Latest news with #MarketaVondrousova
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
French Open 2025: Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys each rally after losing 1st set; Jannik Sinner wins easily
Day 7 at the 2025 French Open began with No. 3 women's seed Jessica Pegula encountering some early difficulty against Marketa Vondrousova, losing the first set. But she recovered to win the next two sets and advance to the tournament's fourth round. After losing the first set 6-3, Pegula surged out to a 5-1 lead in the second set. But she couldn't get break point over Vondrousova, who battled her way back. Ultimately, however, Pegula tired Vondrousova out by getting her to move side-to-side constantly to catch up to her returns. The 2023 Wimbledon champion had little left for the third set, resulting in a 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory for Pegula. Advertisement Following the match, Pegula admitted she had trouble getting to Vondrousova's drop shots initially. "For the first hour I was just running up and back, sprints, it was like a fitness workout with her drop shots," Pegula said, via The Athletic. "She's so tricky. She does well here every year." "I know she hasn't been playing that much because she's been injured," she added, "but to be honest, I think that was a really good win against someone who is really a clay courter. To figure it out makes me really proud." Pegula will face a French opponent, either Elsa Jacquemot or Lois Boisson, in the next round and figures to have the crowd at Roland-Garros rooting against her as a result. Jannik Sinner faces no trouble versus Jiri Lehecka On the men's side, top seed Jannik Sinner cruised to the fourth round, easily defeating Jiri Lehecka in straight sets 6-0, 6-1, 6-2. Losing only three games, Sinner finished the match in one hour and 35 minutes. He was relentless from the start, winning 11 straight games to begin the match while getting 31 winners and committing only nine unforced errors. In his post-match interview, Sinner said that starting well was "very important for confidence." Clearly, that confidence didn't waver at all against Lehecka, ranked No. 34 in the world, on Saturday. Advertisement Up next for Sinner is Andrey Rublev, who automatically advanced with Arthur Fils having to withdraw due to a stress fracture in his lower back. Madison Keys overcomes early stumble Despite difficulties with her backhand returns, Madison Keys defeated Sofia Kenin to advance to the fourth round of the 2025 French Open. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) No. 7 women's seed Madison Keys struggled initially against Sofia Kenin, losing the first set 4-6. Despite having trouble with her backhand returns and coming up short against Kenin's drop shots, Keys rallied to win the next two sets and finish off the match with a 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory. Kenin had a chance to win that third set, taking a 3-0 lead. However, Keys fought back to 5-4 and broke serve when Kenin's forehand return went wide. Ultimately, Kenin's unforced errors cost her the opportunity for an upset and move into the fourth round. Advertisement Keys will face fellow American Hailey Baptiste in the fourth round and try to advance to the French Open quarterfinals for the first time since 2019. Jack Draper advances to fourth round for first time No. 5 seed Jack Draper advanced past Joao Fonseca in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4, 6-2. He reaches the French Open fourth round for the first time in his career. Fonseca had little defense against Draper's serve, which he won continually during the match Ahead of a possible quarterfinal meeting with Sinner, the No. 1 seed praised Draper for persevering through hip tendonitis that hobbled him earlier in the year. "I'm good friends with him. I'm very happy to have him as a friend, but he's now there," Sinner said during his post-match press conference. "Things are a little bit different. Of course, you know, we are very good friends off the court, but, you know, we practice a little bit less together, because we might know that we can face each other in the later stages of tournaments hopefully." Advertisement However, Draper will have to defeat either Kazakh Alexander Bublik or Henrique Rocha in the fourth round to get there. Alexander Zverev wins in straight sets Alexander Zverev defeated Flavio Cobolli 6-2, 7-6 (4), 6-1 and looks like he could be on his way to another French Open final. (Zverev finished as the runner-up last year after losing to Carlos Alcaraz in five sets.) The No. 3 seed has only lost one set in his three matches thus far, dropping his first set to Jesper de Jong in their second-round meeting. Before falling to Zverev, Cobolli had won his previous seven matches. Zverev reaches the fourth round at Roland-Garros for the eighth consecutive year and will face Tallon Griekspoor, against whom he has a 7-2 career record, on Monday. A potential quarterfinals matchup with Novak Djokovic could be ahead as he pursues his first Grand Slam tournament title.
CNA
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNA
Ruthless Sinner humbles Lehecka as Americans dig deep at French Open
PARIS :World number one Jannik Sinner flattened Jiri Lehecka into the French Open clay to make the fourth round but a trio of American women led by Coco Gauff had to dig deep to progress on Saturday. As grey skies enveloped Roland Garros in the morning, Sinner won the opening 11 games against Czech Lehecka as fans checked their watches against the scoreboard in disbelief. Lehecka drew loud cheers when he finally got on the board but Sinner continued his masterclass with brutal clarity to secure a 6-0 6-1 6-2 win. "I think in early stages of Grand Slams it's good that you don't spend so much time, if you have the chance, on court. So I'm happy to do that," Sinner said. "In the other way, matches like this can change quickly, because if you don't start well in one set and the match can go long and then you cannot control it." Up next for Sinner is a clash with Andrey Rublev, who advanced after injured Frenchman Arthur Fils pulled out. BEST FORM Marketa Vondrousova is also no stranger to injuries and the Czech looked to be finding her best form again on Parisian clay. She claimed the opening set against Jessica Pegula on Court Philippe Chatrier but the American third seed was too good when it mattered to close out a 3-6 6-4 6-2 win. She will next face Lois Boisson, who won the all-French clash against Elsa Jacquemot 6-3 0-6 7-5. Second seed Coco Gauff also had trouble against a Czech but came through a shaky second set to beat Marie Bouzkova 6-1 7-6(3) before Madison Keys sharpened up after a slow start to save three match points and beat compatriot Sofia Kenin 4-6 6-3 7-5. Eight American women and men have advanced to last 16, matching the country's record from 1985. Third seed Alexander Zverev sparkled as sunshine parted the clouds in the afternoon, the German downing Flavio Cobolli 6-2 7-6(4) 6-1 to reach the fourth round in Paris for an eighth consecutive year. Zverev next faces Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor, who outlasted American Ethan Quinn 4-6 6-1 6-7(2) 6-1 6-4. 'LUCKY CHARM' Russian 18-year-old Mirra Andreeva outclassed Kazakh Yulia Putintseva 6-3 6-1 on Court Suzanne Lenglen and the sixth seed attributed the comfortable win to a colourful drawing a young supporter left on her bench. "Wherever that little girl is, I want to thank her, because it's my lucky charm," added sixth seed Andreeva, who became the youngest woman to complete 10 Roland Garros singles match wins since Swiss two-times runner-up Martina Hingis. Spanish 10th seed Paula Badosa would have wished for a bit of luck against a dominant Daria Kasatkina but bowed out 6-1 7-5 to the Russian-born 17th seed who now represents Australia. "I was ready for a difficult match," said Kasatkina, who can expect another big test against Andreeva next. "I knew if she got a chance, she would take it straight away. But I'm really proud of myself and how I handled the situation." Jack Draper's campaign continued in style when the Briton ended Brazilian poster boy Joao Fonseca's run with a ruthless 6-2 6-4 6-2 victory. Three-times champion Novak Djokovic plays qualifier Filip Misolic in the evening session seeking his 99th match victory at Roland Garros to equal his tally at the Australian Open, where he has won 10 titles.
CNA
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNA
Ruthless Sinner humbles Lehecka as Pegula digs deep at French Open
PARIS :World number one Jannik Sinner flattened Jiri Lehecka into the French Open clay to make the fourth round but third seed Jessica Pegula had to dig her way out of trouble to beat 2019 runner-up Marketa Vondrousova on Saturday. As grey skies enveloped Roland Garros, Sinner gave Lehecka no respite to win the opening 11 games as fans checked their watches against the scoreboard in disbelief. Lehecka drew loud cheers when he finally got on the board but Sinner continued his Roland Garros masterclass with brutal clarity to secure a 6-0 6-1 6-2 win. "I think in early stages of Grand Slams it's good that you don't spend so much time, if you have the chance, on court. So I'm happy to do that," Sinner said. "In the other way, matches like this can change quickly, because if you don't start well in one set and the match can go long and then you cannot control it." Up next for Sinner is a clash with Andrey Rublev, who advanced after injured Frenchman Arthur Fils pulled out. Vondrousova is also no stranger to injuries and the Czech looked to be finding her best form again on Parisian clay. She claimed the opening set on Court Philippe Chatrier but American Pegula proved too good when it mattered to close out a 3-6 6-4 6-2 win and will next face Lois Boisson, who won the all-French clash against Elsa Jacquemot 6-3 0-6 7-5. Third seed Alexander Zverev sparkled as sunshine parted the clouds in the afternoon, the German downing Flavio Cobolli 6-2 7-6(4) 6-1 to reach the fourth round in Paris for an eighth consecutive year. Zverev faces Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor, who outlasted American Ethan Quinn 4-6 6-1 6-7(2) 6-1 6-4. 'LUCKY CHARM' Russian 18-year-old Mirra Andreeva outclassed Kazakh Yulia Putintseva 6-3 6-1 at Court Suzanne Lenglen and the sixth seed attributed the comfortable win to a colourful drawing a young supporter left on her bench. "Wherever that little girl is, I want to thank her, because it's my lucky charm," added sixth seed Andreeva, who became the youngest woman to complete 10 Roland Garros singles match wins since Swiss two-times runner-up Martina Hingis. Spanish 10th seed Paula Badosa would have wished for a bit of luck to force a third set against a dominant Daria Kasatkina but crashed 6-1 7-5 to the Russian-born 17th seed who now represents Australia. "I was ready for a difficult match," said Kasatkina, who can expect another big test against Andreeva next. "I knew if she got a chance, she would take it straight away. But I'm really proud of myself and how I handled the situation." Jack Draper's campaign continued in style when the Briton ended Brazilian poster boy Joao Fonseca's run with a ruthless 6-2 6-4 6-2 victory. Three-times champion Novak Djokovic plays qualifier Filip Misolic in the evening session seeking his 99th match victory at Roland Garros to equal his tally at the Australian Open, where he has won 10 titles.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Pegula battles into French Open tie with last home hope Boisson
Third seeded American Jessica Pegula next meets France's last remaining hope Lois Boisson in the fourth round of Roland Garros (Anne-Christine POUJOULAT) American third seed Jessica Pegula battled into the last 16 of the French Open on Saturday with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 win over Czech Marketa Vondrousova. Pegula, last year's US Open runner-up, next meets unheralded Lois Boisson, ranked 361, the last French player competing in Roland Garros. Advertisement Boisson fought through the pain to see off 138th-ranked countrywoman Elsa Jacquemot 6-3, 0-6, 7-5. Pegula, who missed the 2024 tournament at Roland Garros due to injury, is hoping to better her previous best run in Paris which was a quarter-final appearance three years ago. The 31-year-old has been boosted by her recent title win on clay in Charleston. But she was pushed hard by former Wimbledon champion Vondrousova -- a losing finalist in Roland Garros in 2019 -- now ranked 96th in the world. "Really tough today," said Pegula. "I know playing Marketa is always going to be a battle, especially I know we haven't played on clay before, but I know she's had really good results here. Advertisement "It's also super humid today. I felt like it was just a really tough match mentally and physically." After failing to create a single break point in the first set, Pegula powered back to break Vondrousova three straight times in the second, setting up a decider. The American converted all three of her breaks in the third set with a Vondrousova double-fault handing Pegula a 5-2 lead. She then watched the end of the all-French clash between Boisson and Jacquemot on Court Simonne Mathieu. "I was watching the end of the match. That was crazy," said Pegula. Boisson, 22, needed her left leg massaged between the first and second sets during the match, which last two hours and 23 minutes. Advertisement The last time a French woman recipient of a wildcard reached the round of 16 was in 2014, with Pauline Parmentier. "Obviously.. going to have some crazy support," said Pegula. "I'm pretty good at kind of zoning out. I have played in some pretty rowdy crowds. I think it will be fun. It will be cool to be a part of that." ea/nf
Arab News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Arab News
Sinner singes Lehecka, Pegula prevails on overcast day at French Open
PARIS: World number one Jannik Sinner pummelled Jiri Lehecka at the French Open to reach the fourth round while third seed Jessica Pegula took a longer route with a battling victory over 2019 runner-up Marketa Vondrousova on Saturday. As grey skies enveloped Roland Garros after the temperature soared a day earlier, an unrelenting Sinner turned up the heat on Lehecka at Court Suzanne Lenglen to win the opening 11 games of their clash without any response. Lehecka drew loud cheers when he finally got on the board but Sinner continued his Roland Garros masterclass and eased to a 6-0 6-1 6-2 victory and booked a clash with Andrey Rublev, who advanced after injured Frenchman Arthur Fils pulled out. Vondrousova is also no stranger to injuries, her latest being a shoulder problem after her Wimbledon title defense ended in the first round last year, and the Czech looked to be finding her best form again on Parisian clay. She won the opening set of her match on Court Philippe Chatrier but American Pegula proved too good when it mattered to close out a 3-6 6-4 6-2 win and will face the winner of the all-French clash between Elsa Jacquemot and Lois Boisson. 'LUCKY CHARM' Russian 18-year-old Mirra Andreeva outclassed Kazakh Yulia Putintseva 6-3 6-1 at Court Suzanne Lenglen and the sixth seed attributed the comfortable win to a colorful drawing a young supporter left for her on her bench. 'Wherever that little girl is, I want to thank her, because it's my lucky charm,' added sixth seed Andreeva, who became the youngest woman to complete 10 Roland Garros singles match wins since Swiss two-times runner-up Martina Hingis. Spanish 10th seed Paula Badosa would have wished for a bit of luck to force a third set against a dominant Daria Kasatkina but instead crashed 6-1 7-5 to the Russian-born 17th seed who now represents Australia. 'I was ready for a difficult match,' said Kasatkina, who can expect another big test against Andreeva next. 'I knew if she got a chance, she would take it straight away. That's what happened in the second set. This is where things got tight. But I'm really proud of myself and how I handled the situation.' Three-time champion Novak Djokovic takes on qualifier Filip Misolic in the evening session seeking his 99th match victory at Roland Garros and equal his tally at the Australian Open, where he has 10 titles.
