Linda Pearce
Linda Pearce is the Chief Tennis Writer and general sports reporter for The Age. She writes about a range of sports, including football, netball, and gymnastics. Linda has twice been named Australian tennis writer of the year.
Linda Pearce
Li Na winning the battle of hearts & minds
Linda Pearce A new mentor has helped the Chinese star become a formidable figure on centre court, writes Linda Pearce.
Williams forces Azarenka, Li Na semis play-off
Linda Pearce, Istanbul Victoria Azarenka's expected crowning as year-end No.1 will have to wait another night, after the Belarusian was denied 6-4, 6-4 by her nemesis Serena Williams, and left to play eighth seed Li Na for...
WTA backs move to stop Tomic's dad at turnstiles
Linda Pearce The Women's Tennis Association has backed the ATP World Tour's decision to bar John Tomic from all tournaments until further notice, with chief executive Stacey Allaster confirming the WTA would...
Tennis
WTA applauds decision to ban John Tomic
Linda Pearce The Women's Tennis Association has backed the ATP World Tour's decision to bar John Tomic from all tournaments until further notice.
Tennis
Final yields tears, pain and fireworks
Linda Pearce Victoria Azarenka defended her Australian Open title at Melbourne Park on Saturday night, but not before the drama that preceded the final spilled over into the match itself.
Tennis
Azarenka sticks to her guns: injury not a ruse
Linda Pearce VICTORIA AZARENKA admits she is unsure of the reception she will receive when she walks out for the Australian Open final against Li Na on Saturday night, having moved into damage-minimisation mode...
Tennis
Azarenka may cop a ribbing
Linda Pearce Victoria Azarenka is unsure of the reception she will receive at the Australian Open final.
Tennis
Brighter prospects as Li learns to exhale
Linda Pearce THE technical improvement in Li Na's tennis has been with her serve and forehand; the bigger change in China's most famous sportswoman is a happy combination of heart, legs and mind.
Tennis
Azarenka 'suffered to win' says coach
Linda Pearce and Greg Baum Victoria Azarenka's coach Sam Sumyk was proud, blunt, and rather angry.
Sumyk defends his star's teary triumph
Linda Pearce, Greg Baum VICTORIA AZARENKA'S coach Sam Sumyk was proud, blunt, and rather angry. ''This is a trophy that she suffered to win, so maybe that explained the tears,'' said the Frenchman, who has coached Azarenka...
Tennis
Roller-coaster ride, but Azarenka smiles
Linda Pearce VICTORIA Azarenka was not sure whether the extraordinary circumstances of her second Australian Open title made Saturday night's dramatic victory more satisfying than her grand slam breakthrough 12...
Australia Day fireworks disruption high on next year's agenda
Linda Pearce TENNIS AUSTRALIA officials are negotiating with the state government in an attempt to avoid the annual disruption to play caused by the Australia Day fireworks display.
Tennis
Australian Open officials seek to solve the fireworks dilemma
Linda Pearce Tennis Australia officials are negotiating with the state government in an attempt to avoid the annual disruption to play caused by the Australia Day fireworks display.
Tennis
Azarenka focused on winning, not her nemesis
Linda Pearce World No.1 Victoria Azarenka has returned to Australia illuminated by the spotlight that comes with being the reigning Australian Open champion, but she insists her approach to this year’s tournament...
Azarenka back, ready to roll
Linda Pearce, Brisbane World No. 1 is back with an approach she insists will be no different from last year.
Poles apart: draw averts Radwanska sisters' riot act
Michael Chammas, Linda Pearce Last year, the Polish Radwanska sisters, Urszula and Agnieszka, were up in arms after being drawn against each other in the opening round of the Sydney International, which prompted them to threaten...
Stosur on stand-by duty in Istanbul
Linda Pearce While Sam Stosur's dip from world No. 6 to the outer reaches of the top 10 in the past 12 months has cost her a place in this week's year-end WTA Championships, the Australian has a final prizemoney...
Tennis
Tennis superstars undecided on the year's best player
Linda Pearce This week's $4.9 million WTA Championships could help decide who is the women's player-of-the-year.
Tennis
Tearful Kvitova felled by unforced errors
Linda Pearce, Istanbul Petra Kvitova made an anxious, erratic and eventually tearful start to the defence of her WTA Championship title this morning, beaten 6-3, 6-2 by fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska in an opening session...
Women's tennis the winner in epic match
Linda Pearce This was a women's match-of-the-year candidate, just when one was needed. A marvellous three-set, three-hour exhibition at the WTA Championships, in which top seed Victoria Azarenka saved two match...
