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☆ Sabalenka powers into French Open fourth round, Khachanov survives
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Shrivathsa Sridhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS, June 2 (Reuters) - Aryna Sabalenka swatted aside Kamilla Rakhimova to remind her rivals of her French Open title credentials while Russian 11th seed Karen Khachanov also moved into the fourth round by stopping wildcard Thanasi Kokkinakis on Friday. Sabalenka, the big-serving world number two, beat Russian Rakhimova 6-2 6-2 on a sunbathed Court Philippe Chatrier to set up a clash with American Sloane Stephens or Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan in her quest for a second Grand Slam title. "So I have to do it with my legs, with the brain, and try to squeeze the maximum I can." Last year's semi-finalist Kasatkina will need to show her best form again in the next round where she can potentially meet former world number three Elina Svitolina. Novak Djokovic, who is seeking a 23rd Grand Slam title, is in action against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina while world number one Carlos Alcaraz will play Denis Shapovalov in the evening session.

Persons: Karen Khachanov, Kokkinakis, Sabalenka, Philippe Chatrier, Sloane Stephens, Yulia Putintseva, Khachanov, Jessica Pegula, Elise Mertens, Mertens, Daria Kasatkina, Peyton Stearns, Kasatkina, Elina Svitolina, Anna Blinkova, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Anastasia Potapova, Novak Djokovic, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Carlos Alcaraz, Denis Shapovalov, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Pritha Sarkar Organizations: Kokkinakis, Thomson Locations: Kazakhstan, Paris

☆ Top seed Alcaraz pummels Shapovalov to reach fourth round
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Karolos Grohmann | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS, June 2 (Reuters) - World number one Carlos Alcaraz bludgeoned Canadian Denis Shapovalov 6-1 6-4 6-2 to breeze into the French Open fourth round on Friday and edge closer to the second Grand Slam title of his career. The Spaniard was imperious and showed no mercy to set up a fourth round clash with Italy's 17th seed Lorenzo Musetti. "In the second set I was in a bit of trouble a little bit as I started making more mistakes than in the first and the third set. In the first set Alcaraz was whipping winners past the hapless 24-year-old who visibly struggled to keep up with his opponent's speed and quickly fell 5-0 behind. The top seed put Shapovalov out of his misery on his second match point and continued his quest for another major title.

Persons: Carlos Alcaraz bludgeoned, Denis Shapovalov, Lorenzo Musetti, Alcaraz, Shapovalov, Karolos Grohmann, Ken Ferris Organizations: Thomson

☆ Svitolina gets past Blinkova to stay on track at French Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Shrivathsa Sridhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, June 2 (Reuters) - Former French Open quarter-finalist Elina Svitolina moved into the Roland Garros fourth round with a determined performance to stave off giant-killing Russian Anna Blinkova and claim a 2-6 6-2 7-5 victory on Friday. Svitolina returned to the WTA Tour at the Charleston Open in April following the birth of her daughter Skai with husband and fellow tennis player Gael Monfils and bagged her first title in two years by beating Blinkova in last week's Strasbourg final. Blinkova had stunned fifth seed Caroline Garcia in the last round and the 24-year-old refused to surrender as she clawed her way back from 1-3 and went toe-to-toe with Svitolina until 5-5 before the Ukrainian sealed the win with a superb backhand pass. Up next for Svitolina is another Russian - last year's semi-finalist Daria Kasatkina - who beat Peyton Stearns. Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Paris Editing by Christian RadnedgeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Elina Svitolina, Roland Garros, Russian Anna Blinkova, Svitolina, Skai, Gael Monfils, Blinkova, Caroline Garcia, Daria Kasatkina, Peyton Stearns, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Christian Radnedge Organizations: WTA, Charleston, Strasbourg, Thomson Locations: Russian, Paris

☆ What would Ukraine soldiers think if I shook hands with Russians says Svitolina
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Karolos Grohmann | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Svitolina, who reached the French Open fourth round on Friday with a win over Anna Blinkova of Russia, refused to shake hands with her opponent and was booed by some of the fans. "It started with the Ukrainian government that went to the meetings with the Russian government," Svitolina said. "They (Ukraine) were against shaking the hands because they're not sharing the same values, obviously, and what the Russians are doing to our country." I am standing for my country, doing anything possible to support men and women who are right now in the front line fighting for our land, our country," Svitolina said. Kasatkina, who has left Russia, has been critical of the war, calling it a "nightmare" and understanding Ukrainians' decision not to shake hands.

Persons: Roland Garros, Ukraine's Elina Svitolina, Anna Blinkova, Lisi Niesner PARIS, Elina Svitolina, Svitolina, they're, Daria Kasatkina, Karolos Grohmann, Ken Ferris Organizations: Thomson Locations: Paris, France, Ukraine, Belarusian, Russia, Moscow, Belarus, Russian, Ukrainian

☆ Creaking Djokovic adjusting to new reality at French Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Shrivathsa Sridhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Djokovic's run to the Australian Open title in January came despite a problematic left thigh injury and he also missed the Madrid Open in the build-up to Roland Garros with a niggling elbow issue. "We don't have much time to start to name the many injuries I have, and the list is quite long," Djokovic told reporters. Sometimes you need pills," Djokovic said. Reality for me nowadays is that my body is responding differently than it did a few years ago. And on the court you try to do your best, everything possible, so you can finish the match and win."

Persons: Roland Garros, Serbia's Novak Djokovic, Spain's Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Novak Djokovic, Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Rafa Nadal, Djokovic, Hubert Hurkacz, Juan Pablo Varillas, I've, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Ken Ferris Organizations: Spain's Alejandro Davidovich Fokina REUTERS, Serbian, Madrid, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, PARIS

☆ Ruud, Swiatek gain momentum at French Open as Sinner punished
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Shrivathsa Sridhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

In a normal match I would have won 6-3 6-2, but here you have the chance to fight like he did. Up next for Andreeva is 19-year-old Coco Gauff - a player who knows all about negotiating instant stardom, with last year's runner-up having subdued Julia Grabher 6-2 6-3 to set up the third-round showdown. American Kayla Day made no secret of her success after a stunning 6-2 4-6 6-4 win over compatriot Madison Keys, thanking her Czech roots for enhancing her tennis skills. Next for the 22nd seed is American 12th seed Frances Tiafoe, who beat Russian qualifier Aslan Karatsev 3-6 6-3 7-5 6-2. French presence in the singles' draws was ended altogether in the last match of the day when Arthur Rinderknech was knocked out by American ninth seed Taylor Fritz 2-6 6-4 6-3 6-4.

Persons: Roland Garros, Norway's Casper Ruud, Sweden's Elias Ymer, Gauff tames, Casper Ruud, Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina, Linda Noskova, Ruud, Rafa Nadal, Giulio Zeppieri, Zhang Zhizhen, Thiago Agustin Tirante, Suzanne Lenglen, Claire Liu, Mirra Andreeva, Frenchwoman Diane Parry, Karatantcheva, Coco Gauff, Julia Grabher, Kayla Day, Madison Keys, Daniel Altmaier, Altmaier, We've, Alexander Zverev, Slovakian Alex Molcan, Frances Tiafoe, Aslan Karatsev, Coric, Pedro Cachin, Alex de Minaur, Tomas Martin Etcheverry, Arthur Rinderknech, Taylor Fritz, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Julien Pretot, Pritha Sarkar, Ken Ferris Organizations: Sweden's Elias Ymer REUTERS, Wimbledon, Argentine, Croatian, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, PARIS, Czech, Prague, Slovakian, American, Tunisian

☆ Novak Djokovic stands by Kosovo comments at the French Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic has stood by his decision to send a political message about Kosovo at the French Open. After his first-round victory on Monday, Djokovic wrote “Kosovo is the [heart symbol] of Serbia. So that’s all.”He added that he had not spoken to French Open tournament director Amélie Mauresmo about the incident. Djokovic is no stranger to controversy at grand slam tournaments. “A drama-free grand slam, I don’t think it can happen for me,” he said on Wednesday.

Persons: Novak Djokovic, Djokovic, Serbia ”, ” Djokovic, Hungary’s Márton, Amélie Mauresmo, ”, Srdjan, didn’t, “, Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Rafael Nadal Organizations: CNN, “, NATO, Serbian, Olympic, KOC, International Olympic Committee, Tennis Federation, ITF, IOC, Olympic Games, Covid Locations: Serbian, Kosovo, “ Kosovo, Serbia, Zvecan, Melbourne

☆ How Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has impacted tennis
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Every sport in Europe – from soccer to fencing to UFC – has had to grapple with the fallout of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and tennis is no exception. Player tensionFor some Ukrainian players, having to face opponents from Russia and Belarus has been a point of frustration. 2 said she struggled to understand the “hate” she encountered in the locker room amid strained relations with some players following Russia’s invasion. The “Z” symbol is viewed as a sign of support for Russia, including its invasion of Ukraine. Last year, she told CNN Sport that Russian and Belarusian players have a responsibility to take a stance against the war.

Persons: UFC –, Toby Melville, Daria Kasatkina, ”, Marta Kostyuk, Aryna Sabalenka, Sabalenka, won’t, ” Sabalenka, ” Kostyuk, Kai Pfaffenbach, Lesia Tsurenko, Iga Świątek, Daniil Medvedev, “, ” Tsurenko, Poland’s Świątek, Slovakia’s Anna, Karolína, Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina –, Świątek, Tim Clayton, Svitolina, Anastasia Potapova, Srdjan Djokovic, Novak Djokovic, Vladimir Putin Organizations: CNN, UFC, ATP, WTA, Wimbledon, Reuters, BBC, Belarus, Aryna, –, Kostyuk, Sabalenka, Ukrainian, ”, Russian Government, Miami, de Strasbourg, Spartak Moscow, Melbourne, CNN Sport Locations: Europe, Ukraine, Belarusian, Ukrainian, Russian, Russia, Belarus, Kyiv, Reuters Ukrainian, Indian, Vladimirec, Kostyuk, ” Russian, Australian

☆ Sabalenka, Djokovic hoping to steer clear of controversy
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Aadi Nair | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Another match featuring political overtones is the clash between Ukraine's Elina Svitolina and Russia's Anna Blinkova. Asked about the message following his straight sets win over Marton Fucsovics on Wednesday, Djokovic told reporters: "It's something that I stand for. Greek fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, who reached the final in 2021, will play Diego Schwartzman. British 14th seed Cameron Norrie is in action against 17th seed Lorenzo Musetti, who now leads Italy's charge for a first French Open men's winner since Adriano Panatta in 1976 after Jannik Sinner's elimination on Thursday. Reporting by Aadi Nair in Nashik, India; Editing by Ken FerrisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Roland Garros, Iryna Shymanovich, Benoit Tessier, Sabalenka, Novak Djokovic, Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk, Ukraine's Elina Svitolina, Anna Blinkova, Svitolina, Djokovic, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Aleksandar Kovacevic, Marton Fucsovics, Davidovich Fokina, Monte, Monte Carlo Masters, Carlos Alcaraz, Denis Shapovalov, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Diego Schwartzman, Cameron Norrie, Lorenzo Musetti, Adriano Panatta, Jannik, Aadi Nair, Ken Ferris Organizations: Belarus, Iryna Shymanovich REUTERS, Strasbourg, NATO, Marton, Monte Carlo, U.S, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, Belarus, Ukraine, Belarusian, Kosovo, Serbia, Belgrade, Zvecan, Spanish, Barcelona, British, Nashik, India

☆ Title contender Rybakina marches past teenager Noskova into third round
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Karolos Grohmann | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - June 1, 2023 Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina in action during her second round match against Czech Republic's Linda Noskova REUTERS/Lisi NiesnerPARIS, June 1 (Reuters) - Fourth seed Elena Rybakina booked her third round spot with a 6-3 6-3 victory over rising Czech teenager Linda Noskova on Thursday, confirming her status as one of the front-runners for the title. Rybakina, a member of the new 'Big three' along with fellow title contenders, world number one Iga Swiatek and second seed Aryna Sabalenka, struggled with Noskova's powerful serve and thundering forehand. It was instead Noskova who carved out two break points at 3-3 but Rybakina, who won the title at Indian Wells and Rome this season while also reaching the final at the Miami Open, saved them both. She responded in kind at the very next game to break Noskova and go 5-3 up before clinching the match with an ace on her fourth match point. Reporting by Karolos Grohmann, editing by Pritha SarkarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Roland Garros, Elena Rybakina, Linda Noskova, Lisi Niesner PARIS, Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, Karolos Grohmann, Pritha Sarkar Organizations: Czech, Wimbledon, French, Miami, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, Czech, Indian Wells, Rome

☆ Sinner exits French Open after wasting match points in thriller
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Julien Pretot | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS, June 1 (Reuters) - Jannik Sinner wasted two match points as he was knocked out of the French Open 6-7(0) 7-6(7) 1-6 7-6(4) 7-5 in a second round thriller against German Daniel Altmaier on Thursday. After an exchange of breaks, the first set was decided in a tiebreak in which Sinner won all the points. The second set was a carbon copy of the first until the tiebreak, which Altmaier dominated, winning most of the long rallies. Sinner then wasted two match points - one when Altmaier's passing shot clipped the net and took him by surprise - as the German stole his serve again to send the match into a decider. "We play here but behind us we have strong teams, that's why this victory is a team effort."

Persons: Daniel Altmaier, Roland Garros, Rafael Nadal, Altmaier, Suzanne Lenglen, Sinner, Julien Pretot, Ken Ferris Organizations: Thomson Locations: Vienna, Madrid

☆ Ruud, Rybakina gain momentum at French Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Shrivathsa Sridhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Ruud, who was beaten by Rafa Nadal in last year's final, is aiming to capitalise on the 14-times champion's absence through injury this year and looked rock solid for much of his 6-3 6-2 4-6 7-5 victory over Italian qualifier Giulio Zeppieri. "It was a tough match," Ruud said. In a normal match I would have won 6-3 6-2, but here you have the chance to fight like he did. That's the only reason why I'm good at tennis, because I'm half Czech." Croatian Borna Coric was made to work hard by Pedro Cachin before the 15th seed prevailed 6-3 4-6 4-6 6-3 6-4 while it was the end of the road for Australian 18th seed Alex de Minaur who fell to a 6-3 7-6(2) 6-3 defeat by Tomas Martin Etcheverry.

Persons: Roland Garros, Norway's Casper Ruud, Sweden's Elias Ymer, Casper Ruud, Elena Rybakina, Linda Noskova, Ruud, Rafa Nadal, Giulio Zeppieri, Mirra Andreeva, Frenchwoman Diane Parry, Kayla Day, Madison Keys, Coric, Pedro Cachin, Alex de Minaur, Tomas Martin Etcheverry, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Pritha Sarkar Organizations: Sweden's Elias Ymer REUTERS, Wimbledon, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, PARIS, Czech, Prague, Croatian

☆ Mirra Andreeva, 16, continues meteoric rise by advancing to French Open third round
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Amy Woodyatt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva has continued her meteoric rise by reaching the third round of the French Open with an emphatic 6-1 6-2 win over France’s Diane Parry. The 16-year-old, who celebrated her birthday in April, is now the youngest player to reach the third round at Roland Garros since 2005, according to the WTA. Andreeva, the youngest player in this year’s main draw, took only 77 minutes to defeat wild card Parry and secure her sixth top 100 win of the season. Andreeva had already become the seventh youngest player this century to beat a top 20 player, according to the WTA, when she beat world No. Andreeva, who was unranked 14 months ago, entered her first Grand Slam at Roland Garros this year.

Persons: Mirra Andreeva, France’s Diane Parry, Roland Garros, Parry, Andreeva, Beatriz Haddad Maia, Ian MacNicol, Leylah Fernandez, Magda Linette, Alison Riske, Coco Gauff, Julia Grabher Organizations: CNN, WTA, Madrid, ITF Locations: Madrid

☆ NATO-led troops guard town hall in northern Kosovo
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Fatos Bytyci | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/6] U.S. Kosovo Force (KFOR) soldiers, under NATO, stand guard near a municipal office in Leposavic, Kosovo May 31, 2023. Following clashes on Monday in Zvecan, another northern town, during which 30 NATO troops and 52 ethnic Serbian protesters were hurt, NATO said it would send 700 more troops to Kosovo to boost its 4,000-strong mission. Those ethnic Albanian mayors were then installed last week, a decision that spurred rebuke of Pristina by the U.S. and its allies on Friday. The ethnic Albanian mayor of Leposavic, another northern Kosovo town, remained in the municipal building on Wednesday after entering it amid Serb demonstrations on Monday. Peacekeeping troops were deployed in Kosovo in 1999 after NATO bombing drove Serbia's police and army out of its former province.

Persons: couldn't, Dragan, –, Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Olaf Scholz, Albin Kurti, Novak Djokovic, Djokovic, Jeton Hadergjonaj, Aleksandar Vucic, Fatos Bytici, Ivana Sekularac, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Kosovo Force, KFOR, NATO, REUTERS, Serbian, U.S, Reuters, United, Wednesday, Belgrade, Kosovo Olympic, International Olympic Committee, Kosovo Albanian, Thomson Locations: U.S, Leposavic, Kosovo, LEPOSAVIC, Zvecan, Serbian, Pristina, KOSOVO, United States, Serbia, Bratislava, Northern, Belgrade, EU

☆ No drama as Djokovic sails into French Open third round
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Julien Pretot | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - May 31, 2023 Serbia's Novak Djokovic in action during his second round match against Hungary's Marton Fucsovics REUTERS/Kai PfaffenbachPARIS, May 31 (Reuters) - Novak Djokovic briefly struggled before bulldozing past Hungarian journeyman Marton Fucsovics 7-6(2) 6-0 6-3 on Wednesday to reach the French Open third round. I hope you had fun tonight especially in the first set - me, a bit less," Djokovic said on court. Djokovic raced into a 3-0 lead before his opponent found his rhythm to set up three break points at 4-2. Djokovic broke his opponent's serve in the opening game of the second set and he did not look back, cruising to victory despite being broken twice more. "Drama-free Grand Slam, I don't think it can happen for me.

Persons: Roland Garros, Serbia's Novak Djokovic, Hungary's Marton Fucsovics, Kai Pfaffenbach PARIS, Novak Djokovic, Marton Fucsovics, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Djokovic, Philippe Chatrier, Fucsovics, Julien Pretot, Toby Davis, Ed Osmond Organizations: Hungary's Marton Fucsovics REUTERS, Musketeers, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, Kosovo, Serbia, Spanish, Serbian, Ukraine

☆ Alcaraz sees off Daniel to reach French Open third round
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Shrivathsa Sridhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - May 31, 2023 Spain's Carlos Alcaraz in action during his second round match against Japan's Taro Daniel REUTERS/Lisi NiesnerPARIS, May 31 (Reuters) - Carlos Alcaraz came through a tricky early test at the French Open with flying colours, as the world number one sealed a 6-1 3-6 6-1 6-2 victory over Japan's Taro Daniel in windy conditions on Wednesday to reach the third round. Daniel pounced early in the next to grab a 3-0 lead before Alcaraz got on the board. He continued to batter the suddenly error-prone Spaniard with relentless hitting from the baseline before levelling the match. I try to think about myself, about my game, and try to put it into the match. All I can say is tomorrow is a day off for me and we're gonna think about the match tomorrow with my team."

Persons: Roland Garros, Spain's Carlos Alcaraz, Japan's Taro Daniel REUTERS, Lisi Niesner PARIS, Carlos Alcaraz, Japan's Taro Daniel, Alcaraz, Flavio Cobolli, Daniel, Daniel pounced, Philippe Chatrier, I'm, Denis Shapovalov, I've, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Toby Davis, Ed Osmond Organizations: Thomson Locations: Paris, France, Vienna, Canadian, Barcelona

☆ Fifth seed Tsitsipas powers past Carballes Baena into third round
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Karolos Grohmann | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, May 31 (Reuters) - World number five Stefanos Tsitsipas found little resistance as he disposed of claycourt specialist Roberto Carballes Baena in straight sets 6-3 7-6(4) 6-2 on Wednesday to advance to the French Open third round. The fifth seed, who is chasing his first ever Grand Slam, had struggled somewhat in his tournament opener against Jiri Vesely but was in complete control against the 30-year-old Spaniard, cruising to an easy win. He quickly grabbed the initiative, breaking his opponent early, while holding his own serve, to bag the first set. The pair then traded two breaks each in a rollercoaster second set with Carballes Baena trying to lock Tsitsipas in long baseline rallies. Reporting by Karolos Grohmann Editing by Christian RadnedgeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Tsitsipas, Roberto Carballes Baena, Jiri Vesely, Carballes Baena, Karolos, Christian Radnedge Organizations: PARIS, French, Thomson

☆ Kosovo Olympic Committee seeks IOC disciplinary action against Djokovic
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The violence erupted after ethnic Albanian mayors took office in northern Kosovo's Serb-majority area following elections that were boycotted by the Serbs. "Novak Djokovic has yet again promoted the Serbian nationalists' propaganda and used the sport platform to do so," Ismet Krasniqi, president of Kosovo's Olympic Committee (KOK), said in a statement. France's Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera, whose country will host the summer Olympics in Paris next year, said Djokovic's message was "not appropriate, clearly". Djokovic, chasing a record 23rd Grand Slam title, has said he was not holding back and would do it again. On Tuesday, Kosovo's tennis federation said Djokovic's comments were "regrettable", accusing him of using his status as a well-known personality to stir tensions.

Persons: Roland Garros, Serbia's Novak Djokovic, Aleksandar Kovacevic, Novak Djokovic, Djokovic, Ismet Krasniqi, Amelie Oudea, shouldn't, Hungary's Marton Fucsovics, Rohith Nair, Karolos Grohmann, Julien Pretot, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Helen Popper, Christian Organizations: U.S, REUTERS, Kosovo Olympic, International Olympic Committee, NATO, Serbs, Kosovo's Olympic, IOC, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, PARIS, Serbian, Kosovo, Serbia, Zvecan, Kosovo's, Bengaluru, Karolos

☆ Monfils ranks five-set comeback win at French Open as one of his best
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - May 30, 2023 France's Gael Monfils reacts during his first round match against Argentina's Sebastian Baez REUTERS/Lisi NiesnerMay 31 (Reuters) - An exhausted Gael Monfils said his epic five-set comeback victory over Sebastian Baez at the French Open on Tuesday was one of the greatest matches of his career. Monfils, who reached a career-high sixth in the world in 2016, last appeared at a Grand Slam in the 2022 Australian Open quarter-finals before missing much of last season due to heel surgery. "It's definitely in like top two (matches in my career)," Monfils said at his press conference after the match ended after midnight. I'm older and (had) even less chances to win this match today. "I'm playing full adrenaline, like honestly I asked the crowd to scream and somehow I juice up," he added.

Persons: Roland Garros, Monfils, Argentina's Sebastian Baez, Lisi Niesner, Gael Monfils, Sebastian Baez, Frenchman, Philippe Chatrier, It's, Holger Rune, Rohith Nair, Peter Rutherford Organizations: Thomson Locations: Paris, France, Lyon, Bengaluru

☆ Elina Svitolina and husband Gaël Monfils are having quite a time at the French Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Thomas Schlachter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Elina Svitolina came from behind to beat Storm Hunter at the French Open – just one day after watching husband Gaël Monfils win a mammoth game against Sebastián Báez. Monfils’ game going the distance meant that Svitolina’s preparations were slightly more unusual than normal, but this didn’t impact her performance. Ibrahim Ezzat/NurPhoto/Getty ImagesThe pair got married on July 16, 2021, and welcomed their daughter Skaï Monfils in October 2022. It’s really, really special,” Svitolina said after her win. I had, like, really heaviness in me.

Persons: CNN — Elina Svitolina, Storm Hunter, Gaël Monfils, Sebastián Báez, Svitolina, Monfils, Báez, Frenchman, Monfils ’, “, ” Svitolina, Ibrahim Ezzat, Skaï Monfils, Skaï, It’s, ”, Tim Clayton, Corbis, I’m, Garros, Holger Rune Organizations: CNN, Skaï, Ukrainian Army, Air Force, Roland Locations: Ukrainian, Paris, Ukraine, Odessa, Mexico, Monterrey

☆ Second seed Sabalenka tames qualifier Shymanovich to advance
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Karolos Grohmann | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The 25-year-old, who will take over top spot from Poland's Iga Swiatek with victory at the Paris Grand Slam, did not have an easy start with qualifier Shymanovich, ranked 214th, matching her power with every groundstroke. Shymanovich started moving her opponent around, playing the angles and forcing her to the net with audacious drop shots as she tried to stop Sabalenka imposing her own rhythm on the match. The second seed wasted two set points at 6-5 but bagged the set on her third opportunity, chasing down yet another drop shot from her opponent. She took a two-game lead at the start of the second set but had to fight tooth and nail for every single point before sealing victory on her second match point. Reporting by Karolos Grohmann, editing by Ed OsmondOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Roland Garros, Iryna Shymanovich, Benoit Tessier PARIS, Sabalenka, Shymanovich, Karolos Grohmann, Ed Osmond Organizations: Belarus, Iryna Shymanovich REUTERS, Shymanovich, Paris, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, Belarus

CNN —The Kosovan Olympic Committee (KOC) has called for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and International Tennis Federation (ITF) to take disciplinary action against Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic. On Monday, Djokovic left a political message on a TV camera lens at the French Open in response to violent clashes in Kosovo, writing: “Kosovo is the [heart symbol] of Serbia. There were clashes with protestors on Monday after ethnically Albanian mayors took office in northern Kosovo, a majority Kosovo Serb area, following April elections that Kosovo Serbs had boycotted. Djokovic elaborated on his message in Serbian at a press conference this week, saying: “This is the least I could have done. Djokovic plays in the second round of the French Open against Hungary’s Márton Fucsovics on Wednesday.

Persons: Novak Djokovic, Djokovic, Ismet Krasniqi, KOC, “, Djokovic “, ”, ” Djokovic, Garros, Jean Catuffe, Serbia ”, Krasniqi, Hungary’s Márton Fucsovics Organizations: CNN, Olympic, KOC, International Olympic Committee, Tennis Federation, Serbian, IOC, ”, Kosovo Serb, Kosovo Serbs, Kosovo, Djokovic, ITF, Olympic Charter, ” CNN, Hungary’s Locations: Kosovo, Serbia, Serbian

☆ Tsitsipas, Alcaraz soar at French Open, Djokovic row simmers
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Shrivathsa Sridhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Unlike after his opening match on Monday, however, there was no message on the camera lens the Serbian signed and the 22-times Grand Slam champion looked to draw a line under the issue. Djokovic missed last year's Australian Open and was deported from the country due to being unvaccinated for COVID. He won the Melbourne title this year despite a row that erupted after his father posed with some fans holding Russian flags. "A drama-free Grand Slam, I don't think it can happen for me," Djokovic added. Anna Blinkova dashed French hopes with a stunning 4-6 6-3 7-5 victory over fifth seed Caroline Garcia, wrapping up victory on her ninth match point.

Persons: Roland Garros, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Spain's Roberto Carballes Baena, Benoit Tessier, Alcaraz, Djokovic, Garcia, Tsitsipas, Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Jiri Vesely, Roberto Carballes Baena, Japan's Taro Daniel, Denis Shapovalov, Ismet Krasniqi, Amelie Oudea, Castera, Elina Svitolina, Australian Storm Hunter, Svitolina, Sabalenka, Iryna Shymanovich, Marta Kostyuk, I've, Jelena Ostapenko, Peyton Stearns, Barbora, Lesia Tsurenko, Swiatek, Suzanne Lenglen, Jessica Pegula, Camila Giorgi, Anna Blinkova, Caroline Garcia, Kokkinakis, Stan Wawrinka, Andrey Rublev, Corentin, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Toby Davis, Ed Osmond Organizations: Spain's Roberto Carballes Baena REUTERS, Tennis Federation, Serbian, Marton, COVID, Melbourne, Kosovo Olympic, International Olympic Committee, Kosovo's Olympic, International Tennis Federation, Australian Storm, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, Kosovo, PARIS, Serbia, Marton Fucsovics, Serbian, Ukrainian, Ukraine

☆ At the French Open, Djokovic Storms the Court and Into Controversy, Again
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Matthew Futterman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The 22-time Grand Slam tournament champion struggled to find his timing early on, with the wind gusting as day turned to night. But as the light faded the wind did too, and Djokovic cruised, finishing off the steady Fucsovics, 7-6 (2), 6-0, 6-3, in two hours and 44 minutes. But as it is so often with Djokovic, what is happening on the tennis court this week is only a fraction of the story. He didn’t even have to worry about his main nemesis, with Rafael Nadal missing this year’s French Open, a tournament he has won 14 times, because of an injury. Djokovic continues his usual march toward the second week of the tournament — though the top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz may pose trouble.

Persons: Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, Djokovic’s, “ Let’s Organizations: World Health Organization Locations: United States, Australia

☆ Coco Gauff says Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler offered her tickets to the NBA Finals before beginning of playoffs
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

But according to tennis star and Heat fan Coco Gauff, Butler is either excellent at predicting the future or just extremely confident. In the lead up to the French Open, Gauff hinted she had a “funny story” about Butler but was “going to save it” to avoid jinxing it. Butler drives to the basket during Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics. 8 seed Heat’s miraculous run to the NBA Finals, beating the No. The NBA Finals begin on Thursday in Denver.

Persons: Jimmy Butler’s, Coco Gauff, Butler, Gauff, Roland Garros, Brian Babineau, ”, “, I’ll, ’ ” Gauff, ’, ” Gauff, Jimmy Butler, Rebeka Masarova Organizations: CNN, Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, NBA, Denver Nuggets, Eastern, Hawks, Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks Locations: Madrid, Rome, France, Denver

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