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☆ Can These Russians Become Tennis’s Next Great Sister Act?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Matthew Futterman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

First came an early rise to get Mirra, a 16-year-old Russian, ready for her 11 a.m. French Open debut against Alison Riske-Amritraj of the United States. Then came a long wait for Mirra’s older sister, 18-year-old Erika, who was last up on Court No. So it goes for tennis’s newest sister act. Sister acts are not exactly new in women’s tennis, which was headlined for more than two decades by the American duo of Serena and Venus Williams. Venus Williams, 42, still has not retired, though another major title seems unlikely.

Persons: Alison Riske, Mirra, “, ”, Erika, Emma Navarro, Navarro, Roland Garros, Serena, Venus Williams Locations: United States, Paris

☆ Top seed Swiatek enjoys winning start to French Open title defence
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Karolos Grohmann | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS, May 30 (Reuters) - World number one Iga Swiatek launched her French Open title defence on Tuesday by easing past Spain's Cristina Bucsa 6-4 6-0 to move into the second round. The Pole, chasing a third French Open title in four years, got off to a sluggish start on a windy afternoon on Philippe Chatrier court. The top seed heeded the early wake-up call and bounced back towards the business end of the set, breaking back to seal it. She made amends for her first-set wobble with a bagel as she looks to add to her 2020 and 2022 French Open titles and protect her top spot from world number two Aryna Sabalenka. "Of course I feel pressure, we all feel pressure," said Swiatek, who turns 22 on Wednesday.

Persons: Iga Swiatek, Spain's Cristina Bucsa, Philippe Chatrier, Swiatek, Karolos, Toby Davis, Christian Organizations: PARIS, WTA, Thomson Locations: Paris

☆ Fourth seed Ruud powers past qualifier Ymer into second round
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Karolos Grohmann | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, May 30 (Reuters) - Fourth seed Casper Ruud coasted into the French Open second round with a 6-4 6-3 6-2 victory over Swedish qualifier Elias Ymer on Tuesday to kick off his bid for a second straight final in Paris. Ymer was no match for the baseline power of the Norwegian world number four, who lost in the 2022 final to Rafael Nadal, an absentee this year. "Last year was one of the best tournaments of my life," Ruud said. "Last year was incredible for me and I will try to do it again wherever I play." He got his first break at 3-3 when Ymer sailed a forehand wide.

☆ Thiago Seyboth Wild stuns Daniil Medvedev in French Open upset
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

2 Daniil Medvedev was knocked out by Brazilian qualifier Thiago Seyboth Wild in the first round on Tuesday. Playing on this court against this kind of player and beating him is a dream come true,” Seyboth Wild, 23, said during his on-court interview. After winning match point with another crushing forehand, the beaming Brazilian turned to the crowd in disbelief, before raising his arms aloft. I started cramping in the second set. I did my best and tried to play my best tennis and it worked,” Seyboth Wild said.

CNN —Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic left a political message on a TV camera lens at the French Open on Monday in response to violent clashes in Kosovo. Following his first-round victory against American Aleksandar Kovacevic, Djokovic wrote “Kosovo is the [heart] of Serbia. Stop the violence” in Serbian on a camera lens, using a heart symbol. I don’t know what will happen.”Djokovic leaves his message on the camera lens after his first-round victory at Roland-Garros. Djokovic is aiming to win his 23rd grand slam title at the French Open, which would move him clear of Rafael Nadal at the top of the men’s all-time list.

☆ Alcaraz blasts past qualifier Cobolli in French Open first round
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Shrivathsa Sridhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - May 29, 2023 Spain's Carlos Alcaraz in action during his first round match against Italy's Flavio Cobolli REUTERS/Kai PfaffenbachPARIS, May 29 (Reuters) - World number one Carlos Alcaraz issued an early warning to his rivals as the Spaniard began his quest for a second Grand Slam title by easing past Italian qualifier Flavio Cobolli 6-0 6-2 7-5 in the French Open first round on Monday. Up next for Alcaraz is Japan's Taro Daniel who eased past Australian Christopher O'Connell 6-0 6-2 6-4. "I know that Taro is having a great year," Alcaraz said of his opponent, who stunned last year's Roland Garros runner-up Casper Ruud en route to the quarter-finals in Mexico earlier this season. He has won great matches against great players. I know the level of Taro, so it's going to be a really tough second round, really tough match."

☆ Bryan brothers: How 'twin energy' fueled tennis' greatest ever double act
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Bob (left) and Mike Bryan won their first grand slam title together at the 2003 French Open. “At the time, you think it’s a one-shot deal and you never know if you’ll get there again,” says Mike, reflecting on the 2003 French Open campaign. Bob (left) and Mike Bryan hold their Wimbledon doubles trophies in 2011. The Jensen brothers, coincidentally, won their only grand slam title at the 1993 French Open, 10 years before the Bryans captured their first. Bob plays keyboard, Mike guitar and drums; together, they have performed at bars, clubs and even tennis tournaments as part of the Bryan Brothers Band.

"Kosovo is the heart of Serbia. Stop the violence," 22-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic wrote on a camera lens in Serbian. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that 52 Serbs were injured on Monday, three of them seriously, while Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani accused his Serbian counterpart of destabilising Kosovo. There are many reasons why I wrote that on the camera," RFI radio quoted the 36-year-old Djokovic as saying to Serbian media. The French tennis federation (FFT), which organises the event, told Reuters that there were "no official Grand Slam rules on what players can or cannot say.

☆ Racist abuse of players is getting worse, says Stephens
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Karolos Grohmann | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

PARIS, May 29 (Reuters) - Racist behaviour directed at athletes is getting worse and even software designed to protect them from it has little impact, world number 30 Sloane Stephens said on Monday. The American, speaking after her straight-sets victory over Karolina Pliskova in the French Open first round, said she had had to endure it her whole tennis career. "Yes, it's obviously been a problem my entire career," said Stephens, who is Black. Tennis players, including greats Serena and Venus Williams, have been the targets of such abuse as have professional athletes in all sports, with Real Madrid soccer player Vinicius Jr. the most notable recent case. Tottenham Hotspur were working this month with the Metropolitan Police to investigate an allegation of racial abuse towards South Korean striker Son Heung-min.

☆ Djokovic canters into French Open round two as Stephens lays down marker
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Julien Pretot | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The twice Roland Garros champion breezed through the first two sets before encountering resistance from the 24-year-old American whose lack of experience then showed in the tiebreak on the world's biggest clay court. Djokovic ended the contest with a sizzling service return on his first match point and will face Hungarian journeyman Marton Fucsovics for a place in the third round. "It's always a pleasure to come back here, one of the best tournaments in the world," said Djokovic, who made his Roland Garros debut in 2005. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova celebrated her return to Roland Garros with a dominant win over Czech Linda Fruhvirtova after fearing for her career a year ago due to a knee problem. Sloane Stephens, runner-up at Roland Garros in 2018, dismantled former world number one Karolina Pliskova 6-0 6-4.

☆ Women’s Tennis Suddenly Has a Big(ish) Three
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Matthew Futterman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

And yet something has been happening with this group lately in the rivalry-starved women’s game — something that could all come together in a glorious rumble during the next two weeks at the French Open. The first of the three to play at Roland Garros, Sabalenka, started her tournament with a win over Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine in a match tinged with wartime bitterness. Ever since Ashleigh Barty of Australia retired while atop the rankings in March 2022 at age 25, Swiatek, Rybakina and Sabalenka have been hogging nearly all of the most prestigious trophies. Swiatek has been among the most outspoken critics of Russia’s invasion, helping to raise millions of dollars to support relief efforts in Ukraine. Rybakina and Sabalenka hail from the two countries perpetrating the war, as Kostyuk reminded everyone Sunday.

☆ Stephens puts down marker on 'favourite court in the world'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Karolos Grohmann | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - May 29, 2023 Sloane Stephens of the U.S. celebrates winning her first round match against Czech Republic's Karolina Pliskova REUTERS/Clodagh KilcoynePARIS, May 29 (Reuters) - Sloane Stephens relished every moment she spent on her favourite court in the world as the she cruised to a 6-0 6-4 first-round victory over former world number one Karolina Pliskova on Monday to put down an early marker at the French Open. "This is my favourite court in the world and I am super happy to be back," said Stephens, currently ranked 30th. Stephens came into the tournament in improving form on clay after winning her first WTA 125 event and reaching the semi-finals on clay in Rabat last week. "To start like that on your favourite court and favourite surface is great. I wanted to get matches under my belt this year (before the tournament) and I was feeling confident," Stephens said.

☆ Too much 'rubbish' being talked about Ukraine on tour, says Svitolina
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Karolos Grohmann | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS, May 29 (Reuters) - Discussions about the war in Ukraine on the tennis circuit avoid the important issues and are just empty words that do not support people who are suffering, Ukrainian Elina Svitolina said on Monday. The 28-year-old former world number three stopped playing shortly after Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year. She returned to action in April this year following the birth of her first child but said she was disappointed by what she has been hearing on the tour regarding Ukraine. "We are missing the main point that people at this time need help as never before. "We are missing the main point and talking, talking, talking about nothing," she said.

☆ Novak Djokovic gets French Open campaign off to winning start; matches Roger Federer record
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Novak Djokovic got his French Open campaign off to a winning start with a dominant victory over American Aleksandar Kovacevic in the first round. The victory continues his undefeated record in first round French Open matches, moving to 19-0 for his career. If Djokovic is able to claim a third French Open title, he would return to the top of the men’s world rankings. He also now has 86 wins at the grand slam, second only to Nadal’s 112. The 22-time grand slam champion will now face Hungarian Marton Fucsovics in the second round.

☆ 10 Things in Tech: Renting properties to sublet them, the world’s largest polymer 3D printer, and a bare-bones Tesla Cybertruck interior
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Diamond Naga Siu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

I'm Diamond Naga Siu, and I'm excited that the French Open main draw is in full swing today. ChatGPT helped these people earn more money and become better at their jobs. Insider profiled four of them about how it has made their jobs easier: a recruiter, broker, entrepreneur, and chief marketing officer. My colleague Jack Sommers gathered their profiles and highlighted how these workers turbocharged their jobs with technology. Email dsiu@insider.com or tweet @diamondnagasiu) Edited by Alistair Barr (tweet @alistairmbarr) in San Francisco and Hallam Bullock (tweet @hallam_bullock) in London.

☆ French Open crowd boos as Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk refuses to shake hands with Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Ukrainian tennis player Marta Kostyuk refused to shake hands with Belarusian opponent Aryna Sabalenka following their opening round match at the French Open, leading to boos from some of the crowd. There were then boos from the crowd at Roland Garros and again as Kostyuk made her way off the court. “Why do we have to go loud [public] and say things, that’s like saying ‘one plus one is two,’ you know, of course we don’t support war. Russian and Belarusian players are currently still competing on the tours as neutral athletes without their flag or country displayed. After winning the ATX Open in Texas in March, Kostyuk also refused to shake hands with beaten Russian opponent Varvara Gracheva.

☆ Sabalenka powers into French second round in win marred by jeers
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( Shrivathsa Sridhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Sabalenka, who appeared to sarcastically bow to the crowd following the win, said she initially thought the boos were aimed at her. "It was a very tough match, I mean tough emotionally. I'm sorry guys, I didn't get it at first, I thought this booing was against me so I was a little surprised," she said. The Belarusian raised her level again late in the match to save two breakpoints and close out the victory in 71 minutes. Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Paris, editing by Ed Osmond and Hugh LawsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ A Handshake Snub Gets a Chilly Reception at the French Open on Day 1
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( Matthew Futterman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The impact of the war in Ukraine on tennis has been constant and never-ending. The moves have left players from Ukraine unsatisfied and players from Russia and Belarus feeling like pariahs. The tension on Sunday was in stark contrast to the otherwise celebratory feel of the first day of the French Open. But as Nadal has said, tennis moves fast and waits for no one. On Monday, Elina Svitolina, among the most successful players Ukraine has produced, will make her Grand Slam return from maternity leave, against Martina Trevisan of Italy.

☆ Djokovic owes growth of his career to 'biggest rival' Nadal
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Both players are tied on a record 22 Grand Slam titles but Djokovic can inch ahead at Roland Garros where he had managed to beat Nadal only twice in 10 meetings. I don't like seeing him in the draw of Roland Garros," Djokovic told reporters with a laugh. "I have had not so much success against him in our head-to-head record in Roland Garros. "Definitely a great motivational factor for me to keep playing and keep competing and keep pushing each other - who's going achieve more, who's going to do better." "It made me wonder, it made me think about my career and how long I'm going to play," Djokovic said.

☆ Ruud banking on French Open experience for deep run after 'up and down' season
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS, May 28 (Reuters) - World number four Casper Ruud admitted his preparation going into the French Open has not been ideal but is counting on his experience from his final run last year and the ability to endure five setters to go deep at Roland Garros. Ruud has played in six claycourt tournaments in the build-up to the French Open and won the title in Estoril, but he struggled in Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Madrid before a semi-final run in Rome and a quarter-final exit in Geneva. "It's been going up and down, a little bit similar to what happened last year," Ruud told reporters. I'm hoping for a good run now in these two weeks." He deserves to be here in the main draw and I'm going to treat him like any other opponent, a tough one."

She added the Ukrainian did not deserve to leave the main showcourt in the manner she did, but Kostyuk urged Sabalenka to take a stronger, more personal stand against the war. "She (Sabalenka) never says that she personally doesn't support this war, and I feel like journalists should change the questions you ask these athletes because the war is already there," Kostyuk said. Fifth seed Tsitsipas was made to work hard by Vesely, who is on the comeback trail following a lengthy injury absence, before winning 7-5 6-3 4-6 7-6(7). With temperatures at 22 degrees and expected to reach 26 in the afternoon, the water vending stands were busy. Serbian Djokovic is bidding for his third French Open title.

☆ 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.

Djokovic won a record-extending 10th Australian Open in January - despite coming into the tournament with a hamstring issue - to equal Nadal's tally of 22 Grand Slams. An elbow injury forced Djokovic to pull out of the Madrid Open this month and he needed a painkiller during his quarter-final loss in Rome, but the 36-year-old is now back in shape. Djokovic, who starts against Aleksandar Kovacevic, said world number one Carlos Alcaraz was the "biggest favourite". Alcaraz and Djokovic are in the same side of the draw and could potentially meet in the semi-finals. Alcaraz won three titles on clay this year before his shock third-round exit from the Italian Open, but the Spaniard will be expected to resume normal service in his French Open first-round match against Italian qualifier Flavio Cobolli on Monday.

☆ 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."

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