Tennis
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Stomach virus rules Nadal out of Abu Dhabi return
Former world number one Rafael Nadal’s long-awaited return after an agonising six-month knee injury battle has been put off because of a stomach infection he revealed on his Twitter and Facebook sites this week. The 26-year-old Spaniard – who has...
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Nadal puts fitness before results ahead of comeback
Rafael Nadal will not worry about results as he makes his latest comeback from persistent knee problems. The 26-year-old Spaniard won the French Open this year but missed the last six months of the season after playing at Wimbledon when he knew he...
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VLTC mixed doubles event
Mixed doubles tournaments are always popular in clubs where social tennis is practised. One such event is the John West Foods Mixed Doubles at the Vittoriosa Lawn Tennis Club which came to a close recently. The tournament was sponsored by Crown Cold...
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ATP against Monday finish
The ATP has criticised the United States Tennis Association’s decision to extend the US Open by a day next year to feature a Monday men’s singles final. The USTA bowed to player demands to introduce a day between the semi-finals and final of both...
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RGarros works extended
The extension being planned for Roland Garros stadium, home to the French Open, will not be completed until 2018, a year later than originally planned, the president of the French Tennis Federation has said. Former rugby international Jean Gachassin...
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Murray pleased with US Open changes
Defending champion Andy Murray hailed a victory for player power following confirmation that the finalists at next year’s US Open will have a day off after their semi-finals. The change means the year’s fourth and last grand slam will run into a...
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Lendl partnership is long-term says Murray
Andy Murray has said that he wants coach Ivan Lendl to stay with him on a long-term basis, possibly for the next five years. The Scot hooked up with the Czech a year ago and in the last 12 months he won Olympic gold, his first major title at the US...
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Clijsters bids farewell with Venus victory
Former world number one Kim Clijsters celebrated the end of her sparkling tennis career with a victory in an exhibition match against American rival Venus Williams on Wednesday night in Antwerp. The Belgian, who won 41 career singles titles, played...
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Djokovic and Williams named ITF champions
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic has beaten Andy Murray to the International Tennis Federation’s (ITF) annual men’s World Champion award with American Serena Williams taking the women’s prize for a third time. Djokovic, who ended a second successive year on...
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Federer targets Rio Olympics
Roger Federer wants to play at the 2016 Rio Olympics and will cut back his schedule in an effort to extend his shelf life. The 17-time Grand Slam title winner will be 35 by the time the Rio Games come around, but the Swiss world number two remains...
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Australia axe Tomic from team over poor attitude
Captain Pat Rafter will not select troubled Bernard Tomic for Australia’s opening Davis Cup tie next year amid concerns over his on and off-court behaviour, Tennis Australia said yesterday. Tomic, 20, has fallen foul of Tennis Australia several...
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Junior Tennis Open at VLTC
The Vittoriosa Lawn Tennis Club (VLTC) will be organising its annual Christmas Junior Open in accordance with the Malta Tennis Federation calendar. The tournament, sponsored by NexiaBT, is a ranking event and is open to players from under 10 up to...
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Nadal eyes clay season for return to top form
Rafael Nadal is aiming to be back to his best after injury in time for the claycourt season and the run-up to Roland Garros, the Spaniard said this week. The 26-year-old former world number one has slipped down to fourth in the ATP rankings and has...
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Serena is WTA Player of the Year
Serena Williams has been named WTA Tour Player of the Year for the fourth time after winning Wimbledon, the US Open and Olympic gold in a stunning summer of success. The American started the year poorly amid concerns over her fitness and motivation...
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Pecotic wins BOV Masters title at Marsa
Matija Pecotic is the winner of the BOV Malta Men’s Masters Singles title for 2012 following his 6-1 6-1 victory over Bradley Callus in the final. The event was the last men’s tournament of the Malta Tennis Federation’s calendar for the year and was...
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Lendl cool on back-to-back Grand Slams for Murray
Ivan Lendl played down Andy Murray’s chances of sealing back-to-back Grand Slams at the Australian Open, warning it was “very, very difficult to succeed” in a highly competitive era. Lendl has coached Murray to Olympic gold and the US Open title,...
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Nadal back on training court
Rafael Nadal returned to the training court and started hitting balls again yesterday for the first time since the latest in a series of knee injuries forced his withdrawal from the US Open at the end of August. The 11-times grand slam singles...
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Spain’s Corretja on the defensive
Spain captain Alex Corretja has defended his decision to pick Nicolas Almagro for the Davis Cup final after the holders were beaten 3-2 by Czech Republic when Almagro lost the decisive singles rubber to Radek Stepanek on Sunday. Corretja, in his...
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Czechs secure Davis Cup win
The Czech Republic won the Davis Cup after Radek Stepanek stunned Spain’s Nicolas Almagro in the decisive rubber of the 100th final in Prague yesterday. Stepanek, the world number 37, beat 11th-ranked Almagro 6-4, 7-6 (7/0), 3-6, 6-3 in three hours...
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Czechs stun Spain in Davis Cup doubles
Hosts Czech Republic came within a point of winning the Davis Cup final after beating holders Spain in the doubles rubber yesterday to take a 2-1 overall lead. Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek beat Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez 3-6, 7-5, 7-5, 6-3...
