American Jennifer Brady held her nerve and closed out Karolina Muchova on her fifth match point in the Australian Open semifinals on Thursday, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, to reach her first Grand Slam final.
Having advanced to her first major semifinal at the US Open last summer, the former UCLA star is the first female college tennis player to get through to a major final since Kathy Jordan at the 1983 Australian Open.
“I can’t feel my legs,” she said in her on-court interview.
“My legs are shaking, my heart is racing.”
The No. 25-seeded Muchova had pulled off some major upsets to get to the final four, beating No. 6 seed Karolina Pliskova in the third round and No. 1 seed Ashleigh Barty in the quarterfinals. And after dropping the opening set against Brady, she played an almost flawless second set—making just one unforced error—and kept that momentum going early in the third, holding serve at love for 1-0.
That’s when Brady found her very best tennis, though, winning three games in a row to go up a break at 3-1. The two held from there until it was all over, though there was a dramatic finish—a 14-minute, six-deuce final game where Brady missed her first four match points and staved off three break points.
Muchova hit one last forehand unforced error on match point No. 5.
Brady said afterwards she came out for the match feeling a little flat.
“I was super excited, but at the same time I was pretty flat footed,” she described. “My legs felt fresh, but at the same time they just weren’t moving. I felt like I was stuck in the mud.
“I didn’t really pick up my intensity until the third set.”
Getty Images
The No. 22-seeded Brady’s reward for her one-hour, 55-minute victory over Muchova is a rematch with the player who beat her in the 2020 US Open semifinals: the No. 3 seed, Naomi Osaka.
“I’m obviously pretty excited to be in the finals here at the Australian Open. It’s an incredible achievement,” Brady said. “I think it’ll be a really tough match. Obviously she’s won a few Grand Slams. We had a tough match at the US Open in the semifinals. I think she even said that it was one of her top two matches, which was a little bit unfortunate for me at the time.
“I think it’ll be a really good match.”
Osaka won that terrific encounter in three sets, 7-6 (1), 3-6, 6-3, as well as the pair’s only other tour-level meeting in the first round of Charleston—on green clay—in 2018, 6-4, 6-4.
Brady has two career wins over Top 10 players, both in the early months of 2020 before the tour was suspended due to COVID-19. She beat No. 1 Barty in Brisbane, then No. 6 Elina Svitolina in Dubai.
If she manages to take out Osaka, she’ll be the first female college player to win a major since Barbara Jordan—the aforementioned Kathy Jordan’s sister—achieved the feat at the 1979 Australian Open.
Source. https://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2021/02/american-jennifer-brady-reaches-first-major-final-australian-open-defeats-muchova-college-1983/92989/
Badge 11May: ALL Badge Matches CancelledMay 11, 2024
MLTC Newsletter – 6 May 2024May 6, 2024
Greetings from ALBY: our Italian friend
/in Club News, Goss /by RobSydney Badge 2021 Team Lists
/in Badge, Club News /by Rob2021 Sydney Badge Competition Preliminary Gradings
/in Club News /by RobThank-you for your efforts in entering your teams for the 2021 Competition.
Please see attached the preliminary grading for each competition. We entrust that you will pass these gradings on to your relevant team contacts.
Some things to note:
As a result of this release, any team that wishes to appeal their preliminary grading must do so through the Badge Delegate and must be submitted according to Rule 9 – Grading Appeal. As per the rules, appeals must be received within 4 days of the release of preliminary grading. Please provide as much information about your team as possible including ratings and 2020 results. Team lists will not be sent out in 2021.
Please note the deadline for grading appeals is 5pm on Saturday, 13th March 2021. No late appeals will be considered by the panel.
We look forward to another great competition in 2021.
Kind Regards.
TNSW Competitions Team.
When will I get a COVID-19 vaccine? | Australian Government Department of Health
/in COVID /by RobAustralia’s COVID-19 vaccines will become available in phases. Learn about priority groups and who will receive the first doses of the vaccine.
Source
Senior Championship Results
/in Club Championships, Club News /by RobThe Aged Club Championships were completed on Sunday with Andrew Riminton and George Paul combining to win The Hylton Mace Trophy which is awarded for Mens combined 100 doubles.
Rob Muir/Fernando Alves and Stefan Fontes/Gavin Mcvean were the other pairs in the round robin.
On Saturday The Ladies 40 plus doubles was won by Krista Oates/Sarah Bunting who defeated Pam Muir and Liz Lim in the final.
The Mens 40 plus doubles was won by Richard Steeds/Steve Nettleton who defeated Geoff Dunstan/Fernando Alves in the final.
Thanks to all the players who entered and we all can look forward to Badge which begins on April 24.
The preliminary gradings will be released on March 5.
Denis Crowley.
Rising star: Matthew Curtis
/in Club News, Goss /by Goss Editor[The Washington Post] Novak Djokovic claims his 18th Grand Slam singles title
/in Club News, Goss /by RobOne day, Novak Djokovic’s dominance at the Australian Open will come to an end. Such is the reality of time — the opponent that champion athletes can stave off but never defeat.
Sunday at Melbourne Park, Djokovic left no doubt that his time is still now at Rod Laver Arena, routing Russian Daniil Medvedev 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 to win his ninth Australian Open title.
More significantly, Djokovic claimed his 18th Grand Slam, closing the gap on career rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, who are knotted at a men’s record 20 majors each. Against a Russian challenger who was riding a 20-match winning streak, Djokovic, 33, staged a breathtaking display of pace, power and precision to dispatch Medvedev with ruthless efficiency.
Djokovic won 14 of the last 18 games and roared in triumph less than two hours after the first ball was struck, keeping intact his record of never having lost an Australian Open final.
Djokovic’s relative ease in claiming the title on Sunday underscored his very real prospect of matching or surpassing the men’s record 20 majors shared by Nadal and Federer. That’s not to say that Nadal won’t be favored to win a 14th French Open in June or that a ninth Wimbledon is beyond Federer’s reach, at 39. “Roger and Rafa inspire me,” Djokovic said afterward. “I think as long as they go, I’ll go. In a way it’s a race who plays tennis more, I guess, and who wins more. It’s a competition between us in all areas. But I think that’s the very reason why we are who we are — because we do drive each other, we motivate each other, we push each other to the limit.”
Djokovic’s dominance Sunday also underscored the gap that remains between the sport’s Big Three — Federer, Nadal and Djokovic — and the younger rivals seeking to dethrone them, particularly at Grand Slam events. Said Medvedev, 25, a multi-linguist, astute tactician and delightful interview: “We are talking about some Cyborgs of tennis — in a good way. They are just unbelievable.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/02/21/novak-djokovic-daniil-medvedev-australian-open-final
MLTC Newsletter 21 Feb 2021
/in Club Championships, Club News /by RobCongratulations to our weekend winners in our Senior Club Championships
Ladies 40 plus Singles was won by Virginia Longfellow who defeated Sarah Bunting by one game in the round robin.Krista Oates finished third.
Men’s 40 plus singles Milton Da Rocha defeated Fernando Alves 6-5 in a tightly fought-out final.
On Sunday in the Combined 100 Mixed Kristina Curtis and Geoff Dunstan had a comfortable win in the final over Francine Borg and Stefan Fontes.
Next Saturday the Ladies and Men’s 40 plus Doubles will start at 1PM
On Sunday The Combined Men’s 100 Doubles will begin at 1PM.
Entries for Sunday are small so entry is still possible.
Denis Crowley
JENNIFER BRADY REACHES FIRST MAJOR FINAL AT AUSTRALIAN OPEN
/in Club News /by RobAmerican Jennifer Brady held her nerve and closed out Karolina Muchova on her fifth match point in the Australian Open semifinals on Thursday, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, to reach her first Grand Slam final.
Having advanced to her first major semifinal at the US Open last summer, the former UCLA star is the first female college tennis player to get through to a major final since Kathy Jordan at the 1983 Australian Open.
“I can’t feel my legs,” she said in her on-court interview.
“My legs are shaking, my heart is racing.”
The No. 25-seeded Muchova had pulled off some major upsets to get to the final four, beating No. 6 seed Karolina Pliskova in the third round and No. 1 seed Ashleigh Barty in the quarterfinals. And after dropping the opening set against Brady, she played an almost flawless second set—making just one unforced error—and kept that momentum going early in the third, holding serve at love for 1-0.
That’s when Brady found her very best tennis, though, winning three games in a row to go up a break at 3-1. The two held from there until it was all over, though there was a dramatic finish—a 14-minute, six-deuce final game where Brady missed her first four match points and staved off three break points.
Muchova hit one last forehand unforced error on match point No. 5.
Brady said afterwards she came out for the match feeling a little flat.
“I was super excited, but at the same time I was pretty flat footed,” she described. “My legs felt fresh, but at the same time they just weren’t moving. I felt like I was stuck in the mud.
“I didn’t really pick up my intensity until the third set.”
Getty Images
The No. 22-seeded Brady’s reward for her one-hour, 55-minute victory over Muchova is a rematch with the player who beat her in the 2020 US Open semifinals: the No. 3 seed, Naomi Osaka.
“I’m obviously pretty excited to be in the finals here at the Australian Open. It’s an incredible achievement,” Brady said. “I think it’ll be a really tough match. Obviously she’s won a few Grand Slams. We had a tough match at the US Open in the semifinals. I think she even said that it was one of her top two matches, which was a little bit unfortunate for me at the time.
“I think it’ll be a really good match.”
Osaka won that terrific encounter in three sets, 7-6 (1), 3-6, 6-3, as well as the pair’s only other tour-level meeting in the first round of Charleston—on green clay—in 2018, 6-4, 6-4.
Brady has two career wins over Top 10 players, both in the early months of 2020 before the tour was suspended due to COVID-19. She beat No. 1 Barty in Brisbane, then No. 6 Elina Svitolina in Dubai.
If she manages to take out Osaka, she’ll be the first female college player to win a major since Barbara Jordan—the aforementioned Kathy Jordan’s sister—achieved the feat at the 1979 Australian Open.
Source. https://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2021/02/american-jennifer-brady-reaches-first-major-final-australian-open-defeats-muchova-college-1983/92989/
Ladies 2021 Badge Teams (Thursday)
/in Badge, Club News /by RobThursday Badge Ladies teams announced.
Please click link for teams.
Ladies 2021 Badge Teams
/in Badge, Club News /by RobDraft Saturday Badge Teams announced.
Please click link for teams.
Men’s 2021 Badge Teams
/in Badge, Club News /by RobDraft Men’s 2021 Badge Teams announced.
Please click link for teams.