Emma Raducanu sets up Coco Gauff clash with third straight clay win
Emma Raducanu will face Coco Gauff in the fourth round of the Italian Open after securing a third successive win on clay for the first time in her career. The latest victory was a bizarre affair in which Raducanu triumphed over Veronika Kudermetova 5-7, 6-0, 6-1.
Gauff, the No4 seed, will pose a huge test to Raducanu's improving clay-court credentials. The Briton has thus far come through players below her in the rankings in Maya Joint, Jil Teichmann and Kudermetova. That trio were not mere also-rans — Joint is a rising star of the women's game, Kudermetova a former world No9 — but Gauff marks an upgrade in quality as a grand-slam champion and French Open finalist. In their only previous encounter, at the 2023
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
30 minutes ago
- Reuters
Inter set to appoint former player Chivu as manager to replace Inzaghi
June 6 (Reuters) - Inter Milan will appoint their former player and youth coach Cristian Chivu as manager to replace the recently departed Simone Inzaghi once details are worked out with his current club Parma, Inter president Giuseppe Marotta said on Friday. Inzaghi left Inter on Tuesday, four years to the day since his appointment and three days after his side suffered a 5-0 defeat to Paris St Germain in the Champions League final to end the season trophyless, and was named coach of Al-Hilal a day later. Italian media reports had already named Chivu as the new manager with the 44-year-old Romanian set to sign a two-year contract, and Marotta, speaking at the Serie A Festival, all but confirmed the news. "To win, money alone is not enough, expertise, planning, experience, and many other qualities are needed," Marotta said. "All these qualities are what we believe to have, for example in the case of Chivu. I'm saying this because I cannot give official confirmation as there is a bureaucratic aspect we need to overcome with Parma." While Inzaghi arrived at Inter after being in charge of Lazio for five full seasons, winning a Coppa Italia and two Italian Super Cups with the Rome-based team, the club are now putting their faith in a coach with very little coaching experience at this level. Chivu spent seven seasons as a defender at Inter, ending his playing career at the club in 2014 and was part of Jose Mourinho's treble-winning side of 2010. He returned to Inter in 2018, taking charge of underage teams and moving up through the ranks to manage the youth team where he won the league title in his first season in charge in 2022. Chivu left Inter at the end of the 2023-24 season, and in February this year he took on his first senior managerial role when he was named Parma manager to replace Fabio Pecchia with the club in the Serie A relegation zone. Parma had lost five of their last six games under Pecchia, while Chivu suffered just three defeats in his 13 matches in charge, securing the club's survival with a win at Atalanta on the final day of the season. Chivu has little time to settle in with the Club World Cup fast approaching where Inter begin the tournament on June 17 when they take on Mexicos' Monterrey in Los Angeles followed by two games in Seattle against Urawa Red Diamonds and River Plate.
The Guardian
35 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Carlos Alcaraz battles past Lorenzo Musetti to reach French Open final
Carlos Alcaraz continued his imperious march through the clay-court season as he reached his second consecutive French Open final by defeating Lorenzo Musetti, the eighth seed, who was forced to retire with a left thigh injury while Alcaraz led 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-0, 2-0. After a difficult start to the year, the 22-year-old has found his way in a clay-court season that has yielded Masters 1000 titles in Monte Carlo and Rome. He will now attempt to become the third man this century after Rafael Nadal and Gustavo Kuerten to defend a French Open title. Alcaraz, the second seed in Paris, is also the fifth youngest man in the open era to reach five grand slam finals and he will attempt to extend his record to winning all of them. He is won 21 matches and lost once on clay this year. Alcaraz will face either Jannik Sinner, the world No 1, or the 24-time grand slam champion Novak Djokovic in the final. 'I'm not going to miss it,' said Alcaraz of the second semi-final. 'This match is one of the best match-ups we have in tennis right now, Sinner against Djokovic. It's going to be great tennis. As a huge fan of tennis, I'm going to watch it, I'm going to enjoy it. Of course, I'm going to take tactics from the match.' Although the Spaniard was in the favourable half of the draw, away from Novak Djokovic and others, Musetti has established himself as one of the toughest opponents in the sport. The pair have spent much of their young lives competing against each other after coming up through the junior circuit together. Although Musetti, also 23, enjoyed a greater junior career, Alcaraz established himself at the top of the sport faster than most players in history. Over the past year, the Italian has finally made a significant leap forward. Last year, he reached his first grand slam semi-final at Wimbledon and won an Olympic bronze medal at Roland Garros. He followed those breakthrough results with a remarkable clay-court season this year, reaching his first Masters 1000 final in Monte Carlo and then rolling to the semi-finals in Madrid and Rome. After playing and winning so many matches recently, the physical challenge presented by Alcaraz proved a step too far. In this era of rigid, one-note baseliners, Musetti's style is as distinct as Alcaraz's. He peppers opponents with his variety of shots, including backhand slices, drop shots, net forays, and a sweet single-handed backhand. He is also a brilliant athlete and one of the very best movers. Their shared creativity made for a wonderful, quality spectacle for two and a half sets on Court Philippe-Chatrier, where no two shots either player struck were the same. Hannah Klugman has become the first British player to reach the French Open juniors final in almost 50 years. The 16-year-old from Kingston-upon-Thames battled through to her maiden grand slam final after a gritty 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 win over the Bulgarian Rositsa Dencheva. Klugman is the first Briton to achieve the feat since Michelle Tyler claimed the title in 1976, the same year Sue Barker won the women's event. Klugman will face 17-year-old Austrian Lilli Tagger in Saturday's final. Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski are through to the final of the men's doubles. The confidence and momentum Musetti has built in recent weeks was immediately evident. He started the match playing fearless, varied attacking tennis, serving well, attacking his forehand and searching for opportunities to close down the net. He outsmarted and outmanoeuvred Alcaraz, who prides himself on his ability to disrupt his opponents, throughout the opening set. Alcaraz had to be patient as he tried to turn the match around. He failed to consolidate his early break in set two, immediately handing the break back, then he also failed to serve out the set at 6-5. While he lost his focus on key points, he also had to accept that his opponent's stellar level caused much of his misfortune. Despite his issues, Alcaraz saved his best stretch of tennis for the most critical point of the match, blazing through a brilliant tie-break to take the second set. With that, Alcaraz opened his shoulders and began to consistently impose his greater weight of shot. He grew in confidence behind his serve and struck his forehand spectacularly from then on, tearing Musetti's brilliant defence apart: 'He was playing great tennis,' said Alcaraz. 'When I won the second set, it was a little bit of a relief. In the third set, I knew what I had to do, just to push him to the limit. Just trying to be aggressive, not let him dominate the game and just being myself. I was more calm, I could see things more clearly and I played great tennis at the beginning of the third set.' However, as Alcaraz gained momentum in the third set, Musetti gradually began to slow down. Down 5-0, the match falling away from him, the Italian received a medical timeout for his left thigh. He lasted only three more games before he decided he could no longer continue.
NBC News
an hour ago
- NBC News
Carlos Alcaraz reaches French Open final after Lorenzo Musetti retires with injury
PARIS — Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz reached the French Open final on Friday after Lorenzo Musetti retired from their semifinal early in the fourth set. Alcaraz was leading 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-0, 2-0 when the eighth-seeded Italian had to stop playing on Court Philippe-Chatrier. "It's not great to win a match like this. Lorenzo is a great player," Alcaraz said. "I wish him all the best, and wish him a quick recovery and hope to see him soon on the court." Musetti had treatment on the inside of his left thigh late in the third set and then again before the start of the fourth. The 23-year-old Musetti was 5-0 down after 16 minutes of the third set when he called for a trainer. Alcaraz broke Musetti in the next game to clinch the set in 21 minutes, winning 24 of 29 points. Musetti was clearly hindered in his movements and called for the trainer again. After Alcaraz broke his serve to lead 2-0, Musetti walked slowly up to the net and received a hug from Alcaraz. Alcaraz had made 16 unforced errors in the first set, which Musetti clinched when the Spaniard sent a foreheand wide. "The first two sets were really tough," Alcaraz said. "When I won the second set I was relieved. Then in the third set I knew what I had to do. I knew I could push him to the limit by just keep being aggressive. I managed to be myself, be more calm, I could see much clearer and play great tennis." The 22-year-old Alcaraz, who is seeded second, goes for his second French Open title and fifth major overall against either top-ranked Jannik Sinner or 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic in the final. They were playing their semifinal later Friday.
