عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Sports

Hady Habib Becomes 1st Man Representing Lebanon to Win Grand Slam Singles Match

Lebanon's Hady Habib hits a shot against China's Bu Yunchaokete during their men's singles match on day one of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 12, 2025. (Photo by Paul Crock / AFP)
Lebanon's Hady Habib hits a shot against China's Bu Yunchaokete during their men's singles match on day one of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 12, 2025. (Photo by Paul Crock / AFP)
TT
TT

Hady Habib Becomes 1st Man Representing Lebanon to Win Grand Slam Singles Match

Lebanon's Hady Habib hits a shot against China's Bu Yunchaokete during their men's singles match on day one of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 12, 2025. (Photo by Paul Crock / AFP)
Lebanon's Hady Habib hits a shot against China's Bu Yunchaokete during their men's singles match on day one of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 12, 2025. (Photo by Paul Crock / AFP)

Hady Habib's history-making run at the Australian Open will continue after the first man to represent Lebanon in a Grand Slam singles tournament in the Open era became the first to win a match, defeating Bu Yunchaokete of China 7-6 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (6) on Sunday.
The 26-year-old Habib won three matches in qualifying rounds just to get into the field of 128 players.
Now he'll be one of the 64 to make it into the second round after his victory on Day 1 at Melbourne Park, which was achieved with the help of 61 winners, 36 more than his opponent, The Associated Press reported.
Habib, who is ranked outside the top 200, was born in Houston, Texas; his father is Lebanese.
Habib went to Texas A&M University.
He represented Lebanon at the Paris Olympics last year, losing to four-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz in the first round.

Most Viewed

 
 
Sports

Alex Michelsen Upsets Tsitsipas at the Australian Open and Thanks His Mom

Alex Michelsen of the US plays a backhand return to Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece during their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP)
Alex Michelsen of the US plays a backhand return to Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece during their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP)
TT
TT

Alex Michelsen Upsets Tsitsipas at the Australian Open and Thanks His Mom

Alex Michelsen of the US plays a backhand return to Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece during their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP)
Alex Michelsen of the US plays a backhand return to Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece during their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP)

Alex Michelsen produced the biggest win so far of his fledgling career to upset 2023 runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas in the first round of the Australian Open, and he knew instinctively where credit was due.

The 20-year-old American overcame nerves on his serve in the fourth set before clinching a 7-5, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 win Monday over Tsitsipas, a 26-year-old from Greece who has a career-high No. 3 ranking and has contested two Grand Slam finals.

Michelsen started playing tennis around age 3 and hit most days as a kid with his mother, Sondra, a school teacher who played college tennis.

"Yeah, I’m sure she’s watching right now," Michelsen told the crowd on John Cain Arena, one of the three main show courts at Melbourne Park. "Yeah, we hit a million balls from the baseline every day. We’d go like 30 minutes up the middle, then we go across each way for like an hour and a half.

"I mean we would just go out there and she would never miss a ball — she’s incredible. But no chance I’d be here without her, so thanks Mom. Love you."

The No. 42-ranked Michelsen reached the third round last year on his Australia debut before losing in the first rounds at Roland Garros and Wimbledon and in the second round at the US Open.

His win over Tsitsipas was Michelsen's first against a player ranked in the top 20 at a Grand Slam.

He played with freedom against Tsitsipas, taking big swipes with his service returns — including three in the ninth game of the fourth set that helped earn him a vital break.

He got a bit tense on serve, surrendering two hard-earned breaks in the fourth set, but stayed composed in the last game.

"Yeah, I didn’t take the most direct path, that’s for sure. Shouldn’t have got broken twice in the fourth. My serve let me down. Served double faulting way too much," he said. "But I was also returning really, really well. I felt like I was winning most of the baseline rallies when I was inside the baseline and controlling the point.

"So I was thinking at 4-all, after I got broken twice, saying, ‘You’re still in this, just play every point for what it is.’ I played a great 4-all game and got it done at 5-4."

He finished the match with eight aces and eight double-faults, but hit 46 winners to only 40 unforced errors.

"First of all, I was just trying to stay super composed out there. I knew it was going to be a battle in the end," he said. "It’s all about the mindset."