Boulter and Fearnley earn maiden French Open wins
French Open 2025
Dates: 25 May-8 June Venue: Roland Garros
Coverage: Live radio commentaries across 5 Live Sport and BBC Sounds, plus live text commentaries on the BBC Sport website and app
Britain's Katie Boulter finally landed her first French Open main-draw victory at the age of 28 after Jacob Fearnley won on his debut against former champion Stan Wawrinka.
Boulter, ranked 38th in the world, overcame a tense start to win 6-7 (4-7) 6-1 6-1 against French world number 231 Carole Monnet.
"I'm really pleased with myself," said Boulter, who could play reigning Australian Open champion Madison Keys in the second round.
"I sometimes find it really difficult on this surface and I've kind of persevered and tried my hardest to bring some good tennis.
"This one is special for me and it'll go in my books."
Also playing in front of a partisan opposition crowd, 55th-ranked Fearnley made smooth progress with a 7-6 (8-6) 6-3 6-2 victory over the popular 40-year-old Wawrinka.
The pair were joined in the second round by Emma Raducanu, who fought through "feeling sick" to beat China's Wang Xinyu earlier on Monday.
However, Jodie Burrage was unable to complete a British clean sweep on day two of the clay-court Grand Slam event.
The 25-year-old, playing under a protected injury ranking, lost 7-6 (7-1) 6-4 to American former world number seven Danielle Collins.
Sick Raducanu 'really proud' of battling Paris win
Alcaraz 'expected worse' at start of French Open title defence
Swiatek & Badosa inspired by Nadal in opening wins
Fearnley was only three years old when Switzerland's Wawrinka made his French Open debut in 2005, but had the benefit of youthful vitality - if not clay-court experience - over the three-time major winner.
Wawrinka beat Novak Djokovic to lift the trophy in Paris ten years ago but has since dropped to 138th in the world rankings.
Fearnley, meanwhile, had never played an ATP Tour match on clay before this year.
The 23-year-old from Edinburgh was ranked outside of the world's top 500 just 12 months ago but has risen rapidly up the rankings to a career-high of 55.
After clinching the opening set via a tie-break, Fearnley broke early in the second and raced out to a 4-1 lead before serving the set out to love.
Wawrinka, who knocked Andy Murray out in the first round last year, dropped serve immediately in the third set but fought back to move level at 2-2 - much to the delight of the crowd on court 14.
Their joy was short-lived as Fearnley quickly restored his lead and won four straight games to wrap up victory.
On overcoming the pro-Wawrinka crowd, Fearnley said: "There were a lot of guys talking to me. It was mostly in French. They could have been saying nice things, but I doubt it."
Fearnley has now won on his main draw debut at each of the three Grand Slams he has featured at so far - Wimbledon, the Australian Open and Roland Garros.
He will face either Christopher O'Connell of Australia or French 22nd seed Ugo Humbert in the second round.
Fourth seed Fritz out of French Open in first round
Ninth seed Navarro suffers 6-0 6-1 first-round upset
'Big Four' reunite at Nadal's French Open farewell
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Boston Globe
13 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
Iga Swiatek notches 26th straight win at Roland-Garros, will face Aryna Sabalenka in French Open semifinals
Having been searching for her best form in recent months, Swiatek, who struggled in the previous round, was in total control in the opening set. She was made to work harder by her 13th-seeded Ukrainian rival in the second set, dropping her serve in the fourth game after hitting two straight unforced errors into the net. But Swiatek broke back immediately and took advantage of Svitolina's poor service game to break again with a thunderous forehand return and move up, 6-5. Swiatek sealed the win with a final ace. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Swiatek has won five of the six matches she's played on clay against Sabalenka, including a thrilling three-setter in Spain last year. Advertisement 'The Madrid final against her is one of the best and most exciting finals that I have played,' said Swiatek, who has not won a title or reached a final since her victory at Roland-Garros last year. 'It is always a challenge against Aryna.' Sabalenka is trying to reach her sixth Grand Slam final, and first at Roland-Garros. 'I'm super excited to go out there and to fight and to do everything I need to get the win,' Sabalenka said. Advertisement Sabalenka overcame a shaky start and windy conditions to prevail against Zheng, 7-6 (7-3), 6-3, and extend her record against the Chinese star to 7-1. The score did not fully reflect the closeness of the quarterfinal, though, with so little separating the rivals. But Sabalenka demonstrated why she was No. 1, making the difference on big points, while Zheng struggled with her serve in tense moments. Sabalenka had lost her most recent match against Zheng last month in Rome, having previously dominated their first six encounters. She said that loss was actually a good thing in the middle of an already exhausting season. 'I was actually glad I lost that match, because I needed a little break before Roland-Garros,' Sabalenka said. 'Today, I was just more fresh. I was ready to battle, I was ready to leave everything I had on court to get this win.' Sabalenka, a three-time major champion, has yet to drop a set in Paris. What else happened at the French Open on Tuesday? Lorenzo Musetti reached his first semifinal at the French Open and second at a Grand Slam tournament. The 23-year-old Italian beat Frances Tiafoe of the United States, 6-2, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2, in the same stadium where he won a bronze medal at last year's Olympics. The eighth-seeded Musetti improved to 19-3 this season on red clay. He'll face defending champion Carlos Alcaraz or Tommy Paul on Friday for a berth in the championship match. Musetti and No. 1 Jannik Sinner gave Italy two male quarterfinalists at Roland-Garros for the first time since 1973. Sinner faces unseeded Alexander Bublik in the quarterfinals Wednesday.
Business Upturn
15 minutes ago
- Business Upturn
IPL 2025 Final: Rishi Sunak spotted cheering for RCB in stands after Krunal Pandya's breakthrough
By News Desk Published on June 3, 2025, 22:37 IST There was a surprise star in the stands at the IPL 2025 final in Ahmedabad — Former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was spotted at the Narendra Modi Stadium, enjoying the blockbuster clash between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings. Sunak, seated alongside ICC Chairman Jay Shah, was seen applauding enthusiastically after RCB all-rounder Krunal Pandya took a key wicket to further dent Punjab Kings' chase. The cameras caught Sunak on his feet, smiling and clapping as Pandya struck — a moment that quickly went viral on social media, with many fans noting that the former British PM appeared to be backing RCB in the high-stakes final. At the time of the moment, Punjab Kings were 88/3 after 11 overs, still needing 103 runs from 54 balls to chase down RCB's 190/9. While cricket is hugely popular among the British Indian community, this rare public appearance by Sunak at an IPL final added an extra layer of glamour and global buzz to the night's proceedings. News desk at
Yahoo
22 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Anthony Joshua should wait for Tyson Fury, rather than rolling the dice in boxing's most unforgiving division
British sporting rivalries have a unique way of trumping any other hand on the table. In truth, we are an emotional nation, easily seduced by tribalistic loyalties and addictive storytelling. Whether it's geographical, historical or simply born out of close competition, a worthy dance partner can ultimately define your standing in your chosen sport's annals. And these dance partners can rarely be spoken of in isolation. You are bound together as alternating chapters inside the same story, battling for an edge in relevance way beyond your day of retirement. Advertisement It's the conversations down the pub that still end in blazing arguments, even after the dust has seemingly settled on years of debate. It's Steve Evett vs. Sebastian Coe, Steve Davis vs. Dennis Taylor, Chris Eubank Sr. vs. Nigel Benn, Liverpool vs. Manchester United, and even before they have touched gloves, it's Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua. Fury and Joshua's names have followed each other's around the globe across the last decade. Both have scaled the summit of the heavyweight mountain from opposite sides taking contrasting routes, have lost their footing, have fallen off, have climbed back up, but are yet to have laid eyes upon each other through the mist of one of sport's steepest and most dangerous climbs. Roll the clock back 13 years and you'd be laughed out of the Finchley ABC for suggesting the hypothetical decision Joshua may have to make in the summer of 2025: Continue making more money than he and his great grandchildren could ever spend, or wait for a legacy-defining fight with his ultimate dance partner: Fury. Advertisement At 35 years of age, this decision is now more important than ever. Joshua has been kept on the shelf since suffering the fourth defeat of his career to Daniel Dubois this past September due to required elbow surgery, and despite what his dough-eyed promotor Eddie Hearn will claim, Joshua isn't getting any better. Turki Alalshikh and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia don't care about Joshua's legacy or what stories will be told about him down the local pub in 25 years time, but the pride of a fighter should never be underestimated. A reported two-fight deal with Riyadh Season is on the table for Joshua's return, topping up his staggering bank balance but, importantly, rolling the dice on what remains of his career. Dillian Whyte and Jared Anderson are the two opponents rumored to be part of this deal and both are men that, on their day, could beat a faded Joshua. Hearn has since confirmed this, adding that there are possibly another three names in the mix. Alalshikh's pit of money seemingly has no floor, but how much is enough when you're risking bowing out against an opponent that you: A) did beat, and, B) would have beaten handedly in your pomp? Fortunately for Joshua, he has carved out a career of such success that the decision on the path he takes will be solely left up to him — but that's not to say he won't be pulled left and right by those who still wish to benefit by his behemoth pull as a prizefighter. Does Tyson Fury have one more left in him? (REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed) (REUTERS / Reuters) Both Joshua and Fury are two-time heavyweight champions of the world and deep into their 30s. They have both expressed an internal addiction to the sport, but perhaps only a meeting between the pair could now come close to scratching what itch is left for either in boxing. Advertisement Fury is retired at the time of writing. But he continues to drop hints on social media regarding a return to action — something that won't be a surprise in the slightest from a man who changes his mind and behavior more often than the British summer. The 'Gypsy King' claims a third fight with Oleksandr Usyk — an undisputed king of the division who handed him his two career losses — is his only route back into the ring, but that ship has rightly sailed. Fury options are perhaps more limited than Joshua's himself, and the quicker he realizes this, the quicker this all-British heavyweight fight can be penned. Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn's slugfest at the end of April underlined the British appetite for a domestic rivalry. There were no official accolades on the line that evening inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but pride and bragging rights would've trumped any trinket that the governing bodies could've attempted to throw at the pair of born adversaries. Joshua and Fury's rivalry has been born through competition — and if they decide to pass on fighting each other, then both of their boxing stories will end unfinished.
