Author: S Kannan

The Australian Open. Any mention of the tennis season’s first Grand Slam will immediately make fans think of Novak Djokovic. As a fresh season has begun Down Under, there is chatter around two from the Big 3. Roger Federer has retired and Rafael Nadal resembles an old jalopy which needs frequent visits to the garage. Djokovic looks the strongest. Before you jump in and say that he has a wrist injury, be sure that Djokovic has never been a 100 per cent fit in the last few years. Despite that, he continues to win matches and pocket Grand Slam titles…

Rafael Nadal will miss the Australian Open, starting January 14 in Melbourne. The winner of 22 Grand Slam titles got injured again during the ATP event in Brisbane three days ago. On Sunday, Nadal took to social media to share the distressing news that he was flying back to Spain. “During my last match in Brisbane, I had a small problem on a muscle that had me worried,” said Nadal on Twitter (X). “Once I got to Melbourne, I had the chance to undergo an MRI (scan). I have a micro tear on a muscle, not in the same part…

The curtain has come down. David Warner has retired from the two longer formats of the game, leaving many fans emotional and a bit teary-eyed. But this was not the time to be sad. This was a time to cheer the spirit of Warner and how he was instrumental even in his last three Tests as Australia defeated Pakistan on Saturday in Sydney to complete a 3-0 series sweep. It was a simple series win, but the focus was on Warner on the final day. He duly went out on a high, with a typically punishing 57 to make light…

This was a picture-perfect ending, steeped in poignancy, as skipper Rohit Sharma was unbeaten at the crease when India defeated South Africa by seven wickets in the second Test on Thursday. A win is a win. It’s just that for the die-hard fans of the old format, pure and pristine Test cricket, two matches are an insufficient diet. This was likely Rohit’s last essay in South Africa in the Test format. Given the shabby way red-ball cricket is being treated, a two-Test series is just not enough. Just a few days ago, fans were in mourning as India had been…

Mirabai Chanu has resumed training at the SAI NIS Patiala centre in Punjab. Bronze medal winner at the Tokyo Olympics, Mirabai is one of India’s medal prospects at the Paris Olympics in July 2024. However, her long break was worrying for fans of the Olympic sports in India. Speaking to RevSportz on Wednesday, Sahdev Yadav, President of the Indian weightlifting federation said “Mira is pain free and her plans to prepare for the Paris are in order.” Asked if she was just doing strength training, Sahdev retorted, “There is no preparation for the Olympics unless she is lifting weights. And…

Naomi Osaka’s return to the tennis circuit after a 15-month hiatus has been received with wonderful applause. The winner of four Grand Slam titles has stirred emotions in 2024, and her comeback has drawn great attention, worldwide. On Wednesday, the 26-year-old lost in the second round of the WTA event in Brisbane. She was defeated, not disgraced, so the emotions of a girl champion now wanting to become a Super Mom are grabbing headlines. Women’s tennis is replete with instances where the players have returned from “maternity breaks” and done well. From Kim Clijsters to Caroline Wozniacki and Serena Williams…

Rohan Bopanna has taken it upon himself to promote doubles tennis in India. The ‘Level 43’ tennis ace recently conducted a week-long doubles camp for some players in Bengaluru. “It was a fantastic week. If we are going to wait for the federation (All India Tennis Association), nothing will happen. I have been holding these camps, all paid for,” Bopanna told RevSportz on Tuesday. “It was serious as well as fun. We had so many guys including Yuki Bhambri (ranked 62 in doubles), N. Sriram Balaji (74), Vijay Sundar Prahsanth (83), Anirudh Chandrashekhar (87) and Jeevan Neduncheziyan (94). There were…

For sports lovers, 2024 will be such a hectic year – more than one screen and a couple of remotes may be needed to catch all the action. Much hype surrounds the Paris Olympics, but that alone is not the main show. In the lead-up to the Olympics, how athletes make a last-minute dash to attain the qualifying standards is awaited with bated breath. RevSportz has already done some interesting pieces on how Indian sport is pregnant with possibilities vis-a-vis medal chances in Paris, and how the Para athletes will also make a big mark. But then, the Olympics is…

Sania Mirza may have retired from competitive tennis but her heart still yearns to be in touch with the sport. Having scaled the heights in her last appearance at the Australian Open in 2023, this time Sania will wield the microphone from the studios of Sony TV in Mumbai. Last year, when Sania and Rohan Bopanna lost the mixed doubles final, it was emotional. This time, Sania will try and bring out the same emotions in a different way. To have been part of tennis for over three decades, it is not easy to walk away. “It (commentary) helps me…

David Warner and timing go hand in hand. Whatever be the format of cricket, Warner been a class act — power, timing and a great sense of geometry in executing the shots. On January 1, even as bleary-eyed cricket fans were yet to wake up after the overnight celebrations comes the news Warner has decided to say goodbye to ODI cricket. To have scored 6932 runs in 161 one day internationals at a strike rate of 97.26 is something to feel proud of. Warner had announced before the Test series against Pakistan, he was saying goodbye to the red-ball long…