Serena Williams Becomes Latest Top Name To Pull Out Of Miami - UBITENNIS
Connect with us

Latest news

Serena Williams Becomes Latest Top Name To Pull Out Of Miami

The 39-year-old says she ‘look forward to coming back soon.’

Published

3 years ago

on

Former world No.1 Serena Williams has confirmed that she will not be playing in the Miami Open in what is the latest blow for the mixed event.

 

The 23-time Grand Slam champion has confirmed to the Miami Herald that she will not be playing after undergoing ‘oral surgery.’ Details of the procedure were not disclosed in her announcement. Williams is an eight-time champion in Miami and has won the tournament more times than any other player in history. Although her most recent triumph was back in 2015.

“I’m disappointed to withdraw from the Miami Open because of recent oral surgery,” Williams told the Miami Herald.
“Miami is a special tournament for me because it’s my home. I am sad I won’t be able to see the incredible fans this year, but I look forward to coming back soon.”

Williams hasn’t played on the Tour since her semi-final loss to Naomi Osaka at the Australian Open. Following the match a tearful 39-year-old was quizzed about her future in the sport to which she said “If I ever say farewell, I wouldn’t tell anyone” before shutting down her press conference shortly after. However, since then her coach Patrick Mouratoglou has dismissed talk about retirement.

“I don’t think she will stop until she at least wins a Grand Slam, because she came back to win Grand Slams,” Mouratoglou told PEOPLE Magazine on February 21st.
“She doesn’t quit.” He added.

Williams joins a growing list of notable absentees from this year’s Miami Open which is the second biggest tournament of the season so far after the Australian Open. Novak Djokovic isn’t playing because he wants to spend more time with his family, Roger Federer has opted to conduct a training block and Dominic Thiem has withdrawn to ‘fully recover’ for the clay swing. Other withdrawals include Rafael Nadal, Stan Wawrinka and Borna Coric.

Stefanos Tsitsipas, who is set to be the second seed in the men’s draw, recently admitted that he has ‘low expectations’ about playing in the event. Telling reporters that he fears ‘it won’t be as good as previous years’ due to the restrictions related to COVID-19.

“Honestly I like Miami as a tournament, but I feel, I won’t hide anything from you, I feel it won’t be as good as the previous years and I feel it won’t be as good as Acapulco this week,” Tsitsipas said following his loss in the final of the Mexican Open on Sunday. “I find it very difficult to believe. So I go there with low expectations, not expecting much from the tournament itself.“

On the other hand, Germany’s Alexander Zverev believes that the absence of the Big Three will not have an impact on the quality of the men’s tournament.

“Miami is definitely a tournament where I think a lot of players are looking for opportunities and chances. But we still have great players there. We still have Medvedev, we still have Tsitsipas so there are still a lot of great players there to beat. You can’t say that just because those three are not there it is going to be an easy tournament for anyone,” he said.

The Miami Open is categorised as a WTA Premier Mandatory event and ATP Masters 1000 event.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Latest news

Alexander Zverev beats Roman Safiulin to to claim his second title of the year in Chengdu

Published

7 hours ago

on

26/09/2023

By

Alexander Zverev came back from a set and a break down to beat Roman Safiulin 6-7 (2-7) 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 at the Chengdu Open claiming the 21st title of his career. 

 

Zverev has moved to seventh seventh in the ATP Race to Turin boosting his chances of qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals. 

Safiulin  saved three break points in the 10th game of the first set, which went on serve en route to the tie-break. Safiulin earned three mini-breaks to win the tie-break 7-3. 

Safiulin earned an early break in the second game to take a 2-0 lead. Zverev broke straight back and forced the second set  to a second tie-break. Zverev went up a mini-break three times, but Safiulin pulled back on serve each time. Zverev was two points from defeat at 5-5 in the tie-break of the second set but he won the final two points to win the second set. 

Zverev earned the decisive break in the fourth game to open up a 3-1 lead and closed out the win on his first match point. 

Zverev won his second title of the season after his triumph in home city Hamburg last July. “He is playing the best tennis of his life for sure. The way he was winning this week. I think he beat a lot of great players quite easily, so I think that he was playing well. Obviously, I am happy to be able to come back and to win this title”, said Zverev. 

Continue Reading

Latest news

Daria Kasatkina beats Marta Kostyuk to advance to the second round in Tokyo

Published

15 hours ago

on

26/09/2023

By

Daria Kasatkina came back from one set down to beat Marta Kostyuk 3-6 6-4 6-3 in 2 hours and 24 minutes reaching the second round at the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo. 

 

Katatkina is playing her first tournament since the US Open, where she lost to Aryna Sabalenka in the fourth round. 

Kasatkina set up a second round match against Greek qualifier Despina Papamichail, who beat Japanese lucky loser Sakura Hosogi 7-6 (7-3) 7-5 in 2 hours and 19 minutes. 

Kostyuk dropped just eight points on serve and broke serve in the fourth game to close out the first set 6-3. The second set featured nine service breaks in ten games. Kostyuk went up a break three times, but Kasatkina pulled back on serve each time. Kasatkina broke in the eighth and tenth games to seal the second set 6-4. 

Kostyuk went up a break twice in the third set, but she was broken back both times. Kasatkina drew level to 3-3, as Kostyuk made a overhead error, and won the final four games to seal the third set 6-4. 

Anastasya Pavlyuchenkova cruised past Donna Vekic 6-1 6-1 in just 74 minutes. Nineteen-year-old Linda Noskova saved one set point to beat Japanese lucky loser Himeno Sakatsume 6-2 7-5 setting up a second round against Anastasya Pavlyuchenkova. 

Ekaterina Aleksandrova came back from one set down to beat Anna Kalinskaya 6-7 (7-9) 6-1 7-5 in 2 hours and 21 minutes setting up a second round against Liudmila Samsonova. 

Continue Reading

Latest news

Eight of the top 10 players in the line-up in Beijing

Published

17 hours ago

on

26/09/2023

By

The China Open, an ATP 500 hard-court tournament, is taking place for the first time since 2019 after a long break due to covid-19. 

 

Eight of the top 10 players in the ATP Ranking are lining up in the Chinese capital. Carlos Alcaraz will face a qualifier in the first round before a clash against either Karen Khachanov or Lorenzo Musetti in the second round. Alcaraz won six titles this year in Buenos Aires, Indian Wells, Barcelona, Madrid, Queen’s and Wimbledon during a successful 2023 season. 

The Spanish player could face a quarter final against Roland Garros finalist Casper Ruud. The Norwegian player will play against Jan-Lennard Struff, who made his come-back from injury last week in Zhuhai. The German player finished runner-up to Carlos Alcaraz in Madrid and to Frances Tiafoe in Stuttgart in his two finals earlier this year. 

Holger Rune has been drawn in the top draw and could meet Jannik Sinner, who won his first Masters 1000 title in Toronto and reached the semifinal at Wimbledon. Sinner will face Dan Evans, who won the Washington Open last August. Rune, who is currently ranked eighth in the ATP Race to Turin, beat Sinner in the semifinal in Monte-Carlo. The Danish player will face Felix Auger Aliassime in the first round. 

Alexander Zverev will start his campaign against Diego Schwartzman in the first round and is seeded to face Stefanos Tsitsipas, who meets Nicolas Jarry. Zverev won his first title of the season in Hamburg and reached the semifinal in Cincinnati and the quarter final at the US Open. 

Andrey Rublev will take on Cameron Norrie in the bottom half. 

Chinese Next Gen player Shang Juncheng will play against Yoshihito Nishioka in an all Asian first round clash. Shang reached the quarter finals in Washington and Atlanta. 

The most interesting first round matches are: Andy Murray vs Alex De Minaur (Masters 1000 finalist in Toronto) and US Open finalist Danil Medvedev vs Tommy Paul. Murray could face Danil Medvedev in the second round. 

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Trending