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Wawrinka, Troicki Even After Two Sets

  • Posted: May 29, 2016

Wawrinka, Troicki Even After Two Sets

Serbian is trying to reach first Grand Slam QF

Viktor Troicki has evened his fourth-round match against third seed Stan Wawrinka on Sunday at Roland Garros 6-7(5), 7-6(9). After losing the first-set tie-break, the Serbian clinched the second set tie-break on his fifth set point.

The opening sets have been near opposites. Neither player lost his serve during the first set. Wawrinka never even faced a break point. But in the second, both players earned two breaks of serve in the back-and-forth contest.

Troicki, No. 24 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, is looking to reach his first Grand Slam quarter-final. He’s reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam four times, including twice at Roland Garros (2011 l. to Murray, 2013 l. to Tsonga) but has never reached the final eight.

Wawrinka, the defending Roland Garros champion, is looking to win his eighth match in a row and reach the quarter-finals for the second consecutive year.

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Jamie Murray out of men's doubles

  • Posted: May 29, 2016
French Open
Venue: Roland Garros, Paris Dates: 22 May to 5 June
Coverage: Live radio and text commentary on selected matches on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra, the BBC Sport website and app.

Jamie Murray’s eight-match winning run in Grand Slam men’s doubles has ended in the French Open third round.

Murray and Brazilian partner Bruno Soares, who were seeded fourth, lost 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-4) against 16th seeds Marcin Matkowski and Leander Paes.

The pair won the Australian Open earlier this year – their first Slam playing together.

It means Murray, 30, must wait for another chance to reclaim the world number one ranking he held in March.

  • Report: Andy Murray into last eight
  • Read more: How Jamie beat Andy to the top

Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza’s hopes of holding all four women’s doubles Grand Slam titles were ended with a 6-3 6-2 defeat by Czech duo Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova in the third round.

The top seeds were hoping to win four majors in a row after following up last year’s Wimbledon and US Open triumphs with victory in January’s Australian Open.

Venus and Serena Williams, the last women’s team to hold all four majors in 2010, also went out in the third round, losing 6-3 6-3 to the Dutch-Swedish pairing of Kiki Bertens and Johanna Larsson.

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Wawrinka through as Raonic goes out

  • Posted: May 29, 2016
French Open
Venue: Roland Garros, Paris Dates: 22 May to 5 June
Coverage: Live radio and text commentary on selected matches on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra, the BBC Sport website and app.

Defending champion Stan Wawrinka beat Viktor Troicki in four sets to reach the last eight of the French Open.

The Swiss third seed won 7-6 (7-5) 6-7 (7-9) 6-3 6-2 and will face Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the quarter-finals after the Spaniard knocked out eighth seed Milos Raonic 6-2 6-4 6-4.

Fourth seed Garbine Muguruza progressed with a 6-3 6-4 win against Russia’s 2009 champion Svetlana Kuznetsova.

The 22-year-old Spaniard will face American Shelby Rogers next.

Rogers, ranked 108th in the world, reached her first Grand Slam quarter-final by beating Romanian 24th seed Irina-Camelia Begu 6-3 6-4.

Rogers is he ninth woman outside of the top 100 to make the last eight in Paris since 1983.

“It’s incredible and I’m really happy that it didn’t start raining,” said Rogers who broke down in tears after the match.

“I always dreamed of this when I was a little girl in Charleston but never really thought I would reach the quarter-finals in Paris.”

Rogers has now beaten three seeds in her run at Roland Garros having seen off 17th seed Karolina Pliskova in the first round and 10th seed Petra Kvitova in the last 32.

Ramos-Vinolas’ win ensures at least one Spaniard will play in the men’s quarter-finals at Roland-Garros for the 20th year running.

The 28-year-old left-hander, who has never been past the second round in 18 appearances in the four majors, broke Raonic five times and only lost serve once.

“I have no words to explain how I feel,” said the world number 55. “It was four years in a row losing in the first round.”

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McEnroe Joins Raonic Team As Consultant

  • Posted: May 29, 2016

McEnroe Joins Raonic Team As Consultant

Former World No. 1 to work with Milos Raonic during grass-court season

Milos Raonic will have two former World No. 1s in his corner after it was announced that John McEnroe will join the 25-year-old in a consulting role during the upcoming grass-court season. Raonic is scheduled to play at the Aegon Championships at Queen’s Club, in addition to making a sixth appearance at Wimbledon.

McEnroe is one of many former No. 1 players in the Emirates ATP Rankings to join the coaching ranks in recent years, along with Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg, Ivan Lendl and Carlos Moya. Moya was brought on by Raonic in a full-time role in January. The World No. 9 is also coached by Riccardo Piatti.

“He’s one of five or six guys that can win Wimbledon.” McEnroe said during an interview on Eurosport on Friday night. “I’m excited to be part of his team. Milos has a great team with Riccardo Piatti and Carlos Moya. I’m going to be a consultant on the grass.”

Known for his deft touch and exceptional volleying skills, McEnroe, who spent 170 weeks atop the Emirates ATP Rankings, joined Raonic for an hour-long practice Saturday at Roland Garros.

The Canadian is looking to build on a strong start to the season that has seen him post a 27-6 record, claiming an eighth ATP World Tour title in Brisbane and reaching the final at the Masters 1000 event in Indian Wells. He is slated to face Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the Roland Garros fourth round on Sunday.

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Djokovic Beats Bedene, Fading Sunlight

  • Posted: May 29, 2016

Djokovic Beats Bedene, Fading Sunlight For Fourth Round Berth

Serb into Roland Garros fourth round for 10th time

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic streaked into the Round of 16 at Roland Garros, racing past Aljaz Bedene 6-2, 6-3, 6-3.

With darkness decending on Court Philippe-Chatrier, the top seed took care of business after just over two hours. He fired 39 winners in total, including five aces, to secure his 10th appearance in the fourth on the terre battue. Djokovic was efficient at the net, claiming 11 of 15 points, while turning aside five of seven break points faced.

“I tried to come up with the right tactics and execution of the tactics, which I did,” Djokovic said. “I played very well. There were a couple of long games where I didn’t use my opportunities. But, I closed out two sets pretty well and started the third great. I had a couple opportunities for a double break and 2-Love.

“Then I dropped my serve and the games were very long… We went deep into night. I think we played to the maximum extent of time we could, with the light. I’m just glad I managed to finish tonight.”

After claiming the first two sets, the Serb broke immediately to open the third and overcame a break back from Bedene in the fourth game, breaking twice more to close out the win over the World No. 66. Djokovic, who notched his 50th match win at the clay-court Grand Slam on Thursday, with victory over Steve Darcis, will look to reach the quarter-finals when he faces Roberto Bautista Agut.

“Obviously it’s not easy to play Novak,” said Bedene, who was appearing in his first Grand Slam third round. “I honestly felt like he wasn’t giving anything. I had to play well to get games. He was returning well, so I was under constant pressure, which wasn’t easy. But I was playing some decent ball. I could maybe get a few more games, but I was fighting well. I’m pleased with the performance.”

Bautista Agut, who is seeking his first win in five FedEx ATP Head2Head clashes against Djokovic, fired past Next Generation star Borna Coric 6-2, 6-3, 6-3. The Spaniard, seeded 14th, needed two hours to emerge victorious, equalling his best Grand Slam result in advancing to the fourth round.

The 28 year old recorded three straight match wins on clay for the first time since his title run at the ATP World Tour 250 event in Stuttgart in 2014. He will be seeking revenge against Djokovic on Monday, after suffering a 6-2, 6-1 defeat at the Masters 1000 event in Madrid earlier this month.

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Goffin Survives In Five, Sets Gulbis 4R Clash

  • Posted: May 29, 2016

Goffin Survives In Five, Sets Gulbis 4R Clash

Belgian, Latvian book fourth round spots in Paris

David Goffin improved to 3-0 in five-setters at Roland Garros, scoring his first victory over Nicolas Almagro 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 on Saturday.

The Belgian, who won a pair of five-set battles en route to his lone previous Round of 16 appearance on the Parisian clay, in 2012, fired 36 winners, including 10 aces, to advance after nearly three hours. Now seeded 12th at the clay-court Grand Slam, Goffin was a lucky loser when he reached the fourth round four years ago (l. to Federer).

After falling behind two-sets-to-one, Almagro looked to swing the momentum in his favour deep in the fourth. He abruptly took a 0/40 lead at 5-4 and forced a decider a point later. But an in-form Goffin would not be denied in the fifth, breaking for 2-1 with a rifled cross-court forehand, which drew an error from his Spanish opponent. He would break once again in the seventh game before securing the victory on his first match point.

Goffin is set to square off against Ernests Gulbis for a spot in the quarter-finals. It will be their third FedEx ATP Head2Head encounter, having split the first two meetings.

Gulbis advanced to the Round of 16 in Paris for the second time in three years when No. 1 Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga retired with a left adductor injury. The 27-year-old Latvian is enjoying a resurgence on the terre battue this week, winning three matches at a tournament for the first time since Vienna last year. His best Grand Slam result game here at Roland Garros in 2014, reaching the semi-finals (l. to Djokovic).

“It is very strange,” said Gulbis. “I feel very sorry for Jo. Here unfortunately we played just seven games. It’s never nice to win like this, so I feel very sorry for him. There’s not much I can say about the match itself. It was just the beginning. I was just starting to get to feel the atmosphere of the centre court. I haven’t been here for a couple of years.

“But overall, if we take that apart away, then I’m satisfied the way I played and the way I hit the ball in practice and in the first two rounds. The second round was especially good from my game and from my perspective.”

An emotional Tsonga, who left the court in tears, led 5-2 in the first set when he was forced to withdraw after stretching to hit a forehand. It marked just the second time since 2009 that he failed to reach the second week at his home Grand Slam. Ninth seed Richard Gasquet is now the lone remaining player from France in the singles draw.

“The problem is my adductor, the same thing I had before the tournament,” Tsonga lamented. “I just came on court pretty good and feeling really good. The first game of the match I slid and I felt a pain.

“It’s of course a big disappointment. I felt really well on the court. I was in a really good shape today. It’s just really difficult to accept that I’m not in the tournament anymore.”

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Ernests And The Ideal Coach

  • Posted: May 29, 2016

Ernests And The Ideal Coach

Colourful Latvian into second week at Roland Garros

Latvian Ernests Gulbis, one of the ATP World Tour’s deep thinkers, is into the fourth round at Roland Garros after opponent Jo-Wilfried Tsonga retired during the first set of their third-round clash on Saturday. It’s been an unexpected fortnight for Gulbis, whose best run at a Grand Slam event, a semi-final finish, came in Paris in 2014.

The Latvian ended his partnership with coach Gunther Bresnik, who also works with Dominic Thiem, on the eve of Roland Garros and was just 4-10 coming into the event. He is now into the second week of a Grand Slam event for the first time in exactly two years.

“I’ve thought about [my coaching situation] a little bit before the tournament,” said Gulbis, who is looking for a coach who can focus on him exclusively. “I’m searching for not so much a tactical coach, but more of a technical coach, because I’m the kind of player who has problems maintaining his game and maintaining his shots clean.”

Gulbis, currently No. 80 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, cracked the Top 10 in June 2014. He has shown an ability to beat nearly anyone on any surface, as evidenced by his 16 career wins against Top-10 players and by his stunning upset of then-No. 1 Roger Federer on the clay of Rome in 2010. In his mind, rediscovering that level of play on a consistent basis requires doing the small things right on a daily basis. An attention to detail is what he looks for, above all, in a prospective coach.

“If I don’t have a racquet in hand for a couple of days, I suddenly start to hit my forehand differently. So I need a coach to see those small changes.

“Tactically, I think my game is pretty uncomfortable for most of the guys, if I serve big and if I hit the ball big. So I think mostly I need to concentrate on my own technique and to make sure my own shots are clean.”

Because of those considerations, Gulbis’ ideal coach may not be a former No. 1 or a Grand Slam champion.

“To be honest, I don’t necessarily think that a former player, no matter how good he is, is necessarily a good coach. I think that a good coach needs to have experience.

“I like that Gunter had a lot of experience, especially in the technical side of the game, because he spent probably one of the most hours on court of all the coaches on tour. He taught kids, he taught right-handed players, left-handed players, serve and volley, baseliners, juniors, and older players. So his understanding of the game is very big. This is what I liked in his experience.

“If you take a former player, they always look at the game from their perspective. They understand what they did, but can’t always give you solutions for fixing your game. I think if one thing doesn’t work, you have to have a backup plan. And not just one or two, but many of them. This is what I’m searching for in a coach.”

In the fourth round, Gulbis will face Belgium’s David Goffin, his occasional off-season training partner.

“In the practices I couldn’t beat [Goffin] because the guy is like a wall. I think he likes playing against guys like me, who are hitting the wall,” Gulbis joked.

“But if I remember right, I beat him once in Acapulco or somewhere. I don’t remember exactly where, but I think I’m capable of beating him.”

If Gulbis can overcome Goffin, he could face Thiem, and his former coach, in the quarter-finals.

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I've found my game, says Briton Bedene

  • Posted: May 29, 2016

British number two Aljaz Bedene says he has “found his game” despite losing to world number one Novak Djokovic in the third round of the French Open.

Bedene fought bravely and twice broke his opponent’s serve, but lost 6-2 6-3 6-3 on Court Philippe Chatrier.

“I think I found my game now, so it’s good to see, especially before Wimbledon. I just have to build it up,” said 26-year-old Bedene.

The tournament at Wimbledon is the next Grand Slam and begins on 27 June.

  • REPORT: Djokovic ends Bedene’s run in France
  • Cancelling Olympics unthinkable – Djokovic

Bedene began brightly but his best groundstrokes were all returned well by Serbian Djokovic, who had to battle for more than two hours for victory.

The Slovenia-born world number 66, who became a British citizen in March 2015, added: “I guess the confidence is back. I’m working hard, but it’s about just working hard and improving the things which were not the best.

“Obviously when you play someone like Novak, you can see where the weaknesses are, so I’m going to work on that.”

Andy Murray is the only Briton left in the competition and faces American John Isner in the fourth round on Sunday at 10:00 BST.

New lights, please

Meanwhile, 29-year-old Djokovic has appealed to event organisers to build floodlights on Roland Garros’ showpiece court.

He had to complete his third-round match at 21:30 local time (19:30 BST) as the light faded.

“It was getting dark,” said Djokovic, who is looking to win the French Open for the first time. “For a Grand Slam, you need to have lights.

“I’m really hoping we can have that very soon for these particular situations, especially considering the fact that the forecast for the weather is not that great in the following days.”

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Cancelling Games unthinkable – Djokovic

  • Posted: May 29, 2016

Cancelling this summer’s Olympic Games in Rio because of concerns over the Zika virus would be “unthinkable”, says Novak Djokovic.

The world number one hopes to compete for Serbia in Brazil.

Djokovic, 29, said: “For the moment I’m planning to play. Nothing is changing. But let’s see what happens.”

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has played down fears over the spread of the virus, which is linked to severe birth defects.

Senior WHO official Bruce Aylward told the BBC risk assessment plans were in place, and reiterated there was no need to delay the Games, which are scheduled to take place in Rio de Janeiro from 5-21 August.

More than 100 leading scientists had earlier written to the WHO suggesting new findings about Zika – which is transmitted via mosquitoes – had made it “unethical” for the Games to go ahead as planned.

Djokovic, speaking at the French Open in Paris after he had beaten Britain’s Aljaz Bedene on Saturday, said that he would like more information about the impact of the virus in Brazil.

The three-time Wimbledon champion, who won a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, added: “Somebody has passed me the information that a significant amount of scientists have come up with a statement that it’s not safe.

“Honestly, I don’t know what to think any more. I need to get informed more so I can speak more in detail about it.

“Many athletes and people have already planned in advance and so many people have already planned their trips and accommodation in Rio.

“Of course, we have to have common sense that health is the most important thing for anybody that is there.

“But we should not only think about people coming to Rio. How about those people living there? I think we have to look from different perspectives in order to make a right conclusion.”

Women’s world number one Serena Williams, 34, told BBC Sport: “It’s something that’s been on my mind. I’m really just going to have to go super-protected maybe, and I don’t know.”

What is the Zika threat?

The WHO’s advice is that pregnant women should not travel to areas with Zika virus transmission, including Rio de Janeiro.

It also advises to make all efforts to protect against mosquito bites and to practise safe sex.

Zika infection in pregnant women is thought to be a cause of the birth defect microcephaly and other serious brain abnormalities in babies.

Brazil’s authorities have confirmed more than 1,400 cases of microcephaly, a condition which affects the development of the brain and reduces the size of the head.

The possible Zika impact

A number of potential competitors, across a range of sports, have voiced their concern about the Zika situation in Rio and their possible participation in the Games.

Golfers Rory McIlroy, Danny Willett and Shane Lowry are among them, with Fiji’s Vijay Singh and Australians Adam Scott and Marc Leishman already having pulled out.

McIlroy said there is going to be “a point in the next couple of years” where he and fiancee Erica Stoll may think about starting a family.

“Right now, I’m ready to go but I don’t want anything to affect that,” he said.

Lowry, a possible team-mate of McIlroy, said: “Obviously I really want to go but there is a decision to be made.”

Olympic bronze medallist gymnast Kristian Thomas told BBC Sport: “We were over there in February for a training camp and we followed all the advice from the doctors, the BOA (British Olympic Association) and British Gymnastics and we were all fine.

“I think we’ve just got to make sure we’re on top of this and following the guidelines, make sure we’re protecting ourselves and each other and, as long as we do that, I’m sure we’ll be absolutely fine.”

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Murray set to face big-serving Isner

  • Posted: May 28, 2016
French Open: Murray v Isner
Venue: Roland Garros, Paris Date: Sunday, 29 May Time: 14:30 BST approx
Coverage: Live radio and text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app.

Britain’s world number two Andy Murray faces big-serving American John Isner on Sunday for a place in the French Open quarter-finals.

Murray, 29, will be seeking a repeat of the form that saw him overcome Ivo Karlovic in the third round on Friday.

But Isner is a much stronger all-round player than Karlovic and has pushed Murray hard in previous meetings.

The match is scheduled third on Court Suzanne Lenglen but could be delayed because of rain.

  • Sunday’s order of play
  • Roland Garros weather forecast

The American, seeded 15th, accepts Murray would have benefitted from his match against Karlovic.

“He’s definitely got some reps in against a pretty big serve,” he said. “But my serve is a little bit different. I think I can back it up better, as well.

“He’s played the big points better than me, which is one of the reasons why he’s number two in the world. So I’m going to have to step up when I get opportunities – if I get them.

“It’s a match I would love to win, and a match I believe I can win.”

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