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Cameron Young rallies for US Open spot on a long day of qualifying for Oakmont

Cameron Young rallies for US Open spot on a long day of qualifying for Oakmont

Washington Post2 days ago

COLUMBUS, Ohio — On a long day when it felt everything was going wrong, Cameron Young birdied three of his last four holes Monday to get into a 5-for-1 playoff and then made a 12-foot birdie to earn his spot in the U.S. Open in two weeks at Oakmont.
The drama went coast-to-coast, and even north of the border into Canada, with 47 places available at 10 qualifying sites to fill the field for the major regarded the toughest test in golf.

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Rory McIlroy speaks after snubbing media at PGA Championship: ‘I was a little pissed off'
Rory McIlroy speaks after snubbing media at PGA Championship: ‘I was a little pissed off'

New York Times

time41 minutes ago

  • New York Times

Rory McIlroy speaks after snubbing media at PGA Championship: ‘I was a little pissed off'

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Iga Swiatek vs Aryna Sabalenka start time: When is blockbuster French Open semi-final?
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Iga Swiatek vs Aryna Sabalenka start time: When is blockbuster French Open semi-final?

Defending champion Iga Swiatek will face World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka in a blockbuster French Open semi-final and their first meeting at a grand slam in almost three years. Swiatek is bidding to become the first woman in the Open era to win four titles in a row at Roland Garros and extended her winning streak at the to 26 matches by overcoming Elina Svitolina in the quarter-finals. Advertisement Sabalenka is aiming to win her first French Open title and is yet to drop a set. The World No 1, who won the titles at the US Open and Australian Open, defeated Olympic champion Qinwen Zheng in the quarters. Swiatek and Sabalenka last played at a grand slam in the US Open semi-finals, with Swiatek winning in three sets on her way to lifting the title in New York. The Pole leads their overall head-to-head 8-4. Here's everything you need to know. When is Iga Swiatek vs Aryna Sabalenka? The semi-final will be played on Thursday 5 June and although the day's order of play has yet to be confirmed, the provisional schedule states the women's semi-finals will be played from 2pm BST (UK time). Advertisement Swiatek vs Sabalenka is likely to be the first semi-final as both players finished their quarter-final matches on Tuesday, while the other half of the women's draw is in action on Wednesday. What happened in the quarter-finals? Swiatek battled from a break down in the second to defeat to defeat Elina Svitolina 6-1 7-5 and extend her French Open winning streak to 26 matches. She was immediately asked about playing Sabalenka in her on-court interview and said: 'It's always a challenge playing Aryna. She has a game for every surface. I need to focus on myself, do the work, be brave with my shots and go for it. I'll prepare tactically tomorrow but she's been having a great season. It's going to be tough match but I'm happy for the challenge.' Advertisement Sabalenka improved her winning record against Olympic champion Qinwen Zheng to 7-1, shrugging off a defeat to the Chinese star in the Rome quarter-finals to win 7-6 6-3. She has asked about playing Swiatek afterwards and said: 'We've had a lot of great battles in the past. I'm super excited. It's high-level matches. I'm super excited to go out there and to fight and to do everything I need to get the win. I love tough challenges. I think this is the matches where you actually improve as a player and where you get much stronger. And I always excited to face someone strong and then someone who can challenge me.'

The TikTok dance and irony at heart of Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka's rivalry
The TikTok dance and irony at heart of Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka's rivalry

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

The TikTok dance and irony at heart of Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka's rivalry

The match-up the French Open had been waiting for came before the tournament began: Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka, the two rivals who have grappled over the World No 1 position for the past three years, met on the practice courts at Roland Garros and played a set. Two weeks later, they will meet again in the semi-finals, a blockbuster booked between the defending champion Swiatek and the biggest contender for her throne, the top seed Sabalenka. With eight grand slam titles between them, it will be the first time they have met at this level since the 2022 US Open. Swiatek, who has five of those grand slam titles to Sabalenka's three, kept her cards close to her chest when discussing their practice session on the eve of Roland Garros. Sabalenka was more revealing as she opened up on their relationship and how it had become warmer since collaborating on a TikTok at last year's WTA Finals in Riyadh. It had been icy. 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That includes their classic Madrid Open final in 2024, a three-hour, 11-minute epic on the clay won by Swiatek 7-5 4-6 7-6 (7) - in a contest that was later named the WTA's match of the year. Swiatek consolidated that victory with another win over Sabalenka in the Rome final before winning her third straight Roland Garros title, her supremacy on clay undisputed. It has felt different in 2025, given the doubts over Swiatek's form coming into Roland Garros. Swiatek has not won a title or reached a final since last year's French Open and, in her absence, Sabalenka marched back to Madrid and reclaimed the title by defeating Coco Gauff in the final. The 27-year-old is well positioned to contend for Roland Garros and the mental transformation Sabalenka underwent to win her first grand slam title in Australia in 2023 came after Swiatek's win over her in the US Open semi-finals. She is a different player now. (Getty Images) Sabalenka can overpower and dominate the rest of the field to the extent that her consistency and reliability across all surfaces is underappreciated. This year's French Open has been a typical tournament for the new Sabalenka, reaching the quarter-finals without dropping a set. Her victory over Zheng marked her 10th consecutive grand slam in which she has reached the quarter-finals, discounting the Wimbledon missed last summer due to injury. 'They are crazy stats,' Sabalenka said. They are becoming normal. Advertisement As is Swiatek's record in Paris, with the Pole extending her winning streak at Roland Garros to 26 wins in a row after overcoming Elina Svitolina in the quarter-finals. Chris Evert's record of 29 straight wins is in sight. More and more, it seems as if the defining result of Swiatek's week may be her comeback against Elena Rybakina in the fourth round, winning in three and after being a set and a break down early in the second. 'I think I needed that kind of win,' she said at the time. Swiatek found how to win when it wasn't going her way. The four-time French Open champion will need that spirit when he faces Sabalenka, given her tendency to start quickly and establish control in the match by attacking any second serves. It's rare for Swiatek to have a target when she takes to Philippe-Chatrier, given her record there, but playing the World No 1 gives her one. 'I don't know if she elevates my game but for sure our rivalry is pushing both of us,' Swiatek said. 'It's not only about the level of tennis. It's about everything, how we work, and how professional we are.' (Getty Images) And this is a semi-final that can elevate the French Open, too. The controversy over unequal scheduling between men's and women's tournaments has continued this year, with organisers doubling down on their decision to schedule men's matches in the primetime slot, leaving the women with the earlier starts. On Wednesday, Sabalenka faced Olympic champion Qinwen Zheng in a high-quality quarter-final that started at 11am and in front of thousands of empty seats. Advertisement 'I definitely agree that we deserve to be put in a bigger stage,' Sabalenka said when pushed on the inequality of the scheduling. 'Better timing, more people watching.' There will perhaps be an irony to the fact that the French Open gets to stage the rivalry that the rest of the grand slams have been waiting years to see.

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