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Tag Archive: Roland Garros

  1. Sharapova Wins The Hard Way…Yet Again!

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    How do you solve a problem like Maria? Not even a Genie can come up with the answer.

    A titanic clash of wills made this intriguing match so special. Big hits and winners aplenty, unexpected errors and endearing vulnerability…both women reached giddy heights, then suddenly reminded us they were human after all.

    One day, you sense, 20-year-old Eugenie Bouchard will become world number one. She has the game, she has the mental strength and she has time on her side to discover the three-set intensity she needs to take the final step.  Yet right now Maria Sharapova is the woman to admire most on clay. Her hunger is extraordinary, her intensity unparalleled, and all this from a star who already has a career Slam and riches beyond even her comprehension.

    Think back just a few short years to Sharapova The Shoulder, the woman we thought would never return to her best after injury, struggling to recapture the most memorable glories of her younger years.  But return she did, to prove us all wrong. And in Paris Sharapova simply refuses to be beaten, even though she lost the first set yet again, for a third consecutive match, this time 4-6.

    Bouchard deserved her early success too, spraying the clay with a stunning array of shots full of breathtaking power and bravery.  Sharapova led 5-2 in the second – but Bouchard refused to lie down and won three games in a row.  Maria dug in yet again to carve out a cruicial 7-5 comeback set.  Bouchard was 40-0 ahead for the chance to level at 2-2 in the third, yet Sharapova still managed to hit back to break with a blend of miraculous angles and dogged defiance.  The favourite then forced mistakes from the younger woman by refusing to give up on lost causes.

    Just when we thought it was all over, Sharapova missed a shot for 5-1 in the third, and back came Bouchard once more.  The Canadian was growing weary, though, and more errors crept into her game when she needed to find her very best tennis.  Even so, at the death Bouchard saved four match points to prolong the drama a little longer.  But when Maria finally took that decisive set 6-2, the relief was written all over her face.

    It has been a wonderful tournament for Bouchard, the growing force in the game.

    But for Maria Sharapova, Roland Garros is not over.  There is one more test ahead. One more opportunity to summon the warrior within and emerge triumphant.

    Sharapova said of Bouchard: ‘She played an unbelievable match, her level was really high today and I’m really fortunate to win. She played loose and hit the ball so hard. I’d prefer to win in two sets but the first set is not when the match is over.’  And that’s what might scare her opponent in the final. The knowledge that, even if the underdog goes a set ahead, that early success might well be to no avail.

    Simona Halep, who will be Sharapova’s adversary after the Romanian beat Andrea Petkovic 6-2, 7-6 (7-4) said: ‘I was a bit stronger in the end, I’m really happy. I have a lot of confidence in myself but Maria is very tough. We played in Madrid and maybe this time I’ll get revenge.’

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  2. Unstoppable Maria Sharapova in France

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    Unstoppable Maria Sharapova France!

    How do you solve a problem like Maria? We’re not sure any of her rivals can. Not this year at Roland Garros.  It’s looking more and more like Maria Sharapova’s title in France.

    Her twelve million followers on social media will be delighted if that prediction comes true.

    Nothing is certain in sport and there will still be stern tests ahead.  Yet there was something special about Sharapova from the very start of this particular tournament.   We highlighted her extraordinary intensity on her very first day in action at Roland Garros. We said her focus and sheer will to win stood out in a chilling way and made her a serious contender.

    The Venezuelan-born Spaniard Garbine Muguruza steamrollered Sharapova 6-1 in 27 minutes to claim a first set few could have seen coming.  But Maria is in the right place mentally and ready to handle any crisis. She has been in the zone since day one and you sense she will still be there when all is said and done.
    That mental strength and determination dragged her back into contention when it seemed her technique had deserted her.

    Maria took the second set 7-5 and gave Muguruza a taste of her own medicine with a 6-1 decider.

    Navarro.  Bouchard was 4-1 down in the third set but Suarez-Navarro tightened with the finishing tape in sight.  The Canadian stormed back to clinch her second successive Grand Slam semi-final on her third match point.
    She had stolen the first set on a tie-break, been taken apart 2-6 in the second, yet “Genie” emerged triumphant 7-5 thanks to her amazing third-set comeback.

    ‘I’m so happy,’ said Bouchard. ‘It was a battle, I didn’t expect such a difficult match but the third set was the most important.
    ‘I’m very tired but I’ll be alright to play Sharapova and it’s great to be able to stay in Paris a bit longer.’

    That women’s semi-final will now be eagerly awaited by the entire tennis world.  Of course, there have been so many Grand Slam shocks this year that nothing can be predicted with total confidence.

    Maria Sharapova is playing like a woman on a mission, unprepared to let any set-back get the better of her.

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  3. Surprise Defeat for Federer at Roland Garros

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    Roger Federer was surprisingly defeated in five sets by Ernests Gulbis at Roland Garros.

    The much loved Federer edged a first-set tie-break but then threw away a commanding position in the second to let the Latvian back in.

    Gulbis eventually beat the legendary favourite 6-7 (5), 7-6 (3), 6-2, 4-6, 6-3.

    The underdog reflected later:

    ”I was a bit lucky in the second set when he had the smash (for the set). But I penetrated his backhand and served it out well in the end.”

    Gulbis, who made himself unpopular recently by suggesting that women should think more about having families than playing tennis, acknowledged that he had few friends against Federer on Court Philippe Chatrier.

    ‘It was the biggest wins of my career and sorry to the crowd, I know how much you support Roger. But I hope I won over some fans today and I’ll have more fans tomorrow against Thomas Berdych.’ After three hours and forty-two minutes, Federer left the stage a forlorn figure in purely sporting terms, knowing he had squandered progress by taking his eye off the ball when he was on top.  Perhaps the arrival of his new twins had proved too demanding behind the scenes, or maybe Federer simply shot himself in the foot by being too casual when he looked odds-on to progress to the quarter-finals.

    There will be time to regroup before his favourite tournament of all, Wimbledon.

    But Federer will need no reminder when he reaches the All England Club that he must put opponents away ruthlessly when he has the chance.  The longer he allows a match to continue at his age, the more damage Federer does to his chances in a Grand Slam event these days.

    Only a rediscovery of his killer instinct will give Roger hope of clinching another Wimbledon title.

    He knows he can count on massive support at the All England Club for what will probably represent his last realistic chance of Wimbledon glory.

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  4. Federer and Djokovic Survive Setbacks..​.But Radwanska Is Out!

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    When the going gets tough, the tough get going.
    Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic found mental strength in adversity to overcome some sticky moments on the Parisian clay today.

    That’s what separates the champs from the also-rans. The very best find a way, even when it doesn’t quite feel like their day.

     ‘I lost my head once at Roland Garros when I was young,’ reflected Federer. ‘Now I just increase my focus.’

    Both Fed and Novak wobbled to drop sets against Dmitry Tursunov and Marin Cilic respectively at Roland Garros.  But crucially, both superstars struck back immediately to show who was really in charge.  Federer won his first set 7-5, dropped the second to an excellent Tursunov tie-break, but hit straight back with a break early in the third to resume control and take the set 6-2.   He never looked back and wrapped up victory over the ailing Russian 6-4 in the fourth. Overall it was an impressive display.

    Roger said afterwards: ‘I thought I had control, Dmitry is always tough but I served well and even though I had to be careful with my work I thought I was a deserved winner.’

    4 in three hours and eleven minutes.  Novak said later:’It all went well for the first two sets but then I dropped my intensity and he came back. He pushed me to the limit but at the end of the day I won and that’s what matters most.’   Cilic, the 25th seed, blended wrist-inspired power with deftly-carved drop shots to take a third-set tie-break 7-2.  Yet Djokovic raced to a three-game advantage in the fourth after saving triple break points on his own serve.   Despite a fresh Cilic comeback, the popular Serb finished the job to put a testing afternoon behind him.

    Meanwhile Poland’s Agniezska Radwanska was unable to show similar tenacity against one of Cilic’s lesser-known compatriots. Radwanska lost 4-6, 4-6 to Ajla Tomljanovic of Croatia in the shock of the day.

    And now, astonishingly, all three top seeds have fallen in the first week of the women’s tournament.

    5 behind before she began to claw her way back into the first set at Roland Garros.   But she failed to raise her game for long enough to mount a meaningful fightback. Instead the world number 72, who has suffered from glandular fever in the past, clinched the unlikely victory which propels her into the big-time.

    Romania’s Simona Halep is now the highest remaining seed left in the women’s draw, though Maria Sharapova’s vastly superior experience makes  her a strong contender for the title.

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  5. Murray Tames the “Mad Dog”

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    Andy Murray made quick work of taming Marinko “Mad Dog” Matosevic at Roland Garros this afternoon.

    Despite clutching what appeared to be a tight hamstring at times. Murray maintained his free-flowing superiority to finish off the erratic Australian in simple, straight sets.
    Now the improving Andy will face Philipp Kohlschreiber in the third round of the French Open on Saturday. The German beat Murray on clay four years ago in Monaco. But the Scot has come up a few levels since then.  The Wimbledon champion will feel confident of progressing further still. Though he knows the number 28 will provide a more searching test.

    Matosevic, famous for his theatrical on-court fireworks and multiple body-rolls, seemed to lose heart the more Murray seized control.  The match simply wasn’t close enough to provoke any histrionics from “Mad Dog” the underdog.  Although the Brit’s first serve was wayward in the opening set. That deficiency didn’t seem to matter as he took it 6-3.  Murray’s accuracy improved in the second set. He went on all-out attack and made just five unforced errors on the way to a 6-1 romp.  The final set was never in any doubt, even after Andy was broken when he was serving for the match at 5-2.  A spectacular break-back clinched it at 6-3, though the victory hardly sent out a chilling warning to the likes of Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

    So far there seems to be more drama surrounding Murray’s choice of coach than his matches.

    Suggestions that Amelie Mauresmo might be Murray’s shock coaching choice have been laughed out of court by experts such as the former British favourite, Greg Rusedski.  An even more illustrious female tennis legend, Martina Navratilova admitted she would be interested in the role if asked, while Murray himself has joked that ‘no one wants to coach me.’

    The true successor to Ivan Lendl will be revealed after Roland Garros, where Andy has been able to preserve plenty of energy for the latter stages.  

    However, with no pressure on Murray’s shoulders in France, he might just gain some much-needed confidence going into Wimbledon.  He is gaining some momentum – and not before time.

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  6. Serena Crashes Out

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     Serena Out of The French Open

    Garbine Muguruza pulled off one of the great shocks to crush Serena Williams in straight sets at Roland Garros.

    The statuesque Spaniard served like a dream while nervous Serena simply tried too hard.  To beat the world number one 6-2, 6-2 in just over an hour was an achievement no one saw coming – including the surprised winner.

    ‘Today’s a great day. It’s amazing, I didn’t expect that but I played very, very good, and I’m really happy,’ Garbine shrieked joyfully afterwards.

    With the heavy favourite out and Li Na a casualty yesterday, Maria Sharapova will rate her chances of more French Open glory.  At just 20 years of age, Muguruza isn’t even a clay-court specialist. But she will fear no one after a performance full of power and composure.
    She went 4-1 up in the second set by breaking Williams for the third time in a row, this time to love.  Reigning champion Serena tried to break back again herself but squandered three chances for 2-4 and ran out of time to avert the upset.  Muguruza had broken her stiff opponent in the third game of the first set and consolidated immediately. She never looked back and more than matched Serena’s bludgeoning blows.

    Venezuelan-born Muguruza could hardly believe her own display and now the tournament has been blown wide open.

    Earlier Serena’s sister Venus had also been knocked out by a young pretender – Anna Schmiedlova.

    No one at Roland Garros had ever seen anything quite like it.  Serena notched 29 unforced errors and didn’t win a single point at the net.  She looked close to tears but congratulated her conqueror graciously in the end.  Muguruza has impressed before to reach number 32 in the world rankings – but now her game and her mental strength look complete.

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  7. Li Na And Wawrinka In Historic Exit But Murray Survives

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    Li Na and Stan Wawrinka combined to create the wrong kind of history at Roland Garros yesterday.

    The only bonus is that both fallen stars will now be super-fresh for Wimbledon. Never before have both Aussie Open Champions been dumped out of the French Open in the very first round. In fact newly-crowned Grand Slam champions have never been knocked out at the opening stage of the next major anywhere.

    If some had predicted that Wawrinka might struggle against Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, few foresaw Li Na’s early exit at the hands of French player Kristina Mladenovic, ranked 103 in the world. Li Na, the Roland Garros champion of 2011 never managed to capture her best form in what proved to be her first and last test in this year’s tournament, despite taking the middle set 6-3. Powerful Mladenovic won the opener 7-5 and finished the job with a crushing 6-1 clincher. Li Na struggled with her serve and her coach Carlos Rodriguez shook his head in frustration at her general lack of accuracy.

    He might have been angered even further when he heard her post-match confession that she had lost concentration.

    ‘The problem is myself,’ she admitted.  ‘I don’t think I’m doing well on court. And also, even during the match, I don’t think totally about what I should do, like especially I didn’t follow the game plan…In my mind, I didn’t have any idea how to play the match.’

    The popular Chinese star knew she had disappointed her millions of fans with such an off-key display. Provoking her coach after her failure was like rubbing salt in her wounds. Now those hoping to see the best of Li Na in Europe this summer will have to book their seats for Wimbledon instead.

    As for Wawrinka, the extra pressure brought on by success in Australia didn’t sit any more comfortably. He took the second set 7-5 to level after Garcia-Lopez had won the first 6-4. Yet the Swiss player’s timing was out by a distance as he faded 2-6, 0-6 to bow out in considerable embarrassment.

    ‘It’s a different story, a different picture for my career, I have to put the puzzle back together,’ said a flummoxed Wawrinka.

    At least Murray negotiated his first match, after a troubled third set made the clash unexpectedly tough and exciting. The Wimbledon champion has shown only rare flashes of form since taking his home Slam title last year. But he took out Golubev eventually, winning 6-1, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. Even so, it seems that the appointment of Murray’s new coach can’t come soon enough.

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  8. Grand Slam Tournaments: The Run Down

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    Grand Slam History: Wonderful Wimbledon Aces Them All

    All the Grand Slams have their history – but nowhere has quite as much as Wimbledon. You can feel it when you walk in. That magic took many years to create. You can’t feel it anywhere else, for all the qualities and diversity of the world’s other venues.
    Who would have thought, when the newly-named All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club held its inaugural Wimbledon Championship in 1877, that it would be the start of such an incredible journey?

    Spencer Gore was the first winner, though Britain’s William Renshaw was the first 19th-Century tennis star, with his seven Wimbledon wins in the 1880s.

    ball and racquet

    Pete Sampras and Roger Federer repeated the feat in the Open era and their task was somewhat harder. Once he became champion, all Renshaw had to do was to turn up for the next final to see off his latest challenger. How times have changed!

    The “Other” Opens

    It might surprise some to know that the USA started its own national championships as early as 1881, at the Newport Casino, Rhode Island.
    The French weren’t far behind in setting up their own national tournament in 1891. And the dawn of the 20th century saw one of their greatest stars – Max Decugis – dominate the scene. Between 1903 and 1914 he won the French title eight times and might have continued his amazing run were it not for the outbreak of the First World War.
    By then the Australians were up and running too, their first tournament having taken place in 1905.

    The Tournaments Find Their Home Grounds

    So which was the first championships to move to its current home? Wimbledon of course, in 1922. The French followed six years later when Roland Garros was established. The US Open didn’t move to Flushing Meadows until 1978, while the Aussie Open only found its current home in 1988.
    But the French can boast the first true superstar of the game – Suzanne Lenglen. The world marveled at her grace and talent. She took six top titles in France or Belgium and six more at Wimbledon to capture the hearts of just about every sports fan around.
    Then the Brits came up with a superstar of their own. Fred Perry won Wimbledon three times in the 1930s. As we all know, it took until last year for a Brit to win it again. But Perry did something Andy Murray can still only dream about. He became the first player to win the French, Australian and US titles too, all in that same decade.
    Amazingly, an American called Maureen Connolly Baker achieved the same feat while she was still a teenager, between 1951 and 1953.
    Each country or tournament has its giants. Home-grown Roy Emerson won the Australian six times in the 1960s, while in the Open era Andre Agassi, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic managed such glory four times Down Under.

    The Tennis Giants

    Wimbledon’s true giants of the Open era haven’t been British. Pete Sampras has won it seven times, along with Federer. Martina Navratilova won Wimbledon an extraordinary nine times. Each champion has been hailed by an adoring British public, which became very used to putting nationality aside during the many years when a Brit couldn’t quite cut it.
    US champions William Larned, Richard Sears and Bill Tilden may not be mentioned very often these days; but they took seven singles titles apiece on that side of the Atlantic. Jimmy Connors, Sampras and Federer managed five in the Open era.
    It was in 1968 that professionals were finally allowed to join amateurs and do battle at the “Majors.” That’s when the Grand Slam era really began. Few who were already alive will ever forget Arthur Ashe taking the US title and striking a fresh blow for racial equality.
    The increased intensity of competition can’t diminish the achievements of someone like Margaret Court, whose career saw out the old and welcomed in the new. She won 24 Slams including eleven Australian, five French, three Wimbledon and five US Open titles. Yet perhaps Steffi Graf’s 22 titles, all won in the Open era, are even more admirable, given the new physical demands of the game.
    And Rafael Nadal’s eight Roland Garros titles between 2005 and 2013 had everyone shaking their heads in awe, and wondering how many more he could win.
    We know how wonderful the modern era is. We know we are currently watching giants who can be compared favourably against champions of any era. Wimbledon has welcomed these giants down the years, and been enriched by their magnificence. That’s what makes Wimbledon so very special.

    You step back in time when you walk through those gates, you can almost touch the all-time greats; yet you are always invited to embrace the present and future too.     

    The new Number One Court arrived in 1997, the retractable roof on Centre Court is even more recent and spectacular. Beautiful modern architecture somehow blends perfectly with the traditional feel to the venue. How has Wimbledon moved so stylishly with the times? Either there are some very special people behind the scenes, or it’s magic!
    The other Grand Slam venues are great in their own way, of course. But history tells us Wimbledon is the home of competitive tennis. Always was, always will be. In fact we don’t need to be told, because we can feel it.
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