Kanam Sports

    Aryna Sabalenka Aryna Sabalenka's comeback in the final of the Australian Open earned her a place in the grand slam record books as she secured her first major title. Sabalenka defeated last year's Wimbledon champion, Elena Rybakina, in a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 match on Saturday. The victory made Sabalenka the fifth woman in the Open Era to win a grand slam via a comeback in the final, joining Nancy Richy, Jelena Ostapenko, Sofia Kenin and ironically, Rybakina herself on that list. Nadal remains on course for March return Sabalenka hit 17 aces in her match against Rybakina, second only to Serena Williams' 18 aces in the 2015 final. She has now won three out of the four tournaments in which she has faced Rybakina, including Wuhan 2019, Abu Dhabi 2021, and the Australian Open 2023. With her victory in the Australian Open, Aryna Sabalenka became the 29th unique woman in the Open Era to win the title at the tournament and the 58th women's player in the Open Era to win a major. ...

   Rafael Nadal. Rafael Nadal remains on course to return to action in March after undergoing further tests on the hip flexor injury he sustained on his way out of the Australian Open. The 22-time major winner failed to defend his crown in Melbourne after losing 6-4 6-4 7-5 to world number 65 Mackenzie McDonald last week. Nadal struggled to move around the court in the closing stages of the match and revealed afterwards he had aggravated an issue he had been suffering with for a couple of days. An MRI scan showed the Spaniard had a grade two illiopsoas tear in his hip flexor, which would usually mean between six and eight weeks out of action. After returning home to undergo further checks on Thursday, Nadal confirmed he is on course to return in that initial timeframe. "Today I have been at the Tecknon Tennis Clinic in Barcelona where they have carried out some tests on me," he posted on his personal Twitter page. "The Melbourne results are confirmed and the deadlines re...

                                                     Aryna Sabalenka Aryna Sabalenka could never previously have been accused of being boring, but she now wears that tag as a badge of honour and believes it can lead to Australian Open glory. The world number five from Belearus has found a way to control her previously volatile emotions, cured her torrid serving yips through persistent hard work, and an elusive grand slam might soon be coming her way. Sabalenka won 6-2 6-3 against Belgian Elise Mertens in an hour and 14 minutes on Margaret Court Arena on Saturday, delivering another dominant performance that means she has yet to drop a set this year. That includes a fuss-free run to the Adelaide International 1 title and a brisk dash through the opening three rounds at Melbourne Park. She is 14-0 for sets in 2023, and this new version of Sabalenka faces O...

        Casper Ruud reacts during his second-round singles wing against Jenson Brooksby.  Casper Ruud made two grand slam finals last year, but his 2023 Australian Open campaign fell to pieces with a shock second-round loss to 22-year-old Jenson Brooksby. American Brooksby prevailed on his fifth match point, after fluffing three in the third set, when second seed Ruud hit a return long. That sealed a 6-3 7-5 6-7 (4-7) 6-2 victory in three hours and 55 minutes on Rod Laver Arena. Ruud's demise on Thursday means he joins top seed Rafael Nadal in exiting early in Melbourne, with the Norwegian departing in the Spaniard's wake after struggling through the first two sets before a medical time-out prior to the third. Ruud staved off three match points at 5-3 down in the third, when Brooksby got tight with victory in sight, before winning the set in a tie-break. However, Brooksby regained his composure in the fourth set and broke twice early to open up a 3-0 lead, barel...