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Caroline Wozniacki makes return to tennis at National Bank Open in Montreal – Sportsnet.ca

Published

1 year ago

August 7, 2023

MONTREAL — Caroline Wozniacki is juggling a lot more balls in the air than the last time she played in a tennis tournament.

Since her last official match, she’s become a mother – twice – and her hands have been full with more than tennis rackets.

The former world No. 1 and 2018 Australian Open champion received a wild-card entry into the National Bank Open main draw and is playing her first match since January 2020 on Tuesday at IGA Stadium after retiring to start a family.

Instead of just worrying about herself and her performance, Wozniacki had some more logistics to sort out on her trip to Montreal.

First was a “tricky” daytime flight, because entertaining a two-year-old daughter and a nine-month-old son is “not easy.” Once that went better than expected, getting proper hotel and transport accommodations was next.

“The hotel rooms, and the cars, and the car seats,” said the 33-year-old from Denmark. “Those are the things that you never think about before and now it’s like, ‘wow, wait, so you need this room, that room,’ and all of a sudden you’re renting out a whole floor at a hotel.

“Honestly it’s all worth it. I couldn’t have done it without having my family here. I love having them here and it makes me so happy.”

On the tennis court, Wozniacki doesn’t expect her first match against Australian qualifier Kimberly Birrell to be perfect, but isn’t worrying because she feels great mentally and physically.

Wozniacki, who won the Montreal tournament in 2010, says her goal is to play as many matches she can to get back into rhythm before the U.S. Open in late August and early September.

From there, Wozniacki believes she can return to where she once was.

“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t believe in that,” she said. “That’s why for me it’s important to get as many matches in as I possibly can ? whatever it takes before the U.S. Open because I want to be at my best when I get there. And I believe that I can beat anyone when I’m playing my best.”

Wozniacki has witnessed a player come back after giving birth and have success firsthand.

In 2009, four-time Grand Slam champion Kim Clijsters had recently returned from having a child and won the U.S. Open. Her opponent? A 19-year-old Wozniacki playing in her first Grand Slam final.

“I do remember because she beat me in the final,” said Wozniacki, reminiscing on a moment she seemed to rather forget. “What Kim did was absolutely amazing.”

Over a decade after Clijsters’s return, it’s Wozniacki’s turn.

And much like Wozniacki was impressed with Clijsters in 2009, younger women’s players are now looking up to her as an inspiration.

“I thought ‘OK, you can have your private life, you can have kids and still come back in tennis,’ which is unbelievable and very important for all of us,” said world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka.

“We’ve sacrificed a lot. Having these examples of people who did it and come back and (show) there is a way, it’s really inspiring.”

Headlining the women’s side of the National Bank Open this year is world No. 1 Iga Swiatek of Poland.

Swiatek said Wozniacki, who represents Denmark but speaks fluent Polish with two parents from Poland, was someone she looked up to growing up.

In Wozniacki’s last match in Canada in 2019, an unseeded 18-year-old Swiatek pulled off a second-round upset over her.

Swiatek says beating Wozniacki that day at the National Bank Open in Toronto was a breakthrough in her career.

“It was important for me because I lost the first set 6-0 and then I came back and I was able to shake off all the stress and just focus on the game,” said Swiatek. “I realized that I can win those matches against the best players.”

Fast forward a few years, and Swiatek, 22, is No. 1 for more than 70 weeks running.

Wozniacki, who kept a close eye on tennis as a television analyst, says she’s returning to a field that has more power and playing styles than when she last played.

But her opponents don’t seem to doubt that she’ll quickly get up to speed once she plays Tuesday.

“I saw her practising and I think she still has this quality, she’s moving well, looks really fit and strong and her game always was really tough to play against,” said Sabalenka.

“She’s got everything to come back.”

The National Bank Open main draw gets underway Monday.

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Red Wings sign Moritz Seider to 7-year deal worth nearly $60M

Published

2 hours ago

September 19, 2024

Anne Joseph

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Red Wings made another investment this week in a young standout, signing Moritz Seider to a seven-year contract worth nearly $60 million.

The Red Wings announced the move with the 23-year-old German defenseman on Thursday, three days after keeping 22-year-old forward Lucas Raymond with a $64.6 million, eight-year deal.

Detroit drafted Seider with the No. 6 pick overall eight years ago and he has proven to be a great pick. He has 134 career points, the most by a defenseman drafted in 2019.

He was the NHL’s only player to have at least 200 hits and block 200-plus shots last season, when he scored a career-high nine goals and had 42 points for the second straight year.

Seider won the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie in 2022 after he had a career-high 50 points.

Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman is banking on Seider, whose contract will count $8.55 million annually against the cap, and Raymond to turn a rebuilding team into a winner.

Detroit has failed to make the playoffs in eight straight seasons, the longest postseason drought in franchise history.

The Red Wings, who won four Stanley Cups from 1997 to 2008, have been reeling since their run of 25 straight postseasons ended in 2016.

Detroit was 41-32-9 last season and finished with a winning record for the first time since its last playoff appearance.

Yzerman re-signed Patrick Kane last summer and signed some free agents, including Vladimir Tarasenko to a two-year contract worth $9.5 million after he helped the Florida Panthers hoist the Cup.

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Veterans Tyson Beukeboom, Karen Paquin lead Canada’s team at WXV rugby tournament

Published

3 hours ago

September 19, 2024

Anne Joseph

Veterans Tyson Beukeboom and Karen Paquin will lead Canada at the WXV 1 women’s rugby tournament starting later this month in the Vancouver area.

WXV 1 includes the top three teams from the Women’s Six Nations (England, France and Ireland) and the top three teams from the Pacific Four Series (Canada, New Zealand, and the United States).

Third-ranked Canada faces No. 4 France, No. 7 Ireland and No. 1 England in the elite division of the three-tiered WXV tournament that runs Sept. 29 to Oct. 12 in Vancouver and Langley, B.C. No. 2 New Zealand and the eighth-ranked U.S. make up the six-team WVX 1 field.

“Our preparation time was short but efficient. This will be a strong team,” Canada coach Kevin Rouet said in a statement. “All the players have worked very hard for the last couple of weeks to prepare for WXV and we are excited for these next three matches and for the chance to play on home soil here in Vancouver against the best rugby teams in the world.

“France, Ireland and England will each challenge us in different ways but it’s another opportunity to test ourselves and another step in our journey to the Rugby World Cup next year.”

Beukeboom serves as captain in the injury absence of Sophie de Goede. The 33-year-old from Uxbridge, Ont., earned her Canadian-record 68th international cap in Canada’s first-ever victory over New Zealand in May at the Pacific Four Series.

Twenty three of the 30 Canadian players selected for WXV 1 were part of that Pacific Four Series squad.

Rouet’s roster includes the uncapped Asia Hogan-Rochester, Caroline Crossley and Rori Wood.

Hogan-Rochester and Crossley were part of the Canadian team that won rugby sevens silver at the Paris Olympics, along with WXV teammates Fancy Bermudez, Olivia Apps, Alysha Corrigan and Taylor Perry. Wood is a veteran of five seasons at UBC.

The 37-year-old Paquin, who has 38 caps for Canada including the 2014 Rugby World Cup, returns to the team for the first time since the 2021 World Cup.

Canada opens the tournament Sept. 29 against France at B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver before facing Ireland on Oct. 5 at Willoughby Stadium at Langley Events Centre, and England on Oct. 12 at B.C. Place.

The second-tier WXV 2 and third-tier WXV 3 are slated to run Sept. 27 to Oct. 12, in South Africa and Dubai, respectively.

WXV 2 features Australia, Italy, Japan, Scotland, South Africa and Wales while WXV 3 is made up of Fiji, Hong Kong, Madagascar, the Netherlands, Samoa and Spain.

The tournament has 2025 World Cup qualification implications, although Canada, New Zealand and France, like host England, had already qualified by reaching the semifinals of the last tournament.

Ireland, South Africa, the U.S., Japan, Fiji and Brazil have also booked their ticket, with the final six berths going to the highest-finishing WXV teams who have not yet qualified through regional tournaments.

Canada’s Women’s Rugby Team WXV 1 Squad

Forwards

Alexandria Ellis, Ottawa, Stade Français Paris (France); Brittany Kassil, Guelph, Ont., Guelph Goats; Caroline Crossley, Victoria, Castaway Wanderers; Courtney Holtkamp, Rimbey, Alta., Red Deer Titans Rugby; DaLeaka Menin, Vulcan, Alta., Exeter Chiefs (England); Emily Tuttosi, Souris, Man., Exeter Chiefs (England); Fabiola Forteza, Quebec City, Stade Bordelais (France); Gabrielle Senft, Regina, Saracens (England); Gillian Boag, Calgary, Gloucester-Hartpury (England); Julia Omokhuale, Calgary, Leicester Tigers (England); Karen Paquin, Quebec City, Club de rugby de Quebec; Laetitia Royer, Loretteville, Que., ASM Romagnat (France); McKinley Hunt, King City, Ont., Saracens (England); Pamphinette Buisa, Gatineau, Que., Ottawa Irish; Rori Wood, Sooke, B.C., College Rifles RFC; Sara Cline, Edmonton, Leprechaun Tigers; Tyson Beukeboom, Uxbridge, Ont., Ealing Trailfinders (England);

Backs

Alexandra Tessier, Sainte-Clotilde-de-Horton, Que., Exeter Chiefs (England); Alysha Corrigan, Charlottetown, P.E.I., CRFC; Asia Hogan-Rochester, Toronto, Toronto Nomads; Claire Gallagher, Caledon, Ont., Leicester Tigers (England); Fancy Bermudez, Edmonton, Saracens (England); Julia Schell, Uxbridge, Ont., Ealing Trailfinders (England); Justine Pelletier, Rivière-du-Loup, Que, Stade Bordelais (France); Mahalia Robinson, Fulford, Que., Town of Mount Royal RFC; Olivia Apps, Lindsay, Ont., Lindsay RFC; Paige Farries, Red Deer, Alta., Saracens (England); Sara Kaljuvee, Ajax, Ont., Westshore RFC; Shoshanah Seumanutafa, White Rock, B.C., Counties Manukau (New Zealand); Taylor Perry, Oakville, Ont., Exeter Chiefs (England).

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 18, 2024.

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Vancouver Canucks star goalie Thatcher Demko working through rare muscle injury

Published

3 hours ago

September 19, 2024

Anne Joseph

PENTICTON, B.C. – Vancouver Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko says he’s been working his way back from a rare lower-body muscle injury since being sidelined in last season’s playoffs.

The 28-year-old all star says the rehabilitation process has been frustrating, but he has made good progress in recent weeks and is confident he’ll be able to return to playing.

He says he and his medical team have spent the last few months talking to specialists around the world, and have not found a single other hockey player who has dealt with the same injury.

Demko missed several weeks of the last season with a knee ailment and played just one game in Vancouver’s playoff run last spring before going down with the current injury.

He was not on the ice with his teammates as the Canucks started training camp in Penticton, B.C., on Thursday, but skated on his own before the sessions began.

Demko posted a 35-14-2 record with a .918 percentage, a 2.45 goals-against average and five shutouts for Vancouver last season.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.

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