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TENNIS

Jannik Sinner overtakes Novak Djokovic with impressive statistic as he sets up Carlos Alcaraz showdown

By Admin October 2, 2024

Jannik Sinner downed Bu Yunchaokete in straight sets in the semi-finals of the 2024 China Open to set up a blockbuster final with Carlos Alcaraz.

The world No 1 earned a 6-3, 7-6(3) victory against the 22-year-old Chinese wildcard to progress to the final of the ATP 500 event in Beijing for the second straight year.

Sinner converted one of the six break points he had in the opening set to earn the only break of the match after saving three break points on his own serve in an important fifth game.

READ: WATCH: Jannik Sinner’s lawyer speaks out after WADA appeal decision to clear world No.1

The Italian then won a tight second set in a tiebreak to hold off the impressive Bu — who has jumped from 96th to a new career-high of 69th in the ATP Live Rankings.

Sinner has now won 17 of the last 18 tiebreaks he has played in a staggering run that illustrates how remarkably well he has performed under pressure during his superb 2024 season.

By reaching the Beijing title match, Sinner has become the ATP player with the highest percentage of finals reached at hard-court events played since the start of 2023 (with a minimum of 10 main draw appearances).

The 23-year-old has now made the final at 13 of the 23 hard-court tournaments (56.5%) he has competed in since the beginning of last season.

He has overtaken Novak Djokovic, who had been top in this category with his six finals from 11 hard-court events entered (54.5%) in the same period.

Percentage of finals reached at ATP hard-court events played since 2023

Jannik Sinner – 56.5% (13/23)

Novak Djokovic – 54.5% (6/11)

Daniil Medvedev – 43.5% (10/23)

Carlos Alcaraz – 25% (4/16)

Alex de Minaur – 20% (5/25)

Sinner will face his biggest rival, Alcaraz, in a mouth-watering final at the China Open on Tuesday. The Italian prevailed 7-6(4), 6-1 when the duo met in the semi-finals of the same event last year.

It will be the 10th meeting between Sinner and Alcaraz, with the Spaniard leading the head-to-head 5-4 having won the pair’s two previous meetings this year.

Sinner is aiming to defend the title he won in Beijing in 2023, while Alcaraz is seeking a maiden title in China.

This will be just their second encounter in a final after the 2022 Umag title match, which Sinner won in three sets.

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[VIDEO] “Father Time will catch up to him”: ‘Maybe’ Novak Djokovic’s time is running out

By Admin September 5, 2024

Novak Djokovic was dumped out of the US Open by Alexei Popyrin and Martina Navratilova sees it as a sign that perhaps his career is heading closer to its conclusion.

Navratilova was asked about Djokovic in a Q&A for Sky Sports and said that Father Time could be catching up on him and he could yet decide to end his career.

Albeit with the caveat that a certain Margaret Court 25 Grand Slam record looms large that he will want to tackle, but it has left many including Navratilova pondering about what his future holds.

“He got the one he really wanted, which was the Olympic gold medal, but he also still wants that 25th, because then he has one more than Margaret Court,” said Navratilova on Sky Sports.

What a journey for Novak Djokovic! 🎾🥇

Here is every match point from the Serbian's run to the gold medal at #Paris2024. @Paris2024 | @ITFTennis pic.twitter.com/wuGevYYVTA

— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) September 5, 2024

JUST IN: (VIDEO) Iga Swiatek breaks down in tears after tough Pegula US Open loss

“Father Time will catch up to him… and maybe it already is a little bit, because he really wasn’t himself in that last match.

“It depends how much the fire is still burning. If it’s still burning, I’m never going to say ‘you shouldn’t play’, because he’s never going to tarnish his legacy – it’s ridiculously good.

“I’m sure his wife is saying: ‘it’s time to hang it up, how many more of these do you need?’.

“Maybe just one more… but, then again, if he wins the Australian Open, he’s going to want to play Roland Garros and Wimbledon, right? He’s not going to quit then.

“It’s up to him. Either way, you can’t criticise because what a fantastic career. I would probably hang it up but if he loves, it why not?”

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TENNIS

US Open: Iga Swiatek may be destined to face the same fate as Novak Djokovic

By Admin September 3, 2024

Iga Swiatek may be destined to face the same fate as Novak Djokovic with tennis fans.

Where is the love for Iga Swiatek?

The world No 1 is undoubtedly the best player in the women’s game and her commanding lead at the top of the world rankings confirms her levels of consistency are in a different league compared to all of her rivals.

Yet when the lists of most popular tennis players are compiled, Swiatek rarely gets a mention.

READ: Novak Djokovic facing alarming rankings blow as he could miss key tournament

In the men’s game, it is easy to pick out Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner as the fans’ favourites, with Frances Tiafoe, Grigor Dimitrov, Jack Draper and Ben Shelton also enjoying a strong fan base.

In the women’s game, Coco Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka, Paula Badosa, Ons Jabeur and even the rarely seen Emma Raducanu tend to get more positive media coverage than the best player in women’s tennis.

It may be that Swiatek’s efficient brilliance has not captured the imagination of some fans, with her clinical ability to hand out 6-0 sets to her overwhelmed opponents a trait that some find less than appealing.

One of Iga’s biggest ‘crimes’ may be that she is just too good, with the way she wins tennis matches in such a brutal and swift fashion failing to serve up the excitement fans crave.

Away from her reputation as a winning machine, Swiatek is everything we want from our sporting greats.

She is vulnerable at times, shows her frailties on court and can collapse under pressure on the rare occasions when she allows an an opponent to get on top of her in a match.

Swiatek is also an outspoken supporter of making life better for players, with her pleas for a trimmed-down tennis schedule backed up by her honest confessions over the social media abuse that comes her way.

“The amount of hate and criticism that me and my team get after even losing a set is just ridiculous,” she said earlier this month. “I want to encourage people to be more thoughtful when they comment on the Internet.

“It’s kind of sad for me to see that people I work with and myself, we are really judged.

“I would like to encourage people to be more thoughtful and to also focus on the positive side of what we are doing. We all sacrifice a lot, and we are all working really hard to be in that place. We are always giving 100% of what we can do every day.

“I’m only kind of seeing the messages from my close ones, the ones that I already accepted, but for sure there is a lot of hate.

“It would be nice if we can try to educate people and also maybe in the future have some solutions as, you know, using Al to make it safer for us.

“Because I feel like we can’t be on the internet and feel like kind of safe anymore. You have to really be careful about what you’re reading and who you’re following.

“I know that there are some tools that, for example, Roland Garros offered for us, like this app that we can have on the phone, and it’s going to block the hateful messages.

“My team also has been kind of looking in my case what kind of messages have been blocked or not when we’re using this app. It would be nice if we had more opportunities to use this kind of tools because it’s always some kind of help.”

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Novak Djokovic facing alarming rankings blow as he could miss key tournament

By Admin September 2, 2024

Novak Djokovic is reeling from his shock US Open defeat and the rest of 2024 appears to be laced with peril for the 24-time Grand Slam king.

Djokovic said he “played some of the worst tennis I have ever played” after he followed Carlos Alcaraz in crashing out of the US Open.

Alcaraz was the subject of one of the tournament’s biggest upsets when he was dumped out by world number 76 Botic van De Zandschulp on Thursday night.

JUST IN: Watch as Serena Williams lifts Iga Swiatek’s spirit before victory over Pavlyuchenkova

And 24 hours later, defending champion Djokovic joined him in leaving New York early after 28th seed Alexei Popyrin won 6-4 6-4 2-6 6-4 in the third round.

Defeat for Djokovic means it is the first time since 2017 he has not won a major title and is his earliest exit at a major since the Australian Open that year.

It extends the Serbian’s wait for a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title and, at 37, his domination may be coming to an end.

What comes next will say much about Djokovic’s commitment to continue to push for more at the top of the game, with confirmation that he will play for Serbia in their Davis Cup World Group I playoffs against Greece later this month.

Serbia need to win that tie to get back into a position to challenge for Davis Cup glory in 2025 and if Djokovic plays against Greece, it suggests he still has ambitions to win the Davis Cup once again next year.

He has also been entered into the Shanghai Masters, but it is unclear whether he will make the decision to fly to China to take part in that part of the ATP Tour season.

Djokovic has not played in Shanghai since 2019, but he will need to make a decision on whether to make the long trip this time as he is in danger of missing out on a place in the end-of-season ATP Finals in Turin in November.

The Serbian won the ATP Finals last year, beating Jannik Sinner in a thrilling final to confirm his status as the world No 1.

With his limited schedule and poor results, by his standards, on the first half of 2024, Djokovic is down in seventh place in this year’s ATP Race To Turin.

The top eight players in that list will play in the ATP Finals, with Alex de Minaur, Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul pushing to overtake Djokovic in the ATP Race at this year’s US Open.

The top eight players qualify for the lucrative ATP Finals, with Djokovic’s win at that event last year securing him 1,300 ATP Ranking points.

He also has 1,000 points to defend from his win at the Paris Masters event last year, but the biggest concern for Djokovic will be securing a chance to defend his ATP Finals title.

If he opted out of playing in China and didn’t enjoy success at this year’s Paris Masters, Djokovic may well be outside of the top eight places in the ATP Race To Turin.

Djokovic may not be too concerned about his ATP Ranking at this late phase of his career, but he will want to be part of the ATP Finals, where he is a seven-time champion.

He will need to improve on his performance if he is to get into the mix for a return to Turin, with Djokovic scathing of his performance, against Popyrin.

“Honestly, the way I felt and the way I played from the beginning of this tournament, third round is a success,” said Djokovic.

“I have played some of the worst tennis I have ever played, honestly, serving by far the worst ever.

“If you play on a quick surface like this without the serve, without the ability to win free points there, very low first-serve percentage, many double faults, then you can’t win.

“You can’t win, especially against the guys who are in form like Alexei who is serving big, puts a lot of pressure on your service game. It was just an awful match for me.”

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Jannik Sinner reacts to Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz’s shock US Open exits after statement win

By Admin September 1, 2024

Jannik Sinner addressed the upset defeats suffered by his rivals Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz at the 2024 US Open as he continued his title bid with a dominant victory.

The world No 1 reflected that the surprise losses prove “anything can happen in this sport” as he outlined his approach of staying focused on himself.

Alcaraz crashed out of the hard-court major in a stunning straight-set second round defeat to Botic van de Zandschulp on Thursday. The 21-year-old Spaniard, who was seeded third, won the previous two Grand Slams at the French Open and Wimbledon.

READ: Defeated Carlos Alcaraz makes brutal ‘not changing’ admission after stunning US Open loss

Djokovic, who was the defending US Open champion, followed Alcaraz out of the tournament on Friday after a four-set third round loss to Alexei Popyrin. The 37-year-old Serbian claimed the gold medal at the Paris Olympics in his previous event.

With the exit of his two biggest competitors, Sinner emerged as the clear favourite to win the men’s singles title at the US Open.

The 23-year-old Italian star solidified this status by steamrolling Christopher O’Connell 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 on Arthur Ashe Stadium court in the third round at Flushing Meadows.

Sinner broke the 30-year-old Australian five times and did not face a single break point on his own serve in a one-sided contest. He now holds a 2-1 record against O’Connell, who is currently ranked 87th in the world.

In his on-court interview after his victory, Sinner gave his reaction to the upsets of Alcaraz and Djokovic.

“As we see, anything can happen in this sport,” Sinner said. “I try to stay on my side of the net. Taking it day by day. Each opponent is a tough challenge. Trying to enjoy every moment on the court.

“There have been a couple of upsets. Let’s see what’s coming. I’m happy to still be here and hopefully play as many matches as possible.”

On the match, Sinner added: “For sure, today was a great match. I knew I had to play very solid throughout the whole match. We played a few times.

“The serve was working well today. I’m happy about my performance. Obviously thanks everyone for the support. It’s been amazing.”

Sinner will face either Tommy Paul or Gabriel Diallo in the last 16 of the US Open as he continues his bid to add a second Grand Slam title to his 2024 Australian Open crown.

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TENNIS

Defeated Carlos Alcaraz makes brutal ‘not changing’ admission after stunning US Open loss

By Admin August 30, 2024

Carlos Alcaraz sensationally admitted that he feels like he is “not changing” after crashing out in the second round of the US Open.

World No 3 and reigning French Open and Wimbledon champion Alcaraz came into New York as one of the favourites for the title, looking to add to his 2022 US Open triumph.

However, in one of the biggest upsets in tournament history, the former world No 1 was comprehensively outplayed in a 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 loss to Botic van de Zandschulp on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

JUST IN: Iga Swiatek admits she ‘doesn’t feel safe’ as ‘hate’ flows in her direction

It was a scintillating performance from the world No 74, who claimed just the second top-five win of his performance in convincing fashion.

But it was a messy performance from Alcaraz, who was broken six times across the match and hit 27 errors compared to just 21 winners.

And the 21-year-old pulled no punches post-match.

In a brutal press conference, he admitted that he is “not changing” and is failing to learn from past defeats.

He said: “There was a lot of emotions I couldn’t control, it was kind of up in some points, then I lose in some points and it gets down.

“It was like a rollercoaster in my mind – it can be like that if I want to think about big things. I have to improve it, I have to learn about it.

“There’s a few matches that I’ve felt like that, where – after every match that I felt like that – I always said the same: I said to learn about it, I have to think about it. If I’m feeling what I’m thinking right now, I’m not changing. That’s the problem.

“If I’m going to sit here after the matches that I feel or I felt like that I couldn’t deal with it, that I couldn’t change the match, couldn’t push up a little bit and say I have to think about it, I have to learn about it, I’m never going to change. It’s going to be really tough if I want to improve, so I can’t say much about it.

“It was a fight against myself, my mind, during the match. In tennis, you are playing against someone who wants the same as you – to win the match.

“You have to be as much calm as you can, you have to think better during the match and try to do good things. Today I was playing against the opponent and I was playing against myself, in my mind.”

Defeat for Alcaraz comes after a summer that has become more increasingly difficult for him.

Initially, he was flying high after triumphs at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, though has now lost three of his past four matches.

The Spaniard was beaten in the Olympic Games final to Novak Djokovic and then lost his opening match at the Cincinnati Open to Gael Monfils, before his round two defeat in New York.

Defeat also means that, at best, he will stay as world No 3 after the US Open, with Alexander Zverev guaranteed to move ahead of him in the ATP Rankings.

Daniil Medvedev and Novak Djokovic could also leapfrog him with runs to the title.

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Carlos Alcaraz is one of 4 men to hold record that eluded Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer

By Admin August 29, 2024

Carlos Alcaraz preserved his unbeaten record in opening round matches at Grand Slams with his four-set victory over Li Tu at the 2024 US Open.

The world No 3, who is the defending French Open and Wimbledon champion, saw off Tu, who is ranked 186th in the world, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 at Flushing Meadows.

The Spaniard is one of only four men who have not lost in the first round of a major, with even the Big Three suffering this fate on multiple occasions each.

JUST IN: Iga Swiatek joins Serena Williams and other legends with two stellar achievements at US Open

Roger Federer lost six opening round Grand Slam matches, Rafael Nadal has lost three, while Novak Djokovic has lost two.

Here are the four players with a 100% win rate in opening round men’s singles matches at Grand Slams in the Open Era (in 128-player, seven round draws).

Rod Laver – 11-0

Rod Laver won all 11 of the first round matches he played in Open Era Grand Slam tournaments that used the 128-player draw, seven round format.

From these 11 campaigns, the Australian icon secured titles at Wimbledon (1968 and 1969), the French Open (1969) and the US Open (1969). In total, Laver won 11 majors and 72 singles titles recognised by the ATP in his career.

Ken Rosewall – 15-0

Ken Rosewall amassed a perfect 15-0 record in opening round contests at 128-player draw majors in the Open Era.

From these 15 Grand Slams, the Australian great won the US Open in 1970, while he was also a runner-up at Wimbledon (1970 and 1974) and the US Open (1974). Rosewall won eight major titles and 40 ATP-listed singles titles overall.

Carlos Alcaraz – 15-0

Alcaraz has won every first round match he has played in his 15 Grand Slam main draw appearances in his career to date.

The 21-year-old Spanish star has secured four titles from his 14 previous major campaigns and has reached at least the quarter-finals nine times. Alcaraz’s opening round win at the 2024 US Open took his Grand Slam record to a superb 60-10.

Bjorn Borg – 26-0

Bjorn Borg holds the record for the most opening round major matches won without losing, having finished his career with a perfect 26-0 record.

The Swedish legend won 11 Grand Slam titles and advanced to the quarter-finals or better in 21 of his 26 major main draw appearances. Borg compiled an outstanding 141-16 Grand Slam match record.

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‘No friends here’: Carlos Alcaraz opens up on his relationship with Novak Djokovic

By Admin August 28, 2024

Carlos Alcaraz revealed he shares a “really good friendship” with Novak Djokovic off the court after making a winning start to his campaign at the 2024 US Open.

The four-time Grand Slam champion declared, though, that there are “no friends” on the tennis tour once players take to the court to compete.

Alcaraz and Djokovic have faced off seven times so far in a fascinating intergenerational rivalry, with all of their encounters coming in finals or semi-finals at big tournaments.

JUST IN: Iga Swiatek stands firm on ‘crazy’ scheduling comments and insists tennis is going in the wrong direction

Djokovic holds a 4-3 advantage after winning the pair’s most recent clash in the gold medal match at the 2024 Paris Olympics at the start of August. The duo could meet in the final at the US Open as they are on opposite sides of the draw.

Alcaraz defeated world No 186 Li Tu 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 in the opening round of the New York Grand Slam to set up a second round match against 74th-ranked Botic van de Zandschulp. Djokovic downed world No 138 Radu Albot 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 in his first match.

Speaking after his first round win against the Australian qualifier, Alcaraz spoke about his rivalry and relationship with Djokovic.

“Well, obviously we have a good rivalry,” the world No 3 said. “Every time that we step on the court, we played really high tennis. Every time that we faced against each other, it has been a really good and intense match.

“But, yeah, we have a really good friendship off the court. We talk a lot in the lockers every time that we see each other around. With his team as well.

“Once we step on the court, there are no friends here on tour, but after that, after the court, I have a really good relationship with a lot of players, and one of them is Novak.”

The 21-year-old Spaniard also outlined the need to raise his level as he assessed his performance against Tu.

“Well, first of all, I’m really happy to get through and get a chance to be better the next round,” Alcaraz reflected. “Obviously, I felt well on court. I think I hit the ball well. I moved well.

“A few things that I have to improve if I want to, you know, keep going in the draw, but obviously I have to give credit to him as well that he played really good tennis and today surprised me a little bit in the second set. After that, really I leave the court happy with my performance.”

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‘I wasn’t aware of it to be honest’ – Novak Djokovic sets new men’s record at US Open

By Admin August 27, 2024

The milestones continue to pile up for Novak Djokovic with the tennis great setting a new record for most wins by a man on Arthur Ashe Stadium with his latest victory at the US Open.

Fresh from completing a career Golden Slam following his gold medal success at the Paris Olympics, Djokovic opened his title defence at Flushing Meadows with a solid 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 victory over qualifier Radu Albot in the first round on the showpiece court on Monday.

The victory was Djokovic’s 89th at the US Open with 78 of those coming on Arthur Ashe Stadium, the latter a new record for most wins on Ashe by a man.

READ: ANALYSIS: The story of Jannik Sinner’s doping scandal as fans and players wait with anger

He also joined Roger Federer in second place for most wins at the US Open with Jimmy Connors’ record of 98 safe for at least another year.

“I wasn’t aware of it [record for most wins on Arthur Ashe] to be honest. It’s the biggest stadium. Definitely the loudest we have in the history of our sport,” the 24-time Grand Slam winner said. “The night sessions are the best in the world on Arthur Ashe. Ever since the roof was introduced it became even louder. Electric atmosphere. Incredible energy.

“Obviously with some new rules this year with the crowd able to move around, there are a lot of things happening on court. We’re clocking midnight right now. I love night seasons, maybe not this late, but nevertheless it was great fun.”

Djokovic broke twice in the first set, three times in the second and once in the third although Albot did get some joy in the second set as he managed one break of serve.

The victory also helped him to extend his streak for most first-round wins at Grand Slams as he now sits on 71 – well clear of Roger Federer on 65 in second place with Chris Evert third on 56.

The second seed, though, acknowledges he needs to brush up on his game as he made 40 unforced errors, served 10 double faults and landed 47 per cent of first serves.

But considering it is his first match on a hard court in months, a win is always welcome.

“I wanted to kick start the tournament in the right way and I think I did,” Djokovic, who faces fellow Serbian Laslo Djere in the second round, said. “Some ups and downs which I think is normal, getting the rust off your shoulders coming off a different surface and the Olympic Games.

“I haven’t played on hard courts for six months, so I’m still finding that groove, finding the tempo on the court.”

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[VIDEO] US Open 2024: More Pressure on Coco Gauff to Defend

By Admin August 26, 2024

The US Open is here, and with it comes a wave of excitement and anticipation that sweeps through tennis fans worldwide. But with all that excitement, there’s also a hefty dose of pressure, especially for the local favorite, Coco Gauff.

As the American sensation steps onto the court, she’s not just playing for herself—she’s carrying the hopes and expectations of millions. The buzz around her is electric, but with the buzz comes the weight of responsibility.

In a video shared by the official X account of the US Open, several fans can be seen predicting the title winner. On the men’s side, there seemed to be a draw between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, with several fans supporting either of the two as the probable title contender. But on the women’s side, Gauff emerged as the clear favorite. Although the names of Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek can also be heard in the video, the number of people backing them is very few.

JUST IN: Novak Djokovic sends ‘different mode’ warning as he addresses US Open injury ‘issues’

We asked fans for correct answers only 🤔 pic.twitter.com/yQlLN3XjpA

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 25, 2024

Gauff has not witnessed a remarkable season in the American hard-court swing this year, so far. She was ousted in her second match of the Canadian Open, where she faced a defeat from Diana Shnaider. Similar situations unfolded for the star player at the Cincinnati Masters, where she was baffled in her opening match itself, against Yulia Putinsteva. But despite the setbacks, Gauff has found great support from her fans and well-wishers ahead of the US Open.

For Gauff, this support comes at a time when the star player herself admitted the increased pressure on her shoulders. Remember, the 20-year-old would be entering the US Open as the defending champion and hence, expectations from her to win the title are immense. Gauff reflected upon this and said, “Obviously, coming in as defending champion is a little bit of pressure, but also more of a privilege, because as my new motto is: If you defend, that means you won something before.”

But the major question that emerges amidst the support is: Can Gauff rise to the occasion? While the increased anticipation might result in increased pressure, the American star opened up about her form ahead of the US Open.

Coco Gauff might have underperformed at the American hardcourt swing this season so far, but that does not nullify the challenge that she would be posing for her opponents. Ahead of the final grand slam of the year, Gauff revealed that she is well-poised and is having great practice sessions.

Speaking in the pre-tournament presser, the reigning US Open champion said, “The last couple of practices have gone really well, which before, like, during Cincinnati wasn’t having great practices, in Toronto wasn’t having great practices. Here I’m having great practices, which, you know, doesn’t mean I’m going to go out on the match and play great, but it does give you more confidence when you’re actually practicing great the week before a tournament, yeah.”

With Gauff’s first match less than 24 hours away, it would be interesting to see if her intense practice sessions amalgamated with the support she is receiving help her win big at the US Open. Can she defend her title?

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