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Qatar Tribune
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Qatar Tribune
French wildcard Boisson shocks Pegula at Roland Garros
PA Media/DPA Paris French wildcard Lois Boisson beat third seed Jessica Pegula to reach the French Open quarter-finals and send shockwaves around Roland Garros. The 22-year-old, ranked 361 in the world, stunned American Pegula 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in front of a delirious Court Philippe-Chatrier crowd. Boisson's only real claim to fame prior to this year's tournament was being the player Britain's Harriet Dart complained to an umpire about, saying 'tell her to wear deodorant.' But she came up smelling of roses on Monday after a famous win in the French capital. It was an emotional victory for Boisson, who was due to make her debut in Paris last year only to suffer a serious knee injury a fortnight before the tournament which kept her out of action for nine months. 'I'm not sure what to say. Playing on this court with this atmosphere was amazing,' she said. 'I gave my all and in the end I won which is just incredible. I hope I'm going to win it all.' Boisson will meet Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva, the sixth seed, in the last eight. Coco Gauff, the world number two, is moving quietly through the draw after beating Russian 20th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-0, 7-5. The 21-year-old, runner-up in 2022, is into the quarter-finals for the fifth successive year. She will face another American, the Australian Open champion Madison Keys, who beat Hailey Baptiste in straight sets. Andreeva awaits Boisson is now 1-0 against Top 20 players in her career – her match against World No. 3 Pegula was her first-ever meeting with a player ranked inside that echelon. Things won't get any easier for the wild card: another of the world's Top 10 players will be Boisson's quarterfinal opponent. She will have her first meeting with No. 6 seed Mirra Andreeva , who bested Daria Kasatkina 6-3, 7-5 earlier on Monday. Regardless, Boisson will reach a career-high ranking after the tournament. She is projected to rise to around No. 120 after this win (WTA 125 results from this week could shift that a few spots). Another upset win in the quarterfinals could push Boisson as high as No. 68 in the PIF WTA Rankings. 'Things are not going to change for me,' Boisson said. 'They're going to continue in the same way. It's just that my ranking will enable me to play larger, more important tournaments. That's the only thing that's going to change.' 'It's absolutely great to be in the quarterfinals,' Boisson said. 'My hope is to have as many French people in that level in the coming years. It represents a lot to be in the quarterfinals here, and as I said, I hope to go even further.'
Qatar Tribune
2 days ago
- Sport
- Qatar Tribune
Sinner, Draper and Zverev move ahead with ease
PA Media/DPA Paris Jannik Sinner is clearly making up for lost time at this year's French Open. The world number one, who only returned from a three-month doping ban three weeks ago, raced into the fourth round in just 94 minutes. Sinner won the first 11 games against Czech Jiri Lehecka on his way to a commanding 6-0, 6-1, 6-2 victory. 'This morning I said to my team I'm feeling well and physically ready,' said the Italian. 'We had to go hard in the beginning because the beginning in grand slams is very important for confidence. I warmed up well, I felt very good so after 20-25 minutes I was feeling brave. 'My team gave me the right tactics, I tried to play them in the match so it's a combination of also being happy on court - it's very important. 'After today I don't think there's much I can improve but every opponent is different.' Sinner will meet Russian 17th seed Andrey Rublev on Monday. Meanwhile, Frenchman Arthur Fils has revealed he won a five-set match on Thursday despite having a stress fracture in his back. The 20-year-old 14th seed, who beat Jaume Munar in a marathon match lasting four and a half hours, has been forced to withdraw from the tournament. He said: 'I had some issue with the back for a long time, and during the match against Munar it got worse. 'Then I did some examinations. They were not good at all. I've got some stress fracture.' Fils was unsure whether he will be fit enough in time to compete at Wimbledon. Draper beats teenager Fonseca Jack Draper extended his stay in Paris into the second week after sweeping aside Brazilian teenager João Fonseca to reach the fourth round. The British number one out-thought and outmuscled his 18-year-old opponent, thudding 32 winners in a commanding 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 victory in just an hour and 46 minutes. 'I played good, the first set was really key,' he said. 'I got on top of him and used my forehand really well. 'Mentally it was a good performance from me today. I'm happy to be in the second week here and hopefully there's more to come.' Fonseca is a precocious talent who brings a huge, noisy contingent of supporters from his homeland wherever he goes. There were fans in the famous yellow football shirts dotted all around Court Suzanne-Lenglen and they were making themselves heard throughout the early stages. But Draper, who dealt with a partisan crowd when he beat 38-year-old Frenchman Gael Monfils on Thursday night, dampened the South American enthusiasm as he raced away with the first set in just half-an-hour. Draper dominated the second, although he did have to save a break point with an ace as he served for it, before a Fonseca error sealed the deal. A relentless Draper kept the pressure on in the third, breaking in the first game after a punishing rally to take a decisive lead. The fifth seed's victory was sealed when a demoralized Fonseca could only plant a return apologetically into the net. Zverev hails show court Alexander Zverev was pleased to be back on Court Philippe-Chatrier despite some bad memories as he eased into the French Open last 16. The German world number three beat Italian clay court specialist Flavio Cobolli 6-2, 7-6 (7-4), 6-1 on Saturday to reach the fourth round at the second grand slam of the tennis season for the eighth time in a row. Zverev has made at least the semi-finals in each of the last four years, and in 2024 lost the final to Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz in five sets. Three years ago, he suffered a serious ankle injury on the court in the semi-final against Rafael Nadal. 'This court is special for me. I had my best, but also the bitterest moment of my career here,' Zverev, who has yet to win a grand slam, said courtside after his first match on the main Paris court this year. Zverev converted his fourth match point against Cobolli after 2 hours 30 minutes. The Italian had recently taken the title in Zverev's home city of Hamburg. 'It was tough for me for a long time today. The second set was decisive, after that the match went my way,' added Zverev. The German will now face Tallon Griekspoor on Monday, having beaten the Dutchman in three hard-fought sets en route to Munich glory in April. Zverev is the clear favourite against Griekspoor, but his future opponents on the Roland Garros red dust are likely to get much tougher. In the quarter-finals, he could face off against record grand slam champion Novak Djokovic from Serbia. World number one Jannik Sinner possibly awaits in the semi-finals.
Qatar Tribune
4 days ago
- Sport
- Qatar Tribune
Sinner eases through as Gasquet bids adieu at French Open
PA Media/DPA Paris World number one Jannik Sinner cruised into the third round of the French Open and ended Richard Gasquet's career for good measure. Veteran Frenchman Gasquet had announced he would retire after his 22nd Roland Garros campaign, and would have needed to pull off a major shock to prolong his last tournament. There was to be no fairy tale in Paris for the 38-year-old, who bowed out with one final flourish of that inimitable one-handed backhand in a 6-3, 6-0, 6-4 defeat. Sinner is bidding for the second part of a potential calendar-year grand slam and to become the first Italian men's champion since 1976. But the 23-year-old knew this was Gasquet's day, and said: 'Congrats for everything you have done, an amazing career, but most importantly an amazing person.' Gasquet, a two-time Wimbledon semi-finalist who made his debut on the ATP Tour in 2002, said: 'It's a little strange, because there is no stress tomorrow. 'There is no recovery. There is no training. There is no lawn tennis. So this is the most astonishing thing. I've got my mind just telling me that I've got to recover and rest. 'But I'm very calm about the decision to stop, and I'm very happy to stop today on this court against the number one in the world, the stadium, the court was full. It was good weather. I'm very happy.' Novak Djokovic returned to the scene of some bad memories, having been bumped down to Court Suzanne-Lenglen to face Frenchman Corentin Moutet. It was the court upon which he lost to Dominic Thiem in 2017 and, even more shockingly, against unheralded Italian Marco Cecchinato a year later. But he had no such problems with Moutet - despite needing a medical time-out for a problem with his left foot - in a 6-3 6-2 7-6 (1) victory. There was a surprise in the men's draw when Alex De Minaur, the Australian ninth seed, blew a two-set lead to lose to Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan 2-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2. 'I think I lost that one,' said the 26-year-old. 'This is a match I win 99.9% of the time. Today was just the odd occasion that it slipped away.' Third seed Alexander Zverev, last year's runner-up, dropped the first set against Dutchman Jesper De Jong but hit back to win 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-3. French 14th seed Arthur Fils came through a dramatic four-and-a-half-hour marathon against Spain's Jaime Munar. The 20-year-old needed treatment for a back injury during the third set and could barely move in the fourth, but the painkillers kicked in just in time for him to complete a 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-4), 2-6, 0-6, 6-4 win. Fils will play Russian Andrey Rublev on Saturday, hoping they will not be scheduled as the night match because the Paris St Germain fan wants to watch the Champions League final. 'I don't know what Rublev will ask. Maybe he'll asked to play the night session just to bother me,' said Fils. Cameron Norrie equalled his best French Open run and set up a third-round battle of Britain after beating Federico Gomez in straight sets. The British number three made hard work of the first set against Argentinian powerhouse Gomez, but eventually cantered over the line 7-6 (7) 6-2 6-1. He will face Edinburgh-born Jacob Fearnley, who before this year had never played a professional match on clay, for a place in round four.
Qatar Tribune
5 days ago
- Sport
- Qatar Tribune
Alcaraz shows off football skills in win over Marozsan
PA Media/DPA Paris Carlos Alcaraz brought football and fun to the French Open as he kept his title defence on track against tricky Hungarian Fabian Marozsan. The Spaniard, bidding to become the first man to retain the Roland Garros crown since compatriot Rafael Nadal in 2020, beat world number 56 Marozsan 6-1, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2. Alcaraz was being watched by Paris Saint-Germain stars Nuno Mendes and Goncalo Ramos, just four days before their Champions League final against Inter Milan. Liverpool title winner Cody Gakpo was also in attendance so Alcaraz, always the entertainer, showed off his skills with some keep-ups and a neat volley to a ball kid. 'Sometimes it is difficult to have fun on the court when you're suffering out there. It depends on the opponent as well,' he said. 'Most of the time I'm not trying to think about anything else but enjoying playing and enjoying being on this court. 'I just want to show good tennis. I want to make sure people are happy watching my match as well. That's the way I enjoy playing tennis.' Alcaraz clinched a one-sided opening set in just 28 minutes after an exchange of delicate drop shots at the net. But there was a twist at the start of the second when Marozsan, who beat Alcaraz in Rome two years ago, secured an early break. Alacaraz was frustrated when he let three break points slip through his fingers as Marozsan levelled the match. But the 22-year-old meant business in the third, breaking twice and at one point sliding to whip a backhand volley around the net post on to the line. The fourth set went the same way as Alcaraz won his ninth French Open match in a row, booking his place in the third round in two hours and nine minutes. Two-time runner-up Casper Ruud was a surprise second-round casualty, although the Norwegian seventh seed was clearly not fully fit and could barely move at the end of a 6-2, 4-6, 1-6, 0-6 defeat to Portugal's Nuno Borges. Ruud later said the ATP rules surrounding mandatory events made him feel compelled to play even though he has a knee injury. 'It's kind of like a rat race when it comes to the rankings,' he said. 'You feel you're obligated to play with certain rules that the ATP have set up with the mandatory events. 'You feel like you lose a lot if you don't show up and play, both economically, point-wise, ranking-wise and opportunity-wise.' Italian eighth seed Lorenzo Musetti, who is playing as well as anyone on the clay this season, flexed his muscles with a 6-4, 6-0, 6-4 victory over Colombia's Daniel Elahi Galan. In the women's draw, last year's runner-up Jasmine Paolini, seeded four, made light work of Australian Ajla Tomljanovic in a 6-3, 6-3 win. Teenage Canadian sensation Victoria Mboko dispatched Germany's Eva Lys 6-4, 6-4 to set up a third-round meeting with eighth seed Qinwen Zheng, the last woman to win a title at Roland Garros having claimed Olympic singles gold last summer. Emma Raducanu suffered more pain at the hands of Iga Swiatek as the four-time champion cruised to a 6-1, 6-2 win. It was a meek display from the former US Open champion, who has now lost all five meetings with Swiatek without winning a set. Swiatek is nicknamed the 'Queen of Clay' and is unbeaten at the tournament since 2021 but she has not reached a final since Paris last year and has slipped to number five in the world.
Qatar Tribune
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Qatar Tribune
‘Fab four' reunited at Roland Garros as Nadal is honoured
PA Media/DPA Paris Rafael Nadal was joined by old rivals Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray as he returned to the French Open for a ceremony in his honour. The 'fab four' were reunited as Nadal, the 14 time-champion, was presented with a special 'legend' trophy, while a plaque bearing his footprint was unveiled on Court Philippe-Chatrier, the scene of all his triumphs. Nadal, who retired last year, broke down in tears as he gave an emotional speech but then burst out laughing when he realized he had misplaced one of the pages, with a ball kid rushing on to hand him the missing sheet. It was one of the only times he forgot his lines at the Paris grand slam during almost two decades of dominance in which he won 112 of his 116 matches. Nearly every member of the 15,000 crowd was given a clay-coloured T-shirt to wear, bearing the message 'Merci Rafa'. Those who were not instead wore white tops, creating a mosaic in the stands spelling out 'RG 14 X', and 'RAFA' between two love hearts. The 38-year-old, known as the 'King of Clay', walked out to stadium announcer Marc Maury's famous introduction, listing every one of the 14 years he won the title. Wearing a black suit and shirt, Nadal stood alone in the middle of the scene of his greatest triumphs as a video montage of those victories played out on the big screen. Afterwards, he addressed the crowd in French, English and Spanish, saying: 'This is tough. I've been playing on this court for last 20 years. 'Where I am standing I enjoyed, I suffered, I won and I lost, I lived many emotions on that court - without a doubt the most important tennis court of my career. 'In 2005 I played for the first time aged 18, my first major experience. From that day on I fully understood what Roland Garros meant. 'I've experienced everything over this 20 years, I've had incredible rivals like Andy, Novak and of course, Roger, and many others who pushed me to my physical and mental limits. 'Roland Garros is unique, a fundamental part of tennis history. Many thanks, for everything.' The big screen then cut to Federer, Djokovic and Murray, who said: 'Hi Rafa. After after all these years, and all these fights, we couldn't let you leave like that. 'We really wanted to leave you a message and let you know your old pals will always be with you.' The three of them then walked out, Djokovic and Murray next to each other despite the recent, unexpected end to their player-coach partnership. As current defending champions Carlos Alcaraz, and Iga Swiatek watched from the stands, Nadal hugged his former adversaries - the four of them boasting a combined 69 major titles. 'You gave me a hard time on court but I really enjoyed competing with all of you,' he told them. 'We can be good friends even though we had the best rivalries.' It was certainly a more celebratory occasion than his last appearance, when a clearly unfit Nadal suffered a three-set first-round defeat by Alexander Zverev last year, and a fitting way for the Majorcan to say a proper farewell.
