Vaishnavi Adkar wins tennis medal in World University Games

Nagal, Yuki in Indian team for Davis Cup tie against Switzerland

Medvedev eyes redemption on hard courts after five Slam final runs, US Open triumph

WASHINGTON:Daniil Medvedevfigures this is his time to shine: He loves playing tennis on hard courts like those used atthe D.C. Open. And he loves the U.S. Open, which is just a month away, in particular. Doesn't matter what else he's done this season or how thingsended for him at the Australian Open, French Open or Wimbledon. He's reached six Grand Slam finals in his career, all on hard courts. Usually, this is the most important part of the season for me, Medvedev said in an interview in Washington, where he was scheduled to play Corentin Moutet in the quarterfinals on Friday. And this year, it's really important for me, because I didnt have the best year. I had a lot of time after Wimbledon, so I'm feeling ready and I feel in good shape. After dropping his opening set at the D.C. Open this week against big-serving Reilly Opelka, Medvedev took the next four sets he played at an event where he was the runner-up in 2019. What works so well for the 29-year-old Russian on hard courts? A lot of different things. My ball goes through the air the most. My serve goes faster. And this year, the courts seem pretty fast. On the ATP lately, the courts seem to only get slower and slower. But here its super fast. I like the way it plays, said Medvedev, who has been ranked No. 1 and is No. 14 this week, his lowest spot in more than six years. Its one thing to like the way it plays and its another thing to win. But I do feel like I can do big things. He certainly has in the past. Any list would have to start with his championshipat the 2021 U.S. Open, where his victory in the finalprevented Novak Djokovicfrom completing the first calendar-year Grand Slam by a man since Rod Laver in 1969. Medvedev was therunner-up to Rafael Nadal in New York in 2019, who could forget theback-and-forths with spectatorsthat year?, and then to Djokovic in 2023. Medvedev also participated in three finals at the Australian Open, losingto Djokovic in 2021, toNadal in 2022and to current No. 1 Jannik Sinner in 2024. He's twice been a semifinalist on Wimbledon's grass, and even made it to the quarterfinals at the French Open on red clay, his least favorite surface. This time around, Medvedev bowed out in the second round of the Australian Open in January, and then the first round of both the French Open in May and Wimbledon in June. He hadn't lost consecutive first-round matches at majors since 2017, in his first two appearances at those events. Asked whether he tends to dwell on that sort of thing or tries to forget it, Medvedev said he would put himself kind of in the middle. It does bother me, he said, thinking back to his 7-6 (2), 3-6, 7-6 (3), 6-2 setback against 64th-ranked Benjamin Bonzi at the All England Club. Like after Wimbledon, I was sitting there, and I actually felt like I didnt play that bad. And youre losing (in the) first round. You know that the guy is probably going to lose in the second or third round, he did lose in the second round. Youre like, Damn, I didnt play that bad and Im losing first round of a Grand Slam, second time in a row. Medvedev said he got over it, in part, by heading to Ibiza for a couple of days of relaxing on the beach and having fun. And then it was time to get back to work, with a positive mindset. I know that when I come back to this level, I can beat anyone. And so thats where the optimism is coming from, he said. Just work hard and try to find back this rhythm, this level, and then results can come and rankings can come.

Venus Williams says she is engaged to Andrea Preti after her first singles win in 16 months

WASHINGTON: Venus Williams' winning return to the professional tennis tour also came with a surprise announcement: She is engaged. After becoming the second-oldest woman to win a tour-level singles match, Williams gave thanks to her fiance, who was in the stands at the DC Open. He is Andrea Preti, who is a Danish-born Italian model and actor, according to the website IMDB. The 45-year-old Williams hadn't played in a tournament in 16 months until entering the event in Washington. She won a doubles match on Monday and a singles match on Tuesday, before losing in doubles on Wednesday. Williams, who has won seven Grand Slam singles titles, is scheduled to face Magdalena Frech in the second round on Thursday night.

Jannik Sinner rehires the fitness coach he fired for playing a role in his doping case

ROME:Wimbledon champion Jannik Sinnerhas rehired Umberto Ferrara as his fitness coach nearly a year after firing him for his role in the top-ranked playersdoping case. The move comes afterSinner recently removed fitness coach Marco Panichi and physiotherapist Ulises Badiofrom his team. Umberto has played an important role in Janniks development to date, and his return reflects a renewed focus on continuity and performance at the highest level, a statement from Sinners team said Wednesday. Last year,Sinner tested positive twice for a trace amount of an anabolic steroidin March; the case wasnt made public until August, shortly before the U.S. Open, which he ended up winning for the second of his four Grand Slam titles. He initially was completely cleared, based on the defense that he accidentally was exposed to the banned substance, Clostebol, via a massage from his then-physiotherapist, Giacomo Naldi. Sinner said his fitness trainer at the time, Ferrara, purchased a product in Italy and gave it to Naldi for a cut on Naldis finger. Naldi then treated Sinner while not wearing gloves. Sinner then fired Naldi and Ferrara, and Ferrara was hired briefly by Matteo Berrettini, another Italian player. The World Anti-Doping Agency appealed the exoneration, and Sinner agreed to serve a three-month ban thatended right before the Italian Openin May of this year. Sinner, who won Wimbledon this month, will return to action at the Cincinnati Open next month as he prepares to defend his U.S. Open title.

45-year-old Venus Williams becomes the oldest woman since Martina Navratilova to win a singles match

WASHINGTON:Venus Williamswanted to send a message to herself and to others about coming back from a long layoff, about competing in a sport at age 45, about never giving up. Yes, there was something special about just being back on a tennis court Tuesday night. There also was this: She really, really wanted to win. And Williams did just that, becoming the second-oldest woman to win a tour-level singles match in professional tennis, delivering some of her familiar big serves and groundstrokes at age 45 while beating Peyton Stearns 22 years her junior by a 6-3, 6-4 score at theDC Open. Each week that I was training, I was, like, Oh, my God, I dont know if Im good enough yet. And then there would be weeks where I would leap forward. And there would be two weeks where I was, like, Oh, God, its not happening. Even the week leading up, (I thought), Oh, my gosh, I need to improve so much more. So its all a head game, Williams said after her first singles match in more than a year and first singles victory in nearly two. Navratilova is the only woman older than Williams to win a singles match The only older woman to win a tour-level singles match was Martina Navratilova, whose last triumph came at 47 in 2004. The former No. 1-ranked Williams had not played singles in an official match since March 2024 in Miami, missing time while having surgery to remove uterine fibroids. She hadn't won in singles since August 2023 in Cincinnati. Until this week, she was listed by the WTA Tour as inactive. Im just constantly praying for good health, so that way I could have an opportunity to play with good health, Williams said. A lot of this for me is being able to come back and try to play at a level (and) to play healthy. Venus Williams won four Grand Slam titles before Peyton Stearns was born Backed by a crowd that clearly was there to see, and support, her at the hard-court tournament in the nation's capital, Williams showed glimpses of the talent she possesses and the skills she displayed while earning all of her Grand Slam titles: seven in singles, 14 in womens doubles all alongside younger sister Serena and two in mixed doubles. I wanted to play a good match, Williams told the fans, then added a phrase that drew appreciative roars: and win the match. In Tuesday's second game, Williams smacked a return winner to get things started, then delivered a couple of other big responses to break Stearns, a 23-year-old who won singles and team NCAA titles at the University of Texas and is currently ranked 35th. In the next game, Williams sprinted forward to reach a drop shot and replied with a forehand winner. The first chorus of cheers arrived when Williams walked out into the main stadium at the DC Open, a 7,000-seat arena that's more than twice as large as where she was for her doubles victory a day earlier. Another came when she strode from the sideline to the center of the court for the coin toss. The noise reached a crescendo when Williams began hitting aces at 110 mph and faster the way she used to. Keep in mind: Williams won four Grand Slam trophies before Stearns was born. Venus Williams hit big serves and groundstrokes just like she always did She played some ball tonight, Stearns said. She was moving really well, which I wasnt expecting too much, honestly. Her serves were just on fire. There also were moments where Williams whose fiance was in the stands looked as if it had been just as long as it actually has since she competed, including in the opening game, when she got broken at love this way: forehand wide, forehand into the net, forehand long, backhand long. At the end, it took Williams a bit of extra effort to close things out. She kept holding match points and kept failing to convert them. But eventually, on her sixth chance, Williams powered in a 112 mph serve that Stearns returned into the net. That was it: Williams smiled wide as can be, raised a fist and jogged to the net to shake hands, then performed her customary post-win pirouette-and-wave. It's not easy. It wont be easy. Its not easy for anyone out here, said Williams, who next faces No. 5 seed Magdalena Frech, who's 27. So I know Ill have to fight for every match. But Im up for that.