Looking for Tennis and Racket Sports International News?

American Stevie Johnson’s miraculous comeback at this year’s U.S. Open first round match against Evgeny Donskoy is up there with the best of them.

Serving down two sets, 2-5 and 0-40, Johnson somehow managed to dig himself out of the pack-your-bags deep hole. Facing three match points on his serve, Johnson was able to hold.

The American fought his way to a tie-break, where he dominated Donskoy, taking the third set 7-6(2).

In the fourth and fifth sets, Johnson picked up his serving, and Donskoy’s return level dropped. The top American also fed off the crowd and amped up his game, finishing the fifth set with 15 winners, or two fewer than he had hit during the entire first two sets.

When asked during his on-court post-match interview how he managed to save three match points, Johnson had no clue.

Whenever the Summer Olympics event comes around, the question whether tennis belongs in the Olympics is brought up. This year’s Summer Games event wasn’t any different.

It didn’t help that Zika virus, a virus transmitted by mosquitoes, dominated the story lines right before the 2016 Rio Olympics. This prompted several top players such as Milos Raonic, Tomas Berdych, Simona Halep, and Karolina Pliskova to skip the event as they raised concerns over the Zika virus.

However, the Rio Olympics did not disappoint as there were compelling stories that arguably made the case that tennis does indeed belong in the Summer Games.

One of the big stories was the men’s first round match featuring top seed Novak Djokovic and injury-plagued Juan Martin del Potro. In what was one the most shocking outcomes of the tournament, the unseeded Argentine handed Djokovic a devastating loss, reducing him to tears.

Former world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka gave birth to a baby boy.

The two-time Grand Slam winner announced the good news on social media. She wrote, “Our son was born healthy and so happy!”

Today I had my hardest fight and my very best victory! Our son was born healthy and happy! So thankful and blessed! Thank you ❤ pic.twitter.com/zsoFRivnvQ

— victoria azarenka (@vika7) December 20, 2016

Azarenka announced her pregnancy a few months after sweeping Indian Wells- Miami “Sunshine Double,” a tough feat.

PRAGUE (AP) Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova has been injured by a knife-wielding attacker at her home.

The player’s spokesman, Karel Tejkal, says Kvitova suffered a left hand injury and has been treated by doctors.

Tejkal says the incident, which he described as a burglary, occurred Tuesday morning in the eastern Czech town of Prostejov. He says Kvitova’s injuries were not life-threatening.

Kvitova posted on Twitter about the incident:

Thank you for all your messages. As you may have already heard, today I was attacked in my apartment by an individual with a knife

Before the 2016 French Open, Novak Djokovic had been trying unsuccessfully to add his name to the exclusive list of Career Grand slam winners that includes Rod Laver, Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Margaret Court, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf, Serena Williams, and Maria Sharapova.

Despite winning a lot of big tournaments, his impressive trophy case was missing the elusive Roland Garros trophy. He had tried for so many years but Rafael Nadal, the nine-time French Open who has lost only two matches since his Roland Garros debut, kept getting in the way.

2015 looked to be Djokovic’s year after he defeated Rafael Nadal, the favorite, in the quarterfinal match in Roland Garros in 2015. Rightfully so, Djokovic was pegged as the huge favorite to go all the way after dispatching Nadal but Stan Wawrinka did not get that memo as he defeated Djokovic in four-sets final.

Finally, he was able to conquer Roland Garros in 2016 after defeating Andy Murray in four sets 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4. With this win, he was finally able to cap his career Grand Slam, adding his name to the career Grand Slam exclusive club.

Watch video of Djokovic’s career Grand Slam:

How to assess 2016 in the world of tennis? I answer unequivocally that it was a season of high intrigue and deep dimensions.

Three different men—Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka—were victorious at the majors. In the women’s game, they, too, had a trio of victors on the four most prominent stages, with Angelique Kerber, Garbine Muguruza, and Serena Williams claiming the top honors. Meanwhile, Argentina came through to win the Davis Cup and the Czech Republic triumphed in the Fed Cup. It was simultaneously a year of reaffirmation for some great players and a time when others broke down barriers and succeeded on the highest level for the first time. I present you now with my annual Flink Awards.

WOMEN’S PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Prior to 2016, the industrious and enterprising German Angelique Kerber had never been past the semifinals in 32 career Grand Slam tournament appearances, but this enormously appealing individual made amends and took both the first and last majors of the year gone by. She upended Serena Williams to secure the Australian Open title at the end of January, and claimed the U.S.Open title in September. This stylish left-hander also made it to the final of Wimbledon, the Olympic Games, and the season-ending WTA Championships.

BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) Andy Murray has been voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year for a record third time after winning the Wimbledon and Olympic singles titles in 2016 and also finishing the season as the world’s top-ranked player.

Murray won the domestic award in 2013 and ’15, too.

The 29-year-old Murray capped the best season of his career by beating Novak Djokovic to win the ATP finals in London and claim a fifth straight title, earning him the year-end No. 1 ranking. He hasn’t lost since Sept. 16.

Two-time Olympic triathlon champion Alistair Brownlee was second in the voting and Olympic showjumping gold medalist Nick Skelton came third at a ceremony in Birmingham, central England.

Top British player Johanna Konta has hired Kim Clijsters’ former long-time coach Wim Fissette, according to The Independent.

Konta, who rose from World No. 47 at the beginning of the year to No. 10 at year-end, parted ways with her coach Esteban Carril after working together for two and a half years.

When asked about why she chose Fissette, Konta claimed good chemistry.

“Like with any relationship, it’s how you work together, the chemistry on court, so it was about finding that. He was the first coach I trialled and things are going well,” said Konta.

Konta insisted that her parting ways with Carril was not sudden.

MADRID (AP) Rafael Nadal has added former player and fellow Spaniard Carlos Moya to his coaching team ahead of the 2017 season.

The 14-time Grand Slam champion said in a statement Saturday that Moya will work together with Toni Nadal and Francis Roig.

”To have someone like Carlos, who is not only a friend but also a very important person in my career, is something special,” Nadal said. ”He will be next to me on my practice and competition.”

Moya, who won the 1998 French Open as a player, parted ways earlier this month with Milos Raonic after leading the Canadian to his most successful year on the tour. Raonic reached his first Grand Slam final at Wimbledon and moved up to a career-high ranking of No. 3. Moya had joined Raonic’s team in January.

”To be able to help Rafa is something special for me and I am sure that together with Toni, Francis and the rest of the team we have a great common project,” Moya said. ”Rafa is a special player and above all a great person and friend on which I have a lot of trust and confidence that will be able to continue winning important titles.”

Golden medalist Monica Puig defeated Maria Sharapova in a friendly invitational hosted by Puig on Thursday, December 15, 2016 in in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

23-year-old Puig won the match 6-3, 1-6 10-6.

In the first set, Puig won the first three games but Sharapova was able to break back. Puig broke again and took the set 6-3.

In the second set, Sharapova came firing. She played aggressive tennis, and made fewer errors than in the first set. She closed the set 6-1.

In the super tie-break, Puig got an early lead and was able to hold on to it, taking the match 6-3, 1-6, 10-6.

Former world No. 1 Dinara Safina has transitioned from player to coaching, according to ESPN.

Per ESPN article, 30-year-old Safina is now working as a tennis coach at MatchPoint NYC, a tennis facility located in Coney Island, Brooklyn.

The Russian was forced to retire from the tour at the age of 25 due to nagging back injury.

“Unfortunately, for me, because of my injury I had to retire early at 25.

“I could have played more, but I don’t regret it. What was done is done. I gave it 100 percent every day,” said Safina to ESPN.

Flavia Pennetta and Fabio Fognini are expecting their first child.

Pennetta, a former WTA player, announced the good news on Twitter.

The Italian couple married in June.

Pennetta retired in October, 2015 after winning her maiden Grand Slam at the U.S. Open. Her highest ranking was No. 1 in February 2011.

Fognini is ranked No. 49 on the ATP. His highest ranking was No. 7 in July, 2015.

Maria Sharapova retweeted a video of her practice match in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She’s set to play an exhibition match that Tennis Channel Plus will program live on Thursday, December 15, 2016.

Sharapova, who hasn’t played competitively for nearly a year, is not showing any rust.

#trainingPova in the house y’all Can’t wait to see @MariaSharapova in action again #MonicaPuigInvitational
: @JJlovesTennis pic.twitter.com/GmLvmqk5Bg

— Team Sharapova (@team_sharapova) December 14, 2016

The exhibition will feature the homecoming of 2016 Olympic Gold Medalist Monica Puig versus Sharapova, a five-time Career Grand Slam.

Andy Murray and Angelique Kerber, who respectively ended the year as No. 1, have been named ITF World Champions. It’s no surprise that Murray and Kerber were at the top of our list for top stories from 2016.

International Tennis Federation (ITF) tweeted the announcement.

Both players had stellar 2016, where we saw them reach the top of the ATP and WTA rankings (respectively).

Murray won nine titles in 2016 that included his second Wimbledon title, Olympics, three Masters and ATP Finals.

Watch Murray’s 2016 Year in Review.
Watch Kerber’s 2016 Year in Review:

Maria Sharapova retweeted a video of her practice match in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She’s set to play an exhibition match that Tennis Channel Plus will program live on Thursday, December 15, 2016.

Sharapova, who hasn’t played competitively for nearly a year, is not showing any rust.

The exhibition will feature the homecoming of 2016 Olympic Gold Medalist Monica Puig versus Sharapova, a five-time Career Grand Slam.

Puig, who stunned Angelique Kerber in the Olympics final, will host the exhibition in her home country.

Watch Monica Puig Invitational live on Tennis Channel Plus on Thursday December 15th at 6:30 PM ET.

Tennis meets music and monsters in Big Wild’s latest video for his new single “Invincible (feat. iDA HAWK),” which is out now via ODESZA’s Foreign Family Collective.

The “Invincible” video opens on a rundown tennis court where a young heroine battles a monster to an epic game of tennis in a five-set match.

Every flash of light and every stroke of the racket are perfectly timed to the music, illuminating Big Wild’s signature drum and horn flourishes.

The whole video is set on a tennis court.

Big Wild, a Santa Cruz native, has released singles, “Aftergold” ft. Tove Styrke and “Invincible,” which have gained popularity among the electronic world and reached #1 on multiple music blogs, including Hype Machine.

Have you ever wondered how tennis balls are made? If you have, you’re in luck.

Wired.com did a piece on the process of making tennis balls, which is quite interesting. It turns out big tournaments such as Grand Slams consume as much as 70,000 tennis balls each.

The video below, courtesy of Wired.com, shows the five steps of making the balls. The process includes crushing, compressing, sheeting, buffing, and felting.
 

There were so many interesting stories in 2016 such as Andy Murray and Angelique Kerber’s rise to the top of the rankings, respectively.

Here are Tennis Channel’s top stories of the season:

ATP

Andy Murray’s surprising year-end No. 1, Novak Djokovic’s career Grand Slam, Stan Wawrinka’s U.S. Open win, Roger Federer’s short season, Rafael Nadal’s injury issues, Juan Martin del Potro’s dramatic comeback, and ATP’s hot shots.

WTA

Tennis Channel’s Match of the Year goes to the first rubber of Great Britain versus Argentina Davis Cup semifinal tie.

After stunning Djokovic in the first round of the Olympics, del Potro defeated Andy Murray in a five-set thriller.

Del Potro won the first set 6-4 but Murray came back to win the next two sets.

Del Potro then won the next two sets, taking the rubber 6-4, 5-7, 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4.

Murray had 35 aces versus del Potro’s 19, but del Potro made only 28 errors compared to Murray’s 48.