Latest news with #Tennis
Washington Post
3 hours ago
- General
- Washington Post
French Open: Frances Tiafoe and Tommy Paul put 2 US 2 men in quarterfinals for 1st time since 1996
PARIS — Before Frances Tiafoe played a point at this French Open , he wasn't particularly enthusiastic about its surface — or his chances in the tournament. 'Last tournament on clay, which I get really excited about,' Tiafoe said on the eve of the Grand Slam event at Roland-Garros. 'And then we get on the real stuff, the grass and the summer hard courts — where tennis actually matters.'
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
French Open: Frances Tiafoe and Tommy Paul put 2 US 2 men in quarterfinals for 1st time since 1996
PARIS (AP) — Before Frances Tiafoe played a point at this French Open, he wasn't particularly enthusiastic about its surface — or his chances in the tournament. 'Last tournament on clay, which I get really excited about,' Tiafoe said on the eve of the Grand Slam event at Roland-Garros. 'And then we get on the real stuff, the grass and the summer hard courts — where tennis actually matters.' Advertisement Might have a different point of view now. The 15th-seeded Tiafoe made his way into the quarterfinals at the French Open for the first time with a 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (4) victory over Daniel Altmaier of Germany on Sunday night, joining 12th-seeded Tommy Paul to put a pair of American men in the round of eight. It's the first time the country placed more than one man in the quarterfinals in Paris since 1996, when Jim Courier and Pete Sampras did it together. Zero men from the United States had made it this far in any year since Andre Agassi in 2003. And Tiafoe — who celebrated his win by twice shouting a phrase that can't be quoted fully here but included the words 'let's' and 'go' — has done it without dropping a set. Quite a turnaround for a guy whose big-strike tennis long suffered on the slow red clay. He began his French Open career with a 0-6 record before getting his first win in 2022 and one more last year. Advertisement 'On clay, I get a little more passive than on other surfaces, because the court doesn't help me play as fast as I would like,' said Tiafoe, twice a semifinalist on the hard courts of the U.S. Open, where speedy shots are rewarded and the loud crowds and bright lights tend to bring out his best. 'Patience is a thing I struggle with.' Look at him now, though. And listen to something else he said when he met with reporters a little more than a week ago, with a dash of his usual sense of humor: 'Overall, I'm a big believer it can all change in a week. When I'm backed up against it, it seems like I start to produce my best tennis, because I have to if I want to continue living the life I want to live.' Tiafoe, a 27-year-old from Maryland, added: 'If I'm ready to go, I'm not just going to get to the third round — I can go for a run. I genuinely feel I can beat anybody on any specific day.' Advertisement Next for Tiafoe will be a matchup on Tuesday against No. 8 Lorenzo Musetti of Italy or No. 10 Holger Rune of Denmark. Four American women play in the fourth round Monday: No. 2 Coco Gauff, No. 3 Jessica Pegula, and No. 7 Madison Keys against Hailey Baptiste in an all-U.S. encounter. Paul, a semifinalist at the Australian Open in 2023, was never really troubled Sunday during his 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 win against 25th-seeded Alexei Popyrin of Australia in less than two hours. Paul is a 28-year-old who grew up in North Carolina and now goes up against No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz of Spain, the defending champion who got past No. 13 Ben Shelton of the U.S. 7-6 (8), 6-3, 4-6, 6-4. 'Obviously,' Paul said about Alcaraz, 'the guy can play amazing tennis here.' Advertisement ___ Howard Fendrich has been the AP's tennis writer since 2002. Find his stories here: More AP tennis: Howard Fendrich, The Associated Press
Associated Press
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
French Open: Frances Tiafoe and Tommy Paul put 2 US 2 men in quarterfinals for 1st time since 1996
PARIS (AP) — Before Frances Tiafoe played a point at this French Open, he wasn't particularly enthusiastic about its surface — or his chances in the tournament. 'Last tournament on clay, which I get really excited about,' Tiafoe said on the eve of the Grand Slam event at Roland-Garros. 'And then we get on the real stuff, the grass and the summer hard courts — where tennis actually matters.' Might have a different point of view now. The 15th-seeded Tiafoe made his way into the quarterfinals at the French Open for the first time with a 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (4) victory over Daniel Altmaier of Germany on Sunday night, joining 12th-seeded Tommy Paul to put a pair of American men in the round of eight. It's the first time the country placed more than one man in the quarterfinals in Paris since 1996, when Jim Courier and Pete Sampras did it together. Zero men from the United States had made it this far in any year since Andre Agassi in 2003. And Tiafoe — who celebrated his win by twice shouting a phrase that can't be quoted fully here but included the words 'let's' and 'go' — has done it without dropping a set. Quite a turnaround for a guy whose big-strike tennis long suffered on the slow red clay. He began his French Open career with a 0-6 record before getting his first win in 2022 and one more last year. 'On clay, I get a little more passive than on other surfaces, because the court doesn't help me play as fast as I would like,' said Tiafoe, twice a semifinalist on the hard courts of the U.S. Open, where speedy shots are rewarded and the loud crowds and bright lights tend to bring out his best. 'Patience is a thing I struggle with.' Look at him now, though. And listen to something else he said when he met with reporters a little more than a week ago, with a dash of his usual sense of humor: 'Overall, I'm a big believer it can all change in a week. When I'm backed up against it, it seems like I start to produce my best tennis, because I have to if I want to continue living the life I want to live.' Tiafoe, a 27-year-old from Maryland, added: 'If I'm ready to go, I'm not just going to get to the third round — I can go for a run. I genuinely feel I can beat anybody on any specific day.' Next for Tiafoe will be a matchup on Tuesday against No. 8 Lorenzo Musetti of Italy or No. 10 Holger Rune of Denmark. Four American women play in the fourth round Monday: No. 2 Coco Gauff, No. 3 Jessica Pegula, and No. 7 Madison Keys against Hailey Baptiste in an all-U.S. encounter. Paul, a semifinalist at the Australian Open in 2023, was never really troubled Sunday during his 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 win against 25th-seeded Alexei Popyrin of Australia in less than two hours. Paul is a 28-year-old who grew up in North Carolina and now goes up against No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz of Spain, the defending champion who got past No. 13 Ben Shelton of the U.S. 7-6 (8), 6-3, 4-6, 6-4. 'Obviously,' Paul said about Alcaraz, 'the guy can play amazing tennis here.' ___ Howard Fendrich has been the AP's tennis writer since 2002. Find his stories here: More AP tennis:
Reuters
4 hours ago
- General
- Reuters
Shelton confident he is closing gap to top players despite Alcaraz defeat
PARIS, June 1 (Reuters) - World number 13 Ben Shelton is confident he is cutting the distance dividing him to top players despite his loss to defending French Open champion Carlos Alcaraz in the fourth round on Sunday. Shelton, 22, pushed the world number two to four sets and though the Spaniard proved to be too good on the day, there were still plenty of positive takeaways. "For me, this is the closest that I've felt in a match against him, and the most pressure that I thought that I've applied, the most comfortable that I felt in the baseline exchanges, the best I've hit my open-stance backhand when he's put pressure there," he told a press conference. Shelton has now lost all three matches against Alcaraz but Sunday's was the first where he took a set. "In that way, it also being a clay court is kind of ironic, arguably his better surface, and arguably my least-experienced surface." Shelton had never before made it into the fourth round and he was one of eight Americans - five women and three men - to reach that stage in Paris, breaking a 40-year-old record. "There are a lot of positives to take from that because I feel like my game is improving a lot," he said. Shelton also lost to world number one Jannik Sinner at the Australian Open semi-final in January but that gap to the top has been closing, he said. He trails the Italian 5-1 in their head-to-head. "I don't want to be disrespectful and just be 'I'm right there' but I feel like I am close to starting to win some matches like that, give guys a run for their money more often, and have these deeper runs more consistently." "Not two bad guys to lose to. Those two matches I've lost at Slams this year, I consider myself a really good Grand Slam match player. "Hopefully I can continue to improve and take that next step, because that's where I want to be."
New York Times
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
A third set point to Shelton, then a first and second for Alcaraz
Follow live coverage of the fourth round at Roland Garros, after Frances Tiafoe joins Tommy Paul in the last eight Getty Images The fourth round of the 2025 French Open is in full swing with two American stars into the quarterfinals at Roland Garros in Paris. Carlos Alcaraz (2) beat Ben Shelton in four sets, but Frances Tiafoe (15) has joined fellow American Tommy Paul (12) in the quarters. Lorenzo Musetti (8) and Holger Rune (10) are on Philippe-Chatrier for the night session, and it's Aryna Sabalenka (1) vs. Zheng Qinwen (8) and Iga Świątek (5) vs. Elina Svitolina (13) in the women's singles last eight after their wins today. Watch: TNT, truTV, Tennis Channel, Max (U.S.); TNT (UK) TNT, truTV, Tennis Channel, Max (U.S.); TNT (UK) Join the discussion at: live@ GO FURTHER Tennis on clay courts: The unpredictable dance of sun, rain, wind and brick dust at Roland Garros Connections: Sports Edition Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Getty Images Shelton 6-6 (8-9*) Alcaraz Shelton hits the line and it's 7-6 for a third set point. Alcaraz chunters unhappily to his box. Both players grunting with exertion now, loudly and a little performatively. Alcaraz comes to the net and it's an awkward low return from Shelton but his soft hands see him drop-volley it gently the other side of the net. Now Alcaraz takes set point at 8-7 and he roars approvingly. But Shelton with two smash volleys at the net, the first of which is brilliantly returned by Alcaraz, not many players in world tennis who could do that, the second put away. Strange mistake from Shelton, 9-8 Alcaraz and a second set point, this time on his serve... Shelton 6-6 (6-6*) Alcaraz Ace from Alcaraz to start and from a perilous position at 4-1 down, the Spaniard is now within a point. Eesh, bizarre miscue as the ball hits the edge of his racket and balloons high into the Parisian sky. 5-3 Shelton. What a point that is! Point of the match, definitely. Maybe even point of the tournament so far. Alcaraz retrieves the serve, Shelton puts him in the corner, Alcaraz retrieves the drop shot brilliantly and goes down the line, Shelton somehow gets there and flips it back to him behind the back but Alcaraz's volley at the net lands on the line as Shelton falls on his back to watch it just about kiss the line. Shelton smiles wryly, Alcaraz gives his opponent a tiny nod. 5-4, then two set points to Shelton at 6-4. Alcaraz saves one for 6-5... Body serve is out, second serve is well returned, and Shelton nets! 6-6! Getty Images Shelton 6-6 (*4-2) Alcaraz Mini-break to Shelton at 2-0 up, before Alcaraz volleys it away powerfully. A couple of overhand smashes take Shelton to 3-1 and he scrunches up his face, nodding to his box. USWNT soccer star Trinity Rodman, his girlfriend, is watching on approvingly. Alcaraz errs and it's 4-1, eliciting a roar from Ben Shelton. Serve over to Carlos Alcaraz, and he wins a crucial point to make 4-2 at the changeover. Shelton 6-6 (0-0*) Alcaraz Yep, Carlos Alcaraz with a blinder of a game and we are 6-6 in the first set, into a tiebreak. Let's go. A reminder: you can contact us with any comments, thoughts, or questions at: live@ and we'll do our best to answer you. Get in touch! Top-tier tennis in the City of Light. Getty Images It was nice to see the two players battling it out have a polite, friendly little chat at the net between games earlier in the set. Carlos Alcaraz was saying he heard something and thought Ben Shelton's serve might have clipped the net. Shelton sportingly offered to replay the point, to which Alcaraz smiled and thanked him but said it was fine and he was happy to move on. We like to see it. Getty Images These two are not good friends but they like each other a lot. They played an exhibition at Madison Square Garden together last year. They both like to put on a show, sometimes to their detriment. It's not yet clear Carlos is locked into this match the way he is when he's playing one of his near-equals. He's in a dangerous part of the set, when a lapse has made his job difficult in the past. Getty Images It's currently 5-5 in the first set between Ben Shelton and Carlos Alcaraz. Only one break point so far, to Alcaraz, but it was saved. Careering towards a fascinating tiebreak on the show court. Getty Images A humdinger of a first set on Lenglen between Sabalenka and Anisimova which the world No. 1 edges 7-5. Sabalenka had a set point on her serve at 5-3, but couldn't take it, and was then down two break points at 5-5. At that point, as so often happens with the best players, she locked in: holding serve and then pinching the set in the next game. The weight of shot both players produce is staggering, but the greater variety Sabalenka possesses with her far superior drop shot and net game is just giving her the edge so far. Getty Images There's your top seed. Sabalenka broke Amanda Anisimova of the United States in the final game of their first set to take it 7-5. Into the second we go. Anisimova needs to go the distance to reach the last eight. All four third-round men's doubles matches today have been completed. As aforementioned, Horacio Zeballos/Marcel Granollers (5) steamrollered American Austin Krajicek and Santiago González 6-2, 6-1. While second seeds Henry Patten/Harri Heliövaara beat Rohan Bopanna/Adam Pavlásek 6-2, 7-6(5). Ninth seeds Evan King/Christian Harrison got past Yuki Bhambri/Robert Galloway 6-4, 6-4, while Orlando Luz/Ivan Dodig eliminated John-Patrick Smith/Fernando Romboli thanks to a 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 win. Early on in Shelton-Alcaraz it's been a battle of who is holding serve more easily. So far the advantage goes to Alcaraz, who's been mostly cruising through the service games until game 6, when Shelton got to deuce, from 40-0. Shelton drifted back for the second serve return, but never got back to the baseline and got beat on the drop shot. Alcaraz's serve is a lock that can be picked, but can Shelton do it? He's a below average returner. If Shelton has to rely to heavily on his bombs to get out of jail, that's going to be a not-great sign. Getty Images Over on Suzanne-Lenglen, a big moment. Aryna Sabalenka (1) led the alliterative American Amanda Anisimova (16) 5-2 after a break of serve, then 5-3. She had a set point... but the 23-year-old saved it then broke the Belarusian for 5-4, serving to make it 5-5. It sounds like the start of a bad joke. Two American men walk onto a court at Roland Garros to play a tennis match on red clay. Now, choose your punch line: Both lose? At gunpoint? The golf courses were all closed? Ask any of the American men still alive and kicking at this year's French Open. They've heard it all their tennis lives. No one would dare predict an American man will triumph here June 8, but the current generation is still taking promising baby steps in the City of Light. The country's collective success — eight players in the fourth round — is a 40-year high. 'I remind myself it's just tennis,' Tommy Paul said. 'You're just playing tennis on a different surface. And we're good tennis players. We got to figure it out. I think we're doing a better job of that.' Perhaps this can be the start of something new. GO FURTHER How U.S. men's tennis players found their Grand Slam footing on the French Open clay Getty Images Iga Świątek, a four-time champion at Roland Garros whose progress here tends to be so serene, was pushed to her limits Saturday in a thrilling 1-6, 6-3, 7-5 win against former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina at the French Open. For the past three years, it has been hard to quantify just how good Świątek's performances at the tournament have been, because of the obvious gulf in quality between her and her opponents even when some of them are at the very top of the sport. Świątek has not lost a match at this tournament in four years, and has rarely been troubled on her way to winning the last three French Opens. Not so Sunday. While Rybakina's results over the past year had not been brilliant until a recent surge in form, she can blast anyone off any court when she is playing near her peak. 'I just kept fighting,' Świątek said in her on-court interview. Rybakina played some of her best tennis of the past year at this French Open, as she has done for most of the past month. She won her first title in over a year in Strasbourg, France in the run up to Roland Garros. On Court Philippe-Chatrier, she raised her level even higher against the four-time champion. Świątek just proved too much, in the end. GO FURTHER Iga Swiatek wins thrilling Elena Rybakina duel at French Open after opening set rout Getty Images Aryna Sabalenka leads Amanda Anisimova 3-1 after an early break in the first set on Lenglen, with Ben Shelton vs. Carlos Alcaraz in the opening service game of the match on Chatrier. Getty Images Cruz Hewitt here, son of multiple Grand Slam winner Lleyton, facing Pierluigi Basile of Italy in the first round of the Boy's Singles. Basile won the first set 7-6 and it's 2-2 in the second at the moment on Court 4. Getty Images On Chatrier, Ben Shelton (13) vs. Carlos Alcaraz, followed by Lorenzo Musetti (8) vs. Holger Rune (10). On Suzanne-Lenglen, Aryna Sabalenka (1) vs Amanda Anisimova (16) before Frances Tiafoe (15) vs. Daniel Altmaier. Świątek's only played Rybakina twice at the slams, including today, and Sabalenka once. Which is a real shame because it's these occasions that really elevate the sport. Today was electric, and a privilege to see Świątek tested to her limits and able to find a way through.
