The Knights of Tennis 🎾

February 22, 2021

By: Jeff Yoder

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Novak Djokovic

“The three Knights of tennis… Roger (Federer) and Rafa (Nadal) inspire me. I think as long as they go, I’ll go.”

Grand Slam No. 18, and not slowing down.

Letter Rip!

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TENNIS

Djokovic Dominates for 18th Slam

(1) Novak Djokovic Routs (4) Daniil Medvedev in Straight Sets for 9th AUS Open Title

The Djokovic dominance continues. The top-seeded Serbian stormed through Melbourne once again, concluding his ninth Australian Open title with a blazing three-set win over (4) Daniil Medvedev (7-5, 6-2, 6-2) in Sunday’s finale. With 18 Grand Slams under his belt, Djokovic is now just two behind Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal (20 each). And while Nadal has become the master of clay at the French Open, Djokovic has staked his claim as the hard-court champ down under.

Djokovic By The Numbers

Australian Open Titles: 9

Australian Open Finals Record: 9-0

Record as No. 1 Seed: 42-0

For the ninth time in a dozen years, the Djoker gets the last laugh as Australian Open champ. Time will tell which one of “the three Knights of tennis” holds the record when it’s all said and done.

Watch: Men’s Final Highlights

Additional Storylines

ATP: Djokovic Confirms Muscle Tear, Making Melbourne Run Superhuman

ESPN: Djokovic’s 2021 Australian Open Win Could be the Catalyst in Chase of Federer & Nadal

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TENNIS

Osaka’s Near-Perfect Australian Open Run

(3) Naomi Osaka Smashes (22) Jennifer Brady for 4th Grand Slam & 2nd Aussie Open Title

Mark it number four for Naomi Osaka. The 23-year-old emerging superstar was a straight-set winner over Jennifer Brady (6-4, 6-3) in Saturday’s women’s final. We’re starting to see a pattern here… Osaka has won four Grand Slams in four years with exactly one each season, including the U.S. Open (2018 & 2020) and Australian Open (2019 & 2021). And though her run to the trophy included just one match against a top-ten opponent — (10) Serena Williams — she only dropped one set during the entire tournament.

Osaka By The Numbers

Record in Grand Slam Finals: 4-0

Grand Slam Match Win Streak: 21

Grand Slam Record When Winning 1st Set: 45-1

Osaka’s 4-for-4 record to begin her career in Grand Slam finales is a feat that’s only been done by two other tennis players in the Open era — Monica Seles and Roger Federer. After winning two slams in a row, Osaka is 50 percent of the way to a Grand Slam calendar sweep.

Watch: Women’s Final Highlights

Additional Storylines

SI: 50 Parting Thoughts From the Australian Open

Yahoo! Sports: Naomi Osaka’s Incredible Act of Class After AUS Open Final

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NBA

Those Pesky Pelicans

Zion Williamson & Brandon Ingram Combine for 61 Points in Franchise Record 24-Point Comeback

New Orleans basketball is slowly turning into a paradise for highlights, but trouble in Boston continues. The Pelicans handed the Celtics a stunning loss on Sunday (120-115, OT) courtesy of a franchise record 24-point comeback, including a 46-19 run over a 12-minute span in the second half. Boston’s Jayson Tatum hit a game-tying floater with 0.2 seconds left to force OT. But in the extra frame, Brandon Ingram hit a dagger 3 in the final minute to seal the win. Zion and Ingram combined for 61 in the game. The Celtics’ struggles have hit a new low. They’ve fallen to .500 and 6th place in the East — tough pill to swallow for a team with Finals aspirations.

Watch: Pelicans Complete Record 24-Point Comeback

Other NBA Highlights

Nets Win 6th Straight: Still no Kevin Durant, but no problems for Brooklyn. The Nets knocked off the Clippers (112-110) Sunday night for their sixth straight win behind 65 points from James Harden (37) and Kyrie Irving (28).

Scary Terry Calls Game: The weekend game ball goes to Hornets guard Terry Rozier. In a wild finish to the Hornets-Warriors game on Saturday, Rozier (36 points) scored 20 in the fourth quarter and buried a step-back game-winner from the corner (102-100). Charlotte still holds the division lead in the Southeast.

Lakers Losing Without AD: The Lakers were riding a seven-game win streak up until last week’s injury news regarding Anthony Davis’s calf strain. L.A. fell to Miami on Saturday (96-94) for their third loss in the last four games.

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NHL