Five-time grand slam winner, Maria Sharapova has decided to split with her longtime coach after losing in the first round of the BNP Paribas Open. She announced the mutual parting with Sven Groeneveld on Friday, two days after she was beaten in straight sets by Naomi Osaka of Japan in her return to Indian Wells after a three-year absence.
Serena Williams said she was rusty on her victorious WTA Tour return, following 14 months away for the birth of her child. The former world No. 1 is through to the second round of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Californian, beating Zarina Diyas 7-5 6-3. Diyas is ranked 53rd in the world.
Serena Williams makes her return to the pro tour after a 14-month absence with a first-round match at the BNP Paribas Open on Thursday. She will play Zarina Diyas of Kazakhstan in a night match at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Williams has played just one Fed Cup doubles match while away from the WTA Tour. The former No. 1 is unseeded and therefore didn't receive a first-round bye.
Two-time Wimbledon winner Andy Murray has lost his status as Britain’s number one for the first time since 2006 after he was overtaken by Kyle Edmund in the ATP rankings released on Monday.
Edmund has moved up to 24th place as he reaps the benefit of reaching the Australian Open semi-finals, while former world number one Murray, out injured since January and recovering from a hip operation, drops eight places to 29th.
Nigeria’s Aruna Quadri and female compatriot Offiong Edem are into the semi finals of the 2018 ITTF-Africa Top 16 Cup, holding in Nairobi.
Both the semi-finals and finals will be played today.
Places in the Liebherr 2018 Men’s World Cup and 2018 Women’s World Cup are at stake.
A three-man delegation of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) have departed Lagos for Nairobi in Kenya for the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Africa Top 16 Cups. The championships holding from Thursday to Saturday will serve as qualifiers for the World Cup slated for later in the year.
