Latest news with #RFIEnglish
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
French Open star Boisson loses in first round of qualifying event for Wimbledon
Lois Boisson reached the semi-finals on the clay courts at the French Open in Paris in June. In her first competitive match on grass, she lost in the first round of the qualifying event for Wimbledon which starts on 30 June. France's top female tennis player Lois Boisson lost on Tuesday in the first round of the qualifying tournament to play at Wimbledon. Carson Branstine beat her 6-2, 6-7, 6-4 to advance to the second round where she will face her fellow Canadian Bianca Andreescu. Advertisement Boisson was placed in the 128-player draw as the top seed on the back of her exploits on the clay courts at the French Open where she beat two top 10 players to reach the semi-final and climb nearly 300 rungs in the WTA ladder to world number 65. But the 22-year-old, playing competitively for the first time on grass, was outfoxed in the key moments. Serving to stay in the match, a cautious forehand drive landed mid court and Branstine advanced to slap away a cross court forehand winner to set up a match point. In the next exchange, the 24-year-old chased down Boisson's poorly disguised drop shot and engineered a stroke that forced Boisson into making a defensive lob. Advertisement The world 197 coolly terminated Boisson's interest in the tournament with an overhead smash to conclude affairs on the main court at the Community Sports Centre in Roehampton, south-west London. Elsewhere in the ladies' qualifying tournament, there were mixed fortunes for French players. The 10th seed won 6-1, 6-3 in 72 minutes to progress to the second round. Read more on RFI English Read also: French Open debutante Boisson stuns Pegula to reach last eight Boisson vows to stay in the zone ahead of French Open semi-final with Gauff French star Boisson set for Wimbledon qualifiers after missing wildcard
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Boisson refreshes partisans' thirst for glory at French Open
Lois Boisson will take on the sixth seed Mirra Andreeva for a place in the semi-finals at the 2025 French Open. At the prospect of facing a player 355 notches above her in the world rankings for a place in the semi-finals of the French Open, Lois Boisson declared herself prepared for combat with Mirra Andreeva "She has a very good backhand and she's very solid on both sides," Boisson said of the sixth seed. "So I believe I will have to expect a lot of difficult rallies," added the 22-year-old. Advertisement "But it will not change my game plan. I might adapt a few details, but I'm not going to change." With good reason, the fierce forehands reminiscent of her idol Rafael Nadal and low bouncing slices bedazzled the world number three Jessica Pegula during an enthralling tussle on centre court on Monday. The 31-year-old American took the first set 6-3 but Boisson, playing for the first time on centre court, levelled the fourth round tie and then stayed with the American throughout the final set. Boisson clinched the decider 6-4 after a match lasting two hours and 40 minutes to become the first Frenchwoman to reach the last eight on the clay courts at the French Open since Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic in 2017. Advertisement "I tried to stay rather cool and focused on what I had to do to relieve the pressure, because I did feel the pressure," she said. "And I tried every time to think about what I had to do for the next point. If I missed a point, I tried to think why I had missed it and how I could improve for the next one. Process The seats are likely to be filled from the outset of the quarter-final and the locals will need to be vocal. Read more on RFI English Read also: Fils fights off Munar in five-set thriller to reach third round at French Open Roland Garros: Five things we learned on Day 2: Adieu Caroline. What of Richard? Sinner outwits Rinderknech to move into French Open clash with Gasquet
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Roland Garros: Five things we learned on Day 10: Iga to play Aryna. What a shock
Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka moved into the semis and for the first time in Paris so did Lorenzo Musetti. Awaiting the Italian? The Spaniard. Write off The next time Iga Swiatek goes all down and miserable on herself, will anyone listen? After she was eliminated in the third round at the Italian Open last month the 23-year-old Pole said she had no chance of defending her women's singles title at the French Open. Well? She's in the semis after seeing off the 13th seed Elina Svitolina 6-1, 7-5. Swiatek may well lose to the top seed Aryna Sabalenka in the last four but for a self-styled no-hoper, she has put up a good show. Should she ultimately retain her crown on Day 14, the review will formally launch the phrase "the Swiatek Defence" to describe such antics. Advertisement Twilight zone Wheels of style And so to the start of the men's and women's wheelchair events where the top seeds are both from Japan. Yui Kamiji hurried past Pauline Deroulede 6-2, 6-0 as she looks for her first French Open crown since 2020. Tokito Oda launched his bid for a third consecutive title with a 6-3, 7-5 win over the Frenchman Stephane Houdet who is 35 years older than the world number one. There will be no hard feelings though. The two will be getting together for the doubles tournament. Lorenzo a go-go Aryna's night wish Read more on RFI English Read also: Roland Garros: Five things we learned on Day 5: A whole lot of love for Gasquet Roland Garros: Five things we learned on Day 7: Larks and a Sinner Roland Garros: Five things we learned on Day 6: Not ladies night any time soon
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
French Open debutante Boisson stuns Pegula to reach last eight
World number 361 Lois Boisson dispatched the third seed Jessica Pegula in three sets. Lois Boisson became the first French woman to reach the quarter-finals at the French Open in eight years after coming from a set down to beat the third seed Jessica Pegula. Playing for the first time on centre court, the world number 361 prevailed 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in two hours and 40 minutes to emulate the feats of Kristina Mladenovic and Caroline Garcia in 2017. Advertisement "It's all down to you," said Boisson gesturing to the packed stands during her on-court interview with Alizé Cornet. "Thank you. It was a wonderful atmosphere." The 22-year-old provided the feel-good fodder for the partisans after levelling the encounter and matching the vastly more experienced Pegula in the decider. Serving for a 5-4 lead, Pegula squandered three separate occasions to edge ahead and staved off three break points. Boisson took the 11-minute long game with her fourth chance when a Pegula forehand slapped into the net. Serving for the match at 5-4 up, she moved to within two points of victory and then wobbled. Chances Pegula had four separate chances to level at 5-5. Twice Boisson robbed her of parity with bold shot-making and twice Pegula botched makeable winners for a player of her calibre. Advertisement On her first match point, Boisson's serve stretched Pegula out wide to the left and she moved in to claim the scalp with a forehand winner. "I never thought I'd keep up with her in the final set," Boisson said. "But I had the confidence to play my shots and I never gave up." The 18-year-old Russian dispensed with Daria Kasatkina 6-3, 7-5 to reach the last eight for the second consecutive year. Target Zverev will play the sixth seed Novak Djokovic. Read more on RFI English Read also: Defending champion Alcaraz zaps Zeppieri to reach second round at French Open Sinner outwits Rinderknech to move into French Open clash with Gasquet Swiatek annihilates Raducanu to reach third round at French Open
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Eurovision returns amid protests over Palestine, Pride flags and parody lyrics
With songs about everything from the joy of raving to the morning after the night before, from death and domestic violence to metaphorical milkshakes and poisoned cakes served in revenge, Eurovision is back for its 69th edition – hosted by Switzerland after singer Nemo's victory last year. Ahead of the first semi-final on Tuesday night, the contest announced its arrival in host city Basel on Sunday with a parade – mixed with protests over Israel's participation – to kick off a week of revelry building up to the grand final on Saturday, 17 May. The Eurovision Song Contest was launched in 1956 (with Switzerland the inaugural host) to foster European unity in the wake of the Second World War. A campy yet heartfelt celebration of diversity, national pride and the power of pop, it has gone from seven participating countries to 37, and is now the world's biggest annual live televised music event, reaching 163 million viewers in 150 countries in 2024. The final on Saturday will see 26 of the 37 entrants compete for the grand prize, the rest having been eliminated in two semi-finals on Tuesday and Thursday. As the host, Switzerland is guaranteed a place in the final, as are the so-called Big Five – France, Spain, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom – who contribute the most towards the cost of staging the contest. "It's impossible to depoliticise the event," Dean Vuletic, a historian and the author of Postwar Europe and the Eurovision Song Contest, told French news agency AFP. (with newswires) Read more on RFI English
