Latest news with #MariaSharapova
The National
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The National
French Open: Mirra Andreeva and Jannik Sinner flex title credentials with thumping wins
Rising teen star Mirra Andreeva sailed into the French Open fourth round with an impressive straight-sets demolition of Yulia Putintseva on Saturday. The Russian sixth seed brushed aside Putintseva of Kazakhstan 6-3, 6-1 on Court Suzanne Lenglen sealing victory in 78 minutes on her first match point. Andreeva is enjoying a sparkling campaign having secured a historic title at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships in February, before beating world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the final at Indian Wells less than a month later. And the 18-year-old, who reached the semi-finals at last year's tournament at Roland Garros where she lost to Jasmine Paolini, has yet to drop a set in three matches in the French capital. Andreeva is hoping to become the youngest woman to win a Grand Slam title since her compatriot Maria Sharapova's 2004 Wimbledon triumph. Her path to the final has been made slightly less perilous by the fact both Sabalenka and reigning champion Iga Swiatek are in the other half of the draw. 'I knew Yulia is a very tricky player, she has an interesting game and it's uncomfortable for me,' said Andreeva, who won nine of the last 10 games on her way to victory. 'She likes to cut the rhythm a lot, I knew it would be tough. 'I kind of knew what to expect I knew I had to play at 100 per cent and fight for every ball and get those drop shots. I'm happy with the way I play today.' Standing in the way of Andreeva and a quarter-final spot will be her good friend Daria Kasatkina of Australia who knocked out 10th seed Paula Badosa 6-1, 7-5 in their third round match which lasted one hour 33 minutes. The 17th seed held off a late charge from the Spaniard before sealing her first top-10 win in 11 months. American third seed Jessica Pegula was made to battle for her fourth-round place before eventually beating former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova in three sets. Pegula, who has never been beyond the quarter-finals in Paris, fought back from a set down before going through 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 against the unseeded Czech. 'Obviously had some chances in the first, but sometimes you can't quite get the break,' said Pegula, who will now face the winner of the all-French wildcard clash between Lois Boisson and Elsa Jacquemot. 'You're so close, so close … I think when I finally broke her I kind of freed up a little bit. I thought I was playing her the right way the first set, I just needed to be a tad more aggressive. 'And then there were times in the third where maybe I was a little too aggressive, coming in on awkward shots. Playing her, that's why's it's so hard – it's like a really fine line, especially on clay.' In the men's draw, world No 1 Jannik Sinner was in ruthless form as he destroyed Jiri Lehecka 6-0, 6-1, 6-2. The 23-year-old Italian came flying out of the blocks by winning the opening 11 games without reply with Lehecka drawing loud cheers when he finally got on the board. Sinner, who returned to tennis in May after a three-month-doping ban, has yet to drop a set in his second tournament back, after reaching the final in Rome earlier in the month. The top seed has now stretched his winning streak at Grand Slam events to 17 matches, after winning the titles at the 2024 US Open and the Australian Open in January before his doping ban. He will now face 17th-seed Andrey Rublev, who advanced after his opponent Arthur Fils of France withdrew with a back injury. 'This morning I said to my team I'm feeling well and physically ready,' said Sinner. '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.' 'It was a relaxed morning. My team give 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.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Russian teen Andreeva eases into French Open last 16, to meet Kasatkina
Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva eased into the last 16 at the French Open on Saturday with a straight-sets win over Kazakh Yulia Putintseva. The 18-year-old, seeded sixth at Roland Garros, sealed a 6-3, 6-1 win in 78 minutes on her first match point. Advertisement She next plays Australian Daria Kasatkina, ranked 17, for a place in the quarter-finals. Kasatkina got past Spanish 10th seed Paula Badosa 6-1, 7-5 in their third round match which lasted one hour 33 minutes. "I knew she's a very tricky player, she plays very interesting and makes it a little uncomfortable for me so I struggled in the beginning," said Andreeva of her first meeting with world number 31 Putintseva. "I practice against her so knew what to expect. I'm happy with the way I played today." Andreeva converted five of her eight break point chances, being broken once with 18 unforced errors to 16 for her rival. Advertisement Andreeva, who reached the semi-finals last year, is hoping to become the youngest woman to win a Grand Slam title since her compatriot Maria Sharapova's famous 2004 Wimbledon triumph. She was still having to do school work during her run in 2024, which included a shock quarter-final win over Aryna Sabalenka. She has climbed to a career-high ranking of sixth this season and became the youngest ever winner of a WTA 1000 title in Dubai in February, before securing another at Indian Wells. Andreeva is hoping for another strong performance at Roland Garros, with both Sabalenka and reigning champion Iga Swiatek in the other half of the draw. Kasatkina, 28, competing in Roland Garros for the tenth time, reached the semi-finals in 2022. ea/nf
Arab News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Arab News
Russian teen Andreeva eases into French Open last 16, to meet Kasatkina
PARIS: Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva eased into the last 16 at the French Open on Saturday with a straight-sets win over Kazakh Yulia Putintseva. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport The 18-year-old, seeded sixth at Roland Garros, sealed a 6-3, 6-1 win in 78 minutes on her first match point. She next plays Australian Daria Kasatkina, ranked 17, for a place in the quarter-finals. Kasatkina got past Spanish 10th seed Paula Badosa 6-1, 7-5 in their third round match which lasted one hour 33 minutes. 'I knew she's a very tricky player, she plays very interesting and makes it a little uncomfortable for me so I struggled in the beginning,' said Andreeva of her first meeting with world number 31 Putintseva. 'I practice against her so knew what to expect. I'm happy with the way I played today.' Andreeva converted five of her eight break point chances, being broken once with 18 unforced errors to 16 for her rival. Andreeva, who reached the semifinals last year, is hoping to become the youngest woman to win a Grand Slam title since her compatriot Maria Sharapova's famous 2004 Wimbledon triumph. She was still having to do school work during her run in 2024, which included a shock quarter-final win over Aryna Sabalenka. She has climbed to a career-high ranking of sixth this season and became the youngest ever winner of a WTA 1000 title in Dubai in February, before securing another at Indian Wells. Andreeva is hoping for another strong performance at Roland Garros, with both Sabalenka and reigning champion Iga Swiatek in the other half of the draw. Kasatkina, 28, competing in Roland Garros for the tenth time, reached the semifinals in 2022.
CNN
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
Coco Gauff makes history as Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys join her in French Open third round
Coco Gauff came through an unexpectedly difficult match against Tereza Valentová to win 6-2, 6-4 on Thursday, becoming the youngest player in 17 years to reach the third round of the French Open for five consecutive years. The 21-year-old failed to hold her serve four times during the second set but broke back on five occasions to round off a topsy-turvy run and take the victory over her Czech opponent, who was last year's girls' champion in Paris. Two-time French Open winner Maria Sharapova was also 21 when she reached the third round at Roland-Garros for the fifth straight year in 2008. 'I think overall it was fine. I think towards the end of the second set I could have been much more aggressive on the serve. The return game was pretty good,' said Gauff after her win, per 'She's obviously a great young player, I knew it was going to be a tough match today. 'Definitely going to practice (tomorrow) and work on things I feel I could have done a lot better today.' The world No. 2 won just 19% of her second serve points and had six double faults to her opponent's three. Nonetheless, she has now won 12 of her last 14 matches as part of a run which has seen her reach the final of both the Madrid Open and Italian Open. She will face Valentová's compatriot Marie Bouzková in the third round on Saturday. Elsewhere, Jessica Pegula claimed a confident 6-3, 7-6(3) victory over Ann Li to record her 30th match-win of the year; only world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka has more. In Gauff and Pegula, the US has two of the top three seeds at the French Open for the first time since Venus and Serena Williams in 2010, and Pegula put up a performance worthy of her ranking. The 31-year-old dropped the first two games to her compatriot, but then won six of the next seven to breeze into a 1-0 lead. In the second set, Pegula had to fend off two break points for Li and won the tiebreak with a deep backhand. 'It was a really tough match today,' Pegula said afterward, per the WTA. 'Ann has been playing some really good tennis this year and had a lot of close matches with good players. It was tricky with the wind. She was slicing a lot, kind of making me earn a lot of points. 'I felt like it was a pretty physical match, a lot of long points and long games. But happy I was able to kind of hold on to that second set there definitely.' Pegula will play Markéta Vondroušová in the third round on Saturday. Later on Thursday, Madison Keys, who is playing in her first grand slam since she won the Australian Open in January, eased to a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Katie Boulter. In doing so, the 30-year-old became the oldest woman to win nine consecutive grand slam matches since Angelique Kerber in 2018, per the WTA. Keys will face another former Australian Open winner, Sofia Kenin, on Saturday.
Forbes
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Vacation Like A Celebrity In Turks And Caicos
Ambergris Cay is a dreamy island escape. Celebrities are just like you. When they make vacation plans, they consider the weather, safety and the resort's proximity to the beach the same way you do. This might explain why Turks and Caicos ends up on so many stars' social feeds. The Caribbean nation roughly a third of the size of Rhode Island checks every box and does so with an effortless elegance. Just ask model Cindy Crawford and former tennis star Maria Sharapova, who've stayed at Forbes Travel Guide Recommended Grace Bay Club. Will Smith has been seen at Four-Star Amanyara more than once. And we've lost count of how many times Drake and Bella Hadid have been spotted around town. Ambergris Cay, a pristine, 1,100-acre private island getaway consisting of an all-inclusive resort and private homes, has the same kind of pull with the elite. As soon as you make the 30-minute Cessna flight from Providenciales International Airport to the resort's very own air strip, you realize this tropical paradise is its own world, far from vodka-chugging tourists and any camera-snapping paparazzi. You can't merely stumble upon this property. But neither a SAG card nor an NBA contract is necessary to experience the lavish escape, either. To get on this VIP vacation list, all you need is an Ambergris Cay reservation. The beachfront bungalows are things of beauty. Ambergris Cay's 17 beachfront bungalows are immaculate, 1,600-square-foot spaces with sitting areas, shiny gold-tiled showers, private plunge pools and spotless Wi-Fi for any Zoom calls that couldn't get rescheduled after your trip. It's the perfect place for the CEO in your family to call headquarters for a few days. When there's a gap in the meeting schedule, take your golf cart (one is allotted to every room) out for a spin. Dirt roads cut through well-maintained grounds filled with Turk's head cacti and resting herons. Rock iguanas far outnumber the other drivers here, so you can leisurely cruise in your cart while taking in the scenery. Drive over to Elevate Spa to get rid of any built-up tension from back home. The facility has quaint, detached treatment huts that are filled with a tranquil air and sweeping views of the turquoise waters. Treatment-wise, the 60-minute relaxing massage is our first recommendation, but the skin-glistening body cocoons (done with chocolate, mango or blueberry wraps) make for tasty choices, too. And speaking of deliciousness, a bonfire dinner on Calico's deck easily closes the deal on a great day on the cay. Just you, your significant other and a curated selection of Caribbean fusion dishes. While you savor bites of caviar-topped sushi and Moroccan lamb, cherish the sounds of the waves and the sight of fish swimming underneath your feet. The all-new Dream Estate is perfect for groups. Ambergris Cay debuted its newest accommodations, Dream Estate, in early 2025. It's unclear if the property had the Kardashians in mind as potential guests, but with 10 bedrooms, four pools, a game room and more spread across 19,000 spectacular square feet, housing the high-profile family (or any other big group) is a breeze. Beyond the building's checklist of amenities, the estate also comes with two dedicated chefs and a pair of butlers. Lots of fun and great food are on the Club House's menu. Should you need a change of backdrop for your Instagram posts, head over to the Club House to find a waterfront restaurant and lounge (it's the perfect place for an apple lemonade and baked jerk chicken wings), billiards and a quiet cay for some paddleboarding and water trampoline jumping. At night, things get sexier with guests dressed in their resort best and a menu filled with grilled shrimp tacos and sangria. And what's a Hollywood-worthy vacation without a boat outing? Ambergris Cay can arrange a sunset cruise that takes you out a few miles from the dock— close enough that you can see your bungalow, but far away enough from the shore that you can spot the occasional nurse shark swimming nearby. The boat staff is congenial and knowledgeable, so don't hesitate to ask it about island history or to take a picture of you and your crew lounging on the deck. Bonefishing is one of the island's favorite pastimes. When we last visited, an on-staff birdie told us that one of the Dallas Mavericks had just left a few days prior to our arrival. While didn't inquire about the NBA star's itinerary during his stay, we have a good idea of how he spent some of his time. Ambergris Cay's fitness pavilion is a simple, two-level structure made of stone, wood and glass in the middle of the island. It's a masterpiece of minimalism. There's no way he'd miss out on visiting the open-air yoga deck or trying out a gym with floor-to-forever windows you fully appreciate from the Peloton and treadmill. As the name suggests, the resort is surrounded by cays and shrubland. That's great news for anyone into bonefishing. Fuel your competitive fire by seeing who in your group can snag the biggest bonefish or permit. But even if you're unsuccessful catching anything, casting in the crystal-clear Caribbean is so peaceful you won't have any regrets. There's a world to explore on this small island. Drinks at Hangover Tiki Bar are another way to drown out any fishing mishaps. It doesn't matter if you're a 6-foot-10 forward or a 5-foot-6 financial adviser, the floating drinking hole in the middle of the sea is the ideal setting for enjoying an All Sensations (vodka, pineapple juice, ginger ale and grenadine) or Melon Mist (vodka, rum, triple sec, melon liqueur and cranberry and orange juices) on a warm afternoon. After drinks and dinner, head back to your bungalow to put the telescope that's been sitting on your coffee table to use. Because the island is so removed from urban congestion, there's no light pollution to hinder the brilliance in the sky. When you look up to Ursa Major and other constellations, take a moment to realize that you're always surrounded by stars at Ambergris Cay—be it those up in the Northern Sky or a familiar face from West Hollywood.
