Latest news with #MerchistonCastle
Scotsman
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
French Open draw: Scotland's Jacob Fearnley lands oldest player in draw and former champion
British players discover French Open draw fate Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Scottish tennis star Jacob Fearnley will make his French Open debut against former champion Stan Wawrinka after the draw was made on Thursday. Edinburgh-born Fearnley, who is ranked 54 in the world, is in the top half of the draw and will face the oldest man in the field in Wawrinka. The Swiss, now aged 40, won the French Open back in 2015 when he defeated Novak Djokovic and will provide a stern test to the 23-year-old former Merchiston Castle pupil. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Should Fearnley defeat Wawrinka, then he will take on either 22nd seed Ugo Humbert of France or Australian Chris O'Connell. Jacob Fearnley will take on Stan Wawrinka in the first round of the French Open. | Getty Images Elsewhere in the men's draw, British number one Jack Draper is a leading seed at a grand slam for the first time as the world number five and will face Italian Mattia Bellucci in the first round. The 23-year-old has landed on the strong side of the draw with top seed Jannik Sinner in his quarter and both Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic also in his half. Cameron Norrie was given the toughest draw of the British players against 11th seed Daniil Medvedev, while on Thursday, Dan Evans crashed out of the qualifiers after losing to home hope Clement Tabur. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Sinner lands home hope Sinner, who is bidding for a third consecutive grand slam title after returning from his three-month doping ban, plays France's Arthur Rinderknech in the first round. Djokovic, who turned 38 on Thursday, opens his latest campaign for a 25th slam crown against Mackenzie McDonald while defending champion and second seed Carlos Alcaraz faces former US Open runner-up Kei Nishikori. In the women's draw, Emma Raducanu could face four-time French Open champion Iga Swiatek in the second round at Roland Garros. Swiatek has won the title for the last three years while Raducanu, who must first get past China's Wang Xinyu, has only played the tournament once before. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Emma Raducanu could face Iga Swiatek. | Getty Images That was back in 2022, when she reached the second round, with the former US Open champion missing 2023 following operations on both wrists and one ankle and then opting not to compete in qualifying last year. She returns to Paris ranked back inside the top 50 and will hope to continue her encouraging form on the clay, which included a run to the fourth round of the Italian Open. Raducanu struggled with a recurrence of a back problem during a second-round loss to Danielle Collins at the WTA event in Strasbourg on Wednesday but it is understood there is no concern around her participation at Roland Garros, with the 22-year-old on her way to the French capital. While Swiatek, who defeated Raducanu for the loss of just one game at the Australian Open in January, would represent a formidable challenge, it has been a difficult season for the Pole. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad She has not won a title since last year's French Open and has slipped to fifth in the rankings after uncharacteristic performances on her favourite surface. Swiatek: Everyone's here to win Swiatek, who faces Slovakia's Rebecca Sramkova first up, joined Paris St Germain star Ousmane Dembele at the draw, and said: 'Everybody's here to win. I'm working hard to be ready and to play as good tennis as possible. 'For sure this season had more ups and downs but I know my game is there. I just have to figure out how to use it in the best possible way. Tennis is sometimes a complicated sport but we should make it easy in our heads.' Swiatek is in the top half of the draw along with Aryna Sabalenka, who faces Russian Kamilla Rakhimova in the first round, and could face a repeat of last year's final against Jasmine Paolini in the last eight. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Second seed Coco Gauff is the highest-ranked player in the bottom half and will open against Australia's Olivia Gadecki. Katie Boulter is in good form on the clay. | Getty Images For the other British women, Katie Boulter will face a qualifier ahead of a potential second-round meeting with Australian Open champion Madison Keys while Sonay Kartal meets Erika Andreeva and Jodie Burrage plays Collins. Britain could yet have an eighth player in the main singles draw, with Fran Jones battling to a 2-6 6-3 6-4 victory over Japan's Mai Hontama in the second round of qualifying. She will face Ukraine's Anastasiia Sobolieva in the final round.
Edinburgh Reporter
22-04-2025
- Sport
- Edinburgh Reporter
Jacob Fearnley into Madrid Open first round
Jacob Fearnley claimed a place in the first round proper of the Madrid 1000 tennis tournament on Tuesday with a 7-5, 6-1 victory over experienced clay court campaigner, Hugo Dellion of Bolivia. The Scot did not have it all his own way in the first set against the master of the drop shot and had to save a set point on his serve at 4-5. However, that hurdle cleared there was no looking back as the former Colinton club junior and Merchiston Castle tennis academy prodigy began to hit out and blew his top 100 opponent away. He now waits to see who he will meet in the first round proper but already Jacob is guaranteed prize money of E20,820 and 10 ranking points. With the exception of Jannik Sinner most of the world's leading men are competing in the Spanish capital with British No 1 Jack Draper seeded fifth and Scot Cameron Norrie also in the draw. Norrie faces Spanish wild card Martin Landaluce in round one. Jacob Fearnley after his straight sets victory to reach round one of the Mutua Madrid Open. A stylish volley from Jacob Fearnley in Madrid today. Eyes on the prize; Jacob Fearnley puts away a smash in Madrid today. Photographs courtesy of Alex Harkins and Gerry Reilly. Like this: Like Related
