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Australian Open Men’s Doubles Final Live Updates: Rohan Bopanna-Matthew Ebden Create History, Win Men’s Doubles Title | Tennis News

Post By Sports australian open 2024, live blogs ndtv sports, matthew ebden, rohan manchanda bopanna, simone bolelli, tennis

Aus Open Men’s Doubles Final Live: Rohan Bopanna eyes elusive Grand Slam title.© X (Twitter)

Aus Open Men’s Doubles Final Live: India’s Rohan Bopanna and Australia’s Matthew Ebden are trailing 3-4 against Italy’s Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori in the men’s doubles final of the Australian Open. The duo of Bopanna and Ebden has won the first set 7-6. Earlier, the second seeds, Bopanna and Ebden, defeated the pair of Thomas Machac and Zhang Zhishen in a thrilling 3-set semi-final. Bopanna has reached the US Open final twice (2013, 2023) but a Major trophy has eluded him in his career. Now at the fag end of his career at the age of 43, he will have the chance to tick that box with local guy Ebden in company.

Here are the LIVE Updates of Australian Open Men’s Doubles final from Melbourne

January27202418:03 (IST)

AUS Open Live: Bopanna-Ebden win, create history

A historical moment has been unfolded today as the pair of Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden has won the men’s doubles Australian Open 2024 final on Saturday. The duo defeated Italy’s Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori in straight sets 7-6, 7-5 in a thrilling encounter.
January27202417:58 (IST)

AUS Open Live: Bopanna-Ebden one game away from win

In the 11th game of the second set, Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden register 40-0 scoreline and claim 6-5 lead against Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori. The duo is now just one game away from claiming the Australian Open men’s doubles title.
January27202417:50 (IST)

AUS Open Live: Bolelli/Vavassori takes lead

The second set is turning out to be a thrilling encounter, just like the first one. In the ninth game, Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori give a dominating performance as Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden fail to give a counter attack. The game ends with a scoreline of 40-15 in the favour of the Italians, as they take 5-4 lead in the second set.
January27202417:37 (IST)

AUS Open Live: Bopanna-Ebden hold serve

Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden are facing a tough competition against Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori. After trailing 2-3, the duo bounces back in style and registers 40-15 scoreline in the sixth game. The scoreline of the second set is currently levelled at 3-3.
January27202417:29 (IST)

AUS Open Live: Bolelli/Vavassori hold serve

In the second game of the second set, Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden equalize the score 40-15 scoreline. However, Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori bounce back in the third game and registers 40-30, to take 2-1 lead in the second set.
January27202417:20 (IST)

AUS Open Live: Bolelli/Vavassori off to good start

After losing the first set, the duo of Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori is off to a good start in the first game of next set. In the opening match., the Italian duo comfortably dominates Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden and register a scoreline of 40-15, to take 1-0 lead in the second set.
January27202417:14 (IST)

AUS Open Live: Bopanna-Ebden wins 1st set

Brilliant!!! After a long, thrilling battle, the duo of Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden wins the first set of the men’s doubles final. After taking the game in tie-breaker, Bopanna and Ebden show dominating performance and claim 7-0 win against Simone Bolelli/Andrea Vavassori. The first set is won by Bopanna/Ebden 7-6.
January27202417:09 (IST)

AUS Open Live: 1st set goes in tie-break

The Italian duo of Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori holds the nerves and gives a dominating performance in 12th game. The duo registers 40-0 lead against Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden as the first set enters tie-break. All eyes are now on the deciding round.
January27202417:05 (IST)

AUS Open Live: Bopanna-Ebden inching closer to win 1st set

The eleventh game of the first set turns out to be a lengthy one as both the pairs gave a tough fight. Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden take the serve and take 15-0 lead. Later, the Italian duo bounces back and battle gets neck-to-neck. The game goes in deuce, where Bopanna and Ebden emerge victorious to take 6-5 lead in the first set.
January27202416:54 (IST)

AUS Open Live: Bopanna-Ebden holds serve

Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden are maintaining their dominance in the first set. In the ninth match, the duo comfortably dominates the Italian pair and claims a win with a scoreline of 40-15. The first set currently reads Bopanna/Ebden 5: 4 Bolelli/Vavassori.
January27202416:44 (IST)

AUS Open Live: A thrilling first set

The first set is going ahead like a rollercoaster ride as both the duos are giving a tough competition to each other. Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden registers a scoreline of 40-15 to claim a win in the fifth game. Later, Simone Bolelli/Andrea Vavassori bounce back in the sixth game and wins it by 40-15 to equalize the first set 3-3.
January27202416:38 (IST)

AUS Open Live: Tough fight from both ends

Both the duos are putting up a great fight in the men’s doubles finals. In the third game of the first set, the duo of Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden registers a scoreline of 40-30, to take 2-1 lead. However, Simone Bolelli/Andrea Vavassori bounce back in the fourth match as take game into deuce and claims a win. The scoreline of first set is levelled at 2-2.
January27202416:30 (IST)

AUS Open Live: Bolelli/Vavassori equalizes

After losing the first game, the duo of Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori bounces back in the second game. The game begins with the Italian duo taking 15-0 lead, which gets equalized by Bopanna/Ebden. Later, the duo makes it 40-40 and takes the game in deuce, where Bolelli and Vavassori wins.
January27202416:21 (IST)

AUS Open Live: Bopanna-Ebden holds serve

Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden are off to a terrific start in the final of men’s doubles match. In the opening game of the first set, the duo registers a scoreline of 40-0 and takes 1-0 lead.
January27202416:19 (IST)

AUS Open Live: We are underway

The Australian Open men’s doubles final match begins. Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden will be aiming for a dominating performance against Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori. Bopanna and Ebden will be taking the first serve.
January27202416:13 (IST)

AUS Open Live: Players take their position

Rohan Bopanna/Matthew Ebden and Simone Bolelli/Andrea Vavassori have taken the court. The Australian Open 2024 men’s doubles final match will begin shortly.
January27202415:56 (IST)

AUS Open Live: Bopanna’s massive record

In the process of entering the final, Rohan Bopanna broke his own record of being the oldest man at a Grand Slam final. It is the first time ever that Bopanna has entered the Australian Open final. In the last Grand Slam he played (US Open 2023), Bopanna and Ebden had entered the final as well.
January27202415:51 (IST)

AUS Open Live: Bopanna-Ebden’s victory in semis

India’s Rohan Bopanna and partner Matthew Ebden reach the Australia Open men’s doubles tennis final, beating the pair of Thomas Machac and Zhang Zhishen in a thrilling 3-set semi-final. The pairing of Bopanna-Ebden won the game 6-3, 3-6, 10-7 to enter the final.
January27202415:39 (IST)

Aus Open Live: Sabalenka’s night in Melbourne!

Aryna Sabalenka has won the women’s singles title after a straight sets win over China’s Qinwen Zheng. Back-to-back titles for the Belarusian at Rod Laver Arena
January27202415:38 (IST)

Aus Open Live: Hello!

Greetings and a very welcome to our live blog of the Australian Open men’s doubles final. Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden take on the Italians Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori.

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How risk and reward strategies will decide who claims the Australian Open women’s title

Post By World aryna sabalenka, australian open, final, Qinwen Zheng, tennis, women's

The balance between power and finesse is always tough to find in the world of tennis.

The temptation to blast opponents off the court often has to be tempered against the need to work them out of position first with probing ground strokes and perfect placement of deep balls.

Each tournament seems to have slight leans to different types of players. The slow clay of Paris opens up to the scramblers who can keep the ball in play and push it out of the reach of opposition racquets.

After a change to the surface in 2020 to the quicker GreenSet court surface, the Australian Open has particularly favoured power hitters on the women’s side.

Aryna Sabalenka and Qinwen Zheng might have similar, power-driven games but their journeys to make the final couldn’t have been much more different.

Sabalenka will be looking for her second straight Australian Open title — the first player to do so in a decade.

Zheng, on the other hand, has been one of the fastest-rising young players in the world over the past 12 months.

She hadn’t played a grand slam tournament before 2022, and made her first quarterfinal at last year’s US Open.

The 21-year-old has survived the chaotic top half of the women’s draw to be the last player left standing.

Will Sabalenka solidify her reputation as the most dangerous player in the world right now, or will Zheng cap her swift rise to the top of the women’s game?

To protect and serve

Two years ago Sabalenka was on the cusp of being the best player in the world — except for one pretty big thing.

Her biggest weapon, her serve, had deserted her. It cruelled her chances at the 2022 Australian Open, but one tournament doesn’t make a career.

She decided to fix the problem herself, forgoing a psychologist to instead work out the kinks in her serve.

Her service has been arguably the best in the game since then. She has a habit of turning service games into processions, rarely hitting trouble when she starts the point.

Only world number one Iga Swiatek has faced fewer break points — and been broken less often — over the past 12 months than the 26-year-old Belarusian.

Sabalenka has only faced 12 break points for the Australian Open so far, and has been broken just six times. By contrast, Zheng faced 10 break points in her semifinal against Dayana Yastremska alone.

Sabalenka has been able to ride this dominance to enter the final without dropping a set.

These quick service games have placed increased pressure on her opponent’s serves. It has allowed her to find her groove when returning, swinging freely at even slightly loose balls.

Sabalenka’s forehand is her key weapon, more deadly than almost any other player in the women’s game.

“I’m sure the final will be really competitive, because I think Sabalenka, she’s one of the most big hitters right now in the tour,” Zheng reflected after her semifinal win.

That’s not to downplay the strength of her two-handed backhand — which is also one of the better in the game. The combination of her weapons makes Sabalenka one of the toughest challenges to overcome in women’s tennis.

If Sabalenka has a weakness, it rests with her ability to put returns in play off the serve.

Occasionally her positioning and power means that she tries to bite a little too much off on the return.

To combat this, Sabalenka sometimes opts for a safety slice to ensure that she can get in the point — a good move considering how good she is in live points.

Zheng plants the seed

Few predicted Zheng being one of the final two women standing at Melbourne Park fighting for the 2024 Australian Open title.

While Zheng finished the year strongly and has long been tabbed as a rising star of the women’s tour, most eyes get stuck on the very top seeds.

Few also predicted the chaos that would occur in the top half of the draw.

Last year’s finalist and world number three, Elena Rybakina, was knocked out in a second round epic with Swiatek, who was knocked out by 19-year-old Czech Linda Nosková one round later.

Seeds fell like flies, with Zheng the last one standing by the quarterfinals.

Zheng is the first player in the 32-seed era (since 2001) to make a women’s grand slam final without playing a seeded player.

Zheng’s path to the final has benefited from the chaos caused elsewhere. Nonetheless, she has confidently handled each challenge thrown her way.

She has largely ridden her serve throughout the tournament to success. She leads all players for total aces, and has the most aces per match for players who made the second week of the tournament.

Her ability to win points on her first serve is even a touch better than Sabalenka.

That ability to win first serves has come at a slight cost — namely landing first serves in play.

Zheng has led all comers in double faults this tournament. Still, given her ability to win quick points on legal first serves, the aggressive, risk-taking approach usually pays off.

That aggression also extends to her general ground game. Zheng usually sets up solidly at the baseline and is unafraid to overwhelm opponents with big shots.

“I think her forehand is really heavy and she’s also moving well, fighting for every point,” Sabalenka said of Zheng after her semifinal win.

When the ball is in play Zheng’s forehand is her preferred weapon. While she doesn’t force herself to work around to her favoured side as much as other players, there’s a clear bias to where she does most of her damage.

Like her service game, keeping the ball in play is the trade-off to that power. So far this tournament, Zheng has been able to stay on the right side of this balance, but it has gotten her into trouble — most notably against Yafan Wang in the third round.

While Zheng was able to hit 40 winners to Wang’s 20, she also racked up 48 unforced errors compared with Wang’s 31. A similar negative split occurred in her semifinal win over Yestrenska.

The match-up

Sabalenka and Zheng have faced off just once in the past. That happened quite recently, at last year’s US Open.

Sabalenka dominated that match, winning 6-1, 6-4 in just over an hour of play.

Sabalenka won 88.5 per cent of her first serves, denying Zheng even the opportunity of a break point.

Contrastingly, Zheng struggled to get her first serve in play. In the first set of that match-up Zheng landed just 25 per cent of first serves and was only able to win 42 per cent of her second serves.

While she was able to settle as the match went on, the damage was largely done by that point. Zheng tried to play more aggressively when the ball was in play to bridge that gap, but that led to more unforced errors.

The battle for serve dominance will likely play a large role in the final. If Zheng can land her dangerous first serve in play regularly she will be able to attack Sabalenka’s biggest weakness.

For Sabalenka, denying Zheng’s ability to see break points is the easiest path to victory. Expect to see Sabalenka shoot some big serves out wide to set the tone of the match.

Given the attacking weapons both players possess, there may be the temptation to overextend and commit unforced errors. The line between aggressive and reckless is often fine, and the player who can manage it better might just walk out the winner.

Whether Sabalenka joins the rare club of repeat Australian Open winners or Zheng underlines her reputation as one of the best young players in the world, it should be a match to watch.

The Australian Open women’s final starts at 7.30pm (AEDT). Join ABC Sport at abc.net.au/sport as the team live blogs all the action from Melbourne Park, and tune into ABC Grandstand via the ABC Listen app and local radio to listen live.

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With a new life beckoning, Nick Kyrgios faces the ultimate decision of his tennis career

Post By World australian open, nick kyrgios, retire, tennis

Nick Kyrgios is on Rod Laver Arena, staring down at Novak Djokovic in front of a packed crowd with all the eyes on him. This is where he’s always supposed to be.

But the picture is different. There is a microphone in his hand, not a racquet. He’s not locking horns with Djokovic in a crucial Australian Open encounter but interviewing him after yet another Djokovic smash-up.

He’s good at it. He asks Djokovic interesting questions and he has a relaxed manner about him, one which easily builds a rapport. Kyrgios finishes up by asking Djokovic about the secret to winning grand slams, because he says he wants to come back and beat the Serbian, even if it’s just one time.

It’s good television. Kyrgios has always been good television. There is no cliched soundbites or paint-by-numbers analysis – like the best of Kyrgios on the court, his commentary is compelling in a way that is easy for people to connect with.

Seeing him in action, it shouldn’t be a surprise that he is thinking of doing this all the time. Kyrgios has long talked about retiring young and he said in a newspaper column earlier this week that if he was to walk away soon he’d be alright with the decision.

It seems a product of his complicated relationship with tennis. He clearly loves the sport and speaks with a great affection of players and their styles and his own memories, both good and bad.

It’s equally as clear that tennis is his terrible joy, a game that either makes him live a lot or die a little, a blessing that has made him and a curse that slowly destroys him. At times that destruction has been mental but right now it is physical.

His knee and his wrist are slowing him down so much so that he’s barely played since his brilliant 2022 season and the longer he stays away the more difficult the road back to the good times becomes.

As his off-court career looks brighter by the day, Kyrgios has a choice before him and it’s the only choice he’s ever really had when it comes tennis, the only one that really matters, the choice he’s been unable to settle on for his whole career – does he want to be the best tennis player he can be or does he want to be something else?

The former is the more difficult path. Kyrgios, who turns 29 in April, is not old in tennis years or real life. His tremendous physical talents will be around for a while yet and he’s got plenty of experience at the top level to back it up.

There’s still an obvious desire to play on big stages, to lock horns with the best in the world, to feed that side of him that knows he can and should be one of the sport’s giants. But doing that will become harder and harder as the days go by, even for someone as talented as Kyrgios.

He has reached a point where turning up, hitting big and serving bigger aren’t going to be enough anymore, if they ever were. Things like consistent mental application, top-notch preparation and emotional regulation become more and more important as a player ages and they have rarely been a strength for Kyrgios.

His greatest victories came when he was able to overwhelm the minutiae of process and thunder his way to the outcome, which is the brilliant and maddening end result of raw talent fuelled by an emotional fire that can be channelled but never fully controlled.

That’s why he’s one of the most compelling players of his generation – despite his recent lay-off he is still the biggest star in Australian tennis, even eclipsing the dogged and willing Alex de Minaur who, for all his success and his fighting heart and a lack of complications that could bring him straight out of Australian sport central casting, does not electrify the nation, for good or for ill, in the same way.

Kyrgios’s 2022 campaign, the best of his career, was tantalising in it’s possibilities. He has never been more likeable than when ripped through the Australian Open doubles with Thanasi Kokkinakis and he has never been closer to his zenith than his run to the Wimbledon final.

He accomplished so much and it still felt like he was just beginning to discover what was possible and the idea of really letting the motor open up and seeing just how far all this can go feels exhilarating. It feels rare as well because there’s a lot of people who can be good on TV and social media but not as many who can win majors.

Maybe Kyrgios can come back and be that player again, or go even further and become the player he has always believed he could be. But sometimes you can’t put a saddle on a mustang and at a certain point even the truest believers have to admit a player is what his record says he is.

Some gifts can’t ever be tamed and even if Kyrgios’s could be, there’s always the chance they still might not be enough. Even if he put everything into it, there’s still a possibility of failure and that idea of going all and still not being enough is the secret, greatest fear of any athlete with the potential to be great.

On the other side of this hard, complex and difficult road is a sunnier, easier future. Kyrgios could travel the world doing commentary, make big money and look good doing it and keeping close to tennis without being a slave to it. He can finally put down the unbearable weight his own abilities place on his shoulders.

Banter with Djokovic at centre court. Crack one-liners about how a player’s legs are as big as one of your second serves. Tell jokes about getting fined for tanking a match years ago. Leave the wreckage of the fast lane and settle into the loosely defined but still lucrative world of the influencer.

Give up the crushing loneliness of an individual sport and be around people all the time, because a broadcast team is still a team, and never again be stuck in the middle of the court with a crowd howling at you, hoping you explode right in front of them.

It is something close to the best of both worlds. Kyrgios can still be a part of his sport, perhaps a more visible part, without going through the ringer. The burden of greatness and expectation would be over, he could luxuriate in the action rather than be drowned by it. He can finally beat this game by leaving it.

The same day as his newspaper column was released he took to Instagram to affirm he would be playing on. The microphone will be waiting for him until he puts down his racquet for the last time and decides to start building a new career one broadcast or Instagram reel at a time.

His return to the court remains uncertain. He hopes his wrist will be ready for Wimbledon and the US Open but admitted it was no guarantee. There is no clock on the ultimate decision but the longer Kyrgios is sidelined, the closer we come to the end of one sporting life and the beginning of another.

But it still might go either way. Only Kyrgios knows what he wants, only he knows whether he can stand to give up being the man in the arena for the life of a spectator.

He’d gain a lot by doing it but he’d be giving up just as much. Nobody else can know if it’ll be worth it, because, the same way it’s been his whole career, nobody else can make the choice for him.

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The deepening embrace between tennis and technology

Post By Sports australian open, federer vs nadal, hawk eye, infosys, technology in tennis, tennis, tennis news

When Roger Federer whipped that forehand crosscourt on championship point against his greatest rival Rafael Nadal in the 2017 Australian Open final, he could not celebrate immediately because Nadal had appealed for a Hawk-Eye review. Hawk-Eye is the computer vision system that visually tracks the trajectory of the ball and displays a profile of its most likely path. It is so ubiquitous in tennis today that an average fan cannot remember a time without it.

In fact, the final three points of that momentous final all had Hawk-Eye interventions. There was as much technology as tennis. The storied rivalry between Federer and Nadal had had its share of cliff-hanger matches, and now the entire world was waiting for Hawk-Eye to declare the champion. Machines loaded with simulation software would decide the winner and the humans would have to wait. The famous words of the television commentator Robert Koenig at that juncture were, “Fate now in the hands of the Hawk-Eye.”

Hawk-Eye called the ball in, and then Federer had a delayed celebration. If John McEnroe had been Federer’s opponent that day, he might have yelled, “You cannot be serious” at the machine. Laws of sports fandom work on a different plane and it wouldn’t be a surprise to find Nadal supporters doubting that decision even to this day. But the bottom line was that technology was trusted to arrive at a better conclusion than humans and there had to be an acceptance of the same, even if grudgingly.

The use of ball-tracking technology to decide line calls is now ubiquitous in tennis.
| Photo Credit:
Infosys Website

The evolution

The use of technology in tennis has evolved over time. Firms like IBM have been associated with prestigious events like Wimbledon and the US Open for over three decades. By the 1990s, with the advent of improved racquet technology, tennis became a ‘power sport’ with the likes of Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi leading the way.

When the average speed of the first serve was over 100 mph, the job of a line umpire was not easy. Routine squabbles between players and referees meant something had to be done by the tennis federations and that led to the initial forays of technological support into the sport.

In recent times, it took a non-fiction book titled Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game by Michael Lewis in 2003, along with the adapted version as a Hollywood movie, to show how statistical data can play a significant role in the success of a sports team (the Oakland Athletics team in the 2002 season of the Major League Baseball).

In tennis, the Bengaluru-headquartered IT behemoth Infosys is the technology partner of the ATP Tour. Over the years, over 150 million digital fans have interacted with Infosys Match Centre, including 3000 players and coaches for Artificial Intelligence (AI) driven coaching solutions.

“The Infosys Tennis platform uses dimensions such as player rankings, length of rallies, crowd noise levels, and distance between the ball and the player to provide each point with an AI score,” Sumit Virmani, Global Chief Marketing Officer, Infosys, told The Hindu. “This helps the media rank the best shots of the day. For players and coaches, the platform studies tennis matches and suggests areas of strength and ones to improve.”

Data the new oil

In other words, when a tennis match goes live, every shot is now a data point, whether it is a winner or an error. As fans enjoy the match, a parallel analytics game begins at the back end. Thousands of these data points are fed into data servers and become a treasure for statisticians to analyse and match trends to the granular level of “who will win the next point? What strategy will the player adopt?”

Fuelled by the worldwide penetration of smartphones, the speed, scale, and impact of technology in recent times have witnessed a significant surge. Integrating analytics into sports has also transformed how athletes train and compete, and how coaches strategise.

“The three key aspects where athletes and coaches can benefit greatly are performance optimisation, injury prevention and tactical adjustment,” said Soudeep Deb, Assistant Professor, Decision Sciences Area at the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore. “In the first aspect, analytics provides detailed insights into an athlete’s performance metrics, including speed, agility, strength, and endurance.

“Regarding injury prevention, monitoring biomechanical data and tracking workload through analytics has become a common practice. The final, arguably the most critical need of analytics is preparing strategies or making tactical adjustments for specific matches,” Prof. Deb added.

Shifting sands

Access to data and the adoption of technology by players and coaches were rare in the earlier decade. A player’s talent was the be-all and end-all and Harsh Mankad, a former Indian Davis Cup player, recalled a traditional method he used during his playing days on the ATP Tour.

“I started professional tennis in 2002, and I played till 2010, and at that point, there wasn’t much analytics,” he said. “We weren’t getting much data either before or after the match. Certain individuals had started putting up cameras behind the courts and recording. Some parents, travelling coaches would hook up a camera stand and record the matches. So, I would say that was the early stage of getting the video data.”

Prof. Deb felt that tennis lagging behind other sports in embracing technology and data is because of three main reasons. “It is possibly connected to the individualistic nature of the sport,” he said. “Traditionally, the players’ skill, intuition, and on-court decision-making have been thought to be the key behind their success. This is in stark contrast to team sports like football or baseball, where statistical analysis is more readily applicable to collective strategies.

“Tennis coaching has also traditionally been built on personal relationships between coaches and players, relying heavily on observation, experience, and hands-on guidance. The integration of analytics requires a shift in coaching methodologies.

“The final point is that tennis historically lacked comprehensive and standardised data collection. While basic statistics like aces and unforced errors have long been tracked, the depth and granularity of data were limited.

“It is also imperative to point out that smaller budgets and resource constraints in tennis compared to major team sports might have limited the investment in analytics infrastructure. Teams and organisations may prioritise other aspects of player development over the acquisition and implementation of advanced analytics technologies,” added Prof. Deb.

Granular match stats and player performance data are now aiding in in-depth technical analyses.
| Photo Credit:
Infosys Website

However, similar to how technology moved from enterprise level to personal computing, a pattern is being observed in tennis as well. An elite tennis player now travels with an entourage of scientific experts – fitness trainers, nutritionists, psychologists, analysts and doctors. The coach’s job is to gather all data dimensions of a player and distil the information into specific actions required to win the next match or tournament. With large datasets now made available, the analysis process is in-depth.

The human element

One could have all the gadgets and tools but what about the human mind? Players burst into anger, break racquets and argue endlessly with referees. What effect do these have on player performances? There are times when emotions are self-directed to channel their motivation to uplift performance. A television commentator once remarked, “Andy Murray speaks to himself more than commentators do with their microphones.”

And at times these are cues for the opponents to note. Most recently, World No.1 Novak Djokovic told CBS News’ 60 Minutes interview that he even observes how his opponent is breathing so that he can strategise. Surely, that cannot be quantified!

“It is well documented that when the energy level is low, the player wants to finish the point faster,” said Mankad. “Contrary to their behaviour in the training sessions, I’ve seen top players rushing through the points when their energy levels dip or due to external situations like a bad line call or the crowd rooting for their opponent.

“The coach’s observation of such situations is paramount to the athlete’s development since this is beyond statistics and data analysis,” added Mankad.

Way ahead

What all of this suggests is that technology is a tool that aids in better decision-making by humans. In the world of tennis, the plethora of products and services available are consumed by athletes, coaches, fans and administrators as means to arrive at finer conclusions.

“When you consider the tennis ecosystem, Infosys has launched over 30 innovations converging the power of AI, cloud, metaverse, mixed reality, and other new-age tech,” said Virmani.

“MatchBeats, Second Screen, and Courtvision 3D are innovative solutions that ingest data from sources like the chair umpire’s tablet, the high-definition cameras deployed by Hawk-Eye, and the speed gun deployed on the court. Then, within a few milliseconds, they produce easy-to-understand visual output for fans,” Virmani added.

In today’s world, a day without technology is unimaginable. But as the oft-repeated mantra goes, ‘AI will not replace humans, but humans with AI will replace humans without AI.’

“Advancements in technology, increased data availability and the success stories of analytics in other sports have prompted a growing recognition of the value analytics can bring,” said Prof. Deb. “As the sport evolves, analytics integration will likely become more commonplace.”

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‘Say it to my face’: Djokovic lifts after confrontation with fan to overcome brave Popyrin

Post By World Alexei Popyrin, australian open, Grand Slam, Major, melbourne park, novak djokovic, tennis

Novak Djokovic’s winning streak at the Australian Open has extended to 30 matches after he defeated Alexei Popyrin in a tense four-set battle.

The world number one was pushed by the 24-year-old from Sydney, surviving several scares in the three-hour match.

But it was a brief exchange with a fan midway through the fourth set which seemed to spark Djokovic, who then won four of the next five games to move onto the third round.

The incident happened before the start of the fifth game, when Djokovic took exception to something said to him from a spectator.

“You wanna come here? Come here and say it to my face,” he said, confronting the fan.

Djokovic gave a mighty roar after winning match point, pumping his fist to the crowd in a gesture usually saved for later rounds.

He needed just one break of serve to win the first set, looking comfortable on serve.

But Popyrin grew into the contest against the Serbian legend and broke serve in the fourth game of the second set.

Alexei Popyrin of Australia reacts during his round two match against Novak Djokovic of Serbia on Day 4 of the 2024 Australian Open at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Wednesday, January 17, 2024. (AAP: James Ross)

Popyrin looked to have blown his chance to win the second set when he failed to serve it out at 5-4.

But the Australian applied pressure to Djokovic’s serve in the following game, with the Serbian committing two unforced errors on the forehand.

Popyrin took advantage and squared the match with a terrific backhand winner over Djokovic’s head.

Popyrin needed a medical timeout midway through the third set, with his left calf causing him concern.

He returned to the court a short time later and won his next service game.

The Australian had chances to win the third set, with four set points in the 10th game against Djokovic’s serve.

But the world number one had an answer every time, before sealing the set in a tie breaker.

Djokovic said the third-set tie breaker was the momentum swing he needed to win on Wednesday.

“He was the better player I think, for a set and a half — I think second set and third set he was the better player,” Djokovic said.

“Things changed around. I think the momentum shifted in the tie break. I managed to, I guess, put one ball more in the court than he did so that’s all.”

The Serbian will now meet Argentine Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the third round.

Tennis — Australian Open — Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia — January 17, 2024 Serbia’s Novak Djokovic in action during his second round match against Australia’s Alexei Popyrin.(Reuters: Tracey Nearmy)

Keep across all the latest from Melbourne Park in our blog below, check out live scores with our ScoreCentre, and tune in to our live radio coverage.

Key events

Australians on court today

Alex de Minaur (10) def Matteo Arnaldi 6-3, 6-0, 6-3
Storm Hunter (Q) def Laura Siegemund 6-4, 3-6, 6-4
Ben Shelton (16) def Chris O’Connell 6-4, 6-1, 3-6, 7-6(7/5)
Stefanos Tsitsipas (7) def Jordan Thompson 4-6 7-6(8/6), 6-2, 7-6(7/4)
Novak Djokovic (1) def Alexei Popyrin 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(7/4), 6-3

That is all for our coverage today

What a day of action!

Alex de Minaur was impressive, Storm Hunter was outstanding.

And we were treated to a real show this evening from Popyrin, Thompson and O’Connell.

We will be back again tomorrow for day five from Melbourne Park.

Rublev through in straight sets over Eubanks

Djokovic says Popyrin was better for long parts of their match

Comments from Novak:

“He was the better player I think for a set and a half, I think second set and third set he was the better player,” he said.

“Things changed around. I think the momentum shifted in the tie break. I managed to, I guess, put one ball more in the court than he did so that’s all.”

Novak Djokovic defeats Alexei Popyrin

He has done it.

Djokovic is through.

And he turns to the crowd and screams.

Not sure if it was in celebration or in relation to that incident earlier.

Popyrin survives three match points

Djokovic was 0-40 up with three match points, but Popyrin served his way to victory.

It could be a final act of defiance as Novak now serves for the match at 5-3.

Djokovic breaks Popyrin in the fourth set

Since his interaction with the crowd, Djokovic has stepped his game up.

He came after Popyrin’s serve and broke the Australian.

He has taken command of the set, and Alexei’s valiant fight may now have a shelf life.

Djokovic having words with the crowd

Something has been said from a spectator which Djokovic did not like.

“Come and say it to my face,” he said to a member in the stands, urging them to step up from their seat and confront him.

Not what you want to see.

Upset in the men’s draw as 17th seed is knocked out

Djokovic wins tie breaker, after saving four set points

Popyrin asked the world number one so many questions, but Djokovic had the answers.

Novak had to battle, but he was better more often and won a tense third set.

Third set tie breaker for Djokovic and Popyrin

Djokovic survives four set points

Alexei Popyrin has returned from his medical timeout and continued to challenge Novak Djokovic.

He had three set points at 0-40, but the world number one served himself out of trouble — like the champion he is.

The set is on serve at 5-5, Popyrin to serve.

Tsitsipas hails the ‘insane’ match he had with Thompson

Tsitsipas says he gave it his all tonight, praising Jordan Thompson and the crowd.

The adreraline and the rush I got out of this match was insane tonight.

You live for this kid of matches. The intensity was there today.

Tsitsipas prevails in a brilliant four-set match

Tsitsipas has finally done it, overcoming John Thompson to make it to the third round.

His first serve was brilliant in the tie breaker, winning it 7-4.

Thompson misses multiple set points

Tsitsipas has got out of jail and has sent the fourth set to a tie breaker.

Thompson must win the tie breaker to send the match to a fifth set.

He will be kicking himself, he had four chances to wrap up the set in the game before.

Popyrin back on court, continues third set with Djokovic

Physio called of Popyrin who is suffering from cramping

Alexei Popyrin has called for the physio, with a left calf issue.

It appears to be cramping.

This is a boost for Djokovic who has been given a real test thus far.

Popyrin has now taken a medical timeout.

Hopefully, this is a minor issue.

Tsitsipas fails to convert two match points

Brilliant from Thompson.

Tsitsipas was serving with two match points and somehow the Australian came out the other side.

The fourth set is back on serve, at 5-5.

Alexei telling the crowd to get louder

It is hard to believe the crowd at Rod Laver Arena could get louder, but they have.

Serving in the third game, he wins two points which could easily go down as the best of the tournament.

Both men ran side to side, returning the un-returnable, with Popyrin both times winning the point.

And he is gesturing to the crowd to get on their feet, and they respond in kind.

Some wild stats from Alexei vs Novak

Here are two wild statistics for you.

1.Djokovic has now lost more sets in this tournament than he did when he won the Australian Open last year.
2.Alexei Popyrin is the fourth Australian to win a set against Djokovic in a grand slam match. The other three are Lleyton Hewitt, Nick Kyrgios and Bernard Tomić.