Andy Murray believes his victory over Juan Martin del Potro is a “big win” after searching for consistency in his opening two French Open matches.
| French Open |
|---|
| Venue: Roland Garros, Paris Dates: 28 May-11 June |
| Coverage: Listen to live radio commentary and follow text coverage of selected matches on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra and online. |
Andy Murray saw off Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro with a superb straight-set win to reach the fourth round of the French Open.
The world number one, 30, won a gripping 84-minute opening set on his way to a 7-6 (10-8) 7-5 6-0 victory.
The Scot, bidding for his first Roland Garros title, goes on to face American John Isner or Russia’s Karen Khachanov.
British number two Kyle Edmund’s run came to an end with a defeat by big-serving Kevin Anderson in five sets.
The South African, 31, fought back to win 6-7 (6-8) 7-6 (7-4) 5-7 6-1 6-4 in a near four-hour match.
After searching for consistency in his opening two matches, Murray found something approaching his best form to win the most anticipated match of the first week.
Former US Open champion Del Potro, whose ranking has slid after injuries, posed an unusually severe test for the third round and he began strongly.
The Argentine’s huge forehand drew regular gasps from the crowd, as well as what Murray later described as “a very manly grunt” from Del Potro.
But once he had levelled in a high-quality first set, Murray edged a thrilling tie-break and then dominated in arguably his best performance of 2017.
“I played some good matches at the beginning of the year, but definitely in the clay-court season, the second or third sets were the best I have played, for sure,” Murray said.
He out-scored the powerful Argentine with 41 winners to 35, all the while mixing up his game with deft drop shots and sharp volleys.
The match turned late in the first set when Del Potro failed to serve it out and Murray eventually took the tie-break with his third set point, having saved four.
A distraught Del Potro slumped on the net post for most of the changeover, pausing only to smack down his racquet in anger before moments later dropping serve at the start of the second set.
“I couldn’t believe that I lost that set, because I had many opportunities to win,” he said.
“But this happens when you play against the number one in the world.”
There was no way back, especially after the Argentine – who struggled with a groin injury on the previous round – called for the doctor.
Murray’s hopes faltered only briefly when he failed to serve out at 5-4, but the Scot broke serve once again in the following game and then reeled off the last seven games in a row.
“Mentally I feel pretty good just now,” he said.
“I’m happy with how the match was today. I’m working things out whilst I’m playing the matches. The really, really important part of my game is making adjustments.
“The tactical side is very important for me.”
After that marathon first set, the match quickly turned in Murray’s favour as the Scot went on to clinch the final set in just 28 minutes.
“Whoever won that first set had big momentum,” said Murray, who beat Del Potro in the Olympic gold-medal match at last year’s Rio Games.
“It’s slow and heavy, and coming back in these conditions is difficult.
“I thought I played some good tennis towards the end and I expected a tough match.
“It was tough. I think he was playing much better than me in the first set. Both of us hand some chances in the first set, the second set was the same. Both those sets could have gone either way.”
Edmund, 22, had hoped to match his best Grand Slam run by reaching the last 16, but Anderson’s greater experience told in the latter stages of a hard-fought contest.
Edmund held a slight edge in terms of ranking over Anderson, the Yorkshireman ranked nine places higher at 47th in the world, but the South African was playing in the third round of a Grand Slam for the 17th time.
By contrast, it was only Edmund’s second appearance in the last 32 of a major.
“I played a good match and am disappointed to lose,” said Edmund.
“I would love to win and get to the fourth round, and especially win that type of match in the fifth set like that.
“But, you know, quality by him. And he just beat me.”
Anderson, who was a top-10 player before being hampered by a series of injuries, will now meet 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic in the fourth round.
| French Open |
|---|
| Venue: Roland Garros, Paris Dates: 28 May- 11 June |
| Coverage: Listen to live radio commentary and follow text coverage of selected matches on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra and online. |
Romanian third seed Simona Halep sealed her place in the French Open fourth round with a 6-0 7-5 win over Russia’s Daria Kasatkina.
Halep, 25, is viewed as one of this year’s title favourites after winning the Madrid Open and reaching the final in Rome last month.
She will face Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro for a place in the last eight.
Ninth seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland was stunned 6-2 6-1 by French world number 43 Alize Cornet.
Cornet will now meet 28th seed Caroline Garcia in an all-French last-16 tie at Roland Garros.
Garcia needed more than two and a half hours to win 6-4 4-6 9-7 against Taiwanese Hsieh Su-wei, who beat British number one Johanna Konta in the first round.
Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki resumed her match against 18-year-old American Catherine Bellis after rain stopped play on Friday night, the Dane going to complete a 6-2 2-6 6-3 win.
Suarez Navarro, the Spanish 21st seed, set up a clash against Halep with a 6-4 6-4 win over 14th seed Elena Vesnina of Russia.
National Volunteers Week runs from 1-7 June and tennis’ governing body – the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) – has shortlisted around 1,200 volunteers whose efforts will be recognised at the British Tennis Awards, during Wimbledon fortnight.
Whether fundraising, helping to build and maintain facilities or encouraging people to get involved in – and stay in – the sport, volunteers are the foundation of the game at local level.
Here are three examples of people really making a difference in their communities:
Five years ago, visually impaired (VI) tennis coach Wendy Glasper set up North East VI Tennis Club – incorporating sites in Jesmond, Sunderland and Stockton – and since then has worked tirelessly across the region to promote the sport to people who are blind or have sight impairment.
A qualified LTA level 2 coach, Wendy is also an accomplished player herself, finishing runner-up in her sight category at the National VI Championships at Roehampton in 2015. And she continues to inspire youngsters and adults to play the sport competitively or just for fun.
“It’s so rewarding giving back to a sport I love and see our players grow in confidence, gain new friendships and improve their mental wellbeing,” she says.
“One of our members is completely blind and has just won his first tennis competition in Newcastle. For me, knowing that our VI tennis sessions enabled him to achieve this is just brilliant.
“For anyone looking to volunteer, I would say just do it! If you are passionate about something, you will inspire others to help you and I’m so thankful for the people I work with for bringing VI tennis to more communities in the north east.”
This really is a story of building facilities from the ground up. In November 2015 there were no useable tennis courts in Hingham, a small Norfolk market town of 1,000 houses. Fast-forward to October 2016 and Hingham has a thriving tennis club with 200 members.
How did this happen? Three volunteers – Emily Cary, Lindsey Read and Simon Underhill, none of whom had even been in a tennis club before – raised £91,000 from Sport England and local businesses to renovate the derelict courts next to an existing sports hall into two hard courts and a well-appointed clubhouse.
The club now delivers coach-led evenings of activities to the local youth club – free of charge – plus a weekly Cardio Tennis session, which the local slimming club attends.
“We went out to local fairs, shows and schools to understand if this was something people would be interested in,” explains Lindsey. “It was a great chance to explain to our community what we’d like to do and rally support for our plans.
“After a hard year of gathering evidence of need, impact and sustainability, we applied for funding from Sport England and got the maximum bid of £75,000. We then gathered funds from nine other local charities and trusts, plus a crowdfunding campaign and business sponsorship to go ahead with the project.
“It was a long and challenging process, but it’s fantastic to give something back to the community and for anyone thinking of volunteering, just do it – don’t underestimate what you’ll get out of it.”
It’s fair to say 17-year-old John Heppell has grown up at Durham Archery LTC. He joined aged four and has been volunteering at the club for the last six years.
Now assistant coach on the club’s Junior Coaching Programme, he helps in junior coaching sessions (ages 4-16) on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings, year-round, whatever the weather.
Parents have been glowing in their assessment of John and his work with their children, with his infectious enthusiasm for the game translating into good retention rates for the club and real progress in his students’ aptitude for the game.
“John has always been very shy, and every school report mentions that he is very quiet,” says mum Christine. “Volunteering has helped him come out of his shell and be more confident.
“He has inspired our current generation of young members with his coaching skills and, as a result, we now have other young teenagers keen to assist in the club Junior Coaching Programme on a Saturday morning.”
Find out more about the British Tennis Awards and how you can volunteer for British Tennis here.
And for more on National Volunteers Week, go to volunteersweek.org/about or visit the NVCO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations) website, here.
Happy birthday, Rafa!
It’s been 15 years since Rafael Nadal’s first tour-level win, close to half a lifetime ago when his star began to burn bright. But now on his 31st birthday, once an indicator of the twilight of a player’s career, it is nothing more than a number. In the midst of a resurgent rise to the pinnacle of the sport, Nadal is proving that he still has the passion, desire and motivation to perform at the highest level.
The sublime Spaniard is celebrating his 31st birthday in familiar fashion on Saturday after advancing to the fourth round at Roland Garros for the 12th time in 13 years. As the clock struck midnight, Nadal added another impressive achievement to his glittering, legendary resume. The World No. 4 has become just the 12th player aged 31 & over to feature in the Top 5 of the Emirates ATP Rankings, since its inception on 23 August 1973. Moreover, he joins Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, Stan Wawrinka and David Ferrer as the only players to achieve the feat in the past 20 years.
Top 5 At Age 31 & Over
| Player | Career-High | Year Reached Top 5 At 31 & Over |
| Rafael Nadal | No. 1 | 2017 |
| Stan Wawrinka | No. 3 | 2016 |
| David Ferrer | No. 3 | 2013 |
| Roger Federer | No. 1 | 2012 |
| Andre Agassi | No. 1 | 2001 |
| Ivan Lendl | No. 1 | 1991 |
| John McEnroe | No. 1 | 1990 |
| Jimmy Connors | No. 1 | 1983 |
| Arthur Ashe | No. 2 | 1975 |
| John Newcombe | No. 1 | 1975 |
| Ken Rosewall | No. 2 | 1974 |
| Rod Laver | No. 3 | 1973 |
One of the greatest players to ever step on a tennis court, Nadal’s tenacity and unrelenting ambition are rivaled only by his humility and selfless approach to the game, win or lose. One of its most fervent ambassadors and a pillar of the ATP community, he holds himself to the highest standard and aims to promote and grow the sport through the recently opened Rafa Nadal Academy in his hometown of Manacor.
The ability to sustain an elite level of play, with the professional landscape constantly changing, is the biggest test of any professional tennis player’s longevity. Nadal is proving to have all the answers. The leader in the Emirates ATP Race To London entering the month of June, he has stormed through the competition with the help of Carlos Moya, a relatively new addition to his stellar team. Final appearances at the Australian Open and Miami Open presented by Itau were followed by a ruthless run at his clay-court playgrounds of Monte-Carlo, Barcelona and Madrid. With an unwavering passion and commitment to his craft in the face of adversity, the Spaniard is refusing to back down in 2017, streaking to a tour-leading 36 match wins, buoyed by seven Top 10 victories.
Nadal has filled the past 15 years with immeasurable pulsating moments, since first crashing onto the scene as an audacious teenager with boundless energy and charisma. Even despite multiple physical ailments and injuries, he remains the same champion today and continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible on the court. Where many would consider a career with 10 ATP World Tour titles a great achievement, Nadal’s decade of victories in both Monte-Carlo and Barcelona are two of the most astonishing feats in history. His legacy on clay may very well stand the test of time.
When the draw was made for the men’s event, there was one matchup that stood out when it came to the early rounds in terms…
On paper, this looks to be one of the more intriguing women’s matches to date in this year’s open. It pits a talented…
Argentine falls to Djokovic in five sets on Friday
Diego Schwartzman may have lost his third round match to Novak Djokovic on Friday at Roland Garros, but he won plenty of new fans with his inspired play and fighting spirit.
Shortly after Djokovic prevailed in their five-set tussle, both the Serbian and Court Philippe-Chatrier crowd rose to their feet to give Schwartzman a standing ovation for his effort. It was a first-time experience for Schwartzman, who said he’ll take it with him for the rest of his life.
??@DjokerNole d. ?? D. Schwartzman – R3 @RolandGarros
5-7 6-3 3-6 6-1 6-1
Djoker faces ??@La_Pouille/??@AlbertRamos88 winner in R4#RG17 ? pic.twitter.com/iQ6cYSz2r4— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) June 2, 2017
“It took me a while to notice because I was packing my stuff. I could see that everyone was clapping, and that Djoko was clapping and looking my way. Then finally I understood and I thought, ‘Okay, get your kit in the bag and try to enjoy the moment.’ It’s a truly extraordinary thing,” said Schwartzman. “I think people who haven’t experienced it directly cannot even imagine how wonderful it is. It’s going to be a great memory.
“I just want to say thank you to all of them,” he added. “It was really nice to receive that noise from the people. It’s amazing for me.”
Djokovic was also full of praise for Schwartzman after the match and acknowledged that the Argentine had him on the ropes for much of the contest.
“He definitely deserved the applause he got at the end of the match, because he was fighting, He was playing really well,” said Djokovic. “He was probably the better player for the first three sets.”
Schwartzman has been in fine form on clay this season. He reached the semi-finals last month in Istanbul and recorded back-to-back quarter-final finishes this February in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. Schwartzman also defeated Alexander Zverev en route to his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 quarter-final this April in Monte-Carlo. He currently sits at No. 41 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, just seven spots off his career-best ranking achieved in April.
Despite the loss, Schwartzman can take solace in reaching the third round at a Grand Slam for the first time in his career. But if he continues to play at this level, it’s safe to say it won’t be his last.
Go inside the tournament at RolandGarros.com
David Goffin had plenty of people worried after suffering a freak ankle injury in his third-round match on Friday against Horacio Zeballos, but the early reports for a speedy recovery are already encouraging.
“He had an MRI, and the news is reassuring,” said Goffin’s coach, Thierry Cleemput, who came to press in Goffin’s absence. “There is no tearing of the ligaments and no bone that’s been broken, either. That’s the only thing we can say. We can’t say much more. There is an edema, and in 48 hours we will see how things go on.
“The doctors were incredible with him,” he added. “They contacted David’s doctor. They agree as to the procedure to follow, and we decided to have emergency treatment to start with so that he can come back as quickly as possible. I don’t know how he feels now. I suppose that now that we have got reassuring news for him, he’s going to have more smiles on his face.”
Goffin is still on the entry list to compete at the ATP World Tour grass-court event in ‘s-Hertogenbosch in 10 days time.
Heavy heart for ??@David__Goffin, retires from @RolandGarros due to injury.
?? @HoracioZeballos to play ??@ThiemDomi/??@SJohnson_89 winner. pic.twitter.com/48XN1FKNO5— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) June 2, 2017
Serving at 4-5, Ad-out in the first set, after 47 minutes of play, Goffin went to retrieve a ball from well behind the baseline and got his right foot caught on the tarpaulin cover at the back of the court. The Belgian twisted his ankle and appeared to be in severe discomfort.
After a medical time-out of 10 minutes, it was clear that Goffin could not continue and Zeballos was awarded the match. Zeballos insisted that he would take Goffin’s bag off the court and into the locker room.
Go inside the tournament at RolandGarros.com.
Pouille plays Ramos-Vinolas on Friday
Second seed Novak Djokovic was a set away from losing his Roland Garros crown, but finished with a flourish against an inspired Diego Schwartzman on Friday to reach the fourth round with a 5-7, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, 6-1 victory in three hours and 18 minutes.
Djokovic improves his FedEx ATP Head2Head record against Schwartzman to 2-0. He picked up his 58th match win (58-11) at Roland Garros, tieing Guillermo Vilas for third on the all-time list at this event. Making his 13th consecutive appearance at Roland Garros, Djokovic has not lost before the quarter-finals since 2009. He is bidding to become the first man in the Open Era – and only the third man in history – to win each of the four Grand Slams twice. Roy Emerson and Rod Laver are the only other men to accomplish the feat.
Schwartzman was appearing in the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time. He falls to 0-13 against players inside the Top 10 of the Emirates ATP Rankings.
Djokovic will play 16th seed Lucas Pouille or 19th seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas for a place in the last eight.
Although Schwartzman was in uncharted territory at a Grand Slam, he wasn’t overwhelmed by the occasion on Court Philippe Chatrier. The Argentine twice rallied from a break down in the opening set. A nervy game on his serve at 6-5 saw four set points come and go, but he made good on his fifth chance to take the early advantage.
Djokovic cleaned up his game considerably in the second set. He finished the opening set with eight winners and 21 unforced errors, but ended the second set with 13 winners and nine unforced errors. The Serbian grabbed the lone break of the set at 4-3 and eventually leveled the match.
Schwartzman refused to budge, though, and continued to engage the defending champion in grueling baseline battles. With the crowd chanting his name, Schwartzman began throwing his whole body into forehand winners that saw the packed stadium yell in delight. He earned three straight break points on Djokovic’s serve at 4-3 and converted on the third after Djokovic sent a forehand just outside the lines. He then rallied from 0/40 in the next game, saving four break points in total, and took a commanding lead when Djokovic hit a backhand return wide on set point.chwartzman
But while Schwartzman’s effort never betrayed him, his body did in the latter stages of the match. He began to frequently clutch his ribs after points in the fourth set and the injury appeared to result in diminished speeds on his shots. He failed to hold serve in the fourth set and won just five points in his three service games.
The Argentine took an injury timeout at 1-4 in the fifth set, but the treatment wasn’t enough to sustain the barrage of relentless rallies. A final forehand from Djokovic on his first match point wrapped up the contest, but both he and the rest of Court Philippe Chatrier gave Schwartzman a standing ovation for his outstanding effort.
Go inside the tournament at RolandGarros.com