2015 Australian Open: Interviews, Results, OOP, Draws - UBITENNIS
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2015 Australian Open: Interviews, Results, OOP, Draws

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TENNIS 2015 AUSTRALIAN OPEN – Here you can find all the interviews, the results, the draws and the Order of Play for the first Grand Slam of the year.

 

Results

Order Of Play

Men’s singles draw

Women’s singles draw

Men’s doubles draw

Women’s doubles draw

Mixed doubles draw

Interviews

01.02.2015

Djokovic: “I had a crisis end of the second, beginning of the third. Just felt very exhausted and I needed some time to regroup and recharge”

Murray: “I have no idea what the issue was. He obviously looked like he was in quite a bad way at the beginning of the third set”

Paes and Hingis: “I was never really completely out of the picture, away from tennis. It was always part of my life one way or another”

31.01.2015

Bolelli and Fognini: “I have very good sensation Davis Cup, but this one, I mean, we won a Grand Slam title. Is a big thing”

S.Williams: “I was coughing so much. It was just forcing things out of me. So I was just trying to pull myself together”

Sharapova: “No matter how you played, well or not, whatever the scoreline is, it’s always tough. But it will be all right”

Murray: “I didn’t watch any of the match last night. I’ll watch some of it this evening and then chat to Amélie”

30.01.2015

Djokovic: “I’m proud of the fighting spirit that I had. But the level of performance was not where I wanted it to be”

Wawrinka: “I think my game is there. I’m playing great tennis. Physically I’m there. It’s going to be tough, but I need to take the positive from already being in the semifinal”

29.01.2015

Murray: “I sat in here the other day and got asked more questions about Dani than I did about the match I just played. So you wanted there to be tension”

Berdych: “There is no really big deal about anything what was happening today on the court. I mean, it was a great battle. Unfortunately with a bad end for me”

S.Williams: “I love going to the Olympics to trade pins. I think that’s my ticket in. I could definitely see me doing Fed Cup work”

Keys: “I’m really happy to have gotten this far in a tournament. It’s my first one. Just looking forward to having more”

Sharapova: “I usually stick to the same routines. The only difference is it’s only one more to go. You’re not saving yourself for anything else”

Makarova: “I hope so I will finally take the next step. It was a great two Grand Slams for me in my career”

Fognini & Bolelli: “I’m happy because I think we are a really good team”

Leconte: “The Davis Cup was difficult to swallow for everyone, for the players as well”

Court: “It’s not easy (for Serena to reach 24 Slam titles) everything has to be right”

28.01.2015

Djokovic: “Tonight there was not much I could complain about. From the first game till the last I played the way I wanted”

Raonic: “He just didn’t allow me to organize my game”

Wawrinka: “Now I’m going to enjoy a little bit, watch who’s going to win tonight and get ready for the semifinal”

Nishikori: “If I could get that one, might change the whole thing. But he was serving really well. So I think I have to give him credit”

S.Williams: “I’ve been sick the past few days. It’s just getting worse and worse. But hopefully it will start getting better”

Cibulkova: “Really pleased with the way the tournament went and with the way I played. I’m really happy to be on a good track again”

Keys: “Have had some problems with that part of my leg. So it was kind of an overwhelming moment. It was kind of scary”

V.Williams: “I think losses like this, even though they’re not fun they’re good, because I’ll learn a lot more from this”

27.01.2015

Murray: “My goal isn’t to beat Dani; my goal is to beat Berdych”

Kyrgios: “I wasn’t even sure I’d be playing the event. It just been a massive couple of weeks just trying to get fit”

Berdych: “We set up before the match the right tactics. Then I was able to execute that on the court. That’s what I’m really happy”

Nadal: “If” doesn’t exist in sport. That’s the real thing. If, if, if – never comes. The thing is, you have to do it. I didn’t have the chance to play the fourth; I lost the third, so that’s it”

Sharapova: “It was important to change some things around and just to come out with a little bit of a different perspective and play a bit better”

Bouchard: “I felt under pressure the whole time, a bit on my back foot. I mean, that’s not how I want to play”

Makarova: “I’m not shy on the tennis court. It’s different situation when I’m sitting here and you are asking me questions”

Halep: “Wasn’t my good day. I had a bad day. But she played well and everything was in for her. So she deserves this winning”

26.01.2015

Djokovic: “Courts or the balls, something out of these two elements have speeded up the game here in Australia”

Muller: “Think if you play like that, you’re going to play a good match, but you have no chance to win it”

V.Williams: “I think I played well when it mattered. Her style of game was completely different than the first three players I played”

Radwanska: “In important moments I didn’t really take my chances. Slipped very quickly, especially the third set”

Raonic: “Overall I can’t complain too much. I fought my way through”

Lopez: “For me was difficult to hold serve all the time, knowing that he’s going to win his serve pretty easy all the time”

Nishikori: “Florida nobody talk to me. In Japan, yes, it’s little bit different. Lot of people recognize me. Not easy to walk on the street”

Ferrer: “I began the season winning a lot of matches. I won Doha. I did here four rounds. I am positive”

Wawrinka: “I’m not focused to win a major. I’m taking match after match. I know it’s difficult to do it. It’s amazing I already did one”

S.Williams: “I think I caught that bug. I’ve just been sick. I’ve been fighting it with vitamin C”

Muguruza: “I can say, okay, I lost to Serena. Okay, I did a good tournament. I improve a lot”

Cibulkova: “I have to compensate my height with something, so I just put a lot of energy in my tennis”

Azarenka: “I take it as a progress. I think there are a lot of the positive things to take from here”

25.01.2015

Murray: “I asked my box why they were making the noise. They said that Kyrgios had just finished”

Dimitrov: “I’m not going to hide my disappointment. I’m pissed”

Kyrgios: “I think I’m just managing my emotions a bit better out there. I thought I was pretty composed for the whole match”

Seppi: “He served well in important moments. That was the key. That’s why he won”

Halep: “A lot of confidence I have now because I didn’t lose a set”

Berdych: “Well, I’m feeling very good. It’s been a great, great run so far”

Tomic: “I spoke to a few people about it. Lleyton as well. I think the scheduling was like ridiculous this year”

Nadal: “I changed completely the position on the return. I was returning very close to the baseline”

Sharapova: “When I step on the court, I have a great sense of feeling and power”

Bouchard: “It’s disappointing for me because I want to play so well and I want to be perfect”

24.01.2015

Keys: “I just tried to stay solid and consistently keep doing what I was trying to do”

Kvitova: “Don’t know what happened, but I couldn’t put a serve in. So it was the main issue, for sure”

Djokovic: “I thought I served very well, allowed myself to have a lot of free points in the first serve”

Nishikori: “I was hitting to only his backhand, especially first set. He was playing really solid actually”

Azarenka: “I don’t think I’ve changed as a person. I think I grew as a person”

S.Williams: “I wasn’t very happy, to be honest. I was rooting for Roger”

V.Williams: “I always believe in my ability, but sometimes you don’t get results for whichever reason”

Wawrinka: “When Roger make double- fault, that mean he not in a big day. Was a big surprise for everybody”

Lopez: “Milos is one of the greatest players in the game right now. I think is going to be very close”

Raonic: “I don’t think Hisense and Margaret Court are that quick. They’re much slower than the outside courts”

Muguruza: “I’m really happy. Three victories in a Grand Slam”

Radwanska: “Of course Navratilova is also commentating, but she’s always there when I’m practicing or playing match”

23.01.2015

Seppi: “To beat Roger first time, especially in a Grand Slam, best-of-five, is a special moment for me”

Federer: “I guess I won the wrong points. I felt for some reason yesterday and this morning it was not going to be very simple today”

Murray: “Some of the stuff that was said about me I thought was completely unfair. Yeah, the other night kind of proved it”

Sharapova: “I did lefty, two hands on both sides. Like at the circus, I do everything”

Halep: “Last year I played great in Grand Slams. I did my first final. So that gave me more confidence”

Bouchard: “I’m not offended. No, I think it was an in-the-moment thing and it was funny”

Dimitrov: “Didn’t really feel comfortable on the court. Thought Marcos was playing dominating tennis early on in the match”

Kyrgios: “Obviously I’d rather play Seppi than Federer. But, I know it’s going to be a really tough match”

Nadal: “I wake up in the morning better than what I thought. I was still a little bit dizzy yesterday”

22.01.2015

Hewitt: “He definitely raised his level. The first two sets I felt like I was dictating play”

Vandeweghe: “I was playing out there. I enjoyed my time. So I had a lot of fun”

Stosur: “I didn’t feel like I did much wrong”

Raonic: “I’ve put in a lot of good work, I believe. I’m just very sort of by the book in the things I want to do”

Azarenka: “She had such an incredible end of last season so I knew I had to step up my game”

Wozniacki: “At the end of the day she played better than me today and hats off to that”

Kvitova: “I think it was quite warm today and I think I handled quite well”

S.Williams: “I had no other option but for things to click. I just had to start playing better”

Djokovic: “I executed the game plan. Everything I intended to do, almost 100%”

Wawrinka: “Condition wasn’t easy today. Quite hot. Really fast on the court. And he was playing great”

V.Williams: “I’m hitting the ball a lot like how I want to”

Radwanska: “Short, good match. So, it’s better, especially that it’s really hot today. Be fresh for the next one.”

21.01.2015

Nadal: “I practiced a lot. Should not be that tired after 40 minutes. That’s obvious, no?”

Smyczek: “I started to believe that I really had a chance. But he turned it up to another gear”

Tomic: “I served very well, and that’s what helped me a lot throughout this match”

Kyrgios: “The crowd was really good. I remember it from last year”

Bouchard: “I was happy with the way I was able to step in and control the points”

Federer: “I don’t know if it’s a blister. I don’t know what that thing is”

Sharapova: “It’s always nice to come through a challenge like that. That’s the biggest positive out of the match”

Murray: “(I) managed to take the crowd out of it a little bit by starting that quickly”

Dimitrov: “Before you get to the final, you need to go through quite a few players that are the top right now and playing their greatest tennis”

Troicki: “I want everyone to know that I never refused anything. I just asked for permission and I was allowed by the doctor that day not to give a blood test”

Berdych: “The tough condition again today. He was playing very smart”

20.01.2015

Djokovic: “It hasn’t been an ideal couple of weeks in terms of health and preparation”

Wawrinka: “I play some good tennis and I have confidence with my game in general”

S.Williams: “It’s never super easy to be the one that everyone wants to beat”

Hewitt: “Tomic, Kyrgios and Kokkinakis have big futures. All three like playing on the big stage”

Radwanska: “I think with her (Martina Navratilova) experience that help me also win a Grand Slam”

Li Na: “If I have next life, I will still choose tennis”

Stosur: “I had to be patient to make sure I worked the point enough before I’d come in”

V.Williams: “Everyone has different kind of issues. I deal with my own the best way that I can”

Azarenka: “There is still a lot to build from here”

Nishikori: “Was a little bit windy, so we both didn’t play maybe 100%”

Raonic: “It was what I needed it to be, especially with how well I served”

Wozniacki: “It was a tough match. You saw yesterday how many seeds went out”

Kvitova: “I made a little bit of troubles in the second. But I’m glad I won”

19.01.2015

Kyrgios: “It was my first win in 2015. I’m really pleased I got through.”

Kokkinakis: “I was thrilled with that win. Best win of my career.”

Sharapova: “I think I’m in a much more comfortable situation than I was last year”

Federer: “I think the most important thing in taking risks is that you actually believe in what you’re trying to do”

Hradecka: “It’s two hours after match, and I’m still smiling.”

Ivanovic: “It’s really disappointing. You know, it’s probably the worst thing could happen.”

Nadal: “Most important thing when you are coming back is accept all the challenges”

Murray: “When you’re playing you tend to say things that you don’t really mean”

Dimitrov: “It was pretty windy today, so, yeah, I think overall it’s been a good start for me.”

Berdych: “It was a good test for me for the first round. I’m glad to handle it the way I did”

17.01.2015

Federer: “I think I’m serving more consistent and stronger than I ever have”

Nadal: “I am confident about my knees because are working very well”

Sharapova: “I was happy to be in one place for the whole month of December”

Ivanovic: “I really want to take it one step at a time and enjoy”

Murray: “My preparation and training over in Miami and then in Dubai went very well”

Halep: “I’m moving better than last year. I’m working hard every day”

ATP

Miami Open Daily Preview: Alcaraz and Sinner Meet Again in the Semifinals

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Carlos Alcaraz two weeks ago at Indian Wells (twitter.com/bnpparibasopen)

Both ATP semifinals will be played on Friday, as well as the second WTA semifinal.

 

For the third consecutive big event in the United States (US Open, Indian Wells, Miami), Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner will collide.  At the US Open, they played an epic five-hour five-setter that went into the early hours of the morning.  At Indian Wells, they contested a high-quality semifinal.  Both of those matches went to Alcaraz.  Will he prevail again on Friday?

And are we on the verge of a rematch from the Indian Wells final between Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev?  Fellow Russian Karen Khachanov will be Medvedev’s opposition on Friday.  And in the remaining WTA singles semifinal, Petra Kvitova plays Sorana Cirstea for the right to face Elena Rybakina in Saturday’s championship match.

Each day, this preview will analyze the two most intriguing matchups, while highlighting other notable matches on the schedule.  Friday’s play gets underway at 1:00pm local time.


Daniil Medvedev (4) vs. Karen Khachanov (14) – 1:00pm on Stadium

Medvedev is now 27-3 this season, and has claimed 22 matches within the past seven weeks alone.  Daniil has easily advanced to this semifinal, averaging just over an hour on court across his three matches thus far.  He is vying for his fifth final in as many tournaments.

Khachanov is 13-5 on the year, and this is his third significant hard court semifinal since last summer.  At the US Open, he defeated both Pablo Carreno Busta and Nick Kyrgios in five sets to reach the semis.  At the Australian Open, he beat both Frances Tiafoe and Sebastian Korda to advance to this stage.  And this week, he took out both Stefanos Tsitsipas and Francisco Cerundolo, who was a Miami semifinalist a year ago.

Medvedev leads their head-to-head 3-1, which includes a straight-set victory at the beginning of this season in Adelaide.  And based on his current run on hard courts, I like Daniil to achieve his first final in Miami.


Carlos Alcaraz (1) vs. Jannik Sinner (10) – Not Before 7:00pm on Stadium

Alcaraz is 18-1 in 2023, while Sinner is 20-4.  Neither has dropped a set this fortnight, so both are feeling fully fresh and quite confident heading into this blockbuster matchup.

Overall Carlitos is 3-2 against Jannik, and 3-0 on hard courts.  Sinner’s two victories have come on grass (Wimbledon) and clay (Umag).  Since holding a match point against Alcaraz in the fourth set of last summer’s US Open quarterfinal, and failing to convert, the Italian has lost four straight sets to the Spaniard.

Both men have made previous appearances in the Miami final, with Sinner losing to Hubert Hurkacz in 2021, and Alcaraz defeating Casper Ruud in 2022.  Carlitos needs to defend his title in order to maintain his No.1 ranking.  And considering how well he’s played since returning to the tour in February, I favor Alcaraz to eliminate Sinner again on Friday.


Other Notable Matches on Friday:

Petra Kvitova (15) vs. Sorana Cirstea – Kvitova has now advanced to the quarterfinals or better at the last three WTA 1000 tournaments held in the United States.  Cirstea has been playing some of the best tennis of her career since hiring Thomash Johansson as her coach.  Petra leads their head-to-head 6-4, which dates all the way back to 2008.  They met twice on hard courts in 2022, and split those two encounters.

Storm Hunter and Elise Mertens (6) vs. Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula (2) – This is a quarterfinal, and the winners will come back later in the day to face Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Ellen Perez in the semifinals.

Magda Linette and Bernarda Pera vs. Leylah Fernandez and Taylor Townsend – This is a semifinal.  Prior to this event, Linette and Pera had not teamed up since last year’s Wimbledon.  This is only Fernandez and Townsend’s second tournament as a team.


Friday’s full Order of Play is here.

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Miami Open Daily Preview: Elena Rybakina Plays Jessica Pegula in the Semifinals

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Elena Rybakina two weeks ago at Indian Wells (twitter.com/bnpparibasopen)

Due to rain on Wednesday, only one WTA semifinal will be played on Thursday.

 

Elena Rybakina is just two wins away from completing the “Sunshine Double,” which is winning both Indian Wells and Miami.  But in Thursday’s WTA semifinal, American No.1 Jessica Pegula stands in her way.  The other semifinal is still to be determined, and will not be played until Friday, as Petra Kvitova and Ekaterina Alexandrova will contest their rain-delayed quarterfinal on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the ATP quarterfinals will be completed on Thursday.  Indian Wells finalist Daniil Medvedev faces American Chris Eubanks, who has been the breakout story of this tournament thus far.  Also, Karen Khachanov takes on Francisco Cerundolo, who is vying for his second consecutive semifinal in Miami.  And delayed from Wednesday night, Carlos Alcaraz battles Taylor Fritz in another ATP quarterfinal.

You can find a preview of the Alcaraz/Fritz and Kvitova/Alexandrova quarterfinals in yesterday’s daily preview here.

Each day, this preview will analyze the two most intriguing matchups, while highlighting other notable matches on the schedule.  Thursday’s play gets underway at 1:00pm local time.


Chris Eubanks (Q) vs. Daniil Medvedev (4) – 1:00pm on Stadium

Medvedev leads the ATP with 26 wins this season, as well as with three titles.  Daniil has not dropped a set to this stage, though he’s only played two matches thus far due to a walkover earlier this week.

Eubanks has already won six matches this fortnight after coming through qualifying.  And the 26-year-old achieved a career goal of breaking into the top 100 with this quarterfinal run.  Chris became emotional on-court after clinching that feat on Monday, and followed it up with another upset the next day, over Adrian Mannarino.  The American is projected to become ranked 85th in the world on Monday, but a win on Thursday would propel him into the top 60.

In their first career meeting, of course the self-proclaimed “hard court specialist” Medvedev is a strong favorite.  But I’m quite interested to see how Eubanks performs in the biggest match of his career.  During a rain delay on Monday, Frances Tiafoe provided Eubanks with some advice in the locker room, which Chris credited with helping him come back in the second-set tiebreak once play resumed.  He’s played more freely since that comeback, and Eubanks may feel as if he has nothing to lose on Thursday.


Elena Rybakina (10) vs. Jessica Pegula (3) – Not Before 8:30pm on Stadium

Rybakina is 20-4 this season, and is currently on a 10-match win streak.  If her 2,000 points from winning Wimbledon last summer counted, she’d currently be ranked third in the world.  Elena easily dispatched of Martina Trevisan in the last round.

Pegula is 19-5 on the year, and 10-3 in Miami.  This is her second consecutive semifinal at this event, and she’s the No.3 player in the world without Rybakina’s Wimbledon points counting.  She saved multiple match points to come back and defeat Anastasia Potapova during Tuesday’s quarterfinals.

Pegula is 2-0 against Rybakina, with both matches taking place on hard courts during 2022.  A year ago at this same tournament, Jess prevailed in straight sets.  And last fall in Guadalajara, Pegula outlasted Rybakina in a final-set tiebreak, another match in which the American saved multiple match points.  As confident as Elena currently is, with her big serve and groundstrokes dictating play, it’s hard not to favor the reigning Wimbledon champ.  But based on their recent history, as well as Pegula’s rising confidence after saving match points in the last round, I give Jess the slight edge in Thursday’s semifinals on home soil.


Other Notable Matches on Thursday:

Francisco Cerundolo (25) vs. Karen Khachanov (14) – Cerundolo was in danger of falling out of the top 40 with an early loss in Miami, defending the best result of his career at this level, but has impressed by returning to the quarterfinals, defeating Felix Auger-Aliassime on the way.  Khachanov upset Stefanos Tsitsipas in the last round, and is looking to reach his first Masters semifinal since 2019.  Last summer in Canada, Karen defeated Francisco in three sets.


Thursday’s full Order of Play is here.

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Miami Open Daily Preview: Indian Wells Champs Carlos Alcaraz and Taylor Fritz Collide

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Carlos Alcaraz two Sundays ago at Indian Wells (twitter.com/atptour)

On Wednesday in Miami, 2023 Indian Wells champion Carlos Alcaraz faces 2022 champ Taylor Fritz for the first time.

 

Alcaraz is just three wins away from defending his Miami title, which he needs to do in order to remain World No.1.  Wednesday’s other ATP quarterfinal sees Indian Wells semifinalist Jannik Sinner take on Emil Ruusuvuori, who is the first Finnish quarterfinalist at a Masters 1000 tournament in a decade.

In the WTA singles draw, Aryna Sabalenka and Petra Kvitova are one round away from a big-hitting semifinal.  But first, they must get past Sorana Cirstea and Ekaterina Alexandrova, respectively.

Each day, this preview will analyze the two most intriguing matchups, while highlighting other notable matches on the schedule.  Wednesday’s play gets underway at 1:00pm local time.


Ekaterina Alexandrova (18) vs. Petra Kvitova (15) – Not Before 7:00pm on Stadium

Kvitova is 14-5 this season, and has now reached the quarterfinals of both Indian Wells and Miami this month.  Petra has also now advanced to the fourth round or better of this event for the fifth straight time, and has not dropped a set this fortnight.

Alexandrova had a losing record this year before arriving in Miami.  She defeated Belinda Bencic two rounds ago, and advanced in the last round after Bianca Andreescu’s upsetting ankle injury.  This is Ekaterina’s second WTA 1000 quarterfinal, after first achieving that feat last year in Madrid, when she advanced to the semifinals.

Their only previous encounter occurred three years ago at the Australian Open, when Kvitova comfortably prevailed 6-1, 6-2.  Ekaterina does not possess the same offensive weaponry of Petra, so on a hard court, the two-time Wimbledon champion is a considerable favorite to win again on Wednesday.


Carlos Alcaraz (1) vs. Taylor Fritz (9) – Not Before 8:30pm on Stadium

Alcaraz is 17-1 on the season, despite missing all of January due to injury.  His only loss came to Cam Norrie in the final of Rio, a match in which Carlitos reaggravated his leg injury.  He’s yet to drop a set during this tournament.

Fritz is 20-5 in 2023, and has now reached the quarterfinals or better at his last five events.  This is Taylor’s first quarterfinal in Miami, and his third consecutive quarterfinal as Masters 1000 events in North America.  Like Alcaraz, he’s also yet to lose a set in Miami, but he’s 1-4 in his last five Masters quarterfinals.

This is the first career meeting between the World No.1 and the American No.1.  Fritz certainly has the firepower to threaten Alcaraz on this day.  But based on Carlitos’ recent sharp form, the 19-year-old is the favorite to advance to the semifinals.


Other Notable Matches on Wednesday:

Sorana Cirstea vs. Aryna Sabalenka (2) – Sabalenka is now a stellar 20-2 on the year, and has allowed her opponents this past week an average of just 2.5 games per set.  Cirstea is having an excellent March, having advanced to her second consecutive WTA 1000 quarterfinal, a stage she hadn’t reached since 2017.  This is another first-time career meeting.

Emil Ruusuvuori vs. Jannik Sinner (10) – Sinner is vying for his second consecutive Masters semifinal, and has not dropped a set thus far in Miami.  This is Ruuuvuori’s maiden Masters 1000 quarterfinal, at the only Masters event where he had ever previously advanced beyond the third round.  Jannik is 4-0 against Emil, with all of those wins in straight sets, except a match in Miami a year ago that went to a third-set tiebreak, and saw Sinner save three match points.


Wednesday’s full Order of Play is here.

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