Azarenka’s love for football
Victoria Azarenka’s “dream final” has come true, the Denver Broncos against the Carolina Panthers. For another day at the Australian Open, tennis collided with football in Azarenka’s arena. She has been “dabbing” for days now after each victory and on Monday informed fans that she is a strong supporter of both NFl teams heading to the Super Bowl. After quickly polishing off her fourth-round match on Monday, beating Barbaro Strycova 6-2, 6-4, Azarenka had a question for the crowd. “Can someone please tell me, did Broncos winIJ” the two-time Australian Open champion asked, taking over her on-court TV interview that was ostensibly meant to be about tennis. When she heard the Broncos had beaten the New England Patriots in the AFC title game, she shouted. “Yesssss!!!!” — then she stepped back and raised both arms — “I’m so happy now.” Her interviewer posed an apt follow-up question: Are you happier about the Broncos’ win or your ownIJ “Both, both, both,” said Azarenka, who faces No. 7 Angelique Kerber in the quarterfinals. She told the crowd at Rod laver Arena she had been so nervous all morning — not about tennis — about the football games playing on Sunday night in the US around the time of her Monday morning match Down Under. When told the Panthers had won the NFC decider, she was equally elated: “It’s going to be my dream final. I can’t wait to see that!”
Federer’s wise words for kids
Over the course of his celebrated career, Roger Federer has acquired wisdom on the tennis courts that translates to life lessons which he hopes his children can learn from. A father of four, Federer has two sets of twins. The girls are 6 and the boys are just 18 months and everyone travels together for his job. The No. 3-ranked Federer says it might be an untraditional family life with a lot of time on the road, but he wants to keep his loved ones close. “We’re used to this life. It’s the only thing they know and I know really for the last 20 years,” said Federer. During on-court interviews, the 34-year-old Federer has spoken of the pride he feels knowing that his girls are old enough now to have life-long memories of watching him play, and in post-match news conferences he has shared what he hopes they learn from him. “I have had those conversations with them, that hard work brings you somewhere,” he said. Federer joked that his children were now giving him tennis tips. “They told me I should play on the lines. They think that’s a good thing. I was like, ‘OK, I’ll try that,’” he laughed.
Raonic’s favour for Djoker
Milos Raonic’s five-set win over French Open champion Stan Wawrinka means the only man to have beaten Djokovic at Aus Open after 2010 is out of the singles draw at Melbourne Park. Djokovic lost in the quarterfinals to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in 2010, then won the tournament in 2011, 2012 and 2013.