Miami Premier 2013: Li Na back to her best – but can she beat Serena?
The witty, smart and slow-maturing Li Na is back, and for tennis fans, that is certainly something to celebrate. The 31-year-old has never been one…
Miami 2013: Victoria Azarenka pulls out with ankle injury
Victoria Azarenka has pulled out of the Sony Open in Miami with an ankle injury. The world No3 had been due to take on Madison…
Miami 2013: Williams and Azarenka return to challenge Sharapova
Beyond the Grand Slams, the pair of Premier tournaments that fill March are the biggest, most demanding but most rewarding events in the women’s calendar.…
Indian Wells 2013: Battle of the Marias – Sharapova and Kirilenko
Her name is Maria. She was born in 1987 and turned pro in 2001. She is beautiful, she’s Russian, she has long blond hair, and…
Indian Wells 2013: Radwanska and Sharapova lead seeds into 4th round
With Serena Williams missing from Indian Wells, and the top of the women’s rankings in such a fluid state—Williams, Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova, have…
Indian Wells 2013: Caroline Wozniacki not focused on ranking
Caroline Wozniacki insists she is not concerned about reclaiming her No1 ranking as she prepares to face Angelique Kerber at Indian Wells. The 22-year-old, who…
Indian Wells 2013: I’m a perfectionist, says Victoria Azarenka
Victoria Azarenka admits that she is constantly striving for perfection as she prepares to get her Indian Wells campaign under way. The 23-year-old Australian Open…
Indian Wells 2013: Could Kvitova overcome Azarenka and Sharapova?
It’s big, it’s beautiful, it’s rich, and it’s star-studded. This is Indian Wells, an indigo and green oasis set far from the madding crowds in…
Dubai 2013: Petra Kvitova storms to 10th title with win over Sara Errani
They may have been ranked seventh and eighth in the world, but that aside, there were huge contrasts between the finalists of the Dubai Premier,…
Williams’ withdrawal bolsters Radwanska’s hopes of Dubai defence
Just a day after the top seed Victoria Azarenka withdrew injured from the Dubai Duty Free Premier tournament, the second seed and new world No1,…
Can Serena Williams ride new No1 ranking to 1st Dubai title?
One of the biggest women’s titles of the year outside the Grand Slams and the WTA Championships, the Qatar Open Premier in Doha, saw a…
Britons Watson & Robson launch fresh assault on rankings
For British women Heather Watson and Laura Robson, the good news keeps coming. In recent months, it seems that they no sooner set new career…
Australian Open 2013: Surging Li Na halts Maria Sharapova’s race to No1
With the shock exit of Serena Williams from the top half of the draw in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open, the door seemed to…
Australian Open 2013: Classy Radwanska a step too far for Watson
Heather Watson is breaking new ground all the time. Since playing in her last Grand Slam—in New York five months ago—she has won her first…
Australian Open 2013: Laura Robson downs a third Grand Slam champion
As soon as the draw for the Australian Open was made, fans of Laura Robson began licking their lips. If the teenage Briton, who turns…
Australian Open 2013: Sharapova, Azarenka & 2 Williams assert status
Much is made of the dominance of the ‘Big Four’ in men’s tennis—and since only Juan Martin del Potro has troubled the waters on the…
Australian Open 2013: Williams, Azarenka & Sharapova fight for No1
With no fewer than 10 Grand Slam winners in the draw for this year’s Australian Open, one could be forgiven for thinking that the women’s…
Federer and Dimitrov, Williams and Azarenka: 21 questions for 2013
As the first Grand Slam builds a head of steam towards its start on the second Monday of 2013, tennis can depend on some familiar…
Australian Open 2013: Holders Djokovic and Azarenka are top seeds
On the surface, the seedings for this year’s Australian Open have a very familiar look. On both the men’s and women’s sides, they are topped…
Britain’s Laura Robson and Heather Watson light up 2012
At the start of 2012, two teenagers heralded a tennis resurgence in a sport-mad Olympic Britain. Heather Watson, who would turn 20 in May, was…
WTA review 2012: The year of Williams, Azarenka and Sharapova
As 2011 became 2012, one name seemed destined to dominate women’s tennis. Petra Kvitova had soared through the previous 12 months to reach No2 in…