No. 2 seed Sabalenka gets upset by world’s No. 115 at Aussie Open
Second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus was upset in the fourth round of the Australian Open on Monday, ousted by the 115th-ranked woman in the world.
Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi defeated Sabalenka 5-7, 6-2, 7-6 (7) to advance to the quarterfinals.
In today’s first match, American Madison Keys became the first player into the semifinals after beating French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova 6-3, 6-2.
Kanepi hit just 30 winners compared to 36 for Sabalenka but she committed just 30 unforced errors compared to 46 for the Belarusian. Kanepi saved five break points while breaking Sabalenka four times.
“I was really tight,” Kanepi said afterward. “My hand was shaking when I started serving. I didn’t make any first serves in, and that added to the pressure. I tried to hit (the serve) a bit harder with more spin. Then it didn’t go in. Then I started to hit a bit slower. I tried different things to think about than the serve, but I don’t think any of them helped. “I almost didn’t. I guess I was just lucky at the end. So close.”
Kanepi, at 36 the oldest remaining woman in the draw, will next face No. 7 seed Iga Swiatek of Poland, who rallied for a 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 victory over Sorana Cirstea of Romania in two hours, 27 minutes.
Also advancing to the quarterfinals were No. 27 Danielle Collins and Alize Cornet of France.
DJOKOVIC COULD PLAY AT FRENCH OPEN >> Top-ranked player Novak Djokovic could be allowed to defend his French Open title under the latest COVID-19 rules adopted by the French government, even if he is still not vaccinated when the clay-court Grand Slam starts in May.
Djokovic was deported from Australia and barred from playing in the Australian Open this month for not meeting the country’s strict COVID-19 vaccination rules.
It initially appeared that the Serb tennis star would not be welcomed at
Roland Garros under a new law intended to exclude the unvaccinated from stadiums, restaurants, bars and other public places.
Under the law that took effect on Monday, anyone who has proof they tested positive within the previous six months is exempt from having to show a vaccine pass. That suggests Djokovic could play in the French Open in May and June because he has said he tested positive in mid-December.
Soccer AT LEAST 6 DEAD IN CRUSH AT AFRICAN CUP GAME >>
At least six people died in a crush outside a stadium hosting a game at Africa’s top soccer tournament in Cameroon, a local government official said, realizing fears over the capacity of the Central African country to stage the continent’s biggest sports event.
Naseri Paul Biya, the governor of the central region of Cameroon, said there could be more deaths.
The crush happened as crowds struggled to get access to Olembe Stadium in the capital city of Yaounde to watch the host country play Comoros in a last 16 knockout game in the African Cup of Nations.
College basketball
VITALE WON’T CALL GAMES FOR REST OF SEASON >> Dick Vitale announced he will not be appearing on ESPN for the remainder of the college basketball
season due to ongoing treatment for precancerous dysplasia on his vocal cords.
Vitale first announced in late December that he needed to take a break to rest his ailing voice.
While Vitale said in a statement that the rest has helped, he will need surgery to treat the ulcerated lesions on his vocal cords.
AUBURN CLIMBS TO NO. 1 FOR FIRST TIME IN HISTORY >> War Eagle is flying high over men’s college basketball for the first time in history. A barely ranked afterthought to begin the season, Auburn climbed past Gonzaga to No. 1 in the new AP Top 25 poll. The Tigers (18-1, 15-0 SEC) beat Kentucky over the weekend for their 15th consecutive win, then got 45 of 61 first-place votes to become No. 1 in the nation for the first time since the poll began with the 194849 season.
The Bulldogs dropped to No. 2 with 15 first-place votes. Arizona remained third.
NO. 1 SOUTH CAROLINA RIPS VANDERBILT >> LeLe Grissett scored a seasonhigh 14 points, Aliyah Boston is up to 12 straight games with a double-double, and No. 1 South Carolina (18-1, 6-1 SEC) got its 14th consecutive win over Vanderbilt in a 85-30 victory.
Gymnastics
EX-OLYMPIC CHAMP CSOLLANY DIES AT 51 >> Former 2000 Olympic gymnastics champion Szilveszter Csollany died at the age of 51 after spending weeks hospitalized with COVID-19, Hungarian sports officials said.