Granollers, Zeballos win first Grand Slam doubles title at French Open
SPAIN's Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos of Argentina won their first Grand Slam men's doubles title on Saturday after edging British duo Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski in three sets.
Granollers, 39, and Zeballos, 40, had lost three previous major finals together but finally secured their first victory with a 6-0, 6-7 (5/7), 7-5 win.
Granollers had finished on the losing side in each of his previous five doubles finals, including at Roland Garros in 2014 with former partner Marc Lopez.
Salisbury fell short in his bid for a fifth Grand Slam triumph in men's doubles after winning four times with Rajeev Ram. Skupski won at Wimbledon in 2023.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malay Mail
4 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Cristiano Ronaldo dismisses ‘generational clash' with Lamine Yamal ahead of Nations League final
MUNICH, June 8 — Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo acknowledged he was 'another generation' to Spain starlet Lamine Yamal but said Sunday's Nations League final was more than just a battle between the duo. The final in Munich has been framed as a showdown between veteran Ronaldo, 40, one of the game's biggest names, and 17-year-old Yamal, the most exciting young talent in world football. Ronaldo scored the winner to send Portugal past Germany into the final and Yamal was named man-of-the-match after bagging a brace in Spain's wild 5-4 semi-final win over France. Ronaldo however said the focus on the two individuals was overblown, calling Spain 'maybe the best national team in the world'. 'There are different generations, one is coming in and another is exiting the stage. If you want to see me as another generation, then that's OK. 'When you talk about a clash between Cristiano and someone else, that's not how it works. The media always try to hype things up, which is a normal thing, but it's one team versus another team.' 'You've been talking about Lamine a lot and you're right to do so because he's very good,' Ronaldo told journalists, adding 'but I'd like to talk about the team. 'They've got Nico Williams, great midfielders like Pedri and their coach (Luis) de la Fuente is very good, very strong, very disciplined.' Portugal last beat their Iberian neighbours in a competitive fixture 21 years ago, in a match which Ronaldo started. Like Yamal, Ronaldo burst onto the scene at a young age. Aged just 18, Ronaldo impressed so much for boyhood side Sporting in a 3-1 win over Manchester United in a friendly in Lisbon that the English club decided to buy him, bringing him to Old Trafford less than a week later. 'Relaxed and in control' Like a young Ronaldo, Yamal has consistently impressed since bursting onto the scene, winning a league and cup double with Barcelona this season after lifting the Euro 2024 title in Germany last summer. The Portuguese veteran asked media to allow the teenager to grow and improve without pressure, reminding them the Spanish star 'with funny hair' was just 'three years older than my son'. 'The kid has been doing very well, but what I ask is for you to let him grow, not put him under pressure. For the good of football, we need to let him grow in his own way and enjoy the talent he has.' Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said Yamal was 'only 17, but very mature for his age. Well-prepared, intelligent—he lives life as if it's all normal, and that's what we want for him'. De la Fuente said the national side were 'trying to walk alongside (Yamal) in his education,' but added 'you'd be surprised, shocked, how calm he is. 'He's special. For some people, this would be a situation of maximum stress. But for him, he's relaxed, he's in control—he masters the situation.' The coach also took time to praise Ronaldo, calling him 'a legend in football and an example of the values I like: effort, work rate, sacrifice, getting better every day and never letting your guard down. 'Portugal are led by a footballer who will go down in history with an indelible legacy.' Both Spain and Portugal have already won the Nations League. Spain are the current champions from their win in 2023, while Portugal won the inaugural tournament back in 2019. Spain have won 16 and drawn two of their past 18 fixtures—and have not lost a competitive match since March 2023. Spain forward Mikel Oyarzabal told reporters his side 'do not think we are better than anyone,' but 'we trust ourselves 100 percent and know we can compete in every game. 'We've shown that over the years. Our level is very high.' — AFP
The Star
5 hours ago
- The Star
Meet the ones who keep the clay courts of Roland Garros fit for a Grand Slam
A staff member spreads calcium chloride crystals on the surface of the Court Philippe-Chatrier on May 21, ahead of the 2025 French Open at the Roland Garros Complex in Paris. — Photos: AFP The almost cathedral-like silence of Court Philippe Chatrier is broken only by the thrumming of large squeegees scraping the clay: it's 6.30am and the groundstaff team quietly enters the arena to tend to the soon-to-be centuries-old ochre of Roland Garros in Paris, France. With the aid of shovels, brooms and wheelbarrows – and a dose of elbow grease – the 180 or so specialised staff, most of whom are temporary workers, toil from dawn till dusk to whip the 18 courts into pristine condition for the year's second Grand Slam. 'It's a real craftsman's job,' Philippe Vaillant, head of the groundskeeping department, insists of maintaining a surface that has been used at Roland Garros since 1928. The clay, the product of 40 tonnes of red bricks from northern France which are then crushed in Belgium, is fickle in nature. 'It reacts very quickly to weather conditions, so you really have to pay close attention. It's almost like gardening,' says Vaillant, who arrived at Roland Garros in 1995. A blast of heat or wind and all bets are off: the clay dries and bakes, the surface becomes too fast and too slippery. A few drops of rain and the court can become too slow and greasy. To make matters worse, small white granules from the thick layer of limestone beneath the clay – just a few millimetres thick – regularly rise to the surface. Calcium chloride captures and retains water on the courts. Relying on instinct Morning and evening, and sometimes between sets in the afternoon, the courts are watered heavily to counter the effects of the sun. 'We use around a cubic metre of water per day and per court, half as much as the toilet facilities and 10 times less than the kitchens,' asserts Vaillant, aware of the environmental concerns and the need for reduced consumption. Calcium chloride, which captures and retains water, is also added. But there are no humidity sensors or other bits of technology to help. 'It's all down to the naked eye and the feel of the shoe,' smiles Aurelien, who joined the crew in 2008. The demands of the players must be factored in as well, which often increase as they scale the rankings. Last year, Novak Djokovic attributed his injury during his last-16 victory over Argentina's Francisco Cerundolo to the lack of clay on Court Philippe Chatrier, which had become too slippery for his liking. 'There are players with whom it's a little more complicated. He's one of them. It's all good, all good or all bad,' says a philosophical Vaillant. 'It's a hose pipe, there's no meter on it. Human error is possible,' he admits, while pointing to players who ask to 'only water their part of the court, or behind the baseline'. Memories to savour For the temporary workers, the enemy is not so much the sun as the intermittent rain. 'The days of rolling out the tarp and removing it can be a bit tough physically,' points out Laurence, but that hasn't stopped her coming back for an eighth Roland Garros. 'It's very friendly, we come from all over France, that's what makes the adventure so charming.' 'Coming to Roland Garros is the ultimate thing, it's a mythical place. We're like kids, we keep the flame burning,' laughs Vincent, in his 50s. For Aurelien, he cherishes the connection that will forever link him to record 14-time champion Rafael Nadal. 'I've prepared courts for Nadal,' he says, 'It's still a privilege. Tennis fans would write a huge cheque to be in my shoes.' – AFP
The Sun
6 hours ago
- The Sun
Granollers, Zeballos win first Grand Slam doubles title at French Open
SPAIN's Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos of Argentina won their first Grand Slam men's doubles title on Saturday after edging British duo Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski in three sets. Granollers, 39, and Zeballos, 40, had lost three previous major finals together but finally secured their first victory with a 6-0, 6-7 (5/7), 7-5 win. Granollers had finished on the losing side in each of his previous five doubles finals, including at Roland Garros in 2014 with former partner Marc Lopez. Salisbury fell short in his bid for a fifth Grand Slam triumph in men's doubles after winning four times with Rajeev Ram. Skupski won at Wimbledon in 2023.
