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Tennis news 2022: Nick Kyrgios comes crashing back to earth vs Hubert Hurkacz

Tennis news 2022: Nick Kyrgios comes crashing back to earth vs Hubert Hurkacz

Nick Kyrgios confessed that he had little more to give physically as his nine-match win streak came to an end in the quarter-finals of the ATP Montreal Masters on Friday.

The Wimbledon runner-up lost 7-6, 6-7, 6-1 to Polish powerhouse Hubert Hurkacz after coming to the court with 15 victories from his past 16 matches.

But the Australian had little left to give as his body began to complain.

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“My body hasn’t been feeling great the last week,” he said.

“I was feeling the abdominal (muscle) a little bit before the match. My knees hurt.”

Kyrgios kept the pace of the match brisk as he held his own in the first two sets before finally losing momentum in the third as Hurkacz took control.

The Aussie was annoyed as his opponent left the court for a change of clothes and bathroom break, a delay that ate into his fragile fitness.

During the broadcast, Kyrgios was overheard saying: “We’re not f***ing machines, bro. We can’t just go and stop, go and stop, go and stop.”

He later told reporters: “Obviously when you’re playing and you stop for like five to 10 minutes, it doesn’t help your body.

“My body was so stiff after that, I couldn’t move properly.

“I mean, it’s within the rules. I’m not going to complain. I completely stiffened up.”

World No. 37 Kyrgios, whose performance this week will send him into a seeded US Open spot, added: “I’m not a machine. I’m a human.”

Kyrgios won his first ATP title in three years last week at Washington and shared the doubles crown with Jack Sock, the first man in the event’s 53-year history to take both crowns in the same year.

“My knees were sore, my back was sore… I was trying to stay moving, but I just stiffened up,” Kyrgios said.

“My body hasn’t been feeling great the last week.”

Kyrgios said he needs a pause before returning to the fray next week at Cincinnati in the last major tuneup for the US Open, which begins August 29.

“I feel good, but the US Open is still two and a half weeks away. I have Cincinnati next week. That’s all I’m focusing on,” he said.

“I’m focusing on today, tonight, recovery, food, then just resting, then Cincinnati. That’s where my mind is at.”

Hurkacz overcame 53 winners from Kyrgios to halt the Australian’s nine-match winning streak. The No. 8 seed managed 43 winners of his own in a rapid-fire triumph that put him into his fourth semi-final at the Masters level.

Hurkacz will next face Norway’s fourth-seeded Casper Ruud, who crushed home-nation player Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-1, 6-2, in 74 minutes.

– AFP

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Tennis news 2022: Nick Kyrgios defeats compatriot Alex de Minaur in straight sets

Tennis news 2022: Nick Kyrgios defeats compatriot Alex de Minaur in straight sets

Nick Kyrgios’ stunning purple patch has continued, with the Wimbledon runner-up comprehensively defeating compatriot Alex de Minaur in the Montreal Masters on Friday morning (AEST).

The Australian, currently sitting at No. 37 on the ATP rankings, topped his Davis Cup teammate in straight sets 6-2 6-3, securing victory in just 62 minutes.

Kyrgios was at his absolute best during the entertaining round of 16 contest, registering 22 winners and only nine unforced errors in front of a packed-out stadium.

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However, he carried on with constant backchat towards his players box, giving almost a running commentary of his state of mind on the court in a display that seems second nature to him.

Minaur’s World No. 21 hardly won a point in the opening four games, fighting back in the second set by breaking Kyrgios twice, but struggling to hold serve himself.

It was the first time Kyrgios and de Minaur had met in an ATP event.

“After yesterday’s big high, today was really hard mentally for me to go out and play Alex,” Kyrgios said.

“We’re such good friends, he’s been having such a good career and carrying the Australian flag for so long. It was just tough mentally, it’s never easy to play a friend like that especially if they’re an Australian so I just got out here and got the job done.

“I played the way I had to play — he’s a hell of a player. If you play to his strengths he’s one of the best players from the back (of the court) in the game and he’s so fast, he’s going to have a hell of a career.

Kyrgios will next face Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz in the quarter-finals. The pair faced off two months ago on grass, with Hurkacz the victor on that occasion.

This Montreal Masters campaign will give Kyrgios an important rankings boost ahead of the US Open, which gets underway on Monday August 29.

He is expected to climb 10 spots in the ATP rankings, and could crack the top 15 if he wins the Canadian tournament.

Fresh from winning the Citi Open title in Washington, Kyrgios came back from a set down to top world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev 6-7 6-4 6-2 on Thursday.

It’s the second time in his career he’s beaten a world No. 1 and he now boasts a 3-1 head-to-head record against Medvedev, the 2021 US Open champion.

Since landing in the United States for the American hard court swing a couple of weeks ago, Kyrgios is 16-0 across singles and doubles.

He has now won 15 of his past 16 singles matches, stretching back to his run into the Wimbledon final, which he lost to 21-time grand slam champion Novak Djokovic.

“It’s rewarding to beat the world No. 1,” Kyrgios told The Tennis Channel after the victory over Medvedev.

“It’s a reflection of all the hard work I’ve done in Sydney.

“After Washington I could easily come here and be content with what I did last week, but I wanted to empty the tank these two weeks.

“Obviously my ranking’s not where I want it to be, not getting those points at Wimbledon, but I’ve got to capitalize on this little window.”

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US

Trump’s bond with GOP deepens after primary wins, FBI search

Trump's bond with GOP deepens after primary wins, FBI search

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump ‘s pick for governor in the swing state of Wisconsin easily defeated a favorite of the Republican establishment.

In Connecticut, the state that launched the Bush family and its brand of compassionate conservatism, a fiery Senate contender who promoted Trump’s election lies upset the state GOP’s endorsed candidate. Meanwhile in Washington, Republicans ranging from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to conspiracy theorist Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene defended Trump against an unprecedented FBI search.

And that was just this week.

The rapid developments crystallized the former president’s singular status atop a party he has spent the past seven years breaking down and rebuilding in his image. Facing mounting legal vulnerabilities and considering another presidential run, he needs support from the party to maintain his political career. But, whether they like it or not, many in the party also need Trump, whose endorsement has proven crucial for those seeking to advance to the November ballot..

“For a pretty good stretch, it felt like the Trump movement was losing more ground than it was gaining,” said Georgia Republican Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, who is urging his party to move past Trump. But now, he said, Trump is benefiting from “an incredibly swift tail wind.”

The Republican response to the FBI’s search of Trump’s Florida estate this week was an especially stark example of how the party is keeping Trump nearby. Some of the Republicans considering challenges to Trump in a 2024 presidential primary, such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, were among those defending him. Even long-established Trump critics like Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan questioned the search, pressing for details about its circumstances.

But even before the FBI showed up at Mar-a-Lago, Trump was gaining momentum in his post-presidential effort to shape the GOP. In all, nearly 180 Trump-endorsed candidates up and down the ballot have won their primaries since May while fewer than 20 have lost.

Only two of the 10 House Republicans who supported Trump’s impeachment after the Jan. 6 insurrection are expected back in Congress next year. Rep. Jaime Herrera-Beutler, R-Wash., who conceded defeat after her Tuesday primary, it was the latest to fall. Leading Trump antagonist Rep. Liz CheneyR-Wyo., is at risk of joining her next week.

The Trump victories include a clean sweep of statewide primary elections in Arizona last week — including an election denier in the race for the state’s official chief elections. Trump’s allies also prevailed Tuesday across Wisconsin and Connecticut, a state long known for its moderate Republican leanings.

In Wisconsin’s Republican primary for governor, wealthy Trump-backed businessman Tim Michels defeated former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, an establishment favourite. And in Connecticut, Leora Levy, who promoted Trump’s lie that the 2020 election was stolen, emerged to an unexpected victory over a more moderate rival after earning Trump’s official endorsement.

On Monday, just hours after the FBI search, Trump hosted a tele-town hall rally on his behalf. Levy thanked Trump in her acceptance speech, while railing against the FBI’s search for her.

“All of us can tell him how upset and offended and disgusted we were at what happened to him,” she said. “That is un-American. That is what they do in Cuba, in China, in dictatorships. And that will stop.”

Despite his recent dominance, Trump — and the Republicans close to him — face political and legal threats that could undermine their momentum as the GOP fights for control of Congress and statehouses across the nation this fall.

While Trump’s picks have notched notable victories in primaries this summer, they may struggle in the fall. That’s especially true in several governor’s races in Democratic-leaning states such as Connecticut and Maryland, where GOP candidates must track to the center to win a general election.

Meanwhile, several Republicans with White House ambitions are moving forward with a busy travel schedule that will take them to politically important states where they can back candidates on the ballot this year and build relationships heading into 2024.

DeSantis plans to boost high-profile Republican contenders across Arizona, New Mexico, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Former Vice President Mike Penceanother potential 2024 presidential contender, is scheduled to appear next week in New Hampshire.

On the legal front, the FBI search was part of an investigation into whether the former president took classified records from the White House to his Florida residence. While Republicans have rallied behind Trump, very few facts about the case have been released publicly. Trump’s attorneys have so far declined to release details from the search warrant.

Prosecutors in Washington and Georgia are also investigating Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election he falsely claimed was stolen. The Jan. 6 congressional commission has exposed damning details about Trump’s behavior from Republican witnesses in recent hearings, which have prompted new concerns, at least privately, among the GOP establishment and donor class.

And on Wednesday, Trump invoked his Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination as he testified under oath Wednesday in the New York attorney general’s long-running civil investigation into his business dealings.

Trump’s legal entanglements represent a distraction at best for Republican candidates who’d rather focus on President Joe Biden’s leadership, sky-high inflation and immigration troubles to help court moderate voters and independents in the general election.

“Today, every Republican in every state in this country should be talking about how bad Joe Biden is, how bad inflation is, how difficult it is to run a business and run a household,” said Duncan, the Georgia lieutenant governor. “But instead, we’re talking about some investigation, we’re talking about Donald Trump pleading the Fifth, we’re talking about Donald Trump endorsing some conspiracy theorist.”

Trump critics in both parties are ready and willing to highlight Trump’s shortcomings — and his relationship with midterm candidates — as more voters begin to pay attention to politics this fall.

“This is, and always has been, Donald Trump’s Republican Party,” Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison said in an interview, condemning “MAGA Republicans” and their “extreme agenda” on abortion and other issues.

At the same time, the Republican Accountability Project and Protect Democracy launched a $3 million television and digital advertising campaign this week across seven swing states focused on Trump’s role in the Jan. 6 insurrection. The ads, which will run in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, feature testimonials from Republican voters who condemn Trump’s lies about nonexistent election fraud that fueled the Capitol attack.

One ad features congressional testimony from Cheney, the Wyoming Republican who has publicly declared that Trump should never hold public office again.

Still, Cheney faces her own primary election against a Trump-backed challenger next week in Wyoming. One of Trump’s top political targets this year, she is expected to lose. Anticipating a loss, Cheney’s allies suggest she may be better positioned to run for president in 2024, either as a Republican or independent.

Trump’s allies are supremely confident about his ability to win the GOP’s presidential nomination in 2024. In fact, aides who had initially pushed him to launch his campaign after the November midterms are now encouraging him to announce sooner to help freeze out would-be Republican challengers .

“It’s going to be very difficult for anyone to take the nomination away from him in 2024,” said Stephen Moore, a former Trump economic adviser who has spoken with Trump about his 2024 intentions. “He is running. That is a certainty.”

Rep. Tom Rice, RS.C., predicted that Trump would “lose in a landslide” if he sought the presidency again, adding that the former president’s overall grasp on the party is “eroding on the edges.”

“In a normal election, you’ve got to win not just the base. You’ve got to win the middle, too, right, and maybe crossover on the other side,” said Rice, who lost his recent primary after voting in favor of Trump’s second impeachment.

Rice warned that Trump far-right candidates could lead to unnecessary losses for the party in November. “Donald Trump is pushing things so far to the right,” he said in an interview.

Meanwhile, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, eyeing a 2024 bid himself, warned against making bold political predictions two years before the Republican Party selects its next presidential nominee.

“We’re sitting here in August of 2022,” Christie said in an interview. “My sense is there’s a lot of water over the dam still to come before anybody can determine anybody’s individual position in the primaries of ’24 — except to say that if Donald Trump runs, he will certainly be a factor.”

___

Associated Press writers Susan Haigh in Hartford, Connecticut, and Meg Kinnard in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed to this report.

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Nick Kyrgios beats Daniil Medvedev at Canadian Open before US Open

Nick Kyrgios beats Daniil Medvedev at Canadian Open before US Open

Nick Kyrgios and Daniil Medvedev put on one heck of a show during their second round clash at the Canadian Open on Thursday morning (AEST) as the Australian continued his brilliant run of form ahead of this year’s US Open.

Fresh from winning the Citi Open title in Washington, Kyrgios’ class on hard courts was on show once again as he came back from a set down to topple world No. 1 Medvedev 6-7 6-4 6-2.

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Kyrgios has won 14 of his past 15 singles matches, stretching back to his run into the Wimbledon final, which he lost to Novak Djokovic. It’s the second time in his career that he’s beaten a world No. 1 and he now boasts a 3-1 head-to-head record against Medvedev, the 2021 US Open champion.

Since landing in the States for the American hard court swing a couple of weeks ago, Kyrgios is 15-0 across singles and doubles.

American tennis icon Andy Roddick believes Kyrgios is now the favorite for the US Open, which kicks off in a couple of weeks, while Aussie tennis great Rennae Stubbs was in awe of what the Canberran is producing.

“@NickKyrgios I mean when he plays tennis and keeps his s**t together, he is seriously close to the best tennis player in the world,” Stubbs tweeted.

“His serve is untouchable at the moment. Fitness level is HIGH and his tennis acumen is unreal. That effort after losing the 1st set was impressive.”

Eric Hubbs of Barstool Sports tweeted: “Kyrgios domination continues. Finally playing to his potential and it’s awesome.”

But there is more than just tennis on Kyrgios’ mind. His mother Norlaila is in hospital back home in Australia, and he wrote “be strong, ma” on her camera after his victory.

“It’s hard because even traveling now, my mum is in hospital at the moment, my dad hasn’t been very well, my brother just had a baby and I don’t get to be there with my family when normal people would like to be with them,” Kyrgios said.

“It’s hard being from Australia because we can’t travel back and forth. There’s a lot of things people don’t see. They only see me winning, losing, throwing a racquet, doing those things. They don’t really understand the challenges that I face or what people on tour face, what’s going on in their personal lives.”

Kyrgios was the only player to have break points in the first set, but he failed to convert either of his opportunities at 5-4 and then was all over the shop during the tiebreak.

The 27-year-old smashed a ball out of the stadium in anger after dropping the opener, but was back at his mercurial best in the second set. Kyrgios broke Medvedev early on and maintained the rage to close out the set 6-4.

There were the usual antics from Kyrgios, who once again hit out at those in his player’s box.

Writer Allesandro Nivola tweeted: “Nick Kyrgios’s relationship with his box is so disturbing. He it’s like a deranged psychopathic dictator and his ‘advisors’ of him. They look terrified of saying the wrong thing or of standing up when they should sit down or of sitting down when they should stand up.”

However, Kyrgios composed himself for the decider to shut out Medvedev and progress to the third round in Montreal as his red-hot run continues.

He and Thanasi Kokkinakis won the doubles title in Atlanta then Kyrgios teamed up with Jack Sock in Washington to take out the Citi Open trophy.

That same day he also cleaned up in the singles draw, defeating Yoshihito Nishioka to win his first title in three years — a feat he last achieved at the same tournament in Washington back in 2019.

Speaking after his win over Nishioka earlier this week, Kyrgios opened up on his “transformation” after coming through some tough times emotionally.

“It was emotional for me to see where I was last year to now, it’s an incredible transformation,” Kyrgios said. “I just came out with great energy because I knew I had the experience on my side today.

“I’ve been in some really dark places and just to be able to turn it around…

“There’s so many people who have helped me get there but myself, I’ve shown some serious strength to just continue and just persevere and get through those really tough times and still be able to perform in tournaments like this one.”

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Tennis news 2022: Naomi Osaka retires from Toronto opener with back pain

Tennis news 2022: Naomi Osaka retires from Toronto opener with back pain

Four-time grand slam champion Naomi Osaka retired from her opening match at the WTA Toronto Masters with lower back pain on Wednesday AEST, raising injury concerns with the US Open looming.

Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi advanced when Osaka retired trailing 7-6, 3-0.

Kanepi, a runner-up last week in Washington, needed 71 minutes on court as she broke three times before the Japanese star called it quits.

Defeat drove the emotional Osaka to tears.

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“I felt my back from the start of the match and despite trying to push through it, I just wasn’t able to today,” Osaka said.

“I’d like to pay credit to Kaia for playing well and want to wish her all the best for the rest of the tournament.”

Osaka has played only six matches with a 2-4 record since losing the Miami final in early April to world No. 1 Iga Swiatek.

Kanepi, 37, won their only prior meeting five years ago in three sets at the US Open.

“I tried to play my game and stay aggressive. It was a very tight match,” Kanepi said.

“I felt I needed a little more time to get used to new things, but after that I felt comfortable.”

Meanwhile, reigning US Open champion Emma Raducanu of Britain exited in the first round, losing 7-6, 6-2 to Italy’s Camila Giorgi.

Despite the setback in the city of her birth 19 years ago, Raducanu kept her spirits up as her US Open title defense draws nearer.

“It was a really good match, to be honest,” Raducanu said.

“The level was pretty high, especially in the first set.

“Camila’s a great opponent. She won this tournament last year. I just need to get better at dealing with players who play probably as quick as she does.”

Defending WTA Canadian champion Giorgi won a combative first set and ran away with the second against the 19-year-old Englishwoman, whose title defense in New York begins in less than three weeks.

The feisty Italian trailed by a break in both sets but showed her spirit by winning the last six games of the contest.

Giorgi needed just over an hour and three-quarters to advance to the second round over the ninth seed who broke into the top 10 ranking less than a month ago.

Raducanu had to hold on in a wild opening set, where serve was broken in six of the dozen games played.

The Briton saved a set point in the 12th game to bring on a tie-breaker, but collapsed to lose seven straight points as Giorgi took the set after 71 minutes.

Raducanu was broken three times in the second set as Giorgi finished off her victory.

– AFP

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Tennis 2022: Nick Kyrgios’ ’emotional growth spurt’ puts world on notice, legend makes huge US Open call, Canadian Open Montreal

Tennis 2022: Nick Kyrgios' 'emotional growth spurt' puts world on notice, legend makes huge US Open call, Canadian Open Montreal

Nick Kyrgios says he has become more “resilient” and is still maturing while he is playing the best tennis of his career.

He continued his hot streak on Wednesday (AEST), defeating Sebastian Baez 6-4 6-4 in their first round match at the Canadian Open in Montreal.

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Kyrgios had his serve broken for the first time since his loss in the Wimbledon final, but recovered to claim a straight sets win.

The Australian is in superb form after he won both the singles and doubles titles at the Citi Open in Washington DC last week.

But Kyrgios is unseeded in Montreal and will next face World No. 2 Daniil Medvedev, who he joked was far from the ideal opponent.

“I know I’ve got Medvedev next, which kind of sucks because against pretty much any player in the world right now I feel extremely confident,” Kyrgios told the Tennis Channel.

“Obviously I feel confident going up against him but we all know what he can produce. I’m a bit tired but I’m going to try and give him a good run.”

Kyrgios said having to play two matches in one day in Washington made him realize “that I can be really resilient at times”.

“In the past, I probably would have definitely pulled out of doubles,” he admitted.

“After the (Frances) Tiafoe match, I played Reilly (Opelka) and then Frances in the same day and came out the next day and played during the day basically.”

Kyrgios confessed he hadn’t always given 100 per cent effort on the court in the past but in a scary prospect to his rivals, he said he has turned a corner.

“I know at times I haven’t always been the best example going out on court, kind of not giving my best effort and all that,” he said.

“But I feel like when I have a week like DC, it kind of erases those things and shows how much I’ve grown. It was just a hell of a week, probably my favorite week of my career so far having my girlfriend and my team with me. And winning the doubles title was pretty special as well.

“I’m learning a lot about myself still to this day I’m maturing and hopefully I can keep having these good results.”

Kyrgios is now ranked World No. 37 and if he gets past Medvedev, a deep run at Montreal would ensure he secures a crucial seed at the US Open, which begins later this month.

Former US Open champion Andy Roddick believes Kyrgios is in such a purple patch he is one of the top three contenders to take out the last grand slam of the year.

“It’s a big, big deal to me that he goes into Washington, which is a pretty big event in the lead-up to the US Open,” Roddick said on The Rich Eisen Show.

“Brutal conditions… To go through singles and doubles and not to tap out mentally or physically is a big, big sign.

“I think it puts him into the top two, maybe three, favorites for the US Open.”

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US

Biden says he’s ‘not worried’ about China’s increased aggression toward Taiwan following Pelosi visit

Biden says he's 'not worried' about China's increased aggression toward Taiwan following Pelosi visit

US President Joe Biden talks to reporters while boarding Air Force One on travel to Eastern Kentucky to visit families affected by devastation from recent flooding, as he departs from Delaware Air National Guard Base in New Castle, Delaware, US, August 8, 2022.

Kevin Lamarques | Reuters

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden said Monday he is “not worried” about China’s military exercises around Taiwan, adding that while he is “concerned that they’re moving as much as they are,” he does not think they’re going to continue to increase the pressure.

The remarks came one day after Beijing concluded 72 hours of intense maneuvers and missile tests over and around Taiwan. The exercises involved dozens of Chinese fighter jets and warships to mimic a military blockade of the self-governing island that Beijing considers a province.

Biden’s relative calm reflected the deliberate American strategy of not responding to Chinese bellicosity with equally hot saber-rattling.

It also reflects a broader opinion within the Biden administration that Beijing does not intend to make good on its implicit threat to invade Taiwan, at least not in the near term.

Given this assessment, the United States has adopted an approach, for now, of heightened vigilance, but steadfastly refused to be drawn into a military game of chicken in the Pacific.

Last Thursday, the White House announced that Biden would keep a US naval aircraft carrier strike group in the South China Sea longer than originally planned, in response to Beijing’s increased aggression toward Taiwan.

At the same time, a Biden spokesman said the United States would postpone a previously scheduled intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM, test.

The decisions signaled Washington’s desire to maintain American military alertness in the region, while also denying Beijing the opportunity to point to the long-planned US missile test as evidence that America was responding to China’s own missile launches near Taiwan with military preparations of its own.

Beijing claimed its military exercises were conducted in retaliation for US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan last week.

The visit by the California Democrat, which the Biden White House publicly defended but privately opposed, marked the first time in 25 years that an American House speaker, a position second in line to the presidency, had visited Taiwan.

Asked Monday whether it was wise for Pelosi to have traveled to Taiwan given the tense US-China relationship, Biden gave the standard response his administration has used for weeks.

“That was her decision,” he said, before boarding Air Force One en route to Kentucky, where Biden and first lady Jill Biden will visit communities impacted by catastrophic flooding last week.

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Nick Kyrgios US Open prospects, odds, could he win? Media reaction to Washington ATP win

Nick Kyrgios US Open prospects, odds, could he win? Media reaction to Washington ATP win

Nick Kyrgios’ career-best run of form has prompted an inevitable debate around one big question — is he a legitimate contender to win the US Open?

The 27-year-old Australian made history by winning both the singles and doubles titles at the ATP event in Washington, a month after he reached his first grand slam final at Wimbledon.

Kyrgios’ ranking has jumped to 37 and a strong performance at next week’s Montreal Masters could clinch him an all-important seeding at the year’s final grand slam in New York, starting later this month.

The enigmatic Aussie caught many by surprise with his run at the All England Club and how he’s since backed up that performance has prompted discussion about whether Kyrgios may now be emerging as the grand slam force many have always thought he could become.

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Kyrgios wins hearts with gift for fan | 00:37

Former world No.1 Andy Roddick is among those who believe the hype is real when it comes to Kyrgios’ prospects at Flushing Meadows, where Wimbledon champion Nick Kyrgios and injury-riddle Rafael Nadal may be absent.

“It’s a big, big deal to me that he goes into Washington, which is a pretty big event in the lead-up to the US Open,” Roddick told Steve Weissman of Tennis Channel on The Rich Eisen Show.

“Brutal conditions….To go through singles and doubles and not to tap out mentally or physically is a big, big sign.

“I think it puts him into the top two, maybe three, favorites for the US Open.”

Stuart Fraser, writing for The Times, said many of Kyrgios’ rivals will be relieved he is on course to be seeded at the US Open — removing him as a nightmare early round potential opponent — and agreed Kyrgios was up as a legitimate force in the singles.

“Whether Kyrgios is seeded or not at the US Open, he will be considered a contender after showing at Wimbledon that he has what it takes to come through several consecutive matches in the extended best-of-five-set format,” Fraser said.

“A potential second-round meeting with Medvedev in Montreal this week would help to determine where exactly he will sit on the bookmakers’ list.”

Kokk downs veteran Verdasco in Mexico | 00:26

Tennis Podcast co-host Matt Roberts said Kyrgios’ Washington performance showed he was likely to build on his success at Wimbledon, rather than it being a flash in the pan.

“I know it’s the first time he’s won a title this season but he has been playing very well whenever he’s played and I do think, I go back a lot to that quote he gave, kind of jokingly, straight after Wimbledon but it was serious at the same time, where he said that if he’d won Wimbledon he might have lost his motivation,” Roberts said.

“I actually think that losing that final, in a way, is probably the best thing in terms of prolonging his career. I think he’s got a little bit of a taste for it now in terms of wanting to see what happens when he properly dedicates himself and really does put his mind to it.

“I think he wants to find out how good he can get. A week like this, he played players that were kind of comfortable for him I think. He’s still only beaten Tsitisapas as a top 10 player in this run. We haven’t really seen him play those absolute top players I suppose.

“I’m interested to see next week when he plays potentially Daniil Medvedev in potentially his second match in Canada.

“That would be a fantastic test for both of them. it’s kind of tough to judge just exactly where Kyrgios’ level is but — an unmotivated Kyrgios is a dangerous player. A motivated Kyrgios is a different thing altogether.”

Co-host David Law warned, however, that history was not on Kyrgios’ side when it came to going all the way at slams.

“I think he is playing the most professional, consistent tennis of his career. Whether that means anything we’ll have to wait and see,” Law said.

“… I still think, best of five sets where you don’t have the help of the surface, he is going to malfunction.

“He is going to get in his own way. Somebody is going to hang on in a match, players peak at grand slams. He’s going to play against players who are playing their best stuff at that tournament and he is going to come apart at the seams, most likely, because that is the history.

RAGE aplenty as Kyrgios wins tie-break | 02:07

James Gray, writing for iSport, agreed despite acknolwedging the Kyrgios hype train “might never have had such a head of steam up as it currently does”.

“Entertainment has never been Kyrgios’s problem: attainment has,” Gray wrote.

“Have you finally got over that hump? There are certainly results in his 2022 record to suggest he might have done, beating Stefanos Tsitsipas (twice), Casper Ruud and Andrey Rublev, but his record against the top 20 in 2022 remains six wins and seven losses. For that kind of form to equal victory in New York, Kyrgios will need some help from the draw.

“He is likely to get some as well, since his world ranking will now almost certainly earn him a seeded spot, protecting him from the world’s top 30 players in the opening two rounds. And circumstance – injury to Alexander Zverev and the unvaccinated status of Novak Djokovic – will protect him from two of the top 10 for the duration of the tournament.”

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Categories
Entertainment

Jane Fonda: Oscar-winner doesn’t feel part of Hollywood | Stellar interview, Luck Apple TV+

Jane Fonda: Oscar-winner doesn't feel part of Hollywood | Stellar interview, Luck Apple TV+

At almost 85, actress and activist Jane Fonda says it took her 70-something years to “become young”, and that feeling as good as she does now is something of a miracle.

Ahead of her new role in an animated movie, Fonda speaks exclusively with Stellar about what her late, lauded father taught her about life and regret on his deathbed, why she has never truly felt like a classic Hollywood icon, and her rubber-band trick for treating heartbreak.

You recently said, “I am younger now [at age 84] than I was in my 20s”. How do you stay young?

I don’t think that it’s true of everyone, frankly. How we are in our 20s – at least in the first part of our lives, before we understand that we can actually put an oar in the water and steer our life in a different direction, if we so choose… until I got to that point in my life, I was lost, I didn’t know what to do or who I wanted to be. I was very unhappy and I felt old and didn’t feel like I would live for very long. So to be almost 85 years old and to feel like I do now is a miracle to me. I have been very intentional in trying to … make myself a better person, make my life have more meaning. [The artist] Picasso once said, “It takes a long time to become young” and that’s sure true for me. It took 70-something years for me to become young.

When you say “become young”, what do you mean?

Young, [as in] light, not feeling a great burden on my shoulders. Learning how to be present, learning how to accept what comes, learning that we don’t have any control… something bad will happen, been there, done that and I survived. It’s much easier being older than it is being younger. It’s so hard to be young! There’s nothing but questions: “What am I supposed to do? Who am I supposed to know? Don’t give up, keep going and try to learn from all this, so when you get a little older, you can get more agency over your life.

You’ve spoken previously about not living a life of regrets. How have you influenced your decisions in Hollywood – and your life?

when my father [the late actor, Henry Fonda] was ill, it took him a long time to die. I would sit by his bedside of him. He didn’t speak much when he was young and healthy, and you don’t change when you’re on your deathbed. What I realized [was] he was going to die with regrets, when it was too late to do anything about it. It’s not the dying that I am scared of, it’s the coming to the end of life with a lot of regrets when it’s too late to do anything.

And that came to me at about the age of 60, so I thought, “All right, that means you have to live now until the end of your life in a way that will minimize the regrets and to go out feeling pretty OK about what you’ve done.” Regrets are usually about what you didn’t do … rather than the things you did. I am trying to do what I feel needs to be done before the end, right now, in my life.

You’ve been married three times and previously stated: “Part of the reason I get into a relationship with a man is that I feel he can take me down a new path”. How do you reflect on the defining relationships of your life?

Well, all of my three husbands definitely took me down paths that I probably would not have gone down had I not married them. And then, in between the marriages, I have had boyfriends that didn’t take me down any new paths, that really had nothing to teach me, and I got bored pretty fast. I feel like I needed to always be learning and growing and expanding, and my husbands have all helped me do that.

What is your advice for dealing with heartbreak?

Put a rubber band around your wrist and when you get really angry or sad, snap it. That sudden pain, it changes the neural pathways in your brain, and will help you kind of come out of it for a minute. Then, write him a letter, pour your thoughts out – but don’t send it.

Years from now, you’ll read it and be amazed at how different you are when you read it, than the time you wrote it.

Between projects, such as the 1968 movie Barbarella and Netflix series Grace and Frankie, and now your voice role in new animated film Luck, on Apple TV+, you’ve had incredible longevity and diversity in your acting career, and you’ve won two Oscars for Best Actress. What has your experience been as a woman working in Hollywood?

I’ve never felt part of Hollywood, really. I mean, I know it sounds strange to say that because my father was a movie star, Henry Fonda, but he was not really part of Hollywood. I didn’t go to Hollywood parties much. I mean he did, sometimes. It was not a life that was totally focused on glamor and Hollywood. My life has never been, either. Most of my friends are activists and not involved in Hollywood. I have plowed ahead, even when it looked like my career would be over. I just try to stay relevant, I guess.

You’re the voice of Babe, The Dragon, in Luck. What drew you to the role?

She is the president of the Kingdom of Luck, where they create luck. Human beings are not allowed there because it’s thought they’ll bring bad luck with them. It’s a story about a young girl named Sam, who is in the foster care system and who has nothing but bad luck. With the help of some of the creatures in the kingdom, she manages to get in and teaches the dragon that bad luck is really the other side of the coin of good luck, that the two go together. That good luck doesn’t mean anything without bad luck, and vice versa. It’s like, life doesn’t have meaning without death.

The climate crisis is the main subject of your activism, as founder of the Jane Fonda Climate PAC (Political Action Committee). What is your message to lawmakers – in the US and globally – about the state of the environment?

I have to say, the people of Australia understand the climate crisis better than most. I mean, boy, you just can’t catch a break with the fires and flooding. We have to look at what the scientists say. We have to cut our fossil fuel emissions – the pollution that happens when we

burn coal and gas – in half by 2030. In the US, that’s four election cycles. That’s a very short period of time. It’s a massive challenge that requires not just laws and policies to be passed, but a new way of thinking. Think about nature differently, think about our responsibility – this is particularly true in the United States, stop thinking about me, me, me. It’s pretty scary and we don’t have a lot of time. We have to do everything we can, all of us.

Luck is now streaming exclusively on Apple TV+

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Categories
Business

Elon Musk reignites bitter feud with US politician Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Elon Musk reignites bitter feud with US politician Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Elon Musk has said US politician Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) has “great taste in lipstick” in an apparent reignition of his feud with the New York Congresswoman.

The Tesla CEO made the remark on a podcast called full-sendin which several co-hosts made comments about the 32-year-old politician’s appearance.

Two of the co-hosts called AOC “attractive,” then another said the New York Democrat was “all right,” the new york post reports.

Musk then chimed in, saying, “Yeah, great choice of lipstick I think. Great taste in lipstick, I mean, that’s my observation. That’s a genuine compliment.”

Musk then added, “Tell me I’m wrong,” before sipping an alcoholic seltzer and laughing alongside the podcast hosts.

AOC’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Musk’s remarks.

The world’s richest man has a history of sparring with Ms Ocasio-Cortez.

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In April, the politician tweeted: “Tired of having to collectively stress about what explosion of hate crimes is happening bc some billionaire with an ego problem unilaterally controls a massive communication platform.”

Musk responded: “Stop hitting on me, I’m really shy.”

Ms Ocasio-Cortez then said that she’d been referring to Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg – not Musk – then deleted the tweet.

She later posted a screenshot of her back-and-forth with Musk with a shrugging emoji and the caption: “Like I said, ego problems.”

Then in May, she said she was looking to ditch her Tesla Model 3, which she bought in 2020 for commutes between her New York City district and Washington DC She said she was looking to buy a car from a company that uses union labor.

“At the time, it was the only EV [electric vehicle] that could get me from New York to Washington on like one, or one-and-a-half charges,” she said of her Tesla. “I would love to switch.”

Musk, meanwhile, posted a Twitter poll asking his followers whether they have more trust in billionaires or politicians.

His followers chose billionaires – and Musk dared Ms Ocasio-Cortez to run the same poll with her own followers.

The Tesla CEO recounted the exchange on last week’s podcast episode, saying that Ms Ocasio-Cortez “was like coming after me or some bulls**t, I don’t know”.

“She was saying billionaires are evil and you’re a billionaire therefore you’re evil,” Musk said. “And I was like, well you’re a politician.

“People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones,” he added.

This article originally appeared in the New York Post and was reproduced with permission

Read related topics:Elon Musk US Democratic Party

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