PARIS ( Associated Press) – LATEST (all time local) on the French Open tennis tournament:
2:35 pm
Rafael Nadal didn’t get his priority on the timing of his blockbuster quarter-final match against top-ranked Novak Djokovic at the French Open.
The 13-time champion at Roland Garros wanted a one-day match on Tuesday to avoid slightly slick conditions on the clay court at night. But organizers have made the match a marquee night match, starting at 8:45 pm on Day 10, after talks with rights-holding broadcasters to ensure that all spectators in France can watch coverage of the match for free.
Nadal set a record 59th matchup against Djokovic with a five-set victory over Felix Auger-Aliassim in the fourth round on Sunday.
His overall win-loss record at Roland Garros is 109-3. Two of those three losses were against Djokovic in Paris, including last year’s semi-final.
Nadal broke the tie with Djokovic and Roger Federer in January to win the Australian Open for a record 21st men’s Grand Slam title. Djokovic missed the tournament after being relegated from Australia because he was not vaccinated against COVID-19.
,
at 2 pm
Veronika Kudermatova reached the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time with a 1-6, 6-3, 6-1 win over Madison Keys, ending four US women’s chances of making the last eight at the French Open. time in two decades.
Keys, who reached the semifinals at Roland Garros in 2018 and the quarterfinals the following year, dominated the opening set but lost momentum after Kudermetova took a bathroom break before the second set.
She held on and then broke Keys’ serve to take a 2-0 lead in the second, which she completed on her seventh set point.
Kudermetova took a break after a 40–0 loss in the opening game of the third set and controlled the rest of the match, with the exception of a service break in the fourth game.
Kudermetova had not progressed past the third round in singles in any of her last 12 major tournaments. Keys was runner-up at the 2017 US Open and was coming out of the semifinals at the Australian Open.
Keys and Jessica Pegula went to the fourth round hoping to win to ensure four American women made it to the quarterfinals at Roland Garros for the first time since 2002. Sloane Stephens and Coco Gauff have already advanced to the other side of the draw.
Pegula was playing Irina-Camellia Begu later on Monday.
,
12:40 pm
Daria Kasatkina equaled her best performance with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Camilla Giorgi in the quarterfinals of the French Open.
20th seed Kasatkina saved a break point while serving for the match and achieved it on back-to-back unforced errors from Giorgi.
She will next play Madison Keys or Veronika Kudermatova.
Kasatkina, who reached the quarter-finals of the French Open and Wimbledon in 2018, said: “I am looking forward to the quarter-finals at Roland Garros, which is the most important.” “It doesn’t matter who’s on the other side of the net.”
,
12:05 pm
The International Tennis Federation has honored Stan Smith with its highest honour, the Philippe Chatrier Award.
Smith won singles titles at the 1971 US Open and Wimbledon the following year, and also won five Grand Slam doubles titles and was part of seven Davis Cup winning teams for the United States.
Named after the former ITF president, the award was instituted in 1996 and recognizes those who have made significant contributions to the sport.
Off the court, Smith established his Stan Smith shoe brand in the 1970s and took on coaching roles with the USTA, working with players including Lindsay Davenport, Jennifer Capriati and Michael Chang.
“(Smith) has made a huge contribution to tennis on and off the court for more than half a century, and it is an honor to recognize his achievements,” ITF President David Haggerty said in a statement.
The award will be presented officially at the ITF World Champions Awards in Paris on Monday.
Smith, who was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1987, said he was joining “a great list of people who have done a great job on the court but also off the court.”
“It’s also very special because I knew Philippe Chattier very well and he has done a lot for the game,” Smith said.
,
11:10 am
Action is underway at Roland Garros on Day 9 with Daria Kasatkina, who plays Camilla Giorgi in a fourth round match on the court Susan Lenglen.
Madison Keys is scheduled to play on the court Philippe Chatrier against number 29 Veronika Kudermatova.
A win for Keys and 11th seed Jessica Pegula over Irina-Camellia Begu would ensure four American women in the quarterfinals at Roland Garros for the first time since 2002. Sloane Stephens, the 2017 US Open champion, and 18-year-old Coco Gauff have already moved on.
Top-ranked Inga Swietec will chase a 32nd consecutive win when she takes on the role of Zheng Qinwen. Sweetek is aiming to equal the third-longest winning streak on the Women’s Tour since 2000. Venus Williams leads that list with 35 in 2000, followed by Serena Williams with 34 in 2013 and Justin Henin with 32 in 2008.
In men’s fourth round matches, 2021 runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas will face Denmark’s Holger Rune and US Open champion Daniil Medvedev will face 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic, 33, of the night.
,
More Associated Press Tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Copyright © Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
