Latest news with #CourtPhilippeChatrier
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
French Open 2025: Iga Świątek outlasts Elena Rybakina to advance to quarterfinals
No. 5 seed Iga Świątek moved closer to winning a fourth consecutive French Open championship, advancing to the quarterfinals after outlasting No. 12 Elena Rybakina in a thrilling three-set match that lasted two and a half hours, 1-6, 6-3, 7-5. Rybakina won the first set decisively, dominating Świątek with her serve and overpowering on her returns. She also had Świątek running from side-to-side and she looked slow in doing so early in the match. The defending champion showed her frustration with failing to catch up to Rybakina's shots, something of a rarity for a player who shows remarkable calm on the court. Advertisement With the crowd at Court Philippe Chatrier cheering for her, Świątek found the energy and movement she lacked in that first set, getting to some tough shots in the corners. As the pace of the match picked up, Świątek appeared to gain speed and evened it with some long rallies. Elena Rybakina controlled her fourth-round match versus Iga Swiatek at the French Open early on with her serve, But the defending champion eventually found her footwork and created long rallies that tired her opponent out. (Photo by Burak Akbulut/Anadolu via Getty Images) (Anadolu via Getty Images) Rybakina began to falter as Świątek made her work, especially in having to reach for lower returns. Not being able to square up for a shot resulted in a few errors that allowed Świątek to break her serve. Also important for Świątek was finding her backhand, which she had difficulty hitting well in the first set. Getting to play more proactively, rather than react defensively also made a major difference for Świątek, allowing her to dictate pace. Hitting shots far into the corner, out of from Rybakina's reach, was also a factor in taking control of the match. Advertisement Again, Świątek benefited from long rallies that appeared to tire Rybakina out. When she was dominating with her serve and winning points quickly, Rybakina had Świątek playing defensively. But that changed in the second set and continued into the third. As the match went longer, Świątek seemingly got stronger. Świątek finally landed the key blow to take a 6-5 lead in the third set when Rybakina attempted a drop shot that didn't land as short as hoped. Świątek was able to get to it and returned a shot that Rybakina couldn't recover, hitting it into the net. "First set, I felt like I was playing against Jannik Sinner," Świątek joked after the match, acknowledging how imposing Rybakina was in taking an early advantage. Up next for Świątek as she pursues her fifth French Open title is Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals. Sviitolina upset Jasmine Paolini in three sets.
France 24
a day ago
- Sport
- France 24
Djokovic races into French Open fourth round
The three-time French Open champion needed just over two hours to beat his Austrian opponent in the night session on Court Philippe Chatrier. Djokovic had previously joked that he was not keen on potentially playing the late match on centre court on Saturday as it would overlap with the UEFA Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan. "It's going to be PSG that I will support. I will definitely watch it if I'm not playing night session," said AC Milan fan Djokovic. "Yeah, that will be nice. FYI, Roland Garros schedule..." With the umpire obliged to request excited local spectators concentrate on the match happening in front of them, the Serb was likely in little doubt as to the situation of the football match taking place in Munich. But Djokovic put his quest for a record-breaking 25th major title firmly to the forefront of his mind as he overwhelmed Misolic with a typically clinical performance. "I think I was solid in the important moments across the three sets," said Djokovic who praised his opponent with whom he regularly practices. "I would like you to give him a big round of applause," he requested of the crowd in Paris. The 38-year-old faced only one break point, which he saved, while hitting just 14 unforced errors to 33 winners. The sixth seed will face 81st-ranked Cameron Norrie for a spot in the quarter-finals, after the former top 10 Brit earlier beat his compatriot Jacob Fearnley in straight sets.
Free Malaysia Today
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Free Malaysia Today
Sabalenka powers into French Open fourth round
The Belarusian said she was super happy with the win. (AP pic) PARIS : World number one Aryna Sabalenka's French Open quest continued as she powered into the fourth round with a 6-2 6-3 victory against Serbia's Olga Danilovic on Friday. The Belarusian dominated her opponent from the start and although she faced some brief resistance in the second set, she easily set up a meeting with 16th seed Amanda Anisimova of the United States. 'I am super happy with the win, Olga is a fighter and I knew it would be a fight. She played like a top 10 player; pretty soon she will be in the top 10,' said Sabalenka. Sabalenka started in ruthless fashion, racing to a 5-0 lead but Danilovic avoided the bagel by winning the sixth game on serve, going on to pull a break back. The resurgence was shortlived, however, as Sabalenka wrapped up the opening set with another break of serve. Danilovic put up a decent fight in the second set but there was no comeback on the cards as Sabalenka broke for 5-3. The three-time Grand Slam champion wrapped it up with an unreturnable serve on a half-empty Court Philippe Chatrier – a common occurrence on early matches at the French Open.
Free Malaysia Today
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Free Malaysia Today
‘I love this player', Monfils lauds Draper after French Open loss
France's Gael Monfils in action against Britain's Jack Draper during their second-round clash at Roland Garros. (EPA Images pic) PARIS : Gael Monfils would have liked to stick around longer than the second round at his 18th French Open but said he felt no shame in bowing out to Jack Draper on Thursday, happy just to have 'teased' a player whose game he loves. The 38-year-old Frenchman at one point threatened the sort of comeback that has been his Roland Garros trademark before losing 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 to the fifth-seeded Briton in a late night thriller on Court Philippe Chatrier. The players shared a long embrace at the net at the end of the contest and Monfils continued the vibe in his post-match press conference. 'A great night. A great match. Above all, I was happy, because of course he's feeling very confident, but I did manage to tease him a little bit,' Monfils told reporters. 'I love this player. I love the way he plays, because he plays a very fast backhand … when Jack was young, he really had the best backhand. 'Maybe he had fewer points. But he was more solid in the backhand, and he's progressed a lot on his forehand now. 'He's a left-hander who goes very fast along the line. That's not common, and he moves really well on the court.' Monfils said he had seen other improvements in Draper over the last few years. 'Where he's really progressed is that he really returns really well,' he added. 'He's far from the baseline, and the ball's always in at the right speed, the right course, and he's made a tremendous amount of progress in that regard. 'So a Jack who is feeling very self-confident like that is very difficult to manoeuvre.' On a day when compatriot Richard Gasquet was ushered into retirement, Monfils said he would definitely be back next year for a 19th tilt at the title at his home Grand Slam. 'I think it's really hard to stop playing at Roland,' he said. 'It's hard, because generally when you stop, it's because you're not up to the level.'
The Independent
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
‘Special' Jack Draper and Gael Monfils embrace brings out the best of the French Open
When Jack Draper and Gael Monfils met at the net at the end of their epic late-night French Open battle, they fell into each other's arms. They had put on a dazzling show. The thrilling Monfils, ever the entertainer, rose to the challenge and had the home fans pleading for more. With a fifth set beckoning, Draper dug deep. He won the final five games in a row to win a classic, 6-3 4-6 6-3 7-5. Not bad for your debut on Court Philippe-Chatrier, silencing the raucous crowd just as the 38-year-old Monfils whipped them into a frenzy. 'It was special to be a part of tonight,' Draper told TNT Sports. 'Massive respect to Gael on and off the court, for what he brings. He makes it so tough. But I was happy with how I competed in a really tough environment.' It should have gone to a fifth. Monfils came out swinging, repelling Draper at every turn, and then breaking the British No 1. When Monfils saved five break points to lead 5-2, requiring a double bounce off the net-cord to stay ahead, it seemed as if the veteran Frenchman would go fighting late into the night. He had delved deep into the box of tricks, moving superbly, and was in inspired form. Monfils is the king of the late-night Chatrier comeback. He had done so in the opening round, recovering from an early injury when he smashed into the advertising hoardings to battle from two sets down and defeat Hugo Dellien. Once again, Monfils looked to be winding back the clock. He had absorbed a lightning start from Draper, the fifth seed, and turned it into a proper contest. Draper may have been taking to Chatrier for the first time, but the 23-year-old looked comfortable going the distance. He has been a different player since his series of five-set epics at the Australian Open in January, and is growing on confidence on the clay with each passing match. Draper saved two set points on serve at 5-4, finding big serves to stay alive. It was clutch and he stayed cool. Draper admitted his brain had been 'fried' earlier on, as Monfils turned the match around by mixing up his game and producing a variety that had Draper's head spinning. 'What an experience, what a battle against someone I admire as a tennis player,' he said. 'Off the court, the guy is so nice. He's a joker, he's a magician, I hope he makes it back here one more time.' Monfils was beginning to limp as Draper levelled the fourth set. He sensed his moment to strike and his heavy top-spin forehand found its mark to get over the line. Up next for Draper? The 18-year-old Joao Fonseca, Brazil's rising star. Both players will be looking to reach the fourth round of the French Open for the first time. There is already guaranteed to be one British player in the last-16, with Cameron Norrie and Jacob Fearnley through to play each other. Norrie defeated the Argentine lucky loser Federico Agustin Gomez in straight-sets, while Fearnley, who is making his Roland Garros debut, advanced when Frenchman Ugo Humbert retired injured while trailing 6-4 4-4. Humbert, the 22nd seed, went over his right ankle as he ran sideways behind the baseline. He immediately held his right calf went off the court for treatment. Humbert attempted to play on but immediately lost his serve before walking to the net to shake hands. 'Obviously happy to be in the third round. But definitely not the way I would have wanted to do it,' Fearnley said. A reward for either Norrie or Fearnley could be a last-16 clash with Novak Djokovic, who will next play qualifier Filip Misolic. Djokovic defeated Frenchman Corentin Moutet in straight-sets, while there were also victories for Alexander Zverev and Jannik Sinner, who retired the 38-year-old Richard Gasquet with a 6-3 6-0 6-4 on the Frenchman's final Roland Garros appearance. There were defeats for second-round Katie Boulter and Sonay Kartal. Boulter suffered a heavy defeat to Madison Keys, the Australian Open champion, going down 6-1 6-3 on Chatrier while Kartal was beaten 6-1 6-4 by Marie Bouzkova. Second seed Coco Gauff, third seed Jessica Pegula and sixth seed Mirra Andreeva all enjoyed wins in straight-sets.
