaro Carreras was also dismissed for two cautions, his second coming in stoppage time at the end of the game as the home side’s frustrations boiled over.
It was a second clean sheet in 15 league games this season for Celta, whose keeper Ionut Radu made a first-half save from Jude Bellingham’s header and stopped a second-half free-kick whipped in by Kylian Mbappe.
Real stay on 36 points from 16 games as Celta celebrated a first win at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in 19 years, leaving the Galician club with 19 points.
“With the team they have and their quality, it’s difficult to match them, but we read the game well,” said Celta striker Borja Iglesias. “We had possession, we played in their half, we played a fantastic match.”
Celta jumped from 14th to 10th while the defeat ended Real’s 100 percent home league record this season after six successive wins.
Xabi Alonso’s stuttering Real team have now won only one of their last five league games as they await the midweek arrival of Manchester City in the Champions League.
Earlier on Sunday, Espanyol moved up to fifth as Roberto Fernandez’s first half penalty handed them a 1-0 home win over Rayo Vallecano as both sides finished with 10 men.
Elche’s Rafa Mir scored twice as they ran out 3-0 home winners over struggling Girona, while hosts Valencia and Sevilla remained in the bottom half of the table after a 1-1 draw.
