The Nation Newspaper

Tag: French Open

  • French Open :  Djokovic sent packing!

    French Open :  Djokovic sent packing!

     

    Defending champion Novak Djokovic is out of the French Open following a straight-sets defeat by Dominic Thiem.

    The Serbian second seed was second best throughout to powerful-hitting Thiem, losing 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 6-0 in Paris.

    It is the Austrian sixth seed’s first victory over Djokovic and he will now play Rafael Nadal in the last four.

    Nadal reached the semis after fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta withdrew from their match with an abdominal injury while trailing 6-2 2-0.

    Fourth seed Nadal is aiming to win a record 10th title at Roland Garros having become just the fifth man to reach 10 semi-finals at a single Grand Slam in the Open era.

    In 2016, Djokovic won the French Open title to become the first man since 1969 to hold all four grand slam titles at the same time.

    Since then, he has lost in the third round at Wimbledon, suffered defeat in the US Open final, and lost in round two at the Australian Open. He has now failed to progress past the last eight in Paris for the first time since 2010.

    “The last couple of tournaments I have had some great tournaments and it was unfortunate to finish Roland Garros in this way,” said Djokovic.

    “This is a whole new situation for me, not winning a big tournament for eight or nine months – this hasn’t happened for a while.

    “All the top players have gone through that and I guess I have to learn lessons and figure how get through. It is a big challenge and I’m up for it.”

    He was unable to cope with the power of Thiem, who hit 38 winners – 20 from his dominant forehand – in total to Djokovic’s 18.

    The match was a total reversal of the last time the two met, when Thiem managed to win just a single game three weeks ago in Rome.

  • Wozniacki advances into French Open quarter-finals

    Wozniacki advances into French Open quarter-finals

    Former world tennis women’s number one Caroline Wozniacki moved into the French Open quarter-finals on Sunday with a three-set win over Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova.

    The 26-year-old Dane had not reached the last eight at Roland Garros since 2010, but came through to win 6-1 4-6 6-2 against the eighth seed and 2009 champion.

    Karolina Pliskova, the Czech second seed, is also into round four after she beat Carina Witthoft of Germany 7-5 6-1.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Venus Williams and defending champion Garbine Muguruza play later on Sunday.

    Fifth seed Elina Svitolina of Ukraine is safely through to the fourth round after beating Poland’s Magda Linette 6-4 7-5.

    NAN reports that only five of the top 10 seeds now remain in the draw.

  • Djokovic, Nadal reach French Open third round

    Djokovic, Nadal reach French Open third round

    Nine-time winner Rafael Nadal and defending champion Novak Djokovic both won in straight sets to reach the third round at the French Open.

    Nadal, the fourth seed from Spain, looked at his very best in outclassing Dutchman Robin Haase 6-1 6-4 6-3 in under two hours.

    Serbia’s Djokovic, the second seed, beat Portugal’s Joao Sousa 6-1 6-4 6-3 in two hours and seven minutes.

    Nadal and Djokovic are seeded to meet in the semi-finals.

    Djokovic, a 12-time Grand Slam winner, goes on to face Argentine Diego Schwartzman while 14-time Grand Slam champion Nadal takes on Nikoloz Basilashvili of Georgia.

    Eight-time Grand Slam champion Andre Agassi watched Djokovic once again, having taken over as the 30-year-old’s coach on a temporary basis.

    “I think the first two sets went very well, the third was was more difficult,” said Djokovic after beating the world number 59.

    “Generally, I felt better than the first round, so that’s exactly what I wanted.”

    Nadal finished his match with a tally of 33 winners and only 13 unforced errors.

    “I was more or less under control during the whole match, so I’m very happy. Winning in straight sets is always good news,” said Nadal.

    “I think I did a lot of things well.”

    The 31-year-old is bidding to become the first man to win 10 titles at a single Grand Slam event, having lifted the trophy from 2005-2008 and 2010-2014.

    His only defeats at Roland Garros were against Robin Soderling in the fourth round in 2009 and Djokovic in the 2015 quarter-finals.

    Nadal has been in formidable form on clay this year, winning his 10th titles at Monte Carlo and Barcelona as well as his 30th Masters title in Madrid.

    There are three, maybe four, players that could possibly beat Nadal.

    Stan Wawrinka is his biggest worry. He has the ability if he is on his game to play the most extraordinary tennis on this surface.

    Of course you can’t discount Novak Djokovic or Andy Murray and then Dominic Thiem who beat Nadal this year.

    Everyone else are lambs to the slaughter when they go out to play Rafael Nadal.

  • Serena Williams: Baby’s gender revealed

    Serena Williams: Baby’s gender revealed

    Tennis champion, Serena Williams is said to be expecting a baby girl.

    Her sister, Venus, spilled the beans during a short interview with Eurosport saying: ‘I want to be known as the favourite aunt’ at the French Open in Stade Roland-Garros, Paris, France.

    Venus was asked about the baby in the interview on Wednesday, where she referred to the baby as ‘she’ and said she wanted the tot to be named after her, according to Dailymail.

    Serena announced she is expecting her first child back in April . She also said she still did not know the gender of her baby.

    Talking at the Met Gala on May 1, she said: ‘We’re waiting. It’s a surprise. We call it “baby,”‘ she said.

    Serena recently revealed she had actually accidentally announced her pregnancy.

    The star confessed the Snapchat which revealed she was 20 weeks along was sent by mistake.

  • Nadal wins his 5th Madrid Open title

    Nadal wins his 5th Madrid Open title

    Rafael Nadal beat Dominic Thiem 7-6 (10-8) 6-4 on Sunday to win his fifth Madrid Open title and move into the world’s top four.

    The Spaniard has now won three straight titles, after his Barcelona Open and Monte Carlo Masters victories, while his record on clay this year is 15-0.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Nadal edged the Austrian in the tie-break of a tense first set that lasted one hour and 18 minutes.

    He broke world number seven Thiem early in the second set to set up the win.

    Nadal will be confirmed as the new world number four, replacing 18-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer, when the new rankings come out on Monday.

    That will improve his seeding for the French Open, which starts on May 22 and where Nadal is a nine-time champion.

    Nadal, who beat defending champion Novak Djokovic in the semi-final, has now won his 30th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title, tying the all-time record with Serbia’s Djokovic.

    The former world number one was last inside the world’s top four in October 2016 and struggled with a wrist injury last year.

    The injury forced him to pull out of the French Open and Wimbledon.

    “The truth is I was up against an opponent who, in the next five to 10 years, will be fighting for the most important titles, so I’m very happy to have won.

    “It was a very exciting game.

    “It was a very important final for both of us, for him as it was the first in the Masters 1000, and for me it’s always special to play here in Madrid, in this unique tournament.

    “You never know when it might be the last, so I always try to enjoy it,” Nadal said.

     

  • Nastase to be denied accreditation for French Open

    Nastase to be denied accreditation for French Open

    Former Romanian tennis player Ilie Nastase will not be given accreditation for this year’s French Open, organisers said on Saturday.

    The 70-year-old is provisionally banned from all International Tennis Federation (ITF) events, after making allegedly racist and sexist comments during Romania’s Fed Cup tie against Britain last month.

    “Following the decision of his suspension by the @ITFTennis, Mr Ilie Nastase won’t be accredited for #RG17,’’ French Open organisers said on Twitter.

    Nastase, who courted controversy throughout his career during which he won the U.S. and French Opens, is also not welcome at this year’s Wimbledon championships.

    Romania’s Fed Cup captain was booted out of the tie against Britain last month for “unsportsmanlike’’ behaviour.

    The singles rubber between Britain’s Johanna Konta and Sorana Cirstea was briefly suspended after remarks made by Nastase, to Konta and British team captain Anne Keothavong.

    Nastase had already run into trouble during the World Group playoff tie in Constanta after making a derogatory comment about the unborn child of American Serena Williams, the 23-times grand slam singles champion.