Tennis: Alcaraz headlines as French Open gets glimpse of future

PARIS, France -- Carlos Alcaraz headlines the first day of the French Open on Sunday as the teenage Spanish sensation gives Roland Garros a glimpse of the future of Grand Slam tennis.

The 19-year-old, bidding to become just the eighth teenager to capture a major men's title, is widely tipped to end the dominance of 13-time champion Rafael Nadal and two-time winner Novak Djokovic.

Alcaraz is the tour's dominant player in 2022, winning a season-leading 28 matches with just three losses.

Three of his titles have come on clay in Rio, Barcelona and Madrid where he defeated Nadal, Djokovic and world number three Alexander Zverev to take the title.

On Sunday, Alcaraz begins his French Open campaign against Argentine lucky loser Juan Ignacio Londero, ranked at 141 but who made the last 16 in 2019.

Alcaraz was ranked 97 this time last year. He was only two when Nadal won the first of his 13 French Opens in 2005 but he made his mark at the 2021 tournament where he came through qualifying to reach the third round.

"He definitely is special," admitted Djokovic of Alcaraz who also claimed the prestigious Miami Masters earlier in the year.

Top seed Djokovic, who turns 35 on Sunday, and fifth-seeded Nadal, with 41 Grand Slam titles between them, are not in action on the first day.

Also sitting out the opening program is women's world number one Iga Swiatek, the 2020 champion in Paris, who is on a 28-match win streak, having won five successive tournaments.

German third seed Alexander Zverev, a semi-finalist in 2021 when he gave up a two sets lead to Stefanos Tsitsipas, begins his bid for a maiden Slam title against Austria' Sebastian Ofner, ranked at 218.

Ofner, without a win on the main tour since July last year, has come through qualifying at Roland Garros for the first time in five attempts.

Two-time runner-up Dominic Thiem, whose ranking has slipped to 194 after a lengthy battle with a wrist injury, plays Hugo Dellien of Bolivia.

Thiem has yet to win a match since his return in March.

Opening proceedings on Court Philippe Chatrier is Tunisia's Ons Jabeur who faces Poland's 56th-ranked Magda Linette.

Jabeur, the first Arab or African player to capture a WTA 1000 title with her victory in Madrid, has dreams of replicating her 2011 junior triumph on the Parisian clay.

The 27-year-old has made three clay finals this season -- losing to Belinda Bencic in Charleston and Swiatek in Rome -- and boasts a tour-leading 17 claycourt wins this season.

Also in action on Sunday is Greek fourth seed Maria Sakkari against Clara Burel of France.

Sakkari was a semi-finalist at the French Open in 2021 where she was defeated in three sets by eventual champion Barbora Krejcikova.

Agence France-Presse

Serena Williams launches fashion collection of her own

NEW YORK — Serena Williams has launched a fashion collection soon after participating in her first major tennis tournament in 16 months, dressed in a black “warrior princess” catsuit, no less.

But don’t look for her French Open outfit among the athleisure, office and evening clothes on her new namesake website, the only place her duds are available.

Following collaborations with HSN and Nike, Williams’ “Serena” line includes an “S” motif and comfortable price points.


The letter adorns bralettes and high briefs, along with a T-shirt with the name of her childhood home, Compton.

She says she hopes to inspire women to own their own “s” words, like strong, sexy, sophisticated, sassy, smart, silly and spontaneous.

Prices range from $40 for the logo T-shirt to $215 for a gold and black anorak jacket.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Nadal credits passion and overcoming injuries for success

BEIJING — Passion, and overcoming injuries, are the key to Rafael Nadal’s recent success.

The top-ranked Spaniard won the French Open and the U.S. Open this year, and reclaimed the No. 1 spot from Andy Murray. His next event is the China Open.

“I had some injuries, but good thing is I keep having the passion for the game and the love for what I am doing and the spirit of overcome tough situations in terms of physical issues,” the Spaniard said. “Of course, the spirit of improvement: every day when I wake up, going on court with the goal of doing something better than what I was doing.”

Nadal will open against Lucas Pouille on Tuesday at the China Open. The Frenchman beat Nadal in their previous meeting last year.

Nadal is 56-9 this season. He leads the tour with five ATP singles titles and will be trying to add this year’s China Open title to the one he took home as a teenager in 2005.

Nadal has made the tournament’s final in three of his six earlier appearances and has a 20-5 record in Beijing.

In the first round on Monday, top-ranked Garbine Muguruza retired from her opening match with a cold.
Muguruza dropped the first set 6-2 and was trailing 2-0 against Barbora Strycova when she decided to stop.

“I couldn’t perform today,” said the Spaniard, who said she picked up a virus at the Wuhan Open last week but wanted to try to play despite her illness. “I don’t want to retire before the tournament starts for me.”

Also, U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens was beaten by Christina McHale 6-3, 6-0.

“It was a tough day,” Stephens said. “There’s not really much to say about. Obviously not a great match, so just forget about it and try to move on.”

In other women’s matches, former No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-2, 6-2, while Peng Shuai, Elena Vesnina, Elise Mertens, Coco Vandeweghe and Alize Cornet also won.

Men’s winners included fifth-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut, Mischa Zverev, Steve Darcis, Fabio Fognini and Aljaz Bedene.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Ryan Harrison, Michael Venus win French Open doubles title

PARIS — Michael Venus has been like an older brother to Ryan Harrison, and the American says that makes their French Open doubles title even more special.

Harrison and Venus, who is from New Zealand, beat Donald Young of the U.S. and Santiago Gonzalez of Mexico 7-6 (5), 6-7 (4), 6-3 on Saturday to earn their first Grand Slam title.

Venus moved to the United States when he was young and he and Harrison, who was born in Louisiana and now is based in Texas, grew up playing tennis together. They were coached by Harrison’s father, Pat, who is still Venus’ coach.

“It’s even more special that we’re able to do it alongside each other, because he’s like a brother,” the 25-year-old Ryan Harrison said. “He’s been a part of my family. We have been a home away from home for him … He was like a brother growing up. He taught me how to drive, taught me how to do a lot of things. Didn’t teach me how to talk to girls, one thing he didn’t teach me how to do.

“But it was special, because, you know, he was someone who was there for a lot of memorable moments of my life, including my wedding, being one of my groomsman. To have him with me and the most special moment of my career is surreal.”

The 27-year-old Young, who was born in Illinois and is now based in Georgia, was trying to win his first tour-level title in singles or doubles.

Harrison and the 29-year-old Venus had only played four tournaments together coming into Roland Garros, winning a title at Estoril last month — but falling in the opening round at each of the other three.

“Two-and-a-half, three months ago, (Venus) decided that he was going to be looking for a partner for the clay season, and I didn’t have anybody,” Harrison said. “We both were very excited. It just kind of all came into play.

“We haven’t talked about (Wimbledon) yet. I don’t think we wanted to get too far ahead of ourselves. Because as you’re in the middle of the week, there is a certain level of jinx you don’t want to put on yourself … I think the logical thing would be to play it out for the rest of the year.”

Harrison, who reached a career high of No. 42 in the singles rankings in May, hopes the doubles title will serve as a springboard.

“Obviously I’m a singles first player,” he said. “A lot of times, in my opinion, you see guys who have really great singles ability actually have big doubles results first because it’s a little easier at times to waive the nerves of the big moments and big stages.

“This is super special. Wouldn’t have been more happy to do this with Michael and do it this summer. But I’m hoping this can lead into singles success as well, and I know my confidence will be very high coming off of this.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

French Open: One and done for home hope Tsonga

World number 91 Olivo was one game away from victory when their match was halted due to darkness on Tuesday, but he broke the 12th seed immediately when play resumed to advance 7-5, 6-4, 6-7 (6/8), 6-4.

The 25-year-old is making his Roland Garros main draw debut and will meet Britain’s Kyle Edmund for a place in the last 32.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Wawrinka 1st to reach semifinals at French Open

PARIS —Stan Wawrinka is the first player through to the French Open semifinals.

The defending men’s champion beat Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-2, 6-1, 7-6 (7) to become the only Swiss man other than Roger Federer to have reached the semifinals of the clay-court major tournament multiple times. Federer, absent this year with an aching back, has played in seven semifinals and five finals, winning the title once, in 2009.

The third-seeded Wawrinka was never really troubled by his left-handed opponent, who was playing his first fourth-round match at a Grand Slam.

Ramos-Vinolas had only four break points in the match on Court Suzanne Lenglen and won just one of them, in the third set.

Wawrinka improved his career record against Ramos-Vinolas to 7-0. He will play either Andy Murray or Richard Gasquet in the semifinals.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Nadal back in Paris, no title to defend, no Federer to face

PARIS — Through the years, Rafael Nadal grew accustomed to a couple of givens at the French Open: He would arrive as the defending champion, and Roger Federer would be somewhere in the draw, often awaiting a showdown in the final.

This time around, neither is the case.

Federer withdrew a few days before Sunday’s start of the clay-court Grand Slam tournament, ending his record run of 65 consecutive major appearances.

“For the fans, for the tournament, for the world (of) tennis, in general, is … very negative news, no?” Nadal said.

Nadal won the title at Roland Garros every year from 2005-08 and from 2010-14 — a record nine in all, beating Federer in four of those finals — but returns to town trying to earn back the trophy after relinquishing it in 2015.

He is seeded fourth.

“It’s a tournament that I know I can play well,” said Nadal, who lost in the quarterfinals to Novak Djokovic a year ago. “If I am playing well, I know I can do good things.”

Nadal, who owns 14 major championships in all, could face No. 1 Djokovic in about two weeks in the semifinals — on what would be the Spaniard’s 30th birthday.

Asked about that milestone, Nadal waxed philosophical.

“You know, time never stops. Nobody stops the time,” he said. “That’s not a good thing, but at the same time, I am happy with my life. I enjoyed all these years on the tour, and I hope to keep enjoying the next couple of years.”

After dealing with health problems and a crisis of confidence last season, Nadal has been playing better on his favorite red clay of late.

He is 19-4 on the surface this season, including titles at Monte Carlo and Barcelona. Not bad, but not up to his old standards. In his past two tournaments, Nadal lost in the Madrid semifinals to Andy Murray, and the Rome quarterfinals to Djokovic.

“A lot of tournaments in a row playing well,” said Nadal, who faces Sam Groth in the first round in Paris. “I need to just keep going.”

Other things to know about the French Open, which begins Sunday:

Serena’s ‘drought’

Much was made of Serena Williams’ title in Rome last weekend being her first trophy in nine months. She does not consider that gap a big deal.

“I guess when you win all the time, if you go a couple of tournaments and don’t win them, it’s like you’re in a drought,” Williams said.

She is the defending champion and seeded No. 1 at Roland Garros, and another title would be her 22nd at a Grand Slam tournament, equaling Steffi Graf for the most in the Open era, which started in 1968.

Security stepped up

From patdowns at entrance gates to a 25 percent rise in the number of security agents, there is an obvious increase in protective measures at the tournament, about six months after terrorist attacks around the French capital.

“I notice more security pretty much everywhere,” No. 2-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska said.

Olympic push

A Grand Slam tournament is a Grand Slam tournament, so there is plenty at stake as always over the next 15 days, but there is an added incentive for some players: the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

The ATP and WTA rankings of June 6 — the day after the men’s final in Paris — will be the basis for Summer Games qualification.

Doping talk

Two recent events put the topic of performance-enhancing drugs on the table in tennis.

Maria Sharapova’s positive test for meldonium and provisional suspension are keeping her out of the field at a tournament she won in 2012 and 2014.

And Nadal filed a defamation lawsuit in Paris last month against France’s former minister for health and sport, Roselyne Bachelot, after she said on a television show the player’s seven-month injury absence in 2012 probably was due to a positive drug test.

Cheating

A report about whether tennis was doing enough to investigate possible corruption stirred things up at the start of the Australian Open in January.

While the chatter has mostly subsided, the French Open revoked the wild-card entry granted to a French player, Constant Lestienne, because the Tennis Integrity Unit said he violated a rule.

source: sports.inquirer.net