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Legendary tennis stars Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova have renewed their fight against Saudi Arabia with a pointed opinion piece on Thursday.
The pair, among the greatest female players of all time, have firm objections to plans to take the WTA Finals to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia.
There is increasing speculation that the jewel in the crown of the women’s tour will be played in Saudi Arabia from this year, a move Evert and Navratilova believe is “entirely incompatible with the spirit and purpose of women’s tennis”.
Writing a joint opinion piece in the Washington Post, the pair outlined their concerns about Saudi Arabia’s treatment of women and their questionable record with the LGBTQ community.
“Not only is this a country where women are not seen as equal, it is a country where the current landscape includes a male guardianship law that essentially makes women the property of men,” Evert and Navratilova wrote.
“A country which criminalizes the LGBTQ community to the point of possible death sentences. A country whose long-term record on human rights and basic freedoms has been a matter of international concern for decades.
“Staging the WTA final there would represent not progress, but significant regression.”
Men’s great John McEnroe raised his concerns on the prospect of moving major tournaments to Saudi Arabia on the eve of the Australian Open, while returning star Caroline Wozniacki said it was “inevitable” that it would happen – but hoped it could be a chance to promote change in the country.
Evert and Navratilova, however, clearly feel that until that change eventuates it would be an enormous step backwards for the sport, and the women involved.
“The WTA should revisit the values upon which it was established. We believe that those values cannot even be expressed, much less achieved, in Saudi Arabia,” they wrote.
“Taking a tournament there would represent a significant step backward, to the detriment not just of women’s sport, but women. We hope this changes someday, hopefully within the next five years. If so, we would endorse engagement there.”
4.50PM: BROKEN AGAIN
Storm Hunter and Katerina Siniakova have broken Hsieh Sui-We and Elise Martens for the second time in the second set on Margaret Court Arena.
They’re up 5-1 in the second after dropping the first 7-5 and have all the momentum.
Meanwhile in the men’s German duo Yannick Haufmann and Dominik Koepfer have taken the first two sets over Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori.
4.30PM: PLAY SUSPENDED ACROSS SEVERAL COURTS
Storm Hunter isn’t the only storm in town this afternoon, with a shower crossing Melbourne Park and suspending the three girls’ singles matches on outdoor courts, including Aussie sixth seed Emerson Jones.
4.15PM: STORM, SINIAKOVA DOWN A SET
Australian Storm Hunter and her doubles partner Katerina Siniakova have dropped the first set against Hsieh Sui-We and Elise Martens in the women’s doubles semi final.
Hunter and Siniakova made it to duece in the final game and threatened to break their opponents, but the Belgian and Taiwanese duo held on to their final service game to take the first set on Margaret Court Arena 7-5.
3.30PM: HAUNTING IMAGE BEHIND INSPIRATIONAL AUS OPEN SURGE
Dayana Yastremska was forced to spend 48 hours hiding in an underground car park to shelter from Russian bombs.
But now she is rewriting history by reaching the Australian Open semi-finals as a qualifier.
The 23-year-old has enjoyed a simply superb run in Australia after battling through three three-set matches to book her place in the main draw – before taking out No.7 seed and reigning Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova, No.27 seed Emma Navarro and No.18 seed Victoria Azarenka.
The world No.93 will face Qinwen Zheng, the No.12 seed, with a maiden Grand Slam final on the line for both women.
Yastremska is already setting records as the first qualifier to reach the women’s semi-finals of the Australian Open since 1978.
And she is always quick to thank her parents for her success while also remembering and being motivated by the reality of the tragic ongoing war in her homeland.
After reaching the semis, she wrote on the TV camera lens: “I’m proud of our fighting people from Ukraine.”
And Yastremska said in an emotional message to her inspirational compatriots defending the country: “They really deserve a huge respect.
“I always try to write something for Ukraine, about Ukraine
“I think it’s my mission here. I’m just trying to give the signal to Ukraine that I’m really proud of it.”
Dayana and her younger sister Ivanna fled Odesa when Vladimir Putin ordered the barbaric invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
They had sheltered from the Russian bombs for two days when the siblings’ parents Alexander, a former volleyball player, and Marina dedicated to send them away to safety.
The girls waved goodbye to their mum and dad from a boat as they escaped to France – and were not reunited again for months.
A heartbreaking Instagram post at the time showed Dayana sat comforting Ivanna and hugging family members as they prepared to leave with her tennis bag.
Yastremska wrote: “After spending two nights in the underground parking, my parents made a decision at any cost to send me and my little sister out of Ukraine.
“Mom, Dad, we love you very much, take care of yourself!!! I love you my country! Ukrainians take care of your lives.”
Dayana and Ivanna, also a tennis player, took refuge in France. – JOSHUA JONES, THE SUN UK
3.20PM: EBDEN RETURNS TO MEN’S DOUBLES FINAL
Australian Matt Ebden is back in the men’s doubles final, after prevailing in a third-set super tiebreak alongside Rohan Bopanna.
Once again, it was the Machac serve that came unstuck in the super tiebreak – giving a mini-break to Bopanna/Ebden at 4-2.
A costly error from Bopanna on Ebden’s serve handed the mini-break back at 7-6, with the finish line almost in sight.
But Ebden won it back straight away, again with a big return on Machac’s serve, before Bopanna closed out the match on his serve.
They’ll face the winner of the second semi-final, where Italian duo Andrea Vavassori and Simone Bolelli are up against German pair Yannick Hanfmann and Dominik Koepfer.
3.07PM: SUPER-TIEBREAK TIME!
Ebden and Bobanna were so close.
They had three match points on Zhang’s serve but, from 0-40, he saved all three – big serves, big forehands, big moments.
“This is an extraordinary comeback,” says Todd Woodbridge.
Instead, we’re off to a super tiebreaker. First to 10!
2.55PM: BOPANNA BROKEN!
There’s one more twist in this match, with Rohan Bopanna broken while serving for the match.
He and Australian Matt Ebden had one foot in Saturday’s final, but instead it is Zhang who can serve to stay in this semi final at 4-5.
2.40PM: BOPANNA CLAIMS CRUCIAL BREAK
Bopanna is back!
He ices the break in the fourth game, as Machac’s serve is broken for the second time this match.
And it was all Bopanna, who had a shaky second set but has come up with several huge plays at the net – and then holds comfortably – to steal a 4-1 lead in the third set.
“You get a moment like that in a match, and it can turn… and hasn’t it turned,” says Todd Woodbridge in commentary.
2.25PM: ALL LOCKED UP IN THE DOUBLES’ SEMI-FINAL
We’re off to a decider in the men’s semi-final, with Zheng and Machac warming into the match and taking the second set 6-3.
Bopanna lost his nerve a bit at the net during that second set, and it’s about to heat up now!
2.10PM: EBDEN BROKEN, DOWN 3-1 IN SECOND SET
Some blown opportunities at the net there from Rohan Bopanna – including a wild, long forehand to concede the break on Matt Ebden’s serve.
That was sloppy stuff considering how crisp everything had been throughout the first set.
Ebden and Bopanna, having taken the first set, fall behind 3-1 in the second.
2.00PM: RAIN HALTS PLAY
At 1-1 in the second set, rain has stopped play.
It’s only a light sprinkling, but there’ll be a short delay as the roof closes and the court is dried by the ballkids.
1.50PM: EBDEN, BOPANNA TAKE FIRST SET
That’s the first set in the books – just the one break needed by the Aussie-Indian pairing of Matt Ebden and Rohan Bopanna.
They take the first set 6-3 and the No.2 seeds are well on their way to reaching the men’s doubles finals.
Both have been excellent at the net, and it is honestly quite remarkable the level that Bopanna is playing at 43 years of age.
1.45PM: EBDEN EDGES CLOSER TO TAKING FIRST SET
Ebden and Bopanna squandered a break point on Zhang’s serve and the Taiwanese star pulls out a strong hold in the end with his big serve.
But they pull closer to taking the first set as Ebden holds serve once more – despite again being pushed to deuce by their unseeded rivals.
The Aussie leads 5-2.
1.35PM: EBDEN/BOPANNA JUMP OUT TO 4-1 LEAD
Some elite work at the net from Ebden has helped he and Bopanna to an early break of Machac’s serve – and a 4-1 lead after Bopanna holds.
1.25PM: EBDEN HOLDS AFTER GRUELLING GAME
It’s all on serve through three games on Rod Laver Arena, but it hasn’t all been easy for Australia’s Matt Ebden.
He was pushed back to deuce, after being 40-0 up, before holding for a 2-1 lead alongside Rohan Bopanna.
1.15PM: AUSSIE EBDEN EYES FINALS SPOT
Australia’s Matt Ebden is on Rod Laver Arena, with one eye on the men’s doubles final.
He and teammate, and newly crowned world No.1, Rohan Bopanna will they take on China’s Zhang Zhizhen and Czech Tomas Machac
At 43 years old, Bopanna is the oldest man in history to become the world No.1 in men’s doubles.
12.30PM: HEWITT AVOIDS NIGHTMARE BUST
We’ve all seen the bad ones – Cristiano Ronaldo’s remains the gold-standard for disasters – but Lleyton Hewitt was pleasantly surprised when the bronze bust of his head was unveiled on Wednesday night.
Hewitt was immortalised at Melbourne Park after being inducted into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame.
And while countryman John Millman took a cheeky jab on social media about the potential for an ugly outcome, Hewitt was impressed.
“I reckon they did a pretty good job. I love the hat backwards,” Hewitt said on Channel 9.
“I didn’t see it until I actually unveiled it last night… that was a weird feeling, because you’ve seen some of them in the past gone wrong.
“They did ask for a lot of photos to be taken last year, and I questioned that. I said I’d actually prefer it in my younger days when I was 20 or 21.
“But I’m very happy with it.”
Millman had a little dig on Instagram, suggesting he hoped Hewitt’s bust “looks a little better than Cristiano’s did” alongside the Ronaldo monstrosity.
11.50AM: REVENGE MISSION SET TO EXPLODE IN CLASSIC
It is the shot at revenge Aryna Sabalenka has been craving since the US Open.
And the defending Australian Open champion wasn’t hiding her enthusiasm for a shot at retribution against American teenage star Coco Gauff after storming into the semi-finals at Melbourne Park.
“I love it, I love it,” Sabalenka declared when asked how happy she was to get another chance to face Gauff so soon after their battle in the US Open final.
“After (the) US Open, I really wanted that revenge.
“It’s always great battles against Coco, with really great fights. I’m happy to play here and I’m super excited to play that semi-final match.”
Gauff triumphed in three sets against Sabalenka the last time the pair met in the decider at Flushing Meadows last year to claim her first grand slam singles crown.
Now, in the opening grand slam of the 2024 season, the pair are the last remaining top-10 women’s seeds at Melbourne Park.
No. 2 seed Sabalenka, who won her first major title at the Australian Open last year, is in ominous form heading into their match-up after powering into her sixth consecutive grand slam semi-final.
The 25-year-old has not conceded more than three games in a set in any of her matches so far in Melbourne – dropping only 16 games overall – and has spent little more than five hours on court in her campaign so far.
The result might have swung her way in New York, but Gauff was well aware of the obstacle Sabalenka presented in the season-opening grand slam.
“Aryna, (it’s) always a tough match with her,” Gauff said.
“I think she’s playing well this tournament. Obviously that US Open final was tough.”
While Sabalenka comfortably dispatched her quarter-final opponent, No. 9 seed Barbora Krejcikova, Gauff is coming off her toughest match of the tournament.
The 19-year-old was forced to three sets for the first time in her match against Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk in an epic centre court battle lasting more than three hours which featured two tie-breaks.
Gauff later quipped she hoped she had got her “bad game out of the way” following a performance she rated as only a “C”.
Sabalenka was equally wary of the threat Gauff posed.
“She’s moving really well. Everything you do on court it’s coming back,” Sabalenka said.
“So you need to build the point probably (a) couple times in one point to have that …. easy shot to finish the point.
“That’s why she’s (a) really tough opponent. She’s a great player, and I’m really excited to play her.”
If she can end Gauff’s hopes of back-to-back grand slam wins, Sabalenka has a calmer demeanour on court to thank for it.
Sabalenka admitted she was not “super proud” of some of her temperament on court in the past, but said her “mindset” had changed.
“I’m not getting crazy on court, I’m not rushing things,” Sabalenka said.
“You know, I’m just playing point by point, and that’s it, and fighting for every point without overthinking about my dreams, about what I want to do, about how many slams I want to win and all that stuff.
“I was able to separate myself from that kind of mentality and just start focusing on myself and focusing on things I can improve and I can get better in, and what I actually have to do to win every match I play.
“I guess it’s all about experience. I think I’m more mature, older, whatever you want to call it.
“I’m not super proud of myself doing some things on court.
“It was part of my journey, and I’m actually happy that kind of I faced those challenges and I’m happy that I was able to fix that and to become more calm on court.
“It’s been really huge work, and I’m happy that I was able to fix that.”
Alongside her serve and returns, Gauff also backed her mental strength as a key for her on court ahead of her semi-final showdown.
“I think just my mental strength … that’s gotten me through a lot of matches,” Gauff said.
“I feel like mentally I’m one of the strongest out there, and I try my best to reset after each point.”
11.25AM: LLEYTON TIPS SHOCK NOVAK UPSET
Men’s tennis could be about to witness a seismic changing of the guard.
Novak Djokovic – the 24-time grand slam champion and undisputed king of Melbourne Park – faces young gun Jannik Sinner on Rod Laver Arena tomorrow.
And Australian great Lleyton Hewitt believes an upset is brewing.
Djokovic has a perfect 10-0 record in Australian Open semi-finals – and finals – but in Sinner he is facing the hottest player in tennis, and a star yet to drop a set at this year’s tournament.
“I think that Jannik Sinner can upset him. It is 50/50,” Hewitt said on Channel 9.
“If Jannik Sinner can get off to a good start he is in with a good shot.
“(Sinner) was awfully close a couple of years ago he had match point on (Carlos) Alcaraz and Alcaraz went on to win the US Open.
“It was a couple of polishing little touches.
“That inner belief that Darren has been around the big players at the end of tournament and having him in his corner is a massive point.”
10.45AM: AUSSIES IN ACTION TODAY
It’s women’s semi-final day at Melbourne Park – with both semi-finals to take place in the night session.
But Australia Day could come 24 hours early, with two Aussies in action in the doubles semi-finals this afternoon.
From 1pm, Matthew Ebden is paired up with recently crowned men’s world No.1 doubles star Rohan Bopanna, with the No.2 seeds eying a spot in the final.
They take on China’s Zhang Zhizhen and Czech Tomas Machac on Rod Laver Arena.
Later this afternoon, third seeds Storm Hunter and Katerina Siniakova battle the second-seeded Hsieh Su-wei, from Taiwan, and Belgium’s Elise Mertens.
Hunter and Siniakova cemented their favouritism for this year’s women’s doubles crown with a comeback victory over Barbora Krejcikova and Laura Siegemund yesterday.
Originally published as Australian Open day 12: Live scores, all the latest news from Melbourne Park
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