4:00 AM ET Associated Press MELBOURNE, Australia — For all of the concerns about air quality at the Australian Open, it turned out the biggest issue related to playing conditions on Day 1 was heavy rain — which, hopefully, will also help tamp down the destructive wildfires burning in parts of the country. The three

6:07 PM ET The last time I used a pay phone was Sept. 11, 2001, on the corner of 49th Street and 10th Avenue in Hell’s Kitchen, New York City. By the time I picked up the receiver, both towers of the World Trade Center had been destroyed. The country was at war, even if

9:12 AM ET Can anyone stop Novak Djokovic from an eighth Australian Open title? Will Serena Williams finally win her record-tying 24th career Grand Slam? And which players will emerge as the breakout stars in Melbourne? There are many compelling storylines going into the 2020 Australian Open, which begins Monday (watch on ESPN, ESPN2 and

9:16 AM ET Simon Cambers MELBOURNE, Australia — History. For all the money now available in top-level tennis, the top players are motivated by titles. And the very best players of all time are driven by the thought of Grand Slam titles. Because winning Grand Slams means history. Sometimes, the stars align so that history-makers

1:56 AM ET Simon Cambers MELBOURNE, Australia — World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty insists she is not feeling any extra pressure to win this year’s Australian Open but joked on Sunday that seeing her face everywhere in the city has made her feel “a little sick”. The Australian, who won her first Grand Slam title

2:56 AM ET Australia’s Ashleigh Barty has captured her first WTA title on home soil with an emphatic straight-sets victory in the Adelaide International final. The world No. 1 has downed world No.24 Ukranian Dayana Yastremska 6-2, 7-5 in Saturday’s final at Memorial Drive. Barty had lost her two previous WTA finals in Australia –

2:40 AM ET Prajnesh Gunnewaran sneaked into the Australian Open men’s singles main draw as a lucky loser on Saturday and might run into world No. 2 Novak Djokovic if he clears the first hurdle. Prajnesh lost the final qualifying round match to Latvia’s Ernests Gulbis in straight sets but was fortunate to make the

1:25 AM ET Hobart: On her first tournament back after a two-year break, Sania Mirza lifted the WTA Hobart International trophy with Ukranian partner Nadiia Kichenok after edging out Shaui Peng and Shuai Zhang in the final, here on Saturday. The unseeded Indo-Ukrainian pair pipped the second seed Chinese team 6-4 6-4 in one hour

8:39 AM ET Associated Press MELBOURNE, Australia — As wildfires continue to burn, the Australian Open explained its recently developed air quality policy, saying it was based on a scientific analysis of something called “fine particulate matter rating” — but also giving the tournament referee the right to start or stop matches “at his or

8:24 AM ET Associated Press ADELAIDE, Australia — World No. 1 Ash Barty came from a set down to beat American Danielle Collins 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (5) in the Adelaide International semifinals on Friday. Barty will meet world No. 24 Dayana Yastremska in Saturday’s final after the 19-year-old Ukrainian beat Aryna Sabalenka 6-4 7-6 (4).