Longest final in Roland Garros history
Italian Jack Sinner (right) greets Spaniard Carlos Alacaraz after they dished out the longest Roland Garros final on record at five hours and 29 minutes on Sunday.
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Qatar aim to keep up their winning run against Uzbekistan in Tashkent
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Alcaraz-Sinner rivalry amazing for tennis: Coach Ferrero
PA Media/DPA Paris Carlos Alcaraz's coach Juan Carlos Ferrero believes the Spaniard's rivalry with Jannik Sinner will lift the sport to new heights. Alcaraz and Sinner, the world's top two players, contested their first Grand Slam final at the French Open - and it was an all-time classic. Second seed Alcaraz came out on top after a five-hour, 29-minute marathon, the 22-year-old saving three championship points in the fourth set and winning after a tie-break in the fifth. It was Alcaraz's second Roland Garros title, his fifth at Grand Slams, and means he and Italian world number one Sinner have shared the last six majors. Anyone who feared men's tennis would struggle to fill the void left by the retirements of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and - in the not-too-distant future - Novak Djokovic, can rest easy. 'For the sport it's something amazing to have these players after Roger and Rafa - and Novak is still playing, of course - but this kind of rivalry that they have,' said former world number one Ferrero. 'Having these two guys fighting for big trophies, I think we have to be very happy about it in the sport of tennis. 'For them, for sure it's something that they raise their level every time that they go on the court. 'They know they have to play unbelievable tennis to beat the other guy and it's something that is going to help for sure each player to raise the level even more.' Curiously, Alcaraz won major title number five at exactly the same age as his idol Nadal was when he won his fifth, in 2008 at Wimbledon; 22 years, one month and three days. Nadal, of course, went on to collect 22 grand slam crowns including 14 at Roland Garros, and was honoured at this year's tournament following his retirement. The coincidence was not lost on Ferrero, although he was keen to avoid too many comparisons between his fellow Spaniards. 'I think it's amazing,' added Ferrero. 'The same grand slams at the same age at the same day, it's something that looks unreal. 'It's something very curious. But we don't think too much about it.
Qatar Tribune
a day ago
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Alcaraz defends French Open title after epic tussle with Sinner
PARIS: Carlos Alcaraz came from two sets down and saved three match points to overcome Jannik Sinner and defend his French Open title on Sunday in the longest final in Roland Garros history. The Spaniard showed incredible reserves of energy and willpower to win a five-hour 29-minute marathon, 4-6, 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (10-2), and deny world number one Sinner a third consecutive grand slam title. Instead Alcaraz claimed his fifth major crown at exactly the same age as his idol Rafael Nadal did, aged 22 years, one month and three days old. It was his fifth victory from his fifth final, which was the first at one of the slams to be played between two players born this century. It was also the first grand slam final meeting of the two young superstars of men's tennis, the best players on the planet, who have now shared the last six major titles. And it is one that will go down as a cast-iron Roland Garros classic, a final for the ages, a high-quality and heavy-hitting marathon. Italian Sinner, on a 20-match winning streak at the slams, looked certain to add the Paris title to his US and Australian Open crowns when he forged two sets ahead. He had lost his previous four matches against Alcaraz - the most recent in the Rome final last month, his first tournament after serving a three-month doping ban. But the 23-year-old has been almost untouchable in the French capital, dropping no set and his serve only three times before the final and saving 19 of the 22 break points he had faced. Some loose hitting from Alcaraz gave Sinner a break in the first game of the third, but perhaps being short of matches after his enforced absence was beginning to tell as last year's winner clawed back the deficit to force a fourth. That ended a run of 31 consecutive sets won by Sinner at grand slam tournaments, stretching back to the Australian Open fourth round. With both players now playing at close to their top levels, it was Sinner who made the first move in the fourth set, breaking to love to lead 4-3. Second seed Alcaraz, scrambling to cling on to his title, then somehow saved three championship points on his own serve at 5-3, before incredibly digging even deeper to break back. In the tie-break Sinner edged two points ahead but then started missing, while Alcaraz fired down back-to-back aces on his way to levelling the match. Sinner had never before won a match lasting longer than four hours - mainly because he has never really had to - but he was guzzling the pickle juice at the changeover to try and find more energy. But Alcaraz, having clinched an early break, served for the match only for Sinner to somehow chase down an outrageous drop shot to level again. A 10-point tie-break was needed to separate them, an early-evening shoot-out to decide the champion, and by now Alcaraz had his eye in. A glorious winner, a drop-shot and volley and some wayward shots from Sinner helped him race ahead 7-0, and a final, spectacular forehand winner sealed an unbelievable victory.
