Tennis

I am a paddle tennis player and finally a smart watch brand has remembered me

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I have carried a paddle tennis racket in my hand since I was little. I am worse than hunger, I am not hiding, but I like this sport and I must admit that I look with envy at the fans of, for example, golf or the running. As a lover of smart watches, I have always seen from afar manufacturers launch specific models and functions for runners and golf players with cool metrics, interesting analyzes and specific functions: yes, 3D courses, yes, footfall analysis, yes, that niche data that only the pros care about… And meanwhile, the padel players we were still thereusing the “tennis” mode that tells us little or nothing or, if available, the “paddle” mode that also does not give information about performance in the match. That’s why, walking through the halls of the Mobile World Congress, I couldn’t help but stop at the Mibro stand. Because? Because their watches have a paddle mode, but a useful one with relevant information for players of this sport. Yes, we really exist. Padel mode in the Mibro GS Explorer S-Ti | Image: Xataka My what? Mibro, “your brother in sport”, as one of the company’s workers at the stand tells me with a laugh. Mibro is a company of Zhenshi Information Technology, a Chinese company founded in 2015 with financing from Xiaomi and Nokia. The company specializes in sports wearables and has found a way to increase its presence in the European market in paddle tennis. In fact, they openly recognize it: it is not that padel is gaining traction in China, it is that they know that it is important in Europe and they believe they have a way to differentiate themselves there. And what do they offer? The company has a catalog of watches with a rather high-mid-range price. The most expensive model is the Mibro GS Explorer Swhich costs 349.99 euros and is made of titanium (it is the one in the photos and I must admit that it feels scary, although I would change the strap, which looks very good, for a silicone one for sports). However, it has cheaper models, such as the GS Active2which remains below 100 euros. The operating system is Mibro Galaxy OS 2.0, a very fancy to call an RTOS system that is very reminiscent of Huawei’s HarmonyOS. An example of the metrics associated with paddle tennis | Image: Xataka But let’s talk about padel. The key to these watches, and the reason why they have caught my attention, is because of their paddle tennis analysis. For the uninitiated, in paddle tennis there are different shots: forehand, backhand, volleys, spikes, layups, lobs, drop shots, etc. Understanding well which shots you are doing the most and why can help you understand a match and discover your areas for improvement. For example: if you have lost a match in which you have made many layups (cut, high and deep shot to keep the net), you may have to work on the volley and the force you apply when hitting, because they have been constantly knocking you out of the net with lobs (high and deep balls). If you have made many lobs and few volleys, layups or shots, it is probably because they have managed to keep you down and have not let you go up to the net to attack. Analysis of forehands and backhands | Image: Xataka And that’s where Mibro comes in.. As they have shown us at the stand, the watch is capable of detecting the number and percentage of each of the shots we make in a match. The watch allows us to know how many backhands, drives, layups, spikes, forehand and backhand lobs and forehand and backhand drop shots we have made and, for example, manually cross-check them with our heart rate to see which points have put us in trouble. Example of analysis of blows | Image: Xataka Speed ​​of blows | Image: Xataka It also counts calories and, even more importantly, the speed of the strokes. Although it is easy to associate paddle tennis with strong and very loud hits, the truth is that playing slowly is usually much more effective against players… nervous, let’s say. A weak ball to the side wall will probably do more damage than a strong shot or volley, in the same way that a layup does not necessarily have to be very fast. Knowing that information that, until now, we could not know, can be useful to focus training or take action. To recognize hits, the device is based on a six-axis accelerometer and intelligent algorithms, as is already done in many other watches and many other sports. How does it work? Unfortunately, and although we always want a padel, we have not had the opportunity to pick up the racket and throw some balls in the halls of the MWC, but the fact that it exists is already progress. Counting layups and shots | Image: Xataka An ideal world. At the expense of testing the watch in a real match situation, a function that would make a lot of sense (even via AI) is to be able to cross-reference the heart rate with the shot you have made or with the duration of the points, as well as the number of shots. That would allow us to see at what level of intensity we start to make mistakes, what shots we make when we are tired (perhaps we abuse the shot or miss more layups). The higher the intensity, the more the technique is distorted, and that causes errors. That type of information, well interpreted, is valuable if you are looking to train and improve. Images | Xataka In Xataka | I have been playing paddle tennis for years and I think Playtomic is an absolutely brilliant invention

There is a sport that is colonizing thousands of tennis courts in the US and expands strongly in Spain: Pickleball

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Francisco Javier Ronda the 50 and has no qualms about recognizing that the first time he played Pickleballafter a friend insisted, it seemed “a children’s game.” Simple. Affordable. Without more. Over time, however, that racket sport that seems to combine tennis ingredients, paddle and bádminton liked it so much that now, Recognize to The countryhe is preparing to exercise as a judge. It is not a unique case. The Pickleball has been gaining adherents in the United States (often colonizing spaces until not so much reserved to tennis) and now it is starring in an international expansion that has taken it To China… and Spain. What is Pickleball? At this point it is quite likely that you have already heard of him, that a relative/friend/co -worker told you how well the last time he threw a game or may even have participated in one. If not, nothing happens. He Pickleball It is summarized easily. Basically it is the new fashion sport, a discipline that It seems to mix Tennis elements, Ádel, Bádminton and table tennis so effectively that in the US It is colonizing Thousands and thousands of tennis courts. And how do you play? The Pickleball is a racket sport, but a little after a game is seen, it is proven that it is very different from tennis or paddle. To begin with, it is played with a rigid smooth surface shovel that must be adjusted to certain measures and a perforated plastic ball. The track is relatively small, of 13,41×6.10 metersalthough it is something different from those used in Bádminton: the line that delimits the “non -volley” area is 2.13 m from the network, which reaches some 86 cm high in the center. The matches are played individual or in pairs. How are the rules? Relatively simple. Players must get the ball to pass over the network and fall inside the track respecting the “Do not volley” area when they hit the blows. Another important guideline is that the serves should be made without lifting the arm from the bottom line and falling out of the non -volley zone. If it is the first blow of a team, the ball has to bounce once on the track before the opponent returns it. Two other keys that you should keep in mind if you are going to set a game is that if the ball bounces twice on the same track the game ends and that only the team you take can score points. To complete a successful game you need 11 points and have two advantage over opponents. The huge (and growing) popularity of the Pickleball led in 2024 to the Royal Spanish Tennis Federation (RFET) to dedicate A section on your website, in which the rules can be read in detail. Sports brands like Nike too They have launched to explain its dynamics. So successful? Yes. Pickleball is not new. Its origins can go back to The 1960salthough its popular boom is much more recent. Ethan Singer recently published A wide report in The New York Times in which it shows how in the US there are courts and more tennis courts that are being reconvirting on pickleball tracks taking advantage of two great advantages: its smallest size and that this last sport awakens more and more enthusiasm. According to Singer’s calculations, the result of the analysis of tens of thousands of aerial photographs, only in the last seven years more than 26,000 outdoor pickleball courts have been prepared in the country, many based on old spaces dedicated to tennis. Use Pickleball raises the total number of tracks to more than 68,000. Are there figures? As for the number of people who practice pickletball in the US, the data can vary depending on the source that is consulted but reflects a base of notable followers … and growing. Some talk about millions of fans and a bag of practitioners that have been growing for years double digit. “It is said that next year it will be the most practiced sport there, surpassing basketball, and in Spain a fairly significant growth is expected, although I do not know if as in the US because it is difficult,” assures to The country Miguel Díaz, president of the Reft. Is it something exclusive to the USA? Not at all. Pickleball is entering strong In China, Australia And of course Spain, to cite only a handful of examples. In 2023 the Higher Sports Council He recognized her (together with the touchnnis) as a new sports specialty, last year the Reft reserved an own section on its website and not long ago the Federation and Dupr reached A pact To create a national ranking. This institutional recognition is only the reflection of the growing interest that awakens among racket sports fans. In recent years we have seen how they practiced it world stars of tennis, he sneaked into the programming of celebrations such as Almeria Fair And they opened new spaces To practice it. Does A few months In fact, the Lafuente Pickleball Hub opened in the district of Villaverde, which It is claimed as “the largest Indoor Pickleball Center in Europe.” “In the US already played almost 50 million people and it is estimated that in Spain the number in 2023 was 20,000,” assures The RFET. Why this success? For the federation it is more than clear: the picklet has managed to find the key. “His success lies in being an easy -to -learn sport and very entertaining, which adapts to the level of each player and that is why he can be played by people of different ages and conditions,” The organization reflects: “It is very entertaining and motivating, since during the game there are long and fast balls in which the level of the judges marks the intensity and rhythm.” “At first it seemed like a children’s game, until you get on and realize that there is much more technique behind,” coincides in The country Francisco Javier Garrido, … Read more

Wimbledon has replaced all his line judges with a success. The only problem is that tennis players do not believe it

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Wimbledon has replaced This year for the first time in its history to its line judges for a technology that is an evolution of the traditional eye of the hawk. Despite the accuracy it brings, several tennis players They have expressed their discontentespecially following the controversy with the party of Kartal and Pavlyuchenkova. What’s happening. Several tennis players have publicly expressed their doubts about the electronic system. Jack Draper and Emma Raducanu, the British numbers, have questioned the accuracy of decisions, while the Switzerland Belinda Bencic It was more direct: “I do not trust the system. Nor is it that I want to speak it too much, but it is really stressful.” The reluctance about this new system are increasingly common in tennis. Although the hawk’s eye has accompanied the games for many years already, The replacement of the judges It marks a general discontent in several professionals of this sport and fans. AND The case of Pavlyuchenkova He has put the situation more inri. Failure in three key situations. The incident that has been playing the most in networks was during the match between the British Sonay Kartal and the Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova on the central track. With the marker matched 4-4, a Kartal ball clearly came out, but the Hawk-Eye system remained silent. Without the usual sound signal of “out”, the referee ordered to repeat the point, causing The frustration of Pavlyuchenkova: “You have stolen the game.” The ruling lasted 6 minutes and 49 seconds, during which the system lost three decisions. The AI ​​is working. The organization has revealed that the problem of Pavlyuchenkova was actually a human error: an operator accidentally deactivated part of the cameras with a click on their computer. Sally Bolton, executive director of All England Club, He has defended that “the ball monitoring system has worked optimally and effectively” throughout the tournament. After the incident, they have modified the software so that the cameras cannot be deactivated manually when there is an ongoing game. How the system works. The Live Electronic Line Calling (Live Elc) that Wimbledon uses is An evolution of the traditional hawk eye that we have been seeing since 2007. The key difference is that it now works in real time: use a network of cameras with artificial vision that tracks the ball and automatically emits an “out” when it goes out. Before, the hawk’s eye was only used to review decisions when players requested it; Now he is the main referee of all lines. It has been working for years. Studies show that electronic systems in sport are significantly more precise than human judges. An investigation He revealed that line referees make mistakes in 27% of cases where the check -up review is required, which is equivalent to an error every 17.4 games. The system has demonstrated its reliability in multiple sports for more than a decade, and both the Australian Open and the US Open have integrated it in its entirety in recent years. AI and arbitration, whenever complaints. Resistance to technology in arbitration is not exclusive to tennis. THE VAR IN FOOTBALL It generates constant controversies. In addition, Hawk-Eye is also implemented in volleyball, Cricket, and even in football for ghost goals, situations in which there has also been controversy with technology. And it is that sport is usually very reticating to technological changes. We don’t trust technology. Machines fail less than humans, but Perception is usually different. And it is that many problems attributed to AI are actually errors in the implementation or in human decisions that accompany the system, as has happened this time in Wimbledon. Technology is not infallible, but it is statistically more reliable than any available human alternative. And why don’t we trust? According to Gina Neff, a teacher in Cambridge, “right now, in many areas in which AI affects our lives, we believe that humans understand the context much better than machines,” he says. “The machine makes decisions based on the set of rules for which it has been programmed. But people are really good when it comes to multiple external values ​​and considerations as well – what is the right decision may not seem like the fair decision,” he continues. “It is the intersection between people and systems that we have to do well.” “We have to use the best of both to make the best decisions.” Cover image | Shep Mcallister In Xataka | 150 years ago the English played the first football matches in Spain. Now there is a fierce fight for finding out where

The tennis court of their excellence

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With Pope Leo XIV a series of questions which are usually repeated in time when the Church chooses New Pontiff. Any detail is news in Robert Francis Prevost’s past, from his favorite meals to his political inclinations or his favorite sport or hobby. For example, it was known that Francisco was A football lover And he had a “soul” team. With Leo XIV the Church can once again begin an ancient tradition in one of the less known and secret spaces of the Vatican: tennis. Chiclayo’s old friend. Although born in Chicago, the new Pontiff was received with joy and affection in the Peruvian city of Chiclayo, where he left an indelible mark for almost four decades of pastoral service. It He had Reuters: Arrived in 1985 as a young missionary to one of the most humble regions in the north of the country, Robert Prevost not only dedicated his religious life to the community, but also fully integrated into local life: he obtained Peruvian citizenship in 2015 when he was appointed Bishop of Chiclayo. In fact, Chiclayanos do not remember it with pompous clothing or great protocols, but driving A white truck through flooded streets during seasonal rains, distributing food, loading oxygen balls during pandemic and visiting the faithful on foot, without a driver or a delegation. That was where one of his big hobbies revealed: Tennis (and Creole music)and it was usual to see him play in the monastery of Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo. In his new address he also has a court waiting. The Vatican racket. I told it This week The Athletic. With the new Pope not only a new chapter for the Catholic Church is opened, but also a curious and little known detail from the Vatican heart: the existence of A tennis court discreetly located behind the walls of the smallest state on the planet. Although it is not visible from the street, the clue It is given a protective network that appears above the walls near the Vatican Museum. What is hidden is a red tennis track (built in the north corner of the papal enclave) that has been a corner reserved for the recreation of cardinals, members of the Swiss guard and, in more recent times, employees of the Vatican and their children. The court and tradition. Apparently, although its existence is unknown even for many regular observers of the Holy See, satellite images and Pontifical Council Archives For the laity they have documented a more active past of this sports enclave, one that lived its golden age in the seventies with tournaments where future cardinals participated as Giovanni Battista re or the Jesuit Roberto Tucci. It happens that Tradition declined when entry to lay employees and their children (young people more agile than Prelates), and the tournament ended up disappearing until its shy reappearance in 2008. In other words: to its Excellent They did not like to lose or tennis. The Tenista Pope. As we said, far from maintaining institutional solemnity as the only public feature, the new Pontiff has already presented himself as an enthusiastic fan of tennis. In one Interview granted To the website of the Order of San Agustín, Prevost described how “A true tennis fan” and confessed that, after his missionary stage in Peru, he had few opportunities to practice, so he hoped to wield the racket again. One more fan. In a relaxed tone, he joked about his loyalty to the Chicago White Sox in baseball, equating it with a vocation for temperance and perseverance, and denied false rumors that linked him as Follower of Carlos Alcaraz (For the tranquility of the devotees of Jannik Sinner). If you want also, although now it embodies one of the most solemn figures on the planet, its fondness for the racket connects it with a human and contemporary dimension, away from the Vatican protocols. Secrets and tradition. Although it may seem a minor anecdote in the context of a new papacy, The Times explained that the discovery of the sports side of the new Pontiff and the existence of a tennis court in full Vatican offer an unexpected window towards the most daily and surprising aspects of papal life. The existence of this track, which as we said, It is unknown Even by members of the Italian Tennis Federation and by the clergy, it confirms that the Vatican walls still keep Secrets and traditions They escape the public eye. Plus (and very important detail): the fact that currently no member of the Swiss Guard Practice the sport could facilitate the way to the Pope if he decides to relaunch a friendly tournament. Another very different thing is that you can find companions of your level. Image | NegativespaceWikimedia In Xataka | Church’s finances are a disaster: the choice of the first American Pope has nothing casual in it In Xataka | A mystery called Leo XIV: Everyone has reasons to be half happy and half concerned with the new Pope

Jannik Sinner continues as number one in the ATP ranking after winning at the Australian Open

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The Italian Jannik Sinner was crowned last Sunday as champion of Australian Open, in the first Grand Slam of the year, and that allowed him to continue at the top of the ATP ranking leadership in its corresponding update at the end of January. Sinner, who beat Alexander Zverev 3-0 in the Australian Open final, commands the list with 11,830 points and has a great advantage with respect to the German that occupies the second box of the list with 8,135 units. As for Spanish Carlos Alcaraz, has managed to stay in the third position of the ranking after losing in the round of 16 against Djokovicwho, despite his withdrawal against Zverev in the semifinal due to an injury, has climbed a position, positioning himself in the sixth place of the table. The American Taylor Fritz, on the other hand, has remained in the fourth position of the classification despite losing 300 points. In turn, tennis player Casper Ruud has uploaded a position on the list, standing in the fifth position and therefore entering the top-5, above Djokovic and Tommy Paul, who has climbed two positions, to the ninth square. The biggest fall came courtesy of the Russian Daniil Medvedevwho now occupies the seventh place after losing 1,250 points in the general table. Look at the Top 10 of the ATP ranking here: Continue reading: (Tagstotranslate) ATP

Sabalenka couldn’t beat Madison Keys

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The American Madison Keys destroyed all predictions at the Australian Open. It was not enough for her to overcome a match point in the semi-finals against the No. 2, the Polish Iga Swiatek. She completed her masterpiece by overthrowing the two-time champion and world No. 1, the Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, 6-3, 2-6 and 7-5 in 2h.02′. At 29 years old, eight after losing the final of the 2017 US Open to her compatriot Sloane Stephens, she experienced her moment of glory in world tennis. Recently married to former player Bjorn Fratangelo, since the party in November everything has been happiness for pupil and coach. They have won 13 of their 14 games, they have won the last eleven. She was able to beat the one who was called to be queen for the third consecutive time. Sabalenka was left without a hat trick, as she destroyed her racket once she completed her defeat. Madison Keys stronger in the end Keys coped well with the agony of a final full of emotions. Sabalenka was far from being the player who overwhelmed Badosa. Strangely, in her fourth Grand Slam final, she seemed more nervous than ever. Keys laughed and cried because she did not expect a better gift at Melbourne Park, adorned with her return to the world top-10: on Monday she will rise from fourteenth to seventh position. She has worked on it with great dedication and enthusiasm, believing in herself. Only with faith and tennis could Sabalenka be dethroned, who had 20 consecutive victories in Grand Slam and at the Australian Open, who was knocked out after eleven consecutive victories on the court. Keys’ performance was unexpected, overcoming the reaction in the second set of a rival without the inspiration of other days, too anxious. The world turned upside down, the champion of four Grand Slams suffered more than the one who is now making her debut, taking over from Sofia Kenin, the previous American winner in this Open, in 2020 at the expense of Garbiñe Muguruza. Historic first Grand Slam At 29 years of age, the tennis player from Illinois (United States) became the fourth oldest player to win her first Grand Slam title, behind the Italian Flavia Pennetta (US Open at 33 years old), the British Ann Jones ( Wimbledon at 30 years old) and the transalpine Francesca Schiavone (Roland Garros at 29 years old). This was Keys’ tenth title in his professional history, having previously lifted the trophies at Eastbourne in 2014 and 2023, Birmingham 2016, Stanford 2017, Charleston and Cincinnati 2019, Adelaide II in 2022, Strasbourg 2024 and also Adelaide in early this year, a contest that preceded this great achievement in his career. Before her conquest, 15 other North American tennis players had managed to win the Oceanic Grand Slam: Dorothy Bundi (1938), Doris Hart (1949), Louise Brough (1950), Maureen Connolly (1953), Shirley Fry (1957), Nancy Richey (1967), Billie Jean King (1968), Barbara Jordan (1979), Martina Navratilova (1981, 1983 and 1985), Christ Evert (1982 and 1984), Monica Seles (1996), Lindsay Davenport (2000), Jennifer Capriati (2001 and 2002), Serena Williams (2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2015 and 2017) and Sofia Kenin (2020). The greatest exponent of the Australian Open continues to be the local Margaret Smith, who won 11 titles from 1060 to 1973. Continue reading: Madison Keys will seek her first Grand Slam title against Aryna Sabalenka at Australian OpenFormer tennis player goes viral for announcing divorce from her soccer player husband and incursion into OnlyFans on videoNovak Djokovic withdrew from the Australian Open semi-final amid boos from the public

Novak Djokovic reveals that he could have played his last Australian Open

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This Friday Novak Djokovic He had to withdraw from the Australia Open in the semi-finals due to an injury he suffered in the middle of the set against the German Alexander Zverev. The Serbian tennis player, who is the greatest Grand Slam winnerplayed the entire first set physically limited and preferred to withdraw from the match after losing 7-6. Later at a press conference he clarified what forced him to retire and recognized that this could be the beginning of the end in his brilliant career. “I started to feel severe pain, it was too much and it was getting worse and worse. “If I won the set, I’m not sure I would have been able to finish the match because of the intensity with which Zverev was coming.”Djokovic began explaining to the press. Novak Djokovic before the press after withdrawing from the Australian Open.Credit: EFE Djokovic has won the Australian Open 10 times in his entire career. Being the Grand Slam that he is best at, since it is the one that he has won the most of the 24 that he has in his showcase. However, The Serbian tennis player himself made it clear that this participation in the Australia Open could be the last of his career. Well, at 37 years old and with some injuries that he has had for years, Novak believes that if he is not at the necessary level he will not compete again in this Australian Grand Slam. “It probably could have been my last Australian Open. We have to see how the season goes. But if I’m motivated I don’t see a problem in playing again. I love this sport. I love him. It allowed me to be here. I am grateful for many things,” explained the experienced tennis player. “There is a possibility. Who knows? I’ll have to see how the season goes… If I’m fit, healthy, motivated, I don’t see a reason why I wouldn’t come.”Djokovic closed regarding the possibility of returning to Australia next year. Keep reading:Madison Keys will seek her first Grand Slam title at Australian OpenNovak Djokovic highlights Andy Murray’s work as a coachAlcaraz mocks Djokovic’s injury after Australian Open loss

Novak Djokovic withdrew due to injury

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Novak Djokovic (7th), the legend of the Australian Open with ten crowns, retired injured amid boos this Friday in the semifinals, so Alexander Zverev (2nd) will challenge the current champion Jannik Sinner (1st), expeditiously against Ben Shelton (20th ). In the first semifinal, Zverev had just won the first set in the tie-break, 7-6 (7/5), after an hour and 20 minutes of battle when Djokovic approached the net and told him that he could not continue. The Serbian, who received boos and whistles, explained in a press conference that he suffered a “muscle tear” on Wednesday in the quarterfinals against the Spanish Carlos Alcaraz (3rd). “The medication, the treatment and the bandage helped me, but at the end of the first set I started to feel increasing pain, which was difficult to manage. I tried my chance. If I had won the first set I would have tried to play a few more games, maybe a set, I don’t know,” said the player with 24 Grand Slams on his resume. Farewell to Melbourne? The 37-year-old giant left the door open for it to be his last game in Melbourne: “There is a chance that it was like that. Who knows? I’ll have to see how the year goes. I want to continue. If I’m motivated and healthy, I don’t see any reason not to come back.”. On the court, in the winner’s speech, Zverev came to the defense of Djokovic, who had abandoned her, responding with a raised thumb to the boos at the Rod Laver Arena. “Please don’t boo any player, much less Novak. He has done everything imaginable for this sport, he has tried to compete despite his problems, I know they have paid an entry fee, but he has been giving everything for this sport for 20 years and won this tournament with a torn abdominal. Show some love,” the 27-year-old said. “I had to play the best set of the tournament to beat him while he was injured. It’s too good”he added with great respect for the legend. Sinner the other finalist In the second round, the current champion Sinner beat Shelton 7-6 (7/2), 6-2 and 6-2, his 20th consecutive victory – the best series of his career – in a match in which he suffered cramps muscular. The Italian finished the duel with a slight limp and received physiotherapy treatments on the court in the final part of a duel that he was able to close against a weak Shelton, unable to take advantage of this circumstance. The number 1 had left the semi-final on track by winning the tie-break of the first round, in which he had given up his serve on two occasions, recovering it immediately. Shelton couldn’t stand the pressure, with a succession of errors, and saw his rival go 5-0 up in the tie-break to end up winning 7-2. Continue reading: Former tennis player goes viral for announcing divorce from her soccer player husband and incursion into OnlyFans on videoMadison Keys will seek her first Grand Slam title against Aryna Sabalenka at Australian OpenAlcaraz mocks Djokovic’s injury after his loss to the Serbian at the Australian Open

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