French Open: Djokovic outlasts Zverev, becomes oldest semifinalist in 57 years
24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic advanced to the semi-finals of the French Open 2025 with a commanding performance. On Wednesday, June 4, the 38-year-old defeated last year's runner-up Alexander Zverev 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 at Court Philippe-Chatrier.The Serb took three hours and 17 minutes to overcome the German and secure his place in a record-extending 51st Grand Slam semi-final.advertisementDjokovic also became the oldest player in 57 years to reach the French Open semi-finals, a feat last achieved by Richard Gonzales in 1968 at the age of 40 years and 18 days. After suffering four first-round exits earlier this year, Djokovic appeared out of rhythm, but has staged an impressive comeback in Paris, keeping his hopes alive for a 25th major title - his first since the 2023 US Open.NOVAK BACK INTO THE ROLAND-GARROS SEMIS.#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/cDhA4EWXIP— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 4, 2025
Zverev started strong, breaking Djokovic early to go 2-0 up and eventually taking the opening set — the first set Djokovic dropped in the tournament. But from the second set onwards, Djokovic raised his level and did not allow Zverev another break of serve for the rest of the match.advertisementAlso Read: French Open: Jannik Sinner emulates Rafael Nadal, storms into 2nd successive semi-finalSpeaking after the win, Djokovic said he had to mix things up and effectively deploy drop shots to keep Zverev guessing.5th one is the charm #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/gLPAiwwQG7— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 4, 2025'Especially during the last game, my tactic was just to play drop shots. So I played three or four in a row Maybe you can't see it on TV, but there is a lot of wind from one side, so it gives the sensation that you must hit twice as hard. It was important to vary the game,' Djokovic said in the on-court interview.Zverev was let down by his inconsistency, committing 42 unforced errors despite hitting 38 winners - just four fewer than Djokovic's tally.In the semi-finals, Djokovic faces a formidable challenge in World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who cruised past Kazakhstan's Alexander Bublik with a dominant 6-1, 7-5, 6-0 victory in the quarter-finals.Must Watch
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Business Standard
2 hours ago
- Business Standard
French Open 2025 June 6 Matches: Alcaraz, Djokovic, Sinner eye final spot
The business end of the French Open 2025 arrives with blockbuster semi-final clashes across men's and doubles categories. Roland Garros is set for a thrilling day as top seeds and rising stars fight for a place in the finals. The highlight of the day is the men's singles semi-finals, featuring three of the top six players in the world—Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic—alongside the ever-improving Lorenzo Musetti. Doubles fans can look forward to intense showdowns as well, with seasoned and surprise pairs competing in the final four. With action spread across three main courts and tight scheduling, Day 13 promises gripping drama, tactical battles and potentially career-defining wins. Men's Singles The first men's semi-final on Court Philippe-Chatrier features Lorenzo Musetti (8) against Carlos Alcaraz (2) in a tantalising Spanish–Italian duel. Musetti, playing in his first Grand Slam semi-final, will aim to disrupt the rhythm of Alcaraz, who has been clinical and confident throughout the draw. In the second semi-final of the men's singles event, world No. 1 Jannik Sinner locks horns with Novak Djokovic (6) in a generational battle of baseline brilliance and strategic depth. Their contrasting styles and mental toughness should produce an enthralling contest. Men's Doubles On Court Suzanne-Lenglen, the experienced British duo of Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski (8) take on the American team of C. Harrison and E. King (9). Both teams have shown excellent teamwork en route to the semi-finals and will be keen to book their place in the final. Women's Doubles On Simonne-Mathieu, Anna Danilina [KAZ] and Aleksandra Krunic [SRB] meet the consistent pairing of Ulrikke Eikeri [NOR] and Eri Hozumi [JPN] in the first semi-final. Their battle is likely to hinge on rhythm and precision at the net. The other semi-final sees the aggressive Russian duo Mirra Andreeva / Diana Shnaider (4) go up against Italy's seasoned pair Sara Errani / Jasmine Paolini (2). It's a classic contrast of youth versus experience—an ideal recipe for a tense doubles showdown. French Open 2025: Full schedule of 6 June Event Round Court Time Player 1 Player 2 Men's Singles Semifinal Philippe-Chatrier From 14:30 L. Musetti (8) [ITA] C. Alcaraz (2) [ESP] Men's Singles Semifinal Philippe-Chatrier Not before 19:00 J. Sinner (1) [ITA] N. Djokovic (6) [SRB] Men's Doubles Semifinal Suzanne-Lenglen Not before 12:00 J. Salisbury / N. Skupski (8) [GBR] C. Harrison / E. King (9) [USA] Women's Doubles Semifinal Simonne-Mathieu Not before 13:00 A. Danilina [KAZ] / A. Krunic [SRB] U. Eikeri [NOR] / E. Hozumi [JPN] Women's Doubles Semifinal Simonne-Mathieu TBA M. Andreeva / D. Shnaider (4) S. Errani / J. Paolini (2) [IT
The Hindu
3 hours ago
- The Hindu
No. 2 Gauff faces No. 1 Sabalenka in women's final
The biggest difference Coco Gauff sees between the player who lost her first Grand Slam final at the 2022 French Open at age 18, and the one who will play for the trophy again on Saturday (June 7, 2025) at 21, this time against No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, is the way she views the importance of the occasion. Three years ago at Roland-Garros, Gauff was making her debut on that sort of stage and with that sort of prize at stake. It felt like the outcome meant absolutely everything, a burden that was a lot at the time and made her nervous. Now, the No. 2-ranked Gauff says, she understands 'how miniscule' the result on Saturday (June 7, 2025) is in the scheme of things. 'Everybody is dealing with way bigger things in life than losing a final,' the American said after beating 361st-ranked French wild-card entry Loïs Boisson 6-1, 6-2 in the semifinals on Thursday (June 5, 2025). 'I'm sure there are hundreds of players that would kill to win or lose a final, so just knowing that [makes] me realize how lucky and privileged I am to be in this position,' Gauff said. 'At first, I thought it would be the end of the world if I lost, and, you know, the sun still rose the next day... Regardless of the result, the sun will still rise.' Hot on clay: On the French Open Here's another key difference: The Gauff of today is a Grand Slam champion. She won the 2023 U.S. Open; her opponent in that final just so happened to be Sabalenka. 'I just remember kind of feeling,' Gauff said, 'like I was holding my breath to the match point.' Their head-to-head series is tied 5-5 entering the first No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup in a French Open women's final since Serena Williams beat Maria Sharapova in 2013. Sabalenka beat Gauff in their most recent meeting, which came at the Madrid Open in May on the type of red clay used at Roland-Garros. So Gauff is well aware of Sabalenka's many talents, which were on full display during a 7-6 (1), 4-6, 6-0 semifinal victory over three-time defending champion Iga Swiatek. 'She can come up with some big shots and big winners pretty much at all areas of the court,' Gauff said about the 27-year-old from Belarus. 'She's a fighter, as well. She's going to stay in the match regardless of the scoreline.' After getting pushed to a third set by Swiatek, who had won 26 matches in a row at the French Open, Sabalenka was pretty much perfect down the stretch. Even Sabalenka called the lopsided nature of that last set 'shocking for me.' She didn't make a single unforced error; Swiatek had 12. 'The pace was from her [was] super fast,' Swiatek said. 'It was just hard to get into any rally.' Sabalenka took over the top ranking from Swiatek last October and has remained there. Sabalenka is 40-6 this season with three titles and, while her three major championships all came on hard courts — at the 2023 and 2024 Australian Opens and the 2024 U.S. Open — the work she's put in to improve on clay is clearly paying off. 'I can go flat. I can [play] with the spin. I can go back and play in defense,' Sabalenka said. 'That's what works the best on the clay court for me.' The truth is, regardless of the surface, Sabalenka still appears to be most comfortable when she hits the ball as hard as possible. Her high-risk style offers a contrast to Gauff, who has been making an effort to be more aggressive with her forehand but usually is at her best when she is making opponents hit shot after shot because she can get to everything with her speed, instincts and defense. 'She's going to come out swinging,' Gauff said. 'I just have to expect that and do my best to kind of counter that.'
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
French Open 2025: Aryna Sabalenka ends Iga Swiatek's reign as Roland Garros champion
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus (R) and Poland's Iga Swiatek (L) hug after their semi-final match at the French Open at Roland Garros in Paris. (AP) Paris: Midway through the first set of the French Open women's singles semifinals, after world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka had taken a 4-1 lead, which was duly narrowed and eclipsed, the Belarusian battled inner demons. The crowd on Court Philippe Chatrier appeared to be behind the four-time champion Iga Swiatek, and then, the 27-year-old gave herself a talk. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! 'Fight,' she told herself, looking down at the tiger tattoo on her left forearm, 'fight', she reminded herself again. The top seed, who was blasting the ball off both flanks, gave it everything she had for the next couple of hours to score a 7-6 (1), 4-6, 6-0 win in two hours and 19 minutes to make her first Roland Garros final. In Saturday's title clash, she'll play World No. 2 Coco Gauff, who stopped French wildcard entrant Lois Boisson's fairytale run with a 6-1, 6-2 win. Sabalenka, who came into the last-four clash as the in-form player, demonstrated how far ahead of the field she was in the deciding set which she wrapped up in 22 minutes. Gautam Gambhir sends stern message after Bengaluru tragedy Swiatek won just six points in the set in which her opponent had zero unforced errors. Swiatek, who has the highest winning percentage at Roland Garros in the Open Era (95.2 per cent, 40-2), had won her last 26 matches in the French capital, equalling the longest winning streak at a Grand Slam event this century (26, Serena Williams at the US Open 2012–2015), was put on the back foot by Sabalenka's power. The 5'11'' Belarusian, who can be seen stretching between points — neck, shoulders and arms — dominated with her power. Sabalenka had 28 winners in the match; add to that the Pole's 26 forced errors — 15 on the forehand side and 11 on the backhand — the result of the 27-year-old opening her shoulders and moving the ball from corner to corner. 'It feels incredible, but I also understand the job is not done yet,' Sabalenka said. 'I'm thrilled with my performance. Iga is the toughest opponent, especially on clay and at Roland Garros. I'm proud I was able to get this win. It was a tough match, it was tricky, but I managed it somehow and I'm super proud right now. I'm glad I found my serve (in the third set). 6-0.' Swiatek applauded Aryna's effort. 'She served really well, and she read my serve much better,' the 24-year-old said. Errani, Vavassori win mixed title Italian pair Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori beat Americans Taylor Townsend and Evan King 6-4, 6-2 to win the French Open mixed doubles title. It is their second Grand Slam title together following their victory in the same event at last year's US Open.
