US Open champion Stephens heads to China

IMAGE: Roger Federer says finishing the year as World No 1 is a long shot. Photograph: Aly Song/Reuters Roger Federer is eyeing a seventh ATP Finals crown and has not ruled out pinching the world number one ranking from Rafael Nadal if he maintains the form that won him his second Shanghai Masters trophy on Sunday.   The 19-time grand slam winner claimed his 94th title and sixth this year with an emphatic defeat of Nadal in the Shanghai final and is hungry for a first ATP Finals win since ...

Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova has soared up in the latest WTA Rankings post her first title win in Tianjin since returning from a doping ban.Sharapova, who defeated Belarusian teenager Aryna Sabalenka 7-5, 7-6 (8) on Sunday, has moved from 86 to 57, ...

Sania Mirza and her doubles partner Shuai Peng's campaign in the China Open ended after they suffered a 6-2, 1-6, 5-10 defeat in the semifinal to Martina Hingis and Chan Yung-jan here today.Swiss veteran Hingis and her her Taiwanese partner will take on Timea ...

IMAGE: Spain's Rafael Nadal returns a shot during his first round match against France's Lucas Pouille on day four of the China Open at the China National Tennis Centre in Beijing on Wednesday. Photograph: Lintao Zhang/Getty Images Rafael Nadal came within a whisker of making an opening-round exit at the China Open on Tuesday as he was pushed to three sets by Frenchman Lucas Pouille before winning 4-6, 7-6(6), 7-5. The world number one, who was beaten by Pouille the last time they met at the ...

Keys and Stephens to put friendship to grand slam test   IMAGE: A composite image of 2017 US Open Women's Finalists Madison Keys (left) and Sloane Stephens. Photographs: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images and Al Bello/Getty Images. Madison Keys and Sloane Stephens will put their friendship to a grand slam test on Saturday when the best friends battle in the final of the US Open. After a long wait the new generation of American tennis will step into the Arthur Ashe Stadium spotlight for an ...

IMAGE: Victoria Azarenka. Photograph: Kena Betancur/Reuters Two-time grand slam winner Victoria Azarenka has withdrawn from the US Open as she is not allowed to take her baby son out of California amid a custody battle with her former partner.   The 28-year-old Belarusian returned to action in June, after the birth of her son Leo last December, and had been hopeful that legal arrangements could be worked out to allow her to compete in the August 28-September 10 grand slam in New York. "I ...

Eugenie Bouchard's mid-season nosedive continued on Tuesday as the Canadian was swept aside 6-3 6-4 by Croatian qualifier Donna Vekic despite having home advantage and the backing of an excited crowd in a first round clash at the Rogers Cup. With only one ...