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12 hours ago
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Sinner and Djokovic win on day of upsets and drama
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 There were five-set thrillers, significant upsets and an emotional goodbye on day five at the French Open - but it was business as usual for Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic. World number one Sinner was ruthlessly efficient as he brought the curtain down on Frenchman Richard Gasquet's career and advanced to the third round. Sixth seed Djokovic continued his bid for a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam singles title with a straight-set victory over Corentin Moutet. But while Sinner and Djokovic advanced, two of the top-20 players in the men's draw were knocked out in marathon matches. Italy's three-time major winner Sinner extended his winning streak against players ranked outside the top 20 to 63 matches. In doing so, he brought an end to Gasquet's playing career, 23 years after the 38-year-old made his Roland Garros debut. Sinner claimed a commanding 6-3 6-0 6-4 win over Gasquet but the day was still Gasquet's, with the Frenchman addressing the adoring crowd and accepting a commemorative trophy. "I've thought a lot about this day, you hope it never comes, but today is it," Gasquet said. "I can't dream of anything better than standing on this incredible court, the most beautiful court in the world." Later in the day, 38-year-old Serb Djokovic continued his recent good form with a 6-3 6-2 7-6 (7-1) victory against France's Moutet. Djokovic came to Roland Garros, where he is a three-time champion, on the back of winning his 100th ATP singles title in Geneva last week and maintained his good from against Moutet, winning in just over three hours. The only potential blip for Djokovic was having to receive treatment on the toes of his left foot in the third set, but he appeared to shrug it off by recovering to win the match on a tie-break. He will face either Canadian 27th seed Denis Shapovalov or Austria's Filip Misolic in the third round. 'Mozart of tennis' Gasquet bows out in Paris Nasty fall helps Fearnley set up Norrie meeting Boulter loses to end British interest in women's singles Australian world number nine Alex De Minaur and Czech 19th seed Jakub Mensik both exited Roland Garros on Thursday - and both after winning the first two sets. De Minaur lost 2-6 2-6 6-4 6-3 6-2 to 62nd-ranked Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan, a talented but often temperamental payer. Bublik said afterwards he had already accepted defeat before mounting a comeback. "I was checking the tickets [home] already in my head. I didn't really care, in a way. I was like I will accept the loss," the 27-year-old said. "It was a bit early for me. I was a bit sleepy in the first two sets. So it was key to wake up and then to play one of the best Slam matches that I ever played in my life." Bublik will now face Portugal's world number 200 Henrique Rocha, who surprisingly beat Mensik. Rocha, who came through qualifying and had never won a main-draw match at a major before this year's French Open, triumphed 2-6 1-6 6-4 6-3 6-3 against talented 19-year-old Mensik. Second seed Gauff through to Paris third round Home hope Arthur Fils came through a gruelling four-and-a-half-hour match against Spain's Jaime Munar, despite being unable to move at one point because of a back injury. The 20-year-old required treatment during the third set and looked down and out after the fourth set. But after taking painkillers, and roared on enthusiastically by the French supporters, the 14th seed fought back from a break down in the decider to compete victory. Fils ripped off his shirt as he celebrated the 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-4) 2-6 0-6 6-4 victory and lapped up the applause from the crowd on Court Suzanne Lenglen. "This is my best match of all time" Fils said. "I have had some difficult matches but this one is the best five-set match that I have ever played. I could have lost this match. "I was lucky. But it's going to be one of my best five-set matches ever of my life." 'It can't look like a circus' - Munar on crowd Live scores, results and order of play Get tennis news sent straight to your phone
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19 hours ago
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GB's Kartal beaten in French Open second round
Sonay Kartal had been bidding to reach the third round of an overseas Grand Slam for the first time [Getty Images] 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 Sonay Kartal is out of the French Open after a second-round defeat by Marie Bouzkova. Kartal, competing at her first Roland Garros, struggled for consistency in a 6-1 6-4 loss to the Czech. Advertisement World number 56 Kartal was the first of five Britons in singles action on Thursday. Katie Boulter will face Australian Open champion Madison Keys later on Court Philippe Chatrier - Roland Garros' main showcourt - while Jack Draper headlines the night session against home favourite Gael Monfils. Cameron Norrie plays Argentina's Federico Gomez while Jacob Fearnley will take on a partisan crowd when he faces 22nd seed Ugo Humbert. Neither Kartal nor Bouzkova began with fluency, with the Briton broken in the first service game of the match. Kartal could not convert a break back point in the next game and quickly found herself 4-0 down before she finally held serve. Advertisement Bouzkova, a talented doubles player, dictated the action and a double fault from Kartal handed her the first set. The second set was topsy-turvy, with the players exchanging six breaks of serve before Bouzkova finally held for 5-4. Kartal, 23, showed good grit in her final service game, saving four match points before Bouzkova finally converted.
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2 days ago
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Sabalenka surges into third round after slow start
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 Top seed Aryna Sabalenka continued her strong start to the French Open with a confident win against Switzerland's Jil Teichmann to reach the third round. The Belarusian lost just one game in her Paris opener against Kamilla Rakhimova, but she surprisingly dropped serve early on against Teichmann. However, the three-time major winner composed herself and recovered well from her sluggish start, winning five games in a row to grab the first set. Sabalenka continued her charge in the second set with 17 winners to Teichmann's two, and she wrapped up a 6-3 6-1 win after 79 minutes. "It doesn't matter what the scoreboard says, she really made me work for every point. I'm really happy with this win," Sabalenka said afterwards. "It's always a tough match against her, she is a very tricky opponent with great tennis." Sabalenka, one of the pre-tournament favourites, will face world number 34 Olga Danilovic after the Serb beat American Danielle Collins 6-4 3-6 6-4. Earlier on Wednesday, last year's runner-up Jasmine Paolini moved past Australia's Ajla Tomljanovic with a routine 6-3 6-3 victory. Fresh from from lifting a WTA 1,000 title in Rome earlier this month, the victory was Paolini's eighth in a row. The Italian enjoyed a memorable 2024 season, soaring up the WTA rankings after reaching the finals of both the French Open and Wimbledon, while she also won Olympic gold in the women's doubles in Paris with compatriot Sara Errani. Asked if she felt calmer playing on Court Philippe Chatrier this year, Paolini replied: "It's a different feel I guess because last year I played a few matches here, and then again at the Olympics, so I am a bit more used to this court. Before, I had never played here. "I like this court, I have great memories here and it is great to be back in Paris in front of this crowd." Paolini will face Ukraine's Yuliia Starodubtseva next. Raducanu outclassed by Swiatek at French Open Alcaraz overcomes blip to progress - but Ruud exits French Open night session debate reignites Teenager Victoria Mboko reached round three on her Grand Slam debut by easing to a 6-4 6-4 win over German world number 58 Eva Lys. The 18-year-old from Canada came through qualifying without dropping a set, and will next face Olympic champion and eighth seed Zheng Qinwen of China, who earlier beat Colombian Emiliana Arango 6-2 6-3. Ranked 333rd at the start of the year, this was Mboko's 39th win of the season and moves her into the world's top 100. "I feel really happy right now, of course there is so much happening, even behind the scenes," said the former Wimbledon juniors semi-finalist. "But I feel like my family has been doing a good job of keeping me really isolated from it all." Meanwhile, 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia battled back to win 5-7 6-3 6-3 against American Caroline Dolehide. Ukrainian 13th seed Elina Svitolina defeated Hungarian Anna Bondar 7-6 (7-4) 7-5 but Croatia's 18th seed Donna Vekic, who won Olympic silver at Roland Garros last year, was beaten 6-2 4-6 7-6 (10-3) by American world number 83 Bernarda Pera. In the women's doubles, Britain's Jodie Burrage and Sonay Kartal fought back from a set down to win 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 6-3 against China's Guo Hanyu and Japan's Ena Shibahara in a rain-disrupted first-round match. But Briton Harriet Dart and Australian partner Kimberly Birrell were beaten 7-6 (7-5) 3-6 6-2 by Romanian-Belgian duo Irina-Camelia Begu and Yanina Wickmayer. Live scores, results and order of play Get tennis news sent straight to your phone
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2 days ago
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Is Fearnley tip of Murray-inspired tennis growth iceberg?
French Open 2025 Dates: 25 May-8 June Venue: Roland Garros, Paris Coverage: Live radio commentaries across 5 Live Sport and BBC Sounds, plus live text commentaries on the BBC Sport website and app On the red dirt of Roland Garros, a young man making his debut at the French Open could shortly make a big noise amid the quiet revolution in Scottish tennis. Edinburgh's Jacob Fearnley is one victory away from breaking into the world's top 50. Currently 52nd in the live projected rankings, he faces home favourite Ugo Humbert in Paris on Thursday. If he wins, he will not just reach the third round in back-to-back majors, having had a terrific start to the year in Australia. He will also take a huge step into the rarefied air of the sport's elite, breathed by only one male Scottish-born player before him. Questions have been asked about an Andy Murray legacy. Fearnley is helping deliver some answers. 'I think I deserve a diploma' - Norrie stuns Medvedev Staying calm key to Draper's first French Open win Boulter and Fearnley earn maiden French Open wins Murray first cracked the top 50 in February 2006 and stayed there for 12 years, winning three Grand Slams, two Olympic golds, and a Davis Cup along the way. His part in the 'Big Four' with Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic was marked on the Philippe Chatrier court this week when the band got back together to honour the Spaniard's extraordinary achievements in that hallowed arena. It is nearly a decade since Murray became world number one. In the years since, doubts persisted about what Scottish tennis was doing to make hay while Dunblane's finest was in the sun. It has taken time, patience, and money. Finally, however, serious progress is being made and Fearnley is its embodiment. A year ago, he was not even in the top 500. He started 2024 ranked 646th. It's one of the fastest rises since the current system came into place. He has also made a dent on some big-name players: Nick Kyrgios on his home court in Melbourne; former French Open champion Stan Wawrinka in Paris; taking a set off Djokovic on Centre Court at Wimbledon last year. It is clear Fearnley now feels totally at home on the big stage. "I really enjoyed it," he said of the straight sets win over Wawrinka in the first round. "I think part of the battle was just not letting his name and his calibre of tennis get into my head. Just focus on myself really. "I think the more I get exposed to playing these players, in these environments, the better I get handling them. The more you expose yourself to situations, the less foreign it feels." Fearnley is no stranger to it now. The 23-year-old is timing his run to the top in a period of great promise for the British game. His childhood friend, Jack Draper, has catapulted himself into the world top five and is now a serious contender for every tournament he enters. Fellow Scot Cameron Norrie arrested a worrying dip in form - the South Africa-born 29-year-old dropping from a career-high eight in the world to 81 - with a season-changing victory over Daniil Medvedev to join Fearnley in the second round. Meanwhile, Katie Boulter and Emma Raducanu are both in or around the women's top 40 and will be big threats to anyone on the grass in the coming weeks. They all looked up to Murray and were inspired by his achievements and work ethic. None more so than Fearnley, who came through the tennis academy at Merchiston Castle school before honing his skills on the American college circuit. Scotland now has another serious player on the world stage. What about the "bricks and mortar" Murray legacy, though? Where is that? It has been a slow burn, but even that is finally showing some promising signs. Hamstrung by an overly-ambitious promise in 2016 to double the number of indoor courts in Scotland from 112 to 225 within a decade, Tennis Scotland and its various partners have been unable to come anywhere close to delivering. A global pandemic, sky-rocketing costs and the shrinking of local authority spending on non-essential services hardly helped. Now, though, new courts are either open, opening or about to be built. Thirty-four covered courts have been added in the past nine years. Five more will be in use by October, taking the total to 151. Tennis Scotland chairman Graham Watson was markedly upbeat in the organisation's latest annual report. The six-court Oriam Indoor Tennis Centre was opened at the end of 2023 and a four-court complex has been completed at Moray Sports Centre, with a further centre opening in Dumfries & Galloway in the coming months. It is a painfully slow trickle, but now that facilities are being built, will they be used? Are more people in Scotland playing tennis, on the back of Murray and doubles-specialist brother Jamie's many successes? Yes, according to Blane Dodds, the Tennis Scotland chief executive. He points to what he calls "a period of unprecedented growth" in the game north of the border, with a "record high club membership of 81,428". "Participation levels increased by almost 11% in 2024, which means that not only are more people playing tennis but they are playing it more regularly," he said. "We are seeing growth among adults and children, especially amongst women and girls, where there was a 27% increase in participation." With Fearnley and Norrie flying the Scottish flag at the top end of the game, and the likes of Maia and Ewen Lumsden, Hamish Stewart and Aidan McHugh all trying to follow in their footsteps, there is substance now to back up claims of progress. There is still plenty of work to be done, of course. Available, affordable access to indoor courts across Scotland is essential given the climate. Their cost, however, has to be justified with councils up an down the country scrambling to balance the books. Guilty of over-promising, it is no surprise that Tennis Scotland and the Lawn Tennis Association have under-delivered. They were far too ambitious in the first place. They would have to build 74 new courts by the end of next year to meet their 2016 pledge. They will not. It is simply not possible. What they do have to show for the money is a core group of young British players at or near the top of the game. That is allied to the emergence – finally – of new places for people in Scotland to play if they want to be the next Fearnley. He is doing his bit - and then some. Up 470 places in the world rankings in the past 12 months and still climbing. There may well never be another Andy Murray. His legacy, however, is slowly but surely beginning to take shape. Live scores, results and order of play Get tennis news sent straight to your phone
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3 days ago
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Kartal postpones tattoo appointment for doubles match
Sonay Kartal reached the third round of Wimbledon last year [Getty Images] 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 Sonay Kartal says she has had to postpone a tattoo appointment because it clashes with her first-round doubles match at the French Open. The British number three claimed a dominant 6-0 6-2 victory over Russian Erika Andreeva on her French Open debut. Advertisement She is set to be back on court on Wednesday morning alongside fellow Briton Jodie Burrage in the women's doubles at 11:00 local time (10:00 BST) in Paris. However, Kartal already had plans in her diary before the schedule was announced. Asked if she had any French Open-inspired tattoos planned, Kartal said: "You know what? I actually had one booked tomorrow at 11. "But I'm on at 11. My sister just texted me and she's changed it to later. Yeah, I'll be getting one tomorrow." Kartal won eight straight games before a frustrated Andreeva - the older sister of sixth seed Mirra - finally got on the board to avoid the dreaded 'double bagel'. Advertisement But with a break behind her, Kartal stormed through the rest of the second set, breaking again at 5-2 before hitting four winners in a row to secure victory. The 23-year-old, who has 13 tattoos, said number 14 will be a matching one with her sister. "I'm not actually sure what I'm going to get," Kartal added. "I think she wants matching, so I'll get whatever she wants." Kartal will face Russian 30th seed Anna Kalinskaya or the Czech Republic's Marie Bouzkova in the second round, and she has even more tattoos planned for when her run at Roland Garros comes to an end. Advertisement "I would like to go back on a different day, as well. Maybe once I'm finished here I'll get something that resembles the French Open," she added.
