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☆ Tsitsipas banks on wine, baguettes, Alcaraz-style smiles for Paris success
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( Karolos Grohmann | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS, May 28 (Reuters) - World number five Stefanos Tsitsipas will be downing red wine, munching on baguettes and smiling a lot in Paris, hoping this will lead to success at the French Open, he said on Sunday. Alcaraz, at 20, is four years younger than Tsitsipas, but the Greek said it was the Spaniard's constant smiles and charisma that he found impressive. "Red wine and baguettes," Tsitsipas, a Paris finalist in 2021, said when asked about his plan to go deep in the tournament. "Plenty of red wine and baguettes would help to do well in Paris." Alcaraz took the tennis world by storm as a teenager in 2022, winning the U.S. Open title along with claiming the number one spot.

"And the Russians are dying," Graham said, according to a video supplied by the Ukrainian presidential press service. In the next part of the video edit, Graham says with a smile: "It's the best money we've ever spent." The exact chronology of Graham's remarks was unclear from the video supplied by the Ukrainian presidential press service. "The old fool Senator Lindsey Graham said that the United States has never spent money so successfully as on the murder of Russians," said Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev. It has been a good investment by the United States to help liberate Ukraine from Russian war criminals."

☆ French Open preview: With Rafael Nadal absent and Iga Światek's dominance under threat, tournament is hard to call
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —It felt like the beginning of the end of an era at the French Open when Rafael Nadal announced his absence from the tournament earlier this month. How to watchIn the United States, the French Open is available to watch on NBC, streaming service Peacock, Tennis Channel, and Bally Sports. A list of international broadcasters and the full draw are available on the French Open website. “A new generation is here already,” Djokovic said after his quarterfinal defeat at the Italian Open. Questions about scheduling may persist in the coming weeks given the way night sessions were scrutinized at last year’s French Open.

Belarus is being used as a key staging ground for Russia's war in Ukraine, which Moscow terms a "special operation". When asked if she was ready to be number one, she smiled and said: "Yes, I think so. Unlike the other three, Tsitsipas has yet to win a Grand Slam and he begins his campaign against Czech Republic's Jiri Vesely. "It's all about getting into the mindset of the Roland Garros final that I had here (in 2021)," he said. I just need to get a few good first matches to keep believing that I actually can do something this year."

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Russia carries out intense missile and drone strike overnight; Russia's Medvedev says conflict could last decades
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Amanda Macias Karen Gilchrist Ruxandra Iordache | Amanda Macias | Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The entrance of the "PMC Wagner Centre," associated with Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin, during the official opening of the office block on National Unity Day, in St. Petersburg, on Nov. 4, 2022. The head of Russian private military company, the Wagner Group, said his fighters are beginning to withdraw from Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine. "PMC 'Wagner' began the withdrawal of units from Bakhmut," a message posted on Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin's Concord Group Telegram channel said. "We're withdrawing our units from Bakhmut today, now it's 5am, 25 May, "Prigozhin said, although NBC was unable to verify if the footage had been filmed in Bakhmut. He said his forces would have a "new objective" after having a rest following prolonged fighting in Bakhmut.

☆ Medvedev says 'unbelievable' Rome triumph among his best wins
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Heading into Rome, Medvedev had won 18 of his 19 titles - including the 2021 U.S. Open - on hardcourts, with his Mallorca Open victory on grass the same year the only exception. The 27-year-old, who previously made no secret of his dislike for clay, was a player transformed at the Italian Open and ended the tournament with a 7-5 7-5 win over rising Dane Holger Rune. Asked where his victory ranked among his many successes, Medvedev told reporters: "In a way, number one, just because it's the first one on clay and it's unbelievable. Medvedev said using new strings this year had helped his clay game as they were softer and aided his deep groundstrokes. Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter RutherfordOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Daniil Medvedev credits new strings for his success in 2023 after winning first clay title at the Italian Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Daniil Medvedev revealed one reason behind his incredible form this year after winning the Italian Open: new racket strings. Now it’s unbelievable.”Medvedev lifts the Italian Open trophy after defeating Rune. Having won most of his titles – including his US Open triumph in 2021 – on hard courts, victory on clay at the Italian Open is a breakthrough moment for the 27-year-old Medvedev. He had to defeat the likes of Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev during his Italian Open campaign and has climbed five places in the men’s rankings this year. Medvedev (left) and Rune shake hands after the Italian Open final.

☆ Medvedev outclasses Rune in Rome to capture first title on clay
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Medvedev's fifth title of a stellar season and 20th overall leaves him as one of the top contenders for Roland Garros which begins on May 28. I didn't have any big tantrums and was like 'OK, let's continue' and here I felt amazing in practice. "But then you need to play the toughest opponents in the world and try to make it. I'm really happy that I managed to do it and prove to myself and everybody that I'm capable." Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru Editing by Toby DavisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Rune rallies past Ruud into Rome final
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

"I told myself at this moment I had nothing to lose, he's probably going to win the match," Denmark's Rune said. Rune took a medical timeout for a minor shoulder problem and that looked to throw Estoril champion Ruud off his game as the 24-year-old Norwegian surrendered his serve twice to get dragged into a deciding set. A double-fault gifted Rune a break and a 3-1 lead in the final set and the 20-year-old never looked back as he sealed a first victory over Ruud in five meetings. "I really played some of my best tennis," said Rune, who beat world number one Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals. In the women's final later on Saturday, Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina will meet Ukraine's Anhelina Kalinina.

Medvedev gave several interviews explaining that the murder by Wagner of its own deserters led him to leave and seek asylum in Norway. He told CNN he witnessed brutality and incompetence on the front lines in Ukraine, where the mercenary group's fighters have played a pivotal role in Russia's invasion. Legal troubles in Norway: Medvedev crossed the Russia-Norway border on foot in January and sought political asylum. Horrors in Ukraine: Medvedev was the commander of ex-convict Yevgeny Nuzhin, who Wagner executed for surrendering to Ukrainian troops. “They would round up those who did not want to fight and shoot them in front of newcomers," Medvedev told CNN in January.

☆ Medvedev rolls past Hanfmann to reach Rome semi-finals
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Tennis - Italian Open - Foro Italico, Rome, Italy - May 18, 2023 Russia's Daniil Medvedev celebrates after winning his quarter final match against Germany's Yannick Hanfmann REUTERS/Guglielmo... Read moreMay 18 (Reuters) - World number three Daniil Medvedev produced a dominant performance against German qualifier Yannick Hanfmann to reach his first Italian Open semi-final, cruising to a 6-2 6-2 victory on Thursday. "It is always a danger to say this if you lose the first round and you think, 'Why did I say this'. Medvedev soaked up Hanfmann's powerful hitting and controlled the baseline exchanges, dominating with his big first serve to wrap up the win in an hour and 20 minutes. "I knew I had to put as many balls into the court as possible because he plays aggressively. Reporting by Hritika Sharma in Hyderabad Editing by Toby DavisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ The widow of Putin's political mentor and mother of his rumored goddaughter is increasingly voicing concerns about Russia's war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A prominent Russian senator with close ties to Putin is increasingly criticizing the war in Ukraine. Sen. Lyudmila Narusova, whose late husband was a mentor to Putin, has been a skeptic of the war since the start. "Nobody has explained how victory is supposed to look," Narusova told an interviewer with Forbes Russia in an April video, according to a translation in The Washington Post. "I think they themselves do not know what they are doing," Narusova told the independent Dozhd channel in February 2022, per The Times. His widow's public defiance is a sign of the worry growing among top Russian officials ahead of Ukraine's much-anticipated counteroffensive.

☆ Ex-Wagner commander who sought asylum in Norway wants to return to Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Nerijus Adomaitis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Former Wagner commander Andrei Medvedev is pictured in court with his lawyer Brynjulf Risnes (not pictured), in Oslo, Norway April 25, 2023. REUTERS/Gwladys FoucheOSLO, May 17 (Reuters) - A former commander of Russia's Wagner group who sought asylum in Norway after crossing the Russian-Norwegian border in January said on Wednesday he wanted to return to Russia even though he believed this could pose a risk to his life. I've contacted the Russian embassy in Oslo for help, to facilitate my return," Medvedev said in one of five short videos, adding that he made this decision on his own. He escaped Russia via its Arctic border with Norway in January. He told Reuters at the time he was looking to the future, studying Norwegian and hoping to get asylum.

☆ Alcaraz stunned by Hungarian qualifier Marozsan in Rome
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Alcaraz raced to a 4-1 lead but Marozsan hit back in superb style to reel off six points and hand the world number two only his second defeat on clay in 22 matches this season. "It's not easy to say something," Marozsan said immediately after the biggest win of his career. World number three Daniil Medvedev earned a hard-fought 3-6 6-1 6-3 win over Spain's Bernabe Zapata Miralles to reach the last 16 in Rome for the first time. In the women's draw, Elena Rybakina saw off Marketa Vondrousova 6-3 6-3 to reach her first claycourt WTA 1000 quarter-final, where she will face either top-ranked Iga Swiatek, the twice defending champion, or Croatia's Donna Vekic. Tsitsipas had taken the first set 6-3 against Sonego while Zverev leads 6-4 3-3 against Wolf.

New measures announced by the leaders during the May 19-21 meetings will target sanctions evasion involving third countries, and seek to undermine Russia's future energy production and curb trade that supports Russia's military, the people said. The Biden administration has previously pushed G7 allies to reverse the group's sanctions approach, which today allows all goods to be sold to Russia unless they are explicitly blacklisted. The precise language of the G7 leaders' joint declarations is still subject to negotiation and adjustment before it is released during the summit. He is expected to address G7 leaders, either virtually or in-person, during their summit in Hiroshima, the officials said. Food security in the aftermath of the war is also expected to be a major topic at the G7.

CNN —Russia’s air force may have just suffered one of its worst days since the Ukraine war began. Some analysts believe Ukrainian air defenses may have been pushed forward as the Russian air force uses more “glide munitions” that can fire at targets from distance. They are using these bombs “from a distance that is unreachable for Ukrainian air defense,” he said. Mykola Oleshchuk, the commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, has also suggested that the nature of the threat has changed. That may be as of much concern in Russia as the loss of four aircraft over Russian territory

☆ Djokovic battles past Dimitrov in Rome, Swiatek cruises
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The former world number three did however reel off four straight games from 2-4 to take the second set and force a decider. But the world number one hit back to claim the next 12 for a 6-2 6-0 victory that extended her Rome win streak to 13 matches. Sixth seed Coco Gauff later crashed out against Marie Bouzkova, who sealed a 4-6 6-2 6-2 win. Daniil Medvedev broke his Rome duck on his fourth attempt with a clinical second-round win over Emil Ruusuvuori. "It's a little bit (of a relief)," Medvedev said after his 6-4 6-2 win.

☆ Alcaraz powers to victory over Ramos-Vinolas on Rome debut
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Barcelona and Madrid champion Alcaraz, who is chasing his fifth title of 2023 and fourth on clay ahead of Roland Garros, overcame an early loss of serve amid heavy conditions at the Foro Italico to level up the opening set at 2-2. Alcaraz continued to build momentum and raced ahead 3-0 in the second set against a fading Ramos-Vinolas, wrapping up the match on serve to make it 12 wins in a row. "It wasn't easy," said Alcaraz, who will now leapfrog Novak Djokovic into top spot in the rankings on May 22. "The first round of every tournament is really tough and, of course, Ramos-Vinolas is a specialist on clay. Monte Carlo champion Andrey Rublev earlier overcame Alex Molcan 6-3 6-4 in a twice-interrupted match to book his place in the third round.

☆ Medvedev to focus on more spin, improved sliding on clay
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 10 (Reuters) - World number three Daniil Medvedev said he wants to focus on playing more spin and sharpen his slide to develop his game on clay as he gears up for Italian Open this week. Asked about what he has to do in order to play good tennis on clay, Medvedev told reporters on Tuesday: "Play definitely some more spin. Especially the sliding, I think the sliding was always a problem. Despite not being the biggest fan of clay, Medvedev reached the Monte Carlo semi-finals and Barcelona final in 2019. The Italian Open runs until May 21, with the French Open Grand Slam beginning in Paris a week later.

☆ An ominous policy change is a sign Russia is preparing for a long, bloody war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Recent changes to Russian conscription law indicate Moscow is preparing for a long war in Ukraine. Beyond a need for manpower, the changes may reflect the Kremlin's embrace of more heavy-handed rule. But Russian leaders appear to preparing for a long and bloody fight, judging by a series of new measures related to military conscription. The Russian government is "methodically stepping through a process to go over to a higher readiness and protracted war," Massicot added. Michael Peck is a defense writer whose work has appeared in Forbes, Defense News, Foreign Policy magazine, and other publications.

The novelist is an outspoken champion of Russia's war in Ukraine and has boasted of taking part in military combat there. He was the third prominent pro-war figure to be targeted by a bomb since Moscow's full-scale invasion of its neighbour in February 2022. [1/2] A view shows a destroyed vehicle, which transported Russian writer Zakhar Prilepin allegedly wounded in a car bombing in the Nizhny Novgorod region, Russia, May 6, 2023. On Wednesday, Russia accused Ukraine of trying to kill President Vladimir Putin with a night-time drone attack on the Kremlin. TASS quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as declining to comment on Saturday's car bomb in the absence of information from investigators.

☆ Putin allies call for Zelenskyy's plane to be shot down in revenge for what Russia claims was a Ukrainian drone strike on the Kremlin
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Pro-Putin hardliners called for Russia to assassinate Ukraine's president. It followed Russia's claim Ukraine launched a drone attack on the Kremlin. Putin allies in the Duma, the Russian lower legislature, also called for strikes against the Ukrainian government. Russia on Wednesday accused Ukraine of launching the drone strikes as part of a bid to assassinate Putin. Some analysts believe that the attack may have been a "false flag," or staged by Russia to justify a retaliatory response.

☆ Little would make sense about a drone attack on the Kremlin. Except this
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Jill Dougherty | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The Kremlin was slow to react, eventually releasing a statement calling it a “planned terrorist attack,” a deliberate attempt by Ukraine to assassinate Putin, but presenting no evidence. Even more embarrassingly for the Kremlin, how did the drones get so close to the Kremlin? Ukraine officials said the attacks might be exploited by Russia to launch even more vicious attacks on Ukraine, including “terrorist” attacks. What about the possibility that Russians opposed to Putin launched a drone attack from within Russia? This year, with drones apparently attacking the Kremlin, it may be harder than usual to feel victorious.

☆ Analysis: Kremlin drone incident gives Putin cover to deepen Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Andrew Osborn | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/3] The Russian flag flies on the dome of the Kremlin Senate building, while the roof shows what appears to be marks from the recent drone incident, in central Moscow, Russia, May 4, 2023. Inside Russia, it helped reinforce the Kremlin-backed narrative that its war in Ukraine is an existential one for the Russian state and people. "It's an attempt to gather all the sacred things in one statement," Alexander Baunov, a former Russian diplomat and Kremlin watcher, said of the Kremlin's response. Former president Dmitry Medvedev and Vladimir Solovyov, one of the most prominent pro-Kremlin TV commentators, both argued for precisely such action in the aftermath of the drone incident. An investigation into the drone incident is certain to uncover shortcomings in Russia's own air defences.

A day after blaming Ukraine for what it called a terrorist attack, the Kremlin administration shifted the focus onto the United States, but without providing evidence to support its accusation. He said the United States was "undoubtedly" behind the alleged attack and added - again without stating evidence - that Washington often selected both the targets for Ukraine to attack, and the means to attack them. Russia has said with increasing frequency that it sees the United States as a direct participant in the Ukraine war, intent on inflicting a "strategic defeat" on Moscow. CALLS TO KILL ZELENSKIYHowever, Peskov's allegation that the United States was behind a plot to kill Putin went further than previous Kremlin accusations against Washington. He said Russia had an array of options and the response, when it came, would be carefully considered and balanced.

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