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Swiatek beats Mertens and will face Raducanu in Stuttgart quarterfinals
The Associated Press | Updated April 18 - 1:17 p.m. | Save Story
Top-seeded Iga Swiatek has eliminated Elise Mertens 6-3, 6-4 to advance to the Porsche Grand Prix quarterfinals. The top-ranked Swiatek will face next Emma Raducanu who knocked out Linda Noskova 6-0, 7-5. Fourth-seeded Elena Rybakina has battled her way into the quarterfinals with a roller coaster 7-6, 1-6, 6-4 win over Veronika Kudermetova. Rybakina will face Jasmine Paolini after the Italian upset seventh-seeded Ons Jabeur in straight sets. Wimbledon champion Markéta Vondroušová also reached the quarterfinals after beating Anastasia Potapova in two. She has lined up second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka. Eight of the top 10 ranked women are at the tournament.
Ruud beats Thompson for tour-leading 26th win, reaches Barcelona Open quarterfinals
The Associated Press | Updated April 18 - 12:52 p.m. | Save Story
Casper Ruud has defeated Jordan Thompson in straight sets to earn his season-leading 26th win and secure a spot in the quarterfinals of the Barcelona Open. The third-seeded Norwegian won 6-1, 6-4 to move one victory ahead of Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner in 2024. The No. 6 Ruud is trying to reach his fourth final this year, having lost in Los Cabos, Acapulco and Monte Carlo. He will next face 40th-ranked Italian Matteo Arnaldi. Arnaldi defeated Marco Trungelliti 6-3, 6-0 at the clay-court tournament. Fifth-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas reached the last eight with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Roberto Carballes Baena.
Italy starting Davis Cup title defense against Brazil and US plays Chile
The Associated Press | Posted April 18 - 6:34 a.m. | Save Story
Italy will kick off the defense of its Davis Cup title against Brazil in Bologna on Sept. 11. The full schedule of the Davis Cup Finals group stage has been announced and all the matches will take place from Sept. 10-15 across four cities. Italy will also play against the Netherlands and Belgium in Group A. The United States has won the competition a record 32 times and starts its campaign against Chile in Zhuhai, China, before then going on to play Slovakia and Germany. Runner-up Australia plays France in Valencia on Sept. 10. Britain faces 2022 champion Canada on the final day in Manchester.
Gauff reaches Stuttgart quarterfinals with win over Vickery. Sabalenka also advances
The Associated Press | Updated April 17 - 5:27 p.m. | Save Story
Coco Gauff has battled her way to the quarterfinals of the Porsche Grand Prix with a hard-fought 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 win over compatriot Sachia Vickery. The 134th-ranked Vickery created 19 break points but could only convert seven of them against the world No. 3. Gauff awaits Marta Kostyuk, who earlier overcame former champion Laura Siegemund 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-4 in their first-round match. Second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka advanced when her opponent and close friend Paula Badosa retired at 3-3 in the third set with an apparent left leg injury. Emma Raducanu powered to a 6-2, 6-1 win over former top-ranked player Angelique Kerber. Ons Jabeur also had to fight hard to prevail in a 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (1) win over Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Nadal loses to De Minaur in second round at Barcelona. Spaniard had returned from injury layoff
The Associated Press | Updated April 17 - 11:36 a.m. | Save Story
Rafael Nadal's first tournament since January lasted only two matches with the Spaniard losing 7-5, 6-1 to Alex de Minaur at the clay-court Barcelona Open. Nadal, back from an injury layoff, looked like his old self for brief moments in the second-round match but couldn't keep up with the 11th-ranked De Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam champion had comfortably defeated 62nd-ranked Flavio Cobolli in straight sets in the first round on Tuesday in what was his first competitive match in more than three months. Nadal says he will try to play at the Madrid Open next week but didn't fully commit.
Zheng eases past Cîrstea in Stuttgart opener after long trip from China. Mertens to play Swiatek
The Associated Press | Updated April 16 - 4:09 p.m. | Save Story
Zheng Qinwen has eased past Sorana Cîrstea 6-2, 6-3 in the first round of the Porsche Grand Prix despite a long journey from China to reach the clay-court tournament. The seventh-ranked Zheng traveled from Changsha to Beijing and then on to Frankfurt before a final leg to Stuttgart, but showed little sign of jet lag. Belgium's Elise Mertens finished strongly to beat Tatjana Maria 6-1, 4-6, 6-0 to set up a match against two-time defending champion Iga Świątek in the second round. Wimbledon champion Markéta Vondroušová defeated Donna Vekić in straight sets.
Nadal returns to action with easy win over Cobolli in first round of Barcelona Open
The Associated Press | Updated April 16 - 12:06 p.m. | Save Story
Rafael Nadal looked good in a comfortable 6-2, 6-3 win over Flavio Cobolli at the Barcelona Open in his first competitive match in more than three months. The victory at the center court named after him allowed Nadal to advance to the second round at the clay-court tournament that the Spaniard won a record 12 times. He will next face Alex de Minaur. Nadal converted on his second match point to seal the victory over the 21-year-old Italian ranked 62nd in the world. Nadal was returning from yet another injury layoff and hadn't played since an exhibition match against Carlos Alcaraz in March.
Sabalenka to face good friend Badosa in Stuttgart opener
The Associated Press | Updated April 15 - 4:02 p.m. | Save Story
Paula Badosa has battled past Diana Shnaider 6-3, 6-4 to set up a match with friend and world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka at the Porsche Grand Prix in Stuttgart. Shnaider fended off four match points before former No. 2 Badosa took her fifth opportunity at the clay-court tournament. Veronika Kudermetova of Russia outlasted Barbora Krejčíková 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 for a second-round meeting with No. 4 Elena Rybakina. Sachia Vickery of the U.S. defeated Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus 7-6, 7-5 and will next face compatriot Coco Gauff in the second round. Top-ranked Iga Swiatek is the defending two-time champion.
Bautista Agut earns 399th tour-level win at Barcelona Open
The Associated Press | Posted April 15 - 11:37 a.m. | Save Story
Roberto Bautista Agut has earned his 399th tour-level victory by defeating Roman Safiullin 6-3, 7-6 in the first round of the Barcelona Open. Bautista Agut saved a set point in the tiebreaker before triumphing after nearly two hours on the Rafa Nadal center court. Bautista Agut will have his first opportunity to reach the milestone 400th win against seventh-seeded Karen Khachanov on Tuesday. Rafael Nadal will face Flavio Cobolli in his opening match on Tuesday following another injury layoff.
Nadal says he's 'ready enough' to play in his last Barcelona Open
The Associated Press | Posted April 15 - 9:36 a.m. | Save Story
Rafael Nadal is "ready enough" to play on Tuesday in what he expects to be his last Barcelona Open. Nadal has confirmed his participation in his first clay-court tournament this year. Nadal will face Flavio Cobolli in his opening match. The 12-time champion in Barcelona had hip surgery last summer and this year has played only three competitive matches. He says he is in a unique situation after "two tough years" of injuries and feels he can still "be competitive."
Sports on TV for Tuesday, April 16
The Associated Press | Posted April 15 - 8:00 a.m. | Save Story
(All times Eastern)
Sports on TV for Monday, April 15
The Associated Press | Updated April 14 - 3:45 p.m. | Save Story
(All times Eastern)
Tsitsipas sweeps aside Ruud to win Monte Carlo Masters for the third time, and then weeps
The Associated Press | Updated April 14 - 10:17 a.m. | Save Story
Stefanos Tsitsipas has swept aside Casper Ruud 6-1, 6-4 to win the Monte Carlo Masters for the third time in four years. Tsitsipas sat down and held his head in his hands. He briefly cried as he took in his first title of the year and biggest tournament victory for two years, saying afterward "I'm very proud of myself today." The big-serving Greek also won the title in 2021 and 2022 and now has 11 career titles. The eighth-seeded Ruud remains stuck on 10. The match featured former French Open runner-ups and offered an early indication of form heading into the clay-court major at next month's Roland Garros.
Carlos Alcaraz will miss the Barcelona Open with the same arm issue that kept him out of Monte Carlo
The Associated Press | Posted April 14 - 9:16 a.m. | Save Story
Carlos Alcaraz has pulled out of the Barcelona Open with the same injury in his right forearm that kept him out of the Monte Carlo Masters. Sunday's announcement leaves Alcaraz's French Open preparation on hold. He is a two-time Grand Slam champion and former No. 1-ranked player who is currently No. 3. The 20-year-old from Spain won the title at the clay-court Barcelona Open in 2022 and 2023. He hasn't played in a tournament since losing to Grigor Dimitrov in the Miami Open quarterfinals last month. Alcaraz won the U.S. Open in 2022 and Wimbledon last year.
Emma Raducanu leads Britain into the Billie Jean King Cup Finals. US, Poland, Japan also advance
The Associated Press | Updated April 13 - 6:54 p.m. | Save Story
Emma Raducanu has clinched Britain's berth in the Billie Jean King Cup Finals by taking the last six points of a 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (1) victory against Diane Parry of France for an insurmountable 3-1 lead in the best-of-five-match qualifying round. Raducanu was the 2021 U.S. Open champion but missed most of last season because of injuries. Her victory Saturday on an indoor clay court in Le Portel, France, came after Katie Boulter gave Britain a 2-1 lead. No. 1-ranked Iga Swiatek led Poland past Switzerland. The United States, Japan, Australia, Slovakia, Romania and Germany also advanced to the Finals, which will be held in Seville, Spain, in November.
Ruud finally beats Djokovic and Tsitsipas downs Sinner to set up Monte Carlo Masters final
The Associated Press | Updated April 13 - 11:43 a.m. | Save Story
Casper Ruud has finally got the better of Novak Djokovic and beaten the top-ranked Serb 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 at the Monte Carlo Masters. That has propelled Ruud into the final against two-time champion Stefanos Tsitsipas. Tsitsipas won the earlier semifinal against a tiring Jannik Sinner 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 to hand the Australian Open champion only his second defeat this season. Djokovic double-faulted on match point in his first career defeat in six matches against Ruud. He had never even taken a set off Djokovic before. Sinner led 4-3 in the deciding set with a service game to follow but needed a medical timeout for treatment on his right leg.
Nadal drawn against Cobolli at Barcelona Open. Spaniard trying to return from injury
The Associated Press | Posted April 13 - 9:57 a.m. | Save Story
Rafael Nadal has been drawn to face Flavio Cobolli at the Barcelona Open next week in what would be the Spaniard's first clay-court appearance this year in the buildup to the French Open. The 22-time Grand Slam champion had hip surgery last summer and has played only three competitive matches this year, all before the Australian Open which he missed. The 37-year-old Nadal pulled out of this week's Monte Carlo Masters before it started because of a lingering injury. Nadal has not confirmed he will play but he spoke at the draw ceremony ahead of the first round next week. He says, "I'm happy to be here" without committing to playing.
Naomi Osaka, Iga Swiatek and Emma Raducanu earn wins in the Billie Jean King Cup. Australia advances
The Associated Press | Updated April 12 - 9:34 p.m. | Save Story
Naomi Osaka put Japan a step away from reaching the Billie Jean King Cup Finals with a 6-2, 7-6 (5) victory over Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva. The four-time Grand Slam champion's win in Tokyo on Friday followed Nao Hibino's 6-1, 6-0 victory over Anna Danilina to give Japan a 2-0 lead in the qualifying round for the women's team competition. Iga Swiatek helped Poland go ahead 2-0 against Switzerland, and Emma Raducanu evened things at 1-all for Britain against France. The BJK Cup Finals will be held in Spain in November. The winners in qualifying will join Canada, Italy, Spain and the Czech Republic in the Finals.
He's back: Djokovic reaches semifinals at Monte Carlo Masters for first time since 2015
The Associated Press | Updated April 12 - 1:14 p.m. | Save Story
Top-ranked Novak Djokovic beat Alex De Minaur in straight sets to reach the semifinals at the Monte Carlo Masters. Djokovic had not progressed so far at the clay-court tournament since 2015, the year he won the last of his two titles there. He will play Casper Ruud for a place in the final. Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner overcame strong resistance from Holger Rune to set up a meeting with two-time champion Stefanos Tsitsipas. Rune saved two match points in the second-set tiebreaker before Sinner came out on top. Tsitsipas eased into the semifinals by defeating Karen Khachanov in straight sets.
