Tennis Today: ITF comes out swinging, Andy Murray ‘morphing into’ John McEnroe

Tennis Today
Andy Murray laughing

In Tennis Today, the International Tennis Federation has come out fighting after it was labelled a “bureaucratic” and “clueless” outfit while Andy Murray is starting to look like John McEnroe.

What’s on the site
Rafael Nadal’s former coach, Uncle Toni, has given Andy Murray some high praise as he feels the Brit is the “only one who really competed” against the Big Three during their heyday.

Speaking of the Big Three, who is most likely to take a Grand Slam off Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in 2019? Here’s what the bookies think.

On the WTA Tour, Naomi Osaka has hit back at “hurtful” rumours which claimed her split with Sascha Bajin was motivated by money.

Results round-up:
ATP Rotterdam
ATP Buenos Aires
ATP New York
WTA Dubai
WTA Qatar

Finally, Reilly Opelka and John Isner set a new record of 81 for most combined aces served during a three-set match, but how much do you know about the other ATP Tour ace records? See if you can ace our quiz on the ATP Tour’s ace record-holders.

What’s in the news
We all remember Petr Korda, right? He who scissor-kicked his way to the 1998 Australian Open title.

Well, it’s been quite the weekend for his family Down Under as they have completed the “Korda Aussie Slam” after his youngest daughter and professional golfer Nelly won the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open.

Father Petra talked to Reuters after the family’s latest success.

The Metro reports that Ukrainian Sergiy Stakhovsky has “labelled the ITF as a ‘bureaucratic’ and ‘clueless’ outfit” on the back of their recent changes to the lower levels of tennis adding that “the ‘best solution’ was for the ATP to take over the organisation of lower-tier events”.

However, an ITF spokesperson has hit back, telling Metro.co.uk that “no one has been ‘misled’ by the organisation and branding his [Stakhovsky] comments as ‘irresponsible’.”

Martina Navratilova has taken another stand, this time against male-born transgender athletes writing in The Sunday Times (under subscription) that they are “cheating” if they compete in women’s sport.

The Guardian, though, has done a follow-up on the Navratilova story and report that the tennis great “has been criticised for ‘disturbing, upsetting, and deeply transphobic’ comments”.

What’s on social media
Andy Murray morphing into John McEnroe (MacEnroe).

Naomi Osaka and Stefanos Tsitsipas banter.

Maria Sharapova on tour.

What’s on TV
ATP Rio de Janeiro
LIVE – Amazon Prime Video

ATP Marseille
LIVE – Amazon Prime Video

ATP Delray Beach
LIVE – Tennis TV

WTA Dubai
LIVE – BT Sport 1

WTA Budapest
LIVE – BT Sport 3

Andy Murray

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