Zverev reaches seventh French Open quarters after Griekspoor retires
Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - June 2, 2025 Germany's Alexander Zverev in action during his fourth round match against Netherlands' Tallon Griekspoor REUTERS/Lisi Niesner
PARIS - Third seed Alexander Zverev advanced to the French Open quarter-finals after his opponent Tallon Griekspoor retired midway through the second set on Monday.
The Dutchman was 6-4 3-0 down when he called for the medic and after a very brief discussion the umpire announced his retirement.
It was not immediately clear what kind of injury Griekspoor had suffered.
He broke the German early in the match but was broken back twice as Zverev, seeking his maiden Grand Slam title, landed the first set.
The 28-year-old Zverev, a finalist in Paris last year who has now reached his seventh French Open quarter-final in the last eight years, earned two consecutive breaks at the start of the second set to go 3-0 up before Griekspoor called it a day.
Zverev will play either Briton Cameron Norrie or three-times champion Novak Djokovic, who play later on Monday, in the last eight. REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Trayvon Bromell scorches 100m as Beatrice Chebet shines at Rome Diamond League
Trayvon Bromell celebrates after winning the men's 100m event of the Diamond League meet in Rome on June 6. PHOTO: AFP ROME – American Trayvon Bromell admitted that he had the 'jitters', even as he set the fastest time over the 100m this season in 9.84 seconds at the Rome Diamond League on June 6. Bromell, a two-time world outdoor bronze medallist and 2016 world indoor champion, dominated the field, with compatriot Fred Kerley coming in fifth in 10.06sec. Cameroon's Emmanuel Eseme (9.99sec) and Kenya's Ferdinand Omanyala (10.01sec) rounded out the podium in the blue riband event. 'It is a blessing... I executed the race, it was a great feel,' said Bromell. 'It was definitely a lot of jitters, I'm not going to lie and say that the nerves weren't there. 'I did not know what to expect, but I just wanted to go and be the person that I know I am. I work hard so I don't expect anything but fast times and execution.' Kenya's Beatrice Chebet, who won Olympic golds in the 5,000 and 10,000m in Paris last summer, posted the second-fastest time of all time in the women's 5,000m, clocking 14:03.69 after a stunning solo breakaway at the Stadio Olimpico. It was just three seconds off Gudaf Tsegay's world record set in Eugene in 2023, the Ethiopian finishing third in the Italian capital as the field struggled with Chebet's kick four laps out from the finish. 'I was planning to run 14:15, but I felt like my body was moving and I decided to go,' said Chebet. 'So I see that my body is in a good shape and I am capable of of the world record. So now I am going home and will prepare for it. Everything is possible. If I get someone who will push me up to 3000, it is possible.' Another Olympic champion, Quincy Hall of the USA, held his nerve to claim victory in the men's 400m in 44.22sec, winning in a photo finish from fast-finishing South African Zakithi Nene. There was a first Diamond League win since 2022 for Sandi Morris in the women's pole vault, the American clearing 4.80m for the victory. 'Today is monumental for me on a personal level,' said Morris, a three-time world silver medallist. 'I have been fighting with problems with my shoulder so I have to keep the volume of jumps lower. I really wanted to keep jumping but I also listen to my goals.' There was, however, no glory for Gianmarco Tamberi in the men's high jump in front of his adoring fans. The joint 2020 Olympic gold medallist, also the current European and world champion, bombed out at a lowly 2.16m in a competition won by South Korea's Woo Sang-hyeok, with a best of 2.32m. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Hong keeps focus on World Cup after successful end to fraught campaign
Hong keeps focus on World Cup after successful end to fraught campaign South Korea coach Hong Myung-bo sought to focus on his team's preparations for next year's World Cup rather than the fraught campaign that eventually ended with the country celebrating qualification for an 11th consecutive finals. A 2-0 victory over Iraq in Basra on Thursday confirmed South Korea's progress as one of two automatic qualifiers from Group B of Asia's preliminaries, and came 11 months on from Hong's controversial reappointment as head coach. "It's an opportunity for us to test young guys who may be able to play at the World Cup next year," Hong said of Tuesday's remaining qualifier against Kuwait in Seoul. "We won't have too many opportunities like this. It's one thing for those guys to watch from the bench, and quite another for them to play." Ex-national team captain Hong returned for a second spell in charge in July last year after a series of caretakers had been appointed following Juergen Klinsmann's underwhelming tenure, the German leaving in the aftermath of South Korea's Asian Cup elimination. The 56-year-old's appointment was greeted by protests among hardcore fans, many mindful of the team's performance under Hong at the World Cup in Brazil in 2014, when a highly-fancied squad crashed out in the group phase. Relations with supporters were further damaged by early struggles in qualifying, with players booed off the field in Seoul following an opening 0-0 draw with Palestine in September. That showing was one of several that highlighted the team's issues on native soil. While Hong's side are unbeaten across the nine matches played so far in the third phase of qualifying, the Koreans have won just one of four matches at home. The poor quality of the pitches used was blamed by players for their underwhelming performances and was another reason tensions increased between the country's football hierarchy and the support base. Despite those issues, qualification means the Koreans will extend a run of unbroken World Cup appearances that stretches back to 1986, with Hong now charged with building his squad for the challenge that lies ahead in North America. That will mean giving opportunities to less experienced performers as he looks for long-term options to stalwarts such as Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min and Hwang Hee-chan of Wolverhampton Wanderers. "From this moment on, everything we do will be geared toward preparing for the World Cup," said Hong. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
US judge approves settlement allowing NCAA schools to pay athletes
The approval resolves long-running litigation between the NCAA and student athletes. PHOTO: REUTERS NEW YORK – A United States judge on June 6 granted final approval to a US$2.8 billion (S$3.6 billion) settlement with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) that will allow schools for the first time to compensate student athletes for past and future commercial use of their names, images and likenesses. The settlement, approved in a ruling by US District Judge Claudia Wilken in the Oakland, California, federal court, resolves long-running litigation between the NCAA and student athletes. 'Despite some compromises, the settlement agreement nevertheless will result in extraordinary relief for members of the settlement classes,' Wilken wrote. She also said that the deal will 'permit levels and types of student-athlete compensation that have never been permitted in the history of college sports'. The ruling marked a 'historic day for college sports and the rights of athletes', the lead attorneys for the plaintiffs, Steve Berman and Jeffrey Kessler, said in a statement. In a statement, NCAA president Charlie Baker welcomed the judge's ruling. 'Student-athletes will benefit from the rich opportunities they enjoy now, plus far more scholarship opportunities, landmark financial benefits and a streamlined NCAA to support them,' he said. The NCAA denied any wrongdoing in agreeing to settle. The deal faced dozens of objections that it did not adequately compensate athletes or was unfair in other ways. Objectors to the deal now can appeal to the San Francisco-based 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals. The settlement, covering hundreds of thousands of current and former students since 2016, resolved three lawsuits that claimed NCAA rules barring payments to athletes violated US antitrust law. The US$2.8 billion will cover past damages. The plaintiffs' lawyers previously estimated the deal would provide tens of billions of dollars to class members over the next 10 years. Schools will be allowed to pay athletes from funds that universities receive from broadcasts and other commercial sources. The NCAA in April convinced a federal judge in Manhattan to dismiss a lawsuit seeking compensation for thousands of former student athletes who played team sports in college prior to 2016. Those students have filed an appeal. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.