Latest news with #Slams
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Ruthless Jannik Sinner marches into French Open fourth round
Jannik Sinner delivered a dominant display of power-hitting as he beat his opponent 6-0, 6-1, 6-2. PHOTO: AFP PARIS – Top seed Jannik Sinner said that he is happy and focused, as he dismissed world No. 34 Jiri Lehecka in straight sets on May 31 at Roland Garros as the Italian booked his place in the fourth round. The world No. 1 delivered a dominant display of power-hitting as he beat his opponent 6-0, 6-1, 6-2. The 23-year-old will next meet 17th seed Andrey Rublev in the last 16, after the Russian was given a bye through the third round following Frenchman Arthur Fils' withdrawal due to injury. 'This morning I said to my team I'm feeling well and physically ready,' said Sinner. 'We had to go very hard in the beginning. Because I feel like the start of Slams are very important... which then gives you the confidence to keep going. 'I warmed up very well. I felt very good. After 25 minutes I was feeling great. Just a relaxed morning. Tried to go on court with a good focus. My team is good, they give me the right tactics. It's a combination of also being happy on court.' Sinner is yet to drop a set in the French Open this year as he continues his impressive return to action following a three-month doping suspension. He returned in time for the Italian Open earlier in May, eventually losing the final to Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets, after confidently navigating his way through the first five matches. The Italian has now racked up four sets without conceding a game since his comeback in Rome. And on May 31 he won the first 11 games in a row against Lehecka before the Czech got on the scoreboard to make it 5-1 in the second set. The three-time Grand Slam champion hammered 31 winners on his way to victory on Court Suzanne Lenglen and only faced one break point, which he saved. In the women's draw, Mirra Andreeva had her lucky charm on her bench for her clash against Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva, and left her opponent no chance in a 6-3, 6-1 victory. The sixth seed, who won the Indian Wells and Dubai top-tier tournaments this season, set up a meeting with Australia's Daria Kasatkina. 'I knew Yulia is a very tricky player, she has an interesting game and it's uncomfortable for me. She likes to cut the rhythm a lot, I knew it would be tough,' the 18-year-old said on Court Suzanne Lenglen as umbrellas popped open in the stands on a grey Parisian morning. '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.' Mirra Andreeva left her opponent no chance in a 6-3, 6-1 victory. PHOTO: AFP Andreeva, who reached the semi-finals in 2024, attributed her win to a present she received. 'When I was walking on court a little girl put a drawing on my bench, I kept it. It's my lucky charm,' she said. 'Wherever that little girl is, I want to thank her because it is my lucky charm.' Despite an inconsistent serve with four double faults, the Russian bagged the opening set with a blistering forehand winner for her third break of serve. Putintseva tried to mix it up with drop shots but Andreeva's baseline power proved too much to handle and she broke for 2-1 after a brief rain interruption. It was game over effectively as she went on to win the remaining four games. American third seed Jessica Pegula also battled into the last 16 with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 win over Czech Marketa Vondrousova. Pegula, the 2024 US Open runner-up, will play the winner of the all-French duel between Lois Boisson, ranked 361, and Elsa Jacquemot, 138th, for a place in the quarter-finals. AFP, REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
News18
25-05-2025
- Sport
- News18
French Open 2025: Zheng Qinwen Channels 'Olympic Champion' Energy To Cruise Through First Round
Published By : AFP Last Updated: 22-year-old Zheng navigated a difficult first-round assignment on Sunday as she beat former French Open runner-up Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-4, 6-3 in her first match in Paris. China's Zheng Qinwen intends to use the 'unforgettable feeling" of last year's run to Olympic gold at Roland Garros to fuel her French Open title aspirations. The 22-year-old Zheng navigated a difficult first-round assignment on Sunday as she beat former French Open runner-up Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-4, 6-3 in her first match in Paris since capturing the Olympic title. 'I am happy to get this match against a great opponent," said Zheng. 'I always think the first match in the Slams is tricky." Zheng, the number eight seed at Roland Garros, made the last 16 on her debut in 2022 but has fallen prematurely at the past two editions. She hopes the memories of her Paris 2024 triumph on Court Philippe Chatrier, which had its roof closed for her win over Pavlyuchenkova due to scattered showers, will serve her well as she tries to emulate Li Na, China's first and only Grand Slam singles champion. 'That feeling is unforgettable," Zheng said of winning Olympic gold. 'It is the best experience in my life so far. I will carry the gold medal mentality all through this tournament. I will always keep fighting. I just hope I give my best performance here in 2025." Zheng, beaten in last year's Australian Open final by Aryna Sabalenka, faces a potential rematch with the world number one in the quarter-finals. She next plays Colombia's Emiliana Arango, who condemned Philippines trailblazer Alexandra Eala to a swift exit in her first Grand Slam appearance. (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - AFP) Watch CNN-News18 here. News18 Sports brings you the latest updates, live commentary, and highlights from cricket, football, tennis, badmintion, wwe and more. Catch breaking news, live scores, and in-depth coverage. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! First Published:
France 24
25-05-2025
- Sport
- France 24
Olympic champion Zheng channels 'gold medal mentality' in Paris
The 22-year-old Zheng navigated a difficult first-round assignment on Sunday as she beat former French Open runner-up Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-4, 6-3 in her first match in Paris since capturing the Olympic title. "I am happy to get this match against a great opponent," said Zheng. "I always think the first match in the Slams is tricky." Zheng, the number eight seed at Roland Garros, made the last 16 on her debut in 2022 but has fallen prematurely at the past two editions. She hopes the memories of her Paris 2024 triumph on Court Philippe Chatrier, which had its roof closed for her win over Pavlyuchenkova due to scattered showers, will serve her well as she tries to emulate Li Na, China's first and only Grand Slam singles champion. "That feeling is unforgettable," Zheng said of winning Olympic gold. "It is the best experience in my life so far. I will carry the gold medal mentality all through this tournament. I will always keep fighting. I just hope I give my best performance here in 2025." Zheng, beaten in last year's Australian Open final by Aryna Sabalenka, faces a potential rematch with the world number one in the quarter-finals. She next plays Colombia's Emiliana Arango, who condemned Philippines trailblazer Alexandra Eala to a swift exit in her first Grand Slam appearance.
Economic Times
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Economic Times
French Open 2025: Doping cases, lingering lawsuit, players seek more Slam money and more to know
AP Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner With the French Open set to start on Sunday, an argument could be made that the headlines about tennis lately have been as, or more, intriguing off the court - and in the court of law - than on the court of play. There were the high-profile doping bans served by Jannik Sinner, the man seeded No. 1 at Roland-Garros, and Iga Swiatek, the woman who is the three-time defending champion at the clay-court major. There's the pending class-action suit brought by players against groups that run the sport. And there's an effort by the athletes to get a larger share of revenues from the four Grand Slam tournaments. Yes, there is interest in who is going to win the titles two weeks from now, of course. And there are plenty of storylines connected to such things as whether Swiatek can snap out of her recent run of poor-for-her results, whether Carlos Alcaraz can win a second consecutive championship in Paris, whether Novak Djokovic can grab a record 25th Grand Slam trophy, whether Coco Gauff can grab her second at age 21, and so on. Here is what to know before the competition begin at the French Open: Are tennis players going to get more money from the Slams? Hard to say yet. This is just at the beginning. The background: Djokovic, Gauff, Sinner and women's No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka were among 20 top players who signed a letter - obtained by The Associated Press in April - that was sent to the heads of the four Slam tournaments, seeking additional prize money, contributions to player welfare programs funded by the pro tours and more say in decision-making. Those events reportedly gave around 10% to 20% of their roughly $1.5 billion in combined revenues to players in 2024. Leaders of the four major tournaments - the French Open, Wimbledon, the U.S. Open and the Australian Open - met in Paris with some of the leading players. Jessica Pegula, the 2024 U.S. Open runner-up who is seeded No. 3 in Paris, was not in town in time for the face-to-face session. "I think it went pretty well, from what I understood. Hopefully progress can be made. I know that several top players on the men and women sides were there and were present. We're showing - not just the top players, all of us; but led by a lot of the top players - that we're very unified on this topic," Pegula said. "Getting a higher revenue share based on what the tournaments are bringing in, (and) not just that, but player welfare, for pensions, for bonus pool for the men, (the Slams) don't contribute anything. And that's our issue. They're the four pinnacles of our sport and we're just asking for that to be a lot more equal and a lot more fair." What is new in the suit filed by a group co-founded by Novak Djokovic? In March, the Professional Tennis Players' Association, a group co-founded by Djokovic several years ago, sued the WTA, the ATP, the International Tennis Federation and the International Tennis Integrity Agency in federal court in New York, calling them a "cartel." The players said they don't get enough of the revenues and raised other complaints about how tennis is structured. This week, the four defendants jointly filed a motion to dismiss the class-action antitrust suit, saying the PTPA "is not a proper plaintiff." The WTA also filed a separate motion to dismiss, arguing that the male plaintiffs - including 2022 Wimbledon runner-up Nick Kyrgios - should not be suing the women's tour, and the female plaintiffs should be compelled to go to binding arbitration. How have Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner played since their doping bans? Swiatek, banned for one month late last year, is going through a real rough stretch for her, failing to reach so much as a final since leaving the French Open last year and sinking to No. 5 in the rankings after three years no worse than No. 2. She's spoken about trying to recalibrate her mindset. Sinner returned at the Italian Open after serving his three-month suspension and promptly reached the title match there before losing to Alcaraz. Despite missing time, Sinner remained at No. 1. Do people expect Carlos Alcaraz to win another French Open title? Alcaraz is seeded No. 2 and while he dealt with some leg injuries that troubled him during the clay season, his performance in Rome makes him a popular pick to win what would be a fifth Grand Slam championship. Who could vie for the women's trophy at Roland-Garros? With Swiatek on shaky ground lately, there are several women considered candidates to come through with a first title in Paris. That list includes Gauff, the runner-up to Swiatek in 2022 and a finalist at Rome last weekend; Jasmine Paolini, the runner-up to Swiatek last year and the Italian Open champion; the top-ranked Sabalenka, whose best French Open was a semifinal run two years ago; and No. 6 seed Mirra Andreeva, who just turned 18 but has won a pair of Masters 1000 titles in 2025.
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
French Open 2025: Doping cases, lingering lawsuit, players seek more Slam money and more to know
With the French Open set to start on Sunday, an argument could be made that the headlines about tennis lately have been as, or more, intriguing off the court - and in the court of law - than on the court of play. There were the high-profile doping bans served by Jannik Sinner, the man seeded No. 1 at Roland-Garros, and Iga Swiatek, the woman who is the three-time defending champion at the clay-court major. There's the pending class-action suit brought by players against groups that run the sport. And there's an effort by the athletes to get a larger share of revenues from the four Grand Slam tournaments. Yes, there is interest in who is going to win the titles two weeks from now, of course. And there are plenty of storylines connected to such things as whether Swiatek can snap out of her recent run of poor-for-her results, whether Carlos Alcaraz can win a second consecutive championship in Paris, whether Novak Djokovic can grab a record 25th Grand Slam trophy, whether Coco Gauff can grab her second at age 21, and so on. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Moose Approaches Girl At Bus Stop In Moskovskaya Oblast - Watch What Happens Happy in Shape Undo Here is what to know before the competition begin at the French Open: Are tennis players going to get more money from the Slams? Live Events Hard to say yet. This is just at the beginning. The background: Djokovic, Gauff, Sinner and women's No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka were among 20 top players who signed a letter - obtained by The Associated Press in April - that was sent to the heads of the four Slam tournaments, seeking additional prize money, contributions to player welfare programs funded by the pro tours and more say in decision-making. Those events reportedly gave around 10% to 20% of their roughly $1.5 billion in combined revenues to players in 2024. Leaders of the four major tournaments - the French Open, Wimbledon, the U.S. Open and the Australian Open - met in Paris with some of the leading players. Jessica Pegula, the 2024 U.S. Open runner-up who is seeded No. 3 in Paris, was not in town in time for the face-to-face session. "I think it went pretty well, from what I understood. Hopefully progress can be made. I know that several top players on the men and women sides were there and were present. We're showing - not just the top players, all of us; but led by a lot of the top players - that we're very unified on this topic," Pegula said. "Getting a higher revenue share based on what the tournaments are bringing in, (and) not just that, but player welfare, for pensions, for bonus pool for the men, (the Slams) don't contribute anything. And that's our issue. They're the four pinnacles of our sport and we're just asking for that to be a lot more equal and a lot more fair." What is new in the suit filed by a group co-founded by Novak Djokovic? In March, the Professional Tennis Players' Association, a group co-founded by Djokovic several years ago, sued the WTA, the ATP, the International Tennis Federation and the International Tennis Integrity Agency in federal court in New York, calling them a "cartel." The players said they don't get enough of the revenues and raised other complaints about how tennis is structured. This week, the four defendants jointly filed a motion to dismiss the class-action antitrust suit, saying the PTPA "is not a proper plaintiff." The WTA also filed a separate motion to dismiss, arguing that the male plaintiffs - including 2022 Wimbledon runner-up Nick Kyrgios - should not be suing the women's tour, and the female plaintiffs should be compelled to go to binding arbitration. How have Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner played since their doping bans? Swiatek, banned for one month late last year, is going through a real rough stretch for her, failing to reach so much as a final since leaving the French Open last year and sinking to No. 5 in the rankings after three years no worse than No. 2. She's spoken about trying to recalibrate her mindset. Sinner returned at the Italian Open after serving his three-month suspension and promptly reached the title match there before losing to Alcaraz. Despite missing time, Sinner remained at No. 1. Do people expect Carlos Alcaraz to win another French Open title? Alcaraz is seeded No. 2 and while he dealt with some leg injuries that troubled him during the clay season, his performance in Rome makes him a popular pick to win what would be a fifth Grand Slam championship. Who could vie for the women's trophy at Roland-Garros? With Swiatek on shaky ground lately, there are several women considered candidates to come through with a first title in Paris. That list includes Gauff, the runner-up to Swiatek in 2022 and a finalist at Rome last weekend; Jasmine Paolini, the runner-up to Swiatek last year and the Italian Open champion; the top-ranked Sabalenka, whose best French Open was a semifinal run two years ago; and No. 6 seed Mirra Andreeva, who just turned 18 but has won a pair of Masters 1000 titles in 2025.
